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• A hacker hijacked Circle CSO’s Twitter account on March 22, 2023.
• The account was taken down by Twitter after reports of the hack and the scammer posted links to bogus loyalty benefits to long-time customers of USDC.
• Crypto whales have experienced significant losses due to the USDC depegging episode.

Hacker Hijacks Circle CSO’s Twitter Account

On March 22, 2023, according to an official statement published by Circle, the company responsible for issuing USD Coin (USDC), their Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Director of Global Policy Dante Disparte’s Twitter account had been hacked. Minutes after reports of the hack were made public, Twitter took down the account. The scammer posted a tweet offering bogus loyalty benefits to long-time customers of USDC, which has since been removed.

USDC Depegging

The security vulnerability occurred less than a month after the stablecoin depegged due to reserve deposits left in the custody of Silicon Valley Bank. Although it has since been fixed and re-pegged, there is still a minimal deviation between its current value and its original value when this article was written.

Crypto Whale Losses

Crypto whales have experienced significant losses due to USDC’s depegging episode. Fraudulent Circle profiles have since appeared on social networking platforms with promises of restoring consumers‘ lost assets and some decentralized finance protocols hard coded USDC as 1:1 rather than reflecting its market value at the time.

Investigation Into Hack

When this article was written, four tweets that were published using Disparte’s identity had been deleted while three remained providing general commentary on current events involving USDC. According to reports, USDCs redeemed for fiat US dollars since early March had come dangerously close to exceeding $10 billion when this article was written.

Conclusion

Circle is currently investigating into the situation and taking action accordingly in order to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in future – it is important that cryptocurrency users remain vigilant when interacting with any online accounts or offers related to digital currencies

• InvestAnswers believes the current state of the banking industry is beneficial for Bitcoin, causing a surge in new traders.
• Individuals are investing fiat dollars into BTC due to fears about the security of their own currency.
• Bitcoin experienced a meteoric climb when US banks collapsed, reaching a high of $26,000 on March 14th.

Banking Breakdown Good for Bitcoin

InvestAnswers believes that the banking breakdown is good for bitcoin, resulting in an influx of traders coming into the BTC market. Analysts believe that individuals are investing fiat dollars into bitcoin due to worries about the security of their own currency and as a result, there has been a surge in activity in this area.

2008 Financial Crisis

Those who have gone through the Great Recession from 2008 understand how detrimental it was to have money held within banks and many perceive bitcoin as a safer location to invest because of its decentralized nature. Many investors who have been around for some time are familiar with bitcoin but those who haven’t experienced the financial crisis may need to fully understand why it is so important now more than ever before.

Bitcoin’s Meteoric Climb

Since the banking crisis began, Bitcoin has seen meteoric growth and recently broke over $26,000 on March 14th after falling back down to $19,000 just one week prior. This incredible increase shows how many people believe that putting money into cryptocurrency offers greater protection compared to traditional banking methods.

New Time Purchasers

InvestorAnswers noted that they had calls from people who were new-time purchasers wanting to get involved with bitcoin which speaks volumes about how trusted this method is becoming amongst investors looking for stability during uncertain times like these.

Conclusion

The current situation in the banking sector appears to be driving investors towards Bitcoin which can only be seen as positive given its decentralized nature and increasing levels of trustworthiness amongst users worldwide.

• Jared Ferguson, a Coinbase customer, is suing the crypto exchange for a $96,000 loss after they faced a SIM-swap hack.
• The crypto community has expressed mixed reactions concerning the case.
• Jack Adams blames Coinbase for the loss citing that Jared could be among the clients whose information fell into the hands of the hackers.

Crypto Client Sues Coinbase Over $96k Hack

A Coinbase client, Jared Ferguson of Staten Island, New York has sued the crypto exchange for a $96,000 lost due to a SIM-swap hack. He claims that his life savings were taken and he contacted Coinbase hoping for compensation, but was refused. He then took legal action in the US District Court of Northern District of California to battle the exchange.

Crypto Community Reacts to Case

The crypto community have shown mixed reactions to this case with some sympathizing with Jared and others standing by Coinbase’s decision not to compensate him for his losses. It has been suggested that Jared’s phone had been hacked and it wasn’t Coibase’s fault and also that last month Coinbase had fallen victim to cybercriminals which resulted in customer data being leaked online possibly contributing to Jared’s losses.

SIM Swaps

SIM swaps are becoming increasingly popular amongst hackers as they can gain access to bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets by taking control of mobile phone numbers. This is usually done when hackers call up telecom providers posing as customers and gaining access through personal information obtained from other sources such as social media sites or dark web websites where stolen data is traded.

Coinbase Security Measures

Coinbase takes security measures seriously and offers two factor authentication (SMS 2FA) as well as other security features such as biometric authentication options like fingerprint scanning and facial recognition technology on its website and mobile apps in order to protect users from fraudsters attempting SIM swaps or account takeovers . However it appears these measures are not enough against sophisticated hacking techniques used by criminals today who are able exploit weaknesses in systems no matter how secure they seem on paper.

Lessons Learned

Overall this incident highlights the importance of keeping personal data safe online at all times even if one is using very secure services such as those provided by Coinbase since cybercriminals are always looking for ways around tight security measures employed by companies like Coinbases .

• Ethereum (ETH) failed to reclaim the much-coveted $2,000 price territory in February despite closing the month with a 1.26% increase.
• Throughout February, investors‘ confidence remained strong, as evidenced by a cluster of massive deposits into the ETH 2.0 contract and an increase in whale accumulation.
• Ethereum ended February at $1,605 – a 1.26% increase from its opening value.

Ethereum Fails to Reclaim $2,000

Ethereum (ETH) failed to reclaim the much-coveted $2,000 price territory in February despite closing the month with a 1.26% increase. The asset’s performance in February was mainly tied to bitcoin’s (BTC) movement as it sought to weather the bearish storm that prevailed throughout the month. Ethereum started February on a solid note, closing the first day of the month with a 3.55% increase from its opening price of $1,566. Highs and lows characterized the next few days amid massive volatility before ETH slumped to its lowest point of the month at $1,461 on Feb 13th. Later it staged a comeback with a 7.66% intraday gain two days later which resulted in 6-month high of $1,742 but could not sustain its bullish trend for long and finally ended at $1,605 – a 1.26% increase from its opening value .

Signs of Investor Confidence

Despite prevailing price fluctuations throughout February investor confidence remained strong as indicated by many developments in Ethereum’s ecosystem including:

Total Value Reached 9 Month High

Data from Glassnode reveals that total value of ETH 2 Deposit Contract hit 9 month high of worth 27 billion USD as Shanghai upgrade inches closer . This indicates an increased investor confidence towards Ethereum’s future prospects .

Whale Accumulation Also Increased

Santiment disclosed today that cumulative holding of top 10 non-exchange ethereum whale addresses surpassed 25 million ETH , last witnessed in 2016 indicating massive increase in whale accumulation .

Price Performance

Ethereum ended February at$1 ,605 –a 1 . 26 %increase fromitsopeningvalue , showing signs offutureprice stability .

Conclusion

Despite ongoing bearish market conditions throughout Feburary ,Ethereumpriceperformanceandinvestorconfidenceindicatethattheassetispoisedforagreaterbullruninthenearfuture .

• Tencent Cloud, the cloud service business of China’s largest Internet company, announced its full entry into WEB3 and announced cooperation with Ankr, Avalanche, Scroll and Sui.
• The firm has also reinforced its Web3 speculations through foundations of future partnerships with leading Web3 brands during the global Web3 summit.
• Tencent Cloud also plans to debut the Tencent Cloud Metaverse in-a-Box offerings to improve the experience of virtual users and online developers.

Tencent Cloud Enters Web3

Tencent Holdings‘ cloud service provider, Tencent Cloud, has announced its interest and entry into web3 on Feb. 22. The company is targeting strategic pillars of web 3 including storage, security, identity, data and analytics. It has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ankr to develop blockchain API services and an alliance with Avalanche to deploy nodes quickly on Tencent Cloud.

Tencent Plans Virtual Experiences

Tencent Cloud is unveiling new virtual experiences in the Web3 ecosystem by developing a full suite of blockchain API services. They are also planning to debut their Tencent Cloud Metaverse in-a-Box offerings to improve the experience for virtual users and online developers.

Global Demand for Virtual Experiences

The decision from Tencent Clouds is at the back of increased demand for virtual experiences by brands, organizations, companies and governments around the globe. Poshu Yeung acknowledged that significant potential exists where physical and digital worlds meet while speaking during the first Global Web3 Summit. He added that Tencent Cloud would commence virtual projects while leveraging its years of experience to provide technical support required to grow in this space.

Partnerships with Leading Web3 Companies

Tencent has partnered with leading WEB 3 companies like Avalanche, Skroll, Sui & Ankr to spearhead their virtual operations. Their collaboration will allow developers to set up nodes quickly on Tencnet Clouds while providing a full suite of blockchain API services for new users & online developers alike..

New Product: Metaverse In A Box

In addition to these collaborations & partnerships; Tencnet Clouds have released a new product called „Metaverse In A Box“ which aims at improving user experiences within WEB 3 ecosystem further more! This product will be available soon worldwide & will revolutionize how people interact within this space!

• Infamous British-American social media influencer and five-time world kickboxing champion Andrew Tate was arrested in Bucharest, Romania in December 2022.
• Romanian police seized millions of dollars worth of luxury cars, homes, and watches from Tate and his associates, as well as hardware wallets containing digital assets worth over a hundred thousand dollars together.
• Tate has been accused of using crypto to dodge taxes and reportedly made an impressive $600,000 a month employing 75 sex workers.

Infamous Criminal Arrest

In December 2022, infamous British-American social media influencer and five-time world kickboxing champion Andrew Tate was arrested in Bucharest, Romania for charges related to human trafficking, sexual assault, and forming an organized criminal enterprise.

Seizure of Luxury Goods & Crypto Assets

Romanian police seized millions of dollars worth of luxury cars, homes, and watches from Tate and his associates. In addition to these tangible assets were hardware wallets containing digital assets worth over a hundred thousand dollars together – 5 bitcoins (BTC) worth about $110k for Andrew held by his girlfriend’s wallet and 16 bitcoins held by Tristan amounting to a total of $465k.

Tate’s Crypto Fondness

It is no secret that Tate praised cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation; however it is unclear if this fondness stems from personal conviction or financial gain. Despite the public admiration for bitcoin investment expressed by Altcoin Daily – a YouTube channel with over one million subscribers – Bruce Rivers‘ January 2023 YouTube video reported that Tate bragged about using crypto to dodge taxes with The Mirror report suggesting he made an impressive $600,000 a month employing 75 sex workers while dodging taxes through cryptocurrency payment methods.

Tax Evasion Allegations

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) lists bitcoin payouts to performers as employment income requiring taxable payments; however Tate appears insistent on being above the law. Additionally, reports have emerged concerning the former kickboxer’s involvement in setting up pornographic webcam businesses which further demonstrate his controversial side showcasing questionable behavior outside the law.

Conclusion

Andrew Tate’s arrest has brought into light his controversial lifestyle filled with alleged criminal activities such as tax evasion through cryptocurrency exchange methods as well as setting up pornographic webcam businesses while evading taxation laws altogether. His seizure of luxury goods including hardware wallets full of digital assets further emphasizes the magnitude of these allegations against him but only time will tell what consequences await him legally speaking following this recent development in his life

• Blur NFT marketplace is outperforming OpenSea in terms of trading volume despite having fewer traders.
• As of writing, Blur accounts for 46% of the total weekly trading volume compared to OpenSea’s 36%.
• Despite being second in terms of trading volume, OpenSea leads the pack in the number of weekly trades.

Blur Outperforms OpenSea In Trading Volume

Blur NFT marketplace is continuously topping charts regarding NFT trading volume, pushing OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace, to second place. Despite its recent debut in October, Blur has scooped the lion’s share of the total NFT volume traded across all marketplaces.

As of writing this, Blur currently accounts for 46% of the total weekly trading volume compared to its biggest competitor OpenSea, which presently has 36% only.

Bidding Pools Surge To All-Time Highs

Blur NFT marketplace raised 11 million dollars in its early stages of development. Since then, the platform’s bidding pools have skyrocketed to all-time highs of $42 million.

OpenSea Leads The Pack In Weekly Trades

Despite being second in terms of trading volume, OpenSea leads the pack in the number of weekly trades. As of yesterday, on-chain data reveals that OpenSea housed 29,600 transactions compared to Blur which saw only 12,601 trades.

User Experiences Loss On Bidding System

On Dec 8th a user by Keungz lost 70 ETH using blur’s bidding system and thought it was his fault when it happened. After investigation however it was linked to blurs new bidding system and they refunded 50% off what was lost.

Conclusion
< p >Blur is quickly becoming one off if not thee leader when it comes to trading volumes with many features such as their new bidding system helping them get there . Although there can be some complications when using these systems , due diligence should be taken before entering into any activities .

• Whale addresses have recently shifted 4,794 BTC between Coinbase, Bitfinex, and Kraken.
• Bitcoin (BTC) had a 39% increase in January and the percentage of BTC supply last active in at least a year reached a 1-month high of 66.8%.
• Blockchain analytics system Whale Alert highlighted the massive transactions.

The start of 2021 has been a great one for Bitcoin (BTC) as the asset had its best January since 2013 and its best month since October 2020. After an impressive performance last month, BTC closed January with a 39% increase and is now seeing massive shuffles among whale addresses.

Blockchain analytics system Whale Alert has highlighted the recent activity, noting that 4,794 BTC were transferred in two days between Coinbase, Bitfinex, and Kraken addresses. The latest movement saw the transfer of 949 BTC from Kraken to BitFinex at 8:24 (UTC) today. This was immediately preceded by an earlier movement of 899 BTC between Kraken and BitFinex. Shortly before this, unidentified wallets sent 3,126 BTC to Coinbase in two uneven transactions. The first transfer, which involved 2,024 BTC, occurred at midnight Jan. 31. The second transaction saw the movement of 1,102 BTC at 20:42 on the same day.

Despite this recent activity, the percentage of BTC supply last active in at least a year reached a 1-month high of 66.8% today, indicating a low long-term holders‘ movement, as sentiments remain on the green side. This is a positive sign for the asset’s future, as the more whales are willing to hold onto their BTC, the more likely the asset is to continue its current upward trend.

All in all, the start of 2021 has been a great one for Bitcoin, and with the amount of activity seen in the past few days, it looks like the asset is in for a promising run. Whale addresses are shuffling large amounts of BTC, and the percentage of BTC supply last active in at least a year is at a 1-month high. This is a sign of long-term holders‘ confidence in the asset, and it will be interesting to see where Bitcoin goes from here.

• Binance introduced a new Self-Trade Prevention (STP) function to prevent self-trading activities on the platform
• The function will be available on the API for spot trading and aims to prevent the execution of orders that could result in self-trade
• The launch of this new tool comes as Binance is fighting off FUD from competitors

Cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance has unveiled a new feature that could potentially prevent self-trading activities on the platform. The new function, known as Self-Trade Prevention (STP), will be available on the API for spot trading from Jan. 26 and aims to prevent the execution of orders which could result in self-trade.

Self-trading occurs when the same users are on both sides of a trade, which indicates that there is no change in the ownership of the traded asset. Such activity creates the impression of trading activity and is a form of market manipulation. However, Binance noted that there were some unintentional self-trading activities. According to the blog post, professional traders who carry out multiple strategies simultaneously could accidentally match two orders from the same trading desk. While the platform acknowledges such errors, the exchange giant stressed that the company’s terms of use prohibit intentional self-trades.

The STP introduction helps users save fees on unnecessary trades and curb inadvertent self-trading transactions. The new feature will be available for API users and is unavailable for customers who trade on the Binance website, desktop, or mobile apps.

The launch of Binance’s new tool comes as the crypto exchange is fighting off FUD from competitors. According to a recent report by crypto.news, the company’s CEO Changpeng Zhao claimed that bankrupt rival FTX paid over $43 million to a cryptocurrency researcher to create the false impression that Binance was under investigation.

The introduction of the STP feature is a positive step for Binance in protecting its users from self-trading and creating a safe trading environment for all. The exchange giant also plans to launch more features and services in the near future to further enhance the user experience.

• Bybit exchange has launched its Unified Trading Account (UTA) enabling investors to diversify trades across several markets in one account.
• The UTA will provide a margin and risk overview for investors, helping them determine which strategies to go with before executing trades.
• Bybit’s UTA offers more than 60 asset types for cross-margin trades and the ability to cross-collateralize borrowing and lending.

Bybit, the popular cryptocurrency exchange, has announced the launch of its Unified Trading Account (UTA). This new trading account allows investors to diversify their trades across multiple markets, all in one account on the exchange. The UTA simplifies trading for its clients and provides a margin and risk overview for investors, helping them determine which strategies to go with before executing trades.

The UTA comes with several features that make trading easier for investors. It enables investors to switch trading strategies without having to move funds from one account to the other. It also bears a feature called shared margin which allows investors to even out losses with gains before closing out trades. This is beneficial for traders who are having trouble balancing their losses, as they can now easily transfer assets since they will all be under one account.

The Unified Trading Account also offers more than 60 asset types for cross-margin trades. This means that investors can now trade multiple assets in one account, allowing them to diversify their investments. Additionally, the UTA enables investors to cross-collateralize borrowing and lending, creating a flexible and efficient trading environment.

At launch, the UTA will have a variety of contracts available, including USDT perpetuals, spot trading, margin trading and USDC options. And according to the exchange, more trading products will be added to the account as it develops.

Bybit’s Unified Trading Account is a great way for investors to access multiple markets all in one place. It offers features that make trading easier and more efficient, allowing investors to diversify their trades and make better-informed decisions.