Day: February 10, 2023

South Korea sets independent sanctions for crypto theft against North Korea

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South Korea announced its first independent sanctions related to cryptocurrency thefts and cyber attacks against certain North Korean groups and individuals. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four North Korean individuals and seven businesses have been placed on a blacklist for their alleged involvement in cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft, reported a local daily. The blacklisted individuals include the infamous Park Jin-hyok, Jo Myong-rae, Song Rim and Oh Chung-seong. The most notorious of the four hackers, Park, works in information technology for the Chosun Expo Joint Venture, a front company…

Bitzlato co-founder released from brief arrest and questioning: Report

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Local Russian media outlets reported on Monday that Bitzlato co-founder Anton Shkurenko was detained in Moscow on Feb. 6 at the request of Interpol. However, according to a Feb. 10 report from CoinDesk, Shkurenko was stopped and detained by the local police for an ID check, then promptly let go after a conversation. Shkurenko said he is not involved in any criminal cases in Russia. He reportedly commented, while not disclosing details of the investigation: “I hope I convinced the prosecutor of my innocence.” He did not specify the sector…

3AC new exchange triggers backlash from the crypto community — ‘No, thank you’

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The launch of the exchange project backed by the bankrupt hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) attracted a mob of angry community members who took to Twitter, expressing their disappointment with the state of the crypto space.  Open Exchange, a crypto exchange project that 3AC and Coinflex initially proposed, launched a website and opened a waitlist on Feb. 9. 3AC founder Zhu Su pointed out that the project is a way to atone for their past mistakes. However, many members of the community were enraged by the launch. One community…

Ethereum price risks 20% correction amid SEC’s crackdown on crypto staking

Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), saw its worst daily performance of the year as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stopped Kraken, a cryptocurrency exchange, from offering crypto staking services. On Feb. 9, Kraken agreed to pay $30 million to settle the SEC’s allegation that it broke securities rules by offering crypto staking services to U.S. retail investors. In particular, the news pushed down the prices of many proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain project tokens. Ethereum, which switched to a staking-based protocol in September 2022, also suffered. On Feb. 9,…

Ethereum price risks 20% correction amid SEC’s crackdown on crypto staking

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Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), saw its worst daily performance of the year as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stopped Kraken, a cryptocurrency exchange, from offering crypto staking services. On Feb. 9, Kraken agreed to pay $30 million to settle the SEC’s allegation that it broke securities rules by offering crypto staking services to U.S. retail investors. The news pushed down the prices of many proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain project tokens, in particular. Ethereum, which switched to a staking-based protocol in September 2022, also suffered as a result. On Feb.…

Central Bank of Brazil to Test Security and Transaction Privacy Levels of the Digital Real – Blockchain Bitcoin News

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The Central Bank of Brazil will focus its first digital real tests on determining the levels of privacy and security that can be achieved with the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) infrastructure. The tests will be conducted later this year and will set up a simplified operation to transact with a still-to-be-determined tokenized asset. Central Bank of Brazil to Launch Digital Real Test Operation Later This Year The Central Bank of Brazil is accelerating the digital real project, getting close to its pilot test phase. The institution announced that…

Stablecoin issuer Paxos reportedly probed by New York regulators

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Paxos Trust Company — the New York-based stablecoin issuer behind Binance USD (BUSD) and Paxos Dollar (USDP) — is reportedly being investigated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). A “person familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg in a Feb. 10 report that the exact motive behind the probe is currently unclear. An NYDFS spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing investigations but noted that the department is broadly working to protect consumers from risks associated with investing in the cryptocurrency market: “The department is in continuous contact with regulated…

Gold Coins Help Zimbabwe Achieve ‘Price and Exchange Rate Stability’ — Central Bank – Africa Bitcoin News

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The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently revealed that some 25,188 of its value-preserving gold coins were sold between July 2022 and Jan. 13. According to the central bank governor, John Mangudya, the gold coins “have proved to be an effective open market instrument for mopping up excess liquidity in the economy.” Gold Coins as Alternative Value Preservation Tool According to the Zimbabwean central bank, about 25,188 “Mosi-oa-Tunya” gold coins valued at over $28 million (ZWD$20 billion) were sold between July 2022 — when the coins were initially introduced — and…

Find love in Paris Hilton’s metaverse, BTC CryptoPunks soar and more

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Swiping right in the metaverse Famous New York socialite, Paris Hilton thinks the Metaverse may be the perfect place to find one’s true love. In a Feb. 9 tweet, the celebrity and reality TV star said she will be working with The Sandbox (SAND) to bring “Parisland” to life. The idea is essentially a Virtual Reality (VR) dating experience crossed with a reality dating show and is slated for a Feb. 13 release in time for Valentine’s Day. Get ready to party on the beach, pick up cute collectibles and…

Bitcoin price more correlated to FTX developments than macro events: Research

The collapse of FTX and related developments did more to pull up or push down the price of Bitcoin (BTC) throughout Q4, compared to macroeconomic events such as rate hikes, according to research. In a “State of Bitcoin Q4 2022” report published on Feb. 10, Messari research analysts Sami Kassab and Chris Collar found that the collapse of the exchange resulted in a 25% decrease in the price of Bitcoin. How did #Bitcoin fare in Q4 22′ in the wake of unfavorable macro and crypto environments? +FTX collapse caused a…