BlueNoroff, part of the North Korean state-sponsored Lazarus Group, has renewed its targeting of venture capital firms, crypto startups and banks. Cybersecurity lab Kaspersky reported that the group has shown a spike in activity after a lull for most of the year and it is testing new delivery methods for its malware. BlueNoroff has created
Regulation
After the height of the FTX collapse, the Philippine government warned investors within the country about using unlicensed crypto exchanges. The Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) in the Philippines issued an advisory to the public against using unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges that are operating within the country. Within the warning, the SEC did not directly mention
Before the rise of centralized exchanges (CEXs), over-the-counter (OTC) trading was the go-to method to buy or sell cryptocurrency for many crypto investors. The FTX collapse could trigger a bigger demand for crypto OTC services as investors are looking for alternative methods to convert from and to fiat due to weaker trust in CEXs. Cointelegraph
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried landed in the United States on Dec. 21. And, at least till the end of his court cases, he will live with his parents in Palo Alto, California. A bail was granted to SBF on the conditions of a $250 million bond, home detention, location monitoring and the surrender of
The collapse of FTX is being viewed as a cautionary tale and a precursor for more prudent regulation by public and private sector players in the United Kingdom. Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe made headlines ahead of the Christmas weekend in an interview with Sky News, outlining his belief that greater protection
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has requested to seal the infamous Hinman Speech documents, claiming that they are not relevant to the court’s summary judgment decision. The Motion to Seal Summary Judgment Document was filed by the SEC on Dec. 22, requesting the sealing of various information and documents, most notably the
Binance France and its parent company Binance Holdings Limited are being sued by 15 investors in France over alleged misleading commercial practices and fraudulent concealment, according to local media reports. In a complaint filed on Dec. 14, the plaintiffs claimed that Binance violated French laws by advertising and distributing crypto services before receiving registration from
2022 will surely be remembered as a year of crypto discontent — one when the price of Bitcoin crashed three times, many large companies went bankrupt and the industry experienced a series of significant lay-offs. However, it was a crucial year for crypto regulation worldwide. Although some regulatory developments are worrisome in terms of their
The momentary arrest of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) can be attributed to the efforts taken by the crypto community to aid investigations and track down the whereabouts of the infamous entrepreneur. While SBF eventually escaped prison time via a $250 million bail bond, the community continues to monitor his every move publicly. Just
From Terra to FTX, 2022 has given us many weird crypto stories. While investors have been enduring a bear market that saw the crypto industry sink below the $1 trillion market capitalization mark, adoption in the space has been growing, and old mysteries were finally solved. From the incredible short squeeze of a bankrupt company’s
Defunct crypto exchange FTX paid a retainer of $12 million to bankruptcy lawyers as security for payment of its fees and expenses amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, shows a court filing dated Dec. 21. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (S&C), a law firm headquartered in New York City, received $12 million from West Realm Shires Services
The ongoing legal proceedings around former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) took a new turn as District Judge Ronnie Abrams withdrew her participation from the case. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York rescued itself from the FTX case after revealing that a law firm — which employs Abrams’ husband
A key set of crypto tax reporting rules is being delayed until further notice under a decision made by the United States Treasury Department. The rules were supposed to be effective in the 2023 tax filing year, in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in November, 2021. The new law requires that
Caroline Ellison, the former chief executive officer of Alameda Research, said as part of her plea deal that she was aware FTX funds had been made available for the venture capital firm’s investments. In a transcript of proceedings for her plea deal in the Southern District of New York released on Dec. 23, Ellison acknowledged
The United States Federal Election Commission (FEC) has issued an advisory opinion stating DataVault Holdings may use nonfungible tokens for fundraising efforts. In a Dec. 15 notice, the FEC said it was “permissible” for DataVault holdings to send nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, to political campaign contributors without violating rules on corporate contributions. According to the
Dan Berkovitz, general counsel for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, said he will be leaving the agency after more than a year. In a Dec. 22 announcement, the SEC said Berkovitz will depart on Jan. 31. A former commissioner with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Berkovitz joined the agency in November 2021. At
Nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSea has been banning artists and collectors from Cuba, citing United States sanctions as the key reason behind its action. According to a report published by Artnet, 30 artists and collectors have been banned from the popular NFT marketplace until now. The most noted artist to face the axe includes well-known Havana-based
Embattled crypto exchange FTX asked for the assistance of a United States bankruptcy judge to prevent crypto lending firm BlockFi from claiming around $450 million worth of Robinhood shares purchased by its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. On Nov. 28, BlockFi filed a lawsuit demanding Emergent Fidelity Technologies, Bankman-Fried’s holding company, to turn over 56 million
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) could potentially find some mutually beneficial interactions with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), according to one industry executive. While crypto is often associated with financial freedom, the concept of CBDC is frequently seen as the exact opposite. But this doesn’t mean that there cannot be a balance between the two, according
A senior official from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has warned investors to be “very wary” about relying on a crypto company’s “proof-of-reserves.” “We’re warning investors to be very wary of some of the claims that are being made by crypto companies,” said SEC’s acting chief accountant Paul Munter in a Dec. 22