Cryptocurrency
Ongoing coverage on Cryptocurrency.
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Bitcoin’s Permanent Message Board: Inside the Coldcard Hacker’s Wallet, Where Victims Beg and Launderers Advertise
A Bitcoin wallet associated with the Coldcard hacker, holding approximately $36 million, has become a permanent message board where victims and others can leave notes permanently etched onto the blockchain. This functionality is enabled by Bitcoin's OP_RETURN feature, which allows short text strings to be attached to transactions. The messages range from pleas for the return of stolen funds to advertisements for money laundering services, offering a unique glimpse into the aftermath of a major self-custody failure.
Ethereum Devs Float a Hard Cap: Issuance Drops to Zero at 60.25 Million Staked ETH
A proposal from Ethereum researchers suggests implementing a hard cap on staked ETH, aiming for net issuance to reach zero once approximately 60.25 million ETH is staked. This mechanism would burn validator rewards proportionally as staking increases, with the burn reaching 100% at the cap. The proposal has sparked debate regarding its impact on DeFi borrowing strategies and potential centralization risks.
Bitcoin ETFs Flip to $170.1M of Inflows on Aug. 3 — But BlackRock’s IBIT Supplied 65.5% of It
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a net inflow of $170.1 million on August 3rd, a significant shift from the previous session's outflow. However, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) accounted for approximately 65.5% of these inflows, highlighting a concentration of investment in a single fund. While seven out of twelve funds saw positive flows, the overall recovery is tempered by the dominance of IBIT, with other funds contributing smaller amounts.
A 12-Year-Old Bitcoin Wallet Just Moved $32M — For 12 Cents — As Coldcard Losses Near $130M
A Bitcoin wallet dormant since 2013 moved $31.8 million for just 12 cents, occurring amidst ongoing security concerns for Coldcard hardware wallets. Coinkite, the maker of Coldcard, has stated that all its models are exposed due to a flaw, leading to potential losses estimated at $130 million and advice for users to migrate their funds.
Cramer’s quantum exit call lands with a thud as bitcoin sits near $64,000
Jim Cramer announced his intention to sell all of his Bitcoin holdings, citing concerns that quantum computing advancements could compromise cryptocurrency security within three to four years. Despite Cramer's call, Bitcoin's price has remained stable around $64,000, with many in the crypto community viewing his statements as a contrarian buy signal. The article notes that the actual size of Cramer's Bitcoin position is unconfirmed and that the market's reaction is largely driven by his history of inaccurate predictions in the crypto space.
Sixteen validators back a Solana fee overhaul that would push daily SOL burns past $650,000
A Solana proposal, SIMD-0553, aims to overhaul transaction fees by charging based on network resources used, potentially increasing daily SOL burns to between 7,500 and 9,000 SOL. This change, combined with SIMD-0550 which doubles the annual disinflation rate, is intended to compress SOL supply. However, the proposal currently lacks widespread validator support, with infrastructure firm Helius providing nearly two-thirds of the signaled SOL.
Bitcoin’s volatility gauge has gone quiet — and that should worry you more than it comforts you
Bitcoin's 30-day implied volatility has fallen to 36%, a level that typically precedes significant price swings rather than indicating market stability. Despite recent negative developments like a major hack and institutional outflows, traders are not actively hedging, suggesting a potential for a sharp upward or downward move. On-chain data shows strong buying interest around the $62,000-$65,000 range, which is currently absorbing selling pressure and keeping the price range-bound.
Sui’s AI treasury experiment: agents get the job, an MPC committee keeps the keys
Mysten Labs has developed a prototype for the Sui blockchain that allows an AI agent to manage a company's treasury without direct access to private keys or balances. Payments are proposed by the AI but require approval from a Multi-Party Computation (MPC) committee, which verifies them against predefined spending policies written in Move. This system utilizes Seal MPC and Sui's confidential transfer technology to encrypt amounts and balances while keeping sender, receiver, and token type visible.
1win Introduces Seamless Web3 Login and Crypto Deposits via Trust Wallet, MetaMask, and WalletConnect
Crypto entertainment platform 1win has introduced a new Web3 authentication system allowing users to log in and deposit funds using crypto wallets like Trust Wallet, MetaMask, and WalletConnect. This feature eliminates the need for traditional email registration and passwords, streamlining the onboarding process and enabling direct transaction confirmations within the wallet.
Vulcan Forged’s PYR among six tokens Binance cuts from spot trading Aug. 17
Binance will delist six tokens, including Vulcan Forged's PYR, from spot trading on August 17 due to liquidity, development activity, and team conduct concerns. PYR has experienced an 18.31% decline and was under Binance's Monitoring Tag since July. Vulcan Forged is currently undergoing a restructuring and reimbursement process for PYR holders.
Retium’s public testnet goes live, wallet first out the gate
Retium has launched the first stage of its public testnet, introducing the Retium Wallet. This initial phase allows users to claim test RTM tokens, with access to the faucet gated by a verified Discord account to prevent farming. The testnet showcases Retium's Prime Number Linking Architecture, a Layer-1 blockchain built in Rust that uses prime number factorization for block IDs and processes transactions in parallel.
MMOs You’ve Never Heard Of: Nin Online, Velderis, and War of Continents
This article rounds up lesser-known MMOs including Nin Online, a pixel art FFA PvP game that recently added new missions and a level cap increase. Velderis is a free browser fantasy MMO with PvP and dungeons, though it faces criticism for an energy system. War of Continents is a browser-based dark strategy game linked to cryptocurrency, but new players can start without a wallet.
Chimpers Drops Officially Licensed Dojo Drop Slot on ApeChurch, 50 Prizes Up for Grabs Over Two Weeks
Chimpers has launched an officially licensed slot game called Dojo Drop on the on-chain casino ApeChurch, which runs on ApeChain. Over two weeks, a leaderboard will award 50 prizes from the Chimpers and ApeChurch ecosystems, including ApeCoin, CHMPSTR tokens, Gimboz NFTs, and a Chimpers NFT as the grand prize. This collaboration builds on a previous partnership between Chimpers and ApeCoin, which has already seen several collectible campaigns.
YGG’s LOL Land shuts its doors as the guild dismantles its publishing business
Yield Guild Games (YGG) has shut down its blockchain game LOL Land and is dismantling its publishing business, YGG Play, citing market conditions and a brutal video game publishing environment. The company is also eliminating 35 jobs and redirecting staff and capital towards selling anonymized gaming datasets to AI labs. LOL Land generated $8.59 million in lifetime revenue before closing on July 31.
World of Dypians Teams With Binance.US on 8,500 WOD Reward for New Sign-Ups
World of Dypians has partnered with Binance.US for a limited-time promotion offering 8,500 WOD tokens, valued at approximately $40, to new users. To qualify, participants must register on Binance.US via the promotional page and make a deposit of any amount before August 7, while supplies last. This campaign coincides with the WOD token's listing on Binance.US and aims to increase user engagement and trading liquidity.
Solana’s Block Building Is Getting a Compliance Layer. Flowra and Honeypot Are Wiring It In.
Solana's infrastructure is integrating a compliance layer through a partnership between Flowra and Honeypot to address sanctions law requirements for institutional validators. This integration embeds sanctions screening directly into the block construction process, allowing validators to define and enforce their own rules before transactions are finalized on-chain. The move aims to attract institutional capital by providing necessary regulatory controls within the network's infrastructure.
Gala Adds ESTG, CVX, AI and COW to GalaSwap as GalaChain Listing Streak Continues
Gala has expanded its GalaChain ecosystem by listing four new tokens: ESTG, CVX, AI, and COW on its decentralized exchange, GalaSwap. This move is part of a broader strategy to position GalaChain as a versatile utility chain beyond gaming, supported by a $2 million incentive program. The exchange has processed over 476,000 transactions and $72 million in volume, with plans to further increase its token offerings.
YGG’s LOL Land shuts down July 31 — 48 hours left to cash out points and unstake $LOL
LOL Land will permanently shut down on July 31, with players urged to cash out in-game points for $YGG and unstake $LOL before the deadline. This closure is part of Yield Guild Games' decision to sunset its YGG Play publishing arm, reallocating resources towards AI training data. While LOL Land and Waifu Sweeper are closing, GIGACHADBAT and Ragnarok Breaker will remain operational.
Solana Mobile: Over Half of Seeker Summer Round 1 SKR Went Straight Into Staking
Solana Mobile reported that over 50% of the SKR tokens distributed in the Seeker Summer Round 1 airdrop were staked by participants. This participation rate is slightly higher than the roughly 49% seen during Season 1. The SKR tokens are delegated to node operators called Guardians, who verify hardware and review dApp submissions.
Camp PvP Season 1 Goes Live on SolFarmer With a 20 SOL Reward Pot
SolFarmer has launched its first season of player-versus-player (PvP) combat, featuring a 20 SOL reward pot distributed across three leagues. This competitive update follows a successful server migration that enhances the platform's security and performance. The season operates on a two-week cycle with an Elo-based ranking system, and prize money is awarded based on league performance.