American Couple Accused of Laundering $4.5 Billion in Bitfinex Cryptocurrency Hack Enters Plea Agreement
An American couple from Manhattan, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, have reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Washington after being accused of laundering $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from Bitfinex in 2016.
Terrorist Groups Associated with ISIS Use Crypto for Fundraising, TRM Labs Reports
According to a report by blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs, terrorist groups associated with ISIS are using cryptocurrency for fundraising, with some groups raising millions of dollars. Pro-ISIS groups in Tajikistan raised $2 million in Tron-based USDT in 2022, which was used to recruit fighters for ISIS's affiliate in Afghanistan. The groups used a centralized exchange to cash out the funds, allowing TRM to trace the money and notify the exchange, leading to the arrest of a senior ISIS fundraiser. Other pro-ISIS groups in Indonesia and Pakistan also raised funds using cryptocurrency.
DOGE Adds $1 Billion to Market Cap in a Day as Price Rockets Toward $0.80
Dogecoin experienced a significant price increase of over 10% on July 21, reaching $0.076 and adding $1 billion to its market cap. This surge propelled DOGE to become the sixth-best performing cryptocurrency on daily charts and the eighth largest asset by market worth. While the reason for this rally is unclear, some speculate that it may be related to rumors about Dogecoin's presence in the payment page source code on Tesla's website. However, it has been confirmed that Tesla did not recently add Dogecoin to its source code, but rather it was already present since January 2023.
Ethereum Price Declines as On-Chain Data Suggests Continued Downward Trend Amidst Increased Selling Pressure and Whale Activity on Crypto Exchanges
The price of Ethereum (ETH), the second largest cryptocurrency, has experienced a slight decline in the past week due to increased selling pressure in the digital asset market. On-chain data suggests that this downward trend may continue in the future. According to IntoTheBlock, 、
Billionaire Mike Novogratz More Bullish on Bitcoin Than Six Months Ago
Mike Novogratz, the CEO of Galaxy Digital, has expressed an even stronger bullish outlook on Bitcoin in a recent CNBC interview. He cites steady retail trading and the possibility of spot Bitcoin ETFs as factors contributing to his confidence in the cryptocurrency.
Koreans Love Crypto but DeFi Not so Much, Claims Researcher
South Korea is known for its love of cryptocurrency, contributing to 20% of all Bitcoin trades in 2017 and becoming the largest market for Ethereum. However, the country's interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) is not as strong. This is due to factors such as trust in traditional financial systems, user experience barriers, educational gaps, and regulatory hurdles. Despite this, there is a push to make DeFi more accessible to Koreans through translation, collaboration, and education.
South Korea Seeks Crypto Firms’ Advice To Combat North Korea’s Crimes
The South Korean government has sought advice from cryptocurrency companies to crack down on cryptocurrency crimes in North Korea. North Korea is accused of stealing $700 million worth of crypto assets to use in weapons programs such as its nuclear missile program.
Elon Musk's Surprising Statement About HEX Draws Attention from Cryptocurrency World
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, made a playful comment about his fondness for HEX in response to a Twitter user's suggestion that AI imagines humans with eight fingers due to hexadecimal calculations. This tweet garnered attention from the cryptocurrency community, with some speculating that Musk was indirectly referencing the ERC20 token HEX.
Former Binance.US CEO Brian Brooks Joins Board of Crypto Asset Manager Hashdex
Former Binance.US CEO Brian Brooks has joined the board of crypto asset manager Hashdex, providing counsel on global regulation and bridging the gap between crypto and traditional finance. Brooks' previous role was not mentioned in Hashdex's news release, which instead focused on his time as Coinbase's chief legal officer and acting U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. Hashdex made headlines when it received approval to launch the first cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Latin America, and the company is hoping Brooks' arrival will add to its momentum.
XRP Caps Two-Day Run with Highest Daily Close This Year, Futures Contracts Remain Elevated
XRP, the fourth most valuable cryptocurrency, had its highest daily close this year after a two-day run. The token briefly surged to an intraday high of $0.94 before correcting 28%. XRP's derivatives have also seen a significant spike in open interest, with futures contracts remaining elevated at levels not seen since November 2021. Despite other major digital assets remaining muted, XRP remains up 71% over the last seven days following a legal decision on its status as a security.
