Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court regarding their participation in the Lockbit ransomware organization, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Thursday. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, were identified as members of the Lockbit group. Active since January 2020, this group…
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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, has cautioned the public against scams involving AI-manipulated videos and audios, which are used to spread false information, particularly about cryptocurrency investments. The BSP emphasizes that Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. does not endorse the purported cryptocurrency project “Tesler Code” or any other…
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Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, has been convicted by a U.S. jury on charges including racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud. Guo defrauded followers of over $1 billion, primarily through false investment schemes in cryptocurrency. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that Guo faces decades in prison. His fraudulent activities funded a…
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Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd. (SCBHK), Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) have united to participate in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) stablecoin issuer sandbox, announced in March. Leveraging Zodia Custody’s digital asset capabilities, the collaboration aims to promote sustainable and transparent growth in the digital asset market. Zodia is Standard Chartered’s…
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Crypto exchange Kraken has expanded its custody services to institutional clients in the UK and Australia, marking the first international expansion following its successful U.S. launch in March. Kraken Institutional, already established in the UK and Australia, now offers its custody solution to both existing and new clients in these countries, emphasizing security and client…
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Skybridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci criticized the support of billionaires for former U.S. President and presidential candidate Donald Trump, reflecting on his own experience. He joined the Trump administration in July 2017. However, his tenure as Communications Director was notably short-lived, lasting only 11 days, due to his controversial remarks and conflicts within the administration.…
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Nicholas Mui, 22, from Grand Haven, Michigan, has pleaded guilty in the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County to conducting a criminal enterprise, involving the theft and sale of Mperks account access information. Mui is required to forfeit his computer tower and approximately $630,000 in frozen cryptocurrency and cash. He compromised Mperks, a loyalty program…
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The total crypto market cap decreased by 14.4% in the second quarter this year, ending at $2.43 trillion, while the S&P 500 increased by 3.9%, according to the 2024 Q2 Crypto Industry Report by Coingecko. Bitcoin’s price fell by 11.9%, ranging from $58,000 to $72,000, with its mining hash rate dropping 18.8% after reaching an…
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Global investment bank JPMorgan remains optimistic about gold prices, projecting a significant rise in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts beginning in September. On Tuesday, the price of gold surged past its all-time high, bolstered by the Federal Reserve’s actions and the influence of former U.S. President Donald Trump.…
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Ripple Labs has donated $1 million to the Commonwealth Unity Fund, a new super PAC established by pro-crypto attorney James Murphy, aiming to unseat Senator Elizabeth Warren with John Deaton in the Massachusetts Senate. Murphy also contributed $50,000. Ripple also recently committed $25 million to Fairshake, another pro-crypto super PAC, following a similar contribution in…
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