Crypto Guides, Knowledge & Insights

Inaugural Transparency Report by Paxos for PYUSD: All Assets are Overcollateralized

According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Web3 venture capital firm Electric Capital is currently in the process of raising $300 million for its third fund, known as the Electric Capital Venture Fund III. The fund has not yet had its initial sale, and the issuance period is not expected to exceed one year.　　Electric Capital, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, was founded in 2018 by Curtis Spencer and Avichal Garg. In 2020, Electric Capital successfully raised $110 million for its second venture fund.　　As previously reported by The Block, in March 2022, Electric Capital secured $1 billion in venture funding, earmarked for investments in early-stage crypto startups.　　According to Crunchbase data, Electric Capital has made a total of 79 investments in the past, with 31 of them as the lead investor.　　

2023-09-13Deep Dive

Co-Founder Of $4 Billion Crypto Scam OneCoin Sentenced To 20 Years In Landmark Verdict

Key Points:　　Karl Sebastian Greenwood, co-founder of OneCoin, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the $4 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme. OneCoin, marketed as a revolutionary cryptocurrency, defrauded 3.5 million investors worldwide, while Greenwood profited over $300 million. Ruja Ignatova, the other co-founder known as the Cryptoqueen, remains at large on the FBIs Most Wanted List, leaving victims seeking justice.　　Karl Sebastian Greenwood, co-founder of the notorious cryptocurrency scam OneCoin, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos. The sentencing comes after Greenwood pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in connection with the fraud scheme.　　OneCoin, which has operated since 2014 and was headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, was marketed as a cryptocurrency investment opportunity and amassed over $4 billion from approximately 3.5 million unsuspecting victims worldwide. Greenwood, along with co-founder Ruja Ignatova (known as the Cryptoqueen), orchestrated the scheme, promising investors a “financial revolution” and positioning OneCoin as a “Bitcoin killer.”　　However, it was revealed that OneCoins were entirely worthless, leaving investors with significant losses, while Greenwood profited substantially, accumulating over $300 million from the scam. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated:　　“As a founder and leader of OneCoin, Karl Sebastian Greenwood

2023-09-13Deep Dive

Sam Bankman-Fried Was Denied Release Because Of Witness Interference

Key Points:　　FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was denied temporary release by a U.S. federal judge as he faces multibillion-dollar fraud charges. His defense team sought his release to better prepare for trial, but the judge suggested delivering trial materials on a hard drive instead.The ongoing debate centers around Bankman-Frieds access to essential materials.　　According to Bloomberg, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, will remain behind bars as a U.S. federal judge has denied his motion for temporary release.　　Bankman-Fried is currently facing accusations of orchestrating a multibillion-dollar fraud that led to FTXs collapse last November. The prosecution alleges that he diverted customer funds for trading at crypto hedge fund Alameda Research, property acquisitions, charitable donations, and political contributions, to which he has pleaded not guilty.　　He had been under house arrest in California until August, when his bail was revoked due to allegations of witness tampering. His attorneys have since expressed concerns about his ability to prepare adequately for the trial while incarcerated at Brooklyns Metropolitan Detention Center.　　The defense had requested his release from prison five days a week to work on his case, but Judge Lewis Kaplan denied this request, instead suggesting that his lawyers provide him with materials on a

2023-09-13Deep Dive

CoinEx Security Alert: 27.8 Million USD Vanishes in Suspected Cyber Attack!

Key Points:　　CoinEx is under suspicion of a major hack. $27.8 million in Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), and Polygon (MATIC) vanished from hot wallets. CoinEx has not confirmed or denied the hack, leaving users in suspense. Investors and traders await an official statement regarding the situation and security measures in place.　　A user on the platform X, @itsmodsiw, recently posted alarming news claiming that CoinExs security might have been compromised.　　As per the users post, a staggering $27.8 million has seemingly vanished from CoinExs hot wallets, affecting Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), and Polygon (MATIC) holdings.　　This news sent shockwaves through the crypto sphere, raising concerns about the security of digital assets on various exchanges. The exchange has garnered a significant user base over the years. However, this alleged security breach has put a dent in its reputation.　　CoinEx has not officially confirmed or denied the hacking allegations as of now, leaving its users in a state of uncertainty and worry. Investors and traders are eagerly awaiting an official statement from the exchange to clarify the situation and provide insights into the security measures in place.　　The $27.8 million loss primarily involves cryptocurrencies stored in CoinExs hot wallets, which are used for daily operational purposes and liquidity

2023-09-13Deep Dive

FTX Holdings Update: SOL Holds the Largest Share, Followed by BTC, ETH, APT, XRP, BIT, and Others

FTX creditor @sunil_trades on the X platform has released an updated FTX shareholder report as of September 11th.　　The report indicates that as of August 31st, based on market prices, FTX (including FTX.com, FTX.US, and Alameda) collectively holds approximately $3.4 billion worth of cryptocurrency assets. These holdings, ranked by the value of their positions, are as follows:　　SOL, with a holding value of approximately $1.162 billion.　　BTC, with a holding value of approximately $560 million.　　ETH, with a holding value of approximately $192 million.　　APT, with a holding value of approximately $137 million.　　USDT, with a holding value of approximately $120 million.　　XRP, with a holding value of approximately $119 million.　　BIT, with a holding value of approximately $49 million.　　STG, with a holding value of approximately $46 million.　　WBTC, with a holding value of approximately $41 million.　　WETH, with a holding value of approximately $37 million.　　The top 10 cryptocurrencies mentioned above make up 72% of FTXs total cryptocurrency asset holdings, with the remaining 28% consisting of over 400 other tokens.　　In recent news, FTX is looking to initiate sales, staking, and hedging of its cryptocurrency asset holdings valued at over $3 billion. They have also hired Galaxy Asset Management as an advisor to assist in this process.　　

2023-09-12Deep Dive

zkSync Airdrop Hunter Possesses 21,877 Witch Addresses

According to X user @lingland09, an individual within the zkSync ecosystem appears to be operating as an airdrop hunter, possessing 21,877 interacting addresses. His strategy involves providing a minimal amount of ETH to fund all of their wallets, followed by deploying a non-open-source token called “Gemstone.” Subsequently, they list all 21,877 of their witch addresses on the tokens whitelist, allowing them to claim all tokens self-deployed.　　The airdrop hunter has also created a non-open-source DEX, indirectly establishing an index for application trading between their witch addresses. He then added over 80 ETH in liquidity to the Gemstone token on his self-made DEX, imparting value to Gemstone. He further achieved interactions by exchanging previously claimed Gemstone tokens from the 21,877 wallets in the Gemstone/ETH trading pair, continuously repeating this process. All transactions are executed automatically by their self-authored bots, rather than manually.　　Since all liquidity is personally added, it remains unaffected by slippage and accumulates ten transactions in the cheapest manner possible on the zkSync Era network. They extended this pattern algorithm to over 21,000 wallets without being affected by slippage.　　This address conducts transactions on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis, with transaction fees ranging from $1.5 to $2 per witch address. They

2023-09-12Deep Dive

DappRadar August Industry Report: Daily DApp Active Users Reach 2 Million, Marking a 17% Increase

DappRadar recently released its August industry report with the following key highlights:　　Daily Unique Active Wallets (UAW) for DApps reached 2 million, marking a 17% month-on-month increase. Within this, blockchain gaming UAWs grew by 6%, comprising 37% of the total.　　Total Value Locked (TVL) in the DeFi sector decreased by 5% to $72 billion.　　NFT trading volume saw a 16% decline to $559 million, with the number of transactions dropping by 13% to 3.2 million.　　Blur held the lead in trading volume with a 38% market share, while OpenSea hit its annual low at 14%, though it still had 212,000 active traders.　　Smart contract hacks and investor scams resulted in $28.4 million in cryptocurrency asset losses.　　PYUSD faced a lukewarm reception in its first month, struggling to surpass daily trading volumes of $100,000. Its adoption remained low, with only one non-exchange wallet holding over $10,000 worth of PYUSD.　　

2023-09-12Deep Dive

Vitalik Buterin Transfers $3.12 Million ETH to the Exchange Amid Market Decline

Key Points:　　Vitalik Buterins wallet transfers 2,000 ETH ($3.12 million) to “0x5567,” raising market concerns.　　Over the past month, Buterins wallets have deposited $4.77 million in ETH into Bitstamp via the same address.　　Ethereum co-founders recent transactions coincide with market declines, sparking speculation about his intentions.　　In a recent blockchain data revelation, a wallet linked to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has made a substantial transfer.　　Approximately 2,000 ETH, valued at $3.12 million, were moved to the wallet address “0x5567.” This transaction has raised eyebrows in the crypto community, given the timing and size of the transfer.　　This isnt the first time such a transfer has occurred in the past month. Data indicates that over the last month, a wallet associated with Buterin has deposited a total of 2,700 ETH, amounting to $4.77 million, into Bitstamp through the same “0x5567” address.　　The wallet address “0xD0…8fd7,” also connected to Vitalik Buterin, initiated this recent transfer and currently holds a substantial balance of 37,000 ETH. Over the past year, wallets tied to Buterin have cumulatively deposited $7.49 million into Bitstamp and $3.3 million into Paxos, all via the “0x55” wallet address.　　Such transfers to exchanges can trigger market concerns, particularly during volatile market conditions. Typically, such transactions are associated with intentions

2023-09-12Deep Dive

Justin Sun Can Buy Back The TRX Held By FTX To Avoid Negative Effects

Key Points:　　Justin Sun, founder of TRON, is contemplating a tender offer for TRX tokens held by FTX to mitigate their impact on the crypto community when sold. FTX holds approximately $3.4 billion in highly liquid cryptocurrencies as of August 31, 2023, with plans to sell them at a rate of $100–200 million per week, pending court approval. Sun had previously offered support to FTX during a crisis last year and pledged to assist Sun coin holders affected by FTXs difficulties.　　Justin Sun, the founder of TRON and a member of the Huobi Global Advisory Committee, recently hinted at a potential tender offer for TRX tokens held by FTX, aiming to minimize the impact on the cryptocurrency community when these tokens are eventually sold.　　This development follows documents submitted to the US bankruptcy court on September 11, which shed light on FTX‘s asset restoration progress. As of August 31, 2023, FTX’s holdings comprised approximately $3.4 billion in highly liquid cryptocurrencies.　　The unit responsible for managing FTXs assets is planning to sell these highly liquid crypto assets, targeting a weekly sale value ranging from $100 million to $200 million.　　However, the success of this plan hinges on court approval, with a critical trial set for September

2023-09-12Deep Dive

Crypto Exchange Luno Halts Investments Ahead Of Regulatory Challenge

Key Points:　　Luno, a UK crypto exchange, temporarily suspends some customer investments as of October 6. Luno‘s move precedes new FCA rules starting on October 8, aimed at enhancing crypto sector transparency. PayPal also follows suit, halting UK crypto purchases until 2024 in response to the FCA’s guidelines.　　Luno, a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform operating in the UK, has revealed plans to temporarily suspend certain customers ability to invest in cryptocurrencies starting October 6, as reported by CoinDesk.　　This decision aligns closely with the imminent enforcement of new cryptocurrency promotion rules by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), set to be effective on October 8.　　The FCAs new regulations aim to enhance consumer protection and transparency within the crypto sector.　　They will categorize cryptocurrencies as restricted mass market investments, imposing stringent rules on advertising and promotional activities related to crypto assets. Advertisements and promotions must include clear warnings and avoid offering incentives.　　Nick Taylor, Head of Public Policy at Luno, stated:　　“The FCA has implemented new rules for crypto firms. As a result, all compliant crypto firms with U.K. customers are making a number of changes to their platforms in order to comply with the new regulations.”　　Luno‘s decision is not unique, as PayPal has also announced plans

2023-09-12Deep Dive

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