Bitcoin Red Team Says AI Is Finding Critical Exploits Across Core Projects

In briefThe initiative says it has scanned about 150 Bitcoin repositories and made more than a dozen vulnerability disclosures.The team is developing an open-source AI platform for auditing Bitcoin software.Developers say the effort is uncovering critical vulnerabilities across wallets, cryptographic libraries, and infrastructure.  A volunteer security initiative says it used frontier AI models to scan 150 Bitcoin repositories and found more than a dozen vulnerabilities as developers increasingly use artificial intelligence to audit blockchains.  In a post on X earlier this week, AnchorWatch CEO Rob Hamilton said the group has spent about $20,000 on AI services while building a “Bitcoin red team” platform.  “We have been working around the clock, with ~$20,000 of spend up to this point across different services,” he wrote. “Funding is secured, I appreciate all the gestures for donations but it is not necessary. The bill is taken care of.”  A red team refers to cybersecurity professionals who test software from an attackers perspective, probing for vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.  According to Hamilton, the Bitcoin red team uses Kimi K3 alongside OpenAI‘s GPT Sol, Anthropic’s Claude Fable and Opus models, and Z.ais GLM 5.2 to identify vulnerabilities and generate supporting documentation.  “We also have been connected with OpenAI for some

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Majority Leader Thune files cloture on Clarity Act, setting up Sept. 15 Senate vote

Quick TakeShortly before the Senate left for its August recess, Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the Clarity Act early Saturday.The Senate is set to vote on the motion on Tuesday, Sept. 15, the day after the body returns.Invoking cloture, which does not pass the bill, takes 60 votes; negotiators have yet to resolve disputes over ethics clauses, illicit finance, and how Senate Agriculture Committee text gets folded in.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture early Saturday on the motion to proceed to debate over the Clarity Act, giving the crypto market structure bill a path to the floor when lawmakers return from their August recess next month.  Thune (R-S.D.) filed the motion at 4:52 a.m. ET, according to the Senate Press Gallerys floor log, at the end of an overnight session that ran past the chambers scheduled Friday departure. Thune first filed cloture on the nomination of Matthew R. Byrne to be a federal district judge in Ohio and then on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.  The gallery lists a 5:30 p.m. cloture vote Monday on the Byrne nomination. Under an agreement reached by the Senate

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Senate Keeps Clarity Act Alive With Crypto Bill Vote Set for September

In briefThe Senate took its first formal step toward voting on the Clarity Act, with Thune filing the motion to proceed early Saturday after an overnight session.The move tees up an initial procedural vote on September 15.Senators would need to reach agreement on several unresolved issues in the bill before now and then for the crypto market to get Clarity.  The U.S. Senate has taken its first formal step toward voting on the Clarity Act, with leadership moving early Saturday to tee up a vote on the crypto market-structure bill and lock in a September date.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed the motion to proceed on the bill, opening the multi-step cloture process the chamber uses to push contested legislation past its 60-vote threshold. The filing came too late to squeeze in a vote before senators leave for their August recess, but it queues up an initial procedural vote almost immediately after they return, with the first test set for 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 15.  The cloture filing on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633 is a procedural first step, not passage, but it signals that Republican leadership intends to make the bill an early priority when the Senate

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US court backs Bybits bid to trace funds from $1.5B North Korea hack

United States court records unsealed on Thursday show that a federal judge backed crypto exchange Bybits effort to trace assets stolen in the $1.5 billion North Korea-linked hack by granting the company expedited discovery.  According to the records, Bybit filed the lawsuit under seal on June 18 against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, the Lazarus Group and 20 unidentified defendants. The court granted Bybits request for expedited discovery on June 19.  The discovery authority gives Bybit a practical route to identify alleged intermediaries and pursue a small portion of stolen assets that remains traceable, rather than relying solely on a judgment against North Korea.  In its complaint, Bybit alleged that some traceable assets reached exchanges operating or maintaining infrastructure in the US. The company sought account-holder identities, balances and transaction histories, saying certain platforms had indicated they would cooperate after receiving a court order.  Bybit says 90% of stolen funds became untraceable  Bybit also obtained a temporary restraining order on June 19 preventing the unidentified defendants from transferring certain traceable assets. The court renewed the order on July 16 and partially granted Bybits request for a preliminary injunction on July 30. Some exhibits and other records remain sealed.  As of the June 18 filing, Bybit

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Coldcard Hack: Bitcoin Losses and Seed Flaw Explained

In the latest Bitcoin news today, Analytical estimates from Galaxy Research, cited by analytics account Lookonchain, indicate that total losses tied to the Coldcard hack have reached approximately 2,055 Bitcoin (BTC), worth $130 million, across more than 7,700 victim addresses.  The estimate follows reports of multiple suspected on-chain sweep waves linked to a seed-generation flaw in devices made by Canadian firm Coinkite.  The flaw affected how seeds were generated on vulnerable firmware, allowing attackers to derive and test candidate keys offline when they could determine or sufficiently constrain relevant device information.  EXPLORE: Best Meme Coins to Buy for August  Bitcoin News Today: Coldcard Firmware Flaw and Weak Randomness  March 2021 firmware integration error routed seed generation to a deterministic software pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) rather than the STM32 hardware random number generator (RNG).  The production configuration defined the hardware-RNG macro as zero, while the underlying libngu library checked whether the macro existed rather than whether it was enabled, binding the build to MicroPythons Yasmarang fallback.  The MicroPython fallback was initialized from chip unique identifiers and timer registers and did not collect fresh entropy after initialization. Block said an attacker able to determine or sufficiently constrain the device UID, timer state and prior RNG-call history could reproduce candidate

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Bitcoin, ether ETFs draw $1.1 billion in best inflow week since April, despite low volume

Quick TakeU.S. spot bitcoin ETFs logged their best inflow week since mid-April, drawing about $853.5 million in a five-session inflow streak as of Friday.Spot ether ETFs took in about $244.9 million, also logging their best week since April and marking a fifth straight positive week.Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas tied the run to the Coldcard wallet exploit, noting several funds have drawn inflows daily since the hack.That does not explain the inflows of the ether ETFs, however, as the Coldcard exploit affected only certain Bitcoin cold storage wallets.  U.S. spot bitcoin and ether ETFs saw a combined $1.1 billion in inflows last week, the strongest week for either category since April, per The Blocks analysis of SoSoValue data.  The spot bitcoin (BTC) ETFs took in about $853.5 million, their largest weekly total since the week ending April 17, which saw $996.4 million in inflows, per the data. Spot ether ETFs saw $244.9 million in inflows, likewise their best result since the very same week.  Last week, bitcoin ETFs recorded inflows in all five sessions, led by $244.4 million in inflows Wednesday and $211.5 million on Tuesday. Thursday and Friday saw $128.7 million and $98.9 million, respectively.  BlackRocks IBIT fund accounted for $693.7 million of the

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Bitcoin BIP-110 fork could expose holders to replay attacks

Bitcoin holders could lose real BTC if they try to sell coins created by a potential BIP-110 chain split without first separating their balances.  BIP-110 fork could put real Bitcoin at risk  Bitcoin developer Kevin Loaec warned holders against moving coins following a possible BIP-110 chain split, citing the risk of replay attacks.  A split would create two transaction histories with the same balances at the point of separation. Anyone holding 10 BTC before the fork, for example, would initially control 10 coins on each resulting chain.  This second balance may appear to offer free money if a buyer offers to purchase the BIP-110 coins. However, both networks could initially recognize the same signed transaction.  A buyer could copy the transaction used to transfer the forked coins and broadcast it on the main Bitcoin network. If accepted, the seller would transfer the same amount of real BTC to the buyers address.  The attack would not give the buyer access to the holders entire wallet. Only the inputs included in the signed transaction would move, while transaction fees could be charged on both chains.  Loaec said large holders may be targeted first because a successful replay involving their wallets would produce a larger return. Holders who do not

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BitMEX spent two years seeking buyer before shutdown: Report

BitMEX reportedly spent two years seeking a buyer before deciding to close the crypto derivatives exchange, as founder control, declining activity and legal baggage deterred potential acquirers.  SummaryBitMEX discussed a sale with multiple prospective buyers, including competing exchanges and Exodus.Founder control, shrinking revenue and reputation concernsreportedly complicated the negotiations.The exchange was reportedly seeking a valuation of about $1 billionduring the process.BitMEX will restrict trading on Aug. 26and close the exchange on Sept. 23.  BitMEX held sale talks for two years  BitMEX explored a sale with several potential acquirers over approximately two years but failed to secure an agreement, CoinDesk reported, citing a person familiar with the private discussions.  Potential buyers included rival cryptocurrency exchanges and payment and wallet company Exodus.  Broadhaven Capital Partners reportedly advised the Seychelles-based exchange during the process. crypto.news first reported BitMEXs search for a buyer in February 2025, although the investment bank had reportedly joined the process in late 2024.  BitMEX was said to be seeking a valuation of approximately $1 billion. However, it remains unclear whether any interested company submitted a formal bid.  The reported sale attempt ended without a deal before BitMEX‘s parent company, HDR Global Trading, completed a strategic review and approved the exchange’s closure.  You might also like:  BitMEX sued for

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Bitcoin ETFs draw $853.5M in five-day inflow streak

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $853.5 million during five consecutive inflow sessions as August demand reversed the previous weeks withdrawals.  SummaryBitcoin ETFs recorded five straight inflow daysfrom Aug. 3 through Aug. 7.Weekly net inflows reached approximately $853.5 million, according to SoSoValue.August flows are already nearly five times Julys $172.4 milliontotal.Ethereum ETFs added another $244.9 millionduring the same trading week.  Bitcoin ETF inflows reverse previous weeks withdrawals  U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs opened August with $170.1 million in net inflows on Aug. 3, followed by $211.5 million on Aug. 4, according to SoSoValue.  Inflows increased to $244.4 million on Aug. 5, the strongest session of the week. The funds subsequently added approximately $128.8 million on Aug. 6 and $98.85 million on Aug. 7.  The five daily results produced approximately $853.5 million in combined net inflows, depending on rounding. The performance represented a roughly $915 million swing from the previous week, when the products recorded $61.5 million in net outflows.  The streak also followed a volatile end to July. crypto.news previously reported that investors withdrew approximately $265 million from the funds on July 31. BlackRock‘s IBIT lost $123 million that day, while Fidelity’s FBTC recorded $54.8 million in withdrawals.  You might also like:  Hashdex to shut down $14.7M Bitcoin ETF DEFI  BlackRock

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XRP Ledger privacy vote targets $530M RWA market

XRP Ledger validators will vote on a privacy amendment designed for institutional transfers as the network hosts more than $530 million in distributed tokenized assets outside RLUSD.  SummaryConfidential Transfers would encrypt MPT balances and payment amountswhile keeping accounts and token types visible.XRPL hosts about $1.38 billion in distributed assets, including $845.7 million of RLUSD.The first version supports direct MPT payments only, excluding exchange trades, escrow and checks.Activation requires 80% validator support for two consecutive weeks.  XRP Ledger privacy amendment enters validator process  XRP Ledger version 3.3.0, released on Aug. 6, includes six proposed amendments focused largely on institutional asset issuance and settlement.  Confidential Transfers is the most privacy-focused proposal. It would allow users to encrypt balances and payment amounts attached to Multi-Purpose Tokens, or MPTs, which XRPL designed for assets such as tokenized funds, bonds and other financial instruments.  Accounts involved in a payment and the type of asset being transferred would remain visible. However, outside observers would not be able to see the value held by each account or the amount sent in an individual transaction.  You might also like:  XRP Ledger adds Ankr nodes ahead of v3.3.0  The ledger would use cryptographic proofs to confirm that a transaction is valid and that balances remain consistent without

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