Tether has partnered with the TON Foundation, launching $60 million of USDT on The Open Network (TON) blockchain as announced at the Token2049 event in Dubai, making TON the 11th largest blockchain out of 16 supproting Tether. This collaboration also introduced the gold-pegged Tether Gold (XAUT) stablecoin on TON, with cross-border payments touted as free, […]
The excitement surrounding the upcoming Bitcoin halving has led to a significant increase in Google searches for “Bitcoin halving,” with interest reaching its highest point ever, more than double that of the last halving event in 2020, and is predicted to hit peak popularity. The halving event, which reduces the rewards miners receive by half, […]
OP_CAT, a proposal aimed at introducing Ethereum-like smart contract functionality to Bitcoin, has been assigned the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) number 347, marking the first step towards potentially implementing this long-discussed software upgrade. Co-authors Ethan Heilman and Armin Sabouri have emphasized that receiving a BIP number mainly facilitates discussion around the proposal by providing a […]
Marathon Digital plans to increase its 2024 hash rate target for Bitcoin mining from 35-37 EH/s to 50 EH/s, thanks to expanded capacity from recent acquisitions, aiming to more than double its mining operations without the need to raise additional capital. The company’s growth includes purchasing a 200 megawatt Bitcoin mining center and two additional […]
Stacks has initiated the rollout of its Nakamoto upgrade introducing improvements to its Bitcoin layer two (L2) solution. The upgrade aims to bolster transaction speed and security, potentially revitalizing interest in Bitcoin’s extended capabilities. Stacks Initiates Nakamoto Upgrade, Targets Enhanced Bitcoin Scalability Stacks, an L2 protocol addressing Bitcoin’s scalability challenges and expanding its blockchain functionalities, […]
Hong Kong customs officers arrested three individuals involved in a HK$1.8 billion ($228 million) money laundering operation that utilized a cryptocurrency platform and bank accounts of shell companies, with investigations revealing suspicious activities such as abnormally frequent large transactions in accounts with no clear financial backgrounds. The suspects, who did not know each other, allegedly […]
Edward Snowden criticized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for targeting app developers aimed at restoring financial privacy, responding to the arrest of the founders and CEO of cryptocurrency mixing service Samourai Wallet on charges related to money laundering and operating without a license. Snowden’s remarks show his ongoing support for financial privacy within the […]
Former First Lady Melania Trump has announced a customizable $245 necklace, “Her Love & Gratitude,” to celebrate Mother’s Day on May 12, 2024; the necklace comes with a flower pendant, an adjustable chain, and options for personalization with names, initials, or dates. Buyers of the necklace will also receive a limited-edition digital collectible minted on […]
United States prosecutors have charged Charles O. Parks III with wire fraud and money laundering after he allegedly ran a “large-scale illegal ‘cryptojacking’ operation,” defrauding two cloud computing providers out of $3.5 million to mine $970,000 in cryptocurrencies such as ether, litecoin, and monero without authorization. Parks, who was arrested in Nebraska and faces up […]
Meta’s shares dropped 15% in after-hours trading following announcements in April of plans for significant investment in AI, alongside a weaker revenue outlook and continued losses in its metaverse division, Reality Labs. The company anticipates its expenses will soar to between $96 billion and $99 billion for the fiscal year, attributing the increase to higher […]
Cosmos developers have successfully rectified a critical security vulnerability in its Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, which had placed assets worth at least $126 million in jeopardy, following a private notification from Asymmetric Research. This flaw, existing in the protocol since its 2021 inception, became exploitable recently with the introduction of new codebase developments but was […]
U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has unveiled his plan to put the entire U.S. budget on a blockchain. “Every American can look at every budget item in the entire budget, anytime they want, 24 hours a day,” he explained, adding that if somebody is spending $16,000 for a toilet seat, everybody […]