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Showing posts with the label exchanges

Bitcoin ETFs: Even worse for crypto than central exchanges

Want some worthless "paper" Bitcoin? With the rise of Bitcoin ETFs, you might soon have the chance to invest in something as worthless as the U.S. dollar. Recent weeks have seen a surge in interest from traditional finance for crypto -based exchange -traded funds (ETFs). After the Securities and Exchange Commission took issue with its initial filing, BlackRock submitted a fresh application for a Bitcoin ETF on July 3. A week earlier, Fidelity led a crop of investment firms in lodging applications with the SEC for Bitcoin-based ETFs. Meanwhile, HSBC has become the first bank to offer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs to customers in Hong Kong. In the context of Bitcoin, it is often the seemingly positive news that is harmful over the longer term; and vice versa, short-term negative news often serves to strengthen the ongoing case for Bitcoin. A good example of the latter is the 2017 “Blocksize War,” when the Bitcoin community split into the big block camp that launched the B...

Atomic Wallet hackers turn to OFAC-sanctioned Garantex: Elliptic

Stolen loot crypto from Atomic wallets has started passing through sanctioned Russian-based exchange Garantex, according to Elliptic. Illicit funds gained from the $35 million Atomic Wallet hack are on the move again, with sanctioned Russian-based crypto exchange Garantex reportedly becoming the latest to come in contact with the hacked crypto.  On June 13, blockchain security and compliance firm Elliptic updated the situation regarding the stolen Atomic Wallet funds. It alleges that the North Korean hacking collective, the Lazarus Group — which is believes is behind the attack — has used sanctioned Russian-based crypto exchange Garantex to launder the loot. In a Twitter post, the firm said there had been a significant and successful cross-community effort between Elliptic and many exchange partners to freeze the stolen crypto. However, Lazarus has now found other means to trade their assets for Bitcoin (BTC). After a significant and successful cross-community effort between @ellip...

Bitcoin exchange withdrawals sink to 7-month low as users forget FTX

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Bitcoin exchange users get comfortable as "Do Nothing December" sees BTC price volatility drop to record lows. Bitcoin (BTC) exchange users have forgotten all about the FTX scandal this Christmas, data shows. According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, exchange outflows have now hit their lowest levels in over six month s. Still not your keys, still not your coins? As Bitcoin volatility sets a new record low in what is being called “Do Nothing December,” exchange users’ habits are also rapidly adjusting to the current climate. After seeing an overwhelming surge in light of the FTX meltdown, BTC withdrawals from exchange wallets have entirely reversed the spike which began around six weeks ago. Having hit a peak of 142,788 BTC on Nov. 14, outflows from the trading platforms tracked by Glassnode have declined over ten times. On Dec. 25, the latest date for which numbers are available, total exchange outflows came in at just 9,352 BTC — a drop of 93.5%. Bitcoin exchange ou...