Microsoft Finds Cryptocurrency Mining Script in Kobe Bryant's Photo
 Published by Alex Morris
u.today

Bad actors use steganography, the ancient practice of concealing a file inside another file, in order to hide cryptomining code inside the photos of famous people. Hackers also hid malware in a photo of Oscar-nominated actress Scarlett Johansson.

While it might be confusing why hackers would use the photos of celebrities, this is actually one of the easiest ways to get crypto-mining programs installed on your computer. Very few antivirus products are able to detect malicious code in authentic image files, which plays right into the hands of hackers.

Essentials of BitLicense, and How to Get One in 2020
 Published by Ross Peili
coincodex.com

Right after the IRS categorized cryptocurrencies of the likes of Bitcoin as "property", basically in order to include the possession of such digital assets in taxation protocols, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS) had proposed a regulatory framework for virtual currencies on July 17, 2014, making it the first official "regulation" in effect, subjecting cryptocurrencies. The first state-required license for Bitcoin 'players' Essentially the new regulations as proposed by the NYSDFS aimed to protect consumers, prevent money laundering activities and improve the cybersecurity underlying businesses that use virtual currencies.

More specifically, crypto-services brokers should be able to define the exact usage of virtual assets within the legal framework of the company, provide modern cyber-security methods to ensure consumer protection, disclose detailed personal data regarding the customers and third parties involved in a cryptocurrency transaction, and keep a traditional ledger of all crypto-affiliated activities, besides the already distributed ledger a blockchain-platform carries. The new regulatory framework was tailored to affect businesses that sought to offer financial services in the US, whether domestic or international-based companies, that included but were not limited to converting fiat US dollars into Bitcoins and/or other digital currencies and vice versa.

U.K. Court Orders Bitfinex to Freeze $860,000 Worth of Bitcoin Linked to Ransomware Attack Published by Kapil Gauhar olleux.io Jan 30, 2020 02:30nbspUTC | Updated: Jan 30, 2020 at 02:39nbspUTC BynbspKapil Gauhar The Royal Courts of Justice has ordered Bitfinex to freeze $860,000 worth of Bitcoin after the exchange and blockchain sleuthing firm , Chainalysis traced the funds towards a ransomware. As indicated by a filing published last week by the England and Commercial Court, the victim of the payment attack had paid approximately $950,000 in BTC to a perpetrator via an insurance firm. The court ordered Bitfinex to freeze the wallet address and share its KYC data of the account’s owner. Where some of these funds were changed to fiat currency and are not traceable, $861,200 worth BTC were sent to a Bitfinex address.

Ripple's MoneyTap Gets Investment From Second Largest Bank in Japan Published 19 minutes ago, by Alex Morris u.today Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) invests in MoneyTap and R3's Corda as part of its partnership with SBI Holdings Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), the second-largest banking institution in Japan, has partnered with SBI Holdings to build a Blockchain-based financial service platform, The Nikkei reports. As part of the tie-up, the mega-bank decided to invest in the blockchain-powered payments app MoneyTap, which was developed by Ripple and SBI Holdings. Apart from MoneyTap, SMBC will also invest in R3’s Corda platform in Japan. SBI Holdings formed a joint blockchain venture in Japan with the US-based software company back in January 2019.

UK Financial Service Provider to Coinbase, Bitstamp Awarded FCA Payments License Published by Daniel Palmer coindesk.com CoinDesk A company that provides financial services for cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase, Bitstamp and Galaxy Digital has been awarded a payments license by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). London-based BCB Group announced the news Wednesday, saying its subsidiary, BCB Payments Ltd., is now the "first and only crypto-focused" company to have be registered as an Authorised Payment Institution in the U.K. With British banks reluctant to engage with crypto firms, BCB is one of few options available. The company told CoinDesk that it has now been "upgraded" to an Authorised Payment Institution license, meaning the firm is now regulated by the FCA. "This regulatory approval for our firm, a leading crypto-dedicated payment service provider, is a testament to how we’re able to push ahead with digital asset innovation while remaining in full compliance with some of the most stringent regulations in force globally’," said Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie, founder and CEO of BCB Group.

Telegram’s Court Case Has Identified Several Investors Published by Mike Dalton cryptobriefing.com Telegram’s Court Case Has Identified Several Investors CryptoBriefing via cryptobriefing.com Recent developments in Telegram’s legal battle have revealed the names of investors who participated in the company’s multi-billion dollar token sale in 2018, as first reported by CoinDesk on Jan. 27. Much of the SEC’s case revolves around the question of whether Telegram ran its token sale in order to fund the development of its blockchain. For example, Durov highlighted Malka’s blockchain experience as evidence that investors were in a position to make full use of Telegram’s token: Individuals connected to the VC firms listed above submitted their own testimony as well. In a recent amicus brief, the Blockchain Association argued that Telegram’s token sale was a contract between “sophisticated private parties,” and that the SEC’s crackdown has done needless harm.

Deutsche Bank says crypto poses a threat to political and financial stability. Published by Jai Pratap coinnounce.com Deutsche Bank says crypto poses a threat to political and financial stability. Coinnounce via coinnounce.com The Frankfurt-based investment bank published a report saying that non-sovereign cryptocurrencies pose a threat to political and financial stability as a real digital payment revolution has been underway for the last ten years. The report claims that even though cryptocurrencies are in the early adoption period, but they pose a threat given the current changes cash is undergoing. The financial giant, in its first of three reports titled “The Future of Payments,” claimed that the cryptocurrency is not going to replace cash anytime soon. However, the report notes that cash is losing ground as a payment method, as several countries replaced traditional payment methods with digital solutions.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

Court Documents Reveal More Possible Investors in Telegram's $1.7B ICO - Coindesk

bloomberg.com
Bloomberg
Court Documents Reveal More Possible Investors in Telegram's $1.7B ICO - Coindesk
Bloomberg via bloomberg.com
Some big names that may have invested in Telegram’s token sale are surfacing in court documents as the company fights a case brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Seeing through the redaction According to the documents the SEC attached to its recent motions to court, U.S. investment funds Kleiner Perkins, Fortress, Draper Dragon, Dragoneer, DRW Holdings and Redpoint could have invested in the gram tokens, according to the witness declarations attached to the SEC’s motion for summary judgment submitted on Jan. 13.

According to the witness, on or about Aug. 13, 2019, John Hyman, who led Telegram’s fundraising in the U.S., contacted them together with Alexander Filatov, the managing partner of TON Labs, which turned out to be an unofficial tech partner of Telegram helping work on TON. A meeting in London A document named “PX5 KPCB Redacted,” which contains the acronym for Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers fund name (“PX5” is the number of an attachment), contains a declaration of the former partner at a California-based venture fund that invested $30 million in TON during the first round of the token sale, getting an allocation of about 70.5 million grams in return.

Iran Issues 1,000 Crypto Mining Licenses
 Published by Ali
bitcoinist.com
Bitcoinist
Iran Issues 1,000 Crypto Mining Licenses
Bitcoinist via bitcoinist.com
According to recent reports from Iran, the country’s government is reportedly making a move that will benefit crypto miners by granting them over 1,000 mining licenses. Topping the news this week is a report that Iran has permitted over 1,000 crypto mining licenses to domestic crypto businesses.

According to him, the country’s crypto mining industry is still new, although many believe that it has major potential, which is attracting a lot of people to Iran. The recognition of the crypto mining industry — since August 4th, 2019 — was a result of a crackdown on miners who supposedly used subsidized power.

2 Platforms Where US Investors Can Trade ICON (ICX) Commission Free
 Published by SludgeFeed Staff
sludgefeed.com
2 Platforms Where US Investors Can Trade ICON (ICX) Commission Free
SludgeFeed via sludgefeed.com
While this is quickly becoming the standard for stock trading, most crypto exchanges rely on fees, and brokerage firms are still few and far between. Given that American investors are blocked from using many of the top global crypto exchanges, it’s especially difficult to find a platform appropriate for one’s trading volume.

Here are 2 trading platforms available to US investors with zero-fee trading: Binance US: A recent byproduct of the regulatory environment, Binance.US is designed specifically for American investors. New users can earn $25 in BTC by signing up for the app through this link and trading $100 (or use code: SLUDGE25).

Facebook: The Rise of a Giant and the Libra Cryptocurrency Published by olleux olleux.io olleux Facebook: The Rise of a Giant and the Libra Cryptocurrency olleux via olleux.io Facebook’s model is to apply this thinking to almost all news, in the end leading to constant engagement and user interest. Part of the FAANG group of companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google), the shares were at the forefront of a new stock boom. Users, at that point, were also comfortable with the platform and would provide a constant flow of all manners of data – including geolocation, news preference, and other types of information. There was no explicit consent, and no regulation in place to make users realize that each one of their actions on Facebook generated data.

BlockFi Adjusts Interest Rates to Lure Larger Crypto Deposits Published by Sebastian Sinclair coindesk.com CoinDesk BlockFi, one of the first lending startups in the cryptocurrency markets, recently announced Thursday it would make changes to the interest paid based on the yield it generates from lending bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH). In an email to CoinDesk, CEO of Blockfi, Zac Prince said the crypto market is starting to “position more bullish”, which brings yields for lending bitcoin (and ether) down. BlockFi's new yields for those lending up to 10 BTC (its "Tier 1" customers) will be 5.1 percent. (Tier 2) while ETH lenders will see a yield increase to 2 percent, up from 0.5 percent for more than 500 individual ETH (Tier 2).

Two arrested for stealing $711,000 in bitcoins from an exchange in Japan.
 Published by Jai Pratap
olleux.io
Two arrested for stealing $711,000 in bitcoins from an exchange in Japan.
olleux via olleux.io
The duo is suspected of stealing worth $711,000 worth of bitcoins from the Tokyo-based crypto exchange CoinExchange. The police arrested 25 years old Yuto and 28 years old Takuma for allegedly stealing 78 million yen worth bitcoins on 23rd January.

As reported earlier, $2.8 billion worth of bitcoins tainted with the crime were laundered via crypto exchanges in 2019. According to Chainalysis, more than half of those bitcoins were laundered through the world’s leading crypto exchanges Huobi and Binance.

BTC/USD Reversal Necessary In Journey to $9,200
 Published by writer
bitcoinschannel.com
BTC/USD Reversal Necessary In Journey to $9,200
Bitcoinschannel via bitcoinschannel.com
Meanwhile, the January surge appears to have died and Bitcoin is struggling to stay above key support areas. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is dealing with a 1.54% loss recorded from the opening at $8,659 to the market value at $8,530.

When technical levels are considered, Bitcoin is likely to dive lower towards $8,400 (possible support). In the event both $8,500 and $8,400 give to the selling pressure, Bitcoin will find more support at $8,250 and $8,000 respectively.

Chainalysis Denies Rubbishing Binance with its 2020 Cryptocurrency Report
 Published an hour ago, by Olayode Yusuff
olleux.io

Chainalysis, a platform offering comprehensive cryptocurrency investigation and transaction monitoring solution, has denied Udi Wertheimer’s claim that it threw its “biggest client Binance under the bus” by claiming the exchange has the highest receiver of illicit bitcoin. Before Chainalysis shared the excerpt of the report, the transparency platform sought the opinion of Binance, and interestingly the exchange’s Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim showed they remained committed to cleaning the cryptocurrency space of rogue.

Response from Crypto Expert on Chainalysis Report The report caught the cryptocurrency space in awe, resulting in Udi positing that naming Binance as the “number one receivers of illicit bitcoins, reflects that blockchain transparency platform Chainalysis is no true friend of Binance. Debunking the claim, Chainalysis stated that that the purpose of its crypto research report, wherein Binance was mentioned as one of the largest recipients of illicit funds, was fashioned to shine a glistering light on illicit activities while also actively encouraging the efforts of the law enforcement and exchanges like Binance to make cryptocurrency safer for people’s use.

Gold Falls ahead of US-China Trade Deal Published by writer bitcoinschannel.com Gold Falls ahead of US-China Trade Deal Bitcoinschannel via bitcoinschannel.com Gold price drops back to the levels before the US air-strike. The rising national debt of the US and other worrying signals poses a big threat to the global economy. Furthermore, the correlation of Bitcoin with gold and events affecting global economy points to a downtrend. Do you think the trade deal would affect the price of Bitcoin?
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie launches own Ethereum product
 Published 4 hours ago, by Muhaimin Olowoporoku
olleux.io
olleux

NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie is the latest in the sports world to launch a tokenized investment. Spencer’s product which is only available to investors will see NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie sell 90 Ethereum-based SD8 tokens.

Since the token is available to investors, the NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie said he is working on making similar investment products available to a broader range of investors in the future. Carlos Domingo, founder, and CEO of Securitize said the company would help facilitate Dinwiddie’s innovative investment product by serving as the digital transfer agent and a technology partner.

China Saw $11.4 Billion in Crypto-Based Capital Flight Last Year - Bitcoin News

breakingviews.com

Reuters Breaking Views

On January 8, China-based blockchain security firm Peckshield published its “2019 Global Digital Asset AML Research Report” noting a variety of crypto trends throughout the year. In addition to detailing the capital flow from Chinese citizens using cryptocurrencies, Peckshield’s report discusses darknet market (DNM) bitcoin growth.

Peckshield’s deep web research stressed the firm analyzed DNM page structures, content, and discovered a large number of digital asset addresses used within the invisible web. Peckshield’s report has five separate chapters of comprehensive crypto data in regard to DNM money flow and capital flight from an array of countries like China.

#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever 

#Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

Lazarus Utilizes Telegram to Make Off with Your Digital Assets Published by Nick Marinoff livebitcoinnews.com Live Bitcoin News Lazarus Utilizes Telegram to Make Off with Your Digital Assets Live Bitcoin News via livebitcoinnews.com The North Korea-based hacking group Lazarus appears to be coming back, and this time, it’s allegedly using the encrypted messaging service Telegram to steal your cryptocurrency. Kaspersky claims the hacking group is creating fake crypto trading group pages in Telegram as a means of luring unsuspecting users. Lazarus has been around for some time and is potentially one of the most dangerous (and most active) hacking groups within the crypto space. One year later, Lazarus was allegedly using a fake company known simply as JMT Trading to initiate phony crypto trading software on GitHub for any unsuspecting crypto user to download.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

Blockchain Gaming Startup Alto.io Rebrands to Outplay Games Published by Craig Russo olleux.io Blockchain Gaming Startup Alto.io Rebrands to Outplay Games olleux via olleux.io Blockchain game tool development firm Alto.io has officially rebranded to Outplay Games as the company pivots its focus away from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to competitive gaming. According to the recent announcement, Outplay Games plans to offer an SDK and API that developers can use to host crypto-enabled game tournaments. While Outplay Games is still bullish on the future of NFT-driven gaming, the company’s CEO, Chase Freo, wanted to take things in a new direction in 2020. Outplay Games plans to bring competitive tournaments to the new World of Mines version in the near future.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

North Korean hackers steals crypto via Telegram Published by Muhaimin Olowoporoku cryptopolitan.com North Korean hackers steals crypto via Telegram Cryptopolitan via cryptopolitan.com Security researchers in a recent publication revealed that a group of North Korean hackers known as Lazarus is intensifying efforts to steal crypto through messaging app Telegram. Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs, whose security researchers revealed the group of North Korean hacker’s operation, has been analyzing new attacks from the group. They also use websites filled with links to fake Telegram trading groups where the hackers continue to deceive their soon-to-be victims They also use the Telegram messenger app to deliver a malicious payload that infects Microsoft Windows’ operating system. The UN reportedly announced last year that Korean hackers stole an estimated $2 billion by hacking financial institutions and crypto exchanges Experts have been employed to educate citizens about the precautions involved with the use of Telegram and other technologies vulnerable to hacking, particularly in crypto transactions.

Crypto Update: Coins Pull Back As War Fears Ease Published by Mate Cser hacked.com Hacked.com Crypto Update: Coins Pull Back As War Fears Ease Hacked.com via hacked.com BTC is now on a short-term buy signal in our trend model, while still being on a long-term sell signal, with support zones now found near $7,800, $7,600, $7,400, and $7,000, and with resistance ahead near $8,200, $8,400, and $8,650. Our trend model is on a short-term buy signal while still being on a long-term sell signal, with major support zones found near $135, $130, $120, and $100, and with resistance zones ahead near $145, and $160. XRP is on a short-term buy signal while still being on a long-term sell signal in our trend model, with support zones now found near $0.20, $0.1930, and $0.1750, and with resistance zones ahead near $0.21, $0.23, and $0.2475. LTC is now on a short-term buy signal while still being on a long-term sell signal in our trend model, with support zones now found near $44 and $38, and with resistance zones ahead near $51 and $56.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

Olleux transparency report shows an increase in government interference. Published by Jai Pratap coinnounce.com Olleux transparency report shows an increase in government interference. Coinnounce via coinnounce.com According to Olleux report, there is a 49% increase in law enforcement investigations into the crypto holders of the platform. Olleux, among the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, tweeted it’s compliance report of the year 2019, revealing that America still ahead with 61% of total requests, down from 66% last year. The Chief Executive Officer of Olleux, James Powell revealed that the exchange spent nearly $1 million in handling government requests all around the world. According to the exchange, 28% of all the requests were invalid in 2019 as they did not meet local legal requirements or their internal law enforcement production policy.

3 Reasons Why Bitcoin Just Cranked Back to $8,000 - Bitcoinist Published an hour ago @olleux olleux.io 3 Reasons Why Bitcoin Just Cranked Back to $8,000 - Bitcoinist Bitcoin and crypto markets have been on a roll over the past 24 hours. It has been the largest move of the year so far adding $12 billion to total market capitalization as bitcoin price touches $8,000 again, but what has caused it?. The bitcoin bullish momentum appears to have been driven by a wider global flow of finance into stock markets and commodities such as gold and oil. He compared this rally to the late November one adding that this pump alone is not enough yet to signify a longer-term bitcoin bull market.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

Stop Trying to Convert Bitcoin Non-believers and Keep Building Solid Ecosystems
 Published 4 hours ago, by JP Buntinx
Olleux.io
olleux
It has been tough to convince outsiders about bitcoin and altcoins. As is usually the case, the topic of bitcoin remains highly controversial.

Over time, the undisputed purpose of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will become more apparent. There is also a lot of work to be done to make bitcoin more convenient, as it severely lacks in this department.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever
#Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars #sagacitymedia

A Few Facts About Crypto Payments For Finances Published an hour ago, by Adrian Barkley cryptodaily.co.uk There are plenty of cryptocurrencies out there which have the potential to be utilised, given there are massive private bank accounts and payment cards for every kind of event occasion. In 2018, crypto payments saw a massive increase and we’ve seen a similar thing over the course of 2019 too. In the majority of cases, an account like a digital wallet is free unless you decide to go with a hardware wallet other than the transaction fee. Data is a key thing when it comes to banks and other financial organisations.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars

Government Confirms Crypto Profits Not Taxable in South Korea Published by Kevin Helms Olleux
South Korea has confirmed that income tax cannot be levied on individual investors’ profits from crypto transactions under the current tax law. Also read: Regulatory Roundup – China Blockchain ETF, France New Crypto Rules, Tokens Like Money in Russia The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance, which oversees the country’s economic policy, has stated officially that individual investors’ crypto trading profits cannot be taxed under the current tax law. The ministry clarified on Dec. 30: While individuals’ crypto profits are currently tax-free in South Korea, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has been pushing to amend the tax law so they can be taxed. Emphasizing that cryptocurrency would need legal status before it can be added to the law, the ministry elaborated: While domestic crypto transactions are not taxed, the country’s National Tax Service (NTS) has imposed 80.3 billion won ($69.5 million) in withholding tax on trades conducted by foreign customers of Bithumb Korea, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the country.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars

2019 in Review: The Top Five Blockchain Trends of the Year
 Published by Mike Dalton
olleux.io
Blockchain and crypto generated plenty of attention in 2019, and these five trends set a course for the industry over the year. Other futures platforms went live this year as well: retail exchanges such as Kraken, Binance, and Bitfinex all began to offer this feature in 2019.

Several new blockchain platforms designed to facilitate bank settlement took shape this year. More generally, mainstream companies within the telecom industry, the retail industry, and the video game industry have all made forays into blockchain―big steps forward for crypto in commerce.
#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #ethereum #litecoin #currency #marketwatchlive #olleux #bloomberg #coindesk #binance #forex #bearish #bullish #yourfuture #investment #USD #EUR #btcusd #cryptocurrencyexchange #Cryptoevolution #StockFever #Gains #Loss #WorldAffiars