Tag: BTC

  • Binance and Huobi recover 121 BTC from Harmony bridge hackers

    Binance and Huobi recover 121 BTC from Harmony bridge hackers

    • The Harmony bridge hack took place in June last year and over $100 million was lost
    • 121 bitcoins have been recovered by Huobi and Binance security teams.
    • The hackers were also moving ETH worth about $64 million over the weekend.

    Seven months after one of the largest cryptocurrency exploits of 2022 took place, industry players are still optimistic about recovering the stolen funds. Over the weekend, Binance and Huobi teams teamed up to freeze and recover 121 bitcoins that the Harmony bridge hackers were trying to launder.

    According to a tweet by Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao, the hackers tried to launder 121 bitcoins worth about $2.5 million on the Huobi exchange and Binance detected the move and alerted Huobi. Binance then went ahead to assist Huobi in freezing and recovering the crypto assets which had already been deposited by the hackers.

    Prior to Huobi and Binance recovering the bitcoins, on-chain crypto detective ZachXBT had tweeted saying that the hackers were moving 41,000 ETH worth about $64 million over the weekend.

    Laundering seven months after the hack

    The Harmony One team detected the hack on June 24, 2022, and reported that crypto assets worth about $100 million had been lost in the hack. The hackers, who were identified on June 30 to be the notorious North Korean Lazarus Group had exploited mutisigs securing the Horizon bridge.

    After the hack, the attackers deployed laundering programs to move the stolen assets.

    According to ZachXBT, the hackers deposited the stolen crypto assets in three crypto exchanges although he did not specify these exchanges.

    However, going by the recent developments, it is most likely that Huobi is one of the exchanges that the attackers have been trying to use.



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  • Bitcoin hits $18,200 as 13% more of of BTC supply in profit

    Bitcoin hits $18,200 as 13% more of of BTC supply in profit

    • Bitcoin price jumped more than 5% on Thursday to hit levels above $18,400.
    • According to on-chain data from Glassnode, the price rally has helped return 13% more BTC into profit; now 60.5% of circulating supply is in profit.
    • Only 47%-48% of BTC had been in profit between November 2022 and the start of January, 2023.

    Bitcoin’s breakout to prices above $18,200 has seen 13% more of circulating supply return into profit, on-chain data from Glassnode says.

    Per the platform, the sharp surge in percentage of supply in profit amid the latest crypto rally confirms a buy the dip scenario as prices fell in late 2022. Indeed, the metric suggests a large volume of the benchmark cryptocurrency was acquired at prices between $16,500 and $18,200.

    Bitcoin supply in profit jumps amid BTC rally

    Bitcoin price hit lows of $15,600 in November 2022 after a violent market reaction to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The price bounced to above $18,000 in mid-December before bulls hit resistance and BTC tumbled to below $17,000.

    The supply in profit or supply in loss metric considers the on-chain history of a coin, determining the price at which it last moved. Coins are in profit if the price at which they last moved is lower than the current price of BTC, while the percent in loss is when the current price of BTC is higher than the value of the coins when they last moved on-chain.

    According to Glassnode, more than half of Bitcoin circulating supply fell into loss between November and January this year. Approximately 47%-48% of BTC supply was in profit during the period.

    However, with 2023 starting positively for cryptocurrencies and BTC’s push to highs of $18,420 on 12 January, the percentage of circulating supply on profit has increased to 60.5%.

    As of writing, Bitcoin price is 5.2% up in the past 24 hours and data from CoinGecko shows the flagship cryptocurrency has rallied nearly 9% in the past week.



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  • Bitcoin remains close to $17k after FOMC minutes release: Will BTC rally soon?

    Bitcoin remains close to $17k after FOMC minutes release: Will BTC rally soon?

    • Bitcoin price steadied above $16,800 as US Federal Reserve officials agreed to slow its pace of interest rate hikes.

    • The latest FOMC minutes indicate that US policymakers are focused on controlling the pace of price hikes.

    • Bitcoin could surge past the $17k resistance level soon.

    BTC eyes the $17k resistance level

    The United States Federal Reserve recently released minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee for December. Fed members agreed that a restrictive policy stance would need to be maintained for now until the incoming data provided confidence that core inflation was on a sustained downward path back down to 2%.

    This latest cryptocurrency news saw Bitcoin, the world’s leading cryptocurrency by market cap, maintain its price above the $16,800 level over the last 24 hours. It has lost less than 1% of its value, and the price of Bitcoin now stands at $16,834. 

    The broader crypto market is also recovering from its recent slump. At press time, the total cryptocurrency market cap stands at $819 billion, up by less than 1% in the last 24 hours.

    Key levels to watch

    The BTC/USD 4-hour chart is bullish as Bitcoin has held its ground above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $16,714 over the last few days. 

    The MACD line is above the neutral zone, indicating that the leading cryptocurrency has preserved its downward trend from the standpoint of realised price. The 14-day RSI of 61 also shows that more bulls controlling the market could see BTC enter the overbought region. 

    If the bullish momentum increases, BTC could surge past the first major resistance level at $17,145 over the next few hours. However, Bitcoin could struggle to surpass the second major resistance level at $17,485 in the short term, unless it gains support from the broader crypto market. 

    Where to buy Bitcoin now

    eToro

    eToro offers a wide range of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.


    Buy BTC with eToro today

    Bitstamp

    Bitstamp is a leading cryptocurrency exchange which offers trading in fiat currencies or popular cryptocurrencies.

    Bitstamp is a fully regulated company which offers users an intuitive interface, a high degree of security for your digital assets, excellent customer support and multiple withdrawal methods.


    Buy BTC with Bitstamp today

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  • One of the original Bitcoin core developers losses all his BTC in hack

    One of the original Bitcoin core developers losses all his BTC in hack

    • Bitcoin OG and core developer, Dashjr, claimed virtually all his bitcoins were stolen.
    • The hackers accessed the developer’s PGP key.
    • On November 17, 2022, Dashjr, noted his server had been compromised.

    A Bitcoin OG and one of the original Bitcoin’s core developers, Luke Dashjr, has claimed that he virtually lost all his bitcoins after his Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) keys were compromised on December 31, 2022, just before the new year.

    PGP key is a common security method that uses two keys to gain access to encrypted information.

    In a post on Twitter on January 1, 2023, Dashjr was asking for help from the PSA:

    “PSA: My PGP key is compromised, and at least many of my bitcoins stolen. I have no idea how. Help please.”

    In a follow-up tweet, Dashjr appeared distressed asking why he could not reach anyone from the FBI or IC3 before following it up with a tweet containing a wallet address, which is believed to be one of the Bitcoin wallets where some of the stolen BTC was sent to.

    “What the heck @FBI @ic3  why can’t I reach anyone???

    Although Dashjr did not disclose how many bitcoins were stolen from his wallet, the wallet address that he shared showed four bitcoin transactions on December 31 that totalled to 216.93 BTC.

    Dashjr server compromised in November 2022

    Although the developer said that he had no idea as to how hackers gained access to his PGP key, some community members have drawn a possible connection to an earlier claim that Dashjr had made on November 17, 2022, that his server had been compromised by ““new malware/backdoors on the system.”

    Unfortunately, Dashjr, says that he learnt of the hack after getting emails from Kraken and Coinbase about login attempts.

    The hack also caught the attention of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) who consoled the developer on Twitter saying:

    “Sorry to see you lose so much. Informed our security team to monitor. If it comes our way, we will freeze it. If there is anything else we can help with, please let us know. We deal with these often, and have Law Enforcement (LE) relationships worldwide.”



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  • Bitcoin (BTC) Price Slides as Inflation Is Going Up

    Bitcoin (BTC) Price Slides as Inflation Is Going Up

    Real-world economic performance undeniably impacts global cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin (BTC), the biggest crypto asset by market capitalization, proving an excellent guide to the health of the crypto industry. Recent increases in inflation worldwide, but particularly in the US, have seen the value of Bitcoin slide during the second half of 2022 as the global economic crisis takes hold.

    While this isn’t great news for existing investors in the world’s leading cryptocurrencies, such as BTC, excellent investment opportunities in exciting new crypto projects remain. One of the most enticing new crypto projects is Metacade, which saw an enthusiastic uptake during its beta presale stage, raising almost $1 million in just three weeks.

    What is Metacade?

    Metacade is the world’s first virtual gaming arcade that uses Web3 and blockchain technology to revolutionize the GameFi metaverse industry. The platform will host the broadest range of play-to-earn (P2E) games in the metaverse and offer gamers the same level of fun and social interaction they’d get visiting a real-life video arcade from the comfort of their gaming chair or sofa.

    The P2E element of the community is one of several ways community users benefit from the platform. The other revenue stream initiatives are:

    Compete2Earn – earning by staking tokens and gaining tournament rewards

    Create2Earn – earning by interacting with the community and its members

    Work2Earn – earning through finding new Web3 role on the jobs board, which launches in Q1 2024.

    In addition to the opportunities to earn, Metacade is a platform that allows budding developers to earn their stripes by supporting them to learn game development and has plans to become a self-sufficient and fully-fledged DAO by Q4 2024.

    How Metacade works

    Unlike many GameFi platforms, Metacade has a diverse offering that stretches beyond the P2E element. The native token for the platform is the MCADE coin, and there are several ways Metacade generates revenue.

    Metacade’s revenue-generating features include a range of pay-to-play arcade games, just like gamers would expect to find in a real-world video arcade. There’s also advertising on the platform, entry fees for prize draws and to compete in tournaments, and the launchpad initiative, which allows external companies to release games in Metacade for a price. These revenue streams provide the funds that flow into gamers’ wallets as they earn rewards.

    The number of titles available on Metacade will continue to grow. This growth will be aided from Q3 2023 by the introduction of the Metagrants initiative. Metagrants are a source of funding for developers to build games on the platform. Developers submit gaming proposals to be voted on by MCADE token holders, who determine the community’s favorite ideas. The winning developers will receive funding to help turn their proposals into reality. The first Metagrant-backed games hit the Metacade library in Q1 2024.

    Other features in the pipeline include introducing a jobs board in Q1 2024 to boost the Work2Earn initiative. The board will feature a range of opportunities from internships, short-term gig work, and full-time roles within the GameFi industry with Metacade-approved partners, giving anyone with a genuine interest in working in Web3 development a helping hand to get started in the industry.

    Meanwhile, Metacade’s transition into becoming a DAO begins in Q2 2023, with the process estimated to take 18 months before community members assume all of the critical roles. This autonomy is one of Metacade’s leading lights; it hands control of the platform’s future direction to the most important community members.

    Why could MCADE surge?

    The breadth of Metacade’s plans, found in more detail in their white paper, makes it an exciting prospect for investors hunting for new crypto projects. With many other GameFi developments focusing on a minimal range of options, it’s easy for them to become little more than a fad.

    Metacade’s offering will not fall into that trap. The range of games on offer will continue to increase, providing additional opportunities to earn, whether through competitions, playing, or creating social content to engage with the community. Furthermore, the continual addition of new games means there’s no risk of the platform becoming boring or stale since it will continually reinvent itself with the regular release of new and exciting titles. As a result, Metacade has solid project longevity. 

    Additionally, the community will ultimately have complete autonomy over how Metacade develops. Gamers’ interests will forever be at the heart of the platform’s development, unlike in more traditional gaming, where developers have to balance that with providing a return to shareholders.

    These plans place Metacade at the forefront of the blockchain gaming revolution.

    How to purchase MCADE tokens

    The Metacade beta sale sold out in less than four weeks, making it one of the most attractive new crypto projects currently in its presale stage. The price will increase by more than double as  the ninth and final presale round concludes, raising a total market cap of $28 million.

    Getting on board with Metacade couldn’t be simpler. Tokens can be purchased on Metacade’s website by anyone with a Wallet Connect-supported crypto wallet. 

    You can purchase MCADE with ETH (Ethereum) or USDT (Tether). First, connect your wallet to Metacade’s website to access the DEX, and then accept the option to purchase MCADE with ETH or USDT.

    You can buy BTC at eToro here.

    You can participate in the Metacade pre-sale here.

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  • Bitcoin addresses with 100-10K coins buy $726 million BTC

    Bitcoin addresses with 100-10K coins buy $726 million BTC

    • Bitcoin wallet addresses with 100 to 10,000 BTC bought another $726 million worth of coins in 9 days.
    • The sharks and whales activity highlight the continued accumulation of BTC as market navigates the recent FTX- fueled crash.
    • Bitcoin price rose to highs of $18,385 on Tuesday, before retreating late Wednesday following US central bank interest rate hike.

    Bitcoin rallied well above $18,000 this week as the crypto market moved higher amid exuberance in the risk asset market over cooling inflation in the US.

    The flagship cryptocurrency hit highs of $18,385 ahead of Wednesday’s 50% rate hike from the US Federal Reserve.

    While the Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s hawkish remarks helped dampen sentiment to push BTC below $18k again, the crypto remains poised for a fresh upside given bulls’ holding of prices above the key support base established in the aftermath of the FTX implosion.

    Whales continue to buy the dip

    Bitcoin’s retreat from $18,385 suggests bulls might have to rely on the buffer at $17,200 – the immediate resistance level that’s likely to act as a key support base. Below that, bears could target $15,700.

    Despite the rejection at intraday highs above $18,300 seen this week, its likely bitcoin will look to retest the price level given its strong fundamental outlook.

    According to o-chain data shared by market platform Santiment, more bitcoin sharks and whales have scooped coins this past week. This happened amid the FTX fallout and as the firm’s data shows, addresses holding 100 to 10,000 BTC have added over $726 million BTC in just nine days.

    About 15,900 wallet addresses in this category hold 8.5 million bitcoins worth over $149 billion (at current prices).

    Notably, it adds to the accumulation seen since Bitcoin price registered a sharp decline on news of FTX’s implosion in early November. 

    As well as whales and sharks, shrimps and crabs have also been grabbing some alpha. The two wallet cohorts have aggressively been buying BTC. As we highlighted here, the group has added more than 96,000 BTC worth over $1.6 billion in 30 days.



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  • Bitcoin shrimps add record BTC to their holdings in November

    Bitcoin shrimps add record BTC to their holdings in November

    • Bitcoin price plummeting after FTX’s implosion in November provided shrimps – people with less than 1 BTC an opportunity to add to their balances at low prices.
    • According to new on-chain data tracking shrimp holdings, the cohort bought 96.2k more BTC in the 30 days after FTX collapsed.
    • The cohort’s holdings saw an all-time balance increase in the month and currently hold roughly 6.3% of bitcoin supply at 1.21 million.

    Despite the continued selling across the crypto market over the past month, Bitcoin ‘shrimps’ – wallets holding less than one BTC – have added massively to their overall balances since the FTX’s implosion.

    According to the latest data compiled by crypto exchange Bitfinex, investors have sold Bitcoin at a loss over the past 30 days as contagion fears and other macro factors combined to sink sentiment. But amid the widespread selling, there has been a significant accumulation drive from both shrimps and ‘crabs’ – wallets with up to 10 bitcoin.

    Analysis of the on-chain balances of these two cohorts suggest that a portion of small retail investors have indeed been unfazed by the negative sentiment and jitters around FTX. Simply, wallets with less than 10 BTC have used the downturn in prices to buy Bitcoin.

    Shrimps added 96.2k BTC since early November

    As some investors panic-sold after the shocking news of FTX’s collapse, a few people took the opportunity to buy low. In November, Bitcoin price fell sharply below $20,000 and went all the way to levels beneath $16,000.

    Weak hands sold as hodlers took advantage. And according to the Bitfinex report, its not just whales who might have seized on the prevailing sell-off. 

    Shrimps buying the dip managed to add more than 96,000 bitcoins to their wallet balances. In fact, data puts it down to 96.2k BTC that shrimps bought since FTX collapsed, with the purchases accounting for an all-time high increase in the cohort’s wallet balances.

    According to the statistic, shrimps now hold more than 1.21 million bitcoins to account for roughly 6.3% of the benchmark cryptocurrency’s circulating supply. 

    As of writing, on-chain data sows the circulating supply of Bitcoin is 19.23 million coins, while addresses richer than $1 stand at nearly 34 million.

    Wallets with less than 10 BTC also buy the dip

    Crab, as noted above, are wallets that hold less than 10 bitcoins. Data by Glassnode shows that this cohort bought 191.6k BTC in the 30 days after FTX’s collapse. The group’ net position change during this period saw total balance also swell at an all-time high increase, with the month higher than in July 2022 when crabs bought 126k BTC following the May/June turmoil.

    So what does this statistics reveal? According to the report, its likely retail investors are breaking from past behaviour of heavily selling during bear cycles.

    Investor bullishness on Bitcoin is thus a mark of the new wave of resilience even as the market stares at potentially more pain with Bitcoin price poised near $17,000.

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  • Will BTC go back up soon?

    Will BTC go back up soon?

    Bitcoin price has come under intense pressure in the past few months as investors get extremely fearful about the industry. BTC plunged to a low of $15,718, which is significantly lower than its all-time high of near $70,000. It has fallen by over 26% from its highest level this month, crashing its total market cap to about $302 billion.

    Will BTC go back up?

    Bitcoin price has been in a deep sell-off as a somber mood has engulfed the crypto industry. The two main reasons for the crash are the collapse of FTX and the rising interest rates in the United States. 

    The Fed has embraced an extremely hawkish tone in the past few months in its bid to fight soaring inflation. Precisely, it has increased rates by 400 basis points and analysts expect that it will continue hiking for a while.

    High interest rates are usually dangerous for risky assets like cryptocurrencies and growth stocks. This also explains why many growth companies like Carvana, Tesla, and Wayfair have seen their shares collapse in the past few months.

    Meanwhile, the recent collapse of FTX and Alameda has led to significant contagion risks in the crypto industry. The two companies were significant players in the crypto industry, with FTX being the second-biggest crypto exchange in the world by valuation.

    Alameda, on the other hand, was one of the biggest liquidity providers in the industry. As a result, its collapse has had a major impact in the industry. Many people have then decided to completely or temporarily move from the crypto industry.

    Bitcoin price sell-off capitulation will likely not happen any time soon. For it to happen, interest rates will likely start moving lower or the Fed will need to signal that it will start slashing. Also, there needs to be clarity on crypto regulations. 

    Bitcoin price forecast

                Bitcoin chart by TradingView

    The daily chart shows that the BTC price has been in a strong bearish trend in the past few months. This sell-off accelerated after the coin moved below the important support level at $18,048, which was the lowest point this year. It was also slightly below the highest point in 2017. 

    Bitcoin remains significantly below all moving averages while oscillators have moved to the oversold level. Therefore, I suspect that the coin will continue falling in the near term. If this happens, the next key psychological level to watch will be at $10,000.

    How to buy Bitcoin

    eToro

    eToro offers a wide range of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.


    Buy BTC with eToro today

    Bitstamp

    Bitstamp is a leading cryptocurrency exchange which offers trading in fiat currencies or popular cryptocurrencies.

    Bitstamp is a fully regulated company which offers users an intuitive interface, a high degree of security for your digital assets, excellent customer support and multiple withdrawal methods.


    Buy BTC with Bitstamp today

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  • Bitcoin BTC prediction as the token continues to stall

    Bitcoin BTC prediction as the token continues to stall

    Bitcoin (BTC/USD) may have settled above $15,000, but the pressure is mounting. As of press time, the cryptocurrency was trading at $16,623, losing 1.32% on the day. BTC is also largely consolidating rather than making a directional move. A technical outlook shows a potential decline to the next low.

    Bitcoin’s price action comes when data shows that BTC holders are withdrawing their holdings from crypto exchanges. According to Glassnode, there is over $1.75 billion per month of mass exodus of Bitcoin from exchanges. The withdrawals come after the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX.

    Further, Glassnode data shows investors are flooding exchanges with dollar-pegged digital assets. More than $1.04 billion worth of stablecoins flowed into exchanges after the FTX fiasco. The rising suggests that investors are gearing up to buy the dip as most cryptocurrencies tanked.

    An increase in stablecoins flowing to the exchanges preempts investors’ expectations. However, it does not indicate that we have hit the market bottom. From the BTC perspective, this is illustrated by increasing bear pressure for the cryptocurrency. 

    BTC analysis as price stalls below key level

    BTC/USD Chart by TradingView

    On the weekly chart outlook, BTC has a confirmed break below the $19,500 level. The MACD indicator shows the cryptocurrency is bearish. The momentum is also weakening further. 

    Will Bitcoin proceed lower?

    The current BTC price level could fail to hold due to weak momentum. The price also trades at a non-support zone, meaning the cryptocurrency is yet to settle.

    Based on the technical indicators, a lower price is possible for BTC. The next established support for BTC lies lower at $11,000. However, the level around $14,000 has shown price action before and could provide support for BTC. 

    Where to buy BTC

    eToro

    eToro offers a wide range of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.


    Buy BTC with eToro today

    Bitstamp

    Bitstamp is a leading cryptocurrency exchange which offers trading in fiat currencies or popular cryptocurrencies.

    Bitstamp is a fully regulated company which offers users an intuitive interface, a high degree of security for your digital assets, excellent customer support and multiple withdrawal methods.


    Buy BTC with Bitstamp today

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  • Shiba Inu lags behind while ETH, BTC, ADA take front stage on Binance

    Shiba Inu lags behind while ETH, BTC, ADA take front stage on Binance

    Over the last couple of months, the prominent meme coin Shiba Inu ($SHIB) was seen dominating the entire crypto industry. However, the fervor around this community-driven project seemed to be simmering down. Despite the launch of its recent collectible card game, the altcoin barely garnered any gains. It seems like Binance users weren’t too curious about the meme coin either, as it failed to bag a spot on its top 10 trending search list.

    As per recent data curated by Crypto Differ, Shiba Inu stood in the 14th spot on Binance’s trending searches. This was quite surprising to many considering the usual zeal around the network.

    Source

    In the above chart, Binance Coin ($BNB) emerged as the most popular asset on the exchange. The world’s second-largest crypto, Ethereum ($ETH), stood second on this chart as well. This is mostly due to the increased liquidations that occurred throughout the day. It should be noted that a whopping $4.95 million in ETH liquidations took place over the last four hours.

    Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, was ranked third, followed by Cardano ($ADA) and Solana ($SOL).

    Other popular tokens like Luna Classic ($LUNC) and fundamental meme crypto Dogecoin ($DOGE), were also a part of the list.

    Shiba Inu gains pocketed over the last couple of hours

    While Shiba Inu’s popularity took a back seat, the asset’s price wasn’t faring too well either. At press time, most crypto assets were seen pocketing significant gains. Shiba Inu, however, limited its 24-hour price surge to 4.60%.

    At press time, Shiba Inu was trading for $0.00001042. Earlier today, the altcoin managed to surge to a high of $0.0000107 from a low of $0.00001001.

    Source

    It should be noted that the asset’s latest surge pulled SHIB out of its weekly stagnancy. Despite this, Shiba Inu continues to trade about 88% below its all-time high of $0.00008845, which it achieved exactly a year ago.



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