Day: February 23, 2026

How Pig-Butchering Crypto Scams Turn Trust Into a Financial Weapon

admin

Key takeaways Unlike phishing attacks that defraud victims quickly, pig-butchering scams build long-term emotional trust before introducing fraudulent crypto investment opportunities. From casual outreach and relationship building to fake profits, escalating deposits and blocked withdrawals, each step is carefully designed to deepen commitment. Blockchain security firm CertiK reported $370.3 million in scam-related losses in January 2026 alone, with social engineering tactics accounting for the majority. Authorities are targeting scam networks and laundering operations, yet cross-border jurisdictional issues and encrypted communications complicate crackdowns. Pig-butchering frauds involve a long-drawn, methodical approach in…

Crypto Use Cases Narrow, but Will Show Its Winners: NYDIG

admin

The number of crypto applications that can attract investors is starting to shrink as the industry matures, but that could be a positive to show the sector’s long-term winners, says the crypto services company NYDIG. NYDIG research lead Greg Cipolaro said in a note on Friday that the “investable universe” of crypto is narrowing to applications or services that “extend traditional finance products onto blockchain infrastructure.” He specifically named Bitcoin (BTC), tokenized assets, stablecoins, some decentralized finance infrastructure, and a limited number of “general-purpose” blockchains like Ethereum, adding that beyond…

JPMorgan Admits to Debanking Trump After Capitol Riot

admin

The largest bank in the US, JPMorgan, admitted to de-banking Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack in a move that ultimately led the Trump family to start going down the crypto rabbit hole.  Dan Wilkening, JPMorgan’s former chief administrative officer, acknowledged that the bank had decided to close accounts tied to Trump, marking the first time JPMorgan has admitted to doing so on record, according to court filings seen last week by outlets including Fortune and CNBC. “In February 2021, JPMorgan informed Plaintiffs that certain accounts maintained…

AI Assistants could Transform Governance: Buterin

admin

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says artificial intelligence could help create more efficient decentralized governance models and enable users to make better-informed decisions.   Buterin said in an X post on Sunday that one of the main issues with democratic and decentralized modes of governance, like DAOs, is the “limits to human attention,” because of the many decisions that can require a wide range of expertise or time, which most don’t have. “The usual solution, delegation, is disempowering it leads to a small group of delegates controlling decision-making while their supporters, after…

Binance Claims 25% of Staff Work in Compliance Roles

admin

Binance doubled down on its compliance credentials in a blog post after a report published earlier this month accused it of sanction violations. Crypto exchange Binance says it has “significantly reduced exposure” to sanctioned entities and high-risk jurisdictions, including exposure to Iran since January 2024. In a blog post titled “Setting the record straight” on Monday, Binance said its sanctions-related exposure as a percentage of total exchange volume has fallen by about 97% in that time, and now sits at around 0.009%. Exchange volume to sanctions-related entities has declined. Source:…

Solana (SOL) Loses $80 Floor, Downtrend Signals Intensify Rapidly Across Broader Crypto Space

admin

Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis. From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked…

Bitcoin ETFs Bleed, Metaplanet Reject Allegations: Hodler’s Digest

admin

Top Stories of The Week Metaplanet CEO rejects claims it hid details of BTC trades Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich pushed back against accusations that the company misled investors about its Bitcoin strategy and disclosures. Critics on X have argued that Metaplanet delayed or withheld price‑sensitive information about large Bitcoin purchases and options trades funded with shareholder capital, obscured losses from its derivatives strategy and failed to fully disclose key terms of its BTC‑backed borrowings. In a detailed X post on Friday, Gerovich argued that Metaplanet promptly reported all Bitcoin purchases,…

AI Agent Lobstar Wilde Accidentally Sends $442K to Beggar

admin

Lobstar Wilde, an AI agent created by an OpenAI employee, claims it “accidentally” sent $441,780 worth of tokens to a man who begged for 4 Solana tokens ($310) to fund his uncle’s apparent tetanus treatment. Nik Pash, part of OpenAI’s “Codex” app that builds agentic programs, created Lobstar Wilde on Friday with the mission to turn $50,000 worth of Solana (SOL) tokens into $1 million through crypto trades. “Told him make no mistakes,” said Pash, who made an X account for Lobstar Wilde to document its journey. Unfortunately, Lobstar Wilde…

Five Crypto Exchanges Help Russia Dodge Sanctions: Elliptic

admin

Five crypto exchanges are allegedly helping Russians skirt international sanctions, filling a vacuum left by Russian exchange Garantex after it was taken down last year, according to crypto analytics firm Elliptic. Elliptic said in a report on Saturday that the crypto exchanges Bitpapa, ABCeX, Exmo, Rapira and Aifory Pro are allowing Russian ruble-to-crypto conversions. The crypto then can be transferred across borders “without passing through any intermediaries” and converted to another fiat currency. “Despite growing regulatory pressure, many of these exchanges, some with nominal registrations outside Russia, still facilitate high…

XRP Price Sinks Beneath Key Level, Traders Brace for Tough Recovery

admin

Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis. From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked…