Crypto Land

2023-12-29 15:00:46 Privacy Advocate Exposes Ledger Live’s Tracking of User Data and Network Activity

A privacy advocate has alleged that the Ledger Live wallet software monitors its users and gathers information about them.

In an X post published on Wednesday, privacy advocate and app developer REKTBuilder reported that Ledger Live conducts a “genuine device check” whenever users connect their Ledger device to a PC or phone.

This check provides a list of all installed apps on the device, enabling Ledger to ascertain the networks being utilized by the wallet owner.

REKTBuilder’s discovery came after they investigated the software’s Python code. They had previously published a report on December 6th alleging that Ledger Live was recording users’ crypto balances.

The next day, REKTBuilder unveiled what they asserted to be a “tracker-free” open-source alternative to Ledger Live, named “Lecce Libre.” REKTBuilder’s allegation stems from their discovery that multiple lines of Ledger Live’s code contain the phrase “genuine check.”

Upon incorporating “tracing prints” into the code, they discovered that it did not execute when the software seemed to be examining the device. REKTBuilder delved deeper into the matter and found that the actual check is integrated into a “listApps” subroutine. Open / Comment

2023-12-26 17:01:26 People’s Bank of China Stresses on Global Regulation for Crypto and DeFi Markets

China’s central bank has called on global financial authorities to regulate the digital asset and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets in its recent financial stability report.

The People’s Bank of China released a report on Dec 22 highlighting a regulatory pathway for local and international financial watchdogs to roll out new rules, and policies in a bid to protect investors and all stakeholders in the market.

According to the report, virtual assets account for 1% of the world’s entire financial market with a limited relationship with traditional finance, analysts wrote while seeking a global approach to stability.

However, several commentators have opined that traditional finance will get more exposed to digital assets in the coming years as more products become mainstream in finance. A notable example is the tokenization of real-world assets currently spearheaded by large financial institutions deploying blockchains as technical solutions.

Also, the inflow of institutional investors in the market through wealth managers and digital asset funds is a major sign of a strong future partnership between both players. Open / Comment

2023-12-23 20:01:23 Spot Bitcoin ETF Analysts Eye January 10th Approval Deadline

As approval for a spot bitcoin ETF from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) looms closer and closer, research experts are still expecting the federal agency’s approval deadline to occur before January 10th, 2024 despite a series of grueling last-minute changes.

Bloomberg ETF analyst, James Seyffart, claimed that while many experts are still anticipating approvals to occur between January 8th and January 10th, “some issuers may be left behind.”

On December 21st, the SEC met with a number of spot bitcoin ETF candidates to further discuss the details of a potential approval, according to documents listed on the commission’s website.

Seyffart’s statement comes shortly after spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls Blackrock and ARK Invest were forced to update their S-1 registration statements in order to comply with federal regulations. More specifically, the companies decided to amend their applications to follow a cash creation system over in-kind transactions at the alleged behest of the SEC. Open / Comment

2023-12-20 20:01:05 Hong Kong Authorities Block Two Crypto Websites Suspected of Fraud

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has issued a public warning regarding two crypto firms suspected of engaging in fraud. The watchdog has cautioned the public to be wary of “LonShiX” and “Bitbank (Global) Financial Holding Group,” both allegedly engaging in activities related to virtual assets.

Earlier this month, Hong Kong SFC had crakced down on two crypto websites suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities.

LonShiX, operating under false pretenses, claimed a Hong Kong address on its website, misleading potential investors. The entity enticed individuals to open investment accounts by falsely presenting itself as a recognized investment professional endorsed by banks across various social media platforms and instant messaging services.

Similarly, the SFC expressed concern about Bitbank (Global) Financial Holding Group, highlighting its name’s striking similarity to a legitimate Japanese cryptocurrency exchange. Despite this resemblance, the two entities are unrelated. The SFC suspects Bitbank (Global) Financial Holding Group of disseminating false and misleading information online, including claims of possessing an SFC license and purportedly applying for a virtual asset service provider license. Open / Comment

2023-12-18 14:00:09 Join Waterfall Protocol for the testnet launch and prepare to earn rewards on the mainnet!

Waterfall is the most decentralized BlockDAG protocol currently available

Key Features:

This decentralized platform has the potential to attract much more validators than other protocols.
Minimal hardware requirements: Dual-Core CPU, 4GB RAM ( your cellphone has 2-4 times more than that).
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Compatible with EVM and Ethereum API.

They have been rigorously testing technology since 2021.

Join their communities for this exciting journey:
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https://twitter.com/waterfall_dag
https://discord.gg/Nwb8aR2XvR Open / Comment

2023-12-17 17:00:00 SEC Denies Coinbase Push for Crypto Regulation, Cites Own Priorities

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejected a petition by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase on Friday requesting the creation of tailored regulations for digital assets.

In a two-page response, the SEC said that after careful consideration, the requested rulemaking was currently unwarranted and the petition by Coinbase was denied. SEC Chair Gary Gensler noted in a statement that the securities regulator already has sufficient authority under current statutes to govern crypto asset securities and police wrongdoing in the nascent industry.

This denial is a setback for Coinbase, which had formally petitioned the SEC in 2022 to develop specialized crypto regulations, distinct from conventional securities regulations. The exchange argued that shoehorning digital assets into traditional securities law would stifle innovation in the crypto sector. Coinbase then took the SEC to court to compel a response to its rulemaking petition.

The SEC disagreed with the notion that established securities laws are unworkable for crypto asset securities, however. The regulator said it has already been proposing rules to directly regulate crypto market participants, and its enforcement arm has addressed violations effectively thus far. Open / Comment

2023-12-14 19:00:09 Officially: Bitcoin broke +142% in the year chart

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2023-12-14 17:02:16 Blockstream Completes $5M Series 1 Raise, Set for Acquisition of New ASIC Miners

Leading Bitcoin timechain technology firm Blockstream has announced the successful completion of its Series 1 Blockstream ASIC (BASIC) Note raise, securing an impressive $5.07 million. A significant portion of this amount is scheduled for the acquisition of ASIC miners. According to Blockstream, $4.87 million would be deployed towards buying new, boxed Antminer S19k Pro ASIC miners, with the remaining funds allocated to cover associated costs.

The quoted price for the acquisition has been secured and will be facilitated through Blockstream’s partnership with SunnySide Digital.

Blockstream noted a 9.25% increase in the price of ASIC miners, given the proportionate appreciation in the value of Bitcoin. This makes the BASIC Note an attractive opportunity for investors.

The BASIC Note series is a Bitcoin-denominated investment vehicle, enabling investors to capitalize on the potential upside of low ASIC miner prices to generate a Bitcoin-on-Bitcoin return on their investment. Open / Comment

2023-12-12 21:00:04 CrowdSwap anticipates another growth today

CEX exchanges are stifled by regulation. The era of DEX is approaching. CrowdSwap's market capitalization is $8 million, with a potential estimated at $100 million. Position yourself in small caps like $CROWD
CrowdSwap, as it has been thriving since 2021, cross-chain, with great farms, a portfolio manager, and a launchpad.

The $CROWD token has officially entered an uptrend and is still in the early stages. After consolidating for a while, the token reversed and broke key resistance. $CROWD has formed a strong support level and holds up well even during BTC downturns. Currently undergoing a minor, predictable correction before the anticipated growth continues.

It's crucial to understand that the current value will only be seen during a downtrend, in a few years, after updating ATH. Another growth wave is imminent as $CROWD has been listed on Coinstore CEX. There's still an opportunity to buy at a favorable price.

Buy $CROWD on CrowdSwap
X (Twitter) Open / Comment

2023-12-12 19:02:27 Uniswap v3 Deploys on Bitcoin Scaling Protocol Rootstock

Popular Ethereum-based automated market maker (AMM) Uniswap has launched its version 3 (v3) on the Rootstock blockchain protocol. According to an emailed announcement shared with Coindesk, the deployment was carried out by the GFX Labs team, the development hub of the popular trading hub Oku.

With this latest launch, smart contract-powered transactions can seamlessly be executed on the world’s largest blockchain protocol, further expanding the use cases of the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

Rootstock is a layer-2 scaling solution operating on the Bitcoin network. Combining the optimum security apparatus the proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain network is famous for, Rootstock touts itself as the liquidity hub for DeFi trades on the Bitcoin network.

The platform is fully compatible with all Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) powered decentralized applications (dApps) and allows users to tap into the liquidity of the popular crypto asset.

Like its parent network, Rootstock is powered by a wrapped version of Bitcoin known as smart BTC (RBTC). Open / Comment