Crypto exchange
Doubts mount over Huobi’s future as harsh layoff rumors denied
Speculation on Twitter that crypto exchange Huobi has laid off staff and shuttered internal communications have prompted the community to advise users to withdraw funds, despite an adviser to the exchange denying the rumors. In a Jan. 5 tweet, Huobi adviser Justin Sun addressed rumors of purported insolvency, saying the business development of the exchange was “good” and the “security of users’ assets will always be fully protected.” Sun also seemingly brushed off speculation around disgruntled staff, saying Huobi will “fully respect the legal demands of local employees.” Earlier, on Jan. 3, crypto journalist Colin Wu reported that Sun changed Huobi employee salaries from being paid in fiat to being paid in either Tether (USDT) or USD Coin (USDC). Wu claimed the staff who disagreed with th...
Robocallers have upped their scam game and they’re after your crypto
Professional scam organizations are targeting cryptocurrency users following the collapse of FTX, initiating millions of automated calls and text messages in an attempt to swindle information and funds. Clayton LiaBraaten, senior executive adviser at Truecaller — an app that helps identify scam callers and messages — spoke to Cointelegraph, scammers often closely follow crypto news to better prey on their victims: “Fraudsters love volatility and current events. Anytime they can try to surf the contours of something very disruptive in the marketplace they have a great deal of success.” LiaBraaten said that Truecaller also saw an increase in scam communications relating to Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies when the market started to become volatile earlier in 2022. He added “age...
SBF signs extradition papers, set to return to face charges in the US
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange has reportedly signed papers on Dec. 20 that will soon see him handed over to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and flown to the United States to face criminal charges. The move was expected, as Bankman-Fried was reported to have agreed in principle to being extradited to the U.S. earlier this week on Dec. 19, despite earlier reports indicating he wanted to see the indictment against him fir ABC News reported the development that Bankman-Fried signed extradition papers on Dec. 20 citing The Bahamas’ acting commissioner of corrections Doan Cleare. A Dec. 21 report from Bloomberg said the exchange founder signed surrender documents on Dec. 20 citing Cleare, with another set of papers waiving h...
Gate.io closer to launching US services after receiving local licenses
Gate US, the United States arm of the fourth largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Gate.io says it has received operating licenses in “several” states, bringing it closer to launching services in the country. Founder and president of Gate.io and its U.S. entity, Dr. Lin Han, announced in a Dec. 19 statement that Gate US is now registered as a money services business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) — the country’s money laundering and financial crimes watchdog. He added the exchange “obtained some money transmission licenses or similar to operate, and is currently working to obtain more.” Gate US did not disclose what states it had obtained licenses from but said it is yet to accept users from the country at this stage. Its terms of use however...
$1.7M of Bitcoin tied to QuadrigaCX reawakens after years of dormancy
Five wallets tied to the defunct Canadian cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX, previously thought to be inaccessible, have just been spotted moving around $1.7 million worth of Bitcoin after years of dormancy. Crypto researcher ZachXBT alerted the crypto community in a Twitter post on Dec. 19, highlighting the five wallets have transferred around 104 Bitcoin (BTC) on Dec. 17 to various wallets. Blockchain records show the wallets had not sent BTC since at least April 2018. Five wallets attributed to QuadrigaCX unexpectedly moved ~104 BTC on Dec 17 for the first time in years. 1ECUQLuioJbFZAQchcZq9pggd4EwcpuANe1J9Fqc3TicNoy1Y7tgmhQznWrP5AVLXj9R1MhgmGaHwLAvvKVyFvy6zy9pRQFXaxwE9M1HyYMMCdCcHnfjwMW2jE4cv9qVkVDFUzVa1JPtxSGoekZfLQeYAWkbhBhkr2VEDADHZB — ZachXBT (@zachxbt) December 19, 2022 Once Can...
CoinList addresses ‘FUD’ on withdrawals, cites technical issues for delays
Cryptocurrency exchange and initial coin offering (ICO) platform CoinList took to Twitter to address “FUD” after a blogger tweeted that users reported being unable to withdraw funds for over a week, sparking fears the company was having liquidity issues or w insolvent. “There is a lot of FUD going around that we would like to address head-on,” CoinList said in a Nov. 24 Twitter thread that stated that the exchange is “not insolvent, illiquid, or near bankruptcy.” It said, however, that its deposits and withdrawals are affected by “technical issues.” 2/ We are upgrading our internal ledger systems and are migrating wallet addresses involving multiple custodians. This is one of many efforts we are undertaking to offer our customers around the world better products and services while mai...
CoinList addresses ‘FUD’ on withdrawals, cites technical issues for delays
Cryptocurrency exchange and initial coin offering (ICO) platform CoinList took to Twitter to address “FUD” after a blogger tweeted that users reported being unable to withdraw funds for over a week, sparking fears the company was having liquidity issues or w insolvent. “There is a lot of FUD going around that we would like to address head-on,” CoinList said in a Nov. 24 Twitter thread that stated that the exchange is “not insolvent, illiquid, or near bankruptcy.” It said, however, that its deposits and withdrawals are affected by “technical issues.” 2/ We are upgrading our internal ledger systems and are migrating wallet addresses involving multiple custodians. This is one of many efforts we are undertaking to offer our customers around the world better products and services while mai...
FTX miniseries gets go ahead, covering the ‘most brazen frauds ever committed’
An eight-episode limited series exploring the unraveling and scandals behind sunken crypto exchange FTX and its leadership is slated to soon begin production. The series has been purchased by technology conglomerate Amazon, and will likely air on Amazon’s video streaming service Prime. It’s understood to be based on “insider reporting” from journalists covering FTX and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried according to a Nov. 23 report from the entertainment magazine Variety. Brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, famed for directing Avengers: Endgame and multiple other Marvel-owned movies are reported to have sold the idea to Amazon and are slated to direct the mini-series. Details are sparse with what direction the series will take, the source material it will draw from, and what time period and people...
Sam Bankman-Fried deepfake attempts to scam investors impacted by FTX
A faked video of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has circulated on Twitter attempting to scam investors affected by the exchange’s bankruptcy. Created using programs to emulate Bankman-Fried’s likeness and voice, the poorly made “deepfake” video attempts to direct users to a malicious site under the promise of a “giveaway” that will “double your cryptocurrency.” Over the weekend, a verified account posing as FTX founder SBF posted dozens of copies of this deepfake video offering FTX users “compensation for the loss” in a phishing scam designed to drain their crypto wallets pic.twitter.com/3KoAPRJsya — Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) November 21, 2022 The video uses appears to be old interview footage of Bankman-Fried and used a voice emulator to...
Getting funds out of FTX could take years or even decades: Lawyers
While investors are eager to know when they will be able to get their funds back from the now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, insolvency lawyers warn it could take “decades.” The crypto exchange, along with 130 affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on Nov. 11. Insolvency lawyer Stephen Earel, partner at Co Cordis in Australia said it will be an “enormous exercise” in the liquidation process to “realize” the crypto assets then work out how to distribute the funds, with the process potentially taking years, if not “decades.” This is due to the complexities that come with cross-border insolvency issues and competing jurisdictions, he said. Earel said unfortunately FTX users are in the queue with everyone else including other creditors, investors and venture ...
FTX leadership pressed for information by US subcommittee chairman
The former and current CEOs of the bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange have been pressed by the chair of a United States House subcommittee calling for documents relating to the exchange’s finances. “FTX’s customers, former employees, and the public deserve answers,” Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy wrote in a Nov. 18 letter addressed to both former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and the exchange’s current CEO John J. Ray III, who took over in the wake of FTX’s bankruptcy filings. Krishnamoorthi added the subcommittee was “seeking detailed information on the significant liquidity issues faced by FTX, the company’s abrupt decision to declare bankruptcy, and the potential impact of these actions on customers who used your exchange.” He...
FTX’s new CEO John Ray coldly addresses SBF’s erratic tweets
The new CEO and chief restructuring officer for the bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, John Ray, has icily responded to the erratic series of tweets from former CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The official Twitter account of FTX on Nov. 16 tweeted a statement from Ray addressing Bankman-Fried’s recent public statements, reiterating he “has no ongoing role at [FTX], FTX US, or Alameda Research Ltd. and does not speak on their behalf.” (3/3) Mr. Bankman-Fried has no ongoing role at @FTX_Official, FTX US, or Alameda Research Ltd. and does not speak on their behalf. — FTX (@FTX_Official) November 16, 2022 On Nov. 14 Bankman-Fried began a strange Twitter thread that — over the course of 40 or so hours — eventually spelled out “What HAPPENED” across nine tweets, he then went on to claim he...
