The hack was first identified by PeckShield, a blockchain security company, based on the suspicious transfer of ERC-20 tokens from LXC to an unknown Ethereum (ETH) wallet. Liechtenstein-based crypto exchange LCX has confirmed the compromise of one of its hot wallets after temporarily suspending all deposits and withdrawals on the platform. hot wallet compromised? @lcx https://t.co/uL5a7oCFfM — PeckShield Inc. (@peckshield) January 9, 2022 The probable hot wallet compromise was soon confirmed by the exchange as it announced the loss of numerous tokens including ETH, USD Coin (USDC) and other tokens including its in-house LCX token. Ethereum blockchain based assets such …

Stephen Colbert, the charismatic host of CBS’ The Late Show, is once again associating many cryptocurrencies with scams — but doing so by parodying the vernacular of a seasoned HODLer. In a Wednesday segment on members of Generation Z falling for scams inside and outside of the crypto space, Colbert referenced the rug pull behind a token inspired by Netflix’s show Squid Game, in which thousands of investors lost more than $3 million. Together with “certified young person” and staff writer Eliana Kwartler, Colbert debuted an “amazing investment opportunity” designed to obtain people’s credit card numbers, first pet names, and …

On Tuesday, BloombergQuint (Bloomberg India) reported that the penalty for non-compliance with the Indian government's crypto policies could range from a maximum fine of 20 crore rupees ($2.7 million USD) or 1.5 years in jail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely give cryptocurrency investors a deadline to comply with new rules and declare their assets. Whilst the regulatory environment in the country holds a high degree of uncertainty, reports have indicated that investors' crypto must be soon be held in exchanges operating under the oversight of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, or SEBI. This would mean that private …

A cryptocurrency inspired by Netflix's internationally hit TV show "Squid Game" scammed investors in what appears to be a $3.38 million "rug pull" scheme. Dubbed "SQUID," the cryptocurrency plunged to almost a fraction of a cent minutes after crossing over $2,850 at 09:35 UTC, Nov. 1. The deadly drop surfaced following a 75,000% bull run, showcasing a greater demand for SQUID among traders after its debut on Oct. 26. At the core of the retail craze lay the popularity of Squid Game. The scammers promoted SQUID as a play-to-earn cryptocurrency inspired by the South Korean TV fictional show in which …

After launching via a Discord channel on Oct. 28, AnubisDAO went on to raise roughly 13,256.4 ETH using Alchemistcoin’s liquidity bootstrapping protocol (LBP) Copper. However, the funds were unexpectedly sent to a different address roughly 20 hours into the LBP. CNBC spoke to one investor who claims to have lost almost $470,000 to AnubisDAO. The investor, Brian Nguyen, conceded to subscribing to a “buy first, do research later mentality,” describing the loss as “pretty painful.” Nguyen noted that he was attracted to AnubisDAO because of its canine-themed branding amid the meteoric gains recently reaped by some dog-token investors after seeing …

In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affecting crypto and blockchain. Lately, news headlines are focused on regulators’ concerns over the lack of investor protections in the cryptocurrency market, which has ballooned to more than $2 trillion, and the possible risks to financial stability. National security agencies across the administration of United States President Joe Biden are grappling with high-profile cases of cryptocurrencies playing a role in ransomware attacks, intellectual property espionage, sanctions …

Australia’s top cyber spies are set to gain greater powers in the event of ransomware or other cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), a government agency in charge of cyber warfare and information security, would be able to take over control of critical infrastructure — including energy, communications and banking systems — under new legislation introduced into Parliament. The legislation even includes health care and grocery businesses under the definition of critical infrastructure and imposes new positive security obligations. For ASD operatives to provide assistance, operators from the affected infrastructure would have to report a serious …

On Oct. 6, the United States Department of Justice, or DOJ, announced the creation of a specialized unit, the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, or NCET, tasked with prosecuting criminal misuses of digital assets and crypto infrastructure, as well as tracing and recovering the ill-gotten cryptocurrency. The move continues the U.S. authorities’ push to disrupt the corners of the crypto ecosystem that are thought to facilitate illicit activity, such as ransomware attacks. What does the government’s crypto enforcement ramp-up hold for the larger digital asset space? Pooling crypto expertise The new unit will operate according to the principles articulated almost exactly …

With an increasing number of people forced to work from their homes, data suggests that ransomware attacks are at their all-time highest with the frequency of these incidents increasing by 45% over the course of April 2021 alone. Not only that, some are adamant that the rise in ransomware attacks is closely connected to the meteoric growth of the crypto sector. Also, in the midst of the recent positive crypto market activity, news of the United States regulators aggressively studying the link between crypto and ransomware seems to be dampening the mood somewhat, especially since various government agencies are seemingly …

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has purchased cybercrime investigative company Excygent for an undisclosed amount, hinting that the two will continue to work together to help “dismantle ransomware operations.” In a Tuesday announcement, Chainalysis CEO Michael Gronager said the firm had collaborated with Excygent on the seizure of cryptocurrency connected to the now-defunct darknet market Silk Road, shutting down a major child abuse website, disrupting campaigns related to the financing of terrorism and other projects. Gronager said staff from Excygent would join the firm’s Investigations and Special Programs team to support investigations of thecryptocurrency used in cybercrimes. “Following the flow of …

As cryptocurrency adoption continues apace in the United States, lawmakers want to better understand how it’s used — for both legal and illegal purposes. The Ransom Disclosure Act, introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Deborah Ross, would require victims of ransomware attacks to disclose information about ransom payments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill, introduced on Tuesday, aims to gather critical data on fiat and cryptocurrency payments and protect investors from cybercrimes. In an ongoing effort to curb illicit financial activities in the U.S., Warren’s legislation aims to develop “a fuller picture” of ransomware attacks: “My …

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has identified a major crypto criminal among those exposed to have funneled funds into shadowy tax havens in its “Pandora Papers.’ According to an Oct. 3 ICIJ document summarizing the organization’s findings from its Pandora Papers investigation, offshore assets belonging to a so-called “Bitcoin czar sentenced for money laundering in connection with the largest cyberheist in history” were identified to be handled by one of the firms. The Pandora Papers comprise a 2.94 terabyte data trove spanning 11.9 million records from 14 different offshore services providers. The documents claim to expose the hidden …