US Sanctions Lockbit Leader in Ransomware Crackdown

On May 7, the U.S. announced sanctions against Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a key figure in the Lockbit ransomware group. The U.S., alongside international allies including the UK and Australia, has taken coordinated measures to curb the activities of this prominent cybercriminal group. Khoroshev, responsible for developing and deploying Lockbit ransomware, is now facing an indictment … Read more

Bitcoin Lightning Network Infrastructure Provider Mash Is Shutting Down Its Current Version

In a recent announcement, Mash, a provider of Bitcoin Lightning Network infrastructure, has decided to shut down its current version. This comes nearly two years after Mash successfully closed a $6 million seed round in June 2022 to build out its usage-based revenue model for content creators. All products and services will cease to function … Read more

Elon Musk Meets President Milei, Reccomends to Invest in Argentina

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and Spacex, called to invest in Argentina after meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei. Musk and Milei met for the second time in less than a month after Milei participated in the Milken Institute Forum, an event that gathers important entrepreneurs, bankers, CEOs, and investment funds. … Read more

P2P XMR Exchange Localmonero/Agoradesk Announces Closure After Seven Years of Operation

In a recent announcement, Localmonero/Agoradesk, a popular platform for trading monero (XMR), has decided to wind down its operations after nearly seven years. The decision, influenced by a mix of internal and external factors, initiates a six-month winding-down process starting from May 7, 2024. Effective immediately, all new signups and ad postings are disabled, and … Read more

Aave Labs Unveils Ambitious Plans for Protocol V4: Enhancing GHO Stability and Cross-Chain Liquidity

Aave Labs proposed a significant upgrade to its protocol, aimed at enhancing features like its stablecoin GHO, introducing a Unified Liquidity Layer for better integration, and improving the protocol’s architecture for cross-chain liquidity across both Ethereum and non-EVM layer-1 platforms. The update also focuses on automatizing interest rates based on market conditions with Chainlink data … Read more

Jack Dorsey’s Block Faces DOJ Probe Over Alleged Transactions With Sanctioned Nations and Terrorist Groups

Department of Justice (DOJ) federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are investigating fintech company Block, formerly known as Square, for significant compliance failures in its transaction monitoring systems after a former employee revealed lapses that included processing transactions with sanctioned nations and groups linked to terrorism. Allegations against Block include handling transactions … Read more

Defi’s TVL Declines by $10 Billion in April Despite Growth in Bitcoin and Newer Blockchains

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized applications (defi) experienced a 7% decrease, dropping $10 billion in April, with defi’s ecosystem ending the month at $138.6 billion despite a widespread outflow of funds from several blockchains, such as a significant drop in Avalance and Solana. Despite the overall downtrend, Bitcoin, Base (a Layer two blockchain … Read more

Real-World Assets Hits New Peak With $8 Billion Locked, Reports Messari

The total value locked (TVL) in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization protocols has seen a remarkable surge of almost 60% since February, reaching a new high of almost $8 billion as of April 26, according to a report by blockchain analytics and research firm Messari. This growth is attributed to a market preference for debt-based, high-yield … Read more

Animoca Brands Joins Forces With Opal Foundation to Build Expansive Web3 Ecosystem on Bitcoin

Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based game software company, has announced its partnership with the Opal Foundation to enter the Bitcoin ecosystem, leveraging the Opal Protocol to develop the largest Web3 ecosystem encompassing gaming, Defi, entertainment, education, and culture. The initiative, backed by the BLIF token and propelled by the recent introduction of NFTs via ordinals … Read more

Former Binance Boss Changpeng Zhao Sentenced to 4 Months in Jail

On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), formerly the CEO of Binance, was sentenced in a Seattle courtroom for his compliance failures at the cryptocurrency exchange. The sentencing was first covered by Nikhilesh De and Danny Nelson of Coindesk, who reported directly from the courthouse. Per Nikhilesh De’s X thread, the proceedings began with … Read more