Massive BTC Transaction, Another DeFi Hack, Kenyan CBDC - The Crypto Digest
To listen to today's newscast, kindly download the MP3 from https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/qrtraz/CryptoDigest27Oct2020.mp3
**Apologies for the audio only version today**
*Reader: Lauren*
**Massive Historic Bitcoin Transaction**
**DeFi project Harvest exploited for over $24 million**
**Kenyan Central Bank Is Considering Issuing A CBDC As It Feels ‘Left Out’**
**Resources:**
https://u.today/bitcoin-starts-dumping-after-1153612284-transaction
https://www.blockchain.com/btc/tx/d486aeb0e59181fd1addb4aa69ce04d638188fc1125c424899267e8ed6a8af24
https://coingeek.com/defi-project-harvest-exploited-for-over-24-million/
https://zycrypto.com/kenyan-central-bank-is-considering-issuing-a-cbdc-as-it-feels-left-out-by-booming-private-cryptocurrencies/
PayPal’s Crypto Adoption, Bitcoin's Upside, Psychotherapy centre data breach - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/j9LcWU0uf2Q
*Reader: Lauren*
**PayPal’s Crypto Adoption Draws Support as well as Criticism**
**Bitcoin Has ‘Considerable’ Upside Potential As It Rivals Gold More Fiercely, Says JPMorgan**
**Psychotherapy centre data breach victims receive extortion emails**
**Top 3 Crypto Prices:**
**BTC:** $13111
**ETH:** $408
**XRP:** $0.25
**Resources:**
https://insidebitcoins.com/news/paypals-crypto-adoption-draws-support-and-criticism
https://zycrypto.com/bitcoin-has-considerable-upside-potential-as-it-rivals-gold-more-fiercely-says-jpmorgan/
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/psychotherapy_centre_data_breach_victims_receive_extortion_emailspsychotherapy/11612230
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/victim_support_calls_increase_after_psychotherapy_centre_data_hack/11612086
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/psychotherapy_centres_database_hacked_patient_info_held_ransom/11605460
Criminals Donate to Charities, Tiny Blockchain, Luno Savings - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/6TJBiiDZbis
*****Reader: Lauren - Edited: Rexy*****
**Charities stuck after cybercriminals donate $10,000 in bitcoin**
**Tiny blockchain needs only 22kb of data to be verified**
**Luno Launches Bitcoin Savings Wallet**
**Resources:**
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/oct/20/charities-in-a-bind-after-cybercriminals-donate-10000-in-bitcoin
https://cointelegraph.com/news/this-blockchain-only-needs-22kb-of-data-to-be-verified
https://bitcoinexchangeguide.com/luno-cryptocurrency-exchange-launches-bitcoin-savings-wallet-with-a-4-annual-interest-rate/
Brave Partners with Splinterlands, BitMEX hit with lawsuit, Helix Penalized - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/4u-teeD5mR8
***Reader: Lauren***
**Brave announces a partnership with Splinterlands**
**BitMEX hit with yet another lawsuit**
**First Bitcoin Mixer Penalized by FinCEN for Violating Anti-Money Laundering Laws**
Resources:
https://brave.com/splinterlands-and-brave-announce-partnership/
https://coingeek.com/bitmex-hit-with-new-lawsuit/
https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/first-bitcoin-mixer-penalized-fincen-violating-anti-money-laundering-laws
Filecoin Plunges, Vietnam Joins Ripplenet - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/9_bSLkGAsUs
***Reader: Lauren***
**Headlines:**
**Filecoin Plunges 80% within 4 Days While Miners Suffer**
**Huge Bank from Vietnam joins RippleNet**
Resources:
https://cryptopotato.com/filecoin-miners-having-worse-time-traders/
https://www.crypto-news-flash.com/ripple-huge-bank-from-vietnam-joins-ripplenet/
Andre Cronje in hot water, Stellar adds USDC, Esports team pays in crypto - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/Gpo0Zi5zivk
*Reader: Lauren*
**Yearn Finance Founder in hot water again over ‘experimental’ project**
**Stellar to Add Support for USDC Stablecoin, Opening Up Dollar-Backed Remittances**
**Esports Team to Pay FIFA and Super Smash Bros Players in XRP**
Resources:
https://eng.ambcrypto.com/yearn-finance-founder-lbi-experiment/
https://www.coindesk.com/stellar-to-add-support-for-usdc-stablecoin-opening-up-dollar-backed-remittances
https://decrypt.co/45205/esports-team-to-pay-pro-fifa-super-smash-bros-players-in-xrp
Coinbase CCO leaving, New Fingerprint Hardware Wallets, Cryptomining Botnet - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/2eLRDgtRizk
*Reader: Lauren*
**Coinbase’s chief compliance officer departing from the firm**
**Gate.io Rolls Out Bitcoin Hardware Wallets With Fingerprint Scanning**
**Stealthy Cryptomining Botnet Grows By Sending COVID-19 Emails**
Resources:
https://coinjournal.net/news/coinbases-chief-compliance-officer-departing-from-the-firm/
https://cryptobriefing.com/gate-io-rolls-out-bitoin-hardware-wallets-with-fingerprint-scanning/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews/2020/10/14/stealthy-cryptomining-botnet-grows-by-sending-covid-19-emails/#3e5aac8e5356
China Awards Shenzhen Residents, Russian Digital Ruble, Spain Crypto Bill - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/z-9mF4iUfnY
*Reader: Lauren*
**China Awards Shenzhen Residents with 200 RMB**
**Bank of Russia Says Digital Ruble Can Help Track Government Spending**
**Spain's new bill proposal complicates crypto for its’ citizens**
Resources:
https://zycrypto.com/china-awards-shenzhen-residents-with-200-rmb-in-its-dcep-to-spend-and-test-out-locally/
https://www.coindesk.com/russia-digital-ruble-proposal
https://cointelegraph.com/news/spains-new-bill-proposal-complicates-crypto-for-citizens
BoE Governor, Electrum Wallet Exploit, UK Couple Scammed £70,000 - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/23EIpEQ7IUo
*Reader: Lauren*
**Bank of England governor continues to assert Bitcoin has 'little intrinsic value'**
**Electrum Wallet Exploit Has Caused $25 Million Stolen to Date**
**Elderly UK Couple scammed out of £70,000**
Resources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/boe-governor-continues-to-assert-bitcoin-has-little-intrinsic-value
https://decrypt.co/44725/bitcoin-wallet-exploit-25-million-stolen-electrum
https://www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/news/crime/bexhill-couple-scammed-out-ps70000-3000975
OneCoin Movie, Ripple Migrates, Bank Of Japan Tests, Standard Chartered - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/zBn_9Ipca68
*Reader: Lauren*
**Kate Winslet to star in upcoming movie about the OneCoin ponzi scheme**
**U.S. regulations force Ripple to migrate to Europe**
**Bank of Japan to begin test of digital currency in 2021**
**Major UK Bank wants more crypto exposure**
Resources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/onecoin-movie-starring-kate-winslet-coming-soon
https://invezz.com/news/2020/10/11/enough-is-enough-dubious-u-s-regulations-force-ripple-to-migrate-to-europe/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/10/10/business/economy-business/bank-of-japan-test-digital-currency-2021/
https://decrypt.co/44469/standard-chartered-wants-to-hold-more-crypto-for-institutions
Crypto Podcasts and Channels You Should Be Following
Obviously first off, I have a little bias for my own newscast, so I will just get my tiny shameless plug out of the way.
*Shameless Plug: The Crypto Digest*
LINK: **https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7IO3-xj5T-j_BJp_7ByY4g**
A bite-sized crypto newscast.
Now that that is out of the way, let’s go through a list of some other podcasts and newscasts that are really great! After all, it’s best to get information from multiple sources.
Daily Crypto Report
Link: **https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGFpbHljcnlwdG9yZXBvcnQuaW8vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj99b7MvKzsAhXNG8AKHdsMBRYQ9sEGegQIARAD**
Another newscast podcast that actually posts over the weekends too. It’s a great extra touch of news that is posted in a different timezone.
What Bitcoin Did
Link: **https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2hhdGJpdGNvaW5kaWQuY29tL3BvZGNhc3Q_Zm9ybWF0PXJzcw?sa=X&ved=0CA8Q27cFahcKEwiw_rGRx6zsAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ**
Host Peter is very clued up and chats to some of the most important figures in the crypto space, it's very interesting to listen to and a great podcast to listen to while you’re busy with something, like cooking or trading. (Warning: Explicit Language)
Crypto Tips
Link: **https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCavTvSwEoRABvnPtLg0e6LQ**
Crypto Tips is a channel with pretty good information about crypto and is a perfect starting point for newbies to get some information about cryptocurrency, as well as tutorials for a number of topics.
BitBoy Crypto
Link: **https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjemQfjaXAzA-95RKoy9n_g**
A well-known crypto enthusiast with a rather decent audience that goes over some of the latest news in-depth and explains a lot of issues that pop up in the crypto space, as well as gives his own guidance regularly.
Spotting Crypto Scams
If you are or want to be involved in any sort of financial world, especially crypto, **you need to be vigilant.**
If you are a crypto veteran, you will probably know or at least would have heard of some of these. But it’s always best to go through it, there may be something new to you.
**Malware Scams / Clipboarding**
We’ve all heard the term “malware” surely, it’s a prevalence of the internet space. However, with cryptocurrency being digital money in it’s basic form, there are always those that will target them specifically.
Malware scams target either a user’s browser directly and attempt to phish them (use a fake website to grab a user’s login details), or by installing a piece of software directly onto the user’s device to simply detect when a cryptocurrency address is being copied (usually for withdrawing from an exchange to the user’s own wallet). One software that worked this way was called a Clipboard Hijacker, it will replace the user’s intended withdrawal address for example, with their own and thus stealing their crypto.
Bottom line should be: **Double check what you are downloading!**
**ICO Scams**
These were pretty popular back in 2018, however some still exist today.
How these usually work is by having investors buy a “coin” or “token” early to raise capital for a project. The ICO offers the new coin or token at a lower rate than what it should get after the official release of the project.
However, the scammy ones will just quite simply offer a project, as there is no regulatory intermediary, and take an investors funds without ever having the intent on going ahead with the project. Think of the projects posted on Kickstarter or IndieGogo where the products promised were never delivered.
This being said not all ICOs are bad or scams, but it’s up to the investor to do their due diligence and research. Remember whitepapers are crucial to research.
**Pump and Dump Scams**
Pump-and-dump scams are everywhere, especially online, from ERC and TRC tokens and even full cryptocurrencies.
Though these were a thing long before the internet was a thing even, way back when stock markets were still the primary trading platforms.
There are two main ways this type of scam works, by hyping the hell out of the coin or token (usually with multiple Twitter and social media accounts) getting a load of people to buy the coin or token, while these “hypers” already have quite a few bags of them already then sell it off all at once, together. This is usually coordinated which leads us to the second main method, **Groups**.
Sometimes you will find Telegram groups which will do pretty much the same as earlier and hype up a coin, however this time they are all conspiring to pump a coin (usually with a low cap and volume) and pump it up until a set date and time where they will dump it.
However, sometimes the admins that run these groups will dump prematurely with an already large amount bagged up, to capitalize on the faked pump they generated.
**Fake Mining Sites and Ponzi Scams**
You may have stumbled across some ads promising to double your bitcoin or cloud mining sites that ensure a 3% return daily, or something ridiculously similar.
(I just want to point out, this is the kind of scam I was tricked by and is very very easy to get tricked into if you are new or unsure of what to be looking out for.)
The way this works is pretty simple too, you send your Bitcoin, or other crypto that the site promises to give a return on, and before you know it, the site is gone, along with your coins.
These usually have no phone number and are **regularly** “based in the UK”. This is because it is rather easy to buy a company name and business location to make it look pretty legitimate, but looking at the address these sites usually give, the building it is located in (supposedly) has 300+ businesses running out of it.
It always goes back to doing research before investing. (kind of the running theme of this article)
Now, I am not giving a bad name to legitimate cloud mining sites out there as there are quite a few that have been around for a very long time. Bitcoin is over 10 years old after all.
**Conclusion**
This list is in **NO WAY** concise, there are plenty of ways to be duped of your coins, tokens or investments. Just keep a keen eye out and as a general rule of thumb, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Tip: Don’t invest what you can’t afford to lose.
*Doing your own research doesn’t hurt either.*
Some more reading:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/clipboard-hijacker-malware-monitors-23-million-bitcoin-addresses/
**https://cryptonews.com/guides/what-is-an-ico.htm**
https://news.bitcoin.com/bittrex-issues-warning-cryptocurrency-pump-dumps/
My First Week (and a bit) using the Brave Browser
So right off the bat (excuse the pun) I thought it was going to be one of those pieces of software from back in the day that bombed you with their own ads every 5 minutes.
I was very wrong and here is why.
Firstly, you do earn BAT (their reward token for viewing their ads), but you don’t just get bombarded with ads, you have to set the frequency in the browser settings. I set mine to 5 per hour, though I don’t even get that many in an hour, which is fine.
I really like the idea that I can use a browser that **blocks ads and trackers**, and go about my business while having the potential to earn a little something on the side.
If ads are not your thing, you can even just disable them completely, even the Brave ones.
Now I know that the Brave browser has been covered quite a bit, but I thought I’d pop my two cents in as well.
There are no ads on YouTube, minimal ads on faucet sites and taking a look at the stats in the image below (one week remember) just shows you how much you are actually being tracked for your personal info and interests.
[Image is a screenshot of my screen as of writing this article.]
I won’t be putting my ref code here, if you have not tried the browser at least on your phone, give it a shot, seriously not changing browsers for a long time now.
Bitcoin Volatility, MimbleWimble, Egypt, Kucoin - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/vRpdXj5YdTo
**Bitcoin Volatility Hits 23-Month Low as the Cryptocurrency Shrugs Off BitMEX as well as Trump’s Illness**
**Litecoin’s MimbleWimble is Live on Testnet, Full Activation expected in 2021**
**Bitcoin use rise in Egypt amid economic recession**
**KuCoin CEO claims crypto exchange has identified suspected hackers**
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-volatility-trump-coronavirus-bitmex-price
https://en.ethereumworldnews.com/litecoins-mimblewimble-is-live-on-testnet-full-activation-in-2021/
https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-use-rise-in-egypt-amid-economic-recession
https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/79773/kucoin-ceo-claims-crypto-exchange-has-identified-suspected-hackers
How to spot a Telegram Crypto Scam Bot
Some tips before we begin:
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you need referrals to withdraw, then it’s either a Ponzi scheme or a plain old scam.
If you need to deposit in order to withdraw, it is a clear scam.
Method 1 - The Easiest Way!
Telegram has a nice little icon that appears next to scammers and scam bots that looks like **[SCAM]** , that will instantly tell you that the majority of Telegram users have reported that user or bot as a scam. So it’s best to steer clear from them.
Method 2 - Spotting the “obvious” signs
If you need to “invest” for daily returns, then it’s a Ponzi scheme, no matter what.
Keep an eye on the English and grammar. Typically a business that is genuine has a pretty decent grasp on English, being a business language.
If the account/bot says Official, ie. Official Binance Support (or similar), check on the actual website for their actual support channels.
If the bot has a website, check it out. If there is a contact us, there should always be a phone number and business address. However, have extra scrutiny when the business location is in the UK and research the heck out of that location. Onten you will find it is a small building with 300+ “businesses” occupying it. This is a clear sign that the likelihood of the bot/business is a scam.
If the bot promises to double or even triple your deposit, STAY AWAY! There is no logical way that this is possible.
Always be scrutinous of any user/bot that promises “great returns” - **ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH**.
How to report a suspicious telegram account/bot
Telegram has a dedicated account for reports.
Simply send screenshots of the messages, including the name of the account/bot to **@notoscam**. If the username or bot username is hidden you can use the Forward function to send the message to the @notoscam account also.
If enough users report the bot/user then the **SCAM** tag will be applied to the account.
Ocean Protocol Fork, Bithumb, Filecoin, IRS form 1040 - The Crypto Digest
https://youtu.be/sGRO0_Kz0Bg
**Ocean Protocol Forks after Kucoin Hacker Dumps**
**Judge rules in favor of Bithumb**
**$205 Million ICO Project Filecoin Finally Sets a Launch Date**
**Our US friends have a tough choice to make with the IRS form 1040 for 2020**
https://www.coindesk.com/ocean-protocol-hard-fork-freezes-funds-kucoin-hack
https://eng.ambcrypto.com/judge-rules-in-favor-of-bithumb-crypto-investors-claims-dismissed/
https://decrypt.co/43156/filecoin-launch-date-mainnet
https://fortune.com/2020/09/28/the-irs-is-adding-a-cryptocurrency-question-to-form-1040-for-2020/
The Crypto Digest - 24th September 2020
https://youtu.be/7H90UGYO8VE
**Visa Working on Groundbreaking Cryptocurrency Payment Technology**
**Venezuela Legalizes Crypto Mining but Will Force Industry Into National Pool**
**UNI Market Cap Rebounds $120M as Rest of Crypto Market Falters**
https://u.today/visa-working-on-groundbreaking-cryptocurrency-payment-technology
https://www.coindesk.com/venezuela-legalize-cryptocurrency-mining-national-pool
https://www.coindesk.com/uni-market-cap-rebounds-120m-as-rest-of-crypto-market-falters
What does Ralph Breaks The Internet have to do with NFT’s?
What does Ralph Breaks The Internet have to do with NFT’s?
Note: This article may contain spoilers for the Ralph Breaks the Internet Movie.
*NFT = Non Fungible Token*
I love this movie, and so does my 5 year old. However, watching it for the millionth time, I finally noticed something,
**The movie gives a basic explanation of NFT’s without even realising it**
In the movie, Ralph and Vanellope have to get money together to pay for their eBay bid on a steering wheel for the Sugar Rush game, they meet up with a shady underground character called Spamley that sells “loot” online on his website for people in the real world to bid on and buy.
This is where my eyebrows raised, as they are going through the little job cards for loot to find, it’s mostly “common” items that are low in value. ***THESE ARE NFT’S***
Look at your favourite blockchain games, there are plenty of items that you can blockchainize or add to your wallet and trade that are pretty common items.
**But,** what about Shank’s car? Shank is a boss character in the Slaughter Race MMO game in the movie, and her car is pretty sought after. The impression I got from this is that her car is a rare item, so rare that it’s the only one in the game’s existence of it’s traits. Which is why the price tag to get it is so high and not far from the realism of some NFT items.
Shank’s car is an NFT that can only be owned by **ONE** player at a time and is incredibly difficult to get a hold of.
The only thing left is to figure out what blockchain this game would have been on **xD**
What are your thoughts?
My top 3 games I am playing at the moment
Spoiler: 2 of them are blockchain games
Games I am currently playing the most of, mostly because I am time limited.
Spells of Genesis https://spellsofgenesis.com/
One of the very first blockchain games available on mobile and it is still going strong. It’s playable on Android, iOS and in your browser!
I tend to play this most when I am having a smoke break or in the loo as the gameplay is pretty puzzle/action based. You have to shoot spells at your enemies while keeping your heroes alive.
All in all, it’s a pretty fun game, especially as a time waster. Best part is you don’t need to buy anything to enjoy it.
Gods Unchained https://godsunchained.com/
Another blockchain game that is rather popular, however, for some reason my connection to other players is pretty non-existent, so I mainly play against bots when I am bored. This means I don’t rank up or anything.
If you enjoy card games like Hearthstone, then you’d enjoy this as the gameplay is pretty similar.
My main gripe with this game is my personal connection issues, which I can’t seem to tell if it’s my laptop speed or my internet speed exactly.
Minecraft https://www.minecraft.net/en-us
Most of you will know this one for sure, as it’s probably the most popular game out there.
But it is a great game to simply chill out and relax with, I personally like to find blueprints online and try to find the materials in survival mode and build the buildings myself.
There is a bit of a sense of self accomplishment with building something you’ve had to grind the materials for.
What’s your favourite game and have you played any of these?
I am so excited for Blankos Block Party
A seriously fun looking game I absolutely cannot wait for, and here is why.
https://youtu.be/juwIwjCRxGI
As described on their website, ”Blankos are fun and mischievous vinyl toys brought to life. Inhabiting The Junction, their own offbeat world, they love good vibes and good times!”
You can earn, buy and trade these toys with other players, as it seems the game will be running on a blockchain, though the particular blockchain is yet to be announced, transactions and ownership will be verified for all players.
**Why am I so amped for this game?** It is another free to play blockchain game to add to our libraries! And I can't wait to get my friends involved in a blockchain game, pretty sure this one will go mainstream.
The moment the game is released, I am hoping to post a proper review here.
Blankos Website: https://blankos.com/
The Crypto Digest - 21 September 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrfxdDDj2u8
Over 140,000 addresses have claimed their 400 UNI token airdrops
EU Plans New Crypto Rules By 2024
World's Biggest Banks Caught in Major Scandal.
Short Piece: TRICH, a New Tron Gambling dApp
*DISCLAIMER:* This content is **not** sponsored. I am **not** affiliated with this dApp.
_Note: This article was taken down and is being reposted due to originally being written by me_
If you’re like me, you love finding new dApps on well-known blockchains, Tron in particular is pretty famous (or notorious depending who you ask) for having quite the number of gambling dApps available to users.
TRICH is a new dApp that has quite the variety of games to choose from, from the standard dice game to a lotto game. But one game stood out for me, **Betting Racing**, I watched one run of the game and entered the next, choosing simply the “even” option, and I won, 1.95x back my bet of 20 TRX for a win of 39!
The game is pretty simple if you are used to roulette or dice, with options like over and under, odd or even, the car colour for a much higher reward potential, or directly choosing your car. It’s kind of like a mix of roulette, dice and horse racing now that I think about it.
I’m keen to see how popular this dApp gets, as the interface is pretty simple and it seems new games will be added soon.
Do you enjoy playing gambling dApps? Let me know in the comments.
@RexyCrypto
