18 May 2025, 12:24

Ex-Binance exec Vladimir Smerkis arrested in Moscow on fraud charges

The former head of Binance’s CIS division and co-founder of the crypto game Blum, Vladimir Smerkis, has been arrested in Moscow for fraud. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court ordered his detention earlier this week. Authorities have not disclosed the specific nature of the alleged criminal activity . The arrest comes as the investigation into tap-to-earn platforms intensifies. Blum clarified that Smerkis is no longer associated with the company in a statement distributed to its 5.3 million followers on X. Crypto executives’ involvement in fraud cases raises investor tension Fraud cases involving crypto executives are becoming increasingly common. The desire for personal gain, perceived pressures, and opportunities within their roles are complex interplaying factors that lead executives to engage in fraud. As a result, tension among cryptocurrency investors has increased. Concerning Vladimir Smerkis’s arrest, Blum shared an X post stating that it would like to let its community know that Smerkis had resigned from his position as Chief Marketing Officer and was no longer working on the project or serving on its team. Smerkis’s arrest comes at a time when tap-to-earn platforms are under growing global attention. The trend exploded after the viral success of Hamster Kombat in 2024, which introduced millions to the crypto world through the largest token airdrop the industry has seen. Blum emerged as one of the notable projects riding this wave. The platform became well-known due to the tap-to-earn trend, which involves games in which players tap their screens repeatedly to accumulate digital tokens. In the case of Blum, players collected in-game currency by tapping falling snowflakes, which the project stated could be converted into actual cash. According to CoinGecko data, the tap-to-earn segment currently has a $511 million market capitalization. Alexander Mashinsky pleads guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud Alexander Mashinsky is another crypto executive allegedly linked to fraud cases. He was arrested in relation to fraud cases on Thursday, May 8, after reports from sources revealed that the former CEO of Celsius Network pleaded guilty to two fraud counts, getting a 12-year prison sentence. Mashinksy’s legal issues started in 2023. In December of the same year, he pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and Celsius token manipulation. Mashinsky was sentenced in Court 14A, 500 Pearl Street, which also housed several criminal cryptocurrency executives. Moreover, he was taken into custody on suspicion of wire fraud, commodities, and securities. Around the same time, Celsius reached a $4.7 billion settlement with the FTC. The settlement made the full extent of the fraud clear. Celsius had to turn over the remaining clients’ assets to file for bankruptcy. This followed accusations against Mashinsky for deceiving investors about the security and profitability of a platform that produced Celsius yields and selling tens of millions of dollars in his company’s personal assets. In the Southern District of Manhattan, Mashinsky stood before US District Judge John G. Koeltl and faced the truth about what the prosecution claimed was a multimillion-dollar investment scheme. Mashinsky pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Thursday, ending the lengthy case authorities pursued after the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused him and Celsius of committing a multibillion-dollar fraud after initially denying any wrongdoing. Other formerly influential executives have also experienced similar outcomes to Mashinsky’s for their involvement in fraud cases, including Do Kwon of Terraform Labs , Changpeng Zhao of Binance, and Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX. Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites

18 May 2025, 12:08

Kraken’s Acquisition of NinjaTrader Sparks Speculation on Potential Token Launch or IPO Plans

Kraken sparked speculation in the crypto community after posting a cryptic video showing its acquisition of NinjaTrader and teasing the term “KRAK.” The post has fueled debate over whether the

18 May 2025, 10:51

BSC DEX Trading Volume Surpasses $44 Billion, Outpacing Solana and Ethereum

COINOTAG News reports significant developments in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space as of May 18th. Recent data from DeFiLlama highlights an impressive surge in trading activity within the Binance Smart

18 May 2025, 10:31

Polkadot price pulls back after 30% surge, XYZVerse rallies past $13M in presale

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. As Polkadot cools off after a 30% rally, attention is shifting to XYZVerse, a memecoin that’s raised more than $13m in presale and could be set for a 1.5x breakout. Table of Contents XYZVerse price forecast: Can it 30x from presale? Polkadot’s price momentum Conclusion Polkadot’s (DOT) price is sliding after a strong 30% rise, suggesting the market is uneasy as it waits for the SEC’s decision on ETFs. Meanwhile, XYZVerse (XYZ) is making waves by raising over $13 million in its presale, with a potential 1.5x breakout in the horizon. Could this newcomer be the next big opportunity in the crypto space? XYZVerse price forecast: Can it 30x from presale? XYZVerse is entering the memecoin space at a moment when viral narratives and tight-knit communities drive serious returns. With coins like PEPE, Dogwifhat, and Bonk proving that memes can mint millionaires, XYZVerse could be next — especially as it combines sports hype with crypto virality. Why market timing favors XYZVerse With altcoin season looming, low-cap memecoins are getting fresh attention. Still in presale, XYZVerse is positioned to ride the wave — if it nails post-launch execution. Strategic exchange listings, community engagement, and sustained hype are key to any major rally. Core strengths of XYZVerse in this cycle Branding and culture: Sports-based theme with influencer tie-ins — easy to go viral. Deflationary tokenomics: 17.13% token burn reduces supply and boosts scarcity. Liquidity support: 15% of tokens dedicated to post-launch stability. Community-focused incentives: 10% of supply allocated to grow and reward holders. XYZ price forecast breakdown Presale price: $0.003333 Post-presale target: $0.10 (as projected by the team). Early ATH possibility (Weeks 1–2): $0.15 – $0.25, driven by hype and exchange launches. Mid-term outlook (6–12 months): $0.20 – $0.40, if adoption and listings scale. Can XYZ realistically hit $0.10? A 30x gain is possible if several key events unfold: CEX listings: Launching on top-tier exchanges like OKX, KuCoin, or Binance could create massive buy-side pressure. Influencer momentum: Leveraging sports personalities could trigger the kind of engagement that memecoins thrive on. Market backdrop: A bullish Bitcoin and strong altcoin market tend to lift speculative plays like XYZVerse. The building blocks are there — strong branding, token scarcity, and community incentives. If XYZVerse delivers on its roadmap and secures real traction, hitting $0.10 (a ~3000% rise from presale) is within reach. XYZVerse is still in presale. If the narrative holds and the team executes, early holders could benefit massively. You might also like: Moo Deng price approaches support: 50% bounce possible on bullish rounded bottom Polkadot’s price momentum Over the past month, the Polkadot price has surged by 28.27%, signaling renewed investor interest. In the last week, DOT has declined by 5.95%, pushing its current price range between $4.60 and $5.40. Despite a 20.83% decline over the past six months, this upward movement suggests that Polkadot may be regaining strength in the crypto market. Technical indicators offer a hopeful outlook. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 54.16, indicating that DOT is neither overbought nor oversold, leaving room for potential growth. The Stochastic value is at 75.00, reflecting positive momentum. While the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) level is slightly negative at -0.009586, the recent price increases could shift this trend. The 10-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) of $4.83 is approaching the 100-day SMA of $5.01; a crossover could signal a bullish trend. Looking ahead, if Polkadot maintains its momentum, it may test the nearest resistance level at $5.50, an increase of around 10% from its current high. Surpassing this could open the path to the second resistance level at $6.30. On the downside, if the price retreats, it might find support at $3.22, a drop of approximately 23%. These key levels are crucial for traders watching DOT’s potential for continued growth. Conclusion While DOT retraces after its surge, the bull run continues, with XYZVerse leading as a unique sports memecoin aiming for massive growth and community engagement. To find more information about XYZVerse, visit the website , Telegram , or X . Read more: Dogecoin price prediction: Futures demand and ETF momentum build case for $1 Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

18 May 2025, 10:06

AFP seizes Bitcoin, luxury car, and mansion in connection with cybercrime probe

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have seized luxury assets linked to a hacker who was convicted of cybercrime offenses. According to reports, authorities seized assets worth $4.5 million, including a beachfront mansion, luxury cars, and Bitcoin, from the convicted individual. According to reports, the individual, 32-year-old Shane Duffy, from Queensland, saw millions worth of those assets seized after a lengthy investigation into his illegal activities. He was apprehended on charges of stealing digital assets and cyber hacking. The authorities seized Duffy’s beachfront home back in April. In addition, the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) of the AFP also seized a 2019 black Mercedes-Benz sedan and about 25 Bitcoins. AFP seizes assets worth $4.5 million from hacker According to reports, Duffy was suspected of carrying out the theft of about 950 bitcoins from a French crypto exchange in 2013. The assets are now worth about $150 million. Before then, he had been convicted of hacking Riot Games, the US company behind the popular video game League of Legends. In 2018, the CACT initiated an investigation after AUSTRAC was alerted to the development by authorities in Luxembourg about his suspicious bitcoin transactions. However, the authorities have yet to bring up criminal charges in connection with the alleged theft. Meanwhile, they have been able to halt the suspected proceeds of the alleged crime under federal laws, even without a prosecution. Authorities were able to secure the restraining order for the assets obtained in 2019, and they were subsequently forfeited in April. According to the AFP, the assets include a waterfront mansion in Beachmere, Queensland’s Moreton Bay region, which was purchased at about $1.1 million, and is now estimated to be worth about $2 million. The authorities added that the property was held in the suspect’s mother’s name. CACT has seized criminal assets worth $1.2 billion After the sale of the seized properties, the proceeds are expected to be transferred into a special fund that assists crime prevention and law enforcement initiatives. The AFP says it is still committed to confiscating alleged proceeds to disrupt the activities of criminals and cybercrime. AFP Commander Jason Kennedy highlighted the law backing the seizure. “The Proceeds of Crime Act provides law enforcement agencies with unique powers to restrain and forfeit instruments and proceeds of crime,” he said. He added that criminals are driven by greed, and unfortunately it is law-abiding Australians and businesses who end up losing their hard-earned money to these cybercriminals. “The profits derived from criminal activities are also often used to fund further criminal acts, which is why the AFP works closely with our partners in the CACT to target the proceeds of crime and ensure they are reinvested in the community,” he said. According to reports, the CACT has seized criminal assets worth over $1.2 billion since 2019. These assets include houses, cars, fine art, luxury items, and digital assets. According to court documents obtained by the media, Duffy allegedly accumulated more than $32,000 in 2013 through the sale of access to inactive League of Legends accounts. The suspect was said to have hacked the X account of Riot Games president Marc Merrill to promote the illegal operation and allegedly partnered with another hacker to disrupt matches on the platform by disconnecting players. Riot Games mentioned the hack resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2016, Duffy was sentenced to two-and-half years in prison, a term he served after pleading guilty in Brisbane District Court. KEY Difference Wire : the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage

18 May 2025, 09:15

Partner at $56,300,000,000 Venture Capital Firm Has Phone Number, Address and Other Details Stolen in Coinbase Hack: Report

The thieves responsible for the recent security breach of US-based crypto exchange Coinbase have reportedly obtained the personal information of a managing partner at Sequoia Capital, the $56.3 billion venture capital giant. In a report submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 14th, the digital asset exchange says that hackers bribed its customer service representatives to gain access to client information and internal Coinbase records. The compromised information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, government ID images and more. Citing a person familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that Roelof Botha is among those affected by the hack. The leaked information includes his phone number, address and data linked with his Coinbase account. Botha, who is currently serving as managing partner at Sequoia Capital, is a venture capitalist who has made early bets on iconic companies, including YouTube and Instagram, since joining the California-based firm in 2003. Botha and Sequoia Capital declined to give comments on the issue. Coinbase says the perpetrators asked for $20 million in exchange for keeping the stolen information under wraps, but the company refused to give in to the hackers’ demand. Meanwhile, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong vows to pay back affected customers, revamp cybersecurity protocols and relocate certain overseas customer support operations. Follow us on X , Facebook and Telegram Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action Surf The Daily Hodl Mix Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing. Generated Image: Midjourney The post Partner at $56,300,000,000 Venture Capital Firm Has Phone Number, Address and Other Details Stolen in Coinbase Hack: Report appeared first on The Daily Hodl .