hodler

31 Jan 2026, 11:41

Jupiter Exchange faces backlash over seed phrase requirement for ASR rewards

Jupiter Exchange is facing community criticism after urging users to submit their seed phrases to the Jupiter wallet to claim ASR rewards for Q4 staking activities. Jupiter, a Solana-based decentralized crypto exchange aggregator, has shocked the community by raising security concerns about wallet seed phrases. The DEX launched its ASR rewards for Q4 stakers, requiring users to export their seed phrases into the Jupiter wallet to claim rewards on mobile and desktop. The requirement has sparked widespread concern as community members push back against the rule, citing serious safety issues with submitting seed phrases. Jupiter Exchange raises safety wallet concerns for Web3 users 🚨New: Community backlash has emerged after @JupiterExchange launched its ASR rewards for Q4 stakers, requiring users to import their seed phrase into the Jupiter wallet to claim via mobile or desktop. Some users said forcing seed phrase exports for small rewards is unsafe,… pic.twitter.com/owxTFG2xOm — SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) January 31, 2026 Jupiter defended the requirement, stating that the measure is necessary to ensure fair distribution of rewards and prevent manipulation. However, discussions centered on the potential for exploits and the burden on users and long-term holders, who are likely to lose everything if malicious actors gain access to their accounts. According to Solana Floor, the decentralized exchange responded to the criticism, saying it will roll out an alternative method in the coming few weeks that will allow users to claim their ASR rewards from other wallets. Jupiter has hosted an annual airdrop event, Jupuary, every January since 2024, as part of its in-house efforts to attract new users and retain existing ones. In 2024, the decentralized exchange distributed 1 billion JUP tokens, worth over $1 billion, to over 1 million crypto wallets. In 2025, the exchange hosted its second airdrop event, distributing 700 million tokens to loyal users and stakers. This year, the ecosystem planned an initial distribution of 200 million JUP tokens, with 170 million allocated to fee-paying users and 30 million to stakers. The DEX had also announced it would set aside 200 million JUP tokens as a bonus pool for holding and staking the airdrop throughout 2026. The move was intended to incentivize more community members to hold as many tokens as possible and to discourage selling pressure that typically follows an airdrop event. The exchange had also announced it had set aside 300 million JUP tokens for Jupnet incentives. The total token distribution event for the January 2026 ASR rewards amounted to 700 million tokens. The exchange had also announced that JUP stakers will be rewarded based on their time-weighted stake and emphasized that the eligibility window for fee-paying customers ended in January 2026. Jupiter revises the token airdrop supply from 700M to 200M tokens However, in November 2025, Cryptopolitan reported that Jupiter revised its Jupuary airdrop downwards, citing dilution concerns. The decision was reached through a vote by community members after what happened during the previous Jupuary event in 2025. The January 2025 event saw the ecosystem distribute JUP tokens to everyone, including new community members who had no intentions of being part of the community and its ecosystem in the long run. As a result, many of these new participants sold the token, causing JUP’s price to crash significantly. The new revision reserved 200 million tokens out of the planned 700 million for the January 2026 Jupuary event. The publication also noted that the airdrop’s eligibility will change in accordance with the project’s DAO. The new revision will allocate 25 million JUP tokens to staking participants, with the remaining 175 million reserved for users performing fee-paying activities in the Jupiter ecosystem. According to data from CoinMarketCap, Jupiter’s native crypto asset JUP ranks 74th among the largest cryptocurrencies, with a market capitalization of $648 million and a 24-hour trading volume of $57.22 million. The crypto asset is trading at $0.1994, down 90.24% since its all-time high of $2.04 achieved 2 years ago. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

31 Jan 2026, 11:30

Bitcoin Estimated Leverage Ratio Spikes To New High — Fresh Volatility Ahead?

After surging toward the $100,000 mark a few days into the new year, the price of Bitcoin looks set to end January in stark contrast to how it started the month. On Thursday, January 29, the flagship cryptocurrency fell to a multi-month low of around $81,500, with the general market sentiment worsening over the past few weeks. Going into the weekend, the price of Bitcoin has somewhat cooled off, recovering above the $93,000 level on Friday, January 30. Interestingly, the latest on-chain data suggests that the market leader is only on the verge of another violent price movement. BTC Setting Up For A Violent Liquidation Cascade In a Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, CryptoOnchain shared insights into the current on-chain condition of the Bitcoin price. According to the market quant, the Bitcoin Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR) witnessed a notable upswing on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, while price was undergoing its most recent correction. Related Reading: Bitcoin Needs Deeper Liquidity Before A Real Recovery Takes Shape: Analysts For context, the Estimated Leverage Ratio is an on-chain metric that tracks the ratio between open interest and the reserve of an exchange (Binance, in this case). This metric measures the average amount of leverage used by the traders in a particular market or exchange. A higher ELR signals a higher market risk, suggesting that small price movements could lead to significant liquidations. According to data from CryptoQuant, CryptoOnchain highlighted that the Bitcoin Estimated Leverage Ratio recently spiked to a critical level of 0.188 when the price fell to around $81,500, indicating that the Open Interest is exceptionally high relative to the exchange’s reserves. Furthermore, CryptoOnchain shared that the divergence between rising leverage and falling prices is a classic “bearish divergence” signal in the derivative market. “It indicates that despite the price weakness, traders are aggressively increasing their leverage positions,” the on-chain expert added. What’s more, CryptoOnchain revealed that when the market becomes heavily over-leveraged during a price correction, it implies that the traders are either “buying the dip” with high leverage or increasingly taking short positions. The market quant said this setup usually precedes a “violent liquidation cascade.” Overall, CryptoOnchain concluded that the market is currently in a high-tension zone, with the combination of peak leverage and low prices suggesting that a “squeeze” is imminent. The analyst, however, clarified that the direction of the next violent movement depends on the dominant side (bulls or bears) of the market. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $84,200, reflecting a nearly 1% jump in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices Are Still Trading Sideways Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

31 Jan 2026, 11:16

FBI seizes RAMP hacking forum in coordinated dark web takedown

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized the clearnet and darkweb domains of the RAMP underground platform. The RAMP platform serves as a hacking forum and caters to several groups involved in Ransomware-as-a-Service and other cybercriminals. While the FBI has yet to issue an official statement to that effect, the domains used by the forum now display banners that read “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seized RAMP.” The banners noted that the action was carried out by the FBI in coordination with the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. FBI takes down underground hacking forum RAMP, which originally stood for Russian Anonymous Marketplace, was a popular dark web forum that primarily served Russian-speaking clients engaged in cybercrime. They include RaaS gangs and initial access brokers. The takedown was also confirmed by a user named “Stallman”, who appears to be one of the owners of RAMP, the XSS hacking forum post translated from Russian and shared on the blogging platform X. “With regret, I inform you that law enforcement agencies have gained control over the Ramp forum. This event destroyed years of my work to create the freest forum in the world, and although I hoped this day would never come, deep down I always understood that it was possible. This is the risk we all take,” the post reads. He also added that even though he will no longer be controlling Ramp, he doesn’t intend to create another platform from scratch. Stallman also added that he will continue his business of purchasing access, noting that his core business remains unchanged. “If you have something you can offer me, the terms are listed in my signature. Message me in private messages, and we will exchange via Jabber/Tox,” he added. In addition to offering a forum for ransomware activities, the place was a platform for notorious groups like LockBit, Qilin, RansomHub, ALPHV/BlackCat, and DragonForce to promote their services. The website also included several discussion groups where users posted tutorials on cyberattacks. Speaking about the takedown, Ben Clarke, SOC manager at CybaVerse, said the platform’s success stemmed from providing hackers with the entire attacker chain. This means users can access services ranging from purchasing stolen credentials to promoting malware and selling and purchasing other services. How effective are these takedowns? Clarke mentioned that while the takedown will affect criminal activity for a while, the long-term impact could be minimal. “Anything to disrupt this activity is a positive step for defenders. But we would be naive to believe it will have a tangible impact on cybercrime,” he said. “New marketplaces will be formed to take RAMP’s place, while threat actors will navigate to other platforms to buy and sell services.” Over the last few years, law enforcement has registered mixed results in takedowns. While the takedowns do happen, these platforms are often revived, as in the case of the Emotet botnet takedown in 2022. The platform returned with a vengeance. However, this doesn’t mean that these operations do not work, according to Daniel Wilcock, threat analyst at Talion, noting that takedowns are still the best tactic for law enforcement to stifle cybercriminal activities and gain vital information. “While this doesn’t signal the end of ransomware, law enforcement will be able to gain valuable information from the seizure around the threat actors using the services, such as their emails and IP addresses, plus access to the financial transactions that took place on the market,” he said. “This could support further law enforcement action against the threat actors that used the site, but given that RAMP was heavily used by Russian criminals, it’s highly unlikely we will see many actual arrests.” Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

31 Jan 2026, 11:03

Russia’s Atom electric car to begin official sales in April

Sales of Russia’s electric car Atom are set to start soon, with promises of prices lower than those offered by Chinese competitors. The Russian-made EV has been under development and testing for quite a while, and the first preorders were accepted some three years ago. Atom sales to begin in April, maker Kama says Official sales of the Russian electric vehicle (EV) Atom will formally begin in April, according to a representative of the company that builds it. Speaking to reporters and quoted by TASS, the Commercial Director of Kama, Alexander Kostylev, announced: “We plan to open the sales season, officially in April.” Purchases for individual buyers will be exclusively completed online, and the ordered cars will be delivered to their homes, the executive added. Test drives and service maintenance will be provided by the manufacturer’s partners in major cities across the vast country. The network will be expanded over time, Kostylev pointed out. The first deliveries will be made to customers who placed preorders in the distant 2023, Kostylev emphasized. Car sharing platforms, taxi companies, and regional authorities will also be supplied to conduct pilot tests. Russia’s attempt at “a Tesla,” but cheaper than Chinese models The locally produced Atom will be selling cheaper than Chinese offerings in Russia, unveiled the brand’s Director of Government Relations, Anatoly Kiyashko. Speaking to local media, he elaborated: “We will announce the price to the public in February. For now, we can say that our car is cheaper than Chinese counterparts, but in its price range, it is certainly one of the mass-market luxury cars.” According to Atom’s website , the Russian EV can be pre-ordered for 3.9 million rubles, or a little over $51,000 at current exchange rates. However, when the government-provided discount is applied, the price should drop to 3 million rubles (less than $40,000), as previously reported. Kama to start Atom sales in April. Source: Atom Atom completes 800 km autonomous test drive The development of the Russian EV commenced in 2021, the news agency noted in its report, with the establishment of the company behind it in August of that year. Atom’s first functional prototype was presented in Moscow in May of 2023, almost three years before the launch of its sales planned for this spring. On Friday, Kiyashko also revealed that the electric car had made a test run between the capital city and Kazan, mostly in autonomous mode: “We had a test drive from Moscow to Kazan, and Atom completed 95% of the journey autonomously, meaning with the help of its driving assistants.” The main city of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan is the hometown of the Kama startup, where Atom is being developed and assembled. The upcoming market launch of the Russian EV was first announced by Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov earlier this month. Atom’s commercial premiere and successful trial followed in mid-January, when Russian President Vladimir Putin urged faster development of autonomous transportation. Russia is lagging behind leaders in this niche, the head of state admitted, despite stating he was impressed by some of the driverless prototypes demonstrated ahead of a meeting on the matter. The Russian Federation should rapidly transition from testing to large-scale introduction of autonomous systems, the master of the Kremlin insisted in his address to participants in the discussion. Russia has until now made fewer than 100 self-driving trucks but intends to bump output to almost 1,000 units by the end of 2028, as reported by Cryptopolitan. Putin made it clear he is convinced his nation will find its place in the global market for this type of vehicle, once it scales up production and exports. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

31 Jan 2026, 11:00

Insider trading lawsuit targets Coinbase directors despite internal approval

A Delaware judge has ruled that a shareholder lawsuit accusing several Coinbase Global Inc. directors of insider trading can proceed. The lawsuit accuses Coinbase directors, among them Brian Armstrong, of using nonpublic information to sell $2.9 billion in stock at the 2021 debut , sp aring themselves over $1 billion in losses. It was initially filed in 2023. The complaint says Armstrong, Coinbase’s chief since its launch in 2012, unloaded $291.8 million in stock. This ruling by the judge comes despite an internal review clearing the executives. The plaintiffs say Andreessen sold $118.7 million in shares Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick permitted the lawsuit to proceed on Friday due to conflicts involving one of the committee members. But she also suggested the Coinbase directors might end up coming out ahead, citing the special committee’s report, which offers a compelling narrative in their favor. The lawsuit focuses on Coinbase’s decision to pursue a direct listing, rather than a conventional IPO , and names Armstrong, Andreessen, and several other executives. The company’s direct listing meant no new shares were issued, holdings weren’t diluted, and early investors weren’t barred from trading their stock. According to the complaint, Andreessen — a Coinbase board member since 2020 — sold $118.7 million in shares through his venture firm, Andreessen Horowitz, in connection with the direct listing. The shareholder’s legal team argues the directors relied on insider information to sell their holdings ahead of a downturn. Nonetheless, lawyers representing the directors argued that no insider trading occurred and that the plaintiff failed to link the sales to confidential information. On the judge’s Friday decision, Coinbase noted, “We are disappointed by the court’s decision and remain committed to fighting these meritless claims in court.” Judge McCormick had rejected a motion earlier made by Coinbase’s directors to toss out the case, ruling the plaintiff’s claims were plausible. The case was temporarily suspended while Coinbase’s special litigation committee investigated the claims. Kelly Kramer, Cisco’s former CFO, and Gokul Rajaram, a Silicon Valley angel investor, joined the committee; neither was involved in the case nor sold shares in the direct listing. After 10 months, the committee asked McCormick to dismiss the case, calling the accusations “deficient” and harmful to the company and its shareholders. The committee found that defendants hadn’t used inside information to sell shares, refuting the claims in the lawsuit. The close correlation between Coinbase stock and Bitcoin means the trades can’t be attributed to insider knowledge, the report said. Brad Sorrels, an attorney for the special litigation committee, “The evidence roundly showed that defendants, including the two biggest stockholders, didn’t want to sell because they were bullish about the company. There was really a push and struggle to get the stockholders to participate.” Andreessen’s firm wants to reincorporate outside Delaware Andreessen’s firm has openly criticized Delaware’s corporate courts, arguing that judges tend to side with management and against founders and their boards. In July, the firm’s legal team published a blog post outlining its intention to reincorporate outside Delaware and encouraging its portfolio companies to do the same. The decision mirrors Musk’s Tesla move from Texas, prompted by McCormick’s blocking of his record compensation package, which was later reinstated by the state supreme court in December. Earlier last year, Delaware lawmakers enacted corporate law reforms that made it more difficult for minority shareholders to sue leaders, in an effort to prevent businesses from fleeing the state. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

31 Jan 2026, 10:56

“Bitcoin is Still Early,” Binance’s CZ Weighs in on Gold and Silver Sudden Dip

Binance's CZ has reacted to the recent crash in the price of silver and gold, just shortly after they recorded new highs. He reminded the community that Bitcoin is still early.