hodler

7 May 2026, 05:00

Sharplink adds 491 ETH in weekly rewards as staking model gains momentum

How is Ethereum staking helping Sharplink steadily grow its treasury holdings?

7 May 2026, 04:58

Ripple, JPMorgan settle first cross-border tokenized Treasury redemption on XRP Ledger

The pilot, run with Ondo Finance and Mastercard, processed the redemption of Ondo's OUSG tokenized Treasury fund in under five seconds.

7 May 2026, 03:55

Man sentenced to 6.5 years for stealing 100 BTC in home invasion tied to $250 million crypto theft ring

BitcoinWorld Man sentenced to 6.5 years for stealing 100 BTC in home invasion tied to $250 million crypto theft ring A 20-year-old man who admitted to physically stealing approximately 100 Bitcoin during a home invasion in Texas has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison. The sentence, handed down on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C., is part of a broader crackdown on a sophisticated social engineering ring that stole over $250 million in cryptocurrency from victims across the United States. Inside the criminal operation Marlon Ferro, who operated online under the alias “GothFerrari,” pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy charges in October 2024. According to court documents, the organization operated from late 2023 to early 2025, with operational bases in California, New York, and Florida. The group used a combination of database hacking, impersonation phone calls, money laundering, and targeted home invasions to access and steal cryptocurrency from victims. Ferro’s specific role was to physically obtain cold wallets—offline cryptocurrency storage devices that cannot be accessed remotely. In February 2024, he broke into a victim’s home in Texas and stole approximately 100 Bitcoin, valued at over $5 million at the time. The stolen funds were later used to purchase more than $255,000 in luxury goods, including high-end clothing and jewelry. Funds used to pay legal fees for ringleader In a revealing detail about the group’s internal structure, Ferro also converted some of the stolen cryptocurrency into cash to cover legal fees for the ringleader, who had been arrested in September 2024. This indicates a coordinated effort to protect the operation’s leadership even as members faced prosecution. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered three years of supervised release and $2.5 million in restitution. The case underscores the growing sophistication of crypto theft rings that combine digital hacking skills with physical violence or intimidation. Why this case matters for crypto users This case highlights a critical vulnerability for cryptocurrency holders: cold wallets, while secure against remote hacking, remain susceptible to physical theft. The sentencing serves as a warning that law enforcement is increasingly capable of dismantling complex criminal networks that operate across state lines and use both digital and physical methods to steal assets. The RICO charges also signal that prosecutors are willing to apply organized crime statutes to crypto theft rings, potentially leading to longer sentences and more aggressive investigations. Conclusion The sentencing of Marlon Ferro marks a significant step in holding accountable those who use home invasions to steal cryptocurrency. As the value of digital assets continues to attract organized criminal attention, this case reinforces the need for holders to adopt multi-layered security strategies that include both digital protections and physical safeguards for their assets. FAQs Q1: What is a cold wallet? A cold wallet is a physical device or offline storage method used to hold cryptocurrency private keys, making it inaccessible via the internet and thus more secure from remote hacking. Q2: Why was Ferro charged under RICO laws? RICO laws allow prosecutors to target entire criminal organizations rather than just individual crimes. Ferro’s involvement in a coordinated group that used multiple methods—including hacking, impersonation, and home invasion—qualified as a pattern of racketeering activity. Q3: What should crypto holders do to protect against physical theft? Store cold wallets in secure, hidden locations such as safes or bank deposit boxes. Avoid publicly disclosing crypto holdings or wallet locations. Consider using multi-signature wallets or splitting keys across multiple secure locations. This post Man sentenced to 6.5 years for stealing 100 BTC in home invasion tied to $250 million crypto theft ring first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

7 May 2026, 03:10

Germany’s Klingbeil revives SPD plan to end crypto tax exemption in 2027 budget

Germany is moving to end one of Europe’s most generous crypto tax regimes. Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has finalized a plan to abolish the country’s 1-year holding period exemption for crypto. The plan is part of the 2027 federal budget “Eckwertebeschluss” and is expected to be passed by the Federal Cabinet this week. Under current rules, set out in Section 23 of Germany’s Income Tax Act, crypto is classified as a “private asset.” Investors who hold Bitcoin or other tokens for more than 12 months pay zero tax on disposal. Under the Klingbeil plan, crypto would be treated like stocks or funds, with gains taxable at Germany’s 25% capital gains rate plus solidarity surcharge and church tax where applicable, regardless of holding period. What the SPD failed to pass in 2025 returns under different framing As Cryptopolitan reported in April 2025, the SPD pushed the same proposal during coalition negotiations a year ago. The party wanted to remove the holding period and raise the flat tax on private capital income to 30%. The CDU/CSU pushed back, and the proposal was dropped from the May 2025 coalition agreement that brought the Merz government to power. Klingbeil, who chairs the SPD and now serves as Finance Minister, has revived the proposal under a different framing. Rather than a standalone tax hike, it sits inside a broader 2027 budget package targeting a €98 billion deficit. The budget also includes spending cuts on health, social welfare, and pensions, alongside new levies on alcohol, tobacco, sugar, and plastic. Industry warns of constitutional and structural problems The Bitcoin Bundesverband, Germany’s main crypto industry body, opposes the change. “The political trick is obvious,” the group said, framing the reform as a disguised tax hike running counter to earlier coalition promises of relief. Constitutional law specialists have flagged that applying stricter rules specifically to crypto while preserving favorable treatment for comparable private assets could face scrutiny under Germany’s equal-protection principle. Bitpanda co-founder Eric Demuth called the plan “an extremely stupid decision,” citing Austria’s 2022 abolition of a similar exemption. Austria now applies a flat 27.5% tax on crypto gains regardless of holding period, and Demuth argued the change produced more bureaucracy than revenue. No formal legislation has been introduced in the Bundestag yet. Whether grandfathering provisions would protect existing holdings remains unclear. The plan is the fourth attempt to scrap the holding period exemption in 18 months. Each previous effort failed. Embedded inside a budget package now, this version is the hardest one to derail. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

7 May 2026, 03:00

Crypto Fraud Shockwave: Authorities Freeze Tens Of Millions In Assets

A video message from a man calling himself Stephen Beard may have been the final move in a long-running crypto con . Days before BG Wealth Sharing went dark, Beard told investors their accounts would be taxed 12% as part of a pending initial public offering for its DSJ Exchange platform. By Sunday, users on social media had figured out what was happening. By Monday, regulators were warning the public. By Tuesday, the domain was gone — seized by US law enforcement. Last-Minute Warning Signs Came Too Late For Many The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions issued an alert Monday, saying it had received complaints from investors and that BG Wealth Sharing was likely operating a scam. Officials warned that any company requiring investors to deposit more money before they can withdraw their own funds is a strong sign of an advance fee fraud. That warning followed similar advisories stretching back to 2025, including one from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority and another from the Central Bank of Samoa, which in April called the group an outright investment scam. 1/ The $150M+ DSJ Exchange (DSJEX) / BG Wealth Sharing Ponzi scheme collapsed last week. From April 27 – May 3, illicit actors laundered $92M+ across chains to obscure the trail. I helped lead an initiative with @Tether_to, @Binance Security Team, @OKX , & US law enforcement that… pic.twitter.com/h85hQ5IeRD — ZachXBT (@zachxbt) May 5, 2026 Despite those red flags, thousands of people had already sent their money in. BG Wealth Sharing recruited users through heavy social media promotion. It promised daily returns of 1.3% to 2.6%, referral bonuses, and rank-based rewards — the kind of structure that keeps people recruiting others and brings in fresh funds to pay earlier investors. According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, total losses from the scheme likely exceed $150 million. Between April 27 and May 3, actors connected to the group tried to move more than $92 million in crypto. ZachXBT, working alongside Tether, Binance, OKX, and US law enforcement, helped freeze over $41 million of those funds. The BG Wealth Sharing website now shows a seizure notice from a joint operation involving Operation Level Up and the Scam Center Strike Force. Victims Recruited Through Social Media, Targeted For Inexperience ZachXBT noted that many victims were still in denial after the scheme collapsed. According to him, these types of investment frauds deliberately go after inexperienced retail investors through social media, where slick branding and testimonials can look convincing to someone unfamiliar with how these operations work. The FBI reported in April that Americans lost $21 billion to cyber-enabled crime in a single year, with crypto investment scams making up a significant portion of those losses. BG Wealth Sharing had been running since at least 2025, and thousands of victim exchange withdrawals were identified in the investigation. Joint Operation Signals Broader Push Against Crypto Scams The domain seizure is part of a wider crackdown. The Scam Center Strike Force, which was involved in this operation, has previously taken action against crypto fraud networks in Southeast Asia. United States authorities have been increasing coordination with exchanges and on-chain investigators to track and freeze funds before they can be fully laundered. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView

7 May 2026, 02:05

JPMorgan, Mastercard make first cross-border US Treasury transfer via XRP Ledger

The cross-border tokenized US Treasury transaction using blockchain and banking rails builds on an earlier pilot in which the same fund moved between a public and permissioned blockchain.