Invest ideasNews
23 Jan 2026, 22:27
Microsoft hands over BitLocker keys to FBI, exposing users to major privacy flaw
Microsoft handed over BitLocker recovery keys to the FBI after it was served with a valid warrant, exposing Windows users’ privacy. The disclosure comes after an FBI investigation in Guam, where Microsoft supplied encryption keys to unlock three suspects’ laptops in a Guam fraud case. Federal investigators in Guam believed the laptops included information that would prove individuals in charge of the island’s COVID-19 unemployment aid program were involved in a scheme to embezzle money. Microsoft BitLocker key disclosure sparks global privacy concerns Microsoft provided the recovery keys to FBI investigators because the data was protected with BitLocker. This software protects all of the data on the computer’s hard disk and is automatically activated on many contemporary Windows PCs. Data is jumbled by BitLocker so that only those with the key can decipher it. Although users can keep their keys on a personal device, Microsoft advises BitLocker customers to store their keys on its servers for easier management. This puts people at risk of lawsuits and law enforcement warrants, even though it also means they can access their data if they forget their password or lock the device after multiple unsuccessful login attempts. The Redmond, Washington corporation has never before given law enforcement an encryption key, as far as is known, until the Guam case, where it handed over the encryption keys to investigators. However, Microsoft confirmed that it does offer BitLocker recovery keys in the event of a legitimate court order. “While key recovery offers convenience, it also carries a risk of unwanted access, so Microsoft believes customers are in the best position to decide… how to manage their keys,” -Charles Chamberlayne, Microsoft spokesperson. Chamberlayne added that Microsoft receives about 20 requests for BitLocker keys annually. In many of these cases, customers have not saved their keys in the cloud, leaving the company unable to assist. However, handing over the keys to law enforcement sparked privacy concerns. In a statement made by Senator Ron Wyden to Forbes, it is “simply irresponsible for tech companies to ship products in a way that allows them to turn over users’ encryption keys secretly. He went on to say that allowing ICE or other Trump thugs to steal a user’s encryption keys puts users’ and their families’ personal safety and security at risk and gives them access to the user’s entire digital existence. This problem is not limited to the United States. The ACLU’s surveillance and cybersecurity counsel, Jennifer Granick, noted that countries with questionable human rights records also request data from tech giants like Microsoft. She added that storing decryption keys remotely can be very risky. One participant on Hacker News claimed that the problem was that Microsoft already had those keys. If the key is accessible and free to use, what good is encryption? iCloud Email is the same, the user added. The user also argued that human-made laws and regulations cannot provide privacy because they are abused and subject to change. The source of privacy is mathematics, which disregards rules and regulations. Global governments push tech companies for encryption backdoors Law enforcement frequently requests encryption keys, backdoor access, or other security flaws from computer corporations. Apple has been repeatedly asked for access to encrypted data in its cloud or on its devices. In October of last year, the UK government renewed its confrontation with Apple over access to customer data. The government demanded a backdoor into the tech company’s cloud storage servers, targeting only British users. In a widely reported confrontation with the government in 2016, Apple resisted an FBI order to assist in opening the phones of terrorists who shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. In the end, the FBI managed to get a contractor to breach the iPhones. In a separate report in April of last year, Florida lawmakers unanimously approved a draft bill that would mandate that social media companies provide law enforcement officers with access to user accounts through encryption backdoors. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
23 Jan 2026, 22:21
SEC dismisses lawsuit against billionaire Winklevoss twins-backed Gemini over Earn product
The SEC said Gemini Earn customers had already received 100% of their assets back through Genesis' bankruptcy, warranting the dismissal of the case.
23 Jan 2026, 22:19
Grayscale files Form S-1 with the U.S SEC to register BNB ETF
Grayscale Investments filed a Form S-1 registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to register its spot BNB ETF called the Grayscale BNB Trust. The initiative comes as the firm registered a trust in Delaware as a precursor to a formal SEC S-1 filing earlier in January. The filing revealed that the exchange-traded fund is designed to track the price of BNB (Binance Coin), the native token powering the BNB Smart Chain ecosystem. The initiative will enable the firm to offer the ETF only after Nasdaq, its intended listing exchange, submits a corresponding 19b-4 form and the SEC declares the filing effective. Grayscale files for Hedera, Avalanche, and Bittensor ETFs NEW: @Grayscale files for spot $BNB ETF pic.twitter.com/99JMSovGNp — James Seyffart (@JSeyff) January 23, 2026 The Form S-1 registration is also a standard requirement for firms before they can sell shares to the public. The Grayscale filing is now awaiting an SEC review for compliance with disclosure, custody, and market-integrity standards. According to the filing, the fund is subject to completion and may be revised before becoming effective. It also includes detailed information about the fund’s structure, investment strategy, risk factors, and other regulatory requirements. The filing revealed that Grayscale plans to issue shares representing fractional beneficial interests. The value of those shares is also intended to reflect BNB’s performance. The ETF follows similar crypto products proposed in the U.S., which would not actively trade or use derivatives. Grayscale’s BNB ETF comes as U.S. asset managers ramp up efforts to launch crypto ETFs after the successful launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs and spot Ethereum products in January 2024. The firm’s interest in a BNB ETF follows the digital asset’s central role in transaction fees, staking, and decentralized applications within the BNB Chain ecosystem. Grayscale’s initiative follows VanEck’s previous filing for a spot BNB ETF submitted in May, which is pending SEC approval. The BNB ETF will be Grayscale’s 10th crypto-focused ETF, with others tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and more. The asset manager has also filed for other digital asset ETFs, including Hedera, Avalanche, and Bittensor. At the time of publication, BNB is trading at $900, up more than 1.5% over the past 24 hours. The 4th-largest digital asset has dropped by 3.38% over the past 7 days but has gained approximately 6.2% over the past month. Grayscale plans to convert its Near trust into a spot ETF Grayscale also filed a Form S-1 registration statement with the SEC on Tuesday to convert its Grayscale Near Trust into a spot ETF. The trust currently trades on the OTCQB market under the ticker GSNR, managing around $900,000 in assets and has a net asset value of $2.19 per share. Cryptopolitan reported that the Coinbase Custody Trust Company will act as custodian for the asset manager’s NEAR holdings. At the same time, the Bank of New York Mellon will serve as administrator and transfer agent. Bitwise also previously filed a Form S-1 for a Near ETF in May last year. The investment firm also filed for 10 additional crypto ETFs last month, including funds tracking AAVE, SUI, STRK, UNI, ZEC, and ENA. Grayscale has previously converted several products into ETFs, including its Digital Large Cap Fund, Chainlink Trust, and XRP Trust. Crypto investment products recorded their strongest weekly total since October 2025, with more than $2.17 billion flowing into the funds. The inflows occurred early in the week before a change in sentiment, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions and U.S. tariff threats. On-chain data showed that Bitcoin ETFs recorded $56.6 million in inflows on Thursday, led by BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) with $63 million . Crypto funds recorded $378 million in outflows over the previous days, but reversed to positive inflows following U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomatic meeting in Davos on Wednesday. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
23 Jan 2026, 21:40
CZ said claims of business ties with President Donald Trump’s family are wrong
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is pushing back on the idea that he had business ties to President Donald Trump’s family, calling the claims a full-on misunderstanding. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, CZ told CNBC, “There’s no business relationships whatsoever.” He said people were reading too much into the events that followed his 2025 pardon , especially around the use of a stablecoin linked to Trump’s relatives. The rumors began after Trump’s October 2025 pardon, which came a year after CZ was released from prison. He had served four months following a 2023 guilty plea for allowing money laundering at Binance during his time as CEO. Part of that plea deal included stepping down from the company and paying a $4.3 billion settlement to the Department of Justice. He left the role but remains one of the exchange’s biggest shareholders. $2B stablecoin payment from Abu Dhabi triggers speculation The noise started with a $2 billion investment Binance received in March 2025 from MGX, a state-owned investment company in Abu Dhabi. Instead of wiring the cash directly, MGX paid in USD1, a stablecoin created by World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm launched by Trump’s family. That’s what sparked all the suspicion. “MGX is the investor. They choose USD1,” CZ said. “My request to them was they pay us in crypto. I don’t want to deal with banks, really.” He said people wrongly thought that accepting USD1 meant he had business with the Trump family. “Many people misconstrued that.” CZ explained that Binance didn’t hold on to the stablecoin. Instead, it converted it to other assets over time. “Stablecoin is just a currency for payment. Just because I accepted that, it doesn’t mean I invested in the issuer of that.” David Wachsman, a spokesperson for World Liberty Financial, denied any link to the pardon. “WLFI is not a political organization and had zero role in the pardon process. To imply otherwise is dangerous and false.” Still, the Wall Street Journal later said that Binance also helped build the tech behind USD1, citing unnamed sources. Asked about why he gave the pardon, Trump said, “A lot of people say that he wasn’t guilty of anything. And so I gave him a pardon at the request of a lot of very good people.” Lobbyist payments and tokenized stocks return to headlines At the same time, NBC News reported Binance had hired a lobbying firm called Checkmate Government Relations. It’s run by Charles McDowell, a friend of Donald Trump Jr. The firm said it was paid $450,000 to lobby both the White House and the Treasury Department, pushing for “executive relief” and policy work related to crypto and financial services. CZ denied any connection between the lobbying and the pardon. “There is a lot of media saying that there is some deal in place to get me the pardon. As far as I know, that does not exist at all.” He also said he hasn’t spoken with Trump. “The closest that I got to him was today when he was doing the Board of Peace session. I was in the audience, about 30 to 40 feet away from him.” While all that’s going on, Binance is looking to bring back tokenized stock trading, a feature it dropped in 2021. These stock tokens are blockchain-based representations of actual shares in companies like Apple or Microsoft, allowing people to buy smaller portions without owning a full share. A Binance spokesperson allegedly told The Information, “Binance is committed to bridging traditional finance and crypto, expanding user choices while maintaining the highest regulatory standards. Since last year, we started supporting tokenized real-world assets, and we recently launched the first regulated TradFi perpetual contracts settled in stablecoin.” They added, “Exploring the potential to offer tokenized equities is a natural next step in our mission to bring TradFi and crypto closer together as we continue to actively build infrastructure, partner with traditional institutions, and develop innovative solutions for our users and the industry.” If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
23 Jan 2026, 21:40
Binance Eyes European Comeback With MiCA License Bid In Greece As Clock Ticks On July 1 Deadline
Binance has submitted an application for a crucial Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) license in Greece.
23 Jan 2026, 18:25
New $8 All-Time High In Sight For XRP? Ripple Boss Foresees Crypto Record Highs In 2026
Garlinghouse has predicted that the crypto market will hit new historic highs in 2026, buoyed by favorable regulation and institutional adoption.
