Coincheck Hackers Move Cryptocurrency to Stymie Recovery (Asia.nikkei.com)
TOKYO — The 58 billion yen ($532 million) worth of NEM digital currency recently stolen from a Tokyo exchange has been shifted to about 20 different accounts, in what experts see as an attempt to disrupt recovery efforts. The account to which the money was initially transferred is being monitored, likely prompting the hackers to try to spread the funds around as quickly as possible. The NEM Foundation, the international group that manages and promotes the currency, on Wednesday confirmed it had spotted movement into multiple accounts.
Bitcoin Falls Sharply, on Track for Worst Month in Four Years (Seeking Alpha)
The world’s biggest virtual currency Bitcoin fell 4.7% on the last day of the month, biggest decline since Dec. 2013, ending January with around 25% decline amid growing fears over regulatory scrutiny. Bitcoin was trading at $10,000 by 10:30 PM ET, Etherum at $1,107 on the Bitfinex exchange, while Ripple XRP token was trading at $1.11 on the Poloniex exchange. Regulatory scrutiny including subpoenas sent to Bitfinex and Tether, clamping down on cryptocurrency in South Korea and China, and tightening regulations in Japan amid $534M theft in cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin Transactions are Being Monitored on the Dark Web Thanks to This Company (Independent.ie)
Bitcoin transactions are being monitored on the dark web with the help of a new tool launched by an Israeli start-up. Webhose has fine-tuned crawling technology that collates data from a number of different online verticals into a structured format for the end user. With news sites, blogs and message boards the original sectors mined for information, media analysts and brand monitoring firms globally have already utilised this resource.
Nigeria’s Lawmakers Think Bitcoin is One Big Financial Scam (Quartz)
The bitcoin boom in Nigeria is drawing opposition from its lawmakers. The senate has asked Nigeria’s central bank and other regulators to “investigate the proliferation of bitcoin” and do more to educate citizens about “the dangers” of the cryptocurrency. Much of the lawmakers’ fears are based on recent events after Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox (MMM), a Russian ponzi scheme, became popular in Nigeria snapping up over two million users. After a strong run, during which the scheme awarded users with 30% interest rates per month, it collapsed in December 2016. Nigeria’s central bank estimates that users lost $50 million.
Ethereum has Outpaced its Rival Cryptocurrencies Since the Start of 2018 (Business Insider)
The global cryptocurrency market might have lost 15% – or $US93 billion of value – since January 1, but not all coins have declined equally. Ethereum has fared well in 2018, avoiding the drastic selling that has left other coins in the red. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap is up more than 46% this year, according to Markets Insider data, far outpacing bitcoin’s25% decline. XRP, the third-largest cryptocurrency, controlled largely by its creating company Ripple, is down more than 45% since January 1. Cryptocurrencies worth less than $US1 billion haven’t fared well either. The fourth-largest digital coin, bitcoin cash, has plunged 35.9% so far this year.
What has Changed for Ripple? Ripple Price Falls but the Future for XRP is Not that Bad! (XRP News Today) (Smartereum)
What has changed for Ripple? Even after, Bitcoin started falling, ripple was rising consistently. This was due to the perceived value of Ripple. However, in the latest leg of correction, Ripple has fallen significantly as well. It is now at the lowest level since the last couple of months. This after rising at least 20 fold in the last 6 months. This is one of the main reasons why investors are now worried about Ripple. They do not actually know whether they should still hold ripple or whether they should think about liquidating it.
Litecoin Price Forecast: Why LTC and Other Cryptos Are Plummeting (Profitconfidential.com)
Despite all the recent positive news we’ve shared about Litecoin, LTC prices are still struggling to find a bottom. Cryptocurrency markets at large, and not Litecoin, are to blame here. All of the top cryptocurrencies entered the red zone two days ago and have stayed there since. As we try to make sense of the situation, it becomes glaringly obvious that fickle investors are once again playing into the hands of market fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). Markets seem to be crashing again and there are two seemingly bad pieces of news driving the sell-off. But as you’ll soon find out, neither affects Litecoin’s fundamentals.
