Crypto hackers and scammers stole over $163 million in August across 16 separate incidents, with one large-scale social engineering attack accounting for more than half the total, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield.

The figure marks a 15% increase from July’s $142 million in losses, though it remains 47% lower year-on-year.

High-Value Targets in the Crosshairs

PeckShield told Cointelegraph that August showed a clear strategic shift: hackers are moving away from smaller exploits and focusing on centralized exchanges and high-value individuals.

Two major incidents dominated:

Social Engineering Attack: A Bitcoiner lost 783 BTC (~$91M) after falling victim to bad actors posing as crypto exchange and hardware wallet support.

Btcturk Exchange Hack: Turkish exchange Btcturk lost $50M from its hot wallets — its second major breach since June 2024.

Despite the dollar amounts, the number of hacks has been gradually declining: 20 in June, 17 in July, and 16 in August.

“Looking at the broader picture, the total number of hacks has shown a decreasing trend… suggesting improvements in overall ecosystem security.” – PeckShield

Rising Prices, Rising Exploits

Hank Huang, CEO of Kronos Research, noted that crypto booms attract more sophisticated attacks:

Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $124,000 on Aug. 14.

Ether reached $4,946 on Aug. 24.

“August’s surge highlights how attackers are zeroing in on centralized wallets using phishing and social engineering to expose operational weaknesses,” Huang said.

What’s Next?

Losses had previously been trending downward — $385M in May → $176M in June → $142M in July — but August broke the pattern.

Huang warns that losses could keep rising through 2025, fueled by high crypto prices and lagging security improvements.

Still, advances in AI-driven security and stronger protective models could cushion future losses.

️ Takeaway

PeckShield emphasized that corporations and wealthy crypto holders should adopt the strongest possible security:

“High-value targets — both corporations and individuals — should be increasingly vigilant and proactively implement robust security measures.”

Let’s get into Bitcoin analysis. Yesterday, Bitcoin was rejected from the zone I had mentioned, and today it will probably begin its new downward move.

4-Hour Timeframe
In yesterday’s analysis, I told you that a pullback to SMA25 and the 0.5 Fibonacci zone was possible. That happened, and now, given the current candle, the probability of a corrective scenario has increased.

️ I still won’t open any position on Bitcoin and am waiting for it to exit the box between 110000 and 116000. But if certain conditions occur in the market, I might open a position inside this box as well.

First of all, Bitcoin is still above the 111747 support, which is a very important support zone. As the price reaches it, there’s a chance it gets stuck there again.

On the other hand, seller strength is very high, and as you can see, the RSI has been rejected from the 50 ceiling, and a red engulfing candle with very high volume is forming — all of which indicate the power of sellers.

I still stand by my opinion that as long as the price is above 110000, I won’t open a short position. But for a long position, we can move to the 1-Hour timeframe to review the trigger that has formed.

snapshot

1-Hour Timeframe
Before reviewing the triggers, there’s a very important point that explains why I currently prefer to remain without a position.

Bitcoin in the HWC and MWC cycles has a very strong upward trend. Right now, in the LWC, it’s moving downward. So this Fibonacci drawn on the bearish leg doesn’t really mean much and won’t give us very strong and accurate resistances.

On the other hand, the LWC is moving against the higher cycles — meaning the higher cycles are stronger. That’s why shorting doesn’t make sense, since it’s against the main market cycle.

But also, since LWC has gained downward momentum, long positions — if not set with wide stop-losses — will likely get stopped out, because this momentum may cause small downward legs that hit stop-losses.

So opening a long position is also difficult right now, and that’s why I say it’s better to wait for the price to move out of the 110000 to 116000 range, and then enter a position more comfortably.

If the price goes below 110000, we’ll receive the first sign of a trend reversal in the MWC, and then we can open short positions. And if it goes above 116000, LWC becomes bullish again and the continuation of the uptrend can begin.

Let’s now go to the triggers:
The trigger we have for a long position is 115327 — an important ceiling that overlaps with the 0.5 Fibonacci level and has been touched several times.

️ If we get another touch to this level, I myself will likely try to open a long position, and I think it’s a good entry point that’s worth the risk to anticipate a breakout of 116000.

For a short position, a break below the 112205 low will start the continuation of the correction. I won’t open this position myself, but if you believe Bitcoin wants to reverse its trend, this is a very good trigger in terms of price level and you can open the position.

Disclaimer
Trading futures is highly risky and dangerous. If you're not an expert, these triggers may not be suitable for you. You should first learn risk and capital management. You can also use the educational content from this channel.

Finally, these triggers reflect my personal opinions on price action, and the market may move completely against this analysis. So, do your own research before opening any position.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that rate cuts may come before year-end, signaling the end of the Fed’s balance sheet reduction program. Powell’s comments fueled optimism across digital asset markets, helping both Bitcoin and Ether ETFs rebound.

“An October rate cut will have markets taking flight, with crypto and ETFs seeing liquidity flow,” said Vincent Liu of Kronos Research. Even after a recent flash crash, crypto investment products remain resilient, with $48.7 billion in inflows for 2025, already surpassing last year’s total.

Global authorities are cracking down as new Ponzi schemes surface across Asia and the U.S. Thai police arrested FINTOCH operator Liang Ai-Bing for allegedly stealing $31 million. In New York, EminiFX founder Eddy Alexandre was ordered to repay $228 million, while Detroit officials sued RealT for selling tokenized property it didn’t own. Regulators warn that crypto fraud is escalating faster than enforcement.

Remote work and freelance hiring are rapidly transforming how businesses build teams and complete projects. Instead of relying solely on in-house staff, many companies now hire freelance web developers and digital specialists for specific tasks such as web development, design, and digital marketing. This model allows organizations to scale talent globally, reduce recruitment costs, and access specialized expertise without long-term contracts.

Several factors are driving this shift, including access to global talent, faster project execution, and greater flexibility for businesses that need short-term expertise. As technology evolves quickly, especially in web development, companies increasingly prefer on-demand specialists who can jump into projects immediately and deliver results efficiently.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokenholders are facing thefts linked to a phishing exploit abusing Ethereum’s new EIP-7702 upgrade, according to blockchain security firm SlowMist founder Yu Xian.

The exploit has surfaced just as the Trump-backed WLFI token launched on Monday with a 24.66 billion total supply.

️ How the Exploit Works

EIP-7702, part of Ethereum’s May Pectra upgrade, allows regular wallets to act like smart contract wallets, delegating execution rights for smoother transactions.

Hackers are exploiting this by:

Phishing private keys from victims.

Pre-planting a malicious delegate contract into the wallet.

Snatching funds instantly once tokens (such as WLFI) are deposited or gas fees are added.

“It’s again the exploitation of the 7702 delegate malicious contract, with the prerequisite being private key leakage,” Xian explained on X.

He advised users to “cancel or replace the ambushed EIP-7702” and urgently move tokens to safe wallets.

Reports From WLFI Holders

WLFI forum users have shared harrowing experiences:

One said he managed to save 20% of his WLFI in a “stressful race against the hacker,” but fears the remaining 80% will be drained on unlock.

Another warned that presale wallets tied to the WLFI whitelist are especially vulnerable, since tokens are instantly stolen by sweeper bots once they arrive.

Some are urging the WLFI team to offer direct transfer options to bypass compromised addresses.

️ Rising Scam Activity

Security firm Bubblemaps flagged “bundled clones” smart contracts imitating WLFI and other projects to trick investors.

The WLFI team stressed it never contacts users via DMs and only provides support through verified email domains:

“If you receive a DM claiming to be from us, it is fraudulent and should be ignored.”

Takeaway

The WLFI launch highlights how new Ethereum upgrades can introduce attack surfaces for hackers to exploit — especially when paired with phishing schemes. Tokenholders are urged to use uncompromised wallets, verify official sources, and avoid signing suspicious transactions.

Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps has rejected speculation that a Polymarket account involved in bets on Nicolás Maduro is connected to a co-founder of World Liberty Financial. The controversy emerged after unusual trading activity was flagged on Polymarket, where several wallets placed profitable bets ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding Maduro.

Bubblemaps argued that the logic used to link the wallets to a specific individual was weak and overly speculative. The firm emphasized that matching transaction timing and amounts—particularly involving transfers through Coinbase—is insufficient evidence, noting that thousands of wallets could exhibit similar patterns without implying insider access or personal identity.

what is that? i really dont understand

Analyst CryptoMe warns: $105K–$106K could be a hidden trap for Bitcoin.

Key Signals:

UTXO & Realized Prices all cluster near $105K — heavy activity zone.

Short-Term Holder cost basis also sits here = risk of panic if breached.

Glassnode data shows weak support below $113K. If we drop, it could be fast.

BTC hovering ~$114K. Still trying to reclaim $115.7K highs.

Meanwhile, Open Interest = $79B (still frothy).

That combo of high OI + recent “Extreme Greed” = local top danger.

A sudden drop could trigger liquidation cascade.

🧠 Long-term bullish, short-term: tread carefully.
If $105K gets tested, things might get spicy.

Transactions on the Ethereum network have hit yearly highs as the SEC deliberates on how to classify liquid staking protocols.
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Ethereum transaction volumes see year-high amid SEC staking drama
Analysis
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Transactions on the Ethereum network have reached a one-year high as the US Securities and Exchange Commission issues new guidance on staking.

This comes amid historical highs in Ether staked on the network; according to Dune Analytics, over 36 million Ether
ETH

$3,600
is now staked on Ethereum, representing nearly 30% of the total token supply.

A large number of tokens locked into smart contracts indicates that Ether holders are hunkering down, preferring to render their ETH unsellable for the time being in exchange for staking rewards.

The increased network activity follows guidance from the SEC and an additional commission statement that liquid staking may be exempt from securities laws; however, commentary from one commissioner suggests that it may not be that simple.
One-year chart of transactions on the Ethereum network. Source: Nansen
Liquid staking on Ethereum in “muddy waters”

On Tuesday, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance released a “Statement on Certain Liquid Staking Activities.” In it, the division defined and explained its views on liquid staking.

Liquid staking is a form of staking that issues a token representing a user’s staked asset. It allows investors to continue using decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols while earning staking rewards.

The division said that liquid staking activities, as well as the offer and sale of “staking receipt tokens,” insofar as they are described in the SEC’s statement, do not “involve the offer and sale of securities” as defined by the 1933 Securities Act.

As such, entities issuing “staking receipt tokens,” so long as those tokens don’t constitute some form of investment contract, do not need to be registered with the SEC.

The DeFi industry was quick to hail the updated guidance as a victory.

“Institutions can now confidently integrate LSTs [liquid staking tokens] into their products, which is sure to drive new revenue streams, expand customer bases and enable the creation of secondary markets for staked assets,” Mara Schmiedt, CEO of blockchain developer company Alluvial, previously told Cointelegraph.

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Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder said the guidance “shows the same nuanced understanding of LST technology that the Crypto Task Force exhibited when we met with them on this topic back in February.”

However, not everyone at the SEC is convinced that the Division of Corporation Finance made the right move.

On Wednesday, Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw responded, saying that the division’s statement “stacks factual assumption on top of factual assumption on top of factual assumption, resulting in a wobbly wall of facts without an anchor in industry reality.” She said that their definition of staking “might not reflect prevailing conditions on the ground.”

Per Crenshaw, the legal conclusions of the statement (i.e., that LSTs are exempt from securities laws) “apply only if those many factual assumptions hold.”

Related: Spot Ether ETF staking could ‘dramatically reshape the market’

“To the extent that any particular liquid staking activity deviates from the numerous factual assumptions laid out in the Liquid Staking Statement, that activity is outside the statement’s scope.”

She concluded that the statement reflects only the views of the singular division, not the whole commission, and said it should give “little comfort” to entities involved in staking.

The statement is not without allies in the SEC. So-called “Crypto Mom” Hester Peirce — an SEC commissioner who has advocated for more favorable regulations for the crypto industry over the years — released a statement of her own, saying that the division has clarified its view “that liquid staking activities in connection with protocol staking do not involve the offer and sale of securities.”

Chairman Paul Atkins said it was “a significant step forward in clarifying the staff’s view about crypto asset activities that do not fall within the SEC’s jurisdiction.”
Ethereum ascendent with DeFi still in a legal gray area

Regardless of the limitations of the division’s statement or the potential outcomes thereof, the Ethereum ecosystem is optimistic.

Pseudonymous CryptoQuant author Onchainschool noted in a Tuesday post that more than 500,000 ETH (worth approximately $1.8 billion at publishing time) was staked in the first half of June alone.

“This growth signals rising confidence and a continued drop in liquid supply,” they stated.

Furthermore, blockchain addresses with no selling history are also on the rise, holding nearly 23 million ETH (worth some $82.6 billion at current prices).

Ether staked and validators since November 2020. Source: Dune

Still, the DeFi industry, much of which is built on the framework of Ethereum, still lacks legal recognition or regulation in many jurisdictions.

In the case of the US SEC, the commission delayed its decision on Bitwise’s application to add staking to its Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF).

The CLARITY Act, which would establish some regulations for the DeFi industry, is still making its way through the halls of Congress. The bill would exempt DeFi protocols from some of the standards it creates for other crypto-related entities and allow them to launch and sell native tokens.

The European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation does not contain provisions for the DeFi industry; however, this will reportedly become a priority for the bloc’s lawmakers in 2026.

Sooner or later, it appears that DeFi regulations are coming and ecosystems critical for the industry, like Ethereum, are getting ready.

While corporate BTC accumulation is rising, Bitcoin’s price remains volatile due to derivative activity, profit-taking, and macroeconomic events. Analysts highlight that institutional buying—often over-the-counter—builds a quiet but steady demand.

Edward Carroll from MHC Digital Group predicts this institutional demand could create upward price pressure over the medium to long term. Meanwhile, US spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to perform strongly, with $2.71 billion inflows last week, signaling crypto’s evolution toward a mainstream, institutional-grade asset class.

Market patterns show gold and Bitcoin often move inversely. The latest selloff hints at investors reallocating funds, echoing previous trends. Experts like CZ predict that Bitcoin may eventually overtake gold, highlighting crypto’s growing role in wealth storage.

VivoPower International (NASDAQ: VVPR) — a solar power company — saw its stock rocket 32.12% to $5.10 on Friday after announcing a $100M plan to buy privately held Ripple Labs shares as part of its growing XRP-focused treasury strategy.
The Announcement

Deal size: $100M in Ripple shares, bought directly from existing shareholders (pending Ripple exec approval).

Goal: Hold both Ripple equity + XRP tokens to maximize yield and reduce average XRP acquisition cost.

Ongoing XRP buys: VivoPower will continue direct XRP purchases, becoming the first publicly listed U.S. company with exposure to both Ripple equity and XRP.

Stock gained another 4.51% in after-hours trading.

CEO’s Take

“Buying a combination of Ripple shares and XRP tokens will allow us to optimize for yield maximization while minimizing the weighted average cost of XRP acquired.”
— Kevin Chin, VivoPower CEO

Custody & Oversight

Custody: BitGo (digital assets) + Nasdaq Private Market (private shares).

Audit: Independent quarterly reviews of Ripple holdings.

Numbers That Matter

Ripple holds 41B XRP (mostly in escrow) + runs RLUSD stablecoin, Hidden Road prime brokerage, and other digital asset businesses.

VivoPower estimates every $10M in Ripple shares could add $5.15/share in value — depending on market conditions.

Strategy could lower XRP cost basis to $0.47 — ~86% below current market price.

TL;DR:
VivoPower is going all-in on Ripple — equity + tokens — making it a rare publicly traded XRP play. Stock popped hard on the news, and management thinks the move could massively boost shareholder value if Ripple’s ecosystem keeps expanding.

Think Python or AI are the hottest tickets in tech hiring? Think again. According to a new Course Report study, Excel remains the single most requested applied skill in the industry — nearly 40 years after its launch.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Analyzing 12 million job listings on Indeed, Course Report found:

Excel appeared in 531,000 postings.

Microsoft Office overall was mentioned 344,000 times.

By comparison, Python (67,000 mentions) and SQL (60,000) trailed far behind.

Machine learning skills showed up in 31,000 listings.

AI was mentioned just 25,000 times.

(Source: Course Report, Business Insider)

Why Excel Still Rules

Rajoshi Rhosh, co-founder of PromptQL (a company building Fortune 500-grade, “non-hallucinating” AI systems), says Excel isn’t going anywhere soon:

“AI’s role in the future will be to deliver accurate, meaningful data into the services people already trust — like Excel.”

He adds that in most B2B companies, the “last mile” remains the same:

Either you hide the Excel model under a sleek user interface,

Or you deliver the data directly in Excel, where clients already know how to work with it.

️ The Takeaway

Despite the hype around AI, LLMs, and new interfaces, Excel continues to be the default universal language of business data. It’s not glamorous, but it’s everywhere — and knowing it could still be the best career move in tech.

Bitcoin’s not fringe anymore.
El Salvador treats it as legal tender.
Brazil lists BTC ETFs.
Trump now accepts BTC donations.
Milei calls it “money returning to the people.”

From trading tool to political symbol of financial sovereignty.

#Bitcoin #CryptoPolitics #BlockchainAdoption

My COT Approach — Reading the Big Players’ Moves

Hey traders,
Today I’m breaking down my personal approach to using Commitment of Traders (COT) data to find higher-timeframe bias. If you want to trade with the real market momentum (a.k.a. what the big players are doing) rather than chasing noise, this is for you.

There are many ways to use COT data — Larry Williams, Anton Kreil, and others each have their own twist.
This is the method that works for me. It might work for you too.
What Is COT Data?

The Commitment of Traders report is published every Friday by the CFTC.
It shows the open futures positions of different market participants as of the previous Tuesday.

It’s basically a peek into institutional positioning — minus high-frequency and market-making noise.

The catch:

Data is delayed (Tuesday’s data is released Friday).

We miss the last 3 days of moves.

But don’t worry — I’ll show you how to read between the lines.
Why Use COT?

COT can help you:

Understand higher timeframe bias

Spot shifts in institutional positioning

Identify trend continuations or reversals

Avoid retail sentiment traps

It’s not a standalone entry trigger — I use it as a macro confirmation layer for swing or position trades.

The beauty?
Institutions trade based on fundamentals. You don’t have to dig through macro reports — just follow their positioning.
The Main Market Participants

COT splits traders into several categories:

Commercials (Hedgers)

    Producers, manufacturers, big institutions locking in prices.

    Usually contrarian at extremes (record net long/short often signals reversals).

Non-Commercials (Speculators)

    Hedge funds & large speculators.

    Follow trends, represent “big money” sentiment.

Dealers

    Big banks facilitating trades.

    Take the other side of speculative flows.

Leveraged Money

    Hedge funds using high leverage.

    Positions show short-term speculative sentiment.

Who I follow: Non-Commercials (Speculators).
Larry Williams focuses on Commercials, Anton Kreil prefers Leveraged Money — try and see what works for you.
Which Report?

I use:
Traders in Financial Futures (TFF) — covers forex, bonds, and indexes.

Where to find:
Free on the CFTC site — but the standard week-to-week format isn’t enough.
Institutions don’t flip positions overnight — I track larger data samples.
My Tracking Method

I collect data weekly into columns, tracking:

Long % exposure

Short % exposure

Net positions

13-week averages

Historical highs/lows

The relationships between these numbers give me insight into:

What’s really driving price action

Strong levels worth watching

Order flow patterns

Common COT Patterns

1. Bullish Pattern – Longs Growing / Shorts Closing

Strongest signal — clean institutional buying.
Example: EURUSD — steady long growth, rapid short closing → confirmed bullish trend.
2. Weak Currency – Longs Growing / Shorts Closing

Example: USDJPY — looks messy, but numbers show weak JPY as shorts are closed and longs added.
3. Bearish Consolidation – Shorts Building

Example: AUDUSD — tight consolidation, longs flat, heavy short building → big drop incoming.
4. Profit-Taking Move

Price spikes above highs, but longs close instead of adding.
Example: Gold — overheating market, no heavy shorting yet → expect pullback or consolidation.
5. Sharp Position Drop Without Opposite Building

Example: USDCHF — big long reduction starts sell-off without major shorting. Weekly data alone would miss this.
️ Important Note on Short-Term Price Action

Even if COT shows a bearish bias, price can still rally short-term (2–3 weeks).
Big players often add shorts above highs, not at lows — use price action for entries.

That’s the overview of how I use COT to stay aligned with the market’s heavy hitters.
Next, I’ll share how I combine this with chart context to pinpoint high-probability swing setups.

Startup Impulse Space, founded by former SpaceX propulsion chief Tom Mueller, aims to deliver up to 6 tons of payload to the moon by 2028. Using a new lunar lander paired with its Helios high-energy kick stage, Impulse targets cargo too large for NASA’s small landers but too small for human-rated missions.

Helios will transport landers from low Earth orbit to the moon in 7 days, with the first flight scheduled for late 2026. Payloads could include rovers, habitat modules, power systems, or lunar terrain vehicles.

Impulse says the architecture could create a new lunar delivery schedule, though execution risks remain for throttleable and restartable engines in lunar conditions.

The recent wave of Bitcoin distribution reflects a shift in investor behavior. Early adopters are using ETFs, custodial services, and wealth-management strategies to reduce psychological risk while maintaining long-term exposure.

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas likened these holders to “The Big Short” investors—capitalizing on early insight while enabling institutional adoption. As a result, Bitcoin’s volatility is expected to decline, supporting its evolution into a core monetary instrument in global finance.

As SBF’s appeal date nears, the clash between his claims and the bankruptcy team’s decisions continues.

SBF supporters emphasize that customers are receiving “120%+ of their Nov 2022 dollar value,” though $380 million remains disputed, mostly for Chinese users. Meanwhile, bankruptcy leadership insists that converting assets to dollars ensured stability and fairness for creditors.

The resolution of these disputes could set important precedents for crypto bankruptcy practices and regulatory approaches, shaping how the industry handles future crises.

In a second trial, Hakuhodo introduced a “Watch-to-Earn” feature, rewarding users with points for viewing ads.

The incentive amplified engagement, showing that even modest rewards can significantly influence user behavior when paired with verified identity infrastructure.

Over 3,500 participants across sectors like electronics, travel, food, cosmetics, and education joined the pilot, showing promising scalability for human-verified ad campaigns.