Bitcoin user paid a significant fee for a transaction, prompting speculation about the cause. Animoca Brands raised $20 million in a funding round, with the funds being used to advance their Mocaverse project. Unstoppable Domains introduced a Business-to-User messaging feature for its messaging service. The US Department of Justice is set to seize stolen Bitcoin and a sports car from a teenage hacker. French regulators launched a training module for influencers in the financial sector. Sushi expanded its services to the Aptos blockchain.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, made headlines recently when a user paid a substantial fee in a single transaction. The user paid 20 BTC in fees to move just 0.074 BTC, which is valued at around $200. This transaction caught the attention of Casa CTO Jameson Lopp, who speculated that it was likely due to buggy software used by an exchange or payment processor. Lopp explained that the entity responsible for the transaction had received and sent over 60,000 transactions from the same address, a practice considered bad and likely resulted in the miscalculation of the change output. The user involved now needs to contact the mining pool to retrieve the funds.
In the investment space, Animoca Brands, a venture capital firm focused on the metaverse and gaming industries, raised $20 million in a funding round. The round was led by CMCC Global, with participation from Kingsway Capital, Liberty City Ventures, GameFi Ventures, and other investors. The funds raised will be used to advance the Mocaverse project, a web3 ecosystem that includes product development, web3 adoption, and partnerships with other companies and projects within Animoca Brands’ extensive portfolio of approximately 450 investments.
Unstoppable Domains, a domain and digital identity platform, announced the addition of a Business-to-User (B2U) messaging feature to its new messaging service, Unstoppable Messaging. This new feature enables businesses to personalize their messages for their web3 audiences. For example, representatives of the Polygon network can send instant messages to all holders of a .polygon domain without the need for sign-ups or compiling email contact lists. Powered by Push Protocol, the B2U messaging feature functions similarly to pop-up push notifications, allowing companies to communicate directly with their customers.
In crime news, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing to seize $5.2 million in Bitcoin stolen by a teenage hacker four years ago. The hacker, Ahmad Wagaafe Hared, worked with two co-conspirators to steal cryptocurrency through a SIM-swapping scheme. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary order of forfeiture, granting the DOJ permission to seize 119.8 BTC, as well as XLM 93,420($11,770) and a 2017 BMW i8 purchased with the stolen funds.
In the realm of regulation, French regulators Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP) have developed a training module for influencers in the financial sector. The aim of the module is to professionalize commercial influence, which is now regulated by law. The training module, known as the “Responsible Influence Certificate,” helps influencers in the financial sector understand and adhere to best practices in influencer marketing. To date, nearly 1,000 French influencers have successfully completed the online training course.
Lastly, Sushi, a decentralized exchange (DEX), has expanded its services to the Aptos blockchain, marking its first move onto a non-Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain. Sushi is introducing its v2 Automated Market Maker (AMM) on Aptos by leveraging the blockchain’s Move programming language. This expansion aims to provide users of the Aptos blockchain with access to Sushi’s decentralized exchange services and further integrate the two platforms.
In conclusion, the cryptoasset and blockchain industry continues to make headlines with news spanning various sectors. From significant Bitcoin transaction fees to funding rounds in the metaverse and gaming industries, these developments highlight the growth and ongoing innovation in the space. Additionally, the introduction of new features in messaging services, efforts to combat financial fraud, and the expansion of decentralized exchanges to different blockchains demonstrate the industry’s commitment to improving user experiences and expanding its reach.