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Trump calls for Powell’s resignation after FHFA's investigation request
President Donald Trump reiterated his call for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to resign, after he allegedly gave false testimony to Congress. For months now, the two have been at odds over the reduction of interest rates, and Powell’s latest appearance before Congress has only escalated their feud. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump, referring to Powell, said , “Too Late,” should resign immediately!!! Fed Chair Should Be Investigated by Congress, FHFA Head Says.” Trump and Powell have been disagreeing on interest rate cuts In an X post on Wednesday, Bill Plute, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accused Powell of “political bias” and “deceptive testimony” on the renovations at the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, DC, asking Congress to investigate him. After which, Trump demanded that the Fed Chair step down. Just last month, Trump said he would like to replace Powell with someone more inclined to lower interest rates . He told reporters, “I’m going to put somebody that wants to cut rates. There are a lot of them out there.” Even then, he asked the Fed chair to resign and described him as “a stubborn mule and a stupid person” for disapproving of rate cuts. Additionally, he argued that Powell’s stance only stands in the way of economic growth, and critics are overstating their inflation concerns. Typically, lower interest rates tend to boost economic growth. Though they may sometimes lead to an inflation rise, something central banks try to avoid. Some experts have warned, however, that inflation is bound to rise with Trump’s tariffs . On Tuesday, Powell, at the European Central Bank Forum in Portugal, said the Fed is holding off on rate cuts while it evaluates the impact of Trump’s tariffs. He claimed they were taking their time to examine the situation. By law, the president can only dismiss the Fed chair “for cause,” broadly seen as applying to misconduct rather than disagreements over monetary policy. The Supreme Court even recently ruled against Trump’s push to fire officials at independent federal agencies, a move most believe the President advocated to target Powell. Despite the ruling, Trump still plans to replace Powell, having said he has about two to three choices who could take over from him. He recently wrote a letter asking Powell again to lower the benchmark interest rate—currently at 4.25% to 4.5%—by “a lot.” Powell defends Fed HQ renovation as lawmakers signal review According to media reports, the Fed’s headquarters project has incurred escalating costs and included several luxury features. In the Senate hearing last week, however, Powell pushed back on those claims, describing the reports as “misleading and inaccurate in many, many respects.” He claimed that the “inflammatory” details reported by the media were either not part of the current plan or simply incorrect. Nonetheless, he said they are open to discussing the project’s expenses, adding that their renovation plans have changed over time. The House Financial Services Committee Chair, French Hill, and the Fed spokesperson have not spoken on the matter. However, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan noted that while they have yet to address the matter directly, they intend to review it. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot

2025-07-03 13:50
Operation Chokepoint 2.0 isn’t over yet, says Custodia’s Caitlin Long
Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long disputes Vice President JD Vance’s statement that Operation Chokepoint 2.0 has ended. Long argues the government campaign targeting cryptocurrency businesses continues despite Trump administration promises, with regulatory tools and personnel remaining unchanged at federal banking agencies. Long challenges Vance’s premature victory declaration Caitlin Long directly contradicted Vice President JD Vance’s morning speech declaring Operation Chokepoint 2.0 dead. She called his statement an exaggeration during her conversation with Wolf of All Streets. Long argues that while Vance meant well with his announcement, the reality remains that regulatory tools used to target the cryptocurrency industry stay in place across federal banking agencies. Operation Chokepoint 2.0 refers to an informal campaign by U.S. federal banking regulators under the Biden administration to pressure banks into restricting services to digital asset companies. Unlike formal prohibitions, regulators used supervisory powers and informal guidance to encourage banks to deny services to crypto businesses. The regulatory pressure primarily came from the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which advised banks to pause or terminate relationships with cryptocurrency businesses without issuing explicit bans. This approach allowed regulators to target the industry while maintaining plausible deniability about coordinated efforts. Long emphasizes that Senator Lummis correctly identified that the people responsible for implementing these policies remain in their positions at federal banking agencies. Despite the Trump administration promises to support cryptocurrency, the actual personnel and regulatory mechanisms that created banking access problems for crypto companies have not been dismantled or replaced. The Custodia CEO argues that declaring victory prematurely could create false confidence in the industry while the underlying systemic issues persist across the federal banking regulatory apparatus. Career banking officials maintain power despite political leadership changes Long explains how career staff within federal banking agencies are the ones with true power and who have weathered multiple political appointees over the course of their career. Some top leaders have held positions at these agencies for 30 to 40 years, accustomed to new political appointees every four years as they keep their position and power. The CEO of Custodia learned this the hard way in her experience navigating legislation in Wyoming in 2018, where she observed seasoned career officials who had weathered seven or eight different supervisors during their careers. These are individuals who understand that political appointees are transitory but that they themselves are in positions of unparalleled authority in the regulatory process. Trump has not yet installed his people in top positions, as Senate confirmation proceedings for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, and the Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision have been slow. Even though there are nominees for two of these roles, they are waiting for Senate confirmation, hence causing delays in policy enactment. Long observes that some of the most senior Federal Reserve personnel possess left-of-center views, and one of them often quotes philosophers like Rousseau in email signatures. Long calls some of the Fed personnel “Warrenites” after Elizabeth Warren’s anti-crypto stance. The Federal Reserve asserts its independence from political influence, and the Supreme Court just reaffirmed that Fed governors are institutionally of a different status based on historical grounds. This independence makes it more difficult to remove anti-crypto career bureaucrats than to replace political appointees elsewhere in the agencies. Custodia builds banking solutions while awaiting regulatory clarity Custodia Bank partnered with Vantage Bank to create tokenized bank deposits that bypass current regulatory restrictions and also provide cross-border payment solutions. The partnership allows each bank to accomplish what the other cannot do independently, with Vantage providing Federal Reserve master account access and Custodia offering stablecoin technology capabilities. The collaboration completed the first cross-border issuance of tokenized bank deposits for DX Express, a Mexican trucking company that moved U.S. dollars across borders in seconds with maximum transaction costs of $0.10. This compares to traditional ACH or SWIFT transactions that typically require next-day processing, while the trucking company CEO wants to pay drivers within one hour of reaching destinations. Long describes building a mesh network approach that connects multiple banks and stablecoin issuers through swap arrangements, creating interoperability rather than walled garden systems. The strategy targets traditional ACH payment flows that existing stablecoin issuers do not serve, focusing on businesses that require GAAP financial statement compliance. Current stablecoins face adverse tax treatment requiring 1099 reporting for every transaction calculated to eight decimal places. This creates capital gains tax obligations that prevent traditional businesses from adoption. Custodia’s tokenized bank deposits avoid these tax complications while providing blockchain technology benefits including fraud reduction, faster settlement, and lower costs. The company anticipates multi-billion dollar opportunities in serving regular banking business that cannot currently access blockchain technology due to accounting and tax restrictions. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

2025-07-03 13:40
Trump-linked crypto ventures have added $620M to his net worth
Trump-related crypto ventures have reportedly added at least $620 million to his net worth in just a few months, powered by projects like World Liberty Financial and the Trump memecoin. However, US President Donald Trump’s net worth doesn’t look like it’s moved much since returning to the White House, as it stood $6.5 billion on Election Day and $6.4 billion today. The source of that wealth is transforming at warp speed, as behind the scenes, his family has quietly been building one of the most aggressive and lucrative crypto land grabs in modern financial history. Meanwhile, OFFICIAL TRUMP price has seen a dump of 20% over the last 30 days. Trumps pocket $390M from token sales According to a report, Licensing deals have long helped the Trump family monetize its name. This includes everything from real estate projects to perfume bottles and mattresses. However, crypto is allowing the Trumps to cash in faster and on a far larger scale. Real estate licensing brought in $34 million last year for the Trumps. This figure is too small in front of the money pouring in from token sales and digital asset firms that exist largely on the strength of the Trump name and MAGA brand. Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, has even said that “We have never been stronger.” The Trumps are going all-in on the digital asset boom. Since December, Eric and Don Jr. have been making the rounds at crypto events in Abu Dhabi, Washington, Dubai, and Las Vegas, turning political influence into digital currency hype. Back in the US, one of Trump’s more traditional assets, Trump National Doral in Miami, bagged a major win this January when it got the green light to build 1,500 luxury condos. This single move has increased the property’s estimated value from $350 million to $1.5 billion. Despite this, digital assets are the category that is delivering the flashiest surge to the Trumps. The most lucrative of these ventures is World Liberty Financial (WLF). This platform is offering both a Trump-branded token and a stablecoin called USD1 . Token sales have reportedly brought in $550 million, from which the Trump family has pocketed about $390 million. They also hold a massive stash of 22.5 billion World Liberty tokens, potentially worth over $2 billion. All these tokens are technically non-transferable for now. Trump family now owns 80% of TRUMP coin The report mentions that in June, the Trump family quietly reduced its stake in World Liberty from 60% to 40%. The details of the sale remain murky. Meanwhile, the USD1 stablecoin got a major push when Abu Dhabi’s MGX announced it was using the token to make a $2 billion investment in Binance. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is now listed as a World Liberty adviser alongside Justin Sun and Bilal Bin Saqib. Meanwhile, CZ is seeking a presidential pardon after pleading guilty to US money-laundering charges. Data shows that USD1 holds $2.2 billion circulation, suggesting its reserves alone could bring in $100 million annually. On the other hand, Trump memecoin’s 80% of the supply is held by Trump-linked entities. Bloomberg estimates Trump’s stake is already worth $150 million. TRUMP price jumped by around 5% in the last 24 hours while it still remains down by 88% from its all time high of $75.34. TRUMP is trading at an average price of $9.04 with a trading volume of $269 million. To hype the memecoin, Trump hosted a private dinner for its top 220 holders in May at one of his golf clubs. Recently, Eric Trump revealed that WLF plans to amass a “substantial position” in the Trump token, linking the two projects more closely. However, American Bitcoin, a new venture spun out of a Trump-affiliated investment bank, is also gaining traction. In a merger deal, Bitcoin miner Hut 8 handed over nearly all of its mining equipment to the company. Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now

2025-07-03 13:14
The Big Beautiful Bill is one vote away from POTUS desk
President Donald Trump’s tax and spending “big, beautiful bill” is just one step from becoming law after House Republicans pulled an all-nighter to secure a procedural vote, at around 3:30 AM ET Thursday, setting up a final vote slated for later in the day. The 219-213 vote on the House “rule,” a procedural motion that opens the floor for amendments and final passage, was much to the relief of Speaker Mike Johnson, who spent the better part of Wednesday convincing GOP policymakers on the fence to vote yes. The House originally passed the legislation in May, then underwent several changes in the Senate. It now includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, increases in military and border security spending, and reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs. House GOP unites after overnight talks House Republicans, many of whom stayed through the night, managed to coalesce after days of internal strife. GOP leaders were afraid of going through the marathon witnessed in the Senate earlier this week, where the bill passed by a single vote, cast by Vice President JD Vance. Senate’s revisions on the bill added more tax reductions and reduced cuts to social programs. Fiscal conservatives in the House argued that the provisions could add more figures on the national debt, while moderates worried about how slashing Medicaid benefits could affect them politically. Speaker Johnson held several meetings throughout Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday to garner enough support against the liberals. “It’s been a good day, we’re in a good place right now,” Johnson said after the vote. He refuted every claim that political deals were made to win over holdouts, insisting that lawmakers simply “needed time to understand the bill’s latest provisions.” Midday Wednesday, President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to push Right-wing aligned lawmakers to unite and move his administration’s bill to a final vote. “ It looks like the House is ready to vote tonight. We had GREAT conversations all day, and the Republican House Majority is UNITED, for the Good of our Country, delivering the Biggest Tax Cuts in History and MASSIVE Growth ,” Trump posted. “ Let’s go, Republicans, and everyone else. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! ” Members of the House Freedom Caucus were initially reluctant to vote, but after they supposedly talked to the POTUS, all was well in the GOP house. “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!” he wrote later in the night. Fiscally conservative Republicans yield to President Trump Towards the vote, fiscal hawks from the House Freedom Caucus were against what they viewed as “excessive spending,” unsure of how the bill would help solve the issue of a ballooning US deficit. “ The Senate doesn’t get to be the final say on everything ,” said Representative Chip Roy of Texas and Freedom Caucus member. On Wednesday morning, Roy told his colleagues that enough Republicans wanted to reopen the bill and rework it, even if it meant delaying the July 4 recess. By evening, however, Roy voted in favor of bringing the bill to the floor. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania was the only Republican to vote against the procedural motion. House Democrats, though unable to win in the vote, held a press conference on the Capitol steps Wednesday, accusing Republicans of bending to Trump’s will. “ When we say the Republican Party has turned into a cult, this is what we mean ,” said Representative Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island. “ Our Republican colleagues are pushing a bill that would throw their constituents under the bus … all because Donald Trump wants a bill signing photo-op by the Fourth of July. ” Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the House Minority Whip, called out GOP Representative David Valadao of California. She asked how he could support the bill, given how opposed he was to deep cuts to Medicaid, a program his constituents rely on. Even with his publicly stated reservations, Valadao voted to advance the bill. Cryptopolitan Academy: Tired of market swings? Learn how DeFi can help you build steady passive income. Register Now

2025-07-03 12:50
Ethereum dev to push ETH’s price to $10,000 through a new community
Ethereum core developer Zak Cole has launched a new organization, the Ethereum Community Foundation (ECF), with a bold mission: drive the price of Ether (ETH) to $10,000 and refocus the ecosystem’s attention on ETH as an asset. Unveiled at the eighth Ethereum Community Conference in Cannes, France, the ECF operates independently from the Ethereum Foundation. According to Cole, the ETH Foundation has increasingly sidelined ETH’s value in favor of ecosystem development. “We are the Ethereum Community Foundation. We say what the [Ethereum Foundation] can’t, we do what the [Ethereum Foundation] won’t,” Cole declared during his presentation. Zak Cole’s ECF rejects VC-backed tokens in push for Ethereum monetary reform The ECF plans to fund infrastructure projects that grow the Ethereum ecosystem and bolster ETH’s price. Grant recipients must build tokenless, immutable applications that use Ethereum’s mainnet as the settlement layer, thereby contributing to ETH burn through transaction fees. Source: Ethereum Community Foundation Eligible projects must also support public goods and scale ETH without introducing new tokens or relying on venture capital. “ETH’s price is a direct function of its security,” Cole wrote in an X post, underscoring the foundation’s vision for a stronger monetary foundation for the token. The first grantee, Ethereum Validator Association (EVA), will give validators a greater role in shaping ETH’s monetary direction by prioritizing EIP development and client performance. Cole said the EVA introduces validator representation, noting it will empower high-performing clients. Cole also criticized the Foundation for backing projects like Uniswap, Optimism, and Ethereum Name Service, which later launched venture capital-backed tokens. He said publicly funded projects should remain public and benefit those who have paid for them. He further raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, citing Offchain Labs’ ownership in Prysmatic Labs—developers of Prysm, ETH’s second-largest consensus client. As of press time, the Foundation has not responded to a request for comment. Ethereum developer launches ECF to target $10K ETH as ETF inflows hit $260M ETH price predictions are once again dominating crypto conversations, with analysts forecasting a possible rally to $10,000 by early 2026. Cole’s mission to restore ETH’s monetary status coincides with growing institutional interest, which may already align with his vision. This renewed optimism comes as Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded a combined $260 million inflows last week — a strong signal of growing institutional appetite for ETH. Adding fuel to the fire, market intelligence reveals a surge in interest surrounding a new altcoin following a wallet reveal tied to the project. The token, slated for launch in Q3, has attracted attention from “smart money,” with on-chain activity spiking sharply in response. Blockchain data shows a marked increase in ETH’s network demand since the wallet’s unveiling, with daily active addresses and transaction volumes ticking upward. Analysts leveraging Fibonacci retracement models suggest a possible breakout scenario, projecting a price range of $10,000 to $12,000 by early 2026, provided ETH can overcome critical resistance levels. More cautious forecasters maintain that while ETH may eventually breach $10,000, such a move is more likely in the post-2026 horizon, contingent on broader market cycles and macroeconomic tailwinds. ETH technicals and fundamentals align for a bullish setup Currently trading at $2,599.98, ETH is holding firm amid a consolidation pattern just below a descending resistance trendline. June’s close near $2,470 has formed a base for what some analysts interpret as a Wyckoff accumulation phase — a bullish technical setup that could precede a major breakout. The narrative is further supported by improving fundamentals: institutional wallets have quietly accumulated more ETH, and speculation surrounding the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs has led to renewed retail and institutional interest. DeFi activity, boosted by ETH’s upcoming sharding upgrade, is also pivotal in building long-term bullish sentiment. Some ETH price models call for a medium-term move toward $3,400, suggesting bulls remain in the market. The convergence of ETF momentum, network upgrades, and institutional buying has created a perfect storm for ETH, which could eventually carry the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency to five-figure territory. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

2025-07-03 12:40
New to Crypto Investing? Experts Say This is the Best Altcoin to Buy in 2025
First-time investors entering the crypto market in 2025 are being met with thousands of options, but seasoned analysts are zeroing in on one name rising fast from its presale, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) . Unlike the endless wave of recycled altcoins, Mutuum Finance is positioning itself as a top DeFi protocol, tailored for real-world lending with a sleek on-chain model. Currently priced at $0.03 MUTM is moving fast through its presale phase. Mutuum Finance is in presale stage 5 of which 50% is already sold out because of huge demand. The project is priced at $0.03. Over $11.5 million has been raised to date and over 12,700 investors have joined. It’s already being spotlighted in early best altcoin to invest in 2025. Mutuum Finance Reaches $11.5 Million in Funding Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is well on its path to being one of the hottest projects in DeFi. With an astonishing $11.5 million raised and over 12,700 investors already joining, the presale is gaining serious traction. During phase five, the token is priced at $0.03. The next round will see the price increase to $0.035, and with an already determined official launch price of $0.06, early investors already enjoy a 100% profit before the token is even available for sale. Some even foresee a post-launch price bounce of more than $2.50 before the bull run of 2025 is finished. MUTM Lending and Borrowing Mutuum Finance is reshaping DeFi with a lending platform built on user control, security, and flexibility. Its two-sided model encourages diverse interactions instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all approach. Investors can deposit USDT and passively earn heightened income as the interest rates are modified according to the market tendency via its Peer-to-Contract lending model. Trustless, automated, and customizable, Mutuum Finance offers a new standard in DeFi lending, automation without sacrificing control. Mutuum Finance Giveaway Is Live To commemorate its early traction and to give back to the community Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is also organizing a huge $100,000 giveaway . 10 winners from the early investors will be chosen to win $10,000 in Mutuum Finance tokens each. Through its unique leaderboard mechanism the top 50 Mutuum Finance holders will be rewarded. As the users climb the ranks they will be rewarded in bonus tokens token holding fun and competitive one. The mechanism drives both excitement and loyalty and bootstraps ecosystem growth in high-gear. Mutuum Finance Announces $50,000 Bug Bounty In order to strengthen security, Mutuum Finance has already introduced a $50,000 Bug Bounty Program together with CertiK, rewards such that every vulnerability will be rewarded in the four stages, the first level will be critical, second-level will be the major, third level will be minor, and fourth level will be low. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is proving to be more than just hype, raising over $11.5 million and attracting 12,700+ early investors in record time. At a current price of $0.03, investors are already seeing up to 100% projected gains ahead of the official launch price of $0.06, not to mention forecasts of a $2.50+ post-launch surge in a full-blown 2025 bull market. Its unique dual-lending model, robust security measures like the $50,000 CertiK Bug Bounty, and strategic presale pricing make it a standout in the altcoin market. Now is the time to act, secure your Mutuum Finance tokens today and step confidently into one of 2025’s most promising DeFi projects. For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below: Website: https://mutuum.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

2025-07-03 12:30
North Korean hackers target Web3 startups using fake Zoom meeting invitations
North Korean hackers have launched a sophisticated malware campaign targeting Web3 and cryptocurrency companies using NimDoor malware. SentinelLabs identified advanced attack methods that combine social engineering with complex programming techniques to infiltrate Mac systems and steal sensitive information. North Korean hackers trick victims through fake Zoom meeting updates North Korean attackers begin their attacks by posing as known contacts through Telegram messaging, subsequently requesting their victims to organize meetings through Calendly scheduling pages. Victims are invited by email to download what appears to be a legitimate Zoom software update, with spoofed Zoom meeting links embedded. The attackers build domains that contain malicious files presented as Zoom support update files, with domain names that are designed to resemble actual Zoom meeting URLs. The spoofed domains contain variations such as support.us05web-zoom.forum and support.us05web-zoom.cloud, which are very similar to actual Zoom web domains known to users. The zoom_sdk_support.scpt is padded with 10k lines of whitespace; note the typo ‘Zook’ and the scroll bar, top right. Source: Sentinel Labs . The attack programs have thousands of lines of empty space to hide their purpose, making them appear to be bigger and more natural than simple attack programs. Hidden in these programs are just three lines of attack code that download and run other attack modules from servers operated by the hackers. SentinelLabs researchers discovered multiple concurrent domains used by the same attackers, which pointed to a wide-scale campaign that was impacting numerous victims with customized web addresses for each victim. The typos of the fake update files, like “Zook SDK Update” instead of “Zoom SDK Update,” are more easily detectable and trackable by security researchers. Once the spoofed update is executed by victims, the malware loads a legitimate Zoom redirect URL with an HTML file. This presents the initial infection as legitimate while covertly initiating the primary attack components in the back. This is for the purpose of misleading victims into believing that they successfully executed a standard software update process. NimDoor malware steals passwords and personal data The NimDoor malware campaign uses two separate attack paths once it successfully infects victim computers. The first path focuses on stealing personal information including passwords, browser data, and chat histories from popular applications. The second path establishes long-term access to compromised systems through hidden background programs. The malware targets multiple web browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Arc, copying stored passwords, browsing history, and saved login information. It also steals system passwords stored in Mac computers’ built-in password management systems and copies command history files that show what programs users have run. A specialized component specifically targets Telegram messaging data, stealing encrypted chat databases and decryption keys that allow attackers to read private conversations offline. The stolen Telegram information includes both the encrypted message files and the special keys needed to unlock and read those messages. All stolen information gets packaged and sent to attacker-controlled servers through encrypted connections. The malware creates hidden folders on infected computers to temporarily store copied data before transmission, using names designed to look like legitimate system files. The attack uses advanced programming languages including Nim and C++ that many security programs have difficulty detecting. The malware includes features that help it avoid detection by security software, such as communicating through encrypted web connections and using legitimate-looking file names and locations. The attackers designed the malware to work specifically on Mac computers, taking advantage of built-in Mac features to hide their activities and maintain persistent access to infected systems. Advanced persistence methods ensure the malware survives The NimDoor malware includes methods to maintain access to infected computers even after users restart their systems or attempt to remove the malicious software. The attackers use a clever approach that automatically reinstalls the malware whenever users try to terminate or delete it. When users attempt to stop the malware process or shut down their computers, the malware catches these termination signals and immediately writes backup copies of itself to hidden locations on the infected system. This creates a situation where trying to remove the malware actually triggers its reinstallation process. The malware creates fake system files with names designed to look legitimate, such as creating folders named after Google services but with subtle spelling differences that users typically do not notice. These fake files get automatic startup permissions that cause the malware to run every time the computer boots up. A key component acts as a lightweight monitoring program that checks in with attacker servers every 30 seconds, sending information about running programs and waiting for new commands. This monitoring happens through seemingly innocent connections that appear similar to normal web traffic. The malware also includes a 10-minute delay before becoming fully active, which helps it avoid detection by security software that scans for immediately suspicious behavior. This delay makes the malware appear like a normal program that takes time to start up. These persistence methods by North Korean hackers make the malware particularly difficult for average users to remove completely. It also often requires specialized security tools or professional assistance to fully clean infected systems. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

2025-07-03 11:45
BYD delays expansion in the Americas due to trade uncertainty
On Wednesday, BYD said it still plans to grow in North and South America, but it doesn’t know when. It gave no indication which markets it plans to target first or how large its investments might be. Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president, told Bloomberg that rising geopolitical tensions are forcing carmakers to rethink their overseas strategies. “Geopolitical issues have a big impact on the automotive industry,” she said. “We want to wait for more clarity before making our decision.” In September, Bloomberg reported that BYD would delay announcing any major plant in Mexico until after the U.S. presidential election on November 5, 2024. Then in March, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said BYD still hadn’t made a formal investment offer. Part of the hold-up is a 25% tariff on vehicles shipped from Mexico to the United States, a levy introduced under President Donald Trump. That fee has squeezed automakers, both domestic and foreign, and prompted some to pass costs on to buyers or to offer temporary discounts. Industry executives say that such high tariffs often erode profit margins and make long-term planning difficult. Automakers have taken varied paths to cope. Several brands have cut prices to protect customers from possible hikes, while others tack on extra import surcharges for cars built abroad. Stellantis and Nissan, for instance, have scaled back output at their Mexican factories amid the trade uncertainty. BYD responds to labor scandal by slowing international push BYD’s Brazil plant project stalled in December when Brazilian labor authorities accused the main contractor of keeping more than 160 workers in slave-like conditions, seizing passports and withholding pay. BYD said it moved those laborers into hotels, conducted a thorough review of living and working arrangements for subcontracted staff, and repeatedly pressed its contractor to resolve the problems. Reflecting on the episode, Li said the company would temper its growth pace. “We should slow down, step back from the focus on speed. We need to work more with local companies,” she said. “It will take longer, but that’s OK.” BYD is making a strong push into the European market. Stella Li, the company’s executive vice president and its main international spokesperson said last month “If you’re winning here, it means you’re super good in every angle.” She shared BYD is prepared to invest as much as $20 billion in Europe. The company has already moved away from using outside importers, has taken charge of its own shipping operations, and has stocked its showrooms with more affordable, compact vehicles aimed at local buyers. In China and Europe, companies like BYD, Xpeng, Xiaomi, and Nio sell more cars than Tesla by offering lower prices. BYD expects to sell over 5 million cars by 2025. In April it outsold Tesla in European EV deliveries for the first time. Those results have helped lift BYD’s share price by 38% so far in 2025, as investors reward its battery know-how, competitive pricing and global push. EV demand in China delays Xiaomi’s global expansion Moreover on Wednesday, Xiaomi said it will not consider exporting its electric vehicles until 2027. CEO Lei Jun told viewers in a livestream that the company must satisfy high domestic demand for its SU7 sedan and its newly launched YU7 SUV before looking abroad. The decision to delay overseas shipments underlines Xiaomi’s need to fulfill strong domestic orders before stretching its production capacity. The SU7 has outsold Tesla’s Model 3 each month since December, and the YU7 drew heavy orders in the first 18 hours after going on sale last Thursday. That rush pushed Xiaomi’s stock to a record high. Lei Jun introduced the YU7 at a Beijing launch event on May 22, 2025. He later warned customers to expect waits of more than a year before taking delivery, prompting fresh complaints. When asked about plans to boost output, he replied only, “We’ll strive to ramp up capacity,” without offering further details. KEY Difference Wire helps crypto brands break through and dominate headlines fast

2025-07-03 11:16
Firefox users hit by malicious wallet extension attacks
Researchers from the Koi security company discovered an ongoing campaign spreading malicious wallet extensions on Firefox. The malicious apps spoof the most widely used wallets, stealing private phrases and leaving users vulnerable to being drained. An ongoing campaign is spreading malicious extensions, spoofing some of the most common crypto wallets on Firefox. Koi security discovered some of the apps were removed, while others were still active, posing as legitimate wallets. The SlowMist attack team also warned users to be vigilant, as the attack is still active. The fake apps are spreading through the official Firefox app store, making them potentially more misleading and dangerous. 🚨SlowMist TI Alert🚨 A massive malicious campaign involving dozens of fake #Firefox extensions designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet credentials is underway. Over 40 fake extensions impersonating trusted #wallets like MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Trust Wallet, Phantom, OKX,… pic.twitter.com/IIfE5ifxJi — SlowMist (@SlowMist_Team) July 3, 2025 The attack is relatively simple, but targets the easiest type of user, who seek casual access to crypto. Using a compromised app, or inputting private phrases into one may lead to significant losses. Users are already reporting losses from the fake apps. Hacks and exploits accelerated in the first half of 2025, as crypto increased in value. Threats also came from DPRK hackers infiltrating projects, with hundreds potentially affected by malicious code. Firefox fake extensions target the most widely used wallets Koi intercepted fake apps for some of the most widely used wallet extensions, including Coinbase, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Phantom, Exodus, OKX, Keplr, MyMonero, Bitget, Leap, Ethereum Wallet, and Filfox. The researchers discovered over 40 apps posing as wallets, with new ones appearing. Some of the fake wallets are still active on unofficial links. According to researchers, the fake apps started spreading around April 2025. The extensions extract and send out wallet extensions, reaching a server controlled by the attacker. The apps also transmit the user’s IP address for tracking and further targeting. Attackers cloned the open-source code of legitimate wallets The attack was relatively simple, often using the legitimate wallet code for open-source projects like MetaMask. The fake apps then injected the malicious code to allow the wallet to steal data and credentials. The fake wallet apps were active on app stores, using the same logos and style as the original wallet. Previously, faked wallets have targeted specific niche projects, but this time, the attacker spoofed multi-asset wallets, widely used for DeFi, trading, NFT and other on-chain tasks. Code analysis concluded the attack most likely originated from Russia, as Russian-language code comments were discovered in some of the apps. Metadata from a file on one of the command-and-control servers also points to a Russian attacker. Koi advices users to install an allow list filter and avoid downloading apps without vetting. Some of the apps may not show problems, but later update and change their behavior. Security researchers also advice against searching apps directly, as the results may point to fake wallets with deliberately inflated five-star reviews. The best approach is to use the wallet’s official web page or social media. Users were also advised to be skeptical when seeing an app with too many five-star reviews, that were artificially placed to make the app seem established and legitimate. KEY Difference Wire : the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage

2025-07-03 10:54

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