One of the original Bitcoin core developers losses all his BTC in hack

  • Bitcoin OG and core developer, Dashjr, claimed virtually all his bitcoins were stolen.
  • The hackers accessed the developer’s PGP key.
  • On November 17, 2022, Dashjr, noted his server had been compromised.

A Bitcoin OG and one of the original Bitcoin’s core developers, Luke Dashjr, has claimed that he virtually lost all his bitcoins after his Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) keys were compromised on December 31, 2022, just before the new year.

PGP key is a common security method that uses two keys to gain access to encrypted information.

In a post on Twitter on January 1, 2023, Dashjr was asking for help from the PSA:

“PSA: My PGP key is compromised, and at least many of my bitcoins stolen. I have no idea how. Help please.”

In a follow-up tweet, Dashjr appeared distressed asking why he could not reach anyone from the FBI or IC3 before following it up with a tweet containing a wallet address, which is believed to be one of the Bitcoin wallets where some of the stolen BTC was sent to.

“What the heck @FBI @ic3  why can’t I reach anyone???

Although Dashjr did not disclose how many bitcoins were stolen from his wallet, the wallet address that he shared showed four bitcoin transactions on December 31 that totalled to 216.93 BTC.

Dashjr server compromised in November 2022

Although the developer said that he had no idea as to how hackers gained access to his PGP key, some community members have drawn a possible connection to an earlier claim that Dashjr had made on November 17, 2022, that his server had been compromised by ““new malware/backdoors on the system.”

Unfortunately, Dashjr, says that he learnt of the hack after getting emails from Kraken and Coinbase about login attempts.

The hack also caught the attention of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) who consoled the developer on Twitter saying:

“Sorry to see you lose so much. Informed our security team to monitor. If it comes our way, we will freeze it. If there is anything else we can help with, please let us know. We deal with these often, and have Law Enforcement (LE) relationships worldwide.”

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Bitcoin (BTC) Price Slides as Inflation Is Going Up – Here’s Why Crypto New Projects Like Metacade (MCADE) Could Surge

Real-world economic performance undeniably impacts global cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin (BTC), the biggest crypto asset by market capitalization, proving an excellent guide to the health of the crypto industry. Recent increases in inflation worldwide, but particularly in the US, have seen the value of Bitcoin slide during the second half of 2022 as the global economic crisis takes hold.

While this isn’t great news for existing investors in the world’s leading cryptocurrencies, such as BTC, excellent investment opportunities in exciting new crypto projects remain. One of the most enticing new crypto projects is Metacade, which saw an enthusiastic uptake during its beta presale stage, raising almost $1 million in just three weeks.

What is Metacade?

Metacade is the world’s first virtual gaming arcade that uses Web3 and blockchain technology to revolutionize the GameFi metaverse industry. The platform will host the broadest range of play-to-earn (P2E) games in the metaverse and offer gamers the same level of fun and social interaction they’d get visiting a real-life video arcade from the comfort of their gaming chair or sofa.

The P2E element of the community is one of several ways community users benefit from the platform. The other revenue stream initiatives are:

  • Compete2Earn – earning by staking tokens and gaining tournament rewards
  • Create2Earn – earning by interacting with the community and its members
  • Work2Earn – earning through finding new Web3 role on the jobs board, which launches in Q1 2024.

In addition to the opportunities to earn, Metacade is a platform that allows budding developers to earn their stripes by supporting them to learn game development and has plans to become a self-sufficient and fully-fledged DAO by Q4 2024.

How Metacade works

Unlike many GameFi platforms, Metacade has a diverse offering that stretches beyond the P2E element. The native token for the platform is the MCADE coin, and there are several ways Metacade generates revenue.

Metacade’s revenue-generating features include a range of pay-to-play arcade games, just like gamers would expect to find in a real-world video arcade. There’s also advertising on the platform, entry fees for prize draws and to compete in tournaments, and the launchpad initiative, which allows external companies to release games in Metacade for a price. These revenue streams provide the funds that flow into gamers’ wallets as they earn rewards.

The number of titles available on Metacade will continue to grow. This growth will be aided from Q3 2023 by the introduction of the Metagrants initiative. Metagrants are a source of funding for developers to build games on the platform. Developers submit gaming proposals to be voted on by MCADE token holders, who determine the community’s favorite ideas. The winning developers will receive funding to help turn their proposals into reality. The first Metagrant-backed games hit the Metacade library in Q1 2024.

Other features in the pipeline include introducing a jobs board in Q1 2024 to boost the Work2Earn initiative. The board will feature a range of opportunities from internships, short-term gig work, and full-time roles within the GameFi industry with Metacade-approved partners, giving anyone with a genuine interest in working in Web3 development a helping hand to get started in the industry.

Meanwhile, Metacade’s transition into becoming a DAO begins in Q2 2023, with the process estimated to take 18 months before community members assume all of the critical roles. This autonomy is one of Metacade’s leading lights; it hands control of the platform’s future direction to the most important community members.

Why could MCADE surge?

The breadth of Metacade’s plans, found in more detail in their white paper, makes it an exciting prospect for investors hunting for new crypto projects. With many other GameFi developments focusing on a minimal range of options, it’s easy for them to become little more than a fad.

Metacade’s offering will not fall into that trap. The range of games on offer will continue to increase, providing additional opportunities to earn, whether through competitions, playing, or creating social content to engage with the community. Furthermore, the continual addition of new games means there’s no risk of the platform becoming boring or stale since it will continually reinvent itself with the regular release of new and exciting titles. As a result, Metacade has solid project longevity. 

Additionally, the community will ultimately have complete autonomy over how Metacade develops. Gamers’ interests will forever be at the heart of the platform’s development, unlike in more traditional gaming, where developers have to balance that with providing a return to shareholders.

These plans place Metacade at the forefront of the blockchain gaming revolution.

How to purchase MCADE tokens

The Metacade beta sale sold out in less than four weeks, making it one of the most attractive new crypto projects currently in its presale stage. The price will increase by more than double as  the ninth and final presale round concludes, raising a total market cap of $28 million.

Getting on board with Metacade couldn’t be simpler. Tokens can be purchased on Metacade’s website by anyone with a Wallet Connect-supported crypto wallet. 

You can purchase MCADE with ETH (Ethereum) or USDT (Tether). First, connect your wallet to Metacade’s website to access the DEX, and then accept the option to purchase MCADE with ETH or USDT.

You can buy BTC at eToro here.

You can participate in the Metacade pre-sale here.

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Alameda liquidates millions worth of tokens for Bitcoin

  • Alameda Research addresses sent millions worth of tokens to decentralised exchanges and crypto mixers on Wednesday.
  • According to on-chain data, the tokens were swapped into USDT before being converted into Bitcoin.
  • The Alameda wallets sprung into life a few days after FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried was released on a $250 million bail.

Crypto wallets linked to Alameda Research, the quant trading arm of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, were massively active on Wednesday, on-chain data shows.

The Alameda addresses, as data shared online showed, actively sold several small cap cryptocurrencies, swapping these for Bitcoin and in some cases Ethereum.

Alameda sells millions worth of tokens

According to details shared on Twitter by Martin Lee, a data journalist at blockchain analytics platform Nansen, there were multiple odd transactions that seemed to swap tokens in Alameda wallets for Ethereum and Tether stablecoin USDT.

The funds were then sent to new wallets via decentralised exchanges (DEXs), including ChangeNow and FixedFloat.

Elsewhere, on-chain data shared by blockchain research firm Arkham Intelligence pointed to Alameda wallets offloading over $1.7 million in various tokens.

According to the platform, the sales happened on the open market – a scenario that likely was behind the sharp drop in prices for several tokens. The Ethereum-based cryptocurrencies the wallets sold include Ether (ETH), Curve (CRV), USD Coin (USDC), Dai (DAI), and convex (CVX).

The tokens were sent to two wallets, swapped for USDT and then converted into BTC, blockchain sleuth ZachXBT tweeted on Wednesday.

The Alameda wallets came alive after weeks of dormancy, with these transactions intensifying as former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried settled at home following released from jail on a $250 million bail. The sale of multiple tokens also coincided with a sharp price decline for Solana (SOL).

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Bitcoin holding $16K amid worst annual performance since 2018

  • Bitcoin was changing hands near $16,600 on Wednesday, about 1% down in the past 24 hours.
  • The cryptocurrency is heading for its worst yearly returns since 2018.
  • Stocks have also hit a brutal patch in 2022, with major US indexes headed for their worst annual returns since 2008.

Bitcoin remained uncharacteristically uneventful on Wednesday, trading around $16,600 as investors weighed an end to a brutal 2022.

The benchmark cryptocurrency was just in the red during early afternoon trading (2:10 pm ET) as Wall Street also turned negative amid fading optimism over China’s reopening.

Markets to end 2022 lower

In crypto, Bitcoin volatility has been at its 2022 low this week, with the surge towards $17,000 cooling off to leave the cryptocurrency 67% down in the past year.

In fact, 2022 is shaping as the year with the second-worst returns for BTC since 2010. The digital gold’s performance during this markedly bear year has the asset on track for a worst return since the 73% drawdown in 2018.

In the 2014 bear market, Bitcoin price fell 58%, with other years with lower returns being +35% in 2015 and +66% in 2021 – indeed Bitcoin is more than 75% down since its all-time high in 2021.

As Bitcoin struggles to hold onto gains above $16k, the picture across the stock market is similar for the major US indexes. The S&P 500 is down 4.1% this month and over 20% year-to-date, while the Dow and the Nasdaq are -2.5% and -7.1% over the past 30 days respectively.

The historically bullish season for equities has been largely negative, with ongoing investor jitters around inflation and rate hikes, and the overall outlook for the global economy, adding to the downward pressure that has persisted for most of the year.

As such, while Bitcoin is set to see its worst yearly performance since 2018, US stocks are poised for their worst annual returns since 2008.

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MicroStrategy buys another 2,500 BTC to bring total to 132,500

  • MicroStrategy reportedly bought approximately 2,500 BTC between 1 November and 24 December, 2022.
  • The company now holds 132,500 BTC acquired for approximately $4.03 billion.
  • MicroStrategy did however sell 704 BTC for $11.8 million on 22 December for what it termed as tax benefits.

MicroStrategy, a publicly traded company that’s the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has reported buying more of the flagship cryptocurrency even as the market hit turbulence beginning early November.

As per the filing submitted on 28 December to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), MicroStrategy says it purchased an additional 2,500 bitcoins between 1 November and 24 December, 2022. 

Altogether, the software analytics and business intelligence firm purchased Bitcoin worth approximately $56.4 million in nearly two months and $4.03 billion in total.

MicroStrategy now holds 132, 500 bitcoins

As crypto navigated the turmoil caused by FTX’s collapse that had crypto price tapping new multi-year lows, MicroStrategy saw an opportunity to buy Bitcoin. In short, the company added 2,395 bitcoins worth $42.8 million to its holdings between 1 November and 21 December, 2022.

The total BTC acquisition in this period cost the firm $42.8 million at an average purchase price of $17,871 per coin.

On 22 December, 2022, MicroStrategy sold 704 bitcoins for $11.8 million. According to the company, the sale was at an average price of $16,776 per coin. Although the sale was at a loss, the company plans to offset the capital losses against capital gains made earlier.

Despite the BTC sale, MicroStrategy went to the market again on 24 December 2022. It bought another 810 bitcoins at an average price of $16,845 and for a total outlay of $13.6 million. By 27 December 2022, the company had added 2,500 bitcoins at a total cost of $56.4 million. 

As of this report, MicroStrategy had increased its Bitcoin holdings from 130,000 BTC at the end of October to 132,500 bitcoins by 27 December, 2022.

The recent purchases means MicroStrategy has spent $4.03 billion on acquiring BTC since its first purchase in 2020. The coins’ average purchase price currently stands at $30,397 per bitcoin. 

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