Crypto gambling — how does the future of secure gambling look?

Online gambling is a huge part of the casino world, but there is a small percentage of players who worry about its security — welcome, cryptocurrency casinos. It’s 2024, and although crypto casinos are nothing new, there is a wide range of some of the huge household names now utilizing this form of payment to stay ahead. It used to be that security processes were a major block for many players online, as when you gamble online you are putting your data, funds, and personal information in the hands of the online casino. Luckily, we’re in a new era of technology and the security methods that these brands now use are second to none. 

 If we were to look at the history of online casinos, we would see that traditional platforms struggled to build robust security methods, which left players susceptible to fraud and hackers. However, that fear is one of the past, as all online casinos that are worth playing on have to be regulated and in turn, adopt a fortress-like level of security. It not only puts you as the player in safe hands but offers up a new way of using decentralized funds, that are transparent and completely controlled by you. We’re going to be taking a look at how one of the safest forms of online gambling is evolving, and what measures shape where it’s got to today. Ever worried about online casinos before? Well, you won’t now! 

 Blockchain — what is it?

 

If you were looking for one advancement to thank in this evolving secure digital landscape, then it would most definitely be blockchain. Although to many it sounds unmeasurably confusing, it’s a piece of technology that works wonders in online gambling. Blockchain is a decentralized digital piece of technology that acts as a record sheet for transactions. It is a secure, transparent piece of tech that, in summary, is a digital ledger/database. It stores the transactions in things called blocks, which are then linked by a chain… sounds obvious, right?

 Each and every block that is formed on this digital ledger then contains an individual yet unique cryptographic node that cannot be modified as the chain goes on. Therefore, in summary, as the chain progresses, it becomes inevitably stronger and unable to be hacked or tampered with. It’s also getting more valuable all the time.

 It is the undisputed heavyweight in all security processes and stands as the backbone of anything cryptocurrency-related. 

But how does it keep your information safe in gambling?

 

  1. Immutability — This means that it is unable to be changed, ever. When a piece of data has been recorded on the ledger (blockchain), it is then unable to be altered. This creates a transparent record in a casino, showing that all bets have been safely placed and will never be tampered with.
  2. Decentralization — Like everything with crypto, when using crypto in a casino, it becomes completely decentralized. This cuts out any third parties such as banks, and therefore reduces potential threats. Although you may think your funds are safe with the central banks, they are far more susceptible to hackers than if they were placed in a virtual crypto wallet — hence why they’re the future of online gambling.
  3. Fairer — Above all else, when you’re gambling online, one of the most important requests is fairness. Blockchain makes sure that all the algorithms in a casino’s interface are fully leveled out, meaning that crypto pokies are guaranteed to be treated equally with all their pay-ins, pay-outs, and hand/slot automation. 

 

The future of privacy and transparency

 

Online gambling is only growing exponentially because both crypto and blockchain are putting support in place for its players. Crypto gives the player a whole new level of anonymity, while blockchain dishes up transparent records for safeguarding their data. This opposes the older methods of online casinos, as pre-crypto users would use traditional payment methods that resulted in your data being shared, and potentially hacked. Before crypto was utilized by online casinos, players would have to input a lot more personal data — which would put them at risk of identity fraud. Now, the online player uses a virtual wallet that is decentralized and secure from all threats. 

 The role of cryptocurrency is growing and the future of it is only getting more resilient against security worries. As of early 2024, there are 13,217 cryptocurrencies in existence, with new ones appearing all the time — and this is expected to grow by the end of the year. We’re in an era where technological changes are inevitable, and to stay ahead as a business, you need to adopt change. This makes customers in online gambling feel safe, and encourages them to utilize the platforms that prioritize their safety above all else. 

 With every bet you place being recorded on the blockchain and every payout you receive being fully untraceable — secure gambling is not just the future, it’s the now. 

 

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Genesis to return $3B to customers after court approves bankruptcy plan

  • Genesis Global gets court approval to repay $3 billion to customers.
  • Judge Sean Lane overruled an objection from Genesis parent company Digital Currency Group.
  • DCG argued payments to be in US value of assets as of bankruptcy filing in January 2023.

Genesis Global has secured court approval to return $3 billion in cash and crypto to its creditors, details in a recent court filing show. The payouts will represent about 77% of customers’ claims.

However, the payout doesn’t include Digital Currency Group (DCG), the parent company of Genesis Global.

The development comes after US Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane approved the Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan Genesis Global and its subsidiaries filed in January 2023. Genesis’ bankruptcy followed the collapse of Three Arrows Capital and FTX in 2022.

Judge overrules DCG objection

As noted above, the plan to return billions of dollars worth of crypto assets and cash to Genesis creditors has received a node from Judge Sean Lane. 

On Friday, the judge overruled DCG’s objection to the liquidation plan, paving way for this significant step in the right direction for creditors. 

In their argument, DCG had argued that Genesis should pay customers as per the value of their crypto assets at the time the company filed for bankruptcy.

In dismissing DCG’s objections, Judge Lane noted:

“The record here clearly establishes that there is not sufficient value in the Debtors’ estates to provide DCG a recovery as equity holder after unsecured creditors are paid… Given the size of the creditor claims, DCG is out of the money as an equity holder by billions of dollars, even if the Court valued creditor claims using the method DCG proposes.”

When Genesis filed for Chapter 11, customer claims by the top 50 creditors was over $3.5 billion. The court’s approval of the liquidation plan will see approximately 97% of reimbursements handled in-kind.

This means a customer who deposited BTC will receive payout in BTC and not the equivalent US dollar value.

Genesis to return crypto to customers beginning next month

At current prices, customer claims for Bitcoin or Ethereum are trading at 97-110% for claims amounting to over $10 million. Claims under $1 million are trading at 74-94%. In comparison, the claims traded at 35% at the time the crypto lender filed for bankruptcy.

For stablecoins, its 89-91% for claims of $1-10 million and 73-88% for accounts with under $1 million.

The plan allows for creditors reimbursements to begin early next month, bringing value to Gemini Earn customers and other Genesis creditors. 

Notably, the price of Bitcoin has increased significantly since January 2023, rising from around $21k to currently hover above $66k. BTC reached a new all-time high above $73k in March.

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Solana memecoin protocol pump.fun exploit mastermind arrested in London

  • Jarett Dunn, aka @STACCoverflow, arrested in London for Solana memecoin exploit.
  • Dunn used flash loans to manipulate pump.fun, stealing $2 million in liquidity.
  • Released on bail, Dunn confessed online, citing mental health struggles and grief

The alleged orchestrator of the recent Solana memecoin protocol pump.fun exploit, Jarett Dunn, known online as @STACCoverflow, has been arrested in London.

The arrest follows a sophisticated 26-hour intelligence operation spearheaded by a third-party stakeholder who had enlisted a private intelligence firm to track Dunn’s activities.

Jarett Dunn arrested in Middle Eight Hotel

The operation culminated in the early hours of May 18 when local operatives, or “auxiliaries,” pinpointed Dunn’s location at the Middle Eight Hotel in Covent Garden.

After a seven-hour search, British authorities apprehended Dunn, who has since been released on bail pending his court appearance in August.

The Pump.fun flash loan exploit

Dunn, a former contractor, is accused of exploiting the Solana-based pump.fun protocol by utilizing flash loans from the Raydium lending platform.

Flash loans allow users to borrow large sums of capital without collateral, provided the loan is repaid within the same transaction.

Dunn allegedly manipulated the pump.fun bonding curves to access and withdraw substantial liquidity, profiting $2 million in the process.

In the aftermath of the exploit, Dunn took to social media to confess his involvement. His posts on X (formerly Twitter) revealed a mix of remorse and defiance, hinting at a desire to distribute the stolen funds to Solana (SOL) token holders.

Dunn also opened up about his mental health struggles and the recent loss of his mother, suggesting that emotional distress played a significant role in his actions.

The exploit has prompted pump.fun to work closely with law enforcement to investigate the breach. Initial theories by Igor Igamberdiev, head of research at cryptocurrency market maker Wintermute, pointed to an internal private key leak.

Dunn’s erratic tweets have since confirmed his role, though the specifics of his proposed fund distribution remain unclear.

As the investigation continues, the cryptocurrency community watches closely, awaiting further developments in this high-profile case.

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Crypto price prediction: Floki, BitBot, Arweave

Cryptocurrency prices did moderately well last week as investors embraced a risk-on sentiment in the financial market. Bitcoin jumped to above $67,000 for the first time in over a month while BitBot continued its token sale, raising millions of dollars. This article focuses on BitBot, Floki, and Arweave.

Arweave price forecast

Arweave is one of the biggest players in the web 3 industry with a market cap of over $3 billion. It is disrupting the online storage industry by providing permanent storage solutions for developers. Developers can also launch smart contracts that handle transactions within seconds using its Warp technology.

Arweave’s price has done well in the past few weeks as it defied the gravity that we have seen in the crypto industry. It jumped to a high of $50 last week, its highest level since January 2022. It has soared by over 1,150% from its lowest point in 2023. Most recently, it has jumped for four straight weeks.

Turning to the weekly chart, we see that the AR token price has been in a strong bull run in the past few weeks. It has remained comfortably above the 50-week and 25-week Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).

It is now hovering at $48, its previous highest point this year, meaning that it is forming a double-top pattern, a popular bearish sign. Arweave is also nearing the 50% Fibonacci Retracement level.

Therefore, while Arweave’s token price outlook is bullish, buyers must now move above the crucial resistance level at $49.70. If this happens, the next point to watch will be the 61.8% retracement point at $60.

Floki price prediction

Like Arweave, the price of Floki has defied gravity in the past few weeks. It jumped to a high of $0.0002290 last week, its highest swing since April 2nd. At its highest point this month, the token was up by 105% from its lowest point on April 13th. 

Floki Inu has now pulled back and moved below the 38.2% Fibonacci Retracement level. It has also remained above the 50-day and 25-day moving averages and the lower side of the Andrews Pitchfork tool. 

Therefore, the outlook for Floki is neutral for now. A break below the pitchfork tool will point to more downside, with the next point to watch being at $0.00018. The alternative is where it rebounds and retests last week’s high of $0.00022.

BitBot analysis

The other notable cryptocurrency is BitBot, which has already raised over $3.5 million from global investors. BitBot is a company that seeks to change the trading industry by leveraging the concepts of technical analysis and artificial intelligence (AI).

It will be a comprehensive trading bot that anyone can use to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The app will be distributed in Telegram, a leading social media platform with over 900 million users globally. 

Unlike other trading bots, BitBot will have several important features. First, it will be a non-custodial bot, meaning that the developers will not have access to your funds. Second, holders of the $BITBOT token will have access to additional staking rewards. Third, these holders will take part in its governance. You can buy the BitBot token here.

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Update: Kraken says no plans to delist USDT in Europe

  • Kraken is exploring all options to continue offering USDT for EU customers.
  • Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s Global Head of Asset Growth and Management, confirmed this via a post on X.

Kraken is not looking to end support for Tether (USDT) in the European Union, a company official has confirmed.

A Bloomberg report on Friday stated that Kraken was “actively reviewing” plans to end support for the stablecoin in the EU. The exchange’s apparent position related to upcoming implementation of the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulations, according to an official. 

Kraken to continue offering USDT for EU customers

Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s Global Head of Asset Growth and Management, has now provided an update on the matter. He commented on the issue on Saturday.

In a post on X, Greenberg said the exchange has no plans to delist Tether. He also emphasised USDT’s role and importance as the world’s largest stablecoin to Kraken’s business and customers in Europe.

“Let’s be clear: [Kraken] continues to list USDT in Europe and we have no plans to delist at this time,” Greenberg posted.

Per the update, Kraken is exploring all options towards the continued support for USDT.  The exchange is indeed looking to comply with the MiCA regulations, Greenberg added.

“We know our European clients value access to USDT, and we continue to look at all options to offer USDT under the upcoming regime. We will, of course, follow all legal requirements, even those we disagree with. But the rules are not finalised yet, and we continue to do everything we can to continue to offer all relevant stablecoins to our European customers,” Greenberg noted.

As highlighted in our previous report, EU’s MiCA regulations are set to come into effect starting this July with stablecoin rules and on December 30, 2024 for crypto exchanges.

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