News.
Markets, policy, security and technology. The stories moving crypto, explained.
- Security
The Binance hack paradox: centralisation let it happen, and also froze $3 billion
The theft has reopened the debate over whether decentralisation is crypto's best defence, with Standard Chartered saying it could speed a shift to decentralised exchanges.
- Security
Chainalysis, the firm that tracks crypto hackers, reports a security incident of its own
The blockchain analytics company has brought in outside experts to review its systems and strengthen its defences.
- Security
CFTC chair calls for offshore exchange oversight as Washington reacts to the Binance hack
Michael Selig says offshore exchanges should register with the CFTC, and President Trump says the administration is looking into the breach.
- Security
Musk and CZ trade jabs over SpaceX shares as the Binance hack turns political
After Elon Musk appeared to mock the hack, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao noted that Binance's Twitter stake is now worth over $1 billion in SpaceX shares.
- Crypto
Westpac to cap all crypto exchange payments under one monthly limit
From December 1, payments to identified exchanges across a customer's accounts and payment methods will count toward a single monthly cap.
- Security
Binance hit by $6.3 billion breach, the largest crypto theft on record
Attackers got into the exchange's hot-wallet signing systems. Investigators point to North Korea, and Binance says it has set aside $6.34 billion to cover losses.
- Markets
Aave reopens frozen markets but keeps new collateral-backed borrowing switched off
Emergency changes have gone through, according to risk adviser LlamaRisk, but liquidity and collateral rules still limit what users can actually do.
- Markets
$280 million in XRP backs three Maple loans as maturity dates approach
About 225 million XRP secures three stablecoin loans, but loans that mature in December and January do not automatically release the collateral.
- DeFi
MetaMask adds Stellar support, with extra steps for USDC and bridging
Existing multichain accounts now get a Stellar address, but receiving USDC needs a funded account and token activation, and bridges need manual setup.
- Security
Binance thieves race stablecoin freezes as Circle locks $823 million
Issuers froze billions in stolen stablecoins within hours, while Chainalysis says the attackers are using automated laundering methods it had not seen before.
- DeFi
Uniswap opens its TJAR fee tool to other apps, with Robinhood first in line
The tool converts collected fees into a chosen token. Robinhood uses it for stablecoin fee receipts, but the design leaves an arbitrage profit for the fastest traders.
- Security
Bitcoin slips about 3% after the Binance hack, a far smaller hit than in 2018
Crypto-linked stocks fell harder, led by Coinbase, while several Wall Street firms called the breach a problem at one exchange rather than across the industry.
- Markets
Tether reports $1.5 billion Q3 profit as its reserve buffer nears $8 billion
The USDT issuer's excess reserves almost doubled, and the bitcoin it holds was valued at $8.37 billion at the end of September.
- Markets
Coinbase earns $719 million in Q3 but misses revenue forecasts as users drop
Recurring revenue grew, but a fall in users and new executive share-sale plans weighed on the exchange in a difficult week for crypto stocks.
- Policy
Texas brothers sentenced to 15 years over $8 million crypto home invasion
Raymond and Isiah Garcia held a Minnesota family at gunpoint for more than nine hours and forced the father to transfer the funds.
- Security
EIP-7702 explained: the Ethereum upgrade caught up in the Binance hack
A 2025 feature that lets ordinary wallets run code did not cause the breach, experts say, but it may have helped the attacker get past withdrawal controls.
- Security
Binance traces breach to an engineer's laptop and finds more ways in
The exchange says the attack took several steps, that evidence was erased, and that it aims to restart withdrawals on Sunday.
- Markets
Strategy books $19.5 billion quarterly profit as its finance chief steps down
The bitcoin-holding company reported a record quarter, moved its preferred shares to daily dividends and says it can raise up to $30 billion more without selling new common stock.
- Security
Blockchain analysts point to North Korea's TraderTraitor in Binance theft
Chainalysis and TRM Labs tie the $6.3 billion hack to the same group blamed for the Bybit attack, and stolen funds from two exchanges appear to meet at one address.
- Crypto
Binance pledges $6.34 billion to make users whole as reserve data shows a gap
The exchange says it holds about $5 billion in the same tokens that were stolen, while its own reserve figures suggest ether backing is short until losses are replaced.
- Security
Israel extradites alleged Nomad bridge exploiter after ruling that a code flaw can be 'intrusion'
Israel's Supreme Court found that exploiting a software bug can count as breaking into a computer, even when the system allowed the transaction.
- Crypto
Zcash grants body offers $124 million compromise, but critics want governance changes
Zcash Community Grants proposes redirecting funding toward miners. Opponents say the plan does not address who controls the money or how it is accounted for.
- Security
Hack shock wipes out $1.5 billion in leveraged crypto bets
Most of the forced closures hit traders betting on higher prices. BNB fell as much as 8%, while some momentum indicators now point to a possible rebound.
- Security
Binance hacker's bitcoin now sits in 19 wallets no one can freeze
The attackers hold 18,270 BTC, more than Coinbase reports owning, while a sell-off in a little-known 2017 token shows how they are cashing out smaller coins.
- Security
Trezor tells CryptoBilis buyers to move funds over a suspected hardware implant
The wallet maker has not yet examined the Safe 5 device but treats the report as credible. Separately, police in Singapore say tampered Ledger devices appeared there in September.
- Crypto
XRP Ledger developers tighten rules on who can hold 'restricted' tokens
A set of fixes closes gaps in how permissioned tokens are controlled. The XRP Ledger Foundation says no users were affected.
- Security
Binance hack fallout spreads as big investors pull funds and India's CoinDCX curbs futures
Institutional investors have been moving money off exchanges, and CoinDCX restricted new futures positions after a key liquidity provider was disrupted.
- Security
Polymarket halts trading after a third-party breach drains user accounts
About $2.65 million left user accounts within minutes. The prediction market moved to cancel-only mode before resuming trading.
- Security
Hacktivists publish details of more than 41,000 Homeland Security employees
The group says it took names, job titles and phone numbers from a login system used by the US department.
- Crypto
More Americans have tried crypto, but few vote on it, despite $176 million in campaign spending
An Ipsos survey finds 22% of Americans have owned or used crypto, yet only 13% call a candidate's support for crypto very important.
- Markets
Fed holds rates as two officials push for a hike, leaving bitcoin near ETF buyers' cost
The 10-2 vote keeps a December increase in play. Analysts point to a heavy layer of coins bought above $85,000 that could slow any recovery.
- Crypto
NYSE owner ICE moves to bring Hyperliquid-style perpetual futures to the US
ICE will partner with and invest in Trade[XYZ] to launch regulated perps built on Hyperliquid. The HYPE token jumped as much as 15%, and Stanley Druckenmiller disclosed a stake.
- Markets
KuCoin pulls out of Russia and Belarus as exchanges retreat from sanctioned markets
The exchange is closing accounts in both countries, following similar moves by MEXC and Bitget earlier this month.
- Markets
Walmart among companies blocking their shares from the OKX-ICE tokenized stock venue, now 38 in total
Walmart, Eli Lilly, Cigna, Carnival and Arcos Dorados objected to their stock being traded as tokens on the planned platform.
- DeFi
Polygon extends its stablecoin payments platform to Solana
Businesses on Solana get one integration for bank funding, wallets, cross-chain transfers and global payouts. Cross-border firm Kira is among the first users.
- Crypto
Justin Sun-linked exchange HTX agrees to leave the UK in a deal with the FCA
The exchange will stop targeting UK consumers, ending the regulator's first case against a crypto firm over its marketing.
- Crypto
US sanctions 11 over North Korean IT worker scheme that moved millions in crypto
Treasury says two Russian nationals converted more than $5 million in crypto for North Korean networks and published the wallets involved.
- Policy
Utah brings criminal charges against Kalshi and its founders over sports betting
The state says an undercover agent placed a dozen sports bets on the prediction market, a day after federal regulators sued Utah to stop its enforcement.
- Bitcoin
Datavault AI says it cannot reach its bitcoin, and will restate four financial reports
The company says it has been unable to withdraw its BTC from Biconomy since June. Its shares fell sharply on the news.
- Security
AI security startup Upwind raises $400 million at a $3.8 billion valuation
The cloud security firm says its revenue quadrupled this year as it targets the risks created by autonomous AI agents.
- Crypto
Avail launches ShieldTX to hide Hyperliquid traders from copy-trading bots
The privacy tool opens a separate wallet for each perpetual futures position, making it harder for others to follow a trader's moves.