Block Network

May 28, 2020

A New Ransomware Deploys Human-Operated Attacks Against Healthcare Sector

Microsoft unveiled a new human-operated ransomware called “PonyFinal” that deploys the attack by launching manually a payload. Microsoft’s security team revealed a new ransomware that is deployed in human-operated attacks. It uses “brute force” against a target company’s systems management server, and mainly has targeted the healthcare sector amid the COVID-19 crisis.According to a series […]

Twitter Evidence May Prove Hal Finney Is Not Satoshi

Evidence from 10 years old tweets helps eliminate Hal Finney as a viable Satoshi Nakamoto candidate. A tweet from 2010 may provide evidence that Hal Finney is not Satoshi Nakamoto.In a recent Cointelegrpah interview, Laszlo Hanyecz, who worked closely with Satoshi Nakamoto in 2010, said that Satoshi had no familiarity with the Mac ecosystem:“He didn’t […]

Bitcoin Volatility Expected as $328M in BTC Derivatives Expire Friday

On May 29, CME BTC contracts expire, meaning Bitcoin price could experience volatility before and after the expiry. CME Bitcoin (BTC) futures and options markets are set to mature this Friday and traders are closely watching to see how spot prices will react to this event. The contracts expire every two months and according to […]

Tether Explains Why It Hasn’t Burned Any USDT

Tether CTO cites the popularity of its ERC20 tokens as the reason why the company never burns them, but stores them in their ‘inventory’. Tether (USDT) cites the popularity of its Ethereum (ETH)-based asset as the reason why the company has never burned a single token.The recent report from Flipside Crypto concluded that Tether is […]

FinCEN Director Blanco Concerned About Bad Actors Hijacking Crypto

The head of the agency that enforces the Bank Secrecy Act and KYC requirements in the U.S. says the agency aims to help crypto innovate responsibly. In a May 27 interview sponsored by Chainalysis, Director of the United States Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Kenneth Blanco was adamant that the regulator is not the enemy.“This […]

South Korea is Exploring New Crypto Tax Laws

The government of South Korean is preparing to legislate crypto taxes by proposing a new amendment to the existing law. South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is preparing an amendment to apply to the nation’s Income Tax Law. This could include rules for profitable sales of cryptocurrencies as well as profits from national crypto […]

Bitcoin May Be the Solution to Africa’s Broken Financial System

According to a recent report, Africa’s lack of traditional financial infrastructure makes the region fertile ground for cryptocurrency adoption. A recent report suggests that the lack of traditional financial infrastructure makes Africa a place where cryptocurrency adoption is likely.The report — shared with Cointelegraph by a Luno representative on May 27 — sheds light on […]

Do Zero-Reserve Loans Make Tether Better Off Backed by Bitfinex Stock?

With the Federal Reserve now allowing US banks to issue loans with zero reserve, is Tether better off backed by Bitfinex shares than dollars backed by nothing? Earlier this week, Tether (USDT) was making headlines for flippening XRP and taking the number three spot for largest cryptocurrency by market cap.Confidence in the leading stablecoin seems […]

Russian Authorities Disagree Over Lifting Telegram Ban

While Russia is facing disagreement over the legal status of Telegram and crypto, both continue operating in the country. A major state authority in Russia has objected to the State Duma’s proposal to cancel the ban on Telegram’s encrypted messenger in the country.Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, also known as MinComSvyaz, […]

Russia’s Biggest Bank Is Buying 5,000 Blockchain ATMs That Can Mine Crypto

Russia’s biggest bank is spending more than $100 million on 5,000 blockchain enabled ATMs … that are capable of mining cryptocurrency. Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has called for tenders to provide 4,917 ATMs with a built-in graphic card capable of supporting “blockchain operations”.Cointelegraph spoke with two experts who said the most obvious use case for […]