This article has been updated to provide further details on the hack. Today, March 30, crypto exchange Bithumb posted on Twitter that their cryptocurrency withdrawals and deposits have temporarily been paused. In an explanation linked to the tweet, the exchange writes that at 10:15 (time zone unknown) on the 29th, they detected what they describe as abnormal withdrawals through their monitoring system. The exchange notes that they have “secured all the cryptocurrency from the detection time with a cold wallet and checked them by blocking deposit and withdrawal service.” According to the translated note, the incident was an “accident involving …

United States-based crowdfunding platform SeriesOne has partnered with security token protocol platform Polymath, according to a press release published on March 19. The new partnership intends to create a digital securities offering ecosystem via the SeriesOne platform. According to the press release, the partnership between SeriesOne and Polymath will let token issuers create and manage regulatory-compliant security tokens from the initial offering stage to trading on a secondary exchange. SeriesOne CEO Michael Mildenberger expressed confidence that Polymath’s security token protocol, ST-20, is set to improve the process of raising capital on the platform. Polymath’s ST-20 protocol is a token standard …

Major South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb is reportedly cutting up to 50 percent of its workforce, a report from CoinDesk Korea stated on March 18. According to the report, an unnamed official has confirmed that the exchange will reduce its staff from 310 (at the start of March) to around 150, and is offering a voluntary redundancy plan and training support to employees: “Voluntary retirement is part of our support program for former employees and is intended to provide assistance and training for job placement. Apart from that, [Bithumb’s] trading volume has decreased compared to the previous year, [so] we …

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb will open a new platform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), local news outlet The Financial News reported Feb. 12. The UAE-based platform is reportedly to be developed in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based firm Nvelop and will function as a springboard for Bithumb to expand into other countries in the Middle East. Nvelop itself is a joint project from Abu Dhabi-based E11 Investment Fund and Taiwanese venture capital outfit Trill Ventures Group, Financial News reports. The joint venture was reportedly established to fund and develop blockchain initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa. “The …

South Korea's major virtual currency exchange Bithumb has officially launched an over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk under the Ortus brand, according to a press release published on Feb. 7. Hong Kong-based entity Bithumb Global Limited owns the rights to the Ortus brand, which specializes in services for institutional investors. After completing Know-Your-Customer and Anti-Money Laundering inspections, institutional investors will be able to utilize Ortus services, including monitored funds transfers and access to an OTC trading desk. OTC trading is an option for institutional investors looking to perform large-volume trades, as it allows them to conduct direct trades between each other as …

In a transaction that has all the hallmarks of a reverse initial public offering (IPO) — also called a reverse merger — OKC Holdings Corp., which is the parent company of OKCoin and OKEx (the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume) bought a controlling share in Leap Holdings Group on Jan. 14. Leap Holdings is a construction company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), with a market cap of 978 million Hong Kong dollars ($124.7 million). OKC Holdings bought 3,182,790,001 shares at a price of HK$0.1520 ($0.019) each, for 60.49 percent of the company and voting rights. …

Four major South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges have reportedly joined their forces in order to combat money laundering, sources told local news agency The Korea Herald on Monday, Jan. 28. Quoting a report from South Korean news outlet Yonhap, the articles notes that Bithumb, Upbit, Korbit and Coinone have reportedly established a hotline where users can share information on any unusual trading or payments that could possibly be related to crimes, such as pyramid schemes. According to an anonymous representative of one of the operators, the exchanges will thereby be able to instantly check any suspicious transactions and immediately block the …

Top Stories This Week CBOE Withdraws BTC ETF Rule Exchange Request From SEC Amid Gov’t Shutdown The Chicago Board Options Exchange’s (CBOE) BZX Equity Exchange has withdrawn its request for a rule change from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to list its Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). A CBOE spokesperson told Cointelegraph that U.S. government shutdown was the reason for the withdrawal, as the end of the review period is approaching with no government agencies able to operate fully. The CBOE will instead re-submit the filing for an ETF — which was backed by investment …

Singapore-based holding firm Blockchain Exchange Alliance, which has a controlling stake in major crypto exchange Bithumb, is looking to list in the United States by acquiring a publicly traded company in the country, CNBC reports on Jan. 22. According to CNBC, a publicly-traded holding company called Blockchain Industries announced that it had a binding letter of intent with Blockchain Exchange Alliance. Acquiring a publicly-traded company, or a so-called reverse merger, can be a faster way to take a company public than a traditional Initial Public Offering (IPO). Should the reverse merger prove successful, this would reportedly be the first instance …

Top Stories This Week Nvidia Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Losses After Lower GPU Mining Demand Graphics processing unit (GPU) producer Nvidia is currently facing a class action lawsuit over losses that the company reported when lower crypto prices lowered demand for GPUs by miners. The Schall law firm announced the lawsuit this week, with the complaint alleging that Nvidia made false and misleading statements to the market. Schall noted that since the GPU producer claimed that drop off in demand for GPU on miners would not negatively affect the business, the lawsuit has merit. Altcoin Bitcoin Private Team Confirms …

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb has won a lawsuit in which an investor had sued the company for his loss of around $355,000 in an alleged hack. Local financial newspaper The Korea Economic Daily reported on the outcome on Dec. 24. According to the report, the investor — 30 year old civil servant Ahn Park — alleged he had been the victim of a hack of his Bithumb account on Nov. 30, 2017, which resulted in a loss of 400 million Korean won, or around $355,000. Within hours of making his won deposit, Mr. Park alleged an unidentified hacker had …

South Korea-based cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has denied allegations of faking trade volume, Forbes reported on Dec. 19. Cryptocurrency exchange ratings and analytics service CER has accused Bithumb of faking up to 94 percent of its trade volume since the late summer of 2018. In response to the accusations, Bithumb reportedly told Forbes that "Bithumb is doing nothing to inflate trade volume. Bithumb is not selling mining-based coin. Bithumb is trying to get more customers by providing various promotions just like any other company in the world as a normal business." CER reasoned their accusations by measuring CoinMarketCap’s data, which, in …