The Ethereum Foundation has launched public “attack networks” for Ethereum 2.0 based on existing stable clients. The networks are designed to give security researchers a sandbox environment where they can try to break Ethereum 2.0’s networks by exploiting potential issues in the clients. Currently, there are two “beta-0” attack networks based on the Lighthouse and Prysm clients, built respectively by Sigma Prime and Prysmatic Labs. According to the announcement released on Monday, the attack networks are “real networks,” though they present some limitations. Notably, only four nodes have been deployed to the network with 128 validators, versus the thousands expected …

As the launch of Bancor V2 draws close, the team is inviting the community to take a look at its code and report any vulnerabilities they may find. On Friday, the project released the code for the Bancor V2 smart contracts, which feature a variety of improvements that help both the users and liquidity providers of the protocol. At the same time Bancor is also launching a bug bounty program to incentivize the community to find bugs ahead of the launch. While third party audits are also ongoing, the bounty ensures that the maximum number of eyes has taken a …

Per a July 15 complaint from two former investors who have been unsuccessful in getting their money back, Idaho-based Crypto Traders Management advertised an investment strategy that constituted an unregistered security, while actually locking up user funds. Plaintiffs are asking for the return of nearly $750,000 as well punitive damages of upwards of another half-million dollars. Consistent updates from CTM kept investors coming back The complaint claims that plaintiff David Powell sent a series of investments to Crypto Traders Management starting near the end of 2018. Despite the subsequent collapse of the altcoin market on which CTM’s professed trading strategy …

Elon Musk’s Twitter account was apparently hijacked today following a series of attacks on cryptocurrency-related accounts, including major exchanges such as Binance, and U.S.-based Coinbase, and Gemini. Other handles compromised included the @Bitcoin Twitter account. Musk’s account pinned a tweet to his feed at 4:17pm ET which suggested that the entrepreneur would double any Bitcoin sent to a wallet address. Musk has, in the past, discussed cryptocurrencies on his Twitter feed, suggesting that he owns 0.25 Bitcoins. Scammers have been known to use this technique to dupe Bitcoin owners into sending irreversible transactions to a digital wallet. Bill Gates’ account …

The Human Rights Foundation, or HRF, a major global organization promoting democracy and freedom, continues to explore the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as a way to protect human rights around the world. The HRF recently partnered with crypto custody startup Casa to help global activists effectively protect crypto funds used to fight human rights abuses and challenge authoritarianism. Casa to share Bitcoin expertise to support human rights As part of the new collaboration, Casa will be working with the HRF to educate non-profit organizations, or NGOs, and activists about Bitcoin. Announcing the news on July 15, Casa said …

CloudCoin announced the launch of its cloud-based digital currency on July 15. With no blockchain, public ledger, accounts or encryption, CloudCoin claims it is the most private digital currency ever created. It uses technology adapted from the internet’s Domain Name Service, or DNS, to enable secure email-to-email or email-to-wallet transactions. CloudCoin says that it eliminates systemic risk of theft by not requiring private keys which can be stolen, and that lost CloudCoins can even be recovered. Not Bitcoin, not blockchain Since the release of the Bitcoin white paper back in 2008, cryptocurrencies have been inextricably linked with the blockchain technology …

The MGM Resort suffered a massive data breach in 2019 that left 142 million hotel guests exposed. A hacker is now selling the stolen database for roughly $2,900. According to the information revealed by ZDNet, a dark web marketplace claims that data from 142,479,937 MGM hotel guests are on sale. Preferred payment is denominated in Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). MGM Resorts confirmed the data breach, stating that they’re aware of the scope of this previously reported incident from 2019. No financial data was leaked However, according to the research, the cybercriminal did not leak any sensitive data from the …

Coinbase defended the licensing of its analytics software saying if people really wanted privacy, privacy coins were around. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong took to Twitter to talk about Coinbase Analytics and the company’s practice of licensing out the platform, explaining why crypto exchanges must have some sort of analytics software to comply with banking regulations. “Exchanges that maintain connections into the existing financial system (i.e. ability to connect your bank account, do wires, etc so you can convert fiat to crypto) need to follow AML laws, and this often includes utilizing blockchain analytics software for transaction monitoring,” Armstrong tweeted. “There …

A recent study revealed that over 15 billion credentials are in circulation via the dark web, representing a 300% increase since 2018. Available information ranges from network access credentials, banking login data, and even streaming services accounts from Netflix. According to research conducted by the cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows, part of the leaked data is even circulating for free. The report warns that the reason that so many account credentials are available online is that people are using non-complex passwords that can be easily brute-forced using hacking tools. Access to corporate networks as an open door for ransomware attacks Among …

Crypto mogul and Ripple co-founder, Chris Larsen, paid over $4 million to install 1,000 high-definition cameras on the streets of San Francisco. He claims his goal is to combat crime, specifically theft. According to a report published by The New York Times, Larsen – who recently recovered from COVID-19 – decided to take up this project after a group of unknown men climbed into his garden in 2011 and cut the wires to his home security while his children were sleeping inside. “Alternative” system for public security Ripple’s executive chairman stated that he sees this as an alternative urban security …

Richard Ma, the CEO and co-founder of the blockchain security startup Quantstamp, explained that decentralized finance has the potential to change our financial ecosystem but security remains a huge challenge. “We think security is very crucial for DeFi’s growth,” he said at the Unitize digital conference today. Ma noted the several DeFi hacks that occurred so far in 2020, stating that $26 million worth of funds were stolen from DeFi projects this year alone. Rising interest in DeFi The DeFi ecosystem grew almost three fold from $700 million in December 2019 to $2 billion at present. Reflecting on this growth, …

The Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the NGRAVE ZERO has ended, raising over €385,000 ($430,000) through pre-orders via various reward tiers. More than 1,200 backers from around the world made the campaign the most successful ever for a hardware wallet, with the total funds raised being eight times the amount of the next best. Cointelegraph spoke to NGRAVE Co-Founder and CEO Ruben Merre about the success of the crowdfunding campaign: Cointelegraph: The Indiegogo campaign raised over 1,500% of its initial €25,000 goal, during what can only be described as a challenging period for the global economy. Did you ever imagine such …