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☆ Auditing firm Mazars pauses work for Binance, other crypto clients - Coindesk
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Mazars, the auditing firm working with major cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has paused all work for clients in the crypto industry, news outlet Coindesk reported on Friday, citing an emailed statement from Binance. "Mazars has indicated that they will temporarily pause their work with all of their crypto clients globally, which include Crypto.com, KuCoin, and Binance. Unfortunately, this means that we will not be able to work with Mazars for the moment," a Binance spokesperson said to Coindesk. Binance was this week hit by a surge in outflows, which Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao called "business as usual." Binance also paused withdrawals of a major stablecoin for a period on Monday, blaming delays in the traditional banking system.

LONDON/SINGAPORE, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The head of major crypto exchange Binance said on Wednesday deposits were returning, a day after it saw heavy outflows of cryptocurrencies and halted some stablecoin withdrawals. On Tuesday, blockchain data firm Nansen said Binance saw withdrawals of $1.9 billion in 24 hours, the largest such outflow since June. loadingBinance, the world's largest crypto exchange, also temporarily halted withdrawals of the major USDC stablecoin, citing a so-called "token swap". "Things seem to have stabilised," CEO Changpeng Zhao tweeted. How crypto exchanges such as Binance and its now-bankrupt former rival FTX handle customer deposits has come under close scrutiny from users, regulators and policymakers.

Justice Department regulations say that money laundering charges against a financial institution must be approved by the MLARS chief. Binance's defense attorneys at U.S. law firm Gibson Dunn have held meetings in recent months with Justice Department officials, the four people said. Faced with the Justice Department investigation, Binance hired an external lawyer from U.S. law firm Paul Weiss, Roberto Gonzalez, who was previously Treasury's deputy general counsel. MLARS has a reputation in the Justice Department for moving slowly in reaching prosecution decisions, people familiar with its activities said. Day met with Justice officials in Washington in recent months, three of the people said.

☆ Crypto lender Genesis tells clients it is working to preserve their assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crypto firm Genesis is working to preserve client assets and strengthen liquidity, it said in a letter to clients on Wednesday, adding that it would take "weeks rather than days" to form a plan. Genesis' lending arm, Genesis Global Capital, froze customer withdrawals on Nov. 16, citing "unprecedented market dislocation" following the collapse of major crypto exchange FTX. Genesis had almost $3 billion in total active loans at the end of the third quarter, its website said. Last year, Genesis extended $130.6 billion in crypto loans and traded $116.5 billion in assets. Genesis and Digital Currency Group owe customers of the Winklevoss twins' crypto exchange Gemini $900 million, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - UK-based crypto lender Nexo said on Monday it would phase out its U.S. products and services over the coming months due to clashes with regulators. Crypto lenders act like banks for the crypto world, offering customers interest on cryptocurrencies they deposit with the platform. The firms grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as crypto markets slumped earlier this year various crypto lenders froze withdrawals, leaving customers with large losses. Eight U.S. state regulators charged Nexo in September for allegedly failing to register its Earn Interest Product. Nexo said it will continue to process customer withdrawals "in real-time" as it withdraws from the United States.

☆ After FTX collapse, pressure builds for tougher crypto rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX was the biggest in string of big crypto-related failures this year. Some crypto investors share these concerns. "Regulators could have posted a lot more guidance for crypto," said Brian Fakhoury at crypto venture capital fund Mechanism Capital. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the collapse of FTX underscored the need for greater visibility on often-anonymous crypto transactions. The FTX collapse "shows the importance of a well-framed regulation," Sitharaman said, "so that countries can be clearly aware of by whom, for what for these transactions are happening.

[1/4] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 21, 2022. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed down 0.13% while MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.09%. "It's going to be a busy second half of the week with all the data points we're expecting. Oil prices climbed on hopes for a relaxation of China's strict COVID-19 controls, which had fueled demand concerns. Gold prices rose with help from the dollar's retreat and hopes for less aggressive U.S. rate hikes going forward.

The Euro STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.4%, recovering from its worst session in almost two weeks a day earlier. Shares in London (.FTSE) were up 0.8% and markets in Paris (.FCHI) and Frankfurt (.GDAXI) gained around 0.2%-0.3%. Hopes of faster easing of China's strict restrictions rose after an official said they will continue to fine-tune policy to reduce the impact of its "Zero COVID" on society. The sudden bout of optimism on China combined with talk of possible output cuts by OPEC+ to help oil prices rally. Shares of Chinese property companies surged after the country's securities regulator lifted a ban on equity refinancing for listed property firms.

The U.S. Justice Department, in a report this September, said many crypto exchanges still "make little or no effort to comply" with know-your-customer requirements. These sites often included links for users to pay via crypto exchanges, the IWF told Reuters, declining to name companies. While banks and payment platforms demanded more details from online merchants, many crypto exchanges for years requested little or no information from clients. Asked at his trial for his opinion of crypto, Mohammad noted, "Privacy is something that a lot of users value." The IWF received more reports last year of websites selling child abuse imagery for crypto than any year prior.

☆ Crypto exchanges enabled online child sex-abuse profiteer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +22 min

These sites often included links for users to pay via crypto exchanges, the IWF told Reuters, declining to name companies. “For those people looking to make money from child sexual abuse, crypto has lowered the barrier,” said Dan Sexton, the IWF’s chief technology officer. The Dark Scandals website, owned by Michael Mohammad, instructs users to send tokens to a Dark Scandals digital wallet to purchase content. While banks and payment platforms demanded more details from online merchants, many crypto exchanges for years requested little or no information from clients. The IWF received more reports last year of websites selling child abuse imagery for crypto than any year prior.

NEW YORK/LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - FTX has a total cash balance of $1.24 billion, a court filing by advisers on the stricken crypto exchange's restructuring showed ahead of U.S. bankruptcy hearings set for later on Tuesday. Its cash balance as of Sunday was "substantially higher" than previously thought, Monday's filing by Edgar Mosley of Alvarez & Marshal, a consultancy firm advising FTX, said. The details of FTX's cash balances came ahead of a hearing in Delaware on FTX's so-called first-day motions. FTX, led since the bankruptcy filing by new CEO John Ray, has accused Bankman-Fried of working with Bahamian regulators to "undermine" the U.S. bankruptcy case and shift assets overseas. Since the implosion of FTX, some crypto players are taking to decentralized exchanges known as "DEXs" where investors trade peer-to-peer on the blockchain.

☆ Special Report: FTX's Bankman-Fried begged for a rescue even as he revealed huge holes in firm's books
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Angus Berwick Anirban Sen Elizabeth Howcroft Lawrence Delevingne | Angus Berwick | Anirban Sen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +22 min

Sequoia was shocked at the amount of money Bankman-Fried needed to save FTX, according to the sources, while Apollo first asked for more information, only to later decline. The booklet flagged the risks of crypto trading, particularly how sudden sales of tokens could trigger a "domino effect" that would lead to a "cascading set of liquidity failures." Using profits from Alameda, Bankman-Fried launched FTX in 2019. From almost nothing in 2019, FTX handled about 10% of global crypto trading this year, a September document shows. At one point, he lived in a penthouse overlooking the Caribbean, valued at almost $40 million, according to two people who worked with FTX.

☆ Take Five: A UK budget and trouble in crypto land
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The long-awaited UK fiscal plan is (almost) here and after the ructions unleashed by September's mini-budget, markets are paying close attention. UK markets have recouped most of the maxi-losses from the mini-budget, but the outlook is grim. Reuters Graphics2/ CRYPTO CHAOSThe crypto world has been thrown into fresh chaos by a meltdown at FTX. Big banks too are starting to pare back staffing levels. September data showed a measure of underlying retail sales rising thanks to strong wage gains and savings, even as the broader number came in flat.

It culminated on Wednesday, with Binance pulling out of its deal and throwing FTX's future into uncertainty. Bankman-Fried told Reuters on Tuesday that "I'll probably be too swamped" to do interviews. Voyager filed for bankruptcy protection the following month, with FTX's U.S. arm paying $1.4 billion for its assets in a September auction. Daily withdrawals normally totaled tens of millions of dollars, Bankman-Fried told his employees. Bankman-Fried signed a non-binding letter of intent for Binance to buy FTX’s non-U.S. assets.

FTX token - which gives holders discounts on FTX trading fees - was last trading at $5.33, having slumped by more than three-quarters. Tuesday's developments left FTX investors scrambling to figure out what the deal with Binance means for their investment in FTX, according to people familiar with the matter. In late 2019, Binance invested in FTX, then a far smaller exchange, before exiting the investment in July last year. By then FTX had mushroomed into a growing rival to Binance, which dominates the crypto industry with over 120 million users. "A *huge* thank you to CZ, Binance," Bankman-Fried wrote.

loadingHe said Binance, the world's biggest crypto exchange, will conduct due diligence in the coming days as the next step toward an acquisition of FTX.com. By then FTX had mushroomed into a growing rival to Binance, which dominates the crypto industry with over 120 million users. FTX token - which gives holders discounts on FTX trading fees - was last trading at $5.33, having slumped by more than three-quarters. On Sunday, Zhao said his firm would liquidate its holdings of the FTX token due to unspecified "recent revelations." "A *huge* thank you to CZ, Binance," Bankman-Fried wrote.

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Crypto exchange FTX saw around $6 billion of withdrawals in the 72 hours before Tuesday morning, according to a message to staff sent by its CEO Sam Bankman-Fried that was seen by Reuters. In a surprise move, Changpeng Zhao, boss of major rival Binance, said on Tuesday the company signed a nonbinding agreement to buy FTX's non-U.S. unit, FTX.com, to help cover a "liquidity crunch" at FTX. Things were mostly average until this weekend, a few days ago," Bankman-Fried wrote in a message to staff sent on Tuesday morning. "In the last 72 hours, we've had roughly $6b of net withdrawals from FTX," he wrote, adding that withdrawals at FTX's main unit, FTX.com, are "effectively paused," an issue that would be resolved in "the near future." Reporting by Angus Berwick in New York and Tom Wilson in London Editing by Jan Harvey and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

He said Binance, the world's biggest crypto exchange, will be conducting due diligence in the coming days as the next step toward an acquisition of FTX.com. The U.S. operations of Binance and FTX are not part of the deal, Bankman-Fried said in a separate tweet. FTX token - which gives holders discounts on FTX trading fees - was last trading at 18.38. On Sunday, Zhao said his firm would liquidate its holdings of the FTX token due to unspecified "recent revelations." "A *huge* thank you to CZ, Binance," Bankman-Fried wrote, referring to the rival CEO who goes by his initials.

LONDON/SINGAPORE, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The in-house token of major crypto exchange FTX slumped on Tuesday, losing one-third of its value and dragging down other major digital assets, as investors appeared to take fright at talk of pressure on FTX's financials. The FTX token - which gives holders discounts on FTX trading fees - was last down more than 33% at $14.68, its lowest since early 2021. The token, known as FTT, is the 30th largest digital coin, with a value of $2 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin , the biggest digital token, was down 6.42% at $19,342.00, its lowest in two weeks, and was on course for its worst day since mid-September. Reuters was unable to independently verify the accuracy of the report, or the origin of the leaked balance sheet.

LONDON/SINGAPORE, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrencies fell heavily on Tuesday and the in-house token of major crypto exchange FTX slumped by almost a quarter as investors appeared to take fright at talk of pressure on FTX's financials. Bitcoin , the biggest digital token, fell as much as 6% to $19,351, its lowest in two weeks, and was on course for its worst day in since mid-September. Ether , the next largest, fell over 6%. FTX has come under pressure after Changpeng Zhao, head of rival exchange Binance - the world's largest - said on Sunday his firm would liquidate its holdings of the FTX token due to unspecified "recent revelations." The FTX token - which gives holders discounts on FTX trading fees - was last down almost 23% at $17.11, its lowest since early 2021.

Almost all the funds, some $7.8 billion, flowed between Binance and Iran's largest crypto exchange, Nobitex, according to a review of data from leading U.S. blockchain researcher Chainalysis. The scale of Binance's Iranian crypto flows – and the fact that they are continuing – has not been previously reported. The total volume of Iranian transactions flowing through Binance is far greater than through any other exchange, the data show. The vast majority of the $8 billion in Iranian crypto transactions identified by Reuters involved the main Binance exchange. This October, the Treasury fined Seattle-based crypto exchange Bittrex $24 million for violating sanctions on Iran and other countries by processing crypto transactions worth over $260 million.

☆ Cryptoverse: Hack jitters push bitcoin investors back to the future
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Hannah Lang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The global hardware wallet market, valued at $245 million in 2021, is expected to swell to over $1.7 billion by 2030, according to market research firm Straits Research. Reuters GraphicsBLOWING HOT AND COLDAlthough hot wallets are usually free and offer quick access to crypto, they can be vulnerable to hacks. In August, nearly 8,000 crypto wallets on the Solana blockchain were hit by hackers who made off with more than $5 million in crypto. loading"Users are strongly encouraged to use hardware wallets," Solana said at the time. France's Ledger, another hardware wallet maker, said it saw a spike in sales after the Solana wallets heist.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoLONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A blockchain linked to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, has been hit by a $570 million hack, a Binance spokesperson said on Friday, the latest in a series of hacks to hit the crypto sector this year. Criminals have increasingly targeted them, with some $2 billion stolen in 13 different hacks, mostly this year, researcher Chainalysis said in August. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe hackers stole around $100 million worth of crypto, Zhao said in his tweet. BNB Chain later said in a blog post that a total of 2 million of the BNB cryptocurrency - worth around $570 million - was withdrawn by the hacker. BNB Chain suspended its blockchain for several hours before resuming at around 0630 GMT, it said in a tweet.

☆ Bitcoin mining struggles to go green, research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Tom Wilson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar SuLONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Bitcoin is struggling to go green, with the cryptocurrency making only slim gains in its usage of sustainable energy in the year to January, research by Cambridge university showed on Tuesday. Processing bitcoin transactions and "mining" new tokens is done by powerful computers, hooked up to a global network, that compete against others to solve complex mathematical puzzles. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterProjects have sought ways to shift bitcoin mining towards cleaner energy, such as repurposing heat byproducts from oil extraction for crypto mining. Bitcoin mining is mostly unregulated and opaque, with few centralised bodies gathering data. The Cambridge study was based on data on the geographical spread of mining across the world and the energy mix of individual countries.

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