Cryptocurrency
Binance exit aftershock: Can one resignation tip the crypto trust scales?

On Sept. 13, news broke of yet another high-level executive parting ways with Binance.US.
This time, it was none other than Brian Shroder, the CEO and president of the exchange, who, after two years in the hot seat, was heading for a “deserved break,” as Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao was quick to announce on X (formerly Twitter) that same day.
There has been some speculation regarding recent management changes at @BinanceUS. Brian Shroder is taking a deserved break after accomplishing what he set out to do when he joined two years ago. Under his leadership, https://t.co/hSHrrlF7o7 raised capital, improved its product…
— CZ Binance (@cz_binance) September 15, 2023
The news coincided with the announcement that around 100 people had also lost their jobs that day — about a third of the workforce.
A massive outflow of funds followed, with the highest being just over $66 million in a single transaction. Zhao was keen to underline that Shroder’s departure was amicable and that he had achieved everything he had set out to do.
“Ignore the FUD,” was the call from the parapets, the common plea for calm when any kind of disruption occurs.
In an industry strained and battered by tales of fraud and wrongdoing, however, this call went unheeded once again. The days since the news broke have seen significant outflows from Binance to platforms such as Jump, AU21 Capital, QCP Capital and Wintermute.
Once again, it raises issues that have long dogged the cryptosphere, chiefly those of influence and trust. There are few other sectors where layoffs or a change at the top of a company can have such an impact.
Such things are generally accepted as the natural ebb and flow of the business world, and while there may be a momentary blip, more often than not, things are back on track fairly soon afterward.

Even in this instance, from the chart, it is apparent that there were still sizeable inflows to Binance during the period. The two incidents may be completely unrelated. With so many factors involved, no one can say for sure.
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Jim Graham, a cryptocurrency analyst at think tank PsyBold, told Cointelegraph: “While we can’t attribute the shift in funds wholly to last week’s announcement, we most certainly can’t reject it, either. There have been several key managerial changes in the past few months, and virtually all of them have been accompanied by a dip in holdings on the platform. Trust remains a massive obstacle for crypto platforms, and it’s an obstacle they are failing to overcome.”
Money is a valuable commodity, and even the hint that it may be in jeopardy is reason enough to react quickly and decisively.
As the saying goes, trust is earned, not given away, and the recent negative events involving crypto platforms have done little to raise that level of trust. Graham added:
“Crypto platforms need to be on par with banks regarding trust. Investors need to know that entrusting their money to them is a good, safe idea, not a risky one. Unfortunately, they are nowhere near that, and until we reach that level, these spikes are inevitable.”
So, how do the platforms get to that level of trust? Most people would simply say, stop doing bad things. Once crypto platforms act more like banks, people may trust them more.
But this is much easier said than done. For one, most banks have been around for years, some even hundreds of years. Trust has an element of longevity to it, which people like. The general feeling is if something or someone has acted responsibly and transparently for a long time, there is more of a chance that they will continue to do so.
Crypto platforms don’t have that luxury, of course. Most can only look back on a few years of existence; the only pledge they can give is their word.
On top of that, there is the age-old discussion of regulation. Licensed banks are regulated. That means an authority monitors what they do and is there to step in if things go wrong.
The last thing such an authority or the bank wants is a bank run, as this represents a complete breakdown in trust for all concerned, with the consequences that go with that. Once that has happened, it is tough to win that trust back, as witnessed during the economic crisis of 2008.
In the unregulated world of crypto exchanges, there is currently a stalemate. Some investors are in the middle, clamoring for regulation, fearing for their investments. In contrast, others are vehemently opposed, stating regulation is the very thing cryptocurrency was created to avoid.
And on either side are the exchanges and the authorities, each accusing the other of this and that in what seems like an endless spiral, with neither ready to back down.Sandra McAllister, an attorney specializing in tech litigation with Clifford Chance, told Cointelegraph:
“The need to clarify the legalities around trading cryptocurrencies, particularly in the U.S., is vitally important for the future of the industry, but the protracted processes and tactics being employed are damaging, for both sides, and that, in turn, is turning investors away.”
“The power of social media is also a pressure on the market. The bounce in the Ripple price we saw in July following the court ruling on XRP underlines that perfectly. The decision was anything but conclusive and, in reality, nothing more than a step along the path, but it was blown up on social media as a huge victory that drove up prices. We only have to see where the Ripple price is today to see how much of a victory it actually was,” she said.
Recent: Stablecoin exodus: Why are investors fleeing crypto’s safe haven?
Moving assets around between different exchanges or different assets is nothing new or unusual, of course. In times of economic downturn, funds tend to flow toward the “safer” havens, such as bonds and gold, before reverting to more profitable areas when things pick up.
Graham commented, “While diversifying holdings and being ready to react to ensure you are not unduly affected by negative pressures is sound financial advice, the problem facing crypto holders right now is which platform is safer than another. The FTX demise showed us that ‘too big to fail’ does not apply, so what remains?”
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Price Analysis: Is BTC Out of the Woods After 8% Correction?

Bitcoin has faced notable selling pressure at the $111K range, leading to a bearish rejection. Nevertheless, the price lacks sufficient bullish momentum and a deeper correction seems plausible in the mid-term.
Technical Analysis
The Daily Chart
Following its breakout above the previous all-time high at $109K and printing a new peak at $111K, Bitcoin met strong resistance that has sparked notable selling pressure. The failure to sustain momentum above this key psychological level has resulted in a bearish rejection, pushing the asset back below the $109K threshold.
This price action coincided with the sweep of buy-side liquidity resting above the previous swing high, allowing smart money to execute sell orders efficiently. As a result, the market has entered a corrective phase, now approaching the daily fair value gap (FVG) between $97K and $100K. This zone likely holds substantial demand, potentially acting as a support zone that could trigger a bullish reaction.
Should the price stabilize within this FVG, a rebound toward the $111K resistance becomes likely. Conversely, failure to hold this level could pave the way for further downside, with the next key support residing near the $95K region.
The 4-Hour Chart
On the 4-hour timeframe, intensified selling pressure at the $111K resistance has caused BTC to break below its previously maintained ascending price channel. The subsequent pullback toward the broken channel boundary near $108K has confirmed the bearish breakout and suggests weakening momentum.
Currently, the price is consolidating within a critical support-resistance band spanning from $100K to $108K. As long as Bitcoin remains within this range, short-term volatility is expected. However, a decisive breakout, either above $108K or below $100K, will likely set the tone for the next significant move, with either a bullish recovery or an extended correction unfolding based on the breakout direction.
On-chain Analysis
The Realized Price of mid-term holders has consistently functioned as a pivotal support or resistance zone, making it a valuable indicator for gauging broader market sentiment. This metric, representing the average on-chain acquisition cost of UTXOs held by long-term investors, often aligns with key turning points in Bitcoin’s price cycle.
Currently, Bitcoin remains positioned above the Realized Price of the 3–6 month holder cohort, a signal that this group remains in profit and has not faced significant stress. However, recent selling pressure and a rejection from the $111K level have dragged the price closer to the Realized Price of the 3–6 month holder range, which resides around the $98K zone.
This places the $98K–$100K area in the spotlight as a crucial support region. A firm reaction from this zone would confirm continued confidence from mid-term holders and may act as the launchpad for a renewed bullish leg, potentially propelling Bitcoin to fresh all-time highs. Failure to hold this support, however, could shift market sentiment and open the door to deeper corrections.
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Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
$200M Crypto Scam: OFAC Sanctions Funnull as Experts Find Ties to Huione Pay, Triad Nexus

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Funnull Technology Inc., a technology firm headquartered in the Philippines, and its administrator, Liu Lizhi.
The company has been implicated in running a “pig butchering” scam.
$200M Scam Uncovered
According to the official press release, Funnull has stolen over $200 million from American investors. OFAC has also placed two of Funnull’s cryptocurrency addresses on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List to restrict their access to financial systems.
In response, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued a public advisory, outlining key technical indicators, such as infrastructure components and IP addresses tied to Funnull’s scam operations.
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender, in an official statement, said
“Today’s action underscores our focus on disrupting the criminal enterprises, like Funnull, that enable these cyber scams and deprive Americans of their hard-earned savings. The United States is strongly committed to ensuring the continued growth of a legitimate, safe, and secure digital asset ecosystem, including the use of virtual currencies and similar technologies.”
Connection to Triad Nexus and Huione Pay
According to the findings by blockchain intelligence Chainalysis, Funnull Technology Inc. enabled cybercriminals by purchasing IP addresses in bulk from major cloud service providers and selling them to operators of fraudulent investment platforms. This infrastructure allowed scammers to host malicious websites that mimicked legitimate investment platforms, thereby deceiving victims into investing in non-existent opportunities.
Funnull was a central player in a network dubbed by security researchers as “Triad Nexus,” which includes more than 200,000 unique hostnames, many of which are associated with investment scams, fake trading apps, and suspect gambling networks. OFAC identified two crypto addresses linked to Funnull Technology Inc., used for receiving cybercriminal payments.
These addresses are tied to scam-related infrastructure and show connections to Huione Pay, which was recently flagged by FinCEN as a major money laundering concern.
Further investigation by blockchain security firm Elliptic revealed that the two addresses in question received more than $4 million in total.
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Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin to $150K or Back to $92K? Traders Divided as Market Cools Off

Bitcoin (BTC) smashed a fresh all-time high (ATH) of $111,814 on May 22, but the party may be over, at least for now.
After rallying by more than $15,000 over the month, the king crypto has shed $9,000 in the last week alone, slipping to the $103,000 level, putting traders on edge and sparking new debate: Is this a healthy cooldown or the start of a deeper plunge?
Technical Red Flags Flashing
Volatility is back with a vengeance. In the last 24 hours, BTC has swung between $103,300 and $105,000, reflecting growing market uncertainty. Zooming out, it’s still up 9.1% in the last 30 days and 52.1% over the past year, but the momentum seems to be fading.
According to data shared by analyst Axel Adler Jr., Bitcoin just triggered four consecutive sell signals on CryptoQuant’s Net UTXO Supply ratio. “This is a typical pattern for an overheated market phase, where profit-taking occurs and demand begins to lag supply,” he warned, highlighting the red flag that often comes before short-term tops.
Further, the market watcher pointed to two possible scenarios for the asset: a sideways purgatory, with BTC drifting sideways between $95,000 and $105,000 for weeks, or a mid pullback that could see it plunge toward $92,000 in a bid to “relieve overbought conditions.”
Betting Big on Bitcoin
However, others are more optimistic, or delusional, depending on who you ask. According to BetIdeas in an email to CryptoPotato, there’s an 80% chance of BTC hitting $120,000 in 2025, and a 40% shot at $150,000.
“The volatile nature of crypto is what will always grab the headlines but with the upwards trend in May with Bitcoin being increasingly positive, it looks as though a big run for Bitcoin holders is coming,” wrote spokesman Steve McQuillan.
He stated that traders on the platform had placed a 22% chance on a run toward $200,000 before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, popular analyst Daan Crypto Trades has pointed to the zone between $97,000 and $99,000 as a key level to watch for a potential bounce, citing Fibonacci retracement levels and the 200-day moving average.
Elsewhere, Michaël van de Poppe doesn’t seem too fazed by the current goings on in the market, terming it “consolidation and correction,” which, in his opinion, is “very healthy and normal.”
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