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Zoom Meeting Scam: Crypto Users Fall Prey to Potential Russian-linked Hackers

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Cybercriminals are once again exploiting trusted tools for malicious gains.

This time, a phishing campaign centered around fake Zoom meeting links has left victims counting massive losses in cryptocurrency.

Fake Zoom Invites Mask Malware

A recent report by blockchain security firm SlowMist detailed a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting cryptocurrency users through fake Zoom meeting links. The attack has reportedly resulted in the theft of millions of digital assets.

It involved the use of a fraudulent domain resembling the authentic one. This site mimicked the genuine Zoom interface to trick unassuming victims into downloading a malicious installation package. Once executed, the malware prompted users to enter their system passwords which enabled the collection of sensitive information such as KeyChain data, browser credentials, and cryptocurrency wallet details.

Upon analysis, SlowMist said that it identified the malware’s code as a modified osascript script. The script extracted and encrypted user data before transmitting it to a hacker-controlled server flagged as malicious by threat intelligence platforms.

The server’s IP address was traced to the Netherlands, and the attackers’ monitoring tools, including logs showing Russian script usage, suggest a connection to Russian-speaking operatives.

On-chain tracking through SlowMist’s MistTrack tool revealed that the hackers’ primary wallet amassed over $1 million, converting stolen assets into 296 ETH. Further transfers led to a secondary address which is now linked to transactions across popular crypto exchanges such as Binance, Gate.io, and MEXC. A complex network of smaller wallets and flagged addresses, including those tagged “Angel Drainer” and “Pink Drainer,” facilitated fund dispersal.

“These types of attacks often combine social engineering and Trojan techniques, making users vulnerable to exploitation. The SlowMist Security Team advises users to carefully verify meeting links before clicking, avoid executing unknown software and commands, install antivirus software, and update it regularly.”

Phishing Scams Hit Alarming Highs

There has been a surge in crypto phishing scams lately. Earlier this month, a fraudulent work meeting link sent via KakaoTalk caused a person to lose $300,000 in cryptocurrency. The malware-compromised funds were transferred to a BingX-associated wallet. The link installed malware and compromised Ethereum and Solana wallets.

Another blockchain security expert, Scam Sniffer reported over $9.4 million was lost in phishing attacks in November alone. Malicious blockchain signatures remain a top threat, as scammers exploit fraudulent transaction permissions to drain wallets, including high-profile thefts exceeding $36 million.

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Cryptocurrency

Crypto Markets Shed Over $100 Billion After Trump’s Latest Tariff Threats (Weekend Watch)

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Bitcoin’s price actions took a turn for the worse yesterday after US President Trump recommended a 50% general tariff against the European Union.

The altcoins have also bled out on a daily scale, with more than $100 billion leaving the space within this timeframe.

BTC Pushed Below $107K

In general, it was a very good, some would say historic, week for the primary cryptocurrency. It started on a volatile foot as it pumped from $104,000 to $107,000 on a couple of occasions on Sunday and Monday but was stopped in its tracks and driven south hard.

However, the bulls kept the pressure on, and that upper boundary finally gave in on Wednesday. Moreover, bitcoin rocketed past its January all-time high of $109,100 and set a new one at almost $110,000.

It was met with immediate resistance there and a drop to $106,500, but that was short-lived. Bitcoin began another, even more impressive leg up in the following hours and tapped a fresh peak at $112,000 on Pizza Day.

It retraced slightly to $111,000 on Friday but remained at around that level until the POTUS recommended a new set of tariffs against the EU to start from June 1. In minutes, BTC’s price tumbled below $107,500, bounced off, and then slipped again to under $107,000.

It has recovered some ground now and sits above $108,000, but it’s still over 2% down on the day. Its market cap has plunged to $2.150 trillion, while its dominance over the alts stands tall at 61% on CG.

BTCUSD. Source: TradingView
BTCUSD. Source: TradingView

Alts in Red

The altcoins have followed BTC on the way south, with substantial losses of up to 10% from the likes of DOGE, ADA, SUI, SHIB, LINK, and AVAX. Ethereum has slipped by over 5% and is now down to $2,550. XRP has dropped to just over $2.3 after a 4.4% daily decline.

Even more painful price drops are evident from ENA, WIF, TIA, S, IP, and PEPE as all of them have plunged by double digits.

The total crypto market has lost over $100 billion since yesterday and is down to $3.530 trillion on CG.

Cryptocurrency Market Overview. Source: QuantifyCrypto
Cryptocurrency Market Overview. Source: QuantifyCrypto
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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.

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ChatGPT Evaluates Ripple Price Predictions: How Viable Is XRP at $100?

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TL;DR

  • The XRP Army, arguably the loudest niche of the cryptocurrency community, frequently posts about the asset’s market potential, but some forecasts can go into the ‘ridiculous’ category.
  • Although many might seem far-fetched, at least for the current market prices, ChatGPT noted that a double-digit price tag is not out of the question.

$29, $55?

Although XRP has been the object of countless massive price predictions, even before its explosive rally at the end of last year, we will focus on a more summarized version from this article, where the first two targets were set at $29 and $55.

The AI chatbot described the more modest one as “ambitious yet conceivable,” since it came from more renowned industry experts, such as Bitwise Research’s Oscar Ramos, who believes the asset can surge to such an impressive price tag if certain conditions are met.

At first, he highlighted the significance of a potential approval of a spot Ripple ETF in the States. Although the US SEC has delayed making a decision on a few listings, the chances for such products to hit the US markets this year are above 75%, according to Polymarket.

XRP’s price can also benefit if the token continues to gain traction in global financial systems and sees “widespread institutional adoption.”

The $55 target was categorized as “highly optimistic” by ChatGPT. It explained that such a price per token would require a market cap above $3 trillion, given the current available supply, which would put XRP above BTC.

“Such a surge would necessitate unprecedented adoption and utility, making this target highly optimistic under current market conditions,” – added the AI tool.

What About $100?

The last price target set by analysts was an entry triple-digit price. ChatGPT kindly dismissed it by putting it in the “speculative and unlikely” category. After all, such a price tag would put XRP’s market cap above those of Apple and Nvidia… combined.

“While some proponents argue that XRP could capture a significant share of global financial transactions, including SWIFT replacements and derivatives settlements, these scenarios are highly theoretical and face numerous regulatory and practical challenges,” – concluded the AI chatbot.

Although the predictions above might sound a bit (or a lot) far-fetched at the moment, this doesn’t mean that XRP lacks any market potential this year. In fact, you can check what ChatGPT thinks about the possibility of a $10 price tag for Ripple’s cross-border token – here.

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Venom Foundation Achieves 150k TPS in Closed-Network Stress Test, Paving the Way for 2025 Mainnet Upgrade

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[PRESS RELEASE – Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 23rd, 2025]

The Venom Foundation has successfully completed a closed‑network stress test of its next‑generation protocol, which is capable of completing 150,000 transactions per second (TPS) and finalizing all transfers in under three seconds. The implementation of this upgrade is set to occur in Q3 2025 and make Venom one of the most effective throughput public blockchains in existence.

“Throughput only matters if it can remain reliable under pressure,” said Christopher Louis, Chief Executive Officer at Venom. “Our new stack can handle enterprise‑scale workloads without spiking fees or compromising decentralization, which is exactly what payment providers, exchanges, and game studios need.”

Why It Matters for Markets

  • Speed at scale — DAG‑based mempool consensus unlocks headroom for 400,000+ TPS in synthetic benchmarks while maintaining real‑time finality.
  • Fair order flow — The distributed sorting layer can convert the DAG into a single linear order, preventing front‑running and other MEV exploits.
  • Parallel smart‑contract execution — TVM actor model shard accounts and processes call asynchronously, enabling high‑volume DeFi and microtransactions.
  • Deterministic security — Validators can generate identical outputs, meaning finality is reached once 2 n + 1 signatures are collected, making forks virtually impossible.
  • Lean networking footprint — Asynchronous block distribution keeps bandwidth costs low for operators and cloud partners.

Path to Production

Testnet (Q2 2025) – Security audits, ecosystem tooling, third‑party audits

Mainnet Migration (Q3 2025) – In‑place hard fork

Ecosystem Expansion (Q4 2025) – Cross‑chain bridges, feature‑complete SDKs

Transparency

All raw data, node configurations, and test scripts will be published to Venom’s public GitHub repository ahead of the testnet launch. Independent auditors are currently reviewing both the security and performance aspects of the upgrade.

About The Venom Foundation

The Venom Foundation consists of researchers and developers from Abu Dhabi, where they built the foundations for the network. The foundation is a Cayman‑registered, community‑driven non‑profit supporting research, development, and adoption for the Venom blockchain.

Website: https://venom.foundation/

https://x.com/VenomFoundation/

Press contact: press@venom.foundation

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