According to the Pioneer Economic News, South Korean securities firm Future Asset Securities is considering establishing an independent entity focused on cryptocurrency business. The report quoted industry insiders as saying that the company is exploring the possibility of separating its digital asset solution team from traditional securities business. This potential initiative is based on the Digital Asset Task Force established by Chairman Park Hyeon joo in 2021, which evolved into the current team last year.
BlockBeats news, on May 29th, according to TheBlock, although Bitcoin has recently hit a historic high, data on open futures contracts indicates that market sentiment is becoming cautious. The open contracts of BTC futures on mainstream trading platforms are generally 10% -15% lower than the peak in December 2024, and the leverage utilization rate of derivative traders has not reached the previous high level. The current open interest of Binance BTC futures is $12.5 billion, a decrease of nearly 10% from the peak of $13.7 billion in December 2024. The leverage frenzy of derivative traders that did not return to historical highs indicates that this round of gains is mainly driven by spot prices.
According to CoinDesk, hardware wallet company Ledger announced that it will launch the "Crypto Life" Visa card in the United States on June 30th, except for New York and Vermont. This card is supported by the encryption card service provider Baanx, and users can receive a 1% Bitcoin or USDC cashback on their purchases. It also supports direct deposit of wages into on chain accounts through bank transfers. Ledger's Vice President of Consumer Services stated that this collaboration will provide cashback functionality for Bitcoin holders to millions of users in the United States.
According to CoinDesk, Vietnamese woman Ngo Thi Theu was arrested in Thailand last Friday on suspicion of involvement in a $300 million cryptocurrency fraud case. Ngo Thi Theu, 30, is a key figure in the fraud network, which involves 35 supervisors and over 1000 employees operating 44 call centers in Vietnam.
The police stated that scammers lured 2600 victims into investing in fake cryptocurrency and forex trading platforms by promising a monthly return rate of 20% -30%. About 21.2% of Vietnam's population (100 million people) invest in cryptocurrency, making it a high-risk area for fraud. Interpol has previously issued a red notice for Ngo Thi Theu.
According to Finance Feeds, the North Korean hacker group Lazarus Group has recently shifted its attack targets to individual investors, stealing over $5.2 million from a merchant through malicious software on May 24th. The stolen funds involve multiple wallet types, including exchange wallets, multi signature wallets, and external accounts. Blockchain analyst ZackXBT tracked and found that hackers have transferred approximately 1000 ETH through the Tornado Cash mixer.
Security experts suggest that individual investors take protective measures: use hardware wallets to store large assets, enable two factor authentication, regularly update software patches, be alert to suspicious links, and regularly check transaction records. This attack marks a shift in the organization's strategy from targeting institutions to individual investors.
