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Crypto users report new scam emails spoofing Coinbase, Gemini
Crypto users have reported an increase in scam emails impersonating exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini. These fraudulent emails attempt to trick users into setting up a new wallet using pre-generated recovery phrases controlled by scammers.
In several examples posted to X, the email claims to be from Coinbase, asking users to transition to self-custodial wallets and providing instructions on downloading the legitimate Coinbase Wallet, giving a deadline of April 1 to make the switch.
However, it also provides pre-generated recovery phrases. Once users open a new wallet with those phrases and transfer funds, all the assets will be available to the threat actor, who could drain the wallet.
The email mentions a class-action lawsuit against Coinbase alleging it has sold unregistered securities, resulting in a court mandating users to manage their wallets.
“Coinbase will operate as a registered broker, allowing purchases, but all assets must move to Coinbase Wallet,” the phony email says.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed its lawsuit alleging Coinbase was an unregistered broker and selling unregistered securities on Feb. 27.
Coinbase told Cointelegraph it is aware of the scam and pointed to its March 14 post to X, saying, “We will never send you a recovery phrase, and you should never enter a recovery phrase given to you by someone else.” Read More
Public Keys: Coinbase IRL and Gemini Wants Bitcoin Believers to Look Up
Will Coinbase get the green light to offer tokenized securities? It’s something the company has wanted to do since before it went public in 2021.
Public Keys is a weekly roundup from Decrypt that tracks the key publicly traded crypto companies. This week: It’s spring time for Coinbase and on-chain assets. The company is going after its tokenized security white whale. CEO Brian Armstrong and his founders have been wanting to offer tokenized stocks since before the company even went public in 2021. Will they do it this time? Meanwhile: What’s that in the sky? An IPO, a new ETF? Turns out it’s both.
Real world wins for Coinbase:
Things keep falling into place for Coinbase. This week alone, the company saw a lawsuit against it in Vermont dropped and got approval to offer its services in India.
Now, onlookers are watching to see if Coinbase will get the green light to offer tokenized securities. It’s something the company has wanted to do since before it went public in 2021.
If Coinbase got the OK to tokenize securities, it would be a huge boon for the already growing RWA, or real-world asset, segment.
The RWA market aims to bring assets like stocks, bonds, property, or even land on-chain. Sometimes that’s been looked at as gimmicky by traditional finance types. But Wall Street has been working to reduce settlement times for years. What faster way to get there than by bringing some assets on-chain? Read More
Argentina finalizes rules for virtual asset providers
Argentina’s securities regulator has finalized rules for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), which cover general codes of conduct and custody requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other platforms facilitating digital asset transactions.
The regulations were published on March 13 by the National Securities Commission, also known as CNV, under General Resolution No. 1058.
According to a translated version of the announcement, the regulations impose “obligations regarding registration, cybersecurity, asset custody, money laundering prevention, and risk disclosure” on VASPs operating in the country.
The stated goal of the rules is to guarantee “transparency, stability, and user protection in the crypto ecosystem,” the announcement said.
Argentine tax lawyer Diego Fraga said the final guidelines include mandatory separation of company and client funds, annual audits and monthly reporting with the CNV. Read More
New MassJacker malware targets piracy users, steals crypto
A previously unknown type of cryptojacking malware called MassJacker is targeting piracy users and hijacking crypto transactions by replacing stored addresses, according to a March 10 report from CyberArk.
The cryptojacking malware originates from the website pesktop[dot]com, where users seeking to download pirated software may unknowingly infect their devices with the MassJacker malware. After the malware is installed, the infection swaps out crypto addresses stored on the clipboard application for addresses controlled by the attacker.
According to CyberArk, there are 778,531 unique wallets linked to the theft. However, only 423 wallets held crypto assets at any point. The total amount of crypto that had either been stored or transferred out of the wallets amounted to $336,700 as of August. However, the company noted that the true extent of the theft could be higher or lower.
One wallet, in particular, seemed active. This wallet contained just over 600 Solana (SOL) at the time of analysis, worth approximately $87,000, and had a history of holding non-fungible tokens. These NFTs included Gorilla Reborn and Susanoo. Read More
5 blockchain startups worth keeping an eye on
Blockchain technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and with it, a new wave of startups is emerging to tackle some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
From scaling solutions and cross-chain interoperability to privacy and compliance, these innovative companies are poised to shape the future of the blockchain space.
In this article, we spotlight five promising blockchain startups founded in the past five years – each offering unique solutions that could redefine the way we interact with decentralised networks in 2025 and beyond. Read More
The Markethive R² Principle Explained. Reach and Returns: Subscriptions vs Qualifications
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Markethive is a hybrid platform comprising social media, inbound marketing, and digital broadcasting within a cryptocurrency ecosystem, with many strings to its bow. Markethive operates on a fundamental principle that can be summarized as "Reach and Returns," represented as R².
This dual focus highlights the platform's commitment to providing both extensive marketing and broadcasting capabilities and effective tools and systems for cultivating a strong customer base. This principle is at the core of Markethive's operations, emphasizing the platform's focus on both reaching a broad audience and delivering significant returns on your investment, time, and qualifications.
"Reach" refers to Markethive's capacity to disseminate your message, products, or services to a broad audience. This is achieved through features and strategies designed to maximize visibility and engagement. For instance, our social media integration allows you to reach potential customers across various platforms, and our targeted advertising tools ensure your message is seen by the right audience. All these are made possible through the Markethive a-la-carte subscriptions.
"Returns," on the other hand, signifies the platform's emphasis on generating tangible results from your efforts. By providing tools to attract, nurture, and convert leads into customers and clients, Markethive aims to deliver a substantial return on your investment of time, skills, and resources through the Markethive KEY qualification.
This dual approach ensures that your marketing efforts are far-reaching and impactful, ultimately leading to significant growth and success for your business. Whether you're looking to expand your brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales, Markethive's R² principle provides a comprehensive framework for achieving your marketing goals and return on investment within the Markethive Ecosystem. Read More
Trump Admin Wants to Acquire as Much Bitcoin as Possible: White House
A White House official told a room of crypto industry leaders this week that the Trump administration wants to acquire as much Bitcoin as possible.
At a closed-door roundtable hosted by the Bitcoin Policy Institute on Tuesday, Bo Hines, executive director of the Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets, told participants the White House is intent on acquiring as much Bitcoin as it can, according to multiple attendees.
When asked by someone in the room exactly how much Bitcoin the U.S. government might ultimately acquire, Hines joked the question was akin to asking someone how many dollars they’d want, one roundtable attendee told Decrypt.
A White House official confirmed to Decrypt that Hines indeed made the statement about acquiring as much Bitcoin as possible, but added the caveat that any such acquisitions would be made “in a budget neutral way that doesn’t cost the taxpayers a dime.” Read More
Wallet in Telegram to list 50 tokens and launch yield program
Wallet in Telegram, a third-party cryptocurrency wallet Mini App on Telegram, is set to expand its custodial crypto services, adding at least 50 new cryptocurrencies and launching an earn feature for users.
The Open Platform (TOP), the largest venture builder in The Open Network ecosystem, which manages Wallet in Telegram as one of its portfolio businesses, announced the rollout of the next wallet generation on March 13, introducing a wide range of new features.
With the rollout, Wallet in Telegram will add at least 50 new crypto assets, including major cryptocurrencies Ether and XRP, as well as memecoins like Dogecoin and Pepe, a spokesperson for Wallet told Cointelegraph.
Wallet’s new generation is set to be rolled out within the next two months and will also introduce an “Earn” feature, which will allow users to gain yields on assets including Tether’s USDt. Read More
Solana proposal to cut inflation rate by up to 80% fails to pass
A proposal to dramatically change Solana’s inflation system has been rejected by stakeholders but is being hailed as a victory for the network’s governance process.
“Even though our proposal was technically defeated by the vote, this was a major victory for the Solana ecosystem and its governance process,” commented Multicoin Capital co-founder Tushar Jain on March 14.
Around 74% of the staked supply voted on proposal SIMD-228 across 910 validators, but just 43.6% voted in favor of it, with 27.4% voting against it and 3.3% abstaining, according to Dune Analytics. It needed 66.67% approval from participating votes to pass and only received 61.4%.
Jain added that this was the biggest crypto governance vote ever, by both the number of participants and the participating market cap, of any ecosystem, chain or network.
“This was a meaningful scaling stress test — a social, rather than technical, stress test — and the network passed despite a wide stratification of diverging opinions and interests.”
“Solana SIMD-228 voter turnout was higher than every US presidential election in the last 100 years,” claimed the team behind Solana’s X account. Read More
Vermont Drops Crypto Staking Case Against Coinbase
Crypto exchange Coinbase has scored another major victory in its legal battles, as U.S. state Vermont dropped its case against the exchange over its staking services.
Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, celebrated Vermont’s decision, calling it a sign of "progress."
“As we have always said: staking services are not securities,” he wrote on X. “We applaud Vermont for embracing progress and providing clarity for its citizens who own digital assets.”
Grewal went on to urge other states still pursuing similar actions to “take a page from Vermont’s playbook.”
The decision follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) decision to dismiss its own case against Coinbase just weeks earlier, pointing to a shift in the regulatory aspects for the crypto industry under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The formation of the new SEC task force to “provide guidance for the promulgation of rules regarding the regulation of crypto products and services” was cited as a pivotal factor in Vermont’s decision to rescind its case against Coinbase. Read More
Ethereum pushes back Pectra upgrade to conduct third testnet ‘Hoodi’
Ethereum core developers have decided to create a third testnet, Hoodi, to better prepare for the Pectra upgrade, which has now been delayed until at least late April after the first two testnets encountered several bugs.
The Hoodi testnet will launch on March 17 and the Pectra upgrade for it will be activated on March 26, Ethereum Foundation developer Tim Beiko said following the Ethereum All Core Dev Call on March 13.
If Pectra runs smoothly on Hoodi without major issues, core developers could set a mainnet launch date for Pectra as soon as 30 days after Hoodi’s activation, Beiko said.
That would mean Pectra could go live on Ethereum mainnet as early as April 25.
Pectra, which combines features from the Prague and Electra proposals, will implement over 10 Ethereum Improvement Proposals mostly aimed at bringing more functionality to Ethereum wallets and improving user experience.
It will also include scaling proposals to double the blob count for data availability from three to six.
Pectra was initially slated to launch on Ethereum mainnet in late 2024 but has faced repeated delays due to client readiness issues and synchronization bugs in the first two Ethereum testnets, Holesky and Sepolia. Read More
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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