Wisconsin wireless provider Cellcom has confirmed that a cyberattack is responsible for the widespread service outage and disruptions that began on the evening of May 14, 2025.

The incident disrupted voice and SMS services for customers across Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, leaving subscribers unable to make phone calls or send text messages.

Today, after days of just calling it a technical outage, Cellcom CEO Brighid Riordan has confirmed what was already suspected: that the company suffered a cyberattack.

“We experienced a cyber incident. While this is unfortunate, it’s not something we were unprepared for,” reads a letter from Cellcom CEO Brighid Riordan.

“We have protocols and plans in place for exactly this kind of situation. From the start, we’ve followed those plans — including engaging outside cybersecurity experts, notifying the FBI and Wisconsin officials, and working around the clock to bring systems safely back online.”

“The incident was concentrated on an area of our network separate from where we store sensitive information related to you, our Cellcom/ Nsight family. We have no evidence that personal information related to you, your name, your addresses, your financial information, is impacted by this event.”

Cellcom initially claimed the disruption was caused by a technical issue, stating that data services, iMessage, RCS messaging, and 911 emergency services remained operational.

However, users became increasingly frustrated with the loss of service and the inability to port their numbers to other carriers due to Cellcom’s platforms having issues.

On May 19, Cellcom began bringing some of its services back online, including SMS text messaging and making and receiving phone calls to other Cellcom subscribers.

However, the company says that while they can’t promise when services will be restored, they are trying to restore full service by the end of the week.

“While we would like to provide a timeline for full restoration, we are unable to share exact milestones with complete confidence. Our team continues to build on the progress shared yesterday and our best estimate is that full service will be restored by or before the end of this week,” reads a service updates page on Cellcom’s site.

For Cellcom subscribers having issues recovering services, it is recommended that they enable airplane mode for 10 seconds and then disable it again. If that does not work, subscribers should power down their phones and start them up again to attempt to initiate services.

Yesterday, BleepingComputer contacted Cellcom with questions about the disruption caused by a ransomware attack or another cyber incident, but did not receive replies to our questions.

Cellcom CEO Brighid Riordan also shared a video for subscribers to explain the situation and what they are doing to recover from services.

OSgrid, the popular OpenSim-based virtual world, has officially reopened to the public after a period of extended maintenance. The grid’s return marks a significant milestone for the OpenSim community, providing users with what administrators describe as “a more professional and stable experience.”

The grid went down in early March, due to problems with user inventory files.

You can read our previous article here: OSgrid enters immediate long-term maintenance.

“We’re happy to announce the official reopening of OSgrid,” the OSgrid team said in an announcement posted today. “This slightly extended downtime has allowed us to come back stronger.”

Users returning to OSgrid must follow several important technical steps to ensure a smooth transition, the grid said. All returning residents should clear both texture and inventory caches in their viewers before logging in. Additionally, region owners must update to the latest code available on the OSgrid website.

Region owners should also reload their OAR files using a specific command that forces asset reloading: load oar –force-assets filename.oar

However, inventory restoration through IAR files is temporarily delayed to maintain system stability.

The grid has also rolled out a solution for the common cloud avatar issue at LBSA Plaza, where a clickable question mark provides users with the necessary appearance folders.

OSgrid, the oldest and largest OpenSim grids, has long been a central hub for the open-source virtual world community, allowing users to attach home-based regions for free and serving as a testbed for OpenSimulator development.

Will it be the largest grid again? It has come back from longer outages before, so the odds are good.

Hypergrid Business editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist. During the day, Maria Korolov is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at maria@hypergridbusiness.com. Her first virtual world novella, Krim Times, made the Amazon best-seller list in its category. Her second novella, The Lost King of Krim, is out now. She is also the publisher of MetaStellar, a new online magazine of speculative fiction.

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A widely followed crypto strategist believes that Bitcoin (BTC) can take the path of higher for longer this market cycle.

Pseudonymous analyst Jack tells his 268,200 followers on the social media platform X that he thinks Bitcoin will not print a new all-time high this year after US President Donald Trump instigated a global trade war and created uncertain market conditions.

The trader shares a chart suggesting that Bitcoin will create a durable bottom between $66,000 and $80,000 for the rest of the year before launching a new bull run in 2026.

“Trump path clearly is contraction for now.

But in that world of less globalization and trust, Bitcoin is a good asset to have, becoming a ball held under water.

Similar to how 2013 saw a short bear [market].”

Looking at the trader’s chart, he appears to suggest that Bitcoin will rally to as high as $297,000 by November of 2026.

Jack says that one catalyst that could send Bitcoin flying is the potential capital rotation from gold to BTC. According to the trader, gold investors will eventually come to know that Bitcoin is far better than the precious metal as a safe-haven asset.

“What if Gold is trading like it is because everyone is scrambling to redeem paper for physical, of which there is a scarcity, vs. all the paper that has been issued, essentially catching up to its true value that has been diluted with paper

Bitcoin doesn’t have this issue and will rally once people realize it is the better alternative for trade due to this very specific property.”

“Paper” gold refers to financial instruments that allow investors to gain exposure to the precious metal without having to deal with the expenses or logistics of physically possessing the commodity. Jack appears to be highlighting Bitcoin’s portability as BTC holders can easily store, access and transfer their coins as long as they have the keys to their wallet.

At time of writing, Bitcoin is trading for $84,244.

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Rumble Kong League is migrating from Avalanche to Ronin, and there’s a lot to unpack about why this matters. If you’re new to Web3 or just curious about how NFTs, tokens, and sidechains work, don’t worry—you’ll find everything explained in simple terms here. You’ll also learn how to take advantage of the extended airdrop campaign and why big names like Stephen Curry and Paul George are involved. Let’s dive in.

Rumble Kong League in a Nutshell

Rumble Kong League (RKL) is a free-to-play basketball game that lets you form a three-person team and go head-to-head against other players online. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it mixes the competitive spirit of sports with the innovative technology of the blockchain world. The game was originally planned to launch on Avalanche, but now the team behind RKL has chosen Ronin as their new home. This is a significant switch because it opens up opportunities for more players, higher stability, and bigger rewards.

Why Ronin Is a Big Deal

Ronin is a special type of blockchain called a sidechain. Think of a sidechain as a road that runs parallel to a major highway (in this case, the Ethereum blockchain), allowing traffic to flow without the usual congestion. Transactions on Ronin are often faster and cheaper, making it very appealing for games with lots of daily users.

To help you understand why RKL picked Ronin, here are some impressive numbers that Ronin brings to the table:

• 17.2 million wallet downloads (that means a lot of potential new players).

• Over 18 million people hold RON, which is the chain’s native currency.

• Ronin has been battle-tested by popular games like Axie Infinity, so it has a proven track record in Web3 gaming.

Soft Launch Extension and Doubled Rewards

The RKL team has extended their current “soft launch” until January 26. A soft launch is like a test phase where a select group of players can get in early, try the game, and earn special rewards. During this extension, you can play and accumulate something called $FAME points. These points will eventually convert into real blockchain tokens when the game’s Token Generation Event (TGE) happens at the end of January or early February.

Originally, the soft launch was supposed to end in mid-January, but RKL decided to push it back one more week. Here’s why that’s great news: • You get more time to climb the ranks in the game’s top league, known as the Sigma League.

• You can earn $FAME points in every match, which means a bigger haul before the tokens officially launch.

• The prize pool for top players has been doubled, so you can potentially walk away with a lot more $FAME than before.

How $FAME Rewards Work

RKL has split its ladder system into seasons. Each season lasts just a few days, and then the ladder resets. If you perform well, you earn more $FAME points, which are basically placeholders for the game’s soon-to-be-minted tokens. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the doubled rewards in the Sigma League (the highest league):

• 1st place: 100,000 $FAME points

• 2nd and 3rd place: 40,000 $FAME points

• 4th to 10th: 16,000 $FAME points

• 11th to 30th: 8,000 $FAME points

• 31st to 100th: 2,000 $FAME points

• 101st to 1,000th: 200 $FAME points (doubled from 100)

Even if you’re not a top-tier player, you can still earn plenty of points through normal gameplay. There’s also another neat perk: if you own a Kong NFT, you get unlimited tickets to play in the higher leagues. That means you can grind your way to more rewards.

One of the coolest parts about joining Ronin is that RKL can now host exclusive “Ronin-only” quests, which pop up in your quest log once you connect a Ronin Wallet to your account. Setting up a Ronin Wallet is easy. After you’ve created it, open your Rumble Kong League profile in the game, tap “Manage Profile,” and follow the steps to link your wallet. Alternatively, you can go to the official RKL website on a computer, log in, and connect your wallet through your account settings.

Whenever you see the term “wallet,” think of it like a digital account that holds your coins, tokens, or NFTs. The Ronin Wallet is simply one that works specifically with the Ronin blockchain. By hooking it up to your Rumble Kong League account, you unlock special quests that give you even more $FAME points. More points could mean a larger allocation of tokens once the TGE happens.

Stephen Curry, Paul George, and Other Big Names

Rumble Kong League has major backing from well-known brands and sports figures. NBA superstar Stephen Curry, through Penny Jar Capital, is one of the key investors. He’s also launched unique digital sneakers for the game. The game has even snagged partnerships with Gatorade, Stance, and other sports brands you might recognize from the real world.

Another big supporter is Animoca Brands. They’ve backed several high-profile Web3 projects, so their involvement gives RKL extra credibility. In other words, Rumble Kong League isn’t some tiny indie project—it’s a full-fledged blockchain sports game with serious industry power behind it.

What This Means for Avalanche

Initially, Rumble Kong League had plans to launch on the Avalanche blockchain. Avalanche is another network that offers fast transactions and low fees, so it was a decent option. However, the RKL team felt that Ronin, with its huge existing user base and track record in gaming, would provide a better long-term home. This doesn’t necessarily mean Avalanche won’t see any part of RKL in the future, but for now, the official path forward is on Ronin.

What Is Operation Leviosa?

Sky Mavis, the company behind Ronin, is working on something called “Operation Leviosa.” The fancy name essentially means they’re opening Ronin up to more games, decentralized apps (often called dApps), and finance tools. Instead of being a closed ecosystem controlled only by Sky Mavis, Ronin is turning permissionless in February. “Permissionless” means anyone can build on it without needing special approval. This shift could lead to more games like RKL joining the platform, bringing in new audiences and more ways to use your tokens.

How to Start Playing

Getting started is easy and free. Just head to the iOS App Store or Google Play Store and download Rumble Kong League. After you create an account, hop into a match, practice your moves, and start earning $FAME points. If you want to connect a wallet, you can do so at any time, but make sure you do it before January 26 if you want to take full advantage of the extended soft launch rewards.

As you play, you’ll notice the game has different leagues. You begin at a lower level, and by winning matches, you climb up to the Sigma League. Once you’re in Sigma League, the rewards increase dramatically. That’s why players are rushing to make it into the top tier before the current season ends.

When Will the $FAME Tokens Be Tradable?

The points you earn in-game will eventually convert into real blockchain tokens after the Token Generation Event, which the RKL team says should happen by late January or early February. A Token Generation Event, or TGE, is when a project officially launches its token on the blockchain. After that, players might be able to trade their $FAME tokens or use them in various in-game or external markets. Keep an eye on official RKL announcements so you’ll know exactly when this happens and how to swap your points.

Why This Migration Matters for Web3 Gaming

Web3 gaming is still new to a lot of people. By making a high-quality game like Rumble Kong League free to play and easy to access, it’s paving the way for the next generation of online games. Blockchain elements let you truly own your in-game items (like NFTs) and potentially profit from them. Moving to Ronin, a chain well-known in the community for stability and large user numbers, is a statement that the RKL team is looking to build a long-lasting ecosystem.

The extended soft launch, doubled rewards, and exclusive quests are all ways to bring in more players and reward early adopters. It also shows that RKL is listening to its community, because they’ve clearly taken the feedback to heart by extending their campaign.

Final Thoughts

Rumble Kong League’s migration to Ronin marks a turning point in blockchain sports gaming. The game is backed by some of the biggest names in basketball and powered by Animoca Brands, one of the leading forces in crypto gaming. By extending the soft launch, RKL is giving new and existing players a chance to earn more $FAME points. With Ronin’s large player base and smooth gameplay, it’s a great time to get in, grab some rebounds and start building your team.

If you’ve been hesitating about trying a blockchain game, now’s a great opportunity. RKL offers fast matches, clear progression, and real ownership of digital assets. Just download the app, connect your Ronin Wallet if you want extra perks, and get ready to see how fun Web3 can be. You might even end up with a nice bundle of $FAME tokens once they officially launch.

Remember, the final date for this soft launch is January 26, so don’t miss out on the extra seasons and double rewards. Lace up your virtual sneakers and head to the court—you never know how far you’ll climb.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Owen Skelton.