Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

About Author

Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has…

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July 29, 2025

A new study has revealed the extent of sensitive information leaked through ransomware attacks and data breaches, including key financial documents and crypto keys.

The report, published by cybersecurity firm Lab 1, analyzed over 141 million records from 1,297 breach incidents.

Unlike most breach assessments that focus on structured data like usernames and passwords, Lab 1’s analysis targeted unstructured files, the type often overlooked but potentially more damaging.

Hidden Dangers: Financial Docs, Crypto Keys, and Emails Exposed

The breaches include financial documents, cryptographic keys, email archives, and internal business records.

According to Lab 1 CEO Robin Brattel, the goal was to expose the risks hidden in everyday files that rarely draw attention.

“We focused on the huge risks associated with unstructured files that often hold high-value information, such as cryptographic keys, customer account data, or sensitive commercial contracts,” he said.

The findings are alarming. Financial documents appeared in 93% of the breach incidents studied, accounting for 41% of all analyzed files.

Nearly half included bank statements, and over a third contained International Bank Account Numbers.

In 82% of the cases, customer or corporate personally identifiable information (PII) was exposed, much of it originating from customer service interactions.

A staggering 51% of incidents included emails containing U.S. Social Security numbers.

Perhaps most concerning was the discovery of cryptographic keys in 18% of the breaches.

These keys can be used to bypass authentication systems, giving attackers a powerful advantage in future cyber intrusions. Source code and internal scripts were also widely leaked, appearing in 17% of the analyzed data sets.

The study underscores a shift in cybercriminal tactics. Hackers are increasingly operating like data scientists, mining stolen data for high-value assets to use in fraud, identity theft, or ransomware follow-ups.

“With cybercriminals now behaving like data scientists to unearth these valuable insights to fuel cyberattacks and fraud, unstructured data cannot be ignored,” Brattel warned.

16 Billion Logins Leaked: New Mega Breach Puts Crypto Users at Risk

Last month, a massive data breach exposed more than 16 billion login credentials from platforms like Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, and GitHub, according to cybersecurity researchers at Cybernews.

The breach, among the largest ever recorded, is not a single leak but a combination of datasets gathered through infostealer malware, credential stuffing attacks, and undisclosed breaches tracked since early 2024. Some individual sets held as many as 3.5 billion entries.

Researchers warned the leaked credentials—many recently harvested—pose a severe threat to users, especially those in crypto, due to the inclusion of sensitive login details, cookies, and tokens.

The structure of the data suggests it was harvested by modern malware, making it far more dangerous than older, recycled leaks.

One dataset tied to Telegram included 60 million records, while another, allegedly linked to Russia, had over 455 million.

Much of the data was found in unsecured Elasticsearch databases and object storage systems, briefly exposed but long enough to be copied.

Although the exact source remains unclear, cybersecurity experts suspect criminal actors compiled the records.

With such a vast trove of credentials, attackers now have tools for phishing, ransomware, and unauthorized access to crypto wallets, especially for users lacking multi-factor authentication.

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

About Author

Shalini is a crypto reporter who provides in-depth reports on daily developments and regulatory shifts in the cryptocurrency sector.

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Last updated: 

July 14, 2025

The global crypto jobs market is heating up, just as Bitcoin smashed through $122,000 for the first time on July 14.

As interest in digital assets soars, a new study reveals where the most promising crypto careers are taking shape, and which countries offer the best mix of pay, opportunity and regulation.

A recent Taurex study shows the US tops the list, cementing its role as the world’s largest crypto ecosystem.

With 292 active job listings and an average salary of $148,100, crypto careers in the US now rival some of the best-paying roles in traditional finance. The country is also home to 170 crypto companies, reflecting a well-established infrastructure and supportive policy environment.

UAE Leads in Crypto Ownership, India in Company Count and User Base

Trailing just behind, the United Arab Emirates has carved out a stronghold of its own. The UAE not only offers the second-highest average salary at $111,483, but also boasts the highest Bitcoin ownership rate globally, at 27%. Online search interest in crypto jobs remains strong, displaying its appeal to both domestic and international talent.

Image Source: Taurex

India ranks third, driven by sheer scale. It hosts 173 crypto companies, the most of any country, and has the world’s largest number of Bitcoin owners by headcount. While average salaries trail behind at $83,687, India’s growing talent pool and expanding startup ecosystem make it a key player in the space.

Singapore comes in fourth, offering 72 active roles with an average salary above $100,000. The city-state leads all countries in search interest for crypto jobs, suggesting a high concentration of tech-savvy professionals looking to make a mark in Web3.

Top Crypto Salaries and Strong Policy Support Keep Europe in the Game

The UK rounds out the top five, with 66 listings and an average salary of $97,204. It also shows robust search interest and a stable regulatory framework, making it Europe’s most attractive destination for crypto talent.

Canada, Switzerland and Germany also place in the top ten, each offering six-figure salaries and maintaining solid regulatory standings. Switzerland, in particular, stands out for having the highest crypto regulation score at 9.5, while Germany leads Europe in job count with 84 listings.

Emerging Markets Like Poland Join Established Hubs in Crypto Job Boom

Further down the list, Hong Kong and Poland secure the ninth and tenth spots, respectively. Hong Kong’s crypto sector remains active, supported by strong search interest and competitive salaries. Poland, meanwhile, ranks high in job volume with 157 listings, though salaries remain more modest at just under $62,000.

With the crypto market now worth over $3.8 trillion and Bitcoin pushing into record highs, the demand for blockchain talent is climbing fast. From rising salaries to growing job listings and clearer regulations, crypto careers are moving into the mai nstream,and countries around the world are racing to draw in the best talent.

Welcome to The Market’s Compass Emerging Market’s Country ETF Study, Week #537. As always, it highlights the technical changes of the 20 EM Country ETFs that I track on a weekly basis and publish every third week. Paid subscribers will receive this week’s unabridged Emerging Market’s Country ETF Study sent to their registered e-mail. In celebration of the Easter Holiday, free subscribers will also receive the full version (in a thinly veiled attempt to lure them into becoming paid subscribers). Past publications can be accessed by paid subscribers via The Market’s Compass Substack Blog. Next week I will be publishing The Market’s Compass Developed Markets Country ETF Study. On Sunday I will publish the latest edition of The Market’s Compass Crypto Sweet Sixteen Study which I publish on a weekly basis and tracks the technical changes of sixteen of the larger capitalized Cryptocurrencies.

To understand the methodology used in constructing the objective EM Country ETF Individual Technical Rankings visit the mc’s technical indicators page at www.themarketscompass.com and select “em country etfs”.

To understand the methodology used in constructing the objective EM Country ETF Individual Technical Rankings visit the mc’s technical indicators page at www.themarketscompass.com and select “em country etfs”.

This past week The Total EM Technical Ranking or “TEMTR” rose +22.92% to 539 from 438.5 the previous week, which was another sharp rise of +28.78% to 438.5 from 340.5 three weeks ago. The Total Lat AM EM Ranking led the other two geographic regions higher, rising 28.7% to 181.5 from 141. The EMEA EM Total Technical Ranking rose 20.7% to 181 from 150 the previous week. The Total Asia-Pacific EM Ranking rose 19.7% to 176.5 from 147.5.

Seventeen of the twenty EM Country ETFs I track in these pages registered improvement in their TRs over the Good Friday Holiday shortened week ending April 17th, one was unchanged, and two ETF TRs fell. The average TR gain was +5.03 vs. the previous week’s average TR gain of +4.90 when fifteen out of twenty gained ground, two were unchaged, and two fell. Seven of the EM Country ETF TRs ended the week in the “green zone” (TRs between 34.5 and 50), nine were in the “blue zone” (TRs between 15.5 and 34) and four were in the “red zone” (TRs between 0 and 15). That was a improvement from the previous week when only two were in the “green zone”, eleven were in the “blue zone” and seven were in the “red zone”. All five of the Lat/ AM ETFs registered improvement in their TRs with four out of the five entering the “green zone”.

*To understand the construction the of The Technical Condition Factors visit the mc’s technical indicators page at www.themarketscompass.com and select “em country etfs”.

This past week a 76.43% reading was registered in the Daily Momentum Technical Condition Factor (”DMTCF”) or 107 out of a possible total of 140 positive points. That was higher from the week before reading of 42.14% or 59 which was a major lift from the deeply oversold condition three weeks ago, of 5.71% of only 8 out of 140 points.

As a confirmation tool, if all eight TCFs improve on a week-over-week basis, more of the 20 ETFs are improving internally on a technical basis, confirming a broader market move higher (think of an advance/decline calculation). Conversely if all eight TCFs fall on a week-over-week basis it confirms a broader market move lower. Last week six TCFs rose, one was unchanged, and one fell.

*A brief explanation of how to interpret RRG charts visit the mc’s technical indicators page at www.themarketscompass.com and select “em country etfs”. To learn more detailed interpretations, see the postscripts and links at the end of this Blog.

The chart below has three weeks, or 15 days*, of Relative data points vs. the benchmark, the EEM (the Emerging Markets ETF), at the center, deliniated by the dots or nodes. Not all 20 ETFs are plotted in this RRG Chart. I have done this for clarity purposes. Those which I believe are of higher technical interest remain.

*Because of the holiday shortened week, there are only 14 days of data points

When I published the last EM Country ETF Study on March 31st, I highlighted the iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (TUR) which had fallen sharply from the Leading Quadrant through the Weakening Quadrant and ending up in the Lagging Quadrant. Before rolling over last week the TUR rose sharply into the Improving Quadrant exhibiting Positive upside Relative Strength Momentum (note the distance between the daily nodes) as it rose into the Improving Quadrant. The iShares Indonesia ETF (EDIO) lifted up out Laging Quadrant three weeks ago into the Improving Quadrant but after marking positive Relative Strength and Momentum two weeks ago it has rolled over and has begun to track sideways although it remains in the Leading Quadrant. The standout Relative Strength performer had, over the previous two weeks been the iShares MSCI India Index Fund ETF (INDA) until it rolled over last week, losing upside Relative Strength Momentum.

When Trump dropped the “tariff bomb” on the financial markets three weeks ago the EEM printed a lower weely price low below the January 10th weekly closing low of 41.02 to close three weeks ago at 40.58 in concert with the “TER” falling to 340.05. That said the TER did not print a lower low and has since risen back to 539.5 but, it would be premature to declare that it was a non-confirmation of the price lows, but the 13-Week Exponential moving average of the “TER” is hooking higher. More on the longer-term technical condition of the EEM follows…

The Average Weekly Technical Ranking (“ATR”) is the average Technical Ranking (“TR”) of the 20 Emerging Markets Country ETFs we track weekly and is plotted in the lower panel on the Weekly Candle Chart of the EEM presented below. Like the TER, it is a confirmation/divergence or overbought/oversold indicator.

Four weeks ago, prices were teetering on support offered by the Lower Parallel (solid red line) of the longer-term Standard Pitchfork (violet P1 through P3) after being capped at price resistance at 45.50 for the second time the week before. The following week prices broke below support at the of the longer-term Pitchfork and the Cloud. Prices traded lower two weeks ago before a temporary reversal in Trump’s Tariff plans led to a sharp intra-week turnaround. I have since drawn a new Schiff Pitchfork (red P1 through P3). Prices have retaken the ground above the Median Line (red dotted line) of the shorter-term Pitchfork but have been capped at the Kijun Plot (green line) and the Cloud last week. Both MACD and the Stochastic Momentum Index rolled over through their signal lines but (thanks to the price reversal at P3) there is a hint of stabilization in the shorter-term Stochastic Momentum Index. That in itself is not enough to suggest that a sustainable low is in place.

Learn about Pitchforks and Internal Lines in the three-part Pitchfork tutorial in the Market’s Compass website, www.themarketscompass.com

More on the technical condition of the EEM in Thoughts on the Short-Term Technical Condition of the EEM but first…

*For the four-day Holiday shortened week ending April 17th. Does not include dividends if any.

Fifteen of the twenty EM Country ETFs were up on an absolute basis last week (the iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund ETF (EWY) was flat on the week) and four traded lower. Fifteen EM ETFs outperformed the 0.41% gain in the EEM on a relative basis. The average four-day absolute gain in the EM ETFs was +2.00% adding to the previous week’s average absolute gain of +3.82% helping to reverse the -6.80% average absolute loss registered three weeks ago.

At the time of our last missive on the shorter-term technical condition of the EEM (highlighted with the yellow circle) prices continued (for weeks) to track sideways in a 3 point range. That was until the following week when prices fell sharply lower below support afforded by the Cloud and VAP support (volume at price) thanks to the “Tariff Bomb”. Two more days of extended price weakness brought about an oversold condition as witnessed by 10-Day Stochastic Momentum and more importantly, my EM Country ETD Daily Momentum / Breadth Oscillator and a sharp price reversal unfolded which led to me to draw the new Standard Pitchfork (violet P1 through P3) and a week ago last Friday, the EEM overtook the Median Line (violet dotted line) of the Pitchfork. That said, with the oversold fuel mostly spent, the rally has stalled at what was once VAP support now turned VAP resistance. It is premature to suggest the nadir was reached at P3. Only a follow through rally that overtakes VAP resistance, massive Cloud resistance and the Upper Parallel (solid violet line) of the Pitchfork would suggest that the correction has run its course. Buyers beware of another “Trump Card” (tip of the hat to Stephen Suttmeier for that one).

All the charts are courtesy of Optuma whose charting software enables anyone to visualize any data including my Objective Technical Rankings. The following links are an introduction and an in-depth tutorial on RRG Charts…

https://www.optuma.com/videos/introduction-to-rrg/

https://www.optuma.com/videos/optuma-webinar-2-rrgs/

To receive a 30-day trial of Optuma charting software go to…

www.optuma.com/TMC.