Walks – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Sun, 27 Jul 2025 20:55:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.7 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Walks – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 Bitcoin Extortion Duo Walks Free, Judge Sets $1 Million Bail Each https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-extortion-duo-walks-free-judge-sets-1-million-bail-each/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-extortion-duo-walks-free-judge-sets-1-million-bail-each/#respond Sun, 27 Jul 2025 20:55:32 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-extortion-duo-walks-free-judge-sets-1-million-bail-each/

John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been released on $1 million bail each after being accused of kidnapping and harming an Italian man in a Manhattan townhouse, according to a report by ABC News.

The next court hearing is scheduled for October 15. In the meantime, both men are required to wear ankle monitors, hand over their passports, and report for security checks every 72 hours.

Crime reporter Lauren Conlin, who was present at the hearing, shared on X that the defense described the situation as a form of hazing, not a crime, by referring to it as “17 days of shenanigans”.

What is a Liquidity Pool in Crypto? (Animated)

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What is a Liquidity Pool in Crypto? (Animated)

What is a Liquidity Pool in Crypto? (Animated)
What is a Liquidity Pool in Crypto? (Animated)

The case began on May 6 when a cryptocurrency trader from Italy arrived in New York. Prosecutors said he was taken after landing and held against his will for several weeks.

During that time, the suspects allegedly tried to force him to give up access to his Bitcoin
BTC


$116,559.70

by using violence and threats.

According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the man was reportedly beaten, shocked with wires, and hit with a gun. The attackers also told him they would hurt his family if he did not cooperate.

The victim eventually escaped and asked a traffic officer for help. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that matched his story.

Police later arrested Woeltz at the scene. Duplessie turned himself in several days after the escape. Investigators noted that the kidnapping was carefully planned.

Meanwhile, the London gang was convicted after abducting a Belgian barber they wrongly believed was rich in crypto. How did that happen? Read the full story.

Aaron S. Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-extortion-duo-walks-free-judge-sets-1-million-bail-each/feed/ 0 50010 Meta Pool Hacker Mints $27 Million in Tokens, Walks Away With Just $132,000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/meta-pool-hacker-mints-27-million-in-tokens-walks-away-with-just-132000/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/meta-pool-hacker-mints-27-million-in-tokens-walks-away-with-just-132000/#respond Mon, 23 Jun 2025 08:37:45 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/meta-pool-hacker-mints-27-million-in-tokens-walks-away-with-just-132000/

A recent exploit targeting Meta Pool resulted in the attacker walking away with just over $132,000 worth of Ethereum
ETH


$2,253.71

, despite mining nearly $27 million in tokens.

Meta Pool stated in a blog post published on June 17 that this was due to a combination of low trading activity in the token’s markets and a fast response from Meta Pool’s team, who paused the affected smart contract soon after identifying the issue.

The attacker exploited a flaw in Meta Pool’s “fast unstake functionality“, according to co-founder Claudio Cossio.

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What is an NFT? (Explained with Animations)

What is an NFT? (Explained with Animations)
What is an NFT? (Explained with Animations)

Normally, when someone unstakes their cryptocurrency, there is a delay before they can use it again. The fast version skips that waiting period under certain conditions. This shortcut allowed the attacker to issue 9,705 units of mpETH, the platform’s token used for staking.

According to Meta Pool, the exploit used the ERC4626 mint() function to create these tokens without proper permission. The attacker then tried to swap the fake mpETH for actual ETH across different pools on Ethereum and Optimism. They were able to get only 52.5 ETH, which was worth just over $132,000.

PeckShield confirmed that the contract had a major flaw, but the limited market depth of mpETH made it hard to profit from. Some of the swap pools targeted had very little liquidity, which kept the losses low.

Meta Pool’s team reassured users that all staked Ethereum remains safe. Those funds are handled by operators on the SSV Network, who continue to validate transactions and earn staking rewards.

On June 14, blockchain security firm SlowMist reported that a crypto holder lost nearly $6.9 million. How? Read the full story.

Aaron S. Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/meta-pool-hacker-mints-27-million-in-tokens-walks-away-with-just-132000/feed/ 0 43618 Nova Labs Walks Free as SEC Ends Legal Fight Over Helium https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nova-labs-walks-free-as-sec-ends-legal-fight-over-helium/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nova-labs-walks-free-as-sec-ends-legal-fight-over-helium/#respond Sat, 12 Apr 2025 11:43:20 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nova-labs-walks-free-as-sec-ends-legal-fight-over-helium/

Nova Labs, the company behind Helium, a decentralized wireless network, shared on April 10 that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially closed its case against them.

The lawsuit, filed in January 2025, accused Nova Labs of offering unregistered securities when it launched the Helium
HNT


$2.96

token in 2019.

It was one of the last acts made by the SEC under former Chair Gary Gensler, who left his position on January 20. Helium’s CEO, Amir Haleem, described the lawsuit as “the last gasp of a failed crusade against crypto companies in the US”.

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What is Ethereum 2.0? Upgrades Easily Explained With Animations

What is Ethereum 2.0? Upgrades Easily Explained With Animations
What is Ethereum 2.0? Upgrades Easily Explained With Animations

Helium said the outcome confirms that its tokens—HNT, IOT, and MOBILE—and the sale of Helium Hotspots are not considered securities. The company also noted that using tokens to help grow a network does not automatically make them securities in the SEC’s view.

The SEC had also claimed that Nova Labs gave investors the wrong idea about partnerships with companies like Nestlé and Salesforce. But now that the case has been dropped with prejudice, the SEC cannot bring up the same accusations again.

Nova Labs agreed to pay $200,000 related to its Series D fundraising round as part of a separate agreement with the regulator. This was done without admitting or denying any wrongdoing.

On March 19, the SEC officially dropped its case and appeal against cryptocurrency firm Ripple. What did CEO Brad Garlinghouse say about the decision? Read the full story.

Aaron S. Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nova-labs-walks-free-as-sec-ends-legal-fight-over-helium/feed/ 0 30400 THORChain Dev Walks Away After Attempt to Stop Illicit Funds Fails https://earlybirdsinvest.com/thorchain-dev-walks-away-after-attempt-to-stop-illicit-funds-fails/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/thorchain-dev-walks-away-after-attempt-to-stop-illicit-funds-fails/#respond Sat, 01 Mar 2025 14:45:12 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/thorchain-dev-walks-away-after-attempt-to-stop-illicit-funds-fails/

A THORChain
RUNE


$1.26

developer has stepped away from the project after an attempt to block transactions linked to North Korean hackers was reversed.

The decision followed a controversial vote involving THORChain validators. One validator, “TCB“, said they had voted—along with two others—to stop Ethereum
ETH


$2,159.51

trading on the network to prevent North Korean hackers from using it.

However, the decision was quickly reversed. THORSwap developer Oleg Petrov explained that three validator votes were needed to pause a chain, but four were required to undo it, which happened within minutes.

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How do Cryptocurrency Exchanges Work? (Easily Explained!)

How do Cryptocurrency Exchanges Work? (Easily Explained!)
How do Cryptocurrency Exchanges Work? (Easily Explained!)

The developer of the cross-chain swap protocol, known as “Pluto“, announced their exit in a February 27 post on X, saying, “Effectively immediately, I will no longer be contributing to THORChain”.

The Lazarus Group, a cybercrime organization tied to North Korea, has allegedly been using THORChain to move some of the $1.5 billion stolen from the exchange Bybit



$2.49B

on February 21. According to blockchain tracker Lookonchain, around $605 million in ETH has passed through the network.

THORChain’s founder, John-Paul Thorbjornsen, responded to the criticism, saying he had not been contacted by any authorities regarding the issue.

He also insisted that the platform itself does not facilitate money laundering, explaining that once the ETH is swapped for Bitcoin
BTC


$84,633.99

, it typically ends up on centralized exchanges where it is converted into traditional currency.

Recently, eXch, a cryptocurrency exchange, rejected claims that it helped launder money stolen in the Bybit hack. What did the exchange say? Read the full story.

Aaron S. Editor-In-Chief

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.

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