SEC
SEC typically refers to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which "protects investors in the $3.8 trillion municipal securities markets that cities and towns rely on to provide neighborhood schools, local libraries and hospitals, public parks, safe drinking water and so much more". But it can also refer to the security and exchange regulation bodies of other countries.
USD Coin Chief Strategy Officer Twitter Account Hacked
Circle's USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin chief strategy officer Dante Disparte's Twitter account has been hacked, with the account reportedly promoting fake loyalty rewards to long-time users of USDC.
Coinbase Petitions SEC on Staking
Coinbase has submitted a "Petition for Rulemaking" to the SEC, arguing that staking should not be classified as securities. The petition argues that staking is not a monolithic concept, and core staking services do not meet the criteria of the Howey test. Coinbase cites historical precedents and urges regulators to consider the economic consequences of their actions.
ZenGo uncovers dApp vulnerability
ZenGo has discovered a security vulnerability called the "red pill attack" in decentralized applications or dApps. The vulnerability allowed malicious dApps to steal user assets using opaque transaction approvals. Many leading vendors, including Coinbase Wallet, were vulnerable to such attacks. ZenGo found that developers took a shortcut in setting "Special Variables" to arbitrary values during simulation, leaving the simulation vulnerable to attack. ZenGo said the fix was straightforward and urged developers to populate vulnerable variables with meaningful values.
Euler Finance Audited 10 Times Before $196 Million Attack
Euler Finance, an Ethereum-based lending protocol, underwent 10 audits from six different firms in two years before it suffered a $196 million flash loan attack. Despite this, the audits deemed the platform "nothing higher than low risk" with "no outstanding issues." The attack prompted Euler to launch a $1 million bounty for information leading to the hacker's arrest, only for them to move the funds through crypto mixer Tornado Cash.
SEC Scholars Program Opens Applications for Fall 2023 Internship
The SEC is accepting applications for its Scholars Program for Fall 2023. The program offers internships for undergraduate and graduate students in business and legal programs. The traineeships are paid and range from $15.09 to $35.27 per hour. The SEC encourages students with an interest in blockchain, computer science, and cybersecurity to apply.
Signum Digital Receives Approval for Security Token Offering Platform
Signum Digital, a joint venture of Coinstreet and Somerley, has received approval-in-principle from Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission for its security token offering platform called CS-Pro. The platform will allow investment in tangible assets such as private equities, real estate, art, and collectibles.
US DOJ and SEC launch inquiries into Silicon Valley Bank collapse
The DoJ and SEC have started investigations into the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the stock sales made by its financial officers leading up to its closure. The probes are in their early stages and may not result in charges or allegations of wrongdoing.
Signature Bank Under Investigation by US Government Bodies
Signature Bank is reportedly under investigation by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice over concerns that the bank did not take adequate measures to detect potential money laundering by its clients. The bank was closed on March 12 as part of a series of bank closures that also included Silvergate Capital and Silicon Valley Bank.
Cybersecurity Firm Halborn Warns of Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in Over 280 Blockchain Networks
Cybersecurity firm Halborn has warned of a vulnerability called "Rab13s" that could put over 280 blockchain networks at risk of zero-day exploits, potentially exposing at least $25 billion worth of crypto. The most critical vulnerability could allow an attacker to send malicious consensus messages to individual nodes, causing each to shut down and potentially enabling a 51% attack on the network. While Dogecoin, Zcash, and Litecoin have already implemented patches for the discovered vulnerabilities, hundreds of other networks remain at risk.
SEC Rejects VanEck Spot Bitcoin Trust Proposal
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has denied the proposal for a spot Bitcoin trust by investment manager VanEck. This decision follows a trend of the SEC denying every application for a spot Bitcoin trust over the last six years. Two SEC commissioners have released a statement criticizing the decision and alleging a double standard in the Commission’s approach to commodity-based exchange-traded products (ETPs).