Author: driver789

One of the world’s most wanted drug lords is dead. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed on Sunday. His death triggered a wave of violence across several Mexican states. Beyond the security impact, attention is also turning to the cartel’s financial operations. In recent years, regulators and researchers have documented how Mexican criminal networks have incorporated cryptocurrency into their operations. Who was El Mencho? El Mencho was among Mexico’s most wanted fugitives and the leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel. According to the US Department of State, the CJNG was formed in 2009. It…

The biggest Bitcoin ATM operator in the US has begun phasing in a new requirement for users to provide identification for every transaction at its crypto ATMs amid increasing pressure from regulators and lawmakers for operators to curb illicit activity.Bitcoin Depot said on Tuesday that it began the rollout earlier in February across the company’s US network ATMs, with the goal of helping to detect suspicious activity in real time and eliminate misuse by bad actors, such as account sharing, identity theft, and account takeover.“Continuous verification allows us to detect suspicious activity based on customers, locations, or transaction amount before…

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has continued trimming his Ether holdings, selling nearly $7.3 million worth of ETH over the past three days, according to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain. Summary Vitalik Buterin sold 3,788.57 ETH worth roughly $7.3 million over the past three days, according to Lookonchain. The sales come as Ethereum trades lower on the week, hovering around the $1,800 level amid broader market consolidation. Despite the recent disposals, wallets linked to Buterin still hold substantial ETH, suggesting the sales represent a fraction of his overall holdings. Vitalik Buterin offloads 3,788 ETH amid Ethereum pullback In a post on X,…

Stripe, which processed $1.9 trillion in transactions last year and was recently valued at $159 billion, is considering an acquisition of all or parts of PayPal (PYPL), according to a Bloomberg report.Deliberations are in early stages, the report continued.If completed, the deal would bring together two major payment firms that have both moved into stablecoins.PayPal launched its dollar-backed stablecoin PYUSD$1.0003 in 2022 through issuer Paxos. The token has since grown to a market value of about $4 billion. It allows users to move dollars across crypto networks at any time of day, often at a lower cost than bank wires.Stripe…

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure Ethereum’s price was rocked by the market drawdown on Monday, causing it to lose the $1,900 support level once again, which has triggered speculations about its near-term market outlook. Following the pullback, investors’ sentiment is shifting towards a more cautious state, keeping its market dynamics firmly bearish. Bearish Momentum Persists in The Ethereum Market Just as the broader cryptocurrency environment has flipped highly bearish, Ethereum market dynamics remain strongly tilted to the downside. Some of the indications of this scenario include signs of capitulation across the leading…

Former CoinRoutes CEO Dave Weisberger argued in an X post on February 23 that Bitcoin’s early-2026 hashrate rebound is more than a mining-cycle recovery and may be a lagging signal of a broader price move ahead. His core thesis is that sovereign-linked mining activity is starting to play for Bitcoin the same structural role central bank gold buying played for gold before its breakout. Weisberger frames the comparison through the recent gold cycle, where he says sovereign accumulation preceded price discovery by years. In his telling, the key signal was not ETF demand or retail flows, but central banks steadily…

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a Russian exploit brokerage network accused of purchasing stolen U.S. government cyber tools with crypto and reselling them to unauthorized buyers, marking the first use of new authorities under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act. In an announcement Tuesday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Russian national, Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, and his company, Operation Zero, along with several associates and affiliated firms.  The action blocks any property or interests in property of the designated parties that fall under U.S. jurisdiction and bars U.S. persons from transacting with them. Treasury alleges…

Key takeaways:ETH futures liquidations reached $224 million after a 9% price drop, while the network’s onchain activity fell to a 12-month low.ETH’s high correlation with Bitcoin and massive outflows from exchange-traded funds suggest further downside risk for Ether price.Ether (ETH) plunged to $1,800 on Tuesday, wiping out $224 million in leveraged bullish positions over 48 hours. This 14% price slide over the last 10 days has left top traders defensive. Options and futures data, sluggish onchain activity, and steady outflows from Ether spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) all point to a shaky floor at $1,800. ETH options put-to-call volume premium at…

Bitcoin’s recent 5% flash crash has pushed the crypto fear index to a record low, triggering over $438 million in long position liquidations across Bitcoin and altcoins. The sharp decline saw Bitcoin fall below $64,000, prompting analysts to reassess price predictions and market sentiment. This volatility has reignited discussions about market stability and the potential for further corrections in the near term.Meanwhile, institutional interest in crypto continues to evolve, with Coinbase’s USDC ($1.00 · Live) revenue projected to potentially increase sevenfold as payment adoption grows, according to Bloomberg. This development highlights the growing mainstream acceptance of stablecoins and their role…

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Crypto isn’t just building faster payments rails. It may be building the financial system for non-humans.As AI agents grow more autonomous, developers are already giving them crypto wallets, allowing software to hold assets, pay for services, trade tokens and even hire other agents. The technical pieces are falling into place. The legal ones are not.At a recent panel at NEARCON 2026, Electric Capital’s Avichal Garg framed the moment as historically significant.“What happens if there’s not a human behind it at all?” Garg asked. “It’s some piece of code that owns a wallet, executing code to make…