Из жизни альткоинов
Change Of Heart? Hacker Returns $21M Stolen Bitcoin To South Korean Prosecutors
A hacker has returned 320 Bitcoin (BTC) stolen from South Korean prosecutors throughout a phishing scam last year. As authorities face backlash over repeated incidents, officers have pledged to continue the investigation to uncover the full details and strengthen their custody practices.
Stolen Bitcoin Returned To Gwangju ProsecutorsOn Thursday, the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office announced it recovered 320.8 Bitcoin lost in August to a phishing attack after the malicious actors willingly sent back the assets earlier this week.
Local news outlet Digital Asset reported on Tuesday that the on-chain data showed the lost BTC, worth $21 million, had been transferred to a wallet managed by South Korean authorities. The assets were seemingly moved through multiple addresses before being transferred to a domestic crypto exchange wallet.
As reported by Bitcoinist, South Korean prosecutors faced backlash last month after discovering that a large stash of seized BTC had gone missing months ago. Authorities reportedly learnt of the loss during a routine check of seized financial assets held as criminal evidence.
After an internal review, prosecutors found that the crypto assets were lost to a scam in August during the handling of the sized assets. Reportedly, malicious actors drained the wallets after investigators mistakenly accessed a phishing website.
Notably, the lost Bitcoin was originally seized during a 2021 investigation into an illegal gambling website. Prosecutors launched an investigation after discovering the incident. They also took measures to recover the assets, including blocking transactions from the perpetrator’s address to domestic exchanges and sending cooperation requests to overseas exchanges.
According to the report, authorities believe that these measures exerted pressure on the hackers, ultimately pushing them to return the funds. Meanwhile, prosecutors are currently continuing to track down the malicious actors while also conducting related investigations and inspections.
“(Regardless of the recovery of the Bitcoin), we will do our utmost to apprehend the perpetrators in the future,” The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office stated. “We plan to continue conducting a rigorous investigation to clearly uncover the full details of the case.”
Authorities Slammed Over Repeated IncidentsThe Gwangju incident has led to a nationwide review of law enforcement’s handling of virtual assets. The review has revealed another security breach at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station.
Last Friday, the Gangnam station announced it had lost 22 BTC that were voluntarily submitted to authorities during an investigation in November 2021. According to local reports, the leak had not been detected until now, since the investigation into that case had been suspended.
The inspection revealed that the cold wallet storing the Bitcoin was not stolen, but the assets stored inside “had vanished without a trace.” As a response, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency launched a full-scale internal investigation to determine the details of the leak and whether any internal personnel were involved.
The incidents have raised concerns about South Korea’s Bitcoin custody practices, just as the country prepares for the Second Phase of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which is expected to serve as a comprehensive framework for the entire industry.
Financial authorities are also conducting an inspection of local exchanges’ internal controls following the “ghost Bitcoin” incident at Bithumb. Earlier this month, the crypto exchange accidentally distributed 620,000 BTC, worth over $40 billion, to 249 users due to an employee’s mistake.
Bithumb’s system failed to block the transaction and distributed assets that did not actually exist, distorting market prices. Lawmakers highlighted that the incident exposed “structural vulnerabilities” in the sector that must be addressed in the upcoming legislation.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced last month that it is studying a proposal for prosecution measures against suspects of crypto asset price manipulation. Some officials argue it’s necessary “to complement the current Virtual Asset User Protection Act by implementing measures for the confiscation of criminal proceeds or the preservation of recovery funds in advance.”
Россиян собираются наказывать за использование иностранных криптобирж
Bitcoin Activity Plummets: New & Active Addresses Both Down 40%+ Since 2021
Bitcoin on-chain data shows both the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth indicators have seen sharp drops compared to five years ago.
Wallet-Related Bitcoin Metrics Have Declined In Recent YearsAs highlighted by on-chain analytics firm Santiment in an X post, there is a staggering difference between the level of activity on the Bitcoin network today and February 2021.
There are several on-chain metrics that can be used to gauge blockchain activity, but two in particular are of focus here: the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth.
The first of these measures the total number of BTC addresses that are coming online every day. A wallet is said to come ‘online’ when it participates in some kind of transaction activity on the network. Thus, the Daily Active Addresses essentially tracks the unique daily count of addresses making at least one transfer on the network.
The other indicator, the Network Growth, tells us about the amount of addresses that are coming online on the blockchain for the first time. In other words, it tracks the amount of new addresses joining the network every day.
Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth for Bitcoin over the last several years:
As displayed in the above graph, both the Bitcoin Daily Active Addresses and Network Growth witnessed a significant drop at the start of 2024. The former made some recovery as the cryptocurrency observed its bull rally in the second half of the year, but the latter still remained at relatively low levels despite a jump.
In 2025, both indicators again slumped and took to sideways movement, despite the fact that Bitcoin explored fresh highs. Santiment noted that “there was a clear bearish divergence that had been forming throughout 2025 as market caps continued to hit new heights while Bitcoin’s utility declined.”
During the recent market downturn, the indicators have gone a notch lower. Currently, there are 650,000 unique addresses interacting on the blockchain per day, which is down 42% compared to February 2021, five years ago. Similarly, the Network Growth is sitting at a value of 291,000, reflecting a 47% drop for the same window.
So, what does the sharp drop in activity mean for Bitcoin? According to the analytics firm, it doesn’t imply that “crypto is dead” or that the digital asset is entering a multi-year bear market. That said, the return of bullish winds could still depend on the trend in the network metrics. As Santiment explained:
A justification for crypto beginning to see a true long-term relief rally will be when metrics like active addresses and network growth begin to rise.
BTC PriceBitcoin continues to move sideways as its price trades around the $66,400 level.
Société Générale добавил поддержку XRP Ledger для стейблкоина EURCV
SEC Chair Discloses What’s Next For Crypto Regulation At ETH Denver
As momentum in Washington around the proposed CLARITY Act slows, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins outlined how the agency intends to proceed with crypto regulation, despite congressional delays, at a public appearance this Wednesday at ETH Denver.
Speaking alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, a longtime advocate for clearer crypto rules, Atkins signaled that the regulator is preparing a broad regulatory push in the months ahead.
SEC Details 2026 Crypto AgendaResponding to a question about what the industry can expect this year, Atkins said the SEC will continue coordinating with lawmakers while advancing its own agenda through “Project Crypto,” an initiative that is now being jointly carried out with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Atkins said the Commission and staff are preparing several initiatives for consideration in the near term. Among them is a formal framework explaining how the SEC determines when a crypto asset involves an investment contract, including how such a contract is created and under what circumstances it may cease to exist.
He also previewed an “innovation exemption” designed to allow limited trading of certain tokenized securities on new types of platforms, with the broader goal of shaping a durable regulatory structure over time.
The agency is also developing a rule proposal intended to create what Atkins called “common-sense” avenues for raising capital through crypto asset sales.
In addition, the SEC plans to issue no-action letters and exemptive orders to provide greater certainty to market participants, including guidance for digital wallets and other user interfaces that may not fall under registration requirements of the Securities Exchange Act.
Custody rules are another priority. Atkins said the SEC is working on rulemaking related to how broker-dealers may safeguard non-security crypto assets, including payment stablecoins.
The Commission is also preparing updates to transfer agent regulations to reflect the growing role blockchain technology can play in maintaining ownership records.
Clear Rules Over PanicThe SEC chair also addressed recent declines in crypto prices, pushing back against the idea that regulators should respond to market downturns. He emphasized that it is not the role of the Commission to react to daily price movements.
Instead, he said, the agency’s responsibility is to ensure investors receive adequate disclosures so they can make informed decisions. Markets, he noted, fluctuate across asset classes, whether stocks, commodities, or digital assets.
Regulators, in his view, should focus on maintaining clear and functional rules that allow investors to decide for themselves whether to buy, sell, or hold.
Lastly, Atkins reiterated that the Commission must continue clarifying how tokenized securities fit within the existing regulatory framework and how intermediaries can trade and custody them for clients.
He stressed that progress will require collaboration and welcomed input from across the spectrum, including critics of the crypto industry.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
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