# Scam Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Scam", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Humanity Loses $31 Million in Attack, Token Price Plummets 90% Due to a Single Private Key

On June 9th, the digital identity project Humanity Protocol suffered a major security breach resulting in over $31 million in losses. According to on-chain analyst Specter, hundreds of wallets holding the project's H token were drained. The attack was confirmed by founder Terence Kwok to be caused by the compromise of a foundation member's private key. As a precaution, users are advised to avoid interacting with Humanity's cross-chain bridge or liquidity pools. The incident caused the H token price to crash over 90%, from around $0.70 to a low of $0.052, wiping its market cap from $2 billion to approximately $35.7 million. The attacker allegedly minted 100 million new H tokens and is selling them for BNB. This breach adds to existing controversies surrounding Humanity Protocol. Founded in 2024, it aimed to verify human users via palm-print biometrics and zero-knowledge proofs. However, a leaked conversation in 2025 revealed that only about 1 million of its 9 million claimed Human IDs had completed biometric verification, suggesting 88% might be bots. Furthermore, the project has faced allegations of being a repackaged product from a Chinese access control vendor, raising privacy and authenticity concerns. Founder Terence Kwok's previous venture, Tink Labs, a hotel smartphone startup that raised $170 million, failed and entered bankruptcy in 2020 after burning through its funding. The current attack highlights the persistent critical issue of private key management in crypto. Unlike smart contract exploits, a private key compromise bypasses all on-chain security mechanisms. With no user compensation plan announced yet, this $31 million breach may be a final blow to the project's credibility, already weakened by previous controversies and a heavily depreciated token.

marsbit06/09 03:40

Humanity Loses $31 Million in Attack, Token Price Plummets 90% Due to a Single Private Key

marsbit06/09 03:40

Humanity Loses $31 Million, a Private Key Causes Token Price to Plunge 90%

On June 9th, the digital identity project Humanity Protocol suffered a major security breach resulting in over $31 million stolen from hundreds of wallets holding its H token. The attack was caused by the compromise of a private key belonging to a foundation member, leading the team to advise users against interacting with its bridge or liquidity pools. Following the incident, the price of the H token plummeted by over 90%, from around $0.70 to a low of $0.052, wiping out a significant portion of its market capitalization. The attacker allegedly minted 100 million new H tokens and began selling them for BNB. Humanity Protocol, founded in 2024, aimed to verify human users through palm-print biometrics and zero-knowledge proofs on Polygon CDK. Despite raising $50 million across two funding rounds and achieving a unicorn valuation, the project faced prior controversies. Shortly after its June 2025 token launch, reports emerged that only about 1 million of its 9 million registered IDs had completed biometric verification, suggesting 88% might be bots. Furthermore, allegations surfaced that the project might be a rebranded "shell" of a Chinese access control company, raising concerns about data privacy and authenticity. The project's founder, Terence Kwok, has a controversial business history. His previous venture, Tink Labs, burned through $170 million in funding before collapsing in 2020. The breach highlights the persistent critical risk of private key management in crypto. With no user compensation plan detailed in the initial response, the incident deals a severe blow to trust in a project already struggling with credibility issues.

Foresight News06/09 03:18

Humanity Loses $31 Million, a Private Key Causes Token Price to Plunge 90%

Foresight News06/09 03:18

Coinbase Targets Crypto Crime, Freezing $3M Linked To Scam Operations

Coinbase froze over $3 million in cryptocurrency linked to Southeast Asian scam networks as part of a multi-agency "Disruption Week" campaign. The operation, coordinated by the DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force, involved companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Starlink, and disrupted over 1.4 million scam accounts. The DOJ noted that investment fraud, including "pig butchering" scams, is among the fastest-growing threats, with crypto-related scams causing billions in losses. This action follows other recent crackdowns targeting scam infrastructure globally. Coinbase highlighted that blockchain provides a permanent transaction record, aiding investigations and countering the narrative that crypto is solely a tool for crime.

bitcoinist06/05 07:01

Coinbase Targets Crypto Crime, Freezing $3M Linked To Scam Operations

bitcoinist06/05 07:01

Morning Post | Bitmine Plans to Raise $300 Million Through Preferred Stock Issuance; Polymarket Accuses Kalshi of Commercial Espionage

ChainCatcher's Daily Crypto Brief: Key developments from the past 24 hours include significant funding moves, regulatory actions, and market predictions. Bitmine announced a $300 million preferred stock fundraising. Polymarket accused rival prediction platform Kalshi of corporate espionage, citing numerous suspicious coincidences in product launches, a claim Kalshi strongly denied. The U.S. Department of Justice, in a joint "Disruption Week" anti-fraud operation with companies like Coinbase and Meta, froze over $3.8 million in cryptocurrency linked to scams. In infrastructure news, Macau completed its integration with the multi-central bank digital currency bridge, mBridge, aiming to build efficient cross-border payment channels. Cosmos Labs acquired the block explorer Mintscan. Market-wise, Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered's Head of Digital Assets Research, stated Bitcoin is nearing a bottom around $63,000, maintaining a year-end target of $100,000. He noted stability in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF holdings. Ahead of SpaceX's anticipated IPO, internal insiders at Rocket Lab (RKLB) sold over $18.41 million in stock. In tokenization, Goldman Sachs partnered with Apex and Archax to launch a tokenized real estate fund. The meme token tracker GMGN reported the top trending tokens: on Ethereum, HEX, SHIB, LINK, PEPE, mUSD; on Solana, TROLL, swarms, WORLDCUP, neet, Buttcoin; and on Base, PEPE, toby, ODDS, ELSA, SKI.

链捕手06/05 01:32

Morning Post | Bitmine Plans to Raise $300 Million Through Preferred Stock Issuance; Polymarket Accuses Kalshi of Commercial Espionage

链捕手06/05 01:32

Morning Post | Michael Saylor Releases Bitcoin Tracker Info; Aave Publishes Kelp rsETH Bridge Attack Post-Incident Investigation; Gravity Bridge Announces Service Suspension Following Attack

ChainCatcher Daily Summary - June 1, 2026 In regulatory news, the U.S. OCC granted preliminary conditional approval for Laser Digital to establish a federally regulated trust bank. In Vietnam, a draft law amendment proposes allowing SMEs to use digital and virtual assets as loan collateral. Hong Kong's SFC chairman reported that trading volume on the city's 12 licensed virtual asset platforms grew nearly 300% YoY in Q1 2026. Notable incidents include the Cosmos ecosystem cross-chain bridge Gravity Bridge pausing services after an attack. Aave published a post-mortem on the April 18th Kelp rsETH bridge attack, attributing it to a third-party bridge infrastructure vulnerability via an RPC poisoning attack, not the Aave protocol itself. In market developments, MicroStrategy's Michael Saylor hinted at a potential upcoming Bitcoin purchase announcement. Fed Governor Waller commented that widespread stablecoin adoption could amplify the impact of U.S. monetary policy. Meanwhile, sentiment analysis from Santiment indicates a record-high Bitcoin long/short ratio of 2.23, potentially signaling a short-term price correction, while Ethereum shows signs of FUD among commentators. In legal matters, the SEC sued the founder of Privvy Investments for an alleged $12.3 million crypto AI trading bot scam. In China, a Qingdao man was sentenced to 10 years and 9 months for stealing 107 BTC by obtaining a victim's wallet seed phrase. Top trending meme tokens on ETH, Solana, and Base networks for the past 24 hours are also listed.

链捕手06/01 01:32

Morning Post | Michael Saylor Releases Bitcoin Tracker Info; Aave Publishes Kelp rsETH Bridge Attack Post-Incident Investigation; Gravity Bridge Announces Service Suspension Following Attack

链捕手06/01 01:32

Market Analyst Accuses XRP Of Being The Biggest Crypto Scam, What’s Going On?

A market analyst named Ryker has labeled XRP as the biggest scam in crypto, criticizing its high valuation despite what he claims is a lack of utility and ongoing inflation from Ripple's escrow releases. He alleges the team previously inflated the price and used celebrity promotions, particularly in South Korea, leading to significant losses for investors. In contrast, on-chain data shows substantial growth for the XRP Ledger, with a surge in new wallets and leading net flows in the real-world asset (RWA) sector, hinting at a potential price rebound. Currently, XRP is trading around $1.37.

bitcoinist05/22 20:31

Market Analyst Accuses XRP Of Being The Biggest Crypto Scam, What’s Going On?

bitcoinist05/22 20:31

World's Largest Crypto ATM Operator Bitcoin Depot Files for Bankruptcy, All 9,700 Machines Shut Down

Bitcoin Depot, once the world's largest cryptocurrency ATM operator with roughly 9,700 machines, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ceased operations. The company cited an unsustainable business model due to intensified regulatory pressure across multiple U.S. states. Crackdowns included new transaction limits, license suspensions, and direct bans, driven by concerns over the machines facilitating fraud. The FBI reported $389 million in consumer losses via crypto ATMs in 2025. Over the past six months, states like Connecticut, Missouri, Nevada, and Massachusetts took action against Bitcoin Depot, including lawsuits alleging it profited from scams. This regulatory assault caused the company's quarterly revenue to plunge nearly 50% year-over-year. Stricter anti-fraud measures, such as mandatory identity verification implemented in February, further reduced user activity. Additionally, the company faced mounting legal fees from multiple lawsuits and a nearly $19 million arbitration ruling related to a Canadian subsidiary dispute.

marsbit05/20 04:50

World's Largest Crypto ATM Operator Bitcoin Depot Files for Bankruptcy, All 9,700 Machines Shut Down

marsbit05/20 04:50

Luo Yonghao, Who Made 30 Times on Bitcoin: His Entangled Past with the Crypto World

After a six-year hiatus, Luo Yonghao has returned to X (formerly Twitter) on a revived old account, wading back into the Web3 and crypto conversation hub. His return has quickly involved exchanges with crypto figures, including warnings against scams using his name. Luo has a long history with the space, stating he once earned over 30 times his initial investment on a 1 million RMB Bitcoin purchase during the 2017/18 bull run. He also co-founded a company with Bitcoin influencer Li Xiaolai, exiting his stake before the project suffered a major hack in 2023. Publicly, Luo has expressed belief in blockchain technology's potential and once claimed plans for a blockchain phone, while simultaneously distancing himself from ICOs and day trading. In 2019, during his company's financial troubles, he rejected public job offers from crypto entrepreneurs like Justin Sun and OKEx's Xu Kun, stating he had no plans to launch a token. Now back on X, Luo's renewed presence in the Web3-dominated platform hints at further inevitable engagement with the volatile crypto industry, raising questions about what new chapters his story might hold.

marsbit05/20 00:04

Luo Yonghao, Who Made 30 Times on Bitcoin: His Entangled Past with the Crypto World

marsbit05/20 00:04

Undercover in Crypto for 8 Years, 5 Jobs: The Revolution and Scam in My Eyes

"Undercover in Crypto for 8 Years, 5 Jobs: The Revolution and the Scam I Saw" In 2017, the author entered crypto believing it would revolutionize everything: replacing fiat, disintermediating finance, and shifting power to users. Eight years later, almost none of that has happened as predicted. The author worked at Circle, Messari, Coinbase, and Crossmint, witnessing the asset class grow from under $10B to over $4T, through multiple speculative bubbles and a near-systemic crisis. The journey began with the 2017-18 ICO frenzy, an "internet bubble 2.0" fueled by Ethereum. The promised "decentralized Uber" never materialized; instead, it was an era of greed, fraud, and rampant speculation where founders cashed out early. In the 2018-19 hangover, the focus shifted. The seeds of crypto's next phase were planted: stablecoins (like USDC) for borderless dollars and DeFi (decentralized finance) for rebuilding financial primitives like lending and trading on-chain. The COVID-19 pandemic and massive monetary stimulus triggered "DeFi Summer" in 2020-21. DeFi's value soared 250x to $180B, but it resembled a high-stakes game for mercenary traders with "food-themed" tokens. A new bubble formed around NFTs, with digital art selling for millions. The 2022 "crypto winter" mirrored the 2008 financial crisis. The collapse of the algorithmic stablecoin Terra (UST) triggered a chain reaction, bringing down hedge funds (Three Arrows Capital) and lending platforms (Celsius, Voyager). The final blow was the implosion of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, who had misused customer funds. This was crypto's "Lehman Moment." After the crash, the Biden administration's hostile regulatory crackdown under the SEC pushed innovation toward the legally safest, most absurd path: meme coins. The 2024 meme coin mania peaked at $150B before imploding. This political pressure, however, mobilized the industry. Donald Trump capitalized, promising a crypto-friendly stance, which many credit for helping him win the 2024 election. Trump's victory marked a turning point. A pro-crypto SEC chair took over, the "GENIUS Act" provided clear stablecoin rules in 2025, and institutional adoption accelerated. Circle (maker of USDC) IPO'd, and traditional giants like MoneyGram began using stablecoins for cross-border payments via firms like Crossmint. Looking back, the predicted consumer revolution (decentralized Uber) didn't happen. Instead, crypto built the plumbing for a new internet financial system. Each boom/bust cycle refined the infrastructure for global, 24/7 finance accessible to anyone online. The $300B+ stablecoin market, settling tens of trillions annually and creating demand for U.S. debt, is now a strategic U.S. priority. The future lies in convergence, not replacement. Crypto will be the backend, invisible to most users. The next frontier is integration with AI, where autonomous agents will use crypto wallets and stablecoins to transact. The result will be a global financial system equally accessible in New York or Nigeria, paving the way for countless new innovations.

marsbit05/09 10:20

Undercover in Crypto for 8 Years, 5 Jobs: The Revolution and Scam in My Eyes

marsbit05/09 10:20

Crypto Crime Hit Hard: $700 Million Frozen By DOJ Strike Force

A US law enforcement task force has frozen over $700 million in cryptocurrency linked to investment scams targeting Americans. The operation, which involved cooperation from crypto exchanges and legal processes, also took down more than 500 fraudulent websites and a Telegram channel used to recruit victims. Two Chinese nationals were named in arrest warrants for operating a scam compound in Burma. In a related move, the US State Department announced a $10 million reward for information disrupting scam centers in Burma. Singaporean authorities, alongside major crypto exchanges and analytics firms, also prevented nearly $3 million in losses through a parallel operation. The scale of cybercrime remains vast, with the FBI reporting over $20 billion in losses in 2025.

bitcoinist04/25 05:02

Crypto Crime Hit Hard: $700 Million Frozen By DOJ Strike Force