# Security Related Articles

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

ViaBTC Outlined Criteria for Choosing a Mining Pool in a Bear Market

In a bear market where falling prices and high network difficulty squeeze profitability, ViaBTC emphasizes that choosing a reliable mining pool is more critical than chasing promised rewards. They outline key risks and selection criteria for miners. Risks with new/small pools include non-payment of rewards due to lacking reserve funds, hidden fees (like withdrawal charges or underreporting hash rate), and vulnerable infrastructure prone to DDoS attacks. Key selection criteria are: 1. **Operational History:** Pools surviving multiple market cycles demonstrate resilience. 2. **Payout Model:** PPS+ offers predictable income by paying for each share, while PPLNS ties payouts to block discovery, transferring volatility risk to the miner. 3. **Infrastructure Security:** Geographically distributed servers and DDoS protection ensure stable uptime. 4. **Financial Tools:** Integrated wallets, auto-conversion to stablecoins, and crypto-backed loans help manage revenue within the ecosystem without selling assets at market lows. ViaBTC, operating since 2016, cites its SOC 2 Type II audit and features like zero-fee transfers to CoinEx, auto-conversion, and lending services. The core message is that on a bear market, the security and stability of established pools are essential for business survival, outweighing minor fee savings from untested platforms.

cryptonews.ru08/12 11:55

ViaBTC Outlined Criteria for Choosing a Mining Pool in a Bear Market

cryptonews.ru08/12 11:55

The Dotcom Moment in Cryptocurrency: Why Over 100 Projects Shut Down in 2026

The cryptocurrency industry experienced a dotcom-like consolidation in 2026, with over 100 projects shutting down, declaring bankruptcy, or becoming inactive. This shakeout revealed a market unable to support the excess of tokens, exchanges, and blockchains created during a period of easy funding. A key weakness was that many projects attracted users and transaction volume but failed to generate sustainable revenue, leaving them unable to cover operational costs. The downturn also put pressure on project treasuries, which often held depreciating native tokens. Notable closures in July included exchanges BitMEX and BitMart, while Movement Labs and Storj Labs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The closures extended beyond applications to entire smaller blockchains, which struggled to attract developers and liquidity in a crowded market. Concurrently, the cost of operation rose due to intensified security demands, with hackers stealing nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2026. While venture capital investment continued, it became more concentrated in companies with clearer revenue models or licenses, such as trading platforms and payments. The wave of closures underscores that for a project to survive, it must generate real demand and revenue independent of token incentives, maintain a secure treasury for bear markets, implement robust operational security, and provide users with clear exit paths. Like the dotcom bust, this consolidation indicates that useful technology alone does not guarantee a project's success.

cryptonews.ru08/12 11:48

The Dotcom Moment in Cryptocurrency: Why Over 100 Projects Shut Down in 2026

cryptonews.ru08/12 11:48

Supply Skyrockets by 3 Trillion, Veteran Blockchain Harmony Dealt Another Fatal Blow

**Title: Supply Surges by 3 Trillion, Dealing Another Blow to Veteran Blockchain Harmony** A significant security breach has struck the Harmony blockchain, involving the illegal minting of approximately 3 trillion ONE tokens (valued around $23.4 billion), which constitutes about 26% of its total supply. The attack exploited critical logic errors in Harmony's cross-shard receipt verification and signature validation systems, allowing the attacker to forge receipts and bypass security checks. Initial reports indicated around 4 billion tokens were minted, but this figure was later revised drastically upwards as more data became available. A substantial portion of the newly minted tokens was quickly transferred to cryptocurrency exchanges, leading to a sharp price drop of nearly 38% for ONE. Harmony's official response included identifying related wallet addresses, urging exchanges to freeze associated funds, releasing a software patch (v2026.1.1) to prevent further minting, and temporarily halting its cross-chain bridge service. The team is also evaluating the option of a network rollback. This incident marks the third major security or technical issue directly affecting Harmony's token supply in recent years, following a $100 million bridge hack in 2022 and a staking bug in late 2023. Once a notable Layer 1 chain, Harmony's market capitalization has dwindled to around $12 million, with its Total Value Locked (TVL) collapsing from a peak over $1.4 billion to under $170,000. The event underscores the persistent security vulnerabilities faced by smaller blockchain protocols and highlights the importance of scrutinizing a project's security history and on-chain activity.

marsbit08/12 10:26

Supply Skyrockets by 3 Trillion, Veteran Blockchain Harmony Dealt Another Fatal Blow

marsbit08/12 10:26

"Exposed by Braggadocio": ZachXBT Reveals Identity of Scammer Who Stole $5M from Crypto Investors

On-chain investigator ZachXBT has exposed the identity of US citizen Tiffany Milanovich, a member of a group that stole at least $5 million from cryptocurrency investors through an elaborate social engineering scheme. The fraud involved sending fake, alarming emails impersonating crypto services, followed by phone calls where Milanovich, posing as support staff, calmly instructed victims to enter their seed phrases into phishing panels, leading to complete asset drainage. The group's downfall stemmed from their own pride. Milanovich recorded mocking calls with victims, boasted about stolen funds in private Telegram chats, flaunted cash and casino balances, and even gambled victims' funds live. This digital trail, alongside evidence like a leaked search warrant and connections to other criminals like "Lick" (John Daghita), left a comprehensive paper trail. ZachXBT compiled the evidence—including call recordings, chats, and on-chain data—and submitted it to US authorities. The case highlights a major shift in crypto threats from code exploits to psychology, with social engineering now causing the majority of losses. The irreversibility of crypto transactions makes such psychological attacks particularly devastating.

cryptonews.ru08/12 10:06

"Exposed by Braggadocio": ZachXBT Reveals Identity of Scammer Who Stole $5M from Crypto Investors

cryptonews.ru08/12 10:06

Losses from the Coldcard Hack: How Researchers Track Stolen Bitcoin

A security breach affecting Coldcard hardware wallets highlights the challenges of estimating losses from attacks on non-custodial wallets, as there is no complete list of compromised addresses. Analytic firms have provided differing estimates. CryptoQuant confirms losses of 1,432 BTC, using a strict methodology that only counts funds from publicly reported victim addresses. Galaxy Research and TRM Labs assess a higher minimum of around 1,730 to 1,816 BTC stolen from over 5,200 addresses. They combine direct victim reports with analysis of on-chain transaction patterns linked to the attack's waves. Galaxy notes that while victim reports have helped identify over 450 BTC in confirmed losses and pattern-matching suggests over 730 BTC more, many suspected funds remain unconfirmed. Experts agree that establishing a precise total is difficult. Julio Moreno of CryptoQuant stated the final figure will always be an estimate, as researchers can only verify what victims disclose publicly. The lack of a central entity, like an exchange, complicates verification, and relying solely on on-chain patterns risks false positives and overestimation.

cryptonews.ru08/11 13:11

Losses from the Coldcard Hack: How Researchers Track Stolen Bitcoin

cryptonews.ru08/11 13:11

Bitcoin Fork BIP-110 Lags Behind BTC by 300 Blocks and Will Need 6 Years to Catch Up

A Bitcoin blockchain fork triggered by the BIP-110 proposal has stalled significantly, falling 326 blocks behind the main Bitcoin network and facing an estimated 6.3-year wait for its next difficulty adjustment. The fork activated on Saturday at block 961,632 after failing to gain the required 55% miner support for its rule change, which aimed to ban non-payment data (like images and text) in transactions within a year. Instead of adopting the change, nodes running BIP-110 software began rejecting all blocks not flagged for the proposal, creating a separate chain. This new chain has only produced two blocks since the split. Mining has effectively halted because it inherited Bitcoin's high mining difficulty but offers a coin with no market value, exchange listings, or buyers. Consequently, the fork cannot progress until 2016 blocks are created to trigger a difficulty reduction, a process that monitoring tools now estimate will take over six years. While some analysts, like Nick Ruck of LVRG Research, view the experiment as a failure that demonstrates the security of Bitcoin's main chain relies on overwhelming miner consensus, others urge caution. Co-founder Himanshu Sahay of Arch noted it's too early for definitive conclusions, emphasizing that Bitcoin rule changes depend on coordinated support across miners, developers, and the ecosystem.

cryptonews.ru08/11 11:07

Bitcoin Fork BIP-110 Lags Behind BTC by 300 Blocks and Will Need 6 Years to Catch Up

cryptonews.ru08/11 11:07

ZachXBT Reveals Identity of Cryptocurrency Scammer Involved in $5M Theft

ZachXBT, a blockchain investigator, has identified Tiffany Milanovich as a threat actor linked to at least $5 million in cryptocurrency thefts. Milanovich's scam involves impersonating customer support staff from centralized exchanges or hardware wallet services, tricking victims over the phone into granting access to their funds. Her associate, using aliases like "bled" and "harm," creates phishing websites mimicking login pages for crypto services. When victims enter their credentials, the criminals gain access to their wallets. In one June incident, a victim lost $1.2 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum from a Trezor hardware wallet after being tricked by a fake representative. ZachXBT notes that Milanovich publicly boasts about her illicit gains on her Telegram channel, mocking victims and flaunting luxury purchases and casino bets funded with stolen money. She was exposed after her associate, John Daghita (previously implicated by ZachXBT in a $46 million theft), leaked her real name online following a dispute.

cryptonews.ru08/11 10:22

ZachXBT Reveals Identity of Cryptocurrency Scammer Involved in $5M Theft

cryptonews.ru08/11 10:22

Bitcoin Holds Around $64,000 as BTCPay Backers Pledge Bounty for 3 Vulnerabilities in BTC

Bitcoin remained stable around $64,000 as sponsors of the open-source payment software BTCPay Server offered a reward for the return of funds stolen due to a critical vulnerability. The flaw, affecting versions prior to 2.4.2, allowed attackers to obtain administrative credentials (macaroons) for connected Lightning Network nodes, potentially draining them. BTCPay stated its on-chain wallets were unaffected. Backers pledged a 10% bounty (up to 3 BTC) for returned funds. The BTCPay Server Foundation also donated rewards to the security researchers who responsibly disclosed the vulnerability. The incident highlights security challenges in Bitcoin's surrounding infrastructure rather than the core protocol itself. While forcing node operators to update and rotate credentials, the attack did not impact Bitcoin's network operation or market stability. The report notes the dual role of AI in both enhancing code analysis for defenders and lowering the cost for attackers to exploit open-source projects. The event follows other recent infrastructure incidents, underscoring that successful attacks can have consequences extending beyond stolen funds, including operational disruptions and changes in data handling practices.

cryptonews.ru08/11 10:20

Bitcoin Holds Around $64,000 as BTCPay Backers Pledge Bounty for 3 Vulnerabilities in BTC

cryptonews.ru08/11 10:20

720 Attacks, 0 Successes: Claude Code Defaults to Auto-Approval, AI Clicks 'Agree' for You

The era of manually approving every action for Claude Code is ending. Starting August 14th, Claude Code will default to an "Auto Mode" for Pro, Max, and Team plans, where AI automatically approves actions instead of prompting users for permission each time. This change is driven by a security report from Trajectory Labs commissioned by Anthropic, which tested 720 attack scenarios across Claude's latest models with zero successful breaches. The defense relies on a three-layer system: the aligned model itself, an input-side probe to detect hijacking attempts, and an output-side classifier to vet actions before execution. Anthropic claims this stack has made prompt injection attacks undemonstrable even internally. Tests showed the Auto Mode blocked 89% of dangerous commands, far surpassing the 13.6% interception rate by human users, who often develop "approval fatigue." However, experts like Simon Willison express caution, warning of potential blind spots. Independent research suggests vulnerabilities may persist, particularly with indirect attacks like malicious commands in third-party packages. While Auto Mode improves efficiency and reduces human error from repetitive prompts, it shifts approval authority from the user to AI. The article concludes that while the system is more reliable than fatigued users, it does not eliminate risk, and ultimate responsibility remains with the human user.

marsbit08/11 09:16

720 Attacks, 0 Successes: Claude Code Defaults to Auto-Approval, AI Clicks 'Agree' for You

marsbit08/11 09:16

Bitcoin Withstood 10 Bearish Blows in 2026, Yet Experienced Its Mildest Bear Market

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market cap, peaked above $126,000 in early October before entering a prolonged decline. By August, it was mainly trading between $63,000 and $65,400, inflicting losses on late buyers but resulting in what is, historically for Bitcoin, an unusually shallow bear market—down about 49% from its peak, compared to typical 75-80% plunges. Throughout 2026, Bitcoin faced multiple headwinds yet demonstrated notable resilience. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and volatile oil prices revived inflation concerns but failed to trigger the panic-driven sell-offs seen in prior cycles. A significant psychological blow came from corporate seller MicroStrategy, a longtime accumulator, which began strategic sales to bolster its cash position, reducing its holdings. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs also faced sustained outflows, though a late-week inflow hinted at potential relief. Pressure also came from within the ecosystem. A contentious blockchain proposal, BIP-110, failed after a minority chain stalled. Miners, facing tighter economics, sold reserves and pivoted infrastructure toward AI. A major security breach involving Coldcard hardware wallets saw an estimated 2,000 BTC stolen, shaking confidence in self-custody. Long-term threats like quantum computing resurfaced in discussions. Despite this confluence of corporate selling, ETF outflows, miner capitulation, geopolitical shocks, internal conflict, and security issues—any one of which could historically cause sharp declines—Bitcoin stubbornly held above a key $60,000 support level. Deeper market liquidity, regulated products, and long-term holders appear to be absorbing selling pressure that once would have caused deeper crashes. This resilience suggests a maturing market structure, though risks remain. Another shock could still push Bitcoin toward $50,000. For now, its 49% decline, severe for most assets, is relatively moderate by Bitcoin's own volatile standards. The remaining months of 2026 will test whether $60,000 is a durable floor or merely the next major line of defense.

cryptonews.ru08/10 22:26

Bitcoin Withstood 10 Bearish Blows in 2026, Yet Experienced Its Mildest Bear Market