INK WIRE Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Crypto

Israeli fire in Gaza killed Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri.

As he lived in a tent and battled to provide for his family, Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters journalist killed by Israeli fire on Monday while running a live video feed at Gaza's Nasser Hospital, covered the suffering of civilians during the conflict. According to journalist colleagues, Masri, 49, was a seasoned cameraman who was well-liked by Gaza's close-knit community of reporters because of his upbeat demeanor in the most perilous circumstances. In the months before his death, he would say, "Tomorrow will be better," despite the fact that the Palestinian enclave was becoming increasingly desolate and hungry. That was the conclusion of his final discussion with Mohamed Salem, a senior Reuters visuals journalist who had collaborated with Masri in Rafah, in southern Gaza, last year and had known him since 2003. Salem, who left Gaza later in 2024 but stayed in daily contact with Masri until Monday morning, said he was a pleasure to work with because of his smiles and o...

Bitcoin reaches record as Fed easing bets boost tailwinds.

Bitcoin hit a record high on Thursday as expectations for easier Federal Reserve monetary policy and financial reform tailwinds increased. The world's largest crypto-asset by market capitalization rose 0.9% to $124,002.49 in early Asia trading, surpassing its July peak. Ether, the second-largest crypto-token, reached $4,780.04, its highest level since late 2021. According to IG market analyst Tony Sycamore, Fed rate cuts, institutional buying, and Trump administration efforts to ease crypto investment are driving bitcoin's rally. "Technically a sustained break above $125k could propel BTC to $150,000," he wrote. Bitcoin has risen nearly 32% in 2025 after President Donald Trump's return to the White House led to regulatory wins. Trump calls himself the "crypto president," and his family has invested in the sector over the past year. Last week, an executive order allowed crypto assets in 401(k) retirement accounts, indicating a more favorable regula...

According to Bloomberg News, Trump-affiliated World Liberty is proposing a $1.5 billion cryptocurrency vehicle.

The Trump family-backed business, World Liberty Financial, is seeking to join the growing number of digital asset treasury firms by establishing a public company to hold its WLFI tokens. According to people familiar with the situation, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private, the deal's structure is still being finalized. They added that they anticipate raising about $1.5 billion. According to the people, the venture has been approached by high-profile investors in the technology and cryptocurrency sectors. It is reported that discussions are progressing quickly. Currently offering USD1, a stablecoin backed by the US dollar, World Liberty, whose website lists President Donald Trump as "co-founder emeritus," announced plans for a crypto-lending app last year. Sales of its WLFI token, which was first intended to be a non-transferable governance token but will soon be tradable on the open market, have helped it raise funds. Thanks to a supportive regu...

The US jury has reached a standstill on the money laundering charge against the founder of Tornado Cash.

On charges of money laundering and evading sanctions against the founder of Tornado Cash, a company that makes cryptocurrency transactions more difficult to trace, a U.S. jury reached a deadlock on Wednesday. Roman Storm was accused of conspiring to launder the proceeds of hacks, including those carried out by a group supported by the North Korean government, but the jury in a Manhattan federal court was unable to reach a decision. However, he was convicted by the jury of conspiring to run an unlicensed money transmission business, which is a less serious charge. Later, U.S. District Judge Katherine Faille will sentence him to a maximum of five years in prison. Each of the conspiracy charges related to money laundering and sanctions evasion carried a potential 20-year sentence. Storm was detained in 2023 on suspicion of assisting in the concealment of over $1 billion, including hundreds of millions of dollars for the hacking group Lazarus Group, which is backed by Pyongyang and has be...