Bitcoin

Did AT&T pay $400,000 in Bitcoin to data hackers?

Published

6 months ago

15 July, 2024

Did AT&T pay $400,000 in Bitcoin to data hackers?

There are new revelations suggesting that telecom giant AT&T Inc. allegedly paid hackers who claimed to have compromised its telecom network and stolen sensitive information in 2022. According to claims by one of the hackers, the company paid $400,000 to the malicious group in what appears to be a ransom.

AT&T ransomware payout to hackers

According to Bloomberg reportThe hacker says he extorted $400,000 from AT&T to erase the trove of sensitive call log and text data stolen from nearly all of AT&T’s wireless customers over the course of six months.

Media efforts to get the multinational telecommunications holding company to comment on the hacker’s claim of a ransom payment proved abortive. Similarly, FBI and Justice Department officials refused to acknowledge whether the company had made any payments at the time.

However, a ransomware expert who wished to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the matter confirmed that AT&T paid a ransom to the hacker. Additionally, the hacker provided a Bitcoin wallet address, and an analysis of it revealed what experts consider a likely extortion transaction in mid-May.

Meanwhile, analysis of the publicly accessible ledger by renowned Chainalysis Inc. shows an interesting development. According to Chainalysis, there appears to be an extortion payment as an unknown entity deposited Bitcoin valued at $380,000 at the time to the wallet address provided by the hacker.

A smaller amount later came from the wallet to that of a notorious hacker that Chainalysis declined to name. However, from its analysis, the company says it was unable to verify or ascertain whether the payment was initiated by AT&T.

It is also unclear whether the telecom company used an intermediary.

Historical ransomware payments

Notably, the hacker had provided information and a seven-minute video that they claimed was proof that they were deleting the stolen data. According to them, this was in fulfillment of their end of the deal with AT&T.

However, other analysts say that given the detail and sensitivity of the alleged stolen information that posed national security risks, the $400,000 was significantly low. They maintain that other ransomware attacks have extorted larger sums from corporate organizations.

A clear example was when Colonial Pipeline Co. suffered a data breach. The company had to pay $4.4 million to a group of hackers in 2021 as the attack forced it to shut down its gas pipeline, affecting gas supplies to the East Coast of the United States.

Fuente

Bitcoin

What to watch for in the markets

Published

6 months ago

21 July, 2024

SatoshiTimes Staff

Photo: Andrew Harnik (Getty Images)

After witnessing one of the largest global IT outages on record, affecting the travel, finance and healthcare sectors worldwideThis week is set to see more political drama, events, and earnings reports from tech giants.

Donald Trump’s ‘Lovefest’ Sets Jamie Dimon Up for Consideration for Treasury Secretary Job

Let’s take a look at what awaits us:

Major companies will release their earnings reports

Major tech companies and others will release their earnings reports this week, paving the way for what the second half of 2024 will look like.

Monday

Verizon will report earnings before the start of operations.

Tuesday

Coca-Cola, Comcast and UPS are all set to report earnings before the market opens.
Tesla will report earnings in the morning, while General Motors will report earnings in the evening.
Alphabet and Visa will report results after the market closes.

Wednesday

AT&T will release its report before the market opens.
Ford and Chipotle will report earnings after the market closes.

Thursday

Earnings reports from AstraZeneca, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines will be released before the market opens.

Trump to speak at Bitcoin conference

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will speak at the next Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennesseewhich is scheduled for July 25-27. While this is the first time a presidential candidate will attend the conference, it has sparked a debate over whether the crypto-friendly Trump will receive support from the crypto community in the upcoming election.

In addition to Trump, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will also discuss crypto during the conference. Crypto advocates such as ARK Investment’s Cathie Wood, MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, and whistleblower Edward Snowden are among some prominent names who will be participating in the conference.

Ether ETFs are on the way

New Ether Spot ETFs are set to begin trading on Tuesday, July 23. Much like the spot Bitcoin ETFs, these ETFs will allow investors to buy the second most popular cryptocurrency like stocks. BlackRock, Ark Invest/21Shares, VanEck, Grayscale, Fidelity, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and Invesco/Galaxy Digital are all set to offer Ether ETFs. Crypto asset manager Bitwise predict that trading in the Ether ETF will drive the price of Ether higher, potentially surpassing $5,000.

Fuente

Bitcoin

Cryptocurrency’s Biggest Winners and Losers in a Second Trump Presidency

Published

6 months ago

21 July, 2024

SatoshiTimes Staff

Cryptocurrency’s Biggest Winners and Losers in a Second Trump Presidency

Bitcoin miners and cryptocurrency companies that have been blocked from going public in the U.S. could ultimately be the biggest winners in the digital asset world under a second Donald Trump presidency. Foreign companies at risk of losing market share could end up being the biggest losers.

That’s the view that’s taking hold among market participants and observers in the wake of the former president’s growing embrace of cryptocurrency as his chances of election grow. survey released Thursday by CBS News showed Trump with the majority — 52 percent — of likely voters in his likely November rematch with President Joe Biden.

Fuente

Bitcoin

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Cryptocurrency Markets Look Ready to ‘Send’ as Stars Align, According to Investor Chris Burniske

Published

6 months ago

21 July, 2024

SatoshiTimes Staff

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Cryptocurrency Markets Look Ready to ‘Send’ as Stars Align, According to Investor Chris Burniske

Cryptocurrency investor Chris Burniske says Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SUN) and the cryptocurrency market in general seem poised for a run.

Former Head of Cryptocurrency at ARK Invest account his 292,200 followers on social media platform X that several catalysts are aligning, suggesting that digital asset markets are on the verge of a bull run.

According to Burniske, a partner at venture capital firm Placeholder, the highly anticipated launch of Ethereum-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaking at an upcoming Bitcoin event, and the current state of the BTC, ETH, and SOL charts all suggest significant optimism for the cryptocurrency markets.

“With ETH ETFs set to go live, Trump speaking at The Bitcoin Conference, and BTC, ETH, and SOL charts looking [they do] (while stocks are weak), it’s hard to imagine a world where we don’t ship next week.”

Reuters recently reported that preliminary approval for ETH ETFs has been granted as the Bitcoin Conference is scheduled to take place from July 25-27.

BTC, ETH, and SOL are trading at $67,333, $3,528, and $174 at the time of writing, respectively.

The venture capitalist too provides an update on his prediction that the total crypto market cap will eventually hit $10 trillion. According to his chart, the path to $10 trillion is currently “23%” complete, as it sits around $2.2 trillion.

Source: Chris BurniskeX

Earlier this month, Burniske he said in an interview with Real Vision CEO Raoul Paul that he has his eye on the Move ecosystem, which was originally built by social media giant Meta and then used to develop layer 1 blockchains Sui (IUE) and Apts (APT).

Don’t miss a beat – Subscribe to receive email alerts directly to your inbox

To check Price action

Surf Hodl’s Daily Mix

&nbsp

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be aware that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Image generated: DALLE3

Fuente

Bitcoin

Here’s the next target for BTC before bulls can hold out for $70K

Published

6 months ago

21 July, 2024

SatoshiTimes Staff

Here’s the next target for BTC before bulls can hold out for $70K

Bitcoin’s recovery is going well, and the market is seemingly poised to create a new all-time high in the near term.

Technical analysis

Per NegotiationRage

The daily chart

As the daily chart shows, the price of Bitcoin has been rising since it broke above the 200-day moving average.

The market has also reclaimed the $60K and $65K levels and is moving towards the $68K resistance zone, which could be the last hurdle before creating a new all-time high. With the RSI also indicating that the price has clear bullish momentum, it could be just a matter of time.

Source: TradingView

The 4-hour chart

Looking at the 4-hour chart, it is evident that the price has been rising rapidly since breaking the downtrend line to the upside. The market also broke the $65K resistance level with momentum, turning it into a support.

While almost everything points to a new record high in the coming weeks, there is one worrying sign. The RSI is showing a clear bearish divergence between recent price highs, which could indicate a correction or even a reversal in the near term.

Source: TradingView SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive an exclusive $600 welcome offer on Binance (Full details).

LIMITED OFFER 2024 on BYDFi Exchange: Welcome Reward Up to $2,888, use this link to register and open a 100 USDT-M position for free!

Disclaimer: The information found on CryptoPotato is that of the writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato about buying, selling, or holding any investments. It is advised that you conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use the information provided at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.

Cryptocurrency Charts by TradingView.

Fuente