Ethereum keys are technically “public,” but finding an active wallet by chance is virtually impossible.
Weak or poorly stored private keys pose real risks—secure them in hardware or trusted personal wallets.
Tools like Keys.lol show key possibilities, but brute-forcing an active wallet remains purely theoretical.
A startling claim has resurfaced across the crypto community that all Ethereum private keys are technically “public.” Analyst Laxo highlighted a website called Keys.lol, which generates every possible private key. In theory, anyone could find your key and access your assets. However, the practical reality makes this almost impossible.
Ethereum has so many possible addresses—2¹⁶⁰ in total—that the chance of randomly finding someone’s working key is unimaginably tiny. So, even though your key technically exists among all possible combinations, actually finding it is basically impossible.
you private keys are leaked!
..well, technically, yes. there's a website called keyslol and it stores all private keys that ever been (or could be) generated.
yes, all your private keys are stored there. and ANYONE could find it and steal all your assets.
Keys.lol does not actually save every private key in a database. Instead, it creates pages with 128 keys at a time for the entire key range. This smart method lets people check balances or browse keys without needing an impossible amount of storage space.
“Yes, your private key is on this website too, but don’t worry, nobody will ever find it,” the site assured. Even if you open a random page, the chance of finding an active wallet is tiny. So, the site shows just how huge Ethereum’s keyspace is, without posing any danger.
Understanding Ethereum key generation
Ethereum addresses come from private keys through a specific process. First, a private key is just a random 256-bit number. Then, this key creates a 512-bit public key using a type of math called elliptic curve multiplication. Finally, the Ethereum address comes from the last 20 bytes of this public key and is what controls the account.
Security expert Vic Genin explained, “Even though a lot of people call the address the public key, it’s actually not the case in Ethereum. There is a separate public key that acts as a middleman.
Private keys need to be generated using strong random numbers. If a key is weak or predictable, it can be at risk. The infamous Blockchain Bandit took advantage of this; as cited by Chainalysis, it targeted weak Ethereum private keys in 2015 and 2016. Using a method called “Ethercombing,” the Bandit emptied over 10,000 wallets and stole about 51,000 Ether. This shows that the risk comes from poor randomness, not from the fact that all possible keys exist.
Public keys in transactions
Ethereum also lets you recover a public key from a transaction, but only in a limited way. Each signed transaction has r, s, and v values, which can be used to rebuild the public key without needing the private key. However, this procedure doesn’t put accounts at risk, because finding the private key is still impossible.
Additionally, the chance of randomly creating a private key that already exists is about 1 in 1.15×10⁷⁷—far more than grains of sand across countless planets. Hence, even trying hard to guess a key is purely theoretical, not practical.
Risks beyond mathematics
Besides the extremely low chances of cryptographic collisions, losing or mismanaging private keys is a real danger. Fireblocks’ 2021 custody dispute shows this. The company lost two key shares needed to withdraw Ethereum, making over 38,000 staked ETH inaccessible.
In the same way, losing money due to improper storage is more serious than these hypothetical mathematical problems. The user should be concerned with properly securing keys in their hardware wallets or personal wallets, rather than the abstract probabilities.
Websites like Keys.lol and PrivateKeys.pw can show if a wallet has money, had money before, or was never used. While this highlights potential risks, actually guessing someone’s active wallet by brute force is basically impossible.
The ETN lineup includes major assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Polygon, Chainlink, and diversified crypto indices.
The move follows VanEck’s broader crypto push, including the recent launch of the Avalanche ETF (VAVX) on Nasdaq with integrated staking rewards.
Signals growing institutional acceptance in Europe, as traditional banks increasingly bridge conventional finance and digital assets.
Global asset manager VanEck has announced a partnership with ING Germany, the country’s third-largest bank, to offer retail customers seamless access to cryptocurrency-linked investment products. Beginning February 2026, ING Germany’s retail clients can trade VanEck’s suite of Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) directly through their existing “Direct Depot” brokerage accounts.
This integration allows investors to gain exposure to digital assets like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) without the complexities of managing private keys or digital wallets. The firm already has a history of moving in asset classes, which include gold investment, emerging markets, and EFTs, and is now expanding into digital assets.
Lowering the barrier to entry
The partnership aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and the digital asset economy. By utilizing familiar banking infrastructure, ING Germany is positioning itself as a primary gateway for regulated crypto exposure.
Under the new arrangement, ING Germany customers can trade 11 VanEck crypto ETNs with reduced or zero execution costs:
Orders of €1,000 or more: No execution fees
Orders below €1,000: Flat fee of €3.90
Savings plans: Executed free of charge
The pricing model is designed to make crypto investments more accessible for long-term and retail investors using traditional brokerage accounts.
“Many investors want a solution that fits into their existing portfolio structures and also offers transparent costs. This partnership delivers exactly that—it brings crypto exposure to where investors are already investing: in their securities accounts,” says Martijn Rozemuller, CEO of VanEck Europe.
List of VaEck crypto ETNs available
The 11 crypto ETNs offer both single-asset and diversified exposure:
DE000A28M8D0 VanEck Bitcoin ETN
DE000A3GPSP7 VanEck Ethereum ETN
DE000A3GWEU3 VanEck Crypto Leaders ETN
DE000A3GWNE8 VanEck Algorand ETN
DE000A3GV1T7 VanEck Avalanche ETN
DE000A3GXNV0 VanEck Chainlink ETN
DE000A3GSUC5 VanEck Polkadot ETN
DE000A3GV1U5 VanEck Polygon ETN
DE000A3GXNT4 VanEck Smart Contract Leaders ETN
DE000A3GSUD3 VanEck Solana ETN
DE000A3GSUE1 VanEck TRON ETN
These products allow investors to participate in the crypto market via regulated securities traded on traditional exchanges.
VanEck’s “altcoin” ETFs
The partnership with ING Germany follows VanEck’s recent move in the U.S. market. Earlier this year, VanEck launched the first Avalanche exchange-traded fund on Nasdaq, listed under the ticker VAVX, giving investors regulated exposure to AVAX without directly holding the token. The ETF tracks AVAX’s price and incorporates staking rewards into its net asset value, offering a yield of about 5.6% as of January 23.
While early trading activity was modest, the launch reflects a broader shift toward using familiar ETF vehicles to gain exposure to blockchain infrastructure. It also serves as a test of investor appetite for crypto assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. Institutions are increasingly seeking to diversify their exposure within regulated market structures.
Further, traditional banks are also increasingly adopting crypto-linked products. The distinction between traditional finance and digital assets is becoming increasingly hazy. The VanEck-ING Germany partnership signals increasing institutional acceptance for crypto ETNs in Europe, offering regulated low-cost access to digital assets through established banking platforms.
Binance is converting its $1 billion SAFU fund (user protection reserve) from stablecoins to Bitcoin amid a market crash (BTC down 40% from ATH), starting with $100M. Critics call it opportunistic profit-seeking rather than genuine security/
CZ pleaded guilty in 2023 to AML violations enabling billions in illicit flows (including to terrorists). After a short prison term, he received a Trump pardon in 2025 amid pay-to-play allegations.
Binance is blamed by OKX CEO and other industry experts for the October 10, 2025 crash ($19B liquidated) due to reckless USDe campaigns. Combined with past dramas, it fuels widespread distrust and viral X backlash.
In the wild, unpredictable world of cryptocurrency, chaos isn’t just a bug—it’s the main feature. One day you will be vibing and the very next; prices swing like pendulums on steroids, projects rug-pull overnight, and regulatory hammers fall with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
But nothing embodies this madness quite like Binance and its enigmatic founder, Changpeng Zhao (better known as CZ). Just when you thought the drama had peaked with accusations on Binance over its alleged role in the October 10 crash, the exchange dropped another bombshell, which seems to be an industry-friendly move but it is actually a camel’s nose.
On January 30, Binance announced that it is converting the $1 billion Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) from stablecoins into Bitcoin, right as BTC slumps to multi-month lows! Is this a savvy hedge against fiat volatility, or a cynical play to profit from the dip at users’ expense?
SAFU Funds moving into Bitcoin: Why now?
As someone who’s watched this space evolve from Bitcoin’s early days to today’s prediction markets frenzy, I’ll say it straight: this move reeks of opportunism, and it’s emblematic of the deeper rot in centralized exchanges like Binance.
If we look at it historically, the funds were first sitting majorly in BNB, partly in BUSD and Bitcoin. Later, the team decided to move it all to USDC in April 2024, following community criticism. Now, adjusting for the third time, the exchange is moving all of it (nearly $1 billion) into Bitcoin—just when the broader market crash appears—”opportunistically” as we reported intentionally.
What’s SAFU though?
Launched in July 2018, this emergency fund was Binance’s way of assuring users that their assets were protected in case of hacks or operational failures. It is regularly funded by a slice of trading fees, now growing into a $1 billion buffer, mostly in stablecoins like USDC for stability.
The idea was simple: “Funds are SAFU,” as CZ famously tweeted during a system outage, turning it into a meme that reassured millions. But here’s the kicker—despite its noble purpose, SAFU has been tapped only once, in a minor incident years ago, leaving questions about its real utility.
Now, with Bitcoin trading at depressed levels, Binance announces a full conversion to BTC over 30 days, starting with an initial $100 million batch. They promise to rebalance if BTC’s value dips below $800 million, but let’s be real: this isn’t about protection; it’s about positioning Binance to ride the next bull wave while users foot the volatility risk.
Why now? Crypto markets are in turmoil, with Bitcoin down 40% from its all-time high. At this time, converting stable assets to BTC when it’s “down” screams bottom-fishing. Binance claims it’s for long-term resilience, but skeptics—and there are plenty—see it as a way to juice profits.
After all, if BTC rebounds, that $1 billion becomes a windfall for the exchange, not directly for users. And if it tanks further? Well, SAFU’s there to cover losses, but the optics are terrible.
This comes amid a chorus of X posts lambasting CZ and Binance for everything from market manipulation to enabling scams. One viral thread calls CZ “calculated” in scamming everyday people, while another ranks him atop a “crypto crime tier list.” It’s not just noise; it’s a symptom of eroding trust in the platform that handles more volume than anyone else.
CZ’s “hideous history,” as some call it, only amplifies the skepticism. Born in China and raised in Canada, Zhao built Binance from a Shanghai startup in 2017 into the world’s dominant exchange, amassing a fortune estimated to be around $80 billion. But, as any billionaire, his success came with shadows.
In 2023, CZ pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws, admitting Binance allowed terrorists, drug traffickers, and ransomware gangs to launder billions. Prosecutors in the U.S. highlighted how the platform welcomed criminals, with one compliance officer reportedly joking about “washing drug money.”
Zhao served four months in prison, though merely a slap on the wrist compared to Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25 years for FTX’s fraud. Then, in October 2025, President Trump pardoned him, citing no “identifiable victims” and framing it as Biden-era overreach.
Critics called it “disgusting” pay-to-play, especially after reports of Binance’s $2 billion investment in Trump’s World Liberty Financial stablecoin, but well that’s a whole another story.
Zhao’s post-pardon life? Back to influencing crypto from his Dubai base, a hub for the ultra-rich and, if not all, some shady figures. Dubai’s allure for CZ isn’t hard to see. No extradition treaty with the U.S. made him a flight risk during his trial and judges twice blocked his return there.
The emirate’s lax regulations and crypto-friendly vibe attract everyone from Russian oligarchs evading sanctions to alleged fraudsters. CZ’s residence there fueled suspicions of criminal associations, though he denied any wrongdoing.
Binance’s alleged role in Money Laundering
While CZ’s story speaks of his personal quests, Binance’s past speaks of volumes with the U.S. Treasury officials confirmed in the past that the exchange funneled money to Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS.
A 2025 lawsuit by Oct. 7 Hamas attack victims accuses Binance of aiding over $1 billion in terrorist transactions, even after U.S. warnings. Zhao’s lawyers argue no “special relationship” with groups like Hamas, but the allegations stick: Binance prioritized growth over compliance, becoming a “conduit for illicit funds.”
CZ Vs Crypto People
Then there’s the drama reel. CZ’s feud with FTX‘s Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was legendary back then. In November 2022, CZ tweeted about dumping $500 million in FTT tokens, triggering a bank run that collapsed FTX and wiped out $8 billion in user funds. He signed a non-binding acquisition letter, only to back out after “due diligence,” leaving SBF to face fraud charges.
Fast-forward to Hyperliquid: As the decentralized exchange surged in 2025, eating Binance’s perps market share, CZ launched and promoted rival Aster, which was backed by his family office YZi Labs. Hyperliquid’s founder accused Binance of underreporting liquidations during crashes, while CZ touted Aster’s privacy features as superior. Competition? Sure. But whispers of sabotage linger, especially after reports Circle was buying Hyperliquid’s token before Aster’s push.
The WazirX saga is another black mark. Binance announced acquiring the Indian exchange in 2019, but in 2022, CZ denied it ever happened, citing incomplete docs. When WazirX suffered a $234 million hack in 2024, Binance washed its hands, claiming no control—despite WazirX’s insistence on legal ties. Users lost big, and the feud escalated to litigation by 2025. This denial game eroded trust, painting Binance as evasive when convenient.
Binance’s alleged role in October 10 crash
All these stories sound dramatic enough but nothing captures the current backlash like the October 10 crash. This “10/10 nightmare” wiped out over $19 billion in liquidation cascade. The embryonic point of this largest ever crash was said to be a technical glitch on Binance.
Apparently, Binance is the largest crypto exchange with highest liquidity, and such occurrences on the platform will definitely shake the broader crypto market.
OKX CEO Star Xu blamed it squarely on Binance’s “irresponsible” USDe APY campaign, which looped leverage without limits, turning a minor shock into systemic failure. Xu called it worse than FTX’s collapse, with cascading depegs and near-zero token prices.
However, CZ dismissed it as FUD, attributing it to tariffs and leverage, not Binance errors. But users reported their sell orders executing while buy orders failing, fueling manipulation claims. Binance compensated $600 million, but critics say that’s peanuts compared to the damage.
Recent callouts to CZ
Given all these feuds, CZ was all over X (formerly Twitter) and crypto media in the past three weeks. A number of industry leaders called out that the crypto markets are not functioning the same as they were before the October 10 crash. Recent X posts amplify the vitriol, with one user calling CZ a “net negative” since 2021, while another accuses him of destroying crypto alongside Trump.
Another article paints Binance as predatory, liquidating its own users weekly via volatility engineered with partners like Wintermute. And Justin Sun’s ex-girlfriend’s “Epstein files” tease more dirt on CZ’s circle. Even semantic searches reveal viral exposes on Binance scandals since 2024.
While CZ has been around in the crypto space since a while now, he has been at the center of “a lot of” controversies. Not all crypto entrepreneurs are speaking against him currently but the wrath of users is largely visible within discussion on X.
The crypto landscape has long argued for decentralization over CZ’s centralized empire. Binance’s stark dominance creates a single point of failure, as the October 10 crash showed.
At this point, CZ’s pardon and SAFU pivot feel like rewards for bad behavior, not redemption. Crypto needs transparency, not egos. If we let exchanges like Binance game the system, the chaos will only worsen.
Tether open-sources its Mining OS at the Plan ₿ Forum, pushing Bitcoin mining toward open and decentralized infrastructure.
MOS and the upcoming Mining SDK unify mining hardware, energy, and the data while enabling faster custom tool development.
Open-source mining software shifts competition from access to efficiency, strengthening Bitcoin’s global mining ecosystem.
Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, has open-sourced its Bitcoin Mining Operating System (MOS), in a push toward more decentralized Bitcoin mining. The company announced the move on February 2, 2026, making the software publicly available to the mining community.
This update was announced at the 2026 Plan ₿ Forum in San Salvador, highlighting Tether’s expanding focus on Bitcoin infrastructure development.
The announcement also marks a strategic pivot for the $120 billion plus company, aiming to break the “black box” of proprietary software that has long dominated industrial-scale mining operations.
A unified “nervous system” for miners
Current mining operations often resemble a patchwork of disconnected software: one for hashrate monitoring, another for electrical transformers, and a third for cooling systems. MOS seeks to replace this with a single operational layer.
It’s a special computer operating system for Bitcoin mining, designed specifically to run and manage mining hardware and operations. MOS provides end-to-end visibility across mining sites—covering:
Mining hardware performance
Energy consumption and efficiency
Device health and failures
Infrastructure and site-level operations
Tether ❤️ Bitcoin
Tether Mining OS is now fully opensource.
A complete operational platform that can scale from a home setup to industrial grade site, even across multiple geographies.
Super modular, P2P encrypted networking layer. It supports a long list of miners,… https://t.co/VzXywA6IZc
This flexibility removes the need for centralized third-party software and reduces dependence on proprietary mining management platforms.
“Whether it’s a small operator running a handful of machines or a full-scale industrial site, the same operating system can scale without reliance on centralized, third-party software,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.
Introducing the Mining SDK
Alongside MOS, Tether unveiled the Mining SDK, the foundational framework behind the operating system. SDK stands for Software Development Kit. It is a modular toolkit for developers that makes it easier to build new mining software or tools by using ready-made building blocks instead of starting from scratch.
While MOS is ready for immediate deployment, the SDK is being released as a collaborative project to be finalized with the open-source community in the coming months.
The Mining SDK provides developers with:
Pre-built modular components (“workers”)
Simple APIs for device and infrastructure integration
A UI development kit to quickly build dashboards and internal tools
This allows developers and mining companies to build custom mining software without core infrastructure, dramatically lowering development time and cost.
Shifting the competitive landscape
The move reflects a broader shift in Bitcoin mining, where competition is increasingly being defined by operational efficiency rather than access to proprietary technology.
By open-sourcing its mining software stack, Tether aims to lower entry barriers for new miners, enable customization without vendor lock-in, reduce centralization in mining infrastructure software, and strengthen the long-term resilience of the Bitcoin network.
Ardoino shared that the goal is to make Bitcoin mining more open, accessible, and competitive; a goal that “ultimately strengthens the resilience of the Bitcoin network.”
Binance halted withdrawals briefly, but it was a technical glitch, not a financial problem—users’ funds remain safe.
Market swings wiped out billions, fueling FTX 2.0 fears, while social chatter on “Hyperliquid” highlights ongoing exchange worries.
Binance moved $1B SAFU fund into Bitcoin to protect users, recovering $1.09B in mis-sent assets since 2018.
Binance faced a sudden withdrawal halt on Tuesday, reigniting fears of an FTX-style crisis among crypto traders. The world’s largest exchange attributed the disruption to technical difficulties, reassuring users that withdrawals resumed promptly.
Binance first posted on X, stating, “We are aware of some technical difficulties affecting withdrawals on the platform. Our team is already working on a fix, and services will resume as soon as possible.” Hours later, the exchange confirmed the issue was resolved: “The issue has been identified and fixed. Withdrawals have resumed and are being processed now.”
The issue has been identified and fixed.
Withdrawals have resumed and are being processed now.
The disruption came amid volatile markets, with Bitcoin dipping below $76,000 over the weekend and currently trading at $78,793 as per CoinMarketCap data. CoinGlass data shows 104,205 traders liquidated in the past 24 hours, totaling $320.09 million.
Following the sudden withdrawal halt, users feared a repeat of past collapses like FTX. However, the exchange emphasized the outage stemmed from technical issues, not solvency problems.
The Binance outage is also similar to the halt in the withdrawal of USDC in the past, which took place in December 2022. Today, after this halt, the crypto community on the X started spamming the reply section with ‘Hyperliquid’ in response to Binance’s post, a typical slang used to promote the shift toward decentralized trading on Hyperliquid, a non-custodial crypto exchange.
Some even jokingly said ‘FTX 2.0,’ echoing the high-profile crashing of the FTX exchange in 2022.
Source: X
Binance’s financial health and SAFU strategy
In the 2022 market wide turmoil, Binance cleared rumors about insufficient reserves by explaining their model of being debt-free and capital-separated. The exchange further clarified that their users’ assets are fully supported and that there are no external investments in their assets.
Regarding stablecoins, Binance further clarified that during the pause in USDC withdrawals, other stablecoins like BUSD, USDT, USDP, and TUSD are fully withdrawable at a 1:1 ratio.
Binance said Bitcoin is a key long-term asset to keep user funds safe. Since 2018, the SAFU fund has recovered over $1.09 billion in mistakenly sent assets, including $48 million from 38,648 cases just in 2025.
A 49% stake in World Liberty Financial was sold for $500 million just days before the inauguration.
President Donald Trump said he had no knowledge of the deal and that his sons handled the business.
The investor is an Abu Dhabi royal with diplomatic and business ties to the United States.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has denied having any role in a reported $500 million cryptocurrency deal involving his family and a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, saying he was not aware of the transaction and that his sons were managing the business separately.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said he had no direct knowledge of the deal, while acknowledging that cryptocurrency has become a major area of investment.
“I don’t know about it,” Trump said. “I know that crypto is a big thing.”
He added that the business decisions were being handled by his family. “My sons are handling that — my family is handling it. And I guess they get investments from different people.”
What the World Liberty Financial deal is about
The deal centers on World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a cryptocurrency platform closely linked to the Trump family. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, emissaries of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, reached an agreement with Eric Trump to purchase a 49% stake in WLFI for $500 million.
The agreement was reportedly finalized four days before Donald Trump was inaugurated as US president last year. The WSJ based its report on internal WLFI documents and comments from people familiar with the matter.
According to Fortune, the investment was not executed directly by Sheikh Tahnoon himself but through two senior lieutenants closely associated with him, both of whom hold leadership roles at G42, an Abu Dhabi-based technology and investment group backed by the royal family. Their involvement further tightens the link between the crypto deal and the UAE’s state-aligned tech and investment ecosystem.
Breakdown of the $500 million investment
The investment was structured in phases, beginning with an initial payment of $250 million. Of that amount, $187 million was directed to entities linked to the Trump family. According to the report, at least $31 million was earmarked for entities associated with Steve Witkoff, a co-founder of World Liberty Financial who currently serves as the US special envoy to the Middle East.
Another $31 million was allocated to an entity connected to the platform’s other co-founders, Zak Folkman and Chase Herro.
The investment was made through Aryam Investment 1, a company backed by Sheikh Tahnoon, which would become World Liberty Financial’s largest shareholder if the full transaction is completed.
According to Fortune, World Liberty Financial was launched in 2024 as a decentralized finance platform, marking one of the Trump family’s most significant moves into the cryptocurrency space. Before the Abu Dhabi stake purchase, the project had already brought in about $550 million through token sales, highlighting its rapid growth ahead of the equity investment.
Why the deal has drawn wider attention
The transaction has attracted attention not only because of its size and timing, but also because of Sheikh Tahnoon’s broader diplomatic and business relationships with the United States.
The scrutiny has also intensified due to overlapping financial flows within the Trump-linked crypto ecosystem. Fortune notes that World Liberty Financial later launched its own stablecoin, USD1, which gained prominence after MGX, another Abu Dhabi-backed entity, used USD1 to settle a $2 billion investment into Binance. This effectively tied Emirati sovereign capital to a Trump-issued digital currency.
Sheikh Tahnoon is the Chairman of Group 42 Holding Ltd. (G42), an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company. In December last year, G42 received approval from the US Department of Commerce to purchase advanced AI chips from major American firms, including Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and Cerebras Systems Inc., following discussions with US officials at the White House.
The timing of the crypto investment, the approval of advanced AI chip sales, and the involvement of Sheikh Tahnoon’s close associates have prompted questions about whether diplomacy, access to sensitive technology, and private business interests intersected during the presidential transition.
While no wrongdoing has been alleged, the convergence of these factors has drawn heightened scrutiny because it brings together foreign policy decisions, national-security-linked technology, and a substantial investment in a Trump-linked crypto venture.
Political and regulatory response
The reported deal has also prompted questions from US lawmakers. In January, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren urged banking regulators to delay reviewing World Liberty Financial’s application for a bank charter until President Trump divested his interest in the company.
Ethics watchdogs cited by Fortune have warned that such arrangements could revive concerns tied to the Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution, which bars a sitting president from receiving benefits from foreign governments. While no formal violation has been alleged, critics describe the structure and timing of the deal as a textbook example of a potential conflict of interest.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) later rejected that request, stating that political or personal financial ties would not affect the review process and that WLFI’s application would be evaluated under the same “rigorous review” standards applied to other companies.
Company pushes back on claims
World Liberty Financial has maintained that President Trump had no involvement in the transaction after taking office. Responding to the reports, company spokesman David Wachsman said, “Neither President Trump nor Steve Witkoff had any involvement whatsoever in this transaction and have had no involvement in World Liberty Financial since taking office.”
He also defended the company’s approach to raising capital, adding, “The idea that, when raising capital, a privately-held American company should be held to some unique standard that no other similar company would be held is both ridiculous and un-American.”
What comes next
While no investigation has been announced, the scale of the investment, its timing just before Trump’s inauguration, and the involvement of a foreign royal have ensured continued attention from regulators, lawmakers, and the media.
For now, Trump continues to distance himself from the deal, while the company insists the transaction was conducted independently, as questions around politics, crypto, and global capital remain firmly in focus.
Mac users face new phishing risks; fake audit emails can steal passwords and install hidden malware.
Hackers use disguised AppleScript files and backdoors to control Macs and bypass privacy protections.
Phishing and wallet related scams gain as crypto’s popularity grows worldwide.
Blockchain security firm SlowMist has warned that a new phishing attack is putting macOS users at high risk. In a latest post, the firm shared that Chainbase Lab has detected a phishing email disguised as an “audit/compliance confirmation.” The emails lured recipients to reveal sensitive information, including system credentials.
Chainbase also revealed the malicious samples with SlowMist for deeper analysis. Both the firms confirmed that the campaign uses multi-stage, fileless malware specifically targeting Mac devices.
Recently, @ChainbaseHQ detected a phishing email campaign disguised as “audit/compliance confirmation” and shared the sanitized samples with the SlowMist team. We jointly analyzed the campaign and confirmed… pic.twitter.com/0em6y2M1k6
The attackers initially ask users to “confirm the company’s legal English name,” then share a follow up email titled “FY2025 External Audit” or “Token Vesting Confirmation — deadline.” These messages contain Word or PDF attachments.
However, these attachments are not regular documents, but rather disguised AppleScript malware. Opening these attachments allows the victims to unknowingly install malware that can allow hackers to steal important information from them. As such, this malware campaign is a mix of social engineering, technical deception, and sophisticated memory-resident malware.
How the malware works on macOS
The malware file is given the name “Confirmation_Token_Vesting.docx.scpt” and is designed to appear as a legitimate document file due to its use of a double extension. Once executed, the malware displays fake progress bars to resemble a system update or repair process.
At the same time, it will display legitimate-looking password prompt pop-ups to steal system credentials. “When the user enters a password and clicks ‘OK,’ the script invokes the dscl command to verify whether the password is correct,” SlowMist said.
The malware also tries to sneak past Mac’s built-in privacy protections. It quietly gives itself access to your files, camera, screen, and keyboard. On top of that, it installs a hidden program that lets hackers control your Mac and run additional harmful code. The backdoor connects to a remote server to collect information about your Mac and run more harmful programs. Hackers hide their tracks using temporary websites like sevrrhst[.]com.
Connection to broader crypto phishing trends
This is not the first time SlowMist has alerted cryptocurrency users. In January 2026, the company raised awareness regarding a MetaMask scam involving false two-factor authentication messages. The victims were redirected to false sites, leading them to leak their seed phrases.
Attackers are impersonating a “2FA security verification” flow, redirecting users via look-alike domains to fake security warnings with countdown timers and “authenticity checks.”
In December 2025, a phishing attack occurred on a Solana digital wallet, causing users to sign transactions and resulting in the loss of over $3 million worth of cryptocurrency. The hackers changed the ownership of the digital wallet, giving themselves complete access without the owner’s knowledge. SlowMist explained, “You thought you just connected your crypto wallet to a website, but in reality, you gave all your money to a stranger.”
Besides going after wallets, SlowMist also warned earlier about AI-powered phishing. Hackers tampered with AI search results to show fake imToken wallet links. People who clicked these links risked malware or phishing attacks. Hence, the firm emphasized checking all URLs carefully and only downloading wallets from official sources.
🚨SlowMist Security Alert🚨
Beware of AI Pollution! We tested mainstream AI assistants for @imTokenOfficial's official website — some returned phishing links!🎣
This Mac phishing attack shows how clever hackers are becoming. People should be careful with unexpected emails, check attachments before opening, and make sure links are real.
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