Uniswap CEO denies allegations of charging for protocol deployments

A California financial regulator says users reported seven new types of crypto and AI scams that it hadn’t seen before through thousands of complaints in 2024. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) said in a March 10 statement that it received 2,668 complaints in 2024 and found seven types of scams they didn’t have on record yet, such as fake Bitcoin (BTC) mining schemes, where fraudsters offer fake investments in mining. The DFPI also received complaints about fake crypto gaming schemes, where users are encouraged to deposit funds only to have their wallets drained, and fraudsters offering fake jobs that require victims to transfer crypto and provide private information.Source: California Department of Financial Protection and InnovationVictims also reported the theft of private keys through fake airdrops, fake investment group scams in WhatsApp or Telegram, AI Investment scams offering unusually high returns and losing their crypto after interacting with certain sham websites. The AI industry experienced significant growth in 2024, reaching a market cap of $638 billion, according to Precedence Research. There was also a notable rise in crimeware-as-a-service (CaaS), where experienced hackers and cybercriminals sell their tools and services to less experienced offenders for a price.DFPI Commissioner KC Mohseni said the regulator is urging caution when interacting with unknown platforms and to “verify website domains to avoid fraudulent imitations, and stay wary of crypto recovery scam sites.”Through its partnership with the State, the DFPI says it shut down more than 26 fraudulent crypto websites and uncovered $4.6 million in user losses last year. California DOJ shuts down 42 crypto scam websitesCalifornia’s Department of Justice (DOJ) took down 42 crypto scam websites in 2024 that stole $6.5 million from victims, with an average loss per person of $146,306.In a March 10 statement, the California DOJ said that because international fraudsters often carry out scams, they are difficult to prosecute and arrest.Common threads among the scam websites were promises of high returns, no contact information, offers of prizes for signing up, and no listings on legitimate crypto industry websites such as CoinMarketCap, the California DOJ said. Related: Crypto lost to exploits, scams, hits $1.5B in February with Bybit hack: CertiKA report from on-chain security firm Cyvers identified pig butchering schemes as one of the most costly in 2024, estimating the scam cost the industry over $5.5 billion across 200,000 identified cases. Meanwhile, blockchain security firm CertiK’s annual Web3 security report flagged crypto phishing attacks, which cost users $1 billion across 296 incidents, as the most significant security threat of 2024.Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

The cryptocurrency industry will benefit more from US regulatory clarity than from President Donald Trump’s plan to create a national Bitcoin (BTC) reserve, several cryptocurrency executives told Cointelegraph. Trump’s March 6 executive order creating a US strategic Bitcoin reserve and a separate digital asset stockpile for altcoins left crypto industry executives underwhelmed. Meanwhile, they are still waiting for the White House to provide detailed guidance on issues like securities regulation and taxation, the executives said. “Markets expect a roadmap for innovation and clear guidelines on stablecoins, institutional adoption and taxation,” Max Giammario, CEO of Web3 artificial intelligence startup Kindred, told Cointelegraph.“Instead, the vague rhetoric and lack of immediate action only deepened uncertainty.”Trump signed a crypto executive order on March 6. Source: Margo MartinRelated: Bitcoin reserve backlash signals unrealistic industry expectationsCampaign promisesIn July, Trump promised to turn America into the “world’s crypto capital” and create a US Bitcoin reserve akin to the nation’s gold stockpile. Trump’s March 6 executive order delivered on his campaign promise but left traders disappointed. Instead of instructing the US government to buy crypto, the reserve and the stockpile will initially only comprise digital assets seized by law enforcement. Bitcoin is down approximately 13% from March 6 as traders react to the news amid a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty. Altcoins have clocked similar losses, with the total crypto market capitalization shedding more than $400 million. Those losses could worsen without clearer US policy guidance soon, industry executives said.“If Trump’s administration provides clearer regulations on stablecoins, ETFs and institutional adoption, altcoins could regain momentum,” Alvin Kan, chief operating officer of Bitget Wallet, told Cointelegraph.“Otherwise, Bitcoin dominance may continue, as it remains the primary macro asset.”Reasons for optimismEven so, crypto industry executives remain optimistic, citing Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric and his appointment of industry-friendly leaders to key US regulatory posts. “The future of US crypto policy under Trump remains to be seen,” Theodore Agranat, Gunzilla Games’ director of Web3, told Cointelegraph. “However, given the people in all the crucial positions, we should expect to see a stream of ongoing and positive initiatives and news for crypto in general and especially crypto projects in the US.”Magazine: Legal issues surround the FBI’s creation of fake crypto tokens

The Texas Senate passed the Bitcoin strategic reserve bill SB-21 on March 6. This followed a debate in which State Senator Charles Schwertner, who introduced the bill, argued that it would help Texas add a valuable and scarce asset to its balance sheet. Amid fears of Bitcoin (BTC) contending against the US dollar as a global reserve currency, Pro-Bitcoin lawmakers argued that Bitcoin was similar to gold and a hedge against inflation. If SB-21 is enacted, Texas will be the first state in the US to have a digital asset reserve. However, the governor must still sign the bill before it becomes law. Continue readingNew York bill aims to protect crypto investors from memecoin rug pullsNew York lawmakers introduced a bill to protect crypto users from memecoin rug pulls, where insiders abandon a project after investors have purchased their token. These scams usually end up with token prices plummeting, causing millions in losses to crypto investors. On March 5, Assemblymember Clyde Vanel introduced the legislation to establish criminal penalties for offenses that involve “virtual token fraud.” This explicitly targets deceptive practices associated with crypto. Fideum co-founder and CEO Anastasija Plotnikova told Cointelegraph that scams and rug pulls should be more thoroughly regulated. “In my view, these activities should fall firmly within the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies,” Plotnikova added.Continue readingSEC’s Crypto Task Force to host roundtable on crypto security statusThe Crypto Task Force of the US Securities and Exchange Commission will host a series of roundtables to discuss the “security status” of crypto assets, with the first set for March 21. Crypto Task Force lead Commissioner Hester Peirce said she is looking forward to “drawing the expertise of the public” to develop a workable framework for crypto. The roundtable series is called the “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity,” and the first topic of discussion is dubbed “How We Got Here and How We Get Out — Defining Security Status.” Continue readingUtah’s Senate passes Bitcoin bill — but scraps key provisionUtah lawmakers passed a Bitcoin bill after removing a section that would have allowed its state treasurer to invest in Bitcoin. While the HB230 bill passed the state Senate, it removed a key reserve clause that would’ve authorized the state treasurer to invest in digital assets with a market cap of over $500 billion.The clause passed the second reading but was scrapped in the third and final reading. Still, the bill provides citizens basic custody protections, the right to mine, run a node and stake, among other things.   Continue readingArgentine prosecutor aims to freeze assets in LIBRA memecoin fraud caseArgentine Federal Prosecutor Eduardo Taiano, the lead prosecutor investigating Argentine President Javier Milei’s alleged role in the LIBRA crypto scandal, requested the freezing of almost $110 million in digital assets related to the memecoin case. Taiano also requested the recovery of Milei’s deleted social posts and detailed records of all LIBRA transactions since its launch. The prosecutor aims to reconstruct the financial operations of Feb. 14 and 15, when the project’s trade volume peaked. Continue reading