Latest news with #ArkhamIntelligence
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Pakistan To Launch Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, Says Crypto Minister
Pakistan plans to launch a national strategic Bitcoin reserve, a state minister said Wednesday at Bitcoin 2025. Bilal Bin Saqib, the special assistant to the prime minister on blockchain and cryptocurrency, made the announcement. President Trump signed an executive order in March authorizing a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve. A crypto advisor to the Pakistani government announced Wednesday that the country will launch a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Bilal Bin Saqib, the newly appointed special assistant to the prime minister on blockchain and cryptocurrency, said that Pakistan's government is 'setting up its own Bitcoin strategic reserve.' 'We are getting inspired by [the U.S. government],' the crypto-centric minister of state added. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order paving the way for a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve. He added: 'We will be holding these Bitcoins and we will never, ever sell them.' Decrypt reached out to the Pakistani government for further details, but did not immediately receive a response. Pakistan appears to be serious about Bitcoin: Just this week, the country announced that it was allocating 2,000 MW of surplus electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers. The initiative is aimed at generating revenue, creating jobs, and attracting foreign investment, the government said. Bin Saqib is also an advisor to the President Trump-backed crypto project, World Liberty Financial. Under President Trump, the United States is working to help the digital asset industry by pursuing legislation and ending regulatory lawsuits against top crypto firms. The Republican campaigned on a ticket to boost the space, and received backing from crypto and tech bigwigs. President Trump promised to set up a strategic Bitcoin reserve, and in March signed an executive order to push ahead with the plan. According to Arkham Intelligence, the U.S. government already has over 198,000 BTC worth $21.2 billion in reserves—mostly from criminal seizures. El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender after the country's president, Nayib Bukele, announced the initiative at Bitcoin 2021 in Miami. The Central American government has since bought Bitcoin for its own reserves, and now holds 6,191 BTC worth over $664 million—though the IMF is trying to get the country to stop buying BTC as part of a loan deal. Nevertheless, other countries now appear to be following El Salvador's lead.
Crypto Insight
25-05-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Wallet intelligence shapes the next crypto power shift
Opinion by: Scott Lehr, adviser to In the world of cryptocurrency, knowledge isn't just power — it's a weapon. The recent collapse of Mantra's OM token, which saw a 90% drop in value within hours, underscores how wallet intelligence can be leveraged with devastating effects. Wallet intelligence is the real-time analysis of blockchain data to extract insights from wallet behaviors, transaction patterns, and asset flows. Firms like Chainalysis and Arkham Intelligence have turned raw onchain activity into high-resolution surveillance, enabling everything from compliance monitoring to predictive trading. This level of insight gives a strategic advantage to those who can access it. Power like this, however, has consequences. There is a new battlefield on the blockchain, and you might be in danger. The downside of transparency As blockchain transparency advances, the pseudonymity that once protected users rapidly dissolves. Every transaction leaves a breadcrumb trail — one that sophisticated actors can follow. Wallet intelligence is increasingly used by regulators, exchanges, and analytics firms to enforce compliance and track illicit activity. It also opens the door to abuse: centralized surveillance, profiling, and preemptive censorship. OM's collapse exposed the dangers The April collapse of OM offers a case study of how these dynamics play out. Although not conclusively proven, reports suggest that a single trader initiated a massive short on Binance's perpetual market, allegedly exploiting market liquidity to trigger a cascade of liquidations. At the same time, Mantra's token was held in a highly centralized fashion — 90% of OM supply sat with insiders. Combine that with low liquidity and poor transparency around OTC deals, and you get a chain reaction that wiped out millions in market cap and investor trust. The FTX fallout and the power of wallet intelligence We saw echoes of this dynamic during the collapse of FTX. While regulators and internal auditors failed to sound the alarm, early warnings came from parts of the crypto community — analysts and observers who flagged questionable ties between Alameda Research and FTX. But the full extent of the misconduct wasn't revealed until a leaked balance sheet and a cascade of withdrawals forced the truth into the open. After the collapse, wallet intelligence became critical. Blockchain investigators and independent sleuths traced the movement of billions in customer funds, exposing how deeply intertwined — and misused — those assets were. The fallout didn't just destroy value. It shattered trust and proved that, in the right hands, blockchain transparency can uncover truths that centralized actors try to bury. The growing threat of surveillance capitalism This is the new battlefield. Wallet intelligence enables actors to front-run movements, manipulate price action, or influence reputational narratives by selectively exposing wallet data. In the wrong hands, it becomes a weapon capable of destabilizing protocols, shaping regulatory pressures, or undermining the decentralization of crypto. What happens when blockchain data stops protecting users and starts profiling them? The centralization of these tools and data pipelines poses a systemic risk. A small number of firms with privileged access and institutional relationships now have disproportionate influence over which transactions get flagged, which wallets get blocked, and which behaviors are interpreted as 'suspicious.' That isn't decentralization. It's surveillance capitalism with a blockchain veneer. What the crypto community must do now The implications for markets are significant. As wallet intelligence tools become more influential, expect heightened regulatory scrutiny, targeted enforcement, and volatility driven by actors who can read the tape before the rest of the market sees it. In the wrong context, transparency without guardrails can morph into tyranny. Wallet intelligence is here to stay — but how it's governed, who gets access, and whether it reinforces or undermines decentralization will determine whether it serves the ecosystem or destabilizes it. Blockchain users: Stop assuming decentralization means safety. Know how your data is being tracked, interpreted, and possibly weaponized. Regulators must understand this technology before attempting to regulate it—or risk empowering the wrong actors. Developers should push for decentralized wallet intelligence platforms that return data power to the network, not a few firms. Protocols should bake privacy into their architecture without sacrificing accountability. In this next era of crypto, what you don't know about your own wallet might be exactly what someone else is using to move against you. Opinion by: Scott Lehr, adviser to Source:
Arabian Post
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Arabian Post
Tesla's Bitcoin Holdings Exceed $1.25 Billion Amid Market Surge
Tesla Inc.'s Bitcoin holdings have surpassed $1.25 billion, reflecting a significant appreciation in the cryptocurrency's value. According to Arkham Intelligence, the electric vehicle manufacturer currently possesses approximately 11,900 BTC. This valuation underscores Tesla's enduring commitment to Bitcoin, despite previous fluctuations in its digital asset strategy. The company's initial foray into Bitcoin occurred in early 2021, when it invested $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency. Subsequently, Tesla began accepting Bitcoin as payment for its vehicles. However, this payment option was suspended in May 2021 due to environmental concerns related to Bitcoin mining's energy consumption. The suspension led to a notable decline in both Bitcoin's value and Tesla's stock price. In the second quarter of 2022, Tesla sold approximately 75% of its Bitcoin holdings, amounting to $936 million. CEO Elon Musk stated that the sale was driven by the company's need for liquidity rather than a lack of confidence in Bitcoin. Since then, Tesla has incrementally increased its Bitcoin holdings, now totaling around 11,900 BTC. The recent surge in Bitcoin's value has contributed to the increased valuation of Tesla's holdings. As of May 24, 2025, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $109,058. This price point has bolstered the value of Tesla's Bitcoin assets, aligning with the company's strategic investment approach. ADVERTISEMENT Tesla's position in Bitcoin places it among the top corporate holders of the cryptocurrency. Other notable companies with significant Bitcoin investments include MicroStrategy and Galaxy Digital Holdings. These firms have adopted similar strategies, integrating Bitcoin into their corporate treasuries. The broader corporate adoption of Bitcoin has been influenced by recent regulatory developments. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. This initiative aims to maintain government-owned Bitcoin as a national reserve asset. The move has sparked interest among various states and corporations, further legitimizing Bitcoin's role in the financial ecosystem.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald Trump's VIP dinner list includes surprising names
Top business tycoons such as Elon Musk are reportedly going to attend the May 22 dinner in Washington, D.C. to meet President Donald Trump. Crypto industrialist Justin Sun is also a part of the VIP dinner list. The top three wallets from the TRUMP token leaderboard, linked to the limited-access "Trump Dinner List," took out a combined 270,000 TRUMP tokens would $3.47 million from Binance in the past 24 hours. Reported by on-chain analyst Aunt Ai, some transactions occurred on Apr 24. These wallets and one in the "MeCo" wallet have taken out over 925,000 TRUMP worth around $11.4 million since Apr. 23. The average price at which the whales took the tokens out is $12.32, so they made about $890,000 in realized profit. At press time, MeCo added over 539,000 TRUMP tokens, worth $6.65 million at current prices, between the last leaderboard snapshot and the latest update. MeCo moved from 17 to 2 before the May 22 Trump Dinner, suggesting a strategic accumulation to top the list. CASE, another VIP, dropped from first to third with 400,005 tokens after making no changes. MSTR, which held over 203,000 TRUMP, has left its wallet with zero holdings. Arkham Intelligence has also reported that one whale has 'swapped $300K of FARTCOIN into TRUMP so that he doesn't fall out of the top 25 attendees for the Trump Dinner." Roughly $11.4 million worth of TRUMP tokens were withdrawn from Binance this week alone. These token withdrawals are happening just ahead of the limited-access dinner for the top 220 TRUMP token holders on May 22 in Washington, D.C. On April 25, the Trump meme coin's official X account emphasized that the dinner engagement does not require a token holder to have over $300,000, clarifying previous confusion about it. The project team also clarified that people have been misquoting block explorer #220 as the cutoff, which is inaccurate. The power imbalance is clear The TRUMP coin was launched days before President Donald Trump took office on Jan 20. As per reports from Reuters, two companies - CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC - that are connected to the Trump Organization "own 80% of the tokens on a collective basis.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mantra Token Plunges 90% After $227 Million Moved to Exchanges, Sparking Liquidity and Insider Dumping Concerns
Mantra's OM token crashed by over 90% on April 13, falling from around $6.30 to under $0.50 in a matter of hours. The event erased more than $5 billion in market value and raised concerns about liquidity risks, insider activity, and the structure of crypto markets. Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence, cited by Lookonchain, showed that 17 wallets transferred a total of 43.6 million OM tokens—worth about $227 million—to exchanges ahead of the crash. Two of these wallets were linked to Laser Digital, a known Mantra investor. While the exact trigger remains unclear, the scale and timing of the transfers have raised allegations of insider dumping. Gracy Chen, CEO of crypto exchange Bitget, pointed to a combination of factors: highly concentrated token ownership, lack of transparency in governance, sudden inflows to exchanges, and liquidations during periods of low trading volume. She described the data showing millions of OM tokens moving to exchanges as a strong signal of insider dumping. Nicole Zhang of Lingfeng Innovation Fund said the crash reflected the broader risk of centralized activity in low-liquidity environments. OM had been steadily climbing for months, hitting a high of $9 in February. But the token's design may have made it vulnerable. Analysts described OM as a 'low circulation high FDV' token, meaning that while the fully diluted value exceeded $1 billion, only a small portion of the token supply was in circulation. One analysis indicated that most OM tokens were held in a single wallet controlled by the team. Mantra CEO John Mullin disputed that claim and later denied that any project-affiliated wallets had sold tokens. After the crash, Mantra released a statement on April 16 saying the team did not sell tokens and was investigating the event. However, the statement did not address why such large volumes of OM were sent to exchanges before the collapse. Mullin suggested the crash was caused by forced liquidations on centralized exchanges during thin weekend trading hours. In a response on X, he said the team believed one exchange played a central role in triggering the cascade. Chen said OKX was the main platform being discussed in that context. Weekend liquidity issues are not new to crypto. On April 6, Bitcoin fell below $75,000 during low-volume trading. Lucas Outumuro of IntoTheBlock said this was likely due to Bitcoin being one of the few liquid assets available for de-risking over the weekend. The OM incident highlights how fragile the market can become when volume dries up, tokens are concentrated, and transparency is lacking. Sign in to access your portfolio
