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3 Key Causes of Crypto Theft Identified by SlowMist

Published

3 days ago

July 4, 2024

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SlowMist, a leading blockchain security firm, released its 2024 Q2 MistTrack Stolen Funds Analysis report, looking closely at cryptocurrency thefts in the second quarter of 2024.

Based on 467 reports of stolen funds, the firm revealed three key weaknesses led to cryptocurrency theft and explained the methods that users can utilize to protect their funds.

Private Key Leaks Top the List

According to SlowMist, the second quarter of 2024 saw a troubling increase in security incidents. During this time, users reported 467 cases of stolen funds, including 321 from Chinese sources and 146 from other countries.

The platform’s team helped 18 victims lock nearly $20.66 million worth of funds across 13 companies. Additionally, the firm discussed the main causes of these incidents.

The most common cause of crypto theft is the mishandling of private keys. Despite warnings, many people store their private keys in Google Drive and other cloud services. Some even send this data to friends through social networks and messengers. Hackers use credential stuffing attacks to log into these cloud services and steal private keys.

Another common cause of private key leaks is fake wallets. These apps often replicate legitimate software exactly, tricking users into entering private keys and directly transmitting them to attackers.

“Despite being an old issue, many users still inadvertently click on ads while using search engines and download fake wallet apps. Many users choose to download applications from third-party sites due to network reasons. Although these sites claim that their apps are mirrored from Google Play, their actual security is questionable,” read the report.

Phishing also remains a major cause of theft in the crypto industry. According to SlowMist, about 80% of the first comments under tweets from prominent project accounts are occupied by scam accounts.

Scam Twitter Accounts for Sale. Source: SlowMist

Fake X (formerly Twitter) accounts that spam under posts are sold in various Telegram feeds. Attackers can select profiles based on the number of followers and registration date. Most of the pages being sold are related to the crypto industry and crypto influencers. Experts also noted that some websites sell fake X accounts.

“For example, a fake account named ‘Optimlzm’ can look almost identical to the real account ‘Optimism’. After purchasing the highly similar account, phishing groups use promotion tools to boost the account’s interactions and follower count, thereby increasing its credibility,” SlowMist experts noted.

Honeypot Promises Mislead Crypto Users

The third threat identified by SlowMist is the honeypot scam. In this scheme, fraudsters create tokens that seem promising and offer high returns, but these tokens are programmed to be unsellable. This type of scam is particularly rampant on decentralized exchanges like PancakeSwap.

“I asked a question in a Telegram group, and someone enthusiastically answered and taught me a lot. They suggested I invest in a new token in the primary market and provided me with a contract address on PancakeSwap. After I bought it, the token’s value kept rising. They told me it was a once-in-six-months golden opportunity and urged me to invest more. When I asked others in the group to help investigate, I discovered it was indeed a honeypot token. I could buy but not sell it,” one victim shared with SlowMist.

Honeypot token — Honeypot Token Contract. Source: SlowMist

To reduce these risks, SlowMist stresses the need for strong security practices. They recommend using blockchain explorers like Etherscan or BscScan, which offer insights through audit trails and user comments, and browser extensions like Scam Sniffer, which can detect and alert users about potential phishing sites.

The findings of this report highlight the ongoing vulnerabilities and underline the need for proactive security measures by all participants of the ecosystem.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

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Related Topics:crypto Identified Key SlowMist theft

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Where Will Bitcoin (BTC) Price Head Amidst Liquidations?

Published

57 mins ago

July 7, 2024

admin

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has barely recovered from the debacle of momentum witnessed over the last few days.

Nevertheless, the cryptocurrency appears to be under the threat of further drawdown due to not bearishness but bullishness of the investors.

Bitcoin Faces a Challenge

Bitcoin’s price fell from $62,000 to $53,300, shocking the crypto market and killing many bullish dreams. The futures market registered long liquidations amounting to $263 million in three days.

This is the second-highest liquidation in the last two weeks, with the previous high noted three months ago in April. Generally, such high liquidations tend to calm investors down and make them step back to let the market cool down.

Bitcoin Long Liquidations. Source: Coinglass

However, BTC holders do not seem to agree with this opinion. The drawdown is considered to be facing the impact of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s bearish speech earlier this week. Thus, the investors expect a quick recovery and are prepared to profit from it.

Analyst Willy Woo highlighted this in his explanation of the difference between buying futures and buying spot. He denoted that the former results in a bearish environment and stated that this could cause further losses.

According to the Bitcoin Open Value Oscillator, about half a million long contracts are still open in the futures market. Should Bitcoin’s price fall further, these longs could be liquidated. This will result in an extended period of bearishness for BTC.

BTC Price Prediction: Validating the Pattern

Bitcoin’s price, trading at $56,961 at the time of writing, is stabilizing after nearly falling to $53,300 yesterday. The cryptocurrency has yet to fulfill the expected 17% drawdown arising from the double top formation from four months ago.

This prediction targets a drop to $50,900, which will lead to massive long liquidations, as mentioned above. Should BTC lose its support of $55,000, this would become more probable.

Bitcoin Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

On the other hand, if Bitcoin’s price manages to bounce back from $55,000 and flip $58,800 into support again, recovery could begin. This would enable a rise to $60,000 to invalidate the bearish thesis.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

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Market

LayerZero On The Rise: ZRO Bullish Momentum Points To New Highs

Published

8 hours ago

July 6, 2024

admin

LayerZero (ZRO) is currently experiencing strong bullish momentum, positioning itself for potential new highs in the future. This sustained upward trend indicates growing investor confidence and increased market interest in the platform’s capabilities.

As ZRO continues to gain traction, technical indicators suggest that this momentum could drive the price to unprecedented levels. Traders and investors are closely monitoring this movement, anticipating further gains and strategic opportunities as LayerZero pushes toward new market peaks.

This article delves into providing an in-depth analysis of ZRO’s current bullish momentum and its potential to reach new highs. By examining current price performance and technical indicators, this article seeks to provide strategic advice for investors looking to capitalize on ZRO’s potential growth.

ZRO was trading at around $4.15 and was up by 36.66% with a market capitalization of over $456 million and a trading volume of over $816 million as of the time of writing. There has been a 24-hour increase of 36.62% and 152.75% in ZRO’s market capitalization and trading volume respectively.

Analyzing The Current Bullish Trend Of ZRO

A technical analysis of ZRO’s price action on the 1-hour chart reveals that the crypto asset is actively bullish and trading above the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). Since facing rejection at the $2.69 support level, ZRO has been consistently bullish and is currently attempting to break above the $4.28 resistance level.

The formation of the 1-hour William alligator signals that the price of ZRO may continue to extend its bullish trend as both the alligator lip and teeth are currently trending above the jaw after a successful cross above it.

On the 4-hour chart, it can be observed that ZRO is actively bullish. Although the price is attempting a short-term pullback by dropping a bearish candlestick, the crypto asset may extend its bullishness in the long run.

Additionally, the 4-hour William alligator indicates more bearishness for ZRO as both the alligator lip and teeth are actively trending above the jaw after moving above it.

ZRO Price Forecast

Analyzing potential future possibilities of ZRO’s price movement reveals that if the digital asset breaks above the $4.28 resistance level, it may move higher to challenge its all-time high of $5.62. If this level is breached, ZRO might move on to create a new all-time high.

However, if the price of ZRO experiences rejection at the $4.28 resistance level, it will begin to descend toward the $3.27 support level. Should the asset breach this level, it may continue to decline to test the $2.69 support level and possibly move on to test other higher levels if it breaches the $2.69 level.

ZRO

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Market

This Is How Ripple (XRP) Price Recovery Will Take Place

Published

10 hours ago

July 6, 2024

admin

Ripple (XRP) price momentum has turned bearish, and its potential for recovery has also cooled down.

One of the biggest reasons is the lack of activity among XRP holders, rendering their optimism useless.

Ripple Investors Try but Not Too Hard

XRP price is bound to be impacted by both the attempt and lack of participation noted among the investors. The presence of XRP holders remains weak, affecting the potential for recovery.

The low level of engagement is evident, with active addresses averaging under 20,000 on a daily basis. This lack of activity suggests a decrease in short-term trading and concern about bearing losses.

However, despite the weak participation, conviction among XRP holders remains strong. This is reflected in the Mean Coin Age (MCA), which has noted an uptick. The increasing MCA indicates that investors are holding onto their XRP for longer periods, showing faith in the asset’s future potential.

The rise in MCA also suggests that investors are refraining from moving their holdings around. By holding their assets rather than engaging in frequent transactions, they demonstrate a long-term belief in XRP. This behavior is often indicative of confidence in the cryptocurrency’s eventual recovery.

While the current low level of daily active addresses is a concern, the strong conviction shown by the uptick in MCA provides a silver lining. If this trend continues, it could help stabilize XRP’s price and support a potential recovery, as long-term holders typically contribute to market stability.

XRP Price Prediction: Tall Hike Ahead

The XRP price is trading at $0.43, recovering from the lows of $0.41 over the last 24 hours. Based on the aforementioned cues, consolidation is likely under $0.46. A breach, however, could help recover the recent losses.

XRP Price Analysis. Source: Tradi n gView

But if the bearish cues continue to dominate the altcoin, the XRP price could lose the critical support of $0.41 again. This would invalidate the bullish-neutral thesis, resulting in further drawdown.

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