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news.bitcoin.com Top 5 Stablecoins Capture Nearly 90% of Sector as Market Contracts This Week

Over the last seven days, the stablecoin sector posted a slight contraction of $90.01 million, bringing the market’s total valuation to $323.052 billion, according to figures compiled by Defillama. Tether continues to dominate the category, with its market capitalization sitting just below the $190 billion threshold at $189.468 billion, accounting for 58.65% of the stablecoin […]

blockonomi.com Proof-of-Pizza: Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s Inside of the Bitcoin Pizza Fest

Bitcoin Pizza Day has long served as a symbolic checkpoint for the industry — a reminder of how far digital assets have come from their earliest use case as a medium of exchange. In 2026, cloud mining platform BeMine is turning that narrative into user growth. Through its Bitcoin Pizza Fest campaign, the company is [...] The post Proof-of-Pizza: Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s Inside of the Bitcoin Pizza Fest appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com Is Bitcoin’s Recovery Built on Shaky Ground? On-Chain Data Raises Red Flags

TLDR: Bitcoin was rejected near the $82,400 200DMA, mirroring the March 2022 pattern that preceded a prolonged price downtrend. CryptoQuant’s Bull Score Index fell from 40 to 20, returning to extremely bearish levels last seen in early 2026. The Coinbase Premium stayed negative throughout the rally, pointing to weak U.S. institutional and retail spot demand. [...] The post Is Bitcoin’s Recovery Built on Shaky Ground? On-Chain Data Raises Red Flags appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com Ethereum Pullbacks Are Only Being Viewed as Buying Opportunities, On-Chain Data Shows

TLDR: Staked ETH has reached all-time highs in 2026, reducing circulating supply and easing selling pressure on the market. MVRV data shows Ethereum investors remain profitable but are far from the overheated levels of previous cycle tops. Binance depositor activity is not rising aggressively, reducing the short-term distribution risk for ETH holders. A steadily rising [...] The post Ethereum Pullbacks Are Only Being Viewed as Buying Opportunities, On-Chain Data Shows appeared first on Blockonomi.

bitcoinist.com Bitcoin Spot Demand Falls At Fastest Rate Since January — What’s Happening?

The price of Bitcoin has been under significant downward pressure over the past week, and the falling spot demand might be one of the factors behind the downturn, according to a CryptoQuant head of research. Bitcoin Apparent Demand Falls To -40K BTC In a May 22nd post on the X platform, CryptoQuant’s Head of Research, […]

news.bitcoin.com Bitcoin Slides as Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index Signals Reduced Institutional Accumulation

The Coinbase bitcoin premium index has fallen to its lowest level in a month, with analysts warning that intensified institutional selling is adding significant weight to BTC’s near-term price outlook. What the Data Shows The Coinbase bitcoin premium, an index measuring the price difference between bitcoin traded on Coinbase (used predominantly by U.S. institutional investors) […]

news.bitcoin.com Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Risks Deeper Correction Below $74K

Bitcoin is trading in a volatile but technically fragile range on Saturday as bearish pressure from Friday evening’s whiplash continues to dominate higher time frames despite selective short-term recovery attempts. Traders are monitoring whether the leading crypto asset can stabilize above the critical $74,000 support zone after a sharp retreat from recent highs near $82,833. […]

blockonomi.com Caesars vs DraftKings: The Established Brands — and ZunaBet’s Opportunity

The American online gambling market has been a two-front war between legacy casino brands and tech-forward sportsbook operators. Caesars brought decades of brick-and-mortar credibility into the digital world. DraftKings built its empire from daily fantasy sports and pivoted into one of the largest online sportsbooks in the country. Both are publicly traded, heavily regulated, and [...] The post Caesars vs DraftKings: The Established Brands — and ZunaBet’s Opportunity appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com XRP Long Squeeze Setup: Why Rising Open Interest Could Spark a Sharp Reversal

TLDR: XRP’s Open Interest has spiked sharply, pointing to aggressive position-taking in the futures market. XRP’s stable Market Cap suggests large holders are not yet distributing, reducing short-term crash risk. An overheated NVT Ratio shows XRP’s valuation is outpacing on-chain activity, making rallies fragile. The most probable XRP near-term scenario is an upside squeeze followed [...] The post XRP Long Squeeze Setup: Why Rising Open Interest Could Spark a Sharp Reversal appeared first on Blockonomi.

forklog.media Bitcoin Falls Below $75,000 Amid Market Corrections

On the morning of May 23, Bitcoin fell below $75,000. This decline coincides with traditional markets testing their highs. 15-minute BTC/USDT chart on Biannce. Source: TradingView.   The correction in Bitcoin began on Friday, May 22. Within a day, the asset dropped from $77,500 to the current $74,800 — a 3.5% decrease. Meanwhile, traditional indices are showing strength. On the last trading day, the Dow Jones reached a historic high, and the S&P; 500 closed near record levels.  S&P; 500 Index. Source: Investing.  Dow Jones Index. Source: Investing.  Following Bitcoin, the rest of the crypto market also entered the "red zone." Ethereum fell to $2,000 (-4% in a day), Solana dropped to $82 (-5%), and HYPE to $55 (-8%). Source: CoinMarketCap.  The cryptocurrency Fear and Greed Index stands at 28, indicating moderate fear. Source: Alternative.me. Market Participants' Opinions A trader known as DaanCrypto noted that the crypto market is falling due to fears of new US strikes on Iran. Before the weekend, Tehran accused Washington of "making repeated excessive demands" during negotiations.  $BTC It is still pretty straight forward from here looking at the chart.Bitcoin needs to clear that low $80Ks region with the horizontal and Daily 200MA/EMA sitting right around the same region.This is the first "bigger sell off" this leg up after the April move higher.… pic.twitter.com/01yL1CqatF— Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) May 22, 2026 "Overall, the market has been weak since the failed attempt to break the $80,000 mark. However, it is also evident that the market has become accustomed to military headlines, as their impact has been relatively minor (especially on stocks)," added DaanCrypto. An analyst known as Myles G highlighted the sharp reversal in funding rates, as Bitcoin's decline led to the liquidation of a large volume of long positions.  Source: X.  In his view, the market is beginning to form a bottom amid low liquidity. Trader AshCrypto holds a more bearish outlook. He expects a further sharp drop in prices.  I completely agree with bears now.$BTC is about to crash really hard. pic.twitter.com/D2MybF6Gkd— Ash Crypto (@AshCrypto) May 22, 2026 Analysts at Glassnode identified the level around $78,300 as resistance. For the rally to resume, Bitcoin must rise above these values. 

blockonomi.com SUI Network Goes Gasless on Stablecoin Transfers, Pushing Crypto Closer to Everyday Payments

TLDR: SUI Network has eliminated gas fees for stablecoin transfers, removing a major barrier for everyday crypto users. Stablecoin projects like USDC, Agora AUSD, and Bucket Protocol BUCK now operate in a more accessible payment environment. SUI’s DeFi layer spans lending, trading, and liquid staking, with protocols like Cetus, NAVI, and Haedal leading activity. Gaming, [...] The post SUI Network Goes Gasless on Stablecoin Transfers, Pushing Crypto Closer to Everyday Payments appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com Polymarket Private Key Breach Drains $600K as Legacy Wallet Access Exposed

TLDR: Polymarket lost over $600K after attackers exploited an outdated backend operational key. Blockchain investigators tracked stolen funds moving through 16 wallets and ChangeNOW. User funds and market resolution contracts remained secure despite the Polygon wallet breach. The exploit exposed how legacy permissions and weak key rotation create major security risks. A private key compromise [...] The post Polymarket Private Key Breach Drains $600K as Legacy Wallet Access Exposed appeared first on Blockonomi.

cryptobriefing.com Iran implements tiered system for vessel passage through Strait of Hormuz, accepts Bitcoin for fees

Iran's new system in the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt global oil trade, elevate geopolitical tensions, and impact cryptocurrency markets. The post Iran implements tiered system for vessel passage through Strait of Hormuz, accepts Bitcoin for fees appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

news.bitcoin.com SEC Greenlights Nasdaq’s Cash-Settled Bitcoin Index Options, CFTC Approval Is the Final Hurdle

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Nasdaq to list cash-settled bitcoin index options on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, opening a new derivatives gateway for institutional investors who want regulated bitcoin exposure without custody complications. What Cash-Settled Means And Why It Matters The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Nasdaq’s application to list European-style, […]

bitcoinist.com Another Crypto Company Has Filed For IPO, But It’s Not Ripple

Crypto exchange Blockchain.com has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, becoming the latest crypto company to seek a public listing. Meanwhile, Ripple remains on the sidelines and has not indicated plans to go public anytime soon.  Crypto Exchange Files For IPO As Ripple Remains On The Sidelines According to a Reuters report, Blockchain.com has confidentially […]

news.bitcoin.com Namibia Judge Revokes Bail for Eight Missing Suspects in Crypto Fraud Trial

Chinese nationals charged in an international cryptocurrency fraud and human trafficking ring in Namibia failed to appear in court and have been traced back to China. State authorities have requested Interpol’s assistance to locate them. Six Chinese nationals facing human trafficking and cryptocurrency fraud charges in Namibia have fled the country and been traced back […]

forklog.media ECB Opposes Support for Euro Stablecoins

The European Central Bank (ECB) has warned of the risks associated with issuing euro stablecoins, stating they could reduce bank lending and complicate interest rate control. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources.  Concerns were sparked by a memo from the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel. The document's authors proposed:  easing liquidity requirements for issuers;  considering access to ECB funding;  supporting the development of the European stablecoin market, currently dominated by dollar coins. The idea was presented on May 22 at a meeting of financial officials in Nicosia. According to the agency, the initiative immediately faced resistance from regulators, including ECB President Christine Lagarde. The institution believes that the spread of stablecoins could weaken the resilience of bank deposits. When a token is issued, users' funds are transferred to the issuer's accounts, ceasing to be a stable funding source for banks. A mass shift of funds into stablecoins could also accelerate disintermediation, complicate fundraising, and limit banks' lending capabilities, regulators fear. Earlier in May, Lagarde had already criticized euro stablecoins, instead supporting tokenized bank deposits. In her view, they combine the reliability of traditional accounts with the speed and programmability of distributed ledger technology. The Dollar in Europe Bruegel warned that stricter regulation of stablecoins in the EU compared to the US could push activity outside the bloc and increase "digital dollarization." Several central banks downplayed this risk. Some again called for enshrining in European legislation a ban on redeeming stablecoins issued both in the EU and the US. They believe this could pressure local issuers' reserves. The European Commission is currently reviewing the MiCA regulation, effective from 2024. It requires stablecoin issuers to hold a significant portion of reserves in bank deposits and other liquid assets. Reuters journalists noted that the GENIUS Act, adopted in the US in 2025, sets more lenient requirements and aims to support the global role of the dollar through regulated USD tokens. According to Artemis, cited by Bruegel, the supply of stablecoins grew by about a third over the year to $300 billion. However, euro-pegged tokens account for only 0.3% of the total supply. The largest among them, EURC by Circle, ranks around 20th in market capitalization among "stable coins." Meanwhile, Europe accounted for 38% of global stablecoin transactions in the fourth quarter of 2025. Back in April, the ECB signed agreements with three European organizations on payment standards for the digital euro. 

blockonomi.com Bloom Energy Powers the AI Revolution With 130% Revenue Surge and $5B Brookfield Deal

TLDR: Bloom Energy posted $751M in Q1 2026 revenue, a 130% year-over-year jump driven by AI data center demand. Bloom deploys fuel cell systems in 90 days versus the two-to-five years a standard grid connection typically requires. Oracle has committed to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom’s systems, with 1.2 gigawatts already under contract. [...] The post Bloom Energy Powers the AI Revolution With 130% Revenue Surge and $5B Brookfield Deal appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com Tokenized ETF Market Surpasses $1.4B TVL as Onchain Equity Adoption Accelerates

TLDR: The tokenized ETF market tripled since late 2025, reaching $1.4B TVL with $400M+ in daily onchain settlement volume. Ondo Finance controls roughly 70% of the market with over 200 live assets and more than $1B in total value locked. xStocksFi surpassed $25B in cumulative transactions, powering DeFi collateral and lending for tokenized stocks on [...] The post Tokenized ETF Market Surpasses $1.4B TVL as Onchain Equity Adoption Accelerates appeared first on Blockonomi.

bitcoinist.com Grayscale Files Third Hyperliquid ETF Amendment With SEC — Details

Hyperliquid’s native token HYPE has been the major center of attention in the cryptocurrency market over the last week. Besides its impressive price action — outperforming other large-cap assets by a significant margin in the past week — the cryptocurrency seems to be becoming the new darling of institutional investors. A fairly strong first full […]

blockonomi.com Bitcoin Plunges Below $75K as US-Iran Tensions Wipe Out $945M in Crypto Leveraged Bets

TLDR: Bitcoin fell to $74,300 Saturday as US military preparations against Iran rattled crypto markets badly. Nearly $945 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, mostly long bets caught off guard. The total crypto market cap dropped 3% to $2.5 trillion within 24 hours, per CoinGecko data released. Pakistan and Qatar are brokering talks, but [...] The post Bitcoin Plunges Below $75K as US-Iran Tensions Wipe Out $945M in Crypto Leveraged Bets appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com ECB Rejects Looser Euro Stablecoin Rules, Warns of Banking and Monetary Policy Risks

TLDR: The ECB warned that broader euro stablecoin issuance could drain bank deposits and weaken lenders’ funding capacity. Bruegel proposed easing liquidity rules and granting stablecoin firms access to ECB funding to counter dollar dominance. Euro stablecoins hold just 0.3% of total supply, while overall stablecoin market reached $300 billion in 2024. The EU’s MiCAR [...] The post ECB Rejects Looser Euro Stablecoin Rules, Warns of Banking and Monetary Policy Risks appeared first on Blockonomi.

blockonomi.com ETH Smart Money Flow Index Shows Net Inflow Amid Bearish ETF Outflow Trend

TLDR: The ETH Smart Money Flow Index recorded an 18% net inflow rise over seven days despite bearish ETF data. Large non-exchange ETH wallet cohorts net-added ETH across nine of the last twelve trading sessions. The same cohort bridged ETH to Hyperliquid and Base during the May 14 dip, signaling repositioning not selling. This accumulation [...] The post ETH Smart Money Flow Index Shows Net Inflow Amid Bearish ETF Outflow Trend appeared first on Blockonomi.

news.bitcoin.com Kraken Secures VARA Approval to Launch Crypto Trading and Staking in UAE

Kraken parent company Payward has received preliminary regulatory approval to expand operations in the United Arab Emirates. The move strengthens Dubai’s position as a global crypto hub as major exchanges continue gravitating toward jurisdictions with clearer digital asset rules. Payward Gains UAE Crypto License Approval as Kraken Deepens Middle East Push Kraken is preparing to […]

blockonomi.com Blockchain Technology Is the Key to Solving the US Debt Crisis, Says Ethereum Co-Founder Lubin

TLDR: Joseph Lubin links the US debt crisis to the gold standard’s removal and unchecked government spending. Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper inspired Lubin to build decentralized financial systems. MetaMask has grown into a full financial platform, giving users direct control over their assets. Lubin warns that centralized AI and big tech control could shape [...] The post Blockchain Technology Is the Key to Solving the US Debt Crisis, Says Ethereum Co-Founder Lubin appeared first on Blockonomi.

bitcoinist.com South Korea To Revisit Crypto Tax Plan After Repeal Petition Tops 50,000 Signatures

South Korean lawmakers are expected to review their crypto tax plan after a petition to abolish the long-delayed framework surpassed the required signatories to be discussed in the National Assembly. Related Reading: Jane Street Accused of $192M Telegram Insider Trading Scheme Ahead of Terra Collapse Over 50,000 Koreans Sign Crypto Tax Petition As South Korean […]

news.bitcoin.com Boerse Stuttgart Targets Europe’s Fragmented Markets With Tokenized Trades

Seturion has launched a strategic partnership with flatexDEGIRO and Societe Generale’s blockchain-based infrastructure to modernize securities settlement in Europe. Tokenized Assets and Trading Venues Boerse Stuttgart Group’s digital settlement platform, Seturion, has partnered with three major financial institutions to build a pan-European, blockchain-based infrastructure designed to modernize and lower the costs of securities settlement across […]

forklog.media SEC to Draft Exemptions for Tokenized Securities

SEC Commissioner SEC Hester Peirce urged the crypto industry to temper expectations regarding the "innovation exemption" for trading tokenized stocks. According to her, the regulator does not plan to permit the issuance of synthetic assets. I appreciate the interest in—but not the hyperbole about—the contemplated innovation exemption for the onchain trading of tokenized NMS stock. Keep in mind: I've always expected that it'd be limited in scope & would facilitate trading only of digital representations of the same…— Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) May 21, 2026 Peirce's statement followed a Bloomberg report indicating that the Commission is preparing rules for stock tokenization without issuer consent. According to the agency, the SEC discussed guidelines for trading RWA securities with "hundreds of market participants."  Peirce clarified that the relaxations will apply only to digital copies of stocks already traded on the secondary market. Tokens must confer the same rights as regular shares, including voting and dividends, she emphasized. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo supported this stance. In his view, issuing tokens by third parties without issuer involvement fragments the market and creates risks. This is good, we want to do on-chain trading, but for the right assets, and not to help proliferate those derivatives that are fragmenting the market and introducing additional risks. Tokenization is needed to solve problems and eliminate intermediaries, not to add new additional… https://t.co/vNTfC5vOoF— Carlos Domingo (@carlosdomingo) May 22, 2026 Robert Leshner, CEO of the Superstate platform, agreed, asserting that a strict approach will maintain the standards of the American financial market during the integration of DeFi. The SEC has been hard at work crafting an innovation exemption that will bring securities into the tokenization & DeFi era, without compromising the standards that make the USA the center of capital markets.More innovation, done well, soon 👏 https://t.co/x1nNUMM9gF— Robert Leshner (@rleshner) May 21, 2026 According to RWA.xyz, stocks worth $1.53 billion have been issued, including shares of Circle, Strategy, and Google. The sector is growing more slowly than analysts' forecasts, which anticipated trillion-dollar turnovers by 2030. Source: RWA.xyz. RWA Risks The Bloomberg publication also drew a response from Ryan Yoon, head of research at Tiger Research, who warned of liquidity fragmentation risks due to stock tokenization without issuer consent. https://t.co/93YoNNF12d— Tiger Research (@tiger_research_) May 22, 2026 According to the expert, capital will begin to move from centralized platforms to various blockchain networks. This will dilute trading volumes currently concentrated on the NYSE or Nasdaq. "Traditional finance sees a serious threat in the breakdown of consolidated liquidity," Yoon stated. Market fragmentation will lead to price discrepancies across platforms and slippage in large transactions. Tiger Research believes this will reduce overall market efficiency. The second issue will be profit outflow. When tokenized stocks are traded on numerous decentralized platforms, exchange revenues go offshore. This undermines the country's financial competitiveness. FG Nexus's head of digital assets, Maja Vujnic, added that dividing the market into "isolated pools" will create pricing errors. There will also be a risk of "shadow short selling" due to a lack of local buyers to stabilize prices. Proponents of tokenization point to its advantages: instant settlements; fractional asset ownership; low fees; 24/7 trading. Siebert Financial analyst Brian Witten believes that the SEC's decision will accelerate the financial system's transition to blockchain. He predicts that some capital will eventually flow into Bitcoin and Hyperliquid networks. In May, it was revealed that the Bank of England will focus its future strategy on RWA to modernize the country's economic sector. 

forklog.media Hack of thousands of GitHub repositories, Interpol’s shutdown of First VPN, and other cybersecurity stories

We’ve compiled the week’s key cybersecurity news. A new crypto-stealing tool bypassed Apple’s protections. Hackers gained access to thousands of GitHub repositories. Interpol made large-scale arrests in the Middle East and North Africa. A critical flaw was found in ChromaDB, a database for AI developers. New crypto-stealing malware bypasses Apple protections The new infostealer Reaper bypasses macOS protections by using a fake security update prompt. It targets browser secrets and crypto wallets. Researchers at SentinelOne reported the threat. Unlike earlier attacks using an initial SHub build that relied on ClickFix, the new campaign uses a special applescript:// link. Following it automatically opens macOS’s built-in script editor and executes malicious code. According to SentinelOne, the attackers spread the malware via fake installers for WeChat and Miro. Some lookalike domains spoofing Microsoft and QQ remained active at publication. Before invoking AppleScript, the malicious sites fingerprint the visitor’s device to filter out researchers and terminals with Russian locales. The code checks for virtual machines and VPNs, as well as installed browser extensions for password managers and crypto wallets. All data is exfiltrated to the attacker via a Telegram bot. After launch, the user sees a fake Apple update notification. The programme downloads a shell script and prompts for the macOS password. Password prompt. Source: SentinelOne.  The infostealer then targets: data from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, Arc and Orion; browser extensions of crypto wallets, including MetaMask and Phantom; browser extensions of the 1Password, Bitwarden and LastPass password managers; desktop cryptocurrency wallet apps, including Exodus, Atomic Wallet, Ledger Live, Electrum and Trezor Suite; iCloud and Telegram account data; configuration files related to programming. Searching for browser password managers and crypto wallets. Source: SentinelOne. Reaper also includes a Filegrabber module that searches the desktop and Documents folder for file types likely to contain sensitive information. It collects target files smaller than 2 MB (or up to 6 MB for PNG images), with a total data cap of 150 MB. Researchers warned the malware persists on the system, masquerading as Google updates. SentinelOne stressed that SHub operators are expanding the stealer’s capabilities by adding remote-access functions to compromised devices, enabling additional payload delivery in future. Hackers gained access to thousands of GitHub repositories  On 19 May hackers breached 3,800 internal GitHub repositories, accessing them via a malicious extension for the VS Code editor. The incident was disclosed by the company’s chief information security officer, Alexis Wales. The breach occurred after a GitHub employee installed a tainted version of the popular Nx Console plugin (version 18.95.0). The malicious code aimed to steal developer credentials and secrets for cloud platforms, including AWS, Kubernetes, GitHub and Docker. The cybercriminal group TeamPCP claimed responsibility. They listed the stolen code for sale on the Breached forum, asking at least $50,000. The group had previously been linked to attacks on Mistral AI, UiPath, OpenSearch and OpenAI staff. The Nx Console developers explained that one of their own employees had earlier fallen victim to a supply-chain attack on the TanStack npm packages. Through the GitHub CLI utility, the hackers stole his tokens, logged into his work account and injected malicious code into the extension update. The infected version of Nx Console was available in the Visual Studio Marketplace for only 18 minutes (and 36 minutes on OpenVSX). Fewer than 70 downloads occurred in that time. GitHub said it swiftly isolated the compromised device and performed an emergency rotation of all critical secrets and access keys. Interpol made large-scale arrests in the Middle East and North Africa Law enforcement from 13 Middle Eastern and North African countries arrested 201 suspects during Operation Ramz, aimed at combating cybercrime, Interpol said. During the operation, the identities of 382 suspects were established in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the UAE, Oman, Palestine, Qatar and Tunisia. Authorities also seized 53 servers used for phishing, malware distribution and online fraud. Analysis of the data taken from this equipment showed 3,867 victims. To track the hacker infrastructure, Interpol engaged private cybersecurity firms, including Kaspersky Lab, Group-IB, The Shadowserver Foundation, Team Cymru and TrendAI. A critical vulnerability found in the ChromaDB database for AI developers A top-severity critical vulnerability was found in ChromaDB, a database widely used to build AI applications, according to HiddenLayer. ChromaDB is an open-source vector database and retrieval backend heavily used in agentic AI systems and related applications. According to HiddenLayer, the flaw affects the Python version of the API (based on FastAPI) and stems from broken security checks. Upon receiving a request, the system first downloads and executes the specified ML model (for example, a malicious payload from Hugging Face), and only then verifies the user’s authenticity. The server duly returns an authorisation error, but by that time the attacker’s code has already executed. The researchers estimate that about 73% of Chroma nodes run vulnerable versions. Local builds and projects using the Rust frontend are not at risk. The ChromaDB team is ignoring the researchers’ requests, and it is currently unclear whether the vulnerability has been fixed in the latest 1.5.9 release. Pending official guidance and patches, experts advised users to: isolate the Python server from public access (restrict access to the API port via a firewall); use the Rust frontend as an alternative for exposed environments; carefully vet third-party ML models for backdoors before running them, especially if trust in remote code is enabled. Europol dismantled First VPN over criminal use Law enforcement disabled the First VPN service, which was used for extortion and data theft. The international operation was announced by Europol. According to police, the service was advertised on hacker forums as a privacy-focused tool that kept no user activity logs and ignored law-enforcement requests. First VPN was named in virtually every major cybercrime case supported by the agency. The investigation began in December 2021 under the leadership of authorities in France and the Netherlands. At one stage, agents infiltrated the VPN’s infrastructure, built a user database and identified connections used by hackers. As a result of the 19–20 May operation, core infrastructure was disrupted. Officers seized 33 servers in 27 countries, confiscated domains, arrested the administrator and searched a suspect’s home in Ukraine. Also on ForkLog: Polymarket confirmed a private key compromise. The MAPO token fell 96% after a hack. Media: the Pentagon created a group to deploy hacking AI models. Opinion: AI and quantum technologies will put existing security systems at risk. The BTCFi protocol Echo was hacked for $816,000. Hackers drained $11.5 million from the Verus protocol. The THORChain team disclosed details of a $10 million hack. What to read this weekend? In a new piece, ForkLog explains how to try AI models that work without an internet connection for free and which resources to use as a beginner.