Markets
5 Common Cryptocurrency Scams & How to Avoid Them
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- Cryptocurrency is less regulated than other assets, which can lead to scams, fraud, and financial ruin.
- There are various forms of crypto market manipulation, including pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls.
- Investors can avoid several common crypto scams by performing due diligence before trading.
A cryptocurrency is a digital token that can be exchanged for goods and services. But many retail investors and institutions treat cryptos as investments instead of means of exchange, buying certain coins and hoping to sell them for a profit at a later date.
As with any asset, investors must be careful before dabbling in these widely misunderstood assets.
What are cryptocurrency scams?
Cryptocurrencies are speculative by nature. They lack traditional fundamentals that investors can analyze and assign value to. As a result, cryptos tend to be volatile assets — their prices can drastically fluctuate on any given day.
Crypto markets are also less regulated in general, so it’s easier for bad actors to maliciously influence prices and take advantage of unsuspecting investors.
For these reasons, investors should be wary of the following crypto scams before they start investing in crypto.
Types of cryptocurrency scams
1. Market manipulation
Market manipulation is the deliberate attempt to artificially influence or interfere with asset prices. Typically, scammers manipulate markets to tip the scales in their favor and make quick returns. Several illicit trading activities fall under this umbrella term, including:
- Spoofing: This creates an illusion of momentum by placing fake buy or sell orders, which are canceled before they’re filled. Scammers frequently use dummy accounts and bots to place large trades, giving other investors the impression that demand is either increasing or decreasing.
- Front-running: This is the practice of making trades based on knowledge of future transactions. For instance, miners or node operators can have insight into pending trades. They could then leverage their inside access to make profitable trades ahead of major price swings.
- Churning: This is excessive trading by a broker in a client’s crypto account to generate additional commissions. Asset management firms can receive fees for managing crypto holdings. Therefore, nefarious brokers could abuse a commission-based payment structure to profit off of unaware clients. On top of unwarranted fees, the impacted individuals could also incur unnecessary tax liabilities as a result of churning.
Since cryptocurrency markets are still relatively new and less regulated, they’re more vulnerable to market manipulation. However, there are ways crypto traders can avoid falling victim to these scams.
For starters, it’s best to trade on larger, reputable exchanges that have established security policies and internal controls. Additionally, investors can safeguard against unlawful tactics in the crypto markets by thoroughly researching coins, brokers, and exchanges before making any financial decisions. For instance, legitimate cryptos and companies typically offer potential investors an abundance of learning materials on their websites.
Quick tip: Although plenty of investors day trade crypto, market manipulation usually impacts short-term trading activity. So, you can help protect against spontaneous price jumps by adopting a long-term outlook, otherwise known as “HODL-ing.” This stands for “hold on for dear life” and encourages a buy-and-hold investing strategy.
2. Pump-and-dump schemes
A pump-and-dump scheme represents an individual or group’s effort to inflate the price of an asset so that they can sell their own holdings for a profit.
It starts with the “pump.” To convince people to buy in, crypto schemers spread false or misleading information about minimally traded coins through social media, forums, and online communities. These posts often contain embellished due diligence (or “DD”) and promise an impending surge. They’ll use emojis like rocket ships paired with moons and diamonds alongside outstretched hands, implying an investment is about to pop and that investors should buy and hold.
Then comes the dump. As momentum swells, other investors cash in and drive the price up, while the schemers cash out and make a quick fortune. Once the market realizes the hype was fake, investors scurry to limit losses and the coin’s price plummets.
Spotting a pump-and-dump scheme boils down to credibility. If you use social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter to track crypto movements, look out for anonymous accounts with minimal posting history — or a track record of baseless pumping. These are likely fraudsters.
3. Rug pulls
A rug pull occurs when crypto developers abandon a project but keep the funds raised from investors. Bad actors can list a new token on a decentralized exchange, pair it with a legitimate cryptocurrency, and drum up interest on social media to lure in investors. Once enough money funnels into their token, the developers scratch the project and run with investor funds.
This scam plagues early investors who think they’re getting early access to up-and-coming cryptos, when in reality they’re scammed out of their money.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” explains Shaun Heng, the VP of Growth & Operations at CoinMarketCap, one of the most frequented websites for tracking crypto prices. “Pay close attention to the websites and third parties involved. Don’t rely on comments from anyone on social media, no matter what people are saying or how many positive reviews there are. If you can’t find verifiable reviews, the chances of the opportunity being a scam are higher.”
Quick tip: By sticking to centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, which typically have stricter oversight and regulations, you have a better chance of avoiding illegitimate projects.
4. Traditional hacking and theft
Crypto markets have unique characteristics relative to other asset markets. But investors are still susceptible to traditional scams like account hacks and identity theft.
To trade crypto, investors need a crypto wallet, which can be a digital or physical device. These wallets have keys — both public and private. The former is a public address that allows crypto to be deposited into the wallet, similar to how routing and bank account numbers enable direct deposits. The latter is like the password to an online banking platform. Whoever has access to that password can control the funds within the account.
Just as you wouldn’t share your credit card number with a stranger, keep your private keys somewhere safe. Fraudsters can use this information to hack accounts and withdraw funds — and they’ll employ various tricks to get investors to reveal their private information.
Be cautious of crypto phishing emails that may pose as a crypto exchange or wallet provider. The same goes for out-of-the-blue and unsolicited promotions from suspicious websites and imposter accounts. Scammers often pretend to be celebrities or affiliates of major companies, promising guaranteed and immediate returns if you act quickly.
Quick tip: To avoid accidentally falling for phishing emails, verify that the sender’s email address is valid and/or recognizable. Often, scammers use addresses with generic domains and random characters.
5. Initial coin offering (ICO) scams
An initial coin offering (ICO) is the crypto equivalent of an initial public offering (IPO) for a stock. Through an ICO, companies can raise money to fund a crypto development, such as a token, app, or relevant service. In exchange for pledging funds, the investor receives an issuance of newly minted coins.
While IPOs are typically for well-established private businesses, companies that pursue ICOs aren’t necessarily in the same position. They could be fledgling startups without any operating history whatsoever, which can make it difficult to differentiate between a real offering and a scam. Similar to rug pulls, ICO scams collect the funds of early investors only to abandon the project shortly after.
An easy way to recognize an ICO scam — or simply an unprepared management team — is to review the company’s whitepaper. This document details the specifications behind the project, including strategy, goals, and market analysis. If the company doesn’t provide a whitepaper, that’s a red flag.
Quick tip: You can perform a background check on the ICO’s developers and management team. If the company’s ownership is anonymous or has a minimal track record in the crypto space, that should also be a cause of concern.
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The bottom line
Decentralized finance can be a Catch-22. On one side, the lack of a singular governing body allows community-wide decisions and can open the doors to additional opportunities. On the other side, without standardized oversight, bad actors can commit fraud and deceive unsuspecting investors in a variety of ways.
However, much like in traditional asset markets, crypto investors can lower their risk of succumbing to market manipulation by being wary of these schemes and taking proactive measures. That includes using reputable exchanges and performing thorough research before making any investment decisions. If you come across a scam, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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Over the past 24 hours, Jupiter and JasmyCoin emerged as the top gainers among the top 100 crypto assets, while Bittensor and Mantra plunged as the top losers.
Top Winners
Jupiter
Jupiter (JUP) led the charge among the biggest gainers on July 27.
At the time of writing, the crypto asset had surged 12.6% in the past 24 hours and was trading at $1.16. JUP’s daily trading volume was hovering around $282 million, according to data from crypto.news.
JUP Hourly Price Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
Additionally, the cryptocurrency’s market cap stood at $1.56 billion, making it the 62nd largest crypto asset, according to CoinGecko. Despite the recent price surge, the token is still down 42.6% from its all-time high of $2 reached on Jan. 31.
Jupiter functions as a decentralized exchange aggregator that allows users to trade Solana-based tokens. The platform also offers users the best routes for direct trades between multiple exchanges and liquidity pools.
In addition to being a DEX aggregator, Jupiter has expanded into a “full stack ecosystem” by launching several new projects, including a dedicated pool to support perpetual trading and plans for a stablecoin.
JasmyCoin
JasmyCoin (JASMI) has increased by 12% in the last 24 hours and is trading at $0.0328 at press time. JASMY’s daily trading volume has increased by 10% in the last 24 hours, reaching $146 million.
JASMY Hourly Price Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
The asset’s market cap has surpassed the $1.5 billion mark, making it the 60th largest cryptocurrency at the time of reporting. However, the self-proclaimed “Bitcoin of Japan” is still down 99.3% from its all-time high of $4.79 on February 16, 2021.
JASMY is the native token of Jasmy Corporation, a Japanese Internet of Things provider. The platform seeks to merge the decentralization of blockchain technology with IoT, allowing users to convert their digital information into digital assets.
The initiative was launched by Kunitake Ando, former COO of Sony Corporation, along with Kazumasa Sato, former CEO of Sony Style.com Japan Inc., Hiroshi Harada, executive financial analyst at KPMG, and other senior executives from Japan.
Kaspa
Kaspa (KAS) saw a 100% increase in trading volume and an 8% increase in price over the past 24 hours, trading at $0.19 at the time of publication.
KAS Hourly Price Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
According to data from CoinGecko, Kaspa now ranks 27th in the global cryptocurrency list, with a circulating supply of approximately 24.29 billion KAS tokens and a market capitalization of $4.59 billion.
Kaspa is a cryptocurrency designed to deliver a high-performance, scalable, and secure blockchain platform. Its unique Layer-1 protocol includes the GhostDAG protocol, a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism that enables faster block times and higher transaction throughput compared to standard blockchains.
Unlike Bitcoin, GhostDAG allows multiple blocks to be created simultaneously, speeding up transactions and increasing block rewards for miners.
Bonk
Bonk (BONK) is the only one coin meme which made it to this list of biggest gainers and jumped 8.6% in the last 24 hours. Trading at $0.000030, the Solana-based meme coin’s market cap has surpassed $2.1 billion, surpassing Floki (FLOKI), another competing dog-themed coin with a market cap of $1.78 billion.
BONK Hourly Price Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
BONK’s daily trading volume hovered around $285 million. However, BONK is still down 33.5% from its all-time high of $0.000045, reached on March 4.
Bonk, a meme coin that rose to prominence in 2023, has contributed significantly to Solana’s value increase amid the meme coin frenzy.
Bonk started out as a simple dog-themed coin. It has since expanded its features to include integration with decentralized finance. The project also partners with cross-chain communication protocols, NFT marketplaces, and various other cryptocurrency ecosystems.
BONK trading pairs are now listed on major exchanges including Binance, Coinbase, OKX, and Bitstamp.
The big losers
Bittensor
Bittensor (TAO) was the biggest loser among the 100 largest crypto assets, according to data from CoinGecko.
At the time of writing, TAO, the native token of decentralized AI project Bittensor, was down 5%, trading around $344. The crypto asset had a daily trading volume of $59 million and a market cap of $2.43 billion.
TAO 24 Hour Price Chart | Source: CoinGecko
Bittensor, created in 2019 by AI researchers Ala Shaabana and Jacob Steeves, initially operated as a parachain on Polkadot before transitioning to its own layer-1 blockchain in March 2023.
Mantra
Mantra (OM) fell 6%, trading at $1.13 at press time. The digital currency’s market cap fell to $938 million. Additionally, the 82nd largest crypto asset has a daily trading volume of $26 million.
OM Price Hourly Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
Mantra is a modular blockchain network comprising two chains, Manta Pacific and Manta Atlantic, specialized in zero-knowledge applications.
Coat
Coat (MNT) also saw a 2.4% drop in price, now trading at $0.8413. Currently, Mantle has a market cap of around $2.75 billion, which ranks 36th in the global cryptocurrency rankings by market cap, according to price data from crypto.news.
MNT Hourly Price Chart, July 26-27 | Source: crypto.news
Over the past 24 hours, MNT trading volume also fell by 6%, reaching $240 million.
Mantle, formerly known as BitDAO, is an investment DAO closely associated with Bybit. The MNT token is essential for governance, paying gas fees on the Mantle network, and staking on various platforms.
Built on the Ethereum network, Mantle provides a platform for decentralized application developers to launch their projects. It has become particularly popular for GameFi applications, leading to the formation of an internal Web3 gaming team.
Markets
Bitcoin Price Drops to $67,000 Despite Trump’s Pro-Crypto Comments, Further Correction Ahead?
Pioneer cryptocurrency Bitcoin has registered a 1.13% decline in the past 24 hours to trade at $67,400. Despite a strong pro-crypto stance from US presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Bitcoin 2024 conference, this massive selloff has raised concerns in the market about the asset’s sustainability at a higher price. However, given the recent three-week rally, a slight pullback this weekend is justifiable and necessary to regain the depleted bullish momentum.
Bitcoin Price Flag Formation Hints at Opportunity to Break Beyond $80,000
The medium-term trend Bitcoin Price remains a sideways trend amidst the formation of a bullish flag pattern. This chart pattern is defined by two descending lines that are currently shaping the price trajectory by providing dynamic resistance and support.
On July 5, BTC saw a bullish reversal from the flag pattern at $53,485, increasing its asset by 29.75% to a high of $69,400. This recent spike followed the market’s positive sentiment towards the Donald Trump speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville on Saturday afternoon.
Bitcoin Price | Tradingview
In his speech, Trump outlined several pro-crypto initiatives: he promised to replace SEC Chairman Gary Gensler on his first day in office, to establish a Strategic National Reserve of Bitcoin if elected, to ensure that the U.S. government holds all of its assets. Bitcoin assets and block any attempt to create a central bank digital currency (CBDC) during his presidency.
He also claimed that under his leadership, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies will skyrocket like never before.
Despite Donald Trump’s optimistic promises, the BTC price failed to reach $70,000 and is currently trading at $67,400. As a result, Bitcoin’s market cap has dipped slightly to hover at $1.335 trillion.
However, this pullback is justified, as Bitcoin price has recently seen significant growth over the past three weeks, which has significantly improved market sentiment. Thus, price action over the weekend could replenish the depleted bullish momentum, potentially strengthening an attempt to break out from the flag pattern at $70,130.
A successful breakout will signal the continuation of the uptrend and extend the Bitcoin price forecast target at $78,000, followed by $84,000.
On the other hand, if the supply pressure on the upper trendline persists, the asset price could trigger further corrections for a few weeks or months.
Technical indicator:
- Pivot levels: The traditional pivot indicator suggests that the price pullback could see immediate support at $64,400, followed by a correction floor at $56,700.
- Moving average convergence-divergence: A bullish crossover state between the MACD (blue) and the signal (orange) ensure that the recovery dynamics are intact.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A CBDC is a digital form of fiat currency issued and regulated by a country’s central bank. It aims to provide a digital alternative to traditional banknotes.
The proposal for a strategic national Bitcoin reserve is a major confirmation of Bitcoin’s legitimacy and potential as a reserve asset. Such a move could position Bitcoin in a similar way to gold, potentially stabilizing its price and encouraging other countries to adopt similar strategies.
Conferences like Bitcoin 2024 serve as essential platforms for networking, knowledge sharing, and showcasing new technologies within the cryptocurrency industry.
Markets
Swiss crypto bank Sygnum reports profitability after surge in first-half trading volumes – DL News
- Sygnum says it has reached profitability after increasing transaction volumes.
- The Swiss crypto bank does not disclose specific profit figures.
Sygnum, a Swiss global crypto banking group with approximately $4.5 billion in client assets, announced that it has achieved profitability after a strong first half, with key metrics showing year-to-date growth.
The company said in a Press release Compared to the same period last year, cryptocurrency spot trading volumes doubled, cryptocurrency derivatives trading increased by 500%, and lending volumes increased by 360%. The exact figures for the first half of the year were not disclosed.
Sygnum said its staking service has also grown, with the percentage of Ethereum staked by customers increasing to 42%. For institutional clients, staking Ethereum has a benefit that goes beyond the limitations of the ETF framework, which excludes staking returns, Sygnum noted.
“The approval and launch of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs was a turning point for the crypto industry this year, leading to a major increase in demand for trusted, regulated exposure to digital assets,” said Martin Burgherr, Chief Client Officer of Sygnum.
He added: “This is also reflected in Sygnum’s own growth, with our core business segments recording significant year-to-date growth in the first half of the year.”
Sygnum, which has also been licensed in Luxembourg since 2022, plans to expand into European and Asian markets, the statement said.
Markets
Former White House official Anthony Scaramucci says cryptocurrency bull market could be sparked by regulatory clarity
Anthony Scaramucci, founder of Skybridge Capital, says the next cryptocurrency bull market could be sparked by a new wave of clear cryptocurrency regulations.
In a new interview On CNBC’s Squawk Box, the former White House communications director said he and two other prominent industry figures traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak to officials about the dangers of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler’s hardline approach to cryptocurrency regulation.
“Mark Cuban, myself, and Michael Novogratz were in Washington a few weeks ago to speak with White House officials and explain the dangers of Gary Gensler and Elizabeth Warren’s anti-crypto approach. I hope that message gets through…
“Overall, if we can get regulatory policy around Bitcoin and crypto assets in sync, we will have a bull market next year for these assets.”
Scaramucci then compares crypto assets to ride-hailing company Uber, saying regulators were initially wary of the service but eventually decided to adopt clear guidelines due to public demand.
“Remember Uber: Nobody wanted Uber. A lot of regulators didn’t want it. Mayors and deputy mayors didn’t want it, but citizens wanted Uber and eventually accepted the idea of regulating it fairly. I think we’re there now.”
The CEO also says young Democratic voters believe their leaders are making the wrong choices when it comes to digital assets.
“I think President Trump’s move toward Bitcoin and crypto assets has shaken Democrats to their core, and I think very smart, younger Democrats are recognizing that they are completely off base with their positions, completely off base with these SEC lawsuits and regulation by law enforcement, and now they need to get back to the center.”
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