DeFi
US Government Launches Major Attack on Non-Custodial Financial Institutions
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news editorial.
Developers of decentralized finance applications are paying attention. Federal agencies don’t care whether you control or ever control user funds. You are still liable under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The Department of Justice (DoJ), the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have targeted decentralized service providers SamuraiTornado Cash, Consensys and more. The actions directed at least two other companies…Phoenix Wallet And Wasabi Wallet—to leave the American market completely.
Under Gary Gensler, the SEC has gone so far as to target individual developers employed by startups creating decentralized technologies. request for a list of the names of Consensys developers who contributed any code, publicly or privately, to the Ethereum Merger, a September 2022 upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain that moved the network’s consensus method from proof of work to proof of participation. .
Measures like these undoubtedly have a chilling effect on decentralized and privacy-friendly technologies. Indeed, regulators now irrationally view developers as bankers (or perhaps as competitors to bankers).
Samurai Wallet
In April 2024, the Ministry of Justice charged Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan, both Founders of the self-custodial Samurai Portfolio. The couple was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. And this, despite the fact that Samourai was not a bank. It was content to provide software for automated processing of financial processes.
Rodriguez’s lawyer plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges against his client and Lonergan. It will include a letter from U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland in which the two argue that non-custodial crypto software cannot be a money transmission service and that the DoJ is threatening to criminalize Americans offering non-custodial crypto asset software services. The representatives then went explain that “…users of these services retain exclusive possession and control of their crypto assets” and “…all transactions are signed and processed on the user’s local device without third-party access.”
Cash Tornado
In addition to the allegations against Samourai, Alexey Pertsev, a developer behind the Ethereum-based crypto transaction anonymizer Tornado Cash, faced legal action on several continents. Ethereum inventor Vitalik Buterin sympathizes with Pertsev and donated 30 ETH to his legal defense fund.
Tornado Cash’s future darkens in August 2022, when the US Treasury Department’s OFAC sanctioned for allegedly facilitating money laundering and serving sanctioned entities. In August 2023, U.S. federal law enforcement officials accused Tornado Cash allegedly laundered more than $1 billion in illicit funds, including hundreds of millions for North Korean hackers. The charges were filed in the Southern District of New York. Pertsev’s problems are international in scope. In the Netherlands, the developer was find guilty of laundering $1.2 billion, a verdict he appealed.
Much to the chagrin of cryptocurrency founders around the world, Pertsev’s failed defense had been oft-cited in crypto circles: developers don’t control the dapps they release into the wild, so they shouldn’t bear responsibility for them.
Crypto enthusiasts have long argued that developers of open source financial software should not be held responsible for user behavior. The first returns suggest that the judicial system sees things differently. The Pertsev ruling therefore sets a frightening precedent for the criminal liability of dapp developers. As Attorney General Merrick Garland declared:
“These charges should serve as another warning to those who believe they can turn to cryptocurrencies to cover up their crimes and hide their identities, including cryptocurrency mixers: no matter how sophisticated your scheme or how many attempts you have make you anonymous, the Department of Justice will find you. »
Uniswap
Along with many other cryptocurrency companies, Uniswap, a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange, received a Wells Notice from the SEC. A Wells Notice is a letter from the SEC informing a company that it may take enforcement action against it. In its April 2024 letter, the SEC accused Uniswap of operating as an unregistered securities broker-dealer and exchange. Uniswap seems ready to aggressively fight the charges.
“The Uniswap protocol is also fully compliant with U.S. law. An SEC action would primarily affect activities that clearly exceed its authority. argued Marvin Ammori, Uniswap’s Chief Legal Officer.
Today, @Uniswap submitted our response to the SEC Wells notice we received in April.
The Uniswap protocol represents an innovation in trading that solves long-standing problems – with near-instant, intermediary-free, and secure trading of any asset. It is the first widely used protocol…
— Marvin Ammori (@ammori) May 21, 2024
MetaMask
Ethereum technology conglomerate Consensys received a Wells notice from April 2024 The SEC also issued a warning regarding possible enforcement actions related to its MetaMask Swaps and MetaMask Staking products. The SEC accused MetaMask of being an unlicensed broker-dealer.
Fed up with the SEC’s approach to regulating the crypto industry, Consensys sued the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Texas for what it had done. calls an “illegal seizure of authority”.
American Crypto Exodus
As the SEC goes after decentralized technology developers, Phoenix Wallet and Wasabi Wallet have both discontinued their services for US customers, citing the SEC’s targeting of the two major self-custodial cryptocurrency wallet providers. Other exoduses are likely to follow.
If regulators consider self-custodial wallet providers to be money service businesses, it is unclear whether self-custodial wallet providers, including innovations that are currently taken for granted, such as Lightning Network nodes, can operate in the country. The SEC is waging a legal battle against non-custodial services and could prompt U.S. partners to pursue draconian policies as well. Unfortunately, there will be no resolution for the crypto industry in the coming years, and one or more cases could end up in the Supreme Court.
Big banks and powerful players in the US government don’t want decentralized financial technology to make a difference. So they’re trying to destroy it covertly, without giving the industry the chance to be properly regulated by elected legislatures. The only option for cryptocurrencies? Fight for its survival.
Kadan Stadelmann
Kadan Stadelmann is a blockchain developer, operations security expert and Komodo Platform Chief Technology Officer. His experience ranges from working in government operations security and launching tech startups to application development and cryptography. Kadan began his journey in blockchain technology in 2011 and joined the Komodo team in 2016.
DeFi
Pump.Fun is revolutionizing the Ethereum blockchain in terms of daily revenue
The memecoin launchpad saw the largest daily revenue in all of DeFi over the past 24 hours.
Memecoin launchpad Pump.Fun has recorded the highest gross revenue in all of decentralized finance (DeFi) in the last 24 hours, surpassing even Ethereum.
The platform has raised $867,429 in the past 24 hours, compared to $844,276 for Ethereum, according to DeFiLlama. Solana-based Telegram trading bot Trojan was the third-highest revenue generator of the day, as memecoin infrastructure continues to dominate in DeFi.
Pump.Fun generates $315 million in annualized revenue according to DeFiLlama, and has averaged $906,160 per day over the past week.
Income Ranking – Source: DeFiLlama
The memecoin frenzy of the past few months is behind Pump.fun’s dominance. Solana-based memecoins have been the main drug of choice for on-chain degenerates.
The app allows non-technical users to launch their own tokens in minutes. Users can spend as little as $2 to launch their token and are not required to provide liquidity up front. Pump.Fun allows new tokens to trade along a bonding curve until they reach a set market cap of around $75,000, after which the bonding curve will then be burned on Raydium to create a safe liquidity pool.
Pump.Fun generates revenue through accrued fees. The platform charges a 1% fee on transactions that take place on the platform. Once a token is bonded and burned on Raydium, Pump.fun is no longer able to charge the 1% fee.
Ethereum is the blockchain of the second-largest cryptocurrency, Ether, with a market cap of $395 billion. It powers hundreds of applications and thousands of digital assets, and backs over $60 billion in value in smart contracts.
Ethereum generates revenue when users pay fees, called gas and denominated in ETH, to execute transactions and smart contracts.
DeFi
DeFi technologies will improve trading desk with zero-knowledge proofs
DeFi Technologies, a Canadian company financial technology companyis set to enhance its trading infrastructure through a new partnership with Zero Computing, according to a July 30 statement shared with CryptoSlate.
The collaboration aims to integrate zero-knowledge proof tools to boost operations on the Solana And Ethereum blockchains by optimizing its ability to identify and execute arbitrage opportunities.
Additionally, it will improve the performance of its DeFi Alpha trading desk by enhancing its use of ZK-enabled maximum extractable value (MEV Strategies).
Zero knowledge Proof of concept (ZKP) technology provides an additional layer of encryption to ensure transaction confidentiality and has recently been widely adopted in cryptographic applications.
Optimization of trading strategies
DeFi Technologies plans to use these tools to refine DeFi Alpha’s ability to spot low-risk arbitrage opportunities. The trading desk has already generated nearly $100 million in revenue this year, and this new partnership is expected to further enhance its algorithmic strategies and market analysis capabilities.
Zero Computing technology will integrate ZKP’s advanced features into DeFi Alpha’s infrastructure. This upgrade will streamline trading processes, improve transaction privacy, and increase operational efficiency.
According to DeFi Technologies, these improvements will increase the security and sophistication of DeFi Alpha’s trading strategies.
The collaboration will also advance commercial approaches for ZK-enabled MEVs, a new concept in Motor vehicles which focuses on maximizing value through transaction fees and arbitrage opportunities within block production.
Additionally, DeFi Technologies plans to leverage Zero Computing technology to develop new financial products, such as zero-knowledge index exchange-traded products (ETPs).
Olivier Roussy Newton, CEO of DeFi Technologies, said:
“By integrating their cutting-edge zero-knowledge technology, we not only improve the efficiency and privacy of our transactions, but we also pave the way for innovative trading strategies.”
Extending Verifiable Computing to Solana
According to the release, Zero Computing has created a versatile, chain-agnostic platform for generating zero-knowledge proofs. The platform currently supports Ethereum and Solana, and the company plans to expand compatibility with other blockchains in the future.
The company added that it is at the forefront of introducing verifiable computation to the Solana blockchain, enabling complex computations to be executed off-chain with on-chain verification. This development represents a significant step in the expansion of ZKPs across various blockchain ecosystems.
Mentioned in this article
Latest Alpha Market Report
DeFi
Elastos’ BeL2 Secures Starknet Grant to Advance Native Bitcoin Lending and DeFi Solutions
Singapore, Asia, July 29, 2024, Chainwire
- Elastos BeL2 to Partner with StarkWare to Integrate Starknet’s ZKPs and Cairo Programming Language with BeL2 for Native DeFi Applications
- Starknet integration allows BeL2 to provide smart contracts and dapps without moving Bitcoin assets off the mainnet
- Starknet Exchange Validates the Strength of BeL2’s Innovation and Leadership in the Native Bitcoin Ecosystem
Elastos BeL2 (Bitcoin Elastos Layer2) has secured a $25,000 grant from Starknet, a technology leader in the field of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). This significant approval highlights the Elastos BeL2 infrastructure and its critical role in advancing Bitcoin-native DeFi, particularly Bitcoin-native lending. By integrating Starknet’s ZKPs and the Cairo programming language, Elastos’ BeL2 will enhance its ability to deliver smart contracts and decentralized applications (dapps) without moving Bitcoin (BTC) assets off the mainnet. This strategic partnership with Starknet demonstrates the growing acceptance and maturity of the BeL2 infrastructure, reinforcing Elastos’ commitment to market leadership in the evolving Bitcoin DeFi market.
Starknet, developed by StarkWare, is known for its advancements in ZKP technology, which improves the privacy and security of blockchain transactions. ZKPs allow one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself. This technology is fundamental to the evolution of blockchain networks, which will improve BeL2’s ability to integrate complex smart contracts while preserving the integrity and security of Bitcoin.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from Starknet and announce our partnership to build tighter integrations with its ZKP technology and the Cairo programming language,” said Sasha Mitchell, Head of Bitcoin Layer 2 at Elastos. “This is a major milestone for BeL2 and a true recognition of the maturity and capabilities of our core technology. This support will allow us to further develop our innovation in native Bitcoin lending as we look to capitalize on the growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a viable alternative financial system.”
A closer integration with Cairo will allow BeL2 to leverage this powerful programming language to enhance Bitcoin’s capabilities and deliver secure, efficient, and scalable decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Specifically, the relationship with Cairo reinforces BeL2’s core technical innovations, including:
- ZKPs ensure secure and private verification of transactions
- Decentralized Arbitrage Using Collateralized Nodes to Supervise and Enforce Fairness in Native Bitcoin DeFi
- BTC Oracle (NYSE:) facilitates cross-chain interactions where information, not assets, is exchanged while Bitcoin remains on the main infrastructure
BeL2’s vision goes beyond technical innovation and aims to innovate by creating a new financial system. The goal is to build a Bitcoin-backed Bretton Woods system, address global debt crises, and strengthen Bitcoin’s role as a global hard currency. This new system will be anchored in the integrity and security of Bitcoin, providing a stable foundation for decentralized financial applications.
As integration with Starknet and the Cairo programming language continues, BeL2 will deliver further advancements in smart contract capabilities, decentralized arbitration, and innovative financial products. At Token 2049, BeL2 will showcase further innovations in its core technologies, including arbitrators, that will underscore Elastos’ vision for a fairer decentralized financial system rooted in Bitcoin.
About Elastos
Elastos is a public blockchain project that integrates blockchain technology with a suite of redesigned platform components to produce a modern Internet infrastructure that provides intrinsic privacy and ownership protection for digital assets. The mission is to create open source services that are accessible to the world, so developers can create an Internet where individuals own and control their data.
The Elastos SmartWeb platform enables organizations to recalibrate how the Internet operates to better control their own data.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/elastosinfo/
ContactPublic Relations ManagerRoger DarashahElastosroger.darashah@elastoselavation.org
DeFi
Compound Agrees to Distribute 30% of Reserves to COMP Shareholders to End Alleged Attack on Its Governance
Compound will introduce the staking program in exchange for Humpy, a notorious whale accused of launching a governance attack on the protocol, negating a recently adopted governance proposal.
Compound is launching a new staking program for COMP holders as a compromise with Humpy, a notorious DeFi whale accused of launching a governance attack against the veteran DeFi protocol.
On July 29, Bryan Colligan, head of business development at Compound, published a governance proposal outlining plans for a new compound participation product that would pay 30% of the project’s current and future reserves to COMP participants.
Colligan noted that the program was requested by Humpy in exchange for his agreement Proposition 289 — which sought to invest 499,000 COMP worth approximately $24 million into a DeFi vault controlled by Humpy, and which appears to have been forced by Humpy and his associates over the weekend.
“We propose the following staking product that meets Humpy’s stated interests as a recent new delegate and holder of COMP in exchange for the repeal of Proposition 289 due to the governance risks it poses to the protocol,” Colligan said. “The Compound Growth Program…will execute the above commitments, given the immediate repeal of Proposition 289.”
Colligan added that the proposal would expire at 11:59 p.m. EST on July 29. Had Humpy not rescinded Proposition 289, Compound would move forward with it. Proposition 290 — block Humpy using the Compound team’s multi-sig to deploy a new governor contract removing the delegate’s governance power behind Proposition 289.
Hunchback tweeted that Proposition 289 had been repealed a few hours ago. “Glad to have brought Compound Finance back into the spotlight,” they said. added. “StakedComp… finally becomes a yield-generating asset!
Markets reacted favorably to the resolution, with the price of COMP increasing by 6.2% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.
Attack on governance
Proposition 289 proposed investing 499,000 COMP from the Compound treasury into goldCOMP, a yield-generating vault of the Humpy-linked Golden Boys team.
The proposal passed with nearly 52 percent of the vote on July 28, despite two previous iterations of the proposal being defeated by strong opposition. Can And JulyThe proposals notably asked for only 92,000 COMP, with security researchers warning that any deposit of tokens into the goldCOMP vault would cede their governance power.
In May, Michael Lewellen of Web3 security firm OpenZeppelin, note The first proposal was submitted by a new governance delegate who was suddenly awarded 228,000 COMP by five wallets that got their tokens from the Bybit exchange. Combined with his own tokens, the delegate got 325,333 COMP, which is over 81% of the 400,000 tokens required for a governance proposal to reach quorum.
“We have been alerting the community to the risk that these delegates could support a potential attack on governance,” Lewellen said. “The timing of the new proposal and these recent delegations are suspect.”
Read more: Compound community accuses famous whale of attacking engineering governance
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