Kaspersky Says Crypto Phishing on the Rise in the Philippines

Earlier this month Metaplanet, a Japanese Bitcoin treasury company, said that it was targeting 10,000 Bitcoin in 2025 but the company has raised the bar once again, planning on an acquisition of 21,000 Bitcoin by 2026. On Jan. 5, Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich set out a number of objectives for 2025. Among them was a goal for the company to acquire 10,000 Bitcoin in 2025. Gerovich explained that the firm intended to utilize “the most accretive capital market tools available” in order for Metaplanet to meet that target.Photo by André François McKenzie on Unsplash2025-2026 Bitcoin PlanAbout three weeks after the Metaplanet CEO announced that ambition, the company published a press release on Jan. 28 detailing its 2025-2026 Bitcoin Plan, which goes much further.  The plan outlines that 10,000 Bitcoin remains the target for 2025 but that the company has adopted the strategy to accumulate 21,000 Bitcoin by 2026. Gerovich stated that since Metaplanet embraced the Bitcoin Standard on April 8, 2024, the company has experienced exponential growth. Gerovich added: “The market has recognized Metaplanet as Tokyo’s preeminent Bitcoin company, and we are seizing this momentum to solidify our position as a global leader. Our vision is to lead the Bitcoin renaissance in Japan and emerge as one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders globally. This plan is our commitment to that future.” Adopting MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin playbookMetaplanet has adopted the Bitcoin playbook first pioneered by U.S. business intelligence company turned Bitcoin development firm MicroStrategy. In short, that playbook involves financing Bitcoin purchases with debt. In this way, the company can capitalize on Bitcoin’s historical trend of positive returns over time, using convertible notes and equity to facilitate that.  The practice also creates a feedback loop in so far as MicroStrategy buys Bitcoin, resulting in the Bitcoin unit price increases. The MicroStrategy stock price goes up. Demand for MicroStrategy’s stock and debt goes up, enabling the company to buy more Bitcoin. In its press release, Metaplanet looked back on what had been achieved in terms of its Bitcoin strategy in 2024. In Q4 2024, the company achieved a Bitcoin yield of 309.82%, following on from a 41.7% Bitcoin yield in Q3.  At the close of the year, the Japanese Bitcoin treasury company held 1,761 Bitcoin, purchased at an average Bitcoin unit price of 11.85 million yen ($76,411). Shareholder growth has seen the company surpass 50,000 shareholders. Meanwhile, share trading volume has increased 430x, year-on-year. Since the firm adopted the Bitcoin Standard in April 2024, the company’s market capitalization has grown by 7,000%. Last month, the company celebrated the milestone of having reached a $1 billion market cap. Asia’s largest equity capital raise for BitcoinThe company has dubbed its new plan “The 21 Million Plan.” It will comprise the issuance of 21 million shares by means of moving strike warrants. Gerovich confirmed on X that at $750 million, the plan will involve Asia’s largest-ever public equity capital raise to buy Bitcoin.

Momentica’s NFT Photo Cards Captivate K-Pop EnthusiastsMomentica, a fan-artist engagement platform, has been captivating K-pop enthusiasts with NFT photo cards featuring their favorite artists.Dunamu and HYBELevvels, the company behind Momentica, has garnered significant attention from both the tech and the entertainment industries, as it is a joint venture between Dunamu, the operator of Korea’s leading crypto exchange, and HYBE, the agency representing world-renowned boy band BTS.K-pop photo cardsOne of the primary goals of this promising company is to introduce the K-pop fandom culture to global audiences. K-pop fans enjoy collecting photo cards featuring their favorite singers or actors, and thanks to blockchain technology, these cards can now be transformed into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), ensuring their authenticity and preventing forgeries and counterfeits. Dunamu’s blockchain expertise has combined with HYBE’s intellectual property to create a range of collectible items for K-pop fans.In a recent interview with Donga Ilbo, Levvels CEO Cha Sang-hoon explained the company’s current status and future plans. Cha said that Levvels is primarily a blockchain-based Web3 company aiming to leverage various technological tools to offer a range of services.Levvels’ Momentica issues digital photo cards called TAKEs, which capture unique and memorable moments of artists, and the collection, appreciation, and trading of these cards are facilitated through the Momentica app. Fans can use Momentica to collect digital cards featuring artists such as Seventeen, Le Sserafim, and Fromis_9. The authenticity of TAKEs is verifiable, as they are recorded on the blockchain.© Pexels/Sebastian ErviPhysical to digitalMomentica transitions the fan experience from the physical world to the digital realm. Through the app, K-pop aficionados can now exchange photo cards, promote their favorite stars, and maintain a virtual album. Exclusive content, including pictures, videos, and handwriting from some artists, will be available only on Momentica.Cha mentioned that Momentica has users across 93 countries, with Koreans constituting 40% of the total. Japanese users represent over 30%, indicating the app’s strong presence in the Japanese market. Taiwan, Indonesia, and the US follow in the number of users. Overall, the app’s popularity aligns with regional interest in K-pop.Beyond HYBEWhile the current service focuses on limited collections of digital photo cards, Momentica plans to enhance the experience by allowing K-pop fans to personalize and directly exchange cards. The company is also working on collaborations with artists from labels beyond HYBE for them to participate in Momentica.

Bitdeer Technologies, led by Jihan Wu and based in Singapore, has unveiled the very latest development in the world of Bitcoin mining technology with the announcement of the successful testing of its proprietary Bitcoin mining chip, slated for integration into its forthcoming mining rig. In addition, the firm has followed up on March 4 with the publication of financial results for Q4 2023.Photo by Thought Catalog on UnsplashSealminer A1The company revealed on X that its inaugural crypto mining chip, known as the SEAL01, destined to drive the Sealminer A1 mining rig, was engineered utilizing four-nanometer process technology, a feat achieved in collaboration with a semiconductor fabricator. Bitdeer boasts that this chip exhibits a power efficiency ratio of 18.1 J/TH. At the heart of Bitdeer's latest achievement lies the SEAL01 chip, the culmination of years of dedicated research and development. By harnessing state-of-the-art technology and meticulous planning, Bitdeer aims to tackle the pressing challenges confronting Bitcoin miners, including skyrocketing operational costs and environmental implications. The company claims that the efficiency of the SEAL01 chip not only promises a shift towards more sustainable mining practices but also holds the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption, thereby bolstering profitability and return on investment for miners. "This powerful chip offers enhanced Bitcoin mining performance with minimized power consumption, leading to lower operating costs and a reduced environmental footprint for miners," Bitdeer affirmed in the X post. The firm stopped short of disclosing the launch timeline for its upcoming mining rig. On the financial front, Bitdeer disclosed its financial results for Q4 2023, on March 4. The company reported a total of 111,966,634 outstanding ordinary shares as of Dec. 31, 2023, including class A and class V ordinary shares. Additionally, Bitdeer revealed key operational metrics for Q4 2023, including total Bitcoin mined, power usage across its mining data centers, average cost of electricity and miner efficiency. Bitdeer's shares closed up 2.11% at $6.76 on Nasdaq on Friday, indicating a positive market response to its recent newly developed Bitcoin mining chip. However, trading outside regular hours, going into March 4, have seen the share price peak at $7.52, yet having retraced to $6.9 at the time of writing. That may indicate that investors are not particularly enthralled by the firm’s Q4 2023 results. Bitdeer emphasizes that the SEAL01 chip is engineered to meet the evolving demands of the cryptocurrency mining industry. As mining activities continue to gain traction and market dynamics evolve, the adaptability of hardware solutions becomes paramount. Bitdeer's strategic emphasis on innovation with the SEAL01 chip aims to pave the way for future advancements in cryptocurrency mining technology, ultimately fostering the growth and sustainability of the industry. Moreover, Bitdeer asserts that the newly developed chip enables it to optimize efficiency, stability and performance in anticipation of the upcoming Bitcoin halving event slated for April. Last month, the company’s founder Jihan Wu was installed as CEO, in a move that is understood to better position the company as it transitions to a growth phase.