Top

Identity forgery suspect captured in StarkNet airdrop scam

Policy & Regulation·May 03, 2024, 7:49 AM

Chinese authorities have apprehended an individual suspected of identity forgery in connection with the StarkNet (STRK) airdrop. The suspect, identified as Lan Mou, allegedly assumed the identities of others to submit false Early Community Member Program (ECMP) airdrop forms. Through this scheme, the suspect claimed over 40,000 STRK tokens that originally belonged to the victims.

 

After successfully claiming the tokens, the suspect transferred them to an OKX wallet. Subsequently, the tokens were converted into over $91,000 worth of Tether, as reported by local media on April 30.

 

Lan Mou was apprehended by police in Guangdong Province on April 25. Authorities seized a computer and two mobile phones during the arrest.

https://asset.coinness.com/en/news/4f5c1dd4397aab4bca04f01a44748674.webp
Photo by Tamara Gak on Unsplash

Unprecedented scale of identity theft

While cryptocurrency scams and phishing attacks are prevalent, the scale of identity theft observed in this case is unprecedented. The suspect's method involved claiming airdrops using stolen identities, marking a novel approach to fraudulent activity in the cryptocurrency space.

 

A crypto airdrop is a method used to distribute new cryptocurrency tokens, typically targeting early users who engage with a specific protocol. In the case of the StarkNet Foundation's airdrop, which launched on Feb. 20, a total of 700 million STRK tokens were distributed to various participants, including Ethereum solo and liquid stakers, Starknet developers, users, external projects and developers within the Web3 ecosystem.

 

Concerns raised by developer

Following the StarkNet airdrop, concerns were raised by pseudonymous Yearn.finance developer Banteg regarding the eligibility criteria. Banteg warned that the eligibility list mainly consisted of airdrop squatters, individuals who exploit airdrop opportunities for financial gain. These individuals often control multiple addresses to maximize their rewards.

 

This incident is not the first instance of airdrop exploitation. In March 2023, it was revealed that airdrop hunters consolidated $3.3 million worth of tokens from the Arbitrum (ARB) airdrop into just two wallets, highlighting the prevalence of such fraudulent activities within the cryptocurrency community.

 

More to Read
View All
Web3 & Enterprise·

May 17, 2023

Ribbon Finance Enables Altcoin Options Trading

Ribbon Finance Enables Altcoin Options TradingSingapore’s Ribbon Finance, a project that offers a suite of DeFi protocols that help users access crypto-structured products, has enabled altcoin options trading via its Aevo decentralized exchange (DEX).The Ethereum-based platform has begun offering options relative to cryptocurrencies beyond the top two of Ethereum and Bitcoin. Examples of coins that users of Ribbon Finance’s Aevo DEX can access as options include Lido’s LDO, Sui’s SUI token, APT, the token of high throughput proof of stake-based blockchain Aptos, the ARB token of layer two Ethereum scaling network, Arbitrum and Litecoin (LTC).Trading options on-chainThe Aevo DEX project took to Twitter on Monday to announce the development. The project has named the options product “Aevo OTC,” terming it as “the best place to trade altcoin options on-chain.” The firm claims that it’s the first platform to allow users “to trade altcoin options on-chain, in size, with institutional grade liquidity providers.”To kick things off, users will be enabled in trading these altcoin options across weekly, bi-weekly and monthly maturities relative to thirteen crypto tokens. The project plans to rotate the list of coins available for options trading every month depending upon what it deems to be the most popular coins on the market at a given time.Early service adoptersAs Aevo is a DEX, it will utilize on-chain margin systems. When a user buys an option the counterparty is required to post margin of approximately 30% of the notional trade size in the form of US dollar stablecoin, USDC. That procedure is all on-chain and transparent, enabled via smart contracts.Although officially launching the product today, Aevo OTC has been used in production for a number of weeks already. Both digital assets firm Galaxy Digital and crypto-native investment firm CoinFund have already been using the product to trade options.Other early adopters of the product include DeFi R&D and liquid crypto investment strategies firm Re7 Capital and crypto options and structured derivatives firm, OrBit Markets. In fact, Galaxy and OrBit Markets, alongside GSR, are acting as market makers for the product, enabling users to get instant quotes.Developing the crypto options marketThe development means that market participants can now strategize and take advantage of trading altcoins relative to specific events that may be fundamental to a project, such as Litecoin’s halving, for instance. At a later stage, the project intends to enable users in writing options contracts to include customized margins and a specified counterparty.The crypto options market is still at a very early stage of development. Deribit has been the dominant crypto options platform. Ribbon Finance’s service rollout broadens that market, extending options trading beyond the current limited offering of bitcoin, ethereum and solana.The product is more capital efficient for market participants as its portfolio margin system calculates real-time margin requirements, in that way offsetting money-making and losing positions relative to a particular portfolio.Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

news
Web3 & Enterprise·

Sep 01, 2023

Ground X Teams Up with Oasys for Digital Wallet and SDK Collaboration

Ground X Teams Up with Oasys for Digital Wallet and SDK CollaborationGround X, the blockchain subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate Kakao, announced on Wednesday that it has entered a strategic partnership with Oasys, a Japanese blockchain gaming platform.Through this partnership, Ground X and Oasys aim to collaborate on multiple fronts and onboard each other’s respective Web3 ecosystems. Ground X said that it will participate as a partner company in Oasys’ Web3 ecosystem, collaborating with other Japanese blockchain and gaming firms.Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on UnsplashSDK sharingIn particular, Ground X also plans to provide a software development kit (SDK) that will enable game developers around the world to embed digital asset wallets into their services by leveraging the convenience and technical capabilities of Kakao’s digital wallet, Klip.“By providing the embedded SDK through this partnership, this will serve as an opportunity for Ground X to expand globally by attracting more Klip users,” said Kim Tae-geun, Head of the Business Group Division at Ground X.Dominic Jang, Head of Business Development at Oasys, expressed similar sentiments, stating, “This Klip wallet SDK will allow Oasys’ partners in the gaming industry to operate more smoothly, serving as valuable infrastructure.”NFT allianceOasys will also become a member of GRID — Ground X’s alliance of over 130 local companies aimed at popularizing and fostering non-fungible token (NFT) usage in Korea. Ground X will subsequently share with Oasys the expertise it has gained through success stories of various NFTs on Klip. Through a combination of all these efforts, the company’s goal is to expand the local NFT business ecosystem and increase opportunities for networking and joint marketing between Korean and Japanese companies.“Ground X is at the forefront of Kakao’s blockchain business and has accumulated a wealth of expertise in the blockchain field. Through our collaboration with them, the Oasys ecosystem gains a strong partner,” Jang emphasized.In addition, Ground X is participating as a partner company and panel judge in a blockchain hackathon organized by Oasys and XPLA.

news
Web3 & Enterprise·

Nov 03, 2023

LG CNS to leverage blockchain for digital transformation in New York City

LG CNS to leverage blockchain for digital transformation in New York CityLG CNS, a technological arm of the South Korean conglomerate LG Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with New York City and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea). This agreement, signed at New York City Hall, focuses on collaboration for digital transformation, also popularly referred to as DX. Among those present at the signing were NYC Mayor Eric Adams, LG CNS’ CEO Hyun Shin-gyoon and AMCHAM Korea’s CEO James Kim.Photo by Emiliano Bar on UnsplashStudent internship and M/WBE supportUnder the MOU, the three entities will forge a technology partnership, focusing on the implementation of cutting-edge DX technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain in the city. Additionally, they’ll provide internship programs for college students and extend support to NYC’s Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE).Expansion in North AmericaThe partnership is expected to position LG CNS for broader expansion in North America, particularly in smart city infrastructure, electronic government and cloud computing. After in-depth discussions with NYC and AMCHAM Korea, the Korean tech company will also consider establishing a local branch in New York City. This move aims to reinforce LG CNS’s collaboration with the two partners.Mayor Adams remarked on the collaborative effort, stating that the MOU signifies an important step forward as it will offer outstanding training and opportunities for residents across all five boroughs of the city. He also expressed his anticipation about welcoming LG CNS to New York City.Meanwhile, CEO Hyun highlighted that LG CNS plans to leverage this strategic partnership to support the sustainable growth of New York City by utilizing innovative DX technology.

news
Loading