BTS Jungkook’s identity thief’s crypto scam ring. Ripple and Circle back Singapore stablecoin infrastructure firm. Asia Express A hacking syndicate accused of stealing 39 billion won ($28 million) by targeting wealthy corporate executives and celebrities including BTS member Jeon Jung-kook has been arrested by South Korean police. A Seoul police unit said Thursday it had apprehended 18 suspects who allegedly hacked government agencies, public institutions and IT platforms to obtain personal and financial data from 258 victims, according to local media reports. The stolen information was then used to break into bank, securities and cryptocurrency exchange accounts. Police said the group successfully stole 39 billion won from 16 victims and attempted to defraud another 25 billion won from 10 others, bringing total damages to 64 billion won. Among the victims were three celebrities and two corporate leaders from South Koreas top 100 companies. The largest confirmed theft amounted to 21.3 billion won in crypto. R...
SBI partners with Circle, Ripple and Startale to launch stablecoin ventures and a tokenized asset trading platform in Japan. Japanese financial conglomerate SBI inked new blockchain partnerships with USDC issuer Circle, XRP developer Ripple and the Web3 company Startale. SBI Group announced the three separate partnerships on Friday, including stablecoin-related collaborations with US companies Circle and Ripple, and a new tokenization project with Singapore-based Startale. In cooperation with Startale, SBI plans to build an onchain trading platform for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs) to enable 24/7 trading. Read more
VivoPower shares surged over 32% after announcing a $100 million plan to buy Ripple Labs shares, expanding its exposure to Ripple equity and XRP tokens. Nasdaq-listed solar power company VivoPower International PLC saw its shares jump 32.12% to $5.10 on Friday after the company announced plans to purchase $100 million worth of privately held Ripple Labs shares, expanding its XRP-focused digital asset treasury strategy. The move, which follows two months of due diligence, will see VivoPower acquire Ripple shares directly from existing shareholders, pending approval from Ripple’s executive management, the company said in a Friday press release. “Our portfolio construction strategy is to buy a combination of Ripple shares and XRP tokens. This will allow us to optimize for yield maximization while also minimizing the weighted average cost of XRP acquired,” Kevin Chin, executive chairman and CEO of VivoPower, said. Read more
Ripple Labs and the SEC have both filed to drop their legal appeals in a yearslong court battle over the securities classification of the XRP token. The Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple Labs are set to end a yearslong legal battle after jointly asking an appeals court to dismiss the regulator’s appeal and the blockchain company’s cross-appeal. In a brief filing on Thursday, the Second Circuit Appeals Court recognized a joint dismissal of the SEC’s appeal and Ripple’s cross-appeal in the lawsuit over XRP (XRP), noting each party will bear their own costs and fees. “Following the Commission’s vote today, the SEC and Ripple formally filed directly with the Second Circuit to dismiss their appeals,” Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, wrote to X on Thursday. Read more
Ripple has acquired Rail to offer stablecoin payment services, with plans to integrate RLUSD, banking partners and compliance tools across global markets. Ripple announced Thursday that it will acquire stablecoin-powered payments platform Rail for $200 million, with the deal expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company said the move aims to expand its enterprise-grade digital asset infrastructure and “deliver the most comprehensive stablecoin payments solution available in the market.” Ripple expects the acquisition to enable it to offer stablecoin on- and off-ramps without requiring customers to hold cryptocurrency, and to facilitate customers in managing multiple payment types on behalf of themselves and their internal treasury flows. Read more