From Tokyo Whale to the Halloween deadline, Mt. Gox’s long journey through Bitcoin history is nearing its end. Mt. Gox, the defunct Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange, still holds around 34,689 Bitcoin (BTC) ahead of its Oct. 31 repayment deadline. The exchange lost around 650,000 BTC in thefts that went undetected from 2011 until its 2014 collapse, while about 200,000 BTC was later found in an old-format wallet. Those coins became the foundation for creditor repayments overseen by court-appointed trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi. In 2017 and 2018, Kobayashi earned the nickname “Tokyo Whale” for selling Mt. Gox Bitcoin to fund fiat repayments. In mid-2024, wallet activity surged again as roughly 100,000 BTC was moved between Mt. Gox addresses for distribution, though not all represented actual sales. Read more
AI compute remains centralized in developed nations. Decentralized blockchain networks can unlock idle GPUs to democratize access. Opinion by: Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.net Artificial intelligence may be in its early days, but it has already delivered significant scientific and technological breakthroughs across the developed world. Unfortunately, these developments have come at a cost: the dangerous centralization of AI. On Forbes’ 2025 list of the top 50 private AI companies, all are based in the developed world, with 80% in the US. Read more
Japan’s top banks plan to launch a joint yen-based stablecoin using MUFG’s Progmat platform to modernize payments and corporate settlements. Three of Japan’s largest banks reportedly plan to jointly issue a yen-pegged stablecoin, contributing to the region’s growing adoption of crypto technology within its financial infrastructure. Nikkei reported on Friday that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) and Mizuho Bank plan to modernize corporate settlements and reduce transaction costs through a yen-based stablecoin project built on MUFG’s stablecoin issuance platform Progmat. The banks, which collectively serve more than 300,000 corporate clients, aim to standardize the token to make it interoperable for payments within and between companies. The consortium expects to roll out the stablecoin by the end of the year. Read more
Crypto market manipulation involves organized efforts to artificially move altcoin prices and mislead traders about their true value. Unlike Bitcoin, many altcoins have low liquidity and limited oversight, making them prone to price manipulation and insider exploitation. Sudden spikes in trading volume, large whale transfers to exchanges, token unlocks or social media hype often precede sharp declines. Platforms such as Nansen, DEXTools and LunarCrush help detect abnormal wallet activity, fake liquidity and sentiment manipulation. Read more
Investor sentiment turned sharply bearish as crypto’s fear index plunged to 28, and $230 billion in value evaporated in a single day. The crypto market’s Fear & Greed Index flipped sharply to “fear” this week, falling to levels last seen in April, as a market sell-off erased over $230 billion in a single day. On Friday, CoinMarketCap’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which tracks volatility, market momentum, social media trends and dominance metrics, fell to a low of 28, which is within the “fear” category and is inching closer to “extreme fear.” CoinMarketCap data showed that on Friday, the total crypto market capitalization dropped to about $3.54 trillion, a 6% drop from $3.78 trillion the previous day. This wiped out over $230 billion in value from the sector, marking one of the sharpest single-day declines in months. Read more