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BTCUSD

Three families affected by a Hamas attack in Israel have filed a lawsuit against Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao, alleging they provided 'substantial assistance' to Hamas terrorists. The lawsuit, filed under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act in the New York Southern District Court, accuses Binance of processing transactions for Hamas from 2017 to mid-2023. The plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages. This follows Binance's $4.3 billion settlement with the DOJ for Anti-Money Laundering infractions and Zhao's resignation and guilty plea to U.S. criminal charges.

Portfolio Pulse from Mehab Qureshi

February 01, 2024 | 5:16 am

MSFT

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress that Chinese government-linked hackers are targeting US infrastructure, including water treatment, energy, and transportation sectors. This coincides with US officials disrupting a major Chinese cyber-spying operation. Wray emphasized the threat to civilians and clarified that the issue is with state-sponsored activities, not Chinese Americans or nationals in the US. The hearing comes amid heightened US-China tensions over various geopolitical issues. Rep. Mike Gallagher likened the cyberattacks to bombing American infrastructure, highlighting their malicious intent. The FBI's actions are part of a broader crackdown on Chinese cyber espionage, including the Volt Typhoon operation.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

February 01, 2024 | 1:03 am

MNTS

Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ:MNTS) stock surged after the company announced the termination of its National Security Agreement (NSA) with the U.S. government, as approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The company's CEO, John Rood, highlighted the positive impact of this development, indicating that Momentus has addressed any security concerns. The stock experienced heavy trading volume, with over 20.35 million shares traded, significantly higher than its 100-day average volume.

Portfolio Pulse from Erica Kollmann

January 31, 2024 | 9:17 pm

BTCUSD

German authorities seized nearly 50,000 Bitcoins, worth about $2.1 billion, from two suspects involved in copyright violations and money laundering. The seizure is part of an investigation by Saxony prosecutors, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, and the U.S. FBI. This is Germany's largest Bitcoin seizure. The future utilization of the seized Bitcoin is undecided. Globally, over $13.7 billion in Bitcoin remains unliquidated from various seizures, with a recent U.S. court looking to sell $132.5 million worth of Bitcoin from the Silk Road case.

Portfolio Pulse from Khyathi Dalal

January 31, 2024 | 7:07 pm

AVAXUSD

USDTUSD

NBA star Dwight Howard's NFT collection 'Ballers by Dwight Howard' has been accused of being a 'rugpull' by blockchain investigator ZachXBT. The collection, which offered 3,000 NFTs on the Avalanche network at 2 AVAX each, only sold 10% after launch. Efforts to redesign the NFTs, incentivize buyers, and reduce supply to 1,500 did not significantly improve sales, with only 15% minted and the floor price falling below mint price. Ava Labs distanced themselves from the project. Meanwhile, Peckshield reported a 27.78% decrease in crypto losses from cybercrimes in 2023, with $674.9 million recovered from hacks.

Portfolio Pulse from Murtuza Merchant

January 31, 2024 | 6:41 pm

COP

CVX

USO

XOM

Oil prices have risen in early 2024 due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and Red Sea regions, with Nymex WTI up nearly 8% and Brent crude up 6%. The United States Oil Fund (USO) has seen a 9.2% increase. Despite conflicts and attacks on shipping, oil prices had previously fallen due to weak demand and sufficient supply. Iran's tensions with the U.S. and its involvement in Red Sea shipping attacks pose risks to oil flows. Saudi Aramco is planning a share sale to raise at least $10 billion, following a halt in oil expansion plans. Shares of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips fell on Wednesday.

Portfolio Pulse from Neil Dennis

January 31, 2024 | 5:51 pm

XRPUSD

Ripple's token XRP fell over 5% following rumors of a network hack involving $112.5 million. Ripple's co-founder Chris Larsen clarified that his personal XRP accounts were hacked, not the Ripple network. Exchanges have frozen the affected addresses, and law enforcement is involved. The breach was publicized by blockchain investigator ZachXBT, and the community has reacted with a mix of concern and humor. The incident led to the liquidation of $3.8 million in long positions.

Portfolio Pulse from Murtuza Merchant

January 31, 2024 | 5:44 pm

SPY

VGK

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned EU officials that a failure by the U.S. Congress to act on Ukraine funding could result in a victory for Russia's President Putin. She emphasized the importance of not allowing Ukraine to run out of money before it runs out of ammunition, highlighting the critical nature of continued financial support for Ukraine.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 31, 2024 | 4:12 pm

FXI

SPY

The U.S. Department of Defense has added several Chinese companies to its list of entities believed to be affiliated with the Chinese military. The companies newly listed include YMTC, Megvii Technology, Hesai Technology, and NetPosa Technologies, according to a Reuters report citing a U.S. official.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 31, 2024 | 3:59 pm

UBER

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has imposed a fine of 10 million euros on Uber for violating privacy regulations. The fine relates to Uber's failure to report a significant data breach in a timely manner, as required by law. This breach involved unauthorized access to personal data of millions of customers and drivers.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 31, 2024 | 3:12 pm