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ZachXBT, an on-chain investigator, revealed the identity of a victim involved in a massive Bitcoin theft in the United States. The stolen funds, totalling 3,520 BTC (approximately $330 million), were transferred from the victim’s wallet to a different address.

$330 Million Bitcoin TheftVictim Identified

ZachXBT confirmed that the victim of this theft was an elderly individual residing in the U.S. From the investigations’ perspective, the theft was related to social engineering. This type of crypto scam includes deceptive practices that are a form of fraud like emails or phone calls with the aim of obtaining personal and confidential information from the target.

The victim’s Bitcoin was moved from a wallet that was holding a substantial amount of cryptocurrency.

The attackers specifically targeted this individual, who seems unaware of the sophisticated methods they employed. ZachXBT expressed concern about how the attackers were able to access the victim’s private information, given the advanced nature of the scam.

Social Engineering Theft Details

Social engineering scams are another form of danger in the cryptocurrency space since people make victims give the scammers direct access to their digital wallets. This probably is what happened to the elderly victim in this case, which includes schemes that may involve email fraud to phone scams. This type of scams target the victims and take advantage of their familiarity with the technology making it quite difficult to spot them until when they are already operating.

On-chain investigator ZachXBT also pointed out that the attackers transferred the funds in a suspicious manner and immediately moved them.

They traded the Bitcoins on over six platforms before exchanging them for Monero, a privacy coin that makes it difficult to trace transactions. These series of moves were suspicious more especially because it came close on the heel of a sharp increase in the price of XMR.

Investigation and Ongoing Concerns

The investigation into the theft is ongoing, and ZachXBT has been closely monitoring the situation. He pointed out that the BTC involved in the theft had originated from sources that were “interesting,” raising questions about the initial acquisition of the funds. The laundering and conversion of the funds to XMR point to an effort to conceal the origin of the stolen cryptocurrency.

Despite the increase in phishing attacks in the crypto space, the volume of this theft puts it among the largest in the last few months. The loss includes one of the biggest single losses in the history of Bitcoin thefts, both in terms of quantity and monetary value.

This theft occurs against the background of growing concerns about the safety of digital assets and the prevalence of such frauds in the crypto space. This year alone, the losses to this industry have reached to millions of dollars despite US Secret Service, with Canadian authorities, disrupting over $4.3M Ethereum phishing scam. Meanwhile, Immunefi, a platform specializing in web3 bug bounties and security services, claims that thieves have stolen over $92m worth of crypto this month alone.

The post ZachXBT Reveals Identity of $330 Million Bitcoin Theft Victim in US appeared first on CoinGape.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has clarified that Federal Banks are now permitted to carry out “certain cryptocurrency activities.” Industry leaders have described this as the biggest news of the week, and the OCC now confirms that the war on crypto is officially over.

The OCC, Federal Banks, and Crypto

On March 7, the OCC published Interpretive Letter 1183, which clarified banks’ participation in crypto-asset custody. Federal Banks can also participate in certain stablecoin activities to reaffirm their role in the payment sector.

In addition to these two, the OCC said banks may engage in some Decentralized Finance (DeFi) activities. These include taking up an independent role in node verification for blockchain protocols.

In addition to these allowances, the Currency Comptroller also rolled back the need for licenses by banks before participating in these DeFi activities. Ultimately, the OCC clarified that banks may also pursue these crypto activities without proof that they have “adequate controls in place before they can engage in these cryptocurrency activities.”

As part of its broad pivot in digital asset regulation, the OCC said it has withdrawn “its participation in the joint statement on crypto-asset risks to banking organizations and the joint statement on liquidity risks to banking organizations resulting from crypto-asset market vulnerabilities.”

End To Operation Chokepoint 2.0

Unlike the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC), Coinbase was involved in Operation Chokepoint 2.0, while the OCC was more conservative. The current Interpretive Letter confirms that Operation Chokepoint 2.0 has ended.

During the Presidential Campaign last year, President Donald Trump promised to end all war on crypto. With banks now free to engage in core crypto activities, the doors to more mainstream adoption are opened.

The White House Crypto Summit, held on March 7, also underscores the urgency of digital asset regulation. During the Summit, President Trump promised to have key crypto bills signed by August this year.

Federal Banks and Crypto Competition

While allowances for banks are welcome in the industry, some leaders disagree on the grand governmental involvement. With billions in Assets Under Management (AUM), critics believe mainstream banks may bring unhealthy competition in the market.

Already, top banks are buying Bitcoin through ETF products, which they may now do directly through the OCC directive. Solana Founder Anatoly Yakovenko believes government involvement can alter the decentralization tenet of the broader crypto industry.

The OCC Crypto Summit update has not changed the sentiment in the broader market. Following the summit, Bitcoin dropped 4.06% to $86,600, dragging altcoins along.

The post Breaking: OCC Clears Federal Banks to Engage In Crypto Activities appeared first on CoinGape.