Crypto World
Dow Protocol bags $10.5M to bring RWA financing to e-commerce merchants
Dow Protocol has completed a $10.5 million seed funding round to expand its blockchain-based financing model that advances working capital to e-commerce merchants against pending receivables.
Summary
- Dow Protocol has raised $10.5 million in a seed funding round led by crypto focused investors.
- The company provides working capital to e commerce merchants against pending receivables using a PayFi RWA model.
- Merchant repayments are collected automatically through integrations with e commerce platforms.
- The funding comes as tokenized real world assets continue expanding across blockchain based financial markets.
Dow Protocol announced the funding round on X, saying the investment was backed by MH Ventures, Mapleblock, Animoca Brands, Arcane Group, HSKChain, Essentia Partners, and Quartet Group. The company said it is building a PayFi real-world asset (RWA) structure that lets merchants receive financing before online marketplaces release their sales proceeds.
Unlike conventional merchant financing, which often requires businesses to wait for platform settlements or lengthy underwriting, Dow Protocol said its asset servicing partners provide funding based on merchants’ outstanding receivables and credit risk data. Repayments are then collected automatically through integrations with e-commerce platforms, where funds are deducted from merchants’ platform balances.
The company did not disclose its valuation or how it plans to allocate the newly raised capital.
Dow Protocol says merchants can receive funds within seconds
Explaining its model, Dow Protocol said e-commerce merchants usually wait between 14 and 28 days before platforms release payments from completed sales. During that period, merchants often need cash to replenish inventory, pay suppliers, or finance daily operations.
To shorten that delay, the protocol said asset servicers advance funds against pending platform receivables after assessing platform-integrated credit risk data. According to the company, merchants can receive financing within seconds, while cross-border settlements can be completed as fast as the same day.
Dow Protocol contrasted its approach with traditional financing, which it said can take between two and three months before businesses receive capital.
Because repayment instructions are built into participating e-commerce platforms, the company said loan repayments are deducted automatically once merchants receive platform payouts. Dow Protocol said this process improves repayment discipline by linking settlements directly to merchant balances instead of relying on separate repayment collections.
The company also described the addressable market as a $2.8 trillion global working capital opportunity, adding that merchants are willing to pay higher financing costs in exchange for faster access to funds.
PayFi RWA model combines receivables with on-chain lending
Dow Protocol said its financing framework applies PayFi principles to real-world assets by using merchants’ accounts receivable as the foundation for on-chain lending.
According to the company, programmable loan terms on blockchain networks can simplify operational processes that traditionally require manual administration, including repayment management, accounting, and default handling. It argued that working capital financing could become one of the earliest financial sectors to migrate on-chain because these processes can be automated within blockchain-based lending systems.
The announcement positions the protocol within a growing segment of blockchain projects that tokenize financial claims or connect real-world assets with decentralized infrastructure rather than focusing solely on cryptocurrency-backed lending.
Unlike tokenized Treasury products or blockchain-based money market funds, Dow Protocol’s model is centered on financing commercial receivables generated by online merchants.
RWA activity has continued expanding across on-chain finance
Dow Protocol’s fundraising comes as tokenized real-world assets continue gaining traction across decentralized finance.
A CoinShares report published on Aug. 6 said RWA deposits across decentralized lending platforms and exchanges reached $7.4 billion during the second quarter of 2026, more than tripling from $2.3 billion a year earlier. During the same period, total DeFi deposits declined by about 15%, while the on-chain market value of tokenized funds, equities, and commodities exceeded $40 billion, according to the report.
CoinShares said much of the deposit growth came from tokenized Treasury products, private credit strategies, and yield-bearing assets that continue generating returns while being used as collateral in lending markets. The report added that Ethereum-based lending protocols accounted for most RWA collateral activity because of their established liquidity.
Trading activity also expanded during the quarter. According to CoinShares, spot trading volume for tokenized real-world assets climbed roughly 220% year over year even as aggregate decentralized exchange spot volume declined by about 70%, suggesting that tokenized financial products are developing secondary markets beyond primary issuance.
Institutional firms have continued adding tokenized financial products
Institutional asset managers have also introduced new blockchain-based financial products in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, BlackRock launched two tokenized money market offerings, BSTBL and BRSRV, extending its digital asset strategy beyond cryptocurrency investment products. The funds invest in cash, short-term U.S. Treasury securities, and overnight repurchase agreements while allowing eligible institutional investors to access tokenized fund structures under regulated conditions.
BNY Mellon serves as transfer agent and tokenization provider for BSTBL, while Securitize performs the same role for BRSRV. BlackRock has also joined the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s pilot program for tokenized stocks and U.S. Treasuries alongside several major financial institutions.
Crypto World
US Dollar Index (DXY): Two Months of Consolidation, One NFP Away From a Breakout
The dollar heads into today’s session with one of the most important catalysts of the summer on deck: the July Non-Farm Payrolls report, due at 12:30 PM UTC. Economists expect around 95,000 jobs added, down from June’s already weak 57,000 print, with the unemployment rate seen ticking up to 4.4% from 4.3%.
The backdrop makes this release particularly consequential. At its July meeting, the Fed held rates steady at 3.50%-3.75%, but the tone was notably hawkish: three policymakers pushed for a hike rather than any discussion of cuts. That stance has kept the dollar broadly supported, even as recent JOLTS data pointed to cooling labor demand and futures markets trimmed the odds of a September hike to around 59%, down from 67% just days earlier.
Today’s numbers will likely decide which narrative wins out. A stronger-than-expected print, particularly alongside firm wage growth, would reinforce the Fed’s hawkish resolve and could send the dollar testing higher levels. A weaker report, especially with downward revisions to prior months, would revive rate-cut expectations and put fresh pressure on the greenback heading into the rest of August.
Technical Analysis of the DXY

As the chart shows, the DXY has spent nearly two months consolidating after its 2026 recovery, currently squeezed between a descending trendline from late June’s highs and a newly formed ascending trendline off early August’s lows, with price also testing the confluence of the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement near 100.28.
Bullish Scenario
Should buyers break above the descending trendline and reclaim the 0.5 retracement near 100.53, where the 200-period EMA also sits, the path would open toward the 0.618 level around 100.79, with a stronger move potentially targeting the 0.786 retracement near 101.16 and the 101.63 highs beyond.
Bearish Scenario
Conversely, a break below the ascending trendline and the 99.60 support would expose the 0.0 Fibonacci level near 99.44, invalidating the recent recovery attempt and opening the door to a deeper pullback within the broader consolidation range.
With today’s NFP report landing right at this technical crossroads, where two converging trendlines meet a key Fibonacci confluence, the DXY looks poised for a decisive break—will the dollar finally resolve two months of consolidation, or extend the standoff into next week?
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Crypto World
How XRP holders can earn $4,600 daily
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
XRP’s MiCA approval has strengthened its long-term outlook as investors increasingly explore EiCrypto’s cloud hashing contracts for diversified crypto participation.
Summary
- XRP gains full MiCA approval, strengthening its regulatory position as traders await technical breakout confirmation.
- EiCrypto pitches AI-powered cloud mining as XRP investors seek income opportunities beyond price appreciation.
- Regulatory clarity boosts confidence in XRP, but analysts say stronger chart signals are still needed to confirm a rally.
The case for a bullish outlook on XRP has become clearer following its full MiCA approval, reigniting the debate over price predictions. While the market welcomes regulatory clarity, chart data is still needed to substantiate the price trajectory.
The regulatory landscape for XRP has become clearer, but the charts still require further validation.
The approval of MiCA is crucial, as it eliminates one of the biggest uncertainties facing XRP. Greater regulatory clarity boosts trader confidence, which can reignite genuine buying enthusiasm in the market.
However, bullish signs have not yet fully materialized. XRP is publicly traded, meaning everyone sees the same resistance levels, knows the same breakout points, and can wait for confirmation. Consequently, while the potential for a rise remains, the market has not yet given the bulls a definitive answer. News of the approval has improved the outlook but has not resolved the issue of timing. If demand follows the news, XRP could still continue to rise, but what the market needs now is real follow-up action, not just better news.
For XRP holders, rather than fixating on market fluctuations, it is more productive to consider how to generate consistent returns from their digital assets amidst price volatility and achieve long-term wealth growth.
It is against this backdrop of market demand that a new digital asset operation model — EiCrypto cloud hashing contracts — has begun to attract increasing attention from investors in digital assets such as XRP and BTC. Some market observers believe that, in addition to allowing XRP holders to retain the potential for asset appreciation, this model can generate consistent cash flow returns for users through a hashing-based earnings mechanism.
What is EiCrypto cloud mining?
EiCrypto has created a brand-new managed cloud computing service platform by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with blockchain technology. Users can easily access a global computing power network via their mobile phones and participate in the digital economy’s passive income ecosystem — all without the need to purchase expensive mining hardware or bear costs related to equipment maintenance, operational management, electricity, and facilities. All that is required is ownership of mainstream digital assets such as BTC, ETH, or XRP.
Leveraging an intelligent cloud computing system to overcome the challenge of market volatility — a common issue for digital asset users—this approach unlocks the potential for asset appreciation while simultaneously enhancing asset utilization to maximize returns.
How to join EiCrypto and start earning passive income
Register an Account: Sign up here to receive a $15 new-user bonus.
Deposit Methods: EiCrypto supports a wide range of mainstream digital assets, such as BTC, USDT, ETH, LTC, USDC, XRP, SOL, and BNB.
Select a Contract: Choose a cloud mining contract that suits a particular budget and timeframe; the system will then operate automatically.
Popular Contract Options:
- Starter Contract: $100 — 2 days — Total return approx. $108
- Basic Contract: $500 — 5 days — Total return approx. $532.50
- Basic Contract: $1,500 — 10 days — Total return approx. $1,705.50
- Stable Contract: $5,500 — 20 days — Total return approx. $7,050
- Stable Contract: $10,000 — 30 days — Total return approx. $14,475
Click here to view more contract details.
Once the contract is activated, earnings will be automatically settled to a user’s account after 24 hours. Users can choose to withdraw their earnings or reinvest them, thereby achieving long-term, compound growth of their digital assets.
About EiCrypto
Headquartered in the UK, EiCrypto operates in compliance with relevant UK and European regulatory frameworks and continuously enhances its transparency, operational standards, and user protection mechanisms by aligning with regulatory standards such as MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) and MiFID II (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive).
The platform employs a multi-layered security architecture, including:
- PwC annual financial and security compliance audits
- Lloyd’s of London insurance for digital asset custody
- Cloudflare enterprise-grade cybersecurity protection and McAfee® security systems
- AI-driven risk control, multi-layered encryption architecture, and two-factor authentication (2FA)
In conclusion
For digital assets like XRP and Bitcoin, market volatility remains an unavoidable challenge. What truly sets investors apart is not merely the fluctuation in returns caused by the shift between bull and bear markets, but rather the ability to enhance asset utilization efficiency and establish a long-term, sustainable asset allocation strategy across varying market conditions. EiCrypto’s innovative model emerged against this backdrop, offering users a new avenue for passive income; rather than passively waiting for opportunities, one can proactively embrace change and take decisive action.
For more information, visit the official website and download the mobile application.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Crypto World
Stripe-owned Bridge joins EU MiCA register after Luxembourg approval

Stripe-owned Bridge has entered the EU MiCA register following Luxembourg approval, joining regulated providers under the bloc’s crypto framework.
Crypto World
Coinbase loses Michigan bid over sports prediction markets
Coinbase Financial Markets lost its bid for preliminary relief in Michigan on Aug. 6 after U.S. District Judge Shalina Kumar refused to block state officials from enforcing sports betting laws against the company’s event contracts.
Summary
- Michigan judge Shalina Kumar denied Coinbase’s request to block state enforcement against sports event contracts.
- Coinbase failed to show sports event contracts likely qualify as swaps under federal commodities law.
- The ruling leaves Michigan’s sports betting authority intact while Coinbase continues challenging state jurisdiction nationwide.
- Federal courts remain divided over whether CFTC-regulated sports contracts preempt state gambling and betting laws.
- CFTC rulemaking and parallel state lawsuits could shape the next phase of prediction market regulation.
The order leaves Coinbase without the injunction it sought as its challenge continues.
Coinbase sued Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, arguing that event contracts offered through federally regulated prediction markets fall under the Commodity Exchange Act and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s exclusive jurisdiction. Coinbase wants Michigan customers to access contracts supplied through Kalshi.
Judge rejects Coinbase’s preemption case
Kumar concluded that Coinbase had not shown a likelihood of success on its federal preemption claims, a requirement for preliminary relief. The judge rejected Coinbase’s argument that sports event contracts necessarily qualify as swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act and therefore sit beyond Michigan’s gambling authority.
The court also rejected Coinbase’s claim that compliance with federal derivatives law and Michigan’s Lawful Sports Betting Act would be impossible. Kumar wrote that Coinbase’s assertions were “applesauce,” adding that higher costs or operational difficulty do not establish legal impossibility. The ruling addresses preliminary relief rather than a final judgment.
Coinbase has argued that state restrictions frustrate Congress’s attempt to build a federal derivatives regime. Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal previously said state efforts to control prediction markets “stifle innovation and violate the law.” That remains Coinbase’s position, not a conclusion accepted by the Michigan court.
Federal courts remain divided over sports contracts
The Michigan ruling lands in a legal split. In April, the Third Circuit affirmed preliminary relief for Kalshi in New Jersey, holding that Kalshi had shown a reasonable chance of succeeding on its argument that sports event contracts are swaps and federal derivatives law preempts conflicting state restrictions.
Other courts have reached the opposite conclusion. Michigan federal judges have questioned whether Congress intended the Commodity Exchange Act to sweep sports wagering into the federal swaps framework. Earlier decisions in Ohio and elsewhere have rejected or limited the industry’s preemption theory, leaving the legal status unsettled.
As previously reported in New Jersey coverage, former SEC and CFTC Chair Gary Gensler argued that sports prediction contracts should remain outside the federal swap framework. In related coverage, gaming groups have urged Congress to preserve state authority over sports wagering rather than let federally registered platforms bypass state licensing systems.
CFTC is pressing its own federal authority
The CFTC has taken the opposite institutional position. Chairman Michael Selig has repeatedly said the agency has exclusive jurisdiction over federally regulated prediction markets. The commission sued Kentucky in June after the state pursued enforcement against designated contract markets and has initiated proceedings involving Minnesota, Illinois and Rhode Island.
The agency is also rewriting its event contract framework. A June proposal would create a structured process for determining whether contracts involve gaming, terrorism, assassination, war or conduct unlawful under federal or state law, and whether they are contrary to the public interest. The proposal includes a 90-day review period.
As crypto.news reported in prediction market coverage, the CFTC’s push has expanded beyond individual disputes into rulemaking. Another proposal addresses reporting requirements for certain collateralized event contracts, showing federal regulators are building a structure while courts continue debating state power.
What happens next in Coinbase’s Michigan case
The denial means Coinbase does not receive the preliminary shield it requested against Michigan enforcement. It does not resolve every issue in the underlying lawsuit. Coinbase can continue litigating its claims and may seek appellate review of the injunction decision, while Michigan officials can continue defending their authority under state gaming law.
The case also increases pressure on higher courts to reconcile conflicting interpretations. The Third Circuit has sided with Kalshi on the core swap and preemption questions, while several district courts have disagreed. Coinbase argues a conflicting appellate ruling elsewhere would deepen the split and increase the likelihood of potential Supreme Court review.
For Coinbase, the stakes extend beyond Michigan. Its prediction market service is offered through Coinbase Financial Markets, and the company has been expanding event contracts alongside stocks, crypto and derivatives. Coinbase argues state restrictions could force different availability rules across the country if federal preemption remains unsettled.
The next major developments will be any appeal, merits rulings in Michigan and appellate decisions in other prediction market cases. The CFTC’s rulemaking may shape the debate, but an agency rule cannot erase statutory questions courts are already interpreting. For now, Kumar’s ruling gives Michigan a procedural win while leaving the national jurisdiction fight unresolved.
Crypto World
XRP Price Falls 2% as CLARITY Act Vote Slips to September
Ripple XRP price is under noticeable selling pressure, slipping roughly 2.2% over the last 24 hours to trade near $1.03. While broader market leaders like Bitcoin remained largely flat, XRP led losses among major altcoins as a critical legislative catalyst vanished overnight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune formally delayed consideration of the regulatory bill, queuing the CLARITY Act for after the August recess in September. The unexpected scheduling push removed an immediate tailwind, leaving short positioning to build rapidly as spot demand cooled.
On social channels, speculative projections like CryptoBull’s viral post claiming XRP could hit “$27 by October 2026” continue to circulate, but current order books paint a grimmer short-term picture.
(Will retail buyers step in before $1.00 breaks?) With Polymarket odds for the CLARITY Act passing in 2026 dropping near 30%, market participants are shifting focus to technical support structures ahead of fresh labor data.
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Can XRP Price Hold $1.00 Support This Month?
XRP is trading around $1.03, down 5.7% over the past 7 days with 24-hour volume hovering near $1.44 billion. Market cap remains anchored near $64.2 billion, but momentum indicators reveal persistent downside bias across key timeframes.
The Aroon Oscillator sits at -100, signaling that recent lows dominate price action. A negative BBTrend reading of -1.36 confirms steady selling pressure, even as an ADX of 11.2 indicates a relatively weak overall trend.
The immediate battleground sits at the psychological $1.00 level, with secondary Fibonacci supports at $1.0125 and $0.9711. Resistance remains heavy between $1.06 and $1.08.

A recovery above $1.10 to $1.15 reclaims short-term structure and opens the door for a push toward $1.65 if legislative momentum resumes in September.
XRP remaining trapped in a wide range between $1.00 and $1.08 while spot traders wait for regulatory clarity is the base case. A breakdown below $0.9711 invalidates key support and risks a slide toward lower channel boundaries near $0.85.
Can traders afford to sit idle in legacy majors while legislative gridlock drags on?
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LiquidChain Targets Early Mover Upside as XRP Tests Key Levels
When large-cap tokens like XRP get bogged down by congressional delays and technical channel caps, capital frequently migrates toward high-upside, early-stage infrastructure projects.
Investors fatigued by multi-month regulatory paralysis are looking beyond single-chain protocols to solve real cross-chain bottlenecks.
Enter LiquidChain ($LIQUID), a Layer 3 infrastructure protocol designed to unify fragmented crypto liquidity. By building a Unified Liquidity Layer, LiquidChain fuses Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana execution environments into a single network.
Developers deploy code once and instantly tap into liquidity across all three major ecosystems, eliminating multi-bridge complexity through single-step execution and verifiable settlement.
The project’s ongoing presale has already raised $933,004.07, with $LIQUID tokens priced at $0.01487. While early-stage crypto allocations carry execution and market adoption risks, LiquidChain presents a high-beta alternative for capital looking for structural growth independent of Washington’s legislative calendar.
Active traders looking to diversify can research LiquidChain before the presale advances.
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The post XRP Price Falls 2% as CLARITY Act Vote Slips to September appeared first on Cryptonews.
Crypto World
1inch Commits 10M 1INCH, 500k USDC to Aqua LP Rewards

1inch launched its Aqua liquidity protocol to the public on July 28, backing the release with a rewards program funded with 10 million 1INCH from the 1inch Foundation and 500,000 USDC from the 1inch DAO, the company said. The program, called 1inch Network Incentives, is delivered through incentive… Read the full story at The Defiant
Crypto World
CleanSpark misses Wall Street revenue estimates as shares sink

CleanSpark’s shares fell 5.5% on Thursday after the Bitcoin miner reported $138 million in quarterly revenue, narrowly missing Wall Street’s consensus estimate.
Crypto World
Coldcard fallout shows up onchain as 210,000 bitcoin (BTC) leaves old wallets
The fallout from the Coldcard security breach is now surfacing on-chain.
According to Glassnode data, roughly 210,000 BTC have moved out of long-term holder (LTH) wallets over the past week, the largest decline since December 2024, when bitcoin approached $100,000 for the first time.
Glassnode classifies long-term holders, or LTHs, as entities whose coins have remained dormant for approximately 155 days, or just over five months. This cohort is often considered the market’s “smart money” because its members tend to hold through short-term volatility.
Long-term holder supply now stands at approximately 14.7 million BTC. Before the Coldcard incident, it was just under 15 million BTC, close to an all-time high.
Historically, heavy spending by long-term holders has coincided with periods of market strength or tops. Similar waves of distribution occurred around the market peaks of March 2021, March 2024 and December 2024, as experienced holders took profits into rising demand.
This time, however, the movement is occurring near the lows. Bitcoin is trading around $64,000, roughly 50% below its October all-time high.
Crypto World
EBay Stock Wavers After Earnings. The Numbers To Know.
EBay (EBAY) stock wavered late Wednesday after the e-commerce company’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations. Guidance for the September quarter was mixed. San Jose, Calif.-based eBay reported adjusted earnings of $1.60 per share for the June-ended quarter, up 17% from a year earlier. That beat the $1.50 per share that analysts polled by FactSet were forecasting. Sales increased 15% to $3.1 billion, compared to…
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Crypto World
Upbit parent Dunamu to custody seized crypto for South Korean police
Dunamu has secured a one-year contract to take custody of digital assets seized by South Korea’s National Police Agency after winning the agency’s public tender process.
Summary
- Dunamu has won a one year contract to custody digital assets seized by South Korea’s National Police Agency.
- Seized cryptocurrencies will be stored through Upbit Custody using offline cold wallets and round the clock monitoring.
- The police tender followed earlier incidents in which Bitcoin held by South Korean authorities went missing.
- Dunamu received the highest technical evaluation before securing the final contract after negotiations.
- The custody platform uses MPC, DKG and multi signature security with separate wallets for different asset types.
According to a statement released by Dunamu on Aug. 7, the Upbit operator was named the final winner of the Korean National Police Agency’s project to store and manage confiscated digital assets following technical negotiations that concluded the procurement process.
The announcement completes a bidding process that began earlier this year, with the company moving from preferred bidder status to the final contractor after negotiations with the police agency. The one-year agreement will place seized cryptocurrencies from police investigations under Dunamu’s custody platform.
Upbit Custody will manage seized crypto assets
Procurement documents show the contract was awarded through an open competitive tender administered by South Korea’s Public Procurement Service. Dunamu said it received the highest technical evaluation score of 94.14 before being selected as the final contractor. The company had previously been designated as the preferred negotiating bidder on July 8.
Earlier procurement records valued the contract at 267 million won, or about $195,000, for one year of custody and management services covering digital assets confiscated during criminal investigations.
Under the agreement, seized cryptocurrencies will be stored and managed through Upbit Custody, Dunamu’s digital asset custody service. According to the company, the platform operates within a 24-hour, 365-day monitoring system that continues running during nights, weekends, and public holidays so custody operations remain uninterrupted.
The custody platform also uses a security environment built around 100% offline cold wallets that remain isolated from the public internet. According to Dunamu, its infrastructure incorporates Multi-Party Computation (MPC), Distributed Key Generation (DKG), multi-signature technology and wallet segregation, allowing assets to be separated according to their type and intended use while reducing the risks associated with a single compromised private key.
A Dunamu representative said the company would use its security technology and operational controls to support the stability of South Korea’s public safety and digital policing infrastructure.
Police custody contract followed competitive bidding
Before becoming the final contractor, Dunamu ranked first during the evaluation stage of the tender process.
Procurement records released in July showed the company received a combined score of 94.73, including full marks for its bid price and 84.73 points in the technical assessment. Korea Digital Asset Custody (K-DAC) finished second with 91.29 points, while Hecto Wallet One placed third with 87.27 points.
Industry participants questioned whether the tender requirements favored larger market operators. According to local media reports published at the time, bidders were required to accept immediate custody of seized cryptocurrencies, maintain a round-the-clock response system and guarantee full compensation if assets were lost through hacking.
Several custody industry officials told local media those requirements were easier for a large exchange operator with an established infrastructure to satisfy than for standalone custody providers. One industry official described competing under those conditions as difficult from the outset.
The National Police Agency, however, rejected suggestions that the outcome had been predetermined. According to local media, the agency said the contractor had been selected through a fair competitive process.
Previous Bitcoin losses increased focus on digital asset custody
The police custody project comes after multiple incidents involving missing cryptocurrencies held by South Korean authorities.
In February, South Korea’s Gangnam Police Station confirmed that 22 Bitcoin worth approximately 2.1 billion won, or about $1.6 million, had disappeared from police custody. Authorities said the coins had originally been surrendered during a 2021 investigation before investigators discovered during a nationwide review that they had been transferred from the storage wallet without authorization.
Police said the physical cold wallet remained in their possession, suggesting the private keys had been accessed even though the storage device itself had not been removed. The Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency subsequently opened an internal investigation examining access logs, key management procedures and blockchain transaction records.
Attention had already turned to law enforcement’s handling of digital assets after an earlier case involving the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, where local reports said 320 Bitcoin seized in a criminal investigation was lost. Local media also reported another incident in 2022 in which police confirmed that seized Bitcoin had gone missing.
Against that backdrop, South Korean authorities moved to place custody responsibilities with an external institution capable of maintaining dedicated security controls for seized digital assets. The finalized agreement now places those assets under Upbit Custody for the next year while the National Police Agency oversees the arrangement under the terms of the awarded contract.
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