South Korean tax authorities lost $4.8 million of seized crypto after displaying the relevant wallets’ seed phrases in a photograph covering the Feb. 26 event.

The crypto was taken immediately after the National Tax Service (NTS) shared a photo that included hardware wallets and their secret phrases. The service apologized for the incident, Asia Business Daily reported on Sunday.

“In an effort to provide more vivid information, we did not realize that sensitive information was included and carelessly provided the original photo,” the tax office said. “This is entirely the fault of the National Tax Service (NTS), with no excuse.”

This is at least the second time something like this has occurred in the country. South Korean authorities faced scrutiny over a separate failure in which Seoul’s Gangnam police allegedly lost 22 BTC (roughly $1.5 million) in a 2021 hacking case after leaving the funds and seed phrase with a third-party custodian. The authors of that theft were recently detained.

The new case involves a taxpayer who owed the NTS capital gains tax, which led to the individual’s home being raided. The authorities took control of at least four hardware wallets and cash. They then photographed the seized items, which included at least two seed phrases, and shared the unblurred photo publicly..

The NTS requested police intervention to recover the stolen cryptocurrency. The tax authority also revealed plans to conduct an external review of its overall security system and to overhaul the entire manual for the process from the seizure to the sale of virtual assets.

Koo Yun-cheol, South Korea’s deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, confirmed the leak in an X post on Sunday.

Koo said several government agencies, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service would investigate the leak. He also said they would scrutinize how government agencies and public institutions seize and manage digital assets to prevent recurrence.

Tokenized gold PAXG and XAUT climb about 1–2% toward $5.4k as Middle East conflict sends BTC, ETH and SOL lower in 24h risk‑off trade.

• Mantle has crossed the $1 billion total market size threshold on Aave.
• If inflows persist, bulls could target resistance in the $0.85-$0.92 range.
• MNT can rally toward the bulls’ key target of $1.

Mantle, a layer-2 blockchain network connecting traditional finance and on-chain liquidity, has surpassed $1 billion in total lending and borrowing volume on the Aave protocol.

The milestone coincides with a sharp rise in Mantle’s total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance, despite the crypto market’s bearish outlook.

Can the lending and TVL milestones bolster the price of the native token MNT?

Mantle hits $1B lending milestone on Aave

The Mantle-Aave lending market rocketed past the $1 billion mark following a blockbuster launch that injected $800 million in just one day last week.

According to details, the staggering jump in market size, achieved in under three weeks, saw a new uptick as a dynamic weekend brought more than $200 million in organic capital inflows.

Beyond these gains, the Aave integration has ignited broader ecosystem momentum.

Notably, Mantle’s DeFi TVL has jumped from around $455 million to over $755 million, a 66% increase in just one week.

Emily Bao, a key advisor for Mantle, emphasized the achievement:

“Crossing $1 billion in total market size in under three weeks is a clear signal and not just of what Mantle and Aave have built together, but of where institutional and retail DeFi is heading. Mantle was built to be the distribution layer where real-world finance flows, and these milestones are proof that the ecosystem is delivering on that vision. The MoMNTum is real, and we’ve barely even started.”

What could these network milestones mean for MNT? Market experts say the integration of Mantle on Aave is critical to users seeking opportunities and incentives across DeFi.

As such, the surge highlights Mantle’s growing appeal as a scalable and efficient platform for DeFi activities.

MNT price could eye gains as the ecosystem expands and attracts inflows.

Mantle price forecast: can bulls target $1?

MNT’s price has hovered around $0.65-$0.70 over the past month, with current prices well below the all-time high of $2.85 in October 2025.

While buyers have shown resilience, early signs of recovery have faded amid a broader market downturn.

However, the $1 billion milestone could act as a powerful catalyst for MNT, potentially drawing more liquidity and boosting token utility.

The TVL surge also highlights increased value bet on Mantle growth.

If bulls hold current levels, a fresh bounce could bring the supply zone around $0.85 and $0.92 into play.

The $1 level is a key bullish target.

However, technical indicators suggest sellers may continue to exert downside pressure in the coming days and weeks.

Mantle token trading below key moving averages and being neutral-to-sell leaning oscillators support this outlook.

RSI is at 42, and suggests seller conviction, while the price also hovers below the parabolic SAR.

If the downside proves to be the path of least resistance, the next support levels could be $0.57 and Feb. 6 lows at $0.52.

XRP is still trading in a broader downtrend, and the rebound attempts keep getting capped at lower highs. The asset is now trying to establish a bottom near the lower part of the range, so the next move likely comes down to whether buyers can defend the recent floor and reclaim the first resistance band.

Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair

On the daily XRPUSDT chart, the trend remains bearish inside a descending channel, with the price holding below the 100-day moving average and the 200-day moving average. The most important overhead supply is the $1.80 zone, which has acted as a pivot area and now lines up with dynamic resistance from the moving averages and the channel structure.

Above that, the next heavier resistance level sits around $2.40 to $2.50, where sellers previously stepped in and where a larger trend shift would need to prove itself.

Support is concentrated around $1.20, which is the area that has been repeatedly defended after the recent flush. As long as XRP stays above this band, the market can keep forming a base and attempt a recovery leg. A clean daily breakdown below $1.20, however, would weaken the structure and increase the odds of a deeper drop toward the next support region near $1.00 or even lower.

The BTC Pair

On the daily XRPBTC chart, XRP is trading around 2,050 sats and still sits below key resistance levels and the key 100-day and 200-day moving averages, after failing to hold the prior recovery swings. The first resistance to watch is the 100-day moving average around 2,200, followed by the 200-day moving average around 2,400 sats.

These elements have repeatedly rejected the price and also overlap with the moving averages, acting as pressure from above. If XRP can reclaim that zone and hold it, the next upside target becomes the 2,500 to sats supply area.

The main support is also located near the 2,000 sats region, which has been tested multiple times and is clearly a line bulls are trying to defend. If the 2,000-sat level fails on a clean break and close, the next major demand pocket sits much lower around 1,400 to 1,500 sats. That is the type of move that usually happens when Bitcoin strength outpaces altcoins, so XRPBTC is still the key risk gauge for bulls here.

Quick Summary

• CVX shares gained approximately 4% before the market opening bell on rising crude prices

• Brent crude surged up to 13% following strikes on Middle East energy infrastructure

• The company’s Leviathan natural gas facility was shut down after regional attacks

• Maritime traffic slowdowns near the Strait of Hormuz sparked supply worries

• Market participants are monitoring petroleum stockpiles and regional tensions

Chevron (CVX) shares experienced upward momentum during Monday’s premarket session as crude oil prices rallied sharply following fresh military strikes across the Middle East.

Chevron Corporation, CVX

The stock advanced around 4% in early morning trading as oil markets responded to renewed supply uncertainty and reduced maritime activity near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The rally came as both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures posted significant gains.

Brent reached a peak increase of 13% during the opening moments before moderating somewhat as the session progressed.
Energy sector equities rallied swiftly as market participants factored in regional supply threats.

Chevron concluded Friday’s trading session at $186.76, posting a 1.41% increase.
Early Monday activity pushed the stock toward $194 as petroleum prices continued climbing.

Exxon Mobil alongside other prominent energy firms also experienced premarket gains.
The energy sector outperformed even as broader indices faced headwinds.

Supply Disruption Fears Fuel Oil Rally

Crude prices rocketed higher after recent strikes hit critical energy infrastructure and maritime passages throughout the Middle East.
Trading resumed with markets pricing in elevated risk premiums for potential supply interruptions.

Saudi Aramco suspended operations at its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike.
The installation has daily processing capacity of approximately 550,000 barrels, industry sources indicate.

Market observers characterized the attack as a significant escalation targeting crucial Gulf energy assets.
Maritime operations near the Strait of Hormuz experienced slowdowns in the wake of the strikes.

Approximately 20% of worldwide petroleum supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Any impediment to transit through this waterway can rapidly influence global energy pricing.

Petroleum markets are currently responding to Gulf region events and shipping patterns.
Industry experts noted that price trajectories will depend significantly on disruption duration.

OPEC+ recently authorized a 206,000 barrel per day production boost beginning in April.
Traders emphasized that this supply addition remains modest when weighed against present geopolitical uncertainties.

Chevron’s Regional Exposure and Market Outlook

Chevron maintains significant exposure to regional events through its Middle East operations.
Israel’s Energy Ministry mandated temporary shutdowns of domestic natural gas production following the strikes.

Chevron’s operated Leviathan offshore gas field went offline in response to the attacks.
Industry sources attributed the closure to elevated security concerns.

The company’s financial performance correlates strongly with oil and gas pricing trends.
Elevated energy prices typically bolster upstream revenue for integrated producers.

Energy equities rallied broadly across the sector as petroleum prices advanced.
Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips similarly registered substantial premarket increases.

Market participants are tracking whether Hormuz shipping volumes normalize in coming days.
Attention is also focused on potential resumption timelines for Israeli natural gas operations.

Domestic traders await Wednesday’s weekly petroleum inventory figures from regulators.
The Energy Information Administration is scheduled to publish the data at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

CVX shares maintained premarket gains as oil markets continued processing supply concerns and operational interruptions stemming from Middle East developments.

Crypto investment products recorded their first weekly inflows since January last week, snapping a five-week outflow streak of around $4 billion.

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) attracted $1 billion in inflows last week, led by $882 million into Bitcoin (BTC) funds, according to a Monday report from CoinShares.

“From a macro standpoint, it is difficult to attribute the shift in sentiment to a single catalyst,” said James Butterfill, CoinShares’ head of research.

He said the reversal likely reflected prior price weakness, a break below key technical levels and renewed accumulation by large Bitcoin holders.

“At a more anecdotal level, recent client discussions have been almost entirely focused on identifying entry points rather than reducing exposure to the asset class,” he added.

Ether and Solana add $171 million in weekly crypto inflows

Ether (ETH) funds drew about $117 million, CoinShares said, marking their strongest week since January, while Solana (SOL) drew in about $54 million.

Chainlink (LINK) and XRP (XRP) followed with $3.4 million and $2 million in inflows, respectively.

Despite the renewed demand, Bitcoin and Ether ETPs remain in negative territory for the year, with net outflows of $408 million and $430 million, respectively.

Related: Bitcoin manipulation claims face pushback as ETFs snap 5-week outflow run: Finance Redefined

In contrast, Solana and XRP products have posted year-to-date inflows of $156 million and $153 million.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs lead with $787 million in inflows

Regionally, ETP flows were broadly aligned, with the United States accounting for the bulk of inflows at $957 million. Canada, Germany and Switzerland recorded inflows of $34 million, $32.7 million and $28 million, respectively.

Most of the gains came from US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which drew $787.3 million last week, snapping a five-week outflow streak that had totaled more than $3.8 billion, according to SoSoValue.

Despite the renewed inflows, total assets under management in crypto ETPs declined to $127.7 billion from $130.4 billion the previous week.

Net assets in Bitcoin ETFs also fell, slipping to $83.4 billion from $85.3 billion a week earlier.

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