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eToro wins New York BitLicense, expands crypto access to 48 US states

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eToro wins New York BitLicense, expands crypto access to 48 US states

eToro has secured a New York BitLicense and money transmission license, reopening crypto trading to New Yorkers and extending its US coverage to 48 states after a 2024 SEC settlement.

Summary

  • eToro has secured both a New York BitLicense and a money transmission license, opening its crypto platform to residents of New York.
  • The approvals mean eToro now offers cryptocurrency trading in 48 US states, following a $1.5 million settlement with the SEC in 2024.
  • The company calls New York “the heart of the financial markets” and frames the move as a strategic milestone in its US expansion.

Online brokerage and social trading platform eToro has obtained a coveted New York BitLicense and a parallel money transmission license, clearing the way for residents of the state to trade cryptocurrencies on its platform for the first time. The twin approvals from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) mean eToro’s crypto offering now reaches 48 US states, according to a report from Crowdfund Insider cited by ChainCatcher.

Announcing the launch, Andrew McCormick, head of eToro’s US division, said that “New York is the heart of the financial markets and a hub of innovation,” describing the expansion as “both a strategic milestone and a reflection of our commitment to responsibly advancing the next generation of financial market accessibility.” NYDFS’s BitLicense regime, introduced in 2015, remains one of the strictest state-level crypto frameworks in the US, with only a limited number of exchanges and custodians approved over the past decade, as repeatedly highlighted by outlets such as Bloomberg and the Financial Times.finance.

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The New York green light comes roughly two years after eToro resolved an enforcement action with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2024, the company agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle charges that it operated as an unregistered broker and clearing agency, and subsequently delisted most crypto assets from its US platform while it overhauled its compliance controls. That retrenchment mirrored a broader regulatory crackdown on offshore-style token menus, with major venues trimming their listings in response to SEC and CFTC pressure, as detailed in earlier reporting by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal on post-2022 enforcement trends.finance.

Since then, eToro has adopted a more conservative US stance, focusing on a narrower range of assets and building out its compliance and surveillance stack to meet NYDFS standards. By securing the BitLicense, the firm joins a small club of global exchanges able to serve New York retail customers, preserving a regulatory moat that rivals without state approval cannot easily cross. For US users, the expansion means a familiar social-trading interface will now sit alongside licensed incumbents in the country’s most tightly regulated crypto market, while for the industry it offers a template for how post-enforcement platforms can re-enter New York — provided they accept heavier oversight and a slimmer token set.

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Crypto World

Lazarus Group Malware Targets Crypto, Business Execs via macOS

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Lazarus Group Malware Targets Crypto, Business Execs via macOS

Security researchers have linked a new macOS malware campaign to the Lazarus Group, the North Korea-linked hacking operation behind some of the crypto industry’s biggest thefts.

Flagged on Tuesday, the new “Mach-O Man” malware kit is distributed via “ClickFix” social engineering schemes across traditional businesses and crypto companies, according to Mauro Eldritch, offensive security expert and founder of threat intelligence company BCA Ltd.

Victims are lured into a fake Zoom or Google Meet call where they are prompted to execute commands that download the malware in the background, allowing attackers to bypass traditional controls without detection to gain access to credentials and corporate systems, the security researcher said in a Tuesday report.

Researchers said the campaign can lead to account takeovers, unauthorized infrastructure access, financial losses and the exposure of critical data, underscoring how Lazarus continues to expand its targeting beyond crypto-native companies.

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The Lazarus Group is the main suspect in some of the largest-ever cryptocurrency hacks, including the $1.4 billion hack of Bybit exchange in 2025, the industry’s largest so far. 

Fake Mach-O Man Kit apps. Source: ANY.RUN

“Mach-o Man” kit seeks to implement hidden stealer malware

The final stage of the campaign is a stealer designed to extract browser extension data, stored browser credentials, cookies, macOS Keychain entries and other sensitive information from infected devices.

Final staging director for Stealer malware. Source: Any.run

After collection, the data is archived into a zip file and exfiltrated through Telegram to the attackers. Finally, the malware’s self-deletion script removes the entire kit using the system’s rm command, which bypasses user confirmation and permissions when removing files.

The novel malware kit was reconstructed by the security expert through cloud-based malware sandbox Any.run’s macOS analysis capabilities.

Related: CZ sounds alarm as ‘SEAL’ team uncovers 60 fake IT workers linked to North Korea

Earlier in April, North Korean hackers used AI-enabled social engineering schemes to steal about $100,000 worth of funds from crypto wallet Zerion, after gaining access to some team members’ logged-in sessions, credentials and the company’s private keys, Cointelegraph reported on April 15. 

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Magazine: 53 DeFi projects infiltrated, 50M NEO tokens could be ‘given back’: Asia Express