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Hunter Biden Denies LAPTOP Scam Claims After 99% Meme Coin Crash

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Hunter Biden LAPTOP price chart after the meme coin crash

Hunter Biden’s LAPTOP meme coin collapsed roughly 98% on its first trading day. The founder now rejects scam accusations and blames automated bots and thin liquidity instead.

The team published its response on Medium early Thursday, after X suspended the project’s official account. Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden, relayed the statement from his personal profile.

Hunter Biden LAPTOP Team Blames Bots for the Crash

The pool opened at $0.05 per token on Wednesday. Demand then overwhelmed the market maker’s starting liquidity, according to the foundation. Predatory sniper bots, which are automated programs that hunt cheap tokens in fresh pools, amplified the swing.

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Prices spiked and then cratered within minutes. The token peaked near $199 two minutes into its Base debut on Wednesday, and one wallet turned a $1.18 million profit while another sank $200,000.

Hunter Biden LAPTOP price chart after the meme coin crash
Hunter Biden LAPTOP 24-hour price chart. Source: BeInCrypto Markets

The foundation now wants deeper markets. It is sending 4 million tokens, or 0.4% of supply, into Aerodrome pools from midnight UTC on Sept. 10. Separately, two prediction events resolved YES, so 10 million LAPTOP will burn and supply will shrink by 1%.

The foundation named only one of those events. Digital artist Beeple referenced Hunter Biden’s LAPTOP publicly, which settled the first prediction on Tuesday and burns 5 million tokens.

Suspended X Account Adds to the Pressure

The foundation says it is working to restore the account, which X suspended hours after the crash. Insiders bought nothing early, the team insists. Founders hold 30% under a six month lock and a two year vest at Coinbase Custody. Moreover, the team says the project ran no presale and handed no allocations to investors or influencers.

Hunter Biden had set out the full LAPTOP airdrop plan two days before launch. However, that openness did little for holders once the bots arrived.

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You should not expect us or anyone else to make this token more valuable for you.

Onchain analytics firm Bubblemaps put numbers on the damage. Roughly 80% of Hunter Biden LAPTOP traders finished underwater. Two wallets lost between $100,000 and $1 million, 100 lost more than $10,000, 700 lost more than $1,000, and around 11,000 took smaller hits.

Those disclosures still sit awkwardly against the tape. Dip buyers kept losing after the plunge, and one trader who bought near $5.97 dropped another 87%. Whether fresh Aerodrome liquidity steadies the token over the coming days is now the open question.

The post Hunter Biden Denies LAPTOP Scam Claims After 99% Meme Coin Crash appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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NVIDIA expands Australia AI capacity with 8 partners

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NVIDIA expands Australia AI capacity with 8 partners

NVIDIA announced on Sept. 9 that it is working with eight Australian infrastructure providers on an AI factory buildout targeting up to two gigawatts of capacity by 2027.

Summary

  • NVIDIA and eight Australian partners plan up to two gigawatts of AI capacity by 2027.
  • Australian providers will operate the AI factories while NVIDIA supplies computing, networking, software and support.
  • Sharon AI plans to deploy up to 68,000 NVIDIA GPUs using DSX infrastructure in Australia.
  • IREN’s planned Bundey campus in South Australia is designed for 800 megawatts of capacity overall.
  • Australia currently has 1.6 gigawatts of computing capacity, according to published Data Centres Australia estimates.

The planned expansion involves Firmus, Sharon AI, IREN, Megaport, ResetData, CDC, NEXTDC and AirTrunk. According to NVIDIA’s official announcement, the partners will develop land, power and powered-shell capacity capable of hosting multiple generations of NVIDIA DSX infrastructure.

NVIDIA will provide accelerated computing systems, networking equipment, software and technical support. The participating companies will operate the facilities. That structure means the two-gigawatt figure represents a collective capacity target, rather than a single NVIDIA-owned data center.

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The proposed buildout would be larger than Australia’s existing data center computing capacity. Australia currently has about 1.6 gigawatts, according to Data Centres Australia and market researcher DC Byte, figures cited by Reuters.

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Eight partners will divide infrastructure responsibilities

Sharon AI plans to deploy up to 68,000 NVIDIA GPUs connected through NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand and Spectrum-X Ethernet networking. The company said the systems would serve Australian startups, enterprises, government agencies and research organizations requiring locally hosted computing capacity.

IREN will combine NVIDIA’s DSX reference architecture with its experience in power, land, data centers and GPU operations. Its contribution includes the planned 800-megawatt Bundey campus in South Australia. IREN has historically operated Bitcoin mining infrastructure but has increasingly expanded into AI cloud services and high-performance computing.

That shift reflects a wider overlap between cryptocurrency mining and AI infrastructure. Both businesses require access to large power supplies, cooling systems and computing facilities. In related coverage, crypto.news examined why AI chips are increasingly being compared with scarce digital assets as demand for computing capacity grows.

CDC said it operates more than 550 megawatts across Australia and New Zealand, with another 800 megawatts under construction. The company also claims its facilities use renewable electricity and zero-water cooling systems. Those environmental statements are company claims and have not been independently verified across every proposed site.

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NVIDIA DSX connects facilities with AI software

NVIDIA describes DSX as a full-stack AI factory platform covering facility design, computing, networking, software and reference architecture. The system is compatible with CUDA and is designed to support later generations of NVIDIA hardware without requiring operators to redesign every infrastructure layer.

The company said expanded capacity would give Australian organizations greater access to NVIDIA Nemotron open models. Healthcare technology company Heidi is using Nemotron tools for clinical applications, while Atlassian is applying NVIDIA technology to semantic search and other features within its Rovo AI platform.

However, NVIDIA did not disclose the expected cost of the Australian buildout, individual investment commitments or how much of the targeted capacity already has financing, planning approval or grid connections. The two-gigawatt target should therefore be treated as a forward-looking plan rather than completed infrastructure.

Power access will determine whether the target is reached

The scale of the proposal brings power availability, grid connections and cooling requirements into focus. Data centers consume electricity continuously, and high-density GPU clusters can require more advanced cooling than conventional computing facilities.

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NVIDIA said additional capacity could support new power-generation projects, but it did not identify specific generation assets or electricity contracts. Australian authorities and infrastructure operators will need to assess network connections, construction approvals and local environmental requirements for individual projects.

NEXTDC separately announced plans to raise A$1.1 billion through convertible notes to support its expanding AI infrastructure portfolio, Reuters reported. The financing is broader than the NVIDIA collaboration and should not be treated as funding solely for DSX facilities.

The next measurable developments will be site approvals, power agreements, construction milestones and GPU delivery schedules. NVIDIA and its partners have not published a shared timetable showing how much capacity should become operational during each stage before 2027.

NVIDIA also cautioned that its infrastructure projections remain subject to demand, partner execution, regulation and technology availability. Investors can monitor those risks through the company’s SEC filings, alongside future announcements from the eight Australian partners.

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Fake Trezor Warning Claims 25% of Devices Are Vulnerable in Latest Phishing Campaign

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Hardware wallet maker Trezor said its third-party provider was breached and warned users that an email titled “Critical Security Alert: STM32 Entropy Vulnerability” was not sent by the company but was instead a phishing attempt.

The company urged users not to click any links.

Trezor Phishing Scam

In an update on X, Trezor said it had taken down the domain and was investigating how hackers accessed its legitimate domain. The phishing message in question attempted to convince users that a serious security flaw has been found in STM32 microcontrollers used in its devices. According to the fabricated warning, STM32 microcontrollers could generate recovery phrases without enough randomness, potentially putting users’ funds at risk. The email further claims that as many as 25% of devices may be affected.

The issue may not be limited to Trezor users, according to Casa CEO and co-founder Nick Neuman. He noted that reports of similar messages have surfaced among people using the BitBox device as well.

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This isn’t the first time a third-party partner connected to Trezor has suffered a security breach. In August, the platform disclosed a similar security incident involving its logistics partner, ShipMonk, which compromised personal details tied to a large number of customers.

The exposed information included contact and delivery data. An earlier disclosure put the number of affected individuals at 13,689. However, Trezor later confirmed that roughly 67,000 additional US customers were impacted, which pushed the total to 80,689 people whose information was exposed.

Hardware Concerns

A separate security test also raised concerns about the TROPIC01 chip found in Trezor’s Safe 7 wallet. In June, Ledger’s Donjon researchers found that, with specialized equipment and physical access to a device, an attacker could interfere with the chip while it checks firmware.

The researchers used a carefully focused 1064 nm laser to trigger faults during the boot and update process. This could allow modified firmware to run. Trezor, however, said the finding does not put users’ funds at risk.

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Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has been pretty blunt about hardware wallets in the past. He had earlier said that all hardware wallets are “complete garbage” and that he wouldn’t use them for important transactions or to store funds, and suggested keeping a separate iPhone just for wallet use instead.

The post Fake Trezor Warning Claims 25% of Devices Are Vulnerable in Latest Phishing Campaign appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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Robinhood CEO rejects AMC veto over stock tokens

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Robinhood Chain launchpad Vlad.fun shuts down over internal issue

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev defended the company’s AMC stock tokens on Sept. 9, arguing that public companies should not automatically control third-party securities referencing their listed shares.

Summary

  • Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said AMC consent is unnecessary for tokens referencing publicly traded shares.
  • Robinhood describes each stock token as a debt security backed one-for-one by underlying collateral shares.
  • Token holders receive dividend adjustments but lack voting rights attached to the referenced AMC shares.
  • AMC CEO Adam Aron threatened legal and regulatory action unless Robinhood stops offering AMC tokens.
  • Robinhood has not announced how it will vote the underlying shares held as collateral yet.

Tenev made the remarks during a CNBC “Squawk Box” interview, his first televised response since the dispute with AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron escalated.

“Issuers should have control and do have control over the rights and obligations of the stock that they issue, but that doesn’t mean they control everything about it,” Tenev said. He argued that companies cannot prevent independent firms from issuing separate securities that reference publicly traded shares.

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“Issuer consent depends on what exactly you’re doing,” Tenev added. He said Robinhood’s products “should not automatically require issuer consent,” although that position has not received a public ruling from the SEC or a court.

Aron has disputed that interpretation. He argues Robinhood is using AMC’s name and share price to create a parallel financial product without the company’s involvement. The disagreement centers on whether economic exposure should be marketed as a stock token when the holder does not legally own the referenced share.

AMC stock tokens are debt securities, not shares

Tenev said each Robinhood stock token is backed one-for-one by an underlying share held as collateral. The token itself is a debt security issued by Robinhood Assets Jersey Limited rather than a share issued by AMC.

Investors receive exposure to changes in AMC’s share price and payments reflecting dividends. They do not receive voting rights and are not recorded on AMC’s shareholder register. Their legal claim is against the token issuer, not directly against AMC.

Robinhood launched its stock-token offering for European customers in June 2025 before expanding access through Robinhood Wallet. The products are unavailable to U.S. customers and are not registered under U.S. securities laws.

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The company has connected its tokenization strategy to a dedicated blockchain based on Arbitrum technology. As crypto.news reported, Robinhood Chain fees provide a revenue stream for Arbitrum while supporting tokenized assets and other financial applications.

AMC CEO threatens legal action and SEC referral

Aron initially said AMC had no connection to Robinhood’s token and did not authorize or endorse it. He later called on Robinhood to “cease and desist” trading the product and said AMC’s securities lawyers would examine possible legal action.

The AMC CEO also said the company would raise the matter with the SEC. No public lawsuit or SEC enforcement action concerning the AMC token had been identified as of Sept. 10.

Robinhood chief legal officer Dan Gallagher rejected Aron’s demand. “We know a little something about the U.S. securities laws and will not ‘DECIST,’” Gallagher wrote, referencing a spelling error in Aron’s original post. Aron later said the misspelling was intentional humor.

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Tenev subsequently reinforced Gallagher’s position by saying Robinhood stood behind its stock tokens. The company has not indicated that it plans to remove the AMC-linked product.

Voting rights and token pricing remain unresolved

Robinhood controls the underlying shares used as collateral, but Tenev said the company has not announced how those shares will be voted. This leaves an unresolved governance question because token holders receive no direct voting power.

The debate also covers price formation. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo pointed to an AMC-linked token pair that reportedly traded at roughly 60 times the reference share price. Thin liquidity and limited arbitrage routes can allow a token’s price to separate from the asset it tracks.

Robinhood says its tokens provide international investors with exposure to U.S. equities. Critics argue that products called stock tokens should either represent direct legal ownership or carry clearer descriptions explaining their debt-based structure.

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The Federal Reserve has recognized that tokenized securities can use different legal models. Its regulatory guidance distinguishes instruments representing direct ownership from separate securities referencing underlying assets.

The next formal development could come from AMC’s legal team or the SEC. Until either takes public action, Robinhood’s AMC tokens remain available to eligible international users, and Tenev’s interpretation of issuer consent remains the company’s legal position rather than a settled precedent.

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Dogecoin sinks 5% to lead majors losses, with bitcoin holding $78,000 level

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Dogecoin sinks 5% to lead majors losses, with bitcoin holding $78,000 level


Dogecoin led the losses, BNB fell about 4% and XRP 3%, with oil pushing Treasury yields to their highest since late 2023.

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US DOJ Sanctions Xinbi Scam Platform, Freezes $52M in Crypto

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Crypto Breaking News

US authorities have moved to dismantle parts of Xinbi Guarantee’s ecosystem—seizing crypto assets linked to the alleged scam marketplace and coordinating criminal and sanctions action aimed at the communications and payment infrastructure behind large-scale fraud.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said its Scam Center Strike Force seized two wallets used by Xinbi to collect vendor payments totaling about $12 million, with additional court-authorized restraints sought for 47 more wallets believed to be tied to money laundering across Xinbi’s network. Separately, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization and sanctioned technology providers SafeW Technology (Singapore) and Anwen Technology (Cambodia) over alleged support to the network.

Key takeaways

  • The DOJ action targeted both payment infrastructure (seized and restrained wallets) and the marketplace’s hosting channels, including Telegram infrastructure tied to vendors.
  • OFAC sanctions block Xinbi’s US-linked property and generally prohibit US persons from transacting with the designated entities.
  • Treasury says Xinbi shifted parts of its operations—particularly merchant and laundering workflows—toward SafeW’s encrypted messaging application after enforcement pressure increased.
  • Law enforcement is framing the case as an attempt to disrupt the broader “service layer” enabling industrial-scale scam operations, not just individual scammers.
  • TRM Labs policy head Ari Redbord argues Xinbi functioned as a large-scale “escrow and cash-out layer” in Southeast Asia’s scam markets following the fallout of earlier platforms.

Wallet seizures and expanded restraints in DOJ operation

The DOJ said that, based on a court order, its Scam Center Strike Force seized two wallets connected to Xinbi that were used to receive vendor payments. The agency also reported that it requested restraints against 47 additional wallets believed to be part of the platform’s money-laundering channels.

According to the unsealed warrant cited by the DOJ, the US District Court for the District of Columbia authorized the seizure of Telegram channels used to host and advertise the marketplace’s services on Sept. 7. The warrant describes vendors using those channels to promote money laundering services, custom scam-investment websites, and recruitment offerings tied to “scam compounds” in Southeast Asia.

This approach signals a shift in enforcement emphasis: rather than focusing solely on endpoint actors, prosecutors are targeting the operational plumbing—where scams recruit, where services are sold, and where funds move—helping make fraudulent networks more scalable.

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Sanctions on Xinbi and technology providers

In a coordinated move, the US Treasury Department announced OFAC designations for Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization. Treasury also sanctioned SafeW Technology and Anwen Technology, alleging they provided technological and financial support to Xinbi.

Treasury’s statement ties specific roles to the alleged ecosystem. It said Xinbi began moving its merchant and money-laundering networks to SafeW’s encrypted messaging application around June 2025 as scrutiny intensified. Treasury also alleged that Anwen developed XinbiPay, also referred to as NewPay—a crypto wallet and payment application used by the marketplace.

The practical effect of OFAC sanctions is straightforward: they are intended to prevent Xinbi and the designated supporting entities from accessing US property and to restrict dealings by US persons. For compliance-focused businesses—exchanges, payment processors, service providers, and other crypto-facing firms—the designations increase the compliance burden by adding more counterparties and infrastructure to screening and risk controls.

Treasury further said Xinbi processed over $24 billion in crypto and fiat since around 2022, primarily through Southeast Asia, and that its platform has been used by North Korean hackers and entities associated with the sanctioned Prince Group. Treasury linked Xinbi’s activity to broader geopolitical threat dynamics, underscoring that the scam-marketplace model intersects with sanctioned actors rather than operating in isolation.

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Why investigators are emphasizing escrow, communications, and “service layers”

US officials credited Tether with assisting in the investigation, suggesting that the inquiry involved tracing stablecoin-related flows or related compliance data as part of building the case.

The enforcement strategy also reflects a growing understanding of how industrial-scale scams operate. Large fraud networks often depend on a parallel “marketplace” that sells components: payment acceptance/escrow-like functions, tooling for converting funds into usable balances, hosting or distribution channels for recruitment and services, and templates for scam websites. By targeting wallets and Telegram hosting channels, authorities are aiming to choke both the money movement and the promotional layer that drives onboarding.

TRM Labs Global Head of Policy Ari Redbord, speaking to Cointelegraph, argued that Xinbi rose to fill a gap after Huione went down. He said Xinbi became the “go-to escrow and cash-out layer” for Southeast Asia’s scam compounds, describing it as operating “at industrial scale” and moving “more than USD 36 billion.”

That perspective matters for readers trying to interpret the enforcement: it suggests the problem is not simply a single marketplace operator, but a “layer” of services that can migrate and adapt when prior platforms are disrupted.

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Sanctions momentum and what to watch next

The latest US designations come after earlier UK sanctions against Xinbi. Cointelegraph previously reported that the UK government imposed sanctions on March 26, freezing UK assets connected to Xinbi and barring the platform from the country’s financial, trade, and travel networks.

With both the DOJ and Treasury taking action now, market participants should expect more follow-on scrutiny across crypto rails commonly used by scam networks—especially wallet infrastructure and communication channels that facilitate vendor operations and fund routing. For compliance teams, the new designations on Xinbi and the technology providers named by OFAC will likely require immediate updates to screening processes and vendor risk assessments.

Readers should watch for additional court filings tied to the restrained wallets and for further public steps that connect Telegram channel seizures to downstream service providers. Equally important is whether new “escrow/cash-out” and encrypted messaging routes emerge to replace capabilities authorities targeted in this case.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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DOJ targets Xinbi Guarantee network, restrains over $52M in crypto

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US Treasury targets Iran’s crypto sector in sanctions push

US authorities have restrained more than $52 million in cryptocurrency tied to Xinbi Guarantee and its vendor network while seizing wallets and Telegram channels used by the Chinese-language marketplace.

Summary

  • US authorities restrained more than $52 million in crypto linked to Xinbi Guarantee and its vendor network.
  • The DOJ seized two wallets holding roughly $12 million and sought restraints against another 47 wallets tied to suspected money laundering.
  • US authorities seized Telegram channels where Xinbi vendors advertised money laundering, scam websites and recruitment services for Southeast Asian scam compounds.
  • OFAC sanctioned Xinbi, SafeW Technology and Anwen Technology over their alleged roles in supporting the marketplace.

The US Department of Justice said on Sept. 9 that its Scam Center Strike Force seized two crypto wallets containing approximately $12 million and sought restraints against another 47 wallets believed to be connected to money laundering through Xinbi and vendors serving scam operators.

The two seized wallets were used by Xinbi to collect payments for vendors operating through its marketplace. Combined with the other restraints, the operation placed more than $52 million in crypto beyond the reach of Xinbi and its vendor network, according to the DOJ.

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Tether assisted investigators with the operation, the department said. The stablecoin issuer had separately frozen $39.3 million in USDT across 10 Tron addresses linked to Xinbi earlier this week, crypto.news previously reported.

US seizes Xinbi wallets and Telegram channels

Court action against Xinbi extended beyond its cryptocurrency infrastructure.

On Sept. 7, the US District Court for the District of Columbia authorized the seizure of Telegram channels hosting the marketplace. A subsequently unsealed warrant described Xinbi as a Chinese-language marketplace where vendors advertised services to operators of scam centers.

According to the DOJ, the services included laundering money stolen through wire fraud, building custom websites for fraudulent investment schemes and recruiting workers for scam compounds in Southeast Asia.

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Xinbi served as an intermediary in transactions between vendors and their customers. The marketplace held funds intended for vendors until the purchased services had been delivered, providing an escrow system for transactions arranged through the platform.

Investigators said funds belonging to US victims were traced to specific vendors that advertised money laundering services and posted cryptocurrency addresses for payments in Xinbi’s Telegram channels.

The enforcement action came after Xinbi continued operating despite previous attempts to remove its communications infrastructure. Telegram removed thousands of channels connected to Xinbi and Huione Guarantee in May 2025, but TRM Labs found that both networks began resurfacing under new channels and names soon afterward.

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Xinbi subsequently moved parts of its operation away from Telegram as scrutiny of guarantee marketplaces increased.

Treasury sanctions Xinbi Guarantee and two technology providers

Alongside the DOJ operation, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization.

OFAC described the marketplace as a service connecting transnational criminal groups and scam center operators with merchants providing technology, financial services and other products used in cybercrime.

Treasury data put the value of digital asset and fiat transactions processed through Xinbi and its associated platforms at more than $24 billion since the marketplace emerged around 2022. Much of the activity took place in Southeast Asia.

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Earlier estimates had put Xinbi’s transaction volume lower as blockchain investigators identified more addresses tied to the operation. TRM Labs estimated in February that Xinbi had processed approximately $17.9 billion since mid-2025 as activity continued despite enforcement against Telegram-based marketplaces.

OFAC said Xinbi’s platform has been used by North Korean hackers and several previously sanctioned entities, including companies linked to Cambodia’s Prince Group.

US prosecutors have accused Prince Group and its chairman, Chen Zhi, of operating a network involving crypto investment fraud, money laundering and forced-labor scam compounds. Authorities previously sought forfeiture of more than 127,000 Bitcoin connected to Chen and his associates in a case that involved one of the largest Bitcoin seizure actions pursued by US authorities.

Prince Group has denied allegations against the company.

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SafeW and Anwen sanctioned over Xinbi services

OFAC sanctioned two technology companies accused of providing services that supported Xinbi’s operations.

Singapore-based SafeW Technology developed SafeW, an encrypted messaging application that Xinbi began using for its merchant and money laundering networks around June 2025, according to the Treasury.

The move came as law enforcement attention on Xinbi increased. Users were encouraged to use SafeW to coordinate transactions between buyers and sellers, reducing the marketplace’s reliance on Telegram.

Cambodia-based Anwen Technology developed XinbiPay, which was also known as NewPay. Treasury described the product as a cryptocurrency payment and digital wallet application used by Xinbi.

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TRM Labs had previously documented Xinbi’s move toward SafeW and XinbiPay as the marketplace rebuilt its infrastructure following disruptions to Telegram channels. On-chain data reviewed by the blockchain intelligence company showed a brief drop in Xinbi activity in December 2025 before transaction flows rebounded in early 2026.

OFAC designated SafeW Technology and Anwen for materially assisting or providing financial, technological or other support to Xinbi.

The sanctions require property and interests belonging to the three designated entities that are in the United States or controlled by US persons to be blocked and reported to OFAC. Entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons are subject to the same restrictions.

Transactions involving their property are generally prohibited for US persons unless exempt or authorized by OFAC.

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Xinbi expanded after pressure on rival marketplaces

Xinbi’s development into a major guarantee marketplace accelerated as authorities and technology companies targeted other networks used by Southeast Asian scam operations.

Blockchain investigators have described guarantee marketplaces as escrow-based platforms where merchants advertise services ranging from money laundering and payment processing to stolen information and infrastructure used by online scammers.

Huione Guarantee, later known as Haowang Guarantee, had become one of the largest networks operating under the model before Telegram shut down its marketplace in May 2025.

Treasury said cybercriminals moved parts of their activity toward Xinbi after US authorities targeted Huione Pay. Xinbi continued offering similar services to an overlapping customer base.

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The UK had already targeted Xinbi on March 26, when the government sanctioned the marketplace over its alleged role in scam and money laundering operations. The restrictions froze assets connected to Xinbi in the UK and cut designated parties off from the country’s financial system.

The latest DOJ operation formed part of the Scam Center Strike Force’s campaign against networks supporting overseas scam compounds. The unit was launched in November 2025 to investigate cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking and money laundering tied to scam centers.

According to the DOJ, the Strike Force has now restrained approximately $938 million linked to scam money laundering operations.

Its work has expanded outside Southeast Asia. A Strike Force team recently spent two weeks in Madagascar assisting local authorities with the takedown of 13 scam centers allegedly operated by Chinese organized crime groups.

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Investigators helped process more than 3,200 electronic devices recovered during the operation and interviewed people among nearly 400 arrests. The DOJ said approximately 30 of those arrested were Chinese leaders of the scam compounds who were later repatriated to China by the Chinese government.

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Consensys and MetaMask to Separate Into Two Independent Companies by End of 2026

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Consensys has announced it will separate into two independent companies, MetaMask for consumer self-custodial finance and Consensys for Ethereum (ETH) protocols and institutional infrastructure, with the split expected to close by the end of 2026.

The reorganization ends a single-company structure that has held for over a decade. MetaMask takes the self-custodial wallet, which the company says has passed 100 million downloads across roughly 190 countries and facilitated trillions of dollars in cumulative transaction volume.

MetaMask Turns to Consumer Finance

The new Consensys keeps the Protocols Group, including the Linea Layer-2 network, the Besu execution client, and Teku, along with its tokenization and stablecoin work for banks and asset managers.

Joe Lubin, who co-founded Consensys, will step in full-time as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MetaMask while serving as Executive Chairman of Consensys. Mike Kriak will run Consensys as Chief Executive Officer, with David Cunningham as President.

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“MetaMask grew out of that work into the world’s most widely used self-custodial wallet, and today it’s becoming something larger: a platform where people don’t just hold their assets, but manage their money in its many diverse forms and aspects. Stepping into this role full-time is a recognition that consumer finance deserves the same focus and ambition that we’ve brought to building Ethereum itself,” Lubin noted.

The independent company will stay Ethereum-first while building out Money Account, a self-custodial account that combines automated earning, instant spending and one-click trading in a single balance.

The push follows MetaMask’s launch of its own dollar stablecoin, mUSD, issued through Stripe-owned Bridge, part of a move into everyday payments that includes a Mastercard-linked card. Lubin has also confirmed MetaMask will issue its own token, with a DAO planned to fund the wallet’s growth.

Consensys Keeps the Institutional Stack

Consensys will focus on the infrastructure banks and market operators use to move tokenized assets on-chain. Its Besu client already underpins permissioned EVM networks in traditional finance, and the firm set up the Swiss-based Linea Association to decentralize the Linea zkEVM network, which launched the LINEA token for governance.

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“Financial institutions and market infrastructure are moving to always-on operations with tokenization at the core,” said David Cunningham, President of Consensys. “Consensys Software Inc. has built the open-source technology that is the foundation of this transition.”

Citi’s June 2026 “Tokenization 2030” report, cited in the announcement, estimated that tokenized assets could reach $5.5 trillion to $8.2 trillion by 2030. Lubin said the two companies “will keep building the same ecosystem, just with the focus each market now demands.”

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Crypto wins regardless of Clarity Act vote, Coinbase's Armstrong says

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Coinbase (COIN) and Cardless unveil credit card backed by stablecoins


Coinbase CEO tells CNBC the crypto industry gets regulatory clarity whether or not the Senate passes the bill on Sept. 15.

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Barclays Sees 4% Upside for the S&P 500 on Tech Earnings Strength

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S&P 500 Year-to-Date Performance.

Barclays raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,950 from 7,800 on Wednesday, leaving roughly 4% upside from the index’s latest close.

The bank pointed to durable demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and repeated beat-and-raise results from Big Tech, which kept earnings momentum intact.

The Earnings Math Behind the New S&P 500 Target

Venu Krishna, head of US equity strategy at Barclays, lifted the firm’s 2026 earnings estimate to $365 per share from $337. The 2027 forecast moved to $414 from $389, while the 2027 index target stayed at 8,800.

Big Tech earnings grew 35% from a year earlier in the second quarter, up from 30% in the prior period. Earnings across the rest of the technology sector jumped 88%.

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Corporate earnings have also continued to beat Wall Street expectations. LSEG data showed that 86% of the 492 S&P 500 companies that reported exceeded analyst estimates. That figure stands well above the long-term average of 67.5%.

“Tech continues to deliver standout beat-to-miss ratios, with healthcare and energy also showing strength, while Real Estate and Utilities lagged,” the note read.

Krishna expects hyperscaler capital spending to pass $1.1 trillion in 2027, a 67% increase from the prior year.

“Growth is expected to moderate in 2028, though spending is still projected to rise by approximately 30%. Google and Amazon are expected to be the largest contributors, with Meta close behind,” the analyst added. 

Other major banks have also raised their year-end forecasts for the benchmark index. JPMorgan raised its year-end target to 8,000 on Monday. Furthermore, research firm CFRA now expects the index to reach 8,050.

HSBC lifted its S&P 500 target to 8,100 from 7,650 on Tuesday. The bank cited strong earnings and continued AI infrastructure spending.

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Everything Outside AI Starts to Catch Up

That concentration cuts both ways. AI stocks accounted for about 45% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization and drove nearly all of the rally.

The gap shows up in the tape. The S&P 500 closed at 7,636.36 on September 9, up 11.55% for the year.

S&P 500 Year-to-Date Performance.
S&P 500 Year-to-Date Performance. Source: Google Finance

The US 500 Excluding Artificial Intelligence Enablers Price Return Index (SPXXAI) sits at 3,197.09, a 4.48% year-to-date gain. BeInCrypto previously reported that the gauge had slipped below its February launch level while the headline index climbed.

US 500 Excluding Artificial Intelligence Enablers Price Return Index Year-to-Date Performance
US 500 Excluding Artificial Intelligence Enablers Price Return Index Year-to-Date Performance Source: Google Finance

Stocks outside the AI trade have therefore turned positive. However, they still trail the broader benchmark by roughly seven percentage points.

Barclays stayed conservative on valuations, citing doubts over how durable AI spending will prove, sticky inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and a more hawkish rate path. Strategists have flagged 2027 as the year the bet will be tested.

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Whether 7,950 arrives has less to do with the broad market than with whether the hyperscalers keep writing the checks.

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The post Barclays Sees 4% Upside for the S&P 500 on Tech Earnings Strength appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Japan’s 3% bond yield challenges U.S. Treasuries

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Japan’s 3% bond yield challenges U.S. Treasuries

BlackRock warned on Sept. 8 that rising Japanese government bond yields could weaken demand for U.S. Treasuries by giving Japanese investors more attractive returns at home.

Summary

  • Japan’s 10-year government bond yield briefly exceeded 3%, its highest level since 1996, BlackRock reported.
  • Yen-hedged 10-year Treasuries yield about 2% for Japanese investors, versus roughly 3% on domestic bonds.
  • Japan holds roughly $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, making potential capital repatriation globally relevant today.
  • BlackRock estimates a hypothetical 5% portfolio shift would redirect approximately $55 billion toward Japanese assets.
  • Markets fully price a Bank of Japan rate increase this month, according to BlackRock’s commentary.

Japan’s 10-year government bond yield briefly exceeded 3% for the first time since 1996, while its 30-year yield reached a record 4.18%.

The shift matters because Japan holds roughly $1.1 trillion of U.S. Treasury securities. Decades of low and negative domestic interest rates encouraged Japanese banks, insurers and pension funds to invest abroad. Higher Japanese yields are beginning to alter that calculation.

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Japan bond yields now compete with U.S. debt

A Japanese investor can earn approximately 3% from a 10-year Japanese government bond, according to BlackRock’s commentary. A comparable U.S. Treasury produces about 2% after the investor hedges the dollar exposure back into yen using rolling three-month currency forwards.

The comparison does not mean Japanese investors will immediately sell their foreign holdings. Hedging costs change with currency and interest-rate conditions, while institutions also consider liquidity, portfolio duration and regulatory requirements. However, the return advantage that pushed capital overseas has narrowed.

Fitch Ratings reached a similar view on Sept. 9. The rating agency said higher yields could encourage Japanese institutions to retain more capital domestically. Fitch did not forecast a broad liquidation of existing bond portfolios.

BlackRock used a hypothetical 5% shift in Japan’s Treasury holdings to illustrate the scale. Such a move would redirect about $55 billion, equal to roughly 7% of the U.S. Treasury’s expected net borrowing during the quarter. The calculation is a scenario, not a forecast of actual selling.

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Bank of Japan tightening raises repatriation risk

Japanese yields have risen as inflation, wages and yen weakness increase pressure on the Bank of Japan to tighten policy. The central bank raised its policy rate to 1% in June and left it unchanged in July.

BOJ board member Kazuyuki Masu said on Sept. 10 that the bank may need to increase rates more rapidly if inflation accelerates. A Reuters poll found economists expected a rise to 1.25% during September, followed by further tightening through 2027. Those forecasts remain subject to the BOJ’s decision.

The yen previously weakened to about ¥160 per dollar before recovering. The U.S. and Japan also conducted a coordinated yen-buying intervention, the first joint operation of its kind since 1998. A stronger yen can reduce the value of unhedged overseas assets for Japanese investors and make domestic holdings more attractive.

A weaker yen creates a different risk. Japanese authorities could sell foreign assets to finance intervention, potentially adding pressure to U.S. Treasuries. BlackRock described this as a possible feedback loop rather than a confirmed capital flow.

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Higher global yields add pressure to Bitcoin

The global bond sell-off continued into Sept. 10. The 10-year JGB yield stood near 2.91%, below its recent 3% peak, while the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield reached approximately 4.84%. The 30-year U.S. yield traded near 5.29%.

Higher government bond yields can weigh on Bitcoin and other non-yielding assets by increasing the returns available from lower-risk securities. They can also raise corporate borrowing costs and reduce liquidity available for speculative markets.

As crypto.news reported, Bitcoin faced a possible decline toward $70,000 after retreating from $82,283 and struggling to hold the $78,000–$79,000 area. That weakness coincided with rising Treasury yields, stronger oil prices and renewed inflation concerns.

Bitcoin’s reaction does not establish that Japanese yields caused its decline. Crypto prices respond to several factors, including ETF flows, leverage, dollar liquidity and investor positioning. Japan’s rate reset adds another source of competition for global capital.

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Inflation and central-bank decisions come next

U.S. consumer inflation data scheduled for Sept. 11 will shape expectations before the Federal Reserve’s Sept. 15–16 policy meeting. A stronger inflation reading could support higher U.S. yields and reinforce competition between bonds and risk assets.

Investors will then focus on the Bank of Japan’s September decision. A faster tightening cycle could push JGB yields higher and strengthen the yen, increasing incentives for Japanese institutions to hold more domestic assets.

The main indicator will be actual portfolio data rather than modelled scenarios. U.S. Treasury disclosures, Japanese institutional reports and currency-hedging costs will show whether investors are repatriating capital or merely adjusting new purchases.

BlackRock remains underweight Japanese government bonds because it expects yields to face further upward pressure. Its central argument is conditional: rising domestic returns could reduce Japanese demand for U.S. debt, but the scale and timing of any shift remain uncertain.

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