“This week we have seen some large blocks in BTC topside call spreads,” Jean-David Péquignot, chief commercial officer at Deribit, told CoinDesk.

Options flow of this size and repetition often reflects institutional positioning rather than retail activity, given the capital required and the precision of the strike selection.

The timing is notable for two reasons. First, it suggests confidence in bitcoin’s recent bounce to $64,000 from under $58,000 earlier this month. More importantly, the trade targets the July 31 settlement, two days after the Federal Reserve’s July 29 interest rate decision. The call spread flow suggests that at least some large traders expect the meeting to serve as a catalyst for a move toward $72,000.

Fed funds futures currently point to a hold at the July meeting, with most trackers putting the probability of the central bank keeping its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.5%-3.75% in the 75%-80% range. The remaining odds are split between a rate hike and, to a lesser extent, a cut.

Rate-hike fears have ebbed following June inflation data, which showed a sharp deceleration in price pressures at both the consumer and producer levels. Much of the relief traces to a sharp pullback in oil prices during the month, tied to a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran; core inflation, which strips out food and energy, was flat.

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Cybersecurity researchers are flagging a fresh wave of malware tactics aimed at people who hold, build, and advise on crypto-related software. Kaspersky, for instance, says it has discovered a new malware framework—dubbed OkoBot—that targets cryptocurrency investors by combining social engineering with data theft capabilities.

At the same time, SlowMist warns of a separate intrusion campaign that targets Web3 developers through seemingly legitimate recruitment messaging on LinkedIn, pushing victims to run poisoned code hosted on GitHub. Together, the incidents underscore how attackers are increasingly using everyday work routines—interviews, code trials, and app installs—as delivery mechanisms for malware.

Key takeaways

• OkoBot is designed to steal crypto-related data by harvesting wallet files, browser information, credentials, and injected browser or extension activity.
• Kaspersky says it has observed multiple OkoBot-linked attacks since January 2026, and that the framework evolved from an earlier campaign called TookPS.
• OkoBot’s infrastructure reportedly routes all payload delivery through an SSH tunnel, enabling remote data transport to attacker-controlled systems.
• SlowMist reports LinkedIn-based “recruiter” scams that deliver malicious GitHub repositories disguised as technical interview tasks for Web3 developers.
• The recruitment workflow mirrors legitimate developer interviews closely enough to lower suspicion, increasing the chance victims will run the malicious code.

OkoBot targets crypto holders through wallet and browser theft

In a report released this week, Kaspersky described OkoBot as a malware framework that kickstarts an infection chain using social engineering and “malicious app” delivery tactics. According to Kaspersky, the initial entry includes tricks such as ClickFix, which aims to persuade users to execute harmful commands, as well as trojanized GitHub applications that can introduce a backdoor to a compromised device.

Once a system is under attacker control, Kaspersky says OkoBot is capable of collecting sensitive information that is directly relevant to crypto ownership. The company reports that the malware can:

• Harvest cryptocurrency wallet files.
• Extract browser data and user credentials.
• Inject malicious extensions.
• Capture wallet application windows, potentially enabling theft through on-screen or session-related data.

Kaspersky also stated that it identified multiple attacks using this malware family since January 2026. For investors, the practical concern is not only that wallets could be accessed, but also that browser activity and stored authentication data can be used to move faster toward account takeovers or transfer operations.

How the infrastructure works: payload orchestration via SSH

A notable detail in Kaspersky’s analysis is that OkoBot allegedly differs from prior campaigns by how it manages its malicious payloads. Kaspersky said the framework orchestrates all 20 malicious payloads via an SSH tunnel, which supports remote transport of data from compromised computers to systems controlled by attackers.

That matters because it points to an operational model where the attacker retains strong control over follow-on stages after initial compromise. Instead of relying solely on static behavior, a tunneled architecture can help attackers adapt to victims and collect information more reliably, depending on what the malware finds on each host.

Kaspersky also described OkoBot as an evolution of TookPS, a malware campaign first identified in 2025 that distributed a Trojan downloader through fake software websites. By evolving from an earlier delivery approach and adding more coordinated payload handling, the OkoBot framework appears positioned to increase both infection success and post-compromise effectiveness.

LinkedIn recruitment scams push Web3 devs into running poisoned repositories

Separate research from SlowMist focuses on a different target set: Web3 developers. In a report published on Saturday, the firm said attackers are reaching developers through LinkedIn messages that impersonate Web3 recruiters.

SlowMist’s description of the workflow suggests attackers are deliberately choosing a high-trust, familiar entry point. After initial contact, victims are sent what appear to be fake GitHub repositories, framed as a “minimum viable product” that the developer should install and try before an interview.

The technique is effective, SlowMist argues, because it resembles a real technical interview process. The report notes that a legitimate developer workflow often involves pulling code, installing dependencies, and launching a project—steps victims naturally perform while preparing for an interview. In that environment, malicious code can be less obvious, especially if the victim does not expect a security risk from a repository “connected” to a recruiting conversation.

What attackers aim to steal from developer systems

SlowMist said the end goal is to deliver a complete remote access trojan to the victim’s device. Once established, the malware could enable attackers to steal sensitive materials associated with development and operations, including project keys, cloud credentials, or data tied to wallet extensions.

SlowMist also emphasized that the recruitment approach is part of a broader pattern: attackers are increasingly leveraging scenarios such as recruitment, code reviews, and project collaborations to trick developers into running malicious repositories. In other words, this is not only about deception, but also about timing—waiting for the moment a developer is likely to execute code as part of normal work.

Importantly, this LinkedIn-focused warning came after SlowMist reported another campaign targeting macOS users. That earlier effort, as SlowMist described it, aimed to steal credentials and hijack Telegram sessions in order to coerce victims into submitting wallet recovery phrases through fake websites. While the TTPs differ between the campaigns, both point to the same underlying threat: attackers are methodically chaining social engineering and credential theft to ultimately compromise crypto access.

Going forward, both reports suggest readers should watch for more “legitimate-looking” pathways into compromise—especially where code execution is requested via recruiters, interview workflows, or third-party repositories. For investors and developers alike, the immediate question is not only whether malware is present, but whether attackers can leverage everyday trust and authenticated sessions to reach wallet-relevant secrets quickly.

Two separate cybersecurity reports point to a growing trend in crypto-related malware: attackers are no longer relying only on obvious phishing emails. Instead, they are moving closer to the workflows people already use—recruiting pipelines, developer code trials, and wallet-related software behavior.

Kaspersky says it has uncovered a cryptocurrency-targeting malware framework dubbed “OkoBot,” which initiates an infection chain through social engineering, malicious commands, and trojanized GitHub applications. Separately, SlowMist describes a campaign aimed at Web3 developers that starts with fake LinkedIn recruitment offers and ends with poisoned repositories designed to deliver remote access.

Key takeaways

• Kaspersky links the OkoBot framework to wallet theft activity, including harvesting wallet files and capturing browser and credential data.
• OkoBot is designed to steal assets by injecting malicious browser extensions and collecting wallet application windows, Kaspersky reports.
• SlowMist warns that fake “recruitment” messages are being used to trick developers into running malicious GitHub repositories that resemble legitimate interview tasks.
• SlowMist says the campaign’s goal is to deliver a remote access trojan that can exfiltrate project keys and cloud or wallet extension data.
• Both reports emphasize social engineering paths—ClickFix-like tactics or developer-targeted collaboration scenarios—that make the attacks harder to spot.

Kaspersky: OkoBot targets crypto investors through wallet and credential theft

In a report released this week, Kaspersky describes OkoBot as a malware framework built to compromise cryptocurrency investors by chaining together multiple stages of intrusion. The first step is not purely technical; it relies on social engineering methods intended to get victims to act.

According to Kaspersky, initial access can come from tactics such as ClickFix, a technique that aims to trick users into running malicious commands. Alternatively, attackers may deliver similar outcomes by distributing trojanized GitHub apps that include backdoors once installed.

After gaining a foothold, Kaspersky says OkoBot has capabilities specifically relevant to crypto users and their systems. The malware can harvest crypto wallet files, collect browser data and user credentials, and manipulate the victim’s environment by injecting malicious extensions. It also reportedly captures wallet application windows, which can give attackers a more direct path to stolen assets than credential theft alone.

Kaspersky added that it has observed multiple attacks involving the OkoBot malware family since January 2026, suggesting the framework is not a one-off operation but part of an active campaign.

Evolution from TookPS: more orchestration, more reach

Kaspersky also frames OkoBot as an evolution of a prior threat. The company says the malware framework evolved from “TookPS,” a campaign first identified in 2025 that distributed a Trojan downloader via fake software websites. That earlier stage matters because it signals a progression in how attackers deliver and manage malicious payloads: from initial trickery and download into a more structured compromise process.

A distinctive operational detail in Kaspersky’s account is how OkoBot manages its payloads. The report states that it orchestrates all 20 malicious payloads via an SSH tunnel, allowing remote transport of data from infected computers to infrastructure controlled by attackers.

For investors and defenders, this design choice matters because it can complicate incident response. Data exfiltration over an SSH tunnel may blend with normal encrypted traffic patterns, and the multi-payload architecture suggests victims may not see a single obvious “binary” responsible for damage.

SlowMist: fake LinkedIn recruiting and “try before interview” repositories

In a separate report, SlowMist describes another approach to malware delivery: it targets Web3 developers by disguising an attack as recruitment. Rather than sending victims a generic phishing link, attackers reportedly contact developers through LinkedIn while posing as Web3 recruiters.

SlowMist says the attackers follow up with instructions to download and run code from fake GitHub repositories. The bait is framed as a realistic recruitment process: the repository is presented as a “minimum viable product” that the developer should try before the interview, which aligns closely with how technical screenings often work.

The company notes that the workflow looks and feels like a genuine interview assignment: developers are expected to pull code, install dependencies, and launch the project. That resemblance is a key factor in why the attack can be difficult to detect—there may be no obvious sign that a “try it now” task is actually weaponized.

Remote access trojan goals: keys, credentials, and extension data

According to SlowMist, the end goal of the LinkedIn-and-GitHub tactic is to deliver a complete remote access trojan onto the victim’s device. Once installed, SlowMist says attackers can steal sensitive information relevant to Web3 work, including project keys, cloud credentials, or wallet extension data.

SlowMist also emphasizes that this is not an isolated tactic. The report argues that attackers are increasingly exploiting scenarios that encourage developers to run code—such as recruitment tasks, code reviews, and project collaborations—turning normal professional behavior into an infection vector.

It is also notable that SlowMist’s write-up arrives amid a broader pattern of recent warnings. The security firm had also previously cautioned about a separate malware campaign targeting macOS users, designed to steal credentials, hijack Telegram sessions, and ultimately pressure victims into entering wallet recovery phrases via fake websites.

For readers and builders, the common thread across both reports is the same: attackers are calibrating their intrusions to the moments when people are most likely to click “run,” install, or test code—whether that happens after a recruiter message on LinkedIn or after a malicious “app” appears to be a legitimate GitHub tool. The next thing to watch is whether these campaigns expand into more standardized tooling for developers and more automation for account-level compromise, since both Kaspersky and SlowMist describe activity that looks organized and iterative rather than sporadic.

Kaspersky has exposed OkoBot, a year-old malware operation that uses roughly 20 modules to steal crypto wallet recovery phrases and has affected users across at least five countries.

Kaspersky researchers discovered that the malware has remained active for more than a year, according to a report published by Bits.media. Most identified victims were located in Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico, and Turkey, while the operators blocked IP addresses from Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

Distributed through GitHub repositories, OkoBot is disguised as legitimate software, including Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. Kaspersky found that the attackers rely on the ClickFix social engineering method, which tricks victims into running malicious commands on their own devices.

The technique often presents users with fake error messages, verification steps, or repair instructions. Following those directions causes victims to execute code that installs the malware without realizing the command is malicious.

OkoBot targets seed phrases and wallet credentials

Among OkoBot’s modules, SeedHunter displays a fake recovery interface linked to hardware wallets such as Ledger and Trezor, according to Kaspersky. When users enter their recovery phrases into the fraudulent screen, the module sends the information to the malware operators.

A second module called MC Keylogger records keyboard input and monitors clipboard activity, allowing it to capture passwords, copied wallet addresses, and other credentials. OkoSpyware can track wallet passwords and record videos of open windows, giving attackers another way to observe activity on an infected device.

Once a recovery phrase is exposed, the attackers can use it to take control of the associated wallet and move its assets. Kaspersky warned that victims have little chance of recovering stolen cryptocurrency because blockchain transfers are generally irreversible.

The malware’s modular design also lets its operators collect different types of information from a single infected system. According to the security company’s findings, OkoBot can target both wallet access data and credentials connected to other services used on the device.

ClickFix attacks have also targeted crypto developers

OkoBot is the latest malware campaign found using ClickFix against the cryptocurrency sector. As crypto.news reported in April, North Korea’s state-backed Lazarus Group used the same technique in a macOS campaign known as “Mach-O Man.”

Citing research from CertiK, the report found that Lazarus sent fake online meeting invitations to fintech and crypto executives. Victims were instructed to paste supposed repair or verification commands into the macOS Terminal, which installed malware capable of stealing cryptocurrency and corporate information.

CertiK also found that the Mach-O Man toolkit deleted itself after running, making forensic analysis more difficult. The campaign combined social engineering with terminal-level commands instead of relying only on malicious file downloads.

Developer tools have provided another route into crypto systems. In May, crypto.news reported that TrapDoor malware was distributed through poisoned software packages targeting developers in cryptocurrency, decentralized finance, artificial intelligence, and security infrastructure.

According to that report, TrapDoor sought wallet data, API keys, cloud credentials, and SSH access tied to services and ecosystems including Coinbase, Binance, MetaMask, Brave, Solana, Sui, and Aptos. Researchers also found hidden prompts designed to manipulate Claude and Cursor into running fake security scans that exposed secrets and transmitted them to the attackers.

France’s gambling regulator has ordered internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, escalating a wave of restrictions aimed at prediction platforms operating outside local authorizations.

In a Friday press release, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) said prediction websites fall under illegal gambling rules if they are not authorized, adding that advertising or promoting such sites is a criminal offense punishable by fines of up to 100,000 euros.

Key takeaways

• France’s ANJ has ordered ISPs to block Polymarket, citing lack of authorization and illegal gambling promotion risks.
• The regulator argues Polymarket’s features resemble regulated gambling, but without “protective mechanisms” found in the legal market.
• ANJ also raised concerns about possible outcome manipulation, including allegations involving weather-related contracts.
• Polymarket has already been geoblocked in multiple regions, according to its own documentation.
• Regulatory scrutiny is not limited to Europe: similar legal disputes have played out in the US between state actors and federal authorities.

France moves to block Polymarket

The ANJ’s order targets access to Polymarket through internet service providers, framing the platform as an unauthorized gambling offering. According to the regulator, Polymarket’s operations are not authorized in France, and the advertising of gambling sites without permission constitutes a criminal offense.

The decision comes as prediction markets continue to gain mainstream attention. Polymarket, in particular, has grown rapidly over the last two years, with trading volume reaching billions of dollars, even as regulators worldwide question whether its event contracts are gambling products, unlicensed offerings, or something closer to financial instruments.

France’s action also reinforces a broader pattern of country-by-country enforcement. Polymarket access has been blocked in places including Singapore, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine, Brazil, and Indonesia, while at press time Polymarket said it was geoblocked in 36 regions, based on its published API documentation.

ANJ cites “addictive” mechanics and missing safeguards

Beyond the authorization question, the ANJ’s reasoning focuses on how prediction products are experienced by users. The regulator said Polymarket offers “addictive features” that are comparable to those of legally regulated gambling, but it claims those features are “amplified by the absence of the protective mechanisms found in the legal gambling market.”

This distinction matters for investors and users because it goes to how regulators classify the product. When a platform resembles regulated gambling mechanics but lacks corresponding protections—such as consumer safeguards and oversight—authorities are more likely to pursue takedowns, advertising restrictions, and access blocking, even if the platform markets itself as a different kind of market.

Outcome manipulation concerns and investigation status

The ANJ also pointed to the risk of outcome manipulation in certain event contracts. It cited alleged rigging, including a specific example: bets tied to weather outcomes where the regulator said weather sensors may have been hacked.

“Some of the bets offered on this platform appeared to be rigged: for example, bets on the weather revealed that weather sensors may have been hacked.”

In addition, the cybercrime unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation in May 2026 and, according to the article’s account of the regulator’s findings, identified a lack of identity verification safeguards such as Know Your Customer checks.

For participants, this kind of enforcement pressure highlights a key operational fault line: regulators are not only focused on contract structure, but also on platform controls—especially around participant verification and the reliability of the information used to settle outcomes.

France builds on earlier warnings, while US regulators escalate

This is not France’s first move. Earlier coverage noted that the ANJ shared plans in November 2024 to block Polymarket after the platform allegedly failed to comply with national gambling laws, and the Friday decision follows through with the required ISP-level blocking.

The French action arrives amid an ongoing legal fight over prediction markets in the United States. On June 17, Kentucky sued five prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging they were operating unlicensed sports betting platforms—according to the earlier reporting cited in the article. Additional states have followed suit. Separately, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has sued New Mexico, arguing that state-level interference encroached on the federal regulator’s exclusive authority over federally regulated event contracts, as reflected in the referenced CFTC dispute.

Taken together, the US and France developments underscore a persistent regulatory tension: prediction markets sit at the intersection of gambling law, securities and commodities frameworks, and consumer protection rules. Even when platforms frame themselves as market infrastructure for forecasting rather than wagering, regulators appear willing to treat them as gambling-like products when participation mechanics and consumer risk resemble traditional betting.

As France implements the ISP blocking order, the next question for readers and market participants is how Polymarket and other affected platforms will adjust compliance, identity verification, and settlement-risk controls—and whether the broader trend shifts from geoblocking to more formal legal resolutions in major jurisdictions.