[News Brief] Apr 22, morning | Suspected Security Incident on the WEMIX 3.0 Network... Estimated Damage Exceeds $700,000

Suspected Security Incident on the WEMIX 3.0 Network... Estimated Damage Exceeds $700,000

According to Odaily, on-chain investigator Specter said a security incident is suspected on the WEMIX 3.0 network.

Initial monitoring suggests the possibility of an exploit targeting a vulnerability, and the amount of funds involved is estimated to exceed $700,000.

WEMIX has not yet issued an official statement regarding the suspected incident. The specific cause of the attack, the scope of the damage, and the actual amount of losses require further confirmation.

U.S. and Iran Each Respond to Pakistan-Qatar Proposal to Resume Negotiations

The United States and Iran have each expressed their positions on a proposal by Pakistan and Qatar to resume negotiations.

According to Odaily, Arab satellite broadcaster and Saudi media outlet Al Hadath reported that both countries responded to the proposal.

The proposal is seen as an effort to explore the possibility of restarting diplomatic dialogue amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump Orders U.S. Military to Halt New Strikes on Iran... Oman-Iran Weekend Agreement Also Possible

According to Odaily, Axios, citing two sources, reported that President Trump instructed the U.S. military on Friday not to carry out new strikes on Iran.

The order came after 13 consecutive days of U.S. attacks on Iran, though it remains unclear whether this is a one-off measure or signals a sustained ceasefire-like phase.

Sources said the U.S. military is still preparing contingency plans in case large-scale operations resume, but President Trump has not ordered such actions to proceed.

They also said an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday to discuss a new agreement related to the Strait of Hormuz, and that progress in negotiations could lead to an agreement between Oman and Iran over the weekend.

EU MiCA Enters Full Implementation... European Crypto Industry Expected to Shift Toward Regulation-Centered Restructuring

According to Odaily, as the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation enters full implementation, Europe’s digital asset industry is expected to move into a phase of regulation-centered restructuring.

Industry participants believe competitive differentiation will increasingly depend not only on whether a company obtains a license, but also on whether it can bear the ongoing costs of regulatory compliance. This may drive growth in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and partnerships with banks.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority is also pushing to establish a crypto regulatory framework. Once introduced, crypto firms are expected to face capital, operational, and customer asset protection requirements similar to those imposed on traditional financial institutions.

European banks may also accelerate their entry into the digital asset market. Fewer than 20% of European banks are currently known to offer crypto-related services, and MiCA is viewed as providing the legal certainty financial institutions need to enter the digital asset sector.

Industry insiders believe that if firms fail to secure a MiCA license, they may exit the European market, leading assets and customers to concentrate at firms supervised by regulators. However, self-custody and institutional custody are expected to coexist over the long term.

Asian Countries Accelerate Integration of Crypto Into the Institutional Framework... Japan Targets Bitcoin ETF by 2028

According to Wu Blockchain, in its weekly roundup of major Asian crypto news on the 26th, Japan has elevated on-chain finance to a national policy priority and is aiming to introduce a Bitcoin ETF by 2028.

It also noted that South Korea is pushing to expand institutional investor access to crypto amid declining exchange trading volumes, while Russia’s Sberbank is building crypto trading infrastructure within a regulated framework.

The Philippines and Vietnam are also working on regulatory frameworks related to stablecoins and the crypto market. These developments come as Asian countries intensify efforts to bring crypto markets into the institutional sphere.

Sberbank Plans to Launch Crypto Trading Infrastructure and Digital Custody Services Before Dec. 1

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, is preparing crypto trading infrastructure and digital custody services for the regulated financial sector.

According to Odaily, Sberbank plans to launch the related services before Dec. 1. The infrastructure is intended to support Russia’s regulated financial system.

Russia’s new rules on crypto trading, custody, and settlement will take effect on Sept. 1. Requirements for licensed intermediaries will apply starting in July 2027.

Public crypto trading in Russia will be limited to assets that meet liquidity and market capitalization standards. However, the use of crypto for domestic payments for goods and services will remain prohibited.

Cash App Eliminates Fees for Bitcoin Purchases Over $2,000 and All Recurring Bitcoin Buys

Cash App has eliminated transaction fees for Bitcoin purchases over $2,000 and for all automatic recurring Bitcoin purchases, according to Odaily.

Cash App, a payments app operated by U.S. fintech company Block, said the move is aimed at reducing the cost burden for users making regular Bitcoin purchases.

Coinbase Mentions AI Agent-Based Conditional Automated ETH Purchase Feature

According to Odaily, Coinbase said on X that users can instruct an agent, for example, to “buy ETH if ETH drops 5%.”

The feature aligns with the growing trend of conditional automation and AI agent use in crypto trading.

AFX Trade Hacker Swaps 12,467 ETH of Stolen Funds Into BTC

According to on-chain analyst Ember, the AFX Trade hacker exchanged 12,467.4 ETH for BTC.

Previously, on July 23, AFX Trade’s Arbitrum cross-chain bridge suffered a hacking attack that resulted in a loss of about 24 million USDC. The attacker is said to have subsequently bridged the stolen funds gradually from Arbitrum to Ethereum.

U.S. Authorities Seize More Than $25 Million in Crypto Linked to International Fraud Ring

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Washington Field Office of the Secret Service announced that they seized more than $25 million in cryptocurrency on July 21 through a cyber fraud task force investigation.

Prosecutors filed five civil forfeiture actions to confiscate the recovered crypto assets. The assets were identified as being linked to an international fraud ring targeting residents in the United States and Canada.

The largest case involved a romance scam affecting more than 200 victims, with losses totaling about $12.1 million. Another case involved a suspicious wallet network reported by Canadian authorities to the Secret Service, amounting to about $10.4 million.

Investigators traced more than 270 suspicious transactions connected to fake investment platforms. These two cases accounted for about 85% of the total assets subject to forfeiture.

The remaining cases involved withdrawal restrictions, fake investment accounts, and tracing proceeds from fraud. Investigators said many of the principal suspected money launderers are located in Southeast Asia and identified internet addresses linked to China, Malaysia, and Cambodia.