The top daily news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space:
- Messaging giant Line close to winning approval on crypto exchange.
- Big-name investors back New York-based blockchain startup.
- Coinbase staff, other crypto firms, targeted in cyber attack.
At the time of writing, bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) are trading at $9,751.4 (+4.8%) and $287.4 (+6.7%), respectively. As for the MVIS CryptoCompare Digital Assets 10 Index, it is currently tracking at 4,493.6 (+3.3%).
Messaging Giant Line Nears Regulatory Nod on Crypto Exchange
The company behind the most popular messaging application in Japan and Thailand, Line, is reportedly on the verge of obtaining approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency to operate its own cryptoasset exchange. Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg shared that Line may receive regulatory approval as early as this month.
If approved, the exchange – which is to be called BitMax – will allow Line’s eighty million Japanese users to buy, sell, and trade cryptoassets. Line’s own cryptoasset, Link, will serve as the native token of the not-yet-approved BitMax.
Big Names Back New York-Based Blockchain Startup
New York-headquartered startup Roll successfully closed a seed round totalling $1.7 million. The financing round featured some well-known names both inside and outside of the cryptoasset industry.
Leading the seed round was Arthur Hayes, co-founder and chief executive of the world’s largest cryptoasset derivatives trading platform, BitMEX. Among the other to participate were seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor, Gary Vaynerchuk, as well as Techstars Ventures.
According to its LinkedIn profile, Roll describes itself as “a social currency layer for the web.” Adding more colour, Roll go on to explain that its “protocol utilizes the Ethereum blockchain to issue branded social money for anyone to own, control, and coordinate the value they create across their network.”
Coinbase Staff, Other Crypto Firms Targeted in Cyber Attack
The head of Coinbase’s cyber security team, Philip Martin, recounted the fact “Coinbase detected [and] blocked an attempt by an attacker to leverage the reported 0-day, along with a separate 0-day firefox sandbox escape, to target Coinbase employees.”
Importantly, Martin went on to emphasize that Coinbase has “seen no evidence of exploitation targeting customers.” Other companies within the cryptoasset industry were also targeted in the attack, which exploited a recent Firefox zero-day, he went on to reveal.
