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Crypto Cities: Futures vs. Options in Crypto Markets

The cryptocurrency market is evolving rapidly, and with it, advanced financial instruments like futures and options have emerged as popular tools for traders seeking to maximize their investment strategies. While these derivatives allow for speculative trades and strategic risk management, they each have unique characteristics, pros and cons, and complexities that make them suitable for different types of traders. As these instruments gain popularity, especially in crypto-focused financial hubs often termed as "Crypto Cities," understanding the nuances between futures and options has become essential for modern investors.

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the mechanisms behind futures and options, their applications in cryptocurrency markets, and which scenarios favor each instrument. Whether you are looking to leverage a small investment into potentially higher returns or hedge your existing crypto holdings, this guide will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of futures and options and how they fit into the ever-expanding landscape of crypto trading.

What Are Futures in the Crypto Market?

Definition and Mechanism

Crypto futures are financial contracts obligating the buyer to purchase (or the seller to sell) a specific cryptocurrency at a predetermined price at a specified future date. Unlike spot markets, where transactions are settled instantly, futures allow traders to speculate on the future price movement of a cryptocurrency without owning the underlying asset.

Key Features of Crypto Futures

  • Leverage: Futures contracts allow traders to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital by using leverage. However, this amplifies both gains and losses.
  • Settlement Date: Futures have an expiration or settlement date, which defines when the contract must be fulfilled or closed.
  • Market Liquidity: Futures often have high liquidity, particularly for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Pros and Cons of Futures

  • Pros:
    • High potential for returns with leveraged positions.
    • Flexibility to profit from both rising and falling markets.
    • No need to own the underlying cryptocurrency.
  • Cons:
    • Elevated risk due to leverage, which can lead to significant losses.
    • Expiry dates require positions to be managed actively.
    • Complex for beginners without financial background or trading experience.

What Are Options in the Crypto Market?

Definition and Mechanism

Crypto options give traders the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) a cryptocurrency at a specified price on or before a certain date. This characteristic provides a flexible way to speculate on price movement or hedge against potential losses.

Key Features of Crypto Options

  • Premium: To acquire an option, traders pay a premium, which is the upfront cost of the contract.
  • Expiration Date: Like futures, options also have an expiration date, after which the option becomes invalid.
  • Limited Risk for Buyers: The maximum loss for an option buyer is limited to the premium paid, whereas sellers face potentially unlimited losses.

Pros and Cons of Options

  • Pros:
    • Lower initial cost since only the premium needs to be paid.
    • Limited risk for option buyers.
    • Flexibility to hedge against price volatility.
  • Cons:
    • Options pricing can be complex, involving factors like volatility and time decay.
    • Potential for unlimited losses for option sellers.
    • Premiums can reduce profitability if the market doesn’t move in the anticipated direction.

Futures vs. Options: Key Differences

Obligation vs. Right

  • Futures: With futures, both buyer and seller are obligated to fulfill the contract at expiration.
  • Options: Options buyers are not obligated to exercise the contract. They can choose to let it expire if it’s unprofitable, minimizing potential losses to the premium paid.

Risk Exposure

  • Futures: Leverage can amplify profits and losses, meaning traders can lose more than their initial investment.
  • Options: Options buyers face limited risk, making it an appealing choice for conservative traders.

Expiration and Liquidity

  • Futures: Have higher liquidity and are generally easier to enter and exit.
  • Options: Can have less liquidity, particularly in crypto markets, making them more suitable for specific trading strategies.

Use Cases: When to Use Futures vs. Options

Trading Speculation

Futures are highly suited for short-term speculation, particularly when a trader has strong expectations about the direction of the market. By leveraging positions, traders can make the most of price fluctuations in the crypto market.

Options, on the other hand, are often used for strategies that benefit from volatility. Traders might buy options when they anticipate significant movement in either direction but are uncertain of which way it will go.

Hedging and Risk Management

Options are commonly used as a hedging tool because they provide a means to protect an investment from adverse price movements while only risking the premium. For instance, a crypto investor holding Bitcoin may purchase a put option to limit potential losses.

Futures, while also used for hedging, involve more risk due to their obligatory nature and leverage. They may be preferable for institutional traders or seasoned investors with significant exposure in the crypto market.

Crypto Cities and the Future of Derivative Trading

In emerging "Crypto Cities" like Miami, Singapore, and Dubai, crypto derivatives trading has become more accessible due to regulatory advancements and sophisticated trading infrastructure. These hubs promote financial innovation, supporting platforms that offer both futures and options trading with advanced risk management features. Leveraging tools like quantum ai can enhance trading analysis in these markets, allowing traders to make data-driven decisions and better manage the complexities of futures and options.

FAQ: Futures vs. Options in Crypto Markets

What are the main differences between futures and options in crypto?

Futures require an obligation to buy or sell at a set date, while options provide the right but not the obligation to execute the trade. This distinction gives options more flexibility.

Are futures riskier than options?

Yes, futures are generally riskier due to leverage and the obligation to settle the contract, while options limit the buyer’s risk to the premium paid.

Can I use both futures and options in crypto trading?

Yes, using both allows traders to diversify their strategies, speculating with futures while hedging with options.

Which is better for short-term trading, futures or options?

Futures are often better for short-term speculation due to their high liquidity and leverage.

What is the role of quantum ai in trading futures and options?

Quantum ai assists traders by analyzing vast amounts of data to identify trends and make data-driven trading decisions, helping to navigate the complexities of derivatives.

Do all exchanges offer futures and options trading?

No, only certain exchanges offer both. It’s essential to choose a reputable exchange that supports these derivatives and offers tools for risk management.

How does leverage work in futures trading?

Leverage allows traders to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital. However, it also increases the potential for losses.

What factors affect options pricing?

Options pricing is influenced by the underlying asset’s price, volatility, time to expiration, and the strike price.

Can options expire worthless?

Yes, if an option is out of the money at expiration, it becomes worthless, and the buyer loses the premium.

Is it possible to hedge with both futures and options?

Yes, futures can be used for directional hedging, while options provide flexibility to hedge against volatility and risk.

Conclusion

In the dynamic landscape of cryptocurrency trading, understanding the differences between futures and options is vital for traders looking to maximize their strategies and manage risk. While futures offer a straightforward, leveraged approach to capitalize on price movements, options provide flexibility and limited risk exposure, making them suitable for cautious investors and complex trading strategies.

By integrating advanced tools like quantum ai into trading strategies, investors can gain insights into market trends and optimize their decision-making process. Whether operating in a traditional market or an emerging Crypto City, being informed about futures and options can enhance trading outcomes and provide a competitive edge in the crypto market.

This article was written by FL Contributors at www.forexlive.com.




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The Benefits of Accepting Crypto Payments for Forex Brokers

Cryptocurrency payments have made financial transactions faster and safer. Forex brokers that integrate a cryptocurrency payment gateway can provide these advantages and more for their users. Crypto payment integration results in real-time transaction settlement, lower fees, and improved fraud prevention. These benefits increase forex brokers' operational efficiency, help them attract a global clientele, and remove geographical barriers. To grow and scale as a broker in this dynamic era, blockchain technology must be applied strategically to increase a business’s competitive edge, and drive scalability. Discover how accepting crypto payments can improve your forex brokerage business in this article.

Increased Global Reach

Forex brokers can expand their global reach by integrating a cryptocurrency payment gateway. Research by Oxprocessing and B2Broker shows that forex brokers saw a 20-30% increase in their client base when they started accepting cryptocurrency payments.

The rising forex broker client base after crypto adoption stems from the popularity and user realization of the benefits of crypto like real-time transaction settlement, unlike banks. The lower fees, flexibility, and additional security also attract many users as we shall see subsequently.

Accepting crypto through payment gateway solutions like Onchainpay.io connects a forex broker and its customers with the innovation and flexibility offered by decentralized finance. Crypto payment gateway integration is crucial in expanding and getting a bigger global customer market share.

Improved User Security

Integrating a proven and transparent cryptocurrency payment gateway like Onchainpay.io which uses two-factor authentication, permissioned API access, and real blockchain addresses to secure user funds offers all the advantages.

Advanced encryption and decentralized verification through blockchain technology ensure secure transactions and minimize fraud. No one can alter blockchain transactions as they are recorded on a public ledger that is almost impossible to counterfeit.

Transactions are traceable and secure onchain, increasing user confidence in the forex brokers who adopt crypto payments. With crypto payment, transactions occur in simple sends or receives between wallet addresses without intermediaries that can delay the process. By adopting crypto payment forex brokers can establish user trust and stand out from the competition.

Transaction Speed and Overall Efficiency

Real-time payment settlement is a game changer for forex brokers. Payment gateway comparison experts Crypto Payment Gateways note that while the average traditional payment processing time takes 7-14 days, cryptocurrency payments settle in a few seconds to a few minutes.

Crypto payments increase speed, boost operational efficiency, and drive forex broker customer satisfaction by providing quick access to funds. Lower transaction fees from crypto payment integration lead to massive cost savings. Forex brokers can operate more efficiently, save customer time, and remain at the forefront of innovation by integrating state-of-the-art crypto payment processing solutions like Onchainpay.io.

Affordable Fees

Analysis from Blockdata shows that cryptocurrency payments can cut transaction costs by 70% compared to traditional methods. Paying with known methods like credit cards often incurs 1.5% to 3.5% in transaction fees. Cryptocurrency transactions using payment methods like Bitcoin cost about 0.01%-1%.

Reduced transaction cost presents a business advantage for brokers who can also attract customers seeking affordable trading options. With blockchain technology forex brokers can offer real-time and competitive transaction costs as a strategic move to increase overall user experience.

Seamless Cross-Border Payment Processing

Decentralized finance offers direct and seamless cross-border payment settlement with lower fees and zero delays. Through digital currency payment integration, forex brokers can attract a global user base interested in innovation and opportunities in decentralized finance. Crypto payment integration makes cross-border transactions more efficient with no intermediary and additional security. With it, forex brokers can enjoy frictionless cross-border payment processing and devote more time to expanding other aspects of their business.

Easy Scalability

From declined card transactions to restricted regions, the limitations of traditional payment systems impact forex brokers’ ability to scale. Brokers can tap into the global market and attract clients across the globe by adopting crypto payment solutions. The flexibility of crypto integration also helps brokers build adaptable business models and solutions that serve their client base perfectly. These benefits coupled with cost savings and instant settlement mentioned before improve brokerage efficiency and user satisfaction helping forex brokers grow their business beyond expectations.

User Satisfaction and Competitive Edge

Crypto Wallet

Self-custody wallets are a huge advantage for crypto users. Imagine the ability to own and control 100% of your assets. Crypto wallets make this possible and withdrawing forex profit into self-custodial crypto wallets is a dream for most participants in the financial market today. Crypto wallets are a convenient option that improves customer satisfaction. Hence brokers who accept crypto win more customers and stand out from the crowd of available options.

Crypto Adoption

Through crypto payment and transaction settlement integration, forex brokers can get along with the current trend and preference for digital assets. A report released by Fxleaders notes that traders and investors are ahead of the pack in the rapid race toward cryptocurrency adoption which has already attracted over 300 million users globally.

Profit Withdrawal and Deposit

The last thing traders want after the close shave of almost getting drowned due to market volatility is waiting forever to withdraw. Instant settlement cryptocurrency payment gateways like Onchainpay.io provide an excellent payment processing solution for instant deposits and withdrawals. With real-time secure payments on Onchainpay.io, users enjoy a better experience while the forex broker competes favorably among the available alternatives.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are self-executing codes on the blockchain designed to streamline user experience. They ensure secure transactions as they cannot be altered once deployed, and are transparently verifiable onchain. Recurring payment solutions on Onchainpay.io, for example, are powered by a series of secure smart contracts and can also be helpful in automated withdrawals for trader’s discipline and plan.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrency payments save time lower cost and offer competitive advantages to forex brokers. It enables instant settlement of cross-border transactions and enhances user experience with a range of options such as self-custody which gives users complete control over their assets. Onchainpay.io’s cryptocurrency payment gateway and merchant solution are designed to help brokers provide secure, flexible, and reliable crypto withdrawals and deposit options for their customers. Onchainpay is simple to integrate and works perfectly with almost all known payment setups. With customizability, segregated payments, and automatic settlements Onchainpay.io is the best thing since sliced bread for forex broker payment.

This article was written by FL Contributors at www.forexlive.com.




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The Intersection of Crypto and 3D Printing: A Technological Convergence Redefining Innovation

Convergence: Crypto and 3D Printing The convergence of cryptocurrency and 3D printing represents a natural evolution driven by the shared principles of decentralization, democratization, and innovation. Several key areas illustrate how these technologies are complementing each other: Digital Ownership with




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The Triumvirate of Innovation: How AI, Crypto, and 3D Printing are Reshaping Industries

In the landscape of technological advancement, the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, and 3D printing is forging new frontiers and redefining the way we approach innovation. Individually, each of these technologies has already made significant strides in their respective




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QSTR-USSD - Low resource requirement, quantum resistant, encryption of USSD messages for use in financial services

QSTR-USSD - Low resource requirement, quantum resistant, encryption of USSD messages for use in financial services




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XSTR.ibc-cd - Guidelines for identity-based cryptosystems used for cross-domain secure communications

XSTR.ibc-cd - Guidelines for identity-based cryptosystems used for cross-domain secure communications




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[ X.894 (10/18) ] - Information technology - Generic applications of ASN.1: Cryptographic message syntax

Information technology - Generic applications of ASN.1: Cryptographic message syntax





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Biden blocks Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from land ownership near Wyoming missile base

President Joe Biden on Monday issued an order blocking a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining firm from owning land near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, calling its proximity to the base a “national security risk.” The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. It also forces the removal of certain equipment owned by MineOne Partners Ltd., a firm that is partly owned by the Chinese state. The move was made in coordination with the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

The post Biden blocks Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from land ownership near Wyoming missile base first appeared on Federal News Network.




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Could Cardano’s 'green' cryptocurrency ADA take over Bitcoin and Ethereum?

Could Cardano’s 'green' cryptocurrency ADA take over Bitcoin and Ethereum?




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Here’s the paper no one read before declaring the demise of modern cryptography

The advance was incremental at best. So why did so many think it was a breakthrough?




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Security Shortfalls Exposed in End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Storage Providers

A recent study critically examines the security of popular end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage providers, uncovering significant vulnerabilities in platforms widely marketed for their user-controlled privacy features.




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FTX sues Binance for $1.76B in battle of crypto exchanges founded by convicts

Lawsuit seeks "at least $1.76 billion that was fraudulently transferred" by SBF.





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Device Encryption (24H2)

Windows 11 includes a full-disk encryption feature called Device encryption that protects the data on your system drive. Device encryption uses Microsoft BitLocker technologies, and it's enabled automatically the first time you sign in to Windows 11 using a Microsoft account (or Microsoft Work or school account).
Technically speaking, Device encryption does not encrypt your entire system disk, which is divided into different logical volumes or partitions. Instead, it encrypts the C: drive, which is the volume that contains Windows and other system files. (This drive is often referred to as the system disk.) Any other volumes on this disk will not be encrypted (nor visible normally while using Windows 11).
If you sign in to Windows 11 with a local account, Device encryption will be enabled automatically but not activated (or, fully enabled). If you are using Windows 11 Home, you can only activate Device encryption by signing in to Windows (at least once) with a Microsoft account.
With Windows 11 Pro, you can use the BitLocker control panel, described later in this chapter, to activate Device encryption.
For the most part, Device encryption is seamless and not something you will notice. But it is important to understand that any files that you copy or move to an encrypted disk are encrypted during the copy/move process. Likewise, any files that you copy or move from an encrypted disk are decrypted during that process as well. Decrypted files can be read or used by anyone, on any PC.
When enabled, Device encryption also provides some additional functionality to the system disk on which Windows is installed. For example, when the PC boots, it will examine the integrity of the system to ensure that nothing suspicious has happened to the PC's firmware or startup files. If an issue is found, you'll be prompted to provide the recovery key, which was saved to your Microsoft account (or Work and school account) in the form of a very lengthy text-based password. (This is discussed below.)
Manage device encryption
Device encryption doesn't offer much in the way of management: This feature is enabled for you automatically when you sign in to Windows 11 using a Microsoft account. However, you can ensure that device encryption is enabled and even disable this feature--which we do not recommend--using the Settings app.

To do so, open Settings (WINKEY + I) and navigate to Privacy & security > Device encryption.

If you just signed in to Windows 11 for the first time, you may see an "Encryption is in progress" message at the top of this Settings page. That message will disappear when Windows 11 finishes encrypting the system disk.
Here, you will find a toggle for device encryption and links to "BitLocker drive encryption" and "Find your BitLocker recovery key," the latter of which launches your default web browser and displays an informational website.
If you are using Windows 11 Pro, the "BitLocker drive encryption" link will open the Bi...

The post Device Encryption (24H2) appeared first on Thurrott.com.




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How to Encrypt an External Disk on macOS

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to encrypt an external disk on macOS for improved security of the disk's contents.

To encrypt a disk formatted as Apple File System, (APFS) connect it to your Mac, focus on it on the Desktop or Finder sidebar, and choose "Encrypt [disk name]" from the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M). You'll then be prompted to create a password for the disk, which will be required to access its contents. As this password is the only way to access the disk's contents, it should be reasonably difficult for others to guess, but easy enough for you to remember.

The next time you connect the disk to your Mac, you'll be prompted for this password, and given the option to remember it in your Mac's Login keychain. This way, you won't need to enter the password when connecting the disk to your Mac, but others will if connecting the disk to theirs. Saved passwords in your Mac's Login keychain can be viewed and edited in Keychain Access (located in the Utilities folder).

If the disk you want to encrypt uses a different file system, like Mac OS Extended or XFAT, you must erase and reformat it as APFS. Note that this process will erase all data on the disk, so be sure to move anything you want to keep to another location before doing so. To erase and reformat a disk:

  1. Open Disk Utility (located in the Utilities folder) and choose View > Show all devices (or press Command-2).
  2. Select the top level of the external disk in the table and choose Edit > Erase (or press Command-Shift-E). If you’re unsure of what disk is what, you may wish to disconnect other external disks to avoid inadvertently erasing the wrong one.
  3. In the resulting dialog, give the disk a name and choose “APFS (Encrypted),” from the format popup menu.
  4. Enter the password you want to encrypt the disk with, click Choose, and then click Erase to begin the process.

Note: APFS-formatted Disks are not natively compatible with non-Apple platforms like Windows or Linux. To use an APFS-formatted disk with a non-Apple platform, use something like APFS for Windows, or APFS for Linux.




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Cryptocurrency's power players spent big on the election. Will it pay off?

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Punchbowl News reporter Brendan Pedersen about the cryptocurrency industry's heavy spending on the 2024 campaign and what it could mean for crypto regulation.




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De 5 belangrijkste cryptovaluta-trends voor 2025

Record levels all over. Van gebruik tot eigenaren, van politieke aandacht tot prijzen. Cryptovaluta laten op talloze vlakken een mooie groei zien. In dit artikel duik ik in de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen die ik het komende jaar verwacht. Voor veel mensen zijn de afgelopen maanden heel saai geweest in de wondere wereld van cryptovaluta. Een ‘Banana […]




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Bitcoin neared $90,000 in a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally

As money continues to pour into crypto following Donald Trump’s victory last week, bitcoin has climbed to yet another record high.




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US seeks to recover crypto linked to Sam Bankman-Fried’s alleged China bribe

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the…




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Trump Plans To Strengthen Crypto Policy With Dedicated Advisor And Presidential Council | Bitcoinist.com

President-elect Donald Trump is poised to reshape the US government’s approach to crypto, actively seeking candidates with industry-friendly views for key regulatory positions. According to the Washington Post, as part of his strategy to establish the United States as the “crypto capital of the…




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Crypto Bull Market Arrives: Analysts Say 'Buy Everything You Can'




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UK fintech firm Revolut expands crypto exchange to 30 new markets in Europe

Revolut, which claims to have over 45 million customers globally, launched Revolut X as its stand-alone exchange in the UK earlier this year.




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North Korean Hackers Target Crypto Firms with Hidden Risk Malware on macOS

A threat actor with ties to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been observed targeting cryptocurrency-related businesses with a multi-stage malware capable of infecting Apple macOS devices. Cybersecurity company SentinelOne, which dubbed the campaign Hidden Risk, attributed it with high confidence to BlueNoroff, which has been previously linked to malware families such as




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Bitcoin Fog Founder Sentenced to 12 Years for Cryptocurrency Money Laundering

The 36-year-old founder of the Bitcoin Fog cryptocurrency mixer has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for facilitating money laundering activities between 2011 and 2021. Roman Sterlingov, a dual Russian-Swedish national, pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business earlier this March. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ)




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Yet another danger of cryptocurrencies ...




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Which of the World’s Stars Invested in Cryptocurrencies and What Happened to Them?

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not only of interest on Wall Street. Who among the stars of show business and sports has already invested in digital assets and who promotes them? Bitcoin and altcoins have long ceased to be the domain of technologists and venture capitalists from California. In addition to the Forbes list and ... Read more

The post Which of the World’s Stars Invested in Cryptocurrencies and What Happened to Them? appeared first on Star Two.





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News24 Business | Encrypted 'Ghost' app used by criminals across the world: What we know

Police revealed Tuesday they had infiltrated and taken down an encrypted chat app called Ghost used by criminals across the world.




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Newsroom: 34 Million US Adults Own Cryptocurrency

3.6 million will pay with crypto in US; payment value to spike 70% in 2022   April 20, 2022 (New York, NY) – Cryptocurrency usage will continue its meteoric rise, […]




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The Arg-293 of Cryptochrome1 is responsible for the allosteric regulation of CLOCK-CRY1 binding in circadian rhythm [Computational Biology]

Mammalian circadian clocks are driven by transcription/translation feedback loops composed of positive transcriptional activators (BMAL1 and CLOCK) and negative repressors (CRYPTOCHROMEs (CRYs) and PERIODs (PERs)). CRYs, in complex with PERs, bind to the BMAL1/CLOCK complex and repress E-box–driven transcription of clock-associated genes. There are two individual CRYs, with CRY1 exhibiting higher affinity to the BMAL1/CLOCK complex than CRY2. It is known that this differential binding is regulated by a dynamic serine-rich loop adjacent to the secondary pocket of both CRYs, but the underlying features controlling loop dynamics are not known. Here we report that allosteric regulation of the serine-rich loop is mediated by Arg-293 of CRY1, identified as a rare CRY1 SNP in the Ensembl and 1000 Genomes databases. The p.Arg293His CRY1 variant caused a shortened circadian period in a Cry1−/−Cry2−/− double knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line. Moreover, the variant displayed reduced repressor activity on BMAL1/CLOCK driven transcription, which is explained by reduced affinity to BMAL1/CLOCK in the absence of PER2 compared with CRY1. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the p.Arg293His CRY1 variant altered a communication pathway between Arg-293 and the serine loop by reducing its dynamicity. Collectively, this study provides direct evidence that allosterism in CRY1 is critical for the regulation of circadian rhythm.




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NIST Issues Post Quantum Cryptography Standards and Calls for their Adoption

After much anticipation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued its first Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards today. They are intended to defeat efforts by quantum computers powerful […]

The post NIST Issues Post Quantum Cryptography Standards and Calls for their Adoption appeared first on HPCwire.




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Decoding the National Cryptologic Museum

The CIA burglar who went rogue: http://j.mp/UpJtCJ Using the Enigma and the Sigaba, world powers encrypted their messages in hopes of catching their opponents by surprise.




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Body found in Montreal nature park was that of kidnapped cryptocurrency influencer, police say

Quebec provincial police have confirmed that the body found in a Montreal nature park on Oct. 30 was that of kidnapping victim and cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.



  • News/Canada/Montreal

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Product Modification Summary: Amendments to Final Settlement and Payment Dates of All Cryptocurrency Futures and Options - Effective November 25, 2024




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North Korean hackers use infected crypto apps to target Macs

North Korean hackers have disguised malware in seemingly harmless macOS apps using sophisticated code to bypass security checks and target unsuspecting users.


Malware apps continue to target Mac users

In a recent discovery, researchers at Jamf Threat Labs uncovered malware embedded in macOS apps that look harmless on the surface. Using the popular app-building tool Flutter, cybercriminals made apps that slipped through typical security measures.

Flutter, developed by Google, has become a favorite tool for creating apps that work seamlessly across macOS, iOS, and Android. Its codebase allows developers to build an app once and have it look consistent across all platforms.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums




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News24 Business | Bitcoin breaks $81 000 as Trump's election turbocharges cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin soared to a record high above $81 000 on Monday on expectations that cryptocurrencies will boom in a favourable regulatory environment following the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and pro-crypto candidates to




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Former NBA Player Kyle Singler's Cryptic Instagram Videos Raise Concerns

Kyle Singler's videos have left the NBA fraternity concerned with many of his former teammates offering support.




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Crypto Price Today: Bitcoin Hits New All Time High of $81,000, Market Highly Volatile

The overall crypto market grew by 1.42 percent in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin was joined by Dogecoin, Cardano, Ripple, and Tron on the profit-making side of the crypto charts on Monday, November 11.




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Bitget Crypto Wallet and Foresight Ventures Invest $20 Million in Telegram Mini Apps

Bitget Wallet and Foresight Ventures have collaborated to invest $20 million (roughly Rs. 168 crore) in Telegram, aiming to accelerate the growth of its Mini Apps initiative, as announced on Monday, November 11.




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Cryptocurrency Mixer Bitcoin Fog Convicted of Crypto Money Laundering

Prosecutors said Bitcoin Fog processed more than $400 million in untraceable transactions, including $78 million involving known darknet markets. Defense lawyer Tor Ekeland called the verdict “disappointing” and said they will appeal.




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Bitcoin Price Nears $90,000 After US President-Elect Donald Trump's Victory: What's Fuelling the Optimism Around Crypto

Bitcoin created its third all-time high in the past week, surging past $89,900 (roughly Rs. 75.9 lakh) in the last 24 hours, amid an ongoing surge spurred by Donald Trump's victory in the recently concluded US Presidential elections.  Here's why investors are optimistic about US President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025.




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Crypto Price Today: Micro Losses Strike BTC, ETH Leaving Altcoins Turbulent

The overall crypto market cap tumbled by 4.12 percent over the last day due to market fluctuations. Bitcoin and Ether both registered losses on Wednesday. Tether, Solana, and Tron also saw registered losses alongside BTC and ETH. Ripple and Tron saw losses. 




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Cryptocurrency: Maybe It Isn't So Cool Any More

Crypto may not work long-term as a currency, thanks to volatility and fraud concern issues. But the blockchain technology on which it relies might be here to stay




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Partial Header Encryption in Integrity and Data Encryption for PCIe

Cadence PCIe/CXL VIP support for Partial Header Encryption in Integrity and Data Encryption.(read more)




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Randomization considerations for PCIe Integrity and Data Encryption Verification Challenges

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is a high-speed interface standard widely used for connecting processors, memory, and peripherals. With the increasing reliance on PCIe to handle sensitive data and critical high-speed data transfer, ensuring data integrity and encryption during verification is the most essential goal. As we know, in the field of verification, randomization is a key technique that drives robust PCIe verification. It introduces unpredictability to simulate real-world conditions and uncover hidden bugs from the design. This blog examines the significance of randomization in PCIe IDE verification, focusing on how it ensures data integrity and encryption reliability, while also highlighting the unique challenges it presents. For more relevant details and understanding on PCIe IDE you can refer to Introducing PCIe's Integrity and Data Encryption Feature . The Importance of Data Integrity and Data Encryption in PCIe Devices Data Integrity : Ensures that the transmitted data arrives unchanged from source to destination. Even minor corruption in data packets can compromise system reliability, making integrity a critical aspect of PCIe verification. Data Encryption : Protects sensitive data from unauthorized access during transmission. Encryption in PCIe follows a standard to secure information while operating at high speeds. Maintaining both data integrity and data encryption at PCIe’s high-speed data transfer rate of 64GT/s in PCIe 6.0 and 128GT/s in PCIe 7.0 is essential for all end point devices. However, validating these mechanisms requires comprehensive testing and verification methodologies, which is where randomization plays a very crucial role. You can refer to Why IDE Security Technology for PCIe and CXL? for more details on this. Randomization in PCIe Verification Randomization refers to the generation of test scenarios with unpredictable inputs and conditions to expose corner cases. In PCIe verification, this technique helps us to ensure that all possible behaviors are tested, including rare or unexpected situations that could cause data corruption or encryption failures that may cause serious hindrances later. So, for PCIe IDE verification, we are considering the randomization that helps us verify behavior more efficiently. Randomization for Data Integrity Verification Here are some approaches of randomized verifications that mimic real-world traffic conditions, uncovering subtle integrity issues that might not surface in normal verification methods. 1. Randomized Packet Injection: This technique randomized data packets and injected into the communication stream between devices. Here we Inject random, malformed, or out-of-sequence packets into the PCIe link and mix valid and invalid IDE-encrypted packets to check the system’s ability to detect and reject unauthorized or invalid packets. Checking if encryption/decryption occurs correctly across packets. On verifying, we check if the system logs proper errors or alerts when encountering invalid packets. It ensures coverage of different data paths and robust protocol check. This technique helps assess the resilience of the IDE feature in PCIe in below terms: (i) Data corruption: Detecting if the system can maintain data integrity. (ii) Encryption failures: Testing the robustness of the encryption under random data injection. (iii) Packet ordering errors: Ensuring reordering does not affect data delivery. 2. Random Errors and Fault Injection: It involves simulating random bit flips, PCRC errors, or protocol violations to help validate the robustness of error detection and correction mechanisms of PCIe. These techniques help assess how well the PCIe IDE implementation: (i) Detects and responds to unexpected errors. (ii) Maintains secure communication under stress. (iii) Follows the PCIe error recovery and reporting mechanisms (AER – Advanced Error Reporting). (iv) Ensures encryption and decryption states stay synchronized across endpoints. 3. Traffic Pattern Randomization: Randomizing the sequence, size, and timing of data packets helps test how the device maintains data integrity under heavy, unpredictable traffic loads. Randomization for Data Encryption Verification Encryption adds complexity to verification, as encrypted data streams are not readable for traditional checks. Randomization becomes essential to test how encryption behaves under different scenarios. Randomization in data encryption verification ensures that vulnerabilities, such as key reuse or predictable patterns, are identified and mitigated. 1. Random Encryption Keys and Payloads: Randomly varying keys and payloads help validate the correctness of encryption without hardcoding assumptions. This ensures that encryption logic behaves correctly across all possible inputs. 2. Randomized Initialization Vectors (IVs): Many encryption protocols require a unique IV for each transaction. Randomized IVs ensure that encryption does not repeat patterns. To understand the IDE Key management flow, we can follow the below diagram that illustrates a detailed example key programming flow using the IDE_KM protocol. Figure 1: IDE_KM Example As Figure 1 shows, the functionality of the IDE_KM protocol involves Start of IDE_KM Session, Device Capability Discovery, Key Request from the Host, Key Programming to PCIe Device, and Key Acknowledgment. First, the Host starts the IDE_KM session by detecting the presence of the PCIe devices; if the device supports the IDE protocol, the system continues with the key programming process. Then a query occurs to discover the device’s encryption capabilities; it ensures whether the device supports dynamic key updates or static keys. Then the host sends a request to the Key Management Entity to obtain a key suitable for the devices. Once the key is obtained, the host programs the key into the IDE Controller on the PCIe endpoint. Both the host and the device now share the same key to encrypt and authenticate traffic. The device acknowledges that it has received and successfully installed the encryption key and the acknowledgment message is sent back to the host. Once both the host and the PCIe endpoint are configured with the key, a secure communication channel is established. From this point, all data transmitted over the PCIe link is encrypted to maintain confidentiality and integrity. IDE_KM plays a crucial role in distributing keys in a secure manner and maintaining encryption and integrity for PCIe transactions. This key programming flow ensures that a secure communication channel is established between the host and the PCIe device. Hence, the Randomized key approach ensures that the encryption does not repeat patterns. 3. Randomization PHE: Partial Header Encryption (PHE) is an additional mechanism added to Integrity and Data Encryption (IDE) in PCIe 6.0. PHE validation using a variety of traffic; incorporating randomization in APIs provided for validating PHE feature can add more robust Encryption to the data. Partial Header Encryption in Integrity and Data Encryption for PCIe has more detailed information on this. Figure 2: High-Level Flow for Partial Header Encryption 4. Randomization on IDE Address Association Register values: IDE Address Association Register 1/2/3 are supposed to be configured considering the memory address range of IDE partner ports. The fields of IDE address registers are split multiple values such as Memory Base Lower, Memory Limit Lower, Memory Base Upper, and Memory Limit Upper. IDE implementation can have multiple register blocks considering addresses with 32 or 64, different registers sizes, 0-255 selective streams, 0-15 address blocks, etc. This Randomization verification can help verify all the corner cases. Please refer to Figure 2. Figure 3: IDE Address Association Register 5. Random Faults During Encryption: Injecting random faults (e.g., dropped packets or timing mismatches) ensures the system can handle disruptions and prevent data leakage. Challenges of IDE Randomization and its Solution Randomization introduces a vast number of scenarios, making it computationally intensive to simulate every possibility. Constrained randomization limits random inputs to valid ranges while still covering edge cases. Again, using coverage-driven verification to ensure critical scenarios are tested without excessive redundancy. Verifying encrypted data with random inputs increases complexity. Encryption masks data, making it hard to verify outputs without compromising security. Here we can implement various IDE checks on the IDE callback to analyze encrypted traffic without decrypting it. Randomization can trigger unexpected failures, which are often difficult to reproduce. By using seed-based randomization, a specific seed generates a repeatable random sequence. This helps in reproducing and analyzing the behavior more precisely. Conclusion Randomization is a powerful technique in PCIe verification, ensuring robust validation of both data integrity and data encryption. It helps us to uncover subtle bugs and edge cases that a non-randomized testing might miss. In Cadence PCIe VIP, we support full-fledged IDE Verification with rigorous randomized verification that ensures data integrity. Robust and reliable encryption mechanisms ensure secure and efficient data communication. However, randomization also brings various challenges, and to overcome them we adopt a combination of constrained randomization, seed-based testing, and coverage-driven verification. As PCIe continues to evolve with higher speeds and focuses on high security demands, our Cadence PCIe VIP ensures it is in line with industry demand and verify high-performance systems that safeguard data in real-world environments with excellence. For more information, you can refer to Verification of Integrity and Data Encryption(IDE) for PCIe Devices and Industry's First Adopted VIP for PCIe 7.0 . More Information: For more info on how Cadence PCIe Verification IP and TripleCheck VIP enables users to confidently verify IDE, see our VIP for PCI Express , VIP for Compute Express Link for and TripleCheck for PCI Express For more information on PCIe in general, and on the various PCI standards, see the PCI-SIG website .




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