Crypto
Bitcoin flashes doom signals; Expect 'much lower' prices
Bitcoin’s (BTC) price drop has accelerated, with the cryptocurrency slipping below $60,000 at some point in the last 24 hours, and analysts are projecting further losses.
Technical indicators suggest that the maiden cryptocurrency is flashing a series of concerning signals pointing to a significant decline in value.
In a TradingView post on August 4, crypto trading expert Alan Santana noted that Bitcoin is likely heading for much lower levels before it can expect new highs or significant growth.
One of Santana’s most alarming indicators is the bearish divergence on Bitcoin’s weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI). Bitcoin is exhibiting a striking divergence that has been developing over three years.
Specifically, the RSI made a lower high in 2024 than in 2021, despite Bitcoin’s price showing higher highs during the same period. This discrepancy between price action and RSI is a classic bearish signal, suggesting that the underlying momentum driving Bitcoin’s price upward has weakened considerably.
Adding to the bearish outlook, Bitcoin’s weekly RSI is trending downward, with a reading of 50.6. This is significant as it indicates that the long-term RSI is about to turn bearish for the first time since August 2023.
More notably, coming from a major high, this bearish shift in the RSI is the first since November 2021. According to the expert, such a development typically precedes a prolonged downturn, reflecting a loss of bullish momentum and the potential for substantial price declines.
“Doom signal? It is only doom if you are not prepared. On top of the bearish divergence we have Bitcoin’s weekly RSI trending full down with a reading of 50.6. This, and other signals, is telling us that there is room for lower prices; much lower, before we experience new highs and boom growth,” the expert stated.
Bitcoin’s key levels to watch
At the moment, Bitcoin’s price appears to form a descending triangle pattern, a bearish formation that often precedes further declines. Critical support levels to watch include the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement level around $37,795 and the 200-week moving average, which could act as potential downside targets.
Additionally, decreasing volume on upward price movements suggests weakening buying interest, adding to the bearish case.
At the same time, another analyst, Rekt Capital, in an X post on August 3, also noted that the current Bitcoin RSI readings will likely dictate the extent of additional downside.
“Bitcoin is getting really close to this RSI Higher Low trendline. It will dictate the extent of additional downside,” the expert said.
It’s worth noting that Bitcoin also took a hit following troubling signs in the United States economy. Indeed, investors will be looking at strategies implemented by the Federal Reserve to rescue the economy, as this will dictate Bitcoin’s trajectory.
Bitcoin price analysis
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $60,868, having plunged 1.5% in the last 24 hours. On the weekly timeframe, Bitcoin is down over 10%.
Overall, Bitcoin looks bearish, and the bulls’ ability to sustain the price above the $60,000 support will be key to reducing any further losses.
Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.
Crypto
North Korean hackers linked to hack of 4,500 bitcoins from Japanese crypto exchange – SiliconANGLE
North Korean hackers linked to the infamous Lazarus hacking group have been identified as being behind the theft of more than 4,500 bitcoins from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin earlier this year.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and National Police Agency of Japan, has revealed that hackers who go by the name of TraderTraitor, an arm of Lazarus, successfully stole the equivalent of $308 million from DMM in May and have detailed how the North Korean hackers did so.
The investigation into the hack found that in late March 2024, a North Korean cyber actor pretending to be a recruiter on LinkedIn contacted an employee at Ginco, a Japanese enterprise cryptocurrency wallet software company. The threat actor sent the target, who maintained access to Ginco’s wallet management system, a URL linked to a malicious Python script under the guise of a pre-employment test located on a GitHub page. The victim copied the Python code to their personal GitHub page and was subsequently compromised.
With the access gained, the TraderTraitor hackers sat patiently, waiting until May to exploit their access. To steal the bitcoin, the actors exploited session cookie information to impersonate the compromised employee and successfully gained access to Ginco’s unencrypted communications system. With this access, it’s believed that the hackers then manipulated a legitimate transaction request from a DMM employee, resulting in the theft of 4,502.9 bitcoin.
The stolen bitcoin was subsequently transferred to TraderTraitor-controlled wallets, which ultimately lead back to the North Korean government.
“The FBI, National Police Agency of Japan and other U.S. government and international partners will continue to expose and combat North Korea’s use of illicit activities — including cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft — to generate revenue for the regime,” the FBI noted in a statement.
The involvement of both North Korea and an arm of Lazarus in the hack comes as no surprise, as the hack of DMM isn’t the first time Lazarus has targeted cryptocurrency exchanges.
In 2022, Lazarus was linked to the hack on the Ronin Network that led to the theft of $615 million in cryptocurrency, and more recently, in July, the group was linked to the theft of $234.9 million in cryptocurrency from India-based cryptocurrency exchange WazirX.
Image: SiliconANGLE/Ideogram
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Crypto
Japan, US blame North Koreans for $300 million crypto theft
Tokyo, Japan — A North Korean hacking group stole cryptocurrency worth over $300 million from the Japan-based exchange DMM Bitcoin, according to Japanese police and the United States’ FBI.
The TraderTraitor group — believed to be part of Lazarus Group, which is allegedly linked to the Pyongyang authorities — carried out the heist, Japan’s National Police Agency said Tuesday.
Lazarus Group gained notoriety a decade ago when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures as revenge for “The Interview,” a film that mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
READ: Philippines ranks 2nd in cryptocurrency ownership globally — study
The FBI detailed “the theft of cryptocurrency worth $308 million US dollars from the Japan-based cryptocurrency company DMM by North Korean cyber actors” in a separate statement dated Monday.
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It described a “targeted social engineering” operation where a hacker pretended to be a recruiter on LinkedIn to contact an employee of a different crypto wallet software company.
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They sent the employee what appeared to be a pre-employment test, which actually contained a malicious line of code.
That allowed the hacker to compromise their system and impersonate the employee, the FBI said.
“In late May 2024, the actors likely used this access to manipulate a legitimate transaction request by a DMM employee, resulting in the loss of 4,502.9 Bitcoin, worth $308 million at the time,” it said.
“The FBI, National Police Agency of Japan, and other US government and international partners will continue to expose and combat North Korea’s use of illicit activities — including cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft — to generate revenue for the regime,” it said.
North Korea’s cyber-warfare program dates back to at least the mid-1990s.
It has since grown to a 6,000-strong cyber-warfare unit known as Bureau 121 that operates from several countries, according to a 2020 US military report.
Crypto
North Korean hacker group identified in theft of DMM Bitcoin assets
A North Korea-linked hacker group stole digital assets worth 48.2 billion yen ($307 million) from Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin Co. in May, Japanese police said Tuesday.
The hacker group was identified by the police as TraderTraitor following an investigation conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
DMM Bitcoin said earlier this month it will go out of business after suspending some of its services following the detection of the unauthorized leakage of funds on May 31.
Photo illustration shows a visual representation of the digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin. (Getty/Kyodo)
The police tracked the flow of stolen bitcoin to an account managed by the group, which is suspected to be linked to the Lazarus hacking group allegedly sponsored by the North Korean government.
The investigation found that an employee at a company that manages DMM Bitcoin’s cryptocurrency accounts was contacted via the LinkedIn social network by a person purporting to be a headhunter.
The perpetrator then breached the wallet management system by planting malware and falsified transaction amounts as well as the destinations of remittances, the police said.
In September, Japan’s Financial Services Agency ordered the exchange to improve operations, saying its risk management structure was inadequate.
No customers suffered financial damage as the exchange secured 55 billion yen from a group firm to cover the lost assets.
The police, the FBI, and other U.S. government and international partners will “continue to expose and combat North Korea’s use of illicit activities,” including cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft, to generate revenue for the regime, they said in a statement.
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