Crypto

More than 1 in 2 finance-forward Singaporeans own cryptocurrency: Report – ETCIO SEA

Published

2 years ago

January 30, 2024

More than 1 in 2 finance-forward Singaporeans own cryptocurrency: Report – ETCIO SEA

Seedly, a Singapore-born personal finance management solution platform and subsidiary of MoneyHero Group (Nasdaq: MNY) today published its The Pulse of Crypto in Singapore Report to unveil the views of savvy Singaporeans and sentiments towards cryptocurrencies (“crypto”) going into 2024.

The survey conducted by Seedly in collaboration with Coinbase, the US publicly listed cryptocurrency exchange, questioned 2,006 Singapore-based adults across all ages and household incomes between 23 October 2023 and 15 November 2023 to get data-driven insights about the evolving cryptocurrency landscape in Singapore. The sample is reflective of finance-forward Singapore-based adults who have a strong interest in personal finance and investments, and users who actively discuss these topics among the Seedly community.

Overall, the survey results show that Singaporeans continue to have a strong interest in cryptocurrencies as an asset class despite market volatility. More than 1 in 2 (57%) Singaporeans own cryptocurrency, and 46% of the respondents are bullish about cryptocurrency in the next 12 months. At the same time, more than half of them believe that crypto is the future of finance (56%).

The report also finds that users are looking for access to a low-cost, trusted, and regulated platform to manage their digital assets. Among the crypto users surveyed, “staking” (55%) is the most popular use case in the past 12 months. Other key findings include:

Cryptocurrency ownership is high among finance-forward Singaporeans. More than 1 in 2 Singaporeans surveyed own cryptocurrency (57%). Among those surveyed, 9 in 10 respondents have an interest or are familiar with the cryptocurrency space. 56% of the crypto owners surveyed said they have US$1,000 to US$24,999 in cryptocurrency.
Security of assets is the key crypto exchange attribute. About 3 in 4 Singaporeans (74%) surveyed consider the security of their assets the most important attribute when it comes to crypto exchanges, followed by ease of use (60%), and regulation (58%).
Gaining short term profit (60%), capital appreciation through long-term holding/ investments (60%), and diversification of investment portfolios (56%) are the top three benefits that crypto users surveyed are hoping to gain out of crypto trading.
Staking is the most popular use case for cryptocurrency in Singapore in the past 12 months, with 55% of crypto users staking through a centralised exchange, and 38 % staking through a decentralised finance app. Other popular uses include buying/selling crypto with fiat (51%), storing crypto in a self-custody wallet (48%), and trading one crypto for another (40%).
Low fees (64%), regulated (62%) and ease of use (60%) are the top three features or benefits of a cryptocurrency exchange that are the most important to crypto users surveyed.
When it comes to crypto education, the majority of respondents get their information from friends or family (57%), crypto publications (53%), and social media/ forums (48%). Only 16% of the respondents said they would rely on financial advisors.

While market volatility (57%), high risk (53%) and the lack of regulation (45%) are the top reasons holding non-crypto users surveyed back from participating in crypto, 56% of those who have not bought, sold, or held crypto said they are likely to acquire crypto in the next 12 months. The top impetus to spur purchase of crypto includes better investor protection (62%), a good price to enter the market (54%), and an attractive promotion (39%).Yeap Ming Feng, Head of Seedly, “We believe the optimism towards crypto is partly based on the vibrancy of Singapore’s web3 ecosystem which is welcoming of builders, investors and users, ensconced within the strong digital asset regulatory framework that seeks to balance consumer protection with innovation. With the rapid developments in the crypto space, Seedly is set to help Singaporeans understand the changing crypto landscape and enable them to make smarter financial decisions.”

Hassan Ahmed, Singapore Country Director at Coinbase, “This survey, among other signals, reaffirms our view that the Lion City’s ecosystem around digital assets has remained resilient over the last year. While it is important to balance innovation and consumer protection, Singapore users are fortunate they have access to onshore, regulated service providers underpinned by sound regulations that increases trust in the system.”

Published On Jan 31, 2024 at 05:30 AM IST

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Crypto

Certik Unveils ‘Anti-Virus for AI Agents’ as Skill Marketplaces Face Hidden Threats

Published

10 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Certik Unveils ‘Anti-Virus for AI Agents’ as Skill Marketplaces Face Hidden Threats

Key Takeaways

The Security Challenge

Blockchain and AI security firm Certik, on May 27, unveiled a new security platform designed to evaluate risks in third-party artificial intelligence (AI) skills. Dubbed the “anti-virus for AI agents,” the release comes amid growing industry concern over the security of AI skill marketplaces.

Security researchers have warned that many of these skills are unvetted, can execute system-level actions and may contain hidden malicious behavior, creating a new software supply chain risk for the AI era. Security audits across the sector have identified risks ranging from credential harvesting and data exfiltration to fund-transfer manipulation and prompt-based override attacks.

Despite these concerns, AI skill marketplaces have expanded rapidly as agent ecosystems mature. However, unlike traditional app stores, most skills are sourced from public repositories with little or no review. Analysts say this creates opportunities for attackers to embed harmful instructions, trigger unauthorized data access or manipulate autonomous execution flows.

In a recent blog post, Certik said its skill scanner platform is designed specifically to evaluate risks that emerge during execution, including scenarios involving financial transactions or fund calls. The scanner produces a numerical score from 0 to 100, along with “pass,” “warn” or “fail” verdicts and categorized findings. According to the company, the system achieves up to 90.5% precision in identifying security risks.

“As AI agents become more deeply integrated into financial systems, enterprise workflows and everyday digital interactions, the security model around third-party skills becomes critically important,” said Ronghui Gu, Certik’s CEO and co-founder. “CertiK Skill Scanner was built to establish a standardized trust layer before execution, helping users and platforms identify hidden risks before sensitive data, assets or systems are exposed.”

Certik said AI skill marketplaces can integrate the scanner directly into publishing pipelines, automatically reviewing skills before they go live and displaying security verdicts to users. Enterprises can deploy the tool as part of internal compliance and risk-management workflows, while independent developers can use it to self-audit skills before publishing.

The company said future updates will allow everyday users to scan skills themselves before installation. The scanner has already been deployed in select Web3 AI agent infrastructure environments. Certik is also expanding integrations with additional platforms, including Finchip.ai.

“Trust is the prerequisite for any skill economy to function at scale,” said Gary Yang, incubation investor at Finchip.ai. “CertiK’s work on skill security verification is exactly what this ecosystem needs. It’s what makes Finchip’s mission of programmable skill ownership and distribution worth building.”

The launch follows Certik’s expansion into AI-focused security infrastructure. Earlier this year, the company introduced its AI Auditor initiative to address risks tied to autonomous systems and AI-driven execution environments.

“AI applications are moving toward increasingly autonomous execution, which creates a new category of security and trust challenges,” Gu said. “We believe security infrastructure for the AI era must function proactively, not reactively.”

Crypto

FBI Seizes Over $8 Billion In Cryptocurrency As Part Of The Largest Forfeiture In US Government History

Published

22 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

FBI Seizes Over Billion In Cryptocurrency As Part Of The Largest Forfeiture In US Government History

iStockphoto composite

The FBI seized over $8 billion in cryptocurrency, freed nearly 2,000 trafficked workers, and arrested nearly 300 people in a recent international operation.

As part of the operation, authorities shut down several “scam compounds” and crime organizations, including groups known as the Prince Group in Cambodia, Operation Sand Dollar in Dubai, and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army in Myanmar.

“Scam compounds are modern-day criminal enterprises built to steal from Americans, launder money, and exploit trafficked workers,” FBI director Kash Patel wrote on X announcing the results of the operation.

Fox News reports that the U.S. The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, an armed militia named after a region in Myanmar that is allegedly connected to the Chinese mob, faces sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury. The government has classified it as a transnational criminal organization.

Images from an operation in Thailand reveal that the FBI confiscated office supplies and thousands of smartphones.

seized-devices-from-an-FBI-anti-scam-operation-in-Thailand — FBI

The FBI in Dubai will extradite six of the 275 individuals they and local police detained there to the United States to face federal charges, according to the FBI. The authorities raided nine “scam compounds” in Dubai, each allegedly generating $6 million in fraud proceeds annually.

Cryptocurrency scams in the US reached a record high in 2025

In April, an FBI report revealed that cryptocurrency scams in the U.S. reached a record high in 2025, with reported losses of almost $11.4 billion. According to the FBI, cyber-enabled crimes defrauded Americans of almost $21 billion in 2025, with the costliest complaints involving cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI).

“The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Report highlights the ever-evolving tactics of internet scammers,” the FBI’s Baltimore office wrote on X. “From fake social media profiles to voice cloning and AI-generated content, cyber criminals are evolving.”

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over one million complaints in 2025, up from 859,532 in 2024. The most common complaints were about investment schemes, extortion, and phishing/spoofing.

Crypto

US-Iran Escalation Pushes Bitcoin to $72,622 as $870M Long Bets Collapse

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

US-Iran Escalation Pushes Bitcoin to ,622 as 0M Long Bets Collapse

Key Takeaways

Geopolitical Escalation Triggers Crypto Sell-off

Bitcoin plunged below $73,000 early Thursday following reports of fresh U.S. military strikes inside Iran. Market data shows bitcoin tumbled to a multi-week low of $72,622—its lowest level since April 13—before staging a modest recovery back to $73,000. This downturn continues a weekly bearish trend, contrasting sharply with broader global markets that had previously rallied on optimism for a permanent peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

The sharp decline pushed bitcoin’s daily losses to 3.6%, dragging its market capitalization down to $1.46 trillion and pulling the aggregate crypto market cap below the $2.6 trillion threshold. Since May 25, when bitcoin last attempted to test the $78,000 resistance level, the asset has shed over 6% of its value. Despite kicking off May on an upward trajectory, this latest price action positions the cryptocurrency to close the month in the red.

Retaliatory Strikes Threaten Peace Talks

According to reports, the latest U.S. military strikes targeted a strategic site in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched strikes against a U.S. military base in Kuwait, where local authorities confirmed that air defense systems engaged incoming missiles and drones.

This escalation comes just days after the U.S. military struck Iranian naval vessels and an alleged missile launch site in Bandar Abbas, citing self-defense. Iranian forces responded at the time by downing U.S. drones. Notably, these hostilities unfolded while U.S. and Iranian negotiators were actively convening in Qatar to finalize a peace agreement. While the Trump administration initially downplayed the earlier friction to keep diplomatic channels open, this latest exchange will likely torpedo the talks and embolden hardliners on both sides who oppose a negotiated settlement.

Meanwhile, the decline in bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market resulted in the liquidation of more than $930 million in leveraged positions. Coinglass data showed that liquidations on bitcoin alone topped $366 million, with wiped-out long bets accounting for $348 million of that total. Overall, the market saw $870 million in long positions wiped out over 24 hours.