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Stillwater police raise alert about scams requiring crypto payments

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Stillwater police raise alert about scams requiring crypto payments

Stillwater police raise alert about scams requiring crypto payments

The City of Stillwater is considering possible restrictions or even an outright ban on cryptocurrency machines, according to city officials.

Stillwater police are reporting scams where residents have been targeted to make cash transactions to digital accounts using cryptocurrency machines.

“Some of them are pretty scary and pretty convincing,” said Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller. “We have individuals in our community that are scared out of their wits, and they are bringing wads of money.”

A crypto machine allows a person to purchase digital currency by putting cash into the device, and then the funds are transferred to someone’s account.

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Chief Mueller described some of the scams the department has investigated: “Individuals that are told that their loved ones are being hurt, arrested… or the federal or local government has warrants out for their arrests.”

The scammers tell the person to go to a machine, put in cash and then send the cryptocurrency to settle the issue, according to police.

In a recent letter to Stillwater’s mayor and City Council, Chief Mueller wrote that since 2023, Stillwater police have taken more than 30 crypto-related scam reports — totaling $156,442 of loss — and $73,092 of that had been deposited into various crypto ATMs in the city.

One example Mueller wrote about included a woman who received a phone call that she had received an overpayment into an account that she held.

Stillwater police said the victim was told by the scam artist to deposit $20,000 cash into an Athena Bitcoin ATM located inside the Amoco Gas Station downtown.

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“Thankfully, we had a very alert clerk at that particular gas station and they called 911,” said Detective Sgt. David Wulfing, with Stillwater police. Officers arrived and were able to stop her from putting more of her money into the machine.

Detectives were able to get some of the victim’s money back.

The gas station owner told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that he trains staff if they see someone with a lot of cash at the crypto machine, to speak up and ask questions, adding he “cares about his customers.”

The machine is operated by a separate company, which 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to for comment.

“The most difficult part of these cryptocurrency investigations is many of the perpetrators are outside of the United States,” said Wulfing. “It’s very difficult to get that money back once it’s deposited.”

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Stillwater police said if residents receive emails or phone calls demanding they pay someone, their department is there to help determine if the message is real — just reach out at (651) 351-4900.

“Unfortunately, they prey on the more vulnerable folks, the elderly and the more trusting people,” Wulfing said.

The Minnesota Legislature passed a law last year that required cryptocurrency kiosks to be registered and offer some consumer protections.

According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, 230 machines are licensed in the state.

Since August, state officials report that 40 consumers who reported losses related to fraud totaling $437,983 have been able to get back $29,894.

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Robinhood’s Q3 trading revenue jumps 129% YoY, ‘primarily driven by cryptocurrency revenue’

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Robinhood’s Q3 trading revenue jumps 129% YoY, ‘primarily driven by cryptocurrency revenue’

Shares of Robinhood’s stock, ticker HOOD, were up over 4.15% at market close on Wednesday after the U.S.-based brokerage posted third-quarter gains. The firm saw transaction-based revenues jump 129% year-over-year to $730 million, “primarily driven by cryptocurrencies revenue,” according to the earnings report. 

Crypto revenue was up over 300% in Q3 to $268 million. Options revenues, Robinhood’s largest revenue source, were up about 50% to $304 million, while equities trading revenue increased 132% to $86 million. 

“Q3 was another strong quarter of profitable growth, and we continued to diversify our business, adding two more business lines — Prediction Markets and Bitstamp — that are generating approximately $100 million or more in annualized revenues,” Chief Finance Officer Jason Warnick said in a release.

In total, Robinhood’s total revenue came in at $1.27 billion, more than the $1.19 billion expected, while earnings per share came in at $0.61, ahead of estimates around $0.53, according to CNBC projections. 

This is compared to Robinhood’s Q2 gains, which saw crypto trading volume increase 32% year-over-year to $28 billion and transaction-based cryptocurrencies revenue climb 98% to $160 million.

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Meanwhile, the number of funded customers on Robinhood increased by 2.5 million year-over-year to a record 26.8 million in Q3, corresponding with “total platform assets” growing nearly 120% to a record $333 billion.

Of note, Robinhood has been working to increase its footprint in the European market, including through its acquisition of Bitstamp, a deal closed in June that enabled it to roll out crypto perps across the EU, and a partnership with Arbitrum to launch over 400 Stock Tokens mirroring U.S. equities. 

The firm also acquired the Canada-based WonderFi exchange in an all-cash $179 million deal in Q2 2025.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Vivopower Boosts XRP With Climate-Focused Alliance

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Vivopower Boosts XRP With Climate-Focused Alliance
XRP’s surge into mainstream finance is hitting a new high as a groundbreaking alliance merges blockchain power with climate intelligence, setting the stage for the world’s first XRP-backed Weathercoin and reshaping global sustainability investment.
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Next big cryptocurrency Why Pepenode is climbing 2025 watchlists

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Next big cryptocurrency Why Pepenode is climbing 2025 watchlists

Next big cryptocurrency Why Pepenode is climbing 2025 watchlists

Markets are hunting for the next big cryptocurrency-a project that can punch above its weight with real usage, credible shipping, and a clear value story. On those counts, Pepenode (https://pepenode.io/) is starting to look like more than just a momentum play. The combination of consumer-friendly design and a builder-first roadmap has traders and developers keeping it on their dashboards as 2025 gets underway.

Why 2025 favors execution over hype

Every cycle begins with narratives, but it sustains on delivery. This year, the tokens that hold gains are the ones that keep reducing friction: faster confirmations, lower fees at peak, and simpler onboarding for non-experts. Liquidity still matters, but user growth and developer activity are now the tie-breakers. In that environment, the next big cryptocurrency isn’t just the loudest; it’s the asset that can scale quietly while everyone else argues on social.

Pepenode the emerging thesis

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Pepenode has momentum because its story is straightforward: make everyday on-chain actions feel instant and intuitive, then give builders primitives that don’t fight them. The emphasis is on smooth paths from wallet to app, sane costs when activity spikes, and tooling that shortens the distance between idea and production. That’s a different angle from the “be everything to everyone” platforms that sprawl in complexity and stall adoption.

The token’s narrative also benefits from portable demand-if Pepenode apps are genuinely snappy and fun, usage becomes its own marketing loop. That’s how smaller caps graduate into serious contenders. The caveat is familiar: delivery has to match the storyline. A consistent cadence of releases and partnerships would be the catalyst that turns watchlist curiosity into durable allocation.

Large-cap context for balance

No discussion of the next big cryptocurrency should ignore the blue chips that anchor risk. Ethereum (https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/ethereum/) remains the base layer for a massive share of DeFi, NFTs, and enterprise pilots, with Layer-2s extending reach to mainstream use cases. Solana (https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/solana) has become the default venue for high-throughput consumer apps where speed and fees shape user behavior.

Cardano continues its methodical, research heavy path that appeals to long-horizon holders who prefer predictable upgrades. Dogecoin, despite (or because of) its culture, still acts as a barometer for retail attention and can front-run shifts in risk appetite. Together, these establish a framework where Pepenode can play the role of targeted growth without forcing investors to abandon depth and liquidity.

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How a portfolio might include Pepenode

Positioning Pepenode (https://pepenode.io/) doesn’t require an all-or-nothing bet. A pragmatic structure is to hold a core basket of large caps for resilience and let Pepenode express upside in a defined satellite sleeve. That sleeve can expand temporarily when clear catalysts land-feature launches, integrations, or distribution milestones – and then normalize after the event window. This avoids the whipsaw of chasing every headline while still letting you participate when the project earns fresh attention.

Sizing is your shock absorber. Higher-volatility assets deserve smaller allocations and wider invalidation levels, while liquid majors can shoulder larger weights. Stagger entries to improve average price and pre-commit to partial profit-taking into strength so your cost basis improves even if you’re early. When the thesis changes-if shipping slows, roadmaps drift, or user metrics stall-downgrade quickly and reallocate. Discipline turns a promising narrative into repeatable outcomes.

Risks and what to watch

Liquidity risk is real for any emerging contender. Model slippage realistically and assume spreads widen during stress. Narrative decay is another trap; projects that pivot endlessly burn trust, so monitor whether Pepenode’s updates stay focused and user-oriented. Finally, remember time horizon fit. If your thesis is product – market fit over quarters, don’t force short-term trades to “prove” it. Let data-not recency bias-decide whether Pepenode is behaving like the next big cryptocurrency or just the next headline.

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Bottom line

The market’s definition of the next big cryptocurrency is maturing: sustained utility, fast and friendly user experiences, and builder momentum now carry more weight than slogans. Pepenode (https://pepenode.io/) checks enough of those boxes to justify a real spot on 2025 watchlists, especially when paired with a balanced core of Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, and Dogecoin. If execution keeps pace with ambition, Pepenode could move from candidate to category – just remember to let your sizing, rules, and time horizon do the heavy lifting. This is not financial advice; always do your own research and allocate within your risk tolerance.

Buchenweg 15, Karlsruhe, Germany

For more information about Pepenode (PEPENODE) visit the links below:

Website: https://pepenode.io/

Whitepaper: https://pepenode.io/assets/documents/whitepaper.pdf

Telegram: https://t.me/pepe_node

Twitter/X: https://x.com/pepenode_io

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Disclosure: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice.

CryptoTimes24 is a digital media and analytics platform dedicated to providing timely, accurate, and insightful information about the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. The enterprise focuses on delivering high-quality news coverage, market analysis, project reviews, and educational resources for both investors and enthusiasts. By combining data-driven journalism with expert commentary, CryptoTimes24 aims to become a trusted global source for emerging trends in decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, Web3 technologies, and digital asset markets.

This release was published on openPR.

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