The 2024 cryptocurrency bull market has sparked a remarkable surge in wealth, creating over 88K new millionaires and elevating six individuals to billionaire status, according to a recent report by British investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners.

The number of individuals holding crypto worth of at least $1M has skyrocketed to 172K, up 95% from a year before. The significant shift comes during the same year in which bitcoin (BTC-USD) reached a new record high of $73.8K in March, buoyed by the launch of U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds that have ushered in notable institutional – and retail – capital.

What’s more, the number of centi-millionaires – individuals with assets exceeding $100M – has surged by 79%, reaching a total of 325, the report added. And five out of the six newly minted crypto billionaires have amassed their fortunes through investments in bitcoin (BTC-USD). MicroStrategy’s (MSTR) Michael Saylor, who personally owns about $1B of bitcoin, is an outspoken bitcoin whale.

But, since its price swoon in early August, bitcoin (BTC-USD) has been trading 23%-16% off its all-time highs. That’s despite the fact that the Federal Reserve is gearing up to start cutting borrowing costs, a move that may attract investor demand for riskier assets, including BTC. Year-to-date, BTC climbed about 38%.

“The longer bitcoin stays in this range, the more likely a strong breakout will happen, although it’s uncertain which direction it will take,” said Seeking Alpha analyst Dean Popplewell in Bitcoin’s Steady Range: Mt. Gox Impact And Future Outlook.

Fellow SA contributor Florian Grummes is leaning on the bearish end of the bull-bear spectrum, citing seasonal patterns and potential stock-market volatility.

He expects bitcoin’s pullback from March highs “to intensify over the next one to two months, and would not be surprised if the markets crashed temporarily, he said in Bitcoin: This Correction Is Probably Not Over Yet. A panic sell-off lasting several weeks should then provide patient investors with very good entry opportunities in September or October, or at the latest, after the US election in early November.”

Elsewhere in Henley & Partners’ report, crypto-wealthy investors are increasingly seeking residency in jurisdictions that are both crypto-friendly and tax advantageous, it found. Singapore continues to be the “premier cryptocurrency hub,” excelling in regulatory framework and infrastructure development. Coming in second place, Hong Kong has investor-friendly tax policies. And the United Arab Emirates, also with its tax advantages, ranks third in this competitive landscape.

“The crypto millionaires of 2024 are not content with digital riches alone; they seek freedom of global mobility to match their borderless assets,” said Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners.

The report includes stats on wealthy crypto investors provided by wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth, along with insights from academics, industry experts and crypto players.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

According to a recent report by Microsoft’s cybersecurity team, a group of North Korean hackers known as the “Citrine Sleet” have exploited a previous flaw in Google Chrome to steal cryptocurrency from people.

Microsoft first became aware of the cyberattack on Aug 19, when the hackers exploited a vulnerability in the Chromium engine, the open-source software that powers Chrome and other popular browsers like Microsoft Edge. 

This type of flaw is called “Zero-day”, meaning that Google was unaware of the issue and had no time to fix it before it was exploited.

According to Microsoft researchers, Citrine Sleet which operates similarly to the popular notorious Lazarus Group, often creates fake websites that look like real crypto trading platforms to trick people They use these fake sites to get users to download harmful software known as “AppleJeus”. 

This software is often disguised as job applications or cryptocurrency wallets. Once the software is installed, it gives the hackers control over the victim’s device, allowing them to steal their cryptocurrency.

Google eventually released a fix for this flaw on Aug, 21, two days after being alerted by Microsoft. However, it’s still unclear how many organizations or people were affected by the attack

Also Read: Kylian Mbappé’s X Account Hack Fuels $1 Million Crypto Scam