ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, Montana is accelerating the advancement of a digital asset regulatory framework to address the surge in cryptocurrency fraud. State Securities and Insurance Commissioner James Brown cited data from the Federal Trade Commission, stating that nationwide fraud losses reached $12.5 billion in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 25%, with the elderly population becoming a primary target due to their demographic representation ranking sixth in the nation.Brown supports the "Digital Token Regulatory Act" being reviewed by the state legislature, which would authorize regulatory agencies to implement access reviews and ongoing supervision of blockchain service providers, emphasizing "promoting the coordinated development of economic innovation and consumer protection through clear boundaries of rights and responsibilities." If the bill passes, Montana will become the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to systematically regulate on-chain trading entities.Regulatory actions focus on three major risk areas:"Pig Butchering" social engineering scams: 15 cases have been filed statewide in 2024, involving over $900,000, with scammers inducing victims to invest in fake trading platforms by fabricating personal relationships;Bank transfer fraud: using cryptocurrency mixing services to obscure the flow of funds;High-yield investment traps: evading compliance reviews by promising excessive returns.Brown announced the establishment of a cross-departmental digital asset enforcement team, opening a 24-hour reporting channel, and plans to collaborate with federal agencies to trace on-chain funds. Industry insiders point out that this move may provide a paradigm reference for Web3 regulation across U.S. states.

ChainCatcher news, Indian Web3 startups have raised a total of $564 million, a significant increase from $270 million in 2023. The highest proportion of investments is in the infrastructure sector, primarily supporting projects in artificial intelligence, middleware, and data tools.In addition, investments in the financial sector also grew by over 50%, reaching $86 million. The Indian developer community is growing the fastest in the world, with the number of open-source developers increasing by 28% year-on-year to 4.5 million, and it is expected to surpass the United States by 2028, becoming the largest developer community globally.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Paper, the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ying Yong, delivered the work report of the Supreme Procuratorate at the third session of the 14th National People's Congress. In 2024, the procuratorial organs prosecuted 825 individuals for securities-related crimes such as financial fraud and insider trading, and 3,032 individuals for money laundering crimes involving the use of "virtual currency" to transfer criminal proceeds.

According to ChainCatcher news, TeraWulf, a Bitcoin mining company, announced an annual revenue of $140.1 million for 2024, a 102% increase from $69.2 million in 2023, as reported by Techinasia.This growth is primarily attributed to increased Bitcoin production and rising prices. The company's adjusted EBITDA under non-GAAP nearly doubled, rising from $31.9 million to $60.4 million. By the end of the year, TeraWulf held $274.5 million in cash and digital assets, including 1,801 Bitcoins.After the earnings report was released, TeraWulf's stock price rose by 14%, bringing its market capitalization to $1.57 billion.

According to ChainCatcher, TeraWulf, a Bitcoin mining company, reported its fourth-quarter performance for 2024, showing that its annual revenue increased by 102% from $69.2 million in 2023 to $140.1 million, driven by an increase in Bitcoin production and a rise in the average realized price of Bitcoin. TeraWulf stated that its legacy term loan debt was eliminated in 2024, which was $139.4 million at the end of 2023. TeraWulf's GAAP adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) nearly doubled, rising from $31.9 million in 2023 to $60.4 million in 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the company reported cash and cash equivalents of $274.1 million, with $274.5 million in cash, cash equivalents, and Bitcoin on its balance sheet, and the amount of BTC held nearly quadrupled to 1,801 BTC.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the "Crypto Crime Report" released by Chainalysis for 2025 shows that crypto crime has entered a specialized era dominated by AI-driven scams, stablecoin money laundering, and efficient cybercrime groups, with illegal transaction volumes reaching $51 billion in the past year, breaking previous records.Preliminary estimates indicate a decline in crypto crime in 2024. However, a deeper analysis suggests otherwise: criminals have adopted advanced money laundering techniques, relying on stablecoins, DeFi, and AI-driven deception, creating a false appearance of reduced crime.

ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms reported a record high annual revenue for 2024, primarily driven by an increase in its mining income. Riot's total revenue for 2024 reached $376.7 million, a year-on-year increase of 34.2%. Last year, its net income expanded to $109.4 million, while the net loss for 2023 was $49.4 million.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, mining company Riot released its financial report, with total revenue of $376.7 million in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 34.2%.Last year, the company's net income expanded to $109.4 million, while the net loss for 2023 was $49.4 million.

ChainCatcher news, Kraken discloses that data requests from law enforcement and regulatory agencies will significantly increase in 2024. According to its latest transparency report, the exchange received 6,826 requests, a 38.6% increase from the previous year.The highest number of requests came from the United States, totaling 1,951, accounting for 28.6% of the total. Following closely are Germany and the United Kingdom, with request volumes exceeding 15% and 10%, respectively.While investigations in the United States involve multiple levels of government, most requests come from law enforcement agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made 614 requests, while the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) submitted 218 requests.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the latest report from the cryptocurrency tax software platform CoinLedger shows that in 2024, the average profit for cryptocurrency investors is $5,482, a significant increase of 518% compared to $887.60 in 2023. This data is based on statistics from over 500,000 users, with 80% coming from the United States.The report indicates that SUPER, HYPE, and Bitcoin contributed the largest unrealized gains. CoinLedger CEO David Kemmerer stated that the 2024 presidential election has driven enthusiasm for digital assets to new heights. On the other hand, Ethereum is leading the decline due to increased competition from Solana, with ADA, POL, ATOM, and CRO ranking among the top five unrealized losses.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the Russian power grid company Rosseti Group disclosed that in 2024, losses due to illegal cryptocurrency mining will exceed 1.3 billion rubles (approximately 14.2 million USD). Among them, the North Caucasus region suffered the most significant losses, exceeding 600 million rubles; the Novosibirsk region incurred losses of 400 million rubles.The company has investigated 130 cases of unauthorized access and electricity theft, with the largest case occurring in Novosibirsk, involving 3,200 mining devices and resulting in a loss of 197 million rubles. Currently, over 40 cases are being prosecuted under Russian criminal law.

ChainCatcher news, according to Caixin, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced today the situation of the comprehensive deepening of procuratorial reform work in 2024. It mentioned that relevant departments will collaborate to formulate judicial interpretations, improve judicial norms for punishing criminal cases related to securities and futures, money laundering, and harming tax collection and management, and more effectively punish crimes such as illegally transferring assets abroad using virtual currencies, tax evasion, and fraudulently obtaining export tax refunds.Improve the equal protection mechanism for various types of business entities, and legally supervise and correct the use of criminal means to intervene in economic disputes, illegal sealing, confiscation, and freezing of property, especially issues related to illegal cross-regional law enforcement and profit-driven law enforcement. Enhance the working mechanism of the Supreme People's Procuratorate stationed at the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and strengthen the coordination and cooperation between financial regulatory enforcement and judicial work.

ChainCatcher news, according to CNBC, blockchain research firm Chainalysis warned in a report that as cybercriminals leverage artificial intelligence and become more organized, "pig butchering" scams have surged, with last year's cryptocurrency scam revenue estimated to have reached an all-time high.According to its preliminary estimates, cryptocurrency wallets associated with scams received $9.9 billion in 2024. The company predicts that as Chainalysis uncovers more scam wallets, the figure for 2024 will rise to a record $12.4 billion. The primary reason for the increase in scam revenue is the prevalence of "pig butchering" scams.Additionally, scammers are more likely to target more victims at the cost of smaller payments.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, global payment service giant Mastercard reports that 30% of its transactions will be tokenized by 2024; at the same time, Mastercard also recognizes the ability of stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies to disrupt traditional financial services.In documents submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company stated that it has made significant progress toward achieving its goal of an "innovative payment ecosystem," including transaction tokenization, creating solutions to unlock blockchain-based business models, and simplifying access to digital assets. Mastercard stated that it is collaborating with a range of cryptocurrency participants to enable consumers to purchase cryptocurrencies using credit cards and spend balances at merchants that accept its brand. The company also reported a net income of $28.2 billion for 2024, a 12% increase from the previous year.Mastercard acknowledges that stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies are becoming competitors in the payment industry. The company stated that digital currencies have the potential to "disrupt traditional financial markets" and may challenge its existing products. The company noted that due to the accessibility, immutability, and efficiency of digital assets, stablecoins and cryptocurrencies may become more popular as they are regulated.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinGecko's report, the total trading volume of centralized exchanges (CEX) in 2024 reached $18.83 trillion, a 134% increase from $8.05 trillion in 2023, but still below the historical high of $25.21 trillion in 2021.Exchange rankings:• Binance continues to hold the leading position with a market share of 39.0% and an annual trading volume of $7.35 trillion.• Bybit ranks second with a market share of 9.3% and a trading volume of $1.75 trillion.• Crypto.com is in third place with a market share of 6.8% and a trading volume of $1.29 trillion.Fastest-growing exchanges:• Crypto.com saw a staggering 969.7% increase in trading volume, surpassing the $1 trillion mark for the first time.• Bybit grew by 397.8%, reaching a trading volume of $1.75 trillion.• Gate.io increased by 241.5%, achieving a trading volume of $1.01 trillion.Market trends:Despite the significant rebound in trading volume in 2024, it has not yet returned to the peak levels of the 2021 bull market. The competitive landscape of the crypto trading market is evolving, with emerging exchanges like Crypto.com and Bybit rapidly rising, while the market shares of established exchanges such as OKX, HTX, and MEXC have declined.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, Abu Dhabi cryptocurrency mining company Phoenix Group has released its annual report for 2024.The data shows that the company's mining revenue increased by 236% year-on-year to $107 million, with total revenue reaching $206 million and a net profit of $167 million. The company currently contributes a hash rate of 15.0 EH/s to the Bitcoin network, accounting for 1.9% of the total network hash rate.The company plans to go public on Nasdaq this year.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 reports, the latest report from data analysis company Dealroom shows that the total funding for global AI startups in 2024 reached $110 billion, a year-on-year increase of 62%, while the overall funding for tech startups during the same period was $227 billion, a year-on-year decline of 12%.Despite the overall decline in investment in the tech industry, the investment boom in the AI sector has risen against the trend, becoming the focus of capital pursuit.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, based on a report from the crypto intelligence platform Merkle Science, in 2024, losses exceeded $500 million due to the crash of Meme coins and scams.The report from Merkle Science revealed that 75% of attacks occurred on the X platform, while 19% took place on YouTube. 44% of reported social engineering scams led to the crash of Meme coins, and phishing attacks were also considered a factor in 44% of all scam cases.

ChainCatcher news, according to Blockworks, PitchBook reveals in a new report that crypto venture capital spending will remain sluggish until the end of 2024. Specific data shows that the transaction value in Q4 2024 surged to $2.4 billion, a 13.6% increase from Q3, but the number of transactions decreased from 411 to 351.PitchBook's Robert Le pointed out: "Although there has been a return of funds, indicating ongoing support from investors for mature teams and differentiated technologies, the continuous decline in the number of transactions reflects an increased selectivity among investors, a trend that has been evident since Q3."Comparing the data from 2023 and 2024, the figures are quite similar. In 2023, the total amount of crypto venture capital reached $10.3 billion, involving 1,936 transactions; while last year, spending in this sector also amounted to $10 billion, covering 1,940 transactions.Additionally, the average transaction amount in the seed stage increased by 20%, jumping from $2.5 million to $3 million; early-stage financing grew by 26%, reaching $4.8 million. However, late-stage financing saw a slight decline, dropping from $6.4 million to $6.3 million. Le stated that this reflects "founders of more mature companies turning to smaller but strategically focused funding rounds, rather than pursuing the large financing rounds that were common in the past."

ChainCatcher news, Metaplanet announced its financial performance for the entire year of 2024. Currently, the unrealized gains from the acquisition of 1761 BTC for 137 million USD amount to approximately 36 million USD (5.46 billion JPY).The company plans to acquire 10,000 bitcoins by the end of 2025 and 21,000 bitcoins by the end of 2026. This will be achieved through the issuance of 21 million mobile warrants.