security

The cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer Coldcard has released an update on its customer data retention policy. Due to legal compliance requirements arising from the security incident disclosed on July 30, the company has temporarily suspended its original automatic customer data deletion mechanism.Previously, Coldcard's standard practice was to automatically clear customer records after 120 days, retaining only the user's email address and country information, while allowing customers to request early deletion of data at any time after product delivery. Coldcard stated that due to the security incident involving ongoing and potential legal proceedings, the company is obligated to retain records that may be relevant to litigation. Therefore, customer data that was originally scheduled for deletion will be temporarily retained until the law permits the resumption of normal processes.However, users can still request Coldcard to handle their personal information according to the original data retention policy. If users wish for their data not to be included in this legal retention scope, they can contact official customer service to make a request. Coldcard emphasizes that the retained data will be strictly protected, accessible only to authorized personnel, and will not be used for any purposes other than fulfilling legal obligations. The company will restore the previous automatic data deletion mechanism once legally permissible.

According to CoinPost, the Financial Services Agency of Japan has announced a partial revision of the "Comprehensive Supervision Guidelines for Major Banks and Others," which will unify the reporting format for cybersecurity incidents across 17 regulatory areas, including cryptocurrency exchange operators.A new "Common Format for Other Cyber Attacks and Related Incidents" has been added, which, along with the existing formats for DDoS attacks and ransomware, constitutes a three-category reporting distinction system. As a transitional measure, non-specific social infrastructure operators may continue to use the old reporting format until the end of March 2027, with the deadline for public comments set for September 7, 2026.

According to the expected plan compiled by the Korea Digital Convergence Industry Association, the secondary regulations for Security Token Offerings (STO) in South Korea may include: allowing "pooling" issuance of similar types of underlying assets, setting over-the-counter trading limits for general investors, clarifying the licensing conditions and business scope for non-standard securities over-the-counter exchanges, and developing a phased roadmap for the tokenization of standard securities. In addition, the technical and financial requirements for issuer account management institutions are also expected to be included in the regulations.This expected plan is based on publicly available policy directions and industry discussions and is not an official version. Specific standards still need to be determined through legislative announcements, regulatory reviews, and other procedures. Previously, the STO market was primarily focused on single assets; if pooling is allowed, it could promote the issuance of multi-asset composite products such as music copyrights and real estate. The over-the-counter trading limits for general investors are expected to be higher than existing sandbox cases, but the final limits still need to balance investor protection and market liquidity. The status of non-standard securities over-the-counter trading platforms and existing operators, as well as the future path for the tokenization of standard securities (stocks, bonds), will be key focuses moving forward. The industry warns that after the regulations are implemented, the preparation time for related companies' systems and internal controls may be quite urgent.

The Ethereum Foundation has released a job posting for a Protocol Security Researcher, part of the protocol security team, responsible for identifying security vulnerabilities in various aspects such as the execution layer, consensus layer, network layer, specifications, and client implementations. The work includes AI-assisted security research and automated vulnerability discovery, hard fork reviews, fuzz testing tool development, manual audits of protocol changes, and coordinating vulnerability disclosures.The team requires candidates to have deep experience with the Ethereum protocol, with a preference for engineers who have actively participated in protocol development and are familiar with the specifications of the execution layer or consensus layer. Common programming languages include Go, Rust, Java, C#, Nim, and Python. Remote work is available, and the position is open to candidates in Europe and globally.

Sam Blackshear, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Sui blockchain parent company Mysten Labs, announced his departure on August 6 to join Anthropic for defensive security research. He stated that this new position would allow him to continue to delve into frontline technology research and explore new fields at a time when the balance of power in cyber offense and defense is undergoing profound changes.Blackshear reflected that he has spent over 8 years developing the Move language and will continue to participate in the upcoming Move Foundation, while maintaining his role as an advisor to Mysten Labs and Sui ecosystem builders after his departure. Meanwhile, Evan (@EvanWeb3), who previously led technology teams at Apple and Meta, will take over the overall technical vision and research direction of Mysten Labs.

Bitcoin News posted on the X platform that ZEUS stated it has temporarily taken its infrastructure offline following a cybersecurity incident that occurred in the past few hours. ZEUS indicated that the attack has been mitigated, and services will remain offline until a comprehensive security audit is completed and operations are restored. ZEUS claimed that there has been no loss of customer funds, and currently, there is no risk to customer funds.Customers with closed Lightning Service Provider channels will receive alternative channels once services are restored. According to the current investigation, ZEUS stated that the incident appears to be limited to its own infrastructure, and there is no evidence suggesting that the incident was caused by a vulnerability in the Lightning node software. ZEUS added that it has been strengthening its infrastructure using Trusted Execution Environments and the Validating Lightning Signer project, and stated that the project aims to mitigate such attacks in its upcoming architecture. ZEUS indicated that it will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.

According to official news, the Ethereum Foundation's "Trillion Dollar Security" (1TS) has announced a special grant to the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) to support the ongoing development of the open-source tool WEBCAT, aimed at addressing the long-standing front-end code verification security gap in Ethereum wallets and decentralized applications (DApps).WEBCAT (Web-based Code Assurance and Transparency) is an open-source tool designed to help browsers verify whether the code loaded by a website matches the version publicly released by the developer.This funding will promote the expansion of WEBCAT to Ethereum wallets and application scenarios, enabling users to verify whether the front-end pages they access have been tampered with.The Ethereum Foundation stated that while HTTPS can verify the website a user is connected to and encrypt communication, it cannot prove that the front-end code actually running on the website is the same version released by the developer. If an attacker controls the website's front-end code, they may modify the transaction receiving address without the user's knowledge or induce the user to sign transactions that do not match the content displayed on the page.The Ethereum Foundation noted that front-end attacks have become a significant security risk for blockchain infrastructure, with malicious modifications to web interfaces potentially leading to supply chain attacks, DNS hijacking subsequent attacks, and user interface deception.WEBCAT was initially developed by the Freedom of the Press Foundation to enhance the code credibility of secure communication systems like SecureDrop.With this expansion into the Ethereum ecosystem, it will complement security measures such as "Clear Signing" in the 1TS program: the former helps wallets confirm that the application front-end has not been tampered with, while the latter helps users understand the transaction content they are approving.

Chainalysis posted on platform X that the Coldcard hack is particularly devastating for Canadian Bitcoin holders. Our analysis of the attackers and victims found that Canadian BTC holders accounted for 25% of the attributable losses.According to estimates compiled by Galaxy Research, the losses could be as high as $110 million, and we analyzed the geographical distribution of this ongoing hacking attack. Users in Australia, the United States, and Thailand also experienced significant losses.

According to Reuters, citing two informed sources, the Trump administration informed leading AI companies on Tuesday that it will not conduct security testing on open-weight AI models. This decision marks a new direction for the U.S. government in its approach to AI regulation. Open-weight models allow developers and users to freely download, modify, and deploy model parameters without relying on closed API access. Previously, organizations such as the American Institute for AI Safety (AISI) had conducted security assessments on cutting-edge models. The White House and relevant departments have not publicly commented on this matter yet.

According to Decrypt, Ledger's Chief Technology Officer Charles Guillemet stated that the Coldcard vulnerability incident exposed weaknesses in hardware wallet random number generation and emphasized that AI is reshaping the cybersecurity offensive and defensive landscape. Guillemet pointed out that the security model of hardware wallets "lives or dies by random numbers," and this incident proved that in the most expensive way.Ledger stated that its hardware wallets were unaffected because their mnemonic phrases are generated by a hardware random number generator within a certified secure element, with no software fallback path, generating a complete 256-bit random number each time. Guillemet believes that open-source code, if not thoroughly reviewed, does not equate to security, and AI is enabling attackers to scan code and identify vulnerabilities at machine speed, requiring defenses to advance at the same speed, which relies on secure design, hardware, and mathematics. Guillemet suggested that users should understand how the random number generation of a hardware wallet works and whether it has been independently certified when choosing one.

According to Jinshi reports, Nvidia has released a cybersecurity guideline for the artificial intelligence industry, aimed at enhancing security standards and protective measures within the industry.

According to Jinshi reports, the Ukrainian National Security Council warns that Russia is conducting large-scale attacks on the Chernihiv region using jet drones.

According to Jinshi reports, North Korean military commentators pointed out that the US, Japan, and South Korea are strengthening their joint operational capabilities through military exercises, forming a "trinity" threat that could become a new security crisis in the Asia-Pacific region. The US and South Korea conducted exercises in July, carrying out large-scale "joint logistics support exercises." The US is also accelerating the reorganization of the US military command in Japan into a "joint military command" and deploying medium-range missile systems in Japan and South Korea. All parties should be vigilant and curb this trend.

According to Forbes, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially announced on July 27, 2026, a ban on the import of foreign-made AI humanoid robots, citing national security threats. The FCC classified these devices as "Trojan horses"—their high-precision sensors can continuously collect sensitive data from users' homes and businesses and transmit it to foreign entities, posing a risk of being used for mass surveillance or intelligence activities, and the related devices may also be remotely controlled.Although the ban targets all foreign manufacturers, it actually has the most significant impact on China, as China currently holds a large share of the global AI humanoid robot market. Promoting the development of domestic manufacturing is also an important secondary objective of this ban.

Former hedge fund manager and CNBC host Jim Cramer stated that due to concerns about quantum computing threatening Bitcoin's security, he plans to sell all of his BTC holdings. His statement stems from an interview with IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, who said that investors should be wary of the challenges quantum computing may pose to modern cryptography in the next 3 to 4 years. Cramer believes that quantum computing could threaten the Bitcoin network in a similar timeframe. However, no one has independently confirmed how much BTC he holds or whether he has completed the sale.After his statement, Bitcoin continued to trade normally around $63,764, with some market participants viewing his comments as a "reverse Cramer" signal. Bitcoin uses the ECDSA signature mechanism based on the secp256k1 curve, and theoretically, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could use Shor's algorithm to derive the private key from the public key. The risk is mainly concentrated on addresses with exposed public keys, including reused addresses, early wallet formats, and the brief time window after a transaction is broadcast but not yet confirmed. Researchers estimate that about 6 to 7 million BTC, accounting for approximately 30% of the supply, may fall into this category. Google Quantum AI estimated in March this year that breaking the relevant cryptographic mechanisms could require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits, reducing the previous estimate by about 20 times. However, current quantum systems typically only have hundreds to thousands of physical qubits, with even fewer logical qubits that have higher reliability. Most researchers expect that truly capable quantum computers for cryptographic breaking may not appear until the 2030s or even 2040s, making Cramer's 3-year prediction significantly earlier than most technological expectations.

According to Fortune, Israeli cybersecurity startup Zenity announced the completion of a $125 million Series C funding round, led by Norwest, with participation from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Hitachi Ventures, and LG Technology Ventures. The funding will be used to expand into the Asia-Pacific and European markets.Zenity focuses on enterprise AI agent security protection. Unlike traditional AI security solutions, its platform can monitor the behavior of AI agents in real-time, allowing for immediate interception or intervention if an agent deviates from preset goals or poses a risk to organizational data.CEO Ben Kliger stated that AI agents have been deeply embedded in various aspects of enterprise operations, and the adoption rate in the Asia-Pacific market is even faster than any previous wave of AI. There is strong demand in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia.

According to Jinshi reports, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei stated that Iran is cooperating with Oman to establish a temporary security corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the security incident involving Coldcard, a hardware wallet company under Coinkite, the amount of stolen Bitcoin has risen to approximately 1359.882 coins. The Coldcard Sweep Watch dashboard statistics show that most of the identified Bitcoin still remains in a few addresses controlled by the attacker.On August 1, a holding address of the attacker received a transaction containing OP_RETURN information. This information publicly offered "cleaning" Bitcoin, KYC assistance, and cash-out services for a 10% fee, along with a Telegram contact.Coinkite has released an emergency firmware update to eliminate the weak random number generation issue that caused the original vulnerability. The company stated that the new firmware only protects wallets created in the future and cannot fix seeds generated in the affected versions.Some users reported that after installing the update, their devices remained on an error page, failed to start, or appeared to be bricked, mainly involving Mk4 and Q devices, with some Mk3 users reporting similar issues. As of August 2, Coinkite has not publicly confirmed the existence of widespread firmware defects.

Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas commented on the Coldcard wallet security incident, saying, "I just learned that the Coldcard team has only 5 employees. For such an important company, this number is really too low. Would you be willing to use a bank with only 5 people working to store your life savings? Maybe this is a feature in the cryptocurrency space, but to me, this is clearly a warning signal."Balchunas further stated that, in contrast, institutions like Coinbase and Ledger, which have larger teams, may have advantages in security investment and operational capabilities, even if users have to bear higher transaction costs. A Bitcoin ETF offers another option: investors can obtain security guarantees provided by large, professional, regulated financial institutions while enjoying lower management fees.

Researchers at the Chinese People's Public Security University have developed an AI framework capable of detecting illegal cryptocurrency transactions with an overall accuracy rate close to 90%. The study was published in the Chinese peer-reviewed journal "Journal of Intelligence," and the corresponding author, Dr. Sun Jingchao (specializing in criminal investigation and cybersecurity), noted that the research "provides an accurate, scalable, and interpretable solution for detecting illegal cryptocurrency transactions," and offers "an innovative technical path" for regulatory agencies to combat illegal cryptocurrency transactions and economic crimes.This AI framework utilizes memory modules and large language models, specifically targeting the anonymity and cross-border characteristics of cryptocurrencies to track illegal activities such as money laundering. The release of this research coincides with China's ongoing efforts to intensify the crackdown on financial crimes related to cryptocurrencies. In March of this year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China disclosed that by 2025, procuratorial authorities had prosecuted 3,259 individuals for money laundering crimes involving virtual currencies and underground banks.As the trading volume of cryptocurrencies rapidly increases, their anonymity and cross-border characteristics provide a channel for illegal fund flows. This police-developed AI detection tool marks a shift in regulatory technology from passive tracking to proactive intelligent identification.