Can Bybit Recover Funds From the $1.5 Billion Lazarus Hack?

Key Takeaways:

  • Bybit is suing North Korea over the $1.5B Lazarus hack.
  • A US court has frozen identified assets linked to the theft.
  • Recovering the stolen funds remains uncertain despite the legal action.

 

Suing a nation-state rarely produces a check in the mail. But eighteen months after crypto’s largest heist on record, Bybit is betting that a US courtroom can accomplish something blockchain forensics alone couldn’t.

Bybit is suing North Korea over the $1.5 billion Lazarus Group crypto heist, with a US federal court issuing a preliminary injunction freezing identified assets linked to the hack as the civil case moves forward.

What Happened, and Who’s Being Sued

The theft occurred on February 21, 2025, when Lazarus-linked hackers compromised the Safe{Wallet} multisig platform Bybit used for cold wallet transfers, tricking executives into approving a transaction that sent roughly 400,000 ETH and staked ETH to attacker-controlled wallets. Bybit has now filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau intelligence agency, and the Lazarus Group directly.

Can Bybit Recover Funds From the $1.5 Billion Lazarus Hack?
Image Via X/blocknews.

The Injunction Is What Actually Matters

A lawsuit against a sanctioned state is largely symbolic — North Korea won’t appear in court. The real tool is the injunction, which bars unidentified “John Doe” defendants holding traced stolen funds anywhere from transferring or disposing of them while litigation continues, giving Bybit and law enforcement legal leverage over anyone caught holding laundered proceeds.

Recovery Is Still Far From Guaranteed

The civil case runs alongside a separate ongoing US criminal investigation. CEO Ben Zhou called the hack an attack on trust in the crypto industry broadly. But Lazarus’s laundering playbook — rapidly converting stolen ETH into Bitcoin and scattering it across thousands of addresses — was built specifically to defeat this kind of pursuit.

Whether this injunction recovers meaningful funds or simply marks accountability on paper depends on how much of that trail investigators can still follow.

Tether Gold (XAUT) Shakes Off Downward Deflection

Summary:

  • XAUT remains strongly bullish, despite a recent pullback.
  • Technical indicators support further gains, with price above the 9-day EMA and SRSI rising.
  • XAUT could target $4,600, with $5,000 possible if momentum continues.

As a network built around resilience, the price of the Tether Gold token appears ready to continue its upward correction. At the time of writing, the token is holding significant bullish gains and remains well-positioned to record further upside.

Tether Gold 24-Hour Price Chart

Over the past two sessions, price action has experienced a significant upward movement. Although the previous session saw a notable pullback, the corresponding price candle for the ongoing session has emerged strongly bullish.

Tether Gold (XAUT) Shakes Off Downward Deflection
Tether Gold (XAUT) Shakes Off Downward Deflection. Source: TradingView

As a result, price action continues to extend above the 9-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) line. Likewise, the Stochastic Relative Strength Index (SRSI) lines continue to push higher into the overbought region.

Tether Gold Eyes the $4,500 Mark in the Near Term

In the XAUTUSDT daily market, price action has been trending strongly upward over the past two sessions. Although the previous session introduced a brief pullback, buying activity appears to remain firmly dominant and may continue to support bullish momentum.

The SRSI indicator also maintains an upward trajectory, affirming that bullish forces still have the technical backing needed to remain active in this market.

Tether Gold (XAUT) Shakes Off Downward Deflection
Tether Gold (XAUT) Shakes Off Downward Deflection. Source: X.com

XAUT Focuses on the $4,600 Mark

Considering the strength of price movement on the daily chart, it appears that the Tether Gold token is approaching the $4,600 level as its next target.

However, rather than focusing solely on this short-term objective, the token may continue to advance toward the more significant psychological resistance at $5,000. At this point, bullish momentum appears to have the technical support needed to reach nearby targets, with higher price levels potentially achieved subsequently.

Crypto Dollar-Cost Averaging vs Trading Signals: Which Approach Fits You?

Dollar-cost averaging, or DCA, means buying a fixed amount of crypto at regular intervals. Trading signals are different. They aim to identify specific entries, exits, stops, and targets based on market conditions.

DCA is simple. A person might buy £50 of Bitcoin every week regardless of price. This removes the pressure of timing the market. It can work well for long-term believers who accept volatility and do not want to manage charts every day.

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The downside is that DCA does not protect you from major downtrends. If the market falls for months, you keep buying all the way down. That may be acceptable for long-term investors, but it can be uncomfortable and requires patience.

Trading signals are more active. A signal may say a coin has a potential long setup near a certain entry, with a stop and take-profit plan. Good signals include invalidation because every trade can be wrong.

The advantage of signals is structure. They can help traders avoid random entries and define risk before entering. The disadvantage is that signals require discipline. Followers must understand that losses are part of trading and that skipping stops can damage results.

DCA and signals can also be combined, but the roles should be separate. A long-term Bitcoin DCA plan should not be confused with a short-term altcoin trade. Mixing the two leads to mistakes, such as turning a failed trade into a “long-term hold” just to avoid accepting a loss.

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The right choice depends on personality, time, and risk tolerance. If you want simplicity and long-term exposure, DCA may fit better. If you want active opportunities with defined entries and exits, signals may be useful.

Key takeaway:

DCA is an investment habit. Trading signals are tactical plans. Both can be valid, but they require different expectations, risk controls, and time horizons.

Educational content only. Not financial advice. DYOR.

Is Grayscale Turning More Bullish on BNB?

Key Takeaways:

  • BNB became Grayscale’s largest Smart Contract Fund holding.
  • The move reflects index rules, not a discretionary bullish call.
  • BNB’s growing market strength is boosting its institutional weighting.

 

A fund manager buying more of an asset sounds like a bullish signal. But when the purchase is dictated entirely by index rules rather than a portfolio manager’s judgment, the more interesting question is what triggered the rules to point at BNB in the first place.

Cointelegraph reported on August 6, 2026 that Grayscale rebalanced its crypto funds for Q2 2026, adding BNB to its Smart Contract Fund while trimming UNI and NEAR across its DeFi and AI portfolios. BNB trades at $593.54, up 0.4% over the past seven days.

Is Grayscale Turning More Bullish on BNB?
Image Via X.

BNB Didn’t Just Get Added — It Took the Top Spot

The scale of this move is bigger than a routine addition. Effective at market close on August 3, BNB entered Grayscale’s Smart Contract Fund at approximately 30.6% weight, edging out both Ethereum at 29.47% and Solana at 29.15% to become the fund’s single largest holding. 

That’s a meaningful shift from the prior quarter, when ETH led at 30.14% and SOL followed closely at 29.69%, with Cardano sitting a distant third near 18%. To make room, Grayscale sold existing fund components proportionally and used the proceeds to purchase BNB, following the CoinDesk Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index methodology the fund tracks.

What’s Actually Driving the Answer to This Question

The honest answer is that this isn’t really Grayscale expressing an opinion. These are rules-based index funds — BNB’s inclusion reflects it meeting the CoinDesk index’s market cap, liquidity, and classification criteria, not a discretionary call from a portfolio manager who’s grown more constructive on BNB specifically. That said, the mechanism doesn’t make the outcome meaningless. 

An asset earning the top allocation slot in one of the more closely watched institutional smart contract indices is a real signal about how BNB’s market cap and liquidity now stack up against Ethereum and Solana, even if no one at Grayscale is making a subjective bullish case for it.

The Chart Shows a Market Yet to React

Looking at the seven-day chart, BNB spent July 31 through August 2 sliding from around $593 down to a low near $571, before recovering steadily through the following days and spiking to a weekly high above $600 on August 5 — the day the rebalance was formally announced. That gain has since eased slightly, with BNB settling at $593.54. 

Is Grayscale Turning More Bullish on BNB?
BNBUSD Chart. Source: CoinGecko.

The rally leading into the announcement suggests some anticipation may have already been priced in, though the size of Grayscale’s fund relative to BNB’s overall market cap makes it unlikely to be the sole driver of the move.

Why Index Inclusion Still Matters

Even as a mechanical rather than discretionary purchase, BNB’s promotion to the top of a major institutional smart contract fund extends a pattern that goes back to February, when Grayscale added BNB to its flagship Crypto 5 fund in place of Cardano. 

Two separate rebalances within the same year both concluding in BNB’s favor over established competitors is harder to dismiss as coincidence, even under a rules-based framework — the underlying metrics feeding those rules have been consistently working in BNB’s favor.

Bitcoin (BTC) Prepares to Resurface Above $66,000

Summary:

  • Bitcoin is gaining bullish momentum, with price moving above the 9-day EMA.
  • Momentum may be slowing slightly, but SRSI remains strongly bullish.
  • BTC could target $67,000 short term, with $70,000 possible afterward.

Many speculations surrounding Bitcoin point to the fact that the coin may be entering a very promising phase. In addition, the indications emerging from the token’s chart continue to suggest strengthening bullish momentum. A deeper dive into the market is provided below.

Bitcoin (BTC) Prepares to Resurface Above $66,000
Bitcoin (BTC) Prepares to Resurface Above $66,000. Source: TradingView

Bitcoin Daily Price Chart

Looking at the BTCUSDT 24-hour chart reveals that price action continues to gain upside momentum. Recent price candles have been steadily progressing higher. The latest price candle remains green and stands above the 9-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).

However, the most recent candle appears smaller than the previous two, suggesting that bullish momentum may be moderating slightly. At the same time, the Stochastic Relative Strength Index (SRSI) lines continue to advance deeper into the overbought region.

BTC Locks In on a Target

From the perspective of the sentiment surrounding Bitcoin, one can see that there is a strong possibility that the token’s price could reach nearby resistance targets. Price action in this market has maintained an upward trajectory since the beginning of August.

As a result, the token’s price is now approaching the $65,000 threshold. Confirmation from the behavior of the SRSI further reinforces the view that bullish momentum continues to dominate the market.

Bitcoin (BTC) Prepares to Resurface Above $66,000
Bitcoin (BTC) Prepares to Resurface Above $66,000. Source: YouTube

Bitcoin May Target the $67,000 Mark in the Near Term and $70,000 Subsequently

The indications on the BTCUSDT daily chart clearly suggest that the market is moving toward the next psychological price level. The ongoing session indicates that buying activity remains dominant.

Furthermore, the growing optimism surrounding Bitcoin in the short- to medium-term suggests that bullish momentum may continue to prevail. As a result, the price of the coin could reach $67,000 in the near term before extending its rally toward $70,000.

Zcash (ZEC) Extends a Long-Term Upside Correction

Summary:

  • Zcash is gaining bullish momentum, with price trading above the 9-day EMA.
  • SRSI remains strongly positive, indicating continued buying pressure.
  • ZEC could target $700 if the current bullish trend continues.

While the fundamentals of the Zcash blockchain remain unchanged, the token seems to have gradually and steadily regained its upward traction. Bullish sentiment has strengthened in this market since the beginning of August. Let’s take a closer look at the details below.

Zcash on a Daily Price Chart

As noted above, the ZECUSDT market has been rebounding since the 1st of August. Even during the ongoing session, progress in the upward direction has remained evident. The latest price candle on the chart stands above the 9-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) line.

Zcash on a Daily Price ChartAs noted above, the ZECUSDT market has been rebounding since the 1st of August
Zcash (ZEC) Extends a Long-Term Upside Correction. Source: TradingView

Additionally, it maintains a bullish appearance. As a result, the Stochastic Relative Strength Index (SRSI) lines continue to trend upward toward the overbought region. At the time of writing, the leading SRSI line has moved above the 80 level, while the lagging line remains just above the 60 mark.

ZEC Keeps Focus on the $700 Mark

By observing price activity on the Zcash daily chart, we can see that price action remains on course toward higher levels. Since the start of the new month, bullish momentum has continued to drive the market higher.

Recently, the token climbed above $500, and price action in the current session suggests further gains may be on the horizon, with trading remaining above the 9-day EMA. The SRSI also confirms the strength of bullish sentiment, as the indicator’s lines continue to point upward within the overbought region.

Zcash (ZEC) Extends a Long-Term Upside Correction
Zcash (ZEC) Extends a Long-Term Upside Correction. Source: X.com

Zcash Traders Can Keep Focusing on the $700 Threshold.

All available indicators on the ZECUSDT daily chart suggest that bullish momentum remains dominant.

The bullish appearance of the latest price candle suggests that buyers continue to maintain control of the market. Additionally, the SRSI supports this outlook, reinforcing the possibility that the market could continue advancing toward the $700 price level.

Crypto Order Blocks: What Beginners Should Know Before Using Them

Order blocks are a popular price-action concept. They usually refer to areas where large buying or selling may have taken place before a strong move. Traders watch these zones because price sometimes returns to them before continuing.

A bullish order block is often identified as the last down candle before a strong move higher. A bearish order block is often the last up candle before a sharp move lower. The theory is that institutions or large traders left unfilled orders in those areas.

In crypto, order blocks can be useful, but they are also overused. Many beginners mark every candle as an order block and end up with a messy chart. A meaningful zone should lead to a clear displacement move, break structure, or show strong volume.

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Order blocks work best when they align with market structure. If Ethereum is in an uptrend and pulls back into a bullish order block near previous resistance turned support, that zone may be worth watching. If the broader structure is bearish, buying every bullish-looking block can be dangerous.

Confirmation matters. Instead of blindly entering when price touches the zone, traders often wait for a reaction: a strong candle close, lower-timeframe structure shift, rising volume, or failed breakdown. This reduces the risk of catching a falling knife.

Invalidation should be clear. If price closes decisively below a bullish order block and fails to reclaim it, the idea may be wrong. Good trading is not about predicting perfectly; it is about knowing when the setup has failed.

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Order blocks should not replace risk management. They are zones, not guarantees. Crypto often wicks through obvious levels before reversing, especially during high volatility. Position size should reflect that uncertainty.

Key takeaway:

Order blocks can help identify potential reaction zones, but they should be used with structure, volume, confirmation, and strict invalidation rules.

Educational content only. Not financial advice. DYOR.

Applying Sentiment Analysis in Cryptocurrency Trading

Summary:

  • Sentiment analysis measures market mood and can help predict potential crypto price movements.
  • News and social media can strongly influence sentiment, affecting buying and selling decisions.
  • Tools like Santiment, LunarCrush, and The TIE help traders track sentiment and manage risk.

When it comes to sentiment analysis, the feelings and opinions of investors, traders, and the general public toward a cryptocurrency are considered. You can think of it as observing the market’s mood—but on a much larger digital scale.

This gives insight into whether people are buying, selling, or remaining undecided about a particular coin. With the rise of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, sentiment analysis has become one of the most important tools in modern cryptocurrency trading.

Why Market Sentiment Matters in Cryptocurrency Trading

The crypto market gets heavily influenced by public perception. A single news headline, social media post, or trending discussion on platforms can quickly shift investor confidence and trigger significant price movements. As a result, emotions often play just as much of a role as technical or fundamental factors.

This is why sentiment analysis has become an important tool for crypto traders. By observing the behavior of market participants, if they are becoming more optimistic or fearful, traders can better anticipate potential price swings and make more informed decisions about when to buy, sell, or stay on the sidelines.

Applying Sentiment Analysis in Cryptocurrency Trading
Applying Sentiment Analysis in Cryptocurrency Trading. Source: Google Images

How to Understand Emotional Flow in the Cryptocurrency Market

The cryptocurrency market is often driven by emotions, and at times, a single tweet can trigger a strong market bias. Most traders have noticed how the price of Bitcoin (BTC) can change overnight following breaking news. These sharp movements are fueled by shifts in market sentiment and can be just as influential as technical analysis.

By using sentiment analysis, traders can stay up to date with market emotions and remain ahead of major price swings. As a trader, understanding the prevailing market sentiment helps one to adjust one strategy to better align with current market conditions.

Using Sentiment Analysis to Improve Risk Management

Managing risk is essential for long-term trading success, and sentiment analysis can strengthen your strategy by revealing shifts in market psychology.

For instance, a sharp increase in negative sentiment surrounding a cryptocurrency such as Ethereum may indicate growing selling pressure. In response, traders might tighten their stop-loss levels, scale back their positions, or wait for clearer market conditions.

By tracking real-time investor sentiment, you can anticipate changes in market direction rather than simply reacting after prices have already moved. During periods of heightened fear or excitement, sentiment analysis helps you remain disciplined, make informed decisions, and stay focused on your trading plan.

Effective Cryptocurrency Sentiment Analysis Tools

Below are some of the best tools for analyzing cryptocurrency market sentiment. These platforms provide traders with valuable insights into market psychology.

Santiment: A platform that provides real-time cryptocurrency sentiment analysis, along with on-chain and social metrics.

LunarCrush: This platform aggregates social media activity and market data to provide deep insights into investor sentiment and emerging market trends.

The TIE: A sentiment-driven analytics platform designed primarily for professional cryptocurrency traders and institutional investors.

These tools help traders better understand investor behavior and overall market sentiment. By leveraging the insights they provide, traders can make more informed decisions and gain a clearer understanding of where the market may be headed.

XRP Holders Can Now Borrow RLUSD Without Selling Their Tokens

Key Takeaways:

  • XRP holders can now borrow RLUSD without selling XRP.
  • FXRP is now accepted as collateral on Morpho.
  • Adoption will determine its long-term impact.

 

DeFi has spent years finding ways for Bitcoin holders to put BTC to work without selling it. XRP has never had an equivalent — until now.

MSB Intel reported on August 3, 2026 that XRP holders can now borrow Ripple’s RLUSD on Ethereum without selling their XRP, after Flare’s FXRP was approved as collateral in a $280 million lending vault on Morpho. 

XRP Holders Can Now Borrow RLUSD Without Selling Their Tokens
Image Via X.

Why XRP Has Been Absent From DeFi Until Now

XRP runs on its own ledger with its own consensus mechanism, meaning Ethereum-based lending protocols have never been able to interact with it directly. Bridging XRP into Ethereum DeFi required years of infrastructure work — minting a wrapped representation, building the bridge, and convincing an institutional risk team to underwrite it, the same process that eventually produced Wrapped Bitcoin. 

Flare’s FXRP is that missing piece for XRP: users mint FXRP through Flare’s FAssets system, bridge it to Ethereum via Stargate, deposit it as collateral in the new Morpho Blue market, and borrow RLUSD against it.

The Vault Behind the Integration

This isn’t a minor, unvetted listing. FXRP was approved specifically inside Sentora’s RLUSD Main vault, which manages nearly $280 million in deposits, making it the largest institutionally curated RLUSD lending pool on Ethereum. Sentora, formed from the 2025 merger of IntoTheBlock and Trident Digital, evaluated FXRP under its institutional risk framework covering market behavior, oracle design, liquidity, and liquidation mechanics before granting approval — the same standard applied to existing collateral in the vault like cbBTC, weETH, and wstETH. 

Flare co-founder and CEO Hugo Philion framed the distinction directly: XRP is now collateral an institutional risk team underwrites on Ethereum mainnet, a stronger form of recognition than another bridge listing.

The Chart Behind the Rollout

Looking at the seven-day chart, XRP has traded in a choppy, range-bound pattern, swinging between roughly $1.05 and $1.09 across the week without a clear directional trend. Price sat near $1.08 as the FXRP integration was announced on August 3, showing no immediate reaction — consistent with a structural DeFi announcement whose impact tends to build over adoption rather than move price in the short term.

XRP Holders Can Now Borrow RLUSD Without Selling Their Tokens
XRPUSD Weekly Chart. Source: CoinGecko.

Scale Is Still the Open Question

Roughly 155 million FXRP has been minted since launch, a modest figure against Flare’s stated target of drawing 5 billion XRP into its ecosystem over six months. The new lending market is also opening with what Flare describes as a conservative supply cap, one that may expand as usage grows. 

With XRP’s roughly $70 billion market capitalization still almost entirely absent from on-chain lending compared to assets like ETH and WBTC, this integration is less a finished milestone than a first real test of whether XRP holders actually want to use their tokens as productive collateral, rather than simply holding them.