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Виды мошенничества с мобильными устройствами

Виды мошенничества с мобильными устройствами

Community Submission - Author: WhoTookMyCrypto.com

2017 was a remarkable year for the cryptocurrency industry as their rapid increase in valuations propelled them into mainstream media. Unsurprisingly, this garnered them immense interest from both the general public as well as cybercriminals. The relative anonymity offered by cryptocurrencies has made them a favorite amongst criminals who often use them to bypass traditional banking systems and avoid financial surveillance from regulators.

Given that people are spending more time on their smartphones than desktops, it is thus not surprising that cybercriminals have also turned their attention to them. The following discussion highlights how scammers have been targeting cryptocurrency users through their mobile devices, along with a few steps that users can take to protect themselves.

Fake cryptocurrency apps

Fake cryptocurrency exchange apps

The most well-known example of a fake cryptocurrency exchange app is probably the one of Poloniex. Prior to the launch of their official mobile trading app in July 2018, Google Play was already listing several fake Poloniex exchange apps, which were intentionally designed to be functional. Many users that downloaded those fraudulent apps had their Poloniex login credentials compromised, and their cryptocurrencies were stolen. Some apps even went a step further requesting the login credentials of users Gmail accounts. It is important to highlight that only accounts without two-factor authentication (2FA) were compromised.

The following steps can help protect you against such scams.

  • Check the exchange’s official website to verify if they indeed offer a mobile trading app. If so, use the link provided on their website.

  • Read the reviews and ratings. Fraudulent apps often have many bad reviews with people complaining about getting scammed, so make sure to check them before you download. However, you should also be skeptical of apps that present perfect ratings and comments. Any legitimate app has its fair share of negative reviews.

  • Check the app developer information. Look for whether a legitimate company, email address, and website are provided. You should also perform an online search on the information provided to see if they are really related to the official exchange.

  • Check the number of downloads. The download count should also be considered. It is unlikely that a highly popular cryptocurrency exchange would have a small number of downloads.

  • Activate 2FA on your accounts. Although not 100% secure, 2FA is much harder to bypass and can make a huge difference in protecting your funds, even if your login credentials are phished.

Fake cryptocurrency wallet apps

There are many different types of fake apps. One variation seeks to obtain personal information from users such as their wallet passwords and private keys.

In some cases, fake apps provide previously generated public addresses to users. So they assume funds are to be deposited into these addresses. However, they do not gain access to the private keys and thus do not have access to any funds that are sent to them.

Such fake wallets have been created for popular cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Neo and, unfortunately, many users lost their funds. Here are some preventive steps that can be taken to avoid becoming a victim:

  • The precautions highlighted in the exchange app segment above are equally applicable. However, an additional precaution you can take when dealing with wallet apps is to make sure brand new addresses are generated when you first open the app, and that you are in possession of the private keys (or mnemonic seeds). A legitimate wallet app allows you to export the private keys, but it is also important to ensure the generation of new key pairs is not compromised. So you should use a reputable software (preferably open source).

  • Even if the app provides you a private key (or seed), you should verify whether the public addresses can be derived and accessed from them. For example, some Bitcoin wallets allow users to import their private keys or seeds to visualize the addresses and access the funds. To minimize the risks of keys and seeds being compromised, you may perform this on an air-gapped computer (disconnected from the internet).

Cryptojacking apps

Cryptojacking has been a hot favorite amongst cybercriminals due to the low barriers to entry and low overheads required. Furthermore, it offers them the potential for long-term recurring income. Despite their lower processing power when compared to PCs, mobile devices are increasingly becoming a target of cryptojacking.

Apart from web-browser cryptojacking, cybercriminals are also developing programs that appear to be legitimate gaming, utility or educational apps. However, many of these apps are designed to secretly run crypto-mining scripts in the background.

There are also cryptojacking apps that are advertised as legitimate third-party miners, but the rewards are delivered to the app developer instead of the users.

To make things worse, cybercriminals have become increasingly sophisticated, deploying lightweight mining algorithms to avoid detection.

Cryptojacking is incredibly harmful to your mobile devices as they degrade performance and accelerates wear and tear. Even worse, they could potentially act as Trojan horses for more nefarious malware.

The following steps can be taken to guard against them.

  • Only download apps from official stores, such as Google Play. Pirated apps are not pre-scanned and are more likely to contain cryptojacking scripts.

  • Monitor your phone for excessive battery draining or overheating. Once detected, terminate apps that are causing this.

  • Keep your device and apps updated so that security vulnerabilities get patched.

  • Use a web browser that guards against cryptojacking or install reputable browser plug-ins, such as MinerBlock, NoCoin, and Adblock.

  • If possible, install mobile antivirus software and keep it updated.

Free giveaway and fake crypto-miner apps

These are apps that pretend to mine cryptocurrencies for their users but don’t actually do anything apart from displaying ads. They incentivize users to keep the apps open by reflecting an increase in the user’s rewards over time. Some apps even incentivize users to leave 5-star ratings in order to get rewards. Of course, none of these apps were actually mining, and their users never received any rewards.

To guard against this scam, understand that for the majority of cryptocurrencies, mining requires highly specialized hardware (ASICs), meaning it is not feasible to mine on a mobile device. Whatever amounts you mine would be trivial at best. Stay away from any such apps.

Clipper apps

Such apps alter the cryptocurrency addresses you copy and replace them with those of the attacker. Thus, while a victim may copy the correct recipient address, the one they paste to process the transaction is replaced by those of the attacker.

To avoid falling victim to such apps, here are some precautions you can take when processing transactions.

  • Always double and triple check the address you are pasting into the recipient field. Blockchain transactions are irreversible so you should always be careful.

  • It is best to verify the entire address instead of just portions of it. Some apps are intelligent enough to paste addresses that look similar to your intended address.

SIM swapping

In a SIM swapping scam, a cybercriminal gains access to the phone number of a user. They do this by employing social engineering techniques to trick mobile phone operators into issuing a new SIM card to them. The most well-known SIM swapping scam involved cryptocurrency entrepreneur Michael Terpin. He alleged that AT&T was negligent in their handling of his mobile phone credentials resulting in him losing tokens valued at more than 20 million US dollars.

Once cybercriminals have gained access to your phone number, they can use it to bypass any 2FA that relies on that. From there, they can work their way into your cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges.

Another method cybercriminals can employ is to monitor your SMS communications. Flaws in communications networks can allow criminals to intercept your messages which can include the second-factor pin messaged to you.

What makes this attack particularly concerning is that users are not required to undertake any action, such as downloading a fake software or clicking a malicious link.

To prevent falling prey to such scams, here are some steps to consider.

  • Do not use your mobile phone number for SMS 2FA. Instead, use apps like Google Authenticator or Authy to secure your accounts. Cybercriminals are unable to gain access to these apps even if they possess your phone number. Alternatively, you may use hardware 2FA such as YubiKey or Google's Titan Security Key.

  • Do not reveal personal identifying information on social media, such as your mobile phone number. Cybercriminals can pick up such information and use them to impersonate you elsewhere.

  • You should never announce on social media that you own cryptocurrencies as this would make you a target. Or if you are in a position where everyone already knows you own them, then avoid disclosing personal information including the exchanges or wallets you use.

  • Make arrangements with your mobile phone providers to protect your account. This could mean attaching a pin or password to your account and dictating that only users with knowledge of the pin can make changes to the account. Alternatively, you can require such changes to be made in person and disallow them over the phone.

WiFi

Cybercriminals are constantly seeking entry points into mobile devices, especially the ones of cryptocurrency users. One such entry point is that of WiFi access. Public WiFi is insecure and users should take precautions before connecting to them. If not, they risk cybercriminals gaining access to the data on their mobile devices. These precautions have been covered in the article on public WiFi.

Closing thoughts

Mobile phones have become an essential part of our lives. In fact, they are so intertwined with your digital identity that they can become your greatest vulnerability. Cybercriminals are aware of this and will continue to find ways to exploit this. Securing your mobile devices is no longer optional. It has become a necessity. Stay safe.

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Mining Pools Explained

Mining Pools Explained
Mining is integral to the security of Proof of Work blockchains. By computing hashes with certain properties, participants are able to secure cryptocurrency networks without the need for a central authority. When Bitcoin first launched in 2009, anyone with a regular PC could compete with other miners to guess a valid hash for the next block. That’s because the mining difficulty was low. There wasn’t much hash rate on the network. As such, you didn’t need specialized hardware to add new blocks to the blockchain.
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Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?

Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym behind the development of Bitcoin and the authorship of the original Bitcoin whitepaper. The question “who is Satoshi Nakamoto?” has led to speculation of their true identity as well as people falsely claiming they are Satoshi Nakamoto. The creator of Bitcoin has been clouded in mystery for more than a decade. However, it’s clear that Satoshi still owns bitcoins since their public keys were traced from the genesis block, which Satoshi mined.
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What Is Cryptocurrency Mining?

What Is Cryptocurrency Mining?
Cryptocurrency mining refers to the process of verifying and validating blockchain transactions. It’s also the process that creates new units of cryptocurrencies. The work done by miners requires intensive computational resources, but it’s what keeps a blockchain network secure. Honest and successful miners are rewarded for their work with newly created cryptocurrencies plus transaction fees.
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A Quick Guide to Binance Dual Investment

A Quick Guide to Binance Dual Investment
We all know that to get a return on an investment, we need to buy low and sell high. Investing in cryptocurrency is no different. Binance Dual Investment provides a great way to seize Buy Low and Sell High opportunities while also providing you with additional returns. Let’s dive into how it works and exactly how you can get started.
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Hybrid PoW/PoS Consensus Explained

Hybrid PoW/PoS Consensus Explained
A blockchain’s consensus mechanism serves to ensure that there is agreement among participants on the current state of the blockchain. The consensus mechanism determines who is able to add new blocks of transactions, and one of its primary aims is to ensure that the chain is not re-written.
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Your Guide to Binance Earn

Your Guide to Binance Earn
Not interested in trading but still looking to increase your crypto holdings? Is the 0.05% interest your local bank offers on your savings account not exciting enough? Well, you’ll find alternative choices within the Binance Earn product suite. Binance Earn is your crypto savings account. Here, you’ll find a great variety of options for earning passive income with your crypto holdings.
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Delegated Proof of Stake Explained

Delegated Proof of Stake Explained
The Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus algorithm is considered by many as a more efficient and democratic version of the preceding PoS mechanism. Both PoS and DPoS are used as an alternative to the Proof of Work consensus algorithm, since a PoW system requires, by design, lots of external resources. The Proof of Work algorithm makes use of a large amount of computational work in order to secure an immutable, decentralized and transparent distributed ledger. Contrarily, PoS and DPoS require fewer resources and are, by design, more sustainable and eco-friendly. To understand how Delegated Proof of Stake works, one must first grasp the basics of the Proof of Work and Proof of Stake algorithms that preceded it.
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Proof of Burn Explained

Proof of Burn Explained
While most blockchain systems either make use of a Proof of Work (PoW) or a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, the Proof of Burn (PoB) is being tested as a possible alternative to those.
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Proof of Authority Explained

Proof of Authority Explained
The cryptocurrency space has changed a lot since the first blockchain transaction on the Bitcoin network. Along with the well-known Proof of Work and Proof of Stake algorithms, other consensus mechanisms were proposed, with alternative methods for reaching consensus within a blockchain system.
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What Is a DoS Attack?

What Is a DoS Attack?
In short, a DoS attack (or Denial-of-Service attack) is a method used to disrupt legitimate users' access to a target network or web resource. Typically, this is accomplished by overloading the target (often a web server) with a massive amount of traffic - or by sending malicious requests that cause the target resource to malfunction or crash entirely.
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What Is a 51% Attack?

What Is a 51% Attack?
Before diving into the 51% attack, it is crucial to have a good understanding of mining and blockchain-based systems. One of the key strengths of Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology is the distributed nature of building and verifying data. The decentralized work of the nodes ensures that the protocol rules are being followed and that all network participants agree on the current state of the blockchain. This means that the majority of nodes need to regularly reach consensus in regards to the process of mining, to the version of the software being used, to the validity of transactions, and so forth.
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Delayed Proof of Work Explained

Delayed Proof of Work Explained
Delayed Proof of Work (dPoW) is a security mechanism designed by the Komodo project. It is basically a modified version of the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus algorithm that makes use of Bitcoin blockchain’s hashpower as a way to enhance network security. By using dPoW, Komodo developers are able to secure not only their own network but also any third-party chain that ends up joining the Komodo ecosystem in the future. In fact, dPoW can be implemented for any project that develops an independent blockchain using a UTXO model.
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What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm?

What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm?
A consensus algorithm is a mechanism that allows users or machines to coordinate in a distributed setting. It needs to ensure that all agents in the system can agree on a single source of truth, even if some agents fail. In other words, the system must be fault-tolerant (see also - Byzantine Fault Tolerance Explained). In a centralized setup, a single entity has power over the system. In most cases, they can make changes as they please – there isn’t some complex governance system for reaching consensus amongst many administrators.
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5 BSC Metaverse Projects You Should Know

5 BSC Metaverse Projects You Should Know
The metaverse is an online, immersive space where users can work, play, and socialize in a 3D environment. The metaverse is still developing, but blockchain technology already plays a significant role. BNB Smart Chain (BSC) is the home to many metaverse projects experimenting with play-to-earn blockchain games and community sandboxes.decentral.games lets users play and run their own casino through governance mechanisms. Cyber Dragon and Alien Worlds both provide an RPG-like experience where players have their own character, missions, and loot. TopGoal is also gaming-related but focuses on the collectability of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to represent sports stars like trading cards.
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A Beginner's Guide to Earning Passive Income With Crypto

A Beginner's Guide to Earning Passive Income With Crypto
Trading or investing in projects is one way to make money in the blockchain industry. However, that typically requires detailed research and a substantial investment of time – but it still won’t guarantee a reliable source of income. Even the best investors can experience prolonged periods of loss, and one of the ways to survive them is to have alternative sources of income.
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What Is Crypto Lending and How Does It Work?

What Is Crypto Lending and How Does It Work?
Crypto lending lets users borrow and lend cryptocurrencies for a fee or interest. You can instantly get a loan and start investing just by providing some collateral. This could be through a DeFi lending DApp or a cryptocurrency exchange. When your collateral falls below a certain value, you will need to top it up to the required level to avoid liquidation. When you return your loan plus a fee, your capital is unlocked.
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A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi lets users access crypto financial services with just no more than a wallet with some crypto. A range of DApps facilitates lending, liquidity provision, swaps, staking, and more across many blockchains. While Ethereum was DeFi's original home, most blockchains with smart contract capabilities now host DeFi DApps. Smart contracts are essential to the services DeFi offers, which include staking, investing, lending, harvesting, and more.
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5 NFT Projects You Should Know

5 NFT Projects You Should Know
The interest in NFTs has exploded. While many NFT projects had a small community of enthusiasts since their early existence, 2021 has brought forth a bit of an NFT bubble. Many thought DeFi would bring mainstream adoption to the crypto space. However, it seems like the value proposition of NFTs is much easier to grasp for people not involved with blockchain technology. As such, some NFT projects have even entered the mainstream. But which ones are they?
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Top 3 NFT Projects on Binance Smart Chain

Top 3 NFT Projects on Binance Smart Chain
The demand for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) keeps growing on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). The blockchain’s speed and low transaction fees make it very attractive for both users and developers. On BSC, Battle Pets, PancakeSwap, and BakerySwap have all pushed further the limits of what an NFT can do. Both Battle Pets and BakerySwap combine collectibles with Decentralized Finance (DeFi) staking for their tokens. PancakeSwap is also experimenting with NFTs that merge collectability, financial utility, and gamification.
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Top 7 NFT Use Cases

Top 7 NFT Use Cases
Massive interest in non-fungible tokens has led to a boom in crypto-collectibles and NFT art. These are two of the most prominent use cases in the DeFi ecosystem, but they aren’t the only applications. Scarcity and uniqueness make non-fungible tokens a good match for real-world assets, logistics, music royalties, and more. As NFTs mature, we can expect to see further adoption of more experimental use cases.
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What Are NFT Games and How Do They Work?

What Are NFT Games and How Do They Work?
NFTs are unique digital collectibles on the blockchain. This feature makes them suitable to use in games as representations as characters, consumables, and other tradeable items. NFT games have become popular in the Game-fi world as a way to earn income. You can sell your in-game NFTs to other collectors and players and even earn tokens with play-to-earn models.
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What Is the Metaverse?

What Is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is a concept of a persistent, online, 3D universe that combines multiple different virtual spaces. You can think of it as a future iteration of the internet. The metaverse will allow users to work, meet, game, and socialize together in these 3D spaces.
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What Are CryptoPunks?

What Are CryptoPunks?
CryptoPunks are collectible pieces of crypto art, represented by NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. There are 10,000 small, 8-bit-style punks, all with unique features. As one of the first famous NFT projects, they inspired a lot of crypto artists and even the development of the ERC-721 token standard for digital collectibles. The project became more popular in 2021 after some CryptoPunks were sold for millions of dollars, making them some of the most expensive NFTs.
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What Is an Automated Market Maker (AMM)?

What Is an Automated Market Maker (AMM)?
You could think of an automated market maker as a robot that’s always willing to quote you a price between two assets. Some use a simple formula like Uniswap, while Curve, Balancer and others use more complicated ones.
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A Guide to Crypto Collectibles and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)

A Guide to Crypto Collectibles and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)
The creation of Bitcoin introduced the concept of trustless, digital scarcity. Before it, the cost of digitally copying something was next to nothing. With the advent of blockchain technology, programmable digital scarcity has become possible – letting us map the digital world to the real world. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), often referred to as crypto collectibles, expand this idea. Unlike cryptocurrencies, where each token is equal, non-fungible tokens are unique and limited in quantity.
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Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Explained

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Explained
Blockchains are already radically transforming our financial system. However, properties such as trustlessness and immutability aren’t only useful in monetary applications. Another potential candidate ripe for disruption by this technology is governance. Blockchains could enable entirely new types of organizations that can run autonomously without the need for coordination by a central entity. This article will give an introduction to what these organizations might look like.
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A Beginner's Introduction to Cryptoeconomics

A Beginner's Introduction to Cryptoeconomics
In simple terms, cryptoeconomics provides a way to coordinate the behavior of network participants by combining cryptography with economics. More specifically, cryptoeconomics is an area of computer science that attempts to solve participant coordination problems in digital ecosystems through cryptography and economic incentives.
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Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes

Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes
Most individuals that invest in Bitcoin – or that participate in Initial Coin Offering (ICO) events – are usually concerned about two things. First, the Return of Investment (ROI), which represents the profits they will eventually make from the initial investment. Then, there is a second concern, which is related to the amount of risk involved with the investment. When the risks are too high, investors are more likely to lose their initial investment (in parts or completely), which would result in a negative ROI.
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What is Public Key Cryptography?

What is Public Key Cryptography?
Public key cryptography (PKC), also known as asymmetric cryptography, is a framework that uses both a private and a public key, as opposed to the single key used in symmetric cryptography. The use of key pairs gives PKC a unique set of characteristics and capabilities that can be utilized to solve challenges inherent in other cryptographic techniques. This form of cryptography has become an important element of modern computer security, as well as a critical component of the growing cryptocurrency ecosystem.
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History of Cryptography

History of Cryptography
Cryptography, the science of writing codes and ciphers for secure communication, is one of the most important elements that goes into making modern cryptocurrencies and blockchains possible. The cryptographic techniques used today, however, are the result of an incredibly long history of development. Since ancient times, people have used cryptography to transmit information in a secure manner. Following is the fascinating history of cryptography that has led up to the advanced and sophisticated methods used for modern digital encryption.
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What Is Axie Infinity (AXS)?

What Is Axie Infinity (AXS)?
It’s 2021, and that means you can earn money by playing games and breeding virtual pets. An easy way to think of Axie Infinity is to imagine a blockchain game that combines Pokémon, CryptoKitties, and card game elements.
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Is Bitcoin a Store of Value?

When you think of a safe-haven asset, precious metals like gold or silver probably come to mind. They’re investments that individuals flock to as hedges against turmoil in traditional markets. The debate over whether Bitcoin follows in the footsteps of these assets rages on. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main arguments for and against Bitcoin being a store of value.
When you think of a safe-haven asset, precious metals like gold or silver probably come to mind. They’re investments that individuals flock to as hedges against turmoil in traditional markets. The debate over whether Bitcoin follows in the footsteps of these assets rages on. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main arguments for and against Bitcoin being a store of value.
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Приготовьтесь! Биткойн будут сливать, но это не точно

Приготовьтесь! Биткойн будут сливать, но это не точно
Только что в Twitter наткнулся на пост от Jacob Canfield, якобы есть инсайдерская информация, о том что Bitcoin планируют сливать, дабы выбить некоторых конкурентов, потом обратно откупить, подняв стоимость до $70к.
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What Is Tether (USDT)?

What Is Tether (USDT)?
Tether (USDT) is one of the most popular stablecoins out there. It was designed to hold a one-to-one value with the US dollar. The coin exists on many different blockchains and has experienced rising trading volumes and improved liquidity over the past few years.
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More about the Crypto Fans club

More about the Crypto Fans club
Now I will tell you what our club is, how it works and what advantages it has. A minimum of water, a maximum of specifics. The club is a kind of trust fund, which consists of a team of Asset Managers, on the one hand, who invest in the crypto market, and Investors, on the other. I will not describe in this article what cryptocurrency is, why it is growing, and what are its advantages, this topic is worthy of a separate article. You can google all this, or go to coinmarketcap.com and see how the value of a particular cryptocurrency has grown at least this year, and doubts about investing in cryptocurrency should disappear.
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What Is VeChain (VET)?

What Is VeChain (VET)?
VeChain provides blockchain solutions for businesses around the globe. With plenty of existing industry blockchain applications from supply chain management to anti-counterfeiting and carbon credits, their systems have been proven in the real world. VET is the coin that underpins VeChain, where VTHO is the gas token that’s used for transactions on the VeChainThor blockchain (like Ethereum’s gas).
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What Is The Sandbox (SAND)?

What Is The Sandbox (SAND)?
The Sandbox is a play-to-earn game that combines blockchain technology, DeFi, and NFTs in a 3D metaverse. Its virtual world allows players to create and customize their games and digital assets with free design tools. The virtual goods created can then be monetized as NFTs and sold for SAND tokens on The Sandbox Marketplace.
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What Is Solana (SOL)?

What Is Solana (SOL)?
Solana is a blockchain network focused on fast transactions and high throughput. It uses a unique method of ordering transactions to improve its speed. Users can pay their transaction fees and interact with smart contracts with SOL, the network’s native cryptocurrency.
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What Is Polkadot (DOT)?

What Is Polkadot (DOT)?
Polkadot positions itself as the next-generation blockchain protocol, capable of connecting multiple specialized chains into one universal network. With a strong focus on building infrastructure for Web 3.0 – and founded by the Web3 Foundation – Polkadot aims to disrupt Internet monopolies and empower individual users.
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