What is American Bitcoin, A Trump Family-backed BTC Mining Co. That's Now Going Public?

American Bitcoin is a Bitcoin mining company backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. It was launched in March 2025 and is majority-owned by Hut 8 Corp. The company is set to go public through a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining, with shares expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ABTC.

The company aims to become the largest pure-play Bitcoin mining operation while maintaining a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Eric Trump, who serves as the chief strategic officer, has stated that the goal is to create the most investable Bitcoin accumulation platform. The Trump family will retain 98% ownership of the combined entity after the merger.

This move is part of the Trump family's broader involvement in cryptocurrency, which includes ventures like World Liberty Financial and meme coins $TRUMP and $MELANIA.

The merger is expected to be completed by Q3 2025, unlocking new capital for expansion. After the merger, American Bitcoin shareholders will retain 98% ownership of the combined entity, with Hut 8 continuing as its exclusive infrastructure and operations partner.

The Trump family has a significant stake in Hut 8 through its involvement in American Bitcoin. Currently, Hut 8 owns 80% of American Bitcoin, while Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. hold the remaining 20%.

The Trump family’s broader crypto ventures include World Liberty Financial, a crypto exchange, and the $TRUMP meme coin, which surged in value following promotional events.

Hut 8 Corp. is a Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure company that integrates power, computing, and high-performance data solutions. It operates across 15 sites in the U.S. and Canada, including Bitcoin mining facilities, high-performance computing data centers, and power generation assets.

Hut 8 is also building a $2.5 billion AI and Bitcoin data center in Louisiana, known as the River Bend Campus. This facility will support 300MW of power and is designed for AI workloads and Bitcoin mining.

The company aims to scale low-cost Bitcoin accumulation while maintaining exposure to Bitcoin's long-term value.

Beyond mining, Hut 8 is also exploring AI hosting and high-performance computing (HPC), positioning itself as a key player in the evolving digital infrastructure landscape.

Wax Studio’s Native Token BRWL (Blockchain Brawlers) Listed through OKX Jumpstart

Partnership to create a blockchain connected future for the gaming industry

OKX, the world’s second largest crypto exchange by spot trading volume, announced today the Wax Studio native token BRWL (Blockchain Brawlers) will be listed through the OKX Jumpstart program. Blockchain Brawlers is a play-to-earn wrestling game created by WAX studios featuring a cast of NFT characters. 

Built on Wax Blockchain, BRWL (Blockchain brawlers) token is aimed at simplifying monetization of in-game assets by working as the in-game currency. The partnership between OKX and Wax Studios is a symbiotic association of two major brands with a common goal of migrating the global gaming industry on blockchain which will benefit all the relevant stakeholders of the industry.

OKX Jumpstart will let users earn BRWL tokens by staking OKB tokens. A total supply of 50,000,000 BRWL tokens will be available for subscription on OKX with no upper limit for individuals. Users from various countries including India can use OKB tokens to participate in the OKX Jumpstart from 8:00 am UTC on Mar. 27, 2021. BRWL transactions will take place under ERC-20 protocol.

Commenting on the development, Jay Hao, CEO of OKX.com, said: “We are excited to partner with Wax Studios for this BRWL token listing. Through this association we would like to create an enhanced user experience through our play-to-earn initiatives. As we dive deeper into the metaverse space, OKX will continue to collaborate with promising metaverse projects.”

Commenting on the development Michael Rubinelli, Head of Games at WAX Studios, said: “We are happy to find a like-minded partner in OKX. Wax Studios has embarked on an exciting journey to build a play-to-earn ecosystem to boost the creator economy along with driving NFT adoption in the gaming space.”

Powered by BRWL tokens, each player can earn, and craft their way to fame and fortune. The game features 400 “Founder’s Edition” Legendary 1-of-1 brawlers, a limited-edition collection of Ric Flair NFTs, hard-hitting gear packs, limited-edition swag and so much more.

The Jumpstart starts at 8:00 am UTC on Mar. 27, 2021. For more information, visit https://www.okx.com/jumpstart

OKX Jumpstart is a platform that helps new projects launch and grow their communities. Jumpstart users are able to participate in campaigns by staking their OKB and receiving tokens from new projects based on their staked amounts. Unlike buying tokens in offerings, getting them via Jumpstart is similar to liquidity mining because users get all their staked assets back after the campaign ends. Each project on OKX Jumpstart starts with its own rules and particulars, such as total tokens available, minimum and maximum stakes, and so on.

OKX is one of the world’s forerunners in the crypto industry. Founded in 2017, OKX innovatively adopted blockchain technology to help rebuild the financial ecosystem of our generation. OKX believes that building a decentralized, blockchain-powered financial ecosystem is a crucial development in this current climate. OKX strives to eliminate financial barriers, evolve the global economy, encourage financial inclusion for billions of unbanked population and change the world for the better. OKX is always working tirelessly to continuously improve the overall user experience to make cryptocurrency trading and investing available to everyone. OKX looks forward to empowering the future generation to apply blockchain technology in daily lives, and helping the unbanked population achieve a fair, secure and trusted financial system.

Interested in Helium Crypto Mining? - Read This

Helium is a fantastic blockchain network that aims to create a decentralized wireless network for Internet of Things (IoT) linked devices. IoT gadgets are smart devices that connect to the internet and share data. In the consumer sector, smart home goods are a common use of IoT devices, but there is a wide range of gadgets that are being used in business settings as well. The Internet of Things may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of anything from parking garage sensors to remote blood pressure monitoring in hospitals.

The wireless network that connects IoT devices is one of the most challenging components to implement successfully. Traditional WiFi has limited range, while cellular networks have similar coverage limitations and can be costly to operate. Helium attempts to solve problems like monopolistic wireless carriers, invasive data collecting, and inadequate coverage by building a decentralized wireless network that employs long-range radio waves to cover large areas. People may build up Hotspots that deliver data to devices and act as Helium miners because Helium is built on blockchain. Miners are rewarded with Helium Tokens for helping to expand and sustain the network (HNT).

This year, helium mining has been a major issue in the crypto world, with many miners making thousands of dollars per month simply by purchasing and plugging in a Hotspot. However, as the network expands, profitability will certainly decrease, and there are several examples of Hotspots earning less than they did earlier. I'm still asked if someone should buy a Helium Hotspot, and my response is the same as it was a few months ago: it depends a lot on where you are.

In this piece, I'll go through two Hotspots that I compared in July and talk about the aspects that affect their profitability. I'll then go through various variables that make for a strong Hotspot site in the future, as well as some real-world instances of successful Hotspots.

The Basics of Helium Mining

After you've set up your Hotspot, it will begin to connect to other Hotspots in the area and join the network. In most circumstances, providing data to devices will not make your Hotspot any money. Proof of Stake challenges provide for the majority of a Hotspot's profits. Proof of Stake is a kind of Proof of Work that is used to validate transactions on blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin.

Rather than hashing cryptographic data, Hotspots regularly challenge other Hotspots in their vicinity to verify to the network that they are doing what they claim they are doing.

There are three roles in a challenge: the challenger, the challenger, and multiple witnesses. Random neighbors are commonly questioned by Hotspots, and the challenged Hotspot must send the necessary data to confirm it is running correctly and in the place it claims.

Other adjacent Hotspots observe the challenge and verify that the information being conveyed is what the challenger expects. Being a witness is by far the most profitable of these three professions.

The amount of helium in the atmosphere is rapidly increasing.

My previous essay about Helium mining was some months ago, and the network has developed tremendously since then. There were less than 60,000 Helium hotspots worldwide when I wrote my first Helium article in July, and today there are approximately 240,000 Hotspots linked to the network, with 58,000 Hotspots added in the previous 30 days! Because of this fast growth, the Helium network's terrain changes substantially every month.

Helium is meant to encourage network development, therefore adding a Hotspot to an already overburdened location will result in lower revenues. Smaller towns and more spread-out suburban regions still have plenty of room for expansion, but many major centers have been saturated for a long time and are witnessing significant drops in mining revenue. Let's look at a few Hotspots in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to see how the network rewards mining. Because Colorado Springs is a medium-sized town with a lot of sprawl, I believe it will be interesting to watch how things have evolved since July and what Hotspots are flourishing now.

Is It Too Late for Helium Mining?

In this post, we saw how hotspots in areas that aren't yet extremely saturated are generating good money from Helium mining. However, before ordering a Hotspot to deploy in your neighborhood, I would take some time to consider various issues.

Receiving a Hotspot still takes many months.

Getting a Helium miner has been challenging all year, and it hasn't gotten any easier. Getting miners hasn't been as easy as many had imagined, especially with the current chip scarcity and shipping issue. Bobcat miners are still expected to arrive 12–20 weeks after an order is placed, making it difficult to plan a wise purchase. Because of the extended lead times, anyone interested in buying a miner will have to take a chance, but that doesn't imply making an educated selection is impossible.

Final Thoughts

Helium is a really intriguing blockchain technology application, and it's been fascinating to watch it expand so fast in 2021. While it may not be as profitable as it was earlier this year, helium mining may still provide a decent return on investment, particularly in a region that is still developing. As the Helium network expands in coverage, I'm interested to see how IoT devices may use it.

If you like this article, you might be interested in reading some of my other Helium pieces, which go into further detail on how the network works.

Coinminers, Web Shells and Ransomware Made Up 56% of Malwares Targeting Linux Systems in the First Half of 2021

Trend Micro Detected Nearly 13 Million Malware Events Targeting Linux-based Cloud Environments

Bangalore, September 9, 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, released a new research on the state of Linux security in the first half of 2021. The report gives valuable insight into how Linux operating systems are being targeted as organizations increase their digital footprint in the cloud and the pervasive threats that make up the Linux threat landscape.

As of 2017, 90% of public clouds workloads ran on Linux. According to GartnerÒ, “Rising interest in cloud-native architectures is prompting questions about the future need for server virtualization in the data center. The most common driver is Linux-OS-based virtualization, which is the basis for containers.” [as per Gartner - Rationalizing Applications and Infrastructure for Cloud Delivery, Philip Dawson, 28 May 2021]

Linux allows organizations to make the most of their cloud-based environments and power their digital transformation strategies. Many of today’s most cutting-edge IoT devices and cloud-based applications and technology run on some flavor of Linux, making it a critical area of modern technology to secure.

“In the industry, we see some very creative attacks and we have to stay ahead. Protecting the company, our employees, and our intellectual property is a priority,” says John Breen, Global Head of Cybersecurity at Flowserve. “We’ll continue to work closely and collaborate with Trend Micro to ensure our people and our company remain protected.”

The report investigates the top malware families affecting Linux servers during the first half of 2021, with the top types of malwares being:

• 25% Coinminers – The high prevalence of cryptocurrency miners is of little surprise given the clear motive of the seemingly endless amount of computing power the cloud holds, making it the perfect environment.
• 20% Web shells – The recent Microsoft Exchange Attack, which leveraged web shells, showed the importance of patching against this type of malware
• 12% Ransomware – The most prevalent detected was the modern ransomware family, DoppelPaymer, however some other notable ransomware families seen targeting Linux systems as well are RansomExx, DarkRadiation, and the DarkSide.

“It’s safe to say that Linux is here to stay, and as organizations continue to move to Linux-based cloud workloads, malicious actors will follow,” said Aaron Ansari, vice president of cloud security for Trend Micro. “We have seen this as a main priority to ensure our customers receive the best security across their workloads, no matter the operating system they choose to run it on.”

The report revealed that most detections arose from systems running end-of-life versions of Linux distributions, including 44% from CentOS versions 7.4 to 7.9. In addition, 200 different vulnerabilities were targeted in Linux environments in just six months. This means attacks on Linux are likely taking advantage of outdated software with unpatched vulnerabilities.

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. TrendMicro.com.

US-based Power Company To Start Nuclear-powered Crypto-Mining and Data Center Facilities

Representative Picture

US-based power company Talen Energy will develop a nuclear-powered mining facility and data center adjacent to its "Susquehanna Steam Electric Station", a nuclear power station on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania state of the US. 

Notably, Susquehanna Steam Electric Station is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the US.

The project, which is due to come online in Q2 2022, will provide low-cost, reliable, carbon-free power to the data center clients on campus. This allows company's clients to benefit from carbon-free, 24/7 power being supplied directly to the campus, without the intermittency that renewable energy can experience, or requiring fossil fuels.

Cumulus, which is a subsidiary of Talen Energy, has two separate businesses --- Cumulus Data, focused on hyperscale and Cumulus Coin, focused on digital currency mining. Talen Energy also holds USPTO trademark of CUMULUS COIN™, which is intended to cover the categories that include mining, generating, and managing cryptocurrency.

The company has already secured permits for the site and commenced construction. The upcoming nuclear-powered facility will have 164MW of capacity during development, and once complete, will reach 300MW provided by dual 1+GW nuclear units and two independent substations. The on-site power has the potential to reach 1GW.

"As the demand for energy increases among data center and cryptocurrency processing clients, so does the call for decarbonizing these energy sources. Talen Energy is constructing a hyperscale data center campus adjacent to its Susquehanna nuclear generation facility," a company representation said.

To recall, last month Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey-led payment company Square Inc announced that it is collaborating with blockchain company Blockstream Mining ('Blockstream') to build a solar-powered bitcoin mining facility.

Mining, Crypto and Industry Best Practices

Cryptocurrencies mining has been a business practice for a decade now, thousands if not millions made a fortune, the evolution of industry shaped various consensus algorithms, thus, finding the right cryptocurrency to mine can be a lot more complex than people assume.

Knowing pros and consin the industry could significantly increase ROI in decision making, let's dive deep into the alternatives that exist today and promising projects that are disrupting the industry.

Traditional Mining Remains Expensive

Cryptocurrency mining doesn't only apply to top assets, but much more than that. Being involved in mining Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, or other assets can prove very expensive. Acquiring the necessary hardware to begin the mining operation often requires a steep upfront investment, furthermore, nothing can be worse than Making the maintenance fees related to traditional mining.

Electricity is the core in mining cryptocurrencies. The Proof-of-Work algorithm employed by Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others requires significant mining capacity over time.

Powering those machines means using more electricity, a concept that has gotten plenty of scrutiny lately. Even Elon Musk criticizes the Bitcoin network for its severe impact on the environment, even if most Bitcoin mining electricity comes from renewable sources.

Yes, it can be expensive, competitive, risky, and yet, the mining concept goes well beyond Proof-of-Work these days, creating new and exciting opportunities for onlookers and enthusiasts. It is crucial to compare the different options on the table and figure out which approach will work best.

The Traditional Mining Route

For those users who want to opt for a more traditional option and mine cryptocurrencies with their graphics card (GPU), there are several options to explore. It all comes down to finding a GPU capable of ming at competitive speeds and finding the right network to maximize profits. That latter option can be a bit tricky, though, although there are noteworthy options that might surprise a few people.

As things stand, the most profitable currency to mine with a GPU is Ravencoin. That may be a bit surprising, although the X16 algorithm is quite user-friendly and approachable by anyone with a recent graphics card. Rewards usually depend heavily on the RVN price, yet the currency has a 5,000 RVN block reward. Depending on how much one pays for electricity, it is relatively straightforward to earn a few dollars per day by mining this altcoin.

Another favorable option is mining Ethereum. Although there is a lot of network competition, it remains one of the more popular crypto assets on the market today. Moreover, with the upcoming switch to proof-of-stake, people expect the value of ETH to go up in the coming months. There is no guarantee of that happening, however, but exploring the different opportunities can prove worthwhile. It is unclear when the switch from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake will occur, however. Ensuring a return on investment for people who begin to mine Ethereum today might be impossible, depending on the developers' timeline.

For those who want to get in on the GPU mining action, finding the right card is of the utmost importance. Per WhatToMine, the most lucrative card is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, with a maximum profit of $7.23 per day. Finding such a card at average prices is currently impossible, however. The AMD Raden VII is still competitive, despite being launched in 2017. No one should expect to get rich overnight from cryptocurrency mining, however. The costs will not always outweigh the earnings.

Exploring Alternative Options

Rather than opting for GPU mining or buying special hardware to mine Bitcoin, there are other options to explore. One currency, named Crypton, provides a solution that involves the Utopia Mining Bot. Contrary to what one might think, this Bot does not participate in cryptocurrency trading, Instead, it supports the network by operating a node to collect rewards. It provides a different spin on the traditional mining concept while still incentivizing users. More importantly, the network prevents selfish mining.

For those looking to maximize their mining returns, the only requirement is running the Mining Bot 24/7. Nodes are tasked with providing RAM, packet routing, and generating "bogus" packets to cover up real data packets. All transactions occurring over the Utopia network via Crypto are confidential and untraceable. To provide that functionality, nodes are essential, making them eligible for a reward. As users provide resources in exchange for these rewards, one can make a point they are "mining" rewards, even if it doesn't involve regular mining software or hardware.

The best way to keep the node running continuously is by running a Virtual power Server, or VPS. Installing the Utopia Mining Bit on a VPN should give node owners the best chance at maximizing their returns and profit. Using other hardware, such as a computer or smartphone will not guarantee 100% uptime on the node. Thus opting for a different approach that requires less maintenance and upkeep can prove beneficial.

It is worth noting that the Utopia Mining Bot is not a feature one can enable in the native application. It is an entirely separate application that users can download manually. Opting for this approach makes the engagement in Crypton mining a conscious and deliberate one, further empowering users who want to be part of this ecosystem.

Conclusion

The concept of mining cryptocurrencies comes in many different forms. Some people prefer the traditional option of buying a GPU or dedicated mining unit to compete for a share of the block rewards. Others will try their hand at something more accessible that requires far less expertise and hassle while still providing acceptable results.

There is no right or wrong approach when it comes to cryptocurrency mining. The approach by utopia is different from what people might be used to today, but running a node, providing rewards, and using resources - hardware and bandwidth - to empower a network can be considered "mining", even if it isn't in the traditional sense. Thinking outside of the box is never a bad idea, especially if it can make cryptocurrency more appealing and accessible.

Crypto Games - The Ultimate Guide for 2020

We all know how popular video games are. Collectively, they surpassed movies a long time ago to be the most popular form of home entertainment. Reasons include advancements in graphics, sound, effects, and much deeper gameplay than ever before. Technology, as always is the key here, and each advancement opens up new opportunities that didn’t exist before. One of the most exciting new technologies making waves in the entertainment world right now is in the crypto games sector. This article will look at what crypto games are, what makes them special, and a few stand out titles leading the pack into 2020.

What are crypto games?

Broadly speaking these are games run on blockchains. The original cryptocurrency, bitcoin, was the first introduction most people had to the new technology. A blockchain is a list of blocks that are chained together using cryptography. Each block contains a record of the previous block, transaction data, and a timestamp. Blockchains are virtually unalterable. In essence, they are public ledgers of transactions which are completely transparent and open for anybody to view. Crypto games make use of the properties inherent in blockchains to create brand new gaming experiences for users. There are fundamental properties that designers and gamers can take advantage of.

The benefits of blockchain for crypto games

One of the most important benefits is the unchangeable nature of a blockchain. What this means for developers is that they can create game elements which are 100% unique. Not only are they unique, but anyone can verify their existence. This allows the creation of game items that can become desirable due to their rarity. Users are able to harvest and produce their own items which are also completely unique. This allows legitimate marketplaces to spring up where users can buy and sell items from other players. It also affects things like loot boxes. Now, there can be records of exactly what was in a loot box that users can check. No more feeling ripped off by ‘rigged’ loot boxes. Everything is out in the open, unchangeable, and trustworthy.

The benefits for cryptocurrency gambling

If there is one gaming sector that stands to benefit from the widespread adoption of bitcoin and blockchain technology it is gambling. We can already see changes creeping into the industry from multiple angles. Consumers are reaping the reward from the shift. For one, bitcoin is ideal for cross border transactions. It can be transferred anywhere in the world, quickly and with little to no cost. Bitcoin casinos provide an additional layer of security because users never no need to expose their bank details online. Hackers are not able to gain access to accounts that way. Non-traditional forms of gambling such as crash games and dice games also require few player details. Some crypto games don’t ask for any – not even an email address. They provide a username, players deposit BTC, and away they go. Safety and anonymity are huge benefits when it comes to bitcoin gambling.

Provably fair games build solid levels of trust

What has dramatically helped the rise of bitcoin gambling is the use of provably fair algorithms. With so much anonymity, you might think it is hard for betting providers to prove their trustworthiness. Without the stringent licensing required at a traditional online casino, it could be easy for cowboys to flout the rules. Crucially, the opposite is true. The solution to these issues is the use of provably fair algorithms. Bitcoin stands for decentralisation, of users taking charge of their part of the world. This spirit is bolstered by provably fair games. High-quality bitcoin casinos provide part of the source code that drives their games. For example, each hash in the chain represents one game round. Anyone can take the source code, hash the game number and compare the results. In this way, bitcoin games can provide higher levels of trust than any other form of gambling. No one can throw a game, no one can cook the results, and everything is there for the public to see. As you might imagine this fact is a key reason in the steady growth of bitcoin casinos.

Crash games rocket for the moon

Crash games are a uniquely crypto driven phenomenon. They are proving a huge hit in the gambling community and popularity is soaring as we head into 2020. There are many reasons for this. Some we have already mentioned, such as security, anonymity, and provably fair gaming. Many reasons are genre-specific. The first is the sheer pace of the game, which provides a constant stream of betting opportunities. Rounds come thick and fast, and there is no telling what will happen on each one. Secondly, crash games are hugely social. No longer do players need to sit at home alone pressing the spin button. Now everyone is in it together, in a social environment, communicating through a chat box. A good example is Rocketpot which complements the interactivity with leaderboards, hall of fame, and side jackpots. The result of these elements is a bitcoin gambling phenomenon that is wholly new. Crash games have steamrolled through 2019 and are picking up pace and popularity as we head into the next decade.

Video games go blockchain

Bitcoin coin driven games are increasing in the non-gambling arena as well. We touched on blockchains immutability which is having a big impact on this genre of gaming. It provides developers and ultimately, players with the ability to do things that were impossible before. Let’s look at a few examples to clarify what we mean. Take a crypto game like EOS Dynasty. Players in this RPG game can harvest and produce items that are all tied to the blockchain. This makes them 100% unique, which they can use to enhance their character or sell on an open market. Sandbox is an older game that was given an update for 2020. In this bitcoin game, players can buy and sell unique plots of land. Some might wonder who would buy virtual real estate. But, after watching gamers go crazy for virtual pets in Cryptokitties, there is potential there. After all, some virtual kitties were passing hands for over $100,000 each! Blockchain driven video games are where some of the cleverest innovations in the use of blockchain are coming from. Players love novelty, and bitcoin games are set for further growth in 2020.

Tough puzzle games with top prizes to match

For some people there is nothing more satisfying than solving a particularly tricky puzzle with little help and guidance. Bitcoin has combined the best aspects of puzzle-solving while adding in a desirable prize element. One of the most famous is Monte Crypto. Developer Concrete Games drops players into a steampunk world with 24 fiendish puzzles to crack. This wasn’t just for the sheer challenge – which was significant, to say the least. No, the first person to do so picked up 1 BTC for their efforts. The same occurred with The Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto, which resulted in a 5 BTC reward for the winner. What surprised the gaming community was the incredibly sophisticated solution required to solve it. This was matched by an equally intrigued and motivated public who spent three years tracking down clues until it was finally solved. Successful puzzle games such as these showcase a tight-knit community who rallied around crypto games. It is dedication like this that helps propel the popularity and quality of blockchain-driven games.

General bitcoin games with rewards

Some players are keen to earn bitcoin without the risk of losing any of their investment. Once again the industry has spotted a trend and produced a bunch of titles to cater to this need. One is Satoshi Quiz which rewards users in BTC for being the first to answer trivia questions. Another is Bitcoin Run which rewards players for completing missions in a scrolling arcade-style game. Spark Profit is an interesting one. It offers a trading simulator that rewards top-performing traders. The company makes money by using their strategies to trade in the real world. These three represent the tip of a very large and growing iceberg of reward games. With real reward and no risk, expect this to be another growing category of crypto games.

Conclusion and a word about the future

They say predicting the future is a mug’s game but let’s give it a shot anyway. There is no doubt that 2019 was a solid year for bitcoin games. Its influence seeped into just about every type of gaming experience imaginable. The benefits and advantages are there for all to see. Just as importantly, so are the possibilities that blockchain and crypto games bring. New worlds are opening up for both developers and players to explore. Yet, the industry is still at a fairly early level. There is so much more possible. Because of this potential, expect 2020 to see an even greater adoption of blockchain and bitcoin games. As more cross over to the mainstream the quality, quantity, and popularity of crypto games is sure to flourish further.

Cryptominers Tops India Malware Threat Index

Check Point Research,  the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. , a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, has published its latest Global Threat Index for March 2019. The index reveals that while cryptomining services such as Coinhive have closed down, cryptominers are still the most prevalent malware aimed at organizations globally.

As announced last month, both Coinhive and Authedmine stopped their mining services on March 8th. For the first time since December 2017, Coinhive dropped from the top position but, despite having only operated for eight days in March, it was still the 6th most prevalent malware to affect organizations during the month. At its peak, Coinhive impacted 23% of organizations worldwide.

Many websites still contain the Coinhive JavaScript code today, though with no mining activity taking place., Check Point’s researchers warn that Coinhive may well reactivate if the value of Monero increases. Alternatively, other mining services may increase their activity to take advantage of Coinhive’s absence.

During March, three of the top five most prevalent malware were cryptominers – Cryptoloot, XMRig and JSEcoin. Cryptoloot headed the Threat Index for the first time, closely followed by Emotet, the modular trojan. Both had a global impact of 6%. XMRig is the third most popular malware impacting 5% of organizations worldwide.

Maya Horowitz, Threat Intelligence and Research Director at Check Point commented: “With cryptocurrencies’ values dropping overall since 2018, we will be seeing more cryptominers for browsers following Coinhive’s steps and ceasing operation. However, I suspect that cyber criminals will find ways to earn from more robust cryptomining activities, such as mining on Cloud environments, where the built-in auto-scaling feature allows the creation of a larger haul of cryptocurrency.  We have seen organizations being asked to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to their Cloud vendors for the compute resources used illicitly by cryptominers. This is a call for action for organizations to secure their Cloud environments." 

March 2019’s Top 3 ‘Most Wanted’ Malware:

*The arrows relate to the change in rank compared to the previous month.

1. ↑ Cryptoloot - Crypto-Miner that uses the victim’s CPU or GPU power and existing resources for crypto mining - adding transactions to the blockchain and releasing new currency. It is a competitor to Coinhive, trying to pull the rug under it by asking a smaller percentage of revenue from websites.


2. ↑ Emotet – Advanced, self-propagate and modular Trojan. Emotet once used to employ as a banking Trojan, and recently is used as a distributer to other malware or malicious campaigns. It uses multiple methods for maintaining persistence and evasion techniques to avoid detection. In addition, it can be spread through phishing spam emails containing malicious attachments or links.


3. ↑ XMRig- Open-source CPU mining software used for the mining process of the Monero cryptocurrency, and first seen in-the-wild on May 2017.

This month Hiddad is the most prevalent Mobile malware, replacing Lotoor at first place in the top mobile malware list. Triada remains in third place.

March’s Top 3 ‘Most Wanted’ Mobile Malware:

1. Hiddad - Android malware which repackages legitimate apps and then released them to a third-party store. Its main function is displaying ads, however it is also able to gain access to key security details built into the OS, allowing an attacker to obtain sensitive user data.


2. Lotoor- Hack tool that exploits vulnerabilities on Android operating system in order to gain root privileges on compromised mobile devices.


3. Triada - Modular Backdoor for Android which grants super user privileges to downloaded malware, as helps it to get embedded into system processes. Triada has also been seen spoofing URLs loaded in the browser.

Check Point’s researchers also analyzed the most exploited cyber vulnerabilities. CVE-2017-7269 is still leading the top exploited vulnerabilities with a 44% global impact. Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure and is in second place, with OpenSSL TLS DTLS Heartbeat Information Disclosure in third, both impacting 40% of organizations worldwide.

March’s Top 3 ‘Most Exploited’ vulnerabilities:

1. ↔ Microsoft IIS WebDAV ScStoragePathFromUrl Buffer Overflow (CVE-2017-7269) - By sending a crafted request over a network to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 through Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0, a remote attacker could execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service conditions on the target server. That is mainly due to a buffer overflow vulnerability resulted by improper validation of a long header in HTTP request.


2. ↑ Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure- An information disclosure vulnerability has been reported in Git Repository. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unintentional disclosure of account information.


3. ↑ OpenSSL TLS DTLS Heartbeat Information Disclosure (CVE-2014-0160; CVE-2014-0346) - An information disclosure vulnerability exists in OpenSSL. The vulnerability is due to an error when handling TLS/DTLS heartbeat packets. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose memory contents of a connected client or server.

Check Point’s Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence, the largest collaborative network to fight cybercrime which delivers threat data and attack trends from a global network of threat sensors. The ThreatCloud database holds over 250 million addresses analyzed for bot discovery, more than 11 million malware signatures and over 5.5 million infected websites, and identifies millions of malware types daily.

The below table also gives you an understanding on how India is faring in terms of malware attacks as compared to global counterparts

 

Find top 10 per country
Malware_Family_Name	Description	Global Impact	INDIA Impact
XMRig	XMRig is an open-source CPU mining software used for the mining process of the Monero cryptocurrency, and first seen in-the-wild on May 2017.	7.68%	22.64%
Coinhive	Crypto Miner designed to perform online mining of Monero cryptocurrency when a user visits a web page without the user's approval. The implanted JS uses great computational resources of the end users machines to mine coins, thus impacting its performance.	11.59%	21.40%
Dorkbot	IRC-based Worm designed to allow remote code execution by its operator, as well as the download of additional malware to the infected system, with the primary motivation being to steal sensitive information and launch denial-of-service attacks.	3.75%	12.04%
Jsecoin	JavaScript miner that can be embedded in websites. With JSEcoin, you can run the miner directly in your browser in exchange for an ad-free experience, in-game currency and other incentives.	5.57%	11.52%
Cryptoloot	cryptominer malware, using the victim’s CPU or GPU power and existing resources for crypto mining - adding transactions to the blockchain and releasing new currency. It is a competitor to Coinhive.	6.23%	10.03%
Emotet	Advanced, self-propagating and modular Trojan. Emotet used to operate as a banking Trojan, and has evolved to be used as a distributer of other malware or malicious campaigns. It uses multiple methods and evasion techniques for maintaining persistence and avoiding detection. In addition, it can be spread through phishing spam emails containing malicious attachments or links.	5.14%	7.75%
Virut	Virut is one of the major botnets and malware distributors in the Internet. It is used in DDoS attacks, spam distribution, data theft and fraud. The malware is spread through executables originating from infected devices.	1.71%	7.55%
Ramnit	Ramnit is a worm that infects and spreads mostly through removable drives and files uploaded to public FTP services. The malware creates a copy of itself to infect removable and permanent drivers. The malware also functions as a backdoor.	2.57%	7.24%
Nitol	Nitol is a Bot agent that targets the Windows platform. This malware collects basic system information and sends it to a remote server. An attacker can instruct the remote server to respond with commands primarily designed to carry out DoS attacks	1.05%	7.13%
Fireball	Fireball is an adware vastly distributed by the Chinese digital marketing company Rafotech. It acts as a browser-hijacker which changes the default search engine and installs tracking pixels, but can be turned into a full-functioning malware downloader.	1.68%	6.36%

The complete list of the top 10 malware families in March can be found on the Check Point Blog: https://blog.checkpoint.com/2019/04/09/march-2019s-most-wanted-malware-cryptomining-still-dominates-despite-coinhive-closure/

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