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Crypto crime was rife in 2024 despite it being a landmark year for institutional adoption. A report by blockchain security firm Chainalysis reveals that $40 billion was received by illicit addresses.The $40 billion is an estimate that will rise throughout 2025 as more details around historical crimes emerge. The illicit crypto in question can be attributed to scams, malware, fraud or dark net activities.2023's figure ended at $46.1 billion, although Chainalysis expects 2024's total to exceed that when all crime is accounted for with an estimated total of $51.3 billion. The total also excludes revenue from non-crypto native crime such as drug trafficking or money laundering, where crypto is used as a means of payment, the report added.The approval of...

Recent security breaches have rocked the crypto space, highlighting the fact that security will continue to need to be a key focus for providers.In today’s issue, Marcin Kaźmierczak from Redstone Oracles breaks down why 2025 will be a critical year for DeFi and on-chain finance.Then, Kevin Tam looks at the institutional adoption of bitcoin as seen from the recent 13-F filings and highlights key positions in Ask and Expert.-Sarah MortonYou’re reading Crypto for Advisors, CoinDesk’s weekly newsletter that unpacks digital assets for financial advisors. Subscribe here to get it every Thursday.DeFi Renaissance - Why 2025 Will Be The Year of Decentralized And On-Chain Finance?The recent hack of ByBit for nearly 401.000 ETH, valued at about $1.5 billion at that time,...

What was shaping up to be a strong opening for U.S. stocks is less so after President Trump clarified his latest thoughts on tariffs.In a post on his Truth Social complaining about the influx of drugs from both north and south of the U.S. border, the president said tariffs will begin against Mexico and Canada on March 4 (next Tuesday). An additional 10% tariff on China will also be implemented that day, he continued.Comments Trump made at a cabinet meeting yesterday implied these tariffs weren't to begin until April.Ahead more than 1% prior to the latest threat, Nasdaq 100 futures have trimmed those gains to about 0.6%. S&P 500 futures are posting only marginal gains at press time and Dow...

Raise, a PayPal-backed company specializing in digital gift cards and loyalty programs, has raised a $63 million round led by Haun Ventures. The round brings Raise’s total funding to over $220 million.Other participants included Amber Group, Anagram, and GSR, among others, according to a press release. The Chicago-based company is set to use the funds to develop its blockchain-backed Smart Cards and expand the Retail Alliance Foundation, a non-profit focused on securing and modernizing the global gift card network.The company aims to make gift cards a “fully programmable retail currency” that strengthens brand loyalty. "This isn't a reaction to market trends -- it's the result of years of investment, research, and infrastructure-building to bring a fully on-chain, programmable retail currency...

Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped 10% to $86,300 this week, diving out of a prolonged period of trading between $90,000 and $110,000.The so-called bearish range breakdown has traders closely examining charts for clues about where the sell-off may drive prices next. One of the key levels under scrutiny is the "runaway gap" in CME bitcoin futures below $80,000, which formed three months ago.A gap is a blank space on a price chart between the closing or high price on a specific day and the next opening price, signifying that there was no trading activity at prices in between. When the gap appears in an established trend, it's called a runaway or continuation gap.Unlike bitcoin's spot market, which is open 24/7, CME...