Binances U.S.-licensed exchange is being booted from two states while founder Changpeng CZ Zhao isnt being booted from his U.S. confinement.

On January 25, theWall Street Journalreported that the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities had decided not to renew the operating license ofBinance.US. At the other end of the country, Floridas Office of Financial Regulation reportedly suspended Binance.USs money transmitter license last November, a week after Binance and CZ reached their$4.3 billion settlement of criminal charges with the Department of Justice.

Binance.US has been desperately trying to keep its lights on following a series of body blows, including CZs settlement,civil chargesof violating securities laws filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),massive layoffs, andU.S. traditional finance entities retreating from having anything to do with the notorious exchange.

Binance.US has been negotiating the survival of its other state-level money transmitter licenses, reportedly reaching an accommodation with regulators in Arkansas, Illinois, and South Dakota. Those states reportedly forced Binance.US to guarantee CZs inability to influence future business decisions. A Binance spokesperson told the WSJ the company was in active dialogue with officials in other states to retain a semblance of viability.

The SECs civil charges, plus aseparate suitfiled (and since settled) by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), exposed the fact that CZ was in complete control of the money U.S. customers deposited on Binance.US and had beentransferring the cash outside the U.S. to accounts under his control.

Customers understandably panicked, withdrawing assets and closing accounts, leaving the exchange a shell of its former self. The sites 24-hour trading volume was barely $13 million on January 26, $2.124 billion less than the rivalCoinbase(NASDAQ: COIN) exchange.

While Binance.US may be intent on going down swinging, its anyones guess how much longer it can carry on as a going concern, given that its legal bills likely exceed its revenue. Binance.US lawyerswere in court last week trying to argue that the SEC case should be dismissed because its just not pretty when people beat dead horses.

The two parties showed little sign of agreement in their most recentjoint status reportto the court on January 25. The SEC claims Binance.US parent companies (collectively referred to as BAM) continue to withhold documents and communications the SEC believes are important aspects of their complaint. BAM replied that while it plans to make one final production of documents to the SEC this week, it does not believe that there are any gaps in its productions.

The SEC also believes it has the right to conduct more depositions with Binance staff, while Binance (surprise!) disagrees. The parties were similarly split on the scope of the SECs investigation of Binances software. The parties next status update is due February 15.

Judge rejects CZs pledge of billions for release

Meanwhile, we learned last week the lengths to which CZ was prepared to go to temporarily free himself from his DoJ-imposed confinement in Washington State. CZs sentencing on his criminal charges is scheduled for February 23.

CZ previously requested the right to temporarilyreturn to his partner and children in Dubaiahead of his sentencing, but these appealswere rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones. The judge agreed with prosecutors that CZs lack of formal ties to the U.S., his immense wealth, and the likelihood that he could serve significant time in prison made him a significant flight risk.

Court documents released last week show that CZs late-December request for release was based on his desire to return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where an unidentified individual he claims to be close to was scheduled for hospitalization and surgery. CZ even submitted medical records in case Judge Jones remembered CZs documented proclivity for lying his ass off when it served his interests.

CZ, who remains in the U.S. on a $175 million release bond, wanted to travel on January 4 and stay in Abu Dhabi for up to four weeks. CZ reportedly offered to pledge his entire equity in Binance.USvalued at $4.5 billion based on theexchanges last funding round two years ago but certainly worth a fraction of that valuation these daysas a security that he would return for sentencing in February.

The DoJ wasnt amenable to CZs request, prompting a hearing on December 29 to discuss the matter before Jones. The judge was evidently unmoved by CZs promises and pledges and denied the request.

BSC security incidents hit all-time high last year

Binances in-house BNB Smart Chain (BSC) has long held the dubious honor of being thetop target of hackers and other malicious actors, but a new in-house report claims that the situation dramatically improved in 2023.

The report, which contains crucial contributions by AvengerDAO members Ancilia, Certik, Hashdit, and Salus Security, claims that the total financial value lost on BSC fell from a peak of $1.12 billion in 2022 to just $161.2 million in 2023.

This 85% decline was enough to lower BSC from first to fourth on the chart of most vulnerable chains.Ethereumclaimed that title with over $1 billion lost last year, nearly twice as much as was lost in 2022.Tronsuffered a major spike in attacks last year, with losses topping $400 million, whileFantom also reported a major drain of $171.5 million.

However, the number of security incidents on BSC rose by 44% to an all-time high of 414 over the same period, suggesting that much of the reduction in financial losses has to do with the decline in value tokens endured throughout 2023.

The report acknowledges this factor (although its somewhat buried towards the end) by noting the total value locked across decentralized finance (DeFi) projects was down 85% in 2023. Regardless, the report insists that other factors also play important roles in influencing the losses within the ecosystem.

BSCs total funds lost would have been more than one-third higher had centralized exchangesincluding Binanceand other entities not acted to freeze around $55 million in stolen funds last year, allowing them to be recovered.

This willingness to act is a far cry from Binances historic approach to stolen assets, including its 2020refusal to freeze certain accountsthat accepted coins stolen from an Australian man, despite admitting that it was highly likely the paths leading to this account are malicious. But then again, those stolen tokens werent stolen from a Binance-linked entity, so

In terms of types of BSC attacks, most of 2023s value-lost reduction was in hacks, which fell from nearly $871 million in 2022 to $73.2 million last year despite the number of hacks nearly doubling over the same period.

DeFi remains the most popular target for attackers, with the number of DeFi attacks rising by two-thirds to 352 in 2023. The number of outright scams was up 14% last year, while the value lost to these scams fell by 54% to $87.9 million. Rugpulls claimed the biggest slice of attacks at 35.2%, with Ponzi schemes second with 22.5% and hot wallet compromises third with 17.1%.

FollowCoinGeeks Crypto Crime Cartelseries, which delves into the stream of groupsfromBitMEXtoBinance,Bitcoin.com,Blockstream,ShapeShift,Coinbase,Ripple, Ethereum, FTXandTetherwho have co-opted the digital asset revolution and turned the industry into a minefield for nave (and even experienced) players in the market.

New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeeks Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.

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Binance.US booted from 2 US states, judge rejects Changpeng Zhao's latest bid for release - CoinGeek

Binance confirms early-stage talks over Gopax stake | Tap here | Inshorts  Inshorts

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Binance confirms early-stage talks over Gopax stake | Tap here | Inshorts - Inshorts

U.Today - In a surprising move that has captured the attention of the cryptocurrency community, an (ETH) whale has orchestrated a series of transactions involving major exchanges, moving a staggering $46.02 million in ETH over the past two days. The entity, utilizing a network of eight wallets, withdrew funds from Binance and Bitfinex before staking with Lido, a liquid staking solution.

Blockchain analytics platform Spot On Chain first brought attention to the substantial transactions through a tweet, revealing intricate details of the massive ETH movement. The whale withdrew the Ethereum holdings from crypto exchanges Binance and Bitfinex at an average price of approximately $2,419.

Subsequently, five wallets were employed to withdraw 50.15 million USDT from Aave, a prominent DeFi protocol, to the CEX trading platform, exchanging the stablecoin for 19,021 ETH, equivalent to the $46.02 million value. Spot On Chain further disclosed that three wallets still retained around 30 million USDT in Aave, sparking speculation that they might deposit these funds into a CEX soon, potentially acquiring more ETH.

Coinglass, another analytics platform, reported a significant amount of liquidations for ETH within the last 24 hours, totaling $53.78 million. Of this amount, $47.48 million resulted from long liquidations, while short liquidations accounted for $6.29 million. The liquidation data underscores the volatility and uncertainty prevalent on the market, with traders experiencing significant losses.

Market analysts and enthusiasts are closely monitoring these developments, as such large-scale transactions from influential entities often lead to speculation and conjecture regarding potential market impacts. Traders and investors are advised to exercise caution and stay vigilant as the cryptocurrency landscape continues to unfold, revealing the dynamics of this rapidly evolving market.

This article was originally published on U.Today

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Ethereum Whale Moves $46 Million in ETH Across Binance, Bitfinex and Aave: Details By U.Today - Investing.com

NEW YORK CITY An American mother who was taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza and the relatives of two men killed following the militant groups Oct 7 attack have sued crypto giant Binance for allegedly facilitating the violence.

Ms Judith Raanan, who was released with her daughter on Oct 20, and the relatives of Israel Defence Forces soldier Itay Glisko and Dr Daniel Levi Ludmir, who were murdered by Hamas, filed the lawsuit against the digital asset exchange, as well as Iran and Syria, in federal court in Manhattan on Jan 31.

It appears to be the first civil case in what is expected to be a wave of litigation targeting Hamas and its networks after the militant groups attack and mass kidnapping that sparked an ongoing war with Israel.

The lawsuit takes aim at Binance for allowing Hamas to trade on its platform.

The allegation surfaced following a regulatory and criminal investigation into the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange that came to a head in 2023.

Binance pleaded guilty to violating sanctions and anti-money laundering laws that allowed groups like Hamas to circumvent United States banking regulations.

The exchange is paying a criminal fine of US$1.8 billion (S$2.4 billion) and forfeiting US$2.5 billion, while former Binance chief executive officer Zhao Chanpeng is awaiting sentence for violating banking laws.

Officials at Binance did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment. A lawyer for Ms Raanan and the families, Mr Robert Seiden, said he is confident that the victims are entitled to recover substantial damages under US law, including an anti-terrorism Act.

We have been working on this lawsuit for weeks and believe that anyone who aids terrorism should be held accountable, he said in a statement.

According to claims made by the government in the Binance case, Hamas military wing Al-Qassam Brigades used Bitcoin transactions to raise money for the Palestinian resistance.

At least 1.1 million transactions valued at US$899 million were conducted by people living in Iran in violation of US sanctions, the company admitted.

The assistance that Binance provided to Hamas helped finance the violent attacks and recruit individuals to carry out those attacks, the complaint filed on Jan 31 states.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs also allege that Iran emerged as the principal backer of Hamas terrorism and that it has increased funding and the supply of weapons to the group in recent years.

Iran consistently and continuously provided funding to Hamas in the amount of a hundred million US dollars each year for the purpose of allowing Hamas to buy weapons and pay its terrorist fighters and otherwise carry out its terrorist operations, the complaint states.

Similarly, the plaintiffs argue, Syria was one of the cradles of Hamas terrorism and contributed to the groups military arsenal in the lead-up to Oct 7. The complaint references press reports, publicly available research and documents filed in related court cases.

Ms Raanan, the Glisko family and Dr Ludmirs uncle, Mr Jeffrey Ludmir, are suing Binance for aiding and abetting and providing material support to Hamas. The plaintiffs are seeking damages against Iran and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism.

Ms Raanans daughter, Natalie, who was held captive for two weeks in Gaza, and Ms Raanans former husband are also named as plaintiffs. BLOOMBERG

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Binance sued by Hamas hostage, families of victims for allegedly facilitating Oct 7 attack in Israel - The Straits Times

Florida and Alaska crackdown on Binance.US, Binances subsidiary in the United States, amid regulatory pressure. The crypto exchange can no longer offer services to residents in these states.

Notably, Floridas financial watchdog suspended Binances local license swiftly. The Office of Financial Regulation acted after Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binances former CEO, admitted to anti-money laundering violations.

Zhaos plea landed one week before the states emergency order. Now, Florida bans the company from conducting money transmission activities.

In the meantime, Alaskas banking division denied Binance.US a license renewal. The Alaska Division of Banking and Securities made the decision in early January 2024. Binance.USs legal status in other states stands unstable. Something similar is observed for the cryptocurrency titan in other countries.

Zhao pleaded guilty to breaching U.S. Bank Secrecy Act regulations in November 2023. A U.S. federal court approved his guilty plea in December. As a consequence, Zhao relinquished control over Binance.US. He also signed over voting rights to a proxy, aiming to distance himself from the firm.

In response to these events, Binance.US emphasized its operational continuity. The exchange vowed uninterrupted services to Americans post-Zhaos legal troubles. On November 28, they assured customers of maintaining usual business activities.

On the other hand, the Binance.US secured permissions to operate in three other states. Arkansas, Illinois, and South Dakota reached agreements allowing the platforms continued service. These deals hinge on the permanent transfer of Zhaos voting rights within Binance.US.

Post-guilty plea, Zhao moved to secure his $4.5 billion Binance.US share. He proposed the stake as collateral for freedom to travel to his UAE home. However, Judge Richard Jones denied the request, keeping Zhao in the U.S. Zhao now awaits sentencing set for late February 2024, with a potential 18-month prison term.

Moreover, these developments reflect heightened scrutiny over the crypto industry. They highlight the legal complexities facing cryptocurrency businesses operating in the U.S.

Binance.USs future in Florida and Alaska appears dim after regulators strict actions. Other states continue to ponder their stance on the exchanges operations. The decision in these two states symbolizes growing regulatory enforcement upon crypto-related businesses.

As the legal landscape shifts, the industry watches closely. Zhaos case is a cautionary tale for others in the digital currency sector. Compliance with anti-money laundering laws remains a paramount concern for regulatory agencies.

Interestingly, Binance recently started a more compliant approach to its operations. For example, the dominating exchange threatened to remove privacy cryptocurrencies like Monero (XMR), following a global trend to crack down on financial privacy.

Meanwhile, affected Binance.US users in Florida and Alaska must seek alternative platforms. The crypto community awaits further developments regarding Binance.US and its ability to navigate the U.S. regulatory environment.

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Florida and Alaska ban Binance from serving their residents - Finbold - Finance in Bold

Movies

This documentary by Serbian-born director Marta Popivoda is a mildly psychedelic drift into the horror of one womans deportation and determined survival

Much of this Serbian documentary uses a striking, mildly psychedelic technique: a super-slow dissolve between images that morph near-imperceptibly into the next. Cracks in rendered rural walls appear to shift and Balkan forest vegetation undergoes subtle mutations, as the films subject, nonagenarian Sofia Vujanovic, recalls her past in voiceover: one of Titos partisans, her wartime activities and subsequent deportation to Auschwitz. Its as if an ineluctable force history is moving through the material world, warping and reshaping it.

These tectonics operate on human flesh too: Vujanovics Auschwitz tattoo has slipped down her forearm as the years have gone by. Purpose still weighting her words, she recounts her journey into activism: she was attracted to communism by progressive classmates in the countryside; cherrypicked as a cell leader during the second world war because being a woman allowed her to escape attention; and then sickened by taking her first life, an SS officer during a raid on a supply train. Vujanovic was then captured, tortured and shipped off into darkness in Poland, with Czechoslovak railwaymen taunting the prisoners en route: Gas, gas! She thought they were being sent to work at a gas-processing plant.

Interweaving these enigmatic shots with sequences of Vujanovic in her apartment, overlaying them with diary extracts and sigil-like illustrations, the films director, Marta Popivoda, lets history subtly press upon us. Her attempt to draw a line to present-day fascism is a little clumsy, though: Popivodas mention of moving to Berlin with her partner and co-writer Ana Vujanovic as a protest against growing Balkans homophobia and capitalism is featherweight in comparison with the pensioners life-or-death resistance. Ana Vujanovic is Sofias great-niece, so making the documentary personal is understandable but as a pre-emptive warning to heed extremism in our time, it feels half-baked.

The older womans experiences and Popivodas unflustered conveyance of them speak louder. Where our attention is drawn initially to the beguiling images, it finally settles on the constant of Vujanovics voice; testimony to the strength of idealism and human determination to transmit through the decades.

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Landscapes of Resistance review an enigmatic meditation on a life marked by Auschwitz - The Guardian

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How Woodhull Wellness, a Corporate Provider of Meditation and Mindfulness Addresses the Employee Mental Health ... - USA TODAY

How Julia Hogarth Went from Librarian to Meditation Teacher to Successful Entrepreneur and Creative Coach  LA Progressive

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How Julia Hogarth Went from Librarian to Meditation Teacher to Successful Entrepreneur and Creative Coach - LA Progressive

Updated Jan 31, 2024, 10:30 PM IST

It's believed that these bowls have a history that dates back to thousands of years and every bowl has a unique vibration. (Picture Credit: Canva)

Have you ever logged on to any music app or website and just played the Tibetan Singing Bowls? The soothing sound of the Tibetan Singing Bowls are known to release stress and promote relaxation.

For the unversed, Tibetan Singing Bowls are hollow metal bowls (typically made from a combination of metals, including copper, tin, zinc, iron, silver, and gold) that produce soothing sounds when it's rubbed with a wooden mallet. It's believed that these bowls have a history that dates back to thousands of years and every bowl has a unique vibration. It's through these vibrations that healing energy is released.

Tibetan monks use singing bowls in their spiritual and meditative practices. The sounds and vibrations from the bowls serve as powerful aids in meditation, fostering a tranquil and focused atmosphere for practitioners. Monks incorporate these bowls into ceremonial rituals, where the soothing sounds are believed to purify the environment and invoke spiritual energies. Additionally, the therapeutic qualities of the vibrations are utilised for healing purposes, contributing to physical and mental well-being. In the context of chakra balancing, monks explore the harmonics of the bowls to align and balance energy centers within the body. Beyond their functional roles, these bowls become instruments of sacred sound exploration, allowing monks to create intricate sonic landscapes. Used in teachings and lectures, the bowls serve as both captivating educational tools and conduits for conveying spiritual wisdom in a unique and experiential manner.

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Benefits Of Singing Bowls For Meditation

An observational study, "Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being" found significant beneficial effects of Tibetan singing bowl meditations on a number of markers related to well-being. As reported in the study, "While it may require a very minimal amount of practice, extensive training is not necessary to learn to play the singing bowls and other instruments; one merely taps or rubs the bowls gently with a mallet. Thus, this type of meditation could be taught to health and counseling professionals and provided in an almost unlimited number of settings to induce the relaxation response, reduce stress, and potentially stress-related disease in the body". Here are a few benefits of Singing Bowl Meditation:

Stress Reduction: The calming and harmonious tones produced by singing bowls can induce a state of deep relaxation, helping to alleviate stress and tension. The meditative nature of the practice encourages a sense of tranquility.

Enhanced Meditation: Singing bowl meditation is often used as an accompaniment to traditional meditation practices. The resonant sounds can serve as a focal point, making it easier for individuals to enter a meditative state and maintain concentration.

Improved Sleep: Regular practice of singing bowl meditation has been associated with improved sleep quality. The calming effects of the bowls may help relax the mind and body, promoting better sleep patterns.

Balanced Energy Centers (Chakras): Some practitioners believe that the vibrations of singing bowls can help balance and align the body's energy centers, known as chakras. Each bowl's unique frequency is associated with specific chakras, contributing to overall energetic harmony.

Mindfulness and Presence: The process of listening to the sounds and feeling the vibrations in singing bowl meditation encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment. This heightened awareness can contribute to a greater sense of clarity and focus.

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Tibetan Singing Bowl: Benefits Of Using It For Meditation - Times Now

Friday, January 26, 2024 - 1:30pm

Improve your mindset while learning various breathing techniques and mindfulness strategies.

Space is limited; please RSVP with Paola Perez at (786) 205-5427 or email atpperez@cutlerbay-fl.gov.

*Active Adults series of events are designed forTown residents aged 60 and over.

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Active Adults | Meditation - Town of Cutler Bay Florida (.gov)