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HashFlare founders arrested in ‘astounding’ $575M crypto fraud scheme

The HashFlare founders have been charged for their alleged involvement in a crypto fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

The two founders of the now-defunct Bitcoin cloud miner HashFlare have been arrested in Estonia over their alleged involvement in a $575 million crypto fraud conspiracy.

HashFlare was a cloud mining company created in 2015, which purported to allow customers to lease the company's hashing power in order to mine cryptocurrencies and gain an equivalent share of its profits.

The company was seen as one of the leading names in the business at the time, but shut down a large portion of its mining operations in Jul. 2018. 

However, according to a statement from the United States Department of Justice citing court documents, the entire mining operation, run by founders Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, was part of a "multi-faceted scheme" that "defrauded hundreds of thousands of victims." 

This included convincing victims to enter into “fraudulent equipment rental contracts” through HashFlare and persuading other victims to invest in a fake virtual currency bank called Polybius Bank.

The pair is also accused of conspiring to launder their “criminal proceeds” through 75 properties, six luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency wallets, and thousands of cryptocurrency mining machines.

U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington called the size and scope of the alleged scheme "truly astounding."

"These defendants capitalized on both the allure of cryptocurrency and the mystery surrounding cryptocurrency mining, to commit an enormous Ponzi scheme,” he said.

The HashFlare founders have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering using shell companies and fraudulent invoices and contracts, and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. 

HashFlares' parent company HashCoins OU was founded by Potapenko and Turõgin in 2013, while HashFlare launched mining services in 2015. It initially offered contracts for SHA-256 (Bitcoin) and scrypt. ETHASH (ETH), DASH, and ZCASH options followed.

According to the indictment, the pair claimed HashFlare was a “massive cryptomining operation,” however, it's alleged the company was mining at a rate of less than 1% of what it claimed, and was paying out withdrawals by purchasing Bitcoin (BTC) from third parties, rather than gains from mining operations.

By Jul. 2018, HashFlare announced a halt to BTC mining services, citing difficulty generating revenue amid market fluctuations.

Customers were not reimbursed for the remainder of the annual contract fees, which they had paid upfront. Other crypto assets available in the platform's portfolio continued to operate as normal.

Allegations of the company being fraudulent were made but never proven in an official capacity.

Related: Russian bill would legalize crypto mining, sales under ‘experimental legal regime’

The last public communication from HashFlare came through in 2019 through an Aug. 9 post where they announced they were suspending the sale of ETH contracts because the "current capacity has been sold out."

The company promised to resume activities in the "very near future" and teased further announcements, but nothing was ever publically disclosed about what had happened and HashFlare quietly disappeared.

The FBI is now investigating the case and is seeking information from customers who opted into the alleged fraudulent schemes of HashFlare, HashCoins OU and Polybius.

The 18-count indictment for Potapenkos and Turõgins alleged involvement was returned by a grand jury in the Western District of Washington on Oct. 27 and unsealed on Nov. 21.

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Hetzner anti-crypto policies: A wake-up call for Ethereum’s future

The terms of services, laid down by Ethereum's second-biggest host Hetzner, prohibits customers from running nodes, mining and farming, plotting, storage of blockchain data and trading.

Just when the Ethereum ecosystem reached its final stages in preparing for the much-anticipated upgrade, The Merge, german cloud provider Hetzner, reiterated its stance against allowing mining operations for both proof-of-stake (PoS) and proof-of-work (PoW) applications.

Hetzner, a private, centralized cloud provider, stepped in on a discussion around running blockchain nodes, highlighting its terms of services that prohibit customers from using the services for crypto activities. However, the Ethereum community perceived the revelation as a threat to the ecosystem as Hetzner’s cloud services host nearly 16% of the Ethereum nodes, as shown below.

Ethereum Mainnet Statistics. Source: ethernodes.org

In crypto, the reliance on centralized service providers has been historically perceived as a negative trait when it comes to long-term sustenance — and for a good reason. Redditor u/Supermann- questioned the anti-crypto policies laid down by the second biggest Ethereum Mainnet host, Hetzner. Clarifying the doubts and legal implications associated with using its services for crypto activities, Hetzner stated:

“Using our products for any application related to mining, even remotely related, is not permitted. This includes Ethereum.”

The company also stated that the non-allowance extends to running nodes, mining and farming, plotting, storage of blockchain data and trading. While acknowledging the extensive use of its services for powering Ethereum, Hetzner revealed that “we have been internally discussing how we can best address this issue.” As a fair warning to the community, Hetzner added:

“If you, or any other potential customers are unsure about whether your use case will violate our ToS, please reach out to us.”

The latest revelation from german cloud provider Hetzner showcases the impact of the decision made by centralized entities on thriving crypto ecosystems.

The majority of the Ethereum ecosystem currently runs on Amazon.com, which hosts 54% of the total Ethereum nodes. Some of the mainstream cloud providers that currently host Ethereum nodes include Oracle Cloud (4.1%), Alibaba (2.8%) and Google Cloud (2.7%).

Related: Ethereum Foundation clarifies that the upcoming Merge upgrade will not reduce gas fees

Discussions around the Ethereum upgrade have unknowingly spurred numerous misconceptions about what it means for the future of the blockchain. Cointelegraph’s report highlighted the top five misconceptions about the anticipated Ethereum upgrade.

Reduced gas fees and faster transactions are the biggest rumors spreading across the ecosystem, which have been confirmed to be untrue. However, a subsequent upgrade, named the Shanghai upgrade, will deliver faster and cheaper transactions.

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana

How to build a passive income stream from cloud mining?

Cloud mining is a far safer way to invest in cryptocurrencies and get consistent passive income without directly using mining equipment or hardware.

Cloud mining is the process of mining cryptocurrency without the direct use of mining equipment or hardware. The process allows users to mine Bitcoin or altcoins without having to manage their own resources.

Related: What is an altcoin? A beginner’s guide to cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin

In traditional crypto mining, cryptocurrency is produced through a computational process. Miners need to solve complex mathematical problems using mining hardware to be rewarded with coins. The process of cloud mining is similar, but instead of using their own resources, miners rent or buy resources from a service provider.

As more players entered the cryptocurrency scene, mining became more complex, requiring more computing power. For this reason, many people who used to mine crypto using their own hardware now find it unsustainable due to high electricity costs and the wear and tear on their hardware. Cloud mining has therefore become an attractive option.

How does cloud mining work?

In cloud mining, third-party providers rent out computing power to miners. This means miners don’t have to invest in their own resources, which generally requires a large upfront investment. Cloud mining also removes the need for miners to maintain and update their own equipment.

How it works is that the service provider buys or builds a mining rig and then rents out the hashing power to miners. The cryptocurrency mined is then sent to the miner’s wallet. In most cases, the service provider will also offer a mining-as-a-service solution, which allows miners to outsource the management of their mining equipment.

As for the mining process itself, it’s pretty similar to how cryptocurrency mining works. Transactions are verified and added to a blockchain, thereby creating new coins. Each time a transaction is validated and added to the blockchain, a new block is created. Miners are then rewarded with crypto by adding verified blocks to the chain.

Many cloud mining websites offer cloud services for miners. Among these are StormGain, BeMine and ECOS. Most cloud mining sites take a small portion of your earnings as commission. Some platforms, like ECOS, offer monthly plans with no commission.

Cloud mining models and types

There are two common models for cloud mining:

Both of these models have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to choose the right model for your needs before getting started with cloud mining.

Hashing power leasing

Hashing power leasing is a popular model for cryptocurrency cloud mining. With this model, you lease a certain amount of hashing power from a cloud mining provider, so you can mine cryptocurrencies. The advantage here is that you do not have to invest money to set up your own mining rig.

The mining provider provides rented cloud computing power from a mining farm, which means you also don’t have to worry about the upkeep of mining equipment. All you need to do is pay for the hashing power you want to lease, and you can start mining.

A miner has to register for an account with a cloud mining provider and provide certain details during signup. These include details such as the hashing power needed, as well as their desired contract period.

Hashing power is determined by the amount of mining power you need. It’s important to choose the right amount of hashing power, as this will determine how much you’ll be paying for the service.

A hash refers to the mathematical function used to mine cryptocurrencies. The hash rate is the speed at which a miner can complete this function. This means you’ll need to pay more for a higher hash rate. However, a higher hash rate also means you’ll be able to mine more cryptocurrencies.

The contract period is the length of time for which you want to lease hashing power. Most providers offer short-term and long-term contracts.

Hosted mining

With hosted mining, miners rent physical equipment from a cloud mining provider. Since the cloud mining hardware will be located in your home or office, you’ll need a good internet connection. You also have to ensure it’s in good working condition for mining by providing adequate cooling and ventilation.

One of the advantages of this model is that you don’t have to worry about the cost of maintaining the mining equipment. However, a downside is that it can be quite noisy. Keep this in mind if you’re planning on setting up a hosted mining rig in your home.

You’ll also have to shoulder the electricity costs when using this model. However, many hosted mining providers offer discounts if you opt for a longer contract.

In addition, the replacement of old equipment won’t be at the cost of the miner. A provider will typically replace it at no extra cost, provided the equipment was used responsibly and not damaged due to improper use.

Many miners go this route because they want better control of their mining rigs without needing to spend thousands of dollars on brand new equipment.

Cloud mining for earning passive income

Cloud mining can be a great way to earn passive income. This is because you can mine cryptocurrencies without putting much effort. Additionally, you can typically reinvest your earnings into the cloud mining service to increase your hashing power or lease more resources.

Cloud mining may be a good option if you are looking for a way to build a passive income stream from cryptocurrency mining. Just be sure to research and understand the costs involved in cloud mining before getting started.

Those who want to mine Bitcoin for passive income, for example, can use a platform like StormGain to do so.

StormGain

StormGain is a good example of a cloud mining service that allows miners to earn passive income by mining Bitcoin. All users have to do is download their application, register and start mining. They charge reasonable commissions and have low trading fees as well. How much you earn will depend on your mining speed, as well as the trading volumes reached:

ECOS

ECOS is another trusted cloud mining provider. It supports Bitcoin mining and offers a wide range of flexibility when it comes to cloud mining contracts:

ECOS also has a wallet and exchange, so interested miners only need to sign up for an account and download the ECOS mobile app to start mining. Mining contracts range from 24 months to 50 months.

Advantages of cloud mining

There are several advantages of cloud mining that make it an attractive option for miners:

  • You don’t need to be tech-savvy: You don’t need to be a tech expert or cryptocurrency guru to start cloud mining. All you need is an internet connection, a computer and a good understanding of the cryptocurrency you wish to mine.
  • You can start small: You can start with a small investment and gradually reinvest your earnings to increase your hashing power. You can also spread your investments out across different cryptocurrencies to mitigate risk.
  • Sense of security (through contracts): When you lease hashing power, you typically sign a contract. This means the provider is legally obligated to give you the agreed-upon amount of hashing power. This gives miners a sense of security, as they know they won’t be cheated out of their money.

Cloud mining disadvantages

Cloud mining also has its drawbacks, which you should be aware of before getting started:

  • Risk of scams: There have been some scams associated with cloud mining, so ensure you only invest in reputable services.
  • Crypto volatility: Cryptocurrency prices are volatile, and cloud mining may not always be profitable. Be sure you understand the risks before getting started.
  • Limited control: When you lease resources from a cloud mining provider, you don’t have complete control over the operation. This can be a risk if the provider is not reputable.

How to start crypto cloud mining?

If you’ve decided that cloud mining is right for you, there are a few things you’ll need to get started:

  • A computer with an internet connection: You’ll need a computer or other device with an internet connection to access your cloud mining account.
  • An account with a cloud mining service: You’ll need to create an account with a reputable cloud mining service provider.
  • Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies: To mine cryptocurrency, you’ll need to have some Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency to begin with. You can use this to pay for your resources or reinvest them into your operation.
  • A crypto wallet: You’ll need a cryptocurrency wallet to store your mined coins. Be sure to choose a wallet that supports the coin you wish to mine.

Is cloud mining profitable?

This depends on a number of factors, including the type of mining you’re doing, the cryptocurrency you’re mining and the size of your operation. The fees and commissions charged by your cloud mining service provider will need to be factored in as well.

So, can you make money with cloud mining? Yes, typically, you can expect to earn more from cloud mining than you would from traditional mining. This is because you’ll save a lot of money since you do not have to purchase expensive hardware, cooling and ventilation equipment. You’ll also save on electricity and maintenance costs.

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana

Google Cloud to detect crypto-mining malware on virtual machines

Bad actors using malware to steal GPU power to mine crypto will have to up their game to deal with Google Cloud's latest security protocol.

It’s a shot in the arm for Google Cloud users at risk of cryptocurrency mining attacks. The Google Cybersecurity Action Team (GCAT) has created a threat detection service to shield “poorly configured” accounts that attackers use to mine cryptocurrency. 

In a blog post, Google Cloud announced the Virtual Machine Threat Detection (VMTD) release in its Security Command Center (SCC) area. A means of scanning compute engines in Google Cloud, the VMTD successfully detects threats, including crypto-mining malware used inside virtual machines.

Crypto-mining malware attacks, sometimes called “cryptojacking,” are an ongoing nuisance in the industry. While browser-based cryptojacking activity spiked in the 2019 bear market, cloud-based crypto mining continues to beleaguer the space.

Cointelegraph reported in November last year that of 50 analyzed incidents relating to compromised Google Cloud Protocols, 86% were related to crypto mining. The Google “Threat Horizons” report highlighted hackers may seek to hijack GPU space to mine crypto as it is a “cloud resource-intensive for-profit activity.”

Upon receiving the data, the Google Cybersecurity Action Team sought to remedy the situation, building better protections for its virtual machine users.

The result is VMTD, a program that provides agentless memory scanning to help detect threats like crypto-mining malware. As well as delivering protections from coin mining, the VMTD also secures users from data exfiltration and ransomware.

Ransomware attacks flourished in 2021, reaching highs in April 2021. Some commentators suggest that the rise in ransomware attacks went hand in hand with crypto’s meteoric rise; regulators and industry players have made efforts to blunt the malpractice.

Related: Crypto miner in Texas shuts down 99% of operations as winter storm approaches

Regarding crypto-mining malware attacks, Google has made a concerted effort to stem the onslaught of malicious actors taking advantage of unknowing internet users’ CPU power and electricity in order to mine cryptocurrencies. In 2018, over 55% of businesses were reportedly affected worldwide, including Google’s Youtube.

The VMTD will steadily integrate with other parts of Google Cloud over the coming months, benefitting further Google Cloud users.

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana

‘We want to be the AWS of crypto,’ says Coinbase exec

Coinbase officials have suggested that they need to become the "Amazon Web Services of cryptocurrencies" as soon as possible.

With Amazon Web Services (AWS) being one of the most popular cloud service providers on the planet, it's no surprise that Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the United States, is attempting to capitalize on its success by developing its own cloud infrastructure solution, Coinbase Cloud.

"We want to be the AWS of crypto," said Coinbase chief product officer Surojit Chatterjee in an exclusive interview with Forbes. "We are building this whole Coinbase Cloud suite of products that you can think of as crypto computing services to help developers build their applications faster." 

Before becoming Coinbase Cloud, the service was named Bison Trails, a cloud-based staking infrastructure solution that Coinbase bought earlier this year for an undisclosed amount that was rumored to be above $80 million. According to Coinbase, Bison Trails is a non-custodial platform, which means it does not manage clients' staked assets.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) was once a secondary consideration for Amazon in Seattle, overshadowed by Amazon. Nevertheless, the Amazon subsidiary that debuted almost 20 years ago is the firm's major profit engine today. AWS earned $13.5 billion in annual operating earnings in 2020 on a revenue base of $45.3 billion, or 63 percent of its parent company's total.

Related: NFTs could be ‘as big or bigger’ than all crypto on Coinbase, CEO says

Coinbase officials have suggested that they need to become the "Amazon of cryptocurrencies" as soon as possible. or Because the majority of its accolades are for not just being the first major digital currency business to go public but also for doing so by achieving the greatest direct listing in history, its income stream is overly reliant on transaction fees.

This is often the case with line items that are dominated by a single category's revenue concentration. Facebook, for example, and Google are almost entirely reliant on advertising to make money, therefore their line items generally have this degree of revenue concentration.

However, due to their significant dependence on the market and overall trading volumes, Coinbase and other exchanges may be highly vulnerable. Because trading volumes are closely linked with price swings, such dependence can be a major drawback for crypto platforms like Coinbase or any other exchange.

Coinbase is seeking to boost trading income by providing subscription services that are more resistant to market swings to mitigate this risk. For example, it provides institutional custody services, staking possibilities, a learning portal that gives users crypto as a reward, an e-commerce checkout system, and the ability to issue Visa debit cards to clients. It's also trying out a subscription plan that would give customers a monthly trading allowance for a set price.

The acquisition of Bison Trails, according to Chatterjee, was a critical step in Coinbase's transition to a more mature financial system. The platform supports crypto custodians, funds, decentralized apps, and token holders. Some of its customers are Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), New York-based fintech firm Current, and Turner Sports.

As of November 2021, Coinbase Cloud has $30 billion in crypto assets staked on its platform. Coinbase, one of the most popular cryptocurrency platforms, has more than 73 million genuine customers, 10,000 organizations, and 185,000 ecosystem partners in more than 100 countries. According to Coinbase, since its founding, it has handled transactions worth over $700 billion.

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana

No gear, no problem! 3 ways to earn Bitcoin through cloud mining and staking

Operational costs are high, but Bitcoin miners are making money hand over fist. Here’s how to join them and profit.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) rapid recovery above $46,000 has renewed calls for a $100,000 BTC price by the end of 2021, while the effects of China’s crackdown on the mining industry are slowly beginning to fade as the Bitcoin network hash rate shows signs of recovery.

Bitcoin mean hash rate vs. price. Source: Glassnode

One of the side benefits of China’s crackdown is that it has lowered the barriers of entry into the Bitcoin mining space, which has been shown to provide profits in both bull and bear markets.

Bitcoin mining is one of the few ways that investors can acquire BTC without directly purchasing it from the market, and is quickly becoming an industry dominated by big money interests that can afford the electricity costs and upkeep required to run a mining operation.

Here are some options available for the average crypto stacker to acquire more BTC through cloud mining contracts, crypto lending platforms and centralized exchanges (CEX).

Cloud mining contracts

The cloud mining industry has been around since Bitcoin’s early days, and it offers those interested in mining Bitcoin who lack the space, equipment and electricity required an opportunity to outsource their production.

Some of the more well-known companies that offered cloud mining services include Genesis Mining and HashNest, but demand for their services has exceeded their capabilities, resulting in all their Bitcoin mining contracts being sold out.

One of the current mining operators with available contracts is Shamining, a company based in the United Kingdom that has been in operation since 2018, and claims to have data centers worldwide with locations in California, Mexico, Cape Town, South Africa and London, England.

Through this service, users can rent mining equipment and pay for the associated costs of operating the units, while the company handles the physical housing, operation and maintenance. Once operational, generated proceeds can be withdrawn to a Bitcoin wallet specified by the user.

Current rental contracts include two options for GPU miners, which cost around $283 for 23,580 gigahashes per second (GH/s) or $1,066 for 94,340 GH/s, and another option for ASIC miners with a current cost of $2,571 for 235,849 GH/s of mining power.

All contracts indicate that they have profitability that starts at 143%.

Another option that allows users more flexibility regarding the parameters of their mining contract is ECOS, a company that grew out of the Free Economic Zone located in Hrazdan, Armenia, and has been in operation since 2017.

ECOS cloud mining profitability calculator. Source: ECOS

As seen in the graphic above, a 50-month contract for 9 terahashes per second currently costs $1,668 and is projected to result in a profit of 272.82% at a BTC price of $70,000.

It should be noted that all cloud mining services offer warnings about the high risks involved and that no level of profit can be guaranteed. This could be due to a variety of circumstances, including fluctuating electricity prices, Bitcoin price volatility and advances in mining technology that lead to substantial increases in mining difficulty, which renders older equipment obsolete.

Related: Bitcoin mining difficulty jumps a second time as miners settle offshore

Crypto lending services

A more traditional option available for hodlers to acquire more Bitcoin by utilizing their current stack that doesn’t require any further investment, like mining, is through lending services that offer a yield on deposits.

Nexo and Celsius are two of the most well-known lending platforms that allow cryptocurrency users to borrow funds against their crypto holdings or earn rewards for deposits.

At the time of writing, Celsius offers users an annual percentage yield (APY) of 6.2% for Bitcoin deposits, and Nexo offers a standard return of 5% on flexible-term deposits, while fixed-term deposits that go a minimum of one month can earn 6%.

A third option that provides users with a 4% return on BTC deposits is BlockFi, a crypto asset service provider that offers interest accounts and crypto-backed loans and has also recently launched a Bitcoin rewards credit card.

Related: What bear market? Investors throw record cash behind blockchain firms in 2021

Earn BTC from centralized exchanges

Several centralized exchanges also offer Bitcoin holders a return on their BTC deposits, albeit at lower rates than those mentioned above.

Binance, the largest CEX in the crypto ecosystem, offers users an estimated APY of 0.5%, while third-ranked exchange Huobi offers 1.32%.

The best yield offered on a United States-based CEX can be found on Gemini where users can earn 1.65% on their deposits.

KuCoin offers a more free-market approach to BTC lending where lenders can set the parameters of the loan terms, choosing between contract lengths of seven days, 14 days and 28 days while getting to set their own daily interest rates to compete with other lenders on the market.

The lowest rate currently offered on KuCoin is an annual rate of 1.82% on a seven-day contract.

As seen in the data provided, there are multiple ways to increase a Bitcoin stack as opposed to simply buying on the open market, but they are becoming scarcer as time progresses.

With large institutions, energy companies and governments beginning to develop Bitcoin mining infrastructures, smaller market participants are increasingly being squeezed out as cloud mining facilities are unable to keep pace with demand.

Bitcoin lending is increasingly looking like the main way BTC holders will be able to earn a yield paid in BTC in the future, while Bitcoin-backed loans offer a way for hodlers to access the value of their tokens without the need to sell and create a taxable event.

Want more information about trading and investing in crypto markets?

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana

Hackers Target Github Server Infrastructure to Mine Cryptocurrencies

Hackers Target Github Server Infrastructure to Mine CryptocurrenciesGithub services is under investigation after a series of reports on attacks against one of its infrastructures by running unauthorized crypto mining apps. Cybercriminals allegedly exploited some security flaws that could have been exploited to mine cryptos illicitly. Attacks Exploit ‘Github Actions’ According to The Record, a Dutch security engineer, Justin Perdok, detected a cyberattacker […]

Sky, formerly Maker, launches USDS stablecoin on Solana