North Korean Operatives Exploit Freelance Platforms for Cryptocurrency and Financial Fraud

source:

[1] Are You a Freelancer? North Korean Spies May Be Using You (https://cointelegraph.com/news/freelancer-nor ...)[2] North Korean Hackers Exposed in Crypto Freelance Scam - SignalPlus (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/groun ...)[3] KYC for Crypto: Maximize Conversions and User Trust - Socure (https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/groun ...)

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Dec 03 2025, 00:58

Anthropic Prepares for Potential IPO Amidst Enterprise Growth and Strategic Acquisition

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Dec 03 2025, 00:44

Coinbase Adds Jupiter, Plume, and Three Other Tokens to Its Listing Roadmap

## Executive Summary **Coinbase** has officially added five new digital assets to its listing roadmap, signaling the potential for future trading support on its platform. The assets include **Jupiter (JUP)**, **Plume Network (PLUME)**, **zkPass (ZKP)**, **Hyperliquid (HYPER)**, and **Humidifi (WET)**. This move is consistent with the exchange's strategy of broadening its altcoin offerings and often serves as a significant catalyst for the tokens involved, a phenomenon widely known as the "Coinbase effect." ## The Event in Detail The announcement places these five tokens on a path toward a potential full listing on **Coinbase**, one of the world's largest and most regulated cryptocurrency exchanges. Inclusion on the roadmap does not guarantee an immediate or definite listing but serves as a public declaration that the exchange has begun technical and compliance reviews for these assets. The tokens added are: * **Jupiter (JUP):** A key liquidity aggregator for the Solana ecosystem. * **Plume Network (PLUME):** A modular L2 blockchain designed for real-world assets (RWAs). * **zkPass (ZKP):** A private data verification protocol utilizing zero-knowledge proofs. * **Hyperliquid (HYPER):** A decentralized perpetual futures exchange. * **Humidifi (WET):** A project focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. This step increases transparency and alerts the market to assets that have met Coinbase's initial screening criteria. ## Market Implications The "Coinbase effect" is a well-documented market phenomenon where the price of a digital asset experiences a significant surge following its announcement or listing on the exchange. This is primarily driven by the immediate increase in liquidity, accessibility to a broad base of retail and institutional investors, and the perceived endorsement of the asset's legitimacy. However, this development occurs amid a backdrop of broader market fragility. While these specific altcoins may experience bullish momentum, major assets like **Bitcoin (BTC)** and **Ethereum (ETH)** are currently facing headwinds. Recent market analysis points to thin liquidity and macroeconomic pressures that could push **Bitcoin** toward the $65,000 range. This divergence highlights a market where project-specific catalysts can create positive outliers even as the broader ecosystem contends with bearish sentiment and structural risks, such as potential index reclassifications by firms like MSCI for crypto-heavy companies. ## Broader Context Coinbase's continuous expansion of its asset roadmap is a core part of its business strategy to maintain a competitive edge and cater to growing user demand for a diverse range of cryptocurrencies. As the digital asset space matures, major exchanges are evolving into comprehensive platforms offering services beyond simple spot trading. This is evidenced by Coinbase's recent partnership with prediction market **Kalshi** and its use of **USDC** for collateral, signaling a move to integrate novel financial products. By adding promising but less-established tokens like **JUP**, **PLUME**, **ZKP**, **HYPER**, and **WET**, Coinbase not only diversifies its revenue streams but also positions itself as a primary gateway for emerging projects and ecosystems. This strategy is crucial as it competes with both centralized and decentralized exchanges that are rapidly innovating and listing new assets to capture market share.

Dec 02 2025, 22:18

Taurus Expands Institutional Staking with Everstake Integration Amid Growing Demand for Regulated Yield

## Executive Summary Digital asset infrastructure provider **Taurus** has integrated **Everstake**, a major staking service provider, into its custody platform. This strategic move grants Taurus's institutional clients, including banks, regulated access to non-custodial staking across a range of leading Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks. The partnership is designed to meet the increasing demand from financial institutions for compliant and secure methods to generate yield from digital assets, signaling a further maturation of the market's infrastructure. ## The Event in Detail The integration enables clients using Taurus's digital asset custody solution to allocate their assets to Everstake's staking services without the assets ever leaving the secure custody environment. This non-custodial approach is critical for regulated institutions, as it allows them to participate in network validation and earn staking rewards while maintaining strict control over their holdings. By adding Everstake, Taurus expands its offerings, providing a streamlined and compliant on-ramp for its banking and corporate clients to engage with the yield-generating capabilities of the PoS ecosystem. ## Market Implications This development lowers the technical and regulatory barriers for institutional entry into crypto-based yield generation. For PoS networks, attracting institutional capital is key to enhancing network security and stability. For financial institutions, it provides a regulated avenue to offer new digital asset-related services and products to their clients. The move is indicative of a broader trend where the financial industry is moving from a passive, observational stance on crypto to actively building the infrastructure required for direct participation. As noted in a recent **Forbes** analysis of Cross River’s stablecoin platform, the development of bank-grade, compliant on-ramps is a critical step for unifying fiat and digital asset flows within a single, interoperable system. ## Expert Commentary Industry analysis suggests that financial institutions are at a strategic crossroads with digital assets. **Mark Nichols**, a Principal at **EY**, highlights the fundamental decisions banks must make regarding their role in the emerging digital economy. He notes, "The banking community and the corporate community both need to have really clear, coherent stablecoin strategies." While the Taurus-Everstake deal focuses on staking rather than stablecoins, the underlying principle is the same: establishing a clear strategy for infrastructure and participation. The move by Taurus positions it as a key infrastructure provider, enabling other institutions to execute their own digital asset strategies without having to build the underlying technology from scratch. This mirrors the dynamic seen with **Cross River**, which is providing a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) layer for fintechs and enterprises to access stablecoin payments. ## Broader Context The integration is part of a larger industry narrative focused on bridging traditional finance with the digital asset world. This trend is visible across different verticals. For instance, blockchain infrastructure platform **Paxos** recently acquired **Fordefi**, an MPC digital wallet provider, to enhance its institutional-grade security and custody offerings. Meanwhile, crypto treasury firm **BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR)** continues its significant acquisitions of **Ethereum (ETH)**, signaling strong institutional conviction in the future of a leading PoS network. These events, combined with Taurus's staking expansion, underscore a clear and accelerating trend: the professionalization and integration of crypto-native financial activities into the global, regulated financial system.