Here’s what happened in crypto today

Here’s what happened in crypto today

Today in crypto, Michael Saylor posts BTC chart for 10th consecutive week, Singapore has blocked access to Polymarket, and the New York Attorney General is suing to recover over $2 million in crypto stolen from victims tricked into buying crypto with fake promises of remote work.Saylor hints at impending Bitcoin acquisitionMicroStrategy (MSTR) co-founder and Bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor has posted the MicroStrategy Bitcoin chart — signaling an impending Bitcoin purchase by the company on Jan. 13."Thinking about the next green dot on SaylorTracker," the executive wrote to his 3.9 million followers on the X social media platform.According to the SaylorTracker website, MicroStrategy currently holds 447,470 BTC, valued at approximately $42 billion, and is up 51% on its BTC holdings — representing an unrealized gain of roughly $14 billion.The company's Bitcoin treasury strategy has drawn mixed reactions from the investment community, with some praising Saylor's approach of financing Bitcoin through debt, and others warning that sudden swings in Bitcoin's price could send MSTR shares crashing.Singapore blocks access to PolymarketSingapore has blocked access to Polymarket, a cryptocurrency-based prediction market, as part of a crackdown on unlicensed gambling platforms. On Jan. 12, multiple users reported being unable to access Polymarket in Singapore.Alex Zuo, investment and custody vice president at Cobo Global, posted on X:“Polymarket is officially defined as a gambling website in Singapore. If you want to place a bet, you can only go to a state-owned gambling company. Otherwise, you will face fines and imprisonment.”Visitors attempting to access the site from Singapore receive a warning referencing Section 20 of the Gambling Control Act 2022. The act imposes fines of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars, jail terms of up to six months, or both, for gambling with unlicensed operators.“You have attempted to access an illegal gambling site hosted by an unlicensed gambling service provider. Singapore Pools is the only licensed online gambling operator in Singapore,” reads the warning from the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA).Established on Aug. 1, 2022, the GRA oversees all forms of gambling in Singapore. It was formed by reconstituting the Casino Regulatory Authority to create a single regulatory body capable of addressing evolving gambling products and services. Polymarket operates on the Polygon blockchain, allowing users to bet on world events using USD Coin . NY Attorney General files lawsuit to recoup $2.2M in crypto lost to job scamNew York Attorney General Letitia James has initiated legal action to recover more than $2 million in cryptocurrency swindled from victims who were duped into buying crypto under the false promise of securing remote work opportunities.“Scammers sent text messages to New Yorkers promising them good-paying, flexible jobs only to trick them into purchasing cryptocurrency and then stealing it from them,” James said in a Jan. 9 statement.The scammers tricked victims with payment promises, telling them to create crypto accounts, deposit funds, and review products on fake websites that looked like legitimate brands.Victims were told to keep a crypto balance that matches or exceeds the cost of the products they reviewed. They were promised “they were not purchasing the products” and that their money was only needed to help “legitimize” the data.In return, they were assured they’d get their money back plus a commission, but they never received a cent.With assistance from the US Secret Service, James said that the stolen crypto has been frozen and urges people to be cautious of text messages from unknown senders claiming to offer jobs or other opportunities.

Cointelegraph