In his first boxing match since an exhibition two years ago against Floyd Mayweather, Logan Paul dominated.
Paul defeated MMA fighter Dillon Danis Saturday in a six-round bout in Manchester.
The first five rounds were all Paul. The YouTuber-turned-WWE superstar landed 82 punches, while Danis landed just nine. Danis seemed to take his trolling into the ring by doing backhanded punches and lying down in the ring, but that was just a small preview.
In the sixth, Danis went for Paul’s legs in an MMA-type grapple, but Paul whisked him away. Security guards nearly entered the ring. That wasn’t even close to the most bizarre part.
Logan Paul knocks down Dillon Danis during a Misfits Heavyweight fight at AO Arena Oct. 14, 2023, in Manchester, England. (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
As the final seconds ticked, Danis attempted to put Paul into a guillotine chokehold. Paul got out of it, and Paul threw a punch as Danis was on the mat. When Danis got up, the referee tried to keep them separated, but Danis went on the attack. Well over a dozen security guards jumped into the ring. Danis swung at security, and Paul’s younger brother, Jake, got involved.
Security members on both sides jostled with one another, and Danis was disqualified. Although Paul held the unanimous lead through the first five rounds.
There was bad blood between Paul and Danis in recent weeks, with the MMA fighter even taking shots at Paul’s fiancée. On Friday at their press conference, Danis threw a microphone at Paul, giving him a black eye.
Before the fight, Paul mouthed “I forgive you,” stating after the fight that that was the only way to fight him “without emotion.” Clearly bothered by Danis’ antics, Paul was animated speaking with Ariel Helwani.
“He’s supposed to be good at jiujutsu. What happened bruh?” he said.
Security enters the ring to break up Logan Paul and Dillon Danis during a Misfits Heavyweight fight at AO Arena Oct. 14, 2023, in Manchester, England. (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
“Dillon Danis is truly a coward. Just a dirty, dirty human being.”
Paul said he can see himself returning to the ring and specifically called out “that little leprechaun” Conor McGregor.
Paul seems focused on the WWE, even calling out Rey Mysterio to win the U.S. title. But it was clear MMA fighter Danis did not belong in the boxing ring.
New York Jets fans were caught by surprise Saturday afternoon when the team announced it would be without arguably its best player.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner popped up in the injury report Friday with an undisclosed illness. On Saturday, the team said he will miss the game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a concussion.
The Jets were already without D.J. Reed, who starts opposite Gardner in the secondary. Reed also has a concussion, missing last week’s 31-21 victory against the Denver Broncos.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis Dec 4, 2022.(Matt Krohn/USA Today Sports)
Gardner, though, took to X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the Jets officially ruled him out, and it seemed like he was caught by surprise.
“I feel perfectly fine. That’s the crazy part about it,” he posted.
The NFL has taken more precautions with concussions in recent years, and perhaps even more so after Tua Tagovailoa’s head injuries last year.
Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets runs onto the field prior to the start of a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium Sept. 24, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
The Jets’ secondary is running thin even beyond their starters. Defensive backs Justin Hardee and Brandin Echols will also miss the game against Philly, so Gang Green will have to promote players from the practice squad.
With Jalen Hurts throwing to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against backups, the Jets will have their work cut out for them.
The Eagles are looking for their sixth straight victory to open up the season, while New York is 2-3.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Aug. 12, 2022.(Eric Hartline-USA Today Sports)
Caroline Ellison wanted to step down but feared a bank run on FTX
Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, testified for over 10 hours this week at Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial, offering deeper details on the events that anticipated the FTX debacle in November 2022. From Ellison’s testimony, jurors learned that she planned to leave Alameda months before its collapse, but feared a bank run on FTX amidst the crypto market downturn. The week also featured a recording presented as evidence in the case showing the exact moment Ellison told employees about Alameda’s use of FTX customer deposits. Among the key moments of Bankman-Fried’s trial were revelations of fabricated balance sheets in order to deceive crypto lenders, as well as BlockFi CEO Zac Prince’s testimony. Check out this week’s highlights from Cointelegraph’s team on the ground.
Months before the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was “freaking out” about buying shares in Snapchat, raising capital from Saudi royalty and getting regulators to crack down on rival crypto exchange Binance, according to evidence presented in court this week as a part of the ongoing criminal trial. Bankman-Fried believed Binance leaked an Alameda balance sheet to the media in 2022. According to a document from Nov. 6, 2022, Bankman-Fried wrote that Binance had been “engaging in a PR campaign against us.” It continued, saying that Binance “leaked a balance sheet; blogged about it; fed it to Coindesk; then announced very publicly that they were selling $500m of FTT in response to it while telling customers to be wary of FTX.”
SEC reportedly won’t appeal court decision on Grayscale Bitcoin ETF
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly has no plans to appeal the recent court decision that favored Grayscale Investments. The ruling requires the SEC to review the firm’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application. The SEC’s supposed decision not to appeal doesn’t necessarily mean Grayscale’s application is set to be approved. If the reports are true, the SEC will need to follow the court’s August order and review Grayscale’s application to change its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into a spot Bitcoin ETF.
Terraform Labs contends Citadel Securities had a hand in its stablecoin collapse
Terraform Labs has again pointed the finger at market maker Citadel Securities for its role in an alleged “concerted, intentional effort” to cause the depeg of its TerraUSD stablecoin in 2022. On Oct. 10, Terraform Labs filed a motion in the United States to compel Citadel Securities to produce documents relating to its trading activity in May 2022, when TerraUSD Classic depegged. In its motion, Terraform argued that the documents are crucial for its defense in the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in February, which alleged Terraform Labs and its founder, Do Kwon, had a hand in “orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud.” Citadel Securities has, however, previously denied trading the TerraUSD stablecoin in May 2022.
Mastercard has completed a trial involving wrapping central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) on different blockchains, similar to wrapped Bitcoin and wrapped Ether. The trial was conducted with the Reserve Bank of Australia and the country’s Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre CBDC. Mastercard said the solution allowed a CBDC owner to purchase a nonfungible token (NFT) listed on Ethereum. “The process ‘locked’ the required amount of a pilot CBDC on the RBA’s pilot CBDC platform and minted an equivalent amount of wrapped pilot CBDC tokens on Ethereum,” the payment processor wrote.
Caroline Ellison speaks on FTX-Binance war: Hodler's Digest, Oct. 23
Winners and Losers
Caroline Ellison speaks on FTX-Binance war: Hodler's Digest, Oct. 24
At the end of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $26,892, Ether (ETH) at $1,551 and XRP at $0.48. The total market cap is at $1.05 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are Loom Network (LOOM) at 86.71%, Trust Wallet Token (TWT) at 16.72% and Tether Gold (XAUt) at 5.16%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are Mantle (MNT) at -17.27%, Rocket Pool (RPL) at -14.39% and Avalanche (AVAX) at -13.39%.
“I was worrying about customer withdrawals from FTX, this getting out, people to be hurt. […] I didn’t feel good. If people found out [about Alameda using FTX funds], they would all try to withdraw from FTX.”
“It’s alarming and should be a wakeup call for lawmakers and regulators that digital wallets connected to Hamas received millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies.”
“People who believe SBFraud is a ‘good guy’ who made ‘mistakes’, and FTX grew too fast and it all got away from him, should NEVER be in charge of other people’s money.”
Ethereum losing streak vs. Bitcoin hits 15 months — Can ETH price reverse course?
The price of Ethereum’s native token, Ether, is trading around a 15-month low versus Bitcoin, and the lowest since Ethereum switched to proof-of-stake. The ETH/BTC pair dropped to as low as 0.056 BTC earlier this week. In doing so, the pair broke below its 200-week exponential moving average (200-week EMA; the blue wave) near 0.058 BTC, raising downside risks further into 2023.
The 200-week EMA has historically served as a reliable support level for ETH/BTC bulls.
ETH/BTC stares at similar selloff risks in 2023 after losing its 200-week EMA as support. In this case, the next downside target looks to be around its 0.5 Fibonacci line near 0.051 BTC in 2023, down about 9.5% from current price levels.
Conversely, ETH price may rebound toward its 50-week EMA (the red wave) near 0.065 BTC if it reclaims the 200-week EMA as support.
FUD of the Week
Caroline Ellison speaks on FTX-Binance war: Hodler's Digest, Oct. 25
Mistake or money laundering? User pays $1.6 million for CrypToadz NFT
One of the CrypToadz NFTs, whose average price doesn’t exceed $1,000, was bought for an astonishing 1,055 wrapped Ether, an equivalent of $1.6 million. The CrypToadz collection was launched during the NFT boom of 2021 and surpassed a trading volume of $38 million worth of Ether during its first 10 days on the market. The price paid by the anonymous user for the NFT raised questions among the community. Two weeks ago, this item was acquired for 0.95 ETH (around $1,600), only to be sold for a price a thousand times higher.
USDR stablecoin depegs to $0.53, but team vows to provide solutions
Real estate-backed stablecoin USDR lost its peg to the United States dollar after a rush of redemptions caused a draining of liquid assets such as Dai from its treasury. USDR, backed by a mixture of cryptocurrencies and real estate holdings, is issued by the Tangible protocol, a decentralized finance project that seeks to tokenize housing and other real-world assets. During the crisis, a trader reportedly exchanged 131,350 USDR for 0 USD Coin, resulting in a complete loss on investment.
HTX claws back $8M in stolen funds, issues 250 ETH bounty to hacker
Huobi Global’s crypto exchange HTX has confirmed the return of the funds stolen by a hacker in late September and issued a 250 Ether bounty after resolving the issue. One of HTX’s hot wallets was drained of 5,000 ETH on Sept. 25, worth roughly $8 million at the time. Shortly after the hack occurred, the firm contacted the hacker and claimed to know their identity. HTX ultimately offered to pay a 5% bounty worth around $400,000 and not to take any legal action if they returned 95% of the funds before a deadline of Oct. 2.
Caroline Ellison speaks on FTX-Binance war: Hodler's Digest, Oct. 26
Beyond crypto: Zero-knowledge proofs show potential from voting to finance
SBF’s alleged Chinese bribe, Binance clarifies account freeze: Asia Express
SBF allegedly bribes Chinese officials with $150 million to unfreeze accounts, Binance justifies blocking Hamas users, meanwhile, Huobi hacker returns all $8M in stolen assets.
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Legendary golfer Andy Bean died Saturday after complications from double lung replacement surgery last month, the PGA Tour confirmed. He was 70.
Bean was an 11-time PGA Tour winner. His first victory came in 1977 at the Doral-Eastern Open, and his most recent victory was in 1986 at the Byron Nelson Golf Classic in Texas.
Bean was also victorious three times on the Champions Tour.
Andy Bean makes a tee shot during the second round of the PGA Champions Tour AT&T Championship at the Oak Hills Country Club Oct. 24, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. (Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
He was born March 13, 1953, in Lafayette, Georgia, and played golf for the Florida Gators.
During his time at Florida, Bean competed on a team that featured future PGA Tour players Gary Koch, Woody Blackburn, Phil Hancock and current Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley.
Bean turned professional in 1975. Four years later, he became a member of the United States Ryder Cup team, making the team a second time in 1987.
In 1980 and 1989, Bean finished second at the PGA Championship. Although he never won a major, he did finish in second at the 1983 Open Championship.
Andy Bean waves his putter after making a birdie putt on the ninth green during the first round of the Allianz Championship at The Old Course at Broken Sound Feb. 11, 2011 in Boca Raton, Fla.(Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)
“Andy was a tenacious competitor on the course but the kindest of men off of it,” PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady said.
“He was affectionately referred to as a gentle giant, someone who always had time for fans, the media and his fellow players. As a multiple-tournament winner after turning 50, he exemplified those same traits on PGA Tour Champions that he did during his stellar PGA Tour career. We send our best to Andy’s family.”
Andy Bean holds the championship trophy after winning the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Sonoma Golf Club Nov. 2, 2008 in Sonoma, Calif.(Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
Bean reportedly started having respiratory trouble after a battle with COVID-19. He underwent a double lung transplant in September.
FTX estate seems to be bullish on Solana’s native token SOL (SOL), as it staked over 5.5 million in SOL coins on Oct. 13. According to on-chain data, an FTX-identified wallet sent the coins to Figment, a staking validator firm for institutional investors.
The transaction was detected by blockchain tracker Whale Alert and later identified as an FTX estate address by pseudonymous on-chain researcher Ashpool. The coins staked worth $122 million and represent a small fraction of FTX’s holdings of SOL.
Staking involves locking up a specific amount of coins for a set period of time. Staking holders receive SOL coins rewards for securing the network with their stakes.
FTX was an early investor in Solana and receives every month a significant volume of SOL unlocked according to the established vesting schedule. FTX estate has the option of liquidating these holdings at any time. The FTX estate is overseen by a bankruptcy trustee. Its primary role involves the recovery of assets to the exchange’s creditors.
In September, a U.S. court approved the sale of $1.3 billion in SOL from FTX, causing concerns among holders about a slump in prices. To avoid adding burdens on the crypto market, the bankruptcy court demanded the sale occur through an investment adviser in weekly batches. The decision drove SOL’s price to a two-month low of $17.34 on Sept. 11.
FTX holds $3.4 billion in Digital Assets A, which is the top 10 assets the company holds, including Solana, Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Aptos (APT) and other cryptocurrencies. According to court filings from September, over $7 billion has been recovered since the exchange filed for bankruptcy protection last November.
Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of FTX, is on trial at a district court in Manhattan accused of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. If found guilty, he could serve up to 115 years in prison.
It may only be the preseason, but Victor Wembanyama is already making highlight reel dunks that no one, not even the guys he is posterizing, can believe are happening.
The San Antonio Spurs used the first overall selection on the 19-year-old from France, a move that was destined for years. On Friday, he reminded everyone why that was the case.
Wembanyama is 7’4″ but moves and shoots like he’s 6’4″, so it’s not hard to tell why people have regarded him as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) scores over Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant (31) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
He got some action in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but now in the preseason, the competition is getting a bit tougher, and it’s still no match.
Wembanyama threw down a dunk on Friday against the Miami Heat that looked like Michael Jordan’s long-reach dunk “Space Jam.”
Thomas Bryant was on the wrong side of the poster, but even he took it in stride.
After Wembenyama slammed home the finish, Bryant’s face was just like a fan’s: one of absolute shock, and knowing there was literally nothing he could possibly do.
Wembanayama dropped 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in San Antonio’s 120-104 victory. He grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists.
It was his first time playing in front of the San Antonio crowd after making his preseason debut earlier this week in Oklahoma City. In that game, he put up 20 points.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) tries to move the ball past Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, October 13, 2023.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Wembanyama was a two-time LNB All-Star in France and the league’s MVP last season. The LNB is the highest tier of professional basketball in that country.
The low blow came with less than 10 minutes to go in the ballgame as Memphis trailed by 10. After a 2nd and 9 incompletion, Fox appeared to hit the offensive lineman in the sensitive spot.
Memphis Tigers defensive linemen Andres Fox (90) and Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield (right) watch the jumbotron after Fox was called for a flagrant personal foul during the second half against the Tulane Green Wave at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports)
Fox was assessed a personal foul and promptly booted from the game, and the Green Wave were given a free first down.
There was no defending Fox’s shot, not even by his own head coach in Ryan Silverfield, who called it a “BS move.”
“That’s inexcusable. That is not us,” Silverfield told reporters after the game. “I’m very, very, very disappointed in the individual that did it. He will be handled appropriately. . . . My apologies to Tulane for that BS move.”
Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield watches from the sidelinesduring the first half against the Missouri Tigers at The Dome at Americas Center on September 23, 2023, in St Louis, Missouri. (Scott Kane/Getty Images)
The penalty ultimately didn’t hurt Memphis as Tulane punted later that drive, but the Tigers were unable to score and fell on their home soil, 31-21.
Michael Pratt completed 19 of 31 passes for 259 yards for the Green Wave, throwing for a score and rushing for another. Makhi Hughes carried 26 times for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Brazzell II had three catches for 103 yards.
The Green Wave improved to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in the AAC, while Memphis is now 4-2 and 1-1 in conference play.
A general view of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium during a game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Memphis Tigers on September 18, 2021, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Mississippi State 31-29.(Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
When it comes to cutting-edge defense technology, Israel has often been at the forefront, boasting the most sophisticated surveillance software like Pegasus. However, the events of October 7 highlighted a stark reality. Even the most advanced technologies can be caught off-guard.
The intensity and scale of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 were nothing short of shocking. Hamas, which governs Gaza, unleashed a barrage of 5,000 rockets directed at Israel.
This aerial assault was just one facet of their multi-pronged strategy. Militants simultaneously breached Israeli borders at various points, employing tactics like paragliding to infiltrate deeper into Israeli territory.
The audacity of their surprise ground assault was evident as they rampaged through Israeli areas, leading to tragic losses of life and the abduction of numerous civilians.
Israel has often been at the forefront, boasting the most sophisticated surveillance software like Pegasus(Cyberguy.com)
Pegasus was designed by the NSO Group, an Israeli Cyber-intelligence firm that develops and sells spyware to government agencies around the world. Although Pegasus isn’t just any spyware, it’s often hailed as the pinnacle of cyber espionage tools. Its design and capabilities reflect a meticulous understanding of both mobile software and human behavior. So, why did intelligence fail to get advance warnings from the most sophisticated phone surveillance software in the world that is made inside Israel? The answer to this critical question still looms.
How Pegasus works
Pegasus is a surveillance software payload that can remotely infect and monitor smartphones without the owner’s knowledge or consent. It’s the gold standard in spying on phones – period. After sneaking into a device, it picks out the right tools based on what the phone uses. Think of it like a Swiss Army knife. If the phone doesn’t use a certain feature, Pegasus won’t pull out that specific tool. This way, it stays hidden better because it only uses what it needs and doesn’t leave unnecessary clues behind.
What sets Pegasus apart
What truly sets Pegasus apart is its zero-click attack capability. Traditional spyware often requires the target to make a mistake, like clicking on a suspicious link. Pegasus, however, can infiltrate a device without any such input.
Israel has often been at the forefront, boasting the most sophisticated surveillance software like Pegasus.(Cyberguy.com)
To gain access, it exploits unknown vulnerabilities, referred to as “zero-days” within the software. The term “zero-day” refers to developers having “zero days” to fix the problem once it becomes known. These vulnerabilities are highly valuable to hackers and are often used in significant cyber-attacks.
Once inside, its surveillance capabilities are vast. Beyond accessing messages, emails, and calls, it can also record conversations, activate cameras covertly, and track user movements in real-time. All of this data is then encrypted and sent to a command and control server, where it is analyzed and stored.
Limitations of Pegasus spyware
Given all this, the recent events in Israel become even more perplexing. With a tool as potent as Pegasus at their disposal, we still need to understand how a significant mobilization by Hamas within Gaza flew under the radar. It’s a question that not only underscores the limitations of even the most advanced spyware.
The dark side of NSO Group’s Pegasus technology
The NSO Group claims that its technology is only used for legitimate purposes, such as fighting terrorism and crime. However, several reports have revealed evidence that Pegasus has been used to target human rights activists, journalists, dissidents, lawyers and politicians in various countries. Some of these targets have faced harassment, intimidation, arrest, torture or assassination.
Israel has often been at the forefront, boasting the most sophisticated surveillance software like Pegasus(Cyberguy.com)
The company posted this statement on its website. In part, it reads:
“We have the world’s most rigorous compliance and human rights programs that are based on the American values we deeply share, which already resulted in multiple terminations of contracts with government agencies that misused our products.”
Kurt’s key takeaways
No matter how state-of-the-art technology might be, it’s not infallible. Systems like Pegasus are undoubtedly cutting-edge, but they come with their own set of challenges. As nations globally continue to lean into advanced surveillance tools, it is essential to know when they can be relied upon and when they’ll fail to produce significant enough intelligence to warn of an attack.
How do you feel about the use of spyware like Pegasus by governments? Do you think it is justified or unethical? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Israel has often been at the forefront, boasting the most sophisticated surveillance software like Pegasus(Cyberguy.com)
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs entered Saturday’s game as the heavy favorites against Vanderbilt.
Georgia got off to a slow start as the Commodores jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but quarterback Carson Beck and the Bulldogs offense eventually kicked things into high gear and entered the locker room with a 24-7 halftime lead.
Georgia, however, will have to finish the game in Nashville without one of the best college football players in the country — Brock Bowers. The star tight end exited the game with 7:24 remaining in the second quarter.
Brock Bowers #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half at FirstBank Stadium on October 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.(Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
He appeared to suffer an ankle injury as came up limping after a play. He then fell to the turf and punched the ground out of apparent frustration.
The athletic training staff rushed onto the football field to take a look at the All-American tight end.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart described Bowers’ injury as an ankle sprain. He initially went into the medical tent on the Bulldogs’ sideline, but later went towards the locker room.
Smart noted that the tight end would undergo X-rays.
“He was in good spirits,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart told CBS Sports at halftime. “He’s got a little bit of an ankle sprain on the bottom part of his foot, but he thinks he’ll be fine. We’re going to go X-ray it and check it out.”
Carson Beck #15 hands the ball to Brock Bowers, #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs, against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half at FirstBank Stadium on October 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.(Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
Bowers is a California native. Entering Saturday’s game, the junior tight end led the Bulldogs with 37 catches for 545 yards with four touchdowns.
He surpassed the 100 yards receiving mark in each of the last three games. Bowers is widely projected to be a first-round selection whenever he declares for the NFL Draft.
Ethereum wallet MetaMask went offline on Oct. 14 for several hours on Apple’s App Store, raising concerns about its removal. MetaMask claims to have over 30 million users. The wallet is connected to a range of Web3 decentralized applications (DApps)
On Oct. 14, reports surfaced that the MetaMask app no longer appeared in the App Store. Apple users were also unable to download the application from the MetaMask website.
According to a spokesperson for MetaMask, the issue isn’t related to any security incident or malicious activity:
“We’re aware that MetaMask isn’t currently available for download on the App Store. This issue is unrelated to any malicious activity. Our dedicated team is working diligently to resolve it as quickly as possible. Importantly, this is not a security concern, and there is no compromise or action required on users’ part. Additionally, it’s not related to the app’s functionality.”
Apple’s service policies are likely behind the app’s disappearance. According to the marketplace’s guidelines, it doesn’t allow apps to run “unrelated background processes”, such as cryptocurrency mining.
According to MetaMask, the removal of its app was only temporary. “We anticipate that MetaMask will be back on the App Store shortly,” a spokesperson said minutes before app turned back on, adding that any fake MetaMask apps on the App Store should be reported immediately.
MetaMask faces challenges from Big Tech marketplaces for the second time. In December 2019, the company was suspended from Google Play’s app store for allegedly violating the company’s financial services guidelines. Google cited its policy prohibiting cryptocurrency mining on mobile devices and promptly rejected a MetaMask appeal to reverse the ban.
Apple’s guidelines also require app developers to share 30% of transaction revenues. For crypto firms, including those that want iOS users to be able to purchase nonfungible tokens (NFT), the 30% Apple tax has also been a barrier.
