HighRisk Media
News for high-risk industries: iGaming and betting, payments and PSPs, crypto, dating, nutra and e-commerce.
Latest
Crypto ·
Bitcoin and Ether ETFs draw $128M as crypto rebounds after US midterm electionsBitcoin and Ether ETFs took in about $128M over the trading period as crypto markets recovered from the US midterm elections. Fidelity led inflows, while BlackRock's IBIT lost $201M.
Crypto ·
CFTC Clears Perpetual Futures on Stocks for Trading on US ExchangesThe CFTC has opened the way for trading perpetual futures on stocks on US exchanges. The product was previously popular in crypto and is now moving into traditional markets.
Crypto ·
OpenAI says its AI found 948 Linux vulnerabilities and wrote a working exploit for eachOpenAI says its AI system found 948 Linux vulnerabilities and wrote a working exploit for each. Crypto security specialists argue decentralization helps the industry prepare better.
Crypto ·
Mercado Bitcoin to cover client losses from hack; damage estimates range from $38M to $49MBrazil's largest crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin has paused deposits and withdrawals after a 2 November hack and pledges to cover customer losses. Damage estimates vary widely.
Betting ·
DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics exit Utah prediction markets amid Kalshi caseSportsbook operators are pulling prediction market offerings in Utah following criminal charges filed against Kalshi.
Crypto ·
Tesla, SpaceX and Amazon Block Tokenized Trading of Their Shares on OKX-ICE PlatformThe number of companies objecting to tokenized shares on the OKXICE TSV platform has risen to 56, with Amazon, Tesla, SpaceX, Netflix, Lam Research and SoFi among the latest additions.
Gambling ·
Utah Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi and Its Co-FoundersUtah authorities have filed criminal charges against prediction market platform Kalshi, naming the company's CEO and COO as co-defendants.
Dating ·
Bumble files Q3 2026 results with SEC as Ithaca sale nearsBumble's Q3 2026 revenue fell 16% to $207.1 million and paying users declined. The company is preparing to sell Ithaca Holdings for $1.3 billion.
Gambling ·
Rush Street: US online casino growth slows, but company still bets on 2027 legalizationRush Street Interactive reported Q3 revenue up 39% year over year and adjusted EBITDA up 73%, and reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
Crypto ·
Binance and Polymarket Propose Polygon Hard Fork to Recover $6.8M in Stolen CryptoPolygon block producers have already frozen the stolen tokens worth $6.8 million. Binance and Polymarket are proposing a hard fork to return the funds to their owners.
Crypto ·
NEAR Drops 7% After Vote to Cut Annual Token IssuanceNEAR fell about 7% after a proposal to reduce the token's annual issuance passed. According to Cointelegraph, the cut would keep 11.8 million NEAR out of circulation over two years.
Crypto ·
Zcash to freeze Sprout, its oldest privacy pool, holding roughly $16 millionZcash is preparing to freeze Sprout, its privacy pool launched in 2016. About 12,200 ZEC remain in it, and roughly 10,000 coins have been withdrawn over the past week.
Crypto ·
Binance Records $2.3B 24-Hour Net Inflow After Monday OutflowBinance ranked among the leaders by 24-hour net inflows at $2.3 billion, reversing Monday's sharp outflow. Cointelegraph links the move to restored user access to funds after a $6.3 billion hack.
Gambling ·
Arkansas Accuses Kalshi of Operating Illegal GamblingArkansas has charged prediction market Kalshi with running illegal gambling, joining Utah and other states that have already filed criminal or civil claims against the company.
Crypto ·
XRP Ledger patches bug that let approved token burners mint new tokensThe XRP Ledger has fixed a bug that allowed approved participants to issue new tokens when burning existing ones. The fix took effect on Wednesday, and XRP itself is not affected.
Crypto ·
France postpones 2027 budget revenue vote and drops crypto exit tax proposalsFrance's National Assembly has postponed the vote on the 2027 budget revenue section for a second time. According to Cointelegraph, crypto exit tax proposals have been dropped.
Crypto ·
BlackRock's IBIT logs largest bitcoin ETF outflow since June: $405M on MondayBlackRock's IBIT bitcoin ETF lost $405.3M on Monday, while US spot bitcoin funds opened November with net outflows of nearly $399M.
Gambling ·
Arkansas Attorney General Sues Kalshi and VGW Over Alleged Illegal GamblingArkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed separate lawsuits against Kalshi and VGW, accusing both companies of illegal gambling. He is seeking large fines, restitution to customers and state taxes.
Crypto ·
Crypto.com to end consumer app services in Hong Kong over regulatory changesCrypto.com says it will stop providing consumer services through its app in Hong Kong from February next year, citing regulatory changes.
Crypto ·
South Korea urges crypto exchanges to expand cold storage after Binance hackSouth Korea's regulator has called on local crypto exchanges to increase the share of client assets held in cold wallets, even though the current minimum is already 80%. The move follows a hack of Binance.
Crypto ·
Morgan Stanley says it is tokenizing US stocks and TreasuriesMorgan Stanley says it is among the first banks to move US equities and Treasury bonds onto blockchain rails, following the launch of DTCC's Tokenization Service.
Nutra ·
NMN supplements show no significant cardiorespiratory or cognitive benefit in Japanese trialAn open-label Japanese study of 42 adults found no statistically significant cardiorespiratory or cognitive gains from NMN supplements compared with placebo.
Crypto ·
Tokenization and stablecoins may hold up under Democrats, but broader crypto rules are uncertainCoinDesk reports experts expect tokenization and stablecoins to continue under existing laws, while SEC and CFTC face tougher oversight and questions about their rules' durability.
Crypto ·
Riot shares rise on $28B AI lease; Hut 8 falls after revenue declineBitcoin miner Riot sold BTC to fund its AI expansion, while Hut 8 reported falling revenue and higher costs ahead of data center income.
Crypto ·
Crypto Super PACs Spend Over $176M on US Midterm ElectionsUS crypto super PACs spent more than $176 million on the midterm elections. A Democratic win in Congress could strengthen oversight of the industry, Cointelegraph reports.
Fintech ·
Western Union revenue falls 2% in Q3 as it pushes USDPT stablecoin cardWestern Union's Q3 revenue fell 2% to about $1 billion as it cut staff and launched the USDPT stablecoin and Stablecard. The Intermex deal faces delays over California review.
Crypto ·
Tron, Tether and TRM wind down T3 FCU crypto crime allianceThe T3 Financial Crime Unit alliance of Tron, Tether, TRM Labs and Binance quietly shut down in August, Bloomberg reports. Members are already announcing new anti-illicit-finance initiatives.
Betting ·
Kambi's Q3 revenue rises 23% on World Cup boost, Casino.org links growth to AI tradingKambi's third-quarter revenue rose 23%, with the World Cup contributing noticeably. Casino.org also links the growth to AI-driven trading.
Crypto ·
Mercado Bitcoin to begin phased reopening Monday and will cover customer lossesMercado Bitcoin plans a phased reopening starting Monday and says it will cover customer losses. Withdrawals and trading remain suspended pending security checks.
Gambling ·
Red Rock Resorts Shares Fall After Q3 Loss, Analysts Defend StockShares of Sunset Station operator Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR) fell 5.2% in late trading after a third-quarter loss, while sell-side analysts continue to back the stock.
Crypto ·
Crypto super PAC Fairshake: more than a third of spending fell short, especially in OhioAccording to CoinDesk, Fairshake, the crypto industry's main US political campaign vehicle, spent more than a third of its funds without the intended effect, particularly in Ohio.
Betting ·
Nebraska Voters Reject Online Sports Betting Despite $22.5M Industry CampaignNebraska voters rejected online sports betting at the ballot box. FanDuel and DraftKings put more than $20M of the $22.5M spent on the campaign by gaming operators.
Fintech ·
Yellow Card Acquires GoMoney to Enter Brazil With Stablecoin PaymentsStablecoin infrastructure provider Yellow Card completed its acquisition of Brazilian virtual asset provider GoMoney, adding real-denominated collections and payouts via Pix. GoMoney's full BCB authorization is still pending.
Crypto ·
Trump and World Liberty Financial tokens lead top-100 crypto lossesThe official Trump and World Liberty Financial tokens were the biggest losers among the top 100 cryptocurrencies on Wednesday, while Bitcoin and Ether rose.
Fintech ·
US OCC Issues First AI Supervision Framework for Banks, Flags Autonomous Payment AgentsThe OCC's first examiner guide for AI in banking judges risk by consequences of failure, not model sophistication, and flags external AI agents and autonomous payments for close scrutiny.
Crypto ·
Circle's ARC token sale lifts earnings as lower yields weigh on USDC incomeCircle's ARC token sale helped improve its financials, but falling reserve yields on USDC are pressuring the core business. The company is betting on payment fees and staking rewards.
Crypto ·
Coinbase says over 99% of customer crypto is in cold storage after Binance hackCoinbase told customers it was not affected by the $6.4 billion Binance hack and outlined its controls, including cold storage, split private keys and kill switches.
Crypto ·
Mercado Bitcoin Halts Deposits and Withdrawals After Security IncidentBrazil's largest crypto exchange paused deposits and withdrawals after a security incident. Hypernative flagged over $40 million in suspicious transfers, and Tether froze more than 4.5 million USDT.
Crypto ·
New Jersey drops Coinbase staking order and $5M penaltyNew Jersey has lifted its staking ban and waived a $5 million fine against Coinbase. The company may restore staking access for users in the state.
Crypto ·
Investigators flag suspected $106M theft from European firm's exchange accountsPer Cointelegraph, citing crypto investigators, a European company may have lost $106M from exchange accounts, and a Solana arbitrage bot wallet may have lost about $786K. Both cases remain unconfirmed.
Crypto ·
Morgan Stanley halves Coinbase price target to $120 and downgrades stockMorgan Stanley cut its Coinbase price target by 50% to $120 after the stock fell following earnings. Analysts cite slowing trading activity and the aftermath of the Binance hack as risks.
Fintech ·
Block Adds AI Voice Ordering and Purchase Orders to Square, Cash App Grows to 60 Million UsersBlock's third-quarter report shows Square volume up 14% to $76.4 billion and Cash App at 60 million monthly transacting users, alongside AI voice ordering and automated purchasing for sellers.
Fintech ·
OppFi withdraws applications to buy BNC BankDigital finance platform OppFi has withdrawn its applications to acquire BNC Bank, citing a lack of meaningful opportunity to address regulators' concerns about the deal.
Nutra ·
Zeus Hygia warns brands: Metaberine GLP-1 study does not mean weight lossThe Metaberine supplier asks brands not to read its 14-day GLP-1 study as proof of weight loss or to compare the supplement with prescription drugs.
Dating ·
Apple adds new App Store age rating rules for dating and AI companion appsApple will require developers to declare dating features and location sharing from November 16, 2026. Dating apps will get an 18+ rating, and AI companions that engage in romantic or sexual conversations are covered too.
Dating ·
Match Group Q3 2026: Revenue Down 3% as Hinge Grows 19%, Tinder Prepares MonetisationMatch Group reported Q3 2026 revenue of $891 million, with Hinge growing and Tinder's daily active users returning to growth, while higher app store fees weigh on 2027 profit.
Crypto ·
Citadel Securities-backed group sues CFTC over stock perpetual futuresA group backed by Citadel Securities and other firms has challenged the CFTC's decision that opened a path for perpetual stock derivatives, arguing such products belong under the SEC.
Fintech ·
EU and Canada plan to link real-time payment systemsThe EU and Canada have committed to connect their real-time payment systems and explore opening markets to each other's banks and fintechs.
Crypto ·
CFTC clears perpetual futures on stocks, bringing crypto trading model to Wall StreetThe CFTC has approved perpetual futures on equities, a crypto-style product. CFTC Chair Michael Selig calls it a regulated alternative to offshore venues.
Crypto ·
Binance $6.3 Billion Hack Began With Fake Job Interview, CoinDesk ReportsCoinDesk reports that the attack on Binance was linked to North Korea-associated hackers who spent months compromising staff and internal systems before exploiting hot-wallet signing infrastructure.
Fintech ·
Lo:Tech raises $12m Series A led by MMC for onchain capital marketsLondon-based Lo:Tech, which builds capital markets infrastructure for round-the-clock and onchain trading, has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by MMC.
Crypto ·
Bank of Korea surveys top banks on impact of a major crypto hackThe Bank of Korea ran its first such survey of the country's largest banks, asking how a major crypto hack, a crypto price crash and another firm's losses would affect them.
Crypto ·
tZero to go public via merger with SPAC FG Imperii AcquisitionBlockchain financial infrastructure provider tZero plans to become a public company through a merger with blank-check firm FG Imperii Acquisition Corp.
Crypto ·
LO:TECH raises $12 million to expand crypto trading into U.S. and AsiaLO:TECH has raised $12 million to expand crypto trading into the U.S. and Asia, betting on round-the-clock trading of tokenized stocks.
Fintech ·
ConnectPay and Benefit Bridge launch earned wage access platform in GreeceLithuanian embedded finance provider ConnectPay and Greek fintech Benefit Bridge have launched what they describe as Greece's first platform combining earned wage access with meal and wellness benefit cards.
Crypto ·
Bitcoin steadies after dip to $76,300 as ETF and Binance outflows weigh on marketBitcoin edged up about 0.2% to around $76,900 after dipping to $76,300, as spot ETFs lost $399 million and Binance saw $4.72 billion in net outflows.
Crypto ·
Liquid's bitcoin IOUs fully backed again after $320 million exploitA final 250 BTC transfer closed the gap left by a September bug. The federation behind the Liquid network has not yet said who paid to fill it.
Crypto ·
Tether says it holds 150,000 bitcoin worth $11.5 billionTether CEO Paolo Ardoino says the company holds 150,000 bitcoin. He did not disclose where part of the coins are kept.
Fintech ·
Cross River and Offchain add native tokenisation to lending infrastructureCross River and Offchain Enterprise Services built tokenisation into Cross River's platform so loan assets can be tokenised at origination. The solution runs on Arbitrum One.
Fintech ·
Stripe launches Stripe Treasury in the UKStripe has launched Stripe Treasury in the UK, letting founders manage money from the same Dashboard where they accept payments. Pricing and rollout details were not disclosed.