Here’s what happened in crypto today
Today in crypto, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has revealed that the messaging app has been handing over the IP addresses of “criminals” to authorities since 2018, Bitcoin dropped as much as 3% amid heightened conflict in the Middle East, and a spokesperson for Bitwise confirmed that the asset manager has filed for an spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Telegram has been disclosing user IPs since 2018, Durov says
Crypto-friendly instant messenger Telegram has been disclosing the IP addresses of criminals to authorities since 2018.
Durov took to his Telegram channel on Oct. 2 to clarify his recent post about disclosures of IPs and phone addresses of accounts found to be involved in criminal activity.
“My previous post may have seemed to announce a major shift in how Telegram works. But in reality, little has changed,” Durov said in his most recent communication.
Durov’s clarification on Telegram’s data disclosure policies comes about a month after French authorities indicted the CEO on six charges related to illicit activity on the messenger app on Aug. 28.
After being released on a $5.5 million bail on Sept. 5, Durov broke his silence on social media for the first time following his arrest, claiming that the charges were “misguided.
Bitcoin tanks, gold rebounds as Israel vows Iran ‘will pay’ for attack
Commodities such as gold and crude oil have been rising as the specter of war looms in the Middle East. However, Bitcoin (BTC) is moving in the opposite direction, leading to renewed debate on whether it’s a safe-haven asset.
Gold prices gained 1.4% on the day to reach $2,665 per ounce on Oct. 1, just shy of its all-time high, according to Goldprice.org. Meanwhile, crude oil prices spiked as much as 7% to reach $72 per barrel.
Bonds and the US dollar also climbed following Iran after a major airstrike targeting sites across Israel late on Oct. 1. Israel’s air defenses shot down most of the 180 incoming missiles, according to reports.
“The escalating conflict in the Middle East has prompted investors to seek security in gold, bolstering its appeal amidst broader market uncertainty,” commented Li Xing, Financial Markets Strategist Consultant to Exness.
Bitcoin, often referred to as a safe haven asset, did the opposite, tanking more than 3% over the past 24 hours.
Bitwise files XRP ETF in Delaware
Asset manager Bitwise has filed for an XRP ETF in the state of Delaware, according to a Sept. 30 filing with the Division of Corporations. A Bitwise spokesperson confirmed the filing as legitimate.
The filing lists the Wilmington-based CSC Delaware Trust Company as the registered agent.
As Cointelegraph reported, the filing does not necessarily mean that a registration application with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is on the immediate horizon. The filing could merely signal early-stage prep work for a filing that may come much later.
The application came mere months after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said an XRP ETF was “inevitable.”
It also followed a protracted legal battle between Ripple and the SEC, which began in 2020 when the securities regulator accused the token issuer of selling an unregistered security.
Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP is not a security in July 2023.