Hackers: Vietnam-based little-known cryptocurrency exchange VinDAX has been hacked, losing “half a million USD” worth of cryptocurrencies. An admin of VinDAX’s official Telegram channel, with the handle “@VinDAXSupport” confirmed on Friday that it is “true” that the exchange got hacked and lost cryptocurrencies worth the amount. They said the breach took place “3 days ago.” One source familiar with the matter told The Block that VinDAX has lost the funds via 23 cryptocurrencies. The admin declined to share further information but said: “We have made a full recovery from this attack,” without providing details. VinDAX is primarily engaged in conducting token sales of little-known projects via its Launchpad platform. There is currently a token sale going on the platform for blockchain project MyFie, while there are at least 5 more token sales scheduled on the platform.
Key Players: Ethereum co-founder and founder of Consensys, Joseph Lubin, said that he hopes China’s Central Bank Digital Currency will allow for interoperability with public permission less blockchains, including Ethereum. Lubin made his remarks during an interview published on Nov. 9th, He explained: “I assume it is going to be exactly what Chinese leadership thinks is most beneficial to Chinese leadership. Hopefully that’s also open and we can interoperate with it, but I don’t know.” Furthermore, Lubin added that he would like to see more participation from China in the Ethereum ecosystem. He cited the case of the Belt and Road blockchain-based commerce platform, noting that it uses one of the “weaker technologies” compared to public blockchains like Ethereum.
Banks & Institutions: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has declared the IPO of pro-crypto Silvergate Bank. Its shares started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. The crypto-friendly bank works with 756 customers in the crypto space, including Coinbase, Gemini, Circle, Bitstamp, Kraken, and Bittrex. Its common stock subsequently began trading on the NYSE on Thursday under the symbol SI. The shares opened at $12.75, a 6.25% increase from its IPO price of $12, and closed at $12.62. Opened in 1988, Silvergate Bank is a commercial bank with a focus on “creating the banking platform for innovators, especially in the digital currency industry, and developing product and service solutions addressing the needs of entrepreneurs.”
Adoption: Crypto and Blockchain Jobs Have Increased By 26% Since 2018. Those seeking employment in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry have reason to be positive. The number of bitcoin, blockchain and crypto-related employment ads in shares per million on the popular job listing site rose by 26 percent from 2018–2019, following a four-year trend of 1,457 percent growth in the sector. On the other hand, sector-specific job searches dropped 53 percent over the same period, following a longer downward trend, the firm found. Enthusiasm among job hunters peaked during the height of the crypto bull market in late 2017, which saw bitcoin’s price reach an all-time high of around $20,000, but has gradually tailed off ever since.
