After analyzing 166 blockchains, Bybit’s Lazarus Security Lab found 16 networks that can freeze or restrict user funds, raising questions about decentralization. A security research team at major crypto exchange Bybit has identified 16 blockchain networks that are technically capable of freezing or restricting user funds. Bybit’s Lazarus Security Lab on Tuesday released a report examining the impact of the fund freezing ability across multiple blockchains, analyzing a total of 166 networks. Using AI-driven analysis combined with manual review, the Bybit security team found that networks like Binance-backed BNB Chain are hardcoded with freezing functions. Read more
Ethereum smart account wallet platform SafeWallet has rearchitected its systems in the wake of the infamous $1.5 billion theft of ETH from Bybit. In February, the cryptocurrency ecosystem stood on the precipice of calamity. Hackers stole $1.5 billion of Ether from crypto exchange Bybit, the largest theft the industry had ever seen. Fears of a contagion-driven market collapse were alleviated by an industry-wide effort to plug the gap at Bybit, and within hours, the exchange regained control of the situation. The post-mortem revealed that Bybit’s routine transfer of Ether (ETH) between wallets had been captured by hackers. The attackers, believed to be North Korean Lazarus Group, compromised a SafeWallet developer machine, injecting malicious JavaScript into the user interface, which tricked Bybit’s multisignature process into approving a malicious smart contract. Read more
Bybit’s pause comes as Japan’s FSA considers reforms that could allow banks to hold Bitcoin and operate licensed exchanges. Bybit, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has announced it will pause new user registrations in Japan starting Oct. 31, as it adapts to new regulations from the country’s Financial Services Agency (FSA). The company said the move is part of its “proactive approach” to align with Japan’s emerging regulatory framework for digital assets, according to a Wednesday announcement. “It has always been Bybit’s commitment to operate responsibly and in compliance with local laws and regulatory expectations,” the exchange said. Read more
The license came eight months after the regulator granted the company in-principle approval, and a few weeks after Bybit secured a non-operational license for Dubai. Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has secured a Virtual Asset Platform Operator License from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), eight months after the regulator granted the company in-principle approval. In a Thursday notice, Bybit said approval from the UAE financial regulator would allow the exchange to offer its global products and services to the region. Authorities in Austria granted the company similar licensing approval in May, and the exchange registered in India in February after briefly suspending its service and paying a $1-million fine over compliance violations. “Receiving the full Virtual Asset Platform Operator License from the SCA is a testament to Bybit’s unwavering commitment to building trust through compliance and transparency,” said Bybit co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou. “The UAE has emerged ...
Bybit will host PumpFun’s PUMP token sale, but users in Europe will be excluded due to regulatory restrictions. Update (July 9, 2:10 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include token sale confirmation from Pump.fun. Bybit has confirmed details of the much-awaited Pump.fun token sale, revealing that users registered through its European Union-regulated platform, Bybit.eu, will not be able to participate, citing compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The public sale of PUMP, the native token of the no-code memecoin launchpad Pump.fun, will open on Saturday at 14:00 UTC and run through Tuesday, according to a Wednesday press release shared with Cointelegraph. A total of 150 billion PUMP tokens, 15% of the 1 trillion total supply, will be offered at a fixed price of $0.004 USDT per token. Read more
Bybit and OKX have both launched MiCA-compliant crypto exchanges in the EU, marking a significant push into Europe’s newly unified regulatory landscape. Update (July 2, 2025, at 2:10 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add commentary by Erald Ghoos, OKX Europe CEO. Crypto exchanges Bybit and OKX both launched fully regulated platforms in Europe this week as regulatory clarity continues to attract major exchanges to the bloc. According to a Wednesday announcement, crypto exchange Bybit.eu launched to serve European Economic Area (EEA) users with a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework. Under the rules, Bybit’s Austria-based operations, established in late May, are licensed in 29 EEA countries. Read more
More than 60 tokenized stocks are now live on Kraken, Bybit and Solana DeFi via Backed Finance’s xStocks. More than 60 tokenized stocks are now available on crypto exchanges Kraken and Bybit, as well as on Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. In a Monday announcement from Backed Finance, the company said its tokenized stocks product, xStocks, had launched with over 60 stocks becoming available on Bybit, Kraken and several Solana DeFi protocols, offering users exposure to traditional stocks via blockchain infrastructure. The stock selection is focused on blue-chip giants and crypto firms, emerging and established alike. Supported stocks include Netflix, Meta, Robinhood, Coinbase, Amazon, Nvidia, McDonald’s, Apple, Tesla and Microsoft, among others. Read more
Bybit unveiled a major security overhaul following its $1.4 billion hack in February, with upgrades across audits, wallet protection and information security. Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has revealed a comprehensive security overhaul following its $1.4 billion hack in February. On Feb. 21, Bybit was hacked for over $1.4 billion in liquid-staked Ether (STETH), Mantle Staked ETH (mETH) and other ERC-20 tokens, making it one of the largest security breaches in crypto history. To bolster defenses, Bybit has implemented a three-pronged security upgrade, targeting security audits, wallet fortifications and information security improvements, according to a June 4 announcement shared with Cointelegraph. Read more
Thailand’s SEC has ordered Bybit, 1000X, CoinEx, OKX and XT.COM blocked nationwide, citing unlicensed operation and money-laundering concerns. Update (May 30, 2025, 11:30 am UTC): This article has been updated to add statements by a Bybit representative. The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will block five cryptocurrency exchanges, including Bybit and OKX, from operating in the country. According to a May 29 announcement, Bybit, 1000X, CoinEx, OKX and XT.COM will be blocked in the country on June 28. The SEC said the measure aims “to protect investors and crack down on illegal platforms used for money laundering.” Read more
Bybit has received regulatory approval under the EU's MiCA framework and has opened its European headquarters in Vienna. Bybit has obtained a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) license from Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA), allowing the exchange to expand into the European market. The approval allows Bybit EU, registered under commercial number 636180i, to operate as a regulated crypto asset service provider (CASP) and extend its services across all 29 European Economic Area member states. As part of its expansion, Bybit has officially established its European headquarters in Vienna, Austria, according to a May 29 news release shared with Cointelegraph. Read more
The $38 million crypto seizure from Bybit hack-linked eXch was the third-largest crypto confiscation in the history of Germany’s federal criminal police. German law enforcement seized 34 million euros ($38 million) in cryptocurrency from eXch, a cryptocurrency platform allegedly used to launder funds stolen after Bybit’s record-breaking $1.4 billion hack. The seizure, announced on May 9 by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and Frankfurt’s main prosecutor’s office, involved multiple crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Dash (DASH). The move marks the third-largest crypto confiscation in the BKA’s history. The authorities also seized eXch’s German server infrastructure with over eight terabytes of data and shut down the platform, the announcement added. Read more
Bybit is the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume in the world, behind only the Binance exchange. The Bybit exchange has recovered its liquidity to pre-hack levels just 30 days following the February 2025 attack that drained nearly $1.5 billion in funds. According to a report from crypto research and analytics firm Kaiko, Bitcoin's (BTC) 1% market depth, a measure of liquidity, returned to pre-hack levels of around $13 million per day in March 2025. Altcoin liquidity levels on the exchange have been slower to recover than Bitcoin but have rebounded to around 80% of the pre-hack levels. The authors of the Kaiko report added: Read more