Solo BTC miners score $300K blocks, hacker steals $282m in social engineering hack, Strategy buys $1.2b Bitcoin | Weekly Recap

In this edition of the weekly recap, two solo miners independently secured block rewards worth approximately $300,000 each, a social engineering attack resulted in $282 million in stolen cryptocurrency, and Strategy announced its largest Bitcoin purchase.

Independent miners achieve improbable block rewards

• Two solo Bitcoin (BTC) miners separately discovered blocks this week, each collecting full rewards valued at roughly $300,000.
• One miner secured a block early Thursday earning 3.157 BTC including fees, while another solo victory earlier in the week produced a similar payout near $295,000.

Social engineering attack nets $282 million

• A hacker stole $282 million worth of Litecoin and Bitcoin through a hardware wallet social engineering scheme according to blockchain researcher ZachXBT.
• The victim lost 2.05 million LTC and 1,459 BTC, with stolen funds quickly converted to privacy coin Monero.
• The January 10 attack at 23:00 UTC caused a 70% Monero price increase over subsequent days.

Seized Samourai Bitcoin designated for national reserve

• Federal law enforcement’s nearly $6.4 million Bitcoin seizure from Samourai Wallet creators will not be liquidated and instead will contribute to the national Bitcoin reserve according to White House officials.

Polygon Labs reduces workforce following acquisitions

• The Ethereum scaling network operator removed 60 staff positions after acquiring Coinme and Sequence for over $250 million according to sources familiar with the matter.
• Layoffs accompanied the company’s strategic pivot toward payment-focused blockchain infrastructure.

Crypto card payment volume reaches $1.5 billion monthly

• Payment cards that aid users in spending stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies at traditional merchants have become one of digital payments’ fastest-growing segments according to Artemis research.
• Monthly crypto card volume increased from approximately $100 million in early 2023 to over $1.5 billion by late 2025.

Nexo secures Formula 1 team sponsorship

• The crypto lender signed a four-year agreement with the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team.
• Brand marketing manager Konstantin Rangelov stated the multi-year agreement grants Nexo category exclusivity for digital assets with strategic framework allowing long-term extension.

Utah man sentenced for crypto fraud scheme

• A Southern Utah resident received three years in federal prison for wire fraud that cost investors millions through converting bulk cash into cryptocurrency via unlicensed money transmitting operations.
• FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls emphasized the bureau’s commitment to holding offenders accountable and pursuing those misusing cryptocurrency and unlicensed financial services.

South Korea restricts unregistered exchange apps

• Google Play Store will prohibit unregistered overseas cryptocurrency exchanges and software wallets from listing or updating in the country starting January 28.
• Google’s official policy requires platforms and developers to register as virtual asset service providers with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit for marketplace eligibility.
• Android users will no longer be able to download or update apps for unregistered overseas exchanges including Binance through Google Play Store.

BitMine invests $200 million in Beast Industries

• The Ethereum treasury firm chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee announced Thursday a $200 million investment in Beast Industries, the company founded by YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson known as MrBeast.
• Lee described Beast Industries as “the largest and most innovative creator-based platform in the world,” overseeing MrBeast-linked merchandise and Feastables snacks and candy brand.

Coinbase opposes Senate cryptocurrency legislation

• CEO Brian Armstrong announced the exchange cannot support the Senate Banking Committee’s cryptocurrency bill hours before the scheduled committee vote.
• Armstrong stated on X that “this version would be materially worse than the current status quo,” preferring “no bill than a bad bill” and hoping for improved drafts.

SEC closes Zcash Foundation investigation

• The Securities and Exchange Commission ended its probe into the nonprofit organization without recommending enforcement action according to Wednesday announcements.
• The Virginia-based organization received notification of the August 2023 review pertaining to digital asset offerings during Gary Gensler’s tenure as SEC chair.

Ripple obtains Luxembourg licensing approval

• The crypto financial services company received preliminary Electronic Money Institution license approval from Luxembourg’s financial regulator CSSF Wednesday.
• The “Green Light Letter” follows days after Ripple secured EMI license approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

Pakistan explores Trump-linked DeFi partnership

• The Ministry of Finance signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday with a World Liberty Financial affiliate to explore digital finance innovation.
• The agreement includes examining stablecoin usage for cross-border transactions according to the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.

Strategy completes record five-month Bitcoin purchase

• The treasury company acquired approximately 13,600 Bitcoin worth over $1.2 billion during the past week and is its largest purchase in five months.
• Total holdings reached 687,400 Bitcoin valued at over $62.8 billion for the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based firm.