{"id":20095,"date":"2026-01-18T10:21:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T10:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/solo-btc-miners-score-300k-blocks-hacker-steals-282m-in-social-engineering-hack-strategy-buys-1-2b-bitcoin-weekly-recap\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T10:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T10:22:12","slug":"solo-btc-miners-score-300k-blocks-hacker-steals-282m-in-social-engineering-hack-strategy-buys-1-2b-bitcoin-weekly-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/solo-btc-miners-score-300k-blocks-hacker-steals-282m-in-social-engineering-hack-strategy-buys-1-2b-bitcoin-weekly-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Solo BTC miners score $300K blocks, hacker steals $282m in social engineering hack, Strategy buys $1.2b Bitcoin | Weekly Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-detail__content blocks\">\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">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.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cn-block-summary-block_fcf07785f9dc04b4076ac404aa0a6ca1\" class=\"cn-block-summary\">\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__nav tabs\">\n        <span class=\"tabs__item is-selected\">Summary<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two solo Bitcoin miners each earned ~$300K after independently finding blocks.<\/li>\n<li>A $282M hardware wallet scam sparked Monero buying and major market impact.<\/li>\n<li>Strategy bought $1.2B in Bitcoin, its largest purchase in five months.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- .cn-block-summary --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Independent miners achieve improbable block rewards<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two solo Bitcoin (BTC) miners separately <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mempool.space\/block\/00000000000000000000505190b50037a8484eef057982c9f513d03442b00b1b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">discovered<\/a> blocks this week, each collecting full rewards valued at roughly $300,000.<\/li>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social engineering attack nets $282 million<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A hacker stole $282 million worth of Litecoin and Bitcoin through a hardware wallet social engineering scheme according to blockchain researcher ZachXBT.<\/li>\n<li>The victim lost 2.05 million LTC and 1,459 BTC, with stolen funds quickly converted to privacy coin Monero.<\/li>\n<li>The January 10 attack at 23:00 UTC caused a 70% Monero price increase over subsequent days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seized Samourai Bitcoin designated for national reserve<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Federal law enforcement\u2019s 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Polygon Labs reduces workforce following acquisitions<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<li>Layoffs accompanied the company\u2019s strategic pivot toward payment-focused blockchain infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crypto card payment volume reaches $1.5 billion monthly<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Payment cards that aid users in spending stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies at traditional merchants have become one of digital payments\u2019 fastest-growing segments according to Artemis <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/research.artemisanalytics.com\/p\/stablecoin-payments-at-scale-how?r=3ey33&amp;triedRedirect=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">research<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Monthly crypto card volume increased from approximately $100 million in early 2023 to over $1.5 billion by late 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nexo secures Formula 1 team sponsorship<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The crypto lender signed a four-year agreement with the Audi Revolut Formula 1 team.<\/li>\n<li>Brand marketing manager Konstantin Rangelov stated the multi-year agreement grants Nexo category exclusivity for digital assets with strategic framework allowing long-term extension.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utah man sentenced for crypto fraud scheme<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<li>FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls emphasized the bureau\u2019s commitment to holding offenders accountable and pursuing those misusing cryptocurrency and unlicensed financial services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">South Korea restricts unregistered exchange apps<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Google Play Store will prohibit unregistered overseas cryptocurrency exchanges and software wallets from listing or updating in the country starting January 28.<\/li>\n<li>Google\u2019s official policy requires platforms and developers to register as virtual asset service providers with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit for marketplace eligibility.<\/li>\n<li>Android users will no longer be able to download or update apps for unregistered overseas exchanges including Binance through Google Play Store.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">BitMine invests $200 million in Beast Industries<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ethereum treasury firm chaired by Fundstrat\u2019s Tom Lee announced Thursday a $200 million investment in Beast Industries, the company founded by YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson known as MrBeast.<\/li>\n<li>Lee described Beast Industries as \u201cthe largest and most innovative creator-based platform in the world,\u201d overseeing MrBeast-linked merchandise and Feastables snacks and candy brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coinbase opposes Senate cryptocurrency legislation<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CEO Brian Armstrong announced the exchange cannot support the Senate Banking Committee\u2019s cryptocurrency bill hours before the scheduled committee vote.<\/li>\n<li>Armstrong stated on X that \u201cthis version would be materially worse than the current status quo,\u201d preferring \u201cno bill than a bad bill\u201d and hoping for improved drafts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEC closes Zcash Foundation investigation<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Securities and Exchange Commission ended its probe into the nonprofit organization without recommending enforcement action according to Wednesday announcements.<\/li>\n<li>The Virginia-based organization received notification of the August 2023 review pertaining to digital asset offerings during Gary Gensler\u2019s tenure as SEC chair.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple obtains Luxembourg licensing approval<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The crypto financial services company received preliminary Electronic Money Institution license approval from Luxembourg\u2019s financial regulator CSSF Wednesday.<\/li>\n<li>The \u201cGreen Light Letter\u201d follows days after Ripple secured EMI license approval from the UK\u2019s Financial Conduct Authority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pakistan explores Trump-linked DeFi partnership<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ministry of Finance signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday with a World Liberty Financial affiliate to explore digital finance innovation.<\/li>\n<li>The agreement includes examining stablecoin usage for cross-border transactions according to the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy completes record five-month Bitcoin purchase<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<li>Total holdings reached 687,400 Bitcoin valued at over $62.8 billion for the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based firm.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptocurrency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20095"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20096,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20095\/revisions\/20096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}