A new privacy tool, Privacy Pools, launched on Ethereum by 0xbow.io on March 31, allows users to transact privately while proving their funds aren’t tied to illicit activities.

The S&P 500 rose 0.55%, with 10 of 11 sectors up, led by staples, financials, and utilities. Gold hit a record $3,128.06, set for its best quarter since 1986, driven by tariff fears and safe-haven demand. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, are up by 1.88%, with Bitcoin down by 0.16% and Ether up by 0.39% in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is WAL, up 28.1%, following the building of trust in the digital world with the power of Walrus and blockchain provenance.

Walrus (WAL), launched in March 2025, is a decentralized storage network on Sui, enhancing Filecoin and Arweave with programmable, scalable storage by distributing file fragments across global nodes for reliability. 

, a key part of the Provenance Stack, ensures content remains unaltered with decentralized storage, while Sui tracks ownership on a fast, scalable blockchain. Blockchain technology offers a solution to the internet's struggle with verifying digital content, combating misinformation and fraud. By adopting these tools, developers, creators, and users can build a more trustworthy digital world based on verifiable content origin.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

, launched on Ethereum by 0xbow.io on March 31, allows users to transact privately while proving their funds aren’t tied to illicit activities. The tool, which earned support from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, uses “Association Sets” to batch transactions into anonymous pools, with a screening process to ensure funds are not linked to criminals. If a deposit is flagged as illicit, users can "ragequit" and reclaim their funds. The project aims to balance privacy with regulatory compliance, following backlash against privacy tools like Tornado Cash. Initial deposits are limited to 1 Ether, with the possibility of increasing the limit once the protocol is tested further. Privacy Pools has already received over 21 ETH in deposits, including Buterin’s. The tool was inspired by a white paper co-authored by Buterin and others, and its code passed a successful audit.

Yesterday, BTC spot ETFs saw a net outflow of $75.7M, with no change in GBTC and all losses from non-GBTC funds.

 the first agentic ecosystem on BNB Chain, allowing users to securely create, train, and collaborate with AI agents. Users can launch AI agents by staking through their EVM wallets, with training hubs and reward systems coming soon. Additionally, gas fees deposited for voting can now be withdrawn via the Mind Network dashboard.

Beginner

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Privacy Pools launches on Ethereum with Vitalik Buterin's support and focus on regulated privacy

AB is a scalable blockchain ecosystem enabling real-world asset tokenization, cross-chain interoperability, and decentralized governance for global adoption.

 technology, projects have to evolve and adapt in order to remain competitive and relevant in the space. One such project that has continued to evolve is AB, which rebranded from Newton Project in February 2025.

Within a month of its rebranding, AB continued on a price rally that saw the AB token hit its all-time high (ATH) price of $0.017 on Mar 22, 2025.

The Newton Project began in 2018 with the vision of creating a community economy whose members would benefit from the project's growth.

Now, with the rebranding to AB, the project has shifted into building a broader and more advanced blockchain ecosystem that includes 

 (RWA) integration and optimized tokenomics.

 is a heterogeneous and interoperable blockchain network designed to help bridge the gap between digital and real-world economies.

 The project builds on the vision of the Newton Project, which was started in 2018 to provide a community-focused blockchain economy centered on decentralization.

The rebranding of Newton to AB signifies a shift toward empowered decentralization, enhanced liquidity, more real-world adoption and better interoperability.

With its shift, AB has developed a more advanced architecture with the following innovative features to cater to the dynamic needs of 

 (DAO) empowers AB token holders to actively participate in the project's governance. Token holders can propose and vote on key decisions, including network upgrades, economic parameters and strategic initiatives, ensuring the ecosystem remains community-driven.

, thereby promoting transparency and accountability. This decentralized model fosters trust and aligns the project's evolution with the interests of its community.

​AB Wallet is a decentralized digital wallet, developed by the AB Foundation, that’s designed to support multiple tokens with an emphasis on speed and security. It serves as the official wallet for the AB Community Economy, allowing users to manage their digital assets efficiently. The wallet is available for download on the App Store, and as an APK for Android devices.

NewBridge, which is integrated within the AB Wallet, is a cross-chain platform developed by the AB Core Team that facilitates the transfer of assets across different blockchains. It enables users to move assets such as 

Developers can also utilize NewBridge's APIs to create 

 (DApps) with cross-chain capabilities. ​

AB operates at a more advanced level than its predecessor, the Newton Project, while remaining true to the vision of a community-focused blockchain economy.

Central to AB's operations is its MainNet (formerly known as New Chain in Newton). This public blockchain is fast and scalable, with a

 (PoA) consensus mechanism that entrusts several pre-approved validators with the security and validation of transactions on AB’s network.

 is designed to provide technical support to business 

 by delivering real value. This technology layer supports various features, such as supply chain, digital and credit identity, payments and self-finance. One of AB's first applications powered by this technology is New Mall, an e-commerce store that leverages blockchain technology.

With the rebranding, AB introduced sidechains to ensure optimized functionality on AB, which leads to scalability and better efficiency.

AB also enhances the Hyper Exchange Protocol's real-world utility by facilitating the tokenization of RWAs into blockchain tokens on its network. This makes it easier to trade these assets, which leads to more adoption.

The AB token (formerly NEW) is the native cryptocurrency of the AB crypto project. Its various use cases include the following:

As of Apr 1, 2025, AB was trading at $0.015, which is a 13.1% drop from its ATH of $0.017 on Mar 22, 2025, and an increase of almost 400,000% from its ATL of $0.0000038 on Oct 11, 2022.

AB has a total supply of 100 billion tokens, with a circulating supply of approximately 50 billion. With the rebranding, AB has revised its tokenomics to promote liquidity and incentivize participation in the network.

With the updated token distribution model, 56.6 billion AB tokens were locked as of February 2025. These tokens will be released monthly over a period of 12 months, and will be fully in circulation by February 2026.

Also, from February 2025, token incentives were made exclusive to machine node operators on the MainNet and sidechains. However, the project is exploring ways to incentivize AB token holders in the future through 

AB marks a significant evolution in blockchain technology, rebranding from the Newton Project to better align with its vision of real-world adoption. By leveraging the AB MainNet, high-performance sidechains and cross-chain interoperability, AB is positioning itself as a scalable and efficient blockchain ecosystem.

With use cases spanning finance, gaming, supply chain and asset tokenization, AB enables seamless integration of blockchain tech into everyday applications. Its decentralized governance model via the AB DAO ensures transparency and community-driven innovation. As AB continues expanding its ecosystem, it stands to drive mainstream blockchain adoption, providing traditional industries with a bridge to web3 solutions.

Intermediate

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AB (AB): Scaling blockchain for real-world adoption

Space Nation is a web3 gaming and media ecosystem. Gamers play as space explorers, fulfilling a variety of quests and earn cryptocurrency. Learn more here.

Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are one of the most popular types within the online world of 

. These immersive worlds, where players level up characters through exploration, fighting and trading, are a great way to capture gamers' imaginations. It's no surprise, then, that there's a big demand for MMORPGs with 

 capabilities. By combining classic gaming strategies with blockchain technology, Space Nation hopes to create the most immersive gaming experience ever. Keep reading to learn all about Space Nation's design and see what its crypto tokens are like.

 is a web3 gaming and media ecosystem. Gamers play as explorers navigating through outer space to fulfill a variety of quests and earn cryptocurrency. The game also has links to a live-action TV show and other real-world media.

. Its founding team has decades of collective experience working with AAA games, including 

, and also includes filmmakers who have worked on movies like 

. This diverse set of founders is united by their love of science fiction and gaming. To help make their dream a reality, they’re joined by a team of over 10 cryptocurrency and game design experts. Space Nation has been in development since 2022, and has acquired over $50 million worth of funding.

 is to create a vibrant, immersive gaming ecosystem for users to enjoy. While many web3 games are focused more on fast releases and impressive crypto prices, there’s a real need for quality 

 games. Space Nation hopes to create a complex system that entertains and challenges users while using blockchain technology as just one of many tools. Its stated four primary goals are as follows:

As a huge MMORPG with thousands of assets, locations and players, Space Nation's system is highly complex. Its games are designed to be fully playable for both Web 2.0 and web3 users. Anyone can download 

 onto their computer as standard software, and the player interface will guide users through enjoying the game. As with most MMORPGs, there’s a whole team of designers behind the project who come up with asset designs, questlines and world-building to make the game entertaining.

 chain is known for its scalability and cost efficiency, and Space Nation believes it can easily accommodate massive numbers of players. The blockchain handles things like buying and selling ships, buying fuel and other in-game essentials. Meanwhile, the Space Nation account system lets users log in with their 

, and then automatically handles game token management for players. 

Although Space Nation is just starting out, it's already released quite a few features for gamers to enjoy.

 revolves around ships that players can create and operate to fly through space and reach various location markers. Players can choose between combat, mining and exploration ships, depending upon how they wish to play the game. Quests guide a player through certain activities, and the player receives rewards that help them level up their spaceship and captain. In addition, players are in charge of their own growth, and can choose various development paths based on how they want to interact with the game. 

. The first, craftable NFTs, consists of in-game assets that can be made from game materials or purchased if players don't want to craft them themselves. Craftable NFTs are primarily tools or simple ships. 

There are also collectible, non-craftable NFTs that provide exclusive perks, such as the ability to participate in alpha and beta playtests. Some of these non-craftable NFTs also offer rare skins for your spaceship or profile picture. 

After testing its system through several closed betas and soft launches, Space Nation is aiming for a full public global launch, set to take place sometime in 2025 after the final soft launch concludes. Once the game is operational, the system will launch the Space Nation 

 (DAO) in stages. The eventual goal is to give players full control over their world. There are also plans to expand to a mobile game that can be played directly from a player’s cell phone.

Unlike some other games, Space Nation actually has two tokens. This dual-token system supports flexibility and ensures that people can enjoy the game, regardless of their particular web3 capabilities.

. People can use it to participate in community governance and to interact with subsidiary games that use Space Nation IP. OIK is fully on-chain, and can be bought and sold in 

. Even if you don't have a blockchain wallet, or want to operate the game as a play-to-earn system, you use CHR for tasks such as purchasing game assets. CHR is available as a reward for various activities, and can be used to obtain useful items. The token is currently off-chain, but it can be converted into USDC–Immutable zkEVM tokens that have real-world value.

 to get people involved in its ecosystem. You’re eligible for the OIK airdrop if you've participated in closed beta testing, or in 

 or Discord events for Space Nation. Users can also burn some of their NFTs in exchange for OIK, and can claim their portions of the airdrop by signing into their online Space Nation accounts. 

The OIK Space Nation ecosystem token can be used for everything from staking to 

. In addition to being bought and sold publicly, you can also earn it playing the game. There’s a total supply of 

, to be unlocked over a 10-year schedule. All tokens will be distributed as follows:

Looking to trade Space Nation tokens? Bybit now offers the OIK/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

Since its release in mid-March, the OIK token’s price has bounced between an all-time high (ATH) of $0.1587 and an ATL of $0.04119. There’s been some enthusiasm for this token due to the game’s positive reviews from players. Furthermore, the potential 

 based on the Space Nation universe could be an extremely valuable form of marketing for OIK. However, some traders have expressed concern about Space Nation’s tokenomics and the fact that the development team reserves the right to change OIK’s minting and selling opportunities.

Ultimately, this coin is a good choice for investors looking to put their extra cash into an intriguing crypto project. Keep in mind that its prestigious backers don't entirely remove risk from the coin. You'll still need to account for market volatility and avoid investing all your essential funds into Space Nation's OIK token. And as always — 

Space Nation is a great example of how a well-designed game can be augmented with blockchain technology. The 

 space exploration game is perfect for fans of 

 and similar MMORPGs. In addition to providing an exciting environment for gamers, Space Nation also has some great opportunities for investors. As it works on releasing the OIK token, be sure to keep an eye on this project.

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Space Nation (OIK): Conquer the cosmos in your starship saga

Bybit Learn spoke to TraderMercury, a long-time Bybit partner and trader known for his disciplined and philosophical approach to markets. 

Bybit Learn spoke to TraderMercury (@TraderMercury on X), a long-time Bybit partner and trader known for his disciplined and philosophical approach to markets. 

Mercury reveals his journey as a trader, how he overcame his biggest challenges and navigated markets to become a successful trader.

Please note that this article and any tokens mentioned does not constitute financial advice. The interview has been edited for formatting and grammatical accuracy.

Q: Firstly — congratulations on retiring your parents! How did that feel?

 It feels incredible. My family has been through a lot and many of my followers have heard my story about how my parents went from being broke, to millionaires, to being homeless. My ultimate goal has been to grant them an early retirement ever since I was 14 years old, and at the end of 2024 I was finally able to do that, thanks to markets.

Q: You've tweeted that you got into crypto 7 years ago — how did you first get into trading crypto? What sparked your interest, and what motivated you to dive into the wild west of crypto?

 I initially got into crypto by scrolling Twitter and seeing an ad for XRP/Ripple at the time. It piqued my interest and I immediately saw crypto as a ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme. I was naive enough to dive into things head first, and ironically I actually did get rich quick — I bought just before the final push upwards in 2017, and my account was up 4x in the span of a few weeks. I remember thinking to myself: “I’ll just hold these assets forever and retire,” to which I was met with -90% drawdowns over the course of the next few months, after taking no profit at all.

I became intrigued by the premise of volatility. My large losses only exacerbated my fuel to achieve large gains; I figured someone was making money from this market, why couldn’t it be me?

Q: Tell us about TraderMecury's trading journey — what were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a beginner, what advice would you give yourself if you were just starting out?

 My trading journey was initially described above, and was followed by a large humbling in March of 2020. Prior to that, I had spent the past 2 years recovering my losses from that initial naivety since joining crypto, and once again managed to rally my account 5x in that time period, leading up to March 2020. When the covid crash happened, I was caught with positions in the middle of it, and due to a failure of applying risk management, and overconfidence in my abilities, I was once again met with -80% drawdown on my entire portfolio — which, because I was only 20 years old at the time, also happened to be 100% of my net worth.

That moment was by far the most difficult event I’ve ever dealt with, but the most difficult aspect of trading was my inability to hold unrealized profit.

After my humbling, I regathered myself and restructured my approach from the very foundation. I began to view the market differently than my prior-self. I was now finding myself detaching from the market and at peace with the way I was trading, which felt very refreshing in comparison to the 2 years I had spent prior slaving away at the charts and utterly destroying my mental health.

But I was met with a new issue: I often closed positions too early, out of fear that the market would take those gains away just as quickly as it gave me those gains. I was now struck with trauma due to my experiences.

It was difficult, but I had to pace myself; slowing down with the amount I was trading with, and also forcing myself to hold positions, no matter how much my brain wanted to impulsively close positions out of randomness.

Q: You're known for your disciplined approach to trading, your 'snowball to snowman' way of thinking and trend-following strategy. Tell us about how you use it to navigate markets.

 After March 2020, when the dust had settled and I was forced to look at my new, networth of -80% lower than where it had been just a few weeks prior, I remember thinking to myself “there was nothing I could have done.” But I soon realized that was not true — I saw the downtrend, I acknowledged the drawdown, I knew what options I had, yet I consciously decided to do nothing. I had friends that made a doctor's annual salary during that same event. Again, I thought to myself, “why couldn’t that be me?”

I vowed to never let the market ‘catch me off-guard’ ever again. I realized that for whatever happens next, I must see it coming to a smaller degree first in order for that same momentum to be exaggerated further — hence “it is impossible to build a snowman without making a snowball first.”

Combine that analogy with the manner of which you build a 1000-piece puzzle. You do not randomly grab two pieces and question if they go together — you grab the pieces with a flat-edge, which clearly makes the border for the puzzle, and start there. You then fragment the puzzle and categorize by color schemes, using objects within the puzzle that are more easily identifiable, and begin piecing those together. From there, the puzzle’s completion is well on its way, and by understanding each section of the puzzle, you’ve now given yourself the clarity to understand the puzzle in its entirety, with the utmost clarity.

The analysis I make about any market operates in the same manner. I understand what’s occurring on one timeframe, and how that relates with the timeframes higher or lower. I keep repeating this process until the chart as a whole makes sense — at which point I’m now able to break down the market's complicated movements to a 5-year old, as if I were reading a storybook. Context is key, so considering the context of one timeframe into the next is a great way of adopting an intuition, a feel for the market’s movements and getting a jump on what may happen next.

Q: What was your best trade? How did you go through with the thesis, setup, execution and exit?

 My best trade as of now was just recently, as I bought Bitcoin around $57k, and sold it at an average of $100k. The percentage gain may not seem like much for crypto natives, but due to my conviction in the thesis I was playing into, I was able to justify risking more than usual in order to fully capitalize on the opportunity before me. Conviction is that feeling in your gut that tells you you’re witnessing an incredible opportunity in its’ infancy, before the greater market has been able to identify it — I remember telling the members in my discord that the price action in September 2024 and the sentiment in the air reminded me of the bear market lows in 2022. As a trader that thrives off of exaggerated momentum driven moves, it’s my job to extract lots of value from those moves; I also remember telling my members, both at the time and now, about how “even though I’ve managed to benefit from all 6 of the major rallies throughout the past 2 years, I’ve only ever compared to the bear market lows once” — that’s conviction.

Prior to that rally, my biggest win was in March 2023, once again on Bitcoin, after USDC began to depeg. I felt my back was against the wall as I hold most of my trading portfolio in USDC whenever I’m pending a new setup, and the environment at the time was plagued with uncertainty — not just for stablecoins, but for banks that were seemingly going insolvent every other week as well. Even though it was against my trading philosophy to do so, I managed to buy Bitcoin at the exact bottom with a bulk portion of my trading account, just beneath $20k, before it rallied to $30k in the next week — thanks to a fundamental understanding of Bitcoin as an asset. Whenever I tell this story, people immediately interject that I got lucky, and whilst luck plays a role in every success story, I like to believe that my luck was a byproduct of my discipline and decisions leading up to a major FUD event. Remember in March 2020 I did not have the luxury of ‘buying the dip’ — this time, I had previously cut positions 15-20% higher than where the market bent my hand and forced me to buy Bitcoin due to its’ fundamentals. The tier of quality of options that I had given myself were substantially greater than what an alternate version of myself could have been presented with, and therefore, so was the outcome.

Q: How do you maintain emotional control and deal with FOMO or fear during extreme market volatility?

 At some point, I think you become numb to it. I’ve found myself treating volatility as ‘normal’ and because I’ve traded the market for over 7 years now, there’s nothing that I haven’t seen, in either direction. That emotional discipline and maturity comes with experience — which is why it’s frequently mentioned that experience, especially in crypto, is invaluable. I also like to remind myself that “opportunity is abundant.” In a true manic rally, there is always more opportunity than what you can catch, so it’s inevitable that you will miss out on most things. The beauty in this is: even if you manage to capture a crumb of the opportunity that’s presented to you, that alone can be sufficient. It’s imperative to accept that you will not catch everything, and also realize that you do not need to. Bend your perspective to be in an ‘abundance’ mindset as opposed to a ‘scarcity’ mindset.

Fear on the other hand is inevitable; regardless of your positioning, there is always something to be fearful of. If you’re long: you fear a selloff. If you’re sidelined or short: you fear a market rally. If fear is inevitable, then it is also redundant. Find a way to mitigate fear of the market by taking comfort in whatever risk you’re taking, and formulate a strategy that allows you to express that positioning in a rational manner in order to achieve that comfort. ‘Balance’ is incredibly underrated, and allows for greater and more consistent results over time, in my experience; whereas extreme positioning and stances in the market invoke emotions and often create large setbacks.

Q: The recent market selloff has hit a lot of traders hard. How did you navigate the drawdown, and what tips would you give to those who’ve taken significant losses?

 As mentioned above I managed to cash out some of my investments, as well as close positions near the highs. There were a few losses that were taken since then as the market began to chop up and eventually downtrend, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for me with my system — I navigated this selloff just like every other selloff in the market, and to the degree that I expect myself to. I have my fair share of bags that went to 0, but that was a calculated risk, which had previously paid off, and is not a substantial portion of my trading account by any means, mostly because I knew exactly what I was doing and “if you play stupid games, you’ll win stupid prizes.” 

So it’s not to say that I was unaffected by the market’s downturn, it’s just that it’s nothing new for me, and is no different than any other downturn, and I’ve allowed myself the grace to see it that way due to my philosophical approach to markets, and the foundation I’ve built for myself. When I see a downtrend that looks like, smells like and trades like a downtrend… and it continues downtrending, I am not allowed to be surprised. From there, it’s a matter of expressing the discipline and patience to step out of the way and wait for better days; knowing when to deploy capital to take asymmetric risks, but also knowing when to preserve capital in order to have the luxury of deploying later on.

Q: What are your thoughts on the current market condition? Which part of the cycle do you think we are at now, and has the cycle played out as you expected?

 There are lots of caveats, but the cycle has pretty much done exactly what I expected it to. I know people say it’s the worst bull market ever, but I think the market is what you make of it, and it seems unfair to throw labels onto something like that with no way of quantifying it — this has been my best bull market ever. With that said, I’m not sure what to expect next from a cyclical standpoint, and I truly think it’s best to avoid those thoughts because it seems like energy wasted in comparison to the value those thoughts bring, even if uncannily accurate. I do, however, think that the crypto market is broken as of my time of writing, and I’m waiting to see if stocks are as well, because that would be potentially indicative of a market that disallows for recoveries as we’ve seen the past 2 years. Many charts in crypto need lots of repair before we can have a conversation of a bull market resumption, and that’s typically not something that occurs in a few days.

Q: Finally, how do you use Bybit in your day-to-day crypto trading or investing, and what aspects of the platform do you like? Is there anything you would like to see improved on Bybit?

 Bybit has been my primary trading platform since 2019 — back when they only had 3 pairs to trade, and they were all inverse perpetuals, haha! It’s come a long way, and I remain in awe at the improvements made, the integrity of Bybit and its team, and the seamlessness of the trading experience. It is truly incredible to watch Bybit succeed and continue to grow, and I look forward to the future. I think the recent hack, and how Bybit managed to communicate, handle and operate through that unfortunate event, put on a global display of the same values that established my desire to be a partner with Bybit for all these years — absolutely incredible job.

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Mastering crypto market psychology with TraderMercury

Crypto

Keeping your assets safe is of paramount importance to anybody who owns crypto. In this article, we'll go through the steps you should take to do just that.

The decentralized cryptocurrency model largely transfers autonomy and power to users, which is why many users are drawn to it. However, with that power comes the responsibility of maintaining the privacy of your security keys. Effectively, by having complete ownership of your funds, you become solely responsible for their security.

As more crypto hacks happen periodically, it's common for traders and investors alike to ask how to keep crypto safe. This article will explore various best practices for practical user security.

Blockchain is the underlying technology that keeps crypto secure, due to its decentralized and cryptographic nature. Since decentralization means there isn’t a single point of failure or control, it’s unlikely that hackers can compromise a blockchain network without exhausting their resources. In addition, all cryptocurrency transactions are recorded in blocks and “chained together” in a publicly recorded ledger, so it’s relatively challenging for malicious actors to attempt to alter past transactions without altering any subsequent blocks.

In addition, public key cryptography adds another layer of security, ensuring only a rightful owner with the private key can access or authorize a transaction, and pseudonymous crypto transactions help preserve anonymity.

Still, cryptocurrency has intrinsic value and can be stolen and diverted to new owners instantly and irrevocably, creating a considerable incentive for hackers to target users who don’t take their security seriously. In fact, 

 crypto investors lost nearly $4 billion to crypto hackers and scammers in 2022. Like any investment or financial asset, cryptocurrency comes with its own set of risks and considerations. 

While cryptocurrencies have gained in both popularity and adoption in recent years, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks before investing, and to consider if they’re suitable for your specific circumstances.

All financial assets are susceptible to market volatility, due to their inherently speculative nature, in addition to regulatory oversight and changing political landscapes. The security of crypto may also appear as a double-edged sword for traders due to its irreversible nature. Let's say you send crypto funds to the wrong address, or fall victim to a scam. It may be challenging (if not impossible) to recover your lost funds. In addition, the technical complexity may be challenging for those unfamiliar with blockchain technology and digital assets.

Cold Wallet vs. Hot Wallet vs. Exchange Wallet vs. Web3 Wallet

A cryptocurrency wallet allows users to store, send and receive digital assets, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies (known as 

). These wallets are secured by private keys, so that only the wallet owner can access, control and manage the assets in the wallet by authorizing transactions.

 to suit different purposes. A cold (offline) wallet isn’t connected to the internet, and is typically in the form of a hardware wallet or paper wallet. These types of wallets are the most secure option for storing cryptocurrencies, as the private keys aren’t exposed to potential online threats and unauthorized access. The trade-off to using an offline wallet is that it requires careful handling to avoid permanent damages, such as accidentally throwing out the offline wallet or misplaced private keys.

On the other hand, a hot (online) wallet is connected to the internet and takes different forms, such as a web-based, desktop or mobile wallet. Compared to an offline wallet, hot wallets are more accessible but at the expense of heightened security infiltration.

An exchange wallet is typically a custodial wallet provided by a crypto exchange to users whenever they create an account on the platform. These custodial wallets are assigned with a unique wallet address to a user, so that they may deposit and withdraw funds. In other words, users entrust their funds to be saved in these wallets, and the providers hold and manage the private keys on behalf of the users.

 (or decentralized) wallet is one of the latest additions to the crypto space, designed specifically for users to interact with decentralized applications (

) on the Ethereum blockchain and other web3-compatible blockchains. These wallets are usually integrated directly into a web browser, allowing seamless interaction with blockchain-based DApps without using external plug-ins.

Ultimately, choosing a crypto wallet depends upon your specific needs and preferences.

Regardless of the type of wallet you choose, remember to practice proper security measures, such as enabling two-factor authentication (

), using strong passwords and keeping backup copies of your wallet's private keys or 

What Happens If I Lose My Wallet’s Private Keys?

As much as we want to keep our wallets safe from prying eyes, accidents are inevitable, regardless of how careful we are. And losing access to your wallet's private keys can have serious consequences, such as permanent loss of funds and access to your account. For example, losing your private keys without a backup means you’ll no longer be able to access the wallet that stores your crypto. These funds may be stuck on an exchange or in a wallet, depending upon the type of wallet you use.

The first thing we’re likely to do when we lose access to our private keys is to look for a backup. However, cryptocurrencies operate on decentralized networks, so there’s no central authority that can help you recover your lost private keys or reset passwords for you. Hence, it’s always advisable to keep a record of your private keys or seed phrases as a backup. 

In rare cases, there are specialized companies that can help you retrieve lost private keys when there’s sufficient information and verification to recover them.

Remember that in the world of cryptocurrency, you alone are responsible for safeguarding your private keys. Being proactive in protecting and securely managing your keys can prevent the distressing experience of losing access to your valuable digital assets.

10 Best Security Practices for Cryptocurrency Users

1. Change your perception of cybersecurity

One steady truth throughout the ages is that we pay fees for the security of the funds in our bank accounts (though “security fees” will never appear on bank statements). Unlike traditional centralized banking financial institutions, decentralized systems such as cryptocurrencies transfer the control and responsibility of security to individual users.

With cryptocurrency, even when we might be excited to complete our first cryptocurrency transaction, we shouldn’t forget there are no longer any security service providers like the ones banks have, and there may not even be regulations in place to provide any protection (depending upon the national or regional regulations in the holder’s location). Therefore, it’s crucial that cryptocurrency users have rigorous security practices in place, such as buying simple and easy-to-use hardware security devices, mastering security protocols and implementing best security best practices, such as those recommended in this article.

2. Choose a trusted crypto trading platform with reliable security incident compensation or insurance mechanisms

The most apparent risk faced by cryptocurrency holders is the theft of coins. Assuming most individual users hold coins on cryptocurrency trading platforms, choosing a trusted platform is of the utmost importance.

There is no benchmark for international security standards or third-party agency ratings for trading platforms in the cryptocurrency industry. Therefore, it’s necessary to properly understand a platform’s security mechanisms before you register, such as the company’s current security investment. Also, it’s important to check if the platform offers any user account security insurance or guaranteed compensation for security breaches.

3. Always stay informed about anti-phishing practices and scams by completing the safety test

Phishing is the most common scam. To avoid being viewed as a “fish” in the eyes of perpetrators, make sure that you’re equipped with knowledge about common “bait-the-hook” techniques.

One example of a phishing email is when a URL that invites you to click on a link is a fake domain name that’s similar to a trusted one — e.g. 

). It could even be a clone website of a commonly used trading platform, such as a phony MetaMask wallet website that “looks real” and tricks you into entering your seed phrase so scammers can instantaneously pick your digital pocket, draining your funds.

, around 65% of organizations worldwide experienced some kind of phishing attack in 2022. If your email has been compromised or if you previously had a compromised account, then phishing emails will be carefully designed to target you. According to statistics, around 96% of phishing attacks come from email.

A reliable method for crypto holders is to complete an anti-phishing security test. The Google online test is a good benchmark (you can take the test 

 It comprises a total of eight questions and requires just 10 minutes of your time. If your score falls short, that means you need to increase your security awareness and try again.

Other common phishing methods include sending gifts or bonuses through fake official social media and community channels, posing as customer support personnel or cloning trading platform CEOs' social accounts. 

4. Always use two-factor authentication (2FA) 

The good news is that most cryptocurrency trading platforms, including 

 or other wallet service providers, require you to use two-factor authentication, such as Google Authenticator or Authy. The trade-off is the hassle of using these tools.

2FA is an additional layer of security used to ensure that only legitimate owners can access their accounts. This “extra” layer means that, in addition to standard passwords and PINs, a platform’s security will also verify a second layer (hence, two-factor). This second factor can be something you own, such as the Google Authenticator app installed on a mobile phone that you carry, or a one-time password sent to your mobile phone via SMS or hardware tokens. These features are used on top of your existing mobile security features (such as fingerprints, iris and/or facial scanners, etc.).

When you install Google Authenticator directly on your computer, you give up an extra layer of protection every time you copy the verification code instead of using a smartphone app. It’s very likely that once a hacker (remote) or a person who has physical access to your computer gains access, your existing layers of protection will be penetrated.

At Bybit, users can bind their accounts with Google Authenticator. The best time to bind your Google Authenticator is immediately after your first login to your Bybit account.

 to learn how to bind your Bybit account to Google Authenticator.

5. Use strong passwords independent of other funds accounts

It’s always the most economical choice for a hacker to try to target a cryptocurrency account with a user’s compromised account and password. Knowing this, a savvy cryptocurrency holder will take the following preventive measures.

First, register a new email account for the cryptocurrency platform to circumvent any previous digital footprint that would allow anyone to hack or clone your account successfully. Secondly, don’t use weak or common passwords.

, a blockchain certificate company, 65% of the Know Your Client (

) verification processes in the world’s top 120 cryptocurrency trading platforms are weak. This means that once your crypto account password has been cracked, a hacker can easily obtain your crypto assets on a trading platform and transfer them to their wallet address, thus leaving little to no chance of retrieving your assets. 

6. Divide assets 70-20-10 to diversify your risk

In addition to trading on platforms using your accounts and cryptocurrencies, it’s common for traders to store crypto assets offline, as one would with cash in a safe. Personal crypto assets — whether in hard wallets, physical storage, desktop wallets or mobile APP wallets — are best allocated to cold, warm and hot wallets in the ratios of 70%, 20% and 10%, respectively, depending upon your individual needs and preferences.

Would you carry your entire net worth around in your wallet?

Most people would consider that reckless — and yet, cryptocurrency users often keep all their crypto in a single wallet. Instead, users should spread the risk among multiple and diverse cryptocurrency storage wallets. Prudent users will keep only a small fraction, perhaps less than 5%, of their cryptocurrency in an online or mobile wallet as “pocket change.” The rest should be split between a few different storage mechanisms, such as a desktop wallet and offline (cold storage).

7. Use a physical wallet that represents future trends

Because most users are far more comfortable with physical security than with digital security, a highly effective method for protecting your cryptocurrency is to store it in a physical form. Cryptocurrency keys are nothing more than long numbers, which means they can be stored physically, printed on paper or etched on a metal coin.

Securing one’s keys becomes as simple as physically securing a printed copy of them. A set of cryptocurrency keys printed on paper is called a “paper wallet,” and many free tools can be used to create them. For example, I would keep most of my cryptocurrency (99% or more) stored in paper wallets, encrypted with BIP-38, with multiple copies locked in safes. Keeping cryptocurrency offline (cold storage) is one of the most effective security techniques.

A cold storage system is one where the keys are generated on an offline system (one never connected to the internet) and stored offline on paper or on a physical device, such as a USB memory stick.

In the long term, cryptocurrency security will increasingly take the form of hardware-tamperproof wallets. Unlike a smartphone or desktop computer, a cryptocurrency hardware wallet has one purpose: to securely hold cryptocurrency. Without general-purpose software to compromise, and with a limited interface, hardware wallets can deliver an almost foolproof level of security to non-expert users.

8. Balance the risk of excessively complex protection to prevent asset loss

The main risk addressed in the many security measures mentioned above is that of stolen crypto assets, whether pilfered on a trading platform or physically stolen. However, overly complicated security measures can actually pose a greater risk.

Data files get lost all the time, and if they’re compromised, the losses are more substantial. For example, in July 2011, a well-known cryptocurrency awareness and education project lost almost 7,000 cryptocurrencies. In their efforts to prevent theft, the owners had implemented a complex series of encrypted backups. In the end, they accidentally lost the encryption keys, making the backups worthless — and losing a fortune as a result.

One important crypto security consideration that’s often overlooked is mortality, especially in the context of incapacity or death of the key holder. Cryptocurrency users are told to use complex passwords, and to keep their keys secure and private, not sharing them with anyone. Unfortunately, that practice makes it almost impossible for a user’s family to recover any funds if that user is no longer available to unlock their assets.

If you have a lot of cryptocurrencies, consider sharing access details with a trusted relative or lawyer. A more complex survival scheme can be set up with multi-signature access and estate planning through a lawyer specializing in “digital asset execution.”

9. Be aware of personal data protection and cryptocurrency-related privacy issues

Personal data protection is a sensitive subject. In the encrypted world, a single trace can identify and associate your personal information (PI) with your cryptocurrencies. Examples include your usernames/IDs on crypto community forums, IP address, smartphone device information, personal info trading platforms, or even inadvertently mentioning on social media the type and quantities of crypto that you own.

Information about a particular wallet address, the crypto service provider (trading platform or wallet) you use or your attendance at a private cryptocurrency conference are all examples of personal data that can potentially be obtained by unscrupulous individuals looking for easy targets.

Guarding your privacy is a logical part of protecting the security of your cryptocurrency assets, but it’s also the only way you can avoid conflict between the encrypted virtual world and the real world.

10. Living in the cryptocurrency world, you’ll need a security expert friend

“My deposit went to someone else’s address.”

“The trading platform’s customer support said that I was caught in a clipboard hijacking malware, and I’ll need to use anti-virus software and check the browser plug-in immediately.”

“What exactly is a clipboard hijacking malware, and what should I do?”

Users in the digital world face problems similar to those in the real world, especially security issues. They have so many questions, with no answers and nobody to turn to. Perhaps having a security expert friend in your daily life would make things much less complex.

Is It Safe to Keep Your Crypto on Bybit? 

Bybit has never been hacked, offers unparalleled security and is among the most reliable crypto exchanges. The platform strongly encourages its users to secure their assets using Google 2FA and setting up anti-phishing code built into the platform. This helps to notify users if there’s suspicious activity — for example, non-matching codes.

 feature to restrict any newly added withdrawal address from being used for a 24-hour period. This helps to prevent any unauthorized withdrawals, should your account be compromised.

The internet is filled with prying eyes, and there will inevitably be websites that attempt to impersonate Bybit. We recommend you use the 

 feature to ensure the legitimacy of any Bybit-related domains or sources of information (such as emails, phone numbers, URLs or social media accounts).

Cryptocurrency is a completely new, unprecedented and complex technology. Over time, we’ll develop better security tools and practices that are increasingly easy for non-experts to use. For now, cryptocurrency users can take advantage of the many tips, such as those listed in the article above, to enjoy a secure and trouble-free cryptocurrency experience.

How to Keep Your Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Safe (Updated)

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