Hey there, PoI readers! 🌟

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news. But wait, hold onto your hardware wallets, because this isn't just any ordinary newsletter - it's our 100th edition!🎉🥳 That's right, we're hitting triple digits faster than a blockchain processes transactions! From Messi's memecoin madness and Bybit's hamster hustle to the German government's Bitcoin bonanza, we've got a centennial celebration of crypto chaos for you. So, grab your party hats and let's dive into this landmark edition of digital delights! 🎊🔍

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Soccer superstar Lionel Messi promotes Solana-based memecoin WaterCoin on Instagram, sparking discussions about memecoins and blockchain's role in environmental initiatives.

🟧 Bybit lists Hamster Kombat's HMSTR token for pre-market trading on its OTC platform, offering users early access to the TON-based game's cryptocurrency.

🟧 Multiple Coinbase users report being targeted by sophisticated scammers impersonating Coinbase representatives, with one victim claiming to have lost $1.7 million in a seed phrase compromise attack.

🟧The German government transfers $900 million worth of Bitcoin to various exchanges and market makers, potentially increasing selling pressure and causing a sharp drop in BTC price.

Messi Makes a Splash with WaterCoin A Tidal Wave of Memecoin Madness or Eco-Warrior's Dream?

Lionel Messi, the man who can bend it like a pretzel, is now bending the crypto world with his latest Instagram story.

That's right, folks! The soccer legend has decided to dip his toes into the wild world of memecoins by promoting WaterCoin (WATER), a Solana-based token that's making waves (pun absolutely intended). Now, before you start thinking Messi's lost his marbles, let's dive into what this WATER is all about.

According to WaterCoin's documentation (which, let's be honest, is about as detailed as my understanding of the offside rule), this project aims to raise awareness for water-related issues. Their grand vision? To evolve from a mere meme into a full-fledged "ecological coin". Talk about aiming high - it's like going from juggling a soccer ball to juggling planets!

The roadmap for WaterCoin looks like a game of hopscotch drawn by a toddler - four stages that leap from token presale to celebrity partnerships, and finally landing on the square marked "charity-focused environmental currency". It's a beautiful dream, isn't it? Almost as beautiful as Messi's left foot... almost.

But here's where things get as slippery as a waterslide: the roadmap is about as detailed as a stick figure drawing. And the token's price? Well, it's doing the cha-cha slide in a way that screams "pump and dump" louder than a vuvuzela at the World Cup.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Mochi, are you saying memecoins are bad?" Well, that's like asking if pineapple belongs on pizza - it's a debate hotter than a goalkeeper's gloves after a penalty shootout. Some crypto purists are clutching their hardware wallets, wailing that memecoins are the toxic algae in our pristine blockchain lakes. Others argue that these tokens are more useful than a Swiss Army knife, measuring market trends and building communities faster than you can say "HODL".

But let's not forget the bigger picture here. Blockchain technology isn't just for creating digital dog money - it's got some serious eco-warrior potential. We're talking transparent, community-driven solutions that could make Captain Planet green with envy.

Take Samsung, for instance. They're using blockchain to track tree-planting efforts in Madagascar, aiming to capture carbon. And let's not forget El Salvador, the little country that could, mining Bitcoin with the power of volcanoes. That's right, they've mined 474 Bitcoin using geothermal energy - talk about a hot commodity!

Lionel Messi promotes WaterCoin, a Solana-based memecoin, on Instagram

WaterCoin claims to focus on water-related issues, aiming to become an "ecological coin"

Memecoins spark debate in the crypto community, while blockchain shows promise for environmental initiatives

Hamster Kombat The Tiny Titans Taking Over Crypto

The cryptocurrency exchange Bybit is flexing its support muscles for up-and-coming projects on The Open Network (TON) by listing the token for the record-breaking game Hamster Kombat. And let me tell you, these hamsters are packing more punch than a double espresso shot!

Bybit officially announced the listing of the Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) token on its over-the-counter (OTC) platform, Bybit Pre-Market Trading, on July 8. Now, before you start picturing a bunch of suits yelling "Buy! Sell!" while hamsters duke it out in tiny boxing rings, let me break it down for you.

This pre-market platform is like the VIP section of the crypto club. It's where the cool kids get to trade new tokens before they hit the main dance floor. Buyers and sellers can strut their stuff, setting quotes and making trades at prices they've agreed on.

HMSTR tokens made their grand entrance on Bybit's pre-market stage on July 8, 2024, at 10:00 am UTC. Talk about a power move! Bybit is practically shouting from the rooftops that this is a "significant step forward." It's giving users the chance to get their paws on HMSTR tokens before they're available for spot trading.

Bybit's even throwing around fancy phrases like "exclusive access" and "lock in their purchase or sale prices early."

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Mochi, will this pre-market trading affect HMSTR's listing price?"

Bybit's playing it cool, saying that while pre-market trading might give us a sneak peek at what the market's thinking, the official listing price could be influenced by a whole buffet of factors.

They even dropped this little nugget of wisdom: "Both the pre-market price and the official listing price are ultimately determined by the market and there is not necessarily a direct correlation between the two." In other words, it's as unpredictable as a hamster on a sugar rush!

Speaking of unpredictable, the pre-market price of HMSTR has been bouncing around like a hamster in a ball, ranging from about $0.001 to $0.1 at the time of writing, quoted in Tether.

Bybit lists Hamster Kombat's HMSTR token for pre-market trading on its OTC platform

Pre-market trading allows users to secure HMSTR tokens before official spot trading begins

The relationship between pre-market prices and official listing prices remains uncertain

Coinbase Copycats on the Loose A $1.7M Heist and a String of Scam Attempts

At least three Coinbase users and one crypto enthusiast have reported being targeted by Coinbase-impersonating scammers in the past week. But hold onto your hardware wallets, folks, because one poor soul claims to have been swindled out of a whopping $1.7 million!

Our unfortunate victim, who shall remain nameless (let's call them "Crypto Carl"), shared their tale of woe through Tegan Kline, co-founder of Edge & Node. Apparently, Carl got a call from someone claiming to be Coinbase's security team - you know, like when your mom calls pretending to be the school principal, except this time it's not about your grades, it's about your life savings.

These crafty con artists didn't stop at a phone call, oh no! They went full Hollywood and sent Carl emails that looked more legit than my claim to be the world's most delicious ice cream. These emails even "verified" that Carl was indeed chatting with an "official representative at Coinbase." Talk about attention to detail!

The scammer, probably twirling their villainous mustache, told Carl that their wallet was "connecting directly with the blockchain" (gasp!) and causing transactions to vanish faster than my resolve on a diet. They then directed Carl to a website to enter their seed phrase - you know, that thing you're supposed to guard more closely than the secret recipe for your grandma's apple pie.

Now, Carl knew this was about as safe as juggling chainsaws blindfolded, but in a moment of weakness, entered "a portion" of their phrase anyway. A few hours later, poof! $1.7 million disappeared faster than a snowman in the Sahara.

AlexMiller, CEO of Hiro Systems, chimed in with his own brush with these digital desperados. He suspects his info might have been leaked from CoinTracker's email database back in 2022. Pro tip from Alex: "At the very least cycle your API keys if you have been using CoinTracker." Sage advice, my friends!

And the hits just keep on coming! We've got "TraderPaul04" and "beanx" sharing their own tales of narrow escapes from these Coinbase copycats. These scammers are pulling out all the stops - fake password resets, claims of suspicious logins, you name it!

Now, before you start thinking the crypto world is all doom and gloom, remember this: knowledge is power, and now you're powered up like a Bitcoin miner during a bull run! Stay vigilant, trust your gut, and remember - if something seems fishy, it's probably not a delicious sushi roll, it's a scam.

Oh, and one last chilling statistic to keep you up at night: around $1.19 billion was lost to crypto security incidents in the first half of 2024, with over $900 million stolen through phishing and seed phrase compromise attacks. That's enough to make even my ice-cold heart melt a little.

Multiple Coinbase users targeted by sophisticated scammers impersonating Coinbase representatives

One victim reportedly lost $1.7 million after revealing part of their seed phrase

Over $1.19 billion lost to crypto security incidents in first half of 2024, highlighting importance of vigilance

German Government Unleashes another Bitcoin transfer with a $900M Sell-Off Shaking the Market

According to our friends at Arkham Intelligence (who, I assume, wear trench coats and fedoras while analyzing blockchain data), a wallet labeled "German Government (BKA)" has just offloaded a whopping $900 million worth of Bitcoin. That's more zeroes than I can count on my ice cream scoops!

On July 8, this crypto-savvy government went on a Bitcoin transfer spree that would make even the most caffeinated day trader dizzy. We're talking about 16,309 Bitcoin being shuffled around faster than a game of three-card Monte. Some lucky recipients? Oh, just a few small-time players like Bitstamp, Coinbase, Kraken, and market makers Flow Traders and Cumberland DRW. You know, the usual suspects.

In one of their biggest moves, they sent 3,500 BTC to Flow Traders. That's like handing over a small country's GDP in digital gold! They also sprinkled some crypto confetti around, sending 200 BTC to Kraken, 400 BTC to Bitstamp, and 400 BTC to Coinbase. It's like they're playing Santa Claus, except instead of presents, they're delivering potential market volatility!

But wait, there's more! They also sent 700 BTC (worth over $38.5 million) to a mysterious wallet called "139Po". Is it a secret government project? A giant piggy bank? The world's most expensive digital pet rock? We may never know, but it's certainly not the first time this wallet has gotten a German government goodie bag.

Now, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but this massive Bitcoin dump sent the price on a downward spiral. We're talking about a 6.75% drop, from a high of $58,200 to a low of $54,278.

But don't panic just yet, my crypto comrades! The German government is only halfway through its selling spree. They've still got about 23,788 BTC left in their digital piggy bank, worth a cool $1.3 billion.

And just when you thought the crypto market couldn't get any wilder, enter the ghost ofMt. Gox past! That's right, the long-awaited repayment process for the creditors of this defunct exchange has begun. We're talking about $9 billion worth of BTC and BCH up for grabs. It's like a crypto piñata, and everyone's invited to take a swing!

As of now, Bitcoin is trading at $57,206.

German government transfers $900 million worth of Bitcoin to various exchanges and market makers

Bitcoin price drops 6.75% following the transfers, triggering $425 million in liquidations

Mt. Gox repayments begin, potentially adding more selling pressure to the market

And there you have it, my fabulous PoI fam! We've just wrapped up our 100th newsletter, and what a wild ride it's been! 🎆 From our humble beginnings to this milestone moment, we couldn't have done it without you, our amazing readers. Your support has been the fuel to our crypto rocket (oops, I promised no rocket emojis, didn't I? Let's say... crypto cake! 🍰).

As we blow out the candles on our 100th edition, remember to stay curious, stay informed, and keep that FOMO at bay. Until our next centennial, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual slice of birthday cake and a confetti cannon! 🎂🎉

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. Every voice matters in the PoI community, especially as we start our journey to the next 100! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter and let's make the next 100 even more epic!

🍨📰Catch you in the next issue!📰🍨