Looking for the latest crypto news today? Here are the key developments affecting Bitcoin, blockchain, DeFi, Web3 and the wider digital asset market.
Today’s major stories include a warning about North Korean hackers using fake crypto job offers, Anthropic selecting Accenture to help evaluate its proposed AI slowdown framework, and VanEck criticizing Metaplanet’s executive compensation structure.
North Korean Hackers Steal $10.7 Million Through Fake Crypto Jobs
A North Korean hacking group known as WaterPlum reportedly stole at least $10.7 million by impersonating recruiters from legitimate cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence companies.
The group, also known as Contagious Interview, targeted software developers and IT professionals around the world.
Authorities from the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia issued a joint advisory detailing the campaign.
According to the warning, attackers pretended to represent legitimate AI, cryptocurrency and non-fungible token companies. They also used recruiting platforms and other employment-related services to reach potential victims.
Crypto and Web3 Professionals Among Primary Targets
The hackers focused heavily on people working in web development, engineering, cryptocurrency, blockchain and Web3.
Authorities also linked WaterPlum to North Korea’s broader effort to place IT workers inside overseas companies.
Japanese and U.S. officials assessed that some members of the group, as well as certain North Korean IT workers, may operate under the country’s Munitions Industry Department.
Fake Interviews Used to Spread Malware
WaterPlum reportedly approached potential victims through social media, job websites, freelance platforms and gig-work marketplaces.
During the recruitment process, applicants were asked to download and run files disguised as coding tests or technical assignments.
In other cases, malicious software was presented as a supposed fix for problems involving video-conferencing software.
Once installed, the malware could give attackers access to sensitive information and cryptocurrency-related assets.
Anthropic Selects Accenture for AI Evaluation Role
Elsewhere in technology news, Anthropic selected Accenture as its first embedded evaluator as part of a broader proposal to slow the pace of artificial intelligence development.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei outlined a three-step plan on September 12 aimed at giving governments, researchers and companies more time to develop safeguards around advanced AI systems.
The proposal came amid concerns that rapid AI development could create serious risks if technological capabilities advance faster than safety measures.
AI Industry Divided Over Slowdown Proposal
Amodei has warned that artificial intelligence systems are increasingly capable of helping develop future generations of AI.
He described this process as recursive self-improvement and argued that unchecked progress could eventually move faster than society’s ability to understand or control the technology.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded positively to the proposal.
However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang reportedly took a different position, arguing that such restrictions may not be necessary.
VanEck Criticizes Metaplanet Executive Compensation
In another major crypto development, asset manager VanEck criticized the executive compensation structure of Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet.
VanEck argued that recent attempts by Metaplanet to reduce shareholder dilution still do not go far enough to align management incentives with investor interests.
In a report examining executive compensation at the 10 largest digital asset treasury companies, VanEck placed Metaplanet in its lowest compensation category.
Metaplanet Equity Plan Draws Scrutiny
VanEck highlighted an equity compensation plan representing approximately 14.7% of Metaplanet’s fully diluted shares.
The report also pointed to officer exposure equivalent to around 8.2% of shares.
According to VanEck, that officer exposure is roughly 10 times higher than the 0.8% average among the other nine companies included in the analysis.
Metaplanet’s total equity plan was also nearly four times larger than the peer-group average.
Strategy Used as Comparison
VanEck compared Metaplanet with Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Strategy’s equity compensation plan represents around 2% of fully diluted shares, while officer exposure stands at approximately 0.5%.
VanEck rated Strategy’s structure more favorably because its equity reserve is fixed and any expansion of the plan requires shareholder approval.
These developments highlight the wide range of factors currently shaping the crypto market, from cybersecurity threats and corporate governance to the growing intersection between artificial intelligence and digital assets.
