Latest news with #Doge
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Pro-Israel Hackers Steal $90 Million In Iranian Crypto Heist, Then Lose All
A pro-Israel hacking group on Wednesday drained over $90 million worth of cryptocurrency from an Iranian exchange. But multiple crypto tracking firms believe that Gonjeshke Darande, or 'Predatory Sparrow' in Farsi, lost all of the proceeds from the heist after reportedly 'burning' them in the process. The funds are now inaccessible after they were stored in 'vanity addresses' for which they do not have the cryptographic keys, The Guardian reported. On June 18, the group said it hacked the Nobitex exchange, a day after claiming they destroyed data at Iran's state-owned Bank Sepah amid escalating tensions between Israel and the Islamic Republic. Cryptocurrencies such as Doge, Ethereum and Bitcoin were taken from digital wallets on the Iranian exchange Nobitex, which has been connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to crypto tracking firm Elliptic, over $90 million in cryptocurrency was transferred from Nobitex crypto wallets to hacker addresses. The stolen funds were routed to addresses containing some variation of the term 'F*ckIRGCterrorists'. In a social media post on X, Predatory Sparrow confirmed that it had targeted Nobitex and later released its source code. 'Predatory Sparrow would not have the private keys for the crypto addresses they sent the Nobitex funds to, and have effectively burned the funds in order to send Nobitex a political message,' Elliptic said. Predatory Sparrow is frequently reported in Israeli media as having Israeli connections, although there has been no official proof of the hackers' identity or nationality. 'Although there is no confirmation yet that the funds were moved by Predatory Sparrow, the hack appears to be motivated by the recent escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran,' Elliptic added. Nobitex claims to have over 7 million users and is Iran's main cryptocurrency exchange. Past investigations by independent reporters have revealed linkages between Nobitex and IRGC-linked ransomware operatives and individuals close to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The attack occurred amid growing tensions between Israel and Iran, with the two countries exchanging missile strikes, targeting crucial military installations. On Thursday, the US said it would wait for another two weeks before getting directly involved in the conflict, while Russia warned Israel against targeting the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Earlier, President Donald Trump said his patience was running out with Iran. He issued threats to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who then hit back, saying any intervention from the US would result in 'irreparable damage.'
Business Upturn
18 hours ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
PFMCrypto Boosts BTC Yield Potential with 2025 Launch of Advanced AI-Powered Multi-Crypto Mining Platform
LOS ANGELES, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PFMCrypto, a UK‑based crypto asset management firm, announces significant upgrades to its AI‑powered cloud mining platform for 2025. The new system uses advanced artificial intelligence to analyze market trends, optimize hash power through ASIC‑GPU clusters, and automatically switch between the most profitable cryptocurrencies. The upgrades aim to help users maximize their mining returns and simplify participation in the crypto mining space. However, this new wave is not only limited to X or crypto trading platforms; PFM Crypto, a trusted crypto asset management company in the UK, has also taken the bold step by introducing its users to its smart, AI-optimized crypto mining platform. Click here to visit the company's official website: What is Cloud Mining? Cloud mining is an innovative approach to earn cryptocurrencies like BTC, Doge, and XRP without buying them. By mining, users are contributing to the decentralization and security of blockchain while the ecosystem rewards them with daily mining income. 'Running a mining node is ideal, however, it is very challenging. Users have to purchase expensive hardware and acquire deep technological knowledge to manage this hardware. We launch PFM Crypto to challenge the traditional mining approach and offer users flexible and democratized access to the mining space – no upfront mining fee or hidden charge on withdrawal.' said PFMCrypto CEO. PFM Crypto is a reliable cloud mining protocol that allows users to access mining power remotely on any mobile device – eliminating the need to buy any hardware or acquire BTC node troubleshooting skills. BTC mining revenue performance in June Trial Contract: Investment: $100 | Net Profit: $106.6 Classic Contract: Investment: $500 | Net Profit: $530.75 Classic Contract: Investment: $3,000 | Net Profit: $3,888 Prepaid Contract: Investment: $5,000 | Net Profit: $7,370 Advanced Contract: Investment: $10,000 | Net Profit: $17,240 These are not hypothetical data, but are based on real feedback from millions of users. Click here to view more mining contracts. Why Everyone is Getting on PFM Crypto AI-Supported Cloud Mining 2025 – Smarter Resource Allocation: One of the challenges of traditional cloud mining is resource allocation – users are unable to determine when to start or stop mining. PFM Crypto adopts the use of AI to help users analyze real-time data on mining performance, energy consumption and market trends to ensure that they profitably allocate their computing resources, minimize waste and increase returns. – Predictive Maintenance and Downtime: PFM Crypto combines experienced personnel with AI to achieve high operational efficiency. With AI, the system can predict hardware failures, allowing the protocol to swiftly manage pending system issues and prevent downtime, ensuring higher mining uptime and consistent rewards. – Energy Optimization: In traditional cloud mining, high energy cost is a challenge. However, on PFM Crypto, using AI continues to improve mining operations by noting temperature and hash rates to optimize electricity usage and reduce blockchain carbon footprint. – Adaptive Strategy: From switching between coins to selecting the best mining algorithms, Users can leverage the PFM Crypto AI-supported platform to adjust mining strategies in real time, relying on market sentiment and trends. How to get started on the most trusted Cloud Mining platform in 2025 1. Sign up on your PC or mobile device here 2. Receive your free $10 welcome bonus 3. Active your first cloud computing power with the bonus4. Monitor rewards using its real-time analytical tool 5. Access free withdrawal anytime
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Elon Musk's drug test in doubt as hidden clues raise more questions for doctors
Tech tycoon and former First Buddy Elon Musk is speaking out about the media's attention on his alleged drug use in a way some say will do nothing to refute the rumors. Rumors of Musk's supposed drug use have been circulating in the pubic eye for months, with major publications publishing that the former head of DOGE reportedly used substances like ketamine and ecstasy while on the campaign trail with President Donald Trump. Musk refuted these claims during a Q&A in the Oval Office last month and in his latest effort posted results from a urine drug test on X earlier this week. In a photo of the urinalysis, the results showed he tested negative for illegal drugs like cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, as well as prescription drugs that are sometimes abused like opiates, benzodiazepines and barbiturates. Levels of waste products in his urine were also measured and showed normal results. But Dr Holly Schiff, a licensed clinical psychologist familiar with urinalysis as a diagnostic tool for substance use disorders, told that his latest post is not as convincing as he may think it is. While she has not treated Musk and does not know the specifics of his testing, Dr Schiff told this website: 'Many recreational drugs clear from urine in one to three days. 'The test being done when it was and shared publicly makes me think it was more a PR rebuttal to prove his critics wrong, and posting it on social media with the "lol" adds a performative layer that can invite skepticism.' And one detail in particular stood out to her. On his urinalysis, Musk's creatinine level is 47.16 milligrams per deciliter of urine (mg/dL) – nothing immediately alarming given the normal range is 20 to 300 mg/dL. A creatinine test is a measure of how well the kidneys are doing their job of filtering waste from the blood But creatinine is typically above 50 among adult men, who tend to have higher muscle mass than women, and creatinine is a byproduct of muscle metabolism. Dr Schiff said: 'The low creatinine level suggests urine dilution, whether that is intentional to flush substances or unintentional, due to high fluid intake. So this is a less concentrated sample.' At the same time, she pointed out that certain drugs are cleared from the body relatively quickly. Ketamine passes from the body in around 12 hours. And, Dr Schiff added: 'This was also a one-time scheduled test that can easily be prepared for; therefore, not equivalent to randomized testing over time.' A scheduled test is one a person can prepare for by abstaining from drugs for the time necessary to fall below detectable thresholds. Another way to fall below the threshold is by diluting drug concentrations in urine by over-hydrating, a method that will also drive down urine creatinine levels. Dr Johnny Parvani, an emergency medicine physician who founded an IV therapy company - who also had not treated Musk and does not know the specifics of the testing - told 'Since every test has its detection limits, the more diluted the urine, the more likely it will fall below detectable thresholds. 'This is actually the reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency limitation on the use of IV fluids, because it can help dilute and flush out performance-enhancing drugs below detection limits.' Drug tests are typically administered at random to spot any substance use issues or to check in on someone who is meant to be cutting back or abstaining altogether. 'It doesn't rule out past drug use, prescription drug use or long-term use patterns,' Dr Schiff added. 'For meaningful clinical insight, we would need randomized, observed testing over time, ideally with behavioral and medical evaluations corroborating the results.' The person who collected Musk's sample is listed as Jennifer Taylor on the results. Her LinkedIn says she is the owner of Fastest Labs in Austin - where the results indicate the urine test was done. Collectors are typically the same sex as the person giving the urine sample as, in some cases, they will accompany the patient to ensure the sample is actually theirs and has not been tampered with. That a woman is listed as the sample collector suggested to Dr Schiff that the test itself could have been what experts call unobserved, meaning the sample was provided in private without direct visual supervision. 'So, of course, there is always the possibility of substituting or manipulating a sample,' she said. 'Lack of observation undermines the test's evidentiary strength.' Musk has been open in the past about using ketamine prescribed by a doctor to treat depression. But the recent investigation by The New York Times cited unnamed people familiar with Musk's daily habits who said his chronic use of the powerful anesthetic had begun to affect his bladder. The same report alleged that Musk traveled with a daily case of about 20 different pills, including ones marked Adderall. 'A clean test does not rule out use of substances not covered, nor non-substance causes of behavioral change,' Dr Schiff said. 'This test also does not give us any information about use weeks or months ago or current medication status, like sleep aids or prescription stimulants. 'So while the test is technically clean, a single, not random, [potentially] unobserved collection with potential sample dilution cannot definitively rule out recent or intermittent drug use. This appears more strategic than clinically necessary.'
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
While Doge focused on savings, Abu Dhabi's DGE is all about service
In the feverish pursuit of 'efficiency', America's recently minted Department of Government Efficiency – or Doge – has wielded the axe more than the scalpel. Launched with a lot of fanfare as an initiative by US President Donald Trump in his second term and led by the now persona-non-grata Elon Musk, the programme promised to slash wasteful spending, streamline bureaucracy and reinvent the federal government. What it delivered was a far cry from its mandate. Instead of the much-lauded $1 trillion in savings, the public witnessed a chaotic unravelling of vital institutions, a mass exodus of experienced civil servants and a string of legal challenges from employee unions. Meanwhile, almost 13,000 kilometres away, Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement – known as DGE – has quietly shown what real transformation looks like. Methodical, data-driven and rooted in co-operation and citizen trust. The 18-month-old department shies away from the limelight. Labelling itself as the 'team behind the teams', it exists with the mandate to 'deliver quality services, increase efficiencies and offer one clear unified approach to customer-centricity'. The differences between Doge and DGE are stark despite their superficial similarity in name and intent. They both want to make their respective governments more efficient, but the fork in the road comes when looking at semantics. What does efficiency mean? Apart from a significant difference in priorities, there is a critical component to DGE's success: co-operation While Mr Musk focused public attention on how much money he was going to save the US government, Abu Dhabi's DGE prioritises a different asset: time. By using artificial intelligence and other workflow-reducing measures, the intent is to limit time spent by employees on mundane bureaucratic tasks that can be outsourced to AI, freeing them up to focus on more important things such as streamlining the customer experience. Attention is paid to metrics such as hours and steps saved, as well as reducing needless paperwork, all in an effort to allow employees to spend more time on 'human-facing' tasks. On the other side of the counter, the intent is to reduce the need for residents to attend service centres, thereby saving both time and reducing emissions from unnecessary vehicle use. And despite its relatively young existence, DGE has already made significant inroads. The 'AI-Powered Objective Builder' – technology designed to reduce hours spent on annual employee goals – was successfully trialled within DGE and is now in use across 38 government bodies making life easier for more than 15,000 employees. Similarly, social services such as social support requests, which offer financial assistance for low-income families, had processing times reduced to 18 days from 90 after the introduction of digital payments and a digital wallet. Looking to the future, a recent report from DGE highlighted areas in the workplace set to be transformed, particularly by AI, and has already prompted the implication of strategies to incorporate these changes. Meanwhile, after cutting health department and scientific research grants, gutting the agency created for consumer protection and all but closing USAID, a department that provided food and health care internationally, Doge's online 'wall of receipts' claimed a saving of $180 billion. Multiple analyses show the maths to not quite add up. This is not to say that DGE does not positively affect Abu Dhabi's bottom line. Its Digital Strategy plans to deliver a Dh24 billion ($6.5 billion) boost to the economy and add 5,000 jobs. But this is a by-product rather than a goal. Apart from a significant difference in priorities, there is a critical component to DGE's success: co-operation. Each government department in the emirate is equally committed to what's deemed 'customer happiness', which makes life possible for the agency. That's more than 40 governmental entities working together, sharing data, for the benefit of UAE citizens and residents. Tamm, the super-app recently mentioned by Microsoft's president and vice chairman, Brad Smith, at a US senate hearing, is one of DGE's flagship initiatives and a direct result of this co-operation between entities and sharing of data. Of the app – which simplifies the process of renewing driver licences, reporting potholes, obtaining various forms and other services – the tech chief said: 'We need to bring it to America.' Incidentally, although Tamm may have saved the government Dh134 million, it is the 4.1 million government working hours that the app recouped that is the real jewel in its crown. To say there has been infighting between the head of Doge and the US government would be an understatement. The public feud between Mr Trump and Mr Musk played out online, resulting in threats and accusations before the latter's 130-day mandate as a special government employee expired on May 30. America's growing issue with polarisation potentially causes a rift that ultimately inhibits a properly functioning government from doing its job: making citizens and residents' lives better. If America wants a leaner, smarter government, it would do well to take a page from a place that's building the future quietly.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Pro-Israel hackers steal $90M in massive Iranian crypto heist — but may have lost all of the loot for good: reports
A pro-Israel group of hackers on Wednesday drained more than $90 million from Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange – but may have lost all of the proceeds from the heist in the process, according to several crypto tracking firms. Coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Doge were sniped from digital wallets on Iranian exchange Nobitex, which has been linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC is a branch of Iran's military that has been labeled a terrorist organization by the US, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada. The stolen crypto was funneled to addresses with anti-Iran messages referencing the IRGC, mostly some variation of 'F—IRGCterrorists,' according to crypto tracking firm Elliptic. Advertisement Israel and Iran traded missile strikes for a sixth day on Wednesday. AFP via Getty Images It was transferred to wallets they cannot access – meaning the hackers effectively threw away the riches into cyberspace, according to Elliptic and crypto tracking firm TRM Labs. 'Predatory Sparrow would not have the private keys for the crypto addresses they sent the Nobitex funds to, and have effectively burned the funds in order to send Nobitex a political message,' Elliptic said in a press release. Advertisement The massive cyberattack, then, appears to be aimed at weakening Iran as it traded missile strikes with Israel for a sixth day on Wednesday. Gonjeshke Darande, the pro-Israel hacking group known as Predatory Sparrow, took credit for the cyberattack and threatened to release the exchange's source code. It has not yet been conclusively linked to the attack, and the code has not been published. Predatory Sparrow also claimed it carried out a separate cyberattack on state-owned Iranian Bank Sepah this week. It claimed IRGC members had used the bank's services. Coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Doge were stolen from Nobitex. REUTERS Advertisement Meanwhile, President Trump on Wednesday said his patience with Iran has 'already run out.' He refused to say whether he has made a decision on US military intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier warned that any intervention from the US would result in 'irreparable damage.' Past investigations from independent reporters have found ties from Nobitex to IRGC-linked ransomware operatives and individuals close to Khamenei. Nobitex is Iran's main cryptocurrency exchange, and claims to have more than 7 million users.
