Starknet priceSTRK

zkLend, a decentralized finance lending protocol on Starknet, has suffered a major security breach. As a result, it lost approximately 3,700 ETH, worth around $4.9 million. The exploit has forced the platform to pause withdrawals while investigations continue. Response to the Exploit zkLend confirmed the incident in a series of X posts on February 11, stating that millions worth of cryptocurrency had been drained from its smart contracts. “We are aware of the ongoing security incident on zkLend. The team is now investigating and will provide an update when possible,” the protocol stated. Hours later, they advised users to refrain from depositing or repaying funds while they worked to determine the root cause. They also halted all withdrawals to prevent further losses. Following the attack, zkLend sought the services of several organizations, including StarkWare, ZeroShadow, Binance Security, and Hypernative Labs, to help track the hacker and recover the stolen funds. It also promised to share a more detailed analysis as soon as a post-mortem was completed. The exploit affected several DeFi strategies linked to zkLend, including STRKFarm’s STRK, USDC, and ETH Sensei strategies, putting withdrawals on ice until the situation gets resolved. According to blockchain security firm QuillAudits, the perpetrator, identified by the address 0x64…9109, first targeted a specific contract, 0x04…3b26, before siphoning the funds. They then moved the stolen assets to Ethereum, funneling it through the Railgun crypto mixer, a privacy-focused tool often used to obscure transaction trails. On-chain data shared by the security platform showed several transactions leading to laundering activity, with 706 ETH, valued at about $1.8 million, already sent through the mixer. Whitehat Bounty Offer In a last-ditch effort to recover the funds, zkLend issued a direct message to the hacker, offering a 10% whitehat bounty. This would mean that the attacker would keep nearly 400 ETH worth more than one million dollars if the remaining 3,300 ETH were returned by 00:00 UTC on Valentine’s Day. The team also stressed that the offer is legally binding and releases the exploiter “from any and all liability” regarding the heist. It isn’t the first time protocols on the wrong end of exploits have tried negotiating with bad actors to have funds returned. In March last year, WOOFI lost $8.5 million in a flash loan attack, and subsequently offered a percentage of the loot as a whitehat bounty. Similarly, almost half a year before that, North Korean hackers stole more than $70 million from the CoinEx crypto exchange’s hot wallets, leading the platform to offer them what it termed a “generous bug bounty.” Sadly, in both cases, no funds were ever returned despite the bounty pleas. The post zkLend Exploited for $4.9M in ETH, Team Appeals to Hacker with 10% Offer appeared first on CryptoPotato.

When deciding whether to **trade** or **hold** an asset like **$LAYER ** (assuming this refers to a cryptocurrency, token, or blockchain project such as **LayerZero (ZRO)**, **StarkNet (STRK)**, or another layer-related protocol), it’s important to evaluate the benefits of each strategy based on your goals, risk tolerance, and market outlook. Below is a breakdown of the benefits of **trading** vs. **holding** and **bullish** vs. **bearish** approaches: ### **1. Trading Layer (Active Trading)** Trading involves buying and selling Layer frequently to capitalize on short-term price movements. This strategy can be either **bullish** (expecting price to rise) or **bearish** (expecting price to fall). #### **Bullish Trading Benefits:** - **Profit from Price Increases:** If you believe Layer will rise in the short term, you can buy low and sell high for quick profits. - **Leverage Opportunities:** Some platforms allow leveraged trading, which can amplify gains if the price moves in your favor. - **Flexibility:** You can exit positions quickly if the market turns against you. #### **Bearish Trading Benefits:** - **Short Selling:** If you believe Layer will drop in price, you can profit by short selling or using derivatives like futures or options. - **Hedging:** Bearish trading can help hedge against losses in a long-term portfolio if the market turns downward. #### **Risks of Trading:** - **Market Volatility:** Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and prices can swing dramatically in short periods. - **Timing Risk:** Predicting short-term price movements is challenging and can lead to losses. - **Fees and Costs:** Frequent trading incurs transaction fees, which can eat into profits. ### **2. Holding Layer (Long-Term Investment)** Holding (or "HODLing" in crypto slang) involves buying Layer and holding it for the long term, regardless of short-term price fluctuations. #### **Bullish Holding Benefits:** - **Potential for Long-Term Growth:** If Layer has strong fundamentals (e.g., scalability, adoption, team, technology), holding it long-term could yield significant returns as the project matures. - **Compounding Gains:** Holding allows you to benefit from compounding if the asset appreciates over time. - **Reduced Stress:** Holding avoids the need to constantly monitor the market and make frequent decisions. #### **Bearish Holding Risks:** - **Price Decline:** If Layer’s value decreases over time, holding could result in significant losses. - **Opportunity Cost:** Holding a bearish asset means missing out on potential gains from other investments. ### **Key Factors to Consider** 1. **Market Conditions:** - Is the overall crypto market bullish or bearish? - Are there any macroeconomic factors (e.g., regulations, interest rates) affecting Layer? 2. **Layer Fundamentals:** - What is the utility of Layer? Does it solve a real-world problem (e.g., scalability, interoperability)? - Is the team behind Layer credible and active? - What is the tokenomics (supply, demand, inflation/deflation)? 3. **Technical Analysis:** - Analyze price charts to identify trends, support/resistance levels, and potential entry/exit points. 4. **Risk Tolerance:** - Are you comfortable with the high volatility of trading, or do you prefer the stability of holding? 5. **Time Horizon:** - Trading is better for short-term gains, while holding is suited for long-term investment. ### **Bullish vs. Bearish Outlook** #### **Bullish Case for Layer:** - **Adoption of Layer Solutions:** If Layer is part of a growing ecosystem (e.g., Layer 2 scaling solutions like StarkNet, Arbitrum, or LayerZero), increased adoption could drive demand and price appreciation. - **Technological Advancements:** Innovations in scalability, security, or interoperability could make Layer more valuable. - **Ecosystem Growth:** Partnerships, integrations, and developer activity can boost the project’s long-term prospects. #### **Bearish Case for Layer:** - **Competition:** The blockchain space is highly competitive, and Layer could lose market share to rival projects. - **Regulatory Risks:** Changes in regulations could negatively impact Layer’s growth. - **Market Downturns:** A bearish crypto market could drag down Layer’s price regardless of its fundamentals. ### **Conclusion** - **Trade Layer** if you’re confident in your ability to predict short-term price movements and can handle the risks of volatility. - **Hold Layer** if you believe in its long-term potential and want to avoid the stress of frequent trading. - **Bullish vs. Bearish:** Your stance should depend on your analysis of Layer’s fundamentals, market trends, and overall sentiment. Always do your own research (DYOR) and consider consulting a financial advisor before making decisions. If Layer is a new or niche project, ensure you understand its unique value proposition and risks.

Top 7 Token Unlocks of the Upcoming Week The following tokens with the largest unlock amount will be unlocked next week: $SAND - $79.51M $APT - $69.39M $BERA - $65.18M $ARB - $42.58M $MOCA - $25.13M $STRK - $15.63M $STIK - $9.24M

Software company Strategy is pushing forward with its Bitcoin buying spree in 2025. After a week-long pause, Strategy today announced that it had snapped up $742 million worth of the orange coin. The fresh purchase comes just days after the Bitcoin treasury company rebranded from “MicroStrategy” last week. Strategy Adds $742 Million To Its Bitcoin Treasury Strategy CEO Michael Saylor announced Monday that the company had acquired roughly 7,633 Bitcoin between Feb. 3 and Feb. 9. An SEC filing shows that Strategy spent $742.4 million buying the BTC stash at an average price of $97,255 per coin. Strategy now holds 478,740 BTC in total. Today’s BTC price is $97,279, which is a cache worth approximately $46 billion. All told, the firm acquired its coins at an average price of $65,033 per coin, the announcement said. $MSTR has acquired 7,633 BTC for ~$742.4 million at ~$97,255 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 4.1% YTD 2025. As of 2/09/2025, @Strategy holds 478,740 $BTC acquired for ~$31.1 billion at ~$65,033 per bitcoin. https://t.co/rIftxRX2Zr — Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 10, 2025 Similarly to Strategy’s previous Bitcoin buys, the company purchased its latest Bitcoin tranche using proceeds from the issuance and sale of shares under a convertible notes sales agreement. Strategy sold an aggregate of 516,413 shares of its Class A common stock last week, generating roughly $179 million in net proceeds. The company had around $4.17 billion of shares remaining for issuance and sale as of Feb. 9. Tysons, Virginia-based Strategy last year unveiled an ambitious “21/21 Plan” to raise $42 billion to purchase Bitcoin. The plan means the company will raise $21 billion through equity, with another $21 billion coming by selling fixed-income securities. In December, Strategy made a grand foray into the Nasdaq-100, an index of the top 100 non-financial firms on the Nasdaq stock market, alongside tech titans like Apple and Microsoft. Earlier this month, the company announced it had finalized the price of its new stock, dubbed STRK, which it will use to raise funds to amass even more Bitcoin for its treasury. Strategy’s moves come as multiple U.S. states field proposals to create Bitcoin reserves, while digital asset proponents are calling for other local governments to do the same.

🔓TOP token unlocks from February 10 to 16! ▫️SAND - $79.51m ▫️APT - $69.39m ▫️BERA - $65.18m ▫️ARB - $42.58m ▫️MOCA - $25.13m ▫️STRK - $15.63m ▫️STIK - $9.24m