{"id":1885,"date":"2022-06-28T01:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T01:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/?p=1885"},"modified":"2022-07-12T20:29:52","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T20:29:52","slug":"beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Bitcoin- the Bubble"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Bitcoin-2-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"Bitcoin\" width=\"719\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Bitcoin-2-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Bitcoin-2-512x362.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Bitcoin-2-211x150.jpg 211w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Bitcoin-2.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/>I\u2019ve written a number of times about the perils of ransomware and <a href=\"https:\/\/bitcoin.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bitcoin<\/a> payments, but as we usher in the New Year, tracking down nefarious activities of cybercriminals is getting harder by the day. Why? The dark web \u201cunderbelly\u201d has diversified because Bitcoin brought with it some unique liabilities, given its popularity.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#The_notorious_bubble\" >The notorious bubble<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Anonymity_is_key\" >Anonymity is key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Monero_as_an_alternative_cryptocurrency\" >Monero as an alternative cryptocurrency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Trends\" >Trends<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Europol\" >Europol<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Beyond_Bitcoin_moving_into_2023\" >Beyond Bitcoin moving into 2023<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#Law_enforcement_agencies_are_being_put_to_task\" >Law enforcement agencies are being put to task<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#BROUGHT_TO_YOU_BY_PROLIMEHOST\" >BROUGHT TO YOU BY PROLIMEHOST<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#VPS_SERVICES_LIGHTNING_FAST_SSD_VIRTUAL_SERVERS\" >VPS SERVICES: LIGHTNING FAST SSD VIRTUAL SERVERS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/beyond-bitcoin-the-bubble\/#DEDICATED_SERVERS_BACKED_BY_A_999_SLA_NETWORK_UPTIME_GUARANTEE\" >DEDICATED SERVERS: BACKED BY A 99.9% SLA NETWORK UPTIME GUARANTEE<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_notorious_bubble\"><\/span>The notorious bubble<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The bubble that we see with Bitcoin is forcing price changes too frequently, sometimes more frequently than daily, and often as much as hourly.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, certain players are still sitting on large stockpiles of Bitcoin, but as this cryptocurrency becomes increasingly volatile, other cryptocurrencies are gaining favor. As with any cryptocurrency, price fluctuations can make investors rich very quickly, or just the opposite, and so the dark web has adjusted, prompting law enforcement agencies to up their game.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anonymity_is_key\"><\/span>Anonymity is key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First, Bitcoin doesn\u2019t offer full anonymity, so cybercriminals are not locked into it, and instead have begun to focus on other forms of cryptocurrency, more to their favor.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monero_as_an_alternative_cryptocurrency\"><\/span>Monero as an alternative cryptocurrency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Conversely, Monero has gained popularity because it features additional privacy features and enhanced security. What this means is that transactions (and transaction histories) can\u2019t be traced to a specific address or user. Privacy is a crypto-criminal\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n<p>Monero is apparently the fourth largest alternate cryptocurrency, and ransomware victims are beginning to see demands for payment with it versus Bitcoin. This simply makes the job of law enforcement agencies that much harder.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trends\"><\/span>Trends<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What we\u2019ve seen cross-industry are corporations and organizations buying Bitcoin to be prepared for ransomware attacks, but as new cryptocurrencies are coming onto the scene, will they stockpile them as well, or be forced to reformulate their disaster recovery contingencies? I think at this point, they\u2019d be better off looking in other directions as these attacks grow in sophistication.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Europol\"><\/span>Europol<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Is Europol concerned? You bet they are!! As organized crime moves toward increasingly more difficult cryptocurrencies to trace, it puts more and more companies and organizations at risk.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Beyond_Bitcoin_moving_into_2023\"><\/span>Beyond Bitcoin moving into 2023<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>2021 was a banner year for cybercriminals as nearly all threat assessments conclude that Bitcoin remains the key enabler for their conduct across the World Wide Web.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Monero, there are other cryptocurrencies that have drawn favor with cybercriminals. Why? Anonymity!!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Law_enforcement_agencies_are_being_put_to_task\"><\/span>Law enforcement agencies are being put to task<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s no wonder that criminals began to ditch Bitcoin, simply because law enforcement was beginning to catch up with their tactics and break through their wall of anonymity. When these guys started getting caught, the word spread that they needed a new approach, and so law enforcement agencies are being put to the task once again in their never-ending quest to reign these criminals in.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BROUGHT_TO_YOU_BY_PROLIMEHOST\"><\/span>BROUGHT TO YOU BY PROLIMEHOST<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>We\u2019ve been in the web hosting industry for over a decade, helping hundreds of clients succeed in what they do best and that\u2019s running their business. We specialize in Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and dedicated servers, with data centers in Los Angeles, Denver &amp; Singapore.<\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VPS_SERVICES_LIGHTNING_FAST_SSD_VIRTUAL_SERVERS\"><\/span>VPS SERVICES: LIGHTNING FAST SSD VIRTUAL SERVERS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>Our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/ssd-vps-server\/\">Virtual Private Servers<\/a>&nbsp;all feature high performance Xeon processors and SSD storage in a RAID10 configuration to optimize your server\u2019s performance, which dramatically enhances visitor experiences on your site.<\/p>\n<p>That speed is backed by unparalleled 24\/7 support, featuring both outstanding response AND resolution times to maximize your uptime.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Now is the time to join the ProlimeHost virtual private server revolution.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DEDICATED_SERVERS_BACKED_BY_A_999_SLA_NETWORK_UPTIME_GUARANTEE\"><\/span>DEDICATED SERVERS: BACKED BY A 99.9% SLA NETWORK UPTIME GUARANTEE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>We only use enterprise-class hardware in our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/los-angeles-dedicated-servers\/\">dedicated servers<\/a>&nbsp;[1] and offer a four (4) hour hardware replacement. Throw in IPMI for remote management, support for public and private networks, free operating system (OS) re-installs, and SATA, SAS &amp; SSD (including NVMe) storage. Call 1-877-477-9454 or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/contact\/\">contact us<\/a>&nbsp;[2]. For everything from gaming servers to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/discounted-dedicated-server-deals\/\">cheap dedicated servers<\/a>, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve written a number of times about the perils of ransomware and Bitcoin payments, but as we usher&hellip;","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-around-the-web","8":"category-geneal","9":"cs-entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}