Under pressure, Trump’s crypto czar divests his $200M+ crypto holdings
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Crypto Czar David Sacks, an advisor to President Donald Trump, has liquidated more than $200 million in digital-asset holdings. The move follows mounting criticism over his financial ties to the crypto sector and his advocacy for a bitcoin strategic reserve.
Sacks has faced scrutiny on social media and from U.S. lawmakers, including the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, due to his involvement in the digital-asset space.
A memo released by the White House now reveals that Sacks and his venture firm, Craft Ventures, moved to minimize any potential conflicts. The timing is notable: the memorandum was released a day before Senator Elizabeth Warren’s March 6 letter, demanding that he confirm he no longer owns any digital assets, following his claim on X that he sold all his crypto.
Related: World Liberty Financial: $550M Raised, SEI Purchase, and an Unusual Token Swap Offer
Warren wrote, “Despite your public statements via X, it remains unclear exactly when you personally divested from BTC, ETH, and SOL, when Craft Ventures divested from Bitwise, and whether people close to you ‘may have held positions and sold into the recent price surge.”
Key divestments made by Sacks and Craft Ventures include:
Related: U.S. Senate Committee OKs Stablecoin Bill, Balancing State & Federal Roles
Altogether, Sacks and Craft Ventures have divested over $200 million in digital-asset holdings, with at least $85 million directly attributed to Sacks himself. The divestments came at a significant tax cost, as special government employees, like Sacks, are not entitled to certificates of divestiture .
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.
Crypto: Ledger Comes To The Rescue Of Trezor!
Is the competition in the crypto industry pushing Ledger to attack Trezor, or is it a timely warning for all users? Behind this revelation lies a major issue: the security of wallets. Ledger has demonstrated that Trezor’s Safe 3 and Safe 5 models had a critical flaw. A simple workaround of the firmware potentially allowed access to users’ funds. How was this breach discovered and corrected?
Ledger Donjon, the cybersecurity research branch of Ledger, discovered a critical vulnerability in Trezor’s wallets Safe 3 and Safe 5. While studying the security of these models, researchers found that cryptographic operations were performed on a microcontroller vulnerable to advanced attacks.
The problem? A hacker could theoretically modify the firmware and bypass the integrity check, making unauthorized access to users’ digital assets possible.
“We believe that strengthening the crypto ecosystem benefits everyone “, stated Charles Guillemet, CTO of Ledger.
A discovery raising questions about the robustness of competing wallets.
Trezor responded promptly by applying a patch, demonstrating its commitment to security. But this incident highlights a troubling reality: security flaws are not just anomalies, but ongoing threats.
If a breach has been patched today, how many more remain to be discovered in the world of crypto wallets?
Hardware wallets are supposed to be the ultimate vault for digital assets, but this incident shows that none are infallible. Trezor introduced Secure Elements, chips designed to protect private keys against physical attacks.
However, Ledger revealed that this protection could be bypassed via the microcontroller, rendering the flaw exploitable.
Facing the threat, Trezor recalled that its firmware has an integrity check to prevent any malicious modifications. But Ledger demonstrated that this protection could be bypassed by a determined attacker. A simple physical access could compromise a crypto wallet, a worrying situation for altcoin and bitcoin investors.
Some notable figures:
If traders and holders of digital assets thought that their wallet was impregnable, this incident reminds them that caution is necessary.
In the world of digital assets, cybersecurity is a never-ending battle. Trezor and Ledger strive to improve the protection of their wallets, but hackers continue to refine their techniques. Every innovation brings its share of vulnerabilities, turning security into a game of cat and mouse.
The latest flaw highlights an underestimated risk: physical attacks via the supply chain. In theory, a malicious actor could compromise a crypto wallet even before it’s purchased by a user, thus opening a sneaky breach in the protection of digital assets.
Ledger emphasizes the importance of Secure Elements and firmware integrity checks to prevent unauthorized access. Yet, even with these measures, threats are constantly evolving. As Trezor stated:
In cybersecurity, the golden rule is simple: nothing is infallible.
A statement that resonates as attack methods become increasingly sophisticated.
Some concerning elements:
How far will manufacturers have to go to secure crypto wallets? Should we expect new flaws or innovations capable of eradicating these risks? One thing is certain, the crypto industry must redouble its vigilance, as attackers, themselves, never sleep.
This flaw reminds us that the security of wallets does not solely rely on technology, but also on the vigilance of users. Ledger itself has been a victim of phishing campaigns and data leaks in the past. Nothing is ever completely secure in the crypto universe, and staying alert remains the best protection.
Real Estate Meets Crypto— Lumia CEO and Polygon Exec Talk Tokenized $220M Towers
Lumia and Polygon Labs, two notable players in the blockchain space, are set to transform the real estate industry via tokenization. Lumia CEO Kal Ali disclosed a collaboration with Polygon to build the world’s first crypto real estate project, Lumia Towers.
The Lumia Towers, estimated at $220 million, are anticipated to be completed and fully tokenized by the second quarter of 2026. This massive infrastructure, a pair of skyscrapers spanning over 50,000 square meters, is located in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. It is set to house 300 residential and commercial units and is poised to become a global crypto hub.
According to Ali, Lumia Towers represents a breakthrough in how people approach real estate ownership. Leveraging the tokenization model, Lumia plans to make the real estate market more accessible, open, and seamless for retail investors.
According to Landshares data , tokenized real-world assets are valued at around $187 billion. In the bear-case scenario, they are estimated to rise between $3.5 trillion and $10 trillion in the bull case by 2030, reflecting a potential 50-fold growth.
Ventures attempting to fractionalize high-value assets through blockchain technology are largely responsible for this explosive expansion. They make it possible for investors to own commercial and residential properties by buying tokens.
However, despite the promise of democratizing real estate investment, challenges like regulatory complexities and market liquidity issues still exist. This could lead to potential risks down the line for Lumia. For instance, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell real estate ownership tokens if there is no sufficient trading volume, limiting the anticipated liquidity benefits.
In previous instances, other tokenization projects focused on existing buildings. In the US, Tokeninvest purchased a $740,000 building in Longmont, Colorado, and tokenized it. This allowed third-party investors to supply 97% of the purchase capital directly.
Boris Spremo, Head of Enterprise and Financial Services for Polygon Labs, admitted that barriers to entry in the real estate market are “sky-high.” However, real estate prices have continued to rise in Turkey, where the Lumia Towers will be built.
Ali explained that Lumia will grant ownership rights for the tokenized twin skyscrapers through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Users can receive shares of the SPVs minted on-chain as ERC-20 tokens.
These tokens give holders governance rights, allowing them to vote on decisions regarding the use of the property, like whether to rent or sell. Ali added that Lumia Towers tokens will launch on the Lumia Chain, granting easier access for retail investors.
Polygon will play a key role in ensuring that developers like Lumia can customize their blockchain for this specific use case. Boris Spremo explained that Polygon will lower the cost of tokenizing ownership of the $220 million infrastructure without compromising security.
Ali disclosed plans to expand the Lumia Towers model to other regions, such as the Middle East and North Africa, the US, and Europe.
The Lumia Towers announcement comes amid a surge in real-estate tokenization. As we discussed earlier, Tether has partnered with Reelly Tech to integrate USDT into UAE’s booming real estate market. Before this integration, the New York Real Estate Fund (NYREF) tokenized an $18 million property in the heart of New York City.
In a previous article we examined , Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse revealed increased demand for XRP as a preferred payment solution within the real estate sector.
Ondo Finance Joins Mastercard’s MTN to Expand Tokenized Asset Access
Ondo Finance and Mastercard have forged a strategic partnership to delve deeper into Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization. Specifically, Ondo is joining Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network (MTN) to make traditional assets, such as investment securities, available in digital form.
The partnership will make Ondo’s Short-Term US Government Treasuries Fund (OUSG) available on Mastercard’s MTN. Therefore, MTN-participating businesses on-boarded with Ondo Finance stand to benefit from the integration.
These businesses can now experience complete cash management freedom, backed by real-world assets, without the friction of traditional financial systems. With OUSG, MTN-participating businesses can earn daily yield via tokenized assets with 24/7 subscriptions and redemption. This eliminates the need for stablecoin on-ramps or settlement windows.
Additionally, the integration would allow MTN participants in Ondo to settle payments through traditional banking rails without requiring additional crypto infrastructure. They can also manage cash with unparalleled flexibility, without restrictions, anytime, anywhere.
This integration offers businesses a way to integrate tokenized treasuries into their operations effortlessly. OUSG is not just a tokenized representation of short-term US Treasuries but the first composable onchain treasury asset.
A major advantage of OUSG is that it has lower minimums and fees than traditional investment options. It also offers 24/7 instant investment and redemption, giving businesses good control over their liquidity.
By integrating with MTN, OUSG enables participants to optimize their cash management strategies. It also unlocks flexible new opportunities for working capital, trade finance, and other liquidity needs.
MTN is a blockchain designed by Mastercard to connect financial institutions with businesses in a streamlined digital environment. It simplifies the complexities of domestic and cross-border transactions, providing a unified space where banks and businesses can interact securely and efficiently.
Overall, Ondo and Mastercard’s MTN integration signals a major step forward for digital and traditional finance. This relationship can redefine how businesses manage liquidity on a global scale by combining Mastercard’s infrastructure with the yield potential of Ondo’s tokenized assets.
The latest partnership between Ondo and Mastercard demonstrates the increasing interest and growth in the RWA sector. With over 150 tokenized asset issuers worldwide, the market size for tokenized assets currently stands at over $186 billion.
As reviewed in our recent publication, the RWA tokenization sector had a breakout year in 2024, paving the way for growth through the decade’s end. The market is forecasted to reach $600 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, the zkSync Era has experienced a substantial increase in the RWA sector. In a recent update we covered , zkSync Era became the second-largest blockchain for RWA after a 953.79% surge, reaching $2.03 billion in 30 days.
In February, Mavryk Dynamics, the team behind Mavryk Network, raised over $5 million for its RWA network economy. The funding is expected to accelerate the development of its Layer-1 blockchain, which is designed to democratize real-world asset ownership.
ARK Invest Buys $80M in Bitcoin from Coinbase in a Single Day
While other institutions are selling, ARK Invest is buying. The firm purchased nearly $80 million worth of Bitcoin in multiple transactions on Wednesday, according to blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence . The Bitcoin buys came via Coinbase.
The most significant recorded transfer was 499.134 BTC, worth $40.37 million. Shortly after, another 498.6 BTC, worth $41.07 million, followed. This accumulation reinforces ARK’s commitment to Bitcoin investment through its ARKB 21Shares ETF.
In addition to Bitcoin purchases, ARK Invest increased its stake in Coinbase (COIN) stock. The firm acquired 64,358 shares valued at approximately $11.53 million. This marks its largest Coinbase investment since August 2024.
Institutional investors have been crucial in Bitcoin’s market dynamics. But while ARK Invest has been accumulating Bitcoin, overall institutional outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs have reached $1.1 billion in recent weeks. ARK itself sold $9 million worth of Bitcoin ETFs, aligning with a broader trend of institutions adjusting their holdings.
Related: Standard Chartered: Bitcoin Correction Linked to Stock Market Dip
The outflows from Bitcoin ETFs mirrored the major correction in the spot market, with Bitcoin dropping to $76K. Multiple factors have influenced the selling pressure in the crypto market, including a declining U.S. stock market, inflation concerns, and trade policy uncertainties.
These elements have contributed to Bitcoin’s price fluctuations. While Bitcoin briefly recovered to over $84K after the $76K low, it has since slipped to $79K in the last 24 hours.
Related: Bitcoin ETF Inflows: A False Dawn Before a Price Correction—Price Analysis
Despite the current volatility, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood remains firmly optimistic about Bitcoin’s long-term potential.
She has previously predicted that Bitcoin could reach $1 million per coin by 2030. She further cited growing institutional adoption and macroeconomic shifts as key drivers.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.