In a small price slump last week, Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to something above $6,300, prompting the crypto market to lose $8 billion.
Ethereum was more affected by the market surge, losing value and collapsing under its $200 price point.
At press time, the market is gradually recovering.
It remains to be seen what will happen in the following few days.
What marked this week was the anniversary of Bitcoin's creation, or more precisely its whitepaper.
The first cryptocurrency that came to existence is celebrating 10 years of the release of Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, which introduced the crucial parts of a digital coin, as it describes how the Bitcoin protocol works.
Starting as an abstract idea, Bitcoin was used mostly as a payment method on darknet markets, which emerged shortly after its creation.
Fast forward 10 years, Bitcoin turned to be a real revolution and has grown to what it is today, a $100 billion market.
GandCrab Ransomware Decryption Tool Available for Free
After hitting over 500,000 victims since the beginning of this year, the GandCrab ransomware finally got a program which will help victims to successfully decrypt their affected data.
According to a press release from Europol, GandCrab is one of the most damaging ransomware campaigns currently in circulation on the internet.
After being affected by it, the victims get locked out of their system and are forced to pay a ransom that can range in price.
The value has to be paid in cryptocurrency, as a less traceable transaction.
The decryption tool is accessible for free at nomoreransom.org and can help anyone who has been affected by GandCrab.
As Europol reported, it can be used no matter the victim's location. However, it works with all but two versions of the malware.
Zcash Gets an Upgrade
One of the most attractive privacy-oriented coins on the crypto market, Zcash (ZEC), implemented a long-awaited upgrade to its network.
The protocol, called Sapling, and has been in development for some time.
With the upgrade, Zcash will increase its performance by enabling users with a new privacy system, which will conceal their transfers and address data.
Additionally, the Sapling protocol enables Zcash to be six times faster than before and spend less memory for completing transactions.
The announcement was made on Sunday by the founding company of the coin, Zcash Company (ZCC), through a tweet.
Nurse Hired a Hitman on the Dark Web to Kill Ex-Lovers Wife
News headlines reported the latest on the case of 32-year-old Tina Jones, a nurse from Des Plaines, Illinois who allegedly attempted to hire a hitman on the dark web.
According to a report from The Chicago Tribune covering police testimony from the court room, Jones reportedly left specific instructions for the hitman to execute her ex-lover's wife and make it look as if the victim was having an affair.
She also asked for the husband, Jones' ex-lover and colleague, not to be hurt, and gave details when he would be at work, leaving the victim alone.
The case was revealed earlier this year after the CBS program '48 Hours' unexpectedly discovered Jones' request while researching another story.
At the latest court hearing, Woodridge Detective Daniel Murray unveiled information about the ongoing investigation.
The accused in the murder-for-hire case allegedly paid $11,000 in Bitcoins to a dark web network called Cosa Nostra, which later turned out to be a scam.
Jones is facing a maximum penalty of 40 years if proven guilty for the charges against her, including attempted first-degree murder. The accused is currently free on bond.
In a somewhat similar case, 30-year-old Jeremy Ryan, known to the public as a regular protestor and a former congressional candidate, was arrested last week for charges of purchasing radioactive material on the dark web.
After the initial hearing, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Ryan used the dark web to purchase this radioactive substance, with the intention to kill a yet-unknown target.
The accused had specific instructions. According to the FBI affidavit, the substance was supposed to be deadly and discrete, but not brutal.
Ryan went on by explaining that the murder should look as if it was due to cancer or cancer treatment.
His target, as he described it, was 6 feet tall and weighing 220 pounds. He paid for the poison in Bitcoin, and the package was later delivered to him.
What Ryan didn't know is that he was talking to an undercover agent. A
fter his arrest, Ryan's attorney told the court that his client was going to use the poison to kill himself because he has cancer.
If found guilty, he could receive the maximum penalty of life in prison.
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That's it for our summary of this week's major crypto news headlines. This is the 18th post in our crypto news series. See previous installments here: