Alpaca Finance Institutional Newsletter #121

Key Points:

  • Bybit exchange hacked: $1.4 billion in ETH stolen

  • Nansen integrates HyperEVM for real-time blockchain analysis

  • SEC drops lawsuit against Coinbase, a major legal victory for the cryptocurrency sector

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit suffered a major security breach on Feb. 21, with hackers stealing more than $1.4 billion in liquid collateralized ether (stETH), Mantle collateralized ether (mETH), and other ERC-20 tokens. The vulnerability was discovered by on-chain security analyst ZachXBT, prompting Bybit CEO Ben Zhou to confirm the attack and assure users that cold wallets remain secure and all withdrawals are operational. The hackers used malicious code to exploit multi-signature wallet transfers to change smart contract logic. Despite the incident, Zhou said Bybit remains solvent and all customer assets are fully backed. The hack follows a surge in crypto security breaches in early 2025, including an attack on ZkLend and social media attacks on high-profile figures and platforms.

Nansen is expanding its blockchain analytics capabilities by integrating HyperEVM, providing traders, developers, and investors with real-time insights into network activity. This integration enables users to monitor adoption trends, track transactions, and analyze protocol deployments within the HyperEVM mainnet. The first tool launched is the Growth Dashboard, and future features include wallet analysis, asset monitoring, token change tracking, and smart currency insights. As HyperEVM grows, Nansen's analysis will help users make informed decisions by providing high-quality data on market trends and ecosystem growth.

The SEC has agreed in principle to dismiss its lawsuit against Coinbase, marking a major victory for the exchange and the broader crypto industry. The lawsuit, filed in June 2023, accused Coinbase of operating as an unregistered securities broker and listing several cryptocurrencies as unregistered securities. Coinbase fought back, arguing that regulation was excessive and launching a political campaign to influence cryptocurrency policy. Although the dismissal still requires approval from SEC commissioners, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stressed its importance to the industry and regulatory clarity in the United States.

news

  • Bybit exchange hacked, more than $1.4 billion in ETH-related tokens stolen

  • Ethena Assures Solvency to Users After Bybit Hack

  • FTX begins creditor payments, sets next distribution date

  • Kanye West and the launch of memecoin YZY: a new move in the world of cryptocurrency

product

  • Nansen integrates HyperEVM to provide on-chain insights

  • Brazil to launch world’s first spot XRP ETF

  • ECB wants to build blockchain-based payment system

  • Franklin Templeton files for Solana ETF as crypto interest expands beyond Bitcoin

Regulation

  • SEC agrees to drop enforcement case against Coinbase

  • After the regulation is clarified, Binance USA resumes USD services

  • Nigeria files $81.5 billion lawsuit against Binance exchange: report

  • SEC creates cyber and emerging technology unit to protect investors

funds

  • Strategy announces $2 billion convertible note issuance to buy more Bitcoin

  • Dubai developer DAMAC signs $1 billion deal with blockchain platform MANTRA

  • Security platform Blockaid raises $50 million in Series B funding

  • Tether-backed fintech Mansa raises $10 million to expand stablecoin-based payments