Bybit to Host Pump Token Sale Starting July 12 with Regional Restrictions

Bybit is set to launch the Pump token sale on July 12 at 2 PM UTC, offering 150 billion PUMP tokens at $0.004 each. The sale will run for 72 hours or until sold out, with a total cap of $1 million. Accepted payment methods include USDT, USDC, SOL, and bbSOL. However, users from the EU and US will be excluded due to regulatory constraints such as MiCA regulations and US securities laws. While multiple exchanges are participating, the lack of clarity regarding platform details and regional restrictions has raised concerns among potential investors. This event marks a significant moment in the crypto space, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the evolving regulatory landscape.

Pump Token Sale Launches July 12 with Limited Access to EU and US Users

Bybit will host the Pump token sale starting July 12 at 2 PM UTC, offering 150 billion PUMP tokens at $0.004 each. The sale runs for 72 hours or until sold out, with a $1 million cap. USDT, USDC, SOL, and bbSOL are accepted as payment.

EU and US users are excluded due to MiCA regulations and US securities laws. Multiple exchanges are participating, but regional restrictions and unclear platform details have raised concerns among investors.

Despite growing HYPE around Pump.fun, on-chain activity has declined ahead of the token launch. The project faces challenges balancing global accessibility with regulatory compliance.

Greece Makes First Crypto Seizure Tied to North Korea's $1.5B Bybit Hack

Greek authorities have executed the country's inaugural cryptocurrency seizure, intercepting funds tied to February's $1.5 billion Bybit exchange hack attributed to North Korea's Lazarus Group. The Hellenic Anti-Money Laundering Authority identified a suspicious transaction linked to a wallet associated with the initial theft, tracing it to a local exchange service provider.

Forensic analysts employed Chainalysis Reactor to establish an unequivocal connection between the suspect wallet and primary addresses used in the Bybit breach. This evidence enabled authorities to freeze assets before their potential disappearance. Economy Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis confirmed approximately €10 million ($11.7 million) has been returned to victims, though the relation to this specific seizure remains unclear.

The hackers' laundering techniques included mixing services like Wasabi and Tornado Cash, cross-chain bridges, and peer-to-peer platforms. Bybit's transparency dashboard indicates $72 million (5% of stolen ETH) has been frozen, with $870 million still outstanding. A third of the pilfered assets remain traceable.