Cryptocurrencies have given people unprecedented financial freedom and control over their money. However, over time, this advantage has lost its unconditional validity - particularly due to the increasing practice of "freezing" assets.

Typically, "freezing" crypto assets refers to a temporary restriction on a user's ability to manage their savings. Formally, the user remains the owner of the cryptocurrencies, but cannot transact with them until the freeze is lifted. Unlike seizure or repossession, freezing does not imply the permanent loss of funds and can, at least in theory, be reversed.

Blockchain technology itself does not provide a single and universal freezing mechanism. In contrast, decentralized blockchains were originally designed as systems resistant to censorship and restrictions on freedom of disposal of coins. As a general rule, if a user independently controls the private key to his wallet, no external party can prevent him from initiating transactions, receiving or spending his savings.

Therefore, such a freeze occurs not at the base level of the blockchain, but at the level of the infrastructure surrounding cryptocurrencies: exchanges, custody services (i.e. Services to which the user has entrusted access to coins), issuers of tokens and smart contracts.

Simply put, a freeze can occur when there is a third party between the user and the blockchain that is technically capable of restricting the free movement of money. That is, in a situation where decentralization is at risk.

Main reasons for freezing

In practice, crypto assets are usually frozen for the following reasons:

• As part of compliance: Centralized exchanges (CEX) or stablecoin issuers may temporarily restrict access to funds if suspicious activity is detected due to anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) regulatory requirements, as well as to comply with sanctions requirements or other legal restrictions.

• On user account security: Repeated unsuccessful login attempts, signs of hacking or unauthorized access often lead to an automatic blocking of transactions by the crypto exchange.

• Freezing at the smart contract level: Funds may be blocked due to errors in the code, protocol rules, or actions of the token issuer.

• Maintenance and outages: Scheduled maintenance, false positives from compliance algorithms, updates or technical errors on the platforms may temporarily suspend transfers and withdrawals.

Types of freezing

In practice, there are several main types of freezing of crypto assets. The first and most common problem is freezing on centralized platforms. Cryptocurrency exchanges and custodial services control access to user funds and may suspend transactions for individual accounts or addresses.

The second type is software freezing at the smart contract level. In this case, the possibility of restriction is built directly into the contract code. Issuers of stablecoins usually resort to a similar method. Some contracts initially provide for the possibility of blocking transfers, individual addresses or the entire system in an emergency.

In addition, sometimes a technical standstill occurs, which is not associated with legal decisions, but with errors. If no new blocks are generated on the blockchain, user funds can also be technically considered “frozen”. In the strict sense, this is not a “freeze” of assets, but a shutdown of the network. However, the term “freeze” is sometimes used in this sense.

How to freeze

Using the example of a centralized exchange, the freezing mechanism looks relatively simple. The user is not the direct owner of the private keys;in this case, they are stored by the platform. This means that the exchange is technically able at any time to prohibit the withdrawal of funds, block an account or restrict individual transactions. For this reason, storing cryptocurrencies in an exchange account is considered unsafe. This problem is not new and therefore many years ago the maxim expression became popular among crypto enthusiasts: “Not your keys, not your coins.”

For stablecoins issued via smart contracts, the situation is less simple. Many popular stablecoins contain features that allow the issuer to block specific addresses. A typical example is a feature such as Blacklist (address), which allows an issuer to blacklist a specific address. After that, all attempts to transfer tokens from such an address are blocked by the smart contract itself, although the tokens remain listed on the blockchain's balance sheetare.

For example, according to Blocksec, Tether blocked several thousand addresses on the Ethereum and Tron blockchains, freezing more than $2.9 billion in USDT.

From a technical perspective, this shows an important property: Even in a blockchain, the rules for the circulation of a token can be managed centrally if the logic of a specific smart contract provides for this.

Output

The freezing of crypto assets is not a feature of blockchain technology itself, but occurs at the level of the infrastructure surrounding the cryptocurrency: exchanges, custody services, issuers of tokens and smart contracts. The key risk factor in this context is the level of “custody” of the service. The closer a service comes to a custody model, the higher the risk that funds will be frozen, regardless of whether these are compliance requirements, security measures or technical limitationsis.

The target price of Bitcoin ($BTC) is the subject of numerous estimates, forecasts and speculations.Numbers like $100,000, which could definitely be reached this year, $500,000 or even $1 million, keep coming up.But now the well-known asset manager VanEck, which manages almost $90 billion and offers both a Bitcoin and an Ethereum ETF, has announced an incredible price target for the Bitcoin price.

According to the company's estimates, the price of one $BTC in 2050 will be an incredible $2.9 million.From today's perspective, an increase of around 4,600% would be necessary!The market capitalization of Bitcoin would be 61 trillion dollars.

Bitcoin could account for around 10% of international trade, according to VanEckhandle

The American asset manager's future forecast goes far beyond a mere price estimate.VanEck predicts that by 2050 over 10% of international and 5% of national trade could be carried out via $BTC.

In addition, the financial group's analysts assume that various central banks could hold 2.5% of their assets in Bitcoin.Since more and more influential personalities such as Robert Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump are declared supporters of a government Bitcoin reserve, at least the latest estimate seems to be very realistic.

Since more and more companies like Ferrari have recently started accepting crypto payments and more and more corporations like MicroStrategy, Marathon Digital Holdings and Metaplanet are holding Bitcoins as reserves, VanEck's astronomical-sounding estimate doesn't seem so far-fetched.If the world's largest cryptocurrency were to gain such acceptance, the impact on the crypto market would be gigantic and would probably be accompanied by an unimaginable bull run.Smaller coins like $99BTC could also benefit from this.

$99BTC: The latest project from a renowned platform

Palihapitiya believes that the encryption system that underlies Bitcoin - SHA-256 - can be broken in the next 2-5 years thanks to advances in quantum computing, as he explained during the All-In podcast published on December 13.

"I had to figure out how long it would take us to break the encryption standards we use for Bitcoin. We need about 8000 chips to crack SHA-256. We are in a two- to five-year window in which blockchains will need to implement new hashing algorithms,” Palihapitiya said.

Willow, which the billionaire says could accelerate the breakthrough of cryptographic standards protecting BTC and other digital currencies, is a major development in this space.

Although the technology to achieve this level of quantum computing is still in its early stages, Palihapitiya suggested that the chip represents a significant step toward achieving this capability. However, he acknowledged that there are still many challenges ahead, particularly in scaling the technology.

The investor noted that Bitcoin and other blockchain networks need to adapt quickly by adopting new encryption algorithms to ensure their security.

At the same time, Palihapitiya is optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies. He believes that the development of quantum computing can stimulate the development of new encryption methods that can withstand all attacks.

Discussion about Bitcoin hacking

Interestingly, not all crypto market experts agree that quantum computing poses a serious threat to Bitcoin. CryptoQuant platform founder Ki Young Ju, for example, believes it is unlikely that Bitcoin will be hacked before the end of this decade.

If Bitcoin's modern encryption is compromised, the community has a plan of action proposed by its creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Back in 2010, he wrote in a post on BitcoinTalk that users can negotiate the latest secure state of the blockchain and switch to a new algorithm if the SHA-256 algorithm becomes unreliable.

“If SHA-256 were broken completely, I think we could agree on the correct state of the blockchain before the problems started, commit it, and move forward with a new hash function,” Satoshi noted.

Some experts see another potential threat – early Satoshi coins. They use the old Pay-To-Public Key (P2PK) format, which exposes the public key and can be vulnerable to attacks. Avalanche founder Emin Gün Sirer warns that the community may consider freezing or setting an expiration date for these coins.

Market Reaction to Advances in Quantum Computing

News about Google's development caused panic in the cryptocurrency market. This led to the liquidation of about $1.6 billion in assets in just 24 hours.

However, Bitcoin quickly recovered and crossed the $100,000 mark again.Additionally, the coin hit a new all-time high of $106,000 today, December 16th.

The price of XRP fails to break the key resistance at $2.73 and reach new highs. This delay led to a surge in profit-taking

Investor confidence in Ripple (XRP) has been shaken. Many preferred to take profits at current levels rather than wait for further price increases.

Investors are pessimistic

Profit-taking has increased as price fails to overcome resistance at $2.73. Therefore, many investors decided to cash out their recent profits. This can be seen in the jump in realized profits, a key indicator of selling pressure.

The price is currently facing resistance at $2.73. It is crucial and lies between the altcoin and the new all-time high (ATH) above $3.31. The proximity to this barrier presents both opportunities and risks for investors as token approaches a key turning point.

Bearish factors suggest that token could remain in the $2.73 and $2.00 range given cool market sentiment and cautious moves. Investors should keep an eye on this range to predict future price direction.

For the bearish scenario to not come true, Ripple needs to break through $2.73 and reach support. This will pave the way for a retest of the $3.31 high and show that bullish momentum has returned. Until this happens, XRP price will remain in a holding pattern with limited upside potential.

The total number of LIT tokens will be distributed evenly between the ecosystem and the team/investors, with a portion distributed via airdrop to early participants.

According to the regulator's complaint, the listed organizations operated from January 2024 to January 2025 and were promoted on social networks.The creators of the platforms worked mainly through WhatsApp messenger, created group chats and positioned themselves as financial specialists.

After being added to chats, users received investment advice generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Victims were then persuaded to open an account on the fraudulent platforms Morocoin, Berge and Cirkor and deposit funds. The attackers tried to convince investors that their platforms were legitimate by claiming they had a license.

In reality, no cryptocurrency transactions were made, the SEC said. Subsequently, these platforms began promoting stock tokens. When investors tried to withdraw their invested money, they had to pay additional withdrawal fees. But even after making these payments, investors could not get their money back.

According to the SEC, the defendants embezzled at least $14 million - these funds were transferred abroad through bank accounts and crypto services. "Beware of group chats where you get investment advice from strangers - this is how people become victims of scams," the SEC warned.

In February, an American court ordered the founders of cryptocurrency program EmpiresX to pay customers and authorities $130 million for defrauding investors. Recently, the SEC charged the founder of mining company VBit Technologies with fraud and embezzlement of $48.5 million collected from customers.

Headlines like “Bitcoin Falls to $100,000” only attract the attention of alts expecting a BTC-style breakout.One of the projects attracting attention is Skate, which the Bitunix exchange recently listed for spot and futures trading.

What is a skate chain coin(SKATE)?

Skate Chain is a project that aims to change the way virtual machines work and ensure that users don't have to switch between wallets or use bridges for them to work properly.

At the heart of Skate Chain is the SKATE token, which helps secure the network, allows holders to vote on important decisions, and rewards people who contribute to the growth of the ecosystem.The maximum supply is 1 billion SKATE tokens, of which 150 million are already in circulation.According to Coinmarketcap, Skate Coin's price is $0.054 at the time of writing.

Skate consists of three main parts: Hub Chain and Skate AVS, which secure the blockchain using advanced technologies, and the Executor Network, which distributes tasks between blockchains.This approach ensures smooth operation of applications on multiple blockchains simultaneously.

Skate stands out for its way of solving the fragmentation problem.Instead of having to juggle multiple wallets and bridges, users get a seamless experience and developers can build apps that are ready to use out of the box with no additional effort.Where to buy Skate Coin (SKATE)?

Skate Coin (SKATE) can be purchased on the Bitunix exchange, the fastest growing cryptocurrency exchange in the world known for listing innovative projects.Bitunix offers a simple and secure platform to purchase SKATE and over 800 other assets with low fees and high liquidity. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced trader, Bitunix makes buying Skate coins easy and convenient.

📣 $SKATE @skate_chain Trading is now available on Bitunix!

🚀 Spot trading https://t.co/aJWm7HIaLm 🔥 Futures trading https://t.co/uOMuTDKDOc

ℹ️ More details https://t.co/QgrHwREsLW pic.twitter.com/yRmYU6MfUP — Bitunix (@BitunixOfficial) June 9, 2025

How do I buy Skate Coin (SKATE)?

It's very simple - here is a step-by-step guide to buying Skate Coin on the Bitunix exchange:

Login

1.First, visit the official Bitunix website. New users can register by providing a valid email address and setting a strong password. Returning users can log in using their existing credentials.

Top up your credit

2.After logging in, go to the “Wallet” section.Select a supported cryptocurrency such as USDT and click “Deposit” to generate a wallet address.Transfer funds from an external wallet or other exchange to this address.Once the blockchain confirms the transaction, the wallet balance will be updated accordingly.

Find trading pair SKATE

3.Go to the Spot Trading section in the main menu.Use the search bar to find the SKATE/USDT trading pair and open the trading interface.

BUY SKATE

4.On the trading screen, choose between placing a market order to buy immediately at the current price or placing a limit order to buy at a specific price.Enter the USDT amount to spend and confirm the order.The platform will process the transaction once the conditions are met.

Once the purchase is completed, SKATE tokens will be available in the Bitunix Spot Wallet. Tokens can be stored or transferred. Bitunix focuses on security and transparency, providing a reliable platform for both new and experienced traders.

As the XAU/USD chart shows, gold prices rose above $2,460 for the first time in history yesterday, July 16.

The bullish sentiment is due to:

→ Waiting for the Fed to cut interest rates. Ultimately, the attractiveness of non-interest-bearing precious metals tends to increase in low interest rate environments.→ Geopolitical tensions. The assassination attempt on Trump could increase demand for a “safe haven”.→ Demand from central banks.

Reuters writes that analysts at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia believe gold prices could exceed their forecast of $2,500 an ounce by the end of 2024. “Gold’s ability to find support in any environment this year is worth highlighting,” they say.

Can the price of gold continue to rise?

Technical analysis of the XAU/USD chart provides some valuable observations:

→ Gold prices are in an uptrend (shown in blue);

→ the support level of $2290, “strengthened” by the middle line of the blue channel, pushed the price higher (represented by the arrow);→ and the bulls managed to break the level of $2385, which had acted as resistance since June 7 (represented by the arrows);→ while the bearish head and shoulders pattern (SHS)failed.

The contours of the ascending channel with this construction raise the prospect of an increase in the price of gold to its upper limit, where the psychological level of $ 2500 per ounce is also located. Therefore, the forecasts of analysts at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia could come true much earlier than the end of the year.