Good morning. It's Thursday, March 31, and we're covering the largest known crypto heist, the retirement of an action movie star, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].
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Russia continued to shell the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the northern city Chernihiv yesterday, targeting civilian areas, despite pledging to scale back military operations in the region following cease-fire negotiations. The Pentagon said less than 20% of forces had left Kyiv, as Russia repositioned to focus on the eastern Donbas region.
The US announced it will provide an additional $500M to Ukraine in budgetary aid for expenses such as government services, as part of the $13.6B Congress approved earlier this month.
In related news, US intelligence suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled by advisers about the military's struggles in the country, as well as the potential impact of economic sanctions.
In Europe, Poland has taken steps to end all Russian oil imports by 2023, while Germany has urged residents to ration natural gas consumption. Russia has appeared to soften its stance after a payments standoff in which it demanded EU countries pay in rubles, stating yesterday they will continue to allow euros for now.
See map updates on the conflict here, along with photos from the ground.
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Largest-Ever Crypto Heist
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Hackers have stolen more than $600M worth of cryptocurrency from the Ronin blockchain underlying a popular play-to-earn online game, “Axie Infinity.” The heist is believed to be the biggest cryptocurrency theft in history and raises questions about security.
Sky Mavis, the gaming company operating Ronin and “Axie Infinity,” said the attackers took advantage of a security flaw in what's known as a bridge—a connection between two blockchains that enables transfers of cryptocurrency. The hackers gained control of five validation nodes required to recognize the transfers to and from the Ronin blockchain.
The attackers then created two fraudulent withdrawals March 23, stealing 173,600 ether tokens and 25.5 million USD Coin tokens. Ether is the second most popular cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin (see 101), while USD Coin is a cryptocurrency tied to the US dollar. Sky Mavis discovered the breach Tuesday after a user was unable to withdraw 5,000 ether from the bridge.
See other big cryptocurrency heists here.
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Award-winning actor Bruce Willis announced he would retire from the profession after being diagnosed with a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate effectively with others. The decision caps a four-decade career that included films like "Die Hard," "Pulp Fiction," "Armageddon," "The Sixth Sense," and more.
The 67-year-old Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder resulting from damage to the region of the brain responsible for language control and comprehension (see overview). Such damage may result from physical injury, dementia, infection, or other cause—though it is unclear what triggered Willis' condition.
The actor had taken on a prolific spree of B-list roles in recent years, with at least 10 films slated for a 2022 release or in postproduction. See Willis' career in photos here.
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