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  • Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association Supports U.S. and Israeli Attacks in Iran That Have Killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

    Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association Supports U.S. and Israeli Attacks in Iran That Have Killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

    The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) is supporting the ongoing attacks by the U.S. and Israel in Iran that have caused the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei prompting the possibility of seismic political changes.

    “The Islamic regime in Iran, following the national uprising and tragic massacre of January 2025, has left its defenseless citizens with no option but to seek urgent humanitarian intervention from the international community,” the organization – which claims to represent hundreds of members of Iran’s dissident film community – said in a statement. 

    Over 40,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Jan. 8-9  crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests.

    “In this context, the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) calls upon the international community to uphold Iran’s sovereignty and to prioritize the protection of tens of millions of citizens held hostage by the Islamic regime,” the statement added.

    “We advocate for targeted actions against government officials and oppressive agents while avoiding harm to innocent civilians,” it continued. “It is essential to put an end to this archaic cycle of patriarchal violence.”

    Top Iranian auteurs such as Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi and Mohamed Rasoulof have yet to weigh in with public statements on the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran. Besides Khamanei, the air strikes have also killed Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister, according to Iran’s state state-run IRNA news agency and other news outlets.

    Iran has retaliated to the air strikes by launching missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

    The effects of the attacks on Iranian civilians were not immediately clear. HRANA, a Washington-based Iranian rights group, said late Saturday that at least 133 civilians had been killed and that 200 others had been injured. The U.S. and Israeli militaries have not immediately commented.

    Meanwhile massive explosions are being reported on Sunday in the Iranian capital of Tehran where on Saturday celebrations for the supreme leader’s death with fireworks and dancing in the streets reportedly took place but there were also protests on the part of Khamenei supporters.

    Iranian regime change is considered a complicated matter due to the regime’s deep roots in the country despite widespread opposition. The political vacuum could evolve in unpredictable ways.

  • Aisha Tyler: My Dad’s Stroke Changed How I Viewed the Risks of Hypertension

    Aisha Tyler: My Dad’s Stroke Changed How I Viewed the Risks of Hypertension

    Aisha TylerShare on Pinterest
    Criminal Minds and Archer star Aisha Tyler is opening up about taking preventive health more seriously following her father’s stroke, and the healthy habits she’s adopted to boost her well-being. Aisha Tyler
    • Actor and director Aisha Tyler opens up about why high blood pressure is personal.
    • She teamed up with the CDC Foundation to raise awareness about hypertension and how to control it.
    • About half of Americans live with high blood pressure.

    Actor and director Aisha Tyler, best known for playing Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds and Lana Kane in Archer, is spreading the word about preventing high blood pressure, which affects nearly half of U.S. adults.

    “[My] father had a pretty major stroke several years ago, and it really made me start to focus a bit more closely on my own potential risk factors, including blood pressure,” she told Healthline.

    Because her dad was a fit and active person, the stroke was a shock.

    “[It] just made me realize that these factors don’t always reveal themselves in either lifestyle or in physical symptoms,” Tyler said.

    She teamed up with the CDC Foundation to launch Hypertension Bites, a national campaign designed to help adults better understand high blood pressure and the steps they can take to get it under control during midlife.

    Left uncontrolled, it is the leading risk factor for heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, aortic dissection, kidney failure, and dementia.

    “Over time, high blood pressure can cause chronic heart damage from excessive thickening of the heart muscle (left ventricular hypertrophy), eventually weakening the muscle and causing heart failure,” Bhavna Suri, MD, cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology and contributor to LabFinder, told Healthline.

    When it damages the blood vessels in the eyes, it can lead to hypertensive retinopathy, resulting in blurred vision or complete blindness, she added.

    She also noted that it can “cause hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis, leading to erectile dysfunction.“

    Because the condition is typically asymptomatic and most people with high blood pressure feel fine, they frequently miss high blood pressure symptoms, said Suri.

    When symptoms related to high blood pressure, like headaches, dizziness, vision changes, or fatigue, occur, she said they are often attributed to stress, aging, or lack of sleep rather than hypertension.

    However, Suri said high blood pressure is treatable and controllable despite being a chronic condition that typically requires lifelong management.

    “While there is no ‘cure’ that makes it go away forever, many people successfully keep their blood pressure in a healthy range through a combination of lifestyle changes and medical treatment,” she said.

    This is the message Tyler is spreading through the Hypertension Campaign. Healthline spoke with her to learn more about her thoughts on preventive care, healthy aging, and how she balances work and life.

    This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

    I was so excited about this hypertension campaign because I felt like it gives people a really simple place to start. Have a visit with your doctor, find out what your numbers are, put a really simple plan in place [and] if you have to go on medication, medications are really effective, and they can help you control your numbers.

    [People often think] if you have a stroke or if you have a heart attack, there’s just nothing you can really do about it. It’s just something that’s a mystery. It runs in the family. But there’s just literally so many things you can do to mitigate that risk, and I wanted to try to demystify some of that for people.

    Sometimes people [also] think, “out of sight, out of mind,” but in the case of hypertension, what you don’t know could have a very detrimental effect on your life. So it’s just better to know. Knowledge is power.

    Tyler: Yes. I was a real no-guts, no-glory kind of person in my [younger years]. I was a competitive athlete, and I was very much like, “If it hurts, you’re just not pushing hard enough.”

    It’s been a philosophical adjustment now. I’m a real science-based person [and we know that] being well-rested isn’t just about good vibes. If I want to perform at my best level, I need to actually make rest a part of my routine.

    I used to be performing at a high level, pushing myself to collapse, and now I realize that’s not optimal. I feel better, I sleep better, I’m more fit now than I was 10 or 15 years ago. And that is entirely because I’ve changed the way that I take care of my body and my mind.

    Tyler: I try to get eight hours of sleep every day. Sleep is number one, and we know that sleep has such a big impact on all of your health factors, including preventing cognitive decline.

    I also take a walk every single day, sometimes two, if I can manage it. And they’re not strenuous, they’re just meant to reset the mind. It’s a really great time to think, solve a problem, or if you’ve had a stressful moment. I really focus on de-stressing as part of my work today.

    I listen to a lot of YouTube, too, and like optimization podcasts [that] focus on women’s health and optimizing women’s health.

    The more boring stuff is, I try to eat different vegetables. I don’t eat a lot of junk food. I have a glass of wine occasionally, but I try to eat healthy, so that those nights out feel more special and fun. Balance also makes those nights feel more special.

    Tyler: I really like being busy. It is my natural state. I am a workaholic. I’m not ashamed to say that out loud. As I get older, [my focus] is trying to find work balance because I think if you asked me 10 years ago, I would say I don’t have any. But the more balance I have in my life, the better I am at my job, the better I am at being creative and coming up with ideas.

    I also don’t apologize for being ambitious. Especially as a woman, we’re told, “Hey, don’t push so hard, stay in your lane, take it easy.” I feel like my ambition is what’s gotten me to where I am, and my work ethic has gotten me to where I am. And so, I embrace it, but I’m embracing it in a more balanced way than when I was younger.

    I definitely focus more than I ever have on my friendships and my relationships. There’s a lot of science around how friendships are what keep you active and connected as you get older, so I really focus on the people in my life that I care about, spending quality time with them, and connecting with them in a meaningful way. That has been a big priority as I’ve gotten older.

  • Tokenized gold leads ‘100% of weekend price discovery’ while CME futures are closed

    Tokenized gold leads ‘100% of weekend price discovery’ while CME futures are closed

    Gold pricing shifts onto blockchain networks once US futures markets close for the weekend, according to Iggy Ioppe, former chief investment officer at Credit Suisse and now chief investment officer (CIO) at liquidity infrastructure firm Theo.

    CME gold futures stop trading at 5:00 pm ET on Friday and reopen at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday. During that interval, regulated futures markets are inactive and most remaining activity occurs through private over-the-counter deals in Asia that are not publicly reported. As a result, tokenized gold assets such as PAX Gold ($PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUt) become the only continuously available trading venues.

    “In terms of publicly visible price formation, onchain markets are responsible for virtually 100% of weekend price discovery,” Ioppe told Cointelegraph.

    He added that when futures trading resumes, prices often align with movements that already occurred on blockchain markets. “We are seeing weekend moves reflected when CME reopens,” he said.

    Related: Bitcoin price slump versus gold’s gains highlights evolving crypto market

    Tokenized gold market cap jumps to $4.4 billion

    The shift comes amid rising trading volume for tokenized gold. As Cointelegraph reported, tokenized gold expanded rapidly over the past year, adding nearly $2.8 billion in value and growing from about $1.6 billion to $4.4 billion in market capitalization.

    The sector’s market cap rose 177%, far outpacing the broader gold market and most major spot gold ETFs, while the number of holders nearly tripled with more than 115,000 new wallets. The growth represented roughly a quarter of all net inflows into the real-world asset (RWA) sector and exceeded the combined expansion of tokenized stocks, corporate bonds and non-US Treasurys.

    Tokenized gold market cap rises. Source: Cex.io

    Trading activity also surged, with tokenized gold recording about $178 billion in 2025 volume and peaking above $126 billion in the fourth quarter. That level would make it the second-largest gold investment product globally by trading volume after SPDR Gold Shares.

    Ioppe said that market makers and cross-venue liquidity providers dominate participation, arbitraging price differences between digital and traditional markets. Crypto-native macro traders also play a major role, using tokenized gold not only for exposure to bullion prices but also for collateral, hedging and yield strategies during periods of geopolitical or macroeconomic uncertainty.

    “Some institutions are monitoring weekend onchain gold markets, particularly macro and cross-asset desks that track gap risk ahead of the CME reopen,” he said, noting that most institutions treat the signal as informational rather than a basis for active positioning.

    Related: Middle East tensions boost gold as investors seek safe havens

    24/7 tokenized gold trading lets investors manage risk

    Tokenized gold markets allow for continuous trading, which offers a practical risk management advantage. If a geopolitical event occurs while futures markets are closed, traditional participants cannot adjust positions. Tokenized markets allow immediate rebalancing.

    On Saturday, tokenized gold rallied as geopolitical tensions escalated following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with investors moving into XAUT and $PAXG while Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) fell. XAUT briefly climbed above $5,450 and $PAXG neared $5,536 during the day before trimming gains, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

    $PAXG surges on Saturday. Source: CoinMarketCap

    However, Ioppe said adoption still faces obstacles. Liquidity remains smaller than in futures or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), making large trades harder to execute without moving prices. “Regulatory clarity is improving, but fragmentation across jurisdictions slows institutional deployment. Custody, accounting, and capital rules still vary widely,” he said.

    For now, tokenized gold is expected to operate alongside traditional products rather than replace them. “The most likely near-term evolution is that of tokenized and traditional markets existing in parallel, each serving a different function,” Ioppe concluded.

    Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘biggest bull catalyst’ would be Saylor’s liquidation — Santiment founder

  • Why is Hyperliquid Price Rallying Amid the US-Iran War

    Hyperliquid emerged as a rare winner amid the sudden escalation of military hostilities in the Middle East between the US, Israel, and Iran.

    This weekend, the exchange saw a surge in commodities-focused derivatives trading, with open interest for these assets reaching an all-time high of more than $1.1 billion.

    Hyperliquid Rallies 13% as US and Iran Tensions Roil Markets

    The uptrend can be attributed to traders seeking to hedge geopolitical risks while traditional financial markets were closed for the weekend.

    As a result, market participants pivoted to the blockchain-based platform to trade synthetic perpetual futures contracts tied to oil, gold, silver, and US equities.

    This continuous trading was facilitated by HyperLiquid Improvement Proposal 3, or HIP-3, an upgrade implemented last year.

    HIP-3 allows developers to deploy permissionless perpetual futures markets for any asset with a reliable public price feed, provided the creator stakes 500,000 of the platform’s native $HYPE tokens.

    Driven by the weekend volatility, HIP-3’s open interest eclipsed its previous record of $1.06 billion.

    Hyperliquid's HIP-3 Platform's Open Interest.

    Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 Platform’s Open Interest. Source: Flowscan

    Overall, the broader Hyperliquid platform has accumulated nearly $5.5 billion in total open interest, securing an estimated $1.06 million in protocol earnings over a 24-hour period, according to data from DeFiLlama.

    Additionally, data provider Messari reported that HIP-3 markets have generated $4.4 billion in weekend trading volume in February alone.

    Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 markets have seen $4.4B in weekend-traded volume so far in February while the CME and Nasdaq are closed. https://t.co/tiurdKNhSK pic.twitter.com/pdoOYjrwfk

    — misery (@zcb_spec) February 28, 2026

    The platform’s ability to capture traditional market volume drew the attention of prominent industry figures. Arthur Hayes, co-founder of the crypto exchange BitMEX, highlighted the structural shift on the social media platform X.

    “Where price discovery happens when TradExchanges sleep…It’s the weekend, [stuff’s] going down, TradExchanges are closed, but Hyperliquid is open for business,” Hayes wrote.

    However, the platform’s lack of compliance guardrails could introduce substantial legal hurdles in the future.

    Offering synthetic US equities to retail investors without “know your customer” (KYC) protocols or a registered broker-dealer license poses significant regulatory risks.

    These practices could draw future scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    Despite this looming threat, the platform’s native token responded positively to the weekend influx.

    BeInCrypto data show that $HYPE’s price rose 13% over the last 24 hours, trading above $30 as of press time. Notably, this makes it the best-performing asset among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

    The post Why is Hyperliquid Price Rallying Amid the US-Iran War appeared first on BeInCrypto.

  • PGA Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Takes Home Top Film Prize

    PGA Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Takes Home Top Film Prize

    The 2026 Producers Guild Awards have been handed out, with One Battle After Another continuing its winning streak and taking home the night’s top award.

    The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures has historically served as the best predictor of who will win best picture at the Oscars, because of the similar membership size between PGA and the Academy, and both of their use of the weighted preferential ballot. Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams and Weapons were nominees for that honor, but One Battle was crowned the winner.

    Director Paul Thomas Anderson used his time at the mic to shout out Warner Bros.’ Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who were involved in the making of One Battle, Sinners and Weapons.

    “You’ve heard their names over and over again, [they] should get an award for enduring a lot on the road to get these films made. You kept your head down and you protected me; Ryan [Coogler], I’ll speak for you, protected Ryan, protected Zach [Creggar]. You’ve done an incredible job protecting us,” he said in his acceptance speech. “That’s real producing too — getting us out of the gate, letting us do our work, protecting us through the distribution and leading us here. And so whatever the road lies ahead, your work this year is so spectacular. I share this with you. None of us could have done this without the two of you guys and the entire team that you have around you. Long may you wave, whatever the future holds. It is one battle after another.”

    A total of 10 categories were announced, alongside awards for animated motion picture and a wide range of TV offerings. KPop Demon Hunters, The Pitt, The Studio, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are among those who also took home statues.

    Four awards were handed out ahead of Saturday night’s ceremony, with Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Sesame Street, Adolescence: The Making of Adolescence and The Wizard of Oz as those early winners. In addition to the competitive prizes, three special honors were presented: Amy Pascal received the David O. Selznick Award; Jason Blum the Milestone Award; and Mara Brock Akil the Norman Lear Award.

    Presenters at this year’s ceremony included Amy Madigan, Delroy Lindo, Elle Fanning, Emily V. Gordon, Greta Gerwig, Ike Barinholtz, Jacob Elordi, Jason Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Joachim Trier, Kate Hudson, Kerry Condon, Kumail Nanjiani, Lisa Gilroy, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Keaton, Odessa A’zion, Paul Mescal, Ralph Farquhar, Regina Hall, Seth Rogen, Teyana Taylor, Thomas Lennon, Vinny Thomas, Wagner Moura, William H. Macy and Wumni Mosaku.

    PGA executive director Susan Sprung kicked off the evening, acknowledging the events of the last 24 hours in the Middle East and “praying for peace.” She also addressed the recent deal for Paramount to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, saying, “I know all of us are also thinking about the future of one of our most storied studios and its implications for our industry more broadly. Please note that the guild’s position has not changed. We will continue to call on regulators for the scrutiny and ultimately the safeguards and protections that producers need, that everyone in this business deserves, and that are the right of those who consume what we create. The vitality of our industry is at stake and on that producers will not be silent.”

    Ralph Farquhar was on hand to present to Brock Akil, who told the room, “I have spent over three decades working inside systems that were not built with me in mind — learning them, navigating them, stretching them. I am deeply grateful to every collaborator, every writer in every writers room, every cast and crew member who trusted me with their talent, their time and their dreams.”

    Later in the show, Barry Diller appeared to present to Blum, as the horror mogul acknowledged, “We’re living at this time where machines are very confident that they can pick what will work, that algorithms can tell us everything we’ve ever watched and what we should watch next, and AI can tell us what to stream in the mood we’re in next Tuesday. But what machines can’t do?” He then brought up the success of Heated Rivalry, noting, “If you would ask an algorithm a few months ago to predict a low-budget gay hockey romance with zero known stars, I promise you the algorithm would have been like, do not make that show. But that’s why Heated Rivalry needed us. It needed producers.” Blum added that he even invited the hit show’s producers to be his guests at the show, but they were in New York to watch Connor Storrie host SNL.  

    And to close out the night, Greta Gerwig presented Pascal with her special honor, gushing that the producer was “the person I dreamed I would meet when I came to Hollywood: a gorgeous, wild, genius woman.” Pascal had the crowd laughing with her speech, particularly when she acknowledged that “the way I became a producer was pretty fucked, and then I got lucky, and then it was all really hard anyway.” She continued that there are many challenges to being a producer, including “knowing that no matter how bad things get, how many mistakes you made, how many failures you have, it’s never really over, no matter what anyone tells you.”

    A complete list of this year’s winners follows.

    Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

    Bugonia
    Nominees: Ed Guiney, p.g.a., Andrew Lowe, p.g.a., Yorgos Lanthimos, p.g.a., Emma Stone, p.g.a., Lars Knudsen, p.g.a.

    F1
    Nominees: TBD

    Frankenstein
    Nominees: Guillermo Del Toro, p.g.a., J. Miles Dale, p.g.a., Scott Stuber, p.g.a.

    Hamnet
    Nominees: Liza Marshall, p.g.a., Pippa Harris, p.g.a., Sam Mendes, p.g.a., Steven Spielberg, p.g.a., Nicolas Gonda, p.g.a.

    Marty Supreme
    Nominees: TBD

    One Battle After Another
    Nominees: Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson     (WINNER)

    Sentimental Value
    Nominees: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar

    Sinners
    Nominees: Ryan Coogler, p.g.a., Zinzi Coogler, p.g.a., Sev Ohanian, p.g.a. 

    Train Dreams
    Nominees: Marissa McMahon, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a., William Janowitz, p.g.a., Ashley Schlaifer, p.g.a., Michael Heimler, p.g.a.

    Weapons
    Nominees: Zach Cregger, p.g.a., Miri Yoon, p.g.a.

    Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

    The Bad Guys 2
    Nominee: Damon Ross, p.g.a.

    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
    Nominees: TBD 

    Elio
    Nominee: Mary Alice Drumm, p.g.a.

    KPop Demon Hunters
    Nominee: Michelle L.M. Wong, p.g.a.     (WINNER)

    Zootopia 2
    Nominee: Yvett Merino, p.g.a.

    Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama

    Andor 
    The Diplomat 
    The Pitt (WINNER)
    Pluribus 
    Severance 
    The White Lotus 

    Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy

    The Bear 
    Hacks 
    Only Murders in the Building
    South Park 
    The Studio (WINNER)

    David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television

    Adolescence (WINNER)
    The Beast in Me 
    Black Mirror
    Black Rabbit
    Dying for Sex

    Award for Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures

    Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
    The Gorge
    John Candy: I Like Me (WINNER)
    Mountainhead
    Nonnas

    Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television

    aka Charlie Sheen 
    Billy Joel: And So It Goes 
    Mr. Scorsese
    Pee-wee as Himself (WINNER)
    SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night 

    Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television

    The Daily Show 
    Jimmy Kimmel Live! 
    Last Week Tonight with John Oliver 
    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (WINNER)
    SNL50: The Anniversary Special

    Award for Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television

    The Amazing Race 
    Jeopardy! 
    RuPaul’s Drag Race 
    Top Chef 
    The Traitors     (WINNER)

    Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures

    The Alabama Solution (HBO Documentary Films)
    Cover-Up (Netflix)
    Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Made in Copenhagen)
    My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Documentary Films) (WINNER)
    Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)
    The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
    The Tale of Silyan (National Geographic)

  • Family Drama ‘Sundays’ Beats ‘Sirāt’ at Spain’s Goya Awards

    Family Drama ‘Sundays’ Beats ‘Sirāt’ at Spain’s Goya Awards

    Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Basque family drama Sundays beat out Oliver Laxe’s Oscar-nominated techno-tracked dystopian drama Sirāt to take top prize at the Goya Awards, Spain’s top film honors.

    Sundays won best picture, director, best actress for star Patricia López Arnaíz, and best original screenplay, alongside a supporting actress win for Nagore Aramburu. The film won San Sebastián’s Golden Shell in September, and was the consensus choice for the Spanish film academy, who members vote on the Goyas.

    Sirāt, which won Cannes’ Jury Prize last year and is Spain’s contender for the best international feature Oscar, as well as an Academy Award contender for best sound, did not go home empty handed. Laxe’s feature won six Goyas at the event, held in Barcelona on Saturday night, scoring trophies for best sound, cinematography, editing and original score.

    Another multiple-prize winner was Eva Libertad’s Deaf, a drama following a deaf woman navigating pregnancy and motherhood with a hearing partner, which won Goyas for best new director, best supporting actor and best new actress for star Miriam Garlo. The film premiered in Berlin last year, where it won the audience award for the Panorama section. Toni Fernández Gabarre took best new actor honors for his performance in Guillermo Galoe’s Sleepless City.

    Joachim Trier’s Oscar contender Sentimental Value was named best European film, while Dolores Fonzi’s Oscar-shortlisted Belén won best Ibero-American film.

    Politics, as so often at the Goyas, were part of Saturday’s ceremony. Co-host Luis Tosar wore a Palestine flag pin and, from the stage, condemned what he called the “Gaza genocide,” drawing sustained applause. Multiple winners wore “Free Palestine” or “Stop Genocide” badges.

    Susan Sarandon, who was honored with the lifetime achievement honor, praised both Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and local artists for speaking “with such moral lucidity.” In a world marked by “cruelty” and “violence.” “It helps me to feel less alone, part of a larger community,” she added.

    Full list of 40th Goya Awards Winners

    Best Picture
    Sundays, dir. Alauda Ruiz de Azúa

    Director
    Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, Sundays

    Actress
    Patricia López Arnaíz, Sundays

    Actor
    José Ramón Soroiz, Maspalomas

    New Director
    Eva Libertad, Deaf

    Original Screenplay
    Sundays, dir. Alauda Ruiz de Azúa

    Adapted Screenplay
    La Cena, dir. Joaquín Oristrell

    Art Direction
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Supporting Actor
    Álvaro Cervantes, Deaf

    Supporting Actress
    Nagore Aramburu, Sundays

    New Actress
    Miriam Garlo, Deaf

    New Actor
    Toni Fernández Gabarre, Sleepless City

    Documentary Feature
    Afternoons of Solitude, dir. Albert Serra

    Animated Feature
    Decorado, dir. Alberto Vázquez

    Sound
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Original Music
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Cinematography
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Editing
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Production Design
    Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe

    Original Song
    Flowers for Antonio, dir. Alba Flores

    Special Effects
    Los Tigres, dir. Alberto Rodríguez

    Costume Design
    La Cena, dir. Joaquín Oristrell

    Makeup & Hairstyling
    The Captive, dir. Alejandro Amenábar

    Ibero-American Film
    Belén, dir. Dolores Fonzi

    European Film
    Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Trier

    Fiction Short
    Ángulo Muerto, dir. Cristian Beteta

    Animated Short
    Gilbert, dir. Jordi Jiménez

    Documentary Short
    El Santo, dir. Carlo D’Ursi

    Honorary Goya
    Gonzalo Suárez

    International Honorary Goya
    Susan Sarandon

  • Starting 5, Feb. 28: Shai’s return, OT thrillers for both top seeds, b-day Luka leads Lakers vs. Dubs on ABC

    Blood, sweat and a mile-high teardrop.

    All that and overtime in SGA’s Playoff-like return against rival Denver.

    Read on to see how both top seeds were pushed to their limits in a pair of OT classics Friday.

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

    Feb. 28, 2026

    MVPs Duel: Shai’s sharp return fuels OKC past Joker’s triple-double in intense, OT thriller

    More Top-Seed OT: Jalen Duren lifts Detroit in fiery overtime comeback over Cavs without new backcourt

    Friday Firepower: C’s efficient shooting nets 148, Brunson’s big 1st quarter, Grizzlies spread scoring

    ABC Saturday: Lakers bring Luka’s birthday party to the Bay; Look back at his milestones through age 26

    On Prime: Rockets return to West’s top-3 with defense, aim to slow high-scoring Heat

    BUT FIRST … ⏰

    February’s final day sends five games your way…

    Scores & Schedule

    Saturday’s slate of five games spreads out across 10 hours, showcase style, highlighted by the Rockets visiting the Heat on Prime (3:30 ET | Tap To Watch) and Lakers at Warriors for Saturday Primetime on ABC (8:30 ET | Tap To Watch).

    Coming up Tuesday, the Spurs visit the Sixers on NBC & Peacock’s throwback broadcast (8 ET), featuring notable NBC voices from the 1990s and early 2000s: Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello and more.

    1. MVPS DUEL: SGA RETURNS, OKC OUTLASTS JOKIĆ, DENVER IN OT

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    With OKC’s season-long lead in the West down to 1.5 games, Friday’s West Semis rematch with Denver promised plenty of intensity.

    What it delivered was a Playoff atmosphere from start to finish.

    Thunder 127, Nuggets 121 (OT): SGA (36 pts, 9 ast) guided OKC’s comeback in regulation in his first action in nine games (abdomen) and five Thunder players scored in OT to overcome Nikola Jokić’s triple-double (23 pts, 17 reb, 14 ast) and a big game from Jamal Murray (39 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 7 3s). | Recap

    • Rumbling Back: Down by as many as 16, the Thunder cut their deficit to 6 to start the 4th, where they opened with three straight 3s to take their first lead since it was 13-12
    • Down The Stretch: The quarter saw four more lead changes, with the Thunder taking the last advantage on an Alex Caruso (12 pts) triple with 1:23 remaining. They wouldn’t trail again, including in OT
    • Worth Extra: Joker’s floater in the lane with 38 seconds left tied the game at 107-all, forcing OT when Caruso’s ensuing open look missed at the buzzer
    • “Bad read,” Caruso told Inside The NBA. “Nobody’s perfect and I made a couple plays in overtime to make up for it.”

    OKC took overtime 20-14, prevailing in a physical atmosphere from two rivals who will meet twice more in this season’s final stretch, including a matchup 10 days from now.

    • “They brought the intensity tonight,” Chet Holmgren (15 pts, career-high 21 reb) said of Denver. “You always want to play against the best players, the best teams. That’s just a great win.”

    Showing no signs of missing time, SGA poured in 32 points over the first 3 quarters, slowed only by a minutes limit that held him out for OT.

    • “Felt good. Happy to just be out there playing with my teammates,” Shai said. “Been a tough couple of weeks, obviously, not having the game I love. I’m just thankful to be back.”
    • Four More: Shai resumed his 20+ point scoring streak in his return, now just four games away from tying Wilt Chamberlain’s record (126 consecutive games)

    “My teammates held it down,” SGA said. “They’ve been able to find ways to win, no matter who’s playing, who’s not.”

    “It’s only gonna sharpen our tools come Playoff time.”

    2. OT ATOP THE EAST: PISTONS RALLY PAST SHORTHANDED CAVS IN OVERTIME

    Jalen Duren

    In the night’s other 1–vs.–4 OT thriller, shorthanded Cleveland tested East-leading Detroit.

    But it was how the Pistons covered Cade Cunningham’s absence that decided OT.

    Pistons 122, Cavaliers 119 (OT): Trailing by 9 with 3:05 remaining and losing Cunningham (25 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) just over a minute later (fouled out), Detroit mustered a 16-7 burst to force overtime.

    Cade’s sub, Daniss Jenkins, drew a shooting foul at midcourt and knocked down three free throws to earn the extra frame, where Jalen Duren (33 pts) and the Pistons outscored the Cavs 8-4. | Recap

    • Duren Dub-Dub: Jalen (16 reb, 3 blk) logged his third career 30+/15+ game, the most by any Pistons player before turning 23
    • He’s the first Pistons player since Bob McAdoo (1980) with four straight 25+/10+ games, and the youngest in the NBA to do so since Luka Dončić in 2019-20
    • Out Front: The Pistons move to a league-best 44-14 (.759 win%), continuing their second-best start to a season in franchise history
    • Without James Harden (hand) and Donovan Mitchell (groin), Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson preached (and demonstrated) togetherness
    • Bigs Bash: Jarrett Allen (25 pts, 9 reb) and Evan Mobley (23 pts, 12 reb, 4 3s, 4 blk) led the way for Cleveland, who will host a rematch Tuesday night

    Two years ago, the Pistons held the league’s worst clutch record at just 8-27.

    Friday, Detroit collected its league-leading 25th clutch win, with the second-best clutch win percentage (.735).

    • Lock In: Detroit’s 2nd-rated clutch defense (98.1 DefRtg) limits opponents to 37.0 FG% in clutch time, which leads the NBA
    • Driving Clutch: With Cunningham on the bench, Detroit turned to its other All-Star, Duren, who piled up 15 points and 8 rebounds across the 4th quarter and overtime
    • “Domination.” That’s how Ausar Thompson described Duren’s play. “Super aggressive. He’s just doing extra now, he’s just trying to show off.”

    Detroit’s hardest-fought win of the week closed a three-game homestand (2-1) that also brought in top West seeds San Antonio and OKC.

    The East’s leader now hits the road for three, where the Cavs and Spurs await again.

    3. FRIDAY FIREPOWER: C’S NET 148, BRUNSON IGNITES EARLY

    Right between the Pistons and Cavs in the standings, both Boston and New York put up statement scoring displays Friday.

    Celtics 148, Nets 111: Jaylen Brown (7 reb, 9 ast) and Nikola Vučević (11 reb, 3 3s) logged 28 points apiece as all 13 active C’s players scored in Boston’s highest-scoring game since 2023, shooting past Michael Porter Jr.’s (18 pts) Nets for a fifth win in six games. | Recap

    • Efficient C’s: The Celtics shot 66.7% from the field and hit 22 of 34 3s for an 80.8 eFG%, the highest in a single game in the shot clock era (since 1954-55)
    • “I like to see him aggressive. That’s a good sign for us,” Brown said of Vučević, who had his highest-scoring game in Celtics green

    Jalen Brunson

    Knicks 127, Bucks 98: With the Bucks, winners of eight of their last 10, hitting seven 3s in the opening frame, Jalen Brunson (27 pts, 7 reb, 4 3s) ignited early for 22 1st-quarter points, pushing New York to the lead for good 7 minutes in. | Recap

    • Early Captain Clutch: The 22-point 1st set Brunson’s high for any quarter this season, and the 3rd-highest scoring frame of his career
    • Milestone Unlocked: His final points of the 1st gave him 7,000 in 265 games with New York, besting Carmelo (269) for fewest Knicks games to 7,000 points
    • Pitching In: Six Knicks joined Brunson in double figures, while Myles Turner (19 pts) and Kyle Kuzma (17 pts) each hit four triples to lead Milwaukee
    • Eastern Escalator: The 3-seed Knicks gained a game of breathing room on 4th-place Cleveland, keeping pace with Boston and Detroit

    Grizzlies 124, Mavericks 105: Cam Spencer (25 pts) led seven Grizzlies in double figures to a wire-to-wire win over Brandon Williams (16 pts, 8 reb) and the Mavericks, snapping a three-game skid. | Recap

    4. ABC SATURDAY: LUKA’S BIRTHDAY IN THE BAY; LAKERS VISIT WARRIORS

    Luka Dončić

    Saturday night, primetime lights, an in-state rival and a national audience.

    The stage is set for a birthday party befitting the league’s leading scorer.

    Tonight (8:30 ET, ABC), on his 27th birthday, Luka Dončić and the Lakers visit the Warriors with postseason positioning on the line, with a difference of 3.5 games and a guaranteed Playoff spot between them.

    • Lakers Lately: L.A. has dropped its last three games, trying to maintain 6th place in the West with Phoenix just 1 game back
    • Looking In: The Warriors, along with those Suns, currently hold the top half of the SoFi Play-In Tournament positions

    With those stakes in mind, the Lakers will be pleased to know that Luka has won on his birthday for two years running.

    • B-Day Tradition: Tonight will be the fifth time Luka plays on his birthday, where he averages 30.8 ppg
    • Gifted Play: His high for the day is 39 points (2023) but his most dominant outing was 2024’s triple-double (30 pts, 12 reb, 16 ast)
    • Age 26 In L.A.: Dončić debuted with the Lakers 18 days before his birthday last year, collecting 2,294 points, 583 rebounds, and 608 assists in 74 games with L.A. since
    • He’s the only Laker to reach those numbers in any 74-game span, with the most points scored through his first 74 games in franchise history

    For his full career, Luka is one of two players to total 14,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists before age 27, joining his teammate LeBron James.

    As he turns 27, Dončić has earned:

    • Six All-Star selections
    • Five All-NBA inclusions
    • One Finals appearance (2024)
    • One scoring title (33.9 ppg, 2023-24), and is on pace for his second (32.7)

    What will he accomplish in his next year?

    Speaking of birthdays, Brandin Podziemski celebrated his 23rd on Wednesday with a win in Memphis (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) in Golden State’s most recent outing.

    • Podziemski’s Party: Brandin shared the scoring load, as the Warriors showcased their depth with eight double-digits scorers. Malevy Leons was 1 point away from all 9 active Warriors scoring in double figures

    5. ON PRIME: HOLDING 3RD-PLACE WITH DEFENSE, ROCKETS LOOK TO SLOW HEAT

    Norman Powell, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson

    Shooting past Denver into 3rd place in the West, the Rockets are clicking at the right time as the Playoffs draw near.

    And while much is made of this top-10 offense’s (117.2 OffRtg) formidable features, defense is leading Houston’s trajectory.

    The Rockets are 4-1 post-All-Star break after limiting five straight opponents to 108 points or less.

    This afternoon (3:30 ET, Prime), they’ll try to wrangle this season’s 2nd-highest scoring offense (119.9 ppg) in Miami.

    • Defending With The Best: The Rockets are tied for this season’s 4th-best defensive rating (111.6) with Miami, with only the league’s three 40+ win teams outranking them
    • “We rely on our one-on-one defense and locking into shooters to keep teams in check at 3-point line,” coach Ime Udoka explained. Houston ranks top-3 in both opponents’ made 3s (12.1 3pg) and 3p% (34.5)
    • Calling Card: Udoka has had Houston ranked within the top-10 for defensive rating in all three of his seasons at the helm, and top-5 the past two years
    • Before That? Three straight seasons with a bottom-5 defensive rating
    • Big Jump: 2024-25 is where Houston made a 9-win leap to the 2-seed, spotting up in similar positioning now with the goal of advancing beyond the Playoffs’ first round

    “You have to start to be healthy and playing your best basketball at this time… tight as it is in the West,” Udoka said. “And do what we’ve done in previous years, which is have a really good season after All-Star break.”

    8th-place Miami is executing its own identity shift this season, feeding its high-scoring offense with the league’s fastest pace (104.89).

    • “We wanted to switch the philosophy of how we played basketball,” Bam Adebayo said of offseason discussions after a first-round Playoff exit
    • This season’s fastest-playing team had never ranked higher than 12th in pace in the play-by-play era (1996-97), cracking the top-20 twice in coach Erik Spoelstra’s previous seasons
    • Something’s Gotta Give: Contrasting Houston’s defense, Miami hasn’t scored less than 117 points since the All-Star break (2-2), averaging 124.5 ppg

    Roundup: Kon Knueppel, back in action after breaking the rookie 3-point record Thursday, leads the Hornets against the Blazers (1 ET).

    • Raptors at Wizards (7 ET)
    • Pelicans at Jazz (9:30 ET)
  • ‘Sinners’ Is the Big Winner at 2026 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

    ‘Sinners’ Is the Big Winner at 2026 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

    Sinners was the biggest winner at the 16th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards in Los Angeles Saturday night, with “I Lied to You” winning best song written and/or recorded for a film, while the movie’s music supervisor Niki Sherrod won for best music supervision in major budget films.

    “I Lied to You” co-writer Raphael Saadiq, who also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated “Mighty River” from Mudbound, accepted the Icon Award as well, recognizing his contributions in music and film. Saadiq performed “I Lied To You” alongside Sinners composer Ludwig Göransson, with Brittany Howard joining in on guitar.

    Also performing Saturday night was Diane Warren alongside Sharon Farber and Eden Kontesz, who played Warren’s Oscar-nominated “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless. Keith Secola performed the Dark Winds song “NDN Kars,” which was also nominated for a guild award Saturday. Cris Chil, the guild’s spoltight performer for the evening, debuted a new song called “15K.”

    Alejandro Aranda, the runner up in the seventeenth season of American Idol, paid tribute to the show’s late music supervisor Robin Kaye, who was murdered last year. Her death was a shock to her music supervisor peers, who remember her as one of the most talented supervisors in the business. Kaye was posthumously honored with the Guild’s Legacy Award on Saturday.

    Outside of the Sinners wins, Marty Supreme and music supervisor Gabe Hilfer won for music supervision in mid-level budget films, while One of Them Days, Sarah Bromberg and Stephanie Diaz-Matos won in the low budget film category.

    On the TV side, Hilfer also won with The Studio for best music supervision in a television comedy, while Tiffany Anders won with The Lowdown for supervision in a television drama. Meryl Ginsberg, Sara Torres and Jordan Young won with Love Island USA for best music supervision in reality television. “Dialing In,” which Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke wrote for Apple TV’s Smoke, won for best song written and/or recorded for television.

    For a full list of winners from Saturday’s awards, see below.

    Best Music Supervision in Major Budget Films 
    Niki Sherrod 
    Sinners 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Mid-Level Budget Films 
    Gabe Hilfer 
    Marty Supreme 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Low Budget Films 
    Sarah Bromberg, Stephanie Diaz-Matos 
    One of Them Days 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Non-Theatrically Released Film 
    Frankie Pine 
    Nonnas 
     
    Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film 
    “I Lied to You” from Sinners 
    Music Supervisor: Niki Sherrod 
    Performer: Miles Caton 
    Songwriters: Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq 
     
    TELEVISION 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama 
    Tiffany Anders 
    The Lowdown (Season 1) 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Television Comedy 
    Gabe Hilfer 
    The Studio (Season 1) 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Reality Television 
    Meryl Ginsberg, Sara Torres, Jordan Young 
    Love Island USA (Season 7) 
     
    Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television 
    “Dialing In” from Smoke (Season 1) 
    Music Supervisor: Mary Ramos 
    Performer: Thom Yorke 
    Songwriter: Thom Yorke 
     
    DOCUMENTARIES 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Documentary Film 
    Amanda Clemens, Jody Colero 
    Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Docuseries 
    Deborah Mannis-Gardner 
    Hip Hop Was Born Here (Season 1) 
     
    ADVERTISING 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Synch) 
    Nellie Rajabi, Jonathan Wellbelove 
    Apple – “iPhone 17 Pro | The Ultimate Pro” 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Original Music) 
    Patrick Lawrence Zappia 
    Gap – “Give Your Gift. (2025)” 
     
    Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Long-Form) 
    Julian Drucker 
    Yogi Tea – “The Theory of Spice” 
     
    TRAILERS 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Film) 
    Adam Konger, Sanaz Lavaedian, Marina Polites 
    One Battle After Another (Official Trailer 2) 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Series) 
    Scenery Samundra, Gregory Sweeney 
    The White Lotus: Season 3 (Official Trailer) 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Video Game & Interactive) 
    Megan Barbour, Naaman Snell 
    Fortnite Battle Royale “Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless” (Cinematic Gameplay Trailer) 
     
    VIDEO GAMES 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Video Game (Synch) 
    Allison Wood 
    NASCAR 2025 
     
    Best Music Supervision in a Video Game (Original Music) 
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach 
    Music Supervisor: Hideo Kojima 
    Composers: Ludvig Forssell, Woodkid 

  • Barry Diller Swipes at David Ellison, Harvey Weinstein While Introducing PGA Honoree Jason Blum

    Barry Diller Swipes at David Ellison, Harvey Weinstein While Introducing PGA Honoree Jason Blum

    While introducing Producers Guild of America Milestone Award nominee Jason Blum at the PGA Awards on Saturday night, Barry Diller made digs at David Ellison, as well as the guild itself, for giving the honor to people like Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves in previous years.

    “What would Jack Warner do to know he’d been succeeded by a stunt pilot?” Diller, chairman of internet and media conglomerate IAC, said, which evoked audible gasps and laughs from the audience. Paramount mogul Ellison, who has been in the news in recent days for the mega merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, is a licensed pilot for helicopter aviation, aerobatics and more. Warner, of course, was the founder and president of Warner Bros. Studios.

    Diller, a longtime friend of Blum’s, continued: “Cecil B. DeMille, Disney, and now Blum: Not the most obvious succession, but then you also gave this award to Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves. So there’s that.”

    Diller continued his introduction by making quips at Blum’s “cheapness.” Of course, Blum, the founder and CEO of Blumhouse (behind horror franchises like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Black Phone, The Purge), is well known for investing small amounts of money in films and giving directors their creative freedom. For example, 2007’s Paranormal Activity was made for just $15,000 but grossed almost $200 million worldwide.

    “There’s some commonality with the greats,” Diller continued. “DeMille made movies for $15,000 and so did Blum almost 100 years later. To say he’s cheap isn’t a characterization. It’s a defining attribute. … I’m giving this award to Jason, not because I like horror movies; I actually hate them. But because we’ve been friends since before he matriculated, if that’s the right word to describe working for Harvey Weinstein. How he found his groove after that is anyone’s guess, but he sure did find it.”

    Blum served as an executive for Bob and Harvey Weinstein at their production company Miramax before becoming an independent producer at Paramount and founding Blumhouse Productions in 2000.

    Diller continued: “300 films made on the lowest pay scales in film history, but he also did something quite extraordinary in itself, and that’s helping artists tell stories and helping them make a lot of money. … Once Jason found his calling, he focused with an intensity that is rare in this business, and that’s worth saying because Hollywood is essentially a machine that’s designed to distract you. There’s always a bigger budget being dangled in front of you, a more prestigious kind of movie that will get you an awards campaign or a franchise that someone swears is going to change everything. The shiny objects in this town are endless. Jason though stayed focused on scary and people betting on themselves … Jason is this odd something of a Renaissance man, a true embodiment of a man [who] can do all things if it is his will. And it is his will and his stick to perseverance of what he believes in and how essentially honest and honorable he has been that makes me ever so glad to be able to present this award to him.”

    When Blum took the stage to accept the Milestone Award, he said “I think my biggest achievement is getting Barry Diller to the PGAs.”

    “Barry’s been a friend of mine for a long time and a mentor of mine and someone I admire so, so much,” he added. “And he’s changed my life is a lot of ways.”

    During his acceptance speech, the horror mogul also talked about how AI cannot replicate the passions and tastes of a producer. “We’re living at this time where machines are very confident that they can pick what will work, that algorithms can tell us everything we’ve ever watched and what we should watch next, and AI can tell us what to stream in the mood we’re in next Tuesday. But what machines can’t do?” He then brought up the success of Heated Rivalry, noting, “If you would ask an algorithm a few months ago to predict a low-budget gay hockey romance with zero known stars, I promise you the algorithm would have been like, ‘Do not make that show.’ But that’s why Heated Rivalry needed us. It needed producers.” Blum added that he even invited the hit show’s producers to be his guests at the show, but they were in New York to watch Connor Storrie host Saturday Night Live.

    For a full list of PGA winners, click here.

  • Ethereum Tokens Swiped, Returned After South Korean Tax Service Publishes Wallet Seed Phrases

    Ethereum Tokens Swiped, Returned After South Korean Tax Service Publishes Wallet Seed Phrases

    In brief

    • The South Korean National Tax Service (NTS) shared seed phrases from seized crypto wallets in a press release.
    • The contents of the wallets—valued around $4.8 million at face value—were then swiped, but returned.
    • The token was highly illiquid, and the perpetrator would not have been able to get anywhere near the face value.

    The first rule of self-custodying crypto is that you do not tell anyone your seed phrase—a set of 12 or 24 words that unlocks the private key to the wallet, therefore enabling control of the digital assets inside.

    South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) broke that rule in a very public fashion this week, publishing a photo of hand-written seed phrases in a press release and enabling an unidentified actor to make off with tokens valued at $4.8 million at face value, according to a local news report from Maeli Business Newspaper. But the highly illiquid tokens have since been returned.

    The incident occurred after the NTS completed a search and seizure of high-value tax delinquents and subsequently photographed some of its haul to share in a press release. In that release, one individual’s lot, labeled as “Case 3,” included multiple Ledger hardware devices and their respective seed phrases, according to the report. 

    “This is like advertising to open your wallet and take your money,” Professor Cho Jae-woo of Hansung University told the publication.

    Upon publication of the release, an individual did just that, pulling contents from at least three wallets into an Ethereum address ending in “86c12” before transferring them again. 

    On-chain data shows that three distinct addresses holding a total of 4 million Pre-Retogeum (PRTG)—valued at $4.8 million based on the token’s current price—were funded with a negligible amount of Ethereum to cover transaction fees before the user transferred their respective PRTG tokens to “86c12.”

    The three addresses, which have not made any transactions since January 2023, held 40% of the total supply of the PRTG token—a defunct Ethereum-based token that boasts only 1,500 holders and 1,600 transfers all-time. 

    While initial reports noted the token’s $4.8 million face value, if the thief tried to sell these tokens, they would have not been able to recoup anywhere near that amount given very limited liquidity. The token lists no trading pairs on decentralized exchanges, and is only listed on one centralized exchange—MEXC—where it registered 24-hour volumes of only $332. 

    According to CoinGecko, the exchange’s liquidity for the PRTG-USDT trading pair is so small that only $59 in volume would send the price down 2%. For comparison, to move Bitcoin down 2% down on MEXC, a trader would need to sell around $2.6 million worth of the top crypto coin.

    Perhaps that understanding is why on Friday morning, about 20 hours after initially moving the PRTG tokens, an address tied to the original “86c12” address transferred all the tokens back to their original wallets. 

    The hiccup is just the latest in a string of apparent crypto blunders for officials in South Korea. Earlier this week, it was discovered that $1.4 million in BTC went missing four years ago thanks to police not adhering to proper crypto custody guidelines. 

    Plus, South Korean regulators have come under fire after not finding an internal flaw in crypto exchange Bithumb’s system, which led to the firm erroneously distributing $43 billion worth of Bitcoin to users earlier this month rather than sending them small amounts of South Korean won.

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