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The Republic of Kenya has suspended Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded in 2019 by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, while the country’s security and data protection services look into the authenticity and legality of the project, the Ministry of the Interior and National Administration said on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Bitcoin was the day’s biggest gainer, rising 2.11% in the past 24 hours. Ether rose 1.11%.

Binance users in China traded about US$90 billion worth of cryptocurrency-related assets in May despite the crypto ban since 2021.

Shanghai plans to build a blockchain infrastructure by the end of 2025 and establish links with Hong Kong and Singapore.

Tokenization is having a breakout year, but providers must learn from the past to prevent another FTX or Celsius-level crisis, writes Philipp Pieper of Swarm.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top ten tokens gained Wednesday morning in Asia, with BNB leading winners after Binance Japan launch.

NFT trading volumes continue to stay low but gaming NFTs gave traders some positive news this week.

Binance announced the launch of Binance Japan on Tuesday, offering 34 cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin fell in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, dipping below the support level of US$29,000.

Speaking at the WebX Asia conference in Tokyo, Circle’s Singapore-based vice president of strategy and policy discusses U.S. regulation, growing pains in the crypto industry and Asia’s burgeoning role as a Web3 innovator.

If Web3 wants to be an alternative to traditional finance, the industry must make itself less vulnerable to hacks and security breaches, writes Richard Meissner.

Bitcoin and Ether fell in early Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, with Bitcoin slipping below support at US$29,000. Ether fell more than 2%.

Tether Holdings Limited, the issuer of stablecoin USDT, released its consolidated reserves report for the second quarter of 2023 on Monday, showing consolidated assets of at least US$86.5 billion against total liabilities of US$83.2 billion. Tether reported an increase of approximately US$850 million in its excess reserves, totaling around US$3.3 billion as of June 30, the close of the quarter. 

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Monday afternoon trading in Hong Kong along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, except the BNB token, with crypto markets poised for an uneventful month ahead, industry experts told Forkast.

As artificial intelligence becomes more human-like, it’s critical to distinguish real people from code and prevent Web3 from turning into a bot zoo, writes Khori Whittaker, executive director of Ethereum Name Service.

Bitcoin and Ether prices dropped on Monday morning in Asia, but remained above key support levels. Altcoins fell on Curve Finance hack.

Bitcoin fell below US$30,000 this week, as market optimism over ETFs began to ebb. Bitcoin has to hold above US$28,000 next week to avoid further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in afternoon Asia trading. Dogecoin, Polygon led losses while Tron and Litecoin gained.

Blockchain technology has the potential to slash transaction fees, speed up money transfers and lift up the world’s poor. Why aren’t we doing that yet?

Bitcoin and Ether prices were largely mixed but running into the red on Friday morning in Asia, looking to end the week with losses after a period of directionless trading.

Concerns arise over Worldcoin’s free crypto. NFT market does a crabwalk. Japan’s next big thing for the metaverse.

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rose, except Dogecoin.

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed a bill Wednesday aimed at defining whether cryptocurrencies are securities or commodities.

Bitcoin gained Thursday morning in Asia, but not enough to breach US$29,500 after the Fed raised interest rates by the expected quarter point.

The Tokyo WebX Asia conference, which claimed to be the largest of its kind in Asia, wrapped on Wednesday after two days of exhibitions, crypto-themed side events, and debate on what Japan needs to do to be a central part of the future of the digital asset industry.

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and Line Xenesis — the crypto asset and blockchain-related business developer of Japanese messenger app Line — have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost crypto innovation in Asia-Pacific and the global industry. See related article: Singapore-based Crypto.com gets preparatory license to expand services in Dubai Fast facts

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rose, led by Dogecoin.

CyberKongz plans a shift to the Ronin blockchain alongside Axie Infinity as Sky Mavis gears up for its first PFP collection and third-party NFT mint.

Across Asia, projects dedicated to asset tokenization have become a cornerstone of the new digital economy, showing the world the technology’s possibilities.

Bitcoin traded flat on Wednesday morning in Asia as risk-aversion remained the market theme, though the token managed to hold above US$29,000.

Sky Mavis announced on Tuesday a partnership with the CyberKongz NFT project to introduce a PFP collection to the Ronin blockchain for the first time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a digital ruble bill into law on Monday, approving the use of its central bank digital currency for payments starting from Aug. 1. See related article: Russia delays CBDC pilot to await new law Fast facts

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization except Dogecoin.

Arkham Intel Exchange on Monday said two blockchain sleuths had won the bounty for new evidence of wallets owned by Terraform Labs and its imprisoned co-founder Kwon Do-hyeong.

$1 trillion in capital is needed to fight climate change, but investment money is sitting on the sidelines, going unused. How can we close this funding gap?

Bitcoin fell on Tuesday morning in Asia along with most major cryptocurrencies on speculation the U.S. regulator will appeal a decision in the Ripple case and enthusiasm waned for a Bitcoin ETF.

Delio halted interest payments for all users on Monday, after announcing difficulties in providing services as usual.

Bitcoin will have to remain above US$29,500 to prevent further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Already home to most of the world’s gamers, Asia has a rich pedigree in seeding and embracing new technologies, writes Robbie Ferguson of Immutable.

The SEC has hinted it may be set to appeal a recent court ruling against the agency in its case against Ripple Labs and the XRP token.

Bitcoin rose on Monday morning in Asia to reclaim the US$30,000 support level. Ether moved higher, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also gained.

Bitcoin fell under US$30,000, despite the SEC accepting eight spot Bitcoin ETF applications for review this week. A weekly close under that psychological level could lead to more panic selling, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin and Ether both remained below key support levels, as investor sentiment failed to pick up even after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted eight spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications for review.

Mainland tourists can now shop in Hong Kong with Chinese CBDC, as part of a digital yuan shopping festival launched this week by the Bank of China (Hong Kong).

McDonald’s Hong Kong has joined the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gucci and other global brands with Thursday’s launch of its own metaverse.

The value of crypto is typically tied to its correlation with fiat money. What if tokens can be earned only through good deeds and helping others?

Bitcoin fell on Friday morning in Asia as other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed. Bitcoin again slipped below support at US$30,000.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ripple not clear of hurdles | NFTs in historically slow period | Hong Kong banks dither

Bitcoin and Ether both recaptured key support levels. Institutional interest remains upbeat following a slew of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, industry experts told Forkast.

Shanghai on Tuesday published a set of guidelines to promote use of blockchain, the digital yuan, and the metaverse in the city’s legacy industries.

Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday morning, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies, but the token looks to have lost support at the US$30,000 line.

P0x Labs, the developer behind layer-1 zero-knowledge blockchain Manta Network, has secured US$25 million for the Network’s expansion in Asia.

NAB, one of Australia’s “big four” banks, announced it is taking action to block some payments to “high-risk” cryptocurrency exchanges, as part of its new measures aimed at protecting customers from scams.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Police in China’s Shanxi Province made 21 arrests in relation to an alleged USDT money laundering scheme amounting to over US$54 million.

Change won’t happen overnight, but tokenization is a trend that will trigger seismic shifts in the financial landscape, writes Hamilton Keats of Krayon Digital.

Bitcoin slipped under US$30,000 on the back of profit-taking and long liquidations as the recent run up on optimism about exchange-traded funds seemed to run out of steam.

Despite ample Ethereum holdings, traders appear less willing to invest in NFTs. Ethereum wallet growth data in 2023 suggests low NFT sales, while Ether used for NFT sales has dropped to 2021 levels.

Shinhan Bank, the second largest bank in South Korea, and SCB TechX, the technology unit of Siam Commercial Bank, the oldest bank in Thailand, announced on Tuesday that they completed a second stablecoin transaction trial on the Hedera, a public distributed ledger network. 

Bitcoin and Ether both fell below key price levels earlier but returned above as investors remained optimistic after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted the second Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application for review, from asset manager Valkyrie.

China’s Zhejiang province, the home province of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group,has established a metaverse industrial association.

Stablecoins play a pivotal role as a safe-haven medium of exchange in times of high inflation, writes James Glasscock. But they’re not without risks.

Bitcoin dipped under US$30,000 in early Asia trade before recovering. Ether and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell, while NFT trading slumped.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published on Monday a global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities to provide a global regulatory and supervisory foundation for crypto. The recommendations made to the G20 – the 20 leading economies of the world – are based upon the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation.”

XRP continued its rally after XRP issuer Ripple’s favorable ruling last week in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As the US is engulfed in regulatory strife, Asian countries are rolling out legal frameworks that attract crypto investment, protect consumers and encourage innovation.

Beijing municipal government plans to train 10,000 engineering talents each year in emerging technologies including blockchain, AI and big data.

The U.S. SEC has accepted BlackRock’s application for a spot Bitcoin ETF, a major step for the potential launch of the country’s first spot Bitcoin ETF.

Bitcoin rose to trade at over US$30,300 on Monday morning in Asia, but the price fell over the weekend to around the pre-Ripple ruling level.

Bitcoin rose to US$31,736 on Friday, bolstering Ethereum to above US$2,000, after the court ruled that the sale of XRP did not constitute a security. Bitcoin needs a close above US$31,000 to pave the way for US$32,500, market experts told Forkast.

A favorable U.S. court ruling for Ripple boosted Bitcoin prices. All top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos rallied with XRP prices gaining 62% in the past 24 hours.

In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. court ruled in favor of Ripple Labs in its case against the Securities and Exchange Commission, providing a boost to most cryptocurrency prices. But industry participants remain wary.