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Crypto users need not fear the increasing KYC/AML requirements around the world and loss of privacy, writes Kurt Hemecker of the Mina Foundation. Here’s why.

Bitcoin prices rose along with Ether, while Litecoin continues to lead gainers among other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin rose 2.07% to US$27,409 in 24 hours while Ether gained 1.27% to US$1,829. Litecoin was the biggest gainer of the day, rising 7.65%.

The U.S. Department of Justice is aiming to crack down on cryptocurrency exchanges that help criminals facilitate money laundering

Fractionalizing assets on the blockchain opens up investment opportunities for the public and the capital market’s access to liquidity, writes Bob Ras. Here’s what’s holding it back.

China’s Jiangsu Province plans to expand the use of digital yuan to its public education system, as the province seeks to spearhead the country’s CBDC pilot.

Bank of Korea, the central bank, seems uncomfortable with the Financial Services Commission, the country’s regulator, having the mandate over the cryptocurrency industry. The bank is pushing for more say, arguing crypto can influence the stability of the overall financial market and that involves the central bank.

China’s Fuzhou City on Friday unveiled a raft of policies to attract investment by blockchain-related companies, including rent subsidies and cash awards.

Regulatory hurdles have once again hit Binance in North America, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announcing on Friday that it would cease operations in Canada due to tightened crypto rules.

Bitcoin prices rose on Monday morning in Asia to above US$27,000. Ether managed to rise above the US$1,800 support level as Litecoin leads gainers.

While the community might be small, there’s a growing buzz around Web3 in Japan, with overseas companies now taking note. For clues on how to make it big in the land of the rising sun, follow the lead of the nation’s largest firms, says Sebastien Guillemot, co-founder of Paima Studios.

NFTs were ready for takeoff this week and Elon Musk’s tweet blasted it off.

Bitcoin briefly fell to US$26,166 this week, as BRC-20 memecoins flooded the blockchain, raising network congestion issues. Market analysts told Forkast that a weekly close under US$26,111 signals more bearish momentum

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Friday afternoon trading in Asia, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, apart from the XRP token.

Binance.US is reportedly exploring ways to cut founder Changpeng Zhao’s ownership stake in the company, The Information reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Japan was an early believer in blockchain and cryptocurrencies until exchange hacks brought a crackdown. But that was then. Now the government has become a crypto cheerleader.

Bitcoin prices slid under US$27,000 on Friday morning in Asia. Ether fell below support at US$1,800 as all top 10 non-stablecoin tokens retreated.

Terraform Labs chief Do Kwon denied charges of attempting to travel with fake travel documents during a court hearing Thursday in Montenegro.

Animoca Brands revealed US$2.7 billion in off-balance sheet token reserves in its latest unaudited financial update.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Memecoin fever strains BTC network. Binance slams brakes on Bitcoin withdrawals. Chinese court allows crypto for repaying debt.

Bitcoin network faces heightened congestion with over 5 million inscriptions, exacerbating block space demand as BRC-20 tokens achieve a market cap milestone of $1 billion, contributing to increased activity on the network.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Thursday afternoon trading in Asia, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Polygon’s Matic leading losses for a second consecutive session.

The three-day NexTech Week trade show kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, celebrating all things technology, including blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.

China’s national blockchain research center was launched in Beijing on Wednesday and plans to train over 500,000 blockchain professionals for the country.

The issuer of the world’s most traded stablecoin raked in US$1.48 billion in net profit for the first quarter of this year, more than double the previous quarter, according to the company’s reserves report on Wednesday.

Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung and seven others will face trial on May 26 on charges of fraud related to the Terra-Luna crypto collapse.

Bitcoin fell on Thursday morning in Asia to trade around the US$27,500 mark. Ether led the losers in the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Thanks to generative AI, a struggling artist with no coding skills created tokens now worth $70 million. What does this mean for the rest of the crypto world?

Bitcoin and major cryptocurrencies reacted positively to the latest CPI report that stated annual inflation in the U.S. rose 4.9% in April, beating market expectations.

EY OpsChain ESG enables companies to better understand their carbon footprint by tracking carbon credits through tokenization.

Bitcoin lost 0.43% while Ether dipped 0.60% in 24 hours. Polygon’s Matic token was the biggest loser and dropped 2.16%.

Cryptocurrency firms moving to Hong Kong should expect tight regulations as part of the city-state’s new regulatory regime, said Eddie Yue.

A South Korean court has approved prosecutors’ request to freeze assets and properties worth 233.3 billion Korean won that belong to Kwon.

Hong Kong-based OSL Asset Management Ltd said it won a local license to offer investment products in blockchain, Web3 and AI companies.

Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Deloitte, Moody’s and other institutions are partnering with Digital Asset for the launch of the Canton blockchain.

Daily transactions on the Litecoin blockchain hit all-time highs over the past two days amid the Bitcoin network’s congestion and higher transaction fees, Glassnode data showed.

It’s currently fashionable to publicly knock blockchain gaming, but behind closed doors, a growing number of developers are realizing its potential, writes Tim Dierckxsens of Venly.

Bitcoin edged higher on Wednesday morning in Asia to hold above the US$27,500 mark. Ether also gained. Other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded mixed.

NFTs are changing in-game item ownership and value, yet the gaming industry remains skeptical. With microtransactions set to exceed $76 billion this year, it’s time for gamers to understand the benefits of NFT technology.

Bitcoin dropped 1.25% and Ether fell 0.25% in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also dropped.

Skyrocketing activity has led to a surge in average Bitcoin transaction fees — which rose to US$31.15 as of March 8 — exerting increasing pressure on users in low- and middle- income economies including Bitcoin-reliant communities in El Salvador, the first country to implement mass adoption of the digital currency.

Bitcoin fell below US$28,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia as memecoin hype clogged the network and drove up transaction fees. Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens dropped.

U.S. crypto exchange Bittrex Inc. has filed for bankruptcy just days after closing operations following an SEC lawsuit and citing unclear crypto laws.

Free of the hierarchies and power dynamics in traditional companies, DAOs can allow Web3 organizations to do better, writes Arjun Kalsy of Mantle.

The startup, originally incubated by the South China Morning Post, has closed a financing round led by Blue Pool Capital and Animoca Ventures.

Bitcoin, Ether fell in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Polkadot and XRP led the losers in that list.

India is not against the blockchain technology, but currencies have to be monitored by either the government or the central bank, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. 

Cryptocurrencies in China can be legally used to settle basic relations debts such as exchange and labor, according to the Supreme People’s Court of China.

The metaverse is still a clunky world that makes users feel like they’re in a cartoon, writes Darin Myman of DatChat. How can we make it more inviting and useful?

The prosecutor leading Korea’s investigation into the Terra-Luna project said its founder Do Kwon should be extradited to Seoul to face trial.

Binance resumed withdrawals of Bitcoin around Monday noon in Hong Kong after temporarily halting the service twice within 12 hours due to what the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange said was a “large volume of pending transactions.”

Bitcoin fell in Monday morning trading in Asia after failing to breach the US$30,000 ceiling over the weekend. Ether dropped below the US$1,900 mark.

In the final installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research at Standard Chartered Bank, outlines the lender’s approach to crypto and why he thinks exploration of blockchain use cases is just beginning.

In the second installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research and EM FX West at Standard Chartered Bank, talks altcoins, stablecoins and the legitimization of crypto risk through central bank digital assets.

CryptoSlam introduces new wash trade metrics to help traders and professionals uncover the truth behind NFT sales volumes across major blockchains.

PEPE and FLOKI, the two top trending memecoins that saw the biggest gains on Friday, will be listed on Binance at 12 a.m. Hong Kong time Saturday

Bitcoin inched above US$29,000 on Friday, as concerns over the health of the banking system have been reignited. Industry experts tell Forkast that banking troubles could fuel Bitcoin values, which face significant resistance above US$29,500.

Bitcoin rose while Ether fell in Thursday afternoon trade in Asia, with declines across most of the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana’s SOL token was the biggest loser of the day.

Kenya plans to impose a 3% tax on the transfer of digital assets for the coming budget year

Henan Cultural Tourism Investment Group, a state-owned investment enterprise in Central China’s Henan province, has set up a 150 million yuan private equity investment fund to finance metaverse ventures.

Many tokenized platforms have grave shortcomings, but if better standards could be adopted, the improved transparency can avert future crises, writes Ralf Kubli of the Casper Assn.

Against a backdrop of increasing turmoil in traditional banking, Bitcoin is on a four-month winning run that could, tailwinds permitting, soon turn into a surge.

Bitcoin dipped below US$29,000 in Friday morning trading in Asia as rate hikes in Europe sent uncertainty to investors. Ether fell below US$1,900.

Binance says it works closely with law enforcement to freeze funds and the news agency’s report left out “critical facts.”

Nearly 60% of April NFT sales on Ethereum have been flagged as wash trades, with Blur marketplace’s token farming incentivizing the activity, CryptoSlam data shows.

Top blockchain and crypto news: JPMorgan swoops as another bank falls. NFT market rivalry heats up. Bitget seeks Hong Kong exchange license.

Andrew Webber of Digital Power Optimization says more renewable energy would get built “if it was more profitable” and that’s where Bitcoin mining can help.

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Cardano’s ADA token saw the day’s biggest gains.

Bitcoin and Ether rose in early Thursday morning trading in Asia, with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies mixed.

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, dropped 0.48% on Thursday, Hong Kong time, after the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee said it would raise interest rates by 25 basis points, as widely expected. The latest rate bump brings the target range to 5%-5.25%, the highest since September 2007. See related story: Bitcoin, Ether, […]

Bitcoin gained 2.18% in 24 hours while Ether rose 1.67%.

Singapore-headquartered cryptocurrency miner Bitdeer Technologies is planning to expand its mining operations to Bhutan and raise up to US$500 million for a fund through a new partnership with the Himalayan kingdom’s state-owned investment company Druk Holding and Investments.