Forkast.News is now Forkast Labs
Image of hacker on laptop, FTX mobile app showing notice of withdrawal halt | FTX says US$415 mln in crypto was hacked since bankruptcy filing | ftx hack, binance, sam bankman-fried

FTX says US$415 mln in crypto hacked since bankruptcy filing

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX told creditors that it lost around US$415 million worth of cryptocurrencies to hacks since it filed for bankruptcy.
Two Bitoins sitting on a grey background. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices little changed; Polkadot gains as Polygon, Solana give up ground

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices little changed; Polkadot gains as Solana gives up ground

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed in a muted morning of trading on Wednesday in Asia, as few top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies moved by more than 1% in either direction.
IPFS to demonstrate long distance communications in space aboard LM 400 spacecraft

IPFS to demonstrate long distance communications in space aboard LM 400 spacecraft

IPFS will be heading to space this year to reduce latency between nodes communicating in orbit for blockchain applications, Marta Belcher of the Filecoin Foundation told Forkast.
China flag, Digital collectible (right) on ShucangCN app

China NFT platforms expand into Hong Kong in face of compliance risks on mainland

Hong Kong’s new digital asset-friendly policies could set the city up as the home for secondary NFT marketplaces from China as trading of ‘digital collectibles’ remains a gray area on the mainland.
Image of Bankgog

Thailand’s SEC issues new regulations for crypto custody services

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand issued new rules for cryptocurrency custody services on Tuesday.
Creditors take hostile action as crypto firm Vauld seeks bankruptcy protection

Singapore court extends crypto lender Vauld’s creditor protection to Feb. 28

The Singapore High Court has extended the creditor protection period for crypto lender Vauld to Feb. 28, as the firm has yet to come up with a revival plan
Bitcoin and China flag | Markets: Bitcoin inches up, Ether slips; China posts 3% GDP growth for 2022 | bitcoin price, bitcoin news, ether price, ether news, crypto price

Markets: Bitcoin inches up, Ether slips; China posts 3% GDP growth for 2022

Bitcoin inched up and Ether slipped in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies trading lower on the day.
hand shake

CryptoSlam, Forkast.News merge to form Web3 data intelligence platform

Web3 media company Forkast.News and blockchain data analytics firm CryptoSlam are merging to establish Forkast Labs, a media intelligence platform for the digital economy that will combine on-chain data analytics and journalism.
metaverse seoul and avatars exploring the platform | South Korea launches online metaverse replica of capital city Seoul to improve public services | south korea metaverse web3

South Korea launches online metaverse replica of capital city Seoul to improve public services

S. Korea’s capital city opened the first stage of ‘Metaverse Seoul’ on Monday, which it claims is the first city-backed public metaverse in the world.
Crypto’s data problem rebuilding trust in a trustless environment

Crypto’s data problem: Rebuilding trust in a trustless environment

Price is the wrong measure of Web3’s true value, writes Angie Lau, editor-in-chief of Forkast. To recover from Crypto Winter, we need metrics that are less prone to whims and manipulation.
E-CNY logo in front of a trading screen | China’s digital yuan used to buy securities for the first time | China, e-CNY, Digital Yuan, PBOC - People's Bank of China

China’s digital yuan used in securities trade for the first time

See related article: China digital currency transaction volume soars to nearly US$14B Soochow Securities, a Chinese securities firm, enabled e-CNY payments on its mobile application on Monday, marking the first use case of the central bank digital currency in securities market trade, according to state-backed finance outlet China Securities Journal. Fast facts See related article: […]
SkyPeople's Five Stars for Klaytn | S. Korean court says NFT game items are speculative, refines to P2E ban | south korea p2e ban skypeople nft blockchain gaming

S. Korean court says NFT game items are speculative, adds on to P2E ban

A South Korean court ruled against the release of a blockchain P2E game last Friday after determining that in-game NFTs promote speculation.
cross-chain bridges. | North Korean hackers move 41,000 ETH stolen from Harmony Bridge attack

North Korean hackers move 41,000 ETH stolen from Harmony Bridge attack

The Lazarus Group, a North Korean cybercrime organization, has transferred 41,000 Ether (US$63.9 million) stolen from the 2022 Harmony bridge hack onto cryptocurrency exchanges Binance, OKX and Huobi, according to blockchain data shared by Twitter sleuth ZachXBT.
FTX app and Monex Group CEO Oki Matsumoto | Monex Group expresses interest in bidding in upcoming sale of FTX Japan: Bloomberg | ftx, monex group, japan crypto

Monex Group expresses interest in bidding in upcoming sale of FTX Japan: Bloomberg

Tokyo-based online brokerage Monex Group Inc. indicated it may join the bidding for the Japan subsidiary of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange.
woman using smartwatch as fitness tracker (left), distorted photo of chains with the word blockchain

Your fitness app knows a scary lot about you. How secure is your data?

Being on the watch, your tracker knows where you live, when you sleep and how healthy (or not) you are. What happens if your data is sold — or hacked?
Bitcoins sitting on top of U.S. cash. | Markets: Bitcoin holds above US$21,000 as crypto market cap briefly tops US$1 trillion.

Markets: Bitcoin holds above US$21,000 as crypto market cap briefly tops US$1 trillion

Bitcoin held above US$21,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia with the total cryptocurrency market capitalization also briefly breaching the US$1 trillion-dollar mark in the last 24 hours for the first time since mid-November.
Closeup shot of 100 Chinese Yuan (CNY) banknotes and Chinese traditional red envelop, E-CNY logo

China’s digital yuan needs WeChat, Alipay to boost adoption, experts say

The central bank rolled out a “red packet” feature for its digital currency, the e-CNY, for the Lunar New Year holiday but it will require help from the tech giants it has bashed to popularize the digital yuan.
and
What does the future hold for digital assets in 2023?

What does the future hold for digital assets in 2023?

NFTs, tokenization and blockchain-based cross-border payments will see big paradigm shifts, but their success will depend on regulation, investment and adoption, writes Stephen Richardson of Fireblocks.
solana, bitcoin logo | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rises; Solana is biggest gainer among top 10 | solana, polygon, bonk, matic, shiba inu, bitcoin, ethereum

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rises; Solana is biggest gainer among top 10

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Monday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin mining difficult reaches all time high.

Bitcoin miners return from winter storms, difficulty at an all-time high

The Bitcoin mining difficulty level jumped 10.26% on Monday morning in Hong Kong, hitting an all-time high reading of 37.59 trillion, as several U.S-based miners came back online from recent winter storms that forced them to unplug, according to data from BTC.com. See related article: Bitcoin hashrate drops nearly 40% as deadly U.S. storm unplugs […]
company employees in pyramid scheme | CEO of South Korea’s V Global US$2 bln crypto pyramid scheme gets 25 years in prison | south korea crypto fraud v global v cash

CEO of South Korea’s V Global US$2 bln crypto pyramid scheme gets 25 years in prison

Lee Byung-gul, the CEO of V Global, will serve 25 years in prison after his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court of Korea on Friday.
Republican Congressman French Hill. | U.S. House of Representatives forms new cryptocurrency subcommittee

U.S. House of Representatives forms new cryptocurrency subcommittee

The U.S. House of Representatives has created a new congressional subcommittee focused on digital assets, as one of its first moves under the control of the Republican Party.
Bitcoins sitting in sand. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend surge; Solana, XRP give back some gains.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend surge; Solana, XRP give back some gains

Bitcoin and Ether prices were little changed in Monday morning trading in Asia. Several of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies took a breather after strong gains over the weekend on the back of signs inflation may have peaked in the U.S.
Hodlnaut, Creditors of distressed crypto lender Hodlnaut reject restructuring plan, prefer liquidation: Bloomberg

Crypto lender Hodlnaut’s creditors reject restructuring plan, prefer liquidation: report

Creditors of Singapore-based crypto lending and borrowing platform Hodlnaut have rejected a proposed restructuring plan and wish to liquidate the company.
Alameda Research: Follow the money

Alameda liquidators get liquidated while consolidating funds on DeFi lending platform Aave

Alameda Research liquidators were liquidated for US$72,000 from an on-chain position on decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform Aave while trying to consolidate funds
Closeup Bitcoins mockup on the keyboard over the cryptocurrency

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rebounds above US$18,000, Ether gains over 13%

Bitcoin rallied above the US$18,000 mark for the first time in nearly a month. Is this the start of a bull run or just another relief rally on the back of easing inflation pressure?
Terra chief Do Kwon and FTX founder Sam Bankman Fried | Why is it harder to arrest Terra-Luna founder Do Kwon than FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried? | do kwon news, kwon do hyung, do kwon terra, terraform labs, terra-luna, terra luna

Why is it harder to arrest Terra-Luna founder Do Kwon than FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried?

South Korea’s attempts to extradite the founder of the collapsed Terra-Luna stablecoin will remain hamstrung while the courts in Seoul dispute the charges against him.
cryptocurrencies sitting on top of a pile of U.S. cash. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether continue run up ahead of U.S. inflation report; Avalanche surges

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether trade higher; Solana biggest weekly gainer among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Friday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, after the U.S. posted a 6.5% year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index for December, which came in lower than inflation readings in previous months.
kris marszalek, CEO of crypto.com | Crypto.com announces 20% cut in headcount, cites post-FTX market conditions | crypto.com layoff

Crypto.com announces 20% cut in headcount, cites post-FTX market conditions

Crypto.com will lay off 20% of its workforce, its co-founder and chief executive officer Kris Marszalek said Friday in a Twitter post.
Gary Gensler

SEC in the U.S. charges Genesis, Gemini with selling unregistered securities

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Capital and crypto exchange Gemini Trust with offering and selling unregistered securities to retail investors.
Japan flag and phone using coinbase app | Coinbase to cut jobs, shut down most of its cryptocurrency operations in Japan | coin base, kraken, coinbase japan, ftx, blockchain.com, huobi

Coinbase to cut jobs, shut down most of its cryptocurrency operations in Japan

Coinbase, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, is cutting jobs and closing down most of its operations in Japan.
golden bitcoin and pile of rolled up dollar bills | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices jump as U.S. indicator shows inflation pressure is easing | crypto price, bitcoin price, ether price, crypto news, bitcoin news

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices jump as U.S. indicator shows inflation pressure is easing

Bitcoin and Ether prices jumped in Friday morning trading in Asia after the December U.S. Consumer Price Index released overnight rose 6.5%.
Bitcoins sitting ontop of a pile of U.S. bills. | Markets: Top 10 crypto fall as Blockfi enters bankruptcy, macroeconomic concerns spread

Bitcoin price rebounds as U.S. inflation cools

Bitcoin rebounded above US$18,000 on Friday as the U.S. consumer price index, rose 6.5% in December, matching expectations and continuing a downtrend from previous months.  
Nexo trading platform

Nexo office in Bulgaria raided over fraud, money laundering suspicion

Cryptocurrency lender Nexo’s office in Bulgaria was raided by local authorities on Thursday over suspicion of money laundering, tax offenses, computer fraud and banking without a license.
Golden Bitcoin tokens on the left and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele on the right

El Salvador establishes legal framework for all cryptocurrencies

El Salvador has passed landmark legislation that establishes a legal framework for all cryptocurrencies to build on the country’s “first-mover advantage.”
Set of cryptocurrencies

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise as investors await US inflation data; Polkadot gains

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, as investors anticipate signs of slower inflation in the upcoming Thursday release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index for December.
Shanghai

Shanghai Two Sessions: metaverse development requires stronger supervision

Shanghai Two Sessions’ delegate urges stronger supervision in the metaverse industry, as metaverse fever continues.
flag of Sweden

Binance obtains approval in Sweden to fuel Europe expansion

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has received regulatory approval from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority to operate as a financial institution to manage and trade in virtual currency, as part of the exchange’s continuing expansion in Europe.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao wearing Binance yellow hoodie in a sitdown in dark room | Binance says it plans to expand hiring by as much as 30% in 2023 as rivals cut jobs | changpeng zhao, binance cz, kraken, ftx, coinbase

Binance says it plans to expand hiring by as much as 30% in 2023 as rivals cut jobs

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, is planning to increase staff by as much as 30% this year.
FTX.com arena. | FTX loses sponsorship of Miami Heat stadium

FTX loses Miami Heat stadium sponsorship

National Basketball Association (NBA) team Miami Heat’s home arena will soon be renamed after a Florida judge ended the naming rights agreement between the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.com, and Miami-Dade County
John J. Ray III, CEO of FTX Group, testifies during the House Financial Services Committee hearing titled Investigating the Collapse of FTX Part I, on December 13, 2022 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Ray took over the FTX after the resignation of Sam Bankman-Fried.

Bankrupt FTX exchange has recovered US$5 bln worth of ‘liquid’ assets, lawyers say

The names of the crypto exchange’s 9 million customers and creditors will remain sealed from the public for at least three months.
DeFi summer and crypto winter

How DeFi can overcome the stench of shitcoins and ponzinomics

DeFi Summer has cooled into Crypto Winter, but with a silver lining — investors are finally asking sensible questions like: ‘Where does the yield come from?’ writes Julian Koh of Ribbon Finance.
cryptocurrencies sitting on top of a pile of U.S. cash. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether continue run up ahead of U.S. inflation report; Avalanche surges

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether continue run up ahead of U.S. inflation report; Avalanche surges

Bitcoin and Ether prices rose in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, continuing almost a week’s run of price gains on signs of slower inflation in the U.S.
Mitchell Amador sitting on a couch facing the camera

CBDCs may drive more funds into DeFi protocols, says Immunefi’s Mitchell Amador

Immunefi founder Mitchell Amador believes the future security risks of CBDCs will highlight the benefits of DeFi.
Hong Kong flag and Bitcoins with urban background

Hong Kong crypto exchanges to follow same laws as traditional finance

Hong Kong has passed a new licensing regime on for crypto exchanges that will subject providers to the same legislation and rules as traditional finance.
Group of Indian people using computer laptop

India’s WazirX crypto exchange releases proof of reserves, says 90% of user assets in Binance wallets

Some 90% of user assets at WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange by volume, are held in wallets at Binance while the remaining 10% are stored in hot and warm wallets, revealed WazirX’s proof of reserves that the company released on Wednesday.
Bangkok, Thailand.

Thai regulator probes Zipmex crypto exchange amid acquisition: report

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has written to cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex Thailand seeking clarification on whether it has been operating as a digital-asset fund manager without permission, according to a Bloomberg report. 
Voyager logo on a purple background

Binance U.S. gets court approval to buy Voyager Digital for US$20 mln

Binance’s U.S. wing has received court approval to buy Voyager Digital’s crypto platform for US$20 million, as part of Voyager’s plan to liquidate in bankruptcy.
Digital Currency Group in spotlight over fishy fund transfers

Digital Currency Group in spotlight over suspicious fund transfers

Top blockchain and crypto news: DCG under investigation. Lido DAO surges as Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade looms. Hong Kong burnishes crypto credentials.
Set of cryptocurrencies

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether strengthen; XRP leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices rose in Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, with XRP leading gains.
Ashish Singhal, co-founder and CEO, CoinSwitch.

India’s CoinSwitch exchange to add non-crypto products amid punishing taxes on digital asset trading

Indian cryptocurrency exchanges faced a flurry of taxes on trading last year that saw volumes across most platforms drop as much as 90%, slashing income from trading fees. What’s a crypto exchange to do? Maybe sell mutual funds?
DCG CEO Barry Silbert with a backdrop of handwritten letter | DCG writes to shareholders on Genesis loan amid US$900 mln Twitter feud with Winklevoss | gemini, genesis, digital currency group, barry silbert, cameron winklevoss

DCG writes to shareholders to detail finances amid US$900 mln Twitter feud with Winklevoss

Barry Silbert of the Digital Currency Group wrote to shareholders on Tuesday to explain loans from its subsidiary Genesis Global Capital.
Bitcoin fuel

Bitcoin named dirtiest crypto of 2022, tops major tokens in carbon emissions: Forex Suggest

A Bitcoin transaction produced close to a metric ton of carbon emissions, while XRP was the most energy-efficient among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization last year.
Binance website. | Binance’s BUSD stablecoin has not always been fully collateralized: report

Binance’s BUSD-peg stablecoin has not always been fully collateralized: report

Binance Global, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has acknowledged flaws in its systems that allowed its BNB Smart Chain-based BUSD stablecoin to be under-collateralized by up to US$1 billion on at least three occasions, according to a Wednesday report from Bloomberg.
ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin

MetaMask developer ConsenSys to slash 100 or more staffers: report

ConsenSys, the Ethereum software firm behind cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, is reportedly planning to lay off at least 100 employees.
Bitcoins on a red background. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether follow U.S. equities higher on view inflation starting to ease despite hawkish Fed.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether follow U.S. equities higher on view inflation starting to ease despite hawkish Fed

Bitcoin and Ether prices rose in Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, continuing a strong start to the year on signs inflation is slowing in the U.S.
Coinbase

Coinbase to cut 20% of its remaining workforce

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., will be letting go of about 950 employees, or about 20% of its current workforce, as part of “a further restructuring plan,” which is expected to be “substantially complete” by the second quarter of 2023. 
Microsoft logo on a black background

Microsoft mulls US$10 bln investment in ChatGPT’s OpenAI

Microsoft is reportedly in talks to place a US$10 billion bet in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India.

India’s Decimal Point Analytics gets US$750,000 grant funding to develop tokenization solutions

India’s Decimal Point Analytics (DPA), a research and data analytics firm, has received grant funding of up to US$750,000 from The Hashgraph Association, a Switzerland-headquartered non-profit organization, to develop an asset tokenization platform on Hedera’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) network. 
Golden coins of cryptocurrencies, altcoins and bitcoins in shopping basket on purple background.

Markets: Bitcoin slips, Cardano leads losses in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin dropped in afternoon trading on Tuesday along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Ethereum rose further while Dogecoin led gains. 
Hand holding smartphone using Paycoin app | Paycoin seeks reapproval after S.Korea suspends the payments token: report | crypto payments, south korea, paycoin, danal fintech

Paycoin seeks reapproval after S.Korea suspends the payments token: report

PayProtocol, the South Korean issuer of payments-focused cryptocurrency Paycoin (PCI), will reapply for a local license to stay in business.
A barn Swallow, Swyftx. | Australian crypto exchange Swyftx to end interest yielding product, cites lack of regulation clarity.

Australian crypto exchange Swyftx to end interest yielding product, cites lack of regulation clarity

Australian crypto exchange Swyftx is ending its crypto-interest earning product Earn on Tuesday due to a “constantly changing regulatory landscape” in the country, according to a company announcement.
human psychology and blockchain concepts

Can human psychology help save blockchain gaming?

NFTs in gaming have drawn mixed reactions, including gamer backlash and vitriol. What can the sector do to better meet gamers’ innermost needs?
A man wearing a hoodie using laptop with green codes | German government warns of ‘Godfather’ malware targeting banking, crypto apps | crypto malware, germany crypto, crypto hack, godfather malware, godfather virus

German government warns of ‘Godfather’ malware targeting banking, crypto apps

Germany said “Godfather” virus generates a fake copy of a banking or crypto app login screen to appropriate a user’s information and steal funds.
Bitcoins sitting on a black background. | Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise with most of crypto market, Solana posts best start to the year for major token, BNB retreats amid Binance probe

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise with most of crypto market, Solana posts best start to the year for major token, BNB retreats amid Binance probe

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Tuesday trading in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, helped by signs inflation pressure is easing in the U.S.
Crypto payments firm Wyre limits withdrawals as it mulls ‘strategic options’ amid market downturn. Wyre payments logo

Crypto payments firm Wyre limits withdrawals as it mulls ‘strategic options’ amid market downturn

Wyre Payments, a San Francisco-based crypto payments firm, will implement withdrawal limits for user accounts, it said in a Twitter statement on Jan.7.
rahman final4

Slumdog Millionaire composer A. R. Rahman tunes into metaverse

Indian music composer A. R. Rahman, who won Best Original Score at the Oscars for the movie Slumdog Millionaire, has launched the ‘Katraar’ metaverse platform to promote new music creations and other art forms.
China's Open Borders Mark Zero COVID End

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend rise; Cardano leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin, Ethereum extended gains in afternoon trade in Asia on Monday along with the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Cardano rose the most in the last 24 hours, followed by Polygon, BNB and Dogecoin.
bitcoin cryptocurrency payment system network concepts

Where is the stablecoin market heading in 2023?

FTX’s collapse triggered a stablecoin sell-off, but we will need them to survive the Crypto Winter, writes Vladimir Gorbunov of Choise.com.
Paul Chan, Hong Kong's financial secretary spoke Monday at a forum in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong pushes ahead with crypto hub plans as tech firms, startups show interest: financial secretary

Hong Kong will continue pushing ahead with the development of the Web 3.0 industry as it aims to become a regional hub for the nascent industry despite the series of collapses of crypto exchanges, said Paul Chan, the city’s financial secretary on Monday.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao at Web Summit 2022 | Binance will re-enter South Korea’s crypto market, CZ says | binance, changpeng zhao, cz binance, binance south korea

U.S. subpoenas hedge funds in Binance probe: report 

Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas to several U.S. hedge funds that have dealt with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance Global Inc.
DCG logo

US prosecutors, SEC probes Digital Currency Group: report

U.S. prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have started to investigate cryptocurrency-focused conglomerate Digital Currency Group (DCG), Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

Delivered weekly on Thursdays

The Current Forkast

An unmissable weekly round up of the biggest stories in emerging tech from an Asian perspective, featuring commentary from Forkast Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau. Check out recent editions.