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The top contenders jockey for position on initial coin offerings and other blockchain-based innovations. How did crypto become a critical factor in the race?

Meta’s Facebook and Instagram are exploring plans that would allow non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to be used as profile pictures, according to a report. Fast facts The plans include the showcasing, minting and selling of NFTs, several insiders told Financial Times. Meta staff members are also reportedly discussing the launch of a marketplace to buy and […]

Though the world’s most powerful central bank does not stake a position, its discussion paper is a big step toward supporting a future US digital currency.

The price of Bitcoin dropped below US$40,000 on Friday for the second time in two weeks, in the face of headwinds from the Russian central bank’s call to ban crypto trading. Fast facts Bitcoin lost up to 11% on Friday morning Asia time and was trading at US$38,599 at press time, according to CoinMarketCap. The […]

Guangdong Province’s 2022 Government Report says its capital city Guangzhou will become a digital yuan testbed and a blockchain innovation application pilot center in 2022.  Fast facts Guangzhou applied to become a new digital yuan pilot city in September 2021.  Guangzhou is one of the major cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). […]

South Korea’s science ministry announced on Thursday a five-year strategy to lead the global metaverse race. Fast facts South Korea aims to produce 40,000 experts in the metaverse field to propel the nation into the ranks of the five leading nations in the global metaverse market. South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) said […]

Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said that the Apple parts manufacturer will step up its plans to tap into the metaverse arena this year, the company told local media on Wednesday. Fast facts Liu labelled 2022 as the Taiwanese tech giant’s “first year of the metaverse”. The company sets to incorporate metaverse elements into its product […]

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s report on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) released on Thursday did not contain policy recommendations or decisions on digital dollar issuance. Fast facts The paper acknowledged that the Fed will not proceed in creating a digital dollar without clear support from lawmakers, ideally through a specific authorizing law. The Fed said […]

The fast-growing crypto exchange Crypto.com discloses large amounts of Bitcoin and Ether were stolen from 483 customers.

Russia needs new laws for a comprehensive ban on crypto and crypto-related activities within its borders, the Bank of Russia stated in a report published Thursday.  Fast facts The recommendation is the latest in a global cryptocurrency crackdown from China and other Asian nations to the United States, as governments fear instability and loss of […]

The gaming industry suffers from a talent shortage, but blockchain technology and Gen Z’s obsession with self-expression are relieving cost pressures.

BIT Mining’s Ohio mining site has achieved about 50 megawatts of power capacity in the midst of its U.S. expansion, the crypto miner announced on Tuesday. Fast facts BIT Mining’s Ohio data center will continue scaling for a planned capacity of up to 150 MW. The site currently conducts self-mining operations while hosting third-party miners. […]

The digital yuan is undergoing its final preparations in the leadup to the Beijing Winter Olympics, despite the expected absence of a general audience due to Covid-19 concerns.  Fast facts The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, said all payment channels for the 2022 Winter Olympics, including the digital yuan, are set to […]

Several mainland tech giants are launching digital collectibles as a novel gifting option for the Chinese New Year holiday season, which starts Feb. 1. Fast facts Digital collectibles are essentially non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but the term has been discouraged by authorities. Chinese search engine Baidu’s XuperChain has launched its digital collectibles platform, with a series […]

Hyundai Card vice president Chung Tae-young said on Wednesday the rise of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and the metaverse is helping crypto to move past the Dutch tulip mania stage. Fast facts “Although there might be ups and downs, it seems cryptocurrencies are passing the ‘Dutch tulip stage,’” Chung wrote in a Facebook post.  Hyundai Card, […]

Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg to run its payments division as the company eyes offering a broader range of financial services including cryptocurrencies. Fast facts “Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to,” Google’s president of commerce Bill Ready told Bloomberg. PayPal has already incorporated cryptocurrency into its business, recently […]

Alternative approaches to governance have never been more important, writes Alexander Filatov of TON Labs. Here is how DAOs can change the world.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Asian governments target crypto. Managing MATIC. China’s expanding metaverse.

One of the largest private banks in Pakistan has asked customers to avoid conducting cryptocurrency transactions through its banking channels, according to multiple media reports.  Fast facts Bank Alfalah reportedly has sent SMS alerts to users informing them that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and no entity is authorized to provide related services in the […]

Cryptocurrency ATM operators in Singapore halted operations on Tuesday to comply with new guidelines issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, Bloomberg reported.  Fast facts Crypto ATM operators Daenerys & Co. and Deodi Pte shut their operations down as they await further clarification from MAS.  New central bank guidelines issued […]

The numbers are in: digital yuan’s historical transactions reached 87.565 billion yuan (US$11.238 billion) as of the end of 2021, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced on Tuesday.  Fast facts

Presidential candidates from South Korea’s democratic and conservative parties have said on Wednesday that initial coin offerings (ICO) should make a comeback in the nation, as crypto continues to be a key theme in the March elections. Fast facts ICOs have been banned by financial regulator in South Korea since 2017 in a booming cryptocurrency […]

The total number of legal judgments involving crypto-related crime in China slightly dipped in 2021 to 5,137 cases, as the nationwide clampdown continues, according to a research report.  Fast facts China’s legal system published 5,170 judgments in 2020, a significant leap from 3,474 in 2019, Chinese blockchain data tracker Zhongke Lianan found in its report. […]

Microsoft announced on Tuesday a US$68.7 billion acquisition plan of gaming giant Activision Blizzard as part of its reach for the emerging metaverse market. Fast facts “Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Satya Nadella, […]

Malaysian exchange will offer equity tokens representing direct shares on the blockchain, claiming it will be the world’s first fully regulated equity-token IPO.

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands announced a US$358,888,888 capital raise Tuesday that values the blockchain gaming and open metaverse company at US$5 billion. Fast facts The round was led by New York-based Liberty City Ventures, with more than 18 other investors around the world, including Kingsway Capital, Sequoia China, Smile Group, Soros Fund Management and Winklevoss […]

The Indian government may not introduce a much-anticipated crypto bill in the upcoming parliamentary budget session, according to a report by the Economic Times of India.  Fast facts The government is reportedly seeking to reach consensus with industry stakeholders before proposing legislation.  The government may also be waiting for the Reserve Bank of India to […]

Polygon’s upgrade, which piggybacks off Ethereum’s EIP-1559, makes MATIC deflationary while allowing users to estimate gas fees more accurately.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for collective and synchronized global action to tackle the challenges posed by cryptocurrency. Fast facts Speaking at the 2022 World Economic Forum’s annual Davos conference on Monday, Modi said: “The kind of technology cryptocurrency is associated with makes decisions taken by one country inadequate to meet the challenges posed […]

South Korean public broadcaster KBS launched a recreation of its Seoul studio compound on Naver’s Zepeto metaverse on Tuesday, to promote coverage of the upcoming March 9 presidential election. Fast facts Visitors can enter and experience the digital replica of the broadcaster’s news studio, stage sets, take quizzes about the election, stroll around the history […]

Solana-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Burnt Finance, best known for burning then tokenizing street artist Banksy’s artwork, announced on Tuesday an $8 million Series A funding round led by Animoca Brands. Fast facts Other investors in this round include Alameda Research, Multicoin Capital, Valor Capital, Figment, Spartan Capital, HashKey, Terra and Fantom.  Burnt Finance got […]

Binance signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangkok-based power company Gulf Energy Development to establish a digital asset exchange in Thailand, the Southeast Asian nation with a population of 70 million people.  Fast facts According to Gulf Energy’s letter to the Thai Stock Exchange on Monday, its local resources coupled with Binance’s exchange technology would […]

Singapore-based exchange Crypto.com has struck a five-year AU$27 million (US$19.5) sponsorship with the Australian Football League’s (AFL) men’s and women’s (AFLW) competitions on Tuesday. Fast facts The deal is the first sponsorship from a crypto firm in Australia for a major sporting league, and the first major women’s sporting league sponsorship for Crypto.com. Australian rules football […]

Savvy cryptocurrency investors now know what the biggest players have long done, writes Michal Cymbalisty of Domination Finance — ‘buying the f* dip!’

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, issued guidelines to restrict cryptocurrency service providers from marketing or promoting their services to the general public on Monday.  Fast facts MAS warned businesses to refrain from promoting cryptocurrencies and related services to Singaporeans in public areas, including websites and social media. However, firms are […]

In the latest sign of growing blockchain adoption, the tennis tournament expands to the metaverse, offering rewards and participation through NFTs.

Binance’s CEO is now the richest Asian man, but the crypto exchange giant’s presence in Asia—where Binance got its start—is withering under regulatory heat.

Pakistan’s top investigation agency is looking to block crypto websites over fraud and money laundering concerns, according to a news report, less than a week after the country’s central bank recommended an outright ban on cryptocurrencies.  Fast facts Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director-General Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi said on Saturday the agency would approach the Pakistan […]

A major university in China has become the country’s first academic institution to join the metaverse, after it reproduced its physical campus as a virtual university on Baidu’s XiRang platform. Fast facts The Communication University of China announced last week that the digital campus had hosted an anniversary celebration and awards ceremony on Dec. 26, […]

South Korean lawmaker Lee Kwang-jae announced on Sunday that he has started accepting political donations in cryptocurrencies. Fast facts Donors can use Bitcoin, Ethereum, Kakao’s KLAY, media industry-focused NEWS, and payments-focused Paycoin, while receipts can be issued as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), according to Lee’s website.  The first donor was an anonymous professional from the blockchain […]

Wuhan, the major city in central China where Covid-19 first emerged, has announced plans to embrace the metaverse in an effort to boost its pandemic-devasted economy. Fast facts The government of Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, will push ahead with integrating the metaverse, blockchain, big data, cloud computing, geospatial information and quantum technology […]

Cardano’s ADA edged out Bitcoin as the currency of choice in a Twitter poll posted by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin on a hypothetical future without ETH. Fast facts Buterin asked his 3.1 million followers on Friday what currency, aside from Ethereum, they would prefer to be used in 80% of all global transactions by 2035, […]

Xiamen University of southeast China is warning its staff and students to not use Norton 360 antivirus software for its Ether mining function, citing the nation’s crypto mining ban policy. Fast facts

The NFT platform crosses $1B in sales volume within a week after launch, but with a controversial incentive structure and so-called ‘vampire’ attack.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is deferring to Congress to decide whether to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC), Lael Brainard told the Senate banking committee Thursday at her Fed vice chair nomination hearing. Fast facts Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis asked whether the vice chair nominee believed that the digital dollar should be available to […]

Residents in Beijing recorded 9.6 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) worth of digital yuan transactions in 2021, after several rounds of coupon-driven promotions, according to state media, citing official data.  Fast facts

A Chinese state-backed blockchain network plans to launch non-fungible token (NFT) infrastructure that has no link to cryptocurrency by the end of this month, one of its creators told Forkast. Fast facts He Yifan, CEO of Red Date Technology, a developer of the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), a project to spur mass adoption of blockchain […]

India may soon get its first Bitcoin and Ethereum futures exchange traded funds (ETFs) pending approval by a financial regulator.  Fast facts India INX, the international arm of BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and Torus Kling Block Chain IFSC have jointly sought regulatory approval for a Bitcoin and an Ethereum Futures ETF, according to a […]

State-backed hackers from North Korea stole cryptocurrencies worth about US$395 million last year across at least seven cyber attacks, according to Chainalysis, a blockchain data company. Fast facts Several of the attacks were likely led by Lazarus, a group of hackers believed to be backed by North Korea’s primary intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, […]

Palau will issue a stablecoin to support plans for a digital overhaul of its economy, according to its president. Fast facts President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. said the Pacific archipelago was also working on establishing a crypto exchange, a corporate registry and digital wallets for each resident in its digital revamp. Palau is planning a […]

Online influencers may be improving crypto-financial literacy for millions of people. But regulators have growing concerns.

A new project in northern Australia is using blockchain technology to improve supply chains in the water market in one of the first applications of its kind. Fast facts More than 1,000 farmers in the northeastern state of Queensland have partnered with blockchain firm Civic Ledger and other groups for the project to address growing […]

Traditional banks are not going away and decentralized finance is here to stay, writes Edan Yago of Sovryn. Here’s how an amalgam of the two can take shape.

Stablecoins and CBDCs will likely co-exist in the city, experts say, as Hong Kong looks to thrive as crypto hub.

Pakistan’s central bank has recommended that all cryptocurrencies should be officially banned in the country, according to multiple local media reports, in response to an ongoing lawsuit before a provincial high court.  Fast facts In a report submitted on Wednesday to the Sindh High Court, which is hearing a case on cryptocurrencies, the central bank […]

A computer database at a supermarket in eastern China is being held hostage by cybercriminals demanding 0.042 Bitcoin, which amounts to US$1,832, according to a Chinese media report. Fast facts

Prosecutors in South Korea are demanding life sentences for seven former executives of a now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange who were charged with defrauding investors of just under US$1.9 billion. The executives are not yet convicted, and the trial judge will deliver a verdict on Feb. 11. Fast facts The executives of V Global allegedly took about […]

An investor is suing Kim Kardashian; boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.; Hall of Fame basketball player Paul Pierce, and the cofounders of Ethereum Max for allegedly colluding to promote the cryptocurrency last spring in a pump-and-dump scheme, according to papers filed on Jan 7. Fast facts The investor, Ryan Huegerich, brought the federal suit in the […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bandwidth bust in Kazakhstan. Binance chief CZ tops rich list. Digital yuan app adoption grows.

The Indian government is mulling the taxation of cryptocurrencies as business income, in a decision which could double the tax burden on investors, according to a local report.   Fast facts Currently, crypto earnings are taxed as capital gains, which stand at 20%, while business income rates reach as high as 42%.  Taxing each crypto transaction […]

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on a wildly popular fantasy action digital comics series backed by South Korean internet giant Kakao have sold out soon after launch on Wednesday. Fast facts The NFTs, launched by Kakao Entertainment, are based on webtoon Solo Leveling, which has amassed a whopping 14.2 billion views globally since its launch in […]

China’s No. 3 telecoms provider has started accepting payment for phone bills in digital yuan on its app, in the latest move by a major firm to advance the country’s fledgling central bank digital currency (CBDC) efforts.  Fast facts Since earlier this week, China Unicom customers have had the option of using digital yuan, also […]

New non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace LooksRare has outsold market leader OpenSea just a day after launch, reaching US$275.5 million in sales volume in the past 24 hours. Fast facts This compares with almost US$120 million in sales volume for OpenSea over the same period, according to DappRadar. Like its main competitor, LooksRare, which launched on […]

Attorneys for Ripple Labs Inc. filed a response with a federal judge Monday asserting the U.S.  Securities and Exchange Commission is misapplying a recent ruling in another case in an attempt to deprive Ripple of an affirmative defense in the ongoing lawsuit, SEC v. Ripple Labs Inc.  Fast facts In Monday’s letter, Ripple argued the […]

The Enforcement Directorate in India seized assets of a businessman worth around US$4.9 million in a money laundering case involving a crypto scam, according to a press release on Monday.  Fast facts Nishad K and his associates allegedly perpetrated a crypto scam in which some 900 investors were cheated out of approximately US$162.4 million. The […]

Developers adopt NFT technology to promote staple video game franchises, but reaction from a number of gamers has been negative.

The current technologies in use do little to deter crypto money laundering, writes Dr. Mark van Staalduinen. What can nations do about this?

Internet blackouts are partially restored but access remains unpredictable to support full crypto mining, industry players say.

The 2022 crypto market has had a tough start as Bitcoin and Ethereum dipped below significant price points. But crypto experts say it’s not all doom and gloom.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is now the richest Asian person with an estimated net worth of US$96 billion, even without counting his crypto fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Fast facts The daily index ranks the world’s 500 richest people, a list on which the 44-year-old Canadian founder would place 11th, according to the […]

China’s top economic planning body has officially designated crypto mining as “obsolete,” reinforcing government efforts to stamp out the industry entirely.  Fast facts

Klaytn, a public blockchain platform under South Korean internet giant Kakao, announced on Monday five partnerships to drive plans to become a global blockchain benchmark for the increasingly competitive gaming and metaverse space in 2022. Fast facts Klaytn is partnering with Japanese tech giant GMO Group, Indonesia’s Innovation Factory, NFT marketplace East NFT, U.S.-based entertainment […]