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Wrapped XRP coming to Ethereum

Wrapped XRP coming to Ethereum in December

Wrapped XRP (wXRP) will be supported on the Ethereum blockchain from December, according to an Oct. 31 announcement by Wrapped.com, a cross-chain wrapped assets provider. Fast facts Wrapped XRP will be backed 1:1 with XRP — the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) — and held in custody with Hong Kong-based licensed digital asset […]
ethereum

Ethereum, Solana, Polkadot climb to new all-time price highs in altcoin rally

Ethereum crosses the $4,600 mark for the first time and Solana overtakes Cardano as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market value.
CommonWealth Bank

Commonwealth Bank first in Australia to offer crypto trading

Amid debate in Australia surrounding the banking sector’s relationship with cryptocurrency, the country’s largest bank, Commonwealth Bank, will soon be allowing customers to buy, sell and hold crypto assets directly through its app — making it the first bank in the country to do so. Fast facts Partnering with leading global crypto exchange and custodian […]
CME to launch Micro Ether Futures in December

CME expands crypto derivatives offerings with Micro Ether futures

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is going to expand its crypto derivatives offerings and launch Micro Ether futures on Dec. 6, pending regulatory review. Fast facts Micro Ether futures will be sized at 1/10th of one Ether, allowing access to a wide range of investors amid surging Ether prices, according to a press release. Ether reached […]
Tarantino at Critics Choice Award Getty Image

Tarantino auctions seven uncut ‘Pulp Fiction’ scenes as NFTs

Director Quentin Tarantino announced he will auction seven uncut scenes from Pulp Fiction as non-fungible tokens.
Thailand's first bank acquires majority stake in crypto exchange Bitkub

Thailand’s oldest bank acquires majority stake in crypto exchange Bitkub

Thailand’s oldest bank, Siam Commercial Bank, has acquired a majority stake in the country’s largest crypto exchange Bitkub. Fast facts Siam Commercial Bank Securities, a subsidiary of SCB, has purchased 51% stake in Bitkub for approximately US$535.6 million, according to an announcement on Tuesday. The transaction is expected to be completed by the first quarter […]
pile of gold bitcoin money 2021 09 14 19 30 20 utc

US$66 billion at stake but only mild interest in Bitcoin trial

The outcome of a Miami civil trial may uncover who Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto really was, and who owns his rumored US$66 billion in Bitcoin.
Squid Game on Netflix | Squid Game crypto's rug pull leaves investors in deadly ending

Squid Game crypto rug pull: investors meet deadly ending

It’s a red light for those who bought the controversial token inspired by the Netflix mega-series Squid Game, as its developers appear to have cashed out their investments, leaving SQUID’s price to plunge 99.99%.
Biden administration report on stablecoins calls for laws to mitigate risks

Biden administration report on stablecoins calls for laws to mitigate risks

The highly awaited report outlines recommendations for stablecoin regulation and asks regulatory bodies to combat risks until Congress introduces new laws.
Hong Kong protesters in 2019, Hong Kongers are using blockchain to preserve history as the state censorship gets stronger

Back up Hong Kong: How blockchain has quietly become history’s hard drive

In a city where memories disappear every day, people are turning to blockchain to preserve news archives — so the first drafts of history will survive.
metaverse

Metaverse could impact national security, Chinese state-owned think tank says

While the idea of the metaverse has many people talking and Chinese tech giants showing signs of making a foray into the space, a Beijing-based state-owned think tank has warned of the national security risks that the metaverse could bring. Fast facts In a research report titled “Metaverse and National Security” published Saturday by China […]
The Sandbox Virtual Real Estate Map (October 2021)

The Sandbox NFT metaverse platform raises $93M in Series B led by SoftBank

Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox tells Forkast.News how NFTs and an open and decentralized metaverse is transforming the way we live, work and play.
hacker

BXH says its exploit, now estimated at $139M, came from admin key leakage

The hacked DeFi platform called China’s cyber police first thing as most users appear to be in China.
Bitcoin mining

Bitcoin mining difficulty recovers to May level

Bitcoin miners saw another mining difficulty adjustment on Monday, with an increase of 7.85%, recovering to the level recorded in May, according to data from BTC.com. Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 21.66 trillion at block height 707,616, reflecting the most difficult level since a previous adjustment on May 13, the data show. The latest […]
Institutional crypto flows, CoinShares

Institutional inflows into crypto year-to-date 30% higher than 2020 total

Cryptocurrency investment products saw inflows of US$288 million last week, with total inflows year-to-date at a record of US$8.7 billion — 30% higher than the total for 2020, according to digital asset manager CoinShares. Fast facts Bitcoin continued to lead with institutional inflows of US$269 million last week, albeit at a significantly lower level compared […]
NFT concept, Scams now plague the NFT space. What can be done to stop them

Scams now plague the NFT space. What can be done to stop them?

The big-money world of NFTs is also attracting hackers, thieves and con artists. How do you know if that Ape NFT or digital Banksy is fake?
Polkadot DOT

DOT hits new all-time high with Polkadot parachain auctions imminent

DOT, the native cryptocurrency of the Polkadot blockchain network, crossed the US$50 mark for the first time on Nov. 1 and reached a new all-time high (ATH) of US$50.87, surpassing its previous peak of US$48.73 in May, according to CoinGecko data. DOT, currently the 8th-largest cryptocurrency by market value, was trading at US$48.69 as of […]
Hong Kong skyline | Hong Kong VC CMCC targets $300 million crypto fund

Hong Kong’s CMCC seeks to raise $300 million crypto fund

CMCC Global, a venture capital firm based in Hong Kong, is targeting US$300 million worth of assets in its latest crypto fund, according to Bloomberg. Fast facts Since being launched in April, CMCC’s fourth digital asset fund has gathered assets close to an estimated value of US$90 million with a goal to reach the US$300 […]
BXH, Cream Finance

Another DeFi platform, BXH, suffers $130M exploit

This follows an attack on Cream Finance that also resulted in a $130M hack.
Shanghai Cityscape, Shanghai plans to further popularize the digital yuan in the next five years

Shanghai plans to further popularize the digital yuan in the next five years

Shanghai outlined its plan to expand digital yuan pilot programs into the city’s five-year plan, in a recently released policy statement, “Shanghai’s Five-Year Plan of Comprehensive Promotion of Urban Digital Transformation.” Fast facts The plan said the city will expand pilot program for online and offline payments, transportation and government services. Shanghai is among the […]
NFT

Ant Group, JD.com, Tencent pledge to resist speculation of ‘digital collectibles’

Ant Group and Tencent recently rebranded NFT projects as digital collectibles amid China state media criticism.
Blockchain concept, Why blockchain is the operating system of the digital age

Why blockchain is the operating system of the digital age

Blockchain has achieved platform status, writes Don Tapscott of Blockchain Research Institute. Get ready for the ‘trivergence’ that will shake up the world.
Axie Infinity

Can Axie Infinity go the distance?

The darling of the play-to-earn gaming world had an explosive start but now struggles with deflation and lower player earnings. Is the play-to-earn model sustainable?
China crypto ban

China’s prefecture-level city Ganzhou cracks down on crypto activities

More local governments in China are taking actions to crack down on cryptocurrency mining and trading, with Ganzhou, a prefecture-level city in the eastern province of Jiangxi, having deployed checks and inspections on local businesses. Fast facts The economic development zone in Ganzhou announced that it is working with the central bank’s local branch, the […]
Carbon dioxide symbol, China eyes blockchain for carbon trading

China eyes blockchain for carbon trading

A department director of the Shanghai Environment Energy Exchange (SEEE) said that blockchain will play an important role in the Chinese carbon cap-and-trade system for confirming, trading, and circulating carbon emission data. The statement comes at a time when China is intensively issuing top-down documents on reducing carbon emission heading into the 26th United Nations […]
Report: Stablecoins, CBDCs may not resolve financial inclusion, international remittance challenges

Report: Stablecoins, CBDCs may not resolve financial inclusion, international remittance challenges

Stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) may not live up to their promise of increasing financial inclusion and improving cross-border payments in emerging markets, according to a new report by the Bank for International Settlements. Fast facts According to the report, the most important contribution of stablecoins is that they have drawn attention to […]
King Fury director launches monster figure NFTs on Halloween

King Fury movie director launches monster figure NFTs

Martial arts comedy movie series “King Fury” director David Sandberg has launched a new non-fungible token series called “Unicorn Masters” inspired by monstrous action figures from movies in the 1980s and 90s. Fast facts The Halloween edition of Unicorn Masters contain 15 3D-rendered animated characters described as disturbed, disembodied and desiccated. The NFT characters look […]
A defiant Facebook to invest US$10 billion in the metaverse, even as regulatory scrutiny heightens

Defiant Facebook, now renamed Meta, goes all in on metaverse strategy as scrutiny tightens

Facebook, now called Meta, is casting off one of the world’s most famous names to retool itself into a metaverse company. Will its $10 billion bet pay off?
Red Date

China’s state-backed blockchain network plans to launch NFT infrastructure

Red Date Technology, the company China tapped to manage its Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), said today it plans to fully launch an infrastructure for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by the end of January 2022. Fast facts Red Date revealed on Friday an NFT infrastructure plan — BSN-Distributed Digital Certificate (DDC) — at its BSN Open Permissioned […]
FATF

FATF updates regulatory guidance for crypto industry

The global AML watchdog provides clarifications on how crypto is to be regulated — and why DeFi could see more scrutiny.
Thailand's biggest retailer is testing its own digital currency C-Coin

Thailand retail giant is testing its own digital currency C-Coin

Central Retail Corp., one of Thailand’s biggest department store chains, has developed a blockchain-based digital currency called C-Coin and is now testing it among employees, Bloomberg reported yesterday. Fast facts The company is currently distributing C-Coin to its 80,000 employees as bonus to their usual salary. Employees can use the crypto coin to shop at […]
The Squid Game P2E game where SQUID token is planned to be utilized | Squid Game and BTS cryptocurrencies issued amid warnings to investors

Squid Game and BTS tokens emerge amid K-culture boom — and warnings to consumers

The wild popularity of South Korean Netflix TV series Squid Game and K-pop boy band BTS prompt parody tokens in the crypto space under circumstances that are being called into question.
blockchain

China’s national standard for blockchain could be released next year: report

China’s first national standard for blockchain could be released next year and a draft is now in the process of being submitted for approval, an official said earlier this week at an event in the western province of Sichuan, according to a report from local media Chuanguan, run by state-owned Sichuan Daily. Fast facts Li […]
wharton

Wharton business school to accept crypto for new blockchain education program

In the latest sign of the American business establishment’s warming embrace of cryptocurrency, the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton business school will accept crypto for tuition payment for an online program. Fast facts The Wharton School’s new executive education program “Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets” plans to accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin for tuition […]
Bitcoin feature,

13 years after Bitcoin’s whitepaper, what would Satoshi say?

Bitcoin is growing up in ways not imagined in Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 writings that gave birth to it. How will Bitcoin’s future unfold?
DOGe

Dogecoin and Shiba Inu fight it out for top dog in crypto top 10

A dog fight has broken out in the crypto top 10 in the past 24 hours as memecoin Dogecoin and its pup Shiba Inu token battle it out for the position of top dog. Fast facts The price of the once-derided Shiba Inu coin has been on a tear this past week, gaining over 200% […]
Facebook debuts its new company brand, Meta, ushering in a new future focused on the metaverse and beyond (Menlo Park, CA)

Facebook changes its corporate name to Meta to build on metaverse vision

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media giant is rebranding its corporate name to Meta as it focuses on building out its metaverse vision of an embodied internet with immersive spaces and experiences where people can digitally connect. Fast facts “The metaverse is the next chapter for the internet and it’s the next chapter […]
Forkast’s Tales from the Crypt: 10 crypto horror stories of 2021

Tales from the Crypt, 2021: 10 crypto horror stories

Behind this year’s giddy markets, evil and tragedies abound. Just in time for Halloween, Forkast.News shakes out the skeletons in crypto’s closet.
Mystery solved: Why media report different crypto prices

Unraveling the mystery behind why Bitcoin prices are all over the place

Even the most reliable media can report wildly different crypto numbers. Forkast.News dives into DeFi math and crypto exchange economics to find out who’s right.
CFTC wants to be the primary crypto regulator

CFTC wants to be the primary crypto regulator

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is ready to be the “primary cop on the beat” for digital assets, CFTC acting chair Rostin Behnam said at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Fast facts As of Tuesday, “the total size of the digital asset market was US$2.7 trillion and among that $2.7 trillion, nearly 60% were commodities. […]
cybersecurity concept, How‌ ‌to‌ ‌protect‌ ‌digital‌ ‌assets‌ ‌and‌ ‌guard‌ ‌against‌ ‌hackers‌

‌How‌ ‌can we better ‌protect‌ ‌digital‌ ‌assets‌ ‌and‌ ‌guard‌ ‌against‌ ‌hackers‌?

‌‌As‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌warms‌ ‌to‌ ‌crypto,‌ ‌cyber attacks‌ ‌are‌ ‌growing‌ ‌in‌ ‌sophistication,‌ ‌writes‌ ‌Shahnawaz‌ ‌Backer‌ ‌of‌ ‌F5.‌ ‌What can be done to thwart bad actors?
Blockchain game Alien Worlds Missions launches on Binance Smart Chain

Blockchain game Alien Worlds Missions launches on Binance Smart Chain

Popular play-to-earn blockchain game Alien Worlds has launched its Alien Worlds Missions game on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), according to a media statement. Fast facts Alien Worlds is a decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible token (NFT) metaverse where players compete using unique digital items (NFTs), earn Trilium (TLM), the in-game currency, and travel on Alien World Missions […]
Cream Finance

DeFi platform Cream Finance suffers $130M exploit

This appears to be the third hack for the protocol this year — yet the biggest one so far.
digital euro

European Central Bank appoints 30 members to digital euro market advisory group

The European Central Bank (ECB) has appointed 30 senior business professionals from a range of financial institutions and related organizations to its market advisory group for the digital euro project, according to a media statement. Fast facts The appointment of industry members to the advisory group follows the ECB’s launch of its digital euro project […]
BTS members at the 2019 Variety's Hitmakers Brunch | Debate continues on validity of crypto tax law in Korea when "BTS NFTs" are left untaxed.

Taxing crypto, but not BTS NFTs? Virtual asset tax debate continues in South Korea

The South Korean government pushes forward its plan to tax crypto income beginning in January while investors and lawmakers criticize the pending tax law for its loopholes, with one lawmaker mentioning NFT goods of K-pop mega-group BTS. Fast facts The National Tax Service (NTS) of Korea met with 28 domestic cryptocurrency exchanges earlier this week […]
Polkadot founder Gavin Wood

Polkadot founder Gavin Wood: Decentralization and security are not optional in the search for scalability

More decentralization is being planned for Polkadot as its much-anticipated rollout draws close with the first batch of parachain slot auctions starting on Nov. 11.
Mining ETF

New Australian ETF grants exposure to Bitcoin mining sector

Only two weeks after the Australia Securities Exchange approved a similar product, the Cosmos Global Digital Miners Access exchange-traded fund (ETF) launched on rival exchange Chi-X Australia today, granting exposure to globally listed digital asset mining and infrastructure companies. Fast facts Trading under the name “DIGA,” the fund tracks the Global Digital Miners Index, designed […]
DBS Bank & Hedera Governing Council

DBS Bank first in Southeast Asia to join Hedera Governing Council

Singapore’s DBS Bank — Southeast Asia’s largest lender — has joined the Hedera Governing Council, a diverse group of companies that governs and supports the Hedera network, an enterprise-grade public ledger of transactions, according to a media statement. Fast facts DBS — the first and only bank in Southeast Asia to join the Governing Council […]
bitcoin trend price bear or bull movement analysis 2021 08 28 11 29 11 utc 1

Bitcoin’s (Con)Tango

The success of the first U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF presents a challenge to investors when futures trade too far ahead of actual prices.
Sotheby's NFT, The pepe, the BAYC and Dmitri's portrait #1

Sotheby’s first metaverse auction sees 1,500 bids, sets NFT records

Sotheby’s ended its Natively Digital 1.2 auction event with 1,500 bids on Tuesday, with a total turnover of US$18.6 million after nine days of live bidding. Three non-fungible tokens (NFTs) reached record bids, including #8817 Ape by Bored Ape Yacht Club, Rare Pepe PEPENOPOULOS, and Self Portrait #1 by Dmitri Cherniak, according to a press […]
Official website of Metaverse Entertainment | A fully virtual K-pop girl group under development

A virtual K-pop girl group aims for the metaverse

South Korean mobile game developer Netmarble to create a virtual K-pop idol group under partnership with internet giant Kakao group using meta-human technologies.
sparkpool

Spark Pool allows balance withdrawal as it phases out all domestic, international users

Mining pool Spark Pool, which was once a major Ethereum mining pool, says its users may withdraw existing balances, but beginning Nov. 1 it will no longer offer other services related to mining for both domestic and international users, the company said in a statement. Fast facts Spark Pool last month reacted swiftly to China’s […]
India’s crypto regulation is coming in February, says finance minister

India’s long-awaited crypto regulation coming in February, finance ministry officials say

Recent developments indicate the government is looking to regulate the sector instead of quashing it, and industry experts remain optimistic. 
Elon Musk Visits Germany

Tesla’s trillion-dollar triumph — and its bond with Bitcoin

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Tesla’s turbocharge a boost for Bitcoin? Mastercard’s Bakkt with a new crypto deal. Chinese NFTs on knife-edge.
Robinhood

Robinhood posts 78% decline in Q3 crypto profits

Fee-free trading platform Robinhood’s crypto revenue declined 78% in the third quarter this year, earning only US$51 million during that time according to the company’s Q3 report released Tuesday. This is compared to the US$233 million the company earned in the previous quarter in which the market hit the height of the bull run, from […]
Dog off the leash: Shiba Inu breaks all-time high for the 3rd time in 4 days

Dog off the leash: Shiba Inu price breaks all-time high for 3rd time in 4 days

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has soared to another all-time high, setting its new record at US$0.00005486 today, according to CoinMarketCap data. It is now the 11th largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of US$21.5 billion. Fast facts In the last 24 hours, SHIB’s price has surged over 32%. SHIB’s price has been surging since the weekend […]
Ripple and Pyypl logos, Middle East

Ripple launches first RippleNet ODL with Pyypl in the Middle East

San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has partnered with Pyypl, a blockchain-based financial services technology company in the Middle East and Africa, to use XRP for cross-border payments in the Middle East, according to a company statement. Fast facts The partnership with Pyypl marks RippleNet’s first-ever On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) deployment in the Middle East and […]
Ethereum cryptocurrencies

What will Ethereum prices be as 2021 ends?

As Ethereum surges to a new all-time high, 50 fintech experts surveyed by Finder offer predictions on ETH’s year-end and longer-term price outlook.
beijing china july 05 2019 beijing road by chin 2021 08 28 00 48 38 utc

Beijing to launch second e-CNY pilot zone

The Municipal Administrative Center of Beijing officially announced the launch of an e-CNY enterprise zone to “explore the digital renminbi financial system.” The plan includes support for experimental digital currency projects including by increasing  5G infrastructure to enable faster transactions. Fast facts E-CNY is China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC). It is anticipated to be […]
Binance IGO

Binance NFT launches initial game offerings

Binance NFT, the non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace of Binance, has launched Initial Game Offerings (IGOs) for customers to invest in gaming NFTs projects at an early stage, according to a Binance blog post. Fast facts The IGOs will feature NFT collections from top-tier gaming projects that are available exclusively on the Binance NFT marketplace, Binance […]
Notabene Tether

Tether to test anti-money laundering product

Tether Operations, the company behind Tether (USDT) — the largest stablecoin by market capitalization — today announced that it will be trialing Notabene’s crypto travel rule compliance product for cross-border stablecoin transfers. Fast facts USDT has a market capitalization of over US$70 billion and over US$64 billion in 24-hour trading volume, according to CoinGecko data. […]
20211026 Vitalk Buterin

Vitalik Buterin: Layer 2 is the future of Ethereum scaling

Ethereum’s creator explains why rollups can help scale Ethereum while preserving decentralization.
Enegix

Kazakhstan proposes to limit power consumption for new crypto miners as power deficit bites

Local miners told Forkast.News that existing legal miners won’t be much affected, though they’re still subject to power rationing.
Young woman with virtual reality headset, Metaverse, NFT

What are the risks of recreating reality in the metaverse?

New virtual worlds are full of opportunities, writes Sandra Helou of Zilliqa. But what if real-world problems get magnified in the metaverse?
Singapore, DBS Bank, J.P. Morgan, Partior

DBS, JPMorgan, Temasek-funded Partior goes live for cross-border transactions

The Singapore government-incubated blockchain platform promises to dramatically speed up transactions and lower the cost of international trade.
China blockchain

China sees most blockchain-related patent applications, followed by U.S., South Korea: report

A new data report shows there were about 55,000 blockchain-relate patents applications filed by 7,800 companies from 47 countries and regions during the period between the beginning of 2015 to June 2021, and China has seen the largest share of these applications, as the country has been boosting the development of blockchain technology over the […]
Byron Bay

Byron Bay to host Australia’s largest Bitcoin mining operation — using green energy

While it may be known locally and domestically as a tourist hotspot and home to many Hollywood A-list celebrities, Australia’s coastal town of Byron Bay is set to become host to Australia’s biggest Bitcoin mining site— and it’s going to be powered by 100% renewable energy. Fast facts According to a company press release, local […]
Alipay, Tencent

Alipay and Tencent now call NFTs ‘digital collectibles’ amid state media criticism

Tech giants banish non-fungible token references as Beijing looks down new virtual asset market.
philippines flag, The Philippines looks to blockchain voting for its diaspora

The Philippines looks to blockchain voting for its diaspora

The nation’s elections commission wants to upgrade its voting technology to improve voter turnout and public trust. Does blockchain check the boxes?
SEC set to receive formal authority to regulate stablecoins

SEC set to receive formal authority to regulate stablecoins

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler has reiterated over time that most stablecoins are securities and should, therefore, fall under the purview of the securities watchdog. Now, Gensler is one step closer to achieving his aim of regulating stablecoins. Fast facts The U.S. Treasury Department and other agencies are putting together a report […]
Westpac

Australian crypto industry watches as sole trader charges two top banks with ‘debanking’

While the government signals it is ready to promote the industry, the country’s banks remain unimpressed. ANZ has already settled its de-banking case with Allan Flynn, but as the tribunal with Westpac concluded over the weekend, what should we expect from the outcome?
Mastercard partners with Bakkt to offer crypto payments

Mastercard partners with Bakkt to offer crypto payments

Payments giant Mastercard and cryptocurrencies firm Bakkt Holdings Inc. announced on Monday they have partnered to facilitate cryptocurrency debit and credit card payments. The partnership will make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs in the U.S. to offer a broad set of cryptocurrency services and ​​enable consumers to buy and sell digital assets through […]

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