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Iran, which imposed a temporary ban on Bitcoin mining a few months ago, continues to crack down on illegal crypto mining operations, closing down thousands of unauthorized mining facilities, according to local media reports. Fast facts The Iran Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company, also known as Tavanir, told the state-run ISNA that it had […]

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is sparing no efforts in riding the non-fungible token (NFT) wave, with its online retailer Tmall selling out a new collection of NFTs featuring mooncakes — a signature snack made to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival that falls on Sept. 21 this year. Fast facts Tmall has issued “mooncake NFTs” built with […]

The platform reports more users than WazirX and CoinDCX, and aims to make crypto trading as easy as ordering food online.

Crypto in 2021 is like the early days of the internet, writes Hisham Khan of Aldrin. Here’s why the quality of user experience will decide the industry’s future.

In another example of harnessing blockchain technology in the legal world, the Zhejiang Patent Office launched China’s first intellectual property blockchain certification platform on Thursday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province’s capital city. Fast facts The platform provides users with a blockchain certification after they upload pictures or description documents of their original creation, such as art […]

Payments giant Mastercard announced it is extending its reach into the realm of cryptocurrency with the acquisition of CipherTrace, a blockchain analytics startup, for “greater security, transparency and trust to digital assets across the ecosystem.” Fast facts CipherTrace, which calls itself the world’s first blockchain forensics team, provides cryptocurrency tracking and investigation services. It launched an […]

Cardano’s Alonzo hard fork will bring smart contracts and NFT support to the world’s third-largest blockchain. What will it mean for the crypto market?

Two of Australia’s “Big Four” banks — National Australia Bank and Westpac — have hit back at criticism they are suppressing competition by refusing to do business with cryptocurrency providers in the country, according to a report. Fast facts While neither of the banks have formal policies excluding crypto businesses, NAB chief executive Ross McEwan […]

A Canadian-American citizen, who laundered tens of millions of dollars for cybercriminals including North Korea’s military intelligence agency hackers, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. Fast facts Ghaleb Alaumary, 36, pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2020 and has been asked to pay US$30 million in restitution […]

The Sandbox, Animoca Brand’s subsidiary for decentralized virtual gaming, announces partnership with animation studio in Korea.

Football giant Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) today announced a multi-year partnership agreement with Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com that will see the exchange become the Parisian club’s official cryptocurrency platform partner. Fast facts PSG competes in Ligue 1, the top division of French football, and its star-studded team includes forwards Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. […]

Design studio that makes hand-crafted statues for global brands such as Marvel, DC Comics and Hasbro plans to expand into new product categories, markets and NFTs.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin embrace may be a domino for some emerging markets, but a fierce rival to the BTC is also coming to the fore.

Algorand’s ALGO cryptocurrency prices have surged by 90% over the past seven days, crossing the US$2 mark and hit a two-year high of US$2.44 today, according to CoinGecko data. ALGO, ranked the 17th largest cryptocurrency by market value, has not seen such price heights since its launch in 2019. Fast facts Algorand is an open-source, […]

Hong Kong-based Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), a nonprofit consortium whose members handle one-third of all the shipping containers in the world, announced yesterday that its new blockchain platform for global trade has officially gone live. The platform, built in partnership with Oracle, Microsoft, AntChain and Alibaba Cloud, aims to accelerate digital transformation in the […]

At the risk of losing billions, crypto industry officials weigh options to oppose authorities.

C.R.E.A.M. Finance, a Taipei-based decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform, on Sept. 8 announced its support of six metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will allow users to borrow and lend against the assets. Fast facts NFTs, unique digital assets whose authenticity and ownership are tracked on a blockchain, have seen exponential growth over the past […]

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban says Coinbase should “go on the offensive” against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its feud over high-yield savings account Lend. Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple — which is itself embroiled in ongoing litigation with the SEC — quipped “Welcome to the party” in a GIF tweet. Fast facts In […]

China-based Bitmain, one of the world’s biggest producers of cryptocurrency mining rigs, has sealed a deal with its United States partners — ISW Holdings and Bit5ive — to expand its operation in America. Fast facts ISW Holdings, a Nevada-based portfolio company with extensive crypto mining operations, will host 56,000 Bitmain mining rigs and pair them […]

Ripple wants to know how SEC regards Bitcoin, Ether and XRP, but SEC says Ripple is repeating the same questions as ‘they do not like the answers they received.’

Initium Media, also known as 端傳媒, is turning to blockchain technology to grow revenue and to ensure controversial news does not get forgotten — or tampered with.

As most of the market saw a 10% to 15% dip in the past 48 hours, Solana (SOL) has defied that trend, crossing the US$200 mark for the first time and becoming the new sixth-largest coin by market cap a few hours ago, according to data from CoinMarketCap.com. Fast facts SOL was trading at US$205.27 […]

As the debate over cryptocurrency’s carbon footprint rages on, leading bitcoin miner Blockstream is developing new zero-carbon Bitcoin mining facilities in partnership with Australia-based financial services giant Macquarie Group, according to a company blog post. Fast facts The first pilot site will be in the U.S. where Blockstream will leverage Macquarie’s experience in green investments […]

Following crypto’s adoption in one struggling economy, nations in Latin America and elsewhere are now weighing the pros and cons of digital currency

KILT Protocol, an open-source blockchain protocol for issuing self-sovereign, anonymous and verifiable credentials, has won the sixth Kusama parachain auction and has launched its mainnet, the project announced yesterday. Kusama is Polkadot’s canary network for blockchain developers to build and test out their code as well as products and services. Fast facts KILT Protocol had […]

As non-fungible tokens break into the mainstream, experts advise buyers to do research and watch for a correction.

A Chinese game company, Zhong Qing Bao, announced a metaverse game, and its stock rose considerably this week for two days in a row. Fast facts The game’s name is Brew Master, a game that lets players pretend to be winemakers and trade the wines that they make as NFTs. Two days after the game […]

Have DeFi exploits on BSC hindered the blockchain’s success? NFTs and gaming offer a boost.

Smaller virtual asset exchanges ask for mercy as a deadline looms to commit to Korea’s new standards.

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: El Salvador’s BTC experiment. EthereumMax and the power of celebrity. Hong Kong shores up regulatory oversight.

Despite significant losses across the board, industry experts are not too concerned, seeing the plunge as normal market behavior.

Crypto platform CEO claims regulators use ‘intimidation tactics behind closed doors’ by refusing to provide clarity.

An official from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission said on Tuesday that the regulator wants to increase oversight of virtual assets because scams related to them have emerged in the market, according to a report by local media etnet. Fast facts Julia Leung, deputy chief executive officer at SFC, said Tuesday at a webinar […]

Just one day after El Salvador’s highly-anticipated adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender, the country’s recently acquired nest egg of 400 BTC lost roughly US$2.5 million in value as the entire crypto market saw a loss of 10% to 15% in 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap.com Fast facts Bitcoin was trading around a four-month high […]

What are the different kinds of blockchain, and how do they compare? Learn all about public, private and permissioned platforms in this Forkast.News explainer.

The Central American nation opens up the next chapter in the history of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency.

FTX is the latest crypto exchange to join the NFT bandwagon. “Make your own NFTs,” CEO Sam Bankman-Fried tweeted. 

Hyperithm, a crypto investment trust company in South Korea, acquired an Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification — a requirement Korean authorities say every virtual asset operating business must secure. Fast facts Hyperithm is the first virtual asset brokerage in South Korea to be certified for information security by a public institution. Hyperithm’s announcement shows […]

In China, over 20 publicly listed companies have disclosed they are bringing to market e-CNY-related services and products, such as hardware wallets, a digital yuan payment system for schools, and a mobile phone SIM card that can pay for bike rentals with digital yuan at the tap of a phone, according to a report by […]

Charles Randell, chairman of the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority and chair of the Payments Systems Regulator, singled out celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian in his latest speech for endorsing a relatively unknown and unregulated token. Fast facts In June, Kardashian endorsed EthereumMax, a project launched by unknown developers in May 2021. Kardashian, wife of rapper Kanye […]

The institutional investment tide has turned for Bitcoin, which saw US$59 million in inflows last week, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. It was Bitcoin’s first inflows in eight weeks — signaling improving investor sentiment toward the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. Fast facts Digital asset investment products saw inflows of US$98 million […]

Solana (SOL) is continuing to break new ground, gaining 22% in the past 24 hours to reach a new all-time high of US$177.95 at press time, according to data from CoinMarketCap.com. Fast facts It has been a historic run for the network, which rose 45% over the previous week to reach its previous all-time high […]

Only 21 out of 60 exchanges are expected to continue their services in Korea.

The American football league’s 32 teams cannot sell NFTs or accept backing from crypto trading firms — at least for now.

It’s hard to move forward on a CBDC when those in charge can’t agree. Is time running out for an American digital dollar?

The broader market recovery following the May crash continues with five of the top 10 coins by market cap showing double-digit growth over the past seven days, according to data from CoinMarketCap.com. Fast facts Continuing its historic run, Solana (SOL) showed the most movement, gaining over 45% this past week to hit a new all-time […]

In another sign of increasing regulatory pressure on the crypto industry, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Uniswap Labs, the developer behind the decentralized exchange of the same name, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Fast facts Citing people familiar with the matter, the report said the SEC is seeking information on […]

In response to increased scrutiny from regulators, crypto exchange Binance is removing itself from app stores in Singapore, as well as ending support for trading pairs and payment options in the Singapore dollar (SGD), according to a company press release. The move takes effect Friday, Sept. 10 at 04:00 UTC. Fast facts Last week, the Monetary Authority […]

Gajesh Naik and Laya Mathikshara, two Indian 13-year-olds, are getting global recognition — and making astronomical sums — through their ventures in crypto and NFTs.

As the blockchain industry shifts to ‘proof of stake,’ staking’s bonding period can lock up capital. What are the alternatives?

TokenSociety.io, a non-fungible token minting platform and marketplace for the entertainment industry, has completed its first NFT Drop for the pilot episode of “Men of the House,” a situation comedy TV series, the company announced today. Fast facts The pilot episode of “Men of the House” is completely financed through the sale of its NFTs […]

As governments and citizens embrace digital currencies of all kinds, from Bitcoin to CBDCs, here’s what the world and daily life could look like.

The veil of uncertainty that has shrouded crypto regulatory discussions seems to be lifting, but how the government will regulate and tax digital money remains to be seen.

Crypto trading platforms rush to meet a Sept. 24 deadline, hoping to comply with new rules designed to protect investors.

In another positive move for Japan’s crypto industry, financial services group SBI Holdings Inc. plans to launch a crypto fund in the country before the end of November, according to a report by Bloomberg. Fast facts Citing Tomoya Asakura, president of SBI affiliate Morningstar Japan K.K., Bloomberg reported the fund could grow to several hundred […]

What does it mean to own an NFT? Furthermore, what does it mean to own a billionth of an NFT? For Doge lovers, it might be a good investment, or barking mad.

Poolin, a major cryptocurrency mining pool with significant operations in China, on Thursday announced a partnership with Quant Satoshi to further expand its mining operation in the U.S. Fast facts Poolin has partnered with Quant Satoshi, an American quantitative trading firm that focuses on crypto high frequency trading, to expand Poolin’s U.S. presence, the company […]

As Bitcoin continues to battle the $50,000 level, Ethereum rises in dominance while smart contract platforms Solana and Cardano buck the sideways trend to reach new price levels.

OKEx, the world’s second-largest crypto derivatives exchange by trading volume, is amplifying its decentralized finance (DeFi) efforts by launching its DeFi Hub, along with a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. Fast facts OKEx has launched DeFi Hub, a platform that offers users the ability to view and manage decentralized assets across major blockchain networks and DeFi […]

In the first eight months of 2021, the fledgling but fast-growing cryptocurrency industry saw almost as many companies come to market as 2019 and 2020 combined, according to the “The Arrival of Cryptocurrency Stocks” report published this month by CoinShares Research. Fast facts As of August 20201, there were 57 publicly listed cryptocurrency pure play […]

Overruling Ripple’s objections over cost, a judge gives the SEC a green light to review more XRP-related Slack communications.

Eastern Europe is fast emerging as a crypto scamming hub. According to a Chainalysis report, crypto addresses based in Eastern Europe have the second-highest rate of links to illicit addresses, and the region ranks second in terms of the value of cryptocurrencies sent to illicit addresses. Fast facts Eastern Europe has a large cryptocurrency market […]

C.R.E.A.M. Finance suffered a flash loan exploit that was much larger than earlier estimates

Singapore-based digital securities exchange ADDX today announced it had reached a US$200 million agreement that will give accredited investors in China access to digital securities covering various asset types, the company said. Fast facts According to a company statement, ADDX has reached an agreement with ICHAM, a Singapore-regulated wealth and fund management company, to be […]

Donkey, launched Sept. 1, aims to become a DeFi service that brings more South Korean investors into decentralized finance by making their favorite cryptos more scalable and available. Fast facts Donkey is a virtual asset deposit and lending protocol that runs on the Ethereum blockchain where anyone can deposit crypto as collateral and borrow other […]

NFTs, metaverses and ‘play-to-earn’ are upending gaming’s traditional revenue model. Shreyansh Singh of Polygon explains blockchain gaming’s business potential.

After only four months in the position, “Crypto Dad” Chris Giancarlo is stepping down from BlockFi’s board of directors, according to a recent press release. No reason for Giancarlo’s departure has yet been provided, though he apparently will continue to provide strategic counsel to the firm in an advisory role. Fast facts Ellen-Blair Chube, Managing […]

The United States, Vietnam, Thailand, China and the United Kingdom lead global adoption in decentralized finance (DeFi), according to Chainalysis’ Global DeFi Adoption Index published this month. Fast facts “While grassroots cryptocurrency adoption generally is highest in emerging markets, DeFi adoption is strongest in high-income countries that already had substantial cryptocurrency usage, especially amongst traders […]

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today added Binance.com — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading value — to its Investor Alert List, according to local media reports. Fast facts MAS’ Investor Alert List flags entities that are unregulated, but may have given the public the impression that they are licensed by MAS. In […]

The founder of the now-defunct crypto exchange BitConnect is being sued for a US$2 billion “textbook Ponzi scheme” by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a Reuters report. Fast facts The SEC alleges BitConnect’s founder Satish Kumbhani, an Indian citizen, lied about the exchange’s ability to earn 40% returns on investments of BitConnect’s […]

FTX’s exchange token — FTT — has reached a new all-time high following the exchange’s acquisition of crypto derivatives platform LedgerX earlier this week. Fast facts The token hit US$66.33 this morning, according to CoinMarketCap, breaking its previous high of US$61.28, which it set back on May 11, right before the market-wide crash. FTT had […]

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub together with the central banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa today announced they will be collaborating to test the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for international settlements. Fast facts According to a joint statement, the pilot is part of Project Dunbar, a wholesale […]