Archives
Moonstake ties up with Uzbekistan exchange in blockchain push
Staking service provider Moonstake has partnered with UzNEX to provide blockchain consulting services in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Vitalik Buterin: Why Eth2 will propel Ethereum’s use in enterprise
In a talk this week, Vitalik Buterin explains Ethereum’s growing use in enterprise and the importance of building diverse, open-source communities.
China’s Xinjiang and Qinghai regions ban cryptocurrency mining
Xinjiang and Qinghai regions in China are now banning cryptocurrency mining, after Inner Mongolia tightened its crypto mining ban last month.
New York State passes bill restricting Bitcoin mining
A bill restricting the granting of crypto mining permits on environmental ground has passed the New York State Senate.
El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment. Ethereum’s steady rise. Free money in China.
Top blockchain and crypto news: El Salvador bets on Bitcoin as national currency. ETH gains ground on BTC. Beijing dishes out digital yuan in latest trials.
Iranian president calls for crypto regulation to mitigate risks
Iran wants to “preserve and protect national interests” in the field of digital currencies and cryptocurrencies, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says.
Cardano to roll out smart-contract tools in new product suite
Cardano is set to provide tools for developers, end users and businesses to execute smart contracts in financial agreements through a new suite of products.
El Salvador’s Bitcoin law wins vote, set to shake up BTC investments everywhere
Now that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s Bitcoin-as-legal-tender bill is almost reality, what will it mean for BTC investors around the world?
Beijing Winter Olympics vendors begin to accept digital yuan
Shijingshan, a site for the upcoming Winter Olympics, has started supporting payments made using the state digital money, known as e-CNY.
Miami property deal breaks crypto real estate record
A Miami property has set a record for the highest price paid in cryptocurrency in a real estate transaction — US$22.5 million.
Chinese Bitcoin investors among most profitable globally
Bitcoin investors in China saw greater returns in 2020 than almost any other nation — second only to the US.
Australian crypto exchange Bitunivex plans to go green
Australian crypto exchange Bitunivex.com has announced plans to offset its carbon footprint by investing in green crypto initiatives.
UNICEF invests in blockchain startups for financial inclusion
UNICEF Venture Fund is awarding up to $100,000 to blockchain startups, including India’s GovBlocks, in its latest funding round. Here are the other projects.
Hong Kong eyes digital currency as part of new fintech plan
Hong Kong will be initiating a study on a digital Hong Kong dollar as part of its plans to “future proof” the city for central bank digital currencies.
Ripple proposes federated sidechains for XRP Ledger smart contracts
Ripple is inviting feedback from its developer community on a plan to introduce federated sidechains on the XRP Ledger.
KuCoin exchange in Ontario regulator’s sights after law breaches
The Ontario Securities Commission is set to take enforcement action against two companies behind the cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin for violating the province’s securities laws.
How NFTs are redrawing Asia’s art scene from artists to galleries
From Phillips auction house in Hong Kong to Art Fair Philippines, non-fungible tokens are redefining how Asia appreciates, buys and profits from art.
World Economic Forum offers DeFi ‘toolkit’ for policymakers
In collaboration with Wharton business school, WEF releases a toolkit for governments to consider the opportunities and risks of decentralized finance.
Ripple asks court to ignore 70+ SEC actions against cryptos before XRP
Did Ripple have ‘fair notice’ that SEC might deem the XRP a security? Ripple calls report on SEC’s prior anti-crypto enforcement actions ‘misleading.’
Indian crypto exchanges form self-regulatory body
Crypto exchanges in India have partnered with the Internet and Mobile Association of India to form a self-regulatory body.
Bitcoin worth millions recovered from Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack
Millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin paid to ransomware hackers who shut down the main fuel pipeline on the U.S. East Coast last month has been recovered.
Beijing looks to boost blockchain, create industry champions
China has released guidelines aimed at boosting the country’s blockchain development.
Four in 10 Australian millennials would buy crypto over real estate
Nearly 40% of Australians born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s would rather invest in cryptocurrencies than real estate, according to a nesurvey.
Crypto exchange Fasset expands to Southeast Asia
Cryptocurrency exchange Fasset has received three licenses from the Labuan Financial Services Authority in Malaysia for business operations in the country.
XRP sees robust institutional inflows; Ethereum ‘altcoin of choice,’ report says
XRP last week saw inflows of US$7 million into investment products, the most since April, according to CoinShares.
Bitcoin mining rig maker Canaan to open service center in Kazakhstan
Canaan, one of the largest crypto mining rig makers in the world, is opening its first-ever service center outside China—in Kazakhstan.
Ripple accuses SEC of ‘noncompliance’ in sharing XRP, Bitcoin and Ether communications
Ripple is also asking court to order SEC to reveal the agency’s internal employee policies on trading cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
CoinShares lists Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin ETPs on Germany’s Börse Xetra
CoinShares has announced that its Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin physically-backed exchange traded products have cross-listed on Germany’s Börse Xetra exchange.
Binance launching NFT platform with ‘100 Creators’ campaign
Binance today announced a “100 creators” campaign featuring creative talents from around the world as part of the launch of its non-fungible token marketplace on June 24.
Smartphone giant Huawei doubles down on blockchain technology
Following blockchain’s mention as a next-wave technology in China’s five-year plan, Huawei unveils applications for government and in-house services.
El Salvador poised to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender
El Salvador is proposing a bill to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in the Central American nation. In a videotaped announcement shown at the Bitcoin 2021 Conference in Miami, President Nayib Bukele said he would submit the bill this week.
South Korean crypto exchange executives face ban from own platforms
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has announced plans to ban executive employees and exchange operators from trading on their own platforms, prompting a chorus of complaints. Fast Facts: The FSC’s Financial Intelligence Unit recently met with officials from cryptocurrency exchanges to explain upcoming amendments to the Act on Reporting and Use of Certain Financial Transaction Information, […]
NortonLifeLock bids to turn users into home Ethereum miners
Users of cybersecurity product NortonLifeLock will soon be able to mine Ethereum on their home computers through a new feature named Norton Crypto.
Shanghai in US$3M e-CNY windfall ahead of Dragon Boat holiday
Following a digital yuan giveaway announced for Beijing last week, Shanghai will distribute 350,000 red envelopes to people across the city during next week’s Dragon Boat Festival.
Crypto mining rig maker Goldshell to launch ‘mine-at-home’ kits in Asia
Crypto mining equipment manufacturer Goldshell has announced that it will launch a new line of mining rigs designed specifically for home use in Asian markets.
Weibo blocks crypto accounts as Chinese clampdown continues
Microblog platform Weibo has blocked more than 30 influential Chinese cryptocurrency-related accounts amid a series of actions by Beijing against crypto mining and trading.
Australia’s first Bitcoin capital growth fund gaining interest
Australia’s first capital growth fund to offer institutional exposure to BTC has announced its received inquiries from some of the country’s largest companies.
What blockchain games like Alien Worlds say about life outside metaverses
In a special Q&A, Sarojini McKenna of Alien Worlds discusses play-to-earn gaming, digital assets like Trilium, and lives increasingly lived inside virtual worlds.
Luno crypto exchange looks to expand into Indonesia and SE Asia
Global crypto exchange Luno is in talks with conglomerate Lippo Group to launch operations in Indonesia in order to enter the Southeast Asian market.
How serious is the threat of Bitcoin mining to the environment?
Is Bitcoin’s carbon footprint a growing risk to Earth, or is it a red herring? On this year’s United Nations World Environment Day, crypto mining is a hot topic.
Prominent Chinese economist urges public to ‘avoid confusion’ between digital currency and cryptocurrencies
It is important to distinguish between developing a digital currency for currency digitalization and digitalization of assets or cryptocurrencies so that China can be more focused on preventing risks in the financial sector, said Fan Gang, a Peking University professor and a prominent advocate in China for economic reform. Fast Facts: In a keynote speech […]
Regulators in Hainan warn of illegal crypto fundraising schemes
Regulators Hainan province have issued a warning against illegal fundraising schemes using crypto or blockchain..
South Korea will tax overseas crypto assets starting next year
S. Korea residents with accounts in foreign crypto exchanges may have to report their crypto holdings starting in 2022. Above what amount is taxable?
UK watchdog: Crypto firms fall short on anti-money laundering rules
Many of Britain’s crypto firms are failing to meet required anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, says the country’s watchdog.
BitFlyer to launch Bitcoin-Japanese yen pair for U.S. traders
BitFlyer announced today that it is launching a Bitcoin-to-Japanese yen pair for currency traders in the U.S.
NFT sales slump amid May crypto crash
The market for non-fungible tokens took a beating in May amid turmoil in the cryptocurrency sector, according to industry data.
Ripple execs seek info to defend XRP trades from 16 foreign crypto exchanges
To defend themselves against SEC lawsuit, Ripple’s CEO and chairman ask court for help getting XRP info from a who’s who list of offshore crypto exchanges.
DBS Bank tapping on tokenized bonds as a new way to invest
From digital bonds to real estate, blockchain-enabled security token offerings and tokenization are redefining corporate fundraising and investing.
South Korean crypto exchange Upbit in the dock over botched transfers
Eleven users of Upbit have filed a class action lawsuit against its owner, Dunamu Inc., seeking damages over a suspected technical failure.
Ethereum is rocketing out of this world with SpaceX and SpaceChain
Can Ethereum, also known as the ‘World Computer,’ function outside this world — in space? A SpaceX rocket launch today will put that to the test.
Google to lift ban on ads for crypto wallets, exchanges
Google has announced plans to lift a ban on advertising cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges that has been in place for almost three years. A ban on advertising initial coin offerings will remain, however. Fast Facts: An advertising policy update on the company’s main webpage states that advertisers of crypto wallets and exchanges targeting the US […]
Standard Chartered, BC Group to launch digital asset trading platform
Standard Chartered and BC Group to launch digital asset trading platform for corporate and institutional clients in Europe and the UK.
Bitcoin mining rig maker Canaan reports huge jump in overseas sales
Chinese Bitcoin mining hardware maker Canaan says overseas sales accounted for almost four-fifths of its revenue during the first quarter of 2021.
‘Green’ crypto mining should be spared crackdown, Canaan chief says
Green crypto mining operations should be spared China’s recent crackdown on the sector, according to the CEO of Canaan Inc.
Cardano and Nervos to launch cross-chain bridge
Input Output Hong Kong and Nervos announced today that they will be launching a cross-chain bridge to connect the two networks.
Is India’s central bank greenlighting crypto? Bitcoin fees fall to new lows. Cardano rolls out Alonzo upgrade for DeFi.
Other top blockchain and crypto news: Thailand’s SEC tries to rein in DeFi via regulation. Will China’s future DCEP digital yuan offer smart contracts?
WazirX launches India’s first NFT marketplace
WazirX launched the country’s first NFT marketplace on Tuesday, featuring artists from India and other South Asian nations.
China to give away digital yuan worth US$6.3M in latest e-CNY test
China is set to hand out 200,000 virtual red envelopes, each containing 200 yuan (US$31.30) of the country’s prototype digital currency, to Beijing residents.
Cryptocurrency behind spike in illegal gambling, Asian racing body says
Illegal gambling in Asia is on the rise, facilitated in part by sites accepting bets in cryptocurrency.
Dogecoin to list on Coinbase Pro
Dogecoin has gained an additional measure of credibility, with crypto exchange Coinbase announcing that it will add DOGE to its professional trading platform.
Ethereum investment products hit market-share high of 27%, report says
Ethereum has hit a market-share high of 27% of all digital asset investment fund products following recent price corrections.
Australian Tax Office issues reminder of cryptocurrency tax obligations
ATO will contact 400,000 Australian crypto holders over concerns that they may not be fully aware of their crypto tax obligations. Tax cheats beware!
What’s up with Taproot, the biggest proposed change to Bitcoin since 2017?
Bitcoin’s proposed Taproot update for smart contracts and privacy has wide verbal support from miners, but will they put their crypto where their mouth is?
S. Korean banks process US$57B linked to crypto exchanges
South Korean banks processed over 64 trillion won (US$57 billion) of deposits and withdrawals linked to crypto exchanges in the first quarter.
Robinhood’s Chinese rivals to launch crypto services abroad
China-based trading apps Futu and Tiger Brokers have announced plans to move into crypto to compete outside China with apps such as Robinhood and eToro.
Financial Stability Board seeks faster, cheaper cross-border payments
The Financial Stability Board has launched a public consultation on global targets for cross-border payments.
How blockchain technology is revolutionizing KYC in financial services
‘Know your customer’ is key to anti-money laundering efforts. Isabelle Corbett of R3 explains why blockchain is uniquely suited for KYC/AML.
Thailand’s DeFi sector targeted for regulation over coin offerings
Thailand’s Securities regulator has announced that digital tokens issued and offered for transactions must have its approval.
Bitcoin suffers second-biggest monthly price drop in May
Bitcoin dropped by 37.5% in May after hitting a low of US$34,195 yesterday, the second-largest drop on record after it fell 40% in September 2011.
Singapore’s DBS Bank launches its first digital bond
Singapore’s DBS Bank has announced its first security token offering on the DBS Digital Exchange.
Indian central bank in climbdown over crypto ban
India’s central bank has said that banks and other finance sector businesses should not adhere to a prohibition it imposed on lenders dealing in cryptocurrencies.
Gold vs. Bitcoin: Which one is better as a safe-haven asset?
Gold prices are rising again and at a three-month high. How does gold — a store of value for over 2,500 years — compare to Bitcoin as a refuge from market turmoil?