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Danny Park

Danny is a journalist at Forkast.News. Originally from South Korea, Danny has produced content for media companies in Korea, Hong Kong and China. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Business Marketing from the University of Hong Kong.

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January 2023

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

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.

Lido DAO surges 35% over the last week, BitDAO gains 22%: Why?

LDO surged as Ethereum’s upcoming March upgrade is expected to resolve current risks in ETH staking. BitDAO also gained with its buyback plan.

Animoca Brands slashes Web3 fund target to US$1B: Bloomberg

Animoca Brands Corp. has scaled down the target amount for its Web 3.0 and metaverse investment fund to US$1 billion.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed; Polygon, XRP lead losers; Cardano holds onto gains

Bitcoin and Ether traded little changed Friday morning in Asia, with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies losing ground.

U.S. banking regulators warn against cryptocurrency fraud, contagion risks

The U.S. Federal Reserve, FDIC and the OCC have issued a joint statement to warn banks of the risks with crypto assets.

Binance declines comment on speculation it may buy South Korean crypto exchange GOPAX

Binance declined to comment on reports in local media that it is in late stage talks to acquire South Korean digital asset exchange GOPAX.

Final Fantasy’s Square Enix stays committed to blockchain despite backlash

Yosuke Matsuda, the president of Square Enix, has reaffirmed the gaming company’s commitment to blockchain technology.

DCG’s Silbert, Gemini’s Winklevoss start Twitter spat over frozen funds, billion dollar loans

Barry Silbert, the CEO of Digital Currency Group rejected claims that the company borrowed US$1.6 billion from its Genesis Global Capital.

OKX’s OKB, OKT tokens surge at least 13% each after 85% quarter

OKB, the utility token of OKX, jumped by up to 15% during Asia trading hours on Monday. OKT, the native token of the OKX Chain, was up 13%.

December 2022

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether inch up; XRP biggest loser among top 10

Bitcoin and Ether prices gained on Friday morning in Asia, while other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed.

Late Nexon CEO’s US$6.7 mln crypto stolen; hacker gets six years in prison

A group of S.Korean hackers stole 8.5 billion Korean won (US$6.7 million) worth of cryptocurrencies from Kim Jung-ju, the late founder of Nexon.

South Korea keeps betting on the metaverse, ignoring the current clunky technology

South Korea took a real shine to the metaverse in 2022, with the central government, regions and cities all interested in getting a piece of the virtual reality pie, despite criticism that the technology has a long way to go.

Japan game maker Gumi strikes US$52 mln metaverse deal with Square Enix, SBI

Japan-based game company Gumi has announced a business alliance with Square Enix SBI Holdings to grow its metaverse business.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Solana, Cardano show bigger losses

Bitcoin and Ether fell on Thursday morning in Asia. Solana lost 11% of its value, the steepest drop among top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

British Columbia suspends new electricity connections for crypto miners

British Columbia has paused new electricity connection requests from crypto miners for 18 months to support the province’s climate action.

U.S. authorities say two FTX, Alameda executives have pleaded guilty to fraud

Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, two integral members of the Sam Bankman-Fried now collapsed cryptocurrency businesses, are cooperating with prosecutors.

FTX says it has over US$1B in cash assets

The new restructuring team of FTX has reportedly located over US$1 billion in cash assets that are held in U.S. financial institutions.
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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried set to return to the U.S. on Wednesday

Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX, has signed documents in the Bahamas for extradition and is scheduled to the U.S. on Wednesday.

South Korea freezes US$93 mln in assets of former Terra-Luna associates

A S.Korean court has approved prosecutors’ request to freeze assets of US$93.3 million belonging to seven former associates of Terraform Labs.

S. Korea’s Busan city crypto exchange moves ahead without global partners

Busan announced the steering committee for its flagship exchange, but it didn’t include global partners earlier linked to the project.

South Korea’s ‘metaverse’ province says will use virtual platform to expand ties with Vietnam

South Korea’s Gyeongbuk Province plans to use the metaverse to expand economic and other relations with Vietnam.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend slump; Binance BNB token regains some ground

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed on Monday after a weekend slump amid worries about a global recession and the stability of crypto exchanges.

Japan plans to ease corporate tax rates for cryptocurrency issuers

Japan’s ruling party approved a proposal that exempts companies issuing crypto from taxes on unrealized gains on retained tokens.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall with equities as concerns about recession knock Wall Street lower

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell Friday morning in Asia, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin crypto, as U.S. stocks had their biggest declines in weeks.

Japan ruling party lawmaker calls for regulatory clarity after FTX debacle

A Japanese lawmaker called for more transparent regulations following the FTX meltdown, where investors were not warned of the risks with FTX Token.

South Korean official says no confirmation Binance pulling out of Busan city crypto exchange project

An official in the South Korean city of Busan said the authorities have received no confirmation that Binance has pulled out of a partnership to establish the country’s first city-backed crypto exchange, as reported by local media.

Terra fugitive Do Kwon has registered address in Serbia: S. Korean local media

Interpol fugitive and chief of Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. Kwon Do-hyung has registered his residential address in the Republic of Serbia.

Wemade appeals against the court ruling in favor of WEMIX delisting

Wemade Co. filed an immediate appeal against the court’s Dec. 7 decision that rejected the developer’s request to disallow four of the nation’s largest crypto exchanges from delisting its native cryptocurrency, WEMIX.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise as November U.S. inflation reading lower than expected

Bitcoin and Ether both rose more than 3% in Wednesday morning in Asia, as the U.S. consumer price index came in lower than expected.

Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas — could other FTX executives be next?

The fall from grace: Once one of the most admired figures in crypto, the former head of the FTX exchange is unlikely to see his Bahamas penthouse anytime soon after being arrested Monday on U.S. charges that are expected to lead to his extradition.
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Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas, expected to be extradited to U.S.

Sam Bankman Fried, founder and former CEO of FTX exchange, was arrested and taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police on Monday.

S.Korea discusses control over crypto listings after WEMIX delisting

S.Korean authorities may mandate companies to pursue direct approval from regulators to list their crypto on local digital assets exchanges.

Terra cryptocurrency fugitive Do Kwon flew to Serbia last month, South Korean prosecutor says

Interpol fugitive Kwon Do-hyung flew to the Republic of Serbia last month, South Korean prosecutors told Forkast, confirming local media reports.

Wemade to buyback US$10 mln in WEMIX after delisting verdict

Wemade, a S.Korean blockchain game maker, announced that it will buyback and burn US$10 million worth of its WEMIX token to stabilize its value.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise as gains in U.S. equities help cryptocurrencies bounce back

Bitcoin rose back above the US$17,000 mark in Friday morning trading in Asia, helped by gains in U.S. equities overnight.

South Korea’s Wemade shares drop, WEMIX token plunges after delisting verdict

The South Korean blockchain game maker’s WEMIX cryptocurrency will be removed from the country’s four major cryptocurrency exchanges that collectively account for more than 95% of the country’s crypto trading volume.

S.Korea court dismisses Wemade’s injunction, local exchanges to delist WEMIX

A Seoul court has dismissed the injunction filed by Wemade Co. Ltd. to stop four local digital asset exchanges from delisting WEMIX cryptocurrency

S.Korea central bank puts hand up to regulate stablecoins

The Bank of Korea (BOK) claimed it needs the authority to monitor and supervise stablecoins, according to the South Korean central bank’s report published on Monday.

Majority of ‘wealthy’ South Koreans say no plan to invest in crypto, cite lack of trust

The majority (58.3%) of South Koreans with assets of 1 billion Korean won (US$760,000) said they don’t plan to invest in cryptocurrencies.

S.Korean prosecutors mull second request of arrest warrant for Terra cofounder Daniel Shin

Seoul judge dismisses prosecutors’ request for arrest warrant for Terra’s Daniel Shin, derails their plan to investigate Shin in custody

Wemade in talks with Binance for custody of WEMIX cryptocurrency

Wemade Co. Ltd. said its in talks to have Binance Institutional Services take custody of its native cryptocurrency, WEMIX.

S.Korea court to settle MIR4 maker Wemade, WEMIX legal battle

Following a hearing on Friday, the court is expected to finalize its decision on an injunction Wemade filed against four exchanges.

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin makes court appearance for arrest warrant review

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin attended a court hearing on Friday morning in South Korea that will decide on local prosecutors’ request to issue an arrest warrant.

S. Korea energy conglomerate builds US$84 mln metaverse fund

Daesung’s venture capital subsidiary recently established a fund worth 110 billion Korean won (US$84.5 million) for expanding investments into metaverse startups.

FTX collapse will blunt activities of North Korea hackers, analyst says

The collapse of FTX.com and its far-reaching impacts will hinder North Korea’s ability to profit from cryptocurrency hacks, says one analyst.

South Korea’s Shinhan Bank starts ‘metaverse’ services, according to local media

Shinhan has opened a metaverse to provide financial and non-financial services, claiming to be the first bank in the country to provide such a platform.

November 2022

S.Korea requests warrant to bring Terra-Luna cofounder Daniel Shin into custody

A court in South Korea will review if prosecutors are allowed to arrest and bring Terraform cofounder Daniel Shin and seven others into custody, for charges including fraud.

Sony launches motion capture wearables for the metaverse

Sony Japan unveiled Mocopi, a set of wearable motion-tracking sensors that captures user movements that are reflected by virtual avatars

S. Korea’s Wemade files injunction against country’s top 4 crypto exchanges

The blockchain game maker fights delisting of its symbolic WEMIX crypto token.

S. Korea releases ethical guidelines for the metaverse

South Korea’s science ministry released a guideline of core ethical principles for metaverse application participants.

BlockFi files for bankruptcy protection, set to sue Sam Bankman-Fried over collateral

The cryptocurrency lender was hit by the earthquake set off across the industry by the collapse and bankruptcy of the FTX crypto exchange this month, and other companies are looking vulnerable.

U.S. cryptocurrency lender BlockFi files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, will lay off about 200 staff

Crypto lender BlockFi Inc. and eight of its affiliates have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the U.S.
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LINE’s crypto exchange BITFRONT announces closure, to suspend trading by 2023

LINE’s cryptocurrency exchange based in the U.S., BITFRONT, has announced closure on Monday to shift its focus to developing LINE’s blockchain ecosystem.

U.S., S. Korea applied for over 75% of world’s metaverse patents: report

Companies based in the U.S. and South Korea have filed for more than 75% of patent applications related to the metaverse, VR and AR.

Terra-Luna cofounder Daniel Shin may face fraud charges in South Korea, prosecutors say

South Korean prosecutors may charge Terraform Labs cofounder Daniel Shin with fraud for promoting the Terra stablecoin as a payment method despite multiple warnings from financial regulators that it was against the law.

S.Korean Wemade’s stock falls 30% after exchanges announce WEMIX token delisting; CEO blames Upbit exchange

The delisting poses a great obstacle to the game maker’s growing blockchain empire, while Wemade’s CEO blames the crypto exchange

S.Korea’s top regulator says digital assets, virtual assets are different

While the crypto industry grapples with the definition of blockchain-based digital tokens, South Korea wants to nail down the terminology.

S.Korea’s Ifland metaverse launches globally in 49 countries

South Korea’s telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT) is launching its Ifland metaverse in 49 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Thai crypto exchange eyes Hong Kong for possible public share sale in 2024: report

Bitkub, one of the largest crypto exchanges in Thailand, is aiming to list in Hong Kong as early as 2024 when it goes public.