Articles by
Lachlan Keller
Lachlan is a journalist and producer at Forkast working from Melbourne, Australia. His work can be found in numerous magazines in Australia on topics ranging from culture to science. Lachlan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Macleay College in Australia.
December 2022
Markets: Bitcoin rises, Ether gains on potential Visa integration, BNB rebounds
Bitcoin prices rose Wednesday morning in Asia amid a week of volatile price movements in end-of-year trading.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Dogecoin drops after poll says Musk should quit as Twitter boss
Bitcoin and Ether prices fell in Tuesday morning trading in Asia as concern about the stability of crypto exchanges and a possible global recession continued to weigh on markets.
Binance “deliberately” caused FTX collapse, Kevin O’Leary claims
Kevin O’Leary Kevin O’Leary, chairman of venture capital firm O’Leary Ventures and star of TV’s Shark Tank, said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday that Binance Global Inc.’s chief executive and founder Changpeng Zhao deliberately caused the collapse of Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com.
MetaMask partners with PayPal for Ethereum purchases through wallet
ConsenSys Inc., the company behind leading crypto wallet MetaMask, announced on Thursday a new partnership with PayPal Holdings Inc.
Markets: Bitcoin rebounds then retraces amid hawkish Fed comments, Solana gains
Bitcoin held onto gains in Thursday morning trading in Asia, though had pulled back from an earlier spike above US$18,000 as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in line with expectations.
Crypto market implosions, bankruptcies bring sweeping job losses … and opportunity
By some estimates, job cuts in the cryptocurrency-specific industry are running at about 30-40%, which means tough times for employers and employees, and compensation packages are also taking a hit.
New FTX CEO says he found ‘utter failure of corporate controls’ at the exchange
John J. Ray III, the new CEO of FTX.com, said the company’s failure was caused by the “concentration of control in a very small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals.”
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in mixed trading; U.S. equities gain ahead of inflation data
Bitcoin and Ether rose in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, with other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies putting in a mixed performance.
The Block CEO resigns after reports of undisclosed loans from Alameda Research
Michael McCaffrey, the CEO of crypto news outlet The Block, resigned after reports revealed that he received undisclosed multi-million dollar loans from Alameda Research.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether down as markets brace for November inflation data
Bitcoin and Ether fell slightly in Monday morning trading in Asia, along with all other non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies in the top 10, excluding Litecoin.
FTX failure a ‘wake-up call’ for security, says former Mt Gox CEO Mark Karpeles
Before the FTX implosion there was Mt. Gox, an exchange that oversaw 80% of all Bitcoin trades before it collapsed in 2014. In this exclusive interview with Forkast, former Mt. Gox Chief Executive Officer Mark Karpeles says what he sees in store for the industry in 2023 in the wake of the FTX bankruptcy.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether drop as SEC’s Gensler says crypto firms running out of time to comply with securities laws
Bitcoin fell below US$17,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia. The other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also retreated.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in slow trading, Solana gains on Web3 game partnership
Bitcoin edged up above US$17,000 in Wednesday morning trading, a level it has fluctuated around for much of the past week.
Bankman-Fried claims new FTX CEO’s testimony is ‘false’
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com, alleged in an interview released on Monday that John J. Ray III, the new chief executive of the firm, has made statements that Bankman-Fried knows to be “false.”
Markets: Bitcoin, crypto top 10 retreat with equities on signs of inflation uptick in U.S.
Bitcoin dipped below US$17,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, as Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies lost ground.
Australian crypto exchange Swyftx cuts 40% of jobs amid fallout from FTX collapse
Australian cryptocurrency exchange Swyftx cut 90 staff members — or 40% of its workforce — to prepare for a “worst-case scenario” in the market from the collapse of FTX.com.
Coinbase CEO Armstrong says Bankman-Fried’s US$8 bln ‘accounting error’ doesn’t stand up
Coinbase Global Inc. Chief Executive Brian Armstrong said Sam Bankman-Fried’s explanation of sloppy accounting as the reason US$8 billion moved from his crypto exchange FTX to brokerage arm Alameda Research doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Markets: Bitcoin back above US$17,000, Ether gains along with other top 10 crypto
Bitcoin traded above US$17,000 Monday morning in Asia, with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market cap gaining ground.
NFT sales rise for first time in 7 months in November despite crypto price slump
NFT investors seemingly see opportunities in a month full of surprises and headwinds for the broader cryptocurrency market.
Markets: Bitcoin dips back below US$17,000, Ether falls, Dogecoin leads losers list
Bitcoin fell back below US$17,000 in Friday morning trading in Asia. Ether and all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization also lost ground.
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is still optimistic about the metaverse
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg said that he remains optimistic about the future of the metaverse over a “five-to-ten-year horizon” despite widespread skepticism of his company’s venture into the technology.
U.S. crypto exchange Kraken to lay off 30% of its workforce, cites ‘market conditions’
U.S.-based crypto exchange Kraken said it will lay off 30% of its global workforce, or approximately 1,100 people, to “adapt to current market conditions.”
Markets: Bitcoin, crypto, rise after Fed Chair Powell hints at easing rate hikes
Bitcoin and Ether rose as Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the central bank may start easing interest rate hikes.
November 2022
Dominica releases ‘world’s first’ national crypto token with Huobi, Tron
The Commonwealth of Dominica in the Caribbean reportedly issued its national crypto token, DMC, on Tuesday, in partnership with crypto exchange Huobi Global, TronDAO and DMC Labs.
Coinbase wallet ends support for ETC, BCH, XRP, XLM
The largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. announced that its wallet will no longer be supporting Ethereum Classic (ETC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), XRP and Stellar (XLM).
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether gain as China eases Covid rules amid protests; Dogecoin jumps
Bitcoin and Ether both rose in Wednesday morning trading in Asia, with all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies also gaining ground as China on Tuesday said it will relax some Covid rules in response to protests.
ECB’s Christine Lagarde: Further crypto regulation ‘absolute necessity’ following FTX collapse
Christine Lagarde of the European Central Bank said regulating cryptocurrency in the EU is an “absolute necessity” following the collapse of Bahamas-based exchange FTX.com.
Markets: Top 10 crypto fall as BlockFi enters bankruptcy, macroeconomic concerns spread
Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday morning trading in Asia as U.S.-based crypto lender Blockfi filed for bankruptcy overnight in what is seen as another casualty of the collapse of the FTX exchange this month.
Bitcoin price follows slide in Asia equity markets amid growing China protests against Covid-19 lockdowns
Reports of civil disobedience, protests and clashes with the police in cities and universities in China are unnerving financial markets in Asia
Australian fintech firm launches new AUD stablecoin, AUDE
Australian blockchain fintech startup Ettle Pty Ltd. has completed the first transaction on its recently launched Australian dollar-pegged stablecoin, AUDE.
Markets: Bitcoin little changed, Dogecoin leads pack in muted morning of trading
Bitcoin was little changed in Monday morning trading amid mixed results from the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies following a relatively muted few days of trading over the Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S.
MetaMask says “we changed nothing” in response to criticism update collects more user data
ConsenSys, which operates the popular cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, said an update to the wallet has made no change to the data the platform collects from its users, only the wording had changed.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao says he should have tweeted sooner about FTX woes
The chief executive officer of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, regrets sending ‘too late’ a tweet that contributed to the collapse of FTX.com.
Markets: Bitcoin little changed, Ether rises ahead of ‘Shanghai’ upgrade, XRP climbs
Bitcoin traded little changed Friday morning in Asia, while Ether rose amid a mixed performance by the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
Question: How do financial rules work when rogue individuals run companies? Answer: Not very well.
Calls for tougher rules on cryptocurrency have been echoing ever louder through the offices of global financial regulators since the collapse of the FTX exchange. But the firm did not invent dodgy business practices, so what can regulators and the industry do?
Wallet linked to defunct crypto exchange BTC-e suddenly activates
A wallet address linked to defunct crypto exchange BTC-e sent its largest transaction since August 2017 on Wednesday.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise as Fed minutes suggest an easing in interest rate hikes
Bitcoin and Ether were both trading up as the U.S. Federal Reserve released meeting minutes suggesting it is looking to slow the rate of interest rate rises.
Markets: Bitcoin, crypto rise as FTX contagion fears ease
Bitcoin recovered above US$16,000 in Wednesday morning trading as it rose along with Ether and the rest of the crypto top 10 by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.
Bitcoin price falls to more than two-year low amid growing concerns about FTX fallout
Investors are unnerved by the possibility of more failures among companies linked to the now bankrupt FTX exchange, fearing a repeat of the Terra-Luna stablecoin collapse in May that also brought down other businesses.
Input Output announces privacy-centric blockchain and token on Cardano
Input Output Global Inc. (IOG), the firm behind the Cardano blockchain, is releasing a new data-protection and privacy-centric blockchain and accompanying token.
Markets: Bitcoin, other crypto start week lower as FTX collapse continues rumble through the industry
Bitcoin and Ether both fell in Monday morning trading in Asia along with all of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
Australia to revamp cryptocurrency rules after FTX collapse
The country is one of the first to say it will act to set up regulations to prevent a collapse similar to FTX, which filed for bankruptcy protection and froze the assets of hundreds of thousands of investors.
Markets: Bitcoin flat, most crypto top 10 fall as Fed indicates further rate rises
Bitcoin traded little changed Friday morning in Asia, while Ether fell along with most other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall as FTX implosion, job cuts in tech industry cloud outlook
Bitcoin and Ether prices fell in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 tokens by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.
Crypto lender BlockFi faces possible failure amid FTX collapse, WSJ says
BlockFi Inc. is preparing for possible bankruptcy filings after it acknowledged “significant exposure” to bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise amid positive inflation data, despite reports of Russian missile strikes in Poland
Bitcoin and Ether rose on Wednesday morning in Asia amid reports of alleged Russian missile strikes on Poland while inflationary data out of the U.S. provided support.
FTX collapse ‘sad’ for crypto industry, but underlying technology still sound
Panelists at Forkast’s livestreamed event ‘Crypto Rising: How Top VCs Are Investing Out of Crypto Winter’ shared their thoughts on the future of the industry following FTX.
Crypto prices recover amid plans by Binance, others to aid cash-short projects post FTX failure
Exchanges to the rescue? Cash is reportedly being made available to help blockchain and crypto projects caught in the fallout of the FTX exchange collapse.
Crypto prices slide as investors pull funds on concerns other exchanges may follow FTX implosion
The collapse of one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges last week has investors worried about the finances of other trading platforms. Cold wallet time?
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says ‘FTX still has value,’ its story still being written
While FTX’s cash crunch has rattled global markets and investors, a White Knight investor could quickly turn the tide for the company, O’Leary told Forkast in an interview.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether gain in crypto market rebound off slowing U.S. inflation
Bitcoin rose on Friday in Asia along with Ether and most other major tokens, reversing a three-day slump as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) released Thursday showed inflation in the U.S. slowed in October.
Sam Bankman-Fried apologizes in first tweet since Binance saga: I F***** Up
Sam Bankman-Fried sent his first series of tweets since Binance announced and then scrapped an offer to buy his cash-strapped cryptocurrency exchange. He apologized, acknowledged mistakes and said he will do right by FTX users.
Bitcoin hits lowest price in two years as Binance cancels FTX acquisition
Just over 24 hours after news of Binance’s planned acquisition of FTX shook the crypto market, a reversal of that decision sent prices even lower.
Binance’s pending acquisition of FTX may attract attention of antitrust regulators
Binance chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao already runs the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange so just what are his ambitions?
Markets: Bitcoin hits year low, Ether slumps as Binance rescue of FTX unnerves investors
Bitcoin fell to a year’s low of US$17,603 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia as Binance Global Inc.’s takeover of the FTX exchange unnerved investors.
U.S. midterms: gridlock… and progress on crypto industry regulation?
In a period of toxic divide between the Democrats and Republicans, the need to figure out how to regulate the growing cryptocurrency industry is one of the few issues both parties seem to agree on.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices fall with most of crypto top 10, Polygon flips Solana
Bitcoin dipped below US$21,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia as Ether and most other tokens in the cryptocurrency top ten by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, lost ground.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices pull back after weekend gain on sign U.S. inflation may be easing
Bitcoin and Ether fell in Monday morning trading in Asia as the crypto market gave up some gains made on the weekend on the back of U.S. job numbers on Friday.
Goldman Sachs launches crypto explainer, trend tool for institutional clients
After dabbling in cryptocurrency product offerings, Goldman Sachs is now offering a service to clients to help analyze tokens and market trends.
Bitcoin, Ether prices rise, Polygon leads top 10 in gains, Doge, Shib retreat
Bitcoin and Ether rose in Friday morning trading in Asia. Polygon’s Matic led gains in the top 10 tokens after Instagram said it would use Polygon to integrate NFTs into its platform.
Instagram to allow creators to mint and sell NFTs through the platform
Instagram will soon allow creators to mint and sell NFTs through the platform to buyers both on and off Instagram using an ‘end-to-end toolkit.’
Markets: Bitcoin and Ether fall with crypto top 10 as Fed raises rates 75 bps
Markets: Bitcoin and Ether fall with crypto top 10 as Fed raises rates 75 bps
NFT sales decline for sixth straight month despite tailwinds
While October saw the emergence of two very popular NFT collections, sales failed to break US$500 million in the lowest figures since July 2021.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices flat; Dogecoin, SHIB lead gains in crypto top 10
Bitcoin and Ether were little changed in Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with most of the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.
October 2022
Fortune favors the brave? One year on from Crypto.com’s ad with Matt Damon
Trading volume on cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has slumped about 90% in the 12 months since the company’s “fortune favors the brave” ad.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether, Cardano, XRP fall; BNB gains on Binance Twitter investment
Bitcoin and Ether fell in Monday morning trading in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.
Ethereum’s LooksRare latest NFT marketplace to make creator royalties optional
LooksRare is the latest NFT marketplace to make paying creator royalty fees optional as the industry struggles amid an ongoing slump in the NFT market.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Dogecoin gains as Elon Musk’s Twitter buyout moves ahead
Bitcoin’s recent price gains came to a halt in Friday morning trading in Asia though it remained above the US$20,000 support line.
Google to update legal compliance following lost criminal crypto exchange data
Google agreed to improve its legal compliance process in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice after failing to produce data on the now-defunct crypto exchange BTC-e in 2016.
Markets: Bitcoin price nears US$21,000 amid market rally as Ether, Dogecoin lead gains
Bitcoin continued its price run higher in Thursday morning trading in Asia as it neared US$21,000. Ether and the rest of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, also rose. The total crypto market cap exceeded US$1 trillion for the first time since mid-September. Leading memecoin Dogecoin was the best performer, while the […]
Singapore court issues ‘huge’ NFT decision, allows papers to be served via blockchain
The lead counsel for the plaintiff in the case has called Friday’s ruling a decision with implications for the global blockchain industry
Australian 2022 budget confirms digital assets will not be taxed as foreign currency
The Australian Government has clarified that cryptocurrency will continue to be taxed as an asset class instead of a foreign currency in its 2022 budget released on Tuesday.