July 2021
Meitu to lose big on BTC investments; SK banks warned over crypto laws
Chinese tech giant forecasts a US$17.3 million loss in its BTC investment as more musicians in Asia lean towards NFTs.
IBC Group moves out of China; Pavilions Hotels to accept crypto
IBC Group becomes the latest to seize Bitcoin and Ethereum mining operations in China as crypto gets the nod from Pavilions Hotels and Resorts.
Aussies look to crypto for retirement; Vietnam embracing crypto?
Aussies may be leaning towards crypto for retirement funds while Vietnamese Prime Minister greenlights pilot crypto program.
WazirX, Binance boost compliance procedures; Forkast speaks to FTX CEO
Crypto exchanges WazirX and Binance look to implement stronger compliance measures. Forkast News speaks with FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried about crypto regulatory measures in Asia. Chinese district rewards residents with e-Yuan for counting footsteps. We’ll have more on these stories and other news shaping the cryptocurrency and blockchain world in this episode of […]
One day, we’ll just call Bitcoin ‘money,’ says crypto veteran
El Salvador recently became the first country to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, and it seems unlikely to be the last. Samson Mow, chief strategy officer of Bitcoin technology company Blockstream, looks forward to a future in which Bitcoin edges out fiat currency.
June 2021
Bye-bye, Binance. Elon Musk spawns Floki Shiba Inu craze. Tickets for tokens in China.
Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Binance bounced out of Britain. Musk moves Shiba Inu prices again. China’s digital currency gets ready to roll.
FTX signs deal with Tom Brady; blockchain startup Nansen raises US$12M | The Daily Forkast
Demand for blockchain analytics is on the rise as FTX partners up with NFL superstar quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
Metaverse hot in South Korea; Decentralized theme park hits HK | The Daily Forkast
South Korea’s top asset managers are racing to get into the metaverse game while Forkast.News visits a decentralized theme park in Hong Kong.
China’s crypto miners eye Kazakhstan in exodus; e-HKD study on track | The Daily Forkast
Kazakhstan is quickly becoming a mining hotspot as China’s mining exodus settles down. In Hong Kong, and update on the e-HKD.
Bitcoin not ideal for cyber crime, says Filecoin Foundation chair
Bitcoin was recovered by the FBI from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware cyber criminals DarkSide, sparking privacy concerns around cryptocurrencies.
Building construction meets blockchain, Binance launches NFT platform | The Daily Forkast
Construction meets blockchain in Australian and Binance’s NFT marketplace is open for business.
Blue House responds to petition; Bitmain offers relocation assistance | The Daily Forkast
South Korea’s Blue House responds to a national petition calling for the financial watchdog head’s resignation.
Paraguay university to accept crypto for tuition fees
A university in Paraguay has announced that it will begin accepting cryptocurrency as payment for tuition starting from August.
Following forced closure, Hong Kong’s Apple Daily preserved on blockchain
A tech-savvy activist is using blockchain technology to preserve content from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, which was yesterday forced by the government to shut down.
Bitcoin: Follow the money. Titan goes Titan-ic. China’s footloose miners.
Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin’s still winning. Titan’s troubles as a teachable moment. Beijing creates a crypto mining diaspora.
South Korea’s Upbit sued for patent violation, Alipay launches NFT platform | The Daily Forkast
Another legal challenge faces cryptocurrency exchange Upbit. In China, Ant Group is getting into the NFT game — through Alipay.
New crypto mining hot spots emerge; Korea crypto controversy escalates | The Daily Forkast
The next generation of mining hot spots are shaping out in the aftermath of China’s mining exodus as Upbit’s delisting generates new enemies.
Cash for CBDCs at Beijing ATMs; Asia sees new unicorn in Amber Group | The Daily Forkast
CBDC ATMs appear around Beijing and Hong Kong-based Amber Group is Asia’s billion dollar unicorn after raising US$100 million in its Series B.
WazirX CEO: India’s crypto industry trying to keep ‘clean’ for regulators
Crypto literacy of Indian regulators is evolving and crypto players are trying to keep industry clean via self-regulations, says Nischal Shetty of WazirX.
Crypto clampdown hits Sichuan; Dtravel launches Airbnb rival | The Daily Forkast
China’s crypto clampdown reaches Sichuan. A sneak preview into how China’s digital yuan works.
More regulation for SK crypto exchanges; NFTs kick-start K-pop comeback | The Daily Forkast
Self-published tokens get barred from South Korean exchanges as Hong Kong’s air quality recording meets blockchain technology.
Survival race of SK exchanges; Ethereum powers digital passports in HK | The Daily Forkast
50 crypto exchanges apply for ISMS in South Korea while Hong Kong sees the birth of a blockchain passport for Covid vaccinations.
Bitcoin bounces back. Criminals choose crypto. Chinese mining redoubt faces scrutiny.
Top blockchain and crypto news: Bitcoin finds fresh favor in Global South. Why would hackers demand a Bitcoin ransom? Chinese miners eye Yunnan probe.
Yunnan mining ban clarified; Korean exchanges start ‘coin thinning’ | The Daily Forkast
Chinese authorities provide more details on its notice issued to the local mining industry while South Korean exchange start ‘coin thinning’.
Yunnan warns miners over power use; WazirX faces gov’t heat | The Daily Forkast
China’s crypto mining crackdown continues while Indian finance authorities probe one of the nation’s largest exchange WazirX.
Hundreds of Bitcoin mining rigs seized in Malaysia police raids
Four people have been arrested and more than 400 Bitcoin mining machines seized by police in the Malaysian city of George Town.
SK govt assists crypto exchanges; Aus firm accepts crypto for rent | The Daily Forkast
South Korean government is holding on-site visits to help crypto exchanges get regulated while an Aussie business wants crypto for rent.
How the layer 2 race is scaling Ethereum before ETH 2.0
While the world waits for Eth 2, blockchain developers like Enya.ai and OMG Network are trying to solve Ethereum’s scalability issues via layer 2.
Bitcoin hot in Singapore; China crypto mining bans widen | The Daily Forkast
El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin has the world buzzing. Can Singapore be next? China mining crackdown continues.
Hong Kong eyes CBDC; Aussie Millennials favor crypto vs. real estate | The Daily Forkast
Hong Kong looks to explore CBDC feasibility as Australian millennials favor investing in crypto over traditional assets.
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.
India crypto feud continues; Korea mining thief busted | The Daily Forkast
Regulatory uncertainty pushes India’s crypto industry towards self regulation as a secret Ethereum miner gets busted in Seoul Arts Center.
Chinese crypto social media crackdown; Seoul tightens rules on crypto | The Daily Forkast
Chinese social media Weibo bans crypto accounts as employees of South Korean crypto exchanges can no longer trade on their own platforms.
HK’s Bitcoin Meetup ahead of Bitcoin 2021; Banksy work offered for crypto | The Daily Forkast
Hong Kong arranged a Bitcoin gathering ahead of Bitcoin 2021 Conference in Miami as Phillips auction house offers Banksy’s work for crypto.
Criticisms of Tether’s reserves are unfounded, says Bitfinex CTO
After Tether’s legal settlement with New York, USDT’s growth is exploding—dispelling concerns over Tether’s reserves, says Bitfinex CTO Paolo Ardoino.
Governments meet crypto industry; Hope for Bitcoin miners in Sichuan | The Daily Forkast
Governments meet up with the crypto industry to discuss how to regulate the booming industry as BC Group’s OSL ties up with SC Ventures.
SpaceChain shoots blockchain to space; Cardano’s bridge to China | The Daily Forkast
SpaceChain shoots blockchain to tech to the International Space Station aboard Falcon 9 as Cardano announces first cross-chain bridge with Nervos.
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?
Thailand warns over DeFi; India green lights cryptos | The Daily Forkast
Thailand becomes one of the first governments to attempt DeFi regulation as India’s RBI clarifies that banking ban no longer exists.
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.
May 2021
Taxing crypto down under; Privacy coins spike in value | The Daily Forkast
Tax season is here and the ATO wants to make sure Aussies pay their taxes for crypto earnings. Also, Privacy coins have surged over the past weeks.
Indian lenders cling to overturned central bank crypto ban as customers fume
Banks in India, including some of the country’s largest lenders, are notifying their customers not to engage in cryptocurrencies, adhering to a central bank rule from 2018 that bans them from dealing in cryptos — despite the fact the ban was overturned by the Supreme Court more than a year ago.
Crypto crimes surge in Asia; Bitcoin cause for divorce in S. Korea | The Daily Forkast
Crypto crime is surging in Asia while Bitcoin is being blamed for splitting up married couples in South Korea.
How FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried navigates crypto trading’s new normal
From mass liquidations to meme trading, the characteristics unique to the crypto market can now be seen in traditional markets, says FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Crypto sector faces tougher enforcement over sanctions-busting, report says
Sanctions enforcement affecting the cryptocurrency industry has intensified rapidly in the past two years, according to a new report by crypto compliance consultancy Elliptic.
Ethereum 2 to set green future; Koreans demand regulator steps down | The Daily Forkast
Vitalik Buterin sets a green future for the Ethereum network while Bitdeer becomes the latest to block Chinese miners.
Can Elon Musk shrink Bitcoin mining’s carbon footprint? PancakeBunny’s $200 million hack. Ray Dalio admits to owning crypto.
Other top blockchain and crypto news: Australia signals progressive approach to crypto as Hong Kong moves closer to banning retail crypto trading.
Crypto market rebound as investors go green; Indonesia plans CBDC | The Daily Forkast
Investors are turning to green alternatives to tackle Bitcoin’s impact on the environment as Indonesia gears up for a CBDC.
Indonesia to launch digital rupiah as online payments soar
Indonesia is planning to launch a digital version of its national currency, central bank Governor Perry Warjiyo said on Tuesday.
China crypto crackdown fallout; Politician turns influencer in Korea | The Daily Forkast
China’s miners prepare for migration and Hong Kong reacts to possible retail ban. Meanwhile a South Korean governor becomes a crypto influencer.
Hong Kong split on retail crypto ban; Korean conglomerate on custody | The Daily Forkast
Hong Kong reacts to the region’s pending legislation on limiting crypto investment to professional investors while a conglomerate enters South Korea’s crypto custody scene.
Hong Kong to close crypto exchanges to all but ‘professional investors’
Cryptocurrency exchanges in Hong Kong will have to obtain licenses from the territory’s markets regulator and limit their service offerings to “professional investors”, according to the results of a consultation published today.
Crypto market rebound; Sotheby’s next NFT auction eyes millennials | The Daily Forkast
The crypto market has rebounded after one of its biggest crashes. Bitcoin is a ‘safe haven’ for many investors.
What’s really behind the Bitcoin market crash? Tether USDT lifts veil on reserves. Facebook-backed Diem going to California.
Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: BlockFi’s accidental BTC millionaires. China’s Inner Mongolia asks citizens to report illegal crypto mining.
Crypto chaos continues; mass BTC liquidations in exchanges across Asia | The Daily Forkast
Mass liquidations are observed across exchanges as the crypto market continues to struggle. Meanwhile, institutions explore DeFi.
Chainlink joins Hedera council in push to link DeFi with traditional finance
Chainlink, a data oracle, has joined the Hedera Governing Council, which oversees the distributed governance of the Hedera network, an enterprise-grade public network for the decentralized economy.
Bitcoin appears to stabilize after dramatic correction
The world’s biggest cryptocurrency may have found a new trading range after being battered yesterday following an apparent Chinese clampdown on cryptos, partly reversing losses of around 30% seen when investors dumped their coins on Wednesday.
Digital dollar’s values to fortify USD hegemony, says ex-CFTC chair
Former CFTC chairman Chris Giancarlo and Accenture’s David Treat are not in a CBDC race, but a ‘contest’ to develop money that reflects societal values.
Bitcoin drops below US$40,000; China sends another crypto warning | The Daily Forkast
China’s newest warning against crypto sends market into nosedive and Bitcoin dips below US$40,000 for the first time since February.
Bitcoin’s rollercoaster ride leaves market players unfazed as upside beckons
Professional crypto traders appear to be taking the recent plunge in the price of Bitcoin in their stride as they look ahead to an upswing in the cryptocurrency’s fortunes.
RippleNet ties up with Egyptian bank, UAE payment firm for funds transfers
RippleNet has partnered with National Bank of Egypt and UAE-based payment services firm LuLu International Exchange for the processing of cross-border funds transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Egypt.
Riot Blockchain’s Bitcoin mining revenue soars 881% to US$23.2M
American Bitcoin miner Riot Blockchain’s mining revenue skyrocketed almost tenfold to US$23.2 million in the first quarter of 2021, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
China shuts banks, finance firms out of cryptocurrency business
China has slapped a ban on finance sector businesses, including payment firms, from offering cryptocurrency services.
Banks take on enterprise blockchain; WeMade entrust crypto to KODA | The Daily Forkast
Banks in Singapore are leading blockchain and DLT developments while South Korean game developer WeMade entrusts its US$130 million crypto holdings to KODA.
Deutsche, STACS wrap up Singapore DLT test project for tokenized securities
Deutsche Bank Securities Services in Singapore and Singapore fintech firm Hashstacs, or STACS, today announced the completion of a tokenized securities proof-of-commercialization test named Project Benja.
What is Polkadot and why is it one of the hottest blockchains right now?
The final phase of Polkadot’s rollout — with parachains — just kicked off. Here’s what you need to know about Polkadot and parachains, and why it matters.
UAE study shows growing appetite for cryptocurrencies
The appetite in the United Arab Emirates for cryptocurrency investment is growing, with younger Emiratis more bullish about digital assets than their Western counterparts, according to a study by financial services firm Holborn Assets.
New coin launch seeks to curb Elon Musk’s influence over crypto markets
A group of cryptocurrency developers has launched a new coin named $STOPELON, aiming to limit Elon Musk’s influence over the cryptocurrency market.
U.S. cryptocurrency scams soar tenfold since October, FTC says
American consumers have lost an estimated US$80 million in cryptocurrency investments since October 2020, according to new data from the Federal Trade Commission, which calculated that digital currency scams had jumped tenfold year on year.
Elon Musk slips down rich list as Tesla’s stock loses shine
Tesla founder Elon Musk has lost his position as the world’s second-richest person following a 2.2% decline in the electric carmaker’s share price.
‘Fear’ gets the best of Bitcoin; ‘Charlie Bit Me’ is now an NFT | The Daily Forkast
FUD has taken over Bitcoin’s FOMO sentiment as iconic YouTube video ‘Charlie Bit Me’ gets immortalized as an NFT.
Fund managers urge caution amid crypto price swings
Fund managers have reacted swiftly to the latest price volatility in the cryptocurrency market triggered by recent Elon Musk tweets that have raised doubts over Tesla’s future relationship with Bitcoin, the Financial Times reports. Fast Facts: T Rowe Price President and Head of Investments Rob Sharps recognized the impact of cryptocurrencies across capital markets, but […]