Ep. 38 | What Biden’s victory means for crypto. Bitcoin rides new wave. Ethereum 2.0 revs for launch.
Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Will TRUMP crypto losers get second chance? Hong Kong to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges.
November 2020
2021 may be the year of China’s DCEP and other digital currencies
A big trend now: Central banks exploring digital currencies that are ‘programmable money,’ says Charles d’Haussy of ConsenSys. Should users be concerned?
Ep. 37 | JPMorgan’s JPM Coin goes live. ConsenSys fueling CBDCs worldwide. Is DBS Bank planning a cryptocurrency exchange?
Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin paper’s 12th anniversary. New Huawei phone has DCEP wallet. FDA on blockchain and food safety.
October 2020
Filecoin mainnet launch brings Web 3.0 apps to the mainstream
After some early turbulence, Filecoin is now opening up applications like video streaming and social networks that used to exist only in centralized Web 2.0.
Ep. 36 | Bitcoin prices rise on PayPal cryptocurrency news. US wary of CBDC as China enacts digital currency law for DCEP rollout.
Other top crypto and blockchain news: USDC stablecoin coming to Solana blockchain. Investing in KYC/AML in India.
Ep. 35 | Filecoin launch hits miner turbulence. USDC adds Stellar to rely less on Ethereum. Associated Press to publish US elections data on blockchain.
Other top news: OKEx cryptocurrency exchange freezes services amid police investigation. Investors bet $100 million on ‘neobank’ Razorpay in India
Why blockchain and crypto regulations are ‘necessary evil’ for US and Europe
Regulatory finesse toward cryptocurrency and DeFi will spur investment while not stifling innovation, says Alex Tapscott of Blockchain Research Institute
Ep. 34 | Square buys $50 million worth of bitcoin. Google Cloud bets on EOS blockchain. CBDCs ramp up around the world.
Other top news: China accelerates digital currency testing with 50,000 e-RMB ‘red packets.’ Hong Kong as DCEP’s future sandbox. VC in India.
Is DeFi a $10 billion Ponzi scheme?
The risk of getting scammed is real, but DeFi also offers investors opportunities to earn yields in this pandemic economy, says Two Prime CEO Marc Fleury.
Ep. 33 | BitMEX and John McAfee in legal hot water. Who is the cryptocurrency market betting on to be the next US president?
Other top news: Filecoin’s mainnet set to launch. Chinese banks help DCEP digital currency get market-ready. NetEase to preserve email forevermore.
Power over Bitcoin is held by a few. Is it at risk of a 51% attack?
In a special interview, Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon also discusses the critical role of government in encouraging greater blockchain adoption.
DeFi with Chinese characteristics? How China may centralize crypto finance
As Wild West DeFi surges to new heights with Chinese capital, China wants to build a separate digital finance network — in its own, tightly controlled image.
September 2020
Ep. 32 | Bithumb on the block amid fraud probe. Wealthsimple debuts Canada’s first regulated crypto exchange. BitFlyer permits BTC buys via PayPal.
Other top news: Ant Group launches blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.
Ep. 31 | FinCEN files tie big banks to $2 trillion in crimes. Tezos tapped to explore CBDC for France.
More top news: Wounded Unikr settles with SEC for $6.1 million. China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain.
How smart contracts can help govern and mine resources in outer space
Blockchain and space expert Brian Israel of UC Berkeley Law discusses space regulations, carbon credit trading and more in this special Forkast.News interview.
Ep. 30 | DeFi gets fishier with Sashimiswap. MasterCard stages CBDC cosplay. IRS targets Monero and Bitcoin Lightning Network.
More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain ideas to 20,000 companies.
How DeFi’s massive 8-fold growth brings scaling, gas fees challenges
In a special interview, Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan discusses blockchain as the next internet, keen interest from investors like Charles Schwab, and the hottest cryptocurrency trend since ICOs.
Ep. 29 | DeFi surges to dizzying heights. Brazil jumps into CBDC race. Swiss ‘Crypto Valley’ tax collectors will soon accept bitcoin.
In other news: Public gets sneak peek at China’s digital currency DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining.
Conflux’s Open DeFi project aims to bridge East and West — with its own cryptocurrency in China
Despite China’s bans on crypto and ICOs, the permissionless blockchain protocol has also done a ‘regulatory compliant fundraise.’ How is Conflux pulling it off?
How Ethereum Classic’s 51% attacks reveal risks to Bitcoin and Ethereum
ETC’s recent hacks may be an occupational hazard of ‘proof-of-work’ blockchains, including BTC and ETH. Is going ‘proof of stake’ the answer?
Ep. 28 | FTX buys Blockfolio in $150 million deal. What’s up with the 300 crypto-terror accounts? China forks BSN to retain control.
Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.
August 2020
Joe Lubin of ConsenSys on acquiring Quorum: ‘a match made in blockchain heaven’
In a special Forkast.News interview, the CEO who co-founded Ethereum discusses the deal with JPMorgan, DeFi’s rise, and expectations for Ethereum 2.0.
Ep. 27 | YFI soars past bitcoin. ConsenSys acquires JPMorgan’s Quorum blockchain. OMG Network integrates Tether transfers.
Other top news: $50 billion in cryptocurrency leaves China. Severe flooding in Sichuan destroys bitcoin mining farms. DeFi in India.
Ep. 26 | US Fed taps MIT for CBDC research as China intensifies DCEP testing. YAM protocol soars before crashing.
Other top news: USPS explores blockchain for voting. Coinbase offers crypto loans. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance.
Ep. 25 | Bitcoin surges in Hong Kong’s geopolitical storms. China widens DCEP testing. Ethereum Classic’s audacious attacks.
Other top news: Teen accused of masterminding Twitter VIP hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. Fintech VC in Singapore and Indonesia.
Ep. 24 | Bitcoin riding high again. Philippines enters global CBDC race. Cardano’s Shelley mainnet goes live.
Other top news: China imposes standards for blockchain companies. Huobi launches digital asset custody business. Blockchain VC in the Middle East.
July 2020
How Fed-led inflation of USD could be good for bitcoin and digital assets
Covid-driven monetary policies are spurring growing investor interest in crypto assets and derivatives, says Richard Byworth, CEO of Diginex and EQUOS.io.
Ep. 23 | Is Ethereum more popular than Bitcoin now? Crypto love comes to K-pop world. SEC-sanctioned crypto firms receive PPP funds.
Other top news: China’s BSN blockchain network expands global reach. US lets major banks act as crypto custodians. VC in India and Singapore.
Lack of regulations and illiquidity are ‘major bottlenecks’ in India’s DeFi market
Regulatory uncertainties over crypto — coupled with Indians’ tendency not to rebel — have prevented decentralized finance from taking off in India despite the unbanked’s tremendous needs, says Siddharth Verma of Nuo Network.
Ep. 22 | How Twitter hackers broke into VIP accounts. Are SEC and CFTC targeting DeFi via Abra? BitMEX parent rebrands as 100x Group.
Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.
Could blockchain technology have prevented the Twitter VIP hacks?
Social media platforms like Twitter need more advanced technology, like blockchain, to protect user accounts from attacks, says Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo.
Hyperledger is helping create ‘blockchain with Chinese characteristics’
Brian Behlendorf, a longtime open-source evangelist, discusses China’s adoption of Hyperledger Fabric for its Blockchain Service Network (BSN), blockchain trends to watch, and more.
WEF seeks greater financial inclusion to help poor, Covid-ravaged communities
Sheila Warren, World Economic Forum’s head of blockchain policy, also discusses the growing importance of digital currencies and how America is falling behind.
Ep. 21 | Dogecoin rises on TikTok challenge. Brock Pierce runs for President. CFTC planning more crypto regulations.
Other top news: Alibaba to help Cosco deploy blockchain technology for Chinese shipping industry. Fintech investment in Saudi Arabia.
SEC ‘Crypto Mom’ Hester Peirce: US will lose out in crypto innovations if regulations remain in limbo
The US is gold standard for global financial regulations. But if US does not get its act together over crypto, other nations will emerge as leaders in this growing space.
Astronaut Chris Hadfield on blockchain’s next frontier: nodes in orbit, and settling the moon
The former International Space Station commander also discusses how blockchain can lower space exploration costs, and more. Bonus: advice on enduring Covid and social isolation with grace.
Ep. 20 | OKEx launches in Latin America. Cardano deploys Shelley. Crypto firms R3, IoTeX and iExec join Confidential Computing Consortium.
Other top news: US still dominates blockchain patents globally. First court case in China litigated with blockchain. VC in Indonesia and Singapore.
India remains in a ‘gray zone’ over crypto. Are lawmakers crippling innovation?
Will India ban crypto? Regulatory uncertainty is causing nation to miss out on economic benefits. Smart regulations, says Ripple, may provide a way forward.
US could pilot digital dollar quickly if project gets green light, says Accenture’s blockchain lead
The Digital Dollar Project offers a path forward for the US to create a central bank digital currency. But will the government accept private sector help?
June 2020
Ep. 19 | Will PayPal and Venmo offer crypto trading? FC Barcelona kicks off fan token. USDC ditches Ethereum for Algorand.
Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.
Why artificial intelligence is ‘dumb’ and needs more ethical and legal standards
AI’s ‘black box’ is inherently dangerous, and the technology is still a long way from being a solve-all solution, says Oxford researcher David Toman.
Ep. 18 | Fed chair throws shade at Digital Dollar Project. Ripple elbows in on SWIFT. Compound dethrones MakerDao.
Other top news: China’s new blockchain cross-border payment platform for Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. 5G for all in Shenzhen. Fintech VC in India.
Ep. 17 | Will India ban crypto again? VeChain wows Germany. Centrapay and bitcoin vending machines.
Other top news: Chinese high schoolers cram-studying bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries in Cambodia. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.
Ep. 16 | Bitcoin and Black America. Is Coinbase watching you? Bitmain’s Game of Thrones.
Other top blockchain news: China sounds new warning against crypto. Brave browser brouhaha. Startups in Japan and Malaysia.
Bitmain drama escalates with new threats and use of force. Do customers care?
Game of Thrones at the world’s largest bitcoin mining rig maker culminates, in this week’s episode, with a once-exiled company founder storming and seizing back the corporate castle.
How Congress is learning about blockchain, one bit of bitcoin at a time
Covid stimulus needs and China’s new CBDC have heightened interest in digital assets, but US lawmakers are still trying to make sense of new technologies. In an interview with Forkast.News, Perianne Boring of Chamber of Digital Commerce also discusses prospects for a U.S. digital dollar, and more.
Ep. 15 | Is China’s digital RMB ready for prime time? Making the case for a US CBDC. Blockchain comes to Minecraft.
More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.
May 2020
Chris Giancarlo: digital dollar technology is coming ‘fast and furious.’ Can US seize the CBDC momentum?
Money is part of a nation’s financial infrastructure, and the dollar needs a digital upgrade for this changing world, says Giancarlo, former CFTC chair who now heads the Digital Dollar Project, in an exclusive interview with Forkast.News.
Contrarian wisdom on bitcoin mining. Also: how China’s DCEP could shake up the global financial system.
Adam Traidman of BRD discusses CBDCs in an age of intensifying US-China rivalries, and bitcoin halving’s surprising impact on crypto mining and profits.
Ep. 14 | Was that Satoshi? TRON 4.0 gets lukewarm reception. Blockchain Bill of Rights.
More top news: China pours billions into blockchain and other infrastructure. Ant Financial’s new smart contracts. VC in Singapore and India.
As Covid drives the world toward digital assets, what is the outlook for bitcoin and CBDCs?
Digital currencies will become increasingly common in the economy, with CBDCs as an ‘organic gateway.’ Should we worry about user privacy?
Former banker Mike Novogratz is ‘petrified’ of China’s new state-issued cryptocurrency, and ConsenSys’ Joseph Lubin agrees
Two titans of blockchain discuss China’s DCEP, Covid-inspired technology and more with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau, in video highlights from Ethereal Summit 2020.
China hopes its new digital currency will internationalize the RMB. When might that day come?
China’s new DCEP — the world’s first major central bank digital currency — just piloted in 4 cities. When it is ready for mass use, could it challenge the US dollar’s hegemony in global trade and finance?
Ep. 13 | Bitcoin bewitches JK Rowling. A Stellar start for Ukraine’s new CBDC. Investors drag Nvidia back to court over crypto sales.
Other top news: Fintech-friendly policies for Hong Kong-Shenzhen bay area. China makes blockchain jobs more respectable. VC in Singapore and S. Korea.
Ep. 12 | Bitcoin halving elicits yawns. As China trials CBDC, Tim Draper predicts it will bomb. Is NEAR Ethereum’s new killer?
Other top news: TRON snags Covid aid. Free Telegram Open Network. China builds tech talent database. Bitmain’s civil war. Another win for Ripple.
Famed investor Tim Draper predicts both a digital dollar and Chinese DCEP “will bomb”
In an interview with Forkast.News, the billionaire venture capitalist also discusses globalism, regulatory arbitrage, the future of healthcare and why he thinks bitcoin is king.
Ep. 11 | Crypto surges before bitcoin halving. China taps SenseTime for CBDC rollout. BitMEX shuts out Japan.
Other top news: IBM’s Covid medical supply network. China now has over 1,000 blockchain firms. Startups in Japan, India and Singapore.
April 2020
Ep. 10 | Ripple sues YouTube over scam videos. Hong Kong’s first regulator-approved bitcoin fund manager. Hacker messes with dForce.
Other top news: Courier giant YTO forms blockchain logistics lab. 224 more blockchain firms get official thumbs up. VC in Singapore, UK and US.
‘Enormous potential’: institutional investment in cryptos may be boosted by regulator’s approval of Hong Kong’s first bitcoin-tracking fund
Asia’s first regulator-approved digital asset manager opens the door for wider cryptocurrency adoption.
Liquidity is the new boss in town: RockTree LEX’s Omer Ozden on investment opportunities as Asia recovers from Covid-19
Venture capital slowed as the coronavirus economy contracted. But out of the turmoil are still investment and fundraising opportunities.
Ep. 9 | U.S. rethinks ‘digital dollar.’ China’s new national blockchain platform. Is Libra now a stronger rival to China’s CBDC?
Other top news: Bitcoin halving frenzy. New Huawei tech zone. Blockchain company busted for defective face masks. VC in Hong Kong and Canada.
Ep. 8 | Reddit crypto awards, Ripple coupling with BoA, blockchain boozes up in China, and more
Also: Dozens of crypto firms sued in 11 class-action lawsuits. Bitcoin mining company Canaan bleeds red ink. Fintech funding in India, and more.
Why invest in Bitcoin when global markets are still a hot Covid mess?
Bitcoin’s tumbling prices during the coronavirus pandemic may be an opportunity to buy the dip.
How a tokenized digital dollar could modernize the American financial system
The U.S. backed away from a digital dollar in its coronavirus relief package. But a tokenized dollar would be better for America — and bring us closer to a true central bank digital currency, says a director of the Digital Dollar Project.
Ep. 7 | Binance buys CoinMarketCap, Toilet Paper Token skunks Bitcoin, China pulls ahead in patent race, and more
Other top news: Blockchain in TV and film. Going Dutch on Covid. Nodle’s new network. BMW tracking auto parts. House rentals in new intelligent city
Ep. 6 | New blockchain arsenal to fight Covid-19, Zoom cancels Facebook, coronavirus wipes out Digital Farms, and more
Other top headlines from around the world: Microsoft wants to power mining with brain waves. Crypto exchanges Huobi and OKEx under fire. China shifts to digitally sweep ancestral graves.
March 2020
Ep. 5 | U.S. weighs digital dollar, Coinbase top lawyer joins Treasury, and more
In this newsletter and podcast, we bring you top headlines around the world, including: A new proposal to create a digital dollar. Coinbase’s legal chief heading U.S. Treasury. A Bitcoin-Red Cross coronavirus fundraiser in Italy. Universal basic income’s revival. Steem’s hard fork into Hive, and more.
Coronavirus prevention tips for the long haul: face masks, social distancing, hand wipes and more
Coronavirus fears spread panic as well as infection. Face masks, hand washing and social isolation are best practices.
Complying with anti-money laundering regulations is a growing need for crypto companies
FATF is setting international standards, shifting the crypto world from a “wild west” mentality to a more compliant space, says CoolBitX CEO Michael Ou.
Ep. 4 | Bitcoin’s wild ride, Robinhood in tough times, Covid-19 hacks Ethereum event
Also: Blockchain voting after the Voatz debacle, IOTA limps back after cyber attack, smart cities in China, and Forkast.News insights to help you make sense of the top headlines.
Asia has ‘crypto groove’ – and Korea’s mom and pop shops are helping lead the way
Asia’s blockchain and cryptocurrency projects have more vitality than other regions, says the chairman of the Cardano Foundation. But he also notes the variations within the region. How does Hong Kong differ from Vietnam and Singapore?
Ep. 3 | Top blockchain news on China, France and S. Korea – and a new Ethereum protocol. What’s next for India?
What’s up with South Korea’s new blockchain regulations? And where is bitcoin now legal tender? (Mai oui!) Other headlines around the world: a storm over STEEM, the new Baseline protocol for privacy, HTC’s Exodus 5G Hub, and how the coronavirus has affected blockchain firms in China.