Articles by

Jenny Ortiz
Jenny is a journalist and producer who worked for CNN Philippines for almost a decade. She also worked for Probe Productions, an award-winning production company that produced some trailblazing shows and documentaries on Philippine TV. She is currently an Adenauer Fellow taking up Masters in Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University – Asian Center for Journalism. She finished her Bachelor in Broadcast Communication degree at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
May 2023
Philippine telco giant partners BlockchainSpace for Web3 creator platform
Smart Communications, one of the Philippines’ largest telcos, is entering the Web3 space through a partnership with Web3 community enabler in Southeast Asia, BlockchainSpace.
Largest banks should fill crypto void after lender failures, says Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick
In the final installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research at Standard Chartered Bank, outlines the lender’s approach to crypto and why he thinks exploration of blockchain use cases is just beginning.
Central bank digital assets can legitimize risk in the crypto space, says Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick
In the second installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research and EM FX West at Standard Chartered Bank, talks altcoins, stablecoins and the legitimization of crypto risk through central bank digital assets.
Bitcoin rediscovers its mojo as banks stumble, says Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick
Against a backdrop of increasing turmoil in traditional banking, Bitcoin is on a four-month winning run that could, tailwinds permitting, soon turn into a surge.
February 2023
Philippine province taps blockchain technology, eyes tokenization
The Philippines’ Bataan province wants to streamline systems and procedures of government services through blockchain technology and tokenization, Bataan Governor Joet Garcia told Forkast.
November 2022
CeFi must adopt DeFi’s transparency following FTX collapse, Justin Sun says
Justin Sun says CeFi must adopt DeFi’s transparency to regain public trust as 1inch Network cofounder Sergej Kunz sees crypto’s struggles as an opportunity for DeFi.
September 2022
Philippine central bank sees stablecoins as key to make payments more efficient
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Director Mhel Plabasan said the central bank has adopted a flexible approach on the digital assets.
August 2022
Asia crypto advocates look beyond English to promote digital assets
Cryptocurrency advocates and exchanges in Asia say they are teaching the ins and outs of digital assets and blockchain in regional languages to help promote crypto investments and protect people against scams. See related article: Crypto is based on the greater fool theory: Philippines’ incoming central bank chief Fast facts Philippine crypto exchange Coins.ph, which […]
Philippines central bank approves two more digital banks
A total of six digital banks are now allowed to operate in the Philippines after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued Certificates of Authority to UnionDigital Bank, Inc. (UDB) and GoTyme Bank Corporation (GTYME). Read more: Philippine central bank governor says no plan to ban crypto BSP earlier authorized four digital banks namely Tonik […]
Philippine central bank halts crypto service provider applications for 3 years
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slaps a moratorium on new virtual asset service provider (VASP) license applications starting Sept. 1.
Philippines’ SEC warns public not to invest with Binance
The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cautioned the public not to invest with Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, in response to think tank Infrawatch PH’s request to ban Binance in the Philippines. See related article: Philippines think tank calls for ban on Binance Fast facts In a letter responding […]
July 2022
Philippine President Marcos Jr pushes tax on digital services
In his first State of the Nation address, Philippine President Bongbong Marcos Jr. laid out his administration’s plans for the next six years including the imposition of tax on digital service providers that could include crypto exchanges.
Philippine central bank governor says no plan to ban crypto
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla is no fan of crypto, but in an exclusive interview with Forkast, he said there’s no plan to outlaw the digital asset.
June 2022
Philippines gets new government, will new crypto taxes follow?
Cryptocurrency companies in the Philippines await legislation from the new Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration on how the government will tax the industry. Some are worried.