Monika Ghosh

Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) became the fifth non-fungible token (NFT) collection to cross US$1 billion in all-time sales on Wednesday, according to data from CryptoSlam.  See related article: Mutant Ape NFTs collect $140 million on OpenSea market Fast facts Axie Infinity occupies the top spot in sales volume with over US$4 billion, followed by […]

Crypto exchange FTX has secured a digital asset exchange license in Dubai under new laws adopted last week and will be setting up a local headquarters in the city.  See related article: Crypto on the beach: FTX and other players find paradise in the Caribbean Fast facts Binance has also secured a license under the […]

Investors believe Bitcoin will stand its ground this year but in the altcoins world, some rising stars are brimming with potential.

One in three gamers among 1,103 respondents are willing to quit or will consider resigning from their professional positions to play non-fungible token (NFT) games full time, according to a survey conducted by NFT gaming platform Balthazar.  See related article: Top NFT game Axie Infinity generated $1.3B in revenue last year Fast facts Among the […]

The Ukrainian government will launch a non-fungible token (NFT) collection that will be “like a museum of the Russian-Ukrainian war,” the Guardian reported on Sunday, citing minister of digital transformation Alex Bornyakov.  See related article: Ukraine cancels crypto airdrop, promises NFTs Fast facts Each NFT will feature digital art depicting a news story from trusted […]

Around 42% of venture capital and hedge funds investing in crypto are betting on the success of Polkadot’s smart contracts platform, according to Messari’s fund analysis. See related article: What is Polkadot and why is it one of the hottest blockchains right now?  Fast facts Polkadot was the most commonly held altcoin in Q4 last […]

Bullish has postponed its backdoor listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) through a planned special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal with Far Peak Acquisition Corp., as the merger still waits for approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  See related article: Crypto exchange Bullish announces soft launch Fast facts Bullish, operator of […]

The crypto and non-fungible token (NFT) community organized a tribute for French NFT artist Alotta Money at the Cryptovoxels metaverse on March 5, two days after he lost his battle with cancer and a day after what would have been his 50th birthday.  See related article: S.Korean presidential hopefuls campaign to avatars in the metaverse […]

Thailand crypto investor tax burdens are being relaxed from April 2022 until the end of 2023, according to the results of a finance ministry cabinet meeting on Tuesday.  See related article: Thailand to regulate cryptocurrency as payment method Fast facts The cabinet approved tax relief measures, including the exemption of a 7% value-added tax (VAT) […]

Decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) is taking a significant dip after pioneer and founder of Yearn Finance Andre Cronje quit crypto with his colleague and senior developer at the Fantom Foundation, Anton Nell, who announced their farewell on Sunday.  See related article: Fantom overtakes Binance Smart Chain in DeFi TVL Fast facts The […]

The crypto market slightly dipped on Friday but the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem in Terra continues to grow with Anchor Protocol leading the way.  See related article: Terra bullish trend continues; rest of crypto top 10 in red Fast facts Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen by 4.7% and 6.2% respectively in the past 24 hours, […]

Crypto donations raised by the Ukrainian government alone since the Russian invasion topped US$38.8 million on Thursday, as funds flowing into alternative channels bring total contributions to at least US$60 million.  See related article: Ukraine crypto donations top $36M amid Russian invasion Fast facts Aid for Ukraine, a decentralized autonomous organization set up by the […]

The Ukrainian flag non-fungible token (NFT) auctioned by Ukraine DAO was sold to a pool of donors for  2,173.6 ETH (US$6.534 million) on Wednesday, as proceeds are expected to support Ukrainians affected by the invasion.  See related article: ‘We don’t have time’ for traditional fundraising, crypto is most efficient: Ukraine DAO Fast fact The NFT […]

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has shuttered its services to Russian users saying it is relying on legal advice that equates Western sanctions against Russian entities to the blanket sanctions against North Korea, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. See related article: Binance may join sanctions imposed on Russian targets Fast facts “The legal advice we’ve been receiving […]

The total number of unique non-fungible token (NFT) buyers on the Ethereum blockchain crossed the 1 million customers milestone on Sunday as the network’s gas fees slid to its lowest since August.  See related article: Ethereum price expected to hit $7,609 in 2022: report Fast facts NFT sales on Ethereum increased by 36.06% in the […]

Government indecision on crypto regulation prompted some businesses to move abroad. Investors and crypto professionals may follow if uncertainty prolongs.

Dogecoin is expected to close this year at US$0.163, a fraction of a penny less than the memecoin’s February peak of US$0.168, according to Finder’s panel of 33 cryptocurrency and fintech experts.  See related article: Ethereum price expected to hit $7,609 in 2022: report Fast facts The panel predicted Dogecoin’s price to double to US$0.32 […]

The cryptocurrency market took a nosedive in what was already seeming like a day in the red zone after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “special military operation” for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.”  See related article: Crypto market tumbles amid uncertainty over Russia and Ukraine Fast facts The global cryptocurrency market cap dipped […]

All cryptocurrency ads in India will carry standard disclaimers to warn investors of risks associated with crypto beginning April 1, as per guidelines released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Wednesday.  See related article: Indian court seeks standardized disclaimers on crypto ads Fast facts The disclaimer must read: “Crypto products and NFTs […]

Jupiter Meta on Wednesday launched a fully curated non-fungible token marketplace in India focusing on music, film and gaming.  See related article: WazirX launches India’s first NFT marketplace Fast facts The NFT marketplace is built on Jupiter Meta’s Rubix blockchain, which the company claims has zero gas fees and is sustainable.  Jupiter Meta has also […]

Amber Group has secured US$200 million in a funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek, raising the cryptocurrency platform’s valuation to US$3 billion.  See related story: Temasek-founded Affinidi launches new business unit to bring Web 3.0 to financial services to Southeast Asia Fast facts Existing investors including Sequoia China, Pantera Capital, Tiger Global […]

Although India hoped that taxation would be a step toward regulation rather than a ban, the high tax rates and proposed rules seem to be geared toward dissuading crypto trading.

Indian authorities arrested 11 individuals over the weekend, connected with a crypto scam case that allegedly used the allure of high gains to dupe 2,000 investors out of US$5.4 million (INR 400 million), local media reported.  Fast facts Four of the accused were apprehended on Saturday after being on the run since March last year, […]

Cardano is projected to skyrocket to US$58.04 by the start of the next decade, while closing 2022 at more than double its current value at US$2.79, according to Finder’s panel of 17 crypto experts.  See related article: Ethereum price expected to hit $7,609 in 2022: report Fast facts Cardano, which was trading at US$0.96 at […]

Circle’s USDC, the world’s second-largest stablecoin, is gunning for the title of the world’s top stablecoin as it closes in on Tether’s market capitalization after doubling its valuation to US$9 billion in a revised merger deal.  See related article: Stablecoin issuer Circle to go public in US$4.5B SPAC deal Fast facts USDC’s market cap has […]

The Philippines is offering residency in one of its special economic zones known as ecozones with low tax rates for users staking the utility token of Oz Finance, TOTOZ.  Fast facts The residency is offered at the Freeport Area of Bataan, one of over 400 operating ecozones in the Philippines, which is located across the […]

T Rabi Shankar, the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank, proposed an outright ban on cryptocurrencies on Monday, assuring the central bank’s position to prohibit digital assets has not changed since the 30% tax on crypto income was announced.  Fast facts Shankar said he found no merit in the […]

Exchanges say the crypto tax was announced without key directives. While exchanges await clarity, they struggle to figure out their role in the tax system.

Ethereum’s price is expected to reach US$7,609 this year, although it is expected to end the year at around US$6,500, according to Australian fintech Finder’s panel of 33 crypto specialists.  Fast facts In the long term, the panel predicted that Ethereum’s price will reach US$10,810 by the end of 2025, and US$26,338 by the end […]

Union minister Bhagwat Karad said on Saturday that cryptocurrencies are not legal in India and that their future is uncertain at the moment.  Fast facts Many investors and exchanges had viewed a decision to impose a 30% tax on cryptocurrency profits as a step toward validating the industry. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, clarified last […]

The Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX) has raised US$50 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global.  Fast facts UBX, the venture fund of UnionBank of the Philippines, Kingsway Capital, Jump Capital, U.S. blockchain payments company Ripple, among others, also participated in the round.  The funding round started in August last year […]

The announcement of a crypto tax dispelled fears of a ban but left exchanges wondering whether they may be hurt in the long run.

Cryptocurrencies categorized as fan tokens surged by 27.53% in global sales volume over the past seven days while non-fungible tokens (NFTs) dropped by 31.66%, according to CryptoSlam data.   Fast facts The market capitalization of fan tokens surged in tandem, rising by 41.3% over the same timeframe as NFTs also jumped by 30.4% in this measurement.   […]

Ukrainian activists and volunteer groups are crowdsourcing significant money through crypto donations to fund the defense against a possible Russian invasion.  Fast facts Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and volunteer groups have collectively received over US$570,000 in crypto, with the majority of funding coming in last year, data from blockchain analysis firm Elliptic shows.  Come Back […]

Smart MFG, a blockchain-based supply chain decentralized finance firm, has integrated with Polygon to launch Phigital, a 3D marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFT). Fast facts Phigital will focus on interoperability of 3D assets across metaverses, and NFTs with real-world use cases. The movement of different assets and NFTs across metaverses has been one of the […]

An Indian auto parts dealer became the victim of a US$267,000 cryptocurrency scam after local police closed the case on what was determined to be a hoax call on Friday, local media reported.  Fast facts 29-year-old victim Vinay Jain told police on Saturday that he had been robbed by the accused who had promised him […]

Over 54,000 crypto investors have signed a petition urging the Indian government to reconsider a planned 30% tax rate announced earlier this week.  Fast facts Blockchain and crypto education provider Crypto India co-founder Aditya Singh started the petition on Thursday to stop the government from comparing crypto to “social evils like betting and gambling.” The […]

A 30% tax doesn’t legalize cryptocurrencies but exchanges no longer worry about a ban, while investors would pay taxes at twice the rate of other asset gains.

Indian crypto exchanges are experiencing a surge in trading volume since finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 30% tax on crypto transfers at the budget session of parliament on Tuesday.  Fast facts Binance-owned WazirX’s 24-hour trading volume has soared by 56.26% while its WRX token price jumped 25.3%, as of press time.  The trading volume […]

The Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) chief called on the U.S. and Europe to cooperate on creating a global technical standard for a central bank digital currency (CBDC), Reuters reported on Friday.  Fast facts The central bank has not made a decision on the issuance of a CBDC, but has conducted experiments while deliberating on the […]

With new products and services being launched and international exchanges setting up camp, crypto startups thrive despite the shadow of a crypto ban.

Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a blockchain project to make cross-border securities transactions in Asia-Pacific more efficient. Fast facts The regional development bank of 68 member countries is aiming to use blockchain to directly connect central banks and securities depositories in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region plus Japan, China and South […]

A survey of more than 1,000 digital respondents found 79% of Indians want more clarity on cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) regulations in the budget session of Parliament starting on Jan. 31, according to new survey findings.  Fast facts The survey, conducted by tax and advisory firm Grant Thornton Bharat, also found that 61% of […]

One of the largest private banks in Pakistan has asked customers to avoid conducting cryptocurrency transactions through its banking channels, according to multiple media reports.  Fast facts Bank Alfalah reportedly has sent SMS alerts to users informing them that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and no entity is authorized to provide related services in the […]

Cryptocurrency ATM operators in Singapore halted operations on Tuesday to comply with new guidelines issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, Bloomberg reported.  Fast facts Crypto ATM operators Daenerys & Co. and Deodi Pte shut their operations down as they await further clarification from MAS.  New central bank guidelines issued […]

The Indian government may not introduce a much-anticipated crypto bill in the upcoming parliamentary budget session, according to a report by the Economic Times of India.  Fast facts The government is reportedly seeking to reach consensus with industry stakeholders before proposing legislation.  The government may also be waiting for the Reserve Bank of India to […]

Polygon’s upgrade, which piggybacks off Ethereum’s EIP-1559, makes MATIC deflationary while allowing users to estimate gas fees more accurately.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for collective and synchronized global action to tackle the challenges posed by cryptocurrency. Fast facts Speaking at the 2022 World Economic Forum’s annual Davos conference on Monday, Modi said: “The kind of technology cryptocurrency is associated with makes decisions taken by one country inadequate to meet the challenges posed […]

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, issued guidelines to restrict cryptocurrency service providers from marketing or promoting their services to the general public on Monday.  Fast facts MAS warned businesses to refrain from promoting cryptocurrencies and related services to Singaporeans in public areas, including websites and social media. However, firms are […]

Binance’s CEO is now the richest Asian man, but the crypto exchange giant’s presence in Asia—where Binance got its start—is withering under regulatory heat.

Pakistan’s top investigation agency is looking to block crypto websites over fraud and money laundering concerns, according to a news report, less than a week after the country’s central bank recommended an outright ban on cryptocurrencies.  Fast facts Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director-General Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi said on Saturday the agency would approach the Pakistan […]

India may soon get its first Bitcoin and Ethereum futures exchange traded funds (ETFs) pending approval by a financial regulator.  Fast facts India INX, the international arm of BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and Torus Kling Block Chain IFSC have jointly sought regulatory approval for a Bitcoin and an Ethereum Futures ETF, according to a […]

Pakistan’s central bank has recommended that all cryptocurrencies should be officially banned in the country, according to multiple local media reports, in response to an ongoing lawsuit before a provincial high court.  Fast facts In a report submitted on Wednesday to the Sindh High Court, which is hearing a case on cryptocurrencies, the central bank […]

The Indian government is mulling the taxation of cryptocurrencies as business income, in a decision which could double the tax burden on investors, according to a local report.   Fast facts Currently, crypto earnings are taxed as capital gains, which stand at 20%, while business income rates reach as high as 42%.  Taxing each crypto transaction […]

The Enforcement Directorate in India seized assets of a businessman worth around US$4.9 million in a money laundering case involving a crypto scam, according to a press release on Monday.  Fast facts Nishad K and his associates allegedly perpetrated a crypto scam in which some 900 investors were cheated out of approximately US$162.4 million. The […]

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is now the richest Asian person with an estimated net worth of US$96 billion, even without counting his crypto fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Fast facts The daily index ranks the world’s 500 richest people, a list on which the 44-year-old Canadian founder would place 11th, according to the […]

Some of India’s largest crypto exchanges, including WazirX, blame ambiguity in the regulation of cryptocurrencies for missed tax payments.

Goldman Sachs, one of the world’s largest banks, joins the list of analysts predicting the price of Bitcoin could reach US$100,000, according to a report by Bloomberg. Fast facts According to Goldman Sachs estimates, Bitcoin’s float-adjusted market capitalization is just shy of US$700 billion, which accounts for a 20% share of the “store of value” […]

Who in the crypto world deserves Santa love this year, and whose chimney should be snubbed? The elves at Forkast.News help the big man with his list.

Crypto finance platform XLD Finance wants to enable users to spend GameFi tokens and stablecoins to pay for real-world goods and services. Fast facts The company has launched its first project, xSpend, which allows users from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to purchase mobile prepaid credits on the platform using GameFi tokens and stablecoins. Users may also pay Philippine-based […]

U.S.-based tax preparation service company H&R Block has filed a trademark infringement case over Square’s new name, Block. Fast facts The lawsuit states: “Block brings this lawsuit to protect consumers from being deceived and to prevent a Silicon Valley tech company from stealing Block’s name.” According to a press release from H&R Block, fintech firm […]

The National Unity Government recognizes Tether as an official currency, defying the cryptocurrency ban imposed last year.

Blockchain gaming studio Vulcan Forged was hacked on Tuesday and 4.5 million PYR, the platform’s native token, was stolen, the company announced on Twitter. Fast facts Vulcan Forged also runs a decentralized exchange and a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. The attacker gained the private keys to 96 wallets and proceeded to empty them, making off […]

Justin Kan, co-founder of livestreaming platform Twitch, announced he will be launching Fractal, a new marketplace for gaming non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While the OpenSea NFT marketplace may be the largest, Fractal is not competing directly — it is betting on a niche in gaming NFTs. Fast facts The announcement comes days after a Twitch plug-in […]

Non-fungible token minting platform PlayNFT wants to enable Twitch streamers to offer NFTs to their audience without needing to leave the Twitch platform. Fast facts Blockchain games studio Enigma Games is using Enjin’s Efinity blockchain on PlayNFT, the studio’s NFT minting platform, to build a plug-in that will allow Twitch’s 9.2 million streamers to use […]

India prime minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter account was hacked on Sunday morning, with the attacker posting a false tweet about India officially adopting Bitcoin as legal tender. Fast facts The tweet also said the government has bought 500 Bitcoin which will be distributed among citizens. This was the second instance of Modi’s Twitter account getting […]

India-based Layer 2 Ethereum scaling platform Polygon has acquired zero-knowledge technology developer Mir for US$400 million as part of Polygon’s continued focus on ZK tech. Fast facts Mir will help Polygon build its new project — Polygon Zero, a highly scalable, Ethereum compatible ZK rollup. A zero knowledge protocol is a cryptographic algorithm that allows […]

India’s proposed rules for digital assets would ban cryptocurrency for payments while the Securities and Exchange Board regulates exchanges. Will it become law?

Chinese property giant Evergrande has defaulted on its debt to global investors, credit rating firm Fitch Ratings reported today. Fast facts Fitch has downgraded Evergrande to “Restricted Default” after its deadline to pay interest due on two dollar-denominated bonds passed on Monday. The actual payments were due a month ago and the grace period expired […]

New OpenSea chief financial officer Brian Roberts has clarified that the company is not actively planning for an initial public offering, days after his comments riled the OpenSea NFT community. Fast facts In a tweet on Wednesday, Roberts wrote: “There was inaccurate reporting about @OpenSea’s plans. Let me set the record straight: there is a […]

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs has raised US$60 million in a Series B funding round led by investment firm Tiger Global, the company announced on Tuesday. Fast facts Also participating in the financing round were American Express’ Amex Ventures, Visa, B Capital Group, Citi Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, Blockchain Capital, Jump Capital, Marshall Wace, Block […]

Kotak Mahindra Bank, a leading private bank in India, has struck a partnership with crypto exchange WazirX, the Economic Times reported. Fast facts WazirX has opened an account with Kotak that can be used to pay and receive money from investors, according to the ET report. The account will be activated after the completion of […]