Ningwei Qin

The Singapore and Hong Kong-based Hodlnaut has a funding gap of about US$193 million, and potentially 17,513 creditors, crypto media outlet The Block reported citing an affidavit the troubled crypto lender filed with the court last week. See related article: India authorities freeze Vauld exchange’s assets worth $46.5 mln Fast facts See related article: Hodlnaut […]

Another group of claimants against bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network LLC is banding together to retain legal representation and seek to form an ad hoc group in bankruptcy hearings to get their money back. See related article: Celsius says it owes its users US$4.72B amid a US$1.19B balance sheet deficit Fast facts See related article: […]

The largest Ethereum mining pool, Ethermine, stopped processing transactions from crypto mixer Tornado Cash-related addresses around Aug. 11, according to crypto analyst @takenstheorem. See related article:  U.S. Treasury overstepping authority in Tornado Cash sanction, says advocacy group Coin Center Fast facts See related article: Ronin hack proceeds seen headed to Tornado Cash

The percentage of stablecoin USD Coin (USDC) supply held by the top 1% addresses dropped to a 22-month low on Monday, while USDC average trading volume in seven days surged to an all-time high on the same day, according to crypto data dashboard Glassnode. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to […]

The Singapore and Hong Kong-based crypto lender said it was exploring options to allow users to withdraw deposits at an undisclosed discount rate, while seeking Singapore court approval to appoint a judicial manager for the company, according to a post on its blog on Friday. See related article: How a market slump may be helping […]

ETHPoW, the token that will run on a potential Ethereum PoW fork, fell to an all-time low of US$50.36 on Thursday, down 64% from its Aug. 2 peak, according to CoinMarketCap.  See related article: Chandler Guo tells why he is the man who would hard fork Ethereum Fast facts The ETHPoW token is currently only […]

CME Group – the world’s biggest operator of financial derivative markets, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange –  on Wednesday said it will offer options on Ether futures starting Sept. 12, pending regulatory review. See related article: New US crypto bill seeks to make CFTC top Bitcoin, Ethereum watchdog Fast facts See related article: ETH futures […]

In a Q&A, the former cryptocurrency miner explains his methods for trying to pull together a band of Ethereum mining brethren in order to keep their rigs running. The idea started at a party at his house.

Venture capital for two new investment funds from CoinFund and Shima Capital were announced, with amounts reaching US$300 million and US$200 million, respectively. See related article: New Investors and Investments Fast facts The Ventures I fund, announced Thursday by CoinFund, will focus on backing blockchain startups, including both existing portfolios and new startup teams. The […]

Cryptocurrency brokerage Genesis announced its CEO Michael Moro will step down as it reshuffles its executive team, while a 20% layoff of its 260-person workforce is being widely reported. See related article: BIS, HKMA partner on Project Genesis to tokenize green bonds Fast facts Chief operating officer Derar Islim will take over as CEO on […]

Jump Crypto, the crypto arm of high-frequency trading firm Jump Trading Group, announced on Tuesday plans to develop a new open source validator client for the Solana network to boost throughput and reliability. See related article: Solana validators complete restart; Laos ends crypto ban Fast facts Jump Crypto will “propose a major upgrade to Solana’s […]

Tencent’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Huanhe says it will allow buyers to refund purchased NFTs but will no longer issue the digital assets, citing a “focus on the company’s core strategic considerations.” See related article: Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com offers NFTs despite state media criticisms Fast facts The marketplace’s app will remain, but it will […]

Acala Dollar (aUSD) burned over 1.29 billion aUSD minted in its liquidity pool and traded higher on the day at US$0.91 at 5 p.m. Hong Kong time on Tuesday, up from a low of nearly zero on Monday. See related article: Polkadot-based stablecoin Acala Dollar depegs after a breach Fast facts Over the weekend, exploiters […]

The U.S. Treasury may have overstepped its legal authority by sanctioning cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, said crypto advocacy group Coin Center. See related article: Circle freezes smart contract addresses linked to blacklisted Tornado Cash Fast facts See related article: Ronin hack proceeds seen headed to Tornado Cash

The chief executive officer of troubled crypto exchange Zipmex is being asked to resign by shareholders and potential investors, citing Marcus Lim’s management decisions that led to a severe cash crunch, while the company was granted a three-month moratorium to try to restructure. See related article: Why Singapore may be the ideal place for companies […]

Bitcoin outflows totaled US$21 million, bringing month-to-date outflows to US$29 million, even as short-Bitcoin positions witnessed minor inflows of US$2.6 million, according to digital asset manager CoinShares. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; memecoins lose steam, BNB edges higher Fast facts Investors pulled out US$17 million from digital asset investment products last week, James […]

Ethereum futures contracts open interest reached an eight-month high of over US$3.1 billion on Binance on Sunday, Glassnode said on Twitter. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin little changed, Ether dips below $2,000, Memecoins surge Fast facts See related article: Privacy protocol Monero completes upgrade to make transactions more private

Stablecoin Acala Dollar (aUSD) lost its parity with the U.S. dollar following a breach over the weekend, but its price has since begun to bounce back. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts Cryptocurrency analyst @Alice und Bob tweeted that the depeg was caused by US$1.2 billion of aUSD mistakenly […]

Leon Li, the founder of China cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, is seeking to sell a 60% stake in the company that would value the business at US$3 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report that cited people familiar with the matter. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried’s Voyager debt emerges; Celsius reshuffles board Fast facts See related […]

Solana-based wallet Slope said on Thursday there is no “conclusive evidence” to connect its mobile wallet’s loophole with Solana’s recent breach, although 1,400 wallets connected to the loophole were drained. See related article: Seed-phrase leak from crypto wallet Slope prompts Solana hack Fast facts See related article: Solana blames Slope for exploit

Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki said on Wednesday the metaverse platform will begin testing an immersive advertising system later this year as a potential means to increase revenue. See related article: Naver’s Zepeto metaverse starts blockchain initiative with Solana Fast facts See related article: How can I become a metaverse real estate mogul?

Hong Kong’s de-facto central bank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has added a central bank digital currency (CBDC) section to an annual business competition in the city in order to encourage research into the use cases of digital currencies. See related article: Hong Kong to launch US$637 mln tech fund for startups: report Fast […]

Iran has made the country’s first cryptocurrency payment with a US$10 million import order this week, which could be an option for the country to bypass broad trade embargoes, according to a media report. See related article: Crypto exchange Kraken reportedly under investigation for Iran sanctions breach Fast facts See related article: Is cryptocurrency a […]

Two of the largest stablecoin issuers — Tether and USDC — announced Tuesday that they will support Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) chain, as Ethereum’s “Merge” looms and crypto miners are banding together against the abandonment of mining.  See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge Fast facts See related article: Ethereum […]

China has shut down nearly 13,000 accounts advocating cryptocurrency investments on popular Chinese social media platforms this year, deleted 51,000 related posts and closed 105 websites offering crypto-related information, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced on Tuesday. See related article: Tencent to cut domestic NFT marketplace team, look overseas: report Fast facts See related […]

Singapore-based crypto lender Hodlnaut freezed withdrawals as well as ended its token swapping feature on Monday, just as the market is showing signs of recovery from the so-called crypto winter. See related article: Zipmex resumes withdrawals of certain tokens in phased manner Fast facts Hodlnaut said the withdrawal freeze is to “focus on stabilizing our […]

A U.K. parliamentary group is seeking advice from both industry players and policymakers on regulating cryptocurrencies and the digital asset sector, according to a press release. See related article: UK seeks to regulate stablecoins for payments in new markets bill Fast facts See related article: Bank of England calls for greater crypto regulation

DeBridge cofounder Alex Smirnov on Saturday alleged their team found evidence that North Korean state-backed Lazarus Group was attempting to attack the cross-chain protocol, warning that the group’s attack could broadly target Web3 teams. See related article: After Nomad and Solana, ZB.com gets hacked for US$4.8 mln Fast facts See related article: Why blockchain bridges […]

Tencent’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Huanhe has not issued a new NFT for sale in a month, the first time that no new NFTs have been issued for an entire month since last October.  See related article: Tencent to cut domestic NFT marketplace team, look overseas: report Fast facts At the end of July, local […]

Former PwC crypto arm leader Henri Arslanian said in a report the digital asset fund Nine Blocks Capital Management will receive $75 million from major supporters, including Hong Kong-based hedge fund Nine Masts Capital. See related article: Dubai scorches crypto winter with plans to support 40,000 ‘virtual jobs’ Fast facts See related article: India’s WazirX […]

Instagram’s platform for non-fungible tokens (NFT), which the firm is calling “digital collectibles,” is now available in 100 countries, the Facebook parent Meta-backed social media giant said. See related article: Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts With support for Coinbase and Dapper wallets added, Instagram now supports wallets from […]

The massive Solana wallet hack had occurred after centralized servers stored unencrypted seed phrases sent by Slope Wallet’s mobile app, making them visible to anyone with access to the server, showed a preliminary finding from blockchain audit firm OtterSec. See related article: Solana blames Slope for exploit Fast facts See related article: After Nomad and […]

The city of Suzhou in China’s Southeast became the latest to issue an e-CNY loan to a manufacturing unit. See related article: China’s central bank to expand digital yuan pilot program Fast facts See related article: Complete anonymity never a consideration for CBDC: PBoC official

The massive Solana wallet exploit that began on Wednesday Hong Kong time is believed to be related to the Slope mobile wallet app, while there is no evidence to show the blockchain’s code was compromised, Solana said. See related article:  Bitcoin, Ethereum little changed; Solana still lower after network hack Fast facts See related article: […]

Approximately 7,767 wallets have been affected in the Solana exploit as of 1 p.m. Hong Kong time. Solana-based wallets Slope and Phantom are on the list, Solana said. See related article: Cardano users said to be indirectly affected by Nomad’s US$200 mln exploit Fast facts See related article: Waves community approves repayment plan for lending […]

Gucci has further embraced cryptocurrencies, announcing in a tweet on Tuesday that it is accepting in-store purchases with ApeCoin through payment service provider BitPay. See related article: How high fashion is waking up to blockchain’s possibilities Fast facts ApeCoin is a cryptocurrency tied to Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), a non-fungible token (NFT) project created […]

Crypto investments totaled US$474 million in July, mostly reversing outflows of US$481 million in June, even as Solana (SOL) witnessed year-to-date inflows of US$114 million, a report by Coinshares said. See related article: Ethereum needs scalability to retain market share: report Fast facts See related article: ETH crosses Bitcoin in options market for first time […]

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has listed the “orderly expansion of the scope of the digital yuan pilot” as one of its key tasks in the second half of the year, according to a Tuesday press release from the Chinese central bank’s second-half-year work plan. See related article: Covid-19, postponed Asian Games to push […]

Defi Payments, the parent company of troubled Singapore-based crypto exchange Vauld, received court approval to protect the platform from potential lawsuits for three months. See related article: Singapore crypto lender Vauld reportedly owes retail investors US$363  million Fast facts See related article: Zipmex seeks moratorium from creditors in Singapore court

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler Friday reiterated the agency’s attempt to bring cryptocurrency exchanges under oversight and “register where appropriate as securities.” See related article: US crypto bill leaves ‘open question’ on securities: Tessler Fast facts See related article: SEC fails to block XRP holders from aiding in Ripple case

Zipmex is seeking protection from potential claims or adverse actions for six months, citing “all efforts to focus on resolving the liquidity situation,” according to an announcement by the crypto exchange. See related article: Zipmex targets raising US$50 mln to cover exposure to embattled crypto lenders Fast facts See related article: Babel Finance says liquidity […]

Hong Kong will launch a HK$5 billion (US$637 million) fund to support startups seeking to reach unicorn status, the city’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said. See related article: Hong Kong’s Cyberport invests in digital asset custodian Hex Trust Fast facts See related article: Animoca Brands ups valuation to US$5.9B despite slumping markets

Hong Kong-based digital asset trading platform OSL has started selling security tokens to institutional investors via a private placement, with the first purchasers including blockchain game company Animoca Brands, according to a press release on Tuesday. See related article: Chinese logistics network plans US fundraise via tokenized offerings Fast facts Each security token represents a […]

Taiwan-based smartphone and virtual reality (VR) headset maker HTC is partnering with Japanese creator platform pixiv to launch Japanese anime-style three-dimensional (3D) avatars on its metaverse platform VIVERSE, a press release said. See related article: HTC launches metaverse phone with Ethereum, Polygon support Fast facts “The partnership with pixiv will rapidly increase the number of […]

Founded by former employees of Meta stablecoin arm Diem, blockchain company Aptos Labs announced a US$150 million Series A funding round led by FTX Ventures and Jump Crypto on Monday, according to a press release. See related article: Crypto startup funding falls by 26% in H1 2022: report Fast facts Venture capital and crypto firms […]

From 2021 to 2026, the metaverse real estate market is expected to grow by $5.37 billion, at a compound annual growth rate of 61.74%, driven by the growing popularity of mixed reality and cryptocurrencies, according to a report from global market research firm Technavio. See related article: K-pop logs in to the metaverse strung by […]

The bear market in digital assets hasn’t ended with more exchanges and crypto funds likely to suffer for several quarters, Alan Lane, the Chief Executive of crypto-focused bank Silvergate said. See related article: Wall Street seems to sense opportunity in distressed crypto markets Fast facts Investors should not compare the current crypto price decline to […]

Authorities can inquire about and use users’ personal information in accordance with the law in the event of suspicious transactions, People’s Bank of China officials said in response to questions about the privacy of the digital yuan on Sunday. See related article: Central banks double down on CBDC issuance: BIS report Fast facts See related […]

Tencent will lay off an undisclosed number of staff on its mainland China non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace team and adjust the platform’s business strategy, as it prepares another NFT marketplace serving overseas users, sources close to Tencent said, Chinese financial media Caixin reported on Thursday. See related article: Tencent to shut Huanhe NFT marketplace: report […]

Singapore-based crypto exchange Zipmex said on Thursday night Hong Kong time (HKT) it will prolong its customer withdrawal freeze until Friday “to prevent any technical issues,” without specifying a time. See related article: Singapore’s MAS to further strengthen crypto regulations Fast facts See related article: Singapore crypto lender reportedly owes retail investors US$363 million

Tencent this week will shut down Huanhe, the Chinese tech giant’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace that has been operating for less than a year, according to unnamed Tencent sources cited in a report by Shanghai-based technology news outlet Jiemian on Wednesday. See related article: WeChat bans NFT accounts, citing ‘crypto speculation’ Fast facts Tencent has […]

Singapore-based Vauld owes creditors US$402 million, with 90% of the debt owed to individual investors, according to a document filed to Singapore’s High Court on July 8 by Vauld co-founder and CEO Darshan Bathija, The Block reported. See related article: Crypto trading volumes dip to 18-month low amid bear market Fast facts The troubled crypto […]

China’s second-most populous city will introduce a three-year plan to promote the metaverse in the tourism industry, and encourage non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the art and culture industry, as part of a recovery plan for the city’s economy. See related article: ‘Metaverse’ enters government radar at China’s Two Sessions Fast facts See related article: NFTs, […]

A creditors committee to liquidate the bankrupt, Singapore-based cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) was established at a meeting on Monday and comprised Digital Currency Group, Voyager, CoinList, Blockchain.com, and Matrixport, according to a document published the same day on the Three Arrows bankruptcy website.  See related article: 3AC crypto contagion spreads to Blockchain.com: […]

Tencent’s insurance business WeSure chief executive officer Alan Lau has officially joined Hong Kong-based blockchain and game venture Animoca Brands as chief business officer, Lau’s LinkedIn page showed on Tuesday. See related article: Tencent launches XR unit to develop ‘benchmark’ VR products Fast facts Lau will be responsible for managing all of Animoca Brands’ portfolio […]

Celsius Mining, troubled crypto firm Celsius Network’s mining arm, still has over 80,000 crypto mining rigs, according to the lender’s bankruptcy filings. See related article: Celsius says it owes its users US$4.72B amid a US$1.19B balance sheet deficit Fast facts See related article: Celsius files for bankruptcy after closing DeFi loans

Launched in January, Tencent News’ NFT marketplace was shut down, citing the need to “adjust” and “transform” the business. See related article:  China’s diktat against NFT flipping spawns an ingenious industry Fast facts Wang Shimu, former head of Tencent News, left the news division in May and was reassigned to Tencent’s NFT arm Huanhe due […]

A Champagne bearing five non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the surface of its bottle, including the likes of well-known collections Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) spinoff Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) and a Sneaky Vampire, sold for US$2.5 million in a private sale last Friday. See related article: Scottish whisky brand The Dalmore to offer limited-edition […]

HGC Info Tech (HGC) announced Tuesday that it will start offering its securities tokens at U.S. digital asset exchange INX, as Chinese firms face delisting risks in the states due to regulatory differences. See related article: SEC places Chinese crypto mining rig maker Canaan on pre-delisting list Fast facts Xiamen-based HGC provides order matching and […]

China had more than 264 million digital yuan transactions, with a total volume topping 83 billion yuan (about US$12.3 billion), as of May 31, People’s Bank of China (PBoC) official Zou Lan said at a press conference on Wednesday. See related article: China’s PBoC wants to link e-CNY with Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System Fast […]

The Shanghai government has included metaverse entertainment, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Web3 technologies into its five-year digital economy plan, according to a policy paper published on Tuesday. See related article: ‘Metaverse’ enters government radar at China’s Two Sessions Fast facts See related article: Xiamen reveals plan to bolster its metaverse, NFT-related firms

Shanghai released a policy paper setting a goal to cultivate its metaverse-related industry to a total value of 350 billion yuan (US$52 billion) by the end of 2025.  See related article: Hong Kong gears up for its first metaverse ETF Fast facts See related article: China’s zero-Covid policy realigning global economy, financial markets

The local financial regulator in China’s central Henan province said it will start releasing customer funds from the four rural banks that have reportedly frozen around 39 billion yuan (US$5.8 billion) from July 15, following Sunday’s violent clash between protesters and the police.  See related article: Client accuses Bitcoin, Ethereum backer Three Arrows Capital of […]

Binance’s third approval in Europe came after the Bank of Spain allowed its Spanish subsidiary to register as a virtual asset services provider (VASP), the world’s largest crypto exchange by volume said Friday.  See related article: SEC said to probe Binance for rule violation in 2017 initial coin offering: report Fast facts The registration will […]

The U.K. Treasury on Friday named Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) CEO Ashley Alder as chairman of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He is expected to start in January next year. See related article: UK finance watchdog to spend £11M to warn young people off crypto investment Fast facts See related article: […]

Will fashion shows move from Paris and Tokyo catwalks to potential audiences of millions in the metaverse? China’s Xiaohongshu social media site is testing the idea.

Transaction volumes on the Chinese state-backed blockchain’s non-fungible token (NFT) ecosystem were higher than that of Ethereum, the most popular blockchain for such deals, China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) said in a press release on Wednesday. See related article: China’s Ant Group, Tencent, Baidu, JD.com push for NFT self-regulation Fast facts With 974,517 transactions, the […]

Former TikTok game division executive Jason Fung is starting up a blockchain-based game developer, Meta0, to allow transfer of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) between different blockchains, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday. See related article: Game theory: What’s holding back an explosion of play-to-earn? Fast facts According to its product proposal, Meta0 aims to allow […]

Tencent on Monday said it started testing non-fungible token (NFT) profile picture (PFP) avatars and the “virtual room” Music Zone on its QQ Music app. See related article: Tencent launches XR unit to develop ‘benchmark’ VR products Fast facts These NFT PFP avatars are two-dimensional cartoon characters based on Tencent’s blockchain, Zhixin Chain. QQ Music […]

Hong Kong-listed beauty app Meitu said on Friday it is expecting a net loss of up to 349.9 million yuan (US$52 million) in the first half of 2022, driven by tumbling cryptocurrency prices.  See related article: Hong Kong-listed Meitu buys more Bitcoin, now has US$100 million in crypto Fast facts See related article: Software firm […]

Crypto market maker and lender Genesis Trading may lose “hundreds of millions” due to its exposure to troubled crypto firms Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and Hong Kong-based lender Babel Finance, CoinDesk reported. See related article: Wall Street seems to sense opportunity in distressed crypto markets Fast facts Genesis is seeking at least partial reimbursement from its […]

Tencent has launched an extended reality (XR) division, local media reported on Tuesday, citing Steven Ma, the senior vice president of the Chinese tech giant’s gaming arm Interactive Entertainment Group (IEG).  See related article: Tencent calls dibs on metaverse virtual concerts in patent application Fast facts Tencent will develop “benchmark” products for virtual reality (VR) […]