Web3 crowdfunding launchpad Poolz Finance hacked for US$390,000 on BSC, Polygon

Poolz Finance, a cross-chain crowdfunding launchpad for Web3 projects, has been exploited for US$390,000 worth of digital assets

Voyager-Binance.US’ $1 bln deal should be put on hold, says U.S. Department of Justice

A deal valued at over US$1 billion between Binance.US and Voyager should be put on hold while key legal objections are worked out, says U.S. government.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index extend gains; U.S. banking crisis concerns ease as inflation slows to 6%

Bitcoin and Ether rose on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana and Polygon were the biggest gainers, both rising above 5% in the last 24 hours.
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Anchorage Digital lays off 20% of staff amid low NFT demand, says bank unit not affected

Digital asset platform Anchorage Digital will lay off 75 employees as it restructures to meet regulation challenges.

New York regulator says Signature Bank closure ‘nothing to do’ with cryptocurrencies: Reuters

The decision to shut down Signature Bank at the weekend was not related to cryptocurrencies, the New York regulator told Reuters on Tuesday.

Bitcoin, Ether continue run up; Solana, Dogecoin lead gainers; U.S. equities rebound

Bitcoin and Ether continued strong price gains, with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies logging advances for the past seven days.

Binance suspends pound sterling services for U.K. customers as payment provider backs out

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it is halting its British pound deposits and withdrawals.

Bitcoin breaks US$26,000 as inflation cools in February

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, rallied past the US$26,000 mark at 09:15 p.m. in Hong Kong, shortly after the release of the United States Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Bitcoin, Ether extend gains as U.S. regulators take charge of banking industry turmoil

Bitcoin and Ether rose the most in the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on Tuesday afternoon in Asia. Cryptocurrencies have been on a rebound since U.S. regulators took charge of the failures in the banking industry and moved to protect deposits across crypto-linked banks.
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China regulator says NFT-related complaints skyrocketed in 2022

Amid the NFT hype in 2022, Chinese buyers’ complaints about NFT scams and price manipulations surged 30,000% to 59,700 from 198 in the year before.

Meta plans to wind down NFT initiatives on Facebook, Instagram to focus on other services

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will wind down its non-fungible token operations on both social media services.

FBI investigating the collapse of Do Kwon’s Terra-Luna, WSJ reports

Former employees of Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs are being questioned by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors in New York.

Bitcoin jumps above US$24,000, leading crypto gains as U.S. acts to backstop banks

Bitcoin continued to gain in morning trading in Asia, as regulators acted to backstop the U.S. banking industry. Most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies gained.

Euler Finance loses nearly US$200 mln in exploit

Euler Finance, a decentralized finance lending protocol has lost approximately US$197 million in an exploit, according to online crypto security analysts.

Bitcoin, Ether gain after U.S. regulators take charge to shield deposits across crypto-related banks

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after U.S. regulators took charge of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, both with exposure to crypto industry, protecting deposits and confirming that no losses will be borne by the taxpayer. 
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Circle says US$3.3 bln USDC reserve at SVB available Monday, announces partnership with Cross River

Circle said the USDC reserve deposits held at the failed Silicon Valley Bank will be recovered when banks open on Monday.

Bitcoin jumps more than 9% as U.S. acts to protect deposits at crypto-linked banks

Bitcoin and Ether led a rebound in cryptocurrencies in Asia morning trading as U.S. regulators backstopped banks with ties to the crypto industry.

U.S. regulators shutter Signature Bank, lender to Paxos, Coinbase, citing systemic risk

U.S. regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, one of the biggest lenders in the crypto industry, due to risks of a systemic failure.

Meta working on a decentralized social media app: Moneycontrol

Meta Platforms, the parent company of the social media applications Facebook and Instagram, is exploring a decentralized text-based Twitter alternative.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index close lower on the day

Bitcoin and Ether tumbled during Asia trading hours on Friday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading losses among the top 10 largest non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, pressured by crypto bank Silvergate’s liquidation

New York attorney general sues KuCoin for ‘falsely representing itself as an exchange’

The NY State Attorney General is suing crypto exchange Kucoin for not registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and calling itself an exchange.

Biden administration proposes 30% crypto mining tax, closing wash-trading loopholes

The U.S. has proposed an excise tax on cryptocurrency miners equal to 30 percent of the cost of the electricity they use.

Forkast 500 NFT Index slides, Polygon blockchain NFT sales jump nearly 250%

The Forkast 500 NFT Index fell to a near two-month low in Asia trading on Friday morning, with sales slumping on the Ethereum and Solana blockchains, the two biggest for non-fungible tokens. Polygon, the third biggest, saw a sales surge.

Bitcoin, Ether slump in broad sell-off amid Fed red flags on rates, Silvergate Bank failure

Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies slid Friday morning in Asia, tracking equities amid red flags on interest rates and concern about fallout from the Silvergate collapse.

CFTC chair calls Ethereum a commodity, in contrast to SEC chair Gensler’s position

CFTC chair Rostin Behnam has called Ethereum a commodity and not a security, in apparent contrast to past statements from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.

Bitcoin, Ether fall amid interest rate hike fears, Silvergate liquidation; Forkast NFT 500 index slips 0.79%

Bitcoin and Ether fell in evening trading in Asia Thursday, with XRP the sole gainer in 24 hours among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market cap.

China’s parliament member to propose NFT regulation at ‘Two Sessions’

NFTs have entered China’s Two Sessions, with a delegate to propose an NFT regulatory framework.

South Korea pours US$51 million into metaverse projects

South Korea is investing 27.7 billion Korean won (US$21 million) into local services looking to utilize the metaverse, the ministry of science announced Wednesday, following Tuesday’s news that it would establish a US$30 million metaverse fund to help startups expand their businesses. See related article: Japanese tech, finance firms sign pact to build metaverse economic […]

Crypto mining rig maker Canaan shares slump after Q4 revenue sank 82%

Canaan’s shares on Nasdaq closed 3.83% lower at US$2.51 on Wednesday after the cryptocurrency mining rig maker reported an 82% year-on-year drop in revenue on Tuesday for the fourth quarter of last year, citing “lackluster market demand” for mining machines as the price of Bitcoin fell.

Crypto bank Silvergate to close, return all deposits; becomes latest victim of 2022 crypto turmoil

Silvergate Capital said Wednesday it will cease operations and liquidate its bank unit.

Forkast 500 NFT index dips, Vitalik-linked NFT token gains momentum

The Forkast 500 NFT Index dipped 1.25% to 4,235.97 in the 24 hours through 10:00 a.m. in Hong Kong on Thursday.
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Bitcoin crashes through US$22,000 floor as failure of Silvergate crypto bank hits market

The shuttering of Silvergate Bank was not unexpected, but it still drove Bitcoin and most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies lower on Thursday morning in Asia.

Voyager gains court approval to sell assets to Binance U.S. in US$1.3 bln deal

Bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital received court approval from bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles on Tuesday to sell its assets and transfer its customers to Binance’s U.S. arm, in a US$1.3 billion deal.

Thailand to offer tax breaks to firms issuing investment tokens

The Thai Finance Ministry will waive corporate income tax and value-added tax for firms that conduct initial coin offerings (ICOs), according to a spokesperson.

Bitcoin, Ether fall amid U.S. Fed chair warning of more interest rate hikes; Forkast NFT 500 index slips 0.65%

Bitcoin and Ether fell in afternoon trading in Asia on Wednesday, with XRP the sole gainer among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Forkast 500 NFT index slips, BAYC NFTs leads in sales volume

The Forkast NFT 500 Index slipped 0.68% to 4,276.12 in the 24 hours through 4:45 p.m. in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Fed’s Powell says stablecoins could have role in financial sector if properly regulated

Stablecoins could have a place in the U.S. financial services sector if appropriate regulation is put in place, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Tuesday at a hearing before Congress.

Forkast 500 NFT index edges up, Animoca Brands’ NFT collection leads in sales

The Forkast NFT 500 Index inched up 0.07% to 4,278.68 in the 24 hours through 9 a.m. in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Bitcoin dips, Ether little changed, with top 10 crypto mixed following U.S. equity slump

Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies traded mixed on Wednesday morning in Asia, largely shrugging off the slump in U.S. equities overnight.

SEC shuts Miami hedge fund for alleged ties to US$100 mln crypto fraud 

The SEC announced emergency action against crypto hedge fund BKCoin and co-founder Kevin Kang in connection with an alleged fraud scheme.

FTX’s Alameda sues Grayscale over crypto trusts

Alameda Research has filed a law suit against crypto conglomerate Digital Currency Group and its asset management business Grayscale over trust investments.

Bitcoin, Ether inch up as investors await U.S. Fed chair’s comments; Forkast NFT 500 index dips 0.44%

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Polygon’s Matic token led gains followed by XRP and Dogecoin.
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Hong Kong’s crypto scam losses in 2022 more than double from 2021: SCMP

Crypto scams accounted for over half of Hong Kong’s losses from computer-related crimes in 2022.

China’s WeChat social media giant integrates digital yuan into payment platform

WeChat, China’s leading social networking and payment app, has integrated the digital yuan into its payment network, which may help adoption of the CBDC.

South Korea reports US$4.3 billion in illegal foreign transactions involving cryptocurrencies

The Korea Customs Service has identified US$4.3 billion worth of illegal foreign currency transactions last year involving cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin, Ether little-changed in downtrend day; Forkast NFT 500 index dips

Bitcoin and Ether traded mostly flat in a downtrend move for most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies in Tuesday morning in Asia. The new Forkast NFT 500 index slipped.
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Kraken to launch U.S. crypto bank amid regulatory headwinds

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is working on establishing its own bank, despite the recent regulatory headwinds

Singapore police begin probe linked to Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs: Bloomberg

Singapore’s police have begun investigations linked to Terraform Labs that was co-founded by fugitive Do Kwon, according to a Bloomberg report.

Bitcoin ATM firm accused of profiting from crypto scams via unlicensed machines: U.S. Secret Service

A crypto tech firm and three of its executives have been indicted for allegedly operating unlicensed Bitcoin ATMs in the U.S. that profited from scams.

Bitcoin gains, all other top 10 cryptos in the red amid Silvergate fallout

Bitcoin gained in Monday afternoon trade in Asia while all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization posted losses.
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Binance documents show ties to U.S. unit unknown to regulators, WSJ reports

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, reportedly didn’t disclose the extent of its ties and control over Binance.US, WSJ reported.

Bybit suspends U.S. dollar bank transfers, possible link to Silvergate shuttering crypto banking network

Bybit suspended U.S. dollar deposits and withdrawals via wire and bank transfers due to “service outages from a partner.”

Bitcoin treads water below US$22,500, Ether dips with other top 10 cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell on Monday morning amid concern about the troubled crypto bank Silvergate.

Momoguro NFTs sell out in 9 hours, generates US$7.6 mln of sales

Momoguro: Holoself, an Ethereum-native non-fungible token (NFT) collection launched by Emmy-winning animation studio, Baobab Studios, generated over 12,000 sales worth US$7.6 million on the first day of its launch, according to NFT data aggregator CryptoSlam. See related article: Weekly NFT sales drop, unique buyers surge amid Coinbase’s new NFT airdrop Fast facts See related article: […]

Ethereum core developers delay Shanghai hard fork to early April

The expected launch of the Shanghai hard fork has been delayed from late March to the first two weeks of April, according to Ethereum developers on Thursday.

Bitcoin, Ether fall; Litecoin is biggest loser of day

Bitcoin and Ether fell by the end of Asian trading hours on Friday afternoon, together with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, weighed by the financial woes of crypto-focused bank Silvergate.

Circle joins Crypto.com, Coinbase in cutting ties with embattled crypto bank Silvergate

USDC issuer Circle said Friday that it is withdrawing from “certain services that involve” California-based cryptocurrency bank Silvergate.

Bitcoin falls below US$23,000, Ether slides in crypto price slump across the board

Bitcoin and Ether prices slumped in Friday morning trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Australia’s central bank identifies CBDC use cases as it prepares pilot launch

Australia has outlined potential use cases and providers for a central bank digital currency (CBDC), with a pilot program to be launched in the coming months.

Japanese banks to launch, test stablecoins on ‘Japan Open Chain’

Three major banks in Japan will issue stablecoins on an Ethereum-compatible blockchain created by the blockchain-related tools developer G.U. Technologies.

Bitcoin, Ether fall along with most top 10 cryptos amid potential for larger interest rate hikes

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Thursday, along with all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

China’s digital yuan initiative gets cold reception from Hong Kong visitors

China is promoting digital yuan to Hong Kong visitors, but has not received much enthusiasm so far.

South Korea financial regulator to clamp down on voice phishing involving cryptocurrencies

South Korea will expand the existing law on voice phishing to include crypto related phone scams.

Bitcoin, Ether rise; Polygon leads rebound in top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday morning trading in Asia, along with all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Polygon led the gains.

Creation of U.S. digital dollar would ‘crowd out’ crypto: ex-Biden adviser

A U.S. central bank digital currency would “crowd out” the cryptocurrency ecosystem and protect national security, according to an ex-top presidential adviser.

Visa not slowing down with crypto plans, says its crypto chief

American payments giant Visa is not slowing down its cryptocurrency plans despite last year’s bear market, according to the firm’s crypto head Cuy Sheffield.

Bitcoin, Ether rise along with most top 10 cryptos, amid ‘bull trap’ warning

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Asian equities mostly rose on Wednesday as investors digested economic recovery indications as Hong Kong ended its mask mandate.
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Former executive Nishad Singh pleads guilty to criminal charges in FTX collapse

Nishad Singh, former engineering chief of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, pleaded guilty to fraud and several other criminal charges at a hearing on Tuesday related to the collapse of the company, Bloomberg reported.

Bitcoin, Ether fall; Polkadot leads losers among top ten tokens

Bitcoin fell in Wednesday morning trading in Asia, although held above the US$23,000 lower resistance line. Polkadot led the losers, while Litecoin rose.

Liquid staking TVL surpasses lending, becomes the second-largest among DeFi services

The total value of crypto assets deposited in liquid staking protocols rose to US$14 billion, surpassing lending services before Ethereum’s Shanghai update. 

Yuga Labs to launch its first Bitcoin-based NFTs TwelveFold

Yuga Labs announced that it will launch TwelveFold later this week, its first NFT collection on the Bitcoin network.

Bitcoin, Ether prices fall; Solana biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, despite U.S. equities rising on Monday after last week’s selloff. Asian stock markets mostly rose on Tuesday as investors absorbed key economic indicators across the region.  
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