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Singapore grants capital markets license to SBI’s digital asset arm

SBI Digital Markets Pte. Ltd. (SBI DM) has received a Capital Markets Services (CMS) license from Singapore’s central bank, which allows it to provide custodial services and offer capital markets products. See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts SBI DM plans to launch a digital asset […]

CEL price rallies to US$4.26 during Ethereum’s Merge

The bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network’s native CEL token suddenly spiked to US$4.26, during Ethereum’s much-anticipated Merge, according to data from CoinGecko. See related article: Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky floats restructuring as custody business amid bankruptcy proceedings Fast facts CEL’s price has since dropped to US$1.94, making it the 61st largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, […]

Women in India start to plug into cryptocurrency trading

Crypto exchanges in India say the number of female investors isn’t huge, but it is growing even as prices slide and new taxes eat into revenue.

Why Ethereum Merge will be game-changing for DeFi and crypto investing

Ethereum post-Merge will be much more attractive to institutional investors keen on ESG and earning stable yields, writes Wei Zhou of Coins.ph. Here’s why.

Filecoin service provider RRMine leaves China for Singapore

Tighter restrictions on cryptocurrency usage in China have prompted leading storage service platform RRMine Global to close its mainland China operations and move its headquarters to Singapore. See related article: China has seen blockchain’s future and it doesn’t include cryptocurrencies Fast facts “As Singapore has been one of the world’s most open economies for a […]

Fungible after all? Duplicates may disrupt NFT industry after Ethereum Merge

The Merge is the most anticipated event in the crypto industry in years, but could the multibillion dollar non-fungible token industry become an unexpected casualty?
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Markets: Bitcoin, Solana continue rally, Ether slips in anticipation of Merge

Bitcoin and Solana continued their rallies in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, both up over 10% in the past week. However, Ether continued to slip as the market awaited the upcoming Etherium “Merge.”  See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Solana lead gains in crypto top ten, Ether slips ahead of Merge Fast facts Bitcoin was up […]

Singapore central bank says data on crypto holdings by general public not available

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it is unable to determine the proportion of cryptocurrency holdings by the general public in the city-state as these include transactions with both Singapore-based as well as overseas service providers.   See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts “Data on […]

All aboard the good ship Ethereum for The Merge. Next stop? 

The most critical upgrade in Ethereum’s history is just around the corner, so what will it mean for prices of cryptocurrency?

Why Ethereum Merge won’t be able to overcome the ‘Scalability Paradox’

Ethereum’s completion of its much anticipated ‘Merge’ this week will unlikely improve the network’s long-term speed or scalability, writes Mark Lurie of Shipyard Software. Why is this so, and why will it still be good for innovation?

US raises red flag on crypto mining with concerns over carbon emissions

White House says carbon footprint of crypto industry does not align with goals to decarbonize the economy.

Crypto lender Nexo introduces spot, futures trading

Cryptocurrency lender Nexo has launched a spot, margin and futures trading platform for retail clients with the launch of Nexo Pro. See related article: Nexo and Fidelity Digital Assets expand institutional lending services Fast facts The London-based crypto platform aims to offer retail clients access to institutional-grade aggregated liquidity with no minimum funding requirements, the […]

Binance pushes out USDC in aggressive move to boost its own stablecoin

Top blockchain and crypto news: USDC gets the boot from Binance. MicroStrategy looks for Lightning strikes. STEPN heads to Hong Kong.

World Economic Forum argues for CBDCs, Australia latest to test use-case technology

With over 100 countries experimenting with the technology behind Central Bank Digital Currencies, the World Economic Forum of Davos fame lays out its views on the potential benefits and drawbacks of CBDCs.

Slowdown in crypto interest to continue for rest of the year: KPMG

A slowdown in crypto investment — particularly in firms offering coins, tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) — will continue in the second half of the current year, according to a new report by global audit and consulting firm KPMG.  See related article: Siloed regulatory efforts unlikely to help bring oversight to highly decentralized crypto industry […]

SK Telecom’s Ifland metaverse adds cashable in-app economy

The Ifland metaverse, run by South Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT), is allowing users to earn money by hosting meetups in the virtual world, the company announced Monday. See related article: South Korea’s Ifland metaverse dives into play-to-earn Fast facts SKT has adopted an “ifland point” system to usher in its metaverse economy — […]

Singapore’s DBS commits to crypto offerings despite slump: report

Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, aims to expand its cryptocurrency and digital assets offerings to 300,000 new clients in the face of the crypto bear market, according to a Financial Times report on Tuesday.  See related article: Why DBS’ move into the digital asset space is more than a token gesture Fast facts In an interview, […]

Why play-to-earn gaming is losing steam and where GameFi must go next

Axie Infinity’s decline shows that earning can’t be everything, writes Riaz Lalani of Gambit Games. What went wrong with P2E and what can we learn from it?

Markets: Bitcoin stuck under US$20,000, Ether edges up, Cardano slides

Bitcoin edged up in Monday afternoon trading in Asia, but it still traded below the US$20,000 resistance line, a level it has now fluctuated around since late August. Ether rose, along with Solana and Polkadot. Cardano reversed morning gains to trade lower. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether edge up; Cardano, Solana lead gains in […]

S.Korea TV network partners with metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox

MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), one of South Korea’s four national television and radio networks, has signed a business partnership with Hong Kong-based metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, according to its announcement on Friday. See related article: Netflix Sweet Home producer to build K-drama metaverse in the Sandbox Fast facts MBC will create its emblematic Sangam […]

Blockchain unchained: How crypto can empower women

How can blockchain help women gain financial independence? And how can female participation be boosted? Social entrepreneur Wendy Diamond explains

IMF looks to build platform for cross-border CBDC transactions

The director and division chief of IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department will soon publish a paper laying out a blueprint for a platform to support CBDC clearing and settlement transactions between multiple countries. See related article: Inter-country use key for CBDCs to reach potential: report Fast facts See related article: US Digital Dollar Project […]

Chinese central bank should issue RMB stablecoin for metaverse: academic

China should issue a digital yuan-collateral stablecoin to establish an on-chain payment system for China’s metaverse, as the infrastructure developed by China itself is the key to ensuring national security, said influential academic Zhang Ping of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, an institution providing policy consultation to the Chinese State Council. See related article: Naver’s […]

How did Big Tech gain such power over our data, and how do we take it back?

Google earns hundreds of billions annually by monetizing its users. Can blockchain return meaningful control over personal data back to the people?

The X-to-Earn model: Eat, sleep, do almost anything and get paid in crypto

Are you a good runner? Or eater? Or sleeper? Chances are whatever you’re good at, there’s a Web3 project out there to reward you in crypto. But do the tokenomics stack up?

Indonesia’s biggest tech firm buys local crypto exchange

Indonesia’s biggest tech firm GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GOTO) has forayed into the cryptocurrency market with the purchase of local crypto exchange Kripto Maksima Koin for US$8.38 million. See related article: Indonesia’s wholesale CBDC to be ready for bank use by year end: report Fast facts GoTo has acquired 100% of Kripto Maksima Koin shares for […]

Crypto lender Hodlnaut placed under creditor protection by Singapore court

Singapore-based crypto lender Hodlnaut has been placed under Interim Judicial Management (IJM), a form of creditor protection, and will now be managed and controlled by interim judicial managers appointed by court order. See related article: Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’ Fast facts Hodlnaut said its legal representatives attended the IJM hearing […]

Most crypto “still junk”, JPMorgan’s blockchain lead claims

Excluding a few dozen tokens, most cryptocurrencies are bound to “go away,” according to Umar Farooq, Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan’s blockchain unit. See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts “Most of crypto is still junk,” he said at the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Green Shoots […]

Singapore’s Crypto Dance; Women in Web3

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – August 29, 2022 – presented by Joel Flynn. Coming up on today’s show: Crypto clarity from Singapore’s central bank. Forkast and NEAR Foundation initiative champions women in Web3. We’ll have more on those stories — and other news shaping the cryptocurrency and blockchain world — in this episode of […]

Why the crypto world needs more women as leaders and investors

Women foster a better environment for innovation and are sober with money — which is what the industry needs, writes Gracy Chen of Bitget.

China exploring blockchain for energy trading

The National Energy Administration (NEA) will explore blockchain-based power trading platforms to facilitate electricity trading between self-contained power generation units and the state and national grids, according to a policy document released last Friday. see related article: The Bitcoin-energy connection intensifies Fast facts see related article: Here’s why Australia can’t use its empty deserts to mine […]

An internet of blockchains: Interoperability in a multi-chain future

Interoperability among blockchains will be central to the next phase of the technology’s evolution, says Cosmos cofounder Ethan Buchman.

Huobi-incubated Chinese NFT platform iBox ends international operations

Its operations in mainland China are continuing as normal.

Crypto ATM Bitcoin Depot unveils US$885 mln SPAC listing plans

Bitcoin Depot has announced its backdoor listing plans on the Nasdaq by the first quarter of 2023 via a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) GSR II Meteora at an estimated equity value of US$885 million, the crypto ATM operator said in a statement. See related article: Bitcoin ATMs face existential threat in Hong […]

Crypto miners plan to fork Ethereum, will it make a difference to the Merge?

Ethereum has by far the most developers from DeFi projects to NFTs so how are they expected to respond to a plan by Etheruem miners to fork the network, a move miners argue is needed to stay in business.

How Web3 can reduce concert ticket fraud and clean up the industry

The $65-billion event ticketing industry is riddled with skulduggery, but NFT technology can transform it for the common good, writes Josh Katz of Yellowheart.

OSL Digital placed a ‘tokenized bond’ in July — what’s next for blockchain securities?

Financial instruments sold and traded on a public blockchain could be the next big thing, so Forkast caught up with OSL to hear about what’s planned.

Australia to keep pace with crypto laws with “token mapping”

The Australian Treasury under the ruling Albanese Government will prioritize “token mapping” in 2022 to help regulations Down Under keep pace and adapt with the crypto sector.  See related article: Singapore’s MAS to further strengthen crypto regulations Fast facts “Token mapping”, the primary step in the government’s reform agenda, intends to identify the appropriate direction […]

Liquidity crunch may loom for Bored Ape-collateralized loans as floor price slides

Not every NFT collection is facing the same issue, but due to the collection’s outsized influence it could have a significant impact on the rest of the Ethereum NFT ecosystem.

Keeping it real: How metaverses connect to the physical world

Metaverses are more than gamified virtual spaces — they’re a different way to live real life, says Metapolis cofounder Sandra Helou.

U.S. federal deposit insurer allegedly deterring banks from doing business with crypto firms

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), one of the two federal agencies insuring savings in American depository institutions, may be asking banks to refrain from providing services or extending credit to cryptocurrency companies, Republican Senator Pat Toomey alleged. See related article: New US bill to give CFTC oversight of cryptocurrencies may speed up crypto legislation […]

Australians can now use crypto to buy gasoline, Krispy Kreme donuts

Australian consumers can use cryptocurrency to pay for gasoline and other goods — including Krispy Kreme donuts — at 175 OTR service stations through a partnership with Crypto.com and payment terminal provider DataMesh Group Pty Ltd. See related article: Crypto.com inks AU$27M deal with the Australian Football League Fast facts The service stations allow Crypto.com […]

Crypto winter may be just what DeFi needs to grow and thrive

The decentralized finance sector is now a fraction of its former self. What will help companies survive this bear market and emerge stronger?

Coinhako crypto exchange sees Asia expansion opportunity as rivals stumble

Cross currents: BlackRock Inc, the world’s biggest money manager, is talking about Bitcoin opportunities amid a market slump. Singapore’s Coinhako looks to have similar ideas.

Jump Crypto to revamp core part of Solana’s infrastructure

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 […]

Fed issues guidelines for crypto banks to enter central banking system

The U.S  Federal Reserve published what it called “final guidelines” for how crypto banks could be granted “master accounts” that are needed to transact directly with the Fed and the broader global banking system.  See related article: Federal Reserve to taper bond purchases, prompting concerns over BTC impact  Fast facts The Fed referred to these […]

Australia’s Holon Global got ahead of BlackRock with funds shrugging off crypto winter

Australia’s retirement fund industry, the world’s fifth largest at US$2.3 trillion, is one future target for investment funds offering cryptocurrencies.

Why crypto firms should embrace regulations and compliance 

Regulatory compliance will be critical to improving crypto’s ‘Wild West’ image and public acceptance, writes Karen Er and Benjamin Bai of Amber Group. Here’s why.
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Simping in Web3 to follow the DAO of Irene

Can blockchain technology help starstruck little guys profit from being superfans of popular e-girls? Joel Stein joins Irene Zhao’s IreneDAO to find out.

Issue tokens later for growth, not for initial fundraising, advises Binance chief Changpeng Zhao

Web3 companies should issue tokens to accelerate growth, not to gather initial funds, said Binance founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Changpeng “CZ” Zhao at a fireside chat at Korea Blockchain Week 2022 on Tuesday.  See related article: Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says Fast facts “When people come into Web3 […]

NFT gaming to drive wider blockchain adoption, Immutable cofounder says

Blockchain gaming will likely remain a key driving force for wider Web 3.0 adoption, and the gaming sector will be “quite hit-driven” over the next 12 months, Robbie Ferguson, cofounder of Immutable — which builds Immutable X, a layer-2 scaling solution on Ethereum — told Forkast on Tuesday at Korea Blockchain Week 2022. See related […]
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Crypto lender Hodlnaut halts withdrawals, ends token swap feature

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 […]

Why Singapore may be the ideal place for companies to rebuild post-crypto winter

Singapore is growing its digital assets industry while reducing risks, and its clear regulations allow firms to better plan for the future, writes Desmond Yong of DTC.

Welcome to Web3, (hopefully) not a bigger monster than its version 2 sibling

How does a centralized internet browser plan for a decentralized future? Reinvention, and finding a receptive audience. First stop, Southeast Asia.

Ex-PwC crypto head sets up digital asset fund in Dubai: report

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 expands NFT platform to 100 countries

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 […]

What NFT.NYC missed that Coachella got right

2022’s marquee NFT event in America’s biggest city failed to capitalize on its namesake technology, while an iconic music festival in the California desert understood the possibilities, writes Mirwan Suwarso of Mola TV.

Blockchain in India got off on wrong foot, says former finance chief 

India’s government doesn’t like cryptocurrencies and has made that clear in statements and with heavy taxes on the asset class, but what does that say about blockchain adoption?

Seed-phrase leak from crypto wallet Slope prompts Solana hack

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 […]

China expands digital yuan loans to further cities

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

Solana blames Slope for exploit

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: […]

Filecoin on a tear as cautious optimism returns to crypto markets

Top blockchain and crypto news: Filecoin leads in market uptick. CryptoPunks in new glow as Tiffany jewelry. Chinese firms flock to Singapore.

Key TPS Capital staffer departs as firm distances itself from 3AC: report

Stefan Chu, who used to head over-the-counter (OTC) trading at TPS Capital, has left the organization as the company seeks to distance itself from the bankrupt hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), according to a report by The Block.  See related article: MAS takes aim at Three Arrows Capital, does not impose penalty Fast facts […]

Digital Treasures Center latest to win Singapore’s crypto license

Digital Treasures Center (DTC) became the latest firm to receive the Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to become a regulated Digital Payment Token (DPT) services provider, the company announced on Monday.  See related article: Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’ Fast facts A full license […]

Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin predicts the metaverse will be built, but any existing corporation trying to intentionally build one will not succeed, adding that efforts by Meta (formally Facebook) to do so will “misfire.” See related article: Will Facebook’s metaverse future transform how we live online? Fast facts In a Twitter thread over the weekend, the Ethereum […]

Back to the future: Blockchain returns to the real world

As the once febrile crypto market cools, it’s time to look again at the enterprise capabilities of blockchain, says the Hyperledger Foundation’s Daniela Barbosa

Covid restrictions drive some Chinese Web 3.0 firms to Singapore

A lack of certainty over future regulation and a long lockdown in Shanghai are pushing some Chinese Web3 companies to set up shop in Singapore.

Terra allegedly ramped up its numbers with insider trading: report

Terraform Labs and affiliates allegedly ramped up the numbers of its decentralized finance (DeFi) service Anchor Protocol by investing their own capital, a claim that South Korean prosecutors are currently looking into, state broadcaster KBS reported. See related article: S.Korea slaps ‘notification upon arrival’ on Terra’s Do Kwon Fast facts The local media outlet claims […]

Immutable lays off 6% of workforce

Immutable has let go of about 6% of its workforce, including lead designer James Wakeham who was involved in the development of the game developer’s popular non-fungible token (NFT) game Gods Unchained.  See related article: Play-to-earn game developers pivot to engaging fans Fast facts A spokesperson from Immutable’s U.S. branch told gaming media outlet Kotaku […]

Hong Kong to launch US$637 mln tech fund for startups: report

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

Why DeFi remains attractive to institutions in a bear market

Despite the bleak macro outlook, more institutions are looking to gain exposure to the DeFi sector, writes Robert Alcorn of Clearpool. Here’s why.

Voyager gives Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘low-ball’ bailout offer a single digit

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF’s Voyager rescue deal spurned. Tesla pulls U-turn with BTC sale. Tencent cuts local NFT staff as it looks abroad.