Web 3.0 suffers from hype, fragmentation, say industry experts
Interconnectivity is on the way, even as various segments of the Web 3.0 ecosystem are largely disconnected from reality and one another, said Web 3.0 experts at Hong Kong Fintech Week on Tuesday.
Hong Kong to boost funding, investor pool for fintech startups
Hong Kong will increase funding for startups, including fintech companies, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau said on Tuesday.
Web 2.5 is new Web 3.0, says co-founder of blockchain VC firm Kenetic Capital
A hybrid middle ground between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 is necessary before full Web 3.0 integration, argued Jehan Chu, co-founder and managing partner of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic Capital, adding that “it’s not the fully decentralized future we were promised, but it’s the one we’re going to get first.”
Hong Kong announces policies to win back role as digital asset hub
Hong Kong reveals digital asset policies to distinguish itself from China, where cryptocurrency trading was banned in September last year.
Singapore’s DBS Bank trials use of digital SingDollar with vouchers
DBS Bank, the largest lender in Southeast Asia, has partnered the Singapore government’s Open Government Products (OGP) to pilot purpose-bound money-based vouchers (PBM) using tokenized Singapore dollars to facilitate live transactions with selected merchants.
Satoshi’s other big legacy: Bitcoin is propelling a green energy revolution
The Bitcoin white paper, published 14 years ago this day, launched an industry that is now subsidizing clean energy and turning waste into digital gold, writes Will Szamosszegi of Sazmining.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether, Cardano, XRP fall; BNB gains on Binance Twitter investment
Bitcoin and Ether fell in Monday morning trading in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.
Meta’s one-year anniversary: Virtual reality meets tough reality
It is the one-year anniversary of Facebook’s rebrand as Meta, a major step in the company’s foray into virtual reality and Web3. However, in actual reality, not everything has gone to plan for the platform’s new parent company.
Binance confirms equity in Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition
Binance has confirmed its participation in Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition as an equity investor.
Blockchain will be YouTube for finance, says CEO of South Korean blockchain firm Streami
The use of blockchain technology in finance will have an impact similar to that of YouTube on the media industry, said Lee Jun-haeng, CEO of South Korea-based blockchain company Streami.
NFT ‘hype cycle’ over, major changes expected in 2023: report
New York-based technology consulting firm, Activate Consulting, has projected that 2023 will see “the end of NFTs hype cycle” with the token class expected to undergo major changes in how they are used and regarded.
Binance says will help Busan city grow blockchain industry from bottom up
Busan, S. Korea’s designated blockchain city, plans to make itself a global center for the technology. Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, plans to help.
How to manage your crypto assets beyond the grave
When the Grim Reaper comes, will he take all your Bitcoins, too? Here’s how to ensure your crypto wealth will survive and live on for your heirs.
Disrupting the media
Journalists have faced with all sorts of issues in pursuing the truth, including safety, press freedom, and more. So how can blockchain and web3 make a difference?
Education is best protection measure in blockchain tech, says Binance chief CZ
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao believes education is key to a wider, safer adoption of blockchain technology.
Google to update legal compliance following lost criminal crypto exchange data
Google agreed to improve its legal compliance process in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice after failing to produce data on the now-defunct crypto exchange BTC-e in 2016.
More than just a JPEG? Digital Art Fair Hong Kong explores NFTs for data streaming and display
Pixelated pictures and cartoonish drawings have typically dominated the world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), but some exhibits at Hong Kong’s Xperience art fair show new means of applying the technology.
How Europe’s MiCA can pave the way for crypto’s revival
Europe’s new MiCA framework for regulating crypto shows the good that can happen when government works with and not against the industry, writes Nick Saponaro of Divi Labs.
Aptos debut underwhelms amid questions over design and performance
Top blockchain and crypto news: Aptos launch falls short. Why FTX chief is calling for crypto regulations. Is Hong Kong paving way for a retail CBDC?
Chinese blockchain firms conducting financial businesses may be violating PBOC guidelines
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has reminded financial technology (fintech) firms to comply with financial laws and regulations, in the central bank’s new set of guidelines released earlier this month.
S.Korea’s Shinhan Securities lays groundwork toward hoped-for crypto expansion
As a leading financial institution of South Korea, Shinhan is gearing up for business expansion into crypto — while a local ban remains on the books.
Singapore court issues ‘huge’ NFT decision, allows papers to be served via blockchain
The lead counsel for the plaintiff in the case has called Friday’s ruling a decision with implications for the global blockchain industry
Crypto.com, Gate.io sign on to boost Busan’s blockchain aspirations
South Korea’s Busan signs agreements global cryptocurrency exchanges Crypto.com and Gate.io to grow the city’s blockchain ecosystem.
Annie Yi’s NFTs
How are people using NFTs and blockchain technology to promote social causes?
Letter to Zuck: Meta, metaverse dreams must come down to earth
Meta shareholder Altimeter Capital’s CEO Brad Gerstner wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg suggesting a cut in headcount and in metaverse investments.
Top “UK Crypto Hub” proponent Rishi Sunak to become prime minister
Rishi Sunak, who previously spearheaded the UK’s crypto hub ambitions as finance minister, has been elected by the Conservative Party on Monday following Liz Truss’ resignation last week.
Hong Kong, BIS explore CBDC-backed stablecoins in retail prototype
The BIS Innovation Hub Hong Kong Centre has completed its CBDC study, Project Aurum, which examined the feasibility of intermediated CBDCs and CBDC-backed stablecoins.
Is crypto dead? No, but doomsayers may profit from your panic
A lack of regulations means anyone can say bad things about crypto to stir up fear — and push you to sell. Even if they stand to make money from your losses.
‘Chinese Netflix’ iQIYI taps smart contract ERC-3475 to resolve copyright disputes
iQIYI, one of China’s largest online video platforms with over 100 million subscribers, is tapping Ethereum smart contract standard ERC-3475 to solve copyright-related issues, according to a press release on Sunday from the standard’s inventor, decentralized bond protocol DeBond.
Reinventing banking: Why is Standard Chartered so drawn to Web3?
Institutional adoption of Web3 in finance means getting traditional banks involved, which will in turn reshape the way banks work, says SC Ventures’ Alex Manson.
What is XRP and what is Ripple?
Why has Ripple Labs been in the U.S. SEC’s crosshairs and what’s the difference between Ripple and XRP?
India Web3 talent driven away by lack of regulatory clarity, industry body says
India’s lack of regulatory clarity on crypto and Web 3.0 is a driving force of critical human capital flight, according to a new report by Nasscom.
Interpol’s global police beat moves to metaverse amid hunt for Terra’s Do Kwon
The international police organization Interpol has launched its own metaverse to assist law enforcement in protecting communities in virtual realms. The development comes after wanted Terraform Labs cofounder Do Kwon quietly slipped from Singapore to Dubai and possibly elsewhere. See related article: India police launch blockchain-based complaint portal on Polygon Fast facts Interpol claims theirs […]
NFT marketplaces ditching standard royalty fees labeled “short-sighted”
After Solana’s Magic Eden marketplace said it was bowing to pressure and making payment of royalties “optional” to NFT creators, industry insiders tell Forkast the policy is wrongheaded and damaging.
Jack Dorsey-founded decentralized social protocol Bluesky gets 30K signups for waiting list
Bluesky, the decentralized social media protocol founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, announced on Friday morning Hong Kong time that 30,000 people had signed up on its preview app waitlist 48 hours after it was announced.
JP Morgan appoints ex-Celsius exec to head crypto regulatory policy
JP Morgan Chase has hired former Celsius executive Aaron Lovine as executive director of digital assets regulatory policy, the latest move in the bank’s oscillating regard for the crypto industry. See related article: JPMorgan Chase executive says crypto usage for payments decreasing Fast facts A JPMorgan spokesperson confirmed the appointment after Lovine, who headed policy […]
First Digital Trust says HK, Singapore can join hands on crypto initiatives
In a Q&A with Forkast, First Digital Trust Chief Executive Officer Vincent Chok shared his views on Hong Kong getting back into crypto, regulations, and how the crypto pie in Asia is big enough for rivals Singapore and Hong Kong.
Why local language education holds the key to crypto’s future
The crypto sector operates mainly in English, but more than 6 billion people — many of whom crypto would benefit the most — use other languages, writes Wei Zhou of Coins.ph.
Horizon Worlds fails to lift Meta as users stay away
Top blockchain and crypto news: Mark Zuckerberg’s empty metaverse. South Korea to roll out blockchain IDs. Macau bets on digital money.
Aptos rollout faulted for slow processing speeds; native token plunges
The blockchain network was built by former members of the Meta stablecoin project, with well-known investors and considerable buzz as the new ‘Solana killer.’
EU targets Bitcoin with energy efficiency labeling for crypto
This isn’t the first time the bloc has examined cracking down on Bitcoin mining, and it comes amid a growing push from regulators to examine the industry’s carbon footprint.
New IRS tax language tweaked to include NFTs
The IRS updated its annual income tax instructions in a Monday draft that does away with the taxable category “virtual currency” and replaces it with the term “digital assets,” which explicitly includes NFTs.
Ripple devs push for Ethereum smart contract compatibility with XRPL sidechain
The first XRP Ledger (XRPL) Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible sidechain has gone live on the parallel test network, XRPL Devnet, Ripple developers announced on Monday.
One country, two systems? Hong Kong seems set to diverge from China on digital assets
Hong Kong seems set to put out a new welcome mat for the blockchain and crypto industries, but will it work after concern about regulatory restrictions convinced many cryptocurrency operators to leave?
Japanese gaming giant Konami is recruiting for expansion into Web3, metaverse
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based video game company, announced a recruitment effort for 13 new positions to integrate its game titles with Web3 and metaverse technologies. See related article: NFTs may be the next killer app for video games, but some traditional players object Fast facts The game developer is planning to launch […]
Gold commodities market could enter the blockchain, according to new industry initiative
A partnership between the World Gold Council (WGC) and Swiss-based DLT infrastructure and application provider aXedras Group could make gold trading more accessible and streamlined, though insiders are skeptical, according to a Bloomberg report Sunday. See related article: Diamond Standard raises US$30 mln to ramp up tokenized asset distribution Fast facts The WGC’s initiative “Gold247” […]
India wants global, tech-driven regulatory framework for crypto
As India prepares to begin its one-year presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) beginning Dec. 1, it will look to work toward a global, tech-driven regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. See related article: India’s finance minister calls on G20 to share information on crypto Fast facts “During our engagements, […]
Why the crypto bear market can be a bull for innovation
The market may be in the doldrums, but there’s no better time to clean house and build for the future, writes Clayton Roche of UMA. Here are 5 areas of opportunity.
Meta’s flagship metaverse said to fall short of performance expectations
Meta Platforms Inc.’s internal documents show the company’s metaverse platform Horizon Worlds is underperforming in terms of attracting and maintaining users, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday. See related article: Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts Meta’s initial goal was to gather 500,000 monthly active users (MAU) on […]
The evidence is in: Chinese courts use judicial blockchain platform to store data
China’s judicial blockchain platform has stored more than 2.6 billion pieces of evidence, a Supreme People’s Court spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday, according to a report by the local media Legal Daily. See related article: China has seen blockchain’s future and it doesn’t include cryptocurrencies Fast facts See related article: How blockchain […]
Bitcoin fans pitch Satoshi Nakamoto for Nobel Prize in Economics
Bitcoin advocates have once again launched their annual campaign to have Satoshi Nakamoto — the pseudonymous creator/s of Bitcoin — named as the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. See related article: What’s next for Binance after $100 million BNB hack? Fast facts On Oct. 10, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded […]
India police launches blockchain-based complaint portal on Polygon
The Indian police unit in Firozabad city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has launched an online complaint portal powered by Ethereum scaler Polygon. See related article: Blockchain in India got off on wrong foot, says former finance chief Fast facts The pilot portal, policecomplaintonblockchain.in, leverages blockchain technology’s immutability, which means complaints cannot be […]
India’s crypto taxes provide headache for many, opportunity for some
One company says it’s bringing solutions for confused investors in digital assets in India who grapple with hours of tax calculations.
Is crypto suffering from the same ills as TradFi?
Centralized lenders like Celsius and Voyager have proven hugely problematic, but DeFi also has big issues. What if we pursue a hybrid approach?
What’s next for Binance after $100 million BNB hack?
Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance puts brakes on BNB Chain theft. Will quantum computing kill crypto? Huobi sells up.
What is the future for cryptocurrency mixers after U.S. sanctions on Tornado Cash?
Tornado Cash, the Ethereum coin mixer slapped with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury back in August, has returned to the software hosting website GitHub amid a flurry of lawsuits against the Treasury for its action.
BNY Mellon, largest custodian bank, starts Bitcoin, Ether custody services
Bank of New York Mellon Corp., a 238-year-old bank based in the U.S., is now allowing select U.S. clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin and Ether, the bank announced in a press release on Tuesday. See related article: Crypto self-custody is no longer a choice. It’s an imperative. Fast facts BNY Mellon will store private […]
Malaysia’s Blockchain Ambitions
Malaysia looks towards blockchain in its future plans- but how could a national public blockchain help?
Coinhako aims to grow institutional users, introduces arm for eligible clients
Singapore-based Coinhako cryptocurrency exchange, one of a handful to have a full license to operate in the city-state, has launched “Coinhako Treasures” to offer more products that suit the needs of institutional clients, like corporates and family offices, as it seeks to grow its institutional user base. See related article: How a market slump may […]
Justin Sun, SBF again deny involvement in Huobi Global sale
The founder of blockchain network Tron, Justin Sun, and crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried each denied for a second time that they have participated in purchasing a majority stake in Huobi Global, after crypto media outlet Wu Blockchain said on Monday that Sun was actually the Chinese crypto exchange’s behind-the-scenes purchaser, with Bankman-Fried was […]
Vincent van Gogh Sites Foundation launches legendary artist into Web3
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be used to preserve and spread fine art and cultural heritage, tapping into new generations of audiences and patrons, said stakeholders.
UAE crypto market expected to grow 10-fold: report
The cryptocurrency market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to grow 10 times, according to a new report from MENA blockchain ecosystem, Crypto Oasis, released Monday at a blockchain conference organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre. See related article: New hire in Saudi Central Bank to work on crypto regulations: report Fast […]
A bear market may be painful, but it’s good for DAOs
When times are tough, a DAO must trim fat and focus on providing a better product or service to its community, writes Redmption of Harvest Finance.
Crypto exchange Huobi Global announces advisory board
Crypto exchange Huobi Global announced the formation of a five-member global advisory board after Hong Kong-based asset management firm About Capital Management purchased a majority stake of the exchange. See related article: Huobi looks to sell stake that values exchange at US$3 bln, Bloomberg reports Fast facts See related article: Huobi is third global exchange […]
Want the next-generation internet? Start legislating for it
Web3 communities need to join forces with policymakers to draft rules for the next iteration of the online world, says Haun Ventures’ Tomicah Tillemann
Malaysia to get its own national public blockchain
MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG) and Mimos Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd (MTSSB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday to co-develop and operate Malaysia’s national blockchain infrastructure to onboard the nation’s private and public sectors to Web 3.0. See related article: Huobi Global talking to Malaysian regulator about being put on investor alert list […]
Game Space to launch a dozen games by mid 2023, says investor Livio Weng
The former CEO of Huobi Global has jumped into the GameFi space.
Software firm Spexi raises US$5.5 mln to develop Flow blockchain-based drone imagery platform
Software company Spexi has raised US$5.5 million in seed funding to create Spexigon, the world’s first crypto-powered fly-to-earn drone imagery platform based on the Flow blockchain, according to a press release on Tuesday. See related article: X-to-Earn: Eat, sleep, do almost anything for pay in crypto Fast facts See related article: Run-to-earn protocol Stepn announces […]
NFTs from art and the burning question of their physical origins
Original artworks are being set on fire and destroyed to be digitally reborn on the blockchain as non-fungible tokens. But, how far is too far in this recent incendiary trend?
Ripple Labs joins blockchain carbon credit partnership
Ripple Labs Inc., the firm whose payment network is powered by the self-described carbon-neutral cryptocurrency token XRP, has partnered with Web3 climate startup Thallo and various other companies to build a carbon credit market on the blockchain. See related article: SEC opposes motions from two firms seeking to back Ripple in XRP lawsuit Fast facts […]
S.Korea financial regulator restates support for blockchain, crypto protections
Kim Joo-hyun, the chairman of South Korea’s top financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), said on Thursday the agency will promote blockchain technology and user protections in the crypto market. See related article: South Korea’s all-encompassing crypto law is coming — what we know so far Fast facts “In cooperation with the National Assembly, […]
Is that bottle of ‘Grand Cru’ for real? An NFT can nose out the truth
The tradition-bound wine world is not always open to change, writes Sebastian Schier of vinID. But new technology can solve the age-old problem of wine fraud.