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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?
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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 […]

Binance gets nod to operate in Kazakhstan

Binance has obtained a “permanent license” to operate a digital asset platform and provide custody services at Kazakhstan’s Astana International Financial Center, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announced in a blog post on Thursday. See related article: Binance targets expansion in Philippines, Turkey, executive says Fast facts The license gives Binance the status of a […]

Binance targets expansion in Philippines, Turkey, executive says

The world’s largest crypto exchange’s regional head of Asia says the Philippines’ GameFi community and rampant inflation in Turkey present opportunities for Binance.
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Binance sets up shop in New Zealand in global push

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a local branch in New Zealand after becoming a registered financial service provider, Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao announced on Friday. See related article: Binance taps ex-U.S. senator Max Baucus to chair global advisory board Fast facts “New Zealand is an exciting market with a strong history of […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; XRP surges following court ruling vs. SEC; gains across top 10 crypto

Bitcoin and Ether rallied in late afternoon trading in Asia to rise over 1% as all top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization gained. See related article: Markets: XRP jumps amid court ruling against SEC, Bitcoin gains, Ether sole loser in crypto top 10  Fast facts Bitcoin rose 1.35% to trade at US$19,569 at 4 p.m. […]

SBF wanted to join Elon Musk Twitter deal, private text messages show

Sam Bankman-Fried, the American crypto entrepreneur, billionaire and investor, considered joining Musk’s bid to buy social media giant Twitter, leaked private messages reveal.

Busan taps K-pop metaverse to win 2030 World Expo bid

Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is opening a virtual space on Naver Z’s Zepeto metaverse at 12 p.m. on Friday, Korea time, to promote the city in efforts to host the World Expo in 2030. See related article: South Korea’s Busan city wants to be blockchain central. Did everyone get the memo? Fast facts The […]

Institutional finance, role of regulators in focus at TOKEN2049 crypto conference

The second Forkast report on Asia Crypto Week’s anchor event explores what bets TradFi players are making, how Asian investment patterns differ from those elsewhere, and what cooperation between crypto companies and regulators should look like

Cryptocurrency crowd shrugs off market woes at upbeat TOKEN2049 conference

In the first of a two-part report on this year’s cryptocurrency gathering in Singapore, defiance outshone defeatism despite industry’s struggles.

Kevin O’Leary to launch Web3 fund with backing from UAE; pushes back on Jamie Dimon

Kevin O’Leary plans to launch a Web 3.0-focused investment fund called Cipher, the Shark Tank investor told Forkast Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau at the Converge22 blockchain and cryptocurrency conference on Wednesday in San Francisco.  See related article: Capital gains: How Web3 property rights can transform the digital economy Fast facts “We’ve got to get away from this […]

Markets: XRP biggest loser in top 10, Bitcoin slips under US$19,000, Ether slumps

Bitcoin and Ether fell as much as 7% in afternoon trading in Asia as the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization lost ground across the board. XRP slid to erase most of its gains from the past week as optimism faded for any early resolution to its lawsuit with the US Security and Exchange Commission. […]

South Korea’s industrial city to reinvent itself in the metaverse

Changwon is the latest addition to South Korea’s growing list of cities seeking a presence in the metaverse, signaling the country’s adoption of Web3.

South Korea’s Busan city wants to be blockchain central. Did everyone get the memo?

The coastal city was a prominent manufacturer of footwear, fabric and other light industries during the 1970s and 80s, and then grew into one of the world’s biggest container ports. Now it’s trying to reinvent itself in the digital world of blockchain.

Cross-chain bridge Wormhole, oracle Pyth deployed on Aptos

DeFi infrastructures powered by Jump Crypto will support blockchain Aptos and have been deployed on its development net.

Binance taps ex-U.S. senator Max Baucus to chair global advisory board

Binance has tapped Max Baucus, a former U.S. senator and ambassador to China, to chair its new global advisory board, to advise the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange on regulatory, political and social issues. See related article: Binance stablecoin conversion controversial, but what does it mean for users? Fast facts Binance said on Thursday in a […]

Huobi Technology considers name change

Crypto exchange Huobi Global’s Hong Kong-listed sister company, Huobi Technology Holdings, is proposing renaming the group to “New Huo Technology Holdings Limited,” while its sister company, the crypto exchange Huobi Global, is reportedly seeking a buyer for the majority of its company. See related article: Huobi-incubated Chinese NFT platform iBox ends international operations  Fast facts […]

Alameda Research to repay US$200 mln crypto loan to Voyager Digital

Sam Bankman-Fried’s trading firm Alameda Research will repay around US$200 million in cryptocurrencies to bankrupt digital assets broker Voyager Digital by Sept. 30. See related article: Voyager Digital issues notice of default to 3AC Fast facts Alameda owes Voyager about 6,553 Bitcoins, more than 51,000 Ether and smaller amounts in various tokens including USDC, DOGE […]

Aptos offers US$1 mln bug bounty for catching critical vulnerabilities

Aptos, a public chain launched by former members of failed Meta stablecoin project Diem, announced Friday a prize of up to US$1 million to encourage developers to find major vulnerabilities in the blockchain network, as the launch of the highly-anticipated blockchain fell slightly behind schedule. See related article: Binance makes additional investment in Aptos  Fast […]

Busan’s big blockchain plans

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – September 16, 2022 – presented by Joel Flynn. Coming up on today’s show: Could Busan be the next crypto hub? Will help from Binance and FTX finally establish South Korea’s second largest city as the crypto haven it’s trying to be? We’ll have more on those stories — and […]

Binance makes additional investment in Mo Shaikh’s blockchain startup Aptos

Binance Labs, the venture capital arm of world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has made a follow-on investment in Aptos Labs, as a part of a broader fundraising round by the blockchain startup. See related article: Aptos raises US$150 mln from FTX Ventures, Jump Crypto Fast facts Aptos will use the funds to expand its team and […]

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, […]

Citadel, Fidelity and Sequoia backed digital exchange to launch in November

EDX Markets Crypto Exchange, backed by Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities, Fidelity Digital Assets, Paradigm, Sequoia Capital and Virtu Financial, seeks to settle trades on the blockchain for greater speed and efficiency at lower cost, eliminating the need for bilateral settlements, according to a press release on Tuesday. See related article: FTX agrees to help South […]

Huobi becomes third global exchange to sign with S.Korea’s Busan city

Global cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global announced it will sign a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Busan city on Wednesday to help the city establish its first crypto exchange and promote its blockchain ecosystem. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts The agreement entails Huobi providing technical […]

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.

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 […]

New hire in Saudi Central Bank to work on crypto regulations: report

Saudi Arabia’s central bank has appointed Mohsen AlZahrani, a former managing director at consultancy firm Accenture, to head its virtual assets and central bank digital currency (CBDC) initiative, Bloomberg reported. See related article: Governments pushing for CBDCs smell blood in Terra Classic’s struggles Fast facts With the United Arab Emirates aiming to be a global […]

Binance chief Changpeng Zhao reiterates Binance not a Chinese company

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao reiterated that Binance is not a Chinese company and it “was never incorporated in China,” as the country continues to ban cryptocurrency trading. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts In a blog post published on Thursday, Zhao wrote that the […]

Markets: Bitcoin holds gains; Ether, Avalanche surge; Solana jumps

Bitcoin and Ether added to morning gains in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, as most other top 10 coins by market capitalization also rose. Avalanche rebounded after a slump over the weekend following whistleblower allegations that the company paid a law firm to stage litigations and class-action lawsuits against its rivals. See related article: Markets: […]

Ronin hackers converted stolen ETH to BTC using sanctioned mixers: report

The hackers responsible for stealing US$610 million worth of crypto from Axie Infinity’s Ronin bridge back in March have since transferred most funds from ETH into BTC using renBTC and privacy tools like Blender, ChipMixer, and TornadoCash, according to a report. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts The […]

Ukraine spends US$54 mln in crypto donations towards war supplies

The embattled Ukrainian government has spent US$54 million, raised through donations in cryptocurrencies, to supply defenders with military equipment, armor, clothing, medicines and vehicles, a senior minister said.  See related article: Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to donate to Ukraine Fast facts See related article: Ukraine’s NFT museum of Russian conflict goes live

Eqonex closes crypto exchange as market woes prompt cost-cutting

Top blockchain and crypto news: Eqonex shutters exchange operation. Huobi denies sale report. Taiwan beefs up cyber defenses.

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 […]

Huobi looks to sell stake that values exchange at US$3 bln, Bloomberg reports

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 […]

Markets: Bitcoin dips, Ether little changed; Huobi Token surges amid stake sale speculation

Bitcoin fell while Ethereum traded little changed on Friday afternoon in Asia. Huobi Token, the native coin of China crypto exchange Huobi, jumped 18.9% in the last 24 hours after Bloomberg reported its founder was seeking to sell a majority stake in the business. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether retreat as investors digest inflation, […]

Why crypto remains niche and far from the mainstream

The crypto world is plagued by products that are hard to use and have little utility, writes Roman Kashcheev of Quantfury. What can turn things around?

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.

Court allows Voyager Digital to return US$270 mln in custodial account to customers

A U.S. bankruptcy court in New York approved crypto platform Voyager Digital’s request to return to customers US$270 million held in a custodial account at Metropolitan Commercial Bank (MCB), the Wall Street Journal reported.  See related article: Voyager crypto refund plan unconfirmed; fiat to be returned in full Fast facts The funds at the MCB […]

S.Korea’s Bithumb links system with Samsung Securities, mobile apps

South Korea’s leading digital asset exchange Bithumb is linking its system with mobile applications from three major domestic financial institutions — Samsung Securities, NH Nonghyup and KB Kookmin Bank, Bithumb announced Thursday. See related article: Scarred by Terra-LUNA, South Korea moves ahead with digital asset reform Fast facts Bithumb users can now check up-to-date crypto […]

India questions Binance-backed WazirX on foreign exchange violations

India’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED), responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime, is investigating two cases against crypto exchange WazirX under the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999 (FEMA), reported local media. See related article: Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX Fast facts Zanmai […]

Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao Monday said the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume spent over US$1 billion on compliance efforts with its market share continuing to increase. See related article: Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK Fast facts Zhao Monday said on his verified Twitter handle that a recent CoinDesk […]

Komainu latest to get Dubai’s approval to operate

Digital assets company Komainu has received a provisional license from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to offer cryptocurrency products and services to institutional clients in Dubai, CoinDesk said in a report.  See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts Komainu is the latest to receive approval from Dubai […]

Crypto lender Voyager ordered to stop misleading claims over deposit insurance

U.S. banking regulators have ordered crypto lender Voyager Digital to stop making “false and misleading” claims that its customer’s funds were insured by the government. See related article: Three Arrows, Voyager failures raise questions of who is next in crypto fall from grace Fast facts The Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) […]

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.

Fed nerves hit crypto; Philippines crypto tax pushed

Crypto prices fall ahead of the Fed meeting. Meanwhile, the Philippines pushes for a crypto tax.

Market bottom being tested?; Zipmex in buyout talks.

Silvergate issues warnings about the crypto winter. Meanwhile, Zipmex considers a buyout by FTX and Alameda Research.

Singapore crypto lender Vauld reportedly owes retail investors US$363 million

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 […]

3AC founders moved money out of troubled hedge fund, allege liquidators

Court filings in Singapore by the lawyers appointed by Three Arrow Capital’s creditors allege money was being moved out of the troubled crypto hedge fund into a company controlled by its founders.

Seeking Bitcoin alpha: How I learned crypto day trading

Hoping to strike crypto riches, Joel Stein follows the footsteps of a master degen investor. Here are the secrets revealed to him.

Sam Bankman-Fried says ‘moderately bad’ deals OK during bailouts

Prioritizing customers getting back their deposits means it is OK to do a “moderately bad” deal when rescuing troubled cryptocurrency companies, FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said on Tuesday.  See related article: What Sam Bankman-Fried thinks will happen with NFTs and crypto exchanges in 2022 Fast facts Speaking at the Bloomberg Crypto Summit, Bankman-Fried, […]

Dubai scorches crypto winter with plans to support 40,000 ‘virtual jobs’

Dubai aims to be one of the top 10 cities globally in the metaverse economy, creating 40,000 virtual jobs and adding US$4 billion to the city’s economy in five years.  See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts The launch of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy on Monday was aimed at […]

How the crypto winter is laying groundwork for Web3 to reach its potential

Digital assets are powering new industries, and DeFi will be the financial system of the future internet economy, writes Alex Tapscott in his new book, ‘Digital Asset Revolution.’

Crypto trading volumes dip to 18-month low amid bear market

Spot and derivatives crypto trading volumes have declined by over 15% since May to around US$4.2 trillion, the lowest since January 2021, Bloomberg reported citing data from CryptoCompare.  See related article: Indian crypto trading volume drops as much as 63% after new tax Fast facts In June alone, spot trading volumes dropped by 28% to […]

Celsius says it owes its users US$4.72B amid a US$1.19B balance sheet deficit

A day after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Celsius Network disclosed a US$1.19 billion deficit in its balance sheet in a new filing on Thursday by restructuring lawyers Kirkland & Ellis LLP. See related article: Celsius files for bankruptcy after closing DeFi loans Fast facts The document showed that Celsius had US$4.31 billion in assets […]

Celsius files for bankruptcy after closing DeFi loans

The embattled U.S. crypto lender wants to continue certain operations during the restructuring process but customers will have to wait for the Chapter 11 proceedings to address their claims.

Lightspeed launches US$500 mln fund for India, SEA

Lightspeed India Partners (LSIP) announced on Tuesday the closing of a US$500 million early stage fund (LSIP Fund IV) for India and Southeast Asia, as part of venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners’ (LSVP) US$7.1 billion commitment. See related article: Huobi Ventures bets on DeFi and gaming in $10M GameFi fund Fast facts In addition […]

Bitcoin, Ethereum rebound pulls back amid worries of BTC dump from Mt. Gox, Celsius

Gains made by two of the world’s largest cryptocurrencies were partially eroded as speculation of a glut of Bitcoin from Mt. Gox’s customers and creditors and Celsius Network’s payback of its debt circulated over the weekend.

Stablecoins, USDC and the ‘Circle of trust’

Investor confidence in stablecoins has plummeted since the Terra fiasco. Circle’s chief of finance assesses how they’re holding up amid a barrage of “FUD”.

Voyager faces delisting from Toronto Stock Exchange after bankruptcy filing

After Voyager Digital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday, the Toronto Stock Exchange suspended trading in Voyager shares on Wednesday, announcing an expedited delisting review.  See related article: Voyager crypto firm loaned US$377 mln to Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research Fast facts According to Voyager’s bankruptcy filing, the firm has over 100,000 creditors and US$1.1 […]

Voyager crypto firm loaned US$377 mln to Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research

Alameda Research, the crypto trading firm cofounded by Sam Bankman-Fried, owes Voyager Digital Holdings US$377 million in loans, according to the crypto broker’s new bankruptcy filing. See related article: Three Arrows, Voyager failures raise questions of who is next in crypto fall from grace Fast facts Voyager Digital entered a loan agreement for a revolving […]

Three Arrows, Voyager failures raise questions of who is next in crypto fall from grace

The crypto winter is killing off companies that took on big risks when markets were booming. So is this the shakeout all financial markets go through?

Crypto winter hits NFTs; Three Arrows Capital files for bankruptcy

Three Arrows Capital files for bankruptcy in the US. Meanwhile, SBF and FTX agrees deal with option to buy for up to US$240 million.

Roger Ver says he will issue statement on default dispute with CoinFLEX

Early Bitcoin adopter and Bitcoin Cash promoter Roger Ver told Forkast he will issue an official statement before Monday responding to allegations he defaulted on a US$47 million loan in USDC from CoinFLEX. See related article: Roger Ver denies defaulting on US$47 mln loan from CoinFLEX Fast facts Ver told Forkast in a phone interview […]

Voyager calls time on Three Arrows as crypto fund teeters on the brink

Top blockchain and crypto news: Three Arrows fallout spreads. BIS calls BS on crypto. Chinese regulatory vacuum chills an NFT platform.

Wall Street seems to sense opportunity in distressed crypto markets

While critics say the bubble has burst on crypto, Wall Street is moving in to take advantage of what could be some fire-sale asset prices.

BIS warns over crypto; Crypto bailout battles

BIS warns over crypto, calling it unreliable as money. Meanwhile, Morgan Creek Capital counters FTX’s US$250 million BlockFi bailout.

Crypto lending platforms, DeFi seem to be having an Animal Farm moment

In a decentralized society envisaged under crypto, everybody is reportedly equal. But as the market strains under considerable stress, it’s showing some are more equal than others.

Amid 3AC exposure, Voyager Digital cuts daily withdrawal limit

A day after Voyager Digital disclosed its exposure to crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), it slashed daily withdrawal limits to US$10,000 from US$25,000. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi Fast facts On Wednesday, crypto trading platform Voyager said it had loaned over US$650 million worth of USDC and […]

Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi

After rescuing crypto-asset broker Voyager Digital last week, crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, often known as SBF, has now agreed to bail out crypto lender BlockFi.  See related article: BlockFi among those that foreclosed on Three Arrows Capital: report Fast facts FTX agreed to extend a US$250 million revolving credit facility to BlockFi on […]

Singapore grants Crypto.com in-principle approval toward offering payment services

The Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Wednesday said the approval toward a license will eventually allow it to offer a range of payment services in the city-state. See related article: Singapore warms up to crypto industry — on its own terms Fast facts Crypto.com has received an in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for […]

Celsius community adopts GameStop tactics to squeeze out short sellers

Crypto lender Celsius Network’s native token CEL saw an uptick of around 50% on Tuesday as community members attempted a short squeeze.  See related article: CEL down over 50% since Celsius Network’s withdrawal freeze Fast facts In a short squeeze, bulls attempt to buy out the underlying asset to push up its price and make […]

CEL down over 50% since Celsius Network’s withdrawal freeze

CEL has dropped 53.1% over the past 24 hours and was trading at US$0.20, at press time, according to CoinGecko.  Fast facts Crypto staking and lending platform Celsius Network paused user withdrawals, swaps, and transfers on Monday, citing “extreme market conditions,” driving its native token to shed more than half of its value. The lending […]