South Korea’s Wemade shares drop, WEMIX token plunges after delisting verdict
The South Korean blockchain game maker’s WEMIX cryptocurrency will be removed from the country’s four major cryptocurrency exchanges that collectively account for more than 95% of the country’s crypto trading volume.
Bankman-Fried may face subpoenas if he does not testify
The embattled founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX may be subpoenaed if he declines to testify at the two hearings on the platform’s meltdown in Washington DC next week.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether drop as SEC’s Gensler says crypto firms running out of time to comply with securities laws
Bitcoin fell below US$17,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia. The other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also retreated.
AAX’s future in doubt amid staff exodus and FTX contagion
Top blockchain and crypto news: AAX teeters on the brink. SBF hints at Congressional hearing no-show. Chinese court boosts NFT legitimacy.
Sam Bankman-Fried hires attorney Mark Cohen amid probes of failed FTX exchange
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former chief executive officer of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has hired white-collar crime specialist Mark Cohen to represent him, said a Bankman-Fried spokesman.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in slow trading, Solana gains on Web3 game partnership
Bitcoin edged up above US$17,000 in Wednesday morning trading, a level it has fluctuated around for much of the past week.
Majority of ‘wealthy’ South Koreans say no plan to invest in crypto, cite lack of trust
The majority (58.3%) of South Koreans with assets of 1 billion Korean won (US$760,000) said they don’t plan to invest in cryptocurrencies.
DeFi regulation: it’s not a matter of if, but when
The push to regulate DeFi is stronger than ever, and the sector would be wise not to fight but participate in that inevitability, writes Michael Shing of XREX.
Markets: Bitcoin, crypto top 10 retreat with equities on signs of inflation uptick in U.S.
Bitcoin dipped below US$17,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, as Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies lost ground.
Sam Bankman-Fried ‘not sure’ if he will testify before Congress on Dec. 13
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former chief executive officer of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, tweeted on Monday morning Hong Kong time that he may not testify before the U.S. Congress on Dec. 13.
Wemade in talks with Binance for custody of WEMIX cryptocurrency
Wemade Co. Ltd. said its in talks to have Binance Institutional Services take custody of its native cryptocurrency, WEMIX.
Cold comfort: Is Crypto Winter the right time to invest in Web3?
Amid the current crypto market carnage, Web3’s appeal for investors remains solid — and perhaps even stronger — says CVP NoLimit Holdings founder Gin Chao.
Hong Kong crypto exchange AAX has lost most staff, unlikely to reopen, says former executive
The exchange has gone silent since pausing withdrawals and liquidating all futures positions, with users fearing a repeat of the FTX collapse.
MetaComp becomes the latest crypto exchange to receive Singapore license
Singapore-based crypto exchange MetaComp has been granted Singapore’s license, enabling it to offer digital asset exchange and custody services to institutional investors.
S.Korea court to settle MIR4 maker Wemade, WEMIX legal battle
Following a hearing on Friday, the court is expected to finalize its decision on an injunction Wemade filed against four exchanges.
Coinbase disables NFT transfer on iOS app, citing hefty in-app fees
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has disabled its non-fungible token transfer feature for iOS users, citing a dispute over Apple’s in-app purchase policy.
S. Korea energy conglomerate builds US$84 mln metaverse fund
Daesung’s venture capital subsidiary recently established a fund worth 110 billion Korean won (US$84.5 million) for expanding investments into metaverse startups.
VPN in China may be at risk as users report connection issues on Twitter
VPN services, a reliable tool for Chinese internet users to bypass the Great Firewall, are reporting connectivity issues in the mainland after anti-lockdown protest content flooded Twitter.
Troubled Hong Kong crypto exchange AAX unlikely to reopen, says former executive
Hong Kong-based crypto exchange AAX is likely to end operations and restructure, former head of communications, Ben Caselin, told CoinDesk TV on Wednesday.
It’s time for more institutions to adopt blockchain and crypto: Opinion
Despite the myriad benefits of blockchain and cryptocurrency, institutional interest remains mixed in Asia Pacific. What lessons should the industry learn from 2022 to overcome the barriers to adoption?
Binance re-enters Japan with acquisition of regulated Sakura Exchange BitCoin
Binance returned to the Japanese market with the acquisition of regulated crypto exchange Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC), according to a blog post on Wednesday. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts See related article: Crypto exchange Binance in regulators’ crosshairs as scrutiny mounts
Grayscale holdings questioned amid crypto investment giant’s silence
Top blockchain and crypto news: Grayscale’s cryptic reserves. Binance rides to the rescue? China hit by protests and digital dissent.
Markets: Bitcoin rises, Ether leads gains across most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos
Bitcoin and Ether strengthened in Asian trading on Wednesday afternoon, with Ether the biggest gainer among top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies that also generally increased. See related article: Diverging paths of two CEOs running FTX’s Alameda Research may meet again in court Fast facts See related article: Dominica releases ‘world’s first national’ crypto token with Huobi, […]
Diverging paths of two CEOs running FTX’s Alameda Research may meet again in court
Employee accounts of life at Sam Bankman-Fried’s flagship cryptocurrency trading arm Alameda Research paint a picture of overworked and inexperienced millennials running a ship headed for the rocks: one seemingly escaped.
Swiss crypto bank SEBA Bank expands to Hong Kong
Swiss crypto bank SEBA Bank announced on Wednesday the opening of its Hong Kong office to serve global institutional clients as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion. See related article: Hong Kong said it remains upbeat on digital assets after FTX debacle Fast facts See related article: Hong Kong needs engineering talent to reclaim role as […]
S. Korea’s Wemade files injunction against country’s top 4 crypto exchanges
The blockchain game maker fights delisting of its symbolic WEMIX crypto token.
CeFi vs DeFi
FTX’s collapse has now led to another crypto service filing for bankruptcy. Could this be the end for centralized exchanges?
CeFi must adopt DeFi’s transparency following FTX collapse, Justin Sun says
Justin Sun says CeFi must adopt DeFi’s transparency to regain public trust as 1inch Network cofounder Sergej Kunz sees crypto’s struggles as an opportunity for DeFi.
FTX to resume paying wages
FTX Trading and its affiliates will resume paying wages to employees globally and to some non-U.S. contractors and service providers
ECB’s Christine Lagarde: Further crypto regulation ‘absolute necessity’ following FTX collapse
Christine Lagarde of the European Central Bank said regulating cryptocurrency in the EU is an “absolute necessity” following the collapse of Bahamas-based exchange FTX.com.
Kraken pays over US$360K to US Treasury to settle Iran sanctions allegations
U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has agreed to pay over US$362,000 to settle claims that it violated sanctions against Iran, the Treasury said Monday.
Will the future metaverse amplify the good or the evils of the real world?
The metaverse has the potential to improve access to opportunities and create a better version of the offline world. How do we prevent it from perpetuating society’s ills?
Terra-Luna cofounder Daniel Shin may face fraud charges in South Korea, prosecutors say
South Korean prosecutors may charge Terraform Labs cofounder Daniel Shin with fraud for promoting the Terra stablecoin as a payment method despite multiple warnings from financial regulators that it was against the law.
Bitcoin price follows slide in Asia equity markets amid growing China protests against Covid-19 lockdowns
Reports of civil disobedience, protests and clashes with the police in cities and universities in China are unnerving financial markets in Asia
Australian fintech firm launches new AUD stablecoin, AUDE
Australian blockchain fintech startup Ettle Pty Ltd. has completed the first transaction on its recently launched Australian dollar-pegged stablecoin, AUDE.
S.Korean Wemade’s stock falls 30% after exchanges announce WEMIX token delisting; CEO blames Upbit exchange
The delisting poses a great obstacle to the game maker’s growing blockchain empire, while Wemade’s CEO blames the crypto exchange
MetaMask says “we changed nothing” in response to criticism update collects more user data
ConsenSys, which operates the popular cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, said an update to the wallet has made no change to the data the platform collects from its users, only the wording had changed.
Binance says it will set up US$1 billion ‘recovery’ fund for distressed crypto businesses
Binance said it will establish a US$1 billion fund for its “Industry Recovery Initiative” to mitigate the damage from the collapse of the FTX exchange.
Hex Trust bags virtual asset license from Dubai
Digital asset custodian Hex Trust received the MVP license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority on Nov. 24.
Digital Currency Group seeks to calm investors over Genesis loans: reports
Barry Silbert of DCG disclosed his company owes a US$575 million loan and a US$1.1 billion promissory note to its subsidiary Genesis Global Capital.
The crash and burn of FTX: What lessons does it teach us?
As FTX victims and creditors sift through the pieces, how much of this blowup should regulators have seen coming — and could it happen again?
Genesis jitters keep investors on edge as contagion risks grow
Top blockchain and crypto news: Fear stalks crypto as Genesis wobbles. FTX cleanup begins. China’s NFT scene shrinks.
S.Korea’s top regulator says digital assets, virtual assets are different
While the crypto industry grapples with the definition of blockchain-based digital tokens, South Korea wants to nail down the terminology.
S.Korea’s Ifland metaverse launches globally in 49 countries
South Korea’s telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT) is launching its Ifland metaverse in 49 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Regulators should seek greater disclosure from stablecoin issuers: HK monetary authority researchers
Regulators should seek more disclosure from stablecoin issuers, as stablecoins could transmit risk from markets to traditional finance, according to researchers at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Thai crypto exchange eyes Hong Kong for possible public share sale in 2024: report
Bitkub, one of the largest crypto exchanges in Thailand, is aiming to list in Hong Kong as early as 2024 when it goes public.
US senators urge Fidelity to drop BTC retirement plan after FTX collapse
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin and Tina Smith asked Fidelity Investments to rethink its decision to grant retirement plan exposure to Bitcoin.
Why digital assets need better infrastructure and risk management
Investor confidence may be shaken, but crypto is here to stay, writes Alex Manson of Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures. Here’s how to restore trust and make the sector more resilient.
FTX Japan readies for resumption of withdrawals by end-2022: report
FTX Japan, a subsidiary of the now-bankrupt FTX.com, is preparing to resume withdrawals by the end of 2022 to Japanese customers, said an unnamed FTX Japan executive to local broadcaster NHK
S. Korea mulls requirement for digital asset exchanges to compensate sudden withdrawal suspension
South Korea’s FSC is considering a requirement that crypto exchanges offset investor losses for the sudden suspension of withdrawal services.
South Korea, Singapore, Japan biggest users of FTX pre-collapse, says CoinGecko
South Korea, Singapore and Japan were the biggest users of FTX.com based on the number of monthly unique visitors from January to October 2022
Beyond crypto: Why would companies want cryptocurrency-free blockchains?
Cryptocurrencies are getting in the way of the mass adoption of blockchain technology, especially by tech businesses, says Red Date Technology chief Yifan He.
Crypto exchange Bullish says it has no exposure to FTX
Crypto exchange Bullish has said it does not have any exposure to now-bankrupt FTX and Alameda Research, and expects FTX’s bankruptcy to have no impact on Bullish’s operations. The exchange is operated by Bullish (GI) Limited and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
Genesis crypto broker freezes withdrawals; Winklevoss’s Gemini, S. Korea’s GOPAX exchanges affected
The Genesis brokerage arm of the Digital Currency Group is one of the latest cryptocurrency platforms to lock down withdrawals following the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX, and the freeze is spreading.
FTX contagion in S.Korea: GOPAX halts Genesis-backed DeFi
S.Korean crypto exchange GOPAX halted withdrawal of principal and interest payments in its DeFi service which brokers products from Genesis.
Australia to revamp cryptocurrency rules after FTX collapse
The country is one of the first to say it will act to set up regulations to prevent a collapse similar to FTX, which filed for bankruptcy protection and froze the assets of hundreds of thousands of investors.
China’s state blockchain infrastructure Xinghuo BIF partners Malaysian MyEG to fuel global push
China’s state blockchain infrastructure Xinghuo Blockchain Infrastructure and Facility has signed an agreement with Malaysian digital service provider MY E.G. Services Berhad to own and operate an “international supernode,” as China continues its international blockchain push.
Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch says proof of reserves shows sufficient reserves to match clients’ stake
Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch’s proof of reserves summary, that was shared on Thursday, stated that as of Nov. 4, the exchange’s overall holdings of crypto and fiat balances in Indian Rupees (INR) exceeded those held by the exchange on behalf of its users.
How Hong Kong and Singapore can make Asia the center of crypto’s future
Yes, there is rivalry between the two global finance hubs. But their strengths are also complementary for Asia to become an even bigger crypto powerhouse, writes Lily Z. King.
Crypto exchanges see record-high week of BTC outflows, following FTX saga
Bitcoin outflows from centralized crypto exchanges rose to a historic high this week, as investors turned to self-custody options following the collapse of FTX.
FTX collapse leaves investors jittery over crypto contagion
Top blockchain and crypto news: FTX fallout spooks sector. Crypto.com’s $400 million ‘accident.’ Hong Kong’s new digital asset drive.
Korbit is first South Korean exchange to disclose full crypto reserves, post-FTX debacle
Korbit, one of South Korea’s five fully licensed crypto exchanges, announced Wednesday that it will reveal its full list of crypto reserves.
AAX crypto exchange at risk of capital deficit, says market vulnerable from FTX collapse
AAX wants to reopen withdrawal services with additional capital, while VP Caselin told Forkast AAX is caught in a market-wide vulnerability.
Terra cofounder Daniel Shin’s Chai Corp. raided by S.Korean authorities
Daniel Shin’s Chai Corporation, which partnered with Terraform Labs in 2019, is accused of violating capital market rules in past dealings with Terra.
Trezor, Ledger report surge in hard wallet sales amid FTX meltdown
What to do when one of the world’s most trusted crypto exchanges implodes? For many it’s finding a safer place for their assets, and that is typically hardware wallets.
FTX bankruptcy and fallout; Tuesday updates and commentary
The following is a running compilation of views and comments on the FTX bankruptcy and implications for the industry.
FTX is crypto’s Lehman Bros. moment. What happens now?
Unlike the 2008 crash, the government won’t be bailing out FTX’s investors, writes Nick Saponaro of Divi Labs. Will regulators see this as a cue to crack down on exchanges?
Crypto.com claims user funds safe despite ‘accidental’ Ether transaction
The chief executive of Crypto.com, said the exchange’s exposure to FTX when it shut was under US$10 million.
Binance says it will set up crypto recovery fund, industry standards group
Changpeng Zhao, founder and chief executive of Binance, tells the B20 Summit in Indonesia that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange aims to help improve business and operation standards in the crypto industry.
Why DeFi is in dire straits — and what could save it
DeFi remains unusable for all beyond a niche community, writes Dennis Jarvis of Bitcoin.com. ‘Should it stay like this, it will never attract a wide audience.’
FTX files for bankruptcy, Sam Bankman-Fried steps down as CEO
FTX.com, FTX US and 130 additional affiliates have filed for bankruptcy, its new CEO John J. Ray III says.
Could FTX woes bring on another crypto freeze resembling Terra-Luna?
Crypto exchanges and lending platforms are starting to use the dreaded F word for Freeze amid worries about the possible collapse of FTX.com, part of one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency trading networks.