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Bitcoin, Ethereum little changed; Solana still lower after network hack

Bitcoin was trending lower to little-changed in early Asia trading on Thursday with most major cryptocurrencies losing ground. Solana remained lower after reports of a hack on its network. Bitcoin was priced at US$22,848 as of 8 a.m. in Hong Kong, off 0.6% in the last 24 hours. Ethereum dipped 0.8% to US$1,615, according to […]

Flippening ahead?; NFT sales fall again

Is the flippening coming soon? And NFT sales drop 25% in July as the crypto winter continues.

Ethereum needs scalability to retain market share: report

Bank of America (BofA) has said Ethereum needs improvements in scalability in order to retain its market share from newer blockchains such as Binance Smart Chain, Tron, Avalanche and Solana, according to a CoinDesk report.  See related article: Ethereum will soon turn 7 — and its upcoming ‘Merge’ will be well worth the wait Fast […]

BUSD reserves consist of 60.5% US Treasury bills, 4.21% cash

Binance and Paxos Trust Company, which issues the dollar-pegged stablecoin BUSD (Binance USD), released the first unaudited breakdown of the reserves backing the token on Aug. 1. See related article: Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says Fast facts According to the reserve report, BUSD was backed by US$738 million in cash, […]

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 […]

Fed nerves hit crypto; Philippines crypto tax pushed

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

Former Coinbase manager arrested on insider trading charges

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested former Coinbase product manager Ishan Wahi and his brother, Nikhil Wahi, on allegations of wire fraud in a first-ever cryptocurrency insider trading scheme, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.  See related article: Former OpenSea employee arrested amid insider trading allegations Fast facts The Wahi brothers are […]

How crypto trading can become a life-consuming addiction

Residential rehabilitation centers around the world are starting to see a new kind of patient with an old problem: gambling addiction focused on crypto trading.

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 […]

Celsius plans repayment options; Bitcoin breaks US$22,000

Celsius says users can settle for cash or go long on crypto. Meanwhile in the markets, Bitcoin breaks US$22,000.

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 […]

Will Mt. Gox Bitcoin eruption smother hopes of rapid crypto recovery?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Payback time for Mt. Gox investors. USDC issuer strikes back as critics circle. Chinese bank fiasco hits a nerve.

Aespa, NCT’s SM Entertainment builds metaverse studio Kwangya

SM Entertainment (SM) announced it is establishing Studio Kwangya, a company specializing in content production in the metaverse, the leading South Korean idol agency announced on Tuesday.  See related article: Second K-pop agency taps Binance for NFT partnership Fast facts SM has represented some generational acts in K-pop since 1995 such as H.O.T., SNSD, EXO, […]

Why Singapore needs to rethink its approach to regulating crypto

Singapore wants to attract institutional capital while shielding its people from crypto — but it can’t have it both ways, writes Donovan Choy.

India’s Directorate of Enforcement said to question crypto exchanges

The country’s federal agency charged with investigating money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws has reportedly reached out to Indian crypto exchanges to probe possible violations of foreign exchange rules. See related article: CoinDCX double downs as the going gets tough in India Fast facts The Enforcement Directorate has sought “further details and documents” […]

Most Indian traders impacted by India’s crypto tax: survey

India’s 30% tax on cryptocurrencies, which met with a public outcry, has deterred the trading frequency of 83% traders, according to a survey conducted by crypto exchanges WazirX and ZebPay. See related article: Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX Fast facts The survey included 9,500 respondents […]

Crypto’s biggest problem is not volatility, but scalability

Notwithstanding this bear market, Web3’s more pressing issue is its inability to handle large volumes, writes Greg Gopman. Can sidechains offer a solution?

Polium’s NFT/Web3 game console plan meets with plenty of skepticism

Web 3.0 company Polium’s plan to make the world’s first “multi-chain gaming console” to support games across different blockchains is an ambitious goal that has met a chorus of skepticism.  See related article: What is Axie Infinity and how is it ushering in gaming 3.0? Fast facts Polium, a startup that first announced its plans […]

Monthly NFT sales fall below US$1 billion for first time in 12 months

Crypto industry sales are slumping, but it’s not just hedge funds and lenders that have been hit hard by the crypto winter. The NFT industry has also begun to feel the chill.

Indian crypto trading volume drops as much as 63% after new tax

Trading volume in Indian cryptocurrency exchanges dropped by as much as 63% since July 1, when a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) was imposed.  See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts Daily trading volume at cryptocurrency exchange WazirX fell more than 63% on July 1 to US$5.36 […]

India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday

India’s government can’t seem to decide on following China with an outright ban on crypto trading. So is it bent instead on suffocating traders and exchanges with taxes?

Axie Infinity’s Ronin Bridge up and running after months of repairs

Sky Mavis’ Ronin Bridge is back online after one of the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) heists in history prompted a three-month network hiatus, Ronin announced in a Tuesday newsletter. See related article: Are we helpless against attacks on blockchain bridges? Fast facts Ronin Bridge is used by non-fungible token (NFT) game Axie Infinity players to […]

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 […]

Crypto market slumps; USDD depegging fears

USDD loses its dollar parity. Meanwhile, Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals.

Bitcoin, Ether bear brunt of market selloff amid fears of Fed rate increase

Still recovering from the Terra-LUNA debacle that wiped off billions of dollars in investor wealth, people sold off cryptocurrencies amid a market slump over expectations that the Fed will act faster to tame inflation.
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TRON founder pledges US$2B defense fund after USDD stablecoin loses dollar parity

TRON founder Justin Sun on Monday said he will set up a US$2 billion fund to support the dollar peg of the project’s stablecoin USDD and “fight” against short sellers, after the stablecoin’s price fell to US$0.97. See related article: Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals Fast facts USDD uses an algorithmic mechanism to keep its dollar […]

US crypto bill leaves ‘open question’ on securities: Tessler

A proposed US crypto bill may place crypto under the CFTC’s primary oversight, but that won’t exclude the SEC from the industry, Sidley Austin’s Lilya Tessler says.

On the shoulders of a giant: How a huge state fund is nurturing Web3

Singapore investment behemoth Temasek has been in the digital asset space for several years, and it’s doubling down on its commitment, says its blockchain chief.

Crypto buyers in emerging economies find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place

Cryptocurrencies can offer citizens in emerging economies a potential buffer against runaway inflation and financial mismanagement by governments. But buying them increasingly means navigating onerous regulations and punishing taxes.

Cryptocurrencies like ‘world of Caribbean pirates’: India chief economic adviser

India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran compared cryptocurrencies to the “world of Caribbean pirates” in the absence of regulation where “winners take it all” from somebody else, local media reported.  Fast facts See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Cryptocurrencies fail to satisfy basic requirements such as having store value, widespread […]

Fantom releases upgrades to enhance speed, scalability, and decentralization

Layer 1 blockchain Fantom has unveiled upgrades to boost settlement speed and platform efficiency, the Fantom Foundation announced on Thursday.  See related article: Fantom overtakes Binance Smart Chain in DeFi TVL Fast facts Fantom’s upgrades include the implementation of all London EIP-1559 changes and a new variation of the consensus mechanism called Lachesis Light Repeater, […]

India crypto tax cut to 0.1% was a ‘typo’; gov’t issues clarification

A typo error on the Income Tax Department’s website mistakenly altered a 1% tax-deducted-at-source (TDS) figure to 0.1%, and has since been rectified, the Income Tax Department said on Wednesday.  Fast facts See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO “Some media reports have come to the notice of […]

US senators’ crypto bill; India’s crypto taxes bite

A bipartisan crypto bill has been introduced in the US Senate. Meanwhile, Singaporean investment company ADDX plans on recognizing crypto assets.

Hold onto your crypto bags, the regulators are coming

Falling prices, an imploding stablecoin, and more reports of hacks have occupied the cryptocurrency headlines in recent weeks, so it’s perhaps no surprise that regulators have noticed and they intend to do something about it.

Gemini sued over US$36 mln Bitcoin and Ethereum hack

IRA Financial Trust announced a lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Gemini Trust Company on Monday for alleged failures in safeguarding IRA’s crypto assets in the exchange. See related article: Binance users burned by outage band together to take legal action Fast facts IRA manages self-directed retirement accounts in non-traditional assets such as Bitcoin which were held […]

Cool with the rules: Why the crypto sector should embrace regulation

The prospect of tighter codes for the crypto industry has given some players the jitters. Others, such as Crypto.com’s Eric Anziani, see it as an opportunity.

Singapore warms up to crypto industry — on its own terms

Crypto companies have voted with their feet in response to the city-state’s restrictions on their business. But they are still keeping an eye on opportunities.

Terra’s LUNA moonshot can’t escape gravity of market misgivings

Top blockchain and crypto news: Investors shun LUNA 2.0. Ethereum gains amid relief rally. China’s stimulus goes digital.

Philippines gets new government, will new crypto taxes follow?

Cryptocurrency companies in the Philippines await legislation from the new Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration on how the government will tax the industry. Some are worried.
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BNB Chain teases out roadmap to boost decentralization, support dApps

BNB Chain’s roadmap for the year will prioritize faster transactions and enhanced support for decentralized applications (dApps), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume said. See related article: Binance rebrands blockchains for metaverse, DeFi expansions Fast facts In its 2022 technical roadmap released Tuesday, BNB Chain said it is working to offer end users more […]

Governments pushing for CBDCs smell blood in Terra Classic’s struggles

Advocates for central bank digital currencies argue their inherent stability supersedes any benefits so-called stablecoins, algorithmic or otherwise, could offer.     

Terra 2.0 new LUNA is down 70% since restart

The new LUNA was trading under US$6 on Monday morning Asia time, after peaking at US$18.87 shortly following the launch of the Terra 2.0 blockchain on Saturday, according to data from CoinGecko. See related article: Winning back the trust of the Terra community a tall order for Do Kwon: Experts Fast facts LUNA Classic (LUNC) […]

Why DBS’ move into the digital asset space is more than a token gesture

The Singapore-based banking behemoth may have found its reach constrained in retail crypto markets, but it still has big plans, CEO Piyush Gupta tells Forkast.

Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto, Web 3.0 warchest swells to US$7.6B

a16z crypto said its fourth fund raised US$4.5 billion, bringing the total amount of funds raised for investment in crypto and Web 3.0 startups by the famed Silicon Valley venture capital firm to more than US$7.6 billion. See related article: Binance, a16z among investors backing Musk’s Twitter bid with US$7B Fast facts Around US$1.5 billion […]

To stay relevant, crypto regulations need to evolve, decentralize: Crypto Rising

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that cryptocurrency regulations need to expand beyond the jurisdiction of a single government and blockchain technology can help with that, said panelists at ‘Crypto Rising,’ a series of virtual monthly events organized by Forkast.

Bullish claims to offer world’s deepest liquidity for BTC/USD

The development will help institutional clients trade at scale, with better pricing and lower risk, within a regulated market environment, Bullish said. Fast facts An internal study of publicly available Coinbase and Binance data over a two-month period ending on May 8 showed Bullish offering deeper liquidity than peers, the cryptocurrency exchange operator said. The […]

Blood moon: Terra’s LUNA rescue plan panned by industry, investors

Top blockchain and crypto news: Terra puts down the fork. Bitcoin loses its shine in Singapore. China’s miners dig in.

What’s the solution to Terra’s UST and LUNA crisis?

Terra’s LUNA and UST stablecoin implosions are roiling the crypto world and beyond. Picking up the pieces won’t be easy — nor finding a good path forward.

LFG looks to compensate small holders of UST

The Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) Monday said it is looking to use assets remaining with it to compensate UST users, prioritizing the smallest holders first. See related article: News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated Fast facts The Singapore-based foundation was left with 313 Bitcoin compared with 80,393 Bitcoin on May 7, LFG said on its […]

LUNA pumps and dumps repeatedly in weekend’s roller coaster run

The price of LUNA, the native token of Terra, is now as volatile as low-cap meme currencies, and is currently at 23,716.5% from its all-time low set on Friday, according to CoinGecko data. See related article: UST loses dollar peg as Terra market cap slumps Fast facts The Terra network suffered a major meltdown last […]

News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated

LUNA, the collateral used by Terraform Labs to back its TerraUSD (UST), has been in a freefall. But experts tell Forkast the crisis is likely to make the pioneering stablecoin stronger, and the community behind stablecoins better.

Do Kwon’s wife seeks police protection

The wife of the CEO of Terraform Labs sought protection after an unidentified individual visited their home in South Korea, local police told Forkast.

DeFi TVL lowest since October, Terra leads losses

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols has dropped from US$217.82 billion to US$179.5 billion in the past 30 days, reaching its lowest point since October 2021, according to DefiLlama data. See related article: DeFi wizard Cronje’s departure sends TVL sinking Fast facts Terra’s Anchor Protocol played a significant role by dropping […]

KoinBasket raises US$2 mln from global marquee investors

KoinBasket, a cryptocurrency investment start-up, has raised US$2 million in an early-stage funding round with the participation of leading global crypto veterans, the company said in a statement. See related article: India’s crypto shakedown be damned, CoinDCX raises $135 million Fast facts The Singapore-based company will use the funds for product and geographical growth, technology […]

Kraken launches gas-free NFT marketplace

Global cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has announced the launch of its non-fungible token (NFT) platform, joining exchanges such as Binance and FTX to do so. See related article: NFT Marketplace Competition Heats Up Fast facts Sellers can list their NFTs in cryptocurrencies supported by Kraken, or in fiat currencies, such as USD, EUR, CAD, GBP and […]

From in-print to online to on-chain: How will Web 3.0 reshape news media?

There’s never a dull moment in the news business. Now, as media outlets explore blockchain, the Associated Press’s Dwayne Desaulniers says more change is coming.

Three Arrows Capital to ditch Singapore for Dubai

Three Arrows Capital, a cryptocurrency trading and hedge fund manager, is moving its headquarters to Dubai from Singapore, becoming the latest among a growing number of firms looking to expand their presence in the Middle East. See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts Su Zhu, cofounder of Three Arrows […]

Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto

The city-state wants to position itself as a hub for cryptocurrency service providers while holding onto its reputation as an important cog in the global AML, ATF compliance machinery.

What is ApeCoin and How It Made The Bored Apes Richer

Bored Ape Yacht Club owners rejoiced, as ApeCoin launched with a generous airdrop for the NFT collection’s holders. Learn what ApeCoin is and how it made the Bored Apes richer in this Forkast explainer.

Kraken gets Abu Dhabi nod to offer full services in MENA

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Monday said it granted a full license to the global cryptocurrency exchange, allowing it to service customers across the Middle East and North Africa region. See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts The license from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM […]

What is Axie Infinity and how is it ushering in gaming 3.0?

Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game that rewards players with cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Learn all about how Axie Infinity is creating a play-to-earn revolution in this Forkast explainer.

Axie Infinity hack proceeds continue to be laundered despite US sanctions

The Lazarus Group, the North Korean hacking group linked to the US$600 million Axie Infinity hack in March, is still laundering funds stolen from the hack despite sanctions imposed by the U.S.  See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts Despite U.S. sanctions, North Korean hackers have been freely laundering […]

Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says

Dubai and neighboring Abu Dhabi have been on a tear when it comes to crypto service providers moving the core of their operations there.

Coinbase’s NFT market enters beta for select customers

Coinbase’s non-fungible token (NFT) platform launched its beta version for select customers on Wednesday. See related article: Coinbase and Binance move to diversify; Stablecoins under scrutiny Fast facts Only a few customers of the three million on the waitlist can access the beta market, but it is also open for public view. The beta platform […]

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Singapore tightens crypto oversight

A desire to stay in line with global anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism norms is forcing the city state’s hand when it comes to regulating cryptocurrency exchanges.

Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban-backed startup sells autographs as NFTs

Ink, the Ashton Kutcher and Mark Cuban-backed Web 3.0 platform that allows artists and creators to sign, draw or write on any form of digital content into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), launched Wednesday. See related article: Warner Music is ready to play in The Sandbox metaverse Fast facts By digitally signing any existing photo, album cover, […]

India’s WazirX cofounders move to Dubai

Cofounders of the Binance-backed Indian crypto exchange WazirX have reportedly moved to Dubai amid regulatory uncertainty and taxation, local media report. See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO Fast facts Nischal Shetty and Siddharth Menon have reportedly moved to Dubai along with their families.  “Crypto has no boundaries,” […]

Why blockchain bridges have become DeFi’s Achilles heel

In the short history of DeFi, bridge hacks have accounted for an enormous amount of stolen funds, writes Joshua Tobkin. What can stop these attacks?

Stablecoins gain amid stormy crypto market in Q1: CoinGecko

The stablecoin market cap grew by US$23 billion in an otherwise lackluster market for crypto assets, according to a quarterly report by CoinGecko. See related article: Bitcoin follows blue chips south amid market turmoil Fast facts Stablecoins were among the biggest beneficiaries from investor “derisking” into stablecoins, CoinGecko said in its report, with USDT remaining […]

MobiKwik pulls crypto support; Twitter NFT hacker strikes again

In India, Mobikwik yanks crypto support. Meanwhile in the cyberspace, a Twitter hack promotes a fake NFT drop.

Bitcoin down amid crypto carnival in Miami

News of officials planning to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet by US$95 billion a month weighed on risk assets globally including Bitcoin which dropped about 5% Thursday early morning Asia time. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market on the rise along with global markets Fast facts Bitcoin fell as much as 4.7% on sell off […]