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Tether, USDT market cap has dropped by US$10B since UST collapse

Tether, the operator of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has seen US$10 billion of its market capitalization shaved off since TerraUSD’s (UST) collapse.  See related article: Nearly half of Tether reserves are now in US Treasury bills Fast facts USDT’s market capitalization was at US$73.35 billion at the time of publishing, following an all-time high […]

Mastering the metaverse: TradFi’s space race to ‘the next internet’

Blockchain was once associated overwhelmingly with cryptocurrencies — and specifically its poster children, Bitcoin and Ethereum. The latter, in particular, has thrust the industry forwards into the realm of smart contracts integration.  Ethereum started to bear fruit arguably most prominently last year amid a boom in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), while decentralized finance (DeFi) offered a […]

Nearly half of Tether reserves are now in US Treasury bills

Commercial paper backing Tether (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, has decreased by 17% from US$24.2 billion in Q4 2021 to US$20.1 billion in Q1 2022, according to Tether’s latest attestation report.  See related article: Tether slashes commercial paper, shows more reserves than liabilities Fast facts Commercial paper in Tether reserves has been reduced by an […]

Terra, UST collapse pushes G-7 call for swift crypto regulation

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) urged the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to accelerate crypto regulations following the downfall of the Terra blockchain and its terraUSD (UST) algorithmic stablecoin, Reuters reported. See related article: LUNA pumps and dumps repeatedly in weekend’s roller coaster run Fast facts The inter-governmental political forum — consisting of […]

Knock, knock Do Kwon, investors have quite a lot of questions for you

The man at the center of one of crypto’s biggest flops is trying to resurrect the Terra-LUNA project as his tribe of followers and out-of-pocket investors want to know what went wrong.

Terra was a ‘house of cards’: Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, which issues the second-largest stablecoin USDC, claims to have foreseen Terra and algorithmic stablecoin UST’s collapse six months ago because it was “a house of cards.” See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts “There were two things that […]

Bitcoin, crypto drop as stocks slump in the US

Bitcoin’s increasing correlation with risk assets meant it got caught up in the overnight market selloff in the U.S. Investors dumped shares of Target and Walmart after the American retailers cautioned about possibly taking a margin hit from not being able to pass on price increases to customers. See related article: Has Bitcoin become a […]

A bipartisan case for why the US needs a Web3 regulatory overhaul

In a special op-ed, 2 former CFTC chiefs and a crypto executive make the case for why the US must prioritize policies that support the new Web3 economy.
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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.

No hard fork, governance vote in Kwon’s updated Terra revival proposal

Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon posted an update to his proposal to revive Terra and LUNA at 4:55 p.m. Hong Kong time, which omitted the notice of putting the plan up for a governance vote. See related article: Do Kwon proposes Terra fork to ditch UST and ‘LUNA Classic’ Fast facts Kwon’s updated “Terra Ecosystem […]

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.

Australia’s taxman starts knocking on cryptocurrency investors’ doors

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) warned the country’s cryptocurrency investors to appropriately report any capital gains or losses from digital assets — including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) — in an announcement on Sunday ahead of the upcoming tax season, starting July 1. See related article: Australian Tax Office warns: taxpayers on the hook for crypto tax […]

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 […]

Gimme shelter: Crypto companies head offshore as they hanker for regulation

A developmental shift in the cryptocurrency industry is ushering in geographical shifts among crypto companies, with a number of businesses abandoning locations once hailed as crypto hubs in favor of jurisdictions with regulatory regimes more to their liking.  Forkast sat down with two of the crypto industry’s rainmakers who are among those spearheading this trend […]

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.

Binance pulls the plug on TerraUSD (UST) trading pairs

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange will delist a number of trading pairs linked to TerraUSD (UST), an algorithmic stablecoin that has been in a freefall since earlier this week. See related article: Tether stabilizes after burning 3 billion tokens amid redemptions Fast facts Binance Friday said it will remove and cease the trading of several […]

Tether stabilizes after burning 3 billion tokens amid redemptions

The world’s largest stablecoin destroyed a total of 3 billion USDT tokens in an account known as Tether Treasury through two separate burns on Thursday, according to data from blockchain tracker Whale Alert. See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts “Burn burn burn,” […]

Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support

Terra officially halted block production at 09:58 am HKT on Friday, block height 7607789, after restarting the network from an overnight shutdown to prevent possible governance attacks. Terra said validators are working on a plan to restart the network but did not release any further details. See related article: Terra plunges back to earth as […]

Terra LUNA’s sacrifice pushes UST to US$0.84

TerraUSD (UST) climbed to a high of US$0.84 on Thursday after Terra proposed a network upgrade to increase the blockchain’s native token LUNA, in hopes to save its algorithmic stablecoin’s peg to the greenback.   See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts The UST is minted by locking […]

Yellen’s stablecoin warning; China’s e-CNY plans looking shaky

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen cites UST’s downfall as warning over stablecoins. Meanwhile, China postpones Asian Games and e-CNY rollout.

Terra plunges back to earth as UST stablecoin loses dollar peg

Top blockchain and crypto news: UST knocked out of Luna orbit. Making NFTs Instagrammable. China’s black market ‘digital collectibles’ trade.

Covid-19, postponed Asian Games to push digital yuan into the slow lane?

China’s central bank is driving the adoption of the digital currency, but a spate of lockdowns is slowing the economy and raising questions about the rollout.

Bitcoin mining difficulty at a record high

Bitcoin mining difficulty hit another all-time-high on Wednesday, recording a 4.9% increase from the previous adjustment last month. See related article: SEC places Chinese crypto mining rig maker Canaan on pre-delisting list Fast facts The mining difficulty reading is now at 31.25 trillion at a block height of 735,840, according to BTC.com data.  The previous […]

Not worried about Bitcoin margin call: MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor

The CEO of business analytics software firm MicroStrategy took to Twitter to reassure investors as an outsized bet on Bitcoin faltered. See related article: Has Bitcoin become a victim of its own success? Fast facts If the price of Bitcoin falls below US$3,562, the company could post some other collateral, Saylor claimed. MicroStrategy has a […]

Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet

A probable run on terraUSD (UST) has weighed on the ability of the company and the non-profit behind the pioneering stablecoin project to defend its dollar peg.

El Salvador snaps up US$15 mln in Bitcoin after price plunge

El Salvador this week bought 500 Bitcoins for US$15.37 million, taking advantage of a sharp price decline to add to its holdings of the cryptocurrency, which is also legal tender in the Central American country.  See related article: El Salvador to build world’s first ‘Bitcoin City’ to be powered by volcanoes Fast facts “El Salvador […]

UST loses dollar peg as Terra market cap slumps

Terra’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, terraUSD (UST), “depegged” for the second time this week, dropping to as low as US$0.6841 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, according to CoinMarketCap. It has since recovered slightly. See related article: What are stablecoins, and why are some governments so afraid of them? Fast facts Terra’s price also dropped by over […]

De-layered and durable: How DeFi will boost the finance sector’s resilience

As decentralized finance redefines the way money moves, a do-or-die moment is approaching for traditional finance sector businesses, says Anthony Scaramucci.

Central banks double down on CBDC issuance: BIS report

A 2021 poll of 81 central banks by the BIS reveals that work on retail CBDCs has moved into more advanced stages, driven by a need to increase financial stability amid the pandemic, and the emergence of stablecoins.

Otherdeeds NFT sale puts Ethereum scalability in glaring spotlight

Top blockchain and crypto news: Otherdeeds debacle stings with gas fee spike. Algorand scores World Cup deal. Will China be forced to embrace Bitcoin?

Has Bitcoin become a victim of its own success?

Except for a bout of recession in March 2020, Bitcoin has been fairly resilient to the vagaries of global financial crisis. But with murmurs of another recession gaining steam, Forkast examines the cryptocurrency’s relevance as a safe haven.

My brief wondrous life as an Axie Infinity gamer

Crypto rookie Joel Stein dives into Axie Infinity and the curious economics of ‘play to earn.’ Will his teenage gaming dreams come true?

The SEC is building a SWAT team to combat crypto crime

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it is expanding its crypto asset enforcement team by adding 20 positions, in a move to bolster its efforts to combat cybercrime associated with cryptocurrency. See related article: Peirce dissents from SEC’s US$100M BlockFi settlement Fast facts The SEC on Tuesday said that its staff strength in a […]

Canada’s 3iQ could be first to launch Australian crypto ETF

Last-minute delays to three Australian cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could allow Toronto-based 3iQ Digital Asset Management to launch the first of such products in the country, the Australian Financial Review reported. See related article: Launch of three crypto ETFs in Australia delayed Fast facts The Canadian firm lodged disclosure documents with the Australian Securities and […]

Wikimedia Foundation to no longer accept crypto donations

The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the organization that runs the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, will no longer accept donations in the form of cryptocurrency, the foundation announced Sunday. See related article: Ukraine crypto donations top $36M amid Russian invasion Fast facts The decision follows a vote concluded on April 12 where over 70% of the community voted […]

Philippines central bank to trial wholesale CBDC

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will launch a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot project, coined CBDCPh, as part of its efforts to promote the stability of the country’s payment system. See related article: Report: Stablecoins, CBDCs may not resolve financial inclusion, international remittance challenges Fast facts The central bank’s pilot will test the […]

Bitcoin mining difficulty hits new high in latest adjustment

Bitcoin mining difficulty reached yet another all-time high on Wednesday, logging a 5.56% increase from the last adjustment two weeks ago. See related article: Almost 60% of Bitcoin mining now on sustainable energy: BMC Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 29.79 trillion at block height 733,824, after it saw a drop of […]

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.

Twitter accepts Musk’s US$44B bid, sends Dogecoin to crypto top 10

Dogecoin is back in the crypto top 10 after Twitter accepted Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s US$44 billion offer to purchase the social media platform. See related article: Will the dog have its day on Doge Day? Fast facts The world’s leading memecoin reached a high of US$0.1677 before retreating slightly, its highest point since Musk […]

Binance makes Russia denial; CoinDCX talk future plans

Binance categorically denies sharing client data with Russia. Meanwhile, Chinese officials push for e-CNY use at the Asian Games.

A marathon not a sprint: How the US can win the digital asset race

Joe Biden’s executive order on crypto has put America on course for solid success in the digital asset space, says the Blockchain Association’s Kristin Smith.

Terra inspires Tron to pursue US$10B in crypto-backed stablecoin

TRON founder Justin Sun announced on Thursday a new decentralized dollar-pegged algorithmic stablecoin on the Tron blockchain called USDD. See related article: What are stablecoins, and why are some governments so afraid of them? Fast facts The TRON Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) intends to raise US$10 billion within the next year to fund a crypto […]

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 […]

Shiba Inu, Dogecoin payments accepted by Porsche Baltimore dealership

A Porsche dealership in Baltimore, Maryland, has begun accepting mainstream crypto payments for vehicles, along with DOGE and Shiba Inu, according to a Tweet by U.S.-based crypto payment service provider BitPay. See related article: Lamborghini’s last all-gas Aventador to be auctioned with NFT Fast facts See related article: Hic Hic Hurray! Scottish distillery Ardbeg to […]

Monkey eats dog, ApeCoin shines on Dogecoin’s big day

The Dogecoin community hoping for a price rally was disappointed on “Doge Day” as ApeCoin stole the spotlight with a 30% climb. See related article: Will the dog have its day on Doge Day? Fast facts DOGE investors were hoping to recreate last year’s success when DOGE rallied over 500% in the days leading to […]

Will the dog have its day on Doge Day?

Holders of the world’s leading memecoin are hoping for a repeat of 2021 where a community effort helped propel the token’s price into the stratosphere. But one industry watcher says the market is a very different place now.

Terra Luna headlines crypto’s Easter resurrection, STEPN peaks

The cryptocurrency market returned strong from the Easter holidays with Terra LUNA leading major coins with an 18.5% rebound to trade at US$91.43, on Tuesday morning Asia time. See related article: Is Terra — whose LUNA coin is now at another all-time high — really where the smart money is? Fast facts Terra reached its […]

Bitcoin mining difficulty drops amid market turmoil

Bitcoin miners saw a 1.26% drop in mining difficulty on Thursday, the third time this year, while the price fell to less than US$40,000. See related article: Cryptos slump over inflation, Shanghai lockdown and war concerns Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 28.23 trillion at block height 731,808, after it saw an […]

Chasing my first crypto wallet down a rabbit hole

In Part 1 of a special Forkast series, crypto newcomer Joel Stein dips a toe into Bitcoin and Doge by opening his first-ever crypto wallet.

Circle raises $400 mln, teams up with BlackRock to develop USDC

Circle, the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin USDC, has raised US$400 million in its latest funding round with major investments from BlackRock and Fidelity Management and Research, as the stablecoin issuer looks to explore possibilities with the traditional financial world. See related article: Circle’s growth outpaces Tether as it doubles valuation Fast facts Circle […]

Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India

Coinbase’s showcasing of support by government-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) set the ball rolling on the cryptocurrency exchange being yanked from the ubiquitous Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

SHIB price pumps on Robinhood listing with SOL, MATIC, COMP

Robinhood added four new cryptocurrencies to its platform on Tuesday, including Shiba Inu token (SHIB), a listing the memecoin community has pleaded for since its inception. See related article: What is the real value of joke coins like Dogecoin and SHIB? Fast facts SHIB gained 30% following the news and has slightly retraced its pump […]

Terra buys US$200 mln AVAX to back UST, promote cross-chain development

Terraform Labs (TFL) and the Luna Foundation Guard (LFG), the non-profit behind the Terra ecosystem, have acquired US$200 million worth of Avalanche’s AVAX tokens, diversifying its TerraUSD (UST) reserves beyond Bitcoin.  See related article: Terra’s US$10 billion Bitcoin Bet Sends LUNA to Record High Fast facts LFG purchased US$100 million worth of AVAX using UST […]

Will London be Europe’s next crypto capital?

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Britain’s crypto gamble. WAVES crashing. China’s big digital yuan push.

What is the metaverse and are we already living inside it?

The metaverse is envisioned as the next iteration of the internet, introducing an immersive digital universe. Find out what this means for the future of our online lives — beyond all the marketing hype — in this Forkast.News explainer.

Could CBDCs help banks make DeFi irrelevant?

Unregulated and fragmented, DeFi remains niche, writes John Mitchell of Episode Six. Here’s how programmable money can help banks do what decentralized finance is doing.

Forkast Events

Our virtual and in-person events bring people together to join conversations that matter. Previous Events Crypto Rising CBDCS & Stablecoins: The Asia Perspective We are in a history defining moment where money is evolving. It’s not easy to replicate cash, and central bankers around the world face unique challenges. The U.S. is softening up to […]

Waves’ Neutrino USD loses peg amid price manipulation allegations

Since March 31, WAVES’ price has dipped more than 45% while the ecosystem’s native stablecoin USDN has been knocked off its dollar peg.

How Bitcoin could become the collateral layer for the digital asset economy

Bitcoin is now a reserve asset for Terra’s UST. What does this portend for the $186 billion stablecoins market?

DBS U-turns crypto trading plans; China expands e-CNY trials

DBS Bank reverses its crypto-trading decision. Meanwhile, China continues to expand e-CNY trial.

Yi He: Binance will take the arrows for industry compliance, security

Pioneers take arrows. No one knows it better than Binance. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange by volume wants to set the industry standard when it comes to compliance and security as past missteps hold it in good stead.

Ronin hack delays Axie Infinity upgrade

Sky Mavis, the developer of the popular blockchain game Axie Infinity, delayed its highly anticipated Origin upgrade in response to the recent hack worth over US$600 million on its Ronin network.  See related article: Top NFT game Axie Infinity generated $1.3B in revenue last year Fast facts The Vietnam-based developer’s new Origin upgrade will now […]

Should Tether’s shrinking cash reserves be cause for investor worry?

USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, is now backed by much smaller cash reserves than before. XREX analyzes the risks.
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DeFi lender Aave’s token has surged over 80% since V3 launch

Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Aave’s governance token surged 84% since its March 16 V3 upgrade, and was trading at US$220.01 at press time, according to CoinGecko data.  See related article: DeFi lending platform Aave to ‘build Twitter on Ethereum’ Fast facts Aave is also the top gainer in the past 24 hours with a […]

Lessons learned from my five years of building blockchain

DLT projects are defined by their network effects, writes Donald Thibeau of HBAR Foundation. Here’s why open networks and community are critical for success.

Terra’s US$10 billion Bitcoin Bet Sends LUNA to Record High

Terra’s LUNA, the eighth largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, reached a new all-time high of US$106.14 on Tuesday early afternoon Asia time, following a US$135 million purchase of Bitcoin.

Mt. Gox may return Bitcoin worth over $6 billion, Karpeles says

The Japanese trustee for Mt. Gox is likely to distribute the remaining trove of Bitcoins held by the defunct cryptocurrency exchange sooner than later, former CEO Mark Karpeles tells Jake Adelstein in an exclusive interview for Forkast.

Thailand bans Bitcoin and crypto payments

Cryptocurrency payments will be banned in Thailand starting April 1, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Wednesday.  See related article: Thailand eases crypto tax burden until 2023 to promote industry Fast facts The SEC said price volatility, lack of customer safeguards, money laundering and cyber theft risks drove the decision to ban cryptocurrencies […]

How DeFi can lift up the poor in emerging markets

Traditional banks are failing the nearly 2 billion people in the world without access to financial services, writes Khalid Howladar. But DeFi can be a lifeline.

Algorand upgrades will boost speed and privacy, founder says

Algorand is planning a series of upgrades to bolster the network’s privacy and speed, and developing permissioned co-chains with a trustless decentralized bridge between chains, founder and MIT professor Silvio Micali said at Blockchain Week Australia on Tuesday.  See related article: What is Algorand and why is it a blockchain to watch? Fast facts Algorand […]

India rules out offsetting losses against gains in new crypto tax law

In a move that may adversely impact crypto adoption in the country, India’s government said its pending tax law for virtual digital assets will not allow offsetting gains on one crypto with losses from another. See related article: India may impose 28% GST on crypto transactions Fast facts India’s government plans to collect a 30% […]

From crisis currency to consumer adoption: What next for crypto?

Cryptocurrencies have won credit for their role in Ukraine’s war, showing utility that will drive them beyond the battlefield, says Amber Group’s Michael Wu.