Forkast.News is now Forkast Labs

Search results: China crypto ban

How will CBDCs benefit economies in Southeast Asia?

Central banks around the world are exploring digital currencies, writes Aymeric Salley of StraitsX. Here’s why Southeast Asia may be especially ripe for them.

South Korea a metaverse hub; NFTs go from digital to physical

South Korea a metaverse hub, also NFTs go from digital to physical

Bitcoin ETFs beckon as SEC spurns sweet spot

Top blockchain and crypto news: Spot ETFs stymied as SEC stands firm. Is Bitcoin’s Taproot upgrade worth the wait? China’s crypto mining goes underground.

Chinese mining rig maker Canaan reports record-high earnings

China may be banning crypto mining activities, but rig makers appear to be spared from the clampdown.

3 teams, including ConsenSys, win Singapore’s CBDC Global Challenge

The projects topped 300 rivals in their potential to improve the future digital Singapore dollar in payment services and financial inclusion. Who were the other winners?

ICBC agrees to Federal Reserve risk compliance measures

As global markets continue to watch the Evergrande debt crisis nervously, Chinese bank branch agrees to U.S. risk management measures.

Circle invests in JPYC; Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle invests in JYPC meanwhile Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle contributes to $4.3M Series A funding round for yen-backed stablecoin

As Circle expands into Asia as part of a global expansion plan, what does the investment in a yen-back stablecoin mean for the market?

Africa’s first CBDC wallet hits almost 500K downloads

As central bank digital currencies begin picking up steam around the world, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Friday the digital wallet for its own digital currency, the eNaira, has been downloaded 488,000 times in 160 countries — in just 19 days after its launch. Fast facts According to local news reports, after President […]
and

3 themes driving institutional adoption of digital assets

What makes 2021’s roaring crypto market different from 2017’s are the banks and VCs piling in, writes Calvin Shen of Hex Trust. What’s behind their crypto adoption?

Huobi migrates spot trading services to regulated entity in Gibraltar

Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global, which obtained a distributed ledger technology license from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission in 2018, will be migrating its spot trading services to the regulated entity in Gibraltar (“Huobi Gibraltar”), the company announced today. Fast facts Huobi has received approval from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission to migrate its cryptocurrency spot […]

Beijing budgets $37M for government affairs blockchain platform

China’s capital city, Beijing, is  inviting public tenders on a project to build a blockchain platform and computing center for government affairs with a total bidding price of 242 million yuan (approximately US$37.8 million). Fast facts The bidding project, “Beijing Municipal Experimental Blockchain Platform,” is for storing residents’ and city facility’s information and dealing with […]

What are the digital assets powering the DeFi revolution?

Digital assets are disrupting financial services in ways not seen since the Middle Ages, writes Alex Tapscott of Ninepoint Partners. Here is the taxonomy for the future of finance.

Goldman Sachs executive says tokenization redefines liquidity transaction

The traditional financial industry is getting its feet wet in tokenization of assets, and there’s an influx of interest in the private asset space, as Mathew McDermott, managing director of Goldman Sachs, said today at a Hong Kong Fintech Week panel moderated by Angie Lau, editor-in-chief and founder of Forkast.News. Fast facts McDermott said Goldman […]

The Bitcoin-energy connection intensifies

Equities and Bitcoin have a clearly demonstrated bond, but now oil is strengthening its relationship to crypto, too

What is the Solana ecosystem and how is it fueling SOL’s stratospheric rise?

Solana prices keep cresting to new heights, making SOL a top-five cryptocurrency by size. What makes Solana and its ecosystem stand out? Forkast.News explains.

e-CNY scam investigated; S Korea gets metaverse bug

e-CNY scam investigated meanwhile S Korea gets metaverse bug

Hong Kong Fintech Week’s live comeback talks digital renminbi and DeFi

One of Asia’s largest fintech events returns for its sixth year with a hybrid format of live and virtual sessions. Regulators, corporations and experts share what’s important now in crypto.

Huobi to give away ticket to space as part of 8th-year celebration

Blockchain technology company Huobi Group is celebrating its 8th-year anniversary with a slew of events and giveaways — including a space trip “to the outer perimeters of Earth” — and a focus on expanding its global footprint, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Founded in 2013 in China, Huobi has made global expansion a priority […]

Stablecoin toss to US Congress as regulators circle

Top blockchain and crypto news: Stablecoins at regulatory crossroads. Squid Game crypto players suffer shocking fate. Are metaverses China’s new national insecurity?

BXH suffers US$130 million exploit; Squid game token meets deadly end

BXH suffers US$130 million exploit, also Squid game token meets deadly end

Bitcoin mining difficulty recovers to May level

Bitcoin miners saw another mining difficulty adjustment on Monday, with an increase of 7.85%, recovering to the level recorded in May, according to data from BTC.com. Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 21.66 trillion at block height 707,616, reflecting the most difficult level since a previous adjustment on May 13, the data show. The latest […]

Tech giants vow to resist NFT hype; Squid token under scrutiny

China’s tech cut ties to NFTs as Squid Game token leaves users questioning its legitimacy.

Ant Group, JD.com, Tencent pledge to resist speculation of ‘digital collectibles’

Ant Group and Tencent recently rebranded NFT projects as digital collectibles amid China state media criticism.

Can Axie Infinity go the distance?

The darling of the play-to-earn gaming world had an explosive start but now struggles with deflation and lower player earnings. Is the play-to-earn model sustainable?

Back to the future: Why Bitcoin is still a game-changer

Bitcoin is awakening humanity to its own sovereign capacities, says Ben Caselin of AAX. Here’s why the world’s first cryptocurrency is still at the cutting edge of finance and culture.

13 years after Bitcoin’s whitepaper, what would Satoshi say?

Bitcoin is growing up in ways not imagined in Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 writings that gave birth to it. How will Bitcoin’s future unfold?

‌How‌ ‌can we better ‌protect‌ ‌digital‌ ‌assets‌ ‌and‌ ‌guard‌ ‌against‌ ‌hackers‌?

‌‌As‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌warms‌ ‌to‌ ‌crypto,‌ ‌cyber attacks‌ ‌are‌ ‌growing‌ ‌in‌ ‌sophistication,‌ ‌writes‌ ‌Shahnawaz‌ ‌Backer‌ ‌of‌ ‌F5.‌ ‌What can be done to thwart bad actors?

Spark Pool allows balance withdrawal as it phases out all domestic, international users

Mining pool Spark Pool, which was once a major Ethereum mining pool, says its users may withdraw existing balances, but beginning Nov. 1 it will no longer offer other services related to mining for both domestic and international users, the company said in a statement. Fast facts Spark Pool last month reacted swiftly to China’s […]

Tesla’s trillion-dollar triumph — and its bond with Bitcoin

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Tesla’s turbocharge a boost for Bitcoin? Mastercard’s Bakkt with a new crypto deal. Chinese NFTs on knife-edge.

Byron Bay to host Australia’s largest Bitcoin mining operation — using green energy

While it may be known locally and domestically as a tourist hotspot and home to many Hollywood A-list celebrities, Australia’s coastal town of Byron Bay is set to become host to Australia’s biggest Bitcoin mining site— and it’s going to be powered by 100% renewable energy. Fast facts According to a company press release, local […]

Alipay and Tencent now call NFTs ‘digital collectibles’ amid state media criticism

Tech giants banish non-fungible token references as Beijing looks down new virtual asset market.

Proshares files for exemption; Shiba Inu hits all-time high

Proshares files for exemption meanwhile Shiba Inu hits all-time high

FTX raises $421 million, valuation jumps $7B in 3 months

Just three months after closing a record US$1 billion series B, the two-year-old cryptocurrency exchange is now valued at US$25 billion. Fast facts The US$420,690,000 Series B-1 funding round saw the participation of 69 investors, with prominent names the lineup, including Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, via its Teachers’ Innovation Platform, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm […]

Bitcoin hits all-time high; Lotte World opens in metaverse

Bitcoin hits all-time high, also Lotte World opens in metaverse

Bitcoin reaches new all-time price high, but in a very different market since last time

When the world’s largest cryptocurrency last reached a price high, China had yet to crack down on crypto mining, and there was no U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF. What do changing market conditions mean for the growth of Bitcoin and the crypto industry?

Bitcoin inches toward all-time-high; Mining difficulty on the up

Bitcoin inches toward all-time-high on the back of the first Bitcoin futures ETF in the U.S.

Trick of the trade: Is SEC helping or reining in Bitcoin with ETF?

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin grows up. Facebook’s metaverse journey. China’s crypto investors find a workaround.

Bitcoin becomes harder to mine with latest adjustment

Bitcoin miners saw another mining difficulty adjustment on Tuesday, with an increase of 0.95%, according to data from BTC.com. Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 20.08 trillion at block height 705,600, reflecting the most difficult level since a previous adjustment on May 30, the data show. The latest adjustment follows six increases after four consecutive […]

As regulators circle above, how should the DeFi industry respond?

Traditional finance evolved over centuries while DeFi is coming into its own in a few years, writes Adi Ben-Ari of Applied Blockchain. Are its risks inevitable?

Taking opulence online: How blockchain is beckoning luxury brands

As luxury brands eye the virtual realm, Zilliqa co-founder Max Kantelia looks forward to a convergence of desirable objects and digital opportunities.

Binance taps former Dubai financial services official as regulatory liaison chief

Binance — the world’s biggest cryptocurrency by trading volume — today announced the appointment of Mark McGinness, former head of international relations at the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), as its chief regulatory liaison officer, according to a company statement. Fast facts McGinness’ appointment comes as Binance bolsters its compliance efforts and navigates regulatory headwinds […]

Another Chinese state-run media outlet faults NFT frenzy

The Chinese government-aligned newspaper Guangming Daily published an opinion article to criticize non-fungible token (NFT) hype, which is “definitely not good for the healthy development of NFT.” Fast facts The article cited Gartner, a global technology research company, and its report Hype cycle for emerging technology, indicating that NFTs are at a high point of hype. The […]

Public blockchain Nervos launches cross-chain ‘Force Bridge’ on mainnet

Nervos, a public blockchain backed by China Merchants Bank International and Sequoia China, today announced the mainnet launch of its cross-chain “Force Bridge,” according to a company statement shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts The Force Bridge enables cross-chain transactions between Nervos and Ethereum, with support for ETH and whitelisted ERC-20 tokens, including Dai (DAI), Tether […]

Bitcoin bulls set for stampede amid six-figure forecasts

Top blockchain and crypto news: Big money heads for Bitcoin. How fishy are Squid Game NFTs? China mothballs mining.

Coinbase and Binance move to diversify; Stablecoins under scrutiny

Coinbase and Binance move to diversify meanwhile Stablecoins under scrutiny

Bitmain to supply 10K Antminer rigs to Bit Digital for U.S. expansion

Crypto miners in China may be under siege and driven out of business or forced to flee to friendlier shores. But one corner of the country’s crypto mining industry — the mining machine manufacturers — does not seem to be affected much. Chinese mining rig maker Bitmain, for example, has recently secured a deal with […]

Ripple to fund solar energy projects in the U.S.

San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has partnered with Nelnet Renewable Energy, the renewable energy investment business of NYSE-listed Nelnet, on a US$44 million clean energy fund to support solar energy projects in the United States, the company said. Fast facts The solar projects financed by the Ripple Nelnet Renewable Energy Fund are estimated to […]

Bitcoin price poised to retest all-time high

Crypto market watchers tell Forkast.News what’s behind Bitcoin’s latest resurgence and predict Bitcoin’s price heading into Q4 2021.

Stacks surges after NFT push; Samsung Next invests in Sky Mavis

Stacks surges after NFT push while Samsung Next invests in Sky Mavis

A look at how global stablecoin regulations are evolving

As international regulators seek to implement oversight, crypto industry players say it is a positive sign that regulators are now considering including stablecoins in banking regulations.

NFTs and the music industry: Flatten the learning curve | Part 3

Singers and musicians are embracing non-fungible tokens, but will their non-crypto active fans buy it?

Bitcoin price crosses $50K, but market dominance continues falling

This is the second time the world’s largest cryptocurrency has hit the mark in recent months. Does that mean this price point is here to stay?

Hong Kong issues technical white paper on e-HKD

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Monday released a white paper proposing potential technical architecture and design for the infrastructure of a digital Hong Kong dollar. The paper is one of the deliverables described in Project e-HKD, a feasibility study the HKMA announced in June 2021. Fast facts Hong Kong began its exploration of […]

What are stablecoins, and why are some governments so afraid of them?

Stablecoins combine the portability of crypto with the price stability of fiat currencies. But are they all that stable?

Tech selloff positions Bitcoin as an inflation hedge

Markets on Tuesday in the U.S. were unsettled by the prospect that energy crises in Europe and China could lift inflation to new highs, compelling central banks to reverse accommodations sooner than expected. US Treasuries reacted with a fierce rise in yields and that spilled over to the equity markets.  Although the markets drove down […]

After the crackdown: go underground, go along, or buy the dip?

Chinese social media has been abuzz since authorities lowered the boom on crypto. Forkast.News has been following the chatter. Here’s what they’re saying on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

dYdX price surges 80% in a week to all-time high

dYdX, the governance token for the dYdX exchange protocol, surged to a new all-time high of US$27.86 today, according to CoinGecko data. Fast facts dYdX is a decentralized exchange (DEX) built on Ethereum that currently supports perpetual contracts, margin trading and spot cryptocurrency trading, as well as lending and borrowing. It is a non-custodial exchange […]

CBDC plans advance in Nigeria, Chile, Tajikistan

Nigeria, Chile and Tajikistan have taken major steps in their plans for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), while mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates explore the potential for CBDCs in cross-border payments. Fast facts The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a website for eNaira, the country’s CBDC, which will […]

Chinese city adopts blockchain to track carbon emissions

Huzhou City in Zhejiang, a province in eastern China, announced the launch of a blockchain to track and record carbon emissions records. Fast facts The blockchain was built by Beijing Zhongdian Puhua Information Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of State Grid. The data will be provided to third-party carbon accounting agencies, governments, and individuals for […]

The9 teams up with Polygon and Protocol Labs on new NFT platform, game projects

The9 Ltd., a Chinese gaming company that pivoted earlier this year to cryptocurrency mining — along with Polygon and Protocol Labs — are forming an ecosystem collaboration on The9’s non-fungible token (NFT) platform NFTSTAR and GameFi play-to-earn projects. Fast facts The company said in a statement released on Thursday that NFTSTAR and The9’s GameFi projects will […]

Former US Treasury advisor predicts no ‘real action’ from Fed on CBDC

While a US digital dollar is stuck at pole position, China’s digital yuan is nearing the finish line. Michael B. Greenwald of Tiedemann Advisors explains why it matters to the future global economy.  

81 of top 100 companies use blockchain technology, Blockdata research shows

Survey shows growing consensus on adoption, investment and use cases. ‘Blockchain is here to stay.’

Conflux, Shanghai Maritime partner on offshore RMB stablecoin in free trade zone

A focus of China’s free trade and shipping, Shanghai will explore in pilot project cross border trading with offshore renminbi stablecoin.

Black Friday for Korean exchanges; E-CNY launch in final stretch

Black Friday for Korean exchanges while E-CNY launch in final stretch

Why Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson says DeFi is ‘up for grabs’

As Cardano’s Alonzo upgrade goes live, founder Charles Hoskinson of IOHK calls DeFi a ‘bubble.’ How does he think the regulation that is sure to come will reshape DeFi in the future?

Canaan sees strongest ever quarterly sales results

Leading Chinese crypto mining hardware manufacturer attributes robust revenue to ‘substantial increase in total computing power sold.’

CrossTower says it wants to collaborate, not compete, with Indian exchanges

CrossTower became the second international crypto exchange to enter the Indian market last week after Binance made its entry by acquiring WazirX in 2019.

Searching for Asia’s ‘hidden treasures’ in NFTs and GameFi

Why is Axie Infinity so popular, and what is the potential of play-to-earn gaming? Two venture capitalists share insights on Asia’s special place as GameFi’s hub.

Cardano smart contracts set for Sunday: CrossTower launches in India

Cardano smart contracts set for Sunday also CrossTower launches in India

South Korean exchanges facing closure may seek legal action to halt new regulations

At the risk of losing billions, crypto industry officials weigh options to oppose authorities.

El Salvador wowed the world by adopting Bitcoin as legal tender. Other countries are taking note

Following crypto’s adoption in one struggling economy, nations in Latin America and elsewhere are now weighing the pros and cons of digital currency