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SEC has to clarify what’s permissible for staking, former CFTC chair says

It remains unclear whether the U.S. SEC’s enforcement action against cryptocurrency exchange Kraken represents a broader crackdown on staking, according to Timothy Massad, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman.

Gate Group set to enter Hong Kong

Gate Group announced on Wednesday that it is applying for a new cryptocurrency license in Hong Kong, joining a growing list of Web3 firms entering the city.

Judge denies Dapper Labs request to dismiss NBA Top Shot security lawsuit

A US district court judge on Wednesday denied Dapper Labs’ request to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges that the NBA Top Shots NFT collection is an unregistered security. 

Bitcoin back above US$24,000, Fed releases February minutes

Bitcoin fell in a mixed morning for the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, with XRP posting the biggest gains in the list and Solana leading losses.
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Hong Kong’s new crypto regulation may lure Web3 firms back, experts say

Hong Kong’s proposed crypto licensing regime received Huobi Global’s pledge to return to the city, and more companies may follow, industry experts told Forkast.

Binance, Ingenico begin crypto payments in France

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has partnered France-based global payments giant Ingenico to offer in-store crypto payments in France using Binance Pay.

Crypto scammers seize on AI frenzy as fraudulent ChatGPT tokens flood markets

Crypto scammers are deploying fraudulent tokens that appear affiliated with the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, taking advantage of the tech’s investment hype.

Blur lives up to name as its trading volume surpasses OpenSea

Top blockchain and crypto news: Blur’s success spurs changes at OpenSea. Is Binance eyeing US exit? Taiwan asset disclosure rules may include crypto.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend losses; Polygon, Solana biggest losers

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
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Hong Kong to invest US$6.37 million to spur Web3 growth

Hong Kong is allocating HK$50 million (US$6.37 million) to develop its Web3 sector, the Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced Wednesday.

Coinbase reports growth in Q4 earnings despite decline in users

Coinbase reported an increase in its Q4 earnings on Tuesday, even as overall users declined throughout the period.

Crypto miner Hive Blockchain posts wider losses, cites Ethereum Merge

Vancouver-based cryptocurrency mining firm Hive Blockchain Technologies Ltd. reported bigger losses in its latest quarterly earnings report published Tuesday, mainly due to Ethereum’s Merge and lower Bitcoin prices.  See related article: Bitcoin mining difficulty dips 0.5% over two weeks after hitting record high Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin miner Greenidge Generation cuts NYDIG debt […]

Ankr token surges 60%, partners Microsoft for enterprise-grade node service

ANKR surged by more than 60% after the blockchain infrastructure startup announced a partnership on Tuesday with Microsoft.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall as 2-year bond nears 15-year high

Bitcoin and Ether fell on Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market cap.
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Centralized crypto exchanges are dying, so long live centralized crypto exchanges?

Multi-billion dollar bankruptcies, fraud allegations, scandal, and plunging cryptocurrency prices in 2022 all characterized why investors came to distrust centralized exchanges. Yet, some commentators expect platforms to become ever more centralized … and regulated.

Polygon Labs cut 20% of workforce

Polygon Labs is firing 20% of its workforce, or about 100 positions, as part of its business consolidation.

Bitcoin exceeds 154,000 inscriptions in a month as Litecoin Ordinals launches

The Bitcoin Network has recorded over 154,554 inscriptions since the launch of Bitcoin Ordinals on Jan. 21, a fork that enables digital assets to be inscribed on satoshis (sats)

FTX Japan resumes withdrawals through Liquid Japan web platform

FTX Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Sam Bankman-Fried’s bankrupt FTX, resumed withdrawal of customer holdings on Tuesday.

Markets: Bitcoin gains, returns to US$25,000; XRP biggest winner in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether prices rose in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, while all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed. XRP led gains at 2.37%, while Solana and Polygon dropped saw the largest declines.
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China’s Shenzhen city to stamp data ownership on blockchain

Shenzhen is adopting blockchain technology to safeguard data ownership, as China seeks to build a regulated data economy.

Crypto hedge fund Galois Capital to close after losing US$40 mln in FTX

Cryptocurrency-focused hedge fund Galois Capital will close and return the remaining funds to investors after losing US$40 million worth of assets in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.com

Huobi plans to move headquarters to Hong Kong from Singapore

Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global is seeking to relocate its Asia headquarters from Singapore to Hong Kong.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether up, Solana, Helium rise after merge announcement

Bitcoin and Ether rose in a mixed morning for the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Solana posted the biggest gains while Polygon’s Matic led losses Tuesday morning in Asia.

Philippine province taps blockchain technology, eyes tokenization

The Philippines’ Bataan province wants to streamline systems and procedures of government services through blockchain technology and tokenization, Bataan Governor Joet Garcia told Forkast.

Bitcoin surpasses Visa’s market cap to be 11th largest asset in the world

Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency, gained 15% in the past week to trade at US$24,885 and 7 p.m. in Hong Kong, surpassing payments giant Visa in market capitalization for the third time in history. See related article: Industry reacts: US cracks down on crypto, India calls for regulatory collaboration Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin […]

Hong Kong begins public consultation on crypto licensing regime

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is calling for public feedback on its new proposals to regulate the crypto industry set to take effect in June.

Markets: Bitcoin rises above US$24,000; Solana gains most in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin rose above US$24,000 in Monday afternoon trade in Asia while all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed. Ether gained 0.18%, while Solana strengthened the most across the top 10 cryptos.
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Trust in crypto is in shambles. How can we rebuild it?

Greater transparency and confidence in who you are transacting with could go a long way toward alleviating public mistrust, writes Travis Nelson of Quadrata.

Former FTX executive Nishad Singh negotiating guilty plea on fraud charges: Bloomberg

Nishad Singh, a former executive at bankrupt Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com, may be leaning towards pleading guilty to fraud charges for his involvement in the company’s last November

Taiwan may mandate public servants to declare crypto holdings

Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday that it may be adding cryptocurrencies to the list of properties for public servants to declare. 

Markets: Bitcoin dips below US$24,000 to start the trading week in Asia

Bitcoin fell below US$24,000 in a mixed morning for the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on Monday in Asia.

How tokenizing real estate can turn the ‘rules’ on their head – by mastering them first

The digital asset space is ripe for regulation, and tokenized real estate is no exception. But views differ when it comes to finding a framework that fits.

Industry reacts: US cracks down on crypto, India calls for regulatory collaboration

The cryptocurrency industry this week reacted to the recent moves by U.S. authorities against Kraken and Paxos. Meanwhile, India has been calling for a collaborative approach to crypto regulations.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rises above US$23,000 after its first weekly ‘death cross’

Bitcoin briefly climbed above US$25,000 for the first time since August 2021, before declining to US$23,764 after its first weekly “death cross.” Investors liquidated over US$70 million worth of Bitcoin short positions in the past 24 hours, according to data aggregator GlassNode, contributing to BTC’s rally.

Japan to launch digital yen pilot programme in April

Japan will start a pilot programme to test the use of a digital yen in April, joining a growing number of countries seeking to launch their own CBDCs.

Judge says Bankman-Fried could ‘conceivably’ have bail revoked: CNN

There might be “probable cause” to believe that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in witness tampering and other activities that could revoke his bail, says judge.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall along with most top 10 cryptos following hawkish U.S. Fed remarks

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, following hawkish remarks from U.S. Federal Reserve officials on more upcoming interest rate hikes.

Tencent confirms ‘personnel reshuffle’ at metaverse unit, denies team being disbanded

China technology giant Tencent said its reshuffling staff in its metaverse unit, but denied it was being disbanded, as reported by local media.

Wemade’s WEMIX token surges after relisting on South Korea’s Coinone exchange

South Korean blockchain game developer Wemade’s WEMIX token surged after it was relisted on local crypto exchange Coinone on Thursday.

Do Kwon, founder of collapsed Terra stablecoin, charged with fraud by U.S. securities regulator

The U.S. SEC charged Singapore-based Terraform Labs and its chief Kwon Do-hyung for defrauding investors.

Markets: Bitcoin slips back below US$24,000 as inflation worries resurface in U.S., equities slide

Bitcoin and Ether fell Friday morning in Asia, curtailing a strong run up in the week, after the U.S. January PPI rose much faster than expected.

Binance expects to pay penalties to settle U.S. probes: Wall Street Journal

Binance expects to pay to settle U.S. authorities’ investigations into its business and past crypto offerings, according to its chief strategy officer.

Markets: Bitcoin rallies over 11% as top 10 cryptos gain, memecoin Floki surges 82%

Bitcoin posted the biggest gains during Asian trading hours on Thursday, along with increases in the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

El Salvador to establish ‘Bitcoin Embassy’ in Texas to promote adoption of digital assets

El Salvador, the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender, is planning on opening a “Bitcoin embassy” in Texas.

Japan’s Square Enix to launch Web3 game on Polygon blockchain, cites ‘sustainability’ benefits

Square Enix announced Wednesday that it will launch its first Web3 game Symbiogenesis on the Polygon blockchain.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail backers revealed as former Stanford dean, research scientist

Academics from Stanford Law School and Stanford University are the previously two unknown individuals who signed bonds that allowed the release of FTX crypto exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried from prison on bail, according to court filings released Wednesday. 

Go ahead and ban staking. Crypto investors will just go elsewhere

The SEC’s latest heavy-handed approach toward crypto will leave investors less protected while benefitting dodgy offshore companies, writes Danny Talwar of Koinly.

Markets: Bitcoin breaches US$24,000 to highest price since August as short sellers liquidated

Bitcoin broke through the US$24,000 price ceiling for the first time in two weeks to reach its highest price since mid-August in Thursday morning trading in Asia, as investors liquidated almost US$70 million of mostly short-position bets.

Web3 isn’t just about money, it’s about equality and transparency, says Mysten Labs co-founder

Investors may view Web3 through the lens of financial opportunities and revenue, but that misses the point of trying to build a fairer and more transparent infrastructure, with content creators at the forefront, says Mysten Labs co-founder Evan Cheng
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EU begins regulatory sandbox for blockchain technology

The European Commission (EC), has started a regulatory sandbox to test use cases of blockchain technologies and provide legal clarity for the industry.

Conflux Network, China Telecom to build blockchain-enabled SIM cards

Blockchain protocol Conflux Network and China’s second-largest wireless carrier China Telecom have partnered to build a “blockchain-enabled SIM card” (BSIM).

Sam Bankman-Fried banned from using VPNs while on bail: Bloomberg

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, has been banned from using virtual private networks (VPNs) while out on bail, as the judge cited similar concerns to the co-founder’s use of encrypted messaging apps, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. See related article: Bankrupt FTX threatens legal action to claw back donations to politicians, charities […]

Paxos ordered to stop minting Binance stablecoin as SEC mulls legal action

Top blockchain and crypto news: Paxos halts BUSD issuance. Kraken faces disclosure charges. Beijing backs new blockchain research center.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend gains; Cardano rises most among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether prices strengthened in Wednesday afternoon trade, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Cardano led gains at 6.91%, followed by Dogecoin at 5.21%, though prices of top 10 tokens remain subdued on the week.  
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Chinese NFT marketplace Jingtan eases asset transfer restrictions

Jingtan, one of China’s major NFT marketplace, has relaxed its rules on NFT transfer between users.

Singapore’s DBS Digital Exchange’s Bitcoin trade volume grows 80% in 2022

DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx), one of Asia’s first bank-backed digital exchanges, has reported a year-on-year increase of 80% in Bitcoin traded in financial year 2022, while the number of Bitcoin custodized with the bank doubled from 2021. 

Digital asset industry comes under fire at hearing by U.S. Senate on ‘Crypto Crash’

The cryptocurrency industry faced criticism during a Senate committee meeting on Tuesday entitled “Crypto Crash: Why Financial System Safeguards are Needed for Digital Assets.”

S. Korean regulators to probe local crypto staking services following U.S. crackdown: News1

S.Korean regulators are planning to review crypto staking services on local exchanges following recent regulatory enforcements from the SEC.

U.S. Congress, not the SEC, will set cryptocurrency regulations, says Blockchain Association

The Blockchain Association Chief Policy Officer Jake Chervinsky said the U.S. Congress will ultimately set the laws in the country to govern the cryptocurrency industry and not the Securities and Exchange Commission

Binance CEO says more non-USD stablecoins may emerge

The intensifying regulatory oversight in the U.S. is highlighting the increasing need for non-U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins in the cryptocurrency industry, Binance Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao said on Tuesday.  See related article: Be careful what you wish for? Regulators pick up pace in the crypto industry crackdown Fast facts See related article: SEC may make […]

SEC may make it harder for hedge funds to work with crypto firms: Bloomberg

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to propose rule changes that would make it difficult for cryptocurrency firms to hold digital assets.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether, other major tokens rise despite hotter-than-expected CPI reading

Bitcoin rose in Wednesday morning trading in Asia to move back above US$22,000 as investors shrugged off a seeming U.S. regulatory crackdown on digital assets and data showing U.S. inflation for January was above forecasts.

Hong Kong hopes to raise US$102 mln from digital green bonds debut: Bloomberg

The Hong Kong government is looking to raise US$102 million through the pilot issuance of its digital green bonds, according to a Monday report from Bloomberg. 

Truck industry as real-world crypto use case? How blockchain could replace system that leaves U.S. truckers out of pocket 

The current payment system relied on by truck drivers runs through third parties and adds costs to supply chains and consumers. Could blockchain tech provide an alternative, and would truckers trust it?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether drop; BNB biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Binance’s native token BNB led the day’s decline across the top 10 cryptos.

Be careful what you wish for? Regulators pick up pace in the crypto industry crackdown

Last year was memorable in the emerging world of digital assets for the sheer number of corporate failures. The industry itself has been asking for clearer legal guidelines to help development. Is that what’s happening now?
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Markets: Bitcoin rises amid market jitters as Paxos stablecoin issuer next regulator target after Kraken clampdown

Bitcoin was the only top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrency to gain in Tuesday morning trading in Asia in a market unsettled by regulators in the U.S. targeting digital asset companies.

Singapore’s DBS bank plans to apply for crypto license in HK: report

Singapore’s DBS Group plans to apply for a license to offer crypto to Hong Kong customers as the city pushes to become a hub for digital assets.

India discussing crypto, regulation with G20, says finance minister

As India moves forward with its one-year presidency of the Group of 20 (G20), it is discussing cryptocurrency and regulation with the group’s members, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. 

Head of crypto, FX trading platform EminiFX pleads guilty to US$248 million fraud charges

Mastermind of the EminiFX fraud has pleaded guilty to soliciting investments worth more than US$248 million from tens of thousands of investors, says US DOJ.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices extend losses; Dogecoin sole gainer among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin continued to trade below US$22,000 in Monday afternoon trading in Asia. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dropped except Dogecoin.

UAE central bank to issue CBDC, promote digital asset growth

The United Arab Emirates plans to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC), among other initiatives, to become a financial and digital payment hub.