Search results: blockchain global

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

Forkast sat down with Singapore’s biggest bank for insights into crypto regulations in the city-state. Singapore has a reputation for planning far ahead, so what’s in store for cryptocurrencies?

The future world will run on digital money—the most trusted being Bitcoin, writes André Neves of Zebedee. Here’s how gaming can bring BTC to the masses.

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

Despite Beijing’s rhetoric against speculation in non-fungible tokens, some in mainland China are trading on WeChat groups, spawning an industry that caters to the fervor over the asset class.

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

The non-fungible token market posted a strong bounceback in April. As one industry watcher tells Forkast, the nature of the rebound points to more room for recovery.

Pantera Capital, a U.S. hedge fund specialized in cryptocurrency investment, has closed about 10 deals in India, including one with crypto unicorn CoinDCX, Paul Veradittakit, a partner at Pantera, told The Economic Times. See related article: Temasek leads $200M funding round in crypto firm Amber Fast facts “We plan on doing a lot more (investments) […]

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

Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Clearpool announced Tuesday the launch of a permissioned liquidity pool in partnership with quantitative trading firm Jane Street and crypto and blockchain investment firm BlockTower Capital. See related article: Nexo and Fidelity Digital Assets expand institutional lending services Fast facts The liquidity pool has been funded with US$25 million worth […]

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 […]

Anthony Scaramucci, founder of investment firm SkyBridge Capital and former White House communications director, says governments such as those in China and the US will inevitably allow for people to own and trade cryptocurrencies.

Young investors demand more accessibility, transparency and accountability than traders of yore, writes Joe Jowett of StrikeX. What are the solutions?

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.

Former Microsoft strategist Joe McCann’s new crypto fund Asymmetric has gained backing from a16z’s Marc Andreessen and Solana cofounders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, The Block reported. See related article: KuCoin launches $100 mln fund for NFT projects Fast facts Asymmetric is aiming to raise US$1 billion to be split into a venture investment fund […]

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says it has charged Spaniard Alejandro Cao de Benos and U.K. citizen Christopher Emms with allegedly assisting former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith in presenting the uses of crypto to avoid U.S. sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). See related article: Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith gets […]

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.

Time to dust off your Dotori. The social media platform that once reigned in South Korea is trying to make a grand comeback with in-game crypto, NFTs and the metaverse.

The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange hired former Financial Conduct Authority official Steven McWhirter as a director of regulatory policy to better manage its compliance function.  See related story: Binance wants to play ball with regulators Fast facts McWhirter will lead the global regulatory policy team for Binance and brings over 20 years of experience in […]

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.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Crisis response brings crypto relief. North Korea’s Lazarus Group named in Ronin hack. NFTs face new risks in China.

Binance has entered into a joint venture agreement in collaboration with billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi’s Gulf Energy Development to set up a crypto exchange in Thailand. See related article: Binance wins Abu Dhabi nod for another MENA outpost Fast facts Once the joint venture is established, it will apply for a digital asset exchange license with […]

State-backed developer delivers warning on the state of NFTs in China. Meanwhile, LINE launches a NFT marketplace.

LINE, Japan’s dominant mobile chatting app, on Wednesday officially launched its non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace LINE NFT through its Osaka-based blockchain subsidiary LVC. See related article: Asia Primed For NFT Growth Fast facts Users can purchase and trade NFTs on the platform and store them on the LINE BITMAX Wallet, which can be accessed via […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Market contagion hits crypto. Ethereum developer pays price for bad Korea move. China whacks more crypto miners.

The development allows the city to emerge as a top destination for asset managers looking to launch cryptocurrency-themed funds for professional investors. See related article: More traditional investors are eyeing cryptocurrency to diversify their portfolios Fast facts The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)-licensed blockchain and virtual assets manager can manage portfolios that may comprise up […]

The fund aims to support and speed up the time-to-market of early-stage projects that have already initiated development.

Providing access to global customers and higher income, NFTs are changing lives in some of the poorest places in the world, writes Katherine Ng.

Crypto market downturns can dredge up bad memories of ICOs. What lessons can investors learn from the past — and how is Bitcoin different?

The market for non-fungible tokens soared, then slumped. That doesn’t worry Spores Network’s Duc Luu, who’s betting on brands to fuel its future growth.

Coinbase’s launch in India is off to a rocky start. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ATMs grow in Hong Kong.

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

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.

Kakao Piccoma, the group’s Japanese digital-comics subsidiary, acquired a major stake in Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC) as part of its global expansion. See related article: Kakao Games rebrands subsidiary to focus on crypto, blockchain, Web 3.0 Fast facts Kakao Piccoma bought out SEBC Holdings’ stake for an undisclosed amount and said it will incorporate crypto […]

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.

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 […]

The U.K. has released a detailed plan to regulate stablecoins as payments along with an intention to create a blockchain sandbox to mark Her Majesty’s entry into the “crypto hub” race. See related article: UK regulator may cancel Eqonex’s registration over Binance, Bifinity ties Fast facts The government plans to amend the Banking Act 2009 […]

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

Stablecoins are taking the world by storm and it’s the US dollar that outweighs any other fiat-backed cryptocurrency. What are the reasons for the greenback’s dominance?

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.

The emancipatory promise of decentralization has been both evangelized and excoriated. The Algorand Foundation’s Jason Lee explains why we should be believers.

In contrast to the rising crypto market, NFT sales have declined significantly in March, but one industry watcher says there’s no need to panic just yet.

Despite the promises of decentralized technology, women remain vastly underrepresented in the NFT art world. Forkast talks to artists working to change that.

Zilliqa is leading Thursday’s crypto market with an 80% charge over the last 24 hours, part of a 270% weekly pump since its metaverse-as-a-service platform Metapolis launch event was announced.

Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake promises to dramatically lower energy consumption, curbing greenhouse gas emissions that would require an annual offset by a forest roughly the size of Belgium.

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Dubai’s crypto caravan. Mt. Gox unlocked. Digital yuan in play again.

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.

Russia considers a bitcoin for oil proposal. Meanwhile, crypto markets make gains after weeks of volatility.

India’s crypto tax represents both a threat to the industry and an opportunity to create a regulatory framework to support it, says Polygon’s Jaynti Kanani.

BAYC is one of the hallmark NFT collections and a billion-dollar ecosystem. This Forkast explainer explores the cartoon primates and what makes them so special.

Global Sales Volume NFT sales amounted to US$18.5 billion in 2021—a 570-fold increase from 2020 as the record bid for Beeple’s digital collage and the strong reception for NBA Top Shot attracted new collectors and boosted prices, data from NFT industry data aggregator CryptoSlam showed. Companies from Gucci and Ray-Ban to McDonald’s and Coca Cola […]

Growth drivers of the NFT ecosystem The growing popularity of NFTs is stunning, having risen from several hundred million dollars in sales when the market first started, to around US$20 billion in 2021. We believe the exponential growth seen around the world can be explained by the product-market fit: NFTs have effectively provided a bridge […]

Conflict in Ukraine takes a toll on Malaysian exchange’s $10 million IPO just a week before planned listing.

While blockchains and NFTs can theoretically eliminate plagiarism and fraud, there is as yet no clear distinction between NFTs that have been inspired by the designs of others and those that are simply copycats. Nike, for instance, has filed a lawsuit against StockX for selling NFT images of its shoes, while Hermès has sued an […]

The Sandbox metaverse is made up of 166,464 unique land NFTs, digital pieces of real estate, that players can own to publish their creations, monetize their games or rent to other creators. These lands will host a wide range of experiences, and their limited number makes The Sandbox seem like a virtual Manhattan when it […]

1. What are programmable NFTs?  Programmable NFTs are completely customizable digital objects that can be programmed to change their appearance and purpose over time, allowing for the creation of unique objects and collectibles that can change in response to future events.  Picture a massive multiplayer online role playing game like World Of Warcraft, where you […]

NFTs serve as the bridge for millions of users who are beginning to move to Web3.0 through digital collectibles. New use cases outlined in the report have the potential to disrupt traditional industries such as music, art, ticketing and even education. Global sales of NFTs reached US$18.5 billion in 2021, which was 570 times higher […]

What major use cases or trends will we see in the NFT space in 2022? Trend 1: Mass adoption. Currently, we estimate there are around 1 million unique wallets globally that have been used to buy, sell or hold NFTs. We believe this number will rise sharply as more companies and developers create NFTs to […]

Asia looks set to become the next big market for NFTs, with some experts predicting the region may surpass the West as early as this year. Global Google search interest for the term “NFT” surged past “crypto” in January, with the search engine’s data showing growth originating in the East. Data from Taiwan, Japan and […]

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.

Ethereum’s market value passing up Bitcoin’s may not be a matter of if, but when. Dr. Kosrow Dehnad and Joe Duncan offer a predictive model.

Bahamas-based crypto exchange FTX announced the establishment of an Australian branch on Monday Asia time as part of the company’s global expansion plans. See related article: New crypto regulation — including tax reform — coming to Australia Fast facts FTX Australia will be headquartered in the nation’s financial capital Sydney and will be fully licensed […]

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.

Europe’s first metaverse-themed exchange-traded fund (ETF), the ETC Group Global Metaverse UCITS ETF (METR), listed on the London Stock Exchange Thursday, available for sale across Europe. See related article: Hong Kong gears up for its first metaverse ETF Fast facts The ETF will track the Solactive ETC Group Global Metaverse Index, which currently offers exposure […]

Ethereum’s merge on the Kiln testnet on Wednesday was a success, as the blockchain passed the final public test before its highly anticipated transition from a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake (PoS), which is expected to happen by the end of Q2, 2022. See related article: The best of Ethereum 2.0 is yet to […]

HSBC, a leading global banking and financial services provider, announced a partnership with blockchain gaming platform The Sandbox, in a statement released on Wednesday, to build its presence in the Hong Kong-based firm’s metaverse. See related article: Who are the biggest players in the metaverse today? Fast facts HSBC will develop a plot of LAND, […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: PoW spared as Europe revamps MiCA rules. Yuga Labs acquires CryptoPunks rights. China’s Mango TV makes NFT debut.

No more Burger King, Nike and Muji. This year’s annual focus on marketplace abuse names and shames crypto scams.

Investors believe Bitcoin will stand its ground this year but in the altcoins world, some rising stars are brimming with potential.

While crypto used to be associated with a ‘bro’ culture, it is now maturing into a hotbed for inclusivity, writes Cynthia Wu of Matrixport.

Cryptocurrency is being used both to fund Ukraine’s defense and prevent Russia’s ability to skirt sanctions in what may become a pivotal moment for the industry.

ICOs, revamped taxation, and investor protection reverse a past crypto reluctance under the incoming administration.