Search results: technology

Supply chain woes are deepening as seasonal consumer demand meets a logistics logjam. Dennis Delgado of SyncFab explains how blockchain can help. 

A cabinet note suggests the government intends to regulate cryptocurrencies as assets with the Securities and Exchange Board of India at the helm.

Hollywood executive producer Niels Juul, who produced “The Irishman,” has founded a new startup called NFT Studios, in hopes of fully funding a film with non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Fast facts The startup’s first film, “A Wing and a Prayer,” will be based on the true story of Brian Milton, the first man to fly around […]

With economic security as a top priority, the Kishida administration anticipates the release of competing CBDCs.

Why the Federal Reserve and other major central banks are likely to speed up development of retail CBDCs.

Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

When Facebook and payments giant Square launched, they were trailblazers in the industry. Now, after Facebook, Square too has changed its name — to Block — in a bid to embrace the future of technology. Fast facts Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have never gotten along. Dorsey has jibed at Zuckerberg […]

Griid Infrastructure, a U.S.-based Bitcoin mining company, is set to go public through a merger with Adit EdTech Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a deal that would value the combined company at about US$3.3 billion, according to a company statement released Tuesday. Fast facts Upon completion of the deal, the combined […]

LUNA is now the 12th largest crypto, and Terra’s platform has been called ‘Alipay on the blockchain.’ What are Terra’s investment risks? Forkast.News explains.

After greatly expanding its goals for the round, decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch Network has closed a US$175 million Series B funding round from institutional investors, led by Amber Group, according to a company blog post. Fast facts Joining Amber Group were about 50 other investors including VanEck, Alameda Research, Celsius and Gemini Frontier Fund who […]

The impresario behind superstars BTOB and (G)I-DLE tells Forkast.News there’s ‘no upper limit’ to how much Cube will invest in NFTs and a metaverse for concerts.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Are India’s CBDC plans crowding out crypto? Jack Dorsey goes full Bitcoin bro. China’s digital yuan hopes claim another victim.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring famous traditional Chinese paintings by culture studio Rongbaozhai have been successfully transferred from China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) WenChang Chain to the OpenSea marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, a milestone in the development of interchain NFT technology. Fast facts The transfer was made on Nov. 16 across four blockchains: WenChang Chain […]

Huobi Group, which operates Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global, has decided to set up a regional hub in Singapore, a representative of company has told Forkast.News. Fast facts In November, Huobi Global pledged to stop offering services to Singapore-based users from March 31, 2022, to comply with local laws, according to a company statement. Huobi […]

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

Initial operations are available to invited institutional investors including Hong Kong crypto finance service provider, Amber Group.

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Huobi Technology Holdings today announced that it will be launching Huobi Lending, a cryptocurrency lending service for institutions and high net worth individuals (HNWI) through its new digital asset brokerage platform Huobi Brokerage, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Alongside growing institutional interest in digital assets, crypto lending services leveraging […]

Hong Kong-based ViLab Limited, a metaverse developer, announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gulliver Studios, the effects creator behind the Netflix hit series Squid Game, to develop technology that can be used for creating virtual identities and other features for the metaverse. Fast facts ViLab and Gulliver Studios will […]

The metaverse is a convergence of the physical and digital worlds, writes Gloria Wu of Ontology. How can the metaverse escape Web 2.0’s failings?

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has joined hands with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to launch an innovation hub in New York— dubbed the New York Innovation Center (NYIC) — to explore and build financial technology products for the central bank community. Fast facts The NYIC will focus on five areas — […]

In the long run, the new rules may ‘lay the perfect foundation’ to improve risk management, says an ICBC expert.

Chinese companies are rushing to the fore to develop their metaverse ideas, though state media have recently warned about the associated risks the emerging technology could bring. Fast facts An opinion piece published yesterday by state-owned Economic Daily said the hotter the metaverse gets, the more the public should stay calm. The author wrote that […]

The impact was relatively short-lived, and many major tokens had already retraced most of their positions from Friday coming in Asia business hours.

Metaverse picks up momentum, on the other hand Binance tweet gets yellow card

SafeMoon, known for high fees and social media hype, is now 85% below its all-time high. What lies in SafeMoon’s future?

Andrés Iniesta, former FC Barcelona veteran and current midfielder for Japan’s Vissel Kobe, promoted crypto exchange Binance via Twitter, which prompted a securities market regulator to write a cautionary reply tweet against crypto. Fast facts Iniesta wrote on Twitter Wednesday, saying: “I’m learning how to get started with crypto with Binance,” also posting pictures of […]

As the NFT zeitgeist sweeps the world, the industry’s beating heart is in Asia, writes David Tng of TZ APAC. Here’s how Asia’s NFTs are changing business models.

Interest in cryptocurrency is being driven in part by ultra-low interest rates, Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Michele Bullock has said, while indicating the RBA is considering the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for use in wholesale markets, according to the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at a Women in […]

Tether, issuer of the world’s most popular stablecoin USDT, has responded in multiple tweets saying it will work with policymakers, after the U.S. Senate Banking Committee earlier this week sent letters to several stablecoin issuers — including Tether — to inquire about their operational features. Fast facts In the tweets, Tether said it appreciates the interest from […]

Luxury fashion houses set trends that trickle down to the rest of culture. Here’s where brands like Prada and Burberry are headed on the blockchain curve.

Gamevil, the South Korean mobile game software developer, has acquired blockchain technology company Zenaad with plans to grow as a platform for blockchain-based games. Fast facts Gamevil revealed yesterday that it has entered the final stage of constructing its blockchain ecosystem with the acquisition of Zenaad. The tech force at Zenaad has been internalized into […]

One of Australia’s leading superannuation funds, Rest Super, indicated it is looking at investing in cryptocurrency — calling it a hedge against rising inflation — before stressing it is still only in the research phase of investing, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at the fund’s annual general meeting […]

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices fell nearly 24% in India as investors sought to get ahead of a possible crypto prohibition.

Hex Trust and Animoca Brands team up to tackle a key problem in gamefi.

India proposes crypto ban meanwhile Metaverse race heats up

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fed nominations suggest no sudden moves. El Salvador’s Bitcoin lava affair. Dodgy dealings in China’s digital yuan.

Another day, another fight, on Twitter. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has supported Dogecoin, tagged Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and tweeted Tuesday that “what’s going on with your Doge customers? Sounds shady,” after a technical glitch appeared to occur during a recent upgrade of the Dogecoin network. Fast facts A network upgrade of Dogecoin […]

Dunamu, the operator of South Korean crypto exchange Upbit, launched a beta service of “Upbit NFT,” an NFT (non-fungible token) trading platform, while another K-pop agency, FNC Entertainment, plans to launch its first NFT collection. Fast facts Upbit NFT consists of two sections, Drops and Marketplace. Drops is where NFTs will be put up for […]

As social media’s influence on broader society continues to grow, decentralized platforms will mean less central moderation — for better or worse.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has accused the owners of Gold Coast-based business A One Multi of scamming 92 investors out of AU$25 million (US$18 million) and are now in possession of a cold wallet believed to hold almost US$20 million in Bitcoin purchased with the defrauded funds, according to a report by […]

Two more regional equity exchanges in the Chinese cities of Tianjin and Qingdao have been approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission this week to pilot blockchain applications over equity trading. Fast facts The regional equity exchanges are private equity markets in provincial or municipal administrative regions for medium to micro enterprises to trade equity. […]

The Pacific island nation of Palau has partnered with San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple on a U.S. dollar-backed digital currency for the country — the world’s first government-based national stablecoin — using the XRP Ledger, according to a Ripple announcement. Fast facts Ripple will provide Palau with technical, business, design and policy support for […]

The US Internal Revenue Service is taking a hard look at cryptocurrency transactions to crack down on tax dodgers. How can crypto holders protect themselves?

Algorand ‘re-imagines’ blockchain by trying to solve key weaknesses of Bitcoin. Learn about this wannabe Ethereum killer in this Forkast.News explainer.

As the Indian government is due to introduce crypto legislation for discussion in the Parliament next week, Indian banks are cautioning customers against investing in crypto. Fast facts According to a report by the Economic Times, HDFC, Axis and ICICI banks have sent emails to customers warning them about the risks of investing in crypto […]

Korea stands firm on NFT games, meanwhile Laos introduces crypto regulations

Despite the global boom of play-to-earn games, South Korea will still ban blockchain-based video games that reward cashable NFTs.

The Scandinavian country is concerned with potential environmental harm, while the debt-laden SE Asia nation seeks to regulate.

El Salvador — the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in September — plans on building the world’s first “Bitcoin City,” an entire city to be funded by Bitcoin bonds and powered by geothermal energy from one of the country’s many volcanoes, according to El Salvador’s official presidential Twitter page. […]

How blockchain technology can usher in the next stage of the internet and social media, through decentralized hosting and integration with cryptocurrency.

More than 85 members of the WEF Digital Currency Governance Consortium contributed eight white papers on CBDC and stablecoins.

Crypto market cap plunges as South Korean banks head into metaverse

The securities markets regulator ordered $3.85B in fines, while new actions included ‘emerging threats’ in the crypto industry.

The promise of financial democratization forms the bedrock of DeFi’s appeal. But who’s in charge — and who to hold responsible when things go south?

Blockchain data company Blockdata has published a list of eight top crypto custody providers. The eight companies, selected based on their total funding and assets under custody (AUC), are Coinbase Custody, Bitgo, Fireblocks, Gemini Custody, Ledger Enterprise Solutions, Cactus Custody, NYDIG and Bitcoin Suisse. Fast facts A total of over US$253 billion worth of assets […]

Bank of Korea’s (BOK) deputy governor Bae Joon-suk says its central bank digital currency (CBDC) development is “not one step behind that of any other country.” However, South Korea still has no plan to adopt a state-backed digital currency. Fast facts Bae spoke at Bank of Korea’s online conference on payment and settlement systems yesterday, […]

Out of nowhere, a leaderless ‘flash mob’ of crypto investors pops up to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution. What are DAOs and how do they work? Forkast.News explains.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service — the department responsible for collecting tax revenue — seized US$3.5 billion worth of cryptocurrencies during fiscal year 2021, accounting for 93% all assets seized by tax enforcement that year, according to the agency’s 2021 Criminal Investigation Report released Thursday. Fast facts An agency official said on a call with […]

Blockchain-powered iVote.ph lets users ‘vote’ on NFTs depicting presidential candidates in the Philippines. Can the underlying technology be trusted?

Crypto mining rig manufacturer appears to be seeking chip-making capability in the midst of supply-chain shortages.

While fears of a complete ban on virtual currencies have been dispelled, Indian investors are still in the lurch about what may or may not be allowed.

Algorand (ALGO) — the native cryptocurrency of the Algorand blockchain — soared 50% from just under US$1.70 noon Asia time today to a new two-year high of US$2.66, according to CoinGecko data. But the surge was short-lived, with ALGO currently trading just under US$2 as of publishing time. Fast facts Algorand’s surge amidst the wider […]

Bitcoin’s scarcity premium puts crypto into direct competition with gold and treasuries.

Following news of a strategic alliance with Big Four accounting firm Deloitte, AVAX rose above US$106, up 90% for the month.

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, also NFTs go from digital to physical

A ticket to the metaverse is highly coveted in South Korea, whether it’s by an individual, a public company or a city government.

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.

Indian investors will now get exposure to global companies in the blockchain ecosystem as the Securities and Exchange Board of India greenlighted the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain ETF Fund of Fund (FoF). Fast facts The feeder fund will invest in the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain UCITS exchange-traded fund (ETF), formerly known as Invesco Elwood Global […]

NetEase, a Chinese video gaming company, said on a Q3 earnings call the company “will be one of the fastest runners in the metaverse space.” Fast facts Margaret Shi, investor relations director at NetEase, said the company has been “technologically ready” for the metaverse and knows how to accumulate metaverse-related technology. With gaming making up […]

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?

Ethereum Layer 2 solutions — protocols built on top of the Ethereum blockchain that handle transactions off the Ethereum mainnet — have been on the rise as developers work on improving Ethereum’s scalability as its number of users and applications continue to grow. Polygon, a Layer 2 Ethereum scaling platform, today announced the launch of […]