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Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin retreats below US$22,000 after a record January. Is the strong start to 2023 reversing?

After the strongest January price increase since 2013, Bitcoin gave up some of its gains this week to dip below the US$22,000 support line on Friday. The crypto market was buffeted by bearish comments on interest rates by U.S. Federal Reserve officials this week, along with concerns about a regulatory crackdown. Is this the start of a downtrend, a healthy correction, or the beginning of a so-called “crab” market moving sideways?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall along with top 10 cryptos; SOL biggest loser

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana’s native token notched the biggest loss, following rumors of a potential ban on crypto staking for retail investors in the U.S.

A house divided? SEC Commissioner Peirce attacks agency’s fines against Kraken exchange

Hester Peirce said using enforcement action to dictate law in an emerging industry is the act of a “lazy” regulator, after the SEC fined the U.S.-based Kraken crypto exchange for failing to register staking programs.

China to set up national blockchain technology research center in Beijing

China has given the go-ahead to set up the National Blockchain Technology Innovation Centre in Beijing to run blockchain research and development, according to local media.

Lessons from FTX: crypto investment risks and how to avoid them

The recent spate of crypto exchanges freezing customer accounts should be a wake-up call to investors everywhere. What can you do to better protect yourself?

Markets: Bitcoin slumps in broad sell off amid SEC charges against Kraken, regulation worries

Bitcoin sank below US$22,000 on Thursday morning in Asia after the U.S. SEC slapped a fine on the Kraken exchange, sparking concerns that regulators are set to take a tougher line on crypto trading.

Jury sides with fashion giant Hermès in MetaBirkins NFT case

Luxury fashion house Hermès International won its lawsuit against NFT artist Mason Rothschild on Wednesday for violating its Hermès’ Birkin trademark.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Matic sees biggest gain as top 10 cryptos decline

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Thursday, along with the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Polygon’s Matic posting the biggest gains.

China tech giant Baidu reveals AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT

The AI chat bot party is heating up in China, with Baidu revealing its ChatGPT rival – ERNIE Bot.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says SEC has ‘terrible’ idea to ban crypto staking for U.S. retail customers

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a ban on cryptocurrency staking for retail customers in the country, said Brian Armstrong, the chief executive of Coinbase Global Inc.

Robinhood aims to buy-back its shares seized by Department of Justice in FTX failure

Robinhood Markets Inc., the U.S.-based financial services company, aims to purchase the 55 million of its shares that FTX-linked Emergent Fidelity Technologies bought in May 2022, according to its earnings report released Wednesday.

CBDCs are coming. Here’s why you should worry

Governments are pushing central bank digital currencies to exert more control over macro policy, writes Josef Tětek of Trezor. But your money and privacy are also at stake.

Markets: Bitcoin falls under US$23,000 as Fed says inflation remains stubborn. Most top 10 crypto decline

Bitcoin slipped back below US$23,000 on Thursday morning in Asia, tracking the fall in U.S. equity markets overnight amid comments from Federal Reserve officials that the fight to curb inflation is far from over.

Alameda wallets activate, transfer millions in FTT tokens 

Wallets linked to Alameda Research became active over the past week, transferring millions worth of FTX’s native token, FTT, according to Arkham Intelligence. 

Crypto Regulation Race

2023 could be the defining year for crypto regulation – but who’s leading the race to regulation and what’s the best way about it?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend gains; Polygon leads top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum extended gains on Wednesday afternoon in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Binance makes Korea comeback with GOPAX acquisition

Top blockchain and crypto news: GOPAX deal sees Binance return to South Korea. Inflation fight spooks crypto markets. Chinese liquor giant gives cheers to NFTs.

Beijing football club launches NFTs ahead of its virtual stadium launch

China’s Beijing Guoan Football Club has launched its first NFT collection, while building a virtual replica of its stadium.

South Korea prosecutors say Serbia ready to help fraud investigation into Terra’s Do Kwon

Prosecutors flew to Serbia earlier this month as part of an investigation into Terraform Labs chief Do Kwon, who faces fraud accusations related to the US$40 billion collapse of his Terra-Luna cryptocurrency project in May last year.

Beijing regulator warns about NFT speculation, illegal fundraising. Crackdown coming?

Beijing’s market regulator warned that projects marketed in the country as non-fungible tokens or with metaverse-related concepts risk being involved in illegal fundraising or fraudulent activities.

Markets: Bitcoin rises above US$23,000 as Fed says ‘disinflation’ started. All top 10 tokens gain

Bitcoin traded back above US$23,000 on Wednesday morning in Asia after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell overnight said the “disinflationary process” has started in the economy.

DCG to sell Grayscale holdings at a discount to pay creditors: report

Digital Currency Group has started to sell shares of its cryptocurrency funds at a significant discount, according to a Tuesday report from the Financial Times.

Gemini agrees to put US$100 mln to Earn asset recovery efforts

Gemini has agreed to put up US$100 million to the asset recovery of Earn users as part of bankrupt crypto lender Genesis Capital’s in-principle agreement with parent firm DCG and other creditors.

Shanghai Staking Surge

Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade brings about new changes and flexibility for investors – how much of an impact could it have on the industry?

Markets: Bitcoin rises as Polygon gains most in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin prices gained in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia while Ethereum dropped with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

JPMorgan report shows institutional trader interest shifting to AI from blockchain after crypto slump

Nearly three out of four institutional traders surveyed “have no plans to trade crypto,” while most see Artificial Intelligence as the next big disrupter.

Yuga Labs says it won first Bored Ape trademark lawsuit against RR/BAYC project

Yuga Labs, the company behind the leading non-fungible token (NFT) project, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), won a settlement on Monday in a trademark infringement lawsuit against Thomas Lehman, a collaborator in the controversial RR/BAYC project headed by artist Ryder Ripps.

NFTs inspired by K-drama Crash Landing on You coming from Crypto.com, Studio Dragon

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has partnered with Korean drama distributor Studio Dragon to issue NFTs inspired by popular Korean drama series, including the hit Crash Landing on You, the exchange said on Monday.

How regenerative finance can ease climate change and boost the bottom line

Renewable energy is plagued by financing difficulties, but blockchain technology can bridge the sector’s funding gaps, writes Brianna Welsh of Reneum.

Binance suspends international U.S. dollar transfers, CEO indicates issues with banks

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, will suspend all deposits and withdrawals of U.S. dollars at its international exchanges from Feb. 8.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall with bearish U.S. equities, but Bitcoin long bets jump

Bitcoin and Ether dipped in Tuesday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies as Wall Street fell overnight on concern the Fed may crank up interest rates for longer than expected.

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

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices dropped in afternoon trading on Monday in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Bitcoin continued trading under US$23,000, while Solana and Polygon led losses. 

Chinese liquor giant Moutai unveils NFTs linked to liquor bottles

Moutai launched NFTs that gives owners to purchase limited edition liquor.

Filecoin developer Protocol Labs cuts 21% staff amid ‘crypto winter’

Crypto layoffs last month matching 41% of the total industry job cuts in 2022, a new study finds.

Bankrupt FTX threatens legal action to claw back donations to politicians, charities

The move marks a shift in tone from December when recipients of FTX donations were requested to “voluntarily” return the funds.

What is CeDeFi, and why it is the future of finance

CeDeFi offers the benefits of CeFi and DeFi without their shortcomings, writes Alexander Tkachenko of VNX. Here’s how it works.

South Korea issues guideline on cryptocurrencies as securities tokens ahead of planned legalization

South Korea published guidelines on Monday for defining what specific cryptocurrencies would fall under regulations applicable to financial securities.

Markets: Bitcoin falls below US$23,000, Ether drops as crypto market follows equities lower

Bitcoin traded below US$23,000 on Monday morning in Asia, tracking a decline in U.S. equities as unexpectedly strong job growth numbers on Friday raised concerns markets may face more interest rate hikes to slow the economy and inflation.

Binance tells Indian crypto exchange WazirX to remove funds from its platform as feud escalates

Binance has stopped providing wallet services to Indian crypto exchange WazirX, asking it to withdraw any remaining assets held in Binance wallets by Feb. 3.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin breaches US$23,000 in best monthly performance since October 2021

Bitcoin climbed more than 39% in January to break through the US$23,000 resistance ceiling in its best monthly performance since October 2021. Can the world’s first and biggest cryptocurrency maintain the upward momentum? Industry commentators share their views with Forkast.

Binance re-enters S. Korea through GOPAX equity purchase: report

Binance has returned to South Korea after a two-year break by acquiring a majority stake in the local cryptocurrency exchange GOPAX, Bloomberg reported Friday.

India working with IMF, FSB on crypto regulations, says economic affairs secretary

India, the current holder of the G20 presidency, has been working with the IMF and the Financial Stability Board FSB to develop a regulatory approach for cryptocurrencies.

NFT’s Bitcoin Future

Could there be a shift in Ethereum’s monopoly of the NFT world as new technologies arise?

Crypto exchange PayBito begins to integrate ChatGPT into its platform

Cryptocurrency exchange PayBito announced its plans to integrate ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by research firm OpenAI, on Friday.

Markets: Bitcoin and Ether down, Polkadot biggest winner among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Polkadot’s DOT posting the biggest gains.

China should reconsider its ban on cryptocurrencies, says former central bank official

China’s blanket ban on cryptocurrency trading can have the country miss critical opportunities for technological development, says former PBOC official.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says NFTs and DAOs can bolster ‘Cool Japan’ strategy

NFTs and DAOs can help support Japan’s national strategy dubbed ‘Cool Japan’ to attract investment and expand the economy.

Silvergate probed by US prosecutors over FTX, Alameda accounts: Bloomberg

U.S. prosecutors are investigating California-based cryptocurrency bank Silvergate Capital Corp. for how it handled accounts tied to now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX and its brokerage arm Alameda Research, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Why DeFi remains niche and what might get it out of its market rut

DeFi is still a Wild West, and many would-be users are wary of its lawlessness and anonymity. Could decentralized IDs foster greater trust and growth in the sector?

Markets: Bitcoin dips to US$23,500, Ether inches up, other top 10 crypto mixed

Bitcoin and Ether traded mostly little changed Friday morning after a strong run up in the week, with other top 10 cryptocurrencies prices mixed.

India’s largest retailer Reliance starts CBDCs sales

Indian retail giant Reliance Retail announced on Thursday that it has started accepting digital rupee payments to become the largest Indian firm to adopt the nation’s CBDC.

India’s Budget Disappoints

India’s position on digital assets remains status quo as the country’s parliamentary budget hearing leads to disappointment in the crypto sector.

Markets: Bitcoin and Ether up, Matic tops gains as investors wait for ECB’s decision on interest rates

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Asian trading hours on Thursday, along with the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Polygon’s Matic posted the biggest gains

China’s Suzhou city joins other regions in the country seeking to be metaverse hub

Suzhou has laid out plans to attract at least 200 companies in working with VR technology by 2025.

Donald Trump helps Polygon NFTs outsell Ethereum on OpenSea exchange for second month

The non-fungible token (NFT) project by former U.S. President Donald Trump has helped its host network, Polygon, outsell Ethereum on the leading NFT marketplace OpenSea for the second straight month, according to transaction data.

Meta’s metaverse division Reality Labs posts wider loss of $13.7 billion in 2022

Meta Platforms Inc., the former Facebook, said losses at its Reality Labs division developing virtual reality technologies widened last year, but the company’s Q4 earnings beat expectations and it projected overall stronger growth into 2023, according to its earnings report released Wednesday.

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex lays off 83 employees

Seattle-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex is laying off 83 employees, according to the U.S. Employment Security Department’s layoff alert.

Why the cloud will be critical to US competitiveness in world finance

The future global financial system will be reliant on the cloud, especially when it comes to CBDCs and stablecoins, writes Michael Greenwald and Logan Weber.
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South Korea arrests head of Bithumb crypto exchange for alleged embezzlement

A South Korean court approved the prosecutor’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Kang Jong-hyun for alleged embezzlement.

Markets: Bitcoin breaks US$24,000 ceiling after Fed says ‘disinflationary process’ started in U.S. economy

Bitcoin rose above US$24,000 for the first time since mid-August in Thursday morning trading in Asia before sliding back slightly.

Crypto hackers stole record US$3.8 bln in 2022, mostly from DeFi and cross-chain bridges: Chainalysis

Hackers stole at least US$3.8 billion in cryptocurrencies throughout 2022, a record-breaking year for crypto heists, says blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis.

Bankrupt FTX held US$1.4B in cash at the end of 2022

Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com had around US$1.4 billion in cash reserves at the end of 2022, according to a financial update released Tuesday.

Cardano’s Djed stablecoin locks US$10 mln in reserves on its first day

Djed, a Cardano-based algorithmic stablecoin, has collected over US$10 million in its reserves within the first 24 hours since it was launched on Wednesday.

Islamic Crypto Finance

Islamic finance has seen growth in a time where most of the world’s economy has suffered losses. How could its integration into crypto help the industry?

Markets: Bitcoin stays above US$23,000; Cardano leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin traded above US$23,000 throughout Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia, while Ethereum and other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed. Cardano led gains with 2.03% followed by XRP’s 1.13%. 

Digital yuan sales during Lunar New Year up from last year, online retailers say

Digital yuan sales at online retail platforms in China have surged during the Lunar New Year holidays fueled by local governments’ red packet coupons.

Bitcoin mining fund soars as BTC powers into 2023

Top blockchain and crypto news: BTC mining ETF outperforms. SBF under pressure as accusations mount. ‘China’s Instagram’ embraces NFTs.

India crypto industry on ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as government ignores requests in Budget

Cryptocurrency exchanges in India had lobbied the government to reduce taxes introduced last year, arguing the levies were backfiring by driving local investment offshore.

New Bitcoin protocol may shake up the NFT market

Bitcoin has long been the world’s largest cryptocurrency blockchain, but non-fungible tokens or NFTs were always the domain of Ethereum. A new protocol could change that, and some in the Bitcoin community are not too pleased.

Bitcoin miner Greenidge Generation cuts NYDIG debt 78% to US$17 million

Troubled U.S.-based Bitcoin mining firm Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. has restructured more of its debt to investment management service provider NYDIG and investment bank B. Riley Commercial Capital, the company announced on Tuesday.

Judge rules secondary sale of LBC does not classify as security in SEC vs LBRY appeal

In the SEC’s case against decentralized publishing platform LBRY Inc., the judge ruled that the secondary sale of LBC does not qualify as a security.

Markets: Bitcoin climbs back above US$23,000 as most top 10 crypto tokens gain ground

Bitcoin prices broke back above US$23,000 in Wednesday morning trading in Asia.