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Crypto exchange Bitget to expand workforce by 50%, registers in Seychelles

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget plans to hire about 400 more staff, taking its total workforce to 1,200 by the first quarter of 2023, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway warns of scam crypto site with same name

Berkshire Hathaway, the investment conglomerate run by billionaire Warren Buffet, has issued a warning about a fake cryptocurrency website that uses the Berkshire Hathway name.

Huobi plans Southeast Asia, Europe, Caribbean expansion

Huobi Global, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, plans to ramp up its investments in Southeast Asia and Europe as part of its global expansion, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

China’s foreign exchange bureau urges stronger legislation to regulate crypto trade

China should integrate legislation on cryptocurrencies in order to better regulate crypto tradings, said Huang Hui, a deputy director of the Supervision and Inspection Department of State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Thai crypto exchange eyes Hong Kong for possible public share sale in 2024: report

Bitkub, one of the largest crypto exchanges in Thailand, is aiming to list in Hong Kong as early as 2024 when it goes public.

US senators urge Fidelity to drop BTC retirement plan after FTX collapse

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin and Tina Smith asked Fidelity Investments to rethink its decision to grant retirement plan exposure to Bitcoin.

FTX alleged hacker is moving funds to dodge authorities: analysts

The alleged hacker behind the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from the cryptocurrency exchange FTX is moving the funds around to separate wallets.

Bitcoin price falls to more than two-year low amid growing concerns about FTX fallout

Investors are unnerved by the possibility of more failures among companies linked to the now bankrupt FTX exchange, fearing a repeat of the Terra-Luna stablecoin collapse in May that also brought down other businesses.

Binance says it will hire 600 by year end, bring total employees to 8,000

The world’s largest crypto exchange seeks to hire 600 more employees by the end of this year, its founder and chief executive officer said.

Singapore’s central bank says not possible to protect local users from FTX fallout

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Monday that it was not possible for the central bank to protect local users from FTX’s collapse as the crypto exchange operated offshore and was not licensed by MAS.

Markets: Bitcoin, other tokens add to losses in Asia trading Monday

Bitcoin and Ether extended their losses through late Asian trading on Monday, as did all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Dogecoin was the biggest loser. 

SEC gets support from New Sports Economy Institute in XRP lawsuit against Ripple

The U.S. SEC has received support from sports investing group New Sports Economy Institute, which submitted its amicus brief on Friday to weigh in on the ongoing lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple.

S.Korea examines exchange native tokens after FTX meltdown

S.Korean authorities are looking into self-issued cryptocurrencies that may exist within local exchanges following FTX.com’s FTT-led liquidity crisis.

FTX owes US$3.1 billion to top 50 unnamed creditors, court filing shows

Collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. and its affiliates owe their 50 largest creditors about US$3.1 billion, according to a court filing. The creditors were not named.

Man Group plans crypto hedge fund despite FTX, market turmoil: report

The world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund manager, Man Group Plc, plans to launch a cryptocurrency exclusive fund.

South Korea, Singapore, Japan biggest users of FTX pre-collapse, says CoinGecko

South Korea, Singapore and Japan were the biggest users of FTX.com based on the number of monthly unique visitors from January to October 2022

Taiwan’s top three crypto exchanges say operations unaffected amid FTX fallout

Taiwan’s three largest cryptocurrency exchanges have said their operations were unaffected by the fallout of FTX and will work to release proof of assets as soon as possible.

FTX requests Chapter 15 bankruptcy case moved to Delaware, hearing on Tuesday

FTX Trading will be at a hearing on Nov. 22 in a bankruptcy court in Delaware, as the troubled exchange seeks to transfer a related case from New York to the Delaware court, according to a court filing.

HK crypto over-the-counter service Genesis Block to end trading: Reuters

Genesis Block, a cryptocurrency over-the-counter trading service in Hong Kong, will close its trading portal on Dec. 10, Reuters reported on Friday citing an email the company sent to customers.

Genesis crypto broker freezes withdrawals; Winklevoss’s Gemini, S. Korea’s GOPAX exchanges affected

The Genesis brokerage arm of the Digital Currency Group is one of the latest cryptocurrency platforms to lock down withdrawals following the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX, and the freeze is spreading.

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin denies $100 mln LUNA cashout: report

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin reportedly told S.Korean prosecutors during an investigation on Thursday that he did not sell LUNA at a high point.

Markets: Bitcoin flat, most crypto top 10 fall as Fed indicates further rate rises

Bitcoin traded little changed Friday morning in Asia, while Ether fell along with most other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

China’s state blockchain infrastructure Xinghuo BIF partners Malaysian MyEG to fuel global push

China’s state blockchain infrastructure Xinghuo Blockchain Infrastructure and Facility has signed an agreement with Malaysian digital service provider MY E.G. Services Berhad to own and operate an “international supernode,” as China continues its international blockchain push.

South Korea freezes Terra cofounder Daniel Shin’s US$104 mln in assets; CEO Do Kwon tweets he was wrong, not fraudulent

Terra’s former executive Daniel Shin’s US$100 million were frozen on Thursday; Do Kwon tweets that the Terra team did everything to save UST

Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch says proof of reserves shows sufficient reserves to match clients’ stake

Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch’s proof of reserves summary, that was shared on Thursday, stated that as of Nov. 4, the exchange’s overall holdings of crypto and fiat balances in Indian Rupees (INR) exceeded those held by the exchange on behalf of its users.

Ripple gets support from Blockchain Association in XRP lawsuit against SEC

U.S. lobby group Blockchain Association, along with other institutions and firms, have formally filed amici briefs to support Ripple Labs Inc. in the ongoing lawsuit between the U.S. SEC and Ripple.

Sam Bankman-Fried regrets bankruptcy filing, blames “messy accounting”: Vox interview

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX, says he regrets the company’s bankruptcy filing, blamed the downfall on “messy accounting” and criticized regulators.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall as FTX implosion, job cuts in tech industry cloud outlook

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 tokens by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins.

Crypto exchanges see record-high week of BTC outflows, following FTX saga

Bitcoin outflows from centralized crypto exchanges rose to a historic high this week, as investors turned to self-custody options following the collapse of FTX.

Binance gets Abu Dhabi regulator’s nod to offer crypto custody services

Binance, world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has obtained Financial Services Permission from Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), to provide custody to professional clients in and from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial center of the UAE’s capital.

FTX collapse leaves investors jittery over crypto contagion

Top blockchain and crypto news: FTX fallout spooks sector. Crypto.com’s $400 million ‘accident.’ Hong Kong’s new digital asset drive.

Korbit is first South Korean exchange to disclose full crypto reserves, post-FTX debacle

Korbit, one of South Korea’s five fully licensed crypto exchanges, announced Wednesday that it will reveal its full list of crypto reserves.

USDC stablecoin issuer Circle expects slower growth over Binance’s BUSD conversion

Circle, the issuer of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC, has said that stronger competition in the stablecoin market is likely to pressure Circle stablecoins, thereby slowing its growth and weighing on the financial outlook of the company. 

Who is exposed to FTX? A running compilation on a rapidly moving target

The number of creditors with claims on the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange and its affiliates may run into the hundreds of thousands and possibly more than 1 million.

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin’s Chai Corp. raided by S.Korean authorities

Daniel Shin’s Chai Corporation, which partnered with Terraform Labs in 2019, is accused of violating capital market rules in past dealings with Terra.

Crypto lender BlockFi faces possible failure amid FTX collapse, WSJ says

BlockFi Inc. is preparing for possible bankruptcy filings after it acknowledged “significant exposure” to bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com.

Trezor, Ledger report surge in hard wallet sales amid FTX meltdown

What to do when one of the world’s most trusted crypto exchanges implodes? For many it’s finding a safer place for their assets, and that is typically hardware wallets.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise amid positive inflation data, despite reports of Russian missile strikes in Poland

Bitcoin and Ether rose on Wednesday morning in Asia amid reports of alleged Russian missile strikes on Poland while inflationary data out of the U.S. provided support.

FTX hacker becomes 35th largest Ethereum holder

The address associated with the FTX hack swapped US$48.2 million worth of DAI stablecoins to 37,570 Ether and became the 35th largest holder of the world’s second-largest crypto.

Enron veteran is FTX’s new head: Does he have what it takes to win back user’s funds?

The failure of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has been compared to the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008, but it may have more similarity to the bankruptcy of energy trading giant Enron Corp. – an event FTX’s new chief executive officer knows all too well.

Coinbase officially enters the fray in XRP lawsuit to support Ripple against SEC

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has officially submitted its amicus brief to support Ripple in the lawsuit the U.S. SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple.

Retail crypto sees more new users when Bitcoin prices rise: BIS report

A rise in Bitcoin prices is the most important factor for a significant increase in the number of new investors, instead of distrust in public institutions, dislike for traditional banks, or search for a store of value, according to a report by the Bank for International Settlements. 

Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says FTX debacle will never happen again

O’Leary remains committed to crypto even after losing his investment in FTX.com, but said that the industry will become more regulated.

Crypto prices recover amid plans by Binance, others to aid cash-short projects post FTX failure

Exchanges to the rescue? Cash is reportedly being made available to help blockchain and crypto projects caught in the fallout of the FTX exchange collapse.
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Vitalik Buterin seeks to build proof-of-reserves protocol with Binance as ‘guinea pig,’ says Binance chief

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin is looking to develop a proof-of-reserves protocol and Binance may be the “guinea pig” and serve as its first test case, said Binance chief Changpeng Zhao.

Crypto.com claims user funds safe despite ‘accidental’ Ether transaction

The chief executive of Crypto.com, said the exchange’s exposure to FTX when it shut was under US$10 million.

Mining rig maker Canaan’s stocks fall as Q3 profits shrink

Cryptocurrency mining rig maker Canaan posted shrinking revenues and profits in the third quarter of this year, as the crypto bear market continued to plague the mining industry.

Binance says it will set up crypto recovery fund, industry standards group

Changpeng Zhao, founder and chief executive of Binance, tells the B20 Summit in Indonesia that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange aims to help improve business and operation standards in the crypto industry.

Former Huobi CEO Leon Li offers US$14 mln loan to cover funds locked in FTX

Huobi Global’s ex-CEO Leon Li has extended a US$14 million loan to New Huo Technology after a subsidiary had US$18 million of cryptocurrency locked in the bankrupt FTX exchange.

S.Korea summons ex-Terra exec Daniel Shin over US$100M in LUNA gains

Daniel Shin has been summoned by South Korean prosecutors to attend an investigation as a suspect for allegedly earning ill-gotten profits with LUNA.

Crypto prices slide as investors pull funds on concerns other exchanges may follow FTX implosion

The collapse of one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges last week has investors worried about the finances of other trading platforms. Cold wallet time?

FTX files for bankruptcy, Sam Bankman-Fried steps down as CEO

FTX.com, FTX US and 130 additional affiliates have filed for bankruptcy, its new CEO John J. Ray III says.

Binance chief says FTX bailout deal ‘didn’t make sense’

Changpeng Zhao, founder of the world’s largest crypto exchange, said its earlier pledge to acquire FTX fell through partially due to regulatory concerns.

Could FTX woes bring on another crypto freeze resembling Terra-Luna?

Crypto exchanges and lending platforms are starting to use the dreaded F word for Freeze amid worries about the possible collapse of FTX.com, part of one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency trading networks.
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FTX Japan resumes withdrawals, FTX Turkey firms up plans

FTX Japan, the Japanese arm of the embattled crypto exchange FTX.com, said on Friday it has resumed yen withdrawals after the country’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) ordered the exchange on Thursday to suspend operations and put together a “business improvement plan.”

Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says ‘FTX still has value,’ its story still being written

While FTX’s cash crunch has rattled global markets and investors, a White Knight investor could quickly turn the tide for the company, O’Leary told Forkast in an interview.

FTX liquidity crunch leads to contagion fears; Friday updates and running commentary

The following is a running compilation of views and comments on the possible short- and long-term outcomes of FTX’s liquidity crunch.
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FTX US warns user trading could be halted ‘in a few days’

Sam Bankman-Fried says FTX US is insulated from FTX.com’s liquidity crunch, but the American-based platform could freeze trading in the next few days.

U.S. regulators reportedly talking with Binance over failed FTX bail out

US regulators want to know more about what Binance discovered when it took a look at FTX’s books, and then canceled a bailout deal.

Sam Bankman-Fried apologizes in first tweet since Binance saga: I F***** Up

Sam Bankman-Fried sent his first series of tweets since Binance announced and then scrapped an offer to buy his cash-strapped cryptocurrency exchange. He apologized, acknowledged mistakes and said he will do right by FTX users.

Bitcoin gains 5% as U.S. inflation slows down in October

Bitcoin gained 5% after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a key inflation indicator, rose 0.4% in October from September. CPI was up 7.7% from a year earlier, less than the expected 7.9%, and down from 8.2% in September. October’s CPI recorded the smallest 12-month increase since January. 

Crypto exchange outflows rise amid FTX fiasco

Over 5.2 billion stablecoins left crypto exchanges on Wednesday, the most in five months, on-chain data showed.

FTX debacle has crypto industry pointing finger at regulators in call for clear rules of the road

The FTX.com unraveling has prompted crypto industry leaders to demand clearer rules of the road for trading digital assets.

Binance the winner in FTX saga, set to gain more customers

Binance may have nixed the deal to bailout rival exchange FTX.com, but it could still gain a big chunk of FTX’s business as investors flee the platform.

US regulators DoJ, SEC, CFTC probe crypto platform FTX

US regulators the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are probing beleaguered crypto exchange FTX.

What a difference a day makes: Options for FTX after Binance ditches buyout?

Binance cites due diligence on FTX books for pulling out of a deal to buy FTX.com, sending markets into a tailspin and leaving Bankman-Fried in need of another buyer… fast.
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Bitcoin hits lowest price in two years as Binance cancels FTX acquisition

Just over 24 hours after news of Binance’s planned acquisition of FTX shook the crypto market, a reversal of that decision sent prices even lower.

Binance likely to back out of FTX deal: report

Binance may scrap its proposal to acquire cryptocurrency exchange FTX, after examining FTX’s “internal data and loan commitments,” according to an unnamed source “familiar with the matter” cited by CoinDesk on Wednesday. 

The fall of FTX “not good for anyone,” CZ says

The sudden downfall of top cryptocurrency exchange FTX will bring in more regulatory scrutiny and raise the difficulty of obtaining licenses around the world, Binance founder and chief executive Changpeng Zhao said in an internal note, which he shared with the public via Twitter on Wednesday. 

Singapore’s Temasek holds stake in FTX, a target of Binance takeover

Singapore’s state-owned investment firm Temasek is a shareholder in embattled cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which faces a possible takeover by bigger rival Binance

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao emerges as ‘winner on all fronts’ of FTX acquisition

Commonly known as “CZ,” the Chinese-Canadian founder of Binance appears to have stolen Sam Bankman-Fried’s shine, coming out of the FTX acquisition with the most to gain.

Binance boosts emergency insurance fund to US$1 billion on market volatility

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has raised its emergency insurance fund “SAFU” to US$1 billion equivalent in cryptocurrencies, founder Changpeng Zhao said in a Tweet on Wednesday.