Search results: industry

Bitcoin’s hashrate reached an all-time high over the weekend, despite many miners being forced to move operations out of Kazakhstan. Fast facts The total Bitcoin hashrate surged by 31.7% to an all-time high of 248.11 exahashes per second in raw values on Saturday, according to data from Blockchain.com. The latest hashrate read at 209.63 EH/s […]

As more countries announce plans for central bank digital currencies, will that break crypto’s promise as the future of money?

As stablecoins face pressure to adopt traditional safeguards, the industry’s efforts to self-regulate should not be overlooked, writes Charlie Martin of Gro.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, plans to take a US$200 million stake in Forbes through a private placement, making it one of the two largest shareholders of the 104-year-old business magazine. Fast facts The investment comes as Forbes seeks to go public on the New York Stock Exchange via a deal with a special […]

Upcoming digital yuan trial to piggyback on Hong Kong’s popular Faster Payment System for smoother cross-border transactions.

The announcement of a crypto tax dispelled fears of a ban but left exchanges wondering whether they may be hurt in the long run.

The new token economy offers unparalleled opportunities for content creators, writes Weiwei Geng of Unite.io. Improving user experience will be key.

WikiLeaks founder’s legal defense fundraising bonanza. Shiba Inu’s big new leap. NFT fever rises in China.

Kakao Games announced Tuesday that Friends Games, its subsidiary, will now become Meta Bora to focus on blockchain-based games and entertainment supporting its Bora cryptocurrency. Fast facts “We will work our hardest to help the development of the Web 3.0, such as in blockchain and the metaverse, by integrating Kakao Games’ game industry network and insight […]

Smart MFG, a blockchain-based supply chain decentralized finance firm, has integrated with Polygon to launch Phigital, a 3D marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFT). Fast facts Phigital will focus on interoperability of 3D assets across metaverses, and NFTs with real-world use cases. The movement of different assets and NFTs across metaverses has been one of the […]

Bithumb, one of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, says it will distribute digital art non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for traders who meet the criteria every time South Korea wins a medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Fast facts Held jointly with blockchain-based sports content platform 300FIT, the NFTs will be accessible to traders who have transacted […]

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has partnered with YG Entertainment, a top K-pop entertainment agency, to develop non-fungible tokens (NFTs), metaverse and gaming projects, despite fans’ concerns over the potential environmental impact. Fast facts Binance announced Tuesday that it will provide the NFT platform and technology support, while YG will supply the content. Helen […]

After a poor start to the year, the market needed some good news. Industry watchers urge caution.

A prominent Russian lawmaker has proposed a personal income tax rate of at least 15% for crypto miners, according to local media reports, as the country continues to debate regulations for the industry. Fast facts Vladimir Gutenev, who chairs an industry committee at the Duma, parliament’s lower house, said at a Friday briefing that mining […]

While sales volumes on NFT marketplaces thrive, new data show much of this comes from manipulating sales — painting the whole industry in a different light.

A 30% tax doesn’t legalize cryptocurrencies but exchanges no longer worry about a ban, while investors would pay taxes at twice the rate of other asset gains.

Top blockchain and crypto news: New Delhi’s crypto give and take. Malice in Wonderland? Hong Kong’s selective spot ETF rules.

Thailand has axed plans to apply a 15% withholding tax on crypto transactions after a backlash from crypto traders within the country, the Financial Times reported. Fast facts Last week, Thailand’s financial authorities announced plans to tighten regulation on the industry — including the 15% tax — aimed at limiting the widespread adoption of digital […]

The recent crypto price plunge has done little to rattle new investors. Are they just buying the dip, or is there more to it? Q9 Capital’s James Quinn explains.

Digital payments are commonplace in Asia, but gifting crypto as lucky money remains niche.

Hong Kong’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) project with three other central banks and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) will enter its pilot stage this year to test international trade settlements, a Hong Kong government official said. Fast facts Christopher Hui, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, said on Wednesday the […]

With new products and services being launched and international exchanges setting up camp, crypto startups thrive despite the shadow of a crypto ban.

The Russian finance ministry called for the regulation of cryptocurrencies on Tuesday, opposing the central bank’s proposal last week to ban crypto mining and usage. Fast facts Ivan Chebeskov, director of the finance ministry’s financial policy department, told Russian outlet RBC that a ban on crypto transactions and mining could hamper the country’s growth in […]

San Francisco-based Ripple Labs announced Tuesday that on the heels of a strong year it bought back the shares it sold in a 2019 fundraise and is now valued at US$15 billion. Fast facts The blockchain payments platform developer is in the middle of a 13-months-long lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission […]

Political chaos and power shortages are causing miners to flee a nation that only recently became the world’s second-largest Bitcoin producer.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Market chills make investors shiver. Hacking storm at OpenSea. Has Beijing tamed NFTs?

Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the Big Three global management consulting firms, says the South Korean crypto market will be worth around 1,000 trillion won (about US$835 billion) in 2026, while calling for a brand new regulatory framework. Fast facts The number comes from BCG Korea’s Future of Asset 2022 report, which said South […]

The metaverse could be life-changing for the world’s unbanked, writes Pavel Matveev of Wirex. Interoperability between the real and virtual worlds will be key.

Crypto regulations run the gamut from wait-and-see to total prohibition. What are the dos and don’ts of smart regulation?

The tech-savvy nation is deemed a prime environment to grow the metaverse. What comes next, and will some be left out by a digital divide?

A survey of more than 1,000 digital respondents found 79% of Indians want more clarity on cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) regulations in the budget session of Parliament starting on Jan. 31, according to new survey findings.  Fast facts The survey, conducted by tax and advisory firm Grant Thornton Bharat, also found that 61% of […]

Despite Singapore’s reputation as a crypto-friendly hub, the truth is more complicated. Is the city-state purposely keeping out small companies?

The Bitcoin mining difficulty level rose to an all-time high in its latest adjustment on Friday while the total Bitcoin hashrate also reached an all-time-high during a global cryptocurrency sell-off. Fast facts The mining difficulty level rose by 9.32% to 26.64 trillion at block height 719.712, reflecting its most difficult level in history, according to […]

K-pop fans are waging online campaigns against their favorite artists over NFTs, denouncing the technology’s carbon footprint. How polluting are NFTs?

Global NFT sales are exploding in 2022, but experts predict this is only the beginning of a bigger surge in Asia.

The top contenders jockey for position on initial coin offerings and other blockchain-based innovations. How did crypto become a critical factor in the race?

Guangdong Province’s 2022 Government Report says its capital city Guangzhou will become a digital yuan testbed and a blockchain innovation application pilot center in 2022.  Fast facts Guangzhou applied to become a new digital yuan pilot city in September 2021.  Guangzhou is one of the major cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). […]

A pro basketball player and an ex-banker are aiming for a slam-dunk with a ‘creator first’ content platform. Calaxy co-founder Solo Ceesay explains how.

The gaming industry suffers from a talent shortage, but blockchain technology and Gen Z’s obsession with self-expression are relieving cost pressures.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Asian governments target crypto. Managing MATIC. China’s expanding metaverse.

Microsoft announced on Tuesday a US$68.7 billion acquisition plan of gaming giant Activision Blizzard as part of its reach for the emerging metaverse market. Fast facts “Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Satya Nadella, […]

Malaysian exchange will offer equity tokens representing direct shares on the blockchain, claiming it will be the world’s first fully regulated equity-token IPO.

The Indian government may not introduce a much-anticipated crypto bill in the upcoming parliamentary budget session, according to a report by the Economic Times of India.  Fast facts The government is reportedly seeking to reach consensus with industry stakeholders before proposing legislation.  The government may also be waiting for the Reserve Bank of India to […]

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for collective and synchronized global action to tackle the challenges posed by cryptocurrency. Fast facts Speaking at the 2022 World Economic Forum’s annual Davos conference on Monday, Modi said: “The kind of technology cryptocurrency is associated with makes decisions taken by one country inadequate to meet the challenges posed […]

Savvy cryptocurrency investors now know what the biggest players have long done, writes Michal Cymbalisty of Domination Finance — ‘buying the f* dip!’

Pakistan’s top investigation agency is looking to block crypto websites over fraud and money laundering concerns, according to a news report, less than a week after the country’s central bank recommended an outright ban on cryptocurrencies.  Fast facts Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director-General Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi said on Saturday the agency would approach the Pakistan […]

South Korean lawmaker Lee Kwang-jae announced on Sunday that he has started accepting political donations in cryptocurrencies. Fast facts Donors can use Bitcoin, Ethereum, Kakao’s KLAY, media industry-focused NEWS, and payments-focused Paycoin, while receipts can be issued as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), according to Lee’s website.  The first donor was an anonymous professional from the blockchain […]

If 2021 was a breakout year for crypto, this year may mark a similar advance for regulation of the industry, says Caroline Malcolm, Chainalysis’ new policy chief.

The NFT platform crosses $1B in sales volume within a week after launch, but with a controversial incentive structure and so-called ‘vampire’ attack.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is deferring to Congress to decide whether to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC), Lael Brainard told the Senate banking committee Thursday at her Fed vice chair nomination hearing. Fast facts Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis asked whether the vice chair nominee believed that the digital dollar should be available to […]

A Chinese state-backed blockchain network plans to launch non-fungible token (NFT) infrastructure that has no link to cryptocurrency by the end of this month, one of its creators told Forkast. Fast facts He Yifan, CEO of Red Date Technology, a developer of the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), a project to spur mass adoption of blockchain […]

India may soon get its first Bitcoin and Ethereum futures exchange traded funds (ETFs) pending approval by a financial regulator.  Fast facts India INX, the international arm of BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and Torus Kling Block Chain IFSC have jointly sought regulatory approval for a Bitcoin and an Ethereum Futures ETF, according to a […]

Palau will issue a stablecoin to support plans for a digital overhaul of its economy, according to its president. Fast facts President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. said the Pacific archipelago was also working on establishing a crypto exchange, a corporate registry and digital wallets for each resident in its digital revamp. Palau is planning a […]

Online influencers may be improving crypto-financial literacy for millions of people. But regulators have growing concerns.

Traditional banks are not going away and decentralized finance is here to stay, writes Edan Yago of Sovryn. Here’s how an amalgam of the two can take shape.

Stablecoins and CBDCs will likely co-exist in the city, experts say, as Hong Kong looks to thrive as crypto hub.

Pakistan’s central bank has recommended that all cryptocurrencies should be officially banned in the country, according to multiple local media reports, in response to an ongoing lawsuit before a provincial high court.  Fast facts In a report submitted on Wednesday to the Sindh High Court, which is hearing a case on cryptocurrencies, the central bank […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bandwidth bust in Kazakhstan. Binance chief CZ tops rich list. Digital yuan app adoption grows.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on a wildly popular fantasy action digital comics series backed by South Korean internet giant Kakao have sold out soon after launch on Wednesday. Fast facts The NFTs, launched by Kakao Entertainment, are based on webtoon Solo Leveling, which has amassed a whopping 14.2 billion views globally since its launch in […]

Developers adopt NFT technology to promote staple video game franchises, but reaction from a number of gamers has been negative.

The current technologies in use do little to deter crypto money laundering, writes Dr. Mark van Staalduinen. What can nations do about this?

Internet blackouts are partially restored but access remains unpredictable to support full crypto mining, industry players say.

The 2022 crypto market has had a tough start as Bitcoin and Ethereum dipped below significant price points. But crypto experts say it’s not all doom and gloom.

China’s top economic planning body has officially designated crypto mining as “obsolete,” reinforcing government efforts to stamp out the industry entirely.  Fast facts

The CFTC is asserting greater regulatory powers over the crypto industry than ever before. But does the agency have the statutory backing to do so?

How has layer-2 innovation saved Bitcoin from becoming a victim of its own success? Blockstream chief Adam Back explains.

What’s behind the crypto cheerleading by U.S. mayors? Are their city coins savvy moves — or will the bespoke crypto end up worthless?

In a special Q&A, a core contributor to the rapidly expanding Cosmos ecosystem discusses the ‘internet of blockchains’ and the new cross-chain economy.

The US tech giant will pour $40M via private placement in Ennoconn, as the iPhone supplier continues to dream big for metaverse.

Bitcoin hashrates tumble as miners unprepared for an outage, experts say.

Bearish concerns over Federal Reserve rate hikes show a continued correlation with traditional markets, but industry watchers see changing dynamics at play.

Some of India’s largest crypto exchanges, including WazirX, blame ambiguity in the regulation of cryptocurrencies for missed tax payments.