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Regulatory issues ‘still challenging’ as CBDCs gain popularity globally, says German tech firm Giesecke+Devrient’s Chief Evangelist Lars Hupel

Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) development and interest are growing rapidly worldwide but regulatory issues remain a challenge, especially for cross-border CBDC transactions.  But German technology company Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) – winner of Best Technology Award in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Global Fast Track CBDC 2022 competition during the city’s FinTech Week in November – […]

A year of scams

Crypto proved to be breeding ground for scams in 2022. Will next year be different?

South Korea freezes US$93 mln in assets of former Terra-Luna associates

A S.Korean court has approved prosecutors’ request to freeze assets of US$93.3 million belonging to seven former associates of Terraform Labs.

Visa explores auto payments on Ethereum

Visa is researching ways to introduce recurring, automatic payments for self-custodial Ethereum wallets.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether gain; Dogecoin is biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Asian trading on Tuesday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos

The next hundred million crypto users may come from gaming, Animoca founder says

With highly anticipated blockchain games set to hit the shelves in 2023, Animoca Brand’s Yat Siu sees the next opportunity to onboard the generation of crypto users.

Bankrupt Voyager Digital says it accepted Binance bid for assets valued at US$1 billion

The deal will need approval in a court hearing on January 5 and also faces a vote by creditors under Voyager’s chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

S. Korea’s Busan city crypto exchange moves ahead without global partners

Busan announced the steering committee for its flagship exchange, but it didn’t include global partners earlier linked to the project.

Bitcoin mining difficulty rises 3.27% in latest adjustment

The latest Bitcoin mining difficulty level rose 3.27%, as miners continue to face cash shortages due to low Bitcoin prices and high energy costs.

What the FTX collapse means for the future of crypto

Centralized exchanges releasing ‘proof of reserves’ is not enough to win back users, while improving user experience will be key, writes Holger Arians of Banxa.

Sam Bankman-Fried extradition in doubt after confused court hearing in Bahamas

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in court in the Bahamas, but did not agree to be extradited to the U.S. 

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Dogecoin drops after poll says Musk should quit as Twitter boss

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell in Tuesday morning trading in Asia as concern about the stability of crypto exchanges and a possible global recession continued to weigh on markets.

Binance acquires Indonesian crypto exchange Tokocrypto

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has acquired Indonesia-based crypto exchange Tokocrypto, according to a CNBC report

Blockchain Education

According to a Linkedin/OKX report, recruitment in the blockchain industry has always been a challenge, but formal education institutions are taking the lead in training the next generation of talent.

NFTs may become the “Lego blocks” of Web3 in 2023, Gary Liu says

Gary Liu of Artifact Labs believes that NFTs will gain more utility and become the building blocks of Web3

India’s CoinDCX publishes full proof of reserves

Cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX, India’s first crypto unicorn, published its complete proof of reserves (PoR) on Monday detailing its USDT liabilities and reserves.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether dip; XRP leads declines across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Asian trading on Monday afternoon, with XRP leading declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Web 3.0 firms must ‘keep costs low,’ improve efficiency to navigate downturns, says Rotten Tomatoes cofounder

Patrick Lee, who cofounded Rotten Tomatoes and PKO Investments, says the US$35 million investment company has slowed Web 3.0 investments significantly.

South Korea’s ‘metaverse’ province says will use virtual platform to expand ties with Vietnam

South Korea’s Gyeongbuk Province plans to use the metaverse to expand economic and other relations with Vietnam.

Ripple CEO’s attorney to resign as counsel on XRP lawsuit against SEC

Ripple CEO Bradley Garlinghouse’s attorney has applied to withdraw as his counsel in Ripple’s ongoing lawsuit against the SEC.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend slump; Binance BNB token regains some ground

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed on Monday after a weekend slump amid worries about a global recession and the stability of crypto exchanges.

Binance’s proof-of-reserves auditor suspends work for crypto firms

Mazars, the financial auditing firm behind Binance’s proof-of-reserves (PoR) audit, has suspended all work for crypto firms.

Web3 Needs Women

Better awareness needed to persuade girls into blockchain careers.

Venture capital firms slow Web 3.0 investments as investors turn cautious

Several venture funds tell Forkast they have become conservative and are only investing in ‘true believers’ of Web 3.0

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether weaken; Litecoin leads declines across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Asian trading on Friday afternoon, with Litecoin leading declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos

FTX seeks permission to sell Japan, Europe entities and LedgerX

Attorneys representing FTX are requesting permission from the U.S. bankruptcy court to sell four of the company’s branches: FTX Japan, FTX Europe, Embed, and LedgerX.

Safe as houses? How tokenizing real estate offers a new approach to bricks-and-mortar investment

Putting property on-chain is a novel way of opening up opportunities for investors and landlords alike. The second article in Forkast’s three-part series on real estate tokenization explores what they stand to gain.

Hong Kong’s SFC appoints new chief who calls for stronger crypto regulation

Julia Leung, the next chief executive of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) due to start her three-year term on Jan. 1, called for stricter crypto regulation when speaking at the city’s Fintech Week last month.

US lawyers, Bahamas liquidators trade barbs over who rules FTX bankruptcy jurisdiction

Sam Bankman-Fried has reportedly made a second application for bail in the Bahamas – this as lawyers feud over control of the FTX bankruptcy, raising concern the sour grapes may seep into efforts to have Bankman-Fried extradited to face fraud charges in the U.S.

Hong Kong Stock Exchange debuts ‘Asia’s first’ crypto futures ETFs

Hong Kong launched two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking cryptocurrency futures on Friday, the first of their kind in Asia, the local exchange said.

Japan plans to ease corporate tax rates for cryptocurrency issuers

Japan’s ruling party approved a proposal that exempts companies issuing crypto from taxes on unrealized gains on retained tokens.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall with equities as concerns about recession knock Wall Street lower

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell Friday morning in Asia, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin crypto, as U.S. stocks had their biggest declines in weeks.

Crypto Job Troubles

The crypto winter is far from over, but perhaps the bear market could also present new opportunities for the industry.

Animoca founder says Asia is ‘moving on’ from FTX fiasco

Asia’s cryptocurrency community is “on the path of moving on” from the FTX fiasco, following the arrest of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, said Yat Siu, cofounder and chairman of Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming studio and venture capital firm Animoca Brands.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Solana rises as top 10 cryptos retreat

Bitcoin and Ether weakened in Asian trading on Thursday afternoon, with Solana rising amid drops across other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Binance “deliberately” caused FTX collapse, Kevin O’Leary claims

Kevin O’Leary Kevin O’Leary, chairman of venture capital firm O’Leary Ventures and star of TV’s Shark Tank, said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday that Binance Global Inc.’s chief executive and founder Changpeng Zhao deliberately caused the collapse of Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com. 

FTX Bahamas Co-CEO warned authorities on Nov. 9 of illegal customer asset transfers, documents show

Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian entity tipped off the Securities Commission of the Bahamas about FTX violating its internal procedures in transferring customer funds to Alameda Research.

Japan ruling party lawmaker calls for regulatory clarity after FTX debacle

A Japanese lawmaker called for more transparent regulations following the FTX meltdown, where investors were not warned of the risks with FTX Token.

MetaMask partners with PayPal for Ethereum purchases through wallet

ConsenSys Inc., the company behind leading crypto wallet MetaMask, announced on Thursday a new partnership with PayPal Holdings Inc.

Could NFTs have prevented Taylor Swift’s concert tickets debacle?

The trillion-dollar concert ticketing sector is plagued by scalping and other Web2-era problems, writes Ryan Kenny of SeatlabNFT. Here’s how blockchain can help fans and artists.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren submits crypto know-your-customer bill in wake of FTX collapse

As U.S. prosecutors line up charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, Senator Elizabeth Warren is seeking to pass bipartisan regulation to rein in the “dark underbelly” of the crypto industry.

FTX collapse not the worst for crypto investors this year, says Chainalysis study

The bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX doesn’t represent the biggest losses for crypto investors in 2022, according to a report from Chainalysis.

Markets: Bitcoin rebounds then retraces amid hawkish Fed comments, Solana gains

Bitcoin held onto gains in Thursday morning trading in Asia, though had pulled back from an earlier spike above US$18,000 as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in line with expectations.

FTX Probe Begins

SBF was arrested by Bahamian authorities just a day before he was due to testify before Congress – but his successor has been revealing much about FTX’s collapse.

South Korean official says no confirmation Binance pulling out of Busan city crypto exchange project

An official in the South Korean city of Busan said the authorities have received no confirmation that Binance has pulled out of a partnership to establish the country’s first city-backed crypto exchange, as reported by local media.

Sam Bankman-Fried in Bahamas police custody, faces criminal charges in U.S.

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF denied bail, US extradition likely next. The Block chief quits over secret FTX loans. Hong Kong readies digital asset rules.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether strengthen; Solana leads gains in most top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether increased in Asian trading on Wednesday afternoon, with Solana leading gains across most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Terra fugitive Do Kwon has registered address in Serbia: S. Korean local media

Interpol fugitive and chief of Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. Kwon Do-hyung has registered his residential address in the Republic of Serbia.

FTX an ‘old-fashioned embezzlement’ says new CEO as US authorities charge Bankman-Fried with fraud

Members of a U.S. Congressional hearing expressed frustration about the timing of Bankman-Fried’s arrest, saying they wanted him to testify under oath so the public could get the answers they are seeking about the collapse of FTX.

Wemade appeals against the court ruling in favor of WEMIX delisting

Wemade Co. filed an immediate appeal against the court’s Dec. 7 decision that rejected the developer’s request to disallow four of the nation’s largest crypto exchanges from delisting its native cryptocurrency, WEMIX.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise as November U.S. inflation reading lower than expected

Bitcoin and Ether both rose more than 3% in Wednesday morning in Asia, as the U.S. consumer price index came in lower than expected.

Binance resumes USDC withdrawals amid record stablecoin outflows

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced at 12:54 a.m. on Wednesday in Hong Kong that USDC stablecoin withdrawals have resumed.

Crypto savings, staking products not protected in Hong Kong, finance regulator says

The Hong Kong SFC said that virtual asset investments offering high-interest returns on cryptocurrency deposits and those that guarantee additional assets at fixed rates are unregulated products that are not protected by law. 

Bitcoin up 5% as U.S. inflation cools in November

Bitcoin jumped more than 5% on Tuesday evening Hong Kong time, after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said that the consumer price index (CPI), a key inflation indicator, was up 7.1% in November from a year earlier, less than the expected 7.3%, and down from 7.7% in October. The CPI rose 0.1% in November from October.

Binance ‘temporarily’ freezes USDC stablecoin withdrawals, cites need for NY banks to reopen

The Binance cryptocurrency exchange “temporarily paused” USDC stablecoin withdrawals while it carried out a “token swap,” the company announced Tuesday.

SEC charges FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried with defrauding investors

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried has been charged by the U.S. SEC for orchestrating a years-long fraud on investors, the agency announced on Tuesday.

The Taxman Cometh

Crypto tax laws aren’t easy to follow, and as more investors are moving to put their cryptocurrencies into ledgers, how do traders keep track?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; BNB is biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rallied in Asian trading on Tuesday afternoon. BNB was the biggest loser across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Crypto market implosions, bankruptcies bring sweeping job losses … and opportunity

By some estimates, job cuts in the cryptocurrency-specific industry are running at about 30-40%, which means tough times for employers and employees, and compensation packages are also taking a hit.

New FTX CEO says he found ‘utter failure of corporate controls’ at the exchange

John J. Ray III, the new CEO of FTX.com, said the company’s failure was caused by the “concentration of control in a very small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals.”

Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas — could other FTX executives be next?

The fall from grace: Once one of the most admired figures in crypto, the former head of the FTX exchange is unlikely to see his Bahamas penthouse anytime soon after being arrested Monday on U.S. charges that are expected to lead to his extradition.
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Why local currency stablecoins are needed in non-US countries

Stablecoins in USD are becoming the digital world’s default currency — which burdens ordinary crypto users and monetary policies in smaller nations, writes Wei Zhou of Coins.ph.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in mixed trading; U.S. equities gain ahead of inflation data

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, with other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies putting in a mixed performance.

Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas, expected to be extradited to U.S.

Sam Bankman Fried, founder and former CEO of FTX exchange, was arrested and taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police on Monday.

U.S. Justice Department mulls charging Binance over potential money laundering violations: report

Prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are reportedly split on filing charges against Binance and its executives on possible money laundering and sanctions violations, as part of a long-running criminal investigation.

NFTs a safe haven?

Sales and value of NFTs sold has ticked up for the first time in seven months. Could this be a sign the NFT market is starting to mature?

KuCoin’s BTC, ETH reserves overcollateralized, says auditor Mazars

KuCoin, a Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange, on Monday released its proof of reserves report issued by third-party auditor Mazars, which concluded that the exchange’s reserves of Bitcoin, Ether, USDT and USDC are overcollateralized.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Dogecoin leads retreat in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether weakened in Asian trading on Monday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading the decline across top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Coniferous crypto: What the industry must do to survive this winter

Crypto is weathering this year’s extreme turbulence so far. But its long-term health will require the sector’s urgent attention to regulation, education and security, writes Oliver Linch, CEO of Bittrex Global.

Hong Kong mulls regulatory requirements for local licensed crypto exchanges: report

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is drafting regulatory requirements for the local licensed crypto exchanges, in light of the FTX debacle, according to a report on Monday by Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK

S.Korea discusses control over crypto listings after WEMIX delisting

S.Korean authorities may mandate companies to pursue direct approval from regulators to list their crypto on local digital assets exchanges.

The Block CEO resigns after reports of undisclosed loans from Alameda Research

Michael McCaffrey, the CEO of crypto news outlet The Block, resigned after reports revealed that he received undisclosed multi-million dollar loans from Alameda Research.