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In an effort to “expand and accelerate innovation around digital asset technology”, Mastercard is launching a new global program to support cryptocurrency startups by giving them access to Mastercard’s business network and technology. Fast facts Announced yesterday, Mastercard’s Start Path program already has signed up seven crypto-related startup companies: GK8, Mintable, Stacs, Supraoracles, Taurus, Uphold […]

Following El Salvador’s making Bitcoin legal tender and ongoing speculation of further crypto adoption in Latin America, the International Monetary Fund has issued a thinly veiled warning to any country looking to follow suit. Fast facts While acknowledging the appeal to countries adopting cryptocurrencies as legal tender — especially for those with less stable economies […]

In the latest example of a fintech company looking to branch into crypto, Australian buy-now-pay-later company Zip Pay has announced it will launch crypto trading services in the next 12 months, Reuters reports. Fast facts Zip co-founder Peter Gray told Reuters that crypto trading was one of the most requested features by users of the […]

Despite growing global interest, CBDCs are not all at the same stage of development. Amit Ghosh of R3 explains how countries in Asia are paving the way.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said while Bitcoin mining is steadily becoming more environmentally friendly through the use of renewable energy, he is not yet sure that it’s enough for Tesla to resume accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for purchases. Fast facts Speaking at the virtual Bitcoin event “The ₿ Word” with fellow panelists Twitter CEO […]

Neon Labs, a firm focused on secure blockchain technology, announced today that it will be deploying a cross-chain Ethereum virtual machine on the Solana testnet. Neon’s EVM will allow any decentralized application from the Ethereum ecosystem to leverage the high throughput and fast block times of Solana, and to access the lower gas prices of […]

U.S. crypto lending platform BlockFi has been ordered by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities to stop accepting new customers who are based in New Jersey for its interest-bearing accounts due to alleged violations of securities laws. The order takes effect from from July 22. Fast facts In a series of tweets, BlockFi’s CEO and […]

While the West has first mover advantage in traditional banking, Asia — not wedded to ol infrastructure — now has an edge in the crypto era, says Michael Shaulov of Fireblocks.

India seeks crypto advice meanwhile K-drama joins NFT bandwagon

As issuer Circle prepares to list and China sounds the alarm over speculation, the mood among regulators is mixed, despite stablecoins’ clear appeal to investors.

El Salvador recently became the first country to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, and it seems unlikely to be the last. Samson Mow, chief strategy officer of Bitcoin technology company Blockstream, looks forward to a future in which Bitcoin edges out fiat currency.

A major Ethereum upgrade via London hard fork — which experts call a ‘seismic shift’ for the industry — is coming soon. Are ‘Ethereum killers’ doomed?

Did Ripple have ‘fair notice’ that SEC might deem the XRP a security? Ripple calls report on SEC’s prior anti-crypto enforcement actions ‘misleading.’

After Tether’s legal settlement with New York, USDT’s growth is exploding—dispelling concerns over Tether’s reserves, says Bitfinex CTO Paolo Ardoino.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Thailand’s SEC tries to rein in DeFi via regulation. Will China’s future DCEP digital yuan offer smart contracts?

From mass liquidations to meme trading, the characteristics unique to the crypto market can now be seen in traditional markets, says FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse says Ripple was hit hard financially after SEC filed its lawsuit, but the company is now expanding uses for XRP’s technology.

As mainstream finance embraces decentralized finance, neither it nor its younger challengers are likely to escape the evolutionary forces at work.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: BlockFi’s accidental BTC millionaires. China’s Inner Mongolia asks citizens to report illegal crypto mining.

In a win for the SEC, a judge knocks back Ripple’s request to stop the SEC from asking foreign regulators for info on Ripple and XRP transactions overseas.

Facebook’s much-anticipated foray into cryptocurrency has got off to a modest start, with the project it is backing confirming that it will launch a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. The social media giant had announced ambitious plans to launch a global digital currency named Libra in partnership with Visa and PayPal in 2019, but […]

Ethereum prices rally to new all-time high as Bitcoin’s dominance keeps sliding. Is Ethereum’s upcoming EIP 1559 upgrade boosting its value proposition?

XRP sales by Ripple accounted for 0.07% of global XRP volume. Ripple says its sales were to support on-demand liquidity customers.

ConsenSys Codefi’s Q1 report on decentralized finance (DeFi) trends also saw 7x growth in stablecoins and predicts flashbots dominating the Ethereum network.

In new court filings, the SEC says allowing XRP holders’ to join SEC v. Ripple lawsuit as third-party defendant would cause delays and ‘sow chaos.’

XRP is up 600% since the start of the year and its holding steady as Ripple released one billion XRP over the weekend.

As corporations plow billions into Bitcoin, a new business model involving decentralized finance is emerging for investors, says Alessio Quaglini of Hex Trust.

Ripple asks court to stop SEC from using MOU requests to get info on XRP from overseas regulators and pushes for access to SEC’s internal communications.

Japan’s regulated crypto trading breaks new records in a land known to be the world’s most crypto-averse. Is the tide turning for crypto adoption in Japan?

Thailand’s crypto adoption is often overlooked, but one of its largest commercial banks has been leveraging permissioned blockchain Corda of R3 to digitize trade finance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

When Diem launches and central banks roll out digital currencies, what role will each play? Here is a look at the world’s financial and payments future.

As we observe Earth Day, let’s not scapegoat cryptocurrency. The truth about renewable energy and electricity use by banking and gold may surprise you.

XRP investors and users ask to join SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple as third-party defendant. ‘Without our intervention, we are without a voice in the debate.’

Despite its legal troubles in the US, Ripple expands XRP’s uses in Southeast Asia’s lucrative and fast-growing international money transfer market.

Court ruling favoring Ripple executives and slapping down SEC catapults XRP — now the world’s 4th most popular crypto — to its highest prices in 3 years.

Blockchain improves data protection but not confidentiality. Here’s why multi-party computation can be a solution, writes Kurt Nielsen of Partisia Blockchain.

As Ripple and SEC intensify their legal battles, attorney John Deaton and his clients are trying to jump into the fray. Will XRP investors get their day in court?

How do cryptocurrency investors know whom to trust, avoid scams and not buy coins with a shady history? Gunnar Jaerv of First Digital Trust explains.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin prices rise as BTC and ETH options expire. DeFi market steps up as Elon Musk says, ‘Don’t defy DeFi.’

In a new ruling, the judge presiding over SEC v. Ripple Labs opens the door to allowing XRP holders to intervene as a third party in the government’s lawsuit.

SEC tells court that allowing XRP holders to join as third parties would create an ‘avalanche’ of claims and ‘undue delay, complexity and confusion.’

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Japan’s SBI Crypto opens mining pool to public. In China, more companies turn to crypto to boost bottom line.

Early Bitcoin investor and cryptocurrency promoter Roger Ver tells Forkast.News how faster transactions and lower fees are fueling Bitcoin Cash adoption.

As XRP holders step closer to intervening in SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple, the payment platform gears up to grow its CBDC business with a new white paper.

GameStop’s drama is over, but it may signal big changes ahead for finance. Here’s why one former banker thinks ‘DeFi is going to absorb traditional finance.’

Intensifying its legal warfare against XRP, SEC takes aims at the heart of Ripple’s defense. But Ripple scores wins in Tetragon and YouTube lawsuits.

In its latest court filing, Ripple also says SEC led market to believe that XRP was not an investment contract. Outside court, Ripple pursues the CBDC business.

In a 2021 report, the HashKey Group predicts that more than 50% of institutional and professional investors will have exposure to digital assets by the year’s end.

Inspired by bitcoin’s boom, companies with no business in crypto are pivoting to cryptocurrency mining. A New York investors lawsuit offers a cautionary tale.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Bill Gates on bitcoin. Nvidia protects gamers from crypto miners with separate CMP and GeForce RTX graphics cards.

Ripple and SEC face off in a pretrial conference as MoneyGram, the world’s second largest money transfer provider, suspends trading on Ripple’s platform.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: DeFi under Fed study. Andrew Yang, Wyoming vie for crypto attention. Hong Kong and India edge toward crypto bans.

Blockchain Research Institute’s Don Tapscott outlines how Biden administration can lead technology policy for US to stay ahead in the innovation race.

Tesla’s bitcoin dive is recharging an already hot crypto market, worsening the run on new mining equipment and heating up the second-hand rig market.

If you’re wondering how to get started in investing in bitcoin or other cryptocurrency, this Forkast.News guide is for you. But beware the risks and pitfalls.

India is moving toward banning all cryptocurrency and creating a state-backed digital rupee. But Tesla’s big bitcoin buy-in may be giving lawmakers pause.

The Blockchain Research Institute-led report for Biden’s administration also outlines recommendations for crypto regulations and a national blockchain strategy.

Formerly named Libra, the Diem stablecoin is now awaiting regulatory approval, writes Ilia Maksimenka of PlasmaPay. What are Diem’s odds of success?

Singapore and Thailand launch the world’s first real-time cross-border digital payment system. Here’s what else is happening in Hong Kong and China.

Signal, which exploded in popularity after WhatsApp’s privacy stumbles, may be exploring a business strategy pursued by Big Tech. What are the risks?

How high will bitcoin prices go — and will 2021 be the year of the bitcoin ETF and advanced crypto derivatives? Jay Hao of OKEx looks to the future.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Twitter’s blue sky initiative. In China, Conflux Network wins another government deal.

In a special video interview, Binance CEO CZ also explains why — despite DeFi’s spectacular rise up to now — he thinks many current DeFi projects will fail.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, SpaceChain’s CEO offers his predictions for 2021 on bitcoin’s growing importance and blockchain in space.

To celebrate bitcoin’s birthday this weekend, let’s raise a glass to Satoshi Nakamoto and take a look back at how their baby has grown.

Covid’s chaos spurred systemic changes in global finance, a need for a hedge and bitcoin’s dramatic reputational shift, writes Tim Bos of ShareRing.

Here are the hottest blockchain news and trends that dominated Forkast.News headlines over the past 12 months. Let the countdown to 2021 begin!

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the head of Blockchain, Data and Digital Assets and member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum shares her views on sovereign digital currencies, and the global regulatory landscape.

Bank Indonesia now sees the value of stablecoins and digital currency. Here’s how a central bank-backed digital rupiah could lift the nation of 18,000 islands.

What can bitcoin and other cryptocurrency investors expect in 2021? Here are three emerging trends that could reshape the crypto world.

To bridge regulatory and technical gaps, World Economic Forum and Global Blockchain Business Council join forces to promote global blockchain standards.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the bestselling author offers his views on crypto regulations, DeFi’s rise and digital assets becoming mainstream.