WATCH: From Myanmar to South Korea: Breaking Down Blockchain’s Future in Asia with Paul Ulrich, GSMA
Key Highlights “For the blockchain technology itself, there’s universal acceptance. I haven’t come across one government either in person or having read about any that are at all negative about the underlying technology. They are ambivalent about a key application, which is financial cryptocurrencies, because of certain things that have happened over the last two […]
Blockchain Adoption Starts with Gamification — Yat Siu, Animoca Brands, on the Future of Crypto
Key Highlights “So, right now, I look at the state of blockchain very similar to Internet in ’96 and ’97… And so I think at this point, but much like Internet in ’96 and ’97, blockchain is a word you’ve heard. It’s something you know. Everyone’s talking about it in the context of the future, […]
LISTEN: U.S., Lithuania, and International Regulators Discuss the Potential and Need for Cooperation in Governing Cryptocurrency (Part II)
Key Highlights The inherent differences in policy that result from country-specific priorities and demands lead to opportunities for arbitrage across borders. It is in the interest of all parties involved to prevent this from happening, even if that means compromising on certain rules. The input of drastically different nations on their experiences with regulating cryptocurrency […]
WATCH: U.S., Lithuania, and International Regulators Discuss the Potential and Need for Cooperation in Governing Cryptocurrency (Part II)
Key Highlights The inherent differences in policy that result from country-specific priorities and demands lead to opportunities for arbitrage across borders. It is in the interest of all parties involved to prevent this from happening, even if that means compromising on certain rules. The input of drastically different nations on their experiences with regulating cryptocurrency […]
Paris Blockchain Week Summit (Part I) — Leading Financial Regulators Shed Light on the Universal Struggle to Regulate Cryptocurrency
Key Highlights From a regulatory standpoint, there is ample reason for governments and institutions to be interested in the cryptosphere. Giles Ward references how it stands to pose “investor protection and market integrity risks.” Marius Jurgilas, Board Member of the Bank of Lithuania, thinks about the potential for blockchain technology to be used in the […]
LISTEN: Government vs. Technology – Bitcoin.com CEO on Why Governments Fear Blockchain, the Threat That Regulators Pose, and the Likely Outcomes
Key Highlights “There is, from an enterprise standpoint, a desire to engage in this new technology and in this ability to move money globally without any barriers at a very efficient cost basis. Speed is what the market is looking for, particularly as we move towards a global organization. Governments are still trying to regulate […]
Government vs. Technology – Bitcoin.com CEO on Why Governments Fear Blockchain, the Threat That Regulators Pose, and the Likely Outcomes
Key Highlights “There is, from an enterprise standpoint, a desire to engage in this new technology and in this ability to move money globally without any barriers at a very efficient cost basis. Speed is what the market is looking for, particularly as we move towards a global organization. Governments are still trying to regulate […]
Facebook’s Libra Gets a Timely ‘Like’ From Japan
Facebook just did the unthinkable in the Donald Trump era: give America’s Republicans and Democrats something on which to agree. Same with the Group of Seven nations taking a dim view of the social media giant minting its own money. US President Trump declared that Libra, Facebook’s proposed virtual currency, “will have little standing or […]
LISTEN: Why Blockchain is the Hot Topic at Asia’s Leading Event for Next-Gen Technology
It wasn’t even on the agenda last year. Ling Wu, Founder and CEO of TBCASoft, tells us why blockchain is taking the Shanghai Mobile World Congress 2019 by storm. Wu is the Chairman of the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium, an initiative between TBCASoft and SoftBank to build a cross-carrier blockchain platform with leading global telecom operators. […]
Why Blockchain is the Hot Topic at Asia’s Leading Event for Next-Gen Technology
It wasn’t even on the agenda last year. Ling Wu, Founder and CEO of TBCASoft, tells us why blockchain is taking the Shanghai Mobile World Congress 2019 by storm. Wu is the Chairman of the Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium, an initiative between TBCASoft and SoftBank to build a cross-carrier blockchain platform with leading global telecom operators. […]
The Status of Blockchain in Asia, From “China Internet Report” Author, Edith Yeung
Is Asia gaining ground in the technology race? Edith Yeung, advisor at 500 Startups, partner at Proof of Capital, and author of “China Internet Report” (link to new 2019 report below) shares why Asia is the place to be for blockchain adoption. For a VC who spends half her time in Silicon Valley, she recognizes […]
No Permission Needed — How Arthur Hayes, BitMEX CEO, is Self-Made with a Multi-Billion Dollar Trading Platform
In a candid conversation, Co-Founder and CEO of BitMEX Arthur Hayes defends why BitMEX is set up in Seychelles, the promise of blockchain for everyone, why ICOs are not a problem, and why his industry is not a “scam.” This self-proclaimed “economics-history nerd” and former Deutsche Bank banker, who joined then lost his job at […]
Why AAX Built a Crypto Exchange with London Stock Exchange Technology
Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau sits down with Peter Lin, CEO of AAX at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai for this episode of “In Conversation With” Lin is about to launch a new digital asset exchange using London Stock Exchange trade-matching technology to provide an institutional grade platform to attract investments from hedge funds and […]
Taiwan Releases STO Guidance — Now What?
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Committee (FSC) has recently released guidance on STO rules. What does this mean for the regulation in Taiwan, particularly as it emerges as a hub for blockchain growth and development? Angie Lau, Editor-in-Chief of Forkast.News sits down with Sam Reynolds to learn more. Read the related piece from Sam Reynolds: Innovation versus […]
Innovation vs Conservatism: Taiwan’s Big Blockchain Conundrum
Taiwan is known as a hub for semiconductors and technology, but not finance. While neighboring Hong Kong has HSBC, and Singapore to its south has DBS, Taiwan’s financial sector — mighty on paper in its own right with approximately $1 trillion in financial assets on the books — lacks the global cachet of its neighbors. […]
How the U.S.-China Trade War Impacted Hashgraph (Part IV)
Key Highlights Hedera Hashgraph will devote capital from the fundraise to grow enterprise sales and double down on regulatory The governing body for Hedera Hashgraph was designed to be distributed and representative of all constituencies from a global perspective Listen to the full podcast version of this interview Transcript of Part IV Liquidity and market. […]
In Conversation with Mance Harmon (Full Interview)
Key Highlights Hashgraph is an alternative to blockchain Hashgraph optimizes both security and performance In lieu of being open-source, Hashgraph aims to bring stability to its platform Hedera Hashgraph’s cryptocurrency is called HBAR Fundraised $100M at a $6B valuation Hedera Hashgraph has proposed a new regulatory language Hedera Hashgraph will devote capital from the fundraise […]
Visa Launches Swift Payments Killer Using Blockchain
SAN FRANCISCO — Credit card giant Visa has launched its blockchain-powered business-to-business payments service B2B Connect. B2B Connect can now be used by businesses seeking to make payments to 30 markets, with 90 more expected to be added by the end of this year. To start, it’s available for B2B transactions of $15,000 and up, which […]
SEC Sues Kik for $100M ICO Raise — Why This Could Change Everything
Key Highlights The Kik case is the first case that the SEC has brought in litigation that has been contested by the company where there are no allegations of fraud “The SEC has made clear that virtually all ICOs are going to be treated as offerings of securities.” Even if a company is offering ICOs […]
Can Blockchain Give You A Piece of the Action in World’s Most Expensive Housing Market?
HONG KONG — Average investors may soon be able to get a piece of the world’s hottest property market. One real estate giant is considering tapping into the world of blockchain for liquidity. It’s just an MoU at the moment, and certainly it is not unique; as many are exploring selling/investing in real estate with […]
In Conversation with Charles Hoskinson (Full Interview)
Key Highlights Open-sourced platforms face bottlenecks In a truly decentralized community where there is no direction or leading voice, it can be difficult to gain consensus and make progress; establishing governance for a more disciplined and coordinated team can quicken decision-making and maintain quality Creating a bridge between centralized and open-source blockchain is a critical […]
From Africa to Asia, What does Global Growth Look Like for Cardano? (Part V)
Key Highlights Cardano is now looking at Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia for expansion Hoskinson is thinking about Samsung S10, digital identity, and how to manage a public-private key pair for cryptocurrency Listen to the full podcast version of this interview Transcript of Part V At Cardano, you’re moving towards shaping that part of the […]
In Conversation with Charles Hoskinson, Co-Founder of Ethereum and IOHK
How the race to get billions of users onto blockchain has this mathematician thinking about the future of work. Could decentralization be the one thing that actually binds us together. Charles Hoskinson sits down with Angie Lau, in Hong Kong a week after Hong Kong Blockchain Week and shares his vision of how 2019 will […]
Caroline Malcolm, OECD’s Head of Blockchain Policy Center, on International Blockchain Regulation
Key Highlights The regulatory challenge is in how to balance proactively supporting blockchain development while defining the ways in which the regulatory body should protect against downsides Traditional approaches in thinking about regulation from a national level will not be enough; national systems need to work well together and move towards harmonization, even if it’s […]
QuadrigaCX CEO Dies, Customers Can’t Get Funds: What You Need to Know
Edited June 23, 2019 Key Highlights Dec. 9, 2018 — Gerald Cotten QuadrigaCX CEO dies of complications from Crohn’s disease while in India. Dec. 10, 2018 — Jaipur Police release NOC (No Objection Certificate) to Cotten’s widow, allowing her to return to Canada with the body of her husband. Jan. 2019 — QuadrigaCX announces CEO’s death. It […]
Security Token Offerings: The What and the Why, Vol. 1
This is the first part of an insight series by Tanner De Witt partner, Pádraig Walsh, in which he gives his legal perspective on security token offerings. In this article, he starts from the basics, and asks and answers what are security token offerings and why we should care. What is a token? A token […]
Bitcoin Association of HK: On the Radar for Q1 2019
1. Introducing … JP Morgan Coin? JPMorgan Chase is the largest U.S. bank, sixth largest in the world. It holds over US$2.6 trillion in assets. In the cryptocurrency community its CEO Jamie Dimon is most known for calling Bitcoin a ‘fraud’ and that he’d fire any employee trading Bitcoin for “being stupid.” On February 14, […]
If Chinese crypto holders sneeze, will global markets catch a cold?
Top blockchain and crypto news: China’s economic woes could spell trouble for crypto. Real fear in NFT markets. Can Friend.tech revive SocialFi?
Binance could face fraud charge from US Department of Justice
Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are considering fraud charges against Binance, according to news site Semafor.
China is Binance’s largest market with US$90 billion despite crypto ban: WSJ
Binance users in China traded about US$90 billion worth of cryptocurrency-related assets in May despite the crypto ban since 2021.
Singapore to require crypto firms to hold customer assets in a trust; restricts lending, staking by retail users
Cryptocurrency service providers in Singapore will have to keep customer assets under a statutory trust before the end of the year, for safekeeping purposes, the city state’s central bank announced Monday.
Most of NFT industry working on recycled liquidity, says Forkast Labs’ co-founder
NFT sales and market capitalization show rising investor activities, but recycled liquidity and wash trading may tell a different story, Forkast Labs co-CEO says.
China’s parliament member to propose NFT regulation at ‘Two Sessions’
NFTs have entered China’s Two Sessions, with a delegate to propose an NFT regulatory framework.
Silvergate teeters as regulators circle and crypto firms cut ties
Top blockchain and crypto news: Silvergate woes spark bankruptcy talk. LDO dips on false enforcement rumors. Chinese leaders push digital development.
China’s WeChat social media giant integrates digital yuan into payment platform
WeChat, China’s leading social networking and payment app, has integrated the digital yuan into its payment network, which may help adoption of the CBDC.
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?
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.
Why crypto crashes are just like Nascar collisions
Small details can make a big difference on performance, and one careless error can lead to calamity. How should those in crypto drivers’ seats navigate their path?
Bitdeer leads US$250 mln fund to acquire assets from distressed miners: report
Crypto tycoon Jihan Wu’s crypto mining firm Bitdeer Technology Holdings is leading a US$250 million fund to acquire mining rigs from distressed miners amid the cryptocurrency bear market, according to Bloomberg. See related article: China mining rig maker Canaan expands despite crypto winter Fast facts See related article: Bitmain cuts mining rig price amid crypto […]
Capital gains: How Web3 property rights can transform the digital economy
Digital ownership enabled by Web3 tech can challenge the monopolistic dynamics of Web2 and give people real equity, says Animoca Brands chief Yat Siu
World Economic Forum argues for CBDCs, Australia latest to test use-case technology
With over 100 countries experimenting with the technology behind Central Bank Digital Currencies, the World Economic Forum of Davos fame lays out its views on the potential benefits and drawbacks of CBDCs.
Fed’s inflation fight batters crypto market as pressure mounts
Top blockchain and crypto news: Is crypto in for a long cold spell? Ava Labs lashes out at CryptoLeaks claims. China eyes blockchain power trading.
Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says
Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao Monday said the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume spent over US$1 billion on compliance efforts with its market share continuing to increase. See related article: Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK Fast facts Zhao Monday said on his verified Twitter handle that a recent CoinDesk […]
China state paper slams crypto and LUNA crash; applauds crypto ban
Chinese state-backed publication Economic Daily cited LUNA and UST’s crash to state cryptocurrencies “once again, proved its own risks and that it is a bubble” amid the Federal Reserve’s rate hike. See related article: Chinese runners offer substitute running to earn StepN’s GMT for commission Fast facts See related article: Tax authorities in China jump […]
De-layered and durable: How DeFi will boost the finance sector’s resilience
As decentralized finance redefines the way money moves, a do-or-die moment is approaching for traditional finance sector businesses, says Anthony Scaramucci.
State of the NFT Market
NFTs serve as the bridge for millions of users who are beginning to move to Web3.0 through digital collectibles. New use cases outlined in the report have the potential to disrupt traditional industries such as music, art, ticketing and even education. Global sales of NFTs reached US$18.5 billion in 2021, which was 570 times higher […]
‘Metaverse’ enters government radar at China’s Two Sessions
Regulation is urgently needed to govern data security and curb speculation as the metaverse industry develops, delegates say.
China’s Two Sessions: what to expect for blockchain
Look for progress reports on e-CNY, blockchain technology, new digital infrastructure, and subtle mentions of the international sanctions against Russia.
EU to introduce bill next year to plan a digital euro
The European Commission announced Wednesday it will propose a bill in early 2023 to introduce a digital euro, according to a report by Politico. Fast facts The European Central Bank (ECB) is already experimenting with the digital euro and is expected to begin working on a prototype by the end of next year. A digital […]
Crypto investors are being wooed in South Korea’s tight presidential election
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?
Two S. Korean presidential candidates want to bring back ICOs
Presidential candidates from South Korea’s democratic and conservative parties have said on Wednesday that initial coin offerings (ICO) should make a comeback in the nation, as crypto continues to be a key theme in the March elections. Fast facts ICOs have been banned by financial regulator in South Korea since 2017 in a booming cryptocurrency […]
Race to be crypto hotspot heats up in Miami, New York
What’s behind the crypto cheerleading by U.S. mayors? Are their city coins savvy moves — or will the bespoke crypto end up worthless?
CBDCs and the year that may reshape crypto markets
Top blockchain and crypto news: CBDCs at the crossroads. A token gesture from Samsung. NFTs survive in China.
Japan’s Square Enix reveals blockchain gaming ambitions for 2022
Yosuke Matsuda, president of Square Enix — the game developer behind Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts — recently reiterated the company’s blockchain ambitions while acknowledging ongoing concerns about the new trend. Fast facts In a new year’s letter posted on the company website, Matsuda emphasized that incorporating blockchain technology into gaming holds “the […]
Crypto in Asia: 5 top fintech regulatory stories of 2021
Countries acted to encourage — or discourage — cryptocurrency and other blockchain-based assets, sending markets wildly up and down.
Year in cryptocurrency: biggest surprises of 2021
While increasing crypto adoption was predictable, 2021 also saw much that was unexpected. Here are the events that shocked even crypto natives.
New Cosmos, Mastercard projects to boost Ethereum scalability
With Ethereum usage at all-time high, a Cosmos ‘bridge’ to other blockchains and Mastercard rollups aim to solve a major problem plaguing the Eth network.
Gaming’s new tipping point into metaverse matters
Gaming is increasingly defined by NFTs, play-to-earn and the metaverse, writes Charlie Baillie of Ampverse. Will Asia continue to lead the hottest gaming trends?
Japan’s central bank is urged to speed up its digital yen project
With economic security as a top priority, the Kishida administration anticipates the release of competing CBDCs.
NFTs on China’s BSN migrate to OpenSea to tap global market
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring famous traditional Chinese paintings by culture studio Rongbaozhai have been successfully transferred from China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) WenChang Chain to the OpenSea marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, a milestone in the development of interchain NFT technology. Fast facts The transfer was made on Nov. 16 across four blockchains: WenChang Chain […]
The media’s role in driving growth in crypto
Panel looks at best practices in news coverage from Decrypt Media, CoinDesk, South China Morning Post.
Companies in China, Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia start blockchain platform for energy, metal trading
Amid the global energy crisis, nine companies from four countries — China, Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia — announced they will jointly build a blockchain documentation platform to speed up customs clearance and cargo delivery to trade the commodities of energy, chemical products and metal. Fast facts Platform participants includes Sinochem Energy, Mitsui.Co, Macquarie CGM, Saudi […]
China’s state-backed blockchain network plans to launch NFT infrastructure
Red Date Technology, the company China tapped to manage its Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), said today it plans to fully launch an infrastructure for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by the end of January 2022. Fast facts Red Date revealed on Friday an NFT infrastructure plan — BSN-Distributed Digital Certificate (DDC) — at its BSN Open Permissioned […]
A radically different financial architecture is here. Who will own it?
DeFi is a real-world experiment testing out a new model for finance, writes Alex Grebnev of Oxygen. What is the future of banking without Wall Street?
Crypto exchanges diversify amid growing competition
As non-crypto players like Twitter and PayPal take up digital assets, Coinbase, Binance and others look for ways to expand offerings.
Is Blockchain’s age of interoperability finally on the horizon?
As blockchain nodes multiply around the world, the need for interconnectivity has never been greater. John DeVadoss of InterWork Alliance explains why.
Australian Tax Office warns: taxpayers on the hook for crypto tax earnings
Officials are concerned that many investors may not be aware crypto trading is taxed in a similar way to share trading.
Why China’s latest stomp on crypto is turbo-charging DeFi growth
DeFi tokens like dYdX soared after China’s latest move to throttle crypto. Is this a short-term spurt or decentralized finance shifting into high gear?
South Korean banks find workaround to cash in on crypto services
NH Nonghyup is the third bank in South Korea to invest in a virtual asset custody service while they are prohibited from running their own.
Chinese crypto exchange Huobi looks to the world as China shuts the door on crypto
Huobi’s diversified businesses outside of China reached nearly 70% in terms of trading volumes, and have been on the rise, its co-founder tells Forkast.News.
Investors get ready, India crypto tax in the works
The Indian ministry of finance has formed a panel to examine how income from crypto investments can be taxed, according to a report by Inc42. Fast facts The panel will evaluate whether crypto income can be taxed as capital gains or if it requires the formation of a new category. The committee is required to […]
India may not be ready to follow El Salvador’s lead, but don’t rule out cryptocurrency, finance minister says
Nirmala Sitharaman says ‘a futuristic thing can’t be shut out’ as the country considers crypto regulation, including a possible blanket ban.