Voyager calls time on Three Arrows as crypto fund teeters on the brink
Top blockchain and crypto news: Three Arrows fallout spreads. BIS calls BS on crypto. Chinese regulatory vacuum chills an NFT platform.
Wall Street seems to sense opportunity in distressed crypto markets
While critics say the bubble has burst on crypto, Wall Street is moving in to take advantage of what could be some fire-sale asset prices.
Roger Ver denies defaulting on US$47 mln loan from CoinFLEX
Early Bitcoin adopter and Bitcoin Cash promoter Roger Ver has denied defaulting on a US$47 million loan in USDC to beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange CoinFLEX. See related article: CoinFLEX to issue US$47 mln in tokens as it waits for ‘crypto whale’ to pay up Fast facts Ver tweeted overnight in Asia time that rumors of the […]
Compass Mining CEO, CFO resign after utility payment default allegations
Delaware-based Bitcoin mining hosting firm Compass Mining announced Tuesday that its chief executive officer Whitney Gibbs and chief finance officer Jodie Fisher have resigned, effective immediately. See related article: U.S. leads in Bitcoin mining as China’s share drops to zero: Cambridge data Fast facts The firm’s board has appointed chief technology officer Paul Gosker and […]
CoinFLEX issues recovery tokens; MAS says cryptos not currencies
CoinFLEX to solve its liquidity problems by issuing a recovery token. Meanwhile, Singapore’s central bank doubts crypto capabilities.
Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’
Whither Singapore in the cryptocurrency world? The Monetary Authority of Singapore has some views on that and as with most markets, there are winners and losers.
Voyager Digital issues notice of default to 3AC
Crypto broker Voyager Digital issued a notice of default on Monday to hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), for failing to service a loan worth about US$665 million. See related article: Amid 3AC exposure, Voyager Digital cuts daily withdrawal limit Fast facts Last week, Voyager said it had asked for US$25 million worth of USD […]
CoinFLEX to issue US$47 mln in tokens as it waits for ‘crypto whale’ to pay up
The crypto derivatives trading platform that halted withdrawals last week will issue the tokens that can be swapped into USDC or its own coin. See related article: Crypto winter ushers in account freezes as platforms feel the chill Fast facts CoinFLEX is issuing “rvUSD” tokens towards an outstanding debt owed by an unnamed high-net-worth individual, […]
Chinese blockchain developer calls crypto a Ponzi scheme
Cryptocurrency is a huge Ponzi scheme, Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) — the developer behind China’s state-backed blockchain infrastructure — said on Sunday. See related article: China’s BSN to launch overseas public chain without crypto support Fast facts Crypto is an old hoax in a new form, Zhiguang Shan, chair of BSN Development Alliance, and Yifan […]
Are we helpless against attacks on blockchain bridges?
Harmony’s Horizon cross-chain bridge is now the third of its kind to suffer a major hack this year. What are the alternatives that may be more secure?
What will be the law of the metaverse?
The legal and ethical dilemmas plaguing technology today will only grow more acute in the metaverse, writes Brian Harley. How will real-world laws apply?
BIS warns over crypto; Crypto bailout battles
BIS warns over crypto, calling it unreliable as money. Meanwhile, Morgan Creek Capital counters FTX’s US$250 million BlockFi bailout.
Mind the gap: Bridging the divide between DeFi and CeFi to grow yield
As traditional finance sector firms continue to seek upside crypto exposure, bringing DeFi yields to TradFi has a bright future, says B2C2’s Phillip Gillespie.
Horizon’s US$100 mln crypto hack prompts FBI investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and multiple cybersecurity companies have started investigating the US$100 million hack on Harmony Protocol’s Horizon cross-chain bridge. See related article: Axie Infinity hack proceeds continue to be laundered despite US sanctions Fast facts Harmony Protocol announced it was attacked on Friday morning Asia time, adding it had alerted exchanges […]
How a market slump may be helping Singapore’s stance against retail crypto
One door closes and another opens, which seems to be what’s happening in Singapore as the crypto price slump restructures the trading environment.
Crypto lending platforms, DeFi seem to be having an Animal Farm moment
In a decentralized society envisaged under crypto, everybody is reportedly equal. But as the market strains under considerable stress, it’s showing some are more equal than others.
Chinese police say cryptocurrency being used to launder drug money
Cryptocurrencies were listed for the first time as a means to launder and transfer money related to the drug trade by the China Ministry of Public Security on Thursday. See related article: China explores ways to classify cryptocurrency crimes Fast facts See related article: The SEC is building a SWAT team to combat crypto crime
Crypto volatility hasn’t had macroeconomic implications so far: Jerome Powell
Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday, the chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve said the central bank is “not really seeing significant macroeconomic implications so far” with regard to the recent cryptocurrency volatility. See related article: Bitcoin, Ether recover as Fed guidance reduces policy uncertainty Fast facts Powell testified at the Senate Banking […]
Amid 3AC exposure, Voyager Digital cuts daily withdrawal limit
A day after Voyager Digital disclosed its exposure to crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), it slashed daily withdrawal limits to US$10,000 from US$25,000. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi Fast facts On Wednesday, crypto trading platform Voyager said it had loaned over US$650 million worth of USDC and […]
CoinFLEX latest crypto exchange on withdrawal freeze
CoinFLEX is freezing withdrawals due extreme market conditions and uncertainty involving a counterparty, the cryptocurrency futures exchange said in a blog post on Friday. See related article: Contagion risk from Three Arrows Capital weighs on Bitcoin, crypto Fast facts CoinFLEX stressed the counterparty in question was not Three Arrows Capital Ltd., the crypto hedge fund […]
Sam Bankman-Fried agrees second bailout; Pride in the metaverse
Cryptocurrencies return to the red as inflation in the UK soars. Meanwhile, Sam Bankman-Fried agrees to bail out BlockFi for the second time.
Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi
After rescuing crypto-asset broker Voyager Digital last week, crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, often known as SBF, has now agreed to bail out crypto lender BlockFi. See related article: BlockFi among those that foreclosed on Three Arrows Capital: report Fast facts FTX agreed to extend a US$250 million revolving credit facility to BlockFi on […]
Crypto winter ushers in account freezes as platforms feel the chill
Top blockchain and crypto news: Investors snowed in as liquidity crunch hits. Solend harpoons anti-whale maneuver. Chinese NFTs prove a tricky target.
STEPN’ing it up with crypto move-to-earn
Enticed by promises of crypto rewards, Joel Stein hits the streets of Los Angeles with a beautiful NFT sneaker. What does he earn — and learn?
Pumped by Elon Musk, Dogecoin gains amid slow market recovery
Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have been staging a strong comeback since Elon Musk came out on Sunday supporting the former. See related article: Has ‘Crypto Winter’ arrived with Bitcoin, Ether prices falling? Fast facts Dogecoin rose more than 15% in morning trade on Wednesday in Asia, according to CoinMarketCap data. The memecoin rose to a […]
Cardano delays Vasil blockchain upgrade, citing bugs and ‘abundance of caution’
Input Output Global (IOG), the development company that runs the Cardano blockchain, on Monday said it will postpone the testnet of the network’s Vasil hard fork to the end of June, citing software bugs and a focus on quality and security. See related story: Cardano’s Alonzo Purple testnet begins onboarding users Fast facts The engineering […]
China’s Guizhou province to slap backdated power charges on uncovered crypto miners
Another Chinese province has introduced higher retroactive electricity charges for cryptocurrency mining projects when they are discovered, a form of financial penalty on the banned activity. See related article: China seizes over 3,500 Bitcoin mining rigs, hikes electricity rates Fast facts The Guizhou Provincial Development and Reform Commission on Monday said any uncovered cryptocurrency mining […]
Getting rid of remittance fees with blockchain | The Great Disruption Ep. 08
Did you know that average global transactions cost up to 6.5% in remittance fees? This can even go up to 20% for certain countries. Some developing nations pay up to US$600 billion in remittances every year. Could blockchain offer a better option for cross-border transactions? Find out in this Forkast video explainer. What you’ll learn: […]
Bybit to cut up to 30% of its workforce
Dubai-based crypto derivatives exchange Bybit is looking to cut up to 30% of its staff to reduce costs, journalist Colin Wu reported on Twitter, citing anonymous sources. See related article: Coinbase, biggest US crypto exchange, cuts workforce by 18% Fast facts “This was not an easy decision to make,” a Bybit spokesperson told Forkast in […]
Crypto self-custody is no longer a choice. It’s an imperative.
Celsius and Babel Finance’s freezing of customer accounts highlights the risks of intermediaries, writes Nick Saponaro. Crypto users should take back control.
Babel Finance says liquidity pressure eased with new debt agreements
Hong Kong-based Babel Finance announced on Monday it has reached “preliminary agreements” on debt repayments to counterparties following a redemption and withdrawal freeze instituted last Friday. See related article: Contagion risk from Three Arrows Capital weighs on Bitcoin, crypto Fast facts A preliminary restructuring of the debt repayment period has “eased” the company’s short-term liquidity […]
Solend DAO overturns vote to take over at-risk ‘whale’ wallet
The decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) behind Solend, a Solana-based lending protocol, overturned Sunday’s governance vote that would have allowed it to take control of a wallet at risk of liquidation. See related article: Contagion risk from Three Arrows Capital weighs on Bitcoin, crypto Fast facts Solend DAO on Monday voted to overturn Sunday’s decision that […]
Elon Musk pumps Dogecoin amid lawsuit
Dogecoin (DOGE) has gained 11% since billionaire Elon Musk said that he would continue to support and buy the cryptocurrency. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto return to red after rate hike rally wears off Fast facts According to CoinMarketCap data, the memecoin was up more than 12% in the past 24 hours to US$0.05788 on […]
3AC foreclosure concerns grow; Fed boost short lived
BlockFi’s Zac Prince says they have fully liquidated 3AC positions. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s central bank works with the Bank of Israel to study CBDC security.
BlockFi among those that foreclosed on Three Arrows Capital: report
BlockFi CEO Zac Prince Thursday said the U.S.-based crypto lender foreclosed on a “large client that failed to meet its obligations” following reports that BlockFi was part of the lenders group that canceled some US$400 million in loans made out to Three Arrows Capital (3AC). See related article: Client accuses Bitcoin, Ethereum backer Three Arrows […]
Huobi closes Thai crypto unit, regulator revokes license
Huobi Thailand will shut its cryptocurrency trading platform’s Thailand unit on July 1 after the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked its license. See related article: Can Thailand emerge as a ‘crypto-positive’ travel destination? Fast facts Huobi Thailand said the firm will no longer have any connections or legal bindings with Huobi Group following […]
Crypto rises on Fed hike; Three Arrows insolvency concerns
Bitcoin, Ethereum and TRX recover as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Meanwhile, Three Arrows Capital faces liquidation concerns.
Cryptocurrencies take a pounding as inflation worries spark sell-off
Top blockchain and crypto news: Cryptos sink as inflation rises. Celsius freeze sends CEL token tumbling. Are Inner Mongolia’s miners catching a break?
Crypto on a roller coaster as market braces for Fed guidance on rates
Crypto markets posted some gains in Asia trading after a pummeling this week, but the sentiment shifted back to negative as markets across the board try to second-guess the Federal Reserve’s thinking on interest rates.
Tron bolsters reserves again; Fed decision market wobbles
The USDD reserves sees US$500 million worth of USDC added to it. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve’s rate decision has the crypto market bracing for itself.
US$500 mln in USDC added to TRON DAO USDD reserve
TRON DAO announced it has added US$500 million in USDC to its reserve to bolster its algorithmic stablecoin’s dollar parity, but USDD has been off its peg to the greenback for about two days. See related article: Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy stick to their guns on Bitcoin Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin, Ether bear brunt […]
Crypto market slumps; USDD depegging fears
USDD loses its dollar parity. Meanwhile, Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals.
TRON founder pledges US$2B defense fund after USDD stablecoin loses dollar parity
TRON founder Justin Sun on Monday said he will set up a US$2 billion fund to support the dollar peg of the project’s stablecoin USDD and “fight” against short sellers, after the stablecoin’s price fell to US$0.97. See related article: Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals Fast facts USDD uses an algorithmic mechanism to keep its dollar […]
Inflation bashes crypto market; South Korea’s new listing rules
Inflation hits crypto markets hard as Bitcoin drops almost 8%. Meanwhile, South Korean exchanges work on new rules to prevent another Terra Luna incident.
CEL down over 50% since Celsius Network’s withdrawal freeze
CEL has dropped 53.1% over the past 24 hours and was trading at US$0.20, at press time, according to CoinGecko. Fast facts Crypto staking and lending platform Celsius Network paused user withdrawals, swaps, and transfers on Monday, citing “extreme market conditions,” driving its native token to shed more than half of its value. The lending […]
The metaverse isn’t a fad but part of the future economy
An open and interoperable metaverse economy will drive consumer activity — and it’s on a similar track for growth as e-commerce, writes Ben Caselin of AAX.
Inner Mongolia’s closure of crypto mine operations slows since September
Inner Mongolia has closed 49 cryptocurrency mining farms in total, but only four since September, according to the Inner Mongolia Daily, indicating either the process has been successful or the shutdown drive mandated by Beijing is slowing. See related article: Beijing banned crypto mining, so China miners went underground Fast facts See related article: Crypto […]
Tokenized assets can bring trillions of dollars to DeFi: JPMorgan, Onyx
JPMorgan Chase & Co. blockchain business unit Onyx aims to bring trillions of dollars in tokenized assets to decentralized finance (DeFi), Onyx head of digital assets Tyrone Lobban said at CoinDesk’s Consensus 2022 conference. See related article: JPMorgan sees upside for Bitcoin, crypto amid market downturn Fast facts “Over time, we think tokenizing U.S. Treasurys […]
India’s crypto tax a blessing in disguise, stockbroker says
Indian crypto investors got lucky after February’s tax announcements reduced trading activities ahead of the market crash, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of online stockbroker Zerodha said. See related article: Short selling is good for any market, including crypto: Jim Rogers Fast facts “Even when trading stocks, the biggest reason for losses is trying to […]
On the shoulders of a giant: How a huge state fund is nurturing Web3
Singapore investment behemoth Temasek has been in the digital asset space for several years, and it’s doubling down on its commitment, says its blockchain chief.
Crypto buyers in emerging economies find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place
Cryptocurrencies can offer citizens in emerging economies a potential buffer against runaway inflation and financial mismanagement by governments. But buying them increasingly means navigating onerous regulations and punishing taxes.
Ethereum one step closer to Eth2 with Ropsten testnet merger
Ethereum’s successful merge of the Ropsten testnet overnight Wednesday Asia time brought the world’s largest smart contract blockchain closer to becoming a proof-of-stake (PoS) network. See related article: Vitalik Buterin: Why Eth2 will propel Ethereum’s use in enterprise Fast facts One of Ethereum’s oldest testnets, Ropsten, successfully merged the proof-of-work (PoW) execution layer with the […]
Binance comes out swinging as report links it to money laundering
Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance BNB slips amid allegations. STEPN marches through attacks. Is China’s slowdown straining crypto prices?
Hold onto your crypto bags, the regulators are coming
Falling prices, an imploding stablecoin, and more reports of hacks have occupied the cryptocurrency headlines in recent weeks, so it’s perhaps no surprise that regulators have noticed and they intend to do something about it.
Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX
High taxes and lack of support from traditional finance make it difficult for smaller crypto operators to survive in India, a senior executive at one of the country’s largest crypto exchanges said.
Hong Kong says NFTs on certain assets may class as regulated securities
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be regulated if they represent similar characteristics to securities, particularly in the category of “collective investment schemes,” Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said on Monday. See related article: Hong Kong retail investors blocked from Bitcoin spot ETFs Fast facts See related article: Hong Kong to propose bill to license […]
StepN hit by DDOS attack; South Korea’s metaverse studies
Web 3.0 lifestyle app, StepN, was hit by a denial-of-service attack. Meanwhile, South Korean students are looking at metaverse as a platform to prepare for exam.
China’s zero-Covid policy realigning global economy, financial markets
Beijing’s official GDP growth target is 5.5% this year, but some analysts don’t see how that makes sense in the face of Shanghai-size lockdowns. Could a China slowdown be good news for central bankers trying to tame inflation?
Cool with the rules: Why the crypto sector should embrace regulation
The prospect of tighter codes for the crypto industry has given some players the jitters. Others, such as Crypto.com’s Eric Anziani, see it as an opportunity.
‘Buckle up’ for downsizing crypto market as employees laid off
The industry should fasten its seat belt, an industry watcher told Forkast, as the largest of crypto firms headline widespread layoffs amid the 2022 market crunch.
Singapore warms up to crypto industry — on its own terms
Crypto companies have voted with their feet in response to the city-state’s restrictions on their business. But they are still keeping an eye on opportunities.
Fidelity’s crypto arm wants to add Ethereum trading, plans hiring spree
Fidelity Digital Assets, the crypto-focused subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, has planned a hiring spree to extend services to include Ethereum trading and custody. See related article: Fidelity allows retirement investments in Bitcoin Fast facts Fidelity Digital Assets was founded in 2018 to enable institutional investors to store and trade Bitcoin — its parent company announced […]
Retail investors shouldn’t invest in crypto: Singapore’s deputy PM
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat cautioned retail investors to steer clear of investments in cryptocurrencies, saying the nascent asset class “is a highly risky area.” See related article: Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto Fast facts Many investors suffered losses and even lost their life savings in the recent meltdown […]
Crypto market reverses course after strong start to the week
Bitcoin dropped more than 6.5% in the past 24 hours to trade below US$30,000 as the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization gave up most of the gains made over the U.S. holiday weekend. It was trading at US$29,850 at the time of publishing. See related article: Bitcoin, Ethereum, crypto at 2022’s lowest point Fast […]
Terra’s LUNA moonshot can’t escape gravity of market misgivings
Top blockchain and crypto news: Investors shun LUNA 2.0. Ethereum gains amid relief rally. China’s stimulus goes digital.
Philippines gets new government, will new crypto taxes follow?
Cryptocurrency companies in the Philippines await legislation from the new Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration on how the government will tax the industry. Some are worried.
Dunamu denies making US$100 million off of LUNA
Dunamu, the South Korean fintech company and operator of the country’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, rebutted claims that it profited by over 130 billion Korean won (US$105 million) off of LUNA Classic last year. See related article: S.Korea eyes restraints on crypto unicorn Dunamu over monopoly concerns Fast facts Last week, multiple local media reports […]
Memo to Crypto World: Wall Street is here to stay
Wall Street did it! At least that is one of the theories about the cause of the nearly US$50 billion meltdown of Terraform Labs stablecoin and LUNA cryptocurrency. How does that stand up?
Shiba Inu creator makes brief appearance, before disappearing again
The pseudonymous creator of Shiba Inu, Ryoshi, came online after a year on Monday only to delete all of its social media activity, and disappear again. See related article: Shiba Inu metaverse tease fuels 60% price boost Fast facts Ryoshi, who last tweeted on May 29, 2021, deleted all tweets and Medium blog posts, leaving […]
Terra’s Mirror Protocol fixes exploit that drained more than US$2 million
Whether the fixing of a pricing error by Mirror Protocol, the decentralized finance (DeFi) application built on Terra Classic, will help prevent a drainage of the pool similar to last year will only be known by the end of U.S. trading hours on Tuesday. See related article: Winning back the trust of the Terra community […]
Why children around the world need crypto education
Financial literacy is a life skill that is often neither taught at school nor home, writes Grace ‘Ori’ Kwan of Orca. How can we close this knowledge gap?
Ethereum passes US$2,000 mark as crypto market rises
Ethereum gained over 10% in 24 hours to reach US$2,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after spending the better part of a week below the mark. Ethereum was trading at US$1,985 at press time. See related article: Bitcoin, Ethereum, crypto at 2022’s lowest point Fast facts The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency hit a low of US$1,721 […]