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Is that bottle of ‘Grand Cru’ for real? An NFT can nose out the truth

The tradition-bound wine world is not always open to change, writes Sebastian Schier of vinID. But new technology can solve the age-old problem of wine fraud.

Joining The Sandbox metaverse: All the Cool Cats are doing it

Cool Cats Group LLC, the Web3 company behind the cartoon feline-based NFT collection Cool Cats, announced Thursday that it had received a strategic investment and partnership from Animoca Brands, owner of the metaverse platform The Sandbox.  See related article: Asus launches NFT platform to plug into Web 3.0 Fast facts In a tweet, Cool Cats’ […]

Terra CEO Do Kwon to lose his passport within a month

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a notice on its website on Wednesday saying the passport belonging to Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. chief Kwon Do-Hyung, also known as Do Kwon, will be nullified in four weeks if Kwon does not return his passport. See related article: South Korea’s investigation of Do Kwon ‘unfair’: Terraform […]

Markets: Bitcoin dips but holds above US$20,000, Ether falls, XRP only gainer in top 10

Bitcoin fell in Thursday morning trading in Asia but held above the US$20,000 support line. Ether also lost ground. XRP was the only token in the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization to gain. See related article: Is crypto money? A South Korean court says no Fast facts Bitcoin fell 0.9% in the past 24 […]

CBDCs, tokens can integrate to existing payments systems, SWIFT claims

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) said it had a breakthrough in enabling assets on distributed ledger technology networks, such as central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and tokens on the blockchain, to interact and flow with the existing financial infrastructure. See related article: SWIFT, Chainlink announce cross-chain interoperability partnership Fast facts In one […]

Tornado Cash Debate – The Role of Law

Forkast Editor in Chief Angie Law spoke with some of the industry experts to talk about the implications of the Tornado Cash sanctions.

Temperatures rise over alleged Celsius withdrawals ahead of bankruptcy

Top blockchain and crypto news: Celsius founder in hot water. European bank woes cast crypto shadow. Will BSN’s Chinese roots thwart its global ambitions?

Terra cofounder Daniel Shin pulls out of S.Korean parliamentary audit, report says

Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. cofounder Daniel Shin, or Shin Hyun-sung, has submitted a statement to South Korea’s National Assembly with reasons not to appear before lawmakers on Thursday as a witness in the Terra-LUNA meltdown, according to local news agency News1. See related article: Terraform cofounder Daniel Shin to testify in South Korean parliament Fast […]

Asus launches NFT platform to plug into Web 3.0

Taiwanese laptop maker Asus has launched a non-fungible token (NFT) platform, marking its first attempt to venture into the burgeoning Web 3.0 industry, the company announced on Tuesday.  See related article: Apple iPhone maker’s founder distances himself from crypto fraudsters using his image Fast facts Asus launched Art Black hole on Tuesday, a platform for […]

‘It raises really interesting questions’: How regulators are approaching DAOs

Panelists at Forkast’s live-streamed event ‘Crypto Rising: The Role of Law: An International Debate post Tornado Cash’ co-hosted by the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) said attempting to regulate DAOs highlights the shortcomings of international enforcement.

Is crypto money? A South Korean court says no

The country’s judiciary says Bitcoin loans not affected by interest limitation act, as crypto is not ‘money’

Mastercard launches crypto exchange risk assessment tool

Financial services company Mastercard Inc. has launched Crypto Secure, a technology solution designed to help banks identify fraud-prone crypto exchanges, the company announced in a press release. See related article: Binance partners Mastercard to launch card in Argentina for bill payment, everyday purchases Fast facts The service uses artificial intelligence algorithms and blockchain data to […]

Solana NFT sales up 77% in September despite sluggish quarter

Non-fungible token (NFT) sales on Solana surged in September despite a sharp decline in the overall trading volume of NFTs in the third quarter.  See related article: Instagram, Facebook users in 100 countries can crosspost NFTs: Meta Fast facts Solana NFT sellers pocketed more than US$126 million in September, a 77% month-over-month increase, according to […]

Tether says commercial paper holdings now less than US$50 mln

Tether Holdings Limited, the issuer behind the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, reduced its holdings of commercial paper to less than US$50 million as of Sept. 30, according to a tweet by Tether Chief Technology Officer Paulo Ardoino. See related article: SEC fines Tether’s former auditor US$1 mln over accounting malpractice Fast facts In the tweet, Ardoino also […]

China’s international blockchain push may face Huawei-like obstacles

China spent billions on its ‘belt and road’ infrastructure network to expand trade so what are its plans for a domestic and international digital infrastructure built on blockchain?

US Treasury says Congress needs to act to mitigate crypto risk to stability

The Financial Stability Oversight Council report says the lack of clear regulations in the cryptocurrency industry could pose a risk to overall U.S. financial stability and urges congress to write up new rules of the road.

How will the crypto tax debate play out in the UK?

Like many nations, the UK is formulating new rules and guidelines for crypto taxation. Will they help or hinder its crypto hub aspirations?

Bitcoin miner reserves hit lowest level since Feb 2010

Bitcoin miner reserves are at their lowest level since February 2010, showing miners offloading their holdings, according to data from IntoTheBlock. See related article: Bitcoin mining difficulty drops 2% after reaching all-time high in last adjustment Fast facts There were 1,908,672 BTC in miners’ reserves on Friday, down from 2,030,434 BTC at the end of […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether slip; XRP slumps; Hang Seng Index touches 11-year low in Hong Kong

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell in Monday evening trading in Hong Kong amid widespread losses among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with BNB being the sole gainer. In equity markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index at one stage fell to the lowest level in 11 years. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price falls […]

3 reasons crypto will spring back after Crypto Winter

The crypto market has been down for months, but the industry’s long-term future is brighter than ever, writes Guilhem Chaumont of Flowdesk. Here’s why.

Apes still rule among the bears: NFT market falls for fifth straight month

‘Crypto Winter’ has touched all elements of the crypto market, and non-fungible tokens are no different.

Celsius ex-CEO withdrew US$10 mln before freeze on client accounts: FT reports

Alex Mashinsky, who resigned as chief executive officer of Celsius on Sept. 27, reportedly withdrew US$10 million from the crypto exchange in May, weeks before it filed for bankruptcy and froze withdrawals in June, according to the Financial Times. See related article: Celsius on thin ice well before its bankruptcy: CNBC report Fast facts A […]

Coinbase says it resolved glitch that blocked trades from U.S. bank accounts

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. said it resolved technical issues on Sunday night that had prevented U.S. bank account users from making payments or withdrawals for most of the day.  See related article: Coinbase gets nod from Dutch central bank to offer crypto services Fast facts “We’ve fully resolved this issue and ACH transfers are […]

Markets: Bitcoin price falls below US$19,000, XRP down, BNB only gainer in crypto top 10

Bitcoin was back under US$19,000 in Monday morning trading in Asia, a level it has fluctuated around for most of the past two weeks, boxed in by global macroeconomic concerns that have also hit equity markets. Ether also fell. BNB was the only gainer among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. See related article: […]

Instagram, Facebook users in 100 countries can crosspost NFTs: Meta

Instagram and Facebook users in 100 countries can start sharing and crossposting their non-fungible tokens (NFTs) between the two platforms, Meta announced on Thursday.  See related article: China’s ‘Instagram’ gets into virtual fashion with users strutting NFT clothes Fast facts Meta, the operator of the two social media platforms, said the feature is available to […]

Terraform cofounder Daniel Shin to testify in South Korean parliament

South Korea’s National Assembly intends to get to the bottom of the Terra-LUNA debacle in its next audit in October along with several other issues surrounding the local crypto industry.

SBF wanted to join Elon Musk Twitter deal, private text messages show

Sam Bankman-Fried, the American crypto entrepreneur, billionaire and investor, considered joining Musk’s bid to buy social media giant Twitter, leaked private messages reveal.

Busan taps K-pop metaverse to win 2030 World Expo bid

Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is opening a virtual space on Naver Z’s Zepeto metaverse at 12 p.m. on Friday, Korea time, to promote the city in efforts to host the World Expo in 2030. See related article: South Korea’s Busan city wants to be blockchain central. Did everyone get the memo? Fast facts The […]

Institutional finance, role of regulators in focus at TOKEN2049 crypto conference

The second Forkast report on Asia Crypto Week’s anchor event explores what bets TradFi players are making, how Asian investment patterns differ from those elsewhere, and what cooperation between crypto companies and regulators should look like

Markets: Bitcoin price remains above $19,000; BNB, XRP lead gains across top 10 crypto

Bitcoin and Ether rose over 2% in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia as most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rebounded from Wednesday’s losses. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; BNB leads gainers in top 10 crypto, follows by Solana Fast facts Bitcoin gained 2.95% in the past 24 hours to trade […]

Bitcoin mining difficulty drops 2% after reaching all-time high in last adjustment

Bitcoin mining difficulty dropped 2.14% on Wednesday, after reaching an all-time high in the previous adjustment on Sept. 14, according to data from BTC.com. See related article: Bitdeer leads US$250 mln fund to acquire assets from distressed miners: report Fast facts The mining difficulty reading, which marked the first decline in about two months, was […]

Scalability is Ethereum’s post-Merge focus: Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin identified Ethereum’s next big challenges as scalability and layer 2 implementations at the Converge22 conference.

Cryptocurrency crowd shrugs off market woes at upbeat TOKEN2049 conference

In the first of a two-part report on this year’s cryptocurrency gathering in Singapore, defiance outshone defeatism despite industry’s struggles.

Bitcoin ‘might double in price’ under CFTC regulation, its chairman says

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman Rostin Behnam said Thursday the crypto industry has “a massive opportunity for institutional inflows that will only occur if there’s a regulatory structure,” pushing for his office to lead the effort. See related article: Crypto community pushes back following CFTC charges against Ooki DAO Fast facts “Growth might occur […]

South Korea’s investigation of Do Kwon ‘unfair’: Terraform Labs

Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd., the firm behind the collapse of the Terra-LUNA stablecoin project said South Korean prosecutors’ measures in pursuing its chief executive officer Do Kwon violate his basic rights under Korean law.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; BNB leads gainers in top 10 crypto, followed by Solana

Bitcoin recovered above US$19,000 in early Thursday morning trading in Asia, after fluctuating around that resistance level for the past week. Ether also moved higher, while BNB led the gains in the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization, all of which rose. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price back under US$20,000, Ether little changed, XRP […]

USDC coming to five additional blockchain ecosystems

Circle Internet Financial, Inc., the global financial technology company behind the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, will soon be making the token available on five additional blockchains, Chief Product Officer Nikhil Chandhok said on Wednesday at the company’s Converge22 conference.  See related article: U.S. Fed has growing interest in CBDCs, says Jeng at Crypto Council for […]

Are stablecoins like Tether ready for regulatory scrutiny?

The Terra UST disaster is spurring regulators to converge on global stablecoin standards, writes Michael Shing of XREX. But major issuers still fall short.

Australia gears up for state-backed digital currency trials

Top blockchain and crypto news: Digital dollar didgeridoos. Bitcoin softens as sterling sinks. ‘World’s dumbest’ crypto criminals nabbed in China.

Markets: XRP biggest loser in top 10, Bitcoin slips under US$19,000, Ether slumps

Bitcoin and Ether fell as much as 7% in afternoon trading in Asia as the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization lost ground across the board. XRP slid to erase most of its gains from the past week as optimism faded for any early resolution to its lawsuit with the US Security and Exchange Commission. […]

Could reversible crypto transactions tackle hacker crime? Stanford study sparks debate

What if you could hit the undo button on an Ethereum blockchain transaction after discovering you’ve been scammed?

Binance law enforcement training program to seek out ‘bad actors’

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a dedicated program to “help law enforcement detect financial and cyber crimes,” in a move it claims to be an industry first to combat crypto crimes, the exchange said Tuesday, as it navigates regulatory headwinds and ramps up compliance efforts. See related article: Binance says it complies […]

Cryptocurrencies much more than trading tools, says Caselin at AAX exchange 

Who will regulate the regulators is a time-honored question and one Bitcoin enthusiasts raise when talking about the benefits of the token’s fixed supply versus the tendency of central banks to switch the money spigots off and on.

Do Kwon denies cashout allegations

The man behind Terra-LUNA contradicts the basis of the new action South Korean authorities took to corner and locate him.

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 […]

Alex Mashinsky steps down as Celsius CEO

Alex Mashinsky, the chief executive officer of cryptocurrency lender Celsius Network LLC which has filed for bankruptcy, has resigned from his position, according to a statement released by the company on Tuesday. See related article: Regulator alleges Celsius resembled Ponzi scheme in new filing Fast facts The company’s chief financial officer, Chris Ferraro, has been […]

Markets: Bitcoin price back under US$20,000, Ether little changed, XRP falls, Uniswap gains

Bitcoin traded back in the US$19,000 range on Wednesday morning in Asia after breaching US$20,000 the previous day in a broader market surge. Ether was little changed, while Solana, Cardano and XRP on the list of top 10 by market capitalization lost ground. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price rises above US$20,000, XRP rebounds, Ether […]

FTX to acquire assets of bankrupt Voyager Digital with US$1.422 billion bid

Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange FTX US will acquire all the assets of bankrupt cryptocurrency brokerage Voyager Digital, beating off rivals with a US$1.422 billion bid. See related article: Voyager gives Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘low-ball’ bailout offer a single digit Fast facts FTX will acquire “all Voyager cryptocurrency at a to-be-determined date in the future,” which […]

Crypto community pushes back following CFTC charges against Ooki DAO

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission faces criticism from cryptocurrency industry as opposition grows over “unprecedented” charges against the Ooki DAO.

Markets: Bitcoin price rises above US$20,000, XRP rebounds, Ether rallies

Bitcoin rallied above US$20,000 in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, along with almost all the top 10 coins by market capitalization. XRP rebounded from losses in the morning. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price back above US$19,000; Ether, Polkadot gain; XRP leads losers Fast facts Bitcoin rose 6.94% in the past 24 hours to trade […]

Upbit exchange to use LUNC fees to set up crypto monitoring center

Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is using fees it collected from Luna Classic (LUNC) transactions to establish a crypto monitoring center in a gesture to help compensate for the losses from the Terra-LUNA debacle, according to local media reports. See related article: Interpol issues red notice for Do Kwon, says South Korean prosecutor Fast […]

China busts ‘world’s dumbest thieves’ in digital yuan money laundering case

Chinese authorities can track e-CNY wallet transaction history, if warranted, thanks to its ‘managed anonymity’ design.

Polkadot eyes increasing transaction speed by 100 to 1,000 times

Polkadot updated its roadmap on Monday, expecting to deploy a technique called “asynchronous backing” on its development-testing network Kusama before the end of 2022, as a prelude to upgrading the mainnet for boosting the transaction speed. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price back above US$19,000; Ether, Polkadot gain; XRP leads losers Fast facts See related […]

Terra Classic surges 50% as Binance offers token burning mechanism

Terra Classic (LUNC), the original crypto token of the Terra-LUNA blockchain that collapsed back in May, gained over 50% on Tuesday following an announcement by Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by volume, that it would support a burn mechanism for the network. See related article: For South Korea, making Do Kwon pay for his […]

Is crypto in a deep funk? Think again

Beyond the bear market, Web3 technology is shining bright in gaming and music, writes Hannes Graah of Gro. Are we at a tipping point for mass adoption?

South Korea’s industrial city to reinvent itself in the metaverse

Changwon is the latest addition to South Korea’s growing list of cities seeking a presence in the metaverse, signaling the country’s adoption of Web3.

Markets: Bitcoin price back above US$19,000; Ether, Polkadot gain; XRP leads losers

Bitcoin broke above the US$19,000 resistance level in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, as most other tokens on the top 10 list by market capitalization gained ground. XRP continued its slide from Monday to lead the decliners, but remains higher over the past seven days. See related article: Markets: XRP reverses gains, Bitcoin stuck under […]

China says it busted US$5.6B crypto money laundering ring

Chinese police said they have busted a criminal group that used cryptocurrencies to launder 40 billion yuan (US$5.6 billion) as authorities crack down on illicit fund flows in the country. See related article: China lashes out at crypto fraud on World Consumer Rights Day Fast facts Police in Hengyang, a county in China’s southern province […]

Markets: XRP reverses gains, Bitcoin stuck under US$19,000, Ether trades lower

Bitcoin remained stuck below a US$19,000 ceiling in Monday afternoon trading in Asia as concern about inflation and rising interest rates prompted selling across most asset classes. XRP slipped but remained well ahead for the week. Ether and all the other top 10 coins by market capitalization lost ground, with Solana logging the largest fall. […]

RBA opens submissions for 2023 CBDC pilot

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on Monday published a whitepaper on its central bank digital currency (CBDC), or “eAUD,” pilot project that will start in January 2023 and has invited industry participants to submit use cases with economic and social benefits. See related article: World Economic Forum argues for CBDCs, Australia latest to test […]

Is the Philippines on track to becoming a blockchain hub?

The Philippines now ranks 2nd in the world for crypto adoption, but its path ahead is unclear, writes Emman Navalan. What are the hurdles it must overcome?

California governor vetoes bill requiring crypto-related businesses to obtain special license

A bill that proposed a regulatory and licensing framework for crypto companies was rejected by Gov. Gavin Newsom amid a broader national debate concerning the policing of digital assets.

Markets: Bitcoin price falls below US$19,000, ETH down, XRP continues to rise

Bitcoin traded below the US$19,000 mark in early Monday trading in Asia after fluctuating around the resistance level all week. Ethereum and most other tokens in the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization lost ground. XRP once again defied broader market forces and was up on the day. See related article: Markets: XRP soars 23%, […]

South Korea’s Busan city wants to be blockchain central. Did everyone get the memo?

The coastal city was a prominent manufacturer of footwear, fabric and other light industries during the 1970s and 80s, and then grew into one of the world’s biggest container ports. Now it’s trying to reinvent itself in the digital world of blockchain.

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 launches coalition to use web3, blockchain for positive climate action

The World Economic Forum is launching a new Crypto Sustainability Coalition, consisting of 30 partners within the intersection of sustainable development and web3, crypto, and blockchain technologies, the international non-government organization (NGO) announced in a Webinar on Wednesday in New York, U.S.

Markets: XRP soars 23%, Bitcoin holds above US$19,000, Ether gains

Bitcoin continued trading above US$19,000 in Friday afternoon trading in Asia. Ether rose along with most of the top 10 coins by market capitalization following the completion of the first phase of Cardano’s Vasil hard fork. XRP led gains with its price soaring over 20% in the past 24 hours. See related article: Markets: Cryptocurrencies […]

Coinbase gets nod from Dutch central bank to offer crypto services

Coinbase, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has obtained regulatory approval in the Netherlands, as the U.S.-based exchange looks to expand its presence globally. See related article: Coinbase hit with lawsuit over allegedly poor security Fast facts Coinbase said on Thursday in a statement that it has registered with De Nederlandsche Bank, the central […]

Gansu Province warns no crypto mining within national data centers

The Chinese province of Gansu says that it will “strictly prohibit crypto mining” in the server rooms for China’s mega digital Eastern Data and Western Computing infrastructure project, according to a policy document. See related article: GBA among regions for China’s blockchain-powered data hubs  Fast facts See related article: China’s Zhejiang busts state-owned entities on […]

Markets: Cryptocurrencies up amid Cardano’s Vasil hard fork, XRP leads gains

Bitcoin bounced back above US$19,000 in Friday morning trading in Asia as Cardano announced a successful hard fork to their upgraded Vasil network. XRP led gains among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. See related article: Cryptocurrency lobby group gets court approval to weigh in on SEC vs Ripple’s XRP lawsuit Fast facts Bitcoin […]

Japanese banking giant Nomura’s crypto unit to be based in Switzerland

Tokyo-based financial services group Nomura Holdings, Inc., recently announced its new digital asset subsidiary named Laser Digital and respective holding company Laser Digital Holding, which will be active in Switzerland. See related article: Japan’s government approves policy to drive Web 3.0 adoption Fast facts Laser Digital will focus on secondary trading, venture capital and investor […]

U.S. Fed has growing interest in CBDCs, says Jeng at Crypto Council for Innovation

Linda Jeng, chief regulatory officer and general counsel at the Crypto Council for Innovation said the U.S. has seen the writing on the wall and is expanding the conversation about cryptocurrency, in comments at Forkast’s “Crypto Rising: CBDCs & Stablecoins: The Asia Perspective.”