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Crypto.com to invest US$145 mln in France as base for European operations

Crypto.com said on Wednesday that the exchange will invest €150 million (US$145.5 million) in France to set up a European headquarters in Paris and expand operations in the region. See related article: Crypto.com enters South Korea market with two local startup acquisitions Fast facts The Singapore-based exchange said it will focus on compliance, business development […]

India’s crypto taxes provide headache for many, opportunity for some

One company says it’s bringing solutions for confused investors in digital assets in India who grapple with hours of tax calculations.

Tianjin boosts electricity rates to further punish underground crypto mining

Tianjin is the latest Chinese city to announce higher differential electricity rates in an effort to further discourage energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining, which the country banned in September 2021 but continues to exist in some pockets. See related article: Beijing banned crypto mining, so China miners went underground  Fast facts See related article: China takes aim […]

Coin Center files lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions, defends crypto privacy rights

Coin Center, a non-profit think tank on cryptocurrencies and public policy, announced Wednesday it was filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), alleging the agency overreached its authority when it sanctioned cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash in August. See related article: What is the future for cryptocurrency mixers after […]

China digital currency transaction volume soars to nearly US$14B

China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) has reached 100 billion yuan (US$13.9 billion) in transactions as of Aug. 31, 2022, the People’s Bank of China said via a verified WeChat account. See related article: Digital yuan tops US$12B transactions in 2022 so far  Fast facts See related article: China to speed up, expand digital yuan […]

Binance says BSC hard fork successful after hack

Binance Global Inc., the operator of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, says it successfully completed a hard fork of its BNB Smart Chain (BSC) network around 5 p.m. Hong Kong on Wednesday. See related article: Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization Fast facts A hard fork is a split […]

Fed’s top bank watchdog eyes new regulation for banks doing crypto

Crypto-asset related activities may pose “novel risks” to banks and their customers, prompting the U.S. Federal Reserve to develop further regulations, Fed vice chair for supervision Michael Barr said in a speech Wednesday at D.C. Fintech Week. See related article: U.S. Fed has growing interest in CBDCs, says Jeng at Crypto Council for Innovation Fast […]

Is crypto suffering from the same ills as TradFi?

Centralized lenders like Celsius and Voyager have proven hugely problematic, but DeFi also has big issues. What if we pursue a hybrid approach?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise; BNB little changed following BSC hard fork

Bitcoin gained in Thursday morning trading in Asia, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency holding above support at US$19,000. Ether, second on the list of top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, also gained. Other coins on the top 10 moving higher included Solana, XRP and Tron. Cardano fell. See related article: Binance to hard […]

Blockchain.com granted in-principle approval for Singapore license

Cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a license to offer “digital payment token” services in the city-state.  See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts Blockchain.com is the second crypto exchange to earn the central bank’s in-principle approval […]

OpenSea begins support for Avalanche blockchain

OpenSea, the peer-to-peer non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, has launched native support for the Avalanche blockchain, according to the platform’s verified Twitter account. See related article: Warner Music taps OpenSea NFT marketplace to guide artists to Web3 Fast facts Starting on Oct.12, content creators on Avalanche can display, list, and trade their NFTs on the world’s […]

What’s next for Binance after $100 million BNB hack?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance puts brakes on BNB Chain theft. Will quantum computing kill crypto? Huobi sells up.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether inch up; XRP rebounds following positive lawsuit ruling

Bitcoin inched up today to remain above the US$19,000 support line amid mixed results among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, led in gains by Tron. XRP rebounded from losses yesterday. See related articles:  Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization  Fast facts Bitcoin gained 0.17% in […]

DPRK hackers sneak US$52 mln in crypto into S.Korean exchanges: Chainalysis

South Korean media has reported that local crypto exchanges may become a “playground” for North Korean hackers.

Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization

The crypto world has been watching how one of the world’s largest blockchains responds to a hack last week and the questions it raises about the state of decentralization in the industry.

Indian investors allegedly duped in crypto cloud mining scam

About thirty investors in India have been allegedly duped of US$54,653 through a crypto cloud mining app, local media reported.   See related article: India financial crime unit cites ‘Chinese-controlled entities’ in alleged crypto fraud Fast facts Investors from Solapur city in India’s Maharashtra state were allegedly duped by fraudsters who lured them to download the […]

Judge grants amicus requests to support Ripple in lawsuit with SEC

District Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted I-Remit and TapJets’ requests to file amicus curiae briefs in support of Ripple Labs, following a rejection of objection by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See related article: Ripple slams SEC’s opposition to brief motions in […]

Valkyrie to liquidate balance sheet ETF, delist from Nasdaq

Crypto asset manager Valkyrie will liquidate its Balance Sheet Opportunities exchange-traded fund (ETF) at the end of October and then delist from Nasdaq.See related article: What the Bitcoin futures ETF bonanza means for investors Fast facts See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price falls with Ether. Doge sole gainer in top 10 cryptocurrencies

Solana-hosted DeFi platform Mango exploited for over US$100 mln

Mango Markets, a decentralized platform hosted on the Solana blockchain, was exploited for over US$100 million. See related article: What is the Solana ecosystem and how is it fueling SOL’s stratospheric rise? Fast facts Mango’s token MNGO was severely impacted, dropping 42.9% in the past 24 hours to US$0.023 as of 11:15 a.m. in Hong […]

BSC to hard fork on Wednesday after US$100 mln exploit

BNB Smart Chain (BSC), the blockchain network launched by the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, will perform a hard fork and upgrade on Wednesday as a fix following an Oct. 6 vulnerability, according to an announcement on Tuesday. See related article: BNB Chain back online after around $100 mln lost in possible exploit Fast facts […]

Are NFTs securities? Bored Ape creator Yuga Labs faces SEC probe

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly probing Yuga Labs, Inc., the company behind the top-selling non-fungible token (NFT) collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), for its issuance of the digital assets, according to a Bloomberg report.  See related article: SEC fines Kim Kardashian US$1.26 mln for promoting EthereumMax Fast facts The report […]

What is the future for cryptocurrency mixers after U.S. sanctions on Tornado Cash?

Tornado Cash, the Ethereum coin mixer slapped with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury back in August, has returned to the software hosting website GitHub amid a flurry of lawsuits against the Treasury for its action.
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BNY Mellon, largest custodian bank, starts Bitcoin, Ether custody services

Bank of New York Mellon Corp., a 238-year-old bank based in the U.S., is now allowing select U.S. clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin and Ether, the bank announced in a press release on Tuesday. See related article: Crypto self-custody is no longer a choice. It’s an imperative. Fast facts BNY Mellon will store private […]

Markets: Bitcoin price falls with Ether, Doge sole gainer in top 10 cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin fell but held above US$19,000 in Wednesday morning trading in Asia as the world’s leading cryptocurrency continued its month-long dalliance with that support level. Excluding stablecoins, most of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization fell, led by Solana. Dogecoin was the only token on the list to gain ground. See related article: BNB […]

Google Cloud partners Coinbase for crypto payments, data services

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., has formed a strategic Web 3.0 partnership with Google Cloud, the Nasdaq-listed exchange said in a statement on Tuesday.  See related article: Coinbase gets nod from Dutch central bank to offer crypto services Fast facts As part of the partnership, Google Cloud will allow select customers to […]

Top Ethereum gas guzzler XEN Crypto is crunching ETH supply

Ethereum’s supply growth entered a deflationary state on Saturday, a first for the blockchain since The Merge upgrade that shifted the network to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism in September.  See related article: Scalability is Ethereum’s post-Merge focus: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts Ether’s (ETH) burn rate has gone up along with gas fees (transaction fees) since […]

European Parliament agrees on preliminary crypto regulation

The European Parliament passed a preliminary legal framework for the crypto space on Monday that aims to increase standards and requirements  for digital asset companies, ahead of a final vote expected soon.  See related article: Europe cancels AML amendment that would have forced identity verification for non-custodial wallets: report Fast facts EU lawmakers voted heavily […]

Markets: Bitcoin price dips below US$19,000 before climbing back, XRP leads crypto losers

Bitcoin briefly fell below US$19,000 in trading in Asia on Tuesday for the first time this month amid losses across the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins. XRP led the losers. See related articles: Two firms seek to weigh in on XRP lawsuit between SEC, Ripple Fast facts Bitcoin fell 1.73% in the […]

Coinhako aims to grow institutional users, introduces arm for eligible clients

Singapore-based Coinhako cryptocurrency exchange, one of a handful to have a full license to operate in the city-state, has launched “Coinhako Treasures” to offer more products that suit the needs of institutional clients, like corporates and family offices, as it seeks to grow its institutional user base.   See related article: How a market slump may […]

Crypto exchange Coinbase awarded in-principle license for Singapore

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. received a digital assets license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the firm announced Tuesday. See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Fast facts They were granted “in-principle approval” under the Payment Services Act to provide “regulated Digital Payment Token products and services” in Singapore, including “our […]

Shenzhen leads China in cross-border CBDC transactions: report

Companies in Shenzhen in mainland China made up one-third of the transaction volume in a cross-border central bank digital currency (CBDC) bridge pilot project, according to a report by Chinese media outlet 21Caijing, citing Shenzhen’s local financial authority. See related article: Australia Senator proposes regulating Chinese banks in country using e-CNY  Fast facts See related […]

Justin Sun, SBF again deny involvement in Huobi Global sale

The founder of blockchain network Tron, Justin Sun, and crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried each denied for a second time that they have participated in purchasing a majority stake in Huobi Global, after crypto media outlet Wu Blockchain said on Monday that Sun was actually the Chinese crypto exchange’s behind-the-scenes purchaser, with Bankman-Fried was […]

Vincent van Gogh Sites Foundation launches legendary artist into Web3

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be used to preserve and spread fine art and cultural heritage, tapping into new generations of audiences and patrons, said stakeholders.

Bitcoin mining difficulty hits new high after Ethereum ‘Merge’ makes space

Bitcoin mining difficulty climbed to a record high on Monday, a large part of which is attributed to Ethereum’s “Merge” upgrade freeing up more room for Bitcoin miners, according to Bloomberg. See related article: Brazil police bust crypto group led by ‘Bitcoin Sheikh’ Fast facts Bitcoin mining difficulty, a measure of the amount of work […]

Why appchains are critical to Web3’s future

What’s wrong with ‘fat protocols’ like Ethereum and Solana, and why should there be alternatives for the little guys? Yaoqi Jia of AltLayer explains.

Markets: Bitcoin price slides, Ether drops with rest of crypto top 10, XRP leads losses

Bitcoin and Ether fell along with all other top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency barely holding at the support line of US$19,000, a mark it has fluctuated around for much of the past month. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin rises but remains below US$20,000; […]

Singapore eyes blockchain-based payment systems for faster cross-border transactions

The Monetary Authority of Singapore is exploring blockchain-based payments solution to solve the challenges in cross-border transactions.  See related article: Singapore warms up to crypto industry — on its own terms Fast facts The current state of cross-border payments “is slow, costly, opaque, and inefficient, relying on an archaic network of correspondent banks,” Ravi Menon, […]

UAE crypto market expected to grow 10-fold: report

The cryptocurrency market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to grow 10 times, according to a new report from MENA blockchain ecosystem, Crypto Oasis, released Monday at a blockchain conference organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre.  See related article: New hire in Saudi Central Bank to work on crypto regulations: report Fast […]

WazirX wants to integrate India’s digital rupee

Cryptocurrency exchange WazirX will look to integrate India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) “if all goes well,” vice president Rajagopal Menon told Forkast in a video interview on Monday.  See related article: RBI to begin CBDC pilots, outlines wholesale, retail concepts Fast facts “We would love to onboard the e-rupee and you can buy your […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed; XRP rises; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index drops amid U.S. regulation changes

The top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization saw little change on the day, with XRP leading gains with a 1.65% rise. See related articles: Markets: Bitcoin rises but remains below US$20,000; Ether gains, XRP leads crypto top 10 Fast facts Bitcoin slipped 0.02% in the past 24 hours to trade at US$19,416 at 4 p.m. […]

China shuts 13 underground crypto trading apps, a year after ban

Regulators also targeted 23 crypto media websites and 440 bloggers.

A bear market may be painful, but it’s good for DAOs

When times are tough, a DAO must trim fat and focus on providing a better product or service to its community, writes Redmption of Harvest Finance.

Crypto exchange Huobi Global announces advisory board

Crypto exchange Huobi Global announced the formation of a five-member global advisory board after Hong Kong-based asset management firm About Capital Management purchased a majority stake of the exchange. See related article: Huobi looks to sell stake that values exchange at US$3 bln, Bloomberg reports  Fast facts See related article: Huobi is third global exchange […]

Brazil police bust crypto group led by ‘Bitcoin Sheikh’

Gold bars, cash, jewelry, cars and luxury watches bought with defrauded funds are seized.

Markets: Bitcoin rises but remains below US$20,000; Ether gains, XRP leads crypto top 10

Bitcoin has gained slightly but was still trading below US$20,000 on Monday morning in Asia, having fallen below that support line late last week after fluctuating around that level for most of the past month. Ether and the rest of the crypto top 10 by market capitalization also rose slightly, with XRP seeing by far […]

Want the next-generation internet? Start legislating for it

Web3 communities need to join forces with policymakers to draft rules for the next iteration of the online world, says Haun Ventures’ Tomicah Tillemann

RBI to begin CBDC pilots, outlines wholesale, retail concepts

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon begin to pilot the digital rupee for specific use cases, it said in a concept note on its central bank digital currency (CBDC). See related article: Sweden’s central bank to test use of retail CBDC for instant payments Fast facts India’s central bank said in the concept […]

Malaysia to get its own national public blockchain

MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG) and Mimos Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd (MTSSB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday to co-develop and operate Malaysia’s national blockchain infrastructure to onboard the nation’s private and public sectors to Web 3.0.  See related article: Huobi Global talking to Malaysian regulator about being put on investor alert list […]

Game Space to launch a dozen games by mid 2023, says investor Livio Weng

The former CEO of Huobi Global has jumped into the GameFi space.

S.Korea’s parliament audit on Terra-LUNA falls short of expectations

The National Assembly wanted to get to the bottom of the Terra-LUNA collapse on Thursday. At the end of a long and speech-filled day, lawmakers left empty-handed.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall with other top 10 crypto – BNB, Dogecoin lead losers

Bitcoin fell in Friday evening trading in Asia to dip below the US$20,000 support line as the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization lost ground, led by Dogecoin and BNB. See related articles: Markets: Bitcoin dips; BNB drops on chain glitch; Ether, XRP little changed Fast facts: Bitcoin lost 1.39% in the past 24 hours […]

BNB Chain back online after around $100 mln lost in possible exploit

Binance’s BNB Chain has come back online after being suspended earlier in the morning when an exploit was identified, the blockchain announced on Twitter on Friday afternoon in Asia. See related article: Binance suspends BNB blockchain on potential exploit; Peckshield reports US$572 mln hack Fast facts Changpeng Zhao, cofounder and chief executive officer of Binance, […]

Ethereum liquidity staking protocol Lido links to L2 networks Arbitrum, Optimism

Ethereum liquid staking protocol Lido has announced the expansion of its staking token stETH to Ethereum layer 2 networks Arbitrum Bridge and Optimism, according to a Friday tweet. See related article: Vitalik Buterin: Layer 2 the future of Ethereum scaling Fast facts This expansion comes with the launch of a token called wstETH — a […]

Apparel, luxury goods industry has most brands launching NFTs

The apparel and luxury goods industry is leading in tradable non-fungible token (NFT) adoption, with major brands launching their own NFT collections, according to a new research study by CoinGecko. See related article: Apes still rule among the bears: NFT market falls for fifth straight month Fast facts The independent cryptocurrency aggregator found the apparel […]

Arrested Terra employee, Do Kwon associate, released from custody amid S. Korea Terra-LUNA probe

Yoo (full name was not revealed), the head of general affairs at Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. and close associate of unlocated chief executive officer (CEO) Kwon Do-hyung, or Do Kwon, has been released from custody since being arrested Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into Terra-LUNA. Yoo is not contending his alleged association with […]

Middle East & North Africa lead crypto adoption driven by inflation, remittance payments: Chainalysis

Emerging markets dominated the 2022 Global Crypto Adoption Index, with Latin America second in transaction volume growth.

Binance suspends BNB blockchain on potential exploit; Peckshield reports US$572 mln hack

The BNB Chain — the blockchain operated by the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance Global Inc. — has suspended operation as developers have identified a potential exploit on the network, according to an official Binance Twitter account. See related article: Chainalysis says $2 bln stolen in cross-chain bridge hacks this year, more expected Fast facts […]

Markets: Bitcoin dips; BNB drops on chain glitch; Ether, XRP little changed

Bitcoin dipped under the US$20,000 support line in Friday morning trading in Asia, a price it has repeatedly fluctuated around for several weeks. Ether, the second largest token by market capitalization, was little changed and up about 2% on the week. Most other coins in CoinMarketCap’s top 10 by market capitalization were flat to lower. […]

EU Council approves MiCA text for crypto regulation

The European Council on Wednesday approved a proposal for cryptocurrency regulation known as the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA), in the first move towards establishing a licensing mechanism for crypto exchanges and assets in Europe.  See related article:  Bitcoin, proof-of-work ban removed from European Union’s MiCA Fast facts Lawmakers at the European Parliament are […]

Binance gets nod to operate in Kazakhstan

Binance has obtained a “permanent license” to operate a digital asset platform and provide custody services at Kazakhstan’s Astana International Financial Center, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announced in a blog post on Thursday. See related article: Binance targets expansion in Philippines, Turkey, executive says Fast facts The license gives Binance the status of a […]

Binance targets expansion in Philippines, Turkey, executive says

The world’s largest crypto exchange’s regional head of Asia says the Philippines’ GameFi community and rampant inflation in Turkey present opportunities for Binance.
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South Korea’s Dunamu CEO blames weak regulation for Terra-LUNA aftermath

Widespread damage from the Terra-LUNA collapse can be attributed to a poor local regulatory framework, said Lee Sir-goo, CEO of South Korea’s blockchain and fintech company Dunamu Inc. at a special session of the National Assembly. See related article: S.Korea gov’t failed, special prosecutor needed on Terra-LUNA, lawmaker says Fast facts Lee appeared before lawmakers […]

Ripple slams SEC’s opposition to brief motions in XRP lawsuit

Ripple Labs has spoken against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s opposition to motions from two firms that had requested to file amicus briefs in support of Ripple, in the lawsuit that the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple. See related article: SEC opposes motions from two firms seeking to back Ripple in XRP lawsuit […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise; XRP leads widespread gains among top 10 crypto

Bitcoin gained in Thursday evening trading in Asia and remained above US$20,000. Ether values fluctuated in the day but eventually rallied. Of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, XRP led gains while stablecoins Tether and Binance USD declined on the day. See related articles: Markets: Bitcoin dips but holds above US$20,000, Ether falls, XRP […]

Software firm Spexi raises US$5.5 mln to develop Flow blockchain-based drone imagery platform

Software company Spexi has raised US$5.5 million in seed funding to create Spexigon, the world’s first crypto-powered fly-to-earn drone imagery platform based on the Flow blockchain, according to a press release on Tuesday. See related article: X-to-Earn: Eat, sleep, do almost anything for pay in crypto  Fast facts See related article: Run-to-earn protocol Stepn announces […]

Terra’s network validator DSRV Labs CEO denies prior knowledge of Terra-LUNA collapse

Validators of Terra blockchain had no knowledge of the US$60 billion collapse of Terra-LUNA prior to the crash, said South Korean blockchain infrastructure provider DSRV Labs chief Kim Ji-yun. in response to the National Assembly’s parliamentary audit on the Financial Services Commission on Thursday. See related article: Terra CEO Do Kwon to lose his passport […]

Transit Swap hacker mulls return of more funds

A hacker in the Transit Swap recent hack will consider returning more funds after Transit Swap completes the first phase of user returns, according to a message transmitted on blockchain from one of the hacker’s addresses on Thursday. See related article: Hacker returned 70% of stolen US$23M in funds: Transit Swap Fast facts See related […]

NFTs from art and the burning question of their physical origins

Original artworks are being set on fire and destroyed to be digitally reborn on the blockchain as non-fungible tokens. But, how far is too far in this recent incendiary trend?

Singapore’s central bank says illegal crypto operations will be hunted down

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said illegal crypto-related businesses are operating in the city state and it is working with the police to identify and prosecute them. See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts In a reply to a Parliamentary question, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, senior minister […]

Aussie laundered stolen retirement funds via Hong Kong using crypto, diamonds

A woman in Melbourne, Australia pleaded guilty on Wednesday to her role in stealing millions of dollars from superannuation (retirement) funds and stock portfolios before laundering the proceeds via Hong Kong through the purchase of cryptocurrency and diamonds, as reported by The Age newspaper. See related article: Australian superannuation and institutions await clarity to invest […]

South Korea makes first arrest in Terra-LUNA investigation

South Korean prosecutors have arrested a Terraform Labs employee, in their first arrest under the investigation of the Terra-LUNA collapse. A bench warrant, which allows law enforcement to take suspects into custody, was issued on Wednesday for the arrested employee. See related article: Terra CEO Do Kwon to lose his passport within a month  Fast […]

S.Korea gov’t failed, special prosecutor needed on Terra-LUNA, lawmaker says

South Korean ruling party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun asserted that the country needs to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Terra-LUNA collapse, which affected over 280,000 people locally, in comments at the National Assembly’s parliamentary audit on the Financial Services Commission (FSC), South Korea’s top financial regulator. See related article: South Korea’s investigation of Do […]