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Solana blames Slope for exploit

The massive Solana wallet exploit that began on Wednesday Hong Kong time is believed to be related to the Slope mobile wallet app, while there is no evidence to show the blockchain’s code was compromised, Solana said. See related article:  Bitcoin, Ethereum little changed; Solana still lower after network hack Fast facts See related article: […]

Binance cofounder Yi He to head US$7.5B VC arm Binance Labs

Binance has named cofounder Yi He as the new head of its incubator and venture capital (VC) arm Binance Labs, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume works to invest in “projects with the tenacity to thrive in tough market conditions.” See related article: Calling a spade a spade holds Binance’s lesser known […]

Crypto.com, K-pop agency Fantagio enter joint NFT venture

South Korean entertainment agency Fantagio announced Wednesday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with digital asset platform Crypto.com to pursue non-fungible token (NFT) projects, according to local reports. See related article: Dunamu’s NFT venture with BTS’s HYBE to launch services later this year Fast facts KOSDAQ-listed Fantagio manages K-pop idol groups such as ASTRO and Weki […]

Most in Ethereum community will use L2 scalers: Vitalik Buterin

The Ethereum layer-1 chain should eventually “stop changing completely,” to provide stability on the base layer, Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin said in a conference in Seoul on Thursday. See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge Fast facts “If a layer-1 tries to do everything, there are a lot of […]

Filecoin on a tear as cautious optimism returns to crypto markets

Top blockchain and crypto news: Filecoin leads in market uptick. CryptoPunks in new glow as Tiffany jewelry. Chinese firms flock to Singapore.

Solana falls amid hack reports; Bitcoin, Ether edge higher in mixed markets

Solana fell 4% in Asia afternoon trading on Wednesday as reports surfaced of a hack that had drained thousands of wallets holding the token. Bitcoin and Ethereum edged higher, though U.S.-China tensions were a broader concern across all markets. Bitcoin traded at US$23,187 as of 4:30 p.m. in Hong Kong, up 1.47% in the prior […]

Chinese mining rig maker Canaan says global expansion on track despite ‘crypto winter’

Beijing’s drive to stamp out crypto mining and the slump in crypto prices are headwinds that Canaan says it knows how to deal with, adding that the crypto winter may be shorter than expected.

Zipmex resumes withdrawals of certain tokens in phased manner

Crypto platform Zipmex on Aug. 2 began to resume the withdrawal of certain altcoins such as Solana, Ripple and Cardano, the firm said in a blog post, after it halted customer withdrawals on July 20.  See related article: Zipmex seeks moratorium from creditors in Singapore court Fast facts From Aug. 2, Zipmex users could withdraw […]

Solana hack affects over 7,000 Phantom, Slope wallets

Approximately 7,767 wallets have been affected in the Solana exploit as of 1 p.m. Hong Kong time. Solana-based wallets Slope and Phantom are on the list, Solana said. See related article: Cardano users said to be indirectly affected by Nomad’s US$200 mln exploit Fast facts See related article: Waves community approves repayment plan for lending […]

Robinhood’s crypto arm fined US$30 mln for compliance failures

The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) slapped a US$30 million fine on the crypto arm of trading app Robinhood on Tuesday for allegedly violating the bank secrecy act, anti-money laundering, and cybersecurity regulations. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried buys 7.6% of Robinhood; stock jumps Fast facts The financial regulator also asked the firm […]

MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor moves to chairman role to focus on Bitcoin

MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor is stepping down to become executive chairman “to focus more on our Bitcoin acquisition strategy and related Bitcoin advocacy initiatives,” according to a company statement released Tuesday. See related article: Vitalik Buterin calls MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor a ‘total clown’ Fast facts According to the statement, this will allow the company to […]

More than 300 addresses said to perpetrate Nomad’s US$200 mln exploit

More than 300 bad actors stole US$191 million from Nomad’s cross-chain bridge which resulted from a software upgrade that backfired, crypto analytics firm PeckShield told The Block on Tuesday. See related article: Nomad Bridge alerts law enforcement amid US$200 mln attack Fast facts A routine software update on one of Nomad’s smart contracts allowed users […]

Nomad Bridge alerts law enforcement amid US$200 mln attack

In an update to its followers on Tuesday evening Asia time, cross-chain bridge Nomad said it is working to identify the attacker and recover the funds after an exploit drained nearly US$200 million on Monday. See related article: Nirvana’s ANA token down more than 80% after US$3.5 mln hack  Fast facts “We are working around […]

Solana an investor favorite as July registers strongest crypto inflows year-to-date: report

Crypto investments totaled US$474 million in July, mostly reversing outflows of US$481 million in June, even as Solana (SOL) witnessed year-to-date inflows of US$114 million, a report by Coinshares said. See related article: Ethereum needs scalability to retain market share: report Fast facts See related article: ETH crosses Bitcoin in options market for first time […]

China’s central bank to expand digital yuan pilot program

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has listed the “orderly expansion of the scope of the digital yuan pilot” as one of its key tasks in the second half of the year, according to a Tuesday press release from the Chinese central bank’s second-half-year work plan. See related article: Covid-19, postponed Asian Games to push […]

Ethereum needs scalability to retain market share: report

Bank of America (BofA) has said Ethereum needs improvements in scalability in order to retain its market share from newer blockchains such as Binance Smart Chain, Tron, Avalanche and Solana, according to a CoinDesk report.  See related article: Ethereum will soon turn 7 — and its upcoming ‘Merge’ will be well worth the wait Fast […]

NFT sales limp into August with a 25% drop from June to July amid crypto slump

Market analysts are mixed on outlook for non-fungible tokens, as some see mostly gloom, others point to glimmers of optimism.

XRP trades down 3.5% after Ripple unlocks 1 billion tokens from escrow

Blockchain payments company Ripple released 1 billion of XRP from three escrow accounts on August 1, pushing the price of its native token down by 3.4% in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data. See related article: SEC fails to block XRP holders from aiding in Ripple case Fast facts In December 2017, Ripple […]

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 […]

ETH crosses Bitcoin in options market for first time in history

Ethereum blockchain’s native token Ether (ETH) has surpassed Bitcoin (BTC) in the options market for the first time on Deribit exchange. See related article: Tether will support ETH 2.0 amid speculations of Merge delay Fast facts The cumulative dollar value of Ether options contract opens on Deribit was around US$5.7 billion, while open Bitcoin options […]

Recovering crypto from insolvent companies may be easier than you think

A stolen painting may be lost forever, but a fraudulent Bitcoin transaction — with these legal strategies and tracing tools — can lead right to the criminal.
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Digital Treasures Center latest to win Singapore’s crypto license

Digital Treasures Center (DTC) became the latest firm to receive the Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to become a regulated Digital Payment Token (DPT) services provider, the company announced on Monday.  See related article: Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’ Fast facts A full license […]

Vitalik Buterin calls MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor a ‘total clown’

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin has taken a shot at MicroStrategy chief executive officer Michael Saylor, calling him a “total clown” after the latter called the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency “inherently unethical.” See related article: Crypto continues tear while Vitalik Buterin says Eth2 ‘not priced in’ Fast facts “Why do maximalists keep picking heroes that turn out […]

Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin predicts the metaverse will be built, but any existing corporation trying to intentionally build one will not succeed, adding that efforts by Meta (formally Facebook) to do so will “misfire.” See related article: Will Facebook’s metaverse future transform how we live online? Fast facts In a Twitter thread over the weekend, the Ethereum […]

Back to the future: Blockchain returns to the real world

As the once febrile crypto market cools, it’s time to look again at the enterprise capabilities of blockchain, says the Hyperledger Foundation’s Daniela Barbosa

Bitcoin, Ether rally continues in Friday afternoon trading in Asia

The cryptocurrency market continued its rally in afternoon trading in Asia on Friday, with Bitcoin and Ethereum up 4.4% and 5.7%, respectively, over the past 24 hours. See related article: Crypto continues tear while Vitalik Buterin says Eth2 ‘not priced in’ Fast facts Bitcoin was at one point changing hands above the US$24,000 mark in […]

Bored Ape Yacht Club’s ApeCoin native token to fund 24-hour news website

The APE decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) approved a proposal to fund the 24-hour news website covering BAYC creator Yuga Labs and the community on Thursday.  See related article: Majority of ApeCoin token holders vote to stay on Ethereum Fast facts The Bored Ape Gazette website will become a 24-hour style news site complete with a […]

Terra allegedly ramped up its numbers with insider trading: report

Terraform Labs and affiliates allegedly ramped up the numbers of its decentralized finance (DeFi) service Anchor Protocol by investing their own capital, a claim that South Korean prosecutors are currently looking into, state broadcaster KBS reported. See related article: S.Korea slaps ‘notification upon arrival’ on Terra’s Do Kwon Fast facts The local media outlet claims […]

Zipmex seeks moratorium from creditors in Singapore court

Zipmex is seeking protection from potential claims or adverse actions for six months, citing “all efforts to focus on resolving the liquidity situation,” according to an announcement by the crypto exchange. See related article: Zipmex targets raising US$50 mln to cover exposure to embattled crypto lenders Fast facts See related article: Babel Finance says liquidity […]

Bitcoin rig maker Canaan to deploy self-mining soon in US, executive says

Chinese crypto mining rig maker Canaan is ramping up its mining business and will soon start self- or joint-mining operations in the U.S., Edward Lu, a senior vice president of Canaan, told Forkast in an interview on Thursday. See related article: Bitcoin rig maker Canaan reports over US$200 mln in Q1 revenue Fast facts “Today […]

Harmony’s compensation plan upsets hack victims

Harmony Protocol announced on Wednesday a reimbursement plan for wallets affected by the US$100 million hack on its Horizon cross-chain bridge last month, which was met by mostly negative feedback. See related article: North Korea said to be responsible for Harmony Horizon hack Fast facts The reimbursement will be with Harmony’s ONE cryptocurrency, distributed monthly […]

Bad actors in North Korea, Russia send record-high funds to crypto mixers

A new report by Chainalysis shows that sanctioned actors, especially in North Korea and Russia, are sending record sums to crypto mixers.

Ethereum price surges amid bounceback, tenth shadow fork going live

Ethereum has been on a tear, gaining 14% in the past 24 hours. The world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is now up ​​more than 47% in the past 14 days ahead of the Merge. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum to be 55% complete post-merge Fast facts Ethereum is up 13.9% over the […]

Dubai police launch 2nd edition of NFTs, see use case for digital assets

Dubai police are dropping a second round of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as digital assets conform to their interests in innovation, security and communication. In a statement on their website, Dubai police claim to be the first government entity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create its own digital assets and the first police organization […]

Hong Kong to launch US$637 mln tech fund for startups: report

Hong Kong will launch a HK$5 billion (US$637 million) fund to support startups seeking to reach unicorn status, the city’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said. See related article: Hong Kong’s Cyberport invests in digital asset custodian Hex Trust Fast facts See related article: Animoca Brands ups valuation to US$5.9B despite slumping markets

Why DeFi remains attractive to institutions in a bear market

Despite the bleak macro outlook, more institutions are looking to gain exposure to the DeFi sector, writes Robert Alcorn of Clearpool. Here’s why.

IMF warning shrugged off; US stablecoin bill race

The crypto market shrugs off IMF’s predicted recession risk. Also, U.S lawmakers racing to introduce the stablecoin bill.

Voyager gives Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘low-ball’ bailout offer a single digit

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF’s Voyager rescue deal spurned. Tesla pulls U-turn with BTC sale. Tencent cuts local NFT staff as it looks abroad.

Scarred by Terra-LUNA, South Korea moves ahead with digital asset reform

Aiming to uncover the next “BTS in finance,” Chairman Kim Joo-hyun of the Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) is calling for “bold reforms” in financial regulations, including in crypto assets.

3,000 Biggie Smalls-inspired NFTs sell out in 10 minutes

The 3,000 generative non-fungible token (NFT) collection featuring late rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, sold out in about 10 minutes at marketplace OneOf.  See related article: China’s ‘Instagram’ gets into virtual fashion with users strutting NFT clothes Fast facts Sky’s the Limit is an NFT profile picture collection that […]

S.Korea slaps ‘notification upon arrival’ on Terra’s Do Kwon

South Korean prosecutors investigating Terra-LUNA have requested the Ministry of Justice to place a “notification upon arrival” on Terraform Labs chief executive officer Do Kwon and a travel ban on Terra cofounder Shin Hyun-seung, according to local media reports. See related article: South Korean prosecutors said to have raided Terra cofounder Shin’s residence Fast facts […]

Crypto exchange Bullish’s 2Q average daily volume rises 3-fold on the quarter

Average daily volumes (ADV) at Bullish cryptocurrency exchange in the second quarter of the year rose by about 212% to US$522 million, up from US$167 million in the first quarter, according to a business update released on July 26. The exchange is operated by Bullish (GI) Limited and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.  […]

IMF says crypto crash hasn’t quite harmed broader financial system

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Tuesday that the cryptocurrency market turmoil hasn’t quite affected global financial stability. See related article: Crypto volatility hasn’t had macroeconomic implications so far: Jerome Powell Fast facts In a report published Tuesday, the IMF said crypto assets have “experienced a dramatic selloff” that has led to losses in crypto […]

Philippine President Marcos Jr pushes tax on digital services

In his first State of the Nation address, Philippine President Bongbong Marcos Jr. laid out his administration’s plans for the next six years including the imposition of tax on digital service providers that could include crypto exchanges.

‘Soft rug pull’ sees US$4.5 mln in TEDDY memecoin sold over weekend

The price of BNB Chain-based Teddy Doge (TEDDY) fell over 99.9% in 24 hours on Monday in Asia as over US$4.5 million of the token was sold over the weekend, in what some analysts described as a “soft rug pull.” The token was trading at just a fraction of a dollar on Tuesday in Asia. […]

Bitcoin, Ether trade lower ahead of FOMC meeting

Bitcoin and Ether were trading lower in anticipation of an upcoming U.S. Fed meeting that is widely expected to raise interest rates by 75 basis points. See related article: Crypto market pain will continue but still bullish on Bitcoin lending: Silvergate Fast facts Bitcoin was trading at US$21,130 at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday HKT, down […]

Illegal foreign exchange trading with Bitcoin ‘Kimchi Premium’ probed in S.Korea

Prosecutors in South Korea are reportedly investigating foreign remittances of over 2 trillion Korean won (US$1.5 billion) at the country’s banks on suspicions of money laundering by crypto speculators. See related article: US$1.5B South Korean ‘kimchi premium’ crypto scheme prompts 33 arrests Fast facts The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office is examining foreign exchange transactions […]

Zipmex targets raising US$50 mln to cover exposure to embattled crypto lenders

Crypto exchange Zipmex, which announced that it is in serious discussions with potential investors on Monday, is looking to raise US$50 million to cover its exposure to Babel Finance and Celsius Network, Bloomberg reported.  See related article: Zipmex says considering possible offer Fast facts Zipmex’s fundraising target is close to its exposure to Babel Finance, […]

Aptos raises US$150 mln from FTX Ventures, Jump Crypto

Founded by former employees of Meta stablecoin arm Diem, blockchain company Aptos Labs announced a US$150 million Series A funding round led by FTX Ventures and Jump Crypto on Monday, according to a press release. See related article: Crypto startup funding falls by 26% in H1 2022: report Fast facts Venture capital and crypto firms […]

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao is suing the Hong Kong publisher of Bloomberg Businessweek for defamation for an article published last month. See related article: Binance fined by Dutch central bank for improper registration Fast facts Zhao Monday filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong against Modern Media Co. Ltd., which publishes the Chinese edition […]

What is the crypto industry’s public responsibility?

The crypto world is consumed by a spiritual battle between its believers and haters, and it is in need of a rebirth and new identity, writes Prof. Yanto Chandra of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

How cold storage can ward against this crypto winter’s freeze

As the Celsius bankruptcy shows, moving to decentralized ways to hold crypto is not only sensible, it’s what Satoshi envisioned all along, writes Ruben Merre, CEO and cofounder of NGRAVE.

Metaverse real estate sales to grow by $5B by 2026: report

From 2021 to 2026, the metaverse real estate market is expected to grow by $5.37 billion, at a compound annual growth rate of 61.74%, driven by the growing popularity of mixed reality and cryptocurrencies, according to a report from global market research firm Technavio. See related article: K-pop logs in to the metaverse strung by […]

FTX proposes buying out Voyager assets and loans except for 3AC to provide early liquidity to customers

Crypto exchange FTX launched a joint offer with West Realm Shires, which runs FTX.US, and Alameda Ventures, on Friday, which would allow bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital customers to get their hands on their bankruptcy claims in advance.  See related article: ​​Voyager crypto refund plan unconfirmed; fiat to be returned in full Fast facts Regarding […]

Crypto market pain will continue but still bullish on Bitcoin lending: Silvergate

The bear market in digital assets hasn’t ended with more exchanges and crypto funds likely to suffer for several quarters, Alan Lane, the Chief Executive of crypto-focused bank Silvergate said. See related article: Wall Street seems to sense opportunity in distressed crypto markets Fast facts Investors should not compare the current crypto price decline to […]

Tesla’s Bitcoin dump leaves accountants puzzled: report

Tesla’s announcement to convert bulk of its Bitcoin holdings to fiat currency has opened a Pandora’s box for accountants, a Bloomberg report said.  See related article: Bitcoin falls as Tesla announces it sold 75% of BTC holdings Fast facts Based on Tesla’s letter to shareholders, the sale of Bitcoin added US$936 million in cash to […]

FTX said to be in talks to acquire S. Korea crypto exchange Bithumb

Crypto derivatives exchange FTX is reportedly in talks to purchase Bithumb, one of South Korea’s top five cryptocurrency exchanges. See related article: BlockFi’s deal with Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX will prioritize clients Fast facts The two exchanges have been discussing the deal for several months, according to an anonymous source who told Bloomberg. Neither Bithumb nor […]

DeFi TVL plunged 67% in Q2

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) plunged 66.9% in the second quarter of this year amid market turmoil, according to data from DefiLlama. See related article: Sinking TRON takes DeFi TVL to US$63B, lowest since April 2021 Fast facts The DeFi space recorded US$220 billion in TVL at the beginning of the […]

Dunamu’s NFT venture with BTS’s HYBE to launch services later this year

Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s Upbit crypto exchange, told local media that Levvels, its Los Angeles-based joint venture established in May this year with HYBE Co., will start services in the latter half of this year. See related article: NFT credit card in the works for top S. Korean crypto exchange Fast facts Dunamu […]

Zipmex says considering possible offer

Singapore-based crypto exchange Zipmex said on Sunday it’s in serious discussions with potential investors looking to buy the firm, days after halting all customer withdrawals citing market volatility and financial difficulty at some partners. See related article: Crypto exchange Zipmex freezes withdrawals Fast facts One of the interested parties has offered to start financial due […]

Mind the gap: Fixing the female deficit in Web 3.0

Despite some recent progress, the Web 3.0 industry is still coming up short on women’s participation, says NEAR Foundation chief Marieke Flament

BSP says no crypto ban; Rehab for crypto addicts

Philippine BSP governor denies plans on banning crypto. Meanwhile, a former Coinbase employee has been arrested for insider trading.

Philippine central bank governor says no plan to ban crypto

New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla is no fan of crypto, but in an exclusive interview with Forkast, he said there’s no plan to outlaw the digital asset.

Tencent to cut domestic NFT marketplace team, look overseas: report

Tencent will lay off an undisclosed number of staff on its mainland China non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace team and adjust the platform’s business strategy, as it prepares another NFT marketplace serving overseas users, sources close to Tencent said, Chinese financial media Caixin reported on Thursday. See related article: Tencent to shut Huanhe NFT marketplace: report […]

Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum to be 55% complete post-merge

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on Thursday that Ethereum will be about 55% complete after the “merge,” when the network moves from proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus system.  See related article: Eth2 merger closer as ninth shadow fork goes live Fast facts “Proof of stake is much more secure than proof of work, […]

Former Coinbase manager arrested on insider trading charges

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested former Coinbase product manager Ishan Wahi and his brother, Nikhil Wahi, on allegations of wire fraud in a first-ever cryptocurrency insider trading scheme, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.  See related article: Former OpenSea employee arrested amid insider trading allegations Fast facts The Wahi brothers are […]

Indonesia’s wholesale CBDC to be ready for bank use by year end: report

Indonesia’s central bank is working on releasing the conceptual design of its own digital currency for banks to use by the end of this year, Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo said on Thursday. See related article: Governments pushing for CBDCs smell blood in Terra Classic’s struggles Fast facts Bank Indonesia’s digital rupiah will be the […]

Bitcoin mining difficulty records largest fall in a year

Bitcoin mining difficulty dropped by 5.01% on Friday, marking the third decline in a row and the largest fall since July 2021, according to data from BTC.com. See related article: Celsius Network could add to crypto mining struggles Fast facts The mining difficulty reading is now at 27.69 trillion at a block height of 745,920, […]

Zipmex extends withdrawal freeze until Friday; no time specified

Singapore-based crypto exchange Zipmex said on Thursday night Hong Kong time (HKT) it will prolong its customer withdrawal freeze until Friday “to prevent any technical issues,” without specifying a time. See related article: Singapore’s MAS to further strengthen crypto regulations Fast facts See related article: Singapore crypto lender reportedly owes retail investors US$363 million

Tesla’s Bitcoin bump; Zipmex freezes withdrawals

Bitcoin drops after Tesla sells 75% of its bitcoin holdings. Meanwhile, South Korean authorities raid 15 companies as part of their Terra Luna investigations.

Tencent to shut Huanhe NFT marketplace: report

Tencent this week will shut down Huanhe, the Chinese tech giant’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace that has been operating for less than a year, according to unnamed Tencent sources cited in a report by Shanghai-based technology news outlet Jiemian on Wednesday. See related article: WeChat bans NFT accounts, citing ‘crypto speculation’ Fast facts Tencent has […]

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The partnership will celebrate the progress, impact and innovation of exceptional women leaders across the globe.