Forkast.News is now Forkast Labs

Search results: USDC

Page of 5

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

What is the right approach to regulating stablecoins?

Terra UST’s crash and burn is prompting calls for regulations. But lawmakers shouldn’t paint all stablecoins with the same brush, writes Alan Chiu.

Tether to offer new sterling-pegged stablecoin, GBPT

Tether said it will launch a new stablecoin pegged to the British pound sterling in early July, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT, announced Wednesday. See related article: Tether market cap shrinks below US$70B, lowest since October 2021 Fast facts Tether’s announcement comes a week after Circle, the operator of the world’s second-largest […]

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 […]

Client accuses Bitcoin, Ethereum backer Three Arrows Capital of misappropriating funds

The crypto hedge fund got called out on social media Thursday for allegedly misappropriating US$1 million to cover risks of insolvency.

A few large trades likely broke UST’s peg: Chainalysis

Analysis by the blockchain data platform found the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) took place in three stages — a few large trades broke UST’s peg triggering a selloff, there were attempts to restore the peg, but continued selloff finally drained all funds. See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts […]

What lessons can we learn from Terra’s LUNA/UST meltdown?

Terra’s LUNA/UST death spiral was entirely predictable — and it served as a stress test for better-designed stablecoins, writes Gytis Trilikauskis of MEV Capital.

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.

Has ‘Crypto Winter’ arrived with Bitcoin, Ether prices falling?

After what seems like a dead cat bounce, cryptocurrencies are falling again in Asian trade as markets head into the Federal Reserve’s announcement of its decision on interest rates on June 15.
and

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.

Bitcoin, Ether bear brunt of market selloff amid fears of Fed rate increase

Still recovering from the Terra-LUNA debacle that wiped off billions of dollars in investor wealth, people sold off cryptocurrencies amid a market slump over expectations that the Fed will act faster to tame inflation.
and

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 […]

Circle’s head of policy calls CBDCs a ‘Preposterous Idea’: Consensus

Head of policy for stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Financial, Dante Disparte, called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) a “preposterous idea” during a panel Wednesday at Consensus 2022. See related article: CBDCs, stablecoins can coexist: Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard Fast facts Disparte later added the Fed issuing its own digital dollar is “the equivalent idea […]

FTX, OpenSea make the cut to Forbes Fintech 50

Nine cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, including crypto exchange FTX, made it to the 2022 list of the Forbes Fintech 50 released Tuesday, with all nine raising a total of US$6.5 billion in venture capital, according to the business magazine. See related article: FTX.US forays into stock trading Fast facts The latest list features private companies […]

Animoca Brands investments have crossed US$1.5B

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, which invests in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and metaverse projects, has invested over US$1.5 billion across more than 340 investments as of April 30, according to its unaudited financial results released on Monday. See related article: Animoca Brands’ new Japan arm aims to connect fans in Web 3.0 world Fast facts Between […]

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.

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 […]

Governments pushing for CBDCs smell blood in Terra Classic’s struggles

Advocates for central bank digital currencies argue their inherent stability supersedes any benefits so-called stablecoins, algorithmic or otherwise, could offer.     

Kerner at Blockchain Coinvestors says Terra was a Ponzi strategy

The crypto community is still dealing with the fallout from the multibillion-dollar collapse of Terra-LUNA. At a Davos event organized by Forkast, we asked what caused the crash and if it was foreseeable.

China’s BSN to launch overseas public chain without crypto support

China’s state-backed infrastructure Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) announced on Tuesday that it is preparing the launch of BSN Spartan on Aug. 31, a new international network for non-cryptocurrency public chains. See related article: Resist the temptation on NFTs, Chinese state-backed developer says Fast facts “We’re not against public chains, but we’re against crypto,” BSN developer […]

Nearly half of Tether reserves are now in US Treasury bills

Commercial paper backing Tether (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, has decreased by 17% from US$24.2 billion in Q4 2021 to US$20.1 billion in Q1 2022, according to Tether’s latest attestation report.  See related article: Tether slashes commercial paper, shows more reserves than liabilities Fast facts Commercial paper in Tether reserves has been reduced by an […]

Terra, UST collapse pushes G-7 call for swift crypto regulation

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) urged the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to accelerate crypto regulations following the downfall of the Terra blockchain and its terraUSD (UST) algorithmic stablecoin, Reuters reported. See related article: LUNA pumps and dumps repeatedly in weekend’s roller coaster run Fast facts The inter-governmental political forum — consisting of […]

Terra was a ‘house of cards’: Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, which issues the second-largest stablecoin USDC, claims to have foreseen Terra and algorithmic stablecoin UST’s collapse six months ago because it was “a house of cards.” See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts “There were two things that […]

News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated

LUNA, the collateral used by Terraform Labs to back its TerraUSD (UST), has been in a freefall. But experts tell Forkast the crisis is likely to make the pioneering stablecoin stronger, and the community behind stablecoins better.

KuCoin raises US$150 mln at US$10B valuation

The series B round, led by Jump Crypto, helped push the cryptocurrency exchange’s valuation to US$10 billion, KuCoin said.

De-layered and durable: How DeFi will boost the finance sector’s resilience

As decentralized finance redefines the way money moves, a do-or-die moment is approaching for traditional finance sector businesses, says Anthony Scaramucci.

Clearpool launches US$25 mln permissioned liquidity pool with Jane Street, BlockTower Capital

Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Clearpool announced Tuesday the launch of a permissioned liquidity pool in partnership with quantitative trading firm Jane Street and crypto and blockchain investment firm BlockTower Capital. See related article: Nexo and Fidelity Digital Assets expand institutional lending services Fast facts The liquidity pool has been funded with US$25 million worth […]

John Legend’s OurSong raises US$7.5 mln to fuel music NFTs

Our Happy Company, cofounded by musician John Legend, has raised US$7.5 million in its seed round, as the company looks to expand its music non-fungible token (NFT) platform OurSong. Watch explainer: What does Music have to do with NFTs? Fast facts The financing round was led by Infinity Ventures Crypto and Animoca Brands, the company […]

What is Axie Infinity and how is it ushering in gaming 3.0?

Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game that rewards players with cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Learn all about how Axie Infinity is creating a play-to-earn revolution in this Forkast explainer.

World Bank rescue package throws lifeline to crypto markets

Top blockchain and crypto news: Crisis response brings crypto relief. North Korea’s Lazarus Group named in Ronin hack. NFTs face new risks in China.

North Korea behind Ronin hack: US

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of the Treasury allege North Korea’s Lazarus Group and APT38 were responsible for stealing cryptocurrencies worth about US$620 million off the Ethereum sidechain Ronin. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts The hack was perpetrated by the Democratic People’s […]

Sky Mavis raises $150 mln to offset Ronin hack, Axie NFT sales surge more than 350%

News of Sky Mavis raising US$150 million to compensate users following the around US$600 million hack on its Ronin Bridge led to a surge in Axie non-fungible tokens (NFT) sales. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts Binance leads the round along with Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, a16z, Dialectic, […]

Will London be Europe’s next crypto capital?

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Britain’s crypto gamble. WAVES crashing. China’s big digital yuan push.

Waves’ Neutrino USD loses peg amid price manipulation allegations

Since March 31, WAVES’ price has dipped more than 45% while the ecosystem’s native stablecoin USDN has been knocked off its dollar peg.

How Bitcoin could become the collateral layer for the digital asset economy

Bitcoin is now a reserve asset for Terra’s UST. What does this portend for the $186 billion stablecoins market?

Why are stablecoins overwhelmingly backed by the US dollar?

Stablecoins are taking the world by storm and it’s the US dollar that outweighs any other fiat-backed cryptocurrency. What are the reasons for the greenback’s dominance?

Ronin hack proceeds seen headed to Tornado Cash

At least 500 Ether looted from the US$600 million Ronin hack has been transferred to Tornado Cash. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts An Ethereum address associated with the hack made two 100 ETH deposits to Tornado Cash on Monday morning Asia time. Over an hour later, the […]

Ronin hack delays Axie Infinity upgrade

Sky Mavis, the developer of the popular blockchain game Axie Infinity, delayed its highly anticipated Origin upgrade in response to the recent hack worth over US$600 million on its Ronin network.  See related article: Top NFT game Axie Infinity generated $1.3B in revenue last year Fast facts The Vietnam-based developer’s new Origin upgrade will now […]

Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M

Ethereum sidechain Ronin, where play-to-earn blockchain game Axie Infinity runs, has been hacked for over US$600 million in crypto, making it one of the biggest hacks in crypto history. See related article: Axie Infinity becomes first NFT series to break $4B in sales Fast facts Ronin said the hacker compromised four of their own validator […]

How DeFi can lift up the poor in emerging markets

Traditional banks are failing the nearly 2 billion people in the world without access to financial services, writes Khalid Howladar. But DeFi can be a lifeline.

Bullish delays $9B SPAC merger, awaits SEC approval

Bullish has postponed its backdoor listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) through a planned special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal with Far Peak Acquisition Corp., as the merger still waits for approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  See related article: Crypto exchange Bullish announces soft launch Fast facts Bullish, operator of […]

Can crypto cushion Russia from the pain of sanctions?

War-mongering Russia is finding itself increasingly isolated. What if the rogue state tries to regain its financial footing via cryptocurrency?
and

Circle’s growth outpaces Tether as it doubles valuation

Circle’s USDC, the world’s second-largest stablecoin, is gunning for the title of the world’s top stablecoin as it closes in on Tether’s market capitalization after doubling its valuation to US$9 billion in a revised merger deal.  See related article: Stablecoin issuer Circle to go public in US$4.5B SPAC deal Fast facts USDC’s market cap has […]

Collision or coexistence: Can CBDCs and crypto live side by side?

As more countries announce plans for central bank digital currencies, will that break crypto’s promise as the future of money?

Will the growing regulatory heat on stablecoins stifle innovation?

As stablecoins face pressure to adopt traditional safeguards, the industry’s efforts to self-regulate should not be overlooked, writes Charlie Martin of Gro.

3D NFT marketplace coming to Polygon via Smart MFG

Smart MFG, a blockchain-based supply chain decentralized finance firm, has integrated with Polygon to launch Phigital, a 3D marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFT). Fast facts Phigital will focus on interoperability of 3D assets across metaverses, and NFTs with real-world use cases. The movement of different assets and NFTs across metaverses has been one of the […]

Solana DeFi avoids meltdown as Wormhole loss replaced

Jump Crypto announced that it replaced 120,000 ETH Friday morning Asia time to its cross-chain bridge Wormhole after a US$325 million exploit left wrapped Ether (wETH) in the Solana ecosystem unbacked. Fast facts The hacker was able to exploit Solana’s verification system to mint 120,000 wETH, and use it to funnel at least 93,750 ETH […]

‘Everything will be an NFT next year,’ says Circle chief of product

Rachel Mayers sees corporate and institutional interest in crypto and blockchain create an explosion in use cases and a whole new way of demonstrating consumer loyalty.

Blockchain Research Institute co-founder sees DeFi reaching trillion dollars in total value

Alex Tapscott of Ninepoint Partners also shares with Forkast.News his predictions for stablecoins and NFTs in 2022.

Are liquidity miners mercenary capitalists or infrastructure providers?

Liquidity mining plays a unique role in the DeFi ecosystem. How does it work?

xSpend allows GameFi tokens, stablecoins to pay for real-world goods and services

Crypto finance platform XLD Finance wants to enable users to spend GameFi tokens and stablecoins to pay for real-world goods and services. Fast facts The company has launched its first project, xSpend, which allows users from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to purchase mobile prepaid credits on the platform using GameFi tokens and stablecoins. Users may also pay Philippine-based […]

NBA is taking the lead with blockchain, crypto

The National Basketball Association has been ahead of the game in crypto adoption, but after a week of major developments, the league is now way out in front.

Running on empty: How NFT drops drive up gas fees — and transaction anxiety

Gas fee unpredictability is a highly problematic aspect of the Ethereum ecosystem, writes Matt Cutler of Blocknative. What are the solutions?

Cryptocurrency prices take another hit in downward spiral

Macroeconomic factors and a spate of bad news override bullish outlook in crypto market as the year lurches toward its end.

Top crypto CEOs face House committee grappling with regulations

Stablecoins, US dollar primacy and energy consumption were among the topics in the questioning homing in on how to regulate the crypto industry.

LUNA, Shiba Inu Coin soar as Ethereum nears all-time high

As the market recovers from a weekend sell-off, Terra and Shiba Inu tokens shine bright while Ethereum eyes new price heights. What’s behind their rally?

Crypto exchange Bullish announces soft launch

Initial operations are available to invited institutional investors including Hong Kong crypto finance service provider, Amber Group.

Circle invests in JPYC; Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle invests in JYPC meanwhile Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle contributes to $4.3M Series A funding round for yen-backed stablecoin

As Circle expands into Asia as part of a global expansion plan, what does the investment in a yen-back stablecoin mean for the market?

Ethereum’s Web 3.0 ecosystem expands, 3.4 million now into DeFi

Ethereum’s sprawling Web 3.0 ecosystem — which includes the majority of the decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain gaming worlds — continues to expand and draw users, with 3.4 million Ethereum addresses interacting with DeFi protocols, according to ConsenSys’ Web 3 Q3 2021 report published this week. Led by Ethereum co-founder Joseph […]

What are the digital assets powering the DeFi revolution?

Digital assets are disrupting financial services in ways not seen since the Middle Ages, writes Alex Tapscott of Ninepoint Partners. Here is the taxonomy for the future of finance.

What is the Solana ecosystem and how is it fueling SOL’s stratospheric rise?

Solana prices keep cresting to new heights, making SOL a top-five cryptocurrency by size. What makes Solana and its ecosystem stand out? Forkast.News explains.

Tales from the Crypt, 2021: 10 crypto horror stories

Behind this year’s giddy markets, evil and tragedies abound. Just in time for Halloween, Forkast.News shakes out the skeletons in crypto’s closet.

Mastercard partners with Bakkt to offer crypto payments

Payments giant Mastercard and cryptocurrencies firm Bakkt Holdings Inc. announced on Monday they have partnered to facilitate cryptocurrency debit and credit card payments. The partnership will make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs in the U.S. to offer a broad set of cryptocurrency services and ​​enable consumers to buy and sell digital assets through […]

As regulators circle above, how should the DeFi industry respond?

Traditional finance evolved over centuries while DeFi is coming into its own in a few years, writes Adi Ben-Ari of Applied Blockchain. Are its risks inevitable?

Sotheby’s to auction digital art in a digital world

Sotheby’s, the 277-year-old auction house, is launching its own immersive digital experience to offer prospective buyers a new way of engaging with the latest art-world craze — non-fungible token (NFT) artworks — according to a press release shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts Sotheby’s is creating a metaverse to allow users to explore and learn about […]

Public blockchain Nervos launches cross-chain ‘Force Bridge’ on mainnet

Nervos, a public blockchain backed by China Merchants Bank International and Sequoia China, today announced the mainnet launch of its cross-chain “Force Bridge,” according to a company statement shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts The Force Bridge enables cross-chain transactions between Nervos and Ethereum, with support for ETH and whitelisted ERC-20 tokens, including Dai (DAI), Tether […]

Why global regulations for stablecoins can help catalyze crypto adoption

In this special Q&A, industry leaders tell Forkast.News why global stablecoin regulations can help catalyze crypto adoption.

A look at how global stablecoin regulations are evolving

As international regulators seek to implement oversight, crypto industry players say it is a positive sign that regulators are now considering including stablecoins in banking regulations.