Sam Bankman-Fried’s testimony gets a test run as the defense presents its case
In a rare move, Judge Lewis Kaplan sent the jury home early so he can decide what is and isn’t admissible in FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s testimony.
Bitcoin soars amid buzz of potential ETF approval: Is a crypto renaissance on the horizon?
Top blockchain and crypto news: Bitcoin ETF potential pumps life in markets. Ethereum NFTs back on rise. Major industry layoffs continue.
Mastercard explores partnerships with crypto wallets MetaMask, Ledger: CoinDesk
Mastercard’s potential tie up with custody service providers may turbocharge crypto wallets’ growth with its global payments prowess.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs — crypto’s silver bullet?
Amid news, fake or otherwise, of an imminent approval for at least one spot Bitcoin ETF, Bitcoin’s price has skyrocketed. Could a year of pain in the crypto industry be over?
Parity Technologies, Polkadot blockchain developer, lays off 30% of staff
Parity CEO Björn Wagner said that despite the need for layoffs, the company’s financial health “remains robust.”
Dark Side of the $MOON: What the collapse of Reddit Community Points teaches us about Web3 tokenomics
To quell the uproar over the imminent death of a popular rewards program, Reddit is blaming ‘scalability’ and regulatory woes. But the real culprit is Reddit itself for failing to make its tokens sustainable, writes Fabio Galbi, CEO of VSC.
Binance loses two more top execs in UK and France
Global regulatory pressure on the world’s largest exchange continues to take its toll.
Binance challenges CFTC’s global reach in legal clash
Binance hits back at CFTC, stating U.S. laws can’t police global crypto operations; claims Binance.US operates separately.
Bitcoin ETF fever sends BTC to heights not seen since May 2022
As Bitcoin breaks past $35,000, optimism brews in the crypto market. Is this the end of the prolonged ‘crypto winter’ investors have dreaded?
North America retains crypto crown even as US regulatory clouds loom: Chainalysis
The United States is the region’s top driver of crypto activity.
China’s central bank to ‘resolutely curb’ crypto speculation; Hong Kong updates regulations
PBOC to crack down on crypto speculation, as Hong Kong restricts access to certain “complex” virtual asset products.
Philippines’ Coins.ph may have lost US$6 million worth of XRP in hack: The Block
Coins.ph, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the Philippines with millions of users, appeared to have lost 12.2 million XRP tokens, The Block reported on Friday.
Bitcoin briefly rallies above US$30,000 following Grayscale’s new ETF application
Bitcoin gained over 10% this past week, boosted by Grayscale’s renewed spot Bitcoin ETF application.
Binance says it signed agreements with new euro banking partners
Binance announced it has secured new fiat partners for euro services after its former partner cut ties with the exchange last month.
LBRY shuts down operations
LBRY issued a final goodbye to the crypto community before winding down operations.
Gemini, Genesis, DCG sued by New York Attorney General
The lawsuit alleges that the companies defrauded over 230,000 investors.
Coinbase taps Ireland as European hub ahead of MiCA regime
Coinbase said that the regulatory clarity MiCA provides to the industry is “hugely welcome.”
Binance’s rollercoaster week: expansion, setbacks, and the ghost of FTX’s collapse
Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Japan a new frontier for Binance? AI art sweeps NFT sales. ETF buzz electrifies Bitcoin.
OFAC sanctions Gaza-based crypto exchange allegedly linked to Hamas
The U.S. takes action against 10 Hamas-linked entities, including Gaza-based money transfer business and crypto exchange Buy Cash.
UK emerges as world’s third-largest economy in terms of crypto transaction volume: Chainalysis
The U.K. is also listed as the 14th economy on Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index.
Over 40% of Hong Kong investors shun digital assets post-JPEX Scandal, survey reveals
The survey aimed to measure the public attitude towards virtual asset investments, following the JPEX incident.
Trust Wallet’s TWT up 7%, leads top 100 cryptos in gains
TWT price rose over 15% during the past week, after Trust Wallet announced a major rebranding upgrade.
SUI Foundations denies supply manipulation allegations
SUI fell to a new all-time low on Wednesday following supply manipulation allegations, which the Sui Foundation denies.
EU adopts new crypto tax rules, mandate data sharing from crypto firms
The new data sharing rules will go into effect 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal.
Rampant scams highlight critical need for greater crypto literacy
The plight of the Philippines — which has a high rate of crypto adoption but is also plagued by fraud — offers a window into why the industry’s ‘do your own research’ mantra isn’t enough.
Binance freezes over 100 accounts on Israeli police request: Financial Times
Israeli police requested information on 200 additional crypto accounts.
XRP support for Roblox “inaccurate”: Decrypt
Correction: This article originally stated that the XRP cryptocurrency is available for in-game payments in Roblox and Smite through the payment processor BitPay. Roblox has denied the report and BitPay has since deleted its announcement on X. Roblox, a popular online game with an average of 65.5 million daily active users, has denied claims that […]
Binance Japan — death knell or savior for the nation’s smaller crypto exchanges?
Few tokens and too many exchanges are a bad recipe for Japan’s smaller crypto trading houses. The experts say there’s room for up to five only. So what happens to the little guy now that the world’s largest exchange Binance has rolled back into town?
Binance halts new user registration in the U.K.
The exchange added that it will also stop releasing new products and services in the country.
Tether freezes 32 addresses related to terrorism in Israel and Ukraine
Tether says it froze US$873,000 in USDT linked to terror activities in Israel and Ukraine. CEO Ardoino stresses crypto’s traceability.
Binance: One year on from FTX’s downfall
Inside the world’s largest crypto exchange’s annus horribilis.
Ferrari starts accepting crypto payments in the US
The luxury car maker said it started accepting crypto payments due to popular demand from its crypto investor customers.
Upbit Singapore receives in-principal license from MAS
Singapore’s major payment institution license will enable Upbit to continue offering regulated digital asset services while awaiting its full license.
Australian Treasury to release crypto draft legislation by 2024
The Australian Department of the Treasury said it will accept feedback on the draft bill by December.
Tether appoints Paolo Ardoino as new CEO
Ardoino takes Tether’s helm after serving as the USDT stablecoin issuer’s chief technical officer since 2017.
Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below US$27,000 following CPI and Israeli conflict
Bitcoin was subdued by the mounting geopolitical concerns around Israel’s war with Hamas and the ongoing FTX lawsuit.
Russian hackers may be behind FTX hack: Elliptic
The research firm said that on-chain data point toward Russian hackers, instead of the previously-suspected North Korean Lazarus Group.
Israel-Palestine crisis: Navigating the intersection of conflict, aid and blockchain
Top blockchain and crypto news: Gaza tensions, digital tremors, NFTs are not dancing in September, Joe Lubin talks traditional system’s twilight.
Coinbase Q3 trading volume drops 52% from last year
The current crypto bear market caused Coinbase’s trading volume to drop to levels not seen since 2020.
FTX collapse helped the evolution of crypto regulation, says Bahamas securities regulator
FTX’s collapse and the crypto winter helped regulators familiarize themselves with the rapidly evolving crypto industry, said Christina Rolle of the Bahamas Securities Commission.
Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise money from Saudi crown prince, Ellison testifies
Caroline Ellison details how Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise capital from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as FTX struggled to repay lenders.
ESMA says DeFi can bring greater financial inclusion, but warns of volatility risks
The regulator said that DeFi doesn’t pose a risk to financial stability, due to its small size, but said it needs to be monitored in the future.
Philippines Coins.ph partners with Circle for USDC remittances
Coins.ph joins forces with Circle to introduce USDC remittances, targeting a more efficient and affordable money transfer solution for millions of Filipinos abroad, supporting the UN’s goal of trimming remittance costs by 2023.
Malaysia grants Hata in-principle approval to operate digital asset exchange
The Malaysian Securities Commission has given crypto firm, Hata, a conditional approval to operate a “digital asset exchange” with a “digital broker” license.
Brazilian congressional committee calls for Binance CEO Zhao’s indictment
The congressional committee accused Changpeng Zhao and three other executives, along with 45 individuals, of running a financial pyramid scheme in the country.
S.Korea’s crypto market rebounds in H1 but down 48.5% from 2021 close
South Korea’s cryptocurrency market has bounced back during the first half of this year but is still almost 50% below its value at the end of 2021, according to the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KOFIU), a government agency that oversees the nation’s anti-money laundering regime. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel […]
Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel police
Israel Police’s cyber unit, Lahav 443, halts Hamas’ cryptocurrency fundraising efforts following Israeli crypto firms’ aid initiatives for war-affected citizens.
Israel crypto firms launch emergency crypto fund
Crypto Aid Israel, a fund aiding war-impacted citizens, uses a multi-signature wallet for Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins donations.
Crypto investment products record highest inflows since July: CoinShares
Inflows in cryptocurrency investment products reached US$78 million last week, the highest volume since July, according to crypto asset manager CoinShares. See related article: Alameda had a US$65 bln line of credit, says FTX co-founder Gary Wang Fast Facts See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court
DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court
Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, should be blocked from bringing up artificial intelligence firm Anthropic’s latest fundraising efforts in his defense against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), prosecutors said in a court filing on Sunday. See related article: Little-known FTX co-founder Gary Wang testifies in Sam […]
Can Asia’s progressive regulators tame crypto’s Wild West?
The Web3 sun is shining in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, where forward-thinking regulations are fostering crypto’s growth while boosting investor protections.
Alameda had a US$65 bln line of credit, says FTX co-founder Gary Wang
Gary Wang, co-founder and former chief technology officer of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, testified on Friday that Alameda Research, the sister trading firm of the exchange, had a special line of credit of up to US$65 billion from FTX, that allowed the firm to spend US$8 billion of customer funds. See related article: Little-known FTX co-founder […]
Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls 1.3% following U.S. jobs report
Bitcoin fell 1.3% in the hour following the U.S. jobs report, fueling market concerns that borrowing costs will remain high over a longer period of time.
Coinbase is “doubling down” on Singapore following license, says country director
The largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange will be launching more products and services in the Lion City, Coinbase’s Hassan Ahmed says.
Ledger cuts 12% of workforce, citing macroeconomic conditions
Cryptocurrency hardware wallet developer Ledger said it is cutting 12% of its workforce, according to a Thursday letter to employees by chief executive officer Pascal Gauthier. See related article: Binance ICO raised less than US$5 mln: Forbes Fast Facts See related article: Governments could access Ledger wallet private keys, says CEO
Little-known FTX co-founder Gary Wang testifies in Sam Bankman-Fried trial
Wang admits he implemented special privileges in the exchange’s code to enable Alameda Research to withdraw unlimited funds.
Crypto fundraising in Q3 lowest in three years: Messari
The amount of funds raised by cryptocurrency firms dropped to a three-year low of US$2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2023, according to a new report published by on-chain intelligence firm Messari. See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong Web3 fund Fast Facts See related article: HKEX to launch […]
Crypto trust on trial: Bankman-Fried faces judgment
Top blockchain and crypto news: Spotlight on Bankman-Fried, Pudgy Penguins’ new revenue stream and Google’s Web3 goggles
Sam Bankman-Fried committed ‘massive fraud,’ says prosecutor in opening statements
Prosecutors allege the founder of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange had a reputation that was “built on lies” as hotly awaited trial begins.
How the NFT market peaks and bottoms differently from the rest of the industry
Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are evolving and carving out distinct niches, prompting a closer look at their diverging paths and the emerging trends in the digital financial landscape.
Chainalysis cuts 150 employees
Chainalysis, a New York-headquartered blockchain intelligence firm, is reportedly laying off about 150 employees, or approximately 15% of the 900 staff members. See related article: ‘There’s no doubt we picked a side here’ — Chainalysis founder Michael Gronager talks analytics, Ukraine and crypto adoption in Asia Fast Facts See related article: Bitwise to launch two […]
Bitwise to launch two Ethereum Futures ETFs
Bitwise Asset Management, a U.S.-based cryptocurrency index fund, announced that its two Ethereum futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the Bitwise Ethereum Strategy ETF (AETH) and the Bitwise Bitcoin and Ether Equal Weight Strategy ETF (BTOP), will start trading on Monday, Oct. 2. See related article: Valkyrie CIO expects US spot Bitcoin ETF approval in Q2 2024 […]
Coinbase obtains Singapore’s Major Payment Institutions license
The Major Payment Institution license from Singapore’s central bank allows the exchange to expand its digital payment token services in the Lion City.
Why regulated decentralized exchanges are the wave of crypto trading’s future
Bringing together the best parts of centralized and decentralized exchanges, RDEXs also take into account the inevitability of regulations.
Back from the dead: Can FTX stage a comeback?
The prospect of FTX’s return to the competitive exchange landscape is being keenly watched by stakeholders, reflecting on its meteoric rise, groundbreaking approach, and tumultuous fall.
Philippines no plans to mirror U.S. SEC’s ‘crypto crackdown’, to publish crypto framework by H1 of 2024, says securities regulator
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission delayed the publishing of a crypto framework earlier this year citing the FTX collapse in late 2022 as the reason.
Quantum computing is coming out of the shadows. Web3 should be scared
Quantum computers may one day crack the cryptographic algorithms that underpin everything from Bitcoin to digital IDs. What can be done to secure Web3’s future?
‘There’s no doubt we picked a side here’ — Chainalysis founder Michael Gronager talks analytics, Ukraine and crypto adoption in Asia
In the second in a series of 1-on-1 interviews from the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore held Sept. 13-14, Michael Gronager, founder of blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, spoke to Forkast about crypto use in the Ukraine conflict, tracking illicit on-chain activity and digital asset adoption in Asia.
SEC Chair Gensler faces bipartisan backlash over strict crypto regulations
Top blockchain and crypto news: U.S. lawmakers berate SEC over ETF applications. NFTs down but not dead. Hong Kong sees year’s biggest crypto heist so far.
Bitcoin, Ether gain; Wall Street on edge amid government shutdown fears
Bitcoin traded above US$26,300 Thursday morning in Asia after briefly breaching US$26,800. Ether also rose above US$1,600 before falling back.
Top 10 cryptos mixed, SEC again delays decision on Ark Invest ETF filing
Toncoin led losses among top 10 cryptos. Bitcoin dropped while Ether rose marginally.
South Korea sentences ex-Coinone crypto exchange executives for bribery
Two former employees at Coinone were sentenced Tuesday for accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies on the platform.