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US could pilot digital dollar quickly if project gets green light, says Accenture’s blockchain lead

The Digital Dollar Project offers a path forward for the US to create a central bank digital currency. But will the government accept private sector help?

Ep. 19 | Will PayPal and Venmo offer crypto trading? FC Barcelona kicks off fan token. USDC ditches Ethereum for Algorand.

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

Five reasons why India is crying out for a crypto revolution

India could reap greater economic growth, cut down on corruption and more if it adopts a more progressive stance on cryptocurrency. A leading role in Asia is New Delhi’s for the taking.

Seeking a new job? Crypto firms are on a hiring hot streak right now.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency companies are rapidly expanding, and there’s a shortage of talented hires. That makes it a great time to consider a career in crypto.

Will the glare of Justin Sun blind the public to TRON 4.0?

Ahead of the revamped blockchain platform’s July 7 launch, TRON’s flamboyant founder woos fans with gifts. But some netizens find him hard to love.
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Ep. 18 | Fed chair throws shade at Digital Dollar Project. Ripple elbows in on SWIFT. Compound dethrones MakerDao.

Other top news: China’s new blockchain cross-border payment platform for Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. 5G for all in Shenzhen. Fintech VC in India.

PayID wants to replace unwieldy SWIFT codes with an email-like address

Goodbye long routing numbers. Hello simple ID.

Why China’s state media is rebuking Binance while lauding Huobi

Is it because Huobi has an in-house Communist Party relations office, while rival exchange Binance does not? Gather ’round for a Tale of the Two Cryptos.
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China’s new DCEP could fast-forward the nation into a cashless society

The rest of the world may worry over the new e-RMB and what it could do to the US dollar. But inside China, will yet another digital payment system even matter? Forkast.News finds out what the laobaixing think.
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Bitmain drama escalates with new threats and use of force. Do customers care?

Game of Thrones at the world’s largest bitcoin mining rig maker culminates, in this week’s episode, with a once-exiled company founder storming and seizing back the corporate castle.
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Ep. 15 | Is China’s digital RMB ready for prime time? Making the case for a US CBDC. Blockchain comes to Minecraft.

More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

Chris Giancarlo: digital dollar technology is coming ‘fast and furious.’ Can US seize the CBDC momentum?

Money is part of a nation’s financial infrastructure, and the dollar needs a digital upgrade for this changing world, says Giancarlo, former CFTC chair who now heads the Digital Dollar Project, in an exclusive interview with Forkast.News.

Digital dollar advocates lay out path to a US CBDC

Digital Dollar Project’s new white paper proposes a ‘third format of currency’ that would be interchangeable with paper money while preserving privacy. Is America ready for a government crypto dollar?

Ep. 14 | Was that Satoshi? TRON 4.0 gets lukewarm reception. Blockchain Bill of Rights.

More top news: China pours billions into blockchain and other infrastructure. Ant Financial’s new smart contracts. VC in Singapore and India.

Former banker Mike Novogratz is ‘petrified’ of China’s new state-issued cryptocurrency, and ConsenSys’ Joseph Lubin agrees

Two titans of blockchain discuss China’s DCEP, Covid-inspired technology and more with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau, in video highlights from Ethereal Summit 2020.

China hopes its new digital currency will internationalize the RMB. When might that day come?

China’s new DCEP — the world’s first major central bank digital currency — just piloted in 4 cities. When it is ready for mass use, could it challenge the US dollar’s hegemony in global trade and finance?

What is China’s new CBDC, and what is it not?

The central bank’s cash-like DCEP sets the stage for China’s next-gen financial infrastructure. Will it threaten the US dollar’s global supremacy? A University of Chicago Booth professor explains.

What does ‘universal basic income’ have to do with a digital dollar or a central bank digital currency?

Covid-19’s disruption of global economies could speed up changes to financial systems around the world. Will cash become obsolete?

Famed investor Tim Draper predicts both a digital dollar and Chinese DCEP “will bomb”

In an interview with Forkast.News, the billionaire venture capitalist also discusses globalism, regulatory arbitrage, the future of healthcare and why he thinks bitcoin is king.

China will soon have its first bachelor’s program in blockchain. Why isn’t the talent-starved industry more excited?

Blockchain education conundrum: China wants blockchain growth, but its tech labor supply “quality” falls short of high employer demands. A Forkast.News exclusive report on a new program in Chengdu and clues to what might be holding China back.

How FATF’s anti-money laundering guidelines for cryptocurrency are putting the heat on banks and VASPs

David Jevans, CEO of CipherTrace, explains FATF’s global influence and recent enforcement actions that have proven to be expensive for those caught.

How IRS treats crypto staking: tax issues every crypto investor should know

Crypto tax expert Vamshi Vangapally explains the impact on coins like NEO, Stellar, VeChain, Ontology, Tezos and soon, ETH 2.0.

Liquidity is the new boss in town: RockTree LEX’s Omer Ozden on investment opportunities as Asia recovers from Covid-19

Venture capital slowed as the coronavirus economy contracted. But out of the turmoil are still investment and fundraising opportunities.

Ep. 9 | U.S. rethinks ‘digital dollar.’ China’s new national blockchain platform. Is Libra now a stronger rival to China’s CBDC?

Other top news: Bitcoin halving frenzy. New Huawei tech zone. Blockchain company busted for defective face masks. VC in Hong Kong and Canada.

Why central banks are pushing ahead with digital currencies

Central bank digital currencies could change government, the economy, and even society, writes Digivault CEO.

As China’s DCEP approaches launch, Facebook’s Libra pivots

This week has been one where big changes came fast and furious on the opposite sides of the central bank digital currency world.  First, alleged screenshots of a mockup of the People’s Bank of China central bank digital currency’s mobile app were published, giving the public a taste of the apparent functionality of the platform […]

Covid is disrupting the global workforce to its core. What will the future of work look like?

Companies are decentralizing into purely digital workplaces to survive the pandemic. What are the long-term implications on the structure of employment and the technologies required for working from home?

Ep. 8 | Reddit crypto awards, Ripple coupling with BoA, blockchain boozes up in China, and more

Also: Dozens of crypto firms sued in 11 class-action lawsuits. Bitcoin mining company Canaan bleeds red ink. Fintech funding in India, and more.

Why Canaan’s red ink illustrates the big challenges now facing crypto mining

Aside from concerns about mismanagement, what else is causing Canaan to flounder? Forkast.News analyzes Canaan and the many storms — including the Covid economy and the next Bitcoin halving — now rocking the world of crypto mining.

How China hot-housed a new technology and 35,000 ‘blockchain’ companies bloomed

China is trying to grow its blockchain industry, but are all these startups for real? Forkast.News dives into the data to find the truth behind the numbers.

Ep. 6 | New blockchain arsenal to fight Covid-19, Zoom cancels Facebook, coronavirus wipes out Digital Farms, and more

Other top headlines from around the world: Microsoft wants to power mining with brain waves. Crypto exchanges Huobi and OKEx under fire. China shifts to digitally sweep ancestral graves.

How the FATF’s travel rule could push cryptocurrency into the mainstream

How are crypto companies complying with the travel rule, and what does it mean for decentralization and privacy? In a Forkast.News exclusive, industry experts analyze FATF’s impact on regulations around the world and what to expect next.

Ep. 5 | U.S. weighs digital dollar, Coinbase top lawyer joins Treasury, and more

In this newsletter and podcast, we bring you top headlines around the world, including: A new proposal to create a digital dollar. Coinbase’s legal chief heading U.S. Treasury. A Bitcoin-Red Cross coronavirus fundraiser in Italy. Universal basic income’s revival. Steem’s hard fork into Hive, and more.

Analysis: Are the ‘digital dollars’ in the $2 trillion stimulus plan the first step toward an American CBDC?

Coronavirus’ impact on the U.S. economy might hasten the creation of a digital dollar.

Complying with anti-money laundering regulations is a growing need for crypto companies

FATF is setting international standards, shifting the crypto world from a “wild west” mentality to a more compliant space, says CoolBitX CEO Michael Ou.

Can blockchain voting break the cycle of elections fraud in Africa?

A decentralized, digitized and secure voting system could make elections more transparent, honest and trusted. But can blockchain voting also stem violence against voters — and overcome stains from the Voatz debacle?

Is death of the STO an exaggeration – or market reality?

Despite all signs that interest just isn’t there for STOs, and ICOs are too tarnished by scams to be a legitimate investment vehicle, this investor thinks there’s life left in both.

Asia has ‘crypto groove’ – and Korea’s mom and pop shops are helping lead the way

Asia’s blockchain and cryptocurrency projects have more vitality than other regions, says the chairman of the Cardano Foundation. But he also notes the variations within the region. How does Hong Kong differ from Vietnam and Singapore?

Ep. 3 | Top blockchain news on China, France and S. Korea – and a new Ethereum protocol. What’s next for India?

What’s up with South Korea’s new blockchain regulations? And where is bitcoin now legal tender? (Mai oui!) Other headlines around the world: a storm over STEEM, the new Baseline protocol for privacy, HTC’s Exodus 5G Hub, and how the coronavirus has affected blockchain firms in China.

Going for gold amid coronavirus recession fears

Gold bars are unwieldy. Gold futures and ETFs carry risks. Can gold-backed crypto, or tokenized gold, be a safer hedge during the current market tumult?

India crypto leader calls Supreme Court victory against central bank ‘game changer’ for industry

India’s crypto sector saw a major boost after its Supreme Court ruled to lift a ban on crypto trading, paving the way for more blockchain development.

Tokenized gold: smart investment as coronavirus fuels economic turmoil?

Coronavirus fears are sending markets tumbling. Could tokenized gold, or gold-backed crypto, be the next-generation investment in times of economic trouble?

IRS crypto summit airs many questions

Specific identification, hard forks and mainstream use: U.S. crypto investors are scrambling to figure out how new guidelines will affect their tax returns.
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Ep. 2 | Lightning Loop, SEC’s crypto safe harbor, Zcash vote on mining rewards

In this episode: Lightning Loop as the Visa of bitcoin, SEC’s crypto safe harbor, and Zcash voting to give 20% of funds to developers

What does the future hold for blockchain in India?

Blockchain has had an interesting, albeit slightly paradoxical journey in India. On one hand, the technology itself has seen great support from the startup ecosystem as well as the Government. On the other hand, cryptocurrencies have faced huge regulatory hurdles in India, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a directive to ring-fence regulated entities like banks from the risk of trading virtual assets.

Ep. 1 | Spencer Dinwiddie, SEC on IEOs and Bitwise investor bulletin

Welcome to The Current Forkast series with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau and Brian Lio, CEO of blockchain research group Smith + Crown. In this episode we talk about: NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie’s token release, SEC’s warning on Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), Bitwise investor bulletin

Digital commerce leader ‘gravely concerned’ over U.S. losing edge in tech, global reserves

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is “gravely concerned” about how the U.S. Government is addressing technological challenges and opportunities posed by blockchain according to founder and president Perianne Boring. The U.S. could be ceding technological leadership as well as the dollar’s reserve currency status to other nations including China if it does not revamp policies toward emerging blockchain innovation.

Will China’s digital currency or Facebook’s Libra challenge Ripple’s cross-border money transfers?

As China, Singapore, Canada and other countries develop digital currencies in part to facilitate cross-border transactions, Ripple’s managing director of South Asia and EMEA Navin Gupta said these currencies would primarily only be used domestically.

After China’s digital currency, Indonesia may blueprint its own in 2020

As China’s digital currency is said to be “progressing smoothly,” Indonesia is also working on releasing their own white paper this year, according to Indonesian Blockchain Association cofounder Pandu Sastrowardoyo.

Swiss stock exchange SIX wants to democratize digital assets

SIX Digital Exchange’s blockchain-based digital assets platform and distributed central securities depository are designed to democratize investment. The digital exchange platform is a subsidiary of leading Swiss stock exchange SIX.

Switzerland is a blockchain haven, but government lags behind, says Trust Square CEO

Although Switzerland’s Crypto Valley may seek to become a global blockchain hub, its government is too slow to adopt the technology even as Facebook’s Libra incorporates in the country, according to Trust Square cofounder Daniel Gasteiger.

Privacy doesn’t equal anonymity on blockchain, says Concordium CEO

Identification on a protocol level could help blockchain become mainstream for blue-chip companies like MasterCard, Volvo and Geely if international regulations are met. Anonymity is “exactly what is hindering wider use of blockchain,” said Concordium CEO Lone Fonss Schroder.

Facebook’s Libra will push regulators to take a stance, says R3 chief David E. Rutter

And that’s a good thing for legitimizing blockchain and paving the way to tokenize real assets across industries, the enterprise blockchain creator said at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2019.

Chainlink among top crypto performers in October—Fintech Advisory Services report

The Fintech Advisory Services monthly report details the main crypto-metrics and indicators for the past month: News, Market Performance, Networks, Mining Activity, Public Sentiment, and Academic Publications. The report also covers the latest “Hot Topics” in the crypto space. This month: Facebook’s Libra, Telegram’s TON, China’s CBDC, and quantum computing.

China’s blockchain talent is driving an investment boom

Investment in Chinese blockchain projects reached USD$367.7 million in the first half of 2019. Blockchain Global CEO Sam Lee says Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent have fueled a breadth of tech talent.

More traditional investors are eyeing cryptocurrency to diversify their portfolios

Traders use commodity trading adviser funds to reduce risk of custody or money laundering, says Jan Brzezek, founder of Crypto Finance AG.

Binance’s corporate registration in China lapsed in 2018

The crypto exchange has a presence in China, but not an official registration.
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How to make blockchain development code-agnostic, with Digital Asset CEO Yuval Rooz

Digital Asset aims to provide a uniform developer experience, regardless of the technology you’re using.

ConsenSys, R3 and Digital Asset execs say enterprise blockchain is changing finance world

From supply chain to finance, implementation of the technology is building trust, efficiency and new opportunities.

ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin says Ethereum can be a trust layer for the planet

Ethereum has amassed a nearly unbeatable network effect, but regulatory compliance is still a major hurdle.

A China central bank exec is leading a cryptocurrency course on app De Dao

Mu Changchun, the Deputy Director at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), launched an online audio course about Libra and digital currency in a popular Chinese education app De Dao on August 4, 2019. It is not the first time Mu talked about Facebook’s cryptocurrency Libra and digital currency. After Facebook announced Libra in June […]

In Conversation with Da Hongfei, Neo: China-Born Digital Asset Protocol

Chinese blockchain companies received a substantial windfall following President Xi Jinping’s bullish support for the development of the technology, and Shanghai-based Neo was one such enterprise. Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau sits down with Da Hongfei, Co-Founder of Neo to find out about the technology and how it will affect various industries in China. Key Highlights […]

President Xi Jinping Endorses Developing Blockchain Technology in China

President Xi Jinping emphasized the development of blockchain technology and called for more research, investment, and regulations for it on October 24. “Blockchain plays a core role in the next round of technological innovation and industrial transformation,” said Xi according to comments recorded by news agency Xinhua during a meeting with members of the Communist […]

Creating a Decentralized Silicon Valley in Switzerland

Switzerland is positioning itself to become a crucial hub for the global blockchain industry as investment group Crypto Valley Venture Capital (CVVC) reports that the top 50 blockchain-related companies in the country are valued over US$40 billion in 2019. CVVC Founder and CEO Mathias Ruch told Forkast.News’ Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau that the country’s regulation and […]

Opinion | Crisis in Lebanon Highlights Benefits of Digital Currencies

The imminent economic collapse in Lebanon which the Lebanese Central Bank Governor has warned of may be averted as Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation amid the country’s largest protests in 15 years. These protests were in response to Hariri’s government announcing austerity measures which included a tax on WhatsApp calls. Protesters demanding Hariri’s […]

WATCH: How Cryptocurrencies are Becoming an Asset Class: Marc P. Bernegger, Crypto Finance

Cryptocurrencies have become a new target for investors shying away from politically volatile alternatives. As an on-going trade war between the United States and China and the U.K.’s exit from the European Union threatens the stability of conventional markets, more and more traditional investment entities have started experimenting with decentralized assets. Forkast.News’ Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau […]

In Conversation with Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum: On Eth 2.0, Finance, and China

With Ethereum 2.0’s release just around the corner, co-founder Vitalik Buterin has been busy talking about what to expect from the new system and its use of proof-of-stake validation. Ethereum 2.0 is meant to address a number of issues that the current system has. It is billed as improving scaling, security, and other issues in […]

WATCH: Balancing Innovation and Regulation in Blockchain: Ronald Tucker

Ron Tucker, Founder and Chair of the Australian Digital Commerce Association, describes his long-running involvement in the industry and the reasoning behind his faith in the technology. As the head of a crypto exchange, Tucker has been involved in navigating and advising the regulatory steps that institutions such as FATF are taking. Contrary to concern about these new policies stymying the growth of the industry, Tucker asserts that the regulation is necessary in providing a safe environment for cryptocurrency to grow.

Opinion | Brexit Uncertainty Triggers Forex Shifts

Facing mounting uncertainty surrounding Britain’s looming departure from the European Union, the British pound has experienced a period of considerable turbulence. As is commonplace with fiat currencies, political events often have a substantial impact on the value of the pound sterling (GBP). Recent developments in British politics are no exception. Recently on Sept. 24, the […]

Making it Rain in Bahrain – Joseph Dallago talks Cryptocurrency in the Middle East

What is the world of cryptocurrency like in the Middle East? How does it differ from other markets, and what challenges and opportunities arise from dealing with the industry in that region? Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau sits down with Joseph Dallago, Co-Founder and CEO of Rain, the first Bahrain-based digital currency exchange, in order to […]

Ethereum (ETHUSD) Daily MACD Trying to Positively Cross

Ethereum (ETHUSD) continued an ongoing bottoming effort this past week just below the psychologically key 200 whole figure level, trying to position for a more sustainable bounce as hinted by the bottomish weekly and daily RSI, Stochastics and MACD.  Nevertheless, before bulls get excited, most will want to first see ETHUSD reclaim the September high.  […]

Is the World Ready for a Federated Currency?

Incorruptible. Improved funds flow. Transparency and traceability. These are all promises of blockchain / digital technology to help the modern-day issues of cash-based economies. But should this responsibility be held by companies or governments? David Shrier, author of upcoming book from MIT Press in November 2019, “Trusted Data,” dives into the debate of a digital […]