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Internal Revenue Service in U.S. solicits public opinions on proposed NFT taxes

The IRS intends to tax NFTs as collectibles in the U.S. and is soliciting public opinions on the proposal through June.

Texas legislature introduces bill to attract Bitcoin-related businesses, protect interests of same

The Texas legislature introduced a bill on Tuesday to attract more Bitcoin-related businesses and protect the rights of Bitcoin holders, miners, and developers.

Bitcoin moves above US$28,000, Ether gains, XRP surges, U.S. equities rally

Bitcoin held above US$28,000 on Wednesday morning in Asia amid a rebound in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. XRP led the winners.

Indian crypto exchange WazirX blocks over 2,400 accounts in 6 months

WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume, has blacklisted over 2,431 accounts between October 2022 and March 2023, based on its internal monitoring process as well as under the direction of law enforcement agencies (LEA). 

DAO: Beyond Governance

Can DAOs rebuild trust in the crypto industry?

Bitcoin, Ether extend losses; all eyes on U.S. interest rates

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia after rallying through the past week, while financial authorities injected cash into markets to ease liquidity pressures and took other steps to address concerns over a banking sector crisis in the U.S. and Europe. 
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Terraform Labs founder Daniel Shin again questioned by South Korea prosecutors over stablecoin collapse

Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung, also known as Daniel Shin, was again called in for questioning by South Korea’s prosecutors on Monday.

Crypto needs to look abroad as US exchanges go unbanked

The fall of Silvergate, SVB and Signature has left crypto firms scrambling for new banks. Will crypto banking head offshore for the long term?

Bitcoin treads water, other crypto retreat ahead of U.S. Fed’s decision on interest rates

Bitcoin traded flat below US$28,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia. Most other top cryptocurrencies retreated ahead of a U.S. decision on interest rates.

Singapore to publish crypto, stablecoin consultation feedback by mid-2023

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) aims to publish cryptocurrency and stablecoin consultations feedback by the middle of this year, it said Monday.

Crypto Layoffs

Thousands of people have lost jobs in the tech industry, how is crypto faring?

Over 80 Web3 firms in line to set up shop in HK, ahead of crypto regulations taking effect in June

Over 80 foreign and Mainland China companies have expressed their interest in establishing a Web3 company in Hong Kong, ahead of new crypto regulations that will take effect from June

Bitcoin rises past US$28,000, most other top 10 cryptos gain

Bitcoin traded above US$28,000 on Monday afternoon in Asia, a gain of 25% over last week, as a banking crisis in the U.S. and Europe prompted traders to see Bitcoin as a safe haven.
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How NFTs can protect creators and fortify their legal rights

The digital era has made piracy rampant and copyright enforcement difficult, but blockchain technology is shifting power back to creators, writes Wes Levitt of Theta Labs.

Taiwan’s financial supervisory commission will oversee crypto, chair says

Crypto in Taiwan remains largely unregulated, but lawmakers have requested the cabinet to appoint a regulator by May 16 to oversee all things crypto.

Crypto data provider Kaiko to move Asia HQ to Hong Kong from Singapore: Bloomberg

Paris-based Kaiko will move its Asian headquarters to Hong Kong as it sees growing crypto-related opportunities in the city.

Bithumb executive faces investigation over alleged bribery in South Korean crypto listing

South Korean prosecutors are investigating Lee Sang-jun, the CEO of Bithumb’s holding company, for alleged bribery in listing certain tokens on the platform.

New York Community Bancorp unit to assume Signature Bank deposits, FDIC says

New York Community Bancorp will assume all deposits and certain loan portfolios of the failed Signature Bank, the FDIC said on Sunday.

Bitcoin leads crypto rally as central banks promise liquidity to stem rising bank risk

Bitcoin briefly breached US$28,000 at the weekend in a bullish run extending into Monday morning in Asia amid worries about bank risk.

Another Crazy Week For Bitcoin

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies bounce back after a turbulent week for banks in the US and Switzerland.

Bitcoin, Ether rise; relief for investors as major banks get liquidity lifeline

Bitcoin and Ether rallied by the end of Asian trading hours on Friday afternoon, together with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Signum Digital says it won first approval to offer security tokens in Hong Kong

Signum Digital said it’s the first company to win preliminary approval in Hong Kong to operate a platform to trade security tokens.

Bitcoin, Ether, other crypto gain with equities amid global fund injections to support banks

Bitcoin neared the US$25,000 mark on Friday morning in Asia. Cryptocurrencies gained as the U.S. and Europe moved to backstop troubled banks with cash.

Who should be held responsible for the Silvergate Bank and SVB crises?

As bank after bank topples, fingers are pointing everywhere. But crypto is not to be blamed for this unfolding crisis, writes Winston Hsiao of XREX.

US, Germany shut ChipMixer for alleged ties to US$3 bln crypto laundering 

US, and German shuttered ChipMixer, a cryptocurrency service that allegedly laundered more than US$3 billion in crypto since 2017.

Thailand Turns to Crypto

Thailand’s recent crypto tax waiver announcement could be a gamechanger in boosting Thailand’s economy.

India, UAE to collaborate on cross-border central bank digital currencies

The Indian central bank and the UAE will jointly run pilot programs on their central bank digital currencies, according to the Reserve Bank of India. 

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index fall; euros rises amid Credit Suisse’s loan

Bitcoin and Ether declined by the end of Asian trading hours on Thursday afternoon, with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also falling, apart from Binance’s BNB.

Ripple executives say XRP lawsuit ruling will have little impact on global business operations

The court ruling in a lawsuit brought by the SEC against Ripple will have minimal impact on the company’s business, APAC policy director Rahul Advani said.

South Korea cranks up pressure to extradite Do Kwon, founder of failed Terra-Luna stablecoin

South Korean prosecutors said they will expand cooperation with overseas legal agencies to facilitate the arrest and extradition of Do Kwon.

US accuses exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui of $1 billion crypto-linked fraud

Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire, was arrested in New York on Wednesday for allegedly orchestrating a more than US$1 billion fraud conspiracy that included cryptocurrency, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See related article: U.S. banking regulators warn against cryptocurrency fraud, contagion risks Fast facts […]

Bitcoin, Ether drop, other top cryptocurrencies retreat as bank liquidity concerns rise

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with most other leading tokens amid broader concerns about bank liquidity.

What the crypto industry should do to rebuild public trust

Many crypto users see losses as the cost of doing business. In fact, we can and must improve the sector’s deficiencies, writes Pelle Brændgaard of Notabene.

Japan’s Web3 Era

Japan’s been a little behind in the Web3 space, but their new Metaverse Economic Zone could be a game changer.

Web3 crowdfunding launchpad Poolz Finance hacked for US$390,000 on BSC, Polygon

Poolz Finance, a cross-chain crowdfunding launchpad for Web3 projects, has been exploited for US$390,000 worth of digital assets

Circle’s USDC bounces back after Silicon Valley Bank bust

Top blockchain and crypto news: USDC stabilizes after SVB collapse. Silvergate closes shop. China tightens financial supervision.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index extend gains; U.S. banking crisis concerns ease as inflation slows to 6%

Bitcoin and Ether rose on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana and Polygon were the biggest gainers, both rising above 5% in the last 24 hours.
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Anchorage Digital lays off 20% of staff amid low NFT demand, says bank unit not affected

Digital asset platform Anchorage Digital will lay off 75 employees as it restructures to meet regulation challenges.

New York regulator says Signature Bank closure ‘nothing to do’ with cryptocurrencies: Reuters

The decision to shut down Signature Bank at the weekend was not related to cryptocurrencies, the New York regulator told Reuters on Tuesday.

Bitcoin, Ether continue run up; Solana, Dogecoin lead gainers; U.S. equities rebound

Bitcoin and Ether continued strong price gains, with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies logging advances for the past seven days.

Binance suspends pound sterling services for U.K. customers as payment provider backs out

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it is halting its British pound deposits and withdrawals.

India imposes money laundering regulations on crypto industry

India’s crime fighting agencies have been investigating crypto exchanges and individuals on money laundering charges and have now put the onus on exchanges to report suspicious transactions.

A crisis of value?

Why the banking collapse could save NFTs.

China regulator says NFT-related complaints skyrocketed in 2022

Amid the NFT hype in 2022, Chinese buyers’ complaints about NFT scams and price manipulations surged 30,000% to 59,700 from 198 in the year before.

Meta plans to wind down NFT initiatives on Facebook, Instagram to focus on other services

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will wind down its non-fungible token operations on both social media services.

FBI investigating the collapse of Do Kwon’s Terra-Luna, WSJ reports

Former employees of Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs are being questioned by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors in New York.

Bitcoin jumps above US$24,000, leading crypto gains as U.S. acts to backstop banks

Bitcoin continued to gain in morning trading in Asia, as regulators acted to backstop the U.S. banking industry. Most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies gained.

Crypto banking crisis?

As the U.S. tries to head off a bank run, crypto is quickly running out of places to bank with.

Bitcoin jumps more than 9% as U.S. acts to protect deposits at crypto-linked banks

Bitcoin and Ether led a rebound in cryptocurrencies in Asia morning trading as U.S. regulators backstopped banks with ties to the crypto industry.

U.S. regulators shutter Signature Bank, lender to Paxos, Coinbase, citing systemic risk

U.S. regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, one of the biggest lenders in the crypto industry, due to risks of a systemic failure.

Worst week of 2023

Crypto markets slammed by Fed, Silvergate, lawsuits.

Meta working on a decentralized social media app: Moneycontrol

Meta Platforms, the parent company of the social media applications Facebook and Instagram, is exploring a decentralized text-based Twitter alternative.

Bet on the Black? Take a punt on the Red? Or maybe put it all down on an NFT?

Savvy traders are quick to extract liquidity to reinvest into the “slot machines” of the NFT casino, according to CryptoSlam’s NFT strategist.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index close lower on the day

Bitcoin and Ether tumbled during Asia trading hours on Friday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading losses among the top 10 largest non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, pressured by crypto bank Silvergate’s liquidation

New York attorney general sues KuCoin for ‘falsely representing itself as an exchange’

The NY State Attorney General is suing crypto exchange Kucoin for not registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and calling itself an exchange.

Biden administration proposes 30% crypto mining tax, closing wash-trading loopholes

The U.S. has proposed an excise tax on cryptocurrency miners equal to 30 percent of the cost of the electricity they use.

Bitcoin, Ether slump in broad sell-off amid Fed red flags on rates, Silvergate Bank failure

Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies slid Friday morning in Asia, tracking equities amid red flags on interest rates and concern about fallout from the Silvergate collapse.

Most of NFT industry working on recycled liquidity, says Forkast Labs’ co-founder

NFT sales and market capitalization show rising investor activities, but recycled liquidity and wash trading may tell a different story, Forkast Labs co-CEO says.

Bank bust

Contagion, regulation worries grow after crypto bank’s demise

CFTC chair calls Ethereum a commodity, in contrast to SEC chair Gensler’s position

CFTC chair Rostin Behnam has called Ethereum a commodity and not a security, in apparent contrast to past statements from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.

South Korea pours US$51 million into metaverse projects

South Korea is investing 27.7 billion Korean won (US$21 million) into local services looking to utilize the metaverse, the ministry of science announced Wednesday, following Tuesday’s news that it would establish a US$30 million metaverse fund to help startups expand their businesses. See related article: Japanese tech, finance firms sign pact to build metaverse economic […]

Crypto bank Silvergate to close, return all deposits; becomes latest victim of 2022 crypto turmoil

Silvergate Capital said Wednesday it will cease operations and liquidate its bank unit.

Forkast 500 NFT index dips, Vitalik-linked NFT token gains momentum

The Forkast 500 NFT Index dipped 1.25% to 4,235.97 in the 24 hours through 10:00 a.m. in Hong Kong on Thursday.
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Voyager gains court approval to sell assets to Binance U.S. in US$1.3 bln deal

Bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital received court approval from bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles on Tuesday to sell its assets and transfer its customers to Binance’s U.S. arm, in a US$1.3 billion deal.

Women in crypto

Why progress isn’t the end of inequality.

Thailand to offer tax breaks to firms issuing investment tokens

The Thai Finance Ministry will waive corporate income tax and value-added tax for firms that conduct initial coin offerings (ICOs), according to a spokesperson.

Silvergate teeters as regulators circle and crypto firms cut ties

Top blockchain and crypto news: Silvergate woes spark bankruptcy talk. LDO dips on false enforcement rumors. Chinese leaders push digital development.

Forkast 500 NFT index slips, BAYC NFTs leads in sales volume

The Forkast NFT 500 Index slipped 0.68% to 4,276.12 in the 24 hours through 4:45 p.m. in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Fed’s Powell says stablecoins could have role in financial sector if properly regulated

Stablecoins could have a place in the U.S. financial services sector if appropriate regulation is put in place, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Tuesday at a hearing before Congress.

Forkast 500 NFT index edges up, Animoca Brands’ NFT collection leads in sales

The Forkast NFT 500 Index inched up 0.07% to 4,278.68 in the 24 hours through 9 a.m. in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Bitcoin dips, Ether little changed, with top 10 crypto mixed following U.S. equity slump

Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies traded mixed on Wednesday morning in Asia, largely shrugging off the slump in U.S. equities overnight.

SEC shuts Miami hedge fund for alleged ties to US$100 mln crypto fraud 

The SEC announced emergency action against crypto hedge fund BKCoin and co-founder Kevin Kang in connection with an alleged fraud scheme.