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Markets: Bitcoin slumps below US$19,000, Ether drops despite Merge progress

Bitcoin dipped under US$19,000 to the lowest price since mid-June in an across-the-market slump for the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization in Wednesday morning trading in Asia. Ether also lost ground even though it began one of its last required upgrades on Tuesday before the network Merge expected later this month. See related article: […]

Binance halts USDC support; Inflation hits crypto

Binance puts it’s own stablecoin, BUSD, at the forefront. Meanwhile, inflation casts its own shadow across the crypto.

Crypto exchange Bybit barred from brokering securities in Brazil

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM) has banned Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Bybit from brokering “securities” within the country.   See related article: Thailand mandates warnings on crypto ads Fast facts The CVM released a declaratory act, in an announcement on Monday, that ordered the suspension of Bybit’s security offerings and intermediation services directly or […]

Indian police arrest alleged crypto trickster in US$31 mln scam: report

Indian police in the state of Maharashtra have arrested a man on charges of cheating 1,441 investors in a fake cryptocurrency scam, according to a local media report.  See related article: Tax authorities recover US$9M from India’s biggest crypto exchanges Fast facts The scam may be in excess of 2.5 billion rupees (US$31.2 million) and […]

Australia establishes federal crypto police unit

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have set up a crypto crime unit that will trace and seize illicit cryptocurrency linked to money laundering and other criminal activity, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported Monday. See related article: Ukraine National Police takes down crypto fraud cybercrime group Fast facts Launched in August, the unit will help […]

SK Telecom’s Ifland metaverse adds cashable in-app economy

The Ifland metaverse, run by South Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT), is allowing users to earn money by hosting meetups in the virtual world, the company announced Monday. See related article: South Korea’s Ifland metaverse dives into play-to-earn Fast facts SKT has adopted an “ifland point” system to usher in its metaverse economy — […]

Singapore’s DBS commits to crypto offerings despite slump: report

Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, aims to expand its cryptocurrency and digital assets offerings to 300,000 new clients in the face of the crypto bear market, according to a Financial Times report on Tuesday.  See related article: Why DBS’ move into the digital asset space is more than a token gesture Fast facts In an interview, […]

Why play-to-earn gaming is losing steam and where GameFi must go next

Axie Infinity’s decline shows that earning can’t be everything, writes Riaz Lalani of Gambit Games. What went wrong with P2E and what can we learn from it?

Ethereum Classic surges over 24%, hashrate hits record high

ETC, the token of Ethereum Classic, logged a double-digit gain in the past 24 hours as of Tuesday morning in Asia, while its hashrate hit a record high on Monday as miners look for alternatives in anticipation of the “Merge.” See related article: Markets: Bitcoin rises slightly, Ether and Ethereum Classic gain amid price run […]

Poolin pauses withdrawals from Pool Accounts, admits liquidity issues

Poolin has paused withdrawals from its wallets known as “Pool Accounts”, the major Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining pool said in a statement on Monday. See related article: Poolin partners with crypto trading firm Quant Satoshi to expand US business Fast facts A recent surge in withdrawal demand is the primary root of the mining pool’s […]

China to speed up, expand digital yuan smart contracts, PBOC official says

Mu Changchun, head of the central bank’s digital currency institute, says the agency is developing a platform to review and register smart contracts for e-CNY, the country’s new digital currency in trial.

Markets: Bitcoin stuck under US$20,000, Ether edges up, Cardano slides

Bitcoin edged up in Monday afternoon trading in Asia, but it still traded below the US$20,000 resistance line, a level it has now fluctuated around since late August. Ether rose, along with Solana and Polkadot. Cardano reversed morning gains to trade lower. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether edge up; Cardano, Solana lead gains in […]

Where will DeFi be after crypto winter ends?

The collapse of Celsius and Anchor wasn’t a failure of DeFi, writes Kaaran Kalantari of WingRiders. They failed to assess risk, and crypto Darwinism took shape.

New hire in Saudi Central Bank to work on crypto regulations: report

Saudi Arabia’s central bank has appointed Mohsen AlZahrani, a former managing director at consultancy firm Accenture, to head its virtual assets and central bank digital currency (CBDC) initiative, Bloomberg reported. See related article: Governments pushing for CBDCs smell blood in Terra Classic’s struggles Fast facts With the United Arab Emirates aiming to be a global […]

Anti-crypto U.S. congressman says too much power, money prevent all-out ban

U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, who chairs a House subcommittee on investor protection and a leading crypto skeptic in Washington, is seeking more stringent cryptocurrency regulation, if not all-out bans, according to a report by the LA Times. See related article:  CFTC, SEC seek input on hedge fund crypto reporting rules Fast facts In an interview […]

S.Korea TV network partners with metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox

MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), one of South Korea’s four national television and radio networks, has signed a business partnership with Hong Kong-based metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, according to its announcement on Friday. See related article: Netflix Sweet Home producer to build K-drama metaverse in the Sandbox Fast facts MBC will create its emblematic Sangam […]

India crypto exchanges plan long-term future as day traders flee 

In facing a government hostile to cryptocurrency trading, Indian exchanges are trying to attract new business with suites of different investment products.

Cardano’s Vasil hard fork upgrade confirmed for Sept. 22

The Cardano blockchain’s hard fork upgrade, Vasil, is scheduled for mainnet on Sept. 22, according to Cardano developer and operator Input Output Global’s (IOG) Twitter announcement over the weekend. See related article: Cardano delays Vasil blockchain upgrade, citing bugs and ‘abundance of caution’ Fast facts “Vasil is the most significant Cardano upgrade to date, bringing […]

Ethereum Merge’s impact on NFTs

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – September 2, 2022, presented by Joel Flynn. Coming up on today’s show: Could Ethereum’s Merge cause chaos for the NFT market? Number of unique NFT buyers falls below 500,000. We’ll take a deep dive into that in this episode of The Daily Forkast September 2.

ENS provider reports third-highest monthly revenue, ahead of “The Merge”

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) reported its third-highest month of revenue in August, with 301,000 new “.eth” registrations, totaling 2.17 million names, according to a post on its verified Twitter handle. See related article: ENS domain name expires as developer is in prison, becomes up for grabs in Sept. Fast facts ENS generated 2,744 ETH, currently […]

IMF looks to build platform for cross-border CBDC transactions

The director and division chief of IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department will soon publish a paper laying out a blueprint for a platform to support CBDC clearing and settlement transactions between multiple countries. See related article: Inter-country use key for CBDCs to reach potential: report Fast facts See related article: US Digital Dollar Project […]

CFTC, SEC seek input on hedge fund crypto reporting rules

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have jointly sought public comments to amend crypto rules for large hedge funds advisers. See related article: New US crypto bill seeks to make CFTC top Bitcoin, Ethereum watchdog Fast facts The CFTC and SEC are jointly proposing to amend the rules […]

Do I really need another picture of an ape? NFT market slumps in August

The NFT hype from earlier in the year is dying off as the market continues its downward path into the final third of the year. Fire sale coming for apes and cats?

Chinese central bank should issue RMB stablecoin for metaverse: academic

China should issue a digital yuan-collateral stablecoin to establish an on-chain payment system for China’s metaverse, as the infrastructure developed by China itself is the key to ensuring national security, said influential academic Zhang Ping of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, an institution providing policy consultation to the Chinese State Council. See related article: Naver’s […]

Binance chief Changpeng Zhao reiterates Binance not a Chinese company

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao reiterated that Binance is not a Chinese company and it “was never incorporated in China,” as the country continues to ban cryptocurrency trading. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts In a blog post published on Thursday, Zhao wrote that the […]

Binance says it complies with regulators following US anti-money laundering probe report

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, said it has worked with regulatory agencies from around the world to address outstanding compliance questions, following a Reuters report that U.S. federal prosecutors asked the exchange to offer internal records involving founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao for anti-money laundering checks in late 2020. See related […]

Crypto lender Celsius to return US$50 mln to locked out users

Celsius Network Ltd., which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has filed a motion to return around US$50 million worth of tokens to a portion of holders as these funds are not part of the bankruptcy estate, unlike funds from Earn and Borrow clients. The hearing on the filing will take place on Oct. 6. […]

BABL tanks 92% after Babylon Finance announces shut down

BABL, the native cryptocurrency of Babylon Finance, has lost 92% of its value after the decentralized finance (DeFi) asset management protocol’s founder Ramon Recuero on Wednesday announced plans to shut down its services. See related article: Chainalysis says $2 bln stolen in cross-chain bridge hacks this year, more expected Fast facts The token was trading […]

PoW fork supported?; Making DeFi better

We take a look at how the Ethereum PoW fork has gained crypto exchange backings in this episode of The Daily Forkast.

Director at China’s Securities Regulatory Commission deep-dives into Web 3.0 in new book, a year after China’s crypto ban

Nearly a year after China banned crypto trading and mining, the director of the Technology Supervision Bureau at Chinaøs Securities Regulatory Commission has published a book discussing Web 3.0 and blockchain technology. See related article: Shanghai turns to metaverse, NFTs to counter lockdown economic fallout Fast facts Yao Qian’s book “Web 3.0: Changes and Challenges […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether, Cardano slip; remnants of Terra – USTC and LUNC – jump

Bitcoin slid back down under the US$20,000 mark late afternoon in Asia, with the rest of the top 10 tokens by market capitalization turning lower. Terra’s fallen cryptocurrency surged, likely due to LUNA Classic’s recent network upgrade. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin edges up; U.S. stocks, bonds post worst returns in 5 decades Fast facts […]

Indonesia to launch crypto stock exchange at end-2022

Indonesia will launch a crypto stock market by the end of this year, said the country’s deputy trade minister Jerry Sambuaga, according to a media report. See related article: Indonesia’s biggest tech firm buys local crypto exchange Fast facts The Southeast Asian nation had earlier announced a 2021 launch but revised it to the first […]

MicroStrategy and Michael Saylor sued by District of Columbia for evading taxes

The software enterprise company is accused of helping Saylor misstate his residential address to avoid paying taxes in a district where residents pay the most in federal taxes per capita.

US Digital Dollar Project to work with Ripple on CBDC technical sandbox

The U.S.-based Digital Dollar Project said it will work with Ripple and a few other digital asset firms to launch a technical sandbox program to further study a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC). See related article: CBDCs better poised for cross-border payments than Bitcoin, stablecoins: ECB study Fast facts The non-profit initiative announced on […]

LG Electronics to launch Hedera-based crypto wallet

South Korea-based LG Electronics is reportedly preparing to release its first crypto wallet application named “Wallypto” in the third quarter of 2022.  See related article: S. Korea’s Danal, LG CNS to build ‘one-for-all’ Web3 payments platform Fast facts LG Electronics has been running a beta test of the application with developers since August and is […]

Markets: Bitcoin edges up; U.S. stocks, bonds post worst returns in 5 decades

Bitcoin and Ether made up some ground, with most other tokens in the crypto top 10 little changed in early Thursday morning trading in Asia. Bitcoin traded back above US$20,000 after falling through that resistance level overnight. Global macroeconomic headwinds continue to drag on both crypto and capital markets. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin trades […]

Crypto education in local languages; Decentralizing data

Crypto advocates in Asia want to educate people using regional languages to promote cyber-safety awareness.

Fed’s inflation fight batters crypto market as pressure mounts

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is crypto in for a long cold spell? Ava Labs lashes out at CryptoLeaks claims. China eyes blockchain power trading.

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin to release book on proof of stake

Vitalik Buterin will release a book on proof-of-stake consensus on Sept. 27, compiling various writings by the Ethereum founder over the last 10 years, according to his recent Twitter post. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to donate to Ukraine Fast facts The book, titled “Proof of Stake, The Making of […]

Asia crypto advocates look beyond English to promote digital assets

Cryptocurrency advocates and exchanges in Asia say they are teaching the ins and outs of digital assets and blockchain in regional languages to help promote crypto investments and protect people against scams. See related article: Crypto is based on the greater fool theory: Philippines’ incoming central bank chief Fast facts Philippine crypto exchange Coins.ph, which […]
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Bitcoin mining difficulty at its second highest on record, rises over 9%

Bitcoin mining difficulty rose by 9.3% on Wednesday, marking the biggest jump since January and the second highest level on record, according to data from BTC.com. See related article: Chinese mining rig maker Canaan says global expansion on track despite ‘crypto winter’ Fast facts The mining difficulty reading was at 30.98 trillion, as of block […]

Tether pushes back at WSJ doubts on its reserves

In response to the Wall Street Journal alleging that Tether’s USDT stablecoin is not adequately backed by reserves, Tether called the report a series of “unsubstantiated conclusions” that tried to “discredit Tether’s work on transparent and honest communications to the public.” See related article: Should Tether’s shrinking cash reserves be cause for investor worry? Fast […]

Crypto.com refunded user US$7 million instead of US$68 – took 7 months to realize

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com in May 2021 transferred AU$10.4 million (US$7.15 million) to an Australian woman instead of an intended refund of AU$100 (US$68), and took seven months to recognize the mistake, the Herald Sun newspaper reported. See related article: Bitcoin sent by mistake, recipient will not be punished for keeping it: South Korea ruling […]

South Korea’s capital city launches first stage of “Metaverse Seoul”

Seoul is launching a closed test run of the first stage of its metaverse project on Wednesday. See related article: ​​South Korea wants to be the physical home of the metaverse Fast facts The test run will feature the virtual reconstruction of Seoul city hall and the Seoul Plaza, where participants can participate in interactive […]

FTX agrees to help South Korea’s Busan build its own crypto exchange

Busan, South Korea’s second most populous city, Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global cryptocurrency exchange FTX to help develop a digital asset exchange. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts FTX will provide technical and infrastructure assistance to Busan city in establishing the digital […]

Markets: Bitcoin dips back below US$20,000, Ether falls in boxed-in crypto market

Bitcoin fell back below US$20,000 after moving above that resistance line on Tuesday, while Ether also lost ground in early morning trading in Asia on Wednesday amid signs broader macroeconomic concerns are keeping a lid on cryptocurrency markets. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin holds gains; Ether, Avalanche surge; Solana jumps Fast facts Bitcoin fell 2.5% […]

Temasek to lead US$100M funding round in Animoca Brands: report

Singapore state-backed fund is leading a US$100 million funding round into Hong Kong-based blockchain and game venture Animoca Brands, Bloomberg reported.  See related article: Singapore’s Temasek says doesn’t own Bitcoin, but prepping for tokenized assets Fast facts Temasek will make the investment through convertible bonds, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg. Temasek has been […]

You what-to-earn?; TradFi’s crypto moves

In today’s episode, we take a deeper dive into x-to-earn concepts and how traditional hedge funds are increasing their crypto exposure.

Crypto lender Hodlnaut placed under creditor protection by Singapore court

Singapore-based crypto lender Hodlnaut has been placed under Interim Judicial Management (IJM), a form of creditor protection, and will now be managed and controlled by interim judicial managers appointed by court order. See related article: Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’ Fast facts Hodlnaut said its legal representatives attended the IJM hearing […]

Binance Australia strengthens user protection: report

Binance Australia is tightening its sign-up process for new users, as part of renewed efforts to protect users considered most vulnerable to scams and cyber attacks, according to a report by Binance Australia. See related article: Binance to suspend ETH deposits, withdrawals during “The Merge” Fast facts According to the report, the company’s research and […]

India’s CoinDCX says it’s hiring to prepare for DeFi expansion

Despite the Indian government’s hostility towards cryptocurrencies, the CoinDCX exchange says more traditional financial products will shift to DeFi platforms.

Bank of Korea to institutionalize ICOs in new crypto law

South Korea will have to institutionalize initial coin offerings (ICO) when establishing its new crypto law, tentatively named the Digital Asset Basic Act, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). See related article: South Korea’s all-encompassing crypto law is coming — what we know so far Fast facts South Korea’s Financial Services Commission banned ICOs […]

CME Group launches euro-denominated Bitcoin, Ether futures

CME Group — the world’s largest operator of financial derivatives markets, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange — has launched euro-denominated futures on Bitcoin and Ether. See related article: New US crypto bill seeks to make CFTC top Bitcoin, Ethereum watchdog Fast facts See related article: Here comes the crypto derivatives boom

SEC, Ripple take XRP lawsuit battle to media as well

The ongoing battle between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple Labs over the latter’s token XRP is playing out not just in a courtroom but in media channels as well. See related article: SEC files no objection to Ripple request to seal non-party identities in XRP lawsuit Fast facts Stu Alderoty, general counsel […]

Operating profit at Upbit parent Dunamu drops 70%

Dunamu, the owner of South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, reported an operating profit of 566.1 billion Korean won (about US$419 million) for the first half of this year, a 70% decrease compared to the same period last year. See related article: Dunamu denies making US$100 million off of LUNA Fast facts Dunamu’s consolidated operating […]

FTX CEO: no plan to buy crypto exchange Huobi

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of crypto exchange FTX, denied on Tuesday that he has a plan to buy out another crypto exchange, Huobi, after a rumor circulating on Chinese social media said that FTX has acquired the exchange. See related article: FTX CEO: This is the canary in China’s crypto ban coal mine Fast facts “No, […]

Argentine province Mendoza to accept cryptocurrency as payment for taxes

The western Argentine province of Mendoza — the fifth most populous in the country — now accepts cryptocurrency as a payment option for taxes, the Mendoza Tax Administration (ATM) announced on Saturday. See related article: El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption, one week on Fast facts Mendoza’s roughly 2 million residents will now be able to pay […]

What in crypto hell just happened to all your money?

Crypto investors were blindsided when firms like Voyager suddenly froze their accounts. How can we improve digital asset protection in the future?

S.Korea’s internet-only KakaoBank partners with crypto exchange Coinone

South Korea’s internet-only bank KakaoBank has signed a contract with local cryptocurrency exchange Coinone to provide withdrawal and deposit accounts to investors under their real names, per local regulations. See related article: South Korea’s crypto crackdown: What you need to know Fast facts While the partnership deal has been settled, it has not been announced […]

Markets: Bitcoin back above US$20,000; Ether, Ether Classic jump ahead of merge

Bitcoin broke back above US$20,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, with most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization gaining. Ether rebounded, while Avalanche also recovered from a drop-off following whistleblower allegations that the company “weaponized” litigation against its rivals. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin fails to hold above US$20,000, Ether slumps, SHIB […]

Singapore’s Crypto Dance; Women in Web3

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – August 29, 2022 – presented by Joel Flynn. Coming up on today’s show: Crypto clarity from Singapore’s central bank. Forkast and NEAR Foundation initiative champions women in Web3. We’ll have more on those stories — and other news shaping the cryptocurrency and blockchain world — in this episode of […]

Bitcoin miners, investors still active in BTC despite price fluctuations

Although the price of Bitcoin fell below US$20,000 for the first time since mid-June after sliding 7% in the 24 hours following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s hawkish speech, the number of addresses holding over 0.1 bitcoin hit all-time-high on Sunday. This was despite mining difficulty for the crypto likely to see its third-highest ever […]

Why the crypto world needs more women as leaders and investors

Women foster a better environment for innovation and are sober with money — which is what the industry needs, writes Gracy Chen of Bitget.

SEC files no objection to Ripple request to seal non-party identities in XRP lawsuit

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has decided not to object to Ripple Lab’s request to seal identities of certain non-parties and Ripple employees in the Daubert motions, as its lawsuit against Ripple drags on. See related article: SEC seeks to file up to 90-page long reply to motion in XRP lawsuit Fast facts The […]

S.Korea’s science ministry announces ethical principles for the metaverse

South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has recently unveiled the first draft of core ethical principles that are fundamental for growing and participating in the metaverse. See related article: South Korea places $185M bet on the metaverse Fast facts The science ministry’s three values for the metaverse participants are an intact self-identity, safe […]

Grayscale says XLM, ZEC and ZEN may be securities after SEC inquiry

In recent filings, the crypto asset management firm has said Stellar (XLM), Zcash (ZEC) and Horizen’s (ZEN) native cryptocurrencies may be securities. Grayscale was responding to questions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the company’s crypto trusts. See related article: Grayscale sues SEC over spot Bitcoin ETF rejection Fast facts In its […]

Markets: Bitcoin stays below US$20,000 Monday morning after Friday Fed shock

Bitcoin and Ether fell Monday morning in Asia, along with all other cryptocurrencies in the top 10 by market capitalization. The slump continues a slide over the weekend after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell rocked crypto and equity markets on Friday with comments about economic pain ahead as the Fed raises interest rates to […]

Crypto regulation in focus

Crypto experts weigh in on the direction crypto regulation is headed in APAC and beyond.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall; Solana, BNB slip, while Cardano rises

Bitcoin and Ether reversed from morning gains in Friday afternoon trading in Asia. Solana was the biggest loser among the top 10 coins by market capitalization, followed by BNB. See related article: Markets: Ethereum, Ethereum Classic lead crypto gains as Bitcoin posts modest gains Fast facts Bitcoin traded down 1.34% in the past 24 hours […]

Siloed regulatory efforts unlikely to help bring oversight to highly decentralized crypto industry

Panelists speaking at Forkast’s recently live-streamed event “Crypto Rising: The future of crypto regulation: APAC and Beyond,” co-hosted by Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), said there need to be international cooperation among regulators from around the world to make any oversight of the crypto industry effective.

Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange

Global crypto exchange Binance and the city of Busan in South Korea announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday to promote the growth of the blockchain ecosystem in the city and the development of the Busan Digital Asset Exchange. See related article: Issue tokens later for growth, not for initial fundraising, advises Binance chief […]

SBF denies FTX Ventures merger with Alameda’s crypto VC

Sam Bankman-Fried, chief executive officer of FTX exchange, denied a recent report by Bloomberg which stated that the venture capital subsidiary under FTX would merge with the VC operations under Alameda Research, a sister company of FTX. See related article: FTX revenue grew 1,000% in 2021 amid booming crypto market: SBF  Fast facts “This seems […]