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‘The Irishman’ producer Niels Juul hopes to make film fully funded by NFTs

Hollywood executive producer Niels Juul, who produced “The Irishman,” has founded a new startup called NFT Studios, in hopes of fully funding a film with non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Fast facts The startup’s first film, “A Wing and a Prayer,” will be based on the true story of Brian Milton, the first man to fly around […]

Japan’s Astar Network winner of 3rd Polkadot parachain auction

Astar Network won Polkadot’s third parachain slot auction today. Polkadot will launch Astar Network and four other parachains on its platform on Dec. 17. Fast facts “This is a huge step for the entire Astar ecosystem, since we have been developing the network for more than 2.5 years to become a Polkadot parachain,” said Sota […]

DeFi protocol BadgerDAO suffers $120M exploit

BadgerDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on bringing Bitcoin to decentralized finance (DeFi), is the latest to suffer an exploit that was estimated to result in losses of US$120 million. Fast facts Crypto security firm PeckShield said in a Thursday tweet the total loss has amounted to at least 2,100 BTC and 151 ETH. […]

New round of digital yuan coupons issued as Beijing Winter Olympics near

In Beijing, four state-run banks released a new batch of digital yuan (e-CNY) coupons on Thursday to promote its adoption rate in rehearsal for the upcoming Winter Olympics. This batch of coupons tests the e-CNY’s application in small-amount and high-frequency payment scenarios. Fast facts According to an announcement from Beijing financial authorities, coupon use cases […]

Japan’s central bank is urged to speed up its digital yen project

With economic security as a top priority, the Kishida administration anticipates the release of competing CBDCs.

The digital yuan’s de-dollarization

Why the Federal Reserve and other major central banks are likely to speed up development of retail CBDCs.

AussieMates NFT project launches for mental health awareness

Much of the world has been living under lockdown over the past few years, and collective mental health has been severely impacted. One Australian firm is looking to raise awareness and funds to address the issue with a new Down Under themed non-fungible token series, according to a press release shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts […]

South Korea’s Hashed raises $200 million for Web3

Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

What lies ahead for the creator economy in 2022?

A new normal forced by the pandemic is bringing out a wave of creators and influencers for a decentralized economy, writes Alex Shkor of DEIP. Here’s what to expect in the year to come.

Crypto resilient to Omicron: Japan speeds up on CBDC

Crypto resilient to Omicron meanwhile Japan speeds up on CBDC

Scottish whisky brand The Dalmore to offer limited-edition liquor NFT

The non-fungible token (NFT) frenzy has extended to the luxury wine and spirits industry. The Dalmore, best known for its Scottish whiskies, has partnered with BlockBar, an NFT platform for luxury liquor brands, to offer a limited-edition liquor NFT with a set of The Dalmore Decades No.4 Collection, the brand said in a Wednesday statement. […]

After Facebook’s name change to Meta, Square has now become Block

When Facebook and payments giant Square launched, they were trailblazers in the industry. Now, after Facebook, Square too has changed its name — to Block — in a bid to embrace the future of technology. Fast facts Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have never gotten along. Dorsey has jibed at Zuckerberg […]

Korea Exchange CEO calls for institutionalization of crypto

Sohn Byung-doo, chief executive officer for Korea Exchange (KRX), urged South Korea to prepare an institutional infrastructure as virtual assets have become a major investment asset in the country. Fast facts In his speech at the 2021 Global ETP Conference, Sohn insisted that the “virtual asset market is no different from the capital market in […]

Chinese cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360 develops crypto mining tracking system to facilitate clampdown

Qihoo 360, a Chinese internet company best known for its antivirus software programs, has built a system that could help the Chinese government track cryptocurrency mining activities, as the country continues to crack down on the sector. Fast facts Qihoo 360 said in a Tuesday statement that it detected 109,000 active mining IP addresses on […]

Is Terra — whose LUNA coin is now at another all-time high — really where the smart money is?

LUNA is now the 12th largest crypto, and Terra’s platform has been called ‘Alipay on the blockchain.’ What are Terra’s investment risks? Forkast.News explains.

Binance crypto license plans in Singapore uncertain

Will crypto exchange Binance withdraw its license application in Singapore and look elsewhere in its search for a new global home?

Living ‘Eco-NFTs’ and holograms on display at Art Basel Miami Beach

The firm behind legendary sci-fi series Star Trek, Roddenberry Entertainment, has immortalized a key moment in entertainment history — in a way that may in time become an equally iconic moment in blockchain history. Gene Roddenberry’s signature on the first contract between himself and Lucille Ball’s Desilu Productions, which made Star Trek a reality, has […]

1inch Network closes $175M Series B funding round

After greatly expanding its goals for the round, decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch Network has closed a US$175 million Series B funding round from institutional investors, led by Amber Group, according to a company blog post. Fast facts Joining Amber Group were about 50 other investors including VanEck, Alameda Research, Celsius and Gemini Frontier Fund who […]

Crypto-ban fears may be an overreaction in India

A former finance secretary says too much is yet unknown about the new crypto bill for investors to expect the worst.

SEC chair Gensler calls stablecoins ‘poker chips’ again

Conversation between current and former SEC chairs at annual digital asset compliance summit focused on regulating crypto.

Kimchi Premium hits highest level since May

The Korea Premium Index for Bitcoin reached 7% last Sunday, which may indicate an influx of retail investors.

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear; K-pop bets on digital assets

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear, also K-pop bets on digital assets

K-pop agency Cube bets big on NFT and metaverse

The impresario behind superstars BTOB and (G)I-DLE tells Forkast.News there’s ‘no upper limit’ to how much Cube will invest in NFTs and a metaverse for concerts.
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Investors queasy as prospect of India crypto ban returns

Top blockchain and crypto news: Are India’s CBDC plans crowding out crypto? Jack Dorsey goes full Bitcoin bro. China’s digital yuan hopes claim another victim.

S. Korean, S. African banks team up for stablecoin-based remittances

South Korean heavyweight lender Shinhan Bank has completed a proof-of-concept rollout of a stablecoin project for international remittances in partnership with South Africa’s Standard Bank, using Hedera Hashgraph. Fast facts The project’s aim is to test the issuance and distribution of stablecoins for international remittances, which often frustrate senders and receivers due to their high […]

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?

NFTs on China’s BSN migrate to OpenSea to tap global market

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring famous traditional Chinese paintings by culture studio Rongbaozhai have been successfully transferred from China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) WenChang Chain to the OpenSea marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, a milestone in the development of interchain NFT technology. Fast facts The transfer was made on Nov. 16 across four blockchains: WenChang Chain […]

Huobi Group poised to establish regional hub in Singapore

Huobi Group, which operates Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global, has decided to set up a regional hub in Singapore, a representative of company has told Forkast.News. Fast facts In November, Huobi Global pledged to stop offering services to Singapore-based users from March 31, 2022, to comply with local laws, according to a company statement. Huobi […]

HYBE, Softbank invest big in Zepeto metaverse creator Naver Z

South Korea-based Naver Z Corporation — the operator of metaverse platform Zepeto — raised 223.5 billion Korean won, or about US$189 million in a Series B round, which included investments from SoftBank, Mirae Asset and three of K-pop’s largest talent agencies. Fast facts Japan’s SoftBank led the funding round by investing about US$148 million in Naver […]

Is an IPO in the cards for India’s first crypto unicorn CoinDCX?

Is CoinDCX — India’s first crypto company to achieve unicorn status, or US$1 billion in valuation — going public? CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal set off a frenzy of excitement when he told Bloomberg in a recent interview that CoinDCX may pursue an initial public offering as soon as legislation permits. But a CoinDCX spokesperson told […]

What is Cosmos — the ‘internet of blockchains’?

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

Crypto tax delay is a chance for South Korea to fix loopholes, experts say

Now that South Korea’s crypto tax is delayed a year, what will the final form look like? Should crypto gains be taxed like stock profits — or winning the lottery?

Crypto exchange Bullish announces soft launch

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

Korea crypto tax postponed; CoinDCX looks to IPO

Korea crypto tax postponed, meanwhile CoinDCX looks to IPO

Huobi Brokerage launches crypto lending for institutions

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Huobi Technology Holdings today announced that it will be launching Huobi Lending, a cryptocurrency lending service for institutions and high net worth individuals (HNWI) through its new digital asset brokerage platform Huobi Brokerage, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Alongside growing institutional interest in digital assets, crypto lending services leveraging […]

Hong Kong metaverse developer ViLab partners with Squid Game special effects maker

Hong Kong-based ViLab Limited, a metaverse developer, announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gulliver Studios, the effects creator behind the Netflix hit series Squid Game, to develop technology that can be used for creating virtual identities and other features for the metaverse. Fast facts ViLab and Gulliver Studios will […]

South Korea’s KB Bank unveils a metaverse bank testbed

KB Kookmin Bank, one of South Korea’s largest financial institutions, announced yesterday that it has developed the KB Metaverse VR Branch Testbed for experimenting with allowing customers wearing a head-mounted VR device to access banking services in a metaverse. Fast facts Simple transactions, such as remittances, can be managed at a teller window, while an […]

Why a decentralized metaverse is Web 3.0’s new frontier

The metaverse is a convergence of the physical and digital worlds, writes Gloria Wu of Ontology. How can the metaverse escape Web 2.0’s failings?

Bitcoin spot ETP launches in the EU

While the wait for a U.S. Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund continues, Invesco, a U.S. investment firm with US$1.6 trillion in assets under management, has partnered with CoinShares to launch a European exchange-traded product physically backed by Bitcoin, according to reporting on Nasdaq.com. Fast facts The Invesco Physical Bitcoin ETP will be listed on Deutsche Börse […]

New York Fed and BIS join hands to launch fintech hub

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has joined hands with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to launch an innovation hub in New York— dubbed the New York Innovation Center (NYIC) — to explore and build financial technology products for the central bank community. Fast facts The NYIC will focus on five areas — […]

Bitcoin, Ether prices hold rebound as SHIB surges; crypto funds see record inflows

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum’s Ether (ETH) prices on Tuesday morning Asia time held their rebound from the Black Friday sell-off of global equities and cryptocurrencies following news of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Bitcoin was trading at US$57,184 and Ethereum at US$4,445, as of publishing time, according to CoinGecko data. Fast facts Institutional investors appear […]

Solana claims 1 transaction on its network uses less energy than 2 Google searches

As the pushback over environmental concerns of the blockchain industry continues, a recent report by Solana says that a single transaction on the network uses less energy than just two Google searches. Fast facts Completed under the guidance of an independent energy and climate advisor, Solana’s November Energy Report found that a single Solana transaction […]

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey resigns

Twitter’s stock rose 10% on the news, and his other company, Square, also opened up 4%.

Omicron hits markets; Japanese novel released as NFT

Omicron hits markets meanwhile Japanese novel released as NFT

Nigeria charges ahead with CBDC deployment with 600K app downloads

In Nigeria, the eNaira — the country’s newly launched central bank digital currency (CBDC) — has already seen nearly 600,000 downloads, according to local media Nairametrics citing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Fast facts The local media reported Saturday that the CBN governor has revealed the country’s total digital transactions rose by more than […]

China’s new mobile payment rules could pave the way for e-CNY, experts say

In the long run, the new rules may ‘lay the perfect foundation’ to improve risk management, says an ICBC expert.
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South Korea’s 20% tax on virtual asset gains is postponed

A new amendment to South Korea’s income tax law, which includes delaying the taxation on crypto gains by one year, was agreed upon by South Korean political parties at the National Assembly today. Fast facts The ruling Democratic Party and the opposing conservative People Power Party officially made a resolution at the National Assembly Strategy […]

China central bank to establish crypto asset transaction tracking system

The director of China’s central bank’s anti-money laundering office said the People’s Bank of China will establish a tracking system for the virtual assets, such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs, for cracking down on virtual-related crimes, adopting technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, mainland China local media reported. Fast facts Gou Wenjun said at […]

South Korea’s SK Square is 2nd-largest shareholder of crypto exchange Korbit

SK Square, a new investment firm under one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, SK Group, chose cryptocurrency exchange Korbit as one of its first investments. The two companies aim to upgrade the trading platform’s environment in order to deliver more accurate and trustworthy investment information to users, and plan future businesses in the metaverse and […]

Coinstore defies regulatory tension to enter India

Singapore-based crypto exchange Coinstore has entered the Indian market despite the regulatory wrangle that points toward an impending ban on all private cryptocurrencies, the company announced today. Fast facts Coinstore has launched its website and mobile application for Indian users and plans to set up offices in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai that will support its […]

AMC, Sony to release Spider-Man NFTs ahead of upcoming film

To mark the release of the third installment in the latest Spider-Man trilogy, theater giant AMC and Sony Pictures are offering 86,000 non-fungible tokens for fans who pre-order tickets to the film, which opens on Dec. 16, AMC CEO Adam Aron announced via Twitter. Fast facts Amid rising concerns of the environmental impact of NFTs […]

Chinese state media warns on risks related to the metaverse

Chinese companies are rushing to the fore to develop their metaverse ideas, though state media have recently warned about the associated risks the emerging technology could bring. Fast facts An opinion piece published yesterday by state-owned Economic Daily said the hotter the metaverse gets, the more the public should stay calm. The author wrote that […]

BTC, ETH prices recover after market jolt following Omicron variant

The impact was relatively short-lived, and many major tokens had already retraced most of their positions from Friday coming in Asia business hours.

Japanese sci-fi novel’s English translations exclusively NFTs

Miyuki Ono’s science fiction story “Pure” is being released as NFT (non-fungible token) copies to create a new channel of income for writers and translators who are currently insufficiently compensated for their work. Fast facts “Pure” is one of world’s first Japanese science fiction works released as an NFT, while also being the first NFT […]

South Korea and Japan grapple with how to define, and tax, cryptocurrency gains

South Korea reaches a tentative agreement to delay a pending tax on virtual assets. Crypto investors in next-door Japan already face taxation up to 55%.

Metaverse picks up momentum; Binance tweet gets yellow card

Metaverse picks up momentum, on the other hand Binance tweet gets yellow card

What is SafeMoon and can it safely reach the moon?

SafeMoon, known for high fees and social media hype, is now 85% below its all-time high. What lies in SafeMoon’s future?

Soccer superstar Iniesta given the yellow card over Binance promo tweet

Andrés Iniesta, former FC Barcelona veteran and current midfielder for Japan’s Vissel Kobe, promoted crypto exchange Binance via Twitter, which prompted a securities market regulator to write a cautionary reply tweet against crypto. Fast facts Iniesta wrote on Twitter Wednesday, saying: “I’m learning how to get started with crypto with Binance,” also posting pictures of […]

Amount of Ether burnt since EIP 1559 reaches 1M ETH

The total amount of Ether — the token of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency Ethereum — “burned” since the introduction of Ethereum Improvement Protocol (EIP) 1559 as part of the London hardfork has hit the 1 million ETH milestone, according to figures from blockchain data aggregation site WatchtheBurn. Fast facts With the total amount of ETH […]

How Asia’s generative NFT art is reshaping the global creative culture

As the NFT zeitgeist sweeps the world, the industry’s beating heart is in Asia, writes David Tng of TZ APAC. Here’s how Asia’s NFTs are changing business models.

Metaverse tokens lead market growth; BTC options set to expire

The metaverse has been the hottest trend in tech this past month and tokens attached to metaverse projects are showing that growth with the Sandbox’s SAND and Decentraland’s MANA are both up over 600% in the past month to reach all-time highs of US$8.51 and US$5.90 yesterday, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap. Fast facts The Sandbox […]

Reserve Bank of Australia considers wholesale digital dollar

Interest in cryptocurrency is being driven in part by ultra-low interest rates, Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Michele Bullock has said, while indicating the RBA is considering the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for use in wholesale markets, according to the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at a Women in […]

Tether pledges to work with policymakers on stablecoin transparency

Tether, issuer of the world’s most popular stablecoin USDT, has responded in multiple tweets saying it will work with policymakers, after the U.S. Senate Banking Committee earlier this week sent letters to several stablecoin issuers — including Tether — to inquire about their operational features. Fast facts In the tweets, Tether said it appreciates the interest from […]

Korea crypto tax debated; Crypto.com on a tear

Korea crypto tax debated meanwhile, Crypto.com is on a tear

Bill to delay 20% crypto tax in deadlock in South Korea

A bill to delay a pending tax on virtual assets failed to pass the National Assembly’s standing committee at a meeting yesterday, while the topic remains a huge factor in the upcoming presidential election. Fast facts The South Korean National Assembly’s tax subcommittee under its Strategy and Finance Committee had discussed an amendment to the […]

How high fashion is waking up to blockchain’s possibilities

Luxury fashion houses set trends that trickle down to the rest of culture. Here’s where brands like Prada and Burberry are headed on the blockchain curve.

US Senate Banking Committee sends inquiries to stablecoin issuers

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has sent letters to several stablecoin issuers to inquire about their operational features. Fast facts In a Monday tweet, Ron Hammond, director of government relations at the Blockchain Association, said the stablecoin issuers include Coinbase, Gemini, Circle, Paxos, TrustToken, Centre, Binance U.S. and Tether. “This is likely a sign of […]

Crypto miner Xive flees southern Kazakhstan amid power shortages

Xive co-founder tells Forkast.News no mining is possible in the south, while other regions still survive.

South Korea’s Gamevil acquires blockchain tech company

Gamevil, the South Korean mobile game software developer, has acquired blockchain technology company Zenaad with plans to grow as a platform for blockchain-based games. Fast facts Gamevil revealed yesterday that it has entered the final stage of constructing its blockchain ecosystem with the acquisition of Zenaad. The tech force at Zenaad has been internalized into […]

Japan’s top banks look to launch a digital currency backed by bank deposits

The Japan Digital Currency Forum has released a white paper examining the possibility of a new cryptocurrency backed by bank deposits. Fast facts The forum consists of over 70 companies, including the country’s top banks such as MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Mizuho Bank, Japan Post Bank, among others. Several government agencies also are […]

Crypto.com on a price tear as Cardano, TRON plummet on eToro delist news

Cardano ADA and Tron TRX will no longer be available to eToro’s US customers next year while CRO reflects Crypto.com ‘going from strength to strength.’

Australian superannuation fund considers crypto investment

One of Australia’s leading superannuation funds, Rest Super, indicated it is looking at investing in cryptocurrency — calling it a hedge against rising inflation — before stressing it is still only in the research phase of investing, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at the fund’s annual general meeting […]