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Back to the future: Blockchain returns to the real world

As the once febrile crypto market cools, it’s time to look again at the enterprise capabilities of blockchain, says the Hyperledger Foundation’s Daniela Barbosa

Covid restrictions drive some Chinese Web 3.0 firms to Singapore

A lack of certainty over future regulation and a long lockdown in Shanghai are pushing some Chinese Web3 companies to set up shop in Singapore.

Bitcoin, Ether rally continues in Friday afternoon trading in Asia

The cryptocurrency market continued its rally in afternoon trading in Asia on Friday, with Bitcoin and Ethereum up 4.4% and 5.7%, respectively, over the past 24 hours. See related article: Crypto continues tear while Vitalik Buterin says Eth2 ‘not priced in’ Fast facts Bitcoin was at one point changing hands above the US$24,000 mark in […]

British law body recommends categorizing crypto as a new type of property

The Law Commission of England and Wales recommended classifying cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a new type of property in a consultation paper published on Thursday. See related article: Basel Committee starts public consultation on banks’ crypto asset exposures Fast facts The Law Commission, an independent statutory body responsible for reviewing and reforming laws, […]

Bored Ape Yacht Club’s ApeCoin native token to fund 24-hour news website

The APE decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) approved a proposal to fund the 24-hour news website covering BAYC creator Yuga Labs and the community on Thursday.  See related article: Majority of ApeCoin token holders vote to stay on Ethereum Fast facts The Bored Ape Gazette website will become a 24-hour style news site complete with a […]

Nirvana’s ANA token down more than 80% after US$3.5 mln hack

Solana-based decentralized finance protocol Nirvana Finance was exploited in a flash loan attack for US$3.49 million on July 28, the firm announced in a Twitter post, causing its tokens to topple by more than 80%. See related article: C.R.E.A.M. Finance suffers $28M flash loan hack Fast facts Using flash loans on lending protocol Solend, the […]

Komainu latest to get Dubai’s approval to operate

Digital assets company Komainu has received a provisional license from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to offer cryptocurrency products and services to institutional clients in Dubai, CoinDesk said in a report.  See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts Komainu is the latest to receive approval from Dubai […]

Crypto lender Voyager ordered to stop misleading claims over deposit insurance

U.S. banking regulators have ordered crypto lender Voyager Digital to stop making “false and misleading” claims that its customer’s funds were insured by the government. See related article: Three Arrows, Voyager failures raise questions of who is next in crypto fall from grace Fast facts The Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) […]

Terra allegedly ramped up its numbers with insider trading: report

Terraform Labs and affiliates allegedly ramped up the numbers of its decentralized finance (DeFi) service Anchor Protocol by investing their own capital, a claim that South Korean prosecutors are currently looking into, state broadcaster KBS reported. See related article: S.Korea slaps ‘notification upon arrival’ on Terra’s Do Kwon Fast facts The local media outlet claims […]

Zipmex seeks moratorium from creditors in Singapore court

Zipmex is seeking protection from potential claims or adverse actions for six months, citing “all efforts to focus on resolving the liquidity situation,” according to an announcement by the crypto exchange. See related article: Zipmex targets raising US$50 mln to cover exposure to embattled crypto lenders Fast facts See related article: Babel Finance says liquidity […]

Bitcoin rig maker Canaan to deploy self-mining soon in US, executive says

Chinese crypto mining rig maker Canaan is ramping up its mining business and will soon start self- or joint-mining operations in the U.S., Edward Lu, a senior vice president of Canaan, told Forkast in an interview on Thursday. See related article: Bitcoin rig maker Canaan reports over US$200 mln in Q1 revenue Fast facts “Today […]

NBA Top Shot: Dapper Labs’ slam dunk NFT | NFT Moments in History Ep. 9

Forkast x CryptoSlam! are proud to present Moments in NFT History — an explainer video series hosted by Forkast’s Joel Flynn that gives you a front-row seat to history-in-the-making. We’ve talked about NFTs being turned into sports memorabilia, but what comes after? Well, in this episode, we are quite literally talking about epic sports moments. […]

Lido Finance floats 2nd proposal to sell LDO to Dragonfly Capital

Just two days after its initial plan failed to pass a community vote, staking giant Lido Finance submitted a new proposal on Monday for the sale of 10 million Lido DAO (LDO) tokens, about 2% of its total supply, to Dragonfly Capital. See related article: Fireblocks provides institutional investors access to Terra DeFi Fast facts […]

SEC fails to block XRP holders from aiding in Ripple case

A U.S. federal district court dismissed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s motion to revoke the “amici curiae” or “friends of the court” status granted to XRP holders in an order on Tuesday.  See related article: SEC wins time to resist crucial document handover to Ripple in XRP lawsuit Fast facts In a letter to […]

Bad actors in North Korea, Russia send record-high funds to crypto mixers

A new report by Chainalysis shows that sanctioned actors, especially in North Korea and Russia, are sending record sums to crypto mixers.

Immutable lays off 6% of workforce

Immutable has let go of about 6% of its workforce, including lead designer James Wakeham who was involved in the development of the game developer’s popular non-fungible token (NFT) game Gods Unchained.  See related article: Play-to-earn game developers pivot to engaging fans Fast facts A spokesperson from Immutable’s U.S. branch told gaming media outlet Kotaku […]

Ethereum price surges amid bounceback, tenth shadow fork going live

Ethereum has been on a tear, gaining 14% in the past 24 hours. The world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is now up ​​more than 47% in the past 14 days ahead of the Merge. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum to be 55% complete post-merge Fast facts Ethereum is up 13.9% over the […]

Creditors take hostile action as crypto firm Vauld seeks bankruptcy protection

Crypto lender Vauld, which halted withdrawals earlier this month, is facing hostile action from multiple creditors, according to a new affidavit reviewed by Moneycontrol.  See related article: Nexo in talks to buy out Vauld Fast facts As per the affidavit, Vauld has received two demand letters and two civil claims from four creditors.  One of […]

Dubai police launch 2nd edition of NFTs, see use case for digital assets

Dubai police are dropping a second round of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as digital assets conform to their interests in innovation, security and communication. In a statement on their website, Dubai police claim to be the first government entity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create its own digital assets and the first police organization […]

Tether says USDT reserves have no Chinese commercial paper

Tether, the issuer of USDT, the world’s most traded stablecoin, said it doesn’t hold Chinese commercial paper in its reserves and it plans to reduce its commercial paper holdings overall. See related article: Tether slashes commercial paper, shows more reserves than liabilities Fast facts In a statement published on Wednesday, Tether said it “holds no […]

Voyager gives Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘low-ball’ bailout offer a single digit

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF’s Voyager rescue deal spurned. Tesla pulls U-turn with BTC sale. Tencent cuts local NFT staff as it looks abroad.

US stablecoin bill draft may be released this week: report

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are pushing to introduce a stablecoin bill draft this week before the House breaks for August recess, according to four unnamed sources “familiar with the plan” cited by The Block.  See related article: Hold onto your crypto bags, the regulators are coming Fast facts The proposal on stablecoin […]

3,000 Biggie Smalls-inspired NFTs sell out in 10 minutes

The 3,000 generative non-fungible token (NFT) collection featuring late rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, sold out in about 10 minutes at marketplace OneOf.  See related article: China’s ‘Instagram’ gets into virtual fashion with users strutting NFT clothes Fast facts Sky’s the Limit is an NFT profile picture collection that […]

HK crypto exchange OSL sells security tokens to institutional investors

Hong Kong-based digital asset trading platform OSL has started selling security tokens to institutional investors via a private placement, with the first purchasers including blockchain game company Animoca Brands, according to a press release on Tuesday. See related article: Chinese logistics network plans US fundraise via tokenized offerings Fast facts Each security token represents a […]

Crypto exchange Kraken reportedly under investigation for Iran sanctions breach

U.S.-based crypto exchange Kraken is reportedly under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Control for allegedly violating economic sanctions against Iran, according to the New York Times. See related article: US charges two Europeans with helping N.Korea evade sanctions with crypto Fast facts Kraken allegedly allowed users in Iran and elsewhere to […]

Fed nerves hit crypto; Philippines crypto tax pushed

Crypto prices fall ahead of the Fed meeting. Meanwhile, the Philippines pushes for a crypto tax.

Female founders underrepresented in Web3.0: survey

Male-dominated workplaces, lack of proper educational resources, challenge women and act as barriers for them to engage in Web3.0, according to a survey by KuCoin.  See related article: NEAR Foundation, Forkast partner to showcase talented, socially mindful women in Web3 Fast facts Despite challenges, 60% of female professionals recognize their unique value in facilitating better […]

‘Soft rug pull’ sees US$4.5 mln in TEDDY memecoin sold over weekend

The price of BNB Chain-based Teddy Doge (TEDDY) fell over 99.9% in 24 hours on Monday in Asia as over US$4.5 million of the token was sold over the weekend, in what some analysts described as a “soft rug pull.” The token was trading at just a fraction of a dollar on Tuesday in Asia. […]

Bitcoin, Ether trade lower ahead of FOMC meeting

Bitcoin and Ether were trading lower in anticipation of an upcoming U.S. Fed meeting that is widely expected to raise interest rates by 75 basis points. See related article: Crypto market pain will continue but still bullish on Bitcoin lending: Silvergate Fast facts Bitcoin was trading at US$21,130 at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday HKT, down […]

Illegal foreign exchange trading with Bitcoin ‘Kimchi Premium’ probed in S.Korea

Prosecutors in South Korea are reportedly investigating foreign remittances of over 2 trillion Korean won (US$1.5 billion) at the country’s banks on suspicions of money laundering by crypto speculators. See related article: US$1.5B South Korean ‘kimchi premium’ crypto scheme prompts 33 arrests Fast facts The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office is examining foreign exchange transactions […]

Sam Bankman-Fried lashes out at Voyager for rejecting FTX’s proposal 

After bankrupt crypto broker Voyager Digital rejected a proposal to buy out its assets and loans — except the loan to insolvent crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital — FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) took to Twitter to lash out.  See related article: FTX proposes buying out Voyager assets and loans except for 3AC to […]

Aptos raises US$150 mln from FTX Ventures, Jump Crypto

Founded by former employees of Meta stablecoin arm Diem, blockchain company Aptos Labs announced a US$150 million Series A funding round led by FTX Ventures and Jump Crypto on Monday, according to a press release. See related article: Crypto startup funding falls by 26% in H1 2022: report Fast facts Venture capital and crypto firms […]

KuCoin dismisses rumors, eyes India for growth: report

Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has “no exposure to LUNA & wLUNA,” and its recent fundraising “has nothing to do with the market downtrend,” the firm’s CEO said on his verified Twitter handle.  See related article: How cold storage can ward against this crypto winter’s freeze Fast facts KuCoin CEO Johnny Lyu was responding to rumors about […]

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao is suing the Hong Kong publisher of Bloomberg Businessweek for defamation for an article published last month. See related article: Binance fined by Dutch central bank for improper registration Fast facts Zhao Monday filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong against Modern Media Co. Ltd., which publishes the Chinese edition […]

What is the crypto industry’s public responsibility?

The crypto world is consumed by a spiritual battle between its believers and haters, and it is in need of a rebirth and new identity, writes Prof. Yanto Chandra of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Metaverse real estate sales to grow by $5B by 2026: report

From 2021 to 2026, the metaverse real estate market is expected to grow by $5.37 billion, at a compound annual growth rate of 61.74%, driven by the growing popularity of mixed reality and cryptocurrencies, according to a report from global market research firm Technavio. See related article: K-pop logs in to the metaverse strung by […]

Tesla’s Bitcoin dump leaves accountants puzzled: report

Tesla’s announcement to convert bulk of its Bitcoin holdings to fiat currency has opened a Pandora’s box for accountants, a Bloomberg report said.  See related article: Bitcoin falls as Tesla announces it sold 75% of BTC holdings Fast facts Based on Tesla’s letter to shareholders, the sale of Bitcoin added US$936 million in cash to […]

Japanese bank SMBC plans to develop NFT business

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group), which runs one of Japan’s largest banks, said Friday it will work together with blockchain startup HashPort to develop non-fungible token (NFT) and Web3 projects. See related article: PSG sells US$220,000 NFT tickets for first Japan tour in 27 years Fast facts SMBC and HashPort plan to set up […]

FTX said to be in talks to acquire S. Korea crypto exchange Bithumb

Crypto derivatives exchange FTX is reportedly in talks to purchase Bithumb, one of South Korea’s top five cryptocurrency exchanges. See related article: BlockFi’s deal with Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX will prioritize clients Fast facts The two exchanges have been discussing the deal for several months, according to an anonymous source who told Bloomberg. Neither Bithumb nor […]

Total number of crypto users likely to reach 1 billion by 2030: report

The adoption of cryptocurrencies is still low compared to traditional investment classes such as equities, payment technologies and private equity allocation by institutions, a joint report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Bitget and Foresight Ventures said.  See related article: Led by Vietnam and India, global crypto adoption jumps over 880% Fast facts The report estimates […]

Complete anonymity never a consideration for CBDC: PBoC official

Authorities can inquire about and use users’ personal information in accordance with the law in the event of suspicious transactions, People’s Bank of China officials said in response to questions about the privacy of the digital yuan on Sunday. See related article: Central banks double down on CBDC issuance: BIS report Fast facts See related […]

DeFi TVL plunged 67% in Q2

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) plunged 66.9% in the second quarter of this year amid market turmoil, according to data from DefiLlama. See related article: Sinking TRON takes DeFi TVL to US$63B, lowest since April 2021 Fast facts The DeFi space recorded US$220 billion in TVL at the beginning of the […]

Zipmex says considering possible offer

Singapore-based crypto exchange Zipmex said on Sunday it’s in serious discussions with potential investors looking to buy the firm, days after halting all customer withdrawals citing market volatility and financial difficulty at some partners. See related article: Crypto exchange Zipmex freezes withdrawals Fast facts One of the interested parties has offered to start financial due […]

Mind the gap: Fixing the female deficit in Web 3.0

Despite some recent progress, the Web 3.0 industry is still coming up short on women’s participation, says NEAR Foundation chief Marieke Flament

BSP says no crypto ban; Rehab for crypto addicts

Philippine BSP governor denies plans on banning crypto. Meanwhile, a former Coinbase employee has been arrested for insider trading.

South Korean prosecutors said to have raided Terra cofounder Shin’s residence

South Korean prosecutors’ search and seizure campaign on Terra-LUNA and affiliates includes raiding the private home of Terraform Labs cofounder Daniel Shin, or Shin Hyun-seung, among others on Wednesday, local media reported. See related article: S.Korea prosecutors raid crypto exchanges as part of Terra-LUNA investigation Fast facts Shin, who founded Terraform Labs with current chief […]

3AC cofounders resurface after five weeks, deny allegations

Three Arrows Capital (3AC) cofounders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies denied allegations by 3AC liquidators that they moved money out of the crypto hedge fund before its collapse. See related article: 3AC founders moved money out of troubled hedge fund, allege liquidators Fast facts Zhu and Davies claimed that they were forced into hiding due […]

Philippine central bank governor says no plan to ban crypto

New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla is no fan of crypto, but in an exclusive interview with Forkast, he said there’s no plan to outlaw the digital asset.

KuCoin raises US$10 mln despite cool off in crypto venture funding

KuCoin raised US$10 million from quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group (SIG), the crypto exchange said on Friday. See related article: How the crypto winter is laying groundwork for Web3 to reach its potential Fast facts KuCoin plans to use the funds to upgrade the platform’s infrastructure and improve product line-up, the company said.  KuCoin […]

Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum to be 55% complete post-merge

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on Thursday that Ethereum will be about 55% complete after the “merge,” when the network moves from proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus system.  See related article: Eth2 merger closer as ninth shadow fork goes live Fast facts “Proof of stake is much more secure than proof of work, […]

S.Korean metaverse firm Anipen raises US$8 mln in Series C

South Korean metaverse platform Anipen drew investments worth around 11 billion Korean won (US$8.3 million) in its Series C round ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO) next year. See related article: South Korea places $185M bet on the metaverse Fast facts The list of investors includes Medici Investment, Ulmus Investment and Korea Development […]

Zipmex extends withdrawal freeze until Friday; no time specified

Singapore-based crypto exchange Zipmex said on Thursday night Hong Kong time (HKT) it will prolong its customer withdrawal freeze until Friday “to prevent any technical issues,” without specifying a time. See related article: Singapore’s MAS to further strengthen crypto regulations Fast facts See related article: Singapore crypto lender reportedly owes retail investors US$363 million

Kakao’s Ground X forms business alliance to expand NFT use cases, services

South Korean internet giant Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary Ground X has formed GRID, an alliance of some 50 local companies to popularize and expand use cases in the non-fungible token (NFT) ecosystem, the company announced Thursday. See related article: Kakao’s Klaytn partners with OpenSea for NFT expansion in Asia Fast facts Ground X will support companies […]

Minecraft developers not looking to integrate NFTs

Developers behind Minecraft, one of the biggest video games in the world, said they are not looking to support integration with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or blockchain technology, arguing they “encourage profiteering.” See related article: Polium’s NFT/Web3 game console plan meets with plenty of skepticism Fast facts In a recent blog post, developer Mojang Studios said […]

Tesla’s Bitcoin bump; Zipmex freezes withdrawals

Bitcoin drops after Tesla sells 75% of its bitcoin holdings. Meanwhile, South Korean authorities raid 15 companies as part of their Terra Luna investigations.

Celsius on thin ice well before its bankruptcy: CNBC report

Former Celsius employees allege the firm failed to ensure proper risk management and traded customer funds without proper approvals.

How crypto trading can become a life-consuming addiction

Residential rehabilitation centers around the world are starting to see a new kind of patient with an old problem: gambling addiction focused on crypto trading.

Bitcoin falls as Tesla announces it sold 75% of BTC holdings

Bitcoin fell 5% on Thursday morning in Asia — after briefly moving above US$24,000 overnight — as Tesla Inc. said it had sold 75% of its Bitcoin holdings. The cryptocurrency was at US$22,767 in midday trading, per CoinMarketCap. See related article: Ethereum price breaks US$1,600, Ethereum Classic surges 22% Fast facts In a shareholder letter […]

India won’t offer respite from steep crypto taxes

The Indian government won’t reduce taxes on cryptocurrency transactions, a minister said, despite repeated pleas by the industry. See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts In a written reply to a query in India’s upper house of Parliament, Minister of State for finance Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that the […]

Polygon’s ZK solution aims to slash current layer 1 Ethereum network costs by 90%

Polygon, the Ethereum layer 2 scaling network, Wednesday said it is launching the testnet of its highly-anticipated zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup dubbed Polygon zkEVM, in what it called “a giant leap forward for Ethereum scaling and ZK innovation.” See related article: What is Polygon (MATIC) — ‘Ethereum’s internet of blockchains’? Fast facts In a series of […]

Singapore crypto lender Vauld reportedly owes retail investors US$363 million

Singapore-based Vauld owes creditors US$402 million, with 90% of the debt owed to individual investors, according to a document filed to Singapore’s High Court on July 8 by Vauld co-founder and CEO Darshan Bathija, The Block reported. See related article: Crypto trading volumes dip to 18-month low amid bear market Fast facts The troubled crypto […]

Crypto trading volumes in India recover

Trading volumes at Indian crypto exchanges are recovering on the back of a rally in digital asset prices. Volumes had dropped after the government had imposed steep taxes.  See related article: Bitcoin bounces back after US reports worst inflation in 41 years Fast facts Trading volumes at crypto exchange WazirX rose about 35% to US$7.18 […]

Crypto exchange Zipmex freezes withdrawals

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex became the latest firm to block customers from withdrawing their tokens, citing volatile market conditions and financial difficulties of its partners, reportedly Babel Finance. See related article: Celsius says users can settle for cash at a discount or go long on crypto Fast facts “Due to a combination of circumstances beyond […]

3AC founders moved money out of troubled hedge fund, allege liquidators

Court filings in Singapore by the lawyers appointed by Three Arrow Capital’s creditors allege money was being moved out of the troubled crypto hedge fund into a company controlled by its founders.

Celsius bankruptcy deepens chill over crypto sector

Top blockchain and crypto news: Celsius plunges into Chapter 11. Otherside’s promised land. Mixed picture for Chinese NFTs.

Bitcoin’s real role examined; 3AC’s complex ties revealed

A report says Bitcoin users are looking beyond investment. Meanwhile, court document reveals strong ties between 3AC and TPS Capital.

Bitcoin education accelerates adoption, lowers volatility: Ben Caselin, AAX

The price is bouncing back for the world’s favorite cryptocurrency and one Bitcoin expert tells Forkast now’s a good time to shift focus from price volatility to use cases.

Sam Bankman-Fried says ‘moderately bad’ deals OK during bailouts

Prioritizing customers getting back their deposits means it is OK to do a “moderately bad” deal when rescuing troubled cryptocurrency companies, FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said on Tuesday.  See related article: What Sam Bankman-Fried thinks will happen with NFTs and crypto exchanges in 2022 Fast facts Speaking at the Bloomberg Crypto Summit, Bankman-Fried, […]

Shanghai turns to metaverse, NFTs to counter lockdown economic fallout

China’s second-most populous city will introduce a three-year plan to promote the metaverse in the tourism industry, and encourage non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the art and culture industry, as part of a recovery plan for the city’s economy. See related article: ‘Metaverse’ enters government radar at China’s Two Sessions Fast facts See related article: NFTs, […]

US Justice Dept. seizes US$500K from North Korea-backed hackers

The U.S. Justice Department seized about US$500,000 from North Korea-backed hackers using ransomware, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced on Tuesday. See related article: US Treasury says prioritize sanctioning North Korea for crypto hacking Fast facts Hackers demanded Bitcoin ransom from Kansas and Colorado medical providers that were attacked by a never-before-seen ransomware strain called […]

Dubai scorches crypto winter with plans to support 40,000 ‘virtual jobs’

Dubai aims to be one of the top 10 cities globally in the metaverse economy, creating 40,000 virtual jobs and adding US$4 billion to the city’s economy in five years.  See related article: Dubai could be crypto’s promised land, Citi says Fast facts The launch of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy on Monday was aimed at […]

Celsius plans repayment options; Bitcoin breaks US$22,000

Celsius says users can settle for cash or go long on crypto. Meanwhile in the markets, Bitcoin breaks US$22,000.