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U.S. senators reintroduce crypto anti-money laundering bill

Two U.S. senators have re-introduced the ‘‘Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2023’’ after months of delay, which puts greater emphasis on industry participants such as miners and validators. If the bill is passed, all crypto participants will be required to report transactions of over US$10,000.

Bitcoin, Ether slip as long term holders continue to accumulate BTC

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Long term investors continue accumulating Bitcoin, despite the asset’s recent price action, industry experts told Forkast.

S.Korean prosecutors to submit XRP ruling to prove Terra-Luna as securities

South Korean prosecutors are looking to submit the recent U.S. ruling on Ripple to a Seoul court to prove Luna as financial securities.

PayPal launches fully backed and regulated USD stablecoin on Ethereum

Paypal, the California-based online payments giant, announced Monday that it is launching an Ethereum blockchain-based stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar.

How AI, with blockchain, can transform everyday life: Opinion

Combining blockchain with AI, two of the greatest innovations of this era, will unlock myriad benefits for consumers and businesses alike, writes Eugen Kuzin.

Bitcoin up as market digests PayPal stablecoin launch

Bitcoin edged up on Tuesday morning in Asia after U.S. multinational payment giant PayPal launched a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin on Monday.

Blockchain is fast, direct and all too cryptic — can it reshape international aid?

As explored in the first installment of this two-part series, crypto funding is being used to provide small but important items to troops on the frontline. But beyond the battlelines, how can crypto help get aid to civilians in times of crisis?

Bitcoin, Ether slip as XRP leads declines in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Monday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, with XRP leading losses in the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Investor sentiment remained subdued given regulatory concerns and a lack of positive catalysts, industry experts told Forkast.

Crypto’s fear and loathing: Will TradFi take over?

Moves by big financial institutions into digital assets are worrisome to crypto purists, but it could be just what crypto needs to shake off its doldrums, writes Konstantin Horejsi of Blocktrade.

There will never be an X (Twitter) token: Elon Musk

Elon Musk appeared to put an end to recent speculation of X issuing its crypto token, in a tweeted reply Saturday to another user on the platform.

Bitcoin, Ether flat; Solana leads winners

Bitcoin traded flat on Monday morning in Asia to stay just above US$29,000 as the token’s volatility rating hit a record low. The NFT market recorded losses while, in the U.S., equities traders await more earnings reports.

First aid kits, boots and batteries — how small but significant crypto funds are used in global conflicts

As war rages in eastern Europe, this first installment in a two-part series looks at the growing use of crypto funding in global conflicts, focusing on the small but significant provision of supplies to pro-Russian mercenary groups in Ukraine.
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Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin plunges under US$30,000 amid market turbulence. Is US$27,000 next? 

Bitcoin dips below US$30,000 and Ether loses ground as a mix of bleak sentiment, SEC suits and recent hacks test investor nerves.

Bitcoin, Ether extend gains; top 10 cryptos mixed

Litecoin lost the most in the past 24 hours, followed by XRP, while Tron led gains.

Coinbase launches bridge for layer-2 blockchain Base, sets mainet launch date

Coinbase launched a bridge for its Ethereum layer-2 blockchain “Base,” on Thursday and set Base’s mainet launch for Aug. 9.

HashKey Exchange and OSL licensed to serve retail investors

HashKey Exchange and OSL — the only two cryptocurrency exchanges licensed by the Hong Kong SFC — received license upgrades Thursday to service retail investors.

How the art world is embracing technology in the digital age: Opinion

From forays into the metaverse to blockchain-based sales and financing, the fine art world is now at the forefront of profound technological change.

Bitcoin, Ether steady; Coinbase bullish; traders await US jobs report

Bitcoin and Ether remained stable Friday morning in Asia as Litecoin led losers among other top 10 cryptos. Coinbase execs bullish after upbeat Q2 results.

Japan’s blockchain group lobbies for tax change

Japan’s blockchain group urges tax change. Bitcoin NFT struggles but it may be a sleeping giant. Litecoin falls after halving.

Bitcoin, Ether fall, along with all top 10 cryptos, after Litecoin halving fails to lift market sentiment

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Litecoin led the losers in the top 10, despite successfully completing its third quadrennial halving event yesterday.

Litecoin prices fall 6% after third halving event

Litecoin prices have lost over 6% since it completed its third halving event on Wednesday evening in Asia.

Binance could face fraud charge from US Department of Justice

Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are considering fraud charges against Binance, according to news site Semafor.

Bitcoin, Ether down; Litecoin slips after halving event

Bitcoin, Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dipped in Thursday morning trading in Asia, including Litecoin following its halving event.

Litecoin completes third halving event

Litecoin has executed its third halving event on Wednesday, reducing block rewards for miners from 12.5 to 6.25 Litecoins per block.

Bitcoin Ordinals profitability falls in July, but total inscriptions pile on

Revenue for NFT services on the Bitcoin network, or the aggregate value of marketplace fees and creator royalties, declined over July even as total Ordinals inscriptions crossed 20 million.

Kenya suspends Worldcoin over security concerns

The Republic of Kenya has suspended Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded in 2019 by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, while the country’s security and data protection services look into the authenticity and legality of the project, the Ministry of the Interior and National Administration said on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Bitcoin returns above US$29,000 support level, most top 10 tokens rise

Bitcoin was the day’s biggest gainer, rising 2.11% in the past 24 hours. Ether rose 1.11%.

China is Binance’s largest market with US$90 billion despite crypto ban: WSJ

Binance users in China traded about US$90 billion worth of cryptocurrency-related assets in May despite the crypto ban since 2021.

Shanghai plans blockchain infrastructure hub to link with Hong Kong, Singapore by 2025

Shanghai plans to build a blockchain infrastructure by the end of 2025 and establish links with Hong Kong and Singapore.

Tokenization could bring mass adoption to crypto — or trigger disaster: Opinion

Tokenization is having a breakout year, but providers must learn from the past to prevent another FTX or Celsius-level crisis, writes Philipp Pieper of Swarm.

The diversity in NFTs

NFT trading volumes continue to stay low but gaming NFTs gave traders some positive news this week.

Binance Japan launches with 34 tokens, BNB debuts in the country

Binance announced the launch of Binance Japan on Tuesday, offering 34 cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin, Ether extend losses; most other top 10 cryptos fall

Bitcoin fell in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, dipping below the support level of US$29,000.

Crypto’s latest inflection point an opportunity for Asia to lead, says Circle’s Yam Ki Chan

Speaking at the WebX Asia conference in Tokyo, Circle’s Singapore-based vice president of strategy and policy discusses U.S. regulation, growing pains in the crypto industry and Asia’s burgeoning role as a Web3 innovator.

Web3 has a big security problem, and the industry is not doing enough to protect users: Opinion

If Web3 wants to be an alternative to traditional finance, the industry must make itself less vulnerable to hacks and security breaches, writes Richard Meissner.

Bitcoin, Ether drop in Asia afternoon trading amid DeFi hack reports; most other leading tokens decline

Bitcoin and Ether fell in early Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, with Bitcoin slipping below support at US$29,000. Ether fell more than 2%.

Tether says USDT excess reserves reached US$3.3 billion in Q2

Tether Holdings Limited, the issuer of stablecoin USDT, released its consolidated reserves report for the second quarter of 2023 on Monday, showing consolidated assets of at least US$86.5 billion against total liabilities of US$83.2 billion. Tether reported an increase of approximately US$850 million in its excess reserves, totaling around US$3.3 billion as of June 30, the close of the quarter. 

Proving our humanity in an AI world is not an option — it’s a necessity: Opinion

As artificial intelligence becomes more human-like, it’s critical to distinguish real people from code and prevent Web3 from turning into a bot zoo, writes Khori Whittaker, executive director of Ethereum Name Service.

Bitcoin, Ether dip but remain range-bound following Curve Finance hack

Bitcoin and Ether prices dropped on Monday morning in Asia, but remained above key support levels. Altcoins fell on Curve Finance hack.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below key US$30,000 support level, as market optimism over ETFs ebbs

Bitcoin fell below US$30,000 this week, as market optimism over ETFs began to ebb. Bitcoin has to hold above US$28,000 next week to avoid further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin, Ether drop; Dogecoin, Polygon lead losers

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in afternoon Asia trading. Dogecoin, Polygon led losses while Tron and Litecoin gained.

Crypto isn’t fixing the remittance travesty — but it could: Opinion

Blockchain technology has the potential to slash transaction fees, speed up money transfers and lift up the world’s poor. Why aren’t we doing that yet?

Bitcoin, Ether end week in interest rate, summer doldrums; Binance’s BNB token leads winners

Bitcoin and Ether prices were largely mixed but running into the red on Friday morning in Asia, looking to end the week with losses after a period of directionless trading.

Is Worldcoin’s free crypto more than just a freebie?

Concerns arise over Worldcoin’s free crypto. NFT market does a crabwalk. Japan’s next big thing for the metaverse.

Bitcoin, Ether slip, top 10 cryptos rise except Dogecoin

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rose, except Dogecoin.

Bitcoin, Ether edge up after Fed raises interest rates as expected; Solana leads winners

Bitcoin gained Thursday morning in Asia, but not enough to breach US$29,500 after the Fed raised interest rates by the expected quarter point.

Bitcoin, Ether slip, Dogecoin leads gainers across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rose, led by Dogecoin.

Sky Mavis and CyberKongz Plan to Win Together

CyberKongz plans a shift to the Ronin blockchain alongside Axie Infinity as Sky Mavis gears up for its first PFP collection and third-party NFT mint.

Tokenization is driving new value, and Asia is leading the way: Opinion

Across Asia, projects dedicated to asset tokenization have become a cornerstone of the new digital economy, showing the world the technology’s possibilities.

Bitcoin, Ether lose direction as caution rules market; Dogecoin still a winner on Musk factor

Bitcoin traded flat on Wednesday morning in Asia as risk-aversion remained the market theme, though the token managed to hold above US$29,000.

CyberKongz Genkai NFT set to be the first PFP set on Ronin

Sky Mavis announced on Tuesday a partnership with the CyberKongz NFT project to introduce a PFP collection to the Ronin blockchain for the first time.

Russia to launch digital ruble CBDC payments on August 1

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a digital ruble bill into law on Monday, approving the use of its central bank digital currency for payments starting from Aug. 1. See related article: Russia delays CBDC pilot to await new law Fast facts

Bitcoin, Ether remain below key levels, most top 10 cryptos fall

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization except Dogecoin.

Blockchain sleuths win Arkham’s US$5,000 bounty for Terra, Do Kwon’s wallet info

Arkham Intel Exchange on Monday said two blockchain sleuths had won the bounty for new evidence of wallets owned by Terraform Labs and its imprisoned co-founder Kwon Do-hyeong.

How Web3 can accelerate climate finance and help save our warming planet: Opinion

$1 trillion in capital is needed to fight climate change, but investment money is sitting on the sidelines, going unused. How can we close this funding gap?

Bitcoin, Ether fall as risk-aversion grows; Dogecoin gains on Twitter rebranding

Bitcoin fell on Tuesday morning in Asia along with most major cryptocurrencies on speculation the U.S. regulator will appeal a decision in the Ripple case and enthusiasm waned for a Bitcoin ETF.

South Korea crypto lender Delio says operations in peril amid prosecutor raids, lawsuit

Delio halted interest payments for all users on Monday, after announcing difficulties in providing services as usual.

Bitcoin, Ether fall along with most top 10 cryptos, except Dogecoin

Bitcoin will have to remain above US$29,500 to prevent further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Why Asia will emerge as the global hub for Web3 gaming: Opinion

Already home to most of the world’s gamers, Asia has a rich pedigree in seeding and embracing new technologies, writes Robbie Ferguson of Immutable.

SEC hints at appeal of Ripple decision in court filing against Terraform Labs

The SEC has hinted it may be set to appeal a recent court ruling against the agency in its case against Ripple Labs and the XRP token.

Bitcoin reclaims US$30,000, Ether gains, Cardano leads winners as top 10 crypto rise

Bitcoin rose on Monday morning in Asia to reclaim the US$30,000 support level. Ether moved higher, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also gained.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below US$30,000 as institutional interest in ETFs fails to lift markets

Bitcoin fell under US$30,000, despite the SEC accepting eight spot Bitcoin ETF applications for review this week. A weekly close under that psychological level could lead to more panic selling, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin, Ether slip below key levels, ETF developments fail to lift investor sentiment

Bitcoin and Ether both remained below key support levels, as investor sentiment failed to pick up even after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted eight spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications for review.

Tourists from Mainland China can now shop in Hong Kong with Chinese CBDC

Mainland tourists can now shop in Hong Kong with Chinese CBDC, as part of a digital yuan shopping festival launched this week by the Bank of China (Hong Kong).

McDonald’s Hong Kong launches McNuggets-themed metaverse

McDonald’s Hong Kong has joined the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gucci and other global brands with Thursday’s launch of its own metaverse.

Can Web3 bring morality and social good to the metaverse?

The value of crypto is typically tied to its correlation with fiat money. What if tokens can be earned only through good deeds and helping others?

Bitcoin price falls, heads for weekly loss; Ether flat, Matic leads gainers, Solana the losers

Bitcoin fell on Friday morning in Asia as other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed. Bitcoin again slipped below support at US$30,000.

XRP triumphs over SEC, but crypto clarity remains in the shadows

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ripple not clear of hurdles | NFTs in historically slow period | Hong Kong banks dither

Bitcoin, Ether inch above key levels; Matic leads gainers

Bitcoin and Ether both recaptured key support levels. Institutional interest remains upbeat following a slew of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, industry experts told Forkast.

Shanghai sets guidelines to revamp industry, supply chains with blockchain, digital yuan

Shanghai on Tuesday published a set of guidelines to promote use of blockchain, the digital yuan, and the metaverse in the city’s legacy industries.

Manta Network developer p0x Labs raises US$25 million for Asia expansion

P0x Labs, the developer behind layer-1 zero-knowledge blockchain Manta Network, has secured US$25 million for the Network’s expansion in Asia.

National Australia Bank to block some crypto exchanges

NAB, one of Australia’s “big four” banks, announced it is taking action to block some payments to “high-risk” cryptocurrency exchanges, as part of its new measures aimed at protecting customers from scams.