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Tornado Cash sanctions upheld by US court

A U.S. district court has concluded that the Treasury Department’s sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash are valid.

SEC wants to question Terra’s Daniel Shin, could ask South Korea for help

The U.S. SEC could call for South Korea’s cooperation in questioning Daniel Shin, co-founder of Terraform Labs.

Bitcoin, Ether stable after last week’s nosedive; XRP leads crypto gains; US stock futures mixed 

Bitcoin edged up on Monday morning in Asia to trade above US$26,000, after sliding over 10% for the week. Ether also moved higher but remained below US$1,700.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below US$26,000 following Evergrande’s bankruptcy

Bitcoin fell over 10% this week and dipped to a two-month low following Evergrande’s bankruptcy filing.

Tether stops USDT stablecoin mints on three blockchains

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, announced on Thursday that it will discontinue support for its flagship stablecoin, on three blockchains, Kusama, Bitcoin Cash SLP (Simple Ledger Protocol) and Omni Layer. 

XRP erases gains from Ripple’s partial victory as Bitcoin falls 10% in a week

Macroeconomic factors hit investor sentiment while a U.S. judge’s consent to SEC over its ongoing tussle with Ripple Labs affects crypto prices.

How blockchain-backed ID can lift up the lives of the unbanked masses: Opinion

Digital ID verified via blockchain can greatly expand economic opportunities for the world’s poor. But the market is fragmented and faces a rocky road of regulations, writes Tamas Kadar, CEO of SEON.

Over $1 billion in crypto market liquidations as Bitcoin hits 2-month low

Bitcoin traded at around US$26,800 on Thursday morning in Asia after hitting a two-month low of around US$25,400. Ether fell below US$1,700.

Bitcoin steady at US$28,500; Dogecoin leads market decline in Asia

Global institutional intrigue in digital currencies grows but the cryptocurrency market shows no signs of rallying.

Will Singapore steady the stablecoin ship?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Singapore steps up stablecoin rules. DeGods decline. Hong Kong’s third crypto license.

Bitcoin dives to US$28,500; Coinbase buoyed by US futures approval; Fed minutes cast shadow over equities

Bitcoin, Ether and Top 10 crypto fell on Thursday morning in Asia. Coinbase receives futures approval.

PayPal to pause UK crypto sales from October for at least 3 months

PayPal will pause cryptocurrency sales in the United Kingdom for a minimum of three months starting October 1.

Coinbase cleared to offer crypto futures trading in the US

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., has obtained regulatory approval to offer crypto futures trading services to eligible clients

Bitcoin extends losses as BNB falls after Binance closes payment service

Bitcoin extends the day’s losses but keeps above US$29,000, while Binance’s BNB drops amid exchange’s payment service closure.

Binance to shut crypto payment infrastructure as market dominance dips

Binance will shut down its cryptocurrency payment service Binance Connect on Aug. 16, a Binance spokesperson confirmed. 

TradFi has its eyes on crypto, and here’s the real reason why: Opinion

Wall Street thought crypto would be a passing fad. But more big institutions are having a change of heart, in spite of crypto’s protracted market woes.

Cryptos decline on the back of Wall Street losses and Fed speculation

Bitcoin and Ether fell on Wednesday along with all other top 10 cryptos, NFTs moved down while U.S. stock futures steadied after a rocky Tuesday.

Bitcoin, Ether dip amid low volatility; Solana gains

Bitcoin traded flat on Tuesday afternoon in Asia. Ether dipped, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded flat to lower. Solana rose.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried charged with stealing customer funds for political donations

The FTX founder faces charges of wire fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud and money laundering related to the exchange’s collapse in November.

Bitcoin trading sideways; NFT transactions soar; Nvidia leads Wall Street rally

Bitcoin edged higher on Tuesday morning in Asia. Ether also edged up, while other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded flat to higher. Solana led the winners.

BTC Markets CEO sees silver lining in Australian banks’ crypto clampdown

Australian banks are heightening scrutiny on digital asset exchanges and restricting crypto payments due to rising scams and frauds. Caroline Bowler, CEO of BTC Markets highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry in the country.

Bitcoin inches up; Dogecoin, Solana lead losses

Bitcoin rose slightly in the past 24 hours while Ether lost. Dogecoin and Solana were the day’s biggest losers, both dropping by over 1%, although both posted gains on the week.

Shiba Inu surges; DeGods Season 3 unveiled; risk sentiment improves for US stocks

Bitcoin dipped slightly, having hovered around the $29,380 level throughout the weekend. Ether and most other top 10 crypto were little changed.

Weekly Market Wrap: Can Bitcoin close the week above US$29,300?

Bitcoin briefly rose above US$30,000 twice this week, but failed to remain the support level despite positive catalysts in the industry like the launch of PayPal’s new stablecoin. Bitcoin will have to close the week above US$29,300 for upward momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Huobi seeks update of crypto holdings across data platforms, amid market talk of insolvency woes

Huobi has contacted multiple data platforms to update its cryptocurrency holdings, following market talk that the it might face an insolvency issue.

SEC to appeal in Ripple case, says ruling is a matter of opinion

SEC seeks to appeal a court ruling in July that the programmatic sale of Ripple’s XRP cryptocurrency did not qualify as sales of financial securities.

Slowing US inflation data inspires hope for a crypto price rally

Bitcoin and Ether dipped on Friday morning in Asia, while U.S. CPI data points to a potential rally in the crypto market.

Is PayPal’s new stablecoin a watershed moment for crypto?

PayPal launches stablecoin. Traditional gamers take on NFTs. Tough times ahead for Huobi.

Coinbase launches its own blockchain in first for a publicly listed company

Coinbase Global announced the public launch of its Ethereum layer-2 blockchain Base on Wednesday.

Bitcoin, Ether dip but more bullish times ahead?

Bitcoin dropped on Thursday morning in Asia after briefly breaching the US$30,000 level. Ether also dipped, while other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded mixed.

Bitcoin, Ether rise near key levels, Sol leads gains across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. With over 69% of Bitcoin supply inactive for over a year, long-term investors remain bullish on the world’s first cryptocurrency, industry experts told Forkast.

Huobi sees US$105 million outflow amid insolvency rumors

Rumors of arrest and insolvency plague the Huobi cryptocurrency exchange, which enjoys close ties to the Tron founder Justin Sun. How will Huobi respond?

Bitcoin, Ether rise; Solana leads post-PayPal stablecoin launch rally; several US banks downgraded

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday morning in Asia to trade above US$29,700. Ether also logged gains along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cryptos show resilience; BNB gains on Binance Japan launch

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top ten tokens gained Wednesday morning in Asia, with BNB leading winners after Binance Japan launch.

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.

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%.

Bitcoin, Ether slip, top 10 cryptos fall led by Tron

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Monday afternoon trading in Hong Kong along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, except the BNB token, with crypto markets poised for an uneventful month ahead, industry experts told Forkast.

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.

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.

US congressional committee passes crypto bill, steps closer to regulatory clarity

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed a bill Wednesday aimed at defining whether cryptocurrencies are securities or commodities.

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.

Tokyo governor joins prime minister in promoting Japan as open for Web3 business

The Tokyo WebX Asia conference, which claimed to be the largest of its kind in Asia, wrapped on Wednesday after two days of exhibitions, crypto-themed side events, and debate on what Japan needs to do to be a central part of the future of the digital asset industry.

Crypto.com, messaging app Line to collaborate on crypto solutions in Asia

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and Line Xenesis — the crypto asset and blockchain-related business developer of Japanese messenger app Line — have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost crypto innovation in Asia-Pacific and the global industry. See related article: Singapore-based Crypto.com gets preparatory license to expand services in Dubai Fast facts

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.