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Crypto exchanges in India are switching to facilitating user-to-user bank transfers and inward remittances to work around a withdrawal of support from the developer of the country’s ubiquitous UPI payments system, local media report.   See related article: Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India Fast facts Indian cryptocurrency exchanges are trying […]

In Part 1 of a special Forkast series, crypto newcomer Joel Stein dips a toe into Bitcoin and Doge by opening his first-ever crypto wallet.

Xinhua News Agency’s affiliate newspaper, Economic Information Daily, Thursday published an op ed suggesting measures for the further adoption of the digital yuan. See related article: The digital yuan’s de-dollarization Fast facts See related article:Hong Kong makes apt testbed for e-CNY cross-border use

The online arm of People’s Daily said it will cooperate with state-owned enterprise China Arts and Entertainment Group to develop non-fungible tokens (NFTs) themed on Chinese traditional and modern paintings. See related article: Resist the temptation on NFTs, Chinese state-backed developer says Fast facts Announcement from the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the […]

State-backed developer delivers warning on the state of NFTs in China. Meanwhile, LINE launches a NFT marketplace.

In an exclusive interview with Forkast, the head of government-founded Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) cautioned against packaging NFTs as investment products despite the temptation to profit off the euphoria.

LINE, Japan’s dominant mobile chatting app, on Wednesday officially launched its non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace LINE NFT through its Osaka-based blockchain subsidiary LVC. See related article: Asia Primed For NFT Growth Fast facts Users can purchase and trade NFTs on the platform and store them on the LINE BITMAX Wallet, which can be accessed via […]

China’s top government agency that oversees the development of museums has called on cultural institutions to hit the brakes when it comes to non-fungible tokens (NFTs).  See related article: China’s industry lobbies join NFT bashing chorus Fast facts The National Cultural Heritage Administration Tuesday held a nationwide online symposium in Beijing on digital collectibles and […]

The metaverse promises to radically change how we work, play and do business. How do we avoid its real-world security risks and pitfalls?

The Scottish distillery Thursday announced a limited edition buried-brewed whiskey Ardbeg Fon Fhòid (Gaelic for “under the turf”) will be released along with a non-fungible token (NFT).  See related article: Lamborghini’s last all-gas Aventador to be auctioned with NFT Fast facts Ardbeg Fon Fhòid’s limited release of 456 bottles will be available for purchase on […]

OpenSea sales volume dropped by 67% over the past 30 days, according to DappRadar, as newer platforms offer rewards to lure users away from the leading non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. See related article: NFT buyers dip for a second straight month Fast facts Sales volume on OpenSea totaled US$2.64 billion in the past 30 days, […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Market contagion hits crypto. Ethereum developer pays price for bad Korea move. China whacks more crypto miners.

Self-regulatory bodies overseeing China’s banking and securities industries are urging members to “resolutely curb” the “financialization and securitization” wave of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Coinbase’s showcasing of support by government-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) set the ball rolling on the cryptocurrency exchange being yanked from the ubiquitous Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), one of the largest financial service providers in the U.S., unveiled “Project Lithium” to test infrastructure in support of a U.S. digital currency using blockchain technology.  See related article: 5 US digital dollar pilots launching to chase China’s CBDC lead Fast facts Project Lithium is based on blockchain […]

Huawei’s cloud computing arm Tuesday airdropped the brand’s first batch of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), making it the latest Chinese tech giant to join the trend. See related article: China’s Xpeng joins the bandwagon in selling NFTs on Alibaba Fast facts See related article: China’s Communist Party wants to regulate NFTs

Meta, formerly Facebook, started a trial program enabling a handful of creators to charge for what they are building for Horizon Worlds, the firm’s metaverse platform. See related article: India’s biggest telecom firm latches onto metaverse Fast facts Meta will work with a handful of creators under a test program that will enable them to […]

Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was sentenced to prison and fined US$100,000 for violating international sanctions against North Korea by speaking at a cryptocurrency conference in the Hermit Kingdom in April 2019. See related article: North Korea hacked US$400M of crypto in 2021, says Chainalysis Fast facts At the conference, Griffith explained blockchain technology’s use […]

Robinhood added four new cryptocurrencies to its platform on Tuesday, including Shiba Inu token (SHIB), a listing the memecoin community has pleaded for since its inception. See related article: What is the real value of joke coins like Dogecoin and SHIB? Fast facts SHIB gained 30% following the news and has slightly retraced its pump […]

The fund aims to support and speed up the time-to-market of early-stage projects that have already initiated development.

India’s crypto tax continues to break the crypto industry’s back. Meanwhile, Bored Apes are set to have a movie debut.

Trading volumes at India’s major cryptocurrency exchanges slumped to their lowest in years after new taxes kicked in on April 1, according to research by Crebaco. See related article: Coinbase’s India launch hits road bump Fast facts U.S. dollar trading volume dropped by 72% on WazirX, 59% on ZebPay, 52% on CoinDCX and 41% on […]

South Korean mobile services company T Scientific announced Monday it will purchase a 60.36% stake in PlutusDS, the operator of local cryptocurrency exchange Hanbitco. See related article: South Korea crypto exchange underdogs: Where are they now? Fast facts T Scientific, a South Korean company specializing in the provision of mobile coupons and mobile commerce services, […]

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is selling “digital collectibles” as part of its marketing campaign to mark the 100,000th rollout of a complete vehicle. See related article: Lamborghini’s last all-gas Aventador to be auctioned with NFT Fast facts See related article: China’s Communist Party wants to regulate NFTs

Providing access to global customers and higher income, NFTs are changing lives in some of the poorest places in the world, writes Katherine Ng.

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has acquired French racing game studio Eden Games, as Animoca expands its blockchain gaming business. See related article: Animoca Brands halts services to Russians: report Fast facts The acquisition is aimed at developing a series of new blockchain-based racing games, Animoca said. The US$16 million purchase comes after Animoca bought game […]

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) will make its silver screen debut in a film trilogy produced in partnership with Coinbase, the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange announced on Tuesday. See related article: Apes Gone Wild! BAYC ‘selling like crazy’ amid otherwise sluggish NFT market Fast facts The first film in the short animated trilogy entitled “The Degen […]

Crypto market downturns can dredge up bad memories of ICOs. What lessons can investors learn from the past — and how is Bitcoin different?

India’s Ministry of Education was one of the latest victims in a series of hacks against verified Twitter accounts promoting fake Azuki non-fungible token (NFT) airdrops.  See related article: Azuki spikes past Bored Apes in daily sales Fast facts India’s University Grant Commission (UGC), which has more than 295,000 followers on Twitter, was hacked on […]

The provinces of Guangdong, Heilongjiang, and Shanxi announced Bitcoin mining equipment seizures and other measures to phase out operations that have survived waves of crackdowns that followed the September crypto ban. See related article: China takes aim at corruption in underground Bitcoin mines Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin miners unwelcome in Hangzhou despite targeted […]

The cultural and tourism authority in Southwest China’s Sichuan province built a non-fungible token (NFT) trading platform to “encourage the music industry to actively adopt modern technology.” See related article: China’s Shandong TV to build NFT marketplace Fast facts The Sichuan government Thursday said a number of music companies are using blockchain technology to safeguard […]

Indian e-wallet service provider MobiKwik withdrew support for crypto exchanges from April 1, local media report.  See related article: Coinbase’s India launch hits road bump Fast facts MobiKwik’s withdrawal comes as the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) distanced itself from offering a payments gateway to Coinbase.  NPCI developed and operates India’s ubiquitous Unified Payments […]

South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is reportedly working with financial authorities to regulate security token offerings (STOs) and initial exchange offerings (IEOs).  See related article: A crypto bull wins the presidency: What it means for South Korea Fast facts STOs, currently being reviewed by Yoon’s Presidential Transition Committee, tokenize traditional securities such as real estate […]

The world’s largest crypto exchange received an in-principle approval from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to operate as a virtual assets broker-dealer, bolstering Binance’s presence in the Middle East. See related article: Binance wins crypto license in Dubai days after FTX Fast facts Binance will offer virtual asset investment and trading services across the […]

The market for non-fungible tokens soared, then slumped. That doesn’t worry Spores Network’s Duc Luu, who’s betting on brands to fuel its future growth.

Coinbase’s launch in India is off to a rocky start. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ATMs grow in Hong Kong.

NFTs are seen as investments rather than aesthetic collectibles to Goldman clients, while the investment bank struggles to distinguish blue chip projects from the pretenders.

Authorities in Hong Kong moving to block retail investors from accessing non-derivative crypto products could undermine the presence of Bitcoin ATMs in the city with the most crypto ATMs in Asia.

Jack Mallers announced at Bitcoin 2022 Strike’s integration with Shopify to enable merchants to accept Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network. See related article: Twitter chief says integration of BTC Lightning Network “a matter of time” Fast facts Mallers also revealed the Bitcoin payments platform bagged partnerships with NCR, one of the world’s largest point-of-sale […]

The governing body overseeing India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) said it isn’t aware of any cryptocurrency exchange using the platform, hours after Coinbase said users could use the same to buy and trade cryptocurrencies.  See related article: SEC threatens to sue Coinbase over high-yield savings account Fast facts Nasdaq-listed Coinbase launched crypto trading services in […]

Shinhan Bank became South Korea’s first domestic lender to trial real-name corporate accounts for cash-to-crypto transactions, paving the way for an institutional crypto boom in the peninsula. See related article: South Korean banks find workaround to cash in on crypto services Fast facts Local regulations permit only licensed and bank-partnered crypto exchanges to offer cash-to-crypto […]

By offering China’s digital currency in trial as a payments option in all pilot areas, payments giant WeChat Pay is paving the way for the wider adoption of the digital yuan in the world’s most advanced digital payments market. See related article: China’s digital yuan is now in 23 cities Fast facts WeChat Wednesday said […]

Oversight by the American commodities regulator of the Bitcoin futures ETF by Teucrium helped with the SEC approval.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Solana blockchain have been officially docked on OpenSea but sales have dropped by over 21% in the past 24 hours.  See related article: OpenSea’s Solana NFT integration, long rumored, is now real Fast facts While Ethereum continues to host the largest number of NFTs, Solana proponents argue that it is […]

The Economic Daily, a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, called for stricter regulation of “digital collectibles” as investors continue to speculate in non-fungible tokens (NFTs). See related article: Ant Group, JD.com, Tencent pledge to resist speculation of ‘digital collectibles’ Fast facts See related article: WeChat bans NFT accounts, citing ‘crypto speculation’

News of officials planning to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet by US$95 billion a month weighed on risk assets globally including Bitcoin which dropped about 5% Thursday early morning Asia time. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market on the rise along with global markets Fast facts Bitcoin fell as much as 4.7% on sell off […]

Would gamers and developers still feel disdain for NFTs if companies used blockchain technology differently? Will Deane explores the possibilities.

Binance.US, headed for an IPO, has been valued at US$4.5 billion following a more than US$200 million fundraise in its seed round. See related article: Binance US on track for IPO Fast facts Investors include RRE Ventures, Foundation Capital, Original Capital, VanEck, Circle Ventures and inclusion-focused companies such as Gaingels and Gold House, Binance.US said […]

Near protocol, a smart-contract enabled layer 1 blockchain, has bagged US$350 million in a funding round led by Tiger Global.  See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts FTX Ventures, Republic Capital, Hashed, and Dragonfly Capital participated in the funding round led by Tiger Global.  […]

South Korea’s Kakao Group acquires SEBC. Meanwhile in India, an MP reveals the government’s plans for the crypto industry,

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Britain’s crypto gamble. WAVES crashing. China’s big digital yuan push.

The metaverse is envisioned as the next iteration of the internet, introducing an immersive digital universe. Find out what this means for the future of our online lives — beyond all the marketing hype — in this Forkast.News explainer.

John Tsang Chun-wah, the city’s longest-serving Financial Secretary, will launch 3,000 non-fungible tokens (NFT) of his portrait, becoming Hong Kong’s first civil servant to profit from the trend. See related article: Hong Kong Exchange to trial digital assets trading in ‘Diamond’ pilot Fast facts Tsang is the longest-serving Financial Secretary since the handover. He lost […]

The television station in China’s Shandong province plans to build a “digital collectibles” trading platform and issue its own non-fungible tokens (NFTs), becoming the latest state-run media outlet to join the trend. See related article: WeChat bans NFT accounts, citing ‘crypto speculation’ Fast facts Shandong Television has started developing its own blockchain to run its […]

The Italian luxury car maker will auction the world’s first supercar 1:1 NFT before the Aventador becomes a V12-powered plug-in hybrid.  See related article: Sotheby’s will accept Bitcoin and Ether for 101-carat diamond auction Fast facts With the Aventador approaching the end of production, Lamborghini is collaborating with Krista Kim and Steve Aoki for the […]

Kakao Piccoma, the group’s Japanese digital-comics subsidiary, acquired a major stake in Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC) as part of its global expansion. See related article: Kakao Games rebrands subsidiary to focus on crypto, blockchain, Web 3.0 Fast facts Kakao Piccoma bought out SEBC Holdings’ stake for an undisclosed amount and said it will incorporate crypto […]

Unregulated and fragmented, DeFi remains niche, writes John Mitchell of Episode Six. Here’s how programmable money can help banks do what decentralized finance is doing.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned what it called “the world’s largest and most prominent darknet market” based in Russia and a cryptocurrency exchange associated with ransomware activities. See related article: Russian-linked strains lead crypto ransomware in 2021: Chainalysis Fast facts The Treasury Department Tuesday sanctioned Hydra Market, alleging it offered a marketplace for […]

Our virtual and in-person events bring people together to join conversations that matter. Previous Events Crypto Rising CBDCS & Stablecoins: The Asia Perspective We are in a history defining moment where money is evolving. It’s not easy to replicate cash, and central bankers around the world face unique challenges. The U.S. is softening up to […]

Since March 31, WAVES’ price has dipped more than 45% while the ecosystem’s native stablecoin USDN has been knocked off its dollar peg.

India needs to discourage people from investing in cryptocurrencies and digital assets, a senior MP from the ruling party told Forkast in an exclusive interview.

The U.K. has released a detailed plan to regulate stablecoins as payments along with an intention to create a blockchain sandbox to mark Her Majesty’s entry into the “crypto hub” race. See related article: UK regulator may cancel Eqonex’s registration over Binance, Bifinity ties Fast facts The government plans to amend the Banking Act 2009 […]

Indonesia will tax income from crypto trading at 0.1% and impose an additional value added tax (VAT) of 0.1% on crypto transactions starting May. See related article: Indonesian regulators play catch-up as crypto investment soars Fast facts The tax rate is lower than the 11% tax that the Indonesian government levies on other goods and […]

Bitcoin is now a reserve asset for Terra’s UST. What does this portend for the $186 billion stablecoins market?

Stablecoins are taking the world by storm and it’s the US dollar that outweighs any other fiat-backed cryptocurrency. What are the reasons for the greenback’s dominance?

DBS Bank reverses its crypto-trading decision. Meanwhile, China continues to expand e-CNY trial.

Singapore’s approach may seem increasingly anti-crypto to some, but not to those tracking its policies closely. Danny Chong of Tranchess explains what’s going on.

At least 500 Ether looted from the US$600 million Ronin hack has been transferred to Tornado Cash. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts An Ethereum address associated with the hack made two 100 ETH deposits to Tornado Cash on Monday morning Asia time. Over an hour later, the […]

The People’s Bank of China said it expanded its digital yuan pilot program to 11 more cities, including in Hangzhou, which hosts the Asian Games in September. See related article: The digital yuan’s de-dollarization Fast facts The 11 cities that will trial China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) are Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, and […]

Pioneers take arrows. No one knows it better than Binance. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange by volume wants to set the industry standard when it comes to compliance and security as past missteps hold it in good stead.

As the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange battles the onslaught of regulators globally, cofounder Yi He is stepping out of the shadows to help steer the company.