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Top blockchain and crypto news: Moscow faces crypto winter. DeFi doyen quits Fantom. China mulls metaverse moves.

Alibaba’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Jingtan issued one-year suspensions to more than 680 accounts for using computer programs and massage guns to make instant purchases as soon as items hit the market. See related article: Ant Group’s NFT arm punishes users for digital collectible resales Fast facts See related article: Why Asia is poised to […]

The crypto and non-fungible token (NFT) community organized a tribute for French NFT artist Alotta Money at the Cryptovoxels metaverse on March 5, two days after he lost his battle with cancer and a day after what would have been his 50th birthday.  See related article: S.Korean presidential hopefuls campaign to avatars in the metaverse […]

Local authorities have seized 1,106 mining rigs from two cities in China’s southeastern province of Guangdong.  See related article: China customs seizes 49 second-hand crypto mining rigs for export Fast facts The Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission announced on Tuesday that it had uncovered a mining farm in Guangzhou disguised as electric vehicle (EV) […]

Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday the government will discuss its position on cryptocurrencies after completing an ongoing consultation process. See related article: India government, central bank in ‘complete harmony’ on crypto: FM Fast facts Sitharaman said many Indians see a future in cryptocurrencies and the government sees opportunities for revenue in the […]

The U.K. financial regulator has warned that it can suspend or cancel a firm’s crypto asset registration after noticing Binance’s new payment venture Bifinity’s partnership with Eqonex. See related article: Binance launches fiat-to-crypto service Bifinity Fast facts The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Monday that individuals or entities from Binance may have become beneficial […]

Blockchain technology is rapidly transforming the finance sector. DBS Bank CEO Piyush Gupta offers an insider’s look at what’s coming next.

US crypto exchange Coinbase has blacklisted 25,000 Russian wallet address in response to the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile in Asia, English-language newspaper South China Morning Post announces the launch of its metaverse experience.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has announced the launch of Hong Kong’s landmark Star Ferry Pier in The Sandbox metaverse, where visitors can experience historic moments through in-game quests. See related article: Covid shuts cinema but Hong Kong gets backup from the metaverse Fast facts The Star Ferry Pier in The Sandbox presents Hong […]

‘Lazy minting’ may seem affordable but heightens the risk of NFT theft, writes Anthem Blanchard of Herasoft. Is storing NFTs on-chain the solution?

Australian non-fungible tokens (NFTs) startup Immutable has raised fresh funding in a round led by Singapore’s Temasek, bringing its valuation to US$2.5 billion, the company said in a statement on Monday.  See related article: Jump in NFT demand reflects crypto prices, right? Wrong Fast facts Immutable raised US$200 million in a Series C funding led […]

Nasdaq-listed Coinbase has blocked over 25,000 crypto wallet addresses believed to be associated with Russian individuals and entities engaging in illicit activities.  See related article: US asks crypto exchanges to comply with Russian sanctions: report Fast facts Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, said it will not impose a blanket ban on all Russian wallet […]

The crypto market never sleeps, but you should take a breather, advises Ben Armstrong, aka BitBoy Crypto. Here’s how to recharge and fill your cup.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) is taking a significant dip after pioneer and founder of Yearn Finance Andre Cronje quit crypto with his colleague and senior developer at the Fantom Foundation, Anton Nell, who announced their farewell on Sunday.  See related article: Fantom overtakes Binance Smart Chain in DeFi TVL Fast facts The […]

Regulation is urgently needed to govern data security and curb speculation as the metaverse industry develops, delegates say.

The conservative candidate for South Korea’s March 9 presidential election, Yoon Suk-yeol, issued non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring images and videos of himself on Monday in an attempt to sway younger voters at the final stages of his campaign.  See related article: Crypto investors are being wooed in South Korea’s tight presidential election Fast facts Yoon […]

People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Nanjing branch president Guo Xinming proposed amendments to the administrative law to clarify the digital yuan’s status as legal tender at China’s annual plenary session on Saturday.   See related article: Digital yuan scams emerge across China as central bank readies e-CNY Fast facts See related article: Zhejiang urges its cities […]

Russian banks may begin issuing credit cards with China’s UnionPay after Visa and Mastercard announced the suspension of their Russian operations due to the invasion of Ukraine, according to media reports citing the Russian central bank. See related article: Four more South Korean crypto exchanges block Russian IPs Fast facts Russian banks are also leaning […]

As the war in Ukraine enters it’s second week, we take a look at how cyptocurrencies and digital assets can play a role in a conflict.

The crypto market slightly dipped on Friday but the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem in Terra continues to grow with Anchor Protocol leading the way.  See related article: Terra bullish trend continues; rest of crypto top 10 in red Fast facts Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen by 4.7% and 6.2% respectively in the past 24 hours, […]

Hong Kong-based film production company National Arts Entertainment Group announced it is building a simulation of the Xiqiao Shan filmmaking studio in the metaverse while cinemas remain shut due to local Covid restrictions.  See related article: Who are the biggest players in the metaverse today? Fast facts Xiqiao Shan filmmaking studio is known for its […]

OpenSea users based in Iran claim their accounts have been suspended from the U.S.-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, in a growing list of users experiencing restrictions from cryptocurrency-related service providers due to sanctions against the Iranian government, CoinDesk reported.  Fast facts See related article: Binance may join sanctions imposed on Russian targets Many OpenSea users […]

China’s share in global Bitcoin transactions has now dropped to 10% from more than 90%, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, said on Thursday. See related article: Crypto traders in China may serve over 10 years in prison Fast facts Last September, China enforced a blanket ban on crypto transactions and mining. […]

Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit announced restrictions to block Russian IP addresses on Thursday, bringing the total to five in the nation.  See related article: S.Korean crypto exchange freezes around 20 Russian accounts Fast facts Gopax was the first crypto exchange in South Korea to publicize the restriction, citing efforts to align with Western sanctions […]

As the public tires of Big Tech’s privacy abuses, Web3’s premise of decentralization has never looked better, writes Edward Chen of Huobi.

Australia estimates at least three million Aussies, or 11% of its people, own some form of crypto asset, according to a government-backed report published on Wednesday. See related article: Australia announces biggest overhaul to payments in 25 years — eyes now set on crypto Fast facts Crypto has been on Australia’s radar, with the Senate […]

Crypto donations on the rise for Ukraine as Russian aggression continues. Meanwhile in Asia, China’s Two Session’s are set to begin – could Ukraine and crypto be a part of the agenda?

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Gopax announced on Wednesday that it has frozen and blocked Russian accounts and IP addresses from its platform. See related article: Russian ruble plunges; Ukraine DAO aids civilians Fast facts According to local media, the exchange has blocked around 20 accounts belonging to Russian users. Gopax said its restrictions align with […]

Nomura Holdings will restructure its Future Innovation Company into a newly established company to leverage the rise of digital assets, effective April 1.  Fast facts See related article: IBM, Nomura to use blockchain for plastics recycling in new consortium The Japanese financial services giant revealed in a statement its plans to expand its private markets […]

Chinese tech giant Tencent is applying for a virtual concerts patent, as conglomerates race for the first-mover advantage in the metaverse industry, business tracker Qichacha’s data shows. See related article: 16,000 metaverse trademark applications filed, unlikely to pass in China Fast facts The Shenzhen-based social and gaming giant’s patent application involves a computing approach and […]

The number of unique non-fungible token (NFT) buyers in February dropped to 843,000, in what data aggregator CryptoSlam calls a “mini-bear market.” See related article: Wash trading in NFT marketplace LooksRare can inflate prices: analysts Fast facts February’s NFT market had a 7% month-over-month drop in buyers from the all-time high set in January. February […]

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has shuttered its services to Russian users saying it is relying on legal advice that equates Western sanctions against Russian entities to the blanket sanctions against North Korea, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. See related article: Binance may join sanctions imposed on Russian targets Fast facts “The legal advice we’ve been receiving […]

South Korea’s financial regulator revealed Tuesday that 58% of the country’s 5.58 million cryptocurrency traders are in their 30s and 40s. See related article: S.Korea crypto market growing but needs promotion, not just regulation: BCG Fast facts South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit released its first report on the local US$45.8 billion crypto market. South Korea […]

The ransomware outfit behind Nvidia’s data breach last week is looking to sell what it claims to be a driver that unlocks Ethereum mining limitations on the chipmaker’s graphic cards. See related article: China customs seizes 49 second-hand crypto mining rigs for export Fast facts The hacker group Lapsus$ allegedly stole 1TB of data from […]

The European parliament has scrapped wording from proposed legislation that would have banned cryptocurrencies that rely on the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, like Bitcoin. See related article: How serious is the threat of Bitcoin mining to the environment? Fast facts The European Parliament member in charge of spearheading the bill known as the Markets in […]

A blockchain is a database that can record all transactions and transfers for the entire world. All users can use public blockchain explorers to verify all data is correct.  Blockchain facilitates transactions of virtual currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Transactions that take place are fast, cheap, tamper-proof and irreversible.  But blockchain technology is not limited […]

The U.S. is asking crypto exchanges around the world to prevent Russia from skirting sanctions imposed after it invaded Ukraine last week, Bloomberg reported. See related article: Binance may join sanctions imposed on Russian targets Fast facts The Biden administration is concerned that cryptocurrencies can be used to evade heavily regulated traditional financial systems. The […]

Are the days of playing games on Nintendo, SEGA, and other consoles and powerful desktop gaming computers gone? No.

Ukraine is offering Russian soldiers cash or crypto for their surrender in the ongoing attack on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Binance is working to comply with sanctions on Russia.

The multi-faceted metaverse provides new channels for gaming, socialization, art exhibitions and more. Who’s leading the race and how?

Russia’s war on Ukraine is battering crypto prices, but what does the more distant future hold for BTC and ETH? Fintech experts offer predictions.

The total number of unique non-fungible token (NFT) buyers on the Ethereum blockchain crossed the 1 million customers milestone on Sunday as the network’s gas fees slid to its lowest since August.  See related article: Ethereum price expected to hit $7,609 in 2022: report Fast facts NFT sales on Ethereum increased by 36.06% in the […]

Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukraine will receive 5 million rubles worth of crypto or cash, according to Masha Efrosinina, local TV host and honorary ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine.  See related article: Ukraine’s crypto demand soars; Russian sanctions tighten Fast facts Efrosinina said in an Instagram post that surrendering soldiers of […]

The Supreme Court of India has sought clarification from the government on the legality of cryptocurrencies in the country in the wake of surging Bitcoin scams, local media reported. See related article: Indian crypto scam investigated Fast facts A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant asked additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati […]

Binance is working to comply with sanctions on Russia imposed by Western governments following the invasion of Ukraine. See related article: Bitcoin donations for Ukraine military surpass $1M Fast facts “We have assembled a dedicated global compliance task force, including world-renowned sanctions experts, and are taking the steps necessary to ensure we take action against […]

Top non-fungible token (NFT) game Axie Infinity generated US$1.3 billion in revenue over the past year, reaching a daily peak of US$17.5 million on Aug. 6, 2021, according to a new report from blockchain analytics firm Nansen. See related article: Axie Infinity becomes first NFT series to break $4B in sales Fast facts Axie Infinity […]

Measures to detect sanctioned entities’ crypto transactions can come into play, experts say.

More people in the region are in thrall to play-to-earn gaming as it adapts to offer real-world uses, says Infinity Ventures Crypto founding partner Brian Lu.

BitMEX founders Arthur Hayes and Benjamin Delo pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act’s anti-money-laundering provisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said on Thursday. See related article: BitMEX pays US$100M to settle AML, KYC compliance breach charges Fast facts Under the terms of the plea agreement, Hayes and Delo will each pay US$10 […]

China’s Supreme Court specified cryptocurrency trading as a means of illegal fundraising in its latest judicial interpretation of criminal law released on Thursday, the first time in the country’s history.  See related article: Court in China says trading in cryptocurrency ‘not protected by law’ Fast facts A judicial interpretation is the Supreme People’s Court’s official […]

Around 30 South Korean crypto and blockchain firms have officially started partnering with CODE, a joint venture formed to meet the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) travel rule. See related article: What lies ahead for crypto regulations in 2022 Fast facts FATF’s travel rule is a global set of guidelines for virtual asset service providers […]

Sunny skies and wide open spaces may seem the perfect place to mine Bitcoin using cheap solar power, but one industry insider tells Forkast there’s much more to it than that.

Dogecoin is expected to close this year at US$0.163, a fraction of a penny less than the memecoin’s February peak of US$0.168, according to Finder’s panel of 33 cryptocurrency and fintech experts.  See related article: Ethereum price expected to hit $7,609 in 2022: report Fast facts The panel predicted Dogecoin’s price to double to US$0.32 […]

Terra LUNA is continuing its bullish trend from where it left off on Wednesday, up almost 7% to trade at $59.39 on Thursday morning, Asia time. Fast facts See related article: Is Terra — whose LUNA coin is now at another all-time high — really where the smart money is? The currency has been as […]

A new electricity rate hike for crypto miners in China’s southeastern province Zhejiang is a penalty, not a green light, province capital Hangzhou authorities said, the China Times reported on Wednesday.  See related article: China’s Zhejiang province busts dozens of state-owned entities for mining crypto Fast facts Zhejiang Province announced this month that it would […]

When the world’s biggest crypto exchange acquires a major stake in the business publication it once sued for defamation, should we worry?

Chinese court reiterates its stance that the law cannot cover crypto losses. Meanwhile, Indian investors are paying double the South Korean kimchi premium.

All cryptocurrency ads in India will carry standard disclaimers to warn investors of risks associated with crypto beginning April 1, as per guidelines released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on Wednesday.  See related article: Indian court seeks standardized disclaimers on crypto ads Fast facts The disclaimer must read: “Crypto products and NFTs […]

Moscow moves to regulate crypto. OpenSea’s security struggle. Will China cool its metaverse mania?

Jupiter Meta on Wednesday launched a fully curated non-fungible token marketplace in India focusing on music, film and gaming.  See related article: WazirX launches India’s first NFT marketplace Fast facts The NFT marketplace is built on Jupiter Meta’s Rubix blockchain, which the company claims has zero gas fees and is sustainable.  Jupiter Meta has also […]

The RBI is casting a cloud of regulatory uncertainty over the local digital assets industry, but the nation’s Bitcoin premium shows India wants crypto. 

Binance inked a partnership with an SM Entertainment subsidiary to explore non-fungible token (NFT) opportunities, the second K-pop agency to sign with Binance in February.  See related article: Animoca Brands, K-pop agency Cube form metaverse joint venture Fast facts The pair will build what they call a “play-to-create” ecosystem, which aims to let fans reproduce […]

Hedera’s HBAR is leading a crypto market bounce with a 14% surge over the last 24 hours to trade at US$0.2306 on the back of the HederaStarter launch announcement as the ecosystem preps for its smart contract era.  See related article: Hedera Hashgraph provides provenance for data from Syrian war Fast facts HederaStarter is slated […]

The high court of China’s southeastern Guangdong province has ruled cryptocurrency investment activities are not protected by law, further clarifying that crypto is not a legitimate currency in the mainland.  See related article: China customs seizes 49 second-hand crypto mining rigs for export Fast facts The Guangdong high court on Tuesday listed a crypto-related virtual […]

Tether cut its commercial paper holdings by 21% last quarter according to the stablecoin operator’s latest quarterly assurance opinion released Monday.  See related article: Tether unveils reserves and backing for its USDT stablecoin in new report Fast facts Auditor MHA Cayman completed an attestation, finding Tether’s reserves held for its digital assets exceed the amount […]

You’re probably wondering why you need another world when the one we live in is complicated enough. Here’s what you need to know to better understand the metaverse and what all the hype is about.

Axie Infinity breaks $4BN mark. Meanwhile, China’s brewing metaverse frenzy sees over 16,000 trademark applications.

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands and K-pop agency Cube Entertainment announced on Tuesday the completion of a new joint venture named AniCube Entertainment, as Korean music labels race to cash in on their loyal fan bases through metaverse and non-fungible token (NFT) projects. See related article: K-pop agency Cube bets big on NFT and metaverse Fast […]

Dongguan customs in China’s southeast seized 49 second-hand Ant miners declared “shoe material” for export, at least the third seizure in February, state media reported on Monday.  See related article: Kazakhstan busts 13 illegal Bitcoin mining farms amid power concerns Fast facts See related article: China to ‘outdate’ crypto mining industry with more restrictions

Jingtan, Alibaba affiliate Ant Group’s non-fungible token (NFT) platform, has placed limitations on at least 56 accounts for participating in the resale of digital collectibles, after various collections surged in popularity in online second-hand markets.  See related article: CCTV NFTs hit resale market before transfer permitted Fast facts Jingtan, developed by AntChain, said it has […]

Amber Group has secured US$200 million in a funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek, raising the cryptocurrency platform’s valuation to US$3 billion.  See related story: Temasek-founded Affinidi launches new business unit to bring Web 3.0 to financial services to Southeast Asia Fast facts Existing investors including Sequoia China, Pantera Capital, Tiger Global […]

A former owner of a rare Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible token (NFT) is suing marketplace OpenSea for US$1 million or the token’s return after an exploit on the platform saw the NFT sold for a fraction of its market value. See related article: OpenSea NFT marketplace hacked for 332 ETH Fast facts Texas man […]