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China NFT platforms expand into Hong Kong in face of compliance risks on mainland

Hong Kong’s new digital asset-friendly policies could set the city up as the home for secondary NFT marketplaces from China as trading of ‘digital collectibles’ remains a gray area on the mainland.

Thailand’s SEC issues new regulations for crypto custody services

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand issued new rules for cryptocurrency custody services on Tuesday.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rises; Solana is biggest gainer among top 10

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Monday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend surge; Solana, XRP give back some gains

Bitcoin and Ether prices were little changed in Monday morning trading in Asia. Several of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies took a breather after strong gains over the weekend on the back of signs inflation may have peaked in the U.S.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rebounds above US$18,000, Ether gains over 13%

Bitcoin rallied above the US$18,000 mark for the first time in nearly a month. Is this the start of a bull run or just another relief rally on the back of easing inflation pressure?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether trade higher; Solana biggest weekly gainer among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Friday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, after the U.S. posted a 6.5% year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index for December, which came in lower than inflation readings in previous months.

Nexo office in Bulgaria raided over fraud, money laundering suspicion

Cryptocurrency lender Nexo’s office in Bulgaria was raided by local authorities on Thursday over suspicion of money laundering, tax offenses, computer fraud and banking without a license.

Web3 Domains

Can blockchain-based websites give you personal domains to ensure

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise as investors await US inflation data; Polkadot gains

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, as investors anticipate signs of slower inflation in the upcoming Thursday release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index for December.

Shanghai Two Sessions: metaverse development requires stronger supervision

Shanghai Two Sessions’ delegate urges stronger supervision in the metaverse industry, as metaverse fever continues.

Binance obtains approval in Sweden to fuel Europe expansion

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has received regulatory approval from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority to operate as a financial institution to manage and trade in virtual currency, as part of the exchange’s continuing expansion in Europe.

Thai regulator probes Zipmex crypto exchange amid acquisition: report

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has written to cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex Thailand seeking clarification on whether it has been operating as a digital-asset fund manager without permission, according to a Bloomberg report. 

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether strengthen; XRP leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices rose in Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, with XRP leading gains.

DCG writes to shareholders to detail finances amid US$900 mln Twitter feud with Winklevoss

Barry Silbert of the Digital Currency Group wrote to shareholders on Tuesday to explain loans from its subsidiary Genesis Global Capital.

Coinbase to cut 20% of its remaining workforce

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., will be letting go of about 950 employees, or about 20% of its current workforce, as part of “a further restructuring plan,” which is expected to be “substantially complete” by the second quarter of 2023. 

Microsoft mulls US$10 bln investment in ChatGPT’s OpenAI

Microsoft is reportedly in talks to place a US$10 billion bet in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT

Can human psychology help save blockchain gaming?

NFTs in gaming have drawn mixed reactions, including gamer backlash and vitriol. What can the sector do to better meet gamers’ innermost needs?

Slumdog Millionaire composer A. R. Rahman tunes into metaverse

Indian music composer A. R. Rahman, who won Best Original Score at the Oscars for the movie Slumdog Millionaire, has launched the ‘Katraar’ metaverse platform to promote new music creations and other art forms.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend rise; Cardano leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin, Ethereum extended gains in afternoon trade in Asia on Monday along with the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Cardano rose the most in the last 24 hours, followed by Polygon, BNB and Dogecoin.

Markets: Bitcoin back above US$17,000; Ether, crypto market extend weekend gains

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Monday morning trading in Asia, rising with the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Cardano and BNB changing the most.

Lido DAO surges 35% over the last week, BitDAO gains 22%: Why?

LDO surged as Ethereum’s upcoming March upgrade is expected to resolve current risks in ETH staking. BitDAO also gained with its buyback plan.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether slip; Cardano extends gains

Bitcoin and Ether dipped in Friday afternoon trading in Asia, with nearly all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies slipping. Dogecoin was the biggest loser, while Cardano’s ADA was the sole gainer in the top 10 cryptos.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed; Polygon, XRP lead losers; Cardano holds onto gains

Bitcoin and Ether traded little changed Friday morning in Asia, with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies losing ground.

Markets: Bitcoin slips, Ether unchanged, Dogecoin gains most among top 10 coins

Bitcoin edged down and Ether remained unchanged on the day, in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia. Dogecoin was the biggest gainer among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, while Litecoin recorded the largest loss.

Blockchain in Davos

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – January 4, 2022 – presented by Angie Lau. As the bells rang in the new year, many said goodbye and good riddance to a year of headline grabbing failures in the blockchain space. From Ronin’s bridge hack, the collapse of Terra Luna, to the bankruptcy of FTX, 2022 was […]

U.S. banking regulators warn against cryptocurrency fraud, contagion risks

The U.S. Federal Reserve, FDIC and the OCC have issued a joint statement to warn banks of the risks with crypto assets.

Markets: Bitcoin price dips, Ether little changed, Litecoin adds to gains, Dogecoin biggest loser

Bitcoin slipped back, while Ether was little changed in mixed Wednesday morning trading in Asia for the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether inch up, XRP leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices inched up in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. XRP led gains at 3.22%, followed by Polygon at 1.76% and Litecoin at 1.74%.

Bahamas regulator denies FTX CEO’s claims over seized assets

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has rejected “material misstatements” made by FTX’s newly-appointed CEO, John J. Ray III

Final Fantasy’s Square Enix stays committed to blockchain despite backlash

Yosuke Matsuda, the president of Square Enix, has reaffirmed the gaming company’s commitment to blockchain technology.

Hong Kong financial service providers gear up for retail crypto traders

Hong Kong’s financial services providers, including local brokers and fund managers, are seeking advice to prepare for new licensing requirements which will allow them to provide services to retail traders, according to a media report.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ethereum up, Cardano leads gains

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices were little changed on Monday morning in Asia along with most non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Cardano led gains with 1.65% while BNB lost most with 0.96%.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly cashes out US$684,000, on-chain data show

On-chain data showed that Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, sent around 570 Ether worth US$684,000 to a Seychelles-based exchange and Ren Protocol’s Bitcoin bridge on Wednesday

‘Tis the season for crypto tax-loss harvesting: IRS, regulators remain silent on crypto tax loophole ahead of new year

The past year has been tumultuous for crypto investors, with a bear market wiping out over half of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. However, with the end of the American tax year just days ahead, taxpayers could get some money back.

Argo Blockchain shares soar after selling Texas mining facility to Galaxy Digital

Bitcoin miner Argo Blockchain PLC’s stock price spiked by more than 100% during U.K. trading hours on Wednesday and to close 73.33% higher on the London Stock Exchange.

Biggest blockchain trends for 2023 and beyond

After a year of new all-time highs for major cryptocurrencies in 2021, 2022 was a challenging year for Web3. Industry experts tell Forkast what crypto has in store for 2023 and beyond.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether slide; BNB leads gains across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether prices dropped on Wednesday morning in Asia while other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies posted mixed results with BNB leading gains.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether extend gains; XRP biggest winner in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum extended gains on Tuesday afternoon in Asia along with almost all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. XRP was the biggest winner, rising nearly 4.8% in the last 24 hours.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; XRP leads gains

Bitcoin and Ether edged up slightly on Tuesday morning in Asia, along with nearly all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies. XRP led the gains with about 5.6%, followed by Cardano and Polygon.

Blockchain gets religion? Taiwan temple mints NFTs of local sea goddess

A centuries old Taiwan temple dedicated to a popular goddess has latched onto non-fungible tokens or NFTs as a means for worshippers to get access to pilgrimages and other events.

14 years on, why Bitcoin will survive its growing pains

Like an awkward teen, Bitcoin is facing a crisis of confidence, writes Eddie Hui of MetaComp. What lies in store for the original cryptocurrency in 2023?

Can crypto go mainstream in the next 18 months?

As the FTX debacle invites more stringent regulations, Caroline Bowler of BTC Markets believes crypto can go mainstream in the next 18 months.

Sam Bankman-Fried home for Christmas after making US$250 million bail in U.S.

Bankman-Fried won an upgrade from his Bahamas prison cell after posting bail following his extradition to the U.S. on Wednesday, where he faces charges for what prosecutors called “fraud of epic proportions.”

Decentralized exchanges could gain popularity following the FTX collapse

Ethan Buchman of Cosmos believes that 2023 may be the year of decentralized exchanges and more advanced cross-chain applications.

To unwrap Web3’s promises, we must break the barriers to blockchain adoption

Despite blockchain’s potential, barriers to use still stand in the way, writes Andrew Vranjes of Blockdaemon. Solving security issues and reducing risk will be key.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether continue slide; U.S. equities gain on consumer confidence boost

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Thursday morning trading in Asia, along with all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies. Polkadot led losses with a drop of more than 2%, with Cardano and BNB following close behind.

Will Bitcoin’s true value prevail in 2023? 

As crypto investors move towards self-custody following FTX’s collapse, Brian Paik wonders whether it could teach people the true value of Bitcoin, beyond hype and price speculation.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether inch up; Dogecoin remains biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Asian trading on Wednesday afternoon, with Dogecoin continuing to lead declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Retail-owned Bitcoin supply reaches all-time high

The supply of Bitcoin owned by retail investors has reached an all-time high of around 17%, according to blockchain research firms Glassnode and IntoTheBlock.

Markets: Bitcoin rises, Ether gains on potential Visa integration, BNB rebounds

Bitcoin prices rose Wednesday morning in Asia amid a week of volatile price movements in end-of-year trading.

Regulatory issues ‘still challenging’ as CBDCs gain popularity globally, says German tech firm Giesecke+Devrient’s Chief Evangelist Lars Hupel

Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) development and interest are growing rapidly worldwide but regulatory issues remain a challenge, especially for cross-border CBDC transactions.  But German technology company Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) – winner of Best Technology Award in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Global Fast Track CBDC 2022 competition during the city’s FinTech Week in November – […]

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether gain; Dogecoin is biggest loser in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Asian trading on Tuesday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos

Blockchain Education

According to a Linkedin/OKX report, recruitment in the blockchain industry has always been a challenge, but formal education institutions are taking the lead in training the next generation of talent.

Ripple CEO’s attorney to resign as counsel on XRP lawsuit against SEC

Ripple CEO Bradley Garlinghouse’s attorney has applied to withdraw as his counsel in Ripple’s ongoing lawsuit against the SEC.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend slump; Binance BNB token regains some ground

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed on Monday after a weekend slump amid worries about a global recession and the stability of crypto exchanges.

Binance “deliberately” caused FTX collapse, Kevin O’Leary claims

Kevin O’Leary Kevin O’Leary, chairman of venture capital firm O’Leary Ventures and star of TV’s Shark Tank, said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday that Binance Global Inc.’s chief executive and founder Changpeng Zhao deliberately caused the collapse of Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com. 

FTX collapse not the worst for crypto investors this year, says Chainalysis study

The bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX doesn’t represent the biggest losses for crypto investors in 2022, according to a report from Chainalysis.

Markets: Bitcoin rebounds then retraces amid hawkish Fed comments, Solana gains

Bitcoin held onto gains in Thursday morning trading in Asia, though had pulled back from an earlier spike above US$18,000 as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in line with expectations.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether strengthen; Solana leads gains in most top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether increased in Asian trading on Wednesday afternoon, with Solana leading gains across most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Wemade appeals against the court ruling in favor of WEMIX delisting

Wemade Co. filed an immediate appeal against the court’s Dec. 7 decision that rejected the developer’s request to disallow four of the nation’s largest crypto exchanges from delisting its native cryptocurrency, WEMIX.

New FTX CEO says he found ‘utter failure of corporate controls’ at the exchange

John J. Ray III, the new CEO of FTX.com, said the company’s failure was caused by the “concentration of control in a very small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals.”

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in mixed trading; U.S. equities gain ahead of inflation data

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Tuesday morning trading in Asia, with other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies putting in a mixed performance.

Markets: Bitcoin rises, Ether is biggest gainer in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Asian trading on Friday afternoon, with Ether leading the rally across all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise as gains in U.S. equities help cryptocurrencies bounce back

Bitcoin rose back above the US$17,000 mark in Friday morning trading in Asia, helped by gains in U.S. equities overnight.

FTX failure a ‘wake-up call’ for security, says former Mt Gox CEO Mark Karpeles

Before the FTX implosion there was Mt. Gox, an exchange that oversaw 80% of all Bitcoin trades before it collapsed in 2014. In this exclusive interview with Forkast, former Mt. Gox Chief Executive Officer Mark Karpeles says what he sees in store for the industry in 2023 in the wake of the FTX bankruptcy.
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Sam Bankman-Fried hires attorney Mark Cohen amid probes of failed FTX exchange

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former chief executive officer of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has hired white-collar crime specialist Mark Cohen to represent him, said a Bankman-Fried spokesman.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise in slow trading, Solana gains on Web3 game partnership

Bitcoin edged up above US$17,000 in Wednesday morning trading, a level it has fluctuated around for much of the past week.

Bankman-Fried claims new FTX CEO’s testimony is ‘false’

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com, alleged in an interview released on Monday that John J. Ray III, the new chief executive of the firm, has made statements that Bankman-Fried knows to be “false.”

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rally; Litecoin sees most gains across top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Asian trading on Monday afternoon. Most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies strengthened, led by gains in Litecoin

Markets: Bitcoin back above US$17,000, Ether gains along with other top 10 crypto

Bitcoin traded above US$17,000 Monday morning in Asia, with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market cap gaining ground.

Blockchain Security Issues

The blockchain sphere has been hit with a ton of security issues over 2022. What can we do about it to make things better?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise with Polygon topping gains in most top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether increased in Asian trading Thursday afternoon, with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies mixed