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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.

New NFT Project makes it big; XRP & BTC pull up crypto

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Angie Lau, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. Coming up on today’s show:

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.

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 trade flat as buzz around Bitcoin ETFs and Ripple court ruling fades

Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday morning, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies, but the token looks to have lost support at the US$30,000 line.

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.

Bitcoin returns above key level, Ether inches up, XRP leads top 10 cryptos in gains

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Chinese police uncover $54 million USDT money laundering scheme

Police in China’s Shanxi Province made 21 arrests in relation to an alleged USDT money laundering scheme amounting to over US$54 million.

Bitcoin loses grip on US$30,000 as profit-taking kicks in; XRP gains as other top 10 crypto fall

Bitcoin slipped under US$30,000 on the back of profit-taking and long liquidations as the recent run up on optimism about exchange-traded funds seemed to run out of steam.

Stablecoins can make banking safe again: Opinion

Stablecoins play a pivotal role as a safe-haven medium of exchange in times of high inflation, writes James Glasscock. But they’re not without risks.

Bitcoin dips but recovers back above US$30,000; Ether, most other top 10 crypto lose ground

Bitcoin dipped under US$30,000 in early Asia trade before recovering. Ether and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell, while NFT trading slumped.

Financial Stability Board recommends stricter global crypto regulation after year of industry blow-ups

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published on Monday a global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities to provide a global regulatory and supervisory foundation for crypto. The recommendations made to the G20 – the 20 leading economies of the world – are based upon the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation.”

Bitcoin, Ether slip, top cryptos mixed, XRP biggest gainer after last week’s court win

XRP continued its rally after XRP issuer Ripple’s favorable ruling last week in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

How Asia is emerging as a safe haven for digital assets: Opinion

As the US is engulfed in regulatory strife, Asian countries are rolling out legal frameworks that attract crypto investment, protect consumers and encourage innovation.

Bitcoin dips over weekend, other top 10 cryptos mixed; US stock futures edge down

Bitcoin rose to trade at over US$30,300 on Monday morning in Asia, but the price fell over the weekend to around the pre-Ripple ruling level.

USDT’s goal is to be the dollar, not beat it, says Tether CTO

Scrutiny on the stablecoin’s reserves has intensified since USDT’s latest depegging scare. Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether and Bitfinex, delves into the composition of USDT reserves, explaining how the firm ensures dollar redemptions, irrespective of secondary market prices.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rises past US$31,000, cryptos rally after Ripple’s win against U.S. SEC

Bitcoin rose to US$31,736 on Friday, bolstering Ethereum to above US$2,000, after the court ruled that the sale of XRP did not constitute a security. Bitcoin needs a close above US$31,000 to pave the way for US$32,500, market experts told Forkast.

XRP leads gains as Bitcoin, top 10 cryptos rally after Ripple’s win against U.S. SEC

A favorable U.S. court ruling for Ripple boosted Bitcoin prices. All top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos rallied with XRP prices gaining 62% in the past 24 hours.

After U.S. court rules Ripple XRP is not a security, industry remains cautious

In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. court ruled in favor of Ripple Labs in its case against the Securities and Exchange Commission, providing a boost to most cryptocurrency prices. But industry participants remain wary.

Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky arrested, pleads not guilty to fraud

Alex Mashinsky, founder and CEO of Celsius Network, pleaded not guilty after being arrested in the U.S. Thursday on several fraud-related criminal charges.

Bitcoin, Ether surge after Ripple notched partial win against SEC; Ripple’s XRP leads crypto rally 

Bitcoin, all other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens logged gains Friday morning. That followed a favorable SEC ruling for Ripple, whose XRP token led the gains.

US court rules in favor of XRP in Ripple Labs case against SEC, with caveats

Judge Analisa Torres ruled on Thursday that Ripple Labs’ programmatic sales of the XRP cryptocurrency did not qualify as the offer and sale of investment contracts.

Europe’s first spot Bitcoin ETF set to launch in July: FT

Europe’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is expected to be publicly listed this month, following a 12-month delay from the initially planned date

Standard Chartered’s great expectations for Bitcoin in 2024

Top blockchain and crypto news: Standard Chartered eyes US$120,000 per Bitcoin | Another week of declines in NFT market | Sega and Line team up.

Bitcoin, Ether fall; all other top 10 cryptos mixed

Bitcoin prices fell below US$30,500 in the past 24 hours while its trading volume has gained over 20%. Ether also fell. Cardano and BNB were the day’s biggest losers.

USDC issuer Circle trims workforce

Stablecoin issuer Circle has reduced its workforce and investment in non-core activities.

Bitcoin, Ether fall, Polygon leads losers; U.S. equities gain as inflation slows

Bitcoin dropped on Thursday morning in Asia to below US$30,500. Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also logged losses.

Bitcoin inches up, holds above US$30,500; all other top 10 cryptos mixed

Bitcoin trade volumes dropped in the last 24 hours but the token is holding steady above US$30,500. Binance’s BNB token posted the biggest gain while most other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed.

Seoul prosecutors chasing Do Kwon establish crypto investigations team

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office announced that it will launch the Virtual Asset Joint Investigation Unit at the end of this month.

South Korea mandates new accounting rules for domestic crypto sector

South Korea’s FSC is requiring companies that issue or own cryptocurrencies to provide detailed crypto disclosures from 2024.

Bitcoin above US$30,500, Ether flat, SOL leads the winners

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday morning in Asia to trade above US$30,500. Ether traded flat while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens gained. SOL led winners.

Gamers can now earn Bitcoin rewards on Minecraft via Zebedee

Zebedee, a New Jersey-based payments technology firm, will allow Minecraft players to earn Bitcoin by completing in-game quests.

Bitcoin steady above US$30,000, all top 10 cryptos rise on market optimism

Bitcoin breached US$31,000 level in the past 24 hours after falling back to hold above US$30,000. Ether and all other top 10 cryptos gained.

Improving crypto user experience is an imperative and need not come at the cost of security: Opinion

The key to making crypto easier to use while less prone to skulduggery lies in centralizing some security and UX features, writes Hsuan Lee of Blocto.

Bitcoin gains on StanChart price predictions, fund inflows; Ether rises, Matic leads winners

Bitcoin rose on Tuesday morning in Asia, after Standard Chartered predicted the token could reach US$120,000 by the end of 2024. Ether and most other top 10 tokens rose.

Global crypto industry worth US$180 billion, says K33 Research report

The global cryptocurrency industry is valued at US$180 billion, with over 10,000 companies employing a total of 190,000 employees, according to a July 5 report from crypto intelligence firm K33 Research. See related article: Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto rules; NFTs become new cultural frontier Fast facts See related article: South Korea, Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto […]

Bitcoin dips but holds above US$30,000, all other top 10 cryptos drop

All top 10 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether, drop over the last 24 hours while investors brace for more interest rate hikes in the U.S.

Despite the regulatory darkness in America, crypto’s dawn is nigh: Opinion

Crypto’s current turmoil in the US stands in stark contrast to other jurisdictions that are paving paths to for the industry to shine, writes Sean O’Connor.

South Korea holds first court hearing for Terra co-founder Daniel Shin on crypto fraud charges

South Korea on Monday held the first preliminary hearing for Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin and seven other former employees on charges related to the collapse of the Terra-Luna crypto project.

Bitcoin stays above US$30,000; ETF optimism dampens; further rate hikes expected

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia but held above the US$30,000 support level. Ether edged lower along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens.

South Korea, Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto rules as U.S. in state of regulatory ‘warfare’

While Asia nations such as Singapore and Thailand seem to be following the U.S. regulator in frowning upon certain products offered by crypto exchanges, the approach in Asia so far seems to be clarity instead of court battles, in contrast with North America
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Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin holds above US$30,000; SEC officially silent over spot Bitcoin ETF applications

Bitcoin held above US$30,000 for most of the week but lost momentum as the SEC left investors guessing on how it will treat spot Bitcoin ETF applications.

Tokenization makes the world a better place, and Asia is paving the way: Opinion

Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Thailand have regulations supporting the growth of tokenization, showing the world the benefits of fractionalizing assets.
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How did Do Kwon move US$18 mln in stablecoins to ‘unfreezable’ tokens while in Montenegro jail?

A South Korean academic tracking on-chain data says Do Kwon, the imprisoned founder of the now collapsed Terra-Luna crypto project, seems to have outside help in moving stablecoins from his digital wallets into other cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin loses US$30,000 peg, Ether falls as risk-off sentiment spreads to cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin fell below US$30,000 on Friday morning in Asia as traders took profits amid worries about interest rate hikes in U.S. markets.

Cardano ‘ghost chain’ outperforms top blockchains in NFT market

Despite a plunge in unique NFT buyers on Cardano, which earned it the nickname “ghost chain,” data reveals that the blockchain’s NFT market outperformed leading competitors such as Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon in June.

No surprise as Singapore, Thailand step up crypto regulation

Southeast Asia steps up regulation. No end in sight for NFT market decline. Voyager’s shrinking portfolio.

Bitcoin, Ether rise, top cryptos mixed, as investors await SEC response to Bitcoin ETF applications

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top altcoins were mixed, as investors await the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) response to spot Bitcoin ETF applications. See related article: Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin breaches US$31,195 following Fidelity’s spot Bitcoin ETF application Bitcoin, Ether rise, top 10 […]

Bitcoin, Ether, all other top 10 cryptocurrencies fall; Litecoin leads losers with Cardano

Bitcoin, Ether fell along with all top 10 cryptocurrencies. Litecoin and Cardano led the losers. The Forkast 500 NFT index rose, but NFT mood is pessimistic.

Bitcoin, Ether slip but remain above key price levels while altcoins struggle to find momentum

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong but remained above key price levels, while most of the top altcoins were in the red.

Why a wash sale rule for crypto may be coming soon — and what this means for you: Opinion

For years, crypto and NFT investors enjoyed tax advantages that holders of stocks and bonds do not have, but legislation on the horizon could end that loophole.

Bitcoin trades flat after losing US$31,000 peg; Solana gains; Polygon, BNB lead losers

Bitcoin and Ether traded little changed on Wednesday morning in Asia, while the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed.

Bitcoin, Ether slip but remain above key levels; top 10 cryptos mixed

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed.

How Web3 is disrupting gaming business models and player economics: Opinion

From pay-to-play arcade video games to sales of home consoles, gaming’s evolution into peer-to-peer marketplaces is posing a new challenge to the status quo, writes Jackson Poon.

Bitcoin breaches US$31,000 on BlackRock’s updated ETF; Ether gains, Polygon leads winners

Bitcoin climbed above US$31,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after Blackrock refiled its Bitcoin ETF application. Ether also gained amid institutional interest.

Singapore to require crypto firms to hold customer assets in a trust; restricts lending, staking by retail users

Cryptocurrency service providers in Singapore will have to keep customer assets under a statutory trust before the end of the year, for safekeeping purposes, the city state’s central bank announced Monday.

Global shifts in crypto capital are underway. Here’s where the money is going

Digital assets funds have been flowing in waves all over the world since crypto’s inception, writes Amy Yu, CEO of SEBA Bank. Where is crypto capital going now?

Bitcoin flat, Ether gains in mixed crypto market; Solana rebounds, Litecoin leads winners

Bitcoin traded flat above US$30,000 while most other leading tokens were mixed. Litecoin and Solana saw the biggest gains among the top 10.

Blockchain Alliance’s Raj Kapoor says the technology can reshape India’s governance systems

Kapoor founded the India Blockchain Alliance five years ago and gives an update on how the technology is being used in police reports to real estate transactions, as well as challenges of CBDC adoption and plans for tokenization of assets. He spoke in an interview for Forkast IQ.

South Korea approves crypto bill to protect investors, goes into effect in one year

South Korea approved a bill to protect cryptocurrency investors as part of building the country’s first legal framework devoted to digital assets.

US SEC says Bitcoin ETF applications inadequate: WSJ

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the recent series of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications by asset managers were inadequate and not sufficiently clear, according to a report by Wall Street Journal on Friday. 

ApeCoin DAO replaces Yat Siu and Alexis Ohanian

ApeCoin DAO, the decentralized autonomous organization behind the ApeCoin cryptocurrency, has replaced Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, in its special council that oversees the Ape Foundation.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin breaches US$31,195 following Fidelity’s spot Bitcoin ETF application

Bitcoin briefly rose to US$31,195 after Fidelity filed its spot Bitcoin ETF application. Can the wave of institutional interest keep Bitcoin above US$30,500?

Ripple executive spells out Asia future after license success in Singapore

Ripple Labs’ Asia-Pacific branch is offering digital payment services in Singapore after receiving in-principle approval of its license application from the MAS on June 22. What does that mean for the company’s Asia business?

Bitcoin, Ether rise along with all other top 10 cryptos

Cyptocurrency investor sentiment continues to improve with Litecoin posting strong gains as its halving event in August gets closer.