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Closure of blockchain business may be related to regulatory concerns, but unlikely to hit crypto industry hard, observers say.

The Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, a cryptocurrency trading platform licensed by the central bank of the Philippines, now has more than 450,000 users, a 22.5-times increase from 2019, the bourse has told local media.  Fast facts PDAX Chief Executive Nichel Gaba said many Filipinos were crypto-curious, which explained why the number of traders on the […]

Following El Salvador’s making Bitcoin legal tender and ongoing speculation of further crypto adoption in Latin America, the International Monetary Fund has issued a thinly veiled warning to any country looking to follow suit. Fast facts While acknowledging the appeal to countries adopting cryptocurrencies as legal tender — especially for those with less stable economies […]

A cryptocurrency-themed TV drama series with a historical twist is currently in production in South Korea, depicting the make-believe arrival of a cryptocurrency in the country’s ancient Joseon Dynasty. Fast facts “The Age of Money,” as the show will be known, follows a fictional king trying to get to the bottom of an “invisible” brass […]

World’s largest stablecoin dismisses report suggesting possibility of U.S. investigation, despite claims of recent Justice Department interest and track record of legal woes.

As regulation permitting the establishment of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds remains stalled in the U.S., Goldman Sachs has officially applied for an ETF offering exposure to companies in decentralized finance and blockchain. Fast facts In a recent filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the bank said its fund — the Goldman Sachs Innovate DeFi […]

Amazon is quickly putting to rest rumors the online retail giant plans to offer crypto payment services for its customers, as reported by British newspaper CityAM, which claimed to have spoken to a company insider. Fast facts To shoot down the rumors and conjecture, an Amazon spokesperson told Coindesk.com on Monday: “Notwithstanding our interest in […]

Facebook’s Novi, a digital wallet designed for its digital currency, Diem, is in hiring mode in the Philippines. Fast facts Facebook’s careers page currently shows five openings in the country for positions dedicated to Novi, including help operations investigator, onboarding coordinator and learning business partner. It has only one other opening in the entire Asia-Pacific […]

For the third consecutive week, digital asset investment products last week saw outflows — this time, to the tune of US$28 million, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Bitcoin saw the majority of outflows, but multi-asset investment products remained positive with inflows of US$3.1 million. Fast facts Bitcoin investment products saw US$24 […]

Singapore’s central bank is in the final stages of reviewing applications for licenses to provide crypto services, including payments and the operation of cryptocurrency exchanges, according to Tharman Shanmugaratnam, minister in charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which regulates financial institutions in Singapore. Fast facts To date, Singapore has received over 480 crypto […]

Bit Mining pivots overseas as Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin joins animated crypto series ‘Stoned Cats’ cast.

Singapore-based crypto derivatives exchange Bybit today announced it had made a US$19.3 million contribution in Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) to BitDAO, one of the world’s largest decentralized autonomous organizations, which it helped launch last month. Fast facts Many crypto projects, especially those in decentralized finance, have organized themselves as DAOs for […]

As non-fungible tokens make their way into TV with a new funding model and method of building community, who better to lead a project than the head of Ethereum himself?

Blockchain technology can make a big impact on the world we live in, according to authors Kosrow Dehnad and Joe Duncan. A prime example: Tesla’s driverless vehicles.

Three blockchain and crypto-related companies have donated hundreds of millions of yuan to China’s Henan Province, which has suffered deadly floods since last week. Fast facts Bitmain, a crypto mining firm was the first to announce a donation of 10 million yuan (US$1.54 million) on July 23 to a charity federation in Zhengzhou, the provincial […]

Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, appears to be expanding its Singapore office. At the time of publishing, Linkedin showed that it had 261 job vacancies in Singapore — where its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, allegedly lives — among 964 vacancies globally.  Fast facts The talent Binance is seeking ranges from futures growth […]

Led by traders in Asia, Bitcoin saw its biggest one-day gain in over a month amid speculation that Amazon is getting into crypto.

Wolfram Blockchain Labs and Cardano are set to host a livestream event in which items from Wolfram’s computational universe will be “Liveminted” as NFTs on the Cardano network. Details of the event were shared on the website of Cardano’s parent company, Input Output Hong Kong recently, which said it would take place on July 28. […]

Chinese cryptocurrency mining rig maker Bitmain has partnered with Enegix, which runs one of the biggest crypto mining data centers in Kazakhstan, to host its Antminer machines in the Central Asian nation. Fast facts Bitmain said in a statement on Friday that it had joined hands with Enegix, a data center operator in Kazakhstan, to […]

BIT Mining — a New York Stock Exchange-listed company that only months ago became a big investor in Chinese cryptocurrency mining — has decided to exit its Chinese lottery-related business and focus more on mining outside the country. Fast facts BIT Mining, formerly known as 500.com, has operated online sports lottery services, but announced on […]

Cryptocurrencies are gaining traction in Singapore, especially among younger investors. A survey of 1,000 Singaporeans carried out by Toluna, a consumer insights provider, has shown that 43% of Singaporeans own crypto and that 74% of them have increased their wealth by using it as an investment.  Fast facts The survey is said to have been […]

Amid growing concerns surrounding ransomware attacks in the U.S., Senator Gary Peters has announced a bipartisan investigation of how cryptocurrencies could be facilitating such activity, Bitcoin.com reports. Fast facts In a statement, Sen. Peters, who is also the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said: “The increased use of cryptocurrencies as the […]

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried says it’s time to move on from high leverage in crypto trading. Binance also seeks new CEO with a stronger regulatory background.

Valkyrie is among a growing number of asset managers at the SEC’s door, seeking approval to offer a Bitcoin ETF. Will a Bitcoin ETF ever get the green light in the United States?

India updates its CBDC plans and Korea threatens to block exchanges

Speaking at an SCB 10X DeFi virtual summit, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao says an IPO is not out of the question, but that the exchange first needs to set up corporate structures as it navigates increased regulatory scrutiny.

The cryptocurrency community is watching Ethereum closely, with the EthCC event in Paris having wrapped up, Ether prices showing new strength and the London upgrade just around the corner.

Authorities in Sichuan — a southwestern Chinese province that was once a hotbed for crypto mining, thanks to its abundant hydropower resources — is tightening scrutiny of small hydropower stations, without giving any exact reasons behind the move. Fast facts The Sichuan Provincial Water Resources Department said that it had listed 5,131 small hydropower stations […]

US Securities and Exchange Commission staffers say their appointed leaders’ views do not reflect the agency’s stance on Ripple and XRP.

Seoul’s Kansong Art Museum has announced a plan to turn Hunminjeongeum, a book documenting the principles of the Korean alphabet — a national treasure in South Korea — into a limited edition of 100 non-fungible tokens that will be sold for around US$87,000 each. Fast facts On July 22, the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation […]

Case could be first fatality associated with mining, although hot-running equipment has history of starting fires.

Despite Ethereum being the blockchain of choice for smart-contract capabilities, there has been a recent push to bring decentralized finance to the Bitcoin network. Fast facts One such project looking to do so is layer-one protocol Stacks (STX), whose introduction of its programming language Clarity has allowed the development of smart contracts on the Bitcoin […]

Demonstrators have gathered outside El Salvador’s National Assembly to protest President Nayib Bukele’s controversial bill to establish Bitcoin as official legal tender in the Central American nation, Decrypt reports. Fast facts Activists gathered despite a three-month ban on protests in the country, which was ostensibly put in place as a Covid-19 preventative measure. Despite the […]

A digital yuan wallet app launched by China’s central bank will include an electricity bill payment feature designed by the country’s State Grid, according to Economic Information Daily, a local financial media outlet.  Fast facts Users will be able to pay their electricity bills through the digital yuan app directly and do not need to […]

In the latest example of a fintech company looking to branch into crypto, Australian buy-now-pay-later company Zip Pay has announced it will launch crypto trading services in the next 12 months, Reuters reports. Fast facts Zip co-founder Peter Gray told Reuters that crypto trading was one of the most requested features by users of the […]

India plans to implement the country’s digital currency in phases, Reserve Bank of India’s deputy governor Shri T Rabi Sankar said at a webinar organized by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, New Delhi.  Fast facts “CBDC (central bank digital currency) will be in the arsenal of most if not all central banks in the […]

In the latest blow to Binance — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — U.K. bank NatWest is now blocking its customers from making payments to Binance both in the U.K. and abroad, reports Yahoo Finance. NatWest acted after Binance has come under increasing regulatory pressures. Fast facts The move by NatWest — a Scotland-based bank […]

Indonesia has seen red-hot growth in the crypto asset market, but the country’s regulators are just beginning to get to grips with burgeoning industry and formulate policy responses.

Despite growing global interest, CBDCs are not all at the same stage of development. Amit Ghosh of R3 explains how countries in Asia are paving the way.

Ping An trials e-CNY while Core Scientific is the next to get on the SPAC train.

Mintable — a Singapore-based, Mark Cuban-backed non-fungible token platform — today announced the launch of a limited-edition NFT collection featuring comic book legend Stan Lee. Fast facts The collection, which includes three paintings by artist Rob Prior and a selection of photographs and videos of Lee taken by his friend and later caretaker, will be […]

It’s not only real-world idols that look to earn a profit from issuing non-fungible tokens. Rae — a virtual influencer in Singapore rendered through computer-generated imagery and powered by artificial intelligence — is selling “her” first NFTs on Mintable. Fast facts Rae — whose creators’ identities remain mysterious — has dropped her first NFT series […]

At EthCC in Paris, Ethereum’s boyish creator lays out a vision for the blockchain’s non-finance uses — like ridding social media of bots and fake news.

OpenSea, the world’s second-biggest non-fungible token marketplace by trading volume, has raised US$100 million in a series B funding round led by venture capital firm A16z, the company has announced.  Fast facts The new funding raises the company’s value to US$1.5 billion, making it a unicorn — a start-up with a valuation of more than […]

Trade platform the Global Shipping Business Network has launched its first blockchain-based application in China to reduce paper usage and enhance efficiency and transparency in the shipping industry. Fast facts Named Cargo Release, the new blockchain-based app will connect the whole shipping supply chain, including shipping lines, consignees, their agents and terminals.  The app promises […]

U.S. cryptocurrency miner Core Scientific Holding is set to list on the Nasdaq exchange through a merger with a special-purpose acquisitions company, boosting the value of the combined business to around US$4.3 billion. Fast facts Core Scientific, one of the biggest crypto mining companies in the U.S., announced yesterday that it had entered into merger […]

ASX, which operates Australia’s stock market, says the custody of cryptocurrency held on centralized exchanges presents a significant cybersecurity risk to investors, and recommends that regulatory action be taken to protect digital assets. It made the comments in a submission to the country’s Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Center. Fast facts […]

China’s trial of e-CNY, the digital version of the national currency, the yuan, has extended to the insurance industry, with conglomerate Ping An encouraging medical staff in the southern city of Shenzhen to pay premiums for a Covid-19 insurance plan using the new currency. Fast facts One Ping An branch in Shenzhen is offering insurance […]

Hinting at a potential future crackdown on stablecoins, Gary Gensler — the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — told the American Bar Association this week that cryptocurrencies whose prices are based on traditional assets could be subject to securities law enforcement. Fast facts Gensler’s remarks followed those of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet […]

Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands and global venture accelerator Brinc have launched Launchpad Luna, a new accelerator program to identify, mentor, and invest in promising blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFT) startups, according to a company statement. Fast facts Projects accepted into the accelerator program will receive training, end-to-end support and funding of up […]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said while Bitcoin mining is steadily becoming more environmentally friendly through the use of renewable energy, he is not yet sure that it’s enough for Tesla to resume accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for purchases. Fast facts Speaking at the virtual Bitcoin event “The ₿ Word” with fellow panelists Twitter CEO […]

The prospect of a ban on cryptocurrencies has haunted the industry for years, but it appears to be receding as delayed rules give policymakers time to think before they act.

In a special Q&A, Mukaya ‘Tai’ Panich of SCB 10X, the venture arm of Siam Commercial Bank, marvels at decentralized finance innovations. ‘Whatever traditional finance has, there’s a parallel version in DeFi.’

FTX closes record fundraise. Additionally, China Mobile gets hot wallet patent.

Top blockchain and crypto news: FTX swells to $18 billion valuation. Etherum and Dogecoin disowned by creators. US pols call for Olympics boycott of e-yuan.

Bifrost, a staking liquidity decentralized finance project on Polkadot and Kusama has won the fifth Kusama parachain slot auction, with more than 5,000 contributors staking 136,817 Kusama (KSM). Fast facts Bifrost is a DeFi protocol designed to connect Polkadot and different proof-of-stake blockchains and provide staking derivatives. Bifrost’s win marks end of the current round […]

Optimum Mining Host-Black Rock Petroleum plan comes as Canaan seeks greener operations through Czech partnership.

The European Commission intends to tighten anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism rules by banning anonymous crypto asset wallets as it seeks to align European Union law with Financial Action Task Force standards, according to legislative proposals presented yesterday. Fast facts A key change is a proposed amendment to the 2015 EU regulation on transfers […]

Fee-free trading app Robinhood is seeking a market valuation of US$35 billion in its upcoming initial public offering, according to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the amount is significant, it is lower than the US$40 billion initially estimated, due in part to slow crypto trading in recent months. Fast facts […]

China’s largest telecommunications company, China Mobile, has disclosed a patent on a virtual currency management system that can prevent the theft of hot-wallet keys. Fast facts The system achieves theft-prevention by separating the hot-wallet server interacting directly with a public data server via a system wallet server. The patent disclosure shows that China Mobile filed […]

Mastercard has announced a pilot program in partnership with Circle’s USDC stablecoin and others to enable cardholders to pay merchants using cryptocurrency anywhere Mastercard is accepted, according to a company press release. Fast facts USDC will act as an intermediary between fiat and other cryptocurrencies in the new system, allowing all merchants to offer card […]

South Korea’s central bank has named Ground X, Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary, as its partner in the country’s central bank digital currency simulation project. Fast facts Ground X was designated as the preferred bidder, beating out Naver and SK C&C. Ground X has more experience in blockchain than the other bidders, operating public blockchain platform Klaytn […]

Fast-growing FTX just pulled off the largest-ever fundraise for a crypto exchange to date. Will heightened regulatory scrutiny lie in its near future?

San Francisco-based Ripple Labs has asked a court to take into consideration recent comments by Securities and Exchange Commission members Hester Peirce and Elad Roisman on a lack of regulatory clarity over crypto in an effort to block the agency’s attempt to throw out Ripple’s fair notice defense, according to a new legal filing. Fast […]

As Bitcoin’s carbon footprint continues to make ESG investors uneasy, a new clean-energy crypto mining ETF aims to allay their environmental concerns.

Neon Labs, a firm focused on secure blockchain technology, announced today that it will be deploying a cross-chain Ethereum virtual machine on the Solana testnet. Neon’s EVM will allow any decentralized application from the Ethereum ecosystem to leverage the high throughput and fast block times of Solana, and to access the lower gas prices of […]

Singapore-based Enjin, a non-fungible token and gaming blockchain platform, today announced it is joining the United Nations Global Compact corporate sustainability initiative as part of its efforts to develop a sustainable NFT ecosystem. Fast facts The Global Compact is a voluntary sustainability initiative for companies working towards implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Through its […]

US Senators urge E-CNY ban while Russia woos crypto-miners

Demand for non-fungible tokens appears insatiable as industry distances itself from crypto sector to avoid crackdown.

Plentiful electricity, cold climate are among drawcards as Chinese mine operators flee crackdown at home.

Privacy concerns prompt call for Americans to avoid e-CNY as lawmakers point to use of WeChat app to ‘surveil, threaten and arrest Chinese citizens.’

Retailers reluctant to accept currency they are said not to trust even as large finance sector players offer crypto products and beef up their holdings.