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The global AML watchdog provides clarifications on how crypto is to be regulated — and why DeFi could see more scrutiny.

The wild popularity of South Korean Netflix TV series Squid Game and K-pop boy band BTS prompt parody tokens in the crypto space under circumstances that are being called into question.

Bitcoin is awakening humanity to its own sovereign capacities, says Ben Caselin of AAX. Here’s why the world’s first cryptocurrency is still at the cutting edge of finance and culture.

Bitcoin is growing up in ways not imagined in Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 writings that gave birth to it. How will Bitcoin’s future unfold?

A dog fight has broken out in the crypto top 10 in the past 24 hours as memecoin Dogecoin and its pup Shiba Inu token battle it out for the position of top dog. Fast facts The price of the once-derided Shiba Inu coin has been on a tear this past week, gaining over 200% […]

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media giant is rebranding its corporate name to Meta as it focuses on building out its metaverse vision of an embodied internet with immersive spaces and experiences where people can digitally connect. Fast facts “The metaverse is the next chapter for the internet and it’s the next chapter […]

Behind this year’s giddy markets, evil and tragedies abound. Just in time for Halloween, Forkast.News shakes out the skeletons in crypto’s closet.

Even the most reliable media can report wildly different crypto numbers. Forkast.News dives into DeFi math and crypto exchange economics to find out who’s right.

South Korea crypto debate heats up, also Bitcoin mining ETF starts trading

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is ready to be the “primary cop on the beat” for digital assets, CFTC acting chair Rostin Behnam said at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Fast facts As of Tuesday, “the total size of the digital asset market was US$2.7 trillion and among that $2.7 trillion, nearly 60% were commodities. […]

This appears to be the third hack for the protocol this year — yet the biggest one so far.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has appointed 30 senior business professionals from a range of financial institutions and related organizations to its market advisory group for the digital euro project, according to a media statement. Fast facts The appointment of industry members to the advisory group follows the ECB’s launch of its digital euro project […]

The South Korean government pushes forward its plan to tax crypto income beginning in January while investors and lawmakers criticize the pending tax law for its loopholes, with one lawmaker mentioning NFT goods of K-pop mega-group BTS. Fast facts The National Tax Service (NTS) of Korea met with 28 domestic cryptocurrency exchanges earlier this week […]

More decentralization is being planned for Polkadot as its much-anticipated rollout draws close with the first batch of parachain slot auctions starting on Nov. 11.

Only two weeks after the Australia Securities Exchange approved a similar product, the Cosmos Global Digital Miners Access exchange-traded fund (ETF) launched on rival exchange Chi-X Australia today, granting exposure to globally listed digital asset mining and infrastructure companies. Fast facts Trading under the name “DIGA,” the fund tracks the Global Digital Miners Index, designed […]

Singapore’s DBS Bank — Southeast Asia’s largest lender — has joined the Hedera Governing Council, a diverse group of companies that governs and supports the Hedera network, an enterprise-grade public ledger of transactions, according to a media statement. Fast facts DBS — the first and only bank in Southeast Asia to join the Governing Council […]

The success of the first U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF presents a challenge to investors when futures trade too far ahead of actual prices.

Sotheby’s ended its Natively Digital 1.2 auction event with 1,500 bids on Tuesday, with a total turnover of US$18.6 million after nine days of live bidding. Three non-fungible tokens (NFTs) reached record bids, including #8817 Ape by Bored Ape Yacht Club, Rare Pepe PEPENOPOULOS, and Self Portrait #1 by Dmitri Cherniak, according to a press […]

Mining pool Spark Pool, which was once a major Ethereum mining pool, says its users may withdraw existing balances, but beginning Nov. 1 it will no longer offer other services related to mining for both domestic and international users, the company said in a statement. Fast facts Spark Pool last month reacted swiftly to China’s […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Tesla’s turbocharge a boost for Bitcoin? Mastercard’s Bakkt with a new crypto deal. Chinese NFTs on knife-edge.

Fee-free trading platform Robinhood’s crypto revenue declined 78% in the third quarter this year, earning only US$51 million during that time according to the company’s Q3 report released Tuesday. This is compared to the US$233 million the company earned in the previous quarter in which the market hit the height of the bull run, from […]

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has soared to another all-time high, setting its new record at US$0.00005486 today, according to CoinMarketCap data. It is now the 11th largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of US$21.5 billion. Fast facts In the last 24 hours, SHIB’s price has surged over 32%. SHIB’s price has been surging since the weekend […]

San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has partnered with Pyypl, a blockchain-based financial services technology company in the Middle East and Africa, to use XRP for cross-border payments in the Middle East, according to a company statement. Fast facts The partnership with Pyypl marks RippleNet’s first-ever On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) deployment in the Middle East and […]

As Ethereum surges to a new all-time high, 50 fintech experts surveyed by Finder offer predictions on ETH’s year-end and longer-term price outlook.

Binance NFT, the non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace of Binance, has launched Initial Game Offerings (IGOs) for customers to invest in gaming NFTs projects at an early stage, according to a Binance blog post. Fast facts The IGOs will feature NFT collections from top-tier gaming projects that are available exclusively on the Binance NFT marketplace, Binance […]

Tether Operations, the company behind Tether (USDT) — the largest stablecoin by market capitalization — today announced that it will be trialing Notabene’s crypto travel rule compliance product for cross-border stablecoin transfers. Fast facts USDT has a market capitalization of over US$70 billion and over US$64 billion in 24-hour trading volume, according to CoinGecko data. […]

Ethereum’s creator explains why rollups can help scale Ethereum while preserving decentralization.

Local miners told Forkast.News that existing legal miners won’t be much affected, though they’re still subject to power rationing.

New virtual worlds are full of opportunities, writes Sandra Helou of Zilliqa. But what if real-world problems get magnified in the metaverse?

The Singapore government-incubated blockchain platform promises to dramatically speed up transactions and lower the cost of international trade.

While it may be known locally and domestically as a tourist hotspot and home to many Hollywood A-list celebrities, Australia’s coastal town of Byron Bay is set to become host to Australia’s biggest Bitcoin mining site— and it’s going to be powered by 100% renewable energy. Fast facts According to a company press release, local […]

Tech giants banish non-fungible token references as Beijing looks down new virtual asset market.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler has reiterated over time that most stablecoins are securities and should, therefore, fall under the purview of the securities watchdog. Now, Gensler is one step closer to achieving his aim of regulating stablecoins. Fast facts The U.S. Treasury Department and other agencies are putting together a report […]

While the government signals it is ready to promote the industry, the country’s banks remain unimpressed. ANZ has already settled its de-banking case with Allan Flynn, but as the tribunal with Westpac concluded over the weekend, what should we expect from the outcome?

Payments giant Mastercard and cryptocurrencies firm Bakkt Holdings Inc. announced on Monday they have partnered to facilitate cryptocurrency debit and credit card payments. The partnership will make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs in the U.S. to offer a broad set of cryptocurrency services and ​​enable consumers to buy and sell digital assets through […]

As the crypto market lit up with green across the board this morning, the price of Solana (SOL) jumped 6% in a few hours overnight to reach a new all-time high of US$218.73, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Solana’s price has since lost some of this ground, however, and was trading at US$208.57 at press […]

Crypto investment products saw record inflows last week of US$1.47 billion, with Bitcoin accounting for 99% of the inflows, according to digital assets fund manager CoinShares. Total crypto assets under management also reached a new peak of US$79.2 billion. Fast facts Bitcoin investment products saw record inflows of US$1.45 billion last week. “The record inflows […]

Proshares files for exemption meanwhile Shiba Inu hits all-time high

Hong Kong-based blockchain technology company digiXnode Technology Ltd. today officially launched an exclusive service portal — for users in Hong Kong and Macau — that grants access to the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), China’s public-private nationwide infrastructure project to spur mass adoption of blockchain technology. Fast facts By subscribing to the service from digiXnode’s website […]

Mainland China’s recent ban on crypto, the most draconian yet, did not come as a surprise to those in the know, says Angelina Kwan of HashKey Group. How will this affect the crypto hub of Hong Kong?

Nigeria, a country with one of the world’s highest cryptocurrency adoption rates, is set to become the first African nation to launch its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) today as President Muhammadu Buhari formally launches the eNaira. Fast facts Nigeria’s CBDC, the eNaira, was initially scheduled to be launched on Oct. 1. The launch […]

Less than a week out from its historic launch, ProShares is already seeking to amend its Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund — the first in the U.S. — by filing for an exemption from trading limits at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where the fund purchases its futures contracts, according to an article in Barron’s. Fast facts […]

Dogecoin copycat token SHIB jumped almost 60% in less than 24 hours on Sunday to reach a new all-time high of US$0.00004442, as DOGE also surged over the weekend. SHIB was trading at US$0.00003937 at press time, and is now the 13th largest token by market cap, according to data from CoinMarketCap.com. Fast facts This […]

New technologies like blockchain and AI are transforming financial services, writes Myles Bertrand of Mambu. But APAC banks are lagging behind.

Australia’s Senate report into fintech regulations includes 12 recommendations for a clear digital assets framework.

A lawmaker claims authorities gave the country’s largest crypto exchange privilege in meeting government requirements.

Chinese internet giant Tencent reportedly plans to bet big on the metaverse — a trending idea on building a virtual world typically with the support of virtual and augmented reality technologies — and is looking to build an advanced gaming studio for that, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with […]

Kazakhstan — one of the popular destinations for Chinese crypto miners as they look for more regulation-friendly shores — continues to face power shortages, with its national grid operator last week rationing power after some failures occurred in a few power units. Fast facts Kazakhstan electricity grid operating company KEGOC said in a statement last […]

Canadian crypto miner Hut 8 Mining announced yesterday that it would buy 12,000 new MicroBT mining machines for US$58.7 million from Inchigle Technology Hong Kong Ltd., as the mining company continues to expand its North American presence. Fast facts Hut 8 Mining said the new machines will represent an aggregate incremental production of 1.17 exahashes […]

In another sign of increased adoption of the world’s leading cryptocurrency, Walmart has installed 200 Bitcoin ATMs in stores across the U.S. in a partnership between Coinstar and Coinme, according to reporting from Reuters. Fast facts The pilot program involves Coinstar, best known for its machines that allow customers to exchange U.S. coins for paper […]

Valkyrie Bitcoin Strategy Fund, the second Bitcoin futures exchange traded fund (ETF) in the U.S., is set to start trading today, while VanEck’s Bitcoin futures ETF, which also received approval this week, is expected to launch early next week. Fast facts ProShares Bitcoin Strategy Fund, the first U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF, started trading on the […]

“For now, we do not have any plan for using e-CNY in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries yet,” China’s central bank chief said at the 2021 G30 International Banking Seminar, regarding the electronic yuan (e-CNY), the world’s first major central bank digital currency that is being slowly rolled out in China. Meanwhile, authorities […]

Ethereum prices surged to new heights ahead of next week’s Altair Beacon Chain upgrade but then pulled back. How do crypto experts make sense of it?

Bitcoin hits all-time high, also Lotte World opens in metaverse

Despite its legal troubles in the U.S., San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple has been pushing ahead to bring faster and cheaper cross-border payments using XRP in Asia and the Middle East. Fast facts Ripple and Tranglo, a Malaysia-based cross-border payments provider, today announced that Tranglo has launched its first live On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service […]

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is giving away free non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to those who sign up for its annual technology conference JD Discovery, in a move to jump on the NFT bandwagon following its rivals Alibaba and Tencent. Fast facts JD.com’s tech arm JD Technology said yesterday in a social media post it is giving […]

When the world’s largest cryptocurrency last reached a price high, China had yet to crack down on crypto mining, and there was no U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF. What do changing market conditions mean for the growth of Bitcoin and the crypto industry?

DeFi is a real-world experiment testing out a new model for finance, writes Alex Grebnev of Oxygen. What is the future of banking without Wall Street?

Lotte World Adventure, one of the most popular South Korean amusement parks, is opening a virtual replica on Naver’s Zepeto metaverse. Fast facts Lotte World Adventure constructed “Magic Island,” its outdoor section of the park, onto the Zepeto metaverse, which opens tonight at 6 p.m. Korea time. Upon entering the Lotte World map on the […]

In a special Q&A, CEO Louis Liu describes the hoops FOMO Pay jumped through to win Singapore’s first crypto license and calls its regulator a ‘collaborator.’

Bitcoin set another record as it traded above US$67,000 Wednesday, one day after ProShares’ first-day trading volume reached nearly US$1 billion

How the crypto economy is engaging with legislators, what policy makers need to know about Web 3.0 and what role the U.S. infrastructure bill has played in kickstarting better cryptocurrency education.

Bitcoin inches toward all-time-high on the back of the first Bitcoin futures ETF in the U.S.

In a sign that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are hitting home, media personality and businesswoman Martha Stewart, perhaps the biggest influencer on modern American home life and middle-class domestic strivings, just launched online store FRESH Mint that will sell Halloween-themed NFTs featuring pumpkin crafts and costumed images of America’s domestic goddess herself.  Fast facts The NFT collection is launched in partnership […]

Huobi Japan has been granted approval to offer crypto derivatives as a Type I Financial Instruments Business by Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) — the regulator for financial services in Japan — according to a company statement this week. Fast facts Huobi Japan currently offers spot trading for 14 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Huobi […]

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin grows up. Facebook’s metaverse journey. China’s crypto investors find a workaround.

More industry players are exiting the Chinese mainland market amid tougher crackdown.

Bitcoin miners saw another mining difficulty adjustment on Tuesday, with an increase of 0.95%, according to data from BTC.com. Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 20.08 trillion at block height 705,600, reflecting the most difficult level since a previous adjustment on May 30, the data show. The latest adjustment follows six increases after four consecutive […]

A group of U.S. lawmakers called on Facebook to halt its cryptocurrency and digital wallet project Novi hours after its pilot launch began on Tuesday, amid the company’s ongoing trust crisis. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tina Smith (D-MN) said the tech giant “cannot be trusted […]

Money, culture and community are now converging in NFTs and the token economy, writes Lily Z. King. Welcome to a new world where ‘money Lego’ meets ‘culture Lego.’

After iron-fisted regulations closed down many exchanges, remaining trading platforms look for alternatives to transaction fees.

More than one-third — or 37% — of Singapore residents are already using or are interested in using cryptocurrencies to pay for purchases, according to the latest research from Worldpay from FIS, a payment platform. But nearly half — or 47% — of Singaporean respondents said that they were not interested in using cryptocurrencies for payments. […]