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As U.S. regulators file lawsuits against cryptocurrency platforms, prompting some digital asset companies to seek more favorable jurisdictions, a fleet of cities in Asia are putting out the welcome mat, seeking to attract the jobs and investment that Web3 technologies promise. Right now, Hong Kong seems to be grabbing the limelight, but it has competition.

Bitcoin fell below US$27,000 on Sunday, dipping further Monday morning in Asia as wider macro developments continue to weigh.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fighting words over USDT erupt on Twitter. Litecoin surges amid memecoin fever. Chinese city bids for blockchain business.

Bitcoin fell 0.58% while Ether dropped 0.36%. Solana was the biggest loser of the day, dropping 1.67%.

Bitcoin rose 2.07% to US$27,409 in 24 hours while Ether gained 1.27% to US$1,829. Litecoin was the biggest gainer of the day, rising 7.65%.

Bitcoin prices rose on Monday morning in Asia to above US$27,000. Ether managed to rise above the US$1,800 support level as Litecoin leads gainers.

NFTs were ready for takeoff this week and Elon Musk’s tweet blasted it off.

Bitcoin briefly fell to US$26,166 this week, as BRC-20 memecoins flooded the blockchain, raising network congestion issues. Market analysts told Forkast that a weekly close under US$26,111 signals more bearish momentum

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

Japan was an early believer in blockchain and cryptocurrencies until exchange hacks brought a crackdown. But that was then. Now the government has become a crypto cheerleader.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Memecoin fever strains BTC network. Binance slams brakes on Bitcoin withdrawals. Chinese court allows crypto for repaying debt.

Bitcoin network faces heightened congestion with over 5 million inscriptions, exacerbating block space demand as BRC-20 tokens achieve a market cap milestone of $1 billion, contributing to increased activity on the network.

Bitcoin and major cryptocurrencies reacted positively to the latest CPI report that stated annual inflation in the U.S. rose 4.9% in April, beating market expectations.

Daily transactions on the Litecoin blockchain hit all-time highs over the past two days amid the Bitcoin network’s congestion and higher transaction fees, Glassnode data showed.

Bitcoin edged higher on Wednesday morning in Asia to hold above the US$27,500 mark. Ether also gained. Other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded mixed.

Bitcoin dropped 1.25% and Ether fell 0.25% in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also dropped.

Skyrocketing activity has led to a surge in average Bitcoin transaction fees — which rose to US$31.15 as of March 8 — exerting increasing pressure on users in low- and middle- income economies including Bitcoin-reliant communities in El Salvador, the first country to implement mass adoption of the digital currency.

Bitcoin fell below US$28,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia as memecoin hype clogged the network and drove up transaction fees. Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens dropped.

Welcome to The Daily Forkast, May 8, 2023, presented by Jeff Cheung for the latest in the crypto markets. Binance halted Bitcoin withdrawals twice today as a result of an influx of pending transactions and sky-rocketing fees. The Ethereum Foundation sold US$30 million worth of Ethereum to Kraken as well, leading to slight dips in […]

Cryptocurrencies in China can be legally used to settle basic relations debts such as exchange and labor, according to the Supreme People’s Court of China.

Bitcoin fell in Monday morning trading in Asia after failing to breach the US$30,000 ceiling over the weekend. Ether dropped below the US$1,900 mark.

Bitcoin inched above US$29,000 on Friday, as concerns over the health of the banking system have been reignited. Industry experts tell Forkast that banking troubles could fuel Bitcoin values, which face significant resistance above US$29,500.

Nearly 60% of April NFT sales on Ethereum have been flagged as wash trades, with Blur marketplace’s token farming incentivizing the activity, CryptoSlam data shows.

Bitcoin gained 2.18% in 24 hours while Ether rose 1.67%.

Singapore-headquartered cryptocurrency miner Bitdeer Technologies is planning to expand its mining operations to Bhutan and raise up to US$500 million for a fund through a new partnership with the Himalayan kingdom’s state-owned investment company Druk Holding and Investments.

Coinbase, the publicly listed largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., opened its offshore derivatives exchange in Bermuda on Tuesday.

Bitcoin and Ether gained ground in Wednesday morning trading in Asia, with most other top 10 tokens mixed. Litecoin gained, BNB was the biggest loser.

Bitcoin dropped 2.09% in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia while Ether lost 0.81%. BNB fell 2.93% and Polkadot declined 2.66%.

Bitcoin dropped below US$29,000, while Ether fell below US$1,900 on Monday afternoon in Asia. Binance’s BNB was the only token in the top 10 cryptocurrencies to rise.

Bitcoin edged up on Monday morning in Asia to hold above US$29,000. Ether fell below US$1,900. Most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded lower except BNB.

Coinbase said the Securities and Exchange Commission seems to be undermining its own role as the monitor of companies registering to sell shares to the public

Bitcoin rose above US$29,000 on Thursday morning in Asia, rebounding from an earlier drop. Ether gained. Other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded mixed.

The lack of clarity in crypto rules in the U.S. not only affects exchanges but also this U.S.-based blockchain gaming company, John Linden said.

Bitcoin rose in Wednesday morning trading in Asia to reclaim the US$28,000 mark, with Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies moving higher.

‘Proof of reserve’ is the new catchphrase and promise by crypto leaders eager to allay investor fears. But loopholes remain and audits might not mean what you think, writes Anndy Lian.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bittrex in SEC line of fire. Bored Apes fall after whale sale. Chinese banks court crypto clients.

Shares of Singapore-based cryptocurrency miner Bitdeer have slid more than 35% since their Nasdaq debut on April 14, and were trading at US$6.41 at closing on Wednesday.

Bitcoin rose and traded above US$30,000 on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, while Ether fell along with most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana lost the most, followed by Binance’s BNB token.

UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority said Monday it has started accepting applications for operating licenses from cryptocurrency businesses.

Nothing in life is free. Be wary of crypto exchanges that offer ‘free trading,’ and ask hard questions about how they make money, writes Ben Caselin of MaskEX.

Bitcoin dropped on Tuesday afternoon in Asia but remained above US$29,000, while Ether and most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gained. Dogecoin and Solana fell on the day and rose on the week.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dipped Tuesday morning in Asia after the SEC sued crypto exchange Bittrex on Monday.

Bitcoin dropped on Monday afternoon in Asia and continued to trade below US$30,000. Cardano led losers among top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies in a mixed market. Solana led gains, followed by Binance’s BNB token and memecoin Dogecoin.

Seattle-based crypto exchange Bittrex Inc. has rejected charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it and co-founder Bill Shihara operated an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency. The SEC filed the charges on Monday. See related article: U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex lays off 83 employees Fast facts See related article: U.S. SEC […]

SEC member Hester Peirce has criticized the regulatory agency for its proposal that seeks to expand the definition of an “exchange” to DeFi platforms.

Bitcoin rose higher in the US$30,000 band on Friday morning in Asia amid strong gains among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Ether led the winners.

Bitcoin dipped but held above US$30,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia that saw mixed performances among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

NYDFS superintendent Harris called the idea of Operation Choke Point 2.0 “ludicrous,” but industry participants largely disagree. Was the shutdown of the three largest crypto-friendly institutions a coordinated effort to unbank crypto?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ethereum fork prompts price fall fears. Satoshi is found — in Apple software. Hong Kong ramps up Web3 plans.

Singapore-headquartered crypto mining firm Bitdeer Technologies is set to go public on Nasdaq on April 14 via a SPAC merger following multiple delays in closing the US$4 billion deal.

The U.S. SEC Investor Advisory Committee urged the federal agency to continue its aggressive enforcement on crypto players that offer unregistered securities.

Arkansas has joined Montana and Texas this year in proposing legislation to offer legal protections to companies operating crypto mining sites.

The arrested crypto fugitive Kwon Do-hyung has “zero ” identifiable assets in his native South Korea, prosecutors said on Friday.

DeFi services threaten U.S. national security and need to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws, the U.S. Treasury said on Thursday.

Ethereum is set for a few upgrades which will see quality of life improvements and aproof-of-stake protocol.

MicroStrategy acquired 1,045 Bitcoin for around US$29.3 million, at an average price of US$28,016 per coin, between March 24 and April 4, 2023

Top blockchain and crypto news: Arbitrum to segment AIP-1. DeGods NFT collection moves to Ethereum. Crypto on the agenda at ‘China’s Davos.’

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday, moving above US$28,000. Ether, Matic and most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens gained.

Paxful Bitcoin exchange announced the indefinite suspension of the marketplace on Tuesday, citing regulatory challenges and staff departures.

Bitcoin fell and traded below US$28,000 in Monday afternoon trade in Asia. Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization also declined.

Seattle-based crypto exchange Bittrex, Inc. will wind down its U.S. operations from April 30, citing continued regulatory uncertainty in the region.

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia but held above US$28,000. Most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos dropped following a week unsettled by regulatory woes.

Most cryptocurrencies remained calm in spite of the CFTC-Binance lawsuit.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, while the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed, amid mounting allegations against Binance

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – March 31, 2023 – presented by Megha Chaddah. Bitcoin holds above US$28,000 even as over US4 billion dollars worth of bitcoin option are set to expire later in the day. BNB prices saw a dip mid-week as news regarding the Binance-CFTC lawsuit came to light, but saw a slight […]

A South Korean court dismissed for the second time a request by prosecutors for an arrest warrant for Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin.

Bitcoin edged above US$28,000 in Thursday morning in Asia amid a broad rally in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

SEC Chair urges for increased funding to address challenges posed by crypto markets and rapid technological innovation during House Subcommittee testimony.

As US authorities continue to police crypto regulations, we take a look at the direction the country’s crypto innovation is headed.

Bitcoin rallied above US$28,000 in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia after losing ground earlier in the week when U.S. regulators filed a lawsuit against Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly breaching trading rules.

Bitcoin rose while Ether and most of the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies fell during afternoon trading in Asia on Monday.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Binance’s BNB sustaining the biggest loss in the top 10.