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Zynga’s free Sugartown Oras NFTs spotlight the power of mystery in the digital asset realm as prices surge on speculation.

The third installment of Forkast’s ‘Crypto in Sport’ series comes from Singapore, which this week plays host to Formula One’s Singapore Grand Prix. Crypto companies poured hundreds of millions of sponsorship money into F1 at the height of the bull market, but might a prolonged crypto winter pull the plug on this marriage of convenience? Or can diversification and real world use cases help breathe new life into the relationship? Welcome to crypto’s very own drive to survive.

Billed as Asia’s largest crypto event, Token 2049 took place over Sept. 13-14 in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore. Drawing over 10,000 attendees from all parts of the world, there was excitement about blockchain adoption in the region. But repeat references to one man were a reminder of the U.S. regulatory concerns weighing heavily on the crypto industry.

We bring you to one of the biggest crypto events in Asia.

FTX’s former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, faces DOJ scrutiny with seven charges. Here are the six key figures in the coming crypto courtroom showdown.

Bitcoin rises past US$26,500. All other top 10 cryptos gain, except BNB.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance.US undergoes staffing shakeup. Ethereum NFTs at risk. India to take a stand on crypto.

A U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware approved failed crypto exchange FTX’s motion to sell its crypto assets at a court hearing on Wednesday.

Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange CoinEx Global suffered a security breach on Tuesday, resulting in an estimated loss of US$43 million in cryptocurrencies.

Oasys, a blockchain-based game development platform, will team up with non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace αU market and cryptocurrency wallet αU Wallet – a crypto wallet by KDDI, one of Japan’s top three telecom companies – for users to trade NFTs on the αU market. See related article: Weekly Market Wrap: ETF developments bolsters Bitcoin above […]

The annual Korea Blockchain Week conference in Seoul is running from Sept. 4 to 10. Crypto industry leaders and advocates from around the world have gathered in the South Korean capital to discuss all things blockchain, including the growing regulatory gap between the U.S. and Asia.

In the second installment of Forkast’s ‘Crypto in Sport’ series we head to the land of the rising sun, where J1 League football club Avispa Fukuoka have incorporated a first-of-its-kind DAO into their operations. Can the DAO provide a model for the rest of the sports world to follow? Can it change the way fans engage with their clubs?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Coinbase steps up to fill void of crypto lenders. NFTs extend losses. What’s next for crypto as Singapore gets a new president?

Bitcoin traded flat Wednesday morning in Asia below the resistance level of US$26,000. Ether also traded flat, hovering around US$1,600.

Blockchain innovation in the U.S. could suffer from over-regulation of the crypto industry, cybersecurity expert Carole house said.

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

Assisted by blockchain and AI, small farmers can make better use of data for more bountiful harvests. But adapting to new technology isn’t always easy.

The 9 key pieces of information you need to know ahead of the FTX founder’s first trial on Oct. 2

Top blockchain and crypto news: U.S. court compels SEC to review Grayscale’s ETF application. SEC zooms in on NFTs. Asia’s richest man eyes blockchain, CBDCs

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top 10 cryptos dropped on Thursday after a Wednesday rally on news of Grayscale receiving a favorable ruling against the SEC.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top ten cryptos traced back gains made following news of Grayscale’s legal win against the SEC.

Prices of all cryptocurrencies rose on Wednesday after a U.S. court backed Grayscale on its Bitcoin ETF application, compelling the SEC to review its rejection of the application.

The Hong Kong branch of SEBA Bank has received an in-principle approval from regulators to provide virtual asset trading services in the jurisdiction.

The new crypto from OpenAI’s founder requires users to supply biometric data. What if those in control can identify you — and follow your every financial move?

A U.S. court’s landmark decision to side with Grayscale on its Bitcoin ETF application to the SEC sent crypto prices upward Wednesday morning in Asia.

From Miami parties with A$AP Ferg to a historic NFT market slump: The highs and lows of the NFT world.

Friend.tech saw its daily revenue, fees and active buyers fall over 90% from its peak.

Bitcoin, Ether and other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies held steady, despite Fed chair Jerome Powell’s hawkish comments on U.S. inflation.

Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to misusing customer funds. North Korean hackers could cash out US$40 million worth of stolen Bitcoins

Top blockchain and crypto news: China’s economic woes could spell trouble for crypto. Real fear in NFT markets. Can Friend.tech revive SocialFi?

Blockchain games are often touted as the next big thing. Joseph Cooper, CEO of Earn Alliance, takes a hard look at the industry’s challenges and how to overcome them.

The Tornado Cash mixer’s co-founders have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with money laundering and sanctions violations.

Bitcoin recaptured the US$26,000 mark today, while Solana fell to a six-week low. BNB was the biggest gainer in the top 10, despite allegations against Binance resurfacing.

OpenSea’s royalty policy change ignites debate between tech advocates and creators. Mark Cuban calls it “a huge mistake as NFT market slides 6%.

Despite the outrage against Sam Bankman-Fried and the now-bankrupt exchange, everyone would be better off with a relaunched FTX 2.0, writes Rachel Lin, CEO of SynFutures.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, announced on Thursday that it will discontinue support for its flagship stablecoin, on three blockchains, Kusama, Bitcoin Cash SLP (Simple Ledger Protocol) and Omni Layer. 

Judge Analisa Torres has granted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the request to file an interlocutory appeal in its lawsuit against Ripple Labs.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Singapore steps up stablecoin rules. DeGods decline. Hong Kong’s third crypto license.

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., has obtained regulatory approval to offer crypto futures trading services to eligible clients

Bitcoin and Ether fell on Wednesday along with all other top 10 cryptos, NFTs moved down while U.S. stock futures steadied after a rocky Tuesday.

Australian banks are heightening scrutiny on digital asset exchanges and restricting crypto payments due to rising scams and frauds. Caroline Bowler, CEO of BTC Markets highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry in the country.

Bitcoin dipped slightly, having hovered around the $29,380 level throughout the weekend. Ether and most other top 10 crypto were little changed.

SEC seeks to appeal a court ruling in July that the programmatic sale of Ripple’s XRP cryptocurrency did not qualify as sales of financial securities.

Bitcoin and Ether dipped on Friday morning in Asia, while U.S. CPI data points to a potential rally in the crypto market.

PayPal launches stablecoin. Traditional gamers take on NFTs. Tough times ahead for Huobi.

Wreck League: New PVP NFT game with custom mechs set to dominate. Partnerships with Yuga Labs and Bored Ape Yacht Club promise big potential in shifting NFT market landscape.

As explored in the first installment of this two-part series, crypto funding is being used to provide small but important items to troops on the frontline. But beyond the battlelines, how can crypto help get aid to civilians in times of crisis?

Moves by big financial institutions into digital assets are worrisome to crypto purists, but it could be just what crypto needs to shake off its doldrums, writes Konstantin Horejsi of Blocktrade.

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:

Coinbase launched a bridge for its Ethereum layer-2 blockchain “Base,” on Thursday and set Base’s mainet launch for Aug. 9.

HashKey Exchange and OSL — the only two cryptocurrency exchanges licensed by the Hong Kong SFC — received license upgrades Thursday to service retail investors.

Japan’s blockchain group urges tax change. Bitcoin NFT struggles but it may be a sleeping giant. Litecoin falls after halving.

Litecoin prices have lost over 6% since it completed its third halving event on Wednesday evening in Asia.

Litecoin has executed its third halving event on Wednesday, reducing block rewards for miners from 12.5 to 6.25 Litecoins per block.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top ten tokens gained Wednesday morning in Asia, with BNB leading winners after Binance Japan launch.

NFT trading volumes continue to stay low but gaming NFTs gave traders some positive news this week.

Binance announced the launch of Binance Japan on Tuesday, offering 34 cryptocurrencies.

Speaking at the WebX Asia conference in Tokyo, Circle’s Singapore-based vice president of strategy and policy discusses U.S. regulation, growing pains in the crypto industry and Asia’s burgeoning role as a Web3 innovator.

If Web3 wants to be an alternative to traditional finance, the industry must make itself less vulnerable to hacks and security breaches, writes Richard Meissner.

Concerns arise over Worldcoin’s free crypto. NFT market does a crabwalk. Japan’s next big thing for the metaverse.

CyberKongz plans a shift to the Ronin blockchain alongside Axie Infinity as Sky Mavis gears up for its first PFP collection and third-party NFT mint.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a digital ruble bill into law on Monday, approving the use of its central bank digital currency for payments starting from Aug. 1. See related article: Russia delays CBDC pilot to await new law Fast facts

Arkham Intel Exchange on Monday said two blockchain sleuths had won the bounty for new evidence of wallets owned by Terraform Labs and its imprisoned co-founder Kwon Do-hyeong.

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:

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ripple not clear of hurdles | NFTs in historically slow period | Hong Kong banks dither

Despite ample Ethereum holdings, traders appear less willing to invest in NFTs. Ethereum wallet growth data in 2023 suggests low NFT sales, while Ether used for NFT sales has dropped to 2021 levels.

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

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.

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.

As stores of our identity, customs and creativity, NFTs will drive Web3 adoption and become central to the new digital economy, writes Yat Siu, executive chairman of Animoca Brands.

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

Blur has been adding demand for specific collections by incentivizing floor NFT trading, which may have mitigated aggressive price undercutting for liquidty.