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How blockchain can transform the global shipping sector

Blockchain promotes trust and can greatly cut transaction costs, writes Edmund To of GSBN. So why is the shipping industry still clinging to paper documents?

The Forkast.News guide to last-minute blockchain and crypto gift ideas

Not yet done with your holiday shopping? Here are ideas for all the loved ones on your list, whether they are tech-savvy or merely crypto-curious.

Game company Nexon America now accepts crypto for in-game payments

Asia’s gaming giant Nexon’s US subsidiary supports cryptocurrencies for players in buying items inside its popular online games.

Court in Beijing says losses caused by crypto mining deals not protected by law

In a contract dispute case, a Beijing court in Chaoyang district on Wednesday ruled a legal arrangement for Bitcoin mining to be invalid, signaling how China’s legal system may view future crypto-related disputes. Fast facts In May 2019, the plaintiff, Fengfu Jiuxin company, signed purchases and services contracts with blockchain technology company Zhongyan Zhichuang, with the latter […]

Chinese mining rig maker Canaan secures purchase order from Genesis for 30K units

While China continues to stamp out cryptocurrency mining, the mining rig producers continue raking in the deals. The latest: Canaan, a Chinese crypto mining rig maker, has secured a follow-on contract from Genesis Digital Assets for 30,000 units of Avalon Bitcoin mining machines, with another 150,000 units to be executed. Fast facts Back in August, […]

Avalanche price surge leads minor market rebound

After two weeks of a downward price spiral, the market showed some signs of life this morning, with most coins managing to rise about 5% coming into business hours Asia time. AVAX, however, the native token of the Avalanche blockchain, gained almost 25% overnight to reach a two-week high of US$106.87 and finding itself in […]

NBA is taking the lead with blockchain, crypto

The National Basketball Association has been ahead of the game in crypto adoption, but after a week of major developments, the league is now way out in front.

Myanmar’s resistance routes funding through Tether

Top blockchain and crypto news: Can stablecoins bankroll democracy? Nike swooshes into the metaverse. Animoca and Bored Apes venture deeper into the gaming jungle.

Australia on track for a crypto boom by 2030, EY report says

The report says the country’s crypto industry could swell by up to 30 times its current size in the coming decade.

China’s Zhejiang province busts dozens of state-owned entities for mining crypto

An internet authority in East China’s Zhejiang province has identified in July 4,699 IP addresses in the province that were involved with cryptocurrency mining, and among them 183 addresses were related to 78 state-owned entities, according to a Tuesday article published on the website of China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the country’s anti-corruption […]
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Myanmar’s shadow government uses Tether in its fight against military rule

The National Unity Government recognizes Tether as an official currency, defying the cryptocurrency ban imposed last year.

Latest Elon Musk plug sends Dogecoin price soaring — briefly

Dogecoin rallied 31% when Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will accept it for payment of “merch.”

US SPAC’s refusal to merge with Hong Kong crypto firms raises questions

Crypto 1 will consider acquisition targets worldwide but steer clear of digital assets companies in China and Hong Kong. Are the lights dimming on a major crypto hub?

How sports and crypto are knocking it out of the park

The billion-dollar intersection of sports and crypto is a big win for all, writes Ben Armstrong, aka BitBoy Crypto. Here’s how to make sense of this seismic cultural shift.

Cryptocurrency prices take another hit in downward spiral

Macroeconomic factors and a spate of bad news override bullish outlook in crypto market as the year lurches toward its end.

Elon Musk named Time Person of the Year

One of the most influential cheerleaders for cryptocurrency is named Time’s 2021 Person of the Year for his work on electric cars and space rockets.

Binance withdraws Singapore application; Security tokens on the rise

Binance withdraws Singapore application meanwhile, Security tokens are on the rise.

US SPAC Crypto 1 closes IPO, says won’t pursue ‘business combinations’ with any Hong Kong crypto firms

Crypto 1 Acquisition Corp., a U.S.-incorporated blank check company, has completed its initial public offering (IPO) with gross proceeds of US$230 million, according to a company statement released Friday. Fast facts The company’s units commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “DAOOU” on Dec. 7. Acting as a special purpose acquisition […]

Solana suffers network slowdown, raising questions around proof of history

Confusion surrounded the Solana blockchain community over the weekend as a sudden drop in transaction speeds was initially believed to be a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, resulting in a lengthy debate as to the cause of the delay. Fast facts Solana-based non-fungible token (NFT) platform Blockasset was one of the first to highlight […]

Shiba Inu now accepted at GameStop, Lowe’s and Nordstrom via Gemini-backed Flexa

It’s come full circle: Shiba Inu holders can now spend their SHIB at GameStop — the company that helped trigger the memecoin trend.

INX exec says crypto CEOs should talk to the SEC

Chief business officer of the first SEC-registered digital security says crypto companies got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Meet the DAO chief who wants artificial intelligence to take his job

Decentralized autonomous organizations are ripe for robot takeovers, says SingularityDAO’s Marcello Mari. After all, why do decentralized entities need leaders?

Here comes the crypto derivatives boom

Investment banks’ hunger for a new revenue stream is likely to drive up the popularity and registration of crypto derivatives products.

Shinhan, Standard banks demo cross-border stablecoin remittance

The transaction, using the Hedera Consensus Service network, bypasses intermediaries, lowering fees.

What is Polygon (MATIC) — ‘Ethereum’s internet of blockchains’?

Polygon envisions a world where value can be exchanged without borders. In this Forkast.News explainer, find out how Polygon works and why its MATIC token is defying crypto market gravity — again.

Top crypto CEOs face House committee grappling with regulations

Stablecoins, US dollar primacy and energy consumption were among the topics in the questioning homing in on how to regulate the crypto industry.

OpenSea’s Wall Street waltz disappoints NFT devotees

OpenSea IPO plans in choppy waters. Crypto markets crumble. Bitcoin mining power struggles.

Gaming giant Ubisoft launches in-game NFTs on Tezos

Gaming giant Ubisoft is launching Ubisoft Quartz, a new platform for players to obtain what it calls “Digits” — essentially non-fungible tokens (NFTs) playable in a mainstream game — according to a company statement. Fast facts The first such NFT will appear in beta with Tom Clancy’s “Ghost Recon Breakpoint” on Ubisoft Connect for Windows […]

Australia announces biggest overhaul to payments in 25 years — eyes now set on crypto

As part of a broader attempt to address Australia’s payments industry, the government offers a roadmap to where crypto regulation can lead in 2022.

Iceland turns away new crypto miners amid power shortage: report

Iceland, which is suffering from a power shortage, is reducing electricity to some industrial clients and turning away new requests for power from cryptocurrency miners, reported Bloomberg, citing a statement from national power company Landsvirkjun. Fast facts The Nordic island nation is now reducing power supply for heavy consumers, including aluminum smelters, data centers and […]

How crypto ETFs can open doors for traditional finance to enter DeFi

Crypto ETFs make it easy to invest in digital assets without the complexities, writes Kevin Tai of Linear Finance. Imagine what a crypto index can do.

BIS: DeFi has few real-economy uses, says ‘decentralization is an illusion’

With suitable regulation in place, DeFi could yet play an important role in the financial system, BIS suggests.
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Can Thailand emerge as a ‘crypto-positive’ travel destination?

Tourism officials want to attract more crypto-wealthy travelers to Thailand’s shimmering shores. But will the crypto faithful come if Thailand still has a ban on SHIB and Dogecoin?

South Korean regulator jumps to a crypto exchange

Experts expect more disruption as the crypto industry matures and a younger generation places different values on status and job security.

Self-proclaimed Satoshi to pay US$100M in damages

A jury cleared Craig Wright of all but one charge in a civil trial brought by the estate of his alleged former business partner, David Kleiman.

South China’s Hainan province hikes electricity fees on those who have mined crypto

On top of China, authorities in Russia and Ukraine are busting underground miners, while U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren presses a New York miner.
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Bored Ape Yacht Club artist exhibits new NFT collection at Art Basel Miami

The lead artist behind the breakthrough non-fungible token series “Bored Ape Yacht Club” (BAYC), known as All Seeing Seneca, has released a new set of NFTs over the weekend at Dfinity’s Iconoclast gallery event at Art Basel Miami, according to the artist’s Twitter profile. Fast facts With over US$1 billion in sales attributed to the […]

Global markets downturn hits crypto as well; BTC trading below $50K

For the second weekend in a row, markets were hit with a massive shock due to external factors. Market watchers weigh in on price movements and what to expect.

Foxconn’s Terry Gou: mainstream monetary finance could not be decentralized

Terry Gou, founder of Foxconn, which manufactures components for Apple’s iPhone, said Saturday at an event that mainstream monetary finance could not really be decentralized and only an underground economy would adopt cryptocurrency, as reported by Taiwanese local media Economic Daily News. Fast facts Gou later said in a Facebook post — to clarify comments […]

First NFT exchange-traded fund falls in NYSE debut

NFTZ opened for trading on the NYSE in the midst of turmoil and fears of inflation and Omicron.

NFT privacy concerns; AussieMates raises mental health awareness

NFT privacy concerns meanwhile AussieMates raises mental health awareness

How blockchain tech can be the supply chain’s strongest link

Supply chain woes are deepening as seasonal consumer demand meets a logistics logjam. Dennis Delgado of SyncFab explains how blockchain can help. 

Indian crypto community sees silver lining after 1st week of parliamentary session

A cabinet note suggests the government intends to regulate cryptocurrencies as assets with the Securities and Exchange Board of India at the helm.

DeFi protocol BadgerDAO suffers $120M exploit

BadgerDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on bringing Bitcoin to decentralized finance (DeFi), is the latest to suffer an exploit that was estimated to result in losses of US$120 million. Fast facts Crypto security firm PeckShield said in a Thursday tweet the total loss has amounted to at least 2,100 BTC and 151 ETH. […]

After Facebook’s name change to Meta, Square has now become Block

When Facebook and payments giant Square launched, they were trailblazers in the industry. Now, after Facebook, Square too has changed its name — to Block — in a bid to embrace the future of technology. Fast facts Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have never gotten along. Dorsey has jibed at Zuckerberg […]

Is Terra — whose LUNA coin is now at another all-time high — really where the smart money is?

LUNA is now the 12th largest crypto, and Terra’s platform has been called ‘Alipay on the blockchain.’ What are Terra’s investment risks? Forkast.News explains.

Crypto-ban fears may be an overreaction in India

A former finance secretary says too much is yet unknown about the new crypto bill for investors to expect the worst.

Kimchi Premium hits highest level since May

The Korea Premium Index for Bitcoin reached 7% last Sunday, which may indicate an influx of retail investors.

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear; K-pop bets on digital assets

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear, also K-pop bets on digital assets

Investors queasy as prospect of India crypto ban returns

Top blockchain and crypto news: Are India’s CBDC plans crowding out crypto? Jack Dorsey goes full Bitcoin bro. China’s digital yuan hopes claim another victim.

S. Korean, S. African banks team up for stablecoin-based remittances

South Korean heavyweight lender Shinhan Bank has completed a proof-of-concept rollout of a stablecoin project for international remittances in partnership with South Africa’s Standard Bank, using Hedera Hashgraph. Fast facts The project’s aim is to test the issuance and distribution of stablecoins for international remittances, which often frustrate senders and receivers due to their high […]

LUNA, Shiba Inu Coin soar as Ethereum nears all-time high

As the market recovers from a weekend sell-off, Terra and Shiba Inu tokens shine bright while Ethereum eyes new price heights. What’s behind their rally?

What is Cosmos — the ‘internet of blockchains’?

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

Crypto exchange Bullish announces soft launch

Initial operations are available to invited institutional investors including Hong Kong crypto finance service provider, Amber Group.

Huobi Brokerage launches crypto lending for institutions

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Huobi Technology Holdings today announced that it will be launching Huobi Lending, a cryptocurrency lending service for institutions and high net worth individuals (HNWI) through its new digital asset brokerage platform Huobi Brokerage, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Alongside growing institutional interest in digital assets, crypto lending services leveraging […]

Solana claims 1 transaction on its network uses less energy than 2 Google searches

As the pushback over environmental concerns of the blockchain industry continues, a recent report by Solana says that a single transaction on the network uses less energy than just two Google searches. Fast facts Completed under the guidance of an independent energy and climate advisor, Solana’s November Energy Report found that a single Solana transaction […]

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey resigns

Twitter’s stock rose 10% on the news, and his other company, Square, also opened up 4%.

Omicron hits markets; Japanese novel released as NFT

Omicron hits markets meanwhile Japanese novel released as NFT

South Korea’s SK Square is 2nd-largest shareholder of crypto exchange Korbit

SK Square, a new investment firm under one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, SK Group, chose cryptocurrency exchange Korbit as one of its first investments. The two companies aim to upgrade the trading platform’s environment in order to deliver more accurate and trustworthy investment information to users, and plan future businesses in the metaverse and […]

Coinstore defies regulatory tension to enter India

Singapore-based crypto exchange Coinstore has entered the Indian market despite the regulatory wrangle that points toward an impending ban on all private cryptocurrencies, the company announced today. Fast facts Coinstore has launched its website and mobile application for Indian users and plans to set up offices in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai that will support its […]

AMC, Sony to release Spider-Man NFTs ahead of upcoming film

To mark the release of the third installment in the latest Spider-Man trilogy, theater giant AMC and Sony Pictures are offering 86,000 non-fungible tokens for fans who pre-order tickets to the film, which opens on Dec. 16, AMC CEO Adam Aron announced via Twitter. Fast facts Amid rising concerns of the environmental impact of NFTs […]

BTC, ETH prices recover after market jolt following Omicron variant

The impact was relatively short-lived, and many major tokens had already retraced most of their positions from Friday coming in Asia business hours.

Metaverse picks up momentum; Binance tweet gets yellow card

Metaverse picks up momentum, on the other hand Binance tweet gets yellow card

What is SafeMoon and can it safely reach the moon?

SafeMoon, known for high fees and social media hype, is now 85% below its all-time high. What lies in SafeMoon’s future?

Amount of Ether burnt since EIP 1559 reaches 1M ETH

The total amount of Ether — the token of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency Ethereum — “burned” since the introduction of Ethereum Improvement Protocol (EIP) 1559 as part of the London hardfork has hit the 1 million ETH milestone, according to figures from blockchain data aggregation site WatchtheBurn. Fast facts With the total amount of ETH […]

Metaverse tokens lead market growth; BTC options set to expire

The metaverse has been the hottest trend in tech this past month and tokens attached to metaverse projects are showing that growth with the Sandbox’s SAND and Decentraland’s MANA are both up over 600% in the past month to reach all-time highs of US$8.51 and US$5.90 yesterday, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap. Fast facts The Sandbox […]

Reserve Bank of Australia considers wholesale digital dollar

Interest in cryptocurrency is being driven in part by ultra-low interest rates, Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Michele Bullock has said, while indicating the RBA is considering the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for use in wholesale markets, according to the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at a Women in […]

How high fashion is waking up to blockchain’s possibilities

Luxury fashion houses set trends that trickle down to the rest of culture. Here’s where brands like Prada and Burberry are headed on the blockchain curve.

Crypto miner Xive flees southern Kazakhstan amid power shortages

Xive co-founder tells Forkast.News no mining is possible in the south, while other regions still survive.

Crypto.com on a price tear as Cardano, TRON plummet on eToro delist news

Cardano ADA and Tron TRX will no longer be available to eToro’s US customers next year while CRO reflects Crypto.com ‘going from strength to strength.’

Australian superannuation fund considers crypto investment

One of Australia’s leading superannuation funds, Rest Super, indicated it is looking at investing in cryptocurrency — calling it a hedge against rising inflation — before stressing it is still only in the research phase of investing, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review. Fast facts Speaking at the fund’s annual general meeting […]

India’s crypto market plummets as parliament schedules debate on bill to ban it

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices fell nearly 24% in India as investors sought to get ahead of a possible crypto prohibition.