Archives

After crackdowns on crypto exchanges, China is now freezing bank accounts. Why is the world’s largest bitcoin producer tightening the vise over its miners?

CFTC cracked down hard on BitMEX. Forkast.News investigates what other cryptocurrency exchanges, if any, might be next in its line of enforcement fire.

Blockchain technology is spurring more carbon credit trading while lowering costs for young investors to get involved, says Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital, in a special Forkast.News interview.

Diginex CEO Richard Byworth reveals that world’s largest cryptocurrency companies are now seeking his advice on going public. How did Diginex do it?

DeFi’s explosive gains in 2020 may look like the 2017 ICO craze all over again. But Chyna Qu of DeFiner explains why the two are very different.

DeFi’s explosive growth may be the cryptocurrency world’s biggest story in 2020. But is the industry ignoring risks and cybersecurity gaps?

A big trend now: Central banks exploring digital currencies that are ‘programmable money,’ says Charles d’Haussy of ConsenSys. Should users be concerned?

Hong Kong SFC lays out plan to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges to allow only institutional money. But retail users likely won’t be deterred.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin paper’s 12th anniversary. New Huawei phone has DCEP wallet. FDA on blockchain and food safety.

China’s DCEP digital yuan and new US interest in digital dollar are fueling sense of urgency on CBDCs — as blockchain firm ConsenSys paves the way.

Bitcoin and crypto mining now use more energy than some nations. To help lead fintech into a greener future, Ripple pledges to be carbon net-zero by 2030.

After some early turbulence, Filecoin is now opening up applications like video streaming and social networks that used to exist only in centralized Web 2.0.

India is now a vibrant cryptocurrency hub, but its future remains uncertain. Sathvik Viswanath of Unocoin explains what’s holding back the nation of 1.3 billion.

Despite talk, US Food and Drug Administration has not explored blockchain for food safety in meaningful ways, according to a Forkast.News investigation

Poised for historic IPO, Ant Group reveals via patent filings its business strategies for China’s new DCEP digital yuan — including how it would help enforce government regulations

EU committee has turned down a petition for a tax on nodes to create a crypto fraud superfund for victims. But lawyer vows to try again.

Smart cities could boost sustainability and quality of urban life, but some worry about privacy and data security. Can blockchain offer trusted solutions?

Risks, bugs and mistakes are a necessary part of DeFi’s evolution — just like the early days of the internet, writes Justin Banon of Boson Protocol

Regulatory finesse toward cryptocurrency and DeFi will spur investment while not stifling innovation, says Alex Tapscott of Blockchain Research Institute

Miners’ complaints with economic model are resulting in early rewards release and falling FIL prices. What happened to 800,000 coins?

As nations and private firms venture farther into the galaxy, blockchain and distributed ledger technology could help enforce rules and resolve conflicts.

China advances its new e-RMB closer to launch after distributing to Shenzhen residents 10 million yuan in digital ‘red packets’ that will expire next week

2020 is banner year for DeFi as industry balloons by over $100 billion in volume from Q2 to Q3 — most of it riding on Ethereum, according to a new report

A recent flurry of US regulatory activity is helping legitimize the digital assets space. Here’s the latest on SEC, FINRA, CFTC and OCC’s new level of coordination.

The risk of getting scammed is real, but DeFi also offers investors opportunities to earn yields in this pandemic economy, says Two Prime CEO Marc Fleury.

Other top news: Filecoin’s mainnet set to launch. Chinese banks help DCEP digital currency get market-ready. NetEase to preserve email forevermore.

Are US presidential candidate futures an accurate gauge of public opinion? Cryptocurrency exchange FTX’s TRUMP and BIDEN prices offer clues.

BitMEX’s CEO, who faces money-laundering charges, may be the beneficiary of Hong Kong’s political turmoil and current lack of an extradition treaty with US government

The $14 billion global crowdfunding market is expected to triple by 2026. Here’s how blockchain is fueling this trend.

As Wild West DeFi surges to new heights with Chinese capital, China wants to build a separate digital finance network — in its own, tightly controlled image.

FTX cryptocurrency traders are dumping TRUMP after the first US presidential debate, a raucous affair punctuated by insults and interruptions.

“We’ve come to understand that we are more than just a name,” says the team no longer named Coda, after getting sued by Wall Street-backed R3 over its Corda trademark.

Other top news: Ant Group launches blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.

Anonymous critics take to social media to claim that Babel is recklessly speculating with investor and client funds. The company denies wrongdoing.

Proposed federal laws would upend SEC rules for digital tokens and give CFTC sweeping powers. Will it be enough to rein in crypto’s Wild West ways?

In the first of a special two-part series, Forkast.News examines how blockchain — from smart contracts to crowdfunding missions — could transform public and private ventures in outer space.

More top news: Wounded Unikr settles with SEC for $6.1 million. China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain.

Being dodgy about office location and faking volume data are all part of Asian crypto exchanges’ Wild West ethos. What are the alternatives for investors?

Deals in mid-size firms that make up the engine of the economy were down as exits were put on pause — but fintech and broader tech sector still shine bright

Access to China’s cryptocurrency market will accelerate as long as the government can keep out criminal activity, writes James Gillingham of Finxflo.

Everledger CEO Leanne Kemp explains blockchain’s role in promoting ethical labor and confidence in goods like wine. Are less toxic electric cars next?

In a special interview, Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan discusses blockchain as the next internet, keen interest from investors like Charles Schwab, and the hottest cryptocurrency trend since ICOs.

Ethereum Classic Labs CEO Terry Culver calls the hash rental market shady “like under a rock somewhere…. They’re basically money laundering operations.”

As China muscles DCEP to market and the U.S. enlists MIT for a future digital dollar, South Korea struggles to find its place in the crypto economy.

Excessive money printing and near-zero returns on bonds are making investors flock to fancy cryptocurrency derivatives and 8% yields. What’s the catch?

Web 2.0 gave users the power to engage with other users and contribute content to the network, but data is still stored in centralized databases. Web 3.0 wants to end all of that.

From CryptoKitty pets to metaverses like Minecraft and Decentraland, blockchain video games are redefining what it means to own virtual property.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

Released this week after much anticipation, Eth2 could finally become “the world’s computer” that the original Ethereum aspired to be. What challenges lie ahead?

Many blockchain protocols claim to be decentralized, but industry practices show the opposite. Even Bitcoin is largely controlled by a few.

In a special Forkast.News interview, the CEO who co-founded Ethereum discusses the deal with JPMorgan, DeFi’s rise, and expectations for Ethereum 2.0.

As mass demonstrations rock the world, technologies like blockchain, social media and AI are escalating unrest and state crackdowns to the next level.

Could blockchain technology and decentralized ID verification have prevented all those VIP Twitter accounts from being commandeered for a bitcoin scam?

Can blockchain stop the paid trolls, bot armies and floods of fake news that are subverting democracy through sites like Facebook?

Other top news: USPS explores blockchain for voting. Coinbase offers crypto loans. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance.

A USPS patent application outlines models for blockchain-secured absentee ballots for future elections.

As Ethereum moves toward its 2.0 upgrade, here is a reflection on the open-source platform’s transformational impact on the blockchain ecosystem.

New lightweight protocol nearing mainnet launch says it is distributing six times more tokens than others to attract developers and encourage greater decentralization.

China’s CBDC — the world’s first major government-issued digital currency — could launch this year. Are we ready for its financial and geopolitical impact?

Australians can buy bitcoin from post offices and use cryptocurrency in soda vending machines. But are confusing tax policies discouraging wider adoption?

DeFi crypto lending — a loosely regulated industry that grew by 700% last year — is catching investor attention. What do the IRS and SEC think?

CFTC’s new plans for crypto regulations and OCC permitting banks to be crypto custodians could boost digital asset adoption. What’s next for FATF and SEC?

In the blockchain world, decentralized workplaces are already the norm. As Covid forces more companies to do the same, here are our pro tips for executives and managers.

As US regulators warm to digital assets, Diginex capitalizes on the world’s most mature financial market by launching platform that allows crypto spot trading.

The $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program — intended to help America’s small businesses survive the pandemic — also gave financial aid to crypto firms accused of fraud, a Forkast.News investigation found.

Latest salvo in Bitmain’s epic civil war: World’s largest crypto mining equipment maker accuses estranged co-founder of absconding with customers and a big chunk of the world’s hashing power.

Regulatory uncertainties over crypto — coupled with Indians’ tendency not to rebel — have prevented decentralized finance from taking off in India despite the unbanked’s tremendous needs, says Siddharth Verma of Nuo Network.

Ripple recently laid out a framework for India to legalize crypto through regulations. But does the Indian government have the incentives and will to do so?

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.

Management guru Don Tapscott and his son Alex Tapscott — co-authors of the best seller, “Blockchain Revolution” — explain how blockchain’s “internet of value” can transform healthcare, the economy and more.

Social media platforms like Twitter need more advanced technology, like blockchain, to protect user accounts from attacks, says Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo.

Brian Behlendorf, a longtime open-source evangelist, discusses China’s adoption of Hyperledger Fabric for its Blockchain Service Network (BSN), blockchain trends to watch, and more.