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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.

India proposes crypto ban; Metaverse race heats up

India proposes crypto ban meanwhile Metaverse race heats up

What would Jerome Powell’s second term mean for crypto?

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fed nominations suggest no sudden moves. El Salvador’s Bitcoin lava affair. Dodgy dealings in China’s digital yuan.

AMC rival Regal enables crypto payments for moviegoers

Regal, a subsidiary of Cineworld Group, has partnered with digital payments network Flexa to allow customers to pay for movie tickets, popcorn and more with cryptocurrencies in its theaters. Fast facts The firm will accept cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Dogecoin, stablecoins such as Dai, USD Coin and Gemini Dollar, as well as digital […]

How will decentralized hosting change the future of social media? | Part 2

As social media’s influence on broader society continues to grow, decentralized platforms will mean less central moderation — for better or worse.

ConstitutionDAO to shut down after unsuccessful bid for copy of U.S. Constitution

The decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that formed to buy a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution will soon be shutting down after failing to win an auction for the document last week, despite raising over US$40 million in ETH to do so, as the Verge reports. Fast facts As Forkast.News reported last week, 17,437 members […]

How to survive an IRS crypto tax audit

The US Internal Revenue Service is taking a hard look at cryptocurrency transactions to crack down on tax dodgers. How can crypto holders protect themselves?
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U.S. develops crypto-asset ‘roadmap’; is the Fedcoin on its way?

Three U.S. agencies released a joint statement outlining a plan to fast-track crypto-asset regulation in 2022.

Hedge fund rockstar sets the stage for the next NFT wave

The digital print of the U.S. Constitution grew an estimated 35% in value by the time Ken Griffin made the winning bid, surely ushering in more NFT interest.

Another e-CNY scam busted; SCMP to tokenize history

Another e-CNY scam busted, meanwhile SCMP to tokenize history

Hong Kong’s SCMP plans first batch of NFTs documenting history

The 118-year-old Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post released a white paper today on its non-fungible-token (NFT) project called ARTIFACT, as well as announcing the launch of the first series of collections of historical events called ARTIFACTs by SCMP. Fast facts ARTIFACT is a project that the SCMP designed to tokenize their reports of […]

What is Algorand and why is it a blockchain to watch?

Algorand ‘re-imagines’ blockchain by trying to solve key weaknesses of Bitcoin. Learn about this wannabe Ethereum killer in this Forkast.News explainer.

NFL players accept salary in crypto and DAO forms to buy NBA team

A week after the announcement that the famed Staples Center in Los Angeles will be renamed the Crypto.com Arena, the city plays host to another landmark crypto event, as a player for the NFL team the L.A. Rams has announced he will receive his US$4.25 million salary for the 2021-22 season in Bitcoin. Fast facts […]

Avalanche price breaks into crypto top 10 as market sees red

Amid a sea of red in crypto markets today Avalanche is bucking the trend, gaining 130% since the start of the month to reach a new all-time high of US$146.22 and leaping over Dogecoin to enter the crypto top 10. This clears that list of memecoins for the first time since Dogecoin’s historic run in […]

Korea stands firm on NFT games; Laos introduces crypto regulations

Korea stands firm on NFT games, meanwhile Laos introduces crypto regulations

Square releases white paper for DEX to allow exchange of crypto, fiat and more

U.S. payments giant Square wants to build a decentralized platform called tbDEX for exchanging cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as well as fiat currency and real-world goods. Fast facts Square released a white paper on Friday detailing how the platform would work. The white paper was released on the GitHub community for contributions. The protocol “facilitates decentralized […]

Chinese mining rig maker Canaan boosts self-mining business in Kazakhstan

Chinese cryptocurrency mining rig maker Canaan doesn’t seem to shy away from running its own mining business in Kazakhstan despite a power shortage situation in the Central Asian nation, which has become a popular destination for Chinese miners amid China’s clampdown on the sector. Fast facts Canaan announced today it has started joint mining operations […]

What decentralization can offer Web 3.0 and social media | Part 1

How blockchain technology can usher in the next stage of the internet and social media, through decentralized hosting and integration with cryptocurrency.

Crypto market cap plunges; South Korean banks head into metaverse

Crypto market cap plunges as South Korean banks head into metaverse

SEC new enforcement actions rose 7% to 434 in FY 2021

The securities markets regulator ordered $3.85B in fines, while new actions included ‘emerging threats’ in the crypto industry.

DeFi’s amorphous autonomy proves a policy puzzle

The promise of financial democratization forms the bedrock of DeFi’s appeal. But who’s in charge — and who to hold responsible when things go south?

Top 8 crypto custody providers listed by Blockdata

Blockchain data company Blockdata has published a list of eight top crypto custody providers. The eight companies, selected based on their total funding and assets under custody (AUC), are Coinbase Custody, Bitgo, Fireblocks, Gemini Custody, Ledger Enterprise Solutions, Cactus Custody, NYDIG and Bitcoin Suisse. Fast facts A total of over US$253 billion worth of assets […]

What is a DAO — and can it replace your employer?

Out of nowhere, a leaderless ‘flash mob’ of crypto investors pops up to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution. What are DAOs and how do they work? Forkast.News explains.

IRS seized $3.5B in crypto in 2021, expects that number to grow in 2022

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service — the department responsible for collecting tax revenue — seized US$3.5 billion worth of cryptocurrencies during fiscal year 2021, accounting for 93% all assets seized by tax enforcement that year, according to the agency’s 2021 Criminal Investigation Report released Thursday. Fast facts An agency official said on a call with […]

Snoop Dogg, deadmau5 join Outlier Ventures to invest in the metaverse

As interest in the metaverse continues to gain pace, big names in entertainment including Snoop Dogg, deadmau5 and Shaun Neff have joined leading crypto VC firm Outlier Ventures to invest and advise start-ups to accelerate the Open Metaverse. Fast facts Since launching its Base Camp Accelerator in 2019, Outlier Ventures has helped raise over US$250 […]

Amid crypto crackdown Bitmain donates US$1.7M to Chinese lab

Crypto mining rig manufacturer appears to be seeking chip-making capability in the midst of supply-chain shortages.

Indians may be allowed to trade, but not pay with, crypto

While fears of a complete ban on virtual currencies have been dispelled, Indian investors are still in the lurch about what may or may not be allowed.

Bit Digital completes mining rig migration from China to US

Bit Digital, a Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin mining company headquartered in New York that had significant operations in China, said in its latest Q3 update that the exit of its mining fleet from China is now complete, with all of its miners having arrived in North America. Fast facts Bit Digital said it started the migration back in […]

South Korea a metaverse hub; NFTs go from digital to physical

South Korea a metaverse hub, also NFTs go from digital to physical

Texas faces new concerns over power grid burdens as crypto miners flood in

China’s mining exodus has flowed to the cowboy state that embraces crypto, but it might have to take into consideration the surging power loads.

Chinese mining rig maker Canaan reports record-high earnings

China may be banning crypto mining activities, but rig makers appear to be spared from the clampdown.

Indian regulator greenlights first blockchain feeder fund

Indian investors will now get exposure to global companies in the blockchain ecosystem as the Securities and Exchange Board of India greenlighted the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain ETF Fund of Fund (FoF). Fast facts The feeder fund will invest in the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain UCITS exchange-traded fund (ETF), formerly known as Invesco Elwood Global […]

No SHIB price boost as AMC theater chain to accept Shiba Inu

While hopes of Robinhood listing Shiba Inu have been pumping the price of the asset for some time, it is AMC Theatres that will start accepting Shiba Inu for payments next year. Fast facts AMC Theatres, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., will accept Shiba Inu as payment for movie tickets and concessions […]

Vitalik Buterin imagines a future of crypto cities

In a speech, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin notes the rise in cities experimenting with crypto, DAO and NFTs. What are the possibilities of blockchain cities?

3 teams, including ConsenSys, win Singapore’s CBDC Global Challenge

The projects topped 300 rivals in their potential to improve the future digital Singapore dollar in payment services and financial inclusion. Who were the other winners?

Marathon Digital discloses SEC investigation and raises US$650M in debt

In an eventful Monday, Bitcoin mining company Marathon Digital’s stock price fell on news it is being investigated by the SEC even as it raised millions in debt.

How to avoid getting rug-pulled in crypto and DeFi

Scams like the Squid Game Token rug pull are every investor’s nightmare. How to avoid hoaxes and not feel like a fool? Forkast.News explains.

Circle invests in JPYC; Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle invests in JYPC meanwhile Baby Shark NFTs announced

Circle contributes to $4.3M Series A funding round for yen-backed stablecoin

As Circle expands into Asia as part of a global expansion plan, what does the investment in a yen-back stablecoin mean for the market?

UAE’s LuLu Exchange, Pakistan’s Bank Alfalah partner on cross-border payments

LuLu Exchange, a financial services company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan’s Bank Alfalah are partnering to bring faster and more cost-effective cross-border payments and remittances from the UAE to Pakistan using RippleNet. Fast facts Bank Alfalah’s integration with RippleNet — Ripple’s global payments network for financial institutions — and its launch with […]

Taproot goes live; Hong Kong crypto kidnap

Taproot goes live, meanwhile Hong Kong crypto kidnap

Taiwan has a chance to develop crypto amid China’s clampdown, Filecoin Foundation director says

As crypto projects are relocating from China to friendlier shores, it represents ‘huge opportunity’ for Taiwan.

Africa’s first CBDC wallet hits almost 500K downloads

As central bank digital currencies begin picking up steam around the world, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Friday the digital wallet for its own digital currency, the eNaira, has been downloaded 488,000 times in 160 countries — in just 19 days after its launch. Fast facts According to local news reports, after President […]
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China ousts former official for supporting crypto mining, corruption

A former Chinese official has been expelled from the Communist Party of China for “serious violations of discipline and law” as he was found to introduce and support cryptocurrency mining activities, in what may be the first time for China’s anti-graft watchdog to expel an official over crypto mining. Fast facts The country’s anti-corruption watchdog […]