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What will be hot in blockchain next year, and what will be the curveballs? Forkast.News consults top industry leaders and thinkers to bring you a crystal ball.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, Diginex’s CEO offers his views on CBDC initiatives, crypto custody, and more growth in borrowing, lending of digital assets in the upcoming year.

Who in blockchain is making the world a better place this year, and who deserves nothing under the tree? Santa’s helpers at Forkast.News tell all.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the director of strategic initiatives at ConsenSys and author of “Block Kong” shares his views on CBDCs, stablecoins and Asia’s blockchain space.

Here are the hottest blockchain news and trends that dominated Forkast.News headlines over the past 12 months. Let the countdown to 2021 begin!

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the head of Blockchain, Data and Digital Assets and member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum shares her views on sovereign digital currencies, and the global regulatory landscape.

Bank Indonesia now sees the value of stablecoins and digital currency. Here’s how a central bank-backed digital rupiah could lift the nation of 18,000 islands.

In interviews, the Ripple CEO told Fortune and the Wall Street Journal that the SEC plans to sue the company in the near future for offering unlicensed securities.

In this edition of the Forkast Forecasts, the founder and CEO at Sonic Capital and former Bitcoin.com CEO shares his views on the growth of decentralized finance and big partnerships in the crypto community.

To bridge regulatory and technical gaps, World Economic Forum and Global Blockchain Business Council join forces to promote global blockchain standards.

As 2020’s bitcoin bull run surges ever higher, Coinbase — America’s largest crypto company — files for an IPO with the SEC.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the bestselling author offers his views on crypto regulations, DeFi’s rise and digital assets becoming mainstream.

In a special report for AAX, we examine the new generation of exchanges, custodians, regulations and asset classes now leveling the investment playing field.

Eth2 will run in parallel with Ethereum 1 for now. For how much longer, and will this affect ether inflation and block rewards? Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon explains.

Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin and blockchain investor Alex Tapscott tell Forkast.News that the stablecoin bill aimed at Libra/Diem and Tether could have broader repercussions on the blockchain industry.

Ethereum 2.0 has transformed to proof of stake via its new Beacon Chain. When will Eth2 have sharding, smart contracts and more features?

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: S&P Dow Jones to launch crypto index. Walmart invests big in India’s PhonePe.

Blockchain crowdfunding, tokenized ownership and NFTs are creating new opportunities for artists and museums in a time of immense financial struggles.

Are American lawmakers going after Facebook’s Libra, now called Diem? Controversial Tether may be the real target of new stablecoin-restraining bill.

What to buy for loved ones who already have it all? Here’s the Forkast.News guide to blockchain-inspired gifts that will please even the most discerning.

Days after bitcoin broke its all-time high price, S&P Dow Jones announces that it will offer new cryptocurrency index products starting next year.

As space becomes increasingly commercialized, blockchain has the potential to be the backbone of this new economic frontier, says Jeff Garzik of SpaceChain.

Coinbase and Huobi now support Eth2 staking as the ‘Beacon Chain’ heart of the new platform goes live. What will happens to users of Ethereum 1.0?

Beijing put a stop this week to Fusang’s China Construction Bank bond listing on the Ethereum blockchain. What was the Chinese government afraid of?

AWS is down again? Protocol Labs’ Filecoin — an ‘Airbnb for cloud storage’ — is a response to the risks inherent in centralized data storage and cloud giants

ETH 2.0 raises over $300 million from over 16,300 participants, putting it on track for release next week after whales make big investments in the last minute.

India’s cryptocurrency ban rumor mill will surely rev up again when lawmakers meet for winter session. The CEO of Unocoin explains the worries.

Decentralized digital access to financial services like cryptocurrency trading, lending and borrowing is the wave of the future, writes James Wo of ETC Labs

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.