BXH says its exploit, now estimated at $139M, came from admin key leakage
The hacked DeFi platform called China’s cyber police first thing as most users appear to be in China.
Another DeFi platform, BXH, suffers $130M exploit
This follows an attack on Cream Finance that also resulted in a $130M hack.
DeFi platform Cream Finance suffers $130M exploit
This appears to be the third hack for the protocol this year — yet the biggest one so far.
Altair upgrade goes live; Hybe and Dunamu consider NFT venture
Altair upgrade goes live, also Hybe and Dunamu consider NFT venture.
Walmart quietly installs 200 Bitcoin ATMs with Coinstar, Coinme
In another sign of increased adoption of the world’s leading cryptocurrency, Walmart has installed 200 Bitcoin ATMs in stores across the U.S. in a partnership between Coinstar and Coinme, according to reporting from Reuters. Fast facts The pilot program involves Coinstar, best known for its machines that allow customers to exchange U.S. coins for paper […]
Taiwanese fintech startup XREX collaborates with TRM Labs to ramp up security
XREX Inc., a Taipei-headquartered crypto-fiat exchange and trade technology platform, today announced a partnership with TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence provider, to ramp up its platform’s security and enhance its ability to combat fraud and suspicious activities. Fast facts XREX said in a statement it has put to use the risk management tools developed by […]
East Asia falls from 1st to 4th place in share of global crypto transaction volume
East Asia’s share of global cryptocurrency transactions plunged to 14% in June 2021 from 31% in April 2019 when it was by far the world’s largest crypto economy, according to blockchain data provider Chainalysis’ 2021 Eastern Asia Report published today. Fast facts China’s crypto crackdown in May saw East Asia — with China the biggest […]
Crypto exchanges diversify amid growing competition
As non-crypto players like Twitter and PayPal take up digital assets, Coinbase, Binance and others look for ways to expand offerings.
U.S. Bank launches Bitcoin custody service as more banks enter crypto realm
U.S. Bank, the country’s fifth-largest retail bank, will now offer custody services for cryptocurrencies, starting with Bitcoin, the bank announced on Tuesday. New York Digital Investment Group, a fintech firm dedicated to Bitcoin, is the first crypto sub-custodian in the bank’s network of providers, the statement said. Fast facts The services are geared toward institutional […]
How Singapore is emerging as a safe harbor for the Chinese crypto industry exodus
As China intensifies its crypto crackdown, regulatory clarity is a beacon for safer shores in Southeast Asia.
What is Hong Kong’s future as a crypto hub?
Hong Kong, a hotbed for crypto startups and exchanges, is at a crossroads, writes Jeremy Ng of Gemini. Here’s how the industry can better secure its future.
Why domestic and overseas Chinese should worry about China’s crypto ban
In a special Q&A, a Canadian law advisor who works with Chinese clients breaks down the ban’s potential legal boundaries and concerns held by overseas Chinese.
How will China’s new dictates affect Hong Kong’s future as a crypto hub?
Mainland China’s recent clampdowns on crypto are reverberating beyond its borders. In a special Q&A, former regulator and crypto industry leader Angelina Kwan discusses what this means for Hong Kong.
Unmade in China: Beijing’s crypto cold war turns hot
Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Beijing’s crypto crusade comes to a head. Chinese mining caves in. Mr. Goxx reaps robust returns.
The curious timing behind China’s thunder and lightning at crypto
China assaulted crypto with a new ferocity just as Bitcoin options expired and Evergrande escaped death. Coincidence? Ben Caselin of AAX lays out the clues.
China’s crypto crackdown: What it means
China’s crypto crackdown and what it means
After Evergrande, will virtual real estate be the next alternative asset class?
The property market is increasingly expensive and out of reach for today’s younger generation. Digital land sales may hit home with some buyers.
Boba network announces mainnet launch of layer 2 optimistic rollup
ETH 2.0 is expected to address transaction speeds and gas fees on the world’s number two blockchain, but a growing number of layer-2 protocols are looking to solve those issues today.
Crypto exchange Binance wants centralized headquarters amid regulatory heat
Under scrutiny around the world, the largest cryptocurrency exchange wants to do a better job engaging with regulators.
Why Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson says DeFi is ‘up for grabs’
As Cardano’s Alonzo upgrade goes live, founder Charles Hoskinson of IOHK calls DeFi a ‘bubble.’ How does he think the regulation that is sure to come will reshape DeFi in the future?
Litecoin unloved at Walmart. Cardano’s Alonzo upgrade. China takes aim at NFTs.
Top blockchain and crypto news: Walmart dispels Litecoin hoax. Cardano’s real work begins. Beijing bears down on NFTs.
What crypto can learn from Apple’s smooth interface to computing
Crypto in 2021 is like the early days of the internet, writes Hisham Khan of Aldrin. Here’s why the quality of user experience will decide the industry’s future.
Riding the NFT trend: questions to consider before investing in these hot digital assets
As non-fungible tokens break into the mainstream, experts advise buyers to do research and watch for a correction.
Korean exchanges offered lifeline; NFL bans crypto sponsorships
Korean exchanges offered lifeline while NFL bans crypto sponsorships
NFL flags NFTs, crypto sponsorships for teams while it huddles on a digital game plan
The American football league’s 32 teams cannot sell NFTs or accept backing from crypto trading firms — at least for now.
Fractional ownership of the Doge meme hits $400M valuation
What does it mean to own an NFT? Furthermore, what does it mean to own a billionth of an NFT? For Doge lovers, it might be a good investment, or barking mad.
India crypto exchanges allow bank deposits; FTT token on a roll
India crypto exchanges allow bank deposits while FTT token on a roll
Hacked DeFi platform pledges to replace stolen crypto to users
C.R.E.A.M. Finance suffered a flash loan exploit that was much larger than earlier estimates
Australian consumer protection body issues warning to crypto investors
The Securities and Investments Commission warned against investing in digital-asset financial products. Some say the warning lacks specifics.
C.R.E.A.M. Finance suffers $28M flash loan hack
C.R.E.A.M. Finance, a Taipei-based decentralized lending platform for individuals, institutions and protocols to access financial services, has suffered a flash loan exploit that led to a loss of about US$28 million, underlining the potential vulnerabilities of decentralized finance mechanisms. Fast facts C.R.E.A.M. tweeted on Monday that its market on Ethereum suffered an exploit, “resulting in […]
Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Bilaxy hacked; over $21M loss
The 20th hijack this month, after Poly Network, Solend and Liquid.
Korea reveals crypto exchange ‘Death Note’: DeFi investment booms
Korea reveals crypto exchange ‘Death Note’: DeFi investment booms
Binance imposes mandatory KYC for all services with immediate effect
Beset by legal and regulatory woes around the world, Binance — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume — today announced that it is implementing mandatory know-your-customer (KYC) with immediate effect as it steps up its anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Fast facts All new Binance users are now required to complete “intermediate verification” — which […]
Come next month, will all of South Korea’s crypto exchanges hit a regulatory wall?
Despite a looming compliance deadline, currently there are no crypto exchanges in South Korea that meet the new government reporting requirements to continue operating, according to financial authorities. Fast facts The Financial Services Commission (FSC) revealed through a press release that none of the domestic cryptocurrency trading platforms have successfully complying with the nation’s new […]
Binance users burned by outage band together to take legal action
Crypto traders who suffered losses on Binance due to tech outages are turning to arbitration and crypto litigation finance.
Netherlands warns Binance is illegally offering crypto services
The central bank of the Netherlands has issued a warning that Binance — the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by trading volume — is illegally operating in the country. Fast facts Binance is providing crypto services in the Netherlands without the required legal registration with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), according to the regulator. “This […]
Crypto exchanges diving into esports sponsorships to engage young digital natives
Bybit, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Singapore, announced today a multi-year partnership with popular esports team NAVI (“Natus Vincere”), which will display Bybit’s logo on NAVI’s jerseys as well as charity initiatives, school projects, and anti-hate and anti-bullying campaigns. Fast facts “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many established conventions in a number of human experiences,” […]
Blockchain, crypto investment soars in H1 2021
Global investment in blockchain and cryptocurrencies leapt in the first half of 2021, with US$8.7 billion raised and 548 deals sealed, according to consulting firm KMPG’s latest Pulse of Fintech H1’21 report. Fast facts Global fintech investment in H1 2021 reached US$98 billion in 2,456 deals, compared to US$121.5 billion for the whole of 2020, […]
Chinese DeFi platform Poly Network suffers US$600M hack
Impact of one of the biggest heists in the industry looks set to be mitigated as hackers agree to return funds.
Binance winds down derivatives trading in Hong Kong
Binance — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume — today announced that it will be restricting the use of its derivatives products for customers from Hong Kong. Fast facts Hong Kong customers will, with immediate effect, not be able to open new Binance deriviative product accounts, according to a Binance announcement posted at […]
Decentralized music streaming platform Audius reaches 5M users
As blockchain begins to make its way into more consumer applications, decentralized, Ethereum-based music streaming platform Audius has reached 5 million monthly users for the first time, Yahoo! Finance reports. That milestone makes Audius one of the biggest consumer-centric blockchain applications. Fast facts Launched in 2019, Audius boasts approximately 100,000 artists, including big names such […]
Rothschild’s RIT Capital leads funding round for Aspen Digital to provide crypto services for institutional investors
Hong Kong-based Aspen Digital, a digital asset management platform for institutional investors, announced on Wednesday that it has secured US$8.8 million in pre-A funding to develop a one-stop shop for asset managers to invest in digital assets and manage their clients’ portfolios. Fast facts The funding round was led by RIT Capital Partners, the London-based […]
Ethereum addresses using DeFi soar 65% to over 2.9M
The Ethereum ecosystem is continuing to see strong growth, with institutional capital ‘flooding’ into decentralized finance and decentralized autonomous organizations flourishing.
Binance in Malaysia ban as it ends derivatives trading in Germany, Italy, Netherlands
World’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange steps up compliance and cuts product offerings, with a ban in Malaysia and end of lucrative derivatives business in three EU nations.
Singapore crypto financial services unicorn Matrixport closes fundraise
Matrixport, a Singapore-based digital asset financial services platform, today announced the completion of a series-C funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to more than US$1 billion. Fast facts The funding round was led by partners of DST Global, C Ventures and K3 Ventures, with other investors including Qiming Venture Partners, CE Innovation Capital and Tiger […]
How Wall Street’s ‘best-kept secret’ now fuels high cryptocurrency yields
Celsius Network CEO says crypto lenders are using Wall Street’s ‘safest’ business tactic to provide high interest rates to customers. What are the risks?
Battle for blockchain talent is heating up. What and where are the crypto jobs?
Flush with capital, blockchain and crypto firms are on a hiring spree. Here’s how the battle for crypto talent is playing out.
Binance CEO reiterates willingness to replace self, beefs up KYC
Binance also tightens withdrawal limits and unveils new tax reporting tool, to counter recent flurry of government investigations and bad publicity.
Chinese crypto firms donate millions of yuan to flood-hit Henan
Three blockchain and crypto-related companies have donated hundreds of millions of yuan to China’s Henan Province, which has suffered deadly floods since last week. Fast facts Bitmain, a crypto mining firm was the first to announce a donation of 10 million yuan (US$1.54 million) on July 23 to a charity federation in Zhengzhou, the provincial […]
Clean-energy crypto mining ETF launches to put an ‘E’ in Bitcoin
As Bitcoin’s carbon footprint continues to make ESG investors uneasy, a new clean-energy crypto mining ETF aims to allay their environmental concerns.
Visa to launch first Bitcoin-linked card in Australia
Australians will soon be able to use Visa cards to spend their Bitcoin holdings for the first time as the global payment giant is partnering with local fintech app CryptoSpend, the Australian Financial Review reports. Fast facts CryptoSpend allows payments to be made in several cryptocurrencies to any account in the Australian banking system, crediting […]
Grayscale’s Bitcoin bounty. Circle’s SPAC listing controversy. NFTs for thieves.
Top blockchain and crypto news: Crypto markets await Bitcoin fund release. USDC issuer opts for the back door. In China, NFT copyrights and wrongs.
Stablecoins promise much, but can they deliver?
As issuer Circle prepares to list and China sounds the alarm over speculation, the mood among regulators is mixed, despite stablecoins’ clear appeal to investors.
7 key developments in blockchain capital markets in 2021
In the second installment of a 2-part report, Lucas Schweiger of Blockdata examines the most notable current trends in blockchain and capital markets.
Derivatives will be crypto’s ‘next big thing’ says 100x CEO
Crypto industry gets the ‘overleveraged’ label and authorities are cracking down on derivatives providers. Alexander Höptner of 100x believes the pushback foreshadows the industry’s next big thing — derivatives.
Penalties for kimchi premium abusers; Digital yuan on trial again
Korea issues penalties for kimchi premium arbitrage as China holds its 15th digital yuan pilot trials.
US$1.5B South Korean ‘kimchi premium’ crypto scheme prompts 33 arrests
Customs officers use foreign exchange law to shut down cycle of foreign remittances and arbitrage.
Spending on crypto-linked Visa cards exceeds $1B in first half of 2021
More than US$1 billion was spent on crypto-linked Visa cards in the first six months of 2021, according to a Visa blog post this week. Fast facts Apart from enabling customers to buy cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin using its cards, Visa has partnered with 50 crypto platforms on card programs — such as Coinbase, the largest […]
Exchange Crypto.com revs up sports sponsorships as Formula 1 partner
Formula 1 has announced that Hong Kong-based Crypto.com will be an inaugural global partner for the new F1 Sprint series in 2021.
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission’s new crypto rules will hinder opportunity
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission chief, Ashley Alder, kicked off a firestorm during Hong Kong FinTech Week 2020 by announcing a plan to regulate all cryptocurrency exchanges that operate in the city or target its citizens. These new proposed rules would replace a voluntary framework introduced in 2019 that allowed exchanges to opt in […]
Crypto exchange Gemini buys carbon offsets, pledges carbon-neutrality
Crypto exchange Gemini has bought US$4 million in carbon credits to offset the environmental impact of its Bitcoin holdings
Tesla, Facebook and Netflix stock tokens launch on Solana blockchain
Swiss-based Digital Assets AG, a firm focused on the design of tokenized stock infrastructure, has launched over 50 tokenized stocks on the Solana public blockchain.
Australia’s first Bitcoin capital growth fund gaining interest
Australia’s first capital growth fund to offer institutional exposure to BTC has announced its received inquiries from some of the country’s largest companies.
Hong Kong crypto exchanges seek to wash hands of dirty power problem
Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has announced that it is committed to becoming carbon-negative within 18 months, following carbon-neutral initiatives launched by other Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchanges FTX and BitMEX.
Crypto market rebound; Sotheby’s next NFT auction eyes millennials | The Daily Forkast
The crypto market has rebounded after one of its biggest crashes. Bitcoin is a ‘safe haven’ for many investors.
Solana gets Coinbase listing after SOL prices surge amid crypto market crash
Coinbase Pro adds Solana’s native token, opening the doors for US investors after SOL outperforms Bitcoin and most other cryptos amid market crash.
Bitcoin long positions worth $1.5 billion liquidated amid crypto crash
Around US$1.5 billion of Bitcoin long positions were liquidated today across some of the world’s top crypto exchanges, including Binance and FTX, according to Bybt data.
‘Fear’ gets the best of Bitcoin; ‘Charlie Bit Me’ is now an NFT | The Daily Forkast
FUD has taken over Bitcoin’s FOMO sentiment as iconic YouTube video ‘Charlie Bit Me’ gets immortalized as an NFT.
New York artist takes work to new heights in partnering with crypto payment service
New York-based artist Brian Donnelly, also known as KAWS, is launching his latest project in Britain, “KAWS:HOLIDAY UNITED KINGDOM,” featuring a 42-meter tall hot-air balloon that people can pay cryptocurrency to take rides in. Fast facts Crypto and fiat payment processor FTX Pay has partnered with Hong Kong production company AllRightsReserved to be the official […]
ICP takes crypto world by storm. Will Ethereum be the next Bitcoin? Goldman Sachs launches crypto trading desk.
Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: How Dogecoin copycat SHIB coin vaulted into crypto’s top 20. China unveils fingerprint ID for digital yuan.
What is the real value of joke coins like Dogecoin and SHIB?
Crypto veterans are appalled by the sudden popularity of $hitcoins like DOGE and SHIB. But others say memecoins are making investing more accessible.
What is Coinbase really worth? XRP rallies with Ripple’s wins over SEC. HSBC bans MicroStrategy over Bitcoin embrace.
Other top blockchain and crypto news: HSBC bans MicroStrategy over Bitcoin affair. Tokenized TSLA and Coinbase COIN now on several crypto exchanges.