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A spot Bitcoin ETF will allow BTC be easily tradeable without the headaches and pitfalls of self-custody. Its arrival — likely just around the corner — will mark the moment crypto goes mainstream.

Singapore’s major payment institution license will enable Upbit to continue offering regulated digital asset services while awaiting its full license.

The Australian Department of the Treasury said it will accept feedback on the draft bill by December.

From tech monopolies to the synergy of AI and blockchain, Alex Tapscott, author of “Web3: Charting the Internet’s Next Economic and Cultural Frontier,” dissects the trajectories of the digital landscape.

Ardoino takes Tether’s helm after serving as the USDT stablecoin issuer’s chief technical officer since 2017.

Crypto is “part of the future,” said Melissa Wisner, vice president of crypto risk at Ciphertrace, during her panel discussion at D3 Bahamas.

Several crypto firms join forces to set up a humanitarian fund amid ongoing war and star witness in Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial gives testimony.

Bitcoin was subdued by the mounting geopolitical concerns around Israel’s war with Hamas and the ongoing FTX lawsuit.

Alameda Research reportedly did not know about the misuse of FTX user deposits until last November.

The research firm said that on-chain data point toward Russian hackers, instead of the previously-suspected North Korean Lazarus Group.

With the U.S. CPI holding steady and predictions favoring unchanged Fed rates, Bitcoin remains resilient.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Gaza tensions, digital tremors, NFTs are not dancing in September, Joe Lubin talks traditional system’s twilight.

The DCJPY could play a central role in the future’s currency system, according to DeCurret Holdings.

The current crypto bear market caused Coinbase’s trading volume to drop to levels not seen since 2020.

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said the island nation will continue to be a pioneer in the digital asset space.

FTX’s collapse and the crypto winter helped regulators familiarize themselves with the rapidly evolving crypto industry, said Christina Rolle of the Bahamas Securities Commission.

Caroline Ellison details how Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise capital from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as FTX struggled to repay lenders.

The regulator said that DeFi doesn’t pose a risk to financial stability, due to its small size, but said it needs to be monitored in the future.

NFT production on Ethereum fell to an all-time low in September, as the floor prices of blue-chip NFT collections continued their decline.

JPMorgan’s Onyx blockchain showcased near-instant collateral transfer in BlockRock’s tokenized share transaction with Barclays.

Coins.ph joins forces with Circle to introduce USDC remittances, targeting a more efficient and affordable money transfer solution for millions of Filipinos abroad, supporting the UN’s goal of trimming remittance costs by 2023.

The Malaysian Securities Commission has given crypto firm, Hata, a conditional approval to operate a “digital asset exchange” with a “digital broker” license.

The congressional committee accused Changpeng Zhao and three other executives, along with 45 individuals, of running a financial pyramid scheme in the country.

The committee said fraudulent non-fungible token advertising could harm both NFT artists and investors.

As ‘Floptober’ rattles the NFT world, Pudgy Penguins emerge as unlikely victors, spotlighting the potential of IP-focused tactics.

Once driven by speculation and vanity car plate-like profile images, NFTs are now becoming more useful — with value that is not captured by market prices.

Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend and former CEO of Alameda Research, details how the trading firm took around $14 billion from FTX customers to repay lenders.

Bitmain, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) manufacturers, has suspended employee salary payments from September, according to a Tuesday report by China-based tech news outlet Leiphone. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel police Fast Facts See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong […]

South Korea’s cryptocurrency market has bounced back during the first half of this year but is still almost 50% below its value at the end of 2021, according to the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KOFIU), a government agency that oversees the nation’s anti-money laundering regime. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel […]

The CEO of blockchain services provider Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum spoke to Forkast at the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore. He discussed decentralization and what he sees as the crucial role to be played by blockchain in AI and vice-versa.

The Hong Kong police warned on Monday that 11 Hong Kong-based Binance users lost over US$446,000 (HK$3.5 million) in cryptocurrencies to phishing text messages in the last two weeks. See related article: Gitcoin error sends US$460,000 to digital void Fast Facts See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong Web3 fund

Israel Police’s cyber unit, Lahav 443, halts Hamas’ cryptocurrency fundraising efforts following Israeli crypto firms’ aid initiatives for war-affected citizens.

Crypto Aid Israel, a fund aiding war-impacted citizens, uses a multi-signature wallet for Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins donations.

Inflows in cryptocurrency investment products reached US$78 million last week, the highest volume since July, according to crypto asset manager CoinShares.  See related article: Alameda had a US$65 bln line of credit, says FTX co-founder Gary Wang Fast Facts See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court

Clay Nation, a project of 10,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), announced the launch of a new blockchain bridge for Cardano and Polygon networks in The Sandbox metaverse.  See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court Fast Forkast See related article: NFT creators seek alternatives after OpenSea cuts royalties

Crowdfunding platform Gitcoin’s project lead Jonathan Miller said he accidentally sent approximately US$460,000 worth of Gitcoin tokens (GTC) to an unrecoverable contract address. See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court Fast Forkast See related article: SBF trial kicks off, Singapore gives crypto licenses as blockchain data comes […]

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, should be blocked from bringing up artificial intelligence firm Anthropic’s latest fundraising efforts in his defense against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), prosecutors said in a court filing on Sunday. See related article: Little-known FTX co-founder Gary Wang testifies in Sam […]

The Web3 sun is shining in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, where forward-thinking regulations are fostering crypto’s growth while boosting investor protections.

Gary Wang, co-founder and former chief technology officer of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, testified on Friday that Alameda Research, the sister trading firm of the exchange, had a special line of credit of up to US$65 billion from FTX, that allowed the firm to spend US$8 billion of customer funds. See related article: Little-known FTX co-founder […]

Bitcoin fell 1.3% in the hour following the U.S. jobs report, fueling market concerns that borrowing costs will remain high over a longer period of time.

The largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange will be launching more products and services in the Lion City, Coinbase’s Hassan Ahmed says.

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Forkast’s Megha Chaddah, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is seeking feedback on the second consultation paper on the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) bill, published on Thursday.  See related article: Binance ICO raised less than US$5 mln: Forbes Fast Facts See related article: What Europe’s new spot Bitcoin ETF means for global markets

Cryptocurrency hardware wallet developer Ledger said it is cutting 12% of its workforce, according to a Thursday letter to employees by chief executive officer Pascal Gauthier. See related article: Binance ICO raised less than US$5 mln: Forbes Fast Facts See related article: Governments could access Ledger wallet private keys, says CEO

Binance’s 2017 initial coin offering (ICO) of its Binance Coin (BNB) reportedly raised less than US$5 million, contrary to the US$15 million claimed by the company and its Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao.  See related article: U.S. SEC denied immediate access to Binance.US software Fast Facts See related article: Binance Japan partners with mega bank […]

Wang admits he implemented special privileges in the exchange’s code to enable Alameda Research to withdraw unlimited funds.

The amount of funds raised by cryptocurrency firms dropped to a three-year low of US$2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2023, according to a new report published by on-chain intelligence firm Messari. See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong Web3 fund Fast Facts See related article: HKEX to launch […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Spotlight on Bankman-Fried, Pudgy Penguins’ new revenue stream and Google’s Web3 goggles

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced on Wednesday that it is implementing a smart contract upgrade to its Connect, a system that bridges Hong Kong and China’s stock markets, to enhance post-trade workflows and reduce settlement risk. See related article: SFC to monitor illegal VATP activities with Hong Kong Police Force Fast Facts […]

CMCC Global, a Hong Kong-based blockchain-focused venture capital fund, announced Wednesday that it raised US$100 million to launch the “Titan Fund.” See related article: SFC to monitor illegal VATP activities with Hong Kong Police Force Fast Facts See related article: Valkyrie CIO expects US spot Bitcoin ETF approval in Q2 2024 (Update adds comment from […]

Prosecutors allege the founder of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange had a reputation that was “built on lies” as hotly awaited trial begins.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Police Force announced Wednesday the establishment of a working group to monitoring and investigating illegal activities related to Virtual Asset Trading Platforms (VATPs).  See related article: Hong Kong crypto network Mixin loses US$200 million in hack Fast Facts See related article: JPEX […]

South Korea’s central bank will be launching a pilot program for its central bank digital currency (CBDC) to explore infrastructure requirements, according to an Oct. 4 joint statement by the Bank of Korea (BOK), the nation’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). See related article: CBDCs are coming. Here’s why you […]

European Union central banks will publish plans for a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the coming weeks, François Villeroy de Galhau, the governor of France’s central bank, said at a Tuesday event in Paris. See related article: US legislators to discuss CBDC prevention bill on Sept. 20 Fast Facts See related article: Nepal […]

The XRP token rose 4.42% after a federal judge denied the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion to overturn its recent loss against Ripple Labs. XRP traded at US$0.5308 at 2:45 p.m. in Hong Kong on Tuesday, according to CoinMarketCap data.  See related article: HK’s SFC & US SEC crack the whip as Blockchain […]

Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are evolving and carving out distinct niches, prompting a closer look at their diverging paths and the emerging trends in the digital financial landscape.

Web2 may be easier than ever to use, but its users are plagued by personal data theft and other security risks. Here’s how Web3 can do better.

The Asia-Pacific branch of Ripple Labs has received a Major Payments Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

At the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore held Sept. 13 to 14, Google Cloud’s James Tromans spoke to Forkast about a possible marriage between Webs 2 and 3.

Chainalysis, a New York-headquartered blockchain intelligence firm, is reportedly laying off about 150 employees, or approximately 15% of the 900 staff members. See related article: ‘There’s no doubt we picked a side here’ — Chainalysis founder Michael Gronager talks analytics, Ukraine and crypto adoption in Asia Fast Facts See related article: Bitwise to launch two […]

Bitwise Asset Management, a U.S.-based cryptocurrency index fund, announced that its two Ethereum futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the Bitwise Ethereum Strategy ETF (AETH) and the Bitwise Bitcoin and Ether Equal Weight Strategy ETF (BTOP), will start trading on Monday, Oct. 2.  See related article: Valkyrie CIO expects US spot Bitcoin ETF approval in Q2 2024 […]

The Major Payment Institution license from Singapore’s central bank allows the exchange to expand its digital payment token services in the Lion City.

Bringing together the best parts of centralized and decentralized exchanges, RDEXs also take into account the inevitability of regulations.

The prospect of FTX’s return to the competitive exchange landscape is being keenly watched by stakeholders, reflecting on its meteoric rise, groundbreaking approach, and tumultuous fall.

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission delayed the publishing of a crypto framework earlier this year citing the FTX collapse in late 2022 as the reason.

Asia is stepping up the regulatory ground for the digital asset and take a look at El Salvador’s Bitcoin future.

Quantum computers may one day crack the cryptographic algorithms that underpin everything from Bitcoin to digital IDs. What can be done to secure Web3’s future?

In the second in a series of 1-on-1 interviews from the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore held Sept. 13-14, Michael Gronager, founder of blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, spoke to Forkast about crypto use in the Ukraine conflict, tracking illicit on-chain activity and digital asset adoption in Asia.

Top blockchain and crypto news: U.S. lawmakers berate SEC over ETF applications. NFTs down but not dead. Hong Kong sees year’s biggest crypto heist so far.

Bitcoin traded above US$26,300 Thursday morning in Asia after briefly breaching US$26,800. Ether also rose above US$1,600 before falling back.

Toncoin led losses among top 10 cryptos. Bitcoin dropped while Ether rose marginally.

Two former employees at Coinone were sentenced Tuesday for accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies on the platform.