Moola Market DeFi hacker returns US$9 mln in stolen funds for bounty
The perpetrator of the US$9.1 million Moola Market exploit returned close to the entirety of the loot in exchange for an undisclosed ransom on Wednesday, according to the project’s social media update. See related article: ‘Hacktober’ continues with US$1 mln taken from BitKeep token swap service Fast facts Decentralized finance (DeFi) project Moola Markets announced […]
Aptos rollout faulted for slow processing speeds; native token plunges
The blockchain network was built by former members of the Meta stablecoin project, with well-known investors and considerable buzz as the new ‘Solana killer.’
Crypto bank Nuri to shut down, asks customers to withdraw funds
German crypto bank Nuri (formerly known as Bitwala) has asked customers to withdraw their funds by Dec. 18 so that the “business can be terminated and liquidated.”
EU targets Bitcoin with energy efficiency labeling for crypto
This isn’t the first time the bloc has examined cracking down on Bitcoin mining, and it comes amid a growing push from regulators to examine the industry’s carbon footprint.
‘Hacktober’ continues with US$1 mln taken from BitKeep token swap service
An unidentified hacker stole over US$1 million in Binance Coin (BNB) tokens from decentralized multi-chain wallet BitKeep’s token swap service on Monday, according to a Tuesday statement by the company. See related article: Crypto hackers on track for bonanza year as theft surges, Chainalysis says Fast facts “Our development team managed to contain the emergency […]
New IRS tax language tweaked to include NFTs
The IRS updated its annual income tax instructions in a Monday draft that does away with the taxable category “virtual currency” and replaces it with the term “digital assets,” which explicitly includes NFTs.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall as EU considers crackdown on energy-intensive crypto mining
Bitcoin and Ether both fell in Wednesday morning trading in Asia amid news the European Union is considering a bill to restrict the mining of energy-intensive cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Most of the rest of the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, also declined, with the exception of Polygon. See related article: Bitcoin, […]
Wall Street and Crypto
With no indication of the crypto market’s recovery, how are Wall Street and big money planning ahead?
Ripple devs push for Ethereum smart contract compatibility with XRPL sidechain
The first XRP Ledger (XRPL) Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible sidechain has gone live on the parallel test network, XRPL Devnet, Ripple developers announced on Monday.
Markets: Bitcoin price rises amid sweeping gains across top 10 crypto, Polygon increases 7%
Markets: Bitcoin price rises amid sweeping gains across top 10 crypto, Polygon increases 7%
Coinbase mulls lawsuit against users who made millions from pricing error
“No finders keepers’ law”: Coinbase considers legal action against some 1,000 users in east Europe’s Georgia who took advantage of a pricing glitch on the platform.
One country, two systems? Hong Kong seems set to diverge from China on digital assets
Hong Kong seems set to put out a new welcome mat for the blockchain and crypto industries, but will it work after concern about regulatory restrictions convinced many cryptocurrency operators to leave?
CFTC, SEC investigate if bankrupt 3AC misled investors, failed to register business
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission of the U.S. are investigating whether bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) misled investors about its balance sheet and failed to register with the two agencies, according to a Bloomberg report which cites two people familiar with the matter. See related article: […]
Japan pushes for tougher crypto AML regulations amid N. Korean cyberattacks
The Japanese government approved amendments to existing financial regulations to prevent money laundering utilizing cryptocurrencies and increase penalties on those involved, according to local media reports. See related article: North Korea’s Lazarus Group attacks Japanese crypto firms, police say Fast facts The Cabinet, Japan’s executive body, approved the revisions to laws associated with the country’s […]
Japanese gaming giant Konami is recruiting for expansion into Web3, metaverse
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based video game company, announced a recruitment effort for 13 new positions to integrate its game titles with Web3 and metaverse technologies. See related article: NFTs may be the next killer app for video games, but some traditional players object Fast facts The game developer is planning to launch […]
The scourge of NFT wash trading — and how not to get suckered in
What are the different kinds of NFT wash trading, and what are the red flags that a prospective investor should look for? Anndy Lian explains.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; Polygon, Solana lead gainers among the top 10 tokens
Bitcoin and Ether rose as all top 10 tokens by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, gained in Tuesday morning trading in Asia. Polygon led the list. Solana followed on news a leading non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace will suspend transaction fees. See related article: Gold commodities market could enter the blockchain, according to new industry initiative Fast […]
Mastercard to let banks offer crypto services to clients
Global payments company Mastercard intends to enable financial institutions to offer crypto services to customers with its new Crypto Source program. See related article: Binance partners Mastercard to launch card in Argentina for bill payment, everyday purchases Fast facts The program will allow financial institutions to tap into Mastercard’s partners to buy, hold and sell […]
Gold commodities market could enter the blockchain, according to new industry initiative
A partnership between the World Gold Council (WGC) and Swiss-based DLT infrastructure and application provider aXedras Group could make gold trading more accessible and streamlined, though insiders are skeptical, according to a Bloomberg report Sunday. See related article: Diamond Standard raises US$30 mln to ramp up tokenized asset distribution Fast facts The WGC’s initiative “Gold247” […]
India wants global, tech-driven regulatory framework for crypto
As India prepares to begin its one-year presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) beginning Dec. 1, it will look to work toward a global, tech-driven regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. See related article: India’s finance minister calls on G20 to share information on crypto Fast facts “During our engagements, […]
Markets: Bitcoin inches up, most top 10 cryptos stable after rollercoaster week
Bitcoin inched up slightly Monday, with the majority of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization remaining stable, the only considerable price change coming from XRP’s 3% drop. See related article: South Korea seeks software to track US$7.2B in illegal crypto Fast facts Bitcoin rose 0.83% in the past 24 hours to trade at US$19,296 […]
Why the crypto bear market can be a bull for innovation
The market may be in the doldrums, but there’s no better time to clean house and build for the future, writes Clayton Roche of UMA. Here are 5 areas of opportunity.
Magic Eden, largest Solana-based NFT platform, makes royalty fees optional
The platform said the move was in line with growing market trends, but some are concerned about what it means for the industry.
Meta’s flagship metaverse said to fall short of performance expectations
Meta Platforms Inc.’s internal documents show the company’s metaverse platform Horizon Worlds is underperforming in terms of attracting and maintaining users, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday. See related article: Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts Meta’s initial goal was to gather 500,000 monthly active users (MAU) on […]
Macau is betting on digital currency, CBDC as legal tender
The city of Macau, a special administrative region of China and home to a thriving casino industry, is seeking to grant digital currency status as legal tender, the Executive Council of Macau announced on Friday. See related article: Macao needs China’s heft in tech to introduce CBDC, official says Fast facts See related article: Macao […]
North Korea’s Lazarus Group attacks Japanese crypto firms, police say
North Korea-backed hacker group Lazarus has been sending phishing emails to Japanese crypto exchange employees to infect their computers with malware, causing some companies to have their systems hacked and cryptocurrencies stolen, Japan’s National Police Agency announced last week. See related article: DPRK hackers sneak US$52 mln in crypto into S.Korean exchanges: Chainalysis Fast facts […]
Markets: Bitcoin rises as Ether leads gains in crypto top 10
Bitcoin and Ether were trading higher along with top 10 tokens by market capitalization excluding stablecoins in Monday morning trading in Asia, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency remained above US$19,000. XRP was the only token on that list to fall. See related article: Ethereum supply would have grown by 350,000 tokens under PoW Fast facts […]
Ethereum supply would have grown by 350,000 tokens under PoW
A recent token launch on Ethereum pushed the network into a deflationary state and the blockchain’s shift to PoS may lower supply even further.
Fintech Cooling Ahead?
Fintech’s growth in the EU has been described as “unprecedented”, but a report warns of consolidation in the years to come.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise along with all top 10 crypto as inflation sell-off turns bullish
Bitcoin rose in Friday evening trading in Asia to jump past its US$19,000 support line, with Ether and all other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization gaining, led by XRP. See related article: Ethereum price undervalued since The Merge: report Fast facts Bitcoin gained 3.33% in the past 24 hours to trade at US$19,647 at […]
Crypto hackers on track for bonanza year as theft surges, Chainalysis says
Decentralized finance sites are the preferred choice of hackers as crypto heists look to be on course to hit a record high this year.
South Korea seeks software to track US$7.2B in illegal crypto
South Korea’s Supreme Prosecutors’ Office is looking to hunt down illegal crypto funds by purchasing a software program that tracks down crypto transactions and sources, a local media outlet reported Friday. See related article: DPRK hackers sneak US$52 mln in crypto into S.Korean exchanges: Chainalysis Fast facts The tracking program is expected to be used […]
The evidence is in: Chinese courts use judicial blockchain platform to store data
China’s judicial blockchain platform has stored more than 2.6 billion pieces of evidence, a Supreme People’s Court spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday, according to a report by the local media Legal Daily. See related article: China has seen blockchain’s future and it doesn’t include cryptocurrencies Fast facts See related article: How blockchain […]
Tether says it slashed all commercial paper, replaced with US Treasury bills
Tether, issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, said in a blog post it has cut its commercial paper holdings to zero and replaced them with U.S. Treasury bills. See related article: Are stablecoins like Tether ready for regulatory scrutiny? Fast facts See related article: SEC fines former Tether auditor over accounting malpractice
Bitcoin fans pitch Satoshi Nakamoto for Nobel Prize in Economics
Bitcoin advocates have once again launched their annual campaign to have Satoshi Nakamoto — the pseudonymous creator/s of Bitcoin — named as the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. See related article: What’s next for Binance after $100 million BNB hack? Fast facts On Oct. 10, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded […]
Markets: Bitcoin rebounds with equities after inflation data sparks initial sell off
Bitcoin traded back above US$19,000 in Friday morning trading in Asia, rebounding with U.S. equities from a sharp drop that followed a September inflation reading in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on Thursday that was higher than expected. BNB and memecoin Shiba Inu were two other tokens among the top 10 by market […]
Bitcoin drops 3% as U.S. inflation rises 0.4% in September
Bitcoin dropped 3% after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a key inflation indicator, rose 0.4% in September from August. See related article: Fed’s inflation fight batters crypto market as pressure mounts Fast facts The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization traded at US$18,432 at 10:30 p.m. Hong […]
Ethereum price undervalued since The Merge: report
Nearly half of 55 fintech and crypto experts believe Ethereum has been underpriced since the network became a proof-of-stake blockchain through “The Merge” upgrade last month, according to a recent report from financial service firm Finder. See related article: Why YOU should back Ethereum’s Fork Fast facts While 46% of the surveyed panelists said Ether […]
India police launches blockchain-based complaint portal on Polygon
The Indian police unit in Firozabad city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has launched an online complaint portal powered by Ethereum scaler Polygon. See related article: Blockchain in India got off on wrong foot, says former finance chief Fast facts The pilot portal, policecomplaintonblockchain.in, leverages blockchain technology’s immutability, which means complaints cannot be […]
US Regulation Delays
There’s a power struggle over who regulates crypto in the US – and it could all depend on how the midterm elections go this year.
Markets: Bitcoin holds $19,000 (just); Cardano, XRP lead losses among top 10 crypto
Bitcoin dipped but just held the US$19,000 support line in Thursday evening trading in Asia. Excluding stablecoins, all other cryptocurrencies on the top 10 list by market capitalization fell. Cardano led the declines. See related articles: Judge grants amicus requests to support Ripple in lawsuit with SEC Fast facts Bitcoin fell 0.52% in the past […]
Crypto.com to invest US$145 mln in France as base for European operations
Crypto.com said on Wednesday that the exchange will invest €150 million (US$145.5 million) in France to set up a European headquarters in Paris and expand operations in the region. See related article: Crypto.com enters South Korea market with two local startup acquisitions Fast facts The Singapore-based exchange said it will focus on compliance, business development […]
India’s crypto taxes provide headache for many, opportunity for some
One company says it’s bringing solutions for confused investors in digital assets in India who grapple with hours of tax calculations.
Tianjin boosts electricity rates to further punish underground crypto mining
Tianjin is the latest Chinese city to announce higher differential electricity rates in an effort to further discourage energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining, which the country banned in September 2021 but continues to exist in some pockets. See related article: Beijing banned crypto mining, so China miners went underground Fast facts See related article: China takes aim […]
‘High risk’ crypto activity most prevalent in Eastern Europe amid Russia-Ukraine war: Chainalysis
‘Risky or illicit’ transactions represent the highest rate of any region measured by the blockchain analytics firm.
Coin Center files lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions, defends crypto privacy rights
Coin Center, a non-profit think tank on cryptocurrencies and public policy, announced Wednesday it was filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), alleging the agency overreached its authority when it sanctioned cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash in August. See related article: What is the future for cryptocurrency mixers after […]
China digital currency transaction volume soars to nearly US$14B
China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) has reached 100 billion yuan (US$13.9 billion) in transactions as of Aug. 31, 2022, the People’s Bank of China said via a verified WeChat account. See related article: Digital yuan tops US$12B transactions in 2022 so far Fast facts See related article: China to speed up, expand digital yuan […]
Binance says BSC hard fork successful after hack
Binance Global Inc., the operator of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, says it successfully completed a hard fork of its BNB Smart Chain (BSC) network around 5 p.m. Hong Kong on Wednesday. See related article: Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization Fast facts A hard fork is a split […]
Fed’s top bank watchdog eyes new regulation for banks doing crypto
Crypto-asset related activities may pose “novel risks” to banks and their customers, prompting the U.S. Federal Reserve to develop further regulations, Fed vice chair for supervision Michael Barr said in a speech Wednesday at D.C. Fintech Week. See related article: U.S. Fed has growing interest in CBDCs, says Jeng at Crypto Council for Innovation Fast […]
Is crypto suffering from the same ills as TradFi?
Centralized lenders like Celsius and Voyager have proven hugely problematic, but DeFi also has big issues. What if we pursue a hybrid approach?
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices rise; BNB little changed following BSC hard fork
Bitcoin gained in Thursday morning trading in Asia, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency holding above support at US$19,000. Ether, second on the list of top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, also gained. Other coins on the top 10 moving higher included Solana, XRP and Tron. Cardano fell. See related article: Binance to hard […]
Blockchain.com granted in-principle approval for Singapore license
Cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a license to offer “digital payment token” services in the city-state. See related article: Singapore’s MAS says needs to do better job explaining crypto policy Fast facts Blockchain.com is the second crypto exchange to earn the central bank’s in-principle approval […]
Centralized or Decentralized?
As blockchains experience outages, what steps should developers take to best prevent future incidents?
OpenSea begins support for Avalanche blockchain
OpenSea, the peer-to-peer non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, has launched native support for the Avalanche blockchain, according to the platform’s verified Twitter account. See related article: Warner Music taps OpenSea NFT marketplace to guide artists to Web3 Fast facts Starting on Oct.12, content creators on Avalanche can display, list, and trade their NFTs on the world’s […]
What’s next for Binance after $100 million BNB hack?
Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance puts brakes on BNB Chain theft. Will quantum computing kill crypto? Huobi sells up.
Markets: Bitcoin, Ether inch up; XRP rebounds following positive lawsuit ruling
Bitcoin inched up today to remain above the US$19,000 support line amid mixed results among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, led in gains by Tron. XRP rebounded from losses yesterday. See related articles: Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization Fast facts Bitcoin gained 0.17% in […]
DPRK hackers sneak US$52 mln in crypto into S.Korean exchanges: Chainalysis
South Korean media has reported that local crypto exchanges may become a “playground” for North Korean hackers.
Binance to hard fork BNB Smart Chain amid heated debate around decentralization
The crypto world has been watching how one of the world’s largest blockchains responds to a hack last week and the questions it raises about the state of decentralization in the industry.
Indian investors allegedly duped in crypto cloud mining scam
About thirty investors in India have been allegedly duped of US$54,653 through a crypto cloud mining app, local media reported. See related article: India financial crime unit cites ‘Chinese-controlled entities’ in alleged crypto fraud Fast facts Investors from Solapur city in India’s Maharashtra state were allegedly duped by fraudsters who lured them to download the […]
Judge grants amicus requests to support Ripple in lawsuit with SEC
District Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted I-Remit and TapJets’ requests to file amicus curiae briefs in support of Ripple Labs, following a rejection of objection by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See related article: Ripple slams SEC’s opposition to brief motions in […]
Valkyrie to liquidate balance sheet ETF, delist from Nasdaq
Crypto asset manager Valkyrie will liquidate its Balance Sheet Opportunities exchange-traded fund (ETF) at the end of October and then delist from Nasdaq.See related article: What the Bitcoin futures ETF bonanza means for investors Fast facts See related article: Markets: Bitcoin price falls with Ether. Doge sole gainer in top 10 cryptocurrencies
Solana-hosted DeFi platform Mango exploited for over US$100 mln
Mango Markets, a decentralized platform hosted on the Solana blockchain, was exploited for over US$100 million. See related article: What is the Solana ecosystem and how is it fueling SOL’s stratospheric rise? Fast facts Mango’s token MNGO was severely impacted, dropping 42.9% in the past 24 hours to US$0.023 as of 11:15 a.m. in Hong […]
BSC to hard fork on Wednesday after US$100 mln exploit
BNB Smart Chain (BSC), the blockchain network launched by the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, will perform a hard fork and upgrade on Wednesday as a fix following an Oct. 6 vulnerability, according to an announcement on Tuesday. See related article: BNB Chain back online after around $100 mln lost in possible exploit Fast facts […]
Are NFTs securities? Bored Ape creator Yuga Labs faces SEC probe
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly probing Yuga Labs, Inc., the company behind the top-selling non-fungible token (NFT) collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), for its issuance of the digital assets, according to a Bloomberg report. See related article: SEC fines Kim Kardashian US$1.26 mln for promoting EthereumMax Fast facts The report […]
What is the future for cryptocurrency mixers after U.S. sanctions on Tornado Cash?
Tornado Cash, the Ethereum coin mixer slapped with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury back in August, has returned to the software hosting website GitHub amid a flurry of lawsuits against the Treasury for its action.
BNY Mellon, largest custodian bank, starts Bitcoin, Ether custody services
Bank of New York Mellon Corp., a 238-year-old bank based in the U.S., is now allowing select U.S. clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin and Ether, the bank announced in a press release on Tuesday. See related article: Crypto self-custody is no longer a choice. It’s an imperative. Fast facts BNY Mellon will store private […]
Markets: Bitcoin price falls with Ether, Doge sole gainer in top 10 cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin fell but held above US$19,000 in Wednesday morning trading in Asia as the world’s leading cryptocurrency continued its month-long dalliance with that support level. Excluding stablecoins, most of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization fell, led by Solana. Dogecoin was the only token on the list to gain ground. See related article: BNB […]
Google Cloud partners Coinbase for crypto payments, data services
Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., has formed a strategic Web 3.0 partnership with Google Cloud, the Nasdaq-listed exchange said in a statement on Tuesday. See related article: Coinbase gets nod from Dutch central bank to offer crypto services Fast facts As part of the partnership, Google Cloud will allow select customers to […]
Top Ethereum gas guzzler XEN Crypto is crunching ETH supply
Ethereum’s supply growth entered a deflationary state on Saturday, a first for the blockchain since The Merge upgrade that shifted the network to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism in September. See related article: Scalability is Ethereum’s post-Merge focus: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts Ether’s (ETH) burn rate has gone up along with gas fees (transaction fees) since […]
Malaysia’s Blockchain Ambitions
Malaysia looks towards blockchain in its future plans- but how could a national public blockchain help?
European Parliament agrees on preliminary crypto regulation
The European Parliament passed a preliminary legal framework for the crypto space on Monday that aims to increase standards and requirements for digital asset companies, ahead of a final vote expected soon. See related article: Europe cancels AML amendment that would have forced identity verification for non-custodial wallets: report Fast facts EU lawmakers voted heavily […]
Markets: Bitcoin price dips below US$19,000 before climbing back, XRP leads crypto losers
Bitcoin briefly fell below US$19,000 in trading in Asia on Tuesday for the first time this month amid losses across the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins. XRP led the losers. See related articles: Two firms seek to weigh in on XRP lawsuit between SEC, Ripple Fast facts Bitcoin fell 1.73% in the […]