Circle has selected one of America’s oldest banks, BNY Mellon, as the primary custodian for the world’s second-largest stablecoin USDC’s reserves. See related article: USDC to be 100% backed by cash, US Treasuries Fast facts USDC issuer Circle chief Jeremy Allaire had claimed the stablecoin became 100% backed by cash and short-term treasury bills after…
The Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) may request South Korea’s incoming presidential administration to approve local banks servicing cryptocurrencies, according to a leaked draft report. See related article: South Korea’s largest financial group mulls crypto ETFs Fast facts KFB, the largest body representing domestic lenders, wrote in its report that banks should be permitted to…
Residents in five more Chinese cities were able to access digital yuan wallets starting Thursday, marking a major development for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) globally. See related article: Asian Games set for digital yuan, metaverse pilots, tech firm claims Fast facts See related article: Digital yuan pilot attracts Chinese province bordering Russia
India’s 30% flat levy on all capital gains made on cryptocurrencies kicked in on April 1 in a development likely to stifle the relatively nascent industry in the country. See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO Fast facts Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been facing investor backlash over…
The operator of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange will become the first-ever official crypto exchange partner for the annual Grammy Awards for musical achievement. See related article: Binance to take $200M stake in Forbes Fast facts Binance will bring various Web 3.0 technology solutions and experiences to the organization’s members, events and initiatives, a press release…
European lawmakers have voted to introduce new legislation designed to stop illicit flows amid industry pushback claiming the measures will stifle innovation and infringe on privacy. See related article: EU votes against de facto Bitcoin mining ban Fast facts The proposal requires crypto service providers to collect information on senders and beneficiaries in all crypto…
Despite the promises of decentralized technology, women remain vastly underrepresented in the NFT art world. Forkast talks to artists working to change that.
Polkadot parachain Acala and its Kusama-based counterpart Karura are integrating with cross-chain bridge Wormhole, bridging its decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems with eight major Layer 1 blockchains. See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts The Wormhole integration will bridge Acala and Karura to Ethereum, Solana,…
WeChat has blocked more than a dozen accounts belonging to non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces from its social media platform, citing prevention of “crypto speculation.” See related article: China state-backed paper’s NFTs surge in price on second-hand market Fast facts When visited, the banned accounts of the NFT marketplaces displayed a message from WeChat: “No legal…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is voicing concerns over the adoption of cryptocurrencies in India, suggesting it poses significant risks to the country’s financial stability, local media report. See related article: Killing it softly or regulating to innovate? India at the crypto crossroads Fast facts Crypto assets pose significant risks, including to financial stability in…