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Tomorrow, First. News and intelligence for the agentic economy

  • Bank of China, DBS and HSBC partner with GSBN on digitizing trade finance

    Three banks — the Bank of China, Singapore’s DBS and HSBC — have partnered with the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), a Hong Kong-based non-profit consortium that recently launched a blockchain-based trade platform, to form a trade finance advisory group, according to a media release shared with Forkast.News today. Fast facts Trade finance — the…

  • Reserve Bank of Australia posts CBDC job position

    Amid the country’s ongoing Senate inquiry into crypto regulation, the Reserve Bank of Australia has posted a job advertisement for a position within its central bank digital currency research team. Fast facts A successful applicant would join a new cross-disciplinary team to research “whether there is a case for a CBDC in Australia, and if…

  • Laos backpedals on crypto ban, looks to trading, mining pilot program

    The government of Laos has authorized six firms to trade and mine cryptocurrencies, ending a ban imposed in 2018, according to a recent notice from the prime minister’s office.  Fast facts Laos had implemented a complete ban on cryptocurrencies three years ago, including on trading and mining activities. As recently as last month, the country’s…

  • South Korean exchanges close cash-to-crypto trading services as new rules loom

    Mid-sized crypto exchange Foblgate announced the closure of its Korean won (KRW) trading functions in advance of a government mandate banning digital asset platforms from operating cash-to-crypto services without a local bank partnership. Fast facts Foblgate announced it is temporarily suspending its KRW withdrawal, deposit and trading market between cryptocurrencies and the Korean won. Instead,…

  • Huobi Ventures bets on DeFi and gaming in $10M GameFi fund

    Huobi Ventures, the investment arm of cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, today announced the launch of a US$10 million “GameFi” fund to invest in early-stage projects that integrate blockchain gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi). Fast facts Huobi’s new GameFi fund follows the launch of its US$100 million DeFi fund in May and comes amid increasing mainstream interest…

  • China’s Hebei and Gansu provinces to phase out crypto mining

    More provinces in China are putting new limits on the cryptocurrency mining sector, as the country works toward its carbon neutrality goals and concerns over cryptocurrency trading loom. Fast facts Authorities in North China’s Hebei province today issued a notice to crack down on cryptocurrency mining and trading activities, saying that crypto mining consumes huge…

  • Mets owner, hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen backs NFT platform Recur

    Florida-based non-fungible token (NFT) platform Recur announced it has received backing from Steve Cohen, owner of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, in its US$50 million series A funding round. Fast facts The financing round, which valued Recur at a US$333 million post-money valuation, was led by Digital, a metaverse investment platform backed by Cohen’s…