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Dmitri Cherniak’s generative art NFT, ‘The Goose’, sold for US$5.4 million at Sotheby’s. The sale, a second highest for generative art, signals NFT art’s growing prominence and potential in the Web3 era.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the recent series of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications by asset managers were inadequate and not sufficiently clear, according to a report by Wall Street Journal on Friday. 

FXHASH, the largest non-fungible token (NFT) platform by sales volume on the Tezos blockchain, has announced an upgrade that allows users to choose between Tezos and Ethereum, along with on-chain minting for both networks. 

ApeCoin DAO, the decentralized autonomous organization behind the ApeCoin cryptocurrency, has replaced Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, in its special council that oversees the Ape Foundation.

Bitcoin briefly rose to US$31,195 after Fidelity filed its spot Bitcoin ETF application. Can the wave of institutional interest keep Bitcoin above US$30,500?

Ripple Labs’ Asia-Pacific branch is offering digital payment services in Singapore after receiving in-principle approval of its license application from the MAS on June 22. What does that mean for the company’s Asia business?

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Angie Lau, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. Coming up on today’s show:

Cyptocurrency investor sentiment continues to improve with Litecoin posting strong gains as its halving event in August gets closer.

The Blockchain Association said the U.S. SEC chair Gary Gensler should remove himself from enforcing rules on the crypto sector.

A U.K. bill to recognize cryptocurrency trading as a regulated financial activity passed into law on Thursday.

All top 10 cryptocurrencies rose, led by Solana, as another financial heavyweight applied to offer a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and data showed the U.S. economy in good health. Stocks rose.

Binance’s euro banking partner, Paysafe Payment Solutions, will stop offering its services for the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange from Sept. 25.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fidelity Investment is reportedly close to filing its own Bitcoin ETF. NFT traders seek liquidity. Singapore eyes asset tokenization.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed.

China Mobile, a leading telecommunication company of China, launched a metaverse alliance on Wednesday, whose members include Huawei, Xiaomi and Unity China. 

Ledger announced the launch of Ledger Enterprise Tradelink, a secure and regulation-friendly trading system for institutional investors.

Bitcoin dropped but remained above US$30,000, with all other major cryptocurrencies falling, as investors reacted to news of MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin purchase and ARK Invest’s spot Bitcoin ETF plan.

The European Commission released two proposals on Wednesday, one for the digital euro, the ECB’s CBDC, and a legislative proposal to safeguard the role of cash.

Despite a slight dip in crypto prices, positive investor sentiment persists, buoyed by the potential of Bitcoin ETFs, rising institutional adoption, and recovery from regulatory concerns.

With the announcement of funding invested in Japanese firm Startale Labs, gaming giant Sony will increase its already active exploration of Web3 and the possibilities inherent in blockchain technologies.

Geisha, kimono, tea ceremony — the Japanese city of Kyoto is a place rich in traditional culture. But as the national government pivots toward the cutting edge potential of digital assets and Web3, the city is this week playing host to one of Asia’s largest crypto get-togethers.

Collaborative venture building involves pooling resources, expertise and ideas — a strategy ideal for Web3 startups to succeed, writes Katherine Ng.

Bitcoin rose along with other major cryptocurrencies. Fidelity reportedly plans a second spot Bitcoin ETF application in the U.S. following BlackRock’s move earlier this month. A strong day on Wall Street also offered support.

Azuki’s Elementals launch may be a turning point for the NFT market, with the continued decline of top projects’ floor prices.

Bitcoin slipped 0.04% but remained above US$30,000. Ether fell 0.97% to US$1,875.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the city state’s central bank, has proposed a framework for designing open, interoperable networks for digital assets, developed jointly with the Bank for International Settlements and other financial institutions. 

Bitcoin Cash, the spin-off of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, gained over 108% in the last seven days as investors hope the altcoin receives the same categorization as Bitcoin.

Shanghai on Wednesday released a three-year plan to build its culture and tourism metaverse.

Five countries in South and Southeast Asia now rank in the global top 10 for cryptocurrency adoption, embracing DeFi and defying government attempts to discourage crypto use. Is this a harbinger of larger trends to come?

Bitcoin slipped in directionless trading while Ether retreated, but both held gains for the past seven days. Most other top 10 tokens lost ground, led by Solana, while Tron was in the green as markets entered the last trading week of June.

Bitcoin prices drop 1.04% to US$30,416 in 24 hours, while Ether fell 0.98% to US$1,893.

Swiss prosecutors have reportedly frozen about US$26 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that belong to Terraform Labs and its chief executive officer Kwon Do-hyeong.

Despite its potential, Web3 gaming has had mixed reviews from gamers and developers, writes Freddie Ng. Here are the challenges and opportunities.

The Shanghai Clearing House started digital yuan clearing and settlement services for trading in commodities on Monday.

Cryptocurrency issuers in Japan are now exempt from paying a 30% corporate tax on unrealized gains on tokens.

Bitcoin held ground above US$30,000 following a week of traditional financial institutions showing interest in financial instruments that include the token. The U.S. regulator approved the first leveraged Bitcoin Futures ETF on Friday.

New York-headquartered investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co. has launched euro-denominated transactions on its blockchain-based payment system, JPM Coin, Bloomberg reported on Friday. 

Bitcoin shrugged off Prime Trust’s cease order, as risk appetite was bolstered by several TradFi alumni entering the crypto space this week. Could we see more spot Bitcoin ETF applications next week?

Seychelles-registered cryptocurrency exchange OKX, which says it is the world’s second-largest crypto platform by trading volume, opened an office in Dubai on June 15 as part of its global expansion and aims to raise staff numbers to 30 to tap opportunities in the region.

Bitcoin remained above US$30,000, even as Nevada state regulators in the U.S. ordered crypto custodian Prime Trust to cease operations.

Having a crypto wallet is necessary to participate in a token airdrop, but wallets are also vulnerable to hacks and mishaps, writes Ravindra Kumar of Frontier.

Bitcoin traded above US$30,000 to hold onto the strong gains made this week on the back of growing institutional interest in the token as an emerging asset.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Wall Street backs new crypto exchange. NFT traders remain cautious. Alibaba’s incoming chairman is a crypto fan.

Xapo Bank, a Gibraltar-based cryptocurrency bank backed by SoftBank, DST Global and Ribbit Capital, has announced its expansion to India, the world’s most populous nation. 

Bitcoin fell and Ether rose during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Bitcoin rose above US$30,000 earlier today, following news of institutions like BlackRock, Fidelity and Deutsche Bank entering the crypto space.

The Asia-Pacific arm of San Francisco-based technology firm Ripple Labs saidThursday it received in-principle approval to start offering digital payment services in Singapore.

Bitcoin breached US$30,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia, leading gains across all top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released on Wednesday a whitepaper for “purpose bound” money, detailing a technical overview of digital currencies designed for specific purposes.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Bitcoin rose above US$28,000 as signs of institutional crypto adoption bolstered investor sentiment.

The relationship between Hong Kong and crypto will likely only grow stronger over time, as it’s based on mutual respect as well as need, writes Lily King.

Bitcoin surged over 5% on Wednesday morning in Asia to breach the US$28,000 resistance level, leading a rally of the top 10 non-stablecoin tokens except XRP.

New York-based asset manager WisdomTree has submitted a new application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund in the U.S., less than a week after BlackRock filed its application for a similar spot Bitcoin ETF.

Ethereum developers inspired by Bitcoin’s ordinals launch ‘Ethscriptions’, a new on-chain collectible.

EDX Markets, a cryptocurrency exchange with backing from major Wall Street players such as Citadel Securities, Fidelity and Charles Schwab, officially launched on Tuesday.

Bitcoin rose and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization closed mixed.

Central banks need to agree on a common global platform and rules to ensure international use of CBDCs, IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva said.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, where the culture and ethos already align with the principles of blockchain games, the dawn of a new era of in gaming has arrived, writes Daiki Moriyama of Oasys.

Bitcoin rose on Tuesday morning in Asia to hold above support at US$26,000. Ether also logged gains along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens.

A Montenegro district court on Monday sentenced Terraform Labs chief executive officer Kwon Do-hyeong to four months’ jail for forging travel documents.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Monday afternoon trading hours in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization declined. Risk appetite remained low after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance and Coinbase two weeks ago.

As the US grapples with crypto regulation, Hong Kong and Dubai are emerging as leaders in the global digital economy, writes Ben Caselin of MaskEX.

Paul Chan, Hong Kong’s financial secretary, said more than 150 Web3 companies had registered at the Cyberport business park.

Amid growing regulatory scrutiny in the U.S., crypto firms eye Hong kong for its strategic location and friendly regulations, yet Singapore and Dubai remain strong competitors, says FinTech Association of Hong Kong’s Neil Tan.

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia after reclaiming US$26,000 support over the weekend. Ether also fell back but held above US$1,700.

Independent Reserve may have a new Hong Kong office in the “next few months,” the Singapore chief of the Australian crypto exchange said in an exclusive interview. Focusing on institutional clientele, the exchange aims to double trade volumes and expand its user base this year.

Sotheby’s NFT auction sees Ringers #879 rise to the record books as one of the highest ever generative art in Ether value.

An account of a holiday from hell draws parallel to the dark world of cybercrime and how anyone can fall victim to sophisticated crypto thefts.

Binance France is reportedly under investigation for “aggravated” money laundering and the illegal provision of digital asset services.

Bitcoin dipped below US$25,000 for the first time in three months, as the SEC’s lawsuits continued to erode crypto investor appetite. Bitcoin needs to hold above US$24,000 to avoid more bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

In this week’s Forkast IQ with Megha Chaddah, we dive into the U.S. SEC’s crypto crackdown and the state of the East Asian metaverses.

Bitcoin, Ether and most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos rose in Friday afternoon trading in Asia after weeklong slump.

The ETF, if approved, would be the first publicly traded crypto product of its kind in the U.S., but the SEC just sued crypto exchanges for alleged securities violations and has rejected similar ETF applications in the past.