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MetaMask partners with Blockaid to enhance security for over 30 million users.

Starknet distributes 728 million STRK tokens, with initial trading volatility.

“Terrorists” still prefer to use traditional finance products, according to U.S. Treasury’s Brian Nelson.

Allied nations impose sanctions on entities allegedly aiding Hamas’ crypto transactions.

Mastercard’s potential tie up with custody service providers may turbocharge crypto wallets’ growth with its global payments prowess.

The U.S. takes action against 10 Hamas-linked entities, including Gaza-based money transfer business and crypto exchange Buy Cash.

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

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

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.

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

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

Mastercard and cryptocurrency exchange Binance will end their crypto debit card program in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Bahrain from Sep. 22.

Digital ID verified via blockchain can greatly expand economic opportunities for the world’s poor. But the market is fragmented and faces a rocky road of regulations, writes Tamas Kadar, CEO of SEON.

Tokenization is having a breakout year, but providers must learn from the past to prevent another FTX or Celsius-level crisis, writes Philipp Pieper of Swarm.

Alex Mashinsky, founder and CEO of Celsius Network, pleaded not guilty after being arrested in the U.S. Thursday on several fraud-related criminal charges.

DeFi has the potential to revolutionize finance, but hacks, poor user experience, and a lack of a regulations make many wary, writes Arthur Firstov of Mercuryo.

Temasek, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, said on Monday that it has cut the pay of senior management and the investment team involved in the decision to invest in the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Banco Central do Brasil, the central bank of Brazil, has selected 14 institutions to participate in the pilot run of the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) named Real Digital.

Temasek, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, has denied that it had invested in Array, an algorithmic cryptocurrency developer.

People won’t want to bother with a new technology if it’s painful to use, even if they’re aware of the potential benefits, writes Toby Rush of Redeem.

The digital asset space is ripe for regulation, and tokenized real estate is no exception. But views differ when it comes to finding a framework that fits.

ConsenSys, the Ethereum software firm behind cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, is reportedly planning to lay off at least 100 employees.

ChainSafe’s Aidan Hyman believes that crypto’s fully decentralized application layer may finally be complete in 2023.

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has rejected “material misstatements” made by FTX’s newly-appointed CEO, John J. Ray III

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas is temporarily holding US$3.5 billion of digital assets seized from FTX Digital Markets

Bankman-Fried won an upgrade from his Bahamas prison cell after posting bail following his extradition to the U.S. on Wednesday, where he faces charges for what prosecutors called “fraud of epic proportions.”

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in court in the Bahamas, but did not agree to be extradited to the U.S. 

Sam Bankman-Fried has reportedly made a second application for bail in the Bahamas – this as lawyers feud over control of the FTX bankruptcy, raising concern the sour grapes may seep into efforts to have Bankman-Fried extradited to face fraud charges in the U.S.

Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian entity tipped off the Securities Commission of the Bahamas about FTX violating its internal procedures in transferring customer funds to Alameda Research.

ConsenSys Inc., the company behind leading crypto wallet MetaMask, announced on Thursday a new partnership with PayPal Holdings Inc.

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF denied bail, US extradition likely next. The Block chief quits over secret FTX loans. Hong Kong readies digital asset rules.

The fall from grace: Once one of the most admired figures in crypto, the former head of the FTX exchange is unlikely to see his Bahamas penthouse anytime soon after being arrested Monday on U.S. charges that are expected to lead to his extradition.

Sam Bankman Fried, founder and former CEO of FTX exchange, was arrested and taken into custody by the Royal Bahamas Police on Monday.

ConsenSys, which operates the popular cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask, said an update to the wallet has made no change to the data the platform collects from its users, only the wording had changed.

The parents of Sam Bankman-Fried, along with senior executives of the now-bankrupt FTX, bought at least 19 properties worth nearly US$121 million in the Bahamas over the past two years.

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (Commission) on Nov. 12 ordered the transfer of all digital assets of FTX Digital Markets to a digital wallet controlled by the Commission, for “safekeeping,” in an announcement on Nov. 17.

Temasek says its belief in Sam Bankman-Fried may have been ‘misplaced.’

Can decentralized platform Mastodon, named after an extinct elephant, replace the little blue bird that has dominated the world’s social media landscape for over a decade?

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas has frozen assets of FTX and related parties, and has suspended its registration.

Singapore’s state-owned investment firm Temasek is a shareholder in embattled cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which faces a possible takeover by bigger rival Binance

Decentralized finance will stay niche unless the sector overcomes its myriad problems, including a lack of a credit system and regulations that inspire greater trust, writes Brian Pasfield.

Amid uncertainty and criticism following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, nearly half a million users have flocked to Mastodon, a decentralized alternative.

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 […]

Financial services company Mastercard Inc. has launched Crypto Secure, a technology solution designed to help banks identify fraud-prone crypto exchanges, the company announced in a press release. See related article: Binance partners Mastercard to launch card in Argentina for bill payment, everyday purchases Fast facts The service uses artificial intelligence algorithms and blockchain data to […]

Global digital asset wallet Metamask recently launched a beta version of its new decentralized application (dApp) that would serve as a “one-stop shop” for managing crypto and non-fungible token (NFT) portfolios on different platforms. See related article: As “The Merge” succeeds, rival ETHPoW fork falters Fast facts “Portfolio DApp,” available to extension and mobile users, […]

Alex Mashinsky, the chief executive officer of cryptocurrency lender Celsius Network LLC which has filed for bankruptcy, has resigned from his position, according to a statement released by the company on Tuesday. See related article: Regulator alleges Celsius resembled Ponzi scheme in new filing Fast facts The company’s chief financial officer, Chris Ferraro, has been […]

Maja Vujinovic, founder and CEO of OGroup, a financial services company with a focus on artificial intelligence and blockchain, spoke to Forkast about the future of digital assets at StartmeupHK Festival 2022.

Amid its bankruptcy proceedings, crypto lender Celsius Network LLC, one of the major players in the contagion that struck the industry earlier this year, plans to reorganize as a crypto custody business, according to audio shared by a customer of the company and a report by the New York Times. See related article: Celsius files […]

Hong Kong is hosting the Digital Asset Series (DAS) educational seminars, which started in August to continue into November this year. See related article: Why children around the world need crypto education Fast facts The free educational seminars will be delivered by industry experts, legal professionals, regulators and scholars from the finance-technology (fintech) sector, according […]

Singapore state-backed fund is leading a US$100 million funding round into Hong Kong-based blockchain and game venture Animoca Brands, Bloomberg reported.  See related article: Singapore’s Temasek says doesn’t own Bitcoin, but prepping for tokenized assets Fast facts Temasek will make the investment through convertible bonds, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg. Temasek has been […]

The city-state hosted a seminar with a title that it hopes sums up its crypto approach: “Yes to digital asset innovation, No to cryptocurrency speculation.”

Binance has partnered Mastercard to introduce a Binance card in Argentina for making purchases and paying bills with cryptocurrencies.  See related article: Philippines’ SEC warns public not to invest with Binance Fast facts The product is currently in a beta phase and will be widely available in the coming weeks, Binance said. The card is […]

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it will seek consultation in the next months on proposed measures toward regulating the crypto industry. See related article: Singapore’s central bank says cryptocurrencies have ‘no fundamental value’ Fast facts Singapore’s regulatory focus on crypto has been mainly toward containing money laundering and terrorist financing risks, MAS Managing […]

Middle East crypto exchange Fasset Technologies Ltd. is collaborating with global payments technology company Mastercard to expand its financial reach in Indonesia. See related article: Crypto exchange Fasset expands to Southeast Asia Fast facts The announcement comes after Fasset said it raised US$22 million in series A funding.  According to a survey, 41% of Indonesians […]

Singapore’s monetary authority mulls on crypto limits. Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao drops his NFT collection despite the crypto winter.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has “reprimanded” cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) for misleading information and ignoring assets under management (AUM) limits, the central bank said in a statement on Thursday.  See related article: Three Arrows Capital lines up for liquidation Fast facts In August 2013, 3AC obtained its registered fund management […]

CoinFLEX to solve its liquidity problems by issuing a recovery token. Meanwhile, Singapore’s central bank doubts crypto capabilities.

The Supreme People’s Court of China urged the local judicial system to adopt blockchain technology to build up connections between courts across the country by 2025.  See related article: How blockchain technology is shaking up courtrooms in Asia Fast facts The Supreme Court said in a document published on Wednesday that blockchain can utilize the […]

Blockchain was once associated overwhelmingly with cryptocurrencies — and specifically its poster children, Bitcoin and Ethereum. The latter, in particular, has thrust the industry forwards into the realm of smart contracts integration.  Ethereum started to bear fruit arguably most prominently last year amid a boom in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), while decentralized finance (DeFi) offered a […]

As Terra continues to crash, Do Kwon proposes a hard fork solution, Meanwhile, Singapore’s Temasek gets ready for tokenized assets.

The Bitcoin community got a lift last year when it was reported Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund had bought Bitcoin. The company told Forkast in an interview that they do not own BTC, but they are keen on blockchain investments.

Australian crypto exchange BTC Markets has partnered with Mastercard to allow its customers to make direct debit, prepaid or credit card payments to purchase cryptocurrencies from the platform. See related article: Mastercard partners with Australian exchange for crypto card Fast facts The move is part of a broader trend by payments giants like Mastercard and […]

Alibaba’s non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Jingtan issued one-year suspensions to more than 680 accounts for using computer programs and massage guns to make instant purchases as soon as items hit the market. See related article: Ant Group’s NFT arm punishes users for digital collectible resales Fast facts See related article: Why Asia is poised to […]

Australian non-fungible tokens (NFTs) startup Immutable has raised fresh funding in a round led by Singapore’s Temasek, bringing its valuation to US$2.5 billion, the company said in a statement on Monday.  See related article: Jump in NFT demand reflects crypto prices, right? Wrong Fast facts Immutable raised US$200 million in a Series C funding led […]

Russian banks may begin issuing credit cards with China’s UnionPay after Visa and Mastercard announced the suspension of their Russian operations due to the invasion of Ukraine, according to media reports citing the Russian central bank. See related article: Four more South Korean crypto exchanges block Russian IPs Fast facts Russian banks are also leaning […]

Amber Group has secured US$200 million in a funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek, raising the cryptocurrency platform’s valuation to US$3 billion.  See related story: Temasek-founded Affinidi launches new business unit to bring Web 3.0 to financial services to Southeast Asia Fast facts Existing investors including Sequoia China, Pantera Capital, Tiger Global […]

Alternative approaches to governance have never been more important, writes Alexander Filatov of TON Labs. Here is how DAOs can change the world.

Who in the crypto world deserves Santa love this year, and whose chimney should be snubbed? The elves at Forkast.News help the big man with his list.

With Ethereum usage at all-time high, a Cosmos ‘bridge’ to other blockchains and Mastercard rollups aim to solve a major problem plaguing the Eth network.

The Beijing Municipal Government announced the bidding results for the city’s blockchain and computing power platform. Tencent Cloud and government-tied enterprise Beijing Microchip Sensing Technology won the bid and will be paid US$37 million to build the system. Fast facts According to the bid’s quotations, Tencent Cloud will provide the cloud service for the blockchain […]

Tough measures in India’s crypto bill meanwhile, NFTs are becoming a hot Christmas gift