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Crypto hit in market sell off, also Bitget reportedly suspended by MAS

Ethereum blockchain software company ConsenSys today announced the completion of a US$200 million funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to US$3.2 billion as it seeks to spearhead the growth of Web 3.0. Fast facts ConsenSys’ announcement comes as the number of monthly active users of its MetaMask non-custodial wallet product exceeded 21 million — a 38-fold increase from […]

Affinidi, a Singapore-based technology company founded by state-owned investment firm Temasek, today announced the launch of a new business unit called Finnovate that aims to serve millions of underbanked individuals and small and medium enterprises across Southeast Asia by leveraging on Web 3.0 blockchain technologies. Fast facts Affinidi Finnovate is partnering with the financial services […]

Mastercard has partnered with three crypto companies in Asia Pacific — Hong Kong-based Amber Group, Bitkub in Thailand, and CoinJar in Australia — to launch crypto-funded payment cards, according to a Nov. 8 media statement. Fast facts The three companies are the first APAC-based cryptocurrency platforms to join Mastercard’s global Crypto Card Program, which enables […]

Pay-for-play on Web 3.0 will instigate seismic shifts from centralized social media to community-driven platforms, writes Solo Ceesay of Calaxy. How would it work?

The Singapore government-incubated blockchain platform promises to dramatically speed up transactions and lower the cost of international trade.

Payments giant Mastercard and cryptocurrencies firm Bakkt Holdings Inc. announced on Monday they have partnered to facilitate cryptocurrency debit and credit card payments. The partnership will make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs in the U.S. to offer a broad set of cryptocurrency services and ​​enable consumers to buy and sell digital assets through […]

MetaMask Institutional (MMI), the version of the MetaMask decentralized finance (DeFi) wallet for institutions, today announced its partnership with digital assets custodians U.S.-based BitGo, British Virgin Islands-headquartered Qredo, and Hong Kong-based Cactus Custody to facilitate companies seeking access to DeFi. Fast facts The partnership comes amid growing institutional interest in DeFi and aims to address […]

South Korea’s virtual asset industry is expected to withstand major regulatory reconstruction

Payments giant Mastercard announced it is extending its reach into the realm of cryptocurrency with the acquisition of CipherTrace, a blockchain analytics startup, for “greater security, transparency and trust to digital assets across the ecosystem.” Fast facts CipherTrace, which calls itself the world’s first blockchain forensics team, provides cryptocurrency tracking and investigation services. It launched an […]

MetaMask, a non-custodial wallet that allows users to interact with the Ethereum blockchain and Ethereum-compatible networks such as Polygon, has seen its monthly active users surge over 1,800% in the past year to surpass 10 million, according to ConsenSys, an Ethereum blockchain software developer. Fast facts Alongside the explosive growth of the Ethereum ecosystem from […]

CryptoPunks sales volume increased by over 1,100% in the last 24 hours

In a further move towards cryptocurrency adoption, Mastercard has partnered with one of Australia’s oldest crypto exchanges, CoinJar, to launch one of the country’s first crypto payment cards. Fast facts The card became available on Tuesday in a digital form through integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and will be available in a physical […]

In an effort to “expand and accelerate innovation around digital asset technology”, Mastercard is launching a new global program to support cryptocurrency startups by giving them access to Mastercard’s business network and technology. Fast facts Announced yesterday, Mastercard’s Start Path program already has signed up seven crypto-related startup companies: GK8, Mintable, Stacs, Supraoracles, Taurus, Uphold […]

Mastercard has announced a pilot program in partnership with Circle’s USDC stablecoin and others to enable cardholders to pay merchants using cryptocurrency anywhere Mastercard is accepted, according to a company press release. Fast facts USDC will act as an intermediary between fiat and other cryptocurrencies in the new system, allowing all merchants to offer card […]

Singapore state-owned investment firm Temasek has announced record returns of S$381 billion (US$283 billion) for the financial year ending March 2021, up 24.5% from the year before. Fast facts According to its latest annual review, Temasek is “increasingly shaping” its portfolio in line with four trends: digitization, sustainable living, future of consumption, and longer lifespans. […]

Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing has issued a seizure order against 84 cryptocurrency addresses associated with Palestinian resistance group Hamas as it looks to confiscate holdings of Bitcoin, Tether, Dogecoin and other cryptos. Fast facts “This action comes after a sizable uptick in cryptocurrency donations to Hamas in May following increased fighting between […]

Mass liquidations are observed across exchanges as the crypto market continues to struggle. Meanwhile, institutions explore DeFi.

The new self-proclaimed eco-friendly crypto leverages unused disk space — but Chia miners are buying out new hard drives and equipment instead.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: S&P Dow Jones launches Bitcoin and Ethereum indices. Will China crack down on more crypto miners?

A survey by credit card provider Mastercard shows that a growing number of consumers prefer using cryptocurrency when making their purchases. Mastercard’s New Payments Index polled more than 15,000 online respondents from North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific region, The Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. The study shows 40% of those polled plan […]

JPMorgan, DBS Bank and Temasek jointly form a new company, Partior, to develop a blockchain platform for cross-border payments and settlements.

JPMorgan, DBS and Temasek launch Partior to digitize commercial money as stablecoin transaction volume surge in Asia-centric exchanges.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin prices rise as BTC and ETH options expire. DeFi market steps up as Elon Musk says, ‘Don’t defy DeFi.’

Now renamed e-CNY, China’s new digital yuan has now been tested by 250,000 shoppers in two cities. Is it finally close to launch?

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Twitter’s blue sky initiative. In China, Conflux Network wins another government deal.

Who in blockchain is making the world a better place this year, and who deserves nothing under the tree? Santa’s helpers at Forkast.News tell all.

Bitcoin and crypto mining now use more energy than some nations. To help lead fintech into a greener future, Ripple pledges to be carbon net-zero by 2030.

The Chinese fintech giant rolls out its ‘Trusple’ platform for cross-border business uses, on the eve of an IPO anticipated to be the largest in the world.

More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain ideas to 20,000 companies.

In a special interview, Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan discusses blockchain as the next internet, keen interest from investors like Charles Schwab, and the hottest cryptocurrency trend since ICOs.

While Asia is united in masking up, US and Europe remain fractured over face mask use. A viral immunologist and face mask expert explains the deadly consequences.

Coronavirus fears spread panic as well as infection. Face masks, hand washing and social isolation are best practices.

What are the best face masks to wear to protect against Covid-19, and how to wear them? Which masks are the worst and could increase your risk of illness? A medical doctor and face mask researcher explains all.

Calgary — The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) will be the first post-secondary institution in Canada to issue digital diplomas through blockchain. More than 4,800 graduating students in SAIT’s Class of 2019 will receive blockchain-based documents along with their traditional parchments. Fittingly, the idea was inspired by a group of students. “Last year we […]

Washington, DC — The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the agency tasked with preserving the U.S. government’s colossal archive of historical records, wants to use more blockchain. Of immediate interest to NARA, verifying tamper-free versions of documents to guard against deep-fake videos, which are created by machine-learning algorithms that can manipulate images and audio […]

CryptoPunks leads NFT market for third straight day.

CryptoPunks tops daily NFT sales, Ethereum blockchain sees slight uptick.

DMarket tops daily NFT sales for the second consecutive day.

Mimany tops NFT sales with a significant daily increase, outperforming other collections on the Ethereum blockchain.

NodeMonkes NFT collection tops daily sales, Ethereum blockchain sees a dip in transactions.

SND edges Pudgy Penguins despite VanEck using the latter in its latest ETF ad.

The new Alien Cats collection topped CryptoSlam’s NFT sales chart on Monday.

Mocaverse tops daily NFT sales, followed by CryptoPunks and DMarket, with Ethereum blockchain seeing a significant daily increase.

CryptoPunks tops daily NFT sales, outperforming other collections, with significant buyer engagement on June 25.

Blockchain detective ZachXBT identifies Martin Shkreli as DJT token creator, earning a US$150,000 reward from Arkham Intelligence.

New guidelines by South Korea’s FSC will regulate certain NFTs under cryptocurrency laws.

The Sandbox secures funding to enhance its metaverse platform and support its creator economy.

Galaxy Digital issues a multimillion-dollar loan with a tokenized 1708 Stradivarius as collateral.

The Fantasy Top collection outperformed others in daily NFT sales, signaling a robust market interest.

April’s crypto funding surge reflects investor confidence, with $1.02 billion invested in blockchain ventures.

Software firm Consensys seeks court ruling to stop SEC from classifying Ethereum as a security.

Bitcoin miners experienced a revenue spike following the introduction of the Runes protocol, although transaction fees have since decreased.

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried challenges his prison term and seeks New York confinement during the appeal.

Solana’s Froganas NFT collection sees a significant increase in sales, outperforming others in the past 24 hours.

MAS revises PSA to cover crypto custody, aiming to enhance user protection.

Telegram introduces a new feature allowing channel owners to earn 50% ad revenue in Toncoin.

Ex-FTX leaders agree to $1.35M payout in class action settlement after founder’s sentencing.

Web3 gaming company Elixir Games secures $14M in seed funding to enhance its ecosystem and introduce a new token.

Bankman-Fried plans to appeal the conviction and sentence.

CryptoPunks tops daily NFT sales, while overall NFT market sees mixed performance.

MakerDAO’s Endgame plan introduces new tokens and features to enhance user engagement and target mass adoption.

The financial watchdog contends the payment may be intended to avoid future judgments and should instead aid investors and creditors.

The blockchain company’s latest mobile venture for a US$450 pre-order price per phone brings in US$45 million for Solana.

Crypto criminals with more than US$3.76 billion in profits may face life in South Korea.

Celsius Network starts repaying $3 billion to creditors, marking a step towards resolving its bankruptcy.

Gamers can now play Doom directly on the Dogecoin blockchain, merging nostalgia with modern tech.

Long-awaited Bitcoin repayments closer as Mt. Gox confirms creditor addresses.

Bitcoin mining now more eco-friendly than ever, reaching a 54.5% sustainable energy usage.

The DeRec Alliance, involving HBAR and Algorand Foundations, aims to solve digital asset recovery challenges with a new protocol.

Upbit joins 15 other crypto firms permitted to provide digital payment token services in Singapore.

Our 21st century economy still rides on old, slow and costly financial rails. Here’s how blockchain technology can build a network of monetary superhighways.