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Ethereum reached a new all-time price high of US$4,766 earlier today, flying past its previous all-time high record of US$4,634 set five days ago, according to CoinGecko data. Fast facts The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market value has been on a record run since late last month. On Oct. 28, Ethereum’s price climbed to US$4,416 for the first time. The […]

hashport, a public utility that facilitates the movement of digital assets between distributed ledger technology networks without the need for a native network token, today announced that it will launch on Nov. 9, according to a media statement. At launch, hashport will connect the Hedera public distributed ledger to the Ethereum and Polygon networks. Fast […]

Solana Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and cryptocurrency exchange FTX today announced that they are partnering to invest US$100 million on gaming studios and projects building on the Solana blockchain. Fast facts “Gaming has a massive opportunity to bring the next billion users to Web3,” said Amy Wu, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, in a statement. […]

Canaan sues over patent infringement also, PayTM considers crypto services

Solana prices keep cresting to new heights, making SOL a top-five cryptocurrency by size. What makes Solana and its ecosystem stand out? Forkast.News explains.

BTS’ label dreams bigger than just dominating the K-pop world — they want to digitize the IP even more.

ETH and SOL hit all-time highs as well as CBA offers crypto services

Blockchain technology company Huobi Group is celebrating its 8th-year anniversary with a slew of events and giveaways — including a space trip “to the outer perimeters of Earth” — and a focus on expanding its global footprint, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Founded in 2013 in China, Huobi has made global expansion a priority […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Stablecoins at regulatory crossroads. Squid Game crypto players suffer shocking fate. Are metaverses China’s new national insecurity?

Ethereum crosses the $4,600 mark for the first time and Solana overtakes Cardano as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market value.

Popular play-to-earn blockchain game Alien Worlds has launched its Alien Worlds Missions game on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), according to a media statement. Fast facts Alien Worlds is a decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible token (NFT) metaverse where players compete using unique digital items (NFTs), earn Trilium (TLM), the in-game currency, and travel on Alien World Missions […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Tesla’s turbocharge a boost for Bitcoin? Mastercard’s Bakkt with a new crypto deal. Chinese NFTs on knife-edge.

DeFi is a real-world experiment testing out a new model for finance, writes Alex Grebnev of Oxygen. What is the future of banking without Wall Street?

Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming, metaverse and non-fungible token (NFT) company, has closed a capital raise for US$65 million at a pre-money valuation of US$2.2 billion, according to a company statement. Fast facts Investors in the round included Liberty City Ventures, Ubisoft Entertainment, Sequoia China, Dragonfly Capital, Token Bay Capital and Justin Sun, […]

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin grows up. Facebook’s metaverse journey. China’s crypto investors find a workaround.

After iron-fisted regulations closed down many exchanges, remaining trading platforms look for alternatives to transaction fees.

Conglomerates including Samsung continue to invest in blockchain and crypto startups despite a government crackdown on the industry.

As luxury brands eye the virtual realm, Zilliqa co-founder Max Kantelia looks forward to a convergence of desirable objects and digital opportunities.

Sotheby’s, the 277-year-old auction house, is launching its own immersive digital experience to offer prospective buyers a new way of engaging with the latest art-world craze — non-fungible token (NFT) artworks — according to a press release shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts Sotheby’s is creating a metaverse to allow users to explore and learn about […]

An NFT art exhibition demonstrates how digital tokens can be used to promote United Nations sustainability goals.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Big money heads for Bitcoin. How fishy are Squid Game NFTs? China mothballs mining.

As non-crypto players like Twitter and PayPal take up digital assets, Coinbase, Binance and others look for ways to expand offerings.

Squid game NFTs traded on Opensea, also Bitcoin on a roll

An unidentified NFT (non-fungible token) creator with user name 9194C0 on digital marketplace OpenSea has created nearly 2,000 NFTs that replicate the globally popular Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ with some being traded for more than 1 ETH. Fast facts The NFTs replicate a card that appears on the television series inviting the protagonist to join […]

Stacks surges after NFT push while Samsung Next invests in Sky Mavis

South Korean conglomerate Samsung is increasingly involved in the burgeoning world of blockchain-based gaming, while within Korea, games with blockchain elements are banned from official release in the country. Fast facts Samsung Next, the tech giant’s investment subsidiary, participated in a US$152 million Series B round of Sky Mavis, the Vietnam-based blockchain game company and […]

As blockchain nodes multiply around the world, the need for interconnectivity has never been greater. John DeVadoss of InterWork Alliance explains why.

The NFT boom is transforming the art world, writes Laura Ballman and Michael Greenwald. Collectors would be wise to learn all they can about this new technology.

Top blockchain and crypto news: US leads charge in ramping up cybersecurity. Crypto fans crow as Facebook flops. China bears down on metaverses.

China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) — a public-private nationwide infrastructure project to spur mass adoption of blockchain technology — is moving a step closer to more international exposure, as the company behind it is working to register a foundation based in Singapore. Fast facts Red Date Technology, the company China tapped to manage its BSN, […]

The9 Ltd., a Chinese gaming company that pivoted earlier this year to cryptocurrency mining — along with Polygon and Protocol Labs — are forming an ecosystem collaboration on The9’s non-fungible token (NFT) platform NFTSTAR and GameFi play-to-earn projects. Fast facts The company said in a statement released on Thursday that NFTSTAR and The9’s GameFi projects will […]

While a US digital dollar is stuck at pole position, China’s digital yuan is nearing the finish line. Michael B. Greenwald of Tiedemann Advisors explains why it matters to the future global economy.  

The property market is increasingly expensive and out of reach for today’s younger generation. Digital land sales may hit home with some buyers.

Cobo, a Singapore-based crypto custody and asset management platform, today announced the completion of its US$40 million Series B fundraise to accelerate the rollout of its decentralized finance (DeFi) as a service (DaaS) product. Fast facts In an interview, Cobo Chief Operating Officer Lily Zhuo told Forkast.News that Cobo’s DeFi as a service (DaaS) product, […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Evergrande end-game roils crypto markets. SEC takes aim at stablecoins. How close is China’s digital yuan to the finish line?

From crypto-embossed mooncakes to mooncake NFTs to gatherings in the metaverse, how Asia’s crypto fans are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.

As Cardano’s Alonzo upgrade goes live, founder Charles Hoskinson of IOHK calls DeFi a ‘bubble.’ How does he think the regulation that is sure to come will reshape DeFi in the future?

Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) soft launch is the first attempt to roll out the state-backed ‘internet for blockchain’ outside of the Chinese mainland.

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 […]

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 […]

Why is Axie Infinity so popular, and what is the potential of play-to-earn gaming? Two venture capitalists share insights on Asia’s special place as GameFi’s hub.

Cardano smart contracts set for Sunday also CrossTower launches in India

C.R.E.A.M. Finance, a Taipei-based decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform, on Sept. 8 announced its support of six metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will allow users to borrow and lend against the assets. Fast facts NFTs, unique digital assets whose authenticity and ownership are tracked on a blockchain, have seen exponential growth over the past […]

Gajesh Naik and Laya Mathikshara, two Indian 13-year-olds, are getting global recognition — and making astronomical sums — through their ventures in crypto and NFTs.

NFTs, metaverses and ‘play-to-earn’ are upending gaming’s traditional revenue model. Shreyansh Singh of Polygon explains blockchain gaming’s business potential.

China’s BSN to launch in South Korea portal as Chinese Canaan secures huge mining rig orders

As its first international expansion, China’s Blockchain-based Service Network is launching a portal in Korea. Who are the key players, and where else in the world will BSN emerge this year?

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 […]

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) — one of the hottest non-fungible token projects at the moment — released its Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) NFTs over the weekend through a free airdrop to existing Bored Ape holders as well as a public auction of 10,000 Mutant Apes. The price for Mutant Apes started at three […]

The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s paper of record for 118 years, is experimenting with NFTs and metaverse technology to bring its storied past into the future.

London hard fork is live and Ethereum users are hoping high gas fees will be a thing of the past. Will ETH improvements phase out layer-2 scaling protocols? Polygon’s co-founder thinks not.

Rario, an officially licensed cricket non-fungible token startup built on the Polygon blockchain, has announced its integration with Polygon’s NFT platform, Polygon Studios. Fast facts Polygon Studios, an NFT-focused gaming and metaverse hub, was launched last month by Indian Ethereum scaling platform Polygon to facilitate Web 3.0 gaming and fuel mainstream adoption of NFTs. It […]

A new NFT platform built on Hedera Hashgraph aims to give patients greater control over their health information. How does it work?

The cryptocurrency community is watching Ethereum closely, with the EthCC event in Paris having wrapped up, Ether prices showing new strength and the London upgrade just around the corner.

Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands and global venture accelerator Brinc have launched Launchpad Luna, a new accelerator program to identify, mentor, and invest in promising blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFT) startups, according to a company statement. Fast facts Projects accepted into the accelerator program will receive training, end-to-end support and funding of up […]

Demand for non-fungible tokens appears insatiable as industry distances itself from crypto sector to avoid crackdown.

Hong Kong newspaper the South China Morning Post is making a foray into the world of non-fungible tokens in the latest move by a Hong Kong publisher to preserve content through blockchain technology. Fast facts The SCMP today released its “ARTIFACT” lite paper, a project designed to advocate “a standardized metadata structure for recording accounts […]

Axie Infinity, Meebits and Bored Ape Yacht Club are some of those keeping the market for non-fungible tokens alive.

From Phillips auction house in Hong Kong to Art Fair Philippines, non-fungible tokens are redefining how Asia appreciates, buys and profits from art.

After Tether’s legal settlement with New York, USDT’s growth is exploding—dispelling concerns over Tether’s reserves, says Bitfinex CTO Paolo Ardoino.

Investors are turning to green alternatives to tackle Bitcoin’s impact on the environment as Indonesia gears up for a CBDC.

Fast-growing Ethereum scaling platform Polygon and decentralized storage network Aleph.im join forces to ‘supercharge’ Polygon’s NFT ecosystem.

Animoca Brands’ valuation tops US$1 billion as it charges forward in the NFT and blockchain gaming space with $88,888,888 in new funding.

Shiba Inu is the new “Doge killer” and Chinese investors “can’t get enough” of it, says Gate.io, as #SHIB trends in Weibo.

From Manila to Beijing, the Asian art universe is changing as non-fungible tokens gain traction as assets. In Manila, friends and NFT collectors Gabby Dizon and Colin Goltra opened Narra Art Gallery early this year to provide the cryptocurrency community with a venue in which they could shop for digital art. The virtual gallery offers […]

Binance, the crypto exchange with more than 50 million users around the world, wants a piece of the fast-growing NFT minting, trading and auction business.

Solana blockchain — a rising alternative to Ethereum for DeFi and NFTs — hit an all-time high this week while other cryptocurrencies stagnated. How come?

Welcome to crypto’s latest catwalk. Publisher of Vogue Singapore and a Hong Kong exchange unveil plans to turn up the heat on Asia’s NFT market.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Hong Kong is new test bed for China’s e-CNY digital currency. Decentraland’s token bridge to Polygon.

From Beeple’s digital art to LeBron James video trading cards, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are transforming the way we create, own and profit from content.

What to buy for loved ones who already have it all? Here’s the Forkast.News guide to blockchain-inspired gifts that will please even the most discerning.

From CryptoKitty pets to metaverses like Minecraft and Decentraland, blockchain video games are redefining what it means to own virtual property.