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Congress investigates links between Robinhood, Citadel, Reddit’s WallStreetBets and GME prices amid shifting investor interest to cryptocurrency and DeFi.

Blockchain Research Institute’s Don Tapscott outlines how Biden administration can lead technology policy for US to stay ahead in the innovation race.

Modern financial markets still rely on slow and inefficient plumbing from a bygone era, writes Oi Yee Choo of iSTOX. Here is how blockchain offers a system upgrade.

The Blockchain Research Institute-led report for Biden’s administration also outlines recommendations for crypto regulations and a national blockchain strategy.

Plasm Network, a leading DApps hub on Polkadot and first parachain on its Rococo testnet, secures $2.4 million to build out the growing Polkadot ecosystem.

About half of cryptocurrency users are hobbyists while 15% consider crypto their primary source of income, according to a survey of 61,000 crypto users.

ConsenSys Codefi’s 4Q 2020 report on DeFi trends also predicts more ‘wrapped’ tokens, tranche lending products and Ethereum 2.0 derivatives in 2021.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: BIS touts digital currencies. China’s blockchain network to add CBDCs as payment option.

As bitcoin and other digital assets go mainstream, traditional banks want a piece of the action. Singapore’s crypto-friendly regulations are paving the way.

Acoer’s founder and CEO offers his predictions for 2021, including blockchain being used to track Covid vaccinations as well as in the war against fake news.

OKEx CEO speaks candidly on how 2020 was difficult for his crypto exchange, and offers his predictions for DeFi, regulations and CBDCs in year to come.

What will be hot in blockchain next year, and what will be the curveballs? Forkast.News consults top industry leaders and thinkers to bring you a crystal ball.

In this edition of the Forkast Forecasts, the founder and CEO at Sonic Capital and former Bitcoin.com CEO shares his views on the growth of decentralized finance and big partnerships in the crypto community.

In a special report for AAX, we examine the new generation of exchanges, custodians, regulations and asset classes now leveling the investment playing field.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Fine art goes digital with NFTs. Hong Kong in talks to pilot test China’s DCEP digital yuan.

In this inaugural Forkast Forecast, the co-founder and CEO of Hedera Hashgraph offers his views on China’s blockchain drive and what the industry will be like in 2021.

Blockchain crowdfunding, tokenized ownership and NFTs are creating new opportunities for artists and museums in a time of immense financial struggles.

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.

Beijing put a stop this week to Fusang’s China Construction Bank bond listing on the Ethereum blockchain. What was the Chinese government afraid of?

Blockchain technology is spurring more carbon credit trading while lowering costs for young investors to get involved, says Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital, in a special Forkast.News interview.

Thailand once marketed itself as a cryptocurrency frontier market and an alternative to Hong Kong and Singapore. What happened?

Can tokenizing investments in carbon trading help the world achieve Paris Agreement goals? Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital explains in a Forkast.News Q&A.

China’s DCEP digital yuan and new US interest in digital dollar are fueling sense of urgency on CBDCs — as blockchain firm ConsenSys paves the way.

Risks, bugs and mistakes are a necessary part of DeFi’s evolution — just like the early days of the internet, writes Justin Banon of Boson Protocol

Other top news: China accelerates digital currency testing with 50,000 e-RMB ‘red packets.’ Hong Kong as DCEP’s future sandbox. VC in India.

In the first of a special two-part series, Forkast.News examines how blockchain — from smart contracts to crowdfunding missions — could transform public and private ventures in outer space.

In other news: Public gets sneak peek at China’s digital currency DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining.

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

In a special Forkast.News interview, the CEO who co-founded Ethereum discusses the deal with JPMorgan, DeFi’s rise, and expectations for Ethereum 2.0.

As mass demonstrations rock the world, technologies like blockchain, social media and AI are escalating unrest and state crackdowns to the next level.

As Ethereum moves toward its 2.0 upgrade, here is a reflection on the open-source platform’s transformational impact on the blockchain ecosystem.

DeFi crypto lending — a loosely regulated industry that grew by 700% last year — is catching investor attention. What do the IRS and SEC think?

In the blockchain world, decentralized workplaces are already the norm. As Covid forces more companies to do the same, here are our pro tips for executives and managers.

Cryptocurrencies are enabling illiquid assets — like real estate, art and even pro athlete contracts — to be tokenized. What does this mean for investors?

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.

Social media platforms like Twitter need more advanced technology, like blockchain, to protect user accounts from attacks, says Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo.

Brian Behlendorf, a longtime open-source evangelist, discusses China’s adoption of Hyperledger Fabric for its Blockchain Service Network (BSN), blockchain trends to watch, and more.

The former International Space Station commander also discusses how blockchain can lower space exploration costs, and more. Bonus: advice on enduring Covid and social isolation with grace.

The Digital Dollar Project offers a path forward for the US to create a central bank digital currency. But will the government accept private sector help?

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

Cinemas are closed, Netflix is here, but torrent providers renew their careers!

Covid-19’s disruption of global economies could speed up changes to financial systems around the world. Will cash become obsolete?

The U.S. backed away from a digital dollar in its coronavirus relief package. But a tokenized dollar would be better for America — and bring us closer to a true central bank digital currency, says a director of the Digital Dollar Project.

Gold bars are unwieldy. Gold futures and ETFs carry risks. Can gold-backed crypto, or tokenized gold, be a safer hedge during the current market tumult?

Coronavirus fears are sending markets tumbling. Could tokenized gold, or gold-backed crypto, be the next-generation investment in times of economic trouble?

In this first article of a three-part Forkast.News series, we will examine how blockchain can — and can’t — disrupt the world’s telecom industry, and take a closer look at where efforts are falling flat.

Public health coins could motivate more people to interact honestly with the health care system during crises like the coronavirus epidemic.

As bold-face names in entertainment and sports like PewDiePie, Manny Pacquiao and Spencer Dinwiddie dabble in blockchain technology, their use of cryptocurrency signal a growing shift toward grassroots financing and cutting out traditional middlemen. But some celebrities are finding a legal minefield.

Welcome to The Current Forkast series with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau and Brian Lio, CEO of blockchain research group Smith + Crown. In this episode we talk about: NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie’s token release, SEC’s warning on Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), Bitwise investor bulletin

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is “gravely concerned” about how the U.S. Government is addressing technological challenges and opportunities posed by blockchain according to founder and president Perianne Boring. The U.S. could be ceding technological leadership as well as the dollar’s reserve currency status to other nations including China if it does not revamp policies toward emerging blockchain innovation.

SIX Digital Exchange’s blockchain-based digital assets platform and distributed central securities depository are designed to democratize investment. The digital exchange platform is a subsidiary of leading Swiss stock exchange SIX.

Although Switzerland’s Crypto Valley may seek to become a global blockchain hub, its government is too slow to adopt the technology even as Facebook’s Libra incorporates in the country, according to Trust Square cofounder Daniel Gasteiger.

Investment in Chinese blockchain projects reached USD$367.7 million in the first half of 2019. Blockchain Global CEO Sam Lee says Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent have fueled a breadth of tech talent.

From supply chain to finance, implementation of the technology is building trust, efficiency and new opportunities.

Ethereum has amassed a nearly unbeatable network effect, but regulatory compliance is still a major hurdle.

“We want to keep at the forefront of the regulatory framework to make sure that what we’ve got is fit for purpose and works well for our stakeholders.”

If I buy a token in an asset-based security token offering, will I own a piece of the property? Am I tokenizing the asset? No. Let’s take real estate as an example. Tokenising the underlying real estate would require tokenization of the Land Registry. This is not what happens. You will most likely own an […]

Catalonian Minister of Digital Technology and Policies Jordi Puigneró talks regulation, popular appeal, and what blockchain can do for a country. As a member of an elected public administration, Puigneró believes that he has the obligation to serve the people. In the case of blockchain, Puigneró expects that the technology will create a new class […]

What is the next big thing? As far as Joseph Lubin, Founder of Consensys, is concerned, we are already experiencing it as you read this. Lubin shares how blockchain is already a killer app, being used globally as a new database technology. He notes cryptocurrency is already enabling cross-border transactions that help facilitate trade and […]

In anticipation of China Telecom’s new blockchain SIM card project, Director of its Blockchain Research and Development Departments, David Wei Liang, peaks to Angie Lau, Editor-in-Chief of Forkast.News, about the reasoning behind embarking on the project, the product’s uses and implications, and the timeline of its adoption. The time is ripe for telecom companies to […]

To celebrate the end of 2020, here is a Forkast.News editor favorite from our archives — a story that still rings fresh, true and — in a world now measured in nanoseconds — timeless. What is holding back mainstream adoption? What role do governments need or want to play? The Next Big Thing plenary panel […]

What are the rules? For most blockchain companies and projects, the complex landscape of regulation and policy creates business risk, which impacts not only innovation but also ultimately, mainstream adoption.  But at OECD’s second Global Blockchain Policy Forum, regulators are increasingly becoming aware of the need for concerted efforts at every government and agency levels. […]

Why would tokenization of real estate be attractive? Fractional ownership will allow part of an asset to be made available by tokenization. This provides the asset owner with different choices on how to approach the market. For instance, an anchor investor could hold a 40% interest, 30% could be released to other key investors, and […]

Key Highlights Digital currencies on the blockchain can only go global if transactions can be expedited Mass adoption could yield micro-economies, where millions of public businesses could theoretically take off Blockchain technologies are in their infancy, but are projected to yield a 17 trillion-dollar economy when combined with AI and the Internet of Things In […]

Key Highlights Digital currencies on the blockchain can only go global if transactions can be expedited Mass adoption could yield micro-economies, where millions of public businesses could theoretically take off Blockchain technologies are in their infancy, but are projected to yield a 17 trillion-dollar economy when combined with AI and the Internet of Things In […]

Trustless payment methods were the first disruption blockchain brought to the financial industry. The second wave of disruption came about when the ICO boomed in 2017 as a way to reach a larger market of investors through crowdfunding smart contracts on Ethereum. In 2017 alone, ICOs raised around $7 billion. More recently, we’re seeing the […]

Key Highlights As a non-sovereign, decentralized, and digitally native asset, Bitcoin has a strong value proposition to hedge against any risk of a major currency devaluation Cryptocurrency is censorship-resistant; it’s accessible to everyone, and anyone can acquire it, making it powerful for long-term wealth storage for both companies and individual Quantitative easing and the Federal […]

This is the first part of an insight series by Tanner De Witt partner, Pádraig Walsh, in which he gives his legal perspective on security token offerings. In this article, he starts from the basics, and asks and answers what are security token offerings and why we should care. What is a token? A token […]