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K-pop fans are waging online campaigns against their favorite artists over NFTs, denouncing the technology’s carbon footprint. How polluting are NFTs?

Global NFT sales are exploding in 2022, but experts predict this is only the beginning of a bigger surge in Asia.

Meta’s Facebook and Instagram are exploring plans that would allow non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to be used as profile pictures, according to a report. Fast facts The plans include the showcasing, minting and selling of NFTs, several insiders told Financial Times. Meta staff members are also reportedly discussing the launch of a marketplace to buy and […]

South Korean company Hyundai Card’s VP says crypto passing through the “tulip stage”, meanwhile NFT is shifting towards Asia.

South Korean lawmaker Lee Kwang-jae announced on Sunday that he has started accepting political donations in cryptocurrencies. Fast facts Donors can use Bitcoin, Ethereum, Kakao’s KLAY, media industry-focused NEWS, and payments-focused Paycoin, while receipts can be issued as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), according to Lee’s website.  The first donor was an anonymous professional from the blockchain […]

China’s Blockchain Services Network rolling out NFT infrastructure, while Palau plans to issue stablecoin.

The NFT platform crosses $1B in sales volume within a week after launch, but with a controversial incentive structure and so-called ‘vampire’ attack.

A Chinese state-backed blockchain network plans to launch non-fungible token (NFT) infrastructure that has no link to cryptocurrency by the end of this month, one of its creators told Forkast. Fast facts He Yifan, CEO of Red Date Technology, a developer of the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), a project to spur mass adoption of blockchain […]

Indian crypto scam investigated meanwhile Korea’s Kakao’s webtoon NFTs sell out

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on a wildly popular fantasy action digital comics series backed by South Korean internet giant Kakao have sold out soon after launch on Wednesday. Fast facts The NFTs, launched by Kakao Entertainment, are based on webtoon Solo Leveling, which has amassed a whopping 14.2 billion views globally since its launch in […]

New non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace LooksRare has outsold market leader OpenSea just a day after launch, reaching US$275.5 million in sales volume in the past 24 hours. Fast facts This compares with almost US$120 million in sales volume for OpenSea over the same period, according to DappRadar. Like its main competitor, LooksRare, which launched on […]

Developers adopt NFT technology to promote staple video game franchises, but reaction from a number of gamers has been negative.

Australian cryptocurrency exchange BTC Markets has partnered with the country’s No. 2 tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic ahead of the Australian Open to release limited edition non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Fast facts The NFTs will be in the form of Proof of Attendance Protocol, akin to a digital concert ticket stub proving attendance,  that will allow owners […]

A new non-fungible token (NFT) collection backed by Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou has dethroned Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) on the OpenSea NFT marketplace in trading volume, reflecting growing interest in celebrity-endorsed digital collectibles. Fast facts The PhantaBear NFT series, co-created by Jay Chou’s hipster brand PHANTACi, sold out its 10,000 algorithmically-created NFTs on Jan. […]

Sega, the Japanese gaming giant, has vowed to backtrack on its NFT (non-fungible tokens) plans if fans continue to criticize the project. Fast facts (Update removes mention of Mortal Kombat)

The ability to display, buy and even mint NFTs is seeping into mainstream products from South Korea’s largest corporations.

China’s e-CNY pilot app is ready for download as Bored Apes headline NFT frenzy.

The crypto market leaders are trading sideways so far in the new year. But NFT trading volume has exploded, with strong Q1 performance expected.

Rachel Mayers sees corporate and institutional interest in crypto and blockchain create an explosion in use cases and a whole new way of demonstrating consumer loyalty.

A CryptoPunk non-fungible token (NFT) — CryptoPunk #8690 — was sold at an auction in Shanghai organized by Shanghai Jiahe Auction earlier this week for 5,232,500 yuan (US$823,300), with a starting price of 1.5 million yuan (US$236,000), reflecting growing investor interest in NFTs in China despite criticism from state-controlled media. Fast facts V.V Yu, general manager […]

NFTs are finding novel uses across many sectors, from fashion to real estate. What industries stand to benefit most from this technology in the year ahead?

The years of investment and development in NFTs and the metaverse will bear fruit in 2022, according to Cryptoslam CEO Randy Wasinger.

Hackers scam 7,000 Solana, or US$1.3 million, from would-be buyers of a new NFT collection of the Monkey Kingdom project.

Which blockchain sector will flourish, and what’s not yet ripe for mass adoption just yet? FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried offers his crystal ball in a special Forkast.News video.

Yusaku Maezawa, founder of Japan’s largest online fashion retailer Zozotown, tweeted about turning a photo he took in space into a non-fungible token (NFT), saying it may be the very first NFT to be issued from space. Fast facts Named “Rendezvous,” the NFT includes a photo that Maezawa took while the Russian Soyuz MS-20 he […]

Lotte Cinema, one of South Korea’s largest movie theater chains, is giving away NFTs (non-fungible tokens) of the movie “The Matrix Resurrections” to people who reserve tickets to the latest addition in the popular science fiction series that depicts life in a simulated reality. Fast facts In collaboration with Warner Bros. and NFT tech startup […]

Gas fee unpredictability is a highly problematic aspect of the Ethereum ecosystem, writes Matt Cutler of Blocknative. What are the solutions?

Astro Boy NFTs sell out within the hour. Also, Virtual land market heats up in the metaverse

Legendary Japanese manga artist Tezuka Osamu’s beloved “Astro Boy,” which was first published in 1952, has been made into NFT (non-fungible token) collectibles, one of which was listed on OpenSea for auction. Fast facts With the help of NFT solution startup double jump.tokyo, Tezuka Productions launched its first official NFT art project — “From the […]

Justin Kan, co-founder of livestreaming platform Twitch, announced he will be launching Fractal, a new marketplace for gaming non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While the OpenSea NFT marketplace may be the largest, Fractal is not competing directly — it is betting on a niche in gaming NFTs. Fast facts The announcement comes days after a Twitch plug-in […]

Non-fungible token minting platform PlayNFT wants to enable Twitch streamers to offer NFTs to their audience without needing to leave the Twitch platform. Fast facts Blockchain games studio Enigma Games is using Enjin’s Efinity blockchain on PlayNFT, the studio’s NFT minting platform, to build a plug-in that will allow Twitch’s 9.2 million streamers to use […]

Singapore-based Brytehall is to co-host a new non-fungible token (NFT) art auction with bike manufacturer Specialized on Dec. 16, to sell an artwork of a bicycle named “enishi-E” created by Japanese artist Kosuke Masuda, both physically and digitally in an NFT. Fast facts Kosuke described the bike to be auctioned as an “alive” one, for […]

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

OpenSea IPO plans in choppy waters. Crypto markets crumble. Bitcoin mining power struggles.

Gaming giant Ubisoft is launching Ubisoft Quartz, a new platform for players to obtain what it calls “Digits” — essentially non-fungible tokens (NFTs) playable in a mainstream game — according to a company statement. Fast facts The first such NFT will appear in beta with Tom Clancy’s “Ghost Recon Breakpoint” on Ubisoft Connect for Windows […]

South Korean game shares fell sharply, just a few weeks after announcements of new NFT metaverse ventures sent the shares up.

The lead artist behind the breakthrough non-fungible token series “Bored Ape Yacht Club” (BAYC), known as All Seeing Seneca, has released a new set of NFTs over the weekend at Dfinity’s Iconoclast gallery event at Art Basel Miami, according to the artist’s Twitter profile. Fast facts With over US$1 billion in sales attributed to the […]

NFTZ opened for trading on the NYSE in the midst of turmoil and fears of inflation and Omicron.

NFT privacy concerns meanwhile AussieMates raises mental health awareness

Hollywood executive producer Niels Juul, who produced “The Irishman,” has founded a new startup called NFT Studios, in hopes of fully funding a film with non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Fast facts The startup’s first film, “A Wing and a Prayer,” will be based on the true story of Brian Milton, the first man to fly around […]

Much of the world has been living under lockdown over the past few years, and collective mental health has been severely impacted. One Australian firm is looking to raise awareness and funds to address the issue with a new Down Under themed non-fungible token series, according to a press release shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts […]

The non-fungible token (NFT) frenzy has extended to the luxury wine and spirits industry. The Dalmore, best known for its Scottish whiskies, has partnered with BlockBar, an NFT platform for luxury liquor brands, to offer a limited-edition liquor NFT with a set of The Dalmore Decades No.4 Collection, the brand said in a Wednesday statement. […]

The firm behind legendary sci-fi series Star Trek, Roddenberry Entertainment, has immortalized a key moment in entertainment history — in a way that may in time become an equally iconic moment in blockchain history. Gene Roddenberry’s signature on the first contract between himself and Lucille Ball’s Desilu Productions, which made Star Trek a reality, has […]

The impresario behind superstars BTOB and (G)I-DLE tells Forkast.News there’s ‘no upper limit’ to how much Cube will invest in NFTs and a metaverse for concerts.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring famous traditional Chinese paintings by culture studio Rongbaozhai have been successfully transferred from China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) WenChang Chain to the OpenSea marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, a milestone in the development of interchain NFT technology. Fast facts The transfer was made on Nov. 16 across four blockchains: WenChang Chain […]

Omicron hits markets meanwhile Japanese novel released as NFT

To mark the release of the third installment in the latest Spider-Man trilogy, theater giant AMC and Sony Pictures are offering 86,000 non-fungible tokens for fans who pre-order tickets to the film, which opens on Dec. 16, AMC CEO Adam Aron announced via Twitter. Fast facts Amid rising concerns of the environmental impact of NFTs […]

Miyuki Ono’s science fiction story “Pure” is being released as NFT (non-fungible token) copies to create a new channel of income for writers and translators who are currently insufficiently compensated for their work. Fast facts “Pure” is one of world’s first Japanese science fiction works released as an NFT, while also being the first NFT […]

As the NFT zeitgeist sweeps the world, the industry’s beating heart is in Asia, writes David Tng of TZ APAC. Here’s how Asia’s NFTs are changing business models.

Dunamu, the operator of South Korean crypto exchange Upbit, launched a beta service of “Upbit NFT,” an NFT (non-fungible token) trading platform, while another K-pop agency, FNC Entertainment, plans to launch its first NFT collection. Fast facts Upbit NFT consists of two sections, Drops and Marketplace. Drops is where NFTs will be put up for […]

The digital print of the U.S. Constitution grew an estimated 35% in value by the time Ken Griffin made the winning bid, surely ushering in more NFT interest.

The 118-year-old Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post released a white paper today on its non-fungible-token (NFT) project called ARTIFACT, as well as announcing the launch of the first series of collections of historical events called ARTIFACTs by SCMP. Fast facts ARTIFACT is a project that the SCMP designed to tokenize their reports of […]

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) says some NFTs (non-fungible tokens) will be taxed from next year, overturning the finance minister’s stance on the topic announced just last month. The scope of taxable NFTs is yet to be determined by the tax authorities. Fast facts The FSC’s vice chairman Doh Kyu-sang said at the national […]

American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart auctions a storytelling NFT recounting her first, disastrous Thanksgiving dinner.

Korea stands firm on NFT games, meanwhile Laos introduces crypto regulations

Despite the global boom of play-to-earn games, South Korea will still ban blockchain-based video games that reward cashable NFTs.

Alibaba’s blockchain branch Antchain has set a time threshold for transferring “digital collectibles” — non-fungible tokens, or NFTs — to prevent what it calls “malicious hype” amid Beijing’s unsupportive attitude towards NFT trading. Fast facts “Digital collectibles” refers to NFTs. Tech giants in China began referring to NFTs as “digital collectibles” amid Chinese state media’s […]

Blockchain-powered iVote.ph lets users ‘vote’ on NFTs depicting presidential candidates in the Philippines. Can the underlying technology be trusted?

Movie director Quentin Tarantino is being sued by Hollywood studio Miramax over his recent plan to auction off a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on his 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.” Miramax alleges that Tarantino’s planned offerings violate the copyright it holds to the director’s film, including the rights to the property he intends to […]

How to sift through millions of NFTs before buying? NFT marketplace Mintable is hoping to attract more users with these new organizing and ranking features.

South Korea a metaverse hub, also NFTs go from digital to physical

Circle invests in JYPC meanwhile Baby Shark NFTs announced

The maker of the catchy children’s song and dance video of Pinkfong Baby Shark is launching NFTs (non-fungible tokens) of its globally beloved characters with upgraded design and music. Fast facts SmartStudy, a South Korean educational entertainment company and the creator of the Pinkfong Baby Shark, announced a partnership with MakersPlace, a digital art marketplace. […]

Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming unicorn, announced today that it has teamed up with Cube Entertainment, a major K-pop entertainment agency, to form a joint venture dedicated to building a music metaverse and issuing non-fungible tokens (NFTs), joining a slew of K-pop labels to make forays into the NFT and metaverse space. Fast […]

Charities are just beginning to explore the potential of NFTs, writes Billy Sebell of XinFin Network. Here’s how NFTs can help raise big money beyond artwork auctions.

In a 48-second, computer-generated 3D animation, ROK uses a decentralized format to offer an ironic take on China’s internet giants crowding to host the shopping holiday.

One of South Korea’s largest entertainment agencies, SM Entertainment, plans to create future content under its SM Culture Universe (SMCU) metaverse in NFTs — according to its founder Lee Soo-man at Solana’s Breakpoint 2021 conference. Fast facts Lee said SM’s own metaverse, the SMCU, needs to be a place for creation where K-pop prosumers can […]

Speaking at the Singapore FinTech Festival, Ethereum’s creator discusses DeFi adoption and why he expects Ethereum’s ‘killer ecosystem’ to grow over the next few years.

Ethereum hits new all-time high meanwhile South Korea says NFTs not virtual assets

The country will follow global crypto guidelines in excluding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from its categorization of virtual assets — meaning income from NFTs may remain untaxed in Korea.

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

Director Quentin Tarantino announced he will auction seven uncut scenes from Pulp Fiction as non-fungible tokens.