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Bitcoin rose on Monday morning in Asia to reclaim the US$30,000 support level. Ether moved higher, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also gained.

Bitcoin fell under US$30,000, despite the SEC accepting eight spot Bitcoin ETF applications for review this week. A weekly close under that psychological level could lead to more panic selling, industry experts told Forkast.

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Angie Lau, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. Coming up on today’s show:

Bitcoin and Ether both remained below key support levels, as investor sentiment failed to pick up even after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted eight spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications for review.

McDonald’s Hong Kong has joined the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gucci and other global brands with Thursday’s launch of its own metaverse.

Bitcoin fell on Friday morning in Asia as other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed. Bitcoin again slipped below support at US$30,000.

Bitcoin and Ether both recaptured key support levels. Institutional interest remains upbeat following a slew of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, industry experts told Forkast.

Shanghai on Tuesday published a set of guidelines to promote use of blockchain, the digital yuan, and the metaverse in the city’s legacy industries.

Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday morning, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies, but the token looks to have lost support at the US$30,000 line.

P0x Labs, the developer behind layer-1 zero-knowledge blockchain Manta Network, has secured US$25 million for the Network’s expansion in Asia.

NAB, one of Australia’s “big four” banks, announced it is taking action to block some payments to “high-risk” cryptocurrency exchanges, as part of its new measures aimed at protecting customers from scams.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Bitcoin slipped under US$30,000 on the back of profit-taking and long liquidations as the recent run up on optimism about exchange-traded funds seemed to run out of steam.

Despite ample Ethereum holdings, traders appear less willing to invest in NFTs. Ethereum wallet growth data in 2023 suggests low NFT sales, while Ether used for NFT sales has dropped to 2021 levels.

China’s Zhejiang province, the home province of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group,has established a metaverse industrial association.

Stablecoins play a pivotal role as a safe-haven medium of exchange in times of high inflation, writes James Glasscock. But they’re not without risks.

Bitcoin dipped under US$30,000 in early Asia trade before recovering. Ether and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell, while NFT trading slumped.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published on Monday a global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities to provide a global regulatory and supervisory foundation for crypto. The recommendations made to the G20 – the 20 leading economies of the world – are based upon the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation.”

XRP continued its rally after XRP issuer Ripple’s favorable ruling last week in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As the US is engulfed in regulatory strife, Asian countries are rolling out legal frameworks that attract crypto investment, protect consumers and encourage innovation.

Beijing municipal government plans to train 10,000 engineering talents each year in emerging technologies including blockchain, AI and big data.

Bitcoin rose to trade at over US$30,300 on Monday morning in Asia, but the price fell over the weekend to around the pre-Ripple ruling level.

Scrutiny on the stablecoin’s reserves has intensified since USDT’s latest depegging scare. Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether and Bitfinex, delves into the composition of USDT reserves, explaining how the firm ensures dollar redemptions, irrespective of secondary market prices.

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Angie Lau, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. Coming up on today’s show:

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.

Europe’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is expected to be publicly listed this month, following a 12-month delay from the initially planned date

Top blockchain and crypto news: Standard Chartered eyes US$120,000 per Bitcoin | Another week of declines in NFT market | Sega and Line team up.

Bitcoin prices fell below US$30,500 in the past 24 hours while its trading volume has gained over 20%. Ether also fell. Cardano and BNB were the day’s biggest losers.

Bitcoin dropped on Thursday morning in Asia to below US$30,500. Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also logged losses.

As stores of our identity, customs and creativity, NFTs will drive Web3 adoption and become central to the new digital economy, writes Yat Siu, executive chairman of Animoca Brands.

Bitcoin trade volumes dropped in the last 24 hours but the token is holding steady above US$30,500. Binance’s BNB token posted the biggest gain while most other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed.

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday morning in Asia to trade above US$30,500. Ether traded flat while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens gained. SOL led winners.

Blur has been adding demand for specific collections by incentivizing floor NFT trading, which may have mitigated aggressive price undercutting for liquidty.

Bitcoin breached US$31,000 level in the past 24 hours after falling back to hold above US$30,000. Ether and all other top 10 cryptos gained.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies don’t meet standards to be recognized as money.

Bitcoin rose on Tuesday morning in Asia, after Standard Chartered predicted the token could reach US$120,000 by the end of 2024. Ether and most other top 10 tokens rose.

All top 10 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether, drop over the last 24 hours while investors brace for more interest rate hikes in the U.S.

Crypto’s current turmoil in the US stands in stark contrast to other jurisdictions that are paving paths to for the industry to shine, writes Sean O’Connor.

South Korea on Monday held the first preliminary hearing for Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin and seven other former employees on charges related to the collapse of the Terra-Luna crypto project.

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia but held above the US$30,000 support level. Ether edged lower along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens.

While Asia nations such as Singapore and Thailand seem to be following the U.S. regulator in frowning upon certain products offered by crypto exchanges, the approach in Asia so far seems to be clarity instead of court battles, in contrast with North America

Crypto buying subsided as the U.S. regulator made no official comment on Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications and executives quit Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Thailand have regulations supporting the growth of tokenization, showing the world the benefits of fractionalizing assets.

Binance Chief Strategy Officer Patrick Hillmann and Vice President for Compliance Steven Christie both confirmed they are leaving the firm.

A South Korean academic tracking on-chain data says Do Kwon, the imprisoned founder of the now collapsed Terra-Luna crypto project, seems to have outside help in moving stablecoins from his digital wallets into other cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin fell below US$30,000 on Friday morning in Asia as traders took profits amid worries about interest rate hikes in U.S. markets.

Southeast Asia steps up regulation. No end in sight for NFT market decline. Voyager’s shrinking portfolio.

Bitcoin, Ether fell along with all top 10 cryptocurrencies. Litecoin and Cardano led the losers. The Forkast 500 NFT index rose, but NFT mood is pessimistic.

NFT market recovers after Azuki’s Elementals mint debacle as traders report liquidity issues amidst price tumble.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the country’s financial services regulator, searched the local offices of Binance on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation of the exchange’s derivatives business, a Bloomberg report said.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong but remained above key price levels, while most of the top altcoins were in the red.

For years, crypto and NFT investors enjoyed tax advantages that holders of stocks and bonds do not have, but legislation on the horizon could end that loophole.

Bitcoin and Ether traded little changed on Wednesday morning in Asia, while the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed.

Bitcoin climbed above US$31,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after Blackrock refiled its Bitcoin ETF application. Ether also gained amid institutional interest.

Cryptocurrency service providers in Singapore will have to keep customer assets under a statutory trust before the end of the year, for safekeeping purposes, the city state’s central bank announced Monday.

Bitcoin fell and Ether rose during Monday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization strengthened.

Digital assets funds have been flowing in waves all over the world since crypto’s inception, writes Amy Yu, CEO of SEBA Bank. Where is crypto capital going now?

Hong Kong’s local government on Friday set up the Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development to promote the benefits of blockchain to real-world industries.

Bitcoin traded flat above US$30,000 while most other leading tokens were mixed. Litecoin and Solana saw the biggest gains among the top 10.

Kapoor founded the India Blockchain Alliance five years ago and gives an update on how the technology is being used in police reports to real estate transactions, as well as challenges of CBDC adoption and plans for tokenization of assets. He spoke in an interview for Forkast IQ.

South Korea approved a bill to protect cryptocurrency investors as part of building the country’s first legal framework devoted to digital assets.

Dmitri Cherniak’s generative art NFT, ‘The Goose’, sold for US$5.4 million at Sotheby’s. The sale, a second highest for generative art, signals NFT art’s growing prominence and potential in the Web3 era.

FXHASH, the largest non-fungible token (NFT) platform by sales volume on the Tezos blockchain, has announced an upgrade that allows users to choose between Tezos and Ethereum, along with on-chain minting for both networks. 

Bitcoin briefly rose to US$31,195 after Fidelity filed its spot Bitcoin ETF application. Can the wave of institutional interest keep Bitcoin above US$30,500?

Ripple Labs’ Asia-Pacific branch is offering digital payment services in Singapore after receiving in-principle approval of its license application from the MAS on June 22. What does that mean for the company’s Asia business?

Cyptocurrency investor sentiment continues to improve with Litecoin posting strong gains as its halving event in August gets closer.

A U.K. bill to recognize cryptocurrency trading as a regulated financial activity passed into law on Thursday.

The market now has 26,000 different cryptocurrencies and the total number of coins in circulation approaches infinity. How do those tokenomics make any sense?

All top 10 cryptocurrencies rose, led by Solana, as another financial heavyweight applied to offer a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and data showed the U.S. economy in good health. Stocks rose.

Binance’s euro banking partner, Paysafe Payment Solutions, will stop offering its services for the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange from Sept. 25.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fidelity Investment is reportedly close to filing its own Bitcoin ETF. NFT traders seek liquidity. Singapore eyes asset tokenization.