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The Bitcoin mining difficulty level fell 3.59% on Tuesday morning in Asia, after some U.S. mining firms unplugged due to deadly winter storms over the holiday season on top of continued cash shortages mainly caused by low Bitcoin prices and high energy costs. 

Barry Silbert, the CEO of Digital Currency Group rejected claims that the company borrowed US$1.6 billion from its Genesis Global Capital.

Hong Kong’s financial services providers, including local brokers and fund managers, are seeking advice to prepare for new licensing requirements which will allow them to provide services to retail traders, according to a media report.

Despite a potential regulatory crackdown, 1inch Network’s Sergej Kunz believes institutions will start adopting DeFi on a large scale.

In the post-FTX world, crypto exchanges must offer stronger protection for investors’ assets, writes Colin Brooks, chairman of the advisory board of Hex Trust.

OKB, the utility token of OKX, jumped by up to 15% during Asia trading hours on Monday. OKT, the native token of the OKX Chain, was up 13%.

On-chain data showed that Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, sent around 570 Ether worth US$684,000 to a Seychelles-based exchange and Ren Protocol’s Bitcoin bridge on Wednesday

The past year has been tumultuous for crypto investors, with a bear market wiping out over half of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. However, with the end of the American tax year just days ahead, taxpayers could get some money back.

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas is temporarily holding US$3.5 billion of digital assets seized from FTX Digital Markets

A downward spiral of an algorithmic stablecoin was the beginning of the cryptocurrency industry’s troubles in 2022. Former Mt.Gox CEO Mark Karpelès says that the stablecoin drama is not over.

Bitcoin and Ether inched down during Asia trading hours on Friday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading losses among the top 10 largest non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies had a turbulent 2022 to say the least. Blockchain technology made progress but that failed to offset the multiple bankruptcies and hacks that plagued the industry through the year.

“China Digital Asset Trading Platform,” a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace developed by state-owned entities and a private sector firm, has been set for launch on Jan. 1, 2023, state media outlet China Daily reported on Tuesday. See related article: NFTs ruled virtual property in China, its sales protected by law  Fast facts See related article: […]

Bitcoin and Ether dropped slightly during Asian trading hours on Thursday afternoon, with XRP leading losses across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Ponzi schemes, investment scams and rug pulls have drained billions from crypto users in recent years. What new kinds of crypto crimes are on the horizon?

South Korea took a real shine to the metaverse in 2022, with the central government, regions and cities all interested in getting a piece of the virtual reality pie, despite criticism that the technology has a long way to go.

Japan-based game company Gumi has announced a business alliance with Square Enix SBI Holdings to grow its metaverse business.

Bitcoin miner Argo Blockchain PLC’s stock price spiked by more than 100% during U.K. trading hours on Wednesday and to close 73.33% higher on the London Stock Exchange.

Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to enter a plea deal next week to fraud charges connected to the collapse of cryptocurrency FTX Reuters reported.

Former customers of FTX have filed a class action lawsuit against the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange and its top executives, including Sam Bankman-Fried, to seek priority rights to repayment before any non-customer creditors.  

From Terra and FTX crises to Ethereum’s triumphant Merge and China’s inventive NFT industry, Forkast reviews a rollercoaster year and its consequences.

After a year of new all-time highs for major cryptocurrencies in 2021, 2022 was a challenging year for Web3. Industry experts tell Forkast what crypto has in store for 2023 and beyond.

India loves religious festivals, but are its citizens ready to attend such celebrations in virtual reality? An Indian startup reckons they are and launched its first effort this year, saying 20,000 avatars showed up.

Blockchain browser and mining pool BTC.com said on Monday that it got hacked earlier this month, and lost around US$2.3 million of its own assets and US$700,000 of clients’ assets.

Bitcoin and Ether edged up slightly on Tuesday morning in Asia, along with nearly all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies. XRP led the gains with about 5.6%, followed by Cardano and Polygon.

The FTX collapse was a pivotal point the cryptocurrency industry needed to grow beyond just a speculative asset class, Ledger’s Alex Zinder says.

Bitcoin and Ethereum inched up in Monday afternoon trading in Asia. Most other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were little changed

Caroline Ellison, former chief executive of trading firm Alameda Research, told a federal judge last week that she agreed with executives of FTX, including former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, to mislead lenders and customers on how much Alameda was borrowing from the now-bankrupt exchange.

The Bitcoin network hashrate has dropped by more than 38.8% from its peak on Wednesday, as many U.S.-based miners have been forced to switch down their facilities due to deadly blizzards. See related article: British Columbia suspends new electricity connections for crypto miners Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin mining difficulty rises 3.27% in latest […]

ICBA vice-president Brian Laverdure believes that community banks are unfazed by FTX’s collapse, but remain split on cryptocurrencies.

This year’s cascade of crypto collapses should be a wake-up call to regulators, says the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Brian Laverdure.

Failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. has asked a bankruptcy court to keep US$450 million worth of Robinhood shares frozen, as three parties battle for the true ownership of the assets. 

A lot of the troubles for India exchanges in 2022 will run into next year as they shed staff and run down reserves to stay afloat, and not all are expected to make it.

Bankman-Fried won an upgrade from his Bahamas prison cell after posting bail following his extradition to the U.S. on Wednesday, where he faces charges for what prosecutors called “fraud of epic proportions.”

Bitcoin and Ether traded higher Friday morning in Asia, along with nearly all other non-stablecoin top 10 cryptocurrencies. Dogecoin led the gains with a rise of nearly 4.5%, followed by Cardano and XRP. BNB edged lower.

Ethan Buchman of Cosmos believes that 2023 may be the year of decentralized exchanges and more advanced cross-chain applications.

U.S. Republican Senator Pat Toomey introduced a bill on Wednesday to set regulations for stablecoins and to further “sensible” regulation of cryptocurrency.

Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, two integral members of the Sam Bankman-Fried now collapsed cryptocurrency businesses, are cooperating with prosecutors.

Despite blockchain’s potential, barriers to use still stand in the way, writes Andrew Vranjes of Blockdaemon. Solving security issues and reducing risk will be key.

Core Scientific, one of the largest publicly traded crypto mining firms in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the state of Texas on Wednesday.

Top blockchain and crypto news: US senators push for crypto KYC. SBF faces the music in US courts. Alibaba Cloud to launch blockchain node.

As crypto investors move towards self-custody following FTX’s collapse, Brian Paik wonders whether it could teach people the true value of Bitcoin, beyond hype and price speculation.

Troubled U.S.-based Bitcoin mining firm Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. has entered a debt restructuring agreement with NYDIG, a cryptocurrency service provider to which Greenidge owes US$74 million.

Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX, has signed documents in the Bahamas for extradition and is scheduled to the U.S. on Wednesday.

A S.Korean court has approved prosecutors’ request to freeze assets of US$93.3 million belonging to seven former associates of Terraform Labs.

Busan announced the steering committee for its flagship exchange, but it didn’t include global partners earlier linked to the project.

The latest Bitcoin mining difficulty level rose 3.27%, as miners continue to face cash shortages due to low Bitcoin prices and high energy costs.

Centralized exchanges releasing ‘proof of reserves’ is not enough to win back users, while improving user experience will be key, writes Holger Arians of Banxa.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in court in the Bahamas, but did not agree to be extradited to the U.S. 

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Asian trading on Monday afternoon, with XRP leading declines across the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies

The travel sector has many pain points and is ripe for disruption, writes Freddie Hickman of Hyper SQ. Here’s what blockchain can do, from tracking baggage to letting you resell your no-longer-wanted air ticket.

Patrick Lee, who cofounded Rotten Tomatoes and PKO Investments, says the US$35 million investment company has slowed Web 3.0 investments significantly.

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed on Monday after a weekend slump amid worries about a global recession and the stability of crypto exchanges.

Better awareness needed to persuade girls into blockchain careers.

Several venture funds tell Forkast they have become conservative and are only investing in ‘true believers’ of Web 3.0

Attorneys representing FTX are requesting permission from the U.S. bankruptcy court to sell four of the company’s branches: FTX Japan, FTX Europe, Embed, and LedgerX.

Putting property on-chain is a novel way of opening up opportunities for investors and landlords alike. The second article in Forkast’s three-part series on real estate tokenization explores what they stand to gain.

Julia Leung, the next chief executive of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) due to start her three-year term on Jan. 1, called for stricter crypto regulation when speaking at the city’s Fintech Week last month.

Sam Bankman-Fried has reportedly made a second application for bail in the Bahamas – this as lawyers feud over control of the FTX bankruptcy, raising concern the sour grapes may seep into efforts to have Bankman-Fried extradited to face fraud charges in the U.S.

Hong Kong launched two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking cryptocurrency futures on Friday, the first of their kind in Asia, the local exchange said.

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell Friday morning in Asia, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin crypto, as U.S. stocks had their biggest declines in weeks.

Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian entity tipped off the Securities Commission of the Bahamas about FTX violating its internal procedures in transferring customer funds to Alameda Research.

The trillion-dollar concert ticketing sector is plagued by scalping and other Web2-era problems, writes Ryan Kenny of SeatlabNFT. Here’s how blockchain can help fans and artists.

As U.S. prosecutors line up charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, Senator Elizabeth Warren is seeking to pass bipartisan regulation to rein in the “dark underbelly” of the crypto industry.

Bitcoin held onto gains in Thursday morning trading in Asia, though had pulled back from an earlier spike above US$18,000 as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in line with expectations.

An official in the South Korean city of Busan said the authorities have received no confirmation that Binance has pulled out of a partnership to establish the country’s first city-backed crypto exchange, as reported by local media.

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF denied bail, US extradition likely next. The Block chief quits over secret FTX loans. Hong Kong readies digital asset rules.

Interpol fugitive and chief of Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. Kwon Do-hyung has registered his residential address in the Republic of Serbia.

Members of a U.S. Congressional hearing expressed frustration about the timing of Bankman-Fried’s arrest, saying they wanted him to testify under oath so the public could get the answers they are seeking about the collapse of FTX.

Bitcoin and Ether both rose more than 3% in Wednesday morning in Asia, as the U.S. consumer price index came in lower than expected.

The Hong Kong SFC said that virtual asset investments offering high-interest returns on cryptocurrency deposits and those that guarantee additional assets at fixed rates are unregulated products that are not protected by law. 

Bitcoin jumped more than 5% on Tuesday evening Hong Kong time, after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said that the consumer price index (CPI), a key inflation indicator, was up 7.1% in November from a year earlier, less than the expected 7.3%, and down from 7.7% in October. The CPI rose 0.1% in November from October.