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CEL has dropped 53.1% over the past 24 hours and was trading at US$0.20, at press time, according to CoinGecko.  Fast facts Crypto staking and lending platform Celsius Network paused user withdrawals, swaps, and transfers on Monday, citing “extreme market conditions,” driving its native token to shed more than half of its value. The lending […]

An open and interoperable metaverse economy will drive consumer activity — and it’s on a similar track for growth as e-commerce, writes Ben Caselin of AAX.

Indian crypto investors got lucky after February’s tax announcements reduced trading activities ahead of the market crash, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of online stockbroker Zerodha said. See related article: Short selling is good for any market, including crypto: Jim Rogers Fast facts “Even when trading stocks, the biggest reason for losses is trying to […]

A proposed US crypto bill may place crypto under the CFTC’s primary oversight, but that won’t exclude the SEC from the industry, Sidley Austin’s Lilya Tessler says.

Singapore investment behemoth Temasek has been in the digital asset space for several years, and it’s doubling down on its commitment, says its blockchain chief.

As the Terra saga continues to unfold, Do Kwon loses an appeal against the SEC. Meanwhile, Circle’s head of policy slams CBDCs.

Cryptocurrencies can offer citizens in emerging economies a potential buffer against runaway inflation and financial mismanagement by governments. But buying them increasingly means navigating onerous regulations and punishing taxes.

India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran compared cryptocurrencies to the “world of Caribbean pirates” in the absence of regulation where “winners take it all” from somebody else, local media reported.  Fast facts See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Cryptocurrencies fail to satisfy basic requirements such as having store value, widespread […]

Head of policy for stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Financial, Dante Disparte, called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) a “preposterous idea” during a panel Wednesday at Consensus 2022. See related article: CBDCs, stablecoins can coexist: Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard Fast facts Disparte later added the Fed issuing its own digital dollar is “the equivalent idea […]

With so-called stablecoins coming under a cloud from the multibillion-dollar collapse last month of the TerraUST stablecoin, Forkast spoke to Singapore-based investor and financial commentator Jim Rogers for his view on these types of coins as well as the relevance of short sellers in the cryptocurrency market. The former cofounder of the Quantum Fund and […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance BNB slips amid allegations. STEPN marches through attacks. Is China’s slowdown straining crypto prices?

Falling prices, an imploding stablecoin, and more reports of hacks have occupied the cryptocurrency headlines in recent weeks, so it’s perhaps no surprise that regulators have noticed and they intend to do something about it.

Nine cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, including crypto exchange FTX, made it to the 2022 list of the Forbes Fintech 50 released Tuesday, with all nine raising a total of US$6.5 billion in venture capital, according to the business magazine. See related article: FTX.US forays into stock trading Fast facts The latest list features private companies […]

The downturn is forcing Web3 firms into a reset — and opening opportunities for Web2 entrepreneurs to enter the playing field, writes Lily Z. King of Cobo.

Bitcoin’s total year-to-date inflows passed the half-billion mark at US$506 million after adding US$126 million last week, digital asset manager CoinShares reported.  See related article: Crypto market reverses course after strong start to the week Fast facts Ethereum, on the other hand, saw outflows totaling US$32 million, enduring negative investor sentiment with nine straight weeks […]

The Fed’s new No. 2 is ahead of the curve in her thinking — which bodes well for crypto’s future around the world, writes a former colleague of Brainard.

The prospect of tighter codes for the crypto industry has given some players the jitters. Others, such as Crypto.com’s Eric Anziani, see it as an opportunity.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat cautioned retail investors to steer clear of investments in cryptocurrencies, saying the nascent asset class “is a highly risky area.”  See related article: Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto Fast facts Many investors suffered losses and even lost their life savings in the recent meltdown […]

Wall Street did it! At least that is one of the theories about the cause of the nearly US$50 billion meltdown of Terraform Labs stablecoin and LUNA cryptocurrency. How does that stand up?

Ethereum gained over 10% in 24 hours to reach US$2,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after spending the better part of a week below the mark. Ethereum was trading at US$1,985 at press time. See related article: Bitcoin, Ethereum, crypto at 2022’s lowest point Fast facts The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency hit a low of US$1,721 […]

The Reserve Bank of India explores digital rupee options. Meanwhile, Terra’s new Luna coin drops significantly since launch.

The Singapore-based banking behemoth may have found its reach constrained in retail crypto markets, but it still has big plans, CEO Piyush Gupta tells Forkast.

STEPN on Friday said it would stop providing Global Positioning System (GPS) and Internet Protocol (IP) location services to users in mainland China starting mid-July. See related article: Chinese runners offer substitute running to earn STEPN’s GMT for commission Fast facts STEPN said the move was made to abide by Chinese regulations and that it […]

U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could coexist and complement stablecoins in her Thursday testimony to a House Financial Services Committee virtual hearing. See related article: CBDC tracker shows U.S. falling further behind Fast facts CBDCs are digital currencies released and backed by central banks, while stablecoins […]

Governments around the world are racing to develop their own digital currencies, but an e-HKD may not make sense for Hong Kong’s people. John Mitchell of Episode Six explains why Hong Kong is unique.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Billions cut ties with Tether. Are Terra’s UST troubles just beginning? China’s miners stay one step ahead.

If buying a home is the American Dream and key to building wealth, what is that like in the metaverse? Crypto newcomer Joel Stein finds out.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das said in a local media interview that the central bank has rightly been cautioning against cryptocurrencies, following the collapse of Terra’s UST and LUNA.  See related article: RBI calls for crypto ban in India, again Fast facts Das told CNBC TV18 on Monday that if crypto had […]

Tether, the operator of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has seen US$10 billion of its market capitalization shaved off since TerraUSD’s (UST) collapse.  See related article: Nearly half of Tether reserves are now in US Treasury bills Fast facts USDT’s market capitalization was at US$73.35 billion at the time of publishing, following an all-time high […]

South Korean LUNA investors file lawsuit against Terra. Meanwhile, Singapore’s High Court blocks sale of a Bored Ape NFT.

Commercial paper backing Tether (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, has decreased by 17% from US$24.2 billion in Q4 2021 to US$20.1 billion in Q1 2022, according to Tether’s latest attestation report.  See related article: Tether slashes commercial paper, shows more reserves than liabilities Fast facts Commercial paper in Tether reserves has been reduced by an […]

The man at the center of one of crypto’s biggest flops is trying to resurrect the Terra-LUNA project as his tribe of followers and out-of-pocket investors want to know what went wrong.

South Korean investors that have been financially damaged by the TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA fiasco are reportedly seeking legal action and applying for property seizure from Terraform Labs CEO Kwon Do-hyung. See related article: S.Korean lawmaker proposes summoning Do Kwon to the National Assembly  Fast facts Local law firm LKB & Partners has made a […]

Mike Novogratz, founder and CEO of crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital, broke his weeklong silence on the TerraUSD turmoil, claiming “the global macro backdrop has been brutal for all risk assets this year” and that the UST is “a big idea that failed.” See related article: Blood moon: Terra’s LUNA rescue plan panned by industry, […]

Forkast sat down with Singapore’s biggest bank for insights into crypto regulations in the city-state. Singapore has a reputation for planning far ahead, so what’s in store for cryptocurrencies?

South Korea’s ruling party lawmaker Yun Chang-hyun said Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon should be called in for a parliamentary hearing on the collapse of the company’s stablecoin and cryptocurrency. See related article: News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated Fast facts Yun at Tuesday’s National Assembly session said investors had been damaged by the debacle […]

TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA’s crash is causing tension among South Korean play-to-earn (P2E) projects and their tokens, such as C2X, a blockchain gaming project on the Terra mainnet developed by Com2uS. See related article: Do Kwon proposes Terra fork to ditch UST and ‘LUNA Classic’ Fast facts Local gaming giant Com2uS’s P2E cryptocurrency C2X saw […]

Parts of the Indian economy can lead to “dollarization” due to cryptocurrencies, which would be against the national interest, top officials of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told a parliamentary panel, according to local media. See related article: India’s financial stability at risk from cryptos: IMF Fast facts Local media quoted unnamed officials in […]

The Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) Monday said it is looking to use assets remaining with it to compensate UST users, prioritizing the smallest holders first. See related article: News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated Fast facts The Singapore-based foundation was left with 313 Bitcoin compared with 80,393 Bitcoin on May 7, LFG said on its […]

South Korean financial regulators have reportedly begun an emergency assessment of digital assets, geared toward accelerating the establishment of the “Digital Asset Basic Act” — the country’s upcoming regulation on cryptocurrencies. See related article: LUNA pumps and dumps repeatedly in weekend’s roller coaster run Fast facts The LUNA debacle will likely speed up the enactment […]

The price of LUNA, the native token of Terra, is now as volatile as low-cap meme currencies, and is currently at 23,716.5% from its all-time low set on Friday, according to CoinGecko data. See related article: UST loses dollar peg as Terra market cap slumps Fast facts The Terra network suffered a major meltdown last […]

LUNA, the collateral used by Terraform Labs to back its TerraUSD (UST), has been in a freefall. But experts tell Forkast the crisis is likely to make the pioneering stablecoin stronger, and the community behind stablecoins better.

The wife of the CEO of Terraform Labs sought protection after an unidentified individual visited their home in South Korea, local police told Forkast.

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has bought a 7.6% stake in Robinhood for US$648 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts Bankman-Fried bought the stake through a firm called […]

The world’s largest stablecoin destroyed a total of 3 billion USDT tokens in an account known as Tether Treasury through two separate burns on Thursday, according to data from blockchain tracker Whale Alert. See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts “Burn burn burn,” […]

Bitcoin’s price has dipped to its lowest point since December 2020 amidst bearish cryptocurrency market sentiments to trade at US$28,652, according to CoinMarketCap data at press time. See related article: Terra LUNA’s sacrifice pushes UST to US$0.84 Fast facts The crypto bear run extended on Thursday, as China’s inflation rose by 1.5% in April from […]

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen cites UST’s downfall as warning over stablecoins. Meanwhile, China postpones Asian Games and e-CNY rollout.

Almost US$250 billion has been wiped from the cryptocurrency market since Thursday, with Bitcoin tumbling below US$35,000 on Monday for the first time since February. See related article: Bitcoin falls with Nasdaq’s worst performance since 2020 Fast facts Fellow market leader Ethereum was trading at US$2,532 at press time. Terra LUNA was among the biggest […]

Pantera Capital, a U.S. hedge fund specialized in cryptocurrency investment, has closed about 10 deals in India, including one with crypto unicorn CoinDCX, Paul Veradittakit, a partner at Pantera, told The Economic Times. See related article: Temasek leads $200M funding round in crypto firm Amber Fast facts “We plan on doing a lot more (investments) […]

MicroStrategy Inc., the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, reported a total revenue of US$119.3 million in Q1, a 2.9% year-over-year decrease. See related article: Terra’s US$10 billion Bitcoin Bet Sends LUNA to Record High Fast facts As of March 31, MicroStrategy’s 129,218 BTC under management had a carrying value of US$2.896 billion and a […]

There’s never a dull moment in the news business. Now, as media outlets explore blockchain, the Associated Press’s Dwayne Desaulniers says more change is coming.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Crisis response brings crypto relief. North Korea’s Lazarus Group named in Ronin hack. NFTs face new risks in China.

The stablecoin market cap grew by US$23 billion in an otherwise lackluster market for crypto assets, according to a quarterly report by CoinGecko. See related article: Bitcoin follows blue chips south amid market turmoil Fast facts Stablecoins were among the biggest beneficiaries from investor “derisking” into stablecoins, CoinGecko said in its report, with USDT remaining […]

News of officials planning to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet by US$95 billion a month weighed on risk assets globally including Bitcoin which dropped about 5% Thursday early morning Asia time. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market on the rise along with global markets Fast facts Bitcoin fell as much as 4.7% on sell off […]

Our virtual and in-person events bring people together to join conversations that matter. Previous Events Crypto Rising CBDCS & Stablecoins: The Asia Perspective We are in a history defining moment where money is evolving. It’s not easy to replicate cash, and central bankers around the world face unique challenges. The U.S. is softening up to […]

Bitcoin is now a reserve asset for Terra’s UST. What does this portend for the $186 billion stablecoins market?

RockX Tuesday said it raised US$6 million in series A funding, valuing the crypto staking platform serving institutional and high net worth investors at about US$30 million. Fast facts The funding was led by digital asset platform Amber Group and other crypto industry leaders including Matrixport, Primitive Ventures, FBG Capital, Draper Dragon, IMO Ventures, Alpha […]

Stablecoins are taking the world by storm and it’s the US dollar that outweighs any other fiat-backed cryptocurrency. What are the reasons for the greenback’s dominance?

Polkadot parachain Acala and its Kusama-based counterpart Karura are integrating with cross-chain bridge Wormhole, bridging its decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems with eight major Layer 1 blockchains.  See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts The Wormhole integration will bridge Acala and Karura to Ethereum, Solana, […]

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, crossed US$47,000 on Monday Asia time after a sudden spike, the first time since early January.  See related story: Bitcoin wakes up to pass $40,000 before going back to sleep Fast facts Bitcoin has traded below US$45,000 since January, but broke out to trade at US$46,823 on Monday […]

Volatility has been the name of the game in the past few months, but experts tell Forkast that may be coming to an end.

Opensea, an NFT marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain founded in 2017, currently dominates the NFT landscape with a market share of over 80% as of February 2022. OpenSea’s monthly trading volume on Ethereum soared to a new record high of US$5 billion in January 2022, surpassing its previous peak of US$3 billion reached in August […]

Traditional banks are failing the nearly 2 billion people in the world without access to financial services, writes Khalid Howladar. But DeFi can be a lifeline.

Investors believe Bitcoin will stand its ground this year but in the altcoins world, some rising stars are brimming with potential.

The global cryptocurrency market cap recovered above US$2 trillion since dropping below the mark in mid-February, in a US$200 billion 12-hour run.  See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market tank as Putin declares war on Ukraine Fast facts Bitcoin’s price jumped over US$2,000 in a 10-minute window from 6:30 am HKT Tuesday to mark a ceiling […]

Trading volume in Ukrainian crypto exchange Kuna has more than tripled by Friday since Russia invaded the Eastern European nation, according to CoinGecko data.  See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market tank as Putin declares war on Ukraine Fast facts The 24-hour trading volume at Kuna was at around US$1.5 million on Thursday morning Asia time, […]

The cryptocurrency market took a nosedive in what was already seeming like a day in the red zone after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “special military operation” for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.”  See related article: Crypto market tumbles amid uncertainty over Russia and Ukraine Fast facts The global cryptocurrency market cap dipped […]

Axie Infinity breaks $4BN mark. Meanwhile, China’s brewing metaverse frenzy sees over 16,000 trademark applications.

Investor relief at last week’s slight market rebound gave way to concerns over military tensions in Ukraine, sending crypto and traditional markets reeling.

Bitcoin led a market-wide sell-off Thursday night Asia time by losing almost 8% coming into business hours Friday Asia time, and was trading at US$40,578 at press time. See related article: Is Bitcoin’s rocky start to 2022 a sign of things to come? Fast facts All other major tokens were down around the same amount, […]

2022 will see a flowering ecosystem of blockchains working together, writes Will Harborne of DeversiFi. Here’s what the multi-chain future will look like.

Ethereum’s price is expected to reach US$7,609 this year, although it is expected to end the year at around US$6,500, according to Australian fintech Finder’s panel of 33 crypto specialists.  Fast facts In the long term, the panel predicted that Ethereum’s price will reach US$10,810 by the end of 2025, and US$26,338 by the end […]