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Fantom has overtaken Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to become the third-largest blockchain in decentralized finance (DeFi) as measured by total value locked (TVL), according to DeFiLlama. Fast facts Fantom’s TVL bucked the global crypto market downtrend and increased more than 60% to US$12.2 billion over the past week, as of publishing time. Fantom is an […]

Solana-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Burnt Finance, best known for burning then tokenizing street artist Banksy’s artwork, announced on Tuesday an $8 million Series A funding round led by Animoca Brands. Fast facts Other investors in this round include Alameda Research, Multicoin Capital, Valor Capital, Figment, Spartan Capital, HashKey, Terra and Fantom.  Burnt Finance got […]

If 2021 was a breakout year for crypto, this year may mark a similar advance for regulation of the industry, says Caroline Malcolm, Chainalysis’ new policy chief.

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 […]

In a special Q&A, a core contributor to the rapidly expanding Cosmos ecosystem discusses the ‘internet of blockchains’ and the new cross-chain economy.

Bearish concerns over Federal Reserve rate hikes show a continued correlation with traditional markets, but industry watchers see changing dynamics at play.

Dogecoin rallied 31% when Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will accept it for payment of “merch.”

Metizens can already attend concerts, visit art galleries and earn money in a metaverse, writes Joe Caselin of Hex Trust. What’s coming next?

Macroeconomic factors and a spate of bad news override bullish outlook in crypto market as the year lurches toward its end.

South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) recently launched an intensive tax investigation into blockchain and crypto venture capital firm Hashed, while its CEO denies any involvement in slush fund raising or tax evasion, according to local media reports. Fast facts Hashed confirmed that it had cooperated with the 4th Bureau of Investigation from the Seoul […]

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

Tourism officials want to attract more crypto-wealthy travelers to Thailand’s shimmering shores. But will the crypto faithful come if Thailand still has a ban on SHIB and Dogecoin?

For the second weekend in a row, markets were hit with a massive shock due to external factors. Market watchers weigh in on price movements and what to expect.

Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear, also K-pop bets on digital assets

As the market recovers from a weekend sell-off, Terra and Shiba Inu tokens shine bright while Ethereum eyes new price heights. What’s behind their rally?

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

Omicron hits markets meanwhile Japanese novel released as NFT

The impact was relatively short-lived, and many major tokens had already retraced most of their positions from Friday coming in Asia business hours.

The securities markets regulator ordered $3.85B in fines, while new actions included ‘emerging threats’ in the crypto industry.

Ethereum’s sprawling Web 3.0 ecosystem — which includes the majority of the decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain gaming worlds — continues to expand and draw users, with 3.4 million Ethereum addresses interacting with DeFi protocols, according to ConsenSys’ Web 3 Q3 2021 report published this week. Led by Ethereum co-founder Joseph […]

Digital assets are disrupting financial services in ways not seen since the Middle Ages, writes Alex Tapscott of Ninepoint Partners. Here is the taxonomy for the future of finance.

CMCC Global, a venture capital firm based in Hong Kong, is targeting US$300 million worth of assets in its latest crypto fund, according to Bloomberg. Fast facts Since being launched in April, CMCC’s fourth digital asset fund has gathered assets close to an estimated value of US$90 million with a goal to reach the US$300 […]

As Ethereum surges to a new all-time high, 50 fintech experts surveyed by Finder offer predictions on ETH’s year-end and longer-term price outlook.

As international regulators seek to implement oversight, crypto industry players say it is a positive sign that regulators are now considering including stablecoins in banking regulations.

Stablecoins combine the portability of crypto with the price stability of fiat currencies. But are they all that stable?

Evergrande debt woes hit crypto meanwhile Mooncakes are in the metaverse

Crypto investors and industry watchers are following closely the potential collapse of Chinese property giant Evergrande.

AVAX and SHIB outperform Bitcoin, which gained in price but shied from the $50K mark.

Despite significant losses across the board, industry experts are not too concerned, seeing the plunge as normal market behavior.

TokenSociety.io, a non-fungible token minting platform and marketplace for the entertainment industry, has completed its first NFT Drop for the pilot episode of “Men of the House,” a situation comedy TV series, the company announced today. Fast facts The pilot episode of “Men of the House” is completely financed through the sale of its NFTs […]

India crypto exchanges allow bank deposits while FTT token on a roll

While DeFi has historically moved with the Ethereum price, the latest all-time high in total value locked in can largely be attributed to new blockchains purpose-built for the sector and institutional interest.

The Bank of Thailand today published the results of its retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) study and public survey, which the central bank says will guide the development of the country’s CBDC pilot test. Fast facts The Bank of Thailand underscored that a CBDC for the general public “must not adversely affect monetary policy […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: A darkweb stain is scrubbed away. Solana’s moment in the sun. Alibaba huddles with Tencent.

Solana price hits new record and enters top 10, beating Uniswap, following launch of blockchain communication bridge Wormhole and sellout debut of Degenerate Ape NFTs.

In a special Q&A, Mukaya ‘Tai’ Panich of SCB 10X, the venture arm of Siam Commercial Bank, marvels at decentralized finance innovations. ‘Whatever traditional finance has, there’s a parallel version in DeFi.’

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that the United States needs “to act quickly to ensure there is an appropriate U.S. regulatory framework in place” for stablecoins. Fast facts Yellen made her comments at a Meeting of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, held on July 19. According to a readout of the meeting, […]

As issuer Circle prepares to list and China sounds the alarm over speculation, the mood among regulators is mixed, despite stablecoins’ clear appeal to investors.

Oracle platform Band Protocol is aiming to enable data providers like Google Cloud and Bloomberg to work better with decentralized applications.

Cosmos’s DeFi capital pulling power is set to get stronger as Gravity DEX launches, with Gravity Bridge and the Emeris DeFi portal on the way.

Solidifying its stance against cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, the Bank of Thailand declared yesterday that it does not support the use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment, likening crypto transactions to “barter trade” as the bank does not consider crypto legal tender. Fast facts Siritida Panomwon Na Ayudhya, assistant governor of payment systems policy for […]

Warning comes as Beijing ramps up efforts to internationalize China’s currency through launch of digital yuan.

The Bank of Israel is testing its central bank digital currency, the digital Shekel, in a private permissioned ecosystem using Ethereum.

In a new report, Bank for International Settlements extols central bank digital currency (CBDC) as the future of money. Will CBDCs replace Bitcoin someday?

Iron Finance, once a DeFi darling, went from billions to bust in a day. Should investors have seen the crash coming? How stable are algorithmic stablecoins?

The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) is partnering with enterprise software firm R3 on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) sandbox.

As Singapore builds Project Dunbar, a cross-border multiple-CBDC platform, its government dives into DeFi learning and ponders a CBDC for the masses.

Alpha Finance Lab has developed an oracle aggregator with data from oracle providers Band Protocol and Chainlink to address challenges related to scalability, flexibility and security as the decentralized finance landscape continues its rapid evolution. A data oracle is a platform that combines and integrates real-world data and application programming interfaces that control smart contracts. […]

Is it all those new Ethereum ETFs, rising demand for Ethereum from DeFi and NFTs, or lower gas fees fueling ETH’s price jump to yet another all-time high?

The private sector-led Digital Dollar Project is planning CBDC pilots for the US. How are central bank digital currency efforts and progress different in Asia?

Thailand has issued fresh orders to tighten regulations on new cryptocurrency accounts, requiring customers to appear in person.

Binance’s BUSD and Huobi’s HUSD dominated their stablecoin rivals in the first three months of this year. Why is Asia hungry for alternatives to fiat?

JPMorgan, DBS and Temasek launch Partior to digitize commercial money as stablecoin transaction volume surge in Asia-centric exchanges.

Thailand’s crypto adoption is often overlooked, but one of its largest commercial banks has been leveraging permissioned blockchain Corda of R3 to digitize trade finance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Headlined by crypto art superstars Beeple and Robert Alice, the in-person exhibit also features works by Chinese artists. Next stop: Shanghai.

The siloed nature of many older blockchains is holding back DeFi’s potential, writes Sarah Kim of Terra. But help with greater interoperability is on the horizon.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Japan’s SBI Crypto opens mining pool to public. In China, more companies turn to crypto to boost bottom line.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority intensifies its CBDC efforts with a new study into ‘hybrid’ digital currencies and private CBDC-backed stablecoins.

Countries around the world are exploring central bank digital currencies. But US and European central bank leaders say they value stability over speed.

Thailand’s central bank says it is ‘open’ to considering stablecoins but declares Terra’s THT to be illegal. What does this mean for Tether or USD Coin?

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: As China tightens vise on crypto, Beijing to host 60-artist crypto art exhibition featuring NFT superstar Beeple.

In a special interview, Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon also discusses the critical role of government in encouraging greater blockchain adoption.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

The financial watchdog’s ruling would prevent cash from being loaned out for bitcoin and other cryptocurrency. Forkast.News analyzes its likely impact on the sector.