Archives

Meta is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and this will benefit its metaverse businesses, Meta’s Andrew Bosworth told Nikkei Asia.

CoinTrade said it has partnered with crypto custody platform Fireblocks to provide institutional clients with improved security for digital assets.

Amid the current banking crisis, each side is exhibiting disdain for the other when neither holds the moral high ground, writes Rachel Lin of SynFutures.

Bitcoin dipped below US$28,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia as most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies lost steam. Dogecoin led the losers.

MicroStrategy acquired 1,045 Bitcoin for around US$29.3 million, at an average price of US$28,016 per coin, between March 24 and April 4, 2023

Top blockchain and crypto news: Arbitrum to segment AIP-1. DeGods NFT collection moves to Ethereum. Crypto on the agenda at ‘China’s Davos.’

Bitcoin remained above US$28,000 in Wednesday trade in Asia. Ether made the most gains as the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization increased, except Dogecoin.

Americans spend more than US$12 billion in remittance fees each year when sending money to family and friends living overseas using the traditional financial system. However, overseas remittances using Bitcoin and Ethereum cost 96.7% less, according to research by Coinbase.

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday, moving above US$28,000. Ether, Matic and most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens gained.

Paxful Bitcoin exchange announced the indefinite suspension of the marketplace on Tuesday, citing regulatory challenges and staff departures.

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, recovered to trade above US$28,000 on Tuesday afternoon in Asia.

Alchemy Pay is eyeing expansion in South Korea following its US$10 million funding from blockchain investment firm DWF Labs.

Three Canadian cryptocurrency companies announced a merger on Monday, creating Canada’s largest crypto asset trading platform with over 1.65 million registered users.

Bitcoin dipped below US$28,000 in mixed Tuesday morning trading in Asia. Ether rose. Dogecoin surged after Elon Musk switched the Twitter icon to Dogecoin’s Shiba Inu.

The Philippines has licensing requirements and proactively monitors crypto firms, while the US regulates by enforcement only after consumers are already badly hurt, writes Robert De Guzman of Coins.ph.

Bitcoin fell and traded below US$28,000 in Monday afternoon trade in Asia. Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization also declined.

Despite Web3’s vast potential, it’s still too clunky and opaque to most people, writes Miles Parry of MPCH Labs. Here’s what can make it more user-friendly.

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has been ordered to comply with Japan’s regulatory requirements and cease offering services to Japanese residents, after Japan’s Financial Services Agency issued a warning to the company over its registration process

Taking bribes in exchange for listing cryptocurrencies has been common practice among South Korean exchanges, one expert told Forkast.

Seattle-based crypto exchange Bittrex, Inc. will wind down its U.S. operations from April 30, citing continued regulatory uncertainty in the region.

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia but held above US$28,000. Most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos dropped following a week unsettled by regulatory woes.

Largest Solana NFT DeGods has started its migration to Ethereum just days after Y00ts began to move to Polygon.

With a U.S. regulator coming after Binance with a lawsuit and the seeming mounting pile of warnings and fines against other exchanges in the country, Bitcoin briefly skidded below US$26,677 only to rebound and pop up above US$29,000 on Thursday. Since then it has moved along the US$28,000 line, so what does this lawsuit by the heavyweight Commodity Futures Trading Commission mean for the broader crypto market?

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, while the rest of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization were mixed, amid mounting allegations against Binance

Government officials from Hong Kong and mainland China talked about cryptocurrencies at the Boao Forum in China, as both chase Web3 ambitions.

Japan’s Finance Ministry is reportedly planning to launch an expert panel next month to assess the feasibility of issuing a digital yen, according to NHK.

U.S.-based Bitcoin miner TeraWulf, which started operations in March last year, reported a 146% surge in revenue in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the previous quarter, citing expanded mining capacity. 

A South Korean court dismissed for the second time a request by prosecutors for an arrest warrant for Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin.

Bitcoin dipped in Friday morning trading in Asia but held above US$28,000. The top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies traded mixed. Binance’s BNB led the winners.

From the ashes of Lehman Brothers to this year’s bank failures, Bitcoin has proven itself as a necessary part of the global financial system, writes Mike Belshe, CEO of BitGo.

Bitcoin, the only gainer in the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, rose during Asian trading hours on Thursday.

Hong Kong-based asset management firm Plutus VC plans to raise US$100 million by the end of 2023 to fund investments in the cryptocurrency market, according to a Bloomberg report. The fundraising comes as the city moves to regain its status as an international finance and crypto hub.

The U.S. may have gained an edge in a race with South Korea to extradite Terra chief Kwon Do-hyung from Montenegro on charges of fraud.

Hong Kong may issue virtual asset trading licenses to at least eight cryptocurrency-related firms by the end of this year as part of the city’s new crypto licensing regime, said Angelina Kwan, chief executive officer of financial services firm Stratford Finance and a former regulator of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.

The Binance comments came in response to a Financial Times article that cited internal documents and said the company had close ties with China despite claims it had left the country in 2017 following a government crackdown.

Bitcoin edged above US$28,000 in Thursday morning in Asia amid a broad rally in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

The blockchain world is hampered by many of the same problems as the early internet, writes Amrit Kumar of Altlayer. What could RaaS do for the industry?

SEC Chair urges for increased funding to address challenges posed by crypto markets and rapid technological innovation during House Subcommittee testimony.

The SEC has charged the Beaxy crypto trading platform and its executives for operating as an unregistered exchange, broker, and clearing agency.

Binance reportedly hid ties to China for years despite claiming to have left the country following Beijing’s regulatory clampdown in 2017.

Dubai-based Fasset says Indonesia digital asset adoption is still in early stages, but the country’s young population is taking to crypto faster, encouraging exchanges to move in despite infrastructure constraints.

Russia has postponed the trial of a digital ruble originally scheduled for April 1, as it awaits a regulatory framework to be adopted before the pilot, according to a report by state-owned news agency TASS.

European lawmakers have adopted legislation imposing a €1,000 (US$1,084) cap on anonymous cryptocurrency transactions, as part of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) package.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance targeted in CFTC lawsuit. Law catches up with Do Kwon. Chinese banks bet on Hong Kong crypto.

Bitcoin rallied above US$28,000 in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia after losing ground earlier in the week when U.S. regulators filed a lawsuit against Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly breaching trading rules.

Binance saw about US$627 million in net Ethereum-related withdrawals in the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, data from blockchain analytics platform Nansen showed.

Bitcoin rebounded in Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. XRP led the winners.

Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange OKX said it will apply for virtual asset licenses to operate digital asset services in Hong Kong.

Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly paid US$40 million in cryptocurrency bribes to at least one Chinese government official in November 2021.

Asia-Pacific nation are leading the way in developing global cryptocurrency regulations that favor innovation, which is something that U.S. regulators should also take note of, said Ripple Labs Inc. President Monica Long

Entertainment conglomerate Walt Disney Co. has reportedly scrapped its metaverse plans as part of its decision to lay off 7,000 employees and reduce US$5.5 billion in expenses. 

Bitcoin and Ether continued to fall in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after regulators in the U.S. pulled up Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly violating trading mandates.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said the charges are “an unexpected and disappointing civil complaint” in response to the CFTC lawsuit filed on Monday against him and the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Kwon Do-hyung will be held in Montenegro for a month on charges of using forged travel documents, South Korea’s Yonhap News reported.

For long, people could only put cash into a bank account or under the mattress, writes Eric Johnson. Will blockchain technology offer a viable alternative?

Bitcoin fell Tuesday morning in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies after the U.S. filed a lawsuit against Binance.

Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao have been sued by the CFTC for allegedly violating derivative rules

MicroStrategy acquired 6,555 Bitcoin for around US$150 million, at an average price of US$23,238 per coin, between Feb. 16 and March 23

Bitcoin rose while Ether and most of the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies fell during afternoon trading in Asia on Monday.

China banks in Hong Kong are offering services to crypto businesses, Bloomberg reported on Monday, as more digital asset firms operate in the city.

The Group of Seven industrial countries will discuss tougher rules on cryptocurrencies to improve transparency, protect investors.

Bitcoin and the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies rose on Monday morning in Asia, as investors diversify amid the ongoing banking turmoil.

Zipmex cryptocurrency exchange’s US$100 million venture capital buyout may be in danger, after buyer V Ventures missed the US$1.25 million payment due on March 23

As banking contagion worries reignited, Bitcoin traded firmly above US$28,000 for most of the week. Considering that Bitcoin was made for a potential banking crisis, industry experts are eyeing the US$30,000 mark for BTC.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Litecoin posting the biggest gains.

Hong Kong’s new crypto licensing regime isn’t the only bullish sign for the city’s digital asset industry, says Signum Digital, the first company to win a preliminary license to handle securitized tokens in the city.

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty level rose 7.56% on Friday, hitting an all-time high along with the network’s hashrate, showing miners are applying more computing power.

Bitcoin bounced back above US$28,000 on Friday morning in Asia amid a rebound in all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies and gains in equities overnight.

Angelina Kwan, who helped shape early Hong Kong automated trading services and internet trading regulation, told Forkast the upcoming virtual asset licensing regime is almost identical to that for traditional financial institutions.

South Korea’s police said they confirmed the identity of a man arrested in Montenegro, Europe, as the Terraform Labs co-founder Kwon Do-hyung, who is wanted on charges of fraud related to the collapse of the stablecoin and cryptocurrency project he led.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Binance’s BNB sustaining the biggest loss in the top 10.

A former employee of the Coinone exchange was arrested Tuesday on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies.