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Binance among top Bitcoin receivers of Bitzlato’s illegal funds, FinCEN says

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury that combats financial crimes, has named Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, as one of the top three receiving counterparties of Bitzlato Ltd. 

FTX chief John Ray mulls resurrection of collapsed crypto exchange

FTX is exploring options to revive its bankrupt international cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.com, CEO John Ray told the Wall Street Journal.

Cardano expresses interest in buying CoinDesk from cash-strapped Digital Currency Group

Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson said he is considering acquiring CoinDesk, the media arm of the struggling Digital Currency Group.

Digital Currency Group’s crypto brokerage Genesis Global Capital files for bankruptcy

Crypto brokerage firm Genesis Global Capital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday in the Southern District of New York.

Stuck in stone? Why DLT transactions should be reversible

Why insist that ‘code is law’ when the reality is riddled with human error, sloppy design and tampering? Paul Madsen of HBAR Foundation reexamines one of the central tenets of blockchain technology.

Markets: Bitcoin bounces back above US$21,000, Cardano gains amid CoinDesk speculation

Bitcoin and Ether rebounded Friday morning in Asia along with all of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Cardano and Ripple led the gains.

Universal digital payments network for stablecoins, CBDCs launches at Davos

The Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN), which aims to offer interoperability between regulated stablecoins and CBDCs, was launched today at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

S. Korean city Busan to launch digital commodities exchange, shelves crypto

Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, announced Thursday that it will launch a digital commodities exchange in the second half of this year.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ethereum extend losses

Bitcoin and Ethereum fell Thursday afternoon in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies on market concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve may increase interest rates further to tackle inflation. 

National Australia Bank to launch AUDN stablecoin: report

National Australia Bank, one of the four major banks in the country, has created a stablecoin AUDN for cross-border transactions and carbon credit trading, according to an Australian Financial Review report. 

Former FTX U.S. CEO Sam Bankman-Fried rejects liquidators’ claim of recovered assets

Founder and former chief executive of FTX U.S., Sam Bankman-Fried, has rejected claims by the company’s current leadership made in a presentation on Tuesday that the team has only recovered US$181 million worth of funds from the exchange.

Singapore-based crypto unicorn Amber Group slashes Hong Kong workforce, SCMP reports

Singapore-based digital asset manager Amber Group has cut its Hong Kong staff by half to 40 to weather a slump in cryptocurrency prices and a cascade of bankruptcies in the industry.

DCG’s crypto lender Genesis may file for bankruptcy, according to Bloomberg report

Crypto brokerage firm Genesis Global Capital is preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as this week, Bloomberg reported.

Why crypto crashes are just like Nascar collisions

Small details can make a big difference on performance, and one careless error can lead to calamity. How should those in crypto drivers’ seats navigate their path?

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether fall on U.S. economy worries, hawkish Fed comments on interest rates

Bitcoin and Ether fell Thursday morning in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies on concerns about the direction of the U.S. economy and interest rates.

Cutting in the middlemen: How embracing real estate tokenization can boost business for property brokers

One of the most lauded benefits of bricks-and-mortar tokenization is less intermediary involvement in transactions. Tokenization can certainly make real estate investment cheaper and more efficient, but it’s also a potential win for property professionals.

Coinbase asks Japan customers to withdraw holdings as it halts operations

Coinbase Global Inc., the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, has asked customers in Japan to withdraw crypto and fiat holdings by Feb. 16, as it halts operations “to conduct a complete review” of its business in the country.

Genesis, Gemini face US charges over unregistered securities sales

Top blockchain and crypto news: SEC frowns on Genesis, Gemini. Solana soars. Will China tighten its embrace of WeChat Pay and Alipay to push its CBDC?

CFTC commissioner calls for clearer crypto regulations

Caroline Pham, commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner, has urged regulators to develop clearer crypto industry standards.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise further; Dogecoin leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum gained in Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia, while price movements of top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies were mixed, with Dogecoin leading gains.

Silvergate reports US$1 billion loss, attributes to “crisis of confidence” in crypto sector

U.S.-based cryptocurrency bank Silvergate Capital Corp., which saw clients withdraw more than US$8 billion late last year, on Tuesday reported a US$1 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2022, a slump it attributed to a “crisis of confidence” in the sector resulting from several large bankruptcies.

FTX says US$415 mln in crypto hacked since bankruptcy filing

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX told creditors that it lost around US$415 million worth of cryptocurrencies to hacks since it filed for bankruptcy.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices little changed; Polkadot gains as Solana gives up ground

Bitcoin and Ether were little changed in a muted morning of trading on Wednesday in Asia, as few top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies moved by more than 1% in either direction.

IPFS to demonstrate long distance communications in space aboard LM 400 spacecraft

IPFS will be heading to space this year to reduce latency between nodes communicating in orbit for blockchain applications, Marta Belcher of the Filecoin Foundation told Forkast.

China NFT platforms expand into Hong Kong in face of compliance risks on mainland

Hong Kong’s new digital asset-friendly policies could set the city up as the home for secondary NFT marketplaces from China as trading of ‘digital collectibles’ remains a gray area on the mainland.

Thailand’s SEC issues new regulations for crypto custody services

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand issued new rules for cryptocurrency custody services on Tuesday.

Singapore court extends crypto lender Vauld’s creditor protection to Feb. 28

The Singapore High Court has extended the creditor protection period for crypto lender Vauld to Feb. 28, as the firm has yet to come up with a revival plan

Markets: Bitcoin inches up, Ether slips; China posts 3% GDP growth for 2022

Bitcoin inched up and Ether slipped in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies trading lower on the day.

CryptoSlam, Forkast.News merge to form Web3 data intelligence platform

Web3 media company Forkast.News and blockchain data analytics firm CryptoSlam are merging to establish Forkast Labs, a media intelligence platform for the digital economy that will combine on-chain data analytics and journalism.

South Korea launches online metaverse replica of capital city Seoul to improve public services

S. Korea’s capital city opened the first stage of ‘Metaverse Seoul’ on Monday, which it claims is the first city-backed public metaverse in the world.

Crypto’s data problem: Rebuilding trust in a trustless environment

Price is the wrong measure of Web3’s true value, writes Angie Lau, editor-in-chief of Forkast. To recover from Crypto Winter, we need metrics that are less prone to whims and manipulation.

China’s digital yuan used in securities trade for the first time

See related article: China digital currency transaction volume soars to nearly US$14B Soochow Securities, a Chinese securities firm, enabled e-CNY payments on its mobile application on Monday, marking the first use case of the central bank digital currency in securities market trade, according to state-backed finance outlet China Securities Journal. Fast facts See related article: […]

S. Korean court says NFT game items are speculative, adds on to P2E ban

A South Korean court ruled against the release of a blockchain P2E game last Friday after determining that in-game NFTs promote speculation.

North Korean hackers move 41,000 ETH stolen from Harmony Bridge attack

The Lazarus Group, a North Korean cybercrime organization, has transferred 41,000 Ether (US$63.9 million) stolen from the 2022 Harmony bridge hack onto cryptocurrency exchanges Binance, OKX and Huobi, according to blockchain data shared by Twitter sleuth ZachXBT.

Monex Group expresses interest in bidding in upcoming sale of FTX Japan: Bloomberg

Tokyo-based online brokerage Monex Group Inc. indicated it may join the bidding for the Japan subsidiary of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Your fitness app knows a scary lot about you. How secure is your data?

Being on the watch, your tracker knows where you live, when you sleep and how healthy (or not) you are. What happens if your data is sold — or hacked?

Markets: Bitcoin holds above US$21,000 as crypto market cap briefly tops US$1 trillion

Bitcoin held above US$21,000 in Tuesday morning trading in Asia with the total cryptocurrency market capitalization also briefly breaching the US$1 trillion-dollar mark in the last 24 hours for the first time since mid-November.

China’s digital yuan needs WeChat, Alipay to boost adoption, experts say

The central bank rolled out a “red packet” feature for its digital currency, the e-CNY, for the Lunar New Year holiday but it will require help from the tech giants it has bashed to popularize the digital yuan.
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What does the future hold for digital assets in 2023?

NFTs, tokenization and blockchain-based cross-border payments will see big paradigm shifts, but their success will depend on regulation, investment and adoption, writes Stephen Richardson of Fireblocks.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rises; Solana is biggest gainer among top 10

Bitcoin and Ether gained in Monday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin miners return from winter storms, difficulty at an all-time high

The Bitcoin mining difficulty level jumped 10.26% on Monday morning in Hong Kong, hitting an all-time high reading of 37.59 trillion, as several U.S-based miners came back online from recent winter storms that forced them to unplug, according to data from BTC.com. See related article: Bitcoin hashrate drops nearly 40% as deadly U.S. storm unplugs […]

CEO of South Korea’s V Global US$2 bln crypto pyramid scheme gets 25 years in prison

Lee Byung-gul, the CEO of V Global, will serve 25 years in prison after his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court of Korea on Friday.

U.S. House of Representatives forms new cryptocurrency subcommittee

The U.S. House of Representatives has created a new congressional subcommittee focused on digital assets, as one of its first moves under the control of the Republican Party.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether little changed after weekend surge; Solana, XRP give back some gains

Bitcoin and Ether prices were little changed in Monday morning trading in Asia. Several of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies took a breather after strong gains over the weekend on the back of signs inflation may have peaked in the U.S.

Crypto lender Hodlnaut’s creditors reject restructuring plan, prefer liquidation: report

Creditors of Singapore-based crypto lending and borrowing platform Hodlnaut have rejected a proposed restructuring plan and wish to liquidate the company.

Alameda liquidators get liquidated while consolidating funds on DeFi lending platform Aave

Alameda Research liquidators were liquidated for US$72,000 from an on-chain position on decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform Aave while trying to consolidate funds

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rebounds above US$18,000, Ether gains over 13%

Bitcoin rallied above the US$18,000 mark for the first time in nearly a month. Is this the start of a bull run or just another relief rally on the back of easing inflation pressure?

Why is it harder to arrest Terra-Luna founder Do Kwon than FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried?

South Korea’s attempts to extradite the founder of the collapsed Terra-Luna stablecoin will remain hamstrung while the courts in Seoul dispute the charges against him.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether trade higher; Solana biggest weekly gainer among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Friday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, after the U.S. posted a 6.5% year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index for December, which came in lower than inflation readings in previous months.

Crypto.com announces 20% cut in headcount, cites post-FTX market conditions

Crypto.com will lay off 20% of its workforce, its co-founder and chief executive officer Kris Marszalek said Friday in a Twitter post.

SEC in the U.S. charges Genesis, Gemini with selling unregistered securities

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Capital and crypto exchange Gemini Trust with offering and selling unregistered securities to retail investors.

Coinbase to cut jobs, shut down most of its cryptocurrency operations in Japan

Coinbase, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, is cutting jobs and closing down most of its operations in Japan.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether prices jump as U.S. indicator shows inflation pressure is easing

Bitcoin and Ether prices jumped in Friday morning trading in Asia after the December U.S. Consumer Price Index released overnight rose 6.5%.

Bitcoin price rebounds as U.S. inflation cools

Bitcoin rebounded above US$18,000 on Friday as the U.S. consumer price index, rose 6.5% in December, matching expectations and continuing a downtrend from previous months.  

Nexo office in Bulgaria raided over fraud, money laundering suspicion

Cryptocurrency lender Nexo’s office in Bulgaria was raided by local authorities on Thursday over suspicion of money laundering, tax offenses, computer fraud and banking without a license.

El Salvador establishes legal framework for all cryptocurrencies

El Salvador has passed landmark legislation that establishes a legal framework for all cryptocurrencies to build on the country’s “first-mover advantage.”

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise as investors await US inflation data; Polkadot gains

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, as investors anticipate signs of slower inflation in the upcoming Thursday release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index for December.

Binance obtains approval in Sweden to fuel Europe expansion

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has received regulatory approval from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority to operate as a financial institution to manage and trade in virtual currency, as part of the exchange’s continuing expansion in Europe.

Binance says it plans to expand hiring by as much as 30% in 2023 as rivals cut jobs

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, is planning to increase staff by as much as 30% this year.

FTX loses Miami Heat stadium sponsorship

National Basketball Association (NBA) team Miami Heat’s home arena will soon be renamed after a Florida judge ended the naming rights agreement between the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.com, and Miami-Dade County

Bankrupt FTX exchange has recovered US$5 bln worth of ‘liquid’ assets, lawyers say

The names of the crypto exchange’s 9 million customers and creditors will remain sealed from the public for at least three months.

How DeFi can overcome the stench of shitcoins and ponzinomics

DeFi Summer has cooled into Crypto Winter, but with a silver lining — investors are finally asking sensible questions like: ‘Where does the yield come from?’ writes Julian Koh of Ribbon Finance.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether continue run up ahead of U.S. inflation report; Avalanche surges

Bitcoin and Ether prices rose in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, continuing almost a week’s run of price gains on signs of slower inflation in the U.S.

CBDCs may drive more funds into DeFi protocols, says Immunefi’s Mitchell Amador

Immunefi founder Mitchell Amador believes the future security risks of CBDCs will highlight the benefits of DeFi.

Hong Kong crypto exchanges to follow same laws as traditional finance

Hong Kong has passed a new licensing regime on for crypto exchanges that will subject providers to the same legislation and rules as traditional finance.

India’s WazirX crypto exchange releases proof of reserves, says 90% of user assets in Binance wallets

Some 90% of user assets at WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange by volume, are held in wallets at Binance while the remaining 10% are stored in hot and warm wallets, revealed WazirX’s proof of reserves that the company released on Wednesday.

Thai regulator probes Zipmex crypto exchange amid acquisition: report

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has written to cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex Thailand seeking clarification on whether it has been operating as a digital-asset fund manager without permission, according to a Bloomberg report. 

Binance U.S. gets court approval to buy Voyager Digital for US$20 mln

Binance’s U.S. wing has received court approval to buy Voyager Digital’s crypto platform for US$20 million, as part of Voyager’s plan to liquidate in bankruptcy.

Digital Currency Group in spotlight over suspicious fund transfers

Top blockchain and crypto news: DCG under investigation. Lido DAO surges as Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade looms. Hong Kong burnishes crypto credentials.

Markets: Bitcoin, Ether strengthen; XRP leads gains in top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices rose in Wednesday afternoon trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, with XRP leading gains.

India’s CoinSwitch exchange to add non-crypto products amid punishing taxes on digital asset trading

Indian cryptocurrency exchanges faced a flurry of taxes on trading last year that saw volumes across most platforms drop as much as 90%, slashing income from trading fees. What’s a crypto exchange to do? Maybe sell mutual funds?

DCG writes to shareholders to detail finances amid US$900 mln Twitter feud with Winklevoss

Barry Silbert of the Digital Currency Group wrote to shareholders on Tuesday to explain loans from its subsidiary Genesis Global Capital.