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How stablecoins can help investors weather crypto storms

Notwithstanding Iron Finance’s collapse, stablecoins can play important roles for consumers and the economy, writes Julian Hosp of Cake DeFi.

India crypto bill awaits approval; Poly Network hack saga continues

India crypto bill awaits approval while Poly Network hack saga continues

India’s crypto sector on edge as bill that may lead to ban awaits cabinet approval

If cabinet approves crypto bill by November, it could be introduced as early as parliament’s winter session.

Ripple decries SEC’s demand for employee Slack messages on XRP

Ripple claims the SEC’s request for 1 million more of the company’s internal messages is costly and unlikely to resolve disputes at the heart of the litigation.

How NFTs could be the future standard for trading and investing

Non-fungible tokens are taking the art and collectibles world by storm. But more valuable uses for NFTs lie just around the corner, writes Ilja Laurs of Dappscape.

Kakao to spearhead global expansion of Klaytn blockchain from Singapore

South Korean internet giant Kakao this week announced that its newly established non-profit entity headquartered in Singapore — the Klaytn Foundation — will lead the development and global expansion of the Klaytn blockchain, according to a company release. Fast facts The Klaytn Foundation, together with Krust, Kakao’s newly established global accelerator unit, and GroundX, which […]

What is Solana and why is it the hottest blockchain of the moment?

Solana prices are soaring to all-time highs and SOL is now a top-10 crypto. In this Forkast.News explainer, learn why investors are heaping love on this Ethereum rival.

Cardano ADA breaks $2 for first time since May as Alonzo launch date announced

Cardano breached the US$2 mark for the first time in almost three months as key developers announced a release date for the planned “Alonzo” hard fork on Friday, which will allow full smart contract functionality on the network. Fast facts Slated for full release on September 12, the upgrade to Cardano’s mainnet completes the Alonzo […]

Solana leads altcoin surge as SOL price hits new all-time high to flip Uniswap

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.

Why Silicon Valley is pouring big money into India’s crypto industry

While Delhi goes back and forth over a crypto ban, crypto’s huge growth potential in the world’s second most populous country is captivating American venture capital.

Polygon makes the case for scaling solutions after ETH 2.0

London hard fork is live and Ethereum users are hoping high gas fees will be a thing of the past. Will ETH improvements phase out layer-2 scaling protocols? Polygon’s co-founder thinks not.

Poly Network recovers assets; Rario launches cricket NFT platform

Poly Network recovers assets meanwhile Rario launches cricket NFT platform

Cryptocurrency vs. gold — which is the better investment?

Gold and cryptocurrency have more in common than not, and savvy investors would do well to hold both, writes Sylvia Carrasco of Goldex.

AppWorks raises US$150M as it trains its sights on Southeast Asia

Taiwanese VC firm attracts big investors as it bets on future of region and staying-power of NFTs.

Blockchain, crypto investment soars in H1 2021

Global investment in blockchain and cryptocurrencies leapt in the first half of 2021, with US$8.7 billion raised and 548 deals sealed, according to consulting firm KMPG’s latest Pulse of Fintech H1’21 report. Fast facts Global fintech investment in H1 2021 reached US$98 billion in 2,456 deals, compared to US$121.5 billion for the whole of 2020, […]

Samsung joins South Korean pilot to test CBDC on Galaxy smartphone

Samsung Electronics will participate in the Bank of Korea’s central bank digital currency pilot program to test the practicalities of digital currency remittances without internet availability, according to a report by the Korea Times. Fast facts An unnamed source familiar with the issue told the Korea Times: “Samsung Electronics has recently decided to participate in […]

TZ APAC in Tezos blockchain adoption push in Asia

TZ APAC, an entity supporting the Tezos blockchain ecosystem in Asia-Pacific, this week announced a “strategic commitment” to the region as it bolsters its efforts to grow the Tezos ecosystem. Fast facts TZ APAC intends to deploy capital and resources across the region towards business development, marketing and project management to drive adoption of the […]

How to avoid the pitfalls of FATF’s crypto travel rule

Crypto exchanges, or VASPs, are coming under increasing regulation. Complying with the Financial Action Task Force’s travel rule will be one of them.

Cambodian central bank, Maybank partner on cross-border digital currency transfers

Malaysia’s Maybank and the National Bank of Cambodia yesterday announced the launch of a real-time funds transfer service between Malaysia and Cambodia — the first international partnership between a bank and Cambodia’s Bakong digital payments system. Fast facts The service facilitates fund transfers via NBC’s Bakong e-wallet and Maybank’s MAE app. It allows Maybank customers […]

DBS Vickers wins nod for Singapore crypto license

DBS Vickers, the brokerage arm of Singapore’s DBS Bank, today announced that it has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to provide digital payment token services in Singapore as a major payment institution under the Payment Services Act. Fast facts DBS Vickers’ notification follows that of Australian cryptocurrency exchange Independent Reserve, reported […]

XRP price rises as GME joins RippleNet to expand remittances between S. Korea and Thailand

San Francisco-based payments technology company Ripple this week announced that South Korean money transfer company, Global Money Express Co. Ltd (GME Remittance), has joined RippleNet to expand remittances between South Korea and Thailand. Fast facts Some 184,000 Thai nationals live in South Korea, and they account for the third largest group of foreign nationals in […]

What are ‘Ethereum killers’ and what are their prospects with Eth2 under way?

With Ethereum 2.0 still in development, rival blockchains like Cardano, Binance Smart Chain, Solana and Polkadot are hot on Eth’s tail. Who might prevail, and why?

NFT trade takes off. Tether’s bankable reserves. Tencent targeted in China.

Top blockchain and crypto news: NFT wave buoys OpenSea. Are dollars and sense a lifeline for Tether? Tencent gets a target on its back.

Why honest centralization is superior to chaotic decentralization

Are DAOs and decentralization always beneficial for the group or the user? Antoni Trenchev of Nexo urges you to think again.

NFTs and the music industry: K-pop’s new token economy | Part 2

K-pop superstars Brave Girls, Se7en and A.C.E. are among the latest to jump on the non-fungible token bandwagon. Are fans buying it?
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US Senate passes $1 trillion infrastructure bill with crypto tax requirements

Despite strong lobbying attempts from the crypto industry for last-minute amendments, the Biden administration’s US$1 trillion infrastructure bill passed the Senate last night with heightened tax reporting requirements for crypto “brokers” and possible ramifications for crypto miners, as Yahoo News reports. Fast facts A compromise amendment requiring unanimous consent to be added to the bill […]

SEC seeks 1 million Slack messages from Ripple for XRP litigation

The US Securities and Exchange Commission wants to review ‘terabytes’ of Ripple’s Slack chats for evidence of XRP-related wrongdoing. How much is too much?

Hong Kong artists embrace NFTs as OpenSea trading volume explodes

Despite speculation that the NFT market is cooling, OpenSea continues to post record transaction volumes, and Hong Kong artists are getting in on the action.

Crypto platform Poloniex agrees to $10M settlement with SEC

Cryptocurrency platform Poloniex has agreed to pay more than US$10 million to settle charges for operating an unregistered online digital asset exchange, according to an announcement by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Fast facts According to the SEC’s order, Poloniex violated securities laws from July 2017 to November 2019 as the company did […]

Unocoin offers bitcoin vouchers; Alonzo upgrade onboards users

Unocoin offers bitcoin vouchers as Alonzo upgrade onboards users

Unocoin now allows Indians to buy pizza, coffee with Bitcoin

Several cryptocurrency payment methods exist around the world, but new service is the first major one of its kind in India.

Axie Infinity NFT market trade tops US$1B as player numbers surge

Axie Infinity’s founder has announced that the company’s non-fungible token market trading volume hit US$1 billion this morning, having already announced that it had more than 1 million daily active players last Friday. Fast facts DappRadar shows the Axie NFT market now has a trading volume of US$1.126 billion, ranking first among all markets. It […]

What is the regulatory outlook for virtual asset exchanges in Hong Kong and Singapore?

Singapore and Hong Kong are at the forefront of regulations over crypto exchanges, writes Vince Turcotte of Eventus Systems. Here’s why trade surveillance and risk management will be critical.

Are DAOs a new way for companies to go public?

As more crypto companies go public, some are returning to a decentralized business model. ShapeShift CEO Erik Voorhees explains the ethos and reasons why.

Binance winds down derivatives trading in Hong Kong

Binance — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume — today announced that it will be restricting the use of its derivatives products for customers from Hong Kong. Fast facts Hong Kong customers will, with immediate effect, not be able to open new Binance deriviative product accounts, according to a Binance announcement posted at […]

Ripple expands XRP into NFTs amid escalating legal battles

As court grants CEO request to obtain info from Binance to bolster defense in SEC lawsuit, Ripple seeks to expand use cases for XRP Ledger.

Ether price and trading volume surging as Ethereum upgrade goes live

Ethereum’s London hard fork sees a smooth launch as the crypto market sends Ether’s price soaring.

Ethereum rising: 3 reasons why Ether’s price could soon break $3,000

Will Google greenlighting US crypto ads, Ethereum’s London upgrade and clearer regulations pave the way for another Ether price rally?

DBS Bank’s digital exchange assets surge 60% in Q2

DBS eyes bigger investor base as digital assets under custody top US$100 million.

Could Ethereum’s upgrade affect miners’ manipulations for extra profits?

Cryptocurrency miners are front-running Ethereum transactions to make profits called MEV that critics decry as unfair. What can be done about it?

How blockchain can bring litigation finance to small investors

Investing in litigation was once limited to the wealthy. But a lawsuit’s monetary potential can now be tokenized for sale to the masses. Is that a good idea?

Taxing times for crypto. Ethereum hard fork takes knife to fees. Tencent bets on NFTs.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Ethereum’s price flatlining on eve of revolution? Uncle Sam wants pay to play. China’s Big Tech toes the line with NFTs.

Ethereum prices hit resistance as major London Upgrade looms

ETH rose in a historic run in anticipation of ‘Ethereum halving’ — but dipped on the eve of the London hard fork. Forkast.News asks top cryptocurrency analysts to find out why.

Mastercard partners with Australian exchange for crypto card

In a further move towards cryptocurrency adoption, Mastercard has partnered with one of Australia’s oldest crypto exchanges, CoinJar, to launch one of the country’s first crypto payment cards. Fast facts The card became available on Tuesday in a digital form through integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and will be available in a physical […]

Ethereum addresses using DeFi soar 65% to over 2.9M

The Ethereum ecosystem is continuing to see strong growth, with institutional capital ‘flooding’ into decentralized finance and decentralized autonomous organizations flourishing.

United Nations-associated NFT art project builds on Polkadot to fight climate change

The DigitalArt4Climate NFT initiative aims to promote art via blockchain technology to inspire environmental activism around the world.

Blockchain applications that will change the world in the next 5 years

The next half decade will see mass adoption of decentralized technology, writes Max Kordek of Lisk. Here are the leading uses.

Will Facebook’s metaverse future transform how we live online?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a vision for metaverses — online worlds that one day will replace big parts of our offline lives. But some say that future is already here.

Binance in Malaysia ban as it ends derivatives trading in Germany, Italy, Netherlands

World’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange steps up compliance and cuts product offerings, with a ban in Malaysia and end of lucrative derivatives business in three EU nations.

How Wall Street’s ‘best-kept secret’ now fuels high cryptocurrency yields

Celsius Network CEO says crypto lenders are using Wall Street’s ‘safest’ business tactic to provide high interest rates to customers. What are the risks?

10 key blockchain developments in healthcare toward Covid-19 in 2021

Blockchain technology is part of the important work being done toward a safer and healthier world. Lucas Schweiger of Blockdata summarizes this year’s strides forward.

Bitcoin mining difficulty rising again as miners resettle and get back to work

The global Bitcoin hashrate is now on an uptrend as miners pushed out by China resettle on friendlier shores and resume investing big money in mining equipment.
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Crypto exchange FTX.US daily trading volumes jump 150-fold in a year

FTX.US, the U.S. affiliate of Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX, saw its average daily trading volumes soar 150-fold in June compared to the same month a year before, according to the company’s mid-year results. Fast facts The company reported that FTX.US had a daily volume that ranged between US$150 million and US$1 billion in the […]

Robinhood’s IPO is just the start of an investing class war

What is Robinhood really worth, now that it’s a public company? Perhaps its true value depends on who you are.

Friends may forgive debts, but WeChat’s new blockchain IOU won’t let anyone forget it

China’s internet giant Tencent launched a blockchain-based digital IOU service on its flagship product WeChat, one of the nation’s most popular apps for messaging and payments.  Fast facts Aside from Wechat’s existing “mini receipt” and “mini contract,” Tencent says its new IOU function would allow friends to borrow money more easily from each other, according […]

Crypto retirement plans are on the rise. Are they a good idea?

Tokenization is creating new ways to invest. 3 crypto firms are partnering to also offer crypto retirement portfolios and inheritance planning.

Why blockchain technology is integral to a future of net-zero carbon emissions

Shifting to renewable energy is now a global goal. Using electric vehicles as an example, Author Joseph Jacobelli examines how digital technologies like blockchain will lead the way to a greener planet.

Battle for blockchain talent is heating up. What and where are the crypto jobs?

Flush with capital, blockchain and crypto firms are on a hiring spree. Here’s how the battle for crypto talent is playing out.

Amber Group launches CreatorFi NFT initiative to bridge traditional, crypto worlds

Hong Kong-based crypto financial services company Amber Group wants to bridge the gap between creators, collectors and platforms looking to get into NFTs and the crypto space.

Bitmain spins off Antpool; Binance CEO willing to step down

Binance CEO CZ confirms that a new executive may lead the organization. Meanwhile, Bitmain spins off one of the world’s largest mining pool Antpool.

Robinhood readies IPO as risks cast shadow over future earnings potential

The fee-free trading platform’s initial public offering promises plenty of action for retail investors, but pitfalls may lie in wait amid trading volatility and wider adoption of business model.

Amazon’s brush with Bitcoin. Robinhood IPO looms. Huobi backs out of Beijing.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Amazon taking up BTC? Robinhood’s share sale deserves scrutiny. Did Huobi jump or was it pushed?

Bank of Thailand promotes blockchain in new guidelines

Thailand’s central bank yesterday published guidelines to regulate and promote the use of blockchain technology in the financial sector.  Fast facts Released by Siritida Panomwon Na Ayudhya, assistant governor of the payment systems policy and financial technology group at the Bank of Thailand, the guidelines provides principles for blockchain technology adoption by financial services providers.  […]

Binance CEO reiterates willingness to replace self, beefs up KYC

Binance also tightens withdrawal limits and unveils new tax reporting tool, to counter recent flurry of government investigations and bad publicity.

Ethereum-based EthSign platform wins seed funding from Draper Associates

EthSign — a Singapore-based electronic signing platform built on the Ethereum blockchain — today announced additional seed round funding from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Draper Associates. Fast facts EthSign is a decentralized application that allows users to comment on, edit and access each version of an electronic agreement securely. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, […]

Digital asset custody platform Fireblocks completes $310 million fundraise

Capital increase takes company’s valuation to US$2 billion as it looks to grow customer base, partnerships.

What’s Ethereum price outlook for the rest of 2021?

Ethereum’s future is top of mind for a group of fintech experts polled by Finders. Where do they think Ethereum prices are headed, and will Ethereum overtake Bitcoin?

CoinShares: Multi-asset crypto investments see inflows amid outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum

For the third consecutive week, digital asset investment products last week saw outflows — this time, to the tune of US$28 million, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Bitcoin saw the majority of outflows, but multi-asset investment products remained positive with inflows of US$3.1 million. Fast facts Bitcoin investment products saw US$24 […]

Bybit contributes $19M to BitDAO in ETH, USDT and USDC to support DeFi growth

Singapore-based crypto derivatives exchange Bybit today announced it had made a US$19.3 million contribution in Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) to BitDAO, one of the world’s largest decentralized autonomous organizations, which it helped launch last month. Fast facts Many crypto projects, especially those in decentralized finance, have organized themselves as DAOs for […]

The many benefits that blockchain can bring to the internet of things (IoT) | Part 3

Blockchain technology can make a big impact on the world we live in, according to authors Kosrow Dehnad and Joe Duncan. A prime example: Tesla’s driverless vehicles.
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Binance expands in Singapore amid global crackdown

Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, appears to be expanding its Singapore office. At the time of publishing, Linkedin showed that it had 261 job vacancies in Singapore — where its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, allegedly lives — among 964 vacancies globally.  Fast facts The talent Binance is seeking ranges from futures growth […]

Binance and FTX slash leverage limit from 100x to 20x amid crypto regulations heat

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried says it’s time to move on from high leverage in crypto trading. Binance also seeks new CEO with a stronger regulatory background.