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The global culture of decentralized autonomous organizations arrived in Japan last week for DAO Tokyo, the first event of its kind in Asia according to the organizers, drawing over 350 founders and contributors from all corners of the world for discussions on all things DAO.

SEC member Hester Peirce has criticized the regulatory agency for its proposal that seeks to expand the definition of an “exchange” to DeFi platforms.

Bitcoin dipped below US$30,000 in early Monday morning trading in Asia. Ether stalled after strong gains that followed last week’s blockchain upgrade.

Crypto’s share of venture capital money is now going to artificial intelligence, says Mysten Labs founder, Evan Cheng.

Bitcoin moved within a couple of hundred dollars of the US$31,000 ceiling in trading later in the week as market sentiment improved after Ethereum’s successful upgrade to unlock staked Ether. The Ethereum token broke above US$2,000 on Friday. Weaker inflation readings out of the U.S. later in the week pushed recession worries off center stage and generated some demand for “risk-on” assets, including Bitcoin, with some crypto enthusiasts seeing US$32,000 as the next barrier to break.

Bitcoin continued its rally to near the US$31,000 mark in Friday afternoon trading in Asia. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos gained, led by Ethereum.

As part of its February settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S.-based Kraken crypto exchange has submitted the largest Ether withdrawal request since Wednesday’s upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain. The SEC ordered Kraken to shut down what it called unregistered staking programs.

Bitcoin rose higher in the US$30,000 band on Friday morning in Asia amid strong gains among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Ether led the winners.

Securing keys is an issue that has bedeviled the crypto world, as the $600M Ronin and $300M Wormhole heists have painfully shown. Is there a better way?

Cardano NFT ecosystem sees a significant decline as users sell off top-tier projects for newer ones, according to Forkast CAR NFT Composite.

Forkast Labs’ NFT indexes reveal Polygon’s US$3 million incentive to move y00ts over to its blockchain may have cost its users.

Twitter users will soon have access to stocks and cryptocurrency through a new partnership with eToro, a trading platform. 

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Asian trading hours on Thursday, along with all of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Ether rose the most, following the successful completion of the Shapella upgrade.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said regulators need to come up with clear crypto regulations and should understand that the crypto industry is different from the traditional financial industry.

Ether holders withdrew more than US$102 million worth of Ether in the first six hours after the Shanghai upgrade opened the door to cash out the staked token, though analysts see the amount as within expectations.

ZA Bank, the largest virtual bank in Hong Kong, has started offering cryptocurrency conversion services through licensed crypto exchanges.

Bitcoin dipped but held above US$30,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia that saw mixed performances among the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

On-chain limit orders offer an alternative to centralized exchanges by improving transparency and security, writes Ramani Ramachandran of Dfyn. What are the drawbacks?

Japan’s top finance diplomat, Masato Kanda, announced on Tuesday that the G7 nations will work together to help developing countries introduce CBDCs in line with international standards. 

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ethereum fork prompts price fall fears. Satoshi is found — in Apple software. Hong Kong ramps up Web3 plans.

China has fined Bitmain, one of the world’s biggest producers of cryptocurrency mining rigs, nearly US$3.6 million for alleged tax violations, according to the Beijing tax authorities.

Singapore-headquartered crypto mining firm Bitdeer Technologies is set to go public on Nasdaq on April 14 via a SPAC merger following multiple delays in closing the US$4 billion deal.

Binance.US, a unit cryptocurrency exchange Binance set up to serve U.S. customers, will delist the native token of the Tron blockchain, TRX, on April 18.

Bitcoin held above US$30,000 in Wednesday morning trading in Asia, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies moved higher.

The NFT industry is gathering at New York for NFT.NYC, but the overloading frequency of events could be causing “event fatigue.”

Nasdaq-listed Equinix and Indonesian conglomerate Astra International have set up a joint venture to help local businesses and multinationals capitalize on emerging technologies.

A common regulatory framework for all countries is underway, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

The U.S. SEC Investor Advisory Committee urged the federal agency to continue its aggressive enforcement on crypto players that offer unregistered securities.

Hong Kong has established the Institute of Web 3.0 to facilitate the development of the crypto ecosystem in the city, directed by a former head of HKMA.

The upcoming upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain will allow users to withdraw millions of “staked” Ether, the native cryptocurrency, for potential sale. That would typically indicate a flood of selling pressure awaits the token, but not everyone is buying that.

Bitcoin surged above US$30,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia to the highest in about 11 months, leading a rally of all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Storing personal information in a centralized place has been a honeypot for hackers, while decentralized identity allows for greater trust and data security, writes Caria Wei of Nuvo.

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Paul Chan said it is the right time for the city’s Web3 push ahead of Hong Kong’s busy week of blockchain and finance gatherings.

Former executives of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX failed to install appropriate financial controls in the company, complicating the asset recovery process, the restructuring team of the failed exchange said.

Arkansas has joined Montana and Texas this year in proposing legislation to offer legal protections to companies operating crypto mining sites.

Bitcoin resumed its rise above US$28,000 in Monday morning trading in Asia, a support level it has fluctuated around for most of April.

Thailand’s main opposition party said it would distribute US$15 billion worth of digital tokens to citizens if it wins the general election

OpenSea has reignited the marketplace battle by introducing its own pro tool. What’s in it for NFT traders?

Bitcoin bounced around the US$28,000 mark as worries about bank failures were replaced by concerns about a recession in the U.S. Just for good measure, the IMF forecast the global economy will see its slowest growth in two decades.

Ownership is only one feature of Web3. The more important and defining characteristic is ‘verifiability,’ writes Jonathan Victor of Protocol Labs.

Bitcoin moved in a narrow range above the support line at US$28,000 in Friday morning trading in Asia, while most other top 10 crypto declined.

DeFi services threaten U.S. national security and need to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws, the U.S. Treasury said on Thursday.

A major state-owned firm in China is launching two cryptocurrency funds in partnership with investment firm Waterdrip Capital. 

Bitcoin and Ether fell during afternoon trading hours in Asia on Thursday, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

From traditional finance to digital transformation – how can both learn from each other?

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.