Cryptocurrency payments appear to stall in Singapore
Retailers reluctant to accept currency they are said not to trust even as large finance sector players offer crypto products and beef up their holdings.
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Chinese fireworks artist Cai Guoqiang auctions first NFT for $2.5M
Chinese fireworks artist Cai Guoqiang has entered the world of non-fungible tokens, recently auctioning off his first NFT work for US$2.5 million. Fast facts Cai’s work “Transient Eternity — 101 Ignitions of Gunpowder Paintings,” commissioned by the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, was auctioned on TR Lab for US$2.5 million after a 48-hour bidding period…
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France calls for EU securities watchdog to regulate cryptos across bloc
The European Securities and Markets Authority should regulate digital currencies in the European Union, according to a proposal by the Autorité des marchés financiers, France’s securities regulator. Fast facts The AMF said it made sense for a single body to take charge of regulation across the bloc to ensure a Europe-wide framework could be applied,…
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Axie Infinity’s AXS token falls nearly 50% from peak
AXS, the governance token of blockchain-based game Axie Infinity, is down almost 50% from its all-time high of US$28.61 last Thursday, according to data from CoinMarketCap. It was trading at US$15.28 at press time. Fast facts Despite the slide, the gains AXS had made over the previous few weeks mean it is still trading more…
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Street performers embrace digital payments as cashless society emerges
Buskers and street performers who accept electronic or digital currency often receive larger sums than they do accepting only cash, according to a recent survey by RMIT, a university in the Australian city of Melbourne. The trend has accelerated following global lockdowns amid Covid-19 as familiarity with QR codes and other technologies grows. Fast facts…
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Crypto ‘Michelin Guide’ releases South Korea’s first token ratings report
The Korea Institute of Virtual Asset Valuation has released its first report evaluating the investment outlook for seven South Korean cryptocurrencies. KiVAV founder Park Jae-kyung said some domestic token issuers may be looking for quick money instead of developing their tokens long term. Fast facts KiVAV’s report, released yesterday, gave only the Mass Vehicle Ledger…
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U.S. needs ‘to act quickly’ to regulate stablecoins, treasury secretary says
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,…
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Turkey to debate crypto regulation bill in October
Turkey’s deputy finance minister says a draft bill to create a cryptocurrency regulatory framework will be submitted to parliament in October, according to a report by CNN Türk. Fast facts The bill will define different types of virtual currencies and principles for their issuance and distribution. The country’s Capital Markets Commission will supervise companies handling…
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Grayscale launches new DeFi fund to woo investors seeking token-free exposure
Cryptocurrency investment manager Grayscale has started a fund focused on decentralized finance tokens and based on CoinDesk’s new DeFi-specific index, the company has said in an announcement. Fast facts The fund offers investors a selection of leading DeFi protocols through a market capitalization-weighted portfolio designed to track the index. It allows investors to allocate funds…
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Bitcoin sees outflows amid inflows for Ethereum, Cardano, XRP in crypto market ‘summer doldrums’
The cryptocurrency market remains quiet, with net inflows of just US$2.9 million last week, according to digital asset investment firm CoinShares’ weekly digital asset fund flows report. Fast facts “The summer doldrums are here, but in line with seasonal expectations,” wrote James Butterfill, a CoinShares’ investment strategist. Bitcoin investment products saw net outflows of US$10.4…