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Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

A new normal forced by the pandemic is bringing out a wave of creators and influencers for a decentralized economy, writes Alex Shkor of DEIP. Here’s what to expect in the year to come.

Crypto resilient to Omicron meanwhile Japan speeds up on CBDC

The non-fungible token (NFT) frenzy has extended to the luxury wine and spirits industry. The Dalmore, best known for its Scottish whiskies, has partnered with BlockBar, an NFT platform for luxury liquor brands, to offer a limited-edition liquor NFT with a set of The Dalmore Decades No.4 Collection, the brand said in a Wednesday statement. […]

When Facebook and payments giant Square launched, they were trailblazers in the industry. Now, after Facebook, Square too has changed its name — to Block — in a bid to embrace the future of technology. Fast facts Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have never gotten along. Dorsey has jibed at Zuckerberg […]

Griid Infrastructure, a U.S.-based Bitcoin mining company, is set to go public through a merger with Adit EdTech Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a deal that would value the combined company at about US$3.3 billion, according to a company statement released Tuesday. Fast facts Upon completion of the deal, the combined […]

Qihoo 360, a Chinese internet company best known for its antivirus software programs, has built a system that could help the Chinese government track cryptocurrency mining activities, as the country continues to crack down on the sector. Fast facts Qihoo 360 said in a Tuesday statement that it detected 109,000 active mining IP addresses on […]

LUNA is now the 12th largest crypto, and Terra’s platform has been called ‘Alipay on the blockchain.’ What are Terra’s investment risks? Forkast.News explains.

Will crypto exchange Binance withdraw its license application in Singapore and look elsewhere in its search for a new global home?

The firm behind legendary sci-fi series Star Trek, Roddenberry Entertainment, has immortalized a key moment in entertainment history — in a way that may in time become an equally iconic moment in blockchain history. Gene Roddenberry’s signature on the first contract between himself and Lucille Ball’s Desilu Productions, which made Star Trek a reality, has […]

After greatly expanding its goals for the round, decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch Network has closed a US$175 million Series B funding round from institutional investors, led by Amber Group, according to a company blog post. Fast facts Joining Amber Group were about 50 other investors including VanEck, Alameda Research, Celsius and Gemini Frontier Fund who […]

Conversation between current and former SEC chairs at annual digital asset compliance summit focused on regulating crypto.

Shiba Inu and Luna on a tear, also K-pop bets on digital assets

The impresario behind superstars BTOB and (G)I-DLE tells Forkast.News there’s ‘no upper limit’ to how much Cube will invest in NFTs and a metaverse for concerts.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Are India’s CBDC plans crowding out crypto? Jack Dorsey goes full Bitcoin bro. China’s digital yuan hopes claim another victim.

South Korean heavyweight lender Shinhan Bank has completed a proof-of-concept rollout of a stablecoin project for international remittances in partnership with South Africa’s Standard Bank, using Hedera Hashgraph. Fast facts The project’s aim is to test the issuance and distribution of stablecoins for international remittances, which often frustrate senders and receivers due to their high […]

As the market recovers from a weekend sell-off, Terra and Shiba Inu tokens shine bright while Ethereum eyes new price heights. What’s behind their rally?

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring famous traditional Chinese paintings by culture studio Rongbaozhai have been successfully transferred from China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) WenChang Chain to the OpenSea marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, a milestone in the development of interchain NFT technology. Fast facts The transfer was made on Nov. 16 across four blockchains: WenChang Chain […]

Huobi Group, which operates Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global, has decided to set up a regional hub in Singapore, a representative of company has told Forkast.News. Fast facts In November, Huobi Global pledged to stop offering services to Singapore-based users from March 31, 2022, to comply with local laws, according to a company statement. Huobi […]

South Korea-based Naver Z Corporation — the operator of metaverse platform Zepeto — raised 223.5 billion Korean won, or about US$189 million in a Series B round, which included investments from SoftBank, Mirae Asset and three of K-pop’s largest talent agencies. Fast facts Japan’s SoftBank led the funding round by investing about US$148 million in Naver […]

Is CoinDCX — India’s first crypto company to achieve unicorn status, or US$1 billion in valuation — going public? CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal set off a frenzy of excitement when he told Bloomberg in a recent interview that CoinDCX may pursue an initial public offering as soon as legislation permits. But a CoinDCX spokesperson told […]

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

Initial operations are available to invited institutional investors including Hong Kong crypto finance service provider, Amber Group.

Korea crypto tax postponed, meanwhile CoinDCX looks to IPO

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Huobi Technology Holdings today announced that it will be launching Huobi Lending, a cryptocurrency lending service for institutions and high net worth individuals (HNWI) through its new digital asset brokerage platform Huobi Brokerage, according to a company announcement. Fast facts Alongside growing institutional interest in digital assets, crypto lending services leveraging […]

KB Kookmin Bank, one of South Korea’s largest financial institutions, announced yesterday that it has developed the KB Metaverse VR Branch Testbed for experimenting with allowing customers wearing a head-mounted VR device to access banking services in a metaverse. Fast facts Simple transactions, such as remittances, can be managed at a teller window, while an […]

The metaverse is a convergence of the physical and digital worlds, writes Gloria Wu of Ontology. How can the metaverse escape Web 2.0’s failings?

While the wait for a U.S. Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund continues, Invesco, a U.S. investment firm with US$1.6 trillion in assets under management, has partnered with CoinShares to launch a European exchange-traded product physically backed by Bitcoin, according to reporting on Nasdaq.com. Fast facts The Invesco Physical Bitcoin ETP will be listed on Deutsche Börse […]

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has joined hands with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to launch an innovation hub in New York— dubbed the New York Innovation Center (NYIC) — to explore and build financial technology products for the central bank community. Fast facts The NYIC will focus on five areas — […]

As the pushback over environmental concerns of the blockchain industry continues, a recent report by Solana says that a single transaction on the network uses less energy than just two Google searches. Fast facts Completed under the guidance of an independent energy and climate advisor, Solana’s November Energy Report found that a single Solana transaction […]

Omicron hits markets meanwhile Japanese novel released as NFT

In Nigeria, the eNaira — the country’s newly launched central bank digital currency (CBDC) — has already seen nearly 600,000 downloads, according to local media Nairametrics citing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Fast facts The local media reported Saturday that the CBN governor has revealed the country’s total digital transactions rose by more than […]

In the long run, the new rules may ‘lay the perfect foundation’ to improve risk management, says an ICBC expert.

SK Square, a new investment firm under one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, SK Group, chose cryptocurrency exchange Korbit as one of its first investments. The two companies aim to upgrade the trading platform’s environment in order to deliver more accurate and trustworthy investment information to users, and plan future businesses in the metaverse and […]

Fund manager Fintonia has launched two new Bitcoin funds — Fintonia Bitcoin Physical Fund and Fintonia Secured Yield Fund — for institutional investors. Fast facts The physical fund buys and holds actual Bitcoin, rather than investing in a Bitcoin-linked derivative product. The fund’s Bitcoin will be stored with a licensed and insured custodian, according to […]

Singapore-based crypto exchange Coinstore has entered the Indian market despite the regulatory wrangle that points toward an impending ban on all private cryptocurrencies, the company announced today. Fast facts Coinstore has launched its website and mobile application for Indian users and plans to set up offices in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai that will support its […]

Chinese companies are rushing to the fore to develop their metaverse ideas, though state media have recently warned about the associated risks the emerging technology could bring. Fast facts An opinion piece published yesterday by state-owned Economic Daily said the hotter the metaverse gets, the more the public should stay calm. The author wrote that […]

The impact was relatively short-lived, and many major tokens had already retraced most of their positions from Friday coming in Asia business hours.

Miyuki Ono’s science fiction story “Pure” is being released as NFT (non-fungible token) copies to create a new channel of income for writers and translators who are currently insufficiently compensated for their work. Fast facts “Pure” is one of world’s first Japanese science fiction works released as an NFT, while also being the first NFT […]

Metaverse picks up momentum, on the other hand Binance tweet gets yellow card

SafeMoon, known for high fees and social media hype, is now 85% below its all-time high. What lies in SafeMoon’s future?

Andrés Iniesta, former FC Barcelona veteran and current midfielder for Japan’s Vissel Kobe, promoted crypto exchange Binance via Twitter, which prompted a securities market regulator to write a cautionary reply tweet against crypto. Fast facts Iniesta wrote on Twitter Wednesday, saying: “I’m learning how to get started with crypto with Binance,” also posting pictures of […]

The total amount of Ether — the token of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency Ethereum — “burned” since the introduction of Ethereum Improvement Protocol (EIP) 1559 as part of the London hardfork has hit the 1 million ETH milestone, according to figures from blockchain data aggregation site WatchtheBurn. Fast facts With the total amount of ETH […]

As the NFT zeitgeist sweeps the world, the industry’s beating heart is in Asia, writes David Tng of TZ APAC. Here’s how Asia’s NFTs are changing business models.

The metaverse has been the hottest trend in tech this past month and tokens attached to metaverse projects are showing that growth with the Sandbox’s SAND and Decentraland’s MANA are both up over 600% in the past month to reach all-time highs of US$8.51 and US$5.90 yesterday, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap. Fast facts The Sandbox […]

Tether, issuer of the world’s most popular stablecoin USDT, has responded in multiple tweets saying it will work with policymakers, after the U.S. Senate Banking Committee earlier this week sent letters to several stablecoin issuers — including Tether — to inquire about their operational features. Fast facts In the tweets, Tether said it appreciates the interest from […]

Korea crypto tax debated meanwhile, Crypto.com is on a tear

Luxury fashion houses set trends that trickle down to the rest of culture. Here’s where brands like Prada and Burberry are headed on the blockchain curve.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has sent letters to several stablecoin issuers to inquire about their operational features. Fast facts In a Monday tweet, Ron Hammond, director of government relations at the Blockchain Association, said the stablecoin issuers include Coinbase, Gemini, Circle, Paxos, TrustToken, Centre, Binance U.S. and Tether. “This is likely a sign of […]

Xive co-founder tells Forkast.News no mining is possible in the south, while other regions still survive.

The Japan Digital Currency Forum has released a white paper examining the possibility of a new cryptocurrency backed by bank deposits. Fast facts The forum consists of over 70 companies, including the country’s top banks such as MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Mizuho Bank, Japan Post Bank, among others. Several government agencies also are […]

U.S. Federal Reserve officials are exploring raising interest rates and pulling back on economic help extended during the pandemic if inflation continues to rise, minutes from a meeting held in early November show. Fast facts The meeting, held on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, included the Federal Open Market Committee and the Board of Governors […]

Cardano ADA and Tron TRX will no longer be available to eToro’s US customers next year while CRO reflects Crypto.com ‘going from strength to strength.’

Arbitrum is leading the way in Ethereum scaling, according to a new report by Nansen, a blockchain analytics platform. What are the challenges that lie ahead?

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices fell nearly 24% in India as investors sought to get ahead of a possible crypto prohibition.

India proposes crypto ban meanwhile Metaverse race heats up

Shenzhen’s special zone for cooperating with Hong Kong, Qianhai District, will allocate 10 million yuan (US$1.57 million) to motivate enterprises to develop e-CNY-compatible businesses, especially in cross-border e-CNY and fintech labs. Fast facts The Qianhai Administration introduces the policies in a document released on Monday called “Interim Measures for Managing Special Funds for Supporting Financial […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fed nominations suggest no sudden moves. El Salvador’s Bitcoin lava affair. Dodgy dealings in China’s digital yuan.

Regal, a subsidiary of Cineworld Group, has partnered with digital payments network Flexa to allow customers to pay for movie tickets, popcorn and more with cryptocurrencies in its theaters. Fast facts The firm will accept cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Dogecoin, stablecoins such as Dai, USD Coin and Gemini Dollar, as well as digital […]

Another day, another fight, on Twitter. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has supported Dogecoin, tagged Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and tweeted Tuesday that “what’s going on with your Doge customers? Sounds shady,” after a technical glitch appeared to occur during a recent upgrade of the Dogecoin network. Fast facts A network upgrade of Dogecoin […]

As social media’s influence on broader society continues to grow, decentralized platforms will mean less central moderation — for better or worse.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has accused the owners of Gold Coast-based business A One Multi of scamming 92 investors out of AU$25 million (US$18 million) and are now in possession of a cold wallet believed to hold almost US$20 million in Bitcoin purchased with the defrauded funds, according to a report by […]

The Pacific island nation of Palau has partnered with San Francisco-based blockchain payments company Ripple on a U.S. dollar-backed digital currency for the country — the world’s first government-based national stablecoin — using the XRP Ledger, according to a Ripple announcement. Fast facts Ripple will provide Palau with technical, business, design and policy support for […]

The US Internal Revenue Service is taking a hard look at cryptocurrency transactions to crack down on tax dodgers. How can crypto holders protect themselves?

Three U.S. agencies released a joint statement outlining a plan to fast-track crypto-asset regulation in 2022.

The digital print of the U.S. Constitution grew an estimated 35% in value by the time Ken Griffin made the winning bid, surely ushering in more NFT interest.

BloXmove will use the Ontology blockchain to allow people to have one decentralized, secure identifier to share across multiple transportation apps.

Algorand ‘re-imagines’ blockchain by trying to solve key weaknesses of Bitcoin. Learn about this wannabe Ethereum killer in this Forkast.News explainer.

OliveX, a digital health and fitness company listed on the national stock exchange of Australia (NSX), today announced it will be raising AUD$8 million (US$5.8 million) via a share placement with investors including Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands, One Football, a digital media platform for football, and Bombora Investment, as it builds out a […]

Dunamu — the owner of Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — became a shareholder of Woori Bank, one of the largest banks in South Korea. Fast facts Dunamu purchased 1% of Woori Financial from Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, which recently put 9.3% of its shares in Woori on auction. Another 4% went to Eugene […]

More provinces in China are taking serious actions to crack down on crypto mining following the all-out ban announced on Sept. 24 by the country’s top authorities. Fast facts Southeast China’s Fujian provincial development and reform commission on Friday held a video conference meeting with local authorities to clarify their responsibilities and pledged to “clear […]

Inner Mongolia police bust yet another digital yuan money laundering case.