Archives

Amid the country’s ongoing Senate inquiry into crypto regulation, the Reserve Bank of Australia has posted a job advertisement for a position within its central bank digital currency research team. Fast facts A successful applicant would join a new cross-disciplinary team to research “whether there is a case for a CBDC in Australia, and if […]

Broctagon Fintech Group is launching what it hopes will become a new global standard for cryptocurrency exchanges to reduce price discrepancies. Will it work?

The platform reports more users than WazirX and CoinDCX, and aims to make crypto trading as easy as ordering food online.

Two of Australia’s “Big Four” banks — National Australia Bank and Westpac — have hit back at criticism they are suppressing competition by refusing to do business with cryptocurrency providers in the country, according to a report. Fast facts While neither of the banks have formal policies excluding crypto businesses, NAB chief executive Ross McEwan […]

Hyperithm, a crypto investment trust company in South Korea, acquired an Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification — a requirement Korean authorities say every virtual asset operating business must secure. Fast facts Hyperithm is the first virtual asset brokerage in South Korea to be certified for information security by a public institution. Hyperithm’s announcement shows […]

The Securities and Investments Commission warned against investing in digital-asset financial products. Some say the warning lacks specifics.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday launched a public consultation on its proposed amendments to regulations for the custody of crypto holdings in digital asset businesses. Fast facts The additional regulations — which the SEC said are intended to enhance investor protection — include requiring digital asset businesses to comply with “the principles […]

TRON founder Justin Sun’s social media account on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblog platform, appears to have been blocked again, along with the accounts of several other cryptocurrency-related interests. Fast facts TRON is a blockchain with a cryptocurrency native to the system founded by Sun in 2017. Sun, 31, has been active on social media, and […]

Union Bank of the Philippines and Hex Trust, a Hong Kong-based digital asset custodian, today announced that the bank was partnering with Hex Trust to provide digital asset custody services to it as it enters the digital asset sector. Fast facts As part of the collaboration, Hex Trust will provide digital asset custody as an […]

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.

Mawson Infrastructure Group, an Australian cryptocurrency mining company, has purchased an additional 17,352 ASIC Bitcoin mining machines from Chinese rig maker Canaan in a move to bolster its mining operations on its home turf and in the United States. Fast facts Mawson plans to deploy the additional machines — Avalon A1166s and A1246s — purchased […]

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?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has taken its first regulatory action involving decentralized finance in a case involving the “unregistered sales of more than US$30 million in securities,” according to an agency press release. Fast facts Gregory Keough and Derek Acree were charged along with their Cayman Islands-based company, Blockchain Credit Partners, over allegedly […]

An amendment has been introduced to the US$1 trillion infrastructure bill currently before the U.S. Senate that would exempt bitcoin miners and other validators from a provision seeking to raise funds for its fulfilment, according to a report by CNBC. Fast facts As Forkast.News has reported, the provision sought to raise US$28 billion over the […]

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 […]

The cryptocurrency trading industry has been labeled a “Wild West,” riddled with fraud and investor risk, by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, according to a Reuters report. Fast facts Calling on Congress at the Aspen Security Forum to give the SEC more power to regulate the industry, Gensler said many of the […]

Binance’s woes continue to mount as global banking giant HSBC is now blocking its customers in the United Kingdom from making credit card payments to Binance, according to Yahoo News. Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Fast facts HSBC’s move follows similar actions taken by NatWest — a Scotland-based bank with 12.5 million customers […]

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

The Korea Fair Trade Commission has advised eight cryptocurrency exchanges to changes terms and conditions in their user agreements that it deems unfair to customers. Fast facts The commission discovered 15 types of terms and conditions that it said were unfavorable to customers. One condition stipulated that balances of less than a minimum withdrawal amount […]

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

In the latest example of a fintech company looking to branch into crypto, Australian buy-now-pay-later company Zip Pay has announced it will launch crypto trading services in the next 12 months, Reuters reports. Fast facts Zip co-founder Peter Gray told Reuters that crypto trading was one of the most requested features by users of the […]

In the latest blow to Binance — the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — U.K. bank NatWest is now blocking its customers from making payments to Binance both in the U.K. and abroad, reports Yahoo Finance. NatWest acted after Binance has come under increasing regulatory pressures. Fast facts The move by NatWest — a Scotland-based bank […]

ASX, which operates Australia’s stock market, says the custody of cryptocurrency held on centralized exchanges presents a significant cybersecurity risk to investors, and recommends that regulatory action be taken to protect digital assets. It made the comments in a submission to the country’s Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Center. Fast facts […]

Singapore-based Enjin, a non-fungible token and gaming blockchain platform, today announced it is joining the United Nations Global Compact corporate sustainability initiative as part of its efforts to develop a sustainable NFT ecosystem. Fast facts The Global Compact is a voluntary sustainability initiative for companies working towards implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Through its […]

U.S. crypto lending platform BlockFi has been ordered by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities to stop accepting new customers who are based in New Jersey for its interest-bearing accounts due to alleged violations of securities laws. The order takes effect from from July 22. Fast facts In a series of tweets, BlockFi’s CEO and […]

The Reserve Bank of Australia is researching the implementation of a central bank digital currency — despite not seeing a need for it.

The European Central Bank has launched a two-year project to prepare for the potential issuance of a digital euro. The central bank digital currency would be supported by an underlying architecture with a negligible environmental impact compared to Bitcoin’s hugely energy-intensive blockchain. Fast facts The ECB has begun the investigation phase of a digital euro […]

Australians will soon be able to use Visa cards to spend their Bitcoin holdings for the first time as the global payment giant is partnering with local fintech app CryptoSpend, the Australian Financial Review reports. Fast facts CryptoSpend allows payments to be made in several cryptocurrencies to any account in the Australian banking system, crediting […]

In the first of a four-part series, Forkast.News looks at how non-fungible tokens may be changing who calls the tune in the recording business.

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Gemini is planning to expand its Asia-Pacific operations to cash in on the region’s growth, the bourse’s Asia-Pacific Managing Director, Jeremy Ng, wrote in a blog post this week. Fast facts The new expansion is to capture the growth of its Singapore office after it was first established last year, he wrote.  […]

British lender Barclays is preventing its customers from making payments to Binance following a regulatory crackdown on the crypto exchange by the country’s Financial Conduct Authority last month, the Financial Times reports. Fast facts The bank said the move would not impact customers’ ability to withdraw funds from Binance, and that it would continue to […]

El Salvador recently became the first country to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, and it seems unlikely to be the last. Samson Mow, chief strategy officer of Bitcoin technology company Blockstream, looks forward to a future in which Bitcoin edges out fiat currency.

Hex Trust, a Hong Kong-based digital asset custodian, today announced that it has secured investment from Cyberport, a technology incubator project backed by the Hong Kong government.

Through tomorrow, a Senate committee is taking public comments on how best to make Australia into a global crypto leader and fintech hub.

Interview with Phil Mochan, founder of UK-based custody provider Koine Forkast.News: What is a custody solution? What’s the difference between simple cold storage and custody? Phil Mochan: Custody is about a lot more than simply managing safes (or cold stores). The trade settlement process is an integral part of the function of the custodian. At […]

The need for custody Who holds the keys? Who looks after the digital assets? The person with control has custody. For an exchange, that custodian should be a third party for better risk management, more robust security and improved accountability. There is no shortage of examples of the inherent problems that can arise when exchange […]

Accountancy giant KPMG is partnering with Australian property group Mirvac to create a blockchain platform to track the provenance of buildings.

Auction house Lloyds Auctions Australia has begun accepting cryptocurrency for all purchases on its marketplace.

The number of Australian women investing in cryptocurrency has grown this year from 7% in January to 11% in June.

Crypto literacy of Indian regulators is evolving and crypto players are trying to keep industry clean via self-regulations, says Nischal Shetty of WazirX.

What does it mean to own an NFT, and why are some NFTs vanishing? Alexander Hobbs of Zenotta explains the weaknesses in NFTs’ underlying technology.

Chinese crypto mining rig maker Bitmain is reportedly set to meet with miners and industry participants next week to discuss relocating mining operations overseas.

Australian serviced office firm Business Hub will accept cryptocurrency as payment for rent on serviced office space and other business services as of July 1.

Australian crypto exchange Bitunivex.com has announced plans to offset its carbon footprint by investing in green crypto initiatives.

Regulatory uncertainty pushes India’s crypto industry towards self regulation as a secret Ethereum miner gets busted in Seoul Arts Center.

China has released guidelines aimed at boosting the country’s blockchain development.

Nearly 40% of Australians born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s would rather invest in cryptocurrencies than real estate, according to a nesurvey.

XRP last week saw inflows of US$7 million into investment products, the most since April, according to CoinShares.

Australia’s first capital growth fund to offer institutional exposure to BTC has announced its received inquiries from some of the country’s largest companies.

Governments meet up with the crypto industry to discuss how to regulate the booming industry as BC Group’s OSL ties up with SC Ventures.

ATO will contact 400,000 Australian crypto holders over concerns that they may not be fully aware of their crypto tax obligations. Tax cheats beware!

Privacy-centric coins like Monero, ZCash and Dash are seeing big price rises as the IRS and ATO issue warnings on taxable crypto transactions.

Banks in India, including some of the country’s largest lenders, are notifying their customers not to engage in cryptocurrencies, adhering to a central bank rule from 2018 that bans them from dealing in cryptos — despite the fact the ban was overturned by the Supreme Court more than a year ago.

Sanctions enforcement affecting the cryptocurrency industry has intensified rapidly in the past two years, according to a new report by crypto compliance consultancy Elliptic.

New and innovative lenders are taking advantage of DeFi’s low costs to offer savings account interest rates that Main Street banks simply can’t match.

Hong Kong reacts to the region’s pending legislation on limiting crypto investment to professional investors while a conglomerate enters South Korea’s crypto custody scene.

In a paper released today by a Senate committee, the Australian government announced it is seeking help in establishing a crypto regulatory framework.

Banks in Singapore are leading blockchain and DLT developments while South Korean game developer WeMade entrusts its US$130 million crypto holdings to KODA.

Singapore’s DBS Private Bank has announced the launch of Asia’s first bank-backed trust offering for cryptocurrencies. The service, operated via the lender’s wholly-owned licensed trust subsidiary, DBS Trustee, allows clients to invest, custodize and manage their digital assets. The service will handle only those cryptocurrencies hosted on the DBS Digital Exchange — Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin […]

Institutional interest propels cryptocurrencies into mainstream for wealthy investors looking to diversify portfolios. High net worth Australians are committing increasing sums in cryptocurrencies as digital assets move from the fringes of investment markets and become steadily more mainstream. Leigh Travers, executive director of technology investment firm DigitalX, says he has observed a growing trend toward […]

DBS Bank says it has over US$60 million in crypto under custody and plans to expand trading hours to 24/7.

Loss of faith in elections may be at an all-time high around the world. Here is how blockchain voting and decentralization can restore public trust.

Crypto investors in South Korea stir petitions to unseat the nation’s financial watchdog chief for his anti-crypto remarks.

Are digital assets securities or commodities? Outdated laws offer no clarity, but US is now poised to reform blockchain regulations and lead world by example.

Justin Chow of Cumberland DRW explains why Asia has lagged behind the US in institutional interest in crypto — and why that will likely change soon.

Healthy food chain SaladStop! assesses the carbon footprint of food production and incentivizes customers to bring their own bowls. What can other retailers learn from this?

The former MIT blockchain professor and CFTC chair now sits atop a key regulator over crypto. How might his leadership affect SEC v. Ripple, or Bitcoin ETFs?

High-tech solutions like blockchain, IoT, NFC and DLT are increasingly used to authenticate fine wine and detect counterfeits in China and around the world.

How do cryptocurrency investors know whom to trust, avoid scams and not buy coins with a shady history? Gunnar Jaerv of First Digital Trust explains.

Researchers did a United Nations ‘sustainability audit’ of technology firm PALO IT and discussed findings. What can other companies learn from this?

Gen Z and millennials will transform investing. Here’s why one of their own — TRON CEO Justin Sun — thinks NFTs and DeFi are the wave of the future.

The race is on as crypto-native players and traditional banks ramp up cryptocurrency custody services for investors who can’t or don’t want to do it themselves