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Agora’s AUSD stablecoin launch attracts $12M in seed funding, signaling strong market confidence.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange will delist a number of trading pairs linked to TerraUSD (UST), an algorithmic stablecoin that has been in a freefall since earlier this week. See related article: Tether stabilizes after burning 3 billion tokens amid redemptions Fast facts Binance Friday said it will remove and cease the trading of several […]

Bankrupt Terraform Labs secures court approval to hire Dentons for legal representation, despite SEC objections.

Montenegro court approves extradition of Terraform Labs’ Do Kwon to the US, where he faces fraud charges.

Do Kwon-founded Terraform Labs files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.

In the second installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research and EM FX West at Standard Chartered Bank, talks altcoins, stablecoins and the legitimization of crypto risk through central bank digital assets.

CFTC and SEC disagree over whether cryptocurrencies are securities, and two big lawsuits clouding the industry’s future invoke laws that long predate the digital era.

South Korea’s Do Kwon went from a poster boy of digital finance as a co-founder of the US$40 billion Singapore-based Terraform Labs to a fugitive on Interpol’s wanted list, all in a matter of several rollercoaster years. He’s now in a Montenegro jail where he may face more time in detention as the U.S. and South Korea demand his extradition to face a long list of charges, including securities fraud – allegations he has repeatedly denied. The following is a timeline of how we got here.

Nothing in life is free. Be wary of crypto exchanges that offer ‘free trading,’ and ask hard questions about how they make money, writes Ben Caselin of MaskEX.

The founder of Terraform Labs, Do Kwon, reportedly retained a law firm in South Korea before the April 14 wipeout in TerraUSD’s value, according to a Bloomberg report.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance targeted in CFTC lawsuit. Law catches up with Do Kwon. Chinese banks bet on Hong Kong crypto.

Former employees of Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs are being questioned by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors in New York.

The NY State Attorney General is suing crypto exchange Kucoin for not registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and calling itself an exchange.

The U.S. SEC charged Singapore-based Terraform Labs and its chief Kwon Do-hyung for defrauding investors.

The future global financial system will be reliant on the cloud, especially when it comes to CBDCs and stablecoins, writes Michael Greenwald and Logan Weber.

The HKMA said in a consultation conclusion that algorithmic stablecoins will not be allowed in the city.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Where is Alameda Research’s money going? US tax loophole may give crypto investors a break. China’s blockchain momentum builds.

Cryptocurrencies had a turbulent 2022 to say the least. Blockchain technology made progress but that failed to offset the multiple bankruptcies and hacks that plagued the industry through the year.

The bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX doesn’t represent the biggest losses for crypto investors in 2022, according to a report from Chainalysis.

Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating Sam Bankman-Fried for possible market manipulation that led to the Terra-LUNA crash in May

A federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings of Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has approved the delivery of subpoenas to 3AC’s cofounders, Su Zhu and Kyle Davies.

Singapore’s white-collar crime unit is investigating Hodlnaut on allegations of fraud, according to a statement on the website of the Singapore police dated Nov. 23.

Terra’s former executive Daniel Shin’s US$100 million were frozen on Thursday; Do Kwon tweets that the Terra team did everything to save UST

‘Bad actor’ or a ‘sliding market’? Blockchain industry leaders at Hong Kong FinTech Week offer insights into the Terra-LUNA crash.

A hearing is scheduled in Singapore on a lawsuit filed against Terraform Labs’ Do Kwon on behalf of investors who lost about US$57 million in the collapse of Terra-LUNA.

The central bank is also considering options such as banning crypto firms from offering credit facilities, leverage or staking services to retail traders.

The man behind Terra-LUNA contradicts the basis of the new action South Korean authorities took to corner and locate him.

Cryptocurrency-related insurance is a vast untapped market, with less than 1% of crypto investments covered amid hacks and losses in the industry running into the billions of dollars, Cointelegraph reported, citing an executive from decentralized insurance protocol InsurAce. See related article: DeFi insurance: Why buy coverage for your digital assets? Fast facts Dan Thomson, the […]

Acala Dollar (aUSD) burned over 1.29 billion aUSD minted in its liquidity pool and traded higher on the day at US$0.91 at 5 p.m. Hong Kong time on Tuesday, up from a low of nearly zero on Monday. See related article: Polkadot-based stablecoin Acala Dollar depegs after a breach Fast facts Over the weekend, exploiters […]

Stablecoin Acala Dollar (aUSD) lost its parity with the U.S. dollar following a breach over the weekend, but its price has since begun to bounce back. See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts Cryptocurrency analyst @Alice und Bob tweeted that the depeg was caused by US$1.2 billion of aUSD mistakenly […]

Binance and Paxos Trust Company, which issues the dollar-pegged stablecoin BUSD (Binance USD), released the first unaudited breakdown of the reserves backing the token on Aug. 1. See related article: Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says Fast facts According to the reserve report, BUSD was backed by US$738 million in cash, […]

Terraform Labs and affiliates allegedly ramped up the numbers of its decentralized finance (DeFi) service Anchor Protocol by investing their own capital, a claim that South Korean prosecutors are currently looking into, state broadcaster KBS reported. See related article: S.Korea slaps ‘notification upon arrival’ on Terra’s Do Kwon Fast facts The local media outlet claims […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Payback time for Mt. Gox investors. USDC issuer strikes back as critics circle. Chinese bank fiasco hits a nerve.

Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange OSL is reportedly laying off 40 to 60 employees, or about 15% of its workforce, to join a growing list of digital asset companies in scaling down operations amid tanking cryptocurrency prices. See related article: Coinbase, biggest US crypto exchange, cuts workforce by 18% Fast facts The job cuts are not […]

One door closes and another opens, which seems to be what’s happening in Singapore as the crypto price slump restructures the trading environment.

In his first interview after the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) and its sister token LUNA in May, CEO Do Kwon dismissed allegations of fraud and told The Wall Street Journal, “There is a difference between failing and running a fraud.” See related article: Winning back the trust of the Terra community a tall order for […]

Terra UST’s crash and burn is prompting calls for regulations. But lawmakers shouldn’t paint all stablecoins with the same brush, writes Alan Chiu.

Analysis by the blockchain data platform found the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) took place in three stages — a few large trades broke UST’s peg triggering a selloff, there were attempts to restore the peg, but continued selloff finally drained all funds. See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts […]

Terra’s LUNA/UST death spiral was entirely predictable — and it served as a stress test for better-designed stablecoins, writes Gytis Trilikauskis of MEV Capital.

An open and interoperable metaverse economy will drive consumer activity — and it’s on a similar track for growth as e-commerce, writes Ben Caselin of AAX.

The prospect of tighter codes for the crypto industry has given some players the jitters. Others, such as Crypto.com’s Eric Anziani, see it as an opportunity.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat cautioned retail investors to steer clear of investments in cryptocurrencies, saying the nascent asset class “is a highly risky area.”  See related article: Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto Fast facts Many investors suffered losses and even lost their life savings in the recent meltdown […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Investors shun LUNA 2.0. Ethereum gains amid relief rally. China’s stimulus goes digital.

Ethereum gained over 10% in 24 hours to reach US$2,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after spending the better part of a week below the mark. Ethereum was trading at US$1,985 at press time. See related article: Bitcoin, Ethereum, crypto at 2022’s lowest point Fast facts The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency hit a low of US$1,721 […]

Advocates for central bank digital currencies argue their inherent stability supersedes any benefits so-called stablecoins, algorithmic or otherwise, could offer.     

Do Kwon’s proposal to create a new Terra network chain is set to go live this weekend — what does Terra 2.0 entail and will it successfully win back its following?

U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could coexist and complement stablecoins in her Thursday testimony to a House Financial Services Committee virtual hearing. See related article: CBDC tracker shows U.S. falling further behind Fast facts CBDCs are digital currencies released and backed by central banks, while stablecoins […]

Governments around the world are racing to develop their own digital currencies, but an e-HKD may not make sense for Hong Kong’s people. John Mitchell of Episode Six explains why Hong Kong is unique.

Terra’s governance vote closed on Wednesday evening Asia time with 65.50% of governance voters in favor of Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon’s proposal to create a new blockchain. See related article: Terra raises aUST initial token float to 30% in revival plan amendment Fast facts Kwon’s “Terra Ecosystem Revival Plan 2” ditches the algorithmic stablecoin […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Billions cut ties with Tether. Are Terra’s UST troubles just beginning? China’s miners stay one step ahead.

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of South Korea will perform an on-site inspection of Terraform Labs and financial services linked to TerraUSD (UST) or LUNA. See related article: Are we heading for a post-Terra crypto winter? Fast facts The FSS said at an emergency National Assembly meeting on Tuesday that the audit aims to prevent […]

Terra’s LUNA and UST implosion is dragging down an already ailing market. What do other developments suggest about crypto’s long-term future?

Terraform Labs CEO and cofounder Do Kwon claimed on Saturday that the closure of two offices in South Korea was “purely coincidental,” and not a response to the national tax authorities’ investigation. See related article: LKB, 5 clients file lawsuit against Terra, Do Kwon to ‘Grim Reaper’ Fast facts Terraform Labs closed its two offices […]

Tether, the operator of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has seen US$10 billion of its market capitalization shaved off since TerraUSD’s (UST) collapse.  See related article: Nearly half of Tether reserves are now in US Treasury bills Fast facts USDT’s market capitalization was at US$73.35 billion at the time of publishing, following an all-time high […]

Commercial paper backing Tether (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, has decreased by 17% from US$24.2 billion in Q4 2021 to US$20.1 billion in Q1 2022, according to Tether’s latest attestation report.  See related article: Tether slashes commercial paper, shows more reserves than liabilities Fast facts Commercial paper in Tether reserves has been reduced by an […]

Five South Korean Terra (LUNA) investors with an accumulated loss of around 1.4 billion Korean won (US$1.1 million) represented by local law firm LKB & Partners have filed a complaint against Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon and co-founder Shin Hyun-seung for two charges including fraud, according to local media reports. See related article: Knock, knock […]

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) urged the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to accelerate crypto regulations following the downfall of the Terra blockchain and its terraUSD (UST) algorithmic stablecoin, Reuters reported. See related article: LUNA pumps and dumps repeatedly in weekend’s roller coaster run Fast facts The inter-governmental political forum — consisting of […]

Terraform Labs backer Pantera Capital gradually withdrew nearly 80% of its Terra LUNA holdings over the past year, saving itself from significant damages from the de-pegging of TerraUSD (UST) and the network’s collapse last week, The Block reported. See related article: LUNA, UST investors in S.Korea want to seize Do Kwon’s properties: report Fast facts […]

South Korean investors that have been financially damaged by the TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA fiasco are reportedly seeking legal action and applying for property seizure from Terraform Labs CEO Kwon Do-hyung. See related article: S.Korean lawmaker proposes summoning Do Kwon to the National Assembly  Fast facts Local law firm LKB & Partners has made a […]

Mike Novogratz, founder and CEO of crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital, broke his weeklong silence on the TerraUSD turmoil, claiming “the global macro backdrop has been brutal for all risk assets this year” and that the UST is “a big idea that failed.” See related article: Blood moon: Terra’s LUNA rescue plan panned by industry, […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Terra puts down the fork. Bitcoin loses its shine in Singapore. China’s miners dig in.

Terra’s LUNA and UST stablecoin implosions are roiling the crypto world and beyond. Picking up the pieces won’t be easy — nor finding a good path forward.

TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA’s crash is causing tension among South Korean play-to-earn (P2E) projects and their tokens, such as C2X, a blockchain gaming project on the Terra mainnet developed by Com2uS. See related article: Do Kwon proposes Terra fork to ditch UST and ‘LUNA Classic’ Fast facts Local gaming giant Com2uS’s P2E cryptocurrency C2X saw […]

The Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) Monday said it is looking to use assets remaining with it to compensate UST users, prioritizing the smallest holders first. See related article: News of LUNA’s demise greatly exaggerated Fast facts The Singapore-based foundation was left with 313 Bitcoin compared with 80,393 Bitcoin on May 7, LFG said on its […]

The price of LUNA, the native token of Terra, is now as volatile as low-cap meme currencies, and is currently at 23,716.5% from its all-time low set on Friday, according to CoinGecko data. See related article: UST loses dollar peg as Terra market cap slumps Fast facts The Terra network suffered a major meltdown last […]

LUNA, the collateral used by Terraform Labs to back its TerraUSD (UST), has been in a freefall. But experts tell Forkast the crisis is likely to make the pioneering stablecoin stronger, and the community behind stablecoins better.

The wife of the CEO of Terraform Labs sought protection after an unidentified individual visited their home in South Korea, local police told Forkast.

The world’s largest stablecoin destroyed a total of 3 billion USDT tokens in an account known as Tether Treasury through two separate burns on Thursday, according to data from blockchain tracker Whale Alert. See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts “Burn burn burn,” […]

TerraUSD (UST) climbed to a high of US$0.84 on Thursday after Terra proposed a network upgrade to increase the blockchain’s native token LUNA, in hopes to save its algorithmic stablecoin’s peg to the greenback.   See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts The UST is minted by locking […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: UST knocked out of Luna orbit. Making NFTs Instagrammable. China’s black market ‘digital collectibles’ trade.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated her stance on stablecoin regulations and said it’s “highly appropriate” to have a framework ready by the end of this year, as TerraUSD (UST) loses its dollar peg. See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts Yellen said at a Tuesday hearing […]

A probable run on terraUSD (UST) has weighed on the ability of the company and the non-profit behind the pioneering stablecoin project to defend its dollar peg.