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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.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bittrex in SEC line of fire. Bored Apes fall after whale sale. Chinese banks court crypto clients.

Bitcoin and Ether fell during afternoon trading hours in Asia on Thursday, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization strengthened. Crypto investors were cautious ahead of Europe’s vote on the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) bill.

Shares of Singapore-based cryptocurrency miner Bitdeer have slid more than 35% since their Nasdaq debut on April 14, and were trading at US$6.41 at closing on Wednesday.

Bitcoin slid below the US$29,000 mark on Thursday morning in Asia. Ether lost hold of US$2,000 in a sell-off across all top 10 non-stablecoin tokens.

Hong Kong’s High Court has recognized cryptocurrency as property in a March 31 landmark ruling in a legal tussle involving defunct crypto exchange Gatecoin

Intel has announced it would shut down its Bitcoin mining chip production a year after launch.

Bitcoin rose and traded above US$30,000 on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, while Ether fell along with most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana lost the most, followed by Binance’s BNB token.

The U.K. could see digital asset regulation in the next 12 months as part of a push to turn the nation into a hub for digital assets, said economic secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith

Bitcoin is expected to hit a high of US$42,225 in 2023 and close the year around US$35,485, according to a survey by Finder.

Bitcoin rebounded above US$30,000 on Wednesday morning in Asia. All top 10 tokens rose after SEC chair Gary Gensler was criticized at a congressional hearing for his approach to digital assets.

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.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler did not give a direct answer when asked whether Ether is a security or a commodity at a congressional oversight hearing on Tuesday. 

Bitcoin dropped on Tuesday afternoon in Asia but remained above US$29,000, while Ether and most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gained. Dogecoin and Solana fell on the day and rose on the week.

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – April 18, 2023 – presented by Megha Chaddah. Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies slipped in early morning Asia time. Meanwhile, Dogecoin shrugged off the overall down market, gaining almost 3% as sentiment around the memecoin got a lift after Twitter – led by Dogecoin fan Elon Musk – officially […]

CoinShares data showed Ethereum-linked products saw little investment interest with inflows of around US$300,000 in the week ending April 14, accounting for a tiny portion of the total US$114 million weekly inflow into digital assets and despite the blockchain’s milestone upgrade last week.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dipped Tuesday morning in Asia after the SEC sued crypto exchange Bittrex on Monday.

What are ‘trustless oracles,’ and how will they shape the development of the metaverse and Web3? Markus Levin of XYO and XY Labs explains.

Bitcoin dropped on Monday afternoon in Asia and continued to trade below US$30,000. Cardano led losers among top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies in a mixed market. Solana led gains, followed by Binance’s BNB token and memecoin Dogecoin.

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

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.

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?

A hacker took advantage of an old contract from Yearn Finance on Thursday to steal US$11.6 million in stablecoins.

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.

The failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange has recovered around US$7.3 billion in assets and is considering the option of restarting its business.

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.

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. 

NYDFS superintendent Harris called the idea of Operation Choke Point 2.0 “ludicrous,” but industry participants largely disagree. Was the shutdown of the three largest crypto-friendly institutions a coordinated effort to unbank crypto?

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

Bitcoin slipped in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia but remained above the US$30,000 mark. Ether prices sank, along with all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Cardano and Dogecoin as the biggest losers.

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.

Adam Sullivan, whose most recent role was managing director of XMS Capital Partners, will will work on financial and strategic matters while assisting with the negotiation of a reorganization plan.

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

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

Bitcoin continued to rally past US$30,000, with Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gaining in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia. Solana was the biggest gainer at 11.09%.

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.

South Korean exchange GDAC has suspended withdrawals and deposits after losing over US$13.1 million in Bitcoin, Ether, Wemix and USDT in a hack.

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.

Bitget on Monday said it had launched a Web3 Fund with an initial investment of US$100 million to support development of cryptocurrency projects.

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.

Solana has introduced a solution that aims to reduce on-chain storage costs for non-fungible tokens (NFT).  See related article: Solana NFT sales surge as traders farm for Tensor rewards Fast facts See related article: DeGods begins migration to Ethereum

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.

Bitcoin rose as Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization dropping. XRP rose the most, while Dogecoin was the biggest loser.

The arrested crypto fugitive Kwon Do-hyung has “zero ” identifiable assets in his native South Korea, prosecutors said on Friday.

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.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore is reportedly working on guidelines to help local banks vet and provide banking services to cryptocurrency clients

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.

The Australian securities regulator has canceled Binance Australia’s derivatives license.

PostFinance, a Swiss government-owned retail bank, has partnered with Sygnum Bank to provide crypto-related services.

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.

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 remained above US$28,000 in Wednesday trade in Asia. Ether made the most gains as the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization increased, except Dogecoin.

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.