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Binance denies China ties, says it started relocating staff out of China in 2021

The Binance comments came in response to a Financial Times article that cited internal documents and said the company had close ties with China despite claims it had left the country in 2017 following a government crackdown.

Bitcoin climbs above US$28,000, XRP leads winners for the week, U.S. equities jump

Bitcoin edged above US$28,000 in Thursday morning in Asia amid a broad rally in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

SEC Chair urges more resources to regulate crypto and technology at House Subcommittee hearing

SEC Chair urges for increased funding to address challenges posed by crypto markets and rapid technological innovation during House Subcommittee testimony.

Binance concealed ‘extensive’ ties to China: Financial Times

Binance reportedly hid ties to China for years despite claiming to have left the country following Beijing’s regulatory clampdown in 2017.

Crypto exchange Fasset hopes to win Indonesia license next month

Dubai-based Fasset says Indonesia digital asset adoption is still in early stages, but the country’s young population is taking to crypto faster, encouraging exchanges to move in despite infrastructure constraints.

EU lawmakers impose €1,000 cap on anonymous crypto, cash transactions

European lawmakers have adopted legislation imposing a €1,000 (US$1,084) cap on anonymous cryptocurrency transactions, as part of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) package.

Binance faces legal battle as US regulator gets ready to rumble

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

Bitcoin rebounds above US$28,000, XRP leads gains among top 10 cryptos

Bitcoin rallied above US$28,000 in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia after losing ground earlier in the week when U.S. regulators filed a lawsuit against Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly breaching trading rules.
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Binance sees US$627 mln in net Ethereum outflow following CFTC lawsuit

Binance saw about US$627 million in net Ethereum-related withdrawals in the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, data from blockchain analytics platform Nansen showed.

Bitcoin holds ground amid Binance lawsuit, XRP continues run up, U.S. equities dip

Bitcoin rebounded in Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. XRP led the winners.

Bankman-Fried charged with paying millions in bribes to Chinese government officials

Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly paid US$40 million in cryptocurrency bribes to at least one Chinese government official in November 2021.

Asia leads crypto regulations, innovation may leave the US, says Ripple’s Long

Asia-Pacific nation are leading the way in developing global cryptocurrency regulations that favor innovation, which is something that U.S. regulators should also take note of, said Ripple Labs Inc. President Monica Long

Bitcoin, Ether extend declines amid U.S. lawsuit against Binance; Asian equities mixed

Bitcoin and Ether continued to fall in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after regulators in the U.S. pulled up Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly violating trading mandates.
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Binance rejects U.S. charges of violating trading rules, manipulating markets

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said the charges are “an unexpected and disappointing civil complaint” in response to the CFTC lawsuit filed on Monday against him and the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Montenegro to hold Terra-Luna fugitive Do Kwon for 30 days, says Yonhap News

Kwon Do-hyung will be held in Montenegro for a month on charges of using forged travel documents, South Korea’s Yonhap News reported.

Bitcoin, other crypto fall as U.S. sues Binance; U.S. equities gain as banks stabilize

Bitcoin fell Tuesday morning in Asia along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies after the U.S. filed a lawsuit against Binance.

Binance, Zhao sued by CFTC for alleged regulatory violations

Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao have been sued by the CFTC for allegedly violating derivative rules

Bitcoin rises, most top 10 cryptos drop, amid mixed signals on state of banking sector

Bitcoin rose while Ether and most of the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies fell during afternoon trading in Asia on Monday.
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What impact will Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade have on ETH and crypto markets?

Despite the potential sell pressures after Ethereum’s upcoming hard fork, it’s more likely that ETH stakers will hold for the longer term, writes Bill Xing of Bybit.

China state-owned banks turn crypto-friendly in Hong Kong: Bloomberg

China banks in Hong Kong are offering services to crypto businesses, Bloomberg reported on Monday, as more digital asset firms operate in the city.

Bitcoin gains as investors diversify amid worries about banking system; U.S. equity futures rise

Bitcoin and the other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies rose on Monday morning in Asia, as investors diversify amid the ongoing banking turmoil.

Zipmex buyer misses payment, could risk US$100 million buyout: Bloomberg

Zipmex cryptocurrency exchange’s US$100 million venture capital buyout may be in danger, after buyer V Ventures missed the US$1.25 million payment due on March 23

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin hovers around US$28,000 as banking concerns return. Will it hit US$30,000?

As banking contagion worries reignited, Bitcoin traded firmly above US$28,000 for most of the week. Considering that Bitcoin was made for a potential banking crisis, industry experts are eyeing the US$30,000 mark for BTC.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index rise; gold nears year-high over banking sector concerns

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Litecoin posting the biggest gains.

Hong Kong blockchain initiatives natural evolution for finance hub, says Signum Digital CEO

Hong Kong’s new crypto licensing regime isn’t the only bullish sign for the city’s digital asset industry, says Signum Digital, the first company to win a preliminary license to handle securitized tokens in the city.

Bitcoin rebounds above US$28,000 as equities gain in U.S. on Treasury easing bank worries

Bitcoin bounced back above US$28,000 on Friday morning in Asia amid a rebound in all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies and gains in equities overnight.

Hong Kong may face backlog in virtual asset license applications as demand grows, former SFC regulator says

Angelina Kwan, who helped shape early Hong Kong automated trading services and internet trading regulation, told Forkast the upcoming virtual asset licensing regime is almost identical to that for traditional financial institutions.

South Korea confirms identity of man arrested in Europe as Terra-Luna fugitive Do Kwon, seeks extradition

South Korea’s police said they confirmed the identity of a man arrested in Montenegro, Europe, as the Terraform Labs co-founder Kwon Do-hyung, who is wanted on charges of fraud related to the collapse of the stablecoin and cryptocurrency project he led.
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Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index fall, gold rises, as Janet Yellen rules out broad bank deposit insurance

Bitcoin and Ether fell during Asian trading hours on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Binance’s BNB sustaining the biggest loss in the top 10.

South Korea arrests former Coinone exchange official for alleged crypto-listing bribery

A former employee of the Coinone exchange was arrested Tuesday on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies.

SEC warns Coinbase of potential legal action over staking, separately targets Tron founder Sun

The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., it may face legal charges related to staking services and digital asset listings.

Bitcoin tracks equities lower on downbeat Fed, Treasury comments on banks

Bitcoin fell on Thursday morning in Asia, tracking equities lower after the U.S. Fed indicated interest rates could stay higher for longer.

Centralized intermediaries were cause of crypto failures in 2022, says Voorhees

If there was a lesson from the crypto implosions of 2022, it is the demonstration of the superiority of open code and decentralization over central intermediaries, argues Voorhees at DC Blockchain Summit.

Bitget invests US$30 mln in BitKeep wallet, becomes controlling shareholder

Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitget said it has invested US$30 million in decentralized multi-chain wallet BitKeep to become its controlling shareholder. 

Bitcoin buoyed as bank busts spook investors

Top blockchain and crypto news: Banking woes boost Bitcoin. Arbitrum counts down to launch. Chinese billionaire faces US crypto scam charges.

Internal Revenue Service in U.S. solicits public opinions on proposed NFT taxes

The IRS intends to tax NFTs as collectibles in the U.S. and is soliciting public opinions on the proposal through June.

Texas legislature introduces bill to attract Bitcoin-related businesses, protect interests of same

The Texas legislature introduced a bill on Tuesday to attract more Bitcoin-related businesses and protect the rights of Bitcoin holders, miners, and developers.

Bitcoin moves above US$28,000, Ether gains, XRP surges, U.S. equities rally

Bitcoin held above US$28,000 on Wednesday morning in Asia amid a rebound in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. XRP led the winners.

Indian crypto exchange WazirX blocks over 2,400 accounts in 6 months

WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume, has blacklisted over 2,431 accounts between October 2022 and March 2023, based on its internal monitoring process as well as under the direction of law enforcement agencies (LEA). 

Bitcoin, Ether extend losses; all eyes on U.S. interest rates

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia after rallying through the past week, while financial authorities injected cash into markets to ease liquidity pressures and took other steps to address concerns over a banking sector crisis in the U.S. and Europe. 
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Terraform Labs founder Daniel Shin again questioned by South Korea prosecutors over stablecoin collapse

Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung, also known as Daniel Shin, was again called in for questioning by South Korea’s prosecutors on Monday.

Bitcoin treads water, other crypto retreat ahead of U.S. Fed’s decision on interest rates

Bitcoin traded flat below US$28,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia. Most other top cryptocurrencies retreated ahead of a U.S. decision on interest rates.

Singapore to publish crypto, stablecoin consultation feedback by mid-2023

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) aims to publish cryptocurrency and stablecoin consultations feedback by the middle of this year, it said Monday.

Bitcoin rises past US$28,000, most other top 10 cryptos gain

Bitcoin traded above US$28,000 on Monday afternoon in Asia, a gain of 25% over last week, as a banking crisis in the U.S. and Europe prompted traders to see Bitcoin as a safe haven.
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Singapore-based Crypto.com gets preparatory license to expand services in Dubai

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com will soon be able to extend its services in Dubai, after it received a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) Preparatory License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). 

How NFTs can protect creators and fortify their legal rights

The digital era has made piracy rampant and copyright enforcement difficult, but blockchain technology is shifting power back to creators, writes Wes Levitt of Theta Labs.

Taiwan’s financial supervisory commission will oversee crypto, chair says

Crypto in Taiwan remains largely unregulated, but lawmakers have requested the cabinet to appoint a regulator by May 16 to oversee all things crypto.

Crypto data provider Kaiko to move Asia HQ to Hong Kong from Singapore: Bloomberg

Paris-based Kaiko will move its Asian headquarters to Hong Kong as it sees growing crypto-related opportunities in the city.

Bithumb executive faces investigation over alleged bribery in South Korean crypto listing

South Korean prosecutors are investigating Lee Sang-jun, the CEO of Bithumb’s holding company, for alleged bribery in listing certain tokens on the platform.

Bitcoin leads crypto rally as central banks promise liquidity to stem rising bank risk

Bitcoin briefly breached US$28,000 at the weekend in a bullish run extending into Monday morning in Asia amid worries about bank risk.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rises above US$26,000, as ‘store of value’ narrative strengthens amid bank failures

As the U.S. banking system stared into the pit of bank runs and collapsing share prices, the authorities acted swiftly to try and pull everything back from the edge. However, Bitcoin seemed unperturbed. Is this what a safe haven looks like?

Bitcoin, Ether rise; relief for investors as major banks get liquidity lifeline

Bitcoin and Ether rallied by the end of Asian trading hours on Friday afternoon, together with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Signum Digital says it won first approval to offer security tokens in Hong Kong

Signum Digital said it’s the first company to win preliminary approval in Hong Kong to operate a platform to trade security tokens.

Bitcoin, Ether, other crypto gain with equities amid global fund injections to support banks

Bitcoin neared the US$25,000 mark on Friday morning in Asia. Cryptocurrencies gained as the U.S. and Europe moved to backstop troubled banks with cash.

Who should be held responsible for the Silvergate Bank and SVB crises?

As bank after bank topples, fingers are pointing everywhere. But crypto is not to be blamed for this unfolding crisis, writes Winston Hsiao of XREX.

US, Germany shut ChipMixer for alleged ties to US$3 bln crypto laundering 

US, and German shuttered ChipMixer, a cryptocurrency service that allegedly laundered more than US$3 billion in crypto since 2017.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index fall; euros rises amid Credit Suisse’s loan

Bitcoin and Ether declined by the end of Asian trading hours on Thursday afternoon, with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies also falling, apart from Binance’s BNB.

Ripple executives say XRP lawsuit ruling will have little impact on global business operations

The court ruling in a lawsuit brought by the SEC against Ripple will have minimal impact on the company’s business, APAC policy director Rahul Advani said.

South Korea cranks up pressure to extradite Do Kwon, founder of failed Terra-Luna stablecoin

South Korean prosecutors said they will expand cooperation with overseas legal agencies to facilitate the arrest and extradition of Do Kwon.

US accuses exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui of $1 billion crypto-linked fraud

Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire, was arrested in New York on Wednesday for allegedly orchestrating a more than US$1 billion fraud conspiracy that included cryptocurrency, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See related article: U.S. banking regulators warn against cryptocurrency fraud, contagion risks Fast facts […]

Bitcoin, Ether drop, other top cryptocurrencies retreat as bank liquidity concerns rise

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in Thursday morning trading in Asia along with most other leading tokens amid broader concerns about bank liquidity.

Circle’s USDC bounces back after Silicon Valley Bank bust

Top blockchain and crypto news: USDC stabilizes after SVB collapse. Silvergate closes shop. China tightens financial supervision.

Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index extend gains; U.S. banking crisis concerns ease as inflation slows to 6%

Bitcoin and Ether rose on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana and Polygon were the biggest gainers, both rising above 5% in the last 24 hours.
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Anchorage Digital lays off 20% of staff amid low NFT demand, says bank unit not affected

Digital asset platform Anchorage Digital will lay off 75 employees as it restructures to meet regulation challenges.

Bitcoin, Ether continue run up; Solana, Dogecoin lead gainers; U.S. equities rebound

Bitcoin and Ether continued strong price gains, with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies logging advances for the past seven days.

Binance suspends pound sterling services for U.K. customers as payment provider backs out

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it is halting its British pound deposits and withdrawals.

Bitcoin breaks US$26,000 as inflation cools in February

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, rallied past the US$26,000 mark at 09:15 p.m. in Hong Kong, shortly after the release of the United States Consumer Price Index (CPI)

India imposes money laundering regulations on crypto industry

India’s crime fighting agencies have been investigating crypto exchanges and individuals on money laundering charges and have now put the onus on exchanges to report suspicious transactions.

Circle’s Disparte speaks on de-risking crypto from banking risks

The recent U.S. banks fallout is a stress test for both traditional finance and digital assets but to weather the storm side by side is a powerful opportunity, says Circle Chief Strategy Officer Dante Disparte.

A crisis of value?

Why the banking collapse could save NFTs.

Bitcoin, Ether extend gains as U.S. regulators take charge of banking industry turmoil

Bitcoin and Ether rose the most in the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on Tuesday afternoon in Asia. Cryptocurrencies have been on a rebound since U.S. regulators took charge of the failures in the banking industry and moved to protect deposits across crypto-linked banks.
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China regulator says NFT-related complaints skyrocketed in 2022

Amid the NFT hype in 2022, Chinese buyers’ complaints about NFT scams and price manipulations surged 30,000% to 59,700 from 198 in the year before.