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Pioneers take arrows. No one knows it better than Binance. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange by volume wants to set the industry standard when it comes to compliance and security as past missteps hold it in good stead.

As the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange battles the onslaught of regulators globally, cofounder Yi He is stepping out of the shadows to help steer the company.

The emancipatory promise of decentralization has been both evangelized and excoriated. The Algorand Foundation’s Jason Lee explains why we should be believers.

India’s long-awaited crypto tax comes into effect. Meanwhile, China expands the digital yuan program.

In contrast to the rising crypto market, NFT sales have declined significantly in March, but one industry watcher says there’s no need to panic just yet.

NFTs accounts banned from WeChat due to “crypto speculation”. Meanwhile, Zilliqa on the rise after Metapolis announcement.

USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, is now backed by much smaller cash reserves than before. XREX analyzes the risks.

Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake promises to dramatically lower energy consumption, curbing greenhouse gas emissions that would require an annual offset by a forest roughly the size of Belgium.

Alibaba makes a $60M metaverse bet on AR glasses maker Nreal. Meanwhile, Axie’s Ronin blockchain gets hacked.

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Dubai’s crypto caravan. Mt. Gox unlocked. Digital yuan in play again.

DLT projects are defined by their network effects, writes Donald Thibeau of HBAR Foundation. Here’s why open networks and community are critical for success.

Binance is racing to anchor its sprawling global operations as regulators in China, where it was founded in 2017, go after firms for lax know-your-customer practices.

The UAE is becoming the new crypto hub of the world. Meanwhile in India, high crypto taxes are scaring away young investors.

Despite criticisms of play-to-earn games, blockchain innovations are here to stay and represent gaming’s future, writes William Wu of Catheon Gaming.

The country’s attempt to profit from digital asset gains puts off new investors to the asset class, even as existing ones redeploy funds into traditional assets.

Ukraine launches its NFT Museum of War. Meanwhile, Bitcoin passes $47,000 mark.

Aided by crypto like Monero, ransomware crimes are on the rise globally, writes Srinivas Mukkamala of Ivanti. Android users are especially vulnerable.

The Japanese trustee for Mt. Gox is likely to distribute the remaining trove of Bitcoins held by the defunct cryptocurrency exchange sooner than later, former CEO Mark Karpeles tells Jake Adelstein in an exclusive interview for Forkast.

Russia considers a bitcoin for oil proposal. Meanwhile, crypto markets make gains after weeks of volatility.

India’s crypto tax represents both a threat to the industry and an opportunity to create a regulatory framework to support it, says Polygon’s Jaynti Kanani.

Volatility has been the name of the game in the past few months, but experts tell Forkast that may be coming to an end.

Chinese telecom ZTE registers metaverse-related trademarks. Meanwhile, Bollywood star gets chased over NFT taxes.

BAYC is one of the hallmark NFT collections and a billion-dollar ecosystem. This Forkast explainer explores the cartoon primates and what makes them so special.

Global Sales Volume NFT sales amounted to US$18.5 billion in 2021—a 570-fold increase from 2020 as the record bid for Beeple’s digital collage and the strong reception for NBA Top Shot attracted new collectors and boosted prices, data from NFT industry data aggregator CryptoSlam showed. Companies from Gucci and Ray-Ban to McDonald’s and Coca Cola […]

Malaysia’s Fusang defers their IPO. Meanwhile, Blockchain Week Australia looks into intellectual property rights.

The world’s first NFT dates back to 2014, when New York artist Kevin McCoy’s animation known as Quantum was originally minted on Namecoin, a blockchain forked from Bitcoin. Quantum eventually sold for US$1.47 million at a Sotheby’s auction in June 2021, but its host blockchain is buried deep in the history of NFTs, rarely visited […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bitcoin buzz in Malaysia. Yuga Labs teases Otherside. Blockchain verdict in China.

Conflict in Ukraine takes a toll on Malaysian exchange’s $10 million IPO just a week before planned listing.

Opensea, an NFT marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain founded in 2017, currently dominates the NFT landscape with a market share of over 80% as of February 2022. OpenSea’s monthly trading volume on Ethereum soared to a new record high of US$5 billion in January 2022, surpassing its previous peak of US$3 billion reached in August […]

While blockchains and NFTs can theoretically eliminate plagiarism and fraud, there is as yet no clear distinction between NFTs that have been inspired by the designs of others and those that are simply copycats. Nike, for instance, has filed a lawsuit against StockX for selling NFT images of its shoes, while Hermès has sued an […]

The Sandbox metaverse is made up of 166,464 unique land NFTs, digital pieces of real estate, that players can own to publish their creations, monetize their games or rent to other creators. These lands will host a wide range of experiences, and their limited number makes The Sandbox seem like a virtual Manhattan when it […]

NFTs are increasingly being seen as an asset class that is distinct from cryptocurrencies, and this is reflected in the rising valuations and trading volumes in recent months. For instance, sales of Bored Ape Yacht Club tokens doubled from December 2021 to a record US$313 million in January 2022, according to CryptoSlam data. In contrast, […]

From the lookout: Unbeknownst to those outside the NFT space, there’s a mammoth blockchain game on the horizon. Even before the launch of Star Atlas, which promises cinema-quality graphics, investors are already pouring millions of dollars to purchase in-game NFT items. The unreleased game’s leaderboard shows a player with US$4 million worth of assets. This […]

NFT avatars are digital portraits, often illustrating animated or pixelated characters. Avatars are algorithmically generated to give each NFT unique identifiable traits, such as a particular hairstyle, mustache, glasses, or even laser eyes — a social trend Bitcoiners cite to support the cryptocurrency’s climb to US$100,000. In many instances, the ownership of these avatars represent […]

Asia looks set to become the next big market for NFTs, with some experts predicting the region may surpass the West as early as this year. Global Google search interest for the term “NFT” surged past “crypto” in January, with the search engine’s data showing growth originating in the East. Data from Taiwan, Japan and […]

Traditional banks are failing the nearly 2 billion people in the world without access to financial services, writes Khalid Howladar. But DeFi can be a lifeline.

A Malaysian minister has proposed making Bitcoin a legal tender. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, an 11-year-old programmer makes his way into the NFT business.

Ethereum’s market value passing up Bitcoin’s may not be a matter of if, but when. Dr. Kosrow Dehnad and Joe Duncan offer a predictive model.

South Korea prepares for the imposition of FATF travel rule heat up. Meanwhile in Australia, reforms are set to be introduced for the crypto sector.

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on and sanctions continue to mount, Russia-based bank Sberbank obtains a crypto license from the Central Bank of Russia. Meanwhile in China, social media platform Weibo allows its users to mint NFTs of their social media posts.

Cryptocurrencies have won credit for their role in Ukraine’s war, showing utility that will drive them beyond the battlefield, says Amber Group’s Michael Wu.

Ukrainian President signs a digital assets bill into law. Meanwhile in China, Cannan plans to buy back shares.

Crypto’s growing popularity is also leading to more fraud and abuses, writes Ronald Molenaar of ADVANCE.AI. What can be done to better protect users?

There is more to transitioning to renewable energy than one might expect, and in Australia, one Bitcoin mining company says the industry can play a role.

Chinese authorities cracked down on crypto related crimes on Consumer Rights Day. Meanwhile in Kazakhstan, the former President’s brother was busted for illegal crypto mining operations.

Top blockchain and crypto news: PoW spared as Europe revamps MiCA rules. Yuga Labs acquires CryptoPunks rights. China’s Mango TV makes NFT debut.

No more Burger King, Nike and Muji. This year’s annual focus on marketplace abuse names and shames crypto scams.