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PwC and Crunchbase data show cryptocurrency industry M&A deals and venture capital funding already surpassing last year’s volumes, with investments shifting to Asia

Other top news: China accelerates digital currency testing with 50,000 e-RMB ‘red packets.’ Hong Kong as DCEP’s future sandbox. VC in India.

China advances its new e-RMB closer to launch after distributing to Shenzhen residents 10 million yuan in digital ‘red packets’ that will expire next week

Digital currency efforts now mirror global economic rivalries, with China’s DCEP leading the pack. Central banks would be wise to avoid these pitfalls.

2020 is banner year for DeFi as industry balloons by over $100 billion in volume from Q2 to Q3 — most of it riding on Ethereum, according to a new report

A recent flurry of US regulatory activity is helping legitimize the digital assets space. Here’s the latest on SEC, FINRA, CFTC and OCC’s new level of coordination.

The risk of getting scammed is real, but DeFi also offers investors opportunities to earn yields in this pandemic economy, says Two Prime CEO Marc Fleury.

BitMEX’s CEO, who faces money-laundering charges, may be the beneficiary of Hong Kong’s political turmoil and current lack of an extradition treaty with US government

In a special interview, Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon also discusses the critical role of government in encouraging greater blockchain adoption.

The $14 billion global crowdfunding market is expected to triple by 2026. Here’s how blockchain is fueling this trend.

As Wild West DeFi surges to new heights with Chinese capital, China wants to build a separate digital finance network — in its own, tightly controlled image.

Massive public spending, supply chain disruptions and ballooning debt are a volatile mix for investors. Here’s why bitcoin should be part of a balanced portfolio in this pandemic economy.

Other top news: Ant Group launches blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.

Anonymous critics take to social media to claim that Babel is recklessly speculating with investor and client funds. The company denies wrongdoing.

In the first of a special two-part series, Forkast.News examines how blockchain — from smart contracts to crowdfunding missions — could transform public and private ventures in outer space.

A giant 40-painting series of blockchain art aims to capture the image and ethos of Satoshi Nakamoto in the source code that he left behind.

More top news: Wounded Unikr settles with SEC for $6.1 million. China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain.

China’s latest state-backed blockchain initiative’s official name proclaims that it is ‘public.’ But is it really? Forkast.News explains.

Access to China’s cryptocurrency market will accelerate as long as the government can keep out criminal activity, writes James Gillingham of Finxflo.

More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain ideas to 20,000 companies.

SEC’s crackdown comes as more states permit online gambling, putting a further squeeze on the company once backed by celebrities like Ashton Kutcher.

In a special interview, Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan discusses blockchain as the next internet, keen interest from investors like Charles Schwab, and the hottest cryptocurrency trend since ICOs.

Ethereum Classic Labs CEO Terry Culver calls the hash rental market shady “like under a rock somewhere…. They’re basically money laundering operations.”

As China muscles DCEP to market and the U.S. enlists MIT for a future digital dollar, South Korea struggles to find its place in the crypto economy.

Excessive money printing and near-zero returns on bonds are making investors flock to fancy cryptocurrency derivatives and 8% yields. What’s the catch?

In other news: Public gets sneak peek at China’s digital currency DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining.

The end of HackFS signals the start of Space Race as developers prep for the global decentralization of storage nodes in the era of Web 3.0.

Caught in the US-China trade war crossfire, the semiconductor manufacturer’s shares tumbled alongside Beijing’s fading dreams of a domestic silicon supply.

ETC’s recent hacks may be an occupational hazard of ‘proof-of-work’ blockchains, including BTC and ETH. Is going ‘proof of stake’ the answer?

From CryptoKitty pets to metaverses like Minecraft and Decentraland, blockchain video games are redefining what it means to own virtual property.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

Other top news: $50 billion in cryptocurrency leaves China. Severe flooding in Sichuan destroys bitcoin mining farms. DeFi in India.

Could blockchain technology and decentralized ID verification have prevented all those VIP Twitter accounts from being commandeered for a bitcoin scam?

Other top news: USPS explores blockchain for voting. Coinbase offers crypto loans. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance.

As Ethereum moves toward its 2.0 upgrade, here is a reflection on the open-source platform’s transformational impact on the blockchain ecosystem.

As China’s digital currency begins large-scale testing, business giants like Didi and Meituan appear to be signing on. What does China’s central bank say?

Other top news: Teen accused of masterminding Twitter VIP hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. Fintech VC in Singapore and Indonesia.

New perpetual contracts — a crypto derivatives product — can be ‘inversed’ and priced in BTC rather than tied to fiat. What does this mean for investors?

China’s CBDC — the world’s first major government-issued digital currency — could launch this year. Are we ready for its financial and geopolitical impact?

Australians can buy bitcoin from post offices and use cryptocurrency in soda vending machines. But are confusing tax policies discouraging wider adoption?

DeFi crypto lending — a loosely regulated industry that grew by 700% last year — is catching investor attention. What do the IRS and SEC think?

Other top news: China imposes standards for blockchain companies. Huobi launches digital asset custody business. Blockchain VC in the Middle East.

CFTC’s new plans for crypto regulations and OCC permitting banks to be crypto custodians could boost digital asset adoption. What’s next for FATF and SEC?

In the blockchain world, decentralized workplaces are already the norm. As Covid forces more companies to do the same, here are our pro tips for executives and managers.

Covid-driven monetary policies are spurring growing investor interest in crypto assets and derivatives, says Richard Byworth, CEO of Diginex and EQUOS.io.

As US regulators warm to digital assets, Diginex capitalizes on the world’s most mature financial market by launching platform that allows crypto spot trading.

Other top news: China’s BSN blockchain network expands global reach. US lets major banks act as crypto custodians. VC in India and Singapore.

The $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program — intended to help America’s small businesses survive the pandemic — also gave financial aid to crypto firms accused of fraud, a Forkast.News investigation found.

Regulatory uncertainties over crypto — coupled with Indians’ tendency not to rebel — have prevented decentralized finance from taking off in India despite the unbanked’s tremendous needs, says Siddharth Verma of Nuo Network.

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.

The UN, which now has a CryptoFund, wants to incubate new technology that would benefit children around the world. Apply now, or help get the word out!

Social media platforms like Twitter need more advanced technology, like blockchain, to protect user accounts from attacks, says Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo.

Sheila Warren, World Economic Forum’s head of blockchain policy, also discusses the growing importance of digital currencies and how America is falling behind.

Other top news: Alibaba to help Cosco deploy blockchain technology for Chinese shipping industry. Fintech investment in Saudi Arabia.

The US is gold standard for global financial regulations. But if US does not get its act together over crypto, other nations will emerge as leaders in this growing space.

The former International Space Station commander also discusses how blockchain can lower space exploration costs, and more. Bonus: advice on enduring Covid and social isolation with grace.

In this chapter in the saga of the troubled mining company, ousted co-founder Micree Zhan establishes new online presence

Other top news: US still dominates blockchain patents globally. First court case in China litigated with blockchain. VC in Indonesia and Singapore.

Will India ban crypto? Regulatory uncertainty is causing nation to miss out on economic benefits. Smart regulations, says Ripple, may provide a way forward.

The Digital Dollar Project offers a path forward for the US to create a central bank digital currency. But will the government accept private sector help?

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

India could reap greater economic growth, cut down on corruption and more if it adopts a more progressive stance on cryptocurrency. A leading role in Asia is New Delhi’s for the taking.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency companies are rapidly expanding, and there’s a shortage of talented hires. That makes it a great time to consider a career in crypto.

Ahead of the revamped blockchain platform’s July 7 launch, TRON’s flamboyant founder woos fans with gifts. But some netizens find him hard to love.

White paper by global blockchain payment platform urges Indian lawmakers to make cryptocurrency legal while providing mechanisms to root out bad actors.

Other top news: Chinese high schoolers cram-studying bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries in Cambodia. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.

India and DeFi could be headed for a symbiotic relationship — unless the government cracks down on crypto again and forces a breakup.

10 million Chinese high schoolers will soon take the equivalent of the SAT or A-Levels, and it looks like they better study up on how crypto gets made.

Is it because Huobi has an in-house Communist Party relations office, while rival exchange Binance does not? Gather ’round for a Tale of the Two Cryptos.

The rest of the world may worry over the new e-RMB and what it could do to the US dollar. But inside China, will yet another digital payment system even matter? Forkast.News finds out what the laobaixing think.

Other top blockchain news: China sounds new warning against crypto. Brave browser brouhaha. Startups in Japan and Malaysia.

Crypto and compliance is a hot topic these days, with Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin’s incubator joining the fray with a new toolset.