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HashKey Exchange and OSL — the only two cryptocurrency exchanges licensed by the Hong Kong SFC — received license upgrades Thursday to service retail investors.

Bitcoin and Ether remained stable Friday morning in Asia as Litecoin led losers among other top 10 cryptos. Coinbase execs bullish after upbeat Q2 results.

Japan’s blockchain group urges tax change. Bitcoin NFT struggles but it may be a sleeping giant. Litecoin falls after halving.

Litecoin prices have lost over 6% since it completed its third halving event on Wednesday evening in Asia.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are considering fraud charges against Binance, according to news site Semafor.

Bitcoin, Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dipped in Thursday morning trading in Asia, including Litecoin following its halving event.

Litecoin has executed its third halving event on Wednesday, reducing block rewards for miners from 12.5 to 6.25 Litecoins per block.

Revenue for NFT services on the Bitcoin network, or the aggregate value of marketplace fees and creator royalties, declined over July even as total Ordinals inscriptions crossed 20 million.

The Republic of Kenya has suspended Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded in 2019 by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, while the country’s security and data protection services look into the authenticity and legality of the project, the Ministry of the Interior and National Administration said on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Bitcoin was the day’s biggest gainer, rising 2.11% in the past 24 hours. Ether rose 1.11%.

Binance users in China traded about US$90 billion worth of cryptocurrency-related assets in May despite the crypto ban since 2021.

Bitcoin, Ether and most other top ten tokens gained Wednesday morning in Asia, with BNB leading winners after Binance Japan launch.

Binance announced the launch of Binance Japan on Tuesday, offering 34 cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin fell in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, dipping below the support level of US$29,000.

Speaking at the WebX Asia conference in Tokyo, Circle’s Singapore-based vice president of strategy and policy discusses U.S. regulation, growing pains in the crypto industry and Asia’s burgeoning role as a Web3 innovator.

Bitcoin and Ether fell in early Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, with Bitcoin slipping below support at US$29,000. Ether fell more than 2%.

Bitcoin and Ether slipped during Monday afternoon trading in Hong Kong along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, except the BNB token, with crypto markets poised for an uneventful month ahead, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin and Ether prices dropped on Monday morning in Asia, but remained above key support levels. Altcoins fell on Curve Finance hack.

Bitcoin fell below US$30,000 this week, as market optimism over ETFs began to ebb. Bitcoin has to hold above US$28,000 next week to avoid further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in afternoon Asia trading. Dogecoin, Polygon led losses while Tron and Litecoin gained.

Bitcoin and Ether prices were largely mixed but running into the red on Friday morning in Asia, looking to end the week with losses after a period of directionless trading.

Concerns arise over Worldcoin’s free crypto. NFT market does a crabwalk. Japan’s next big thing for the metaverse.

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed a bill Wednesday aimed at defining whether cryptocurrencies are securities or commodities.

Bitcoin gained Thursday morning in Asia, but not enough to breach US$29,500 after the Fed raised interest rates by the expected quarter point.

The Tokyo WebX Asia conference, which claimed to be the largest of its kind in Asia, wrapped on Wednesday after two days of exhibitions, crypto-themed side events, and debate on what Japan needs to do to be a central part of the future of the digital asset industry.

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and Line Xenesis — the crypto asset and blockchain-related business developer of Japanese messenger app Line — have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost crypto innovation in Asia-Pacific and the global industry. See related article: Singapore-based Crypto.com gets preparatory license to expand services in Dubai Fast facts

Bitcoin traded flat on Wednesday morning in Asia as risk-aversion remained the market theme, though the token managed to hold above US$29,000.

Bitcoin fell on Tuesday morning in Asia along with most major cryptocurrencies on speculation the U.S. regulator will appeal a decision in the Ripple case and enthusiasm waned for a Bitcoin ETF.

Delio halted interest payments for all users on Monday, after announcing difficulties in providing services as usual.

Bitcoin will have to remain above US$29,500 to prevent further bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

Already home to most of the world’s gamers, Asia has a rich pedigree in seeding and embracing new technologies, writes Robbie Ferguson of Immutable.

The SEC has hinted it may be set to appeal a recent court ruling against the agency in its case against Ripple Labs and the XRP token.

Bitcoin rose on Monday morning in Asia to reclaim the US$30,000 support level. Ether moved higher, while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also gained.

Bitcoin fell under US$30,000, despite the SEC accepting eight spot Bitcoin ETF applications for review this week. A weekly close under that psychological level could lead to more panic selling, industry experts told Forkast.

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Angie Lau, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. Coming up on today’s show:

McDonald’s Hong Kong has joined the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gucci and other global brands with Thursday’s launch of its own metaverse.

Bitcoin fell on Friday morning in Asia as other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed. Bitcoin again slipped below support at US$30,000.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Ripple not clear of hurdles | NFTs in historically slow period | Hong Kong banks dither

Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday morning, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies, but the token looks to have lost support at the US$30,000 line.

NAB, one of Australia’s “big four” banks, announced it is taking action to block some payments to “high-risk” cryptocurrency exchanges, as part of its new measures aimed at protecting customers from scams.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Police in China’s Shanxi Province made 21 arrests in relation to an alleged USDT money laundering scheme amounting to over US$54 million.

Bitcoin slipped under US$30,000 on the back of profit-taking and long liquidations as the recent run up on optimism about exchange-traded funds seemed to run out of steam.

Stablecoins play a pivotal role as a safe-haven medium of exchange in times of high inflation, writes James Glasscock. But they’re not without risks.

Bitcoin dipped under US$30,000 in early Asia trade before recovering. Ether and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell, while NFT trading slumped.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published on Monday a global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities to provide a global regulatory and supervisory foundation for crypto. The recommendations made to the G20 – the 20 leading economies of the world – are based upon the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation.”

XRP continued its rally after XRP issuer Ripple’s favorable ruling last week in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As the US is engulfed in regulatory strife, Asian countries are rolling out legal frameworks that attract crypto investment, protect consumers and encourage innovation.

Bitcoin rose to trade at over US$30,300 on Monday morning in Asia, but the price fell over the weekend to around the pre-Ripple ruling level.

Scrutiny on the stablecoin’s reserves has intensified since USDT’s latest depegging scare. Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether and Bitfinex, delves into the composition of USDT reserves, explaining how the firm ensures dollar redemptions, irrespective of secondary market prices.

Bitcoin rose to US$31,736 on Friday, bolstering Ethereum to above US$2,000, after the court ruled that the sale of XRP did not constitute a security. Bitcoin needs a close above US$31,000 to pave the way for US$32,500, market experts told Forkast.

A favorable U.S. court ruling for Ripple boosted Bitcoin prices. All top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos rallied with XRP prices gaining 62% in the past 24 hours.

In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. court ruled in favor of Ripple Labs in its case against the Securities and Exchange Commission, providing a boost to most cryptocurrency prices. But industry participants remain wary.

Alex Mashinsky, founder and CEO of Celsius Network, pleaded not guilty after being arrested in the U.S. Thursday on several fraud-related criminal charges.

Bitcoin, all other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens logged gains Friday morning. That followed a favorable SEC ruling for Ripple, whose XRP token led the gains.

Judge Analisa Torres ruled on Thursday that Ripple Labs’ programmatic sales of the XRP cryptocurrency did not qualify as the offer and sale of investment contracts.

Europe’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is expected to be publicly listed this month, following a 12-month delay from the initially planned date

Top blockchain and crypto news: Standard Chartered eyes US$120,000 per Bitcoin | Another week of declines in NFT market | Sega and Line team up.

Bitcoin prices fell below US$30,500 in the past 24 hours while its trading volume has gained over 20%. Ether also fell. Cardano and BNB were the day’s biggest losers.

Stablecoin issuer Circle has reduced its workforce and investment in non-core activities.

Bitcoin dropped on Thursday morning in Asia to below US$30,500. Ether and most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens also logged losses.

Bitcoin trade volumes dropped in the last 24 hours but the token is holding steady above US$30,500. Binance’s BNB token posted the biggest gain while most other top 10 cryptocurrencies traded mixed.

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office announced that it will launch the Virtual Asset Joint Investigation Unit at the end of this month.

South Korea’s FSC is requiring companies that issue or own cryptocurrencies to provide detailed crypto disclosures from 2024.

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday morning in Asia to trade above US$30,500. Ether traded flat while most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens gained. SOL led winners.

Zebedee, a New Jersey-based payments technology firm, will allow Minecraft players to earn Bitcoin by completing in-game quests.

Bitcoin breached US$31,000 level in the past 24 hours after falling back to hold above US$30,000. Ether and all other top 10 cryptos gained.

The key to making crypto easier to use while less prone to skulduggery lies in centralizing some security and UX features, writes Hsuan Lee of Blocto.

Bitcoin rose on Tuesday morning in Asia, after Standard Chartered predicted the token could reach US$120,000 by the end of 2024. Ether and most other top 10 tokens rose.

The global cryptocurrency industry is valued at US$180 billion, with over 10,000 companies employing a total of 190,000 employees, according to a July 5 report from crypto intelligence firm K33 Research. See related article: Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto rules; NFTs become new cultural frontier Fast facts See related article: South Korea, Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto […]

All top 10 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether, drop over the last 24 hours while investors brace for more interest rate hikes in the U.S.

Crypto’s current turmoil in the US stands in stark contrast to other jurisdictions that are paving paths to for the industry to shine, writes Sean O’Connor.