blockchain

ZKsync airdrops 3.675 billion tokens to users, enhancing Ethereum’s Layer 2 governance.

Friend.tech’s transition to a proprietary blockchain, Friendchain, prompts user concerns and market fluctuations.

US House mandates congressional approval for Fed’s digital dollar issuance.

XRP Ledger sees a 108% transaction surge in Q1 2024, despite SEC legal woes.

Hong Kong tests China’s digital yuan, enabling transactions and expanding its global use.

Bitcoin marks a historic achievement with over one billion transactions since 2009.

MicroStrategy launches a new Bitcoin-based digital identity platform to enhance online security and trust.

Lazarus Group’s crypto laundering operation exposed by on-chain investigator.

OKX’s X Layer promises faster, cheaper Ethereum transactions with enhanced security.

Cardano’s upcoming upgrades aim to enhance network governance and transaction efficiency.

VanEck forecasts a $1 trillion market cap for Ethereum Layer-2 networks by 2030, highlighting their scalability and efficiency.

Telegram introduces a new feature allowing channel owners to earn 50% ad revenue in Toncoin.

Web3 gaming company Elixir Games secures $14M in seed funding to enhance its ecosystem and introduce a new token.

Ethereum’s security strengthens as validator numbers reach a new milestone.

BlackRock’s new blockchain fund, BUIDL, offers USD yields through tokenization, in partnership with Coinbase.

Singapore-based Morph EVM raises US$20 million to enhance layer 2 blockchain technology.

Major financial institutions complete large-scale blockchain pilot on Canton Network.

Studio 369’s blockchain-based game MetalCore receives fresh funding to enhance AI-driven features and ecosystem.

The Dencun upgrade for Ethereum is expected to dramatically reduce gas fees for layer-2 networks and enhance scalability.

ChainGPT’s new grant program aims to foster AI and blockchain innovation, offering up to US$1 million for startups.

Jerome Powell assures Senate Committee that a U.S. central bank digital currency is not forthcoming, prioritizing privacy and banking system integrity.

Wormhole’s airdrop of 617 million W tokens aims to decentralize governance and reward community engagement across multiple blockchains.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority launches a wholesale CBDC project to support tokenized asset transactions and financial innovation.

Crypto exchange BitForex suspends operations without explanation, following a US$56 million withdrawal, raising concerns of a potential exit scam.

USDC halts TRON support, aligning with Circle’s IPO plans.

MetaMask partners with Blockaid to enhance security for over 30 million users.

Starknet distributes 728 million STRK tokens, with initial trading volatility.

Worldcoin’s record surge comes on the back of OpenAI’s new text-to-video tool, Sora.

Animoca Brands announces partnerships with OKX Wallet, Crypto.com DeFi Wallet, and Halo Wallet, elevating the user experience in the Mocaverse network.

New cryptophone by Aptos and Jambo priced at US$99 targets customers in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

StarkNet’s upcoming token airdrop could become the largest in history.

The NFT landscape evolves with DN404, a fresh rival to the ERC-404 standard.

The blockchain company’s latest mobile venture for a US$450 pre-order price per phone brings in US$45 million for Solana.

The rise of ERC-404 tokens brings a new dimension to the Ethereum blockchain, blending the characteristics of ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens.

Fusing traditional banking and blockchain, OSL collaborates with UBS to execute Hong Kong’s first transaction of a tokenized warrant on the Ethereum.

Bullish, the cryptocurrency exchange, announces Sara Stratoberdha as CoinDesk’s new leader, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to unbiased and independent journalism under new ownership.

The Ethereum network is poised for a significant upgrade this March, with the Dencun update focusing on proto-danksharding.

Despite the Shapella upgrade allowing withdrawals, Ethereum’s proof-of-stake transition continues to attract validators, with over 30 million Ether staked.

BlueSky, the decentralized social media platform by Jack Dorsey, opens its doors to the public.

Solana, a blockchain that has been plagued with outages in the past, had its first network interruption in almost a year.

The “One BNB Paradigm” aims to streamline BNB Chain’s ecosystem, focusing on DeFi, gaming, and AI.

Gamers can now play Doom directly on the Dogecoin blockchain, merging nostalgia with modern tech.

Algorand community warned as CEO’s social media falls prey to hackers.

Swan Bitcoin steps into mining ahead of halving as it prepares for a stock market debut.

Do Kwon-founded Terraform Labs files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.

Bitcoin mining now more eco-friendly than ever, reaching a 54.5% sustainable energy usage.

With its recent US$7 million funding, Bitfinity wants to enhance Bitcoin’s utility in DeFi and NFTs.

The DeRec Alliance, involving HBAR and Algorand Foundations, aims to solve digital asset recovery challenges with a new protocol.

Social media platform X, under Elon Musk, quietly removes NFT profile picture feature, aligning with broader tech industry trends.

BNB Chain’s merger plans aims for a seamless and secure blockchain by April 2024

The most promising carbon offset programs can still wither and die from financing distress. Blockchain technology can help them survive and bear fruit.

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Forkast’s Megha Chaddah, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions. In this special edition, Forkast News spoke to one of the leaders of the Web3 industry, Yat Siu, co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands.

From reducing paperwork to verifying title quickly, blockchain technology promises to overhaul the age-old industry. But it faces regulatory hurdles and resistance by those who profit from inefficiency.

The UK’s crypto hub dream is coming to life while some attendees of Apefest 2023 in Hong Kong complaint on severe eye pain post-event.

Blockchain-based gaming and remittances among top drivers toward adoption in central and South Asia.

Binance said it aims to onboard the next billion Web3 users with its new wallet.

Reddit’s shortsightedness and fixation on profits ultimately led it to pull the plug on Community Points. But here’s why Reddit should still be commended.

SBF is found guilty of fraud, Hong Kong hosts Fintech Week, Neo advances Web3, Backpack launches NFT exchange, and more.

The collaboration aims to build institutional crypto services in Japan.

Colossal failures in online age verification have opened the floodgates for kids to access harmful content and become ‘friends’ with adult strangers. Can encrypted decentralized IDs put a stop to all that?

Platforms like Facebook, Reddit and the hot mess formerly known as Twitter are alienating users like never before. ‘Web3 doesn’t let you be a dick and get away with it,’ writes Joonatan Lintala, CEO of Phaver.

Mastercard’s potential tie up with custody service providers may turbocharge crypto wallets’ growth with its global payments prowess.

Parity CEO Björn Wagner said that despite the need for layoffs, the company’s financial health “remains robust.”

To quell the uproar over the imminent death of a popular rewards program, Reddit is blaming ‘scalability’ and regulatory woes. But the real culprit is Reddit itself for failing to make its tokens sustainable, writes Fabio Galbi, CEO of VSC.

Astar Network and Startale Labs partner with Japanese telecom giant KDDI to boost Web3 adoption.

Wallet Wars, a Space Invaders-inspired game with a Web3 twist: upgradeable NFT spaceships.”

SUI fell to a new all-time low on Wednesday following supply manipulation allegations, which the Sui Foundation denies.

The SOL token rose over 5% in the 24-hour after the partnership was announced.

From tech monopolies to the synergy of AI and blockchain, Alex Tapscott, author of “Web3: Charting the Internet’s Next Economic and Cultural Frontier,” dissects the trajectories of the digital landscape.

The CEO of blockchain services provider Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum spoke to Forkast at the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore. He discussed decentralization and what he sees as the crucial role to be played by blockchain in AI and vice-versa.

Clay Nation, a project of 10,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), announced the launch of a new blockchain bridge for Cardano and Polygon networks in The Sandbox metaverse.  See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court Fast Forkast See related article: NFT creators seek alternatives after OpenSea cuts royalties

Welcome to Forkast IQ, presented by Forkast’s Megha Chaddah, where we look beyond the headlines to get you insights that power smarter decisions.