blockchain

Web 3.0 blockchain developer Alchemy announced on Tuesday that it has raised an additional US$200 million, bringing its valuation to US$10.2 billion. Fast facts Led by venture capital firms Lightspeed and Silver Lake, the funding is a continuation of its Series C round launched in October where it raised US$250 million at a US$3.5 billion […]

Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Polygon has raised US$450 million from several big name investors including Sequoia Capital India, SoftBank, Galaxy Digital and Tiger Global, boosting its war chest as demand for its services grow.  Fast facts Polygon is one of the most prominent Ethereum scalers whose tools allow developers to create decentralized apps (dApps) and […]

Vitalik Buterin caused an uproar over his recent criticisms of blockchain bridges. Here is a rebuttal in support of this nascent technology.

Singapore-based medical service firm Zuellig Pharma is using its blockchain-based medical tracking tool eZTracker to enhance vaccine transparency by flagging expired or mismanaged Covid-19 shots. Fast facts The eZTracker system verifies the authenticity of vaccines and other medical products to improve supply chain transparency and prevent black market distribution of supplies. QR codes on product […]

Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a blockchain project to make cross-border securities transactions in Asia-Pacific more efficient. Fast facts The regional development bank of 68 member countries is aiming to use blockchain to directly connect central banks and securities depositories in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region plus Japan, China and South […]

The metaverse could be life-changing for the world’s unbanked, writes Pavel Matveev of Wirex. Interoperability between the real and virtual worlds will be key.

Guangdong Province’s 2022 Government Report says its capital city Guangzhou will become a digital yuan testbed and a blockchain innovation application pilot center in 2022.  Fast facts Guangzhou applied to become a new digital yuan pilot city in September 2021.  Guangzhou is one of the major cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). […]

A pro basketball player and an ex-banker are aiming for a slam-dunk with a ‘creator first’ content platform. Calaxy co-founder Solo Ceesay explains how.

The gaming industry suffers from a talent shortage, but blockchain technology and Gen Z’s obsession with self-expression are relieving cost pressures.

Alternative approaches to governance have never been more important, writes Alexander Filatov of TON Labs. Here is how DAOs can change the world.

Polygon’s upgrade, which piggybacks off Ethereum’s EIP-1559, makes MATIC deflationary while allowing users to estimate gas fees more accurately.

If 2021 was a breakout year for crypto, this year may mark a similar advance for regulation of the industry, says Caroline Malcolm, Chainalysis’ new policy chief.

State-backed hackers from North Korea stole cryptocurrencies worth about US$395 million last year across at least seven cyber attacks, according to Chainalysis, a blockchain data company. Fast facts Several of the attacks were likely led by Lazarus, a group of hackers believed to be backed by North Korea’s primary intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, […]

Palau will issue a stablecoin to support plans for a digital overhaul of its economy, according to its president. Fast facts President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. said the Pacific archipelago was also working on establishing a crypto exchange, a corporate registry and digital wallets for each resident in its digital revamp. Palau is planning a […]

A new project in northern Australia is using blockchain technology to improve supply chains in the water market in one of the first applications of its kind. Fast facts More than 1,000 farmers in the northeastern state of Queensland have partnered with blockchain firm Civic Ledger and other groups for the project to address growing […]

How has layer-2 innovation saved Bitcoin from becoming a victim of its own success? Blockstream chief Adam Back explains.

In a special Q&A, a core contributor to the rapidly expanding Cosmos ecosystem discusses the ‘internet of blockchains’ and the new cross-chain economy.

In South Korea, a new presidential administration will be chosen in March. Here’s where the four major candidates stand on Korea’s booming virtual asset space.

Today’s consumers are looking for more equitable financial services, writes Sean Rach of hi. Here’s how blockchain can offer a nonprofit banking alternative.

Bitcoin is now a teenager but it’s not a celebration for some as Indian tax authorities raid crypto businesses.

Aventus CEO Alan Vey also predicts the decentralized finance rally is just getting started. Which blockchains does he see growing massively in the new year?

Looking beyond this year’s headlines like El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption, here are the key developments in blockchain technology that will have lasting impact in the new year and beyond.

It’s a myth that crypto transactions are anonymous, writes Warren Paul Anderson of Discreet Labs. Confusing anonymity with privacy is what causes trouble.

In December 2020, Stefan Rust successfully predicted a ‘Cambrian Explosion’ of crypto tokens. Now he says 2022 will be when the crypto markets will be ‘flooring out.’

Bitcoin adoption soared in 2021 with El Salvador’s currency experiment with the help of the layer-2 scalers. Will Lightning strike twice in 2022? 

What are the responsibilities of blockchain companies when it comes to freedom of expression? A controversial cartoonist finds out the boundaries.

Blockchain promotes trust and can greatly cut transaction costs, writes Edmund To of GSBN. So why is the shipping industry still clinging to paper documents?

With Ethereum usage at all-time high, a Cosmos ‘bridge’ to other blockchains and Mastercard rollups aim to solve a major problem plaguing the Eth network.

Not yet done with your holiday shopping? Here are ideas for all the loved ones on your list, whether they are tech-savvy or merely crypto-curious.

Brinc, a Hong Kong-headquartered venture capital focused on Web 3.0, today announced that it has secured US$30 million in a Series B round and an additional US$100 million for startup investments. The funding was led by Animoca Brands — a Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming, metaverse and non-fungible token (NFT) company — to further fuel Brinc’s investment in […]

Confusion surrounded the Solana blockchain community over the weekend as a sudden drop in transaction speeds was initially believed to be a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, resulting in a lengthy debate as to the cause of the delay. Fast facts Solana-based non-fungible token (NFT) platform Blockasset was one of the first to highlight […]

Shibu Inu coin struggles, meanwhile could blockchain an inflation hedge solution?

Polygon envisions a world where value can be exchanged without borders. In this Forkast.News explainer, find out how Polygon works and why its MATIC token is defying crypto market gravity — again.

South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) recently launched an intensive tax investigation into blockchain and crypto venture capital firm Hashed, while its CEO denies any involvement in slush fund raising or tax evasion, according to local media reports. Fast facts Hashed confirmed that it had cooperated with the 4th Bureau of Investigation from the Seoul […]

Suzhou, a city located in Jiangsu province, will set up China’s first blockchain demonstration pilot zone, supported by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), according to a local media report. Fast facts MIIT agreed to Jiangsu Province’s request for support to set up a pilot zone for blockchain in Suzhou and said it […]

The Beijing Municipal Government announced the bidding results for the city’s blockchain and computing power platform. Tencent Cloud and government-tied enterprise Beijing Microchip Sensing Technology won the bid and will be paid US$37 million to build the system. Fast facts According to the bid’s quotations, Tencent Cloud will provide the cloud service for the blockchain […]

ENS allows for a readable username that is portable across dApps and blockchains. Why is it important for the Web 3.0 world? Forkast.News explains.

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs has raised US$60 million in a Series B funding round led by investment firm Tiger Global, the company announced on Tuesday. Fast facts Also participating in the financing round were American Express’ Amex Ventures, Visa, B Capital Group, Citi Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, Blockchain Capital, Jump Capital, Marshall Wace, Block […]

The Indian ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has released a 52-page “National Strategy on Blockchain” document that urges closer cooperation between government and the private sector to build blockchain infrastructure across the world’s second-most populous nation. Fast facts It is to be noted that the current NSB document is an updated version from […]

The fund will track companies that use and benefit from the technology underlying cryptocurrencies, but will not invest in crypto or crypto exchanges.

Supply chain woes are deepening as seasonal consumer demand meets a logistics logjam. Dennis Delgado of SyncFab explains how blockchain can help. 

Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

The Cosmos ecosystem is expanding rapidly with inter-blockchain transfers on the rise. What makes Cosmos different from other blockchains? Forkast.News explains.

The metaverse is a convergence of the physical and digital worlds, writes Gloria Wu of Ontology. How can the metaverse escape Web 2.0’s failings?

The metaverse has been the hottest trend in tech this past month and tokens attached to metaverse projects are showing that growth with the Sandbox’s SAND and Decentraland’s MANA are both up over 600% in the past month to reach all-time highs of US$8.51 and US$5.90 yesterday, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap. Fast facts The Sandbox […]

Luxury fashion houses set trends that trickle down to the rest of culture. Here’s where brands like Prada and Burberry are headed on the blockchain curve.

Arbitrum is leading the way in Ethereum scaling, according to a new report by Nansen, a blockchain analytics platform. What are the challenges that lie ahead?

Two more regional equity exchanges in the Chinese cities of Tianjin and Qingdao have been approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission this week to pilot blockchain applications over equity trading. Fast facts The regional equity exchanges are private equity markets in provincial or municipal administrative regions for medium to micro enterprises to trade equity. […]

BloXmove will use the Ontology blockchain to allow people to have one decentralized, secure identifier to share across multiple transportation apps.

Algorand ‘re-imagines’ blockchain by trying to solve key weaknesses of Bitcoin. Learn about this wannabe Ethereum killer in this Forkast.News explainer.

The Beijing Securities Regulatory Bureau released a list of a first batch of 16 fintech pilot projects. Among the listed projects, four are based on blockchain and one uses e-CNY, the central bank digital currency. The projects are for exploring regulatory frameworks and tools for fintech. Fast facts The e-CNY-based fintech project will allow users […]

The US Infrastructure Act has provisions that should make crypto advocates shudder, writes Alex Shipp of Offshift. Who will stand up for crypto’s core values?

How blockchain technology can usher in the next stage of the internet and social media, through decentralized hosting and integration with cryptocurrency.

Out of nowhere, a leaderless ‘flash mob’ of crypto investors pops up to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution. What are DAOs and how do they work? Forkast.News explains.

Blockchain-powered iVote.ph lets users ‘vote’ on NFTs depicting presidential candidates in the Philippines. Can the underlying technology be trusted?

Billions have been stolen through hacks from decentralized finance protocols, with Ethereum seeing the bulk of losses, according to a report by Elliptic.

Indian investors will now get exposure to global companies in the blockchain ecosystem as the Securities and Exchange Board of India greenlighted the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain ETF Fund of Fund (FoF). Fast facts The feeder fund will invest in the Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain UCITS exchange-traded fund (ETF), formerly known as Invesco Elwood Global […]

The MOBIX marketplace, built on the Fetch.ai blockchain, will enable e-scooter and bicycle users to earn MOBIX reward miles that can be converted to MOBIX tokens.

Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), an industry association, has released its Global Standards Mapping Initiative 2.0 to provide a holistic view of the industry’s global activity. Fast facts The initiative maps out the global digital asset landscape in terms of legislation, technical standards, industry standards and recommendations, university sources, as well as industry consortia. Specifically, […]

After shooting to prominence earlier in the year and bringing huge profits to early adopters, earnings for players of blockchain-based game Axie Infinity have dropped below the minimum wage line for most players in the Philippines, according to a recent report by research firm Naavik. Fast facts Using data sourced from the official website of […]

In another sign of increasing adoption of blockchain technology in the gaming industry, Forte — a leading provider of blockchain solutions for game publishers — has secured US$725 million in a Series B fundraising round, the firm announced. Fast facts Led by Sea Capital and Kora Management, this follows from the US$185 million it raised […]

Charities are just beginning to explore the potential of NFTs, writes Billy Sebell of XinFin Network. Here’s how NFTs can help raise big money beyond artwork auctions.

Rounding out an impressive year for the world’s No. 5 blockchain, Solana held its first global offline conference in Lisbon this week. Here’s a look at some of the key moments.

Ethereum’s sprawling Web 3.0 ecosystem — which includes the majority of the decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain gaming worlds — continues to expand and draw users, with 3.4 million Ethereum addresses interacting with DeFi protocols, according to ConsenSys’ Web 3 Q3 2021 report published this week. Led by Ethereum co-founder Joseph […]

The greatest number does not mean the greatest significance, analytics firm PatSnap says.

Inspired by Miami’s launch of a city token — MiamiCoin — Mark Wheeler, the city of Philadelphia’s chief innovation officer, announced an initiative to bring blockchain and Web 3.0 technology to city governance. Fast facts Wheeler is currently conducting a discovery process to hold conversations with blockchain and Web 3.0 technology developers to understand the […]

World leaders at the COP26 climate summit this month promised to end deforestation by 2030. But significant challenges to achieving the goal remain to be overcome. The Cambridge Centre for Carbon Credits, based at the University of Cambridge, this week launched with the goal to build a decentralized marketplace of verifiable carbon credits to support […]

Trust, data privacy and job elimination are some of the challenges that society will face as blockchain ushers in Web3.0, according to Don Tapscott.

The highly competitive cryptocurrency exchange industry appears to be consolidating, according to blockchain analytics provider Chainalysis as part of its Competitive Landscape Report that will be released next week. Fast facts The number of active cryptocurrency exchanges peaked at 845 in August 2020 and stood at 672 as at August 2021, Chainalysis reported. The exchanges […]

Crypto market cap breaks US$3 trillion, also APAC crypto cards to launch

Amid the global energy crisis, nine companies from four countries — China, Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia — announced they will jointly build a blockchain documentation platform to speed up customs clearance and cargo delivery to trade the commodities of energy, chemical products and metal. Fast facts Platform participants includes Sinochem Energy, Mitsui.Co, Macquarie CGM, Saudi […]

Affinidi, a Singapore-based technology company founded by state-owned investment firm Temasek, today announced the launch of a new business unit called Finnovate that aims to serve millions of underbanked individuals and small and medium enterprises across Southeast Asia by leveraging on Web 3.0 blockchain technologies. Fast facts Affinidi Finnovate is partnering with the financial services […]