Companies

Singapore-based public blockchain platform Klaytn and non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSea announced on Friday a partnership to bolster the Asian NFT ecosystem. See related article: Kakao’s Klaytn to build blockchain in China with BSN Fast facts The partnership includes conference collaborations and ecosystem grants to promote Asian NFT projects to the global audience. Klaytn is […]

In a decentralized society envisaged under crypto, everybody is reportedly equal. But as the market strains under considerable stress, it’s showing some are more equal than others.

In his first interview after the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) and its sister token LUNA in May, CEO Do Kwon dismissed allegations of fraud and told The Wall Street Journal, “There is a difference between failing and running a fraud.” See related article: Winning back the trust of the Terra community a tall order for […]

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a blockchain-based trade financing pilot project in collaboration with top lenders including HDFC bank, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India, among several others, Economic Times reported, citing unidentified sources.  See related article: India FM: RBI to issue blockchain-based digital rupee Fast facts Belgium-based SettleMint, U.S.-based Corda […]

LGBT event organizers see the metaverse as technology of the emerging Web3.0 world that opens doors and opportunities for marginalized communities.

After rescuing crypto-asset broker Voyager Digital last week, crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, often known as SBF, has now agreed to bail out crypto lender BlockFi.  See related article: BlockFi among those that foreclosed on Three Arrows Capital: report Fast facts FTX agreed to extend a US$250 million revolving credit facility to BlockFi on […]

E-commerce giant eBay has acquired U.K.-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace KnownOrigin, the company announced in a press release on Wednesday.  See related article: Alibaba Cloud launches service to build NFT marketplaces Fast facts According to the press release, both companies signed and closed the deal on Tuesday, but the purchase price and further details on […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Investors snowed in as liquidity crunch hits. Solend harpoons anti-whale maneuver. Chinese NFTs prove a tricky target.

The Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Wednesday said the approval toward a license will eventually allow it to offer a range of payment services in the city-state. See related article: Singapore warms up to crypto industry — on its own terms Fast facts Crypto.com has received an in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for […]

Dogecoin and Shiba Inu make gains as Elon Musks tweets support. Meanwhile, Vauld joins other crypto exchanges in axing staff.

Input Output Global (IOG), the development company that runs the Cardano blockchain, on Monday said it will postpone the testnet of the network’s Vasil hard fork to the end of June, citing software bugs and a focus on quality and security. See related story: Cardano’s Alonzo Purple testnet begins onboarding users Fast facts The engineering […]

The Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange said the actions of a “few market participants” are creating a lot of uncertainty in the eyes of customers. See related article: ‘Buckle up’ for downsizing crypto market as employees laid off Fast facts The layoffs impact every team with marketing and talent acquisition departments being affected the most, as Vauld […]

Prosecutors said they also wish to interview Terraform Labs Chief Executive Officer Kwon Do Hyung as part of an investigation into the multibillion dollar collapse of the company.

Crypto exchange ByBit lays off 30% of its staff. And as the NFT market grows, how do we combat against scams?

Dubai-based crypto derivatives exchange Bybit is looking to cut up to 30% of its staff to reduce costs, journalist Colin Wu reported on Twitter, citing anonymous sources.  See related article: Coinbase, biggest US crypto exchange, cuts workforce by 18% Fast facts “This was not an easy decision to make,” a Bybit spokesperson told Forkast in […]

Celsius and Babel Finance’s freezing of customer accounts highlights the risks of intermediaries, writes Nick Saponaro. Crypto users should take back control.

Hong Kong-based Babel Finance announced on Monday it has reached “preliminary agreements” on debt repayments to counterparties following a redemption and withdrawal freeze instituted last Friday. See related article: Contagion risk from Three Arrows Capital weighs on Bitcoin, crypto Fast facts A preliminary restructuring of the debt repayment period has “eased” the company’s short-term liquidity […]

Bitcoin recovers from it’s weekend slump, standing at over US$20K. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s support sees Dogecoin gain 12%.

Dogecoin (DOGE) has gained 11% since billionaire Elon Musk said that he would continue to support and buy the cryptocurrency. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto return to red after rate hike rally wears off Fast facts According to CoinMarketCap data, the memecoin was up more than 12% in the past 24 hours to US$0.05788 on […]

Chinese online retail platform JD.com reported 400 million yuan (US$60 million) in digital yuan sales at the “618” shopping festival, accounting for about 0.1% of the event’s total sales.  See related article: Double Eleven: 240,000 orders by e-CNY on top e-commerce platform Fast facts See related article: China’s zero-Covid policy realigning global economy, financial markets

Binance did not buy US$2 billion worth of Bitcoin as reported by media over the weekend, its founder and chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao said on Monday in a tweet. See related article: Bitcoin recovers above US$20K after weekend slump Fast facts At least two news sites reported that Binance had bought the dip and […]

BlockFi’s Zac Prince says they have fully liquidated 3AC positions. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s central bank works with the Bank of Israel to study CBDC security.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced a joint research project with the Bank of Israel (BOI) and the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub (BISIH) Hong Kong Centre to study cybersecurity issues in retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). See related article: Hong Kong now exploring retail CBDC in upcoming Project Aurum Fast facts […]

BlockFi CEO Zac Prince Thursday said the U.S.-based crypto lender foreclosed on a “large client that failed to meet its obligations” following reports that BlockFi was part of the lenders group that canceled some US$400 million in loans made out to Three Arrows Capital (3AC). See related article: Client accuses Bitcoin, Ethereum backer Three Arrows […]

Huobi Thailand will shut its cryptocurrency trading platform’s Thailand unit on July 1 after the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked its license. See related article: Can Thailand emerge as a ‘crypto-positive’ travel destination? Fast facts Huobi Thailand said the firm will no longer have any connections or legal bindings with Huobi Group following […]

Bitcoin, Ethereum and TRX recover as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Meanwhile, Three Arrows Capital faces liquidation concerns.

Analysis by the blockchain data platform found the collapse of TerraUSD (UST) took place in three stages — a few large trades broke UST’s peg triggering a selloff, there were attempts to restore the peg, but continued selloff finally drained all funds. See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts […]

The job cuts in India were much lower than the global average of about 18%, a senior executive at the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange said.  See related article: Coinbase, biggest US crypto exchange, cuts workforce by 18% Fast facts The largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume in the U.S. Wednesday said about 8% of its India […]

Yahoo will host virtual concerts and exhibitions featuring celebrities and influencers for Hong Kong residents on the Decentraland metaverse, the company announced on Wednesday. See related story: Hong Kong’s subway operator plans virtual station in metaverse Fast facts Yahoo is also launching a non-fungible token (NFT) exhibition called The Abyss of Kwun Tong to recreate […]

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase will cut its global workforce by about 18% to ensure it stays “healthy during this economic downturn,” CEO Brian Armstrong said in a blog post. See related article: Coinbase is the first crypto firm to make the Fortune 500 list Fast facts Coinbase will cut approximately 1,100 employees, or 18% of […]

MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor says the company will not have a margin call on their US$205 million Bitcoin-backed loan after their crypto holdings dropped by over US$1 billion over the past week, according to data from CoinGecko.  See related article: MicroStrategy, crypto firm shares plunge with Bitcoin’s freefall Fast facts When MicroStrategy adopted a Bitcoin […]

USDD loses its dollar parity. Meanwhile, Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has resumed withdrawals on its Bitcoin (BTC) network after a short pause early on Monday, according to an official statement. See related article: CEL down over 50% since Celsius Network’s withdrawal freeze Fast facts On his verified Twitter handle, CEO Changpeng Zhao said the issue was […]

MicroStrategy is leading Marathon, Riot and Coinbase in a cryptocurrency-exposed stock selloff, closing down over 25% on Monday, as the firm’s Bitcoin holdings dropped by around US$1 billion.  See related article: MicroStrategy posts Q1 revenue loss amid falling Bitcoin price Fast facts MicroStrategy became entangled with Bitcoin after founder Michael Saylor added record amounts to […]

Inflation hits crypto markets hard as Bitcoin drops almost 8%. Meanwhile, South Korean exchanges work on new rules to prevent another Terra Luna incident.

An open and interoperable metaverse economy will drive consumer activity — and it’s on a similar track for growth as e-commerce, writes Ben Caselin of AAX.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. blockchain business unit Onyx aims to bring trillions of dollars in tokenized assets to decentralized finance (DeFi), Onyx head of digital assets Tyrone Lobban said at CoinDesk’s Consensus 2022 conference.  See related article: JPMorgan sees upside for Bitcoin, crypto amid market downturn Fast facts “Over time, we think tokenizing U.S. Treasurys […]

Indian crypto investors got lucky after February’s tax announcements reduced trading activities ahead of the market crash, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of online stockbroker Zerodha said. See related article: Short selling is good for any market, including crypto: Jim Rogers Fast facts “Even when trading stocks, the biggest reason for losses is trying to […]

Singapore investment behemoth Temasek has been in the digital asset space for several years, and it’s doubling down on its commitment, says its blockchain chief.

As the Terra saga continues to unfold, Do Kwon loses an appeal against the SEC. Meanwhile, Circle’s head of policy slams CBDCs.

It’s been a ‘Waiting for Godot’ experience for the crypto industry regarding US approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF. A decision next month by the SEC could bring a lift to crypto markets or be a boon to lawyers.

The order said Do Kwon and Terraform Labs had sufficient contact with the US for the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate it for possible violations of federal securities laws.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in stages this fiscal year, T Rabi Shankar, deputy governor of the central bank, said in a press conference on Wednesday.  See related article: RBI wants its CBDC to bring ‘little or no disruption’ Fast facts “Process of [the] […]

India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran compared cryptocurrencies to the “world of Caribbean pirates” in the absence of regulation where “winners take it all” from somebody else, local media reported.  Fast facts See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Cryptocurrencies fail to satisfy basic requirements such as having store value, widespread […]

Is El Salvador committing a major blunder in making Bitcoin legal tender — or finding its way out of the hell of dollarization? Bryan Hernandez explains.

Alibaba Cloud on Wednesday said its service will help build NFT marketplaces in a fast and reliable way, without addressing compliance issues. See related article: Resist the temptation on NFTs, Chinese state-backed developer says Fast facts See related article: Move-to-earn app STEPN to limit service in China

Blockchain data analytics platform Nansen has struck a multi-year collaboration deal with Google Cloud to provide crypto investors with real-time access to market intelligence, the Accel and GIC-backed firm announced on Thursday.  See related article: Foxconn’s Taiwan subsidiary receives investment from Google for metaverse projects Fast facts Running its platform on Google Cloud’s open and […]

A bipartisan crypto bill has been introduced in the US Senate. Meanwhile, Singaporean investment company ADDX plans on recognizing crypto assets.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance BNB slips amid allegations. STEPN marches through attacks. Is China’s slowdown straining crypto prices?

High taxes and lack of support from traditional finance make it difficult for smaller crypto operators to survive in India, a senior executive at one of the country’s largest crypto exchanges said.

Nine cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, including crypto exchange FTX, made it to the 2022 list of the Forbes Fintech 50 released Tuesday, with all nine raising a total of US$6.5 billion in venture capital, according to the business magazine. See related article: FTX.US forays into stock trading Fast facts The latest list features private companies […]

Leading crypto exchange Binance swats away double-helping of allegations. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s regulator scrutinises NFTs.

In hosting one of Asia’s largest outdoor NFT art exhibitions, the city — battered by lengthy quarantines and protests — is seeking to revolutionize the way art is presented.

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, which invests in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and metaverse projects, has invested over US$1.5 billion across more than 340 investments as of April 30, according to its unaudited financial results released on Monday. See related article: Animoca Brands’ new Japan arm aims to connect fans in Web 3.0 world Fast facts Between […]

Binance has fought back on a Reuters investigation that accused the crypto exchange of serving as a conduit for at least US$2.3 billion worth of illicit funds, calling the report a “breathless pearl clutching” piece. See related article: SEC probes Binance’s BNB for initial coin offering in 2017: report Fast facts “We’re aware of Angus […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly looking into whether Binance violated any rules regarding the sale of securities when its BNB token was sold through an initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017. See related article: Binance’s venture arm raises US$500 mln to invest in Web3, blockchain Fast facts The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange […]

IRA Financial Trust announced a lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Gemini Trust Company on Monday for alleged failures in safeguarding IRA’s crypto assets in the exchange. See related article: Binance users burned by outage band together to take legal action Fast facts IRA manages self-directed retirement accounts in non-traditional assets such as Bitcoin which were held […]

The prospect of tighter codes for the crypto industry has given some players the jitters. Others, such as Crypto.com’s Eric Anziani, see it as an opportunity.

The industry should fasten its seat belt, an industry watcher told Forkast, as the largest of crypto firms headline widespread layoffs amid the 2022 market crunch.

Indian cryptocurrency exchange CoinSwitch Kuber launched CRE8 on Thursday, a rupee index tracking the Indian crypto market. See related article: India gets second crypto unicorn within two months Fast facts CRE8 claims to give traders real-time information on the Indian rupee-based crypto market, based on trades on the CoinSwitch exchange. “Until now, investors in India […]

Binance Labs’ fundraise comes as venture capital investments face headwinds from expectations of interest rate increases. See related article: Binance’s investment in Forbes is a wake-up call for the crypto industry Fast facts See related article: Binance, a16z among investors backing Musk’s Twitter bid with US$7B

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat cautioned retail investors to steer clear of investments in cryptocurrencies, saying the nascent asset class “is a highly risky area.”  See related article: Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto Fast facts Many investors suffered losses and even lost their life savings in the recent meltdown […]

Singapore announces plans for a digital assets initiative. Meanwhile, Shanghai’s lockdown finally ends, but markets remain hesitant.

Dunamu, the South Korean fintech company and operator of the country’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, rebutted claims that it profited by over 130 billion Korean won (US$105 million) off of LUNA Classic last year. See related article: S.Korea eyes restraints on crypto unicorn Dunamu over monopoly concerns Fast facts Last week, multiple local media reports […]

BNB Chain’s roadmap for the year will prioritize faster transactions and enhanced support for decentralized applications (dApps), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume said. See related article: Binance rebrands blockchains for metaverse, DeFi expansions Fast facts In its 2022 technical roadmap released Tuesday, BNB Chain said it is working to offer end users more […]

South Korea’s smart contract auditing firm Sooho.io is partnering with Lambda256, the blockchain subsidiary of Upbit operator Dunamu, to develop a bridge layer connecting the country’s fragmented decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web 3.0 ecosystem. See related article: Two crypto exchanges reach unicorn status in South Korea Fast facts The new bridge will work as a […]

Mirror Protocol’s price match error nearly led to another crisis for Terra. Meanwhile, Ethereum rises back up after nearly a week below US$2,000.

Wall Street did it! At least that is one of the theories about the cause of the nearly US$50 billion meltdown of Terraform Labs stablecoin and LUNA cryptocurrency. How does that stand up?

The Indian government is studying how other countries have regulated the asset class before drafting laws for the industry, the secretary for economic affairs Ajay Seth told local media.  See related article: Crypto regulation has to ‘take its time’: India FM Nirmala Sitharaman Fast facts “Our consultation paper is fairly ready. We have gone into […]

The Reserve Bank of India explores digital rupee options. Meanwhile, Terra’s new Luna coin drops significantly since launch.

Advocates for central bank digital currencies argue their inherent stability supersedes any benefits so-called stablecoins, algorithmic or otherwise, could offer.     

The new LUNA was trading under US$6 on Monday morning Asia time, after peaking at US$18.87 shortly following the launch of the Terra 2.0 blockchain on Saturday, according to data from CoinGecko. See related article: Winning back the trust of the Terra community a tall order for Do Kwon: Experts Fast facts LUNA Classic (LUNC) […]