Companies

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler allegedly offered to serve as an advisor to Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, in 2019, according to a CNBC report on Wednesday that cited documents filed by the regulator. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has submitted a new court filing to support its lawsuit against the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance, Coinbase in SEC firing line. Solana NFTs slump as Bitcoin’s surge. New dawn in Hong Kong crypto regulations.

The SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase have sent alt coins tumbling. Binance’s BNB lost 15.7% over the past week.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been ordered on Tuesday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to respond to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s pending petition for rulemaking within seven days. 

Most top 10 cryptos rebounded, despite the SEC suing Coinbase exchange a day after it sued Binance’s U.S. arm.

CCTV, China’s largest national TV broadcaster, ran about a minute-long segment on Tuesday flagging SEC’s lawsuit against Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao.

Circle Singapore said Wednesday it has received a Major Payment Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Nearly all top 10 tokens rebounded as investors look beyond U.S. regulator’s lawsuits against two of the world’s most influential crypto exchanges.

Apple’s Vision Pro VR is the new door to the metaverse. This headset may not be the first, but like CryptoPunks, it’s set to redefine how we see and use NFTs

The U.S. SEC sued Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., for allegedly breaching securities rules, less than 24 hours after the regulator sued Binance on similar charges. 

The SEC sued Binance on Monday, amid mounting regulatory scrutiny of crypto exchanges. Industry experts shared insights on what this could mean for Binance and how it could drive crypto innovation out of the U.S.

The U.S. SEC has extended the list of cryptocurrencies it considers unregistered securities to cover US$115 billion worth of tokens following its Monday lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Ledger’s attempt to simplify self-custody and key recovery triggered a community revolt. Was this inevitable or could Ledger have sidestepped this fiasco?

All top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies took a sharp fall Tuesday morning in Asia, after the SEC sued Binance over alleged securities violations.

The U.S. regulator alleges Binance and its leader of unregistered offers, sale of tokens, defrauding investors and manipulating trade volumes.

JPMorgan has reportedly launched a pilot project with top private lenders in India for interbank dollar transaction settlements through its blockchain platform, Onyx. 

Bitcoin drops below US$27,000 on Monday amid mixed crypto market. Litecoin, BNB see losses while XRP, Tron, Solana gain.

A court in Montenegro approved a second bail request for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, who faces allegations of using fake passports.

OSL is one of only two digital assets trading platforms in Hong Kong licensed to offer services to professional investors.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Miners dodge tax bullet. Blur, Binance heat up NFT lending. Chinese cities’ plans reveal nationwide Web3 ambition.

Bitcoin fell 1.36% to US$26,805 in 24 hours. Ether slipped 0.82% to US$1,854.

Decentralized autonomous organizations are the future of business, writes Lomesh Dutta. The key is designing them to avoid management and voting pitfalls.

Dubai-headquartered Bybit said it will exit the Canadian crypto market and stop accepting new accounts from Wednesday, citing a “recent regulatory development.”

Ordinals’ BRC-721E token standard is set to introduce NFT transfers from Ethereum to Bitcoin through a burn and claim process.

Temasek, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, said on Monday that it has cut the pay of senior management and the investment team involved in the decision to invest in the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during afternoon trading in Asia on Friday, along with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding the Solana and Tron tokens.

Binance Marketplace, Binance’s NFT trading platform, is launching a new service Friday where users can loan Ether by using NFTs as collateral.

A former executive at Coinone pleaded guilty on Thursday to accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies on the platform.

The stock price boost for tech giant Nvidia on the back of an AI chip boom has sent AI-related cryptocurrencies on a surge.

Surge of interest in AI chipmaker Nvidia extends to crypto, Binance and Blur vie for top NFT lender spot, while uncertainty abounds over U.S. debt talks.

The launch of Hong Kong’s very own CBDC comes with new regulations for crypto trading platforms operating in the city.

The high court of Montenegro’s capital city Podgorica has revoked its decision to grant bail to Terraform Labs chief executive officer Do Kwon.

Just how decentralized are today’s DAOs? When compared to the world’s largest transnational corporations, not so much, says Pat Rawson, co-founder of Web3 innovation network Curve Labs.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has been accused of blending client funds with its own corporate revenue in violation of U.S. financial regulations, according to three unnamed sources cited by Reuters.

Cryptocurrency wallet Ledger’s new update allows governments to access users’ seed phrases via subpoena, said Pascal Gauthier, the chief executive officer of Ledger. 

The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission warned the public last week not to use crypto exchange Gemini’s derivatives platform.

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), the capital markets regulator, has charged cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global and its chief executive officer Leon Li for operating a digital asset exchange (DAX) without registration.

Stablecoins are a key part of the crypto ecosystem, but banks like JPMorgan are now exploring deposit tokens as an alternative. Which is better, and why?

Circle Vice President of Global Policy Corey Then says he is optimistic that U.S. regulatory developments can eventually benefit local players despite ongoing scrutiny.

Investors remain cautious as U.S. debt talks continue despite slowing inflation and large NFT purchases.

Ripple Labs has launched a new payment platform for a central bank digital currency in Hong Kong.

Bitcoin and Ether prices fell on Friday morning in Asia. XRP gained after Hong Kong CBDC announcement by issuer Ripple.

World’s largest cryptocurrency exchange halts Australian dollar services after payment provider cuts off service.

Montenegro prosecutors have filed an appeal against a local court decision to approve bail for the detained Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon.

Conflux Network and China Telecom on Tuesday unveiled their first blockchain-based SIM card, which will be piloted in Hong Kong.

San Francisco-based Ripple Labs, a technology and financial services firm built around the XRP cryptocurrency, said it will acquire Metaco, a Swiss-based tokenization and digital asset custody provider, for US$250 million. 

Welcome to The Daily Forkast, May 17, 2023, presented by Jeff Cheung for the latest in the crypto markets. Ripple’s victory over the SEC in court has jumped XRP prices as Litecoin continues its bullish run overnight. The NFT markets are also looking good as the Forkast 500 index and the ETH composite are both […]

A U.S. federal judge has denied a motion by the SEC to seal internal documents related to a speech given by the SEC’s former director on whether cryptocurrencies are securities.

Bitcoin prices fell on Wednesday morning in Asia but remained above the US$27,000 line. Ether gained but still posted a weekly drop. XRP led gainers among other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

As part of the ongoing legal dispute between the two, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it would not be hurried into a response to Coinbase demands.

South Korean prosecutors have raided Upbit, Bithumb and the crypto wallet unit of Kakao, as part of their investigation into lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk.

Fractionalizing assets on the blockchain opens up investment opportunities for the public and the capital market’s access to liquidity, writes Bob Ras. Here’s what’s holding it back.

Bank of Korea, the central bank, seems uncomfortable with the Financial Services Commission, the country’s regulator, having the mandate over the cryptocurrency industry. The bank is pushing for more say, arguing crypto can influence the stability of the overall financial market and that involves the central bank.

Regulatory hurdles have once again hit Binance in North America, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announcing on Friday that it would cease operations in Canada due to tightened crypto rules.

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

Binance.US is reportedly exploring ways to cut founder Changpeng Zhao’s ownership stake in the company, The Information reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Terraform Labs chief Do Kwon denied charges of attempting to travel with fake travel documents during a court hearing Thursday in Montenegro.

Animoca Brands revealed US$2.7 billion in off-balance sheet token reserves in its latest unaudited financial update.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Memecoin fever strains BTC network. Binance slams brakes on Bitcoin withdrawals. Chinese court allows crypto for repaying debt.

Bitcoin network faces heightened congestion with over 5 million inscriptions, exacerbating block space demand as BRC-20 tokens achieve a market cap milestone of $1 billion, contributing to increased activity on the network.

The three-day NexTech Week trade show kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, celebrating all things technology, including blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.

Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung and seven others will face trial on May 26 on charges of fraud related to the Terra-Luna crypto collapse.

Cryptocurrency firms moving to Hong Kong should expect tight regulations as part of the city-state’s new regulatory regime, said Eddie Yue.

A South Korean court has approved prosecutors’ request to freeze assets and properties worth 233.3 billion Korean won that belong to Kwon.

Hong Kong-based OSL Asset Management Ltd said it won a local license to offer investment products in blockchain, Web3 and AI companies.

Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Deloitte, Moody’s and other institutions are partnering with Digital Asset for the launch of the Canton blockchain.

Skyrocketing activity has led to a surge in average Bitcoin transaction fees — which rose to US$31.15 as of March 8 — exerting increasing pressure on users in low- and middle- income economies including Bitcoin-reliant communities in El Salvador, the first country to implement mass adoption of the digital currency.

Welcome to The Daily Forkast, May 8, 2023, presented by Jeff Cheung for the latest in the crypto markets. Binance halted Bitcoin withdrawals twice today as a result of an influx of pending transactions and sky-rocketing fees. The Ethereum Foundation sold US$30 million worth of Ethereum to Kraken as well, leading to slight dips in […]

India is not against the blockchain technology, but currencies have to be monitored by either the government or the central bank, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. 

The prosecutor leading Korea’s investigation into the Terra-Luna project said its founder Do Kwon should be extradited to Seoul to face trial.

Binance resumed withdrawals of Bitcoin around Monday noon in Hong Kong after temporarily halting the service twice within 12 hours due to what the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange said was a “large volume of pending transactions.”