March 2023
Bitcoin climbs above US$28,000, XRP leads winners for the week, U.S. equities jump
Bitcoin edged above US$28,000 in Thursday morning in Asia amid a broad rally in most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin passes US$28,000, Binance accused of hiding Chinese links
Welcome to The Daily Forkast – March 30, 2023 – presented by Joel Flynn for the latest in the crypto markets. Bitcoin once again passes the US$28,000 mark, with the wider crypto market also seeing gains over the last 24 hours. Binance has been accused of hiding extensive links to China for years after claiming […]
Binance concealed ‘extensive’ ties to China: Financial Times
Binance reportedly hid ties to China for years despite claiming to have left the country following Beijing’s regulatory clampdown in 2017.
Ripple exec says innovation is leaving the US.
As US authorities continue to police crypto regulations, we take a look at the direction the country’s crypto innovation is headed.
Binance faces legal battle as US regulator gets ready to rumble
Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance targeted in CFTC lawsuit. Law catches up with Do Kwon. Chinese banks bet on Hong Kong crypto.
Binance sees US$627 mln in net Ethereum outflow following CFTC lawsuit
Binance saw about US$627 million in net Ethereum-related withdrawals in the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, data from blockchain analytics platform Nansen showed.
Bitcoin holds ground, XRP continues run-up
Welcome to The Daily Forkast – March 29, 2023 – presented by Joel Flynn. Prices of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies remain steady Wednesday morning in Asia. While XRP continues to gain on expectations that Ripple Labs may win a favorable ruling in a lawsuit filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Bitcoin holds ground amid Binance lawsuit, XRP continues run up, U.S. equities dip
Bitcoin rebounded in Wednesday morning trading in Asia along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. XRP led the winners.
Bankman-Fried charged with paying millions in bribes to Chinese government officials
Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly paid US$40 million in cryptocurrency bribes to at least one Chinese government official in November 2021.
Asia leads crypto regulations, innovation may leave the US, says Ripple’s Long
Asia-Pacific nation are leading the way in developing global cryptocurrency regulations that favor innovation, which is something that U.S. regulators should also take note of, said Ripple Labs Inc. President Monica Long
Walt Disney reportedly scraps metaverse plans
Entertainment conglomerate Walt Disney Co. has reportedly scrapped its metaverse plans as part of its decision to lay off 7,000 employees and reduce US$5.5 billion in expenses.
Bitcoin, Ether extend declines amid U.S. lawsuit against Binance; Asian equities mixed
Bitcoin and Ether continued to fall in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after regulators in the U.S. pulled up Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly violating trading mandates.
Binance rejects U.S. charges of violating trading rules, manipulating markets
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said the charges are “an unexpected and disappointing civil complaint” in response to the CFTC lawsuit filed on Monday against him and the world’s largest crypto exchange.
Montenegro to hold Terra-Luna fugitive Do Kwon for 30 days, says Yonhap News
Kwon Do-hyung will be held in Montenegro for a month on charges of using forged travel documents, South Korea’s Yonhap News reported.
Binance, Zhao sued by CFTC for alleged regulatory violations
Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao have been sued by the CFTC for allegedly violating derivative rules
MicroStrategy buys 6,555 Bitcoin worth US$150 mln
MicroStrategy acquired 6,555 Bitcoin for around US$150 million, at an average price of US$23,238 per coin, between Feb. 16 and March 23
Zipmex buyer misses payment, could risk US$100 million buyout: Bloomberg
Zipmex cryptocurrency exchange’s US$100 million venture capital buyout may be in danger, after buyer V Ventures missed the US$1.25 million payment due on March 23
Bitcoin breaks above US$28,000 as Do Kwon detained in Montenegro
Welcome to The Daily Forkast – March 24, 2023 – presented by Joel Flynn for the latest in the crypto markets. Most major cryptocurrencies have seen a increase in their prices amid the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise the Fed rate by another 25-basis points. Terra Luna founder Do Kwon has been arrested by Montenegrin […]
South Korea confirms identity of man arrested in Europe as Terra-Luna fugitive Do Kwon, seeks extradition
South Korea’s police said they confirmed the identity of a man arrested in Montenegro, Europe, as the Terraform Labs co-founder Kwon Do-hyung, who is wanted on charges of fraud related to the collapse of the stablecoin and cryptocurrency project he led.
South Korea arrests former Coinone exchange official for alleged crypto-listing bribery
A former employee of the Coinone exchange was arrested Tuesday on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies.
SEC warns Coinbase of potential legal action over staking, separately targets Tron founder Sun
The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., it may face legal charges related to staking services and digital asset listings.
Centralized intermediaries were cause of crypto failures in 2022, says Voorhees
If there was a lesson from the crypto implosions of 2022, it is the demonstration of the superiority of open code and decentralization over central intermediaries, argues Voorhees at DC Blockchain Summit.
Magic Eden introduces Bitcoin Ordinals for NFT traders
Magic Eden, the largest Solana-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, has launched its “audited” Bitcoin Ordinals for NFT traders.
Bitcoin rises above US$28,000; XRP biggest gainer in top 10 cryptos
Bitcoin continued to trade above US$28,000 on Wednesday afternoon in Asia. Ether also rose, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies with XRP and Cardano leading gains.
Indian crypto exchange WazirX blocks over 2,400 accounts in 6 months
WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume, has blacklisted over 2,431 accounts between October 2022 and March 2023, based on its internal monitoring process as well as under the direction of law enforcement agencies (LEA).
Terraform Labs founder Daniel Shin again questioned by South Korea prosecutors over stablecoin collapse
Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung, also known as Daniel Shin, was again called in for questioning by South Korea’s prosecutors on Monday.
Crypto needs to look abroad as US exchanges go unbanked
The fall of Silvergate, SVB and Signature has left crypto firms scrambling for new banks. Will crypto banking head offshore for the long term?
Singapore-based Crypto.com gets preparatory license to expand services in Dubai
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com will soon be able to extend its services in Dubai, after it received a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) Preparatory License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).
Bithumb executive faces investigation over alleged bribery in South Korean crypto listing
South Korean prosecutors are investigating Lee Sang-jun, the CEO of Bithumb’s holding company, for alleged bribery in listing certain tokens on the platform.
Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin rises above US$26,000, as ‘store of value’ narrative strengthens amid bank failures
As the U.S. banking system stared into the pit of bank runs and collapsing share prices, the authorities acted swiftly to try and pull everything back from the edge. However, Bitcoin seemed unperturbed. Is this what a safe haven looks like?
Another Crazy Week For Bitcoin
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies bounce back after a turbulent week for banks in the US and Switzerland.
Bitcoin, Ether, other crypto gain with equities amid global fund injections to support banks
Bitcoin neared the US$25,000 mark on Friday morning in Asia. Cryptocurrencies gained as the U.S. and Europe moved to backstop troubled banks with cash.
Who should be held responsible for the Silvergate Bank and SVB crises?
As bank after bank topples, fingers are pointing everywhere. But crypto is not to be blamed for this unfolding crisis, writes Winston Hsiao of XREX.
India, UAE to collaborate on cross-border central bank digital currencies
The Indian central bank and the UAE will jointly run pilot programs on their central bank digital currencies, according to the Reserve Bank of India.
Ripple executives say XRP lawsuit ruling will have little impact on global business operations
The court ruling in a lawsuit brought by the SEC against Ripple will have minimal impact on the company’s business, APAC policy director Rahul Advani said.
South Korea cranks up pressure to extradite Do Kwon, founder of failed Terra-Luna stablecoin
South Korean prosecutors said they will expand cooperation with overseas legal agencies to facilitate the arrest and extradition of Do Kwon.
Circle’s USDC bounces back after Silicon Valley Bank bust
Top blockchain and crypto news: USDC stabilizes after SVB collapse. Silvergate closes shop. China tightens financial supervision.
Voyager-Binance.US’ $1 bln deal should be put on hold, says U.S. Department of Justice
A deal valued at over US$1 billion between Binance.US and Voyager should be put on hold while key legal objections are worked out, says U.S. government.
Anchorage Digital lays off 20% of staff amid low NFT demand, says bank unit not affected
Digital asset platform Anchorage Digital will lay off 75 employees as it restructures to meet regulation challenges.
Bitcoin, Ether continue run up; Solana, Dogecoin lead gainers; U.S. equities rebound
Bitcoin and Ether continued strong price gains, with most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies logging advances for the past seven days.
Binance suspends pound sterling services for U.K. customers as payment provider backs out
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it is halting its British pound deposits and withdrawals.
India imposes money laundering regulations on crypto industry
India’s crime fighting agencies have been investigating crypto exchanges and individuals on money laundering charges and have now put the onus on exchanges to report suspicious transactions.
Circle’s Disparte speaks on de-risking crypto from banking risks
The recent U.S. banks fallout is a stress test for both traditional finance and digital assets but to weather the storm side by side is a powerful opportunity, says Circle Chief Strategy Officer Dante Disparte.
Meta plans to wind down NFT initiatives on Facebook, Instagram to focus on other services
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will wind down its non-fungible token operations on both social media services.
FBI investigating the collapse of Do Kwon’s Terra-Luna, WSJ reports
Former employees of Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs are being questioned by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors in New York.
Bitcoin jumps above US$24,000, leading crypto gains as U.S. acts to backstop banks
Bitcoin continued to gain in morning trading in Asia, as regulators acted to backstop the U.S. banking industry. Most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies gained.
Banks are bringing systemic risks to crypto, says Circle’s Disparte
The recent U.S. bank failures are proof that the banking system is introducing systemic risks to the crypto industry, not vice versa, says Circle chief strategy officer Dante Disparte.
Crypto banking crisis?
As the U.S. tries to head off a bank run, crypto is quickly running out of places to bank with.
Bitcoin, Ether gain after U.S. regulators take charge to shield deposits across crypto-related banks
Bitcoin and Ether gained in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after U.S. regulators took charge of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, both with exposure to crypto industry, protecting deposits and confirming that no losses will be borne by the taxpayer.
Circle says US$3.3 bln USDC reserve at SVB available Monday, announces partnership with Cross River
Circle said the USDC reserve deposits held at the failed Silicon Valley Bank will be recovered when banks open on Monday.
Circle’s USDC stablecoin regains parity as regulators act to stop bank run risk
Circle said its $3.3 billion of USDC cash reserves at the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank will be available Monday after regulators stepped in to backstop deposits.
Bitcoin jumps more than 9% as U.S. acts to protect deposits at crypto-linked banks
Bitcoin and Ether led a rebound in cryptocurrencies in Asia morning trading as U.S. regulators backstopped banks with ties to the crypto industry.
U.S. regulators shutter Signature Bank, lender to Paxos, Coinbase, citing systemic risk
U.S. regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, one of the biggest lenders in the crypto industry, due to risks of a systemic failure.
Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below US$20,000 as Silvergate collapse, rate hike concerns rise
Bitcoin fell below US$20,000 for the first time since Jan. 13 on the back of crypto bank Silvergate’s collapse and the U.S. Fed signaling higher than expected interest rate hikes.
Meta working on a decentralized social media app: Moneycontrol
Meta Platforms, the parent company of the social media applications Facebook and Instagram, is exploring a decentralized text-based Twitter alternative.
Bitcoin, Ether, Forkast 500 NFT index close lower on the day
Bitcoin and Ether tumbled during Asia trading hours on Friday afternoon, with Dogecoin leading losses among the top 10 largest non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, pressured by crypto bank Silvergate’s liquidation
Bitcoin, Ether slump in broad sell-off amid Fed red flags on rates, Silvergate Bank failure
Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies slid Friday morning in Asia, tracking equities amid red flags on interest rates and concern about fallout from the Silvergate collapse.
Crypto mining rig maker Canaan shares slump after Q4 revenue sank 82%
Canaan’s shares on Nasdaq closed 3.83% lower at US$2.51 on Wednesday after the cryptocurrency mining rig maker reported an 82% year-on-year drop in revenue on Tuesday for the fourth quarter of last year, citing “lackluster market demand” for mining machines as the price of Bitcoin fell.
Crypto bank Silvergate to close, return all deposits; becomes latest victim of 2022 crypto turmoil
Silvergate Capital said Wednesday it will cease operations and liquidate its bank unit.
Bitcoin crashes through US$22,000 floor as failure of Silvergate crypto bank hits market
The shuttering of Silvergate Bank was not unexpected, but it still drove Bitcoin and most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies lower on Thursday morning in Asia.
Voyager gains court approval to sell assets to Binance U.S. in US$1.3 bln deal
Bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital received court approval from bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles on Tuesday to sell its assets and transfer its customers to Binance’s U.S. arm, in a US$1.3 billion deal.
Silvergate teeters as regulators circle and crypto firms cut ties
Top blockchain and crypto news: Silvergate woes spark bankruptcy talk. LDO dips on false enforcement rumors. Chinese leaders push digital development.
Forkast 500 NFT index edges up, Animoca Brands’ NFT collection leads in sales
The Forkast NFT 500 Index inched up 0.07% to 4,278.68 in the 24 hours through 9 a.m. in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
FTX’s Alameda sues Grayscale over crypto trusts
Alameda Research has filed a law suit against crypto conglomerate Digital Currency Group and its asset management business Grayscale over trust investments.
China’s WeChat social media giant integrates digital yuan into payment platform
WeChat, China’s leading social networking and payment app, has integrated the digital yuan into its payment network, which may help adoption of the CBDC.
Kraken to launch U.S. crypto bank amid regulatory headwinds
U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is working on establishing its own bank, despite the recent regulatory headwinds
Singapore police begin probe linked to Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs: Bloomberg
Singapore’s police have begun investigations linked to Terraform Labs that was co-founded by fugitive Do Kwon, according to a Bloomberg report.
Binance documents show ties to U.S. unit unknown to regulators, WSJ reports
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, reportedly didn’t disclose the extent of its ties and control over Binance.US, WSJ reported.
Bybit suspends U.S. dollar bank transfers, possible link to Silvergate shuttering crypto banking network
Bybit suspended U.S. dollar deposits and withdrawals via wire and bank transfers due to “service outages from a partner.”
Bitcoin treads water below US$22,500, Ether dips with other top 10 cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin and other top 10 cryptocurrencies fell on Monday morning amid concern about the troubled crypto bank Silvergate.
Bitcoin, Ether fall; Litecoin is biggest loser of day
Bitcoin and Ether fell by the end of Asian trading hours on Friday afternoon, together with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, weighed by the financial woes of crypto-focused bank Silvergate.