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The number of unique buyers rose to an all-time high this week after crypto exchange Coinbase dropped free NFTs to celebrate the launch of its new Layer 2 network Base.

USDC issuer Circle said Friday that it is withdrawing from “certain services that involve” California-based cryptocurrency bank Silvergate.

Bitcoin and Ether prices slumped in Friday morning trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies.

Critics fear CBDCs could mean the end of cryptocurrencies, and an increasing number of countries are racing to develop their own.

The metaverse has the potential to make the real world more just and inclusive, writes Sébastien Borget of The Sandbox. Here are the key ingredients for its future success.

DBS bank’s digital exchange, which serves institutional clients, said macroeconomic conditions last year were not suitable for security token offerings (STO), but it will explore opportunities for such listings in 2023 and plans to add more crypto tokens.

Indonesia’s crypto coming of age could help them become a blockchain superpower

Less than two months since the launch of the Ordinals protocol, Bitcoin Ordinals are gaining traction. Yuga Labs announced its first Bitcoin-native NFT collection, on the same day Bitcoin Punks saw over 1,145 ETH in trading volume. Industry commentators told Forkast what this could be for the Bitcoin network.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Blur wash trading explodes. Coinbase extends developer foray with Base test. Hong Kong crypto embrace gets Beijing’s nod.

American payments giant Visa is not slowing down its cryptocurrency plans despite last year’s bear market, according to the firm’s crypto head Cuy Sheffield.

Nishad Singh, former engineering chief of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, pleaded guilty to fraud and several other criminal charges at a hearing on Tuesday related to the collapse of the company, Bloomberg reported.

Yuga Labs announced that it will launch TwelveFold later this week, its first NFT collection on the Bitcoin network.

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, despite U.S. equities rising on Monday after last week’s selloff. Asian stock markets mostly rose on Tuesday as investors absorbed key economic indicators across the region.  

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei partnered with multiple overseas Web3 firms, as part of the company’s blockchain and metaverse venture.

Coinbase, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange, said Monday it is suspending trade in the Binance USD (BUSD) as of March 13.

Yuzo Kano, co-founder of Japan’s largest cryptocurrency exchange bitFlyer Inc., said he plans to return as CEO, sell shares to public.

Robinhood says it’s cooperating with an SEC investigation into the company’s trading and handling of cryptocurrencies.

Crypto industry’s interaction with regulators is important and quite common in Asia but missing in the US, says Brooks Entwistle of Ripple Labs.

Bitcoin remained resilient around the US$24,000 level on Tuesday despite Wall Street’s worst day of the year so far. Industry experts are eyeing a potential retest of the US$25,000 psychological level, as a failure to reclaim it may result in a downtrend to around US$21,500.

The founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency firm FTX.com Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has received another four criminal charges in a superseding indictment on Thursday.

World governments should not grant cryptocurrency legal tender status, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board said in its new nine-point action plan on how countries should approach crypto assets published Thursday. See related article: India working with IMF, FSB on crypto regulations, says economic affairs secretary Fast facts See related article: India’s finance minister […]

A U.S.-based blockchain advocacy group has urged a federal court to dismiss SEC charges against an ex-Coinbase employee accused of insider trading.  

NBA will partner Ant Group – Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s fintech affiliate – to issue NBA-themed NFTs and create content on Alipay.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has partnered France-based global payments giant Ingenico to offer in-store crypto payments in France using Binance Pay.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Blur’s success spurs changes at OpenSea. Is Binance eyeing US exit? Taiwan asset disclosure rules may include crypto.

Coinbase reported an increase in its Q4 earnings on Tuesday, even as overall users declined throughout the period.

ANKR surged by more than 60% after the blockchain infrastructure startup announced a partnership on Tuesday with Microsoft.

Lenders in the crypto sector are optimistic about DeFi’s recovery this year – but why is that?

FTX Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Sam Bankman-Fried’s bankrupt FTX, resumed withdrawal of customer holdings on Tuesday.

Cryptocurrency-focused hedge fund Galois Capital will close and return the remaining funds to investors after losing US$40 million worth of assets in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.com

Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global is seeking to relocate its Asia headquarters from Singapore to Hong Kong.

Blockchain can be utilized in numerous ways to benefit the public sector, Philippine province Bataan is getting a head start.

Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency, gained 15% in the past week to trade at US$24,885 and 7 p.m. in Hong Kong, surpassing payments giant Visa in market capitalization for the third time in history. See related article: Industry reacts: US cracks down on crypto, India calls for regulatory collaboration Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin […]

Nishad Singh, a former executive at bankrupt Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX.com, may be leaning towards pleading guilty to fraud charges for his involvement in the company’s last November

The cryptocurrency industry this week reacted to the recent moves by U.S. authorities against Kraken and Paxos. Meanwhile, India has been calling for a collaborative approach to crypto regulations.

There might be “probable cause” to believe that Sam Bankman-Fried engaged in witness tampering and other activities that could revoke his bail, says judge.

China technology giant Tencent said its reshuffling staff in its metaverse unit, but denied it was being disbanded, as reported by local media.

South Korean blockchain game developer Wemade’s WEMIX token surged after it was relisted on local crypto exchange Coinone on Thursday.

The U.S. SEC charged Singapore-based Terraform Labs and its chief Kwon Do-hyung for defrauding investors.

Binance expects to pay to settle U.S. authorities’ investigations into its business and past crypto offerings, according to its chief strategy officer.

Square Enix announced Wednesday that it will launch its first Web3 game Symbiogenesis on the Polygon blockchain.

The SEC’s latest heavy-handed approach toward crypto will leave investors less protected while benefitting dodgy offshore companies, writes Danny Talwar of Koinly.

Blockchain protocol Conflux Network and China’s second-largest wireless carrier China Telecom have partnered to build a “blockchain-enabled SIM card” (BSIM).

The new leadership at FTX are threatening charitable and political organizations with lawsuits if they don’t return donated funds. Will this benefit ordinary depositors?

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, has been banned from using virtual private networks (VPNs) while out on bail, as the judge cited similar concerns to the co-founder’s use of encrypted messaging apps, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. See related article: Bankrupt FTX threatens legal action to claw back donations to politicians, charities […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: Paxos halts BUSD issuance. Kraken faces disclosure charges. Beijing backs new blockchain research center.

Jingtan, one of China’s major NFT marketplace, has relaxed its rules on NFT transfer between users.

DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx), one of Asia’s first bank-backed digital exchanges, has reported a year-on-year increase of 80% in Bitcoin traded in financial year 2022, while the number of Bitcoin custodized with the bank doubled from 2021. 

The intensifying regulatory oversight in the U.S. is highlighting the increasing need for non-U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins in the cryptocurrency industry, Binance Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao said on Tuesday.  See related article: Be careful what you wish for? Regulators pick up pace in the crypto industry crackdown Fast facts See related article: SEC may make […]

As financial regulators around the world continue to crackdown on stablecoins, some are asking if they are overreaching their jurisdiction.

Bitcoin and Ether dropped in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Binance’s native token BNB led the day’s decline across the top 10 cryptos.

Self-custody is cumbersome and carries risks of seed phrases getting lost, but how can we ensure if a third-party custodian can be trusted?

Bitcoin was the only top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrency to gain in Tuesday morning trading in Asia in a market unsettled by regulators in the U.S. targeting digital asset companies.

Singapore’s DBS Group plans to apply for a license to offer crypto to Hong Kong customers as the city pushes to become a hub for digital assets.

Bitcoin continued to trade below US$22,000 in Monday afternoon trading in Asia. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dropped except Dogecoin.

Paxos Trust Company has been ordered by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to stop issuing the U.S. dollar-pegged Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin

Red Date Technology, the developer of China’s state-backed blockchain infrastructure Blockchain-based Service Network, has partnered Dubai-based Singularity Innovations to offer blockchain infrastructure services in the Middle East and Africa, as the Chinese blockchain network continues to go global.

CEO Brian Armstrong said that the company will defend its staking services in court against claims that they need to be classified as securities.

Digital Currency Group (DCG), the parent firm of failed crypto broker Genesis Global Capital, plans to transfer equity in another unit, Genesis Global Trading, to Genesis Global Holdco and eventually sell both companies to raise capital to pay back creditors.

The U.S. SEC may sue the Paxos Trust Company for allegedly violating investor protection laws in its issue of the Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin.

Huobi Global plans to expand its operations in Hong Kong, anticipating that Mainland China will soon follow the city’s recent pro-crypto shift, says Justin Sun.

Paxos Trust, the issuer of Binance’s BUSD stablecoin, is reportedly being investigated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).

Hester Peirce said using enforcement action to dictate law in an emerging industry is the act of a “lazy” regulator, after the SEC fined the U.S.-based Kraken crypto exchange for failing to register staking programs.

The recent spate of crypto exchanges freezing customer accounts should be a wake-up call to investors everywhere. What can you do to better protect yourself?

Bitcoin sank below US$22,000 on Thursday morning in Asia after the U.S. SEC slapped a fine on the Kraken exchange, sparking concerns that regulators are set to take a tougher line on crypto trading.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a ban on cryptocurrency staking for retail customers in the country, said Brian Armstrong, the chief executive of Coinbase Global Inc.

Robinhood Markets Inc., the U.S.-based financial services company, aims to purchase the 55 million of its shares that FTX-linked Emergent Fidelity Technologies bought in May 2022, according to its earnings report released Wednesday.

Wallets linked to Alameda Research became active over the past week, transferring millions worth of FTX’s native token, FTT, according to Arkham Intelligence. 

Top blockchain and crypto news: GOPAX deal sees Binance return to South Korea. Inflation fight spooks crypto markets. Chinese liquor giant gives cheers to NFTs.

Prosecutors flew to Serbia earlier this month as part of an investigation into Terraform Labs chief Do Kwon, who faces fraud accusations related to the US$40 billion collapse of his Terra-Luna cryptocurrency project in May last year.

Digital Currency Group has started to sell shares of its cryptocurrency funds at a significant discount, according to a Tuesday report from the Financial Times.

Gemini has agreed to put up US$100 million to the asset recovery of Earn users as part of bankrupt crypto lender Genesis Capital’s in-principle agreement with parent firm DCG and other creditors.