Cryptocurrencies

In a special Forkast.News interview, the CEO who co-founded Ethereum discusses the deal with JPMorgan, DeFi’s rise, and expectations for Ethereum 2.0.

Other top news: $50 billion in cryptocurrency leaves China. Severe flooding in Sichuan destroys bitcoin mining farms. DeFi in India.

Could blockchain technology and decentralized ID verification have prevented all those VIP Twitter accounts from being commandeered for a bitcoin scam?

Other top news: USPS explores blockchain for voting. Coinbase offers crypto loans. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance.

As Ethereum moves toward its 2.0 upgrade, here is a reflection on the open-source platform’s transformational impact on the blockchain ecosystem.

As China’s digital currency begins large-scale testing, business giants like Didi and Meituan appear to be signing on. What does China’s central bank say?

New lightweight protocol nearing mainnet launch says it is distributing six times more tokens than others to attract developers and encourage greater decentralization.

Other top news: Teen accused of masterminding Twitter VIP hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. Fintech VC in Singapore and Indonesia.

New perpetual contracts — a crypto derivatives product — can be ‘inversed’ and priced in BTC rather than tied to fiat. What does this mean for investors?

China’s CBDC — the world’s first major government-issued digital currency — could launch this year. Are we ready for its financial and geopolitical impact?

Other top news: China imposes standards for blockchain companies. Huobi launches digital asset custody business. Blockchain VC in the Middle East.

Covid-driven monetary policies are spurring growing investor interest in crypto assets and derivatives, says Richard Byworth, CEO of Diginex and EQUOS.io.

Other top news: China’s BSN blockchain network expands global reach. US lets major banks act as crypto custodians. VC in India and Singapore.

Latest salvo in Bitmain’s epic civil war: World’s largest crypto mining equipment maker accuses estranged co-founder of absconding with customers and a big chunk of the world’s hashing power.

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.

Other top news: Alibaba to help Cosco deploy blockchain technology for Chinese shipping industry. Fintech investment in Saudi Arabia.

India’s cryptocurrency market has vast potential — what’s holding it back? A continued lack of regulatory clarity as well as crypto education, says CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal.

Other top news: US still dominates blockchain patents globally. First court case in China litigated with blockchain. VC in Indonesia and Singapore.

Will India ban crypto? Regulatory uncertainty is causing nation to miss out on economic benefits. Smart regulations, says Ripple, may provide a way forward.

The Digital Dollar Project offers a path forward for the US to create a central bank digital currency. But will the government accept private sector help?

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

India could reap greater economic growth, cut down on corruption and more if it adopts a more progressive stance on cryptocurrency. A leading role in Asia is New Delhi’s for the taking.

Ahead of the revamped blockchain platform’s July 7 launch, TRON’s flamboyant founder woos fans with gifts. But some netizens find him hard to love.

Other top news: China’s new blockchain cross-border payment platform for Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. 5G for all in Shenzhen. Fintech VC in India.

Other top news: Chinese high schoolers cram-studying bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries in Cambodia. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.

The rest of the world may worry over the new e-RMB and what it could do to the US dollar. But inside China, will yet another digital payment system even matter? Forkast.News finds out what the laobaixing think.

Other top blockchain news: China sounds new warning against crypto. Brave browser brouhaha. Startups in Japan and Malaysia.

Covid stimulus needs and China’s new CBDC have heightened interest in digital assets, but US lawmakers are still trying to make sense of new technologies. In an interview with Forkast.News, Perianne Boring of Chamber of Digital Commerce also discusses prospects for a U.S. digital dollar, and more.

More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

Short-term speculators are unimpressed by BTC’s recent performance. But Covid and geopolitical disruptions have not yet played out. What does it mean for investors?

Money is part of a nation’s financial infrastructure, and the dollar needs a digital upgrade for this changing world, says Giancarlo, former CFTC chair who now heads the Digital Dollar Project, in an exclusive interview with Forkast.News.

Digital Dollar Project’s new white paper proposes a ‘third format of currency’ that would be interchangeable with paper money while preserving privacy. Is America ready for a government crypto dollar?

Adam Traidman of BRD discusses CBDCs in an age of intensifying US-China rivalries, and bitcoin halving’s surprising impact on crypto mining and profits.

More top news: China pours billions into blockchain and other infrastructure. Ant Financial’s new smart contracts. VC in Singapore and India.

Digital currencies will become increasingly common in the economy, with CBDCs as an ‘organic gateway.’ Should we worry about user privacy?

Two titans of blockchain discuss China’s DCEP, Covid-inspired technology and more with Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau, in video highlights from Ethereal Summit 2020.

China’s new DCEP — the world’s first major central bank digital currency — just piloted in 4 cities. When it is ready for mass use, could it challenge the US dollar’s hegemony in global trade and finance?

The central bank’s cash-like DCEP sets the stage for China’s next-gen financial infrastructure. Will it threaten the US dollar’s global supremacy? A University of Chicago Booth professor explains.

Other top news: Fintech-friendly policies for Hong Kong-Shenzhen bay area. China makes blockchain jobs more respectable. VC in Singapore and S. Korea.

Covid-19’s disruption of global economies could speed up changes to financial systems around the world. Will cash become obsolete?

Other top news: TRON snags Covid aid. Free Telegram Open Network. China builds tech talent database. Bitmain’s civil war. Another win for Ripple.

In an interview with Forkast.News, the billionaire venture capitalist also discusses globalism, regulatory arbitrage, the future of healthcare and why he thinks bitcoin is king.

Other top news: IBM’s Covid medical supply network. China now has over 1,000 blockchain firms. Startups in Japan, India and Singapore.

David Jevans, CEO of CipherTrace, explains FATF’s global influence and recent enforcement actions that have proven to be expensive for those caught.

Other top news: Courier giant YTO forms blockchain logistics lab. 224 more blockchain firms get official thumbs up. VC in Singapore, UK and US.

Asia’s first regulator-approved digital asset manager opens the door for wider cryptocurrency adoption.

Other top news: Bitcoin halving frenzy. New Huawei tech zone. Blockchain company busted for defective face masks. VC in Hong Kong and Canada.

Forkast.News explains ‘proof of work’ — the DNA of Bitcoin — and and why most of the world’s cryptocurrency miners will soon be sweating a lot more for their coins.

Central bank digital currencies could change government, the economy, and even society, writes Digivault CEO.

This week has been one where big changes came fast and furious on the opposite sides of the central bank digital currency world.  First, alleged screenshots of a mockup of the People’s Bank of China central bank digital currency’s mobile app were published, giving the public a taste of the apparent functionality of the platform […]

Companies are decentralizing into purely digital workplaces to survive the pandemic. What are the long-term implications on the structure of employment and the technologies required for working from home?

Bitcoin’s tumbling prices during the coronavirus pandemic may be an opportunity to buy the dip.

The U.S. backed away from a digital dollar in its coronavirus relief package. But a tokenized dollar would be better for America — and bring us closer to a true central bank digital currency, says a director of the Digital Dollar Project.

Aside from concerns about mismanagement, what else is causing Canaan to flounder? Forkast.News analyzes Canaan and the many storms — including the Covid economy and the next Bitcoin halving — now rocking the world of crypto mining.

Other top news: Blockchain in TV and film. Going Dutch on Covid. Nodle’s new network. BMW tracking auto parts. House rentals in new intelligent city

As Covid-19 roils markets and currencies, next-generation algorithmic stablecoins may offer a smoother ride.

BTC’s recent tumbles and movements with the rest of market may be an anomaly and opportunity for investors.

In this newsletter and podcast, we bring you top headlines around the world, including: A new proposal to create a digital dollar. Coinbase’s legal chief heading U.S. Treasury. A Bitcoin-Red Cross coronavirus fundraiser in Italy. Universal basic income’s revival. Steem’s hard fork into Hive, and more.

Coronavirus’ impact on the U.S. economy might hasten the creation of a digital dollar.

Also: Blockchain voting after the Voatz debacle, IOTA limps back after cyber attack, smart cities in China, and Forkast.News insights to help you make sense of the top headlines.

What’s up with South Korea’s new blockchain regulations? And where is bitcoin now legal tender? (Mai oui!) Other headlines around the world: a storm over STEEM, the new Baseline protocol for privacy, HTC’s Exodus 5G Hub, and how the coronavirus has affected blockchain firms in China.

Blockchain technology now offers hope to radically transform the African remittances industry in favor of migrant workers and their families.

In this episode: Lightning Loop as the Visa of bitcoin, SEC’s crypto safe harbor, and Zcash voting to give 20% of funds to developers

Smart-contract platform Ethereum’s new version is set to operate on a Proof of Stake system that may be released in 2020 according to Andrew Keys, co-founder of ConsenSys Capital. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum explained that Ethereum 2.0 will provide added capacity for users through sharding and scaling, privacy features and more alongside the new Proof of Stake system.

In a 2019 speech, the visionary creator and co-founder of Ethereum describes Eth2’s launch in phases, including proof of stake, data sharding and scaling.

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is “gravely concerned” about how the U.S. Government is addressing technological challenges and opportunities posed by blockchain according to founder and president Perianne Boring. The U.S. could be ceding technological leadership as well as the dollar’s reserve currency status to other nations including China if it does not revamp policies toward emerging blockchain innovation.

Smith + Crown focuses its attention on headlines and projects it considers as key developments likely to prove influential in determining the course of blockchain events in 2020.

As China’s digital currency is said to be “progressing smoothly,” Indonesia is also working on releasing their own white paper this year, according to Indonesian Blockchain Association cofounder Pandu Sastrowardoyo.

The central bank’s digital currency efforts, ironically, would give it more control over the economy.

And that’s a good thing for legitimizing blockchain and paving the way to tokenize real assets across industries, the enterprise blockchain creator said at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2019.

The Fintech Advisory Services monthly report details the main crypto-metrics and indicators for the past month: News, Market Performance, Networks, Mining Activity, Public Sentiment, and Academic Publications. The report also covers the latest “Hot Topics” in the crypto space. This month: Facebook’s Libra, Telegram’s TON, China’s CBDC, and quantum computing.

Key Highlights “There is, from an enterprise standpoint, a desire to engage in this new technology and in this ability to move money globally without any barriers at a very efficient cost basis. Speed is what the market is looking for, particularly as we move towards a global organization. Governments are still trying to regulate […]