April 2022
Binance hires former British regulator for compliance role
The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange hired former Financial Conduct Authority official Steven McWhirter as a director of regulatory policy to better manage its compliance function. See related story: Binance wants to play ball with regulators Fast facts McWhirter will lead the global regulatory policy team for Binance and brings over 20 years of experience in […]
Terra inspires Tron to pursue US$10B in crypto-backed stablecoin
TRON founder Justin Sun announced on Thursday a new decentralized dollar-pegged algorithmic stablecoin on the Tron blockchain called USDD. See related article: What are stablecoins, and why are some governments so afraid of them? Fast facts The TRON Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) intends to raise US$10 billion within the next year to fund a crypto […]
Why blockchain is the cornerstone of investing in our planet
Can blockchain embody the values of Earth Day? Consider its growing role in ESG and the energy-efficiency of newer crypto, writes Eddie Hui of MVGX.
US sanctions Bitriver; Apecoin steals Doge’s thunder
A Russian crypto miner has been added to the US Sanctions list. Meanwhile, Dogecoin underperforms as Apecoin storms ahead.
Experts cut Bitcoin’s 2022 price outlook to slightly less bullish: report
A panel of 35 crypto professionals have grown collectively less confident on the year-end target price for Bitcoin, although they expect the dominant cryptocurrency to end significantly higher than current levels and even set a new all-time high, according to a report by Finder. See related article: Bitcoin crosses $47,000 mark as crypto surges in […]
Coinbase’s NFT market enters beta for select customers
Coinbase’s non-fungible token (NFT) platform launched its beta version for select customers on Wednesday. See related article: Coinbase and Binance move to diversify; Stablecoins under scrutiny Fast facts Only a few customers of the three million on the waitlist can access the beta market, but it is also open for public view. The beta platform […]
Shiba Inu, Dogecoin payments accepted by Porsche Baltimore dealership
A Porsche dealership in Baltimore, Maryland, has begun accepting mainstream crypto payments for vehicles, along with DOGE and Shiba Inu, according to a Tweet by U.S.-based crypto payment service provider BitPay. See related article: Lamborghini’s last all-gas Aventador to be auctioned with NFT Fast facts See related article: Hic Hic Hurray! Scottish distillery Ardbeg to […]
Monkey eats dog, ApeCoin shines on Dogecoin’s big day
The Dogecoin community hoping for a price rally was disappointed on “Doge Day” as ApeCoin stole the spotlight with a 30% climb. See related article: Will the dog have its day on Doge Day? Fast facts DOGE investors were hoping to recreate last year’s success when DOGE rallied over 500% in the days leading to […]
Australia to list crypto spot ETFs; WazirX founders leave India
Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are coming to Australia. Meanwhile, Dogecoin Day has fans hyped.
World Bank rescue package throws lifeline to crypto markets
Top blockchain and crypto news: Crisis response brings crypto relief. North Korea’s Lazarus Group named in Ronin hack. NFTs face new risks in China.
Will the dog have its day on Doge Day?
Holders of the world’s leading memecoin are hoping for a repeat of 2021 where a community effort helped propel the token’s price into the stratosphere. But one industry watcher says the market is a very different place now.
India’s WazirX cofounders move to Dubai
Cofounders of the Binance-backed Indian crypto exchange WazirX have reportedly moved to Dubai amid regulatory uncertainty and taxation, local media report. See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO Fast facts Nischal Shetty and Siddharth Menon have reportedly moved to Dubai along with their families. “Crypto has no boundaries,” […]
Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs landing in Australia next week
Australia’s mass retail appetite for cryptocurrency is about to be tested as two Bitcoin and one Ethereum spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been approved for listing. See related article: New Australian ETF grants exposure to Bitcoin mining sector Fast facts All three ETFs are set to go live on Cboe (formally Chi-X) Exchange on April […]
KuCoin launches $100 mln fund for NFT projects
Crypto trading platform KuCoin, through its venture capital arm KuCoin Ventures and KuCoin NFT marketplace — Windvane — is introducing a US$100 million “creators fund,” the company said in a statement. See related article: How Southeast Asia’s NFT ecosystem lifts up local artists Fast facts The fund will support and incubate early stage non-fungible token […]
India’s crypto shakedown be damned, CoinDCX raises $135 million
Indian cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX’s latest funding comes as investors double down on the country’s potential to emerge as the world’s top market despite government apathy. See related story: CoinDCX’s Sumit Gupta on CBDCs, regulation and India’s potential for crypto in 2021 Fast facts Series D funding was led by Pantera and Steadview Capital, the company […]
Andre Cronje: Crypto needs regulation
Andre Cronje, former Fantom Foundation technical adviser and Yearn.finance founder, resurfaced Monday after announcing his departure last month. See related article: DeFi wizard Cronje’s departure sends TVL sinking Fast facts In a “Crypto is dead. Long live Crypto” post, Cronje says regulations will protect cryptocurrencies. “It’s like a child trying to stick their finger into […]
Terra Luna headlines crypto’s Easter resurrection, STEPN peaks
The cryptocurrency market returned strong from the Easter holidays with Terra LUNA leading major coins with an 18.5% rebound to trade at US$91.43, on Tuesday morning Asia time. See related article: Is Terra — whose LUNA coin is now at another all-time high — really where the smart money is? Fast facts Terra reached its […]
Bitcoin mining difficulty drops amid market turmoil
Bitcoin miners saw a 1.26% drop in mining difficulty on Thursday, the third time this year, while the price fell to less than US$40,000. See related article: Cryptos slump over inflation, Shanghai lockdown and war concerns Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 28.23 trillion at block height 731,808, after it saw an […]
India’s crypto exchanges switch to P2P, bank transfers
Crypto exchanges in India are switching to facilitating user-to-user bank transfers and inward remittances to work around a withdrawal of support from the developer of the country’s ubiquitous UPI payments system, local media report. See related article: Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India Fast facts Indian cryptocurrency exchanges are trying […]
Chasing my first crypto wallet down a rabbit hole
In Part 1 of a special Forkast series, crypto newcomer Joel Stein dips a toe into Bitcoin and Doge by opening his first-ever crypto wallet.
Chinese state media calls for wider e-CNY adoption
Xinhua News Agency’s affiliate newspaper, Economic Information Daily, Thursday published an op ed suggesting measures for the further adoption of the digital yuan. See related article: The digital yuan’s de-dollarization Fast facts See related article:Hong Kong makes apt testbed for e-CNY cross-border use
Circle raises $400 mln, teams up with BlackRock to develop USDC
Circle, the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin USDC, has raised US$400 million in its latest funding round with major investments from BlackRock and Fidelity Management and Research, as the stablecoin issuer looks to explore possibilities with the traditional financial world. See related article: Circle’s growth outpaces Tether as it doubles valuation Fast facts Circle […]
Stablecoins gain amid stormy crypto market in Q1: CoinGecko
The stablecoin market cap grew by US$23 billion in an otherwise lackluster market for crypto assets, according to a quarterly report by CoinGecko. See related article: Bitcoin follows blue chips south amid market turmoil Fast facts Stablecoins were among the biggest beneficiaries from investor “derisking” into stablecoins, CoinGecko said in its report, with USDT remaining […]
Virgil Griffith jailed; Indian exchanges disable UPI
Welcome to The Daily Forkast – April 13, 2022 – Presented by Megha Chaddah. Coming up on today’s show: Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith gets 63 months in prison. Coinbase snafu sets cat among the crypto pigeons in India. Huawei becomes latest of China’s tech giants to issue NFTs. We’ll have more on those stories […]
Bitcoin follows blue chips south amid market turmoil
Top blockchain and crypto news: Market contagion hits crypto. Ethereum developer pays price for bad Korea move. China whacks more crypto miners.
Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India
Coinbase’s showcasing of support by government-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) set the ball rolling on the cryptocurrency exchange being yanked from the ubiquitous Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
DTCC unveils prototype to support Fed-issued digital dollar
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), one of the largest financial service providers in the U.S., unveiled “Project Lithium” to test infrastructure in support of a U.S. digital currency using blockchain technology. See related article: 5 US digital dollar pilots launching to chase China’s CBDC lead Fast facts Project Lithium is based on blockchain […]
Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith gets 63 months in prison
Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was sentenced to prison and fined US$100,000 for violating international sanctions against North Korea by speaking at a cryptocurrency conference in the Hermit Kingdom in April 2019. See related article: North Korea hacked US$400M of crypto in 2021, says Chainalysis Fast facts At the conference, Griffith explained blockchain technology’s use […]
SHIB price pumps on Robinhood listing with SOL, MATIC, COMP
Robinhood added four new cryptocurrencies to its platform on Tuesday, including Shiba Inu token (SHIB), a listing the memecoin community has pleaded for since its inception. See related article: What is the real value of joke coins like Dogecoin and SHIB? Fast facts SHIB gained 30% following the news and has slightly retraced its pump […]
Web 3.0 startups’ latest backer is a US$150 mln fund from Cosmos founders
The fund aims to support and speed up the time-to-market of early-stage projects that have already initiated development.
Cryptos slump over inflation, Shanghai lockdown and war concerns
Bitcoin and Ethereum were down more than 5% each in Asian trading hours as cryptocurrency markets slumped in lockstep with traditional assets.
Ethereum PoS move is now being tested on a mainnet shadow fork
A shadow fork of the Ethereum mainnet went live on Tuesday, bringing it a step closer to the transition from proof of work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism for the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade. See related article: Can Ethereum’s proof-of-stake transition save the planet? Fast facts The Ethereum Foundation is currently working on a […]
India tax breaks crypto’s back
Trading volumes at India’s major cryptocurrency exchanges slumped to their lowest in years after new taxes kicked in on April 1, according to research by Crebaco. See related article: Coinbase’s India launch hits road bump Fast facts U.S. dollar trading volume dropped by 72% on WazirX, 59% on ZebPay, 52% on CoinDCX and 41% on […]
Why fears of a market bubble don’t apply to Bitcoin
Crypto market downturns can dredge up bad memories of ICOs. What lessons can investors learn from the past — and how is Bitcoin different?
Indian e-wallet provider MobiKwik yanks crypto support
Indian e-wallet service provider MobiKwik withdrew support for crypto exchanges from April 1, local media report. See related article: Coinbase’s India launch hits road bump Fast facts MobiKwik’s withdrawal comes as the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) distanced itself from offering a payments gateway to Coinbase. NPCI developed and operates India’s ubiquitous Unified Payments […]
Solana NFT sales gain pace after quiet OpenSea listing
Solana non-fungible token (NFT) sales have risen by more than 60% in the 24 hours coming into Monday morning Asia time after leading marketplace OpenSea added support for the network mid-last week. See related article: Solana NFT sales drop by 21% after OpenSea integration Fast facts This marks a reversal of fortune for Solana-based NFTs […]
Coinbase India setback; Hong Kong’s Bitcoin ATMs
Coinbase’s launch in India is off to a rocky start. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ATMs grow in Hong Kong.
Bitcoin ATMs face existential threat in Hong Kong
Authorities in Hong Kong moving to block retail investors from accessing non-derivative crypto products could undermine the presence of Bitcoin ATMs in the city with the most crypto ATMs in Asia.
Terra buys US$200 mln AVAX to back UST, promote cross-chain development
Terraform Labs (TFL) and the Luna Foundation Guard (LFG), the non-profit behind the Terra ecosystem, have acquired US$200 million worth of Avalanche’s AVAX tokens, diversifying its TerraUSD (UST) reserves beyond Bitcoin. See related article: Terra’s US$10 billion Bitcoin Bet Sends LUNA to Record High Fast facts LFG purchased US$100 million worth of AVAX using UST […]
Jack Mallers’ Strike to bring Bitcoin shopping to Shopify
Jack Mallers announced at Bitcoin 2022 Strike’s integration with Shopify to enable merchants to accept Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network. See related article: Twitter chief says integration of BTC Lightning Network “a matter of time” Fast facts Mallers also revealed the Bitcoin payments platform bagged partnerships with NCR, one of the world’s largest point-of-sale […]
First S.Korean bank issues crypto accounts for corporations
Shinhan Bank became South Korea’s first domestic lender to trial real-name corporate accounts for cash-to-crypto transactions, paving the way for an institutional crypto boom in the peninsula. See related article: South Korean banks find workaround to cash in on crypto services Fast facts Local regulations permit only licensed and bank-partnered crypto exchanges to offer cash-to-crypto […]
e-CNY now a payment option on WeChat Pay in all pilot areas
By offering China’s digital currency in trial as a payments option in all pilot areas, payments giant WeChat Pay is paving the way for the wider adoption of the digital yuan in the world’s most advanced digital payments market. See related article: China’s digital yuan is now in 23 cities Fast facts WeChat Wednesday said […]
Opensea’s Solana beta begins; Binance bails out Sky Mavis
Chinese state media calls for stronger regulations of NFTs. Meanwhile, Sky Mavis raises $150M to offset Ronin hack.
SEC comes around on Bitcoin ETFs
Oversight by the American commodities regulator of the Bitcoin futures ETF by Teucrium helped with the SEC approval.
Solana NFT sales drop by 21% after OpenSea integration
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Solana blockchain have been officially docked on OpenSea but sales have dropped by over 21% in the past 24 hours. See related article: OpenSea’s Solana NFT integration, long rumored, is now real Fast facts While Ethereum continues to host the largest number of NFTs, Solana proponents argue that it is […]
Bitcoin down amid crypto carnival in Miami
News of officials planning to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet by US$95 billion a month weighed on risk assets globally including Bitcoin which dropped about 5% Thursday early morning Asia time. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto market on the rise along with global markets Fast facts Bitcoin fell as much as 4.7% on sell off […]
FTX, Tiger Global invest $350M in Near protocol
Near protocol, a smart-contract enabled layer 1 blockchain, has bagged US$350 million in a funding round led by Tiger Global. See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts FTX Ventures, Republic Capital, Hashed, and Dragonfly Capital participated in the funding round led by Tiger Global. […]
Will London be Europe’s next crypto capital?
Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Britain’s crypto gamble. WAVES crashing. China’s big digital yuan push.
Lightning Labs raises $70m to bring stablecoins to Bitcoin
Lightning Labs raised $70 million in series B funding to build a stablecoin and asset protocol on the Bitcoin network. See related article: Will the growing regulatory heat on stablecoins stifle innovation? Fast facts Investors include Valor, Baillie Gifford, Goldcrest, Kingsway, Stillmark, Brevan Howard, NYDIG, and others. Elizabeth Stark, co-founder and CEO of Lightning Labs, […]
Could CBDCs help banks make DeFi irrelevant?
Unregulated and fragmented, DeFi remains niche, writes John Mitchell of Episode Six. Here’s how programmable money can help banks do what decentralized finance is doing.
Singapore tightens regulations on crypto, again
Singapore on Tuesday passed a law requiring virtual asset service providers to be licensed if they do business overseas, according to Bloomberg. See related article: How Singapore is reimagining its ‘Asian crypto hub’ image Fast facts The new legislation is an attempt by The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to ensure that it has adequate […]
Waves’ Neutrino USD loses peg amid price manipulation allegations
Since March 31, WAVES’ price has dipped more than 45% while the ecosystem’s native stablecoin USDN has been knocked off its dollar peg.
UK to regulate stablecoins for payments in crypto hub push
The U.K. has released a detailed plan to regulate stablecoins as payments along with an intention to create a blockchain sandbox to mark Her Majesty’s entry into the “crypto hub” race. See related article: UK regulator may cancel Eqonex’s registration over Binance, Bifinity ties Fast facts The government plans to amend the Banking Act 2009 […]
Indonesia levies 0.1% VAT, income tax on crypto
Indonesia will tax income from crypto trading at 0.1% and impose an additional value added tax (VAT) of 0.1% on crypto transactions starting May. See related article: Indonesian regulators play catch-up as crypto investment soars Fast facts The tax rate is lower than the 11% tax that the Indonesian government levies on other goods and […]
How Bitcoin could become the collateral layer for the digital asset economy
Bitcoin is now a reserve asset for Terra’s UST. What does this portend for the $186 billion stablecoins market?
Crypto staking provider RockX raises $6M in Series A funding
RockX Tuesday said it raised US$6 million in series A funding, valuing the crypto staking platform serving institutional and high net worth investors at about US$30 million. Fast facts The funding was led by digital asset platform Amber Group and other crypto industry leaders including Matrixport, Primitive Ventures, FBG Capital, Draper Dragon, IMO Ventures, Alpha […]
Why are stablecoins overwhelmingly backed by the US dollar?
Stablecoins are taking the world by storm and it’s the US dollar that outweighs any other fiat-backed cryptocurrency. What are the reasons for the greenback’s dominance?
DBS Bank slams brakes on retail crypto trading
Singapore’s largest lender won’t expand cryptocurrency trading on its exchange to retail investors any time soon due to “regulatory restrictions” in the island state. See related article: How Singapore is reimagining its ‘Asian crypto hub’ image Fast facts CEO Piyush Gupta said that regulatory agencies are “rightfully concerned” about holding back cryptocurrency trading for retail […]
How decentralization is making everyone their own CEO
The emancipatory promise of decentralization has been both evangelized and excoriated. The Algorand Foundation’s Jason Lee explains why we should be believers.
China’s e-CNY push; India’s crypto tax kicks in
India’s long-awaited crypto tax comes into effect. Meanwhile, China expands the digital yuan program.
BNY Mellon to become custodian for USDC reserves
Circle has selected one of America’s oldest banks, BNY Mellon, as the primary custodian for the world’s second-largest stablecoin USDC’s reserves. See related article: USDC to be 100% backed by cash, US Treasuries Fast facts USDC issuer Circle chief Jeremy Allaire had claimed the stablecoin became 100% backed by cash and short-term treasury bills after […]
South Korean banks seek green light on crypto
The Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) may request South Korea’s incoming presidential administration to approve local banks servicing cryptocurrencies, according to a leaked draft report. See related article: South Korea’s largest financial group mulls crypto ETFs Fast facts KFB, the largest body representing domestic lenders, wrote in its report that banks should be permitted to […]
China’s digital yuan expands to five more cities
Residents in five more Chinese cities were able to access digital yuan wallets starting Thursday, marking a major development for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) globally. See related article: Asian Games set for digital yuan, metaverse pilots, tech firm claims Fast facts See related article: Digital yuan pilot attracts Chinese province bordering Russia
Crypto tax in India is now a reality
India’s 30% flat levy on all capital gains made on cryptocurrencies kicked in on April 1 in a development likely to stifle the relatively nascent industry in the country. See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO Fast facts Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been facing investor backlash over […]
March 2022
China’s WeChat bans NFT accounts; Zilliqa token soars
NFTs accounts banned from WeChat due to “crypto speculation”. Meanwhile, Zilliqa on the rise after Metapolis announcement.
Wormhole to bridge Polkadot, Kusama to Ethereum, Solana
Polkadot parachain Acala and its Kusama-based counterpart Karura are integrating with cross-chain bridge Wormhole, bridging its decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems with eight major Layer 1 blockchains. See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts The Wormhole integration will bridge Acala and Karura to Ethereum, Solana, […]
India’s financial stability at risk from cryptos: IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is voicing concerns over the adoption of cryptocurrencies in India, suggesting it poses significant risks to the country’s financial stability, local media report. See related article: Killing it softly or regulating to innovate? India at the crypto crossroads Fast facts Crypto assets pose significant risks, including to financial stability in […]
Should Tether’s shrinking cash reserves be cause for investor worry?
USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, is now backed by much smaller cash reserves than before. XREX analyzes the risks.
Metapolis’ Zilliqa surges 80% over 24 hours, outpacing Solana’s OpenSea integration
Zilliqa is leading Thursday’s crypto market with an 80% charge over the last 24 hours, part of a 270% weekly pump since its metaverse-as-a-service platform Metapolis launch event was announced.
Can Ethereum’s proof-of-stake transition save the planet?
Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake promises to dramatically lower energy consumption, curbing greenhouse gas emissions that would require an annual offset by a forest roughly the size of Belgium.
Is Dubai the new crypto promised land?
Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Dubai’s crypto caravan. Mt. Gox unlocked. Digital yuan in play again.
Indian MP proposes raising crypto tax higher than 30%
Sushil Kumar Modi, a member of Parliament (MP), has urged India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider raising the capital gains tax on crypto income to over 30%, the flat rate scheduled to kick in from April 1. See related story: India’s tax bogeyman is scaring off young crypto investors Fast facts The minister argued […]