Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin and crypto mining now use more energy than some nations. To help lead fintech into a greener future, Ripple pledges to be carbon net-zero by 2030.

After some early turbulence, Filecoin is now opening up applications like video streaming and social networks that used to exist only in centralized Web 2.0.

Just in time for Halloween, gather ’round for this blood-curdling crypto news flashback that will have you HODLing a blanket. Beware the death grip on Bitcoin wallets!

Other top crypto and blockchain news: USDC stablecoin coming to Solana blockchain. Investing in KYC/AML in India.

Poised for historic IPO, Ant Group reveals via patent filings its business strategies for China’s new DCEP digital yuan — including how it would help enforce government regulations

Other top news: OKEx cryptocurrency exchange freezes services amid police investigation. Investors bet $100 million on ‘neobank’ Razorpay in India

Regulatory finesse toward cryptocurrency and DeFi will spur investment while not stifling innovation, says Alex Tapscott of Blockchain Research Institute

Miners’ complaints with economic model are resulting in early rewards release and falling FIL prices. What happened to 800,000 coins?

Kraken, Huobi and Gemini have all confirmed that they will list the token days after Filecoin rival EOS confirms its deal with Google

The ‘Time for Trust’ report downplays the growing impact that blockchain is having on China’s economy. Here’s what’s really going on with this technology.

Other top news: China accelerates digital currency testing with 50,000 e-RMB ‘red packets.’ Hong Kong as DCEP’s future sandbox. VC in India.

China advances its new e-RMB closer to launch after distributing to Shenzhen residents 10 million yuan in digital ‘red packets’ that will expire next week

Digital currency efforts now mirror global economic rivalries, with China’s DCEP leading the pack. Central banks would be wise to avoid these pitfalls.

2020 is banner year for DeFi as industry balloons by over $100 billion in volume from Q2 to Q3 — most of it riding on Ethereum, according to a new report

A recent flurry of US regulatory activity is helping legitimize the digital assets space. Here’s the latest on SEC, FINRA, CFTC and OCC’s new level of coordination.

The risk of getting scammed is real, but DeFi also offers investors opportunities to earn yields in this pandemic economy, says Two Prime CEO Marc Fleury.

Other top news: Filecoin’s mainnet set to launch. Chinese banks help DCEP digital currency get market-ready. NetEase to preserve email forevermore.

Space Race miners accumulate 230 PiB of storage as independent miners show why they’re the day-to-day heroes.

Massive public spending, supply chain disruptions and ballooning debt are a volatile mix for investors. Here’s why bitcoin should be part of a balanced portfolio in this pandemic economy.

Other top news: Ant Group launches blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.

In the first of a special two-part series, Forkast.News examines how blockchain — from smart contracts to crowdfunding missions — could transform public and private ventures in outer space.

More top news: Wounded Unikr settles with SEC for $6.1 million. China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain.

More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain ideas to 20,000 companies.

In a special interview, Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan discusses blockchain as the next internet, keen interest from investors like Charles Schwab, and the hottest cryptocurrency trend since ICOs.

Miners have accumulated over 215 PiB of storage power in Filecoin’s Space Race, but daily updates have been slowing them down.

Ethereum Classic Labs CEO Terry Culver calls the hash rental market shady “like under a rock somewhere…. They’re basically money laundering operations.”

As China muscles DCEP to market and the U.S. enlists MIT for a future digital dollar, South Korea struggles to find its place in the crypto economy.

In other news: Public gets sneak peek at China’s digital currency DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining.

The end of HackFS signals the start of Space Race as developers prep for the global decentralization of storage nodes in the era of Web 3.0.

Caught in the US-China trade war crossfire, the semiconductor manufacturer’s shares tumbled alongside Beijing’s fading dreams of a domestic silicon supply.

ETC’s recent hacks may be an occupational hazard of ‘proof-of-work’ blockchains, including BTC and ETH. Is going ‘proof of stake’ the answer?

Web 2.0 gave users the power to engage with other users and contribute content to the network, but data is still stored in centralized databases. Web 3.0 wants to end all of that.

From CryptoKitty pets to metaverses like Minecraft and Decentraland, blockchain video games are redefining what it means to own virtual property.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

Released this week after much anticipation, Eth2 could finally become “the world’s computer” that the original Ethereum aspired to be. What challenges lie ahead?

Many blockchain protocols claim to be decentralized, but industry practices show the opposite. Even Bitcoin is largely controlled by a few.

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.