May 2020
China hopes its new digital currency will internationalize the RMB. When might that day come?
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?
What is China’s new CBDC, and what is it not?
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.
Ep. 13 | Bitcoin bewitches JK Rowling. A Stellar start for Ukraine’s new CBDC. Investors drag Nvidia back to court over crypto sales.
Other top news: Fintech-friendly policies for Hong Kong-Shenzhen bay area. China makes blockchain jobs more respectable. VC in Singapore and S. Korea.
What does ‘universal basic income’ have to do with a digital dollar or a central bank digital currency?
Covid-19’s disruption of global economies could speed up changes to financial systems around the world. Will cash become obsolete?
Ep. 12 | Bitcoin halving elicits yawns. As China trials CBDC, Tim Draper predicts it will bomb. Is NEAR Ethereum’s new killer?
Other top news: TRON snags Covid aid. Free Telegram Open Network. China builds tech talent database. Bitmain’s civil war. Another win for Ripple.
Famed investor Tim Draper predicts both a digital dollar and Chinese DCEP “will bomb”
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.
Ep. 11 | Crypto surges before bitcoin halving. China taps SenseTime for CBDC rollout. BitMEX shuts out Japan.
Other top news: IBM’s Covid medical supply network. China now has over 1,000 blockchain firms. Startups in Japan, India and Singapore.
How FATF’s anti-money laundering guidelines for cryptocurrency are putting the heat on banks and VASPs
David Jevans, CEO of CipherTrace, explains FATF’s global influence and recent enforcement actions that have proven to be expensive for those caught.
April 2020
Ep. 10 | Ripple sues YouTube over scam videos. Hong Kong’s first regulator-approved bitcoin fund manager. Hacker messes with dForce.
Other top news: Courier giant YTO forms blockchain logistics lab. 224 more blockchain firms get official thumbs up. VC in Singapore, UK and US.
‘Enormous potential’: institutional investment in cryptos may be boosted by regulator’s approval of Hong Kong’s first bitcoin-tracking fund
Asia’s first regulator-approved digital asset manager opens the door for wider cryptocurrency adoption.
Ep. 9 | U.S. rethinks ‘digital dollar.’ China’s new national blockchain platform. Is Libra now a stronger rival to China’s CBDC?
Other top news: Bitcoin halving frenzy. New Huawei tech zone. Blockchain company busted for defective face masks. VC in Hong Kong and Canada.
What is ‘proof of work’ and how does that affect Bitcoin halving?
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.
Why central banks are pushing ahead with digital currencies
Central bank digital currencies could change government, the economy, and even society, writes Digivault CEO.
As China’s DCEP approaches launch, Facebook’s Libra pivots
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 […]
Covid is disrupting the global workforce to its core. What will the future of work look like?
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?
Why invest in Bitcoin when global markets are still a hot Covid mess?
Bitcoin’s tumbling prices during the coronavirus pandemic may be an opportunity to buy the dip.
How a tokenized digital dollar could modernize the American financial system
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.
Why Canaan’s red ink illustrates the big challenges now facing crypto mining
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.
Ep. 7 | Binance buys CoinMarketCap, Toilet Paper Token skunks Bitcoin, China pulls ahead in patent race, and more
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
Safe havens like bitcoin and gold are sinking in this pandemic economy. Where can investors find shelter?
As Covid-19 roils markets and currencies, next-generation algorithmic stablecoins may offer a smoother ride.
March 2020
Bitcoin’s ‘black swan event’ — should investors worry?
BTC’s recent tumbles and movements with the rest of market may be an anomaly and opportunity for investors.
Ep. 5 | U.S. weighs digital dollar, Coinbase top lawyer joins Treasury, and more
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.
Analysis: Are the ‘digital dollars’ in the $2 trillion stimulus plan the first step toward an American CBDC?
Coronavirus’ impact on the U.S. economy might hasten the creation of a digital dollar.
Ep. 4 | Bitcoin’s wild ride, Robinhood in tough times, Covid-19 hacks Ethereum event
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.
Ep. 3 | Top blockchain news on China, France and S. Korea – and a new Ethereum protocol. What’s next for India?
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.
How bitcoin is helping African migrant workers and their families save money
Blockchain technology now offers hope to radically transform the African remittances industry in favor of migrant workers and their families.
February 2020
Ep. 2 | Lightning Loop, SEC’s crypto safe harbor, Zcash vote on mining rewards
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
Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum 2.0 promises better privacy, scalability in 2020
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.
Vitalik Buterin explains how Ethereum 2.0’s launch would unfold
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.
Digital commerce leader ‘gravely concerned’ over U.S. losing edge in tech, global reserves
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.
January 2020
5 blockchain trends in 2020: Bitcoin halving, Libra, security tokens and more
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.
After China’s digital currency, Indonesia may blueprint its own 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.
December 2019
Inside China’s vision to globalize its currency
The central bank’s digital currency efforts, ironically, would give it more control over the economy.
Facebook’s Libra will push regulators to take a stance, says R3 chief David E. Rutter
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.
Chainlink among top crypto performers in October—Fintech Advisory Services report
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.
July 2019
LISTEN: Government vs. Technology – Bitcoin.com CEO on Why Governments Fear Blockchain, the Threat That Regulators Pose, and the Likely Outcomes
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 […]
Government vs. Technology – Bitcoin.com CEO on Why Governments Fear Blockchain, the Threat That Regulators Pose, and the Likely Outcomes
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 […]
March 2019
Bitcoin Association of HK: On the Radar for Q1 2019
1. Introducing … JP Morgan Coin? JPMorgan Chase is the largest U.S. bank, sixth largest in the world. It holds over US$2.6 trillion in assets. In the cryptocurrency community its CEO Jamie Dimon is most known for calling Bitcoin a ‘fraud’ and that he’d fire any employee trading Bitcoin for “being stupid.” On February 14, […]