Cryptocurrencies

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the city state’s central bank, has proposed a framework for designing open, interoperable networks for digital assets, developed jointly with the Bank for International Settlements and other financial institutions. 

Bitcoin Cash, the spin-off of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, gained over 108% in the last seven days as investors hope the altcoin receives the same categorization as Bitcoin.

Five countries in South and Southeast Asia now rank in the global top 10 for cryptocurrency adoption, embracing DeFi and defying government attempts to discourage crypto use. Is this a harbinger of larger trends to come?

Bitcoin slipped in directionless trading while Ether retreated, but both held gains for the past seven days. Most other top 10 tokens lost ground, led by Solana, while Tron was in the green as markets entered the last trading week of June.

Bitcoin prices drop 1.04% to US$30,416 in 24 hours, while Ether fell 0.98% to US$1,893.

Swiss prosecutors have reportedly frozen about US$26 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that belong to Terraform Labs and its chief executive officer Kwon Do-hyeong.

The Shanghai Clearing House started digital yuan clearing and settlement services for trading in commodities on Monday.

Bitcoin held ground above US$30,000 following a week of traditional financial institutions showing interest in financial instruments that include the token. The U.S. regulator approved the first leveraged Bitcoin Futures ETF on Friday.

New York-headquartered investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co. has launched euro-denominated transactions on its blockchain-based payment system, JPM Coin, Bloomberg reported on Friday. 

Bitcoin shrugged off Prime Trust’s cease order, as risk appetite was bolstered by several TradFi alumni entering the crypto space this week. Could we see more spot Bitcoin ETF applications next week?

Seychelles-registered cryptocurrency exchange OKX, which says it is the world’s second-largest crypto platform by trading volume, opened an office in Dubai on June 15 as part of its global expansion and aims to raise staff numbers to 30 to tap opportunities in the region.

Bitcoin remained above US$30,000, even as Nevada state regulators in the U.S. ordered crypto custodian Prime Trust to cease operations.

Bitcoin traded above US$30,000 to hold onto the strong gains made this week on the back of growing institutional interest in the token as an emerging asset.

Xapo Bank, a Gibraltar-based cryptocurrency bank backed by SoftBank, DST Global and Ribbit Capital, has announced its expansion to India, the world’s most populous nation. 

Bitcoin fell and Ether rose during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Bitcoin rose above US$30,000 earlier today, following news of institutions like BlackRock, Fidelity and Deutsche Bank entering the crypto space.

The Asia-Pacific arm of San Francisco-based technology firm Ripple Labs saidThursday it received in-principle approval to start offering digital payment services in Singapore.

Bitcoin breached US$30,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia, leading gains across all top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released on Wednesday a whitepaper for “purpose bound” money, detailing a technical overview of digital currencies designed for specific purposes.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Wednesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, along with all the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Bitcoin rose above US$28,000 as signs of institutional crypto adoption bolstered investor sentiment.

The relationship between Hong Kong and crypto will likely only grow stronger over time, as it’s based on mutual respect as well as need, writes Lily King.

Bitcoin surged over 5% on Wednesday morning in Asia to breach the US$28,000 resistance level, leading a rally of the top 10 non-stablecoin tokens except XRP.

New York-based asset manager WisdomTree has submitted a new application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund in the U.S., less than a week after BlackRock filed its application for a similar spot Bitcoin ETF.

EDX Markets, a cryptocurrency exchange with backing from major Wall Street players such as Citadel Securities, Fidelity and Charles Schwab, officially launched on Tuesday.

Bitcoin rose and Ether fell during Tuesday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization closed mixed.

Central banks need to agree on a common global platform and rules to ensure international use of CBDCs, IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva said.

Bitcoin rose on Tuesday morning in Asia to hold above support at US$26,000. Ether also logged gains along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens.

A Montenegro district court on Monday sentenced Terraform Labs chief executive officer Kwon Do-hyeong to four months’ jail for forging travel documents.

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Monday afternoon trading hours in Hong Kong, while most of the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization declined. Risk appetite remained low after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance and Coinbase two weeks ago.

As the US grapples with crypto regulation, Hong Kong and Dubai are emerging as leaders in the global digital economy, writes Ben Caselin of MaskEX.

Bitcoin dipped on Monday morning in Asia after reclaiming US$26,000 support over the weekend. Ether also fell back but held above US$1,700.

Independent Reserve may have a new Hong Kong office in the “next few months,” the Singapore chief of the Australian crypto exchange said in an exclusive interview. Focusing on institutional clientele, the exchange aims to double trade volumes and expand its user base this year.

Binance France is reportedly under investigation for “aggravated” money laundering and the illegal provision of digital asset services.

Bitcoin dipped below US$25,000 for the first time in three months, as the SEC’s lawsuits continued to erode crypto investor appetite. Bitcoin needs to hold above US$24,000 to avoid more bearish momentum, industry experts told Forkast.

In this week’s Forkast IQ with Megha Chaddah, we dive into the U.S. SEC’s crypto crackdown and the state of the East Asian metaverses.

Bitcoin, Ether and most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptos rose in Friday afternoon trading in Asia after weeklong slump.

The ETF, if approved, would be the first publicly traded crypto product of its kind in the U.S., but the SEC just sued crypto exchanges for alleged securities violations and has rejected similar ETF applications in the past.

As the US escalates its crackdowns on digital asset companies, it’s also losing its dominance in crypto — to Asia’s advantage, writes Henry Liu of BTSE.

Bitcoin edges up but still stuck below US$26,000. Ether was little changed amid a weekly fall, while other top 10 crypto were mixed.

Bitcoin and Ether extended losses in Thursday afternoon trade in Asia amid U.S. regulator’s clampdown on top crypto exchanges.

A higher difficulty reading indicates it is more competitive to mine Bitcoin, reducing profit. The network’s hashrate also increased to a record high. 

Bitcoin fell below US$25,000 support at one stage, while other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies dropped as the Fed warned of more interest rate hikes this year.

Bitcoin and Ether continued to slide amid lawsuits against top crypto exchanges in the U.S.

SEC scrutiny sends NFT market into downturn. Traders liquidate or hold off as Forkast 500 NFT Index hits all-time low amidst crypto turbulence.

Prices of XRP, which powers some of Ripple Labs’ payment services, reversed gains that followed the release of internal SEC documents related to the lawsuit against Ripple.

To date, none of the 30-plus crypto bills in Congress have become law, so judges are stepping up to fill the void. What does this mean for crypto in America?

Bitcoin trading remains stuck under the US$26,000 resistance line. Ether dips while other top 10 crypto were mixed.

All top 10 cryptos, including Binance’s BNB, gained on Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia for the first time this week amid ongoing lawsuits with the U.S. SEC.

Recursive inscriptions, an update that allows Ordinals inscriptions to reference another inscription, is set for deployment later this week.

BNB token of crypto exchange Binance dropped 5.5% in 24 hours amid lawsuits against the exchange by the U.S. SEC.

Bitcoin Ordinals are also called NFTs, but intellectual property laws may not treat them the same as Ethereum- and Solana-minted NFTs, writes Cameron Pick.

Bitcoin fell below US$26,000, while Solana, Cardano and BNB posted hefty weekly losses after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission targeted exchanges with lawsuits.

NFT Community Resilience: Amid SEC scrutiny, builders thrive with Bitcoin NFTs soaring, Polygon’s mystery unveil, art sales surging, and IP licensing advancements.

Bitcoin recovered above the US$26,000 psychological level after a brief dip, as investors seemingly shrugged at the SEC’s crackdown on Binance and Coinbase. The quick crypto recovery could be a sign of a maturing asset class, industry experts told Forkast.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on Friday the European Union’s landmark Markets in Crypto Assets law (MiCA), stating that the regulation would enter into force in 20 days from the date of publication.

Bitcoin rose and Ether fell, while most top 10 cryptos inched up following the U.S. SEC’s lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase.

Bitcoin fails to break US$27,000 ceiling. Binance’s BNB gained 2%, even as latest SEC filing alleges customer funds were moved to private accounts, a charge Binance rejected.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance, Coinbase in SEC firing line. Solana NFTs slump as Bitcoin’s surge. New dawn in Hong Kong crypto regulations.

Bitcoin and Ether rose but most top 10 cryptos were unable to escape the gravity of the SEC’s lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase.

The SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase have sent alt coins tumbling. Binance’s BNB lost 15.7% over the past week.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been ordered on Tuesday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to respond to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s pending petition for rulemaking within seven days. 

Most top 10 cryptos rebounded, despite the SEC suing Coinbase exchange a day after it sued Binance’s U.S. arm.

CCTV, China’s largest national TV broadcaster, ran about a minute-long segment on Tuesday flagging SEC’s lawsuit against Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao.

Circle Singapore said Wednesday it has received a Major Payment Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Small cryptos often rise and fall with BTC and ETH — the market’s two biggest players. The concentration risk is profound, and here’s why you should care.

Nearly all top 10 tokens rebounded as investors look beyond U.S. regulator’s lawsuits against two of the world’s most influential crypto exchanges.

The U.S. SEC sued Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., for allegedly breaching securities rules, less than 24 hours after the regulator sued Binance on similar charges. 

MUFG, Japan’s leading bank, is pioneering the crypto industry by supporting stablecoin issuance on the Progmat Coin platform, offering an alternative route for entry and exit in the volatile cryptocurrency market.

All top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies took a sharp fall Tuesday morning in Asia, after the SEC sued Binance over alleged securities violations.

JPMorgan has reportedly launched a pilot project with top private lenders in India for interbank dollar transaction settlements through its blockchain platform, Onyx. 

Bitcoin drops below US$27,000 on Monday amid mixed crypto market. Litecoin, BNB see losses while XRP, Tron, Solana gain.

A court in Montenegro approved a second bail request for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, who faces allegations of using fake passports.

Bitcoin, Ether traded little changed Monday morning in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies. However, both Solana and XRP rose.