DeFi – Decentralized Finance

The U.S. SEC will expand its regulatory enforcement onto crypto exchanges, intermediaries and decentralized finance (DeFi) entities.

A growing number of asset management companies are joining the race for the approval of a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund in the United States while the Securities and Exchange Commission keeps delaying its decision on existing applications.

Bitcoin hit a weekly high of US$26,750 after Deutsche Bank announced plans to offer crypto custody services for institutional investors, days after Standard Chartered launched its own institutional crypto wing.

To solve DAOs’ people problems with mismanagement and bad actors, they need to lean into automation — and take more matters out of human hands.

Bitcoin returned to US$26,000 on Friday, bolstered by Ark Invest’s Ether ETF application and Grayscale’s continued efforts for its potential Bitcoin ETF.

CFTC charged three U.S.-based decentralized finance protocols – Opyn, ZeroEx and Deridex – on Thursday for omitting necessary registrations .

The general public does not know this yet, but there is no longer any doubt that a Bitcoin spot ETF will come to the US market, writes Charlie McGlynn of XREX. It’s just a matter of when.

Bitcoin rose Friday morning in Asia to above US$26,000, leading a rally across most top 10 cryptos. Ether gained but was still below US$1,650.

Toncoin led gainers in the top 10 cryptos after it saw stronger investor interest since the launch of its new programming language, Tact.

Bitcoin traded flat Wednesday morning in Asia below the resistance level of US$26,000. Ether also traded flat, hovering around US$1,600.

Bitcoin was trading flat below US$26,000 Wednesday morning in Asia. Ether edged up but remained below the US$1,650 mark.

Making sure the smart contracts behind DeFi platforms are thoroughly audited isn’t just a job for code developers — it’s also a must for ordinary investors.

Bitcoin and Ether have struggled to gain traction since the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) postponed its decision on seven Bitcoin ETF proposals.

After Grayscale’s legal win, the SEC decided to postpone its decision on spot Bitcoin ETF applications. Will these proposals be greenlit? And when?

While Grayscale’s favorable verdict over the SEC could pave the way for the first spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S., it failed to bring Bitcoin above the US$28,000 support level.

Top blockchain and crypto news: U.S. court compels SEC to review Grayscale’s ETF application. SEC zooms in on NFTs. Asia’s richest man eyes blockchain, CBDCs

A U.S. district court on Wednesday dismissed charges against a group of five firms for alleged securities violations on the Uniswap DeFi platform.

Prices of all cryptocurrencies rose on Wednesday after a U.S. court backed Grayscale on its Bitcoin ETF application, compelling the SEC to review its rejection of the application.

In a landmark ruling, the court overturned the SEC’s previous decision, signaling potential tailwinds for other financial giants.

Friend.tech saw its daily revenue, fees and active buyers fall over 90% from its peak.

Even as the value of assets in DeFi dips, service provider revenues stand strong, undeterred by the US$73 million Curve Finance breach, Forkast Labs data shows.

Bitcoin fell Wednesday morning in Asia to trade below US$26,000. Ether also dropped as all other top 10 non-stablecoin tokens traded flat to lower.

Despite the outrage against Sam Bankman-Fried and the now-bankrupt exchange, everyone would be better off with a relaunched FTX 2.0, writes Rachel Lin, CEO of SynFutures.

Bitcoin stabilized Tuesday morning in Asia after dropping below the key US$26,000 support level over night. Ether also dipped but held the US$1,600 mark.

Bitcoin stabilized above the US$26,000 mark following last week’s sell-off. Top cryptos struggle to gain momentum as Bitcoin ETF applications continue to be delayed.

Bitcoin fell over 10% this week and dipped to a two-month low following Evergrande’s bankruptcy filing.

Global institutional intrigue in digital currencies grows but the cryptocurrency market shows no signs of rallying.

Combining blockchain with AI, two of the greatest innovations of this era, will unlock myriad benefits for consumers and businesses alike, writes Eugen Kuzin.

Moves by big financial institutions into digital assets are worrisome to crypto purists, but it could be just what crypto needs to shake off its doldrums, writes Konstantin Horejsi of Blocktrade.

Tokenization is having a breakout year, but providers must learn from the past to prevent another FTX or Celsius-level crisis, writes Philipp Pieper of Swarm.

Bitcoin fell in Tuesday afternoon trading in Asia, dipping below the support level of US$29,000.

Delio halted interest payments for all users on Monday, after announcing difficulties in providing services as usual.

Bitcoin fell under US$30,000, despite the SEC accepting eight spot Bitcoin ETF applications for review this week. A weekly close under that psychological level could lead to more panic selling, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin and Ether both recaptured key support levels. Institutional interest remains upbeat following a slew of Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, industry experts told Forkast.

Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday morning, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies, but the token looks to have lost support at the US$30,000 line.

Bitcoin and Ether both fell below key price levels earlier but returned above as investors remained optimistic after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted the second Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application for review, from asset manager Valkyrie.

XRP continued its rally after XRP issuer Ripple’s favorable ruling last week in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The U.S. SEC has accepted BlackRock’s application for a spot Bitcoin ETF, a major step for the potential launch of the country’s first spot Bitcoin ETF.

Bitcoin rose to US$31,736 on Friday, bolstering Ethereum to above US$2,000, after the court ruled that the sale of XRP did not constitute a security. Bitcoin needs a close above US$31,000 to pave the way for US$32,500, market experts told Forkast.

Europe’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is expected to be publicly listed this month, following a 12-month delay from the initially planned date

Bitcoin and Ether rose during Thursday afternoon trading in Hong Kong, while most of the top altcoins were mixed, as investors await the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) response to spot Bitcoin ETF applications. See related article: Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin breaches US$31,195 following Fidelity’s spot Bitcoin ETF application Bitcoin, Ether rise, top 10 […]

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

Bitcoin climbed above US$31,000 on Tuesday morning in Asia after Blackrock refiled its Bitcoin ETF application. Ether also gained amid institutional interest.

Bitcoin briefly rose to US$31,195 after Fidelity filed its spot Bitcoin ETF application. Can the wave of institutional interest keep Bitcoin above US$30,500?

All top 10 cryptocurrencies rose, led by Solana, as another financial heavyweight applied to offer a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and data showed the U.S. economy in good health. Stocks rose.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Fidelity Investment is reportedly close to filing its own Bitcoin ETF. NFT traders seek liquidity. Singapore eyes asset tokenization.

Bitcoin dropped but remained above US$30,000, with all other major cryptocurrencies falling, as investors reacted to news of MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin purchase and ARK Invest’s spot Bitcoin ETF plan.

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?

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

Having a crypto wallet is necessary to participate in a token airdrop, but wallets are also vulnerable to hacks and mishaps, writes Ravindra Kumar of Frontier.

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.

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.

FATF’s travel rule is looming over the crypto industry as an existential threat, writes Jack Jia of Unlimit. Here’s why it’s especially worrying to DeFi and self-custody wallet users.

DeFi has the potential to revolutionize finance, but hacks, poor user experience, and a lack of a regulations make many wary, writes Arthur Firstov of Mercuryo.

NFT-backed lending and borrowing can unlock liquidity and expand investment opportunities. Here are the best practices — and risks.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and others led to predictions of big shifts away from centralized finance. James Wo examines why that hasn’t happened yet.

Crypto users need not fear the increasing KYC/AML requirements around the world and loss of privacy, writes Kurt Hemecker of the Mina Foundation. Here’s why.

A hacker took advantage of an old contract from Yearn Finance on Thursday to steal US$11.6 million in stablecoins.

On-chain limit orders offer an alternative to centralized exchanges by improving transparency and security, writes Ramani Ramachandran of Dfyn. What are the drawbacks?

Storing personal information in a centralized place has been a honeypot for hackers, while decentralized identity allows for greater trust and data security, writes Caria Wei of Nuvo.

Traditional institutions are testing crypto waters, but given last year’s market carnage, it’s not easy to gain their confidence, writes Simon Schaber of Spool.

Amid the current banking crisis, each side is exhibiting disdain for the other when neither holds the moral high ground, writes Rachel Lin of SynFutures.

If there was a lesson from the crypto implosions of 2022, it is the demonstration of the superiority of open code and decentralization over central intermediaries, argues Voorhees at DC Blockchain Summit.

The recent U.S. bank failures are proof that the banking system is introducing systemic risks to the crypto industry, not vice versa, says Circle chief strategy officer Dante Disparte.

Euler Finance, a decentralized finance lending protocol has lost approximately US$197 million in an exploit, according to online crypto security analysts.

In the race to tame crypto’s excesses, we need to avoid regulatory clashes while DeFi draws lessons from TradFi, writes Rachel Lin of SynFutures.

Web3 is growing more rapidly than the early internet, writes Ken Timsit of Cronos Labs. But to achieve mainstream success, the following issues must be addressed.

The total value of crypto assets deposited in liquid staking protocols rose to US$14 billion, surpassing lending services before Ethereum’s Shanghai update. 

Amid the rubble of FTX and other centralized exchanges, cross-chain technology and on-chain trading offer more trustworthy alternatives, writes Simon Harman of Chainflip.

Multi-billion dollar bankruptcies, fraud allegations, scandal, and plunging cryptocurrency prices in 2022 all characterized why investors came to distrust centralized exchanges. Yet, some commentators expect platforms to become ever more centralized … and regulated.

Lenders in the crypto sector are optimistic about DeFi’s recovery this year – but why is that?