Digital Assets

The downturn is forcing Web3 firms into a reset — and opening opportunities for Web2 entrepreneurs to enter the playing field, writes Lily Z. King of Cobo.

In its urgency to reign in the cryptocurrency industry in the wake of the Terra collapse, South Korea will launch a “Digital Asset Committee” by the end of June, according to a local news report. See related article: South Korean authorities cite LUNA debacle to call for speedier crypto oversight  Fast facts The committee will […]

The Hong Kong-based public trust company Tuesday announced a US$20 million funding round to build up a secondary market for private equity and digital assets, according to a press release. See related article: Singapore wants to bring some adult supervision to crypto Fast facts The venture for empowering startups Nogle and the Blockchain Technology venture […]

The Singapore-based banking behemoth may have found its reach constrained in retail crypto markets, but it still has big plans, CEO Piyush Gupta tells Forkast.

As U.S. inflation hit a 41-year record, people are looking for ways to protect their purchasing power. Beyond precious metals like gold and silver, could blockchain-based digital assets offer a better store of value for everyday consumers? What you’ll learn: Why the rising inflation rates are a threat to our purchasing power. How average consumers […]

The operator of the Indian cryptocurrency exchange is working with large institutional borrowers, third-party lending partners and staking platforms to generate yield on cryptocurrency and digital assets, CoinDCX said in a statement. See related article: CoinDCX investment arm to invest US$13 mln in Web3 startups Fast facts The yield program doesn’t come with lock-in periods […]

In a special op-ed, 2 former CFTC chiefs and a crypto executive make the case for why the US must prioritize policies that support the new Web3 economy.

The future world will run on digital money—the most trusted being Bitcoin, writes André Neves of Zebedee. Here’s how gaming can bring BTC to the masses.

Singapore-based private market exchange ADDX has partnered with Temasek subsidiary Fullerton Fund Management to list Fullerton’s private equity fund of funds (FOF) on its digital platform, ADDX said in a statement.  See related article: Digital securities exchange ADDX join Investcorp to offer tokenized US real estate fund Fast facts The Fullerton Optimized Alpha Fund is […]

What are ‘machine NFTs’ and how could they help democratize the ownership of capital in a future ‘machine economy’? Max Thake of peaq explains.

Singapore’s OCBC Bank has partnered with MetaVerse Green Exchange (MVGX) to develop financial solutions, including tokenized carbon credits, to help large corporations offset their carbon emissions, according to a statement. See related article: Crypto exchange Gemini buys carbon offsets, pledges carbon-neutrality Fast facts The tokenized carbon credits, due to launch later this year, will use […]

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).

The development allows the city to emerge as a top destination for asset managers looking to launch cryptocurrency-themed funds for professional investors. See related article: More traditional investors are eyeing cryptocurrency to diversify their portfolios Fast facts The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)-licensed blockchain and virtual assets manager can manage portfolios that may comprise up […]

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 […]

Cryptocurrency is being used both to fund Ukraine’s defense and prevent Russia’s ability to skirt sanctions in what may become a pivotal moment for the industry.

Nomura Holdings will restructure its Future Innovation Company into a newly established company to leverage the rise of digital assets, effective April 1.  Fast facts See related article: IBM, Nomura to use blockchain for plastics recycling in new consortium The Japanese financial services giant revealed in a statement its plans to expand its private markets […]

Charitable giving in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is growing by leaps and bounds. Michael B. Greenwald and Logan Weber explain the risks and benefits.

Vitalik Buterin caused an uproar over his recent criticisms of blockchain bridges. Here is a rebuttal in support of this nascent technology.

Malaysian exchange will offer equity tokens representing direct shares on the blockchain, claiming it will be the world’s first fully regulated equity-token IPO.

Hyundai plans to open a “Meta-Factory”, meanwhile crypto divergence ahead for the year 2022.

Have you already made your first Bitcoin trade? Perhaps you already have and would like to know more about other digital assets. This Forkast.News video explainer explores what investors can hold in their portfolios as alternatives to cryptocurrency. What you’ll learn: What digital assets can you invest in other than Bitcoin and altcoins? What are […]

As part of a broader attempt to address Australia’s payments industry, the government offers a roadmap to where crypto regulation can lead in 2022.

Nexo, a globally regulated crypto-collateralized credit provider, has announced a partnership with Fidelity Digital Assets, an execution and custody services provider, to establish a platform to provide institutional access to digital assets with custodial and lending services, according to a news release shared with Forkast.News. Fast facts The partnership will allow Nexo to establish an […]

The Japan Digital Currency Forum has released a white paper examining the possibility of a new cryptocurrency backed by bank deposits. Fast facts The forum consists of over 70 companies, including the country’s top banks such as MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Mizuho Bank, Japan Post Bank, among others. Several government agencies also are […]

Citigroup is looking to enter the race toward crypto offerings by hiring 100 people for its blockchain and digital assets division, according to a Bloomberg report. Fast facts The firm has appointed Puneet Singhvi as the head of digital assets for its institutional clients group (ICG), the report said. Singhvi used to head blockchain and […]

What makes 2021’s roaring crypto market different from 2017’s are the banks and VCs piling in, writes Calvin Shen of Hex Trust. What’s behind their crypto adoption?

hashport, a public utility that facilitates the movement of digital assets between distributed ledger technology networks without the need for a native network token, today announced that it will launch on Nov. 9, according to a media statement. At launch, hashport will connect the Hedera public distributed ledger to the Ethereum and Polygon networks. Fast […]

‌‌As‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌warms‌ ‌to‌ ‌crypto,‌ ‌cyber attacks‌ ‌are‌ ‌growing‌ ‌in‌ ‌sophistication,‌ ‌writes‌ ‌Shahnawaz‌ ‌Backer‌ ‌of‌ ‌F5.‌ ‌What can be done to thwart bad actors?

DeFi is a real-world experiment testing out a new model for finance, writes Alex Grebnev of Oxygen. What is the future of banking without Wall Street?

Hong Kong-based digital asset custodian Hex Trust has integrated enterprise-grade public blockchain network Hedera Hashgraph into its Hex Safe custody platform, the company announced today. Fast facts With the integration, Hex Trust’s Hex Safe custody platform will support HBAR — the Hedera network’s native cryptocurrency — and tokens issued using the Hedera Token Service (HTS), […]

Until recently, most Southeast Asians had no internet. Now the region is abloom with blockchain innovation. How did they do it?

The United Arab Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) have signed an agreement to support crypto-assets trading and related financial activities in the DWTCA free zone. Fast facts The agreement allows the DWTCA to issue approvals and licenses for financial activities related to crypto assets and the SCA […]

The property market is increasingly expensive and out of reach for today’s younger generation. Digital land sales may hit home with some buyers.

The Securities and Investments Commission warned against investing in digital-asset financial products. Some say the warning lacks specifics.

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) — one of the hottest non-fungible token projects at the moment — released its Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) NFTs over the weekend through a free airdrop to existing Bored Ape holders as well as a public auction of 10,000 Mutant Apes. The price for Mutant Apes started at three […]

Cryptocurrency and other digital assets are expected to rival or displace fiat currencies within the next decade, according to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Blockchain Survey. Fast facts More than three quarters of the 1,280 executives and practitioners surveyed by Deloitte, the global consulting, tax services and auditing firm, think that digital assets “will serve as a […]

Despite having verified it, and with investors already spending millions on the project, OpenSea has delisted the NFT series after being notified by its creator.

Union Bank of the Philippines and Hex Trust, a Hong Kong-based digital asset custodian, today announced that the bank was partnering with Hex Trust to provide digital asset custody services to it as it enters the digital asset sector. Fast facts As part of the collaboration, Hex Trust will provide digital asset custody as an […]

Non-fungible tokens are taking the art and collectibles world by storm. But more valuable uses for NFTs lie just around the corner, writes Ilja Laurs of Dappscape.

Digital asset investment products saw outflows of US$22 million last week — the sixth consecutive week of outflows, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Fast facts Total outflows for the past six weeks amount to US$115 million and mark the longest run of consecutive outflows since January 2018, CoinShares reported. However, the […]

In a position seemingly at odds with the remainder of the country’s government, the Iranian National Tax Authority has proposed legalizing digital asset exchanges in order to better collect tax from them, according to local media outlet Eghtesad News. Fast facts The INTA also warned that imposing overly stringent regulation on the sector could have […]

Despite a recent recovery in crypto prices, digital asset investment products last week saw outflows of US$26 million, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital asset fund manager. It was the fifth consecutive week in which institutional money flowed out of cryptocurrencies, mainly Bitcoin. Fast facts Bitcoin — the largest cryptocurrency by market value — bore […]

DBS eyes bigger investor base as digital assets under custody top US$100 million.

The Financial Action Task Force — the global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards-setter — this week released its second 12-month review on virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, and called on countries to implement the revised FATF standards, including travel rule requirements “as soon as possible.” “The global nature of the underpinning technology […]

Wealth management firms need to develop new offerings around emerging trends such as the rise of digital assets and sustainable investing, according to Capgemini’s World Wealth Report 2021.

Swiss-based Digital Assets AG, a firm focused on the design of tokenized stock infrastructure, has launched over 50 tokenized stocks on the Solana public blockchain.

The U.S. SEC has settled charges against Loci and its CEO, John Wise, for allegedly making false statements in connection with a sale of digital asset securities.

Bitcoin sheds 4% but BTC’s share of the total crypto market grows after US Fed projects higher inflation and plans interest hikes earlier than expected.

A Miami property has set a record for the highest price paid in cryptocurrency in a real estate transaction — US$22.5 million.

S. Korea residents with accounts in foreign crypto exchanges may have to report their crypto holdings starting in 2022. Above what amount is taxable?

The market for non-fungible tokens took a beating in May amid turmoil in the cryptocurrency sector, according to industry data.

Standard Chartered and BC Group to launch digital asset trading platform for corporate and institutional clients in Europe and the UK.

South Korean banks processed over 64 trillion won (US$57 billion) of deposits and withdrawals linked to crypto exchanges in the first quarter.

Thailand’s Securities regulator has announced that digital tokens issued and offered for transactions must have its approval.

Gold prices are rising again and at a three-month high. How does gold — a store of value for over 2,500 years —  compare to Bitcoin as a refuge from market turmoil?

South Korea is in the process of tasking a branch of the Financial Services Commission with regulating cryptocurrency exchanges.

Consumer adoption of cryptocurrencies has grown, with 38% of respondents to a survey saying they have either invested in or bought a cryptocurrency, according to digital wallet provider Skrill, part of payments provider Paysafe.

The power of tokenization can fundamentally transform the fabric of the financial system, Singapore’s DBS Bank CEO Piyush Gupta told the Consensus by CoinDesk 2021 conference taking place this week.

A proper regulatory system for cryptocurrencies and virtual assets can facilitate development, protect investors, and adhere to international regulatory standards, says treasury chief Christopher Hui

PwC and Elwood Asset Management have published their third annual report on the global crypto hedge fund landscape. Here are its findings.

Cryptocurrency exchanges in Hong Kong will have to obtain licenses from the territory’s markets regulator and limit their service offerings to “professional investors”, according to the results of a consultation published today.

NEM Group is launching NFTs with former Liverpool footballer and manager Sir Kenny Dalglish and current Manchester City player Riyad Mahrez.

Newly elected South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum appears to be leading an embrace of the cryptocurrency sector among lawmakers.

Banks in Singapore are leading blockchain and DLT developments while South Korean game developer WeMade entrusts its US$130 million crypto holdings to KODA.

The appetite in the United Arab Emirates for cryptocurrency investment is growing, with younger Emiratis more bullish about digital assets than their Western counterparts, according to a study by financial services firm Holborn Assets.

The Asian crypto industry reacts to the US Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service money laundering probe into Binance. In South Korea, the nation’s largest internet company plans to join Bank of Korea’s CBDC ventures. Over in Singapore, Southeast Asia’s largest lender DBS Bank expands its crypto services for its private bank clients by […]

120 investors join DBS bank’s digital assets exchange in Q1 as Cardano looks to enable Sub-Saharan Africa with decentralized identities

US and Singapore have licensing laws that give investors more confidence in crypto firms. Stephen Richardson of Fireblocks urges Hong Kong to follow suit.

Taiwan has enacted anti-money laundering regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges effective July 1. What will this mean for Taiwan’s growing crypto scene?

Angered by cryptocurrency tax laws and a government official’s remarks on crypto investing, over 51,000 South Koreans are trying to push back via petitions.

XRP joins the growing list of cryptocurrencies now available as exchange traded products (ETP). What does this mean for crypto investors?

Huobi’s institutional-grade crypto funds will invest in Bitcoin, Ether and crypto mining now that Hong Kong’s ‘very friendly’ regulators gave their thumbs up.