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FTX in talks to raise US$1B in fundraising round: CNBC report

Sam Bankman-Fried‘s FTX is in talks with potential investors about a funding round that would keep the company’s valuation in line with prior financing at the start of the year, CNBC reported Wednesday.  See related article: Binance and FTX lead bidding for bankrupt Voyager Fast facts FTX Trading Ltd.’s latest funding round in January raised […]

Alameda Research to repay US$200 mln crypto loan to Voyager Digital

Sam Bankman-Fried’s trading firm Alameda Research will repay around US$200 million in cryptocurrencies to bankrupt digital assets broker Voyager Digital by Sept. 30. See related article: Voyager Digital issues notice of default to 3AC Fast facts Alameda owes Voyager about 6,553 Bitcoins, more than 51,000 Ether and smaller amounts in various tokens including USDC, DOGE […]

Do Kwon says “not on the run” as S.Korea calls for Interpol’s red notice

South Korean prosecutors are in the process of requesting Interpol to issue a red notice for Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Kwon Do-hyung, also known as Do Kwon, according to media reports.  See related article: Terra CEO Do Kwon faces ‘illegal alien’ status in Singapore as Seoul cancels passport Fast facts An Interpol […]

Digital dollar takes another step in White House’s “first ever” digital assets framework

The Fed will continue its CBDC research as Republicans pressure the central bank to clarify its stance on digital dollar issuance.

For South Korea, making Do Kwon pay for his alleged crimes easier said than done

A member of the prosecuting team tells Forkast additional charges are likely to be leveled against Terraform Labs Chief Executive Officer Do Kwon following this week’s issuance of an arrest warrant for violating the country’s Capital Markets Act.

US raises red flag on crypto mining with concerns over carbon emissions

White House says carbon footprint of crypto industry does not align with goals to decarbonize the economy.

Elon Musk Dogecoin lawsuit heats up with new parties joining

The US$258 billion lawsuit filed against Tesla CEO Elon Musk by an American Dogecoin investor accusing him of running a Dogecoin cryptocurrency pyramid scheme is heating up as new players are summoned in the case. See related article: Markets: Dogecoin still in the dog house; Bitcoin, Ether make up some ground Fast facts First filed […]

Binance move to remove USDC and others raise questions about market conduct

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange said the move was designed to “enhance liquidity and capital-efficiency for users.” 

Binance chief Changpeng Zhao reiterates Binance not a Chinese company

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao reiterated that Binance is not a Chinese company and it “was never incorporated in China,” as the country continues to ban cryptocurrency trading. See related article: Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange Fast facts In a blog post published on Thursday, Zhao wrote that the […]

Binance says it complies with regulators following US anti-money laundering probe report

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, said it has worked with regulatory agencies from around the world to address outstanding compliance questions, following a Reuters report that U.S. federal prosecutors asked the exchange to offer internal records involving founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao for anti-money laundering checks in late 2020. See related […]

Fed’s inflation fight batters crypto market as pressure mounts

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is crypto in for a long cold spell? Ava Labs lashes out at CryptoLeaks claims. China eyes blockchain power trading.

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin to release book on proof of stake

Vitalik Buterin will release a book on proof-of-stake consensus on Sept. 27, compiling various writings by the Ethereum founder over the last 10 years, according to his recent Twitter post. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to donate to Ukraine Fast facts The book, titled “Proof of Stake, The Making of […]

FTX CEO: no plan to buy crypto exchange Huobi

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of crypto exchange FTX, denied on Tuesday that he has a plan to buy out another crypto exchange, Huobi, after a rumor circulating on Chinese social media said that FTX has acquired the exchange. See related article: FTX CEO: This is the canary in China’s crypto ban coal mine Fast facts “No, […]

Binance to help S. Korea’s Busan build first city-backed exchange

Global crypto exchange Binance and the city of Busan in South Korea announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday to promote the growth of the blockchain ecosystem in the city and the development of the Busan Digital Asset Exchange. See related article: Issue tokens later for growth, not for initial fundraising, advises Binance chief […]

SBF denies FTX Ventures merger with Alameda’s crypto VC

Sam Bankman-Fried, chief executive officer of FTX exchange, denied a recent report by Bloomberg which stated that the venture capital subsidiary under FTX would merge with the VC operations under Alameda Research, a sister company of FTX. See related article: FTX revenue grew 1,000% in 2021 amid booming crypto market: SBF  Fast facts “This seems […]

FTX revenue grew 1,000% in 2021 amid booming crypto market: SBF

FTX chief executive officer Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has confirmed media outlet CNBC’s report that FTX’s revenue grew 1,000% in 2021 on the back of a booming crypto market and a host of acquisitions.  See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried lashes out at Voyager for rejecting FTX’s proposal  Fast facts In a Twitter post, SBF said, “Fwiw […]

FTX.US among 5 companies cited by FDIC for ‘false, misleading’ claims to consumers

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), one of the two federal agencies insuring savings in American depository institutions, has sent cease-and-desist letters to five companies, including FTX.US, for making false statements about deposit insurance. See related article: FDIC clarifies that cryptocurrencies are not insured Fast facts In a press release, the FDIC said it has […]

What’s in a name? Ethereum domain name creation doubles in four months

With all the excitement surrounding the Ethereum merge scheduled for next month, the number of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) addresses created have surpassed the 2 million mark, according to a Twitter post by ENS Domains.  See related article: Ethereum will soon turn 7 — and its upcoming ‘Merge’ will be well worth the wait Fast […]

Binance receives in-principal approval to operate in Kazakhstan

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has received in-principal approval to operate a digital asset trading facility and provide custody services in Kazakhstan from the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the company announced on Monday. See related article: Crypto mining’s Great Migration continues — out of Kazakhstan Fast facts Binance is still required to complete […]

WazirX issues warning; Stablecoin giants back Merge

WazirX users head for exits amid a dispute between Binance. Meanwhile, Circle and Tether announce support for the new ETH P-O-S.

Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to donate to Ukraine

Amid debate over the U.S. Treasury Department’s banning of the crypto mixer, the Ethereum cofounder said he used the service to protect recipients.

Issue tokens later for growth, not for initial fundraising, advises Binance chief Changpeng Zhao

Web3 companies should issue tokens to accelerate growth, not to gather initial funds, said Binance founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Changpeng “CZ” Zhao at a fireside chat at Korea Blockchain Week 2022 on Tuesday.  See related article: Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says Fast facts “When people come into Web3 […]

‘The Merge’ can make crypto payments mainstream again: Vitalik Buterin

Once we have scaling technology […] it actually becomes possible to really try to make crypto payments more mainstream again,” Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin said during his keynote speech at the Korea Blockchain Week 2022 conference on Monday. See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge Fast facts “Cryptocurrency payments […]

Most in Ethereum community will use L2 scalers: Vitalik Buterin

The Ethereum layer-1 chain should eventually “stop changing completely,” to provide stability on the base layer, Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin said in a conference in Seoul on Thursday. See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge Fast facts “If a layer-1 tries to do everything, there are a lot of […]

Binance spent over US$1B on compliance, founder Changpeng Zhao says

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao Monday said the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume spent over US$1 billion on compliance efforts with its market share continuing to increase. See related article: Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK Fast facts Zhao Monday said on his verified Twitter handle that a recent CoinDesk […]

ETH merge delay concerns; Buterin’s clown call

The ETH2 merge could once again be delayed. Meanwhile, Vitalik Buterin calls Michael Saylor “a total clown”.

Vitalik Buterin calls MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor a ‘total clown’

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin has taken a shot at MicroStrategy chief executive officer Michael Saylor, calling him a “total clown” after the latter called the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency “inherently unethical.” See related article: Crypto continues tear while Vitalik Buterin says Eth2 ‘not priced in’ Fast facts “Why do maximalists keep picking heroes that turn out […]

Meta’s attempts at building a metaverse will ‘misfire’: Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin predicts the metaverse will be built, but any existing corporation trying to intentionally build one will not succeed, adding that efforts by Meta (formally Facebook) to do so will “misfire.” See related article: Will Facebook’s metaverse future transform how we live online? Fast facts In a Twitter thread over the weekend, the Ethereum […]

Crypto continues tear while Vitalik Buterin says Eth2 ‘not priced in’

The crypto market continued its tear overnight Thursday in Asia with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading up 4% and 6%, respectively, in the 24 hours before business hours on Friday. See related article: Crypto, traditional markets see bump as Fed raises rates Fast facts Bitcoin was changing hands at its highest point in over a week […]

Bitcoin back above US$23,000; Ethereum on a tear

Bitcoin and Ethereum see significant gains in spite of Fed rate hike. Meanwhile, Dubai Police announces NFT launch.

Crypto, traditional markets see bump as Fed raises rates

Both crypto and traditional markets saw significant gains overnight Monday in Asia after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a 75-basis point interest rate increase to battle the worst inflation in the country in some 40 years. See related article: Fed may increase interest rates amid rising inflation Fast facts Interest rates in the U.S. are […]

Voyager gives Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘low-ball’ bailout offer a single digit

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF’s Voyager rescue deal spurned. Tesla pulls U-turn with BTC sale. Tencent cuts local NFT staff as it looks abroad.

IMF says crypto crash hasn’t quite harmed broader financial system

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Tuesday that the cryptocurrency market turmoil hasn’t quite affected global financial stability. See related article: Crypto volatility hasn’t had macroeconomic implications so far: Jerome Powell Fast facts In a report published Tuesday, the IMF said crypto assets have “experienced a dramatic selloff” that has led to losses in crypto […]

Fed nerves hit crypto; Philippines crypto tax pushed

Crypto prices fall ahead of the Fed meeting. Meanwhile, the Philippines pushes for a crypto tax.

Sam Bankman-Fried lashes out at Voyager for rejecting FTX’s proposal 

After bankrupt crypto broker Voyager Digital rejected a proposal to buy out its assets and loans — except the loan to insolvent crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital — FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) took to Twitter to lash out.  See related article: FTX proposes buying out Voyager assets and loans except for 3AC to […]

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao sues Bloomberg publisher in HK

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao is suing the Hong Kong publisher of Bloomberg Businessweek for defamation for an article published last month. See related article: Binance fined by Dutch central bank for improper registration Fast facts Zhao Monday filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong against Modern Media Co. Ltd., which publishes the Chinese edition […]

Market bottom being tested?; Zipmex in buyout talks.

Silvergate issues warnings about the crypto winter. Meanwhile, Zipmex considers a buyout by FTX and Alameda Research.

Tesla’s Bitcoin dump leaves accountants puzzled: report

Tesla’s announcement to convert bulk of its Bitcoin holdings to fiat currency has opened a Pandora’s box for accountants, a Bloomberg report said.  See related article: Bitcoin falls as Tesla announces it sold 75% of BTC holdings Fast facts Based on Tesla’s letter to shareholders, the sale of Bitcoin added US$936 million in cash to […]

Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum to be 55% complete post-merge

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on Thursday that Ethereum will be about 55% complete after the “merge,” when the network moves from proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus system.  See related article: Eth2 merger closer as ninth shadow fork goes live Fast facts “Proof of stake is much more secure than proof of work, […]

Tesla’s Bitcoin bump; Zipmex freezes withdrawals

Bitcoin drops after Tesla sells 75% of its bitcoin holdings. Meanwhile, South Korean authorities raid 15 companies as part of their Terra Luna investigations.

Bitcoin falls as Tesla announces it sold 75% of BTC holdings

Bitcoin fell 5% on Thursday morning in Asia — after briefly moving above US$24,000 overnight — as Tesla Inc. said it had sold 75% of its Bitcoin holdings. The cryptocurrency was at US$22,767 in midday trading, per CoinMarketCap. See related article: Ethereum price breaks US$1,600, Ethereum Classic surges 22% Fast facts In a shareholder letter […]

Bitcoin’s real role examined; 3AC’s complex ties revealed

A report says Bitcoin users are looking beyond investment. Meanwhile, court document reveals strong ties between 3AC and TPS Capital.

Sam Bankman-Fried says ‘moderately bad’ deals OK during bailouts

Prioritizing customers getting back their deposits means it is OK to do a “moderately bad” deal when rescuing troubled cryptocurrency companies, FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said on Tuesday.  See related article: What Sam Bankman-Fried thinks will happen with NFTs and crypto exchanges in 2022 Fast facts Speaking at the Bloomberg Crypto Summit, Bankman-Fried, […]

The ‘CryptoArt’ Movement — It all started with Pepe | NFT Moments in History Ep. 7

Forkast x CryptoSlam! are proud to present Moments in NFT History — an explainer video series hosted by Forkast’s Joel Flynn that gives you a front-row seat to history-in-the-making. NFTs are defining what an artistic piece is in the digital age by allowing artists to open brand new frontiers and pushing the boundaries to challenge […]

Celsius files for bankruptcy after closing DeFi loans

The embattled U.S. crypto lender wants to continue certain operations during the restructuring process but customers will have to wait for the Chapter 11 proceedings to address their claims.

Three Arrows Capital founder briefly surfaces; Buterin defends Ethereum

A US Judge gave liquidators authority to lay claim to 3AC’s US-based assets. Meanwhile, Buterin defends Ethereum ahead of merge.

Vitalik Buterin defends Ethereum ahead of merge; ‘not a security’

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin tweeted a defense of the network’s transition to proof of stake (PoS) on Tuesday, responding to arguments suggesting assets secured by such consensus mechanisms are a security. See related article: Ethereum one step closer to Eth2 with Ropsten testnet merger Fast facts “The fact that you can vote on something to […]

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Voyager debt emerges; Celsius reshuffles board

SBF’s Alameda Research debt to Voyager emerges. Meanwhile, South Korea agrees to cooperate with the US on Terra-Luna investigation.

Voyager crypto firm loaned US$377 mln to Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research

Alameda Research, the crypto trading firm cofounded by Sam Bankman-Fried, owes Voyager Digital Holdings US$377 million in loans, according to the crypto broker’s new bankruptcy filing. See related article: Three Arrows, Voyager failures raise questions of who is next in crypto fall from grace Fast facts Voyager Digital entered a loan agreement for a revolving […]

Crypto winter hits NFTs; Three Arrows Capital files for bankruptcy

Three Arrows Capital files for bankruptcy in the US. Meanwhile, SBF and FTX agrees deal with option to buy for up to US$240 million.

BlockFi’s deal with Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX will prioritize clients

The crypto lender signed definitive agreements with FTX US for a US$400 million revolving credit facility that will be subordinate to all client funds. The crypto exchange also has an option to acquire BlockFi for about US$240 million based on performance targets. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi Fast facts […]

As the frenzy fades, what value do NFTs really have?

With NFT trading volumes slumping and regulators stepping in, Vignesh Sundaresan, who paid US$69 million for a Beeple artwork, shares his views on the space.

Morgan Creek said to try to counter FTX’s BlockFi bailout

Asset manager Morgan Creek Digital is trying to raise US$250 million to counter crypto exchange FTX’s bailout of beleaguered crypto lender BlockFi, according to a report by CoinDesk. See related article: Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi Fast facts Morgan Creek is attempting to raise funds to purchase a majority stake in BlockFi, […]

Crypto volatility hasn’t had macroeconomic implications so far: Jerome Powell

Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday, the chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve said the central bank is “not really seeing significant macroeconomic implications so far” with regard to the recent cryptocurrency volatility. See related article: Bitcoin, Ether recover as Fed guidance reduces policy uncertainty Fast facts Powell testified at the Senate Banking […]

Sam Bankman-Fried steps in to bail out BlockFi

After rescuing crypto-asset broker Voyager Digital last week, crypto exchange FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, often known as SBF, has now agreed to bail out crypto lender BlockFi.  See related article: BlockFi among those that foreclosed on Three Arrows Capital: report Fast facts FTX agreed to extend a US$250 million revolving credit facility to BlockFi on […]

Pumped by Elon Musk, Dogecoin gains amid slow market recovery

Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have been staging a strong comeback since Elon Musk came out on Sunday supporting the former. See related article: Has ‘Crypto Winter’ arrived with Bitcoin, Ether prices falling? Fast facts Dogecoin rose more than 15% in morning trade on Wednesday in Asia, according to CoinMarketCap data. The memecoin rose to a […]

Bitcoin bounces back; South Korea crypto tax delay

Bitcoin recovers from it’s weekend slump, standing at over US$20K. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s support sees Dogecoin gain 12%.

Elon Musk pumps Dogecoin amid lawsuit

Dogecoin (DOGE) has gained 11% since billionaire Elon Musk said that he would continue to support and buy the cryptocurrency. See related article: Bitcoin, crypto return to red after rate hike rally wears off Fast facts According to CoinMarketCap data, the memecoin was up more than 12% in the past 24 hours to US$0.05788 on […]

Binance didn’t buy US$2B worth of Bitcoin, founder Changpeng Zhao says

Binance did not buy US$2 billion worth of Bitcoin as reported by media over the weekend, its founder and chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao said on Monday in a tweet. See related article: Bitcoin recovers above US$20K after weekend slump Fast facts At least two news sites reported that Binance had bought the dip and […]

Elon Musk faces possible class-action lawsuit over Dogecoin losses

Keith Johnson, a U.S. investor in the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has filed a US$258 billion class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk and two of the companies he heads, alleging illegal behavior to manipulate the memecoin’s price.   See related article: What is the real value of joke coins like Dogecoin and SHIB? Fast facts The lawsuit alleges: “Since […]

Crypto on a roller coaster as market braces for Fed guidance on rates

Crypto markets posted some gains in Asia trading after a pummeling this week, but the sentiment shifted back to negative as markets across the board try to second-guess the Federal Reserve’s thinking on interest rates.

US$500 mln in USDC added to TRON DAO USDD reserve

TRON DAO announced it has added US$500 million in USDC to its reserve to bolster its algorithmic stablecoin’s dollar parity, but USDD has been off its peg to the greenback for about two days.  See related article: Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy stick to their guns on Bitcoin Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin, Ether bear brunt […]

US crypto bill could undermine market protections: SEC, Gensler

The recently proposed U.S. cryptocurrency bill could undermine the existing regulatory framework for broader capital markets, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler said on Tuesday. See related article: Hold onto your crypto bags, the regulators are coming Fast facts Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s CFO Network Summit, Gensler said many crypto companies […]

Crypto market slumps; USDD depegging fears

USDD loses its dollar parity. Meanwhile, Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals.

TRON founder pledges US$2B defense fund after USDD stablecoin loses dollar parity

TRON founder Justin Sun on Monday said he will set up a US$2 billion fund to support the dollar peg of the project’s stablecoin USDD and “fight” against short sellers, after the stablecoin’s price fell to US$0.97. See related article: Binance resumes Bitcoin withdrawals Fast facts USDD uses an algorithmic mechanism to keep its dollar […]

Sinking TRON takes DeFi TVL to US$63B, lowest since April 2021

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) fell to US$63.12 billion as prices across the broad crypto market fell. The declines were highlighted by the TRON algorithmic stablecoin USDD losing parity with the U.S. dollar on Monday, along with a 17% drop in the TRON native token TRX over the past 24 hours.  […]

FTX, OpenSea make the cut to Forbes Fintech 50

Nine cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, including crypto exchange FTX, made it to the 2022 list of the Forbes Fintech 50 released Tuesday, with all nine raising a total of US$6.5 billion in venture capital, according to the business magazine. See related article: FTX.US forays into stock trading Fast facts The latest list features private companies […]

Beeple’s Twitter account latest victim to phishing scam hacks

The Twitter account of non-fungible token (NFT) artist Mike Winkelmann, widely known as Beeple, was briefly hacked on Sunday and used to promote a phishing scam to drain over US$72,000 from Ether wallets of victims.   See related article: Twitter hacker takes over verified accounts to promote fake Azuki NFT drop Fast facts The hacker shared […]

Gimme shelter: Crypto companies head offshore as they hanker for regulation

A developmental shift in the cryptocurrency industry is ushering in geographical shifts among crypto companies, with a number of businesses abandoning locations once hailed as crypto hubs in favor of jurisdictions with regulatory regimes more to their liking.  Forkast sat down with two of the crypto industry’s rainmakers who are among those spearheading this trend […]

Sam Bankman-Fried buys 7.6% of Robinhood; stock jumps

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has bought a 7.6% stake in Robinhood for US$648 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See related article: Terra shuts down indefinitely after coming back online; LUNA, UST still on life support Fast facts Bankman-Fried bought the stake through a firm called […]

Terra’s UST fiasco cited by Yellen, who warns about stablecoins

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated her stance on stablecoin regulations and said it’s “highly appropriate” to have a framework ready by the end of this year, as TerraUSD (UST) loses its dollar peg. See related article: Run on UST cuts the ground from under Terra’s feet Fast facts Yellen said at a Tuesday hearing […]

Twitter spinoff Bluesky releases its first code ADX

Twitter-backed Bluesky, a company researching and developing open and decentralized standards for social media, released its first code on Thursday called Authenticated Data Experiment (ADX) on GitHub. See related article: Twitter’s Bluesky announces new project lead Fast facts Unlike centralized social media platforms where user-generated content is stored in the platform’s servers, ADX data is […]