February 2023
India’s Budget Disappoints
India’s position on digital assets remains status quo as the country’s parliamentary budget hearing leads to disappointment in the crypto sector.
February 2023
A crypto regulatory storm front is coming in 2023. Are we ready for it?
Laws to prevent another FTX blowup, crackdowns on crypto tax cheats, and a ruling on Ripple are likely imminent. A bull’s eye is also on DeFi, writes Gergo Varga of SEON.
India’s CoinDCX exchange says crypto tax rules are reducing government revenue
India announces its full year budget on Feb. 1, the last before general elections in 2024, and the cryptocurrency and digital asset industry is lobbying the government for changes in tax rules, among others.
Indian Budget Ahead
India’s crypto tax laws have caused local trading volume to plummet and the industry is hoping for better news in the upcoming budget session.
China NFT platforms expand into Hong Kong in face of compliance risks on mainland
Hong Kong’s new digital asset-friendly policies could set the city up as the home for secondary NFT marketplaces from China as trading of ‘digital collectibles’ remains a gray area on the mainland.
Why is it harder to arrest Terra-Luna founder Do Kwon than FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried?
South Korea’s attempts to extradite the founder of the collapsed Terra-Luna stablecoin will remain hamstrung while the courts in Seoul dispute the charges against him.
Digital Currency Group in spotlight over suspicious fund transfers
Top blockchain and crypto news: DCG under investigation. Lido DAO surges as Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade looms. Hong Kong burnishes crypto credentials.
India’s CoinSwitch exchange to add non-crypto products amid punishing taxes on digital asset trading
Indian cryptocurrency exchanges faced a flurry of taxes on trading last year that saw volumes across most platforms drop as much as 90%, slashing income from trading fees. What’s a crypto exchange to do? Maybe sell mutual funds?
India’s Crypto Outlook
WazirX VP Rajagopal Menon sits down with Forkast to provide some insight as survival becomes a huge concern for crypto exchanges in India.
Ripple expects SEC ruling in first half, clearer global regulations for digital assets in 2023
Ripple Labs Inc. expects a court decision in the first six-months of this year in the case filed against the company by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. The SEC sued Ripple in December 2020 for allegedly selling US$1.3 billion in unregistered securities.
January 2023
South Korea keeps betting on the metaverse, ignoring the current clunky technology
South Korea took a real shine to the metaverse in 2022, with the central government, regions and cities all interested in getting a piece of the virtual reality pie, despite criticism that the technology has a long way to go.
India’s religious festivals coming to a metaverse near your avatar?
India loves religious festivals, but are its citizens ready to attend such celebrations in virtual reality? An Indian startup reckons they are and launched its first effort this year, saying 20,000 avatars showed up.
The last 12 months the year to forget, says India’s WazirX crypto exchange
A lot of the troubles for India exchanges in 2022 will run into next year as they shed staff and run down reserves to stay afloat, and not all are expected to make it.
Will Bitcoin’s true value prevail in 2023?
As crypto investors move towards self-custody following FTX’s collapse, Brian Paik wonders whether it could teach people the true value of Bitcoin, beyond hype and price speculation.
Sam Bankman-Fried in Bahamas police custody, faces criminal charges in U.S.
Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF denied bail, US extradition likely next. The Block chief quits over secret FTX loans. Hong Kong readies digital asset rules.
Why local currency stablecoins are needed in non-US countries
Stablecoins in USD are becoming the digital world’s default currency — which burdens ordinary crypto users and monetary policies in smaller nations, writes Wei Zhou of Coins.ph.
South Korea’s Wemade shares drop, WEMIX token plunges after delisting verdict
The South Korean blockchain game maker’s WEMIX cryptocurrency will be removed from the country’s four major cryptocurrency exchanges that collectively account for more than 95% of the country’s crypto trading volume.