Author - James Lim

New Zealand’s central bank starts consultations on Bluetooth-friendly CBDC

New Zealand’s central bank has started exploration into launching a central bank digital currency, with ongoing investigation projected until approximately 2030. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is now exploring the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) also known as “digital cash,” as innovations in money and payments are “challenging New Zealand’s monetary sovereignty,” according to...

Canada tightens crypto reporting measures in 2024 budget

Cryptocurrency-focused service providers in Canada will face stricter regulatory mandates after new laws were introduced in the nation’s 2024 federal budget. Announced on April 16, the budget plans to enforce the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a system approved by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in August 2022. The move came in response to the G20’s mandate in 2021, which required...

Crypto.com’s venture arm scales back activity amid dubious market valuations

Crypto.com’s venture arm has scaled back its investment activity as the sustainability of surging valuations in the sector becomes less evident. Crypto.com Capital, a venture arm of the company of the same name which had $500 million available for investments in startups in the sector as of January 2022, has reduced its investment activity over the past...

CoinGecko: Crypto market capitalization surged 64% in Q1

CoinGecko experts published a report on the crypto market for the first quarter, noting the growth in sector capitalization. In the first quarter, the crypto market showed growth, according to a CoinGecko report. The segment’s capitalization grew by 64.5%, reaching a peak of $2.9 trillion in March. In total, capitalization increased by $1.1 trillion. The report indicates that this...

BytePlus, Mysten Labs partner to integrate Sui blockchain tech

BytePlus has partnered with Mysten Labs to integrate its recommendation solutions and augmented reality technologies into the Sui blockchain. BytePlus, a subsidiary of ByteDance, selected Sui for its capabilities in supporting gaming and social applications. Sui provides features such as zero-knowledge proofs for user authentication and sponsored transactions designed to simplify user access. BytePlus offers services, including content distribution networks, personalization...

Europe dominates crypto banking with 63 providers

Over 135 traditional financial institutions are providing crypto banking support as blockchain assets have recently experienced rapid adoption and mainstream press. According to a joint report from Finery Markets and Coincub, analysts noticed a sharp increase in rails between banks and digital assets, with more money houses tapping decentralized finance utility. The phenomenon was spotted in regions worldwide, but...

Tether joins forces with Fuze for educational venture in Turkey and MENA

Stablecoin issuer Tether is teaming up with Fuze to educate individuals and financial institutions in Turkey and the Middle East about crypto. Tether, the company behind the largest stablecoin by market value, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fuze, a crypto infrastructure provider, to promote crypto education in Turkey and the Middle East in...

Why is crypto down today? Bitcoin sheds 4.3% in 24 hour trading

Bitcoin (BTC) has declined by 4.3% over the past 24 hours, resulting in a widespread collapse across the broader crypto market, as investors exit the market at breakeven on the back of the recent recovery push. The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a sharp decline following the latest rebound that saw multiple assets record double-digit gains. Bitcoin reclaimed the...

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF draws $73m amid sluggish market

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF was the only spot Bitcoin fund in the United States to record inflows on Monday, setting it apart from other ETFs that reported no inflows or experienced outflows. According to data from Farside Investors, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) recorded net inflows of $73.4 million on April 15, albeit a decrease from the $111.1 million...

$3.5m ‘cryptojacking’ case sees Nebraska man face up to 30 years in prison

A Nebraska man is looking at 30 years in prison in connection with a major cryptojacking scheme. According to an April 15 indictment from the United States Attorney’s office in Brooklyn, Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” has been charged with defrauding two prominent cloud service providers. Cryptojacking is a cyberattack in which attackers illegally “hijack” the...