Places Asia

Institutional investors are coming in hard and fast to the crypto market and, whether you like it or not, seem like they are here to stay. “Komainu” Japan’s top financial services and banking firm Nomura launched its much-awaited Bitcoin custody service for institutional investors this week, after over two years of development and clearing regulatory […]

A new report by Bitcoin trading giant BitMEX focussed on the BTC mining industry, exploring if three mining giants could IPO on U.S. markets and if China’s Bitcoin mining could grow. Both aspects, unfortunately, face negative consequences if current market conditions remain. Bitcoin miners face IPO troubles Bitmain, and Ebang, two of the biggest ASIC […]

Reports on China shutting down bank accounts for individual Bitcoin traders and OTC firms are unfounded and untrue, a local investigation found this week. Dispelling FUD China Times said Wednesday the country’s national and central banks were not closing any Bitcoin or cryptocurrency linked accounts, despite widespread media reports of the contrary.  Private firms like […]

South Korean efforts to launch a native digital currency are speeding up as China’s digital yuan continues to be extensively tested across the country. Last month, Korea acknowledged it was “concerned” by Chinese influence in the blockchain and digital currency space, vowing to increase research efforts by dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars towards the […]

Global turmoil in financial markets is leading to some touting Bitcoin as a possible alternative investment, eleven years after the pioneer was developed. But South Korean academics remain unconvinced — they recognize Bitcoin turning into a hedge, but say it remains “dangerous” if volatility reappears. Bitcoin good, but risky Professor Hong Ki-hoon of Hongik University, […]

Since the past few days, certain, and rather strange, transactions are stirring up debate in the Ethereum community. Data shows someone, an entity or individual, spent millions in transaction fees for just a few hundreds of dollars in the actual transfer – a rarely seen occurrence. But a new report out of China claims a […]

China’s moving at “Lambo” speed when it comes to digital currencies, blockchain, and Bitcoin. The Far Eastern superpower is secretly pouring millions of Yuan into developing blockchain parks, education, distributed framework, and its upcoming Digital Yuan. But such advances require skilled manpower, and China’s not failing to deliver. A local report earlier this week noted […]

Despite China’s reluctance to regulate cryptocurrencies in the country, many anecdotes suggest higher officials both understand and acknowledge the potential of a digital currency-based economy. The latest Chinese official to speak about Bitcoin is Wu Xiaoling, former deputy governor of the nation’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China. Blockchain’s most successful application As reported […]

Security in the cryptocurrency market, and its related products, is a long-revered feature by both users and long-term investors. While digital asset businesses firms boast of top-notch security and protection, hacks and scams have, time and again, led to an overall loss of confidence about the claims made by several firms.  To this end, some […]

Bitmain’s launched its new T19 mining rig yesterday, featuring improved software and efficiency. The move comes follows last month’s incident when miners alleged Bitmain delivered defective rigs and malfunctioning hardware, causing losses for mining operations and a negative experience. Optimized Bitcoin mining As per an announcement, Bitmain’s new Antminer T19 Bitcoin Mining will start selling […]

China’s leaving no stones unturned in its well-publicized quest to become the world’s leader in blockchain development and services. After introducing favorable terms for Bitcoin miners, a parliamentary book on the topic, and even considering Bitcoin as “virtual property,” the country’s new “master plan” on June 1 released measures to “speed up” progress of the […]

Late on June 1, Thailand’s high-flying OmiseGo rebranded to OMG Network. The project was one of 2017’s biggest ICOs, raising $25 million and going on to be valued at over a billion dollars in the successive months.  The project also rolled out the Plasma sidechain yesterday, promising scalability for developers and a faster network for […]

The world’s equity, fuel, and bonds markets have entered into uncertain and volatile periods — driven on the back of unstable trade wars, changing fundamentals, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cryptocurrencies are not far behind. Digital asset markets, while not linked to traditional investments, suffer the brunt of global fundamentals; even the price cycles are independent. […]

South Korea’s ICON, regarded by some as the country’s biggest cryptocurrency project, launched a significant update for its protocol earlier this week. The development marks an important step towards the project’s “hyperconnect the world” catchphrase. Interoperability benefits As detailed in a blog post, the Blockchain Transmission Protocol (BTP) enables interoperability between different blockchains, helping inter-project […]

Blockchain project FLETA recently announced an agreement with the software giant Oracle. The technical cooperation focuses on FLETA’s use of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). The blockchain project plans to implement OCI to enhance the capabilities of the FLETA cloud server. In turn, a more robust FLETA cloud server will enable the blockchain’s mining nodes to […]

China’s secretive stance on digital currencies is starting to reveal traces of long-term aspirations. On one hand, the country does not allow any form of crypto-trading, even calling for the shut down of the Bitcoin mining business in a province earlier this month. But a recent development indicates cryptocurrencies may be on China’s radar all […]

Three major powers are betting on the long-term potential of cryptocurrencies, digital currencies, and blockchain. In separate developments, schools and publishers in Korea, China, and Australia introduced blockchain and digital currency-related coursework for graduates and government officials, guided by narratives of future opportunities and concerns of potential unemployment. Australia’s RMIT offers blockchain course On May […]

China’s aggressively pushing for blockchain development and digital currencies, with local sources stating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may lead to an early release of the country’s ambitious digital currency project. However, while a central bank official says there’s no particular timeline, the currency could be seen at a major global sports event, if ongoing tests […]