Places Asia

Remittance payments are part of many foreign workers’ daily lives; however, traditional systems can be slow and costly. In Japan, there are approximately 45,000 Thai employees working around the clock to send money home to their families–and Ripple’s solution RippleNet is aiming to make the process easier. RippleNet, a decentralized global network for banks and […]

In a move that could send Japan’s cryptocurrency market skyrocketing into American digital assets trading, Huobi Global’s subsidiary Huobi Japan has been declared a majority stakeholder in Japan’s BitTrade platform. The move also marks how Singapore’s powerhouse entrepreneur Eric Cheng has leveraged his international brand with the trillion-dollar company to become the largest trading platform […]

A U.S. Department of Defense data center will be transformed into a cryptocurrency mining farm later this by the Chinese investment firm Wuhan General Group, which recently purchased the facility. Advancing the Mining Economy Based on successive rounds of negotiation, the mining rigs will begin arriving in October. Wuhan voiced the usual narrative of choosing […]

The Bank of Korea has warned that significant price differences between South Korean exchanges and those abroad, or the “Kimchi Premium,” may emerge in the coming years. Kimchi May Strike Back According to local outlet No Cut News, South Korea’s central bank cautioned officials of another “Kimchi Premium”-like situation if regulations and crypto trading frameworks […]

The Chinese cryptocurrency ban is proving to be far more difficult for regulators to enforce than anticipated. The Central Bank of China released a July report announcing the success of the country’s cryptocurrency ban, stating that the influence of the Chinese Yuan on the cryptocurrency market—which previously accounted for 90 percent of global trading volume […]

VeChain (VET), the world’s 18th largest cryptocurrency by total market cap, has partnered with one of China’s largest electric car manufacturers, BYD, according to a Medium blog post. Through its partnership with DNV GL and VeChain, BYD has created Carbon Credits and blockchain solutions ready for mass production.https://t.co/taCw8Gn8fI — VeChain Foundation (@vechainofficial) September 5, 2018 […]

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC), China’s central bank, is expanding its blockchain technology and digital currency research efforts after several successful tests, according to CNStock. China’s Blockchain Push PBoC, the world’s largest bank by total assets, is increasing the scope of digital currencies- and blockchain-enabled finance in the Far East and has partnered with […]

Bithumb, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, is allegedly being exploited by a sophisticated group of traders who have created a fake trading volume to the tune of $250 million-plus a day on the exchange’s order books. Suspicions Abound On Sept. 2, Alex Krüger, a crypto trader, pointed out suspicious activities on Bithumb’s order books and […]

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has pulled the reins in on aspiring and existing cryptocurrency exchanges by implementing a more rigorous screening process for risk-management procedures, according to Japan Times. The new order is supplementary to the Payment Services Act of April 2017, which requires all cryptocurrency exchanges to prove their solvency with audited record-keeping as well as […]

China’s largest insurance conglomerate by total assets handled, the People’s Insurance Company of China (PICC), has partnered with VeChain, blockchain-based information tracking and governance systems company, with the goal of digitally transforming the insurance industry, according to a press release. China’s Blockchain Push While the Chinese government continues to maintain a strict stance on cryptocurrencies, blockchain […]

Blockchain integration continues to pervade industries worldwide, including mobile applications. Popular messaging app Line is launching its own LINK token, a cryptocurrency built on the platform’s native LINK Chain. Apps and dApps Collide Line, a social messaging platform, is set to build an in-app token economy through the launch of its LINK token and LINK […]

After several instances of cryptocurrency-based crime and a stark increase in the use of cryptocurrencies as a money-laundering tool, Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) revealed it would launch a crypto-tracking software to trace digital currency transactions in the country. Japan’s Push for Cryptocurrency Legitimacy According to the country’s public broadcasting organization NHK, the special software […]

This week, South Korean lawmakers observed the government’s confusing stance on distributed ledger applications, with blockchain technology promoted across the board and ICO projects facing strict crackdowns. In response, Korean representatives have called for new, minimum guidelines on token issuers, according to Business Korea. Lawmaker Pushes for ICO Regulations A year after banning blockchain startups […]

As the cryptocurrency market gains prominence and retailer demand for a credible “stablecoin” increases, several prominent cryptocurrency businesses have put their money where their mouth is and have invested over $32 million in the Singapore-based stablecoin venture Terra, according to TechCrunch. Cryptocurrency Exchanges Take Note Without an ICO and other fundraising techniques, Terra intends to […]

The world’s major financial cities are waking up to blockchain’s disruptive potential, and while some are drafting regulations and consulting legal experts, cities like Hong Kong are making significant moves. Hong Kong’s Blockchain Push On Aug. 28, the Hong Kong government added distributed ledger technologies (DLT) to its list of “Quality Migrant Admission Scheme” (QMAS), […]

This past June, ICON, the most valuable blockchain project in South Korea, secured a strategic partnership with Kyobo Life, the country’s largest insurance firm alongside Samsung, to develop blockchain-based services. In 2017, prior to the creation of the newly drafted legislation that will recognize cryptocurrency- and blockchain-related businesses as legitimate, regulated institutions, South Korea’s Ministry […]

Chinese investors are leading the pack for early-stage crypto funding in the U.S. and other regions, according to TechCrunch. The Chinese Crypto Foray In Silicon Valley, Chinese investment houses are often overlooked and substantially lack publicity, primarily due to small assets-under-management sizes and lower investment frequencies. In late-stage investment rounds, these funds are often lost […]

PwC, a “Big Four” auditing firm, recently published research that found 84 percent of companies have either a “live” blockchain project or experiment underway. China Primed to Lead Blockchain Innovation The company surveyed over 600 executives from 15 countries–including the U.S., India, China, Africa and Sweden–with only 14 percent of respondents having “no involvement in blockchain […]