Places Asia

Despite an infamous crackdown on digital assets, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created a task force to explore avenues and unique use-cases pertaining to blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. Task Force to Regulate Burgeoning Sector The Indian Express recently reported that the RBI-led unit will supervise the burgeoning asset class and big […]

After WeChat and Tencent distanced themselves from cryptocurrency-related activities and businesses last week, the Chinese search engine Baidu stated it would actively work to eradicate cryptocurrency footprints from Chinese internet forums. Ban It All! According to China Times, Baidu stated it would ban forum topics and heavily censor comments about cryptocurrencies on both its search […]

Ethereum-based payment platform OmiseGO announced a major step forward in the quest for DLT scalability, releasing an early alpha of a Plasma-based scaling solution that may potentially increase the transaction capacity of the OMG network. Announced via a Medium post, the GitHub repository published by the OmiseGO team provides an insight into OmiseGO’s Tesuji milestone. Tesuji, […]

Alipay, the biggest payment application in China valued at $150 billion,  officially banned over-the-counter (OTC) Bitcoin trading, prohibiting traders from utilizing Alipay accounts to initiate digital asset trades. The announcement of Alipay shared by Red Li, a cryptocurrency researcher and the co-founder of Chinese cryptocurrency community 8BTC, explicitly stated that users of Alipay are not […]

Despite a nationwide crackdown on cryptocurrencies already in place, the Chinese government went one step further and passed a decree forbidding all crypto-related events in Beijing’s financial district. No More Crypto Events According to local news outlet South China Morning Post, authorities banned all hotels, malls, office buildings and other commercial properties from hosting “cryptocurrency talks […]

The central Bank of Thailand (BoT) revealed on Wednesday plans to introduce a state-issued cryptocurrency on R3’s Corda blockchain. The move signifies the first such development in the South East Asian region. Thailand’s Hopes for Economic Boost As per details of a press release, BoT referred to the protocol as a “wholesale” Central Bank Digital […]

Two prominent, China-based cryptocurrency businesses are undergoing contrasting fortunes; while Bitmain is facing flak for several inconsistencies in its investor deck and competition from mining rivals, the Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange (BitMEX) just moved into the world’s most expensive office. Bitmain’s Falling Fortunes Bitmain’s rise to the top has been nothing short of spectacular as well […]

WeChat, the Chinese messenger app owned by Tencent, has banned several blockchain and cryptocurrency media accounts. Jinse, which is supported by Node Capital, and Deepchain, a website backed by multiple token funds, were both affected by the ban, according to China-based finance news outlet Lanjiner. On Jinse’s official WeChat account, a post disclosing that the account […]

The South Korean National Assembly has kickstarted an “extraordinary” meeting for discussing ICO regulation, cryptocurrency and blockchain frameworks, as well as other steps to support optimal growth of the digital assets sector, Business Korea reported. Korea’s Cryptocurrency Push The Korean government is swiftly taking steps in the cryptocurrency sector as it looks to bolster its […]

In early August 2018, Beijing-based Bitmain Technologies announced its plan to go public in Q4 2018 to much excitement and fanfare. The Chinese cryptocurrency company, founded in 2013 by Jihan Wu and Micree Zhan, has long been a powerhouse in the cryptocurrency space. As a pioneer of ASIC mining chips, Bitmain controls approximately 70 percent […]

The China Electronic Information Industry Development (CCID) Research Institute has released its August blockchain ratings, and EOS has landed at the top. Additionally, despite complications Block.One faced during its mainnet launch of the EOS platform, CCID has remained confident in the blockchain project. CCID August Rankings For the third month in a row, EOS has once again […]

Chinese police have arrested three men in connection with a massive $87 million theft worth of Bitcoin after suspicions of the trio’s hacking into local computer networks came to light, according to local news outlet SCMP. Busted! The crime occurred in China’s northwestern province, away from prominent commercial centers like Shanghai and Beijing. Despite the […]

Despite showing reluctance toward cryptocurrencies, the South Korean government revealed its intention to “nurture” eight growing sectors of the domestic economy–including blockchain technology. Korea’s Blockchain Push On Aug. 13, local news outlet Yonhap reported that South Korea set aside $4.4 billion (5 trillion won) to invest in distributed ledger systems and explore various administrative frameworks for […]

Seven cryptocurrency businesses were approved by Thai regulators, Aug. 16, to legally conduct digital asset operations as part of the country’s shift toward optimizing the local blockchain, ICO and cryptocurrency ecosystem. Thailand’s Cryptocurrency Push According to the Thai SEC, seven businesses are allowed to pursue their business as legally-recognized operators immediately. Among the businesses are several […]

Spearheading development to establish Jeju Island as a blockchain and cryptocurrency hub, Governor Won Hee-ryong issued a formal request to the Korean government, Aug. 14, to designate the island as a special economic zone for the burgeoning digital asset sector. ICO Regulations Pitched to Government According to Korea Joongang Daily, Hee-ryong held a meeting with high-ranking […]

In yet another effort to supplement a thorough understanding and adoption of distributed ledger system, the Communist Party of China (CPC) released a “primer” on blockchain technology on Aug. 13, 2018. Blockchain Education for Officials As noted in the press release, the CPC-funded book contains relevant information on blockchain technology – including the origins of […]

An increasing number of blockchain companies are flocking to the initial coin offering (ICO) market to initiate token sales and raise millions of dollars in an unregulated market. According to several local projects, brokers are demanding millions of dollars to be paid out for unconditional listings. $2 Million Unconditional Listing Last week, cryptocurrency researcher Christopher […]

Despite continuing to maintain an unfavorable stance for cryptocurrencies and citing their potential role in money laundering, Indian government officials revealed they are looking at tokenized datasets and other cryptographic forms of blockchain technology. Open to Crypto, Closed to Currencies As reported by local outlet DNA India on August 10, 2018, Indian officials are seemingly […]