Cryptocurrencies

Zipang's value will be linked with the same amount of gold procured by Mitsui from the London Metal Exchange. (Source photo by Reuters)
Cryptocurrencies

Mitsui & Co. to issue cryptocurrency linked to gold prices

Backed by tangible asset makes ZipangCoin less volatile than major cryptos

4 February 2022
There is plenty of interest in cryptocurrencies in Thailand -- a cafe in the northeast's Nakhon Ratchasima has dozens of screens to view movements and latest prices.
Cryptocurrencies

Thailand follows ASEAN peers applying cryptocurrency controls

Big corporates, trading platforms restricted as BoT limits crypto payments

3 February 2022
The Sandbox is a popular platform for buying and selling virtual land.
Property

Demand for virtual land heats up in property-mad Hong Kong

Real estate tycoon lays out plans for digital Mega City to drive future growth

27 January 2022
The success of state-sponsored crypto heists will say much about the stability of Kim Jong Un's economy and nuclear ambitions.
Opinion

Will North Korea be the death of Bitcoin?

Pyongyang's $400m crypto haul is bad news for bellwether digital currency

20 January 2022
Animoca's fourth deal since May in a young but rapidly growing industry that combines cryptocurrency and gaming. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Cryptocurrencies

Hong Kong blockchain gaming startup hits $5bn valuation

Animoca Brands raises $359m as race to lead industry heats up

18 January 2022
China's top regulator banned crypto trading and mining in September last year in a bid to "root out illegal" cryptocurrency activity. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Cryptocurrencies

Chinese police arrest eight over 'rug pull' crypto scam

Authorities froze nearly $1 million of virtual assets as Beijing clamps down

18 January 2022
Regulators across jurisdictions are moving to tighten scrutiny of the emerging crypto sector, which is known for operating across borders and away from regulatory oversight (Source photo by Getty Images and Reuters).
Cryptocurrencies

Singapore clamps down on ads for 'highly risky' crypto trading

Move signals further caution despite platforms' eagerness to tap financial hub

17 January 2022
The NUG is letting citizens use Tether because its greater use could weaken the power of the military. (Source photo by Reuters and Tether website)
Cryptocurrencies

Myanmar's pro-democracy forces resist with cryptocurrency

Tether emerges as potential savior for people seeking freedom over their assets

16 January 2022
Visitors take in "HOLD ONTO YOUR BITCOIN" by Gustav Szabo, known as Szabotage, in Hong Kong, China, in September 2021. The art will be converted into NFTs and auctioned online by Sotheby's.
Caixin

NFTs in China and their uncertain future: An in-depth report

Regulatory caution, crypto-hostility, no secondary market hold back cartoon apes

13 January 2022
Thai companies have been flocking to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrencies

Thai companies splurge on Bitcoin mining as crypto boom expands

Rush to dig crypto comes despite central bank warnings

13 January 2022
Kazakhstan is one of the world's top hubs for cryptocurrency mining. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Cryptocurrencies

Kazakhstan turmoil slams bitcoin as key mining hub cut off

Internet shutdown and electricity shortages deal blow to world's No. 2 producer

8 January 2022
 WeChat boasts 1.2 billion users across the world, with most living in China. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
Cryptocurrencies

WeChat offers digital yuan payments ahead of Beijing Olympics

Tech giant's big user base a boost to China central bank currency

7 January 2022
Fresh produce sold at the Efate Port Vila Market in Vanuatu, one of the four Pacific island nations considering issuing a digital currency. (Photo courtesy of the Asian Development Bank) 
Cryptocurrencies

Pacific island nations probe digital currencies with Tokyo startup

Soramitsu to run feasibility studies in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu

29 December 2021
A cryptocurrency mining data center in Kazakhstan in November: The national grid operator says the industry's huge appetite for electricity has strained the country's supply.
Cryptocurrencies

Kazakhstan's crypto mining boom fizzles over power supply strain

Miners feel 'scapegoated' for creaky grid, start to shift overseas

28 December 2021
Cryptocurrency companies are keen to break into the Singapore market, but local regulators are taking a cautious approach to giving their approval. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

Crypto entrepreneurs find Singapore is not so hospitable after all

Scores of businesses fail to win licenses from city-state's financial regulator

20 December 2021
A ban on cryptocurrencies would negatively impact the country at large.
Opinion

Crypto ban would move India closer to an authoritarian nightmare

Proposal threatens nation's foundations as a liberal democracy

18 December 2021
Singapore-based startup Nansen helps users protect their crypto assets.
DealStreetAsia

Singapore crypto startup Nansen raises $75m to fund expansion

Blockchain data analytics company to accelerate hiring, acquisitions

17 December 2021
An drug user lies unconscious by the side of a road in Kapurthala, Punjab, in October 2019: the use of drugs such as heroin among people has become so rampant in the northern Indian state.
Opinion

Drug problem in India's Punjab looms over crucial state election

Once an economic powerhouse, region has suffered a reversal in fortunes

16 December 2021
Binance operates one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency portals but has come under scrutiny from regulators around the world.
Cryptocurrencies

Binance shuts down Singapore cryptocurrency exchange

Provider of Bitcoin trading to refocus on blockchain tech in city-state

13 December 2021
Founder and Chairman Park Kwan-ho expects income from Wemade's blockchain ecosystem "to far outgrow our game revenue once the platform is full-fledged." (Photo courtesy of the company)
Cryptocurrencies

South Korea's Wemade bets on crypto to revive gaming fortunes

Rivals scramble to follow suit as play-to-earn title draws millions of users

10 December 2021
Value is being set free from the systems in which it was generated.
Opinion

Why the metaverse will go far beyond Meta

Users will have more choice in Web 3.0 than they do on the internet today

7 December 2021
Stablecoins are linked to such assets as currencies and commodities in order to reduce volatility.
Cryptocurrencies

Stablecoins to face new restrictions in Japan

Only banks, wire transfer companies would issue currency-backed coins like Tether

7 December 2021
Cryptocurrency companies are keen to secure a foothold in Singapore in part to use as a base for regional expansion. (Source photo by Reuters and Akira Kodaka)
Cryptocurrencies

Crypto players jockey for Singapore position amid Binance clampdown

Luno, Matrixport and Cabital eye licenses to operate in the city-state

6 December 2021
DeFi platforms like SushiSwap are bringing the worlds of gaming and finance together. (Source images from SushiSwap website)
Business Insight

Young Asian investors want to have fun handling their finances

Traditional institutions must reckon with gamified cryptocurrency services

1 December 2021
Circle unveiled plans to set up a hub in Singapore to test stablecoins with companies in the city state.  (Source images from Circle website)
Cryptocurrencies

US startup Circle to build bigger stablecoin presence in Asia: CEO

Payments group to 'demonstrate' value of crypto reserve currency in Singapore

25 November 2021