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A weekly, 30-minute podcast interviewing leading CEOs, policymakers, and thought leaders in the world of blockchain. Produced from Asia by Forkast.News, and hosted by award-winning anchor Angie Lau, Word on the Block goes beyond the headlines in providing in-depth, 1:1 interviews with the newsmakers shaping the rapid innovation and impact of blockchain, crypto, and emerging technology on business, politics, and the global economy.
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Crypto and blockchain has seen everything this year. From the start with it’s all time highs and it’s role in the Ukraine War, to the year ending with the debacles of Terra Luna and the mess left by FTX and much more.These instances have left industry edging more towards the importance of security and regulations in the space. We spoke with the Ind…
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Macros and microeconomics have taken a hit on the industry, leading venture capitalists and investors to take a more cautious path when investing. But some believe the opposite, now is the time to seize the opportunity. Why should we be investing during the crypto winter? What value can you get out of this? And what should we be investing in?Get th…
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As China’s dominance in the world of blockchain grows, the question that everybody is asking is - can one be tracked by this technology?Watch what Yifan He, who is building Chinese Blockchain Based Service Network or BSN & taking it to the world, has to say in this conversation with Forkast’s Angie Lau.Find out why he doesn’t believe in cryptocurre…
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China now has an over 80% share in blockchain patent applications worldwide. This shift in China’s strategy comes even though crypto currencies are frowned upon in the country. Even though crypto currencies are one of the most popular applications of blockchain technology globally, China has taken a different route as it develops Blockchain Base Se…
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Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been around for a little bit more than a decade, but compared to the insituationals companies they are still in their infancy. But as blockchain and crypto grows, more and more institutional players are joining the fields. You know things are getting serious when one of the oldest ventures joins the game support…
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The right policy structure is critical for success. As the blockchain & cryptocurrency sectors grow & break through barriers set by traditional industry, having the right guardrails in place will be essential to help it get to the next level.So which agency or agencies need to develop policies for the crypto industry? What are the rules that need t…
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Hong Kong based crypto unicorn Animoca Brands has invested in over 340 web3 projects and companies so far, and more are coming. We find out how they find the right ventures to back and what challenges and opportunities they are spotting in this age of the crypto chill. And why are they participating in the Open Metaverse Alliance, what exactly is i…
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NFTs have become ubiquitous, but they are a lot more than just a picture. They are a way to prove provenance, secure authenticity and a whole lot more. And Artifact Labs, which originated within the realms of one of Hong Kong’s oldest newspapers SCMP, is using NFTs to preserve Asia’s historic moments. Find out the challenges they’ve faced along the…
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The world of finance is male dominated and this is true of the web3 world as well. Per a McKinsey report, all male teams snagged 85% of venture funding in the US in 2018, compared to a measly 2% by all female founding teams. How can this equation be made more equal? How can women get access to a more inclusive financial system and what needs to cha…
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While there are thousands of blockchains around, most of them work in their own galaxy and interoperability is still a challenge. However, Cosmos is trying to change that by creating an internet of blockchains.How exactly are they creating that internet & what challenges are they facing as they try to create a system that could operate over the nex…
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We are just about beginning to scratch the surface of what a metaverse could be & the opportunities it presents. A world where our digital avatar is our identity & we can do things without being restricted by location or access.Forkast’s Editor in Chief Angie Lau chats with Sandra Helou, the cofounder of Metapolis to understand not just the opportu…
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The Metaverse is coming but are we prepared? What are the opportunities and challenges this new alternate reality presents? And what role will demographic gravity play in easing us into the Metaverse?Will rules of the real world apply in the virtual one and what will it take to be a responsible corporate leader in it? And what could be the social a…
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There are thousands of blockchains in the crypto universe, but Tezos has emerged as the chain of choice for artists & creators across the globe.What’s driving artists to TZ and how is that changing the world of NFTs & art? Tezos is also among a select few private blockchains that have made their way into China, what’s been their experience so far &…
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The crypto markets maybe in the throes of the bear market, but those building foundational level technology are still hard at work.We discuss how blockchain technology has evolved over the years & how it’s changing the way industries operate. How open source projects enable diversity & the need for permissionless & hybrid blockchains. And the role …
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An old boy’s club - that’s how the world of finance & investing is often seen. And unfortunately the crypto ecosystem is looking no different. What will it take to make the world of Crypto more inclusive? Is there a need for gender focussed policy action? And who are the female changemakers in Web3 who are shattering the glass ceiling? Get the answ…
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Name, Image & Likeness, or NIL law has given many student-athletes a chance to monetize their talent.How has it changed the lives of these high school & college sportsmen & women? And is it making fans invest in their future? How is the recent chill in crypto air impacting platforms that are helping build a business based on NIL? And what’s the fut…
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Chaos, doubt & FUD has taken hold of crypto investors as we deal with the contagion from collapsing crypto hedge funds & exchanges. And the ripples from Terra’s de-peg have shaken the world of stablecoins with allegations & rumors now at Circle’s doorstep. How is the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin, USDC fairing? Are its assets safe…
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Vignesh Sundaresan, more popularly known as “Metakovan” changed the face of NFTs with his $69 million purchase of Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”.Why did he pay $69 million for the NFT? What drives his investment thesis? And what value do NFTs hold? Find out in this exclusive conversation with Forkast’s Editor-in-chief Angie Lau, as he ta…
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Japan was among the first the world to introduce crypto-linked regulations in 2017. The country has now passed a law that clarifies the legal status of stablecoins, but what exactly does it mean? And what needs to be done to hasten institutional adoption of digital currencies? And what can other countries learn from Japan’s experience of regulating…
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One in three people in the world are gamers but only a fraction of them are in Web 3.0 gaming. What will it take to bring them into blockchain gaming? And what’s missing from the current spectrum of blockchain games?Singapore-based gaming startup Ethla's CEO Wui Ngiap Foo talks about the gaps & opportunities they are spotting in gaming. And how the…
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Singapore’s Temasek, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, has been looking at blockchain technology since the crypto winter of 2018. How much of its US$270 million portfolio is geared towards crypto & blockchain projects? Have they invested in Bitcoin? And how do they pick & choose businesses they’d like to be a part of?Get the answer…
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Singapore headquartered Crypto.com, is dreaming big and hopes to have 100 million users on its platform by the end of 2022. Brand recall & trust are going to play a big part in acquiring new customers for the crypto exchange. So what are the challenges ahead of them and how are they dealing with cross jurisdiction regulatory differences?Find out in…
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DBS Group is one of the oldest and biggest financial groups in South East Asia, and they now have their eyes focussed on the digital economy. Forkast’s Angie Lau talks to the group’s CEO about how they are transforming not just themselves but architecture of the existing financial systems. And what’s the role for regulators in shaping this new econ…
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What exactly is the Metaverse and how will it transform our lives? Will legacy financial institutions continue to remain relevant in the new virtual reality? And what is attracting Web 3 and crypto firms to Dubai?Forkast’s Editor in Chief Angie Lau speaks to Citi’s Ronit Ghose to answer these questions & more.…
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The recent events in crypto markets have reiterated the need for a crypto regulator & greater oversight over digital assets. Will this be a key factor in bringing traditional finance firms to the world of DeFi? What is the knowledge gap that exists in the crypto industry? And where and how is FTX looking to deploy its US$2 billion dollar crypto ven…
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Anthony Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner of alternative investments firm Skybridge says he’s looking to create the bridge between traditional finance and Defi, the future of finance. He says it is odd that legacy financial firms are investing in companies that buy crypto tokens but won’t invest in underlying tokens directly. He also believes …
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From the rustle of the paper to the news at your fingertips on your smart device. Technology has changed not just how we consume news, but how the people who bring you the news work. Will blockchain technology be the next leap for journalism? How could NFTs help journalists benefit from their work? Could crypto tech raise the trust between news pro…
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Will China beat the US to the first Central Bank Digital Currency? How soon might we see the first digital dollar? And what’s the role played by dollar backed stablecoins playing in the current financial system?How are policy makers and regulators in the US shaping the crypto story? Kristin Smith, Executive Director at the Blockchain Association an…
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From Gucci to Louis Vuitton, Spider-Man to Batman, there's no escaping the craze for NFTs. The market for NFTs or non-fungible tokens catapulted to US$18.5 billion in 2021, a rise of over 500 times compared to the previous year.So what are the opportunities for this segment? Would GameFi continue to drive the rise or will we see new use cases take …
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From the recent launch of Bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds in the U.S. to El Salvador’s plan to raise US$1 billion through BTC bonds to fund its “Bitcoin City” property development, growing mainstream adoption of the world’s original cryptocurrency is demanding increased scalability. Adam Back, a Bitcoin development veteran and CEO of blockchain…
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Bitcoin’s price is a lie, says Morgan Creek Capital chief
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The price of Bitcoin has dropped by more than 22% in the past 30 days. Predictions that the world’s original crypto would top US$100,000 by the end of the year are beginning to look overly optimistic, to put it diplomatically. Yet Mark Yusko, chief executive and investment officer at Morgan Creek Capital, is holding firm in his belief that Bitcoin …
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A recent US$40 million-plus bid for a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution by 17,437 virtual strangers may have failed to win the prized historical document, but it thrust the decentralized autonomous organization that united them into the spotlight. ConstitutionDAO’s audacious campaign, which raised the money for its auction bid within a week, catap…
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Shipping times from China, the world’s biggest exporter, are set to grow longer amid a new set of Covid quarantine mandates for vessel crews. The new rules mean that seafarers may have to spend as much as seven weeks in isolation for each return trip. That latest blow to the logistics industry comes as the Covid pandemic appears to have gained rene…
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The decentralized finance sector has undergone phenomenal growth this year, with its value soaring more than tenfold to US$250 billion. But as it becomes too big to fail, its lack of regulatory access points is raising concerns among finance industry observers and finance industry oversight bodies. “[DeFi] will be difficult to tackle because our cu…
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It may have taken a global pandemic to do it, but millions of unbanked people in Latin America have been propelled into the financial system since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. Some 17% of the region’s unbanked population had gained access to the system by autumn last year as, within a matter of months, pandemic-related subsidies made finan…
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The first Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund made its debut on Wall Street just a little over a fortnight ago. Six days later, Mastercard partnered with digital asset management company Bakkt to bring cryptocurrencies into its network. As increasing numbers of mainstream finance sector businesses enter the crypto space, digital assets are reachin…
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Bitcoin may have taken a back seat in the collective consciousness of the crypto community this year as the non-fungible token scene took off and decentralized finance enjoyed an Indian summer, but the coin that started it all has been back in the headlines lately. Bitcoin has returned to valuations last seen during the heady peaks of spring, a BTC…
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Blockchain is becoming increasingly integrated into the corporate world, and luxury brands are particularly well-positioned to reap the rewards of digital innovation, which is set to play a part in an industry that’s constantly seeking to reinvent itself. The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the luxury sector, which shrunk by as mu…
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As the adoption of blockchain technology grows around the world, so have the barriers between blockchains in different countries and regions. Much like the internet, which started out as small sets of nodes in universities before expanding globally to form an interconnected and far more useful World Wide Web, blockchain nodes — now distributed acro…
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Former US Treasury advisor predicts no ‘real action’ from Fed on CBDC (ft. Michael B. Greenwald)
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Bitcoin took another major leap recently toward becoming mainstream after its adoption by El Salvador as legal tender. Meanwhile, central bank digital currencies (CBDC) are gaining momentum in economies around the globe. Michael B. Greenwald, the first US Treasury attaché to Qatar and Kuwait, and now the director of Tiedemann Advisors, sees El Salv…
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Cardano’s much-anticipated Alonzo hard fork finally kicked off a new era of smart contracts on the blockchain. Because of that new capability, the proof-of-stake platform can now host decentralized applications (dApps) in the highly competitive decentralized finance (DeFi) space. But the unregulated Wild West of DeFi recently received some signific…
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Why is Axie Infinity so popular, and what is the potential of play-to-earn gaming? Two venture capitalists share insights on Asia’s special place as GameFi’s hub.Di Kelly Choo, Angie Lau, Bowie Lau
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How aggrieved traders are legally uniting against Binance after the crypto crash (ft. David Kay)
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Highlights Binance’s user agreement: “So in their user agreement, when you sign up, you are not permitted to sue them in any jurisdiction around the world. The only place that you are allowed to sue Binance when you sign up to that agreement is the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center… The other interesting thing is, Binance obviously doesn’t…
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Highlights SCMP’s foray into NFTs: “ARTIFACT is our attempt to create a new standard for historical NFTs. For us, anything that is as an account of a historical moment, so new stories, or potentially a historic artifact itself, recreated or sometimes created for the very first time as a digital asset. So we do actually think that this is a very dif…
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Highlights Facebook’s foray into the metaverse: “Facebook is now saying they are transitioning into becoming a metaverse company, away from being a social media company. But this isn’t anything new. They’ve been undergoing this transition for a long time, of course, with their acquisitions in VR and Oculus. But of course, they’re also trying to lau…
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Highlights Separating money from the government: “A good way to frame this is like, as most people understand, that back in the 1500s, 1600s, this concept of separating church and state. It was a struggle — a fight. Ultimately, I think people realized that it was important that something as crucial and personal to people’s lives as religion is not …
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Highlights Polygon’s early struggles: “We all know that Ethereum is very decentralized, secure but has scalability issues. So what Polygon started to do is that we wanted to provide this entire Ethereum development capability on this layer-2, basically. So that’s where we started. And we also were very much focused on building something that gets u…
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How Wall Street’s ‘best-kept secret’ now fuels high cryptocurrency yields (ft. Alex Mashinski)
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One of Wall Street’s least risky businesses, securities lending, is now also being used by crypto lending companies to provide high yields for hodlers — or long-term crypto holders. But what are the risks to crypto holders?“If you ask any Wall Street veteran: ‘What is the safest business on Wall Street?’ They’re not going to tell you banking, they’…
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Valkyrie’s application to open a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) has been delayed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But Valkyrie’s chief executive is not surprised. She says a cautious approach is par for the course when it comes to approving any innovative financial product. “Actually, when we first applied for a Bitcoin ETF back…
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As Huobi winds down in China, Binance gets put in the regulatory doghouse in the U.K., and Bybit is slapped with enforcement action by, Canadian authorities — cryptocurrency exchanges around the world are feeling the heat of intensifying government scrutiny and crackdowns. Alexander Höptner, who became CEO of 100x Group — the holding group for cryp…
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