Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) has launched a new blockchain-based platform that could potentially track one-third of shipping containers across the globe. The GSBN was incorporated in March 2021 by eight global national freight maritime cargo companies to build a blockchain platform that digitizes shipping processes, such as document issuance, clearance and logistics data. Members of the Hong-Kong-based nonprofit consortium GSBN are said to “account for one in every three containers handled in the world,” and this may soon be verifiable on the blockchain once the platform is fully utilized. The GSBN announced the launch of the new blockchain platform …

Emerging economies like Vietnam, India and Indonesia are leading the charge when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption, underscoring important use cases for digital assets tied to remittances and financial inclusion. Finder’s survey of 42,000 people across 27 countries revealed that Vietnam had the highest adoption rate, with 41% of respondents claiming they had purchased cryptocurrency. Twenty percent of Vietnamese said they had purchased Bitcoin (BTC), which was the highest among all countries polled. Although Vietnam’s strong outperformance may appear surprising at the surface, Finder’s survey corroborated other data showing that the southeast Asian country is punching above its weight when …

Pintu, Indonesia’s first mobile native cryptocurrency wallet and trading platform, has raised $35 million from some of blockchain’s biggest venture funds — putting the company on track to expand its team and product offerings in the near future. The Series A was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, a technology-focused investor with broad exposure to blockchain, fintech and data analytics. Several other high-profile venture funds also participated in the raise, including Alameda Ventures, Blockchain.com, Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Castle Island Ventures and Intudo Ventures. With the funds, Pintu plans to hire additional talent, roll out new product offerings and fuel future …

Cryptocurrency adoption is growing in Singapore, especially among younger generations looking to capitalize on the generational wealth potential of Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets, according to the inaugural 2021 Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index, or IRCI, a survey conducted by Asia-Pacific cryptocurrency exchange Independent Reserve. The survey, which is based on a poll of 1,000 Singaporeans from a representative background of gender, age and location, revealed that 43% of the polled respondents said they owned cryptocurrency, with 46% planning to buy digital assets in the next 12 months. Two-thirds, or 66%, of respondents in the 26 to 45 age bracket …

Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange Huobi has reportedly suspended futures and leveraged trading for new customers in some countries, raising questions about the regulatory scrutiny facing digital assets. As reported by Bloomberg, Huobi is limiting these services in a handful of jurisdictions but didn’t specify which countries would be affected. There was also no word on why the temporary suspension is being implemented, though it could be tied to perceived regulatory uncertainty in China. The exchange is also reportedly scaling back its miner hosting services in China after regulators in the country reaffirmed their plan to crack down on cryptocurrency trading activities. …

DBS Private Bank, one of the biggest wealth managers in Asia outside China, has launched a cryptocurrency trust solution amid growing demand for digital assets. After setting up its own crypto exchange in December 2020, the Singaporean banking giant is now expanding its crypto services via its wholly-owned trust company DBS Trustee, The Business Times reports Friday. The new crypto trust solution allows the company’s private banking clients to invest, custody and manage cryptocurrencies. The trust offering supports four cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP, and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), which are the sole digital assets hosted on the DBS …

Blockchain continues to occupy an unusual space in the contemporary technology sphere, with concepts such as “decentralization,” “transparency” and “immutability” continuing to slide between a purely technical meaning and a more overtly politicized one. Certain blockchain advocates — at least those still steeped in the libertarian ethos that has survived from its roots in the cypherpunk movement — continue to question the technology's implementation for projects like government defense contracts as well as its wider absorption into the traditional financial banking systems it was originally designed to circumvent. Earlier this week, Cointelegraph reached out to several executives at Fantom Foundation …

Digital Currency Group, the venture capital firm behind some of the biggest companies in blockchain, has become the second-largest shareholder of Streami, a leading cryptocurrency exchange operator in South Korea. Barry Silbert, founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group, explained his rationale for backing Streami: “We expanded our investment in Streami because of their fantastic team and the incredible potential of the digital asset market in South Korea. Streami provides the critical foundation for this market to scale rapidly, and our investment will fuel its position as the most trusted digital asset platform in Korea.” The investment includes a regional …

A major governmental agency in Uzbekistan seems to be rethinking its stance on cryptocurrencies. The National Agency for Project Management under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, or NAPM, issued an official document proposing several amendments to licensing procedures for crypto trading. The NAPM proposed to officially allow local residents to conduct “all types of crypto exchange trades involving crypto assets and tokens in exchange for the national currency and the foreign currency.” The authority stressed that crypto investors would trade and invest at their own risk. The proposal also aims to establish processes for the registration, issuance and …

Blockchain associations from Australia and five Southeast Asian nations are joining forces to promote blockchain development and education. Blockchain organizations from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to promote blockchain collaboration in the Asia Pacific, Business Times reports. Initiated by Blockchain Association Singapore, or BAS, the MoU aims to engage with regulators to ensure legal compliance alongside raising industry awareness and education through a new blockchain consortium called the ASEAN Blockchain Consortium, or ABC. The ABC includes BAS, Blockchain Australia, Distributed Ledger Technology Association of the Philippines, Malaysia’s Labuan International Business and …

Digital asset custodian First Digital Trust has secured funding to bring crypto-asset payment services and upgrades to the Asia-Pacific region. The Hong Kong-headquartered company has raised $2.15 million in a convertible note funding round led by private investors including Asian venture studio Nogle. The total funding for the firm is now over $5.2 million, according to Crunchbase, which reported two prior funding rounds. The firm stated that the funding will allow it to launch the first debit and credit card rail that will enable its digital-asset clients to accept card payments seamlessly. Companies will be able to accept digital assets …

Alameda Research has expanded its investment portfolio by allocating $4 million to Coin98 Finance, an up-and-coming decentralized finance platform from Vietnam, according to Chinese fintech outlet ChainNews. Coin98 Ventures, the venture capital firm behind Coin98, reportedly operates the biggest cryptocurrency fund in Vietnam and is also a key backer of the Solana Ecosystem Fund, which recently raised $40 million in strategic investments from major digital currency exchanges. As ChainNews notes, Coin98 operates a decentralized exchange and wallet, with transaction volumes totaling $20 million in March. The exchange boasts of roughly 200,000 users, mainly in Southeast Asia. Alameda Research is a …