Data published by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky indicates that Singapore has seen a significant increase in the prevalence of attempted cryptojacking attacks during the first quarter of 2020. Kaspersky estimates that 11,700 attacks were attempted on devices located in Singapore from January until March — up from 2,900 as of the first Q1 2019. Kaspersky asserted that the spike in attacks is the highest percentage increase posted within the South-East Asian region. Cryptojacking attacks up three-fold in Singapore In an interview with Straits Times, Kaspersky’s general manager for South-East Asia, Yeo Siang Tiong, described Singapore’s high-performance internet infrastructure as attracting …

A representative of LG’s information technology subsidiary, LG CNS, told Cointelegraph that blockchain-based identity systems could become the new standard for login functions. When asked about why the firm is pursuing the development of blockchain-based ID services, LG CNS said that it expects such systems to become “a hot topic for blockchain in the future.” The company also suggested that “maybe all login functions can be replaced.” As Cointelegraph reported at the end of May, LG CNS partnered with U.S. firm Evernym to develop blockchain identity technology. The two firms aim to jointly develop an international digital identity standard for …

World-leading mining hardware producer Bitmain launched its new Antminer T19 Bitcoin Mining application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). According to a June 1 announcement, Bitmain’s new Antminer T19 features a SHA256 hash rate of 84 terahash/second with a 3% error margin and a power efficiency of 37.5 joules/terahash with a 5% error margin. The new ASIC model will be sold on the producer’s official website starting today and shipments will start between June 21 and 30. The chips used in the new device are the same as those featured in the Antminer S19 and S19 Pro, but it also uses the new …

Speaking to Cointelegraph, the CEO of Ripple SBI Asia, Adam Traidman, predicted that the mining industry will continue to see hash rate migrate from east to west, asserting that he is already witnessing the transition begin. “We are seeing a huge interest [from][ wealthy Chinese miners who are paying somewhere on average of $0.03 to $0.05 per kilowatt-hour [...] in Texas at $0.025 and below — in some cases way below,” Traidman stated. Tensions between American and Chinese miners However, the Ripple SBI Asia head noted that relations between mining firms in Texas and China have been soured in the …

Regulations are not going anywhere. On the contrary, financial service providers face more regulatory challenges and higher costs than ever before. During the early days of cryptocurrencies, a “Wild West” culture emerged when regulators, uncertain on how to tackle this thing called blockchain, paid little attention to the thefts, scams and hacks plaguing the virtual-asset market. Today, this is no longer the case. No matter their roots, every virtual asset project from Telegram to Shapeshift to Libra is ramping up compliance while regulators continue to issue guidance, enforce regulations and pay closer attention to digital securities platforms, crypto exchanges and …

Blockchain technology firm, LayerX, has raised about 3 billion yen (equivalent to nearly $28 million) to further blockchain adoption. The Japanese version of Cointelegraph reported on May 28 that LayerX raised the funds from venture capital firms JAFCO, ANRI, and Yahoo Group. JAFCO board member, Keisuke Miyoshi, commented: “Corona has exposed various issues in Japan. It is further accelerating [digitization]. Blockchain is not just a technology buzzword.” The news follows April reports revealing that most of the fundraising in the crypto space shifted from the Americas to the Asia Pacific regions, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. According to a …

Ontology recently partnered with German digital identity and cloud wallet provider, Spherity, to collaborate on expediting development on digital identity solutions for products and enterprises. The partnership will see Spherity’s Cloud-Edge wallet integrate with Ontology’s (ONT) blockchain, and allow Ontology to use Spheriy’s Decentralized Digital Identity solutions. The two firms will work together on creating proof-of-concept pilots demonstrating applications for digital identity within the context of supply chain, mobility, and pharmaceuticals — leveraging Spherity’s existing customer base. Ontology and Spherity will also collaborate on research and marketing initiatives. Identity solutions target the supply chain Spherity CEO, Dr. Carsten Stöcker, told …

Bixin Global, a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency firm, has launched a fund of funds (FOF) financed with 6,600 Bitcoin (BTC), worth over $65 million as of press time. Main goal: increase Bitcoin holdings According to a May 8 announcement, Bixin launched the fund to invest in cryptocurrency funds globally. The FOF is BTC-denominated and its main goal is to increase its Bitcoin holdings. The strategies of the funds that Bixin intends to invest in will be quant-based and can utilize arbitrage or trend analysis. Furthermore, the firm also hopes to develop partnerships with other firms on mining management, cloud mining and …

A majority of Chinese miners expect a huge influx of new Bitcoin (BTC) buyers within the next six months. According to a poll by crypto services firm RockX on May 4, 57% of Chinese miners expect a large number of new Bitcoin buyers to join the market in the near future. RockX claims to have polled 42 prominent Bitcoin miners and members of the Asian mining community. Respondents include F2Pool chief operating officer Yu Chao, TokenInsight partner Wayne Zhao, Pandaminer and OXBTC CEO Wilson Guo and Bitmain APAC head of sales Fan Xiaojun. Over 71% of the respondents also believed …

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has certified two local organizations as Certified Financial Instruments and Exchange Associations. According to an April 30 announcement, the FSA has recognized the Japan STO Association and the Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Business Association (JVCEA) as self-regulatory groups for derivative transactions and security token offerings of crypto assets. JVCEA will subsequently be renamed the "Japan Crypto Asset Trading Business Association" on May 1. JVCEA is the official self-regulatory organization for the cryptocurrency industry in Japan authorized to create regulations and policies for cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. New law covers crypto derivatives trading JVCEA explained …

A new Bitcoin-themed manga series is set to be published amid a growing interest in crypto. The series, titled “Genesis Code”, has already debuted in Japan. It is compiled by the Young Animal manga magazine and distributed by the Tokyo-based publisher, Hakusensha. The publisher released a promotional video on April 28 with the front cover of the first edition. The cover shows the manga’s hero holding a coin emblazoned with the Bitcoin (BTC) logo. The story that surrounds the manga series According to a synopsis published by the series’ official website, the story revolves around the mystery of Bitcoin’s creation. …

The attitude of the Chinese government towards crypto cannot change significantly in the short term, according to an expert. Ivan Plantonov, an analyst at Chinese-led international information service provider and investment research firm, EqualOcean, told Cointelegraph on April 29 that he does not expect the Chinese government to change its stance towards cryptocurrencies too rapidly. He expressed the stance of his company: “We don't think that China's attitude toward cryptocurrencies can change significantly in the short term. At the moment, the country is mostly emphasizing [...] industrial and business applications of DLT. “ Chinese government opens to crypto mining Still, …