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 Independent Community Bankers of America's Brian Laverdure to learn more about developments in crypto asset regulation and how they might help the industry rebound.

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 the answer to all these questions & more in the latest episode of Word on the Block

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 opportunities but the challenges & difficulties a metaverse could present & how to navigate through this new landscape. She believes decentralization can exist with accountability.

Other top news: Ant Group debuts blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.

Chinese authorities may be looking to build their own DeFi network, smart contracts, cryptos and all. The catch? It is tightly controlled.

Find out more about the changing world of DeFi and how China aims to expand its role in the field by watching the full video interview with Finxflo CEO James Gillingham and Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau.

More top news: China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain. Fintech investments in Singapore.

Konstantin Richter, CEO of Blockdaemon explains how blockchain adoption will succeed if more institutions are brought in the fold.

More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain to 20,000 companies.

Using smart contracts to manage companies' interoperations in space could be the future of governance in space, according to Brian Israel, lecturer at UC Berkeley Law.

Decentralized finance may have toppled ICOs in terms of popularity within the crypto industry, but gas issues are a challenge: Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan

In other news: public gets sneak peek at China’s DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining

Permissionless blockchain protocol Conflux "isn't concerned" about bans on crypto in China, works with government to experiment with DeFi.

Listen to Conflux global managing director Eden Dhaliwal as he shares the details on Conflux's new Open DeFi consortium.

Proof of Work blockchains like ETC have been attacked by hackers numerous times, but ETC Labs CEO Terry Culver says the fight's not over.

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 and societal ramifications of living a digitally immersive life? Forkast chats with one of South East Asia’s largest banks to find out how it is getting ready to engage in this new world.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

JPMorgan's deal with ConsenSys ushers the birth of the "ConsenSys Quorum" brand that offers interoperability with ConsenSys and Ethereum.

Listen to ConsenSys CEO Joe Lubin explain to Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau how ConsenSys’ acquisition of JPMorgan’s Quorum will affect the blockchain ecosystem, his expectations of Ethereum 2.0 and the rise of DeFi.

Other top news: $50 billion in cryptocurrency leaves China. Severe flooding in Sichuan destroys bitcoin mining farms.

Other top news: Coinbase offers crypto loans with bitcoin as collateral. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance. Investment in crypto custody in Hong Kong.

Teen accused of Twitter hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. VC in Singapore and Indonesia.

Other top news: China imposes standards for blockchain companies. Huobi launches digital assets custody business. Blockchain VC in the Middle East.

Diginex CEO Richard Byworth explains how Covid has helped bolster institutional investors' interest in cryptos as a hedge against inflation.

Other top news: China’s blockchain network expands global reach. US lets major banks act as crypto custodians. Investments in India and Singapore.

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans blockchain for city services. VC in India and Israel.

Hackers are keeping up to date with new technologies to break through security systems, but blockchain could help protect social media.

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 & where do they go from here? You’d find the answers to these questions & a whole lot more in this exclusive chat between Forkast’s editor-in-chief Angie Lau & TZ APAC’s Katherine Ng.

China's development of blockchain technology may result in it 'leapfrogging' over other countries' information systems to create a "global blockchain with Chinese characteristics," according to Brian Behlendorf, executive director of Hyperledger.

Other top stories: Alibaba to help Cosco deploy blockchain technology for Chinese shipping industry. Fintech investment in Saudi Arabia.

The pandemic could either accelerate or decelerate adoption of cryptos, as well as influence the impoverished, said WEF's Sheila Warren

The U.S. is known for being the "gold standard" of financial regulations around the world, but could risk falling behind when it comes to cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain can help out the budding private space industry settle the moon, according to space expert Chris Hadfield.

Other top news: US still dominates blockchain patents globally. First court case in China litigated with blockchain. VC in Indonesia and Singapore.

Lack of regulation and liquidity in India's digital assets sector are "major bottlenecks" preventing decentralized finance (DeFi) from penetrating into the domestic market, according to Siddharth Verma, co-founder of Nuo Network.

Indian regulators should work with digital assets businesses to see the good side of cryptocurrencies, say experts.

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

Ethical and legal concerns should be baked into AI development, according to expert David Toman, Kellogg College at the University of Oxford.

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 of the Linux Foundation in nurturing the blockchain technology of tomorrow.

Other top news: China’s new blockchain cross-border payment platform for Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. 5G for all in Shenzhen. Fintech VC in India.

Other top news: Chinese high schoolers are cram-studying up on bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.

Also this week: Brave browser brouhaha. China issues new warning against crypto. Startups in Japan and Malaysia.

The Digital Dollar Project could offer the U.S. government a path forward for a central bank digital currency.

More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

Money is part of a nation's financial infrastructure, and the dollar needs a digital upgrade for this changing world, says Christopher Giancarlo of the Digital Dollar Foundation, in an exclusive interview with Forkast.News.

The coronavirus pandemic and China's rapid development on blockchain and digital currency frontiers has been a wake-up call for members of the U.S. Congress, Chamber of Digital Commerce founder Perianne Boring explains.

Central bank digital currencies like China's electronic renminbi could shift control away from U.S. dollar from financial institutions like SWIFT, says Adam Traidman, CEO at BRD.

More top news: China pours billions into blockchain and other infrastructure. Ant Financial’s new smart contracts. VC in Singapore and India.

Central bank digital currencies will become increasingly common in the coming years, but should there be more discussions about protecting users' privacy?

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 answer to all these questions as NEAR Foundation & Forkast launch the Women in Web3 Changemakers 2022.

Also: Fintech-friendly policies for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen area. China makes blockchain jobs more respectable. VC in Singapore and South Korea.

China's digital renminbi could be the first stepping stone toward challenging the U.S. dollar's hegemony, but experts doubt it will be soon.

This week: TRON gets Covid bailout. NEAR Protocol: Free Telegram Open Network. China to track tech labor talent in new database. Another endorsement for Ripple.