KuCoin affiliate applies for license in Hong Kong amid identity mix-up

Kazinform, the state-owned official news agency of Kazakhstan, has reported that the central Asian republic is working towards the establishment of a national crypto reserve. The news agency revealed that in answering an inquiry from a member of the Kazakhstan parliament, Timur Suleimenov, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, said that the central bank is currently studying information related to the formation and management of a national crypto reserve. Photo by engin akyurt on UnsplashFollowing best international practicePlans are being devised for a crypto reserve on the basis that best international practice as applied to sovereign wealth fund management is adopted. In this respect, guidelines related to transparency of accounting and secure crypto custody will be followed. The reserve will be established through an affiliate entity of Kazakhstan's central bank, specializing in alternative investments. In responding to the parliamentary inquiry, Suleimenov also revealed the likely source of funding for the fund. He stated: “International practice shows that the sources for such a reserve may include confiscated crypto-assets, as well as  cryptocurrencies mined by a crypto miner partially owned by the government.” Suleimenov outlined that while crypto assets have proven to be volatile and riskier than other asset classes, having the reserve controlled and managed by a central bank affiliate would result in the required levels of risk management and overall oversight being applied. According to Kursiv, a news organization focused on the Central Asian region, the authorities in Kazakhstan plan to amend relevant legislation so as to enable the effective management of the crypto reserve. Suleimenov stated that the central bank is open to discussing potential legislative amendments with members of Kazakhstan's parliament. The National Bank of Kazakhstan's governor also warned that misinformation by pseudo-business coaches related to cryptocurrencies needs to be curbed. He feels that in order to protect investors, and particularly young people, legal measures will be necessary in an effort to bring about greater transparency within the country’s crypto market. The authorities in Kazakhstan currently have a crypto regulatory framework in place that requires crypto trading platforms that extend their services to local users to have acquired a trading license from the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).  In May, it emerged that the Central Asian republic is planning to establish a pilot project for cryptocurrencies called “CryptoCity.” At the time, Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, delivered a speech at the Astana International Forum outlining that the CryptoCity project would facilitate the use of crypto for the payment of goods and services within a specific geographical zone. Crypto hub potentialEarlier that month, the country’s First Vice-Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Kanysh Tuleushin, said that Kazakhstan had the potential to emerge as a leading cryptocurrency hub within the Central Asian region. Following the implementation of a ban on crypto mining in China in 2021, Kazakhstan experienced an influx of miners, attracted by cheap electricity. However, the arrival of miners was unplanned for, putting extreme pressure on the local electricity grid, resulting ultimately in brownouts and protests. The country once accounted for 27% of global Bitcoin mining. However, regulations introduced in 2023 led to the activity being scaled back considerably.

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has announced a ban on cryptocurrency mining on farms, addressing concerns over the misuse of agricultural land.Photo by Kamil Rogalinski on UnsplashClaims of farm misuseAccording to the Khaleej Times, the Authority has informed UAE farmers that their lands are not to be used for Bitcoin and crypto mining. This activity is deemed a “misuse of the farm for purposes other than its intended use.” The new regulation aims to preserve the primary agricultural function of these lands and imposes penalties of up to 10,000 United Arab Emirates Dirhams (approximately $2,722) for violations. Cryptocurrency mining requires significant computational power and electricity, which conflicts with the farms’ intended agricultural use.  Broader support for miningDespite this specific restriction, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintains a supportive stance towards cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency mining beyond a farm setting. In 2023, the country emerged as a notable player in the global Bitcoin mining industry, with a combined mining capacity of around 400 megawatts, contributing approximately 4% of the global Bitcoin hash rate. It’s proven to be a popular place in which to locate a mining facility as the country has a robust infrastructure. Stable power is essential in order for miners to be able to run their machines in a sustainable manner. Additionally, the government has generally been supportive of the activity, fostering a conducive environment for both crypto and Bitcoin mining and blockchain technology more generally. Furthermore, the country occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of major trade routes. Regulatory clarity has also been provided by the authorities in the UAE with regard to how crypto mining activity is to be carried out. While this latest move against mining within a farm setting is a restriction, it still feeds into that overall framework of regulatory clarity and certainty. Attracting mining firmsGiven the aforementioned reasons in support of mining in the UAE, the Middle Eastern country continues to attract cryptocurrency mining firms.  In December of last year, a Dubai-headquartered Bitcoin mining company, Phoenix Group, struck a $380 million deal with Chinese mining equipment manufacturer MicroBT. That same month, the company was listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). In May 2023, Abu Dhabi-based digital assets development company Zero Two entered into a partnership with North American crypto miner Marathon Digital with a view towards developing the region’s first large-scale crypto mining facility. Beyond mining, the location is also proving popular for crypto firms more generally. In May 2023, Chainalysis, a leading blockchain analytics company, established its regional headquarters in Dubai. Similarly, Blockdaemon, a provider of institutional infrastructure, expanded its operations in Abu Dhabi, facilitated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a key financial regulator. Speaking at the Dubai FinTech Summit recently, Reece Merrick, Managing Director of enterprise blockchain company Ripple for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, said that “the UAE has done a remarkable job in really putting itself in a position to be the global crypto hub.”

Indonesia Sees Further Crypto Investor GrowthRecent data released by the Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency (Bappebti) underscores the robust growth of the crypto investment landscape in Indonesia.Photo by Nick Agus Arya on Unsplash10.1% year-on-year increaseAccording to reports published in recent days in local media, as of September 2023, the country boasts 17.91 million crypto investors, marking a noteworthy 0.67% uptick compared to the previous month of August, which registered 17.79 million individuals.Over the span of a year, from September 2022 to September 2023, the Southeast Asian nation witnessed an influx of approximately 1.64 million new crypto investors, showcasing a remarkable 10.1% increase from the 16.27 million reported in September 2022.Emerging from a slowdownWhile this growth signals a positive trend, a noteworthy observation pertains to the deceleration in crypto investor growth from October 2022 to August 2023. The data reveals that during this period, the increase in the number of crypto investors in Indonesia never exceeded 1%. This slowdown can be attributed to the global crypto market’s trend characterized by uncertainty and a downward trajectory.Tirta Karma Senjaya, Head of the Bappebti Commodity Futures Trading Development and Development Bureau, comments on this phenomenon, stating, “Growth in the number of crypto investors in Indonesia continues to increase, but investors are still looking for the right time to buy crypto.”Furthermore, Bappebti highlights a reduction in the value of crypto transactions in Indonesia for September 2023, amounting to IDR 7.96 trillion ($502 million). This marks a decrease of 25.2% when compared to the preceding month, which recorded a total of IDR 10.64 trillion. In contrast to the previous year, this decline reflects a substantial 54.7% contraction from the September 2022 figure of IDR 17.57 trillion.Yudhono Rawis, CEO of Tokocrypto, an Indonesian crypto exchange platform, suggests that global conditions, including economic and regulatory uncertainties, have significantly impacted the crypto market’s evolution, both within Indonesia and worldwide. Despite the recent slowdown in growth, Indonesia’s crypto market continues to exhibit considerable potential.Bitcoin resurgenceYudhono remains optimistic, anticipating that the growth and trading volumes of crypto assets in October will surpass previous records. This optimism stems from the surge in Bitcoin prices, which soared in excess of $35,000 (approximately IDR 556.5 million) towards the end of October. This milestone marks Bitcoin’s highest point in nearly 18 months and signifies a mounting interest in the crypto market on a global scale.In a statement to Voice of Indonesia, Yudhono stated:“We are confident that the growth of investors and transactions will continue to increase. The increase in Bitcoin prices and increasingly strong interest in the crypto market in general are indications that these digital assets are increasingly accepted by society. We hope that this trend will continue and bring benefits to the entire ecosystem crypto.”The crypto investment sector in Indonesia continues to experience steady growth, albeit amid global market fluctuations. With Bitcoin’s resurgence and a growing appetite for digital assets, the outlook for Indonesia’s crypto market is positive.