KuCoin Report Points to Marked Increase in Crypto Investors in Turkey

Blockchain Mainnet FNCY to Collaborate with Web3 Community Platform GALXENetmarble F&C, a subsidiary of South Korean game developer Netmarble, announced on Tuesday that FNCY, the blockchain mainnet of its subsidiary Metaverse World, has established a strategic partnership with Web3 digital credential network GALXE.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on UnsplashEmpowering the Web3 communityGALXE is a platform with over 11 million users dedicated to building the Web3 community. In collaboration with some 2,900 partners — including networks like Optimism, Polygon, and Arbitrum, among others — it offers rewards like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and on-chain achievement tokens (OATs) to users when they contribute to their favorite Web3 community.Strengthening the FNCY chainThrough the new partnership, FNCY and GALXE plan to hold various events and campaigns to bolster the FNCY Chain. In addition, various decentralized applications (dApps) onboarding the FNCY Chain will be able to open channels and hold events themselves.“This partnership will play a significant role in adopting blockchain technology on a global scale and providing users with new experiences,” said Charles Wayn, CEO of GALXE.Seo Woo-won, CEO of Netmarble F&C, also described GALXE as the most suitable partner for forming and expanding the Web3 community and FNCY’s blockchain ecosystem.FNCY, previously called CUBE, is a Web3 entertainment platform where users can enjoy various content, including games, webtoons, and web novels. Users can also view transactions, blocks, wallet addresses, and other on-chain data.

Gemini Announces Singapore Expansion PlansGemini, the US-based cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, has announced its plans to expand its team in Singapore over the course of the next 12 months.Photo by Pixabay on Pexels100 new hiresGemini made the announcement by way of a blog post published to its website on Monday. In that post, the company outlined that it intends to add over one hundred new hires over the course of the next year. Gemini aims to focus on the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market, which it believes will play a crucial role in its next phase of growth.Indian engineering hubIn addition to its Singapore expansion, Gemini is actively working on setting up an engineering center in Gurgaon, India. Back in April, the firm’s newly appointed Chief Technology Officer and APAC region CEO, Pravit Tiwana, announced the intention of establishing the India-based engineering center. An intention to expand the Singapore base was also suggested at that time, with the company now following up with firm expansion plans.This engineering hub in Gurgaon is expected to become the second largest for Gemini, after its operations in the United States. By expanding its engineering capabilities, Gemini aims to bolster and support its global operations effectively.APAC to drive crypto growthGemini sees the APAC region as the driving force behind what it termed “the next wave of growth for crypto.” The exchange plans to use its Singapore office as a hub from which to run broader operations in APAC.This strategic move follows Gemini’s addition of support for the Singapore dollar (SGD) three years ago, enabling local residents to access cryptocurrencies directly using their native currency. The expansion plan provides Gemini with the potential to capitalize on the growing opportunities within the APAC market, further establishing a foothold in a significant regional market.Gemini’s decision to focus on international expansion aligns with the growing trend among cryptocurrency companies. Regulatory pressures in the US crypto market have escalated, exemplified by recent lawsuits filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase.These circumstances have prompted many companies to seek opportunities beyond the United States. In particular, exchanges are looking for markets with clearer regulatory landscapes and significant growth potential. Hong Kong, Singapore, and several European countries have emerged as attractive options.Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally, has also followed a similar path to Gemini by expanding its services in Singapore. Singapore’s reputation as a crypto-friendly financial hub makes it an attractive location for such expansion efforts.Gemini’s decision to expand its team in Singapore and its focus on the APAC market reflects a strategic approach to capitalize on the increasing global demand for cryptocurrencies. By establishing a strong presence in key international markets, the company has found a workaround for the current impasse in the United States with regard to the lack of sane, workable regulation.The company has identified a region that is taking a more accommodating approach, while recognizing the APAC region’s potential as a significant driver of growth and is proactively positioning itself to tap into the region’s expanding crypto market.

KDIC Seizes Crypto from Debtors Linked to Losses at Financial FirmsDuring the first half of this year, the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) tracked the cryptocurrency holdings of 1,075 individuals and debtors responsible for causing losses at financial entities, including savings banks, according to documents obtained by local news outlet Herald Economy, from the office of lawmaker Kim Han-kyu, a member of the National Assembly’s National Policy Committee. From this scrutiny, KDIC identified 29 wrongful cases and proceeded to confiscate cryptocurrencies in 16 of those instances.KDIC is a semi-state body that has been instrumental in tracing and recovering assets from culpable employees at troubled financial firms and debtors in arrears. Meanwhile, methods for hiding wealth have become more sophisticated, typically unfolding behind the curtain.Photo by Georg Bommeli on UnsplashFirst crypto seizureOut of these individuals, 900 had taken out loans of at least KRW 3 billion ($2.2 million) from beleaguered financial institutions, while the remaining 175 were employees of these institutions, held responsible for their failures. This occasion represents the KDIC’s first seizure of virtual assets.Until recently, the KDIC struggled to reclaim hidden assets funneled into cryptocurrency exchanges, given their limited authority to seek documentation. KDIC’s purview mainly extended to requesting information from public institutions, banks, insurance companies, and securities firms. However, KDIC has now found a way to seize crypto assets by investigating the bank accounts linked to these exchanges. In Korea, crypto exchanges facilitating Korean won trades are legally mandated to secure real-name accounts from banks.Call for expanding KDIC’s authorityGiven the evidence of using cryptocurrencies to conceal wealth, many suggest that amendments to the Depositor Protection Act are necessary, enabling KDIC to directly request relevant data from exchanges and recover more hidden assets effectively.Furthermore in August KDIC secured a court order allowing them to liquidate these assets. Following this successful confiscation, the debtors’ cryptocurrencies have been frozen in their wallets, rendering them unresponsive to any market shifts. Discussions are now underway regarding the method of liquidating the debtors’ cryptocurrencies at market value on exchanges. This includes deliberations on whether KDIC will assume ownership of the cryptocurrencies and directly proceed with their sale.In a chat with Herald Economy, Lawmaker Kim emphasized the need for KDIC to have the authority to access information from virtual asset service providers. This would enable them to more effectively retrieve assets from responsible debtors. Kim further stated that such steps would enhance both the efficiency of debt collection and overall market fairness.