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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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

As China takes steps to release its new digital currency and U.S. lawmakers consider using a digital dollar during the coronavirus crisis, billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper said both will fail.

Other top news: IBM’s Covid medical supply network. Blockchain firms continue to bloom in China. Startups in Japan, India and Singapore.

Other top news: Courier giant YTO forms logistics lab. 224 more blockchain firms get official thumbs up. VC in Singapore, UK and US.

Other top news: Bitcoin halving frenzy. New Huawei tech zone. Blockchain company busted for defective face masks. VC in Hong Kong and Canada.

Covid-19 presents its challenges for the global economy, especially startups, but also opportunities.

Also: Dozens of crypto firms sued in 11 class-action lawsuits. Bitcoin mining company Canaan bleeds red ink. Fintech funding in India, and more.

Bitcoin's tumble amidst the coronavirus pandemic may be an opportunity for investors, says Stack COO Matthew Dibb.