Sam Reynolds

Sam Reynolds is a senior reporter based in Taipei. Sam was part of the CoinDesk team that won the 2023 Gerald Loeb award in the breaking news category for coverage of FTX's collapse. Prior to CoinDesk, he was a reporter with Blockworks and a semiconductor analyst with IDC.

Recent

Markets

Bitcoin

Bitcoin Crashes 9% as Missiles Strike Kyiv, Airport Captured

The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value was trading about $34,725 at time of writing after passing $39,000 on Tuesday. Markets in Asia are also down during trading...

By Greg Ahlstrand Sam Reynolds

Feb 24, 2022 at 6:49 a.m. UTC

Feb 24, 2022

BitcoinMarketsUkraineRussia

People's Bank of China ((Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images)

Markets

First mover

First Mover Asia: China CBDC Is No Government Version of Bitcoin; Terra's Luna, Other Altcoins Jump

The eCNY and other CBDCs are digital versions of cash issued by a central bank, unlike bitcoin which has no single issuing authority; bitcoin surpassed $39,000 on Tuesday befo...

By Sam Reynolds Damanick Dantes

Feb 23, 2022 at 11:29 p.m. UTC

Feb 23, 2022

First MoverAsia PacificBitcoinEtherAltcoinsCBDCChinaCanada

Staff of StarkWare in 2022 (Natalie Schor)

Finance

Starknet

StarkWare Launches Layer 2 Product StarkNet on Ethereum

StarkNet uses zero knowledge rollups to squash Ethereum’s crushing transaction costs.

By Sam Reynolds

Feb 23, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. UTC

Feb 23, 2022

StarkNetStarkWaredYdXEthereum

Finance

Web3

Fast Break Labs Raises $$6M in Seed Funding Round

The Web 3 startup founded by two ex-Meta Platforms employees is developing a blockchain-based fantasy basketball game.

By Sam Reynolds

Feb 23, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. UTC

Feb 23, 2022

web3fantasy sportsbrooklyn netsPanteraFundingFunding RoundsVenture CapitalNBASports

Markets

First mover

First Mover Asia: GameFi's Shaky Prospects; Bitcoin, Ether Inch Higher

Strict regulations on gaming in China and South Korea, among other countries, are likely to reduce the market for GameFi in the Asia-region; bitcoin, ether and most major altc...

By Sam Reynolds Damanick Dantes James Rubin

Feb 22, 2022 at 11:40 p.m. UTC

Feb 22, 2022

First MoverAsia PacificBitcoinEtherAltcoinsGameFiVenture Capital

Truckers in central Alberta on their way to the Legislature Building in Edmonton (Naomi Mckinney/Unsplash)

Layer 2

Canada

'Frozen' Bitcoin Tied to Canadian Protests Lands at Coinbase, Crypto.Com

The situation shows the limitations of a government’s ability to thwart transactions on decentralized systems – but also the limitations of those systems to circumvent such sa...

By Anna Baydakova Sam Reynolds

Feb 22, 2022 at 8:26 p.m. UTC

Feb 22, 2022

CanadaBlockchain AnalysisBlockchain AnalyticsSanctions

Ontario Securities Commission Building in Toronto (Paolo Costa Baldi/Wikimedia Commons)

Finance

Coinbase

Regulator in Canada Warns Crypto Exchanges Not to Promote Self-Custodial Wallets: Report

The Ontario Securities Commission sent tweets from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Kraken CEO Jesse Powell to the Canadian police.

By Sam Reynolds

Feb 22, 2022 at 9:22 a.m. UTC

Feb 22, 2022

CoinbaseKrakenRCMPCanadaTrucker ConvoyRegulationOntario Securities Commission

Markets

Singapore

Amber Group Raises $200M in Temasek-Led Round at $3B Valuation

The Singapore-based liquidity provider and trading infrastructure firm's valuation has tripled in less than a year.

By Sam Reynolds

Feb 22, 2022 at 7:42 a.m. UTC

Feb 22, 2022

SingaporeTemasekAmber GroupDeFiFundingFunding Rounds

Russia President Vladimir Putin (Evgenii Sribnyi/Shutterstock)

Markets

First mover

First Mover Asia: Taiwan, Singapore Are Not Stablecoin Fans; Major Cryptos Decline as Russia Invasion Looms

Taiwan and Singapore are wary of ceding control of their currencies; bitcoin, ether and most other major cryptocurrencies fell as Russian President Vladimir Putin made a defia...

By Sam Reynolds James Rubin

Feb 22, 2022 at 3:35 a.m. UTC

Feb 22, 2022