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  • Crypto’s Next Chapter: Institutions, ETFs, and the Path to a New Bull Market

    Crypto’s Next Chapter: Institutions, ETFs, and the Path to a New Bull Market

    MUMBAI: After a bit of a cool-down, the crypto market is once again buzzing with talk of the next big bull run. Of course, anyone who’s been around for a while knows that nothing is ever simple when it comes to price. Still, a powerful mix of big-money players getting serious, huge demand for ETFs, and a promising chart setup hints that a solid base is being built for the next leg up.

    To get an insider’s perspective on this shift, Binance Studios’ Jessica Walker sat down with Catherine Chen, Head of VIP and Institutional at Binance. Her insights reveal a quiet but powerful change in how the world’s biggest financial players view the crypto landscape. The discussion highlights a maturing industry poised for its next chapter of growth.

    According to Chen, institutional interest in crypto has been steadily growing, with last year’s debut of spot cryptocurrency ETFs serving as a “pivotal moment” for institutional adoption. As Chen explained, “at the very minimum all of these institutional investor(s) has a fiduciary duty to at least take a proper look at this asset class and thanks to the introduction of ETF this asset class has also been given the much needed legitimacy.”

    The Institutional Wave: A Turning Point for Crypto

    For years, the market has anticipated the arrival of institutional capital, and according to Chen, that moment is already underway. She explained that institutional interest has been “slowly bubbling” for some time, noting that “a lot of institutional investors are already here”. This includes a wide range of players, from agile hedge funds and proprietary traders to more conservative pension and sovereign wealth funds that are now beginning to make allocations.

    A key factor paving the way for these institutions is a shift in perception. Chen actively debunks the persistent myth that crypto is primarily for illicit activities. She points to research showing that over 99% of all criminal and money laundering activity happens through the traditional financial system, whereas crypto’s illicit transaction share has fallen to less than 4%. Getting comfortable with how transparent the blockchain really is has been a game-changer for these big institutions.

    This change in thinking has a ripple effect across the entire crypto space. When that kind of money starts to pour in, it brings with it a new level of credibility and the resources to match. Chen believes this trend will lead to “more valid and really meaningful project” development, creating a healthier and more sustainable market for all participants.

    ETF Inflows: Opening the Floodgates

    The launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US was the catalyst that many institutions were waiting for. Chen described the introduction of ETFs as a “pivotal moment for crypto” that sent a very important signal to the market. It provided the “much needed legitimacy” for the asset class, she explained, creating a “fiduciary duty” for large money managers to “at least take a proper look at this asset class”.

    The numbers since the January 2024 launch back this up. Despite a recent outflow of $342.2 million on July 1, which ended a 15-day streak, the funds have seen massive year-to-date net inflows of approximately $13.4 billion. The success of BlackRock’s IBIT fund is particularly telling, as it has attracted over $52 billion in inflows and now generates more revenue than the firm’s enormous S&P 500 ETF, proving the massive “pent-up demand” for regulated crypto exposure.

    While a recent dip in inflows suggests traders are taking a more “defensive stance” for now, the broader trend remains clear. ETFs have successfully created a regulated and familiar bridge for trillions of dollars in capital to enter the digital asset space.

    Reading the Charts: Technicals Signal a Breakout

    While institutional flows provide the fuel, the market’s technical structure offers a roadmap for what could be next. After hitting a new all-time high of over $110,295 in June 2025, Bitcoin has been consolidating. Analysts are closely watching the price range between support at $106,500 and a major resistance zone at $108,000 to $110,000 for the next decisive move.

    Several on-chain indicators suggest the market is in a cool-down phase, gathering strength for its next leg up. Both on-chain transfer volume and spot trading volumes have declined from their recent peaks, which is typical of a consolidation period. However, other metrics flash bullish signs. A key metric called the MVRV ratio, which gives a sense of market profitability, is sitting well below the levels where things have historically gotten overheated. That suggests there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank for this cycle.

    On top of that, the Altcoin Season Index is still way down at 24 out of 100. This tells us the spotlight is firmly on Bitcoin for now. If history is any guide, a big Bitcoin move often leads to money flowing into altcoins later. This could kick off a wider market rally if BTC can just break through its current ceiling.

    Are the Bulls Ready to Charge?

    All the signs seem to point toward a market that’s building a really solid foundation for what comes next. Here’s what builds a pretty strong case for the bulls. Steady institutional buy-in, the game-changing effect of ETFs, and a technical setup that looks ready to pop. And this isn’t just hype. It’s a sign that the crypto industry is growing up.

    But let’s not get ahead of ourselves as there’re still some hurdles. As Katherine Chen pointed out, “regulatory clarity is the single most important thing” needed to really open the floodgates for institutional money. For everyday investors, this flow of serious capital and talent is a clear win.

    The ride might be choppy in the short term. But considering all these powerful forces, the next major bull run isn’t a question of “if,” but “when.”

    Disclaimer: This article has been published without the journalistic or editorial involvement of Indiantelevision.com. IndianTelevision.com Group, or any of its affiliated websites. IndianTelevision.com Group does not endorse, subscribe to, or take responsibility for the content, opinions, or views expressed herein.

    Readers are further advised that Online Casino, Betting, Cryptocurrency products, Financial Investments/Engagements, NFTs, and products or calls-to-action related to Health, Booking, Wellness, and Food are largely unregulated and carry significant risk. There may be no regulatory protections or avenues for recourse in the event of financial losses or health-related risks arising from engagement with such products or services.

    IndianTelevision.com Group expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for the information, views, announcements, declarations, or affirmations presented in this article. By choosing to proceed, the reader acknowledges and agrees that they do so at their own discretion and risk, and expressly absolve indiantelevision.com (IndianTelevision.com Group) from any potential legal claims, liabilities, or actions.

    The content provided is solely for informational and awareness purposes.

  • Crypto IEO Token Sale on P2B Exchange

    Crypto IEO Token Sale on P2B Exchange

    Crypto IEO Token Sale

    Among other numerous crypto exchange platforms and launchpads all over the world, P2B provides full transparency for every token sale on the platform. It’s a tier-two exchange that takes pride in promoting and listing an enormous number of tokens successfully.

    P2B is focused on a better user experience and a loyal community that eventually leads all these projects to a better outcome.

    One of the best ways to successfully launch your crypto token is to apply for IEO.

    What is IEO?

    An initial Exchange Offering is a good way to promote your token in the early stages of development while also raising funds for this purpose. The whole procedure is hosted on a centralized exchange that takes care of every major process of fundraising: KYC, transactions, and marketing. The ultimate goal of IEO is to promote your token within the exchange’s customers pool and get your project ready for the next step.

    Usually, there are three rounds of IEO and the token’s price increases after each of them.

    You can see it as if the exchange platform does everything to make fundraising safer and easier for every party involved. As a crypto startup founder, you can easily trust the platform with every service required for a successful crowdfunding campaign.

    How to launch a token sale through IEO?

    Start small, one step at a time. First, make sure your project and its paperwork are ready.

    Further steps include filling out an IEO application form on the Launchpad, creating a growth plan, and executing it. Your main task during this stage is to get everything ready.

    Next, the internal promo campaign begins, advertising your project within the platform’s community first. It is followed by promotion to the global crypto community.

    In order to get chosen for IEO, you have to create a truly unique and promising project, be it an NFT marketplace, a dApp, or a play-to-earn platform. Being unique is important, because that’s a deciding factor for many crypto investors who want to see the crypto industry growing for better.

    After an IEO, you can get listed on the same exchange platform. This will, in turn, serve as a proof that your token has liquidity and can be traded amongst other cryptocurrencies.

    What is a P2B exchange?

    P2B, formerly known as P2PB2B, is a crypto exchange platform founded in 2018. The platform offers a full spectrum of crypto trading services both for project owners and investors:

    1.    It’s an exchange platform. P2B can easily break the record for the huge number of tokens it offers for trading.

    2.    It’s a launchpad. You can apply for IEO or IDO there ‒ the process is quite easy with the platform as the team offers very convenient ways to reach out to you.

    3.    It’s a blog. The P2B team has great insights into the crypto industry, constantly sharing the knowledge with the community.

    4.    It offers consulting services. If you apply for IEO or IDO and need a proper audit of your project, the P2B team can do it for you.

    The platform describes itself as a partner and a consultant for aspiring crypto projects, and the concept of it is really great: everyone wants to have a massive success without having a detailed how-to plan. P2B slowly, but steady, helps promising crypto projects become the next big things on the crypto market.


     
    Launching IEO on the P2B launchpad

    The platform offers a quite easy and understandable roadmap for IEO. First, you have to submit a request on the platform’s website. P2B asks only about essential info on your project ‒ the rest can be discovered via consultation with their experts.

    Next, when the application is submitted, reviewed, and accepted, the team creates a plan for further project growth. Think of it as a roadmap for your crypto project that includes financial and promotional aspects.

    And finally, the promotional and fundraising stage begins. This is where your project is being actively advertised to the local crypto community, and then ‒ to a wider public. There are usually three rounds of fundraising.

    And, finally, when the IEO campaign is over, your project gets listed on P2B and becomes available for everyone to trade. But it’s not where everything ends. Next up, the market-making and further business development begins, building a better foundation for your project’s future.

  • GUEST ARTICLE: The role of crypto in facilitating the content creator economy

    GUEST ARTICLE: The role of crypto in facilitating the content creator economy

    Mumbai: With technology opening myriad opportunities across sectors, it has ushered in an era of growth for the creator economy. Content creators today have a new means of monetising content, which is empowering them to become the sole owners of what they produce and engage directly with the audiences. Blockchain is revolutionising how content creators can make money from their creativity and hard work online. In the past, they relied on brands by engaging, promoting or representing them. Despite having millions of followers or influence on social media, they have to depend on brands to make money from their content. 

    With the growth in digital spheres such as streaming platforms and even the metaverse, for instance, they are now able to explore new avenues to showcase their work, establishing a link with audiences and earning directly. At present, the total creator economy market size is over $100 billion, and it also states that 46 per cent of creators generating content for over four years are earning more than $20,000 annually.

    Undoubtedly, the creator economy empowers content creators by giving them ownership. They now do not have to think much about the ever-changing online algorithms, worry about how much brands will value them, and can depend on their actual supporters, fans, or audiences for income. They can decide where and when to work and how to engage with audiences directly to make money. Thus, cryptos are democratising the ecosystem by unlocking many options to make, share, and sell content across platforms.

    How is blockchain boosting the creator economy?

    The rise of creators, consumers, and engagement on social media have made these online platforms leverage emerging and new-age technologies to offer realistic, advanced, and real experiences to their users. It is vital to make sure that creators get paid for their hard work without relying on anyone else as the ecosystem grows. With the advent of technology like blockchain, decentralisation is happening, and as users are gaining ownership of what they create online, it is making the ecosystem more equitable for them by linking consumers and producers through a direct exchange.

    Blockchain, which is the basis of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies, has made it possible to track or record transactions or exchanges in real-time. Content creators today are using NFTs to digitally trade their assets and collect royalties. Once issued, the NFTs assign a monetary value to these digital assets. Also, a token is tied to the content that makes it the original piece. The owners then sell or auction off these NFTs with cryptocurrencies, which can be later converted into real money.

    How does it bring additional benefits for creators?

    The most significant advantage of blockchain technology for content creators is that it empowers them by allowing them to earn directly from their audiences without the use of intermediaries. They get full control, complete rights, and visibility of their earnings. The content creators, thus, by engaging, are able to earn, which greatly boosts the creator economy. Moreover, the benefit of crypto is that it stores the value of financial incentives with the distributed ledger to decentralise each financial transaction with the help of blockchain. The networks don’t hold or store a centralised source of original information, which makes it safe from hacking or exploitation.

    Taking a step ahead, the creators can use creator tokens to create and offer unique resources and provide unique experiences to their followers for community building. For example, they can offer member passes to grant greater access to fans and create new income pathways. Also, such tokens let fans get closer to creators by paying extra. The creators will subsequently be able to expand their income source by possibly investing their earnings in crypto assets. Today, there are leading platforms such as Taki, Chingari Clubhouse, and others that are providing opportunities for content creators to earn money. This sector is gaining huge traction, and as technology, demand, and awareness develop further, it can definitely provide an alternative source of income and possibly higher returns to content creators.

    The way forward

    It is indeed welcoming to see that the Indian government hasn’t banned but regulated the crypto ecosystem, leaving scope for learning and understanding to bridge the trust deficit and address the hesitations. As per reports, the creator economy in India has grown to Rs 1,300 crore in the last couple of years as many small, medium, and even global brands are actively opting for social media creators and influencers to promote their products, which shows that the future is bright. The country, which is on its way to emerging as a resilient digital economy, has to formulate its policies to adopt the innovations and trends to not miss this bus at this juncture. India is witnessing a rise in its internet and social media population, and a conducive ecosystem for the development of blockchain, NFTs, cryptos, and web 3.0 can empower the content creators by making them sole owners of their content and selling it directly to their loyal fan base. 

    The author of this article is Taki co-founder Sakina Arsiwala.

  • GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    Mumbai: The year 2020 was unprecedented in many ways, but what was undeniably phenomenal was the rise of the crypto world, drawing new users to it. However, this dramatic escalation of the crypto world has seen another new market in the digital sphere-the NFTs, which has gathered much attention and somewhat spread like wildfire, which no one can stop. Nowadays, it can be seen that celebrities from around the world are getting into the NFT space and the press is flooded with success stories.

    It may seem that investing in NFTs is the quickest way to earn money. But, just like any other thrilling experience, there will definitely be challenges involved. As per various reports, it has been analysed that 95 per cent of investors lose money since they lack proper research and, therefore, they follow short-term projects which have no value. Amidst the crypto crash this year, it appears that the bloodbath in the crypto market has affected NFT sales too. According to a report in The Guardian, NFT sales reached a 12-month low mark in June 2022.

    Reasons why most NFT projects will fail

    A majority of NFTs (about 96 per cent) will come crashing down hard, not just temporarily, but permanently, because the creators lack experience in implementing their roadmap in the proper way or are unable to cope with emerging issues in order to establish a long-term and sustainable business. Several NFT projects are just a quick way to grab the cash with no real value or utility backing the digital asset. The main issue with the NFT marketplace is poor marketing strategy; the supply presently outweighs demand, as does the lack of actual value and utility backing NFTs, which in turn will affect the sentiment around the project.

    While large brands, companies, and innovators start exploring the NFT space and incorporating the technology themselves, they will soon begin to realise what a valuable NFT looks like when compared to all the useless NFTs presently overflowing the markets.

    The reality that modern-day NFT creators and investors fail to recognise is that, with the help of NFTs (a digital technological space), one can either build a brand from the ground up or increase the trust, value, and transparency of existing brands. In contrast, NFT creators have created nothing more than just a picture, which has little to no actual value or utility at all. The creators are not even building a brand or developing a strong intellectual property, failing to deliver quality, and even providing nothing to their customers besides the NFT itself. People need to understand that just because someone is an artist doesn’t mean the person will be a successful NFT project person.

    In addition to that, these days’ news regarding NFTs that are making headlines are mere stories about people making huge profits by selling and purchasing NFTs. These types of news tend to create the impression that either NFTs are a get-rich-quickly scam or that any NFT can easily make you a million dollar profit, while both are just untrue to a certain degree. It requires a lot of hard work and talent to benefit from the NFT business.

    There’s more to understand on NFTs!

    Going by the present market scenario, it seems that rug pulls have become the go-to scam of the NFT ecosystem, and as a result, several projects are facing difficulty in gaining the community’s confidence. Moreover, projects are failing due to a poorly organised team with no experts, poor synchronicity, and also a lack of adequate financial planning. Many NFT ventures are unable to maintain an engaged and vibrant community of supporters, which is probably the numero-uno factor behind building a project. Plus, there is a lack of uniqueness when a project is simply a copy of an existing one with the same features, benefits, and processes or if it does not grab the attention of the audience; thus, they are not able to make it to the live market.

    Currently, the NFT space is a perfect example of an overhyped market driven by greed. It’s not an easy task to head an NFT project, and in most cases, it is a tough grind to stand out and survive past launch. NFTs are just going to be another way of branding and marketing a business. Although most NFT projects are failing, that doesn’t imply that all of them are worthless. There are still some projects worth your attention, and you can definitely make profits if you understand the logic behind failing projects so that you can act in the opposite way.

    Therefore, the next time someone is thinking about purchasing an NFT, the advice is to do the research, don’t spend more money than you can afford to lose, and only purchase NFTs that spark interest. You must have the ability to build a legit business out of social media. All you need is to be extra careful when diving into this unregulated platform.

    The author of the article is JorrParivar creator, founder, and operator Digital Pratik.

  • CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    MUMBAI: Crypto company CoinDCX has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy and government affairs to lead the company’s public policy and government affairs initiatives. In his new role, Vivekananda will lead CoinDCX’s Public Policy function, working closely with regulators and industry stakeholders and helping drive a positive narrative for the crypto industry in India.

    Vivekananda joins CoinDCX from Dream Sports Inc, where he was the chief policy officer and was responsible for driving advocacy efforts for the online gaming industry. He comes in with the rich experience of over two decades. Earlier, he worked with Uber India, HCL Infosystems, to name a few.

    CoinDCX co-founder & CEO Sumit Gupta said, “We are delighted to have Kiran lead our public policy portfolio. Kiran’s deep expertise in developing public policy strategies will strengthen our efforts to push the Indian crypto industry mandate and represent the industry at relevant forums”.

    Speaking on the appointment, Vivekananda said, “I look forward to working towards supporting a progressive policy and regulatory environment for the crypto industry”. He further added, “The Indian VDA market is the second-largest in the world and I believe that this presents a tremendous opportunity for India to lead the world in the technology-driven digital innovation in the crypto/ Web 3.0 space. I will leverage my experience in addressing concerns of regulators and in driving positive narratives/use cases of the crypto/blockchain technology”.

    According to CoinDCX, it continues to strengthen its talent pool and is hiring across functions as it continues to build innovative products and services for the users. Safety and compliance continue to take centre stage as the company is committed to doubling down its efforts in the Indian market. CoinDCX has been working closely with all stakeholders who can help position crypto in the mainstream of India’s digital economy.

     

  • ASCI processes 5532 complaints in 2021-22; education remains most violative sector

    ASCI processes 5532 complaints in 2021-22; education remains most violative sector

    Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released its annual complaints report for the period April’ 21 – March’ 22, during which it processed 5,532 advertisements across mediums including print, digital, and television. Education at 33 per cent remains the single largest violative sector, followed by health care (16 per cent), and personal care (11 per cent).

    The digital ecosystem took centre stage with new categories like crypto and gaming in the top five violative categories, and nearly 48 per cent of the ads processed belong to the medium.

    In 2021-22, ASCI processed a whopping 62 per cent more ads compared to the previous year, and 25 per cent more complaints. The self-regulatory body saw an overall compliance rate of 94 per cent.

    While television and print ads remained in focus, ASCI greatly broadened its ambit by proactively monitoring advertising in the digital landscape. With the influencer guidelines coming into force last year, complaints against influencers constituted 29 per cent of the total grievances. Complaints regarding misleading claims in ads featuring celebrities saw a 41 per cent increase out of which a staggering 92 per cent were found to be violating ASCI’s guidelines.  

    Given its focus on digital monitoring, emerging categories included the relatively new categories of virtual digital assets and online real money gaming, contributing significantly to objectionable ads at eight per cent each.

    ASCI continued its proactive surveillance and 75 per cent of ads processed were picked up suo-motu. This included the AI-based monitoring that ASCI has set up for digital tracking. Complaints from consumers constituted 21 per cent of complaints, followed by intra-industry at two per cent and CSO/government complaints at 2 per cent. Out of the 5,532 total ads processed, 39 per cent were not contested by the advertiser, 55 per cent of them were found to be objectionable after investigation, and complaints against four per cent of ads were dismissed as not violating the ASCI code. 94 per cent of ads that ASCI processed needed changes so as not to violate the ASCI code.

    Talking about the annual report, ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath shared: “2021-22 was the year we followed through on our promise of increasingly monitoring the digital media given the way it has been dominating the advertising landscape. We invested heavily in technology and that has worked quite well. We also upgraded our complaints system which has made it very easy for consumers to register their complaints and for advertisers to respond to it. Going ahead, we will continue to be at the forefront in understanding how best to regulate and monitor the digital frontier, even as we keep streamlining our processes to become more responsive, and more proactive.”

    Sharing her thoughts about the annual report, ASCI CEO & secretary general Manisha Kapoor, said: “The ASCI team, the Consumer Complaints Council, the Honourable ex-high court judges on our review panel, and our domain experts have debated the nuances of advertising and scientificnevidence of thousands of ads to ensure that the process and outcomes are fair to both consumers as well as advertisers. Simultaneously, the constant update to our code ensures that we constantly offer guidance and transparency to consumers and advertisers on newer and emerging formats and categories. This helps in keeping self-regulation at the frontier of advertising developments.”

    ASCI has also upgraded its complaints system “TARA” in order to offer a seamless experience to both consumers and advertisers in the management and resolution of complaints. Features like real-time tracking of complaints aim to make the experience similar to what one would expect from any contemporary tech platform.

    Read the report here: https://ascionline.in/images/pdf/complaint-report-2021-22.pdf

  • Cashaa exits from Unicas

    Cashaa exits from Unicas

    Mumbai:The crypto neo bank, Cashaa, has announced its exit from Unicas. This is Cashaa’s maiden attempt to enter the personal crypto-banking market after becoming a market leader in B2B crypto banking. Presently, Unicas has four branches fully operating in India, and the company aims to further its expansion. Unicas provides saving accounts and offers collateralized loans against crypto assets.

    In 2020, Unicas offered crypto-friendly savings accounts to its customers in partnership with the United Multistate Co-op.

    In recent events, Cashaa holding company Crypto Innovations UAB was granted a European virtual assets license from Lithuania. “The proposal was in the best interest of Cashaa, and it was decided that it would be even beneficial for both companies if Cashaa accepts a proposed buyout offer and exits from Unicas,” said Cashaa’s Board representative Anamaria Redianu.

    The compensation from the buyout will contribute to a $20 million investment fund to develop the fast-growing Web3 market. The complete details will be out soon.

    Cashaa CEO Kumar Gaurav said, “The Indian market offers tremendous potential, especially after the recent clarity regarding cryptocurrency taxation and legal infrastructure. We at Cashaa welcome this decision.”

    “We have decided to acquire our stake from Cashaa representatives in India to give a new direction to Unicas. After the recent reforms, the Indian market has a huge upside potential”, said Unicas CEO and co-founder Sonal Kukreja.

  • Instagram shares top trends and themes from Indian Memeaverse

    Instagram shares top trends and themes from Indian Memeaverse

    Mumbai: Photo sharing site Instagram has revealed that memes have become a pivotal part of pop culture on the platform and it shared the top trends and themes from the memeaverse in India. Comedy, crypto, gaming and astrology memes are the most popular memes on Instagram. Comedy memes are well liked with the prominence of topical memes like #sharktankmemes and rise of regional memes like #gujjumemes and #tamilmemes.

    Globally, with over three million people following #meme, memes are the way people express themselves, to communicate who they are and how they feel at a certain moment. To discuss trends in memes, share best practices and celebrate meme culture, memers and creators from around the world came together virtually for the second annual Global MemeCon (formerly known as Global Meme Summit), organised by Instagram. An exclusive viewing party was also held in Mumbai with top memers and creators from India in attendance, where trends pertaining to the Indian memeaverse were shared. 

    Facebook India (Meta) director media partnerships Paras Sharma said, “Trends from the Indian memeaverse highlight how memes fuel culture and we’re glad to share them, so more people in the ecosystem understand the meme space even further. Now with Reels, memes have evolved from photos, GIFs, to short videos, and creative tools like remix, collab and original audio, are helping accelerate creativity in memes all across India.”

    Ankit Chauhan aka @oyeankit, a meme creator from Surat, who’s rib tickling memes have traversed the internet and travelled internationally too, was one of the speakers at the global MemeCon. He said, “It’s great to see the meme community come together and chart the ways and means by which memes can be intertwined with culture even further. I was glad to be representing India at the Summit and highlight some of my memes that have travelled from Surat to San Francisco and beyond, on Instagram!”

    BoAt co-founder, CMO Aman Gupta said, “Memes are an extremely interesting content format and are most representative of youth lingo and appeal. #SharkTankMemes is the perfect example, as people meme-d moments and dialogues from the show on Instagram, and pushed it to pop culture status. Creators are certainly flag bearers of this meme-language and I hope the trends from Instagram provide the structure for people, communities and brands to think about memes more intentionally.”

    Top trends from the Indian memeaverse:

    Top followed meme hashtags in India

    #funnymemes
    #gujjumemes
    #tamilmemes
    #memesdaily
    #marathimeme

    Trending hashtags

    #iplmemes
    #telugumemes
    #kgf2 
    #gujjumemes
    #willsmith

    Topical and cultural moments that created meme-storms:

    Choti Bachi Ho Kya?
    Shark Tank India memes
    Your accent is so sexy
    Hera Pheri Memes
    Mr McAdams

  • ASCI frames guidelines for virtual digital assets’ advertising and promotion

    ASCI frames guidelines for virtual digital assets’ advertising and promotion

    Mumbai: Noticing a significant uptick in advertising for Virtual Digital Assets (VDA) like NFT and Crypto, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has come up with guidelines for their advertising and promotion, effective from 1 April.

    Even as the Indian government continues to work on the framework for virtual digital assets, commonly referred to as crypto or NFT products, advertising for these products has been quite aggressive over the past few months.

    ASCI noted that several of these advertisements do not adequately disclose the risks associated with such products. In order to safeguard consumer interest, and to ensure that ads do not mislead or exploit consumers’ lack of expertise, ASCI has extensively consulted with different stakeholders including the government and the virtual digital asset industry to frame guidelines for virtual digital asset advertising.

    Advertisers and media owners must also ensure that all earlier advertisements must not appear in the public domain unless they comply with the guidelines post 15 April, said the association.

    These guidelines interpret, for virtual digital assets, Chapter 1 of the ASCI code, particularly clauses 1.1, 1.4 and 1.5. that require ads to be truthful, and not mislead consumers by implication, ambiguity, exaggeration or omission, and are not framed in a way that abuses their trust or exploits their lack of knowledge.

    It is important to note that these guidelines do not amount to any legal recognition or endorsement of the industry or the sector, as that is a matter of government policy. ASCI only provides self-regulation for content of ads that are permitted by law.

    All advertising for virtual digital assets and services needs to adhere to the following guidelines: 

    (1.1)         All ads for VDA products and VDA exchanges, or featuring VDAs, must carry the following disclaimer.

    “Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.”

    Such a disclaimer must be made in the following manner so that it is ‘prominent’ and ‘unmissable’ by an average consumer:

    (a)    In print or static, equal to at least one-fifth of the advertising space at the bottom of the advertisement in an easy-to-read font, against a plain background, and to the maximum font size afforded by the space.

    (b)   In video, the disclaimer should be placed at the end of the advertisement against a plain background. A voice over must accompany the disclaimer in text. The voice over should be at a normal speaking pace and must not be hurried. In the case of long format video of over two minutes, the said disclaimer should be repeated at the beginning and at the end of the video. The disclaimer must remain on screen for a minimum of five seconds.

    (c)    In audio, the disclaimer must be spoken at the end of the advertisement. The voice over should be at a normal speaking pace and must not be hurried. In the case of long-format audio of over 90 seconds, the said disclaimer should be repeated at the beginning and at the end of the audio.

    (d)   In social media posts, such a disclaimer must be carried in both the caption as well as any picture or video attachments. The disclaimer within the caption must be placed upfront at the beginning of the post. Where social media posts or advertisements  have restrictions on text in the static picture, the disclaimer must be carried upfront in the caption before the fold.

    (e)    In disappearing stories or posts unaccompanied by text, the said disclaimer will need to be voiced at the end of the story in the manner laid out in points (a) or (b) above. If the video is 15 seconds or lesser, then the disclaimer may be carried in a prominent and visible manner as an overlay.

    (f)    In formats where there is a limit on characters, the following shortened disclaimer must be used “Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and risky”, followed by a link to the full disclaimer.

    (g)   The disclaimer must be made in the dominant language of the advertisement

    (h)   In addition to the above, all disclaimers must meet the minimum requirements laid down in the ASCI guidelines for disclaimers.

    (2) The words ‘currency,’ ‘securities,’ ‘custodian’ and ‘depositories’ may not be used in advertisements of VDA products or services as consumers associate these terms with regulated products.

    (3) The information contained in advertisements shall not contradict the information or warnings that the regulated entities provide to customers in the marketing of VDA products from time to time.

    (4) Advertisements that provide information on the cost or profitability of VDA products shall contain clear, accurate, sufficient and updated information. For example, ‘zero cost’ will need to include all costs that the consumer might reasonably associate with the offer or transaction.

    (5) Information on past performance shall not be provided in any partial or biased manner. Returns for periods of less than 12 months shall not be included.

    (6) Every advertisement for VDA products must clearly give out the name of the advertiser and provide an easy way to contact them (phone number or email). This information should be presented in a manner that is easily understood by the average consumer.

    (7) No advertisement for VDA products or exchanges may show a minor, or someone who appears to be a minor, directly dealing with the product, or talking about the product.

    (8) No advertisement may show that VDA products or VDA trading could be a solution to money problems, personality problems or other such drawbacks.

    (9) No advertisement shall contain statements that promise or guarantee future increase in profits.

    (10) No advertisement may show that understanding VDA products is so easy that consumers do not have to think twice about investing.  Nothing in the ad should downplay the risks associated with the category.

    (11) VDA products may not be compared to any other asset class which is regulated.

    (12) Since this is a risky category, celebrities or prominent personalities who appear in VDA advertisements must take special care to ensure that they have done their due diligence about the statements and claims made in the advertisement, so as not to mislead consumers.

    “We had several rounds of discussion with the government, finance sector regulators, and industry stakeholders before framing these guidelines,” said ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath. “Advertising of virtual digital assets and services needs specific guidance, considering that this is a new and as yet an emerging way of investing. Hence, there is a need to make consumers aware of the risks and ask them to proceed with caution.”

     “We have seen a spate of advertising for virtual digital assets which could compromise consumer interest in the absence of some guardrails. Use of celebrities and high decibel advertising would attract consumers to these offerings, without full disclosure of the risks,” ASCI secretary-general Manisha Kapoor pointed out. “Given that this is, as of now, an unregulated space, it is even more important for advertising to be upfront regarding the risks associated with these products. Globally, this is an emerging technology and products in the virtual digital asset industry have seen significant volatility. We believe with these guidelines, advertisements would be fairer and more transparent.”

  • Crypto exchange OKEx rebrands as OKX

    Crypto exchange OKEx rebrands as OKX

    Mumbai: Cryptocurrency exchange OKX  on Tuesday announced a company-wide rebrand that reflects the dynamism and accelerating adoption of cryptocurrency. This shift, as highlighted by the company’s name change from OKEx to OKX, reflects the platform’s growing number of wealth creation opportunities beyond the exchange, which investors use to trade hundreds of digital assets on spot, margin and derivatives markets.

    “OKX is moving beyond the standard centralized exchange model to give our customers an end-to-end cryptocurrency experience,” said OKX CEO Jay Hao. “Most importantly, we’re doing this while upholding the core principles of crypto — decentralization and autonomy. Our goal is to give customers the tools they need to easily and securely earn, transfer, and spend their wealth as they see fit, without intermediation from us. We’ve dropped the “E” from our name because we’re so much more than an exchange, just like crypto is so much more than a speculative asset.”

    Watch the rebranding AV here:

    As part of the move, OKX has declared its mission to be removing barriers to wealth creation by giving people everywhere access to decentralized assets and tools. This underscores the platform’s ongoing evolution towards decentralisation, which includes giving investors the option to self-custody their digital assets.

    Founded in 2017 as a cryptocurrency trading service, the crypto exchange claims to be the second-largest in the world by spot trading volume. OKX has since amassed over 20 million users and expanded its suite of digital asset investing products to include OKX Earn, a tool for earning passive crypto income; an NFT marketplace and decentralized application discovery hub; and most recently, MetaX, OKX’s new decentralized mode that features a cross-chain dashboard and self-custody Web 3.0 wallet for storing digital assets, including NFTs.

    In 2021, total trading volume on the platform, including spot and derivatives instruments, grew over 700 per cent, while the number of trades executed on the platform increased over 480 per cent, said the company.