• Ethereum developers announced the deadline for the Shanghai-Capella upgrade (known as Shapella) to be April 12, 2021.
• The update will bring validator staking withdrawals and three other enhancements to reduce gas expenses on certain operations.
• Industry experts believe that this upgrade will have a beneficial influence on Ethereum’s price.
The architects of the Ethereum (ETH) network have disclosed a new probable date for the highly awaited Shanghai upgrade, bringing the prospect of accessing staked ETH one step closer to investors. The April 12 deadline for the Shanghai-Capella upgrade, also known as Shapella, was decided upon by the network’s core developers at a meeting on March 16.
The update’s primary attraction is EIP 4895, which implements validator staking withdrawals on the leading network. This crucial feature was left out of Ethereum’s switch to proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus in September after the merge upgrade. In addition, Shapella will include three other enhancements meant to reduce gas expenses for certain operations. Developers have been conducting public tests in Sepolia, Zhejiang, and Goerli since February in preparation for the withdrawals.
Ethereum, the second most renowned crypto asset after BTC, is doing well today according to stats provided by CoinMarketCap. ETH is trading at $1,746 at press time having recorded an increase of 4.9% from its previous 24-hour valuation with 10% lower trading volume but 5% higher market cap than before – coinciding with BTC also having a good day today..
As there was a large infusion of money just before the merge upgrade it is expected that this Shanghai upgrade will have a beneficial influence on ethereum’s price due to expanding staking choices and releasing staked ETH onto their respective validator sets without any issues – both acting as bullish catalysts likely leading to an increased value of Ethereum over time.
The deadline set by core Ethereum developers has given investors more certainty about when they can expect access to their staked ETH with minimal issue – Effectively opening up further opportunities for capital gains through investing in crypto assets backed by Etheruem such as CryptoKitties or MakerDAO tokens among others..
• Blockchain.com has announced the suspension of its asset management subsidiary due to the prolonged crypto winter.
• The subsidiary was launched 11 months ago and promised to offer regulated crypto investment products for institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
• In January, Blockchain.com had to let go of 28% of its workforce due to challenges faced by the crypto ecosystem in 2022.
Blockchain.com has announced that it is suspending operations of its asset management subsidiary due to the prolonged crypto winter. The service had been operational for less than a year when this business decision was made.
The London-based Blockchain.com asset management subsidiary applied to be removed from the United Kingdom companies register on March 5th after being launched in April 2022 with the intention of attracting institutional investors through offering regulated crypto investment products for institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
The prolonged crypto winter caused by various events such as bankruptcy of cryptocurrency lender Celsius Network, fall of several other prominent crypto firms and declining asset prices forced Blockchain.com to make some difficult decisions including letting go 28% of its workforce which was announced in January 2021 and now suspending operations of its asset management arm altogether.
Despite these struggles, Blockchain.com achieved several milestones during the past year such as receiving registration in multiple countries throughout 2022, entering into a custody agreement with Anchorage Bank and other trading platforms in June, as well as partnering with Visa to issue a crypto card in the United States in October 2020 .
In conclusion, Blockchain has decided to suspend operations of its asset management arm due to the challenging conditions created by the ongoing crypto winter despite achieving several milestones during this time period such as receiving registrations from multiple countries throughout 2022 and partnering with Visa for a US based crypto card launch .
• US authorities are clamping down on oil and gas firms that are diverting natural gas to power their crypto mining operations without paying federal royalties.
• The Office of the Inspector General for the Department of the Interior (DOI OIG) revealed that such activities generate revenues for private companies without the leaseholder paying mineral royalties.
• Crypto miners using natural gas to power their bitcoin mining operations may soon face a difficult situation as US authorities are now set to tackle offenders.
The US Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General recently revealed that oil and gas firms in the country are diverting natural gas to fuel their crypto mining operations without paying federal royalties. This has led US authorities to clampdown on such activities, as these activities generate revenues for private companies without the leaseholder paying mineral royalties.
Crypto miners using natural gas to power their bitcoin mining operations may soon face a difficult situation as US authorities are now set to tackle offenders. According to a document published by the DOI OIG, these miners divert gas from Federal leases to generators that power their mining units, resulting in loss of mineral revenue by the DOI.
The lack of clear-cut regulatory policy for crypto mining is being taken advantage by oil and gas firms, who use it as an opportunity to channel natural gas for their own bitcoin mining businesses without having to pay dues or royalties. These actions have been deemed illegal by US authorities, which is why they are now taking measures against such offenders.
In order to avoid penalties from US agencies, crypto miners should ensure that all regulations related to natural gas usage for their business operations are followed properly and all payments due are paid promptly in full. Additionally, they should take steps towards creating more clarity around cryptocurrency regulations so as not be caught off guard again in future cases like this one.
US authorities have made it clear that they will not tolerate any form of illegal activity when it comes to cryptocurrency trading and its associated activities such as crypto mining with natural gases. It is therefore essential for crypto miners utilizing PoW based systems powered by natural gases, especially those based within the United States boundaries, take extra precautions while operating their businesses so as not run afoul with regulators or risk losing out on potential profits due to hefty fines imposed upon them
• Sotheby’s is auctioning Neil Stephenson’s original Snow Crash novel manuscript, which included the first use of the term ‘metaverse’.
• The auction is part of a series called Infocalypse that features both physical and digital items.
• Researchers expect the digital collectibles market to hit $1 trillion by 2032, fueled by NFTs.
Sotheby’s is set to auction the original version of Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash novel manuscript where the metaverse term was first coined over 30 years ago. This auction is part of a series called “Infocalypse” – an open edition collection of digital art created in commemoration of Snow Crash’s 30th anniversary – which will go live on Feb. 27th and feature six physical and six digital items. The expected price range for the manuscript is between $100,00 to $200,000.
In addition to the Snow Crash manuscript, Sotheby’s will also be auctioning NFT images of Dioxin Posse – a graphic novel that preceded Snow Crash – as well as other items such as the original cover art for the 1993 mass-market paperback edition and a sword modeled after that used by the protagonist in story.
Snow Crash has sold more than one million copies across North America so far and continues to be popular with readers today. This has led to blockchain-based metaverses continuing to attract innovators from all sectors of the global economy, with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) playing a vital role in them.
Researchers have predicted that due to NFTs playing such an important role, this digital collectibles market could hit $1 trillion mark by 2032.
The upcoming Sotheby’s Infocalypse collection promises to be an exciting event for fans of Neal Stephenson’s work and those who are interested in blockchain technology alike!
• BinaryX (BNX) token has surged over 200% in the past month.
• BNX functions as a utility token for activities in the BinaryX ecosystem, including games and the incubation fund.
• Recent market sentiment has been positive due to an increase in user growth and BinaryX’s announcement of a 1:100 token split.
The market value of BinaryX (BNX) has experienced a significant increase, surging over 200% within the past month. CoinMarketCap’s recent price data reveals a rising trend in BNX’s value, starting from $58 on Jan. 7 and reaching its 52-week peak of $181.35 on Feb. 13. Despite a slight pullback, the current price of BNX is $168.32 as of Feb. 17, accompanied by a market cap of $486 million.
BinaryX is a GameFi platform that operates two play-to-earn games, CyberDragon and CyberChess, both of which run on the BNB chain. As per data from DappRadar, BNX ranks as the 13th largest decentralized app (dapp) on the BNB chain, with over $1 billion locked in smart contracts as of Feb 17th . This marks a 30% increase in one month. The BinaryX platform initially served as a decentralized derivative trading protocol, but the system has since evolved to accommodate the advancements in the GameFi sector. BNX functions as the platform token of Binary X and serves as a utility token for all activities in the Binary X ecosystem, including games and the incubation fund.
In their year-end report, Binary X reported a significant increase in user growth, going from 98000 to 130 000 players which was met with positive market sentiment as their BNX token continued to thrive with growing number users However ,the excitement didn’t stop there .Binary X announced plans to expand its range of games and split its BNx Token in dramatic 1:100 ratio on February 9th 2023 .The Token Split will begin today i .e February 17th 2023 ,Binary X confirmed it through tweet
The decision was made through democratic DAO vote ,with overwhelming 99 .5 % voters supporting it suggesting solid belief into binary x future with investors eagerly anticipating platforms growth .As part off this move ,BNx holders will receive hundred times more tokens than they currently hold following completion off split process Airdrop mechanism will be used for distributing new tokens among existing holders once split process completes after maintenance window closes .
The optimism surrounding binary x future looks promising due to increasing user base combined with upcoming Token Split event scheduled for today leading many investors believe that this could be great opportunity for investment into project longterm
• Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency markets with a tweet expressing his fears that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might be looking to crack down on crypto staking.
• Coinbase’s stock price tumbled in a free fall, dropping more than 14% and reaching its biggest-ever decline since July 2022.
• Armstrong’s tweet has caused a lot of uncertainty in the crypto industry as investors are now wondering what the future holds for crypto staking.
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency markets with a single tweet voicing his fears that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might be looking to crack down on crypto staking.
Armstrong’s tweet immediately affected the markets, with Coinbase’s stock price tumbling in a free fall. In one trading session, the stock dropped more than 14%, reaching $59.63 on Feb. 9, its biggest-ever decline since July 2022.
The news has caused a lot of uncertainty in the crypto industry, and many investors are now wondering what the future holds for crypto staking. While SEC has yet to comment on Armstrong’s tweet, it remains to be seen how they will respond and how it will affect the crypto industry.
Armstrong added that regulation by enforcement would force companies to move offshore, leading to more FTX-like problems for the crypto industry if ETH was deemed a security after launching its staking feature.
The conversation about staking reached a fever pitch after Coinbase revealed in July 2022 that SEC had requested information about its services including its staking programs which could potentially deem cryptocurrencies that rely on staking as securities subject to agency’s oversight and disclosure rules making everyone worry about potential implications for digital assets going forward.
• Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao reported that no Binance users or assets were affected by the Orion Protocol (ORN) $3 million hack.
• PeckShield identified the hack, developed a full report from their observation, and sent it to Orion Protocol before making a public announcement on Twitter.
• The company assured Orion users that the security team had positively identified the root cause and was fixing the bug.
Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao, said that no Binance users or assets were affected by the Orion Protocol (ORN) $3 million hack. He tweeted that the Orion Protocol (ORN) hack was due to a lack of re-login protection and led to the loss of approximately $3M. However, all Binance users and assets were safe from the hack. He further said that the Binance security team monitors the hackers’ addresses.
PeckShield cybersecurity firm identified the hack, developed a full report from their observation, and sent it to Orion Protocol before making a public announcement on Twitter. The hacker launched a reentrancy attack on Orion and withdrew funds from a smart contract severally. Peckshiled announced that they paused the protocol by the announcement time.
Surge DeFi reacted to CZ’s tweet sympathizing with those who incurred losses in this incident and reinstating their commitment to promote decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols in order to avoid such incidents in future.
Hypernative CEO Gal Sagie commented on how hackers deployed an adding Attack Wagon (ATK) exploit which allowed them access into several smart contracts connected with Orion Protocol’s network without any authentication requirement whatsoever.
CZ reassures users that no one incurred losses as a result of this incident as he declared via twitter “No Binance user/assets were affected” after monitoring hacker addresses through his security team members at binance exchange platform
• Polygon MATIC price surged 16% in the past week, reaching a 48% surge since late December last year.
• The token is currently valued at $1.09 after an upsurge in daily transactions, making it the second-largest for DAUs, beating ethereum (ETH) and solana (SOL).
• The increase in daily active users was fostered by recent partnerships and launches such as the most recent one with Ovix Protocol.
The cryptocurrency token Polygon MATIC has been making waves in the market lately, with its price surging by 16% in the past week alone. The token has seen an impressive 48% increase in value since late December last year, making it one of the top performing tokens in the market. Currently, the token is valued at $1.09 after an upsurge in daily transactions which puts it in second place for DAUs, beating out both ethereum (ETH) and solana (SOL).
The recent surge of MATIC is attributed to the various partnerships and launches that the token has been involved in. These include partnerships with DeFi Native projects such as GainsNetwork_io and Giddy DeFi, as well as a recent AMA with Ovix Protocol. The AMA explored 2023’s largest DeFi natives, LSD, and zero-knowledge EVM (zk-EVM).
The increase in daily active users of the token was also seen in the wake of a large crypto whale selling MATIC tokens worth $7.7 billion on 8 January. Despite the large sale, tokens worth $23.7 million are still held in the address. This is a sign of still strong investor confidence in the token, and in the future of the cryptocurrency market in general.
In addition to its partnerships and launches, Polygon MATIC has also seen a surge in trading volume, with its market cap now standing at $9.4 billion and its trading volume at $1.19 billion. This surge in trading volume is a sign of increasing investor confidence in the token, as well as its potential to continue to grow in the coming years.
With the cryptocurrency market still in a bear market, Polygon MATIC is proving to be a resilient token. As more people become interested in MATIC and its potential, it is likely that the token will continue to see a surge in value in the coming months. With its partnerships and launches, as well as its strong investor confidence, it is clear that Polygon MATIC is one of the top tokens in the cryptocurrency market.
• BudBlockz is a crypto project running on the Ethereum blockchain that seeks to enhance operations in the cannabis markets
• It has established a decentralized e-commerce platform that will bring together cannabis consumers and producers
• BudBlockz leverages the blockchain to enable easy, global access to the cannabis market in a secure and decentralized way
BudBlockz is a revolutionary blockchain-based project that seeks to revolutionize the global cannabis industry. The project is based on the Ethereum blockchain and is powered by its utility token, BLUNT. Its primary goal is to enable easy, global access to the cannabis market in a secure and decentralized way.
BudBlockz has established the first-of-its-kind decentralized e-commerce platform that will bring together cannabis consumers and producers. This platform allows people to easily buy high-quality cannabis products from anywhere in the world. BLUNT is the utility token that acts as a means of exchange between cannabis companies and consumers. It finalizes transactions at dispensaries, farms, factories, and other cannabis-related businesses. The total number of BLUNT that will enter circulation is limited to 420 million.
In addition to its e-commerce platform, BudBlockz is also leveraging the blockchain to enhance transaction processes for cannabis users. It is creating a platform that is secure and transparent, ensuring that users can access an array of high-quality cannabis products. Furthermore, BudBlockz is aiming to onboard over one billion users to web3 by 2025. This would be a tremendous achievement, as it would make BudBlockz one of the biggest crypto projects in the world.
Overall, BudBlockz is a project that is set to completely revolutionize the global cannabis industry. With its innovative platform and secure transaction processes, BudBlockz is sure to make a huge impact on the industry. It has the potential to make cannabis products more accessible to people all around the world, and to make transactions more secure and transparent. It will be interesting to see how the project progresses over the coming years, and how it manages to onboard a billion users by 2025.
• CoinFund CEO Chris Perkins has been appointed to the Global Markets Advisory Committee (GMAC) of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
• This appointment makes CoinFund one of the first crypto-focused firms to be represented on the GMAC.
• Chris Perkins is a Georgetown University alumnus and Marine Corps veteran with a passion for building and innovating.
CoinFund, a crypto-native investment firm and registered investment advisor, recently announced that Chris Perkins, its President and Managing Partner, has been appointed as a representative on the Global Markets Advisory Committee (GMAC) of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This appointment marks a milestone for the crypto-focused firm, as it is now one of the first such projects to join the GMAC, which includes prominent traditional Finance (TradFi) market participants such as J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and others.
Chris Perkins is a Georgetown University alumnus and Marine Corps veteran who is passionate about building, innovating, and working closely with entrepreneurs. In a statement on the announcement, Perkins expressed his enthusiasm for being part of the GMAC and the opportunity it presents to shape the future of the crypto industry. He noted that the industry needs transparent, predictable, and principles-based regulations that empower entrepreneurs to innovate onshore, protect investors, thoughtfully manage risk, and acknowledge the differences between centralized (CeFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).
Perkins’ appointment to the CFTC’s GMAC is a testament to CoinFund’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of the crypto industry and building a responsible and transparent investment framework for the industry. By joining the GMAC, CoinFund not only gains valuable insight into the regulatory environment but also provides a platform for the firm to engage in meaningful dialogue with the CFTC to ensure that the industry is properly regulated.
CoinFund is committed to ensuring that the crypto industry continues to innovate and evolve in a responsible and ethical manner. With the appointment of Perkins to the CFTC’s GMAC, CoinFund is now better positioned to ensure that the industry is represented in the regulatory decision-making process and that appropriate regulations are in place to protect investors and promote innovation.