Brian. J (@pact_fi) • Hey
33 years old. Like tech and new things. Traveled to over 10 countries because of work. Exploring in crypto world since 2020. BTC HODLER.
Publications
- Bull run is coming back again. Are you ready to harvest in this run?🤣
- There's so many chances in Web3 world to make money...
- How many people are in this place? Any friend here?
- I just minted Hey!
https://zora.co/collect/zora:0x8fcfdad5ebdd1ce815aa769bbd7499091ac056d1?referrer=0x81cf0E8213e5BD20B13D746Ca65da0D3a19D8cD0
- I just minted https://lenster.xyz/u/pact_fi.lens #lens
- GameSwift 🎮 on Twitter: "Just in! $GSWIFT IDO on @Spartadex_io is over in just... 48 seconds! Congratulations to all who secured their allocation! Next stop → July 21: TGE + Listing on @Bybit_Official https://t.co/Axp1FcpFp5" / Twitter
- **GameSwift** is doing everything correctly.
- Airdrop for early supporters incoming.
- Fair ido at a reasonable valuation.
- Real Yield (rev share) to token holders
You can’t get more aligned with your community than this.
- **A thread on the latest web3 gaming updates!**
Stay in the loop with our weekly review where we unpack recent game developments!
Let's take a swift look through the news!
- **GameSwift** is the only web3 gaming platform & blockchain with all the components needed for a smooth web3 experience.
On top of that they are also giving revenue share to token holders.
This is recipe for success
https://gameswift.io/
- Teleportation refers to the hypothetical or fictional ability to instantaneously move an object or person from one location to another, without physically traversing the space in between. It is often depicted in science fiction and fantasy literature, movies, and other forms of media.
In popular culture, teleportation is typically portrayed as a method of transportation where individuals or objects disappear from one place and reappear in another instantaneously. The exact mechanics and limitations of teleportation vary depending on the fictional universe or concept being portrayed. Some portrayals involve the conversion of matter into energy, transmission through a different dimension, or manipulation of space-time.
It's important to note that as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, teleportation is purely speculative and does not exist in the real world. The concept remains in the realm of imagination and scientific speculation, although scientific research in areas such as quantum physics continues to explore phenomena that might have implications for teleportation-like effects in the future.
- A time machine is a concept often found in science fiction that refers to a hypothetical device or mechanism capable of transporting a person or object through time. The idea of a time machine has captivated the human imagination for centuries and has been popularized in various works of literature, films, and television shows.
In fiction, time machines are typically depicted as devices that allow individuals to travel to the past or the future, experiencing different time periods firsthand. The mechanics and principles behind time machines vary in different narratives. Some stories propose advanced technologies, such as wormholes or manipulation of spacetime, while others involve magical or supernatural means.
The concept of a time machine raises intriguing questions and paradoxes, such as the grandfather paradox (what happens if you travel back in time and prevent your own birth?) and the bootstrap paradox (what if you bring an object from the future and give it to your past self?). These paradoxes explore the complexities and philosophical implications of time travel.
As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, time machines are purely speculative and do not exist in reality. Time travel is a subject of scientific research and theoretical exploration, mainly in the field of theoretical physics, particularly through Einstein's theory of relativity. However, practical time travel remains a topic of ongoing scientific debate and has not been realized or proven to be feasible.
- Joy is a positive and intense emotion characterized by feelings of happiness, delight, and contentment. It is a state of well-being and inner satisfaction that arises from various sources such as achieving a goal, experiencing success, engaging in activities that bring pleasure, or being in the presence of loved ones. Joy is often associated with a sense of exuberance, enthusiasm, and a positive outlook on life.
Unlike fleeting moments of happiness, joy is often described as a deeper and more profound emotional experience. It can be both a spontaneous reaction to an event or a cultivated state of mind and can endure for longer periods of time. Joy can also be contagious, spreading to others and enhancing social connections.
Joy is a complex emotion that involves a combination of physiological, cognitive, and social factors. Neurologically, joy is associated with the release of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which contribute to feelings of pleasure and well-being. Cognitively, joy is influenced by our thoughts, perceptions, and interpretations of the world around us. Socially, joy can be influenced by our relationships, interactions, and a sense of belonging.
Overall, joy is a positive and uplifting emotion that brings a sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and overall well-being to individuals. It can contribute to a more optimistic and resilient mindset, fostering personal growth and enhancing the overall quality of life.
- Beauty is a concept that has captivated human minds since time immemorial. It possesses an elusive nature that has intrigued philosophers, artists, and scholars alike. Although its definition may vary across cultures and individuals, beauty undeniably holds a profound influence on our perceptions and experiences. This essay delves into the essence of beauty, exploring its multifaceted nature and the lasting impact it has on our lives.
Beauty is often associated with visual attractiveness, captivating our senses with its harmony, elegance, and symmetry. Whether encountered in nature's breathtaking landscapes, exquisite works of art, or the allure of a person's face, beauty commands our attention and evokes a deep emotional response. Its ability to uplift our spirits and instill a sense of wonder is a testament to its inherent power.
While external appearances may initially capture our attention, true beauty extends far beyond the surface. Inner beauty, characterized by kindness, compassion, and authenticity, radiates from within and transcends the limitations of physicality. It fosters genuine connections and leaves a lasting impression on others. Inner beauty possesses the remarkable ability to age like fine wine, growing more profound and captivating with time.
Beauty has served as a wellspring of inspiration for artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers throughout history. From Shakespeare's sonnets to Monet's paintings and Beethoven's symphonies, the pursuit of beauty has fueled countless creative endeavors. It stimulates the imagination, provokes introspection, and ignites the human spirit to create works that transcend the limitations of our existence.
- The beauty of our world lies in its incredible diversity. Every culture, landscape, and individual possesses a unique beauty that adds to the rich tapestry of human experience. Embracing this diversity allows us to broaden our perspectives and appreciate the multitude of ways beauty manifests itself. By celebrating the distinctiveness of others, we cultivate a more inclusive and harmonious society.
Beauty's influence extends to our perception of ourselves. Society often imposes narrow standards of beauty, leading many to feel inadequate or self-conscious. However, embracing a more inclusive definition of beauty can empower individuals to appreciate their own unique qualities and foster self-acceptance. Recognizing that beauty comes in various forms allows us to cultivate a positive relationship with ourselves and others.
Beauty's enduring allure lies in its ability to transcend boundaries and connect us to something greater than ourselves. It encompasses both the external and internal, inspiring creativity, fostering connections, and instilling a sense of awe. By embracing the diversity of beauty and recognizing its profound impact, we can cultivate a more compassionate and inclusive world. Let us strive to appreciate and celebrate beauty in all its forms, for it holds the power to enrich our lives and leave an indelible mark on our souls.
- See through our Lens
- Education is the key that unlocks the doors of opportunity and empowers individuals to reach their full potential. It is a powerful tool that not only imparts knowledge but also fosters personal growth, critical thinking, and social development. From early childhood to higher education, the journey of learning shapes individuals, societies, and the world at large.
First and foremost, education equips individuals with knowledge and skills necessary for personal and professional success. It provides a foundation in subjects such as language, mathematics, science, and history, which are essential for navigating the complexities of the modern world. Education also instills problem-solving abilities, creativity, and analytical thinking, enabling individuals to adapt to new situations, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to society.
Moreover, education plays a vital role in fostering personal growth and self-discovery. It encourages individuals to explore their interests, passions, and strengths, allowing them to discover their true potential. Through education, individuals gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their values, and their aspirations, which serves as a compass guiding them towards a fulfilling life. Education also cultivates essential life skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management, which are invaluable in personal relationships, professional settings, and overall personal development.
Furthermore, education is a catalyst for social progress and development. It promotes social cohesion by breaking down barriers of ignorance, prejudice, and inequality. Education empowers individuals to challenge societal norms, question injustice, and advocate for change. It fosters empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity, cultivating a more inclusive and harmonious society. Education also equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to actively participate in democratic processes, make informed decisions, and contribute to the betterment of their communities.
In addition, education has a transformative effect on societies and economies. It fuels innovation, technological advancements, and economic growth. Through education, societies can develop a skilled workforce that drives productivity, entrepreneurship, and competitiveness. Education opens doors to a wide range of opportunities, enabling individuals to secure better employment, higher incomes, and improved living standards. By investing in education, nations invest in their future prosperity and create a solid foundation for sustainable development.
In conclusion, education is a fundamental pillar of personal, social, and economic growth. It empowers individuals with knowledge, skills, and personal development, enabling them to navigate the complexities of life successfully. Education promotes social progress, fosters inclusivity, and drives economic advancement. It is a transformative force that paves the way to a brighter future for individuals, communities, and nations. Therefore, we must recognize and prioritize education as an essential investment for unlocking the full potential of individuals and society as a whole.
- The world has weathered storms throughout history, and it is our resilience that has propelled us forward. As we greet the world, let us embrace the spirit of resilience and hope. Let us celebrate the indomitable human spirit that triumphs over adversity, finding strength in unity. By supporting one another, extending a helping hand, and fostering a sense of global community, we can inspire positive change and create a brighter future.
- Education serves as a catalyst for progress and enlightenment. It is through knowledge and understanding that we can dismantle ignorance, prejudice, and fear. As we greet the world, let us prioritize education for all, empowering individuals with the tools to shape their own destinies. By fostering a love for learning, critical thinking, and cultural exchange, we can pave the way for a more enlightened and tolerant society.
- As we extend our heartfelt greeting to the world, let us remember that we are interconnected beings, sharing a fragile planet. Let us celebrate our diversity, nurture compassion, and collaborate for a sustainable future. Through education, resilience, and hope, we can weave a tapestry of peace, understanding, and prosperity. Together, let us embark on this extraordinary journey, leaving no one behind, and forge a world where love, justice, and harmony prevail.
- Our planet faces numerous challenges that transcend borders. From climate change to poverty, from inequality to global health crises, these issues require collective action. Let us greet the world with a renewed commitment to collaborate, share knowledge, and work hand in hand to create a sustainable future. By pooling our resources and expertise, we can overcome obstacles, promote environmental stewardship, and ensure the well-being of present and future generations.
- The tapestry of our world is adorned with a rich palette of cultures, traditions, languages, and perspectives. Each thread adds depth and vibrancy to the overall fabric of humanity. Let us greet one another with open hearts, ready to learn from and appreciate the diverse backgrounds that shape our existence. By embracing diversity, we can foster an environment of inclusivity, where all voices are heard and respected.
- **GM!** As you wake up today, I want to take a moment to wish you a happy new day filled with joy, positivity, and success. Every new day brings with it the opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to learn and grow, and the potential to achieve your goals and dreams.
Each new day is a gift, a blank canvas waiting for you to paint your life upon it. You have the power to create a beautiful masterpiece with each passing day, filled with love, laughter, and the things that bring you true happiness.
Remember that every day is a new beginning, a chance to start anew. Whether you've had a difficult day yesterday or a fantastic one, today is a new opportunity to take control of your life and make the most of every moment. Believe in yourself, trust in your abilities, and take the necessary steps to achieve your dreams.
As you embark upon this new day, I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Take a deep breath, feel the sun on your face, and allow yourself to be grateful for all the blessings in your life. Focus on the positive things, and let go of any negativity that may be holding you back.
Remember that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, and every new day brings with it new opportunities for growth and success. So embrace this new day with open arms, and make it the best one yet!
Once again, I wish you a happy new day, filled with love, joy, and everything that makes life worth living. Go out there and seize the day, and make it one to remember!
- **Luck** is a concept that has been widely debated by philosophers, psychologists, and scientists for centuries. While there is no universally accepted definition of luck, it is generally understood to refer to events that occur beyond our control and that can have either positive or negative outcomes.
From a psychological perspective, luck is often viewed as a cognitive bias that arises when people attribute outcomes to external factors rather than their own abilities or actions. This can lead to a sense of helplessness or fatalism, where people believe that their fate is determined by factors beyond their control.
However, luck can also have positive effects on people's attitudes and behaviors. For example, studies have shown that people who believe in luck tend to be more optimistic and open to new experiences, which can lead to greater success in their personal and professional lives.
From a scientific perspective, luck can be analyzed using statistical methods to determine the probability of certain events occurring by chance. Researchers have also studied the role of luck in various domains, such as sports, gambling, and investing, and have found that luck can play a significant role in these areas.
Overall, luck is a complex and multifaceted concept that can have both positive and negative effects on people's lives. While it is difficult to quantify or measure luck, understanding its role in our lives can help us make better decisions and achieve greater success in our personal and professional endeavors.
- I just voted "No ❎" on "Poll by @yoginth.lens" https://snapshot.org/#/polls.lenster.xyz/proposal/0x04e4c4bceee9ed9e54b6012d566d139e7c334829ddf27307fd11fd29882f7950 #snapshotlabs
- Introducing Bonsai, an Optimistic L3 scaling solution, that will process transactions at hyper-scale, and is designed to support the next generation of web3 social users.
Available for Lens devs in closed beta today.
Data availability layers are utilized to prevent storing information on-chain. While content on Lens may include an on-chain transaction, the content data is linked to a data availability location, like Bonsai.
Bonsai serves as a scaling solution that processes Polygon transactions off-chain, achieving hyperscale and reducing costs. Unlike L2 solutions, Bonsai doesn't compress transactions into L1, it sends and stores them on a data availability layer.
The main challenge for decentralized social networks is to ensure that users have control over their content, while still being just as user-friendly as traditional social networks.
Bonsai makes the future of decentralized social possible.
We've worked relentlessly with the @bundlr-network.lens work and Arweave teams to ensure scalability by providing Data Availability (DA) guarantees, allowing the use of Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-supported wallets to save DA logic and facilitating the rapid publishing of data.
Permissionless innovation is at the core of everything we do on Lens. As we approach one year on mainnet (still in beta), we have been blown away by the talent and passion in our dev community but we realize in order to scale to the masses, we need to build new solutions.
Bonsai is currently only being beta tested on @lensterxyz.
We look forward to seeing more applications roll out Bonsai.
Dive into the dev docs here: https://docs.lens.xyz/docs/data-availability-post
Explore: bonsai.lens.xyz
Read our latest blog here: https://mirror.xyz/lensprotocol.eth/3Hcl0dGE8AOYmnFolzqO6hJuueDHdsaCs3ols2ruc9E
- gm
- **BlackStar Seeks SEC Registration for On-Chain Stock Trading**
Delaware-based BlackStar Enterprise Group has made an innovative move towards conducting over-the-counter (OTC) stock trading on-chain, seeking registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This represents a significant breakthrough in the adoption of blockchain technology in the traditional finance space.
The development of the platform started in 2018 and since then, the company has been working tirelessly towards the goal of integrating blockchain technology with the traditional stock market. BlackStar has been in communication with regulators and examiners over the past two years, answering dozens of questions and comments to ensure compliance with SEC regulations.
After years of research and development, the company has taken a big step forward by presenting a detailed plan to the SEC Trading and Market division. This plan outlines how its platforms will operate, and seeks regulatory approval for carrying out OTC trading on-chain.
By carrying out OTC trading on-chain, BlackStar aims to reduce the need for intermediaries and make trading more efficient and secure. The platform will leverage the transparency and immutability of blockchain technology, allowing investors to trade assets directly with each other in a trustless environment.
Moreover, BlackStar's platform could also provide the SEC with increased transparency and oversight of the trading process. The blockchain's ability to create an immutable record of transactions could assist the SEC in identifying market manipulations, insider trading, and other fraudulent activities.
BlackStar's initiative has the potential to revolutionize the traditional finance industry, creating a more secure, efficient, and transparent environment for investors. However, the integration of blockchain technology with the traditional finance space poses regulatory challenges, and it will be interesting to see how the SEC responds to BlackStar's registration request.
In conclusion, BlackStar Enterprise Group's move to conduct on-chain OTC trading is a significant development for the adoption of blockchain technology in the traditional finance space. The company's dedication to regulatory compliance and innovation is commendable, and its initiative has the potential to revolutionize the way we conduct financial transactions.
- **BNB Chain's Red Alert Flags 191 High-Risk Projects**
Binance's BNB Chain has taken a proactive step to help users in their investment research by updating its red alarm list to include 191 high-risk projects and decentralized applications (DApps). The list, which is updated every Friday, is based purely on smart contract assessment and includes projects that are suspected of issuing fake tokens, having high or opaque tax fees, or simply because their websites or Twitter handles don't work.
The red alarm list serves as a warning to users to carry out their own due diligence before investing in any of the flagged projects. It is important to note that the list is not investment advice and does not represent the risk level of the underlying DApp projects. Instead, it is aimed at helping users make informed decisions by highlighting potential risks associated with the projects.
In addition to the red alarm list, BNB Chain has also launched a portal that allows users to scan any BNB Chain project for risks. The portal provides users with detailed information about the flagged projects, including the reasons for the red alert, the smart contract address, and the token symbol.
Out of the 191 new projects added to the list, three were flagged for suspected funding by assets originating from Tornado. These projects are CycGo, Piston token, and Shorter Finance. BNB Chain's red alert serves as a warning to users to be cautious when investing in these projects.
On April 10, BNB Chain also began testing BNB Greenfield, an in-house attempt to deliver decentralized storage solutions. The move is part of Binance's larger strategy to expand its offerings beyond cryptocurrency trading and into the broader blockchain industry.
With the increasing popularity of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the risk of fraud and scams in the blockchain industry has also increased. BNB Chain's red alarm list is a timely reminder for users to conduct thorough research before investing in any project. By providing users with relevant information about potential risks associated with projects, BNB Chain is playing an important role in promoting transparency and accountability in the blockchain industry.
- **Chinese Banks Embrace Crypto in Hong Kong**
Hong Kong's ambitious goal to become a leading crypto hub has opened an opportunity for many state-affiliated banks in China. The Chinese banks, despite a blanket ban on crypto-related activities in mainland China, are showing interest in building partnerships and onboarding regulated crypto companies in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong arm of the major Chinese state-owned Bank of Communications is collaborating with several cryptocurrency businesses registered in the city. The bank is in talks to open accounts for regulated companies, according to a report published in The Wall Street Journal. This is a significant development in the world of crypto, where banks are traditionally hesitant to partner with companies in this industry.
In addition to the Bank of Communications, ZA Bank - Hong Kong's largest virtual bank controlled by Chinese internet insurer ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance - will also act as the settlement bank for the crypto companies. These banks will together facilitate the depositing and withdrawal of fiat currencies, providing a vital service to crypto companies looking to operate in Hong Kong.
These banks' involvement in the crypto industry is an excellent sign for Hong Kong, which has been trying to establish itself as a leading crypto hub for some time. At the start of the year, Hong Kong's financial secretary, Paul Chan, clarified that the city is pushing to collaborate with more crypto firms in 2023. The government's progressive crypto approach has attracted nearly 80 cryptocurrency firms interested in opening or expanding their business in the city.
The Chinese banks' involvement in Hong Kong's crypto industry is a surprise to many in the crypto ecosystem, considering China's multiple crackdowns on crypto-related activities in mainland China. However, the Chinese banks' move towards crypto in Hong Kong signals a new direction for the country's approach to crypto.
As settlement banks, these Chinese banks will enable token deposits at authorized exchanges to be withdrawn in Hong Kong dollars, Chinese yuan, and U.S. dollars. This development will further strengthen Hong Kong's position as a leading crypto hub, attracting more companies and investors interested in crypto.
The Chinese banks' interest in Hong Kong's crypto industry is a positive development, demonstrating the potential for regulatory clarity in the region. Additionally, this move could encourage other banks in the region to follow suit, strengthening Hong Kong's position as a leading financial hub in Asia.
In conclusion, the involvement of Chinese banks in Hong Kong's crypto industry is a significant development, demonstrating the potential for collaboration between traditional financial institutions and the crypto industry. This move could help build greater confidence in the crypto industry and attract more companies and investors to Hong Kong. As the city continues to embrace crypto, we can expect to see more developments in this exciting and rapidly evolving industry.
- **US House Committee to Discuss Stablecoins Regulation**
The US House Committee on Financial Services will conduct a hearing on April 19 to evaluate the role of stablecoins as a means of payment and determine whether the payment ecosystem needs supporting legislation. The hearing, titled “Understanding Stablecoins’ Role in Payments and the Need for Legislation,” will focus on various stablecoins and their use in the payments landscape. The committee will explore the need for stablecoin legislation based on their underlying collateral structures.
The hearing will include information collected by various federal government agencies over the last year. Participants testifying at the hearing include Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte. Circle's in-house stablecoin offering, USD Coin (USDC), will likely be discussed, as it recently depegged from the US dollar after it revealed it had $3.3 billion of funds stuck at the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). However, following a bailout of SVB depositors by the US government, USDC repegged its value to the US dollar.
During the period when USDC depegged, hackers managed to gain access to Disparte’s Twitter account and started promoting fake loyalty rewards to long-time users of USDC. This situation highlights the potential risks of stablecoins and underscores the importance of legislation to ensure digital dollars on the internet are safely issued, backed, and operated.
Just days before the upcoming hearing, a draft bill providing a framework for stablecoins in the United States was published in the House of Representatives document repository. Speaking about the draft bill, Circle’s CEO Jeremy Allaire said, “There is clearly the need for deep, bi-partisan support for laws that ensure that digital dollars on the internet are safely issued, backed and operated.“
The draft bill proposes that stablecoin issuers must obtain a banking charter and comply with all applicable banking regulations. The bill also seeks to define what constitutes a stablecoin and outlines the requirements for maintaining a stablecoin's peg to an underlying asset. If passed, this bill could provide regulatory clarity and stability for the stablecoin industry.
In conclusion, the upcoming hearing on stablecoins is an essential step toward ensuring the safety and stability of the payment ecosystem. The hearing will provide lawmakers with the necessary information to make informed decisions about the need for stablecoin legislation. The recent draft bill provides a framework for stablecoins in the United States and could provide regulatory clarity for the stablecoin industry if passed. As the use of stablecoins continues to grow, it is crucial to have clear regulations to ensure the protection of consumers and the stability of the financial system.
- **Law Firm Pleads with Shaquille O Neal to Acknowledge Legal Complaint**
The Moskowitz Law Firm, representing victims affected by the FTX collapse, has publicly appealed to NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal to acknowledge its legal complaint. The firm has been standing outside TNT studios in Atlanta all week, where O'Neal is employed as a television host, attempting to serve him on behalf of FTX investors regarding his previous endorsement of the now-defunct crypto exchange. However, his security guards have not allowed them in to deliver the legal complaint.
O’Neal is the only one among the “FTX celebrities” named in the class-action lawsuit filed against several celebrities for endorsing FTX, including Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Larry David, who has not yet been served. The law firm has stated that O’Neal has been “running” from them “for 3 months” and should show courtesy and honor by allowing its process servers to deliver the legal complaint on his behalf. This will enable him to defend his “actions in this matter.”
The Moskowitz Law Firm’s public plea highlights the legal challenges faced by FTX investors who lost funds due to the exchange’s collapse. It also emphasizes the responsibility of celebrities who endorse cryptocurrency platforms to understand the risks and potential impact of their actions on investors.
FTX was a major cryptocurrency exchange that collapsed in 2019, resulting in significant losses for its investors. The collapse led to a class-action lawsuit filed by affected investors against several celebrities who endorsed FTX. O’Neal, as one of the endorsers, is now being pursued by the Moskowitz Law Firm to acknowledge its legal complaint.
The Moskowitz Law Firm’s plea to O’Neal reflects the importance of acknowledging legal complaints and taking responsibility for one's actions. It also highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the cryptocurrency industry to protect investors and prevent similar collapses from occurring in the future.
- **Sotheby Alters Art Sale, Novice Player Makes Staggering Profit**
In response to community feedback regarding a lack of diversity, Sotheby’s has announced that its upcoming digital art sale, "Glitch: Beyond Binary," will place a focus on inclusivity. This comes after criticism of last month’s "Natively Digital: Glitch-ism" auction, which was temporarily paused due to the lack of diversity. Sotheby’s emphasizes that the sale will represent people from all backgrounds and identities, stating that it is committed to highlighting the diverse artist communities that make up Glitch Art.
On the other hand, a newcomer to the online game Illuvium: Beyond has made a staggering profit by finding the rarest character yet, the "Holo Blazing Rhamphyre." The player found the character in a "D1SK," a type of digital loot box containing random characters and accessories. The player purchased the loot box for only $32 and sold the character for $49,128.85, netting a profit of approximately 140,525%.
In other NFT news, the Ukrainian President has signed the country's first NFT, a collection called "UACatsDivision," featuring cats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with all funds donated to the Ukrainian military services. At the time of writing, 3,026 NFT cats had already been purchased out of the 10,000 available.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin miners have made over $5 million from creating NFT inscriptions using the Ordinals protocol, according to Dune Analytics data. Transaction fees for Ordinals transactions exploded from null.5 million on March 10 to $5.2 million by April 12. Nearly 1.1 million Ordinals had been inscribed on the Bitcoin network, consisting mainly of jpeg images and text but also PDFs, video, and audio formats.
However, an NFT collector made a costly mistake by bidding 100 Ether (ETH), worth around $192,000 at the time of writing, for an NFT from the Gemesis NFT collection, which was intended to be free to celebrate the launch of OpenSea Pro. Some community members believe the transaction was a wash trade, while others argue that the trader simply made a mistake bidding 100 ETH instead of $100. However, another community member argued against theories that it was a wash trade since it was too risky.
Overall, the world of NFTs continues to grow and evolve, with new developments and opportunities for profit emerging regularly.
- **Davos Protocol to generate yield using liquid staking on PoS blockchain**
*Davos Protocol is using the benefits of liquid staking on Proof of Stake blockchains to generate low-risk yield for its users.*
As blockchain ingenuity takes over the world by bringing radical changes to several industries, technology is witnessing rapid evolution.
For one, its introduction with the Bitcoin network boasted the Proof of Work consensus mechanism that brought decentralization to transacting and storing value. A few years down the line and the Proof of Stake consensus mechanism stands as its successor.
Proof of Stake allows blockchain networks to function sustainably as they scale, doing away with the limitations of Proof of Work networks. Therefore, it is not surprising that most blockchain networks are now relying on Proof of Stake to operate.
**Proof of Stake is capital-inefficient**
The mechanism requires network participants to stake a certain amount of cryptocurrency to secure the network and gain rewards for doing so. However, the staked cryptocurrency remains locked in the protocol, making it infeasible for network participants to unlock the funds when they need to.
Moreover, the yields offered by DeFi protocols are more incentivizing than the immensely important task of securing blockchain networks.
**Liquid Staking makes Proof of Stake capital-efficient**
As a solution to the predicament faced by validators on Proof of Stake networks, liquid staking allows users to get involved in securing networks while simultaneously generating DeFi yields.
Liquid staking protocols make funds staked at the blockchain level liquid by offering an equivalent amount of liquid staking tokens.
These liquid staking tokens, being yield-generating, multiply in value and can additionally be used in DeFi farming protocols. So, the possibilities to earn enormous yields with funds that would otherwise remain locked for different purposes are now endless.
**Davos Protocol – Generating yields, thanks to Proof of Stake and liquid staking**
The capital efficiency thrust into the inefficient usage of funds by Proof of Stake networks breeds several potentialities. One of them is Davos Protocol which leverages liquid staking to bring an avant-garde DeFi ecosystem. Davos generates persistent returns even in the face of unsettling market conditions, allowing users to draw unwavering yields throughout.
Davos Protocol revolves around its capital-efficient stable asset DAVOS, which allows users to stably hold their value in the volatile crypto markets. Beyond just acting as a store for value, DAVOS is deeply integrated into the protocol’s tokenomics.
Users can stake the stable asset to earn assured rewards that can range all the way up to 9% APY. On the lower side, the protocol can still benefit its users with an impressive 7% APY.
But how does Davos generate consistent rewards despite market conditions? That is primarily because of how the protocol uses user collateral deposited to obtain the DAVOS Stable Asset. Since DAVOS is an over-collateralized, decentralized stablecoin, users deposit collateral in the form of MATIC tokens equaling at least 150% of the value they draw out in DAVOS.
The collateral, which is in excess, gets staked in the well-known Ankr Protocol’s MATIC liquid staking service. Ankr uses the staked collateral to secure the Proof of Stake Polygon network.
In return, Davos receives ankrMATIC tokens equivalent to its deposits in the liquid staking service. ankrMATIC tokens, which act as receipts of the staked MATIC tokens, get compounded to generate yields for Davos Protocol as a reward for using Ankr’s liquid staking application.
Furthermore, users who borrow DAVOS against their Polygon-native MATIC collateral compensate for their positions by paying out regular interest payments to Davos Protocol. This in addition to the yields acquired through MATIC liquid staking generates impressive revenues for Davos to subsidize its operations and reward DAVOS holders.
While staking on Davos Protocol’s platform is a foolproof measure to attain universal passive income (UPI), DAVOS holders can benefit from other strategies that demonstrate the protocol’s well-conceived tokenomics.
The positions that users hold with the versatile DAVOS Stable Asset can be used to provide liquidity on various DEXs like Uniswap and Quickswap, enabling the growth of the protocol across the DeFi landscape.
For participating in liquidity provisioning, DAVOS holders can collect yield-generating liquidity provision (LP) tokens from the same DEXs. Additionally, these LP tokens can be staked on yield-farming pools on the DEXs, creating additional layers of incentives.
**The Davos Protocol can kindle revolutionary changes in finance**
Davos Protocol is pioneering the way in creating sustainable DeFi yields that can bring considerable UPI to users even when the crypto markets are crippled.
All users must do is borrow the DAVOS Stable Asset which, by the way, is a stablecoin soft-pegged to the value of null. DAVOS’ stability is effectively maintained with over-collateralization, decentralization, and algorithmic control over its economics.
Davos Protocol brings the stability of the world’s most prominent currency to the blockchain, allowing users to transact and store value efficiently on-chain. Consequently, the protocol alongside its stable asset delivers financial inclusivity to the world’s populations.
Moreover, the reward mechanisms on the platform propagate access to low-risk yield-generating strategies capable of creating equitable wealth distribution among the masses.
- **ApeCoin Experiences Sharp Price Surge on South Korean Exchange**
On April 12, the price of ApeCoin (APE), which is an ERC-20 token that was produced by Yuga Labs, had a large spike, reaching $90.00 per token on the cryptocurrency exchange that is known as Upbit and which is based in South Korea. The price surge was just a brief phenomenon, however, and was followed by a sharp collapse that wiped out the bulk of the profits. In spite of this fact, APE is still trading at a significant premium of around $4.50 above other exchanges, with each token going for $10.90 at the time this article was published.
It would seem that a retail mania and a limitation of viable trading routes on Upbit were the primary factors that led to the price increase that took place. At the present, the only trading pair for APE that is listed on the exchange is BTC/APE, which only accounts for a minuscule portion of the coin's overall trading activity. Other trading pairs for APE are expected to be added in the near future. During the course of the day, transactions involving around 4 million APE tokens took place. This is in comparison to the total amount of APE tokens now in circulation, which is 369 million.
However, it's probable that the rise didn't continue very long since Upbit places trading limitations on its users' accounts. On the same day, the exchange put a hold on deposits and withdrawals of Ether (ETH) and ERC-20 tokens as they awaited the completion of the Ethereum network's Shanghai upgrade. These actions were carried out in advance of the forthcoming hard fork. Users of Upbit were unable to convert their APE, which is an ERC-20 token and is regarded as a memecoin by some people, into other ERC-20 tokens such as Tether (USDT) and ETH by selling or purchasing APE in exchange for those tokens. APE is a memecoin and is believed to be a cryptocurrency by some individuals. As a consequence of this fact, the one and only option that was still available was to exchange Bitcoin (BTC) for Australian Dollars (BTC/USD).
Since the price increase, cryptocurrency price aggregators like CoinMarketCap have labeled the APE pricing on Upbit as a "outlier" when computing the aggregate prices of cryptocurrencies. This is due to the fact that Upbit's prices are much lower than those of the competition in the market. Since the price increase on Upbit was not mirrored on any other exchanges, this may imply that it was an isolated event that occurred just on Upbit. Nevertheless, this occurrence highlights the potential for sudden price volatility in cryptocurrency markets, as well as the effect trading restrictions may have on the value of cryptocurrencies.
- **NFTs Get Security Boost with New Warranty Service**
The rise of Web3 has led to an explosion in the popularity of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which offer unique ownership of digital assets, including art, music, and even tweets. However, the Web3 space has seen its fair share of exploits, with hackers exploiting more than $320 million in the first quarter of 2023 alone. As a result, securing digital assets has become a top priority for many users, particularly those considering joining the Web3 space.
To address this security gap, Wert and Avata have launched a new NFT warranty service. The opt-in service will provide coverage for up to 90% of the value of compromised digital assets in a smart contract hack, offering a sense of security and trust for both active and prospective collectors. The service will be available on nearly 80 digital asset marketplaces, including the KnownOrigin NFT marketplace.
According to Vano Basiladze, CEO of Wert, the NFT protection will be charged at 6% of the asset cost at checkout, with coverage calculated by the purchase price rather than the current market value. By offering a service that ensures some degree of protection against hacks and theft, Basiladze believes that mass adoption of NFTs and Web3 technologies in general will be perpetuated.
“Overall, any consumer looking to get into the NFT space wants to protect their money invested, and by offering them that sense of security, they are able to engage in Web3 on a deeper level with reduced risk,” Basiladze said.
Basiladze also noted that high-value NFTs, similar to traditional collectibles and art, are often bought by serious investors who are more worried about security than the average collector. By offering warranties, the NFT industry can become more open to professional collectors and investors.
The NFT market has exploded in recent years, with some projections estimating that NFT-related global transactions will skyrocket from 24 million in 2022 to nearly 40 million by 2027. In fact, a recent study from CoinGecko revealed that 25% of NFT owners have a collection of 51 digital assets or more. As such, the need for increased security and protection of digital assets is more important than ever.
In conclusion, the launch of Wert and Avata’s NFT warranty service represents a significant step forward for NFT security. By reducing the risk for both active and prospective collectors, the offering aims to encourage mass adoption of NFTs and Web3 technologies. With the NFT market continuing to grow, the need for increased security measures is paramount, and this warranty service is a welcome addition to the ecosystem.
- **Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) Bullish on Blockchain**
Blockchain technology has had a rocky start in the logistics industry, with Danish logistics firm Maersk terminating its blockchain-based supply chain platform last year. However, Hong Kong-based Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) has not given up on blockchain applications in global trade. In fact, the nonprofit consortium sees blockchain as a crucial logistics tool in the long term.
GSBN currently operates one of the world’s largest platforms that can be described as an alternative to Maersk’s TradeLens tool, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The platform is based on a permissioned blockchain with strong data governance, allowing only authorized parties to contribute and consume shipping-related data.
Since launching its blockchain-based shipping platform in 2021, GSBN has tapped major shipping partners like Cosco, Orient Overseas Container Line, and Hapag-Lloyd. In addition, the organization has also reached partnerships with terminal operators such as Hutchison Ports, SPG Qingdao Port, PSA International, Shanghai International Port Group, and Cosco Shipping Ports. Among the members, only German Hapag-Lloyd and Singaporean PSA International are not based in mainland China or Hong Kong.
Despite past failures of major industry firms like Maersk in implementing similar projects, GSBN CEO Bertrand Chen is confident that blockchain technology has yet to fully catch on and its adoption may take another decade. However, with the world's largest shipping companies on board, the potential of blockchain in logistics seems promising.
The use of blockchain technology in the logistics industry has been a topic of discussion for several years. It is seen as a tool that can increase transparency and efficiency, as well as reduce fraud and errors. However, the adoption of blockchain has been slow due to concerns about security, scalability, and interoperability.
GSBN's permissioned blockchain platform addresses some of these concerns. With strong data governance, it allows only authorized parties to access data, reducing the risk of data breaches. In addition, by bringing together major shipping partners and terminal operators, the platform aims to increase efficiency and reduce the time and costs associated with shipping.
While Maersk's failed blockchain platform may have dampened enthusiasm for blockchain in logistics, GSBN's platform shows that there is still potential for blockchain in the industry. As the platform gains more traction and more companies adopt blockchain technology, the logistics industry may see a shift towards more transparent and efficient supply chain management.
- **BTC Mining Report Draws Criticism**
The New York Times' recent report on Bitcoin mining, "The Real-World Costs of the Digital Race for Bitcoin," has been met with criticism from BTC proponents. The article claims that Bitcoin mining has a "voracious" appetite and uses as much energy as all residences in New York City. However, some analysts have pointed out that the article cherry-picks data and neglects the increasing use of renewable energy in the mining sector.
Bitcoin environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analyst, Daniel Batten, said that the article exaggerates the fossil fuel use of BTC miners and uses incomplete datasets to support its thesis. He also noted that some Bitcoin miners in the United States and Canada use 90% sustainable energy to fuel their mining activities, but the NYT article focuses on the sites least backed by renewable energy.
Bitcoin proponent, Troy Cross, criticized the article for using "marginal emissions accounting" and selectively applying it only for carbon emissions, not generation. Dennis Porter, CEO of the Satoshi Act Fund, also noted an error in the article's initial reporting, where the wrong town was named for a BTC mining facility in Texas.
BTC mining firm Riot's vice president of research, Pierre Rochard, accused the NYT of using "fictitious fractional-reserve carbon accounting" and "cooking the books to fabricate emissions." Meanwhile, another Twitter user believed that the article was fear-mongering.
Despite the debate on Bitcoin mining's energy consumption, it remains significant for the blockchain. Mining is used to verify transactions, make it decentralized, and add a layer of security. According to the Bitcoin Mining Council's Q4 2022 report, the Bitcoin network is already a leader in sustainable energy use, with 58.9% of its energy coming from renewable sources.
While some mainstream outlets criticize Bitcoin mining for its environmental impact, many BTC proponents see these reports as hit pieces and offer opposing perspectives. Some are even campaigning to change Bitcoin's mining consensus to the more environmentally friendly proof-of-stake. Despite the criticism, Bitcoin mining's importance to the blockchain makes it an essential area for continued development and research into sustainable energy solutions.
- gm Lenster fam 🌸
We are excited to announce the launch of our new Snapshot voting feature. Now you can have your say on important community decisions by simply voting from Lenster.
If you paste any Snapshot URL, it will turn into an interactive widget where you can vote for a proposal. You can also use it with your Lens follower NFTs by configuring Snapshot strategies 🚀
Vote us below if you like this feature 😉 https://snapshot.org/#/yoginth.eth/proposal/0x9287c40edcd68c362c7c4139fe3489bbaaa27cf4de68be5c218a82d0f252e718
- **Bitcoin Mining Firm Sphere 3D Sues Gryphon Digital Over Spoofing Attack – Here's What Happened**
Bitcoin mining firm Sphere 3D is suing Gryphon Digital Mining, its business partner, for losing about $500,000 worth of Bitcoin due to a spoofing attack.
The firm accused Gryphon CEO Rob Chang of sending 18 Bitcoin to a fraudster who pretended to be Sphere 3D's CFO in January. A few days later, another eight Bitcoin were transferred using the same method, according to a Saturday press release.
Furthermore, Sphere 3D alleged that Gryphon provided poor services to its partner and misrepresented the Bitcoin miner's computing power in public disclosures.
“Today we filed litigation against Gryphon, the custodial management services provider of our blockchain and cryptocurrency-related services, for materially breaching the Master Services Agreement (“MSA”) we entered into with Gryphon,” Patricia Trompeter, CEO of Sphere 3D, said in a statement.
"We believe that Gryphon has put the Company's assets at significant risk and willfully violated their contractual duties."
The complaint was filed with the Southern District of New York.
The two businesses have been working together since August 2021, with Gryphon managing Sphere 3D's "crypto mining activities" and keeping the "fiduciary duties of Sphere's digital assets." Gryphon gets 22.5% of gross profit from Sphere's operation for its services.
Spoofing is an attempt to trick a user into believing that you are someone else. The attack is done by falsifying data, such as IP addresses, email addresses, or user credentials to gain access to a system, steal sensitive information, or launch further attacks.
The latest statement from Sphere 3D shows a deteriorated relationship between the company and Gryphon. The duo even once considered a merger, which was canceled in April last year “due to changing market conditions."
"Today's filing demonstrates that we will not only protect the Company that we all have worked so hard to navigate through the past year, but also that we will not be bullied or threatened by the likes of Gryphon," Trompeter added.
Regulators Express Concern About Environmental Impact of Bitcoin Mining
Regulators around the world have voiced concern about the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining.
Last month, US Senator Edward Markey and Representative Jared Huffman revealed intentions to reintroduce the Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act in Congress in a bid to promote greater transparency around crypto mining and its environmental impacts.
The bill would require crypto mining companies to disclose emissions for operations that consume more than 5 megawatts of power or "multiple crypto-asset mining facilities that are owned by the same company and each have a power load that is less than 5 megawatts; but have a cumulative power load that is greater than or equal to 5 megawatts."
Similarly, US lawmakers have recently ramped up efforts to regulate the crypto industry in the wake of some high-profile failures last year.
The SEC, in particular, has been cracking down on crypto companies, charging exchanges, lending platforms, and other digital asset firms with violating securities laws.
- **Solana's Latest Tech Solution Aims to Dramatically Reduce On-Chain Storage Costs – Here's How it Works**
Popular layer-1 blockchain Solana has unveiled a new solution that will dramatically decrease the cost of storing data on-chain.
In a Thursday blog post, Solana Foundation tech lead Jon Wong said the "state compression" technology would bring down the cost of minting 1 million non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the network to around 4 SOL, or $110.
In comparison, it currently costs roughly 1,200 SOL (more than $24,000) to store 1 million NFTs on the Solana blockchain.
“After numerous phases of development, adoption, and rollout, compressed NFTs are live on Solana’s mainnet-beta and powering the next wave of novel on-chain product experiences,” Wong said.
He called the state compression technology a "true cross-ecosystem effort," noting that it was built by developers at Solana Labs and Metaplex, with support from Phantom, Solflare, and the Solana Foundation.
State compression takes advantage of Merkle trees, a hash-based data structure that is a generalization of the hash list.
"This compression-friendly data structure allows developers to store a small bit of data on-chain and updates directly in the Solana ledger, cutting the data storage cost down dramatically while still using the security and decentralization of Solana’s base layer."
Wong added that some projects built on the Solana ecosystem are already using state compression to cut costs, including blockchain-based messaging service Dialect and Crossmint, an NFT and API tooling company.
Furthermore, projects like user-owned wireless network Helium, NFT distributor DRiP, and on-chain publisher Wordcel are also using the new solution to offer scalable services to users of the blockchain.
Meanwhile, Solana's native token SOL is currently trading at $20, largely flat over the past day. However, the coin is down by more than 92% compared to its all-time high of $259 registered in November 2021.
Solana Faced a Tumultuous Year in the Wake of FTX Drama
Solana, which was designed as an efficient and speed-first platform and touted as an "Ethereum Killer," had a rough year in 2022, marked by outages and overloads.
However, among the blockchain's biggest problems last year was its significant exposure to Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange, which failed miserably in November last year.
Reportedly, Bankman-Fried’s companies held nearly null.2 billion worth of SOL tokens in June. This led to many investors dumping the coin after the implosion of FTX, which crashed the price of the token.
In another blow to the blockchain, two of the biggest NFT projects built on Solana, DeGods and y00ts, left the network late last year.
At the time, DeGods announced on Twitter that it would be migrating to Ethereum, while its sister project y00ts said it was considering moving to Polygon, a popular Ethereum layer-2 solution.
“There’s an argument to be made that [DeGods] has capped out on Solana,” DeGods project leader and y00ts creator, Rohun Vora, known as Frank, said in a Twitter Spaces back then.
“It’s hard to accept, but it’s been tough to grow at the rate we want to grow. If Ethereum is where we have to go to keep growing, it’s what we have to do.”
Furthermore, in April, a class action lawsuit was filed against Solana Labs in a California federal court, accusing the company and people within the ecosystem of making illegal profits and promoting SOL as an unregistered security.
- **Bitget Features GoSleep (ZZZ) on Launchpad and Introduces Sunshine Pool**
**Victoria, Seychelles 7 Apr 2023 -** Bitget, the leading crypto derivatives exchange and copy trading platform, has announced a new round of launchpad listing featuring GoSleep (ZZZ), the leading Web3 sleep and healthy living reward app on Arbitrum. The launchpad tickets for ZZZ token will be allocated on Apr 17, with the deposit period starting on Apr 10. In this round of launchpad, Bitget has also introduced the sunshine pool, which is specially designed to provide fair opportunities for more participants to get allocations.
Bitget's Launchpad was initially introduced in February 2022, and as of now, it has launched eight early-stage projects with a price increase of up to 14950% in the first week of their listing. Previously, Launchpad featured REVO, BBO, and HALO, offering users the opportunity to participate in early-stage token sales for handpicked brightest projects.
GoSleep aims to motivate users to pursue a healthy lifestyle by providing them with sleep tracking tools and personalized advice on sleep patterns to help gradually develop healthy sleeping habits. Earlier in February, GoSleep secured funding of 2 million USD, led by Foresight Ventures, and with participation from CCC Capital, Amber Group, SevenX Ventures, KuCoin Ventures, and Gate Labs.
Bitget users who sign up for the launchpad and make a minimum deposit of 300 USDT within the deposit period from Apr 10 to 17 will be eligible for allocation of tickets on Launchpad. The final allocation will be decided in terms of the user's net deposit proportion of net deposit from all participating users and fit into the context of the total Launchpad ticket number. Users who get less than 1 ticket allocated can grab a share of the sunshine pool with 200,000 ZZZ tokens instead.
**Gracy Chen, Managing Director of Bitget**, said, "We're excited to work with GoSleep on our latest round of Launchpad. Our Launchpad has seen tremendous success in the past, with up to 100k users participating in previous rounds. With the introduction of the sunshine pool, we're able to include more participants to get allocations, creating a fair and equitable opportunity for all participating users. We remain committed to offering our users access to the brightest and most promising projects in the crypto industry, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to build a robust and thriving ecosystem for all our users."
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange with futures trading and copy trading services as its key features. Serving over 8 million users in more than 100 countries and regions, the exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter by providing a secure, one-stop trading solution. It also inspires individuals to embrace crypto through collaborations with credible partners, including legendary Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, the leading Italian football team Juventus, and official eSports events organizer PGL. According to Coingecko, Bitget is currently a top 5 futures trading platform and a top 10 spot trading platform.
- **As Elon Musk Removes Dogecoin Icon From Twitter, This Other Meme Coin Is Going Viral – Here’s Why**
Dogecoin and Shiba Inu are two of the most well-known joke crypto assets in the emerging crypto industry. However, both have largely underperformed due to their lack of real-world utility.
In a fast-growing world where technology is changing how we connect with the world around us, having a voice is becoming even more important by the day.
A new meme coin is facilitating a sanction-free voting mechanism for the future.
Called Love Hate Inu, the vote-to-earn (V2E) project allows users to vote on any trending public issues and earn cryptocurrencies for letting their opinions known.
Shiba Inu Mascot New Face of Twitter
The whole world came to a standstill after social media giant Twitter changed its popular bird logo.
In its place, a popular Japanese dog Shiba Inu became the new face of Twitter company.
Since the takeover by Tesla boss Elon Musk last year, Twitter has boldly incorporated cryptocurrencies into its system.
Musk is a well-known Dogecoin supporter, and the recent unexplained logo change has positively impacted the popular meme cryptocurrency.
Since the unexplained switch of mascots, DOGE has shot up in value, recording a 7.9% increase in the past week and 16.82% in the last 30 days.
However, Dogecoin has struggled to break above the null valuation due to its apparent lack of utility.
The good news is there is a new regen of meme coins for crypto investors.
Instead of only focusing on the fun side of these parody coins, users can use them to effect positive societal change.
The project changing the face of meme assets is Love Hate Inu.
Launched on the Ethereum blockchain, Love Hate Inu is a vote-to-earn blockchain project.
The platform allows users to vote on trending meme polls by choosing between 'love' or hate.'
Given that it operates on a decentralized structure, users can easily air their views on poignant societal issues without sanctions or state influence.
Users can vote on domestic and foreign policies, decide if they love a celebrity like Andrew Tate or not, and make choices on several other issues.
To facilitate this, Love Hate Inu is powered by an ERC-20 token called LHINU.
Via this token, users can stake, vote and earn rewards from participating in several societal programs.
An Online Survey Game Changer: Blockchain-Powered Voting Platform
The viral meme token that has got everyone talking is disrupting the online survey market by introducing a blockchain-powered voting platform model.
The $LHINU is a revolutionary voting token that gives you the freedom to express your opinion and engage in healthy discussions while earning valuable tokens.
What's so interesting to note is the platform's ability to reproduce fixed results, so there would be zero manipulation cases.
This means absolute credibility for such polls. With its strong use case, the Love Hate Inu project is on course to disrupt the $3.2 billion survey market.
To this end, users will be able to participate in sponsored polls from native tech and blockchain brands.
Besides earning LHINU, they also get in-app rewards like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other metaverse-branded collectibles.
LHINU Presale on a Tear
While many projects have struggled to break even in the current neutral crypto market, the LHINU token has not.
Love Hate Inu has been one of the fastest-growing crypto projects since the beginning of its campaign a couple of weeks ago.
So far, the LHINU token has raised well over $3.19 million in presale amount showing the strong appeal it has on investors.
The project's success has been driven largely by the continued disorientation of the masses with several governments' policies in the face of stiff financial storms.
With this one-of-a-kind vote-to-earn and immutable protocol, users can more generously air their opinions in a sanction-free and inclusive environment without fear of recompense.
- **Today in Crypto: Do Kwon Converted Millions in Illicit Funds to BTC, Robinhood to Pay $10.2M in Penalties, Mt Gox Creditors Repayment Window Now Open**
*Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.*
__________
Legal newsSouth Korean prosecutors identified $314.2 million in illicit assets associated with **Terraform Labs** co-founder Do Kwon and his associates, out of which $69 million is directly linked to Kwon. He, however, converted most of the illicit funds into Bitcoin using overseas crypto exchanges, KBS reported, so the assets tied to him are not recoverable or under South Korean jurisdiction.Major US online trading platform **Robinhood** “will pay up to $10.2 million in penalties for operational and technical failures that harmed main street investors,” the USA, **California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation** (DFPI) announced. The DFPI joined the multi-state settlement that followed a **North American Securities Administrators Association** (NASAA) investigation into the platform outages in March 2020.The deadline for **Mt Gox** creditors to provide their repayment information has passed, opening the window for repayments to be made, according to an April 7 letter from the exchange Trustee. The Trustee will carry out the necessary preparations to make the repayments, coordinating with several financial institutions, including crypto exchanges, which will receive and distribute the payments to creditors. “In light of this, it is expected to take some time before the repayment is commenced,” it said.Politics newsA candidate for Thailand’s prime minister position, Srettha Thavisin, promised every citizen 10,000 Thai Baht ($300) in digital currency if his party forms a government following a general election in May. According to the Bangkok Post, the real estate mogul promised a basic-income style economic stimulus package via “digital currency” should the Pheu Thai party win the election.DeFi news**ZkSync**, a ZK-Rollup Layer 2 scaling solution developed by **Matter Labs**, said that it found “an elegant solution” to unlock the frozen contract, referring to the ETH 921 stuck in a smart contract used by a team called **Gemholic** on its Era network, after this team reached out for support. “It will require minimal changes in the gas metering of the protocol, but will allow for full recovery of the funds,” said ZkSync, adding that the funds are safe.Security newsCrypto security firm **CertiK** found that malicious actors drained $320,332,058 of value from Web3 protocols in the first quarter of this year. Per its FY23 Q1 Hack3d report, this represents over a third of the $950 million lost in Q4 last year, and a quarter of null.3 billion lost in Q1 2022. The $197m-heavy **Euler Finance** exploit alone represented over 60% of the value stolen in Q1 2023.A new report by **the United States Treasury Department** “explores how illicit actors are abusing what is commonly referred to as decentralized finance (DeFi) services as well as vulnerabilities unique to DeFi services.” It found that bad actors – including ransomware cybercriminals, thieves, scammers, and North Korean hackers – are using DeFi services in the process of transferring and laundering the illicit proceeds, exploiting vulnerabilities in the US and foreign AML/CFT regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement regimes, as well as the technology underpinning DeFi services. “In particular, this assessment finds that the most significant current illicit finance risk in this domain is from DeFi services that are not compliant with existing AML/CFT obligations,” it said.Mining newsCrypto-mining firm **Foundry**, owned by embattled conglomerate **Digital Currency Group**, is going to start charging users a fee for its Bitcoin mining services. Per Bloomberg, Foundry USA will begin levying a pool fee on members between April 19 and April 22, saying that it will be implementing tiered fees, according to a notice it circulated to clients on April 6. The pricing tiers for each quarter will be based on the previous quarter’s average hashrate, it said.
- **Solana's Latest Tech Solution Aims to Dramatically Reduce On-Chain Storage Costs – Here's How it Works**
Popular layer-1 blockchain Solana has unveiled a new solution that will dramatically decrease the cost of storing data on-chain.
In a Thursday blog post, Solana Foundation tech lead Jon Wong said the "state compression" technology would bring down the cost of minting 1 million non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the network to around 4 SOL, or $110.
In comparison, it currently costs roughly 1,200 SOL (more than $24,000) to store 1 million NFTs on the Solana blockchain.
“After numerous phases of development, adoption, and rollout, compressed NFTs are live on Solana’s mainnet-beta and powering the next wave of novel on-chain product experiences,” Wong said.
He called the state compression technology a "true cross-ecosystem effort," noting that it was built by developers at Solana Labs and Metaplex, with support from Phantom, Solflare, and the Solana Foundation.
State compression takes advantage of Merkle trees, a hash-based data structure that is a generalization of the hash list.
"This compression-friendly data structure allows developers to store a small bit of data on-chain and updates directly in the Solana ledger, cutting the data storage cost down dramatically while still using the security and decentralization of Solana’s base layer."
Wong added that some projects built on the Solana ecosystem are already using state compression to cut costs, including blockchain-based messaging service Dialect and Crossmint, an NFT and API tooling company.
Furthermore, projects like user-owned wireless network Helium, NFT distributor DRiP, and on-chain publisher Wordcel are also using the new solution to offer scalable services to users of the blockchain.
Meanwhile, Solana's native token SOL is currently trading at $20, largely flat over the past day. However, the coin is down by more than 92% compared to its all-time high of $259 registered in November 2021.
Solana Faced a Tumultuous Year in the Wake of FTX Drama
Solana, which was designed as an efficient and speed-first platform and touted as an "Ethereum Killer," had a rough year in 2022, marked by outages and overloads.
However, among the blockchain's biggest problems last year was its significant exposure to Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange, which failed miserably in November last year.
Reportedly, Bankman-Fried’s companies held nearly null.2 billion worth of SOL tokens in June. This led to many investors dumping the coin after the implosion of FTX, which crashed the price of the token.
In another blow to the blockchain, two of the biggest NFT projects built on Solana, DeGods and y00ts, left the network late last year.
At the time, DeGods announced on Twitter that it would be migrating to Ethereum, while its sister project y00ts said it was considering moving to Polygon, a popular Ethereum layer-2 solution.
“There’s an argument to be made that [DeGods] has capped out on Solana,” DeGods project leader and y00ts creator, Rohun Vora, known as Frank, said in a Twitter Spaces back then.
“It’s hard to accept, but it’s been tough to grow at the rate we want to grow. If Ethereum is where we have to go to keep growing, it’s what we have to do.”
Furthermore, in April, a class action lawsuit was filed against Solana Labs in a California federal court, accusing the company and people within the ecosystem of making illegal profits and promoting SOL as an unregistered security.
- **Today in Crypto: Do Kwon Converted Millions in Illicit Funds to BTC, Robinhood to Pay $10.2M in Penalties, Mt Gox Creditors Repayment Window Now Open**
*Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.*
__________
Legal newsSouth Korean prosecutors identified $314.2 million in illicit assets associated with **Terraform Labs** co-founder Do Kwon and his associates, out of which $69 million is directly linked to Kwon. He, however, converted most of the illicit funds into Bitcoin using overseas crypto exchanges, KBS reported, so the assets tied to him are not recoverable or under South Korean jurisdiction.Major US online trading platform **Robinhood** “will pay up to $10.2 million in penalties for operational and technical failures that harmed main street investors,” the USA, **California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation** (DFPI) announced. The DFPI joined the multi-state settlement that followed a **North American Securities Administrators Association** (NASAA) investigation into the platform outages in March 2020.The deadline for **Mt Gox** creditors to provide their repayment information has passed, opening the window for repayments to be made, according to an April 7 letter from the exchange Trustee. The Trustee will carry out the necessary preparations to make the repayments, coordinating with several financial institutions, including crypto exchanges, which will receive and distribute the payments to creditors. “In light of this, it is expected to take some time before the repayment is commenced,” it said.Politics newsA candidate for Thailand’s prime minister position, Srettha Thavisin, promised every citizen 10,000 Thai Baht ($300) in digital currency if his party forms a government following a general election in May. According to the Bangkok Post, the real estate mogul promised a basic-income style economic stimulus package via “digital currency” should the Pheu Thai party win the election.DeFi news**ZkSync**, a ZK-Rollup Layer 2 scaling solution developed by **Matter Labs**, said that it found “an elegant solution” to unlock the frozen contract, referring to the ETH 921 stuck in a smart contract used by a team called **Gemholic** on its Era network, after this team reached out for support. “It will require minimal changes in the gas metering of the protocol, but will allow for full recovery of the funds,” said ZkSync, adding that the funds are safe.Security newsCrypto security firm **CertiK** found that malicious actors drained $320,332,058 of value from Web3 protocols in the first quarter of this year. Per its FY23 Q1 Hack3d report, this represents over a third of the $950 million lost in Q4 last year, and a quarter of null.3 billion lost in Q1 2022. The $197m-heavy **Euler Finance** exploit alone represented over 60% of the value stolen in Q1 2023.A new report by **the United States Treasury Department** “explores how illicit actors are abusing what is commonly referred to as decentralized finance (DeFi) services as well as vulnerabilities unique to DeFi services.” It found that bad actors – including ransomware cybercriminals, thieves, scammers, and North Korean hackers – are using DeFi services in the process of transferring and laundering the illicit proceeds, exploiting vulnerabilities in the US and foreign AML/CFT regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement regimes, as well as the technology underpinning DeFi services. “In particular, this assessment finds that the most significant current illicit finance risk in this domain is from DeFi services that are not compliant with existing AML/CFT obligations,” it said.Mining newsCrypto-mining firm **Foundry**, owned by embattled conglomerate **Digital Currency Group**, is going to start charging users a fee for its Bitcoin mining services. Per Bloomberg, Foundry USA will begin levying a pool fee on members between April 19 and April 22, saying that it will be implementing tiered fees, according to a notice it circulated to clients on April 6. The pricing tiers for each quarter will be based on the previous quarter’s average hashrate, it said.
- **Thailand Opposition Leader Vows $300 Crypto Airdrop If Elected Prime Minister – Here's What You Need to Know**
The opposition leader of Thailand has promised to airdrop 10,000 baht ($300) in digital currency to anyone 16 or over should his Pheu Thai Party win the next election.
On Wednesday, real estate mogul turned candidate Srettha Thavisin announced the $300 handout policy in the heavily populated central Thai province Nonthaburi, according to a report by the Bangkok Post.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai's chief adviser on public participation and innovation, claimed the policy is part of a blockchain-based project designed to distribute Thai products abroad and help introduce digital currencies to Thailand.
The $300 airdrop will need to be spent within a 4-kilometer community radius in six months.
Shinawatra said the policy is designed to make Thailand an Asian fintech hub while spurring the development of its economy.
He explained that the funds would be invested in local areas for people to use within several months after receiving them, although critics slammed the initiative for lacking transparency and not clearly outlining the funding sources.
“Our country has been economically bruised over the last eight years, with less income and more expenses for the people,” Thavisin was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.
“The current government has been feeding IV drips with small money handouts. That’s not the right way and doesn’t stimulate the appropriate and right economic growth.”
Experts Show Concern About Sources of Funding
The policy has been criticized as a vote-winning gimmick, with some experts noting that there is no clear funding source to cover the initiative.
Waiwit Thongthongkham, a commercial bank employee, acknowledged that people like the prospect of free money from the authorities, but questioned where it would come from.
Pundits have also pointed out that Pheu Thai had previously criticized a policy by the Prayut government regarding a state welfare scheme for poor elderly people.
The Pheu Thai Party is running against the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former chief of the military junta that ruled the country after a coup in 2014.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a minister in prime minister Chan-o-cha's office and chief strategist in the United Thai Nation Party, said the budget would run to 500 billion baht ($15 billion) if distributed to all 50 million Thais.
He also said that creating a digital currency would be a significant challenge, with implications for the country's entire financial system, and suspected that the policy was a marketing gimmick.
The move by Thailand comes as more and more Asian countries are striving to create a more friendly environment for crypto firms in a push to become global crypto hubs.
Just recently, it was revealed that the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the police have been working with lenders in the country to refine their approach to onboarding crypto service providers.
Similarly, Hong Kong has been aggressively pushing with its plans to become a global crypto hub.
As reported, Hong Kong officials plan to host a meeting between crypto companies and bankers in an attempt to ease financing for the sector, which suggests the city is determined to tackle various difficulties that crypto companies face when trying to set up corporate banking accounts.
Furthermore, a number of Chinese state-owned banks in Hong Kong, including the Bank of Communications, Bank of China, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, have either started offering banking services to local crypto firms or have made inquiries.
- **Is It Too Late to Buy Dogecoin as DOGE Pumps Up 20% in 30 Days – Will DOGE Reach null This Year?**
In wake of Dogecoin’s (DOGE) latest Twitter logo change fuelled pump, some investors are asking whether it now might be too late to buy the Shiba Inu dog meme-inspired cryptocurrency.
For short-term traders looking to jump in and out of the market quickly, the answer may be yes.
Dogecoin saw a perfect technical set-up for a short-term pump from under $0.08 to $0.10 in late March/early April when the cryptocurrency broke above a downtrend that had been in play going all the way back to last November.
The price jump catalyzed by Twitter’s logo change to the Dogecoin logo saw the cryptocurrency quickly rally to its short-term target (at $0.10).
Dogecoin has since eased back to the $0.09 area, a sign that the easy short-term gains have now been achieved.
Short-term speculators who missed the latest pump may have thus left it too late to make quick easy gains from Dogecoin.
**Is It Too Late To Buy Dogecoin (DOGE)?**
What about those who want to buy and HODL Dogecoin for the longer term? Is it too late for them as well?
Well, the first thing to say is that asking whether it is “too late” to buy an asset is never a good way to think about the market.
The only questions an investor should be asking are those relating to the asset’s price outlook and risk reward.
If an investor thinks the Dogecoin outlook in the medium to long term is good, then they should consider allocating a proportion of their portfolio to the asset.
But to answer the question “is it too late” to buy Dogecoin more directly, no it probably isn’t.
DOGE is still down nearly 90% from its all-time highs hit back in May 2021 and is down around 40% versus its Q4 2022 highs.
That means that anyone buying Dogecoin right now is arguably still “buying the dip”, or at least not buying DOGE at highly overpriced levels.
And with the broader macro backdrop turning more favorable for crypto in recent weeks and Elon Musk amping up his support (most recent with the Twitter logo change), Dogecoin’s medium-term outlook is getting better.
Blue chip coins like Bitcoin and Ether are already in bulls markets as banking crisis/recession concerns lead push market to bet on a Fed rate-cutting cycle later this year and this could continue to offer Dogecoin tailwinds as well.
From a historical perspective, now is arguably a good time to get into the market, but investors should of course always do their own research to make sure they fully understand the asset they are investing their hard-earned cash into.
**Will Dogecoin Reach null This Year?**
Nothing is impossible in crypto markets. Dogecoin’s gains exceeded 7,000% in the first half of 2021.
That means investors should not rule out the possibility that DOGE could post a 1,000% gain from current levels to hit new all-time highs at null per token this year.
But Dogecoin’s subdued performance since May 2021 means that there isn’t that much confidence right now that it could pull of such a feat once again in such a short time period.
However, if the US recession gets really bad and the Fed really starts cutting interest rates and injecting liquidity into the financial system, the chances of Dogecoin hitting null.0 in the next few years remain good.
For what its worth, analysts at Cryptonews.com expect Dogecoin to reach null.0 by 2030, noting that “the consistent expansion of meme coin popularity offers an opening for Dogecoin to become a more widely-accepted means of payment among more merchants”.
**Buy Dogecoin Now**
**Love Hate Inu (LHINU) – A Dogecoin Alternative to Consider**
The fact that Shiba Inu is already so famous and well known and already has such a massive market capitalization makes 10xing from current levels more difficult.
Investors might therefore want to consider investing in some lesser-known coins that potentially hold a better likelihood of seeing exponential gains.
A great new meme coin to consider is Love Hate Inu, a new dog-meme-inspired social media polling platform that has been taking the internet by storm in the last few weeks.
To fund the development of its revolutionary vote-to-earn platform, Love Hate Inu is currently conducting a presale of its LHINU token.
The presale has been a huge success, with Love Hate Inu having already raised a massive $2.98 million and the presale already having entered stage 4.
Analysts at Cryptonews.com have ranked Love Hate Inu as the hottest presale of 2023 and many think the cryptocurrency could see big gains when it ICO’s later this year.
- **Today in Crypto: Sentiment Recovers 90% of Funds from Hacker, Major Chinese State-owned Company Launching Two Crypto Funds, Australian Regulator Cancels Binance's Derivatives License**
*Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.*
__________
Security newsLending protocol **Sentiment** recovered the funds stolen in the recent hack by offering the hacker a $95,000 bounty. “After successful negotiations with the exploiter, 90% of hacked funds have been returned as agreed,” Sentiment said. Per **MetaMask** developer Taylor Monahan, the hacker first returned ETH 414 out of the ETH 517.5 stolen, followed by a second transaction for the remaining funds.Investment newsMajor Chinese state-owned company **CPIC Investment Management**, a subsidiary of **China Pacific Insurance** (CPI), is launching two crypto funds in partnership with the investment firm **Waterdrip Capital**, the local news agency 36Kr reported. The new crypto funds reportedly include a venture capital fund called the **Pacific Waterdrip Digital Asset Fund I**, focused on investments in early-stage blockchain projects, while the second, called the **Pacific Waterdrip Digital Asset Fund II**, will manage proof-of-stake (PoS) digital assets.Exchange newsThe **Australian Securities and Investments Commission** (ASIC) has canceled **Binance Australia**'s derivatives license, according to a press release. “The licence cancellation was effected today in response to a request to cancel received from Binance yesterday,” it said. Binance will require clients to close any existing derivative positions before April 21, on which day it will close any remaining open positions.**Bitstamp** announced a new lending service across several European markets, Hong Kong, and the UAE. It partnered with **Tesseract**, a Finnish lending firm that also offers a white-label platform, on which the borrowers must provide 100% collateral for stablecoin loans, according to The Block. The exchange's lending product offers daily rewards and up to 4.4% APY, with lending available for major coins, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC), and Tether (USDT), among others.**Bitfinex Derivatives**, a derivatives platform accessible through **Bitfinex**, announced a range of perpetual contracts for three of the largest and oldest Asian Equities indices: HONG KONG 50, JAPAN 225, and AUSTRALIA 200. The launch of these equity perpetual contracts will allow Bitfinex Derivatives customers to trade products that are usually found on traditional financial exchanges, but are subject to restricted trading hours, said the press release.Regulation newsFor the past six months, the **Monetary Authority of Singapore** (MAS) and the police forces have been working with traditional banks to set uniform standards for screening potential customers from the crypto and digital assets sectors, Bloomberg reported. Stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and transferable gaming or streaming credits will also be covered under this initiative that focuses on firms providing services in payments, trading, and transfers of these assets, a source said. Results and conclusions for risk management and due diligence will be published in the next two months.CBDC newsCreators of India's retail central bank digital currency (CBDC-R) aim to scale the user base of the digital rupee to one million users – double the previous aim – and have prioritized solving the challenge of creating an offline version, CoinDesk reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. “Given India’s population as the world’s largest, we expect to reach the milestone of one million users easily,” a source said, adding that the tentative timeline for reaching one million users is three months.Mining newsBuncombe County, in North Carolina, USA, is considering a 1-year moratorium on new and existing Bitcoin mining operations in the area, according to a document shared by local news outlet News 13 WSOL. The pause would give the county's **Board of Commissioners** time to “develop standards and mitigation methods for intensive land uses that may pose detrimental harm to the natural environment,” the document said. Commissioners have set a public hearing on the issue for May 2.
- **Crypto Ecosystem Loses Another P2P Marketplace As Paxful Shuts Down – End of an Era?**
The peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange **Paxful** has succumbed to the relentless pressures of the ongoing crypto downturn.
On Tuesday, Ray Youssef, Paxful's Founder and CEO, announced the suspension of the marketplace, stating, "Today, Paxful will be suspending its marketplace. We are not sure if it will come back."
However, the Paxful Wallet will continue to operate, allowing customers to access their funds.
The CEO emphasized that safeguarding customer assets remains the company's top priority and added that,
"All customer funds are all accounted for. Please withdraw them and if you can — self-custody."
Users soon complained, however, that the transfers were taking longer than usual.
The CEO assured them that this will be resolved as well, saying that there is a database overload.
The company's recommendation is to use cold wallets such as **Exodus** and **Muun**.
Paxful is currently offering migration to other options for non-US users to platforms such as the peer-to-peer (P2P) company focused on the Global South (Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania), called **Noones**.
Another suggested option for African customers is **Bitnob**, a Nigeria-based P2P platform that lets users buy, save, and invest in Bitcoin (BTC).
Two (or three) main problems
While admitting that the company shutting its doors may be shocking news to many, Youssef wouldn't go into specific details surrounding it, saying that he can't "share the full story now."
What Youssef did share is that,
"We unfortunately have had some key staff departures. Also, regulatory challenges for the industry continue to grow, especially in the peer-to-peer market and most heavily in the U.S."
In a Twitter Spaces meetup, Youssef said that "a quarter of the company was compliance people" but that "even that was not enough to please Uncle Sam" (referring to the US government).
Continuing operations but only blocking customers from the US was not really an option because the company doesn't have sufficient staff for that, Youssef said.
In addition to the above-mentioned issues, Youssef noted a lawsuit brought by a Paxful co-founder, filed against the CEO and the company.
The person was not named, but there is a January court docket with Artur Schaback as the plaintiff.
It seems that these issues have been a storm strong enough to possibly sink the entire ship.
In the CEO's words, the company is working to resolve them but has decided to take "the most secure option" and ask its customers to "explore self-custody and trade elsewhere."
Youssef also tweeted that he would not be withdrawing his own BTC until the customers withdraw their coins, also noting that he's already self-custodying most of his assets.
Meanwhile, on March 29, Paxful, which was founded in 2015, said that it would be refunding its Earn program users who were unable to assess their funds following the **Celsius** bankruptcy filing.
"I’ve personally taken action and will be refunding all affected Paxful users—Celsius funds will be available in Paxful Wallet later this week," Youssef said at the time.
- **Swiss Government-Owned Bank to Grant 2.5 Million Users Crypto Capabilities via New Partnership – Crypto Adoption on the Rise?**
Major Swiss bank PostFinance has partnered with digital asset services provider Sygnum Bank to offer its customers cryptocurrency trading and storage services.
As part of the partnership, the Swiss state-owned bank will provide its 2.5 million customers access to buy, sell, and store Bitcoin and Ethereum, two of the world's largest cryptocurrencies, with more tokens expected to be added in the future, according to a Wednesday press release.
The bank will tap Sygnum’s institutional business-to-business (B2B) banking platform, which allows financial institutions to enter the crypto markets in a regulated and compliant manner to offer crypto services.
Sygnum’s B2B network includes more than 15 partner banks and supports a “range of cryptocurrencies,” also featuring revenue-generating services like staking.
"Digital assets have become an integral part of the financial world, and our customers want access to this market at PostFinance," Philipp Merkt, Chief Investment Officer of PostFinance, commented.
Founded in 1906, PostFinance is fully owned by the Swiss government and is the fifth-largest financial services firm in the country.
It is also the financial services unit of Swiss Post, which is the national postal service of Switzerland.
The company is known for its pro-crypto stance, building an in-house trading and custody service and issuing digital collectibles linked to physical stamps.
In 2021, PostFinance also partnered with online trading platform Swissquote to develop the Yuh mobile application, which gives users access to traditional shares and stock markets as well as over 25 cryptocurrencies.
Sygnum, which describes itself as the world's first digital asset bank, is fully regulated with a Swiss banking license.
Earlier this year, Sygnum inked a partnership with Ethereum scaling solution zkSync Era to work on several areas, including a proof-of-solvency solution, providing custody options for zkSync Era users via Sygnum-run validator nodes on the protocol, and building on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure for Sygnum’s client base.
Crypto Adoption Finds Momentum as TradFi Companies Join in
The recent move by PostFinance to offer its 2.5 million customers exposure to crypto could further accelerate the pace of adoption among traditional finance users.
As reported, S&P Global is also looking for a DeFi director to oversee its expansion into the rapidly evolving decentralized finance sector in a move that signifies the mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based technologies.
Furthermore, Nasdaq aims to launch its much-anticipated crypto custody service by the end of the second quarter to meet the increasing institutional interest and demand for crypto services.
In an October survey, BNY Mellon revealed that 91% of the bank's institutional investors are interested in investing in digital assets with 97% claiming that “tokenization will revolutionize asset management” and will be “good for the industry."
It is worth noting that some of the world's largest companies are already using blockchain technology and crypto in some form.
In a report last year, blockchain adoption analytics platform Blockdata said 44 out of the top 100 public companies by market capitalization across six major sectors are currently actively utilizing blockchain.