TLDR CRYPTO 2023-06-15

SOUTH KOREAN BITCOIN LENDING PLATFORM DELIO PAUSES WITHDRAWALS

Delio, a South Korean digital asset manager and lending platform, has temporarily halted customer withdrawals to protect user assets amid heightened market volatility and confusion following Haru Invest's recent suspension of crypto deposits and withdrawals. Delio has committed to regularly update its users about the situation and measures taken to safeguard their assets. Founded in 2018, Delio reportedly holds an estimated $1 billion in Bitcoin, $200 million in Ether and about $8.1 billion in altcoins.

PROMETHEUM NOT QUITE THE SHINING EXAMPLE THE SEC HOPED FOR

Prometheum, a company that has been around since 2017, recently made headlines for getting approval for a Special Purpose Broker-Dealer license and for testifying in front of Congress earlier this week. Despite raising $50M through a Reg A+ filing, having ex-SEC and FINRA staff on their team, and gaining approval from SEC and FINRA, the firm has yet to launch a product. Their activities, including a fundraising event associated with an entity with a checkered past and hiring ex-SEC and FINRA personnel without a clear product, have sparked suspicion. Their sudden approvals and their listing of tokens in 2022, despite claiming no operational ability in 2023, have added to the suspicion.

EIGENLAYER STAGE 1 MAINNET LAUNCH

EigenLayer has launched restaking on Ethereum's mainnet. This Stage 1 launch allows Ethereum stakers to securely manage their liquid staking tokens. The next phases will introduce Operators for validation tasks and multiple AVSs. Initial restaking limits have been set for safety, supporting three types of staked Ether and a 7-day withdrawal delay. The protocol has undergone rigorous security analyses and is offering a bug bounty to developers that find issues. EigenLayer aims for decentralization with three governance multisigs initially responsible for decision-making. As the protocol matures, the goal is to foster a decentralized, sustainable network.

ETHEREUM

The Graph, a decentralized protocol that indexes and queries blockchain data, has commenced the last phase of its transition from Ethereum to L2 solution Arbitrum. The move by Graph developers Edge & Node aims to lower barriers to entry for developers by reducing gas costs and speeding up transactions. With this shift, The Graph will now record and settle its own transactions on Arbitrum as opposed to Ethereum, potentially attracting more indexers and delegators due to the reduced costs.

HOW TO KEEP UP WITH CRYPTO WHEN YOUR JOB IS KEEPING YOU BUSY

The author of this thread, a full-time FAANG software developer, shares how he stays up to speed on the latest in crypto through various newsletters and social media accounts. He highlights Linn's comprehensive newsletter, Viktor's level-headed market updates, @thedailydegenhq's stats-focused daily updates, PageOne's unique narrative insights, and Chung's varied daily notes.

This blog post discusses the rise of 'digiphysicals', goods which exist physically but are linked to a digital (on-chain) record using NFC technology, in the crypto space. They allow real-world objects to interact with blockchain technology, granting wallet-like abilities and unlocking new consumer experiences. Digiphysicals are poised to revolutionize consumer goods by bringing on-chain interactions to physical environments, giving physical products their own on-chain history, creating new distribution channels for brands, and adding utility for consumers in both digital and physical realms. The post covers the evolution of these products, potential applications, and future predictions.

POWELL SAYS NEARLY ALL OFFICIALS EXPECT ‘SOME’ FURTHER FED HIKES

The Federal Reserve has decided to pause the interest rate hikes that had been ongoing for 15 months, keeping the current federal funds rate between 5% and 5.25%. Most policymakers believe further tightening is required, with projections suggesting two additional quarter-point rate hikes or one half-point increase by the year's end. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that rates might rise "somewhat further" in 2023 to control inflation, although he refrained from specifying when the next hike could be. Despite this, inflation remains high and above the 2% target set by the Fed.

CRYPTO PRIME BROKER FPG LOSES UP TO $20M IN CYBER ATTACK

Floating Point Group (FPG), a crypto-focused institutional trading desk, was hit by a cyber attack, leading to a loss of approximately $15-20 million in crypto. The firm was successfully targeted despite having implemented cybersecurity measures, including obtaining a SOC 2 certification. Post-attack, FPG locked all third-party accounts, secured wallets, and temporarily halted trading, deposits, and withdrawals. FPG is now collaborating with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, regulators, and Chainalysis to investigate the breach and work towards asset recovery.

SOMEONE TOOK OUT A $14,500 LOAN ON 2 ROLEXES

Someone borrowed $14,500 against two Rolexes using a novel blend of on-chain tech with Arcade.xyz and 4K Protocol. This is an interesting solution to create greater liquidity and less friction in markets with highly valuable physical collectibles or real world assets.

DAMUS

Apple rejected the latest version of non-custodial Lightning-enabled bitcoin wallet Zeus for violating its cryptocurrency transmission rules, following a similar conflict with Damus, another bitcoin-related app.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? A CRYPTO ENTREPRENEUR'S PERSPECTIVE

Amid significant regulatory pressures and crypto market downturn, crypto-based businesses are grappling with the decision to pivot, double down, or shut down. This entrepreneur gives some advice for other startup founders to follow during the bear market.