The SEC is inviting public commentary on pending ETF applications from Franklin Templeton and Hashdex. This unexpected early request, coming two weeks after the SEC extended the decision deadline, suggests potential approvals in early January. However, swift approval might not necessarily mean immediate launches. The SEC is also seeking feedback on market manipulation susceptibility, liquidity, pricing mechanisms, and other concerns regarding the proposed ETFs.
Coinbase has reportedly alerted an unspecified number of its users that their account information may be shared with the CFTC following a subpoena linked to another crypto exchange, Bybit. The nature of the data involved has not been disclosed, nor how it relates to Bybit. Some Coinbase users who have not used Bybit claim they were also targeted. Coinbase plans to engage with the CFTC to limit the scope of shared data.
Axiom has launched V2, an upgrade that allows solidity and JavaScript developers to integrate zero-knowledge computations into smart contracts with ease. Key features include access to all historical Ethereum data, the ability to specify ZK-verified computations in JavaScript, and on-chain result verification without needing ZK-specific contract deployments. The platform has been deployed on the Goerli testnet, with plans for a mainnet launch following security reviews.
The Initia Platform has launched, offering a scalable ecosystem of modular chains built on Celestia. Targeting developer issues and user fragmentation, Initia’s platform is designed to streamline the multichain experience by vertically integrating the tech stack, mitigating choice overload, and integrating with the L1. With its unique VM-agnostic optimistic rollup framework, called the OPinit Stack, Initia allows vertically integrated applications to be built in various computational environments while maintaining interoperability and data availability.
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Think you need an entirely new dev team to issue stablecoins? Think again: Stablecoin Studio [9] provides a TypeScript SDK and management CLI that makes it simpler than ever to issue stabelecoins on the Hedera network [9]. Burn, mint, freeze, wipe, and pause stablecoins with ease, with built-in proof of reserve and KYC / AML functionality.
This post provides a report on venture activity in crypto over the past year. DeFi investments have made up 29% of total funds raised, according to the report. Despite turbulent market conditions in 2023, about 641 funding rounds were conducted across 617 projects, garnering a total of $5.58 billion. Seed rounds were the most popular stage with notable firms like a16z, with Paradigm and Jump Crypto being some of the most active investors.
2023.11.29·thorhartvigsen.substack.com·8 min read·TLDR Crypto This document presents an investigation into potential bottlenecks in scaling blockchain technologies, specifically focusing on rollups and data availability layers. It provides an in-depth analysis of current providers, transaction numbers, and call data for various L2 solutions. The model presents a key finding that with certain data layers, the bottleneck is not data availability but execution, prompting the authors to call for further experimentation in execution layer rollups.
A new law is requiring that residents of Spain holding cryptocurrency on non-domestic platforms must declare these assets by March 31, 2024. However, only individuals with a balance exceeding 50,000 euros must declare their assets. This comes as part of Spain's increased efforts to tax crypto assets.
This essay from Arthur Hayes explains how China, pegging its currency to a weakening US dollar, can now create yuan credit without destabilizing its currency or inflation. As such, it may stimulate its economy by averting property development crises. Despite some pessimistic views about China's debt, the country is likely to enter a credit boom that may indirectly benefit Bitcoin and other risk assets.
2023.11.29·cryptohayes.substack.com·25 min read·TLDR Crypto Neon Machine, creator of blockchain game Shrapnel, is embroiled in a legal dispute involving an alleged internal coup by investor Cort Javarone, affecting the company's leadership and operations.
This post provides a guide to building positions in uptrending markets. It suggests traders should start small, stay proactive, avoid panic, and capitalize on -30% sell-offs to gradually increase their positions.
CF Benchmarks introduced its CF Staking Reward Rate Series, offering institutional clients indices reflecting daily reward rates from specific proof-of-stake protocols.
Cube.Exchange released its litepaper and is merging the stability of TradFi with web3 innovation, offering a hybrid trading platform that emphasizes user control and transparency in asset management.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who recently pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws, has been asked by a US judge to remain in the country pending sentencing. A different judge had deemed Zhao a low flight risk and proposed he return to the UAE to be with family. The proposal is now on hold.
Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly monopolizing the iOS peer-to-peer payment market and restricting crypto tech on the platform. Consumers allege that Apple's anti-competitive practices with PayPal's Venmo and Block's Cash App restricted the crypto transactions within the payment apps, leading to inflated prices. The lawsuit is seeking compensation for excessive fees and injunctions against Apple's anti-competitive practices.
Jito, the team behind the most popular liquid staking protocol on Solana, is set to launch a governance token to manage the Jito Network. The introduction of the token is aimed at increasing community involvement in decisions for the network. The staking protocol’s Jito Labs client is currently used by 40% of Solana's network stake weight. Proposing a total supply of 1 billion JTO tokens, 10% of the tokens will go to active community members.
Magic Eden has launched a cross-chain wallet to facilitate trading across multiple blockchains. The wallet enables crypto swaps for Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and Polygon, and the desktop browser extension is set to launch next year. This step is designed to minimize the difficulty of dealing with assets on various blockchains for NFT traders and collectors.
This report discusses the potential of block space as a viable business model in the crypto industry, alongside other traditional models like SaaS. The primary analysis focuses on how new technologies, including blockchains Ethereum and Avalanche, have capitalized on block space's unique properties, including network effect-based business dynamics, strong scalability, and high cyclicality. The future of the model could be shaped by regulatory changes and the ability to attract stable, application-layer use cases.
This thread highlights several AI-centric crypto projects, such as Render, which offers GPU power for graphic rendering, and Fetch.ai, which uses machine learning to automate industry processes. Similarly, SingularityNET provides a decentralized AI marketplace, Verasity combats ad fraud, and OriginTrail transforms supply chains. While it’s unclear how these specific projects will pan out, the AI x crypto narrative has definitely been picking up steam.
In this post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin advises a measured approach to technology development, avoiding extreme optimism or pessimism. He emphasizes direction and control in technological progress, with extra caution concerning high-impact tech like superintelligent AI. He also recommends decentralizing tech like this where possible.
This article explores the use of coprocessors in blockchains to increase their capabilities. Particularly in Ethereum, coprocessors can access its historical data and perform high-level computations, enhancing the chain’s functionalities. The article also discusses in depth how coprocessors can bridge the gap between blockchain limitations and the increasing demands of complex applications.
This analysis examines challenges in extracting MEV from blockchain systems using Pipelined BFT algorithms, exploring nuances and proposing solutions for network liveness.
This post describes a shadow fork, which is an offchain execution environment that mirrors the mainnet in real-time, offering persistent, read-only data access, with flexible and cost-free contract interactions.
Sui launched its Weather Oracle, which delivers real-time weather data for various applications and can also serve as a randomness generator for games, funded by on-chain storage fees.
Dan Robinson of Paradigm criticized Blast's recent launch tactics and marketing, despite acknowledging the founders' talent and Paradigm's continued support for its vision and technical skills.
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Stablecoin Studio is an open-source SDK [5] that simplifies the process of issuing stablecoins using Hedera network services. “Stablecoin Studio was a game-changer for our successful stablecoin remittance pilot [5] with SCB TechX and other financial institutions. The toolkit has made it incredibly convenient to send low-cost cross-border payments.” — Kim Bying Hee, Chief of Blockchain Division, Shinhan Bank
Investment funds can now officially tokenize their assets in the UK, which officials hope will increase efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness in the investment management sector. This move, facilitated by the UK Treasury, Financial Conduct Authority, and various investment managers, requires that funds meet specific criteria for tokenization.
Blur’s Blast L2 launched last week and has attracted approximately $390 million into its contract - about $340 million in ether and $50 million in stablecoins. While it was marketed as an L2, for now, it’s simply a bridge to a contract created by the team and secured with a 3 of 5 multisig. To add to the uncertainty many in the space have about it, it’s unclear if each of the five keys was created by individual entities or people, and the deposited funds cannot be withdrawn until February 2024.
Circle and Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings announced a partnership to bring USDC to Japan. The collaboration aims to expand the use of Circle's USDC stablecoin and promote banking and web3 technologies. It leverages the regulatory clarity from Japan's new stablecoin laws implemented in June. The strategic partnership will also focus on fostering the growth of web3 apps, including tokens and smart contracts in Japan's consumer market.
Rain.fi, a DeFi platform, has announced custom Peer-to-Peer loans on Solana, offering a variety of user-set parameters such as Custom LTV, APYs, and durations. Users can create loans in multiple tokens with one base currency and protect against token volatility. The platform also has an incentive for early repayment and plans to launch the service with select tokens like USDC and Solana.
This article provides a comprehensive explanation of Verkle trees, an improvement over Merkle tree structures. Verkle trees, which employ vector commitments, are more efficient regarding proofs and bandwidth costs, making them key in scaling blockchain communication. The article also discusses the construction of Verkle trees and how to commit changes to the tree and explores Verkle tree membership proofs and batch proofs.
2023.11.27·research.polytope.technology·15 min read·TLDR Crypto This post discusses tribalism in the crypto industry and how builders can navigate and leverage tribalism when developing their applications. Some of the strategies mentioned in the article are diversifying one's understanding of different crypto tribes, challenging the norms within your community, and thinking like a "multi-armed bandit," balancing exploration and exploitation.
This blog post explores the concept of "intents" in distributed systems, particularly as they relate to blockchains. The blog highlights potential issues such as order flow, trust, and opacity and emphasizes the ability of intent-based solutions to flip supply-side blockchain economics on its head. It suggests that the decentralization of protocols, security models, histories, and communities enabled by intents is the future of blockchain systems.
AI's rise, specifically LLMs, offers advantages across various fields but raises concerns around privacy and security as they interact with extensive personal and sensitive data. Integrating blockchain technology into AI could create a secure framework that preserves data ownership and privacy. This article explores multi-party computation in transformers, a method that combines AI and privacy.
This thread provides a detailed breakdown of the complex Kyber smart contract exploit, detailing its unique manipulation of concentrated liquidity and an ‘infinite money glitch’ due to a technical oversight.
A Bitcoin sender accidentally paid $3 million in fees for a transaction worth $2 million, marking the highest fee in Bitcoin history.
This detailed analysis walks through how the unique nature of the crypto industry being both nowhere and everywhere played a part in Binance’s involvement with money laundering and other alleged unlawful activities.
This post explores the evolving perception of digital assets like tokens, likening their cultural impact and potential to historical shifts in industries such as fashion and technology, emphasizing the shift from physical to digital value.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has agreed to step down and plead guilty to criminal and civil charges against him and Binance as part of a $4.3 billion settlement, the biggest in US Treasury history. The charges were focused on money laundering and lack of proper compliance. Binance appointed Richard Teng as its new CEO.
Wintermute Asia has completed its first options block trade via the CME. This marks the firm's latest effort to answer greater institutional demand for digital asset exposure. It offers options in bitcoin, ether, and various altcoins. Wintermute’s CEO is working on this as he anticipates that more institutions will increase their exposure to crypto asset classes.
Upshot has launched the world's first ZK AI price oracle for real-time appraisals of over 100 million NFTs, with an average predicted error of 3-10%. While this is an innovative solution, the complex model requires off-chain calculations, necessitating trust in Upshot. To counter this, Modulus created an AI-specialized ZK prover, Remainder, that verifies these calculations, providing blockchain-level security and preventing price manipulation.
Blast, another Ethereum L2 launched by Blur, offers ‘native yield’ for ETH and stablecoins. Participants' balances automatically compound and earn Blast rewards. Blast also enables yield for stablecoins when bridged to protocols like MakerDAO. Early access to its mainnet, expected to launch in February 2024, is now available by invite.
This thread provides steps on how to easily farm the Scroll airdrop. It recommends users bridge at least $100 using Orbiter, swap a minimum of $1,000 volume on Ivy Swap, and complete all farming tasks on the same platform. Users are also encouraged to refer friends to improve their airdrop odds. Not only could users qualify for a Scroll airdrop by following these steps but also for airdrops from Orbiter and Ivy Swap as well.
This thread provides a breakdown of MakerDAO, a leader in the RWA space. It has strong revenue metrics and an impressive TVL, currently standing at $8.3 billion. Apart from governance, its token MKR also acts as a recapitalization resource. There are some promising growth catalysts in the pipeline.
This post from Lyn Alden explores the influence of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and stablecoins on the global financial system, discussing their increased adoption, particularly in developing countries with high inflation. It also takes a look at their potential to disrupt traditional banking and their macroeconomic effects worldwide. Alden views Bitcoin not just as an investment, but as a valuable transportable asset, and flags concerns around the US's declining fiscal situation.
Grayscale reportedly held discussions with the SEC over its application to convert its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into a bitcoin ETF recently. The talks followed a directive by a D.C. circuit court for the SEC to revisit the firm's application. Grayscale's proposal would see shares of the trust listed on the NYSE under the ticker GBTC.
Aragon DAO's token holders voted to fund a $300,000 lawsuit against its founding team, challenging their decision to dissolve the DAO and redistribute funds.
A massive unauthorized crypto mining rig found was under a Polish court's floor stealing substantial amounts of electricity. The country’s top law enforcement officials are now investigating the rig and IT experts are calculating the costs of the stolen electricity.