Critics say algorithmic stablecoins are ‘disaster waiting to happen’

The recent increase in the popularity of the so-called “algorithmic stablecoins” has caused an uproar within the crypto community, resulting in serious debates around their utility for the crypto market.   Algorithmic stablecoins are seen as new breeds of cryptocurrencies seeking to replicate the stability of the dollar. They are regarded as the high-strung relatives of traditional stablecoins, which are virtual legal tenders built on the foundation of maintaining a connection with a conventional currency, typically the dollar. However, critics say they are a disaster waiting to happen. They are crypto tokens that utilize price stabilization algorithms to store the value of assets, usually at $1. An increase in the value of assets results in a supply of tokens, while tokens reduce when assets fall in value. What Do Supporters and Critics of Algorithmic Stablecoins Say?  Supporters of algorithmic stablecoins claim they are superior to traditional stablecoins since a sole centralized body does not administer them. Instead, they are controlled autonomously with the aid of a blockchain-based network that relies on traders all over the globe to link them to the dollar.   Such an arrangement makes it more challenging for government regulators to oversee algorithmic stablecoins. This particular feature is seen as

2022-04-24Deep Dive

The 5 Key Features of Blockchain Technology You Should Have on Your Fingertips

A blockchain is defined as a public ledger of transactions that is maintained and verified by a decentralized, peer-to-peer network of computers that adhere to a consensus mechanism to confirm data.   Here are key features of blockchains that make then unique to other technologies and that you should know:Decentralized  A blockchain is a decentralized network i.e., it has no central authority to control the network as is the case in the client server model.  There is no central “third party.”Peer-to-Peer  This characteristic of blockchains allows transactions to involve only two parties, the sender and the receiver, thus removing the requirement of ‘third party authorisation’ because everyone in the network are themselves able to authorise the transactions.Consensus Mechanism  A consensus mechanism is described as a fault-tolerant mechanism used in a blockchain to reach an agreement on a single state of the network among distributed nodes. These protocols make sure all nodes are synchronized with each other and agree on transactions, thus making them legitimate and therefore can be added onto the blockchain.  There are two leading mechanisms:  Proof-of-Work (PoW) – Proof-of-work is done by miners who compete to create new blocks full of processed transactions  Proof-of-Stake (PoS) – Instead of needing to do intense computational work (mining), in

2022-04-24Deep Dive

Report Says Binance Shared Client Data With Russia, Crypto Exchange Denies Allegations

Binance Consented to Russian Request for Customer Info, Reuters Claims in ‘Special Report’  Binance, the world‘s leading digital asset exchange, has agreed to hand over customer data to Russia’s financial intelligence agency, a report by Reuters suggests. The article refers to messages allegedly sent by Binances regional head Gleb Kostarev to a business associate revealing that the Russian officials asked for such information, including names and addresses, during a meeting last April.  The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation (Rosfinmonitoring) saw its request supposedly motivated by the need for help in the fight against crime. Quoting an anonymous source familiar with the matter, the authors note that at the time, the financial watchdog was trying to trace millions of dollars in bitcoin raised by imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnys team.  Rosfinmonitoring labeled his network a terrorist organization a year ago. The Kremlin critic claimed the crypto donations were used to fund efforts to expose corruption inside President Putin‘s administration. Supporters who sent money through Russian banks were interrogated, Navalny’s foundation says. After his arrest in January 2021, it encouraged backers to donate via Binance.  Navalny was detained upon his return to the Russian Federation, after recovering from poisoning that the West

2022-04-24Deep Dive

Over 10% of Americans Will Own Crypto by Year-End: Research

According to a forecast on the crypto industry released on April 20 by research firm Insider Intelligence, nearly 34 million Americans will own cryptocurrency by the end of the year. That equates to around 10% of the population, though the company reported a higher figure of 12.8%, possibly taking the adult population figures into account rather than the total.  The researchers predicted that the number of U.S. adults who own and use crypto for payments will double digits by 2023. It added that 3.6 million Americans would use digital assets as a payment method at some time this year.  Crypto Adoption Surging  Crypto payments will surpass $10 billion in total transaction value globally for the first time in 2022, the forecast informed. According to the figures, this is an increase of more than 70% from 2021.  Insider Intelligence forecasting analyst Nazmul Islam commented on the meteoric rise of cryptocurrency adoption in America:  “In 2021, cryptos became easier to purchase within apps consumers were already using, and while major financial institutions embraced crypto investments. Add hype surrounding meme stocks like Dogecoin to this easier accessibility, and you have a huge spike in ownership rates.”  The report predicted that more than 37 million U.S. adults will own crypto

2022-04-24Deep Dive

Binance Denies Sharing User Data With Russian Agencies

Binance on Saturday vehemently denied media reports stating the exchange shared user data with Russian agencies.  The worlds largest crypto exchange also refuted claims it shared data linked to Bitcoin donations to popular Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny with any Russian federal agencies.   Binance helped Russia in accessing user data?  A report by Reuters, published on Friday, claimed that back in April 2021, the regional head of Binance had a meeting with Russias financial intelligence unit in Moscow. The agenda of the meeting was to secure user data with names and addresses from Binance. The Russian agency was seeking details in order to counter illegal activities.  The report says that Russian agencies were trying to track millions of dollars in Bitcoin donations to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.  In a blog post, Binance asserted that prior to the war, the exchange was working in Russia just like any other global firm. It also claimed that the Binance was even trying to push Russia to build potential crypto related regulations.  The exchange also released emails between its employees and Reuters journalists.   Exchange took effective measures against Russia  Over data sharing claim, Binance mentioned that any government in the world can ask for user data but with proper

2022-04-24Deep Dive

Microstrategy CEO Dispels Rumor of Company Quietly Selling Bitcoin

Microstrategys CEO Points Out Any Bitcoin Sales Must Be Publicly Disclosed to SEC and Shareholders  This week, a rumor has been circulating on social media that the Nasdaq-listed pro-bitcoin software company Microstrategy has been quietly selling its BTC.  Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor tweeted Friday dispelling the rumor. He explained that as a regulated company under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Microstrategy is required to disclose any material changes in corporate strategy to shareholders via SEC filings.  In addition, the executive emphasized that SEC filings are public records that are “available to all.” He further noted that material changes include acquiring and holding bitcoin as well as making changes to crypto holdings.  Bitcoin.com News published an article this week explaining why the rumor is untrue and the BTC address in question is not owned by Microstrategy. The address is in fact likely owned by a crypto exchange platform.  While some people appreciate Saylors clarification, some are still skeptical, choosing to believe that the rumor of Microstrategy selling bitcoin is true.  Saylor has been an avid proponent of BTC. He has repeatedly said that he will not sell his coins anytime soon, noting that he will hold them for a hundred years.  In February, the Microstrategy boss

2022-04-24Deep Dive

Ukraine’s central bank bans purchasing cryptocurrency using local currency

Ukraine‘s central bank has banned the purchase of cryptocurrencies using the country’s local currency, invoking martial law, which has been in effect since the invasion by Russia.  The National Union Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has introduced several measures to reduce capital outflows, including banning the purchase of cryptocurrency with local currency.  Due to Russias invasion, the need for international transactions has increased significantly.  In an official statement by the Ukrainian central bank on April 21, several cross-border operations are restricted. Moreover, individuals are prohibited from purchasing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin using the national fiat currency, Hryvnia.  Ukrainians can only purchase cryptocurrencies with foreign currencies under the new rules up to a maximum limit of 100,000 hryvnias ($3,300). The limitation also applies to international peer-to-peer transactions.  The National Bank of Ukraine said:  “From now on, individuals will be able to use their own foreign currency to purchase a monthly equivalent of up to 100,000 hryvnias in assets that are directly converted into (exchanged for) cash through transactions classified as quasi cash. The respective limit also applies to cross-border P2P transfers.”  The move is surprising considering the Ukrainian government recently officially legalized cryptocurrencies after President Zelenskyy signed a new bill on virtual assets into law on March 16.  In recent

2022-04-23Deep Dive

Top NFT Games to Play and Earn 2022

If video gaming was a passive diversion in the past, blockchain technology has proven that it can be a viable source of income too. Gaming empowers people to attain financial freedom, thanks to the rapid growth of play-to-earn platforms.  Play-to-earn games are video games that incentivize engagement through rewards. While they have been around for a long time, blockchain technology is a game-changer for the industry. Here, you are rewarded in crypto tokens and non-fungible tokens with real-world value in exchange for your time and gaming skills.  In fact, P2E platforms like Axie Infinity and Decentraland have been major drivers of NFT growth. Their success has kindled a gaming revolution that is steadily picking up steam.Top NFT Games to Play and Earn 2022  Emerging play-to-earn games put forth new themes, gaming mechanics, and incentivization schemes. We have compiled a list of the top NFT games to play this year based on their earning potential.  Silks — Best Play to Earn Game of 2022  Guild of Guardians — Gripping Role-playing P2E Game  RaceFi — Car Racing Game with PvP and PvE Modes  Phantom Galaxies — Sci-Fi Mecha Shared World  Pirate X Pirate — Turn-based Dice Combat on the High Seas  My Neighbor Alice — Feel-good Farm and Builder Game  Alien Worlds

2022-04-22Deep Dive

Tesla Hodls Bitcoin: Balance Sheet Shows $1.26B in Digital Assets

Tesla Continues to Hodl Bitcoin  Tesla released its earnings results for the first quarter of 2022 Wednesday. Elon Musks electric car company reported another record quarter of sales and profit exceeding Wall Street estimates despite inflation pressure.  The company‘s revenue rose 81% to $18.76 billion from $10.39 billion a year ago. Its earnings jumped 658% from $438 million in the previous year to $3.32 billion in the first quarter of this year. “I’ve never been more optimistic and excited in terms of the future than I am right now,” Musk said during Wednesdays earnings call.  Amid record profit, Teslas balance sheet shows net digital assets of $1.261 billion.  Teslas Q1 2022 balance sheet. Source: Tesla  Tesla‘s statement of cash flows still shows that the company’s only purchase of digital assets happened in the first quarter of last year when it bought $1.5 billion worth of BTC. The only sale of digital assets also happened in the same quarter.  Teslas Q1 2022 statement of cash flows. Source: Tesla  In January, Tesla began accepting the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin for some merchandise. However, the company has yet to bring back bitcoin as a payment option.  Musk has said that he sees bitcoin as a store of value whereas dogecoin is better

2022-04-22Deep Dive

Columbia Uni professor heads up a16z's new crypto research unit

Following his appointment as head of research, Tim Roughgarden stated that a16zs funding into crypto research will grow by “many multiples of the next couple of years.”  Theoretical computer scientist and Columbia University professor Tim Roughgarden has been appointed the head of Andreessen Horowitzs (a16z) new crypto research unit.  Roughgardens resume includes more than three years as a professor of computer science at Columbia University in New York, along with a 14-year stint at Stanford. He has also served as a research partner at a16z since February last year.  a16z is one of the most active venture capital firms in crypto, with its funds reportedly worth around $9 billion. Partly guided by the firms new unit which was announced earlier today, Roughgarden has stated that its funding into crypto research will grow by “many multiples of the next couple of years.”  “Were currently in a particular moment in time, witnessing a new multidisciplinary field (spurred by web3) blossom before our eyes. There are enormous opportunities to shape this field through research and education.”  8/ As a research lab within a VC firm, a16z crypto research represents a new funding model for basic research—one that seems obvious in hindsight (with the long-term focus necessary for fundamental

2022-04-22Deep Dive
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