DBS Bank Issues Digital Bonds in First Security Token Offering

In hopes to grow its financial products on the DBS Digital Exchange (DDex), Singapores DBS Bank just announced its issuance of a $11.3 million digital bond in its security token offering (STO).  A security token offering is similar to that of an IPO, in that its a type of public offering where tokenized digital securities are sold on security token exchanges like DDex. In turn, these tokens can be used to trade equities, fixed income, and more.  The DBS Digital Bond, which is issued via DDEx, comes with a six-month expiry and a coupon rate of 0.60% per annum. DBS stated that this will allow other STO issuers and private clients to tap into DBS growing infrastructure to “efficiently access capital markets” for funding.  Eng-Kwok Seat Moey, head of capital markets at DBS, said that his firms issuance of security tokens present an opportunity for corporations to seek alternative ways of fundraising from private capital markets.  “Our maiden STO listing on the DBS Digital Exchange is a significant milestone, as it highlights the strength of our digital asset ecosystem in facilitating new ways of unlocking value for issuers and investors.”  The bank expects tokenization to become more mainstream as it continues to expand its digital

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Tokenization in Europe – Current State and Future Outlook

After the substantial rally of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in recent months, it is time to take a detailed look at the current and future market development for tokenized assets. A joint study by Plutoneo and Tangany focuses in particular on Europe and its share of the global market capitalization of tokenized assets.  Comprehensive data for the security token market was collected, depicting the most precise statement for this category in Europe. The trend is clear – the underlying magic of blockchain and distributed ledger technology is advancing more and more. At this moment, the market for tokenized assets consists almost exclusively of cryptocurrencies. However, the future belongs to security tokens. We venture a look at when this will happen.  Key assumptions  For this study, we analyzed the research conducted by third parties and combined it with data from relevant market participants. To calculate the market size for tokenized assets in Europe, the underlying key assumptions are as follows.  Market share of cryptocurrencies in Europe  Outlook of market size for cryptocurrencies in Europe  Market share of security tokens in Europe  Outlook of market size for security tokens in Europe  The first two assumptions are used to derive the market size of cryptocurrencies in Europe, while the last two

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Bitcoin and Ethereum Extend Gains, AAVE and THETA Rally

Bitcoin price remained well bid above the USD 36,000 level. BTC extended its rise towards the USD 38,000 resistance zone. It is currently (04:40 UTC) trading below USD 37,000, but dips might remain attractive near USD 36,000.  Besides, most major altcoins are showing positive signs. ETH broke the USD 2,650 resistance and it could rise further towards the USD 2,800 level. XRP/USD settled above USD 1.00, but it might face hurdles near the USD 1.10 level.  Bitcoin price  After a close above USD 35,500, bitcoin price started a steady increase. BTC broke the USD 36,500 resistance level and climbed above USD 37,000. However, the bulls failed to gain strength for a break above USD 38,000. The price is now correcting gains and trading below USD 37,000. An immediate support is near USD 36,200 and USD 36,000.  On the upside, an initial resistance is near the USD 37,500 level. The first major breakout resistance is now forming near the USD 38,000 level, above which it could test the USD 40,000 zone.  Ethereum price  Ethereum price is up 15% and it broke the USD 2,650 resistance zone. ETH tested the USD 2,750 level before correcting lower. The price is now consolidating near USD 2,650. The first key support

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Goldman Sachs Says Crypto Could Power Data Economy

Key Takeaways  Goldman Sachs has published a report discussing cryptos potential as an institutional asset class.  Researchers argued that the value of a blockchain depends on the information stored on it, claiming that Ethereum could become the number one chain in the future.  The report also discussed the importance of decentralization for the future of the space.  Goldman Sachs researcher Jeff Currie believes that Ethereum could become the Amazon of Information where individuals can privately store, transfer, and sell their personal data.  Blockchain and the Data Economy  Goldman Sachs researchers are bullish on cryptos future role in the data economy.  The banking giant recently published a report titled “Crypto: A New Asset Class” discussing the technology‘s potential to become an institutional asset class. In it, the Global Head of Commodities Research Jeff Currie discussed the potential for blockchains to change the way information is handled on the Internet. In industries where trust is key, blockchain’s ability to be immutable and public while still protecting privacy gives it a significant edge over frameworks that require trust to function. Finance, law, and medicine are key areas where smart contracts can change the way information is transferred, Currie noted.  The report also said that Ethereum‘s native smart contract integration could one

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Binance Smart Chain Faces yet Another Flash Loan Attack: Belt Finance Loses $6.3 Million

Belt Finance, a Binance Smart Chain-based decentralized lending protocol, lost $6.3 million in a flash loan attack last week. The attackers took advantage of a series of inefficiencies in the smart contract to manipulate the price of the set and obtain profit from a series of transactions. This is just the last of a series of attacks that seem to be pointing to Binance Chain protocols due to their vulnerabilities.  Belt Finance Loses $6.3 Million in Flash Loan Attack  Belt Finance, a borrowing and loaning protocol that operates in the Binance Smart Chain suffered a flash attack last week that caused losses of over six million dollars. The attack, that used Pancakeswap as a tool for executing its strategy, used a series of operations to manipulate its belt/BUSD pool, a stable token in the protocol, and profit due to this inefficiency. The Belt Finance team declared in a post mortem report that the attackers managed to exploit this bug eight times before being detected.  The team of Belt Finance immediately suspended withdrawals and deposits to the affected pools and claimed the attack vector that was used for the attack has been patched after the attack. In addition to this, they are studying how

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Crypto Industry Has Decoupled From Bitcoin, Says Cardano Founder

In a recent address on YouTube, Hoskinson spoke at length about how cryptocurrencies are starting to develop independent of bitcoin (BTC).  He acknowledged that while the cryptocurrency market as a whole has usually trended with bitcoin, this season is noticeably different.  Hoskinson highlighted seeing “significant counter-cyclic movement” for the first time, adding that bitcoin dominance had fallen to 43%. The Cardano (ADA) founder also emphasized that institutional preference has not been unilaterally for bitcoin. People are even starting to differentiate proof-of-stake from proof-of-work.  Billions of transactions, worth billions of dollars  Hoskinson then continued to speak of the potential of other blockchains, including his own Cardano. Also citing Algorand (ALGO), ETH2 and Omega, he said “were all neck and neck for building these amazing engines.” Hoskinson anticipates that these systems will process billions of transactions every year, amounting to trillions of dollars worth of value.  Hoskinson has lofty ambitions for the “financial operating system” he and his counterparts are developing. He says it will be social and institutional, on which eventually Fortune 500 companies and even nation-states will run. “Were future-proofing programmable finance,” he said, describing these outcomes as inevitable.  Taking back economic identity  Hoskinson then explained that his confidence in this inevitability stemmed from the inadequacies of

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Crypto Exchange Bybit Gets Warning From Japan’s FSA

On Monday, Japans Financial Services Agency (FSA) issued a warning to crypto exchange Bybit over unregistered operations.  Crypto derivatives exchange Bybit Fintech Limited has been officially warned by the FSA for running its operation without proper registration. Bybit functions as a crypto derivative exchange offering futures in digital currency, perpetual swaps, and a number of other contracts used by crypto traders.  The warning alleges that Bybits operations are giving Japanese traders the ability to leverage the exchange and that the exchange has yet to register with the FSA. This marks the first warning the FSA has sent out in more than three years to a crypto exchange.  The last being Binance back in 2018 for failing to meet similar registration requirements. Currently, Japan has more than two dozen crypto exchanges operating with proper registration under the FSA.  This marks the second warning for Bybit, though the first in Asia. Earlier in the year, the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a similar warningto Bybit. The FCA was a bit sterner with their wording, and Bybit halted all operations in the U.K.  Despite these recent hurdles, Bybit still ranks in the top five in terms of the largest bitcoin (BTC) futures exchanges volume of trades.  Japan

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson: Central Banks Will Vanish and Crypto Will Replace Them

Charles Hoskinson – the creator of Cardano – opined that central banks would fade away as they are slow and corrupt. Furthermore, he claimed that crypto is the cure to the current financial system.  Crypto Is The Antidote  In a recent video, Hoskinson shared his thoughts on the financial ecosystem and the significant role of cryptocurrencies. He opined that central banks are no longer the efficient institutions they used to be, describing them as slow and corrupt. Hoskinson went even further, predicting that they will soon disappear:  “You can‘t go back. You can’t change that, you can‘t put that genie back in the bottle. Central banks will fade away. It’s just going to happen. Your conventional legacy banks are going to fade away. The payment rails that are so nepotistic, and corrupt, and slow.”  Cardanos founder argued that the current financial system is utterly defective. For example, farmers in a developing country find it extremely difficult to access credit from a banking institution, and even if they do – it would be unreasonably expensive. Additionally, people who work abroad send money to their families have to pay very high fees.  After giving those examples, Hoskinson said that cryptocurrencies are the “antidote” to ‘this broken financial

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Subsidized Energy Powers Argentine Crypto Mining Boom

This year, countries around the world have been experiencing crypto mining booms. Ultra-low utility rates and the resurgence of capital controls fuel the current one in Argentina. “Even after bitcoins (BTC) price correction, the cost of electricity for anyone mining from their house is still a fraction of the total revenue generated,” said Nicolas Bourbon, a digital currency miner from Buenos Aires.  Argentine economic woes  In the past few years, Argentina experienced cyclical economic crises. These include repeat currency devaluations, defaults, hyperinflation, and a three-year recession compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. This has made the environment fertile for the adoption of alternative payment methods, especially cryptocurrencies.  To emphasize Argentina‘s current economic plight, inflation of the country’s peso is also running at about 50% annually. The plunging value of Argentinas native currency has led to the reintroduction of foreign exchange controls. While restricted from buying dollars, Argentines can also only buy $200-worth of any other currency.  This has ostensibly given many of them much more incentive to migrate to digital currencies. One example of this surging local demand is bitcoins value at 5.9 million pesos ($62,316) in unofficial markets, versus about 3.4 million pesos ($35,911) at the official rate.  Argentinas energy policy  Besides the greater incentive to

2021-06-01Deep Dive

Top Ethereum Decentralized Exchange Aggregator, 0x, Launches On Polygon

0x, an Ethereum-based open protocol has found a home on the Polygon blockchain with a view to scaling its DEX services. The announcement was made this Monday, with the DeFi project having revealed its API for DEX liquidity has launched on said blockchain and will make it so that “the full spectrum of on-chain liquidity can be accessed from across the Polygon network via the 0x API.”  The move sees 0x join the likes of Aave, Augur, Sushi, Curve, Paraswap, and 1inch as projects to have launched on the Polygon network. The integration also brings in all major liquidity sources on the Ethereum-compatible chain such as QuickSwap, SushiSwap, Curve, Dodo, mStable, Dfyn, and Cometh.  Polygons Remarkable Month  Polygon has had a pretty exciting month even amid the general crypto downturn sparked by Bitcoin‘s drastic drop in price. Native currency MATIC went from trading at $0.42 in April to $2.21 a month later, riding a wave coming in the form of a 350% spike. It’s since settled at $1.87, with a market cap of $11.5 billion.  Theres also the recent announcement regarding investment from Mark Cuban. The billionaire sports team owner revealed as much last week but would not get into the details. Polygon has

2021-06-01Deep Dive
1
...
590592
...
737