Press Release Today TheBitTimes.com

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko recounts the “eureka moment” that birthed the blueprint for the layer one smart contract protocol aimed to be “hyper-optimized” and “fast as possible”. “I literally had two coffees and a beer, and I had this eureka moment at four in the morning," Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko recalls as he leans back thoughtfully.  Speaking to Cointelegraph at the annual Breakpoint conference in Amsterdam, the co-founder recounts a late night brainwave of a “hyper-optimized, fast as possible” smart contract blockchain protocol. “The use case that I was going after was for central limit order books, like how to run something that's like the Nasdaq, but on a public permission-less blockchain ,” Yakovenko explains. “I thought that there was a clear win there if you have transparent data, everyone has fair and open rights and all this stuff is running on commodity hardware.” From surfing to smart contracts Solana’s roots are intrinsically linked to Yako...

The latest Cointelegraph Report explains everything you need to know about a potential spot Bitcoin ETF approval in the U.S., its impact on the market, and its significance for the crypto industry. A wave of optimism around the potential approval of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States has ignited bullish price action in the crypto market in recent weeks.  But that could be just the beginning: If a spot Bitcoin ETF receives a greenlight by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it would mark a major milestone in the history of digital assets. The spot Bitcoin ETF will provide institutional investors with a simple and regulated way to get exposure to Bitcoin with potentially explosive consequences for the Bitcoin market. According to many analysts, a spot Bitcoin ETF could spark a demand shock that, coupled with next year's Bitcoin halving event, could spark the new crypto bull market. The SEC has so far rejected all spot Bitcoin ETF applicat...

Over 81,000 wallet addresses now hold $1 million or more worth of Bitcoin. The number of crypto wallet addresses holding more than $1 million in Bitcoin (BTC) has more than tripled this year.  BitInfoCharts data shows the number of addresses with more than $1 million in BTC increased from 23,795 on Jan. 1 to 81,925 currently, a 237% increase in the last 11 months. Currently, 81,925 wallet addresses hold more than $1 million in BTC. Source: BitInfoCharts The million aire wallet s are not one-to-one with individual users as many addresses with more than $1 million BTC belong to crypto exchanges and financial institutions. Comparative data from Glassnode shows the number of addresses holding more than $1 million in Bitcoin peaked during the top of the last bull market in November 2021, posting a record 112,573 addresses on Nov. 9, 2021, the day before Bitcoin notched its all-time high of $69,000 on Nov. 10, 2021. The number of “millionaire” Bitcoin wallets has grown more than 237% fr...

Ethereum gas fees reportedly breached the $200-mark for certain high-priority transactions in the last 24 hours. A recent spike in transaction fees on Ethereum and Bitcoin appears to have reignited the debate around solutions for scalability and the role of layer 2s. Over the last 24 hours, cryptocurrency users began sharing screenshots showing double, occasionally triple-digit transaction fees on Ethereum and Bitcoin. One screenshot showed gas fees were as high as $220 for a high-priority transaction on Ethereum while other screenshots showed figures around the $100 mark. Bitcoin users meanwhile, reported fees that were around $10 for high-priority transactions. While this is relatively low, the average Bitcoin (BTC) transaction cost has hovered around $1 over the last three months, according to BitInfoCharts. BTC fees haven’t been this high since May. #Saitama #SaitaRealty To Add to Below Post This isn't even Height of Bull Run Already #ETH Gas Fees are Extortionate $175.79 T...

One of Thailand’s leading venture capital firms says it’s focused on boosting web3 adoption in its home country and the region by investing strategically in startups developing essential tools for onboarding new users.  KX, a venture builder subsidiary of Kasikorn Business Technology Group, has today announced that it invested in  Magic and Transak  earlier this year as part of its comprehensive strategy focused on “decentralized commerce.” The firm believes Southeast Asia can play a crucial role in its growth and wants to be at the front and center of that drive . The region already ranks very highly in crypto adoption , with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand all rated as the top 10 countries by Chainalysis, a blockchain Analysis firm. You might also like: Vietnam second largest ASEAN crypto holder The report also notes that crypto activity in the region is drive n by trading activity and decentralized finance (defi).  Southeast Asia also has numerous web3 s...

Professional Dota 2 player Erik “Tofu” Engel believes that Web3 has very beneficial features for gamers. While game developers seem to hate the idea of Web3 coming into games, players who compete in gaming tournaments for a living are more open to trying out blockchain gaming . Professional Dota 2 player Erik Engel for Gaimin Gladiators, more commonly known by his gamer tag “Tofu,” expressed his thoughts on Web3 and how it can help gamers in a statement sent to Cointelegraph. Engel, who has won over $400,000from various major tournaments in the Dota 2 competitive gaming scene, said it’s refreshing to see companies make “more out of games than just games.” He explained: “The idea of blockchain gaming is still a new and expanding topic for most of us, and it’s something I want to explore more in the future. If it’ll improve gaming and make it even more rewarding, then that’s definitely something to look out for in times ahead.” In addition, Engel believes that Web3 has Features that...

Pouch founder Ethan Rose said that they've managed to convince 400 businesses to accept Bitcoin in the Philippines. As many developments within the space show how far the Bitcoin (BTC) community has come, an executive from a BTC payment provider shared how in other parts of the world, adoption may still be in its early stages.  At the BTC Prague event, Cointelegraph reporter Joseph Hall interviewed Ethan Rose, the founder of Pouch, a wallet service that supports the Bitcoin Lightning Network in the Philippines. The duo spoke about the state of adoption in the country and how the Pouch team is trying to introduce Bitcoin to merchants on the island of Boracay, a popular tourist hotspot in the country.  According to Rose, their team has already managed to onboard around 250 businesses within the island and 400 businesses in the country. Their team is working to promote Bitcoin adoption in the country by offering merchants another way to attract customers. “They're not really...

In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Obi Nwosu, CEO and co-founder of Fedi explains why it will “be clear” that Bitcoin’s ecosystem will come out on top by the end of this year. Bitcoin (BTC) is poised to claim the cryptocurrency throne by the end of 2023, as its superiority “is going to be clear” in every aspect, according to Fedi’s CEO. During the Bitcoin 2023 event in Miami on May 20, Cointelegraph reporter Joe Hall interviewed Obi Nwosu, the CEO and co-founder of Fedi – a Bitcoin community custody protocol that offers an alternative solution for those who lack access to or don’t trust centralized exchanges. Catching up with homies is the best part of conferences. @obi @FelixWeis taking the picture! Known these dudes for over almost a decade now! And what a decade it's been! pic.twitter.com/1UcfX6KdIg — Marshall Long (@OGBTC) May 19, 2023 Nwosu emphasized during the interview that it is becoming “increasingly hard to deny” that Bitcoinhas the “fastest, cheapest...

Security expert Jameson Lopp said some users lost Ethereum tokens because of the lack of a secure storage method. The demand for Ethereum self-custody solutions is growing, according to Jameson Lopp, co-founder and chief technology officer of Bitcoin wallet provider Casa. In a conversation with Cointelegraph at Bitcoin 2023, Lopp stated that Casa has found it necessary to provide Ethereum support due to the increased number of Ethereum users seeking the service. Incidents like the collapse of FTX in 2022 have raised awareness of the need for a secure way to store Ethereum and Ethereum tokens such as stablecoins, Lopp said: “I’ve actually spoken to Casa clients who suffered losses as a result of some of the collapses last year. Those that kept their Bitcoin in Casa did well, but some of them ended up losing other things — even stablecoins, for example — because they didn’t have a way to put those into a distributed cold-storage setup.” In order to respond to this problem, Casa announce...

“Lightning is great and something we’ll integrate,” Armstrong said in response to an allegation that he was “ignoring” the network. Bitcoin (BTC) layer 2 scaling solution Lightning may feature on the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in some capacity, according to its chief Brian Armstrong. In a tweet on April 8, Armstrong said that “Lightning is great and something we’ll integrate” in response to a tweet criticizing him for “actively ignoring” the network. My tweets auto-delete after some number of months, so there is no search history. Lightning is great and something we ’ll integrate . — Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 8, 2023 Armstrong provided no further details on what a Lightning integration with Coinbase would involve or when it could be expected. Coinbase, along with Binance and the now bankrupt FTX, has been called out in the past for not integrating the Lightning network which enables faster and cheaper BTC transactions than the Bitcoin base network. Accordi...

While it may cause downside pressure in the short run, the Shanghai upgrade will be extremely bullish for Ether's price in the mid-to-long term, according to Vivek Raman. While it may have some short-term negative impact on the price of Ether (ETH), the upcoming Shanghai upgrade will be extremely bullish for Ethereum's native token, as it will attract more capital to staking and increase the network's security, according to Ethereum researcher Vivek Raman.  The Shanghai upgrade , scheduled for April 12, will allow network validators to withdraw funds that have been locked to secure the network since December 2020. The upgrade will complete the network’s transition to a proof-of-stake system, which started last October with the Merge. Around 18 million ETH will be available for withdrawal following Shanghai. According to Raman, that may lead to some selling pressure on ETH's price in the short term. However, in the long run, the ability to unstake Ether will “de-risk...

Within 24 hours of the job posting, 45 applicants have shown interest in joining the federal government to build an in-house CBDC. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is looking for a software engineer to help develop and implement system s related to a central bank digital currency (CBDC). On Feb. 18, the San Francisco Fed posted a job opening for a “senior application developer - digital currency.” The candidate is expected to aid the Federal Reserve in designing and implementing systems critical to CBDC research. Revealing its intention, the Fed’s post read: “Given the dollar’s important role, Federal Reserve System seeks to further understand the cost and benefits of the potential technologies for central bank digital currencies, and how the system better understand this emerging field.” Key responsibilities include developing systems related to CBDCs, identifying improvements and mitigating risks, to name a few. The job location is in San Francisco, California, with a base...

Emerging technologies are revolutionizing medicine - person by person and pill by pill. Pharmacy visitors expect quick service - to have their prescription filled quickly, or over-the-counter remedy purchased in just a few minutes. In this rapid interaction, little thought goes to the journey of that medicine from a microscope slide to mass production.  In reality, the drug discovery process is incredibly time and research-intensive. Despite significant advancements in manufacturing and discovery, the average time to bring a drug from the initial stage to market is 10-15 years and costs millions of dollars. Emerging technologies are transforming healthcare and drug discovery. Artificial intelligence, for example, is doing the “dirty work” of drug discovery by running simulations of drug efficacy instead of timely trial-and-error testing. Blockchain secures healthcare records and connects patients with new clinical trials. AR and VR tools help patients overcome phobias and fear during ...

Blockchain courses and certifications help individuals understand the underlying principles and applications of blockchain technology. Blockchain courses and certifications can play an important role in helping individuals gain a comprehensive understanding of blockchain technology and its applications. By completing these courses, individuals can develop technical skills, stay current with industry developments, enhance their career opportunities and increase their earning potential. Here are seven blockchain courses and certifications for beginners. INE’s Blockchain Security INE’s Blockchain Security course is an online course offered by Internetwork Expert (INE) that provides a comprehensive overview of the security aspects of blockchain technology. The course covers various topics such as consensus algorithms, cryptography, network security, smart contract security, and blockchain attacks and defenses. Related: What is a smart contract security audit? A beginner’s guide This cours...

The crypto trading firm sees NFTs becoming more intertwined with brand IP, while Web3 apps with "real world utility" gain traction. Despite an eventful year fraught with crypto collapses and price drops, Steven Goulden, a senior research analyst at crypto trading firm Cumberland has pointed to several “green shoots” to break the surface in crypto in 2023. In a 14-page “Year in Review” report released on Dec. 24, Goulden said he saw four “ emerging narratives ” in 2023 that will lead to “significant progress” for crypto over the next six to 24 months. These include non-fungible tokens (NFTs) becoming a “go-to method” of tokenizing a brand's intellectual property (IP), Web3 apps and games becoming “genuinely popular,” while Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) could become more commonly used as a nation’s reserve asset. In 2023, we anticipate that we’ll see meaningful green shoots break the surface in several key areas, which will pave the way for significant progress in the...