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Joel Kuck, CEO of Decentralized ETF, believes that “the big money will come when the institutions come” after the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States. As expectations grow that a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) will be approved in the United States, it remains one of the hottest topics heading into 2024. In Episode 38 of Cointelegraph’s Hashing It Out , Elisha Owusu Akyaw talks to Joel Kuck, CEO of Decentralized ETF (D-ETF), about how ETFs work, the potential impact of spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs on the cryptocurrency industry and the idea of decentralized ETFs. Amid the optimism that U.S. regulators are set to greenlight multiple spot BTC ETFs, some projects are also looking to bring other ETFs to the blockchain while riding the wave of hype around the investment products. Kuck explains why the industry is bullish about spot Bitcoin ETFs and why the excitement around them is mounting. He explains that direct exposure to Bitcoin for institutional investors and fun...

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...

Gas fees on the Polygon network reached as high as $0.10 during a mad rush to mint an Ordinals-inspired token called POLS. Gas fees on Ethereum layer-2 Polygon (MATIC) surged more than 1,000% to reach a peak of $0.10 as users inundated the network with the minting of Ordinals-inspired token s dubbed POLS.  In a Nov. 16 X (formerly Twitter) post Polygon founder Sandeep Nailwal shared his surprise at the elevated transaction activity on the network saying the spike could’ve been due to the launch of a new Polygon-based nonfungible token (NFT) collection. What is going on on @0xPolygon POS chain? 6m transactions in last 24 hrs. 170 TPS on average. 1mn+ MATIC burnt by the protocol. The chain worked smoothly, gas fees went crazy though but no reorgs or 0 blocks etc. I hear there is some game Baby Shark Launching, could that be the… — Sandeep Nailwal | sandeep. polygon (@sandeepnailwal) November 16, 2023 The reason for the uptick in network activity and sudden spike in gas fees seems ...

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...

Deaton strongly refuted the idea that the lawsuit’s result was an even 50-50 outcome for the SEC, asserting that it leaned closer to a 90-10 advantage in favor of Ripple. Prominent cryptocurrency attorney John E. Deaton has offered insights into the Ripple Labs XRP lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He contends that a settlement valued at $20 million or less would constitute a significant legal triumph for the company. In a recent X social media post, Deaton strongly refuted the idea that the lawsuit’s result was an even 50-50 outcome for the SEC, asserting that it leaned closer to a 90-10 advantage in favor of Ripple. Deaton’s remarks were prompted by a post from Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, highlighting another legal setback for the SEC. Deaton’s viewpoint resonates with the sentiment in the cryptocurrency community, which generally views the suggested $20 million settlement as a positive resolution for Ripple. This assessment considers...

One of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges to hold a multi-week event on blockchain where the community celebrates art, music, gaming and more. Presented by Coinbase, the Onchain Summer festival will bring the community together for three weeks in August to build, socialize, play and celebrate innovation. The inclusive nature and global reach of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have given rise to a diverse community of individuals from various nationalities, cultures, backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. The influence of crypto and blockchain expands beyond financial technologies, and the community reflects that by spanning across different sectors, including health care, gaming, retail, social and political domains. For this vast network of enthusiasts, estimated to surpass 420 million people worldwide in 2023, touching base and socializing about common interests is crucial. This is why the crypto and blockchain ecosystem is never short of conferences, festivals and sum...

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now more potent and readily available as they evolve, causing disruption in various industries, and adding value. One such tool is DeepFake Ai. The project combines blockchain and AI to create a platform for users to generate deep fakes . By including their native currency, FakeAI, investors and early participants may also explore emerging opportunities. This article examines the DeepFake Ai project, covering its features, payment options, native token, and why enthusiasts are increasingly analyzing the platform. History and background In 2017, researchers at the University of Washington coined the term “deep fake” to describe a new kind of AI that produces convincing videos of people saying or doing things they never actually did.  You might also like: Coinbase battles US SEC, Worldcoin concerns mount, FTX announces reorganization plans | Weekly recap In 2023, DeepFake Ai was launched by its founders, known o...

Mainstream adoption of the metaverse will require more than a dead-eyed avatar and high-quality graphics. The world met the first metaverse in 1992 when Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash depicted an online world that users could only access via virtual reality (VR) goggles. Stephenson described this universe as a place where users could receive computer-generated bodies, hang out with friends and attend events like concerts. The 2018 film Ready Player One revisited this theme, emphasizing that the metaverse would overtake the real world and become the place where people spend most of their time. Currently, however, the metaverse and VR experiences are a far cry from how they were imagined in science-fiction media. Today’s graphics on metaverse and VR platforms don’t provide the realism that many would expect from a digital immersion experience. According to an article in Fast Company, the dead eyes of Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse avatar in Meta’s latest release suggest a graphical qua...

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...

The virtual asset manager and lending platform suspended withdrawals following challenges at Haru Invest, a similar entity. Delio, a virtual asset manager and lending platform based in South Korea, has announced the temporary suspension of customer withdrawals “in order to safely protect the assets of customers currently in custody.” The company made the decision in response to the recent suspension of digital asset deposits and withdrawals at Haru Invest, which has led to heightened market volatility and increased confusion among investors within the region. According to Delio, the suspension will remain in effect until “the situation and its aftermath are resolved.” A translation of the announcement read: “In order to safely protect the assets of customers currently in custody, Delio will inevitably suspend withdrawals temporarily as of June 14, 2023, 18:30." Delio has reassured its clients that it will do its best to protect their assets “while quickly grasping the facts ...

According to Polygon Labs, Polygon 2.0 will enable users to create, exchange, and program value on the internet. On June 12, Polygon Labs announced “Polygon 2.0,” a set of upgrades that seeks to establish the "Value Layer" of the internet , which the company says will allow users “to create, exchange, and program value.” 1/ Our vision for Polygon is simple: to build the Value Layer of the Internet. The Internet allows anyone to create and exchange information. The Value Layer allows anyone to create, exchange, and program value. Enter Polygon 2.0: a blueprint to build the ultimate Value Layer. pic.twitter.com/9eYSr3H1L5 — Polygon (Labs) (@0xPolygonLabs) June 12, 2023 According to an announcement shared on Twitter, “Polygon 2.0 is a set of upgrades that radically reimagine almost every aspect of Polygon, from protocol architecture to tokenomics to governance. It is a roadmap for how Polygon will become the Value Layer, offering unlimited scalability and unified liquidity...

The White House national strategy listed eight emerging technologies with a focus on building international standards and finding use cases in the economic sector. The United States White House released the national standard s strategy for key and emerging technologies on May 4. The national strategy identified eight technology sectors that will have a great economic impact in the near future. Among the eight technologies that focus on artificial intelligence, communication and network technologies, biotechnology, semiconductors and more, the listing of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and digital identity infrastructure grabbed the crypto community’s attention the most. DLT permits concurrent access, record validation, and record updating throughout a networked database. Blockchain technology is based on DLT, making it possible for users to see any changes and the people who made them, lowering the need for auditing data, ensuring data reliability, and restricting access to only...

Nearly $4 billion has been staked in Binance's Sui farming pools in anticipation of the layer -1 blockchain's airdrop. On May 1, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) issued a warning to Tron founder Justin Sun regarding a deposit of 56.1 million TrueUSD to Binance. The Binance executive wrote:  "Our team told Justin, if he uses any of these to grab the LaunchPool Sui token, we will "take action against it". SMH. Binance LaunchPool are meant as air drops for our retail users, not just for a few whales." In response, Sun said that Tron DAO's primary objective in depositing TrueUSD "is to facilitate market-making between leading TUSD exchanges." Nevertheless, Sun said some team members "inadvertently used a portion of them to participate in exchange campaigns." Upon discovery, Tron DAO immediately contacted Binance and arranged for a full refund. "We sincerely apologize for this oversight," the Blockchain personality wrote.  Sui i...

“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...

Market observers pointed out that CFTC goes after the bigger fish, and its regulatory action often proves fatal for the crypto companies. The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sued crypto exchange Binance for violations of trading and derivatives laws. The lawsuit, filed on March 27, alleged that the global crypto exchange offered its derivatives trading services to U.S. customers without applying for a derivatives license. The lawsuit from the commodities watchdog in the U.S. took many by surprise with market observers and reporters claiming it to be a political move. Eleanor Terrett, a Fox news reporter tweeted that sources close to the CFTC suggest the commodities regulator decided to go for a lawsuit in order to show the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that this is a commodities issue rather than a securities one. than a securities one. They also say "Vegas odds" have the @SECGov rushing out a similar lawsuit against @ Binance as a count...

As Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade approaches next month, one of the network's testnets has successfully upgraded, simulating the slated hard fork. The Ethereum blockchain's Sepolia testnet has undergone a successful upgrade that simulates the upcoming Shanghai hard fork that is expected to take place in March on the network's mainnet. The "Shapella" upgrade, which combines the names of the upcoming Shanghai and Capella hard forks, was successfully implemented on the testnet on Feb. 28. Sepolia testnet has success fully upgrade d to Shapella! Some of the Prsym validators are offline due to the old geth version. They will come online in the next 10 mins! Next stop: Goerli pic.twitter.com/pb43Gq7w9C — terence.eth (@terencechain) February 28, 2023 Shanghai is the fork’s name on the execution layer client side and Capella is the upgrade name on the consensus layer client side. One of the major changes enables validators to withdraw their staked Ether (stETH) from...

"We are very sorry for the concern and inconvenience caused to our customers due to the suspension of our services," the exchange wrote. According to a press release on Feb. 20, FTX Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of troubled cryptocurrency exchange FTX, announced that the withdraw al of users' fiat currency and crypto assets would commence via the Liquid Japan web platform at 12:00 p.m. on Feb. 21.  In Nov. 2022, FTX Japan halted operations after its parent firm, FTX, filed for bankruptcy along with its 134 subsidiaries, freezing the assets of an estimated nine million customers and billions of dollars locked in legal proceedings. Per FTX Japan, customers who have assets in their accounts would need to confirm their balance and transfer them to their Liquid Japan account. Liquid Japan is a licensed Japanese crypto-asset exchange that was acquired by FTX in April 2022. FTX Japan customers who do not have a Liquid Japan account are required to open one before receiving ...

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 ...