Transactions attributed to the Runes protocol accounted for over 50% of all Bitcoin transactions between April 20 and 24; however, by May 2, this figure had dropped to 11.1%.
In a recent ruling that could have implications for the crypto industry, the US Supreme Court unanimously sided against US-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, over a 2021 Dogecoin (DOGE) sweepstakes dispute. The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dismissed Coinbase’s argument that a ruling against it would invite legal turmoil, emphasizing the importance of contractual agreements and the role of courts in resolving disputes. Coinbase Arguments Dismissed The key issue was whether the dispute should be submitted to arbitration or litigated in court. According to Bloomberg Law, the court emphasized that arbitration requires the consent of the parties and that in cases involving conflicting contracts, the court must determine the parties’ intent. Coinbase had contended that a ruling against it would “create chaos” by encouraging parties to challenge arbitration agreements. However, the court rejected this concern, stating that it did not foresee such chaos arising from its decision. Related Reading: Is $77,600 The Next Step For Bitcoin? On-Chain Pricing Model Hints So The case revolved around a sweepstakes in which consumers alleged they were deceived into paying $100 to participate. The conflict emerged due to the presence of two contracts that pointed to different dispute resolution mechanisms. David Suski and others who participated sued the exchange and the company that ran the Dogecoin sweepstakes. They alleged violations of California’s false advertising law, unfair competition law, and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act. While a general user agreement mandated arbitration for all disputes, a sweepstakes-specific contract stipulated that disputes must be brought before a California court. Varying Outcomes In Future Cases? Justice Jackson highlighted the need for a court to determine which contract should govern the resolution of the dispute in such situations. However, the court refrained from addressing whether the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals correctly determined that the sweepstakes-specific contract “superseded” the general user agreement, deeming it beyond the scope of the question presented. Justice Neil Gorsuch provided a concurring opinion, emphasizing the contractual nature of arbitration and suggesting that different facts could yield a different outcome. He noted that the enforceability of arbitration depended on the parties’ agreement. Related Reading: Déjà Vu? Bitcoin Price Eyes Repeat Performance, Could Hit $140,000 By August – Analyst Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, reflected on the ruling, acknowledging both victories and defeats. Grewal expressed gratitude for the opportunity to present their case to the court and appreciated their consideration of the matter. Double-Digit Drop For COIN, DOGE Follows Suit Following the verdict, Coinbase stock, which trades under the ticker COIN, took a significant hit, plunging over 11% to a valuation of $220. This decline came as a surprise given the initial expectations of a potential victory. Prior to the ruling, Coinbase’s stock had reached a high of $240 on Wednesday. At the same time, the dog-themed meme cryptocurrency DOGE has also experienced a retracement of more than 4% over the past 24 hours, resulting in a current trading price of $0.158. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
In the lead-up to the November elections, cryptocurrencies have become a prominent topic in the race for the White House. Notably, the Biden administration has changed its approach to digital asset regulation, likely influenced by former President Donald Trump’s support for the nascent industry. Biden Administration Calls For Balanced Crypto Regulation In an executive release, […]
Uniswap Labs, the creator of one of the largest decentralized trading platforms, is challenging a potential enforcement action by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), arguing that crypto tokens should not be classified as securities. The New York-based firm recently refuted the allegation that it operated as an unregistered exchange and broker-dealer. This response follows the SEC’s issuance of a Wells Notice to Uniswap Labs, signaling its intent to recommend legal action against the company. Uniswap Labs Challenges SEC’s Claims In a 40-page filing submitted to the SEC, Uniswap Labs outlined numerous reasons why the agency’s pursuit of legal action should be reconsidered. The SEC’s claims are primarily based on the assumption that all tokens are securities, a premise that Uniswap Labs disputes. Related Reading: Institutional Investors Pour $942 Million Into Bitcoin, Will This Trigger A Rally To $80,000? Marvin Ammori, Chief Legal Officer of Uniswap Labs, emphasized that tokens are merely a file format for value and not inherently securities. He criticized the SEC’s attempt to redefine the terms “exchange,” “broker,” and “investment contract” to encompass Uniswap’s operations. This year, the SEC has taken action against numerous crypto firms through Wells notices, lawsuits, or settlements. The commission’s scrutiny has increasingly focused on Ethereum and decentralized finance players, including Uniswap, ShapeShift, TradeStation, and Consensys. Additionally, reports suggest that the Ethereum Foundation is under investigation. Distinction Between Tokens And Securities Uniswap Labs believes that the SEC’s case against them is flawed. It fails to recognize the distinction between tokens as files for value and tokens as securities. If the SEC proceeds with a lawsuit accusing Uniswap Labs of operating as an unregistered exchange, it risks facing adverse consequences regarding its authority over crypto tokens. Uniswap Labs warned that such litigation could set a precedent undermining the SEC’s ongoing rulemaking efforts. The company expressed its willingness to litigate if necessary and expressed confidence in a favorable outcome, stating: But we’re prepared to fight. Our lawyers are 2-0 in high-profile SEC cases. Andrew Ceresney, a former head of enforcement at the SEC, represented Ripple in their victory over the SEC. Don Verrilli, a former U.S. solicitor general, has argued more than 50 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and represented Grayscale in its successful case against the SEC. Related Reading: Why Is The Ethereum Price Up 20% Today? SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has consistently maintained that decentralized exchanges are not genuinely decentralized and should fall under the regulator’s purview. Gensler has also argued that many digital assets qualify as unregistered securities subject to SEC regulations. Uniswap Labs, in its response, contended that its governance token, UNI, does not meet the requirements of the Howey Test, a legal framework used to evaluate investment contracts. The company also disputed the SEC’s classification of LP tokens, which are used as securities for liquidity provision in Uniswap pools. Uniswap Labs asserted that LP tokens are accounting tools rather than investment instruments. Uniswap’s native token UNI has seen significant gains of nearly 20% in the last 24 hours alone, as the market rebounded from a two-month consolidation period to trade at $9.34. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
In a recent crackdown on illicit transactions involving crypto assets, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested Rui-Siang Lin, a 23-year-old individual from Taiwan. Lin, who also goes by the names Pharoah and Faro, is accused of owning and operating a dark web drug marketplace known as the “Incognito Market.” The platform allegedly facilitated anonymous […]
Uniswap Labs has issued a defiant response to the SEC’s Wells notice, asserting the agency’s attempts to regulate DeFi are misguided and legally unsound. The company said in a May 20 blog post that it is confident it will come out victorious if forced into litigation by the SEC. Uniswap Labs said: “We’re confident that […]
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In a significant departure from their previous skeptical stance, US regulators are reportedly leaning toward approving the long-awaited spot Ethereum ETFs for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. SEC Staff Signals Spot Ethereum ETFs Approval According to a report by Barron’s, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff communicated to exchanges on Monday that […]
Initially, the team identified over two million addresses as potential sybils but later refined their criteria to minimize false identifications, resulting in a more precise classification.
Layer 2 (L2) scaling solution Optimism reported a series of strong network metrics in the first quarter (Q1) 2024, with its native OP token surging 9% on the back of this bullish momentum. Optimism Sees Higher Activity And Rising Transaction Fees According to a recent Messari report, Optimism’s circulating market cap increased 11% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to $3.7 billion, while its fully diluted market cap rose 1% to $15.7 billion. Despite the broader crypto market rally, with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) gaining 69% and 53% QoQ, respectively, OP’s market cap ranking slipped from 26th to 39th among all blockchain networks. However, within the Ethereum ecosystem, OP remains one of the top four rollups by market capitalization. Driving this growth was a significant uptick in Optimism network activity. Daily active addresses reached 89,000 in Q1 2024, a 23% QoQ increase, while daily transactions surged 39% to 470,000 over the same period. These metrics approached, but did not quite reach, their all-time highs in Q3 2023. Related Reading: Expert Sets Timeline For When Ethereum Price Will Begin Rally To $10,000 The network’s revenue also saw a substantial 78% QoQ increase to $16 million, driven by higher activity and a 48% rise in the average transaction fee to $0.42. However, this average fee dropped significantly in the latter half of March due to the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4844, which reduced L1 submission costs by 99%. Total Value Locked Jumps 18% In Q1 Despite the fee reduction, Optimism’s on-chain profit for Q1 2024 increased 14% QoQ to $2 million. The network’s Total Value Locked (TVL) also grew by 18% to $1.2 billion, though its TVL ranking among all networks fell to 11th place. Within Optimism’s TVL, the DeFi sector dominated, accounting for 86% of active addresses. According to Messari, non-fungible token (NFT) applications and gaming followed with 6.9% and 6.7%, respectively. TVL’s leading protocols included Synthetix ($307 million, +4% QoQ), Aave ($270 million, +52% QoQ), and Velodrome ($171 million, +10% QoQ). Optimism’s stablecoin market capitalization also grew significantly, reaching $809 million (+32% QoQ) by the end of Q1 2024. Circle’s USDC stablecoin and Tether’s USDT made up most of this, with USDT seeing a 64% QoQ surge to $512 million, or 63% of the total stablecoin market cap on Optimism. OP Rebounds Alongside Crypto Market Resurgence Despite Optimism’s strong performance across key metrics in Q1 2024, the network’s native token, OP, did not see a corresponding price increase at the end of Q1. Instead, OP followed the broader market downtrend, hitting an annual low of $1.80 just one month after hitting an all-time high of $4.84 in March. However, OP has followed suit as the overall cryptocurrency market has seen a resurgence of bullish momentum in the past few days. In the past 24 hours, the token has recorded a 9% price increase and a 3% uptick in the past week, currently trading at $2.56. Furthermore, CoinGecko data shows a 19% increase in OP’s trading volume over the past 48 hours, reaching $290 million. Related Reading: Bitcoin To $100,000: Infamous Head And Shoulders Pattern Appears To Signal The Start Of Another Rally While this renewed bullish sentiment is encouraging, OP still trades 46% below its all-time high and faces significant resistance levels soon before a potential retest of this milestone. The first key resistance is at $2.65, followed by $2.90, which must be overcome before the token can push towards the $3.00 level. Conversely, the $2.34 support level has proven crucial and must be monitored closely in case of any bearish resurgence. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
Solana-based DeFi memecoin platform Pump.fun experienced a significant breach on May 16 when an exploiter apparently utilized flash loans to manipulate the platform’s bonding curve contracts. The platform has since paused all trading activities. In a statement on social media, Pump.fun acknowledged the exploit and assured users that the platform is investigating the issue. The […]
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The DEFINITY Foundation, the company behind developing the Internet Computer protocol, has recently unveiled an updated roadmap to facilitate increased artificial intelligence (AI) blockchain adoption. As the native token of the network, ICP continues to lead among AI tokens and holds the 22nd position in the top 100 cryptocurrencies. However, recent price drops have prompted the Foundation to focus on key areas of development to revitalize the token’s price action and further advance the protocol’s capabilities. Internet Computer Roadmap The highlighted aspects of the roadmap outline two critical steps called “milestones” in the Internet Compute platform domain: Tokamak and Stellarator. Tokamak focuses on reducing latency by maximizing the block rate of each subnet and introducing a new synchronous ingress submission endpoint. Related Reading: Shiba Inu Price Makes Decisive Move: Is Now The Ideal Time To Buy? Stellarator, on the other hand, will reportedly increase the storage layer, enabling subnet blockchains to host over 1TB of canister smart contract storage while improving the efficiency of the consensus layer. The DEFINITY Foundation aims to integrate AI capabilities as smart contracts on the Internet Computer protocol to address the resource-intensive nature of AI training and inference. The Cyclotron milestone outlined in the roadmap will increase on-chain inference for larger AI models through performance improvements in the WebAssembly runtime and inference engine. The Gyrotron milestone, on the other hand, explores the integration of AI-specialized subnets with GPU support, enabling compute—and memory-intensive computations on-chain. ICP’s Interoperability With Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Solana ICP’s Chain Fusion technology will allow direct interoperability with major blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other Ethereum Virtual Machines (EVMs). Nonetheless, the roadmap introduces several milestones to expand interoperability. Tritium milestone enables ICP to interact with Ethereum and EVM smart contracts, facilitating cross-chain communication. Deuterium milestone extends Chain Fusion support to emerging Bitcoin protocols. Interestingly, the Helium milestone aims to increase Chain Fusion for the Solana network, enabling decentralized applications (dApps) leveraging the capabilities of both networks. Related Reading: Whale Watch: Ethereum Fresh Buy Signal Sparks Speculation Next, the Solenoid milestone decentralizes the operation of the ICP boundary nodes, “empowering” the network’s participants. The Levitron milestone provides visibility into the Internet Computer’s edge infrastructure, allowing developers to gain insights into dApp usage patterns and generate user statistics. Lastly, ICP will incorporate two governance systems: the NNS (Internet Computer’s DAO) and the SNS framework governing individual dApps. Tokenomics incentivizes voting participation and aligns DAO decisions with long-term interests. These governance mechanisms will allegedly ensure decentralized decision-making and community involvement. As of the current press time, the price of ICP has experienced a significant increase of 120% year-to-date. However, it is currently trading at $12.05, 98% lower than its previous all-time high (ATH) of $700 achieved in September 2023. Once implemented, the impact of the roadmap on the cryptocurrency’s price and its potential to regain bullish momentum and drive adoption for various use cases remain to be seen. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
The US Treasury Department intends to place a significant emphasis on addressing the risks posed by cryptocurrencies and other emerging technologies in the coming months via comprehensive regulation. The Treasury has made digital assets a key area of focus in its 2024 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing report. The strategy outlined […]
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The authorities destroyed two underground operations in Fujian and Hunan, and the police also froze 149 million yuan worth $20 million linked to the USDT banking operations.
El Salvador has once again made headlines as it announced its ownership of 5,750 Bitcoin (BTC), which is valued at approximately $353 million based on current market prices, according to Bloomberg. This revelation comes after the National Bitcoin Office launched a tracking website, developed in collaboration with mempool.space, to provide transparency regarding the treasury’s BTC […]
Lido co-founders and Paradigm secretly fund Symbiotic, a new competitor to EigenLayer in the DeFi restaking space.
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Kima is seeking to bridge traditional and Web3 finance and make the user experience more manageable.
Liquity V2 will allow borrowers to set their borrowing costs, a novel approach in DeFi, and pays the lion's share of protocol revenues back to liquidity providers.
Deutsche Bank joins Singapore's Project Guardian to advance asset tokenization, collaborating with Memento Blockchain and Interop Labs to drive innovation in DeFi.
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Identifying trends in DeFi requires analyzing activity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). These DEXs are the cornerstone of the DeFi market, at the center of DeFi activity, and the main driving force of the sector. To understand what drives DeFi, we need to look at the volume, trader activity, and variety of trading pairs on DEXs. […]
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BlockFi, a centralized crypto lender, recently shut down its web platform and selected Coinbase as its distribution partner for customer fund withdrawals. The move comes as BlockFi aims to ensure a swift transition for eligible customers following the closure of its platform. BlockFi Selects Coinbase As Exclusive Partner According to the company’s press release on […]
Restaking protocol EigenLayer has unveiled its highly anticipated airdrop season, during which eligible users can claim a portion of the initial EIGEN token supply. EigenLayer Sets September 2024 Deadline The protocol’s announcement on Friday revealed that “Season 1” commences with 6.05% of the total supply, which users can claim starting on May 10. Moreover, “Season 1 phase 2,” set to begin mid-June, will increase the claimable percentage to 6.75%. Season 1 will distribute approximately 113 million EIGEN tokens to participants. EigenLayer has reserved 15% of the initial token supply for the community across all seasons, signaling its commitment to inclusive participation. Related Reading: XRP All Talk, No Action? Social Media Booms, But Price Stuck In The Bear Pit EigenLayer has also announced that EIGEN tokens are currently non-transferable. However, the protocol plans to unlock token transfers once new features are launched and “further decentralization” is achieved. These developments are expected to take place by September 30th, 2024. Until transfer restrictions are removed, core contributors and investors will not receive EIGEN staking rewards, and no inflation will occur. Record-Breaking $14 Billion In Assets Since its soft launch in 2023, EigenLayer has reportedly attracted $14 billion in assets, making it a prominent player in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. According to Bloomberg, the protocol’s restaking service offers amplified returns by leveraging the process of depositing ETH coins to support the Ethereum blockchain. Eigen Labs, the Seattle-based firm behind EigenLayer, raised approximately $165 million from notable backers, including a16z Crypto. Investors gain access to EigenDA by staking EIGEN, a performance data availability system supporting Ethereum rollups. The protocol claims this presents an opportunity for users to secure amplified returns. Additionally, EigenLayer will shortly introduce compatibility with various AVSs (Application-Specific Verification Systems), offering stakers more options. Nonetheless, virtual private network users and residents of countries such as the US, Canada, and China have been excluded from the airdrop, highlighting the challenges of operating within regulatory frameworks and ensuring compliance. Eigen Foundation’s executive director, Robert Drost, acknowledged the complexities of navigating regulatory guidelines: It’s not possible to operate in the space without following regulatory guidelines and being responsible, and the challenging part is that there is not a lot of clarity. Related Reading: Crypto Analyst Sets $10 Price Target For Cardano As Volume Jumps 90% Despite these setbacks, EigenLayer’s popularity has positioned it as the second most popular DeFi application, surpassing liquid staking platforms like Lido and Rocket Pool. While liquid staking provides easier access to staking rewards and leads the DeFi category, it has experienced significant outflows in recent months. DefiLlama data indicates a 27% decline in total value locked in liquid staking protocols since their peak of $63 billion in March. EigenLayer’s restaking service has contributed to the restaking of nearly 4% of all ETH. The second largest cryptocurrency on the market, Ethereum, is trading at $2,890, following Bitcoin’s lead with a 3.8% drop in the past 24 hours. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
Binance’s regulatory woes continue to mount as the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume has been fined C$6 million ($4.4 million) by Canada’s financial regulator, FINTRAC. The penalty was imposed due to Binance’s alleged failure to comply with money-laundering protections, specifically related to registering as a foreign money services business and reporting virtual currency […]
One of the issuers of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US, WisdomTree, has announced the expansion of its WisdomTree Prime app to users in New York. Related Reading: Meet The New King Of Crypto Payments: Why Users Are Choosing Litecoin Over Bitcoin Expanded Custody And Stablecoin Services This development closely follows WisdomTree’s recent […]
Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has come under scrutiny after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that the platform fired its top investigators following their allegations of wash trading involving a top VIP client, DWF Labs. Binance Refutes Wash Trading Allegations The report alleges that DWF Labs conducted over $300 million in […]
Learn how to connect the BNB Smart Chain to your MetaMask wallet and access a world of DApps, tokens and DeFi opportunities.
Blockchain platform Algorand achieved notable gains in key metrics during the year’s first quarter (Q1), aligning with the overall upward trend observed in the crypto market ecosystem. However, despite this growth, its native token ALGO experienced a 22% price decrease since the beginning of Q2, putting a critical support line to the test and raising questions about the cryptocurrency’s prospects. Algorand Revenue Skyrockets According to a report by Messari, Algorand’s revenue witnessed a substantial 1,747% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) surge, primarily driven by a 288% increase in transactions and a 50% rise in the average price throughout the quarter. The Orange memecoin project also contributed to this growth. In Q1 2024, ALGO’s commitment to governance on the Algorand platform declined by 60% year-on-year (YoY) and 3% Quarter-on-Quarter, reaching its lowest level in a year at 1.7 billion ALGO staked. Per the report, this downturn can be attributed, at least in part, to the diminishing governance rewards allocated per governance period. For example, governance participants received 68.2 million ALGO in Q1 2023, but this figure dropped significantly to only 21.9 million ALGO in Q1 2024. Related Reading: Forget The Price Dip: Ethereum Network Activity Hints At Imminent Takeoff The market cap for stablecoins on the Algorand platform declined 6% QoQ to $73 million. Circle’s USDC market cap on Algorand decreased by approximately 9% QoQ to $50 million. In contrast, Tether’s USDT stablecoin market cap remained stable during the same period with no QoQ change, although it recovered 2% of the stablecoin market share. Consequently, USDC’s market share decreased by 3% to 68% QoQ, while USDT’s market share increased by 2% to encompass 30% of Algorand’s total stablecoin market cap. Algorand’s DeFi TVL And Market Cap Lead The Pack Algorand’s total decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) witnessed growth for the second consecutive quarter, rising by 9% QoQ to $130 million. Although TVL experienced a decline in Q3’23 due to Algofi’s deprecation, the entire DeFi market on Algorand rebounded and surpassed Q2’23 levels, nearly reaching the levels seen in Q1’23. Folks Finance retained its position as the top DeFi protocol by TVL on Algorand. Even though its TVL fell by 5% QoQ in Q1, it maintained just over 50% market share. Pact and Tinyman also demonstrated noteworthy gains, capturing approximately 15% and 18% of the DeFi TVL market share in Q1. AlgoRai Finance experienced the most substantial growth, with a remarkable 53% increase in its TVL QoQ. Lastly, during Q1, Algorand’s market cap expanded by 18% QoQ, reaching $2.1 billion. The global crypto market cap also witnessed significant growth during the same period, nearing all-time highs of around $3 trillion, denoting a 50% increase from the previous quarter. Although Algorand capitalized on this upward trend with an 18% increase in its market cap, it experienced a more substantial surge of 123% in the preceding quarter. Testing Key Support Levels ALGO’s performance in the early stages of the second quarter has been predominantly bearish. Currently, the token is trading at $0.1935, with a possibility of further testing the support line at $0.1904. A breach of this level could lead to a continuation of the decline towards the next support at $0.1789. Related Reading: Fundstrat CEO Predicts When Bitcoin Price Will Reach $150,000 And $500,000 On the upside, the $0.1988 zone presents a significant resistance level for ALGO. Notably, the token has attempted to surpass this threshold three times in the past 10 days without success. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
In a significant move into the digital asset space, British banking app Revolut has unveiled Revolut X, a dedicated crypto trading platform for UK retail customers. According to a Fortune Magazine report, the launch of the new platform signifies Revolut’s commitment to the crypto industry and positions the company to compete with major players like […]
The United Kingdom’s FCA has been combining different approaches to regulating the crypto market to see which one would work best.
A recent report by OpenSecrets.org revealed that cryptocurrency industry Super Political Action Committees (PACs) have accumulated a staggering $102 million war chest to exert their influence on the upcoming 2024 US congressional elections. The data, compiled by Public Citizen, highlights the sector’s concerted efforts to sway elections in favor of pro-crypto candidates and impede regulatory […]
In a recent proposal, prominent Ethereum developers, including Vitalik Buterin, Sam Wilson, Ansgar Dietrichs, and Matt Garnett, suggested a new transaction type to enhance Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs). The proposal, currently in draft status, outlines the creation of a new transaction type that temporarily converts EOAs into smart contract wallets during transaction execution, offering functionalities […]
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