Month: June 2023

The German Intelligence Agency (BND) has released a collection of 999 dog-themed NFTs, “Dogs of BND,” to attract young tech-savvy individuals with an affinity for blockchain technology. Acquired by completing a cyber quest, this initiative aims to recruit future talent fluent in blockchain and mitigate cybercrime.

The Starknet Foundation recently appointed former Meta executive Diego Oliva as its inaugural CEO, marking a significant milestone. Tasked with driving ecosystem growth and decentralization efforts, Oliva, who has a diverse background, will lead the foundation, which now boasts a seven-person board and a reserve of 5.01 billion tokens.

Storage proofs, a cryptographic method aiming to revolutionize cross-chain asset transfers, may provide a more secure alternative to vulnerable bridges in the growing blockchain ecosystem. Starknet plans to be the first network to natively integrate storage proofs, potentially eliminating intermediary third-party “oracles,” offering enhanced security and user experience for asset transfers.

Cryptocurrency self-custody firm Casa expands its services to include Ethereum, offering private key management for both Bitcoin and Ether. Driven by customer demand for secure alternatives to centralized platforms, Casa strives to make self-custody more user-friendly, emphasizing the importance of individuals controlling their digital assets.

Struct Finance introduces an innovative tranching mechanism in the DeFi space, offering tailored financial products for varying risk appetites. This permissionless method allows customized investment models, catering to both conservative and high-risk investors, potentially bringing stability and predictability to crypto investments.

EDX Markets, a new crypto exchange backed by Citadel Securities, Fidelity Investments, and Charles Schwab, offers trading for major cryptocurrencies without storing the digital assets themselves. Meanwhile, regulatory concerns and security risks emphasize the importance of vigilance and due diligence in the crypto space.

Web3 technology can revolutionize consumer engagement by rewarding valuable input transparently using digital tokens. This fosters a healthier relationship and long-term retention of consumers, enabling brands to co-create and foster loyalty through recognizing contributors’ efforts.

Binance Labs leads a $10 million funding round for Neutron, a cross-chain smart contract platform focused on interchain security within the Cosmos ecosystem. This collaboration aims to develop a secure, cost-efficient environment for building smart contracts and decentralized applications across 51 blockchains in the Cosmos network.

The future of finance could involve a unified electronic ledger merging central bank digital currencies with tokenized assets, streamlining transactions and improving global financial systems, according to a Bank for International Settlements report. Key benefits include automated smart contracts, reduced trade costs, and seamless cross-border operations.

Hedgehog, an innovative robo-adviser app for cryptocurrency investors, offers automated financial guidance to manage crypto portfolios through diversified portfolios called stacks. Providing direct asset ownership, it integrates with Gemini as the official custodian, and focuses on catering to varied preferences, risk appetites, and investment strategies while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Tether plans to launch USDT tokens on Kava, a scalable layer-1 blockchain, providing Kava’s community access to the dependable stablecoin. Despite concerns about USDT’s stability and reserves, this partnership strengthens Tether’s position as a market-leading stablecoin.

Paradigm unveils Reth v0.1.0-alpha, a new Ethereum client designed to enhance stability and client diversity, streamline contribution to Ethereum roadmap, and create a high-performance ecosystem for EVM developers and users. Reth’s robustness and efficiency set promising prospects for Ethereum’s future, but its actual impact remains to be seen.

Bpifrance, a French publicly funded investment bank, enters the crypto space by investing in hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger, exploring Web3 opportunities like Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs. The bank aims to support the growing French crypto and blockchain ecosystem, targeting over 450 startups and promoting French innovation in the global blockchain sphere.