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• Curve Finance achieved a record $7 billion in daily trading volumes on March 11.
• The surge in trade volume was caused by the USDC depeg from the US dollar, which triggered a wave of uncertainty across markets.
• MakerDAO submitted an “urgent executive proposal to limit risks to the protocol” to avoid panic selling, and Circle announced new USDC minting.

Curve Finance Achieves Record Trading Volume

Curve Finance saw unprecedented success on March 11, smashing previous records with over $7 billion in daily trading volumes. This surge in activity was caused by the recent depegging of USD Coin (USDC) from its link to the US dollar, which triggered a wave of uncertainty throughout cryptocurrency markets.

Impact on Stablecoins

The three most prominent stablecoins – USDC, Tether (USDT), and TrueUSD (TUSD) – are all supported by Curve’s liquidity pools. As a result of this sell-off of USDC, imbalanced pools have caused its value to drop below its $1 peg. In response, MakerDAO submitted an “urgent executive proposal to limit risks to the protocol” and avoid any further panic selling.

Circle Announces New USDC Minting

As USD Coin bulls remain active despite this depegging event, traders have seen it increase 4.5% in price valuation at the time of writing. Its market cap has also increased 4%, reaching nearly $41 billion as of now. To help stabilize its value again, Circle has announced new minting for USDC tokens so that more can be added into circulation if needed.

Effects on DeFi Protocols and Markets

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is continuing to cause ripple effects across both decentralized finance protocols and traditional financial markets alike. MakerDAO is one major holder of USDC with reserves worth approximately $2.85 billion tokens; therefore it remains particularly vulnerable to such fluctuations in value due to its own reliance on collateralized debt positions (CDPs).

ConclusionAlthough FUD is still present within crypto markets due to these developments, Curve Finance has managed to surpass all-time highs with respect to daily trading volume as whales compete for assets after SVB’s collapse and subsequent depegging event with USD Coin being affected most drastically out of all stablecoins currently available today.

• Litecoin has released a major network upgrade to improve security on the network, yet its price is still dropping.
• The digital asset has a circulating supply of 72,400,940 LTC and saw a 5.4% decrease in its total market cap at the time of writing.
• Litecoin’s security feature updates aim to strengthen the security of nodes and networks and protect against surges in network activity.

Litecoin Price Drop Despite Security Upgrade

Litecoin is tanking, per charts offered by CoinMarlketCap, despite releasing a significant network upgrade aimed at improving security on the network. The digital asset, currently trading at $89.44, was 5.5% down at the time of writing, despite recording an increase of over 45% in 24 hours. Litecoin now has a circulating supply of 72,400,940 LTC and saw a 5.4% decrease in its total market cap taking it to $7,512,233,632 as of the time of writing.

Litecoin Security Feature Updates

Litecoin recently announced the release of Litecoin Core version 0.21.2.2 which includes updates that strengthen the security of nodes and networks across the platform. This version also incorporates safeguards against surges in activity throughout the network by setting memory consumption limits so that nodes with less powerful hardware don’t run out of memory during peak times on the platform.

What Makes Litecoin Unique?

Litecoin stands out among other cryptocurrencies due to its faster transaction times and lower transaction fees compared to other platforms such as Bitcoin or Ethereum . Its mining algorithm Scrypt is designed to resist specialized mining hardware making it more decentralized than other platforms available today . It was one of the first cryptocurrencies to implement Segregated Witness (SegWit) which separates transaction signature data from transaction data increasing capacity for users on this platform . With an active development team and community , litecoin offers an innovative alternative for users looking for faster , cheaper transactions when compared with Bitcoin .

Conclusion

Despite releasing new upgrades that improve security across their system , Litecoins price continues to drop . Despite this , litecoins unique features make it stand out among other crypto currencies available today offering faster transactions speeds and lower cost transactions compared with other platforms like Bitcoin or Ethereum while maintaining decentralization thanks to their mining algorithm Scrypt that resists specialized mining hardware .

• Blockchain Inc. exceeded expectations with a rise in its share price through after-hours trading; however, the company’s bitcoin revenue decreased by 7% in Q4 due to the decline in BTC prices during the year.
• Cash App offered Bitcoin sales to its customers via the app, resulting in a 25% decrease in Bitcoin gross profit for the quarter when compared to Q4 of 2021.
• Block’s adjusted profits before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) rose 53%, leading to a significant increase in share price after-hours trading following their results report.

Blockchain Inc.’s Fourth Quarter Results Revealed

Block Inc., Jack Dorsey’s payment firm, reported its quarterly and full-year results on February 23rd that showed a drop in Bitcoin (BTC) revenue due to decreasing prices throughout 2022. Despite this decrease, the company still experienced an increase in its share price through after-hours trading as it exceeded expectations.

Bitcoin Sales Dropping

The bitcoin sales made by Block Inc.’s Cash App business totaled $1.83 billion for the fourth quarter—a 7% decrease compared to the same period of 2021. This was attributed to BTC’s 65% decline over 2022 and resulted with Cash App’s Bitcoin gross profit being reduced by 25%. Despite this decrease for the year overall, Bitcoin revenue totaled $7.11 billion and gross profit was at $156 million—both 28% decreases from 2021 figures.

Gross Profit Increases

On a brighter note, Block reported an increased annual net loss of $114 million compared to 2021’s $77 million loss but also had higher adjusted profits before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) at $281 million—a 40% rise from Q4 of last year above analyst estimates. The aggregate amount of revenue during this period was also up at $4.65 billion.

Lightning Network Enabled on Cash App

As part of their efforts to bring more people into cryptocurrency adoption, Block enabled Lightning Network transactions on Oct 25th via their Cash App platform which allows mobile payments processing as well as buying and selling Bitcoin within the app itself.

Share Price Increase Following Report Release

After releasing their results report following these figures from Q4 2022, Block Inc.’s shares experienced a significant price increase due largely to their high gross profit numbers that topped experts’ predictions for that quarter alone according to some analysts who are keeping track of them now

• Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing for the reintroduction of a bill that would extend anti-money laundering (AML) regulations to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms.
• The proposed legislation seeks to outlaw financial institutions’ use of digital asset mixers, like Tornado Cash, which are designed to mask blockchain data and prevent tracking.
• Senator Warren’s efforts primarily focus on protecting individual investors and consumers from the potential risks and abuses associated with digital assets.

Senator Warren Pushes for Crypto AML Regulation

Senator Elizabeth Warren is advocating for the reintroduction of a bill that would impose anti-money laundering (AML) regulations on decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. By outlawing financial institutions’ use of digital asset mixers, like Tornado Cash, these regulations aim to prevent blockchain data from being masked and tracked.

Protecting Investors From Potential Risks

Senator Warren’s primary goal is to protect individual investors and consumers from any potential risks or abuses associated with digital assets. She has raised concerns about the lack of regulatory oversight in the cryptocurrency space and called for greater transparency and accountability from companies involved in this market.

Arguments Against Crypto AML Exemption

At a Senate Banking Committee hearing titled “Crypto Crash: Why Financial System Safeguards are Needed for Digital Assets,” Senator Warren argued that crypto entities running on code’s exemption from anti-money laundering (AML) requirements presents a danger. She believes that without an effective system of regulation, people could easily mask finances obtained via illegal means using these laws.

Crypto Community Reactions

While some members of the crypto community have maintained that DeFi platforms should not be subject to the same AML regulations as traditional financial institutions since they do not have the same control over user transactions, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s bill still stands as further proof of her dedication to crypto legislation in order to ensure consumer protection.

Conclusion

It remains unclear whether or not Senator Elizabeth Warren will succeed in passing her Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act into law; however, it is clear that she is committed to protecting individuals who invest in cryptocurrencies by introducing more comprehensive regulatory frameworks around this sector.

• Despite a bear market and the FTX scandal, Polkadot had an impressive quarter in Q4 2022 according to Messari.
• On-chain activity of Polkadot demonstrated remarkable growth Quarter on Quarter (QoQ) with daily active accounts increasing by 64% and number of new accounts increasing by 49%.
• Santiment listed Polkadot as the leader in development activity with 441 commits recorded followed by Kusama (KSM) and Cardano (ADA).

Polkadot’s Impressive Performance

Despite a bear market and the FTX scandal, the blockchain platform Polkadot had an impressive quarter in Q4 2022, according to a report by Messari. The report highlighted the record-breaking performance of the platform during this time period. In the wake of the FTX scandal, the market experienced a major downturn, leading to a decrease in the market capitalization of Polkadot by 31% from the previous quarter and 83% from the previous year. Despite this decline in market value, the financial stability of the network remained intact, and there was a predictable increase in the supply of DOT tokens.

On-Chain Activity

Despite a challenging market scenario, on-chain activity of Polkadot demonstrated remarkable growth Quarter on Quarter (QoQ). According to a report, daily active accounts increased by 64%. The number of new accounts rose by 49% because individuals searched for more decentralized networks.

Developer Activity

The developer community of Polkadot has also experienced significant growth, earning it distinction as being second largest with 764 full-time developers. In last quarter seven new teams acquired parachain slots amongst them were Bitgreen, Crust Network, Ajuna Network etc., Kilt achieved noteworthy accomplishment as first parachain to migrate from Kusama to Polkadot smoothly.

Santiment Analysis

Santiment analyzed at end January 2023 which Listing top ten alternative coins based on their development activity which ranked Polka Dot (DOT) first with 441 commits recorded followed by Kusama (KSM) and Cardano (ADA). It explained that analysis looked at number commits each project made on GitHub within 30 days set for study commit refers interaction project’s network GitHub.

Treasury DOT Spending

Treasury DOT spending reached all time high during Q4 2022 treasury spent $34 million on various initiatives like ecosystem grants & marketing efforts including launch pad & hackathons projects received grants include Substrate Hub Parachains Onboarding Kit Plasm Network Portia & more .

• IOTA, a cryptocurrency start-up leveraging blockchain technology and IoT (Internet of Things), has been chosen to take part in the European Blockchain Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) to help test and develop novel blockchain technology for the European Union.
• The goal of the project is to investigate the feasibility of utilizing blockchain technology to improve current applications and develop new ones for the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).
• Dominik Schiener, co-founder and chairman of the IOTA Foundation, is confident in the ability of the IOTA technology to bring distributed ledger technology to the European market.

The European Union has recently announced that IOTA, a cryptocurrency start-up leveraging blockchain technology and Internet of Things (IoT), has been chosen to take part in the next phase of the European Blockchain Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP). This initiative seeks to investigate the feasibility of utilizing blockchain technology to both improve current applications and develop new ones for the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).

The main goals of the EBSI are to promote cross-border mobility, reduce waste, ensure compliance with E.U. regulations, foster the growth of technology hubs and projects, and make digital services more reliable and trustworthy. As part of the project, IOTA will help to test and develop novel blockchain technology for the European Union, enabling the EBSI to provide more efficient services in the future.

Dominik Schiener, co-founder and chairman of the IOTA Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “The IOTA technology already shares the same core values with EBSI, so we have felt it has been a very natural fit throughout this testing process. We are very confident in our ability to bring distributed ledger technology to the European market and look forward to the next phase.”

In addition to IOTA, other companies such as Accenture and Fraunhofer IOSB are also taking part in the project. The PCP will be conducted in two phases: the first phase will focus on developing and testing the services, while the second phase will see the implementation of the services in a live environment. This will give the European Union the opportunity to evaluate the performance and reliability of the technology before making a decision on whether or not to invest in it.

The European Union has made it clear that it is interested in exploring new technologies, such as blockchain, in order to improve the efficiency of its services. This project is an excellent opportunity for IOTA to showcase its technology and prove its potential. With the help of IOTA, the European Union could potentially revolutionize the way it provides services, making them faster and more secure than ever before.

• Bitcoin in Avalanche exceeded the amount locked in the Lightning Network (LN) at 5,701 BTC versus 5,229.30 BTC on Jan. 18.
• Avalanche is a smart contracting platform that provides developers with an alternative besides Ethereum.
• The Bitcoin-Avalanche Bridge was launched in June 2022 and allows users to securely move their coins and earn rewards and capital gains if BTC prices rise.

Bitcoin surpassed its previous record on January 18th, with 5,701 Bitcoin locked in the Avalanche protocol, exceeding the amount of Bitcoin in the Lightning Network (LN) by 472.3 Bitcoin. Avalanche is a modern blockchain platform known for its scalability and low on-chain fees, which has attracted a large DeFi community in recent years. In June 2022, the Bitcoin-Avalanche Bridge was launched, enabling users to securely move their coins from Bitcoin to Avalanche and earn rewards and capital gains if Bitcoin prices rise.

Morgan Krupetsky, the director of business development for institutions in Ava Labs, said that the bridge offered by Avalanche is better than most of its competitors in terms of cost and speed. The bridge allows users to tokenize their Bitcoin on the Avalanche network, while still being able to redeem their Bitcoin should they choose to do so. This feature has attracted many savvy traders to Avalanche, leading to a surge in its circulating supply.

The data indicates that Avalanche is becoming a popular choice for those looking to explore the world of DeFi, and with its increasing user base, the demand for tokenized Bitcoin on the Avalanche network is likely to continue to rise. With increased adoption of Avalanche, we may see even more Bitcoin locked away in the near future.

• Former Tinder CPO, Josh Sell, has joined blockchain game developer N3twork as COO.
• His new position will see him assisting N3twork Studios’s team in hastening the production of its future Web3 RPGs, Legendary.
• Sell previously supervised a slew of Tinder releases, and co-founded the cutting-edge Web3 gaming firm Midnight.

Josh Sell, former Tinder Chief Product Officer (CPO), has recently joined blockchain game developer N3twork Studios as their new Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this new position, Josh will be responsible for assisting N3twork Studios in the production of its future Web3 RPGs, Legendary. Additionally, he will be in charge of helping manage the studio’s day-to-day operations, as well as assisting in the development of Legendary: Heroes Unchained and Triumph.

Before joining N3twork Studios, Josh had a successful stint at Tinder, where he supervised a slew of releases, most notably the explore Tab which brought a novel approach to singles looking for potential matches. Josh also co-founded the cutting-edge Web3 gaming firm Midnight, where he was involved in developing its interoperability strategy.

The development team at N3twork Studios is made up of more than 80 professionals who have worked on some of the highest-grossing free-to-play games from renowned companies like EA, Kabam, Zynga, Glu, Disney, and others. Commenting on his new position, Josh said: “There is a tremendous chance for success here. Before joining, I tried the product(s) and fell in love with them.”

Overall, Josh Sell’s appointment to N3twork Studios has put the company in a great position to succeed. With his experience and expertise, the studio will be able to develop their Web3 games and create an enjoyable gaming experience for their players.

• Yuga Labs, the design studio behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), is introducing a skill-based NFT minting process.
• This process will begin with a free mint branded “Sewer Passes” that will be given to active members of the BAYC and Mutant Ape Yacht Club.
• Participants need these tokens to take part in the new, skill-based game Dookey Dash which will be available on Jan. 18.

Yuga Labs, the design studio behind the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), is introducing a unique skill-based NFT minting process. Starting on Jan. 17, a free mint branded “Sewer Passes” will be given to active members of both the BAYC and Mutant Ape Yacht Club. These Sewer Passes are required in order to take part in the brand new, skill-based game Dookey Dash, which will be available on Jan. 18.

Dookey Dash is an incredibly unique game that will challenge participants in a way that has never been done before. To validate their Sewer Passes, players need to compete in the game an unlimited number of times and get a score that is higher than 0. This peculiar process will come to an end on Feb. 15 when play on Dookey Dash is finally put to a stop. Those who are able to achieve the highest score in the game will win their new power source.

BAYC announced that participants will be vying for the best score and their associated wallet will be linked to their successful run. A video explainer will be released soon to provide further details and insight on the game.

The NFT ecosystem is constantly expanding, and Yuga Labs’ new skill-based minting process is a further testament to the growing industry. It’s sure to be an exciting event as Sewer Pass holders vie for the highest score and win their new power source.