Tokens
Blockchain gaming adoption means more options for gamers
Over the past couple of years, games that use blockchain technology have increased their presence in the gaming industry. While there were early examples like CryptoKitties — launched in 2017 — the trend has truly gained steam, with major gaming studios even exploring the technology. At the beginning of 2022, the market capitalization of blockchain games was around $25 billion and it doesn’t seem to be decreasing anytime soon, even in the depths of a bear market. According to the analytical service DappRadar, the two most stable areas this year in the cryptocurrency market are blockchain games and nonfungible tokens (NFT), which have recently become very tightly intertwined, creating a new economic phenomenon. A striking example here is the well-known game Axie Infinity, the token price of...
To HODL or have kids? The IVF Bitcoin Babies paid for with BTC profits
Hold Bitcoin till the very end or sell a little bit to start a family? For one Bitcoiner in northwest London, it was a no-brainer. Noodle (a nickname), a Brit who first heard about Bitcoin around 2012, took profits on his Bitcoin buys to pay for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for his wife. He told Cointelegraph he has “no regrets,” about his decision to start a family using fiat-denominated profits from buying, holding, a then selling Bitcoin. Welcoming Noodle Jr II to this crazy world. After a tough 6 days in hospital due to unforeseen complications, Mrs Noodle and I, couldn’t be happier to bring this little hodler home! pic.twitter.com/JvlLfzABgg — Noodle ⚡️ (@NoodleNakamoto) June 14, 2022 Noodle first found out about Bitcoin at the tail end of 2012, when 1 BTC was ...
Industry exec explains why NFT fraud protection falls on brand and not marketplaces
Nonfungible token (NFT) marketplaces should commit to combat fraudulent NFTs, but brands are far more responsible for protecting NFT investors, according to one industry executive. Brands that issue NFTs should be taking the first step to protecting themselves and potential investors from fraud, BrandShield CEO Yoav Keren said in an interview with Cointelegraph on Oct. 12. According to Keren, it’s more straightforward for a brand to recognize NFTs that were not released by the company itself rather than marketplaces like OpenSea or Rarible. NFT marketplaces usually have fewer insights into which brands are creating NFTs when they are launching and other details, the CEO noted. Although marketplaces should not be negligent of the reality of NFT fraud, it’s still a must for brands to keep th...
Bitcoin Lightning Network capacity strikes 5,000 BTC
Bear markets are for building out capacity on the layer-2 Lightning Network. Despite macroeconomic headwinds and sluggish price action, the Lightning Network, the layer-2 payments solution fo Bitcoin (BTC), continues to flourish. The Bitcoin Lightning Network reached a milestone capacity of 5,000 BTC ($96 million). In effect, more and more Bitcoin is being introduced to Lightning Network payment channels worldwide, as Bitcoiners continue to support the growth of the network. Bitcoin Lightning Network capacity. Source: Look into Bitcoin The Lightning Network allows users to send Bitcoin (or satoshis, the smallest amount of a Bitcoin) to send or receive money faster and with lower fees. The more capacity on the network, the more liquidity is on hand. As a result, users can experience faster ...
What remains in the NFT market now that the dust has settled?
Over the last two years, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have emerged as one of the most active and noticeable aspects of Web3. The data stored on blockchains by NFTs may be connected with files that include various forms of media, such as photographs, videos and audio. In certain instances, it can even be related to physical items. The owner of an NFT will often have ownership rights over the data, material or item connected with the token, and these tokens are typically purchased and traded on specialized markets. The rise of NFTs was meteoric in 2021, but it hasn’t been very steady since then, and it seems to have fallen sharply in 2022. Why NFTs exploded in popularity in 2021 In 2021, two of the most active markets for NFTs were collectible art projects and the video game industry. NFT...
Music NFTs a powerful tool to transform an audience into a community
As one of the oldest entertainment industries in existence, the music business has experienced many technological advances that enhanced widespread adoption. The digitalization of music meant that artists could reach any audience across the world, and digital distribution gifted people with unlimited access to music. With these advances in distribution came some drawbacks in music monetization. The way musicians make money in a digital format has reduced margins from media or video revenue. Artists have been pushed back to generating revenue from offline endeavors like concerts and selling merchandise as the online landscape has been filled with intermediaries that take a piece of the pie. “Web3 and existing platforms help us build a new chapter of the music industry.” Takayuki Suzuk...
Blurring the line between crypto and TradFi could redefine global finance
Despite the current struggle in the global economy, the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and crypto seems to be closing with each passing day. For example, earlier this month, Vienna-based fintech unicorn Bitpanda announced that it was adding commodities to its list of investment options, thus allowing investors to rake in profits from short-term price fluctuations related to traditional instruments such as oil, natural gas and wheat. In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, the company’s CEO, Eric Demuth, noted that the bear market had had no major impact on investor demand. He claims that more people are now looking for solutions that can bring the world of TradFi and decentralized finance (DeFi) together. Not only that, there are lessons to be learned about what works out...
Beyond the NFT hype: The need for reimagining digital art’s value proposition
With cryptocurrency prices wavering this year, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and other sub-ecosystem investors have also found themselves in the grips of a bear market. However, looking beyond the trading value of Ether (ETH), NFTs were primarily created to represent assets and ownership in the real and virtual world. The bear market, as a result, has reignited discussions around how NFTs can backtrack and focus on attending to use cases while the market recovers. In a conversation with Cointelegraph, Tony Ling, the co-founder of analytics platform NFTGo, shared insights into the NFT ecosystem, revealing the expected trajectory of the ecosystem. Cointelegraph: NFTs’ rise to mainstream popularity is often attributed to the various real-world use cases it can and has solved. What is your take on...
Global inflation mounts: How stablecoins are helping protect savings
Economies around the world are facing a motley of challenges caused by rising inflation. High inflation devalues national currencies, which, in turn, pushes up the cost of living, especially in scenarios where earnings remain unchanged. In the United States, the government has responded aggressivelyto inflation. The nation hit a 9.1% inflation rate in June, prompting the Federal Reserve to implement a series of fiscal countermeasures designed to prevent the economy from overheating. Hiking interest rates was one of them. Soaring Fed interest rates have consequently slowed down consumer spending and business growth in the country. The counter-inflation approach has also strengthened the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies due to tight dollar liquidity checks. As 79.5% of all i...
Collapse of Terra blockchain ecosystem forces talent migration
At the height of the 2022 bull market, the Terra ecosystem was booming with talent and innovation. The native token of the Terra blockchain had made its way to the top-10 cryptocurrencies by total market capitalization. Protocols were building the next iteration of a super cycle that seemed like it would never end. Terraform Labs created Terra amid the crypto market crash of 2018 and built it all through the bear market. The Terra ecosystem’s main appeal and claim for glory came from their offer of the best yields in decentralized finance (DeFi), with up to 20% yield on its stablecoin through the Anchor protocol. As of March 2022, Terra had a total of 73 projects built in the ecosystem. The ambition of the team was to onboard at least 87 more projects by the end of the year. Terra wa...
Why quantum computing isn’t a threat to crypto… yet
Quantum computing has raised concerns about the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in recent years. For example, it is commonly assumed that very sophisticated quantum computers will one day be able to crack present-day encryption, making security a serious concern for users in the blockchain space. The SHA-256 cryptographic protocol used for Bitcoin network security is currently unbreakable by today’s computers. However, experts anticipate that within a decade, quantum computing will be able to break existing encryption protocols. In regard to whether holders should be worried about quantum computers being a threat to cryptocurrency, Johann Polecsak, chief technology officer of QAN Platform, a layer-1 blockchain platform, told Cointelegraph: “Definitely. Elliptic curve sig...
Quentin Tarantino settles Miramax lawsuit over Pulp Fiction NFTs
Miramax sued the director in November last year after the base-layer blockchain provider Secret Network announced the auction of “uncut screenplay scenes” from the 1994 film as NFTs. The film studio claimed to own all rights to “Pulp Fiction,” except for those reserved for Tarantino, which excluded nonfungible tokens. The company was developing its own NFT strategy at the time. In a statement, the studio’s attorney Bart Williams wrote: “This one-off effort devalues the NFT rights to “Pulp Fiction,” which Miramax intends to maximize through a strategic, comprehensive approach.” On the auction’s original press release, Secret Network claimed that Tarantino owned “exclusive rights to publish his Pulp Fiction screenplay and the original, ha...
