Paolo Ardoino, the chief technology officer of Tether and Bitfinex, is confident that Tether will preserve its status as the most used stablecoin, despite the rapid growth of competitors such as USD Coin (USDC). “If you see the volumes of Tether compared to the rest of stablecoins, they are insanely higher. They are even 10 times higher on a bad day,” he pointed out. According to a report from Arcane Research, USDC, the second-largest stablecoin, has been growing at an impressive rate over the last year and could soon overtake Tether in terms of market cap. Ardoino is not worried about this possibility and pointed out that USDC’s growth has been slowing down in the last month. “In the last 30 days, Tether regained momentum,” he said. According to Ardoino...
Cryptocurrencies are well-known for being volatile assets, which means that experienced traders have plenty of opportunities in the space. Investors can expect to be taken on a wild ride if they plan on holding for a long time. Stablecoins, a class of cryptocurrencies that offers investors price stability pegged to the value of fiat currencies, offer investors a safe haven when market turbulence hits but may represent missed opportunities over time. Speaking to Cointelegraph, several experts have stated that retail investors should approach cryptocurrencies with a “pay yourself first” attitude and that an allocation of up to 5% in crypto should be relatively “safe” while allowing for “marginal return.” Stablecoins are entirely different: No “marginal return” can be expected from simply hol...
Neutrino Dollar (USDN), a stablecoin issued through Waves-backed Neutrino protocol, lost its U.S. dollar-peg on April 4 amid speculations that it could become “insolvent” in the future. USDN plunges 15% despite WAVES backing USDN dropped to as low as $0.822 on Monday with its market capitalization also diving to $824.25 million, down 14% from its year-to-date high of $960.25 million. Interestingly, the stablecoin’s plunge occurred despite Neutrino’s claims of backing its $1-peg via what’s called “over collateral,” i.e., when the total value of Waves (WAVES) tokens locked inside its smart contract is higher than the total USDN minted, also called the “backing ratio.” Neutrino Dollar price performance in the last 24 hours. Source: Co...
The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has been sitting in the backseat since whipping up a frenzy in the summer of 2020 through the first quarter of 2021. Currently, investors are debating whether the crypto sector is in a bull or bear market, meaning, it’s a good time to check in on the state of DeFi and identify which protocols might be setting new trends. Here’s a look at the top-ranking DeFi protocols and a review of the strategies used by users of these protocols. Stablecoins are the foundation of DeFi Stablecoin-related DeFi protocols are the cornerstone of the DeFi ecosystem and Curve is till the go-to protocol when it comes to staking stalbecoins. Top 5 protocols by total value locked. Source: Defi Llama Data from Defi Llama shows four out of the top five protocols in terms of to...
The world woke up to a “sea of red” that was not necessarily limited to the financial markets, as Russia declared war on Ukraine early Thursday. The traditional financial markets along with the crypto markets have been sliding bearishly for the past week and saw a rapid decline early on Thursday. Apart from crude oil prices, which jumped to an eight-year high above $100, the majority of stocks has lost over 5%. The Russian invasion on Thursday triggered the bears leading to a $500-billion crypto market sell-off, where the majority of the cryptocurrencies lost critical support to trade at a three-month low. The crypto market capitalization saw a 10% decline during early morning Asian trading hours, falling below the $1.5-trillion mark. Bitcoin (BTC) is considered an inflation hedge, and man...
Hong Kong’s central banking institution, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), released a questionnaire to gauge public opinion on regulations for crypto-assets and stablecoins. The state-backed regulator intends to establish a regulatory framework by 2023-24. HKMA’s “Discussion Paper on Crypto-assets and Stablecoins” highlights the explosive growth of the stablecoin market in terms of market capitalization since 2020 and the concurrent regulatory recommendations put forth by international regulators including the United States’ Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS). Market Capitalization of Crypto-assets. Source: HKMA According to the HKMA, the current size and trading activity of crypto-asset...
Shark Tank celebrity Kevin O’Leary, also known as “Mr. Wonderful,” has said he would be ready to increase his crypto allocations up to 20% as soon as there are clearer regulations around stablecoins. O’Leary, a former Bitcoin (BTC) skeptic, is now a vocal advocate of cryptocurrency, which currently makes up over 10% of his investment portfolio. Mr. Wonderful is particularly focused on U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins, which he sees as an effective hedge against rising levels of inflation. By staking stablecoins, he pointed out, he can make up to 6% returns. He explained to Cointelegraph: ”When inflation is 6%, your buying power 12 months from now is 6% less. And that’s a lot. […] I’m a huge advocate for solving this problem with stablecoin.” A clear regulatory framework would al...