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Bitcoin Core developer hack highlights self-custody risks: Community responds

A Twitter user pointed out that if a top Bitcoin developer can’t keep his wallet secure, then mass adoption is a pipe dream.

Hong Kong brokers line up for SFC approval ahead of new virtual asset trading legislation

The Legislative Council of Hong Kong passed legislation that will soon open up virtual assets to retail investors, and local financial services are lining up for licensing approval.

Vitalik Buterin highlights what he's bullish about for 2023

The Ethereum co-founder expects to reach a new milestone for rollups this year.

Lido overtakes MakerDAO and now has the highest TVL in DeFi

A Nansen in December noted that Ether staking solutions had been in high demand since Ethereum’s shift to proof-of-stake.

Lido overtakes MakerDAO and now has the highest TVL in DeFi

A Nansen in December noted that Ether staking solutions had been in high demand since Ethereum’s shift to proof-of-stake.

Bitcoin core developer claims to have lost 200+ BTC in hack

A Bitcoin OG and core developer Luke Dashjr claims his PGP key was compromised, resulting in virtually all his Bitcoin being stolen from him on Dec. 31.

New year community advice: Check your smart contract approvals

A Reddit user has warned of the potential dangers of unchecked smart contracts, advising the community to revoke approvals on a regular basis.

Crypto makes history in 2022: Five instances of governments embracing digital assets

Even amid the market breakdown and repetitive public attacks on the industry, some of the officials found the courage to embrace the innovation.

SushiSwap CEO proposes new tokenomics for liquidity, decentralization

Jared Grey, CEO of the decentralized exchange Sushiswap, has plans to redesign the tokenomics of the SUSHI token, according to a proposal introduced on Dec. 30 in the Sushi's forum.

As part of the new proposed tokenomics model, time-lock tiers will be introduced for emission-based rewards, as well as a token burning mechanism and a liquidity lock for price support. The new tokenomics aims to boost liquidity and decentralization in the platform, along with strengthening "treasury reserves to ensure continual operation and development," noted Grey.

In the proposed model, Liquidity Providers (LPs) would receive 0.05% of swap fees revenue, with higher volume pools receiving the biggest share. LPs will also be able to lock their liquidity to earn boosted, emissions-based rewards. The rewards are forfeited and burned, however, if they are removed before maturity.

Also, staked SUSHI (xSUSHI) won't receive any share of the fee revenue, but emissions-based rewards paid in SUSHI tokens. Time-lock tiers will be used to determine emissions-based rewards, with longer time locks resulting in bigger rewards. Withdrawals before the maturity of time locks are permitted, but rewards will be forfeited and burned.

The decentralized exchange will use a variable percentage of the 0.05% swap fee to buy back and burn the SUSHI token. The percentage will change based on the total time-lock tiers selected. The proposal notes that:

These 4 altcoins may attract buyers with Bitcoin stagnating

Bitcoin remains stuck in a tight range but LTC, APE, ICP, and BIT are showing signs of starting a new up-move.

These 4 altcoins may attract buyers with Bitcoin stagnating

Bitcoin’s (BTC) volatility remained subdued in the final few days of the last year, indicating that investors were in no hurry to enter the markets.

Bitcoin ended 2022 near $16,500 and the first day of the new year also failed to ignite the markets. This suggests that traders remain cautious and on the lookout for a catalyst to start the next trending move.

Several analysts remain bearish about Bitcoin’s near-term price action. David Marcus, CEO and founder of Bitcoin firm Lightspark, said in a blog post released on Dec. 30 that he does not see the crypto winter ending in 2023 and not even in 2024. He expects that it will take time to rebuild consumer trust but believes the current reset may be good for legitimate firms over the long term.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

The bearish calls are an indication that the sentiment remains negative but there is also a silver lining to it. Usually, bear markets end after the last bull has turned bearish. With no more sellers left, the price action stabilizes and new buyers enter the market. That usually causes a reversal and starts a new up-move.

While Bitcoin remains range-bound, select altcoins are showing signs of strength. Let’s look at the charts and spot the important levels to keep an eye on.

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These 4 altcoins may attract buyers with Bitcoin stagnating

Bitcoin’s (BTC) volatility remained subdued in the final few days of the last year, indicating that investors were in no hurry to enter the markets.

Bitcoin ended 2022 near $16,500 and the first day of the new year also failed to ignite the markets. This suggests that traders remain cautious and on the lookout for a catalyst to start the next trending move.

Several analysts remain bearish about Bitcoin’s near-term price action. David Marcus, CEO and founder of Bitcoin firm Lightspark, said in a blog post released on Dec. 30 that he does not see the crypto winter ending in 2023 and not even in 2024. He expects that it will take time to rebuild consumer trust but believes the current reset may be good for legitimate firms over the long term.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

The bearish calls are an indication that the sentiment remains negative but there is also a silver lining to it. Usually, bear markets end after the last bull has turned bearish. With no more sellers left, the price action stabilizes and new buyers enter the market. That usually causes a reversal and starts a new up-move.

While Bitcoin remains range-bound, select altcoins are showing signs of strength. Let’s look at the charts and spot the important levels to keep an eye on.

image

3 ways crypto derivatives could evolve and impact the market in 2023

Derivatives played a major role in the last bull market and it’s highly likely that they will be integral in the market’s evolution in 2023.

3 ways crypto derivatives could evolve and impact the market in 2023

Futures and options let traders put down only a tiny portion of a trade’s value and bet that prices will go up or down to a certain point within a certain period. It can make traders' profits bigger because they can borrow more money to add to their positions, but it can also boost their losses much if the market moves against them.

Even though the market for crypto derivatives is growing, the instruments and infrastructure that support it are not as developed as those in traditional financial markets.

Next year will be the year that crypto derivatives reach a new level of growth and market maturity because the infrastructure has been built and improved this ye, and an increasing number of institutions are getting involved.

Crypto derivatives' growth in 2023

In 2023, the volume of crypto derivatives will continue to grow because of two factors: first, the growth of relevant infrastructure such as applications for decentralized finance (DeFi) and also because of more professional and transparent intermediaries planning to enter the space. Eventually, this will lead to more institutions getting involved.

Understanding why traditional financial institutions use derivatives more than traditional spot markets is an excellent way to learn more about the market.

Rewind 2022: A crypto roundup of the year and stepping into 2023

Stepping into the year 2023, it's time to pause and reflect on the accomplishments and struggles the global crypto community witnessed over the last 365 days. Starting from the very beginning of 2022, no investment strategy could help recover the falling portfolios across traditional and crypto ecosystems. January 2022 inherited a slightly collapsing market, wherein investments made on 2021 all-time high prices resulted in immediate losses. 

For many, especially the new entrants, falling crypto prices were perceived as an end game. But what went widely unnoticed was the community’s resilience and accomplishments against a global recession, orchestrated attacks and scams and an unforgiving bear market.

As a result of falling prices, 2022 also inherited the 2021 hype around nonfungible tokens (NFTs), the Metaverse, iconic all-time highs for Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies.

Economies worldwide suffered massive inflation as the most influential fiat currencies succumbed to the ongoing geopolitical pressures. The fall of investor confidence in traditional markets seeped into crypto and the fall of ecosystems only aided the sour sentiments.

A year full of disruption

Amid poor market performance, the crypto community focused on strengthening its core. This meant releasing blockchain upgrades and introducing faster, cheaper and more secure features and capabilities — all driven by the consensus of the respective communities. As a result, 2022 was a milestone year for leading crypto ecosystems.

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Rewind 2022: A crypto roundup of the year and stepping into 2023

While 2022 proved catastrophic for investors across traditional and crypto markets, the crypto ecosystem’s potential has shined through the cracks of inflation and centralized custody of assets.

Australia overtakes El Salvador to become 4th largest crypto ATM hub

El Salvador’s position as the fourth-largest crypto ATM hub was short-lived as Australia stepped up its game over the following months.

SBF to enter plea deal, Mango’s exploiter arrested, and Celsius news: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 25-31

Top Stories This Week

Bankman-Fried may enter plea in NY federal court next week before Judge Lewis Kaplan

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is scheduled to appear in court on the afternoon of Jan. 3 to enter a plea on two counts of wire fraud and six counts of conspiracy against him in relation to the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. After being released on a $250 million bail bond, Bankman-Fried reportedly met with Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, a bestseller that was turned into a movie, spurring speculation that a film about the disgraced exchange’s saga is on the way.

SBF borrowed $546M from Alameda to fund Robinhood share purchase

In another headline related to Sam Bankman-Fried, an affidavit by the founder of FTX revealed that he previously borrowed over $546 million from Alameda Research to fund a purchase of Robinhood shares. Later, those same shares were used by Bankman-Fried as collateral for a $600 million loan taken by Alameda from digital asset lender BlockFi. The shares are currently frozen and are worth around $450 million. BlockFi filed a lawsuit seeking to receive the collateral shares in November.

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Year 1602 revisited: Are DAOs the new corporate paradigm?

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NFT communities greenlight Web3 films: A decentralized future for fans and Hollywood


SBF to enter plea deal, Mango’s exploiter arrested, and Celsius news: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 25-31

Top Stories This Week

Bankman-Fried may enter plea in NY federal court next week before Judge Lewis Kaplan

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is scheduled to appear in court on the afternoon of Jan. 3 to enter a plea on two counts of wire fraud and six counts of conspiracy against him in relation to the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. After being released on a $250 million bail bond, Bankman-Fried reportedly met with Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, a bestseller that was turned into a movie, spurring speculation that a film about the disgraced exchange’s saga is on the way.

SBF borrowed $546M from Alameda to fund Robinhood share purchase

In another headline related to Sam Bankman-Fried, an affidavit by the founder of FTX revealed that he previously borrowed over $546 million from Alameda Research to fund a purchase of Robinhood shares. Later, those same shares were used by Bankman-Fried as collateral for a $600 million loan taken by Alameda from digital asset lender BlockFi. The shares are currently frozen and are worth around $450 million. BlockFi filed a lawsuit seeking to receive the collateral shares in November.

Read also

Features

Year 1602 revisited: Are DAOs the new corporate paradigm?

Features

NFT communities greenlight Web3 films: A decentralized future for fans and Hollywood


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