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Ethereum completes Merge, Do Kwon faces arrest warrant and Bitcoin dives after rally: Hodler’s Digest, Sept. 11-17

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

 

Breaking: Historic day for crypto as Ethereum Merge to proof-of-stake occurs

Ethereum’s highly anticipated conversion to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, dubbed “the Merge,” took place at 6:42:42 am UTC on Sept. 15. The move is a key part of an overarching multi-year transition for the Ethereum blockchain. “It starts a chain reaction of changes,” Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and president of StarkWare, told Cointelegraph regarding the Merge. The Merge will reportedly help the Ethereum blockchain reduce its energy consumption by around 99%. 

During a viewing party before the network’s shift from proof-of-work (PoW) to PoS, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said: “[It] has obviously been a dream for the Ethereum ecosystem since pretty much the beginning. We started the proof-of-stake research with that blog post on Slosher back in January 2014.”

One party known as ETHW Core disagrees with the transition, however, aiming to maintain a PoW version of Ethereum via a fork in the 24 hours following the Merge. Multiple crypto exchanges plan on listing the forked chain’s related asset, ETHPoW (ETHW).


Ethereum completes Merge, Do Kwon faces arrest warrant and Bitcoin dives after rally: Hodler’s Digest, Sept. 11-17

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

 

Breaking: Historic day for crypto as Ethereum Merge to proof-of-stake occurs

Ethereum’s highly anticipated conversion to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, dubbed “the Merge,” took place at 6:42:42 am UTC on Sept. 15. The move is a key part of an overarching multi-year transition for the Ethereum blockchain. “It starts a chain reaction of changes,” Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and president of StarkWare, told Cointelegraph regarding the Merge. The Merge will reportedly help the Ethereum blockchain reduce its energy consumption by around 99%. 

During a viewing party before the network’s shift from proof-of-work (PoW) to PoS, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said: “[It] has obviously been a dream for the Ethereum ecosystem since pretty much the beginning. We started the proof-of-stake research with that blog post on Slosher back in January 2014.”

One party known as ETHW Core disagrees with the transition, however, aiming to maintain a PoW version of Ethereum via a fork in the 24 hours following the Merge. Multiple crypto exchanges plan on listing the forked chain’s related asset, ETHPoW (ETHW).


Ethereum completes Merge, Do Kwon faces arrest warrant and Bitcoin dives after rally: Hodler’s Digest, Sept. 11-17

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

Breaking: Historic day for crypto as Ethereum Merge to proof-of-stake occurs

Ethereum’s highly anticipated conversion to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, dubbed “the Merge,” took place at 6:42:42 am UTC on Sept. 15. The move is a key part of an overarching multi-year transition for the Ethereum blockchain. “It starts a chain reaction of changes,” Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and president of StarkWare, told Cointelegraph regarding the Merge. The Merge will reportedly help the Ethereum blockchain reduce its energy consumption by around 99%. 

During a viewing party before the network’s shift from proof-of-work (PoW) to PoS, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said: “[It] has obviously been a dream for the Ethereum ecosystem since pretty much the beginning. We started the proof-of-stake research with that blog post on Slosher back in January 2014.”

One party known as ETHW Core disagrees with the transition, however, aiming to maintain a PoW version of Ethereum via a fork in the 24 hours following the Merge. Multiple crypto exchanges plan on listing the forked chain’s related asset, ETHPoW (ETHW).

Abra announces plans for US bank supporting digital assets

Digital asset trading platform Abra announced that it was establishing two financial institutions: a United States bank and an international crypto business. Aimed to open in 2023, the U.S. state-chartered bank will operate under the name Abra Bank and will be compatible with digital assets in a format similar to money at traditional banks, or so it appears. Stationed beyond U.S. borders, a branch known as Abra International is also in the plans. The firm is looking to check all the appropriate boxes for Abra Bank and Abra International in terms of regulation.  


Here’s why Binance Chain (BNB) will face an important price test on September 30

BNB, the native token of Binance’s BNB Chain, entered a symmetrical triangle formation on Aug. 10, when it first faced the descending trendline at the $335 resistance. The following five weeks have been a struggle around $280, the exact intersection between the two conflicting ascending and descending patterns.

BNB token/USD at FTX. Source: TradingView

A decision on whether the symmetrical triangle will break to the upside or downside is expected by Sept. 30, when the trendlines cross. Currently holding a $45 billion total market capitalization, BNB Chain token has outperformed the broader altcoin market by 15% over the past three months.

The latest breakthrough in BNB Chain development was announced on Sept. 7, after the project introduced zero-knowledge (ZK) proof scaling privacy technology. The testnet is expected for November, aiming for faster finality and reduced transaction fees. Ethereum mastermind Vitalik Buterin also wants to implement a similar solution for the Ethereum network and he highlighted the importance of ZK in late 2021.

BNB Chain's Ethereum-compatible network is fully functional, hosting decentralized applications (DApps), including decentralized exchanges (DEXs), games, collateralized loan services, social networks, yield aggregators and NFT marketplaces.

A decline in price deposits could be a red flag

Despite currently being 60% below its -time high, BNB remains the third largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization ranking, excluding stablecoins. Moreover, the network holds $6.6 billion worth of deposits locked on smart contracts, a term known as total value locked, in the industry.

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Here’s why Binance Chain (BNB) will face an important price test on September 30

BNB, the native token of Binance’s BNB Chain, entered a symmetrical triangle formation on Aug. 10, when it first faced the descending trendline at the $335 resistance. The following five weeks have been a struggle around $280, the exact intersection between the two conflicting ascending and descending patterns.

BNB token/USD at FTX. Source: TradingView

A decision on whether the symmetrical triangle will break to the upside or downside is expected by Sept. 30, when the trendlines cross. Currently holding a $45 billion total market capitalization, BNB Chain token has outperformed the broader altcoin market by 15% over the past three months.

The latest breakthrough in BNB Chain development was announced on Sept. 7, after the project introduced zero-knowledge (ZK) proof scaling privacy technology. The testnet is expected for November, aiming for faster finality and reduced transaction fees. Ethereum mastermind Vitalik Buterin also wants to implement a similar solution for the Ethereum network and he highlighted the importance of ZK in late 2021.

BNB Chain's Ethereum-compatible network is fully functional, hosting decentralized applications (DApps), including decentralized exchanges (DEXs), games, collateralized loan services, social networks, yield aggregators and NFT marketplaces.

A decline in price deposits could be a red flag

Despite currently being 60% below its -time high, BNB remains the third largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization ranking, excluding stablecoins. Moreover, the network holds $6.6 billion worth of deposits locked on smart contracts, a term known as total value locked, in the industry.

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Tired of losing money? Here are 2 reasons why retail investors always lose

A majority of “traders” end up being losers with empty portfolios. Here is exactly why.

Tired of losing money? Here are 2 reasons why retail investors always lose

A majority of “traders” end up being losers with empty portfolios. Here is exactly why.

Tired of losing money? Here are 2 reasons why retail investors always lose

A quick flick through Twitter, any social media investing club, or investing-themed Reddit will quickly allow one to find handfuls of traders who have vastly excelled throughout a month, semester, or even a year. Believe it or not, most successful traders cherry-pick periods or use different accounts simultaneously to ensure there’s always a winning position to display.

On the other hand, millions of traders blow up their portfolios and turn out empty-handed, especially when using leverage. Take, for example, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which requires that brokers disclose the percentage of their accounts in the region that are unprofitably trading derivatives. According to the data, 69% to 84% of retail investors lose money

Similarly, a study by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission found that 70% of foreign exchange traders lose money every quarter, and eToro, a multinational broker with 27 million users, reported that nearly 80% of retail investors lost money over 12 months.

The same pattern emerges in every market across different continents and decades: retail traders seldom sustain profitable operations. Still, novice and experienced investors think they can overcome that bias due to ingenuity or mass marketing campaigns from influencers, exchanges and algorithmic trading systems.

Below are the 4 culprits behind the inevitable failure of retail traders. There is no easy solution aside from a long-term mentality and dollar-cost average-based strategy of buying a fixed amount every week or month.

How to earn passive crypto income in a bear market?

For experienced investors, a bear market is nothing out of the norm. It has happened in the past, and it will happen again — even in cryptocurrency.

Golden cross vs. death cross explained

Golden crosses and death crosses are key signals that technical analysts use to determine whether an asset is trending upward or downward.

Bitcoin better than physical property for commoners, says Michael Saylor

Saylor underscored the high maintenance costs and taxes linked with owning and inheriting physical property over the long term, which in the case of Bitcoin, does not exist.

White House OSTP department analyzes 18 CBDC design choices for the US

The technical analysis of the 18 CBDC design choices was made across six broad categories — participants, governance, security, transactions, data and adjustments.

DOJ publishes second report on EO digital asset crime, announces new expert network

The U.S. Justice Department has published another report on crypto crime with detailed recommendations for legal reform; it has also formed a network of experts to advise offices.

Sports Metaverse company secures $200 million funding

The company said the funds will support the building of virtual sports cities around the world.

What’s next for Bitcoin and the crypto market now that the Ethereum Merge is over?

Here’s a review of the possible new trends that will drive the crypto market in the post-Merge era.

What’s next for Bitcoin and the crypto market now that the Ethereum Merge is over?

Here’s a review of the possible new trends that will drive the crypto market in the post-Merge era.

What’s next for Bitcoin and the crypto market now that the Ethereum Merge is over?

The Ethereum Merge came and went, leaving investors to ponder what the next trending development in the market could look like. In a Cointelegraph Twitter Space with Capriole founder Charles Edwards, the analyst mentioned that excitement over the Ethereum Merge and its bullish price action had somewhat been holding up hope across the market. Now that the event has come and gone, the crypto market has been selling off, with Bitcoin’s (BTC) price trading below $20,000 and Ether’s (ETH) under $1,500. 

Eventually, new narratives and market trends will emerge, and if the fundamentals are right, traders will rotate funds as these new leaders emerge.

Let’s take a look at a few potential trends.

Where will the former ETH miners go?

The Ethereum network successfully shifted to a proof-of-stake (PoS) model, meaning miners are out of pocket but still possibly in possession of their GPUs and ASICs mining infrastructure. It’s possible that some miners might elect to mine on a different chain instead of selling their gear.

While they haven’t settled on any particular chain just yet, Ravencoin, Flux, Ethereum Classic and Ergo seem to be the frontrunners. Leading into the Merge, each network saw its hash rate rise to new all-time highs, as shown below.

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Binance partners with Ukrainian supermarket chain to accept crypto through Pay Wallet.

Customers who use the Binance Pay Wallet to pay for their orders will be eligible to enter a rewards program.

US Treasury publishes laundry lists of crypto risks for consumers, national security

The Treasury Department was downbeat on crypto in two publications produced in response to the president’s executive order on digital asset development issued in March.

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