22 days ago • cryptodaily
The King of All Markets: Liquidity
Introduction
If financial markets are an ocean, then liquidity is the water. Although definitions of liquidity vary between the availability of cash and the cash itself, one thing is for certain; just as an ocean cannot exist without water, a market cannot function without liquidity. Meanwhile, the flow of liquidity between markets can make or break them. Furthermore, the liquidity of a particular asset, cryptocurrency for example, is an important indicator of their viability as well as an essential element of their tradability. Thus, in financial markets, liquidity truly is king!
Understanding Markets: Why Liquidity is King
Before jumping into its importance, let us define the concept. Liquidity, in its most fundamental sense, refers to the ease with which an asset can be bought or sold in the market. This tradability often correlates with the availability of the asset and is therefore conflated with the relative quantity of the asset itself. Accordingly, liquidity is discussed in relation to an individual or group allocating their funds to an opportunity in addition to the liquidity of an asset or market itself. Nevertheless, liquidity in both forms is critical, with its importance having been recognised by numerous economists and financial theorists throughout history. For instance, Nobel laureate Eugene Fama highlighted liquidity's role in ensuring that asset prices fully reflect all available information, as stated in his Efficient Market Hypothesis.
The concept of liquidity is multifaceted, encompassing aspects such as market depth, immediacy, and tightness. Market depth refers to the exchange’s ability to handle large orders without significant price changes that occur following a trade, known as slippage. Immediacy is the speed at which orders can be executed. Finally, tightness refers to the spread between the bid (purchase) and ask (sale) prices. A market is considered highly liquid if it possesses depth, immediacy, and tight spreads in the order book, allowing for efficient price discovery and minimal transaction costs.
In the burgeoning world of decentralised finance (DeFi), liquidity takes on a newfound importance. Liquidity in these markets is often provided by liquidity providers (LPs) who pool their assets in smart contracts. These liquidity pools are used to facilitate trading activities on decentralised exchanges (DEXs), with LPs earning fees in return. The concept of Automated Market Makers (AMMs), pioneered by platforms like Uniswap, hinges on this principle of liquidity provision. The importance of liquidity in these markets cannot be overstated. It is the cornerstone upon which the promise of DeFi - a truly open, inclusive, and efficient financial system - is built.
The Role of Liquidity in Driving DeFi Innovation
The management of liquidity and the maximisation of capital efficiency have been pivotal in driving the continued innovation of DEXs in the DeFi landscape. As the backbone of DeFi, DEXs have had to constantly evolve and adapt to the challenges posed by the unique characteristics of the crypto market, particularly its volatility and the fragmentation of liquidity. The quest for efficient liquidity management and capital utilisation has led to the development of novel mechanisms and protocols.
Uniswap, one of the pioneers of the AMM model, serves as a prime example of this liquidity-driven innovation In its initial iteration, Uniswap V1, the platform introduced the concept of liquidity pools, where users could deposit equal values of ETH and any Ethereum Request for Comment 20 standard token (ERC-20) to create a market. While this model was revolutionary, it had its limitations, particularly in terms of capital efficiency. The 50/50 liquidity provision requirement meant that capital was often underutilised, especially for pairs with significant price disparity.
In response to this, Uniswap V2 introduced several improvements, including the ability to create direct pairs between any two ERC-20 tokens, thereby improving capital efficiency. However, the most significant leap came with Uniswap V3, which introduced concentrated liquidity. This feature allows liquidity providers to specify price ranges for their liquidity, thereby maximising capital efficiency. Using this model, LPs can provide liquidity only at price levels where they anticipate trading activity, ensuring they are constantly making use of the liquidity in pools. This innovation has not only improved capital efficiency but reduced slippage, benefiting traders.
The evolution of Uniswap and the broader DeFi landscape underscores the critical role of liquidity management and capital efficiency in driving innovation. As the DeFi space continues to mature, the quest for improved liquidity and capital utilisation will undoubtedly continue to shape its trajectory. From the development of more sophisticated AMM models to the integration of cross-chain and layer 2 solutions, the pursuit of liquidity and capital efficiency will remain at the forefront of DeFi innovation. The role of liquidity in driving DeFi innovation is not only significant yet concurrently transformative, shaping the future of finance in profound and novel ways.
Taking the Next Step with Elektrik
Despite the progress made by protocols such as Uniswap V3, liquidity in web3 is still critically underutilised. While DeFi boasts a number of protocols that offer high levels of capital efficiency, the relatively small amount of liquidity present in the market often causes issues, particularly as it pertains to the cold start problem. At its core, the cold start problem refers to the challenge of launching a new product or service in a market where network effects are prevalent. In such markets, the value of the product or service increases with the number of users, creating a virtuous cycle of growth. However, this also means that when a product or service is first launched, it has little to no value as there are no users yet. Subsequently, at a fundamental level, the cold-start problem can be understood through a question - in an environment where users extract value from the existence of other users, why would the initial wave of users remain in the environment?
This problem is faced not only by newly minted protocols aiming to facilitate the liquidity of their own token, but also newly created DEXs looking to establish a base of liquidity providers for trading. Without this base, tokens would be untradable and the DEX would subsequently be rendered ineffective. Hence, the importance of implementing effective measures to foster the highest level of capital efficiency possible becomes clear, DEXs are seeking to overcome the cold-start problem with as little liquidity as possible whereby traders always face a positive experience.
Elektrik is one such DEX looking to solve this problem, implementing effective capital efficiency measures to facilitate high volume trading from its inception. Incidentally, this necessitates the adoption of novel and creative mechanisms to attract LPs and manipulate liquidity so that it is always available where needed. While traditional DEXs, such as Uniswap, have taken strides in this regard, Elektrik represents a new wave of DeFi protocols that can achieve more with less liquidity.
How Does Elektrik Work?
Elektrik is a DEX protocol built on the Lightlink Network. In its first iteration, Elektrik V1, the DEX plans to implement itself as a fork of the revolutionary Uniswap V3 architecture. As a fork of Uniswap V3, Elektrik carries forward the proven AMM model, enhancing it with the unique capabilities and features of the Lightlink network. This AMM model allows users to trade directly with the smart contract on the platform. Users can also become LPs by depositing assets into the liquidity pools and earn fees from the trading activity. This design is intended to provide efficient and flexible trading opportunities for all users.
The protocol is built on Lightlink, a layer 2 blockchain secured by Ethereum, purposefully built for Metaverse, NFT, and Gaming applications. By harnessing the power of the Lightlink network, Elektrik is able to offer an efficient and seamless trading experience for its users. Most importantly, Lightlink offers a unique feature referred to as ‘enterprise mode’ which allows organisations to pay a monthly fee, covering its users’ gas costs, to simplify users' experiences when transacting with ERC20 and ERC721 smart contracts, effectively bypassing native gas costs. This feature, combined with Lightlink's low transaction fees and high speed, provides Elektrik with a significant advantage over other DEXs built on more traditional blockchains.
Elektrik's design as a Uniswap V3 fork also brings with it a number of benefits. For instance, Elektrik, like Uniswap V3, provides higher capital efficiency compared to its predecessors by allowing liquidity providers to provide liquidity in concentrated price ranges, which, for sophisticated and active LPs, can potentially lead to higher returns. Furthermore, Elektrik supports single-sided liquidity provisioning, enabling LPs to deposit only one type of asset in a trading pair, reducing the risks associated with price fluctuations.
In terms of fee structure, Elektrik implements an adaptive fee structure that dynamically adjusts fees based on market conditions and liquidity utilisation. This is achieved through the introduction of multiple fee tiers for each pair: 0.05%, 0.30%, and 1.00%. These options allow LPs to adjust their margins based on the expected volatility of the pair. For example, LPs can choose to take on more risk with non-correlated pairs like ETH/DAI, or minimal risk with correlated pairs like USDC/DAI, and select the fee tier that best compensates them for this risk.
This ensures competitive fees for users while maintaining incentives for liquidity providers. By adapting fees to market conditions, Elektrik aims to promote efficient market participation and attract liquidity. Moreover, Elektrik introduces enhanced capital efficiency by utilising multiple fee tiers within liquidity pools. Liquidity providers can allocate their funds to different fee tiers, optimising their capital allocation and earning potential. This feature encourages efficient capital deployment and enables liquidity providers to maximise their returns.
Understanding Elektrik V2’s Liquidity Model
Although Elektrik is initially being released via the aforementioned Uniswap V3 model, Elektrik V2 plans to implement an innovative AMM. The Elektrik V2 platform represents a significant advancement in the realm of decentralised exchanges, distinguished by its incorporation of abstracted AMM, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Reinforced Learning (RL), and dynamic smart contracts. Central to Elektrik's proposition is its commitment to capital efficiency, ensuring that liquidity is not merely present but is deployed judiciously for optimal trading outcomes. The Dynamic Liquidity Provision (DLP) mechanism is pivotal in this regard, meticulously adjusting liquidity with each block on the LightLink network to meet the precise requirements of liquidity providers.
While Elektrik V1 allows for LPs to add liquidity to particular price ranges, Elektrik V2 harnesses the power of AI to anticipate and modulate liquidity in the inherently unpredictable cryptocurrency market. While conventional AI models may falter in such volatile environments, Elektrik's model is characterised by its dynamic adaptability. It undergoes continuous training on a diverse array of data, both internal to Elektrik and from external sources, ensuring its models remain contemporaneous and pertinent. This perpetual refinement is instrumental in ensuring that liquidity is judiciously allocated, responding adeptly to market fluctuations and safeguarding optimal trading conditions.
The decision-making prowess of this AI is further enhanced by the principles of Reinforcement Learning (RL). To elaborate, RL operates on a paradigm wherein the system discerns optimal actions through a process of iterative trial and error. Within Elektrik's operational framework, RL assists in determining the most efficacious deployment of liquidity, harmonising the dual objectives of return maximisation and risk minimization. By synergizing dynamic AI with RL, Elektrik underscores its commitment to the judicious management of liquidity, thereby promising an unparalleled trading experience driven by precision and efficiency.
Comparing Elektrik to the Competition
Since 2021, the DEX landscape has been dominated by Uniswap V2-style DEXs, with many implementing the tried-and-tested x * y = k algorithm and spreading liquidity evenly across all price ranges. This can lead to inefficiencies, especially those associated with use of capital. If liquidity is dispersed across all price ranges, each pool will require a larger amount of liquidity to facilitate the same amount of volume. Consequently, more trading fees are dispersed to a greater number of parties and traders must be charged higher fees in order to provide LPs with the same level of yield.
With the advent of Uniswap V3 in 2022, the DEX landscape has likewise undergone a subsequent evolution, with concentrated liquidity models becoming increasingly prevalent in DeFi. Nevertheless, these types of models often require manual rebalancing of liquidity or custom automated strategies by LPs, which can be relatively inefficient. Thus, even the relatively recent AMM models possess inherent flaws with regards to their management of idle liquidity that make them ineffective solutions when compared to next generation AMMs such as that implemented by Elektrik V2.
Elektrik V2 and similar DEXs will offer far greater flexibility than their contemporaries. The greater capital efficiency facilitated by the continuous rebalancing and concentration of liquidity will allow protocols to handle high volume trading with relatively insignificant liquidity. Thus trading fees for users can be reduced and those which are earned can be dispersed between fewer LPs, providing incentives for the participation of users and LPs alike.
Another key advantage of an automatic liquidity rebalancing model is the potential reduction in impermanent loss. Impermanent loss is a risk faced by LPs in traditional AMMs when the price of the assets in a pool diverges. By automatically adjusting liquidity to follow price movements, a DEX implementing this model can ensure that a LP’s liquidity is never concentrated in one side of a pool, mitigating the effects of impermanent loss. This means LPs are less likely to be holding the wrong asset when prices change, which can lead to more stable and predictable returns.
Notably, this model does possess some inherent challenges, particularly associated with the potential incorporation of machine learning for liquidity rebalancing. After all, if the AI makes an incorrect judgment, then the actual price range will have less liquidity than if the prediction were correct. However it is important to note that any particular price range would never be completely devoid of liquidity due to the use of a price weighting model by the AI, which allocates liquidity to certain price ranges depending on the likelihood that the price will be achieved. Furthermore, the learning curve for LPs in actually understanding and grasping this system may pose some challenges to adoption. Nevertheless, these challenges can be solved via frequent rebalancing and user interface abstraction for a more seamless user experience.
Conclusion
The very definition of liquidity as the ability to quickly and effortlessly buy or sell assets, is the essence of a functional market, be it the financial markets at large or the intricate DeFi space. Its influence extends throughout history, where liquidity has ruled the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of markets and as we have found, continues to influence the modern financial system - even in the context of DeFi. Therefore, it's evident that DeFi markets, such as Elektrik, which foster liquidity and allocate it efficiently, are likely to remain at the forefront of their respective industries. Therefore, it's evident that DeFi markets, such as Elektrik, which foster liquidity and allocate it efficiently, are likely to remain at the forefront of their respective industries. Consequently, as one of the principal determinants of market and asset success, liquidity, as championed by platforms such as Elektrik, will continue to drive innovation, incentivize adoption, and remain paramount in financial markets.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
32 days ago • cryptodaily
ETHWarsaw returns for its second edition alongside Warsaw Blockchain Week
Warsaw, Poland, August 21st, 2023, Chainwire
ETHWarsaw, a web3 conference and hackathon, organized by a passionate group of local Ethereum enthusiasts, returns for its second edition. The event is set to take place from August 31st to September 3rd, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland, bringing together a global community of builders, founders, and educators in web3.
Building upon the achievements of its debut, the second edition of ETHWarsaw promises enhanced experience as it will coincide with the first in the history Warsaw Blockchain Week.
“Despite the backdrop of crypto’s resurgence after a challenging year, we’re ready to deliver an even more comprehensive experience for the global community traveling across the world to Poland. This year we’re literally transforming Warsaw, a tech hub teeming with talent, into a hotbed of web3 action.” said Lukasz Stoczynski, ETHWarsaw’s Co-Founder, Business Development Lead.
This collaborative initiative, set against the charming blend of tradition and modernity that defines Warsaw, promises community-organized side events, including conferences, networking meetups, and parties.
The collective effort is poised to make this year’s ETHWarsaw, for the second year in a row, the biggest web3 conference in the CEE region and Warsaw Blockchain Week the largest blockchain event ever held in Poland.
ETHWarsaw is structured to cater to both seasoned professionals and curious newcomers including web2 developers and students. The conference spans two dynamic days of talks, panels and fireside chats divided into six key tracks: DeFi, Scalability, Security, Infrastructure, Governance, and Non-Tech.
This year’s speakers include Marius Van Der Wijden, Ethereum Foundation; Akram El Milligy, Ledger; Patrick McCorry, Arbitrum Foundation; Artis from Gitcoin, and Adam Gagol from Aleph Zero.
Similarly to last year, the overnight hackathon will start on Friday evening and it will be a 48 hours marathon of non-stop building. There will be opportunities for teams and individuals to get hands-on, practical experience working with applications and advanced tools with ~$50,000 in value to be won from various competitions.
ETHWarsaw’s reputation as a hub for breakthroughs in the blockchain realm continues to be reinforced by the awe-inspiring success stories of projects born from the event. Antoni Zolciak, Co-founder of Aleph Zero, Ocean Sponsor of ETHWarsaw, explains: “The brilliant team behind our recently launched ecosystem company, AZERO.ID, was formed after they emerged as victorious champions of the ETHWarsaw hackathon. This win led them to secure a grant, develop the platform’s first version, and successfully close an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. Their mainnet launch on Aleph Zero is just weeks away, marking an exciting beginning for AZERO.ID. We’re excited for this year’s hackathon during ETHWarsaw and have no doubt that this year’s edition will not disappoint.”
Other ETHWarsaw returning sponsors include RedStone Oracles, Arweave, Octant, Scroll, IPOR. In addition, EthWarsaw secured support for the vol2 event from companies like Lukso, zkSync, Request Network, PROPERLY, Beamer Bridge, Mantle & Chronicle.
For more details about the event and to buy tickets for the conference and hackathon, visit: https://www.ethwarsaw.dev/
Stay connected with ETHWarsaw:
Twitter: @ETHWarsaw
Telegram: ETHWarsaw Official
32 days ago • cryptodaily
ETHWarsaw returns for its second edition alongside Warsaw Blockchain Week
Warsaw, Poland, August 21st, 2023, Chainwire
ETHWarsaw, a web3 conference and hackathon, organized by a passionate group of local Ethereum enthusiasts, returns for its second edition. The event is set to take place from August 31st to September 3rd, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland, bringing together a global community of builders, founders, and educators in web3.
Building upon the achievements of its debut, the second edition of ETHWarsaw promises enhanced experience as it will coincide with the first in the history Warsaw Blockchain Week.
“Despite the backdrop of crypto’s resurgence after a challenging year, we’re ready to deliver an even more comprehensive experience for the global community traveling across the world to Poland. This year we’re literally transforming Warsaw, a tech hub teeming with talent, into a hotbed of web3 action.” said Lukasz Stoczynski, ETHWarsaw’s Co-Founder, Business Development Lead.
This collaborative initiative, set against the charming blend of tradition and modernity that defines Warsaw, promises community-organized side events, including conferences, networking meetups, and parties.
The collective effort is poised to make this year’s ETHWarsaw, for the second year in a row, the biggest web3 conference in the CEE region and Warsaw Blockchain Week the largest blockchain event ever held in Poland.
ETHWarsaw is structured to cater to both seasoned professionals and curious newcomers including web2 developers and students. The conference spans two dynamic days of talks, panels and fireside chats divided into six key tracks: DeFi, Scalability, Security, Infrastructure, Governance, and Non-Tech.
This year’s speakers include Marius Van Der Wijden, Ethereum Foundation; Akram El Milligy, Ledger; Patrick McCorry, Arbitrum Foundation; Artis from Gitcoin, and Adam Gagol from Aleph Zero.
Similarly to last year, the overnight hackathon will start on Friday evening and it will be a 48 hours marathon of non-stop building. There will be opportunities for teams and individuals to get hands-on, practical experience working with applications and advanced tools with ~$50,000 in value to be won from various competitions.
ETHWarsaw’s reputation as a hub for breakthroughs in the blockchain realm continues to be reinforced by the awe-inspiring success stories of projects born from the event. Antoni Zolciak, Co-founder of Aleph Zero, Ocean Sponsor of ETHWarsaw, explains: “The brilliant team behind our recently launched ecosystem company, AZERO.ID, was formed after they emerged as victorious champions of the ETHWarsaw hackathon. This win led them to secure a grant, develop the platform’s first version, and successfully close an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. Their mainnet launch on Aleph Zero is just weeks away, marking an exciting beginning for AZERO.ID. We’re excited for this year’s hackathon during ETHWarsaw and have no doubt that this year’s edition will not disappoint.”
Other ETHWarsaw returning sponsors include RedStone Oracles, Arweave, Octant, Scroll, IPOR. In addition, EthWarsaw secured support for the vol2 event from companies like Lukso, zkSync, Request Network, PROPERLY, Beamer Bridge, Mantle & Chronicle.
For more details about the event and to buy tickets for the conference and hackathon, visit: https://www.ethwarsaw.dev/
Stay connected with ETHWarsaw:
Twitter: @ETHWarsaw
Telegram: ETHWarsaw Official
35 days ago • cryptodaily
Open Campus, TinyTap, and Code Green Tackle Climate Change
The latest partnership is an extension of Open Campus’ mission to educate and raise awareness on issues of climate change and environmental conservation.
This July, Open Campus, a community-led Web 3 educational content platform, announced the launch of their #ClimateChange4Kids campaign on X (formerly Twitter) to educate the upcoming generations on the importance of protecting our planet. To extend its efforts, Open Campus is now in partnership with its affiliate, TinyTap and Code Green, a Web 3 organization leveraging blockchain and art to help conserve the environment, to create educational content on climate change.
The strategic partnership aims to extend knowledge and awareness of climate change via the Open Campus platform, providing creators, educators and teachers with a decentralized platform to create interactive educational games and earn from their content.
While several parts of the world face extreme temperatures and wildfires, such an initiative could be a crucial step in imparting knowledge on how to stop it. Code Green, TinyTap and Open Campus come together in a mission to educate younger generations – in an engaging and interactive way – on climate change. Furthermore, the initiative extends the belief in “the power of education to shape a more sustainable future”, a mission also shared by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
"By combining education, technology, and gaming, we're creating a unique platform to engage children and empower them with the knowledge and awareness to tackle this urgent crisis for our planet,” Inna Modja, CEO of Code Green and Goodwill Ambassador for the UNCCD, said.
Open Campus, TinyTap and Code Green launch NFT Giveaway
In light of the new collaboration, TinyTap will create a new climate change-centred course and integrate some elements of Code Green’s game HEALV3RSE, available on The Sandbox. Featured on the UNCCD website, HEALV3RSE is a metaverse game that allows users to play, learn about the planet, and have a real-world impact. The game’s avatars and NFT will feature in the lessons to incentivize learners and enhance the overall quality of the course, the press statement reads.
Through various levels of the game, players discover facts about the environment, make eco-friendly choices to help their virtual planet and perform healing actions. The ‘Play To Heal’ model enhances the game and gives players a novel experience as they participate in healing actions for our planet, such as planting trees, cleaning oceans, and installing solar panels.
In addition, Open Campus and Code Green are launching a giveaway to promote the new course. Players who participate in the giveaway campaign have a chance to win up to 100 HEALV3RSE avatars and equipment NFTs. Follow-up details on the giveaway will be posted on Open Campus X (fmr. Twitter) page.
The latest strategic partnership follows the successful launch of ‘Climate Change for Kids’ in July, aiming to enhance awareness of climate change, especially in younger generations. The #ClimateChange4Kids initiative has seen tremendous support worldwide, with over 200,000 impressions on X. Lastly, Open Campus’ recent partnership with Cloud Co Entertainment saw the company get a license to use the image of Care Bears, one of the most popular children's products line.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
35 days ago • cryptodaily
Open Campus, TinyTap, and Code Green Tackle Climate Change
The latest partnership is an extension of Open Campus’ mission to educate and raise awareness on issues of climate change and environmental conservation.
This July, Open Campus, a community-led Web 3 educational content platform, announced the launch of their #ClimateChange4Kids campaign on X (formerly Twitter) to educate the upcoming generations on the importance of protecting our planet. To extend its efforts, Open Campus is now in partnership with its affiliate, TinyTap and Code Green, a Web 3 organization leveraging blockchain and art to help conserve the environment, to create educational content on climate change.
The strategic partnership aims to extend knowledge and awareness of climate change via the Open Campus platform, providing creators, educators and teachers with a decentralized platform to create interactive educational games and earn from their content.
While several parts of the world face extreme temperatures and wildfires, such an initiative could be a crucial step in imparting knowledge on how to stop it. Code Green, TinyTap and Open Campus come together in a mission to educate younger generations – in an engaging and interactive way – on climate change. Furthermore, the initiative extends the belief in “the power of education to shape a more sustainable future”, a mission also shared by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
"By combining education, technology, and gaming, we're creating a unique platform to engage children and empower them with the knowledge and awareness to tackle this urgent crisis for our planet,” Inna Modja, CEO of Code Green and Goodwill Ambassador for the UNCCD, said.
Open Campus, TinyTap and Code Green launch NFT Giveaway
In light of the new collaboration, TinyTap will create a new climate change-centred course and integrate some elements of Code Green’s game HEALV3RSE, available on The Sandbox. Featured on the UNCCD website, HEALV3RSE is a metaverse game that allows users to play, learn about the planet, and have a real-world impact. The game’s avatars and NFT will feature in the lessons to incentivize learners and enhance the overall quality of the course, the press statement reads.
Through various levels of the game, players discover facts about the environment, make eco-friendly choices to help their virtual planet and perform healing actions. The ‘Play To Heal’ model enhances the game and gives players a novel experience as they participate in healing actions for our planet, such as planting trees, cleaning oceans, and installing solar panels.
In addition, Open Campus and Code Green are launching a giveaway to promote the new course. Players who participate in the giveaway campaign have a chance to win up to 100 HEALV3RSE avatars and equipment NFTs. Follow-up details on the giveaway will be posted on Open Campus X (fmr. Twitter) page.
The latest strategic partnership follows the successful launch of ‘Climate Change for Kids’ in July, aiming to enhance awareness of climate change, especially in younger generations. The #ClimateChange4Kids initiative has seen tremendous support worldwide, with over 200,000 impressions on X. Lastly, Open Campus’ recent partnership with Cloud Co Entertainment saw the company get a license to use the image of Care Bears, one of the most popular children's products line.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
74 days ago • cryptodaily
Swaap v2 Launches: Revolutionizing DeFi Market Making with Secure, Autopilot Strategies
Paris, France, July 10th, 2023, ChainwireLeveraging its successful $4.5m fundraising, Swaap launches its v2 protocol, bringing easy-to-use and powerful market-making strategies to the global DeFi community. Swaap v2 is unique in addressing key challenges such as impermanent loss which have plagued Liquidity Providers.Swaap, the cutting-edge market-making protocol for blue-chip crypto assets, is thrilled to announce the launch of its v2 protocol. With an emphasis on ease of use, state-of-the-art strategies, strong security, and solutions to impermanent loss, Swaap v2 is poised to democratize access to advanced market-making tools for the global DeFi community.What Sets Swaap v2 Apart: Making Market Making EffortlessFor the first time ever, Swaap v2 offers anyone - from institutions to individuals - a seamless way to engage in advanced market-making strategies. The protocol uses mathematically optimized strategies, which means it intelligently adjusts fees and asset holdings to maximize returns while minimizing risks, all on autopilot. Importantly, Swaap v2 addresses impermanent loss, a problem that has deterred many from participating as liquidity providers.Stanislas Barthélémi, an early user of Swaap v2, shares: “As someone who was an LP in traditional Automated Market Makers but was burned by Impermanent Loss, Swaap v2 has been a game-changer for me. It's like having an expert trader working for you around the clock.”The Tech Behind Swaap v2With models built in collaboration with the Louis Bachelier Institute, a leading financial research institute, Swaap v2 brings the best of traditional financial market-making models to DeFi. It incorporates strategies that intuitively adapt to market conditions, safeguarding funds while optimizing returns. Moreover, liquidity providers can effortlessly engage with a wide array of assets across the Polygon and the Ethereum ecosystems.Launch Partners Powering Swaap v2Swaap v2 is backed by notable launch partners to ensure robust functionality and support. Chainlink provides critical price feeds for on-chain defensive mechanisms and safeguards, further reinforcing security for Liquidity Providers.Additionally, Paraswap, Odos, and Open Ocean are onboard as aggregators, which already ensures significant volumes on the Swaap platform.FRAX, a leading stablecoin protocol, has approved a proposal to incentivize liquidity on a FRAX-ETH pool on Swaap v2 to reinforce its role as a connector token in DeFi.Built with Security at its CoreIn the world of DeFi, security is paramount. Swaap v2 has undergone rigorous audits by ChainSecurity & Quantstamp. Furthermore, Swaap v2 pioneers defensive modules and on-chain protections that offer users additional peace of mind.Swaap is celebrating the launch by offering Swaap tokens to the first wave of liquidity providers, seamlessly integrating them into the governance ecosystem.“With Swaap v2, we’re not just launching a product; we’re catalyzing a movement to empower people globally through decentralized financial tools. Our goal is to ensure that anyone, anywhere, has access to sophisticated market-making strategies that were once reserved for high-net-worth individuals and established financial institutions,” says Cyrille Pastour, co-founder of Swaap.“Swaap v2 is an eloquent example of what happens when innovation meets expertise. We believe Swaap is on the verge of redefining how DeFi engages with market-making, and we are thrilled to be part of this transformative journey.", says Nikolai Lambsdorff, from Signature Ventures.Liquidity Deposits to Secure Launch NFTSwapp invites users to deposit liquidity in Swaap v2 to not only unlock the full potential of their assets but also to secure exclusive launch NFT. This uniquely designed digital asset is Swapp's way of acknowledging users early participation and commitment to the evolution of DeFi.Users who want to deposit liquidity to secure their piece of blockchain history and join the frontlines of DeFi innovation can visit this link.About SwaapSwaap is an innovative market-making protocol specializing in blue-chip crypto assets. Through pioneering models developed in collaboration with leading institutions, Swaap is revolutionizing DeFi market-making by providing liquidity providers with effortless and superior market-making strategies.ContactHead of MarketingDavid [email protected]
76 days ago • cryptodaily
Best Crypto To Buy Now Not Named Bitcoin
With the crypto market's meteoric rise, more people are keen to explore cryptocurrencies beyond the typical Bitcoin investment. This burgeoning interest is further piqued by the myriad of projects that have sprung up, each promising unique value propositions and significant ROI. While the sheer volume of altcoins can be daunting to newcomers, this article will explore the seven best crypto to buy now not named Bitcoin. From altcoins specializing in fractionalized NFT investing, play-to-earn gaming rewards, and enhancing DeFi connectivity to revolutionizing rendering processes, these coins offer a diversified investment portfolio for beginners and experienced investors.
Best Crypto To Buy Now Not Named Bitcoin
Beyond Bitcoin, the crypto market brims with promising altcoins, each representing unique value propositions. Seven standout tokens include InQubeta, pioneering fractionalized NFT investing in AI startups; DigiToads, intertwining play-to-earn gaming with NFTs; Manifold Finance, augmenting DeFi connectivity; Ocean Protocol, democratizing data access; Trust Wallet Token, driving a popular wallet ecosystem; Render, revolutionizing rendering processes; and Litecoin, an enduring alternative to Bitcoin. These diverse tokens offer profitable investment opportunities for every investor's portfolio.
InQubeta (QUBE) - Best Altcoin For Fractionalized NFT Investing
A game-changing project in the cryptocurrency space, InQubeta has set its sights on changing how we invest in AI startups. With the QUBE token at its core, InQubeta offers an innovative and sophisticated platform for fractionalized investment in AI enterprises. Its groundbreaking approach allows even the smallest investors to have a stake in some of the most promising AI projects in the industry.
InQubeta leverages the power of Web3 to bring to life the world's first fractionalized AI NFT crowdfunding platform. The platform turns investment opportunities into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which can then be fractionalized and distributed to investors. This revolutionary approach to fundraising means that everyone can get a piece of the AI startup action, thereby democratizing investment and engaging a broader community of stakeholders.
The QUBE token is an integral part of the InQubeta ecosystem. It is a deflationary token, meaning its supply reduces over time due to a burning mechanism. Thus, 2% of QUBE token sales and 1% of purchases are burned, ensuring scarcity and helping to bolster the token's value over time. The token is vested over 12 weeks.
InQubeta has its own custom-built NFT marketplace, which allows AI startups to raise funds and offer reward and equity-based NFTs to their investors. By purchasing QUBE tokens, holders can directly invest in these promising projects, fostering a thriving ecosystem and generating potential returns, with experts anticipating the price of QUBE to rise more than 5x after the presale.
DigiToads (TOADS) - Play-to-Earn (P2E) Gaming and Rewards
DigiToads operates as a full utility meme coin with a unique play-to-earn (P2E) gaming aspect, setting it apart as one of the best cryptos for beginners looking to delve into the NFT space. The P2E model incorporates a fascinating web3 game where players can collect, nurture, and battle DigiToads, adding an interactive dimension to this cryptocurrency investment. These digital amphibians can be acquired through buying, trading, or winning, making TOADS tokens an integral part of the gaming ecosystem. These tokens purchase various items, including food, potions, and training equipment for the DigiToads, creating an engaging virtual environment for players.
This play-to-earn feature extends beyond mere gaming; it provides a pathway for players to earn TOADS tokens, one of the top crypto coins to buy today. The DigiToads game rewards the top 25% of players on the leaderboard with TOADS tokens, creating a competitive environment that incentivizes player performance. Furthermore, 50% of the funds obtained from in-game item sales are allocated to the prize fund for distribution among the top 25% of players. Therefore, the game design caters to a fun and competitive player experience and serves as an avenue for participants to earn cryptocurrency rewards.
Considering the high-growth potential of TOADS tokens, they are arguably one of the best cryptos to invest in now. The P2E model is up-and-coming for those wondering what crypto to invest in, as the DigiToads project offers a direct earning potential through gameplay. Moreover, the regular prize pool payouts to top performers in the game underscore the potential returns for skilled and dedicated players. As the popularity of P2E gaming continues to rise, DigiToads is positioned as a leading project in this innovative intersection of gaming and crypto investments. It is one of the most promising presales to buy now that can experience over 450% growth in the near future.
Manifold Finance ($FOLD): Enhancing DeFi Connectivity
The crypto world undeniably provides opportunities for beginners, especially those keen to dive into DeFi projects. Manifold Finance ($FOLD) is the best crypto for beginners. Born as a middleware product, $FOLD is designed to augment connectivity between DeFi protocols and safeguard users from MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) attacks—a high value feature for anyone venturing into crypto. The functionality to shield users from MEV attacks has been the first offering in the Manifold Finance product line. MEV refers to the profit potential by changing the order of transactions within a block. In this area, miners or validators enjoy the power to choose transactions for inclusion in blocks.
Selected as a promising cryptocurrency for beginners, $FOLD—through its product, OpenMEV—provides security against sandwich attacks, a common MEV attack. Sandwich attacks occur when a trader places transactions before and after a victim transaction, capturing the price difference. OpenMEV shields users from such exploitations, returning funds and fees to traders. Utilizing MEV opportunities, OpenMEV employs secure smart contract techniques to scale services like SushiSwap for end-users, an invaluable aspect for beginner cryptocurrency investors seeking the best crypto to invest in.
Ocean Protocol (OCEAN) - Best Altcoin For Democratising Access to Data
OCEAN, an ERC20 token, is undoubtedly a standout in the crypto space, aiming to democratize access to data. This initiative presents the potential to challenge tech giants such as Google and Facebook, making it one of the best cryptos to invest in now. Ocean Protocol enables data owners to sell their information through the Ocean Market app, providing consumers with previously inaccessible private data. This offers AI practitioners and data scientists advantages, granting access to more data, crypto-secured provenance, and income opportunities.
Fulfilling the top crypto to buy criteria, OCEAN's utilization in buying and selling data, governance, and staking makes it a hot contender. The Ocean Protocol was founded in 2017 by Bruce Pon and Trent McConaghy. It aims to democratize data, enhance AI capabilities, and spread the benefits of artificial intelligence. OCEAN has a capped max supply of 1.41 billion tokens. A portion was allocated for community projects and burning a fraction of network revenue—elements worth considering when deciding on the best cryptocurrency to buy today.
Trust Wallet Token (TWT) - Top Cryptocurrency Wallet Ecosystem
Trust Wallet Token (TWT) should be on the radar for those considering which crypto to buy. The TWT token is the official token of Trust Wallet, a mobile-based cryptocurrency wallet that boasts extensive support for over 250,000 distinct assets across 33 blockchains—an ideal choice for anyone looking to make the best crypto investments. The "Earn" feature in the Trust Wallet allows users to generate passive income simply by pressing a button. Accessibility is central to Trust Wallet's design, with no KYC verification or barriers to trading cryptocurrencies.
TWT, a token based on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), is fast garnering attention, mainly due to the benefits it offers its holders. These include participating in governance activities, voting on crucial decisions for the Trust Wallet app, and receiving discounts for buying cryptocurrencies within the ecosystem—elements seriously worthy of consideration for those figuring out what crypto to invest in.
Render (RNDR): Revolutionizing the Rendering Process
Render, an innovative platform revolutionizing the rendering process, connects artists and GPU providers. This is achieved through the power of blockchain and cutting-edge technologies. The platform streamlines the creation of high-quality 3D graphics and animations. Artists can access powerful GPUs to render their works at affordable costs, using RNDR tokens to pay for the rendering services. This platform has applications across multiple sectors, including film, gaming, and architecture, making it an exciting prospect for those looking for the best coin to invest in.
The RNDR token, based on the Ethereum blockchain, is used as a medium of exchange on the Render network. For those asking, "What crypto should I buy?", RNDR offers an interesting proposition. This is due to its unique proposition, linking providers of GPU power with those who need it, combined with its potential to disrupt the rendering industry. By tokenizing GPU power, Render allows miners to monetize their idle resources, making RNDR one of the top 5 cryptocurrencies for individuals looking to invest in a transformative project.
Litecoin (LTC): The Silver to Bitcoin's Gold
Litecoin (LTC) has been prominent in cryptocurrency since its inception in 2011. The "silver to Bitcoin's gold" is what makes Litecoin one of the best digital currencies for boosting their portfolio. An open-source project based on the Bitcoin protocol, Litecoin features several significant improvements, such as a faster block generation time and a different hashing algorithm.
With its longevity in the crypto market and the backing of an active developer community, Litecoin continues to be an appealing option for investors. Buying LTC offers a robust entry point for those wondering how to get into cryptocurrency. It is widely available on most cryptocurrency exchanges, enjoys high liquidity, and can be used for various applications, including online shopping and forex trading. Given these features, Litecoin is undeniably one of the best cryptocurrencies to buy now.
Best Crypto To Buy Now Not Named Bitcoin - Conclusion
While Bitcoin remains a dominant force in the space, it's clear that the market is teeming with diverse and promising altcoins that offer unique value propositions. InQubeta, DigiToads, Manifold Finance, Ocean Protocol, Trust Wallet Token, Render, and Litecoin are just a few examples of cryptocurrencies that have carved a niche in this expansive universe. These tokens represent an array of innovative technologies and concepts ranging from play-to-earn gaming, democratizing data access, and enhancing DeFi connectivity to fractionalized NFT investing. Thus, by expanding investment horizons beyond Bitcoin, investors can tap into a range of potentially rewarding opportunities and help to drive forward the next wave of crypto-innovation.
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.
92 days ago • cryptodaily
10 Promising AI cryptocurrencies to watch in 2023
Cryptocurrencies, like InQubeta (QUBE), that are linked to artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged as the top altcoins to buy as crypto investors look to capitalize on what many industry experts like Bill Gates have already predicted will be the next technological revolution. Gates has already warned that the world should expect to see many major changes within a few years.
The InQubeta presale is attracting lots of global investors as it’s the first platform to create a simpler yet secure way for anyone, anywhere to buy equity in artificial intelligence startups. InQubeta isn’t the only AI-linked altcoin that has been getting lots of attention lately. Others like Fetch.ai and Singlularity.NET are also seeing an influx of bullish investors. Even mainstream corporations that help to push innovations like Nvidia, which provides chips for AI software, have also seen a substantial increase in investment funds. Nvidia recently became a trillion-dollar corporation after announcing that the demand for chips that power AI software has increased by over 50%.
InQubeta emerges as leader of AI cryptocurrencies
Also known as machine learning, artificial intelligence is a type of software system that’s based on neural networks. The technique was created decades ago, but couldn’t be used to its full potential until new computing resources were developed.
Thanks to AI, vehicles with self-driving capabilities are already being mass-produced and many people have smartphones with effective image and voice recognition tools. Companies like Tesla® are already working on humanoid robots that can perform manual labor and domestic tasks.
Even Wall Street has been firmly behind the AI revolution, with investments in the sector rising by over $100 billion from 2015 to 2022. Total investments in firms linked to AI are predicted to exceed $1.5 trillion by 2030. A large portion of these funds will go into AI-linked cryptocurrencies.
The top ten ones are:
1. InQubeta (QUBE)
InQubeta (QUBE) provides a platform that allows startups that focus on artificial intelligence to connect with potential investors. It bypasses the barriers associated with conventional investment channels like needing Silicon-Valley-type connections or being able to afford minimum account deposits that exceed the average person’s annual income.
Firms raise money on the InQubeta platform by creating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that denote equity and other bonuses in their companies. The NFTs are fractionalized, allowing investors to invest as little or as much as they want. They become equity-owning associates, while the company gets the capital it needs to innovate. Transactions are done with the platform’s native currency, $QUBE tokens.
AI is expected to be, at the very least, as disruptive as the Internet revolution was. Those who invested in companies that quickly capitalized on the new opportunities created by the internet have made substantial returns on their investments since. For example, a $10,000 investment in Amazon during its initial public offering in 1997 would be worth more than $2.2 million today.
Thanks to InQubeta, everyone can now invest in companies that will push innovations in the sector.
InQubeta investors can earn extra bonuses by staking their $QUBE to help secure and run the blockchain. Rewards are sent periodically from a dedicated pool that is funded with a 5% sell levy on all $QUBE transactions. $QUBE tokens also give investors access to the platform’s governance, allowing them to suggest and vote on issues that affect the project’s development and future.
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2. Fetch.ai (FET)
Fetch.ai is another interesting AI-driven cryptocurrency platform that has been getting lots of attention lately. It aims to automate web transactions on its decentralized platform. Each user gets a digital version of themselves called a ‘digital twin’ that learns, interacts, and negotiates with the digital twins of goods or service providers.
Digital twins use set parameters given by users to negotiate on their behalf. For example, a user’s digital twin might interact with the digital twins of concert ticket sellers to find the best deals for a specific event. These digital twins can also interact with other digital twins that have performed similar tasks in the past and learn from them. Fetch.ai digital twins can also be used for decentralized financial services. For example, a user’s digital twin can notice price differences of a specific token on different cryptocurrency exchanges and take advantage of them autonomously. Bill Gates recently predicted that services like the ones provided by Fetch.ai would be the first to cause major disruptions as it has the potential to change how people shop online.
3. Singlularity.NET (AGIX)
Singularity.Net is a decentralized AI marketplace that uses blockchain technology to provide unrestricted access to applications and algorithms. One of the platform’s main goals is to create Artificial General Intelligence from all the interactions between different AI algorithms.
Singularity.NET hosts its platform on the Cardano (ADA) and Ethereum (ETH) blockchains and anyone can use the learning models created on it. Its native currency the AGIX is used to pay transaction fees and purchase products. Over 70 AI services are already available on the platform and the user-friendly interface makes it easy for non-developers to navigate the space.
4. The Graph (GRT)
The Graph provides a system for querying and indexing data from blockchains, much like a search engine’s index and query data from websites. The Graph’s platform does this by organizing data into subgraphs. It’s built on the Ethereum blockchain and it allows anyone to build and publish APIs that applications can query with GraphQL to secure blockchain data.
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5. Ocean Protocol (OCEAN)
Ocean Protocol provides an Ethereum-based platform that allows individuals and businesses to monetize and exchange data and data-based services. For example, it can give researchers access to the data without the data holder having to relinquish it.
While many cryptocurrencies had a rough time in 2022, Ocean prices kept growing before finally coming down in early 2023.
6. Cortex (CTXC)
Cortex provides a peer-to-peer, open-source, decentralized blockchain-based platform that supports uploading and executing AI models on the distributed network. It aims for AI democratization where models can be integrated into smart contracts to create AI-powered decentralized applications.
Cortex hasn’t enjoyed the price growth many other AI-driven cryptocurrencies have recently seen, but it has the potential to create a new class of decentralized applications and smart contracts in the future.
7. iExec RLC (RLC)
IExec offers a blockchain network that users can use to monetize their computing power or access on-demand computing resources. RLC is the network's native currency and it’s used to pay transaction fees on the blockchain.
The iExec platform is currently the leading blockchain-based decentralized computing platform and it also allows users to monetize data sets and applications. iExec supports applications used in various fields like fintech, rendering, AI, and healthcare. iExec aims to reinvent the cloud computing space by creating a new blockchain-based cloud paradigm.
iExec’s platform relies on XtremWeb-HEP, which is an open-source grid software that allows for features like security, data management, private infrastructure, and the development of virtual images.
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8. Numeraire (NMR)
Numeraire runs an AI-powered blockchain network that acts like a hedge fund on behalf of users, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to invest in global stock markets. Its native currency the Numeraire is used to pay transaction fees on the network.
The Numeraire blockchain is Ethereum-based, allowing data scientists and developers to experiment and develop machine learning models. The platform aims to decentralize the data science field while allowing developers to make more effective machine-learning models.
Numeraire claims the title of being the first hedge fund to launch its cryptocurrency, but unlike conventional hedge funds, it uses predictions made by users to select stocks. It heavily relies on machine learning for its investment strategies.
9. dKargo (DKA)
dKargo is a blockchain network that uses artificial intelligence to address issues in the logistics industry by providing credible data to participants. The network also helps to establish efficient logistics networks based on improved communication provided by blockchain technology.
The dKargo platform helps to address trust issues created by split logistic nodes by using blockchain technology to enhance communication and create collaboration-based logistic networks that would be impossible without blockchain technology. The platform also provides Web3 logistic services. It gives users optimized routes and logistics that couldn’t have been possible with the structure of silo logistics.
10. Phala Network (PHA)
Phala Network also provides AI-augmented blockchain-based cloud computing services, but its main focus is privacy. The platform is positioned as a decentralized alternative to traditional cloud computing providers like Google Cloud or Amazon AWS.
PHA is its native currency and used for various things like purchasing computing resources, paying data exchange fees, and security guarantees. Phala Network provides users with contract-based data exchange infrastructure for standardized trading protocols, analysis, and collection. PHA also serves as the platform’s governance tokens giving users a say in the platform’s development and operations.
Summary
2023 has been the year of AI-linked cryptos as they emerge as the top altcoins to buy. Investors remain bullish on these tokens that are driven by artificial intelligence while generally feeling bearish about most cryptocurrencies. AI-linked cryptos are taking over the crypto space and their futures look bright with a total of $1.5 trillion expected to be funneled into the AI sector.
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.
1647 days ago • cryptodaily
Why I Blockgasmed After Coming Across The Crypto Movie Trailer
According to my meticulous calculations, we are about 3,542 to-be-mined Bitcoin blocks away from the lifting of the red, velvet curtain at the Crypto movie premiere on 12 April. That means approximately 44,280 Bitcoin will be rewarded between now and the premiere, and at current market prices, that cryptocurrency cornucopia could be worth some USD 175.3 million – a not-so-paltry sum that would actually be a nice global box office rake for this fintech flick.
Lionsgate Home Entertainment might agree with me. You see, a closer examination of Crypto’s production team reveals that Lionsgate is the big name distributing the movie to US theatres. Yes – that Lionsgate!
With thematic thespian thrillers including American Psycho, Crash, The Bank Job, Divergent, and Robin Hood as titles in their hallowed Hollywood history, Crypto could logically be the next blockbuster-to-be in that series. Perhaps Patrick Bateman checks his digital wallet every morning after doing 1,000 crunches, or maybe Jason Statham’s Terry Leather character is now drilling into safety deposit boxes looking for crypto enthusiasts’ 24 seed words.
It’s a damn good thing US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin occupies his present position in a building adjacent to Donald Trump’s White House. In a not-so-distant past, Mnuchin founded Dune Entertainment which financed the X-Men franchise and Avatar. He also served as Executive Producer of The Lego Movie, American Sniper, Entourage, and Wonder Woman, among many notable others. Had he not taken the road less taken, Mnuchin could be the one producing Crypto, rather than advocating cryptocurrency regulations at the Group of Twenty. The irony is almost too thick to contemplate and appreciate.
While we’re on the subject of the glowing New Yorker who inhabits the building next to Mnuchin’s office, is it my imagination or does the 2-minute, 17-seconds trailer for Crypto resemble certain aspects of the slow motion train crash-of-a-movie at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that the entire world is tuned into every day?
Let’s start with the obvious and see what we can easily glean from this trailer.
In the opening scene of the trailer, Kurt Russell – looking like a withered scarecrow – solicits help in a farm field from a sharply-dressed mystery man with a lipworm who seconds later appears to be sitting behind a monitor and evaluating an ICO called Delta Coin. Incidentally, a quick review of Etherscan suggests there actually is a token called Delta Coin with a total supply of 5,000,000,000 DTC that is held by a mere six addresses. With the most recent transaction some 176 days ago, we may have to wait for the full movie to learn if the token was created for the movie. Alas, I digress.
We soon learn that the Wall Street wunderkind was at the top of his class at – ahem – Wharton, before engaging in crypto due diligence and that Mr Lipworm prevented his firm from transacting business with a large counterparty, leading to pre-release speculation that Mr Lipworm might be infiltrating financial institutions as an undercover investigator.
Moments later, our protagonist gets reassigned to a role in Albany, New York, that oft-forgotten, upstate New York micropolitan-of-a-state-capital where BitLicense was created by the New York State Department of Financial Services, much to the recent satisfaction of Robinhood Crypto and Libertyx. Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with policymakers in Albany and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York is not lost upon those of us on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean either.
We soon learn that Mr Lipworm is indeed an Anti-Money Laundering Officer and after bro-hugging it out with a childhood friend, Mr Lipworm is next browsing a digital wallet where he encounters USD 10,463,502 million(!!!) in cryptocurrency. Assuming principal photography for Crypto took place in 2018, many of us might consider USD 10 million to be a slow week of ICO deal-making, practically a blip on the radar that even the flimsiest of unicorns-to-be or tenbaggers could relegate to “Chump Change” in the Use of Proceeds sections of their white papers. My, how times have changed!
Mr Lipworm next apprises his AMLO apprentice that there is – gasp – no KYC or AML associated with the digital wallet they are scrutinising. A few bad Brooklyn accents later (is there such as thing as a good Brooklyn accent?), our hero is video conferencing with the Office of Foreign Assets Control and informing them of a “serious problem” involving money laundering by the Russian mafia.
While we don’t see the action in the short clip, it is quite possible that the agent on the other end of the video conference marched right into Mnuchin’s Treasury office and informed our resident movie buff-cum-Treasury Secretary that Russia was evading US sanctions – in Albany, New York of all places.
Crypto’s trailer doesn’t reveal whether the laundered money was to be used to purchase a penthouse in Trump’s scuttled Trump Tower Moscow project. In life-imitating-art creative liberty, many readers and viewers may be hoping that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation might arrive at that exact conclusion. Again, I digress.
A couple of hayseeds soon find a napkin with a threatening note about an upcoming meeting and are forewarned that “COPS = RIP.” We can only guess that the good law enforcement agents of New York State are not loading up on XRP (Ripple) in their public pensions.
Some sort of kidnapping – it’s a bit unclear if Kurt Russell himself is being used as cryptobait – soon transpires and we next see a couple of gangsters working their magic on someone’s neck with a stun gun. Whilst we do not hear their accents in the trailer, the credits to the movie list an Olga N. Bogdanova as a Russian dialect coach, so one can only assume that Mr Goldie Hawn was jacked from his upstate farm and shanghaied to Grozny or Siberia – or maybe that was Poughkeepsie.
A few opaque plot twists later do little to reveal the denouement, so we can wrap this trailer analysis without a spoiler alert.
Back when Donald Trump was just getting started in giving New York City’s skyline a facelift, Gordon Gekko taught us that “Greed is Good.”
A bit underwhelming by comparison Crypto’s tagline is that “Fear is the Ultimate Currency.”
The motion picture’s rating forewarns us that there are violence, sexuality, and drug use. Naturally there is! How else could a cryptocurrency trader make it through a 7-day trading week without some fisticuffs, a gratuitous orgy or three, and some booger sugar?
While we likely won’t see cameos by Don Jr, Ivanka, or Kushner, Trumpgate may not be too far from moviegoers’ minds at times. Maybe Mr Lipworm is the OFAC stable pony who manages to find collusion with the Russians after all.
Let’s just hope Goldie remembers where Kurt keeps his seed words.