Tech
‘Private Jet Branding’ Is One Way Polkadot Burned Cash
June has been an incredibly ugly month in cryptocurrency markets (see our blood-red chart below), but it hasn’t been completely devoid of decent blockchain stories. One obsession of crypto Twitterati over the past week has been poring over the budget items in Polkadot’s Treasury Transparency Report. The $6.8 million sponsorship of a “prestigious soccer club” was just one of many expenditures subjected to public scrutiny.
Polkadot spending has more than doubled compared to the previous six months. (Polkadot)
BURNING RATE: At the very least, you have to give Polkadot credit for its transparency. On Tuesday, the blockchain project released a long relationshipIncluded spreadsheets and copies of invoices, detailing the last six months’ worth of expenses. However, no good deed goes unpunished, and right on cue, Twitter users have been tearing up the project’s multi-million dollar spending on activities such as marketing, advertising, sponsorships, events, and influencers. At the highest level, the project has spent $87 million of its DOT tokens on various activities during the first half of 2024, a pace that would deplete the $245 million currently in the treasury within about two years, as Posted by Shaurya Malwa of CoinDesk. But it was the details in green that left readers of the report stunned: $4.9 million for influencers, $1.9 million for sponsoring racing driver Conor Daly, $1 million for digital ads on CoinMarketCap, $490,000 for press release website Chainwire, $180,000 for “private jet branding“$6.8 million for a “deal with a prestigious soccer club,” as the report called it. (Lionel Messi’s team, Inter Miami?) Sarcastic posters on X observed that despite all the spending, influencers seemed strangely inactive – while others joked that the report was finally making Polkadot a success advertising he wantedPolkadot officials noted that spending has exceeded expectations, thanks to this year’s surging cryptocurrency markets: “We can see a huge jump in spending as proposals have become more ambitious in scope and size recently,” the report reads. “The good news is that the average DOT price has increased this half-year, resulting in greater success for DOT, evidenced by the fact that DOT spending has increased 2.4 times, but the equivalent USD value has increased 3.2 times over the same period.”
NOT JUST FAST! Hey, Bitcoin got ETFs earlier this year, and now Ethereum looks to be heading in that direction, perhaps leading billions of dollars in a few monthsbased on research from Galaxy Digital. So what about an ETF for Solana, considered one of the most promising blockchains? Probably not anytime soon, experts say. Speculation began last week when investment manager VanEck filed for a Solana ETF, sending the project’s native token, SOL, up 8%. Another firm, 21Shares, make a request one day later. But how Reported by Helene Braun of CoinDesk“Solana has failed a prerequisite for the Biden administration’s Securities and Exchange Commission: a regulated and established derivatives market. Both bitcoin and ether have had one, in the form of CME Group’s cryptocurrency futures contracts.” Another potential hurdle is that the SEC has, in some of its legal cases, said SOL is an unregistered security, and that cloud may have to clear before an ETF sees the light of day. “It is unlikely that there will be a decision on this in the near future,” institutional analysts at Coinbase said in a weekly research report.
Last week’s top picks from Our Protocol Village column highlighting the main innovations and technological updates of blockchain.
Edited from the website of singer-songwriter Ainsley Costello, whose music can be heard on the Bitcoin Lightning Network-compatible music platform Wavlake.ainsleycostello.com)
1. The developer teams behind the Tezos blockchain unveiled “Tezos X,” a series of technology updates that they say could bring a “huge increase in performance, composability and interoperability.” roadmapwhich outlines a development plan for the next two years, calls for splitting transaction execution into a separate “canonical rollup” that would support “atomic transactions through smart contracts written in multiple programming languages.” Tezos’ main blockchain would serve as the underlying layer for consensus and resolution.
2. Igloo Inc.the parent company of Pudgy Penguins, announced Monday that it has acquired the Frame team. “Frame co-founders and renowned blockchain developers Cygaar and Beans will help create a new Ethereum L2, Abstract, designed to capture the consumer cryptocurrency opportunity,” according to the team.
3. World currency announced that it is partnering with Alchemy to provide a trusted infrastructure for World Chain, a new blockchain designed for humans, according to the team.
4. Blockchain Startup Obol Labs has formed a new industry group that aims to advance the growing field of distributed validation technology – at the heart of developers’ latest push to eradicate single points of failure within decentralized networks like Ethereum. Obol Collective includes a consortium of Ethereum ecosystem players “dedicated to the security, resilience, and decentralization of the Ethereum consensus,” according to a Wednesday blog post from Obol Labs. Early participants in the collective include EigenLayer, Lido, Figment, Bitcoin Suisse, Nethermind, Blockdaemon, Chorus One, DappNode, and ETH Stakers.
5. Lake of Wavesa music and podcast distribution platform, has partnered with ZBD to revolutionize creator payments. According to the team: “Unlike Spotify and Apple Music, which pay meager royalties, Wavlake empowers independent musicians and podcasters. Through Wavlake, creators can upload content that is distributed across platforms like Fontana.fm. Listeners can tip artists using the Bitcoin Lightning Network, allowing for instant microtransactions. Ainsley Costello earned over $700 in Bitcoin for a single track, beating Spotify.”
CEO of Pi Squared Grigore Rosu (Pi Squared)
Regulatory, political and legal
Both leaders and laggards were crushed by cryptocurrency markets in June, with bitcoin as the leading indicator (BTC) down 8.5% – and this week falling below $60,000well below the all-time high of over $73,000.
All members of the CoinDesk Index 20 were losers during the month. Uniswap’s UNI recorded the least negative performance, with a decline of 8.1%. Exchange rate risk slipped 8.8% and Ethereum ETH lost 9.4%.
The dog themed meme coin SHIBISCOPE produced the largest drop in the index, to 32.9%, narrowly edged out by Internet Computer’s 32.7% loss (PIC).
(Pallavi Chintam Indices/CoinDesk)
July 8-11: EthCCBrussels.
Tech
Hollywood.ai by FAME King Sheeraz Hasan Promulgates a Complete Ecosystem that Unites Web3, Cryptography, AI and Entertainment for Spectacular Global Tech Innovation
The one and only FAME King Sheeraz Hasan is launching Hollywood.ai, a revolutionary platform designed to integrate the cutting-edge realms of Web3, cryptocurrency, AI, finance and entertainment. This revolutionary initiative is set to create a seamless, interactive and intuitive ecosystem where the world’s leading technology luminaries can collaborate on innovations, ultimately redefining the future of digital interaction.
Hollywood.ai represents the convergence of the most complex technologies of all time. Fusing Web3 principles, cryptocurrency utilities, AI advances, and financial machinery, Sheeraz’s platform aims to become the nucleus for innovation and modernization. It provides a high-tech environment where technology and creativity collide harmoniously, paving the way for new paths in the digital economy.
A defining feature of Hollywood.ai is the integration of cryptocurrency into the AI ecosystem, transforming AI into a tokenized asset with full cryptographic utility. Sheeraz’s novel approach presents new avenues to leverage the myriad capabilities of AI in the financial realm, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for developers and users alike. Through the amalgamation of AI and cryptocurrency, Hollywood.ai is paving the way for an incredibly interconnected digital space unlike anything seen before.
The platform’s design emphasizes the undeniable symbiosis between various technology sectors. Under Sheeraz’s careful orchestration, Web3 technologies facilitate decentralized collaboration, while AI tools offer enhanced potential for data analytics, content creation, and audience engagement. Additionally, the inclusion of financial innovations ensures rapid mobility of both monetization and investments, providing a holistic environment that meets the ever-evolving demands of the technology and entertainment segments.
Sheeraz’s Hollywood.ai is poised to become the premier hub for industry leaders, developers, and creators to support and empower the next generation of digital experiences. This initiative aspires to drive the emergence of new tools, applications, and services that set new standards for advanced engagement and interaction.
Known for making the impossible possible, Sheeraz envisions a future where global audiences actively participate in designing the next A-list stars from scratch. Hollywood.ai will allow users to watch their creations evolve from simple concepts to 3D talents that can act, sing and perform just like human actors.
The Hollywood.ai platform leverages AI technology to deliver personalized fan engagement, real-time sentiment analysis, and informed content creation. By combining cutting-edge AI capabilities with Sheeraz’s deep understanding of celebrity branding, Hollywood.ai gains immense control over public figures.
Undeniably, FAME’s number one strategist Sheeraz Hasan continues to cement his reputation as a pioneer in the fields of FAME and technology. The power and influence of this latest development brings him closer to total world domination.
Tech
Online Broker Futu Offers Cryptocurrency Trading in Hong Kong, With Nvidia and Alibaba Stock as Rewards
Futu Securities International, Hong Kong’s largest online broker, has launched retail cryptocurrency trading in the city, offering shares of Alibaba Holding Group AND Nvidia as a reward in an attempt to attract investors. Futu has begun allowing Hong Kong residents to trade Bitcoin and ether, the world’s two largest cryptocurrencies, directly on the brokerage platform using Hong Kong or U.S. dollars, the company announced Thursday.
The online retail broker said last month that it had received an upgrade to its securities license from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), allowing Futu to offer virtual asset trading services to both professional and retail clients in the city.
Futu’s move comes as Hong Kong seeks to boost its attractiveness as a business hub for virtual assets, with the city government launching a series of new cryptocurrency policy initiatives over the past two years, including a mandatory licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges.
In addition to offering cryptocurrency trading on its flagship brokerage app, Futu is also seeking a cryptocurrency trading license for its new PantherTrade platform. That platform is among 11 in Hong Kong that are currently “deemed licensed” for cryptocurrency trading, an arrangement that allows them to operate in the city while they await full approval from the SFC.
Hong Kong’s progress in becoming a crypto hub has encountered various challenges, including exit of the major global platforms and relatively low trading activity for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds offered on local stock exchanges.
Futu is now offering a series of incentives to potential investors, amid a cryptocurrency bull market that has seen the price of bitcoin rise 45 percent this year.
Hong Kong investors who open accounts in August and deposit HK$10,000 (US$1,280) over the next 60 days can receive HK$600 worth of bitcoin, a HK$400 supermarket voucher or a single Chinese stock. e-commerce giant Alibaba. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
By holding 80,000 U.S. dollars for the same period, users can get 1,000 Hong Kong dollars in bitcoin or a share of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chip maker Nvidia, whose shares have risen more than 140 percent this year.
A Futu representative said the brokerage firm will also waive cryptocurrency trading fees starting Thursday until further notice.
Futu is the first online brokerage in Hong Kong to allow retail investors to buy cryptocurrency directly on its platform. SFC rules require it to offer this service through a tie-up with a licensed cryptocurrency exchange. Futu is partnering with HashKey Exchange, one of only two licensed exchanges in Hong Kong, according to the representative.
Futu’s local rival Tiger Brokers also said in May that it had begun offering cryptocurrency trading services to professional investors on its platform following a license update. The SFC defines professional investors as those with more than HK$8 million in their investment portfolios or corporate entities with assets exceeding HK$40 million.
Tech
Tech Crash: $2.6 Trillion Market Cap Vanishes as ‘Magnificent 7’ Prices Stumble
A group of seven megacap tech stocks, often called the Magnificent 7, have lost more than $2.6 trillion in value over the past 20 days, or an average of $125 billion per day over the period. In total, these stocks have lost “three times the value of the entire Brazilian stock market.”
This according to the economic news agency Letter from Kobeissiwho noted on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Magnificent 7 batch “is worth as much as Nvidia’s entire current market cap in 20 days,” with Nvidia itself having lost $1 trillion from its high.
Source:Letter from Kobeissi on the X
The group, which includes Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Tesla, has undergone a significant correction: in the last 20 days Nvidia has lost 23% of its value, or about $800 billion, while Tesla has fallen 19%, losing $164 billion.
Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta all posted losses of between 9% and 15%, losing between $257 billion and $554 billion in market capitalization, wiping out a total of $200 billion more “than every single German stock market tock combined.”
Tech titans, which have outperformed the broader S&P 500 index since the market bottom of 2022, are now facing a reckoning as investors grow increasingly wary about the sustainability of their meteoric rise, with Nvidia taking the lead soaring 110% since the beginning of the year and over 2,300% in the last five years.
Earnings reports from these companies, starting with Microsoft and culminating with Nvidia in late August, will be closely watched for signs of weakness. Their performance could set the tone for broader market sentiment, with implications for everything from cryptocurrency to other high-risk assets.
Their poor performance comes after a leading macroeconomist, Henrik Zeberg, reiterated his forecast of an impending recession that will be preceded by a final wave in key sectors of the market, but which can potentially be the worst the market has seen since 1929the worst bear market in Wall Street history.
In particular, the Hindenburg Omen, a technical indicator designed to identify potential stock market crashes, began flashing just a month after its previous signal, raising concerns about a possible impending stock market downturn.
The indicator compares the percentage of stocks hitting new 52-week highs and lows to a specific threshold. When the number of stocks hitting both extremes exceeds a certain level, the indicator is said to be triggered, suggesting a greater risk of a crash.
Featured Image via Disinfect.
Tech
Trump Fights for Cryptocurrency Vote at Bitcoin Conference
To the Bitcoin Conference 2024 In Nashville, Tennessee, former President Donald Trump delivered a keynote speech.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, used the platform to appeal to the tech community and solicit donations for the campaign. During the conference, He said:
I promise the Bitcoin community that the day I take the oath of office, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ anti-crypto crusade will be over… If we don’t embrace cryptocurrency and Bitcoin technology, China will, other countries will. They will dominate, and we can’t let China dominate. They are making too much progress as it is.
Trump’s speech focused heavily on cryptocurrency policy, positioning it as a partisan issue. He said that if reelected, he would fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler on his first day in office, a statement that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. This statement marked a stark contrast to Gensler’s tenure, which has been characterized by rigorous oversight of the cryptocurrency industry.
The former president outlined several pro-crypto initiatives he would undertake if elected. These include transforming the United States into a global cryptocurrency hub, keeping all government-held Bitcoin as a “national Bitcoin reserve,” establishing a presidential advisory council on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and developing power plants to support cryptocurrency mining, emphasizing the use of fossil fuels.
Trump’s current embrace of cryptocurrencies represents a reversal from his stance in 2021, when described Bitcoin as a “scam against the dollar.” He also noted that his campaign has received $25 million in donations since accepting cryptocurrency payments two months ago.
The event featured other political figures, including Republican Senators Tim Scott and Tommy Tuberville, as well as Democratic Representatives Wiley Nickel and Ro Khanna. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also spoke at the conference.
Trump’s appearance at Bitcoin 2024 reflects growing support for his campaign from some tech leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
While Trump has described the current administration as “anti-crypto,” Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel said Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a “forward-thinking approach to digital assets and blockchain technology.”
This event underscores the growing political importance of cryptocurrency policy in the upcoming presidential election.
Kamala Harris and Democrats Respond on Cryptocurrencies
In a strategic move to repair strained relations, Vice President Kamala Harris’ team has initiated a dialogue with major cryptocurrency industry players. This outreach aims to restore the Democratic Party’s stance on digital assets and promote a more collaborative approach.
THE Financial Times reports that Harris’s advisors have reached out to representatives from industry leaders like Coinbase, Circle, and Ripple Labs. This move comes as the cryptocurrency community increasingly supports Republican candidate Donald Trump, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with the current administration’s cryptocurrency policies.
THE disclosure follows a letter from Democratic lawmakers and 2024 candidates urging the party to reevaluate its approach to digital assets. Harris’s team stresses that this effort is less about securing campaign contributions and more about engaging in constructive dialogue to develop sensible regulations.
The move is part of a broader strategy to reshape the Democratic Party’s image among business leaders, countering perceptions of an anti-business stance. Harris’ campaign aims to project a “pro-business, responsible business” message.
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