HBAR rises 100% on news of BlackRock Foundation tokenization

On April 23, 2024, HBAR Foundation, a Hedera blockchain development company, announced the tokenization of the U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund (MMF) from BlackRock. On the back of this news, the HBAR token rose by more than 100%.

The asset was priced at $0.09 the day before, but it rose to $0.18 after the announcement. At the time of publication, HBAR is trading near $0.13, according to TradingView.

HBAR Foundation later said that the news of the BlackRock Foundation tokenization was misinterpreted.

The community probably thought that the developers had struck a deal with an investment firm, which led to the HBAR token's price rally.

Meanwhile, the BlackRock firm was not involved and had nothing to do with the tokenization of MMF. Subsequently, the founder of the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) Cardano Ghost Fund Chris O'Connor noted that the project simply tokenized the company's shares on the secondary market.

Recall that in June 2023, the developers of the Hedera blockchain integrated the ChatGPT plugin, which allows you to monitor the price of the HBAR token through a chatbot interface.

In addition, in January 2024, representatives of HBAR Foundation and Algorand announced a decentralized cryptocurrency recovery system. For its development, they created the DeRec Alliance.

Standard Chartered has changed its forecast for spot Ethereum ETFs to a more pessimistic one

Standard Chartered Bank has changed its forecast for the launch of spot Ethereum-ETFs in May 2024, The Block reports. The company's experts now believe that this is unlikely.

The bank had been praising the chances of launching a new class of exchange-traded funds. The organization's previous forecast said that capital inflows to this segment could reach $45 billion in the first year.

However, taking into account new factors, the experts revised their forecast:
"We expected the regulator to approve spot Ethereum-ETFs by May 23, 2024. This assumption was based on the fact that the process would follow the same trajectory as bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds. This means a constructive dialog between the regulator and applicants. But this did not happen."

This opinion is shared by Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck. He also noted the fact that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not respond to counterparties' applications.

According to him, before the launch of spot bitcoin ETFs, the process of case amendments was traced. This is not the case with the Ethereum-ETF, he added.

On April 23, 2024, the regulator postponed the deadline for reviewing cases from suppliers Grayscale Investments and Franklin Templeton.
#Ethereum $ETH

LayerZero team announces TGE in the first half of 2024

LayerZero Labs, a studio developing the L0 cross-chain compatibility protocol, has announced the TGE. The team announced the distribution of the token in the first half of 2024.

As part of the announcement, LayerZero Scan was launched to register contract information. According to X (formerly Twitter), the exact date of the ZRO token launch will be announced later.

As a reminder, Token Generation Event (TGE) is a fundraising mechanism for a crypto project that involves the creation of a token, its launch, and distribution among community members.

In addition, Brian Pellegrino, co-founder and CEO of LayerZero Labs, announced the launch of Stargate v2 in April 2024. Community members suggested that ZRO distribution will take place after the update is released.

It is worth noting that in July 2023, Brian Pellegrino became a victim of a hacker attack in X. The attackers gained access to his account and announced the "distribution of ZRO tokens."

Earlier, we reported that LayerZero and Conflux will release a SIM card on the blockchain. Its owners are expected to be able to transfer assets and messages between different networks.

Bitcoin is experiencing a slight drop today, caused by a correction after a sharp rise in the previous day. This is not an uncommon phenomenon in the cryptocurrency market, where volatility plays a key role. However, despite this short-term decline, many experts are expressing optimism about bitcoin's future.

One reason for optimism is the increasing interest from institutional investors and large corporations. Many of them are incorporating bitcoin into their investment strategies, which creates additional demand for this cryptocurrency and supports its value.

In addition, technological developments such as the Lightning Network and improvements in the bitcoin protocol are increasing its scalability and efficiency, making it more attractive to a wide range of users.

Analysts also point to a steady increase in interest in cryptocurrencies in general, which could lead to a further increase in bitcoin demand in the future.

Thus, despite temporary price fluctuations, many remain confident in bitcoin's prospects and see it as an instrument with potential for long-term growth.
#Bitcoin $BTC

SEC postpones date for reviewing applications for spot Ethereum-ETF from Grayscale and Franklin Templeton

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) postponed the deadline for its decision on the Franklin Templeton and Grayscale spot Ethereum-ETF. The final decision on these products was set for June 11 and 23, 2024, respectively.

"The Commission believes it is appropriate to set a longer period for taking action on the proposed rule change so that it has sufficient time to consider the proposed rule change and the issues raised in it," the SEC said in a statement.

As a reminder, on March 20, 2024, the SEC postponed the deadline for making a decision on VanEck's spot Ethereum-ETF to May 23, 2024.

Earlier, Jan van Eck, CEO of the investment company VanEck, called it unlikely that spot Ethereum ETFs would be approved in May 2024. He stated that the US Securities and Exchange Commission does not respond to applications from potential issuers.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading above $3100.
#Ethereum $ETH

Grayscale has filed an application with the SEC to register Ethereum Mini Trust

On April 23, 2024, the investment company Grayscale filed an application for the establishment of the Ethereum Mini Trust with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The WSJ reports this with reference to regulatory documents.

According to the statement, Grayscale Investments intends to allocate a certain percentage of shares in the Ethereum Trust fund to create a new product. It is expected to be traded under the ETH ticker on the NYSE Arca.

If the product receives regulatory approval, part of the assets of Grayscale Ethereum Trust investors will automatically be transferred to the new fund. Meanwhile, the total positions in Ethereum held through both funds will remain unchanged, the document says.

The Ethereum Mini Trust is likely to have lower fees, and the transition will not result in the payment of capital gains tax. Such measures may make it more attractive for inclusion in an investment portfolio, the publication said.

According to the data provided, the Ethereum Trust currently charges a 2.5% commission and has assets under management of more than $9 billion.

As a reminder, in March 2024, Grayscale filed an application with the SEC to register the Bitcoin Mini Trust. The company stated that it will be able to compete with other bitcoin-based ETFs.

In April, Grayscale representative David LaValle predicted the approval of altcoin-based ETFs. In his opinion, such products will be approved in the next two to three years.
#Ethereum $ETH

Tesla's bitcoin reserves remained unchanged in the first quarter of 2024

Technology company and electric car manufacturer Tesla has published its financial report for the first quarter of 2024. According to the document, the bitcoin reserves of Elon Musk's company have not changed.

According to the available information, 9720 BTC are stored on Tesla wallets. At the time of writing, the bitcoin exchange rate is at $66,677, according to TradingView. Thus, the electric car manufacturer's bitcoin reserves are estimated at $648 million.

Tesla has been keeping the mentioned amount of the first cryptocurrency on its balance sheet for a long period of time - since the second quarter of 2022. Since then, the company's bitcoin reserves have not changed. It is also worth noting that the manufacturer has sold more than 30,000 BTC before.

Earlier, Arkham Intelligence platform analysts discovered bitcoin wallets of Elon Musk's companies. We are talking about Tesla and SpaceX, whose addresses users can now follow.

Arkham and the manufacturer's data on the amount of the first cryptocurrency on the firm's account differ. According to analysts, 68 Tesla wallets hold 11,509 BTC worth $768 million. The difference with the company's official reports is 1,789 BTC, or $119 million.

Some users assumed that Tesla had resumed purchasing the first cryptocurrency. However, the report shows that there were no movements with bitcoin in the first quarter of 2024.

As a reminder, we wrote that bitcoin has surpassed Berkshire Hathaway and Tesla in terms of market capitalization.
#Bitcoin $BTC

Binance burns almost 2 million BNB for $1.17 billion

On April 24, 2024, Binance held its 27th quarterly BNB coin burn. A total of 1,944,453 BNB coins worth $1.17 billion were withdrawn from circulation.

The report says that the burning procedure was carried out as part of the Pioneer Burn program. In addition, the company recalled that in 2017 it made a commitment to withdraw 100 million BNBs (half of the total) from circulation.

In total, they plan to leave 100 million coins. The team added that the burning is performed automatically on a quarterly basis and is calculated using the Auto-Burn formula.

"BNB's Auto-Burn provides an independent and auditable process. The numbers are reported quarterly and the mechanism itself is independent of the centralized Binance exchange. Additionally, BNB Chain continues to burn a portion of BNB Chain fees in real time using the Real-Time-Burn mechanism," the statement said.

According to the BNBBurn portal, Binance will burn 1.65 million BNB in the second quarter of 2024. It should be noted that at the time of writing, the asset is trading around $606. Over the past seven days, the BNB rate has increased by more than 11%.

On January 17, 2024, Binance burned more than 2 million BNB for $636 million.
#binance $BNB

"Prediction Whirlwinds: Bitcoin on the Road to New Heights or Facing Reality?"

How do you catch the wind? It's just as difficult to predict Bitcoin's movement. This digital gold is generating excitement and incredible opportunity, but also risk.

Some see Bitcoin as an unshakable future, as its limited supply and growing interest from institutional investors seem like a call to take off. However, the threat of regulation looms on the horizon, which could turn its path in a different direction.

In this swirl of opinions, one thing is constant: investing in Bitcoin is a gamble on the waves of the market, where every prediction is like a beacon in the storm. However, by keeping a close eye on technological innovation, regulation and global trends, one can try to unravel the course of events in this exciting world of cryptocurrencies.
#Bitcoin $BTC

Bitfinex: after bitcoin halving, demand for the asset will exceed supply by five times

Experts of the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange believe that after the recent halving of bitcoin, the demand for the asset may exceed the supply by five times, CoinDesk writes.

According to analysts, after the fourth halving of the block reward, the daily issue volume began to gradually decline. In the near future, this figure will be between $40 million and $50 million in monetary terms, they said.

Over time, the daily issue will reach $30 million, according to Bitfinex representatives. This will be facilitated by the withdrawal of some mining companies from the market, as well as an increase in the cost of cryptocurrency mining, experts say.

Representatives of the exchange point out that, given the average daily inflow of $150 million into spot bitcoin ETFs, demand will significantly exceed supply. The difference in indicators will be fivefold, they emphasized.

Analysts also noted that miners could significantly reduce sales of the first cryptocurrency due to the need to replenish reserves. On the eve of the halving, many companies sold some bitcoins to increase mining capacity and modernize equipment. Now they need to restore the balance, according to Bitfinex.

In addition, some investors are transferring their assets under direct management, withdrawing them from major exchanges. This will also play a role in the crypto market, experts believe.

"Current data indicates that bitcoin outflows from various exchanges are reaching highs not seen since January 2023. Many investors are transferring their assets to cold storage in anticipation of rising prices," Bitfinex said.
#BTC $BTC

Blogger earned about $80,000 from the sale of the pavel nickname on Telegram

Blogger Pavel Fedorov sold his pavel nickname on Telegram for 15,000 TON, which at the time was estimated at about $80,000. The deal was made on the Fragment exchange, which was launched in October 2022.

It is known that Fedorov received the nickname for free nine years ago. In April 2024, he put it up for auction, which lasted a week. Eventually, the item was purchased by a crypto entrepreneur under the pseudonym founder. However, he decided not to keep the item for himself , but gave it to Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

In his channel, the latter thanked for the gift and added that over the past 18 months, $350 million worth of nicknames and anonymous Telegram numbers have been sold.

In addition, Durov said that he bought the paul nickname for 10,000 TON "so that more people would not give him generous gifts."

As a reminder, at the TOKEN2049 conference, the Telegram founder spoke about the tokenization of stickers and emojis in the messenger.
#TONxTelegram

Founder of NFT collection DeGods admits returning to Solana

Rohun Vora, co-founder of the DeGods non-fungible token (NFT) collection, made an announcement on the social network X (formerly Twitter). He posted a screenshot of a bridge transaction, which hints at the NFT's connection to the Solana blockchain.

Community members assumed that Vora was announcing the return of the NFT collection to the Solana network. However, they reminded that this is not the first time the team has decided to change the blockchain.

At the end of December 2022, the DeGods team announced plans to switch to the Ethereum blockchain. According to experts, this decision was dictated by the rapid fall of the SOL token after the FTX bankruptcy.

Later, it turned out that the creators of the NFT collection offered a deal to the Solana Foundation. According to the terms of the agreement, DeGods will refuse to migrate to Ethereum if it receives $5 million in funding.

In February 2024, the Solana ecosystem began to recover from a prolonged recession. The SOL token rate soared above $100, and in March, it crossed the $200 mark. In addition, the total volume of NFT sales in the Solana network exceeded $5 billion.

It is possible that the DeGods team has decided to resume cooperation with this blockchain amid the recovery of Solana. Meanwhile, the developers have not yet made any official statements.

According to CoinGecko, the minimum value of the DeGods NFT is 1.64 ETH. It has increased by 25% over the past 24 hours.
#solana $SOL

Inflows to spot bitcoin ETFs amounted to about $62 million

On April 22, 2024, net daily capital inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs amounted to $62.09 million, according to SoSo Value. It should be noted that on April 19, the exchange-traded fund sector also recorded an inflow of $59.56 million.

According to SoSo Value, the Fidelity Bitcoin Spot ETF (FBTC) from Fidelity took the first place in terms of capital inflow on April 22. It added $34.83 million to its balance sheet, and the amount of funds under management reached $8.18 billion.

Ark Invest and 21 Shares are in second place with $22.56 million in assets under management, and iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) is in third place with $19.65 million. The rest of the bitcoin ETFs received a total of $20.04 million.
#BTC $BTC

The capitalization of stablecoins has risen above $160 billion

On April 23, 2024, the total market capitalization of stablecoins crossed the $160 billion mark, according to CoinGecko. The daily trading volume of stablecoins has grown above $34.5 billion.

The largest stablecoin in terms of market capitalization is Tether's USDT, which has almost $110 billion. USDC is in second place with $33.8 billion, and DAI is in third place with $5.25 billion.

It should be noted that according to the DeFiLlama analytical panel, the capitalization of stablecoins is $157.49 billion, and USDT dominates with 69.99%.

It can be seen that the capitalization of stablecoins is growing by $10 billion every month. In February 2024, this figure was $140 billion, and in March - $150 billion.

Earlier, on April 17, 2024, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis introduced a bill to regulate stablecoins.

Activists propose to add bitcoins to the Swiss National Bank's reserves

A cryptocurrency advocacy group has prepared an appeal to the Swiss National Bank (SNB). It is going to convince the board members of the need to add bitcoins along with gold to the bank's treasury, local media report, citing the organization's statement.

According to the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, on April 26, 2024, the activists will present their idea at a meeting of the SNB committee. The human rights group believes that cryptocurrency should become part of the bank's foreign exchange reserves. According to bitcoin supporters, it will strengthen the independence and neutrality of the state.

"By including bitcoin in its reserves, Switzerland will declare its independence from the European Central Bank. In addition, such a step will strengthen our neutrality," said Lucius Meisser, president of Bitcoin Suisse, a management company.

This is not the first time that bitcoin supporters have advocated the integration of crypto assets into the SNB's state reserves. In 2022, an advocacy group recommended that the bank buy CHF 1 billion (about $1.1 billion) worth of bitcoins instead of German government bonds.

It is worth noting that in November 2023, Santander Private Banking launched crypto asset trading for its clients in Switzerland. A few months later, another bank, Taurus, received permission to trade in tokenized derivatives in this country.

HeLa Labs has announced the launch of its first incentivized testnet called Atlantia. This was reported to Incrypted by the organization.

In order to provide more options for using the blockchain, HeLa Labs has introduced the first modular L1 solution based on fiat-backed stablecoins, the release said.

The launch of the Atlantia testnet is an important step for the project, the developers noted. It will not only allow testing and improving the functionality and security of the network, but also contributes to the development of the ecosystem through community participation.

The project team hopes that the Atlantia release will attract more diverse users involved in finding vulnerabilities to improve network security.

The testnet will also allow to simulate real-world use cases, provide educational opportunities to foster a positive perception of the technology, and prepare the ground for the subsequent launch of the mainnet, the developers noted.

The co-founder of HeLa Labs commented on the release of the test network:

"By participating in Atlantia, users will be able to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate and operate in the evolving blockchain landscape. In addition, it is a hands-on experience where they can experiment, provide feedback, try out new features, earn potential rewards, and be part of a dynamic community of enthusiasts and developers."

According to the release, users will be able to integrate widespread crypto wallets, such as MetaMask, into Atlantia. The test network will continue to operate until the mainnet is launched.

Notcoin team announces NOT token launch dates

The Notcoin (NOT) token will be launched at the end of April 2024. This was announced by the founder of Open Builders Alexander Plotvinov in an interview with Decrypt.

Initially, the NOT listing was planned for April 20, the day of bitcoin halving, but the date was postponed.

"With three weeks left before the launch, the April 20 date looked convincing. Not only is it a 'funny number', but it's also a predictable halving date. The halving was a good event to tie in with, and they [the team] ended up thinking: "Why not?"," Plotvinov said.

He explained that as the date approached, the project team decided that they needed more time to ensure that the NOT token launch would go off without a hitch, with potentially 35 million players trying to get their hands on their assets at the same time.

"We realized that there are a lot of things that need to be done before the actual listing to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible," the project team said.

In this regard, Notcoin decided that the launch of the token at the end of April was the ideal time. Alexander Plotvinov also added that they are "not interested in postponing it to a later date."

Trader earned $10 million by buying GUMMY memecoin for $9769

An unknown trader has earned about $10 million by investing in the GUMMY token. Lookonchain analysts reported the investor's significant profit.

According to them, 12 minutes before the launch of GUMMY, he withdrew 65.23 SOL from the MEXC crypto exchange. The trader then spent 64.5 SOL to buy 97.36 million GUMMY. At the time, these coins were valued at $9769.

Experts clarified that the investment in the asset was made in the same block where liquidity was added by the token developer. After the purchase, the trader transferred 97.36 million GUMMY to 10 new addresses.

According to online data, all transactions were completed on April 21, 2024. As the value of GUMMY increased, the investor's total capital exceeded $10 million. However, he did not sell the assets and continues to hold them on his wallets, Lookonchain noted.

At the time of publication, the token is trading around $0.183. At its peak, its price reached $0.236, according to DEX Screener.

The trader's quick profit sparked a discussion in the community. In the comments to the post, some users claimed that he had insider information.

As a reminder, in March 2024, an unknown trader invested about $4 in the WolfWifBallz (BALLZ) memecoin on the Solana network, receiving $63,400.
#solana $SOL

Paraguayan miners find a way to use ASICs to dry mangoes

One of the mining companies in Paraguay has found an alternative way to use bitcoin mining equipment. It uses excess heat energy to dry mangoes.

According to analyst Magdalena Gronowska (MAGS), such activities can reduce emissions by up to 2.5 tons of carbon per MW per month. This result was achieved by switching the mango drying process from fossil fuels (such as coal or gas) to hydropower.

"I can confirm that the dried mangoes were very tasty," wrote Gronowska.

It is worth noting that in her publication, the expert did not mention the name of the company that combines bitcoin mining with the production of dried fruit. However, she assured the community that she personally knows the people behind the project.

According to her, bitcoin miners donate 10% of the revenue from mango sales to Bitcoin Core developers.

It is known that Paraguay exports about 90% of its electricity. This makes it one of the most attractive countries for mining.

In October 2023, the first green mining farm was launched in Paraguay. It is powered by renewable energy.
#Bitcoin $BTC

On May 17, 2024, Hong Kong will host the Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2024 conference. The event is dedicated to the future of financial technologies, the organizers of the event told Incrypted.

WikiExpo is the world's leading exhibition and fintech conference that takes place annually in Singapore, Sydney, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and other cities around the world. The event regularly gathers leading experts and industry leaders to discuss development trends in such areas as finance, regulation, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, Web3, artificial intelligence (AI), digital assets, and much more.

This time, it will be held at Sky100 in Hong Kong with the support of WikiGlobal, WikiFX and WikiBit platforms, the Australian Computer and Legal Association (AUSCL), and the Financial Services Institute of Mauritius (FSI). More than 3000 people are expected to attend the event.

The event organizers noted that Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2024 will be attended by leading representatives of business and government agencies.

It is reported that opinion leaders and representatives of Web3 companies will discuss the latest industry news, as well as a number of important topics related to finance and regulation, social and corporate governance (ESG), the future of the crypto market, Web3, and artificial intelligence.

The organizers noted that the event will be held with the support of more than 500 partners, including Coinbase, StarryNift, Blockchain Founders Fund, EPA Asia, The Nordic Blockchain Association, UWEB, and BSPN. In addition, it will be attended by about 240 representatives of various media.

Admission to Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2024 is free, but pre-registration is required. All information about the program and topics of presentations is available on the official website.

https://www.wikiexpo.com/HongKong/2024/en/index.html