Today is A-Han’s birthday. In a few days, he will be turning 30. This day coincides with the big event of Bitcoin halving and the launch of runes, which adds a bit of unique meaning to my special day. On this leisure day, A-Han has the opportunity to get away from the busy life and enjoy a moment of tranquility.
Meanwhile, the altcoin market showed significant activity this week, with most tokens trending higher at the end of trading. Among the top 200 tokens in the world by market capitalization, SAGA performed outstandingly, leading the way with an increase of 24.5%. This was followed by JTO and WIF, which grew by 17.3% and 17% respectively. However, the market was not equally generous to all tokens, with RBN suffering a 13.2% drop, becoming the token with the largest decline, while LPT and HNT also fell by 6.9% and 4.9% respectively.
This week, the total value of the cryptocurrency market remained at $2.34 trillion, with Bitcoin still the big boss, accounting for 54.1% of the market. At the same time, everyone sold off technology stocks, which had a great impact on the stock market, causing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to fall by 0.88% and 2.05% respectively. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average went against the trend and rose by 0.56%. In particular, the S&P 500 fell for the sixth consecutive week, setting a record for the longest decline this year.
The overall downturn in the stock market may be related to the Federal Reserve's cautious adjustment of interest rates. Recently, some Federal Reserve officials said that because the current inflation rate is still high, interest rates may not be cut in 2024. In addition, this week, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rose by 205 basis points, and the U.S. dollar index also rose slightly by 0.15%. These all reflect the instability of the market and the cautious attitude of investors.
Bitcoin is actually a bunch of codes on the blockchain. Imagine if we could add some new ideas to these codes, just like adding colors to a painting, wouldn’t such codes be more valuable? This is where the idea of inscription technology comes from!
By 2023, inscription technology has caused quite a stir in the cryptocurrency field. One particularly successful example is the "ORDI" inscription in the BRC20 protocol, which has brought super high returns on investment. But for investors, choosing which protocol is not the most important thing, what matters is whether these technologies can really make them money.
For developers, the challenge they face is how to make the blockchain run more smoothly. Although the inscription technology is creative, it also makes the Bitcoin network congested and slows down. Therefore, many developers are reserved about this technology. In order to solve these problems, Casey, the developer of inscription, launched a new technology called Runes, which hopes to improve the efficiency of token issuance and reduce dependence on centralized services.
Simply put, BRC-20 is like a basic token issuance framework, and Runes technology is specially designed for issuing such tokens. It helps solve the problem of relying on centralized services and makes the entire system more efficient and free.
Explore the eight most promising crypto projects
First, let’s take a look at three cryptocurrency projects that have made significant progress recently or are on the verge of major events. Ahan updates this list every week to capture the latest happenings in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
Before we dive into which cryptocurrencies are worth investing in, remember that choosing which cryptocurrency to buy is only the first step in your cryptocurrency investment journey. Choosing a suitable platform to make your purchases is just as important, and you also need to consider how to store your cryptocurrencies securely.
Let's look at Ton:
Ton is a blockchain project originally created by the team behind Telegram Messenger. Although Telegram had to abandon the project due to legal issues with the SEC, community members were attracted by the potential of its blockchain and decided to continue development under the name of Toncoin.
Now, the project is led by an organization called the TON Foundation, and although this organization has no official relationship with Telegram, the Telegram team is integrating multiple features supported by Toncoin into their instant messaging tool. For example, Telegram now allows users to access services through the TON Space wallet.
From a technical perspective, Toncoin is a scalable blockchain that supports smart contracts and a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. TON is currently trading at 6.168U at the time of writing, down about 11% in 24 hours. However, TON was initially issued through a proof-of-work approach to ensure its fair launch.
Why Toncoin?
The TON Foundation, which leads the TON blockchain ecosystem, recently entered into a strategic partnership with HashKey Group, a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency and digital asset company.
This collaboration will help support startups based on the TON blockchain and optimize the channels for users of Telegram’s built-in Toncoin wallet to use legal currency in and out of the Asia-Pacific region. This will make it easier for users to buy and sell Toncoin.
In addition, the TON Foundation also revealed that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov will make a major announcement at the Token 2049 conference in Dubai on April 19.
Discover STEPN: A revolutionary mobile currency earning app
STEPN is an innovative mobile app that enables users to earn cryptocurrency by walking, jogging or running. On this platform, users can earn two main tokens for their activities: GST and GMT. Although there is a certain cap on the tokens earned per day, basically, the more you walk, the more you earn.
GST tokens have an uncapped supply and are the main reward and utility token in the STEPN ecosystem. Users can use it to mint and upgrade NFT sneakers, as well as unlock various features in the app. GMT is currently 0.24U at the time of writing, up about 0.46% in 24 hours. GMT is a governance token that gives holders a say in important decisions on the platform.
To earn these rewards in STEPN, users first need to download the app and purchase an NFT representing a pair of sneakers. These NFT sneakers come in a wide variety of styles to suit a variety of sports needs.
Why choose STEPN?
Recently, STEPN started a points airdrop campaign, where users can redeem these points for GMT tokens on the STEPN market. Each FSL point can be redeemed one-to-one for GMT, and 100 million FSL points have been issued to users, with a total value of approximately $26 million (based on the current GMT trading price of $0.23).
Another great reason to keep an eye on STEPN this week is its upcoming announcement of a partnership with one of the world’s top sports brands. According to STEPN’s official social media accounts, the announcement is expected to be made on April 15th.
STEPN has previously partnered with Asics and Atletico Madrid, but this new partnership being discussed now could be even more significant, and investors should pay close attention to any significant volatility this could trigger in the GMT and GST markets.
A Deep Dive into Solana: An Efficient Smart Contract Platform
Solana is a high-performance smart contract platform known for its unique architecture, capable of processing thousands of transactions per second while maintaining extremely low transaction costs. Solana achieves this efficient processing capability by using a unique proof-of-history algorithm and proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. As one of the cryptocurrencies with the lowest transaction fees on the market, the average transaction cost for SOL users is less than $0.001.
Solana was founded by Anatoly Yakovenko in 2018, mainnet launched in March 2020, and has experienced significant adoption growth in 2021. Despite the significant drop in SOL value during the 2022 bear market, Solana has maintained one of the most impressive ecosystems in the cryptocurrency space.
Why Solana?
Currently, the Solana blockchain has become the center of the Meme Token craze. The platform has become the preferred place for people to speculate on new Meme tokens on decentralized exchanges due to its low cost and simplified user experience. SOL is currently 143.88U at the time of writing, down about 0.72% in 24 hours. For example, tokens such as Dogwifhat and Bonk have soared in price on this platform, sparking widespread interest in the market for new Meme tokens.
According to data from DeFi Llama, the daily trading volume of Solana-based decentralized exchanges was close to $3.8 billion last Friday. In addition, Google Trends data also showed that search interest in the keyword "Solana" reached an all-time high, reflecting the strong interest of new investors in joining the platform.
The price dynamics of SOL also reflect the activeness of the market. Last week, the token price rose by 39.3%, breaking the $200 mark for the first time since December 2021. In the cryptocurrency market capitalization rankings, SOL has risen to fourth place, surpassing Binance Bank.
A Deep Dive into BNB: Binance’s Utility Token
BNB, or Binance Coin, is a token launched by Binance, the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange, in 2017. BNB is versatile and offers its holders a range of exclusive benefits on the Binance platform. These include lower trading fees, access to Binance's Launchpad and Launchpool programs, and cashback when using the Binance Visa card.
As the native asset of the BNB Chain blockchain, BNB helps users significantly reduce transaction costs and supports developers to easily deploy decentralized applications compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Since its rebranding from the original "Binance Coin" name, BNB has become an important token in the market.
Why choose BNB?
Binance cryptocurrency exchange continues to lead the way with its innovative Launchpool platform, which constantly launches new projects. For example, a recent major announcement was the Launchpool program for the Sleepless AI project, which was released on December 27.
BNB is the only non-stablecoin asset available for staking in Launchpool, which causes demand for BNB to increase significantly whenever a new project is announced. At the time of writing, BNB’s exchange rate against the US dollar has risen by 38.5%. BNB is currently at 560.5U at the time of writing, with an increase of about 0.94% in 24 hours.
Through Binance Launchpool, users can stake BNB to earn newly launched project tokens. Staking BNB is flexible and users can cancel the stake at any time, which provides users with the opportunity to take lower risks while earning new tokens.
In the coming days, it will be worth keeping an eye on whether Binance announces new Launchpool or Launchpad plans. If such new plans emerge, there is a chance that the price of BNB will rise again.
Explore Uniswap: A revolutionary decentralized exchange on the blockchain
Uniswap is a leading decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that has revolutionized the way traditional exchanges operate by adopting the automated market maker (AMM) model. This innovative model eliminates traditional order books and allows users to exchange tokens directly on the blockchain without any intermediaries.
On Uniswap, anyone can create a liquidity pool that supports the trading of any token. This means that many new crypto assets will choose to debut on Uniswap earlier than traditional centralized trading platforms. Due to its open and innovative nature, Uniswap's model has been adopted by decentralized exchanges on multiple blockchain platforms.
Uniswap's operations rely on its own governance token UNI. UNI token holders not only have voting rights, but can also submit governance proposals. These tokens were originally distributed to early users of Uniswap through airdrops and are now traded on multiple exchanges.
Why Uniswap?
Recently, the Uniswap Foundation proposed a proposal to use protocol fees to incentivize participation in governance. The proposal aims to promote more active and thoughtful participation by distributing protocol fees to reward UNI holders who stake and delegate their tokens.
If the community supports and passes this proposal, it will allow the automatic collection and distribution of protocol fees to UNI token holders who participate in governance. The market responded enthusiastically to this proposal. Shortly after the proposal was announced, the price of UNI soared from $7.16 to $12.27, an increase of 71%. Although the price has since adjusted, UNI's trading price remains stable at $10.56, far higher than the level before the price increase. UNI is currently 7.58U at the time of writing, an increase of about 1.11% in 24 hours.
Therefore, Uniswap presents a unique opportunity for investors seeking to participate in an innovative and autonomous cryptocurrency platform.
Mina Protocol: A lightweight solution to revolutionize blockchain
Mina Protocol is gaining attention in the crypto world with its revolutionary and extremely lightweight blockchain design. What’s special about this project is that its entire blockchain size is only 22 KB, thanks to the zero-knowledge proof technology it uses.
What are zkApps?
Mina's decentralized applications, or zkApps, provide a unique way to protect privacy by leveraging smart contracts and zero-knowledge proofs. With zkApps, users can verify their ownership of data without revealing the data itself to any interacting parties. These applications can securely obtain data from any online source and do not rely on traditional, more complex oracle systems.
Why choose Mina Protocol?
Mina's lightweight nature means that it has extremely low requirements for storage resources, making it easy for ordinary users to join its network, which is especially important for mobile device users. As blockchain technology penetrates mainstream society, Mina's design advantages may make it a pioneer in widespread application.
Zero-knowledge technology is seen as a key trend in driving cryptocurrency and blockchain technology forward. Mina is currently 0.8158U at the time of writing, up about 2.62% in 24 hours. Mina Protocol's advanced technology not only enhances user privacy protection, but also improves processing efficiency, making Mina a potential industry game-changer.
In the process of exploring how blockchain can be more widely adopted, Mina Protocol's innovation and efficiency mark it as the next major cryptocurrency phenomenon. For users and developers who are looking for a blockchain solution that provides substantial privacy protection without sacrificing efficiency and accessibility, Mina provides a very attractive option.
LTC: Exploring the veteran cryptocurrency’s continued influence
Litecoin, which has become one of the oldest cryptocurrencies on the market, is widely regarded as a lightweight version of Bitcoin since its launch in October 2011. The cryptocurrency is largely based on the Bitcoin codebase, but it optimizes performance through some key technical adjustments.
Key features of LTC
Litecoin offers a maximum supply of 84 million coins, four times the supply of Bitcoin. Its block generation time is 2.5 minutes, four times faster than Bitcoin, making its transactions faster. Like Bitcoin, Litecoin uses the proof-of-work mechanism, but it chooses the scrypt hash function, which has different hardware requirements compared to Bitcoin's SHA-256.
Litecoin is more than just a testing ground; it has also introduced some innovative technologies not found in Bitcoin, such as support for Segregated Witness (SegWit) and the MimbleWimble privacy protocol, further strengthening its market position.
LTC's market performance and future prospects
Litecoin is known by many as the "silver to Bitcoin" because of its low transaction costs and fast speed, making it ideal for daily transactions. The next Litecoin halving event is expected to occur at 1:30 pm UTC on August 2, 2024, and this event has always increased market attention and may drive price increases.
According to blockchain analysis company LunarCrush, Litecoin has exceptionally strong social and trading activity in the cryptocurrency market. LTC is currently trading at 82.62U at the time of writing, up about 2.30% in 24 hours. The interest of institutional investors is also growing, and the investment strategies of large financial institutions such as BlackRock and Fidelity in cryptocurrencies indicate its long-term value.
Litecoin has also recently managed to avoid unregistered securities charges against certain cryptocurrencies by US regulators, further strengthening its market position. In addition, Litecoin has been adopted by cryptocurrency trading platforms such as EDX Markets and has received support from financial giants such as Fidelity and Citadel Securities.
As a technological pioneer and close companion of Bitcoin, Litecoin continues to demonstrate its potential as a global digital currency. With further market development and the upcoming halving event, Litecoin will undoubtedly continue to play an important role in the cryptocurrency world.
Shiba Inu: Cryptocurrency's transition from meme to mainstream
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is a meme cryptocurrency created in 2020 by a developer using the pseudonym "Ryoshi". The project is strongly influenced by Dogecoin and incorporates the cute Shiba Inu dog breed into its brand image. Unlike Dogecoin, which has its own independent blockchain, Shiba Inu is issued as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, showing its close connection with the Ethereum ecosystem.
During SHIB’s launch, half of the token supply was transferred to Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, a move described by the project as a “token burn.” Buterin ultimately destroyed most of the SHIB he received and sold the remaining tokens to support charity.
By 2021, SHIB’s popularity had surged, becoming the second-largest meme coin by market cap, after Dogecoin. In addition, it has become one of the most popular small-cap cryptocurrencies on the market.
Why focus on Shiba Inu?
The Shiba Inu team is currently working on acquiring a new top-level domain (TLD) — .shib. Unlike traditional domain names such as .com or .org, the goal of .shib is to enhance compatibility with everyday services and make Shiba Inu's online presence more visible and practical. SHIB is currently at 0.00002311U at the time of writing, with an increase of around 2.30% in 24 hours. Adoption of this unique domain name system will enable users to create personalized websites and email addresses ending in .shib, greatly enhancing community connectivity and brand visibility.
In addition, Shiba Inu's collaboration with web3 domain project D3 aims to make the .shib domain a reality, marking its transformation from a pure meme project to a platform with real application potential. However, this process takes time, as it can take 3 to 5 years for a new TLD to be approved.
In conclusion, Shiba Inu is not only a cultural phenomenon, but also demonstrates its gradual maturity and development in the cryptocurrency field. As it continues to expand and achieve new technological milestones, Shiba Inu is expected to continue to maintain its market position in the coming years. These developments make SHIB not only the choice of investors, but also the focus of attention of crypto enthusiasts.
