Hardware wallets are physical devices that store cryptocurrency keys offline (cold storage), providing an extra layer of security. Even though they're safer from online threats, they can be a bit tricky to use and access compared to other wallets. But, if you plan to keep your crypto for a long time or have a lot of it, a hardware wallet might be a good choice.
You can set up a PIN code for extra protection, and most of them let you create a backup recovery phrase in case you lose your wallet. Trezor and Ledger are popular examples of hardware crypto wallets. #security🔒 #SecurityBreach #CryptoSecurityConcerns
The Ordinals protocol is a system for numbering satoshis, giving each satoshi a serial number and tracking them across transactions. Simply put, ordinals allow users to make individual satoshis unique by attaching extra data to them. This process is known as “inscription.”
A satoshi – named after Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto – is the smallest denomination of bitcoin (BTC). A single BTC can be divided into 100,000,000 satoshis, meaning each satoshi is worth 0.00000001 BTC.
Satoshis are numbered based on the order in which they were mined and transferred. The numbering scheme relies on the order satoshis are mined, while the transfer scheme relies on the order of transaction inputs and outputs. Hence the name “ordinals.” The first satoshi in the first block has the ordinal number 0, and the second has the ordinal number 1, and so on. According to ordinal theory, these ordinal numbers act as stable identifiers for the data attached to sats.
While traditional NFTs are similar to ordinals in some ways, there are a few key differences. NFTs have typically been made using smart contracts on blockchains such as Ethereum, Solana, and the BNB Chain, and sometimes, the assets they represent are hosted elsewhere.
Conversely, ordinals are inscribed directly onto individual satoshis, which are then included in blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain. Ordinals reside fully on the blockchain and do not require a sidechain or separate token. In this sense, ordinal inscriptions inherit the simplicity, immutability, security, and durability of Bitcoin itself. $BTC $ORDI #BitcoinETF💰💰💰 #BitcoinBullRally2024
A short squeeze happens when the price of an asset sharply increases due to a lot of short sellers being forced out of their positions.
Short sellers are betting that the price of an asset will decline. If the price rises instead, short positions start to amass an unrealized loss. As the price goes up, short sellers may be forced to close their positions. This can occur via stop-loss triggers, liquidations (for margin and futures contracts). It can also happen simply because traders manually close their positions to avoid even greater losses.
So, how do short sellers close their positions?
They buy. This is why a short squeeze results in a sharp price spike. As short sellers close their positions, a cascading effect of buy orders adds more fuel to the fire. As such, a short squeeze is typically accompanied by an equivalent spike in trading volume.
Here’s something else to consider. The larger the short interest is, the easier it is to trap short sellers and force them to close their positions. In other words, the more liquidity there is to trap, the greater the increase in volatility may be thanks to a short squeeze. In this sense, a short squeeze is a temporary increase in demand while a decrease in supply.
The opposite of a short squeeze is a long squeeze – though it’s less common. A long squeeze is a similar effect that happens when longs get trapped by cascading selling pressure, leading to a sharp downward price spike.