Signature Bank Closes, NYDFS Denies Crypto Connection

• Signature Bank was closed by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) on March 13
• The closure decision was not related to the bank’s cryptocurrency dealings, according to NYDFS.
• Despite the denial, Coinbase and other crypto firms may have to look for a different banking service provider.

Signature Bank Shutdown

On March 13, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced that Signature Bank had been shut down.

Crypto Connection Denied

The regulatory body denied any crypto-related reasons behind the closure of this financial institution. A spokesperson from NYDFS mentioned that „the decisions made over the weekend had nothing to do with crypto“.

Former Representative’s Suggestion

Former United States representative Barney Frank suggested that the bank’s closure was crypto-related and sent an „anti-crypto message“ from authorities. However, this suggestion does not fit in with NYDFS‘ denial.

FDIC Intervention

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took control over all deposits in order to ensure customers receive insured deposits back. Furthermore, Treasury Department revealed an emergency plan to return all customer funds, not just insured ones.

Closures Continue

The shutdown of Signature Bank is one in a series of banks closing down recently including Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate Bank.

Data Asymmetry: Unlocking the Power and Control of Your Data

• Data intermediaries are third-party entities that collect, manage and sell data for profit.
• These intermediaries take advantage of users by collecting their data and offering services in exchange.
• Web3 developers are looking for ways to disrupt the traditional Web2.0 exchange of data in order to restore control to the user.

Data Intermediaries

Data intermediaries are third-party entities that collect, manage and sell data for profit. Examples of these include Google, Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Uber, Strava, PayPal and WhatsApp. By accessing a user’s personal data such as locations visited or pictures posted publicly on social media platforms they can tailor advertising specifically to them and generate revenue from it. Fraudsters also use legitimate datasets gathered from these platforms to correlate the sets of data stolen by hackers and sold on the dark web for malicious purposes.

Web 2.0 Exchange

The traditional Web 2.0 exchange of a user’s data in exchange for access to digital services has often unknowingly turned the consumer into a marketable product with no real control over how their information is used or shared. This lack of fairness has become known as data asymmetry where there is an accessibility disparity between two entities where the steward of the data can unlock more value than the contributor.

Web 3 Disruption

Web3 developers have been looking at ways to disrupt this traditional model in order to restore control back into the hands of users through things like Self Sovereign ID and Data Unions which allow people to decide what is done with their own personal information rather than relying on third-parties to do it for them. However, this still remains too siloed in its current form so further disruption is needed if true power is going be restored back into users‘ hands over their own personal information .

Data Security Concerns

With more online services gathering our personal information it’s important that we realise our own responsibility when it comes protecting ourselves against potential security threats such as fraudsters using our own datasets against us . It’s also essential that we understand how much power we give away when we agree to certain online terms without being aware of what might happen with our own personal information once it’s out there .

Conclusion

It’s clear that the way we handle our own data needs significant change if real power is going be put back into users‘ hands over their own personal information instead of relying on intermediary businesses who make money off selling it off while convincing us they can be trusted with it . In order for this shift towards more equitable exchanges between users and companies , further disruption needs occur beyond currently available solutions like Self Sovereign ID or Data Unions which remain too siloed at present .

Explore Dreamland Genesis, the Unique NFT Collection!

• Dreamland Genesis is a non-fungible tokens collection built on the Ethereum network launched in 20 December, 2021.
• There are over 4006 owners and 10,835 collections sales with an average price of 0.15 ETH (~$245.33).
• The market capitalization of Dreamland Genesis NFT collection is 36.07 ETH and the payment tokens of the collection are ETH, WETH, USDC.

What is Dreamland Genesis?

Dreamland Genesis are a non-fungible tokens collection built on the Ethereum network launched in 20 December, 2021. 9,993 items of the Dreamland Genesis collection can now be viewed at OpenSea.

Ownership and Sales

The total number of owners has reached 4006 within 432 days since its release. Since created the Dreamland Genesis, 10,835 collections sales were made at an average price of 0.15 ETH (~$245.33 at the time of writing). This created a total volume in 1,664.113 ETH. The floor price of Dreamland Genesis is 0.004 and the 30-day trading volume is kept at 1.15 ETH.

Payment Tokens

The payment tokens of the Dreamland Genesis collection are ETH, WETH, USDC.

Why Are Some NFTs Expensive?

NFTs are very new to the blockchain ecosystem and are still in their infancy; therefore it is difficult to determine whether an NFT’s value comes from legitimate artistic work or if it was created purely out of greed and exploitation which often have no real value or purpose other than to take advantage of market growth opportunities .

Is Dreamland Over or Underpriced?

It is difficult to determine whether NFTs from the Dreamland Genesis collection is overpriced or underpriced as it relies heavily on how well it is developed by its creators and promoted by its community as well as future market trends for NFTs and metaverses . The fees associated with buying/selling these types of collections also play a role in determining their overall worth .

Unlock Your True Potential with Dooggies – Legacy NFTs!

• Dooggies – Legacy is an NFT collection built on the Ethereum network with 9,931 items.
• The total number of owners reached 2929 within 683 days since its release.
• The market capitalization of Dooggies – Legacy NFT collection is 410.77 ETH and the payment tokens are ETH, DAI, WETH and USDC.

What is an Dooggies – Legacy?

Dooggies – Legacy are a non-fungible tokens collection built on the Ethereum network launched in 6 April, 2021. 9,931 items of the Dooggies – Legacy collection can now be viewed at OpenSea.

How many owners does the Dooggies – Legacy collection have?

The total number of owners has reached 2929 within 683 days since its release.

Price and Sales

The market capitalization of Dooggies – Legacy NFT collection is 410.77 ETH. Since created the Dooggies – Legacy, 21,503 collections sales were made at an average price of 0.14 ETH (~$242.47 at the time of writing). This created a total volume in 3,054.427 ETH. The floor price of Dooggies – Legacy is 0.0419 and the 30-day trading volume is kept at 3.25 ETH. The payment tokens of the Dooggies – Legacy collection are ETH, DAI, WETH, USDC.

Why are some NFTs expensive and others not?

NFTs are very new to the blockchain ecosystem and are still in their infancy. It is an emerging market meaning there is no historical data or precedence that can assist in determining the value of an NFT project that started at the beginning of the market boom have garnered legitimacy purely because they had a first-mover advantage., these „established“ NFT projects have also had the opportunity to improve and learn from issues that have plagued them thus far making them more valuable then ones just created out greed or exploitation which tend to have no value or be garbage..

Is the Dooggie’s –Legacy Collection Over or Underpriced?

It is difficult to determine whether NFTs from this particular collection Is overpriced or underpriced as it’s too early for accurate assessment but one factor that could influence prices would be how well developed & promoted it was by its creators & community members alike .

Tether Reaches $700 Million Q4 Net Profit: Financial Turnaround Complete

• Tether has managed to improve its financial situation drastically and top it all with a $700 million Q4 net profit.
• A large part of which was commercial paper, however, the improved finances have allowed Tether to get the commercial paper off of its books.
• The attestation report provided by BDO Italia confirmed this, stating that there was no longer any commercial paper backing and that excess reserves of at least $960 million were held.

Tether Improves Financial Situation Despite FUD

Beleaguered throughout 2022, Tether has managed to improve its financial situation drastically and top it all with a $700 million Q4 net profit. Commercial paper backing FUD upon FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) has been heaped upon the company behind the Tether USDT stablecoin for quite some time now.

Getting Commercial Paper Off Its Books

A large part of which was commercial paper. However, the improved finances have allowed Tether to get the commercial paper off of its books. It had given itself a target of doing this by the end of 2022 and an attestation report, provided by top-5 accounting firm BDO Italia at the end of December 2022, confirmed this. The report vouched for the integrity of Tether’s own Consolidated Reserves Report, stating that there was no longer any commercial paper backing, that it had $67 billion in consolidated assets, and that it held excess reserves of at least $960 million.

Tether’s Financial Resurgence

In a statement on the company website Paolo Arduino, CTO of Tether said “After a tumultuous end to 2022” his company “has once again proven its stability” setting itself apart from “the bad actors in industry” as well as “smoothly executing over $21 billion dollars in redemptions during chaotic events” plus issuing over 10 billion USD₮ indicating continued adoption growth for their token.

Question Mark Remains

The only real question mark against Tether’s financial situation is that a third-party attestation is only really a snapshot at a particular time and not to be confused with full audit access to their books leading some detractors having suspicions remain until such an audit is completed.

Disclaimer:

This article is provided for informational purposes only and not intended to be used as legal advice or investment advice

OpenSea Releases Toolkit for Creators, Unlocking Potential of NFTs

• OpenSea has released a new toolkit for creators, with features such as multi-stage minting phases, allowlist support and personalized artist profiles.
• This new toolkit offers creators a streamlined process for setting up crypto assets, with features like smart contract deployment across supported EVM chains, per-piece configuration for drop mechanics (tiering capabilities).
• OpenSea also has customizable landing pages that include videos, image galleries, utility or allocation details, as well as project roadmaps (when applicable).

OpenSea Releases New Toolkit For Creators

Popular Ethereum NFT platform OpenSea has released a new toolkit for creators, in line with its suite of Drops features which it has been releasing phase by phase. According to OpenSea, creators (and thus, by extension, the whole creative economy surrounding NFTs) now have the opportunity to unlock the potential of NFT creations with multi-stage minting phases, allowlist support and personalized artist profiles for their NFT releases.

Features Of The Toolkit

The kit includes an asset template that allows creators to define the look, content and formalized categories of each NFT minted on the platform. In addition to this asset template is multi-stage minting phases and allowlist support. Smart contract deployment across supported EVM chains is also available through this toolkit with per-piece configuration for drop mechanics (tiering capabilities) being enabled as part of this feature set from OpenSea.

Customizable Landing Pages

OpenSea also offers customizable landing pages that include videos, image galleries and utility or allocation details whilst also allowing project roadmaps (when applicable).

Royalties For Assets Created Through Platform

What’s good about OpenSea these days is that it’s one of the few NFT platforms that enforce royalties for assets created through its platform such as omgkirby’s CLOUDMACHINE Probably a Label and Anthony Hopkins‘ works.

Alpha Release Of Toolkit

The toolkit isn’t open to the public just yet though; OpenSea says that it will be rolling these features out to „select creators […] in the coming weeks“ before a public alpha release.

Threshold Network Merges with Coinbase: 146% Weekly Token Increase!

• NUCypher and KEEP Network merged to form Threshold Network, a decentralized organization focused on blockchain privacy and security.
• The Threshold (T) token has seen a 146% increase in the weekly, making it the biggest gainer in the top 100 crypto list of CoinMarketCap.
• On January 26th, centralized exchange CoinBase announced support for the Threshold token, enabling it to gain momentum in the retail investor space.

The blockchain space has become increasingly active in recent times, with new projects and solutions being developed to address the ever-growing list of privacy and security concerns. One such project is the Threshold Network, a decentralized organization that brings together the best of two leading projects in the space, NUCypher and KEEP Network. The network, which was formed in early 2023, has seen an increase in attention and activity since its launch, and its utility and governance token, T, has seen a 146% increase in the weekly, making it the biggest gainer in the top 100 crypto list of CoinMarketCap today.

The Threshold Network was created to address the myriad of privacy and security concerns in the blockchain space. It is focused on building a secure and private ecosystem, where users can store and transfer data securely, and also have access to various applications. The network is built on a hybrid consensus mechanism, which combines the best of both Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) to ensure that the transactions are secured and the data is kept private.

The Threshold Network is also focused on developing its tBTC project, which is a way for Bitcoin holders to use their coins on Ethereum-based DeFi applications. This has gained traction in the space, and on January 26th, centralized exchange CoinBase announced its support for the Threshold token. This listing would enable the token to gather momentum in the retail investor space, as users would be able to access the token easily through the platform.

The Threshold Network has seen a steady increase in attention and activity since its launch, and its utility and governance token, T, has seen a 146% increase in the weekly, making it the biggest gainer in the top 100 crypto list of CoinMarketCap today. This listing on CoinBase is sure to further increase the attention and usage of the token, as more users will be able to access it easily. With the team continuing to focus on the development of its tBTC project and other initiatives, the Threshold Network is sure to become a major player in the blockchain space in the near future.

Flashbots Raises $50M to Protect Ethereum from MEV with Paradigm & More

• Flashbots is seeking to raise $50 million with a $1 billion pre-money valuation.
• Investors have to pitch why they should have a slot in this investment round.
• Paradigm was among the first to show interest and participated in Flashbots‘ seed sale in 2020.

Flashbots, a research and development organization focused on negating the effects of maximum extraction value (MEV) in account-based blockchains like Ethereum and the BNB Smart Chain (BSC), is seeking to raise $50 million with a $1 billion pre-money valuation. According to The Block, citing sources aware of the deal, Flashbots is doing a “reverse pitching” where interested investors have to pitch why they should have a slot in this investment round. The goal is to raise between $30 million and $50 million in “equity investment,” pushing the firm’s valuation to unicorn status, and eventually split this investment round into two.

Paradigm, a crypto fund, was among the first to show interest and participated in Flashbots’ seed sale in 2020. Flashbots’ documents explain that their involvement avoids the “existential risks MEV could cause to state-rich blockchains like Ethereum.” MEV occurs in blockchains when someone takes advantage of timing opportunities to make a profit from the trade’s execution by exploiting a blockchain’s functions. This could lead to the blockchain becoming congested, which in turn could lead to higher gas fees and increased transaction times.

Flashbots is focused on Ethereum, as the costs of MEV can be high due to the high on-chain activity and the impact of gas fees. They are working to develop open source software and protocols to help Ethereum users protect their funds from being exploited by MEV. The company is also working to develop a “marketplace” that will allow users to buy and sell MEV protection services.

Flashbots’ team includes Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, and Blockstream co-founder Adam Back. The company has raised a total of $2.1 million in venture capital funding and has been backed by investors such as Paradigm, BlockFi, FBG Capital, and Placeholder. Flashbots’ team is confident that their technology can help Ethereum reach its goal of becoming a secure and reliable blockchain platform.

Overall, the goal of Flashbots is to create a safer and more efficient blockchain platform for users. By developing protocols and software to protect users from MEV, Flashbots is working to ensure the long-term success of Ethereum. With the help of Paradigm and other investors, the company is confident that it can reach its goal and become a unicorn.

Bitcoin Surges Above $18K, Bulls Push Price Towards $19K Resistance

• Bitcoin price extended its increase and surged above $18,000.
• BTC is gaining pace and might rise towards the $19,000 resistance zone.
• Bitcoin is currently trading above $18,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average.

The Bitcoin market has seen a notable surge in its price over the past few days. After breaking above the key $17,000 resistance level, Bitcoin has been on a steady upward trajectory and is currently trading above the $18,000 mark. The bulls have been pushing the price higher, with the currency now edging closer to the $19,000 resistance.

The surge has been fueled by the bullish sentiment in the market, with investors becoming increasingly confident in the long-term prospects of the digital asset. This has been further bolstered by the fact that institutional investors have been steadily increasing their exposure to the asset.

The technical indicators also point towards further upside potential for the currency. There is a key bullish trend line forming with support near $17,400 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. This indicates a strong upward momentum, and if this level is maintained, Bitcoin could continue to move up towards the $19,000 resistance zone.

The surge in Bitcoin’s price has been widely celebrated by crypto enthusiasts, with many believing that the asset is well positioned to break the all-time high of $20,000. If the bulls are able to maintain the current momentum and push the price higher, then the asset could soon make new highs.

Overall, the cryptocurrency market is in a bullish state, with Bitcoin being the star of the show. The digital asset is currently trading at a premium and investors are hopeful that it can continue to break new highs. With the technical indicators pointing towards further upside potential, it is likely that Bitcoin will continue its surge in the coming days.

Avalanche and AWS Join Forces to Increase Blockchain Adoption

• Avalanche has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to improve its dApp ecosystem and provide customers with one-click node deployment.
• AWS GovCloud will allow for node operators to be compliant with FedRAMP, which is essential for many enterprises and governments.
• This partnership will lead to a more widespread blockchain adoption among many enterprises, government organizations, and other institutions.

Avalanche, a decentralized finance platform, has recently announced its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This partnership will enable its dApp ecosystem to be supported by AWS, which also provides one-click node deployment through the AWS marketplace. This will allow customers to deploy custom offerings linked to over 100,000 partners spread across 150 countries.

Through this collaboration, node operators can operate in AWS GovCloud for the FedRAMP compliance use case, which is an essential pre-requisite for many enterprises and governments. This will make it easier for individuals to launch and manage nodes on Avalanche, strengthening the network and making it more accessible for developers to work on.

Howard Wright, the VP and Global Head of startups of AWS, stated, “Looking forward, web3 and blockchain are inevitable. No one can call the time or date or quarter that it’s going to happen and it’ll be mainstream, but we’ve seen the cycles of growth before. The velocity of this one seems like it’s accelerating and we’re just excited to be a part of this.”

This new development has been welcomed with open arms by the Avalanche community and has positively affected the altcoin’s price. It remains to be seen if the coin can sustain this price sentiment.

The integration of AWS into the Avalanche ecosystem marks a major milestone for the blockchain industry as a whole. With the help of this partnership, the blockchain technology has the potential to be adopted by many enterprises, government organizations, and other institutions. This could lead to a more widespread use of the blockchain technology, helping to revolutionize the way we do business.

Moreover, the partnership will improve the scalability of the Avalanche network. This will allow developers to create more complex applications, making it easier for users to access and interact with the network.

Avalanche is one of the most promising blockchain projects in the industry, and this partnership with AWS is a testament to its commitment to pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology. With the help of this partnership, the Avalanche network has the potential to become one of the most important and widely used decentralized finance platforms.