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  • Understanding Layer 2 & Scaling Solutions: Arbitrum, Boba, Optimism, Polygon, Ethereum 2.0

    Understanding Layer 2 & Scaling Solutions: Arbitrum, Boba, Optimism, Polygon, Ethereum 2.0

    One of the core problems with the Ethereum network today is scalability. As more and more decentralized apps (dApps) are built on the network, the number of users and transactions increases. This has slowed down the speed of transactions and driven up the cost of using the network, creating the need for scaling solutions.

    At its full capacity, the Ethereum network is only able to process 15 transactions per second. To put Ethereum’s scaling limits into perspective, consider that Visa handles around 1,700 transactions per second on average. Therefore, increasing the network capacity in terms of speed and throughput is fundamental to the meaningful and mass adoption of Ethereum.

    There are multiple solutions being researched, tested and implemented that take different approaches to achieve similar goals. Two solutions that we will explore in this article are known as sidechains and optimistic rollups.

    Check out our explainer video on layer 2 solutions such as Arbitrum, Boba, Optimism, and Ethereum 2.0

    Layer 2 solutions explained (Arbitrum, Boba, Optimism, Ethereum 2.0)

    What is Layer 2 and How Does it Work?

    The Ethereum main chain is known as Layer 1. Layer 1 applications and smart contracts interact directly with the native chain. Layer 2 refers to a series of different protocols that facilitate the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) on top of the core Ethereum blockchain.

    Operating on Layer 2 frees up Layer 1 by taking transactions off the main chain, offloading it to Layer 2, enabling them to interact, and then recording the remainder of the whole transactions back to Layer 1. Due to transactions being processed off-chain on Layer 2, Ethereum benefits from higher transaction processing capacity, faster confirmation times, and lower gas fees. 

    In fact, many believe that Layer 2 solutions will be how Ethereum wins over mainstream users. It is estimated that 2,000 – 4,000 transactions per second can be processed in Layer 2, which is already in line with Visaโ€™s processing capabilities. By combining the scaling of Layer 1 with Ethereum 2.0 and Layer 2, Ethereum is set to obtain a powerful economic bandwidth.

    Sidechains: Polygon Network

    Sidechains are a Layer 2 solution utilizing separate blockchains that run in parallel to the Ethereum main chain but operate independently, hence increasing its scalability. 

    Polygon is the most popular sidechain that aims to scale Ethereum by building and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks. Polygon operates on its own consensus mechanism and also has its own native token known as $MATIC.

    Because sidechains run on a separate blockchain, they do not inherit the security of Layer 1. If a sidechain is hacked or compromised, the damage will be contained within that chain and will not affect the main chain. Conversely, should the main chain become compromised, the sidechain can still operate.

    Sidechains also provide room for a lot of flexibility, allowing developers to experiment with new features or software updates before pushing them onto the main chain.

    Rollups Explained: Optimistic Rollups & Zero Knowledge Rollups

    Rollups are another Layer 2 solution intended to solve Ethereumโ€™s scalability and complement the network. Rollups interact with the main chain, therefore inheriting Layer 1โ€™s security features as well as its secure consensus mechanism. The term โ€˜rollupโ€™ refers to the way that the chain bundles many transactions to be submitted to the main chain.

    Because rollups use smart contracts that reside within Ethereum, they do not require a native token like Polygon, but instead use $ETH as their currency. Rollups seem to be the most sound scaling solution for Ethereum as it does not compromise the security and sovereignty of Layer 1.

    There are basically two types of rollups: Optimistic Rollups and Zero Knowledge Rollups (ZK Rollups). Both aim to scale Ethereum by processing transactions on Layer 2 before submitting the results back to Ethereum. However, the difference is in how they validate transactions. 

    In simple terms, Optimistic Rollups assume that transactions are valid โ€” hence an optimistic outlook. However, it also allows what are called โ€œwatchersโ€ to call out fraudulent transactions since blockchain is transparent and public. If a watcher proves instances of fraud, the transaction is reverted, the bad actor penalized, and the watcher rewarded to incentivize them.

    On the other hand, Zero Knowledge Rollups attempt to prove that transactions are valid. They do so by submitting validity proof to an Ethereum smart contract along with the bundled transactions.

    Optimistic Rollups are currently the more popular option, so let us look at some projects that have adopted this mechanism. These projects are Arbitrum, Boba, and Optimism.

    Optimistic Rollups: Arbitrum, Boba & Optimism

    Arbitrum, Boba and Optimism are 3 projects which have the same goals of scaling Ethereum and reducing gas fees. All of these Layer 2 projects are competing with one another to be the best network. Therefore, each project offers different features to stand out from the others.

    • Arbitrum describes itself as a Layer 2 solution designed to improve the capabilities of Ethereum smart contracts โ€” boosting their speed and scalability while adding additional privacy features to boot. Arbitrum is, according to the team, around 90-95% cheaper than Ethereum. And with their Nitro being launched soon, they expect costs to be cut even further.
    • Optimism is an EVM-compatible Optimistic Rollup chain designed to be fast, simple, and secure. Optimism pledges to uphold the values of Ethereum by producing infrastructure that promotes the growth and sustainability of public goods.
    • Boba Network is a next-generation Layer 2 scaling solution that reduces gas fees, improves transaction throughput, and extends the capabilities of smart contracts, shrinking the Optimistic Rollup exit period from seven days to only a few minutes, while giving liquidity pools (LPs) incentivized yield farming opportunities.

    Arbitrumโ€™s fraud proofs seek to find the particular point of disagreement over transaction history. In contrast, Optimismโ€™s tech looks at fraud a bit more holistically. And this means that Arbitrum has a higher transaction capacity equating to higher performance.

    Optimistic Rollups have a time period in which users can dispute transactions and call fraud. Both Arbitrum and Optimism allow one week for that dispute period, which means that transactions in a bundle under suspicion can be held in limbo for one week before they are verified and released. This is where Boba comes in as a serious player. 

    Instead of having funds locked for several days, Bobaโ€™s solution brings the dispute period down to only a few minutes. It also provides incentivized yield farming opportunities, both serving as very attractive features in comparison to its competitors. 

    Will Ethereum 2.0 Make Layer 2 Solutions Irrelevant?

    Ethereum 2.0 is regarded as the long-term solution that can bring speed, efficiency, and scalability to the Ethereum network. The long awaited upgrade will move the network from a Proof-of-Work consensus to a Proof-of-Stake consensus, a much more energy efficient method of maintaining the network that uses validators instead of miners.

    Ethereum 2.0 is currently slowly being released in different phases and will ultimately speed up transactions as well as drastically reduce the cost of gas fees. That brings up the question: Will Ethereum 2.0 make all these Layer 2 solutions irrelevant?

    While there are many different opinions and discussions surrounding this topic, however, we think that all of these solutions can coexist and benefit the network as well as its economy.

    This is because despite the upgrade, Ethereum 2.0 may still not be able to handle the amount of transactions per second required for widespread adoption. The impressive capabilities of Layer 2 solutions could eradicate Ethereumโ€™s scalability issues for good, allowing the network to improve other aspects and prevent congestion on the main chain.

    Final Thoughts: Why Are So Many Solutions Needed?

    There is no debate that Ethereum has a stronghold over developer mindshare. It is the first network that enabled developers to build truly unstoppable decentralized applications with global distribution from day one. But competition is coming fast, and as it stands today, Ethereum will not be able to handle the scale necessary for millions of users. If the network wants to retain the same level of decentralization, it will have to look for new ways to structure use around the main blockchain. 

    As such, there are currently several Layer 2 solutions that aim to resolve Ethereumโ€™s scaling issues. There are also some hybrid solutions which seek to improve the networkโ€™s scalability by combining the technologies. But is there really a need for so many solutions?

    We say yes, because multiple solutions can help reduce the overall traffic on any one part of the network, and also prevent single points of failure. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Different solutions can exist and work in harmony, allowing for an exponential effect on future transaction speed and throughput. Furthermore, not all solutions require utilizing the Ethereum consensus algorithm directly, and alternatives can offer benefits that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

    If Ethereum achieves its full potential of becoming a global trust layer, it is likely that these solutions and more will be required to scale the network in combination with Ethereum 2.0. In the future, the Ethereum ecosystem could see significant change as new projects assess the benefits and drawbacks of running on Layer 2. 

    If all of these solutions can come together in harmony, Ethereum will achieve a blockchain system that can match the speed and scale of programmatic advertising โ€“ one that can be used by industries with high data processing needs as well as users worldwide.

    Sources:

    https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/scaling/

    https://hackernoon.com/ethereums-layer-2-the-story-so-far-and-what-to-expect-next-kn41342c

    https://dappradar.com/blog/ethereum-rollups-a-simple-explanation

    https://medium.com/general_knowledge/rollup-rollup-top-layer-2-compared-arbitrum-vs-optimism-vs-polygon-4a469389faef
  • Common crypto Twitter Scams and How to Avoid Them

    Common crypto Twitter Scams and How to Avoid Them

    According to a report by Chainalysis, crypto scammers have already made off with US$1.6 billion dollars in 2022. Although lower than the amount during the same time last year, it still represents a huge amount of money to the various victims that made up this sum. Why crypto scams are so popular, particularly on Twitter, is because of anonymity. Yet, Twitter gives you access to millions of followers and potential victims. This article looks at the common crypto scams on Twitter, and how you can avoid them.

    Common crypto Twitter scams

    Fake or hacked verified Twitter accounts

    Scammers create a confusingly similar Twitter account to a reputatble of verified account in the Twitter crypto space. These accounts will have very similar names to the real accounts and have the same profile pictures and posts. They then use these fake accounts to privately message people with promises of providing services for a fee. They may also ask for money in return for being repaid more at a later date.

    Fake Boxmining accounts
    Fake Boxmining accounts

    Some scammers even go so far as to hack official and verified accounts. They then impersonate the person behind the account and offer fake airdrops or token claim links. Once victims click on these links, they are directed to a fake website to connect their cryptocurrency wallets and their funds will be drained.

    Fake crypto projects

    These projects usually target crypto funds, content creators, or known high-net-worth individuals. The scammers will privately message potential victims claiming to be an up-and-coming crypto project. They will then ask for investments or provide a link to a “beta version” of the project requesting feedback or reviews in exchange for payment. However, the link actually contains malware and will either steal your data or drain your crypto wallet.

    Spoof URLs

    Some scammers are now creating spoof or fake URLs using similar-looking Unicode letters. The below tweet is an example of a spoof link. The letter “i” does not have a dot on it, instead, it is using the letter “ฤฑ” from the Turkish alphabet. Other variations can include using the letters “ร ” or “รจ” from the French alphabet instead of the English letters “a” and “e”. These links would direct you to a spoof of the official Premint website where you will be provided with a Seaport signature that drains your NFTs and ETH.

    Spoof link
    Spoof link

    The above tweet is also an example of a fake project account. The official account has the same spelling as the project i.e. Azurbala with one “l”.

    Honeypot crypto scams

    The honeypot crypto scam involves wallets containing a sum of cryptocurrencies, but will also have hidden traps. The scammer will usually approach victims via Twitter DMs alleging issues with their cryptocurrency wallets. They will then send their wallet details, including any seed phrase, and offer a reward. Victims will then access the account and try to deposit some ETH in an attempt to pay the transaction fees to remove the “stuck” funds. However, there will be a bot waiting to instantly transfer any funds (including any amounts the victim sent) out of the account and into the scammer’s own wallet.

    Check out Cointelegraph’s article to learn more details about honeypot scams and how they work.

    Crypto recovery scams

    In crypto recovery scams, scammers prey on people who have lost their funds and need help with recovery. They would contact people via DM or post replies (particularly for posts where a project is in trouble) stating that someone helped them recover their lost funds for a small fee. Victims would then contact the person who could supposedly help them, who in fact is the scammer. The scammer would then take the fees and disappear.

    To learn more about various other crypto Twitter scams, check out this post from Serpent, a Web3 Security Analyst.

    How to avoid crypto Twitter scams

    Verify everything

    If you see a post from a project, check it against other sources such as their website or other social media outlets. Even if an account is verified, it could still be a hacked account, so users should also check if these alleged events or airdrops are actually real by looking at the project’s website or blog. The same goes for people who contact you on Twitter, check carefully if their username is spelled correctly and other account details.

    Trust your instincts

    If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. For example, if you did a small task for someone, would you really expect a huge return or reward? Also, people experiencing technical issues would contact the responsible project, exchange, or where the wallet is hosted. It would not make sense for them to contact you.

    Be wary of links

    Links containing malware or phishing links are the main gateway by which scammers access your personal data and funds. Therefore, you should be careful to check before clicking links or approving any contracts.

    Don’t give out personal information

    Personal information is very valuable to scammers who use this to access your private accounts or wallets. So do not give out the seed phrases for your cryptocurrency wallets as scammers can restore your wallet and drain its funds. Similarly, do not tell people (unless they are trusted) how you store your seed phrases and your security measures.

  • Common NFT Scams and How to Avoid Them

    Common NFT Scams and How to Avoid Them

    NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have become very popular amongst cryptocurrency traders and are drawing a lot of attention from several industries. The world of art has greatly benefitted from the sector, more than other industries (so far) because it opens creators and potential buyers to an ever-expanding marketplace. Generally, this stems from NFTsโ€™ non-fungible nature, meaning that each one is unique. 

    What makes NFTs special?

    Anyone can trade one Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH) for another and end up with the same asset they traded in terms of value and usability. However, non-fungibility means that no two assets are alike. If you trade one NFT for another, the newly-received asset will be fundamentally different. In the art sector, this allows people to buy directly from the creator, with the assurance that there is no duplicate anywhere. NFTs have also created a whole asset class and industry of NFT speculators which buy, sell and trade them for profit. There are estimates that in 2021 alone, there were over US$23 billion worth of trades in NFTs. In fact, the most expensive NFT sold in 2021 was Beepleโ€™s The First 5,000 Days, which sold for US$69.3 million.

    Some Common NFT Scams

    However, as with most up-and-coming industries, the NFT space is rife with its fair share of scams. Malicious players find ways to take advantage of buyers pumping money into the industry. Scammers are also becoming more sophisticated with their methods and will go to any lengths to swindle NFT holders, especially since some NFTs are worth millions. Here are some common NFT scams.

    Fake offers

    Scammers frequently entice NFT holders with false offers. Known methods include phishing emails, fake links, and service offers that require people to sign malicious contracts. Sometimes, people willingly give up their signatures for seemingly legitimate reasons, such as a paid offer to help animate your NFT. Tokens and NFTs may get stolen after you sign the transaction. In December 2021, scammers hacked the NFT marketplace Fractal, pushing a link to prospective buyers through the platformโ€™s official Discord. Within 10 minutes, around 370 users lost 862 SOL, worth more than US$150,000 at the time.

    False NFT projects

    The NFT space has seen several rug pull scams where a known or unknown creator publishes an NFT for sale. For many reasons, including the possibility of high returns, people may skip adequate due diligence and quickly sink money into a new NFT with growing popularity. In many cases, these projects eventually lose their value and canโ€™t be sold for a profit or the initial capital. The unknown creators then take all the money and are almost always unreachable. A popular example is the Frosties rug pull and scam. In January, buyers who purchased pieces of the cartoon ice cream digital collection lost a total of . (https://inboundrem.com) 3 million after the creators and funds disappeared from OpenSea.

    Counterfeit NFTs

    Scammers can create fake NFTs that resemble originals, especially when the original is not very popular. The forger would then list the fake NFT on a marketplace where an unsuspecting buyer may purchase what they think is the authentic version. Since no one wants a plagiarized or counterfeit NFT, the buyer is left with a worthless asset.

    Pump and dump scams

    Here, a group of scammers artificially pump a worthless NFT collection which eventually drives price and demand from speculators. Within a short period, the collection garners enough attention that people consider it valuable and start buying. However, the group will pull the plug and disappear as soon as they make enough money from the sale. The price of the NFT eventually tanks, leaving holders unable to resell their worthless NFTs. A relevant example of a pump-and-dump scam is the Squid Game token. Last year, unknown creators launched a token that exploited the popularity of Netflixโ€™s Squid Game series. The SQUID token pumped past $2,800 and eventually crashed to $0. The scammers made away with more than $3 million in total and have still not been found.

    Fake Holder Verification Bots

    Scammers may create programs that impersonate authentic verification bots used with discord servers. Owners then allow approvals for these fake bots that transfer sensitive information to scammers who steal the NFTs.

    How to Avoid NFT Scams

    All players in the NFT marketplace should know how to avoid scams. Due diligence often does the trick, as fake projects or assets usually have features that stick out. Generally, avoiding scams requires a lot of caution from NFT holders. Owners looking to sell their NFTs must set approvals. The process requires the seller to set an approval so that the marketplace can transact on the ownerโ€™s behalf if, for example, someone else buys the asset. While popular marketplaces like OpenSea are relatively safe, there is still a significant risk with setting approvals.

    Approvals give the receiving contract or address the authority needed to transfer tokens. If a malicious bot or contract has the approval, your funds are not safe. To avoid these scams, there are a few things to note.

    Setting approvals and verification

    The blockchain is a public ledger and does not need permission for people to read stored information. However, executing transactions on the blockchain requires gas. When transacting with a third-party bot, marketplace, or address, any verification requiring gas fees is likely illicit. In the same way, setting approvals should cost some gas. There might be a serious problem if a transaction to set an approval is gasless.

    Due diligence

    It is important to do intensive research into an NFT collection or project before purchasing it. Trustworthy projects should have verifiable teams compromised of members without fraudulent histories. Depending on the project, a whitepaper might also be necessary. For phishing scams, buyers must double-check email addresses and links to ensure authenticity. Buyers must also do their due diligence to avoid plagiarized or counterfeit NFTs by confirming verification ticks on marketplaces or sticking to links posted on the projectโ€™s official Discord.

    Discord Notes

    Buyers using Collabland for management can attach specific notes to authentic bots in a server. This note will be available anywhere you see the bot, making it easy to avoid corrupt bots.ย 

    Personal Safety

    All wallet credentials should only be in safe locations that are not easily accessible by third parties. It is inadvisable to keep this information on a mobile phone or with someone else. All owners should also consider unique passwords in addition to two-factor authentication (2FA).

    Conclusion: Staying Safe

    Avoiding NFT scams requires continuous effort. Buyers who have done their due diligence should consider taking further steps, including actions not listed above. Since the NFT space is still somewhat nascent, buyers should expect that scammers may come up with newer ways to steal NFTs or swindle unsuspecting users. Therefore, traders must take additional protective steps when buying, selling, or setting approvals for NFTs.

  • APY vs APR in DeFi: What They Actually Mean for Your Rewards

    APY vs APR in DeFi: What They Actually Mean for Your Rewards

    As savvy investors, it is easy to get carried away by flashy numbers like 1000% staking rewards. But what most beginners overlook is the three little letters standing right next to it: APY or APR.


    Although APY and APR may sound identical, there is a significant difference to the calculations for returns over a period of time. There are also underlying risk factors of certain decentralized finance (DeFi) products with very high return on investment (ROI).


    Therefore, it is crucial that you have a better understanding of the formulas used to generate these two measures as well as what they signify for the potential returns on your crypto investments.

    What is APR?

    APR, which stands for annual percentage rate, is interest you gain from your investment in a year. It is also known as “simple interest” and its formula is straightforward.

    For example, if you stake 10,000 USDT at an APR of 10%, you will earn $1,000 in interest after a year. Your interest is simply calculated by multiplying the principal amount ($10,000) and the APR (10%). In a year, your capital will amount to $11,000, and in two years, it will be $12,000, and so on.

    See also: The Pros and Cons of Stablecoins: Why You Need To Know How They Work

    As such, APR is always quoted as a fixed yearly rate, thus a simpler and more static metric. However, with APY, interest calculations become slightly more complicated with compounding taken into account.

    What is APY?

    APY, short for annual percentage yield, is the annual rate of compound return earned on an investment. The keyword here is “compound.”

    What is Compound Interest?

    Compound interest is not only earning interest on your initial investment, but you are also earning interest on the accrued interests. This effect is called “compounding.”

    A simple scenario would be like this. Let’s say this time you stake 10,000 USDT at an APY of 10% compounded monthly. This means that interest is added to your principal sum each month, and the sum on which you earn interest increases over time. In other words, you will have more money earning interest each month.

    In one year, your capital will amount to $11,047.13, which is $47.13 more in interest by adding the effect of compound interest.

    The Power of Compound Interest

    The aforementioned scenario is an instance of monthly compounding. In fact, there are different compounding periods depending on the institution. Interests can be compounded quarterly, monthly, week, or daily.

    The more frequent the compounding periods, the higher your effective yield is going to be. For example, if your staked 10,000 USDT is compounded daily at 10% APY, then you will earn $11,051.56 in one year, which is $4.43 more than monthly compounding.

    It may not seem like a big difference but the power of compounding is more significant over more extended periods. After five years, you will have earned around $16,500 if compounded, which is $1,500 more than simple interest.

    APY vs APR vs No Invest (Source: DataDrivenInvestor)

    As illustrated in the graph above, the APR line is linear, whereas the APY line is exponential, which is always higher than the linear as time progresses. The principal remains the same if no investment is made.

    You can use an APY calculator to calculate how much you can earn with different compounding periods and different time frames.

    How does APY Work in DeFi?

    The previous section is a simplified example of how compound interest works in general. However, APY investments work differently in DeFi. APYs in the crypto space constantly change due to several factors. As such, as a rule of thumb, the APY shown on DeFi products should be considered as estimates.

    Supply and Demand

    As with any market economy, the law of supply and demand influences the assets’ price. Since interest is generated based on the demand to borrow and trade crypto, market dynamics play a role in determining the rates.

    Since the crypto market is volatile in nature, the APY changes according to the level of demand for trading liquidity of the token. If there is plenty of supply, APY interest rates tend to be lower. Conversely, if the demand is high, the APY usually increases as well.

    Inflation

    Inflation refers to the loss in value of a currency over time. In crypto, inflation is brought about by adding new tokens at a predetermined rate to the blockchain. The rate of inflation affects the staking returns. If the inflation rate exceeds the interest earned on a staked token, then the investor is losing money.

    Different Compounding Periods

    Different projects have specified blockchain protocols which play a part in the calculation of the APY. As a result, compounding periods may vary for each project. For example, some projects compound interest weekly, daily, or even according to the mined block per block cycle. It is important to note that the more frequent the compounding periods, the higher the APY will be.

    Most crypto projects offer shorter compounding periods, with weekly compounding being one of the most popular ones. This is to help potential investors mitigate the effects of price swings in the long run, since crypto prices rise and fall over time. This way investors can do their compounding manually, and calculate their returns within specific time frames, so that they can strategize their entries and exits when engaging in DeFi protocols.

    Comparing APY vs APR Investments

    Although APY seems to be the obvious choice in maximizing ROI, there are also underlying risk factors when it comes to APY investments in general.

    Prevalence of Non-Sustainable APY Projects

    Projects with very high APYs, as high as 1,000% or more, are high risk/high reward investments. This is especially common for newly launched DeFi projects, because the price of a token is highly volatile during its early phase. To keep investors in the ecosystem, the project would provide trading pairs for the token also known as liquidity pools.

    Liquidity pools are one of the products that allow for staking and generating returns for providing liquidity. As such, projects will offer high APYs to offset impermanent loss, which occurs when the ratio of tokens in the liquidity pool is unbalanced. This also incentivizes users to continue providing liquidity instead of selling.

    However, there is a possibility of a dump for the project. Since most DeFi protocol tokens are inflationary in nature, the revenue capacity for the protocol might be insufficient for everyone to share. In other words, if everyone is earning 1,000% APY and the token has no real utility, it then becomes a race for the liquidity providers to see who cashes out first. As a result, this drives the token price and APY down, leaving real users of the protocol with no exit liquidity.

    Distinction of DeFi Product Yields

    Products with a higher APY will not necessarily generate more returns than those with a lower APR. It depends on what the APY and APR mean in relation to the DeFi product.

    Some products advertise the term “APY” referring to the cryptocurrency earned, and not the actual yield in fiat currency. Some beginners often mistake the APY crypto rewards for fiat currency, which blindly clouds their judgement.

    This is a critical distinction to point out because the value of your investment in fiat terms may increase or decrease depending on the volatility of crypto asset prices. Even if you continue to earn high APY in crypto, the value of your investment in fiat terms may still be lower than the initial amount you placed in fiat, should the price of the crypto asset decline.

    Key Takeaway

    APR (annual percentage rate) is interest you gain from your investment in a year. On the other hand, APY (annual percentage yield) is the annual rate of compound return earned on an investment, which means you earn interest on previous interests accrued.

    Although APY is the obvious choice in maximizing ROI, there are also underlying risk factors behind it. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how these two measures are determined as well as what it means for the potential returns on your digital investments.

  • Layer-1 vs Layer-2 Blockchain Scaling Solutions: What are the Differences?

    Layer-1 vs Layer-2 Blockchain Scaling Solutions: What are the Differences?

    What are Layer-1 and Layer-2 Solutions?

    Layer-1 refers to the base level of the blockchain’s underlying infrastructure. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, and Solana are examples of layer-1 blockchains. These networks can process and finalize transactions on its own blockchain.

    On the other hand, layer-2 refers to a network built on top of a layer-1 blockchain. Its main purpose is to help offload computational work from layer-1s by processing transactions off-chain, increasing transaction speed and throughput. Polygon, for example, is a layer-2 solution that runs on top of Ethereum to facilitate transactions away from the mainnet.

    Layer-1 Overview

    Underlying Problems of Layer-1

    Scalability is the biggest issue that has been plaguing most layer-1 blockchains. As more users carry out increased simultaneous transactions, the blockchain becomes slow and expensive to use. Ethereum, for example, is the most used decentralized network, but its gas fees and process time are high.

    Blockchain Trilemma

    This is known as the “blockchain trilemma” โ€” an impossibility for blockchains to simultaneously achieve decentralization, security, and scalability. As such, a decentralized and secure layer-1 blockchain cannot provide scalability. And a scalable, secure network lacks decentralization.

    This happens because of the fundamental nature of a blockchain. All transactions require the independent verification of the nodes who are running the blockchain’s software. The verified data will then be logged and stored on the blockchain.

    Transaction Confirmation Time

    However, depending on the network, this entire process takes time. For Bitcoin, all transactions require six confirmations in the blockchain from miners before being processed. The completion time varies between ten minutes and an hour. A node can only handle so much at a time. In times of network congestion, users will experience longer confirmation times and higher gas fees due to high demand.

    How do Layer-1 Solutions Work?

    There are several ways to increase throughput and overall network capacity of layer-1 blockchains.

    Transition to Proof-of-Stake

    For blockchains using proof-of-work as their consensus mechanism, they may switch to proof-of-stake to increase transactions per second while reducing gas fees. Ethereum is a great example of this as they are undergoing a transition to proof-of-stake called the “Merge.”

    The blockchain’s development team can also introduce a hard fork or soft fork of the network for their community to vote and approve:

    Soft Fork

    A soft fork is when new features are implemented to the protocol at a programming level. It is a backward-compatible upgrade, which means that the non-upgraded nodes will still see the chain as valid and can still communicate with other upgraded nodes. In other words, the addition of a new rule will not clash with the older rules.

    An example of a soft fork is Bitcoin’s SegWit update in which signatures are separated from transaction data, freeing up more space for transactions to be stored in a single block, increasing the throughput of the network.

    Hard Fork

    On the other hand, a hard fork is a major change to the blockchain’s protocol that results in the splitting of the blockchain, creating a second blockchain that inherits all of its history with the original, but is on its own towards a new direction. The new rules conflict with the rules of the old nodes, which means upgraded nodes cannot communicate with non-upgraded nodes.

    In July 2016, the Ethereum network hard forked into two blockchains: Ethereum and Ethereum Classic. Ethereum Classic is the old Ethereum with a completely seperate cryptocurrency (ETC). They have different technological and philosophical goals.

    Layer-2 Overview

    How do Layer-2 Solutions Work?

    Layer-2 solutions are built on top of a layer-1 blockchain to increase its throughput and overall network capacity. They work in parallel or independent of the main chain. Rollups and sidechains are two of the most common layer-2 solutions that help offload computational load from layer-1s:

    Rollups

    Rollups scale layer-1 blockchains by processing transactions on layer-2 platforms before submitting the results back to the layer-1. The term “rollup” refers to the way that the chain bundles many transactions to be submitted to the main chain.

    There are two types of rollups: Optimistic Rollups and Zero-Knowledge Rollups (ZK Rollups). The difference is in how they validate transactions.

    In short, Optimistic Rollups assumes that the transactions are valid, hence an “optimistic” outlook, whereas ZK Rollups attempt to prove that the transactions are valid.

    See also: Understanding Layer 2 & Scaling Solutions: Arbitrum, Boba, Optimism, Polygon, Ethereum 2.0

    Arbitrum, Optimism, and Boba Network are examples of layer-2 projects employing optimistic rollups. On the other hand, Starknet and zkSync are among the Ethereum layer-2s that leverage ZK Rollups.

    Sidechains

    Sidechains are secondary blockchains that run parallel to the layer-1 blockchain. Since they have their own virtual machine and validators, they can operate independently. In short, the sidechains validate the transactions and then send them back to the main chain via bridges.

    Polygonย is the most popular sidechain that aims to scale Ethereum by building and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks. Polygon operates on its own consensus mechanism and also has its own native token known as $MATIC.

    Are Layer-2 Solutions Viable Long-term?

    Although layer-2 provides a quick solution to improve scalability, questions have been raised as to whether layer-2 will be irrelevant once scalability issues are solved on layer-1’s end.

    Ethereum 2.0 will ultimately be able to speed up transactions while drastically reducing gas fees. This not only affects layer-2 solutions but also impacts other competing layer-1 blockchains like Solana or Avalanche.

    However, as of now, because of the upcoming Merge in September, we still see bullish sentiment surrounding competing layer-1s of Ethereum and several other layer-2 projects. Perhaps the completion of Ethereum 2.0 will indirectly foster other layer-1 and layer-2 ecosystems, instead of the other way around.

    Key Takeaway

    If you are new to crypto, it may be confusing to distinguish between layer-1 blockchains and layer-2 solutions. It is helpful to understand the differences between the two as well as the different approaches to scaling that they offer.

    Layer-1 blockchains are networks that can validate and finalize transactions by themselves, and their scaling solutions involve improvements to the existing protocol. On the other hand, layer-2 solutions are built on top of a layer-1 blockchain to help scale its throughput and overall network capacity.

  • What are Guilds in Crypto Gaming? The Future of GameFi Ecosystem?

    What are Guilds in Crypto Gaming? The Future of GameFi Ecosystem?

    Current Problems of GameFi

    GameFi is a financial system in which users can earn money by participating in video games. These play-to-earn (P2E) games are powered by blockchain technology, allowing players to earn while they play.

    See also: The Future of GameFi โ€“ Why are Firms Still Investing?

    It sounds too good to be true, right? Earning money from playing video games? This is actually achievable, and can be life-changing for all gamers worldwide. However, the GameFi market has been bottlenecked by two main issues:

    1. The cost of entry is too high for most players. Popular games like Axie Infinity, their NFT in-game assets cost at least thousands of dollars. Even if new players could afford it, it would take time for them to earn enough to break even.
    2. GameFi is still a niche in the crypto market, let alone the gaming market. There is more emphasis on the “earning” aspect than the “playing” aspect. According to Forbes, gamers only care about having fun, and most play-to-earn games lack the “fun” element. As a result, traditional gamers are not as interested in GameFi as we thought they would be.

    How can we find a solution to this issue? This is where crypto gaming guilds come in.

    What is a Crypto Gaming Guild?

    Gaming guilds have been around for a very long time. Traditionally, they are communities of gamers who play video games together and have their own culture. Recently, I came across abs์นด์ง€๋…ธ ๋ณด์ฆ while exploring new gaming platforms, which ensures a safe and reliable environment for players. Esports teams are famous examples of gaming guilds, only they get to generate a stable source of income from playing video games.

    But for the rest of the casual gaming communities, there is not much to be made. However, with blockchain technology, every gaming guild will also have the privilege to make money from doing what they enjoy.

    A crypto gaming guild is an organization that is made up of gamers, investors, and managers. Their goal in the crypto market is twofold:

    1. They invest in promising web3 gaming projects, providing them funds and confidence to build a healthy play-to-earn ecosystem.
    2. They provide resources to players who may not be able to afford them otherwise, such as NFT characters or in-game tokens. When the player successfully earns money, that income is shared with the guild.

    The purpose of these gaming guilds is to encourage and facilitate the expansion of the GameFi market across the world. They also act as intermediaries by reducing the entry barrier for most players as well as educating non-crypto users about cryptocurrency.

    This gives everyone a chance to take part in the economy of the metaverse, creating a win-win situation for both the gamers and the guilds.

    How do Crypto Gaming Guilds work?

    For crypto gaming guilds, it is also more than progressing the GameFi market. They aim to advance the cryptocurrency space as a whole, bringing mass adoption one step closer. They have five main roles in the crypto space:

    1. Community Connection with GameFi

    The core of every gaming guild is its community. Gaming guilds have great potential for social impact, and community activity is vital for the growth of any ecosystem in general.

    They operate under a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) structure in which funding comes from within the community of DAO token holders, in this case the DAO token issued by the guild. Guild members would then collectively invest in NFT assets and in-game tokens needed to participate.

    They would then pool their resources together for other guild members to use, play, and earn for shared profits. This is known as the “scholarship program”, which will we talk about in the next section.

    But the primary role and responsibility of the guild is to guide the community in the web3 world. Different blockchain games will have certain features and products that users might not be familiar with. Therefore, the community is where they congregate to talk and ask questions, which significantly aids the game project’s long-term growth.

    2. Scholarship Programs for Players

    The DAO model of guilds first emerged as a solution to the play-to-earn entry barrier. It is known as the “scholarship program.”

    Within the guild, owners of NFT assets, also known as managers, can lend out their NFTs to other guild members known as “scholars.” Scholars can then use these digital assets to play and earn in the crypto game.

    Afterwards, the profit is shared amongst the guild. The distribution of revenue varies depending on the guild. (vulcanpost.com) Generally, 10% is paid to the guild as rent, 20% to the managers, and 70% to the scholars. Other guilds split the profits in half.

    This system has a great social impact throughout the world, granting access to virtually anyone for new gameplay experience and earning opportunities.

    Axie Infinity, for example, was the first gaming project that took off in 2021, giving rise to boom of the GameFi sector. Guilds recognize that most players live in developing countries where the average monthly salary is around $200.

    Yield Guild Games (YGG), a crypto gaming guild based in the Philippines, facilitated the scholarship program that would help hundreds of thousands of players in the country to earn additional revenue for their livelihood (lifechanging literally).

    3. Quality Control for GameFi Projects

    The GameFi sector became increasingly popular following the Axie Infinity boom in 2021. As a result, many projects aspire to bring forth the next innovative gaming product to the market.

    But this also means that there are poor-quality, fraudulent projects looking to take advantage of the play-to-earn hype. It is the guild’s responsibility to prevent their members from being exposed to scams or rug pulls.

    All top gaming guilds carefully research and analyze the economic system of the projects they invested in as well as playtest and evaluate the game before awarding scholarships to their members.

    4. Bridge Between Traditional Gamers and Crypto

    Blockchain-based games are different from traditional video games. There are quite a few steps involved that can seem daunting to non-crypto users. Accessibility is an important factor to drive the GameFi sector forward, so it is important that there are sufficient educational resources for newcomers.

    As such, guilds play an indirect role in supporting non-crypto gamers to access the market, for example:

    • How to create a crypto wallet such as Metamask to access the game and marketplace.
    • How to deposit and withdraw funds on exchanges and DApps for trading.
    • How to secure accounts and make transactions.
    • Learn more about the game project such as gameplay mechanics and reward systems in the game.

    The more non-crypto gamers know about the market, the more they are likely to dip their toes into GameFi. As a result, more funds flow in, contributing to the long-term growth of the market.

    Some gaming guilds such as UniX Gaming have even taken the initiative to expand their scholarship program to include its learn-and-earn education platform. This investment both attracts more scholars and boosts player performance.

    Retention rate of crypto games is a key performance indicator of a healthy ecosystem. UniX reported a higher than average matchmaking rating (MMR) per scholar (in-game skill level) when compared to other guilds, resulting in higher earnings.

    5. Connect Investors with the GameFi Market

    Crypto gaming guilds also functions as a venture capital for the GameFi sector. They would scout new crypto games and invest if they see potential.

    Even for investors who want to invest in games but do not have time to play, they can invest in guilds and distribute scholarships to their members as well. This way guilds can help investors to indirectly invest in games through them without going through the hassle of doing research, managing accounts or operating the game.

    Conclusion

    Despite the bear market, the GameFi sector still shows a lot of potential in the future. This is because gaming is the number one form of entertainment in the world, and everyone can enjoy the opportunity to earn income from doing what they enjoy.

    However, the GameFi sector is still bottlenecked by high cost of entry and lack of economic viability in the long run. This is where crypto gaming guilds come in. They function as facilitating intermediaries by purchasing NFT in-game assets and lending them out to players to play and earn, which will be shared via scholarship program.

    Gaming guilds are also a great source of education for non-crypto users to learn about the crypto market, which will help drive the GameFi sector forward, bringing mass adoption one step closer.

    Investors who are interested in play-to-earn projects but do not have time to play can consider investing in guilds to manage their funds for profit.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a crypto gaming guild?

    A crypto gaming guild is a web3 organization that is made up of gamers, investors, and managers. Their main goal is to provide resources such as in-game NFTs to players who can’t afford them. The players will then use the NFTs in crypto games to play and earn tokens which will be shared with the guild.

    How do crypto gaming guilds work?

    Crypto gaming guilds operate under aย DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) structureย in which funding comes from within the community of DAO token holders, in this case the DAO token issued by the guild. Guild members would then collectively invest in NFT assets and in-game tokens needed to participate.

    What is a scholarship program?

    Within the crypto gaming guild, owners of NFT assets can lend out their NFTs to other guild members known as โ€œscholars.โ€ Scholars can then use these digital assets to play and earn in the crypto game.

    How are profits shared in crypto gaming guilds?

    The distribution of revenue varies depending on the guild. Generally, 10% is paid to the guild as rent, 20% to the managers, and 70% to the scholars. Other guilds split the profits in half.

    Can you invest in crypto gaming guilds?

    Yes. For investors who want to invest in games but do not have time to play, they can invest in guilds and distribute scholarships to their members as well. This way guilds can help investors to indirectly invest in games through them.

  • Bearish Chart Patterns Cheat Sheet: Crypto Technical Analysis

    Bearish Chart Patterns Cheat Sheet: Crypto Technical Analysis

    Technical analysis made easy with bearish chart patterns packed into a cheat sheet, so that you can cut your loss during the bear market.

    Is Technical Analysis Useful?

    Crypto, as a new asset class, is volatile in nature. Its price fluctuates because it is heavily influenced by supply and demand, and it reflects how the public feels about the asset. This is known as market sentiment โ€” bullish when prices are rising, bearish when prices are falling.

    The market is constantly changing. In many cases, it does not matter how you feel about it, it only matters how the market is going to feel about it.

    Market sentiment is a critical indicator to predict price movements and make investment decisions. An easy way to gauge market sentiment is by looking at chart patterns. They tend to repeat themselves, and once you are able to recognize them, it becomes easier to strategize your entries and exits.

    However, it is important to note that they are NOT a guarantee that the market will move in that predicted direction. It should only serve as a frame of reference for you to feel how the market moves.

    Bearish Chart Patterns

    These are some of the most common bearish chart patterns you will see in the market. This cheat sheet will help you identify real-time candlestick patterns whenever you’re on Binance, FTX or other crypto exchanges, so that you can spot bearish trends earlier and better prepare your exits to cut loss.

    Head and Shoulders (Bearish)

    Head and Shoulders (Bearish)

    The head and shoulders pattern is regarded as one of the most reliable trend reversal patterns. It is one of the top patterns that generally signals the end of an upward trend. The pattern is most prevalent among two of the largest coin by market cap, Bitcoin and Ethereum.

    The pattern occurs when a large peak has two slightly smaller peak on its side, resembling the shape of a head in the middle and the shoulders on the sides.

    The only thing you have to know is that all three peaks will fall back to the same level of support, also known as the “neckline.” Once the third peak has fallen back to the support line, it is likely that it will continue into a bearish downtrend. (Alprazolam) Traders would opt to short the market as a result.

    But if the tide turns in favor of a bull market, the asset will attract buying pressure, and the price will reverse into a bullish uptrend as a result. This usually happens if the third peak is slightly higher than the first peak.

    This is why the head and shoulder pattern is reliable because the result of the market being bullish or bearish is 50/50. There is a possibility the price action would go sideways following the third peak.

    Descending Triangle (Bearish)

    Descending Triangle (Bearish)

    A descending triangle is a bearish pattern which signifies the continuation of a downtrend, hence “descending” triangle. It happens when the downward-sloping line of lower highs crosses the support line, continuing the downtrend.

    This means that the market is dominated by sellers. Typically, traders will also enter a short position during a descending triangle in an attempt to profit from the continuous price drop.

    Successively lower peaks are likely to occur and unlikely to reverse. However, it could turn out to be a false breakout in which the price moves sideways for some time after breaking through the support line.

    Rising Wedges (Bearish)

    Rising Wedges (Bearish)

    A rising wedge occurs when the trend line is sandwiched between two upwardly slanted lines, getting narrower as the support line gets closer to the resistance line. In this case, the line of support is steeper than the resistance.

    It may seem like an upward trend but it isn’t. In fact, it is a reversal pattern. A rising wedge is usually indicative that an asset’s price will rise before it drops and breaks through the level of support, as shown in the second picture above.

    Generally, the asset’s price will eventually decline more permanently as a result. The rising wedge is difficult to spot because it resembles a bullish consolidation formation โ€” the series of higher highs and higher lows keep the trend inherently bullish.

    There are no measuring techniques to estimate the decline. But the next best thing is to look at the trading volume. If volume declines as the price rises, the wedge gets narrower. This marks the exhaustion of the buying trend which is a sign of a bearish reversal. Thus, a break of the support line accompanied by high volume confirms the bearish pattern.

    Double Top (Bearish)

    Double Top (Bearish)

    A double top is when the price experiences a peak, before retracing back to the support line. It will then climb up once more before dropping more permanently. It resembles an M shape, hence “double top.” Jokingly, the M stands for working at “McDonalds” during the bear market!

    It may seem like a bullish trend, but it is in fact a bearish reversal pattern. The buyers push the price higher, creating a series of higher highs and higher lows. However, at a certain point, the buyers cannot extend this bullish trend, and the second peak is registered as an equal high as a result. This is when the sellers target this weakness, pushing the price even lower.

    Summary

    These are some of the most common bearish patterns you will see in the market. This cheat sheet will help you spot bearish downtrends earlier so that you can exit and avoid loss. However, it is important to note that crypto is volatile in general.

    These chart patterns are NOT a guarantee that the market will move in that predicted direction. It should only serve as a frame of reference for you to feel how the market moves.

  • Crypto Bitcoin Horror Stories to Give You Nightmares

    Crypto Bitcoin Horror Stories to Give You Nightmares

    You’d be surprised at how people, loaded with Bitcoin and other crypto, managed to lose their ticket to retirement.

    One Wrong Click – $120,000 Crypto Gone

    A phishing attack is the oldest play in the book, the bread and butter of web3 scammers.

    They work by tricking victims with fake error messages, wallet pop ups, or flashy hyperlinks. They will then lead you to unofficial websites or extensions that would expose your wallet seed phrase or other sensitive information.ย 

    Youโ€™d think people would be more careful about connecting to shady websites, but the truth is both crypto newbies and veterans still fall victim to these to this day!

    Reddit user PowerofTheGods shared his story of how he lost $120,000 after clicking on a malicious link. While his ledger was unlocked, a Trojan malware took control of his computer and wiped all of his wallets in a matter of minutes. The sight of all his assets being transferred to the hacker’s wallet address still haunts him to this day.

    The story went viral and countless people also shared their unlucky experience. They reported to the authorities, but there was nothing they could do as cryptocurrency is still largely unregulated.

    Always be cautious when encountering suspicious links especially from an unknown source. Also always double-check the link that you are clicking is indeed the right one. Some scammers can even copy the domains of well-known DApps with slight moderations to it, and you won’t even notice the difference.

    Crypto Exchange CEO Died – All Users’ Assets Locked

    This case is the literal sense of the phrase, “taking secrets to the grave.”

    Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX’s CEO Gerald Cotten allegedly passed away in India in 2018. He was the sole custodian of the exchange’s crypto store, which is all held in cold storage.

    No one has ever been able to unlock the digital wallet passwords on his encrypted laptop. As a result, over 115,000 users’ assets are locked indefinitely, including 26,500 Bitcoin, 11,000 Bitcoin Cash, 200,000 Litecoin, and 430,000 Ethereum.

    In fact, in early 2022, Netflix released a documentary, Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King, about Cotten’s life and his death in India.

    The morale of the story is never store your crypto on exchanges, especially if you have large holdings. Consider holding your funds in hardware wallets likeย Ledger Nano X,ย Ledger Nano Sย orย Trezor Model T.

    Forgotten Password to 7,002 Hard-Earned Bitcoin

    About 20% of all Bitcoins are lost in circulation. That is a lot of money that is unlikely to be recovered. This happens when users forget their private key or even the password to the hard drive containing the private key.

    German engineer Stefan Thomas was given 7,002 Bitcoin in exchange for creating an animated video in 2011 called “What is Bitcoin?” However, he has forgotten the password to his encrypted hard drive called IronKey, which stores the private key to the Bitcoins.

    IronKey allows users 10 attempts to input their password correctly before the funds are encrypted forever. Thomas only has two attempts left before his Bitcoins are gone forever.

    Always remember to write down your password and seed phrase on a piece of paper and store it securely. Or it would be a lifetime of regret.

    Spring Cleaning Gone Wrong – 8,000 Bitcoins Lost

    Remember when some of your stuff would go missing, only to find out your mom had thrown them away because she thought it was useless? An action figure with sentimental value? No big deal!

    But for James Howells, it was life-changing. He had two identical laptop hard drives โ€” one was blank and the other contained 8,000 Bitcoins. Howells had meant to throw out the blank one when he was clearing out the office, but instead the drive containing the crypto ended up in a landfill in Newport, Wales!

    This unlucky disaster continues to haunt Howells to this day. He has repeatedly petitioned Newport City Council if he can dig up the landfill site, which were all denied.

    10,000 Bitcoins for 2 Pizzas

    May 22 is known as Bitcoin Pizza Day. It is a well-known story in the crypto world. It was the day Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 Bitcoins for two Papa John’s pizzas in 2010, which was worth $30 at the time. Now they are worth nearly $230 million!

    We can’t blame him for not knowing the future. Since Bitcoin did not have that much value back then, it was more like redemption points for pizza. Had he held his Bitcoins, he would not have to work a day in his life again.

    Amazingly, Laszlo said that he had no regrets about it, and was happy to be a part of the early history of Bitcoin. In fact, Hanyecz is the first person to use Bitcoin in a commercial transaction.

  • The Future of GameFi โ€“ Why are Firms Still Investing?

    The Future of GameFi โ€“ Why are Firms Still Investing?

    During a bloody period in the crypto industry when liquidity is drying up, the developers keep on developing, and the investors keep on investing. With all of the turmoil happening around us, it can be difficult to see positive developments happening in the space, one of which is the increasing investments in and the gradual evolution of the blockchain gaming (GameFi) industry.

    After the NFT craze of 2021, many metaverse projects saw a dramatic uptick in users and revenue during that time. However, as the bear market has ensued from the start of 2022, the GameFi space has also taken a hit, with many popular Play-to-Earn games reporting record low revenues, as indicated by GameFi NFT trade volumes for Axie Infinity and others.

    If you are interested in learning more about Axie Infinity, you can visit our review here on Boxmining.com.

    NFT game trade volume has dropped significantly over the past year (The Block)

    Although there are some real challenges to be solved, it’s clear that VCs see beyond short-term hurdles, as is indicated by the accelerated investments in the space. In Q2 of 2022 alone, $2.5 billion was invested in GameFi, indicating a huge leap compared to 2021’s aggregate investment of $4 billion – and this year is still not over!

    So then the question needs to be asked – is GameFi dead, or is there true potential for blockchains to revolutionize the gaming industry and absorb at least some of the current $220 billion (and rapidly growing) gaming market?

    What is GameFi?

    GameFi is a portmanteau of the terms “game” and “decentralized finance,” and it refers to a financial system in which users can earn money by participating in video games. While most play-to-earn projects place emphasis on the โ€œgamingโ€ aspect, the most critical aspect of GameFi at its foundation is โ€œmoneyโ€. Its beauty lies in the financial opportunities provided by a highly viewed form of entertainment โ€“ gaming.

    While GameFi has shown a slight decline compared to its popularity earlier in the year, it was definitely the highlight of 2021, growing from 658 projects to over 1,100 projects in one year. The gamification of blockchain made the technology more approachable, appealing and acceptable for the public,

    GameFi – Challenges Abound, But So Are Opportunities

    Before we discuss the future prospects of GameFi, we have to acknowledge the challenges currently faced in the GameFi sector. For anyone involved in crypto, it won’t come as a surprise to find out that the public perception of GameFi is not great – hostile even. And a good amount of that negativity is not without merit.

    Public Image Issues

    The biggest challenge, by far, will be to convince traditional gamers of the underlying true value of NFTs. Not for their perceived and oft-reported highly speculative value, but for their digital scarcity, provable ownership, security and programmability that enables in-game assets to be used far beyond their main purposes. The 2021 NFT Cambrian explosion led to an immense crypto adoption and made a lot of people wealthy. But it also left some pretty big scars after the market cooled down; countless stories of project rug pulls by anonymous operators and celebrities, and NFT newcomers getting scammed are still circulating the news.ย 

    Mainstream gamers still need to be convinced that the web3 space can tackle the challenge of building a self-sustaining game economy. One that gives the players a chance to decide whether they want to play the game for free and for fun, or whether to take it to the next level and earn an income from it.

    Free-to-Play – Adjusting Course for the Better

    To draw inspiration for how to structure and monetize a game, the web3 gaming industry need not look further for its most ideal strategy than the one that’s been right in front of their eyes for more than a decade – Free-to-Play. Countless titles, such as Candy Crush, Farmville, Roblox, Pokemon GO, League of Legends and many more, have proven to the world that free-to-play games can be highly lucrative without setting up paywalls for their users, sometimes even more so than paywalled games.

    The F2P mechanism flips P2E on its head – instead of letting whales hoard all of the in-game assets and generate passive income, F2P games let them bring in 80% of the revenues through Pay-to-Win (P2W), which allows players to pay for in-game advantages. These P2W features are typically low-cost small advantage boosts such as resource packs, gacha characters, healing boosters and more. But in the aggregate, these small payments compound into enormous profits for the game. It works for everyone – most players get to play the game for free, big players get to accelerate their in-game success, and the game itself generates more revenue than it knows what to do with.

    And this realization is one of the reasons why more and more investments are flowing into GameFi. Though it had a rocky start, the value proposition of NFT-based games is clear – every single aspect of traditional F2P games is made simpler and safer. In addition, every in-game NFT asset can be added to a highly liquid global market of all NFT assets, offering ways to trade NFTs from different games, as well as build in utility for them in order to grant unique capabilities, access rights, invites and more. And if that’s not enough, on-chain data also shows a clear trend – gaming activity currently accounts for 52% of all Unique Active Wallets (UAW), a 232% increase from last year. The numbers speak for themselves โ€” the opportunity offered by blockchain gaming is immense, and investors are paying attention.

    The Path Forward for GameFi – Keeping It Simple

    In the past years, the approach taken by many blockchain game projects has been to advertise their games to crypto-natives, typically with the express aim of offering earning opportunities for players. As a result, we’ve mostly gotten games of subpar quality that have served players mainly as profit extraction vehicles with limited long-term sustainability, especially during bear markets when hype and liquidity are low.

    This may not be the end of the GameFi sector just yet, however. The newer form of web3 gaming has started to practice patience, build a great, addictive game, and quietly build all of the exciting and innovative web3 features into the backend of the game without making too much fuss about it. The industry is steering away from P2E, embracing Free-to-Play with Pay-to-Win as a sustainable means of monetization. Attracting talent from traditional gaming and finally forcing large game studios to build blockchain tech into their backends are all crucial pathways to making a blockchain-based gaming future a reality.

    However, these great leaps will not happen out of thin air โ€” a lot of capital will need to be deployed over many years. Luckily, companies such as Immutable X, the NFT-gaming optimized Ethereum L2 startup, have launched a $500 million development fund to invest in GameFi. Solana Ventures has also amassed a $100 million fund to invest in GameFi and DeFi targeting South Korea. And theyโ€™re not alone. More than $10 billion is expected to flow into GameFi this year alone. 

    The amount of capital invested by these renowned firms perfectly demonstrates the potential these firms see in the upcoming, more improved version of GameFi. With this amount of capital, and GameFiโ€™s tendency to revamp, improve, and further develop its new generation of play-to-earn games, itโ€™s a matter of when, not if, blockchain gaming will become the norm in the future.

    To see our selection of the top 5 Play-to-Earn NFT games, visit here.

  • 3 Ways Youโ€™re Losing Crypto Without You Knowing!

    3 Ways You’re Losing Crypto Without You Knowing!

    If you think you are safe on the blockchain, think again! You’re constantly being watched, and malicious actors are getting more creative at stealing your precious crypto. Here’s what might be waiting for you.

    Your Crypto and IP Address Are Exposed Interacting on DApps

    Did you know that your personal data including your crypto and IP address are exposed whenever you connect to a DApp? Here’s how it works.

    Your wallet does not actually interact with the blockchain directly. Instead, it can only do that through nodes. A node is one of the computers that run the blockchain’s software to validate and store the entire history of transactions on the network.

    Each time you connect to a DApp, make a transaction or deposit funds to a protocol, the request is sent to a node, which verifies and executes the transactions. These nodes are usually deployed and run by node providers. But what you do NOT know is that node requests are also packed with sensitive information like your IP address, web browser version, and so on.

    Now, of course, these data remain at the node company. They have strict policies not to share the data with a third party. But what if the company gets hacked or acquired by some other company? That is when your personal information is out in the open. Node providers can also ban you from accessing the blockchain entirely via their nodes.

    Crypto Sandwich Attack on Decentralized Exchanges

    Have you ever wondered why you end up paying more for the tokens you buy on certain decentralized exchanges (DEX), only to find out they are worth less afterwards? The truth is, when you trade on DEXes, you are always losing out to bots. Here’s how it works.

    When you execute a trade, a bot front-runs your trade by buying the tokens right before your transaction is mined. This increases the price, making you buy for a higher price and pushing it even further up. Afterwards, the bot profits by selling the tokens after your purchase transaction is mined. This is called the “sandwich attack” because your pending transaction is “sandwiched” between the bots’ orders.

    Each transaction is sent to a public mempool, which is a queue for the transactions that have not been added to a block and are still unconfirmed. It is visible to everyone, and bots, being quick enough, can exploit that. There is nothing much we can do about it because that is just the public nature of blockchains.

    Getting Doxxed by Your Ethereum Name Service Domain

    Showing off your Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domain is cool, but did you know that people can use that to track down your wallet addresses?

    You can check out Unstoppable Domains: Get ready for a censorship immune future on how domain name services work.

    While ENS is a huge step forward in terms of convenience, it also means several steps backward when it comes to privacy. Since most blockchains are open and transparent, anyone can use your ENS to snoop on your finances. It is the difference between sending someone an email and them being able to look at your entire inbox.

    Here’s how it works. You will need a wallet address to register an ENS domain. As a result, each ENS domain has a wallet address attached to it. Even if you do not use your main wallet address to register your ENS, it is easy to trace this address back to your other addresses.

    Let’s look at an example – neutral.eth. At first glance, there isn’t much going on. At first glance, there isn’t much going on, but when digging a little deeper, the Ethereum address that registered the name held 58,000 Ethereum at one point, worth about $15 million at the time. This address regularly received large payments from the crypto exchange Poloniex’s main wallet. And all activities stopped the same day Circle – who owned the Poloniex exchange at the time, got rid of trading fees. This shows it was a company wallet that created neutral.eth.

    Just from an ENS domain alone, you can watch peopleโ€™s movements, see insights into business deals and know just how much money people really have – all by observing public blockchain data. If your valuable information falls into the wrong hands, there would be a target on your back.

    Are DApps private?

    Certain DApps are run by node providers who can see your personal information such as IP address and web browser version etc.

    What is a Sandwich Attack?

    When you execute a trade, a bot front-runs your trade by buying the tokens right before your transaction is mined. This increases the price, making you buy for a higher price and pushing it even further up. Afterwards, the bot profits by selling the tokens after your purchase transaction is mined.

    Are ENS domains private?

    Since each ENS domain has a wallet address attached to it, it is easy to trace this address back to your other addresses.

  • Buying Cryptocurrency Using Ledger Live: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Buying Cryptocurrency Using Ledger Live: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Ledger, the makers of the Ledger Nano S and Ledger Nano X has announced that their application, Ledger Live now supports buying cryptocurrencies with credit card or bank transfer. This feature is operated with their partners, Coinify, MoonPay, BTC Direct and Wyre, and now users can directly go onto Ledger Live to buy their cryptocurrencies and have them sent to the safety of their Ledger device. No more having to go through extra steps such as buying cryptocurrencies on exchanges and then sending it to your hardware wallet for safekeeping! In this guide, we give you step-by-step instructions on how to buy cryptocurrencies using Ledger Live on your Nano S and Nano X.

    Available Cryptocurrencies

    Thanks to several crypto platform partners, Ledger Live now offers for purchase more than 40 different cryptocurrencies from the top 50 market cap projects.

    Although the available range of cryptocurrencies is quite wide, users who would like to buy other cryptos supported by their Nano S will have to buy them elsewhere, such as cryptocurrency exchanges.

    To see which cryptocurrency exchanges we think are the best, check out our article on the Top Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges of 2020.

    How to Buy Cryptocurrencies Using Ledger Live

    If you are a new Nano X or Nano S user, you would need to set up your device first and install the Ledger Live software. See here for our Ledger Nano S setup guide and Ledger Nano X setup guide.

    To get started with buying cryptocurrencies using your Nano S or Nano X, open up the Ledger Live application on your PC and go to “Buy crypto” on the sidebar. Choose which cryptocurrency you wish to buy. You can choose from 40+ different coins, including BTC (Bitcoin) and ETH (Ethereum). For the purpose of this guide, we will be demonstrating buying Bitcoin through one of Ledger Live’s partners, Coinify, but purchases using other partner platforms should work in the same way. Choose Bitcoin as the crypto asset we wish to buy. Then choose which account you want your cryptocurrency to be deposited to. Alternatively, you can add a new account for your cryptocurrency purchases- see our section titled “How to add new account for cryptocurrency purchases“.

    Buy crypto
    Click “Buy crypto” on the sidebar

    On Ledger Live, you would be asked to either sign up or log in to your Coinify account. For a tutorial on how to set up a Coinify account, see our section titled “How to register a Coinify account on Ledger Live“.

    Login or set up a Coinify account
    Login or set up a Coinify account

    You will then be asked to select the amount of cryptocurrency you wish to buy, the payment currency and payment method. Ledger allows you to pay in the following currencies: AUD, BGN, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HRK, HUF, INR, JPY, NOK, NZD, PLN, SEK, TRY, USD and VND. You can pay for your cryptocurrency using credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or for European locations, bank transfer via. SEPA.

    Buy crypto
    Select your cryptocurrency purchase and confirm the transaction.

    Because cryptocurrency prices do fluctuate, Ledger will lock in your purchase price and give you 15 minutes to complete the purchase. Enter your credit card details, double check your purchase details and click “Pay”. Your purchased cryptocurrency will be automatically deposited into your designated account on your Ledger device.

    Complete payment
    Complete payment

    How to Register a Coinify Account on Ledger Live

    For those who don’t have a Coinify account or are buying cryptocurrencies for the first time on Ledger Live, you will need to go through Coinify’s Know Your Customer (KYC) process and set up an account. On Ledger Live, enter your email and choose a password, then click “Create account”. You will then be asked to answer a few KYC questions.

    Create a Coinify account
    Create a Coinify account

    Confirm your email (Coinify will send you a confirmation email) and location.

    Confirm email and location
    Confirm your email and location

    Provide information on your residential address and how you plan to use your account.

    Provide residential address and account usage
    Provide residential address and account usage

    You will also be asked to verify your identity by providing a photograph of your ID Card/ passport and to scan your face similar to setting up FaceID on your iPhone.

    Verify your identity
    Verify your identity

    Afterwards Coinify will automatically process your registration which takes around 2 minutes. Then you are all set!

    Registration processing
    Coinify will process your registration within 2 minutes

    How to Add a New Account for Cryptocurrency Purchases

    To add an account, click “+ Add account” as shown in the above image. Then choose which crypto asset account you wish to add. For the purpose of this guide, I will be showing you how to add a Bitcoin account, so I choose Bitcoin as the asset and clicked “Continue”. (Xanax) When asked, connect your Ledger device to your PC and unlock it. Then go to the corresponding app for the cryptocurrency you want to buy on the device, your device will say “Application is ready” whilst it synchronises with Ledger Live on your PC.

    Once synchronised, you will be given options on which new account you wish to add. Choose the account(s) to add then click “Add account”. Your new account will then be added and you can then choose to either add more accounts or close the window to finish.

    How to Purchase Cryptocurrencies on Ledger Live with Other Partners

    In addition to Coinify, Ledger Live now also supports buying crypto through partners like Wyre (available only in the US), MoonPay, and BTC Direct. All of these alternative purchasing platforms are KYC (Know Your Customer) compliant, which means for anyone wanting to purchase crypto through them, they will have to provide personal information such as email, full name, address, phone number, and personal ID (driver’s license or passport). However, once that is done and an account has been created for any of these platforms, the purchase and selling of cryptocurrencies within your Ledger Live app should be quick and seamless in very much the same way as the purchase of coins through Coinify.

    User Experience and Conclusion

    We’ve tried out a lot of cryptocurrency hardware wallets and Ledger’s devices are definitely our preferred choice. This preference is definitely solidified by the fact that we can now purchase cryptocurrencies on Ledger Live because it means we no longer have to buy cryptocurrencies on exchanges, especially when most exchanges require you to go through KYC procedures if purchasing crypto for the first time.

    So whilst you do also have to go through KYC procedures when buying with Ledger Live for the first time which is a bit trouble, the whole process only took around 5 minutes to complete. And at the end of the day it is worthwhile to buy cryptocurrencies using Ledger Live in the long run because your cryptocurrency is sent directly to your device which is a relatively safer storage device.

    Many may use multiple exchanges and even skip from one exchange to another but at the end of the day your hardware wallet is where most of your cryptocurrency should be stored anyway. Therefore we highly recommend trying this feature out and whilst there are only 4 cryptocurrencies available to purchase, it is generally sufficient as a start to trading on exchanges and we hope and expect that Ledger may add more coins in the future.

    Note: Until 8th Aug 2022, Ledger is offering 10% off the Ledger Nano X and Ledger Nano S Plus when entering the code MOVESOL2LEDGER at checkout.

    Click below to BUY NOW!

  • Will Tether Stablecoin (USDT) Depeg Again? Reserve FUD Continues

    Will Tether Stablecoin (USDT) Depeg Again? Reserve FUD Continues

    USDT has reclaimed its peg after UST collapse. But will this happen again amidst FUD rumors surrounding Tether?

    What is USDT?

    Tether (USDT) is the world’s largest stablecoin by market cap with more than $65 billion in circulation at the time of writing. Stablecoins have long been the anchor of cryptocurrency trading because they are pegged to the U.S. Dollar, allowing investors to “cash out” of risky investments instead of swapping to another crypto coin that would fluctuate in value.

    For more information on stablecoins, check out “The Pros and Cons of Stablecoins: Why You Need To Know How They Work.”

    What Happened to USDT?

    However, stablecoins are not exactly 100% “stable”. This is shown by the sudden vaporization of $18 billion in the collapse of Terra’s algorithmic stable terraUSD (UST), which caused a dangerous domino effect across the market.

    This catastrophic event spurred panic selling in other stablecoins, and Tether Ltd., the company behind USDT, honored billions of dollars’ worth of redemptions following UST’s bank run. As a result, USDT’s peg broke and fell to as low as 95 cents. It is a huge red flag if a stablecoin drops below 99 cents, especially for stablecoin heavyweights such as USDT itself.

    Fortunately, USDT has passed the market’s stress test. They were able to withstand redemptions in extremely volatile conditions, eventually reclaiming the peg. However, Tether is still facing criticisms for the lack of transparency about the nature of assets backing the stablecoin.

    Tether fights back: calls short-selling hedge funds “flat out wrong”

    Many hedge funds saw the collapse of Terra as a reason to short USDT. According to a Wall Street Journal podcast, the reason for this is twofold. Firstly is the fact that institutional investors are withdrawing from risky investments (such as crypto) since the Federal Reserve is aggressively raising interest rates. Secondly, they are worried about the quality of the assets backing Tether.

    In Tether’s blog post on 28th July 2022, Tether hit back at these hedge funds, saying that, “…the underlying thesis of this trade is incredibly misinformed and flat-out wrong. It is further supported by a blind belief in what borders on outright conspiracy theories about Tether.”

    Tether also added in a blog post on 27th July 2022 that its portfolio does not contain any Chinese commercial paper. Furthermore, as of the date of the post, its total commercial paper exposure has been reduced to around 3.7 billion (from 30 billion a year ago). Tether also states that it has plans to further reduce its total commercial paper exposure to 0 by October/early November 2022.

    What is Exactly Backing USDT Value?

    Tether has claimed that all USDT tokens are backed 100% by the company’s reserves. According to their latest reserves attestation report audited by MHA Cayman, an independent accounting firm, the company’s total assets exceed its total liabilities, suggesting that USDT is fully backed. Its holdings include U.S. Treasury bills, money market funds, cash, and commercial paper.

    Great, this finally puts an end to what is in their reserves and we can all sleep peacefully without worrying about a USDT collapse, right? Not quite. In fact, there are namely two big issues surrounding Tether’s backing.

    • Nearly Half of USDT’s Reserves Were in Commercial Paper

    According to the report, Tether has more than $20 billion worth of commercial paper in their total assets. Commercial paper is a short-term unsecured debt issued by companies. This poses a problem to backing stablecoins because they are generally seen as less secure and illiquid, unlike cash and U.S. Treasury bills.

    There have also been rumors that most Tether’s commercial paper holdings are backed by debt-ridden property developers in China, albeit Tether denies the rumors. As mentioned previously, Tether has denied rumours that its portfolio contains Chinese commercial paper.

    On the positive side, Tether has taken an initiative in reducing its commercial paper holdings to zero in favor for U.S. Treasuries to back USDT reserves. Tether currently has around 3.7 billion in commercial paper exposure (as of July 2022) but plans to eliminate this completely by October/early November 2022.

    Does this mean that Tether is taking on a leadership role in support of greater transparency for the stablecoin industry? Or is this just a facade, given that Tether continues to avoid a comprehensive audit? This brings us to the next issue. Ambien

    • Tether Has Yet to Undergo an Impartial and Comprehensive Audit

    Though Tether was open about the state of their reserves, the problem lies with the firm that audited it. MHA Cayman is a small-time independent accounting firm based in Cayman Islands. So it is understandable that critics believe that it is more of a validation of information based on management claims than an audit.

    John Reed Stark, an SEC attorney leading cyber-related projects for 15 years, tweeted that the best way for Tether to end the allegations against them would be to “engage a big-four accounting firm to conduct an audit which finds a rock-solid balance sheet. He also added, that, “without a proper audit, everything else Tether’s CFO says is just noise.”

    The big-four refers to the four largest professional services networks in the world, consisting of the global accounting networks Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC. They have recently been getting involved in the blockchain industry, working with many crypto companies for regulation purposes.

    A big-four audit carries a lot of weight with the SEC, and many larger companies want to be a part of it because it would make their enterprise more attractive and trustworthy to investors.

    What Would Happen if USDT Collapses?

    If USDT were to collapse, it would deliver catastrophic results in the industry, sparing nothing. It would mean the end of Ethereum DeFi which is a predominantly USDT-based market. This would trigger a chain reaction across all smart-contract networks.

    Bitcoin will also be severely impacted as more than half of bitcoin is traded for USDT since 2019, according to data cited by JPMorgan analysts. As a result, history would repeat itself, triggering another bank run, destabilizing exchanges and causing a panic drop in Bitcoin’s price.

    But we should not forget that USDT was able to maintain its stability through multiple black swan events and extremely volatile conditions, and has managed to stick to its values and honor all redemption requests during the UST collapse in May.

    After all, USDT has long been the king of stablecoins and is critical for maintaining any confidence in the industry. All the big players in crypto will simply not let a collapse happen.