As the dust settled over the Ethereum network’s highly-anticipated transition to proof-of-stake (PoS), Eli Ben-Sasson, the co-founder of Starkware, gave his thoughts on its execution and potential for the future. Speaking to Cointelegraph’s Gareth Jenkinson at the Token2049 event, Ben-Sasson shared his thoughts on the current situation post-Merge and how it affects layer-2 projects like Starkware. In addition to that, the executive also gave his thoughts on the adoption and interest for layer-2 products and the crypto winter. Looking back at the Ethereum Merge’s execution, Ben-Sasson rejoiced that the transition was flawless and said things happened as they should. The …

In a recent interview, BitMEX chief executive Alexander Höptner shared his thoughts about institutional investors who, in his view, still have an appetite for crypto and Ethereum. Speaking at the Token2049 conference in Singapore on Sept. 28, the crypto executive told Cointelegraph that there has not been a “single slowdown of institutional push into crypto” during this bear market. He added that institutions and finance industry players typically use bear markets for innovation. There is a lot more pressure to deliver in a bull market, but bear markets offer the luxury of more time. Höptner also commented that adoption for …

The S&P 500 fell for six days in a row and made a new year-to-date low on Sept. 27, but Bitcoin (BTC) maintained its outperformance and stayed well above its June low. This could be a positive sign because several times, markets that show strength on the way down are the ones that outperform in the event of a recovery. The United States equities markets rebounded sharply on Sept. 28 after the Bank of England announced a bond-buying program and the U.S. Treasury yields pulled back from multi-year highs. As this occurred, strong buying in Bitcoin took place, but BTC …

As users take advantage of online services and explore the internet, they eventually create a digital identity. This type of identity is then tied to central entities like Google and Facebook, which make it easier to share data with new services through simple sign-in buttons. While these digital identity management systems are convenient, they are relying on centralized intermediaries that hold and control user data. Personal identifiers and attestations are in their hands, and they can decide — or be forced — to share this information with other parties. Blockchains offer a solution: decentralized digital identities. These allow individuals to …

Pantera CEO Dan Morehead highlighted the potential growth and value of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Web3 functionality, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and Metaverse applications in his opening keynote speech at Token2049 in Singapore. Thousands of attendees converged on Wednesday at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center for the start of the two-day conference which features prominent speakers from the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem. Pantera, a blockchain-focused investment fund with $4.5 billion of assets under management, said it continues to see value in emerging crypto use cases. Morehead drew parallels to the early 2000s when emerging technology companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google …

On Sept 26, internet hacktivist group Anonymous released a video addressing blockchain technology company Yuga Labs and its NFT-driven social club, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). The group's statement included a laundry list of allegations regarding Yuga Lab's alleged use of esoteric symbolism in BAYC's art — which Anonymous believes shows the company's support for numerous controversial subjects, such as Nazism, racism, simianization, and pedophilia. The hacktivist group alleged that, after thorough research and interviews with key figures, it can confirm “without a shadow of doubt” that the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Yuga Labs are guilty of hiding …

After much buildup and preparation, the Ethereum Merge went smoothly this month. The next test will come during tax season. Cryptocurrency forks, such as Bitcoin Cash, have created headaches for investors and accountants alike in the past. While there has been progress, the United States Internal Revenue Service rules still weren’t ready for something like the Ethereum network upgrade. Nonetheless, there seems to be an interpretation of IRS rules that tax professionals and taxpayers can adopt to achieve simplicity and avoid unexpected tax bills. How Bitcoin Cash broke 2017 tax returns Because of a disagreement over block size, Bitcoin forked …

On this week’s The Market Report show, Cointelegraph’s resident experts discuss why the British pound is at its all-time low and how that might impact the cryptocurrency market. To kick things off, we break down the latest news in the markets this week: Bitcoin gains 5% to reclaim $20K, eyes first ‘green’ September since 2016 A classic snap of sideways trading action sees Bitcoin’s (BTC) price aim higher, but concerns remain over what happens next. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it added over 7% after the Sept. 26 close. Local highs of $20,344 appeared on …

It’s been nearly two weeks since Ethereum made its historic transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, and some ex-ETH miners say they remain clueless on how to move forward. Following the Merge, many took to crypto Twitter to discuss what they believe will happen to these former Ethereum miners. On the day of the merge, Twitter user hashoveride tweeted: GPU #mining is dead less than 24 hours after the #merge. Here are the three largest #GPU chains and current daily profitability with a 3090 GPU and 6 us¢/kwh#ETC -7 ¢#XMR -37 ¢#RVN 2 ¢ The only coins showing profit have no …

Since the founding of Ethereum in 2015, an animating question that plagued the community was answered at exactly 06:42:59 UTC on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. Ethereum, the technological layer where a new class of applications and self-organizing organizations are being built, eliminated its reliance on an energy-intensive consensus mechanism called proof-of-work (PoW) to a more sustainable and secure consensus mechanism called proof-of-stake (PoS). In what has been described as one of the most significant milestones in blockchain history, the Merge has set the template for how Ethereum will continue to be the most powerful, most used, most credibly neutral, and …

Michael J. Burry, the financial wizard who was portrayed in the movie "The Big Short", is known for predicting crises. For instance, his investment fund made billions from the 2008 housing crash, and Burry liquidated almost all his entire portfolio during the 2Q of 2022. Given that no one seems to know whether traditional markets will bounce before entering a further recessive environment, it might be a good time to consider investing in cryptocurrencies. Below are some examples on how experienced investors sometimes miss incredible rallies. In May 2017, Burry said people should expect a "global financial meltdown" and World …

The United Kingdom is in focus following the British pound’s fall to a new all-time low against the United States dollar. The sell-off was triggered by the aggressive tax cuts announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss’s government. The 10-year gilt yields have soared by 131 basis points in September, on track for its biggest monthly increase since 1957, according to Reuters. The currency crisis and the soaring U.S dollar index (DXY) may not be good news for U.S. equities and the cryptocurrency markets. A ray of hope for Bitcoin (BTC) investors is that the pace of decline has slowed down …