The cryptocurrency ecosystem underwent a turbulent year in 2022. Criticism inside and outside of the crypto industry was fueled following the collapse of FTX, Celsius, Three Arrows Capital and the Terra ecosystem. A number of losses have been recorded from these events. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis released a report in December of last year, which noted that the depegging of Terra’s stablecoin, Terra USD Classic (USTC), saw weekly-realized losses peak at $20.5 billion. Findings further show that the subsequent collapse of Three Arrows Capital and Celsius in June 2022 saw weekly-realized losses reach $33 billion. While these events may have …

Sovereign identity has been a hot topic in blockchain and cryptocurrency, especially with the rise of the creator economy. Currently, there are two types of digital identities. One is federated and centralized whereby data is in the control of the service provider. Self-sovereign digital identity is often cited as a human right that can reclaim agency using blockchain technology, but what frameworks exist that aid in governing it? On this episode of NFT Steez met Marjorie Hernandez, the co-founder of LUKSO and The Dematerialized to discuss the state of blockchain-based identities and “Universal Profiles.” According to Hernandez, in the future, …

During the winter storm in Texas in December 2022, Bitcoin (BTC) mining operators returned up to 1,500 megawatts of energy to the distressed local grid. It became possible due to the flexibility of mining operations and the ancillary services, provided by the state authorities. In his commentary to Satoshi Action Fund, Texas Blockchain Council president Lee Bratcher stated that miners returned up to 1,500 megawatts to the Texas grid. This amount of energy would be enough to heat “over 1.5 million small homes or keep 300 large hospitals fully operational,” according to the calculations from the Bitcoin advocacy group. While …

2022 was a big year for crypto venture capital despite multiple high-profile meltdowns and the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) tsunami that followed. However, the funds may not flow as easily this year, a crypto researcher warns. The number of deals and amount invested by venture firms into Web3 and crypto startups was a little over $30 billion in 2022, according to Galaxy Research Head of Firmwide Research, Alex Thorn, described it as a “monster year” that was only just eclipsed by the $31 billion in VC investments in 2021. However, in a Jan. 5 report, Thorn stated that macroeconomic …

Crypto token wash trading on centralized exchanges will be the cause of the next crypto “implosion,” according to billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner and crypto investor Mark Cuban. In an interview with The Street on Jan. 5, the billionaire investor opined that 2023 will not be short of crypto scandals following the numerous fiascos that rocked 2022. Cuban, who has backed several crypto and Web3 startups, said he believes the next biggest thing to impact the industry will be "the discovery and removal of wash trades on central exchanges.” “There are supposedly tens of millions of dollars in trades and liquidity …

Despite the crypto winter, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) continue to draw interest. This has become apparent as many brands and retailers have started to offer digital NFTs attached to physical products. Known as “phygitals,” these offerings allow real-world products to be tied to digital NFTs. For example, RTFKT — a digital fashion and collectible company — recently launched a project called Cryptokicks iRL. According to sources, RTFKT is creating digitally-designed sneakers backed by a physical product. RTFKT’s official Twitter account recently tweeted that Lace Engine NFT holders will be able to reserve a pair of Cryptokicks iRL, which can then be …

Financial services institutions and banks have increasingly engaged with Web3 since 2020. This is also true within institutional decentralized finance (DeFi), as several potential use cases have emerged that could trigger a new wave of innovation within these organizations. Institutional DeFi does not refer to growing institutional investments in DeFi protocols and decentralized applications (DApps) but rather to large institutions using DeFi protocols to tokenize real-world assets with regulatory compliance and institutional-level controls for consumer protection. A common question that comes up is: What benefits does DeFi offer on top of digital banking? Not long ago, banking was a physical …

Cryptocurrency exchanges are introducing various ways to buy Bitcoin (BTC) using the Apple Pay payment method. This comes as a good move for Bitcoin adoption since the Apple Pay digital wallet accounts for more than 507 million mobile wallet downloads and a dominating market share of 43.5% in the United States mobile payments market. This ability to now integrate and buy Bitcoin with Apple Pay paves new crypto opportunities for iPhone users. This article explains how to purchase Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using Apple Pay. What is Apple Pay digital wallet? Apple Pay, introduced in 2014, is a mobile payment …

In the third episode of Hashing It Out podcast series, Cointelegraph’s Elisha Owusu Akyaw discusses the future of noncustodial cryptocurrency wallets with Kosala Hemachandra, CEO of MyEtherWallet. Recent issues with centralized platforms have put the spotlight on decentralized applications (DApps), and self-custody — where users keep their funds completely under their responsibility — has become a major trend. MyEtherWallet is one of the oldest noncustodial wallets with a focus on the Ethereum blockchain. According to Kosala Hemachandra, the wallet went live just two weeks after the Ethereum mainnet launch. The CEO of MyEtherWallet explains that they chose to make a …

Companies that applied to win over the $244,000 contract to develop a central bank digital currency (CBDC) wallet proof of concept (PoC) for the Bank of England (BOE) provided questions about the project. In response, the central bank published its answers to over 70 questions. On Dec. 9, the BOE opened applications asking suppliers to submit applications. About 20 companies submitted their applications and handed in their questions before Dec. 25. Following this, the BOE published the questions asked by the competing providers and gave its answers that aimed to offer insights into the project. According to the BOE, it …

Celebrities had a shaky year promoting crypto firms and projects throughout 2022. Many found themselves named in lawsuits over their alleged promotion of since-failed projects, while others have been relentlessly mocked on social media for their involvement in the first place. From movie stars to television actors, sports stars to musicians, many celebrities may be regretting their endorsement deals last year, though that’s not to say that there haven’t been exceptions. Who got burned? In February last year, American comedian Larry David, who co-created the television series Seinfeld, appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for now-defunct crypto exchange FTX that …

Effective regulations are one of the key gateways to cryptocurrency’s mainstream adoption. Due to greater compliance, crypto businesses saw broader acceptance from regulators worldwide. While the crypto ecosystem was awarded countless operational licenses and exposure to new markets, the fall of Terraform Labs, FTX and Celsius, among others, had a negative impact on the industry's reputation with investors and regulators alike. As we look back on 2022 and all it brought for the cryptocurrency industry, we're highlighting how the regulatory landscape has changed for cryptocurrencies and the blockchain industry as a whole. North America China’s blanket ban on crypto mining …