Celer Network will develop its layer-2 solutions for Polkadot, an upcoming blockchain network developed by Web3 Foundation and supported by Parity Technologies. The sidechain scaling solution is positioned to improve performance beyond what is possible with layer one scaling. As announced on Feb. 20, Celer Network and the Web3 Foundation have partnered to port Celer’s State Channel Network technology to Polkadot’s development environment. Cointelegraph interviewed Mo Dong, co-founder of Celer Network, to learn more about the planned integration. Layer Two Benefits Celer Network focuses on providing a blockchain-agnostic scaling solution based on layer two scaling. It is part of a …

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin discussed plans for Ethereum 2.0 during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph on Feb.19 at the Stanford Blockchain Conference. Buterin explained that the major development for ETH 2.0 over the course of this year is the launch of Phase 0. He said: “Phase 0 is the first phase of the Ethereum 2.0 launch. This will release the proof-of-stake network, which will come online this year.” While the official launch date of Phase 0 is still unknown, Buterin explained that Phase 0 is close to having a multi-client testnet and audits of the existing code. He noted: “A …

As initial coin offerings and their derivatives continue to fade, venture investment in the space has steadily picked up pace. Cointelegraph sat down with Michael Anderson, co-founder of Framework Ventures, to learn more about his investment philosophy and outlook on the ecosystem. Anderson’s most notable investments are Chainlink (LINK) and Synthetix, both of which grew tremendously in 2019. Predictably, he is quite positive about decentralized finance (DeFi), sharing his thoughts on the evolution of the ecosystem after a round of questions on venture investment in crypto. Venturing out to crypto Anderson came on the venture capitalist (VC) path by passing …

It seemed nobody cared about AR until Pokémon Go launched in 2016. All of the sudden, every headline was about how augmented reality could change the world. Sophisticated technologies like AR, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence need their own "Pokémon Go moment" to appeal to a mainstream audience. The tokenization of the assets is one such concept, and sports fans might be the first to get some hands-on experience with it. As Cointelegraph's Gareth Jenkinson noted in his analysis, "sports fans are notoriously passionate about the teams they support, and there is a massive market for everything from tickets to …

Decentralized exchange project Bancor (BNT) is currently in the midst of launching a massive airdrop to all its token holders. Cointelegraph took the occasion to interview Co-founder and Product Architect Eyal Hertzog, and Head of Growth Nate Hindman. The duo shared their thoughts on the airdrop, existing trends in decentralized finance (DeFi) and Bancor’s upcoming transition to a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). Engaging the community through an airdrop In November, Bancor announced an airdrop of ETHBNT to all those who held its BNT token as of Jan. 1. The airdrop gives the equivalent value of 10 percent of the wallet’s …

Several years ago, a blockchain strategy for Catalonia was revealed to the world, presenting a comprehensive outline of how a government — albeit a local one — can in time switch to being an e-government. Such a model would be backed by various blockchain systems that would accommodate the needs of the citizens for digital identities and voting, and could even be used to follow budgetary spending and recycling. It is a brave and ambitious plan — though, not one that many have heard about, likely due to the lack of information. The first rumors around blockchain implementation in Catalonia …

HEX is a new financial tool and cryptocurrency launching on the Ethereum network via a Bitcoin UTXO snapshot on December 2. Critics are questioning HEX’s legitimacy, calling it a colossal cash grab and privacy compromise. Devout fans can’t wait to claim their tokens and start staking. So who’s right and who’s wrong? Richard Heart, the outspoken man behind HEX, sat down with Cointelegraph to talk about the upcoming launch and counter a few of the criticisms surrounding the project. Heart explained that HEX is the world’s first high-interest blockchain certificate of deposit (CD), letting users stake their tokens in return …

When disaster strikes the swift delivery of aid often plays a massive role in preventing disease, exposure, and the pause in the delivery of essential services from exacerbating an already dire situation. The abysmal response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island in 2017 serves as a perfect example. In fact, data from a Harvard University study estimated that the delayed response in distributing aid contributed to an excess death count of 4,645, whereas the official death count by the government of Puerto Rico remains at 64. First responders and organizations that deliver humanitarian aid realize that urgent …

Since dropping from its 2019 high at $13,800, Bitcoin (BTC) has been in a rut which has led to the price retracing roughly 43% to $7,800. Traders would take a more conservative approach and describe the last two months of price action as consolidation which is typical after parabolic advances. With the 2020 Bitcoin halving event approaching, the ultimate question on the minds of most investors revolves around whether or not Bitcoin will reach a new all-time high on the heels of the event and more importantly, when. While every trader has his or her own style, most keep a …

After an incredibly disappointing year in 2018, Bitcoin woke from hibernation in early April 2019 and rallied with vengeance toward a yearly all-time high at $13,800. Alas, all good things must come to an end and such was the case for Bitcoin as price became overextended and began to retrace. Bitcoin’s current malaise in the $7,800 to $8,500 range has produced a variety of price estimates on where the digital asset might go as the 2020 Bitcoin halving event approaches. This week Cointelegraph spoke to veteran trader and Bitcoin expert Tone Vays to prod his brain about the current state …

In late August various crypto media reported that Tether planned to issue a Chinese yuan-backed stablecoin. Bitfinex shareholder Zhao Dong told ChainNews that the stablecoin would be called CNHT and be held in offshore accounts. Zhao also said that his peer-to-peer lending platform, RenrenBit, had invested in the project and on Sept. 9 Tether officially announced the launch of CNHT. At the time Zhao said: “Personally, I think the offshore yuan stablecoin could boost the circulation of offshore renminbi and internationalize it. Regulators may be happy to see it proceed and succeed.” Many in the crypto community believe that CNHT …

Blockchains produce huge amounts of data and it seemed that only data scientists and blockchain research firms like Chainalysis and CipherTrace were making use of it. Recently, crypto investors like Willy Woo and Philip Swift have begun to incorporate on-chain data into their rigorous Bitcoin analyses and the results have been astounding. Despite these efforts, on-chain data remains something of an enigma amongst crypto investors. To clear up the confusion, Cointelegraph decided to sit down with Rafael Schultze-Kraft, the co-founder of on-chain market intelligence platform Glassnode. Cointelegraph: Let’s start with having you tell us a little about yourself and what …