Blockchain
Blockchain is the underlying technology for almost all cryptocurrencies. It is a distributed ledger jointly maintained by decentralized nodes around the world. Blockchain is hailed as "the trust machine", enabling trustless peer-to-peer payments. Blockchain will become the infrastructure for the next generation of the Internet - Web 3.
This article introduces the prospective Bitcoin Layer2, BEVM. It is EVM-compatible, uses Bitcoin as a gas fee, and aims to promote the rapid development of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
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Handshake is a protocol that offers a decentralized solution for top-level domains in the DNS. This article introduces its features, tokens, minting processes, and ways of accessing domain names, along with some basic information. It also offers an analysis of its adoption data and prospects.
Stacks is a long-term project aimed at turning Bitcoin into a productive asset by establishing bidirectional connections with Bitcoin and rapidly producing blocks. Following the upgrade, users can generate sBTC on Stacks, equivalent to BTC at a 1:1 ratio, without any fees. The Stacks team is dedicated to cultivating the Bitcoin ecosystem, boasting a strong technical background and extensive experience. While the valuation of STX is relatively low, the potential for development is worth noting, especially with the convergence of bullish factors such as BTC L2 narratives and the Nakomoto upgrade. Investors may keep an eye on the development of the upgraded DeFi ecosystem and the adoption of sBTC.
The Children's Aid Foundation (CAF) is a charity project dedicated to improving global child welfare through blockchain technology. Since its launch, the price has increased fivefold. Despite the lack of compliance audits, it has demonstrated the potential of public welfare projects with its decentralization and transparency advantages.
Monad is a high-performance EVM blockchain that utilizes the Monad BFT consensus protocol and parallel execution technology to enhance scalability and transaction speed. Sei V2 is an upgraded version of the Sei network, supporting backward-compatible EVM smart contract porting and Optimistic parallelization. Eclipse is a next-generation Optimistic Layer 2 solution that integrates Neon EVM for full EVM compatibility, aiming to address Ethereum's scalability challenges. Despite skepticism, Eclipse merges the advantages of Ethereum and Solana, supporting DApp-specific Layer 3 Rollups, and has strong competitive potential. Long-term success depends on attracting developers and building a robust community.
This article explains how the Fiat24 Banking Protocol, built on blockchain and driven by smart contracts, innovates traditional banking, finance, and payment systems in the crypto-friendly regulatory environment of Switzerland.
This article argues that Satoshi Nakamoto's vision—consensus accessible to everyone via CPU—has yet to be fully realized. The iterative mechanisms of Arweave may align more faithfully with Nakamoto's original vision, with version 2.6 marking a significant step towards fulfilling his expectations.
Meme coins are controversial, but they reflect a commitment of society to uphold digital property rights through free markets. They are not just financial phenomena but also a form of cultural expression, through which people express collective humor, dissent, or friendship. While financial nihilism reflects a distrust of the existing system, questioning traditional systems is not a moral failing but rather a challenge to existing rules. Fraudulent behaviour should be eradicated, but people should also have the right to use any medium for transactions. Meme coins serve as an important litmus test for financial freedom and hold social value.
ArkStream Capital announces its Series A investment in IO.Net, marking a significant move in the AI and decentralized infrastructure sectors. IO.Net presents innovative solutions, harnessing encryption technology to coordinate global human computing power, positioning itself as the “new oil” of GPU computing capabilities and demonstrating its potential in the AI era.
Solana DeFi was declared dead in 2023, but made a strong comeback in 2024, involving 100+ projects, TVL reaching $3.8 billion, and daily trading volume reaching $2.5 billion. Solana has 50 top teams. Its advantages are low fees and high throughput, attracting a large number of users and developers. Solana is connected to multiple platforms, has friendly wallets and bridges, and will launch more cross-chain applications in the future. Major DeFi projects on Solana include DEX, lending markets, and derivatives, with more innovations expected in the future. Solana’s composability and infrastructure development have allowed the DeFi ecosystem to grow rapidly.
The article analyzes key factors contributing to the success of crypto projects, including having an excellent team background, unique market positioning, the ability to secure funding from top institutions, ecosystem development, and innovative products addressing market sticking problems.
This article introduces research funded by the dYdX Foundation, discussing dYdX as a successful case of a decentralized exchange and its impact on the current blockchain industry. dYdX's success challenges "Rollup maximalism" and provides a significant case of whether infrastructure or applications are more important. The article also outlines dYdX's development history, from initial margin and options trading to perpetual futures contract trading. Finally, the article summarizes the significance of dYdX's development for the industry and provides valuable insights for those considering launching or transitioning products. dYdX's development has undergone several stages, from launching on the Ethereum mainnet, moving to Layer1, and ultimately launching its own chain. dYdX's decisions demonstrate the importance of blockchain infrastructure, with flexibility being crucial for the success of products.
The focus of the Bitcoin ecosystem's development lies in supporting market activities. Mainstream Layer2 solutions include the Lightning Network, sidechains, and Rollups. The Lightning Network enables peer-to-peer payments by establishing off-chain payment channels, while sidechains achieve this by locking Bitcoin assets and minting equivalent assets on the sidechain. Within the Bitcoin ecosystem, there are also stablecoin protocols and various DeFi projects. Unlike Ethereum, Bitcoin's Layer2 solutions offer multiple choices. The Lightning Network has the potential to achieve high TPS (transactions per second) but carries centralization risks. Sidechain solutions, similar to Ethereum, can issue assets equivalent to Bitcoin at a 1:1 ratio. Additionally, there are various cross-chain bridge solutions and Bitcoin-based DeFi protocols, such as B2 Network, Merlin Chain, and Alex. The Bitcoin ecosystem will serve as a crucial engine for this bull market, with various DeFi protocols, stablecoin protocols, and cross-
Mode Network is a modular Layer2 network based on the OP Stack, adopting the Optimism Bedrock upgrade, which reduces costs by more than 95% compared to the Ethereum mainnet. In 2024, it received a $5.3 million donation from the Optimism Foundation, with part of the donation given to the Optimism Collective. The team is small, with technology adopting a modular concept, suitable for developing on-chain games and trading platforms. Mode Flare has been launched, featuring high throughput, quick deployment, and low transaction fees. There are multiple DeFi projects in the ecosystem, with a TVL exceeding $100 million. The future development is worth attention.
In the past, bull markets stimulated user growth, but this growth resembled more of a market volatility effect amplified by leverage, rather than genuine market acceptance. Now, the liquidity surge driving market volatility is about to give way to a permanent structural shift driven by three major positive factors.