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Ripple Hiring More Engineers Despite Ongoing Bear Market

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Ripple continues hiring despite the ongoing bear market.


Leading blockchain company Ripple has posted two job openings for its Toronto office. According to an announcement today, the Silicon Valley blockchain company wants to hire a Senior Director of Engineering and a Senior Staff Software Engineer.

Ripple described the vacancy as the job of a lifetime. Per the announcement, the engineers will contribute immensely to the firm’s effort to develop scalable and robust solutions for its growing clients.

According to Ripple’s job opening website, both positions are available at the company’s office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Senior Director, Engineering (Liquidity)

Ripple’s new hire for the Senior Director in Engineering role will lead the company’s teams to deliver optimal liquidity for customers in a scalable, robust, and cost-effective manner. 

“You will mentor, lead and grow a team of Applied Scientists, Engineers, and Technical Program Managers building our liquidity and trading platforms that power Ripple’s payments and crypto liquidity products,” Ripple stated.  

The new hire will provide scientific and technical leadership for Ripple’s forecasting, planning, routing, risk management, etc.

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Liquidity

Ripple noted that the ideal candidate for the position must have experience building high-performance, data-intensive trading software. The new hire for this role will deliver reliable and low-latency services for effective decision-making.

“We are looking for a seasoned software engineer to join our team building liquidity services at Ripple. Our liquidity platform and products enable businesses to offer crypto trading services to their end customers and is a key part of Ripple’s strategy to simplify access to crypto liquidity for enterprises,” the announcement read.

Ripple Best Place To Work

Ripple has not slowed down its hiring efforts even during a severe bear market when most blockchain companies like Coinbase and Gemini announced staff layoffs. In October, Ripple announced a vacancy for a full-stack engineer. 

Headquartered in San Francisco, Ripple has offices in different cities, including Toronto, Singapore, and New York. In June, Ripple announced plans to hire 50 engineers for its Toronto office.

It is noteworthy that the development comes days after Ripple was recognized as the fourth-best workplace for parents in 2022.

95% of Ripple’s employees indicated in a survey in Oct that Ripple is the best place to work compared to 57% of other U.S. firms.

Fortune Magazine Ranked Ripple Amongst 100 Best Places to Work in August.

Low-Cost Marketing Strategies to Get Your Crypto Startup off the Ground

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Despite all pessimistic predictions, cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. No wonder, more and more crypto businesses and crypto projects emerge by the day in the hope of getting a piece of this lucrative pie. Still, with the growing competition and number of scam projects that undermine the reputation of crypto business as such, it gets tougher to stand out from the crowd, as well as attract investors, partners, and new customers. But if you put enough time, energy, and devotion in your new crypto venture and employ the right marketing strategies, the odds are good you’ll succeed in getting your crypto brand off the ground. Below are some great crypto marketing strategies you might want to consider for your future crypto venture’s success. And the best thing is that implementing these strategies doesn’t require any hefty investments.

Build a Loyal Community

By the ‘right people’ we mean those individuals who will heed your call for action and engage with your crypto brand. Building your audience is a laborious and time-consuming process, which might require you to create a dedicated environment where you’ll be able to effectively communicate your messages. This also imposes considerable responsibilities on you as an entrepreneur and creative manager. You need to be available virtually at any time of day and ready to give your community a piece of advice, address your followers’ concerns, and show your care for them on a regular basis.

Create Press Releases

If you think that creating press releases is an outdated practice, think again. Though with the advent of sophisticated digital marketing techniques, new businesses tend to underestimate this classic technique, it doesn’t make it less effective today. Just like business proposals you can now easily create with VistaCreate, a press release can be a win-win solution for crypto projects looking to establish both their online presence and credibility. To issue a truly strong and effective press release, you need to come up with compelling pitches, which can be then presented to social media influencers, YouTubers, podcasters, and analysts that have already established their reputation in the crypto world.

Expand Your Network

Even if you have ten loyal supporters that believe in you and your crypto business, make sure to capitalize on that. Encourage your community to keep on talking about your project and attract more members to it. For this, you can either create a referral program that will incentivize those members that can help expand your network or simply ask them to do you this favor for free.

If you have a mentor who has more influence in the crypto industry, you should also encourage them to spread the word about your startup. Again, your mentors can do this out of generosity and sincere faith in your startup or in exchange for reward. But since we’re talking low-cost marketing strategies in this post, let’s hope you won’t need to spend a lot of your hard-earned dollars on promotional service. That said, you might consider organizing free token giveaways, also known as crypto airdrops, from time to time. This will undoubtedly go a long way towards creating a loyal community around your startup.

Tap into the Power of Social Media

Any modern startup is doomed to failure if it doesn’t try to generate some buzz on social media. Of course, you won’t be able to establish your social media presence overnight but at least you start moving in the right direction. Go small and set up a separate page for your business on the most popular social media platforms. Don’t limit your choice to such tried-and-tested options as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Try and cash in on the potential of Reddit, Discord, and even TikTok to attract the right demographics. Make sure to share relevant posts, images, guides, and stories using all available channels to catch your audience up on what’s going on in the world of crypto business and what’s happening with your project.

These are only some ‘lightweight’ marketing tactics that will help you earn your place in the sun and reach a multitude of crypto holders. And, undoubtedly, you’ll manage to devise your own strategies and hit on more effective tactics as you go along. So, go on to promote your crypto project and don’t let temporary setbacks discourage you from making your brand viral!

Cryptocurrency And Prospects of Its Development

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Today, numerous cryptocurrencies are circulating on the web. The main one is Bitcoin, closely followed by others like Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin. New cryptocurrencies appear every day and, with them, speculation of high profits. Businesses have also started accepting cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

Creating your own cryptocurrency can help you reach a broader audience that prefers using virtual currency for online transactions. You should look for the best cryptocurrency development services to develop a virtual currency that can be used for several transactions in your business. You will also minimize the high transaction costs for your business and offer a safe payment method. Cryptocurrency is the future of finance and online transactions. In this article, we help you understand more about virtual currencies and the prospects of their development.

What is cryptocurrency, and what is it for

A cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency or virtual money. However, it goes far beyond that. Cryptocurrencies have several security mechanisms based on cryptography: they are codes that generally guarantee safe transactions.

Therefore, cryptocurrency consists of a virtual code that is converted into actual values, through Internet trading, without intermediaries, a legalized monetary system, and without submitting to any financial institution. It is purchased directly from a person or company that owns it or from an issuer.

How does cryptocurrency work?

Quotation, sale, and purchase of cryptocurrencies occur on the Internet anonymously. Cryptocurrencies are stored in wallets and managed on a computer or a mobile device. The secret of cryptocurrency technology is the “ protocol of trust” – blockchain. This way, records and information are shared with decentralization and security measures.

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain consists of an endless list of cryptographically protected records or blocks. The complex process involves hashes that link blocks, date, time, and trading information.

It is an open book that shows the digital currencies transacted and the operations’ data. It is a decentralized system and does not require a server. Thus, no financial institution or physical place is used for trading or redeeming cryptocurrencies. Everything takes place in a digital environment.

How is cryptocurrency produced?

Through mining. Thousands of computers are specially assigned to this task, as it requires high machine performance.

To trade cryptocurrencies, you must create an account with a digital currency trading company. It’s a free procedure, and you must know how many virtual currencies you want to buy or sell.

Thus,  cryptocurrency transaction is direct and practical, with cryptos having the same function as cash: sale and purchase negotiations. Nowadays, most big companies accept payment in cryptocurrencies, especially in Bitcoin.

The future of the cryptocurrency market

Much has been speculated about the future of cryptocurrency in the market. Some consider it an imaginary wave, a bubble, like the famous case of the Tulip Bubble, which occurred in the 17th century in Holland. At the time, the first ones won a lot of money, and all the others just won stuffed tulips with almost no value.

However, despite the decline of the cryptocurrency market in the last two years, numerous experts bet that they are here to stay. Bitcoin, for example, the leader of digital currencies and one of the forerunners of this type of money, reaches record prices. It is the “star” among cryptocurrencies, the most famous and most traded. However, other digital currencies have been standing out in recent times.

Therefore, crypto assets are forms of investment that continue to shake the financial market, despite the risks and significant fluctuations.  Furthermore, cryptocurrency technology, especially Bitcoin, continues to develop. Satellites already transmit the Bitcoin network to the entire planet free of charge, for example.

Bitcoin and its prospects

Since its inception, Bitcoin still dominates the cryptocurrency market. It is the most promising and the one in which the most investment has been made in terms of technology.

Many financial experts comment that there has been a growing interest in blockchain and the cryptocurrency market. However, the frequent fluctuations of cryptocurrencies tend to continue, while governments have become concerned about the security and legitimacy of digital currencies.

Chairwoman of House Financial Services Committee Says SBF Has No Excuse To Skip Scheduled Testimony

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Top U.S. Lawmaker Calls Out SBF For Planning to Delay A Testimony on FTX Fall.


Following former FTX CEO SBF’s announcement that he would only testify on the FTX collapse before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee after gathering sufficient information about “what happened,” chairwoman Maxine Waters has called him out on Twitter. 

In a tweet yesterday, Waters said that based on SBF’s role as the former CEO of FTX, it is clear to the committee members that he already has sufficient information for the testimony slated for December 13.

 

Waters noted that it is important that SBF attends the testimony on the scheduled date because the FTX collapse affected over one million users, who still cannot access their funds after the exchange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

In a statement directed at the former FTX CEO, Waters said: “Your testimony would not only be meaningful to Members of Congress but is also critical to the American people.” 

The United States House Financial Services Committee chair reiterated that SBF must attend the testimony on December 13. She added that the committee is willing to schedule a date for a continuous hearing if more information on the matter needs to be shared later.

SBF Plans to Stall Testimony

Waters’ tweet comes a day after SBF indirectly declined to testify before the committee on the scheduled date.

“Rep. Waters, and the House Committee on Financial Services: Once I have finished learning and reviewing what happened, I would feel like it was my duty to appear before the committee and explain. I’m not sure if that will happen by the 13th. But when it does, I will testify,” SBF said. 

It is noteworthy that SBF had not directly spoken to U.S. lawmakers about the FTX debacle. However, he has participated in media interviews, including a New York Times conference, and spoken about the FTX collapse.

SBF’s refusal to attend the testimony scheduled by the committee on December 13 will not surprise many. Head of Policy at Blockchain Association Jake Chervinsky said SBF did not want to lie under oath because his statement could be used against him.

The House Committee on Financial Services is among the committees investigating the FTX collapse and has scheduled a hearing for December 13. Similarly, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on December 1 to explore the exchange’s downfall.

CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam was a witness at the hearing. Behnam noted that a gap in legislation contributed to the FTX collapse. 

Cardano Founder Dashes Hopes Of Discussion With HEX Founder, Here’s Why

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Hoskinson believes he has nothing to discuss with Richard Heart.


In a tweet today, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson dispelled any chances of a sit down with HEX founder Richard Heart, asserting that such conversation has no value.

It came in response to a proposal by Ben Armstrong, AKA Bitboy, a crypto influencer, to have both crypto founders sit down for an interview. Per the video shared, Bitboy disclosed that it was a request from @HviidHEX, a HEX influencer.

However, it appears that Hoskinson wants no part in it, as he believes that the HEX founder has insulted him and Cardano on multiple occasions. 

Bitboy appears to have given up on the prospect of the joint interview after failing to convince the Cardano founder otherwise. “I respect you enough to leave it alone,” Bitboy responded.

It is worth noting that it is not the first time that Hoskinson has expressed the sentiment that he wants nothing to do with Heart. “I’m sorry, I just don’t have any time for people like him,” the Input Output Global chief tweeted in April 2021 in response to calls from crypto community members to end the feud.

Notably, Heart, in response today, asserted that he had no recollection of insulting Hoskinson, saying that he appreciated what the Cardano founder tried to do in his appearance in Congress in June. Furthermore, Heart supports Bitboy’s claim that he and Hoskinson agreed on most things.

Why The Bad Blood?

Despite the HEX founder’s response today, it bears mentioning that he has a history of trolling Cardano.

In a YouTube video released on March 2021, viewers can see Heart slamming Cardano and subtly trolling its developers for their perceived sluggishness in launching smart contracts. In July of the same year, the HEX founder described the Cardano chain as “totally rekt,” implying it was a bad investment. These are just a few instances of how Heart actively trolled Cardano, a habit that some of his followers also adopted.

Dashed Expectations?

It is worth noting that despite the bad blood between both parties, both are similar in that they are perceived as easily misunderstood but brilliant by their followers. As a result, several users were looking forward to watching a conversation between the two.

Zach Humphries, a crypto influencer asserting that the tribalism in crypto needs to stop, expressed the sentiment that “there’s always value in a conversation between two people who disagree.”

Uncertainty on Ripple and SEC Case Could Contribute to XRP Volatility

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Uncertainties from the lawsuit between Ripple and the SEC could contribute to XRP’s volatility in the near term.



The growing uncertainties surrounding the legal battle between Ripple and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will likely contribute to rising volatility for XRP. This volatility could see the asset eclipse the $0.40 zone or slip to $0.35 depending on whose favor subsequent rulings fall.

XRP has been in a consolidation phase since the beginning of the month, as price movements and on-chain metrics gradually slipped to the bearish territory, with the asset losing four out of the last five sessions. The Crypto Basic highlighted the possibility of consolidation below the $0.40 zone following the reply briefs from the SEC and Ripple, as uncertainties abound.

Uncertainties Surrounding the Ripple v SEC Case Abound

On December 2, defense lawyer James Filan published a redacted version of Ripple’s reply brief to the SEC’s opposition to its Summary Judgement motion. The reply argues that the regulatory watchdog confirmed, in its brief, that it can neither prove an investment of money or a common enterprise.

With both parties having filed their reply briefs, the XRP camp and the broader cryptocurrency community are anticipating updates on the case, as the next court date is slated for December 22. Due to the lack of any significant report, XRP’s price trajectory has been influenced by the rising uncertainty, contributing to building volatility that has shown bearish signs.

With the SEC yet to make a move for settlement, the positive sentiments built on the reply briefs have been put on hold, with investor apprehension building up. This has contributed to XRP’s slip below $0.39. However, expectations of an SEC settlement could be satisfied if the watchdog feels the case is leaning more toward Ripple’s favor.

“This is our final submission where we ask the court to grant judgment in our favor. After two long years, Ripple is proud of the defense we’ve mounted on behalf of the entire crypto industry. We have always played it straight with the Court. Can’t say the same for our adversary,” Ripple’s General Counsel, Stuart Alderoty remarked last Friday, speaking on the reply briefs.

XRP’s Recent Price Movements

XRP has plummeted by 3% in the past 24 hours at the reporting time. This downward slope followed a previous green candle for Sunday. XRP has shed its values four out of five times in the past five days, with the losing streak slipping to Tuesday.

As of press time, the asset is trading at $0.3822, down 0.71% in the past hour. XRP’s dream to return to the first major resistance zone at $0.3959 is hinged on the asset’s reclamation of $0.3885. Should the asset experience a sustained rally above the first significant resistance zone, it could reclaim the second resistance point at $0.4025.

Notwithstanding, XRP’s downward slope brings a feeling of investor angst, as a failure to recapture the $0.3885 level could contribute to a slip below the first major support level at $0.3819. If the asset fails to hold its head above $0.3750, the bears could batter it to the second significant support at $0.3745. A persistent slip will likely bring XRP to $0.3605, serving as its third support zone. XRP investors are, however, hoping for a positive trigger from the lawsuit, which should support the asset’s price rally.

Saylor Says SEC Should Shutdown Ripple For Offering XRP As An Unregistered Security

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MicroStrategy co-founder said XRP is an unregistered security.


Over the past two years, several cryptocurrency experts have commented on the lawsuit between Ripple and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While most crypto community members support the leading blockchain company, some crypto stakeholders, like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, and Microstrategy CEO Saylor, have refused to throw their weight behind Ripple.

In a recent PBD podcast, MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor, while commenting on the lawsuit dubbed “the cryptocurrency trial of the century,” said XRP is an unregistered security. 

According to Saylor, Ripple owns the majority of XRP coins in escrow and sells them to the general public. He added that Ripple does not disclose details about its XRP holdings because the company had not gone public.

“Ripple [XRP] is an unregistered security. It’s pretty obvious. The company owns a bunch of it, and they sell it to the general public, but they never took the company public. There are no disclosures,” Saylor said.  

Saylor: Both XRP and ETH Are Unregistered Securities

For Saylor, XRP is an unregistered security like Ethereum native cryptocurrency ether (ETH), as a few people control both digital assets. 

Regarding Saylor’s claim that both ETH and XRP are securities, PBD host Patrick Bet-David asked him to comment on why the SEC chose to target Ripple and not Ethereum.

“… I’m not a ripple guy, but if both of them are unregistered, why Target Ripple and not Target Ethereum???”

Saylor said the most suitable approach the SEC should take is to shut down both Ripple and Ethereum, adding that they are “unethical.” 

“I think the best thing for the world would be if the SEC pretty much shut down all of it. It’s all unethical,” Saylor was quoted as saying.

The former CEO of MicroStrategy, accused of tax evasion in August, said XRP and ETH are equity tokens Ripple and Ethereum used to get around going public. He noted that both companies committed securities fraud via their offerings in the United States.

Saylor referred to the Ethereum 2.0 staking contract as the definition of an investment contract. Per MicroStrategy co-founder, over $20B worth of ETH is locked in the staking contract by investors, and there is a tendency that these investors may not get their funds back.

Data from the crypto analytics platform Dune Analysis show that investors have sent 15,540,823 ETH ($19.58B) to ETH 2.0 staking contract.

“If a bank took $20B of your assets, froze the window, and said you can’t have your money back ever. Maybe in 2024, but we’re not sure. We may give you interest in it. We may take it all. We may slash it. That’s the definition of security, right? It’s an investment of money in a common enterprise, you know, relying upon the efforts of others with an expectation of profit,” he added.

Per Saylor, for a crypto asset to be a commodity, it does not have to rely on a company’s engineers or a CEO. 

“The fact is, Ripple got a company, and Ethereum’s got a company [named] the Ethereum Foundation. [These companies] have engineers you’re waiting on them to write the code to give you your money back, and then you’re also waiting to find out what the monetary policy will be. They changed it half a dozen times in the last six years. It’s always changing to you,” he said.

Meanwhile, Saylor is a known Bitcoin maxi and has always described the top asset class as an ethical coin capable of reimbursing investors robbed by inflation.

Recall that the SEC charged Ripple in December 2020 for allegedly offering unregistered securities in the United States. The case has lingered for more than a year. The parties have filed their summary judgment motions, opposition, and replies, with XRP investors hoping for a victory in favor of the crypto asset.

44 Million Shiba Inu Burnt In A Day, Wallet Holding 326B Shib Burns 10M

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Over 44.32 Million Shiba Inu has been burned in the past 24 hours, 10.67 Million in a single transaction.



Shib Army collectively sent a whopping 44,328,245 (44.32M) SHIB to the dead wallets via 11 separate transactions in the past 24 hours.

 

Mysterious Wallet Burned 10.67 Million SHIB:

The mysterious wallet performed a major burn transaction of the day. As per Etherscan.io data, the mysterious wallet has taken out a total of 10,674,214 (10.67M) SHIB from circulation forever in one significant transaction executed about 5 hours ago.

Mysterious Wallet Burned 10.67 Million SHIB
Mysterious Wallet Burned 10.67 Million SHIB

The wallet might burn some more of the SHIB in the upcoming days as the unknown wallet still holds a humungous 326,307,743,664 (326.30B) SHIB, worth $3,050,977 ($3.05M).

Mysterious Wallet Still Holds 3.05 Million USD Worth of SHIB
Mysterious Wallet Still Holds 3.05 Million USD Worth of SHIB

1Cent Token Burned 3.90 Million SHIB

The most prominent Community-led SHIB Burn initiative, “1Cent,” executed a second big burn transaction of the day. 1Cent token recently organized a Weekly Burn Event and destroyed 3,909,602 (3.90M) SHIB in a single transaction. As per Etherscan.io, the transaction was executed about 11 hours ago.

1Cent token also reported a burn of 45 Bone ShibaSwap (BONE) in a separate transaction. BONE is the governance token of the Shiba Inu Ecosystem that would be used as a native Gas token on the much-awaited Shibarium Protocol.

 

Despite the massive burns, Shiba Inu is trading in the red. As of writing, SHIB is trading at the price of $0.000009349, down -4.51% over the last day, with a 24-hour trading volume of $182,094,481 ($182.09M).

Cardano Stable Coin Djed 1.1.1 Launched on Testnet With Vasil Compatibility And New User Capabilities

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COTI activates Djed on the testnet with Vasil compatibility and new user capabilities.



In a tweet yesterday, Cardano’s Djed stablecoin issuer COTI disclosed that it had reactivated the stablecoin on the testnet with Vasil compatibility and new user capabilities.

Per the accompanying Medium blog post, testnet version 1.1.1, besides being Vasil compatible, has added new features as part of its Nami wallet integration. For example, users can now view the display logos of Shen and Djed and the name of both tokens, COTI revealed. In addition, the wallet now supports divisible units for Shen and Djed.

Furthermore, the testnet will allow users to view their previous transactions. Notably, COTI also disclosed that there would be regular maintenance activities on the testnet, with the first one set for tomorrow.

For context, Djed is an over-collateralized algorithmic stablecoin issued by COTI, a fintech payments company to run on the Cardano chain. The Cardano network, amongst other things, proposes to denominate fees on the network in Djed. 

Djed will maintain its peg to the US dollar by maintaining a reserve ratio of 400% to 800%, with Shen, as recently reported. However, to mint Djed, users will have to provide ADA in exchange. Consequently, users burn Djed by swapping it for ADA.

Crypto Community Response

Unsurprisingly, Cardano supporters anticipating the launch of the stablecoin, which would fuel decentralized finance (DeFi) operations on the network, received the news of the new testnet features with excitement. However, a few expressed skepticism. 

Cryptonator 1337, who describes himself as a crypto-anarchist, urged his followers to steer clear of the stablecoin. The Navcoin team member alleged that Djed would run on COTI’s Trustchain, which uses Direct Acyclic Graph technology instead of the blockchain for increased scalability to meet the demand of global payments. In addition, he poked holes at the fact that COTI had advisors from Goldman Sachs and HSBC.

It bears mentioning that these claims are not consistent with the information shared by Cardano and COTI. For example, per a Medium blog post from COTI in September last year, Djed will run on Cardano, not Trustchain. In addition, COTI’s role is limited to developing the user interface, user integration with smart contracts, and enterprise partnerships.

Hoskinson Believes In The Potential Of Algorithmic Stablecoins

While some in the crypto space have given up on algorithmic stablecoins delivering at scale following the TerraUSD de-pegging event, Charles Hoskinson remains optimistic. 

In a tweet last Friday, the Cardano founder described algorithmic stablecoins as “the gold standard of the digital age.” By backing these stablecoins with deflationary digital assets, Hoskinson believes they have the potential to replace national currencies.

How Djed will perform is yet to be seen. However, developers hope to calm fears of another Terra-like collapse by performing stress tests and releasing audits.

Djed Mainnet Launch Date

As previously reported, Djed will launch on the Cardano mainnet in January 2023 after a full audit. 

While it is yet to launch, COTI has already entered partnerships with several platforms and decentralized exchanges to integrate the stablecoin.

Top Four Projects On Polkadot To Watch Once The Crypto Market Bounces Back

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Even with the crypto bear market in full swing, it is hard to ignore the fundamental developments in Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain environments. Most notably, the Polkadot ecosystem, a brainchild of Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and now run by the Web3 Foundation has stood out over the past two years. Currently, there are over 27 parachains on Polkadot, with 11% of the total supply of DOT tokens locked in parachains and crowdloans. 

But before diving into the outstanding projects that are building on Polkadot, it is worth noting that this PoS network is quite different from the average smart contract blockchain. Unlike Ethereum, Polkadot touts itself as a Layer 0 blockchain, thanks to its relay chain which acts as the base layer. Meanwhile, Polkadot’s signature parachains are distinct blockchains that run in parallel while achieving consensus and security via the network’s Relay Chain.

Given its underlying architecture, Polkadot has gradually become a darling to crypto innovators in search of interoperability solutions. The big question, however, is which projects stakeholders ought to follow closely? In this article, we will break down four Polkadot-based projects that are worth crypto natives’ time based on their fundamental value proposition and overall growth. 

1. Acala 

Acala is a DeFi network on Polkadot powering the aUSD stablecoin; this layer-1 parachain is scalable and allows developers to leverage the full power of the substrate infrastructure while accessing other smart contract blockchains such as Ethereum. Most importantly, the aUSD token is designed as a decentralized stablecoin backed by several assets, including DOT, DOT derivatives and other cross-chain assets like ETH or BTC. 

So, how exactly is aUSD of value to DeFi users? This stablecoin can be minted by placing a Collateralized Debt Position (CDP) using accepted reserve assets; DOT, Acala, BTC and Ethereum-native assets. Once minted, the aUSD stablecoin allows DeFi users to access a wide range of products, both on Polkadot and other interoperable blockchain environments like Ethereum. All without relying on cross-chain bridges or wrapping the aUSD tokens.

So far, Acala has received and completed 3 Web3 Foundation grants. The project also enjoys the backing of over 35 investors, alongside 1608 commits on github. It is currently one of the biggest stablecoin innovations in DeFi, competing with the likes of MakerDAO’s stablecoin, DAI. 

2. t3rn 

t3rn is another Polkadot-based innovation that is solving a major challenge in DeFi; smart contract interoperability. By design, the t3rn ecosystem offers a frictionless multi-chain smart contract hosting environment, featuring fail-safe mechanisms to guarantee successful executions. What’s particularly interesting about t3rn is the platform’s registry, anyone can contribute to its open-source repository and choose to get remunerated whenever their code is executed.

As you can see from this infrastructure, t3rn’s approach to open-source development is tailored on collaboration and fair rewards for the developers who wish to contribute. But above all, the platform’s native features of interoperability, fail-safe mechanisms and composability open up new possibilities in the development and execution of smart contracts. Imagine an interoperable DeFi platform where code can be re-executed on the Circuit, not to mention the ease of designing new smart contract ecosystems. 

Like Acala, t3rn has had its fair share of success, the project recently raised $6.5 million in a strategic funding round led by Polychain Capital. Other notable investors who participated include Blockchange, Lemniscap, D1 Ventures, Huobi Ventures, Figment Capital and Bware Labs. 

3. Polkastarter 

Raising funds in any market has never been easy; the Polkastarter DEX changes this narrative by enabling DeFi projects to raise capital through cross-chain token pools and auctions. Founded in 2020, Polkastarter was launched as a permissionless DEX on Polkadot to provide a decentralized launchpad for blockchain projects at a cheaper expense compared to centralized markets. 

However, unlike Uniswap’s IDO/IEO model, Polkastarter introduced a fixed swap auction model for native tokens issued at the initial supply. This means that DeFi projects in search of capital can launch a token on Polkastarter and create cross-chain token pools at a fixed purchase rate for tokens. The swap pools are designed to keep the token price stable during the sale until the initial supply is purchased.

As of writing, the Polkastarter DEX has enabled the funding of 111 ideas, totaling $49.7 million in raised capital. It is also noteworthy that the sales span across several blockchain networks, including Polkadot, Ethereum, BNB chain, Polygon, Avalanche, Celo and Solana. On December 15th, Polkastarter will be hosting an inaugural Web3 gaming awards event dubbed ‘Gam3 Awards’. 

4. Moonbeam 

Moonbeam is an Ethereum-compatible parachain built on the Polkadot blockchain. Ideally, this specialized Layer-1 chain mirrors Ethereum’s interface, allowing Polkadot users to leverage tools such as Metamask, Truffle, Waffle, Hardhat and Remix. The ultimate goal is to enable a DApp environment where solidity smart contracts developed on Ethereum can be used on Polkadot with minimal configuration changes. 

With both Ethereum’s and Polkadot’s DeFi hub showing strong signs of resilience, Moonbeam has positioned itself as one of the DeFi innovations to watch in 2023. As it stands, this Polkadot-based project has received and completed two Web3 Foundation grants and enjoys the backing of 16 investors. In addition, there are over 1627 commits on github, with a total of 32 contributors who are currently active. 

Conclusion 

Despite the uncertainty in crypto markets, fundamental development is still going on; think of it as the wheat being separated from the chaff. Value-oriented blockchain networks such as Polkadot will certainly bounce back once the dust settles. This being the case, crypto stakeholders who are in the game for the long term ought to be scouting for the next gems. The few projects highlighted in this article are just some of the examples, a whole lot more is in the works and will be appreciated in the next bull market.