Crypto Weekly 15/08/2022

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CRYPTO WEEKLY cryptoweeklymag.com$2 August 2022 | Volume 36 HIDDEN GEMS Page 38 Page 40BEGINNERS GUIDE Page 42VIDEO OF THE WEEK Page 36 CRYPTOSENSIBILITIESINVESTING Page 44 VITALIK BUTERIN IN DEFENSE OF TORNADO CASH Page 24 METAVERSE REVOLUTIONTECH Page 26 CRYPTO ARBITRAGEDOLLARS Page 32 STAKING & COMPAREDFARMINGPage 08 ETH GAS CHEAPERGETS Page 11 U.S. TORNADOBLACKLISTSCASH Page 12 1COINBASEBILLIONLOSS Page 22 NEXT NFT`SGENERATION What is Marketcap? Top 5 Crypto Games Page 07 E.U. NFT REGS

01 02 03 04 05 Fully Doxxed TeamAmazing Community Super Fast Listings 125K Mag SubscribersEarn Rewards in USDT ƒ 2 Audits Passed ƒ BKEX listing first 2 weeks ƒ www.t.me/CMC_COIN_1 ƒ www.cmccoin.io ƒ CoinMarketCap/CoinGecko ƒ Within hours of applying ƒ www.cyptoweeklymag.com ƒ Get first 12 Months Free! ƒ Weekly & Monthly Rewards

cryptoweeklymag.com$2 August 2022 | Volume 36 CONTENTS 10 18 24 EU's MiCA Law Will Regulate NFT Collections Like Cryptocurrencies, Official Says 07 Gas fees for Ethereum at Lowest Level in Two Years ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 08 Report on Iran's First Import Order Using Cryptocurrency 10 Blacklist Placed on Tornado Cash by the U.S. Treasury Department as National Security Threat 11 Coinbase Loses $1 Billion in Revenue in the Second Quarter. 12 Second Virtual Currency Mixing Firm Sanctioned by the U.S.������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13 The Ethereum Dev's Meet at ETHSeoul Technical Conference 16 Are Cryptocurrency Payments the Future? 18 Part One- How to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe 19 Component NFTs are Making Next Generation NFTs that Evolve ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22 The Metaverse is Undergoing a Tech Revolution 24 Crypto Arbitrage: Making Money from Price Differences Between Exchanges 26 How Yield Farming & Staking Compare for Alternative Incomes from Crypto Investments �������������������������������� 32 Editorial: Why Crypto Investments Still Make Sense ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 The Problem with Sanctioning Protocols Like Tornado Cash 42 A Defense of Tornado Cash by Vitalik Buterin 44

Good to see the market recovering these last days I have been dealing with the market since I bought my first bitcoin over 12 years ago, in 2011. I bought my first trading bot soon after and have been trading for over 11 years now The thing about trading is that it doesn't matter whether the market is up or down, but the volatility creates opportunities Long-term investing is best for those who don't have what they need to know done well enough to do it well, and I believe these are the folks that will make out huge in the future just as they have in the past If you're going to buy, do it when the market is down for the best effect. Go ahead now. Do it. It`s time Then hodle! As usual, a lot of stuff has happened in the last week because the music never stops in the crypto sphere, and the time keeps rolling on I hope you all enjoy what we have brought together for you this week� Please let us know your thoughts, and if you would like to see something featured, please do get in touch Hill

nathan@cryptoweeklymag com

Robert Stone Editor Welcome to Crypto Weekly Follow Us cryptoweeklymag

Crypto Weekly is the brainchild of the guys at CMC, and I am Rob Stone, Editor, and I hope to bring you an informative read on everything crypto every week of the year Another week has gone by, and this is our 36th issue of Crypto Weekly

editor@cryptoweeklymag.com Editors Letter ISSUE 36 CRYPTO WEEKLY Crypto Weekly Magazine is published by the Crypto Marketing Company 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ Design Dilin Divan dilin@cryptoweeklymag com Advertising Kryptochick kryptochik@cryptomag.finance Publisher Colin Woolley colin@cryptoweeklymag com Editor Robert Stone editor@cryptoweeklymag com CEO Nathan

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According to Kerstens, requiring a white paper - a lengthy regulatory document comparable to a prospectus - for every NFT would be "silly." OpenSea has raised concerns that regulatory approval will crush innovation in the nascent field.

In 2020, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, proposed the first draft of MiCA� As the EU Council and Parliament amended the law, it brokered the talks Korean regulators are still regulating crypto-assets There are currently a number of crypto bills pending in the U.S. Congress whose approach may prove decisive in setting the direction for the crypto industry

EU's MiCA Law Will Regulate NFT Collections Official Says

Cryptocurrencies,Like

In June, Korean officials told local media that work on the country's upcoming digital asset framework, the Digital Asset Basic Act, would begin after U.S. regulators publish the reports ordered by President Joe Biden's executive order.

On Tuesday, a European Union (EU) official told attendees at Korea Blockchain Week that a collection's non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will have to adhere to new crypto rules� According to previous reports, the new Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) law will exclude innovative ownership tokens. MiCA took the EU until the last minute to reach a political agreement - and how to treat NFTs, which provide a tradable, digital way to prove ownership of assets such as artwork, was a major sticking point Despite the agreement settling most of the political aspects of the law, the actual text of the law remains unclear. In theory, NFTs are exempt from the law as long as they do not constitute other types of crypto assets, according to official declarations A carveout might only provide limited relief, according to Peter Kerstens of the European Commission.

According to Kerstens, who works in the commission's financial-services arm as an advisor for technological innovation, few assets will benefit from the exemption because EU legislators "take a very narrow view of what is an NFT " Although the issuer may refer to it as an NFT, and each token in that series may be unique, a token issued as part of a collection or series will not be considered an NFT, so that the requirements will apply� A white paper will need to be published by issuers of NFT collections that explains the protocol used by the NFTs They will not be allowed to make outlandish promises about the future value that could mislead consumers

According to EU national governments, including NFTs in MiCA would be an unjustified extension of a law intended to protect investors in stablecoins and ICOs. However, lawmakers from the European Parliament, who also had to approve the legislation, were more hawkish, claiming that wash trading can be used to manipulate NFT prices

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With network activity plummeting, Ethereum's transaction fees have dropped to their lowest level since 'DeFi Summer' in mid-2020, according to Ycharts data A transaction on Ethereum costs less than 13 gwei on average, the lowest level in two years Summer Rally It may also cast doubt on the bullish signal driving a summer rally in Ethereum and other DeFi names: The Merge. It is possible that more Ether may not be destroyed than new coins are issued when the network switches to Proof-ofStake consensus in September. With the launch of EIP-1559 in August 2021, Ethereum's base transaction fees were burnt Ethereum transaction fees will eventually be permanently destroyed The Merge Eth2 Proof of Stake is expected to become deflationary after the Merge next month, removing more Ether from supply that is created as validator rewards. Ethereum's deflationary narrative is uncertain as network activity plummets amid a bear trend For the burn rate to keep pace with post-merge Ether issuance, block space demand must increase by approximately onethird from current levels The Ethereum transaction fees are now the lowest since the 'DeFi Summer' of mid2020, when decentralized finance began to attract a significant user base According to Ycharts, average daily transaction fees are currently around 12 5 gwei, its lowest level since April 2020 Gas fees for Ethereum at Lowest Level in Two Years

Recent drops in on-chain activity have dramatically slowed Ethereum's burn rate It's the lowest level since EIP1559 went live last year, according to Ultra Sound Money, a website tracking Ethereum's burn rate In contrast, over 12 ETH per minute were burned Gas fees are also falling to low single-digits during off-peak hours, with transactions executing for as little as 4 gwei ing the top of the NFT bubble in January, equivalent to 121,000 ETH per week. Eth2 Proof of Stake Beacon Chain and Ethereum mainnet execution layer will be merged next month as part of the Merge� By implementing the upgrade, the network's energy efficiency will be improved by more than 99%, and the number of new Ether will be reduced by 90% The recent drop in network activity challenges the hypothesis that Ethereum will become deflationary when the upgrade goes live Burn Rate With stakers locking up ETH to run a node and become network validators, Ethereum's burn rate will increase over time. According to Justin Drake, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, the current burn rate would offset twothirds of Ether issuance after The Merge Drake predicted that 11,200 Ether would be issued each week once Ethereum transitions to Proof of Stake, according to an appearance on The Defiant Podcast. Ethereum co-founder and chief scientist Vitalik Buterin said at the fifth EthCC conference in July that new Ether would be issued annually at 166 times the square root of ETH staked. According to Buterin's equation, 1,649 new ETH would be issued daily under Proof of Stake, equaling 11,543 Ether each week If 1M ETH is staked, 166,000 new Ether will enter circulation each year, but if 100M ETH is staked, only 1.66M Ether will be released. Currently, nearly 13,15M ETH, or 10�8% of circulating Ether, is locked up for stake. Since transaction fee burning was introduced, Ethereum has already produced 26 days of deflationary issuance despite The Merge not yet taking effect NFT Activity According to Watch The Burn data, Ethereum has posted two consecutive weeks of deflationary issuance. NFT activity surged during the second week of negative issuance in January, following the first week of negative issuance in October at the peak of the broader digital asset markets� Due to the extreme gas wars surrounding Yuga Labs' Otherdeeds NFT land sale, May 1 saw the largest daily burn on record That day, over 58,000 Ether worth nearly $160M were destroyed�

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Report on Iran's First Import Order Using Cryptocurrency

However, former President Donald Trump reneged on the nuclear deal in 2018 and reinstated harsh sanctions, leading Tehran to begin violating its nuclear limits the following year One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic (CAR), has also embraced crypto Last month, it launched its own digital coin and became the first African state to make bitcoin legal tender Last year, El Salvador adopted bitcoin as a legal tender, though public skepticism has beset the project

As a result of the 2015 agreement, U.S., EU, and UN sanctions were lifted.

In a move that could enable the Islamic Republic to circumvent U.S. sanctions that have crippled its economy, Iran made its first official import order using cryptocurrency this week, according to the semi-official Tasnim agency. It was the first step towards enabling the country to trade with other countries similarly restricted by U.S. sanctions, such as Russia, using digital assets that bypass the dollar-dominated global financial system. The agency didn't specify which cryptocurrency was used in the transaction By the end of September, cryptocurrencies and smart contracts will be widely used in foreign trade, according to a ministry official. Almost all imports from Iran, including those from the oil, banking, and shipping sectors, are banned by the United States. In 2008, cryptocurrencies were born as a payment tool aimed at eroding government control over finance and economies, and Tehran is one of the largest economies yet to embrace them Due to their volatility, cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are not suitable for largescale payments According to a study last year, Iran accounts for 4 5% of all bitcoin mining, partly due to its cheap electricity In addition to helping Iran earn hundreds of millions of dollars, cryptocurrency mining could help it lessen sanctions by purchasing imports In Vienna, four days of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials concluded Monday with the European Union presenting a "final" text to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal�

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Updates&Blacklist

In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person."

A representative stated, "As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the entity above, Tornado Cash, that is in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons is blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

VPNs currently allow U.S. users to skirt the new ban, so it is unclear how the Treasury Department plans to enforce it. However, the Treasury's statement reiterates that all U.S. citizens are now prohibited from using the Ethereumbased service, and any knowledge of such must be reported to OFAC

According to the Treasury Department, the Tornado Cash protocol poses a threat to national security, so American citizens are prohibited from using the popular coin mixing service. The Treasury Department says its Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) arm sanctioned Tornado Cash, which has been used to launder over $7 billion in cryptocurrency since 2019� Tornado Cash is used by Lazarus, the North Korean group that is alleged to have perpetrated the Axie Infinity bridge attack that cost over $600 million

According to Brian E Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, "Today, Treasury is sanctioning Tornado Cash, a virtual currency mixer that launders the proceeds of cybercrimes, including those committed against victims in the United States. Despite public assurances otherwise, Tornado Cash has repeatedly failed to impose effective controls designed to stop it from laundering funds for malicious cyber actors regularly and without basic measures to address its risks. Treasury will continue aggressively pursue actions against mixers that launder virtual currency for criminals and those who assist them."

Placed on Tornado Cash by the U.S. Treasury Department as National Security Threat

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The Securities and Exchange Commission requested information from Coinbase in May The statement said that this inquiry has not yet developed into a formal investigation�

Loses $1 Billion in Revenue in the Second Quarter. Coinbase's IPO in April 2021 marked a triumphant moment for the nascent cryptocurrency industry� Its stock price has tanked, and it has been forced to lay off hundreds of employees due to a crypto market crash in 2022� The company reported a 63 percent decline in revenue in the second quarter and a $1 1 billion loss from a year ago on Tuesday. Coinbase's chief executive, Brian Armstrong, said the company had survived previous downturns in an earnings call on Tuesday The company’s revenue decreased from $2�2 billion to $808 million due to the "fast and furious" crypto downturn It had 9 2 million customers in the last quarter, down from 9.8 million last year. Over the next three months, Coinbase predicts that its user numbers will continue to decline He said, "It seems scary.". "But it's never as bad as it seems " At a time when the crypto industry is undergoing turbulence, Coinbase's results illustrated the steep challenges it faces. Due to a series of failed crypto ventures in May and June, the prices of the leading digital currencies crashed As a result of the crash, layoffs have spread across the industry, dampening the excitement that accompanied the record-breaking price of Bitcoin last fall The stock price of Coinbase has fallen about 75 percent since November because of the industry meltdown Cryptocurrency market fluctuations heavily influence the company's success Bitcoin and Ether trading fees accounted for over 80 percent of its second-quarter revenue� Coinbase laid off about 1,100 employees in June. At the time, Armstrong said the company had overhired� During the downturn, competitors like Binance and FTX have expanded, fueling concerns that Coinbase may lose its early lead in the industry. Despite its early start, Coinbase has never been able to gain a strong foothold in the international market, and it recently botched an expansion attempt in India. The company's most hyped product launch of the year - a marketplace for nonfungible tokens, or NFTs - drew little interest from customers And a hiring spree last year led to overspending and bloat, as the company's expenses more than doubled On the call, Mr Armstrong said, "I think we could have grown slower over the last couple of years " Regulatory scrutiny has also been directed at Coinbase

During the downturn, Coinbase's competitors seem to be doing better�

The world's largest exchange, Binance, announced in June that it hired 2,000 people. According to its chief executive, Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX's financial results are "ballpark similar" to last year

In the United States, Coinbase remains one of the most trusted and recognized crypto brands with its Super Bowl commercial featuring a bouncing QR code Institutional investors can now trade Bitcoins through the company's partnership with BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager

NEWS Updates&

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Coinbase has objected to the Securities and Exchange Commission's stance that some of the digital coins listed on its exchange are securities and thus subject to regulation like stocks and bonds A former Coinbase employee was charged with insider trading last month by the Justice Department.

NEWS Updates&

"U.S. authorities will not hesitate to use their authority against malicious cyber actors, exposing, disrupting, and promoting accountability for perpetrators of criminal activity," Blinken said. A digital currency blending firm was sanctioned for the second time ever on Monday The sanctioned North Korean cyber hacking group Lazarus Group is suspected of laundering more than $600 million through Tornado Cash Tom Robinson, co-founder of Elliptic, a blockchain analysis company, Tornado Cash laundered at least $1 5 billion, while the government claims $7 billion. According to Robinson, mixers such as Tornado can be used for legitimate purposes, such as protecting financial privacy. "Tornado Cash has repeatedly failed to establish effective controls designed to prevent it from laundering funds for malicious cybercriminals and is lacking basic risk management measures," said Brian Nelson, Treasury's undersecretary for financial intelligence and terrorism It will continue aggressively pursuing actions against mixers that launder virtual currency for criminals and those who assist them " According to an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in March, federal regulators should take measures to mitigate the illicit finance and national security risks associated with digital assets

Tornado Cash, a virtual currency mixer that was created in 2019, has been sanctioned by the Treasury Department for allegedly laundering more than $7 billion According to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, Tornado Cash's systems were used to launder more than $96 million from the June Harmony blockchain bridge heist and August Nomad crypto firm heist. In mixing services, various digital assets are combined, including potentially illegally acquired and legitimately acquired funds, to hide the origin of stolen funds. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. "will pursue action against mixers laundering virtual currency on behalf of criminals and those who help them."State actors and individuals are increasingly using digital assets to perpetuate illegal acts Cryptocurrency has been used by illicit actors to engage in illicit activities, according to lawmakers and administration officials.

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Second Virtual Currency Mixing Firm Sanctioned by the U.S.

Crypto Payments May Become the Norm and Standard Thanks to

Following a brutal quarter for digital assets, billionaire bitcoin bull Mike Novogratz believes that the forced deleveraging of the cryptocurrency market is over. His optimism comes as a breath of fresh air following the crash of Terra stablecoin and the related Luna token. Despite some rallies, bitcoin and Ethereum are still down around 60% from their November highs According to Novogratz in an interview with CNBC, several imprudent credit policies caused a forced deleveraging, which exacerbated the bad move. According to Novogratz, there will be no forced deleveraging in this quarter After last quarter's selloff, the market has reached an equilibrium and is waiting for new narratives " According to Novogratz, developments like Ethereum's upcoming merger will change the market's narrative and spur investment. During the merge, the Ethereum blockchain will switch from a proof-of-work system to a proof-ofstake system, increasing efficiency. It is one of five planned updates to the Novogratzblockchain is bullish on bitcoin because it is steadily becoming a mainstream asset� As a result of Coinbase's recent partnership with BlackRock, Bitcoin may also be heading in a new direction: "That's like a monumental announcement," Novogratz said. Despite the current economic climate, Novogratz remains optimistic about the coin's future� "I think bitcoin remains a pretty good macro asset for an environment where the macro is pretty uncertain," he said�

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Vitalik Buterin's Merge Bitcoin bull Mike Novogratz Declares Crypto's Forced Deleveraging Over

Once we have scaling technology, it becomes possible to try to make crypto payments more mainstream again," said Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder, during his keynote speech at the Korea Blockchain Week 2022 conference, which was held on Monday� According to Buterin, cryptocurrency payments became less popular after [2018]. Fees, he explained, are one of the reasons for this With rollups and all the improvements to efficiency, the Ethereum creator said, "the transaction costs could go down to US$0.05 or even as low as 0 2 cents in the future " Scaling the network is expected to be the main focus of Ethereum developers following the highly anticipated "The Merge" upgrade By merging Ethereum's blockchain, the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism will replace the proof-of-work consensus mechanism� As long as all goes according to plan, Buterin expects the update to happen mid-to-late September.

NEWS Updates&

Cryptocurrency valued at $620 million was stolen from Axie Infinity by hackers linked to North Korea in March. To commit the fraud, scammers tricked engineers at the company into applying for a fake job According to the report, after multiple interview rounds, they sent an offer letter containing spyware A senior engineer at Sky Mavis, the game's developer, underwent "multiple rounds of interviews" for a position that didn't exist by hackers posing as job recruiters on Linkedin, according to sources The hackers have been linked to North Korea's notorious Lazarus Group.

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Among the largest crypto heists in history, the company first revealed the breach in March. Since the cyberattack was mainly caused by human error and a lack of cybersecurity rather than a flaw in blockchain technology, it shouldn't deter widespread crypto adoption. Axie Infinity was alleged to have obtained over $20 5 million in cryptocurrency from Blender io, a virtual currency mixer sanctioned by the US Treasury in May. "In the view of the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, virtual currency mixers pose a threat to US national security interests." "The DPRK is engaging in illicit financial activity, and we will not allow state-sponsored thievery to go unanswered " According to JPMorgan analyst Ken Worthington in July, ether (ETH) and cryptocurrency generally increased in anticipation of the Ethereum Merge� In July, Ether's price jumped 70% after two testnets were completed ahead of an event expected the week of Sept. 19 that will convert Ethereum's blockchain from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake system Compared with bitcoin (BTC), the Solana system token (SOL) gained 38% in July. The price is currently around $1,780 Worthington reported that the total value locked (TVL) of the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector rose 22% last month. The fact that DeFi tends to be built on Ethereum, along with the improved reports about the Ethereum Merge, may be driving ETH's robust price appreciation relative to Bitcoin, according to Worthington

NEWS Updates&

The engineers sent a fabricated offer letter that included a "generous compensation package" laced with spyware. Hackers accessed the Ethereum-based digital currencies code once the "Ronin" blockchain network was downloaded

JP Morgan: Ethereum merger contributed to July's rebound Cybercriminals are Getting Clever, Using Advanced Techniques to Bypass Normal Entry Points at Axie Infinity

The Ethereum Dev's Meet at ETHSeoul Technical Conference

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crowd cheered on Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who kicked off the event Aug 5-7 In his presentation, Buterin cited zeroknowledge (zK) proofs and Soulbound tokens as significant developments within the Ethereum ecosystem that could provide users with better privacy, better security, and real-world use cases With ZK Proofs, you can prove you are human without actually revealing your identity It is also possible to have reputation systems where you can prove what you did or did not do," he said "You can prevent dumping and unequal allocations with Soulbound tokens, which are non-transferable," Buterin added, referring to the parts of the crypto world filled with opportunistic developers

Privacy and ease of use are the focus of the ETHSeol developer conference. At ETHSeoul 2022, a technical conference focused on the second-largest blockchain, Ethereum developers discussed privacy systems, scalability, and enhanced userAnfriendlinessenthusiastic

According to Janmajaya Mall and Barry Whitehat, the Ethereum Foundation's privacy and scaling team shares that viewpoint Mall and Whitehat believe that off-chain microtransactions, or the transfer of small tokens outside of a network, will increase blockchain user scalability, while zk proofs will enhance

Theprivacy�Ethereum lending and borrowing platform MakerDAO's developer Nik Kunkel presented a summary of the concerns and issues caused by the lack of transparency and actions of centralized institutions such as Celsius Network, BlockFi, and Voyager Digital, as well as the concept of community consortiums You want to onboard every stakeholder and every member of the community to get a consensus� "You're basically betting that the community will not murder itself " For mass adoption to occur, security and user experience are essential, according to Rahat Chowdhury, an engineer at Polygon "People in the space understand gas fees and why we need them, but those outside the Web3 space don't get it or don't want to," Rahat said "If we are to reach mass adoption, we need to make apps more appealing to people who aren't native to Web3 " Bringing Web3 to the masses presents unique challenges, which Michael Blank, COO of Polygon Studios, discussed. "We should ask ourselves what additional value the technology adds to the one before it, how easy it is to enter and engage users, and how many repeat users it attracts," Blank emphasized Currently, most proof-of-stake validator nodes are located in Europe and the U.S., according to Aqeel Mohammad of the Ethereum Foundation�

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As a result of the recent bear market blues, the cryptocurrency market cap has plunged from a high of over $3 trillion last year to a low of $860 24 billion at press

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Despite the recent bearish market, crypto transactions and investments have become a standard part of the financial landscape. As a payment method, cryptocurrency rose to fame As consumer interest in crypto grows, online merchants and retailers have begun accepting bitcoin and other currencies Crypto has become increasingly popular for investment and transactions over the last two years, and now we have the Ethereum Merge coming up where the costs per transaction may go below a nickel In the future, using crypto for payments will only increase Eventually, crypto may even replace our pocket money one day Time will tell The mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency has begun to take off from its speculative status Retail and institutional adoption of digital currencies such as bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), and others soared. Digital currencies like bitcoin and a few altcoins are becoming more widely accepted by consumers, and online stores are realizing their potential According to a report released by Goldman Sachs in January 2022, the digital economy is expected to generate $8 trillion in revenue by 2022 Growing consumer interest in cryptocurrencies has led to an exponential increase, with online merchants and retailers accepting bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payment methods Besides positioning themselves as developing Web 3 0 and blockchain brands, these firms can also take advantage of this boom In September 2014, PayPal began accepting bitcoin - three months before Microsoft for all of its products Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency have also been accepted at several retailers, such as Home Depot, Whole Foods, Starbucks, AT&T, GameStop, and Newegg� Approximately 320 million crypto users worldwide are estimated to own crypto as of 2022, with crypto ownership rates averaging 4 2% of all the [in the world This number will continue to increase as crypto becomes more mainstream and easier to use Many global brands, institutions, and retailers are now accepting crypto payments or planning to do so What is the future like?

Increasingtimeinterest rates and bearish sentiment have made investors wary of risky assets, but the state is only temporary. Despite this, it can be said that cryptocurrencies could play an essential role in defining the future of payments over the long run Feature

Robert Stone

Are PaymentsCryptocurrencytheFuture?

Cryptocurrencies have grown as a payment method over the past five years, indicating optimism for the future

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Robert StoneTheFeaturesecurity measures that anyone investing in crypto should take. Many investors are buying crypto for the first time as cryptocurrency prices rise. Despite investors' excitement, it's also a great opportunity for hackers, scammers, and other criminals, who see these new investors as easy targets A major concern of crypto investing is keeping your funds secure There are several hazards to avoid Crypto investors may wonder how to prevent their crypto from being stolen with the recent hacks that we have heard about Is it a good idea to keep your crypto on an exchange? Can hardware wallets be used? Is it a good idea to store a screenshot of your password in case you forget it? I will answer all these questions and more. I will explain the ways hackers can steal your crypto, and what you can do to make it almost impossible for them to do so It's important to remember that no security method can ensure 100 total effectiveness, and you may decide to not implement everything if they are a hassle In this article, we'll provide you with practical tips for buying and selling crypto safely Let's get started by discussing some ways you can protect your crypto�

Part One - How to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe

Use a strong password wherever passwords are used. Using strong passwords is one of the easiest ways to protect your digital assets You should use at least eight characters in your passwords, including capital letters, numbers, and other special characters Despite the fact that no password is entirely safe, if you create one would take a quantum computer to crack you will be safe as you can get� As long as you have a backup of your seed words for your wallet, you can restore access to your account if you forget your password if you make it too complicated

In most cases, when you buy cryptocurrency for the first time, it will be in an exchange account since other methods are a bit complicated for a beginner. Scammers can "transfer" your crypto to an account wallet under their control if they get access to this account Making sure your crypto is purchased safely is one of the easiest things you can do to thwart these attacks. Your exchange app can then be set to use two-factor authentication (2FA) for withdrawals� To protect your crypto, you must rely entirely on your email address and password if 2FA is not enabled These can be pretty easy for hackers to get around You can use an authentication app to verify your identity. What is an authenticator app? An authenticator app takes security a step beyond passwords and even beyond traditional two-factor authentication (2FA) for your accounts The app uses a secret key (not your password) to create a unique code and log you in Withdraw Your Crypto Cryptocurrencies are often stored on exchanges with a value of millions of dollars It is no wonder scammers are attracted to them with that much cash available Withdrawing your cryptocurrency from the exchange is one way to avoid this potentially devastating threat

Next Weeks Crypto Weekly in part two of this article I will tell you a bit about backing up your seedwords and how to use them

Ensure your exchange is secure by using two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication adds a second level of security to authentication by making it harder for attackers to gain access to a person's online account or devices Even if the victim's password is hacked, a password alone is not enough to pass the authentication check

The risk of theft is probably lower than that of an exchange because you don't tell everyone you store crypto on your PC or a hardware wallet To reduce the risk of crypto theft, withdrawal is a simple and effective method

Feature In the event that you forget your password, what do you do? Install your wallet again and import your seed words if you still have them. During the installation process, you will be able to choose a new password for your account Choosing a strong password is the best way to protect your crypto

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Your PC or hardware wallet needs to be set up with a wallet before you can withdraw your crypto If you do this, an attacker cannot steal your crypto by hacking the exchange or gaining access to your account

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Even so, the widely adopted ERC-721 protocol (among others), which set forth the standards for NFT tokens as we know them, was never intended to do more than represent unique representations of physical items As a result, NFTs have a limited amount of data they can transmit on each token due to their protocols' limitations Even though NFT gaming has achieved some remarkable milestones for Web3 and decentralized applications – gaming Dapps remain the most popular decentralized applications – one of the most successful aspects of NFTs (nonfungibility) is holding it back from achieving greater success

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Thanks mainly to the art and collectible scene, non-fungible tokens have never been more popular Additionally, it has enjoyed great success within the blockchain gaming sector during the same period In recent years, NFT art, and more recently, NFT gaming, have emerged as solid evidence that crypto utility transcends just the buying and selling of digital assets Although NFTs have expanded to billions of dollars in value, the majority of the market continues to be in the digital art sector - collectible GIFs and JPEGs that prove ownership of unique pieces of art celebrating the internet and crypto meme culture

With its innovative innovation, blockchain MMORPG Cradles is driving a shift in what makes an NFT beyond merely representing unique artwork It isn't that static images (or coordinates that point to an immortalized stamp of the original image) haven't played a role in NFT's success NFTs might have remained confined to the realm of technology and internet geekery without the breathlessness of Bored Apes Yacht Club and CryptoPunks

Component NFTs are Making Next Generation NFTs that Evolve Robert Stone

Dragontar NFTs were implemented as the world's first combinable NFTs on a portal called the Dragontar Club, not the Ethereum blockchain They were the very first implementation of the EIP3664 Cradlestokensmembers' desire to own their Dragontar NFTs is a direct reflection of their growth and their desire to own Dragontar NFTs. As shown on the TofuNFT marketplace, NFTs are not limited to the traits assigned to them at creation but can be enhanced as desired�

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"Unlike other NFTs that can only be traded once bought, players can perform operations on EIP-3664 NFTs," said Y.T. "Since this requires a workplace, we launched Metacore, which is a brand new marketplace for 3664 NFTs " Anyone with a Dragontar can visit, click on the workplace, and perform operations on their NFTs " With the upcoming Ethereum Merge, new innovations such as EIP-3664 should be highlighted for their unique features. In the Cradles: Origin of Species game, DRepublic is using modular NFTs that look to usher in the next generation of blockchain gaming

NFT speculative markets are dwindling now. Suppose NFTs are solely determined by their perceived rarity (another highly subjective issue) in games in which inventiveness and creativity are the sole markers of progress In that case, they are at the end of the innovation cycle As a result, the EIP-3664 proposal - developed by DRepublic, the makers of blockchain MMORPG Cradles - provides a new standard for NFTs and their definition.

Precisely what is EIP-3664? EIP-3664, like its predecessors, features advancements for tokens on Ethereum (and virtually all other blockchains compatible with the Ethereum environment) EIP-3664 allows players to use, manipulate, and interact with NFTs instead of simply representing them as static entities with fixed characteristics. Adding and removing components would allow players to create "component" NFTs crafted from basic raw materials (themselves malleable NFTs) By doing so, the NFTs become dynamic and facilitate continuous gameplay, retaining their original capabilities while being able to be sold or transferred EIP-3664 Is Changing The Game Cradles is working on the EIP-3664 proposal as part of its upcoming game Players would be able to assemble and disassemble items, materials, and even characters in their virtual world Each of these elements would be customizable and combinable in an infinite number of ways Rather than using traditional NFTs with fungible and non-fungible capabilities, we will use NFTs with fungible and non-fungible capabilities Rather than relying on a centralized server, these NFTs will attempt a metaverse fundamental that has never been achieved in a game before As (block) time passes, players, their items, and their environment will continually change in Cradles' unique "entropy-increasing" world EIP-3664 allows NFTs to carry a significant amount of information, giving rise to a variety of new NFTs that can be assembled and combined freely, giving them variable properties that would enable almost any function one might desire� We are entering a new era of NFTs EIP-3664 tokens created for NFTs do not lose their collectibility value but rather expand the possibilities for these tokens, especially when they are used in gaming As in-game items and as building blocks for a constantly evolving metaverse, they provide actual utility to these NFTs, which would otherwise have little to no use beyond speculation Using other tokens, players in EIP-3664

NFT games can forge items within the games as NFTs In addition to stripping and adding attributes from other items or materials, they can also take apart and redistribute an NFT's attributes to other NFTs or sell these attributes to others. However, it adds a new layer to ensure that NFTs remain valuable over time while maintaining the collectible ideology that made them so popular Dragontar NFTs come into play

Robert Stone In essence, the term "metaverse" refers to an anticipated future iteration of the internet, often referred to as Web 3 0 Users can access virtual and augmented reality experiences, fostering social connections through online 3-D integrated environments. As first described in Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel Snow Crash, the metaverse is a shared "imaginary realm" that can be accessed through a global fiber optic network and projected onto virtual reality goggles Metaverses will have a profound impact on both customer experiences and business operations in the future The physical and virtual worlds will be combined rather than separated� Web 3.0 is not yet available. Some of the most well-known tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Meta, are actively working on integrating current and future technologies to create this virtual or augmented reality� A feeling of presence-as would define the metaverse if you were there, with Feature

The Metaverse is Undergoing a RevolutionTech

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The future of society will be shaped by metaverses, despite their infancy� Marty Resnick, Garter's Vice President of Research, estimates that 25 percent of people will spend time in the metaverse for work, shopping, education, social media, or entertainment by 2026

Taking on the future

Consumers and businesses will soon enter a world once considered science fiction once companies master the technology Using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency will change customer behavior and purchasing habits in the metaverse The technology decentralizes businesses, and the metaverse will also enhance transparency and trust between businesses and their customers Any central authority won't control a permissionless, distributed, open source, and the distributed metaverse Transactions will take place in real-time, eliminating the need for third-party assurances

VR doctor visits are one example of the potential benefits of the metaverse. In addition, people have been moving out of larger cities and into smaller, more affordable ones after the Covid-19 pandemic The metaverse could provide buyers and sellers with virtual 3-D tours of homes In particular, this would be useful to people who move out of state and sell their home, pack up and move, but still have to search for a suitable property when they arrive in their new city Consumers use their smartphones when visiting Amazon's website to virtually "place" furniture to see if the furniture fits and looks good in their home Regarding cryptocurrencies and NFT tokens, they are already opensource tools, allowing them to be used for transactions in the metaverse Challenges ahead People changed their thinking, behavior, and actions as the COVID-19 pandemic spread People have adapted to doing more online, from Zoom and other platforms for attending corporate meetings and school classes to Clubhouse and cloud-based voice services like Alexa and Google Voice. Customers began shopping online more often for everything from groceries to furniture, reducing in-store visits It's for this reason that companies should begin thinking about metaverse integration for their businesses� To adopt this radical new business model, people must first learn how to use the new technology and then feel comfortable doing so in a world where consumers may be able to see virtual reality headsets, digital glasses, and smartphones Several 3-D video games and exercise classes now incorporate virtual reality techniques, but wearing a helmet while hitting a ball or following a dance step is one thing, but conversing with customer service representatives in a virtual doctor's office, bank, or open house inspection is another. Security is another primary concern� Companies and individuals doing business with those companies demand guarantees that their data will be protected While 66 percent of Americans believe the metaverse will eventually replace social media, half of them fear hackers will be able to impersonate others too quickly, according to NordVPN's research. Forty-five percent of respondents are concerned that their personal information will be collected and used against them in the future Fortyseven percent do not trust that the law will protect their identities With the technology just emerging, it is impossible to predict potential security implications at this stage

Taking a step into the future

The gaming industry has already adopted VR and AR, and NFTs and cryptocurrencies are already available� Innovating a virtual currency along the lines of NFTs and cryptocurrencies and adopting a much better customer experience will make for an exciting future Nevertheless, these innovations must be tempered with the knowledge that many unanswered questions remain regarding how the metaverse will work in these early stages� Because of this, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks

Feature

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another person, or in another place, according to Zuckerberg's Oct 28, 2021 Founder's Letter (when he rebranded to Meta) The ultimate dream of social technology is to feel truly present with someone else You can do almost anything in the metaverse-get together with family and friends, work, learn, play, shop, create-and experience new and completely different experiences than we can imagine today "

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Crypto Arbitrage: Making Money from Price Differences Between Exchanges

Robert Stone Arbitrage is one of the many ways of making money with crypto� For some, arbitrage is all they do to make a living! I'm going to show you how people are making big profits by speculating on cryptocurrency arbitrage between differing crypto exchanges. Trust me. It's easier than it sounds. So, let's dive right into it First and foremost, we need to gain a basic understanding of price arbitrage Arbitrage is the simultaneous purchase and sale of the same asset in different markets to make some profit from tiny differences in the assets' listed price It is a mouthful, so let me simplify it for you. Here is a situation that I am sure we have all faced at some point Assume you are searching for a product at a store with a specific price. For example, $1 30 may be the price, but then you go to a different store and find it for a much

lower price, one dollar Price arbitrage involves taking advantage of that 30cent difference is precisely how we will stack up some profits. If you think about it, there is also a fundamental concept behind dropshipping What people do is they connect to places like Aliexpress or Alibaba, and they find undervalued products. For instance, they find they can buy a product for 20 off at Aliexpress. Then they will take into account the expenses of shipping that product,

Continued Feature

ONLINE SOCIAL NFT GAMEInitial Room Offering First And Only Real Estate Sale Different Rarities - Begins June 29CRYPTOPOLIS Sign up for the whitelist today for a chance to win a Rolex Datejust 41, approx. value $15.000 USD “The Sims Of Web3” “1380 Rooms For Sale”

and they can list it Let's say 25 on eBay and keep a solid, two or three-dollar profit for every sale. That is just how dropshipping works Of course, it will be more complex, but these are just the fundamentals In other words, wherever there is a significant price difference, you can make a profit, and that is precisely how crypto arbitrage works Just take a look at this example. Say we're able to purchase Ethereum on Binance for $1700, and we can also sell that same asset on Coinbase for a higher price You purchase Ethereum from Binance and then quickly sell it on Coinbase and keep a seven-dollar profit. Be sure to take into account the withdrawal and the deposit fees, which are also going to come into play

Once you spot an opportunity in the market that allows you to make a profit, you can borrow a certain amount of money from Aave, take advantage of it, speculate on that opportunity, keep a profit, and then give the money back to that platform

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The chances of finding a significant difference in price that allows you to keep a solid profit are pretty slim, so

it's a numbers game But if you do the math correctly, you can keep a solid profit every single time now, the best part about it Is that the more you repeat this process, the more money you can make, but the process is the same You don't have to do anything differently, and at the end of the day, it is only a numbers game The more exchanges you look at, the more you maximize your chances of Feature

finding an opportunity, and when you find it, it is time to take advantage of it. I will show you what I mean A little bit of research is going to be mandatory What you can start doing is look for cryptocurrency exchanges. Now it doesn't necessarily matter if they are centralized or decentralized

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The more you can buy, the more money you're going to make, even when the price difference is pretty slim The price of Ethereum is pretty high, meaning you would have to make a substantial investment Most of us do not have tens of thousands of dollars to play with, and

The most important thing is that you find an opportunity The more cryptocurrency exchanges you are looking at, the more chances you'll have of finding a significant opportunity that you can profit from. Remember, you have got to take into account the deposit and the withdrawal commissions Do the math beforehand. You cannot just start buying Ethereum and then hope to make a profit because it doesn't work like that It is a little bit trickier than that But still, this is a real earning opportunity, and regular people make lots of profits. Let's step back, look at the bigger picture and think about it for a second If you can keep a hundred-dollar profit for every purchase and then the sale, that means that if you're able to purchase two Ethereum, you can get two hundred dollars If you can purchase three ethereum, you could get three hundred and so on, which means it is all a numbers game

Aave will allow you to borrow a considerable amount of money for a very, very short amount of time Once you spot an opportunity in the market that allows you to make a profit, you can borrow a certain amount of money from Aave, take advantage of it, speculate on that opportunity, keep a profit, and then give the money back to that platform Instead of purchasing those underlying assets with your cash, you can purchase them using Aave's money with no worries They've got a lot of cash

However, there's going to be a downside to that As mentioned, we are talking about flash loans here, and, as the name suggests, they are loans that you can take for a very brief period of time, and we are just talking about a few seconds at times, to be even more precise

Feature

that's where Platforms like Aave - Open Source Liquidity Protocol comes into play - and this is not a paid promotionInstead of having to purchase Ethereum or Bitcoin or whatever it is that you are purchasing with your own cash� You can take advantage of flash loans gaining a lot of leverage. Here's how that works.

There are a lot of crypto exchanges out there, each one of which is owned by somebody else The chances of all of these different cryptocurrency exchanges syncing up at the exact moment are slim, and that's why all of these opportunities in arbitraging price differences will appear every once in a while out of thin air

As you can see, the concept is not that difficult at its core. We already see it daily, but we don't realize it�

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You can borrow millions of dollars off of this platform. However, you would have to give that money back within just a few Yousecondssee, crypto arbitrage can be a fantastic earning opportunity, especially if you're also taking advantage of flash loans. Still, if you're planning on doing it yourself, your chances of actually making it are pretty slim It is hard on your own and challenging to do it fast enough by a real human being That is where specialized software comes into play If you like the concept of flash loans and If you want to dive a little bit deeper, you're, going to find all of the documentation and all of the information you need out there on the internet There are ways you can take advantage of flash loans without having any solid coding or programming skills because there is software out there you can find which is specifically engineered for taking advantage of flash loans. That way, you don't have to create the code yourself, but I will let you explore that avenue on your own because this article is not about flash loans. Instead, it is just about cryptocurrency arbitrage�

Arbitraging crypto is an excellent opportunity for anyone, but it is not necessarily something that you can do just like that The time you have to take advantage of arbitraging a price difference is short. Sooner or later, the price will rise, and the opportunity will Youvanishwill have to dabble a bit deeper and, doing your own diligence, gain a fundamental understanding of the concept and what's happening behind the scenes You are not alone in this fight. The great news is that all the information you need is available, and you can access it free. So all that is left is to dive deeper and do some research Once you have accomplished that, I can assure you there will be countless earning opportunities in your future with crypto arbitrage Feature

You must understand that you're not the only one looking to speculate on this price difference A lot of major players will be looking out for opportunities as well, and when they find them, they're going to seize those opportunities

32 www.cryptoweeklymag.comAugust 2022 | Volume 35 How Yield Farming & Staking Compare for Alternative Incomes from Crypto Investments Robert Stone There are more ways crypto investors earn additional income on their investments� Yield farming and crypto staking are among my favorites. Yield Farming and Staking are much more secure than crypto trading and may even be more profitable over time. I will discuss both of these methods and how you can get started� Feature

Ecosystems supporting Yield Farming Due to the diversity of crypto yield farming strategies, there is no one way to generate the most profits. A rapid pace of development also creates an ecosystem that constantly evolves, requiring ongoing assessment of DeFi yield farming opportunities This list does not include all yield farming platforms but some of the most popular ƒ Uniswap: A decentralized exchange (DEX) where almost any ERC-20 token pair can be traded ƒ PancakeSwap: An exchange for BEP-20 tokens on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). ƒ Yearn.finance: A decentralized, automated protocol for aggregating Feature

What s Yield Farming? Through a decentralized app or DApp, yield farming enables investors to stake their coins by depositing them into a lending protocol, also known as liquidity farming� A yield farmer lends or stakes cryptocurrency in exchange for interest Speculators can then borrow coins through the dApp to profit from sharp swings in the coin's value they anticipate Liquidity pools allow cryptocurrency holders to lend their funds and earn rewards in exchange. Banks charge interest on traditional loans they make� Returns are measured by annual percentage yields (APY) In yield farming, cryptocurrency is lent out to generate more returns than just sitting on an investment Compared to crypto staking, yield farming involves one investor carefully planning and choosing what tokens to lend and where On the other hand, yield farmers use complex strategies, moving crypto assets between platforms to maximize liquidity mining returns Yield Farming vs. Staking Staking or yield farming may be a couple of the best options for generating a passive income from your crypto funds. However, each of these methods requires different degrees of understanding about how crypto works ]Users may be tempted to go with yield farming when calculating their ROI, but the debate should go deeper than just ROI� It may take more time and research on a daily basis for new crypto investors to understand yield farming Even though staking crypto generates fewer rewards, it doesn't require constant attention from an investor, and some funds can be locked for longer. Depending on your investment style and combining that with your experience with DeFi, are crucial to how successful you will be�

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Although yield farming and staking crypto are different, some mistakenly refer to them interchangeably Yield farming is also called liquidity mining though there are some differences even though they are very related Yield farming is riskier but provides short-term returns rather than long-term, as with staking It is also a method of generating rewards with cryptocurrency holdings Beginners are better off with staking There is no significant investment required, and it is easy to understand� The blockchain will also require coin staking to create new nodes Blockchain Proof-ofStake (PoS) networks use stakes primarily for consensus mechanisms, which are rewarded to stakeholders Although acting as a staker also generates a return, it's typically much lower than the return on yield farming Typically, stake yields range from 5% to 15% per year� In comparison, crypto liquidity pools offer yield farming rates exceeding 100%, with continuous payouts and withdrawals available anytime It's usually more profitable to farm yields than to stake, but it's also riskier With Ethereum, yield farming can reduce earnings from APY rates due to network gas fees A volatile market can also result in impermanent losses and drastically reduce profitability. During this process, tokens held in an algorithmically balanced liquidity pool lose value relative to assets on the open market Also, since liquidity pools use smart contracts, hackers may be able to exploit vulnerabilities in the code.

:cryptocurrencies ƒ Ethereum ƒ Cardano ƒ Tezos ƒ

ƒ Theta Feature

Theseincomeare

ƒ Compound: Using algorithmically adjusted compound interest rates, Compound is a money market protocol that facilitates crypto lending and borrowing Users can also earn COMP governance tokens by accessing the protocol

ƒ Balancer: The Balancer is an automated market maker (AMM) that allows users to create liquidity pools using eight different tokens at any ratio A balancer pool is an automatic rebalancing portfolio where anyone can create or join, and fees go to liquidity providers rather than intermediaries

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crypto yield farming services based on user-generated algorithms

ƒ Aave: Crypto lending and borrowing protocol that is decentralized, open source, and non-custodial With AAVE tokens, users can create money markets, borrow assets, and earn compound interest

ƒ Venus Protocol: On BSC, an algorithmic money-market platform integrates lending and credit systems

How does staking work? Staking can be a complex idea or a simple one depending on how many levels of understanding you want to become proficient at. It's best to understand some about how and why it works, even if you just want to earn staking rewards For many traders and investors, staking can earn rewards simply by holding specific cryptos. Cryptocurrencies that allow staking, such as Tezos, Cosmos, and now Ethereum (with the new ETH2 upgrade), allow you to "stake" some of your holdings to earn a percentage-rate reward. Similar to an interest-bearing savings account, this usually happens via a "staking pool " Cryptocurrencies earn rewards when staked because blockchains put them to work. The Proof of Stake mechanism is used by crypto that allows staking to verify and secure all transactions without involving a bank or payment processor Your crypto becomes part of that process if you choose to stake it

What are the advantages of staking? Staking is a way for long-term crypto holders to generate rewards rather than leave their assets idle in their wallets� A staked fund strengthens the blockchain's ability to process transactions and makes it more resistant to attacks Furthermore, staking contributes to the security and efficiency of the blockchain projects you support� What are some of the risks associated with staking? The staking rules and requirements for each project should be researched before staking In most cases, staking requires a lockup or "vesting" period, during which your cryptocurrency cannot be transferred. Staked tokens cannot be traded during this period, so even if prices change, you can't trade them Where do I start staking? Everyone is welcome to participate in staking. Having no internet connection ensures maximum protection for your staked funds. Since each cryptocurrency may have slightly different staking methods, it is essential to research each cryptocurrency and its staking process In addition to hot wallet staking, cold wallet staking is also available Crypto staking has already locked up hundreds of millions of dollars, and the DeFi space continues to rise. Staking platforms allow regular crypto investors to increase their earnings with a passive the most staked Polygon

ƒ Curve Finance: Decentralized exchange protocol that facilitates stablecoin exchange for users. To ensure low fees and minimal slippage, the Curve protocol uses a unique market-making algorithm

36 www.cryptoweeklymag.comAugust 2022 | Volume 35 Editorial Editorial: Why Crypto Investments Still Make Sense

Robert Stone Istill remember the very first time I heard of Bitcoin. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but one of my friends who had been buying them for $15 each told me about it I bought three But the risk involved with investing real money in the thousands of dollars like my friend at the time, in a largely unregulated space, also scared me� It was the early months of 2011 What is the reason for crypto's popularity? Early adopters enjoyed explaining the groundbreaking nature of Bitcoin Then later, they began investing in numerous other currencies, which my friends would also tell me about Eventually, I dove headfirst into crypto investing. It was 2012 when I started trading full-time Some of my friends had been making a mint� I wanted to do the same: one buddy, a big-time music producer, said he paid for all of his vacations during the pandemic using his Bitcoin profits when the music business was pretty much closed down at the time The promise of crypto I began to see the advantages of cryptocurrencies the more I researched them and understood what was happening in the industry: there is no central authority; no bank is required, and one day they might even replace cash Cryptoaltogetherisbecoming increasingly common for purchasing products� I bought a bed on Walmart com this last spring using Paypal, which now allows cryptocurrency trading� The bed was paid for with Ethereum. During that time, my Ethereum investment was up, so I paid mainly with profit. Basically, the bed was free Crypto's ease of use in that situation once again validated my decision to be an investor� M-Pesa, for example, has similarly revolutionized economies� In East Africa,

Still, I started investing in Bitcoin cautiously, buying in increments of $50 to $100 at a time. The more confident I became, the more I bought. Having been buying and selling crypto for over a decade has offered me knowledge and insight into the industry I know crypto is never going away It's just too valuable to throw away I sold almost all of my Bitcoin and Ethereum investments when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau obtained authority to seize crypto assets during a truckers' strike partially funded by crypto My Ethereum value more than doubled, making me feel increasingly clever at first. In the end, I made out pretty well, earning a reasonable profit for the year, and all I did was buy and sell crypto while social distancing during the pandemic� I was making a good living Crypto crisis: everything crypto crashes Crypto's rosy reputation has been tarnished by recent market turmoil, though. Goldman Sachs predicted Bitcoin would reach $100,000 in the near future But I am not into Bitcoin or Ethereum anymore� I was one of the lucky ones who got out of those two entirely before the crash Now the crypto market is shrinking feverishly fast: my current crypto investments are pretty much holding their place in value Though with my choices, I don't need to sell anything except when I need to make a large purchase, some for some reason or another My situation is excellent, but that is not the norm for most people I had left Ethereum and Bitcoin behind as major investments long ago to focus on new tokens with higher profit potential. I am speaking of the 10x to 1000x increase type of token investments, but many people lost their shirts in the recent crash In my wildest dreams, I never thought platforms such as Coinbase would discuss bankruptcy outcomes or that a lesser-known cryptocurrency, Luna, could flatline, costing investors $40 billion Does crypto have a future? Anyone would be concerned about the extreme volatility in the cryptocurrency market at the moment I hope cryptocurrencies rebound and return to the upward trajectory they were on just a few months ago, and not just for selfish reasons If this doesn't happen, many more people will lose money they can't afford to lose In addition, some people believe that the current turmoil is simply a bump in the road that will eventually look like a right-sizing While cryptocurrencies face volatility, the underlying promise seems more real today than even a few years ago� With some institutional investors joining in, it seems unlikely that the entire ecosystem will collapse, even if a right-sizing is overdue

If so many other newbie investors are totally mistaken about crypto and I, with all of my experience along with them, then we will be joining a long list of people who bet their money on the wrong thing at the wrong time, but I am confident that this will not be the case. We are only experiencing the very beginnings of blockchain and crypto There is much promise in the future, let me tell you� Crypto is revolutionizing so many aspects of today's world it is silly Looking around online and I see all manor of negativity about crypto. Still, when I look into what these people are saying, their feelings and thoughts do not coincide with reality� One of the things people say is that crypto has no innate value. Sorry wrong! Maybe some crypto has no innate value, but others are tied to all manor use and functionality, doing important work in the world. So much so that if they were taken away, many would miss them

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During the .com boom in the late 1990s, the current market was on a wild ride, very similar to the current one. Despite being overvalued and collapsing, both Amazon and Google remain in business

Editorial the payment tool allows people to store and send money using their cell phones, eliminating the need for them to deal with corrupt local banks. Some have even risen out of poverty as a result of it How I came to invest in crypto

The best advice I can give you is to do your own diligence and gain as much knowledge as possible if you decide to invest your hard-earned money� It's what I do. Having been into crypto for over a decade and never in that time being out of the profit, just quitting because of a crash and succumbing to the negativity of other people who don't make any sense to me is not going to get me down

Despite their inherent security, traditional stablecoins, such as those pegged to gold or fiat, have a major weakness; they lack privacy. Using a stablecoin means that the merchant knows far more about you than with a credit card or debit card, allowing them to discriminate against you.

cryptopolisgameshadeprotocol CryptopolisGameShade_ProtocolCryptopolis ($CPO)CryptopolisGameShadeProtocol

PROJECT 1 PROJECT 2 Shade Protocol (SHD) SILK

Based on the Secret Network and SNIP20 private and fungible token standard, SILK gives holders the option to make their transactions private or public. With advanced flexibility and auditable privacy, SILK is a 4th generation stablecoin. Since inflation remains a growing concern globally, Shade Protocol offers a stablecoin that doesn't adhere to a single fiat currency or asset, but can react to global trends as they change. With Shade Protocol, everything will be under one umbrella, including a decentralized exchange. As governments consider how to interact and use cryptocurrencies, and more nations adopt cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation, at the same time the world's population becomes more familiar with cryptocurrency, stablecoins will remain a major topic of discussion. The answer to the question of what a stablecoin should be, can be found in SILK.

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Developed on Secret Network, Shade Protocol consists of a network of privacy-preserving Dapps. Due to the high speed of the Secret Network, Shade has not only created a product that is privacy-friendly, scalable, and interoperable, but is also very easy to use.

HIDDEN gems

A social game where you can collect, earn, win, and display your NFTs while playing and socializing with your friends. The vision of Cryptopolis is to make managing digital assets fun. Cryptopolis strongly believes in the future of crypto gaming. Being able to have fun and make money at the same time is not a utopian dream anymore. It is here. And Cryptopolis wants to make it the most fun for any adult to do so. Play-to-earn is the approach we chose because Cryptopolis believes anyone should be able to acquire Cryptopolis NFT’s. Cryptopolis merges the Sims-like mechanics with room decorating and social interaction. In Cryptopolis your NFT collection and in-game experience get you to the top of the tower. Make real money with the $CPO tokens by winning wager matches throughout the Tower, buying and selling NFT’s, and winning tournaments. The future of NFT gaming is here. Cryptopolis is free-to-play & play-to-earn. An online social platform with a blockchain back end and an associated cryptocurrency ($CPO) - Cryptopolis has a progression system based on acquiring resources, items (as NFTs), and prestige - Where players connect with each other and perform activities together. But they also compete with each other for in-game standing (prestige) and $CPO in various minigames. Cryptopolis is the first gamified social platform whose users can earn real money by playing and trading NFTs.

www.estatex.euCLICK HERE

40 www.cryptoweeklymag.comAugust 2022 | Volume 35 F or both stocks and cryptocurrencies, investors use market capitalization as a benchmark Publicly traded companies are valued according to their market capitalization Because the total number of shares is multiplied by the current share price, it is calculated this Cryptocurrencies,way� however, are not companies� Tokens do not represent ownership shares of a venture, unlike stocks A stock offering, or IPO, and an initial coin offering, or ICO, are both ways for cryptocurrencies to enter the Market A market cap gives investors a sense of how investors view assets; prospects How Crypto Market Cap Works

The market cap remains the same regardless of how a cryptocurrencys supply is distributed Calculate the price of each token by multiplying it by the number of circulating coins.  Cryptocurrencies without a fixed supply are subject to burning. Ethereum (ETH) issues thousands of ETH per day, for TheinstanceEthereum fee burning mechanism counteracts this by automatically burning fees when they are paid By sending coins to a dead wallet, token burning removes them from circulation� Lastly, we have cryptocurrencies created by companies whose tokens are unlocked on a schedule, so the Market Cap will change as the tokens are released� is Market Cap in Crypto and What Does it Mean? Robert Stone

BEGINNERS guide What

There is no connection between price and value regarding coins or tokens� Its a measure of what people are willing to pay for something, which is usually driven by irrational feelings with little connection to an assets actual worth Taking the Markets price for an asset as the actual value is an issue

What does Market Cap as an investment really mean? Originally derived from traditional finance, market capitalization has also found its way into the cryptosphere

Investing requires knowing what a company or asset is worth before making a decision� An investment can be judged overpriced or underpriced if you know what it is worth (its value) Price is what determines market cap, not value A crypto assets value is not reflected in its price. Many people overlook this fundamental distinction

Take a look at the gains crypto assets have made in recent years There have been times when Bitcoin and Ethereums market capitalizations increased by billions overnight. How did things change? How did they do? Was there an increase in users, the launch of new technology, or an increase in adoption? What were the underlying fundamental changes? Usually, there were none As the market cap rises, more sheep mistakenly believe the asset is worth more, and the cycle continues There was only one thing that happened: more investors were willing to pay more This led to a skyrocketing market cap, but no underlying value was added to these assets The Market reflects the last transaction price. Prices have nothing to do with value, and market cap is all about price In reality, its just a multiple of the last transaction price by the circulating supply, and it isnt significant when assessing value, as many investors are misled by it.  You are multiplying the last purchasers price by the circulating supply, resulting in a meaningless number Once a transaction is completed, its price ceases to exist, all previous transactions have a different price, and those that follow are also priced differently Market cap calculations result in a specific time-based outcome. The price is based on the last transaction, which assumes that all sellers, buyers, and holders are at this price which is entirelyuntrue.  There is an overestimation of the circulating supply Market cap is impacted by circulating supply in several ways. In its definition of circulating supply, Coin-Market-Cap means "how many coins circulate on the market and within the general public's Investorshandsare misled by this oversimplification. There's no way to know exactly how much supply of a coin or token will be available for trading at any given moment As there is no way to know how many lost coins there are, websites such as Coin-Market-Cap do not exclude them from circulating supply counts�

Most investors use it to justify investment decisions and measure a cryptocurrencys value and size But theres a big problem with that The market cap is a misleading measure of value, easily manipulated, and meaningless in many ways.  Market cap doesn't equal the actual value of a cryptocurrency.

BEGINNERS guide

As an example, lets look at Bitcoin. About 3 to 4 million bitcoins are estimated to have been lost Accordingly, Bitcoins circulating supply would be around 15 to 16 million instead of 20 billion at this writing, significantly reducing the market cap The circulating supply does not include illiquid coins or tokens held for long periods More than half of the current Bitcoin supply has been inactive for more than a year In conclusion To evaluate a projects prospects, it's essential to understand that the crypto market cap does indicate some level of legitimacy Researching digital assets in depth is the wiser course of action Look deeper than marketcap, which is not an indicator of the value of a company. Do your due diligence�

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43www.cryptoweeklymag.com August 2022 | Volume 35

"Protocols that fail to consider these possibilities from Day 1 are doing themselves a disservice. You cannot build a sustainable or reliable privacy solution without considering all risks and tradeoffs,"

There have been unintended consequences resulting from the U.S. government's controversial move to regulate Ethereum Tornado Cash Monday, the Department of Treasury banned Tornado Cash from mixing cryptocurrencies� All American citizens and anyone within the borders of the United States will no longer be able to interact with the open-source protocol as a result of this move unless they are willing to use a VPN to bypass blocks and thus break the law, which will have widespread implications for the crypto

The code can still be manipulated or redeployed to a disallowed address

There are many ways to anonymize transactions on the Ethereum blockchain, but Tornado is perhaps the best known Many ETH applications are likely to use the mixing service in some way. Tornado now has a criminal designation, but the government cannot shut it down�

Taking advantage of the situation, a prankster made light of it by sending small amounts of Ethereum from a Tornado wallet to prominent cryptocurrency holders, including Jimmy Fallon and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, a prankster made light of the situation It is now possible to hold recipients liable for interactions with sanctioned addresses since crypto transactions cannot be denied "Transactional privacy protocols face challenges, as their narrow focus makes them targets for regulators seeking to curb illicit financial activity," said Tor Bair, founder of the privacyfocused Secret Network. "Protocols that fail to consider these possibilities from Day 1 are doing themselves a disservice. You cannot build a sustainable or reliable privacy solution without considering all risks and tradeoffs," he concluded Decentralized finance (DeFi) is currently the most significant protocol by value, so Maker's moves here are significant. DeFi platforms across the board are likely working to reduce their exposure to USDC and other offending assets, which are sitting on their balance sheets like ticking timebombs� Untangling this could be time-consuming and expensive, but it's necessary. The desires of crypto and the demands of the 21st-century modern governments do not align, and that is by design. During the next few days, weeks, and months, it remains to be seen how things will turn out�

UsingcommunityTornado

Cash has been made a felony by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control The most widely used blockchain, Ethereum, is becoming more difficult to secrecy transactions, and platforms and people need to take steps to mitigate their exposure. Neeraj Agrawal, Director of Communications at Coin Center, said via e-mail that it is way too early to speculate This is new ground for us We don't even know what's possible at this point. Second-order effects of the ban are still unfolding, and regulators and crypto companies are still trying to figure out whether they can enforce such a broad Open-sourcebanTornado Cash shields people's transactions from the public According to the U.S. government, the service has also been used to launder more than $7 billion in illgotten proceeds, including by hackers from North Korea. The government has imposed a sweeping ban on the protocol instead of targeting hackers or going after identifiable bad actors. Crypto mixers were used to launder $51.8 million, an all-time high, according to data firm Chainalysis. "In their letter published earlier this week, Coin Center Executive Director Jerry Brito and Research Director Peter Van Valkenburgh argued that the sanctioning of a specific bad actor is not the case, but rather the deprivation of liberty of Americans who wish to protect themselves while transacting online without due process

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Alex Bornyakov, recently stated that cryptocurrency donations are essential to countering Ukraine's abusive neighbors According to the Minister, crypto payments provide "flexibility and speed that saves our soldiers' lives" over bank transfers The extent to which Tornado Cash contributes to overall crypto donations to Ukraine and whether the privacy offered by blockchain is sufficient to conceal sensitive information is not entirely clear In Ukraine's defense, crypto has become an essential tool, despite the bear market, providing flexibility and speed that have literally saved our soldiers' lives "Crypto winters" lead to "crypto springs," but the industry is here to stay — Alex Bornyakov (@abornyakov) July 26, 2022

Tornado Cash has recently been the center of attention on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), as many crypto experts and enthusiasts are debating yesterday's ban by the Treasury This is the first time sanctions have been imposed on a decentralized protocol such as Tornado Cash. Such sanctions raise important questions about how they may be implemented and complied with Ethereum's founder Vitalik Buterin and Jeff Coleman, a crypto analyst and Ethereum (ETH) holder have joined the ongoing debate while waiting for the launch of ETH 2.0. If you want to donate to Ukraine, you have a valid need for financial privacy, says Mr. Coleman. The Twitter community was also politely asked for a "documented example" of a case of this kind Cryptocurrency influencer Vitalik Buterin responded: "I'll out myself as someone who has used TC to donate to this exact cause."

44 www.cryptoweeklymag.comAugust 2022 | Volume 35

Vitalik Buterin explained that revealing one's identity is contradictory to Tornado Cash's purpose, so he only used the service for donations to Ukraine As a result, Ethereum's founders wanted the recipient's identity to be protected The Ukrainian Government Favors Crypto Donations

A Defense of Tornado Cash by Vitalik Buterin

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45www.cryptoweeklymag.com August 2022 | Volume 35

Top 5 Crypto Games Set to Change Gaming Forever of weekthe of gaming has never looked games bringing gaming to a level of realism� Thanks to the tech that bitcoin, time leveling up and earning game earning

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