Moon Mag #30 by Moon Mag (Crypto)

themoonmag.com

Bought To You By

A note from Lisa…

Editorial

Excited as always to bring you all the FEB 2024 issue of the Moon Mag, now 30 issues in, that’s 2.5 years of reading about the best projects, like this month’s CYBER and MANTLE articles, and breaking down DePIN, and how to leverage AI for crypto. And as always it’s great to keep your web security strong, especially if you are looking to participate in Airdrop Season. For this editorial, I want to look at how ETFs are changing the space, change is inevitable in everything, including finance, especially crypto; it’s not just a constant; it’s what makes the market move. One of the most significant shifts recently has been the rise of BITCOIN Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), changing the way investors approach the market. As we stand on the precipice of a new era, it’s crucial to understand the impact of this on the current market. ETFs, often referred to as the democratisation of investing, have paved the way for both experienced investors and newcomers to access a diverse range of assets with unparalleled ease. Unlike traditional mutual funds, ETFs are traded on stock exchanges, offering real-time pricing and intraday trading opportunities. This accessibility has empowered investors to take greater control of their portfolios, promoting a more transparent and efficient market. BTC ETFs allow investors “exposure” as it is to this HIGH-RISK asset class. This has changed the market somewhat as traders move to understand the changes regarding how BTC will move. Making Bitcoin accessible to more people and making the market transparent and efficient ensures the longevity of the crypto market as a whole. Bitcoin ETFs allow investors to get involved in “risky” cryptocurrencies, changing how they see and engage with this digital asset and potentially moving them across into the cryptocurrency market as BTC starts moving post-halving. This essentially is good for the market. I’m excited to see where this change takes us! Enjoy this month’s Moon Mag!

A note from Josh…

Issue 30 makes it 2.5 years of awesome crypto content delivered straight to your digital screens (and hopefully emails....please subscribe so you don’t miss any!). This issue is no exception. We look at two gems, $CYBER and $MNT, indepth and cushion that with articles of knowledge, learning and how-to guides! The purpose is to give you a well-rounded look at certain crypto subjects and the stepping stones to further research those fields yourself.

We celebrate crypto as a force for good. There’s a lot of political noise and opinions that try to force rigid ideas without impartiality out there, but hopefully, you will find the Moon Mag only attempts to offer perspectives for you to discard or utilise at your convenience. Ultimately, crypto has to work for you, and the depth of ways it could do so means there is likely at least one way out there that will fit your ethos.

We’re always excited to hear what this is for you and how the Moon Mag has shaped those ideas. We also love hearing from you about crypto gems, new niches or any burning questions you might have about topics that seem alien to you! Always feel free to drop us a line at contact@themoonmag.com Enjoy issue 30!

TRADERS PERSPECTIVE

SUMMARY

IF ONLY I’D…

CyberConnect and the CYBER Token

5 Steps To Strengthen Web Security In Crypto

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Airdrop Season 2024: How To Participate

Manta Network and the MNT Token

Leveraging AI For Crypto Research

DePIN 2024: Following The Blockchain’s Money Flow

SPONSORS We are incredibly grateful to the following sponsors for their support. We run a ‘Sponsor A Writer’ campaign where crypto projects take part in an altruistic act of sponsoring our talented writers. By doing so, they play a crucial role in keeping the crypto economy alive and thriving, not only for our readership, but for the writers who provide the awesome articles.

DISCLAIMER All the content provided for you as part of the Moon Mag has been researched thoroughly and to the best of our ability however it is your choice, and your choice only, whether you wish to invest or participate in any of the projects. We cannot be held responsible for your decisions and the consequences of your actions. We do not provide financial advice. Please DYOR and above all, enjoy the content!

CONTRIBUTORS Daniel Daniel has been a blockchain technology evangelist since 2012 and is a faithful believer in the Crypto ecosystem. Daniel also writes for Coin Telegraph!

Samantha Freelance journalist dedicated to digital media, enthusiast of the crypto ecosystem and disruptive technologies. MDC writer since 2018, currently writer for CryptoTrendencia.

Chrom Chrom here, your friendly blockchain wordsmith! I joined the crypto party in 2017, have worn many hats, and I consider myself Jack of all trades. Been working as a DAO contributor, start-up advisor & research leader. Armed with a knack for turning technical jargon into engaging content. I fuse quirkiness and professionalism to deliver informative, optimistic writing that resonates with readers.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

TRADERS PERSPECTIVE

COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA…

IF ONLY I’D… written by Lisa N. Edwards This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

We all know that feeling, “ IF ONLY I’D..” it’s that gut-wrenching feeling of missed opportunities in crypto trading, murmuring the words, “If only I’d...” as we reflect on our past decisions. Usually, with a strong emotional response, punching the wall, a strong thud to the desk, or just releasing a loud sigh. Whether it’s not holding through a massive pump, taking risks, or regretting not buying the dip, the journey of a trader is often accompanied by moments of self-reflection and, sometimes, regret. I want to explore some common trading scenarios and discuss strategies to navigate them effectively. Because let’s be honest, all of us at times need to give ourselves a good pep talk!

• • • • • • • • •

● HODLED THAT PUMP / 10 YEARS ● TOOK THE RISK ● SOLD EARLIER ● ADDED A STOP-LOSS ● TOOK SOME PROFIT ● ENTERED THAT TRADE ● FOMOED ● CLOSED THE TRADE ● BOUGHT THE DIP

HODLING Through Pumps The term “HODL” originated from a misspelled word, “hold,” and it has become a mantra for many crypto enthusiasts. While long-term holding can be a successful strategy, blindly holding through every pump without assessing market conditions may lead to missed opportunities. To avoid this, traders should stay informed about market trends, news, and fundamental developments, allowing them to make informed decisions about when to hold and when to take profits. Taking profits, especially when cycles turn from bull to bear is essential to seeing long term growth of your crypto bags.

Taking Calculated Risks Risk-taking is inherent in trading, because without risk there can be no reward, but distinguishing between calculated risks and impulsive decisions is crucial. Before entering a trade, conduct thorough research, analyse technical indicators, and consider risk-reward ratios. A well-thought-out risk management strategy can help mitigate potential losses and improve overall trading performance. Don’t do this blindly, you are using your hard earned money in these trades, don’t throw it away carelessly.

Selling Earlier and Setting Stop-Loss One of the common regrets in trading is not selling at the peak or setting a stop-loss to protect profits and it triggers and the trade takes off. Traders should establish clear entry and exit strategies before entering a position, defining profit-taking levels and stop-loss orders. I am a huge proponent of OCO Orders, one cancels the other orders, these work by either the stop loss or the sell order triggers and the other order is cancelled, hence one cancels the other. Most Centralised exchanges now have this feature.

Have a plan and stick to it. By adhering to these predefined plans, traders can minimise emotional decisionmaking and enhance their ability to capitalise on profitable opportunities.

Taking Profits Along the Way Cashing in on profits at different stages of a trade can be a prudent strategy. Setting incremental profit targets allows traders to secure gains while still participating in potential upward movements. This method not only helps in risk management but also provides a psychological advantage by reducing the emotional attachment to a single trade. With this in mind you can compound the profits into the next trade, this strategy is especially good when the markets are getting bullish and you can see your trades moving and the profits always moving to the next trade. This method also helps with the FOMO effects as having many trades open, often something is moving and making $.

Embracing Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) And this bring me to FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. This isprobably the most powerful emotion in crypto. You see that green candle take off and OMG you’re not in that trade and buy the top… Now think of that next time you go to FOMO… are you feeling lucky… or are you buying the top, it is literally a game of Russian Roulette. The FOMO feeling often leads to impulsive decisions, it can also be an indicator of market momentum. To navigate FOMO effectively, traders should strike a balance between seizing opportunities and maintaining a disciplined approach. Patience and a well-defined trading plan can help avoid irrational FOMO-driven actions.

Timing the Market: Buying the Dip Buying the dip is a popular strategy, but perfect timing is challenging for inexperienced traders; even experienced traders like myself will take a couple of bites on entries. Instead of trying to catch the absolute bottom, consider dollar-cost averaging (DCA). By spreading purchases over time, you can reduce the impact of short-term market fluctuations and accumulate assets at an average cost, potentially mitigating the impact of mistimed entries.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

What I have learned. Trading crypto is a continuous learning process, and mistakes are inevitable. The market always finds a way to humble the most outspoken traders. Keeping a trading emotions diary, is a way to move past these habits. By reflecting on past decisions, embracing a disciplined approach, and incorporating well-defined strategies, you will not only strengthen your trading game while minimising regrets, and maximising profits, because with discipline and emotional control, which is essentially embracing the right mindset, you will find the profits roll in. Remember, the key is not to eliminate mistakes entirely but to learn from them and continually improve as a trader. No one is perfect, not even me, I know that is hard to believe for many, 😉especially when they come into my trading group GettingStartedinCrypto.com and we hit a patch where a series of stop losses trigger. It’s during these times that the true test of a trader’s resilience and adaptability comes into play.

Losses are part of trading, yes, let that sink in. I know everyone hates hearing this, but embracing losses as valuable lessons rather than setbacks is crucial for personal and financial growth in trading. Navigating through these moments is a key discipline to master. Remember, success in trading (and life) is not measured by the absence of mistakes but by the ability to bounce back stronger, armed with newfound knowledge and a refined approach. Learning from stop losses is where you’ll become a more profitable trader. And remember, you never fail until you stop trying or run out of money. If you are new, start with paper trading; if you want to do it yourself, don’t risk the hard earned-until you have your strategies in place! Happy Trading!!!

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

BUY Lisa N Edwards’ Best Selling NEW Book OUT NOW!

CyberConnect and the CYBER Token Key Insights • • • • • •

CyberConnect offers an open, decentralised social graph that developers can integrate, amplifying user connections across a multi-blockchain ecosystem. Users exert complete sovereignty over their personal data, ensuring full autonomy to manage their digital connections across Web3. CyberConnect raised $25m in total funding from Multicoin Capital, Binance Labs, Animoca Brands and many more notable VCs. Embracing a blockchain-agnostic design, CyberConnect facilitates seamless interactions, freeing users from the constraints of using a single blockchain. The protocol adopts a decentralised governance structure, aligning with the ethos of secure, permissionless, and community-led development. A token-incentivised framework underpins CyberConnect, rewarding contributors who catalyse the growth of its innovative social graph.

written by Chris

image by CyberConnect

Introduction CyberConnect is a unique web3 social protocol that blends social media with blockchain technology. Usually, most blockchain projects focus on rewards and incentives, but CyberConnect tackles the SocialFI aspect of it. At its core, it allows users to take control and manage more effectively their digital identity, content, and social interactions while developers and creators can build apps and grow their audience/presence in Web3.

Decentralisation Meets Social Networking In a significant shift from traditional social networks, CyberConnect ‘took’ the decentralised approach. This model ensures users have control and freedom over their digital presence on the web. Unlike centralised platforms controlled by big companies, CyberConnect allows individuals to establish their networks and define community norms. This autonomy extends to content monitoring, empowering users rather than corporate policies to shape the discourse. The Web3 Social Revolution CyberConnect’s mission is to reshape social networking by leveraging blockchain technology to create transparent, user-controlled spaces. This new paradigm in social media focuses on a more direct, fairer environment where user data is protected and owned by the users themselves. In this piece, we lay the groundwork for exploring CyberConnect’s innovative approach to social media. In the following sections, we dive deeper into the platform’s history, technology, ecosystem, and the CYBER token that drives everything, offering a comprehensive overview of this unique project. This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Background and History So, what’s wrong with the current social media landscape? The answer lies in several critical problems that we mentioned before. CyberConnect was born to address these challenges head-on, focusing on inefficient data usage, content monetisation issues, and the high barriers to entry for new developers. The platform was conceived to revolutionise the way we interact with social media, providing a solution that grants users control over their data and eases the development process for creators. Early Strides and V2 Developments

Cyberconnect Architecture v1

CyberConnect’s journey began with the aspiration to reshape the social media space by giving users control over their own data. Addressing the inefficiencies of traditional social platforms, CyberConnect leverages blockchain technology to foster transparency and user empowerment.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

The main focus was to create a user-driven social media environment. The advancement to V2 marked a pivotal leap, marrying EVM with Arweave technology, which paved the way for content tokenisation and network expansion beyond Ethereum. This development catalysed user engagement, reflected in a surge of activity across the CyberConnect ecosystem. Towards a Resilient Web3 Network CyberConnect’s path was not without obstacles. The team faced the complexity of maintaining a unified user identity across multiple blockchain networks. The tedious process of switching networks and the necessity for users to hold various blockchain tokens underscored the need for a more robust solution. CyberConnect’s team took these challenges as opportunities to learn and start innovating, leading to the much anticipated CyberConnect V3. A Vision for a Multi-Chain Future

V3 was the breakthrough for CyberConnect. It introduced three main components: CyberAccount, CyberGraph, and CyberNetwork. • CyberAccount offers an ERC-4337-compatible identity infrastructure, while, • CyberGraph serves as a database for user content and social connections. • CyberNetwork, on the other hand, is a scalable and efficient solution to introduce the platform to a global audience. These components collectively address the need for a holistic user identity, ease network switching, and enhance scalability, marking CyberConnect’s commitment to a multi-chain future.

The Bigger Picture CyberConnect envisions a new era of user interaction, where a universal login and a decentralised social graph* minimise the friction of platform switching. This model champions data sovereignty and removes the walls between different digital communities. Developers gain access to an open-sourced social graph, freeing them to innovate rather than replicate existing social structures. CyberConnect secured $15 million in Series A VC funding in May 2022 and continues to advance towards redefining user engagement within social media, always keeping the user’s autonomy at its core.

Team & Founders CyberConnect was established in 2021, with its headquarters in Palo Alto. They have a dynamic team of more than 27 members spread across the U.S., China, Canada, and Europe. The core team comprises serial entrepreneurs and early believers in cryptocurrency, bringing a wealth of experience and innovation to the project.

Team’s retreat in Joshua Tree in 2022

Core Team

• • • • •

➢ Wilson Wei: Co-Founder & CEO. A visionary leader driving the strategic direction of CyberConnect. ➢ Abhi Raheja: Chief Marketing Officer. Spearheading marketing efforts and brand building. ➢ Ryan Li: Co-Founder, brings a depth of technical and strategic expertise to the project. ➢ Shiyu Zhang: Co-Founder. Plays a pivotal role in product development and innovation. ➢ Zhimao Liu: Co-Founder. Focuses on operational excellence and scaling CyberConnect’s impact.

This team is not just professional but extends to a shared passion for their mission. They build trust and collaborate effectively by spending time together through yearly retreats.

Achievements The team’s journey before CyberConnect is adorned with remarkable milestones, including the creation of Lino blockchain and DLive.tv, a pioneer in blockchain-powered live streaming. DLive’s staggering growth to over a million daily users and substantial revenue is a testament to the team’s capacity to innovate and captivate a global audience, further solidified by their partnership with Pewdiepie. Support and Recognition CyberConnect’s journey has garnered the support of notable investors within the tech and cryptocurrency industry, such as Multicoin Capital, Binance Labs, and Animoca Brands. CyberConnect raised in total $25 million, and has positioned the team to imprint a lasting impact on Web3’s social fabric.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

The CYBER Token Current Stats Here are the market stats of the CYBER token at the time of writing: Price

$7.70

Market Cap

$85,127,769

24h Trading Volume

$49,706,457

Circulating Supply

11,038,000

Total Supply

100,000,000

Fully Diluted Valuation

$771,224,579

SUI Stats 12/05/23 Source: CoinGecko

Official Links

Website: https://cyberconnect.me/

Docs: https://docs.cyberconnect.me/

Github: https://github.com/cyberconnecthq Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ cyberconnecthq Twitter: https://twitter.com/CyberConnectHQ

Mirror: https://mirror.xyz/cyberlab.eth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ sui-foundation/ Telegram: https://t.me/CyberConnectOfficial

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Tokenomics In May 2023, CyberConnect launched CYBER, its native token, marking a significant expansion and certainly some hype around the project from the crypto community. The public sale on CoinList introduced 3% of CYBER’s total supply of 100,000,000 tokens into circulation. This move was not just about broadening CyberConnect’s reach; it essentially opened the door for more users to get involved. The allocation for the ecosystem development stands out and shows that the team is trusting their product:

CYBER Utility • • •

Governance: Holders have the authority to vote on governance proposals shaping the future of CyberConnect. This includes decisions about service fees, protocol expansions, and budget allocations for development programs. CyberProfile Purchases: Central to the CyberConnect experience, the CyberProfile requires CYBER tokens for acquisition, particularly for premium usernames. CyberWallet Transactions: The CyberWallet is designed to streamline web3 onboarding and will utilise CYBER tokens for gas fees across various EVM-compatible chains, simplifying the user experience.

Distribution and Community Focus With a total supply of 100 million CYBER tokens, the emphasis on community rewards stands out. Approximately 12% of the total supply is earmarked for community rewards, with 2.4% allocated for early adopters and contributors. This strategy can be considered as a ‘nod’ to the community’s vital role in CyberConnect’s growth and development.

The Road Ahead By aligning governance, transactions, and user engagement under one token, CyberConnect is consolidating its vision of a blockchain-enabled social network. This tokenomics model isn’t just about facilitating transactions; it’s about embedding blockchain’s principles of decentralisation and user empowerment deeply into the social media landscape.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

image by icoanalytics

The token release schedule above shows the planned distribution of CYBER tokens over time, from May 2023 to May 2028. The graph indicates how many tokens will be released to various stakeholders in the CyberConnect ecosystem. The shaded areas under each line likely represent the confidence intervals or ranges within which the actual release amounts could vary. The lines trend upwards, indicating that more tokens will be released as time progresses, with the total number reaching a peak by May 2028. This strategy is usually implemented to prevent market flooding and to support the token’s price stability while encouraging long-term involvement in the project in its early stages. Last but not least, as of February 2024, CyberConnect has over 1 million CyberProfiles and over 320k monthly active users, which is quite impressive considering they launched their token a few months back. A lot of notable protocols are utilising their infrastructure already as well, including Messari, Lido, 1inch, and CoinMarketCap, among others.

The 3 Core Concepts CyberAccount CyberAccount is an innovative web3 identity infrastructure that ensures each user’s self-sovereignty over their digital persona. It’s composed of 4 features that work together to offer a unique and secure experience. In essence, CyberAccount is the ‘first gateway’ that empowers users and protocols in Web3, offering them control, simplicity and robust security inside the ecosystem.

Authentication & Authorization CyberAccount redefines user verification by separating the user account from the web3 wallet using cryptographic key pairs. This enables secure social recovery options and more familiar login methods, like using email or phone numbers, all while preparing to implement zero-knowledge proofs for privacy. ERC-4337 Compatibility With this feature, CyberAccount eliminates the need for network switching or having multiple tokens for gas fees, greatly simplifying the user experience. It allows CyberConnect (or any web3 application) to cover transaction fees for users, leading to what’s known as gasless transactions, a step towards a seamless multi-chain Web3 social experience.

CyberID That is your unique identifier, akin to a username but exists as an ERC-721 token. This token requires regular renewal, with the possibility of auction if not extended, ensuring active participation and engagement within the community. Initially, users can receive CYBER tokens as gas credits as a rebate for CyberID registration fees, promoting growth within the network.

Organisation Account It offers tailored features for collective management like multi-sig and access rules. For example, Link3 showcases this by allowing Web3 teams to manage their communities effectively. Verification infrastructure also ensures that associated external accounts are authenticated, adding another layer of trust and security.

CyberGraph CyberGraph improves traditional social graphs thanks to its user-centric design, enabling a decentralised, censorship-resistant feature. It’s essentially a set of smart contracts that link user identities (from CyberAccounts), enabling those data to be linked on the blockchain. Here’s an overview of how CyberGraph transforms user connections and content into a secure, transparent, and user-owned system: This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

•

➢Decentralised Content Linking: The smart contracts serve as a bridge between users’ digital identities and their content, securely recording this information onto EVM-compatible blockchains. It leverages decentralised storage like IPFS or Arweave, ensuring creators truly own their content without relying on a single platform’s database.

•

Creator Economy Growth: By allowing content to be collectable, CyberGraph opens up a new avenue for creators to engage with their audience. The collectable aspect of content, provides a permanent, verifiable way for fans to show their support, enabling creators to identify and reward their most loyal followers.

•

➢Content Sovereignty and Amplification: The protocol ensures that any interaction with content, such as comments or shares, is linked to the original piece, preserving the content’s provenance and amplifying its reach organically, similar to social media sharing in Web2.

•

➢W3ST: It stands for Web3 Status Token. It is a non-transferable NFT that symbolises a user’s community status. It’s like a digital badge of honour for active community members, fostering community growth by highlighting shared interests and backgrounds.

•

Gas-Efficient Subscription Model: Subscriptions in CyberConnect are built to empower creators with direct monetisation tools. Through a simple setup process, creators can establish a subscription logic with a monthly fee, allowing fans to access exclusive content in exchange for their support. This self-sovereign approach to monetisation respects the creator’s autonomy over their work and audience.

•

➢Customisable Middleware Architecture: This design offers developers the flexibility to implement custom logic, enhancing the default actions within the social network. This modularity enables developers to tailor experiences to specific community needs, such as access control based on NFT ownership, providing a versatile foundation for diverse Web3 applications.

CyberNetwork CyberNetwork is the last component, still in development. It’s an ambitious step forward, in a quest to solve the scalability challenges faced by most Web3 social networks. Essentially, the team wants to introduce a more cost-effective solution for handling social data, with much lower fees being paid by its users. Here’s a concise overview of the CyberNetwork and its goals:

An AI-generated image, CyberNetwork reimagined

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

•

➢Scalability Challenge: CyberNetwork recognises that while blockchains offer a secure and transparent way to handle social interactions, the associated costs are a significant barrier to mass adoption.

•

➢Cost-Effective Data Management: The initiative is focused on developing a more affordable mechanism for storing and managing social data on the blockchain, which will facilitate the growth of web3 social networks without users incurring unnecessary expenses.

It is a future development for now, but it underscores CyberConnect’s commitment to evolve in the Web3 landscape, ensuring that the protocol remains at the forefront of innovation while improving efficiency for its users.

Exploring Use Cases and the Future of CyberConnect The possibilities of how CyberConnect can position itself in this market are many. For example, the decentralised social graph is a network of unilateral paths amongst diverse blockchain addresses, which lays the foundation for a variety of innovative applications to be built upon. Here’s a breakdown of some prospective use cases and how CyberConnect is steering the future of social interaction in the Web3 space: Decentralised Social Media Applications By leveraging CyberConnect’s open social graph, developers can orchestrate Web 3.0 versions of popular platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, and X. This integration allows for the creation of media apps that enable users to manage their own data and social connections without the constraints of centralisation that we experience today. Instant Messaging (IM) Applications The protocol allows the creation of Web 3.0 IM applications by using the bidirectional sub-graph as a contact list. This approach significantly lowers the barrier for users transitioning to new platforms, ensuring their social connections remain intact and portable across different apps. Blockchain Games Integrating social graph data into blockchain games can significantly enhance social features, allowing players to communicate and interact with their on-chain friends with ease. As users increase, contributing to the growth of this graph, the network effect is strengthened, benefiting all applications that utilise the CyberConnect Protocol. CyberChat CyberChat is set to be an innovative Web3 chatting app that enables trustless messaging between blockchain users. Users will be able to socialise and interact with each other using their crypto assets. Decentralised Identifiers (DIDs) DIDs are a set of identifier standards that allow users to verify their digital identity without the need for any centralised registries. In the future, CyberConnect seeks to utilise DIDs to create a unique global identifier for each Web3 user, enhancing security and ensuring the integrity of user data through DID signatures. A Multi-Use Ecosystem It’s worth noting that those features above are just the beginning of CyberConnect. The most intriguing part is that these applications are not just theoretical; they are already shaping the creation of trustless Web3 products, exemplifying the protocol’s potential, and showcasing how it can underpin a plethora of Web3 applications for its users.

What We See CyberConnect isn’t merely iterating on existing models; it’s redefining them. The platform envisions a future where direct-to-address messaging becomes the norm, breaking down barriers and forging stronger connections within the Web3 space. What we see is a unified team aligned with the same goals and an innovative spirit that can reshape our social interactions. CyberConnect’s vision is slowly coming to fruition, proving to us that the team is not just building products to gain users but wants to redefine the way that we interact in social media. The promise of a decentralised, interconnected future is closer than ever now.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

written by Samantha Jimenez

Steps To Strengthen Web Security In Crypto

Security in Cryptocurrency is increasingly becoming an undisputed priority for all users who wish to selfprotect their digital assets, both on and offline. Cybersecurity plays a vital role in protecting against digital threats that could put virtual transactions and wallets at risk. We are about to address some strategies that will allow you to improve the security of your website when interacting with cryptocurrencies, starting from hygiene habits when browsing online to considerations and tools to consider when using smart contracts and bridges between networks. These are practical tips to follow whether you are a beginner or a more experienced user.

1.- Cybersecurity Habits Although it may seem obvious and straightforward, the hygiene habits when web surfing can protect users from many threats. It is the first stick against cyber-attacks, and it is not advisable to underestimate its importance. To this end, it is essential to establish robust security passwords, constantly update the anti-virus on devices, thoroughly filter the information shared online, and check in detail the links and downloads that could lead the user to malware attacks. To do so, consider these tips: Safe internet browsing: Maintain safe internet browsing. That is, avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious links, try to use secure websites (HTTPS), and do not access pages that may expose the security of your data. Update the anti-virus software regularly: It is essential to have anti-virus software that is up to date. This way, you will minimise possible attacks, and always remember that it is crucial to carry out the necessary updates to ensure its effectiveness. This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Be careful with shared information: Be cautious about the information you share online and avoid providing sensitive data, such as passwords or financial information, unless you are on a trusted website. Strong passwords: Cliche but necessary, the user must create secure passwords that include a combination of special characters, numbers and letters. Avoid using obvious or shared passwords. Use password managers to store and manage your credentials securely. Also, consider changing them regularly. https://1password.com/ Be careful what you download: Scammers may send links or attachments that can infect our devices with malware. Always verify the sender and content of the message before clicking on any links or downloading any attachments. Only download software and files from verified websites. Check for spelling and grammatical errors: Official companies always take great care to ensure that their communications are free of spelling and grammatical errors. Therefore, if you notice errors in this regard, you could face a phishing attempt and set off alarm bells. Be careful about what you post on social media: Cybercriminals can use the information shared on social media platforms to accomplish social media engineering attacks, even when it seems safe, and limiting the personal details shared online is wise. On the other hand, AI can help prevent any incident by studying unusual behaviours associated with the account that could get linked to a scam.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

2. More wallets, More Security The concentration of funds in a single wallet represents a significant risk in the event of a compromise, and the solution lies in wallet diversification. Creating multiple wallets with the same seed but with different purposes and self-imposed rules becomes an effective strategy. For example, allocating one wallet for long-term storage of funds and transacting from another reduces the vulnerability risk, which may entail an additional fee but provides one more security layer to the user. To this recommendation, it is essential to add hardware wallets shielding digital assets. A hardware wallet is a tangible device that safeguards the private keys of your cryptocurrencies offline, adding further security. These keys are essential for accessing and managing your digital assets, and by keeping them disconnected from the internet, the risk of exposure to online threats such as viruses, malware, or hacking is reduced significantly. There are many different hardware wallet options in the market that we have even featured in past editions, such as Ledger Nano X. However, in this edition, we will highlight two options, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced user. In this regard, we can mention Trezor’s most recent release Trezor Safe 3, which emerges as a comprehensive solution for the selfcustody of digital assets. This advanced hardware wallet offers a unique combination of ease of use and robust security features that protect your assets effectively.

It provides extensive support for over 8000 currencies and tokens, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, strengthening your ability to manage diverse assets securely. Highlights the ability to enter sensitive information directly into the device, keeping data offline and safe from remote threats. Trezor’s characteristic security, backed by its open-source code, ensures that vulnerabilities don’t exist, setting the standard in digital asset protection. Not to mention incorporate a secure element that provides an additional layer of defence against physical attacks in the event of device loss. OTHER OPTIONS Another option for more advanced users is Coldcard Wallet Coldcard provides security and confidence in managing your bitcoins; Coldcard Wallet is an ultra-secure, open-source hardware wallet option for Bitcoin storage. Designed to focus on Bitcoin, Coldcard offers unique features, such as private key storage on specialised chips and implementing immovable spending rules when the “HSM Mode” (Hardware Security Module) is activated. It also stands out as a cold card device by saving the initial words and private keys on specialised chips designed to safeguard secrets securely. This approach physically isolates crucial information from potential online attacks.

Only signing device (hardware wallet) with the option to avoid ever being connected to a computer for its full life cycle: from seed generation to transaction signing. Uses PSBT (BIP174) natively! Key benefits of hardware wallets It’s possible to highlight the advantages and benefits offered not only by diversifying our assets in several wallets but also by storing them in hardware wallets. The utilisation of offline storage methods in cryptocurrency management offers distinct advantages, primarily enhanced security derived from disconnection from the internet. This isolation ensures total control over cryptographic keys and consequently, ownership of cryptocurrencies. Simultaneously, the offline storage paradigm safeguards assets from vulnerabilities posed by viruses and malware, as the stored information remains immune to online threats.

3. Sign with caution and protect your cryptocurrencies from unreliable contracts One of the standard practices we encounter within the crypto ecosystem is the excitement of participating in airdrops and swaps or adding liquidity to liquidity pools, which can lead users to interact with contracts from their primary wallets. However, this practice is not without risk, and the key is to ensure that these are reliable contracts and not malicious data-harvesting replicas commonly known as phishing. When it comes to smart contracts, verification is essential, and therefore, here are some tips and tools that, while they won’t guarantee your safety, can help you minimise the risks associated with interacting with cryptos in the web space. Consult an explorer such as Etherscan. Copy the contract address and run a query in a trusted browser, such as Etherscan. A “public tag” indicates that the browser recognises the contract as secure. Check the number of transactions. An under-utilised contract can be a warning sign. Look at the number of transactions that have been made with it. If it is low, this could be a cause for caution. Verify source code Source code verification is a crucial step. Although it does not guarantee total security, a verified source code indicates that it is public and possible to review. Malicious contracts often hide their code to execute fraudulent activities, and for this, you can turn to tools such as Etherscan, Sourcify, and Tenderly.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Revoke unused permissions Security also lies in actively managing permissions. If you do not plan to use a contract shortly, consider revoking the permissions you granted. Platforms such as revoke.cash makes this process easy, although it is essential to note that it can involve costs on the blockchain. Be wary of unexpected tokens. Be aware of tokens that appear in your wallet without warning. Some attackers try to lure users to malicious websites, interact with fraudulent contracts and steal other tokens from the wallet. While airdrops happen it is essential to verify the source. Free extensions that you can use as prevention tools There are several extension tools that can be useful when protecting your crypto and wallets. POCKET UNIVERSE: A shield against scams and drainers in Web3 This project offers up to $2000 insurance if you lose assets while under our protection. https://www.pocketuniverse.app/

CHAOS LABS: on-chain economic security system enabling crypto protocols to optimise risk management and capital efficiency while protecting user funds. https://chaoslabs.xyz/ Employing browser extensions for security protection is of paramount importance in today’s digital landscape. While scams are around, it may be impossible to beat them all, and often we are lucky not to be affected; these extensions act as robust tools that augment the overall security posture of online activities. By integrating additional layers of defence, such as ad blockers, anti-phishing, and script blockers, these extensions fortify your online environment against a myriad of potential threats. Moreover, they contribute to a more secure browsing experience by identifying and neutralising malicious content, protecting sensitive information, and mitigating the risks associated with various cyber threats. As online vulnerabilities continue to evolve, leveraging security-focused browser extensions has become an indispensable practice for individuals and organisations alike, providing a proactive defence mechanism in the face of sneaky scammers. MORE INTERESTING EXTENSIONS:

WALLET GUARD: Advanced open-source browser extension that identifies scams & wallet drainers before they interact with your preferred wallet. https://www.walletguard.app/ BLOWFISH: Blowfish makes it easy to identify & stop fraud before it happens with 10+ chains supported. https://blowfish.xyz/

WEBACY: Webacy is a security suite of noncustodial, no-access services built to improve safety on the blockchain. One of their key features is a CRYPTO WILL, allowing wallet owners to pass on their digital assets safely and securely, https:// www.webacy.com/

Keep Your NFTs SAFE! Fire Extension is the solution to fake mints in the NFT world https://www.joinfire.xyz/

Fake mining practices, known as phishing, are common challenges in NFT scams. These fraudulent occurrences get frequently plagiarised, replicating the look and feel of specific collection websites or well-known marketplaces such as Opensea or Solanart.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Fire is a Chrome extension to manage NFT minting. This tool is the perfect solution for those looking for security and transparency in their web transactions. This tool simulates transactions and shows you exactly what will go in and out of your wallet before you sign a contract, which is essential to identify and avoid possible fake minting.

4. Make sure of the reliability of the bridges before using them In any blockchain ecosystem, each chain has its own unique currency and assets that operate within that network. Yet, when users want to make transactions that go beyond their usual network, it gets tricky. That’s where bridges come in. These tools are designed to connect different blockchain networks, making it simpler to exchange information and value in a decentralised manner. With the emergence of DeFi, challenges like interoperability and liquidity issues among various blockchains became evident. Bridges were introduced as a solution to this problem, facilitating communication between networks. This allows users to transfer their assets seamlessly from one network to another without complications. However, while bridges address this specific issue, they bring about a potential security risk due to their operation

involving both on-chain and off-chain validation processes. Practical example: Let’s take Peter as an example. He wants to send ETH from the Ethereum mainnet to get the representation of the ETH token on the Solana network. To do this, he uses a bridge following these steps:

• • • • • •

Visit the bridge website. Connect your wallet to the bridge application. Choose the network to which you will transfer the tokens. Approve the transaction. Performs the swap. Once the transactions are confirmed, it receives the tokens in the chosen network.

As we can see, it is possible to communicate and transfer assets between networks in a single operation, reducing complexity. However, a critical question arises: what happens if a bridge is hacked, or how do I know if it is legitimate? To prevent or mitigate the risks associated with using bridges and to ensure a secure experience in the crypto space, there are several tools and improved practices.

Image Source https://coinpedia.org/

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Additionally, Atomic swaps, often referred to as cross-chain swaps, represent a technology facilitating the direct exchange of diverse cryptocurrencies or digital assets between two parties. What sets atomic swaps apart is their ability to enable this exchange without relying on an intermediary or a centralised exchange. Operating on smart contracts, atomic swaps function on a trustless basis, meaning both parties involved are assured that their obligations will be met throughout the swap process. Smart contract audit services: Look for industry-recognised smart contract auditing services. Companies such as Certik, OpenZeppelin and ConsenSys Diligence offer auditing services to assess the security and robustness of bridge smart contract code. Project rating websites Some websites rate and review DeFi projects, including bridges. These sites often provide information on project security, audits, and team reputation. Examples include DeBank, DeFi Pulse and DeFi Safety. URL Verification Make sure the bridge URL is authentic and corresponds to the legitimate project. Avoid potential phishing attacks by carefully verifying the website address.

Bridges are essential tools that significantly expand users’ capabilities in the crypto ecosystem, and while they offer benefits, it is imperative to use them cautiously and understand the associated risks.

5. From X announcements to enhanced security: Transforming protection with a more effective 2FA Lately, there’s been a concerning surge in cryptocurrency scammers using social media like X to promote fake projects. Despite claims that these platforms thoroughly check advertiser accounts, scammers are getting better at bypassing verification. Meanwhile, relying on SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) has proved to be risky. Recent hacks, including high-profile individuals like Vitalik Buterin, reveal the danger of SIM swap attacks on SMS-based 2FA. Essentially, attackers trick the phone company into thinking they’re the real user, allowing them to transfer the number to a new SIM card and gain access to 2FA codes sent via SMS. According to Zachxbt on X, whose bio reads, “Rug pull survivor turned 2D detective” There were at least 54 SIM swap attacks in just four months of 2023, causing financial losses of at least USD 13.3 million.

Yubico: Raising the safety bar https://www.yubico.com/

To address SIM SWAP issues, a practical solution is to switch to a 2FA system based on a physical security key, like the ones provided by companies such as Yubico. One of their popular products is the YubiKey, a compact device that connects through USB, Bluetooth, or NFC. This device adds an extra layer of security to online authentication processes. Its main function is to ensure two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA), reducing risks associated with cyber threats like phishing or password theft. By requiring both the physical YubiKey and traditional user information like passwords, users can securely confirm their identity, effectively closing the vulnerability gap in the current 2FA system.

YubiKey 5 Series

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Products not vulnerable to SIM swapping attacks

STAYING SAFE Cryptocurrency offers numerous advantages, BUT it’s crucial to recognise the inherent risks due to decentralisation and transaction pseudoanonymity. Both benefits and challenges coexist, underscoring the importance of understanding tools available for enhancing crypto asset security. At the MOON MAG, our focus revolves around understanding potential risks and employing cutting-edge tools to effectively mitigate them, ensuring a higher level of safety for our community. By highlighting essential tools that are accessible to us and have FREE options we can explore and experiment in a safer environment. Some of these tools not only identify potential scams and

fraudulent projects but also continuously monitor websites for threats, allowing us to sleep peacefully knowing our crypto is protected. The most important thing is always to stay vigilant; with new projects and tokens emerging regularly, neglecting to investigate and verify their legitimacy exposes us to potential scams. Utilising verification platforms and trusting secure communities minimises the risk of falling victim to fraudulent schemes. While nothing is failsafe, it’s important to stay informed, remain vigilant, and actively engage with reputable sources to enhance our defences against evolving threats in cryptocurrency continually. Stay Safe and CRYPTO on!

Airdrop Season 2024: How To Participate

written by Daniel Jimemez

After an extended crypto winter, everything indicates that the next bull run is just around the corner, following the SEC’s historic decision and a series of macroeconomic factors that point to a new price hike in the market. With this expectation and after the juicy airdrops at the end of the last quarter of 2023, many industry specialists indicate that we are in a new Airdrop Season, which promises to deliver appealing profits to those hunters who are farming some of the projects that have confirmed an intriguing allocation of their tokenomics for their early adopters! Due to the frenzy of free (sometimes not so free) tokens from promising projects in the industry, airdrop farming has become so popular that it has become a full-time job for many newbies and more experienced players in the ecosystem.

This time, we will take you on a cryptographic journey through some of the season’s significant and most promising airdrops and, of course, a guide with some tips on how to find the incoming airdrops!

Airdrop Explained If you are a newcomer to the industry, you may have encountered the term ‘airdrop’ many times while browsing this space. In crypto, ‘airdrop’ is distributing cryptocurrencies for free as a proportion or reward to a specific community of project users, usually at a young age. Airdrops occur to promote a new project or to give back to users who participate in certain activities, which can be completely free or sometimes require the payment of some transaction fees to claim it. Whatever the case, the airdrop gets distributed to those wallets that meet the criteria to receive the respective tokens in a pre-set amount decided by the team behind the project.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Airdrops can be an award for holding the token/currency of a given project, performing promotional activities, or simply registering for a project account. Regardless of the case, airdrops should be taken with great care, especially from unknown projects, because of the potential exposure of interaction with malicious contracts from some rug pulls. In that sense, the most common recommendation if you are an airdrop hunter is to participate with a secure wallet different from your usual one to minimise potential scam risks. The advantages for some projects of running an airdrop are varied and range from establishing a community to quick and instant results to low-cost marketing that allows you to generate exposure for an early-stage project. The first cryptocurrency airdrop on record was in 2014 when Auroracoin distributed its native cryptocurrency, AUR. To date, the juiciest airdrop in history has been that of the decentralised exchange Uniswap (UNI), which, according to a Coingecko report, was valued at $6.433 billion, based on the highest ever value (ATH) of the UNI token of $42.88 billion.

Apecoin’s airdrop and dYdX followed it, amassing $11.99 billion and comprising 45.1% of the top 50 biggest crypto airdrops in recent years. But there is no doubt that the airdrop season has heated up again with the recent delivery of the JTO token in Q4-2023 among the user base of the Solana-based liquid staking protocol Jito, in a similar model to that applied by Uniswap in September 2020 that left five figures on average to the majority of its users.

Tips To Find The Next Big Airdrop Now that you know that an airdrop like the Celestia project launched in December 2023 can generate returns (in case of a hold) of up to 100x the initial value awarded, there are a few tips that can work to point the way in your search for the next big airdrop in the ecosystem.

1.- Security first and foremost: The first thing you must do to participate in an airdrop, as mentioned above, is to have a new and secure wallet, different from the one you usually use for your current crypto operations. This measure will protect you from potential scam projects and will not compromise your funds. 2.- Organisation: Due to the large number of protocols and airdrop opportunities present in the industry, applying selection criteria to those potentially useful and organising them can be an excellent way to keep track of the activities that will allow them to be at the top of the ranking to qualify for a generous sum of coins at the time of the airdrop execution.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

3. Hold or sell: This is a constant debate between communities, project stakeholders, and speculators by trade. While there is no recipe to give on this point, it is good to check some emblematic airdrop cases in history to gain a broader vision when choosing a strategy to follow. a. UNI: The decentralised exchange token was issued in September 2020 to an average of 400 UNI per wallet that met the criteria specified by the Uniswap team. During its release on the major exchanges, the 400 UNI tokens averaged $1200. But then, when the bull run came the following year, the valuation of the 400 UNI was estimated at an average of $17,000. Nevertheless, the token currently trades at an average of $5 per unit. b. TIA: The Celestia token dropped last December 2023 and had an average listing price of $3.5. One month later, the token is trading at an average of $18, which meant some airdrop benefactors jumped from $5,000 to about $40,000. One of Celestia’s great successes has been a transparent, uncomplicated, lowfarmed airdrop and a solid use case like few others that has generated interest in the industry. c. ARB: Arbitrum’s token dropped in March 2023 at an average price of $11.1, but in less than an hour, it plummeted almost 90% to trade at just over $1.1 per ARB token. Arbitrum is a layer2 solution established in 2021, and among the reasons for the initial sharp drop in the value of its ARB token is the overvaluation of its network and the drop in tokens amid a mighty crypto winter.

4. Check each airdrop criteria: Many airdrop hunters invest a lot of time, and sometimes even resources, to farm potential airdrops in the hope of having a significant amount of free money in their wallet. The history of airdrops has shown that airdrops are only sometimes good in terms of cost-effectiveness if one considers the amount of time to invest and even some resources to interact with decentralised chains or applications that award grades on the tasks set by the projects among the eligibility criteria. An example is the Haqq project ($ISLM), which delivered only ten liquid tokens on average per wallet, or about $3, during its broadly publicised airdrop in October 2023. Considering the $400M funding the project raised and the many tasks to apply for the eligibility criteria, the airdrop disappointed many users due to its vesting criteria.

Haqq’s case reveals what the CEO of Oasis.app told Cointelegraph in an interview last year:

“The cost of hunting airdrops can quickly outweigh their value if they don’t become a top-tier protocol.” In addition, Haqq’s airdrop clarified that loyalty to a project is only sometimes well rewarded. Many users interacted with the project with basic activities such as staking and voting in decentralised governance, and given the team’s inclination to reward participants of their Galxe campaign in their exclusive airdrop, they still needed to be more eligible.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Where to find the biggest airdrops While protocols are increasingly creative in devising innovative ways of deciding when and who receives an assignment, making the likelihood of spending more time and money on airdrops unprofitable, the industry continues to give opportunities that can, sometimes, compensate for the invested efforts. Social media The first place to find airdrops is undoubtedly social media platforms, such as X, where certain accounts supervise projects with some allowance for this type of reward within their tokenomics. GSIC is an excellent example of this, as they have a section on their official website for Airdrops in their ‘Crypto Bytes’ area.

The advantage of GSIC over other websites focused on providing alerts on potential incoming airdrops is the verification of campaigns by GSIC’s professional team before publication, offering an additional layer of protection against potential scams in this sector. Some accounts to stay informed about incoming airdrops in X can be Airdrop Alert Daily, Airdrop Adventure and Airdrop Official. All of these accounts are verified on X and offer regular content about some potential airdrops in the industry. Airdrops website In addition to the GSIC portal, a popular platform for keeping up to date on the various airdrop reward project campaigns is Airdrop Alert, which also provides detailed steps to participate in each of these airdrops.

On the other hand, price indicators such as Coinmarketcap and Coingecko regularly offer content related to the airdrops of different projects in the industry, even offering some exclusive airdrops for the users of these platforms in alliance with specific projects to execute some particular tasks.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Like the previously mentioned price aggregators, blockchain analysis tools, like DappRadar, also offer relevant information on incoming airdrops associated with some blockchain projects.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Crypto exchanges Another good starting point is to review the various centralised exchanges available on the market, which regularly run airdrop campaigns for their user base when a new project listing occurs on their platform.

Web3 Quest to Earn Platform In addition to the previous options, users can explore platforms focused on growing web communities3, such as Galxe, Zealy, SoQuest and Layer3. These platforms offer diverse projects in different categories that allow you to align with your interests and skills to capture campaigns focused on delivering airdrops to users who complete them.

Tokenomics analysis with on-chain tools One of my favourite tools for its accuracy and reliability is undoubtedly the tokenomics study of the industry’s emerging projects with the help of a chain analysis supported by free tools and, of course, with the support of social media networks and official blogs of the projects to follow. With so many emerging projects in the industry, it is challenging to keep track of or verify whether they will grant any rewards to their users and then keep up with the tasks set out as criteria for eligibility.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

In that sense, DefiLlama offers a section called ‘Tokenless protocols that may airdrop’, which can serve as a starting point to analyse the tokenomics available in the whitepapers of the projects listed there.

Another appealing place to start is to follow the money flow from considerable venture capital (VC) firms. Most protocols are almost always securely developed under the influence of VC funding, and following their money flow is an excellent way to investigate new protocols to check for possible airdrops. For this, you can use tools like Dealflow or Cryptorank to visualise which projects are receiving funding from industry heavyweights.

Once we have selected our target project, we can browse their social media platforms, blogs or websites to get their tokenomics and analyse if they have any percentage aimed at their community. If the project includes distribution to your community, verify that it is through free incentives so that you can guarantee that your efforts will be rewarded through free distributions and not through campaigns that require some other investment, such as liquidity mining. An important step here is to compare tokenomics between new and past successful projects that have delivered successful airdrops. For this, you can use the UnlockInsights tool.

On the other hand, social media monitoring will be crucial to stay in tune with the campaigns related to potential airdrops that the project decides to run and thus be able to participate on time with the eligibility criteria.

Here, you can rely on tools such as LunarCrush to monitor market trends on social media and filter for ads related to your target: airdrops.

Lastly, tools like Earnifi can be convenient when tracking potential airdrops in our wallets that are about to expire and that we are eligible for, even if we aren’t aware!

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag. com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Other similar tools with EVM string restrictions are earndrop and airdrops.fyi

Big airdrops for 2024 In this 2024 season, some projects that have achieved significant funding and have shown meaningful development throughout 2023 may get to launch their native tokens through airdrops. Based on the expectations they have generated in the community, here is a list of projects to consider if you are an airdrop hunter! 1.- LayerZero: It was known from day one that it would have native tokenisation as it appears in the whitepaper, but many people still doubted it would happen until the team confirmed the launch of their ZRO token for June 2024. From campaigns on Galxe to interaction with the protocol and dApps deployed on their Merkly network, the options are diverse for eligibility. 2.- Taiko Testnet: With five past Testnet phases, Taiko may be another option for a nice airdrop in 2024. From bridge to swap to deploying smart contracts in your network, these are the options to score points in your airdrop’s eligibility criteria for native tokenisation. 3.- Starknet: This is another of the big airdrops expected for 2024. They have offered different quests for users to interact with the ecosystem built in Starknet throughout 2023 and later be able to apply to the airdrop of their STRK token. 4.- SmartLayer: On January 4th, the team confirmed its airdrop for the SLN native token to reward users based on their activity in completed tasks in the Smart Pass, its SmarCat game and the in-game NFTs that can still be purchased through the marketplace, with a total of 20% of the supply going to the community as an incentive. 5.- LINEA: The project has recently verified that the airdrop is 100% confirmed according to criteria established as proof of humanity (POH) for claiming tokens and XP points earned during completed and ongoing campaigns associated with Linea. 6.- Berachain Testnet: In January, this Cosmos-based L1 network announced the arrival of its official testnet, which will be the principal interaction base for users who wish to be eligible for the airdrop of their native BERA token. In the early days of the Berachain Testnet, the network experienced difficulties handling the high demand of users interested in interacting with its network, just over 100,000 in just three days. 7.- ZkSync: Since April 2023, the project has announced its intentions to launch an airdrop on its native token for those users who interact with the vast ZkSync Era ecosystem. Like Starknet and LayerZero, they are among the most anticipated airdrops this year. This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

8.- Cosmos: Not precisely the airdrop to get ATOM. But, as with other ecosystems, Cosmos users have benefited from staking their ATOM to receive generous airdrops in their wallets, often without interacting with the emerging protocols. So, it is worth blocking some ATOMs and interacting with different protocols launched on the Cosmos network that do not yet have tokens to qualify for future airdrops within this ecosystem.

9.- Celestia: Similar to Cosmos, users in the growing Celestia ecosystem benefit from the ripple effect of this airdrop season with projects looking to capture new users and increase their metrics and exposure in the industry. Wandering the Celestia network and observing potential projects to interact with is an excellent way to cultivate promising airdrops. 10.- Other ecosystems: Beyond the networks mentioned, users should pay attention to ecosystems such as Solana, Avalanche, BNB Chain and, of course, ‘The King’ Ethereum. The sectors are diverse, and the opportunities are gigantic across the industry. Some confirmed airdrops with high expectations include Blast L2, Ethermail, De.Fi, Over Protocol, Zora Network, DeBank, Base, ZetaChain, Lens Protocol, Hyperliquid, Venom Network, Supra Oracles, Scroll, Wormhole, Eigen Layer, Swell and others. Add to the previous list the existing opportunities for second-season airdrops from established projects such as Arbitrum, Aptos, Optimism, Sei and hundreds of protocols of the blockchain networks.

Manta Network and the MNT Token

written by Chris

Key Insights • • • • • •

➢Mantle Network is an optimistic L2 rollup, improving and scaling the Ethereum blockchain while being EVM compatible. ➢The Mantle DA ensures data availability, reinforcing the network’s transparency and reliability. ➢Mantle has one of the strongest governance models in DeFi, reflecting a DAO-driven commitment to adaptability. ➢Tokenomics highlight the dual-role MNT token, fuelling governance participation and network utility. ➢Mantle allocated $200m for early-stage Web3 startups and new innovative protocols. ➢The roadmap indicates a continuous pursuit of technological advancements in layer-1 and layer-2 solutions while exploring further improvements.

Introduction Mantle was created by BitDAO, and represents a unique solution in the blockchain trilemma, serving as a beacon of advancement in Ethereum’s scalability quest. BitDAO was renowned for its significant investor backing, including industry giants like Peter Thiel, Pantera Capital and GSIC, who steered Mantle Network’s direction. It’s a venture where the BIT token wasn’t just symbolising proper governance but also fueled the creation of Mantle and a whole new era for the DAO. In May 2023, BitDAO rebranded to Mantle and grabbed headlines for its strategic implementation and approach of how a DAO can allocate its resources to create something that actually helps the whole Ethereum ecosystem. This consolidation of brand and token, with an overwhelming community vote in favour, marked a new chapter for every contributor and community member of the DAO.

Background Mantle is not a typical Layer-2 solution. It’s a modular Ethereum L2 solution designed to optimise the interplay of various blockchain components. Initially created in June 2022, Mantle aims to harmonise data availability, performance, and security. As a compatible network with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Mantle offers a familiar environment for developers, easing the transition and utilisation of Ethereum’s robust toolset. Mantle’s architecture is a masterpiece of blockchain engineering, integrating optimistic rollups with an advanced data availability solution. This design choice means computation and state storage are handled off-chain, allowing for batch processing of transactions. The result? A remarkable increase in throughput and a significant reduction in operational costs.

Mantle’s Rebranding and Vision By voting overwhelmingly in favour of this rebranding, the community demonstrated its trust in Mantle’s vision and its commitment to fostering sustained growth for stakeholders. Mantle’s vision is crystal clear: to provide a hyperscalable Ethereum network without compromising on security. This objective addresses a critical gap in the blockchain industry where existing scaling solutions often sacrifice security for efficiency. Mantle Network, with its roll-up technology and decentralised data availability layer, strikes a fine balance between efficiency, performance, and security.

Mantle Network and the Layer-2 What sets Mantle Network apart from other layer2’s is not just its technicalities. It’s the strength of its ecosystem, the contributors around the network and the SocialFi aspect they are trying to bring forth. The $MNT token supports builders on the Mantle network, encompassing everything from initial building support with advanced tooling to goto-market strategies. This comprehensive support system is bolstered by access to a vast Web3 user base, enabling builders to connect with their target audience more effectively. Last but not least, governance in Mantle is a testament to the principles of decentralisation. Key decisions are subject to the democratic process of voting by the $MNT token holders, ensuring that every significant change reflects the community’s will.

Background and Progress of Mantle Network

as a layer-2 modular network on Ethereum, Mantle has evolved into an expansive ecosystem encompassing various modules and tokens, all aimed at enhancing the user’s experience. 2023 was a year of growth and innovation for Mantle, marked by significant milestones and core launches. Let’s showcase some of these:

Key Developments and Achievements On-Chain Metrics Mantle Network achieved a new peak in on-chain activity, recording an all-time high in transactions per second on December 20, 2023, primarily due to a surge in inscriptions. The network’s Sequencer, Data Availability (DA), and Explorer modules remained stable and fully operational throughout this period of heightened activity. Foundation Building The first half of 2023 saw Mantle focusing on establishing the fundamentals of a modular Layer-2 rollup. This included a partnership with EigenLayer for the data availability module, ensuring high throughput at reduced costs while maintaining security anchored to Ethereum. The network also launched a $200 million EcoFund, providing vital support to innovative DeFi projects to accelerate their success. Ecosystem Expansion The Ecosystem now has Mantle Network, Mantle Governance, Mantle Treasury (one of the largest on-chain treasuries), and an Ether (ETH) liquid staking protocol — Mantle LSP. The latter half of the year saw the release of Mantle Network Mainnet Alpha, providing developers and users access to an ecosystem of mainnet dApps and various developer tools.

Mantle is less than one year old but has made significant strides over the past year. Established This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

NFT Collection and Community Engagement The launch of the Citizens of Mantle NFT collection allowed users to acquire unique Mantle companions, either through complimentary mint or secondary market bidding. The collection saw significant engagement, with approximately 38,000 holders and the release of 19,000 additional traits for customisation. Mantle also introduced the Mantle Journey, an ecosystem engine tracking community activity within Mantle’s ecosystem, with a substantial 25M $MNT reward pool for distribution.

Collaborations and Partnerships Mantle collaborated with ecosystem allies for the Mantle Moonshot event, distributing token reward pools to participants. The network also showcased various apps, featuring significant ecosystem partners and unlocking the potential of collaborative projects for user benefits. Liquid Staking Protocol The introduction of the Mantle Liquid Staking Protocol (LSP) marked a significant step in Mantle’s journey. As a permissionless, non-custodial ETH liquid staking protocol, it has garnered over $340k in TVL and over 150,000 ETH staked since its launch. The target APY was set at 7.2%, with the DoubleDose Drive” initiative beginning in late December 2023. Token Innovations The launch of $mETH and $mUSD, yield-bearing tokens, positioned Mantle as a leader in providing native yield to its users. $mETH serves as a receipt token for Mantle’s liquid staking protocol, offering additional boosts

to holders through various dApp integrations. Meanwhile, $mUSD, a tokenised bearer note and its rebasing version, emerged as a significant addition to the ecosystem. Governance and Treasury Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Mantle (as BitdDAO’s governance and treasury were quite substantial). Mantle’s governance saw active participation from the community, with proposals focused on the allocation of treasury resources, the establishment of the Mantle EcoFund, and the optimisation of $MNT tokenomics. Notable proposals that passed include MIP-28, which actively deploys Mantle Treasury resources to support ecosystem growth, and MIP-27, addressing migration smart contracts. Ecosystem Growth: Mantle’s partnerships expanded, forging ties with numerous protocols across various sectors. The network also hosted a series of AMAs featuring prominent leaders in the industry and providing insights into Mantle’s ecosystem.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

source: Mantle’s blog

Community Engagement: Mantle Network’s community saw impressive growth, with a significant following across social media platforms. The team’s presence at global events and co-hosting opportunities with ecosystem initiatives further solidified Mantle’s footprint in the blockchain industry. Hackathon Participation: Mantle actively engaged in the developer community by sponsoring and co-hosting 28 hackathons in 2023. This initiative fostered innovation and creativity among builders, with over 960 project submissions received.

source: Mantle’s blog

Their focus remains on continuous technical upgrades, expanding yield-bearing assets, enhancing community engagement programs, and fostering collaborations with other protocols and industry leaders. The network’s commitment to providing high throughput and reduced transaction fees continues to be a cornerstone of its strategy. Mantle’s journey thus far showcases a robust and innovative approach to scaling the Ethereum network, with a clear vision for future growth and development in the blockchain industry.

A DAO-Driven Model Mantle Network’s approach to leadership and governance deviates from the traditional model of having founders or a core team steering the ship. Instead, it embodies a decentralised ethos, with the Mantle Network being guided by its DAO. This model emphasises community-driven decision-making, a concept at the core of many blockchain projects, although Mantle is doing it perfectly so far: A Community-Centric Approach: In the absence of a traditional hierarchical structure, Mantle Network’s direction and decisions are made through its DAO. This setup ensures that every member holding $MNT tokens has a say in the project’s future. It’s democracy in action, with the network’s path shaped by the collective will of its community.

The Role of Influencers and Contributors: While Mantle Network doesn’t have designated founders in the conventional sense, key early contributors such as jacobc.eth and Ben Zhou played pivotal roles in shaping its initial vision. They were instrumental in proposing and nurturing the early ideas that would eventually form the foundation of Mantle Network. Focus on Ecosystem Growth: Mantle Network’s leadership style is deeply intertwined with its commitment to growing a sustainable and robust ecosystem. By not having a fixed team at the helm, Mantle promotes an environment where innovation and strategic decisions emerge organically from within the community. This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among its members, driving the network towards collective success. A Paradigm Shift in Governance: Mantle Network’s governance model is a clear shift from traditional leadership structures to a more inclusive and collaborative approach. This method of governance is reflective of the broader ethos of decentralisation, where community involvement and collective decision-making are highly valued. It’s a forward-thinking model that encourages broader participation and leverages the collective intelligence of its community. Mantle Network’s approach to leadership and governance is a fascinating embodiment of the principles of decentralisation and community empowerment. By leveraging the DAO model, Mantle ensures that its trajectory is not dictated by a few, but crafted by many, aligning with the broader ethos of fairness and inclusivity championed by the crypto community.

Achievements/Highlights 2023 was a landmark year for Mantle Network, marked by significant technological advancements and community growth. The network expanded its ecosystem, fostering a vibrant and active user base. Here’s a glimpse: 1. Innovations in Tokenization: A key milestone was the introduction of $mETH, representing months of development and security audits. This token offers users new avenues for interaction within the network. Alongside $mETH, Mantle unveiled $mUSD, a stablecoin designed to provide users with yield-generating opportunities. Unlike traditional stablecoins like USDC, the yield accrued by $mUSD through Treasury bills is directed back to the holders, presenting a unique value proposition in the market.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

2. Enhancements to Mantle Journey: The Mantle Journey (MJ) Season Alpha became a dynamic platform for user engagement, offering users great ways to interact with the network and its various protocols. The positive response from both participants and protocols set the stage for even more exciting developments in Season Beta. 3. Launch of Showcase Apps: Mantle’s ecosystem was further enriched by the launch of key applications like Merchant Moe, which achieved a remarkable TVL shortly after its launch. These applications underscore Mantle’s commitment to expanding its ecosystem and providing users with diverse, quality experiences. 4. Focus on Community and Ecosystem Expansion: Mantle Network’s social platform saw significant engagement. Whoever didn’t know about BitDAO back then, they’re certainly aware of Mantle Network now. The network’s emphasis on

community-centric initiatives and partnerships with innovative projects and applications underlined its strategy to foster a holistic and inclusive ecosystem. 5. Future Roadmap and Developments: Looking ahead, Mantle Network plans to introduce Mantle v2, an upgrade that promises to enhance user experience and reduce gas fees significantly. This upgrade will be an important step in Mantle’s continuous effort to improve network efficiency and usability. 6. Interoperability and New Assets: As Mantle Network matures, it aims to explore deeper interoperability features with other blockchains, enhancing the user experience across multiple platforms. Additionally, plans are underway to introduce more native assets on the Mantle Network, expanding the range of options available to users.

The MNT Token Current Stats Here are the market stats of the MNT token at the time of writing:

MNT Stats 23/01/24 | Source: CoinGecko

Official Links

Website: https://www.mantle.xyz/

Docs: https://docs.mantle.xyz/network/introduction/overview

Github: https://github.com/mantlenetworkio Discord: https://discord.com/invite/0xMantle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/0xMantle

Blog: https://www.mantle.xyz/blog

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/0xmantle/

Telegram: https://t.me/mantlenetwork

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Tokenomics The tokenomics of Mantle’s ecosystem are a fine blend of community empowerment and pragmatic functionality. All roads end with the MNT token, serving as the lifeblood of the network. The token enables each holder to participate in the democratic process of DAO voting, contributing to a decentralised and community-driven governance structure. In terms of utility, the MNT token is used for transaction fees on the Mantle chain. With its dual presence on Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) as an ERC-20 token and on Mantle Network Layer 2 (L2) as a bridge-wrapped ERC-20 token, MNT enables seamless transactions and incentivises network participants. On July 7th, 2023, Mantle announced an initial token distribution where 49% of $MNT tokens were allocated to the Mantle Treasury, subject to governance proposals, while the remaining 51% were placed into circulation, free from any vesting or distribution constraints.

source: Mantle’s docs

The governance framework of Mantle has experienced a significant enhancement with the adoption of MIP-22. This proposal introduced an innovative token design, clarified conversion parameters, and outlined asset handling mechanisms. A pivotal aspect of MIP-22 is the upgradability feature, ensuring that MNT can evolve without the need for token migration, and a Mint function that permits potential token inflation to foster ecosystem development. However, the default inflation rate is set at 0%, demonstrating a cautious approach to token supply management.

Moreover, MIP-22 established the 1:1 token conversion ratio from BIT to MNT, empowering the core contributors to begin the transition phase.. It also paved the way for the creation of a DEX liquidity pool for MNT-ETH, utilising the remaining of the disassembled BIT-ETH pool. This strategic move ensured a robust and liquid market for the MNT token, aligning with what the majority of holders wanted.. The Temporary Conversion Treasury (TCT) introduced by MIP-22 was also important. The TCT’s operations are transparent, with asset flows updated periodically on the Treasury Monitor, reinforcing trust within the DAO. Therefore, Mantle’s tokenomics were designed with foresight and flexibility, allowing for adaptability as the ecosystem matures. The governance and utility functions of the MNT token, combined with the strategic initiatives, position Mantle as a forwardthinking and experienced DAO in DeFi.

The Technology and Architecture Mantle is a technology batch for scaling Ethereum. At the heart of the system lies the Mantle Data Availability (DA), bolstered by the innovative EigenDA technology, which upholds the network’s commitment to reliability and transparency.

source: Mantle’s docs

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

The Process 1.When a user initiates a transaction, it goes through an RPC node.. 2.The Sequencers gather the transactions and pack them into blocks. 3.The Data Transport Layer (DTL) service syncs this block data, acting as the network’s metronome, ensuring every module stays in harmony. 4.Verifiers sync the Layer 2 (L2) block data from the DTL. 5.The Batch Submitter then fetches updated state roots and presents them to the Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS) module for verification. 6.Upon passing the TSS module’s scrutiny, the Batch Submitter has the green light to publish the state root data to the Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) through the State Commitment Chain (SCC) contract. 7.This is where Mantle DA steps in, storing the rollup transaction data and allowing Verifiers to fetch and validate it at any time. This continuous availability of data is

Challenges In the rare event that the state root’s validity is contested, the system is designed to post the L2 data to the L1 contract to scrutinise the state transition’s validity. Mantle DA nodes are important

in this phase, providing validity certificates to L1 and guaranteeing data availability and network liveness with each new batch.

How Mantle Handles Failure Scenarios Mantle has contingency plans to handle potential failures. For L2 Sequencer issues, users can either enqueue transactions via L1 or self-sequence them, ensuring continuous service. Similarly, for a Batch Submitter or Proposer failure, alternative mechanisms like proposing blocks or an escape hatch enable transactions to continue seamlessly.

The Road Ahead As Mantle Network evolves, the roadmap points toward upgrades that will enhance the network’s functionality and user experience. The exploration of new implementations and improvements in failure handling mechanisms will propel Mantle Network to new heights of efficiency and reliability. Each actor has its role. Mantle is a system designed not just for today’s needs but also with an eye on the future, adapting and growing in step with the ever-evolving needs of our blockchain industry and consumer behaviour.

Final Thoughts The Mantle Network represents a cutting-edge fusion of governance and utility underpinned by a community-centric approach. Its architecture is a testament to the innovative spirit of the DAO, showcasing the capability to adapt and thrive in the dynamic world of decentralised finance. As Mantle continues to grow, the essence of its journey lies in empowering users and developers to forge ahead into a future where scalability meets security, all within a robust and user-friendly ecosystem.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Leveraging AI For Crypto Research written by Josh

One of the biggest movements of 2023 was Artificial Intelligence (AI). An industry not too distant from crypto, which begs the question, how can they work together? There have been numerous integrations already and as both industries evolve, there will be many more to come in the future. Being in crypto, I’m always on the lookout for ways to ‘hack’ my research time. So many hours are usually spent poking around the Internet trying to find some elusive information about a project, which usually ends up being in the cobwebbed corners of a version 2 whitepaper left in the distant realms of cyberspace or scrolling through a Telegram group to find a snippet of information, usually with thanks to another crypto researcher who couldn’t find the information they needed and posted a question bourne from tired irritability.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Here’s a guide with the tools on how you can use AI to enhance your research process and make informed choices efficiently:

1. Sentiment Analysis: Understanding Market Sentiments AI-powered sentiment analysis tools can scan a vast amount of news articles, social media posts, and forum discussions related to a particular crypto. By analysing the sentiment expressed in these sources, you can gauge the overall mood of the market. Positive sentiments may indicate potential growth, while negative sentiments could signal caution. Tool: Santiment Description: Santiment is a platform that provides insights into market sentiments by analysing social media, news, and on-chain data. It uses machine learning algorithms to track and interpret the mood of the market, helping investors understand how the community feels about specific cryptocurrencies.

2. Predictive Analytics: Forecasting Price Trends AI models, particularly machine learning algorithms, can analyse historical price data and identify patterns that might indicate future price movements. By training models on past market behaviour, these tools can provide predictions about potential price trends. Tool: TradingView Description: TradingView utilises machine learning algorithms to analyse historical price and order book data. The platform offers visualisations that can aid traders in identifying potential trends and making informed decisions based on predictive analytics. This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

3. Blockchain Analytics: Assessing Fundamentals Understanding the fundamentals of a crypto project is crucial for long-term investment decisions. AIpowered blockchain analytics tools can help assess factors such as transaction volumes, smart contract activity, and on-chain metrics. Tool: IntoTheBlock Description: IntoTheBlock is a blockchain analytics platform that leverages machine learning to provide insights into on-chain data. It offers indicators related to market trends, large transactions, and token flows, helping users make data-driven decisions based on the fundamental analysis of a cryptocurrency.

4. Natural Language Processing (NLP): Extracting Insights from Text NLP algorithms can analyse vast amounts of textual data, such as whitepapers, project updates, and news articles, to extract valuable insights. This can help you understand the technology, team, and goals of a crypto project. Tool: OpenAI’s GPT Models Description: OpenAI’s GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models, such as GPT-3, can be used for natural language processing. Developers can build applications that analyse and generate human-like text, making it valuable for extracting insights from whitepapers, articles, and other textual sources related to crypto projects.

5. Risk Assessment: Identifying Potential Pitfalls AI can assist in assessing the risks associated with a particular crypto investment. By analysing factors such as market volatility, project governance, and historical performance, risk assessment models can provide a comprehensive view of potential downsides. Tool: Coin Metrics Description: Coin Metrics is a blockchain analytics platform that provides a range of onchain data metrics. It can be used to assess the risk associated with various crypto assets by analysing factors like network health, transaction volumes, and historical performance. While it may not directly provide risk scores, the data it offers can be used for risk assessment.

When time is of the element, let’s face it, we are all busy these days; it’s easy to want to dive straight into that crypto gem you’ve found before the whole world finds it, but research is imperative. Fortunately, there are tools like the ones above that will speed up your research and provide essential data at your fingertips. Not only that, but it will significantly enhance the depth of your analysis, too. Combining these tools with a strict research regime, garnering the facts and making informed investment decisions will help you up your crypto game. It will give you the time to focus on placing the trades you want to place or, if you’re a HODL’er, sitting back whilst letting the Market play out and (hopefully) watching your investment increase! AI is here to help you work smarter, not harder.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Advertise with us! contact@themoonmag.com

www.themoonmag.com

Forget prices, and let’s talk use cases!

DePIN 2024:

Following The Blockchain’s Money Flow written by Daniel Jimenez

It is 2024, and the shift in the industry has aligned to a ‘build it, and they will come’ approach, implying natural demand emerging from retail will come flooding in, and therefore supply needs to be bountiful. But as we have seen over the past three crypto winters, the previous assumption has proved more complex than the simple supply and demand theory, causing many projects to die in the early stages and others to reconsider their user acquisition strategies. In this context, the narrative in Web3 focuses more on the tangible side of real use cases to merge with blockchain technology, following the example dictated at some point by GameFi and recently by the RWA market. For this reason, as a sustainable way to link blockchain technology and circular economies around realworld goods and services, we have seen in recent months the strong momentum of a new narrative in the space: DePIN (Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks) Of course, as we are in the crypto space and everything here is characterised by acronyms (some useless and some very sexy), DePIN is nothing more than the result of a consensus by the Messari firm in an attempt to accommodate the physical infrastructure on Web3 in one place.

Source: @MessariCrypto

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Plucking the daisy DePIN fuses blockchain with physical devices like WiFi stations and servers, incentivising users, through digital tokens, to share network resources. From DEX trading to WiFi connectivity and powering your home, DePIN could potentially transform a large part of how the world works today. The sector is broad and includes projects focused on RWAs (real-world assets) and blockchain infra networks such as oracles and RPCs, as Messari pointed out in its most recent sector report. However, for the scope of this magazine, we will focus on navigating the fundamental concepts underpinning this technology as we move towards market opportunities for some representative projects in a growing sector of an industry valued at around $3.5T+ by the end of 2028.

Defining DePIN If we borrow Messari’s definition of DePIN (Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks), they are networks using symbolic incentives to coordinate the construction and operation of critical infrastructure. In short, it challenges traditional infrastructure models by decentralising the development and maintenance of physical infrastructure as a paradigm shift in how we interact with the physical components of technology. Thus, any project under the umbrella of ‘DePIN’ could be indicated as a decentralised application that uses tokens to incentivise people to crowdsource and build a connected physical infrastructure in the real world (think WiFi, collaborative energy, routers, cloud storage, computing power, decentralised transportation or hosting like Uber & Airbnb, etc).

Source: bloXmove

Users can find a video to properly understand DePIN’s concept on the Peaq project channel here. Peaq is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain optimised for DePINs with low transaction costs (our first recommendation to consider for your portfolio).

DePIN components How does a DePIN work? Like other networks, DePIN has two crucial components that enable its operation: the physical infrastructure and the digital component, on top of which the critical data layer is supported. In other words, DePIN comprises Physical Resources Networks (PRN) for services like WiFi and Digital Resource Networks (DRN) for digital needs such as broadband, thus leveraging realworld demand with decentralised incentives to build on traditional infrastructure needs, enabling endless opportunities across the web3 spectrum, where blockchain technology converges with physical infrastructure to mitigate potential points of failure.

In this context, the increasingly vibrant DRN market becomes appealing for the average investor, especially those focused on providing hardware solutions to deliver fungible digital assets, such as the Render Network (RNDR), which offers computing power through its distributed network of GPU providers for 3D rendering, for example. Whether DRNs or PRNs, the decentralised approach facilitated by incentivising through the token economy with the use of blockchain technology (tokens) to motivate participation and guarantee the operability of infrastructures represents an innovative paradigm stocked with opportunities in the broad spectrum of multiple markets: energy, telecommunications, transport, storage, networks, among others. In this process, blockchain technology is fundamental for maintaining device registries and underpinning the network’s token economy. On the other hand, the off-chain computing infrastructure, i.e., the middleware required to process realworld data before integrating it into the blockchain network, is another critical component in managing the data collected by the physical infrastructure.

Within the growth prospects for this sector, a significant part of this growth could come from DRNs in addition to the current PRN use cases. This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

Both components, with the physical infrastructure needed to develop the physical presence and network capabilities such as servers, sensors and connectivity hardware, make up the complete dissected set of a correctly run DePIN.

Why use DePIN? Now that you’ve got this far, a big question may arise: Why use DePIN? Because, like many decentralised narratives, DePIN has the disruptive ability to move the innovation wheel in the multi-billion dollar critical infrastructure sector under the paradigm of ‘decentralisation’. With this thinking, physical infrastructure built in the real world can find a new model for its financing, management and development through a decentralised path that empowers the public and the end-user by providing symbolic incentives; DePIN can motivate people to work to improve public infrastructure by reducing reliance on inefficient centralised institutions.

Silencio Network is another fantastic example of how using distributed and transparent data can be resistant to censorship and available to the general public, which requires global data on noise pollution. Efficiency A crucial aspect of driving the DePIN narrative is the overheads and cost reduction. Crowdsourcing the hardware and its maintenance allows DePINs to operate at a fraction of conventional centralised enterprises’ traditional capital and operating costs. Due to their incentive scheme, DePIN networks allow leveraging community resources for faster deployment and implementation than traditional models that rely on a single entity for resources and development.

However, the road is just beginning, and it is not easy. The general public, notably those resilient to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, must first be convinced and allowed to use them even without realising it.

Examples of its efficiency are Libertai.io, a decentralised open-source AI running through distributed nodes, which is an example of tangible efficiency and scalability, and other DePIN examples of capital efficiency and scalability are projects such as Hivemapper and NATIX, which are decentralised alternatives currently mapping the world faster and more efficiently than Google did in the past.

But, beyond the tortuous path that a project under the DePIN sector may represent, the sector’s future lies in the strengths and advantages offered concerning the traditional centralised model. Let us look at some of these advantages.

Resilience The distributed nature of DePINs provides high resilience against failures, given that the rest of the network continues to operate without significant interruption, even if a particular node goes offline.

Security The use of blockchain technology as a fundamental component for the operation of a DePIN project is in itself a security improvement compared to traditional models, such as distributed registers, decentralised payments without intermediaries, and immutable and transparent data are just some of the features that stand out in this section.

Remember that nodes here can range from geographically distributed physical devices such as seismic sensors to smartphones spread over a wide operational area, which allows the network to continue to operate even if some are compromised or fail.

A good example is projects like IoTeX’s Ucam, which enables data protection using blockchain to ensure privacy and prevent unauthorised access.

An example of this resilience is the Silence network, which measures environmental noise pollution through a downloadable application on the user’s phone that records noise through the device’s microphone without compromising privacy.

Source: Messari

How DePIN works As mentioned above, a project of this nature relies on the decentralised economic incentive for its operation. In simpler terms, it is the vital result of effective tokenisation

Source: Syntropy Network

As network usage increases, the demand and value of the project tokens increase, which serves a particular use case that may be within the PRN or DRN sub-sector. This circular network effect has been called the DePIN Flywheel, which consists of attracting more users and contributors to the network as it grows and becomes more valuable.

However, as we have seen in past narratives and, more recently, in the RWA narrative, the expectation can be lowered if there is no harmonious balance between incentives and the network’s ongoing delivery of real value and utility. To implement DePIN, a physical infrastructure must exist, along with a token incentive model, tokens, users and consumers, a DAO community and a consensus protocol

Where to find DePIN gems DePIN has soared to a market capitalisation of $33 billion, revolutionising how we interact with technology through blockchain integration in the last six months. The State of DePIN 2023 by Messari notes that the DePIN ecosystem has grown to around 650 projects by 2023, spanning six sub-sectors: computing (250), AI (200), wireless (100), sensors (50), energy (50) and services (25).

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

In addition, DePIN managed to incorporate an impressive 600,000 nodes, predominantly software-based DePINs, which take advantage of the sophisticated sensors of mobile phones.

2024 may be full of opportunities for the DePIN market as it becomes more mainstream among the population and crypto-nuts. In addition to the projects mentioned throughout this post, it is worth noting that market opportunities to capitalise on can be inside and outside of blockchain networks, depending on which sector you choose. That is, while Ethereum and Solana have been selected in recent months as the native target that many DePIN projects based on digital resource networks (DRNs) are adopting, one should not forget the manufacturers of physical solutions for DePINs, such as Bosch.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

The German sensor manufacturing giant Bosch, in collaboration with Peaq Network, introduced an industry sensor designed to allow users to share data and earn cryptocurrencies in a decentralised manner. The device, known as the Bosch XDK110 Rapid Prototyping Kit, takes a centre stake in Bosch’s Web3 initiatives. Source: Depinhub

Each device comes with a unique digital identity that facilitates interaction with Peaq. The German manufacturer’s solution is a small sample of the opportunities in the sector for the average investor, who can envision a mixed portfolio between traditional projects such as Bosch or Sony, but also with an eye on decentralised networking solutions for linking physical infrastructure (DePIN). For example, DePIN promises to transform cloud storage and server networks, offering resilient, secure data storage and decentralising resources like bare-metal servers and VPS.

Notably, the storage industry has emerged as the primary driver of this growth, experiencing a remarkable surge of 66% YTD. At the same time, the data computing industry has seen its market capitalisation rise by 47%. In this field, Filecoin is a project to watch.

Other options to watch Here are some representative DePINs in the sector that you can use to capitalise on opportunities. Moon Mag has already explored some of the following options in previous issues. Hivemapper (HONEY): This digital mapping network (similar to Google Maps) based on Solana seeks to decentralise the system imposed by the Silicon Valley giant through a users collaborative network who get rewarded with their native HONEY token.

This magazine is sole property of themoonmag.com and is not to be redistributed in any form anywhere else.

As noted in ISSUE 13 of this magazine, Hivemapper seeks to solve the high cost and efficiency problems of APIs associated with the web 2.0 economy of digital mapping, employing devices designed by the California-based DePIN project. The Honey token is among the top 300 tokens by market capitalisation and has a historical ROI of just over 50%.

Source: Peaq

Peaq Network (PEAQ): As mentioned above, peaq is a multi-chain Layer 1 blockchain optimised for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN).

Peaq is highly scalable and uses Polkadot as a neuralgic point to benefit from the scalability of the network while offering EVM support, allowing interoperability at all times with the largest ecosystem in the market, such as Ethereum. This network has some of the most promising DePIN projects in the ecosystem under its belt, so it is interesting to explore its ecosystem to be in tune with the narrative. Its native Peaq token is one of the few in the industry not available for trading yet. Aleph.im (ALEPH): This project offers decentralised cloud solutions, including computing and storage solutions, which are fundamental components of any DePIN. Aleph.im solutions enable decentralised applications and businesses to store and manage data securely and efficiently without relying on traditional, centralised cloud providers. If you want to learn more about this project, be sure to read our analysis of the project in Issue #9 - The Moon Mag Node operators and stakers obtain Your ALEPH token as a reward for contributing to the aleph.im network and its ecosystem.

Source:

Issue #9 The Moon Mag

LayerAi (LAI): Self-dubbed as AI-centric DePIN, the project establishes data as an emerging asset class to contribute to a trillion-dollar global data and AI economy. LayerAI is the Ethereum layer-2 that is the dedicated blockchain for AI development. LayerAI combines the commercial applications of AI with a mass adoption-proof tokenisation mechanism - via our $LAI token. LayerAI is building a DePIN focused on AI, utilising Data Economy App and LayerVPN as nodes, and applied to various industries. Our native blockchain network, built with Polygon CDK, hosts The LayerAI’s DePIN. Formerly called CryptoGPT (GPT), the project has been rebranded and trades its LAI token on the industry’s leading top-tier exchanges. And of course, DON’T forget to follow some representative projects of the sector in the six main segments that Messari has pointed out in his DePIN Sector Map: