Why Is the Economist Auctioning Its "Down the Rabbit Hole" Cover as NFT?
The Economist is auctioning its Sept. 18 cover titled "Down the rabbit hole: The promise and perils or decentralised finance" as an NFT. All proceeds go to the Economist Education Foundation, its independent charity. Alice Fulwood, a Wall Street correspondent at The Economist, shares insights into the launch and the possibilities of decentralized web in providing new ways of distributing media.
NEAR Protocol Offers $800M in Grants in Bid for DeFi Mindshare
NEAR, the high-speed and self-styled “climate neutral” chain, has launched a mammoth $800 million grants fund with major tranches earmarked for specific purposes, with DeFi being a major focus of the program. "The Hash" squad discusses the latest development in what may be the first step towards a full DeFi ecosystem.
New Lawsuit Shows Terra’s Do Kwon Was Served by SEC at 2021 Mainnet Conference
Do Kwon, CEO of DeFi platform Terraform Labs, is suing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after confirming he was served with an SEC subpoena at Messari’s Mainnet conference last month. “The Hash” team discusses the outlook for crypto projects following the latest ramped up enforcement efforts by U.S. regulators.
Impact of US Bitcoin ETFs on State of DeFi in Asia
Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at crypto investment firm Dragonfly Capital, discusses the impact of the U.S. ETF landscape on the state of DeFi in Asia. Plus, insights into crypto trading in mainland China and areas of investment opportunities.
Bitcoin Slips From All-Time High
Amar Gautam, founder and CEO of crypto trading data platform Hyperlinq, discusses what to make of this week’s crypto market activity as bitcoin retreats from its all-time high. Plus, insights into the potential impact of bitcoin futures ETFs on BTC price, altcoins, buying opportunities in DeFi, and crypto regulation.
Crypto OG Amir Taaki Announces DeFi Platform 'DarkFi' That Prioritizes Privacy
Amir Taaki, an early bitcoin developer and inventor of Dark Wallet, has announced a new DeFi project called "DarkFi" that prioritizes privacy. "The Hash" hosts discuss the outlook for the "democratic economic experiment" and the possible implications for user protection.
DeFi Pushes North America to Become World’s Second-Biggest Crypto Market
Growth in DeFi has driven North America to become the world's second-largest crypto market. New research by crypto intelligence firm Chainalysis reveals East Asia's share of global crypto transaction volume started dropping in April 2020, long before China's crackdown this year. "The Hash" panel discusses the findings and the role of DeFi in leading the way for crypto adoption.
SEBA Bank Exec on Launching Program for Clients to Earn Yield With Crypto
Digital asset platform SEBA Bank has introduced a product that will let clients earn a yield on their crypto holdings. Institutions can generate rewards from proof-of-stake protocols such as Polkadot, Tezos and Cardano, with other networks to be added over time. Urs Bernegger, Co-Head of Trading and Investment Solutions at SEBA Bank, discusses the launch, the role of Europe in DeFi, and his crypto markets assessment.
With $8.5M in Funding, Can Strips Finance Make DeFi Derivatives Click?
Strips Finance has raised $8.5 million to launch a new derivatives platform in November that will initially enable interest rate swaps (IRSs) via automated market makers (AMMs), the decentralized exchanges over which much of DeFi is transacted. CEO Ming Wu shares insights into the launch as part of the latest effort to overcome the ecosystem-wide reluctance in DeFi to embrace more complex financial instruments.
Bitcoin Futures Market Suggests Huobi a Loser in China Crackdown
Bitcoin’s move to $50,000 has revived bullish sentiment, lifting futures premiums on most major cryptocurrency exchanges, which are often seen as a gauge of speculative interest. Though on the Huobi exchange, historically skewed toward Chinese customers, the premium hasn’t budged, potentially due to its decision to suspend services to China-based clients.