Cryptocurrency

By comparison, it took gold ETFs around five years to reach the same milestone. Total assets in Bitcoin ETFs now stand at $65 billion, marking a new high, according to data from Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas.A visual from the Bloomberg terminal shared by Balchunas highlights the impressive figures, with BlackRock (NYSE:BLK)’s IBIT ETF contributing a notable $22.46 billion in inflows. However, significant outflows from Grayscale’s GBTC trust of $20.14 billion wiped out almost half of the gains. Despite this, net inflows remained strong, and Bitcoin ETFs as a whole still surpassed the $20 billion mark.While this achievement is undoubtedly big, we will have to wait and see if it is the start of a new phase for Bitcoin ETFs. The future trajectory will depend on market conditions and broader trends like politics, despite the recent influx of capital suggesting that investor sentiment may be turning positive. Either way, the $20 billion milestone is a new benchmark for Bitcoin ETFs and shows that more and more people are interested in investing in cryptocurrencies.This article was originally published on U.Today More

Most zero-knowledge proofs are generated server-side for scaling, but Aleph Zero’s zkOS does that directly on users’ devices, offering privacy in a fraction of secondAleph Zero, the leading blockchain platform recognized for its focus on privacy and scalability, announces the launch of the first feature of zkOS (zero-knowledge operating system)—Shielding, on its EVM Testnet. This release marks the first opportunity for users to experience the shielding feature of zkOS in action, demonstrating the speed and privacy capabilities of Aleph Zero’s zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology optimizations. “Privacy has long been a challenge in blockchain, often due to poor user experience,” said Adam Gagol, Co-Founder & CTO of Aleph Zero. “With today’s release, we’re delivering one of the fastest client-side ZK directly to users, combining privacy and performance. The release of the Shielding Demo offers a glimpse into how zkOS can bring privacy to DeFi without sacrificing speed or usability.”The system is designed to be easily integrated by developers, providing a privacy framework that requires minimal cryptographic knowledge. This simplicity, combined with Aleph Zero’s rapid client-side ZK proof generation, makes zkOS a critical tool for developers building privacy-centric applications across DeFi and other web3 sectors.zkOS enables users to manage their assets securely across multiple blockchains, ensuring their transactions remain private. Unlike traditional privacy methods that rely on centralized or hardware-based systems, zkOS operates directly on the client-side, safeguarding privacy without external dependencies.About Aleph ZeroAleph Zero is an ecosystem of blockchain solutions that are engineered for speed, data confidentiality, and ease of development. It achieves efficiencies akin to conventional web2 systems, upholds rigorous standards for data protection via zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), and offers a comprehensive toolset for development across web3, ranging from WASM-based Rust to EVM-based Solidity environments. Aleph Zero’s versatility is highlighted by over 40 use cases being actively developed, showcasing its adaptability across various sectors and applications. These use cases are part of an engaged community and growing ecosystem of web3 applications supported by Aleph Zero programs.For more information, visit https://alephzero.org/.For any inquiries about this release, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] ManagerJosh AdamsAleph [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

OriginTrail, the ecosystem striving for a safe internet in the age of AI with its decentralized knowledge graph, was named the best project at the prestigious MIT Decentralized AI Summit. Held at the MIT Media Lab, the summit brought together top innovators, researchers, and industry leaders to explore the future of decentralized AI technologies.The packed schedule saw contributions of representatives from Dell (NYSE:DELL), Intell, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) and other notable AI companies. In his talk, the founder of OriginTrail Branimir Rakic explained how OriginTrail’s decentralized knowledge graph powered by Polkadot acts as a critical infrastructure in addressing some of the internet’s most important challenges in the age of AI such as misinformation, deep fakes, fake news or unreliable AI in a broader sense. The pioneering approach to powering trust in AI stood out amongst the numerous showcases at the event and led to being voted as the best project by the participants of the Decentralized AI Summit. This recognition highlights OriginTrail’s expected impact on driving mainstream adoption for both AI and Web3 technologies across diverse set of industries, from Real World Assets (RWA) in global supply chains, Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN) connecting knowledge of organizations and individuals, to advancements in improving AI models through federated access to training data. About OriginTrailOriginTrail is an ecosystem dedicated to making the global economy work sustainably by enabling a universe of AI-ready Knowledge Assets, allowing anyone to take part in trusted knowledge sharing. It leverages the open-source Decentralized Knowledge Graph that connects physical and digital worlds in a single connected reality driving transparency and trust. Advanced knowledge graph technology currently powers trillion-dollar companies like Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Facebook (NASDAQ:META). By reshaping it for Web3, the OriginTrail Decentralized Knowledge Graph provides a crucial fabric to link, verify, and value data on both physical and digital assets.For more information, users can visit origintrail.io.MIT DecAI summit event | LI OriginTrail announcement | X OriginTrail announcementContactCommunications departmentLucija [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

Akord, a web3 platform for securing and managing data, also begins its migration to Walrus ProtocolMysten Labs, the web3 infrastructure company, today announced that following a successful Devnet, Walrus Protocol, a decentralized storage network, has launched its public Testnet. Walrus Protocol stores and delivers large data files, including rich media content, audio files, video, images, PDFs and more, from any web2 or web3-based source. These large files, known as blobs, are stored quickly and efficiently by Walrus, whose storage is resilient, scalable, programmable, and secure. Walrus’s public Testnet, and its Testnet token, WAL, are served by Sui as the coordination layer. Sui provides a dedicated management architecture for Walrus to store its global state and metadata offering speedy consensus, composability, and the opportunity to integrate storage into smart contracts on Sui. Walrus’s Testnet launch will include: Coinciding with the launch of Walrus’s public Testnet, Akord, a secure storage and collaboration platform, providing user-friendly, cost-effective, and decentralized storage solutions for any digital asset, announces its migration from Arweave to Walrus. Akord is set to migrate to Walrus within the next week. The move comes on the heels of Decrypt Media’s recent announcement of its plans to integrate with Walrus, making the publication the first media outlet to commit to storing media articles and video content on Walrus. “At Akord, our mission is to create a platform that empowers individuals and businesses with meaningful data ownership – the ability to secure data publicly and tokenize it, or store it privately with end-to-end encryption, controlling the keys and access,” said Pascal Barry, CEO of Akord. “Migrating to Walrus allows us to offer our existing customers a more cost-effective, versatile and performant solution, as well as giving us the opportunity to realize our mission at a much larger scale.”Powered by a system that divides large data files into smaller fragments, referred to as ‘Red Stuff,’ Walrus distributes slivers of data files across various storage nodes. This process ensures that even if some pieces go missing, the whole of the data can still be reconstructed. This approach reduces the need for data redundancy, allowing the network to grow seamlessly while ensuring fast and reliable access to data. Walrus introduces advanced storage verification through proofs and attestations, incentivizing nodes to store slivers of each file. Instead of verifying individual files, Walrus assesses the entire storage node, significantly lowering the cost of proving data storage. Walrus, whose original contributor is Mysten Labs, launched on Devnet in June 2024. Its whitepaper was available as of September 2024, presented by Janet Wu, Head of Product, Platform, at Mysten Labs, at Sui’s Singapore Builder House Event. Walrus Mainnet is slated to launch in 2025.About Mysten LabsMysten Labs is a team of leading distributed systems, programming languages, and cryptography experts whose founders were senior executives of Meta (NASDAQ:META)’s Novi Research and lead architects of the Diem blockchain and Move programming language. The mission of Mysten Labs is to create foundational infrastructure for web3. Learn more: https://mystenlabs.com. About WalrusWalrus is a next-generation decentralized storage network for data and rich media content such as large text files, videos, images, and audio. Leveraging innovations in erasure coding, Walrus offers exceptional data availability and robustness with minimal replication overhead for cost efficiency. Powered by Sui as the coordination layer, Walrus scales to hundreds or thousands of networked decentralized storage nodes without compromising performance. Learn more: https://www.walrus.xyz/. About Akord The Akord platform is built on a digital vault protocol that offers file management, end-to-end encryption, file sharing, access control, minting and token gated access. The platform consists of an app, API, SDK and CLI with a strong focus on user and developer experience. Learn more: https://akord.com/ ContactLexi WanglerMysten [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

The alliance seeks to break down entry barriers for developers, making it easier to transition from traditional games to blockchain-powered platformsThe capital injection will be used to support blockchain gaming projects, providing not only financial backing but also technical and strategic resources. Both companies plan to focus on growing the gaming landscape by investing in projects that will expand their Web3 gaming ecosystems.Saakuru Labs will provide full support for game developers, from incubation to publishing opportunities. The platform expects this initiative to increase total value locked (TVL) within both the Saakuru and Memecore ecosystems.“We have built a strong reputation in the blockchain gaming industry, and this partnership with Memecore allows us to accelerate the development of new gaming projects,” said Jack Vinijtrongjit, Co-Founder & CEO of Saakuru Labs. “With this collaboration, we’re able to offer more resources to top-tier game developers and further strengthen both ecosystems.”Memecore Co-Founder Finn added, “This partnership with Saakuru Labs represents a major milestone for Memecore. Together, we are creating a foundation for the future of blockchain gaming, bringing a new wave of exciting projects into the Web3 space.”With its resources and expertise, Saakuru helps developers promote their games with zero transaction fees, all while bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3 through its Layer 2 protocol. Saakuru’s fast block time allows developers to run on-chain applications like MMORPGs while eliminating gas fees. For its part, MemeCore is developing a Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for the meme coin space. More

The psychological barrier of $70,000 is the first level you should watch. In the past, sellers have tended to intervene in this area as a point of resistance. Considering the momentum thus far, breaking through this level may set off a rapid upward move that could result in a new all-time high. As they get closer to this level, traders should pay particular attention to volume, as it has the potential to either halt the rally or confirm a more bullish continuation. Currently, $63,000 serves as a solid support level for Bitcoin on the downside. This is an important sector that might offer protection should there be a reversal following the most recent surge. It would still be deemed healthy for Bitcoin to retrace toward $63,000 in order to give it time to cool down before launching another upward move. Bitcoin’s ability to maintain this support level would suggest that consumers are still very much in charge. If we go beyond $70,000, we will probably find that the next target for Bitcoin is roughly $75,000. At this point, sellers might try to take profits as midterm resistance. But if buying pressure picks up and the price breaks above $70,000 with significant momentum, $75,000 would be a realistic short-term target. Bitcoin appears to have regained its footing after months of consolidation, with OBV confirming the breakout across all major exchanges. Whether Bitcoin can sustain this momentum will be determined over the course of the next few days. Investors should monitor the asset near these levels to determine the likelihood of additional upside.This article was originally published on U.Today More

U2U Network, a Layer-1 blockchain pioneer in decentralized infrastructure backed by top investors like KuCoin Ventures, Chain Capital, and IDG Blockchain, is excited to announce the launch of its first-ever DePIN Node Sale. This sale provides an opportunity for participants to acquire decentralized nodes and contribute to U2U’s growing DePIN infrastructure. With this sale, U2U aims to provide a new way for users to join the decentralized network and unlock significant earning potential through its Node Sale modelWhy Nodes Matter in Blockchain NetworksNodes play a fundamental role in decentralized networks by enabling communication, transaction validation, and enhancing security. Within these systems, nodes distribute computational power across the network, reducing the likelihood of centralized control. This decentralization improves network security, scalability, and resilience.The U2U Subnet allows node operators to contribute computing resources, from mobile devices to high-performance computers, to build a decentralized infrastructure network. These nodes supply essential resources such as CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, and internet bandwidth, ensuring that applications can operate without interruption. The U2U DePIN framework includes two types of nodes: Master Nodes and Edge Nodes.Details of the Node Sale The Public Node Sale begins October 22, with 40,000 nodes available across six tiers. The initial price for a checker node is $200, with prices increasing at each tier. Early adopters benefit from high ROI and faster returns – participants can expect to recover their investment in just 58 days. The affordable entry point makes it easy for anyone to participate in the Node Sale, with no programming skills required.No programming skills are required to operate a node, and node operators can receive token rewards from a dedicated pool of 1 billion $U2U tokens (10% of the total supply). With more than 40 DePIN projects in the U2U DePIN Ecosystem, node operators can support the growth of various projects across sectors like computing, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence.Through this participation, operators may earn rewards based on their node’s contributions to the network- the more DApps involved, the greater the earning potential. Additionally, node operators can expect to recover their initial investment in just 58 days, making this Node Sale a highly beneficial opportunity. The broad scope of projects engaging with the U2U Network drives demand for node resources, potentially increasing the earning opportunities for participants. TeamThe U2U team includes over 120 professionals from leading tech companies like Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Kardiachain, and Y Combinator backed startup, along with advisors from Stanford, RMIT University, and Animoca. This makes their pool of expertise incredibly diverse and rich, positioning them strongly for leadership in the industry. Network Growth and Community EngagementU2U Network reports that it has raised funds from several investors, including Kucoin Ventures, Chain Capital, JDI Ventures, IDG Blockchain, etc. Chain Capital, one of Asia’s leading crypto funds, is renowned for its focus on Web3 infrastructure, AI, and DePIN, with 300+ successful investments, including billion-dollar Layer-1 ecosystems like Solana and Polkadot, and DePIN giants like Filecoin and Theta Network. Joining Chain Capital is JDI Ventures, a powerhouse DePIN fund led by JDI Global, which boasts a $200M portfolio and a track record of driving DePIN projects to success. The VC list also includes IDG Blockchain, a global leader in early-stage blockchain and AI investments, which has backed innovative names like dappOS, Pontem, . These top VCs with other esteemed VC names have proudly joined forces with U2U Network to revolutionize DePIN and drive mass adoption. The network’s community has grown to over 1 million members. With a low entry cost, high ROI, and no coding knowledge required, this DePIN Subnet Node campaign is designed to attract a broad range of participants. Don’t miss the chance to join the U2U Network Node Sale and help power the next internet generation.For further details on the U2U Network’s node sale, visit the official blog on the U2U Network website.About U2U Network:U2U Network is a modular L1 with subnet technology that perfect fit for DePIN. Their backers include Chain Capital, IDG Capital, Cointelegraph, JDI Ventures, Kucoin Venture, V3V Fund, Web3Port, and others. The project has also entered into partnerships with AWS, Klaytn Foundation, IoTex, Waterdrip Capital, Chain Catcher, etc. KOLs that have invested in U2U Network are KongBTC, Romano, ImNotTheWolf, Crypto Buzz, Antony, etc. Mainnet is ready with more than 180K wallet addresses. DePIN Subnet launched with U2DPN product with more than 155K downloads, 59K contributer nodes, and 9K DAU in 3 months of launching. 80 dApps committed to building on chain (EVM-compatible) range from crypto applications (Defi, Gamefi, SocialFi, etc) to real-world scenarios (Storage, data mining, etc), and over 40 DePIN project signed MOU and under integration, 25 other projects in the pipeline.Website: https://u2u.xyz/teamContactCBOASTRID DANGU2U [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

Bitcoin rose 0.5% to $67,328.4 by 01:05 ET (05:05 GMT), after briefly breaching $68,000 earlier this week. The token had broken reliably out of a tight $50,000 to $65,000 trading range seen through most of the year. Broader cryptocurrency prices also rose on speculation over an improved regulatory outlook in the U.S., after Vice President Kamala Harris pledged a regulatory framework for the industry. Bitcoin in particular was supported by defunct crypto exchange Mt Gox postponing its timeline for returning stolen tokens to creditors. Recent gains in Bitcoin came amid increasing speculation that Republican candidate Donald Trump will clinch a second term.This was especially seen in online betting platforms such as Polymarket, which showed Trump’s odds at 58.4% over Harris’ 41.3%. Recent media polls showed Harris maintaining a slight lead, although with about three weeks left to the ballot, it is expected to be a tight race. Trump has maintained a largely pro-crypto stance, with his campaign also accepting donations in crypto. He had vowed at a conference earlier this year that the future of Bitcoin would be built in America. Harris on the other hand only recently mentioned crypto, pledging to create a regulatory framework for the industry. Still, further gains in Bitcoin were held back by a stronger dollar, as the greenback firmed on the Trump trade and as traders priced in a slower pace of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. U.S. retail sales and industrial production data due later on Thursday is set to offer more cues. Rate cuts by other major central banks were also in focus, with the European Central Bank widely expected to cut rates later on Thursday.Broader crypto prices mostly tracked recent gains in Bitcoin. World no.2 crypto Ether rose 0.5% to $2,631.21. XRP rose 3.5%, while ADA and SOL retreated slightly. MATIC was flat. Among meme tokens, DOGE rose 5.4%.  More