Cryptocurrency

Legion plans to become one of the first MiCA-compliant CASPs and bring access to early fundraising and token offerings to non-accredited investors.Today, Legion emerges to mark a new era of merit-based on-chain fundraising.According to the team, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) revolutionized how blockchain projects fundraise. They offered equal opportunity to participate in the early stages of new projects, and as a result, created some of the strongest communities crypto has ever seen, such as the LINKMarines, ThorChads, and ETH maxis.Legion’s founding team are no strangers to on-chain fundraising, having worked for multiple projects funded by ICOs – including current and former Top 50 projects by market cap such as Stacks, “the first SEC-qualified [token] offering in U.S. history”.About LegionLegion makes investing in on-chain fundraises accessible to retail investors through regulatory compliance and investor accountability. Projects using Legion can customize allocation, whitelist, discounts, and more using on-chain and off-chain criteria about each investor, assembling an organic, die-hard, community of supporters. Each user on Legion is assigned a Legion Score, as well as subcomponent scores and achievements, reflecting their ability to add-value across multiple facets and heavily reducing bot and Sybil activity. These reputation scores change based on how investors support the projects they invest in, disincentivizing short-term, value-extractive type behaviors.To learn more about Legion and user’s Legion Score:X | Farcaster | WebsiteContactCo-founderMatt O’ConnorLegionhello@legion.ccThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

The Ministry of Digital Economy, Science and Technology Edo State, Nigeria, has formed a strategic partnership with INTMAX, the leading developer of Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. This collaboration comes amidst Nigerian pressures on the cryptocurrency industry, underscoring the commitment of Edo State to digital transformation and innovation.This partnership grants INTMAX a significant opportunity to work directly with the Edo State Government, establishing a strong presence across various government parastatals. The primary focus of the collaboration is on capacity building within the state’s digital ecosystem, which will empower Edo State to leverage cutting-edge technologies and protocols for enhanced governance and service delivery.The partnership is particularly relevant to government officials, civil servants, technologists, blockchain developers, and other stakeholders in the digital economy. Edo State, by engaging with INTMAX, aims to set a new benchmark in digital transformation, inspiring other regions to follow suit.Despite regulatory pressure compelling several cryptocurrency projects to cease operations in the Nigerian market, the partnership with INTMAX demonstrates Edo State’s determination to support blockchain innovation. The state recognizes the benefits that blockchain technology can bring in providing greater transparency and efficiency in the administration of essential government services.The Honourable Commissioner for the Ministry of Digital Economy, Science and Technology Edo state, Hon Ifaluyi Isibor said: “We look forward to working with INTMAX to develop practical solutions that will enhance Edo State’s ability to deliver key services. This partnership provides us access to a secure and low-cost network that can be used for everything from payments to record-keeping, and we’re confident that the collaboration will yield tangible results while showing that Nigeria remains receptive to blockchain technology.”Clarification: It is important to note that the Edo State government and its representatives do not hold any assets in cryptocurrency managed by INTMAX. This partnership is solely dedicated to capacity building and digital transformation initiatives within the state.About INTMAXINTMAX is a Stateless Ethereum Layer 2 that’s been optimized for privacy and scalability. This makes INTMAX a key driver for Ethereum and blockchain adoption. Its team has bridged the gap between the convenience of existing web solutions with its client-side data storage and execution on one side and the decentralization and security of blockchain technology on the other.For more information, please contact:INTMAX PR DepartmentEmail: pr@intmax.ioWebsite: www.intmax.ioMinistry of Digital Economy, Science, and Technology, Edo StateEmail: info@edo.gov.ngWebsite: www.edostate.gov.ngContactSergei MedvedevINTMAXpr@intmax.ioThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

Qubic, a cutting-edge quorum-based distributed ledger technology with an AI platform in development, is proud to announce the launch of “Project X”. This initiative introduces key upgrades and features to support community and long term growth. It will balance emissions, enhance earnings, and empower community driven growth.A Thriving EcosystemProject X aims to create a thriving, sustainable ecosystem for users, developers, community members, and partners. Its new protocol extension, a major upgrade, enables computors (specialised nodes designed to execute tasks) to allocate a percentage of their weekly rewards (emissions) to initiatives they believe will benefit the ecosystem. Along with the protocol extension, Project X includes a host of initiatives aiming to leverage the power of this new extension:Revolutionising CryptoWith the introduction of Project X, Qubic is set to revolutionise its ecosystem. The project will include a series of phased rollouts scheduled between now and late September. To learn more about Project X, visit Qubic’s website, and for information on how to build on Qubic, visit the Qubic Grants Page.About QubicQubic is a Layer 1 ultra-high performance network supported by Useful Proof of Work (uPoW). Its platform supports feeless transactions and features the fastest smart contracts in the world, underpinned by a quorum-based consensus mechanism which allows true finality.Founded by Sergey Ivancheglo, also known as Come-from-Beyond and a cofounder of IOTA and NXT, Qubic leverages extensive CPU and GPU resources through AI miners. Its goal is to democratise access to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), redefining the role of AI in everyday technology.Website | Discord | X | Telegram | GitHub | YouTubeContactEric Fungef@qubic.orgThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

NXPC’s innovative protocol is designed to foster sustainable ecosystem growth by balancing in-game item distribution while encouraging active user participation. With NXPC, contributors can interact with in-game items within MapleStory Universe, promoting a natural flow of community-driven growth. Supported by blockchain technology, items can be seamlessly integrated into the ecosystem, offering incentives for the community to participate and engage actively.To elucidate NXPC mechanics, MapleStory Universe has introduced ‘Token Comics,’ which serves to demystify blockchain technology while strategically expanding the MapleStory Universe ecosystem. The comics act as a bridge between the gaming culture and blockchain innovation, providing an engaging medium to introduce complex concepts of digital ownership. Through this educational series, MapleStory Universe aims to enhance community engagement and cultivate awareness of its mission to reshape the future of online games with blockchain innovations.About NEXPACENEXPACE is an IP-expanding project based on blockchain technology that utilises NFTs. The goal of NEXPACE is to bring creators and users together, fostering an innovative games community where members can experience various games and content developed by other members. With its blockchain technology, NEXPACE provides transparent and secure services, encouraging creators to freely express their ideas while users enjoy these fresh inventions. This represents the philosophy and ambition of NEXPACE.MapleStory Universe Official LinksOfficial Website ✔️msu.ioOfficial X ✔️ x.com/MaplestoryUOfficial Medium ✔️medium.com/@MaplestoryUOfficial Discord ✔️ discord.gg/MaplestoryUniverseOfficial YouTube ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/@MapleStoryUOfficial Facebook (NASDAQ:META) ✔️ www.facebook.com/MapleStoryU.Official/MEDIA CONTACTmaplestoryuniverse@wachsman.comContactGlobal PR ManagerBee ShinWachsmanbee.shin@wachsman.comThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

As part of their #180DaysofPolkadot campaign, the event was one of several global EasyA hackathons highlighting the opportunities available to developers in the Polkadot ecosystem.EasyA invited their community, known as gigabrains, to apply for the hackathon. Nearly 1 million members worldwide and thousands applied to hack in-person at Consensus this year.At the EasyA x Polkadot hackathon in London, the app selected over 400 developers to participate, which it says led to the creation of 56 startups. Among the winning projects were a tool for integrating Farcaster with Polkadot, a real estate management app named Paxmata, and Paperbaum, a custom parachain for secure academic paper publishing. These teams are now looking for additional funding to scale their startups.Following the London event, EasyA hosted a second Polkadot hackathon at Harvard University, where over 300 developers launched 55 games, leveraging NFTs on Unique Network’s parachain. The event featured a $20,000 prize pool and a guest appearance by INDY500 racer Conor Daly.EasyA has been a key driver of developer activity on Polkadot, with nearly 1,000 startups coming out of their hackathons this year. The app touts itself as easy to use and fun to learn with, making it a popular choice for aspiring Web3 developers. EasyA’s alumni are said to have founded startups valued at over $2.5 billion and secured funding from top venture capital firms. Cognition AI, a company founded by EasyA hackathon winner Walden Yan, hit a $2B valuation in April. Walden originally pitched his idea for DALLE on the blockchain at an EasyA hackathon at Harvard in 2022.Founded by graduates from the University of Cambridge and The Wharton School, EasyA has over 1M downloads and has even been named Apple’s App of the Day. The app continues to bring developers into Web3, hosting in-person hackathons in cities like San Francisco, London, and Singapore. More

The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell 2% to $62,456.0 by 08:43 ET (12:43 GMT), tracking overnight declines in stock markets.Losses in crypto came in tow of broader losses across risk-driven markets, as sentiment was soured by a slew of geopolitical risks.Canada imposed fresh trade tariffs on China, following similar measures from Europe and the U.S. and drawing Beijing’s ire. The move ramped up concerns over a renewed trade war with the West, which bodes poorly for the world’s biggest economies.A spike in oil prices also spooked markets, as an Israel-Gaza ceasefire showed little signs of materializing, while a row in Libya over the central bank’s leadership saw all oil production in the country grind to a halt.The increased geopolitical risks offset recent cheer over lower U.S. interest rates, sparking losses across stock and crypto markets. Gold saw some safe haven demand, as did the dollar, which recovered from 13-month lows. But Bitcoin still retained a bulk of its gains made over the weekend, as dovish comments from the Federal Reserve cemented expectations for a September interest rate cut.Traders were split over a 25 or 50 basis point reduction, CME Fedwatch showed.The prospect of lower rates bodes well for speculative assets such as crypto, given that it frees up more liquidity that can be invested into the sector. This notion was a major driver of crypto’s 2021 bull run.Bitcoin was also supported by some expectations of a friendlier regulatory environment in the U.S., after independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr suspended his campaign and endorsed Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who is also running on a pro-crypto platform.Trump has maintained a much more favourable stance on crypto over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, spurring bets that a Trump presidency will bring friendlier regulation.Among broader crypto markets, altcoin prices also retreated on Tuesday, falling in tandem with Bitcoin. World no. 2 token Ether sank 4% to $2,614.4.SOL, ADA and XRP lost between 0.5% and 3.5%, while MATIC shed over 3%.Among meme tokens, DOGE fell 3.2%.In other related news, analysts at Architect Partners said the bitcoin mining sector is currently experiencing a consolidation phase, largely driven by the recent halving event in April. “The strategic driver is to secure large and scalable data center capacity with access to low cost power and capital, all made easier as a company gets larger,” the investment bank said in a report seen by CoinDesk.A key example of this trend is Bitfarms Ltd (TSX:BITF)’ planned acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining Inc (NASDAQ:SDIG). This move comes on the heels of Bitfarms being the target of an unsolicited takeover bid from rival miner Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:RIOT) in May.Riot has since purchased 19% of Bitfarms’ stock on the open market, pushed to replace management, and engaged in a proxy battle to replace two board members. In response, Bitfarms announced its acquisition of Stronghold, along with management and board changes.”Sometimes the best defense is offense,” Architect Partners noted.However, the note also cautions that hostile M&A activity can be challenging, particularly in sectors like technology and financial services, where the talent of individuals is crucial. “Bitcoin mining is very different where physical facilities with access to electricity and widely available computing equipment are the core assets,” the analysts explain.Interestingly, they point out the irony of this consolidation, as bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, originally envisioned a decentralized network where anyone could mine cryptocurrency, and no single entity would control a large portion of the hashrate—a measure of competition and mining difficulty.The impact of this consolidation on the industry remains to be seen, but some, like Jack Dorsey and his company Block, are actively working to counter this trend by “building semiconductors and systems to support a return to mining decentralization,” the report adds. More

Today Masa, a decentralized AI network where people earn by contributing data, announces that its Subnet 42 is now fully integrated into Bittensor’s neural network and is live on mainnet. The Masa Bittensor Subnet will be joined by 10+ Genesis Validator Partners including Foundry, Openτensor Foundaτion, τaosτaτs, Datura, RoundTable21, PRvalidator, Tensorplex Labs, Rizzo, Republic, Nocturnal Labs, Luganodes, Animoca, DSRV, Crypto Times, and InfStone. Masa’s AI data subnet, reached its full miner capacity in the first week of testnet, and was over capacity by 192% during its 6-week incentivized testnet.Masa’s launch of its Subnet on Bittesnor’s mainnet is the next step in advancing its mission to supercharge open and permissionless AI data aggregation, transformation, and access. The Subnet is powered by a competitive global network of miners contributing data from diverse data sources, which is verified for accuracy by validators, and then used by AI developers to train generalized and specialized artificial intelligence. Together, this empowers a world of Fair AI powered by the people, where AI developers can build anything, anywhere with the world’s data. Masa’s Subnet brings a massive volume of real-time and static (indexed), structured, annotated, and vectorized data to the Bittensor ecosystem, analyzing nearly 20 billion data points daily spanning:Masa’s subnet also introduces a new MASA-TAO dual-token incentive mechanism to participating miners and validators. Using a competitive game-theoretical framework, miners and validators are rewarded with both MASA and TAO emissions, incentivizing high-performing contributions. Anyone, anywhere in the world with high-speed internet can participate on Subnet 42. The move is a significant milestone following Masa’s launch of an incentivized testnet for its AI Data Subnet on Bittensor, in partnership with CoinList at the beginning of July 2024. The incentivized testnet was a success, reaching its full capacity of 256 miners in the first week of operation in which over 750 miners competed for testnet slots, increasing Masa’s capacity to serve 900 million tweets per month to developers.Additionally, validators on the subnet play a crucial role in aggregating open-source datasets from these data sources. They curate, process, and publish these datasets to the Masa Foundation’s Hugging Face collections. This ensures a rich, diverse, and continuously updated repository of AI-ready data, accessible to developers and researchers that span billions of rows of continuously growing data.Masa has raised $18 million from leading investors such as DCG, Anagram, Animoca, and Republic Digital. In March 2024, Masa completed its viral 17-minute CoinList Sale, followed by the launch of its token generation event in April. Meanwhile, Bittensor has amassed a $10 billion AI ecosystem since its launch in March 2023, hosting validators such as DCG subsidiary Foundry and Polychain. About MasaMasa is a decentralized AI network, where people are contributing data. AI developers can build anything, anywhere with the world’s data. Users can join their mission to create Fair AI, powered by the people.Users can join Masa’s Bittensor Subnet 42 as a miner or validator. For additional information, please visit Masa’s website or follow Masa on X.ContactPR ManagerLauren BukoskeySerotoninlauren@serotonin.coThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

Saylor published it while the world’s flagship cryptocurrency staged a 2.7% decline, falling from above the $64,000 price level.The AI-generated image that comes with the tweet features a girl that looks like an android and is reminiscent of the main character from the iconic sci-fi movie “The Fifth Element,” made by Luc Besson in 1997. She has a logo of Bitcoin on her chest, as if Saylor hinted that BTC is the necessary “fifth element” that humanity needs right now.As the cofounder and leader of MicroStrategy, the company that was the first to begin making regular BTC purchases, putting Bitcoin on its balance sheet, Saylor publishes daily Bitcoin-themed tweets with corresponding images to support the Bitcoin spirit on X within the crypto community.This decline took place after a massive 11.14% growth experienced by Bitcoin last week, when BTC surpassed $64,000 for the first time in a while. BTC managed to continue trading in the $64,000 zone from Friday to Monday, and then the BTC price took a hit, pushed down by bears.A renowned investor and author of the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” book on finance management Robert Kiyosaki predicted earlier this year that he expected Bitcoin to skyrocket as high as $350,000 by the middle of August. Kiyosaki made a disclaimer that it was not exactly a prediction but rather his wish and hope. Overall, such influencers as Kiyosaki, Max Keiser (El Salvador Bitcoin advisor) and Samson Mow (JAN3 CEO) expect Bitcoin to surge above the $100,000 level in the near future. Mow believes that BTC will reach the jaw-dropping $1 million price level.This article was originally published on U.Today More