Cryptocurrency

Aleph Zero, a leading privacy-enhancing Layer 1 blockchain, is partnering with Techstars, the most active pre-seed investor in the world, as an Innovation Member for the Techstars Web3 Accelerator’s class of 2024. Techstars Web3 Accelerator works with entrepreneurs building web3 and enabling the next wave of growth in the decentralized internet and tokenized economies. The 12 startups in the class of 2024 will receive up to $120,000 in funding, and access to Techstars global network of mentors, investors, alumni and corporates, along with commercial and technical support from Aleph Zero as an Innovation Member.Techstars Web3 Accelerator Class of 2024Meet the companies:Artizen – Match-funding platform for breakthroughs in human creativity. Founder locations: USA / UKThe Colony – Shaping the future of collectibles through blockchain technology.Founder locations: USA / Canada Ember AI – AI DeFi companion that understands what you want and helps you do it securely, without new apps or hardware.Founder locations: USA / Colombia FairAI – Fueling democratized open-source AI through a decentralized marketplace with digital property rights. Founder locations: Portugal / USAFileMarket – Multichain data tokenization protocol for storage and P2P digital goods trading.Founder location: Hong Kong GenoBank – Ensuring the privacy and data ownership of your genetic information.Founder location: USALantern Finance – Custodial staking and lending services for the everyday investor.Founder location: USA Millicent – The open smart contract platform for compliant real-world DeFi.Founder locations: UK / USAPawPass – Digital identification for animals.Founder location: UKProofSpace – No-code platform for reusable identity. Founder location: UKSportsyncTech – Empowering amateur sports organizations and athletes with innovative, data-driven solutions.Founder locations: France / USA Savvy – Interest-free lending protocol with overcollateralized deposits and self repaying loans.Founder location: USA For more information and the comprehensive Web3 Class of 2024 announcement, please visit Techstars’ newsroom.About Aleph ZeroAleph Zero is a layer 1 blockchain engineered for speed, data confidentiality, and ease of development. It achieves efficiencies akin to conventional web2 systems, upholds rigorous standards for data protection via ZKP and MPC, and offers a comprehensive toolset for WASM-based web3 development in Rust. 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 that are supported by Aleph Zero programs.About TechstarsTechstars is the most active pre-seed investor in the world having invested through its accelerators in more than 4,000 companies. Founded in 2006, Techstars believes that entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to invest in an unprecedented number of startups per year enabling more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. www.techstars.comFor media inquiries:[email protected] [US][email protected] [UK & EU]ContactPR ManagerJosh AdamsAleph [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

They highlighted a net inflow of $9 billion into Bitcoin ETFs since their inception, accounting for outflows from Grayscale, and suggests a potential Bitcoin ETF market size could reach $62 billion if gold is used as a benchmark.February marked one of the most optimistic periods for the cryptocurrency market, with the total market capitalization surging by nearly 40% month-over-month to $2.2 trillion. This surge was primarily led by a 45% increase in Bitcoin and a 47% rise in Ethereum. While altcoins lagged behind in performance, they still recorded double-digit gains. Both decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) sectors also saw gains during this rally.Net sales for Spot Bitcoin ETFs climbed to $6.1 billion in February, up from $1.5 billion in January.BTC’s value surged by 33% in the past two weeks, reaching a new all-time high, a rise that occurred alongside significant inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs. Similarly, crypto mining stocks also touched new record highs in February. More

The scheme, which ran from May 2020 to October 2022, involved individuals from Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois, and Florida, who acted as leaders of the CryptoFX network. They allegedly promised investors returns of 15 to 100 percent through crypto asset and foreign exchange trading. However, the SEC’s complaint alleges that the majority of the funds were not used for trading but were instead diverted to pay earlier investors and for personal enrichment, including commissions and bonuses for the defendants.The complaint also details that two defendants, Gabriel and Dulce Ochoa, continued to solicit investments even after the court’s orders to halt the scheme, with Gabriel Ochoa instructing investors to withdraw their SEC complaints to recover their investments. Another defendant, Maria Saravia, is alleged to have misled investors by claiming that the SEC’s lawsuit was a fabrication.The SEC’s charges against the Ochoas, Saravia, and other defendants include violations of antifraud, securities registration, and broker registration provisions of federal securities laws. Additionally, Gabriel Ochoa is charged with violating whistleblower protection provisions. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against each defendant.Two of the charged individuals, Luis Serrano and Julio Taffinder, without admitting or denying the allegations, have consented to final judgments that enjoin them from future violations of the pertinent securities laws and have agreed to pay a combined total of over $68,000 in penalties, disgorgement, and interest.The SEC’s investigation, led by the Fort Worth Regional Office, continues as they conduct litigation seeking justice for the victims. This case serves as a reminder of the risks associated with unregistered investment offerings and the importance of verifying the legitimacy of investment opportunities.The information in this article is based on a press release statement from the Securities and Exchange Commission.This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C. More

Thetanuts Finance, the leading decentralized on-chain options protocol, announced that it has integrated Pendle Finance’s $PT-eETH offering to create a Leveraged LRT Strategy Vault on the Ethereum Mainnet. This marks the protocol’s first foray into the world of restaking and Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs), a fast-growing primitive within the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) industry that has already accumulated more than $10 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL).The leading LRT at present is EtherFi, which currently boasts more than $2.5 billion in TVL. It enables users to deposit $ETH, $stETH, $bETH or $cbETH in order to mint an LRT known as $eETH.By holding $eETH, users can increase their rewards with EigenLayer points and also protocol points such as EtherFi Loyalty Points. Moreover, there are additional opportunities available through third-party LRTs, such as the innovative Pendle Finance protocol, which seeks to increase $eETH yields even more by splitting it into $PT-eETH and $YT-eETH.$PT-eETH is a token that forgoes $eETH yields and points to instead earn a fixed ~20% APY. $PT-eETH can be redeemed for $eETH at a 1:1 ratio when it matures. As for $YT-eETH, this provides DeFi investors with leveraged exposure to $eETH yields and points that are streamed to holders on a perpetual basis until maturity, at which point the token decays to no value. At present, $YT-eETH holders can accrue 39x EtherFi points and 20x EigenLayer points. With its new offering, Thetanuts is integrating $PT-eETH to launch a Leveraged LRT Strategy Vault on Ethereum Mainnet.Holders of PT-eETH may either wait for their tokens to mature on June 27 before they can realize any gains, or exit their position earlier if the implied APY is favourable. While waiting for maturation, the Thetanuts Finance Leveraged LRT Strategy Vault provides $PT-eETH holders with the opportunity to earn additional yield by utilizing their $PT-eETH to generate additional yields via option premiums and rewards.With its Leveraged LRT Strategy Vaults, Thetanuts has created a novel mechanism in which users must “Zap” their $PT-eETH tokens and deposit them into the Thetanuts Finance v3 Lending Market, and borrow $ETH. This $ETH is then deposited into the $ETH Call (“ETH-C”) Basic Vault, where it generates additional Basic Vault Option premiums, but takes on short volatility risk. In this way, Thetanuts Finance’s Leveraged LRT Vaults give $PT-eETH holders the ability to utilize a valuable asset, which they could previously only hold until maturity. In total, they’ll be able to generate additional yield in five ways – EigenLayer Points, EtherFi Loyalty Points, Pendle $PT-eETH Fixed Yield, Thetanuts Finance $ETH-C Basic Vault Option Premiums, and $NUTS Rewards after Thetanuts Finance’s governance token goes live. Thetanuts Finance is proud to deliver a new industry-first with its innovative Leveraged LRT Strategy Vaults. The launch represents the first time an options market has created a new yield-generating tool for LRT-related staking products. Due to this, it’s highly likely there will be strong demand for the new product. There is currently 150,000 $PT-eETH (worth $577mm) that is currently in circulation.Thetanuts Finance will first launch its Leveraged LRT Strategy Vault on the Ethereum Mainnet, and will eventually integrate other LRT protocols – enabling a similar strategy with other LRTs as collateral assets. As with all DeFi investments, $PT-eETH short-call vaults are not entirely without risk, as depositors effectively take on short volatility risk. As such, there is a danger that their deposits could become worthless if the market for eETH or PT-eETH collapses.About Thetanuts FinanceThetanuts Finance is the leading decentralized on-chain options protocol focused on altcoin options. With the launch of Thetanuts Finance’s Leveraged LRT Strategy Vault, Thetanuts Finance will make its foray into the world of staking and Liquid Restaking Tokens.ContactDan [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

QANplatform has announced that its quantum-resistant technology is being used for the first time by an EU country in the public sector. QANplatform’s technology protects government-owned cybersecurity infrastructure against quantum computing attacks. The announcement was made in Zug, Switzerland, with Johann Polecsak, Co-Founder and CTO of QANplatform, and QAN’s Intellectual Property (IP) holding company led by CEO Patrick Storchenegger. The partners are developing and implementing post-quantum cybersecurity (PQC) solutions based on the QAN blockchain platform’s post-quantum feature. It aligns with the NIST’s (US National Institute of Standards and Technology) quantum-resistant recommendations. The partners are implementing these PQC solutions into enterprise software. Image: Patrick Storchenegger and Johann PolecsakPlease download the images from SOURCE for better qualityThe past year has seen a dramatic improvement in quantum computing capabilities, marked by IBM (NYSE:IBM)’s Condor, the 1000+ qubit power-machine. The US White House has released its National Cybersecurity Strategy, emphasizing post-quantum cybersecurity as a key pillar, and in January 2024, NATO and the World Economic Forum also released strategies to prepare for the quantum era. The EU is anxious not to fall behind in the quantum race against its global competitors. To meet this challenge, the Quantum (NASDAQ:QMCO) Technologies Flagship was launched in 2018 with a €1 billion budget. The race between quantum technology and the development of cybersecurity countermeasures has made it imperative for the public sector to take proactive measures to address these security challenges.Note: For national security reasons, the name of the EU country described in this release cannot be disclosed, nor can specific details about the exact use case.About QANplatform: QANplatform is the quantum-resistant hybrid blockchain platform that allows developers and enterprises to build quantum-resistant smart contracts and web3 solutions on top of the QAN blockchain platform in any programming language. Alpine Esports, a Group Renault (EPA:RENA) brand, and inter alia in the Formula 1 Esports Series signed QANplatform as its Official Blockchain Partner. QANplatform was selected for the EY (Ernst & Young) Global Startup Academy 2023 Program, and backed by Qatar’s MBK Holding.Website | X | TelegramContactJevgenia [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

Driven by strong interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs, BTC funds experienced an inflow of $10.6 billion so far this year, compared to a $7.6 billion in outflows for physical gold ETFs. However, JPMorgan strategists believe this is not the case where investors are shifting funds from gold to Bitcoin. “We disagree and instead believe that private investors and individuals have propagated both gold and bitcoin YTD rather than shifting from the former to the latter,” analysts said in a note.Analyzing ETF flows alone may offer a misleading perspective, potentially underestimating the acquisition of gold by individuals and private investors through bars and coins, while overestimating their investment in Bitcoin. JPMorgan strategists highlighted a notable trend where retail investors are transitioning from holding Bitcoins in digital wallets “to the convenience and regulatory protection of the new spot bitcoin ETFs.”“Beyond retail investors, speculative institutional investors such as hedge funds, including momentum traders such as CTAs, appear to have also propagated the rally by buying both gold and bitcoin futures since February, perhaps even more heavily than retail investors,” analysts wrote. More

Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS) will enable large-scale Dapps, enterprise and BNB Chain to establish custom L2s on BNB Smart Chain BNB Chain, the community-driven blockchain ecosystem that includes the world’s largest smart contract blockchain, today unveiled its Rollup-as-a-Service (RaaS) solution for building Layer 2 blockchains (L2s) on BNB Chain. RaaS provides large-scale Dapps, enterprise and BNB Chain itself with the technological infrastructure needed to deploy dedicated L2s on BNB Smart Chain (BSC), further expanding the L2 ecosystem. Rollup-as-a-Service is a significant advancement in the blockchain sphere. Specifically designed for Dapps and blockchain projects, RaaS offers a cost-effective and efficient pathway for building and deploying rollup networks. This approach not only facilitates further development but also enables the creation of unique ecosystems tailored to specific user bases.Projects from verticals like gaming, DeFi, AI, DePin, DeSoc and more can leverage BNB Chain’s RaaS offering by collaborating with specialized service providers such as AltLayer, NodeReal, and Movement Labs. RaaS on BNB Chain also offers versatility with rollup management and no-code deployment options.The L2s established via RaaS on BNB Chain will be built on BSC, which persists as the foundational Layer 1 blockchain (L1) and governance chain of BNB Chain. A DeFi hub, BSC combines a thriving L1 ecosystem with affordability, stability and the scalability demonstrated during its all-time high of 32 million daily transactions in late 2023. In addition to RaaS, the focuses of the BNB Chain 2024 Outlook revolve around the “One BNB” multi-chain paradigm. This paradigm interconnects BSC, opBNB, and BNB Greenfield to address the need for an integrated tech stack facilitating the transition of applications to fully on-chain Web3 frameworks. About BNB ChainBNB Chain is a community-driven blockchain ecosystem that seeks to remove barriers to Web3 adoption. Powered by BNB, it includes the world’s largest L1 blockchain, the EVM-compatible BNB Smart Chain, and fosters a multi-chain ecosystem with BNB Greenfield and opBNB. Offering ultra-low gas fees and superior TPS, the BNB Chain ecosystem hosts thousands of dApps across DeFi, metaverse, gaming, SocialFi, NFTs and infrastructure, each of which adds value to its ecosystem.BNB Chain fosters impactful Web3 innovation with its BNB Chain Builder Support Program. This includes the MVB accelerator program, run in partnership with Binance Labs and CMC Labs.For more, follow BNB Chain on Twitter.ContactBNB [email protected] article was originally published on Chainwire More

The impressive rise in cryptocurrency value hasn’t deterred MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR), the largest corporate investor in Bitcoin, from increasing its holdings. Under the leadership of Michael Saylor, the enterprise software maker has recently accelerated its purchases, now possessing over 200,000 BTC.MicroStrategy is a provider of enterprise software solutions and services.The company specializes in business intelligence, mobile software, and cloud-based solutions. Its flagship product, the MicroStrategy analytics platform, offers advanced data analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to analyze vast amounts of data and make informed decisions.However, over the past few years, the company became widely known for its significant investment in Bitcoin as part of its corporate treasury strategy.Positioning itself as the “world’s first Bitcoin development company,” the firm has made it its mission to contribute to the Bitcoin network’s growth and development. The company channels its cashflows and proceeds from equity and debt financings into the acquisition of Bitcoin, which it holds as its main asset in treasury reserves.Earlier this month, filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed that MicroStrategy acquired 12,000 BTC for $821.7 million, its second-biggest purchase since beginning its cryptocurrency investments nearly four years prior.This acquisition, executed between February 26 and March 10, was mainly financed using the $800 million generated from the sale of convertible notes recently by the company.This new purchase increased the company’s BTC holdings to around 205,000 tokens, with a current value of nearly $15 billion. JMP analysts said yesterday that the Bitcoin price could hit $280,000 over the next 3 years.More recently, on Wednesday, the business intelligence service provider announced its plans to issue an additional $500 million in convertible debt, which it will use for more Bitcoin purchases.If BTC continues trading around the current $73,000 level, it will allow MicroStrategy to buy approximately 6,800 additional tokens with proceeds from this new offering.After buying more than $1 billion worth of Bitcoin in Q4 2023, MicroStrategy continued its aggressive approach strategy into 2024, acquiring roughly the same amount since the start of 2024.As such, it is safe to say that the company itself has also played a noteworthy part in amplifying the cryptocurrency’s momentum.However, its strategy of buying more BTC through convertible-debt offerings adds risk to the currency crypto market rally, according to JPMorgan strategists.“We believe debt-funded bitcoin purchases by MicroStrategy add leverage and froth to the current crypto rally and raise the risk of more severe deleveraging in a potential downturn in the future,” said strategists led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou.Bitcoin was trading close to the $72,500 mark at the time of writing, up 72% year-to-date. More