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Altcoin Roundup: Stablecoin pools could be the next frontier for DeFi

In times like these, when the entire cryptocurrency market is down and there is nary a sector-wide runup to be found, traders have to dig into data to see how the market dynamics may have changed to pinpoint signs of new growth. 

Stablecoins are the newest trend to emerge in the decentralized finance (DeFi) arena due to the resiliency they bring to the sector, especially since protocols that are more reliant on the dollar-pegged assets continue to offer token holders low-risk yield opportunities in turbulent market conditions.

Possible evidence of stablecoins rising influence can be found in the difference between the decline in Ether’s (ETH) price and the total value locked in smart contracts. The price of Ether declined by 20% more from its peak than the decline in the total TVL of the DeFi sector.

TVL in smart contracts vs. Ether price decline. Source: Glassnode

When one takes into account that most of the crypto market saw price declines on par with what Ether experienced, the fact that the DeFi TVL fell less percentage-wise than the price of Ether points to the stability offered by stablecoins.

Stablecoin marketcap increases tenfold

The total amount of stablecoins available in the market has skyrocketed from under $15 billion to more than $113 billion over the past year, led by Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), bringing an increased level of liquidity to DeFi protocols.

Top seven stablecoins by market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko

The top stablecoins are included in a large percentage of the liquidity pool (LP) pairs available on DeFi platforms, as well as being included as a standalone token that users can deposit on protocols, such as Aave, to earn a yield. This further makes them an integral part of the burgeoning DeFi ecosystem.

Stablecoins have, in fact, led to the creation of a specialized subset of DeFi protocols, which focus on yield farming stablecoins and provide a safer way for investors to earn a yield while minimizing risk.

Early on in the DeFi craze, protocols attracted new users and deposits by offering high yields that were typically paid out in the native token of the protocol.

With a majority of DeFi tokens now down at least 75% from their all-time highs, according to data from Messari, many of the gains that users thought they made through staking and providing liquidity have evaporated, leaving little to show for the risks taken on these experimental platforms.

The battle for stablecoin liquidity

The rise of successful stablecoin-focused protocols such as Curve Finance, which is a decentralized exchange for stablecoins that uses an automated market maker to manage liquidity, platforms such as Yearn.finance, Convex Finance and Stake DAO battle to offer the best incentives that will attract a larger share of the Curve ecosystem.

Supplying stablecoins to Curve, or as a stablecoin LP like as a USDC/USDT pair, amounts to the blockchain version of a savings account. Many of the top protocols, including the three listed above, offer between 10% and 30% yields on average for stablecoins deposits.

Related: How stablecoins stay stable, explained

Thanks to smart contracts, users can make deposits to automated, compounding stablecoin liquidy protocols, reducing the stress of the daily market gyrations.

Total market capitalization of the top 100 DeFi tokens. Source: CoinGecko

The aftermath of the May 19 sell-off is still impacting investors, and in times like these, the yield opportunities provided by supplying stablecoins to DeFi protocols is an attractive way to diversify a crypto portfolio and hedge against market downturns.

Want more information about diversification into the above-mentioned projects?

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Altcoin Roundup: Stablecoin pools could be the next frontier for DeFi

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Hedge fund that shorted GameStop closes as $1.13B GME stock offer completes

One of the hedge funds badly burned in the infamous GME social media driven short squeeze is closing down, while GameStop itself has just completed its $1.13 billion equity offering.

According the Financial Times, London-based White Square Capital operated by Florian Kronawitter has closed its main fund and will return capital to investors.

White Square Capital reportedly had $440 million in assets under management (AUM) at its peak. The hedge fund was one of many that suffered double digit percentage losses from short positions in January, when the Wall Street Bets subreddit helped pump GME’s price from $21 on Jan. 12 to around $345 on Jan. 27.

However the FT reported a source as saying the fund’s closure was unrelated to its GameStop misadventure. In a letter to investors, co-founder Kronawitter cited the traditional equity long-short model was being “challenged” in the current financial climate, as there are “way too many fish in the pond” that operate with the same long-short strategy.

“The traditional edge is being arbed away [eroded by other investors], there’s an oversupply of capital,” Kronawitter said.

The co-founder also highlighted that the hedge fund’s opportunities for arbitrage have “diminished” due to the “onslaught of capital caused by central bank monetary interventions.”

These factors are also accompanied by the relative ease of access to information and cheaper investment alternatives, with Kronawitter asserting that it brings it to question how the management fees from hedge funds can be justified in the current market.

In a Reddit thread discussing the news on the r/wallstreetbets subreddit, members of the group shared their delight, with user “turtleduck77” likening hedge funds that shorted GME to dominoes falling, noting that its “Time to invest in dominoes! The game not the pizza.”

Related: New decentralized crypto exchange is inspired by r/Wallstreetbets

GameStop completes ATM offering

Yesterday GameStop announced the completion of an at-the-market (ATM) equity offering, with the company selling five million shares of common stock generating almost $1.3 billion before commissions and offering expenses.

“GameStop will use net proceeds from the ATM Offering for general corporate purposes as well as for investing in growth initiatives and maintaining a strong balance sheet,” the announcement read.

One of the growth initiatives likely to be funded is GameStop’s NFT marketplace set to be launched on Ethereum.

While details are sparse at this stage, the firm’s blockchain division is reportedly headed by the former business operations leader of Ethereum and Loopring DEX, Matt Finestone.

The smart contract platform is based on the ERC-721 NFT standard and was created by foobar, a developer who has worked on wrapper solutions for the classic version of Crypto Punks, HD Mooncats, and MooncatHelper NFT projects in the past.

While top crypto assets and memecoins have been in a major down trend since May 12, GME’s meme stock has increased 36.6% within that time frame, increasing from $161 on May 12, to $220 as of today, according to TradingView.

In comparison, data from CoinGecko shows that crypto’s nearest equivalent in meme coin Dogecoin has cooled down, has dropped 64% — declining from a price range of $0.50 on May 12, to $0.18 today.

Hedge fund that shorted GameStop closes as $1.13B GME stock offer completes

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Dogecoin Price Hits $0.176 after a 22% Dip – Where to Buy DOGE

Altcoins are having a hard time recovering, with the majority of them deep in the red zone. One of the worst-hit tokens is dogecoin, which has lost 22% in the past 24 hours.

In the past month, DOGE has lost nearly half of its value. However, those who invested at the beginning of the year are still in profit since the token’s current price is almost 7,000% higher than what the coin was trading at the beginning of the year.

At the time of writing, DOGE had sunk below critical $0.20 support levels and traded at $0.176 on major exchanges.

Dogecoin Price Analysis

It seems that DOGE’s glorious days may be coming to an end. The meme coin gained popularity after Elon Musk affiliated himself with it and promoted it on his Twitter account. However, Musk is yet to come to the rescue of DOGE this time round. His silence comes weeks after a threatening video by the Anonymous hacker group was released, criticizing him for misusing his power over the crypto market.

DOGE Price Analysis 22 June 2021
Source: TradingView

The chart above shows how dogecoin has been performing this month. The highest downtrend for the token started this week, as can be seen above, which could be attributed to the lack of support from the broader crypto market. After BTC sunk to almost $31,000 at the beginning of the week, altcoins followed suit and dogecoin was not spared.

Dogecoin needs to push past $0.20 to prevent a further retreat. Currently, the meme coin is on the verge of losing its coveted position among the top ten cryptocurrencies. Losing its space could be devastating for the token.

Dogecoin holders are urging Elon Musk to step in and save the meme coin from any further turmoil. However, his silence on the matter could indicate that the billionaire is keeping his sentiments about the crypto market to himself ever since he was accused of manipulating the market and misusing his power in the sector. However, not all is lost, and we may see the CEO tweeting about his favourite coin soon.

The current price movement could be because of a market correction, given the coin’s massive gains. However, it is worth noting that DOGE’s price gains merely resulted from investor demand. If the token gains practical adoption for use in the real world, such as in global financial systems, its value will definitely shoot.

Dogecoin has a strong community of fans compared to other cryptocurrencies, which is one of DOGE’s strengths that will help it with its long-term value. Due to its growing fan base, dogecoin has been accepted as a payment method for Wag, a dog-walking app. An increase in use-cases for DOGE will boost demand and hence value.

How to Buy DOGE

To purchase dogecoin, you need to create an account on a crypto exchange. One of the exchanges that support DOGE is eToro. The exchange is highly secure and reliable. Besides, its trading fees are highly competitive, and it offers a wide array of outstanding features for new investors. In addition, the exchange is among the few that offer copy trading, and if you have never traded crypto before, the exchange will provide you with a demo account where you can learn.

Looking to buy or trade Dogecoin (DOGE) now? Invest at eToro!

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Dogecoin Price Hits $0.176 after a 22% Dip – Where to Buy DOGE

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What is Decentralization in Blockchain?

Advancements in the digital domain are progressively molding people’s everyday life progressions, businesses, academic organizations, companies, and governmental associations. However, the hypothetical systems of administration that are being utilized concerning these have not progressed at a similar speed. To resolve this, the decentralized application of blockchain technology has emerged as one of the best technologies. It is generally seen as a tool that can give answers for numerous concerning points like digital identity, ownership of assets and data, security, and, surprisingly, future decentralized decision-making. 

Let us learn about the decentralization in the blockchain platform, its importance, and its benefits:

Table of Content

  • What is decentralization?
  • Datafication is blockchain technology.
  • Why is decentralization important?
  • Benefits of decentralization.
  • Facilitates a trustless setting.
  • Improves data recovery. 
  • Reduces degrees of shortcoming.
  • Optimized assets dispersion.
  • Closing Thoughts.

What is decentralization?

In the blockchain, decentralization alludes to the transfer of supervision and decision-making from a centralized association (individual, corporation, or group of people) to a dispersed network. Decentralized networks endeavor to decrease the degree of trust that members should put in each other and dissuade their capacity to put forth authority or command over each other in manners that corrupt the potency of the network.

Datafication is the Blockchain Technology

The creation, assortment, dispersal, and allotment of a wide range of data in the digital domain don’t depend exclusively on public processes but more on technologies. An algorithm decides the updates you see on Fb; press offices rely on information research to survey the newsworthiness of data. Online journals, blogs, and social networking websites are digitally trimmed for data to target commercial advertisements at people. Ethereum blockchain, a decentralized system, promises to change the digital currency to improve logistics and help oversee digital identity in a decentralized and trustless way. These algorithms are basically evolved and utilized by private users.

Data is essential for social coordination, i.e., for services, and digital information is the advanced example of data. This implies that the states of the digital domain influence administration and services considerably. AI and blockchain platforms are among the most unmistakable representations of this trend. Increasingly more of our social associations are being molded by these technologies. The political and monetary sectors are additionally getting progressively organized and directed by the impacts of AI and DLT, expanded availability, and the administrations encompassing them. Analysts and experts are prophesying an information upheaval that is as equivalent in power and troublesome in intensity as the modern industrial revolution.

Why is decentralization important?

Decentralization is actually not a new idea. When assembling a technological arrangement, three essential network structures are commonly thought of: centralized, decentralized, and disseminated. While blockchain technologies frequently utilize decentralized networks, a blockchain application itself simply can’t be sorted as being decentralized or not. Maybe, decentralization is a sliding scale and should be applied to all parts of a blockchain application. By decentralizing the administration of and admittance to assets in an application, more prominent and more pleasant assistance can be accomplished. Decentralization typically has a few setoffs, for example, lower exchange. However, such setoffs are worth it in comparison to the improved security and services they provide. 

Benefits of decentralization

  • Facilitates a trustless setting

In a decentralized blockchain system, trusting other members is not required. This is because every member in the network has a duplicate or precisely the same information as a disseminated record. In any case, where any member’s record is modified or tainted in any way, it will be dismissed by most of the individuals in the network.

  • Improves data recovery

Corporations regularly trade information with their associates. This information, thus, is regularly changed and put away in each party’s information storehouses, possibly to reemerge when it requires to be passed downstream. Each time the information is modified, it opens up circumstances for the information loss or wrong information to enter the workplace. By having a decentralized information store, each party has a timely and shared impression of the data. 

  • Reduces degrees of shortcoming

Decentralization can lessen degrees of shortcoming in frameworks where there might be an excess of dependence on explicit workers. These tender spots could prompt critical failures, including the inability to give guaranteed administrations or wasteful assistance because of the weariness of assets, intermittent blackouts, bottlenecks, absence of adequate motivations for excellent service, or fraud.

  • Optimized assets dispersion

Decentralization can likewise help streamline the dispersion of assets so that guaranteed services are furnished with better execution and consistency, just as a decreased probability of explosive letdown.

Closing Thoughts

To sum up this in a simplified way, the decentralization in the blockchain is an information base that stores a library of resources and trades across a peer-to-peer network. The “resource” may not exclusively be cash or transactional data, yet additional data regarding ownership, agreements, products, and some other data. A blockchain doesn’t copy the worth that is transmitted, as other peer-to-peer networks do. However, all things being considered, it enlists that a credit has been moved from one member to the next.

Check out BLOCKCHAIN COUNCIL to learn more about blockchain. You can also enroll in various courses and certification programs, including ethereum certification here.

What is Decentralization in Blockchain?

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Portugal Grants First Crypto Exchanges Operating Licenses

For the first time ever, Banco de Portugal has approved operating licenses to regional cryptocurrency trades.

Recently, the central bank gave out the statement that Portuguese-based trades “Mind the coin” and “Criptologia” are now enlisted as virtual assets service providers.

The central bank has issued only these two names in the list on their official website. Banco De Portugal took around nine months to finalize the decision. In September 2020, Criptojola was reported to perform its initial registration to give out its services as a virtual assets provider.

 Mind the Coin and Criptoloja have been given permission to perform crypto exchange services between fiat currencies and different virtual assets within the Portuguese region. Furthermore, they are also allowed to cover various transfer services, safeguarding, and administration works for such assets.

Banco De Portugal has been awarded as one of the most crypto-friendly nations in entire Europe, and the whole continent seems to be proud of it.

In May 2021, Jean Galea, a well-known investor, and blogger said that Portugal is becoming a haven for all the individuals involved in the crypto world in one of his write-ups. Cryptocurrency income continues to be immune from capital gains taxes and VAT in Portugal unless the income is associated with professional trading activity.

Which other European countries are involved in Crypto exchanges?

Nonetheless, Portugal isn’t the only European country to accept crypto trading and services with a warm welcome.

In the final week of May 2021, The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) granted “XCoins,” a country-based leading exchange provider,  the license to class 3 VFA (Virtual Financial Asset). 

The founder and CEO of XCoins, Rob Frye, stated that Xcoins is dominating the space of digital assets worldwide by standing as one of the earliest cryptocurrency platforms to reach this benchmark implies that they are completely capable of paving the path for an additionally secured and organized industry. 

This is another such authorization the Malta Financial Services Authority has consented to a crypto trade this year. The firstest crypto platform to obtain a VFA authorization of a similar degree was “Crypto.com.” By earning the milestone of receiving the license a couple of weeks before XCoins, the company called this achievement a historic moment for the cryptocurrency world.

Moreover, Crypto.com had previously made a plea to the MFSA to serve as a licensed financial institution, but the plea didn’t get approved. Again this year, the company has presented its plea to the Maltese authority; however, the regulator’s verdict is still not finalized. 

European countries like MFSA and Portugal are surpassing the crypto exchange milestone!

Conclusion 

Further, Criptoloja is currently seeking to bring Portuguese folk together who are interested in investing in crypto assets. However, the service provider company is not confident enough to start accounts in out-of-country trades. Nevertheless, investors say that the tremendous adoption of cryptocurrencies in Portugal is forming a new era of traders.

To get instant updates about Blockchain Technology and to learn more about online Blockchain Certifications, check out Blockchain Council. 

Portugal Grants First Crypto Exchanges Operating Licenses

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