Elevated interest rates in the U.S. have dented ether’s appeal as the internet equivalent of a bond, offering a fixed-income-like return on staking. Source
Ether, Touted as Internet Bond, May Top $3K on Fed Rate Cut, Outperform Bitcoin
Category: ICO
VC Darling Eclipse Finally Debuts Its Solana-Ethereum Blockchain Hybrid
Like other layer-2 Ethereum rollups, Eclipse lets people transact on Ethereum with faster speeds and lower fees. To accomplish this, it operates as its own network, written using the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) — the fast and cheap execution architecture spearheaded by Ethereum’s biggest competitor, Solana. Similar to other layer 2s, Eclipse bundles up transactions from its users and periodically passes them down to the base Ethereum chain, where they’re cemented permanently to the chain’s ledger. Source
Dune Launches Dashboard Tracking $2.5B Lost to Crypto Hacks and Phishing Scams
One of the new dashboard’s most striking features is its funds flow analysis, which reveals where stolen funds ended up after being siphoned from victims. Unsurprisingly, platforms like Tornado Cash — the crypto mixer sanctioned by U.S. authorities — emerge as major endpoints for these funds. However, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols like Sushi, Yearn, and Uniswap also rank among notable end destinations for laundered assets. Source
Blockstream Opens R&D Center in Lugano, Switzerland
Blockstream, the development firm led by early Bitcoin developer Adam Back, has opened an R&D hub in Lugano, Switzerland, “to foster fintech innovation on Bitcoin’s Liquid and Lightning networks,” according to the team: “The new center aims to significantly increase innovation on layer 2’s by collaborating with local startups and partners, providing resources, mentorship, as well as grants to standout projects. The initiative builds on successful events co-hosted by Blockstream in Lugano and Viareggio, Italy, aligned with its mission to expand Bitcoin’s role in modern finance.” A couple photos were…
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Seeks to Dismiss Three of Crypto Exchange Kraken’s Defenses in U.S. Lawsuit
The SEC sued Kraken in November 2023 for operating a platform as an unregistered securities exchange, broker, dealer and clearing agency. The SEC said it believes that since at least September 2018, Kraken had made hundreds of millions of dollars unlawfully by facilitating the buying and selling of crypto asset securities. Kraken filed for the case to be dismissed, a motion that was rejected in August. Source
Polymarket Bettors Think Donald Trump More Likely to Pardon Jan. 6 Protestors Than Ross Ulbricht
Although Trump didn’t provide a specific reason as to why he thinks Ulbricht should be freed, many view Ulbricht’s double-life sentence without parole as excessive for a non-violent offense related to creating Silk Road, which demonstrated Bitcoin’s potential as a decentralized, censorship-resistant system. Source
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Calls for a Snap Election Following Coalition Breakdown
The decision came after Scholz, who is from the Social Democratic Party, dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the chairman of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) party, saying he refused a proposal that would suspend rules limiting government borrowing. Source
Bitcoin (BTC) Registers Fourth-Best Day of 2024 as BlackRock’s IBIT ETF Posts Record Volume
To provide some historical context, ETF trade volume reached a $9.9 billion peak during the March bull run, according to data from checkonchain. Total trade volume on Nov. 6 reached approximately $76 billion, comprising futures volume of $62 billion, spot volume of $8 billion and ETF trade volume of $6 billion, so ETF trade volume is still a small percentage of the total. Source
Trump Administration’s Biggest Gift to Crypto Would Be to Adopt the Bitcoin (BTC) Act: CoinShares
CoinShares noted that Trump has been a critic of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Gary Gensler, its chairman, particularly in regard to the agency’s approach to crypto. His administration is expected to appoint new SEC leaders, which could lead to a period of more crypto-friendly regulation. Source
“Privacy must still come first.” – we’re calling for collaboration with developers as report reveals future innovations and data protection concerns in genomics
New report highlights how genomics could one day determine insurance quotes, solve crimes, tailor support in schools and create fitness plans Concerns raised around third-party data, inappropriate bias, data security, and data minimisation We call for developers to take “privacy-by-design” approach and to join Regulatory Sandbox We have today released a new report on genomics, highlighting the need for a privacy-by-design approach that supports innovation whilst safeguarding privacy. The report shows how genomics could soon impact everyday life in remarkable ways: hospitals might use DNA to predict and prevent diseases,…