Starknet’s STRK Drops 53% Amid Token Issuance Criticism

A large part, 50.1% of STRK’s supply, has been allocated to the Starknet Foundation for community airdrops, grants and donations. 24.68% of STRK’s total supply will be distributed to early contributors and investors, while 32% has been assigned to developer StarkWare’s (its developer) employees, consultants and developer partners. Source

Manta Network Hit by DDoS Attack Day After Issuing MANTA Token Issuance

Manta is the latest in a rising cohort of new blockchains that offer faster transactions at lower costs than popular networks, such as Ethereum. These newer networks are usually backed by prominent funds and extensively market their blockchain in crypto circles on X and other social media platforms, hoping to capture market share and fees, which bolsters the value of their tokens. Source

BlackRock and Grayscale meeting with SEC about Bitcoin ETF issuance

Bloomberg Intelligence ETF research analyst James Seyffart reports that BlackRock and Grayscale, two major investment major companies with plans to issue a Bitcoin ETF, have recently met with the SEC. Based on slides that have become public knowledge, Seyffart shows that BlackRock likely prefers in-kind for their offering. In-kind vs. cash In highlighting this announcement, the analyst suggests that this decision makes sense as it is likely the cleanest structure for the company and its investors. The news came alongside a consecutive report that Grayscale, another prominent investment management firm,…

Singapore to Begin Wholesale CBDC Issuance Next Year

The MAS will collaborate with local banks during the pilot, allowing them to issue tokenized bank liabilities on blockchain technology, streamlining the clearing and settlement processes. Singapore is gearing up for a groundbreaking move into the era of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), with plans to pilot the live issuance and use of wholesale CBDCs in 2024. As reported by CNBC, Ravi Menon, the Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), announced the plans at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2023. The initiative aims to leverage the benefits of…

Euroclear launches digital securities issuance service, settles World Bank bond

Euroclear has launched a digital securities issuance service and settled a 100-million-euro ($106 million) digital World Bank bond. This is the first step in the Brussels-based settlement house’s digital infrastructure strategy, it said. The three-year bond, which is being called a digitally native note, was issued by World Bank lending arm International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to raise funds for sustainable development. It was listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and was completed on Oct. 23. Related: Europe drives institutional crypto adoption: Blockchain Expo Amsterdam Euroclear’s digital infrastructure is…

Wirex taps ZK-proofs for noncustodial crypto debit card issuance

Crypto payment service provider Wirex announced the launch of a zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof)-based noncustodial crypto debit card service called W-Pay on Oct. 3. Wirex’s new decentralized solution utilizes zero-knowledge technology and is built on Polygon’s Chain Development Kit (CDK), promising increased scalability and security. Polygon’s CDK has been built with ZK-proofs in focus, enabling companies and users to develop their own ZK-powered layer-2 rail. ZK-proof-based scalability solutions have become popular in the crypto space as the ZK protocol allows one party to prove to another party that something is true without disclosing any…