One version of the new draft, reviewed by CoinDesk, has a similar provision though significantly toned down from the original. It says that crypto assets “shall be subject to minimum environmental sustainability standards with respect to their consensus mechanism used for validating transactions, before being issued, offered or admitted to trading in the Union.”
In bull and bear markets, the mantra for cryptocurrency projects that are focused on long-term sustainability is “always be building.”
Kadena (KDA) is one project that has earned rewards from its forward-looking approach to development despite the weakness in the wider crypto market and the layer-one proof-of-work blockchain protocol has seen its price reverse direction recently.
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the price of KDA spiked 40% from a low of $5.94 in the early hours on March 11 to a high of $8.28 as its 24-hour trading volume surged 784% to $325 million.
Three reasons for the recent price growth for KDA include a new listing on Binance, the launch of the first decentralized exchange on the Kadena network and upcoming roadmap plans which include the launch of an NFT standard and wrapped native tokens.
The biggest driver of KDA was the March 11 listing on Binance.
#Binance will list @kadena_io $KDAhttps://t.co/b4yPmq6xu3
— Binance (@binance) March 11, 2022
Following the announcement, the 24-hour trading volume spiked from an average $38 million to $325 million during trading on Friday. KuCoin exchange also saw high trading volume, with $117.4 million worth in trader occurring before the listing went live at Binance.
A second development helping boost the price of KDA was the launch of new protocols on the Kadena network, including Kaddex, the first decentralized exchange in the project’s ecosystem which offers gas free trading.
Kaddex also announced an integration with Simplex that will bring a fiat onramp into the growing decentralized finance ecosystem.
.@KaddeXofficial and @XWalletOfficial are officially teaming up with @SimplexCC to bring Fiat on Ramp services into Kadena DeFi.
The @kadena_io Ecosystem is growing stronger than ever. Support our journey! pic.twitter.com/dj3nCDvNUw
— Daniele DV ⛓️️ (@KDX_Mandrake) March 8, 2022
Some of the other protocols that have recently launched and integrated with Kadena include, Hypercent Launchpad, a platofrm which facilitates the launch of verified projects on Kadena, and the crypto liquidity provider ZoidPay.
Related: Altcoin Roundup: 3 Proof-of-work protocols focused on building Web 3.0
A third factor helping to attract attention to Kadena is the project’s upcoming roadmap goals which include the launch of of a native NFT standard called Marmalade.
Visit https://t.co/oUM5Z9649E for a list of our upcoming milestones: pic.twitter.com/KPGkLD0S6W
— Kadena (@kadena_io) March 4, 2022
Other notable developments that are planned on the Kadena roadmap include the launch of wrapped native tokens like kBTC, kETH and kUSD, a push for additional U.S. and global exchange listings, the development of lending platform infrastructure and the launch of a sustainable mining initiative.
Developers behind the project have also announced plans to launch testnets for a Kadena Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bridge as well as a Kadena to Cosmos bridge that will facilitate interoperability with other popular blockchain ecosystems.
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.
Once national reserves sunk, governments had to raise taxes or sell bonds to continue fighting. But in WWI, as the initially localized conflict spread, fiscal discipline failed. As Ammous explains, within the first month “all major belligerents had suspended gold convertibility, effectively going off the gold standard and putting their population on a fiat standard.”
Non-fungible token (NFT) projects have been hard hit by the price decline across the cryptocurrency ecosystem and the current bearish conditions have spared few tokens from a price collapse.
One project that is attempting to get back on solid footing is Immutable X (IMX), an NFT-focused layer-2 (L2) scaling solution for the Ethereum (ETH) network designed to offer near-instant transactions and zero gas fees for minting and trading.
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the price of IMX has climbed 69.6% since hitting a low of $1.09 on March 7 to hit a daily high of $1.86 on March 11.
Three reasons for the reversal in IMX include the completion of a $200 million Series C funding round, the launch of new projects on the platform and the overall sustained interest in NFTs despite the recent decline in prices.
The most impactful development to bring a boost to IMX in March was the successful completion of a Series C funding round that saw the project raise $200 million to invest in blockchain gaming.
1/ Major news: we’re thrilled to announce @Immutable has raised $200M in Series C funding @ $2.5B val.
We’re supercharging our mission to make NFTs mainstream through high-quality blockchain games (and more).https://t.co/mZkrK2PnEj pic.twitter.com/69zbECxlIw
— Immutable | $IMX (@Immutable) March 7, 2022
The fundraising round was led by the Singaporean state-owned investment firm Temasek and also included participation from Animoca Brands, Tencent, Arrington Capital and Princeville Capital.
IMX intends to utilize the funds raised to develop out its L2 scaling solution on Ethereum and scale the Immutable Gaming Studio, which hosts popular games like Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians.
Following this most recent funding round, the total valuation of the Immutable X protocol stands at $2.5 billion.
The second factor bringing added value to IMX is the addition of new projects to the protocol which has helped to attract new users to the ecosystem.
Some of the recent additions include Vy Worlds and Habbo NFT, both of which have conducted airdrops to early adopters as a way to help attract more users.
One of the world’s oldest online gaming communities @Habbo will be powering @HabboNFT’s future L2 NFT furniture collection w/ @Immutable X
Habbo users will easily access gas-free & fully carbon-neutral NFTs
+ MASSIVE scalability w/ Ethereum’s unparalleled security included. pic.twitter.com/6GxlXjjEHA
— Immutable | $IMX (@Immutable) February 16, 2022
Offering gasless NFT transactions and a carbon-neutral environment while still being able to operate on the Ethereum network is an attractive proposition to emerging projects and it will likely continue to attract new projects to IMX in the future.
Related: Immutable X (IMX) price soars after GameStop partnership and new project launches
A third factor putting the wind at the back of IMX is the ongoing popularity of the NFT sector.
The cryptocurrency ecosystem as a whole has been bearish since the start of 2022, leading to falling token prices and reduced interest in big-ticket NFTs, but data from Dune Analytics shows that the volume of sales on OpenSea is still near all time-highs.
January and February of 2022 saw the highest volumes ever traded on OpenSea despite the drawdown in the wider market, suggesting that interest and demand for NFTs remains elevated.
VORTECS™ data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro began to detect a bullish outlook for IMX on March 9, prior to the recent price rise.
The VORTECS™ Score, exclusive to Cointelegraph, is an algorithmic comparison of historical and current market conditions derived from a combination of data points including market sentiment, trading volume, recent price movements and Twitter activity.
As seen in the chart above, the VORTECS™ Score for IMX spiked into the green zone on March 9 and hit a high of 81 around 19 hours before the price increased 29% over the next day.
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.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
@2022 CoinDesk
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
@2022 CoinDesk
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
@2022 CoinDesk
On Friday, Do Kwon, founder and CEO of Terraform Labs (TFL), which develops the blockchain ecosystem consisting of Terra Luna (LUNA) and the TerraUSD stablecoin (UST), announced that TFL had donated 12 million LUNA ($1.1 billion at the time of publication) to the Luna Foundation Guard (LFG). LFG launched in January to grow the Terra ecosystem and improve the sustainability of its stablecoins. Kwon noted the funds, denominated in LUNA, will be burned to mint UST to grow the LFG’s reserves:
“We will keep growing reserves until it becomes mathematically impossible for idiots to claim de-peg risk for UST.”
UST is an algorithmic stablecoin with a theoretical exchange rate of 1:1 with the U.S. dollar, and is in part maintained by swapping of/for LUNA tokens when its market value deviates from its peg. The burning of $1 in UST results in the minting of $1 in LUNA and vice versa.
However, due to a high demand for UST on decentralized finance, or DeFi, platforms like Curve Finance, this results in unbalanced pools for swapping stablecoins. For example, as more and more crypto enthusiasts swap their USD Coin and Tether (USDT) for UST, the pool’s reserves will deplete, thereby causing price volatility as supply lags behind demand. Two days prior, TFG had already voted on burning the 4.2 million LUNA left in its treasury to protect UST’s peg. According to TFG:
“LFG will swap the [new] LUNA to UST (swap=burn) and sell the UST to the Curve pool. The proceeds will go back to LFG reserves to purchase BTC.”
Thanks to Terra’s flagship Anchor Protocol, UST is a very popular coin among crypto enthusiasts, which promises up to 20% annual yield on UST savings deposits. However, due to an imbalance of depositors and lenders paying interest, the Anchor Protocol’s reserve (for paying the promised yield) is still on the decline at time of publication, although it recently experienced a massive capital infusion.
If there is any confusion left at this point, we will keep growing reserves until it becomes mathematically impossible for idiots to claim depeg risk for $UST $UST is mighty https://t.co/6xCDPWJUTX
— Do Kwon (@stablekwon) March 11, 2022
The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has been sitting in the backseat since whipping up a frenzy in the summer of 2020 through the first quarter of 2021. Currently, investors are debating whether the crypto sector is in a bull or bear market, meaning, it’s a good time to check in on the state of DeFi and identify which protocols might be setting new trends.
Here’s a look at the top-ranking DeFi protocols and a review of the strategies used by users of these protocols.
Stablecoin-related DeFi protocols are the cornerstone of the DeFi ecosystem and Curve is till the go-to protocol when it comes to staking stalbecoins.
Data from Defi Llama shows four out of the top five protocols in terms of total value locked (TVL) are connected to the creation and management of stablecoins.
It’s important to note that while these protocols have emerged on top when it comes to TVL, the value of their native tokens for the most part are significantly down from their 2021 all-time highs.
The main takeaway is that engaging with the stablecoin aspect of the DeFi market through staking and farming has offered steady yields while also earning the governance tokens for these platforms as an added bonus to help mitigate the drop in token values.
As it stands now, stablecoins play an integral role in the overall healthy functioning of DeFi which continues to expand as newer protocols like Frax Share and Neutrino climb the TVL ranks amidst the increasing number of interconnected blockchain networks.
Lending platforms are another key component of the DeFi ecosystem and one of the key features that investors can interact with even during a bear market. AAVE and Compound are the current leaders with respective TVLs at $12.09 billion and $6.65 billion.
Like other stablecoin protocols, AAVE and Compound saw the value of their native tokens peak in 2021 and both have been in a prolonged downturn for months.
AAVE’s TVL growth outpaced Compound largely due to its cross-chain integration of Polygon and Avalanche, which increased the number of supported assets and allowed users to avoid the high gas fees on the Ethereum network.
Long-term crypto hodlers who are risk averse can benefit from simply lending their tokens for a modest yield.
Related: Altcoin Roundup: JunoSwap, Solidly and VVS Finance give DeFi a much-needed refresh
The growing popularity of liquid staking is also adding new utility to decentralized finance. Liquid staking protocols like Lido Finance, which originally launched as an Ethereum staking solution but has since expanded support to Terra (LUNA), Solana (SOL), Kusama (KSM) and Polygon (MATIC).
Data from Defi Llama shows the TVL on Lido reaching a new all-time high of $14.96 billion on March 10 as the addition of new assets continues to attract more value to the protocol.
On Lido, users can stake Ether and Solana and receive stETH or stSOL, which can then be used as collateral on AAVE to borrow stablecoins. Those assets can then be used for trading or yield farming purposes, thus increasing the overall yield earned from the original staked asset.
Other notable liquid staking protocols include the Eth2 staking provider StakeWise, the Cosmos-based pStake protocol and Stader Labs.
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.
Bitcoin (BTC) has been volatile in the past few days but the long-term investors seem to be using the current weakness to buy.
According to Whale Alert and CryptoQuant, about 30,000 BTC left Coinbase and was deposited in an unknown wallet. It is speculated to be a genuine purchase and not an in-house transaction.
Although investors may be bullish for the long term, the short-term picture remains questionable. Stack Funds said in their recent weekly research report that they “expect sideways trading and possibly a potential dip” in the short term due to the increase in inflation and the lack of clarity regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
While Bitcoin has been volatile, gold-backed crypto assets have made a strong showing in 2022 as investors shunned risky assets and sought the protection of safe havens. This has boosted the market capitalization of gold-baked crypto tokens to more than $1 billion.
Could Bitcoin and altcoins sustain the recovery or will bears reign supreme? Let’s analyze the charts of the top-10 cryptocurrencies to find out.
Bitcoin soared above the moving averages on March 9 but quickly retraced the rally on March 10. The bulls are again attempting to push the price back above the moving averages today. This indicates that bulls are buying on dips while bears are selling on rallies.
Both moving averages are flattening out and the relative strength index (RSI) is just below the midpoint, suggesting a balance between supply and demand.
This equilibrium could tilt in favor of the buyers if they push and sustain the price above $42,594. The BTC/USDT pair could then rise to the overhead zone between $45,000 and the resistance line of the ascending channel.
Alternatively, if the price once again turns down from the moving averages, the bears will try to pull the pair below the immediate support at $37,000. If this level gives way, the pair could challenge the support line of the channel. A break and close below this level will increase the possibility of the resumption of the downtrend.
Ether’s (ETH) rebound met with stiff resistance at the 50-day simple moving average ($2,751) on March 9, indicating that bears are not willing to let go of their advantage easily. The price turned down from the moving averages on March 10 but a minor positive is that the bulls are attempting to defend the support line of the symmetrical triangle.
If the price rebounds off the support line, the bulls will again try to drive and sustain the price above the 50-day SMA. If they manage to do that, the ETH/USDT pair could rise to the psychological level at $3,000 and then retest the resistance line of the triangle.
This is an important level for the bears to defend because a break and close above it will signal a potential change in trend. This setup has a pattern target at $4,311 on the upside.
Contrary to this assumption, if the price continues lower and breaks below the support line of the triangle, it could indicate the resumption of the downtrend. The pair could then drop to $2,159.
Binance Coin (BNB) rose above the 50-day SMA ($389) on March 9 but the bulls could not sustain the higher levels. The bears took advantage of this situation and pulled the price back below the moving averages on March 10.
If the price sustains below the moving averages, the bears will attempt to pull the BNB/USDT pair to the strong support at $350. This is an important level to keep an eye on because a break below it could clear the path for a decline to $320.
Alternatively, if the price rebounds off the current level, the buyers will again try to propel and sustain the pair above the moving averages. If they do that, the pair could start its northward march toward $445.
Ripple (XRP) broke and closed above the downtrend line on March 9 but the bulls could not build upon this strength. The bears pulled the price back below the downtrend line on March 10.
The bulls did not allow the price to break below the 50-day SMA ($0.72), which suggests strong demand at lower levels. This tight range trading is unlikely to continue for long.
If the price breaks and sustains above $0.78, the XRP/USDT pair could pick up momentum and rally toward the overhead resistance at $0.91. A break above this level could clear the path for a rally to the psychological level at $1.
This positive view will invalidate if the price turns down and breaks below $0.69. That could turn the tables in favor of the bears.
Terra’s LUNA token rose to a new all-time high on March 9 but the long wick on the day’s candlestick shows profit-booking at higher levels. The bulls again tried to resume the uptrend on March 10 but the bears had other plans.
The failure to sustain the price above $103 may have attracted profit-booking from the short-term traders. That has pulled the LUNA/USDT pair below the critical level at $94.
If the price sustains below $94, the decline could extend to the 20-day EMA ($80). A break and close below this level will suggest that the bullish momentum may have weakened. The pair could then drop to $70.
Conversely, if the price rebounds off the current level or the 20-day EMA, it will indicate that the sentiment remains positive and traders are buying on dips. The bulls will then again try to push the pair to a new all-time high and toward the target objective at $125.
Solana (SOL) has been trading inside a descending triangle pattern, which will complete on a break and close below the crucial support at $81. The bulls tried a recovery on March 9 but could not push the price above the 20-day EMA ($89).
If bears sink and sustain the price below $81, the selling could intensify. The SOL/USDT pair could then resume its downtrend and plunge toward the next support at $66.
The downsloping moving averages suggest that the path of least resistance is to the downside but the positive divergence on the RSI indicates that the sellers need to be careful of a possible bear trap.
If the price rebounds off the current level, the bulls will again try to push and sustain the pair above the downtrend line. If they manage to do that, the pair could rally to $122.
Cardano’s (ADA) attempt to recover on March 9 met with strong resistance at the 20-day EMA ($0.88). This suggests that the sentiment remains negative and traders are selling on every minor rally.
The downsloping moving averages and the RSI in the negative territory suggest the path of least resistance is to the downside.
The bears will now again attempt to pull the price below the strong support at $0.74 and resume the downtrend. A close below $0.74 could open the doors for a further decline to the next support at $0.68.
The bulls will have to push and sustain the ADA/USDT pair above the psychological level at $1 to suggest that the bears may be losing their grip.
Related: Here’s how traders were alerted to RUNE’s, FUN’s, WAVES’ and KNC’s big rallies last week
AVAX/USDT
Avalanche (AVAX) failed to climb and sustain above the moving averages on March 9. This suggests that bears are defending the moving averages while the bulls are buying on dips to the uptrend line.
Generally, tight ranges result in sharp trending moves. If bears sink and sustain the price below the uptrend line, the AVAX/USDT pair could start its decline toward the important support at $51. It may not be a straight drop because the bulls will try to arrest the fall in the zone between $64 and $61.
Conversely, if bulls push the price above the moving averages, the pair will again attempt to rise above the downtrend line of the descending channel. A break and close above the channel could signal that the downtrend may be ending.
After struggling to stay above the 20-day EMA ($17) on March 9 and 10, Polkadot (DOT) has managed to break the resistance today. The bulls are currently attempting to push and sustain the price above the 50-day SMA ($18).
If they succeed, it will suggest that the downtrend could be ending. The DOT/USDT pair could thereafter rally to the overhead resistance at $23. A break and close above this resistance will signal a potential change in trend.
Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from the current level, the bears will try to pull the price below the solid support at $16. If they manage to do that, the pair could retest the next major support at $14.
Dogecoin’s (DOGE) relief rally on March 9 fizzled out at the 20-day EMA ($0.12). This suggests that the bears are not ready to give up and they continue to sell near resistance levels.
The DOGE/USDT pair dropped back below $0.12 on March 10, increasing the possibility of a retest of the critical support at $0.10. This zone is likely to attract strong buying from the bulls. The buyers will have to push and sustain the price above the 50-day SMA ($0.13) to indicate that the downtrend could be weakening.
Conversely, if bears sink the price below $0.10, the selling could accelerate and the pair could plummet to the next support at $0.06.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision.
Market data is provided by HitBTC exchange.