What happened this week around blockchain and cryptocurrencies? The most relevant local and international events as well as appealing background reports in a concise and compact weekly review.
Selected articles of the week:
In light of recent protests against current COVID-19 measures, the Canadian government has ordered banks to freeze the accounts of protesters. As a result, Bitcoin, with its properties as a permissionless and censorship-resistant payment network, is receiving increased attention in the country.
The Canadian government has allowed banks to freeze the accounts of illegal protestors, some of which are now turning to Bitcoin.
The “DAO hack” in 2016 represents a significant piece of history of the Ethereum network. The incident led to a controversial split of the blockchain (hardfork), which reversed the theft of the stolen funds. The identity of the hacker in charge remained a well-kept secret until this moment. However, this week the perpetrator was revealed to be ex TenX CEO Toby Hoenisch.
The man responsible for hacking the “Ethereum DAO” in 2016 has been named as former TenX CEO Toby Hoenisch.
The metaverse is the latest element in the general digitization of social and economic activities. The potential of emerging digital marketplaces is estimated to reach $8 trillion by 2025. The virtual overlay of the traditional marketplace raises specific regulatory issues for the metaverse.
The Metaverse is the next step in the digitalization of our economies and carries significant challenges with regards to consumer protection.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) consistent rejection of a physically-backed Bitcoin fund (ETF) is a contentious issue. To date, a handful of Bitcoin ETFs have been approved in the United States, but all of these are backed by futures contracts. Such investment vehicles are fraught with drawbacks, especially for the long-term investor. Meanwhile, crypto asset manager Grayscale is looking to speed up the approval process with a newly launched campaign.
Crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments has launched a campaign to pressure US regulators into approving a spot-based Bitcoin ETF.
In addition: The lack of interoperability between different blockchains has been an obstacle to greater adoption in the industry. Cosmos is trying to connect blockchains with a unique layered model to ensure a seamless transition between the different networks.
A comprehensive overview of the Cosmos network, ATOM as a crypto asset, and the potentially bright future for the network.
