Category Archives: Smart Contracts

How New Technology Will Disrupt The Oil And Gas Industry – Markets Insider

At a certain point in its lifecycle, every industry faces its moment of reckoning with growing pressure to transform due to factors such as increasing competition, changing consumer preferences, government policy and other secular headwinds. The transformation usually takes the shape of improved supply chain discipline as well as streamlining business operations in order to achieve better operating margins.

For the oil andnatural gasindustry, the moment of truth arrived a few years ago after years of weak benchmark prices, shrinking margins and massive capital flight forced the sector to seriously rethink the way it does business with energy companies increasingly turning toward tech heavyweights for help in cutting costs and streamlining operations.

A good case in point isa partnershipstruck betweenHaliburton Co.(NYSE:HAL),Microsoft Inc.(NASDAQ:MSFT) andAccenture Plc.(NYSE:ACN) in 2020. For years, Haliburton, one of the worlds largest oilfield services companies, has been plagued by shrinking margins and chronic underperformance. The company eventually made a deal with the two cloud giants to migrate its existing data centers to cloud and enhance digital offerings.

Big savings

Source: CNBC

Halliburton is hardly alone.

After years of dilly-dallying, oil and gas companies are now rapidly moving their IT infrastructure out to the Cloud as well as adopting Business Process Management (BPM) systems. This frequently results in a leaner, more agile organizational model whilst delivering significant cost savings.

Barclays estimates that the upstream market digital services industry will grow from less than $5 billion in 2020 to a more than $30 billion annual tab by 2025, thus enabling $150 billion in annual savings for oil producers. Opportunities for cost savings include cutting capital expenditures (capex) as well as selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs and transportation operating costs.

According to Barclays, the digital age is finally dawning for the energy sector with the market poised to erupt over the next five years. Over the past few years, Microsoft has struck cloud partnerships with several Big Oil companies includingExxonMobil(NYSE:XOM),Chevron Inc. (NYSE:CVX) and Haliburton while Googles parent companyAlphabet Inc.(NASDAQ:GOOG)has significantly expandedits partnership withSchlumberger Ltd.(NYSE:SLB), another oilfield services giant. Meanwhile,Amazon Inc.(NASDAQ:AMZN) offers digital services to the industry through Amazon Web Servicesoil and gas division, and countsBP Plc. (NYSE:BP) andShell Plc(NYSE:SHEL) among its top clients.

In many cases, Big Oils digital makeover is quite extensive.

For instance, Halliburton kicked off multiple digital transformation projects during the pandemic. Thailands PTT Exploration and Production and Kuwait Oil Company were among the notable oil and gas companies that were awarded Halliburton contracts to implement digital transformation and enhance efficiency and production at their oilfields.

For years, Big Oil has been using tech companies enterprise software in their highly complex operating systems--including rig management operations and precise drilling techniques. However, they have traditionally been somewhat reluctant to hand over their treasure troves of valuable data mainly on cyber security concerns as well as the need to maintain competitive advantages, preferring instead to develop most of their software developed in-house or by companies within the oilfield services sector such as Haliburton.

However, this is now changing as they look for ways to improve operational efficiencies in a bid to squeeze higher cash flows and profits from their existing operations.

Is the new approach working? The evidence seems to suggest so, with shale drilling costs on an encouraging downtrend.J.P. Morganestimates that Permian's Delaware Basin oil drillers now require oil prices of just ~$33/bbl to break even down from $40/bbl in 2019.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Lets face it: Our electric grids are simply ill-suited for the energy shift. After all, renewable power is highly intermittent by nature whereas our grids are designed for near-constant power input/output. Indeed, wind and solar energy have the lowest capacity factors of any energy source.

For the energy transition to be successful, our power grids have to become a lot smarter. Luckily, theres an encouraging precedent.

Five years ago,Googleannounced that it had reached 100% renewable energy for its global operations including its data centers and offices. Today, Google is the largest corporate buyer of renewable power, with commitments totalling 2.6 gigawatts (2,600 megawatts) of wind and solar energy.

In 2017, Google teamed up with IBM to search for a solution to the highly intermittent nature of wind power. UsingIBMs DeepMind AI platform, Google deployed ML algorithms to 700 megawatts of wind power capacity in the central United States--enough to power a medium-sized city.

IBM says that by using a neural network trained on widely available weather forecasts and historical turbine data, DeepMind is now able to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of actual generation. Consequently, this has boosted the value of Googles wind energy by roughly 20 percent.

A similar model can be used by other wind farm operators to make smarter, faster and more data-driven optimizations of their power output to better meet customer demand.

IBMs DeepMind uses trained neural networks to predict wind power output 36 hours ahead of actual generation

Source: DeepMind

Houston, Texas-basedInnowatts, is a startup that has developed an automated toolkit for energy monitoring and management. The companys eUtility platform ingests data from more than 34 million smart energy meters across 21 million customers including major U.S. utility companies such as Arizona Public Service Electric, Portland General Electric, Avangrid, Gexa Energy, WGL, and Mega Energy. Innowatts says its machine learning algorithms are able to analyze the data to forecast several critical data points including short- and long-term loads, variances, weather sensitivity, and more. Innowatts estimates that without its machine learning models, utilities would have seen inaccuracies of 20% or more on their projections at the peak of the crisis thus placing enormous strain on their operations and ultimately driving up costs for end-users.

Further, AI and digital solutions can be employed to make our grids safer.Three years ago, Californias biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric,found itself in deep troubleafter being found culpable for the tragic 2018 wildfire accident that left 84 people dead and, consequently, was slapped with hefty penalties of $13.5 billion as compensation to people who lost homes and businesses and another $2 billion fine by the California Public Utilities Commission for negligence. Perhaps the loss of lives and livelihood could have been averted if PG&E had invested in some AI-powered early detection system like Innowats.By employing digital and AI models, our power grids will become increasingly smarter and more reliable and make the shift to renewable energy smoother.

Blockchain

Despite its enormous potential to transform the global energy sector, blockchain technology has largely remained confined to the financial sector with the energy industry consistently catalyzed by innovations in sub-sectors such as rooftop solar, offshore wind, smart metering, battery storage, and electric vehicles.

But this is now beginning to change thanks to theEnterprise Ethereum blockchainemerging as the newest technology to spur growth in the energy sector across a raft of verticals from peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading and smart contracts to green energy provenance and systems interoperability.

Indeed, a Global Blockchain in Energy Market research document says blockchain technology in the energy industry is about torecord explosive growthover the next five years with blockchain energy startups such asPower Ledger, WePower, UAB,andLO3 Energyset to open up new possibilities for the energy industry, ranging from cost-savings for the consumer by eliminating third parties in energy deals and faster transaction settlements, all the way to the emergence of a new market for peer-to-peer and excess renewable energy trading.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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How New Technology Will Disrupt The Oil And Gas Industry - Markets Insider

Best Web3 open-source tools 2023 – CryptoTicker.io – Bitcoin Price, Ethereum Price & Crypto News

The evolution of blockchain technology has given rise to the concept of Web3, which focuses on creating a decentralized and more open internet. As the world moves towards a more decentralized future, developers and businesses are looking for the best open-source Web3 tools to build their decentralized applications (dApps).

In this article, we will introduce some of the best web3 open source tools for 2023 that you should know and use. These tools cover various aspects of web3 development, such as programming languages, libraries, testing tools, wallets, browsers, and more. Lets get started!

Web3 Open Source Tool are software applications or libraries that enable developers and users to interact with decentralized web platforms, such as Ethereum, IPFS, or ZeroNet. Web3 Open Source Tools can help create, deploy, and manage smart contracts, decentralized applications (DApps), and other web3 functionalities.

Solidity is a popular programming language used for writing smart contracts on Ethereum and other compatible blockchains. Solidity is an object-oriented language that supports inheritance, libraries, and complex data types, and is designed to be easy to learn and use for web developers. It has a large and active community of developers and contributors who constantly improve and update the language. With many online resources, such as documentation, tutorials, courses, books, and forums, you can use various IDEs and editors to write Solidity code, such as Remix, Visual Studio Code, Atom, or Sublime Text.

web3.js is the official JavaScript library for interacting with Ethereum nodes via JSON-RPC. It provides a simple and intuitive interface to the Ethereum network, allowing you to call smart contract functions, send transactions, query blockchain data, subscribe to events, and more. web3.js supports various Ethereum features and standards, such as EIP-1559, EIP-721 (NFTs), EIP-1155 (multi-token standard), ENS (Ethereum Name Service), and more. You can install web3.js via npm or yarn or use it directly from a CDN.

Hardhat is a development environment for Ethereum that helps you write, test, debug, and deploy smart contracts with ease. It is based on TypeScript and offers many features and plugins that make your development workflow faster and smoother. Some of the features of Hardhat include a built-in local Ethereum network that supports forking from mainnet or any other network, a console that lets you interact with your contracts and network via a REPL, a debugger that lets you inspect your transactions and contracts step by step, a testing framework that supports Mocha and Chai, and a plugin system that lets you extend Hardhat with various tools and integrations.

Metamask is a popular Web3 wallet that allows you to access Ethereum and other compatible blockchains from your web browser. It acts as a bridge between your browser and the blockchain network and allows you to manage your accounts, keys, balances, transactions, DApps permissions, and more. Metamask also supports various features and standards that enhance your Web3 experience, such as EIP-1559 (fee market change), EIP-712 (typed data signing), ERC-20 (fungible tokens), ERC-721 (NFTs), ERC-1155 (multi-token standard), and more. You can use Metamask to connect to various networks and protocols, such as Polygon (formerly Matic), Binance Smart Chain (BSC), IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), and more.

IPFS is a peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing files in a distributed way. IPFS aims to create a more resilient, secure, and efficient web by replacing the traditional HTTP protocol with a content-addressable system. With IPFS, you can store any type of file on the network by assigning it a unique hash that acts as its address. You can then retrieve the file from any node on the network, making it more efficient and decentralized than traditional web hosting. IPFS can be used for various applications, such as decentralized storage, content delivery, and more.

In conclusion, the Web3 ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and developers and businesses are increasingly interested in building decentralized applications using open-source tools. In this article, we have introduced five of the best Web3 open-source tools for 2023: Solidity, web3.js, Hardhat, Metamask, and IPFS. These tools cover various aspects of Web3 development, from programming languages and libraries to wallets and browsers. By using these tools, developers can create more secure, efficient, and user-friendly dApps that leverage the power of decentralized networks. As the Web3 space continues to grow, we can expect to see even more innovative and useful tools emerge in the future.

Ripple is battling its own battle with the SEC, and it seems that a Ripple win is soon imminent. Can

In this article, we list the top 3 altcoins that are booming, but have good standings and can be potential

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The Role of Self-Regulation in the Cryptocurrency Industry: Where do we go from here? – Finance Magnates

In recentyears, the cryptocurrency industry has grown significantly, with newtechnologies and financial instruments emerging to challenge conventionalfinancial systems. With this expansion, however, comes the need for regulationto prevent financial crimes and safeguard consumers.

Whilegovernment regulation is essential, self-regulation has also had a significantimpact on the cryptocurrency industry. This essay will look at the role ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry, as well as the lessons learnedand future paths.

The practice ofsetting and enforcing rules within a business by the industry itself is knownas self-regulation. Self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry takes theshape of industry-led initiatives, organizations, and best practices promotingtransparency, accountability, and customer protection.

The creation ofindustry-led organizations, such as the CryptoUK in the United Kingdom and theBlockchain Association in the United States, is one of the most importantinstances of self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. Theseorganizations work to create and promote industry best practices, as well as toset codes of conduct for cryptocurrency companies.

Keep Reading

Self-regulationhas been critical in shaping the cryptocurrency sector, and several lessons canbe drawn from this experience.

For starters,self-regulation can aid in the establishment of confidence and legitimacy in arapidly changing industry. Self-regulatory organizations can encouragetransparency and accountability among industry participants by establishing andenforcing industry standards.

As a result,consumers and investors who are wary of the risks associated withcryptocurrencies can gain confidence.

Second,self-regulation can aid in the filling of regulatory voids in the government.Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new technology, and governments may lack theexpertise or resources to successfully regulate them. Self-regulatoryorganizations can assist in filling these gaps by creating industry bestpractices and guidelines that can serve as a framework for future governmentregulation.

Third,self-regulation can aid in the rapid resolution of emerging issues in thebusiness. The cryptocurrency industry is continuously changing, with newtechnologies and financial instruments appearing on a regular basis.Self-regulatory organizations can react rapidly to these changes, creating newbest practices and guidelines to address emerging issues before they becomemajor issues.

Whileself-regulation has played an essential role in shaping the cryptocurrencyindustry, there are a number of challenges that must be addressed in order forit to continue to thrive.

First andforemost, self-regulation must be comprehensive and representative of thecomplete industry. The cryptocurrency business is vast, with numerous playerssuch as exchanges, wallets, and miners. Self-regulatory groups must ensure thattheir standards and guidelines apply to all industry participants, not just thelargest or most established.

Second,self-regulatory groups must maintain their vigilance in the face of new risksand challenges. The cryptocurrency industry is always changing, and new risksand challenges are bound to appear in the future. Self-regulatory organizationsmust be ready to react swiftly to these challenges, creating new best practicesand guidelines to address emerging risks and challenges.

Third,self-regulation groups must collaborate closely with government regulators toensure that their efforts are in accordance with government regulations. Whileself-regulation can assist in filling gaps in government regulation, it is alsocritical that self-regulatory organizations do not function in conflict withgovernment regulations.

Working closelywith government regulators, self-regulatory organizations can guarantee thattheir efforts complement rather than compete with government regulation.

Self-regulationcan be a double-edged sword when it comes to the cryptocurrency industry. Whileit can provide flexibility and autonomy for businesses, it can also create anenvironment of unchecked risks and vulnerabilities.

Cryptocurrencyis a decentralized digital currency that uses blockchain technology to ensureits security and transparency. Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrenciesare not backed by any government or financial institution. The lack ofcentralized authority makes it a challenge to regulate the industry, and as aresult, many have opted for self-regulation.

One of the maindangers of self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry is the potential forfraud and scams. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, and once fundshave been transferred, they cannot be recovered. This makes it a prime targetfor hackers and scammers who are looking to exploit vulnerabilities in thesystem.

Without properregulation, there is a risk of fraudulent activities such as Ponzi schemes andfake ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). These scams have already caused significantfinancial losses to investors and have damaged the reputation of the entirecryptocurrency industry.

Another dangerof self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry is the lack of protection forconsumers. Unlike traditional financial institutions, cryptocurrency companiesare not required to comply with regulations that protect consumers' interests.As a result, there is a risk of data breaches, financial loss, and otherfraudulent activities.

Furthermore,self-regulation can also lead to market manipulation. Cryptocurrency companieswith significant market power can exploit their dominance to manipulate prices,leaving smaller players at a disadvantage. Without regulations in place, there isa risk of price manipulation, insider trading, and other unethical practicesthat can harm the industry's credibility.

Self-regulationhas had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency business, encouragingtransparency, accountability, and consumer protection. Self-regulatoryorganizations have served to create trust and legitimacy in a rapidly evolvingindustry by developing industry standards, guidelines, and codes of conduct.

However,several challenges, such as inclusivity, vigilance, and cooperation withgovernment regulators, must be addressed to guarantee the ongoing success ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. As the industry evolves,self-regulation is likely to play an essential role in shaping the industry andpromoting responsible practices.

In addition toindustry-led initiatives and organizations, other self-regulatory mechanismsexist in the cryptocurrency business. To promote transparency andaccountability, some cryptocurrency projects, for example, have adoptedcommunity-driven governance mechanisms such as token voting. These mechanisms enabletoken holders to vote on important project decisions such as protocol changesor fund allocation.

The use ofsmart contracts to implement rules and regulations is another example ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. Smart contracts are self-executingcontracts that can be programmed to automatically enforce specified rules andconditions.

A smartcontract, for example, could be programmed to implement KYC and AML regulationsfor a specific cryptocurrency exchange, ensuring that only verified users canuse the platform.

Overall,self-regulation is an essential and evolving topic in the cryptocurrencybusiness. While government regulation is essential for preventing financialcrimes and protecting consumers, self-regulation can also play an importantrole in encouraging transparency, accountability, and consumer protection.

Self-regulatoryorganizations can help to establish trust and legitimacy in a rapidly changingindustry by creating industry standards, guidelines, and codes of conduct. Asthe industry evolves, self-regulation is likely to play an essential role inshaping the industry and promoting responsible practices.

In recentyears, the cryptocurrency industry has grown significantly, with newtechnologies and financial instruments emerging to challenge conventionalfinancial systems. With this expansion, however, comes the need for regulationto prevent financial crimes and safeguard consumers.

Whilegovernment regulation is essential, self-regulation has also had a significantimpact on the cryptocurrency industry. This essay will look at the role ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry, as well as the lessons learnedand future paths.

The practice ofsetting and enforcing rules within a business by the industry itself is knownas self-regulation. Self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry takes theshape of industry-led initiatives, organizations, and best practices promotingtransparency, accountability, and customer protection.

The creation ofindustry-led organizations, such as the CryptoUK in the United Kingdom and theBlockchain Association in the United States, is one of the most importantinstances of self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. Theseorganizations work to create and promote industry best practices, as well as toset codes of conduct for cryptocurrency companies.

Keep Reading

Self-regulationhas been critical in shaping the cryptocurrency sector, and several lessons canbe drawn from this experience.

For starters,self-regulation can aid in the establishment of confidence and legitimacy in arapidly changing industry. Self-regulatory organizations can encouragetransparency and accountability among industry participants by establishing andenforcing industry standards.

As a result,consumers and investors who are wary of the risks associated withcryptocurrencies can gain confidence.

Second,self-regulation can aid in the filling of regulatory voids in the government.Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new technology, and governments may lack theexpertise or resources to successfully regulate them. Self-regulatoryorganizations can assist in filling these gaps by creating industry bestpractices and guidelines that can serve as a framework for future governmentregulation.

Third,self-regulation can aid in the rapid resolution of emerging issues in thebusiness. The cryptocurrency industry is continuously changing, with newtechnologies and financial instruments appearing on a regular basis.Self-regulatory organizations can react rapidly to these changes, creating newbest practices and guidelines to address emerging issues before they becomemajor issues.

Whileself-regulation has played an essential role in shaping the cryptocurrencyindustry, there are a number of challenges that must be addressed in order forit to continue to thrive.

First andforemost, self-regulation must be comprehensive and representative of thecomplete industry. The cryptocurrency business is vast, with numerous playerssuch as exchanges, wallets, and miners. Self-regulatory groups must ensure thattheir standards and guidelines apply to all industry participants, not just thelargest or most established.

Second,self-regulatory groups must maintain their vigilance in the face of new risksand challenges. The cryptocurrency industry is always changing, and new risksand challenges are bound to appear in the future. Self-regulatory organizationsmust be ready to react swiftly to these challenges, creating new best practicesand guidelines to address emerging risks and challenges.

Third,self-regulation groups must collaborate closely with government regulators toensure that their efforts are in accordance with government regulations. Whileself-regulation can assist in filling gaps in government regulation, it is alsocritical that self-regulatory organizations do not function in conflict withgovernment regulations.

Working closelywith government regulators, self-regulatory organizations can guarantee thattheir efforts complement rather than compete with government regulation.

Self-regulationcan be a double-edged sword when it comes to the cryptocurrency industry. Whileit can provide flexibility and autonomy for businesses, it can also create anenvironment of unchecked risks and vulnerabilities.

Cryptocurrencyis a decentralized digital currency that uses blockchain technology to ensureits security and transparency. Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrenciesare not backed by any government or financial institution. The lack ofcentralized authority makes it a challenge to regulate the industry, and as aresult, many have opted for self-regulation.

One of the maindangers of self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry is the potential forfraud and scams. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, and once fundshave been transferred, they cannot be recovered. This makes it a prime targetfor hackers and scammers who are looking to exploit vulnerabilities in thesystem.

Without properregulation, there is a risk of fraudulent activities such as Ponzi schemes andfake ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). These scams have already caused significantfinancial losses to investors and have damaged the reputation of the entirecryptocurrency industry.

Another dangerof self-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry is the lack of protection forconsumers. Unlike traditional financial institutions, cryptocurrency companiesare not required to comply with regulations that protect consumers' interests.As a result, there is a risk of data breaches, financial loss, and otherfraudulent activities.

Furthermore,self-regulation can also lead to market manipulation. Cryptocurrency companieswith significant market power can exploit their dominance to manipulate prices,leaving smaller players at a disadvantage. Without regulations in place, there isa risk of price manipulation, insider trading, and other unethical practicesthat can harm the industry's credibility.

Self-regulationhas had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency business, encouragingtransparency, accountability, and consumer protection. Self-regulatoryorganizations have served to create trust and legitimacy in a rapidly evolvingindustry by developing industry standards, guidelines, and codes of conduct.

However,several challenges, such as inclusivity, vigilance, and cooperation withgovernment regulators, must be addressed to guarantee the ongoing success ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. As the industry evolves,self-regulation is likely to play an essential role in shaping the industry andpromoting responsible practices.

In addition toindustry-led initiatives and organizations, other self-regulatory mechanismsexist in the cryptocurrency business. To promote transparency andaccountability, some cryptocurrency projects, for example, have adoptedcommunity-driven governance mechanisms such as token voting. These mechanisms enabletoken holders to vote on important project decisions such as protocol changesor fund allocation.

The use ofsmart contracts to implement rules and regulations is another example ofself-regulation in the cryptocurrency industry. Smart contracts are self-executingcontracts that can be programmed to automatically enforce specified rules andconditions.

A smartcontract, for example, could be programmed to implement KYC and AML regulationsfor a specific cryptocurrency exchange, ensuring that only verified users canuse the platform.

Overall,self-regulation is an essential and evolving topic in the cryptocurrencybusiness. While government regulation is essential for preventing financialcrimes and protecting consumers, self-regulation can also play an importantrole in encouraging transparency, accountability, and consumer protection.

Self-regulatoryorganizations can help to establish trust and legitimacy in a rapidly changingindustry by creating industry standards, guidelines, and codes of conduct. Asthe industry evolves, self-regulation is likely to play an essential role inshaping the industry and promoting responsible practices.

Excerpt from:

The Role of Self-Regulation in the Cryptocurrency Industry: Where do we go from here? - Finance Magnates

Cardano (ADA) is ready for a massive pump, Polygon (MATIC), and … – NewsBTC

The cryptocurrency market has been showing signs of growth, and investors are always on the lookout for the next big coin that can bring significant profits.

Three altcoins that have caught the attention of many investors are Cardano (ADA), Polygon (MATIC), and RenQ Finance (RENQ). While Cardano is expected to see a massive price surge, Polygon and RenQ Finance are still expected to provide better profits in 2023.

In this article, we will explore each coins potential, its recent developments, and why they could be promising investment opportunities.

Cardano (ADA) is a third-generation blockchain platform that aims to provide a more efficient and scalable solution for decentralized applications (dApps). It is designed to be a sustainable platform that can accommodate the growing demand for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

Recently, Cardano (ADA) announced the successful implementation of its smart contract capability, which will enable developers to build decentralized applications on its platform. This move has generated a lot of buzzes and is expected to result in a massive pump for Cardano (ADA) in the coming months.

Cardano (ADA) has already seen significant price growth, increasing its value by over 59% in 2023. With the successful implementation of its smart contract capability, Cardano (ADA) is poised for even greater growth soon.

While Cardano (ADA) is expected to experience a massive pump, Polygon (MATIC) and RenQ Finance (RENQ) are still expected to provide better profits in 2023.

Polygon (MATIC) is a layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum (ETH) that aims to provide faster and cheaper transaction processing while maintaining the security of the Ethereum mainnet. Polygon (MATIC) has seen significant price growth in 2023, increasing its value by over 45%.

RenQ Finance (RENQ) is a decentralized finance platform that aims to provide institutional-grade liquidity to the DeFi market. RenQ Finance (RENQ) has already sold out three presale stages, raising over $4.3 million from investors, and increasing its value by over 50%. RenQ Finance (RENQ) is on track for additional price surges in the next few months.

Investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky, and investors should always do their due diligence before making investment decisions. However, with their unique features and growth potential, Cardano (ADA), Polygon (MATIC), and RenQ Finance (RENQ) are all attractive investment opportunities for those looking to enter the cryptocurrency market.

Cardano (ADA) is a promising investment opportunity for those interested in third-generation blockchain platforms. Its successful implementation of smart contracts will result in a massive pump in the coming months.

Polygon (MATIC) is a promising investment opportunity for those interested in layer-2 scaling solutions for Ethereum (ETH). Its fast and cheap transaction processing, combined with its security features, make it an attractive option for investors.

RenQ Finance (RENQ) is a promising investment opportunity for those interested in decentralized finance platforms. Its institutional-grade liquidity and support for financial products make it an attractive option for investors looking to invest in the DeFi market.

Cardano (ADA), Polygon (MATIC), and RenQ Finance (RENQ) are three of the most promising cryptocurrencies in 2023. While Cardano (ADA) is expected to experience a massive pump, Polygon (MATIC) and RenQ Finance (RENQ) are still expected to provide better profits in the long term.

Investors should always do their due diligence before making any investment decisions, but with their unique features and growth potential, these cryptocurrencies are worth considering for those looking to enter the cryptocurrency market.

Click Here to Buy RenQ Finance (RENQ) Tokens.

Visit the links below for more information about RenQ Finance (RENQ):

Website:https://renq.ioWhitepaper:https://renq.io/whitepaper.pdf

Disclaimer:This is a paid release. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily represent those of NewsBTC. NewsBTC does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of information available in such content. Do your research and invest at your own risk.

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Cardano (ADA) is ready for a massive pump, Polygon (MATIC), and ... - NewsBTC

Solana-based DEX Orca bans US users from trading in its platform – CoinGeek

Orca becomes the latest decentralized exchange (DEX) to restrict U.S. residents from interacting with its web platform, according to anoticeon its official website.

The Solana-based DEX noted that the U.S. would be joining the list of banned countries by March 31, giving affected users over a week to prepare for the changes. Orcas announcement appears to be linked to a rising regulatory crackdown on the digital currency industry in the United States.

Orca will be adding the United States to the regions and countries which are restricted from trading on orca.so effective March 31, 2023. This will not impact the ability of U.S. users to directly interact with Orcas smart contracts or SDK, nor will it impact their ability to provide liquidity through orca.so, the announcement read.

Orca was launched in February 2021, and immediately became one of the most popular Solana DEXs and automated market maker (AMM) platforms. In February alone, Orca recorded transaction volumes exceeding $600 million, with nearly $50 million ontotal volume locked(TVL) on the Solana network.

It appears that U.S. users will still be allowed to interact with Orcas smart contracts if they do so directly. Only the website functionalities will be blocked for U.S. residents, with a range of options available for U.S. residents to interact directly with the DEX.

One method that U.S. users have been doing to bypass the restriction is by using tools like Truffle or Hardhat, or the Jupiter platform. Another alternative to interact directly with Orcassmart contract has been via the use of virtual private networks (VPN) to hide their IP address, allowing them to evade geographical restrictions.

Other DEXs have moved to preclude U.S. residents from using their platforms, citing regulatory concerns with Binance DEX leading the way in 2019, but offering users the option of VPNs to bypass restrictions. DEX aggregator joined the growing list with a ban on U.S. residents with a strict warning for citizens not to attempt bypassing restrictions.

You must not use any software or networking techniques, including the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to modify your internet protocol address or otherwise circumvent or attempt to circumvent this prohibition, the warning read.

A case against DEXs

Generally,decentralized exchangesare typically not subject to registration by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because of the absence of custody or order books. However, some experts believe that registration for DEXs with the Commission is required as they satisfy the requirements for registration with the Commission.

The focus is not on the label you put on something or the technology youre using. The focus is on the function, and what the platform is doing. Whether its decentralized or not, whether its on a smart contract or not, what matters is its an exchange, Robert Cohen, former head of the SEC Cyber Unit, said in 2018.

Watch: Law & Order Regulatory Compliance for Blockchain & Digital Assets

New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeeksBitcoin for Beginnerssection, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoinas originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamotoand blockchain.

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Solana-based DEX Orca bans US users from trading in its platform - CoinGeek

What Is a Hybrid Blockchain, and How Does It Differ from a Regular … – MUO – MakeUseOf

Governments, businesses, and other organizations have begun adopting blockchains to manage data and provide better solutions. But there is no one-size-fits-all regarding blockchains. Different types exist.

Typically, youll find public and private blockchains. However, a more uncommon option is availablehybrid blockchains, which offer the best of both worlds.

A hybrid blockchain is a unique type of blockchain that derives its features from public and private blockchains. Its a blend of both blockchains; the public and private aspects of the hybrid blockchain work hand-in-hand.

Because it is open and accessible, the public blockchain verifies transaction data via a blockchain consensus mechanism. Then, the data is stored in the private blockchain, only accessible to those with permission.

This amalgamation balances transparency, privacy, and security with several potential applications in finance, governance, and supply chain management industries.

Those who run hybrid blockchain-based companies cannot change the transactions and data in the decentralized ledger because it is immutable. However, they can keep the identity of new entrants hidden from the other network members, revealing them only after they have completed transactions with other participants.

Hybrid blockchains have some merits and demerits:

As mentioned earlier, hybrid blockchains have several applications in different sectors and industries.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices, due to their wireless connectivity and data transmissibility, are prone to cyberattacks. By preventing data breaches, unauthorized access, and other possible security threats, hybrid blockchains can thwart the efforts of these malicious entities.

Moreover, hybrid blockchains can enable devices to work together seamlessly by simplifying the integration process of different IoT devices via smart contracts. And if you use any IoT devices that run on hybrid blockchains, you can be assured that your user data is private and confidential.

With hybrid blockchains, companies can display listings to the public while keeping some data private. Meanwhile, businesses can enhance transparency, dependability, and trust by automating services for consumers and employees.

In addition, supply chains like retailers can use hybrid blockchain technology to fine-tune their operations and highly regulated processes. IBM Food Trust and Walmart are great examples of enterprises that have applied hybrid technology to their supply chain.

For instance, the IBM Food Trust has farmers, distributors, and wholesalers, in its hybrid blockchain network. It grants different groups access to a private blockchain containing transactions peculiar to them, while it uses the public blockchain component to share information across the different groups.

Crypto-based platforms employ hybrid blockchain technology in trading and finance globally. The banking industry can also benefit from hybrid blockchains because of their responsibility to secure user data and privacy.

Governments can use hybrid blockchain technology to build and manage public identification databases, conduct electoral voting processes, deliver humanitarian and social aid to citizens, store complex data like medical records, and automate acquisition processes. All these processes require public access but still give the government total control. The government can easily and securely share this data with its various institutions.

Here are two specific examples of institutions that incorporate hybrid blockchains.

XinFin is an EVM-compatible hybrid blockchain that uses efficient, accessible, and versatile decentralized solutions to modernize the global financial and trading sectors. The company complements financial systems by supporting them with a permissioned and restricted blockchain that private firms, governments, and enterprises can use to provide better solutions. Its digital token is XDC.

XinFin was one of the first companies to use smart contracts and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus (instead of proof-of-stake), with IoT strongly featured. This feature makes the network fast, as transactions are completed within two seconds, and transaction fees are low.

XinFin helps solve problems with cross-border transactions and limited blockchain technology applications in the global financial sector. The platform uses the best features of IBMs Quorum private blockchain platform and Ethereum, a public blockchain. And it finds strong expression in aviation, payroll systems, supply chain logistics, HR, international finance, and trade settlements.

In 2022, IBM blockchain services and CasperLabs announced the combination of IBMs Hyperledger Fabric private blockchain and Caspers public blockchain capabilities. This combination offers enhanced security, an open market, and public verifiability.

IPwe, powered by the IBM hybrid blockchain, has published the first blockchain-powered global registry, assembling patent records freely. And IPwe is on track to tokenize patents and patent attributes. The tokens will be easily traded, licensed, and transferred with smart contracts.

In a couple of years from now, more organizations and industries will likely be adopting the hybrid blockchain. Industries that require high levels of transparency, security, privacy, and traceability have the potential to benefit the most from this revolutionary technology.

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What Is a Hybrid Blockchain, and How Does It Differ from a Regular ... - MUO - MakeUseOf

Blockchain-Based Debt Protocol Obligate Records First Bond Issuance on Polygon Network – Yahoo Finance

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Obligate, a blockchain-based debt securities protocol, has executed the first bond issuance without any banks involved using the Polygon blockchain, the protocol announced Wednesday in a statement.

The issuer was Muff Trading AG, a Swiss physical commodities trading boutique specializing in sourcing precious metals and raw materials from South America. Muff sold tokenized corporate bonds using Obligates marketplace. The firms did not disclose the debt issuances size and terms.

The development precedes Obligate opening its platform to the broader public on March 27.

Obligate, which is regulated as a financial intermediary in Switzerland, allows companies to issue bonds and commercial papers using blockchain technology without relying on banks. It combines the efficiency of smart contracts and traditional finance regulations. Issuers must go through know-your-customer (KYC) checks before onboarding to comply with regulations. Investors receive ERC-20 tokens in their crypto wallets representing the bond, carrying the right to receive payment at maturity or collateral in the case of a default.

The development highlights the proliferation of on-chain debt markets in decentralized finance (DeFi) and is the latest example of crypto markets offering real-world financial service for businesses and sophisticated investors. Last month, German industrial giant Siemens issued $64 million of bonds with a one-year maturity on Polygon.

See also: Hong Kong Successfully Offered Inaugural $100M Tokenized Green Bond

The bond market is the largest financial market, but it only works well for large companies, Benedikt Schuppli, Obligates CEO, told CoinDesk.

The most prominent advantage of issuing debt via blockchain-based protocols is that it connects bond issuers with investors without intermediaries, slashing costs and administrative fees, Shuppli explained. This allows smaller firms to access financing through bond markets.

Story continues

Luca Muff, founder and CEO of Muff Trading, told CoinDesk that this was the first time his company issued bonds and chose Obligate to access markets. As a mid-size commodity trader, its a very tough environment these days with traditional banks, he said.

Obligate deducts a 0.5% issuance fee based on the size of the debt paid by the issuer.

Unlike Siemens on-chain bonds, Muffs issuance sidestepped banks traditional fiat money payment rails and was funded using Circles USDC stablecoin. The debt was secured with receivables held at Apex Group, a financial services firm with some $200 billion of assets under depositary and a partner of Obligate.

With traditional sources of lending restricted by current market conditions, this issuance enables investors to access on-chain bonds and commercial paper at a fraction of the cost and time, within the same secure and regulated framework they are familiar with from the traditional financial markets, Bruce Jackson, Apexs chief of digital asset funds and business, said.

Obligates choice to use Polygon, an Ethereum sidechain, showcases the blockchains growing lure for institutional capital. Investment-management firm Hamilton Lane opened tokenized funds on Polygon earlier this year, while Clearpool, a DeFi debt protocol, is set to open its institutional platform Prime exclusively on Polygon in the coming months.

Obligate raised $4 million from Circle Ventures earlier this year, after securing a $4.5 million investment from Blockchange Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital and SIX Fintech Ventures.

Read more: Has Tokenizations Moment Finally Come?

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Blockchain-Based Debt Protocol Obligate Records First Bond Issuance on Polygon Network - Yahoo Finance

Stacks 2.1 deployed: Is BTC the catalyst STX needed all along – AMBCrypto News

Stacks [STX], known as the Bitcoin [BTC] layer for smart contracts, announced its activation of the 2.1 version on 19 March. In December 2022, the project had upgraded to 2.05, whose goal was to shorten the runtime of a full block creation on the network.

Read Stacks [STX] Price Prediction 2023-2024

The now-implemented 2.1 upgrades, also called the Stacks Improvement Proposal (SIP) would strengthen Bitcoin bridging and decentralized mining.

Stacks prides itself on a project for enabling smart contracts and decentralized applications for transaction settlement on the Bitcoin blockchain. And this has been possible because of the Proof of Transfer consensus, which helps Stacks layer hashing, secured by the Bitcoin hash power.

With the new upgrade, Stacks mentioned that the miners would be able to reduce Bitcoin transaction fees by 25%. Also, it would reduce the barrier to entry for decentralized mining pools. The announcement read:

The 2.1 upgrade adds the ability for miners to mine using a native segwit or taproot UTXO. Not only does this reduce the Bitcoin transaction fee by around 25%, but also this is a major building block for decentralized mining pools.

Interestingly, Stacks link to Bitcoin did not end with mining or smart contracts interaction. Rather, STX has also been on BTCs heels per price performance.

According to CoinMarketCap, STX shot up by 6.21% following the announcement. This brings the cryptos performance in the last 30 days to 270% cumulatively.

It is also to be noted that three weeks ago, the token recorded a 165% value hike, and BTC may have played a part in the same. But it would be necessary to evaluate if the king coin can still influence STX for another upside.

Based on the technical outlook, STX had been relying on increasing support since 17 March. Although there have been times when the resistance pushed the price downwards, most ended in recovery.

But indications from the Bollinger Bands (BB) revealed that the STX had left the contracting area toward extreme volatility. Furthermore, the STX price was touching the upper band at press time, implying that the cryptocurrency was likely overbought.

Realistic or not, heres STXs market cap in BTCs terms

Additionally, the Directional Movement Index (DMI) reinforced the STX buyers supremacy over the sellers. This was ascertained from the -DMI (red) sliding below the +DMI (green).

However, the Average Directional Index (ADX) was 19.78. As such, a continuous movement in the upward direction might experience some scuffles unless the ADX (yellow) certifies it at a value of 25.

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Stacks 2.1 deployed: Is BTC the catalyst STX needed all along - AMBCrypto News

The Emergence of Web3 and Its Impact on TradFi – LCX

Web3 is gaining traction in traditional finance as the underlying technology of Web3 can transform the face of TradFi. Owing to the advancements in Web3, the world of finance is going through a massive shift, and the way we conduct our financial business is evolving. The emergence of Web3 has sparked a wave of innovation within traditional finance. It is also known as the decentralized web, is a growing movement that is challenging traditional finance by offering a more transparent, secure, and decentralized alternative.

With the wave of mass adoption of digital modes of finance, it is time for TradFi to adopt some of the features of the Web3 universe to stay relevant and competent. The sudden popularity of Web3 is rooted in its characteristics. Web3 offers stability, scalability, interoperability, security, performance, extensibility, manageability, and openness, all attributes that traditional finance should aim to adopt.

One significant feature that traditional finance must adopt from Web3 is the use of a decentralized mode of finance, which allows for the creation of a system that is more transparent and resilient than a conventional system of finance. The proliferation of decentralized finance (DeFi) in the traditional financial system will be the most significant outcome for the financial world out of the invention of Web 3.0. DeFi offers the possibility of expanding TradFis total addressable market to the world. It will also enable TradFi organizations to cut down on the cost of infrastructure and data center development as they can then leverage Web3 infrastructure.

Web3 technologies have the potential to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the adoption of a decentralized system of payment and transactions within the TradFi space as well. A decentralized system based on blockchain technology enables faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions than the technology currently utilized by TradFi. For instance, the use of smart contracts can automate complex transactions and reduce the need for intermediaries, while simultaneously increasing security and transparency. Traditional finance presently relies on a complex web of intermediaries and intermediation processes, which can be slow and opaque. This technologies, on the other hand, offer a more streamlined and transparent approach, allowing for faster and more transparent financial transactions.

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The Emergence of Web3 and Its Impact on TradFi - LCX

Inery Blockchain to Implement AI, Mainnet Rescheduled for Q2 2023 – EIN News

Inery proud to announce an upgrade to its blockchain before the mainnet release

The mainnet release was originally scheduled for Q1 2023. However, the companys blockchain is undergoing a revamp to implement the AI module effectively. As such, the launch has been delayed to provide enough time to integrate and test the solution.

About Inerys AI Consensus Inerys AI-based consensus mechanism will optimize the compliance and order of blocks produced on the Inery blockchain, thus maintaining the networks integrity. The protocol will track uptime, computational power, stake, and other performance metrics of the blockchains nodes. Based on that information, it will organize block validation in the most efficient order.

Making sure that our blockchain mainnet works flawlessly, utilizing the best solutions, providing a powerful infrastructure for Web3 - thats our number one priority. I fully expect this newest upgrade to have a significant and positive impact on Inerys blockchain use, while at the same time, showcasing an elegant use for AI in blockchain. said Ivan Vujic, CTO of Inery.

This AI solution will also monitor broader network specs, such as the number of on-chain transactions per second and energy consumption. All the data it collects is stored on smart contracts. These contracts comprise a database of records which the AI will analyze for improved decision-making.

About Inery Inery is an innovative provider in database management seeking to provide decentralized solutions to a traditionally centralized landscape. Thanks to its layer-1 blockchain foundation, IneryDBMS offers superior security, greater control over data sharing, and high performance capabilities.

For more information, visit website.

Tijana GertnerINERY PTE. LTD.email us hereVisit us on social media:TwitterLinkedIn

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Inery Blockchain to Implement AI, Mainnet Rescheduled for Q2 2023 - EIN News