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  • Bitcoin is the #1 Coin to Watch for the Week of January 24 – January 30, 2022

    Bitcoin is the #1 Coin to Watch for the Week of January 24 – January 30, 2022

    Week 3 of year 2022 could be vividly described as a bloodbath in cryptocurrency markets. While the total cryptocurrency market capitalization at the start of the week was solid $2.15 trillion all cryptocurrencies in circulation combined were only valued at $1.67 trillion by the end of the week. Most of the more than 20% decrease happened between Thursday, January 20 and Saturday, January 22. While Sunday showed signs of a minor recovery, several cryptos still ended the week deeply in the red numbers. In the last 7 days, BTC is down by 18%, ETH by 27%, BNB 26%, ADA 23%, and SOL 35%, to name just a few large-cap coins. While crypto holders suffered heavy losses this market move also represents an opportunity to acquire crypto assets at prices not seen during the last 6 months. While this week’s article includes two already established crypto assets that are currently trading at a discounted price, do note that crypto markets are as unpredictable as they can get, which means that an even greater plunge might be behind the corner.

    3. Gari Network (GARI)

    Chingari is one of India’s leading social platforms. Similar to TikTok, the platform enables creators to post short videos. While the platform’s native GARI token is currently being used as a governance token, it will also allow creators to monetize their content through token-gated content and creator pools in the near future. The platform’s GARI token utilizes the highly efficient Solana blockchain. Chingari conducted a GARI token IDO on Solana Launchpad platform SolRazr in December 2021 and their app hit the top spot on Play Store India during the same month. The social platform currently boasts over 35 million active users and more than 160 million content views per day.

    Buy/Sell GARI

    Chingari’s GARI token recorded $100 million in trading volume on the first day of trading

    The Chingari’s GARI token recently got listed on 12 centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, including 6 major CEXs: Huobi, FTX, OKEx, KuCoin, Gate.io, and MEXC. Trading of GARI pairs started on all 12 exchanges on January 18 at 13:00 UTC and the first trading day has been a major success for the token and the social platform as stats show that GARI recorded over $100 million in trading volume on the day of its debut on centralized exchanges. The huge interest and engagement from the broader cryptocurrency community also caused rapid GARI appreciation. The token’s value grew more than 200% in a single day as its price surged to over $0.70 per token at times. For comparison, the price of 1 GARI during its first IDO was $0.25. While the token has since retraced back to around $0.40, it is worth keeping an eye on this project, especially as they already have a working product. Furthermore, the Chingari platform’s popularity is growing day by day and so is the number of its active users.

    2. Cardano (ADA)

    Cardano is a decentralized blockchain platform focused at creating a smart contract-enabled environment on which developers can build decentralized applications. Cardano utilizes a proof-of-stake consensus model and aims to provide a more sustainable, scalable, and transparent operation compared to other smart contract blockchains. The project was started in 2017 by Charles Hoskinson, a mathematician who was once part of the Ethereum developer team. The team raised $62.2 million for the project’s development through an ICO. The development of the project is now overseen by three main organizations, the IOHK, Cardano Foundation, and Emurgo. Hoskinson and IOHK strive to follow the principles of academic peer review in the project’s development process. The native asset of the Cardano blockchain is called ADA, but in 2021 the project rolled out an update, which allows users to issue other tokens on the Cardano blockchain as well. In September 2021 smart contracts debuted on the Cardano mainnet, which was a major milestone for the ecosystem.

    Buy/Sell ADA

    Recent dip negated all previous rallies and carried ADA down to a six-month low

    During the last days of 2021, Cardano founder and head developer Charles Hoskinson outlined his Vision for Cardano in 2022 in a 30-minute YouTube video. His vision includes rolling out improvements to Cardano’s DeFi features, the launch of a native web wallet, and a peer-to-peer framework in 2022. While Hoskinson’s appearance caused ADA to rally over 10% that day Cardano users and investors are now reasonably expecting the promises and prepositions from the video to materialize, and ADA could be in danger of losing its high spot among the top cryptocurrencies if that does not happen. ADA then lost some of its value in the first ten days of 2021 but quickly entered a new rally fuelled by the anticipation of the SundaeSwap DEX launch on Cardano. Between January 11 and January 18 ADA was by far the most successful coin from the Top 10 as its price jumped by almost 50% in just seven days. Nevertheless, all that high gains were reversed during the recent selloff and ADA is again changing hands at a price around $1.10. The ADA sell pressure was to some extent intensified by the fact that the launch of the SundaeSwap, which was the main driving factor of the rally, was far less than optimal as users complained about failing transactions due to network congestion. For a brief moment during the selloff, ADA price plunged as low as $0.94, which is not only the new six-month low price but also the lowest ADA price since February 2021. For the ones considering buying ADA now that it is trading at a lower price, it is worth knowing that Cardano stands to benefit from the broader hype surrounding metaverse projects as the first metaverse on Cardano called Pavia is set to hold its final NFT land sale in early February.

    1. Bitcoin (BTC)

    Although we believe Bitcoin does not need much introduction and that all eyes would be on it even if it were not featured on our list, here is a short summary of the history and key characteristics of the first truly decentralized digital currency. The world’s pioneer cryptocurrency was launched by a pseudonymous figure named Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 and has a capped supply of 21 million coins. The decreasing miner block rewards make the cryptocurrency scarcer with time, ensuring a deflationary nature. Bitcoin is also often referred to as the barometer of the cryptocurrency market as other assets usually follow BTC’s price performance.

    Buy/Sell BTC

    Bitcoin hits a six-month low price – Is BTC trading at a discounted price or will the downtrend continue?

    Bitcoin started the year valued above $47,000 per coin and traded sideways until January 6, when the world’s most popular crypto lost around 10% of its value due to the news about the U.S. Federal Reserve signaling a possible interest rate hike. After that Bitcoin again traded sideways, rarely dipping below or surging above the $40,000 – $44,000 channel. That was until January 21, when Bitcoin price plunged by 20% from above $43,000 to as low as $34,500 in under 48 hours as part of the market-wide selloff. At the time of writing, BTC is trading at exactly $35,000, which is a bit higher than the lowest point, but this still means that Bitcoin is trading very near its 6-month low price. While it might look like a perfect time to increase your BTC stake, be aware that there is absolutely no guarantee that $34,500 was the bottom. However, even if you do not decide to invest more money and “buy the dip” (or at least what looks like a dip), it is worth keeping an eye on Bitcoin this week as this week’s Bitcoin performance might determine the new trendline for not only Bitcoin but likely most of the cryptocurrency markets. In other news related to Bitcoin: the popular Cash App recently rolled out support for Lightning Network, a Bitcoin Layer 2 solution that facilitates cheap and near-instantaneous BTC transactions. While this is not so ground-breaking to reverse the BTC price downtrend, the new feature will definitely come in handy to the 36 million monthly active Cash App users.

  • TeraBlock Announces Collaboration with SplinterLands To Take DeFi Gaming To New Heights

    TeraBlock Announces Collaboration with SplinterLands To Take DeFi Gaming To New Heights

    Tortola, British Virgin Islands, 23rd January, 2022, Chainwire

    TeraBlock and Splinterlands are joining forces to usher in the future of DeFi gaming. Users will benefit from simplified token bridging across multiple blockchains on the Splinterlands gaming platform through the collaboration. 

    Splinterlands and TeraBlock are raising the bar for DeFi gaming today and in the future. Players of the popular game can transfer their tokens across various blockchains through the TeraBlock Bridge. The Bridge is integrated into the gaming platform and allows for easier and quicker token swapping between multiple networks. Cross-chain solutions are essential in DeFi and gaming, and Splinterlands aims to push the boundaries of what can be achieved. 

    Splinterlands is one of the top blockchain gaming providers with over 400,000 active users and thousands of new players joining every day. Additionally, the game has up to 4 million transactions per day, making it the most active gaming hub in the blockchain space today. These high transactions volumes warrant exploring a different token routing solution that seamlessly bridges tokens between different networks.

    TeraBlock, through its strong focus on purpose-built decentralized finance solutions and products, has developed an ecosystem where traders retain and optimize their crypto assets. The TeraBlock Bridge is the latest protocol under the TeraBlock banner to provide the functionality that Splinterlands players seek. Its cross-chain routing process ensures token transfers can be completed within a few steps.  

    Splinterlands and TeraBlock lay the foundation for simplifying DeFi transfers in the blockchain gaming world through this partnership. As a result, the Splinterlands team can build a more unified gaming platform while helping TeraBlock solidify its position in the DeFi segment by creating broader use cases. 

    A portion of the fees collected from transactions on the TeraBlock bridge will be used to buy back $TBC tokens from the secondary market. Increasing the token’s buying pressure increases demand for $TBC and adds stability to the TeraBlock ecosystem. It is important to note that portion of the fees collected from the TeraBlock Bridge Protocol will be distributed among TeraBlock Stakers as part of the reward mechanism on the upcoming TeraBlock Native Staking Protocol.

    About Splinterlands

    Splinterlands (né SteemMonsters) is an epic, multiplayer fantasy card game within which thousands of gamers battle every day with monsters in a fight for control of a chaotic world at war. Full transparency of the blockchain’s distributed ledger enables gamers to see how many of each different card exists in the entire game. Every card is individually owned, which means that even the creators of the game cannot take them away from any player, and all players are free to buy, sell, or trade them just like physical trading cards.

    Be sure to check it out at https://splinterlands.com and join the vibrant Splinterlands player community in Discord or Telegram.

    About TeraBlock

    TeraBlock is a diversified crypto ecosystem built to help users retain and optimize their holdings on a unified platform.

    The TeraBlock ecosystem consists of a suite of DeFi instruments that allow users to invest, hold and exchange crypto assets in a safe and decentralized manner. TeraBlock is also engaged in the development of a Trade Automation platform that allows users to optimize their cryptocurrency holdings while navigating volatile markets. 

    Designed to safeguard the privacy and security of the users, the easy-to-access platform facilitates fund aggregation, yield optimization, and farming and staking protocols.

    Website: https://terablock.com/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyTeraBlock

    Medium: https://myterablock.medium.com/
     

    Contacts
    • Shivam Tandon
    • shivam@terablock.ai
  • Sneakmart’s MetaKicks Features The World’s First Mystery NFT Sneakers Box Collection

    Sneakmart’s MetaKicks Features The World’s First Mystery NFT Sneakers Box Collection

    Paris, France, 23rd January, 2022, Chainwire

    Sneakmart solidifies its position in the streetwear industry through a dedicated focus on non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Additionally, the launch of Metakicks, an NFT mystery sneakers box collection, adds a new dimension through limited-edition footwear with Web3 implications. 

    Sneakmart, the French startup-up with a mobile-first focus on streetwear, is at the center of the ever-expanding limited-edition sneaker industry. Just last year, sneaker madness yielded a 6 billion resale market as collectors and enthusiasts buy and resell these limited-edition pairs on secondary markets. It is not uncommon to see sneakers go up three times in value or more due to scarcity, supply, and demand. 

    However, Sneakmart also acknowledges the industry is at the forefront of a tremendous change. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, make inroads across many industries, including streetwear. They have evolved from digital artwork and collectibles to a status symbol worn proudly by its owner. Combining the sneaker madness with NFT technology has yielded the birth of Metakicks, a mystery sneakers box collection. 

    Sneakmart CEO and co-founder Anthony Debrandt explains:

    “Sneaker addicts love to collect and wear a lot of sneakers. Everyone loves sneakers today, everyone wears them. With Metakicks, we want to give the opportunity to start collecting digital sneakers through unique designs.”

    Venturing into digital sneakers and accessories through NFT technology is the next frontier for the streetwear industry. Nike’s involvement – through the acquisition or RTFKT for several hundred million dollars – illustrates the change on the horizon. Metakicks, the new venture by Sneakmart, is a different venture, although an equally prominent one.

    Through Metakicks, sneakerheads can acquire more affordable mystery boxes featuring digital sneakers. Everyone who purchases a box won’t know what they will get. Additionally, it is possible to either open the box and show off the new digital pair of kicks or keep the box closed and resell it on the secondary market. 

    The mystery boxes span 15 unique designs with 3D animations, and four degrees of rarity (epic, super rare, rare, and normal). Every pair is tied to a specific universe and will make its owner stand out in the digital world. Moreover, some of the designs have unique editions, such as the soccer pair designed for former international soccer player Didier Drogba. 

    Sneakmart has secured partnerships with celebrities and brands to develop 1-of-1 Metakicks. The first partner is Savoir Faire Paris, a french bespoke sneakers creator. Whoever picks up this unique NFT will receive their Metakicks non-fungible token and the Jordan 1 off-White Coffee Latte explicitly designed for this drop. 

    Physical pairs play a crucial role in the Metakicks ecosystem. There is a 10% chance of winning a physical hype sneaker when buying an NFT mystery box. Models include Jordan 1 High, Nike Dunk Low, Jordan 4, Adidas Yeezy 350. Jordan 1 High Dior, and four pairs of Jordan in collaboration with Travis Scott. 

    Sneakmart wants to bridge the gap between physical and digtial sneakers to make collectors and enthusiasts the pioneers of tomorrow’s fashion trends. Moreover, it paves the way for personalizing virtual avatars in the Web3 and Metaverse environments of the future. 

    A total of 6,250 boxes will be made available through the first drop via the Sneakmart website. The team eyes a drop date of February 2022, with more price information soon available via the official channels. 

    About Sneakmart

    Sneakmart is the first community-driven Streetwear app dedicated to streetwear (sneakers, clothing & accessories). Initially launched in France in January 2021 as a mobile app on iOS and Android, the young start-up already has over 130,000 French-speaking members registered. Users come to exchange with the community around this sneakers/streetwear sphere but also to buy and sell with ease.

    Today the French startup has the ambition to become the world’s first Streetwear community and allow the trade of physical and digital streetwear on their app (NFT’s). It will be soon available in other countries.

    Join the Sneakmart community now on Discord, Instagram, Twitter or directly on their app so you don’t miss anything about this exclusive and exceptional drop!

    Contacts
    • Anthony Debrant
    • Anthony@sneakmart.com
  • Here Are The Three Things that Igaming Fans Need to Know About Cryptocurrency Betting Sites

    Here Are The Three Things that Igaming Fans Need to Know About Cryptocurrency Betting Sites

    Almost everyone who uses the internet daily has read something about the most popular cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, which is the first and the most popular digital currency globally, has been around for many years and has established itself among people. Some of them use the currency to purchase different things, whereas others try to speculate and/or invest in it.

    If you fall into the first category and want to use your cryptocurrency, you can do all sorts of things with it. One of them is to use it for online betting, a hobby that is gaining more fans every day. Although some online bookmakers and casinos do not offer any digital currencies, others are home to a variety of options. Hence, people can choose the most appropriate one and use it to their advantage.

    Before deciding which payment solution to try out, there are a few important things you have to take into consideration, so let’s check them out.

    Not all cryptocurrency sites are legit

    Digital currencies allow online bettors to make safer transactions, there is no arguing that. If you go to Nostrabet, you can check these gambling sites accepting crypto where you can deposit BTC, ETH, and much more, and you will see that every brand on this list is legit. That’s because it is regulated by one or more licensing commissions and uses some of the most advanced security features.

    Unfortunately, not every online bookmaker or casino that offers digital currencies is legit. Some brands use the fact that the crypto transactions are hard to track and create gambling sites that don’t have any regulations. While it is true that some of them might be safe to use, others will simply steal your money.

    Sometimes, cryptocurrency sites might have high minimum deposit requirements

    One of the things that you need to keep in mind before choosing one of the popular online betting websites is that some brands might have high minimum deposit requirements. Usually, iGaming sites have this condition because it requires their customers to make more substantial deposits. The bookies and casinos that offer regular payment solutions have a fixed amount that doesn’t change, but this is not true for digital currencies.

    Most cryptocurrency betting platforms do not have a fixed minimum requirement because of these payment solutions’ volatility. If you look at Nostrabet’s list with the best gaming sites accepting digital currencies, you will see that it changes daily. Consequently, people have to be careful because they may have to spend more than they’ve anticipated.

    Some digital currencies give people access to unique bonuses

    Aside from the online bookmakers that only offer cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Tron, Ethereum, and Dogecoin, there are many platforms that also give their clients access to standard payment solutions. Some sites prefer their players to use digital currencies, so they often give them access to bonuses.

    You can check whether there are any unique offers as soon as you visit the promo section. If you find something interesting, make sure to read its rules before putting it to the test.

  • 3Space Art Kicks Off “Enter the Void,” the First NFT Art Exhibition Held Simultaneously in a Physical Gallery and the Metaverse

    3Space Art Kicks Off “Enter the Void,” the First NFT Art Exhibition Held Simultaneously in a Physical Gallery and the Metaverse

    Singapore, Singapore, 22nd January, 2022, Chainwire

    3Space Art, an NFT platform that facilitates widespread use of digital art in the real world by placing it in physical spaces, has officially kicked off the “Enter the Void” NFT exhibition. It is held simultaneously at the Puesto Gallery in Seoul, South Korea and in a virtual replica of the physical gallery in the metaverse created in collaboration with ZEP.

    Visitors can interact with each other or the artwork at the physical space, or choose to be an avatar online to experience the same event as people that are actually there.

    There are 68 artworks on display from the Hashmasks as well as emerging Korean artists such as Hyuck, Viia Yeon, Maruchef and others. The exhibition runs between January 19 and January 23. It presents the exhibits in a motley of formats including screens, monitors, projections, and framed prints to reflect the diversity of art styles. 

    3Space Art founder Yoon Kim said, “This is the first NFT exhibition to be held in 2D and 3D at the same time. We have created a replica of a physical gallery on the metaverse so that people can feel that they are in the same place. This way, we want people to be more accepting of the Metaverse and accept digital art as any other form of traditional art.”

    People who couldn’t visit the exhibition in person due to time, distance, COVID, or other constraints can enjoy the experience in the virtual world from their computer screens. In the virtual space, you can move, speak, and interact with NFTs and other community members. The 2D metaverse gallery can accommodate up to 150 individuals at any given time.

    With the “Enter the Void” exhibition, 3Space Art aims to recreate the experience of living and interacting inside the metaverse, especially in terms of appreciating digital art. Most people are still unfamiliar with NFTs and the Metaverse, unaware of what’s going on in the digital world. 3Space Art aims to generate awareness by enabling them to see that it’s not much different from the physical world. 

    To make it easier for people to buy NFTs that they can display in their homes and offices, 3Space Art supports on-site purchase of NFTs. It has placed QR codes of artworks on display, which visitors can scan to buy using fiat or cryptocurrencies. 

    About 3Space Art

    3Space Art is a digital art platform where artists and collectors have the opportunity to showcase their collections in offline events and exhibitions, and earn recurring revenue by staking their idle NFTs in the Art Pool. Built to be a multi-chain platform, it enables users to mint NFTs on Klaytn as well as Ethereum blockchains at this point.
     

    Contacts
    • Yoon Kim
    • yoon@3space.art
  • Opera Unveils New “Crypto Browser” With Web3 At Its Core, Could Help Onboard Millions of Users to Crypto

    Opera Unveils New “Crypto Browser” With Web3 At Its Core, Could Help Onboard Millions of Users to Crypto

    Key takeaways:

    • Oslo-based internet company Opera has released a beta version of its “Crypto Browser Project” on Wednesday
    • The crypto-centric browser offers a powerful suite of Web3 features, including a native non-custodial crypto wallet and a dedicated crypto hub
    • Opera intends to add support for Layer 2 solutions in a bid to become the go-to browser for crypto users

    Opera launched a beta version of its “Crypto Broser Project” on Wednesday, four years after the first version of Opera’s web browser with cryptocurrency wallet and rudimentary Web3 support was released in 2018. 

    Opera believes web browsers will be even more important for Web3 as they were for Web2

    The Opera Crypto Browser Project offers native support for decentralized applications (dApps), which far surpasses the basic functionality of a regular web browser with a digital wallet add-on installed. 

    Opera’s new browser includes a new native non-custodial crypto wallet with support for Web3. Image source: Opera

    Due to the new browser’s native Web3 support, users can access their favorite Web3-powered products and services, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi) services, and metaverses, directly from their Opera browser, with no extensions needed. 

    The Opera Crypto Browser supports a range of Web3 entry points, including Metamask, Coinbase, or Binance wallet, and Opera’s new wallet solution that supports ETH, ERC-20, and ERC-721 tokens (ERC-1155 support coming in the first quarter of this year). According to the company’s representative who talked with CoinDesk, Opera plans to roll out support for Polygon and Solana, in a push towards greater Layer 2 compatibility. The Opera team aims to accelerate Layer 2 adoption, as noted in Wednesday’s blog post:

    “Ethereum Layer 2 solutions and alternative blockchains already provide ways to transact and run dApps in a more environmentally conscious way. In our view, this is the best way to move forward. In order to reach mass adoption, decentralized solutions need to be scalable and just as fast and effective as those offered in the current Web.”

    In a recent appearance on the Bankless podcast, Ethereum founder and lead developer Vitalik Buterin pointed out how important Layer 2 networks are for the network and commended their service of lowering transaction costs, since Ethereum is not yet “ready for direct mass adoption.”

    The crypto-focused browser also features a special section called “Crypto Corner,” which displays the latest blockchain and NFT news, a calendar of crypto events such as upcoming airdrops and other important dates, educational content, and more. 

    Jorgen Arnesen, vice president of Web 3 at Opera told CoinDesk in an interview:

    “We actually believe that browsers will be more important in Web 3 than they were in Web 2. We’ve been around the block for 25 years, and around Web 3 since 2018. A multi-chain token strategy will be essential to a good user experience.”

    According to web analytics firm Back Linko, Opera accounted for 2.19% of the global browser market share in 2021, which put its active user count at roughly 101 million.

  • The Most Popular Types of Cryptocurrencies Supported by Online Casinos

    The Most Popular Types of Cryptocurrencies Supported by Online Casinos

    In an attempt to offer something new, certain online casinos push the boundaries of the industry by trying to be as innovative as possible. This often results in new features, special bonuses, and the addition of new and easy-to-use online payment solutions. The latter plays a key role for some people when choosing an iGaming company, which is why many casino websites try to include as many options as possible.

    Some people prefer the classic payment alternative because they know how to use them and what to expect. Yet, others are willing to experiment with things, such as cryptocurrencies. That’s one of the reasons why various sites accept these online payment solutions.

    People interested in those this know that there are thousands of currencies. However, most betting platforms only offer a handful of them, so let’s go over some of the popular alternatives. We won’t include Bitcoin because this option is accessible on sites that don’t focus only on these payment solutions.

    Ethereum

    Often called the silver of cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is one of the hottest names for digital currencies. Finding a solid iGaming site where you can use this option is not easy. However, thanks to Betenemy, you can check some of the most popular online crypto casinos where BTC, ETH, and LTC are accepted and pick a brand that offers different privileges for cryptocurrency users. Most of these sites have established themselves in this business, making them the go-to options for many punters.

    Besides being a popular option for iGaming enthusiasts, Ethereum plays a major role in all sorts of projects. That’s one of the main reasons why its price could increase in the future.

    XRP

    People who have previous experience with online casinos that offer digital currencies have stumbled upon XRP. This used to be one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in iGaming a couple of years ago. Even though many online betting platforms allow their punters to make transactions with it, XRP is not as big as it once was. Yet, with a market cap of nearly $37 billion, it is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies in the world. That’s why it continues to be the preferred option for some online punters. 

    Polygon

    One of the digital currencies that are becoming increasingly popular among traders and “investors” is Polygon. Even though this option may not have the market cap of things, such as Ethereum or XRP, it has a lot of users worldwide. Consequently, those who read Betenemy’s reviews about some of the best online crypto casinos will see that certain companies offer this option.

    Similar to other digital currencies, Polygon’s value changes daily. Consequently, you should check how much it is worth before making a transaction.

    TRON

    While it is true that Tron is not as big as other digital currencies on this list, it is one of the options available to online punters. In addition to making payments, this option often gives people access to different kinds of rewards. For example, some online casinos offer special deposit bonuses.

  • Introducing Kingdom Quest: A New Multi-Game Metaverse That Runs on a Single Token

    Introducing Kingdom Quest: A New Multi-Game Metaverse That Runs on a Single Token

    Blockchain technology has been developing in every possible direction over the last seven years, since Ethereum emerged and pointed out its capabilities, showing the entire crypto world that blockchain can be more than just a digital ledger. Today, in 2022, many industries have started accepting it and slowly but surely incorporating it into their everyday businesses.

    However some have been more open to it than others, and one of them is definitely the gaming industry. Gaming has been growing larger and larger over decades, and for several years now, it has been trying to find its way into the blockchain, and explore new capabilities that this technology has to offer.

    With the rise of NFTs and the metaverse, the gaming sector has received all the tools it needed to not only get on the blockchain, but also to take the next step in its own development, bring innovation to gaming, and enhance user experience. One of the most advanced gaming projects on the blockchain right now is Kingdom Quest, which has a plan on how to do everything above.

    What is Kingdom Quest?

    Kingdom Quest is a new and emerging blockchain-based ecosystem that aims to define a true gaming metaverse. The project uses metaverse and NFT technologies to create a new experience for gamers from all around the world. However, unlike other projects that have combined metaverse and gaming, Kingdom Quest has a unique approach — it won’t only create a single game, but an entire series of Kingdom Quest titles.

    The project’s ecosystem uses a so-called “4 games – 1 token” approach, meaning that players will be able to use its native coin, Kingdom Quest token (KGC) in every game that is developed in its metaverse. The same will be true for NFT items, characters, and alike.

    In other words, players will be able to easily move all of their characters, gear, money, and everything else from one game to another. This is something completely new in blockchain gaming, and likely something that will soon become a major trend, thanks to Kingdom Quest.

    The game will also rely on the play-to-earn mechanism, which will be based on ranking modality. Essentially, by joining expeditions, campaign battles, and daily/exclusive quests, players will get ranked by Arena, and the reward token pool share will depend on their rank. This is another brand new thing in blockchain gaming, and also a mechanism for controlling inflation.

    What are Kingdom Quest games going to be like?

    Kingdom Quest is going to consist of four different titles, according to the project’s team. It is unknown whether the team might decide to add more later down the line or not, but for the time being — the plan is to create and launch:

    • Kingdom Quest: The Beginning – A puzzle RPG title
    • Kingdom Quest: Forgotten WaterWorld – A farming title 
    • Kingdom Quest: The Vast Claudia – A MMORPG title 
    • Kingdom Quest: Defense of the Adventurers – A tower defense title

    Kingdom Quest: The Beginning will be the first title to be released, and it will arrive in February 2022. The game will use blockchain technology, and it will be available for PC, as well as mobile devices (Android and iOS).

    In the game, players will be able to use a group of heroes to solve mysterious puzzles, encounter and battle enemies, discover rare and valuable treasures, and more. Each hero will come in the form of an NFT that players can buy, sell, or trade. Every hero will have their own attributes and strengths, while their value will be based on their class and rarity.

    Apart from that, players will be able to equip their heroes with additional gear and items, as well as train them and have them earn experience, that will allow them to level up and become even more valuable.

    After the launch of the first title, the remaining three will be coming out in due time, with the plan to have all four of them out by Q4 2023.

    Another thing worth noting is that the project will hold a Welcome Airdrop starting on January 20th, and ending on January 30th of this year. Finally, the project will also have an IDO (Initial DEX Offering), which will take place on February 20th, and will be released on Gamefi and Bunicorn.

  • Bitcoin Drops to $38,000 as Total Crypto Market Cap Falls Below $2 Trillion

    Bitcoin Drops to $38,000 as Total Crypto Market Cap Falls Below $2 Trillion

    financial crisis bitcoin

    Key takeaways:

    • Bitcoin lost over 10% of its value in the span of 12 hours, after being up 4% earlier in the day
    • Options contracts and Russia’s central bank’s recent call for a ban on crypto might be the main culprits for the sudden market pullback
    • The total crypto market capitalization has decreased by roughly 7% in the last 24 hours and dropped below $2T for the first time since last September

    Big selloff pushes the price of Bitcoin to a six-month low

    After struggling to break out of the narrow trading range between $41,300 and $43,400 for the past week, Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline in its value in the last 24 hours that saw the world’s largest crypto plummet to price levels not seen since last August.

    BTC was up over 4% for the day before losing 11% in the span of the next 12 hours.

    Bitcoin managed to momentarily push past the $43K level earlier in the day, but the modest upward trend was unfortunately short-lived. In the proceeding 12 hours, Bitcoin lost 11% of its value and hit a six-month bottom of $38,440. BTC has since pulled off a modest recovery and is changing hands at $39,100 at the time of this writing.

    What’s behind the sudden drop?

    Some members of the crypto community attributed the sudden dip in prices to selling done by Bitcoin options traders. More than $132 million in gains were to be had if BTC’s price dropped below $41,000, according to InvestAnwsers, which boasts almost 100k Tweeter followers and over 400k subscribers on Youtube.

    Russia’s central bank calling on a blanket ban on crypto, which would outlaw all crypto-related activities in the country apart from basic crypto ownership might have also played a part in swinging the market sentiment.

    Generally speaking, both the stock and crypto market still haven’t shaken off the negative sentiment that was sparked by the Fed roughly two weeks ago, when it announced an interest rate hike. At the time, Bitcoin shed 10% of its value and dropped from $46,800 to $42,300 in the span of 6 hours.

    As is always the case when it comes to sudden price movements, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact reason for the broader behavior of market participants. It is worth noting though, that more often than not, digital assets’ prices follow a somewhat predictable pattern. After a prolonged period of sideways trading activity, as was the case for Bitcoin in the last two weeks, one of the following two things usually occur: either the price of a particular asset starts rallying, or the price experiences a steep and sudden decline.

    The total crypto market cap drops below $2T as virtually all coins record high single-digit loesses

    On the tailwind of Bitcoin’s sudden 11% drop, Ethereum and other alternative digital currencies also experienced sharp declines in their value, which dropped the combined valuation of all cryptocurrencies in circulation below $2 trillion for the first time since September. Solana, Cardano, and Avalanche were particularly hard hit all three Layer 1 projects lost nearly 10% of their value and drop to their respective multi-month lows.