Mind The Block | April Week 3

Mind The Block: Your Weekly Dose of Web3 News and Insights

Mind The Block Headlines This Week

  • Bitcoin Reclaims $66K Post-Halving
  • Grayscale’s Mini Trust ETF: Lower Fees
  • Biden Proposes Tax on Bitcoin Mining
  • Transak Raises $20M in Series A
  • Cryptocurrency: Essential for Democracy
  • Xterio, Binance Labs Launch L2 Tech
  • Solana Breaks $150, Market Optimistic
  • What Are “Runes” in Bitcoin?

News

Extras By Mind The Block

  • Cronos has announced its integration with Galxe, launching its Spring Odyssey campaign, which will reward users with $35,000 in prizes.
  • Lens Protocol has demonstrated sustainable monetization, with top creators earning up to $1,300 per month and $16,500 annually.
  • Matter Labs is anticipating the announcement of the crypto ZKS airdrop, likely distributed to all contributors.
  • Ivorypay has partnered with stablecoin issuer Tether to offer stable digital transactions to a wider audience across Africa.
  • Scallop has secured a strategic partnership with DWF Labs.
  • Neura, the innovative layer 1 blockchain by Ankr, has officially launched its public testnet.
  • Bitcoin layer-2 solution Stacks has launched the Nakamoto upgrade.
  • ZNS Connect has launched XLayer, a ZK-powered Layer 2 network that links the OKX and Ethereum communities.
  • OG Labs has partnered with Pond, an AI-driven neural network, to offer its community members exclusive features.
  • Ledger and MoonPay have expanded their partnership to include swaps, sell, and hardware wallets.

Major Companies Making Moves

  • BlackRock advisor Paul Taylor has joined PairedWorld’s board after a $1.5 million funding round.
  • The Qtum Foundation has deployed 10,000 Nvidia GPUs to support its AI Web3 revolution.
  • Tether has issued $60 million worth of USDT on The Open Network.
  • Telos Foundation andPonos Technology are partnering to develop an advanced Ethereum Layer 2 network.
  • Grayscale has revealed 0.15% fees for its Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, offering a more competitive option for GBTC investors.
  • The Cardano Foundation has formed PRAGMA, an independent open-source association focusing on blockchain software projects.

Government, SEC & Regulation

  • The Algorand Foundation has been appointed to the UK Parliament’s Blockchain Advisory Board, aiming to empower a global ecosystem.
  • President Biden is urging Congress to impose a 30% excise tax on electricity used for Bitcoin mining.
  • China has issued a warning to Angola citizens involved in crypto mining, emphasizing severe penalties for violating the law.
  • The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) will transform the EU into a hub for crypto adoption in 2024.
  • US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposes putting the entire US budget on a blockchain.
  • Thailand’s SEC plans to block local access to unauthorized cryptocurrency platforms and ask local investors to withdraw their funds.
  • The South African Reserve Bank has released a digital payments roadmap for 2025.
  • Kenya is preparing to extradite Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive sought by the Nigerian government.
  • SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s controversial social media post sparked rumors of his resignation.
  • Venezuela is preparing to transition to cryptocurrencies as the US imposes oil sanctions on the country.
  • Hong Kong Securities & Futures Professionals Association (HKSFPA) recommends establishing a self-regulatory committee within crypto firms to improve compliance monitoring.

Raises & Major Investments rounds

  • Web3 payments startup Transak has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by CE Innovation Capital.
  • Fjord Foundry raised over $15 million in its token pre-sale using the Liquidity Bootstrapping Pool (LBP) model on its launch platform.
  • Web3 bug-bounty platform Immunefi has raised $24 million in its Series A funding round, raising its total to $29.5 million.
  • Shiba Inu raised $12 million for a new layer-3 blockchain, secured through the sale of its upcoming token, TREAT.
  • Ontology has announced a $10 million community investment to boost decentralized identity solutions.

  • Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, discussed the growing importance of stablecoins in the global economy and their expansion.
  • Base creator Jesse Pollak believes memes will be key to onboarding millions of users to his Coinbase-adjacent layer-2 network.
  • Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin discusses the privacy-focused ZCash project, proposing a merger with off-chain-governed RPGF rounds.
  • Decentralized networks like Bitcoin have become a way to rebel against a broken system.
  • Denelle Dixon believes that the success of blockchain protocols will depend on the ability of traditional finance to move value on- and off-chain.

NFTs, Gaming, Metaverse

  • Xterio is partnering with Binance Labs to launch its L2 scaling tech.
  • Manchester City has partnered with crypto exchange OKX to launch a limited edition Jersey NFT collection.
  • Splinterlands has launched two new promotional cards, Baron Fyatt and Henchling Enforcer.
  • Gelios has announced a strategic partnership with TREX20 to expand its ecosystem and create a comprehensive platform for NFTs.
  • Square Enix and Animoca Brands Japan have partnered to expand Symbiogenesis.
  • Louis Vuitton has partnered with Pharrell Williams to create a leather varsity jacket as part of its Via NFT project.
  • Metable has launched its ‘Learn to Earn’ metaverse, a decentralized ecosystem built on the Polygon blockchain.
  • Blur maintains the lead in the NFT marketplace, capturing a 27.6% market share in Q1 2024.
  • Yuga Labs has sold HV-MTL and Otherside brands to Faraway, who now owns the IPs and most of the associated NFT collections.

Onchain Data

  • Solana’s price surge has surpassed the $150 resistance mark, signaling market optimism for growth.
  • XRP’s price experienced a bullish rebound after consolidation within the critical range of $0.46 to $0.50.
  • Polkadot price experienced a 4% daily increase after consolidation near the $6 support level, indicating a bullish rebound.
  • Dogecoin is currently consolidating after breaking out from a descending triangle, with analysts predicting a potential 500% surge in its value.
  • Celestia (TIA) has experienced a rollercoaster ride, dropping to $7.5 after reaching a peak of nearly $16.

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