Altcoins

During an upgrade to the Compound platform, a bug caused the system to transfer close to $90 million in COMP (their cryptocurrency) to random users. In a desperate tweet, Compound’s CEO begged the users to give the money back. He threatened to dox the users. (That’s a slang term for making user identities public or, in this case, reporting them to the IRS.) Then offered a 10 percent reward for “doing the right thing.” Continue Reading →

China has declared all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies illegal and is issuing a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency mining. Does this make crypto illegal in China? Not exactly. What does this mean for the crypto markets worldwide? What about the US? How will US crypto be regulated? Are cryptocurrencies considered securities? What about other digital assets? Welcome to the crazy, confused world of crypto regulation. Continue Reading →

Are you wondering why it is taking so long for blockchain to become as ubiquitous as AI or IoT? One of the biggest stumbling blocks (pardon the pun) is that Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and the vast majority of other blockchains are proprietary ecosystems (walled gardens) that cannot easily share data or exchange value with other blockchains. This is not a new problem, but there are new, well-funded solutions emerging with exciting roadmaps that point to explosive growth in the near-term. Here’s a quick overview of some projects that have my attention. Continue Reading →

Every profession is a conspiracy against the laity, and the world of crypto is no exception. It is in that spirit, I offer this glossary of terms that will make you sound as if you are completely informed and up-to-date when discussing your next crypto project. Continue Reading →

Crypto prices and NFTs are hogging the headlines, but they are just the most visible components of a rapidly growing decentralized financial system (DeFi) that has the potential to significantly challenge how we buy, sell, and trade just about everything. Blockchain and cryptocurrency may seem like a new thing, but they have been around for over 10 years. The problem is that the world of crypto can be very confusing with all the jargon, acronyms, and other unfamiliar words. This brief overview will introduce you to some of the basic areas through a series of links to the most prominent organizations, platforms, and toolsets. Continue Reading →

Blockchain is the underlying technology that powers bitcoin, altcoins (other cryptocurrencies), NFTs, smart contracts and DAOs. Distributed ledgers, the term of art for blockchain’s underlying technology, offer a way to transact business without relying on a central authority. Here’s a nontechnical, simplified description of the component parts. Continue Reading →