It is one of the most familiar names in the NFT space, but what is the real story behind the Pudgy Penguins brand, and what does the future look like?

Pudgy Penguins are a collection of 8,888 NFT pieces of digital artwork revolving around, you guessed it, penguins. Released by eponymous developer ColeThereum in July 2021, the collection gained notoriety with its rapid price rise through the bull market of that year.

Within weeks the original mint had quickly sold out, with those clamouring to get involved resorting to the secondary NFT market on OpenSea. With an outstanding level of community support, the highest price paid for a Pudgy Penguin occurred in September 2021, reaching 225 ETH, or close to $1 million at the time.
So that leaves the question, where are we now? Is there still demand for the collection given the recent downturn in the crypto market? If so, what does the future hold?

## Brand potential

After a tumultuous 2022, it looks as if PP fortunes may be about to revive. The hype surrounding NFT started to die off once the crypto market took a trip to the downside - none more so than Pudgy Penguins. In this increasingly hostile and fraught environment, suspicions began to rise regarding the morality of creator ColeThereum. With whispers of his involvement in previous rug pulls and scams, fears were finally confirmed in late 2021 when it was [revealed that the founding team had emptied the project of funds](https://nftevening.com/pudgy-penguins-founders-cancelled).

The resulting fallout saw ardent community member 9x9x9 publish a blizzard of tweets accusing the founder and his support team of underhand activity and scamming the community. As the debate wore on, 9x9x9 revealed that the team had turned down his offer to buy the IP to the collection for 888 ETH. However, despite this knockback, another community member stepped forward and declared his interest with a deal completed in April 2022, which saw complete titular leadership of the brand [handed over for the princely sum of 750 Ethereum](https://dappradar.com/blog/pudgy-penguins-thrives-with-new-owner-luca-netz).

The new owner, Luca Schnetzler, declared his admiration for the brand and revealed he was a long-term fan of the project and the community. Schnetzler went on to say, “Pudgy Penguins was my first PFP NFT, and I knew when I first bought it that Pudgy Penguins had the highest upside when it came to brand potential. When I saw other people bidding on Pudgy Penguins, I knew I had to step in. I’ve built multiple brands to nine figures in revenue over the last five years, and I felt like my skill set was the best to succeed at the job.”

## Meme potential

With many holders using their coveted Penguin as an online flex, there has been much speculation over the appeal of this artwork. Their simple and unique features have created a legion of followers seduced by the plain yet serene nature of the NFTs. Although the original design team of four sought to remain anonymous, the New York Times did what they do best and revealed their identities at the peak of the NFT hype.

The four Computer Science undergraduates behind the brand were led by a head honcho MrTubby, also known as Clayton Patterson. In an interview with the newspaper Patterson revealed the reason for the project's creation, saying, "There was a huge meme potential in fat-looking penguins, so we decided to roll with that". 

While other NFT projects opted for a more serious approach, the Pudgy Penguin collection decided to lean heavily into memeology. Based on the Claymation adventures of popular children's cartoon Pengu, the Pudgy Penguins are helping to develop much-needed innovation within the Web3 ecosystem.

## ‘Feel-good factor'

And so, from being on the brink of capitulation, it seems the well-loved NFT brand is finally back in a happy and confident place. In the weeks following the deal, the newly installed team at Pudgy Penguins has been hard at work rebuilding the brand image and increasing the levels of community engagement. Schnetzler believes this is partly due to the project's 'feel-good factor', which helps "uplift people and make their day a little easier".

Whatever the reason, the process appears to be working as interest in the brand continues to evolve. From a floor price of 1.7 ETH in August 2022, the new team at the helm has managed to drive an increase of some 400% to a peak of 6.9 ETH in early January this year. This price surge has made many people sit up and take notice. 

Many believe the Penguins are leading the charge in a resurgent interest in NFTs.

Whatever the future, due to their versatility and wide-ranging use cases, NFTs look like they are here to stay. The ability for anyone to design, create and publish an NFT on platforms like [OpenSea](/news/article/guide-to-minting-nfts-opensea) means the appeal is assured and sustainable. And with values rising by the day, now could be the time to invest.


pink image of pudgy pengiun nft on pink background

Pudgy Penguins - Is the Hype Worth the Price?

Anyone invested in or trading Bitcoin will understand the [power of technical analysis and accurate data](/news/article/how-does-crypto-trading-work), including the Fear and Greed Index.

Suffice it to say, there are a variety of sources, all of which profess to provide the most up-to-date information.

Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index is one such leading indicator popular with the online community.

The index appears as a Twitter account that claims to amalgamate data from various sources and provide a score based on trader and investor emotion and sentiment. The score ranges from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed), with a score of 50 representing neutral bias.

## ChatGPT

According to ChatGPT, the index considers factors such as volatility, market trends, social media sentiment, and trading volume in determining its score.

It must be remembered that this is only ever intended as an indicator and should never solely be used to base your investment decisions. That said, many successful investors use the index as part of their decision-making strategy. Technical analysis alone doesn't often paint an accurate picture, making the index a potentially handy tool to have at your disposal.

As you might imagine, higher scores suggest the market is overbought, whereas lower scores indicate a good time to buy.

The tool is free to access. Although it doesn't have a website, it uses Twitter to publish regular updates. I must admit that this does set off some alarm bells. Without concrete evidence, such as an API or data oracle, that demonstrates how these variables influence the indicator, the accuracy of the index must be called into question.

Although there is nothing to support the Twitter account 'Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index', [Alternative.Me](https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/) produces a similar 'Crypto Fear and Greed Index', which gives ratings for the whole market.

## Sources

According to the analytics site [Look into Bitcoin](https://www.lookintobitcoin.com/charts/bitcoin-fear-and-greed-index/), the index is derived from six variables on a daily basis. These are:

•	Volatility (25%) – The current rate of volatility over the previous 30 and 90 days. It is widely accepted that higher volatility rates generally indicate an anxious market.

•	Volume (25%) – Again, relative to the previous 30 and 90 days, exceptionally high levels of trading volume can indicate high levels of greed in the market.

•	Sentiment (15%) – The index looks at general social media sentiment towards crypto with relevance to historical norms.

•	Surveys (15%) - Public polling platform StrawPoll was conducting weekly opinion surveys to garner the sentiment of a series of investors. However, this has been paused for the foreseeable future.

•	Dominance (10%) – BTC's overall market dominance is recorded and taken into account.

•	Trends (10%) – Google trends are viewed and analysed to identify strong periods of growth and decline in the market.

## Investment advice

When you overlay the index across the BTC price history chart, the usefulness of the indicator becomes apparent. While this tool may not be laser accurate, it becomes clear that when the indicator enters the lowest 10%, historically, this is the best time to buy BTC. Likewise, when scores reach the upper bands, this is a great time to consolidate profits and sell.

Users of the Crypto Fear and Greed version by Alternative.Me can install and embed the indicator widget to their website with minimal coding skills. However, Alternative.Me claims that despite listing the sources of its information, it is not 'investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice'.

## Other options

There are a wide variety of indicators available to the conscientious crypto investor. Models such as Stock to Flow, Pi Cycle Top Indicator, and the Rainbow Price Chart Indicator are all helpful in improving overall decision making.

It is important to view the Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index as a part of your crypto toolbox. It is a tool that, together with others, helps to form a picture of the current state of market conditions.


scared man and greedy man on blue background

Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index Explained 

Revolut is an example of the 'neobank' which have flooded the market in the last few years, as this review will explain. 

Offering more than traditional banking services, neobanks such as [Revolut](https://www.revolut.com/) allow users access to a wide range of other financial services, including several foreign currencies, trading facilities, cryptocurrencies, and debit cards.

Due to Revolut's inability to secure a UK banking licence, it offers 'interest-bearing vaults' rather than traditional deposit accounts.

## Revolut review introduction

Technology is the constant which drives human development across the planet. None more so than in the realm of personal finance. The last five years have seen an entirely new approach to banking with the introduction of mobile financial applications, which offer more than pure banking services. One of the biggest success stories in the past five years is the banking app Revolut.

Revolut is a British-based digital banking and financial technology company that provides various services, including debit cards, foreign exchange, and peer-to-peer payments. 

As well as a desktop-based website, the company's services are accessed through a mobile app and are available in various countries worldwide. The core goal of [Revolut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolut) is to make banking more accessible, more affordable, and convenient for its customers.

## Revolut review background

With headquarters in London, the company was founded in 2015 by Russian native Nikola Storonksy and Ukrainian Vladimir Yatsenko and originates from Level39, a financial technology incubator based in the City.

In a little under three years, the company had raised $250 million from a series C funding round which gave the company a subsequent $1.7 billion post-funding valuation.

As of 2021, due to a successful $800 million funding round, the company is valued at $33 billion, has 15 million users worldwide, and generates a revenue of $261 million. These impressive statistics make Revolut one of the most valuable tech start-ups today. However, despite this valuation and record turnover, the company recorded a $167 million loss in 2021.

According to the company website, some 1.1 million customers use Revolut daily, generating some £65 billion in transactions since 2020. According to recent statistics on the company website, Revolut is available in 37 countries worldwide.

The team behind Revolut features some heavy hitters from the world of international finance. In August 2019, the company announced a series of hires, including former Goldman Sachs executive director Wolfgang Bardorf, ex-Visa fraud prevention manager Philip Doyle, and former corporate finance manager Stefan Wille. Shortly afterward, the company announced a deal with Visa that expanded the operation into 24 new territories resulting in the hiring of 3,500 extra staff.

Despite some impressive statistics Revolut does not actually hold a UK banking licence despite applying in January 2021. Regardless, the company continues to expand and has recently begun operations in Japan and the US, increasing its staff from 1,500 to 5,000.

As mentioned above, despite holding a challenger banking licence from the European Union, Revolut does not hold UK banking status. This limits the scope and security of its operations. In particular, this means that any deposits made with the app are not covered by the Deposit Protection Scheme. Therefore, Revolut uses third-party banking services such as Barclays and Lloyds to store customer deposits to their platform. This also means that Revolut cannot reimburse any customers who fall victim to authorized push payment fraud.

## Revolut review: Services

As of January 2023, services listed on the Revolut website include debit cards, virtual cards, Apple Pay interest-bearing vaults, foreign exchange, commission-free stock, and crypto and commodity trading.

The popular mobile application supports spending and ATM withdrawals in 120 currencies, with direct transfers available in 29 currencies directly from the app. Any payments made at the weekend incur extra fees of between 0.5% and 2% to protect customers from exchange rate fluctuations.

In 2022, Revolut launched its stock trading app modelled on popular competitor Robinhood, which allows users to trade various stocks, commodities, currencies, and crypto.

Due to the rise in [popularity of crypto](/news/article/bitcoin-surge-hits-new-heights), Revolut allows its users to trade some of the largest cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and XRP. However, unlike professional trading platforms such as Binance, cryptocurrency cannot be deposited or spent from Revolut, but only converted back to fiat inside the mobile application.

This is because Revolut uses the Metropolitan Bank of New York, which has a zero crypto policy.

Alongside access to crypto and commodities, Revolut provides an equities trading facility that gives access to a wide range of US stocks and fractional share purchases/sales. However, like crypto, any stocks purchased on the platform cannot be transferred to another broker but must instead be sold or converted back to cash which can then be withdrawn.

Revolut offers two premium tiers on top of the free-to-use basic service. These are Premium and Metal.

•	Premium offers users unlimited foreign exchange, 'double free' ATM withdrawals abroad, and free travel insurance.

•	Metal provides all Premium features plus 1% on any currency (including crypto), 'quadruple free' ATM withdrawals abroad, cashback opportunities, and various discounts.

The company also recently launched its 'Junior Account', aimed at 7 to 17-year-olds, to teach younger people how to budget and take responsibility for their finances.

According to company statistics, the average user monthly deposit to the platform is £305, below nearest competitors Monzo and Starling. Monzo remains the UK's largest neobank with 4.7 million users; however, with 4.2 million, Revolut is head and shoulders clear of its nearest rival, Starling, which has 2.7m UK customers. 60% of Revolut's customers are male with an average age of 34 years, two years older than Monzo yet one year younger than Starling Bank.

## Revolut review: Fees

As with any banking application, consideration of the fee structure is very important. Revolut has made sure their fees are competitive.

Opening an account with Revolut is free. There is no monthly cost to use and maintain your account, albeit on a basic level. The application makes its profit from what are relatively high fees in a variety of other ways.

Users who wish to apply for a Revolut debit card must pay £4.99. Premium plan users can get their hands on a card without charge.

Customers who wish to withdraw money via an ATM do not have to pay any charges up to £200 per month. After this amount, there is a charge of 2%.

When transferring cash between bank accounts, customers can do this via traditional banking wire methods. The company does not charge for this service. However, those users who wish to transfer money via the SWIFT network will incur a charge.

Additionally, Revolut does not charge a fee for customers looking to top up their accounts using a different bank card.
Revolut users who wish to trade or exchange currencies do not incur charges for amounts up to £1,000 on weekdays, but will be charged 0.5% above this amount. Currency prices are based on competitive exchange rates sourced from third-party providers. At weekends, exchange rates are fixed and prices include a mark-up for both users of the free as well as the paid-for plans.

As with close competitors Monzo and Starling, Revolut earns most of its revenue from a process known as interchange, where it takes an additional 0.2% of every transaction fee.

## Controversy

Despite the perceived success of Revolut, a handful of controversies have dogged the brand in recent years.

Any account suspected of suspicious activity is automatically frozen by algorithmically driven trading bots. While any account suspension is designed to be temporary until human review, there have been a number of cases where customer accounts have been frozen for a considerable amount of time, leading to inaccessible balances.

The company said this was due to a lack of compliance agents. The scandal deepened further when affected parties understood that despite no longer having access to their accounts, Revolut did and, therefore, could continue to expose any balances to wholesale money markets, earning interest. Furthermore, any customers with suspended accounts were blocked from accessing customer support channels, instead receiving an automated response from pre-programmed chatbots. To date, some 500 customers have been locked out of their accounts with little or no response from the Revolut customer support team.

A March 2019 investigation by the journalistic platform Wired expressed concern over Revolut's employment practices and workplace culture. The report found that along with high staff turnover, employees were often expected to work for free and ordered to work weekends to meet company targets. The following year, Wired conducted another investigation that uncovered further underhand practices concerning redundancies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who were not immediately terminated were expected to accept a 'salary sacrifice scheme' to keep their jobs.

Due in part to Revolut’s inability to obtain a UK banking licence, the company is not aligned to the Contingency Reimbursement Model Scheme and, so, has refused to reimburse any victims of Authorised Push Payment Fraud in the UK.

## Pros and cons

There are several benefits to opening an account with Revolut. However, these are balanced with a series of drawbacks.

### Pros ~

•	A modern and diverse range of banking features, including cryptocurrency options.

•	Flexibility in regards to account top up.

•	Worthwhile perks for Premium and Metal account holders.

### Cons ~

•	No UK banking licence means no current accounts and no deposit guarantees or standing orders.

•	Very poor customer support.

•	Accounts can be frozen without any warning.

## Revolut review conclusion

Compared to other UK challenger or neobanks, Revolut can be considered to have a more European-centric focus. 

Operating in every EU jurisdiction, Revolut is also present in other countries which have established trade relations with the European block, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the US.

Due to the controversy surrounding Revolut's decision to disable sanctioned transactions, Revolut still does not hold a UK banking licence despite applying twice, the latest time in 2021. It circumnavigates this problem by running its banking operation via Lithuania, which approved its European banking licence in 2018.

Founder Nikolay Storonksy has grand ambitions for Revolut, aiming to become a financial 'super app' modelling itself along the lines of China's WeChat and Alipay, which have revolutionised banking in mainland China. Whether he gets to realise this ambition is yet to be seen.

Despite some bad press and stalling of business operations, Revolut remains the [second most popular neo-banking app](https://www.businessofapps.com/data/revolut-statistics/) in the UK market today. [4] The leadership team of both Nikolay Storonksy and Vladimir Yatsenko are strong supporters of the movement opposed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the company donating £1.5 million to the Red Cross Ukraine appeal. This may go some way to improving a somewhat tarnished reputation.


Revolut Review - Everything You Need to Know 

[FinTech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fintech) companies are making waves in the UK, especially with the growing popularity of blockchain tech, such as NFTs and cryptocurrency.

FinTech has entered popular parlance in recent years. An amalgamation of financial and technology, it refers to companies using technology to compete with traditional financial (TradFi) methods in delivering financial services.

Four main components make up the FinTech world:

•	Artificial intelligence.

•	Blockchain.

•	Cloud computing.

•	Big data

These components, often referred to as the ABCD, form the backbone of the industry.

Technological developments are constantly pushing the boundaries of FinTech in a never-ending move toward more financial inclusion. 

The evolution of smartphones and their applications has seen a surge in the popularity and use of mobile banking, investing, lending, and various cryptocurrency services as the general population take more control over their financial future.

The industry consists of start-ups, traditional financial institutions, and technology companies, often all working together to enhance the customer experience and encourage financial intelligence.

## FinTech companies UK

Investment in global FinTech has risen by more than 12,000% from $930 million in 2008 to over $121.6 billion today. Forecasters predict that by 2030 the global FinTech market is expected to reach $949 billion at an average growth rate of 17.2% per year.

FinTech companies UK represent the country's strongest start-up sector, consisting of more than 1,400 'high growth companies' and 20 unicorns (firms worth more than $1 billion). The industry attracts more venture capital than any other business raising some £21.9 billion so far, of which £7.4 billion came in the bumper year of 2021. 

With a total market valuation of just over £11 billion, FinTech in the UK is big business.

As you might expect, 96% of all UK FinTech firms are based in London. Around 9% of companies were founded by a female boss.
As of July 2022, the [three top FinTech companies in the UK](https://www.beauhurst.com/blog/fintech-startup-companies/) were:

•	Checkout.com.

•	Revolut.

•	Monzo

Checkout.com was founded in 2012 and raised £1.36 billion through four equity rounds. Its core business is payment processing software development allowing businesses to pay in more than 150 currencies. Its innovative platform combines several separate payment technologies and covers every stage of the process. With on ramps including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, it is easy to see why it is the UK's largest FinTech company.

Following closely behind is the well-known brand Revolut, which services more than 18 million customers worldwide with financial services and digital banking through its popular mobile application. 

Since launching in 2013, Revolut has raised some £1.27 billion in equity. In December 2021, the company was awarded a full banking licence from the European Central Bank, making Revolut one of the best well-known FinTech brands on the market today.

In third place is challenger bank Monzo, which is fully regulated by the FCA and PRA in the UK. Founded in 2015 and based in the City of London, Monzo help more than 6 million customers manage their financial well-being through its digital banking platform. Monzo is free to use, but with the Premium option (£15 per month), customers are eligible for free phone and travel insurance.

## FinTech companies UK conclusion

Despite a global market slowdown in 2022, UK FinTech investment reached some $12.5 billion last year. It is easy to see why FinTech is held in such high regard in the UK.

Indeed, with over 2500 FinTech companies based in the country, the UK ranks as the [third largest FinTech hub in the world](https://www.londonstockexchange.com/uk-fintech-ecosystem).

Furthermore, around £3.6 trillion of foreign exchange trades are processed in London daily. This is more than the next four largest markets combined. When you add the fact that some 90,000 finance and insurance firms are based in the UK, it is obvious why the country remains top of the international finance industry.

According to a recent report by Deloitte, the UK FinTech industry is dominated by WealthTech and Payments. However, there are considered to be some 23 subsegments of the national ecosystem, making for an extremely varied and versatile industry.

As we can see from the examples above, growth in the space continues to be driven by high levels of investment, reaching some $11.6 billion in 2021, second only to the USA and counting for half of all European FinTech investments. As more and more people embrace the move away from traditional banking, the FinTech industry is predicted to double in value by 2030. If, as many expect, this forecast continues to materialise for FinTech companies UK, there has never been a more opportune time to be involved in this exciting industry.


blue image of two women working on computers in tech company

FinTech Companies in the UK 2023

[ParaSwap](https://www.paraswap.io/) is a DeFi aggregation site combining all the liquidity of decentralised exchanges and lending protocols into one easy-to-digest source.

The site ensures that all data is accessible through a secure interface and comprehensive APIs. It offers some of the best prices in the decentralised finance ecosystem for traders and developers looking to connect their decentralised applications.

The information is laid out in a clear and digestible format and covers everything users need.

The drive behind the project's development is the belief in the future adoption of DeFi participation through the offering of 'secure, intelligent and optimised trading tools' for individuals and corporations. The provision of these tools will allow access to vast pools of liquidity as well as volumes of crucial [market data](/news/article/what-is-a-defi-token).

## The core features of the platform are as follows:

API – Public libraries enable smooth interaction with Dapps and wallets.

Charts – More than 100 protocols across multiple L1 & L2 chains provide up-to-date market information.
Multichain – ParaSwap is available across some of the largest blockchains, including Ethereum, Binance, Avalanche, and Polygon.

Onchain RFQ – On chain 'request for quotes' enable real-time prices from KYC-verified partners.
Yield optimisation – Lending rates across multiple protocols have been optimised to provide the best prices.
Security and audits – The project has been verified via external and independent smart contract auditors.

The ecosystem currently supports seven active blockchains processing 37 billion in total volume. This is achieved through 10 million+ trades across 65+ integrations. Clearly, this platform is on track to realising its grand ambition of providing everyone with access to powerful and open financial tools.

A broad selection of some of the most popular applications, protocols and tools available on the market today are readily accessible, including -

•	MetaMask.

•	Ledger.

•	Aave.

•	Enzyme.

•	Zerion.

•	Argent.

Alongside price data and API feeds, ParaSwap has a mobile application that offers users a full suite of crypto management tools. Interested parties can buy, sell or store their favourite tokens and trade NFTs across multiple networks.

This versatile application features some of the highest security on the market while giving the user total control over their activity by providing them access to their private keys, thus allowing them complete self-custody of their assets.

The project has been developed with institutions and developers in mind. Flexibility over data and price feeds sets ParaSwap apart from its closest competitors. ParaSwap can provide competitive services in the following areas -

Custodians – Token swapping is easy and integrated.

Brokers/Bots – Both slippage and execution costs are minimised with powerful and versatile coded programs.
Lenders – Users have more chances for engagement through the versatile exchange functions.
Market Makers – Liquidity pools allow users to bid for order flow.

Banks – The product is customisable for retail banking needs.

Asset Managers – Exchange services can be added to increase customers' wealth offerings.
The ParaSwap platform has been audited by the likes of Certik, Solidified, and PeckShield. It has the backing of some big names from the worlds of crypto and DeFi, including -

•	CoinGecko.

•	Blockchain Capital.

•	Arrington Capital.

•	Coin Fund.

•	DeFinance Capital.

•	Alliance.

•	Lemniscap.

•	CMS.

•	Cumberland.

The native token of ParaSWap is $PSP which has a circulating supply of 72.8 million and a hard cap of 2 billion coins. With a current price of $0.03, this brings a market cap of $2.3 million, ranking the token number 1100 on the price comparison site [Coinmarketcap.com](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/paraswap/).

The token is available from various brokers, but some of the most popular include MEXC, ByBit, Gate.io, and WOO.

## Conclusion

Overall, ParaSwap offers a comprehensive suite of products and features for the modern DeFi investor. The platform is well managed and professional in its user interface and levels of data and analytics on offer.

The project prides itself on its 'best prices in DeFi', its ability to refund high gas fees, as well as its innovative P2P NFT trading feature.

This project is an excellent example of a modern DeFi aggregator uniting the liquidity of a wide variety of decentralised exchanges and lending protocols into one easy-to-use, comprehensive, and secure interface and corresponding APIs.


blue image of crypto altcoins with  paraswap triangle logos

ParaSwap - NFT and DEX Middleware for Traders

The Rarity Tool platform is rapidly gaining popularity for helping to rank the scarcity of NFT collections.
Non-fungible tokens, especially digital art, have become one of the hottest topics in the last few years. Stories of art exchanging for thousands, if not millions, of pounds [are not uncommon](/news/article/most-expensive-nft).

But how do you know how rare your recent purchase really is? Were you ripped off? Did you get a fair deal? One of the most common questions asked is, 'how rare is my NFT?'.

## Total score

Scarcity is the most important factor when determining the value of any digital art. Therefore, it is easy to understand the popularity of a website dedicated to determining how each purchase ranks against others.

The [Rarity Tool](https://raritytools.medium.com/introducing-rarity-tools-9b0138e992b3) site is designed to provide an easy-to-understand and practical ranking of individual pieces and collections of digital art based on their rarity.

So how does it work? Each design is assessed on various measures that are customisable for each project. All scores are then added together to give the total scarcity score.

As each designer will value their creations differently, each trait differs from collection to collection. This makes it hard to compare NFTs against each other. However, it does give designers control over the relevance of each piece in their batch, allowing the creators to rank and price items accordingly.

## ’Drill down'

Because each community scores its designs differently, the website customises the ranking for the item by adding 'derived traits' which are deemed unique. For example, a character with matching clothes acquires more points and is therefore ranked above another character wearing random items.

Of course, all pieces created are unique in design, but a great feature of Rarity Tools is that each piece is ranked on a combination of specific factors which provide the scarcity score.

This is a powerful platform that allows the user to filter and 'drill down' into specific characteristics which your NFT or the one you are searching for may have. The site lets you compare against other pieces with the same traits so you can better understand the worth of your purchase.

However, who actually scores each trait isn't exactly clear. The website doesn't explicitly express whether the ranking is individual, centralised, or community-driven, which makes you question the legitimacy of the site.

That said, the Rarity Tool platform is a fun and useful site dedicated to supporting the NFT community and providing the information needed to rate digital purchases.


Pink and purple abstract image with "RT" Rarity tool logo in centre

Rarity Tool - How Rare is My NFT?

Play to earn is a corner of crypto with a huge following in the Far East. The rise of the [Carbon platform](https://crbn.io/), and the Carbon token, could help P2E make its mark in the West.

Play to earn is the concept of earning crypto for playing games on your mobile or computer. Rewards usually come in the form of NFTs or cryptocurrencies, earnt by players for completing tasks or winning battles against opponents. P2E games are built with blockchain technology, allowing users to buy, sell, and trade any in-game items, tokens, or NFTs with other players and on the open market.

[Click here for a detailed breakdown of the roots of P2E, or GameFi](/news/article/what-is-gamefi).

## Next level gaming

The latest P2E platform to hit the market is Carbon gaming. With three titles already slated for release, Carbon allows users to accrue passive income while indulging in their favourite hobby.

Each game is crafted to give players unique gaming experiences. From Snakes to Battle Tanks to Isles of Carbonia, this diversified platform is helping to usher in the next level of online gaming.

Every game allows users to accumulate either Carbon token (CRBN) or NFTs. These can then be held or traded via popular platforms such as UniSwap, PancakeSwap, Gate.io, or HotBit.

## Mobile app

However, Carbon is not just about gaming. This powerful platform provides users with various extra features, such as social media, encrypted messaging, a crypto portfolio tracker, and micropayments for tipping.

Carbon is yet to be developed for the Apple iPhone, but an Android mobile app can be found on the [Google Play store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.carbon.social). The desktop version can be found at [Carbon.social](https://play.crbn.io/). Whatever platform you choose to access, the experience is flawless throughout.

## Tokenomics

The Carbon token, CRBN, has a max supply of 50 million and a circulating supply just short of 33 million. With a current token price of $0.0157, the project has a total market cap of $518,000.

Given the popularity of P2E gaming in South East Asia, there is every chance Carbon will prove as popular as other play-to-earn giants like [Axie Infinity](https://axieinfinity.com/), which boasts more than 700,000 online players.

Carbon has a strong following on social media, with more than 15,500 followers on Twitter, where followers are supplied with product updates and giveaways. Interested parties can also find more information via [Telegram](https://t.me/carbonsocial) and [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/YFEZ47aYpK).

Each game boasts a vast range of ways players can gather Carbon token, which leads to a satisfying and rewarding experience. Users can even earn rewards for creating social media posts and encouraging engagement which adds a whole other angle to the user experience.

Furthermore, you don't have to be a crypto expert to enjoy the Carbon platform. Setup is easy and instructions are helpful and clear, meaning players can create a profile and start gaming, and earning, within minutes.


carbon token logo on a blue and black backgorund. 

Carbon Token: New Ways to Play and Earn

So, Elon Musk finally put pen to paper and bought Twitter. This is probably the highest-profile business deal of 2022.

Long regarded as 'broken', Twitter had fallen into a bad place under previous CEO and founder Jack Dorsey. Users regularly complained of too much spam, counterfeit accounts, and automated reply bots making the platform impossible to use, especially in a business context.

And so, Elon Musk decided to step into the fray with an audacious $44 billion bid. Although initially rejected, it was finally inked on 27 October. 

Let's look at what motivated the Twitter Elon Musk purchase, and what the future may hold for the much-maligned platform.

## Twitter Elon Musk deal

Twitter currently has around 450 million monthly users, with some 237.8 million 'monetizable' daily users. The USA is its most prolific market. Around 24% of all US adults (79m) have accounts, with 40% of all Twitter users aged between 18 and 29, [according to research](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/twitter-vs-facebook).

Facebook remains the world's largest social networking site, based on user engagement. Twitter languishes at the bottom of a long list, below even the freeware instant messaging app Kik.

This massive user base with declining engagement goes some way to explain Musk's motivation and desire to transform Twitter into the '[de facto public town square](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1507777261654605828)'.

## Rock solid

Elon Musk is a prolific Tweeter. His average of 16.8 tweets a week compares to the 11.55 from 'similar accounts' (presumably CEOs with large social media presence). Frequent use of the platform may explain the desire behind the Twitter Elon Musk deal, alongside wanting to, in his words, 'help humanity'.

In the three weeks after the deal completed, as promised, a lot happened. First, Musk has committed to firing much of the workforce, with the remaining employees encouraged to quickly 'build and launch new products'.
Secondly, Musk removed the requirement that users validate their accounts in return for the blue check mark. 

Instead, users can purchase this authentication for a monthly fee of $7.99. This encountered myriad problems and, consequently, Musk postponed the rollout until 29 November to 'make sure it is rock solid'.

## Monetization

This may give us an indication of where Twitter could head in the not-too-distant future. The monetization of social media platforms is a hot topic, with many viewing it as an [inevitable step in developing the medium](https://www.disciplemedia.com/community-monetizations/social-media-monetization/).

It is well known that Elon Musk has a strong association with the popular cryptocurrency Dogecoin. Indeed, other than buying a brand-new Tesla, [Dogecoin](/news/article/should-i-buy-dogecoin) is now accepted by a growing number of online and in-store merchants, including GameStop, AMC Theatres, and Twitch. With this information in mind, many believe it has become only a matter of time before Twitter becomes monetized.

Social media monetization has been widely discussed in recent years. It is a concept that spans a wide variety of formats depending on the platform, use case, and audience. Monetization is a huge area and would signify a step change for the industry.

## Micropayments

The potential for users to generate income from their content or producers and suppliers of goods and services to utilise an inbuilt platform payment system has [fascinated the crypto world](https://futuristspeaker.com/business-trends/the-emerging-crypto-micropayments-industry/) for many years.

However, for this to become a reality, platforms like Twitter and Facebook need the right micropayment processor for their needs. When you are processing thousands of transactions per minute, it is essential that you not only have the network capability to handle that amount of traffic, but it is also imperative that transaction fees are kept to a minimum.

With this in mind, the close relationship between Twitter, Elon Musk, and [Dogecoin](/news/article/dogecoin-to-gbp) becomes a little clearer. It points a clear path toward the future for both social media and distributed ledger technology.



blue image of the twitter homepage with elon musk standing, arms folded in the foreground. The image represents his acquisition of Twitter

Twitter Elon Musk Acquisition: What Now?

Chiliz, the network behind Chiliz coin, markets itself as the world's leading blockchain fintech provider for sports and entertainment. That's a big claim – can it live up to it?

Chiliz is a layer 1 blockchain solution developed using a Proof of Authority consensus algorithm. Built on top of this is Socios.com, a sports engagement platform that uses the Chiliz coin (CHZ) as its [on-platform currency](https://www.chiliz.com/en/).

The network is partnered with some of the biggest brands in the sports and entertainment world today, including UFC, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Manchester City.

## Collective ownership

The core aim of the organisation is to provide distributed blockchain infrastructure to help leading sports and entertainment brands 'engage and monetize their audience.' This is achieved via the Chiliz coin, the CHZ token. It acts as the exclusive on-platform currency as well as an alternative payment solution.

The Socios engagement platform, in turn, allows fans of mainstream brands to purchase branded 'Fan Tokens' from their favourite club or organisation.

Fan Tokens provide brands with a way to connect with their audience and unlock undiscovered revenue streams. Holders of Fan Tokens are eligible for exclusive rewards and recognition. They can also 'have their say' and vote on permitted club matters. This concept of 'collective ownership' will become a key element of blockchain adoption in the near future as we move toward a more decentralised society.

Fan Tokens are minted through the Socios platform and voting is executed via a series of smart contracts on the main blockchain. Chiliz uses a Proof of Authority consensus mechanism, similar to Proof of Stake and based on the Ethereum ERC20 standard.

##   CHZ Max supply

The organisation is headquartered in Malta and raised some $65 million in private investment in 2018. Industry luminaries such as Binance, FBG Capital, and Ceyuan Ventures have all invested alongside [private individuals from Asia and Europe](https://medium.com/chiliz/chiliz-reaches-65-million-goal-through-private-placement-84805af230af).

The max supply of Chiliz coin is capped at 8.8 billion, with a current circulating supply of 6.09 billion. With the current price of CHZ at $0.2472 (18 November, 2022), this gives Chiliz coin a market cap of just over $1.5 billion. [CHZ](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/chiliz/) can be bought at most leading exchanges, including Binance, OKX, and Bitrue.

Since its October 2018 launch, Chiliz has gone from strength to strength. Some of the largest names in sports and entertainment are now signed up to the platform. Indeed, despite recent market events, the Chiliz coin has held up well and is one of the strongest performers today.

Chiliz is looking to break into the up-and-coming eSports market, where [blockchain firm VRA](/news/article/vra-crypto-esports) is already making massive strides.

With an established presence in the crypto top 50 and some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment on board, Chiliz is an exciting project working to change the relationship between fans and clubs.


Chiliz Coin Plays for Keeps

What do you know about Casper Coin and the Casper network?

Launched in March 2021, Casper is a Proof of Stake, layer 1 blockchain designed exclusively to boost the adoption of smart contracts, decentralised applications (Dapps), and blockchain technology on a global scale.

Built from the Casper CBC (Correct by Construction) specification, the project has grown steadily since its launch and currently has a market cap of just under $300 billion (December 2022).

The Casper chain has been designed with future-proof architecture to ensure its continual development and flexibility to evolve around the needs of its users. With user-friendliness high on the list of priorities, the chain has been specifically designed to accelerate the adoption of Web3 by encouraging the growth of intuitive and interoperable services across its ecosystem.

## Casper Coin

The Casper network native token is Casper Coin, or CSPR. It has a circulating supply of 10.5 billion, just 700 million short of its total supply of 11.2 billion. The total [market cap](/news/article/what-is-market-cap-in-crypto) of CSPR is currently $283 billion.

In an effort to clear up some confusion regarding circulating supply, the project was quick to respond to concerns from its community. The team reported that some 80% of CSPR in circulation is staked and bonded to the network. That means any volatility in trading is certain to impact token price, good or bad.

At current prices ($0.028), the Casper Coin price is some 97.9% off its all-time high of $1.36, which presents an ideal time to buy. Getting hold of CSPR tokens is relatively straightforward, with a growing number of exchanges, including [KuCoin](https://www.kucoin.com/trade/CSPR-USDT), [Gate.io](https://www.gate.io/trade/CSPR_USDT), and [Huobi](https://www.huobi.com/en-us/exchange/cspr_usdt), all offering USDT trading pairs.

## Enterprise solution

The steady growth of the blockchain and predictable tokenomics make Casper Coin a popular investment choice. Furthermore, Casper's versatility, predictable gas fees, and future-proof design make the project an attractive option for developers.

As a Proof of Stake-based consensus protocol, Casper is some 1,360 times more carbon efficient than the Bitcoin network. The innovation behind the CBC protocol ensures that the scalability and database management solutions are ever present, making the network a popular place to build Web3 Dapps.

The project is the result of years of research and development from the teams at CasperLabs, who have vast experience gained at enterprise-level software giants such as Adobe, Alvara, and Google.

CasperLabs has positioned itself as the 'de facto' blockchain enterprise solution for teams looking to build decentralised projects in the Web3 environment. The dedicated level of developer support is what makes the team at Casper stand apart from other competing projects.

## Security audit

As a Proof of Stake consensus network, Casper relies on token staking by validator nodes to secure its network. Proof of Stake is not only much greener than its rival Proof of Work, but it also offers much greater opportunities for scalability and developer versatility.

The CBC protocol has been designed to use an upgraded version of Byzantium Fault Tolerance applications and is, therefore, resilient to hacks and bad actors. This enterprise-level security design means that Casper has completed several security audits, including a [Trail of Bits audit](https://blog.casperlabs.io/trail-of-bits-security-audit-casper-highway-protocol/) in January 2021 which concluded that the Casper network “showed proper use of security hygiene”.

## Transparent road map

When you consider the security audits, enterprise-level infrastructure, flexibility, and solid team behind the project, it is easy to see why Casper and its native token, CSPR, is an attractive buy for crypto traders and investors alike.

Apart from some recent confusion regarding what actually constitutes circulating supply, the team at Casper presents an attractive ecosystem with a transparent road map for the future.

If the project can maintain its so far impressive momentum and deliver on its promise of enterprise-level, scalable and flexible Web3 solutions, the Casper Coin price has every chance of gaining significant upside in the near to medium term future.
 
 
 



green image of casper coin in pile of altcoins

Casper Coin – What is it?

If you have ever wondered, 'what is PancakeSwap?', this article is here to help.

PancakeSwap is an Automated Market Maker (AMM) decentralised exchange protocol (DEX) built specifically for BEP20 tokens and the Binance Smart Chain. The protocol allows users to swap tokens, provide liquidity, farm and stake native tokens, plus many other cool features.

Created by anonymous developers and launched in September 2020, PancakeSwap has some 2.8 million customers generating total value locked of more than $4 billion (September 2022). The native token of the PancakeSwap platform is CAKE (with a circulating supply of 125 million coins).

## Smart contracts/Low fees

To answer the question, 'what is PancakeSwap?', we need to understand it's structure and purpose. At its core, PancakeSwap is an automated and decentralised exchange (DEX) that relies on smart contracts to swap and execute trades rather than a traditional two-party order book system.

PancakeSwap follows the same model as other DEXs, such as UniSwap and SushiSwap. However, because PancakeSwap is built on the Binance Smart Chain, the fees associated with using the protocol are much lower by comparison.

PancakeSwap has a number of interesting features which allow users to gain rewards in a variety of ways. From earning fees for providing liquidity to generating rewards through staking, PancakeSwap is an example of how a modern decentralised cryptocurrency trading exchange should look and operate.

## BEP20 protocol

What is PancakeSwap? It is a DEX operating as an AMM, and that means there is no central server and no central point of authority. Instead of order books and corresponding buyers or sellers, users contribute to pools of liquidity that enable other users to trade or swap tokens out of that pool.

Although the PancakeSwap platform has been designed to facilitate BEP20 tokens, users of other tokens, such as Ethereum's ERC20 standard, can use the platform provided they wrap their tokens first.

To start using PancakeSwap, users must first connect their online wallet to the exchange. Any wallet compatible with the Binance Smart Chain BEP20 protocol is allowed, although popular wallets such as [Metamask](/news/article/what-is-metamask) and Binance Smart Wallet seem to work best.

Users must have some Binance coin (BNB) in their wallet to begin with, which will then be used for transaction fees. Once connected, users will be able to start swapping and trading tokens through the application. Check out this [Connection guide](https://docs.pancakeswap.finance/get-started/connection-guide) for further help.

## FLIP the CAKE

What is PancakeSwap offering users? It has a number of innovative features which make it very attractive to the modern cryptocurrency trader.

At its core, PancakeSwap is a decentralised exchange and swap platform where users can trade and swap a wide variety of BEP20 tokens. However, users can also help provide liquidity to these markets by adding a token pair to the relevant pool.

By adding liquidity to a pool of their choice (e.g., BNB:CAKE), users are rewarded with LP (liquidity provision) tokens called FLIP and earn 0.17% on all future transactions from traders using this pool. Fees are added to the pool and accrued in real time. They can be reclaimed when the user decides to remove their liquidity from the pool.

Once a user has secured their FLIP tokens, they can access some of PancakeSwap's more advanced features.

By providing further liquidity to any listed pairs and staking their tokens, FLIP holders can earn PancakeSwap's native cryptocurrency CAKE via a process called 'Yield Farming'.

The rewards are calculated from a combination of FARM base APR and LP rewards APR. The total rewards allocated depend on the amount of liquidity in the chosen FARM.

Furthermore, CAKE holders can simply stake their tokens to generate more CAKE via a feature known as Syrup Pools. Choosing between flexible staking or fixed term staking, the user receives auto compounded staking rewards with no deposit-associated fees and can be unstaked at any time.

## More CAKE, NFTs and lotteries

As PancakeSwap’s core utility token, CAKE has a variety of uses on the platform. Furthermore, as CAKE can also be bought and sold on the open market, it ensures that interest in PancakeSwap and its native token remain high.

One other use of the CAKE token is Lottery v2.0. Here CAKE holders can win more CAKE prizes by purchasing tickets at a cost of 10 CAKE tokens per ticket. To be a winner, entrants must match four numbers between one and 14 in the same order in which they are drawn to be in with a chance of winning 50% of the entire lottery pool.
 
PancakeSwap Prediction is a simple prediction market where contestants can win prizes based on their predictions regarding the future price of BNB coin. Each correct guess is rewarded with a proportional share of the payout pool, meaning the more you stake, the bigger your potential win. Transaction fees are set at 3%, while rounds last five minutes.

Anyone looking to generate and trade NFTs can also do this via PancakeSwap's NFT Profile System and NFT Marketplace. For the price of 1.5 CAKE, users can create a personalised NFT which can then be shared with family and friends or traded for other cryptocurrencies or other Binance Chain collectibles.

For those investors looking for the next world-beating application PancakeSwap's IFO (Initial Farm Offering) allows users to purchase project tokens with CAKE. In much the same way as traditional ICOs, some of the hottest Dapps of 2002 were born via PancakeSwap's IFO. With the backing of Binance Smart Chain, it is easy to see why blockchain-based projects like Mines of Dalarnia have achieved massive success.

And finally, no modern decentralised exchange can afford not to offer perpetual futures trading. Partnering with Apollo X, PancakeSwap offers various crypto derivatives without expiration, including perpetual swaps and trades to appeal to the crypto trader looking to use leverage.

## Security audits

As you can see, PancakeSwap is a versatile yet comprehensive decentralised exchange platform showcasing the best of Web3 applications on the market today. As you might expect of one of the world's largest DEX, PancakeSwap has undergone vigorous testing from leading security auditors Certik who have provided [a satisfactory report](https://www.certik.com/projects/pancakeswap).

This, of course, is cause for comfort for the 400,000 DAO community members, of whom every single one has the right to vote on any proposals put forward by the platform.

If you have ever asked, 'what is PancakeSwap?', then hopefully this has helped. With a reputation stemming from its association with Binance Smart Chain feeding an appetite for innovative products and services, it is easy to see why PancakeSwap continues to go from strength to strength, overtaking more established DeFi offerings such as SushiSwap and UniSwap.


What is PancakeSwap?

Greetings, Whovians, and welcome to Dr Who Worlds Apart.

Have you ever thought of jumping in the TARDIS and travelling across the universe? Well, now you can.
A collaboration between [Reality Gaming Group](https://realityplus.com/) and the [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/) has brought the longest-running and most successful science-fiction television show in the universe to your digital decks.

[Dr Who Worlds Apart](https://doctorwho-worldsapart.com/) is a digital card trading game where players can collect, battle, and trade in real time:

•	Assemble your decks with your favorite characters, objects, and moments from the adventures of the Timelord.

•	Trade - buy and sell cards on the Worlds Apart native marketplace with users from around the globe. Buy card packs and tokens on the online store.

•	Battle it out with friends in the online game to conquer all of time and space!

## How Dr Who Worlds Apart works

By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, Reality Gaming Groups (RGG) has transformed digital collectible cards into secure, protected, and scarce [Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)](/wiki#character-n). NFTs give the cards unique identities, which ensures that every gameplay detail is recorded and publicly stored. This allows you and your teammates to see a track record of wins, losses, and all other accomplishments.

## How to enter the Whoniverse 

Users can register their accounts and start collecting cards as well as adding cosmetic Alien frames straight away. These can be purchased in-store or on the secondhand marketplace using Pandaks (named after the original Lord President). $1 is worth 100 Pandaks. What's more, you earn ten free Pandaks every time you log in! The earlier you assemble your deck, the lower the price will be.

## Bringing Dr Who to younger generations

Co-founder of RGG Tony Pearce said: "In the beginning, getting Doctor Who fans to understand what an NFT is had proved difficult. Together with the BBC, we hope to educate the younger Doctor Who fans of why there is value and utility with these cards."

## Paper or digital deck - what’s more sustainable?

There has been much media coverage concerning Bitcoin's intensive energy use. It is estimated that the world's largest cryptocurrency consumes more electricity per year than the entire country of Argentina which, with a population of 45 million people, is a lot of energy!

Context is key when interpreting statistics, and carbon emissions can be difficult to measure across different industries. However, the transparent nature of blockchain's distributed ledgers makes it much easier to perform audits and approximate current and future energy use.

In industries with physical supply chains, it is a complex and often inaccessible process to calculate [scope 3 emissions](https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/briefing-what-are-scope-3-emissions). This is especially so in sectors like [metals mining](https://www.gold.org/news-and-events/press-releases/gold-and-climate-change-the-energy-transition-press-release) which create a much larger carbon footprint than crypto.

All online activity has an associated energy cost. For example, [YouTube uses 250% more energy](https://thefactsource.com/how-much-electricity-does-youtube-use/) per day than the entire Bitcoin network. The [traditional banking system](https://cointelegraph.com/news/banking-system-consumes-two-times-more-energy-than-bitcoin-research) uses twice as much energy as the Bitcoin network daily. [Research by Cambridge University](https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2019-09-ccaf-2nd-global-cryptoasset-benchmarking.pdf) suggests that the energy that powers crypto mining is already as much as 78% renewable.

There is often a misconception that the energy cost of Bitcoin is the same for all blockchain networks. Ethereum uses about half of the energy of Bitcoin, and the network's overhaul from the Proof of Work consensus model to Proof of Stake has reduced Ethereum's energy usage by 90%.

## RGG’s approach to the climate reality

Using and developing NFTs and blockchain applications require energy, just like any game developer or other industry in the world. [Reality Gaming Group](https://realityplus.com/) understands that blockchain technology has a significant [environmental impact](https://doctorwho-worldsapart.com/sustainability/) and is committed to keeping this to a minimum. To this end, all of the Group's data servers and websites are certified as carbon-neutral.

Dr Who Worlds Apart runs on a fork of Ethereum known as a ‘sidechain’ which uses less energy than the Ethereum mainnet and is more versatile for bespoke development. RGG plans to integrate Polygon and other layer 2 companies to improve energy efficiency and speed further while retaining the security and authentication benefits of the Ethereum network.

It can be argued that the emissions involved in manufacturing and transporting physical cards may have more impact on the environment than collectible digital cards using NFT technology.

Built using blockchain for integrity and utility, Dr Who Worlds apart is the perfect platform to inspire existing and future fans. So, don’t waste any more time. Go forth, assemble your deck, and get collecting to master the universe.


Dr Who Worlds Apart: The Time is Now

Blockchain is the tech that underpins cryptocurrency, but is not, in itself, a cryptocurrency. It is a decentralised [ledger](https://blockchainsimplified.com/blog/types-of-blockchain-ledger/) which tracks digital assets on a peer-to-peer network. 

On this network, every node (computer/server) connects to every other and each node holds the same copy of the ledger. 

So, [blockchain](/news/tag/blockchain-tag) is an ever-growing, secure and shared record-keeping system where each user of the data retains a copy of the records. These records are only updated when most parties agree to the update. 

 
 

## Examples 

In a simple sense, this is like your bank account statement or records of your sales and purchases of raw materials. It is similar, in some ways, to an Excel spreadsheet tracking equipment used by a hospital. 

A good analogy for explaining blockchain is that of a large book. Think of it as an old book-based ledger, where each page refers to the previous page through a page number. In this analogy the book is blockchain, a page is a block and an entry on that page is a blockchain transaction. 

It is easy for you to see if a page has been removed or deleted, just as it is to see if a block has been changed. It is also simple to arrange the pages, thanks to age numbering, and, therefore, identify suspicious behaviour. 

The fact the pages (or blocks on the blockchain) are built tightly on top of each other and numbered makes it impossible to tamper with previous entries without someone noticing. 

 
 

## Blockchain parts, and what they look like 

A generic blockchain will include certain features. These include: 

- Address – unique identifiers – of the sender and receiver. This is usually a public key 

- Transaction – representing the transfer value – one address to another 

- Block – multiple transactions and other elements, including: 

1. Reference to the previous block 

2. Nonce – the number generated and used only once 

3. Timestamp – creation time of block 

4. Merkle Root – hash of all nodes of a Merkle tree 

5. Transactions – a record of an event, such as the transfer of crypto from the sender to the receiver’s account 

 
 

## How blockchain works 

Here is a simplified explanation of how it works. 

#### Transaction initiated
The node starts, first creating and then signing it with a private key. The transactions may be cryptocurrency transfers or smart contract invocation. 
#### Transaction validated and broadcast
The transaction is verified pre-broadcast and then it is broadcast to other peers, who validate based on pre-set validity criteria.
#### Find a new block
The transaction is received and validated by miners, then included in a block and the mining starts. Miners then race to finish the block they have created. 
#### New Block found 
When the miner solves the math puzzle, the block is considered mined or finalized, and the transaction is confirmed. 
#### Add a new block to Blockchain 
The new block is validated, the transactions/smart contracts executed, and it is broadcast to peers. The peers also validate and execute the block, and it is now part of the blockchain. The next block links itself back to this one with a hash pointer, which refers to the previous block. 

## Benefits of Blockchain 

Blockchain offers a range of benefits, perhaps most notably [decentralization.](/news/article/dns-servers) This means there is no need for a third party or intermediary as it is based on a consensus mechanism. It is also transparent and can be trusted; a blockchain and its transactions are a public record and immutable, meaning it is almost impossible to change data written on the blockchain. 
Blockchain is highly available, as it is a system based on thousands of nodes in a network, and data is replicated and updated for every need. It is also highly secure as all transactions are cryptographically secured. Only valid, verified transactions are included in the blockchain. 
Simplicity is also a benefit, creating a single, shared ledger among parties. For example, it could be used as a one-place healthcare record. 
Blockchain also allows faster dealings, with the quick settlement of trades, and cost savings, especially as there is no third party or clearing house seeking payment or fees. Additionally, blockchain allows smart contracts to be run, programs that execute business logic on behalf of users, and can be used for smart property, where you link an asset, digital or physical, to a blockchain. 


## Blockchain problems 

There are some issues with blockchain, however.  Perhaps most commonly discussed are problems like scalability (they are not scalable as financial networks. Yet.), and adoption. It is still seen as a relatively immature, nascent technology so we are yet to see mass adoption of blockchain.  Some people have raised issues of privacy and confidentiality around public blockchains, where anyone can see everything. 

What is Blockchain?


It is suggested that Web 2.0 is used by 3 billion people every day and occupies 80% of their waking hours. At its most basic, Web 2.0 is an online experience that emphasises user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture, and interoperability (compatibility with other goods, systems, and devices) 

It is also referred to as participative (or participatory) web and social web. 

Web 2.0, notably between 1999 and 2004, shifted the world away from static desktop websites. These were sites built for information consumption and provided from expensive servers. It moved them to interactive experiences and user-generated content, giving us Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, and Instagram. 

It was fuelled by three fundamental layers of innovation: mobile, social, and cloud. 

 

## Web 3.0 Is The Next Step 

For the Internet, Web 3.0 is the next evolutionary step. It is expected to be the monopolistic digital dominance of major corporations and governments. 

Web 3.0, or [Web3](/news/tag/web-3.0-tag), is a decentralised online environment built on the blockchain at its most fundamental level. Users will own platforms and apps developed on Web3 rather than a central gatekeeper. Users earn their ownership stake by creating and maintaining those services. 


## It’s Easy as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 

Since the early days of the original Web 1.0 in the 1990s, the Internet has evolved. It moved to Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 is next. 

Moving from Web 2.0, the Internet of today we are all familiar with, to the next phase will be enabled by [blockchain technology](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blockchain.asp). 

Web 3.0, also known as the “read-write-execute” Internet, allows users to browse, produce, and publish content and directly execute intelligent contracts with one another. 

That this new Internet is decentralised is one of its most prominent qualities. It allows websites that are not hosted on servers or in data centres. Instead, everything is powered by [blockchain](/news/article/what-is-blockchain), the distributed ledger. 

The system offers improved security. The critical information hackers seek, such as credit card numbers or passwords, isn’t stored in a single central place. 

The fundamental difference between Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 is the level of involvement between users. Users were confined to viewing static pages with Web 1.0. Users could produce and distribute their content with Web 2.0. Web 3.0 allows users to engage directly by executing smart contracts. 

It will result in a far more democratic Internet; an Internet where users have more control over their data and its use. 


## Why Does Web 3.0 Matter Now? 

Web 3.0 lays the groundwork for a future in which distributed individuals and computers interact with value, data, and other counterparties without third parties being involved. This is thanks to the peer-to-peer network foundation. 

The end product is a modular, human-centric, privacy-preserving computer fabric for the next web wave. 

 
 ## Advantages of Web 3.0 

 
### No Single Point of Control: 

Because intermediaries are eliminated, blockchains such as [Ethereum ](/coins/eth)provide a trustless platform with unbreakable rules and fully encrypted data. No corporation, and no government, will be able to shut down websites or services, and no single person will be able to manage other people’s identities. 

### Data Ownership: 

End users will recover total control of their data while also benefiting from encryption security. On a case-by-case and permission basis, information can then be shared. Big firms like Amazon and Facebook now have servers keeping data on dietary choices, income, interests, credit card numbers, and other personal information. It’s not just about improving services; marketers and advertising pay billions of dollars each year for the info. 

### New Beginnings: 

Other experts believe that Web 3.0 will begin from scratch. Rather than using HTML as the primary coding language, it will rely on an unidentified new language. According to these experts, it may be easier to start from scratch rather than improve the current Web. However, this form of Web 3.0 is so theoretical that predicting how it would work is nearly impossible. 

You can read more guest articles at [brendanbeeken.com](https://brendanbeeken.com/). 

What is Web 3.0 in Crypto?

[Stakemoon](https://stakecoins.com/top-10-best-staking-coins/) is a decentralized protocol that rewards investors who have a long-term outlook. The protocol is housed in the [Binance](/news/tag/binance-tag) Smart Chain. The native asset of the platform is called SMOON. This is also the ticker symbol it trades under on the decentralized exchange (DEX), PancakeSwap, which launched SMOON in November 2021. 

Despite being referred to as a coin in the mainstream, it is a “token” that oversees all activities on the Protocol.
Pros and cons of investing in Stakemoon coin?  

It is not unusual to come across questions such as is Stakemoon a good investment on Google and others. 
With that said, despite the positives of holding the coin, several negatives need to be assessed before investment decisions could be made. 

## It is very affordable
As of 10 a.m., BST on Monday August 1st, [SMOON price](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/stakemoon/) was 0,00035163. With $100, a potential investor could get around 284,000 SMOONs in their crypto wallets. 
What this means is that should SMOON reach the $1 price milestone someday, a potential holder could be seeing more than $300,000 in profits. 

## Finite supply cap

According to the project’s whitepaper, 1 billion tokens were issued as maximum supply. Out of this, about 837,753,260 SMOONs are reported to be circulating in the market. As a result, around 162 million SMOONs are left to be rolled over into circulation since 83.8% are currently being traded on PancakeSwap. 
Having a maximum supply bodes well for SMOON since scarcity in addition to transferability, non-counterfeitability, divisibility, utility, and durability confers value on currency since they do not have intrinsic value. The project, which is loosely based on SafeMoon, will also employ a burning mechanism (also used by Binance) to reduce the maximum supply. This will make SMOON a deflationary token.
 
As per the basic laws of economics, scarcity in supply tends to lead to a rise in price so once all SMOONs are in circulation, the token will be exchanging hands per the improved price set forth by sellers.

## Ambitious roadmap
Like several young projects in the saturated crypto market, this protocol comes with a great roadmap. Overall, the presale of tokens was successful, and so was SMOONs listing on PancakeSwap. Overall, if the team behind the project can see their roadmap through, the token could be coming for some of the mega cap crypto currencies lunch. 

However, the project has not lived up to its hype after its novel token SMOON hit PancakeSwap in November last year. Overall, the all-time high (ATH) in trading volume was $331,109 which was recorded on 1st December 2021. On the same day, SMOON reached an ATH price of $0.006649. The monthly high trading volume for July was $303 which is a 99% plunge from December’s high. 

Moreover, it faces infinite competition from well-established crypto projects. There are more than 20,000 cryptocurrencies in the space, as of July 2022. About 100 are well-grounded and have loyal followers. A project with weak fundamentals and metrics (trading volume, market capitalization, and lack of accessibility due to limited listings) will struggle to bring enormous gains to investors. 


What is the Stakemoon Coin Price?

Santander are set to launch a crypto trading feature in Brazil. The multinational banking institutions has made plans to offer [digital asset trading services](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/07/28/santander-brazil-to-launch-crypto-trading-feature-in-coming-months-ceo-says/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=feedly&utm_campaign=headlines) to its customers in Brazil, according to, Mario Leao, the Chief Executive of Santander Brazil on Thursday, July 28, 2022. 

The newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo reported that Santander's crypto service isdue to be rolled out  in mid-October when the institution releases its earnings report. 

## Why is Santander launching a crypto trading feature? 

Despite regulatory hurdles and the current [bearish market trends](https://news.monitalks.io/news/article/cryptocurrency-crash), some of the services that have been revolutionised by  decentralized finance  will gradually be adopted in traditional finance, says Leao. He believes that digital currencies are here to stay and the bank has made the decision to support a trading feature not out of competition with other financial powerhouses but because clients of the bank demand this alternative asset class. Education is the key to cryptocurrencies future, he added. 

This is not the first time the Santander has made inroads with crypto in South America. The bank allied with an agricultural commodities tokenization platform called Agrotoken, to provide loans for farmers in Argentina. 

In December 2021, the largest e-commerce firmsin Latin America, Mercado Libre introduced a feature that allows customers to buy, hold, and sell digital currencies in Brazil.
 
In July, PicPay, a prominent financial technology companies announced they will be launching an exchange and a stablecoin pegged to the national currency of Brazil later this year. 
While Santander is now starting it's crypto offering, other large players such as Nubank’s crypto trading platform, has already seen one million users.  

Overall, this is great news for the emerging sector which has seen its flagship currency Bitcoin questioned by Warren Buffet, and other coins such as Dogecoin (DOGE), ZCash (ZEC), and Monero (XMR) being involved in dark web activities. 
  
    
  


    
  



Santander to launch crypto trading feature in Brazil

There are around 500 crypto currency exchanges in the industry today. Unfortunately, not all of them are great platforms for your hard-earned money. 
As per  our analysis, you should always consider factors such as trading volume, scalability of the platform, security, insurance, customer service, geographical restrictions, and fees among others before settling on an exchange. 

As a result, MoniTalks has identified eToro and Coinbase as the best cryptocurrency exchanges in the United Kingdom and they continue to trend on the social media platform, Reddit. 

## eToro ― Overall Cheapest Crypto Exchange UK 

Launched in 2007 as a multi-asset trading platform, [eToro](https://www.etoro.com/) provided services under the stock, commodities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and indices banner before making the foray into cryptocurrencies in 2013. eToro serves around 27 million customers in over 100 countries. 

As of July 2022, supports more than 60 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ripple (XRP), Stellar (XLM), Litecoin (LTC), DASH, Uniswap (UNI), and Chainlink (LINK). 

Unlike other places of buying digital assets that have been mired in regulatory problems with the [Financial Conduct Authority](/news/article/fca-crypto-regulation) (FCA) of the United Kingdom, the trading platform is registered as eToro UK with company registration no. 7973792. This certifies eToro as the most credible place where you can trade digital assets in the United Kingdom. 

Among the pros is a demo account to help you learn how to trade using virtual funds. Additionally, eToro is extremely accessible and can be found via the Google Play and Apple Store on Android and iOS-powered devices. 

After being in the traditional and decentralized finance trading sector for more than 15 years, eToro has not been involved in any cyber security issues due to the level of its security systems. It continues to operate without incident. 

Moreover, the platform supports several payment methods such as bank transfers, bank cards (MasterCard, Maestro, and VISA), and e-wallets such as Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, and co. With this, you have a range of alternatives to choose from. 

eToro is among trading platforms that have low fees (deposits, trading, and withdrawal). 

The exchange continues to see millions of dollars in daily volume and recently launched eToro Crypto Portfolio, a basket of high-yielding coins. With a single investment, you can see consistent periodical yields.

Despite the positives, eToro is not a traditional cryptocurrency exchange, and dormant accounts are subject to inactivity fees. 

## Coinbase ― User-Friendly Bitcoin Exchange 

Founded in 2012, Coinbase can be accessed in the United Kingdom and is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volume. On 14th March 2018, Coinbase announced via a blog post that it is the first exchange to receive an e-money license from the FCA. 

Overall, there are 98 million verified users, 230,000 ecosystem partners, and 13,000 institutions in more than 100 countries. 

The exchange supports more than 50 cryptocurrencies which include the top 20 digital assets by trading volume. It offers low minimum deposits, several payment methods such as PayPal, and offers a very advanced trading platform. 

Other Honorable Mentions of the best crypto exchanges in the UK include but are not limited to, Binance, OKX, Bitstamp, Crypto.com, Kraken, Gemini, Gate.io, KuCoin, and Bittrex. 


Best UK Crypto Exchange according to Reddit

Daniel Shin, the co-founder of Terra Labs, was the subject of attention on Wednesday, July 20, as his home was invaded by prosecutors, according to a [news media report](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/south-korean-prosecutors-raid-terra-co-founder-daniel-shins-home-report/ar-AAZQNFF?fromMaestro=true).

The report said the raid came about due to investigators believing the crash of the algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST), which led to the market crash of May, was due to fraud on the part of the executives of the crypto company.

In May, [UST collapsed](/news/article/terra-luna-collapse). It was supposed to hold its peg against the United States Dollar (USD), like Tether (USDT), Circle's USDC, and Binance USD (BUSD), which continue to hover around $1.

This led to several exchanges and hedge funds falling victim to overexposure. Due to the impact of the crash in Terra, investors who poured liquidity into LUNA, the native asset of the Terra ecosystem, filed a complaint against co-founder Do Kwon and Terraform Labs.

Many of the investors' alleged that fraud and extensive violations of securities laws in the country led to them suffering irrecoverable losses.

A series of lawsuits have followed for other projects, with the high-profile case being the suing of self-proclaimed DogeFather Elon Musk by a Dogecoin investor for billions of dollars.

## Why is Daniel Shin being targeted? 

As an executive of Terra Labs, he is in a better position to know the activities that preceded the collapse of one of the most vibrant ecosystems in the crypto finance industry than many. Terra Labs had more than $30 billion in total value locked (TVL) before the market downturn, per DeFiLlama.

In the early days of the week, authorities raided local cryptocurrency exchanges including Upbit and Bithumb.

In June, a travel ban was placed on many stakeholders, including former staff members of Terraform Labs.

Aside from Shin, co-founder Do Kwon is alleged to have evaded the paying of taxes and the government continues to investigate the crypto executive.
The two heads of the crypto firm are residents of Singapore, but it is unclear if they live there on a full-time basis.

With that said, the revival of Terra (LUNA) continues to see above-average liquidity. As of writing, LUNA was exchanging hands for $1.93 and had a trading volume of approximately $58.29 million, per data from CoinMarketCap..


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