GameStop NFT Marketplace is simply described as a non-custodial marketplace built on the Ethereum blockchain, using Loopring, a layer 2 scaling solution, to process transactions. It is a product of GameStop, the world's largest video game retailer.

## History

The GameStop NFT marketplace launched on 11 July, 2022, allowing users to connect their digital wallets, including the GameStop Wallet, to buy, sell, and trade [NFTs](/news/category/nft-news) minted on the platform.

Its wallet was launched in May, even before it went live. It is non-custodial and works as a browser extension for Google Chrome and Brave. Other non-custodial wallets compatible with it include MetaMask and WalletConnect.

Its launch was a great success, resulting in more than 5,000 ETH (almost $7.2 million at the time) in trading volume within the first week. This was more than double the Coinbase all-time trading volume.

The video game retailer built its NFT platform on [Loopring](/news/article/loopring-price-prediction) because of its cheaper transaction fees and scalability. The protocol uses zero-knowledge roll-ups to offer services with cheaper transaction fees and boost scalability.

## Services

Still new in the market, only approved creators can mint non-fungible tokens on it. However, its team is working on adding more functionalities, including categories such as Web3.0 gaming and other Ethereum-based applications.

There are also plans to enable it to support non-fungible tokens from other platforms that live on blockchains it supports.

## How to Use It

### Step 1: Create or connect a wallet

New users have to create or connect a compatible wallet to start using the platform.

### Step 2: Funding

After creating the wallet, it will have to be funded with some [ETH](/coins/eth) to perform any transaction. There are two ways to fund it.

Firstly, users can buy ETH directly from any of the payment providers permitted by the platform. ETH will then be deposited into the user's wallet, allowing them to buy NFTs.

Another way is to transfer ETH from their connected wallet on Ethereum layer 1 to the layer 2 network (Loopring). Because Ethereum layer 1 is involved in the transaction process, users who use this method will incur gas fees.

### Step 3: Buy NFTs

Finally, users can buy their desired NFTs. There is an option to search through the available collections before settling on the one to buy. A "buy now" button will take the user to the checkout window to confirm the transaction.

The platform charges a service fee of 2.25% for every transaction. It also takes a creator royalty fee (in the range of 0-10%, as set by NFT creators). Creators get a royalty fee whenever their NFT is traded on the platform.

## Conclusion

[GameStop](https://nft.gamestop.com/) may still be a new player in the market, but it has already proven it is worth watching. Good things are expected from the platform as it continues to grow and offer more market-competitive services.


GameStop NFT Marketplace

Launched in 2021, [Phantom wallet](https://phantom.app/) is a non-custodial crypto wallet built for the Solana blockchain. It is used to interact with Solana-based tokens, smart contracts, NFTs, and decentralized applications (DApps). It is available as a browser extension and mobile app.

It can be accessed using major browser extensions such as Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. As a mobile app, it is compatible with iOS devices as well as Android.

## Key features

Phantom wallet stands out with its many features. They include;

i.	Simple user interface: Its simple user interface makes it beginner friendly. Anyone can use it to interact with the SOL blockchain. All service options are available on the first page.

ii.	Non-custodial: Users have complete control of their private keys, which give access to their funds. It has no access to users’ data or funds.

iii.	Supports Ledger: It can be connected to Ledger, a leading and highly secure hardware wallet for extra security.

iv.	Built-in exchange: It features a built-in decentralized exchange that allows users to swap SOL-based tokens within it.

v.	NFT compatible: It supports NFT collectibles from the SOL blockchain. It has a feature that automatically groups similar NFTs for easy accessibility. However, it only supports Solana NFTs.

vi.	[Crypto staking](/news/article/what-is-staking-crypto) capabilities: It allows users to stake SOL and receive rewards. Crypto staking is a good way to earn passive income from cryptocurrencies.

vii.	Great security: A strong password is the first line of defense. It is required to protect funds from thieves and hackers. It also features a recovery key phrase to restore access to it. Biometric authentication is another security feature offered to those using its mobile app version. The feature enhances its security even when accessing it on the go.

viii.	Privacy: It prioritizes privacy. Users don't have to provide any personal information to create it. They only need to create a password to start using it. It also does not track any personally identifiable information, users' account addresses, or asset balances.

## Pros and cons

There are many reasons to use Phantom wallet to interact with the SOL blockchain. Some of its advantages include;

### Pros

•	It is easy to use, therefore beginner friendly.

•	It is non-custodial, therefore, does not have control over users' funds.

•	It features a built-in swap and is compatible with NFTs.

•	It supports Ledger (a hardware wallet) for increased security.

•	It prioritizes privacy and features great security.

### Cons

•	It does not support any other network.

## Conclusion

Phantom is a great wallet. It is especially perfect for newbies venturing into the crypto space through Solana, one of the most active and fastest-growing ecosystems in the crypto space.

It is easy to use, feature-rich, and highly secure. It easily gives access to all Solana services. It can be accessed as a web extension and mobile application. There is a lot to like about it.



Solana Phantom Wallet Guide

[THORSwap](https://thorswap.finance/) is a decentralized cross-chain exchange built on THORChain, a decentralized liquidity protocol. It allows users to swap multiple cryptocurrencies on different blockchains in a non-custodial manner. THORSwap also serves as a DEX aggregator to support a broader range of assets.

## History

THORSwap’s history begins in April 2021 when it was built on top of MCCN - THORChain’s multi-chain chaosnet. This was a few months (July 2020) after BEPSwap launched on SCCN - THORchain’s single-chain chaosnet.

After its launch, the THORSwap exchange quickly became the leading decentralized exchange on THORChain, responsible for a majority of the protocol’s trading volume.

Within 14 months of its existence, it had processed 2.7 million transactions and $1.85 billion in volume, representing 20% of the total volume on THORChain.

## Features

Several features distinguish the aggregator from its competitors. Some of them include;

•	Cross-chain swaps

It currently supports swaps for over 4,800 crypto assets across nine blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Chain, Cosmos, Avalanche, [Dogecoin](/news/tag/dogecoin), Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and THORChain.

•	Cross-chain DEX aggregation

As an aggregator, it taps into different liquidity sources to support a wide range of digital assets from multiple blockchains.

In August 2022, the exchange launched an [Ethereum cross-chain aggregator](https://docs.thorswap.finance/thorswap/thorswap-products/thorswap/cross-chain-dex-aggregation/ethereum-dex-aggregator), allowing users to swap between 4,800+ whitelisted ERC-20 tokens and its eight supported blockchains.

•	Impermanent loss protection

Impermanent loss occurs when the price of an asset staked in a liquidity pool is different than if it were held outside a liquidity pool. The loss deters liquidity providers from providing liquidity.

The aggregator protects users from impermanent loss with an Impermanent Loss Protection program. The program protects liquidity providers from impermanent loss, ensuring they keep providing liquidity.

## THOR Tokens

Launched in 2021, THOR tokens are the native utility and governance tokens of THORSwap. They also serve as incentives for trading activities and can be staked to receive vTHOR tokens.

vTHOR tokens are a representation of staked THOR. They allow stakers to earn 75% of THORSwap's revenue, among other benefits, including trading fee discounts. They can also be staked to receive daily rewards.

THOR tokens have a max supply cap of 500,000,000 million coins. They are to be issued to the public in four years.

According to [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/thorswap/), the coins are currently worth $0.1244 each. They are ranked 4,632nd largest cryptocurrencies in the world.

The coins are listed in several crypto exchanges, including CoinEX, SushiSwap, and THORChain. They, however, can't be bought directly with fiat money. Investors must first purchase other cryptocurrencies, ETH or BTC, and then move to an exchange that lists them and uses their ETH or BTC to buy them.

## Conclusion

As of writing, THORSwap hasn't been in the market for long. However, it has quickly proven to be a cross-chain exchange worth watching out for with its great track record. It is already the leading decentralized exchange aggregator on THORChain. Its roadmap reveals that even more great things are on the way.
 


What is THORSwap?

In August 2022, [Opulous](https://opulous.org/), a blockchain-based music platform, launched its Royalty Vault project. The project enables anyone and everyone to invest in music copyrights.

According to the platform’s founder and CEO, Lee Persons, for the longest time, music copyright investment has only been available to large entities like banks, family funds, and major labels. Through the Royalty Vault project, it seeks to change that.

The project, part of the Opulous roadmap, relies on a set of new tokens called OVAULT, which can be bought and staked to earn rewards. The platform has a native utility token called OPUL.

How the project works is that it identifies and acquires lucrative catalogs. It adds them to the Royalty Vault, where they are minted into OVAULT tokens. Investors then buy the OVAULT tokens with OPUL tokens and stake them to receive daily rewards.

The rewards not only incentivize investors to buy OVAULT tokens, but hold on to them. The longer investors hold on to the tokens, the more they can use them to earn stable rewards.

In an interview with Music Business Worldwide (MBW), Lee stated that Opulous has spent more than a billion acquiring several catalogs by iconic evergreen artists. He didn’t name the artists. However, he said they have garnered up to eight Grammy nominations between them.

The project has also received a grant from the [Algorand](/news/article/algo-price-five-years) Foundation to secure more lucrative catalogs. The project is led by ex-Kobalt executive Jay Moore, currently the Chief Investment Office (CIO) at Opulous.

## About Opulous

Opulous is an MFT (Music Fungible Token) platform built on Algorand, an open-source proof of stake blockchain. It features several services, including an MFT Launchpad, Exchange, and Music Loans.

The Opulous Launchpad allows users to buy MFTs to support their favorite artists and earn a share of royalty revenue. Users can purchase and trade MFTs on Launchpad, while Music Loans lets artists access low-risk loans backed by real-world music assets.

It also features a staking pool where OPUL holders stake their tokens and receive APY as a reward. The longer they stake OPUL, the higher the APY they receive.

Every OPUL staked also earns the owner a raffle ticket that can be used to apply for exclusive rewards like early access to MFT drops, artwork NFTs, airdrops, and swag packs.

Its native utility token, OPUL has several use cases. It can be used to buy MFTs, OVAULT tokens, and to buy into MFT drops. Artists can use it to purchase campaigns. It can also be staked to earn more OPUL tokens, apply for exclusive rewards, and get early access to MFT drops.

The coins have a max supply cap of 500,000,000 OPUL coins. There are currently 43,914,363 of them in public circulation. According to [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/opulous/), each of the coins, as of writing, is worth $0.06613. They are ranked the 1088th largest cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Notable artists already benefiting from the platform include Lil Pump, Ard Adz, and Kyle. Tyga and Blaq Jerzee MFT sales are also on the way.

## Final word

Opulous's [roadmap](https://opulous.medium.com/opulous-announces-roadmap-update-for-2022-23-b1d84ce7869d) reveals a promising future for its users. Besides the Royalty Vault, there are plans to launch an ambassador program that will reward key community members.

A self-service MFT sales feature is also on the way, allowing artists to create and sell MFTs independently. Music Advances is another feature that will enable artists to use their future copyright earnings as collateral for loans. There is a lot to expect from the platform.
 


Opulous Launches Royalty Vault

On 2 September, through its [Twitter page](https://twitter.com/terra_money/status/1565718424222932993), Terra announced that its community had voted to pass a second LUNA airdrop proposal. The proposal would see more than 19.5M new LUNA sent to wallets that did not receive the correct number of the tokens during the project’s first airdrop on 28 May.

According to the announcement, the claim interface went live on 4 September and users had until 4 October to claim the new tokens. Unclaimed ones would be sent back to the community pool.

The first LUNA airdrop took place to compensate [LUNA](/news/article/terra-luna-collapse) and TerraUSD Stablecoin holders after they became worthless in May.

TerraUSD, once considered the largest Algo stablecoin lost its 1 to 1 peg to the US dollar on 9 May. The company sold its Bitcoin reserves to try and save the algorithmic stablecoin, but ended up affecting the native token, dropping its price by 99%.

UST redemption efforts affected the entire crypto market. Bitcoin dropped to $27,000 and wiped out nearly $400billion of the total cryptocurrency market value in May alone.

The new tokens are to be distributed according to a two-year vesting schedule. 

Wallets holding less than 10,000 LUNC or AUST before the UST de-pegging from the US dollar will be subject to a two-year vesting schedule. The vesting schedule is intended to avoid liquidity instability, according to Terra.

## Issues

Both the first and second LUNA airdrop moves had distribution problems. Several users went on Twitter in May complaining about getting fewer tokens. Ashwsbreal, for example, on 29 May, 2022, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/Ashcryptoreal/status/1531002032840093696), “Lost $300k in LUNA. Got an airdrop of $59. Thank you Do Kwon and team".

The concerns were noticed by Terra, as the platform on 30 May [tweeted](https://twitter.com/terra_money/status/1531410663674888192) that some users had received fewer tokens than they expected and that they were working on a solution.

Several UST holders complained about their token distribution on social media after the second batch of the new tokens dropped.

A Twitter user named Joshcantcode1 [posted](https://twitter.com/joshcanspam/status/1566464297567502336), "Still hilarious that I had $3,500 UST and will never see it again! Thank you, Terra, for looking out for the community".

## Network hard fork

After UST crashed, Do Kwon proposed the creation of a new chain. Kwon is the founder and CEO of the platform. 66% of the project’s community agreed with the proposal, which led to the launch of LUNA 2.0, which has no connection to the UST stablecoin.

The new tokens had a great start. They entered the market on 28 May worth $4.94, and by 31 May, they were worth $10.72. They would, however, take a negative turn and drop to trading between $2 and $1 most of the months. As of writing, each of the coins is worth $2.74, according to [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/terra-luna-v2/).

The coins are currently ranked the 99th largest cryptocurrency with a live market cap of $347,374,415. 127,475,474 of them are in public circulation.


Terra Executes Second LUNA Airdrop

Bitcoin Rejoin is an automated crypto trading platform that advertises itself as able to generate a 90% winning rate.

For many beginner crypto investors, the platform's success rate is a major reason to use it. However, for those who've been in the crypto market for a minute, the market's volatility makes the platform's claim a huge red flag. So, is it legit or a scam?

## How it works

[Bitcoin Rejoin](https://bitcoinrejoin.io/) uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other complex algorithms to find and execute trades on behalf of users. 

According to its team, its Bitcoin robot software is 0.0001% faster than any other automated trading bot in the market. It, therefore, identifies profitable market positions more quickly and executes them rapidly.

It is also designed to set buy and sell limits, stop loss, and take profit orders, among other functions. Profits made are directly deposited into investors' accounts.

A plus is that it is not entirely autonomous. Those who wish can choose to have some control by changing certain parameters to their preferences.

## Key features

Many of its features make it enticing to use. Some of these features include;

•	Automated trading: Exceptional trading skills are not a requirement to use and profit from it. It does everything on behalf of the user, from finding to executing profitable trades. It requires very little supervision and also works 24/7.

•	Multiple assets: Users have access to multiple digital assets to earn from. They can trade popular cryptocurrencies like [Bitcoin](/coins/btc), [Ethereum](/coins/eth), Litecoin, and Ripple. It also offers crypto CFDs.

•	Demo account: Users must deposit a minimum of $250 or euros to use it. However, there is a demo account for those who wish to test its capabilities before spending any real money.

•	Fees: There are no deposit or withdrawal fees, transaction fees, account maintenance fees, commissions, or any hidden charges.

The platform also promises daily rewards and guarantees instant withdrawals. There is 24/7 customer support to assist at any time.

## Is it legit or a scam?

There are a few reasons to approach the service as a scam.

•	A promise of high returns: It assures users a 90% success rate. The cryptocurrency market does not guarantee results. Its volatile nature makes it one of the most highly unpredictable markets. Promising users' returns is a clear red flag.

•	Shady reviews: A quick Google search about the platform reveals many articles questioning its 
legitimacy. There is reason to worry about any service provider with questionable services.

•	Unknown team: While the crypto space thrives on anonymity, not knowing anything about the team behind Bitcoin Rejoin is another red flag.

If the service is not a scam, then it stands out as worth checking out if you are interested in trading digital assets.

## Conclusion

Bitcoin Rejoin may look like a legitimate automated digital assets trading platform, but there are many reasons to be wary of it. Before committing your hard-earned money to the platform, do your research. Not many automated crypto trading platforms are worth using.



Bitcoin Rejoin: Legit or a Scam?

The Coinbase news on 11 October was Google's announcement of its partnership with the cryptocurrency exchange. The move will allow some customers to pay for cloud services with cryptocurrencies in 2023.
The announcement saw the exchange’s shares rise by 8.4% on the same day.

According to the deal, the tech company plans to use Coinbase Commerce, a platform that helps merchants accept cryptocurrency payments, to allow crypto payments for its cloud service. Over time the company plans to enable more customers to make payments with cryptocurrencies.

The Commerce platform supports ten cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, DAI, [Litecoin](/news/article/moon-litecoin), Shibu Inu, Tether, USD, and USD Coin.

The deal will also see the exchange move its data-related applications from Amazon Web Services to Google. The move will enable it to use the company's cloud computing platform to process blockchain data at scale and enhance the global reach of its services.

The exchange will also be able to leverage Google Cloud’s leading data and analytics technologies to provide its customers with machine learning-driven cryptocurrency insights.

## Coinbase Prime

The tech company also plans to use [Coinbase Prime](https://www.coinbase.com/prime#:~:text=Coinbase%20Prime%20is%20an%20integrated,Coinbase). This service provides a secure store for organizations' cryptocurrencies and allows them to execute trades, for institutional crypto services such as secure custody and reporting.

According to Amit Zavery, vice president and head of the platform at Google Cloud, it was not a guarantee that they would have gone with the crypto platform for the payments portion of the deal. They had looked into other companies, including Paypal, but settled on it because "it had the greatest capability".

This Coinbase news did not surprise many people, as the tech company had previously indicated it was exploring the potential of adding support for payment with digital currencies.

## Support for the partnership

The tech company had been in discussions with the crypto platform for months before the deal was made public.
In support of the partnership, Brian Armstrong, CEO and co-founder of the exchange, said they are excited that the tech company has selected them to provide developers with powerful solutions and to help bring Web3 to new users.

Armstrong added that the exchange has spent more than ten years building industry-leading products on top of blockchain technology and they were happy about the new opportunities the partnership brought.
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said that they want to make building in Web3 faster and easier, and that the partnership with the exchange helps developers get closer to that goal.

He added that they were proud the exchange had chosen them as a partner and they were ready to serve global Web3 customers and partners.

Many in the crypto space are excited about the Coinbase news and welcome the partnership. They see it as a big win for the crypto industry and hope for more partnerships between blockchain-based and traditional companies.


Coinbase News: Google Partnership

Biticodes is a crypto trading bot marketed as the most accurate AI auto-trading software in the crypto industry. Its site further states that it is designed to give users the best trading experience and apply the most sophisticated trading strategies.

Is all this just marketing lingo, or does the bot deliver?

## How it works

[Biticodes](https://biticodes.com/) uses high-speed artificial intelligence algorithms to look for trading opportunities and place trades on behalf of users. Users only have to monitor its performance once in a while to ensure everything is working well.

It is also not entirely autonomous. Biticodes can be customized to a user's needs. It can, for example, be tweaked to trade based on a trader's strategy and risk tolerance.

## Key features

There are a few notable features that enable the Biticodes bot to stand out.

•	Speed: It is powered by the Biticodes quantum machine designed to make quicker and more efficient trading decisions. It is faster than any human trader.

•	Multi-asset platform: Users can trade many digital assets, including the most popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, [Ethereum](/coins/eth), Solana, Cardano, and XRP.

•	Demo account: There is a demo account for investors who wish to test its capabilities before committing any funds.

•	Personal account manager: Each user, after registration, gets a dedicated personal account manager to help with any inquiries or when they get stuck.

It also features high security, advanced risk management tools, and 24/7 customer support.  

Users must part with a minimum of $250 to access the platform. There aren’t any other charges. Members can withdraw funds at any time. There are many withdrawal options.

According to its site, it is compatible with all devices, including desktops, mobile, and tablets.

## Is it a scam or a legit bot?

There are many things to like about Biticodes. However, there are a few things that raise concerns about its legitimacy. Some of them include;

## The promise of high returns

According to its site, it claims 96% proven accuracy. Also, 94% of its users have seen instant profits. Users see a profit of $500 to $1,500 daily, depending on how much time they spend on their accounts. Its claimed high success rate is a red flag.

The crypto market does not guarantee any returns, let alone high returns. The market is highly volatile, making it highly unpredictable.

## Questionable legitimacy

Most of the articles that review the platform question its legitimacy. There are a few positive reviews on its site, but some reviewers have quickly pointed out that they may be fake. The platform is best approached with a lot of caution.

## Final word

Biticodes appears to be a good crypto trading bot, considering all it offers. However, its exaggerated high success rate and proven rate of accuracy are things about which to worry. The platform requires extensive research before considering using it. Its demo account should be the first destination for anyone who wants to test its capabilities without spending any money.



Biticodes Review: Legit or Scam?

## FTX UK warning - not authorized to operate in United Kingdom, warns FCA

A notification about FTX exchange's UK operations has been issued by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The statement said that FTX, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, is not authorized to operate in the UK.

[The statement](https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/ftx), first published on 16 September, 2022, said the FCA believed FTX might be providing financial services or products without authorization. It further stated that the firm is not authorized by the FCA and is targeting people in the UK.

Referring to FTX UK operations, the statement added that "almost all firms and individuals" who offer, promote, or sell financial services in the UK must be registered. When asked about the notice, a spokesperson of the exchange told [Bloomberg ](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-19/uk-regulator-issues-warning-on-crypto-exchange-ftx-to-consumers?sref=3REHEaVI)that they were aware of the FTX UK statement by the FCA. They also noted that among the contact info listed about the exchange, the phone numbers were incorrect, indicating a scammer might be impersonating it. 
On 19 September, 2022, Sam Bankman-Fried, the firm's CEO, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/SBF_FTX/status/1571877868963233792?s=20&t=v-X6cbEyYbmN__tYUB-R2A), reiterating that a scammer was impersonating the platform in the UK by phone. In the tweet, he stated that the exchange will never call anyone by phone and provided links that allowed access to the platform.

As of 14 October, the FCA has updated its warning against the platform to exclude the phone numbers believed to be tied to scammers. However, the regulator still warns UK citizens against engaging with the platform as it is unauthorized to operate in the country.

The statement warned UK citizens about engaging with unauthorized firms. Those who engage with unauthorized firms will not be able to access the Financial Ombudsman Service that settles disputes between companies and individuals.

There will also not be protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). If anything goes wrong and they lose their funds, they might not be able to recover the money.

## About the exchange

Launched in May 2019, FTX is a multibillion-dollar crypto exchange and trading platform owned by Bankman-Fried. It is incorporated in Antigua and Barbuda and headquartered in the Bahamas.

It has more than a million users worldwide and is available in many countries. While it is not available in the US, among other countries, it offers US citizens its services through FTX US.

The firm is not the only crypto asset firm to be put in the spotlight by Britain’s regulator for conducting business in the UK without authorization. [Binance](/news/article/guide-to-binance-uk), another major global crypto exchange, has been issued several warnings by the regulator about its activities in the UK. On 7 March, 2022, the firm was warned against undertaking any regulated activities in the UK without their written consent.

So far, only a few crypto asset firms are authorized by the regulator to operate in the UK. They include Gemini, Kraken, and Crypto.com.

FTX UK Warning from FCA

Neo is an open-source and decentralised smart contract network launched as Antshare in 2014 by Erick Zhang and Da Hongfei. It rebranded to Neo network in 2017, after the launch of its mainnet in 2016.

As a smart contract network, it enables developers to build decentralised applications (dApps) for various uses. It also features other services, including oracles, domain name service, decentralised file storage, and an identity system.

## NeoContract

[NeoContract](https://medium.com/neo-smart-economy/a-deep-dive-into-neovm-neocontract-e470c2c3afb0) is the blockchain’s [smart contract](/news/article/smart-contracts-blockchain) system. It is independent and helps with transaction validation, token sales, and the development of dApps. It consists of;

•	NeoVM: A decentralised virtual machine where smart contracts are executed.

•	NeoContract APIs: Sets of interfaces that enrich smart contracts with practical and powerful functionality.

•	Software Development Kit (SDK): a combination of applications and plugins that ease the development process of smart contracts.

Neo network’s smart contracts stand out because developers do not need to learn a new programming language to create them. Developers can use a variety of common programming languages, including C#, Java, and Python to create the contracts.

## Consensus mechanism

The Neo network is secured by the delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerant (dBFT). This consensus mechanism works more or less like the delegated proof of stake (DPoS).

How it works is that dBFT employs a real-time voting system that determines the nodes to create the next block on the blockchain. Holders of the blockchain’s token stake or lock up a portion of their coins to vote for the consensus nodes that will create blocks and get the block reward.

## Tokens

The blockchain has two native tokens, NEO and GAS. NEO has two uses, with more on the way. Holders can use them to vote for various changes. The tokens can also be used to claim GAS. Staking NEO allows holders to get a portion of the block reward paid in GAS. GAS is used to access the network’s services.

Both tokens have a max supply cap of 100 million coins. According to Coinmarketcap, there are currently [70,538,831](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/neo/) NEO coins and [10,128,375 GAS coins](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/gas/) in public circulation.

Each NEO coin, as of writing, is worth $8.85 and ranked 65th largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Each GAS coin is worth $2.29 and is ranked the 553rd largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Both coins are available for purchase in many exchanges, including major ones like [Binance](/news/article/binance-staking), KuCoin, and OKX.

Neo offers a lot to its users. Its services, which range from smart contract functionality, oracles, and domain name service, to decentralised file storage, enable it to be a great blockchain-based service provider in the crypto space. With the N3 upgrade on the way, the network is poised to get even better.


Neo Network: China’s Ethereum

The Merge event saw Ethereum upgrade to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) network. It took place on September 15th, 2022, and came with many benefits, including lowering the blockchain's carbon footprint. 

Before it took place, the highly anticipated event had many within the crypto community concerned about its effect. Many NFT holders were worried about how the upgrade would affect the NFT space, not just its users.

## The Merge NFT impact 

A lot of positive things are to be expected after the Merge. According to the Ethereum Foundation, the update should lower Ethereum's energy consumption by 99%. 

Switching to PoS means the blockchain will no longer rely on energy-intensive mining hardware. Instead, it will depend on validators to validate transactions.

Less energy demand means its users can finally mint and sell NFTs in a sustainable environment. Maintenance cost for NFT projects is expected to reduce significantly. The upgrade might also see more users use the protocol to mint and sell non-fungible tokens.

Many investors had previously avoided using the network due to its negative environmental impact. Blockchains using the [proof-of-work](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/proof-of-work/) consensus mechanism have been criticised, especially among environmentalists, for their high energy consumption rate.

In 2021 while still operating as a proof-of-work blockchain, some estimates of Ethereum's annual energy consumption found it to be around 26TWh, which was what Ecuador, a country of 17 million people, consumed a year.

With the network utilising the PoS consensus mechanism, investors who are kept away due to its energy consumption rate have no reason to do so.

## Pre-Merge Support

Several NFT projects had declared support for the upgrade even before the Merge. OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace, said it would only support the PoS blockchain after the update. 

Not all ETH holders supported the update. Several network participants wanted the blockchain to remain a proof-of-work blockchain. There were concerns about hard forks that could lead to duplicate NFTs. OpenSea maintained it would not support any fork after the upgrade.

Yuga Labs and Proof also declared support for the upgrade. Proof also said it would not support or recognise any fork made post-merge. Yuga Labs is the creator of the famous Bored Ape Yacht Club, while Proof is responsible for the valuable Moonbirds project.

The projects' stand on the update helped clear a lot of confusion that would have arisen after the network upgrade, considering the possible rise of forks.

Ethereum's transition to a PoS blockchain enables it to make up where Solana and Polygon outshone it. The blockchains had staking as an advantage over Ethereum. 

However, with the update, the blockchain has one less thing to work on (high gas fees) to continue to dominate the NFT space. 
 


The Ethereum Merge impact on NFTs

Blockasset is an NFT platform and marketplace that seeks to bridge the gap between athletes and their fans. Launched in July 2021 and built on the Solana blockchain, Blockasset offers fans a place to access exclusive athlete-verified NFTs, among other services.

## How it works

[Blockasset](https://www.blockasset.co/) works by connecting verified athletes with their fans. Fans get to buy verified NFTs directly from their favourite athletes. They also interact with the athletes and see their careers blossom through their listed NFTs.

The platform, unlike others, features a tier system that helps with how fans interact with athletes and its content. The three tiers include the following;

•	Legends: They include fully authenticated NFTs produced and backed by some of the greatest sports personalities of all time, including Mohammed Ali, Wayne Rooney, and Mike Bisping. 

•	Moments: these non-fungible tokens represent a unique highlight moment in an athlete’s career. 

•	Gaming: These NFTs power several Play-to-Earn (P2E) sports games.

Legends are the first NFT collection to drop on the marketplace. They have some unique perks, which include giving their holders access to the Legends Club on Discord with exclusive athlete AMAs.

Other perks include regular rewards like signed memorabilia, meet and greets with athletes, and sporting trips worldwide.

## Native Token

Blockasset has a native utility token called $BLOCK. The token has a variety of use cases. They can be used for staking to earn rewards, airdrops, marketplace discounts, and in Blockasset’s games. 

$BLOCK holders can also use them to boost their NFT listings, win a VIP experience with athletes, reduce fees on NFT purchases, and get early access to live events. The tokens have a max supply cap of 200 million.
The platform has another token called nBLOCK, used for listing and purchasing exclusive NFTs. The token is also used for governance.

## Why Build on Solana

[Solana](/news/article/solana-price-gbp) stands out with its low fees, high throughput, and low latency. The blockchain can process over 50,000 transactions per second with close to zero fees. It also leverages the language Rust, which solves memory safety issues and thread concurrency. 

Solana’s advantages are why Blockasset was built on it. The marketplace hopes to use these advantages to provide an unmatched user experience and attract users.

## Conclusion

Blockasset is an ambitious project that looks beyond providing an athlete-focused NFT marketplace. The platform is already working on a Play-to-Earn, five-a-side soccer simulation game that will feature, among other things, online and single-player modes and player-owned assets.

Its road map reveals fantastic things are on the way, making it a project worth checking out. It already has thousands of followers on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Telegram.
 



Block asset: An athlete NFT platform built on Solana

ZEE is the native utility token of ZeroSwap, a multi-chain trading protocol with zero gas fees. The protocol is live on Avalanche, Polygon, Fantom, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and Celo. It aims to make on-chain trading simple and easy.

## ZeroSwap

ZeroSwap is more than a multi-chain trading protocol. It features gasless ZeroSwapDEX, staking, a bi-directional bridge, an IDO platform called ZeeDO, and Defi Wizard, a decentralized finance infrastructure service provider.

The protocol provides a platform where users can earn rewards through liquidity mining every time they make a trade. Users also have access to liquidity on multi-chains from all decentralized liquidity providers. ZeeDo provides the fairest and most transparent place to launch tokens on multiple chains.

## ZEE Token

Minted initially on Ethereum, ZEE tokens have several use cases on ZeroSwap. They are reward tokens used to reward users for engaging with the protocol. Users who pool liquidity to the DEXs aggregated to ZeroSwap are also awarded the tokens.

They are also used to enable projects to launch their tokens via ZeeDo. They are also governance tokens, meaning holders can use them to vote on the development of the protocol. Furthermore, they can be used for transactions on the ZeroSwap exchange. They have plenty of utilities with more on the way. 

ZEE tokens have a max supply cap of 100 million. As of writing, according to [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/zeroswap/historical-data/) 63,429,102 of the coins are in public circulation. The coins are currently ranked the 1,246th largest cryptocurrencies by market cap in the world and are worth $0.02659 each.

The coins are listed in several exchanges, including UniSwap, [KuCoin](/news/article/kucoin-crypto-metaverse), Gate, Pancake Swap, AscendEX, and Mexc Global, with the ticker $ZEE. Sadly, they are not listed in most major exchanges.

## Price History

ZEE crypto was first tradable in October 2020. At the time, each of them was worth $0.0722. They traded between $0.04 and $0.05 till late November before appreciating, trading between $0.06 and $0.07. By the end of the year, the coins were worth $0.06033.

The coins began 2021 trading between $0.06 and $0.07, appreciating to $0.1496 by the end of January. They would continue to appreciate, trading above $1 for most of February before dropping to below $1 by the end of the month.

ZEE would again start trading above $1 in late March, going up to $3 for a few days in April. By the end of April, it was still trading above $1. The last they traded above $1 was May 15th. ZEE would then drop to trade below $1 for the rest of the year, ending it worth $0.2168 each.

The coins began in 2022, worth $0.2168 each. By the end of January, they had dropped to $0.1246 each. The coin appreciated for a little while in February, ending each month worth $0.1389. 

By the end of March, the coins were trading at $0.1428 and $0.09886 by the end of April. ZEE would continue to trade below $0.1 for the rest of the months to the time of writing.

## Is It a Good Investment?

A few things make ZEE crypto worth considering as an investment option. Firstly, the coins have a lot of use cases in the ZeroSwap ecosystem. There are plans to add more utilities to the tokens as the protocol continues to grow.

Secondly, the tokens might be currently experiencing a bear run but considering their history; they have had a good run, which can be repeated or made better in the future. A few crypto prediction platforms consider ZEE an excellent long-term investment option.

Thirdly, the coins live in an ambitious project that, if it successfully fulfils what it set out to do, might help with the tokens’ price appreciation. The cryptocurrency is also trading at a reasonable entry price for beginner crypto traders, therefore easily accessible to those who wish to spend a little in the crypto space. 

A few concerns, however, include the fact that the tokens are not listed in many crypto exchanges. Many people might have difficulty getting their hands on them regardless of their low price.

The coins can also not be bought directly with fiat. To buy Zee, one would first have to go to a fiat-to-crypto exchange, buy ETH or BTC, and then go to a fiat-to-crypto exchange that lists $ZEE to buy them. Those who wish to only invest in them without buying any other cryptocurrency have no way of doing so.

## Bottom line

So far, ZEE crypto looks like a good cryptocurrency with a promising future ahead if its protocol delivers on its goals. Most cryptocurrencies are currently experiencing a bear run this crypto winter, which on the flip side, could arguably be a buying opportunity.

 
 



ZEE Crypto: ZeroSwap Native Token

Launched on September 17th, 2021, Magic Eden is the largest and most popular NFT marketplace on the Solana blockchain. Its pros are its low transaction costs and no fees for listing NFTs. It also stands out with its usability, community-focused features, and diversity of projects.

In June 2022, the project made headlines when it raised $130 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.6 billion. The funding round was co-led by Electric Capital and Greylock and included investors like LightSpeed Venture Partners, Paradigm, and Sequoia Capital.

Three months prior, it had raised $27 million in its Series A funding round led by Paradigm, Sequoia, and Solana Ventures.
Its $1.6 billion valuation put it on par with the Series B of OpenSea, another popular and leading NFT marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain.

According to a press release, the money raised will be allocated to expand its primary and secondary marketplaces, look into multichain opportunities, and improve its products, among other things. 

Since its launch, its primary marketplace, Launchpad, has launched over 250 projects, while its secondary marketplace has more than 7,000 listed collections. According to a statement from Solana, the platform’s secondary marketplace is responsible for 92% of NFT volume on Solana.

## Magic Eden expands to Ethereum

True to their word, in August 2022, Magic Eden began its move to Ethereum. It has supported several significant ETH NFT collections, including Bored Ape Yacht Club and Pudgy Penguins.

According to [its CEO and co-founder Jack Lu](https://decrypt.co/110185/magic-eden-ceo-very-natural-to-expand-from-solana-to-ethereum-nfts), going multichain had always been the plan. The company, however, decided to start with Solana because it looked like a frontier ecosystem at the time of its launch in 2021.

Lu admitted that there was worry among the platform’s team about how its SOL-centric audience would react to the announcement of its expansion to Ethereum.

When asked about the platform’s addition of the ETH protocol, Lu said, “For us to move from SOL to ETH, it was very natural.” 
[Ethereum](/coins/eth) is the largest ecosystem in terms of the overall trading volume. It holds most of the highest-value projects and has plenty of users, which are pluses for the marketplace. Lu also added that there is a lot to learn from the blockchain ecosystem.

According to Lu, expanding to Ethereum is only the beginning for Magic Eden. There are plans to expand to many more blockchains in the future.
 



Magic Eden NFT marketplace journey

Etheremine, Ethereum’s largest mining service provider by computing power, switched off its servers on September 15th, 2022, after Ethereum transitioned from a proof of work to a proof of stake consensus mechanism.

The mining service has been in operation for seven years and mined 3,271,518 blocks and 9,836,656 Ether, announced on its Twitter page and [official website](https://ethermine.org/announcement). Its users would no longer be able to connect their miners to the Ethereum pool.

## The Merge

Ethereum’s transition to [proof of stake (PoS)](/news/article/pos-vs-pow), dubbed the [Merge](/news/article/ethereum-the-merge), was a highly anticipated event that had been in the works for a while. The Merge replaced miners with validators. The network now relies on validators to validate transactions and security.
Before the Merge, Ether mining had developed into a multi-billion industry. More than a million people across the globe with mining equipment worth over $10 billion had at a particular time mined Ether.

The process involved miners competing to solve complex mathematical problems to earn the block rewards. Only the first miner to solve the computational problems got the rewards. 

The need for expensive mining hardware and more computational power grew as the process became more competitive. It is this need that led to the existence of mining pools like Etheremine. 

The service aggregates computing power from a group of miners to increase the probability of winning Ether. The reward would then be distributed among miners based on their contribution. The pools charged some fees for their services.

## Staking Service

In anticipation of the Merge, in August 2022, Etheremine launched a staking pool for its users. The new service offered via BitFly enabled users to stake their Ether and earn interest on their deposits. 

Unlike other platforms, Ethermine allows users to invest as little as 0.1ETH and earn yields for lending. However, in terms of the service fees, the lower a user’s holding, the higher the fees.

The platform allows those who wish to participate in ETH staking and earn but don’t have the required 32ETH. 

Before its [Ethermine Staking](https://staking.ethermine.org/) service, the platform debuted [Ethpool](https://ethpool.org/), a solo staking platform that requires users to have at least 32ETH. At the time of writing, the platform has 469 validators and guarantees 5.5% APR.

It is worth noting that those who participate in ETH staking will not be able to withdraw their earnings until the Shanghai Upgrade, another major upgrade to the Ether network. However, a precise date for the Shanghai upgrade is yet to be determined.

Also, the Merge, though a highly anticipated event, was not a welcomed network upgrade for all ETH holders. A few coin holders wished to continue using the network as a proof of work mechanism. Ethermine has no plans to support the planned PoW forks.

Although the Ethereum network has stopped mining, users can continue to use the platform’s other affiliated servers to mine Ergo (ERGO), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Beam (BEAM, and Ravencoin (RVN).



Ethermine switches off servers after Ethereum Merge

Efinity Coin is the primary utility token on Efinity, an NFT blockchain built by Enjin. Enjin is the company behind the Enjin crypto project designed to ease the creation and use of NFTs.

Efinity aims to solve many of the problems hindering the growth of NFTs. Among its arsenal are ease of use, speed, and scalability. It’s also eco-friendly and features cheaper transaction costs.

## Efinity protocol

The Efinity Protocol is a Polkadot Para-chain built for the [NFT](/news/category/nft-news) space. The protocol functions as a blockchain with independent economic data, state, and structure. The blockchain allows users and developers to shop, sell, and distribute NFT items.

Because it is not the only blockchain looking to solve some of the problems in the NFT space, it has a few unique features that enable it to stand out among its competitors. They include;

•	Fast transactions: The blockchain can process up to 1,000 transactions per second. Transactions are verified in six seconds, allowing fast response times required for mainstream applications.

•	Fuel tanks: Fuel tanks are discreet accounts used purely for transaction fees. They enable developers and creators to subsidize expenses for their customers.

•	Crafting: The feature allows existing tokens to be modified. New tokens can also be created by following a Recipe. The feature simplifies the process of gamifying collectables.

•	Efinity Swap: An automatic conversion mechanism that allows users to convert Paratokens into other Paratokens effortlessly.

## EFI token

[EFI tokens](https://enjin.io/efinity-token) have several uses. They can be used for paying network fees, purchasing various assets, staking, and governance. 

Like most crypto, they have a max supply cap. Only 2,000,000,000 of the Paratokens will ever exist. There are currently 169,857,481 of them in public circulation
.
As of writing, according to [Coinmarketcap,](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/efinity/) the coins are trading at $0.1616. They are ranked 554th largest cryptocurrencies in the world by market cap. 
They are available for purchase on several crypto exchanges including Huobi Global, Gate.io, BingX, and Bitget. They can also be earned by participating in the EFI ecosystem.

It is worth noting that EFI Coins are based on the Paratoken standard, a standard for interoperable, cross-chain tokens. They are designed to interact within and without the Polkadot ecosystem. They are considered fuel for the open metaverse.

## Team

The team behind Enjin Coin is the same team behind the Efinity platform. Maxim Blagov and Witek Radomski are their co-founders. Blagov is the CEO while Radomski is the CTO. 

Blagov has spent over 14 years working on the Enjin Ecosystem while Radomski has spent 13 years of his life developing the platform. Caleb Applegate is another key contributor to the protocol. He is the COO. 

## EFI token price prediction

Several crypto prediction platforms view EFI Coins as good long-term investment options. Digitalcoinprice predicts growth, but a slow one, for the digital coins. According to the platform, they will continue to trade below $1 even beyond 2031.

Priceprediction.net predicts a more positive future for the Paratokens. The platform predicts they might trade at an average price of $0.30 in 2023, $0.40 in 2024, and $0.61 in 2025. However, if you hold the tokens for longer they might start trading above $1 in 2027.

WalletInvestor, however, predicts a concerning future for the digital currency. The platform predicts by the end of 2022 the Paratokens may be down, trading at an average price of $0.00480. The entire of 2023 and 2024 they may trade below $0.01.

## Bottom line

Efinity crypto and its blockchain have a lot to offer, especially in the Metaverse. The more people decide to invest and use the cryptocurrency the better their chances of growing price-wise.

Note that all information provided here is the author’s opinion. It is not to be taken as financial advice. Always do your own research before investing in any crypto asset.


Efinity Coin: What You Should Know

SUKU is an Ethereum-based platform that aims to increase transparency in supply chains. The platform also focuses on the NFT space, DeFi space, and Metaverse. Its team is developing various applications for NFT marketplaces and lending based on decentralized finance (DeFi).

## The platform

Launched in 2020, SUKU is not the only blockchain-based platform focused on the Supply chain industry. However, it has a few unique products that make it a blockchain-based project worth watching out for.

•	InfiniteWorld: InfiniteWorld works as a bridge between the physical and digital world. It brings brands to the Metaverse through [NFTs](/news/category/nft-news).

•	SUKU Omni: This product enables brands to transform their supply chain data and analytics into verified stories that consumers can engage with. It allows consumers to learn about the entire journey of the product and its carbon footprint.

•	SUKU Defi: This product enables small businesses and supply chain participants to receive the capital they need through Defi to grow.

## The token

SUKU's native utility tokens have several uses in its ecosystem. Holders can use them to pay transaction fees and vote. They have also rewarded incentives.

The tokens have no max supply cap. There are currently 178,386,797 coins in public circulation. As of writing, each of them is trading at $0.09593. [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/suku/) ranks them the 661st largest cryptocurrencies in the world by market cap.

The tokens are available on various crypto exchanges, including Huobi Global, KuCoin, BTCEX, and MEXC. Besides purchasing them, you can also earn them as rewards by simply creating a wallet with them to interact on the platform.

## Price prediction

Priceprediction.net predicts SUKU coins may trade at an average price of $0.17 in 2023, $0.26 in 2024, and $0.38 in 2025. They may sell above $1 in 2028 and $2 in 2030. By 2031 they may be trading above $3. The longer you hold on to them, the better your returns may be.

Digitalcoinprice doesn't predict as promising a future as Priceprediction.net. But, it does predict some positive price movement. According to the site, the coins might trade at an average price of $0.14 in 2023 and 2024. In 2025 they may be worth $0.19. By 2031, they may still be trading below $1.

WalletInvestor predicts a disappointing future for the coins. According to the site, they may end the year 2022 trading at $0.00460. They may also continue to trade below $0.01 for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

## Bottom line

Considering what the SUKU platform has to offer and how its coin has and continues to perform in the market, the project is worth reading carefully before considering it as an investment option.

Several investors see the project as an excellent long-term investment option, but it's the crypto space; anything can happen. Always take your time before investing in any crypto asset. Do as much research as possible to avoid regretting any investment move you make in the crypto space.


SUKU crypto: Everything You Should Know

AstroSwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) built for the Cardano ecosystem. Launched in October 2021, it is a layer 2 DEX made on the Velas network, considered the fastest blockchain in the world.

AstroSwap’s link with the Velas network allows users to trade and swap Cardano tokens at faster speeds with lower fees. The project also features Galaxy Pools, where users can stake their tokens and earn and Space Lottery, where users can play and win amazing prizes.

## ASTRO Token

ASTRO token is AstroSwap’s native token. Also launched in October 2021, the token started pretty well thanks to a successful IDO exclusive on ADAPad. Within a few hours of launch, ASTRO tokens hit a [21,000%](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/astro-trades-over-33-000-182751241.html) ROI. They would continue to rise and hit a peak of 50,000% ROI within a few days after launch.

However, despite their great start, ASTRO tokens would begin to depreciate and end the year 2021, trading at $0.1345. For most of January 2022, the tokens would trade at $0.1, hitting $0.2 on a few good days. By the end of January, they were down, trading at $0.08137.

For most of March 2022, ASTRO tokens traded between $0.007 and $0.009. They picked up by the end of the month to close each worth $0.01206. The coins did drop again and have continued to trade below $0.01 as of writing.

According to [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/astroswap/), while ASTRO tokens show some price appreciation, they are currently worth $0.001905. They are ranked the 1575th largest cryptocurrencies by market cap. 

ASTRO tokens have a max supply cap of 10,000,000,000 ASTRO coins. There are currently 428,462,821 ASTRO coins in public circulation. If you wish to invest in the tokens, they are available on AstroSwap, PancakeSwap, Gate.io, BKEX, and ZT. They are not listed in many crypto exchanges.

## What sets AstroSwap Apart?

Several things enable [AstroSwap](https://www.astroswap.app/#Tokenomics) to stand out as a worthwhile crypto project.

•   Features: Swapz Bridge is a feature that allows users easily and quickly bridge tokens between networks with minimal fees. Other features include Galaxy Pools for staking and Space Lottery for awarding loyal users.

•   High APY: Users can access ultra-high APYs not found anywhere within the crypto ecosystem. The High APY is possible thanks to the 45% of the total ASTRO token supply set aside for staking incentives.

•  Partnerships: It has the backing of a few strategic partners, including ADAPad, WagyuSwap, Swaps, and Bluezilla, a veteran incubator firm.


AstroSwap’s road map also shows that bigger and better things are coming. The project seeks to continue to introduce DAO governance and voting rights, [NFT collection](/news/category/nft-news), and lending and borrowing Protocols. The future seems bright for the project.




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