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Welcome to the January 14, 2022 edition of the Decentral Weekly Crypto News Wrap-Up, where Neil and Em analyze the crypto news and contemplate the all-important question: “Is this a thing?” We’re already two weeks into 2022, which means that you’re allowed to bring up NFTs at the dinner table again.

This week’s crypto news wrap-up is jam-packed: PayPal might launch a stablecoin, there’s a golf club DAO now, Disney wants to track you at its theme parks, Matt Damon getting roasted, and much more.

PayPal “exploring” a stablecoin

There are few companies as critical to the payments industry as PayPal, which was founded in 1998. For years now, many enthusiasts have pointed out the advantages of crypto over traditional financial intermediaries like PayPal. Now, the payments giant is trying to adapt.

It looks like PayPal is currently exploring the launch of a new stablecoin. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering that PayPal seems to have finally come around to the fact that crypto is here to stay. In October 2020, PayPal announced that users could buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency on their platform.

What do you think? Is this the right move for PayPal, or is it too late?

Neil says:

It seems like every major payment company and social media platform has explored the idea of a stablecoin, but I don’t think a PayPal stablecoin will really work out. One of the reasons that Square grew so quickly is because they embraced cryptocurrency while PayPal lagged. It might just be too late for PayPal.

Em says:

Existing and old-school financial services have to do something to stay relevant. They’re losing their footing as new and different technologies get developed, so they might as well try to keep up. I don’t know if it will save them, but it looks like they’re trying to hang with the fellow kids.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks it’s a “too late thing,” Em thinks it’s a “keep up with the crowd” thing.

Who do you agree with?

Give a golf clap for a new DAO

One of the biggest crypto news stories of 2021 was that a DAO wanted to purchase a copy of The Constitution. Even though the effort ultimately failed, it looks like more people are interested in creating a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization, than ever before. Remember that just last week, Shiba Inu announced that it plans on launching a DAO.

Mike Dudas, a well-known crypto investor, started a DAO called LinksDAO that raised $10.4 million in 48 hours. How? They sold NFTs, of course. The ultimate goal is for the DAO to buy a golf course and for investors to have more voting rights and control than a traditional golf course.

Funds from the NFT sales will reportedly go towards forming the DAO, and additional legal fees and operating costs. LinksDAO plans to launch officially in early 2022, and has already formed a C-Corporation, a necessary step if they hope to purchase real estate.

Does this contradict the “anti-establishment” messaging that appeals to many cryptocurrency investors? Should we embrace a decentralized golf club?

Neil says:

A decentralized golf club sounds cool, but it’s not the most interesting idea for a DAO I’ve heard of. I imagine the club could be a nice crypto networking space if they can pull it off. At the same time, isn’t crypto supposed to be SOMEWHAT anti-establishment? What’s more “establishment” than a golf club?

Em says:

Maybe DAOs will work for companies or even government structures. That’s unfolding as we speak. But currently, DAOs seem to be largely a community structure—what better place to try it out than a goold old golf club. Those certainly have their own kind of community vibe.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is an overrated thing, Em disagrees.

Who do you agree with?

Dorsey feuds about Web3

It doesn’t matter what your industry is—the general public is always interested when it seems like two titans are fighting. Whether it’s Conor McGregor trash-talking for a fight or Elon Musk baiting the SEC on social media, it can be interesting to see what rich and powerful people are fighting about and why.

Jack Dorsey, known for his hipster look, eccentric diet, and calm demeanor, is making it clear that he’s not a fan of Marc Andreessen. It’s interesting considering that Andreesen’s accomplishments stack up nicely even next to the Square CEO’s feats. Marc is a general partner at one of the most respected VCs in Silicon Valley and co-founded Netscape. He also helped invent Mosaic, one of the Internet’s first web browsers.

Dorsey is revisiting the feud even after Andreesen blocked him late last year. The tension went public when the two argued over Twitter about the future of “Web3.” Jack Dorsey believes that Web3 will only benefit VCs like Andreesen, and that it is ultimately a “centralized entity with a different label.”

Does Jack have a point? Whose side are you on, if you had to choose between the two?

Neil says:

I think that VCs will invest in whatever makes sense for them, so I’m not entirely sure about the point that Jack is trying to make. It’s almost like saying, “Cryptocurrencies are useless because now hedge funds are buying them.” Sure, VCs are going to invest into large emerging technologies. This seems more personal than about Web 3.0.” For a man who said that Bitcoin could help bring about “world peace,” he sure seems cynical here.

Em says:

Is this high school? I think the real question here is what everyone is arguing about. The concepts and philosophy of Web3 are different from the reality of implementation. Knowing what you’re arguing about is a prerequisite to getting anywhere. But I guess if they’re both blocked, they’re not really trying to get anywhere.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is a confusing argument thing, Em thinks it’s a high school thing.

Who do you agree with?

Mickey Mouse, meet the metaverse

There’s no question that Disney has done an incredible job at branding its theme parks as a family destination, but it looks like they want to take things to the next level. Disney has been approved for a patent that would create “personalized interactive attractions” for visitors at their theme parks. In other words, Disney theme parks will feature metaverse experiences to “unlock new layers of storytelling.”

The patented technology means that 3D images and other virtual effects will be projected onto real-world objects. Disney already incorporates augmented reality technology at its theme parks, but it will ensure that the experience is more personalized. Last year, Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney, stated that the entertainment giant was ready for its “own metaverse.”

The technology would be tracking individual visitors the entire time. The goal is for Disney theme parks to offer virtual world technology without visitors having to wear bulky AR headsets or similar equipment. The company claims it has “no current plans” on using the technology.

Is this dystopian, or will it just be another way to entertain the millions of children who visit Disney parks every year?

Neil says:

Yeah, you could see this coming from a mile away. Disney will probably end up making billions in their own metaverse thanks to their IPs, patents, and characters. This is going to be a big deal, and I can see how this technology can add a bit of “magic” to their parks that will attract more visitors.

Em says:

I’d probably put a small bet on the metaverse being the next NFTs as far as reach, influence, and adoption outside of the cryptosphere. It looks like companies like Disney and Facebook (Meta) are trying to get ahead of the puck. Either that or they’re trying to create the puck…

Bottom line:

Both Neil and Em agree this is a thing.

What do you think?

GameStop gets into NFTs

It was a record year for NFTs last year, and there is more interest in gaming NFTs and blockchain-based games than ever before. That’s why it isn’t too surprising to find out that GameStop is busy creating an NFT marketplace. Apparently, the video game retailer has a team of 20 working on an “online hub” where users can buy, sell, and trade NFTs.

Shares jumped 20% on the news, given the fact that NFTs remain one of tech’s most popular “buzzwords.” GameStop is reportedly hoping to launch the NFT marketplace by late 2022. Does the video game chain have what it takes to compete with other major NFT platforms?

With more eyes on GameStop than ever, can the company leverage that new attention into big-name metaverse partnerships? Some critics are even questioning whether the article is legitimate, as well, given the Wall Street Journal’s lack of “named sources.”

GameStop became a “meme” stock last year after its stock price skyrocketed in early 2021. Are they serious or is this a pure cash grab?

Neil says:

I’ll go ahead and be the cynic here: I don’t think this is going to work. GameStop had a massive moment last year as a “meme stock”

Em says:

After the r/wallstreetbets debacle last year, GameStop had its rise from the ashes coming. Let the hedge funds and even Robinhood bet against you, then join the people in crypto and get the last laugh. At least, I hope that’s how it plays out for GameStop. If only for the lolz.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this isn’t a thing, Em thinks it is.

Who do you agree with?

Bad idea of the week: Damon didn’t deliver

The crypto news-wrap up just wouldn’t be complete without our “bad idea.”

Many pro-crypto enthusiasts have been excited about crypto companies making major advertising moves, like Crypto.com recently nabbing the naming rights to the Staples Center and the fact that both Crypto.com and FTX will be shelling out millions for Super Bowl ads.

Many cryptocurrency traders believe that Crypto.com made a power move with the Los Angeles sports center, but it does look like they may have made a bit of a branding mistake. A Matt Damon ad has gone viral on social media for how cringe-inducing it is…and the roasting was pretty bad. The advertisement featured the slogan “Fortune favors the bold,” and compared crypto investors to history’s explorers, adventurers, and astronauts.

In the end, there’s no other way to put it: if the ad was meant to attract people who tend to be skeptical about cryptocurrency, it clearly failed. Matt Damon might be an award-winning actor, but the thing about actors…they’re limited to scripts, and this one didn’t cut it. Check out the commercial here.

Neil says:

Crypto.com has hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on advertising, so it’s not like this is their “last shot” by any means. However, I think that many of these crypto companies need to understand that not everyone is ecstatic about crypto, and a cringe-worthy commercial like this where Matt Damon compares astronauts to crypto investors isn’t going to play out well. Not the worst ad I’ve ever seen, but I see why it went viral for the wrong reasons.

Em says:

No press is bad press is a legit phrase, but I’ll be honest, this ad wasn’t even cringey enough to be good cringe-porn. It was just bad and boring. I’d be lying if I said I hated it as much as Twitter did—but not because it wasn’t bad, just because I fell asleep out of disinterest.

Bottom line:

Both Neil and Em think the commercial was underwhelming.

What do you think?

Meme of the week

As always, Em brings you your meme of the week:

And that’s our crypto news wrap-up! What cryptocurrency are you most excited about for 2022? Are you “buying the dip” right now, or nervous about your cryptocurrency portfolio? Make sure to let us know at @decentralpub on Twitter.

CES 2022 (Consumer Electronics Show) is one of the world’s biggest tech events/conferences.

The event was held from January 5 to 8 in its annual stomping grounds of the illustrious Las Vegas. In 2021, CES had to pivot to an all-digital format thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with the Omicron variant causing concern, CES 2022 had a strong showing in Las Vegas. Thankfully, that allowed the blockchain tech showcase to shine in its inaugural year of inclusion.

The history of CES: from 17k attendees to 1+m

The first CES took place decades ago, back in 1967 in New York City, boasting over 17,000 attendees in its inaugural year. It has since moved to Las Vegas, but CES today remains the go-to conference in the world for entrepreneurs, influencers, media members, technology thought leaders, and tech fans and enthusiasts.

There was a lot of buzz before the show, especially with the rise in prominence of the new blockchain tech exhibitors and features, with questions in the media and amongst participants as to:

Will the NFT craze be brought up among the exhibits?
How many cryptocurrency startups and organizations will show up?
What innovative CES blockchain tech will there be to show off, since the conference is known for showcasing game-changing technologies?
Will there be products or companies related to the DeFi sector?
What did CES 2022 offer in terms of the cryptocurrency sector?

For the first time in its history, CES keynotes and panels featured major CEOs and influencers of crypto-centric companies, including Atomic Form, Autograph, and FTX. Even Samsung, which hosts one of the largest footprints in the entire conference, showcased its future-forward initiatives and concepts for blockchain and the metaverse.

Let’s examine a few of the prominent companies featured at this year’s CES 2022 conference and find out what they’ve been doing.

Atomic Form

Atomic Form is based in New York, and the company claims that “building a blockchain-based internet of property” is one of its main goals. Atomic Form sells products that allow NFT collectors to display and aggregate the NFTs that they own and verify ownership at the same time.

Those who use the products can also control what information about the NFT is displayed. In other words, Atomic Form wants to be the premier “frame” for NFT collectors to show off their collections. It planned to showcase its 27-inch 4K LCD “Atomic Wave” product at CES.

On its website, Atomic Form says it “makes hardware and software for NFTs and Web3 media.” What exactly does that look like, and what does the future hold for Atomic Form? It seems like there’s a lot of mystery around this company, but it used this opportunity to showcase new CES blockchain tech that can help it gain traction in the sector.

Autograph

Many NFT companies are making a name for themselves, but Autograph has been making major moves lately. Dillon Rosenblatt is the 23-year-old son of a tech mogul who is showing the world that he might just have inherited the entrepreneurship gene.

He’s the founder of Autograph, a company that has launched NFT collections with sports stars like Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Naomi Osaka. In fact, Brady is a co-founder. Autograph’s goal is to become the go-to NFT platform to launch collections by the biggest names in sports, entertainment, and culture. The fact that Autograph has a deal with DraftKings is also a great sign for the future.

FTX

It’s no surprise that FTX had a prominent showing. If bets were taken on what blockchain-focused companies would show up at the CES, many people would’ve mentioned FTX as one of their first answers. The cryptocurrency exchange has had an incredible year, and it’s now valued at somewhere around $32 billion.

It’s also founded by the world’s richest man under 30, crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. As far as CES blockchain tech companies go, FTX is one of the most high-profile companies involved in the conference. The crypto exchange recently pushed for banks to accept stablecoins, offering a $1 million prize for banks in different regions to do so.

There’s no doubt that FTX is one of the companies on the frontline for mainstream cryptocurrency adoption. After all, the exchange is even buying Super Bowl ads to reach as many viewers as possible. FTX will be interested in showcasing their partnerships, but they are still tight-lipped about future crypto derivatives features and NFT services.

What else should I know about CES 2022?

One of the biggest CES blockchain tech trends is the NFT space, with many major companies making their presence known. Blockparty and Infinite Objects are both NFT marketplaces and were showcased at CES 2022. Also, more metaverse companies were highlighted, which isn’t surprising considering it’s one of Wall Street’s biggest recent buzzwords.

There were some major names at the CES blockchain tech showcase. It’s very clear that CES is focused on the NFT space specifically rather than other subcategories of the cryptocurrency sector. Two other companies that had a prominent presence at CES 2022 were Blockparty and Infinite Objects, both of which are NFT marketplaces.

By now, you are probably aware that Decentral Publishing will be launching its Uncensored Crypto docuseries. Here, we offer a preview of topics that will be discussed on the show, why the series was created, and what truly excites him about cryptocurrency. I sat down with the CEO, Michael Hearne, to discuss his upcoming documentary series, what he’s learned, and what aspects of the crypto world he’s excited about.

Why is there a need for “Uncensored Crypto”?

One of the first questions I asked was, “Why did Michael want to create a docuseries about cryptocurrency?” Michael answered that he was a CEO of a company several years ago, responsible for turning it around, but was also trading cryptocurrency at the same time. Eventually, he felt like he wanted to do something more meaningful.

Once he saw that cryptocurrency was addressing some very real and relevant issues, he knew that he wanted to create a docuseries to spread the word. He had previously been involved in creating other docuseries, so it felt like a natural move. With crypto about to change the world, why wouldn’t he dive in?

Ultimately, Michael feels like more people should know about crypto, blockchain, and all of its various use cases. He points out that while many people tend to “rage” about society’s issues, few are discussing tangible solutions. Michael feels like this kind of attitude is unproductive and that spreading awareness about potential solutions was more important.

Why censorship matters

There’s a lot of people that are interested in Bitcoin for different reasons. Some are excited that it offers an alternative to monetary policy, while others care more about the overall concept of decentralization. For Michael, the fact that Bitcoin is censorship-resistant is critical. He describes it as being “the issue behind the issues.”

In short, Michael believes that censorship leads humanity to very dark places. He brings up the role that propaganda played in the Holocaust, and how this propaganda thrived explicitly because of censorship. Since there was no way to combat the propaganda, it became extremely effective.

What’s the best way to fight against propaganda? For Michael, the answer is simple: give everyone a voice. He stressed that he isn’t here to paint a narrative one way or another, and that many of his guests disagree about the future of cryptocurrency and where it’s going. The point being: he isn’t here to censor anyone, either. Regardless, the fact that he feels this way about censorship is why he decided to name the docuseries “Uncensored Crypto.”

A profound moment: the problem with misinformation

I asked Michael about moments during the docuseries where he felt like he was able to think about cryptocurrency differently. He brings up a conversation with Brock Pierce, an established blockchain entrepreneur who may be getting into politics in the near future.

The conversation involved misinformation. Pierce was pointing out that blockchain’s immutability could solve a lot of issues with respect to provenance and authenticity. Then, the dialogue took an interesting turn.

Pierce pointed out that because of this technology, human beings will have to learn how to forgive…as a culture. Blockchain is immutable, after all; it never forgets.

What does this mean for the future? Michael thinks this was one of the most profound experiences he had recording the docuseries, and believes that it would be incredible if blockchain could actually help humans forgive each other.

The opportunity: a decentralized Internet will impede censorship

In the world of blockchain technology, there are now so many different industries and sectors to consider. While artists are excited about the NFT space, countless other entrepreneurs are fascinated by other aspects of the cryptocurrency sector: tokenization, DeFi, the metaverse, and more. I asked Michael what’s the ONE thing that he’s the most excited about with respect to crypto, and the future.

He didn’t hesitate: it’s the concept of a truly decentralized Internet. He believes that Amazon dropping Parler was a mass act of censorship, and that it was essentially a “gangster move.” The deeper issue is the fact that the Internet’s hosting infrastructure is so centralized, but that won’t be the case with Web 3.0.

He brings up Napster as an example of decentralized web infrastructure, thanks to the fact that it was a peer-to-peer hosting platform. There was no way to go after millions of users, in different jurisdictions, with many of them using a VPN to cover their tracks. Similarly, the decentralized web would rely on users all over the world, which would threaten the fact that Google, Amazon, and Microsoft control so much of the Internet.

Why cryptocurrency regulation has a long road ahead

I asked Michael what he would say to politicians debating about cryptocurrency regulation for my last question. He laughed and replied that he would say: “God bless, you have a tough job ahead of you.”

He then offered a more nuanced take. Michael points out that politicians should strike a balance that makes sure that America benefits from innovation while also recognizing that investors need to be protected. There should be a way to protect novice cryptocurrency traders while allowing others to take more risks with their portfolios.

He also adds that developing a separate regulatory body for crypto for more insight and perspective would probably be worth it. Lastly, Michael says: “Ultimately, they should be doing a lot more listening than talking right now. It’s like trying to stop the Internet.”

How to watch Uncensored Crypto

The world premiere of the Uncensored Crypto docuseries will take place on January 18, 2022. You can sign up to be notified when it’s available at uncensoredcrypto.com.

Michael Hearne also hosts our Uncensored Crypto podcast for an in-depth look at what’s going on in the cryptocurrency sector.

Welcome to the first 2022 edition of the Decentral Weekly Crypto News Wrap-Up, where Neil and Em analyze the crypto news and debate the age-old question: “Is this a thing?”

This week, we talk about the latest crypto news: South Korea banning play to earn games, Berkeley implementing blockchain technology, Shanghai interested in the metaverse, Shiba Inu’s new DAO, and more.

Shiba Inu’s new DAO

There are many fascinating meme coins out there, but Shiba Inu has garnered a whole lot of attention in 2021. It looks like the Dogecoin rival is continuing that trend in 2022. The developers of Shiba Inu are launching a DAO with the goal of giving users more control over the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency.

The beta version of the DAO will be launching in several days, but its launch will take place in several stages. The developers claim that the DAO will give “immediate power to the community.” In related news, Shiba Inu just broke a record last week after burning over 1 billion tokens.

Should we care about Shiba Inu’s new DAO? Can we expect this from similar meme coins?

Neil says:

I honestly don’t care much about Shiba Inu, but I do feel like DAOs will play a bigger role in the crypto sector soon. The idea of becoming an investor and actually having a say in your investment is big, and Shiba Inu is smart to embrace that trend now. I care more about the “DAO” aspect of this than the “Shiba Inu” part.

Em says:

DAOs have been getting bad press, so this probably doesn’t help considering Shiba Inu is such a joke. I think DAOs are really cool and will do some great things for decentralization, but some projects aren’t doing much good PR for crypto.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is a DAO thing, Em thinks this is a bad PR thing.

Who do you agree with?

South Korea bans “play to earn” games

It’s no secret that some countries embrace crypto more than others, with some countries trying to crack down on cryptocurrency as much as possible. It’s well known that the country isn’t the biggest fan of crypto, with many of its crypto exchanges shutting down last year.

The country is also looking to ban play to earn games, which isn’t too surprising. With play to earn games, players can actually earn crypto while they play. The South Korean government has asked both Apple and Google to remove these games.

Will South Korea stick to this ban, and can they truly control the rise of play to earn gaming?

Neil says:

There are billions of gamers in the world, and I don’t think South Korea is going to be successful here. However they enforce this ban, I’m not sure that it’s the smartest move. South Korea is also notorious for trying to censor the gaming sector, but it’s one of the biggest gaming markets in the world. I don’t see this working out.

Em says:

Authoritarians gonna authouritate. South Korea may not be on the same level as North Korea, but they’re pretty known for controlling and engineering social and pop culture standards to gain influence. Just read a little about k-pop.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is a difficult thing, Em thinks it’s an authoritarian thing.

Who do you agree with?

Russia launches blockchain-focused ETF

Many crypto enthusiasts are interested in announcements that prove that mass adoption is on the way with respect to cryptocurrency. In the United States, hedge funds are investing in crypto. All over the world, the NFT craze has helped fuel the cryptocurrency markets as well.

Now, it looks like Russia’s largest bank is launching a blockchain-focused ETF, the first of its kind in the country. Sberbank will track the “Sber Blockchain Economy Index,” which gives investors exposure to established cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase, Galaxy Digital, and more. Crypto is still popular in Russia, even though the Russian Central Bank has signaled that it plans on banning crypto investments.

Does this move mean that Russia may change its approach to crypto in the future?

Neil says:

Authoritarian countries hate crypto, and I don’t think Russia is an exception. They might let a Russian investor benefit from Coinbase stock, but that’s a far cry from embracing cryptocurrency. They want to benefit from the growth of blockchain technology without embracing crypto.

Em says:

I see this as Russia trying to get in on the money that’s in crypto. An ETF isn’t blockchain or crypto, it’s just bundled stocks. So, they can get their share of the moola without embracing it for real. But, I think crypto will force everyone’s hand eventually.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks Russia won’t change, Em thinks this could signal change.

Who do you agree with?

Shanghai wants in on the metaverse

It’s no secret that the “metaverse” is the new buzzword in the tech sector. More corporations are interested in minting NFTs and offering “branded experiences” in the metaverse. It also looks like China’s biggest city is interested in figuring out how the metaverse will play a role in its growth.

Shanghai has issued a five-year development plan that directly mentions the metaverse. Earlier this year, China also mentioned blockchain in its national five-year plan for the first time. Shanghai elaborated that they were interested in metaverse applications regarding “public services, business offices, social entertainment,” and more.

Will we now see a new wave of Chinese metaverse entrepreneurs?

Shanghai is one of the largest and most influential cities in China. Does this move the needle for the metaverse?

Neil says:

China has some vested interest in using buzzwords like this in their “five-year plans,” because they know that it might attract more publicity. Will Shanghai really commit to this? Eh…I feel like it’s more lip service than anything else. Baidu is clearly interested, which is a big deal, but I have to see something from Shanghai to believe it.

Em says:

I think this is just a tiny bit scary in the way that Mark Zuckerburg’s metaverse is a tiny bit scary. It doesn’t move the needle for the metaverse but does for China as they try to implement things that will gain them more influence in the world economy and culture.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this isn’t a thing, Em thinks it is.

Who do you agree with?

Berkeley flirts with blockchain

Many questions remain regarding how cities and countries will begin using blockchain technology. Some believe that blockchain will play an important role in the rise of “smart cities,” while others believe that blockchain will provide more transparency to infrastructure, supply chains, or even the voting process.

It looks like the city of Berkeley is ready to incorporate blockchain into its municipal bond program, thanks to a unanimous vote. The ultimate goal is for blockchain to improve and democratize access to the city’s municipal bonds. The new microbond system allows investors to purchase municipal bonds at $100 or less, rather than the traditional $5,000 minimum.

Is this the kind of initiative that other cities will soon be taking, or is Berkeley just early to the party?

Neil says:

I don’t think you’ll see many other cities doing this anytime soon. I think Berkeley is early to the party, but I also think this is one of the most boring blockchain applications imaginable. Municipal bonds? I don’t know..not the “sexiest” application. This is cool, but not exactly revolutionary.

Em says:

New tech is new tech and I think blockchain will be used if it’s useful. Berkeley or any other entity that wants to find new and better ways of doing things will probably adopt blockchain even if they’re not into crypto.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this isn’t a thing, Em disagrees.

What do you think?

Bad idea of the week: a reporter gets scammed

There are countless cryptocurrency scams these days, many of them thriving thanks to fake social media accounts or rug pulls. Unfortunately, a former reporter from Detroit named Nicole Vowell got scammed last week.

She was interacting with an account claiming to be Darius Williams, a friend of hers. The only problem was that she talked to a cybercriminal, not Darius. Someone hacked Darius’s account, and convinced her to send funds for a “crypto mining strategy.”

She sent $13,000—some of the money was borrowed—believing that she would eventually receive a $40,000 payout. She ultimately realized it was a scam, and Darius himself had also been a victim. Vowell has previously reported on various scams and hopes that speaking out will help others who might fall prey to similar cryptocurrency scams.

Neil says:

You know the saddest part of this entire story? Nicole could’ve avoided ALL of this just by picking up the phone. I understand that people communicate with friends/family on social media, but sending them thousands of dollars without even confirming anything over the phone, or in person? Scams are always unfortunate, but that was the most depressing thing about this to me.

Em says:

Listen. Please, please stop getting scammed, everyone! I once texted my dad, “Did you get hacked cause I just got weird messages from you on FB.” And he was like… “You thought my messages were weird? *sadface* The point is, always be looking for these kinds of scams, they’re easy to bust.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this was depressing, and Em thinks this was avoidable.

What do you think?

Meme of the week

As always, Em brings you your meme of the week:

It’s 2022. What are your cryptocurrency resolutions? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions about crypto trading or investing? Make sure to let us know at @decentralpub on Twitter.

The Uncensored Crypto podcast delivers straight-talk about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Web3, the blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, and more. Host Michael Hearne interviews the disruptors at the forefront of the crypto revolution shaping our economic, financial, and political future.

In the seventh episode of the Uncensored Crypto podcast, our CEO, Michael Hearne, sits down with Tatiana Moroz: an artist, activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster. Tatiana gravitated towards cryptocurrency years before it would hit mainstream news headlines, and she’s also the first artist to create her own cryptocurrency: the TatianaCoin.

How did Tatiana Moroz get here?

One of the interesting things about Tatiana Moroz and her upbringing is that she grew up in New Jersey, but would visit Poland every summer. This gave her a different perspective since she could absorb and observe Polish culture, and she still considers herself “very Polish” to this day. From a young age, she knew that she wanted to get involved in music.

Once she looked more into the monetary system and how it can be manipulated, Tatiana Maroz also began singing for Ron Paul. She traveled around the country with the pro-crypto politician, where she got to sing for thousands of people from different backgrounds and with different political leanings. Bitpay sponsored one of her performances, and she got to learn more about Bitcoin through conversations with its executives.

In 2012, she decided to make her first Bitcoin purchase, back when it was only $11! This led her down a path of thinking about how Bitcoin could potentially change the world for the better, and she’s been involved in the cryptocurrency sector ever since.

Uncensored Crypto asks: what role does an artist play?

Tatiana Moroz has a lot of ideas regarding the role that artists should play in society. She feels like it’s the job of a creative to “push back against the system” and “question authority.” Michael agrees that the role of an artist is incredibly important, because many of them are responsible for speaking truth when others cannot. Ultimately, Tatiana feels like it’s her job to get people to question the world around them.

She goes further, pointing out that artists are also communicators that can convey ideas and spark movements. With more artists involved in the crypto space than ever before, thanks to the rise of NFTs, they can help inspire and encourage cryptocurrency adoption.

Michael also brings up the idea of censorship. She agrees that it’s important, saying that she often felt like she was building up value for social media networks when she promoted her work. Now, with her own coin, she and her fans could create their own ecosystem—and she didn’t have to rely on a company who could ban or censor her at any given moment.

Creating a coin

Tatiana Moroz had been working on music, but she had become frustrated by the music industry in general. She felt jaded about the entire process, feeling like music artists often became successful only through luck, connections, or compromising their integrity. Moroz also felt like the vast majority of popular music didn’t have a “message” of any kind.

She also thought about the fact that so many talented musicians often have to work side jobs just to pay their rent. Even those who were moderately successful still had to think about things like health insurance, or booking gigs where they were playing for more than a small crowd. Tatiana felt like there had to be a better way.

She created Tatiana Coin because it was a way to fund her passion and also connect with her fans. She wasn’t trying to create the next Bitcoin, but she did make enough money to fund her third album. The “Bitcoin Jingle” is featured on this album.

The future is unknown

Later in the Uncensored Crypto podcast conversation, Michael says that he believes cryptocurrency can move us towards “individual sovereignty and liberty.” He’s also interested to see the way that DAOs will change the concept of “governance,” and asked Tatiana Moroz about what she’s excited about.

Moroz responds that more than anything, she’s glad that cryptocurrency is getting the attention it deserves. She feels like she’s been “screaming into the abyss” for a while, but she’s glad to see that the world has caught up. As for the future, she also recognizes that things can get complicated.

Specifically, she’s wary about the fact that so many governments are embracing Bitcoin. She’s glad that Miami is pro-crypto, but points out: “Should we be trusting the government with that?” As someone who believes that crypto can help bring about freedom, she remains skeptical of governments utilizing it. She’s also wary of traders and investors obsessed with meme coins or wanting to find the next get-rich-quick scheme.

Lastly, she offers this: “With cryptocurrency, we have the ability to change the world without firing a single shot…all we need is some good electricity and some good computers.”

In mid-2021, the value of the crypto market broke the $2 trillion mark. By the end of the year, it remained around $2.3 trillion. While Bitcoin accounts for a large part of this, there are many other asset-backed cryptocurrencies that are driving the crypto investing market.

Unlike memecoins, asset-backed coins have an asset behind them that gives them value. This can be fiat currency, which stablecoins like Tether or USDC coins are based on, or unique technology that solves a problem in the blockchain, smart contract, or DeFi industries.

In 2021, several new asset-backed cryptos broke into the top 10 most valuable cryptos and are expected to show a lot of promise in 2022. Of course, be sure to do your research before adding any of these cryptos to your portfolio.

1. Ether

Symbol: ETH

Asset: Decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality that can host different dApps and cryptocurrencies.

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $1,950

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $3,600

What experts say:

“You are left with, as of today, 11 percent of the entire supply of Ether available and it’s going down every day. And the demand is going exponential. The only outcome is an exponential rise in price, there is no other outcome.” – Raoul Pal, former Goldman Sachs executive.

“Ethereum does a better job of supporting development on its blockchain and will have a more lightweight proof-of-stake mining model than bitcoin [which] means that it can potentially be the backbone of web 3.0.” – Daniel Polotsky, founder of CoinFlip

What to expect in 2022:

Ethereum 2.0 is set to be completed sometime in 2022, which will officially mean the platform will operate on a proof-of-stake system rather than proof-of-work. This will help improve Ethereum’s scalability, transaction speed times, lower gas prices, and improve sustainability. Although some predict that the platform may still deal with supply and demand issues, high gas fees, and network congestion. However, given that Ether is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, it doesn’t seem like Ethereum’s popularity is going anywhere anytime soon, and these upgrades will only help the platform keep growing.

2. Avalanche

Symbol: AVAX

Asset: Programmable blockchain platform with smart contract functionality organized around the Avalanche Consensus Protocol. Claims to be the fastest smart contracts platform.

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $21

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $67

What experts say:

“While the market cap of AVAX has started catching up to larger competitors in the space – like Cardano and Solana – the protocol may eventually rival Ethereum in the near future. Ethereum has struggled to contain the costs associated with its gas fees, a problem Avalanche can take full advantage of going forward.” – Micah Carnahan, staff writer at Finder.com

“Avalanche is a newer crypto relative to the more established smart contract platforms [but] AVAX could soon become a blue-chip cryptocurrency” – Marcus Sotiriou, trader at GlobalBlock.

What to expect in 2022:

After recently making a deal with major accounting firm Deloitte to use the Avalanche platform to help FEMA streamline its processes, AVAX saw a huge spike in growth, which could potentially continue if Avalanche makes other deals like this. In fact, according to Coinpedia, the price of AVAX could possibly reach $200 by the end of the coming year.

In addition, Ava Labs, the company behind Avalanche, created a bridge between Avalanche and Ethereum, which enables an easy transfer of assets between the two platforms. Avalanche’s speed and interoperability make it a crypto to watch in the new year for those interested in adding it to their crypto investing portfolio.

3. Cardano

Symbol: ADA

Asset: Energy-efficient and sustainable proof-of-stake blockchain platform that utilizes the Ouroboros protocol, which is based on peer research and evidence-based methods

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $1.18

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $1.86

What experts say:

“Cardano is less than halfway through its road map, which lays out significant milestones for the project. It has only recently added smart contract functionality, meaning it is likely just over 40% of the way to achieving its major milestones. I have yet to see any reason not to consider ADA.” – (businessinsider.com).

“I’m really loving how the roadmap for 2022 Cardano is coming together. It’s a living ecosystem, growing, refining, adapting, and becoming stronger. The technology is unbelievable and we have so many great innovations coming to meet the hundreds of projects building on Cardano.” – Charles Hoskinson, Cardano founder

What to expect in 2022:

Cardano made a couple of huge partnerships in 2021 that will help increase the network’s adoption. First, they made a partnership with Dish Network, where the telecom company will use Cardano’s blockchain to optimize the company’s services and user experience. The second partnership is with crypto company Chainlink.

The partnership will involve using Chainlink’s oracle services to give smart contract creators access to real-world, off-chain databases. In addition, after the Alonzo upgrade in September 2021, Cardano reached a milestone of 800 smart contracts launched on the platform. Cardano is only likely to see this number keep rising going into 2022.

4. Cosmos

Symbol: ATOM

Asset: Network that connects different blockchains together using its Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol. Calls itself the “internet of blockchains.”

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $15

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $27

What experts say:

“I think the biggest highlight was early this year when Inter-Blockchain Communications (IBC) launched on the Cosmos hub for the first time…we’ll see about 200 chains connected through IBC next year…Five years from now, I would expect that number to be tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of chains linked through IBC.” – Peng Zhong, CEO of Tendermint

“We will continue our efforts to take Cosmos to a mainstream audience through partnerships, fostering innovation, and incubating talent. One exciting area for us …is our partnership with blockchain gaming platform Forte…With more than three billion gamers globally forecasted by 2023 and an explosion of interest around NFTs as in-game assets and collectibles, working with Forte will help propel Cosmos to a wider audience and cement our place as a leading blockchain ecosystem.” – Peng Zhong, CEO of Tendermint

What to expect in 2022:

Cosmos’ ATOM is one of the asset-backed coins that experienced tremendous growth throughout 2021. It began the year at $6.50 and reached a high of around $40 by September before dropping down to a little over $20 by the end of the year. According to Coinpedia, the ATOM crypto could possibly reach $40 or higher in 2022.

In addition, the Cosmos network has around 250 dApps and services and recently started integrating DeFi capabilities into its ecosystem through the launch of its Gravity DEX. DeFi is likely to keep being a focus for Cosmos going into 2022, which could result in the network’s growth. If you’re interested in crypto investing, you could consider adding ATOM to your portfolio.

5. Solana

Symbol: SOL

Asset: Decentralized blockchain that utilizes a proof-of-history system. Claims to be the fastest blockchain in the world.

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $24

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $152

What experts say:

“Solana is one of the few currently existing public blockchains that has a really plausible road map to scale millions of transactions per second at…fractions of a penny per transaction, which is a scale that you need for this. That is not where a lot of other blockchains have been focusing, including Ethereum.” – Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and CEO of FTX exchange

“I’m confident that a key one to watch in 2022 is Solana, currently the fifth largest crypto by market cap. It started off the year trading at around $2, now it’s changing hands on the deVere crypto app for about $200. It’s likely it will outperform both Bitcoin and Ethereum again next year…because of its masterful technology and its cost-effectiveness.” – Nigel Green, chief executive and founder of deVere Group

What to expect in 2022:

Solana has often been termed an “Ethereum killer” because of its fast transaction speeds and low costs. Its ecosystem includes projects that cover everything from DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and more. So far in 2022, Solana has announced it will be working on a project with Brave software.

This partnership will involve integrating Solana’s blockchain technology and wallet support into Brave’s Web3.0 desktop and mobile browsers. This project, along with Solana’s explosive growth into the top ten cryptocurrencies, makes it one of the asset-backed coins to consider adding to your portfolio if you’re interested in crypto investing.

6. Polkadot

Symbol: DOT

Asset: Open-source, sharded multi-chain network that integrates multiple blockchains and makes them interoperable

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $27

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $31

What experts say:

“Demand for DOT could rise, and with it the price, with compensation for crowd loan participation following suit…To be sure, we can already see this dynamic in action with the number of staked DOT having decreased and staking rewards increasing. One thing’s for sure, the momentum Polkadot has gathered to date seems likely to carry on into 2022 as its rolling auction schedule picks up pace” – (investing.com)

“By the end of the first batch of auctions, somewhere between $4 and $4.5 billion worth of DOT is likely to be locked up for nearly two years, reducing potential sell pressure and circulating supply on the market. Not only does this demonstrate faith in Polkadot and DOT over that period, but it incentivizes hundreds of thousands of supporters to become active users in the ecosystem as it’s in their best interest. With the rise in contributors expected to continue, the Polkadot community and its burgeoning ecosystem will certainly be one to watch over the next 96 weeks” – (cryptoslate.com)

What to expect in 2022:

Polkadot is currently rolling out its multiple parachain system, a process it began only a few months ago in October 2021. The first five parachain slots will be ready to launch by mid-December 2021, and another auction for six more slots will be held in 2022. It’s doing this by holding auctions for a year-long lease on one of its parachains.

Interested projects raise money in the form of DOT tokens through crowdfunding from members of the Polkadot ecosystem. A DeFi program called Acala received the first spot on one of Polkadot’s parachains after raising 32.5 million DOT, or $1.27 billion. As more companies are added to Polkadot’s portfolio, the network could see more growth in the coming year, a good sign for those interested in crypto investing.

7. XRP

Symbol: XRP

Asset: Blockchain payment network created as an alternative to Bitcoin. It runs on the Federated Byzantine Agreement system rather than proof-of-work and aims to enable instant, trustless, and cheap monetary transactions around the world

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $0.76

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $0.98

What experts say:

“I bought it for the reason that A) It does have use cases and it is being used, and B) The court case is a phenomenal risk/reward. It got heavily discounted in the price, and then I looked at it and thought, ‘Well, what’s it going to do? Fall 100% from here to zero? But if it gets solved, it’s [up] 10x.’ And I’m like, ‘Well that’s a no-brainer.’ Why would you not take a 10-1 risk/reward that has a catalyst around it?“ – Raoul Pal, former Goldman Sachs executive

“We’re seeing pretty good progress despite a slow-moving judicial process in the federal courts. Clearly, we’re seeing good questions asked by the judge, and I think the judge realizes this is not just about Ripple, this will have broader implications, and I think that’s a very good thing. I’m hopeful that certainly in 2022 there’ll be closure here.” – Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple Labs

What to expect in 2022:

XRP was one of the top three asset-backed coins by market cap, behind Ether and Bitcoin, and even rose above Ether in 2017 and 2018. In 2020, the United States Security and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against XRP’s parent company, Ripple, for raising money through an, “unregistered digital assets securities offering.” In other words, the SEC views XRP not as a digital currency, but instead as a publicly-traded security, which means it should have been following certain regulations.

However, some are speculating that XRP will win the lawsuit against the SEC, which could potentially result in the price of XRP growing once again. But while XRP cannot be traded in the U.S., the crypto is widely used for crypto investing in other countries around the world. For example, Ripple recently announced a partnership with the Republic of Palau to create a USD-backed digital currency for the country.

8. Terra

Symbol: LUNA

Asset: An open-source blockchain that hosts a variety of algorithmic stablecoins. The network uses the Terra protocol to create stablecoins that track the price of any fiat-backed currency.

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $9

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $42

What experts say:

“Following its Columbus-5 upgrade in October, Terra is reportedly set to house over 160 new projects by early 2022.” – (cointelegraph.com)

“Terraform Labs has transitioned from an “app factory” incubating protocols like Anchor and Mirror in-house to an “ecosystem-enabler.” Our role has evolved to provide resources, connections, and other tools for third-party projects to be successful in their endeavors. With so many projects set for launch soon, we’re also exploring other routes for assisting ecosystem development such as bounty programs, educational programs, and new incentive models for community building.” – Do Kwon, Co-founder and CEO of Terraform Labs

What to expect in 2022:

In late 2021, LUNA climbed past Dogecoin and Avalanche and found a spot in the top 10 asset-backed coins by market cap. Some experts predict the crypto could reach a price of $100 by 2022.

Terra’s recent growth is also due to several new developments, including the platform’s Columbus-5 upgrade, new NFT marketplace, and $50 million investment from Chiron Partners, a venture capitalist firm based in Hong Kong. This partnership in particular is likely to spur Terra’s growth since the money will be used for adding different DeFi and NFT projects to the platform’s portfolio.

9. Binance Coin

Symbol: BNB

Asset: The native token of the Binance exchange, the largest crypto exchange in the world in terms of daily trading volume.

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $304

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $484

What experts say:

“Binance coin is another gem that has the potential to explode in 2022. It is already one of the top performers in 2021, and if the market remains bullish in 2022, then Binance coin could trade at over $1000.” (trading-education.com)

“If this bullish trend continues, Binance will reach $800 by the end of 2022. Moreover, the first half of 2022 is going to show fast growth, up to $950. Then this rise will slow down, but no major falls are expected. With upcoming partnerships and developments, reaching $800 is quite optimistic in the price point of view but undoubtedly feasible for the near future.” (coinquora.com)

What to expect in 2022:

As the native token of the Binance exchange, the largest crypto exchange in the world in terms of daily trading value, the BNB’s growth is dependent on the growth of the exchange.

Recently, Binance launched an automatic burning method to help regulate the supply and value of the coin. This new burning method is expected to increase the value of BNB, which is great for those interested in crypto investing who want to add the coin to their portfolio. In addition, Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, has announced plans to open a global Binance headquarters in France in 2022, which could help boost Binance’s growth even more.

10. Bitcoin

Symbol: BTC

Asset: Decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency that uses a proof-of-work blockchain system

Average price in 1st half of 2021: $34,458

Average price in 2nd half of 2021: $50,278

What experts say:

“My prediction is that it will continue to be volatile, however, the long-term trend will point upwards and it is going to more than double in terms of total market cap per annum on average.” – Kjetil Hove Pettersen, CEO of Norwegian Bitcoin miner Kryptovault

“I believe in 250K USD per BTC at the end of 2022 based on the huge number of Bitcoin mining companies that were founded in the United States in 2021. The last, but very important, key factor to maximize the BTC price increase will be bigger adoption of the use of the BTC wallets implemented in social media, such as Twitter.” – Bernardo Schucman, Senior Vice President of CleanSpark’s Digital Currency Division

“We saw a bull market in 2013, 2017, and we’re seeing it now in 2021. However, where we saw parabolic price increases towards the latter end of the 2013 and 2017 bull markets, we haven’t yet seen it this year, which suggests there could be further price increases to come before we reach the ultimate top.” – Simon Peters, crypto analyst at eToro

What to expect in 2022:

As the original king of crypto and the crypto with the largest market cap, Bitcoin had to have a spot on this list. Bitcoin has a lot of potential in 2022 given the fact that it has been increasingly embraced by politicians. It has also seen recent institutional adoption by developing countries such as El Salvador, which made the crypto official national currency and is working to create the first Bitcoin City in 2022. Zimbabwe has also been considering adopting the crypto as official currency.

In addition, Bitcoin has been embraced by some cities here in the U.S., such as Miami, which gives out Bitcoin dividends to its citizens. New York City is considering a similar plan, and the mayor of NYC, Eric Adams, pledged to receive his first three paychecks in Bitcoin. Bitcoin could see even more growth if this institutional support for asset-backed coins continues into the new year.

The future of the asset-backed crypto

There are so many exciting asset-backed coins and projects going on in the crypto market. It seems clear that the market will only keep growing in the coming year as crypto companies keep developing innovations in the blockchain and smart contract industries. Remember that if you plan to participate in crypto investing, it’s important to do your research before jumping in and adding any project to your investment portfolio.

It seems safe to say that 2021 saw some major crypto news headlines. The year overall was a great one for cryptocurrency and DeFi. It saw explosive growth of the global crypto market cap as a whole, exciting new projects making their way into the top 10 biggest cryptos, and more stories of institutional adoption than in previous years.

Take a trip down memory lane with these nine crypto headlines to see how far the crypto market has progressed in 2021.

1. El Salvador mines Bitcoin with volcanoes

One of the most interesting crypto news headlines from the year was when El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as official legal currency in the country in September 2021. A month later, the Central American nation announced plans to start mining Bitcoin using the natural geothermal energy of its volcanoes.

This story was memorable because Bitcoin is notorious for being extremely unsustainable for the environment. The fact that El Salvador was able to find an energy-efficient way to mine Bitcoin was exciting news for Bitcoin’s progress in becoming accepted in mainstream society.

2. Ether up 1,000% since 2020

Another memorable story was when the Ether cryptocurrency saw a 1,000% increase in price in late October 2021 compared to the same time in 2020. Back then, ETH was a little under $400. By 2021, it reached a new all-time high of a little over $4,400. This sort of explosive growth was a great news story because it showed Ether’s growth rate outperforming Bitcoin.

If this continues into 2022, some speculate it could mean Ether replacing Bitcoin as the largest cryptocurrency. While the DeFi platform still has a long way to go to get to the top, the expected completion of its Ethereum 2.0 upgrade to a proof-of-stake blockchain could potentially be what it needs to take it there.

3. Miami becoming a Bitcoin city

Another unforgettable story was when the mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, announced plans to pay residents a “Bitcoin yield.” While Suarez called it Bitcoin, the actual payments would be dividends received from staking the city’s official crypto: MiamiCoin.

This story was exciting because it shows how crypto is gaining more institutional acceptance in the U.S. After Miami, New York City announced its own coin: NYC Coin. And mayors of both cities announced plans to take their paychecks in Bitcoin. It’ll be interesting to see if any other cities jump on this trend in 2022.

4. Facebook whistleblower supports herself financially with crypto

In October, Frances Haugen left her job as product manager at Facebook and became a whistleblower, exposing how the tech giant prioritizes profit over its users’ wellbeing.

What makes this story newsworthy in the crypto world is that Haugen revealed that despite leaving her job, she was supporting herself financially through her own crypto investments, even announcing that she had left for Puerto Rico, which is known among crypto investors as a tax haven. This shows how cryptocurrency has the potential to support someone who lost a job or is otherwise in need of financial support.

5. Bitcoin reached more transaction volume than PayPal

In the first quarter of 2021, Bitcoin surpassed PayPal in terms of transaction volume, handling 62% more transactions in terms of dollar value. However, if Bitcoin wants to compete with MasterCard and Visa, it will need to find a way to scale its blockchain technology to handle a higher number of transactions, a problem it is already working on solving with the Lightning Network.

While Bitcoin is still far behind MasterCard and Visa, this story is one of the most exciting crypto news headlines of the year because it shows how the Bitcoin network is growing and being used by more people. As crypto becomes more mainstream, this number is bound to keep growing.

6. El Salvador to build Bitcoin schools

With the profits of the Salvadoran government’s Bitcoin trust account, the Central American country announced plans to create 20 “Bitcoin schools.” This move is interesting because educating people about cryptocurrency is an important step to helping those who are unbanked access the financial services they need.

El Salvador also used some of its profits to create a total of 400 schools and a veterinary hospital. This story and El Salvador’s experiment with Bitcoin as a whole will be an exciting one to watch in the new year.

7. U.S. passed China as the largest Bitcoin mining hub

Up until China banned cryptocurrency mining in May of 2021, it was the country with the highest Bitcoin hash rate, at 67%. Once the ban took effect, many Bitcoin miners ended up moving to the U.S. This increased the U.S.’s Bitcoin mining hash rate from just a little over 4% at the end of 2020 to 35% by the same time in 2021.

This story is memorable because with China no longer dominating the Bitcoin mining industry, it opens the doors for other countries to compete to host the industry within their borders. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects the blockchain industry in 2022.

8. Crypto market in Africa grows by 1,200%

Another interesting story in the crypto news headlines of 2021 was that the cryptocurrency market in Africa soared by 1,200%, with an overall value of $105.6 billion. Specifically, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania made it into the top 20 countries with the highest crypto adoption rate. And compared to the crypto adoption rates of all other continents around the world, Africa as a whole had the third-highest rate.

This was a fascinating story because it shows how cryptocurrency and DeFi continue to grow in other countries, especially in places where people are looking for a way to protect their finances against inflation.

9. SQUID token scam

Last but not least, who could forget the Squid Game cryptocurrency scam? This was one of the largest crypto news headlines of the year, with the story getting picked up by major news outlets. The SQUID token was a pump and dump scheme, with the coin’s creators quickly cashing out all their shares and stealing a little over $2 million from investors.

While there were clear indicators it was a scam from the beginning, this story was still memorable because it showed what can happen in the crypto world if you aren’t careful where you invest your money.

What will the crypto news headlines look like next year?

It seems likely that the crypto market will continue to experience some of the same growth in 2022 as it saw in 2021.

More institutions and politicians may start embracing cryptocurrency, which could help make it more widespread as a payment source in everyday life. On the other hand, more acceptance in mainstream society could come with more regulation, a topic that has been widely discussed in the crypto community.

The new year could also see some blockchain projects getting even better. For example, Ethereum’s 2.0 upgrade is expected to be completed sometime in 2022, which has the potential to launch ETH to even higher prices. Some have even speculated that 2022 could be the year it overtakes Bitcoin. But whatever happens, it seems like the progress made by the crypto economy, blockchain technology, and the DeFi industry will only keep growing in 2022!

Welcome to the New Years Eve edition of the Decentral Weekly Crypto News Wrap-Up, where Neil and Em examine the latest crypto news and attempt to answer the age-old question: “Is this a thing?”

This week, we discuss the NFT boom, Snoop Dogg entering the metaverse, crypto Super Bowl Ads, Blockbuster Video, and more. If you’re confused, keep reading: we promise it will all make sense.

The NFT numbers are looking good

Even last week, we spoke about the fact that both Adidas and Nike plan on fighting it out for competition in the metaverse, and there are certainly many corporations that will follow suit. What does that mean for the NFT sector in general? Also, what can we conclude about the NFT boom of 2021?

Well, it generated over $23 billion in trading volume. The numbers come from DappRadar, and they are incredibly impressive when you consider that the NFT trading volume in 2020 was only $100 million! This was certainly “the year of the NFT,” but they certainly have many critics. Even Keanu Reeves isn’t a fan.

Should we still be cautious about NFTs, or is it time to admit that this is more than just a fad?

Neil says:

There’s no way to deny that NFTs had an incredible year. The issue is that I wonder whether many projects will lose their value this year or whether the momentum will continue. I wonder whether a lull in the NFT market could cause things to slow down in 2022.

Em says:

Of course this is the story. NFTs are literally the only crypto-related thing I hear about in mainstream gossip. No one outside crypto is talking about DeFi or P2E or Web3. It’s all NFTs all the time. Brands, celebs, institutions are all on the train. It is what it is.

Bottom line:

Em thinks this is a mainstream thing, Neil thinks it’s more of a “wait and see” thing now.

Who do you agree with?

Comment online and tag @decentralpub. Your comment could be featured in an upcoming article.

Snoop Dogg out to smoke the competition

Snoop Dogg might not dominate rap music the way that he once did in the 1990s, but he has certainly evolved as an entrepreneur. The New York Times recently profiled the hip-hop legend, pointing out that he never seems to dilute his brand despite being associated with so many various companies and ventures.

It looks like the real world might not be enough for Snoop Dogg’s ambitions. He has announced plans to create his own metaverse, the “Snoopverse.” If you thought that there’s no way his metaverse would be successful, let me point out that someone has already paid half a million dollars to be his neighbor. Not a bad start.

Snoop Dogg was recently mentioned as a “major” player in the metaverse, according to the Thomson Reuters Foundation News Twitter account. The account also mentioned companies like Boeing, platforms such as Decentraland, and main metaverse “builders” like Meta and Roblox.

Will the Snoopverse survive, or is this a short-term money play that we’ll forget about by next year?

Neil says:

Look, the thing about Snoop is that he’s everywhere: he’s a very brand-friendly rapper with credibility across generations. Will he become the new overlord of the new metaverse? No, but the fact that someone wants to pay that much to be his neighbor is a bullish sign, I would say. He’s been famous and relevant for 30 years now – I think this could be bigger than people realize.

Em says:

Yeah, I think this is a short-term money play. After all—that’s what we know Snoop for. His face is everywhere on every product. Does it mean anything? No. He just has a lot of name and face recognition. Obviously he’ll make a metaverse play, that’s what he does!

Bottom line:

Neil thinks Snoop is a sure thing, Em doesn’t believe that much in the Dogg.

Who do you agree with?

Kraken gets creative

In the first story, we talked about the NFT boom. Many crypto experts have been wondering about where the space goes from here. Will we see more NFT marketplaces pop up? Will NFTs be a driving force for DeFi for a long time, or is this just its moment in the spotlight?

Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2011. The exchange is reportedly working on a marketplace where NFTs can be used as collateral for loans. The CEO of Kraken, Jesse Powell, has previously stated that he hopes that Kraken can launch an NFT marketplace by February.

Powell thinks this is about moving into the “third phase” of NFTs: where users begin exploring more “functional uses.” Kraken recently made crypto news because it acquired Staked, a non-custodial staking platform. Will staking and loaning with NFTs help the “NFT craze” continue into the new year?

We just spoke about NFTs and if they are sticking around. In your opinion, does this make a difference? Is Kraken making a major move here, or not really?

Neil says:

See, now we’re talking. I can imagine how an NFT collector would be excited about the fact that they can actually loan and borrow crypto based on their NFTs. Even if you’re a big NFT skeptic, I think you have to admit that this would be a game-changer for Kraken. I imagine they’ll have competition soon, too – but yes: big move here.

Em says:

I think it’s to be expected with DeFi trying to make new ways to do financial services. However, I do also think it could be a bit dangerous because… I mean, let’s be real: do NFTs actually have enough real value to be used as collateral? Only time will tell, but it seems iffy to me.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is definitely a thing, Em thinks it’s “kind of” a thing.

Who do you agree with?

Crypto ads are coming to the Super Bowl

One of the biggest cryptocurrency stories of the past year is that the Staples Center will be renamed the Crypto.com arena. It doesn’t look like Crypto.com plans on slowing down on spending, either. Crypto.com will be running its first Super Bowl ad this year, and they aren’t alone.

FTX, the crypto exchange founded by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, will also be spending millions to reach a more mainstream audience. While details about the exact nature of the cryptocurrency-related ads are unavailable, the Wall Street Journal reports that NBCUniversal is asking for at least $6.5 million per 30-second advertisement.

There’s no bigger advertising event than the Super Bowl. Could this backfire, or is it safe to say that this is a win?

Neil says:

Yes, this is a big deal – but there’s a little bit of risk here. I imagine that one ad that backfires might actually do a lot of damage to the average viewer than most. Overall, this is great – but the stakes are higher in the Super Bowl. It’s possible that a lackluster ad could mean a big misfire for these companies. I hope the ad can remain memorable amongst the competition?

Em says:

I remember as a kid seeing GoDaddy ads and having no idea what a domain registrar was—but I knew the GoDaddy brand! Seems like this will be a similar thing. Everyone will still be like, umm what is crypto and what is FTX….but at least they’ll know the brand.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks this is a good thing that can backfire; Em thinks it’s a good, and nostalgic, thing.

Who do you agree with?

The case of the vanishing Bitcoin

We’ve talked about the fact that El Salvador has embraced Bitcoin to the point where the country was able to build schools thanks to crypto profits. Many El Salvador citizens are still not fans of cryptocurrency and protested the legislation. However, there is a bit more depressing crypto news this week: apparently, some of that Bitcoin is vanishing.

Hundreds of El Salvadorans are claiming that Bitcoin is disappearing from their accounts. An anonymous Twitter user who calls himself “El Comisionado” is exposing this, claiming that the government isn’t responding. He also thinks that Chivo wallets may not be secure.

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is still very pro-crypto. He recently stated that the dollar was dead, and that Bitcoin was the future. He hasn’t commented on the stories of vanishing Bitcoin. In other crypto news, Turkey’s Parliament will soon be debating a new crypto law.

Should we stop using El Salvador as a positive example for Bitcoin? Is the bad PR worth it, or is it still too early to judge?

Neil says:

The good news is that this isn’t happening to a lot of people, but I should point out that this is kind of getting passed off as a “distraction” or a “failure” already. I’m not sure this is the best crypto news, and I wonder whether El Salvador will give us more negative crypto stories in 2022. I’m hoping that isn’t the case, but I’m not sure.

Em says:

Sure, this is some bad PR. But haters will always look for bad PR angles. From the reports, they only had 50 cases. In all of El Salvador, 50 is not that many. This is new tech, there will be bumps in the road. Of course they should be fixed, but they’re also to be expected.

Bottom line:

Neil thinks El Salvador might lead to more bad news, Em thinks it’s a minor bump in the road.

What do you think?

Bad idea of the week: Will ‘90s nostalgia help Blockbuster?

If there are any 20-year-olds reading this newsletter, you might scoff at the fact that people once went to a physical location to rent movies. Blockbuster Video boasted thousands of locations where families could check out movies and video games. Unfortunately, the company ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2010 amidst the rise of streaming services.

Blockbuster may be coming back…as a DAO. That’s correct: investors hope to raise at least $5 million to rebrand Blockbuster Video as a decentralized streaming service. The group is openly appealing to ‘90s nostalgia and claiming that they hope to “liberate the brand from purgatory.”

They plan to raise the cash through NFT sales. This marks a new trend of DAOs entering the “offline world,” with the concept of DAOs eventually replacing real corporations. One of the most interesting cryptocurrency stories of the past year, for example, was the fact that a group of investors wanted to purchase the Constitution.

BlockbusterDAO: All the ‘90s nostalgia aside, is this a good idea? Will it succeed?

Neil says:

I’m Team Blockbuster Video, it’s that simple. It was cool to grow up actually picking and choosing movies and video games and finding out what was good or not. I think a lot of millennials (who are into crypto) will be interested.

Em says:

The last vestiges of a nostalgic analog era are the perfect thing to tug on millennial heart strings. We all remember browsing Blockbuster in our youth. Meme culture and the inclination to avenge a lost but beloved brand should not have gone unnoticed!!

Bottom line:

PLOT TWIST: Both Neil and Em agree that it was a bad idea to ever DOUBT the mighty Blockbuster Video. The Constitution is cool, but…

What do YOU think?

Meme of the week

As always, Em brings you your meme of the week:

Thanks for reading before you pop champagne tonight.

How was your year as far as cryptocurrency markets go? Did any of your coins “go to the moon?” Did you “ape” into a project and are now having doubts about it? Are you headed to Puerto Rico off your Solana gains?

Make sure to let us know at @decentralpub on Twitter.

This is the last Decentral Publishing Weekly Crypto News Wrap-Up of the year. The next time we’ll see you, it’ll be 2022. We’re not getting emotional, you are!

We will be back next week on January 7th with our first Decentral Publishing Weekly Crypto News Wrap-Up of the new year. Have a safe and Happy New Year!

The Uncensored Crypto podcast delivers straight-talk about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Web3, the blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, and more. Host Michael Hearne interviews the disruptors at the forefront of the crypto revolution who are shaping our economic, financial, and political future.

In the sixth episode of the Uncensored Crypto podcast, our CEO, Michael Hearne, speaks with Jesse Proudman. Proudman is a serial crypto entrepreneur, previously founding Strix Leviathan and currently the CEO of Makara, the first SEC-registered crypto robo-advisor.

What is Jesse Proudman hoping to accomplish with Makara, and how did he even get into crypto in the first place? Michael gets to the bottom of these questions – and more – in the latest Uncensored Crypto podcast episode.

What was Jesse’s journey to crypto?

First things first – Jesse is a natural entrepreneur. He started his first business at 13, and was even running a business while attending college. In his own words, he’s always preferred the entrepreneurship route – and “never had a real job.” IBM Ventures – a company known for embracing blockchain technology, hired him as a cryptocurrency subject matter expert after they acquired his company in 2017.

At this point, Jesse knew that his next venture would be in the crypto world. When IBM said there was no capital for a crypto accelerator program he designed; he left the company and built Strix Leviathan. Strix Leviathan is a crypto-focused quantitative hedge fund that has been quite successful.

But Jesse Proudman wanted to do more. He sat down with his team and decided to address some of the biggest problems facing the crypto sector – including how to address the fact that the digital asset world can be intimidating to newcomers.

What is Makara?

Makara is an SEC-approved crypto robo advisor, and the vision is simple: simplifying and democratizing the crypto investing experience. While many new investors may decide to invest at a centralized exchange, Makara offers baskets of assets that follow a particular “theme.” Once users sign up, a survey helps determine what basket makes the most sense for their investment goals. Gemini operates as Makara’s custodian.

There are many people who are curious about Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, but there’s usually a motive for that curiosity. Some established investors believe that Bitcoin is a great way to hedge against inflation, and aren’t interested in other cryptocurrencies.

Other crypto traders may want to focus only on DeFi tokens, believing that decentralized finance will grow over the next several years. Makara is a platform for democratizing access to crypto markets, and helping people “invest crypto on autopilot.”

How Does It Work?

When you think about a traditional robo advisor, the idea is to help clients design a portfolio according to their risk tolerance. Proudman points out that the entire crypto ecosystem is “volatile” when compared to traditional asset classes. As a result, the goal of Makara is to help cryptocurrency investors find assets based on their interests and goals.

Makara makes it easy for users to invest in a particular “theme.” It’s not a mutual or fund, but can be thought of as more of a model portfolio. When you subscribe to a basket, you’re actually HOLDING the assets. One example would be the Web 3.0 basket, where every asset is somehow related to Web 3.0. The company’s Blue Chip basket focuses on the largest and most established cryptocurrencies – hence the “blue chip” moniker.

Since you’re holding the assets, Makara users have more autonomy. You’re free to trade the assets – or baskets – at will, because you’re participating directly. How does the robo advisor determine what assets to include in their baskets? An investment committee examines the projects to determine that the project has sufficient trading volume, and is traded on enough exchanges.

Thoughts on the metaverse

Jesse Proudman also acknowledges in this podcast episode that the metaverse is here, pointing out that Makara will soon offer a metaverse basket. Michael asks him his thoughts on the rise of the metaverse, and Jesse points out that the word clearly means different things to different people. “At the end of the day, I think it’s about bringing social network capabilities onto the blockchain,” he says.

He tells the Uncensored Crypto podcast he’s excited about the metaverse because it allows people to interact, express themselves, and collect art. The metaverse obviously allows for new and innovative ways to interact, and Proudman appreciates the fact that it’s bringing new people to crypto who otherwise may not have been interested.

Ultimately, it seems like this aligns with Jesse’s vision: a future where crypto can be used as a democratizing force rather than an exclusionary one.

Everyone’s no doubt heard of Dogecoin: the dog coin that started as a parody of Bitcoin and ended up becoming a legitimate payment system. But what exactly is a dog coin? And what is a memecoin more broadly?

A memecoin is a type of altcoin created around internet jokes or memes. These coins are created just for fun and have an emphasis on community-building, charity-giving, and of course, memes. Animal-themed crypto coins are popular simply because animal memes are so widely beloved by internet culture.

After all, who doesn’t remember seeing the doge meme, the basis for Dogecoin, everywhere back in 2013? And who doesn’t like watching cute cat videos? Below, we’ll get into the top 11 dog-themed memecoins, ranked by market cap.

Top 11 dog-themed memecoins by market cap

1. Dogecoin

Dogecoin is the original dog-themed memecoin. It was created in 2013 by two software engineers as a parody of Bitcoin.

Since then it has evolved from a joke to become a widely used payment system and cryptocurrency investment project. Dogecoin has its very own blockchain, which is something that distinguishes it from other memecoins out there.

It has received attention from celebrities like Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Snoop Dog, which has resulted in its price skyrocketing over the past few years. Currently, Dogecoin has the highest market cap of any memecoin, at $27 billion.

The price for one coin is $0.21, down from a high of nearly $0.70 in mid-2021. It is the 10th largest crypto overall in terms of market cap.

Dogecoin’s market potential looks good, especially as it becomes more widely adopted as a payment system. For example, in 2021, the Dallas Mavericks started accepting Dogecoin as payment for tickets and merchandise. Dogecoin is projected to continue growing and could break above a dollar by 2025 according to some predictions.

2. Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu is Dogecoin’s biggest rival, and the second-largest memecoin by market cap. It was created in late 2020 as a parody of Dogecoin by an anonymous creator known only as Ryoshi.

It is an ERC-20 coin, which means it runs on the Ethereum network. SHIBA received a lot of media attention in 2021 when Ethereum’s founder Vitalik Buterin donated $1 billion worth of SHIBA to a Covid-19 relief fund in India.

The price of Shiba Inu grew thousands of times throughout 2021 until it reached its current price of $0.000042 and a market cap of $23 billion. It is the 13th highest crypto overall by market cap.

It has seen celebrity support from Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys and NFL star Antonio Brown. In terms of market potential, SHIBA is projected to continue its growth over the next five years, though it likely won’t come close to Dogecoin.

3. Dogelon Mars

With a market cap of $828 million, Dogelon Mars is the third-largest dog coin. It was created in April 2021 by an anonymous creator, and also runs on the Ethereum network.

Since its initial creation, it has built up a large community of fans and outperformed many of the other dog coins that have been in the market longer. This growth has driven up the price of the coin, which grew 22,500% throughout 2021.

Dogelon Mars’ growth makes it one of the top cryptos of 2021, and some are predicting it will sustain this growth over the next few years, potentially reaching $0.10 by 2026. Currently, the price of one ELON coin is $0.0000015.

4. Samoyedcoin

Samoyedcoin is a dog coin created on the Solana network. It began in April 2021 and was developed by an anonymous creator.

The coin has built up a large community of supporters who consider it to be Solana’s official mascot and ambassador. The SAMO coin is focused on helping beginners navigate the crypto world, particularly those looking to be part of the Solana ecosystem.

It also creates NFTs and has its own DEX, SamoDex. Currently, the price of one SAMO is $0.06505, and it has a market cap of $179 million. Samoyecoin is a community-driven project that has already seen a lot of growth since it launched. Some price predictions project the SAMO coin to reach as much as $0.35 in 2022.

5. Hoge Finance

The HOGE coin was created on the Ethereum network in February 2021 by an anonymous group. These original creators ended up abandoning the coin after only a few days.

However, the coin’s investors and fans of the project bought the Hoge smart contract from the developers. They then turned Hoge Finance into a truly decentralized and community-owned product. These investors became known as the Hoge Association.

Since then, Hoge Finance has expanded to offer NFTs, merchandise, and even a unique platform called Hoge University, which offers courses on blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Currently, the price of one HOGE coin is $0.0003699, and it has a market cap of $159 million. Hoge Finance is a long way off from reaching the levels of Shiba Inu and Dogecoin, but the fact that it’s rumored to get picked up on a major exchange means there’s a lot of potential for growth for this dog coin.

6. MonaCoin

With a market cap of $112 million, MonaCoin is the largest cat-themed coin and the sixth-largest memecoin overall, so it deserves a spot on this list!

MonaCoin is an older memecoin, developed in Japan back in 2014 by an anonymous creator known only as Mr. Wantanabe. It is considered Japan’s first crypto and is mainly used in Japan as an alternative to Bitcoin and Litecoin.

It has its own blockchain and serves as a currency for decentralized, peer-to-peer transactions. MonaCoin was born from a hard fork with its parent coin, Litecoin. Just as the goal of Litecoin was to be faster than Bitcoin, the goal of MonaCoin was to be faster than Litecoin.

Currently, the price of one MonaCoin is $1.72. MonaCoin’s future seems relatively stable considering that it can successfully create blocks in only a minute and a half, much faster than Bitcoin’s time of ten minutes. In addition, the memecoin has received approval to be used in everyday transactions by Japan’s regulatory authorities.

7. Doge Dash

Doge Dash is unique from the other dog coins mentioned above because it’s actually a game that just launched in December 2021. It is available on the Apple and Google Play stores.

Just a couple weeks before the release of the full game, the coin’s market cap was $85 million and the price of one DOGEDASH was $0.001572.

It was founded by Paul Caslin and developed by Narsun Studios, a tech company that seeks to integrate blockchain technology with games and other software.

Players can earn 10,000 DOGEDASH coins on each of the 10 levels. After they finish the game, the coins will be airdropped into the player’s wallet. 100 coins are required to play each level. Doge Dash also offers NFTs and a merch store.

8. SafeMoon Inu

SafeMoon Inu is a dog coin that was created on the Ethereum network in mid-2021. It gives 2% of every transaction to everyone who owns the SMI coin, in order to incentivize people to hold it.

Currently, SafeMoon Inu is also planning to launch a gaming platform where players can get other rewards for their coins, including NFTs.

SafeMoon Inu strives to combat the volatility of most memecoins by rewarding those who hold their coins over a long-term period.

For this reason, they charge a 10% fee on every sale of their coins. Currently, one SMI coin is worth $0.00002348 and its market cap is $23 million.

9. DOGGY

Crypto Doggies is an NFT marketplace that sells animated NFTs of different dogs. Each NFT is generated cryptographically, and each characteristic of the dogs, such as breed, pose, and accessories, has a certain percentage chance of occurring.

This means that some NFTs will be a lot rarer and harder to collect than others. Crypto Doggies NFTs can only be purchased with 100,000 DOGGY coins, which can be found on Bakeryswap.org. All the DOGGY coins spent will be burned.

Crypto Doggies also offers staking opportunities for those who hold NFTs. At the moment, the price of one DOGGY dog coin is $0.005642 and the market cap is $22 million.

10. Dogs of Elon

Dogs of Elon is another NFT marketplace that offers 10,000 unique NFTs of different dogs as well as Elon Musk.

The DOE token runs on the Ethereum network and can be used to purchase the NFTs. These NFTs can then be staked to earn even more DOE. Dogs of Elon was launched in November 2021, and currently has a price of $0.08096 and a market cap of $15 million.

Since the project started only recently, the developers have plans to keep growing the community, including donations to dog shelters and animal charities.

11. Dogey-Inu

Last but not least is Dogey-Inu. This dog coin was created on the Ethereum network in mid-2021 as a peer-to-peer payment memecoin. Its goal is to build a global DeFi community connected through memes and a desire for financial freedom.

The DINU coin is unique from some other coins because the developers locked away DINU’s liquidity tokens for 79 years in order to ensure the coin’s stability and growth.

The Dogey-Inu project is entirely community-driven, and the team’s goals are to build up a large community of supporters and create their own decentralized applications in the future.

Currently, the price of one DINU is $0.00000001538 and it has a market cap of $6 million.

What is the future of the dog coin?

Given the large amount of dog coin projects created in 2021 alone, it’s clear that dog-themed memecoins aren’t going anywhere anytime soon! These memecoins are an important part of the crypto investment culture because they represent a fun, light-hearted way of “investing.”

But more importantly, these projects bring people together and build vibrant communities over shared jokes and interests. These people are passionate about their projects and work together to not just make a successful coin, but a successful brand.

Some dog coins also play an important role by giving back to the community by donating to charity, which shows the real-world impact these coins can have.

Of course, with the rise of cat coins, who knows what the future will hold for their dog coin counterparts. Can cats rise up and unseat dog coins from their throne? While that could happen one day, it doesn’t seem like it will be anytime soon.

How to stay safe and still have fun with dog coins

While dog coins sound like a lot of fun, it’s worth noting that a memecoin is a riskier investment compared to other types of crypto, since pretty much anyone can make their own. So how can you be sure you’re not entering a scam? The best way is to evaluate the coin’s community. What are people saying about the coin on social media? Are the developers active in the community?

Also, have the developers chosen to audit their project or verify it some other way? Is there a legitimate-looking whitepaper? Does the project have a roadmap?

Most importantly, what is the distribution of the coin like? How big is the market cap? Do the developers hold most of it, or do the investors? Do the developers have a way of controlling the inflation and deflation rates of the coin (such as regular burnings)?

Try to answer all of these questions before diving in and spending your money on a dog coin. And just as with any investment, it’s typically best to only invest what you can afford to lose.

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Meme of the week

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FTX

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Creating a coin

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2. Avalanche

3. Cardano

4. Cosmos

5. Solana

6. Polkadot

7. XRP

8. Terra

9. Binance Coin

10. Bitcoin

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2. Ether up 1,000% since 2020

3. Miami becoming a Bitcoin city

4. Facebook whistleblower supports herself financially with crypto

5. Bitcoin reached more transaction volume than PayPal

6. El Salvador to build Bitcoin schools

7. U.S. passed China as the largest Bitcoin mining hub

8. Crypto market in Africa grows by 1,200%

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What was Jesse’s journey to crypto?

What is Makara?

How Does It Work?

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In This Article

Top 11 dog-themed memecoins by market cap

1. Dogecoin

2. Shiba Inu

3. Dogelon Mars

4. Samoyedcoin

5. Hoge Finance

6. MonaCoin

7. Doge Dash

8. SafeMoon Inu

9. DOGGY