Boxmining v2

Category: Decentralised Finance (DeFi)

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is a sector within the cryptocurrency and blockchain space which aims to provide a decentralized version of the products available in traditional finance- without central control and at a lower cost with potentially higher returns. These products include loans, interest-bearing deposits and borrowing services.

The advantages of decentralized finance are that it addresses the problems we have with the traditional banking system. For example, decentralized finance protocols are controlled by multiple people, and all participants are required to abide by the rules written into the smart contracts underlying the protocols.

  • ZKsync ($ZK) Token Airdrop Guide: How to claim?

    ZKsync ($ZK) Token Airdrop Guide: How to claim?

    ZKsync is a layer-2 scaling solution designed to speed up transactions and lower gas fees on Ethereum. There are reports ZKsync have have their token generation event (TGE) in the coming few days. Their airdrop is also anticipated to be around 13th June 2024. Meanwhile, ZKsync airdrop could entitle you to both a ZKsync ($ZK) and an ecosystem project airdrop! Here’s how to get a potential ZKsync ($ZK) token and ecosystem airdrop.

    Check out our Upcoming Crypto Airdrops! And our video guide on how to get the ZKsync $ZK token airdrop!

    ZKsync ($ZK) Airdrop Step-by-step Guide

    Here’s how to receive a potential ZKsync ($ZK) token airdrop:

    1. Add ZKsync Era Alpha Mainnet on MetaMask.
    2. Bridge Funds to ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet.
    3. Interact with ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha.
    4. Interact with the ZKsync ecosystem.
    5. Mint NFTs for ZKsync airdrop.
    6. Complete quests on ZKsync’s Crew3.
    7. Join the ZKsync Guild
    8. Bonus: Complete ZKsync Era tasks on RabbitHole.
    9. Mint Dappad zk-KYC NFT

    See below for more in-depth details!

    What is ZKsync?

    ZKsync is a layer-2 scaling solution designed to speed up transactions and lower gas fees on the Ethereum network while maintaining high security and privacy for users. It does this through Zero-Knowledge Rollup (ZK-Rollup) — transactions on Ethereum are bundled up to be processed off-chain and then sent back to the main chain after validation.

    ZKsync is developed by Matter Labs. The company was co-founded in 2019 by Alex Gluchowski and Alexandr Vlasov. Matter Labs has raised over $58 million. Their latest funding was raised on 8th November 2021 from a Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Other major investors include Dragonfly Capital, Placeholder, 1kx, and more.

    What is a Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Rollup?

    The ZK-rollup is the core element of ZKsync. ZK-rollups generate cryptographic proofs (ZK-SNARK or ZK-STARK) to verify transactions without revealing the information itself, hence the name “zero-knowledge proofs.” It maintains privacy by making transaction details such as token amounts anonymous. It is also highly secure because compressed transaction data are stored on-chain.

    Unlike other layer-2 solutions, ZKsync relies on math instead of third-party validators to scale computation. Validators are known as “operators” or “sequencers” and are in charge of executing, aggregating, and submitting transactions to the main chain, but they do not validate the transactions themselves — the Ethereum smart contract does. By relying on math and cryptographic security, ZKsync ensures a truly secure and trustless environment for decentralized finance (DeFi).

    What’s the Difference Between ZKsync Era and ZKsync Lite?

    At its inception, ZKsync lacked support for smart contracts, preventing activities such as using DeFi or purchasing NFTs, which are common on Ethereum. However, it did provide significant scaling for Ethereum, leading to its nickname “ZKsync Lite.”

    The ZKsync Era represents an upgrade to the network, delivering all the features of Ethereum while also providing more cost-effective and faster transactions.

    Does ZKsync have a Token?

    ZKsync has a native token known as $ZK, which was launched on 17th June 2024. The $ZK token is the native utility and governance token in the ZKsync ecosystem by maintaining and enhancing ZKsync’s operation. One main use for the ZKsync token is to pay for transaction fees on the ZKsync network and to vote on governance decisions. Users can also stake $ZK tokens and they will be rewarded with additional ZK tokens.

    Is there a ZKsync ($ZK) Token Airdrop?

    The ZKsync ($ZK) token airdrop started on 24th June 2024 and eligible users can claim their airdrop until 5th January 2025. 3.675 billion $ZK tokens i.e. 17.5% of the total token supply will be airdropped to eligible users.

    How to claim ZKsync ($ZK) Token Airdrop

    To check your eligibility and claim your ZKsync ($ZK) token airdrop, connect your wallet or GitHub username HERE.

    How to Receive Potential ZKsync ($ZK) Token Airdrop?

    The best chance to receive $ZKS airdrop is to interact with ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha. Moreover, many projects in the zkSync ecosystem also do not have a token yet. So, interacting with their ecosystem dApps may entitle you to potential airdrops from zkSync and the ecosystem project. Here’s how to receive a potential ZKsync token airdrop:

    1. Add ZKsync Era Alpha Mainnet on MetaMask.
    2. Bridge Funds to ZKsync.
    3. Interact with ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha.
    4. Interact with the ZKsync ecosystem.
    5. Complete quests on ZKsync’s Crew3.

    Add ZKsync Era Alpha Mainnet on MetaMask

    You will need to connect ZKsync Era alpha mainnet to your MetaMask. To do this, go to your MetaMask and click on the network button, then “Add network”. Then, click “Add a network manually”. Add the following information and click “Save”:

    • Network Name: ZKsync Era Mainnet
    • New RPC URL: https://mainnet.era.zksync.io
    • Chain ID: 324
    • Currency Symbol: ETH
    • Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.zksync.io/
    • WebSocket URL: wss://mainnet.era.zksync.io/ws

    Bridge Funds to ZKsync Era Mainnet and ZKsync Lite

    Bridge funds from Ethereum Mainnet to ZKsync Era Mainnet at bridge.zksync.io by connecting your wallet. Select the amount you wish to bridge and click “deposit”. Then, swap back to Ethereum Mainnet by clicking the arrows, choosing the amount you wish to bridge back to Ethereum, and click “Withdraw”.

    Bridge funds to ZKsync Lite at https://lite.zksync.io/ by connecting your wallet. Then, top up your balance using the ZKsync bridge. You can also try using other bridges in the ZKsync Lite ecosystem such as Orbiter Finance and ZigZag Exchange.

    Cheapest way to bridge funds to ZKsync Era?

    Here’s a cheaper way to bridge funds to zkSync Era Mainnet:

    1. Buy ETH on a centralized exchange (e.g. Binance or Bybit)- Sign up for a Bybit account HERE!
    2. Send your ETH from the Exchange to your Metamask using the Arbitrum network (fees are around US$1-2)
    3. Use Orbiter Finance to bridge ETH from Arbitrum to ZKsync Era (fees are around US$2-3)
    Bridge to zkSync Era with Orbiter Finance

    Interact with ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha

    Any user can now use ZKsync Lite (formerly known as ZKsync 1.0) and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha. This can be a potential way for users to get a zkSync airdrop even though they missed the whitelist. To interact with zkSync Lite, connect your L1 ETH wallet on ZKsync Lite (note the single-time account activation fee of 1.279 USDT). Then, interact by moving your balances from L1 on ZKsync Lite by depositing ETH or USDT. Or, withdraw your funds back from ZKsync Lite to L1.

    Interact with the ZKsync ecosystem

    ZKsync has an entire ecosystem of protocols. Here are some top ZKsync ecosystem projects you could interact with to maximise your chances of a potential ZKsync airdrop and even double your rewards:

    1. Orbiter Finance
    2. ZigZag Exchange
    3. Bungee
    4. Argent
    5. Onchain Trade
    6. SyncSwap
    7. SpaceFi
    8. Tevaera
    9. Velocore
    10. iZUMi Finance
    11. Mute.io
    12. ZKsync Name Service
    13. GameSwift

    Orbiter Finance

    Orbiter Finance is a decentralized cross-rollup layer-2 bridge that supports ZKsync as well as Arbitrum. You can send ETH, MATIC, BNB and other tokens to ZKsync and other layer-2 blockchains via the bridge. However, these are mainnet tokens (with value) since the bridge is live, but you can always bridge them back to Ethereum. Check out our Orbiter Finance Token Airdrop Guide.

    ZigZag Exchange

    ZigZag Exchange is an orderbook decentralized exchange (DEX) powered by ZK-rollups. You can trade or swap on ZigZag Exchange. Do 1 buy or sell transaction between ETH and USDC every week (gas fees are less than US$0.25). Here’s how to interact with ZigZag Exchange:

    1. Deposit funds to https://lite.zksync.io/. Note you will need to deposit at least US$3 worth of ETH or USDC in order to pay the 1-time activation fee on Zigzag (around US$2.6).
    2. Connect your wallet to https://trade.zigzag.exchange/?market=ETH-USDC&network=zksync.
    3. Do 1 buy or sell transaction between ETH and USDC every week (gas fees are less than US$0.25).

    ZigZag Exchange has also just finished its second round of airdrops (out of 7). So check out our ZigZag Exchange ($ZZ) token airdrop guide so you won’t miss out on their future airdrops!

    Bungee

    Bungee is a tool powered by Socket that helps people find the best way to move a digital token from one blockchain to another. Bungee has recently gone live on ZKsync Era. So sending tokens to and from ZKsync Era (and especially using the Stargate route) could position yourself for potential ZKsync, Bungee, Socket, Stargate AND LayerZero airdrops!

    Check out how with our Bungee Token Airdrop Guide

    Argent

    Argent is the only crypto wallet that offers multi-signature security and social recovery. The wallet is built on ZKsync and is the first wallet for StarkNet. The wallet has a mobile version available on the App Store and Google Play. Download Argent and use their wallet! You can send and receive funds, buy, earn, and stake crypto using Argent.

    Argent recently announced an NFT drop in collaboration with JediSwap, here’s how to get the NFT:

    1. Do a swap on JediSwap using your Argent X wallet on mainnet before 23:59 UTC on 23rd May 2023. Those who have done a swap on JediSwap using Argent X wallet before 1st April 2023 will be automatically eligible for the snapshot and won’t need to do any more swaps.
    2. To do the swap, either use the built-in swap feature in the Argent X wallet or do the swap at https://app.jediswap.xyz/#/swap.
    3. The team will take the snapshot at 23:59 UTC on 23rd May 2023. The claim/mint page will be shared afterwards, and you will have a total of 12 months from then to mint your NFT.

    Onchain Trade

    Onchain Trade is a money market and perps DEX offering up to 50x leverage. Connect your wallet to their protocol and test out their features! Check out our Onchain Trade ($OT) token airdrop guide (now LIVE)!

    SyncSwap

    SyncSwap is a DEX built on ZKsync and has recently announced its launch on ZKsync Era testnet. It is predicted they will be one of the first protocols to launch on ZKsync Era Mainnet since they are one of the first protocols built on ZKsync. Therefore, interacting with SyncSwap will put you in a good position to get a potential ZKsync token airdrop (and possibly a SyncSwap airdrop too)! (fii-institute) Here’s how to interact with Syncswap:

    1. Connect your wallet to Syncswap.
    2. Go to their Swap page. Choose the type and amount of tokens and click “Swap”. We also suggest swapping tokens on the ZKsync network using Paymaster. Paymaster allows SyncSwap users to pay gas fees using other tokens such as $USDT, $USDC and $HOLD in addition to ETH. To do this, first make sure your MetaMask wallet and SyncSwap are both on the ZKsync Era Network. Then, click and hold on your account balance and you can see the fee discounts offered by Paymaster when using other tokens to pay for gas fees. For example, you get a 50% fee discount when paying with $HOLD!
    3. Deposit liquidity to their Pools. On the top bar, click the down arrow, “Positions” and “New Position”. Select USDC and ETH and click “Enter Pool”. Then click “Deposit” located on the left-hand side of the screen and deposit both USDC and ETH. Then, unlock your tokens and deposit them into the pool.
    4. Join their Discord.
    5. Go to their Guild page and complete the tasks.

    Interacting with SyncSwap is one of the best ways to maximize your potential airdrop with the least amount of fees. Learn how with our SyncSwap token airdrop guide!

    SpaceFi

    SpaceFi allows users can trade, earn, mint, stake, sell, create, and invest in a variety of projects. With SpaceFi, users can also swap assets, farm rewards, mint, and stake Planet NFTs, join or create a spacebase, and invest in new projects. SpaceFi has already launched 30 million $SPACE on Evmos mainnet, and will be launching 30 million $SPACE on ZKsync 2.0 (i.e. ZKsync Era) when mainnet goes live. The team has also confirmed they will be doing an airdrop.

    Since the protocol is already live on ZKsync testnet, it may be a good idea to interact with SpaceFi in anticipation of when zkSync Era mainnet goes live. To interact with SpaceFi, request testnet tokens here. Then connect your wallet to Space.io, swap some $tSPACE tokens. Then, add liquidity to their pool. Finally, join the SpaceFi Discord and their Crew3. You can also complete the tasks on Crew3 which include joining their guilds, adding them to your CoinGecko watchlist or inviting friends to their Discord.

    You can check out our SpaceFi token airdrop guide!

    Tevaera

    Tevaera aims to build an EVM-compatible on-chain gaming ecosystem on ZKsync. Their mainnet is now live on ZKsync Era.

    1. Connect your wallet to log in. Make sure you are on the ZKsync Era network.
    2. Mint your Tevan ID and Guardian NFTs.
    3. Connect your citizen ID to Discord.
    4. Play Teva Run to earn Karma Points.
    5. Complete tasks on Tevaea’s Zealy Questboard.
    6. Mint ONFTs by going onto your portfolio and clicking “Mint ONFT bundle”.
    7. Bridge one ONFT from ZKsync Era to Arbitrum network.
    8. Optional: Add KP (Karma) to your web3 vault. Note that 1KP is around 0.021 USD.

    For more details, check out our Tevaera $TEVA token airdrop guide!

    Velocore

    Velocore is the first ever ve(3,3) DEX on ZKsync. They have a native token $VC, so there may be a chance of a Velocore airdrop too? Here’s how to interact with Velocore:

    1. If you don’t have funds on ZKsync Era yet, use Orbiter.finance to bridge funds to ZKsync Era.
    2. Connect your wallet to Velocore’s swap page and swap some tokens. You can swap any token pairings e.g. ETH to USDT, ETH to VC etc.
    3. Go to their Liquidity Pools and add liquidity. There are 30 pools to choose from!
    4. Keep an eye on their Launchpad for upcoming projects and join in.

    Check out our Velocore ($VC) token airdrop guide!

    iZUMi Finance

    iZUMi Finance is a multi-chain DeFi protocol that provides One-Stop Liquidity as a Service (LaaS). iZiSwap, a next-generation DEX on Multi-Chains, is live on ZKsync Era and provides concentrated liquidity AMM and generates extra income for your assets. They also have their own $iZi token. In addition to doing their own airdrop, they have also promised to distribute 50% if any ZKsync and Linea airdrops they receive! Here’s how to interact with iZUMi Finance:

    1. Swap $iZi tokens.
    2. Add liquidity.
    3. Earn iPoints.
    4. Complete Linea Voyage Week 8.

    Check out our iZUMi Finance $iZi token airdrop guide!

    Mute.io

    Mute.io is a AMM DEX with limit orders, a farming and Bond platform. They are live on ZKsync Era. Although the mute.io team have confirmed the will NOT do an airdrop, interacting with this protocol may nevertheless be helpful in getting a ZKsync airdrop. Here’s how to interact with Mute.io:

    1. If you don’t have funds onZKsync Era yet, use Orbiter.finance to bridge funds to ZKsync Era.
    2. Connect your wallet to their Swap page and swap any amount of tokens.
    3. Go to their Pools and add liquidity. You can earn fees for doing this! Click “Manage” and choose the amount of liquidity you wish to add. You can also withdraw your liquidity and check your rewards at any time.
    4. As an optional task, you can buy their $MUTE token and lock it up here.

    ZKsync Name Service

    ZKsync Name Service is an omnichain name service that allows users to establish their Web3 profile. Here’s how to interact with ZKsync Name Service:

    1. Go to https://app.zkns.domains/.
    2. Search for an available domain name. If you find an available one that you want, click “Available”.
    3. Click “Request to register with ETH” and approve the transaction. It will cost around US$6.5 to buy a domain.

    GameSwift

    GameSwift aims to be a one-stop web3 gaming ecosystem based on a modular chain and zkEVM technology. From 28th September 2023, GameSwift will be hosting a GameSwift Multiverse Expansion campaign which will last for 6 weeks. In particular, week 3 of the campaign which goes live on 12th October 2023 will involve bridging to ZKsync! So completing the tasks for week 3 may position yourself for a potential GameSwift and ZKsync airdrop! Here’s how:

    • Swap USDC for $GSWIFT.
    • Bridge 10 $GSWIFT from Arbitrum Chain to ZKsync Network.
    • Go to the “Burn” tab, switch to ZKsync network on your wallet and burn 10 $GSWIFT.
    • Return to the GameSwift Galxe page and claim your Infinity Stone.

    GameSwift also has tasks for interacting with the LayerZero network. So, there is a chance to also get a potential LayerZero airdrop too by doing these tasks!

    Check out our LayerZero ($ZRO) Token Airdrop Guide

    Donate on Gitcoin

    Gitcoin is a community platform that funds and coordinate new open-source developments. To donate, go to the “grants” page. Pay via the ZKsync network for lower transaction fees.

    Donate on Gitcoin
    Gitcoin Grants

    Mint NFTs for a ZKsync airdrop: 3 in 1 airdrop!

    We have found 3 projects which are also doing airdrops! All you have to do is complete the tasks and mint their NFTs! What’s more, these projects require you to interact with ZKsync, so you will be positioning yourself for a ZKsync airdrop as well.

    Hypercomic

    Hypercomic has just announced its collaboration with ZKsync and has launched a NFT minting celebration campaign. The objective is to complete the tasks and mint their exclusive ZK24 NFTs. There are 3 parts to the minting campaign, Part 1: Transaction Maker is LIVE until 9th February 2024, Part 2: ZKsync Expert will run from 5th to 15th February 2024, and Part 3: Dapp Hustler will run from 13th to 23rd February 2024.

    To mint the ZK24 NFTs, connect your wallet HERE to see which NFTs you may already qualify for. For Part 1: Transaction maker, users with 30 or more ZKsync transactions, users with 50 or more ZKsync transaction and users with 100 or more ZKsync transactions will be eligible to mint 1 NFT. So, depending on the number of ZKsync transactions you have, you can get a maximum of 3 NFTs in Part 1. What’s more, the NFT you can mint for having over 100 ZKsync transactions is a Boost NFT which will help boost the cubic mining power in the Hypercomic Dapp.

    To mint the ZK24 NFTs, connect your wallet HERE to see which NFTs you may already qualify for. If you qualify, you will be able to mint the NFT. Then, go to the “Airdrop” page to check your eligibility for the Hypercomic ($HYCO) airdrop. Users who have over 60 transactions are eligible to claim the HYCO token airdrop and are given on a first come first served basis for the first 15,000 people.

    Tabi

    Tabi is the first gaming chain on Cosmos. Whilst you need to be on Binance Smart Chain to complete the tasks, 2 of them are on ZKsync, which will position yourself for any ZKsync related airdrops. Complete the airdrop tasks on Tabi by connecting to their site and completing their tasks. These are mostly social tasks such as connecting your social media profiles and following their social media pages. You will be able to mint the NFT once you have completed the tasks.

    GRVT

    GRVT is an on-chain perpetuals exchange for ZKsync. They are currently running a social airdrop campaign. For now, all you need to do is join their waitlist. Joining their waitlist lets you earn invite points for airdrop rights as well as a ZKsync mystery box.

    Complete quests on Crew3

    Go to ZKsync’s Crew3 Questboard and complete the quests. Tasks include following them on social media, reading their articles, and completing quizzes.

    Join the ZKsync Guild

    Connect your wallet and Google and Discord accounts to https://guild.xyz/zksync-era. Note you will also need at least 20 points on Gitcoin Passport. To check the number of points you have on Gitcoin Passport, connect your wallet to https://passport.gitcoin.co/#/dashboard. On the same page, you can also connect your other accounts to gain more points. However, some accounts require more than just having an account. For some, there are requirements to have a certain age/status/role or completed tasks in those accounts in order to qualify, which will make it difficult. Here’s a list of the easiest/ least requirement accounts to sign up for in order to get 20 points: Twitter, Discord, Google, Github, Facebook, LinkedIn, ENS, BrightID, Proof of Humanity, ETH, ZKsync, Gnosis Safe, Trusta Labs.

    Bonus: Complete ZKsync Era tasks on RabbitHole

    RabbitHole now offers the first ZKsync Era quests, which include SyncSwap, EraLend, and Maverick. Completing each quest earns users NFT rewards and helps build their onchain history in the ZKsync ecosystem. The more quests you complete, the more quest rewards you become eligible for. Note that even if you have done similar tasks before, you will need to do them again to be eligible on RabbitHole. Here’s how to complete the tasks on RabbitHole:

    1. Make sure you are on the Ethereum network and connect your wallet to RabbitHole.
    2. Swap on Uniswap on Optimism.
    3. Deposit on Exactly on Optimism.

    Mint Dappad zk-KYC NFT

    Dappad is running a campaign where you can mint a non-transferable Soulbound NFT powered by ZkPass and Paymaster. Minting this NFT will give you access to future launchpads in ZKsync, and it could be key to qualifying for the potential ZKsync ($ZK) token airdrop. Note you only have 10 days (i.e. until 29th March 2024) to mint the NFT! Here’s how to mint the Dappad zk-KYC NFT:

    1. Go to DappLabs Galxe Page and complete the tasks.
    2. Download the zkPass TransGate Chrome extension HERE.
    3. Go to https://app.dappad.app/kyc and log in with your crypto wallet.
    4. Select 1 of the 5 supported centralized exchange accounts (i.e. Binance, Bybit, KuCoin, OKEx, Coinbase) for KYC verification.
    5. Log in to your selected exchange account when redirected. Make sure your exchange account is at least Level 1 verified.
    6. Approve sharing your KYC details with zkPass by clicking “START”.
    7. Return to the Dappad launchpad page after verification to see the ‘Already Verified KYC’.
    8. Your wallet app will then prompt you to sign a contract. Confirm the transaction and the non-transferable Dappad zk-KYC NFT will be sent to your wallet with 0 fees. The NFT is proof that you have successfully completed the KYC verification process.

    You can also check out our step-by-step video guide HERE.

    Best ZKsync Airdrop Route for swaps?

    Here’s one of the best ZKsync Airdrop routes for swaps. By doing this route you can make the most of the potential ZKsync airdrop and interact with other protocols and possibly get those airdrops too!

    1. Swap ETH for USDC using Syncswap
    2. Swap USDC for WETH using Mute.io
    3. Swap WETH for USDT using Symbiosis
    4. Swap USDT for USDC using SpaceFi
    5. Swap USDC for ETH using Maverick
    6. Swap ETH for BUSD using Velocore
    7. Swap BUSD for ETH using KyberSwap

    LATEST: 4-in-1 airdrop route ($ZNS, $BEE, $ZKP, $ZK)

    Time needed: 10 minutes

    With this latest airdrop route, you will be interacting with 3 different protocols to get 4-in-1 airdrop! These protocols are ZKsync Domain ($ZNS), Beecoin ($BEE), and Passport NFT ($ZKP) in addition to ZKsync.

    1. Mint ZKsync Domain ($ZNS)

      Mint a ZKsync Domain HERE. Minting a domain will cost 0.0028 ETH but this is for lifetime ownership!

    2. Share referral link

      Go to the Airdrop page and share your referral link. You will get more $ZNS rewards for successful invitations.

    3. Claim Beecoin ($BEE)

      Click on “Free Mint $BEE” or to go Bee Coin. Follow their Twitter accounts, select your ZKsync Domain and click “Free Mint” to mint 1 million $BEE coins. Then click, “Add Wallet” to add your $BEE coins to your wallet. Note you will need to pay gas fees and their total supply is 100 billion coins! So, act fast before they are all minted! You can also share your invite link to receive an extra 500,000 Beecoin for each person you invite.

    4. Passport NFT ($ZKP)

      Connect your wallet HERE and click “Free Mint” to get a NFT passport. Note you will need to pay gas fees for this. Then, invite your friends to get 200 $ZKP and boost Passport Rank per friend.

    ZKsync airdrop season 1: Am I eligible?

    Eligibility for season 1 of ZKsync’s token airdrop was based on a snapshot taken on ZKsync Era and ZKsync Lite on 24th March 2024 at 0:00 UTC. 2 categories of users were eligible for the ZKsync airdrop: users (89%) and contributors (11%). Users on ZKSync are those who have made transactions and reached a certain level of activity. Contributors, on the other hand, include individuals, developers, researchers, communities, and companies who have contributed to the ZKSync ecosystem and protocol through development, advocacy, or education, regardless of their network activity.

    The airdrop allocations for ZKsync were calculated using a points system. Here’s how the points were calcualted:

    • Activity-Based Points: Wallets earned points for actions like interacting with smart contracts, depositing liquidity into DeFi protocols, and trading ERC-20 tokens.
    • ZKsync Lite Activity: Points were also awarded for activities on ZKsync Lite, such as donating to a Gitcoin round or transacting over three different months.
    • Bridged Assets: Allocations were based on assets bridged to ZKsync Era, with multipliers for activity on ZKsync and Ethereum mainnet.
    • Minimum and Maximum Allocations: Wallets with fewer than 450 ZK tokens had their tokens recycled, while those with more than 100,000 tokens had excess tokens recycled. The minimum allocation was up to 917 $ZK tokens per wallet.

    ZKsync season 1 airdrop: How to claim?

    ZKsync will conduct a one-time token airdrop of 3.675 billion $ZK tokens (i.e. 17.5%) of the total token supply. Eligible users can claim their airdrop by connecting to their wallet to https://claim.zknation.io/ starting from 24th June 2024. The airdrop claim will be open until 3rd January 2025.

    ZKsync season 2 airdrop strategy guide

    ZKsync season 2 airdrop has already started! 2 main strategies to best position yourself for the token airdrop is to delegate your tokens and to maintain a high time weighted average balance (TWAB).

    In terms of strategies to find the best delegate to delgate your $ZK token, you may want to find delegates that are active in voting on governance proposals.

    How to identify and avoid ZKsync airdrop scams

    ZKsync has not announced its official token yet. However, this has not stopped scammers from enticing unsuspecting victims with airdrops in order to steal their cryptocurrencies. Here are some ways in which you can identify and avoid ZKsync airdrop scammers.

    Look at social media handles

    Many scammers will use social media (e.g. Twitter, Telegram) handles that are confusingly similar to the official ones. For example, spelling the project name incorrectly or using different fonts and hidden characters in the handle. Other fake accounts may have spelled the project name correctly but has other words behind it e.g. ZKsync (@ freetokens). Always check the official ZKsync website.

    Impersonating admins or mods

    Scammers have been known to impersonate admins or mods on ZKsync’s official channels. They may send DMs asking for users’ private information in order to “participate” in airdrops, or send you a link asking you to connect your wallet and drain your funds. zkSync admins or mods would not DM users first.

    Fake accounts tweeting ZKsync airdrop info

    There are fake accounts tweeting ZKsync token airdrops. However, there is no official announcement yet. Always check the official channels.

    ZKsync Airdrop Review

    When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.

    Likelihood of Airdrop: ZKsync has completed season 1 of its token airdrop.

    Airdropped Token Allocation: In season 1 of the ZKsync airdrop, a total of 3.675 billion $ZK tokens will be airdropped. This is equivalent to 17.5% of the total $ZK token supply.

    Airdrop Difficulty: Tasks which allowed you to be eligible for season 1 of the airdrop includes interactions, donations and bridging assets. This would not be difficult for a general crypto trader.

    Token Utility: The $ZK token is used for transaction fees, governance and staking.

    Token Lockup: There is no lockup period for $ZK tokens which were distributed in the airdrop.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    How do I participate in the ZKsync Airdrop?

    Here’s how to participate in the ZKsync airdrop
    · Add ZKsync Era Alpha Mainnet on MetaMask.
    · Bridge Funds to ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet.
    · Interact with ZKsync Lite and ZKsync Era Mainnet Alpha.
    · Interact with the ZKsync ecosystem.
    · Mint NFTs for ZKsync airdrop.
    · Complete quests on ZKsync’s Crew3.
    · Join the ZKsync Guild
    · Bonus: Complete ZKsync Era tasks on RabbitHole.

    How do I participate in the ZKsync Airdrop?

    ZKsync has not announced details of any potential airdrop yet.

    Is there a minimum amount of tokens I can receive from the ZKsync airdrop?

    This will depend on the rules of the ZKsync airdrop campaign, which has not been announced.

    Which is the best ZKsync ecosystem dApp to interact with for the ZKsync airdrop?

    We find SyncSwap to be the best ZKsync ecosystem dApp to interact with to position yourself for the airdrop. This is because SyncSwap refunds you 50-6 0% of your Ethereum gas fees. We’ve managed to do 30 ZKsync transactions on SyncSwap in 10 minutes for only US$3! Check out our SyncSwap ($SYNC) token airdrop guide!

    When is the ZKsync airdrop?

    The ZKsync airdrop was on 24th March 2024 at 0:00 UTC when the eligibility and allocations snapshot was taken. Eligible users can claim the airdrop from 24th June 2024 to 3rd January 2025.

    Will zkSync do an airdrop?

    ZKsync season 1 airdrop is now available for claim until 3rd January 2025.

    How do I prepare for a ZKsync airdrop?

    Projects often reward early users. Follow our guide to prepare for a potential airdrop.

    Does ZKsync have a token?

    ZKsync has a native token known as $ZK. It is used for paying transaction fees on the network, staking and governance.

    How do I get season 2 of the ZKsync airdrop?

    2 ways to get the potential season 2 of the ZKsync airdrop is to delegate your tokens and to maintain a high time weighted average balance (TWAB).

  • LayerZero ($ZRO) Token Airdrop How to claim

    LayerZero ($ZRO) Token Airdrop How to claim

    Looking for free tokens with huge upside potential? LayerZero is one of the major upcoming crypto airdrops, funded by many reputable global enterprises such as PayPal. The LayerZero airdrop is now available to claim. This is our LayerZero airdrop ultimate guide.

    Check out our zkSync ($ZKS) Token Airdrop Guide for another highly anticipated airdrop.

    LayerZero ($ZRO) Airdrop Step-by-Step Guide

    Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get a potential LayerZero ($ZRO) token airdrop:

    1. Interact with Stargate Finance
    2. Interact with Stargate Bridge on LayerZero
    3. Use Stargate on Bungee
    4. Use the USDC LayerZero Bridge
    5. Use the Aptos Bridge
    6. Use LiquidSwap Bridge
    7. Use LEVEL Finance Bridge
    8. Use SushiSwap Cross-Chain Swap
    9. Use BitcoinBridge
    10. Interact with other dApps on LayerZero
    11. Get roles on the Stargate Guild

    See below for more details!

    What is LayerZero?

    LayerZero is a trustless omnichain interoperability protocol designed to connect multiple chains. Let’s break it down what this means in simple terms:

    Underlying Issues of Current Interoperability Techniques

    Interoperability is a big problem for blockchains. Blockchains can’t talk to each other in a way that makes sense, so they’re like separate islands. This makes it hard for people to move things like money and data between them. There are two ways to fix this, but they both have problems.

    Middle Chain

    In the blockchain world, there are some protocols that help blockchains talk to each other such as Polkadot or Cosmos. They’re like a middleman that helps different blockchains exchange messages. This is a good way to make sure that blockchains can work together and it’s not too expensive. But it’s not very secure because if something goes wrong with the middleman, then everything can be stolen. It’s like having all your eggs in one basket.

    On-Chain Light Node (Decentralized Bridges)

    Instead of having one person in charge, decentralized cross-chain bridges use on-chain light nodes to communicate between blockchains. A light node is like a small part of the blockchain ledger’s transaction history. It’s connected to a full node to make sure everything is correct.

    To send messages between chains, light nodes on one chain check the metadata of a block from another chain. Then they send proof of the transaction to the other chain. This is a safe way to send messages between chains, but it’s also very expensive. You would need to build a new bridge for every pair of chains, and each one would need its own interface and code.

    LayerZero’s Solution to Interoperability

    Instead of a middle chain or a layer-2 solution, LayerZero provides a massive infrastructure that would seamlessly enable direct, trustless transactions across all chains. Think of it like this: if blockchains are nations and bridges are immigration, then LayerZero would be a global super-passport and air-traffic control that allows communication between all blockchains at once. It focuses more on the communication problem of the interoperability layer (layer 0) rather than providing a third party solution like a bridge or middle chain.

    source: LayerZero Whitepaper

    LayerZero achieves this by using on-chain light nodes in a much more economical way. The team behind LayerZero, LayerZero Labs, coined it Ultra Light Node (ULN). The ULNs are connected to oracles and relayers, both independent off-chain entities in charge of transferring messages from one chain to another.

    Instead of keeping all block headers sequentially, block headers are streamed on demand by decentralized oracles, i.e. Chainlink, allowing the ULN endpoints to be small and cost-effective. The relayers are responsible for moving transaction proofs. Initially, LayerZero Labs will run and maintain the relayers, which will soon be fully open-sourced so that anyone can operate their own relayer.

    source: LayerZero Whitepaper

    Moreover, the use of an oracle-relayer pair provides additional layers of security since responsibilities are broken up. But if both parties are compromised, LayerZero would be vulnerable to attacks–no easy task, given the progressive decentralization of relayers growing in the network.

    Who is the Team behind LayerZero?

    LayerZero Labs, a Vancouver-based startup, developed LayerZero protocols to enable omnichain decentralized applications across multiple blockchains. LayerZero was co-founded in 2021 by Bryan Pellegrino, Ryan Zarick, and Caleb Banister. The three have previously worked together in computer network research labs at the University of New Hampshire.

    LayerZero Labs have recently raised US$120 million in Series B funding at a valuation of US$3 billion. The funding is expected to go towards growth initiatives, in particular expanding the Company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific. In March 2022, LayerZero Labs raised $135 million in a Series B funding round from the likes of FTX Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Uniswap Labs, Sequoia Capital, a16z, PayPal Ventures and more. Interestingly, LayerZero is PayPal’s first ever web3 investment. Seeing as that PayPal is one of the world’s leading payment networks this goes to show LayerZero has huge potential that spans beyond the crypto space.

    Does LayerZero have a Token?

    LayerZero does not have a token YET. But based on their information code we know it will be called $ZRO.

    source: LayerZero Gitbook

    How to Receive Potential LayerZero Token Airdrop?

    Interact with Stargate Finance

    Stargate Finance (Check out our airdrop guide here) is the first live LayerZero protocol. LayerZero Labs believes Stargate will be integral to any dApp that wants to move cryptocurrency across blockchains. Thus, Stargate users, especially DAO voters, could have a very high chance to receive $ZRO airdrops. Here’s how to stake and become a DAO Voter on Stargate:

    1. Buy Stargate’s $STG token (for as little as $0.74) on centralized crypto exchanges like Bybit or on decentralized exchanges like Uniswap. We suggest staking at least 25 $STG because it is the minimum required to get some guild roles.
    2. Stake $STG to get $veSTG. This gives you voting power on Stargate’s staking tab: https://stargate.finance/stake. The staking period can range from 1 to 36 months. You can also browse the pools and farms on the staking page to earn more $STG yields.
    3. Add liquidity to Pools. Go to https://stargate.finance/pool, choose your preferred Pool and add liquidity. You can remove liquidity at any time on the “Remove” tab. You earn LP tokens as a reward, which then be farmed to get $STG. Check our guide here.
    4. Regularly vote on governance proposals. Tip: Select “Turn On My Notifications” so you don’t miss any voting opportunities.

    Interact with Stargate Bridge

    Interact with dApps such as Stargate Finance’s Stargate Bridge by bridging your funds across networks repeatedly to generate volume. To do this, select the “from” token and network, the “to” token and network, and confirm your transaction.

    Bonus: How to save costs when using Stargate Bridge

    Here’s how to save costs when using Stargate Bridge:

    1. Do not transfer assets to/from the Ethereum network as it usually costs the most.
    2. Instead, to save costs when using Stargate Bridge transfer to/from these networks: BNB/AVAX, BNB/MATIC, BNB/FTM, BNB/METIS, AVAX/MATIC, AVAX/FTM, AVAX/METIS, MATIC/FTM, ARB/BNB, ARB/AVAX, ARB/MATIC and FTM/METIS.
    3. Check the estimated gas cost before bridging by clicking “Transfer Gas Estimator” before transferring assets.

    Use Stargate on Bungee

    Bridge tokens on Bungee using the Stargate route. This will also make you eligible for the Bungee, Socket and Stargate potential airdrops. For more details, see our Bungee token airdrop guide.

    Use the USDC LayerZero Bridge

    You can use the USDC LayerZero bridge (https://usdcdemo.layerzero.network/bridge) to transfer USDC between EVM chains.

    USDC Goerli Contract Address: 0x07865c6E87B9F70255377e024ace6630C1Eaa37F
    USDC Avax Contract Address: 0x5425890298aed601595a70AB815c96711a31Bc65

    Use the Aptos Bridge

    The Aptos Bridge is powered by LayerZero. You can move USDC, USDT, and ETH from Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Polygon, and BSC to the Aptos network. Connect your EVM (e.g. MetaMask) and Aptos wallets (e.g. Martian wallet). Then, choose the number of cryptocurrencies and networks you wish to use. However, keep in mind there is a 3-day transfer window if you want to withdraw your funds out of the Aptos ecosystem. You will also need to pay gas fees in Aptos $APT tokens.

    To use the Aptos Bridge with the least amount of gas fees, transfer USDC from BNB Chain to Aptos network. To do this, you will need USDC and BNB (gas fees) in your EVM wallet (e.g. MetaMask). You will also need $APT to your Martain wallet to pay for gas fees.

    Use the LiquidSwap Bridge

    Go to https://bridge.liquidswap.com/ and bridge USDT, and ETH from Ethereum or Arbitrum to the Aptos network. Connect your EVM (e.g. MetaMask) and Aptos wallets (e.g. Martian wallet), and choose the cryptocurrency and network (Ethereum/Arbitrum to Aptos and vice versa) you wish to bridge tokens. Note you will need to pay gas fees in Aptos $APT tokens.

    Use LEVEL Finance Bridge

    LEVEL Finance is a decentralized perpetual exchange on BNB Chain that provides risk management solutions for liquidity providers and is built by experienced entrepreneurs and contributors. To use LEVEL, you will need to buy their native $LVL token on DEXs such as Uniswap or Pancakeswap. Then, go to LEVEL Bridge and bridge $LVL tokens between BNB Chain and Arbitrum. Note that depending on which direction you are bridging, you will need BNB or ETH for gas fees.

    Use SushiSwap Cross-Chain Swap

    SushiSwap released its SushiXSwap, which is built upon LayerZero’s Stargate protocol. You can swap tokens directly to another network without using a bridge. As such, users are likely to be qualified for a $ZRO token airdrop!

    Use BitcoinBridge

    BitcoinBridge allows users to transfer BTC.b. BTC.b is a new type of wrapped Bitcoin that can be used on the Avalanche Network. It is moved to Avalanche using the Avalanche Bridge. This makes it easy to use Bitcoin on many different networks with the help of LayerZero.

    Meanwhile, BitcoinBridge is a good way for people on a budget to interact with the LayerZero ecosystem. Doing 20 transactions on BitcoinBridge will only cost around US$15! Here’s how to use BitcoinBridge:

    1. Buy BTC.b on Trader Joe here.
    2. Connect your EVM and Aptos wallets here.
    3. Bridge assets between different networks.

    Use Rage Trade

    Rage Trade is a double-legged trading protocol that offers a perpetual ETH swap and a USDC yield-farming product built on Arbitrum and LayerZero. Therefore, interacting with it may qualify you for 3 airdrops at the same time! To use Rage Trade, simply trade and deposit and stake on their platform. Also, contribute to their community.

    For more details check out our Rage Trade Token Airdrop Guide

    Use Altitude

    Altitude ($ALTD) is a dApp built on LayerZero, designed to allow DeFi users to transfer assets with enhanced security features, inexpensive bridging fees, and fast transactions. Altitude have confirmed they will launch its $ALTD token as well as an airdrop when their mainnet launches!

    See: Altitude ($ALTD) Token Airdrop Guide

    Use Dexalot

    Dexalot is a decentralized exchange that uses LayerZero as its default bridge provider. To use Dexalot, you will need to have ETH on the Arbitrum network and AVAX on the Avalanche network. Connect your wallet to Dexalot and go to the “Portfolio” tab, making sure you are on the Avalanche network. At the bottom of the page you will see a list of your tokens, select AVAX and click the 3 points on the right hand side. On the popup window, deposit some AVAX onto Dexalot. Note however depending on the amount of AVAX deposited, it may cost more gas fees to withdraw than the amount itself. So you may need to consider it as a loss for the sake of interacting with Dexalot.

    Interact with Abracadabra

    Abracadabra is intergrated with Layer Zero and allows users to borrow, leverage or earn yield. To interact with Abracadabra, you will need to have their native $MIM token. $MIM can be purchased on several decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap, Sushiswap or Trader Joe. Make sure you are on the Avalanche network, or you will have to first bridge your $MIM tokens there. Back on Abacadabra, send one $MIM token from Avalanche to Arbitrum network. If you don’t want to keep your $MIM tokens, you can proceed to sell it for ETH on Arbitrum.

    Use SteakHut Finance

    SteakHut Finance is a yield optimization protocol that has integrated with LayerZero to launch $STEAK as an omnichain token. On SteakHut, $STEAK will be abe to be bridged across Avalanche, Arbitrum and eventually other blockchains on a 1:1 ratio. To use SteakHut, you will need to buy $STEAK tokens on the Avalanche Network. Note that currently only Trader Joe offers $STEAK tokens. Afterwards, connect your wallet to SteakHut and go to the “Bridge” tab. Send your $STEAK tokens to Arbitrum. You can also send your $STEAK tokens in reverse i.e. from Arbitrum to Avalanche networks. This would increase the number of interactions you have with SteakHut, which may put you in a better position for any potential airdrop. Note that you will need to pay gas fees in AVAX.

    Interact with Mummy Finance

    Mummy Finance is integrated with LayerZero and lets users trade BTC, ETH, FTM, OP, ARB and other cryptocurrencies with up to 100x leverage. To interact with Mummy Finance, you will first need to buy some of their native $MMY tokens on the Arbitrum network here. Then, go to Mummy bridge and bridge your tokens from the Arbitrum to Fantom network. Note it may cost more gas fees transfer back or sell your $MMY tokens. Therefore, you may need to consider it as a loss for the sake of interacting with Mummy Finance.

    Interact with other dApps on LayerZero

    You can also interact with other dApps on LayerZero including Holograph, Mugen Finance, Radiant Capital, Omni X or Angle Protocol. You can make small transactions, deposit funds, provide liquidity, swap assets etc. By actively and consistently using the ecosystem, it is highly likely LayerZero will reward users who genuinely interact with the ecosystem.

    source: TokenHunter

    Get roles on the Stargate Guild

    Here’s how to get roles on the Stargate Guild:

    1. Connect your Ethereum wallet to https://guild.xyz/stargate.
    2. To get the veStaker role, hold at least 25 $veSTG. To do this, buy at least 25 $STG on exchanges such as Bybit, Binance, or Uniswap. Then, stake your $STG here to get $veSTG. For detailed instructions see above.
    3. To get the 100 STG role, you will need to hold at least 100 $STG. Note that staked $STG does not count.
    4. To get the 1k LP Farmer role, supply at least $1,000 of USDC, USDT or BUSD on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism or Fantom (not Metis) to receive LP tokens.

    How to claim the LayerZero ($ZRO) token airdrop?

    Here’s how to claim the LayerZero ($ZRO) token airdrop:

    • Connect your wallet or paste your wallet address to https://layerzero.foundation/claim to check your eligibility.
    • To claim the LayerZero ($ZRO) token airdrop, those who are eligible must donate US$0.10 in USDC, USDT or native ETH per $ZRO. This is known as LayerZero’s Proof-of-Donation mechanism. Donations would go to the Protocol Guild.
    • Users can claim from the following chains: Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, and Avalanche.
    • Once claimed, $ZRO holders can transfer their tokens via the above chains using Stargate.

    LayerZero Airdrop Review

    When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.

    Likelihood of Airdrop: The LayerZero token airdrop is available to claim from 20th June to 20th September 2024.

    Airdropped Token Allocation: 85 million $ZRO are available to claim.

    Airdrop Difficulty: To be eligible for the LayerZero token airdrop, users could submit unique proposals for LayerZero or provided multiple ongoing transactions on the protocol.

    Token Utility: The LayerZero ($ZRO) token acts as a governance token, and to facilitate transactions across different blockchain networks.

    Token Lockup: The token will be unlocked on launch. However, those who are eligible for the airdrop must donate US$0.10 per $ZRO to claim the token

  • Injective ($INJ): Blockchain built for finance?

    Injective ($INJ): Blockchain built for finance?

    Injective ($INJ) aims to create a financial system that is truly free and inclusive through decentralization. With the fastest blockchain built for finance and plug-and-play Web3 modules, Injective’s ecosystem is reshaping a broken financial system with dApps that are highly interoperable, scalable, and truly decentralized.

    Although Injective is a decentralized platform, it moves away from the stereotype definitions of such platforms to bring a new era of DeFi with better functionality. For example, it provides the liquidity that matches that of CEXs. To understand how it achieves this and more, let’s take a more in-depth look into the platform.

    Check out our interview with Co-founder and CEO Eric Chen!

    Injective FRENZY: Interview with CEO Eric Chen

    Background

    Injective was founded in 2018 and incubated by Binance Labs. They are developed by a team with a vast experience in blockchain technology and other closely related technologies. Its Co-founder and CEO, Eric Chen, is a protocol researcher at Investing Capital, while its CTO, Albert Chon, is a software developer at Amazon.

    Others include full-stack developers, Solidity developers, and Golang developers. Moreover, the Injective team comprises members experienced in ASIC design and computer science.

    Apart from the core team members, Injective is supported by notable names in the industry, such as Binance, Pantera, Jump and Mark Cuban.

    What is Injective?

    Injective brings the features of centralized exchanges onto DEXs. The network brings speed, security, and liquidity into DEXs unlike most of the top projects at the moment,  and thus, aiding DeFi adoption. The system achieves this through a layered design and the employment of various technological advancements.

    3 Main Features of Injective

    Inter-chain Trading

    By interfacing with other blockchain-based networks, Injective can support many trading pairs. Consequently, traders can choose between trading pairs considering their profit margin. Ethereum, INJ, MKR, and DAI are the cryptocurrencies tradable on the Injective platform.

    A Combination of DeFi and Derivatives

    Injective has its eyes set on the DeFi space. For this reason, it includes features that enable the interaction between DeFi networks and the digital currency derivatives space, which culminates with an innovative trading offering.

    Distributed Futures and Margin Trading

    This is among the differentiating factors in the Injective ecosystem. It allows traders to trade futures and derivatives while enjoying the fruits of decentralization.

    What’s in it for Users?

    Through its features, it is evident that the platform is focused on end-users. Among the immediate benefits are security, low entry barrier, flexibility, convenience, speed, trust, and liquidity.

    5 Primary Layers of Injective

    The 5 primary layers of Injective are interlinked. Below is its technical architecture.

    injective technical architecture
    Injective’s technical architecture (Image credit: Binance Research)

    Let’s take a look at each of the layers in detail.

    Injective Chain

    The Injective chain forms the network’s core and powers decentralized trading. However, instead of being a full chain per se, it is actually a sidechain that is connected to the Ethereum blockchain. Notably, Ethereum is the home of the vast majority of the DeFi platforms.

    Moreover, the chain, through a connection to the Cosmos IBC, provides cross-chain functionalities. This layer acts as a derivatives platform and holds the exchange’s distributed order book.

    In addition, the Injective chain comprises a system that coordinates the platform’s trades, an execution space for the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM), and a bridge that makes it easier to interact with Ethereum-based tokens on Injective. Note that EVM handles the execution of smart contracts allowing for the creation of decentralized applications (Dapps).

    Other features domiciled in the Injective chain include, but are not limited to, DEX contracts, derivatives contracts, 0x V3 exchange contracts, and the staking contract.

    Exchange Client

    The client allows permissionless participation on the network by supporting an open-source front-end. For ease of use, it has a professionally designed graphical user interface that appeals to both novice and experienced users.

    API Provider

    Application programming interface (API) providers form a key part of the Injective ecosystem by interacting with transactions and acting as a data layer.

    An API node can either provide a transaction relay service or be a data layer. As a transaction relay service, it provides mechanisms for users to interact with the system.

    On the other hand, API providers acting as a data layer provide data and analytic capabilities to external users.

    EVM RPC Provider

    This aspect of Injective deals with the interconnection between Injective and Ethereum.

    Ethereum Bridge

    The bridge provides an interface for exchanging tokens built using the Ethereum standard (ERC-20). Also, it creates a peg-zone where the exchange takes place.

    Injective Token (INJ) and its Use Cases

    Injective has a native token called INJ. It has a maximum circulating supply of 100 million tokens. Though only around 15.2 million tokens are in circulation, it is projected to increase due to inflation, which happens at roughly 7%. Luckily, the platform has instituted measures to reduce inflation to around 2% over time.

    The token was first made available to the public via Binance Launchpad, the exchange’s Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) platform. INJ is currently listed on Binance and on Uniswap.

    INJ Token’s Uses on the Injective Platform

    • Offering discounts on transaction fees – Traders on the platform are charged less when paying their transaction fees using the network’s native currency.
    • Rewarding stakers – Since the platform supports staking, rewards to stakers are paid using INJ.
    • Governance rights – Being a decentralized community-focused platform, governance-related issues are decided by the Injective community. However, to participate, members have to hold INJ.

    The more the tokens held, the stronger the voice on the governance table since INJ is required when submitting a proposal and when voting.

    • Providing passive income – Apart from paying staking rewards in the native token, INJ can be locked in a wallet to attract tips.
    • Incentivizing market makers – Market makers or liquidity providers are key roles. Therefore, to attract more liquidity, the platform uses its native token to incentivize liquidity providers.

    Injective CosmWasm Upgrade

    On 5th July 2022, Injective’s Injective CosmWasm Mainnet upgrade has gone live. As a part of this upgrade, Injective will have, among others, the following updates:

    • Smart contract support with CosmWasm;
    • Automatic smart contract execution;
    • Support for negative maker fees; and
    • Support for binary options markets.

    Smart Contract Support with CosmWasm

    As a result of the latest upgrade, Injective now supports smart contracts by CosmWasm. The name “CosmWasm” comes from the combination of 2 things- Cosmos, and WebAssembly. CosmWasm is a smart contract platform built for the Cosmos ecosystem, its unique feature is that it allows developers to build multi-chain smart contracts using the InterBlockchain Communication (IBC) Protocol. Furthermore, this update will allow developers to build applications on Injective whilst at the same time making use of the existing core modules provided by Injective. For example, developers can use Injective’s decentralized order book module to create other decentralized apps (dApps) such as exchanges, prediction markets, lending protocols etc.

    Automatic Smart Contract Execution

    The latest mainnet upgrade also allows smart contracts to be executed automatically at every block. This is unique because generally, smart contracts require an external agent such as a user to manually invoke the contract and trigger the logic associated with the contract. Now, with the CosmWasm platform, smart contracts can be triggered individually and block by block, meaning that developers can create truly decentralized and permissionless applications.

    Negative Maker Fees

    In cryptocurrency trading, exchanges usually charge trading fees on a maker/taker structure, with maker fees being charged when the user places an order that goes onto the order book (whether fully or partially) i.e. “making” the market or providing liquidity.

    Injective charging negative maker fees mean that instead of users paying, users will receive a percentage of their trade as a rebate. The community will be invited to submit governance proposals for which trading markets they would like to implement negative maker fees, so the decision is left in the community’s hands.

    The overall benefit to the Injective community would be that it would encourage more users, thereby increasing liquidity for more orders and trading options.

    Binary Options Support

    Binary options are a type of financial contract, where there are 2 options based upon the outcome of an underlying asset or question. And when the correct answer occurs, there will be a payoff. Having binary options support on Injective means that new and diverse types of apps can be built on the platform, for example, those involving prediction markets.

    What is the Injective Volan upgrade?

    Injective’s Volan upgrade is expected to be the largest mainnet update in the project’s history. The Volan upgrade comes as the result of months of research and development and will involve a hard fork of the Injective network. Here are some key features that will be introduced in the Volan upgrade:

    1. Sub-second block times: Injective will achieve near-instant finality with sub-second block times, enabling fast and seamless transactions for users and developers. This will also reduce the risk of front-running and MEV attacks, which are prevalent on other blockchains.
    2. IBC integration: Injective will become fully interoperable with the Cosmos ecosystem and other IBC-enabled chains, allowing users to transfer assets and data across different networks. This will open up new possibilities for cross-chain composability and innovation, as well as access to a vast pool of liquidity and users.
    3. CosmWasm and EVM smart contracts:Injective will support CosmWasm, a smart contract framework for the Cosmos ecosystem that allows developers to write smart contracts in any programming language that compiles to WebAssembly. Injective will also maintain its compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing developers to deploy existing Ethereum smart contracts on Injective with minimal changes. This will enable developers to create diverse and complex applications on Injective, such as decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, prediction markets, NFT platforms, and more.

    When is the Injective Volan upgrade?

    The Volan upgrade will take place at block height of 57,076,000, or approximately 2:00pm on 11th January 2024 (UTC). Some exchanges such as Binance will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals of tokens on the Injective network from 1:00pm on 11th January 2024 (UTC) to support the network upgrade.

    Injective ecosystem token airdrop?

    Injective is doing an airdrop for the Injective ecosystem. Here are 3 ways you can position yourself for a potential Injective token airdrop:

    1. Staking on Injective validators: We suggest participants mostly focus on this item since staking on Injective validators may qualify you for other token airdrops.
    2. Mainnet interactions: You can position yourself for a potential airdrop and earn yields by depositing $INJ or other cryptocurrencies into the Black Panther vaults. Another option is to trade Injectives NFTs Talis Protocol, which is also very popular amongst users as they have also announced an airdrop. You can also trade or provide liquidity on Helix, which is a decentralized exchange and they are also doing an ongoing airdrop.
    3. Testnet interactions: Some protocols on the Injective ecosystem offer incentivized testnets which allow you to position yourself for airdrops without putting in any actual cryptocurrencies or funds. These include Ninja Blaze and Aeroscraper.

    Learn more with our Injective ($INJ) ecosystem token guide

    Conclusion

    By providing the required liquidity to power an active trading experience on a decentralized platform, Injective can siphon users from CEXs to DEXs. Consequently, cryptocurrency users and traders are hedged away from potential risks.

    In addition, enabling cross-chain interaction opens the platform to DeFi enthusiasts. Additionally, providing support for ERC-20 tokens increases interaction with DeFi tokens and protocols.

    Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more

    With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces

    The DeFi series on this website also covers topics not explored on YouTube. For an introduction on what is DeFi, check out Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Overview: A guide to the HOTTEST trend in cryptocurrency

    Tutorials and guides for the ESSENTIAL DEFI TOOLS:

    More videos and articles are coming soon as part of our DeFi series, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel so you can be notified as soon as they come out!

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop Guide: How to earn double airdrops!

    zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop Guide: How to earn double airdrops!

    zkLend began its creation in late 2021 with aims to create a layer 2 money-market protocol built on StarkNet. With StarkNet being one of the hottest anticipated airdrops, there is massive speculation that zkLend will also have an airdrop. Particularly since zkLend’s V1 mainnet is fast approaching. This guide will teach you how to get a potential zkLend ($ZEND) token airdrop, which may also increase your potential StarkNet airdrop too!

    Learn more: StarkNet ($STRK) Token Airdrop Guide: How to Qualify?

    zkLend ($ZEND) Airdrop Step-by-step Guide

    Here’s how to receive a potential zkLend ($ZEND) token airdrop:

    1. Go to the zkLend website.
    2. Connect a StarkNet wallet such as Argent or Braavos.
    3. Obtain some testnet ETH tokens and bridge to StarkNet.
    4. Interact with the Artemis testnet by supplying or borrowing tokens.
    5. Complete tasks on zkLend’s Questboard.

    See below for more details.

    What is zkLend?

    zkLend is a money-market protocol built on StarkNet. Its aim is to combine the best of zk-rollups and Ethereum. zkLend will enable users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. To achieve this, zkLend will be offering a dual solution in the form of 2 products: Artemis, and Apollo.

    Currently, zkLend has launched the Artemis MVP testnet on StarkNet Goreli testnet. Artemis is designed for regular DeFi users, and enables them to deposit, borrow and lend in a decentralized and permissionless manner on StarkNet.

    zkLend’s other major product, Apollo, is designed for institutional clients. The aim of Apollo is to become a gateway for institutional users into the world of DeFi. It will allow permissioned users to deposit, borrow and lend on StarkNet, but without compromising on compliance and security.

    What is the zkLend ($ZEND) token?

    The zkLend ($ZEND) token has not been launched yet. However, when it does, there will be a total token supply of 100 million tokens. 35% of the total supply of $ZEND tokens will be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    The ZEND token is intended for governance and utility functions on zkLend. In particular, ZEND tokens will be rewarded to users when they interact with the zkLend network. For example, ZEND tokens will be distributed for users when borrowing/lending or providing liquidity to the network. Also, when users participate in community events or marketing/airdrop campaigns. ZEND token holders will also be entitled to voting rights which allow them to vote on future features of zkLend.

    What is the Current Status of the zkLend ($ZEND) Token Airdrop?

    zkLend has not launched its $ZEND token yet. However, the chances of zkLend doing an airdrop are promising. This is because they have already stated in their Whitepaper that a proportion of zkLend’s revenue would be allocated for airdrop campaigns.

    How do I participate in the $ZEND token airdrop?

    As there is no official airdrop announcement yet, many users can only speculate how to become eligible for $ZEND token airdrops. It is speculated that users could participate in the Artemis public testnet. This is in the hopes that completing zkLend testnet actions will inevitably entitle them to airdrops when the $ZEND token is launched. However, users should note that an airdrop is not guaranteed.

    Time needed: 30 minutes

    How to get a potential zkLend $ZEND token airdrop

    1. Go to the zkLend website

    2. Connect a StarkNet wallet such as Argent or Braavos.

    3. Obtain some testnet ETH tokens and bridge to StarkNet.

      Get testnet ETH here and bridge to StarkNet here.

    4. Interact with the Artemis testnet by supplying or borrowing tokens.

      Interact with the Artemis testnet here.

    5. Complete tasks on zkLend’s Questboard

      Connect your wallet to zkLend’s Questboard and complete the tasks. Tasks include joining their Discord, liking and retweeting their Tweets, and submitting your Starknet mainnet wallet address.

    Artemis is still in the testnet stage, and it is hoped that the mainnet will be launched in 2023, as well as the launch of the $ZEND token.

    Meanwhile, check out our picks for the top Upcoming Crypto Airdrops!

    zkLend Airdrop Review

    When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.

    Likelihood of Airdrop: The zkLend ($ZEND) token has not been launched yet. But the team has said that $ZEND tokens would be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    Airdropped Token Allocation: zkLend ($ZEND) will be a total token supply of 100 million tokens. 35% of the total supply of $ZEND tokens will be allocated towards staking and distribution rewards.

    Airdrop Difficulty: It is possible that participating in the Artemis public testnet could make you eligible for a potential $ZEND airdrop. Whilst this requires time and technical knowledge, you will only be using testnet ETH so it does not cost any money on your part. Otherwise, there are simple social tasks on their Questboard which are easy to do. There may also be a possibility that doing zkLend tasks may make you eligible for the potential StarkNet airdrop too!

    Token Utility: The ZEND token is intended for governance and utility functions on zkLend. ZEND tokens will also be rewarded to users that interact with the zkLend network.

    Token Lockup: There is no announcement on the $ZEND token lockup yet. However, it is hoped that the mainnet will be launched in 2023, together with the $ZEND token.

  • Quai Network ($QUAI) Token Airdrop LIVE: Earn $2000 for Free

    Quai Network ($QUAI) Token Airdrop LIVE: Earn $2000 for Free

    Hunting for crypto airdrops is a great way to make free money. Some people have made as high as $10,000 from the Aptos token airdrop. If you missed it, Quai Network is another upcoming project with airdrop qualifications happening right now. Let’s take a look at what Quai Network is and what you can do to receive their token airdrop before it’s too late!

    Quai Network ($QUAI) Airdrop Step-by-step Guide

    Here’s how to receive a potential Quai Network ($QUAI) token airdrop:

    1. Engage with Quai Network’s Twitter
    2. Engage with Quai Network’s Reddit

    See below for more details

    What is Quai Network?

    Quai Network is a decentralized network of multiple proof-of-work (PoW) blockchains running in unison. These blockchains have native interoperability, allowing for cross-chain transactions and messages. It is also fully EVM compatible, allowing any Solidity contract to be ported and deployed.

    Quai Network provides a novel approach to blockchain scaling, different from parallel processing chains such as Aptos and Sui. It aims to maximize the energy efficiency of PoW by introducing the concept of modularity.

    Proof-of-Work 2.0 (PoW2)

    Quai Network sought to improve upon the PoW consensus mechanism by addressing its environmental concerns. For the longest time, Bitcoin’s PoW algorithm has been infallible, but it also consumes massive amounts of energy. And it will continue to rise as mining difficulty increases after every Bitcoin Halving event. This is why Ethereum switched to proof-of-stake (PoS).

    But Quai Network believes that PoS is inherently centralized due to the amount of money it requires to be a validator, creating a gap between the validator “class” and everyday users. Therefore, Quai Network has introduced an upgraded version of PoW called Proof-of-Work 2.0 (PoW2) where hash power can be reused to secure multiple chains. This is achieved by utilizing a novel combination of merged mining and sharding, reducing computational cost while allowing the network to scale more efficiently.

    Merged Mining

    Merged mining is the process of securing multiple blockchains with one miner, allowing miners to earn rewards in multi cryptos without having to switch between networks or use additional hardware. It was first conceived by Satoshi Nakamoto in the Bitcoin white paper, in which a completely seperate blockchain could share CPU power with Bitcoin, inheriting the same security and decentralization of Bitcoin without requiring dedicated miners.

    Quai Network uses this concept, but instead of having Bitcoin as a parent chain, it has its own parent chain (the Prime Chain) which secures the many other chains beneath it by sharing hashrate. This improves throughput over monolithic chains such as Solana without the need for layer-2 solutions. Moreover, Quai Network is horizontally scalable, which means additional chains can be added to meet network demands. This is possible because of their multi-chain architecture.

    Multi-Chain Architecture

    Quai Network’s architecture makes use of sharding by dividing a single blockchain into multiple smaller and faster blockchains to improve network performance, similar to Ethereum and Polkadot. Its network is divided into a hierarchical structure of three different types of chains. At mainnet launch, Quai Network will begin with the single Prime Chain, three Region Chains, and nine Zone Chains.

    • Prime Chain

    The Prime Chain is at the core of the entire network, utilizing a hashing algorithm that is shared across all subordinate chains (Region and Zone). It aggregates and settles state transitions across the network, which means miners are required to mine the Prime Chain to keep the blockchains functional.

    However, it has the highest mining difficulty, which means it has the slowest throughput (one block every 15 minutes). Therefore, it is not ideal for simple transactions and DApp activities. It is mostly for use in situations where the whole network is being addressed and securing the network.

    • Region Chains

    There are three Region Chains at mainnet launch: Cyprus, Paxos, and Hydra. These chains have lower mining difficulty, thus a higher throughput than the Prime Chain (one block every 5 minutes). These chains handle lesser network interactions that are not necessary to address the entire network. They can also interact natively on the network, but each require unique mining power. Therefore, a miner can only mine a single Region Chain at a time, in addition to the Prime Chain.

    • Zone Chains

    At mainnet launch, each Region Chain will have three Zone Chains under it. These Zone Chains have the highest throughput (one block per 10 seconds) and TPS capacity, making them ideal for regular transactions and contract interactions. As such, most activity on Quai Network will occur on Zone Chains. They are also able to interact with other Zone chains, even those under different Region Chains. But similar to Region Chains, miners can only select one Zone Chain to mine.

    • Coincident Blocks

    Coincident Blocks tie the whole hierarchal structure together, linking all chains which enables cross-chain state transfers and periodic pegging of all chains to the Prime Chain’s total work. These blocks allow the entire network to inherit the same security of the Prime Chain, governed by three rules:

    1. All Prime blocks must contain a Region and Zone block.
    2. All Region blocks must contain a Zone block.
    3. Zone blocks can be mined asynchronously without being included in a Prime or Region coincident block.
    Source: Quai Network

    Basically, a Coincident block occurs when (1) a Prime, Region, and Zone block are confirmed at the same time OR (2) when just a Region and Zone block. Each time a Coincident block is mined, all blocks since the last coincident block are then confirmed by the Region Chain, continuing upwards until the Prime Chain — think of it as a roll call. Therefore, chains lower in the hierarchy can inherit the security of the Prime Chain while still conducting independent activities.

    Who is the Team behind Quai Network?

    Quai Network is developed by Dominant Strategies, a technology development company based in Austin. The company was co-founded in 2019 by Alan Orwick, Jonathan Downing, Karl Kreder, Yanni Georghiades, and Sriram Vishwanath, all of whom worked together in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of Texas. They co-wrote and published the white paper for Quai Network in December 2021.

    Dominant Strategies has raised $10 million over two funding rounds — $8 million from Polychain Capital in March 2022 and $2 million from Alumni Ventures in May 2022.

    Does Quai Network have a Token?

    Yes. $QUAI will be used to ensure network security and as an exchange of value in the ecosystem. Their token supply is hard-capped but its total number is not yet determined. According to their tokenomics, 25% is distributed as “adoption incentives”, 3% for “community” and 0.5% for “testnet incentives.” This means token airdrop opportunities for early users of Quai Network!

    Source: Quai Network

    How to Receive Quai Network ($QUAI) Token Airdrop?

    Quai Network has a Social Media Rewards Program that will airdrop $QUAI tokens for engaging with their Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. Compared to other projects, this is one of the easiest ways to earn free tokens.

    To begin, join their Discord server and follow their Twitter account. Afterwards, you can check your rewards on the Quai Dashboard. If you have a Citizen role in their Discord server, you will have a 1.5x multiplier for your $QUAI rewards. You can obtain it by completing their survey here. It is easy to do if you have some degree of understanding of the project.

    From here on out, Quai Network will reward you $QUAI tokens for your engagement with their social media platforms. As of now, only Twitter and Reddit rewards are available. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram rewards will be available soon.

    • Twitter
    1. Follow Quai Network.
    2. Follow additional team accounts.
    3. Liking and retweeting Quai Network’s Tweets that are less than seven days old (limited to twice a day).
    4. Make a Tweet mentioning Quai Network. Original and insightful Tweets that are liked or replied by Quai Network will grant you additional rewards.
    • Reddit
    1. Make a unique post in their channel (limited to twice a day).
    2. Make a post about Quai Network in another approved crypto-related Subreddit (limited to twice a day).

    It is worth noting that your account must have more than 50 post/comment karma, and the post must be approved by their team. Therefore, it will some time for your rewards to show if you make a post on Reddit.

    Quai Airdrop Review

    When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.

    Likelihood of Airdrop: Quai Network’s token airdrop is now live!

    Airdropped Token Allocation: According to Quai’s tokenomics, 25% will be distributed as “adoption incentives”, 3% for “community” and 0.5% for “testnet incentives.” This could mean token airdrop opportunities for early users of Quai Network!

    Airdrop Difficulty: Quai Network has a Social Media Rewards Program that will airdrop $QUAI tokens for engaging with their social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. This is one of the easiest ways to earn free tokens compared to other projects!

    Token Utility:  The $QUAI token will be used to ensure network security and as an exchange of value in the ecosystem.

    Token Lockup: Participants of Quai Network’s Social Media Rewards Program will receive their $QUAI tokens upon Quai Network’s Mainnet Launch

  • Sovereign Labs: Unlocking the Potential of ZK-Rollups in 2023 – Why This Project Should Be On Your Watchlist

    Sovereign Labs: Unlocking the Potential of ZK-Rollups in 2023 – Why This Project Should Be On Your Watchlist

    ZK-rollups could be one of the strongest performing sectors in 2023, as demand for Ethereum scaling solutions is increasing. As such, Sovereign Labs is one of the most promising upcoming projects in the ZK-rollup space. The team is well-funded and the development is on track to be completed in Q2 2023. As such, Sovereign should definitely be on your watchlist for 2023.

    Check out our zkSync article for another highly anticipated ZK-rollup project this year.

    What is Sovereign?

    Sovereign Labs, the team behind Sovereign, is creating an open, interconnected rollup ecosystem to make it easier for developers to deploy interoperable and scalable rollups on any blockchain. It’s been compared to Cosmos ($ATOM), but instead of layer-1 chains, Sovereign uses their software development kit (SDK) and inter-blockchain communication protocol (IBC) for ZK-rollups.

    Current Problems of Blockchain Scaling Solutions

    The current blockchain scaling solutions including application-specific layer-1s, optimistic rollups and ZK-rollups, all have their own drawbacks:

    1. Application-specific layer-1s are the easiest to design and implement, but require large amounts of capital from validators to secure the blockchain. This approach is only viable for a few well-funded blockchain apps.
    2. Optimistic rollups produce fraud proofs to prevent misbehavior. However, during an attack, fraud proofs can be censored, leading to long finality delays. This makes bridging out of optimistic rollups slow and costly.
    3. ZK-rollups share the advantages of optimistic rollups, but without the long finality delay. Large batches of transactions can be finalized with validity proof in a matter of seconds. However, ZK-rollups are incredibly difficult to build because it involves a very high level of cryptography and protocol engineering.

    Out of the three blockchain scaling solutions, ZK-rollups prove to be the most promising scaling paradigm despite the massive undertaking it requires to build them. As such, Sovereign aims to make it easier for developers to create secure and interoperable ZK-rollups, just like the Cosmos SDK did for layer-1 chains. As a result, developers do not need to be experts in cryptography to write their apps, allowing them to focus on the business logic of their chain.

    Who is the Team behind Sovereign?

    Sovereign Labs is co-founded by Cem Özer (CEO) and Preston Evans (CTO). Özer had worked as a smart contract and protocol engineer in ConsenSys, the company behind MetaMask. On the other hand, Evans had worked as a software engineer in Amazon, and has years of experience in computer science and machine learning.

    Sovereign aims to make scaling simple, supporting billions of blockchain users without sacrificing security. In late January 2023, Sovereign Labs raised $7.4 million in seed funding led by Huan Ventures with participation from Maven 11, 1KX, Robot Ventures and Plaintext Capital. According to CoinDesk, a spokesperson from Sovereign stated the fundraise puts the company’s valuation in the “eight-figure” range. The fund will be used to build the SDK and hire protocol and researchers with expertise in blockchains and cryptography.

    Properties and Key Features of ZK-Rollup SDK

    The Sovereign SDK will provide a set of default modules, a peer-to-peer network, a database, and an RPC node, and will abstract away the details of zero-knowledge. This way, developers can write their apps in Rust or C++, and the SDK will automatically compile it to an efficient zero-knowledge virtual machine.

    It will also use a novel bridging technique based on proof aggregation to allow rollups on a shared L1 to bridge back and forth at minimal cost without a trusted third party. Off-chain relayers can combine the proofs of all the peer rollups into one proof, which can then be verified on the chain. As the state transitions are proven to be valid, there is no need to pay fees to a liquidity provider or wait a week for transactions to be completed. This means that bridging can be done immediately with no drawbacks.

    The biggest feature here is that Sovereign SDK Rollups are able to be used on any blockchain, as the responsibility of verifying proofs is given to the user, not the original blockchain. This is what sets them apart from smart-contract rollups. As the data availability layer does not need to be able to check proofs, SDK rollups can be used on any blockchain without needing to be rewritten. This makes them incredibly versatile, creating an ecosystem of interoperable and scalable rollups that can run on any blockchain.

    When is Sovereign Launching?

    Sovereign is currently in the process of developing the SDK, which includes designing the default storage module, cryptoeconomics, and core APIs. They are also working on a research prototype which is currently integrating with modular blockchain Celestia for data availability and ZK virtual machine Risc0 for the proving system. This phase is expected to be complete around Q2 2023.

    Initial implementation of the SDK will begin afterwards, which they will implement a peer-to-peer network, RPC node, core APIs, default storage and sequencing modules. Once this feature is complete, the SDK will be repeatedly stress tested and audited for about six months until it is ready to be deployed across all mainnet chains.

  • Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) by DuckDAO ($DUCK)

    Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) by DuckDAO ($DUCK)

    Duck Liquidity Pool ($DUCK) is a DeFi Market Maker protocol, developed by DuckDAO, one of the biggest cryptocurrency community that provides funding and marketing support to early-stage crypto projects.

    The boom of decentralized finance (DeFi) in recent months has ushered in a new profit-making strategy for crypto traders, beginners and advanced alike. Decentralized exchanges (DEX) rely on liquidity pools to help power their market-makers. While the Duck Liquidity Pool is a new entrant in DeFi, it has already captured the attention of many users in the space thanks to its high APY and token burning model.

    https://youtu.be/8MNKafDgW0o

    What is the Duck Liquidity Pool?

    The Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) is DuckDAO’s own market maker. The funds that supply its pool came from the sale of pre-mined tokens and can be accessible in many other protocols and exchanges. In the meantime, projects that are supported by DuckDAO will be the first to be able to tap the pool. The ticker for the pool is $DUCK.

    The unique feature that distinguishes DLP from others is its “unilateral burn” strategy, or the one-sided token burn model. It is designed to burn 50% of all earned rewards (more on this later).

    The APY level for DLP is high and its suppliers can receive as much as 50% of the profits from market making, airdrop of incubated project tokens, as well as non-fungible token (NFT) campaigns. Such a feature enables yield farmers the ability to earn profit by just providing liquidity to DuckDAO’s market maker.

    To participate in the DLP, users have to lock their cryptocurrency holdings by depositing their funds in the pool. In return, they receive DUCK tokens as a reward for supplying funds to the pool.

    DuckDAO’s Native Token ($DUCK)

    DUCK token is the DuckDAO’s native utility token, which also powers the incentive model for the Duck Liquidity Pool. The token has the following use cases:

    • Yield farming on Uniswap pools – Staking tokens help contribute liquidity to DUCK and DDIM pools. For this, they earn profit through DLP.
    • Reward token for market-making profit – Half of the profit from the market maker is returned to the community who belong to the liquidity pool. If the performance of DLP is good, the profit for the yield farmers grows in proportion as well.
    • Project token airdrops
    • Non-fungible token as reward

    Deflationary Farming: “One-Side-Burn”

    This is touted by the team as “Yield Farming 2.0,” which is designed to support a deflationary, unilateral burning of tokens. To understand how this works, we must first look at how the current yield farming mechanism works.

    The Usual Scenario for Most Liquidity Pools

    Commonly, yield farming pools in the DeFi space look very advanced for the average trader. Not only does this create a psychological barrier to entry, but it also makes profit-making a little more difficult for someone new to yield farming.

    Another issue that traders face is the inflationary structure of the incentive mechanism in most liquidity pools. This is because, in order to provide rewards to yield farmers, mined tokens have to be released into the market. This model isn’t designed for long-term effectiveness since with more reward tokens in supply over time, we can expect its value to depreciate as well.

    Duck’s Unilateral Burn

    $DUCK, on the other hand, is designed to support long-term yield farming strategies. Even beginners on liquidity pools can just stake and earn a part of the profit that DuckDAO’s market maker gets.

    $DUCK One-Side-Burn Deflationary Model (Source: DuckDAO website)

    One-Side-Burn is a deflationary model that is designed to burn 50% of the carry pair as soon as the liquidity provider decides to cash in a portion of his stake.

    What happens in such a situation is that users lose one side of their liquidity as the tokens are burned. And when someone decides to exit the pool completely, his entire liquidity is also burned and further lowers the DUCK tokens in supply.

    While this model may seem counterintuitive for profit-earning at first, over-time, the value of the tokens is going to be greater than what it was when a user has staked in the pool. That is why DLP’s design appears to be much better in the long run.

    Duck Liquidity Pool Market-Maker Models

    Project Token Purchase

    DLP purchases tokens in order to facilitate buy and sell liquidity.

    Duck Liquidity Pool Business Model – Project Token Purchase (Source: Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) Blackpaper)

    Project Token Borrow

    DLP loans tokens against collateral in order to facilitate buy and sell liquidity.

    Duck Liquidity Pool Business Model – Project Token Borrow (Source: Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) Blackpaper)

    Fixed Fee Model

    The protocol can charge a fixed service fee for listings that have decided to provide buy and sell liquidity on their own.

    Duck Liquidity Pool Business Model – Fixed Fee Model (Source: Duck Liquidity Pool (DLP) Blackpaper)

    Conclusion

    DeFi has enabled the birth of new profit-making strategies for traders in the space. However, whether existing liquidity pools can support long-term yield farming models is another question altogether. DLP’s model, which is powered by the ‘unilateral burn’ design, appears to be more promising.

    To be fair, like many other pools, the profit it can generate for stakers is also influenced by the number of users joining the pool. This is why it is important to look into that as well before deciding to lock your tokens and supply liquidity to the pool.

    Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more

    With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces

    The DeFi series on this website also covers topics not explored on YouTube. For an introduction on what is DeFi, check out Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Overview: A guide to the HOTTEST trend in cryptocurrency

    Tutorials and guides for the ESSENTIAL DEFI TOOLS:

    More videos and articles are coming soon as part of our DeFi series, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel so you can be notified as soon as they come out!

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • FinxFlo ($FXF): Cost-saving crypto trading?

    FinxFlo ($FXF): Cost-saving crypto trading?

    Despite the apparent growth of the crypto ecosystem, one major problem faced by traders is the cost. Many retail traders often fall victim to exchanges that quote unfair asset prices. Unfortunately, these shortcomings can lead to distortions in the market. This is where FinxFlo comes in to provide a solution.

    FinxFlo is a platform that seeks to allow its users to trade with 25+ exchanges (DeFi and CeFi based) from a single interface, with a one-time KYC verification process. Therefore, traders on FXF can access the best price for the asset to be traded. With just one account and one KYC process, traders can maximize the prices and rates provided by the platform.

    Furthermore, the brokerage also enables traders to make informed decisions by providing them with accurate and real-time information and ensuring transparency.

    Background

    Founded in 2019, Finxflo comprises a multi-cultural team of individuals with successful stints in various industries such as Law, Finance, Fintech, etc.

    The CEO and Co-founder, James Gillingham, is a household name in the world of investments, who has once owned a trade algorithm platform, which he sold off later at the tender age of 23 in a big deal.

    Along with Thomas Plaskocinski, he is channeling all that experience towards creating a simple yet effective solution to most traders’ problems, namely, market volatility.

    FinxFlo operates under an exemption granted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) within the Payment Services Act 2019. Meanwhile, further regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions are underway.

    What is FinxFlo?

    FinxFlo is a crypto brokerage platform that aggregates offers from the top exchanges to create a fair market environment and provide more liquidity.

    Using Decentralized Finance (DeFi) model and concepts, FinxFlo doubles as a price aggregator platform with brokerage services to help traders and investors identify the best buy and sell positions for digital assets.

    That way, they can avoid the risks that exist within the crypto markets. But not only that, FinxFlo offers its users the privilege to trade at a low fee.

    Through its native token, FXF, users can earn rewards by engaging themselves in various activities available on the platform (more details in the subsequent sections). 

    In short, the platform combines the best of Defi and CeFi into a single product.

    The Advantages of FinxFlo

    Smart Order Routing

    It’s the proprietary concept at the heart of the FinxFlo trade algorithm. Whenever a user enters an order, the platform automatically compares available prices on different exchanges and selects the user’s overall best option.

    With it, users are ensured to derive maximum returns on their investment without having to swap platforms.

    Dark Pool Trading

    Front running, which closely resembles the popular pump and dump strategy, occurs when, as in most cases, a whale investor moves to cause a sudden change in the price of assets by creating a large transaction.

    Cryptocurrencies are not immune to such manipulation. But this is where the Dark Pool feature comes in. The function protects users from unsuspected market movements by enabling users to exit a trade in the case of such events swiftly. At the same time, if the user can pull profits with his position, the trade will be allowed to continue.

    A Unitary portal

    In trying to keep pace with this fast-evolving industry, most crypto traders end up owning even more than five accounts with different exchanges to access the extra privileges offered on each.

    But thanks to FinxFlo’s one account, one KYC, one wallet, and one interface policy, users can have all their needs met on a single portal without losing any of the benefits that come with having multiple accounts.

    Furthermore, FinxFlo’s combination of the Ethereum and Tron blockchain network means, for the first time, traders can access different asset pairs not available elsewhere.

    Token Mining

    On other exchange platforms, traders’ rewards are the profits they make with successful orders. On Finxflo, even the list performing traders get rewarded for their activities.

    This process is also referred to as Trade Mining.

    FinxFlo Fees

    On FinxFlo, a trading fee of 0.1% (for each buy or sell order) is deducted at the execution point. In addition, fund withdrawals are completely free.  

    Exchange Security

    Security and safety are arguably the most sensitive issues users worry about when selecting a good crypto exchange. For several years, various protocols and upgrades have been developed to address this issue but theft and hacks are still on the rise.

    For this reason, FinxFlo has partnered with Fireblock to insure users’ assets and also provide top-level security based on the latest cybersecurity technology.

    FinxFlo token (FXF)

    FXF is the utility token of the platform, which is built as a blockchain 3.0 asset to facilitate interoperability between two separate networks, Ethereum (as an ERC20 coin) and Tron (as a TRC20 coin).

    To enjoy some of the most exciting benefits of the ecosystem, users must hold the FXF coins. Aside from that, there are other lucrative benefits that come with having an FXF token in one’s FinxFlo account such as staking and yield farming.

    FXF token is available for trading on Uniswap, Gate.io and Bilaxy.

    Staking

    Trading fees accumulated over time are distributed to users through a reward pool system. To be eligible, token holders would need to stake their FXF holdings on the network. Users would have their rewards distributed via a smart contract relative to their staked coins.

    Yield Farming

    Similar to other DeFi platforms, FinxFlo offers a yield farming program. But unlike how it is being provided on other exchanges, FXF token holders are automatically listed as Liquidity Providers (LPs).

    These locked tokens are used to create funds, which serve as margins for FinxFlo exchange partners. In return, LPs get additional FXF assets as rewards. Most crypto investors utilize this process (called Liquidity Mining) to create additional income streams for themselves.  

    Conclusion

    With all the recent hype centered around crypto such as the Gamestop and Dogecoin debacle, major corporations like Tesla buying into Bitcoin, etc., many newcomers are now eager to join the blockchain movement, which also exposes them to massive risk.

    Fortunately, Finxflo’s vision to mitigate the risks of trading overhyped digital assets. Therefore, if the project becomes widely adopted, the crypto universe will see an even bigger influx of new individuals who will actively participate in trading, liquidity mining, as well as other crypto activities.

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • What is Privi Protocol and How Does It Benefit Content Creators?

    What is Privi Protocol and How Does It Benefit Content Creators?

    Privi Protocol is the new metaverse for content creators. It is a blockchain-based complete ecosystem that brings together decentralized social and finance to benefit the creator economy as a whole. A few features of the Privi metaverse are:

    What is Privi?

    In simple words, Privi is a crypto ecosystem built especially keeping in mind the creator community. 

    The creator community is the backbone of any social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). However, while they slack, their creations help others to fill their pockets. 

    And, it’s not just filling their pockets, these hugely popular platforms take full control of the creations as well. For instance, YouTube recently updated its policy to place ads in between videos. This is done without the consent of the creators and 100% of the profit made from these ads goes to YouTube. 

    Privi, as a decentralized blockchain system doesn’t allow this. Your content will work for you and not some middlemen. You will have full rights and control over what you create. 

    Indeed, with Privi, creators will have more control over their creations and can also make money from all the hard work they put in to create content.

    Privi decentralizes social and finances by riding on blockchain technology. And, by pairing this decentralized social and finance together, Privi gives back control of content to its creators, while also benefitting them and their followers financially, which should be the case anyway. 

    Creators can create their own social communities where they will not only be able to directly connect with their fans and followers, without any middlemen milking them, they will also be able to mint their NFTs and social tokens. 

    How Does Privi Work?

    To understand how Privi works, take this example:

    Suppose you are a content creator and you build your own community of followers on Privi. Your followers would all hold a social token that is unique to you to get entry into your community. This way they have direct access to your creations and you can directly interact with them.

    Now, suppose you release new content. Only the followers who hold a certain number of your unique social tokens can access the video. If the video does well, it is not just you who gains but also the followers who have access to the video. 

    It directly benefits the creator community because they have full control over their creations and also benefit directly from them. The followers benefit as well because they too have direct access to the creations without any disruptions or interferences. 

    How can content creators benefit from Privi? You can build your own customizable DAO community networks on Privi, and you can monetize your content creation efforts with the help of tools like DeFi, social tokens, and NFTs. Apart from these financially profitable tools, Privi also offers a 3D immersive experience, DAOs, and more in its metaverse. 

    You already know what social tokens are and how they profit content creators as well as their followers in the blockchain universe. Now let us find out what the other tools are that can profit you as a content creator on Privi.

    How does Privi use NFTs? 

    Suppose you have an idea for a new content for which you need funding. You can create digital NFT pods on Privi and invite investors. All your work will be recorded on the NFT pod, which will increase in value. It benefits both the content creator and their community of followers.

    For example, suppose you are a singer song-writer. You need funding for your next venture. So, you go ahead and create a digital NFT pod for the same with the contract that the investors will have unique access to the songs you create. The followers who purchase the token for the NFT pod are the owners and they can hold the digital pod for returns or trade them. You get your funding and the owners of the NFT tokens get returns too. A win-win situation for both creators and their followers. 

    How can you utilize DeFi for monetizing your content?

    Suppose you are a new content creator on Privi who doesn’t have enough followers yet to fund your content with social tokens and NFT. What you can do is create a smart contract with the help of a DeFi tool to help fund your content initiatives. The investors who accept the contract will receive returns that are promised in the contract. This transparency and lack of middlemen interference are what makes DeFi such a lucrative way of financing content creation on Privi. 

    Privi – Safeguard Your Content

    There is more to Privi than what is given here. The above-mentioned points are just an overview of how Privi can revolutionize the content creator’s community and give back control of their creations to them.

    Privi supports cross-chain communication and the future plan is to integrate many more blockchains. 

    Privi is already integrated with ethereum blockchain, which allows instant exchange of internal and popular tokens through atomic swap. It also plans to be secured under the shared security model and become a para chain on the relay chain of Polkadot. The platform also aims to connect with bitcoin to allow easy BTC transactions in and out of the Privi network. 

    What are Privi Tokens?

    Privi tokens are your tickets for entering the Privi metaverse and start joining communities, creating content, and monetize your efforts. 

    The Privi token utilities are as follows:

    • Covers transaction fees of free to 4%
    • Are stakes for consuming content and also for earning interest 
    • Dictates priority for verifying profiles, pods, and communities
    • When staked, accompanies voting rights within the decentralized network

    However, this is not all, there is more on the way. Privi aims to launch the following soon:

    1. The Privi Data Coin (pDATA) – It is a data asset class that are exclusive to advertisers on the network. They can not only buy and sell these tokens but also transfer to other users for conversions and impressions. You can think of it as a ‘funnelling’ system that will help content creators on the platform to grab eyeballs, attract more conversions and clicks, and in turn they themselves will receive pDATA in their wallets. 
    2. Insurance – As a content creator you can choose to also insure your creations on the platform. There will be decentralized insurance pools with both anonymous and known underwriters. The insurance pool will come complete with a native Privi Insurance Coin (pINS) and a digital claims court. 

    The Privi tokens are up for presales too, if you are interested. The public launchpad according to the release and vesting plan from TGE is unlocked and the presale and public sale allocation is 32%, the valuation of which is $300,000. 

    Conclusion

    If you are a content creator tired of fighting the industry leading middlemen who ride on your hard-work to make millions, Privi is your best bet to take the control back. Blockchain is the future and Privi exclusively utilizes the technology to enhance the creator community. Now content creators can connect directly with followers and make money that profits them and their followers most. 

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.

  • Polkadot ($DOT): Everything you need to know about the DeFi darling of China

    Polkadot ($DOT): Everything you need to know about the DeFi darling of China

    Polkadot ($DOT) refers to itself as a next-generation blockchain protocol that connects multiple blockchains into one network. As we’ve seen in a previous article on the hottest blockchain projects in China, Polkadot and its Co-creator Gavin Wood are highly regarded by the Chinese cryptocurrency community, who are heavily invested in this project. Polkadot is also now gaining a lot of interest in the West because of its listing on major exchanges such as Binance, OKEx and Kraken.

    The purpose of Polkadot is to enable blockchain networks to improve scalability, optimise themselves for specific use cases, work and communicate together, self-govern, and upgrade without the need for hard forks. In this article, we look at Polkadot’s current status, its role in Decentralised Finance (DeFi), the $DOT token and more.

    Here’s our video explaining what is Polkadot in less than 2 minutes!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FyLxZezPmk&t=2s

    Background

    Polkadot was launched in 2016 and is run by the Web3 Foundation, which strives to build a free and decentralized web. However, the foundation had made a contract with Parity Technologies to build its protocol. Its Founders are Gavin Wood, Peter Czaban, and Robert Habermeier. Gavin Wood, in particular, is also one of the Co-founders of Ethereum, thus bringing a sense of legitimacy and confidence in the eyes of a lot of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, especially from the Chinese audience.

    The team has extensive experience with distributed ledger systems, blockchain protocols (particularly Ethereum), cryptography, and wallet technology. Despite the lead developer being Parity Technologies, multiple independent teams have contributed to the development of Polkadot.

    What Is Polkadot?

    Polkadot is a sharded bridge-like protocol, which focuses on maintaining communication, value transfer, and pooling the security of blockchains. It allows blockchains to operate with each other in a parallel manner by unifying them into one network. The unification compounds the strengths of different blockchains and mitigates their weaknesses.

    According to the team, Polkadot is a project by developers for developers. It is aimed at connecting public and private chains, oracles, DApps, and services to seamlessly work side by side. And thus, it facilitates the connection of different independent blockchains together into a single Web3 Internet.

    Polkadot’s Building Blocks

    Polkadot is built on Substrate blockchain building framework that is derived from Parity’s experience with Ethereum, Bitcoin, and enterprise blockchains. The protocol’s state machine is compiled with WebAssembly (WASM) – a high performance virtual environment.

    Furthermore, Polkadot uses libp2p for peer discovery and communication. It is coded with C++, Rust and Golang for wide developer accessibility.

    Polkadot Governance Model

    Polkadot governance model is on-chain and well defined. It is designed to include all stakeholders in a governance council. The users can participate in the system’s decision-making by simply holding the native $DOT token. Currently, Polkadot’s Council and Technical Committee are in place, so the project and its direction is completely in the hands of $DOT holders. Governance proposals are submitted by the Council, the Technical Committee or $DOT holders. There are then voted on by the $DOT holding public.

    Status of the Polkadot Network

    Polkadot has been increasing the size of its validator sets. Now there are 274 validators operated by around 200 independant operators and backed by over 7,000 individual nominating accounts.

    This year, Polkadot launched Westend, their main long-term valueless testnet. They have also launched 2 versions of Rococo- which are Polkadot’s short-term parachains public testnets.

    Rococo

    Rococo is a public testnet aimed at testing the parachains consensus process, together with parachains built by the community and their interactions with each other.

    Rococo v1 is the latest version released on 22nd December 2020.

    PolkaBrige

    PolkaBrige is a decentralised application (dApp) platform. It also comes with its own decentralised exchange (DEX) known as PolkaBrige DEX which allows users to directly swap tokens on Polkadot to other tokens on other blockchain platforms such as Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain etc.

    To meet the yield farming craze, Polkabrige also has a smart farming mechanism which allows liquidity providers to earn more rewards.

    Advantages of Polkadot

    The Polkadot project is set to revolutionize blockchain technology by offering a bridge-like framework that provides the following advantages:

    1.       Limitless Scalability – Polkadot can support an infinite number of blockchains and allow them to connect together. These are known as para-chains.

    2.       Adaptable Consensus Mechanism – As different blockchains run on different consensus mechanisms, the Polkadot platform provides an open and adaptable consensus mechanism to host them.

    3.       Cross-Chain Transactions – The framework can support the transfer of value between different blockchains. It’s necessary for interoperability and true integration.

    4.       Defined Governance Mechanism – It has a defined governance mechanism, which eliminates a major problem faced by other blockchains.

    5.       Upgradeability – Polkadot can support upgrades, without having to resort to drastic hard forks to implement change.

    6.       Pooled Security – The blockchains connecting with Polkadot can be secured by a unifying security umbrella. This can help protect small chains that don’t have effective security bootstrapping.

    7. Low transaction fees– Polkadot claims it has lower transaction fees compared to Ethereum.

    Polkadot Token ($DOT)

    The Polkadot token, denoted by the ticker symbol $DOT, is the native asset of the Polkadot platform. It serves three main functions: governance, staking, and bonding. It has a total supply of 10 million DOT.

    Governance

    As mentioned before, DOT holders have the right to govern the platform. When we say ‘right’ it doesn’t mean that they are given privileges by someone. But rather, it is embedded in the protocol of Polkadot that DOT holders inherently have governance capabilities. These capabilities include changing the network fees, auctions, as well as the schedule for adding parachains — parallelized chains that execute parallel to Polkadot’s Relay Chain. Furthermore, holders also have influence over upgrades, bug fixes, and other system maintenance.

    Staking

    Decentralized networks require consensus mechanisms to ensure that only valid transactions are confirmed. Polkadot utilizes NPoS (Nominated Proof of Stake) as its algorithm for validation. And, DOT holders have the option to participate in this essential network operation.

    Basically, holders will be rewarded for staking their DOT in the protocol in exchange for risking their holdings for the validation of the network. This also serves as a disincentive for bad actors to participate in the network, as they are likely to lose their stake if they ‘misbehave’.

    The requirement for participating largely depends on the staking duration and the total number of tokens staked.

    However, it has been discovered by the Polkadot Team that some nominators are not receiving their rewards. The Team is currently working on a solution but this will take time. Meanwhile, the Team recommends those staking with less than 200 $DOT who do not have the opportunity to bond more should move to staking on cryptocurrency exchanges. At present, the following exchanges offer staking-as-a-service for Polkadot: Kraken, Huobi, MXC, and KuCoin.

    Bonding

    The last use case for the DOT token is bonding — this is the process of tying up DOT in order to add new parachains. It is an extension of the functionality of proof of stake.

    DOT 100x redenomination

    After the Council and Technical Committee was put into place, there was a community-run poll to determine how many Plancks should be considered as being one DOT token. Plancks are the smallest unit of exchange in Polkadot, this value does not change, rather it was how many Plancks comprise one DOT which was voted upon. It was decided that one DOT will now be denominated by 1e10 plancks instead of 1e12 plancks. So the new version of $DOT will be 100x smaller than the old $DOT.

    This redenomination will occur on 21st August 2020 at around 13:15 (UTC), specifically at block number 1,248,328. When this occurs, users do not have to do anything because it is only a front-end change. Also, most exchanges such as Binance or Kraken will automatically multiply users’ DOT deposits after the redenomination, i.e. if you deposited 10 old $DOT before the redenomination, you will automatically be credited with 1,000 new $DOT after the redenomination. And to protect users in anticipation of this, users will not be able to withdraw new $DOT until after the redenomination.

    Users have to meantime, bear in mind that some exchanges e.g. OKEx, MXC etc. offer trading pairs in OLD $DOT, whereas others e.g. Binance and Kraken offer trading pairs in NEW $DOT. $DOT holders and traders should check with the exchange they are trading on to see what their policies are for $DOT.

    Projects Built On Polkadot

    The Polkadot ecosystem has an enormous outreach and usage. There are currently 188 projects building on it. This includes crypto-projects related to DeFi, cryptocurrency wallets, infrastructure projects, tokens, Oracle, DAO, privacy, exchange, gaming, IoT, scaling, etc.

    A few well-known projects being built on the Polkadot protocol are Chainlink, Ankr, Celer Network, Akropolis, Ocean Protocol, 0x Protocol, imToken, etc.

    Polkadot’s Role in DeFi Projects

    The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) field relies on composability, cross-chain communication, value transfers, and protocols integrating with each other. It’s practically the entire rationale behind the Polkadot project. And as such many, DeFi projects utilize Polkadot.

    For instance, the DeFi automation and aggregation-based Akropolis project relies on integrations with Maker, Compound, Curve and dYdX,. They have collaborated and contributed greatly to the Polkadot ecosystem.

    Polkadot’s Similarities with Upcoming Ethereum 2.0

    The Ethereum 2.0 Phase 0 mainnet is expected to be launched in November 2020. It will introduce the highly anticipated staking mechanism. However, its full deployment won’t be complete until a few years. Polkadot, as it appears, has an incredible similarity with Eth2.

    For instance, both blockchains support sharding, meaning that they execute processing in parallel by allowing individual shards to divide the workload and communicate with each other. They both also implement hybrid consensus models, staking mechanisms, and state-transition functions.

    Conclusion

    Polkadot is fast gaining traction in the DeFi field and the wider crypto community. Owing to the easy integration, available grants, and wide composability, Polkadot’s projects are rapidly gaining value and the Polkadot association appears to have a positive influence on the project’s token price.

    As the ecosystem further matures, it is likely to become an integral part of the blockchain field and smart contracts platform.

    Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more

    With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces

    The DeFi series on this website also covers topics not explored on YouTube. For an introduction on what is DeFi, check out Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Overview: A guide to the HOTTEST trend in cryptocurrency

    Tutorials and guides for the ESSENTIAL DEFI TOOLS:

    More videos and articles are coming soon as part of our DeFi series, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel so you can be notified as soon as they come out!

    Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.