ConsenSys is celebrating the upcoming Ethereum Shanghai/Capella upgrade with the launch of a new NFT collection called “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai”. The NFT claim period begins on April 12, 2023, at 9pm EST and lasts for 72 hours. If you have a MetaMask wallet, you can mint the open edition for free (excluding gas fee). So act fast to claim your piece of Web3 history!
Learn more about the Ethereum Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade and the road toward Ethereum 2.0 here.
ConsenSys Free NFT Claim Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s how to claim the free ConsenSys NFT:
Visit the “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai” NFT Minting Page
ConsenSys is a leading blockchain technology company that focuses primarily on the Ethereum ecosystem. Joseph Lubin, an Ethereum co-founder, established it in 2014. The company aims to drive decentralized applications (dApps) and infrastructure adoption on Ethereum. It provides tools, products, and services like MetaMask and Infura to help developers, businesses, and individuals build next-gen applications and access decentralized web technologies.
ConsenSys is also a founding member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA). This global organization consists of various businesses, startups, research institutions, and Ethereum experts. Launched in 2017, the EEA’s primary goal is to develop open, blockchain-based standards and promote Ethereum adoption in enterprises. Through member collaboration, the EEA seeks to create best practices, architectural guidelines, and industry-specific use cases. This approach helps integrate Ethereum into the business world more effectively and securely.
About the Ethereum Shanghai/Capella Upgrade
The Shanghai/Capella upgrade is a technological milestone in the history of blockchain that will enable users to withdraw staked Ethereum assets. The upgrade is expected to have significant improvements for stakers, the Ethereum staking ecosystem, and DeFi, reducing liquidity risk and inspiring confidence in liquid staking protocols.
The upgrade will also enable Staking withdrawals, increasing the portability of stake and driving further innovation in the staking sector. Stakers will be able to evaluate different offerings based on factors such as rewards maximization, validator performance, simplicity of the user experience, and fees, and will play a critical role in preserving Ethereum’s values.
You can claim your free NFT at the ConsenSys minting page. The claim window will be open for 72 hours starting from 9pm EST on April 12, 2023. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Visit the “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai” NFT Minting Page
In order to mint the NFT, you will need to connect your MetaMask wallet. The network is on the Ethereum mainnet.
Mint and Claim NFT
Click the “Claim Your NFT” button, confirm your MetaMask address, and you will have minted yourself an NFT! The mint itself is free, but you will need some ETH to cover gas fees. You can also choose to mint again, but be careful of the gas fee.
Keep in mind that the Ethereum network may get busier at times, as more people are rushing to mint the NFT. Gas fees can get higher when the network is congested.
View NFT on MetaMask Portfolio
Once you claimed your NFT, you can see it in your MetaMask Portfolio under the NFTs tab. You can also trade it on OpenSea.
SpartaDex is a unique concept of decentralized exchange with implemented gaming layer, built on Arbitrum. It allows users to build their Spartan settlement, gather resources, recruit an army and conquer barbarian territories. The yield and profits are directly related to the user’s progress through the game.
SpartaDex incentivizes liquidity providers of whitelisted pools with their native $SPARTA token. Providing liquidity to selected pairs of partner projects also rewards in the project token.
Does SpartaDex Have a Token?
Yes, SpartaDEX has a native token called $SPARTA. The project team has announced on Twitter that there will be a $SPARTA token airdrop for the community.
How to Get the $SPARTA Token Airdrop?
The best chance to get the $SPARTA token airdrop is to (1) hold a Spartan NFT and (2) interact with the app:
The project team has confirmed that Spartan NFT holders are eligible for future airdrops. All NFTs have been minted already, but you can purchase one in OpenSea.
The SpartaDex testnet is now live on Polygon Mumbai. Only whitelisted addresses are able to interact with it now (those who completed the Galxe campaign). However, its mainnet will launch on Arbitrum later this year, and it is open to the public. Those who missed the whitelist opportunity can then interact with the game for a chance to get the airdrop.
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. (pascuccirestaurant.com)
Likelihood of Airdrop: SpartaDex has confirmed a $SPARTA token airdrop for Spartan NFT holders and early app users once the token is launched.
Airdropped Token Allocation: The project team has not yet published details of the airdropped token allocation.
Airdrop Difficulty: Consider purchasing a Spartan NFT if you are prepared to maintain ownership over an extended period; otherwise, it may not be a valuable investment.
Token Utility: Staking $SPARTA provides Real Yield, which comes not only from commissions earned by the exchange but also from income generated by game-related microtransactions.
Token Lockup: Tokens allocated to ecosystem rewards will follow a 72-month linear vesting with halving mechanism. On the other hand, tokens allocated to the project team and advisors will follow a 6-month cliff and an 18-month linear vesting.
LimeWire is making a comeback under new ownership as a digital collectible marketplace focused on art and the music industry. In celebration of its comeback, LimeWire is launching a huge giveaway campaign featuring a $1,500,000 prize pool. To participate, join the official waitlist and invite friends for a chance to win up to 100,000 $LMWR tokens!
Visit the LimeWire waitlist page and click on “Join Waitlist” before it ends on May 2nd!
LimeWire was a popular peer-to-peer file-sharing platform in the 2000s, with over one-third of all computers globally having installed the program in 2007. It was primarily used for downloading and distributing pirated music, which led to its shutdown as a result of copyright infringement issues.
LimeWire is now returning as an NFT marketplace deployed on Ethereum, and its comeback has also been featured on CoinTelegraph. The platform caters to the art and entertainment space, initially focused on music. Artists will earn the largest portion of income and maintain full autonomy, ownership, and authority over their creations. Moreover, LimeWire will provide the option for direct credit card transactions, removing the necessity for crypto wallets.
$LMWR Token
Token Utility
The LimeWire Token ($LMWR) is an ERC-20 utility token central to the LimeWire ecosystem, offering users various perks and benefits in a loyalty-tier system. Users can pay with $LMWR for discounts, tipping creators, and accessing exclusive content. (https://vallartainfo.com) Creators can earn in USD or $LMWR for a larger revenue share, and both users and creators can receive activity rewards.
$LMWR also enables governance, with holders having voting rights and participating in the LimeWire Foundation’s decisions. Royalty distribution from pay-per-view revenues is also done in $LMWR tokens.
Tokenomics
The total supply of $LMWR tokens is fixed at 1 billion. 43% of the total supply will be distributed to the community, including a 1 million $LMWR allocation to be awarded evenly to all LimeWire Original NFT holders.
How to Get the $LMWR Airdrop?
The top 4,000 referrers are eligible for the $LMWR airdrop, with the prize value distributed as follows:
Top referrer gets 100,000 $LMWR (USD $30,000)
Referrers ranked 2 to 6 each get 50,000 $LMWR (USD $15,000)
Referrers ranked 7 to 4000 each get 100 $LMWR (USD $30) and one LimeWire Original NFT (USD $750)
Visit the LimeWire waitlist page and click on “Join Waitlist”. Enter your email and verify it in your inbox. You can now share your unique referral link with friends to improve your rank!
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: LimeWire has confirmed airdropping $LMWR tokens. It will take place on May 2nd.
Airdropped Token Allocation: $1.5 million worth of $LMWR tokens will be distributed to the top 4,000 referrers.
Airdrop Difficulty: Simply visit the LimeWire waitlist page and click on “Join Waitlist”.
Token Utility: The LimeWire Token ($LMWR) is an ERC-20 utility token offering users perks and benefits within the LimeWire ecosystem, facilitating payments, earnings, activity rewards, governance, and royalty distribution for both users and creators.
Token Lockup: Community pre-sale has no lockup and a 3-month linear release. Public Sale Option I has a 6-month lockup and a 6-month linear release, while Public Sale Option II has no lockup or vesting period.
ParaSpace recently introduced an incentive program in which users’ actions and activities earn points that can be redeemed for ParaSpace governance tokens through an airdrop when the token launches. Moreover, users have the opportunity to receive a 300% boost in points accumulation until June 30, 2023. In this article, we will explain what ParaSpace is and what you can do position yourself for the airdrop.
ParaSpace is a cross-margin NFT lending protocol that enables users to borrow ETH, stablecoins, and supported ERC-20 tokens against various crypto assets such as blue-chip NFTs, ERC-20 tokens, and Uniswap V3 LPs. The platform allows NFT owners to lend and borrow ERC-20 tokens against a diverse array of non-fungible investments, while ERC-20 holders can earn yields through lending against NFTs.
According to DefiLlama, ParaSpace is the second largest NFT lending protocol in total value locked ($100.5 million) at the time of writing. It is also the sister company of Parallel Finance ($PARA), and both platforms have been audited by some of the top smart contract security firms such as Certik, Trail of Bits, and Veridise.
Does ParaSpace have a Token?
ParaSpace does not have a token yet, but has confirmed that it will launch a governance token in the future. Token holders will be a part of the platform’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).
How to Get ParaSpace Token Airdrop?
ParaSpace recently announced an incentive program where users’ actions and activities are rewarded with points that will be redeemed for ParaSpace governance token via airdrop when the token launches. Additionally, users can enjoy a 300% boost for earning points until 30th June, 2023. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Connect Wallet to ParaSpace App
Connect your MetaMask or other supported wallets to app.para.space. The network is Ethereum Mainnet. You will need ERC-20 tokens or ERC-721 (NFTs) to interact with the protocol. Make sure you have enough ETH to cover gas fees.
Supply ERC-20 or ERC-721 Tokens to ParaSpace
If you own any blue-chip NFTs such as Bored Apes or CryptoPunks, you can supply them to the protocol to earn yields. Click the “supply” button on the main page.
Similarly, you can also lend out ERC-20 tokens to earn yields.
Liquidate NFTs
You can perform liquidations for both the user account and tokens held within the account in the Liquidation section.
Borrow ERC-20 Tokens
You can borrow ERC-20 tokens from the protocol, but you will first need to supply NFTs or ERC-20 tokens as collateral.
Stake ApeCoins ($APE) in Auto Compound Pool
You can stake your $APE in the ParaSpace ApeCoin Pool to earn high APY rewards. You can also borrow $APE to stake if you don’t have any.
Stake NFTs in Auto Compound Pool
For NFT owners with or without ApeCoins, you can stake your NFTs in the NFT Staking Pools to earn $APE.
Use Share Staking Pool
You can create $APE listings or NFT listings for the Share Staking Pool. This allows you to find other users to match with your assets for staking purposes and share the APY rewards.
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: ParaSpace has confirmed users’ actions and activities will be rewarded with points that will be redeemed for ParaSpace tokens via airdrop when the token launches. Additionally, users can enjoy a 300% boost for earning points until 30th June, 2023.
Airdropped Token Allocation: ParaSpace is still designing its tokenomics for long-term sustainability.
Airdrop Difficulty: It is recommended to engage in this activity only if you have experience borrowing and lending Ethereum NFTs. You will need ERC-20 tokens or ERC-721 (NFTs) to interact with the protocol. You will also need some ETH to cover gas fees.
Token Utility: The ParaSpace token will be used for governance of the lending protocol.
Token Lockup: Details of token lockup period is not yet available.
Myria is a decentralized Ethereum layer-2 platform powered by StarkWare, designed to scale digital assets, NFTs, and blockchain gaming. Their mainnet is already live, and their token is expected to launch soon. In this article, we will explain what Myria is and how you can position yourself for all these airdrop rewards.
Myria Airdrop Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get a potential Myria token airdrop:
Myria is a layer-2 platform designed to address the challenges faced by the Ethereum network, such as low throughput rate and slow transaction confirmation. Developed in partnership with StarkWare, Myria leverages Zero-Knowledge Rollup (ZK-Rollup) technology to provide scalable and secure transactions with 0 gas fees when minting and trading NFTs.
Blockchain Gaming and NFT Ecosystem
The Myria ecosystem includes their browser built-in Myria Wallet, NFT Marketplace, a player-focused gaming studio, and a decentralized NFT and blockchain solutions platform. The platform offers developers a suite of tools, including APIs, SDKs, and a Domain Specific Language (DSL), to simplify blockchain interactions and help them launch their projects in a matter of hours. Additionally, Myria is committed to regulatory compliance and provides a fully compliant platform for its trusted partners. The comapny is aimed at NFT users and gamers, providing a non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet and a dedicated Web3 marketplace to trade digital assets and collectibles.
Who is the Team behind Myria?
Myria has a large team of 100+ people who are experts in many different fields such as blockchain development, engineering, game design and digital art. Co-founder and CTO Andrew Silber is a gaming veteran, having worked for some of the biggest names in the industry including Activision, Electronic Arts, 2K, Ubisoft, and Sony.
Does Myria have a Token?
Yes, Myria plans to launch an ERC-20 utility token called MYRIA. The token is used for conducting transactions on the layer-2 scaling protocol and provides extra benefits within selected video games. It will be given to gamers, node operators, and other members of the ecosystem, forming a self-sustaining economy among users to boost the growth of the ecosystem.
How to Receive Potential Myria Airdrop?
Time needed: 15 minutes
The best chance to receive MYRIA airdrop is to create transactions on Myria L2, hold an NFT, and run a node. Completing these steps puts you in a great position to be eligible for an airdrop. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Create a Wallet
You can connect your MetaMask wallet on myria.com to create a wallet. Be sure to read the terms & conditions and privacy policy before you click the “Sign” button. Additionally, you can choose to add an email address to your new account to receive transaction notifications.
Deposit Some ETH into your Wallet
Deposit as little as $2 worth of ETH from the mainnet to be included in the snapshot.
Buy NFTs on the Marketplace
Once you have some ETH in your wallet, you can buy some NFTs in their marketplace. Don’t worry, most of these NFTs are very cheap. From here, you can choose to trade or hold them.
Run a Node
You can run a node and earn free tokens and NFT rewards. 36% of their token supply is allocated to node emission. However, there will only ever be 40,000 nodes, and you will have to purchase them at myria.com/nodes.
One of the benefits of BSC is that the Ethereum blockchain has been plagued lately by exorbitantly high fees and delayed transaction processing times. This has resulted in retail or average users getting priced out and unable to participate in decentralised finance (DeFi) or NFT activities. For some investors, it’s simply too much to pay $15-30 per transfer and $50-100 per Uniswap asset conversion.
Therefore, BSC has risen up to the occasion to alleviate some of these problems by cloning and porting Ethereum’s most used DApps over to its blockchain. Thereby offering an attractive alternative with its low fees and near-instant transaction processing time.
Background
Binance Smart Chain (BSC), the blockchain Bakerswap runs on, is a project from Binance – the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by traffic volume and traded amount. It is an Ethereum fork with a Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) consensus mechanism and the ability to integrate with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). There are 21 validators staking large amounts of BNB, who process activity.
The identity of these validators isn’t known but is largely believed to be Binance permissioned actors. These validators need permission from the Binance network to run the validator node. Furthermore, the BNB token holdings are greatly controlled by the Binance team or founders. It’s a permissioned network.
But, it does have its benefits. It ensures high throughput transaction processing and low fees for the users. It’s an experience for the users, who otherwise won’t be able to experience DeFi and NFTs. Binance further returns some part of the transaction fees to the developers to give them the incentive to develop on the BSC network.
BakerySwap
BakerySwap is a Uniswap clone that allows for orderbook-less automated market maker (AMM) services and NFT trading. It runs exclusively on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). It’s marketed by Binance as having “cheaper fees and faster confirmation time than Ethereum”. Also included are the functionalities for staking with users providing liquidity and earning new tokens, combination NFTs and pets feature.
In the place of orderbooks, liquidity pools are used to conduct swaps. In a similar manner to Uniswap, the participants receive Liquidity Pool (LP) tokens and can redeem them for assets supplied and fees earned when liquidating them. That’s according to their share in the pool gathered from the assets. Recently, an Initial DEX Offering (IDO) has also been introduced which allows projects to raise capital.
BakerySwap Fees
BakerySwap has a 0.30% fee for every activity on the platform, 0.25% goes to the liquidity providers and the remaining 0.05% will be used to buyback BAKE from the market and distributed to BAKE holders.
How To Access BakerySwap Through MetaMask
It’s pretty simple to access BakerySwap through Web3 wallets like MetaMask. Simple click the MetaMask button and open the dialog box and it will show Ethereum mainnet by default.
Connecting to BakerySwap
Then, enter the following information in a case-sensitive manner.
Click Save and then switch to Binance Smart Chain. Now you can access BakerySwap. To transact on the BSC network, you need to have Binance Coin (BNB) on your wallet, so buy and withdraw them to your MetaMask as BEP20 standard tokens.
BakeryToken ($BAKE)
The native token of Bakeryswap is called BakeryToken or BAKE, which is earned by providing liquidity to asset pairs and staking liquidity pool tokens or by staking BAKE itself. Since this is a food-themed clone, it’s possible to deposit the liquidity pool tokens into different pools of Doughnut, Waffle, Rolls, Croissant, Latte, etc. with different ROIs.
There was no pre-mine and/or presale of BAKE tokens. The tokens reserved for the team are only 1% because of their belief in a fair distribution model. Its distribution is skewed in favor of people staking tokens and the total supply is 731,745,000 BAKE. The tokens will be gradually released with the community’s consultation and advice.
NFTs
On the Binance Smart Chain, BakerySwap is the first AMM plus NFT project. The native BAKE token can be used to create a “food meal” – a fancy term for a NFT, which can be used to farm BAKE again.
Every food meal has a different staking multiplier and earns proportional rewards. Plus, it can be traded for other NFTs and burned to yield BAKE.
The platform also has an NFT Supermarket which allows artists to turn their artworks into NFTs through the minting process and to sell them. Users can buy artwork at the Supermarket using BAKE tokens.
Despite having an interesting overlap of two emerging fields in blockchain tech, the innovation doesn’t seem to slow down at BakerySwap. As such, the team has announced that they would introduce the stake to farm NFT functions like MEME. A novel bidding and auctions system would also be developed.
In DeFi and NFTs, gamification is key to engage users and keep them involved. BakerySwap will create raffles and rewards for completing BAKE tasks. AMM/NFT data analytics and token price charts are also under development. At some point in the future, margin trading and derivatives would also be deployed on BSC.
BakerySwap Ethereum 2.0
Like any emerging unconventional DeFi protocol, BakerySwap has had its fair share with procuring and managing liquidity for the yet-to-be-launched Ethereum 2.0. It has been reported to be working to integrate Ankr staking services aETH – a synthetic asset representing deposited Ether tokens, which will be used to create new farming pools.
BakerySwap has also launched its own Eth2 BETH token, in partnership with Binance.
Conclusion
BakerySwap marks the introduction of an interesting experiment and an attempt to include users, which have been left out because of the high fees on the Ethereum network. At a fraction of cost and rapid transaction processing, retail users can try out the asset swap and NFT minting functions without clearing out their wallets for fees.
The project takes Uniswap one step further, adding elements of NFT and gamification. Plus the tokenomics ensure value accrual and incentives for users to continue holding the token. The trajectory of BakerySwap doesn’t appear to be descending and notable features are waiting to be implemented in the coming days.
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.
Taipei Blockchain Week, the largest Web3 event in Taiwan, was held last week from December 12-17, 2022. Similar to TOKEN2049 Singapore, the event features a series of keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and meetups with some of the leading developers and entrepreneurs in the Web3 industry. Speakers of the event included core team members from Avalanche, Solana, Filecoin, Moongate and many more, where they talked about the real-world applications of blockchain technology and the future landscape of crypto.
Moongate, in particular, has introduced an end-to-end solution for brands and businesses to create customized NFTs for ticketing and memberships. In fact, Moongate is the official ticketing partner of Taipei Blockchain Week, having issued 4000 tickets for the event’s attendees. Despite the NFT industry getting a bad rap, Moongate helps bring meaningful and productive application of Web3 into the Web2 world with real utility NFTs that can greatly benefit everyday retail consumers. Let’s take a look at what they have to offer.
What is Moongate?
Moongate provides an end-to-end, no-code solution for brands and businesses looking to transform their user engagement experience via Web3. Its user application covers (1) membership and loyalty programs, (2) events and conferences, and (3) NFT projects. All customers will be able to own their membership as NFTs which unlock token-gated rewards and access.
CEO of Moongate Jonathan Mui told Boxmining that they have helped brands, businesses, conferences, and sports leagues with NFT-empowered memberships and tickets. So far, Moongate has 30+ live programs, 50+ ecosystem partners, and 5000+ end customers. Notable partners include Polygon, SimpleHash (backed by Y Combinator), DTTD (backed by Animoca Brands), Limewire and many more.
How Does Moongate’s App Work?
Moongate’s User App is very easy to use, catering to both Web3 and Web2 users. You can create an account, which is also your crypto wallet, with your email, phone number or social media account. For experienced Web3 users, you can instead use your self-custodial wallet such as MetaMask to sign up.
Private Key Security Features
To onboard Web2 users more easily, there won’t be any traditional Web3 private key management such as seed phrases. Moongate understands that with traditional private keys, users can never get their NFTs back if they lose their key. This can be a problem for most Web2 users who are not used to Web3 interfaces.
Instead, Moongate is collaborating with some of the top endpoint security solutions to implement a next-gen key management architecture. Its security infrastructure involves two independently-created mathematical secret shares, eliminating the single point of failure for traditional private keys. The wallet is still non-custodial as users have full control over their NFTs but it also allows them to restore their account safely if they delete the App or lose their phones.
User App Interface
In the App, users can enroll in membership programs via one-click join/redemption. Users can view and claim exclusive benefits tied to their NFT memberships. Tiered rewards can be earned, and benefits will increase overtime with increased spending/usage. Moreover, users can earn token rewards by completing promotions, and use tokens to claim extra rewards across partnered brands.
Mui said that it is important for Moongate to integrate blockchain technology with legacy systems so that it would require less steps and create less friction for Web2 users to get onboard while reaping the benefits of Web3. Since most retail customers are accustomed to Point of Sale (POS) systems, Mui said that adopting some of the Web2 approaches can help make their product scalable and viable.
Merchant Setup for Moongate’s App
Apart from retail customers, brands and businesses with no Web3 knowledge can also easily manage their Moongate account. NFT projects can keep track of the holders engagement for future rewards and airdrops, without requiring holders to reveal personal information.
NFT Design and Minting
Users can create, deploy, and mint their own NFTs without any coding knowledge. Moongate’s smart contract builder is a simple drag-and-drop deployment. It supports dynamic NFT integration and can be issued on multiple chains. Moongate’s mint site builder provides customized storefront design with personalized information. Users can checkout with fiat or crypto via Web2 social logins or crypto wallets.
No-code dashboards are available for merchants and projects to set the parameters of online or offline token-gated content, access, and discounts across different tiers of membership. There are also key applications on offline discounts, exclusive events, and online e-commerce stores. Additionally, off-chain data can be captured to support corresponding changes to dynamic NFTs.
Moongate has a one-scan solution to complete real-time, on-chain NFT ownership verification across multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana. Users will have their own ephemeral QR code for merchants to scan and verify as it supports whitelabel integration with other apps or third-party scanners. Moreover, it is also compatible with near-field communication (NFC) “phygital” gateways, which are essentially physical cards that hold the QR code verification.
Moongate provides data analytics for merchants and projects to monitor membership usage in real-time and post-attendance. It can integrate with traditional technology stack such as POS and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) marketing software. The portal also displays API for data integration with other sites, supporting tracking of spending credits.
Moongate introduces a new paradigm in customer loyalty while maintaining positive business impact. It changes how businesses can build better branding and how customers approach purchasing goods and services.
Since customers can truly own their NFT membership, they can also choose to sell the NFT along with all the rewards stored in it, as the NFT is a transferrable token. That way instead of “spending”, customers are actually investing because they are creating value for their NFT. This also helps businesses better connect with the next generation of customers, lowering their Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). After all, that is what Web3 is all about — ownership by users.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have become very popular amongst cryptocurrency traders and are drawing a lot of attention from several industries. The world of art has greatly benefitted from the sector, more than other industries (so far) because it opens creators and potential buyers to an ever-expanding marketplace. Generally, this stems from NFTs’ non-fungible nature, meaning that each one is unique.
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What makes NFTs special?
Anyone can trade one Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH) for another and end up with the same asset they traded in terms of value and usability. However, non-fungibility means that no two assets are alike. If you trade one NFT for another, the newly-received asset will be fundamentally different. In the art sector, this allows people to buy directly from the creator, with the assurance that there is no duplicate anywhere. NFTs have also created a whole asset class and industry of NFT speculators which buy, sell and trade them for profit. There are estimates that in 2021 alone, there were over US$23 billion worth of trades in NFTs. In fact, the most expensive NFT sold in 2021 was Beeple’s The First 5,000 Days, which sold for US$69.3 million.
Some Common NFT Scams
However, as with most up-and-coming industries, the NFT space is rife with its fair share of scams. Malicious players find ways to take advantage of buyers pumping money into the industry. Scammers are also becoming more sophisticated with their methods and will go to any lengths to swindle NFT holders, especially since some NFTs are worth millions. Here are some common NFT scams.
Fake offers
Scammers frequently entice NFT holders with false offers. Known methods include phishing emails, fake links, and service offers that require people to sign malicious contracts. Sometimes, people willingly give up their signatures for seemingly legitimate reasons, such as a paid offer to help animate your NFT. Tokens and NFTs may get stolen after you sign the transaction. In December 2021, scammers hacked the NFT marketplace Fractal, pushing a link to prospective buyers through the platform’s official Discord. Within 10 minutes, around 370 users lost 862 SOL, worth more than US$150,000 at the time.
False NFT projects
The NFT space has seen several rug pull scams where a known or unknown creator publishes an NFT for sale. For many reasons, including the possibility of high returns, people may skip adequate due diligence and quickly sink money into a new NFT with growing popularity. In many cases, these projects eventually lose their value and can’t be sold for a profit or the initial capital. The unknown creators then take all the money and are almost always unreachable. A popular example is the Frosties rug pull and scam. In January, buyers who purchased pieces of the cartoon ice cream digital collection lost a total of . (https://inboundrem.com) 3 million after the creators and funds disappeared from OpenSea.
Counterfeit NFTs
Scammers can create fake NFTs that resemble originals, especially when the original is not very popular. The forger would then list the fake NFT on a marketplace where an unsuspecting buyer may purchase what they think is the authentic version. Since no one wants a plagiarized or counterfeit NFT, the buyer is left with a worthless asset.
Pump and dump scams
Here, a group of scammers artificially pump a worthless NFT collection which eventually drives price and demand from speculators. Within a short period, the collection garners enough attention that people consider it valuable and start buying. However, the group will pull the plug and disappear as soon as they make enough money from the sale. The price of the NFT eventually tanks, leaving holders unable to resell their worthless NFTs. A relevant example of a pump-and-dump scam is the Squid Game token. Last year, unknown creators launched a token that exploited the popularity of Netflix’s Squid Game series. The SQUID token pumped past $2,800 and eventually crashed to $0. The scammers made away with more than $3 million in total and have still not been found.
Fake Holder Verification Bots
Scammers may create programs that impersonate authentic verification bots used with discord servers. Owners then allow approvals for these fake bots that transfer sensitive information to scammers who steal the NFTs.
How to Avoid NFT Scams
All players in the NFT marketplace should know how to avoid scams. Due diligence often does the trick, as fake projects or assets usually have features that stick out. Generally, avoiding scams requires a lot of caution from NFT holders. Owners looking to sell their NFTs must set approvals. The process requires the seller to set an approval so that the marketplace can transact on the owner’s behalf if, for example, someone else buys the asset. While popular marketplaces like OpenSea are relatively safe, there is still a significant risk with setting approvals.
Approvals give the receiving contract or address the authority needed to transfer tokens. If a malicious bot or contract has the approval, your funds are not safe. To avoid these scams, there are a few things to note.
Setting approvals and verification
The blockchain is a public ledger and does not need permission for people to read stored information. However, executing transactions on the blockchain requires gas. When transacting with a third-party bot, marketplace, or address, any verification requiring gas fees is likely illicit. In the same way, setting approvals should cost some gas. There might be a serious problem if a transaction to set an approval is gasless.
Due diligence
It is important to do intensive research into an NFT collection or project before purchasing it. Trustworthy projects should have verifiable teams compromised of members without fraudulent histories. Depending on the project, a whitepaper might also be necessary. For phishing scams, buyers must double-check email addresses and links to ensure authenticity. Buyers must also do their due diligence to avoid plagiarized or counterfeit NFTs by confirming verification ticks on marketplaces or sticking to links posted on the project’s official Discord.
Discord Notes
Buyers using Collabland for management can attach specific notes to authentic bots in a server. This note will be available anywhere you see the bot, making it easy to avoid corrupt bots.
Personal Safety
All wallet credentials should only be in safe locations that are not easily accessible by third parties. It is inadvisable to keep this information on a mobile phone or with someone else. All owners should also consider unique passwords in addition to two-factor authentication (2FA).
Conclusion: Staying Safe
Avoiding NFT scams requires continuous effort. Buyers who have done their due diligence should consider taking further steps, including actions not listed above. Since the NFT space is still somewhat nascent, buyers should expect that scammers may come up with newer ways to steal NFTs or swindle unsuspecting users. Therefore, traders must take additional protective steps when buying, selling, or setting approvals for NFTs.
Ethereum is one of the world’s most versatile blockchains, with functionality that supports innumerable decentralized applications and blockchain assets. Although conceived in 2013 by Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum did not launch until 2015, it has since been at the forefront of blockchain utility, especially with the recent popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
An NFT is an asset on a blockchain that is completely verifiably unique and therefore irreplaceable. Today, many people use NFTs to digitize real-world assets and expose these assets to a global audience. NFTs are very popular in art and photography, as they allow creators to access a wide pool of potential fans and buyers. Currently, most NFTs are on the Ethereum blockchain.
Ethereum is also the most popular network for decentralized applications (DApps). These apps are powered by smart contracts that drive several functions on the blockchain using specified agreements and conditions. Since the NFT and DApp markets exploded, the Ethereum network has become very busy, and sometimes leaves some transactions stuck for long periods.
Check out our video on how to fix stuck transactions on Ethereum:
FIX stuck transactions on Ethereum
Why Do Some Transactions Get Stuck?
A delay in processing simply means that no miner has picked up the transaction yet. All Ethereum transactions require a gas fee (gwei), a processing fee set to incentivize miners to pick up and process the transaction. This fee is never static, as it depends on the network congestion at transaction time. Sometimes, gas fees may be very high if there are a lot of people transacting simultaneously.
Ethereum wallets usually recommend a gas fee based on current network specifics but would let the user increase or reduce it as preferred. If a transaction is delayed for too long, it’s likely that the gas fees for other transactions on the network are considerably higher, and miners are ignoring the lower prices.
What is a Nonce?
Used in cryptography as an acronym for “Number Only Used Once,” a nonce is a number that functions as an identifier for a transaction. This number is sequential and follows an order such that transactions with lower nonces get processed before others. Since one Ethereum wallet can initiate any number of transactions, nonces represent a (sometimes chronological) sequence that transaction processing follows.
How to Fix a Stuck Transaction
There are three main ways to fix a stuck transaction: cancelling the transaction, increasing the gas fee, or introducing a new transaction with a custom nonce. Before fixing a stuck transaction, it is important to verify the transaction in a block explorer like Etherscan to confirm that it is pending. An ETH wallet may provide users with a cancel or reset button that helps to delete the transaction. After cancelling, it might be necessary to close the wallet application or browser and then reopen it.
If it is a hardware wallet, turning off and disconnecting the device is also required. Although this is a simple and quick way to solve stuck transactions, users should note that this method may not always work. It is also possible to fix a transaction by increasing the set gas fee. If a user initiates a transaction with a low gas fee but later increases it to match the market’s current price, miners will pick up and process the transaction.
Another way is to use a new transaction to clear the old one by setting a custom nonce. For instance, a wallet might have three pending transactions, each with nonces 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The network would process nonce 3 first before the others. However, if the gas fee for that transaction is low and miners aren’t picking it, all three transactions could remain stuck.
The solution here is to initiate a new 0 ETH transaction with a high gas price and send the transaction to the user’s own address. To clear out the transaction, the user must ensure that the nonce specified in the new transaction is the same as the old one. Although this will cost some gas, it immediately clears out the clog and resolves all the other transactions.
How to Prevent a Stuck Transaction
The simplest way to prevent a stuck transaction is to ensure the gas fee you are setting agrees with current market prices. If the gas fee is high enough, miners pick it up almost immediately and process the transaction without delay. Users can confirm current gas prices from the wallet or from other online sources. If you are looking to save on gas fees, there are gas tracking websites and applications that will help you optimize this process.
Conclusion
Fixing a stuck Ethereum transaction is easy and usually takes a few minutes. When the transaction is still “pending” on the block explorer, these methods can help solve any problems concerning transaction delay. However, users should note that it is mostly impossible to fix any transactions where the status has moved from “pending” to “completed.”
NFTs have become one of the most exciting trends in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. With many existing projects and more in the works, crypto enthusiasts now consider NFTs as potentially rewarding and an attractive asset. These specialized assets have generated a lot of media hype, speculation, and commendable value for the greater crypto and blockchain ecosystem.
However, many people are still unaware of the specifics which make NFTs work such as minting, applications, and their general significance towards the crypto and traditional sectors. People also don’t know what to make of the trend, and whether or not they should participate in the hype. As popular as they are, NFTs suffer from the effects of many widespread myths and misconceptions, making these assets some of the most misunderstood in the finance and blockchain sector.
What are NFTs?
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are digital assets with uniquely verifiable qualities contained in their metadata. These tokens function as a popular and effective way to represent traditional or blockchain assets because they are non-fungible, meaning they cannot be freely interchanged in a one-to-one manner, duplicated, or forged. Once created, NFTs are permanently etched on the blockchain’s public ledger and are visible by all nodes on the blockchain. The unique nature of NFTs affords them significant utility across various sectors.
While the principle behind NFTs has real-world applications, these assets are still in their infancy. Many people, including crypto enthusiasts, are still only aware of the myths and misconceptions created by mainstream media and do not fully understand these assets which can have huge potential. Here are some of the most widespread myths about NFTs and the truths behind them.
Click here for our in-depth explainer on what are NFTs.
Myth #1 – NFTs Are a Kind of Cryptocurrency
The biggest misconception is that NFTs are a kind of cryptocurrency. Although they are both developed on blockchains, the critical difference is their fungibility. Cryptocurrencies are fungible assets traded only by an asset with the same value. For example, Ethereum’s Ether (ETH) token is only tradable if exchanged for other ETH or another cryptocurrency with the same exact value. On the other hand, each NFT has a unique value and cannot be replaced with another. One Ether is always worth the same as any other Ether, but the same cannot be said about NFTs, making them a digital asset, not a currency.
Myth #2 – NFTs Are Harmful to the Environment
Since creators mint NFTs on energy-intensive blockchains, many people think they are harmful to the environment. However, this is not the case. People are now using the more energy-efficient Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain protocol instead of the Proof-of-Work (PoW) protocol, which is more energy-intensive.
Click here to learn more about Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake.
Myth #3 – NFTs Don’t Have Value
Another common misconception about NFTs is that they do not have any value. On the contrary, am NFT derives true and inherent value from the underlying blockchain technology that enables the ownership, transparency, and security of digital assets.
The utility of NFTs transcends digital artwork, avatars, and collectibles. For example, certain NFTs offer holders various uses and benefits ranging from VIP concert passes to private dinner reservations. Additionally, NFTs are applicable in the real estate sector to transfer land deeds or verify ownership.
Myth #4 – NFTs Are Easily Copied and Forged
A common issue with digital collectibles is validating their authenticity and rarity, mainly to prevent the sale of counterfeit or pirated items. This is a problem that blockchain technology quickly solves.
A blockchain maintains a series of public transactions across different computers or nodes. Each node “witnesses” all transactions to ensure that they are all 100% authentic. With NFTs, the blockchain creates a clear chain of ownership making collectors confident that their NFT is the one-and-only “original,” also ensuring that buyers can verify authenticity before exchanging money.
Myth #5 – NFTs Encourage Scams and Money Laundering
Many still commonly believe that blockchain assets are for criminals and tax defaulters. However, cash is still much more utilized for nefarious purposes and crime-driven than cryptocurrencies and NFTs. All transactions on the blockchain are completely transparent and easily trackable if there is a need to detect fraudulent activity. Furthermore, in some cases, it is also possible to recover stolen funds from scams or money laundering.
Myth #6 – Buying an NFT Means Owning the Intellectual Property
This myth is more of a technical misconception. Owning an NFT does not automatically give ownership of the underlying asset or its intellectual property rights. Unless otherwise stated, ownership of the intellectual property stays with the creator of the NFT. Even after the purchase, buyers or collectors do not have the right to use the NFT outside the scope outlined by the creator. Think of it as a collectable book or movie; just because you purchase it doesn’t mean you have the right to reproduce or monetize the intellectual property.
Myth #7 – NFTs Are Just a Fad
Like the internet, many people thought NFTs would not catch on or only find applications for illicit activity. Some also believe that these tokens are just hype and will suddenly disappear, leaving many people holding worthless assets. However, given the many possible use cases, NFTs are unlikely to disappear.
We can see that NFTs are not dead or just a fad from the launch of video game retailer GameStop’s NFT marketplace. GameStop launched its NFT marketplace on 12th July 2022, ahead of its initial anticipated release after hinting at this for over a year. GameStop has in May 2022 already released its digital asset wallet for users to store, send and receive cryptocurrencies and NFTs in anticipation for this marketplace launch.
The launch of GameStop’s NFT marketplace also appears to be a success, with trade volumes exceeding US$1mil (over 1,028 ETH) in 24 hours. Commentators on Twitter also suggest that GameStop’s launch was even more successful than that of the Coinbase NFT marketplace, since GameStop’s trade volume in 24 hours was equivalent to 60% of Coinbase NFT marketplace’s entire lifetime sales.
Conclusion: NFT Myths?
NFTs are here to stay and are slowly gaining massive traction across the crypto space. Although popularity is on the rise as creators are continuously minting new ones every day, crypto enthusiasts worldwide still need to stay informed about utility to better understand the technology, how it works, and how creators can sustain the NFT market well into the future.
