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3 Altcoins to Watch in the Fourth Week of June 2026

Bitcoin network activity has surged to its highest level since 2024, with daily transactions topping 800,000, but CryptoQuant says the increase is being driven largely by low-value protocol activity such as Ordinals, Runes and BRC-20 transactions rather than economic demand.

Bitcoin’s onchain transaction count has climbed to its strongest level of 2026, a near-record pace not seen since late 2024 — yet the economic value behind those transactions tells a different story, according to a research note published by CryptoQuant last week.

Daily Bitcoin transactions have surpassed 800,000, more than doubling from lows recorded in 2025 and approaching the peak levels seen during the 2023–2025 bull cycle. The network’s activity index has broken above trend for the first time since December 2024, sitting just 7% below its all-time high activity levels recorded in September 2024. 

“This above-trend reading has been sustained for several weeks and marks the first positive activity regime since mid-2024, contrasting sharply with Bitcoin’s ongoing bear market price decline,” CryptoQuant wrote in the note.

The catch: the transactions driving that surge are tiny. Cohorts of less than 0.01 BTC and less than 0.001 BTC now together account for roughly 80% of all daily Bitcoin transfers — up from around 44% in 2023. “The economic content of these transactions differs materially from prior high-activity periods,” the firm noted.

Bitcoin’s protocol-driven activity CryptoQuant attributes the shift to protocol-driven activity: Ordinals, Runes, BRC-20 tokens, and data timestamping services that rely on Bitcoin’s OP_RETURN field, a transaction output that allows users to attach arbitrary data to a bitcoin transaction. The removal of OP_RETURN’s byte limit last year following a contentious community debate opened the door to a surge in this kind of usage. “Usage has spiked to near-record levels in 2026,” the firm wrote, describing these protocols as generators of “high volumes of dust-value transactions.”

The result is rising mempool congestion. According to FXStreet’s coverage of the note, the Bitcoin mempool expanded to around 128,000 pending transactions at the time of writing — its highest level since late February 2025, with congestion concentrated among low-fee transactions. CryptoQuant warned that “sustained expansion could drive fee increases for time-sensitive economic transactions.”

The divergence between network activity and price is stark. Bitcoin is trading around $64,700, down roughly 17% over the past 30 days and nearly 50% below its October 2025 record of $126,080. 

High transaction counts in prior cycles correlated with rising prices and economic demand; this time, the volume reflects protocol use rather than a surge in financial transfers.

For now, the network is busy — just not with the kind of activity that has historically moved the price.

Micah Zimmerman

Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.

Bitcoin is yet to recover from the prolonged market volatility, but selling pressure among long-time Bitcoin holders is easing as they become more willing to hodl their assets.

According to data from crypto analytics platform CryptoQuant, selling activity among Bitcoin's oldest holders has declined significantly as they appear to be growing more confident.

It is important to note that long-term holders who have held Bitcoin for more than five years are commonly referred to as "OGs"; hence, the slowdown in their selling activity suggests that they are no longer willing to sell cautiously.

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Bitcoin OGs now holdingFollowing the decline, the metric has reached its lowest level since late 2024, suggesting that market pressure is easing and Bitcoin might be preparing for a major move.

Apparently, this cycle recorded some of the strongest OG selling activity in Bitcoin's history, especially during periods when the market experienced a brief rally, suggesting that they might have been taking profits.

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During the periods of intense selling from the Bitcoin OGs, the market saw large amounts of Bitcoin — about 10,000 BTC, 30,000 BTC, and even 142,000 BTC — being dumped by long-term holders.

This signaled periods of intense distribution from long-term holders. However, this behavior has seen a significant shift as the average amount of BTC spent by OGs over the last three months has now fallen below 1,000 BTC, currently standing at 962 BTC. This marks its lowest reading since November 2024.

Bitcoin price outlook With Bitcoin currently trading in a downward trajectory, the massive slowdown in its price movement may be attributed to the bearish behavior recently exhibited by the OGs.

With the selling pressure from these traders now fading, analysts believe that Bitcoin may soon experience a reversal in its downtrend and might be preparing for a potential price surge as demand returns.

Leading cryptocurrencies cracked alongside stocks on Tuesday, after a sharp decline in chip-related stocks cast doubts on the sustainability of the AI rally.

Crypto Market Sinks DeeperBitcoin dropped below $62,000 amid heavy selling, while Ethereum bulls failed to defend the support at $1,700. XRP and Dogecoin recorded sharp declines as well.

Over $560 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with $490 million in bullish long positions wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

Roughly $350 million in Bitcoin longs were at risk of liquidation if the price dropped to $60,000.

Bitcoin’s open interest fell 1.39% over the last 24 hours. Whale and retail derivatives traders, meanwhile, bought the dip, adding more long exposure to BTC.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.15 trillion, following a decline of 1.63% from the previous day.

Stocks In Red After Chip Stocks TumbleStocks faced heavy sell-offs on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 45.87 points, or 0.09%, to close at 51,666.84. The S&P 500 slid 1.44% to end at 7,365.46, while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite declined 2.21% to close at 25,587.04.

Why This Support Is Significant For BTCAli Martinez, a widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader, said that Bitcoin must hold the support at $60,587 to “maintain the current trend.”

Citing on-chain data, the analyst highlighted the $60,000–$63,000 range as one of the largest volume clusters, where over one million BTC changed hands.

Michaël van de Poppe, another well-known cryptocurrency commentator, stated that Ethereum is currently stuck in the middle and needs to break above $1,800 to “regain momentum.”

“If the markets break back into that range, it can move quickly to $2,500+,” Van De Poppe said. “Other than that, it’s very likely to see retests at $1,385 and/or $1,505.”

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The leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is stuck between $60,000 and $62,000. According to recent analyses, BTC is testing the $60,000 support level due to the lack of recovery catalysts.

In this context, although Bitcoin rose above $65,000 on Monday, it subsequently fell back to the $62,000 level. The market is now focused on whether the $60,000 support level will hold. It is noted in the market that $60,000 is seen as the most important short-term technical and psychological support level.

According to analysts, institutional investors, who led the rally in the current cycle, are reducing their risk, making a strong recovery unlikely until ETF flows reverse again.

While $60,000 is critical for Bitcoin, one analyst suggested that if BTC breaks the $60,000 support level, it could fall as low as $46,000.

At this point, popular cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez stated in a post on his X account that if Bitcoin loses its on-chain support of $60,587, it could fall to $46,702 and even potentially to $37,867.

Based on on-chain data, the analyst noted that the $60,000 to $63,000 range is a significant demand zone where more than 1.3 million BTC is traded.

According to the analyst, maintaining the $60,587 support level is crucial to preserving the current market structure. If this price is broken, a drop to the $46,702 level, where 150,000 BTC is currently trading, is possible. If this support is also broken, the next significant support area will be the $37,867 level, where 207,000 BTC is currently trading.

Finally, analyst Murphy, using a pseudonym, also highlighted the importance of $60,000, stating that Bitcoin would find strong support around the $60,000 level near the June 26 option expiry and that a drop below this level was unlikely.

According to the analyst, a total of 4,620 BTC of put options positions have accumulated at the $60,000 strike price, creating a strong put wall that generates significant buying power and will provide solid support as the price approaches this level.

In this context, the analyst considers $60,000 a strong short-term support level and remains cautiously optimistic about Bitcoin’s short-term performance.

*This is not investment advice.

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What Is Blockchain and How Does it Work?

Opendoor Stock Jumps 14% as CEO Confirms Bitcoin Integration Plans

New York, United States, November 11th, 2025, Chainwire

Threshold Network has rolled out protocol upgrades and a refreshed website to reinforce tBTC’s position in Bitcoin onchain markets. This enhances tBTC’s role as the trusted tokenized Bitcoin, bridging Bitcoin’s onchain capital concentration to decentralized financial markets.

Recent analysis shows that 1M addresses hold over $100k; 157,000 hold over $1 million, and 19,142 addresses hold more than $10 million in Bitcoin. Together, these addresses represent an estimated $500 billion in value, a figure that has accelerated since U.S. spot ETF approvals in 2024. Although individuals control about 65.9% of the total Bitcoin supply, the majority are affluent investors rather than small retail holders.

Since the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, institutional participation has grown rapidly. Institutional holdings reached $414 billion in August 2025, driven by ETF inflows and corporate treasury strategies. Corporate reserves increased 40% in Q3 to $117 billion, while 172 listed companies now hold Bitcoin, collectively owning over 1 million BTC. MicroStrategy remains the largest corporate holder with 640,000 BTC, and as of October 2025, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs manage $169.48 billion in assets, representing 6.79% of Bitcoin’s market cap. Threshold sees this shift as an opportunity to shift to institutional positioning.

Renewed Focus: Institutional Access with Bitcoin’s Integrity

The redesigned Threshold Network website features a clean, minimal layout designed for clarity and accessibility. It represents Threshold’s transition from a single protocol to a comprehensive ecosystem that enables Bitcoin to move freely across financial markets.

The accompanying tBTC app has been upgraded to simplify the Bitcoin-to-DeFi experience. Users can now mint tBTC directly to supported chains with a single BTC transaction, without secondary approvals or unnecessary steps. Redemptions back to Bitcoin mainnet are equally straightforward, mirroring Bitcoin’s simplicity while maintaining full decentralization.

The upgrade also introduces several new features:

Use tBTC: A new section built to help users discover where they can deploy tBTC or put their Bitcoin to work. It provides a comprehensive overview of tBTC integrations across multiple DeFi protocols. Vaults: a new dashboard that consolidates integrated tBTC vault strategies into a single interface. It allows users to access curated, externally managed vault strategies built for ease of use.  My Activity: This section offers a unified record of all user actions across minting, redeeming, and vault participation. Every transaction is logged onchain, allowing users to easily track their history and monitor performance over time. 

The New tBTC App: Simplicity and Precision for Large Scale Adoption

The new tBTC app introduces a simplified interface focused on efficiency, transparency, and security. It allows users to move between Bitcoin and DeFi markets seamlessly while maintaining complete self-custody of their assets.

Streamlined Minting and Redemption

Users can now move effortlessly between Bitcoin and a range of supported networks, including Ethereum, Layer 2s, and non-EVM chains, through a single, seamless process.

This new functionality removes the friction traditionally involved in bringing Bitcoin into DeFi. Users can now mint and redeem tBTC quickly, securely, and without unnecessary costs or approvals.

Direct minting to supported chains enables capital to flow efficiently into DeFi markets, allowing institutions to deploy Bitcoin liquidity across multiple ecosystems without relying on centralized intermediaries. Direct redemption to Bitcoin mainnet gives users confidence that they can always return to native Bitcoin, maintaining trust and liquidity across all use cases. No Layer 2 signing required means that even complex transactions can be completed with a single Bitcoin transfer, reducing operational overhead for institutional treasuries and simplifying onboarding for individual users. Together, these upgrades position tBTC as the most efficient and permissionless access for Bitcoin in DeFi markets.

Gasless Minting on Supported Networks

Gasless minting is now possible on supported networks. Users only need to deposit Bitcoin; no wallet signatures or additional gas fees are required. They simply connect their wallet, send Bitcoin to a single-use address, and receive tBTC on their chosen chain. This feature allows users to utilize Bitcoin capital efficiently without compromising custody or cost.

“This is a major protocol upgrade that represents Threshold’s maturity as a network,” said Callan Sarre, Co-Founder and CPO of Threshold Labs.

“We’ve rebuilt the app to give users a unified experience. Mint, redeem, and deploy Bitcoin faster, with confidence and transparency. The new interface delivers what users, both institutional and individual, have consistently asked for: clarity and control without compromise.”

Building the Future of Bitcoin

Threshold Network, a cross-chain Bitcoin infrastructure protocol that enables BTC to move securely across multiple blockchains, has upgraded its app to support direct minting to supported networks with zero gas fees. The upgrade allows Bitcoin holders to access yield strategies, lending markets, and liquidity provision without first routing transactions through Ethereum Layer 1.

This release enables users to mint tBTC directly from the Bitcoin network into supported onchain ecosystems, removing the need for L1 bridging and significantly simplifying user onboarding.

“The scale of institutional adoption since ETF approvals has been extraordinary,” said MacLane Wilkison, Co-Founder and CEO of Threshold Labs.

“Our focus is on building the infrastructure that allows institutions, funds, and corporates to interact with Bitcoin onchain securely. As traditional finance integrates Bitcoin into its portfolios, tBTC stands as the bridge that ensures this participation remains decentralized and transparent.”

With tBTC available across major ecosystems, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Sui, Starknet, BOB, and Optimism, Threshold continues to expand its integrations to increase liquidity and, soon, enable access to institutional capital.

Users can explore the new app and website at https://threshold.network

About Threshold Network

Threshold Network is the decentralized protocol behind tBTC, a permissionless 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset secured by a 51-of-100 threshold signer model. tBTC enables native BTC to move across chains like Ethereum, Base, Sui, Arbitrum, and Starknet without requiring custodians or compromising security. With over 5 years of proven security and about $4.8B in bridge volume, Threshold offers the most battle-tested, trust-minimized Bitcoin infrastructure onchain.

Contact Head of Marketing
RC Ramos
Threshold Network
[email protected]

New York, United States, November 11th, 2025, Chainwire

Threshold Network has rolled out protocol upgrades and a refreshed website to reinforce tBTC’s position in Bitcoin onchain markets. This enhances tBTC’s role as the trusted tokenized Bitcoin, bridging Bitcoin’s onchain capital concentration to decentralized financial markets.

Recent analysis shows that 1M addresses hold over $100k; 157,000 hold over $1 million, and 19,142 addresses hold more than $10 million in Bitcoin. Together, these addresses represent an estimated $500 billion in value, a figure that has accelerated since U.S. spot ETF approvals in 2024. Although individuals control about 65.9% of the total Bitcoin supply, the majority are affluent investors rather than small retail holders.

Since the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, institutional participation has grown rapidly. Institutional holdings reached $414 billion in August 2025, driven by ETF inflows and corporate treasury strategies. Corporate reserves increased 40% in Q3 to $117 billion, while 172 listed companies now hold Bitcoin, collectively owning over 1 million BTC. MicroStrategy remains the largest corporate holder with 640,000 BTC, and as of October 2025, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs manage $169.48 billion in assets, representing 6.79% of Bitcoin’s market cap. Threshold sees this shift as an opportunity to shift to institutional positioning.

Renewed Focus: Institutional Access with Bitcoin’s Integrity

The redesigned Threshold Network website features a clean, minimal layout designed for clarity and accessibility. It represents Threshold’s transition from a single protocol to a comprehensive ecosystem that enables Bitcoin to move freely across financial markets.

The accompanying tBTC app has been upgraded to simplify the Bitcoin-to-DeFi experience. Users can now mint tBTC directly to supported chains with a single BTC transaction, without secondary approvals or unnecessary steps. Redemptions back to Bitcoin mainnet are equally straightforward, mirroring Bitcoin’s simplicity while maintaining full decentralization.

The upgrade also introduces several new features:

Use tBTC: A new section built to help users discover where they can deploy tBTC or put their Bitcoin to work. It provides a comprehensive overview of tBTC integrations across multiple DeFi protocols. Vaults: a new dashboard that consolidates integrated tBTC vault strategies into a single interface. It allows users to access curated, externally managed vault strategies built for ease of use.  My Activity: This section offers a unified record of all user actions across minting, redeeming, and vault participation. Every transaction is logged onchain, allowing users to easily track their history and monitor performance over time. 

The New tBTC App: Simplicity and Precision for Large Scale Adoption

The new tBTC app introduces a simplified interface focused on efficiency, transparency, and security. It allows users to move between Bitcoin and DeFi markets seamlessly while maintaining complete self-custody of their assets.

Streamlined Minting and Redemption

Users can now move effortlessly between Bitcoin and a range of supported networks, including Ethereum, Layer 2s, and non-EVM chains, through a single, seamless process.

This new functionality removes the friction traditionally involved in bringing Bitcoin into DeFi. Users can now mint and redeem tBTC quickly, securely, and without unnecessary costs or approvals.

Direct minting to supported chains enables capital to flow efficiently into DeFi markets, allowing institutions to deploy Bitcoin liquidity across multiple ecosystems without relying on centralized intermediaries. Direct redemption to Bitcoin mainnet gives users confidence that they can always return to native Bitcoin, maintaining trust and liquidity across all use cases. No Layer 2 signing required means that even complex transactions can be completed with a single Bitcoin transfer, reducing operational overhead for institutional treasuries and simplifying onboarding for individual users. Together, these upgrades position tBTC as the most efficient and permissionless access for Bitcoin in DeFi markets.

Gasless Minting on Supported Networks

Gasless minting is now possible on supported networks. Users only need to deposit Bitcoin; no wallet signatures or additional gas fees are required. They simply connect their wallet, send Bitcoin to a single-use address, and receive tBTC on their chosen chain. This feature allows users to utilize Bitcoin capital efficiently without compromising custody or cost.

“This is a major protocol upgrade that represents Threshold’s maturity as a network,” said Callan Sarre, Co-Founder and CPO of Threshold Labs.

“We’ve rebuilt the app to give users a unified experience. Mint, redeem, and deploy Bitcoin faster, with confidence and transparency. The new interface delivers what users, both institutional and individual, have consistently asked for: clarity and control without compromise.”

Building the Future of Bitcoin

Threshold Network, a cross-chain Bitcoin infrastructure protocol that enables BTC to move securely across multiple blockchains, has upgraded its app to support direct minting to supported networks with zero gas fees. The upgrade allows Bitcoin holders to access yield strategies, lending markets, and liquidity provision without first routing transactions through Ethereum Layer 1.

This release enables users to mint tBTC directly from the Bitcoin network into supported onchain ecosystems, removing the need for L1 bridging and significantly simplifying user onboarding.

“The scale of institutional adoption since ETF approvals has been extraordinary,” said MacLane Wilkison, Co-Founder and CEO of Threshold Labs.

“Our focus is on building the infrastructure that allows institutions, funds, and corporates to interact with Bitcoin onchain securely. As traditional finance integrates Bitcoin into its portfolios, tBTC stands as the bridge that ensures this participation remains decentralized and transparent.”

With tBTC available across major ecosystems, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Sui, Starknet, BOB, and Optimism, Threshold continues to expand its integrations to increase liquidity and, soon, enable access to institutional capital.

Users can explore the new app and website at https://threshold.network

About Threshold Network

Threshold Network is the decentralized protocol behind tBTC, a permissionless 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset secured by a 51-of-100 threshold signer model. tBTC enables native BTC to move across chains like Ethereum, Base, Sui, Arbitrum, and Starknet without requiring custodians or compromising security. With over 5 years of proven security and about $4.8B in bridge volume, Threshold offers the most battle-tested, trust-minimized Bitcoin infrastructure onchain.

ContactHead of Marketing
RC Ramos
Threshold Network
[email protected]

This article is not intended as financial advice. Educational purposes only.

Threshold: Upgraded bridge to funnel $500B institutional BTC into DeFi

January 2026 marked a strong start to the year for Threshold Network, with continued growth in tBTC adoption, a new vault launch, and deeper engagement with Bitcoin’s onchain role. As market conditions shifted, Threshold remained focused on resilience, trust-minimized design, and sustainable Bitcoin utility.

Throughout the month, Threshold Network advanced its core mission of bringing Bitcoin onchain without compromising its security model or economic integrity. Key research, protocol updates, and ecosystem expansions reinforced tBTC’s position as a reliable, production-ready bridge for Bitcoin liquidity.

HighlightstBTC has surpassed 48,000 BTC in cumulative volume to date and is on track to reach the 50,000 BTC milestone in Q2.Jan 27: Threshold released the tBTC Blueprint Report by Alea Research, detailing tBTC’s 800% growth since 2024 and underscoring its security and resilience relative to other tokenized Bitcoin alternatives.Jan 19: Amid market cycles, tBTC continued steady growth with 5,942 BTC in TVL and 97 percent of supply concentrated on Ethereum, signaling sustained Jan 5: The tBTC Noon Vault went live in partnership with Vesu and Starknet, introducing a structured BTC-denominated onchain positioning strategy.Jan 5: tBTC redemption fee waivers for $T stakers are now available on the Threshold App, reducing execution costs while strengthening protocol and governance alignment.MilestonestBTC Continues Steady Growth Amid Market CyclesOn January 19, tBTC continued to demonstrate resilience and sustained adoption amid broader market cycles. Total value locked reached 5,942 BTC, with 97 percent of supply concentrated on Ethereum, signaling consistent onchain demand and real usage.

These metrics reflect tBTC’s role as a production-ready Bitcoin bridge built without leverage, rehypothecation, or opaque yield mechanics. Its trust-minimized design continues to support predictable behavior across varying market conditions while preserving Bitcoin’s core principles.

tBTC Continues Steady Growth | Threshold Network

tBTC Redemption Fee Waivers for $T Stakers tBTC was designed to bring Bitcoin onchain while prioritizing security, transparency, and reliable market behavior. As adoption has increased, onchain performance has remained consistent across a wide range of market conditions.

The introduction of redemption-fee waivers for $T stakers builds on this foundation by reducing execution costs for active participants and reinforcing alignment between protocol usage and governance. This update refines the economics of interacting with the bridge, particularly at scale, without altering tBTC’s underlying mechanics.

Learn more about fee waivers for $T stakers:

tBTC redemption fee waivers are now live for $T stakers

Ecosystem GrowthNoon tBTC Yield Vault Goes Live and Gains Early TractionOn January 10, the Noon-tBTC Yield Vault launched on Threshold Network in partnership with Vesu, Starknet’s largest lending platform. Built around disciplined Bitcoin yield strategies, the vault initially targeted a 10 percent APY. Within two days, it reached $454,060 in TVL with a 7-day APY of 6.79 percent, signaling early interest in structured Bitcoin yield products.

Explore the vault: https://app.threshold.network/vaults/starknet-noon

tBTC Noon Vault Goes Live | Threshold NetworktBTC Blueprint Report by Alea ResearchBitcoin onchain is entering a phase where security, custodianship, and protocol design matter more than ever, and Threshold Network continues to advance this standard through tBTC.

The tBTC Blueprint Report by Alea Research focuses on tBTC and Threshold Network as a reference model for trust-minimized Bitcoin infrastructure. It analyzes how Threshold’s architecture, incentive design, and custody assumptions support scalable Bitcoin liquidity while maintaining predictable market behavior and strong security guarantees.

Read more: https://threshold.network/blog/the-threshold-network-blueprint-by-alea-research/ 

tBTC Blueprint Snapshot via Alea Research | Threshold NetworkMedia HighlightsThreshold featured in Decrypt on stake-based fee waiversOn January 23, Decrypt Media featured Threshold’s introduction of stake-based redemption fee waivers, highlighting how the update reduces execution friction and supports tighter pricing across Bitcoin markets.

Read the Decrypt feature to learn more: https://decrypt.co/355453/threshold-network-introduces-stake-based-fee-waivers-to-strengthen-tbtc 

Bitcoin allocation strategies on The Daily StackOn January 30, Callan Sarre joined Bitcoin News’s The Daily Stack podcast to discuss how Bitcoin can be allocated across different risk profiles, including emerging opportunities powered by tBTC. The conversation explored how using Bitcoin as collateral can contribute to economic security to blockchain networks with relatively low financial risk.

Watch a snippet of the podcast episode: https://x.com/TheTNetwork/status/2017227776865267906

Threshold Labs CPO and Co-Founder Callan Sarre at Bitcoin News | ThresholdBitcoin resilience under stressOn January 27, Callan Sarre, Co-Founder and CPO at Threshold Labs, shared insights with Decrypt Media on how miners respond to grid stress while Bitcoin’s consensus layer continues to operate as designed.

Read more: https://decrypt.co/355836/us-bitcoin-miners-slow-as-winter-storm-hits-power-grids

Team Update

New Threshold Labs Member | Threshold NetworkRecently, we welcomed Vicky to Threshold Labs as a Software Engineer. Vicky brings 14 years of software engineering experience and has been active in crypto since 2017.

Vicky previously worked on NuCypher starting in 2016 and was directly involved in creating the Threshold Network smart contracts, giving her deep historical and technical context across the Threshold stack. Her experience strengthens the team’s ability to maintain and evolve core protocol infrastructure.

Looking AheadAs 2026 unfolds, Threshold Network remains focused on strengthening Bitcoin’s role onchain through trust-minimized infrastructure and aligned economic incentives. Upcoming work will continue to prioritize protocol resilience, measured ecosystem expansion, and deeper integration across Bitcoin-native and emerging environments.

In the months ahead, Threshold will advance research, product development, and partnerships that support sustainable Bitcoin liquidity and long-term network security. The goal remains clear: make Bitcoin more usable without compromising the principles that underpin its value.

Follow Threshold Network for upcoming updates and releases.

PANews reported on May 20th that Threshold Network posted on its X platform that at 18:04 Beijing time on May 18th, an attacker attempted to mint tBTC without depositing the underlying BTC, but failed. No invalid tBTC was generated, and user funds were not at risk. Out of caution, given the increased frequency of malicious activity across the crypto ecosystem, Optimistic Minting has been temporarily suspended. Minting is now conducted via a sweeping mechanism, extending the minting time from approximately 1.5 hours to approximately 6-7 hours.

According to reports, tBTC's basic security model involves a decentralized network of signers holding the underlying Bitcoin and verifying each native minting through verifiable Bitcoin SPV proofs. Optimistic Minting employs a different trust model, with deposits confirmed by Minter and Guardian proofs instead of SPV proofs, and a minting time of approximately 1.5 hours.

Table of contents

MAP Protocol, a blockchain interoperability leader, joined the NVIDIA Developer Program. This marks a milestone for AI-powered Bitcoin interoperability. MAP Protocol’s partnership with NVIDIA allows for more blockchain collaboration research. MAP Protocol uses NVIDIA’s cutting-edge AI technology to make the Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) ecosystem and other blockchain systems work better together. AI is becoming increasingly important for blockchain innovation, as shown by this partnership.

🚀We are proud to announce that MAP Protocol has officially joined the @nvidia Developer Program to accelerate AI-powered Bitcoin interoperability technologies.

As a key gateway for the Bitcoin ecosystem, we leverage NVIDIA's AI tech for advanced interoperability research and… pic.twitter.com/dV4N9nG6gG

— MAP Protocol (@MapProtocol) March 14, 2024 NEAR Protocol Embraces AI to Drive Future Blockchain Innovation As a gateway for the Bitcoin ecosystem, MAP Protocol helps blockchain networks communicate and collaborate. MAP Protocol hopes to improve interoperability and the blockchain ecosystem by using NVIDIA’s AI technology.

MAP Protocol has partnered with NEAR Protocol, a leading AI-focused blockchain platform, and NVIDIA. This partnership has funded MAP Protocol and enabled AI-powered interoperability solutions in the NEAR and Bitcoin L2 ecosystems. This new development advances cross-chain communication and data exchange between two popular blockchain networks.

The fact that NEAR Protocol has switched to AI shows how crucial AI is to blockchain technology’s future. NEAR Protocol wants to add AI to its ecosystem to scale, optimize, and improve its blockchain platform. This opens up new growth and innovation opportunities.

The NEAR Protocol team launched the NEAR Mission at NEARCON 2023. This project uses community participation to improve AI models. Participants in the NEAR Mission receive NEAR tokens for annotating data to improve AI models. This community-driven approach increases participation and accelerates NEAR ecosystem AI-powered solution development.

MAP, NEAR, and NVIDIA Forge Alliance for Blockchain Innovation MAP Protocol received official funding to help the AI-powered NEAR Protocol blockchain work with other blockchain networks. This grant shows that MAP Protocol and NEAR Protocol promote new ideas and blockchain ecosystem collaboration.

Joining the NVIDIA Developer Program lets MAP Protocol use shared tools, platforms, and frameworks to develop cross-chain interoperability solutions faster. Through this partnership, MAP Protocol can use NVIDIA’s AI expertise to improve its compatibility with other protocols and encourage blockchain innovation.

Ultimately, the MAP Protocol, NEAR Protocol, and NVIDIA partnership advances blockchain interoperability and AI integration. MAP Protocol hopes this partnership will accelerate AI-powered interoperability solutions and create a more connected and effective blockchain ecosystem. MAP Protocol is poised to lead blockchain innovation and progress with NVIDIA’s AI technology and NEAR Protocol’s strategic partnership.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.

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As the community prepares for the much-anticipated fourth halving set for April 19, 2024, the buzz around Bitcoin-based projects is reaching a fever pitch. Crypto influencer Leshka.eth, with a following of over 128,500 on X (formerly Twitter), has identified a set of altcoins under the Bitcoin financial ecosystem (BTCfi) that could see significant gains post-halving.

Crypto Analyst Shares His Top-10 BTCfi Altcoins Leshka.eth told his 128,500 followers on X (formerly Twitter) about the potential of various projects in the BTCfi landscape. He remarked, “The countdown to BTC halving ends in 2 days. If you missed 1,000x on BRC20 and Ordinals, if you missed 800x on STAMP, check out my watchlist of BTCfi altcoins poised to surge because of the halving.”

Here’s a breakdown of the top altcoins Leshka.eth believes could benefit from the upcoming Bitcoin halving:

1. Hulvin (HULVIN): This project is touted as the first halving-themed memecoin with the slogan “Make Halving Great Again.” Initially mentioned by Leshka.eth when it was valued at a $9 million market cap, Hulvin has seen an impressive ascent, crossing a $30 million market cap.

“I first mentioned it when it was at $9M market cap. Today it surpassed $30M MC and outperforming all other tokens on the market. Still much space for a price discovery,” Leshka.eth highlighted. The coin currently trades at $0.01298 with a daily volume of $5.8 million.

2. Map Protocol (MAP): Designed to simplify cross-blockchain transactions using light clients and zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, MAP Protocol operates without relying on trusted third parties. It facilitates secure peer-to-peer connections and emphasizes compatibility across different blockchains. Currently, MAP is trading at $0.0248 with a $107 million market cap and a 24-hour trading volume of $3.2 million. Leshka.eth views it as a crucial infrastructure component for the evolving blockchain ecosystem.

3. Stacks (STX): As a layer built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain, Stacks introduces functionalities such as smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized applications (dApps). It is often compared to the Lightning Network due to its extension of Bitcoin’s capabilities.

With a substantial market cap of $4.04 billion and a price of $2.29, Stacks represents a significant part of the BTCfi landscape. “Stacks transforms Bitcoin from a digital gold into a more expansive ecosystem capable of supporting a wide array of applications,” Leshka.eth noted.

4. Mintlayer (ML): This layer 2 solution enhances Bitcoin’s functionality by enabling DeFi, smart contracts, atomic swaps, NFTs, and dApps directly on the Bitcoin network. Trading at $0.38 with a market cap of $24 million and a daily volume of $2.5 million, Mintlayer stands out for its integrative approach to extending Bitcoin’s utility without the need for an entirely separate blockchain.

5. SatoshiSync (SSNC): Collaborating with LayerZero and Chainlink, SatoshiSync offers a toolkit for easing transactions on Bitcoin’s L1 and L2 layers. Even before its token launch, the platform had attracted over 50,000 users, underscoring its practical value. SSNC is priced at $0.1275, with a market cap of $124.7 million and modest daily transactions amounting to $0.45 million.

6. Bitcoin Virtual Machine (BVM): BVM is a rapidly growing Layer 2 solution for Bitcoin that allows users to create their own L2 networks, thereby enhancing the value of BVM tokens. The BVM team is also planning to introduce airdrops for BVM stakers, which Leshka.eth believes could “drive up demand for the tokens significantly.” BVM is currently trading at $5.35, with a market cap of $133.6 million and a 24-hour volume of $2.74 million.

7. Naka Chain (NAKA): Positioned as a cost-effective, high-speed Bitcoin L2 blockchain tailored for DeFi applications that utilize Bitcoin for gas fees, Naka Chain enables developers to port decentralized apps from Ethereum to Bitcoin with minimal changes. It functions similarly to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), enhancing its appeal. NAKA is trading at $0.026, with a market cap of $56.32 million and a daily volume of $128,000.

8. Elastos (ELA): Elastos aims to construct a blockchain-driven version of the internet, addressing scalability and flexibility issues found in Ethereum and other DApp platforms. With a market cap of $81 million and trading at $3.69, ELA focuses on building a robust infrastructure for a decentralized internet.

9. MVC (SPACE): This public blockchain integrates multiple technologies, including the UTXO model and Proof of Work (PoW), to deliver exceptional performance, minimal fees, and high decentralization. SPACE trades at $17.59 with a market cap of $52.3 million and a 24-hour volume of $1.31 million.

10. Photon: Touted as a superior traditional Layer 2 solution, Photon leverages the security of Bitcoin’s Layer 1 to support scalable decentralized applications, providing efficiency and flexibility comparable to Ethereum’s ecosystem. This project is one to watch, with its upcoming launch expected to attract significant attention. “Keep an eye out for its upcoming launch!,” Leshka.eth stated.

11. Additional Mention – BounceBit: BounceBit is a Bitcoin staking chain that allows users to earn yields on their dormant Bitcoin. With a focus on early access, the platform encourages active participation and utilization of Bitcoin for staking purposes. The imminent launch of BounceBit is highly anticipated by the community.

At press time, Stacks (STX) was trading at $2.29, down 40% from its all-time high reached on April 1.

STX price, 1-day chart | Source: STXUSD on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL·E, chart from TradingView.com

MAP Protocol (MAPO) was the best-performing cryptocurrency on Saturday as it jumped by 100%. It rose to a high of $0.010, its highest point since Feb. 2, and 153% above its lowest point this year.

This increase has pushed its market cap to over $53 million. 

MAP Protocol price led the charge MAP chart | Source: TradingView MAP Protocol is a layer-2 network for Bitcoin, allowing peer-to-peer cross-chain transactions. Its token surged as the total value locked in the network jumped. 

Its TVL jumped to $23.3 million on Saturday, the highest point since February. All dApps in the ecosystem, like HiveSwap, StaQ, and Butter Network, have all added substantial assets in their ecosystems.

The biggest risk for MAPS Protocol price is that it has become highly overbought, with the Relative Strength Index jumping to 93. This means that the token may have a big dive as investors book profits. 

Useless Coin price hits all-time high USELESS token chart | Source: TradingView The Useless Coin price surged to a record high of $0.078 on Friday, even as the crypto market crashed. The Solana meme coin has jumped by over 1,245% from its lowest point this year, giving it a market cap of over $70 million.

Useless Coin, unlike MAPS Protocol, has no utility, and its price is soaring mainly because of hype and FOMO among crypto investors. 

Technicals suggest that the USELESS token has more gains ahead. It formed a cup-and-handle pattern whose upper side was at $0.047 and the lower side was at $0.0051 or a 90% dip. Measuring the same distance from the cup’s upper side gives it a target of $0.090, a few points above the current level.

LUNC price rises as burn rate jumps LUNC chart | Source: crypto.news Terra Luna Classic (LUNC) token rose by over 10% on Saturday. This jump happened after the LUNC token burn rose by over 234 million in the last seven days, bringing the cumulative burn to 410 billion. 

Technicals suggest that the LUNC price has more gains in the coming weeks. It has remained in a tight range and formed a double-bottom pattern with a neckline at $0.00007253. 

LUNC has also moved in the accumulation phase of the Wyckoff Theory, pointing to an eventual comeback. A move above the neckline at $0.00007253 will point to more gains to the 50% retracement level at $0.0001135.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin rallied past $105,000 at last check on Saturday. See below.

Souce: CoinGecko

The KyberSwap attacker has transferred another 2000 ETH to Tornado Cash, with over 80% of the stolen funds now laundered.

According to PeckShield’s monitoring, an address identified as the KyberSwap attacker has once again transferred 2,000 ETH to Tornado Cash. Over the past two years, this attacker has cumulatively transferred and mixed 16,100 ETH via Tornado Cash, equivalent to roughly $40 million at current prices, accounting for over 80% of the $48.8 million lost in the KyberSwap attack in November 2023. Some of the stolen funds have not yet been fully transferred.

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James Wynn closed out his 40x Bitcoin short position, netting $30,000 in profits, and shifted to opening a 50x S&P 500 short position.

According to monitoring by OnchainLens, James Wynn has liquidated his 40x leveraged Bitcoin (BTC) short position, pocketing roughly $30,000 in profit. He subsequently opened a new 50x leveraged S&P 500 (SP500) short position at a price of 334.42, betting on a future decline in the US stock market.

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Micron's conference call delivers strong signals: the memory shortage will continue until 2028, and AI long-term contracts are rewriting the industry cycle narrative.

Micron Technology (MU) revealed in its early-morning earnings call that its strategic customer agreements rose from 1 to 16 sequentially, covering roughly 20% of its DRAM shipments and around one-third of its NAND shipments. Of these deals, 14 calculated at minimum contract prices represent a cumulative remaining revenue of approximately $100 billion. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said these agreements will "fundamentally transform" the company’s business model. The key takeaway for the market is that Micron is being repositioned from a highly cyclical memory stock to an AI infrastructure provider with far greater revenue visibility. During the call, Micron disclosed it expects industry tightness to persist beyond 2027, and even as supply gradually improves in 2028, there is no clear timeline for supply to catch up with demand. Management attributed this gap to the large scale, complexity, and long lead times of new semiconductor fab construction. CFO Mark Murphy noted that DRAM revenue jumped 343% year-over-year to $31.3 billion, while NAND revenue surged 361% YoY to $9.9 billion. DRAM prices rose in the low-60% range, and NAND prices increased in the mid-80% range. He explained that the quarter’s earnings, which handily beat market expectations, were driven more by pricing power and supply-demand imbalances rather than just shipment volume. The company forecasts capital expenditure of roughly $10 billion this quarter, and $27 billion for full fiscal 2026. Fiscal 2027 quarterly capex will exceed the FY2026 fourth quarter level, with more than half allocated to cleanroom construction. However, the CFO also stated that free cash flow for the current quarter is expected to continue rising sharply. Overall, the call’s messaging sent three key signals to the market: persistent memory shortages, customer willingness to sign long-term agreements, and further upside for prices. This drove Micron’s (MU) shares to surge nearly 16% in U.S. post-market trading.

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A poll shows that a majority of U.S. voters support federal unified regulation of prediction markets.

Two polls commissioned by the Coalition for Prediction Markets show that U.S. Republican and Democratic voters both prefer federal-level unified regulation of prediction markets over state-by-state oversight. Among Republican respondents, 48% support a federal regulatory framework, while only 27% back state-level regulation. For Democratic voters, 45% favor federal regulation, compared to 35% who support state-level rules. Only 8% of respondents believe prediction markets should be banned in the U.S., and a majority of voters support consumer autonomy to choose whether to participate in such markets. The survey also found that people under 35 have the highest acceptance of prediction markets, with more than half of young respondents expressing interest in using or having already used related platforms. Currently, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket are in disputes with multiple state governments over regulatory authority, with the core focus being whether sports event contracts qualify as prediction market products subject to federal regulation.

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Analysis: Bitcoin miners face profit pressure, with around 20% of mining firms now operating below the break-even point.

Bitcoin miners' revenue continues to decline, with the current 7-day average daily income dropping to around $30 million, a notable pullback from the over $50 million level seen last summer. Meanwhile, on-chain transaction fee revenue has fallen to less than $250,000, accounting for an extremely small share of miners' total income. Data from JPMorgan Chase shows the average production cost is approximately $78,000, and Bitcoin’s price has remained below this level for five consecutive months — the longest such stretch in the current cycle. An estimated 20% of miners are already operating at a loss; some high-cost miners have begun frequently powering their mining rigs on and off in response to price fluctuations, leading to a stronger correlation between network hash rate difficulty and Bitcoin’s price. Additionally, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty was adjusted down by roughly 10% in the second week of June, marking the second pullback of the same magnitude this year. Publicly listed mining companies, meanwhile, are relying more on their balance sheets to sustain operations, selling over 32,000 BTC in the first quarter alone to cover operating costs. Analysts note that against the backdrop of continuously shrinking block subsidies and stagnant fee revenue, a recovery in miners’ profits will primarily depend on a rise in Bitcoin’s price.

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Japan and South Korea's stock markets opened higher, with South Korea's KOSPI index rising 2.9% and SK Hynix surging 11%.

According to Bitget market data, the Nikkei 225 index opened 1.4% higher at 70114.09. South Korea’s KOSPI index rose 2.9%. South Korean stocks SK Hynix gained 11%, while Samsung Electronics rose 5%.

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Cardano has introduced the Orion Fund, an $80 million initiative developed in partnership with Draper Dragon, aiming to accelerate the growth of blockchain startups and broaden institutional engagement within its ecosystem. The announcement marks a strategic step for Cardano, one of the world’s most prominent smart contract platforms, designed to facilitate scalable decentralized applications using its unique UTXO model.

Fund structure and strategic prioritiesThe Orion Fund will be managed by Draper Dragon, a global venture capital firm known for backing technology startups, while the Cardano Foundation will serve as constitutional administrator, responsible for technical coordination and ecosystem guidance but not direct investment decisions.

Draper Dragon has a significant profile in the venture capital landscape, with investments spanning over 400 companies, including technology leaders such as Tesla and Coinbase. This partnership harnesses Draper Dragon’s experience alongside Cardano Foundation’s expertise to foster innovation.

Cardano Foundation clarified in a recent release that the fund supports both Cardano-native and integrated projects, allowing independent investment decisions within an aligned strategic framework. The fund specifically targets sectors such as Real-World Assets (RWA) and Institutional DeFi, reflecting Cardano’s ambition to increase total value locked and enhance network utility.

A notable feature is the combination of equity stakes with grant-based financing, enabling the fund to benefit from startups’ long-term trajectories. Startups receive not only capital but also technical and operational support to help scale solutions that align with evolving regulatory landscapes.

The fund’s design includes transparent governance mechanisms, with Arouet Holdings, a dedicated legal entity, managing returns distribution. This approach ensures that proceeds can flow to the Cardano treasury, supporting ongoing ecosystem development.

UTXO model alignment and community involvementThe Orion Fund places strategic emphasis on projects that leverage the shared UTXO accounting model between Cardano and Bitcoin. This provides a robust foundation for building secure and transparent financial products, allowing the fund to bridge Bitcoin liquidity into Cardano’s DeFi and real-world asset initiatives.

By targeting compatibility between networks, the fund encourages the development of cross-chain applications that can attract new users and capital to Cardano. The intention is to connect institutional-grade finance with decentralized blockchain infrastructure as part of a broader trend toward network integration.

Draper University, the Silicon Valley-based entrepreneurship training institution founded by Tim Draper, will lead accelerator programming for Orion Fund participants. Founders will have access to tailored education and mentorship designed to prepare them for the demands of global scaling and regulatory compliance.

Startups seeking funding will be evaluated through a rigorous selection process, including in-depth technical, operational, and compliance reviews. This comprehensive process aims to uphold quality standards within the growing ecosystem.

For transparency, Orion Fund will operate a public dashboard to display core performance indicators in real time. The Cardano Foundation has committed to holding quarterly roundtables to discuss progress and gather community feedback.

Cardano, created by Input Output Global and founded by Charles Hoskinson, is a blockchain platform distinguished by its research-driven approach and layered architecture. Draper Dragon is a venture capital firm with offices in Silicon Valley and Asia, focusing on early-stage investments across blockchain and emerging technologies.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Cardano and venture capital firm Draper Dragon have introduced the Orion Fund, an $80 million investment pool focused on fostering the development of Cardano-native and Cardano-integrated companies. The initiative aims to drive new growth on the Cardano blockchain, prioritizing projects that can expand utility and attract institutional participation in decentralized finance.

Orion Fund to support institutional DeFi and asset tokenizationThe Orion Fund will concentrate on two primary segments: tokenization of real-world assets and institutional DeFi solutions. These sectors are widely recognized as catalysts for the next phase of blockchain-driven financial innovation, offering new ways for traditional capital to leverage decentralized platforms.

Unlike previous Cardano ecosystem grant programs, the Orion Fund follows an equity-based model. By investing in exchange for ownership stakes, the fund aligns its interests with project founders and benefits from the value created as projects scale.

Draper Dragon, which has a decades-long track record in tech venture capital and has supported prominent firms such as Tesla, Skype, and Coinbase, will oversee the fund’s management. Cardano Foundation, established to support the Cardano blockchain and promote standards adoption, will serve as the constitutional administrator. The Foundation emphasized its role in providing technical resources and ecosystem support while holding no involvement in day-to-day fund decisions.

Arouet Holdings, a specifically created and ownerless special-purpose entity, will manage financial flows in the fund’s structure, designed to ensure that the value generated within the Orion Fund ultimately returns to the Cardano ecosystem treasury, rather than to a single stakeholder or corporate entity.

Draper University, the innovation school founded by venture capitalist Tim Draper and known for technology-focused startup programs, will act as the acceleration partner. The university will conduct rigorous vetting and educational support for project teams, helping ensure operational quality before any investment is made.

Focus on Cardano-Bitcoin UTXO compatibility and investor transparencyA key strategic objective of the Orion Fund is harnessing the technical similarities between Cardano and Bitcoin, notably their use of the UTXO ledger model. This compatibility forms the foundation for enhanced smart contract development and enables cross-chain liquidity solutions.

By targeting projects that leverage Bitcoin’s established liquidity and channel it into Cardano’s ecosystem, the fund intends to create bridges for asset flow and unlock new financial products easily accessible to institutional users.

Every Orion-backed project will be evaluated through an intensive selection process administered by Draper University, reportedly involving over 400 hours of technical and business diligence. This aims to ensure that only mature, compliant, and high-impact teams receive funding, addressing a common concern among institutional investors regarding quality and risk.

Transparency and ongoing accountability have been highlighted as priorities, with the fund implementing a public-facing dashboard to display live performance metrics and periodic roundtables to keep the broader ecosystem informed of key developments.

Cardano is a public, proof-of-stake blockchain platform known for its research-driven approach and support for smart contracts. Draper Dragon is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, traditionally focused on emerging web3, AI, and technology ventures.

Stakeholders involved in the Orion Fund anticipate that its focus will help accelerate institutional entry into Cardano’s decentralized economy, as the fund aims to catalyze long-term ecosystem growth through targeted investments and cross-chain collaboration opportunities.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

In brief Altcoins fell with bitcoin yesterday—but, like BTC, are showing modest recovery today. The biggest winner of the day was Contentos's COS, which saw its price pump 158%. Most other coins in the top 200 say modest single-digit boosts. When bitcoin sneezes, altcoins get the flu. That’s probably a bad joke to make right now, but you get the point: As goes the market for bitcoin, so go the thousands of other cryptocurrencies whose fate is pegged to the mother of all blockchains. And, with BTC itself falling 10% yesterday alone, it was hardly surprising that the market cap for crypto overall dropped $40 billion from Saturday through Monday.

But now that the market appears to be recovering a bit, so are altcoins, with the vast majority of the top 100 seeing modest  gains. The big winner of the day (at least in the top 200 coins on CoinMarketCap) was Contentos. The content-management system’s native token, COS, is on the Binance Coin platform and enjoys a $36 million market cap, making it the 107th most valuable coin. Today, it saw a 158% pump—to $0.03.

Who knows why! But hearty congratulations, to the Contentos whale, from the entire Decrypt team...

A fine day for Contentos via Coinmarketcap.comElsewhere, gains were far less spectacular. We took a look at some of the better known altcoins to see how they’re doing. (The numbers next to them represent their ranking on CoinMarketCap).

Coronacoin (NCOV) #N/AIf any altcoin should be benefiting from the ravages of covid-19, it’s the Coronacoin. Yet it isn’t listed on CoinMarketCap, and it’s so low on CoinGecko, we couldn’t find a ranking  associated with it. The NCOV token allows traders to bet on the new coronavirus epidemic, and it’s  stumbling. In the last 24 hours the token saw a 25 percent drop in price, according to CoinGecko.

At the end of February, NCOV was $.03. It was $.0015 when I looked early today. Oddly, the value of the altcoin is supposed to increase when people die, because the networks proportionately burns coins. But all that Corona death isn’t helping the price, apparently.

Still, Sunny Kemp, a Coronacoin developer, maintains his sunny optimism. “The project is doing great,” he told Decrypt via a chat in Telegram. According to him, the alcoin was recently listed on two (obscure) exchanges—Altmarkets and Satoexchange—and the project made its first RedCross donation for $235. (The project is not as cynical as it sounds, and allocates 20 percent of its NCON supply to the non-government agencies every month.)

Fans of its gallows humor will be heartened to hear that, to boost the sihitcoin's price, the team is working on a new morbid game that will put the token to use. The game is similar to Pandemic for Android, where the player creates a pathogen in an effort to annihilate the human population.

“You create a virus and infect countries. The rate of infection and severity of the virus is dependent upon how you engineer the virus,” Kemp said in describing how it works. His team even consulted a biomedical researcher to design the game, he said.

But as to the dismal price of NCOV, he wouldn’t comment. “I cannot comment on price, we are not a security, $nCoV is a utility token,” he said.

Cardano (ADA) #12 Cardano was started by Charles Hoskinson, the ex-CEO of Ethereum. The network launched in October 2017, and in January 2018, when its native token peaked at $1.25, ADA owners were a happy bunch. The token went on to plummet to $.15 later in the year. After that, it saw a few hopeful pumps and now it’s tooting along at $.05.

To be fair, the total circulating supply of ADA is about 26 billion, so even though they aren’t worth much, there’s a hefty number of them. Hoskinson argues that based on the initial coin offering, which brought in $64 million, ADA is still good value for investors.

Still, the big question is, when will the Cardano project be decentralized? It has been centralized since its launch in September 2017. Speaking to Decrypt on the phone from his Colorado farm last night, Hoskinson said that will happen when the project transitions from Byron to its Shelley release sometime later this year. Shelly was originally slated to come out in 2018.

In defense, he said: “It’s always been a five year project from the beginning.”

Ethereum (ETH) #2Second only to bitcoin in marketcap ETH, the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, had been on a bit of a roll lately. At least it was until mid February when ETH was at $257. Since then the price dropped slowly—until yesterday when it plunged below $192. It's back up to $201 today. 

Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) #41Hashgraph falls into the category of “mathcoins.” Similar to other mathcoins, such as Maidsafe, Nano and IOTA (we’ll get into the latter two in a minute), the project promises a consensus mechanism that will solve all the problems of bitcoin’s energy consuming proof-of-work with clever new mathematics. And like some of the other mathcoins, Hashgraph doesn’t even use a blockchain. It uses a “hashgraph” instead.

At the same time, it still makes all the tantalising promises of cryptocurrency, including a decentralised censorship-resistant network with fast, secure and cheap transactions, but sans the headaches of PoW.

In mid-February, after Hashgraph announced that Google would be joining its high-profile governing council, the price of HBAR shot to above $.05 for the first time since the network’s launch in July 2017. Now it is sitting at below $.05 again.

Nanocoin (NANO) #58Billed as “digital money for the real world,” Nanocoin (formerly RaiBlocks) is another mathcoin that employs all kinds of mad scientist technology. It uses “directed acyclic graph architecture” and employs its own “block-lattice architecture,” which means every individual is assigned their own blockchain.

None of that has helped the price of the NANO, which flatlined in recent months. At its highpoint in January 2018, the altcoin was worth $34. Although it hasn’t tumbled as far as others in the recent dip, it was at $.70 today.

Communications Manager Andy Johnson, shrugged off the recent change in price. “Volatility is a symptom of the nascent cryptocurrency industry,” he told Decrypt via email.

He assured us that the project is well provisioned. “Early caution ensured that we have been able to maintain a razor-sharp focus on our goals and equipped with the resources to refine the protocol and build out the surrounding ecosystem,” he said.

The project claims it is decentralized, but it also uses proof-of-stake, which means that the largest bagholders control consensus. One of them is crypto exchange Binance, which trades about 30% of the volume.

IOTA (MIOTA) #24IOTA is proof that a network doesn’t need to be operational for an altcoin to go up in price.

Similar to Nanocoin, IOTA runs on a DAG. IOTA is not decentralized—it’s network relies on a central coordinator node, which it shut down on Feb. 12, after its Trinity wallet was hacked.

(The project didn’t say how much was lost, but IOTA founder David Sønstebø recently said he was paying back users $2 million with his own funds.)

The big task for the project is getting rid of the coordinator node—or “coordicide,” but it isn’t  there yet—and hasn’t been since it launched its mainnet in July 2016.

Shutting down a network is unusual because cryptocurrencies are by nature supposed to be unstoppable, but this one apparently isn’t. The IOTA project promised it would spin the network back up Tuesday, after being turned off for nearly a month.

Despite the network literally being shut off—and a lot of other ongoing drama in the project—though it has dropped from $.03 in early February, the price of IOTA coin actually went up 4% earlier today, to nearly $.02, according to CoinMarketCap. That might lead one to the conclusion that nothing can kill a zombie altcoin.

Ripple (XRP) #3Ah, Ripple, the platform people love to hate as being a wold in crypto's clothes. Though it has a total supply of $99 billion, most XRP is in the hands of Ripple, which currently has $54 billion in escrow. (The platform unlocks $1 billion each month and sells it.) 

Our good friend XRP saw a steady decline in price last year, sinking from $0.35 in early 2019, down to $0.25. In the past few days, it dropped a few more cents to $0.21, where it currently resides—up nearly 3% in the past 24 hours.  

Tether (USDT) #5Tether is everyone’s favorite fictional trading reserve. Pegged to the U.S. dollar, USDT is the essential source of liquidity in the crypto trading markets. Every 24 hours, the entire $4.6 billion supply of tethers sloshes around 11 times. Though right now, tether is $0.99, it’s known to slide at times. Like in April 2017 when it lost its peg and dropped to $0.91. Who knows what could happen if we ever learn the real story of what’s behind those tethers. 

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.

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With the explosion in decentralized applications (dApps) being built on chains such as Ethereum, EOS, and Tron, there’s more and more data being generated every day which requires secure storage.

Bluzelle CEO and co-founder Pavel Bains However, although the apps themselves may be decentralized, truly fast and secure decentralized data storage solutions are still lagging behind. As running dApps is a seriously expensive endeavor, companies are looking at ways of reducing their costs – and when it comes to storage, Bluzelle may have the answer.

Blokt interviewed Bluzelle CEO and co-founder Pavel Bains to find out why blockchain systems require more efficient data storage systems, in line with the decentralized nature of blockchain itself.

Founding Bluzelle Bluzelle was founded in 2014 by Pavel Bains and Neeraj Murarka, to address the current need for more efficient data exchange and storage between devices.

CEO and co-founder Pavel Bains comes from a design and interactive media background, which he sees as key use cases for Bluzelle solutions in the non-blockchain sector. Likewise, CTO and co-founder, Neera Murarkaj, has a long history of working with Bitcoin and Blockchain since 2013.

Expanding on his team’s expertise, Bains says:

“Our core team has worked on blockchain projects for banks and insurers such as HSBC, AIA and MUFG. That is where we discovered that traditional database systems were not going to cut it for blockchain projects.”

Additionally, Andrew Mastracci, the Bluzelle Director of Product Development, has over a decade of experience in networking technology and is working on taking the idea of data storage and turning it into a network protocol.

Other notable team members include Isabel Scroggin, Head of Research, who has previously worked with NASA, bringing valuable experience as Bluzelle researches new technologies and determines how to best apply them.

Discussing how Bluzelle was established, Bains remarks:

“Neeraj and I started Bluzelle to work on blockchain projects to see what was needed in the market. Initially we did work in payments for companies in Vancouver and developed a Ripple gateway. Then we saw the need for banks and insurers to get onto blockchain and began building POCs in insurance and identity management for several companies in Asia.”

It was through those early projects that Bains and Neeraj discovered the need for a decentralized database, and became focused on delivering Bluzelle.

The Data Explosion With the explosion in device usage, the current infrastructure of the internet can’t handle the growing amount of data created and shared.

Instead, Bluzelle uses blockchain principals to create data storage solutions which offer high performance, superior security, and authenticity which current centralized systems cannot.

Specifically, Bluzelle focuses on the growing use of decentralized applications (dApps), which are generating massive amounts of siloed data.

Bains explains:

“Decentralized applications built on blockchain platforms still require their data to be stored in a database. If it’s stored on the blockchain it’s too slow, and if it’s stored on centralized data storage systems it’s not efficient and has poor security.”

To combat this, Bluzelle has utilized off-chain storage, which offers the highest levels of security for sensitive data, with ideal performance compared to centralized systems.

The Bluzelle Decentralized Database Service Bluzelle takes unused computer hardware resources from around the world and allows them to be rented out to companies to store their data on. By providing a decentralized solution, Bluzelle provides enterprise-grade storage solutions which every developer can afford.

Explaining how the Bluzelle decentralized database model brings greater benefits than traditional cloud-based or single system data storage models, Bains says:

“We have no points of failure where they have multiple points of failure – this can bring the whole system down. We can scale efficiently and on-demand, where they become very costly to scale. We can guarantee privacy where they are unable to do so.”

Bluzelle’s Swarming Approach Instead of data sitting on a computer, as in centralized data storage solutions, Bluzelle implements what is known as ‘swarming.’ In this case, data is fragmented and split across multiple computers through blockchain technology.

The group of computers all have the same ‘shard’ of data on them, so even if one goes down; the others are still there as a backup. Importantly, none of the computers in the group hold more than half of the data, so it can’t be pieced together without the private key holder.

Bains explains further:

“As our network grows, swarming allows us to manage data and performance at a regional level, ensuring that performance never suffers as a result of more data being stored. Also, with swarming we can tailor solutions for companies that need to have their data stored in specific geographic areas.”

Bluzelle’s swarm database can scale up and down as needed, while remaining secure, and crucially – fast.

Bluzelle Use Cases Each dApp being built, which in the near future will number in the thousands, will require its own database, and decentralized databases like Bluzelle could hold the ideal solution for the enormity of data produced.

Discussing the first target use cases for Bluzelle, Bains says:

“For general applications, for example those without blockchains, we see video games, media and IoT as excellent segments. Each of those industries want a global reach, and traditional data storage solutions can slow down performance which irritates end-users. Decentralized storage ensures that no matter where their customer is, they will get high performance.”

Bains gives the scenario of a game provider scaling their product to new countries as a perfect use case for Bluzelle technology. For example, an online game with a database in Portland USA suddenly becomes popular in India.

Traditionally, in this scenario gaming companies would need to set up another server and replicate everything in India to keep the performance up. Then, if the game becomes popular in another location, operators have to do this all over again, with each operation costing a significant investment in time and money.

Instead, with Bluzelle’s solution, the data is replicated automatically to every one of the nodes on its network, which means that companies data is instantly available everywhere; without the developers having to expand the network manually.

The BLZ Token The BLZ token is an ERC-20 token used by customers on the Bluzelle network to pay for the Bluzelle data storage service, and also functions as a utility token for payouts to the people who provide their hardware for use with Bluzelle.

The BLZ token is trading on popular centralized exchanges including Binance and Huobi, and also on decentralized exchanges such as IDEX.

Attracting Developers to the Bluzelle Network Software developers are integral to the adoption of the Bluzelle network, and Bluzelle has several methods of attracting top talent to its product.

Bains remarks:

“Software developers like to see how a product will benefit them right away. They don’t like hype and exaggeration. To reach them we will go through developer platforms and marketplaces like Heroku. We’ll also do live events and hackathons, and using online communities is also essential. For incentivizing, a great method is to provide a free evaluation period and the ability to earn more storage by referring others.”  

Bluzelle have already hosted two hackathons, one of which saw over 1,000 livestream viewers tune in to their presentations and discussions sessions.

The Future for Bluzelle Since it was founded, Bluzelle has attracted some serious VC funding, in addition to closing a successful $19.5 million ICO in January 2018.

Talking about what Bluzelle’s biggest lessons were since its ICO, Bains shares:

“The biggest learning curve was in becoming focused on who our target market is. We started with a general developer market but that can be hard to market to. By focusing on a specific group, like video game developers, it allows us to measure ourselves against the leading solutions available to them, and helps craft our communication to one specific group.”

Bains also believes that the most significant areas of development for Bluzelle in the future will be in finding new ways to increase network storage capacity; creating efficient payments so users can pay in fiat while still powering the network through the BLZ token, and in finding multiple ways for users to stake their BLZ tokens.

Blokt would like to thank Pavel Bains and all the team at Bluzelle for sharing their expertise with us.

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While most people consider every cryptocurrency transaction anonymous, that’s not the case. Bitcoin, for example, has all transactions recorded on a public ledger, which can be easily accessed. In theory and practice, it’s entirely possible to associate a Bitcoin address with an individual, especially if he has ever used a cryptocurrency exchange, which requires identity verification.

However, the apparent need for a fully anonymous payment option ultimately led to the creation of such, called privacy coins. During this week, turbulent movements, a lot of them recorded serious gains, and it’s perhaps to have a closer look.

What Are Privacy Coins? Privacy coins conceal all the information from both the sender and the recipient. They don’t provide any data on the amount of the transaction when they take place and ultimately leave absolutely no traces or records behind.

With this being said, a lot of people consider that privacy coins are generally used by criminals since the transactions are untraceable. One valid example here may come from the kidnapping of a Norwegian multimillionaire’s wife last year. The perpetrators reportedly requested a ransom for $10 million to be paid in one of the most popular private coins – Monero.

However, this report from Q2 2019 indicates otherwise. It examines cryptocurrencies’ involvement in illegal activities, and it concludes that privacy coins are responsible for just around 4% of all similar transactions.

A more popular usage is the basic need of most regular people to protect their anonymity from central authorities and governments. This is where the demand for such coins surfaced in the first place.

Notable Privacy Coins Examples As with most cryptocurrencies, there are already several well-established privacy coins in the market.

Monero is one of the most popular at the moment. It’s also one of the largest cryptocurrencies, as it’s currently situated in 11th place. Besides, it has received a lot of widespread adoption with many different outlets.

Dash is another prominent example of such a coin, which is based on Bitcoin’s software. It continues to grow over the years, and just recently, it partnered with Burger King Venezuela. Dash will be offered in 40 different locations where people can use it to purchase burgers, for instance. Its price also reacted accordingly and surged with over 80% in a day.

Dash: Focusing On Real Solutions Cryptopotato recently had the opportunity to speak with Dash Core’s Business Development Manager for LatAm, Ernesto Escalona, regarding the price movements and company’s updates. He talked about the recently released Dash Platform on EvoNet, which is a “technology stack for building decentralized applications on the Dash network.” He also mentioned Venezuela’s adoption that adds further real usage for Dash.

“We believe the recent positive price action is a reflection of Dash constantly working on fundamentals to allow real use of cryptocurrency. […] So getting cutting edge technology deployed, and focusing on real solutions seems to be getting the attention in 2020, and we will keep working to make real adoption happen!”

As a response to the above, the Dash team added that they are a “user-centric coin with a privacy feature on one wallet and not a privacy coin.”

Zcash falls under the category of privacy coins. The company is behind the Zk-SNARK protocol, which a part of the zero-knowledge proof system. Moreover, it was also recently endorsed by the famous whistleblower Edward Snowden.

A lot of people wonder why I like #Zcash despite the Founder’s Reward. Here’s a reason: that tax funds a quality team that catches and kills serious bugs in-house, before they get exploited. Some other projects learn about bugs like this only AFTER people have lost money. http://t.co/i9MD1CpeNx

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) February 5, 2019

Other examples for privacy coins are Horizen (ZEN), Verge (XVG), Bytecoin (BCN)< Zcoin (XZC), PIVX (PIVX), and more.

Pricing History Naturally, one can’t overlook the price for a particular coin, especially if he considers taking advantage of their potential as an investment, rather than transmitting payments.

By looking at all charts, one can get some general and conclusive information on how all privacy coins were handling the different trends. For example, during the parabolic price increase of late 2017 and early 2018, all of them reached their respective all-time high (similarly to most cryptocurrencies that existed back then.)

Monero (XMR) was to almost $500, while Dash hit $1,642 in December 2017. Then came the price crash, and all of them followed closely. Just for reference, XMR noted a 92% decline to $42 in late 2018, while DASH’s drop was 96% to $63.

Is The Positive Privacy Coin Trend Back? Despite the price crashes of 2018, most of them appear to be on an extremely positive trend as of the last few weeks. XMR recorded a 10% increase in the previous seven days. Zcash posted 66% gains, and Zcoin was up with 60% in the same timeframe.

Dash managed to surge by 140% to about $125. Besides, DASH entered the top 10 currencies by market cap at one point but it retraced since then.

These movements had the crypto community speculating on whether or not privacy coins are returning to the grand scene. They had a significant role during the previous major bull cycle, and some consider their latest increases as an indication that another one is to come. While it may be too early to conclude this theory to be valid, it’s still worth checking the possibility of actually occurring soon.

Even though all of the privacy coins declined a bit in the past couple of days, the surges were notable and it’s interesting to see whether 2020 will be positive in this regard.

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