Ethereum

Step 1: CoinMarketCap Rankings The first tool every crypto investor needs is CoinMarketCap. Bookmark this site because it’ll be your go-to for project research: 🌐 https://coinmarketcap.com/ 👉 If you’re new to crypto, start by exploring the Top 30 projects. These are ranked by market capitalization, which is a rough measure of the trust and investment a project has earned. Why market cap matters: - High-cap projects are safer but have limited growth potential. Think of Bitcoin or Ethereum; they’re reliable but unlikely to deliver 10x returns quickly. - Low-cap gems are where you’ll find the potential for 30–70x returns. However, these come with higher risk, as small projects are more volatile and can swing dramatically. 💡 How to Use Market Cap Strategically - Look for strong projects with low capitalization. These are the hidden gems that can significantly grow your portfolio. - Avoid “pump-and-dump” schemes: If a project’s market cap looks artificially inflated with no substantial backing, it’s a red flag. In the next part of this series, we’ll dive deeper into how to analyze a project’s fundamentals, including its team, roadmap, and tokenomics. Stay tuned for Part 2: Separating Promising Projects from Marketing Gimmicks.

How to Find Altcoins with 10x Potential: Part 1 When I first entered the crypto market, I had the same questions you might have:

- Which projects should I add to my portfolio? - How can I identify those with real potential?

- Which ones are better avoided altogether?

Here’s the truth: your ability to select the right projects can determine your success in crypto investing. A good choice not only safeguards your funds but can also multiply your returns—and even set you up for passive income as a long-term investor. The crypto market boasts over 9,000 coins, but let me be clear: 99% of them aren’t worth your time or money. To avoid throwing your investment into the void, you need to learn to spot the gems amidst the hype. That’s what I’ll teach you in this series. 💡 Key Takeaway The most successful investors are skeptics. To succeed, you must criticize every project and uncover its weak points.

“The louder the marketing, the weaker the project.”

You’ve seen it before:

“This coin will make you a millionaire!”

“1000x guaranteed!”

These are your signals to walk away. The projects worth your attention rarely scream. Instead, they build quietly, letting their fundamentals do the talking. 💡 Pro Tip: Think of a project as a wrapped candy. The marketing is just the wrapper. Your job is to unwrap it and see if it’s something sweet—or just another bitter disappointment.

Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL): A Phenomenal Growth of 363% in 30 Days! What’s Behind the Hype? Over the past month, the crypto community has been abuzz with the meteoric rise of Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL), a token that surged 363%. Let's dive into what’s fueling this growth and what the future holds for this innovative project. What is Virtuals Protocol? Virtuals Protocol is built on the Coinbase Base blockchain and operates as a launchpad and marketplace for AI-powered agents. These autonomous AI tools can perform human-like tasks such as creating content, managing social media, and even operating in gaming environments like Roblox. The project aims to democratize AI ownership, allowing anyone to harness AI functionalities through blockchain. The Team and Vision The project was initially launched in 2021 under the name PathDAO but rebranded as Virtuals Protocol earlier this year. Its mission? To bridge the gap between artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, creating a decentralized ecosystem for entertainment and productivity. Why the Surge in Popularity? 1. Growing Demand for AI: As interest in AI technology skyrockets, Virtuals Protocol positions itself as a key player in this space, leveraging blockchain to tokenize and monetize AI functionalities. 2. Ecosystem Growth: Alongside VIRTUAL, related tokens like AIXBT and LUNA have also seen significant gains, indicating widespread interest in the ecosystem. 3. Utility: Beyond speculation, VIRTUAL tokens are used within the platform to power AI agents and unlock premium features. Use Cases 4. Gaming: AI agents that can operate autonomously in online games. 5. Social Media Management: Automated posting, meme generation, and livestreaming. 6. Creative Projects: AI-powered music and content creation. Market Performance The token currently trades at approximately $1.82, with a market cap exceeding $1.9 billion. It's now among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, highlighting its rapid adoption and investor confidence. Future Predictions Analysts are optimistic but cautious. While the technology and use cases are promising, the token's high volatility means both risks and rewards are on the table. If the team continues to innovate and expand its ecosystem, VIRTUAL could cement its position as a leader in the AI-blockchain intersection. Should You Invest? While the growth is enticing, always remember to DYOR (Do Your Own Research). Virtuals Protocol offers exciting potential, but the crypto market remains unpredictable. Consider your risk tolerance and long-term goals before diving in. What do you think about Virtuals Protocol? Is it the future of AI-powered crypto, or just a passing trend? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Portfolio is stagnant, stuck in one spot? Here's 7 ways how to refresh it! 1. Review Your Portfolio: Clear out assets that lack growth potential and replace them with promising ones. It’s essential to keep your portfolio dynamic and focused on assets with real value. 2. Look for New Projects: Keep an eye on the following trending projects for 2024:

Sui (SUI): Known for its impressive transaction speed and scalability, Sui is gaining traction in the DeFi and Web3 spaces as a reliable Layer-1 option​.

LayerZero (ZRO): A leader in interoperability, LayerZero enables seamless cross-chain communication, positioning itself as a core player in the “omnichain” ecosystem​.

Bittensor (TAO): A decentralized AI-focused project, Bittensor combines machine learning with crypto to build open AI infrastructure​.

3. Analyze Market Trends: 2024’s hottest trends include:

Decentralized AI: Projects like Bittensor are pioneering AI models that operate on blockchain, aligning with the rising demand for decentralized machine learning.

Layer-1 and Layer-2 Scaling: Platforms like Sui and LayerZero focus on high throughput and cross-chain communication, addressing the need for scalable infrastructure.

Metaverse and Digital Real Estate: With projects like EarthMeta, virtual property ownership and development are expanding as more users invest in the metaverse​

4. Segment the Market: Identify sectors with high growth potential, such as DeFi, metaverse, and infrastructure projects. The future lies in diversified portfolios that balance innovation with stability. 5. Use Entry and Exit Points: Set clear buy and sell targets to secure profits and avoid holding assets aimlessly. 6. Stay Updated: The crypto market is highly volatile. Regularly check news to adapt quickly to market changes. 7. Plan for the Long Term: Real growth takes time. Keep a focus on sustainable projects rather than quick gains. These guidelines are your foundation for a successful portfolio in 2024. Be proactive, adapt to trends, and invest with a clear vision.

Assets Attempting to Solve AI-Related Problems (Part 7)

The third category of crypto projects targets significant AI-related challenges, particularly the rise of bots and deepfakes. These issues pose serious risks, including the potential for widespread misinformation, as seen in past elections in India and Europe. Experts are particularly concerned that upcoming political races may be severely impacted by this “tsunami of misinformation.”

To tackle deepfakes, projects like Origin Trail (TRAC), Numbers Protocol (NUM), and Story Protocol work to establish verifiable content provenance, ensuring that users can trust the authenticity of information. These protocols aim to create a transparent framework for verifying digital content, which is essential in a landscape filled with manipulated media. Worldcoin (WLD) addresses the problem of bots by implementing unique biometric identifiers that verify individual users' humanity. This helps create a more secure and trustworthy online environment. Moreover, trust in AI models is crucial for their acceptance and use. Various protocols are developing solutions to ensure that AI outputs are reliable and not manipulated. Technologies such as cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, and Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) are being explored by projects like Modulus Labs and Zama to enhance security and trustworthiness in AI applications. While these decentralized AI assets have made initial progress, we are still in the first inning of this intersection. Prominent venture capitalist Fred Wilson noted that AI and crypto are “two sides of the same coin” and that “web3 will help us trust AI.” As the AI industry matures, these crypto use cases will become increasingly important, and the two rapidly evolving technologies may mutually support each other’s growth. By many indications, AI is on the horizon and is poised to have a profound impact, both positive and negative. By leveraging the attributes of blockchain technology, crypto can ultimately help mitigate some dangers posed by AI.

Resources Needed for AI Development (Part 6)

The second category of crypto-AI projects focuses on providing essential resources for AI development, specifically in terms of computing power, storage, and data.

With the rising demand for AI, decentralized GPU marketplaces like Render (RNDR), Akash (AKT), and Livepeer (LPT) are stepping up to offer developers access to idle GPU resources. For instance, Render provides around 10,000 GPUs targeted at artists and generative AI, while Akash focuses on supporting AI developers with a capacity of 400 GPUs. Livepeer is also planning a new AI subnet for various tasks, set to launch in August 2024. In addition to computational needs, AI models require substantial data storage. Decentralized solutions like Filecoin (FIL) and Arweave (AR) offer secure alternatives to centralized storage options, enhancing data integrity and reducing risks associated with data breaches. While major AI firms like OpenAI and Google benefit from real-time data access, data-scraping services such as Grass and Masa (MASA) help level the playing field by enabling individuals to monetize their data for AI model training while maintaining control and privacy.

Networks That Provide the Infrastructure for AI Development (Part 5)

The first category of crypto-AI projects focuses on networks that create a permissionless, open architecture designed for developing a wide range of AI services. These platforms prioritize building the foundational infrastructure and incentive mechanisms rather than focusing on a single AI product.

Key Examples: NEAR Protocol: Founded by a co-creator of the Transformer architecture, NEAR is advancing its AI capabilities by developing “user-owned AI” through an incubator program aimed at creating foundational AI models and data platforms. Bittensor: This platform incentivizes AI development through its TAO token and supports 38 subnetworks focused on diverse applications like chatbots and financial predictions. Developers can access a permissionless API to build AI applications by querying miners from these subnets. Other notable mentions include Fetch.ai, which allows developers to create AI agents, and Allora Network, focusing on AI in financial applications, including automated trading strategies. These networks play a crucial role in fostering innovation and accessibility within the AI landscape.

Categories of Crypto-AI Projects (Part 4) As the intersection of crypto and AI develops, we can identify three primary categories of projects in this space: 1. Infrastructure Layer: These networks provide essential platforms for AI development. Notable examples include NEAR, TAO, and FET, which enable developers to build and deploy AI applications efficiently. 2. Resources for AI: This category includes assets that supply the critical resources needed for AI development, such as compute power, storage, and data. Key players here are RNDR, AKT, LPT, FIL, AR, and MASA. 3. Solving AI Problems: These projects focus on addressing specific challenges related to AI, such as the rise of bots, deepfakes, and model verification. Examples include WLD, TRAC, and NUM, which aim to enhance trust and reliability in AI systems. Understanding these categories helps illuminate the diverse ways in which crypto can support and enhance the development of AI technologies.

How Decentralized AI Can Help (Part 3) Decentralized AI refers to AI services that leverage blockchain technology to distribute ownership and governance of AI in a manner that is designed to increase transparency and accessibility. Grayscale Research believes that decentralized AI holds the potential to bring these important decisions out from walled gardens and into public ownership. Blockchain technology can help increase developer access to AI, lowering the barrier for independent developers to build and monetize their work. We believe this could help improve overall AI innovation and competition as well as provide balance with the models developed by tech giants. In addition, decentralized AI can help democratize access to investing in AI. Currently, there are very few ways to gain access to the financial upside associated with AI development besides through a few tech stocks. Meanwhile, significant amounts of private capital have been allocated towards AI startups and private companies ($47 billion in 2022 and $42 billion in 2023). As a result, the financial upside of these companies is only available to a small portion of venture capitalists and accredited investors. In contrast, decentralized AI crypto assets are available to everyone, allowing all to own a part of an AI future.

The Problem With Centralised AI (Part 2) Today, AI development presents certain challenges and risks. Network effects and intensive capital requirements in AI are so significant that many AI developers outside of large tech companies, such as small companies or academic researchers, either have difficulty gaining access to needed resources for AI development or are unable to monetize their work. This limits overall AI competition and innovation. As a result, influence over this critical technology is largely concentrated in the hands of a few companies such as OpenAI and Google, leading to serious questions about AI governance. For example, this past February, Google’s AI image generator Gemini revealed racial biases and historical inaccuracies, illustrating how companies can manipulate their models. In addition, a board of six individuals decided to fire OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last November, exposing the fact that a small handful of people wield control over the companies developing these models. As AI grows in influence and importance, many worry that one company could hold decision-making power over the AI models that have an outsize influence on society, potentially imposing guardrails, operating behind closed doors, or manipulating models to their benefit — but at the expense of the rest of society.

AI Is Coming - Crypto Can Help Make It Right (Part 1) Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is one of the most promising emerging technologies of this century, with the potential to exponentially improve human productivity and power medical breakthroughs. While AI may be important today, its influence is only growing, as PwC estimates that it will grow to be a $15 trillion industry by 2030. However, this promising technology has its challenges. As AI technology has become increasingly powerful, the AI industry has become extremely centralized, concentrating power in the hands of a few companies to the potential detriment of society. It has also raised serious concerns regarding deepfakes, embedded biases, and data privacy risks. Fortunately, crypto — and its properties of decentralization and transparency — offers potential solutions to some of these problems. In next publications, we explore the issues caused by centralization and how decentralized AI can help solve some of its ills, and we discuss where the intersection of crypto and AI stands today, highlighting the crypto applications in this space that have shown early signs of adoption. Stay tuned!

In 2024, several AI-focused crypto tokens are gaining attention due to their innovative integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. Here are some noteworthy ones: Fetch.AI (FET): This token supports the Fetch.AI platform, which develops AI-powered agents for real-world applications like supply chain management and transportation. FET allows users to monetize these AI agents​. Strong buy levels: 0.7$; 0.5$; 0.25$ SingularityNET (AGIX): A decentralized marketplace for AI services, SingularityNET aims to accelerate AI advancements by enabling developers to create, share, and monetize AI solutions. The AGIX token plays a central role in the ecosystem​. Strong buy levels: 0.55$; 0.35$; 0.25$ Akash Network (AKT): A decentralized cloud platform providing AI-ready infrastructure. Akash Network offers cloud computing services that are more affordable than traditional providers like AWS, making it attractive for AI applications​. Strong buy levels: 1.367$; 0.94$; 0.6$ Numeraire (NMR): Numeraire powers the decentralized hedge fund Numerai, which uses AI models to make predictions in financial markets. Users can stake NMR to back AI-based trading strategies​. Strong buy levels: 14$; 11$; 7$ Oraichain (ORAI): Known for its AI-powered oracle, Oraichain enables trust verification for AI applications in DeFi, healthcare, and NFTs. The token supports Web3 dApps with AI integration​. Strong buy levels: 4.37$; 3$; 1.35$ These tokens combine blockchain's decentralized nature with AI's potential, creating opportunities for scalable and innovative AI solutions. Suggested buying strategy helps in reducing the average purchase price over time, potentially increasing your returns when the target is reached. Diversify your portfolio and follow the DCA strategy for risk mitigation. Be patient and disciplined in your investment approach.

Examples of Layer 2 Projects To give you a clearer picture, here are two popular Layer 2 solutions you might’ve heard about: Polygon (MATIC) What It Does: Polygon works alongside Ethereum and makes it much faster and cheaper. It does this by processing transactions off Ethereum’s main network and then sending the results back to Ethereum for final verification. This reduces congestion on Ethereum and brings down costs for users. Why It’s Important: Polygon has attracted tons of developers and projects because it helps solve Ethereum’s scalability issues. Big brands like Reddit and even some DeFi projects are already using it. Growth Potential: As more people use Ethereum-based applications, the demand for cheaper and faster solutions like Polygon will increase. The project has strong backing and continues to grow its ecosystem, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. Arbitrum (ARB) What It Does: Like Polygon, Arbitrum is built to improve Ethereum’s performance. It focuses on reducing fees and increasing transaction speed through something called rollups, where a bunch of transactions are processed off-chain and then bundled up to be verified on the Ethereum blockchain. Why It’s Important: Arbitrum’s technology has gained the attention of many developers and users because it makes Ethereum more efficient. Several big DeFi projects have already integrated with Arbitrum, which shows confidence in its technology. Growth Potential: Arbitrum is still developing its ecosystem, but with its focus on making Ethereum faster and cheaper, it’s well-positioned to grow as more people use decentralized apps (dApps). Now, here’s the key question: Are Layer 2 projects worth investing in? There’s no doubt that Layer 2 solutions are solving real problems in the blockchain space. As more people adopt crypto and decentralized applications, the need for faster and cheaper solutions will continue to grow. Layer 2 projects like Polygon and Arbitrum are helping make blockchain technology more usable in the real world, which is why they’re getting so much attention. However, it’s important to remember that these projects are still evolving. Technology changes fast, and new solutions are constantly being developed. But the trend towards making blockchains faster and more scalable is here to stay, so Layer 2 projects have strong growth potential in the long run. What’s the Growth Potential? Wider Adoption: As more people, companies, and institutions use blockchain, the demand for faster, more scalable solutions will rise. Layer 2 projects will play a critical role in this. Support from Major Blockchains: Ethereum, the largest smart contract platform, is transitioning to Ethereum 2.0, and Layer 2 solutions will be a key part of its future. If Ethereum continues to grow, Layer 2 projects will grow with it. Layer 2 projects are worth considering because they focus on solving real problems with blockchain technology. They make using platforms like Ethereum cheaper and more efficient, which could lead to wider adoption in the future. That said, always do your own research (DYOR) and keep in mind that the crypto space is still very volatile. But if you’re thinking long-term, Layer 2 solutions have the potential to be an important part of the blockchain ecosystem as it continues to expand.

Layer 2 Solutions: What Are They and Why Should You Care? If you’ve been around the crypto world for a while, you’ve probably heard people talking about Layer 2 projects. But what exactly are they, and should you be paying attention to them? Let’s break it down in simple terms so you can get a solid understanding of why these projects might be worth your consideration. What Is a Layer 2 Project? To understand Layer 2, we first need to know what Layer 1 is. Layer 1 is the base layer of a blockchain, like Ethereum or Bitcoin. It’s the foundation where all transactions and smart contracts happen. The problem is, these Layer 1 blockchains often become slow and expensive to use as more people get involved. Just imagine if every time you wanted to buy something, you had to wait in a long line at the cash register, and the price of the transaction kept going up. That’s what happens when Layer 1 networks get congested. This is where Layer 2 comes in. Layer 2 projects are built on top of Layer 1, and their job is to make things faster and cheaper. Instead of doing every transaction on the main blockchain (Layer 1), Layer 2 projects bundle them together and process them elsewhere, then send the final result back to the main blockchain. Think of it like a fast-track lane at the supermarket. Why Should You Care About Layer 2? Lower Fees: Transaction costs on Ethereum and Bitcoin can be really high, especially during busy times. Layer 2 solutions reduce these fees by handling a lot of the transactions off-chain (meaning they don’t directly happen on the main blockchain). Faster Transactions: Layer 1 blockchains can be slow when they get crowded. Layer 2 solutions process transactions much quicker, making it easier to use the network without annoying delays. Scalability: Layer 1 can only handle a limited number of transactions per second. Layer 2 allows many more transactions to be processed at the same time, which is important for growth. Real-World Use Cases: As crypto and blockchain technology expand into everyday industries like finance, gaming, and supply chain management, Layer 2 projects will be crucial for handling the massive number of transactions efficiently.

Top Crypto Gainers Today Sep 05 – Livepeer, Siacoin, Beldex, H2O Dao 1. Livepeer (LPT) Today’s first top crypto gainer is Livepeer, surging ahead in the crypto market. With its current price at $11.86, LPT has impressively risen by 4.98% in the last 24 hours. Livepeer stands out for its unique approach to live video streaming. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, it offers a decentralized alternative to traditional broadcasting. This innovative platform allows content producers to stream high-quality videos without the need for centralized intermediaries. It leverages decentralized computing and crypto-economic incentives to enhance broadcasting efficiency, setting it apart from conventional solutions. Furthermore, the security of Livepeer is notable, as it utilizes a modified Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) mechanism. 2. Siacoin (SC) Siacoin stands out today with a notable 2.73% increase in price, reaching $0.004172, showcasing impressive short-term gains. For context, Siacoin is the native utility token of Sia, a decentralized cloud storage platform. By allowing users to lease their unused storage space, Sia provides a cost-effective and secure alternative to major cloud services like Amazon and Google. The Sia network’s security relies on a proof-of-work consensus algorithm, where miners compete to add blocks to the blockchain, requiring a majority agreement for validation. Additionally, files are split into 30 encrypted segments and stored on different hosts, enhancing redundancy. Smart contracts manage agreements between users, ensuring secure and trustless transactions. 3. Shiba Shootout (SHIBASHOOT) Shiba Shootout has recently experienced a remarkable surge in its presale, now exceeding $1 million and gaining rapid traction. This notable increase in interest follows the successful launch of its main game, Shiba Sharpshooter. The game, which combines a Wild West theme with the Shiba Inu meme, has quickly captivated both gamers and investors. As a result, it has become a sensation in the memecoin space. This viral buzz and media attention have significantly boosted the project’s visibility, propelling the presale closer to its next milestone of $1.84 million. Given the current momentum, the presale could likely conclude earlier than originally anticipated. 4. Beldex (BDX) As of today, Beldex holds the impressive position of being third on our list of top crypto gainers in the crypto space. At the time of writing, it is priced at $0.0541, having surged by 2.40% in the past 24 hours. This recent uptick reflects a broader positive trend, as the coin has risen by 60% over the past year and outpaced 55% of the top 100 crypto assets. Beldex is a privacy-centric ecosystem designed to offer a secure environment for online interactions. With a focus on confidentiality, it supports a range of privacy-first decentralized applications, including BChat, BelNet, and the Beldex Browser. The project uses advanced privacy technologies such as RingCT and CryptoNight to anonymize transactions and user data. The excitement around Beldex can be attributed to its upcoming Hermes Hardfork, scheduled for Sep 9, 2024. This major upgrade is set to enhance the network’s speed, security, and performance. Key features of the Hermes Hardfork include Ethereum address and domain name integration, which will allow for smoother cross-chain interactions. Additionally, the hardfork addresses previous security issues. It also optimizes the network by limiting masternodes per VPS machine, which aims to improve block validation and the performance of Beldex’s applications. 5. H2O Dao (H2O) Standing as the least top crypto gainer on our list today, H2O DAO has posted a 2.36% increase, bringing its price to $0.1817. Nevertheless, it remains worth watching for its long-term potential.

The Boom in DePIN Project Financing Chakes up the Crypto Market Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Projects (DePIN) raised no less than 246 million dollars in 2024, spread over 70 transactions, according to Messari data. This massive inflow of capital has propelled the total market valuation of DePIN to 20 billion dollars, a growth of 400% in one year. Projects like IoTeX and peaq have particularly stood out. IoTeX notably managed to raise 50 million dollars in April, while peaq secured a strategic funding of 30 million dollars. These record fundraisings testify to the growing investor interest in this new segment of the crypto economy. The funding dynamics reflect the high expectations placed in these technologies. DePINs promise to decentralize critical physical infrastructures, paving the way for new economic models and greater democratization of resources. New crypto players ready to shake up the giants? The influx of capital allows the emergence of ambitious new players. These startups are positioning themselves to directly compete with established heavyweights such as Filecoin, Helium, or The Graph. Their application areas are varied: decentralized gaming infrastructure, data layers for AI, or even robotics.

However, the path to profitability remains fraught with challenges. Despite investor exuberance, revenue growth in the DePIN sector is slow to take off. The four most profitable projects rank among the top eight in terms of valuation, highlighting a gap between expectations and market reality.

Centralized platforms currently retain the advantage, thanks to more comprehensive and proven solutions. The secret to success for DePIN projects will be to turn their technological promises into viable products that are widely adopted.

"It's too late to buy Ether, it's so expensive"

If you buy #ETH right now, you are earlier than 97% of people on earth. It's still so early.

What is Dogs, and why did it trigger issues on the TON blockchain? Officially introduced in July 2024, Dogs is a new memecoin running on the TON blockchain and is marketed as the “most Telegram-native memecoin.” The utility token was inspired by Spotty, a mascot promoted by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested in France on Aug. 24. The launch of Dogs has driven enormous congestion on TON due to users’ rising interest in the TON ecosystem. The official Dogs channel on Telegram, the Dogs Community, has amassed nearly 17 million subscribers in less than two months since its launch, showing massive popularity among users. According to a spokesperson from Wallet in Telegram, a third-party app that allows Telegram users to buy, sell and store cryptocurrency, four million users claimed their Dogs token via the wallet after Dogs held its token generation event on Aug. 26.

“This resulted in near-unprecedented levels of onchain activity — the claim process generated a peak of over 67,000 transactions per second, far exceeding the previous all-time high we experienced during Notcoin’s token generation event,”

The spokesperson mentioned that Wallet in Telegram decided to partially disable some features to provide stable service during the onchain claim process. The representative added:

"Of the 4 million users that claimed to Wallet, 1.6 million have already performed an activity with their tokens – whether this might be sending their tokens to another Telegram user, depositing them into a Wallet Earn campaign, or swapping to other cryptocurrencies via the P2P market."

Being real ain’t easy (Discovering DePINs, Part 3) Now, let’s consider the other part of the equation. A crypto token can live off the hype, memes, and sheer unhinged speculation we know Web3 for. A DePIN can’t. In our case, it needs weather companies, researchers, and anyone else willing to buy the temperature data we collect. In other cases, it’s devices using its IoT connectivity network, or drivers looking for charging spots; the gist is, DePINs need real-world demand for their real-world service. They must push beyond the Web3 echochamber and, often enough, even compete with Web2 rivals. The good news is, they are up to the challenge. When they’re armed with a solid idea and execution, DePINs have several unfair advantages over their Web2 incumbents. For example they can bootstrap their way to scale – fast – and they can undercut virtually any centralized competitor. You read that right; Uber, the undercutter of all undercutters, may have met its match. The bad news is, crypto isn’t as used to this business model as it thinks. Thus, solid enterprise ties are a must for any aspiring DePIN ecosystem, as they help with securing this demand, and with various other headaches, such as hardware manufacturing. Let’s not forget about having to win the hearts and minds, too. DePINs have to approach entirely new audiences, people who are an afterthought for most crypto projects. Think IoT and tech geeks, but also anyone who could host and run hardware, from drivers (they really love their world-mapping DePINs) to small businesses. It’s no easy task, marketing-wise, and one that further distinguishes DePINs as a unique Web3 sector. None of this is fatal, obviously, as the sector powers on, but all of this makes for a gauntlet that calls for a new mindset, architecture and language. Mindset: more attentive of real-world challenges that DePINs can tackle and savvier in accounting for the hurdles in the path, including things like actual product marketing and user experience to compete with Web2 rivals. Architecture: merging smart contracts with edge computing and peer-to-peer device interactions, mindful of the real-world challenges involved. Language: more accessible to the non-Web3, those who didn’t spend their last few years chasing the crypto bags, language of business cases and efficient solutions. The beauty of DePIN is that it gives us all a chance to judge crypto based on its real-world usefulness. By tapping into real demand and supply, DePINs give us all clearer metrics to go by.. How many devices are on a DePIN? How many people use the DePIN’s services? Is its pricing and services better than those of Web2 rivals? It’s not about speculation anymore, but about making a positive impact on the world. This is what truly singles DePINs out across the entire Web3 space as a unique and self-standing sector. Their supporting layer-1 backbones should be as wary of this as the wider Web3 community if we want this space to finally bring in real-world blockchain adoption — this time, for real.

Why DePINs aren’t regular dApps (Part 2) So what makes DePINs special? To answer this question, let’s imagine a hypothetical DePIN that enables you to earn tokens for measuring local temperature through a smart thermometer. That’s already where we bump right into one of the many, many elephants in the room: the hardware. How do we go about the thermometers? Do we let users connect any third-party devices capable of recording and sending data? Sure, and let’s applaud our own open-source spirit while we’re at it. But let’s not forget to write the code that will support the widest variety of smart sensors and will feature a simple user interface that will make adding them a breeze. And that’s no easy task, mind you.

It’s what the “masses” have been waiting for: real, tangible use-cases for blockchain that people actually need and use daily

The alternative is to manufacture the hardware ourselves, which lands us in yet another animal reservation. Now, we’re no longer simply building a dApp, we’re also building a custom piece of hardware and taking on the joys of manufacturing, storage, and shipment. Of course, we can always buy a white-label solution, hire contractors, and do a ton of other reasonable things, which all lead us to our next trunked beast: the token economics. You see, the price of all of that has to be accounted for in the token economics. Whether we expect the community to purchase a thermometer from us or not, we have to be mindful of this investment when we lay out the rewards and incentives. People will expect a return on their investment in hardware, after all, and quite reasonably. And with that, we are no longer writing token economics for people, as regular dApps do, we are writing them for people and value-generating machines — machines that are growing more intelligent by the day and turning from mere tools into economic agents. See how significant this distinction is? And that’s only the supply side so far.