Our experts tell us how the infrastructure of Conflux project is set up. How developers manage to achieve partnerships with large technology companies, and what led to the growth of the CFX token

In April, major cryptocurrency exchange Binance and decentralized platform Uniswap announced support for a new blockchain, Conflux. Behind its development is a team with the open support of the Chinese government. And the project’s infrastructure is also being implemented in major technology companies. And the market capitalization of the Conflux native token is approaching the $1 billion mark.

Investments and Partnerships Investments and Partnerships Conflux Network

Conflux Network is registered in Singapore, but the investors and all of its key employees are from the Chinese tech elite or have roots in mainland China. Founded in 2018, the company has raised $40 million from investment funds including Sequoia China and Baidu Ventures. In late March, the DWF Labs fund made a $10 million purchase of CFX tokens directly from the company, which was also a strategic investment in the project.

Fang Long, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Toronto, is behind the development of Conflux. And Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, who is the only Chinese Turing Prize winner to hold the position of chief scientist for the project. At least 10 of the company’s development team graduated from Tsinghua University’s computer science program.

Conflux’s blockchain went live in 2020. And since then, more than 300 platforms, brands and companies have used it, according to the developers. In 2023, the company partnered with China Telecom, China’s second-largest telecom operator, to create the “first SIM card on blockchain. As well as the popular social network Xiaohongshu to introduce NFT technology. The social network has 200 million users and is considered the Chinese analogue of Instagram.

Conflux works on the Tree-graph consensus algorithm, a kind of hybrid between Proof-of-Work (PoW). At that, on which Bitcoin operates, and Proof-of-Stake (PoS), which Ethereum or Cardano use. According to the developers, the network can process up to 3 thousand transactions per second. At the same time maintaining a high level of security and reliability. The blockchain has two subnets – Core and eSpace. eSpace is used for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. The Conflux blockchain already has a CNH stabelcoin tied to the CNY exchange rate. And another “stablecoin” pegged to the Hong Kong dollar is expected in the future.

Support for a Chinese state

The developers themselves call Conflux the only regulatory-compliant blockchain in China with an indigenous Chinese team. They emphasize that the project has never conducted any form of ICO banned in China. In 2021, the Shanghai government gave Conflux Network a grant of more than $5 million. The company later received approval from Hunan provincial officials. With whom it was able to reach an agreement to incorporate its infrastructure into the government’s document workflow. And an administrative data verification system.

In China, government approval often allows a company to gain access to lucrative contracts in the public sector. Building relationships in the country plays an important role in doing business. And such an official endorsement is a notable event whose implications for Conflux go beyond mere PR.

China dominates the global blockchain market with an 84 percent share, compared to the United Kingdom (11 percent) and the United States (14 percent). Conflux wrote this when announcing the partnership with Uniswap. This, they said, is evidence of a “thriving ecosystem that makes China a critical player in Web3 project development.” Regulatory barriers in the U.S. and EU are expected to boost the growth of the crypto industry in Asia. More than 80 companies plan to open offices in Hong Kong. Where the government’s loyal attitude toward the blockchain industry “creates a vital link to mainland China,” the publication said.

Our experts note when the developers announced their partnership with Uniswap. Then they stressed that projects operating in currencies other than the U.S. dollar will benefit from it in a noticeable way.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump released a new series of 47 thousand tokens, it was sold out within 24 hours

Sales of the first NFT collection of Donald Trump rose 860% after the launch of the second series of tokens. According to the Cryptoslam platform, secondary sales of items from the first issue of Trump Digital Trading Cards totaled $384,000 per day. During the week before the announcement of the new batch of NFTs, sales were $20,000 to $40,000 per day.

Also sales of the second series of NFTs featuring the former U.S. president began April 18. He appears on them as Elvis Presley, the chess king, in company with a fire lion and in other flamboyant images.

The new collection includes 47,000 NFTs – 2,000 more than the first issue. Buyers of the 47 tokens got a chance to be a guest at a dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The number 47 could be a hint at his intention to become the 47th president of the United States.

The initial cost of the “cards” remained the same – $99. However, as stated on the site, all tokens have already been sold out.

Our experts note that the first collection of 45 thousand NFT on the blockchain Polygon Trump released last December. There were 44 thousand tokens for sale. All NFTs were sold out in the first 24 hours. And initial sales brought the project nearly $4.4 million.

Despite an increase in sales of NFTs from the first collection, the minimum price for them on the largest NFT-marketplace OpenSea fell by 64% overnight. On April 19, it stands at 0.1396 ETH ($279), almost three times the initial price of NFT.

Decentralized social networks allow you to monetize your own free time. And also regulate the algorithms of your page impressions and the security of personal data. And all this is possible now, not in the distant future.

Modern social networks are approaching a dead-end situation. Users are getting tired of constant control and censorship. Therefore, the world is moving into the Web 3.0 stage. Back in 2019, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg recorded the trend toward small, closed groups. And communication between people in closed mode.

And no wonder, because social networks are regularly accompanied by problems. Facebook, for example, is “famous” for leaking data of hundreds of millions of users. In this case, all content in the social network is moderated according to the policy of this company. And a special algorithm regulates its displays. All of this, for the most part, applies to other classic social networks as well.

Despite its shortcomings, the social networking market remains in a phase of active growth. Among others, this factor is influenced by the change of generations. Young people are using social networks more actively. And in a few years, it will become the focus of interest for all marketers. The market will adjust to the needs of today’s younger generation.

The desire for independence, the need to monetize not only work time, but also personal time – all this describes today’s youth. Current social networks look like obsolete dinosaurs in this context. Which require an urgent upgrade.

What is the solution to the current situation for social networks?

The next logical step is for the industry to move toward Web 3.0. Estimated Web 3.0 revenue by 2023 is $23.3 billion, and by 2026 it will be $678 billion. A significant portion of this market is decentralized social networking.

In 2021 alone, more than 34,000 new developers joined Web3 projects. And companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, the co-founder of Reddit and Solana Ventures launched a $100 million joint investment fund. Many social media platforms are adding Web3 capabilities for Web2 users by offering NFT integration. For example, Twitter allows NFT avatars for Twitter Blue subscribers. Web3 has been attracting investments at full speed. For example, a Web3-enabled messaging and group wallet app raised $3.3 million in a pre-funding round. And the CyberConnect platform raised $15 million in a Series A round.

Blockchain technology allows for secure and confidential messaging. And it is the problem with the risk of leaks of user data that is one of the main problems at the moment. Another trend is the monetization of user creativity. The simplest example: YouTube, which gives 80% of its revenue to content creators. SocialFi has gone further – they offer to monetize not only the content, but also any activity of their users.

Decentralized social networks – past and present

The first blockchain-based social network, GNU Social, appeared back in 2010. And it still works today and is reminiscent of Twitter in terms of functionality. However, as in the case of other early projects. To access it for the average user, far from the world of technology, is a difficult task. This is one of the main barriers to the widespread dissemination of any innovation.

Newer projects have solved the problem. For example, in one of the largest social networks Web3 MAIN, part of the functionality works in a format familiar to all. But the ownership, management and monetization functions have been moved to blockchain. So anyone can start using the platform without installing any wallets. At the same time, as the user immerses himself in the topic, he can gradually work more actively with Web3 functionality.

MAIN is the largest social network on the blockchain BNB Smart Chain. Its monthly audience of registered and active users exceeds 20 thousand people worldwide. The project was launched in 2021 on the blockchain BNB Smart Chain based on the social platform. Where users received tokens for their posts. Also, token holders can not only store them or use them within the platform. But also send them to staking Earnpark (maximum pool – 10 million tokens).

Classic social networks are now avoiding the community theme. Because fast content is more profitable for maximizing advertising revenue. People suffer because they can’t communicate with each other in their niche communities. However, MAIN gives users that opportunity. The project offers a system of thematic communities (boards) created and managed by users. Each board has its own coins and the users manage the community in proportion to their share.

The platform is accessible through mobile applications. And users’ assets are stored in their wallets. Therefore, even if the account is blocked, the assets in the personal wallet can be sold through the exchange. And in order to receive tokens, it is enough to be an active member of the boards. As well as to create their own content or perform administrative functions.

Next step of the social media industry

Our experts note that traditional social networks are losing user trust. Data leaks and total control are relics of the past. Which will logically go away with the development of this industry.

Decentralized social networks are the future because they meet the demands of young people. Among the main advantages of SocialFi are the ownership of one’s data and assets, the absence of censorship and the ability to monetize one’s personal time and multifunctionality.

The industry is just beginning to develop. Which means that now there is an opportunity to become the same early user who once mined Bitcoin on a laptop. It is quite possible that after a few years the idea of decentralized social networks will seem obvious. But already well assimilated and become part of everyday life.

The collapse of a major crypto exchange FTX cleared the market of “toxic leverage” and showed investors the importance of self-storage of digital assets

Analysts at investment firm Bernstein believe that the collapse of FTX was the catalyst for a new bullish cycle in cryptocurrency markets, CoinDesk reported, citing a report from their company. The collapse of a major crypto exchange cleared the market of “toxic leverage.” And showed crypto investors the importance of decentralization and self-storage of digital assets.

Macroeconomic factors are supporting Bitcoin. Such as the weakness of regional U.S. banks and the continued outflow of deposits to money market funds. And the “big four” U.S. banks (Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase) reflect investor concerns about the “centralization of money,” according to Bernstein.

“Any potential shocks, in the credit sector or from the government <…> make Bitcoin an ideal safe haven asset alongside gold,” the analysts wrote.

Since the beginning of the year Bitcoin’s rate grew more than 80% – from $16.5 thousand to $29.8 thousand only in March on the background of bankruptcies of American banks (Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank) price of the first cryptocurrency grew from $23 thousand to $28 thousand.

Bernstein’s experts also pointed out that fees on the Ethereum network tripled after the FTX collapse. Which reflects the growth of user activity and interest in the asset itself. Ethereum has risen 75% since the beginning of the year, from $1,200 to $2,100.

Our experts note that at the end of March, analysts Bernstein noted that now there are “ideal conditions” for the growth of the crypto market. Problems in the U.S. banking sector could lead to a decentralized financial system as an alternative to traditional banks.

Our experts told us why it is too early to talk about the start of general growth of altcoins (Altseason) other than Bitcoin and Ethereum. And what market conditions are needed for this.

The former head of BitMEX crypto exchange Arthur Hayes, known for his analytical forecasts on the cryptocurrency markets, announced the onset of the next Altseason. At the same time, he pointed to the sharp growth of Ethereum as the basis of his assumption.

Altcoin season (Altseason)  is a slang term for cryptocurrency traders that refers to a period of active one-time growth of alternative cryptocurrencies. Altcoin season is thought to take place in four phases: the rise of Bitcoin, the rise of Ethereum, the rise of large-capitalized cryptocurrencies, and the massive growth of the rest of the crypto market. This includes low-liquid assets with no fundamental value. Which is accompanied by a massive rush by retail traders.

Our experts told us why it’s too early to talk about an altcoin season and what market conditions are needed for it to start.

Altseason hasn’t started yet

Despite numerous claims that an “Altseason” has started in the digital asset market, our experts cannot agree.

Since the start of this year, Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance has seriously increased. And at the moment, it shows no signs of decreasing. In general, Bitcoin has shown one of the most consistent dynamics in the cryptocurrency market since January. While the standard model of market behavior in the period of altcoin growth is the presence of BTC rate in a medium-term “sideways”. And without a strong rise or fall, and currently the medium-term uptrend on BTC is too confident for “Altseason”.

As for altcoins themselves, we can notice that there is no active capitalization growth there. Individual low-capitalized assets are “growing.” But this is not an indicator of the altcoin season, it only speaks to the local interest of participants in these assets.

The TOTAL2 index, which measures the growth of the total market capitalization of all altcoins (not including Bitcoin), is very slightly ahead of the total market capitalization index (TOTAL). This indicator shows that there is no multiple growth in demand for altcoins.

An important factor of Altseason is also the growth of the volume and number of transactions in the networks. As well as the growth of developer activity and audience activity. Again, we see growth of these indicators in individual assets. For example, in Ethereum, which had a successful fork allowing to take tokens from stacking. But overall, we are not seeing multiples of growth in investor and developer activity right now. After strong growth in January and February, the market is now looking for some balance. Which again does not signal that we have started an altcoin season.

When to expect growth

Our experts think that such a season is quite possible this year. But not before the second half of the year. The cryptocurrency market is still gathering energy for growth. And although we passed the bottom at the end of last year, the market has not yet reversed upwards: it takes time.

The growth season for cryptocurrencies, including altcoins, will start with the stabilization of stock markets. For that, there needs to be no geopolitical shocks. And also there were no problems such as still ongoing problems with banks in the U.S. and Europe. And also there were no predictions of an imminent global recession, and there are more and more of them.

Over the past year, several major cryptocurrency companies have suffered, and the banking industry is also in crisis. Our experts tell us what problems the DeFi sector is solving

Cryptocurrencies returned to growth in 2023. Since the beginning of January, Bitcoin’s price soared 70% and hit a local high above $28,000. The largest altcoins in terms of capitalization also rose in price following Bitcoin. At the same time, the banking system is suffering: it all began with the bankruptcy of three banks in the United States (Sillicon Valley Bank (SVB), Silvergate and Signature Bank). And then the problems of Swiss Credit Suisse, which was saved by the takeover of UBS. However, the situation continues to be uncertain. And more and more investors are looking toward DeFi.

For cryptocurrencies now also plays the fact that the U.S. authorities are trying to reduce tensions in the banking sector. And to take additional measures. And, as we remember from recent history, low Fed rates and “dovish” policy of the U.S. authorities. Then it’s a path for risky assets to hit record highs. It was during quantitative easing (QE) that Bitcoin quotes were at a peak of $69,000. And after the change in QE, the crypto market began to correct.

It is important to understand the high dependence of digital currency quotes on U.S. policy. This is a serious factor, but not a determining one. Last year, several major cryptocurrency companies, including trading venues and hedge funds, went bankrupt. The most famous example is the FTX exchange, as well as the Terra project. The total losses amounted to billions of dollars.

The main problem of both the banking sector and the largest bankrupt crypto-projects is centralization. In order to solve it, financial services in the form of services and applications – decentralized finance (DeFi) – were created on blockchain. They are an alternative to the banking sector, which is particularly vulnerable in recent times. And a replacement for the traditional technologies of the financial system.

Important benefits of decentralized finance

A key advantage of DeFi is the ability to function without the need for a third party. A computer program executes agreements between two or more parties. As a result, under one condition or another, certain actions take place. This is the principle on which the smart contract works.

Just as importantly, when working with DeFi-service, the user is always in control of all of his funds. Customers of centralized platforms (whether banks or exchanges) have to trust them with their money, to give it for deposit. In the case of decentralized finance the client connects his own wallet and conducts all transactions directly from it.

The DeFi market is just beginning to develop. Our experts estimate that only 7 million people have used decentralized finance protocols so far. The potential growth of this sphere is estimated to be at least 50 times in the coming years.

In conditions of banking crisis and collapse of centralized giants of crypto-industry, probably, it makes sense to pay attention to the sphere of decentralized finance DeFi. This is a promising industry that is just beginning to develop, and with the right approach, allows investors to work with their assets in a transparent and relatively safe way.

Crypto Upvotes experts offered to collect their investment portfolio of six tokens of promising projects for Ethereum scaling

Projects that solve the problems of scaling blockchain networks and Ethereum in particular. Now they are actively developing and attracting funding, which indicates a high interest of investors in these solutions. And expectations of growth of capitalization of this sector.

Ethereum’s transition to the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) algorithm in the network is proceeding smoothly: the problems with coin inflation and now with the withdrawal of tokens from staking with the Shapella update have been solved. But the issues of scaling the network, that is, making transactions in it faster and cheaper, have yet to be resolved.

According to the team’s plans, that will take two years. And during that time, Layer-2 projects that offer off-the-shelf extensions to scale Ethereum could cover the growing demand for the network.

Given how actively Ethereum is developing, the demand for it will only grow in the near future. Not only from within the industry, but also from external users. Who want to implement blockchain solutions with high security, speed and economy of transactions. Layer-2 solutions will obviously be in high demand in the coming months as well.

Our idea for an investment portfolio:

Buying a portfolio of tokens at current market prices in the following ratio:

• Polygon (MATIC) – 25%
• Synthetix (SNX) – 20%
• Optimism (OP) – 15%
• Loopring (LRC) – 15%
• Celer Network (CELR) – 15%
• Immutable (IMX) – 10%

This portfolio makes sense to hold till the end of the year. Since the main market movements may start in Q3-4.

Risks:

The main risk for this token portfolio will be a drop in market capitalization due to fundamental negative events. Such as external – the impact of inter-market relations and macroeconomics. As well as internal, it is the strengthening of regulatory pressure and problems of the projects, tokens of which are included in this portfolio.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the May-July period is historically weak for the growth of prices for digital assets. Therefore, the main movements on tokens from the portfolio may start in the second half of this year.

Disclaimer:
Crypto-Upvotes does not provide investment advice. This material is published for informational purposes only. Cryptocurrency is a volatile asset that can lead to financial losses.

Crypto Upvotes experts analyzed the situation in the Crypto market. And told how it can change in the short term, as well as what will happen to Bitcoin price

Last week was a hot one. Bitcoin rose in price by 7.63%, but this is no reason to panic. The growth of quotations began in the evening of April 9. Since the new week, purchases of the first cryptocurrency intensified amid the growth of U.S. stock indices. After the end of the holiday in the U.S. and strong Friday employment data. Investors raised the probability of another Federal Reserve rate hike in May by 25 basis points.

Since this pace of rate hikes has been factored in by the markets. Then buyers went on the offensive after a prolonged sideways trend. At first they took the level of $29,380, and on April 12 they tested the psychological level of $30,000. The price went up to $30,550.

The locomotive for the whole market was Ethereum (ETH). On the night of April 12-13, the Shapella update was successfully activated on the main Ethereum network, after which it became possible to withdraw blocked tokens from staking. There was no reaction to the network update. Apparently, investors wanted to see how staking would behave after coins were withdrawn. The effect was delayed. The Shapella update boosted trading volumes and supported the bullish trend of the major altcoins. The ETH/USDt pair was up to $2,128.

On April 12, the U.S. Labor Department released its inflation report. The consumer price index rose 0.1% month-on-month and 5% year-on-year. Although, of course, everyone was expecting inflation to match the 0.2% m/m and 5.2% y/y forecasts. The inflation report couldn’t stop Bitcoin’s rise. That’s because the rise was supported by the Ethereum rally. And then the dollar also fell to 101.16p after rising.

On April 14, the pair BTC/USDt was rising to the level of $31,000. It was not possible to move higher – the dollar turned up and the indices went down. The dollar rose at the end of the week on strong industrial production data, which rose 0.4% in March after rising 0.2% the previous month (the forecast was +0.2%).

Cryptocurrencies have gained a trump card.

By the end of the day U.S. stocks closed the day down. But they recorded weekly gains across the board. Investors appreciated the weak retail sales report. Which undermined the enthusiasm about the start of the quarterly reporting season.

Cryptocurrencies have gained a trump card. Democrats and Republicans continue to play the political game of who will do more damage to the United States. Congressmen are haggling and the Treasury Department is paying higher interest on debt service.

Democrats and Republicans continue to play a political game of who will do more damage to the United States. Congressmen are haggling and the Treasury Department is paying higher interest on debt service.

On April 11, the cost of U.S. default insurance jumped to the highest level in a decade. Default insurance on 5-year U.S. bonds rose to 42.91p.

In 2022, the U.S. paid $853 billion in interest on its government debt. This year, the amount of interest payments on government debt could reach $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion. Yellen warned that the government has enough money until June. The country could face default in July or August. Right now, it doesn’t matter if there is a default or not. Bitcoin and gold could act as protective assets against it. Gold in physical form and Bitcoin in digital form.

The technical picture for Bitcoin is favorable for continued upward movement. Now we can head to the area of $34-35 thousand. For ETH the nearest target is around $2,770.

Elon Musk is gathering a team of researchers and engineers in the field of artificial intelligence. He is also negotiating with a number of investors to invest in a new startup

American billionaire Elon Musk plans to launch a startup in the field of artificial intelligence. Which will compete with the creator of ChatGPT OpenAI. This is reported by The Financial Times, citing its own sources.

The Tesla founder and Twitter owner is gathering a team of researchers and engineers in the field of artificial intelligence. Including the British company DeepMind, the interlocutors told the FT.

For the new project, Musk bought thousands of powerful graphics processors from Nvidia. GPUs are high-end chips. Which are necessary to achieve Musk’s goal of creating a large language model. And also artificial intelligence systems capable of processing huge amounts of content. Including the creation of human-like texts or realistic images, the FT specifies.

Elon Musk is also in talks with a number of investors from SpaceX and Tesla to invest in the new startup. “A bunch of people are investing in it, and they’re excited,” the source noted.

Our experts note that at the end of March, Elon Musk signed an open letter from experts and representatives of the IT industry. It said that artificial intelligence systems could pose a danger to society. They called on all AI labs to stop training systems more powerful than GPT-4. Until common security protocols are established.

Despite the rise of Dogecoin, the token Lido Staked Ether passed the meme coin in market capitalization and came in at number 8. Crypto Upvotes expert review

The top 10 cryptocurrencies changed with the rise of Ethereum (stETH). The Lido Staked Ether (stETH) token overtook Degocoin (DOGE) in market capitalization on April 14. And in doing so, it climbed to 8th place in the top 10 crypto assets.

Lido Staked Ether is a token issued by the staking platform Lido to users. Who have staked Ethereum. In exchange for inputting ETH, the platform gives out stETH tokens in a 1:1 ratio. They are also used to accrue income from staking.

StETH tokens give users the liquidity of their underlying positions. At the same time, they allow users to trade them or use them to generate additional income through various strategies in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.

Lido Staked Ether rose at the same time as Ethereum. According to CoinMarketCap, it rose to $2,100 in 24 hours. Its market capitalization reached $12.5 billion, which matches the price of ETH staked on the Lido platform.

Despite the fact that Dogecoin showed a growth of 6.5% in the last 24 hours. Then the capitalization of stETH exceeded that of the meme coin, pushing it to the 9th place among the leading digital assets.

Rates of native cryptocurrency staking platforms also rose. Lido DAO (LDO) management token gained 7.9% over the day, while Rocket Pool (RPL), an asset of a competing service, added 16.7%.