DeFI News by Thebittimes.Com

A concerning percentage of Ethereum’s blockchain censors participation according to US sanctions. Data compiled by Labrys and Rated Network suggests that approximately 42% of blocks since Ethereum’s September 15, 2022 Merge from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake have sanctioned the wallets on the Specially Designated Nationals List. Earlier this week, the figure reached nearly 50%. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an enforcement agency of the US Treasury Department, maintains this list. Unlike permissionless crypto networks like Bitcoin which allow any user to broadcast any transaction for inclusion in an upcoming block, OFAC-compliant relays on Ethereum censor wallet addresses that appear on US sanctions lists.  The widely popular software Maximum Extractable Value Boost (‘MEV-Boost’) censor s these wallets by default and many relays US e its default settings. Mev-Boost also outsources validators’ block production to a third-party marketplace operated by itself , ma...

Web3 brings the next evolutionary stage of social media, promising a decentralized approach to overcome challenges related to privacy, ownership, and equitable monetization. The next iteration of the internet, Web3, is proposing a new infrastructure based on blockchain technology to build a democratic global social media ecosystem that caters to all stakeholders. Web3 adepts hope that the widespread adoption of blockchain technology will solve some of the major challenges that have plagued social media, including monopoly, privacy issues, poor monetization practices for creators, fake news, and the overall lack of control for users. While there are already great Web3 social media alternatives, they still have some pain points to address in order to ensure mass adoption of de centralized platform s. Web3 social media challenges The integration of Web3 systems into social media has a promising future, but there are several challenges that need to be addressed first. Here are a few of...

All the soon-to-be suspended tokens are alleged by the SEC to be securities in its lawsuit against Coinbase and Binance. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp will suspend trading of Axie Infinity (AXS), Chiliz (CHZ), Decentraland (MANA), Polygon (MATIC), Near (NEAR), Sandbox (SAND), and Solana (SOL) for customers residing in the U.S. beginning August 29. According to the Aug. 8 announcement, trading of the seven aforementioned cryptocurrencies will soon become unavailable for trading for U.S. customers due to "recent developments." While the firm did not specify the reason for their suspension, all seven tokens are alleged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to be unregistered securities in its complaints against cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Coinbase. Bitstamp wrote:  "We kindly request our users to promptly execute any desired buy or sell orders involving the affected assets before August 29, 2023. After this deadline, trading activities related to ...

Binance said it will provide ten free chances for users to generate artwork every day. Crypto exchange Binance’s nonfungible token (NFT) arm announced the launch of its artificial intelligence (AI) NFT generator that lets users produce custom artworks using AI technology.  On July 26, Binance NFT said its AI NFT generator dubbed “Bixel” is now permanently available for its users . According to the trading platform, the tool allows users to generate unique digital art and join the world of NFTs. However, those who wish to use the tool are required to complete the platform’s know your customer (KYC) identity verification process. Binance explained that:  “This critical measure is in place to maintain a trustworthy and secure platform for all users, aligning with best practices and regulatory requirements.” In addition, those who wish to mint NFTs using the tool are also required to pay a minting fee of 0.008 BNB (BNB), which is around $1.9 at the time of writing. According to Bina...

Base’s layer-2 mainnet has launched, allowing builders to deploy contracts, while users will be welcomed to the network in August. Coinbase’s Base mainnet is now “open for builders,” according to a July 13 blog post from the network’s development team. The team is opening the network to builders ahead of its public launch to allow more time  for user onboarding. Base also announced that the public launch of the network will occur in August. Since our testnet launch, we’ve connected with incredible builders and watched their projects thrive on Base. Now it’s time to take the next step: Base mainnet is now open for builders.https://t.co/YvlQxquhvY — Base ️ (@BuildOnBase) July 13, 2023 Coinbase announced the creation of the Base network on Feb 23. The team claimed that the network would be a layer-2 of Ethereum and would use the OP Stack software used by Optimism. The announcement was celebrated in the Ethereum community, as many users saw it as a ‘massive confidence vote’ for Et...