Your daily snapshot from our OnChainFX markets dashboard.
August is here and summer is winding down, but our research team is still bringing the heat. This week our subscribers got a deep dive into how DeFi is enabling new crypto rates markets that could soon dwarf existing spot markets, a recap on recent regulatory happenings in DC and New York, and the history of Bitcoinâs user activated soft fork and the creation of Bitcoin Cash.
Want insights like these served up in your inbox every day along with access to our new Pro platform, bi-weekly conference calls with the team and special guests, and an invite to our private Telegram group? All you have to do is click subscribe.
Community updates:
Over the last few weeks our community analysts have been hard at work building out the âInvestopediaâ of crypto. More than 80 pages have been completed with many with additional boards to take your learning to the next level.
Check out some of this weeks top pages like Mining, Multi-Signature, and Block Reward.
We have big things in store for our analysts, and are excited for whatâs to come! If youâre interested in joining email jack@messari.io with some examples of work youâve written.
Registry updates:
Across projects on the Messari Registry there were a few significant updates this week. Check them out on our weekly updates board and remember to create and share your own boards for a chance to be featured in Mondayâs newsletter.
Upcoming events:
Messari's own Ryan Selkis (aka TwoBitIdiot) will be leading a panel on Market Infrastructure and Data Transparency on September 17, 2019 at the second installment of The Path Forward for Digital Assets in NYC.  The afternoon's lineup features the forefront of the industry discussing infrastructure needed for investors to participate in digital assets. Check out the event here.
Now, onto our weekend reads.
Messariâs weekend reads:
A personal letter about the possibility of a new Zcash dev fund - Zooko
A gentle introduction to lattices and lattice-based key exchange: Part 1 - Chelsea Holland Komlo
âBitcoin â The Libertarian Introductionâ - Erik Voorhees
Unbundling Vectors of Centralization in Web3 - Kyle Samani
Allies Push Back Against US Waffling on New START - Theresa Hitchens
Circulating supply study for XRP - Messari
Have a good weekend yâall.
- The Messari Team
P.S. Share. Subscribe. Tweet at Messari for feedback, comments, or questions.
Messari Compression Algorithm
Content and thoughts from around the web as summarized by the Messari team.
đ[Analysis] âBuildingâ Bitcoinâs software just got a bit more trustless - Alyssa Hertig (July 2019)
Compiling and running Bitcoin's source code (or any blockchain protocols code) requires a bit of trust, like it or not, explains CoinDesk's Alyssa Hertig. But a recent code change could help. Featuring container software Guix, code was recently merged into the most popular bitcoin implementation, Bitcoin Core, meaning itâs now ready for any users to test. This change could help to limit trust in code downloaded from operating system Ubuntu during the building process. Last month, the main developer behind this project, Carl Dong tweeted:
âItâs been quite a journey, but #Guix support for deterministic, bootstrappable Bitcoin Core builds has landed in master.â
đ€[Analysis] Blockchain projects form association to demystify the technology for US lawmakers (August 2019)
Educating policymakers on the nuances of blockchain technology and influencing nascent regulatory development receives increasing attention from all sides of the crypto industry, explains The Block's Celia Wan. To date, organizations and coalitions like Coin Center and the Blockchain Association have worked to educate Congress and a handful of Federal agencies. But a new organization is joining their ranks. Wan writes that the Interchain Foundation, Blockfolio, and 10 other blockchain projects are coming together under an industry association, Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA) to educate regulators about the blockchain technology and hopefully win over their sympathy. Alliance founder Evan Weiss told The Block that although there is not enough understanding of blockchain technology on the Hill, many blockchain projects are eager to communicate with regulators. (share or read more)
Quick Bits (Don't read that, I read it for you)
Choke Points (Exchange News)
đŠKraken announced a wire service through Etana Custody that will allow users to transact in U.S. dollars, euros, Canadian dollars, British pounds, and Japanese yen from anywhere in the world. The new feature is available immediately to Krakenâs Intermediate and Pro clients, across nearly 180 countries, but it requires users to create an Etana Custody Wallet. (share or read more)
đThe New York Attorney General's Office filed another letter to Judge Joel Cohen regarding Bitfinex and Tether claiming any exchange would have the requested information "at its fingertips." The exchange's parent company iFinex has sought to refrain from handing over materials and actively participating in the NYAG's fraud investigation into Bitfinex. (share or read more)
Startup Signals (ICOs, Cryptos, and Startups)
đSquare posted a record $125.1 million in quarterly bitcoin ($BTC) sales for the second quarter of 2019, almost double volumes last quarter and up more than 240% since Q2 2018. (share or read more)
đŠBrave ($BAT) has officially launched tipping following a beta phase, according to a company blog post. Tweeters can tip content using Braveâs Basic Attention Token. (share or read more)
The Powers That Be (Legal/Reg/Policy)
đ°đ·Busan has been declared a âregulation-freeâ zone for blockchain development by South Koreaâs national government. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on July 24 that the second largest city in the country by population will host a wide range of blockchain offerings related to finance, public safety and tourism, though it stopped short of fully opening the market and allowing for international-level crypto initiatives, according to the Korea Herald. (share or read more)
đšđłChina's central bank said that it plans to accelerate the research and development of its "legal digital currency", according to a statement issued by the People's Bank of China today. In July, the director of the bank's research bureau Wang Xin disclosed that the bank is looking into developing its own cryptocurrency in response to Facebook's Libra and its potential influence on global monetary policy. (share or read more)
Did I miss something?
Send me the link, your twitter handle and your best imitation compression algorithm write up. If I like it, Iâll include your bit next issue (with attribution).
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