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Showing posts from September, 2023

Vitalik Buterin voices concerns over DAOs approving stake pool operators

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The Ethereum co-founder proposes a solution that could lower the likelihood of any individual liquidity pool growing to a point where it poses a systemic risk. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/GoKdFaR via IFTTT

SEC initiates legal action against FTX's auditor

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The SEC alleges that Prager Metis, an accounting firm engaged by bankrupt crypto exchange FTX in 2021, committed hundreds of violations related to auditor independence. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/vnOXdbJ via IFTTT

Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyer challenges US gov’t proposed jury questions

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Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyer asserts that the proposed questions already insinuate his guilt in fraud and money laundering. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/j1kMRhF via IFTTT

Do Kwon dismisses Slack chat records as irrelevant evidence

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Slack conversations between Terraform Labs co-founders, Do Kwon and Daniel Shin, have exposed their contemplation of orchestrating fraudulent transactions on the Terra blockchain. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/P7dYiw3 via IFTTT

GMX Paid A Hefty Prize Because Of This Flaw

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GMX, a decentralized exchange, awarded Collider Research a $1 million bug bounty in 2022. This payout was in recognition  of their discovery of a critical bug in GMX’s smart contracts that directly affected how the protocol tracks outstanding debt. The Bug Affecting GMX And GLP GMX has not provided more information on how the bug was patched and when. However, the DEX operator said the bug negatively impacted GMX v1 liquidity providers (LPs) as the code led to inaccuracies in quotes related to “the fair value of tokens.” Specifically, the bug affected the Global Liquidity Pool (GLP), causing it to deviate from its fair value.  Since GMX supports up to 50X leverage, a system tracks debt borrowed by traders and how it is repaid. It is smart contract-driven, and the trader enters into debt for every leveraged position. If prices move against them, they are liquidated, and the margin securing the leveraged position is transferred to the protocol. Any disruption to this mechanism can se

bitcoin-cli getrawtransaction not working as expected?

So I'm trying to set up a full bitcoin node. I compiled bitcoin core fine and I created a config file. I want to download the entire history of the blockchain, so I created a bitcoin.conf file in my ./bitcoin folder (the folder that I cloned from github). My file originally looked like: txindex=1 prune=9 maxconnections=15 dbcache=150 maxmempool=150 maxreceivebuffer=2500 maxsendbuffer=500 Then I ran bitcoind -daemon but realized that when I was running bitcoin-cli getrawtransaction 32892hf9nvh9832948294383 (fake tx number) that it was returning an error saying that there is no such mempool transaction. I realized my mistake was putting prune in my bitcoin.conf file. So I removed that line so that my file now looks like: txindex=1 maxconnections=15 dbcache=150 maxmempool=150 maxreceivebuffer=2500 maxsendbuffer=500 Then I ran bitcoin-cli stop , then ran bitcoind -daemon -reindex . I thought this would be fine, but I'm still getting that no mempool transaction error when I tr

Ether the Ether: VanEck releases two ETF ads ahead of possible Monday launch

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Once Ethereum futures ETF and spot Bitcoin ETF applications get approved, there will be a marketing war like we've never seen says, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/lZ5saXy via IFTTT

Surprise: BIS Used Ethereum Testnet And Curve Finance’s Code In CBDC Pilot

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Project Mariana, an initiative whose goal was to explore the application of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in enhancing the efficiency and security of cross-border payments, has been successfully concluded, the Bank of France has  confirmed . Even as this pilot comes to an end, one developer  notes  that the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) reportedly utilized the public Ethereum Sepolia testnet and Curve Finance’s smart contracts as the base of Project Mariana, testing and measuring the efficacy of cross-border Forex automated market maker (AMM) pilot. The CBDC project depended on Curve Finance’s code. Even so, the BIS wanted to keep the use of Curve’s framework private. So far, there has been no comment from Curve Finance or any Ethereum core developers regarding Project Mariana’s use of decentralized finance (DeFi) code or architecture. However, looking at Curve Finance’s experience in enabling stablecoin movement and swapping, their expertise could have been val

VanEck Announces Plans To Launch Ethereum Futures ETF (EFUT)

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Prominent investment manager VanEck has revealed plans to launch an Ethereum Futures exchange-traded fund (ETF). Interestingly, this development comes a few hours following news that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was looking to fast-track the approval of some Ether futures ETF applications ahead of a US government shutdown.  VanEcK Set To Launch Ethereum Futures ETF On CME  According to a press release on Thursday, VanEck announced the impending launch of an Ethereum futures ETF named the VanEck Ethereum Strategy ETF (EFUT). As the fund’s nature implies, EFUT does not invest directly in Ether (ETH) or any other cryptocurrency; rather, it gains value from investing in Ether futures contracts.  To explain, futures contracts are legally binding agreements to buy or sell a particular asset at a predetermined price on a specified future date. Thus, a futures ETF accrues value by tracking the performance index of these contracts. When you’re ready, ENTER THE ETHER.

Is Bitcoin Network Sufficiently Decentralized? Here’s What The Data Says

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Is the Bitcoin mining network decentralized enough? Or do the big miners control a significant part of it? Here’s what the latest data says. Public Bitcoin Miners Control Around 28% Of The Total Hashrate In a new post on X , Bloomberg Intelligence market analyst Jamie Coutts discussed how the mining industry has evolved. The first thing Coutts talked about is what the share of the global Bitcoin hashrate is looking like between private and public miners . The “ hashrate ” here refers to the total computing power the miners have connected to the Bitcoin network. This metric can serve as a measure of the security of the blockchain, as more mining rigs being attached means a 51% hack is harder to perform. The security also depends, however, on how decentralized the hashrate is. A large amount of it being controlled by a single entity could make it easier to access all that hashrate, at least on paper. Now, here is the chart that the CMT has shared that breaks down the hashrate contri

Bitcoin ETF Approval Demanded: Congress Urges SEC Chair Gensler To Act Now

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In a bipartisan effort, members of Congress from both parties have sent a strong message to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler, urging the approval of Bitcoin (BTC) spot exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) and an end to discriminatory practices.  The letters, sent before Gensler’s hearing before the House Financial Services Committee, highlight the need for fair treatment and increased investor protection in the cryptocurrency market. Congressional Pressure Mounts For Approved Bitcoin ETFs The first letter , signed by representatives Tom Emmer , Mike Flood, Wiley Nickel, and Ritchie Torres, emphasizes the SEC’s responsibility to ensure that investor protection standards are met while providing access to innovative investment products.  The representatives cite the recent Grayscale vs. SEC case, where the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Grayscale, stating that the SEC violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The

Ethereum futures ETFs could start trading next week — Bloomberg analyst

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An impending U.S. government shutdown may be accelerating the launch of Ethereum futures ETFs, analysts suggest. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/mLHUuoJ via IFTTT

Bullish: Shiba Inu Developers Renounce BONE Contract

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Shiba Inu developer Kaal Dhairya confirmed renouncing the ShibaSwap governance token BONE. This action implies that the smart contract creator gives up control of the token.  Furthermore, the creator can no longer alter or manipulate the contract. Consequently, renouncing a smart contract makes it trustless and transparent, attracting more investors, some believe.  This development could likely boost the prices of BONE and SHIB in the coming weeks.  BONE Deployer Renouncing Sparks Excitement In The Shiba Inu Ecosystem  In an X post on September 26, Shiba Inu developer Kaal Dhairya stated that the renounceOwnership function has been completed.  Dhairya said: The deed is done, BONE is now renounced via the TopDog contract. We will continue to build decentralized, permissionless systems for the benefit of the community. Furthermore, the developer revealed the function was conducted at block 18222509 from the Shiba Inu deployer, ShibaSwap.eth, to the Migrator address. Consequently

Federal Reserve Embraces Tokenization? Exploring The Implications Of Their Latest Paper

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Researchers at the Federal Reserve have delved into the world of tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) on blockchain technology. This exploration sheds light on the transformative power of tokenization, emphasizing its potential benefits and financial stability implications. Tokenization, as elucidated in the paper , is the process of creating digital avatars, known as crypto tokens, for non-crypto assets, often referred to as reference assets. This innovative approach intertwines the digital asset ecosystem with the traditional financial system, creating a complex web of connections.  As RWAs, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodities, undergo tokenization, they gain the ability to harness blockchain’s advantages. Tokenization: Bridging The Gap Between Digital And Traditional Assets One notable aspect explored in the paper is the idea that as tokenized assets gain momentum and scale, they may serve as conduits, transmitting volatility from the crypto markets to the marke

Do Kwon says SEC's extradition request is impossible

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The Terraform Labs co-founder has pushed back against the SEC’s request to question him in the United States. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/Blrk8xh via IFTTT

Developer: Ethereum Is Not Slow Because Of Geth Client

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Péter Szilágyi, a software engineer,  contends that the widespread adoption of Geth, an Ethereum client he helped develop, is not why the dominant smart contract platform is “slow.” Szilágyi responded to a thread on social media platform X discussing Solana’s high throughput, stating, “Geth does not control all factors affecting processing speed.”  Geth Is The Most Popular Ethereum Client Geth is the most popular client in Ethereum,  controlling over 55% of the total share of all clients in operation, including Nethermind and Erigon. Besides enabling users to interact with the network, it can be used to deploy full nodes.  Every synchronized full node in operation has to download and store a complete copy of Ethereum, meaning they can verify transactions and blocks independently, contributing to the network’s decentralization. With a higher degree of decentralization, there is higher reliability.  One analyst had  argued that Ethereum is slower because of the dominance of Geth.

AirBit Club 'ponzi' co-founder gets 12 years prison

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Convicted fraudster Pablo Renato Rodriguez will also need to serve three years of supervised release after he finishes his 12 year imprisonment sentence. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/UNyckRh via IFTTT

Sam Bankman-Fried's political donations can be surfaced in trial, rules judge

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Despite campaign finance charges being dropped in July, the prosecution has been granted permission to present evidence of Bankman-Fried’s political donations in his upcoming fraud trial. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/2ONf7Ae via IFTTT

This Analyst Thinks Solana Is Paying Exorbitantly For Higher Bandwidth

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David Hoffman, a crypto analyst and Ethereum influencer, has  picked out  a concerning disconnect in Solana relating to the number of SOL issued and the fees the network captures. Taking to X, the social media platform, Hoffman said Solana distributes roughly $1.8 million worth of SOL daily while only capturing a fraction in fees at approximately $40,000.  Solana Overpaying For A Higher Bandwidth? Hoffman’s breakdown implies that Solana, unlike other popular networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum, is paying exorbitantly for the cost of bandwidth. In blockchain, bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred every second. This figure varies with legacy networks, including Ethereum and Bitcoin, having some of the lowest in the sphere. Solana, like Ethereum, supports smart contracts, but the processing speed is higher, making the network more scalable. Looking at other metrics, including TPS, Solana has over 4,800, while Ethereum can only process 15 at peaks.  Moreover, bandwidth

Crypto lender BlockFi gets court nod to repay customers

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The approval is seen as a milestone moment for BlockFi's over 100,000 creditors, who have been long awaiting repayment. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/8pqXw5e via IFTTT

Coinbase Faces SEC Scrutiny Amid Celsius Network Bankruptcy Controversy

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In a recent development, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed concerns regarding Coinbase involvement in the restructuring plan of Celsius Network. This crypto-lending company filed for bankruptcy over a year ago.  The federal agency responsible for regulating US securities markets, the SEC, has filed limited objections and reservations of rights in response to Celsius, citing “inconsistencies” and potential violations of federal securities laws by the US-based exchange. Coinbase Participation In Celsius Bankruptcy Plan The SEC’s objections are rooted in a litigation filed earlier this year against Coinbase, accusing the platform of operating an unregistered securities exchange.  Conversely, the regulatory agency alleges that Celsius Network and its former CEO Alexander Mashinsky engaged in unregistered and fraudulent sales of crypto asset securities, including their own CEL token.  While the SEC’s case against Celsius Network has been stayed pending Mr. Ma

Bitcoin ETF Showdown: Bitwise Challenges The SEC’s Stance With These Academic Insights

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A recent development around approving a Bitcoin spot Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) in the US saw crypto asset manager Bitwise taking a stand against the SEC’s reasons for not approving their spot Bitcoin (BTC) fund. Deciphering The “Mixed” Academic Record To strengthen its case, Bitwise submitted a review of academic literature regarding the Bitcoin futures market and its correlation with spot pricing. This decision is part of Bitwise’s amendment to its filing for a spot Bitcoin fund, a product the firm has been attempting to launch for several years. Notably, the SEC’s stance on spot BTC ETFs has often been characterized by concerns over the relationship between the Bitcoin futures market and the spot market. According to the document, the regulatory body previously described the academic perspective on this matter as “mixed” or “inconclusive,” especially concerning which of the two markets leads the other. Such concerns have been pivotal in the SEC’s hesitance in approving spot

Celsius creditors vote in favor of reorganization plan

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The majority of Celsius creditors have voted in favor of a plan that will see approximately $2 billion worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum returned to creditors. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/o2MJQXv via IFTTT

Is Clux Wallet Genuine? I am asked to add funds to my Clux Wallet in order tp generate a private key

I am new to crypto trading. My crypto trader refused to send the earnings to Binance or WazirX saying there are issues with these wallets on their side. And deposited my funds in a crypto wallet called Clux Wallet. Now to withdraw or send the money in that wallet, I am being askes to add more money to my wallet to generate a private key. Is clux wallet genuine? from Recent Questions - Bitcoin Stack Exchange https://ift.tt/tu1L6Zy via IFTTT

Hong Kong to list 'suspicious' crypto platforms in wake of JPEX scandal

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In the wake of the ongoing JPEX scandal, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission says it will issue a public list of suspicious crypto trading platforms. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/UgsfInL via IFTTT

JPEX scandal masterminds still at large as 11 suspects taken into custody: Report

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Hong Kong police said the leaders of the JPEX crypto exchange are still at large and are now enlisting the help of Interpol to track them down. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/2cs4fpL via IFTTT

Crypto exchange Upbit stems fake APT token flood, resumes services

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The newly created fake APT token called “ClaimAPTGift.com” made its way to 400,000 Aptos wallets, and users found they were able to deposit and sell it on the exchange. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/NWnXdAP via IFTTT

Upgrading from 0.14 to 0.25. Problem with pszTimestamp, and assert(consensus.hashGenesisBlock error during runtime

I have a slightly modified fork of bitcoin-0.14. It's mostly a name change and hash key change. I have updated it to bitcoin-25, but I cannot get passed this error: CMainParams::CMainParams(): Assertion `consensus.hashGenesisBlock == uint256S("0x00001ef7e03e773817a36c267d6f431412a3678dec49b4171f86ce419abcddea")' failed. I believe the problem is with: 0x00001ef7e03e773817a36c267d6f431412a3678dec49b4171f86ce419abcddea and pszTimestamp = "New York Times 8/Sep/2017 Equifax Says Cyberattack May Have Affected 143 Million Customers"; const CScript scriptPubKey = CScript() << ParseHex("03facfdfc22816528518884608350d828e1403dd142d2276303b5b6da7a From the old src/chainparams.cpp: #define GENESIS_TIME 1510225282 #define GENESIS_DIFFICULTY 0x1e7fffff void MineGenesisBlock(CBlock &genesis); static CBlock CreateGenesisBlock(const char* pszTimestamp, const CScript& scriptPubKey, uint32_t nTime, uint32_t nNonce, uint32_t nBits, int32_t nVe

Crypto Investor Barclays Announces Closure Of UK Accounts For British Expats

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Leading UK bank Barclays has implemented a substantial measure that could potentially result in certain expatriate clients encountering difficulties in accessing their savings and pensions. On Friday, the bank made an announcement stating that anyone of British nationality residing outside of the United Kingdom will no longer have the option to possess a Barclays UK current or savings account. Many foreigners who depend on these accounts for their financial transactions may be impacted by this decision. Account Termination Looms Barclays is currently issuing notices to its clientele, apprising them of the impending termination of their accounts. This decision comes as a result of a thorough evaluation of the bank’s international banking services, a process that was set in motion back in 2021. As part of this evaluation, the bank has taken steps to notify its customers about forthcoming alterations, and they will be provided with ample time to adapt to these changes through a six

Terra Classic community elects to cease USTC minting

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The community strongly backs stopping TerraClassicUSD (USTC) minting and reminting in favor of burning tokens to restore its US dollar peg. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/NK1PZe0 via IFTTT

FTX's former external legal team disputes involvement in fraud allegations

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In a recent court filing, a United States law firm that had previously offered services to FTX challenged allegations of assisting Sam Bankman-Fried in his alleged unlawful activities. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/yEFTkLX via IFTTT

Coinbase secures AML registration from Bank of Spain

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The Anti-Money Laundering registration will allow cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase to offer its services to both retail and institutional investors within Spain. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/e8NXBfj via IFTTT

When does Bitcoin Core allow you to "Abandon transaction"?

Right-clicking on an unconfirmed transaction pops up a contextual menu that has the option "Abandon transaction". It is usually grayed out. How much time needs to pass for Bitcoin Core to allow one to choose "Abandon transaction"? When I run abandontransaction on my transaction, it says: Transaction not eligible for abandonment (code -5) from Recent Questions - Bitcoin Stack Exchange https://ift.tt/mj6cVCI via IFTTT

Six And Counting: The Global Bitcoin Billionaire Phenomenon Unveiled

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According to Henley & Partners’ 2023 Crypto Wealth Report, around 500 million people have made cryptocurrency investments globally, yet just 22 people—a very small percentage—have acquired assets worth more than $1 billion. According to the survey, as of June 30th, there were about 210 million Bitcoin investors worldwide, and a larger number of 425 million people held various cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin Billionaires And Millionaires Surprisingly, just six people worldwide—roughly one-third of all crypto billionaires —were able to attain this position primarily through their ownership of Bitcoin. This statistic shows that only 0.000003% of Bitcoin holders own assets worth more than $1 billion in Bitcoin. Meanwhile, data from the larger cryptocurrency market suggests that 0.000005% of cryptocurrency investors own assets worth more than $1 billion. A little over 88,200 individuals, or 0.02% of all cryptocurrency investors worldwide, possess at least $1 million worth of cryptocurrenc

Base surges past Solana as total value locked nears $400M

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As per DeFi Llama data, Solana’s TVL has decreased by 9.64% over the past month to sit at $358.96 million, while Base’s TVL has surged to $397.32 million. from Cointelegraph.com News https://ift.tt/aoBO1p2 via IFTTT

Ethereum Staking Momentum Falling, What’s Going On?

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The number of Ethereum (ETH) holders choosing to stake, effectively locking their coins in the smart contracts platform, is falling. According to CryptoQuant data , as of August 23, the staking inflow total stood at 30,656, down from 404,704 registered on June 1.  Ethereum Staking Inflow Dropping, But There Are Over 813,000 Active Validators The staking inflow total, which measures the number of unique addresses moving coins to the official Beacon Chain deposit address for staking purposes, rose steadily from around 5,952 on April 3 to 404,704 on June 1. This spike was significantly buoyed, as data shows, with the activation of the Shapella upgrade on April 12. To illustrate, between April 12 and June 1, the staking inflow total rose from 16,736 to 404,704, a more than 25X increase. The Shapella upgrade allowed Ethereum validators to withdraw their coins for the first time since they began locking in late December 2021. This update gave validators—tasked with validating transactio

How Has The Fed’s Decision Impacted The Bitcoin Price? Crypto CEO Weighs In

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The United States Federal Reserve’s decision has been on the radar of crypto investors given how the outcome has often affected the Bitcoin price. As usual, expectations were presented for the outcome depending on what direction the Fed chose to go in in its bid to curb inflation. In the end, the Fed’s decision to remain neutral dashed all expectations, and a crypto CEO has chimed in to explain what this means for the Bitcoin price. A Positive Outcome For The Bitcoin Price Didar Bekbauov, Founder and CEO of Bitcoin joint mining company Xive, has given his two cents on how the Fed’s decision has impacted the Bitcoin price. The CEO told Bitcoinist that this latest move by the Fed could be positive for the price. Bekbauov starts out by explaining that many experts in the financial industry expected that the US Fed would not hike interest rates. This ended up being the case as the central banking system chose to keep rates within its tight range of 5.25-5.5% that has held for the last

Anti-CBDC Bill Inches Closer To Approval With Strong Support From 60 Congress Members

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In a significant development, the House Financial Services Committee has successfully passed the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act, a bill to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).  Representative Tom Emmer, known for its pro-decentralized cryptocurrency stance, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the legislation had received approval from the committee and is now set to proceed to a congressional vote. CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act Advances In Congress Highlighting the broad support the bill has garnered, Emmer emphasized that it already enjoys backing from 60 members of Congress. Speaking about the committee’s decision, Emmer stressed the importance of halting the issuance of a financial surveillance tool that could undermine the American way of life.  He distinguished decentralized cryptocurrencies and CBDCs, describing the latter as a government-controlled programmable form of sovereign currency transacting on a digital ledger ma

6 Weeks After Launching, Base Layer-2 Bridge Is Processing More Transactions Than Arbitrum

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Roughly six weeks after Base, the layer-2 scaling solution backed by Coinbase, was launched, its bridge is now the seventh most active, looking at transaction count. DeFiLlama data on September 21  reveals  that the Ethereum-Base bridge had posted 2090 transactions. This is more than those registered by the Ethereum—Arbitrum and Polygon zkEVM bridges, which had 1,642 and 860 transactions, respectively.  Base Rise To Prominence, Stargate The Most Active Bridge Although the expansion in transaction count in the Ethereum to Base Bridge is notable, it pales compared to that processed by the zkSync Era Bridge. When writing, the bridge—which only connects to Ethereum—had processed 29,970 transactions, more than 14X that in the Ethereum to Base bridge.  The Stargate Bridge, which connects to multiple blockchains and layer-2 platforms, including Solana, Polygon, Avalanche, and BNB Chain, tops the chart, ranked by the number of transactions processed. At press time, Stargate had processed