TLDR Crypto 2024-02-07

Solana experienced a five-hour outage early yesterday, the fifth longest in the network's history and its eleventh in two years. Solana's engineering team released new validator software with a patch to resolve the issue. The problem was fixed once the validators upgraded their software to this updated version. Solana’s price held up surprisingly well despite the disruption, ending basically flat on the day.

MetaMask and Robinhood are rolling out a new integration that more closely ties the two services together to create a more seamless on-ramp and off-ramp user experience. This feature set allows MetaMask users to purchase crypto directly within the wallet utilizing Robinhood’s order flow. On Robinhood, it allows users to fund their accounts via balances in their MetaMask wallets and withdraw directly to those wallets as well.

Citrea announced a zero knowledge Bitcoin rollup that scales Bitcoin entirely through the use of zk proofs for on-chain verifiability within the network. It aims to upgrade Bitcoin without compromising its security or rewiring its consensus rules. Unlike sidechains, Citrea focuses on effectively utilizing Bitcoin blockspace, considering the constantly increasing demand for it. Citrea is yet another step towards scaling Bitcoin, which has come into focus as of late with the success of innovative Bitcoin tech like Ordinals.

The RabbitHole and Quest brands are merging to form a new platform, Boost, a distributed incentives network. The rebranded entity is focused on effectively distributing token incentives as a growth mechanism for protocols. Boost plans to function as the incentive layer across all chains, with the ability to track any on-chain transaction for their incentive systems. Beyond just the rebranding, Boost will also be launching its own L2 to be the decentralized hub for the network.

Dymension conducted its highly anticipated airdrop yesterday. This was a big payday for Celestia stakers, who earned a minimum of 205 DYM tokens per eligible wallet. As another important protocol in the Cosmos ecosystem, airdrop farmers are excited about the opportunity to farm for future Cosmos ecosystem airdrops via DYM staking. This guide walks through how to easily and securely stake your DYM so you can start farming.

Pandora, a newly launched crypto token leveraging the new ERC404 standard, is causing a stir in the space. This blog breaks down what an ERC404 token is and why it’s interesting. Contrasting with traditional ERC20 (fungible tokens) and ERC721 (NFTs) standards, ERC404 establishes a hybrid between both types. 1 PANDORA consists of both a fungible token and an NFT giving optionality to the owner that includes fractionalization. It also unlocks some unique mechanics that were not possible with either traditional token standard before.

This article tackles the topic of speculation in crypto and how it differs from pure gambling. Speculation functions as a method for handling uncertainties due to incomplete data, thus driving both human progress and markets, whereas gambling mimics speculation, which can be seen as detrimental when used on a large enough scale. The piece encourages the development of economies within our current infrastructure rather than incentivizing zero-sum gambling.

The SEC has expanded the definition of a 'dealer' in an attempt to bring more financial operations, including those dealing in crypto securities, under its jurisdiction. This 'dealer' rule could have significant implications for the digital assets industry, particularly DeFi. Unless exempted, those trading in a manner consistent with de facto market-making must register as dealers. The rule, opposed by some SEC Commissioners, officially goes into full effect in April 2025.

Monero, a privacy-focused coin, saw a sharp price drop after Binance announced its delisting, which sparked concerns about how much control the government has over Binance now.

SmolRefuel is an innovative tool that enables token swaps without initial ETH by using permits. It supports most tokens and ensures security with smart contract safeguards and value limits.

Mechanism Capital has apparently accumulated a position in Trump-related memecoins and NFTs, betting on his media presence due to elections and court cases to fuel attention and speculation.

Crypto commerce, not social media, is revolutionizing how transactions are made directly within apps and social platforms, enhancing user experience and accessibility.