Author: NBTC

The blockchain firm IO Research, which focuses on artificial intelligence (AI), said on Tuesday that it has secured $30 million in a Series A fundraising round from investors led by Hack VC along with other prominent investors that include Multicoin Capital, Delphi Digital, Solana Labs, Aptos Labs, OKX and more. The main offering from IO Research is io.net, a blockchain-based network which is the biggest decentralized network for GPU computing. It enables consumers to provide their surplus GPU capability to resource-intensive artificial intelligence businesses. A revived interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, together with investor interest in AI-driven technologies, is…

In February, bitcoin miners discovered a total of 4,446 blocks, amassing earnings of $1.39 billion, with $71 million of this sum coming from onchain transaction fees. The revenue from bitcoin mining in February rose by $40 million compared to January, though the amount collected from fees saw a decrease this month. Bitcoin’s Hash Price Breaks $100 In February, Foundry USA led the way by mining 1,334 blocks, accounting for 30.06% of the total, while Antpool secured 1,152 blocks, representing 25.96%. The month saw participation from 47 to 53 mining pools, all contributing SHA256 hashrate to the BTC chain. The rise…

Polymer, an Ethereum rollup that is hoping to become Ethereum’s interoperability hub, has launched the Polyverse Testnet, becoming the latest team hoping to tackle blockchain interoperability. The testnet will be launched in three phases dubbed ‘Basecamp,’ ‘Into the Unknown’ and ‘Discovery.’ The first phase, Basecamp, will be live starting today and is designed to incentivize developers to facilitate liquidity onto the testnet from other rollups. Phase 2, Into the Unknown, will commence the following week, where Polymer will select a handful of decentralized apps to promote to end users, who will also be able to receive rewards. Then the final…

Jupiter’s perpetual trading service struggled during high volatility in the Bitcoin markets. The venue told users their funds were safe despite some reporting losses. Bitcoin’s (BTC) wild price swings spawned widespread chaos in the crypto markets Tuesday, including at Jupiter, an on-chain derivatives trading platform where users reported failed trades and liquidated positions. Jupiter, one of the largest venues for swapping perpetual futures contracts of Solana tokens, experienced issues relating to its infrastructure for tracking crypto prices, according to messages sent to users. The extent of the issue was not immediately clear but on Jupiter’s Discord server traders claimed they…

PixelRealm is a leading player in the Web3 gaming arena. It is set to revolutionize the gaming landscape by embracing Sei, the first parallelized EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine). This strategic move aims to drive growth within the Web3 gaming ecosystem. Moreover, it offers gamers exciting opportunities to explore and engage with immersive gaming experiences. 🔥 We are thrilled to announce that PixelRealm is now partnering with @SeiNetwork – the pioneer of parallelized EVM! 🔥 🌟 Get ready, gamers! Sei and PixelRealm are forming an exclusive program to incubate high-potential projects launching on Sei.🎮 We are excited to offer… pic.twitter.com/gCRAgEkZAo —…

Super Tuesday’s array of congressional primary results could have some implications for who will be minding the store in Washington, and crypto insiders are trying to have their say. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong argued that politicians need to start realizing how wide a constituency crypto enthusiasts represent. The long list of primary elections Tuesday across 15 U.S. states will steer the fates of many seats in Congress and further solidifies the presidential showdown later this year, but Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said it’s also a “chance to send a message” to federal politicians who’ve declined to come up with crypto…

Solana, with its latest upgrade designed to enhance transaction processing capabilities, along with the buzz around potential groundbreaking consumer apps, is poised to challenge Ethereum’s supremacy. This development has sparked considerable interest among blockchain enthusiasts. It signifies a potentially transformative phase for Solana, often called the “Ethereum killer.” Will Solana Flip Ethereum? According to Solana’s 2023 developer report, the platform boasts between 2,500 and 3,000 monthly active developers. It retained over 50% of its developers from the previous year. This statistic is crucial, reflecting the platform’s growing appeal and its competitiveness with Ethereum. Moreover, the increase in developer activity on…

German-based fund manager Union Investment has launched a new blockchain fund to diversify its portfolio. Dubbed the UniThemen Blockchain Fund, the blockchain-based fund will operate a multifaceted strategy, holding actual digital currencies and stocks linked to blockchain. A closer look at the workings of the fund indicates that 15% of the holdings will be earmarked for digital tokens through certificates. Up to 65%-100% of the UniThemen Blockchain fund’s valuation will be deployed for stocks linked to blockchain, distributed ledger technology (DLT), and digital currencies. There are also plans to allocate a portion of its assets to bonds, as long as…

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has agreed to discard any data it already collected in response to its emergency Bitcoin mining survey, court documents filed Friday showed. If the agency receives any further data, it has committed to destroying that as well. “EIA will sequester and keep confidential any information it has received or will receive in response to the EIA-862 Emergency Survey until it is destroyed,” the filing said. The agreement with the Texas Blockchain Council effectively terminates a temporary restraining order that had been in effect until March 8, halting the US energy regulators from collecting the…

Payments are one of the most promising areas for blockchain technology. But I believe they are not always well understood, and the discussion sometimes gets confused and overly ambitious. Blockchains could face an uphill battle to replace traditional payment systems even though they look relatively competitive at the moment. On the other hand, I think many people are ignoring the biggest opportunity areas because they are not looking at the true transaction costs. Paul Brody is EY’s global blockchain leader and a CoinDesk columnist. One enduring myth is that old technologies, like mainframes, are driving up the cost of payments.…