Starting any cryptocurrency journey begins with a single exchange, trade or transfer from fiat to crypto. Since the experience differs from that of traditional currencies, many users are often presented with a steep learning curve to begin buying, storing and trading digital assets. This finding resulted in several exchanges that were able to capture market share in the early trading days with basic functionality tailored to new users. However, as the industry and users themselves have evolved, offerings have fallen short in adapting their products to meet the changing needs of their customers. And this reality has only become more …

Cardano (ADA) traded within striking distance of its three-week high this at the start of this week, leading some investors to suggest that a trend reversal was in order. In reality, the bullish momentum is primarily connected to anticipation of the upcoming decentralized exchange (DEX) called SundaeSwap. ADA price rose by nearly 12% on Jan.17 to reach an intraday high of $1.60, a day after SundaeSwap announced the launch of its "fully-functional beta decentralized exchange (DEX)." Nonetheless, the upside swing also came as a part of a wider rebound trend wherein ADA jumped by almost 50% in just seven days. …

Bitcoin price is still a ways from its $69,000 all-time high but this isn't stopping altcoins from moving toward new highs. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that since hitting a low of $0.13 on Dec. 4, the price of Harmony (ONE) has risen 163% to establish a new all-time high of $0.38 on Jan. 14 Three reasons for the growing strength of Harmony include an expanding ecosystem, the launch of multiple cross-chain bridges and developers interest in finding Ethereum network alternatives. ONE benefits from Harmony's $300 million ecosystem development fund One of the biggest boosts to the …

Welcome to the latest edition of Cointelegraph’s decentralized finance newsletter. Despite the market printing bearish numbers for a second consecutive week, the industry is not short of bullish fundamental news. Read on to hear about the most impactful DeFi stories of the last seven days. What you’re about to read is a shorter, more succinct version of the newsletter. For a comprehensive summary of DeFi’s developments over the last week, subscribe below. Vitalik is optimistic for multichain, not cross-chain, Web3 world Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, shared a candid assessment of the security limitations in implementing fully functional cross-chain …

Last week, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum (ETH)'s co-founder, voiced his disapproval regarding the emergence of cross-chain bridges, citing security vulnerabilities due to their interdependency. In the days that followed however, developers working on cross-chain technologies largely dismissed his skepticism. In a statement to Cointelegraph, Kadan Stadelmann, chief technology officer of atomic swap blockchain Komodo, responded to Vitalik's critique: "What we ultimately need is true decentralization. For example, instead of relying on one or two trusted bridges that have a single point of failure, it would be better to work towards a future where we have numerous bridges that are secure, trustless, …

In the last year, more people than ever before have taken to cryptocurrencies as a medium for investment. It is estimated that this amount is more than 100 million people, including a growing number of Gen X-ers and baby boomers, two groups that were previously skeptical of its place. As a result, trading volumes have reached new all-time highs with volumes of an estimated $3.8 trillion. Many have come to know the value of decentralization in their holdings and monetary transactions, making DEXs a popular choice against a traditional centralized exchange (CEX). A DEX, or decentralized exchange, replaces centralized authorities …

YuzuSwap, the first decentralized exchange operating on the Oasis Network, has seen rapid uptake since launching on Jan. 11, underscoring heightened demand for decentralized finance protocols. In its first 24 hours of operations, YuzuSwap achieved a total value locked, or TVL, of $100 million, the company reported Wednesday. Trading volumes over the 24-hour time frame reached $323 million. Within DeFi, TVL refers to the total value of assets being staked on decentralized protocols. YuzuSwap was built using Oasis Network’s Emerald, a smart contract environment that is fully compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine. The DEX uses a peer-to-peer automated market maker …

Crypto assets within the Cosmos ecosystem have been on a run since the start of 2022 thanks to an intensified focus on brokering cross-chain compatibility with other blockchains. One decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that has benefited from the current expansion plans is Osmosis (OSMO). Osmosis is the first decentralized exchange (DEX) servicing projects connected through the Interblockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) and data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro show OSMO price surged 123% from a low of $4.05 on Dec. 17 to a new all-time high at $9.24 on Jan. 7. Three reasons for the price growth seen in OSMO include a …

The cryptocurrency community is back in high spirits on Jan. 12 after a majority of tokens in the top 200 flashed green following Bitcoin's (BTC) spike to $44,000. The return of bullish momentum has come as a boon to several altcoin projects, with multiple tokens seeing gains in excess of 20%. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the biggest gainers over the past 24-hours were Anyswap (ANY), Keep3rV1 (KP3R) and WEMIX (WEMIX). Anyswap expands its list of supported networks Gains in the altcoin market were led by Anyswap, a decentralized exchange that specializes in allowing users to …

The metaverse is more than a movie concept. It combines all digital experiences a user might encounter, replicating many of the actions one would take in the real world, including the purchase of property, homes and clothing, and the customization of one's own space and avatars. However, unlike a virtual ecosystem in a game, the metaverse considers financial data management and other transactions that can keep an entire economy running and simulate what a user would encounter in the real world. Without it, users are likely to miss out on the completely immersive experience the metaverse can offer. Recognizing this …

Stablecoins have emerged as a foundational part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem over the past couple of years due to their ability to provide crypto traders with an offramp during times of volatility and their widespread integration with decentralized finance (DeFi). These are necessary for the health of the ecosystem as a whole. Currently, Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are the dominant stablecoins in the market, but their centralized nature and the persistent threat of stablecoin regulation have prompted many in the crypto community to shun them and search for decentralized alternatives. Binance USD (BUSD) is the third-ranked stablecoin and …

Blockchain network interoperability is shaping up to be one of the main themes for the cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2022. New users are continuing to onboard into the growing world of crypto while both new and established projects search for the chain that will best serve the needs of their protocol and community. One project that has 2022 off to a bullish start thanks to its focus on facilitating the communication between separate networks is Cosmos (ATOM). This project bills itself as “the internet of blockchains” and seeks to facilitate the development of an interconnected decentralized economy. Data from Cointelegraph Markets …