Bitcoin (BTC) erased early-month gains on March 2 as fresh market uncertainty erupted over solvency of crypto bank Silvergate. BTC price avoids Silvergate, Coinbase stock slip Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting $23,206 on Bitstamp, down around 1.5% on the day. The pair came under pressure as rumors swirled over the fate of Silvergate, which lost United States exchange Coinbase as a client in a decision the latter said came out of "an abundance of caution." Silvergate had suffered as a result of the FTX implosion, delaying its 10-K report this week and warning that it …

Venture capital has long been the go-to method for crypto projects looking for funding during the peak of a bull cycle. However, as the bear market of 2022 extended, the amount invested by crypto venture capital funds dwindled, showing a clear need for a self-sustained funding system for the blockchain space. A Cointelegraph Research report shows that while 2022 saw more capital inflow to crypto projects in total, there’s a clear decline on monthly funding charts after May 2022 — or the time of the Terra ecosystem collapse. Web3 and crypto projects lacking access to VC funds need ways to …

There’s widespread public confusion around much of what the crypto industry does and is hoping to achieve, but it’s likely there’s no facet of the space that has attracted as much negative attention as nonfungible tokens. From environmental concerns about the tokens’ carbon footprint to the “you don’t really own anything” disdain of so-called “right clickers,” the NFT truly seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it product. Convincing the doubters that NFTs are more than just status symbols or high-risk, high-adrenaline investments will take a blend of education and a commitment to tap into the technology’s demonstrable utility. Below, seven members of …

Flare, the layer-1 Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) blockchain, went live on Jan. 10 after it launched two core protocols for decentralized interoperability applications. The blockchain network allows developers to create applications that are interoperable between various blockchain ecosystems and internet platforms. Less than one month later, on March 2, Flare welcomed the nonfungible token (NFT) platform Sparkles on its layer 1 oracle network. According to the announcement a primary goal of the Sparkles NFT platform is to hone in on the interoperability of native Flare protocols to increase use cases for NFT utility. The NFT platform has plans to target …

Xapo Bank, an international private bank headquartered in Gibraltar, integrates the Lightning Network to improve its Bitcoin (BTC) capabilities. On March 2, Xapo officially announced a partnership with the Lightning Network infrastructure platform Lightspark, which allowed the firm to implement Lightning on its platform. The integration enables faster and cheaper transactions on Xapo, reducing blockchain confirmation waiting times and transaction fees on the original Bitcoin network. According to the firm, Xapo Bank members will now be able to instantly pay for small purchases of up to $100 at any vendor accepting Lightning payments. High-volume transactions are initially not supported with …

Before setting a financial goal, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your current financial situation, including income, debt, expenses and assets. Once you have a clear understanding of your current financial situation, you can start setting financial goals that align with your values and priorities. Here are six steps to set and achieve your financial goals. Define your financial goals Set both short- and long-term financial goals as your first step. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). One’s short-term objectives might be, for instance, saving $500 for an emergency fund or paying off …

From the massive fall of Bitcoin’s (BTC) price to the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, 2022 was full of upheaval for the blockchain industry. But the blockchain community has always been resilient, finding new ways to develop in the most challenging times. A striking example of optimism and growth is the development of the GameFi industry, which combines gaming, decentralized finance (DeFi), nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. In 2021, GameFi became a growth leader in the crypto space, with successful projects like Gala Games, Decentraland, The Sandbox and Axie Infinity. The GameFi sector has continued to develop, attracting more …

In Cointelegraph Markets Pro’s latest VORTECS™ Report, the institutional-grade crypto trading platform displayed how its members could have captured a cumulative 223% gain by following five trades based on three different Markets Pro indicators. The report depicts trading alerts generated between February 12 – 18, 2023. The potential gains available to Cointelegraph Markets Pro subscribers significantly outperform a simple buy-and-hold strategy during the same period, which would’ve yielded a maximum return of 13% for Bitcoin (BTC) and 12% for Ethereum (ETH). Cointelegraph Markets Pro used the VORTECS™ Score, NewsQuakes™ and Tweet Volume indicators to alert subscribers of these price changes …

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced that it had terminated its partnership with Silvergate Bank as its U.S. dollar banking partner, citing the ongoing investigation. In an announcement tweet, the exchange said: "In light of recent developments & out of an abundance of caution, Coinbase is no longer accepting or initiating payments to or from Silvergate." The crypto exchange will facilitate institutional client cash transactions with their other banking partner Signature Bank. The decision will not impact payment instructions in GBP or euro. This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Blockchain technology continues to make its way into mainstream view, as many companies adopt the technology as a part of their operations. In the push for adoption of this technology comes the simultaneous need for more education on the technology. A new partnership announced on March 2 between the Polygon blockchain network and Mercy Corps Ventures, the investment arm of the humanitarian organization Mercy Corps, focuses on bringing blockchain education and opportunities to underserved communities. According to the announcement, the new partnership has three primary objectives in its effort to bring blockchain and Web3 solutions to “traditionally excluded and underserved …

Bitcoin (BTC) is up 42% since the start of 2023, but short term, the outlook may now favor the bears. The latest data paints a problematic picture for BTC price action — investors are greedy, but the mainstream is far from ready to buy. After January’s 40% surge, BTC/USD is having trouble reaching for resistance higher up the chart. As Cointelegraph reported, the pair spent the whole of February simply consolidating its prior gains, making it likely the least volatile month on record. Judging by current moves, however, that consolidatory phase may soon be over — but not work out …

The future of decentralized exchanges DEXs have been gaining popularity in recent years, thanks to the growing interest in DeFi. DEXs allow users to trade cryptocurrencies without the need for intermediaries or centralized exchanges, providing greater security, transparency, and control over assets. As the DeFi ecosystem continues to grow, the future of decentralized exchanges looks promising. The growth of cross-chain interoperability is one trend that will probably continue. The majority of DEXs currently run on a single blockchain, but the ability to trade assets between chains is becoming more popular. This would increase liquidity and give users access to a …