Crypto 101: The Beginner’s Guide to Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin is an invention that, for the first time in history, enabled a group of software users to create and manage a digital money supply outside the control of any government or bank.  It helps to think of Bitcoin as a software protocol like those...

4 min read

Happy Genesis Block Day!

On January 3, 2009, the anonymous creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, launched the Genesis Block – the first block in the Bitcoin Blockchain. The event at the time wasn’t celebrated – it was arguably considered a blip in the long history of cryptography and digital...

5 min read

How to talk to relatives about crypto this holiday season

If you’ve ever tried to explain cryptocurrency to your relatives, you might have found it can be as difficult as trying to teach rocket science to a toddler.  Most folks react with skepticism, ridicule or scorn when you try to explain the utility of decentralized...

7 min read

Busting Crypto Myths: “Bitcoin is Destroying the Environment”

Bitcoin’s appetite for energy needs little discussion. For years it’s been a top-of-mind topic for regulators, a major concern among critics, and a frequently misreported feature of the protocol. The specific point of contention lies with bitcoin mining — a resource-intensive, cryptography-based competition that repeats...

9 min read

Busting Crypto Myths: “Bitcoin is a Ponzi Scheme”

Over the last decade, countless critics have pointed the finger at Bitcoin as being nothing more than an intelligently-orchestrated Ponzi scheme. Detractors like Brazilian computer scientist Jorge Stolfi argue that the leading decentralized cryptocurrency bears all the hallmarks of a scam named after Italian swindler...

8 min read

Blockchain & Crypto Basics

Kraken Intelligence

Bleeding out: October and November 2022 on-chain report

After several months of headwinds for the crypto space, the historical collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX crypto exchange in early November added fuel to the bear market’s fire. While FTX’s collapse has negatively impacted many actors in the industry, the true extent of the collateral...

3 min read

October 2022 Market Recap & Outlook

Bouncing back from September’s performance, October 2022 trended positively for cryptoassets overall. All sectors saw positive returns ranging between +1% to +69% as BTC and ETH gained +6% and +20% respectively over the course of the month. While the green candles piled up across all...

3 min read

Honeymoon Phase Is Over

Following several months of headwinds for the crypto space, the crypto market trended lower in September. ETH fell significantly more than BTC as Ethereum transitioned from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) via The Merge. ETH sold off sharply post-Merge in classic “buy the rumor, sell...

3 min read

Silver Lining

Hot on the heels of August, September 2022 also trended negatively for cryptoassets overall. Based on market capitalization, all sectors saw negative returns for the month, ranging from -14% to -1%. Following the overall crypto market trend, NFT market activity also slowed in August. Average...

3 min read

Ethereum 2.0: Does ETH become deflationary post-Merge?

We’re quickly approaching The Merge, the most notable upgrade in Ethereum’s history and a crucial turning point for the wider crypto industry. As the Ethereum blockchain transitions from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS), The Merge is expected to be the bedrock upon which Ethereum’s scalability...

3 min read

Mixed Signals

Over the last few months, the crypto industry faced numerous headwinds. These included the death spiral of the Terra ecosystem, the insolvency of over-leveraged hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, and major crypto lending platforms – like Celsius, BlockFi, Voyager and Vauld – taking drastic measures...

3 min read

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