News & Trends

In addition to consuming as much electricity as a mid-sized European country, Bitcoin mining is responsible for adding a substantial amount of toxic electronic waste to the world’s landfills, MIT researchers say.

Crypto enthusiast Elon Musk has done it again. A tweeted photograph of his Shiba Inu puppy, Floki, sent the value of the dog’s namesake coin on a wild roller-coaster ride – yet another example of celebrity influence over crypto prices.

Legislators and financial experts dismiss crypto as a fad in public, but in private, they are adding digital assets to their portfolios. Crypto continues to demand thoughtful responses from governments and the financial community.

Most NFTs are ERC-721 tokens built on Ethereum. But the Solana blockchain, which features better performance and lower fees, is attracting more and more NFT creators. Solana seems poised to battle Ethereum for NFT market dominance.

Cryptocurrency prices are rebounding from 2021’s summer decline. Bitcoin has climbed to more than €44,000 in recent days, and Ether’s price has topped €3,300. Many analysts say they see no sign of the bull market’s end.

Market trackers report that the total market capitalization of DeFi-related cryptocurrencies has hit an all-time high of more than €120 billion. The new market cap figure replaces the old record, which was set in May 2021.

Slovenian tax authorities have proposed a 10 percent flat tax on crypto income. The tax, which would be levied when profits are converted to fiat currency, would replace the current case-by-case method of calculating taxes due.

More and more social media stars are embracing cryptocurrencies and NFTs. From singers and models to NBA stars and corporate CEOs, social media influencers are exciting their followers and affecting crypto prices.

Microsoft has patented technology for creating tokens that operate on multiple blockchain platforms. A tool incorporating the technology could empower developers to write DeFi apps and other programs that run on any blockchain.

You can add India to the list of countries looking to establish a digital currency issued and controlled by the national bank. The Reserve Bank of India says a digital rupee could be ready for testing by the end of the year.

The crypto world lives mostly online, but sometimes gathers for a few days of intensive learning, networking, and trend-spotting. Here are some upcoming opportunities to get your bearings and dive deep into topics of interest.

Pudgy Penguins are the latest image-based NFTs to inspire collectors and investors. With individual image files selling for €400,000 or more, these polar pals are big business. But how long will the Pudgy Penguin boom last?