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How a Warm Beer Defined the Notion for Non-Fungible Tokens in 2015

Cómo una cerveza tibia definió la noción de tokens no fungibles en 2015

Comment une bière chaude a défini la notion de jetons non fongibles en 2015

2015 में कैसे एक गर्म बीयर ने अपूरणीय टोकन के लिए धारणा को परिभाषित किया

温かいビールが 2015 年に非代替トークンの概念をどのように定義したか

Como uma cerveja quente definiu a noção de tokens não fungíveis em 2015

Làm thế nào một bia ấm xác định khái niệm cho các Token không Fungible vào năm 2015

2015 年热啤酒如何定义不可替代代币的概念

Anthos on Bare Metal: How to Manage a Private Cluster From the Cloud

To experience virtual reality's brain impact, I eagerly put on the VR headset. My first VR gaming experience immediately blew me away. Previously, I had been stuck at home during the pandemic, and decided this was the perfect time to explore VR, and boy! This experience was unlike any of my previous gaming experiences! The virtual world around me felt incredibly immersive, engaging all of my senses. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves in the wind filled my ears as if I were truly outside. The distant hum of traffic and the occasional honk of a car horn added to the realism. I could even smell the fresh-cut grass and the delicate scent of flowers wafting through the virtual air. My footsteps echoed softly on the pavement, and the gravel crunched beneath my feet, creating a realistic sense of movement. As I looked with amazement, I realized I could perceive the depth and volume of the virtual environment and objects around me. This was far more immersive than sophisticated 3D graphics rendered on a flat 2D monitor. Eventually, I stumbled upon a virtual game that placed you atop a building with a plank, enabling you to jump off the building. I felt the wind brush against my face and heard it whistle in my ears as I moved closer to the plank. The height seemed so real that my heart pounded in my chest, and my palms became sweaty. I knew jumping off wouldn’t be a problem as this environment was safe and simulated. However, it still felt real, and all my instincts screamed at me not to jump. As I hesitated, the wind picked up. My palms became sweatier as I worked up the courage to override my natural instincts and jump off the virtual building. Eventually, I did so, screaming all the way. The rush of air enveloped me, and I could feel the exhilarating sensation of falling, even though I was still in my living room. What a rush! But then I thought: "What if someone pushed me off a virtual building or forced me to experience a simulated traumatic situation?" After going through my VR experience, it was clear to me that virtual reality's brain impact on our mental health was a real possibility. The Traumatic Effects of Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact Suppose a simulated VR experience could cause us to experience real emotions and physiological symptoms. Can we develop severe trauma from the harmful effects of virtual reality? What would happen if other human players virtually attacked me in a hyper-realistic and intense VR multiplayer game? Denny Unger, CEO, and creative director of Cloudhead Games, warned that a high level of realism in virtual attacks could lead to severe consequences, such as heart attacks and deaths in some individuals. “I have some pretty strong views on this” … “The low hanging fruit of VR, to me, is horror games that purposely do jump scares. We’re very close to having the first death in VR — I firmly believe that” — Denny Unger All of this points to a chance that some of us may have a medical or psychological condition triggered by a hyper-realistic traumatic VR experience — with potentially fatal consequences. Negative Behavior Desensitization through Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact Never before has a media platform been so immersive that our brains have trouble distinguishing between the real and the virtual. The exact mechanism that assists people in through exposure and desensitization in VR could encourage negative behaviors in people. overcoming their trauma A on chronic violent video game exposure and desensitization to violence showed that even brief exposure to media violence could lead to desensitization. study Would someone with psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies be able to distinguish between what is right or wrong if they spend all day immersed in a hyper-realistic virtual world where they can act out their dark fantasies? Would one of the side effects of virtual reality result in being unable to feel empathy for the consequences of performing dark acts? After all, there are some things that we shouldn’t lose empathy and sensitivity to— in order to keep our ethical and moral compass aligned. Furthermore, has shown that no desensitization to violence can account for changes in aggression in a person. research However, it's important to note that many on exposure to media violence only studied the effects of traditional media technologies like videos and non-VR games. This means that more research on VR’s long-term side effects, its impact on violence, and changes in real-world levels of aggression is needed. studies While we await further research, we should err on the side of caution when it comes to VR and its impact on our relationship with negative behaviors. Dissociating With the Real World Some experts speculate that long-term exposure to VR could trigger a — a psychological condition where one is detached from one’s sense of self. depersonalization-derealization disorder In 2006, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal that one of the negatives of VR was that it made people feel more dissociated and reduced people’s sense of presence in the real world. found In an about virtual reality's brain impact, after a long VR session, a VR enthusiast recalls the following: article “I was just completely unable to hold a conversation. Though I don’t think I looked it, I like I was sitting there, mouth agape with a big line of drool and just white noise playing in my brain.” felt Depersonalization and derealization could result in someone feeling like they are losing control over their physical bodies and prefer the stronger feeling of control over their virtual avatars. Someone addicted to, and constantly engaged in long VR sessions may suffer from this virtual reality's brain impact. This could cause them to neglect their personal lives, health, and relationships in favor of the virtual world. Shallower Social Connections in VR? During my VR adventures, I was not surprised when I discovered a whole community of VR enthusiasts socializing more online than in real life. This community only grew larger during the COVID lockdowns, which saw many people turning to the virtual world in the absence of real socialization. This led me to explore the popular VR socialization platform, VR Chat, during the pandemic. In this amazing platform, I could jump around various “rooms” in VR Chat — encountering different environments and people. Eventually, I made a few virtual friends across the globe, as we hung out together in fantastic virtual environments. However, as the lockdowns lifted, I went out more and logged on to VR Chat less. Soon, I lost touch with these virtual friends and this made me question if the social bonds formed within these virtual worlds were as strong as real face-to-face bonds in the real world. In psychologist John R Suler’s book “ ”, John describes how cyberspace accelerates the perception of time and therefore speeds up the social processes of forming relationships between individuals and groups. The Psychology of the Digital Age With a sped-up social process, John speculated that this could lead to a quick fizzling out of the relationships that we form online — as quickly as they started. However, that hasn’t stopped people from socializing in VR. Suppose we all neglected our real-world social bonds over these “fair-weather” virtual relationships. Would this lead to an atrophying of our real-world social skills and relationships? Empathy and Therapy: Positive Effects of Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact Despite my sounding like a Luddite in the throes of a moral panic, it’s clear that VR has plenty of amazing, positive things to offer. Researchers, supported by Seoul National University and the Colorado Public School of Health, that virtual reality's brain impact on your self-esteem and body image creates a malleable body image that your virtual body or avatar influences. found Thus, seeing your virtual avatar from the first person or through a virtual mirror will allow your brain to subconsciously feel another person’s emotions with a different body type — thus enhancing your empathy for the person. With VR, you can “walk a mile in someone’s shoes.” An example of this is the 360-degree video “ .” It is an 8-minute, 360-degree video project inside a Syrian refugee camp in northern Jordan. Clouds Over Sidra Clouds Over Sidra allows you to experience the sound and sights of the refugee camp — simulating the experience of being inside the camp itself. Viewers who shared this video experience had tears in their eyes as they experienced the emotions of being displaced and living in a difficult environment. Chris Milk, a co-creator of Clouds Over Sidra, had this to say about VR as an empathic tool: “If these aspects of “narrative technology” can be successfully applied, then immersive media’s promise as potential “empathy machines” capable of triggering a sense of connection between user/participant(s) and the people or events presented “ — Chris Milk VR’s value as an educational empathy tool was further highlighted by reading the book “ ” by Samuel Greengard. In the book, an experiment simulating color blindness led to participants increasing their likelihood of helping people who were color blind — after feeling what it was like to be color blind. Virtual Reality Additionally, VR has shown tremendous promise in mental health therapies like . By offering a safe, simulated environment, individuals can confront and manage their crippling phobias and anxieties more effectively. phobia exposure therapy Jimmy Castellanos, a Gulf War veteran suffering from PTSD symptoms, had this to say about his VR : PTSD exposure therapy “I would cry for the entire session,” he says. “I’d get home and couldn’t study. I’d cry myself to sleep. It was exhausting….You go over the story over and over again. I got so bored with my own story that it no longer elicited a reaction.” Moreover, the Psychology Department of the University of Tennessee conducted a in which they discovered that VR pain management therapies could potentially be a pain management alternative and address the opioid crisis in the United States. study The researchers also found that their study participants reported an average decrease in pain of 60% between pre-session and during the experience. So far, everything has led me to conclude that, despite virtual reality's brain impact, we can harness it as a force for good in society. However, what can we, as individuals and as a society, do to embrace the positive aspects of VR while mitigating its negatives? Striking a Balance: Finding a Responsible Approach to VR Throughout my journey in VR, I was convinced that VR is a powerful technology, with plenty of potential for good, but has a great impact on our brains and mental health. We should lobby VR content developers to self-regulate and avoid developing VR experiences that are too intense. Moreover, it should be standard VR development practice to enforce breaks from the virtual content. Meta, the company betting big on the VR Metaverse, only using their Quest 2 headset for a few minutes before gradually increasing the time spent in VR. Additionally, during long VR sessions, Meta will advise you to take 10 to 15-minute breaks — even if you feel fine. recommends We must also lobby policymakers to do their part in ensuring responsible VR industry standards. Policymakers can work with the VR industry to develop a rating standard to inform the public about the risks. Such a rating standard will guide the public on age-appropriate VR content and warn people about health conditions that VR may trigger. Regarding responsible VR use in mental health, we must spread awareness and education on the dangers of self-medicating with VR therapies. This is due to the positive and negative potential of virtual reality's brain impact. Self-prescribing VR therapy without fully understanding your condition may lead to more harm than good. A more responsible approach would be to allow professional psychologists to assess you to develop an individualized VR treatment. Furthermore, as the technology for VR gets better, cheaper, and more readily available, we should encourage and raise awareness for more funding in the research on the long-term effects of virtual reality's brain impact—  to better understand and use VR responsibly. Conclusion As I reflect on my journey through virtual reality's immersive and captivating realm, I am grateful for how VR has enriched my life. It has brought a sense of wonder and excitement that is difficult to replicate in our everyday reality. However, I am also acutely aware of virtual reality's brain impact, and the delicate balance required to maintain a healthy relationship with this powerful technology. Sometimes I found myself lost in the virtual world —  neglecting the people and responsibilities that truly matter. Therefore, while the allure of the digital space can sometimes be overwhelming, it’s crucial to stay grounded and remember the importance of our life outside of the virtual realm. So, as you embark on your own virtual adventures, remember to cherish the connections and moments that make up your authentic life, while exploring the boundless possibilities that VR offers. Happy VR exploring! Featured Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

Virtual Reality's Brain Impact: What I Learned During My Eye-Opening Exploration of VR

Blockchains are virtual cities: districts of economic and cultural exchange, where common infrastructure gives rise to a mutual sense of place and a shared social fabric. Bitcoin is a city. The original application-specific chain. Despite its minimal feature set, Bitcoin is surrounded by a rich ecosystem of clients, exchanges, and layer-2s. Likewise, Ethereum is a sprawling metropolis with a rapidly expanding financial district, so much so that the cost of living is pushing people to the suburbs. There are plenty of small cities that serve their residents perfectly well, but many next generation blockchains are built to , defined narrowly as increasing the number of transactions, validators, or shards. As a result, these platforms end up imposing arbitrary blueprints onto prospective residents. Utopian projects like should serve as cautionary tales for such top-down planning. scale Brasília 1958 Brasília under construction © Marcel Gautherot, Instituto Moreira Salles While cities for an imaginary civilization can be built in the middle of nowhere, this isn’t how we should go about making a place we want to live. Urbanization is best understood as a consequence, not a precondition or an end unto itself. Instead, cities emerge to serve the needs of their citizens, to foster exchange of goods, services, and ideas, to establish protocols and norms that facilitate cooperation, information exchange, creation, and discovery. Great cities aren’t built to show off the latest construction material, or to indulge the machinations of influential architects, but grown, organically, by and for their citizenry. The Cosmos Hub is a Port City Of course, cities do not exist in isolation. They are embedded in the larger political landscape of empires, nation states, republics, and loose federations of sovereign city states. Connected globally by shipping lines and trade-routes, airports and distribution centers, they are caught in a perennial ebb and flow of sovereignty and hegemony, isolation and interconnection. While each city is unique, some cities play a special role in supporting this great web. These are port cities, gateways to uncharted territories and places beyond borders. You’ll find port cities where the trade winds empty into new worlds, on peninsulas and river deltas where oceans meet inland waterways. From there, trade routes form; markets where merchants exchange spices for silk and maps for navigating the stars. Port cities are where distant cultures and economies and imaginations come together as dynamic, vibrant living spaces. Apollo 11 star chart used in training for the 1969 lunar landing mission. National Air and Space Museum The Cosmos Hub is one such port city, with trade routes to the largest blockchain economies. It’s a city that’s enriched by connection. A city that supports those with whom it connects. Rather than impose a political and economic system onto its inhabitants, the Hub competes on even footing to provide the best possible service. It does so by attracting the best validators, merchants, developers, and blockchains who want to form connections, exchange, and participate, whether it’s establishing themselves on the Hub, or simply passing through. Systems of Flows, from the Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s Palermo Atlas (2018) So what kind of place are we trying to create together? And what culture can the Hub bring about? We want to build a city where people actually want to live and grow. A city that has a vibrant economy and unique culture; a good quality of life, opportunities for newcomers; a place people are proud to live because its rich history is something they want to be a part of. New York, Hong Kong, Istanbul: these are cities that people fall in love with. Their ports receive people who cross oceans to find inspiration and possibility—places where they find community, a sense of pride, and civic responsibility. That’s what we want for the Cosmos Hub. William Zeckendorf’s unrealized Manhattan Airport (1946) What’s in a Hub A hub isn’t a kingdom, but a port city. It’s not a central bank, but a clearing house. It’s not an ISP, but an exchange point. It’s not an airline, but an airport. A good hub isn’t a ruling dictator, but a servant leader. The Cosmos Hub will play precisely this leading role in the expanding universe of blockchains in need of interchain services. The Hub will be a place that facilitates discovery, secures trade, promotes exchange, brings people and resources and opportunities together to create their own self-determined, self-governed communities that represent the next wave of interchain infrastructure, commerce, and culture. The Hub will be valuable for the growing interchain for the same reason a great city is valuable to people with ambition and talent and creativity, because it’s where you find new people, new ideas, new possibilities. It’s a place with the best tools, resources and collaborators to start a new project, and see it grow as the city grows with it. Today the Hub has a minimal set of facilities for decentralized organizing, but these coordination capabilities will need to be expanded significantly to become a premier venue for developing interchain products and services, and bringing them to market. A self-improving social and technical infrastructure will enable the Hub to become a nexus for a wide variety of individuals, collectives, companies, institutions, DAOs, and autonomous agents to work together, aligning incentives toward a common goal. Bernard Tschumi, Manhattan Transcripts (1983) ATOM then, is a stake in this flourishing economy and the talents of the community invested in the Hub’s success. To date the Cosmos Hub’s core teams, validators, and investors have built the technology securing upwards of $30B, but the Hub’s true value proposition, and that of the greater Cosmos ecosystem will only be fully realised with the activation of IBC. With Stargate shipped, these stakeholders are now turning their attention to a single question: what’s in a hub? The first port city of the new interchain economy. The Hub will need a core set of infrastructure, much of which is already in development and planned for launch in phases over the coming months and years. This roadmap includes essential interchain services like chain registries, automated market makers, bridges to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the wider digital economy. It includes shared security and fundraising for new blockchains, interchain accounts and facilities for capital formation. Together, this infrastructure will offer new functionality for ATOMs, an improved experience for blockchain users, simpler means to deploy high-security blockchains, and countless services for the thriving ecosystem of sovereign, interoperable blockchains beyond the Cosmos Hub. Five years ago the original Cosmos white paper laid out the vision of interoperable, application-specific blockchains. With the release of Stargate, its foundations are now complete. But with the dawn of interoperability, the Hub’s story is just beginning. It’s time for the next chapter; for a shared vision of where the Cosmos Hub goes from here. Now it’s time to lead by example, to demonstrate what it means to serve Cosmos as a Hub for the Internet of Blockchains. Aurora borealis illustration, A Our Earth and its Story: A Popular Treatise on Physical Geography (1887) Appendix: A Survey of Post-Stargate Features These proposed features contribute to the security of the network and its ability to grow as an Interchain marketplace for goods and services. The Hub should be the premier place to custody and manage cryptocurrency assets and to house blockchain-native organizations, i.e. “A great city to live.” The Hub’s services marketplace should make it the most attractive venue for Interchain economic flows i.e. “A great port to route through.” While the Hub should strive to provide real utility and delight users, it should remain application-specific, focusing on this core value offering. By applying a principle of practical Hub minimalism, we can strike the right balance. Including features like shared security will allow the Hub to safely expand the scope of offerings secured by ATOM, while keeping the security surface of the main chain to a minimum. While we believe this vision and initial feature set will be important for the Hub’s success, there are countless opportunities for community members to help shape the direction of the Cosmos Hub and participate in bringing this city to life. Follow development on the new Cosmos Hub GitHub project board . Written by: Ethan Buchman & Sam Hart Previously published here

What Makes the Cosmos Hub a Virtual Port City

WebXR Device API: Accessing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Devices

The bear market is the perfect time to buy tokens of promising crypto projects at an undervalued price. I have already written a and . In this article, you will find my fundamental analysis of 5 crypto projects: COSMOS, NEAR Protocol, Walken, Ancient8, and Polygon. guide on how to choose tokens for investments how an NFT investor can survive a bear market Fundamental Analysis of COSMOS (ATOM) The team, the project, and the idea are up-and-coming and can literally change everything in the crypto world. The idea is really worthy of delight. It will have a great demand if it is qualitatively implemented. But at the moment, its implementation is impossible because: There were no buzz projects released on Cosmos Unclear tokenomics Suspicious distribution of tokens on crypto wallets Silent social media No news But, it is impossible not to note the advantages, which speak of the possible great potential: Work on the project code happens regularly Many programmers are involved in writing the code Perhaps COSMOS (ATOM) is quite realistic to implement and will bring a considerable change in the field of DeFi, but at the moment there is no 90% confidence in this. The project really lacks the buzz around it. Investment type: high risk Investment timing: 1-2 years Goals: $20, $40 Fundamental Analysis of NEAR Protocol (NEAR) The goals and the team's ideas are quite realistic and can significantly impact the crypto world. The main feature is Sharding technology - segmenting transactions into different validators. NEAR Protocol can create a system where specific validators will process transactions of specific projects from particular areas (DeFi, , etc). GameFi This will allow dividing the work between more validators - thus speeding up transaction processing, reducing transaction fees, and solving the scalability problem by having more validators doing their specific part of the work (transaction processing). Potentially, in 2023, NEAR Protocol can improve the system so that it can dynamically add/remove transaction processing tasks for validators depending on the workload of their equipment. They will dynamically self-regulate. Also, the project's infrastructure is very well structured due to the individual projects responsible for their specific work. NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has a huge potential due to the idea, team, goals, realization of goals, positioning, and user-friendly attitude. Tokenomics and the market situation are now excellent to go into the project. Investment type: medium risk Investment timing: from 6 months to 3-4 years Goals: $20, $80, $100, $400 Fundamental Analysis of Walken (WLKN) This is a game app with reasonably ambitious goals. The mechanics of the application is simple enough at this stage but have a significant difference that makes it an exciting project - an element of competition. Also, according to the roadmap, Walken (WLKN) has exciting plans that would contribute to its mass adoption and more gamification of the application. The Walken team looks good. It consists of IT developers and some graphic designers. The planned tokenomics looks just as good, except for the lack of TGE on IEO. Walken (WLKN) has a beta version of the app. Walken (WLKN) has promising plans, but the main question is whether it will implement them. Suspicions aroused WhitePaper and the website - they have too little information. The leading competitor is STEPN, but with the implementation of all plans, Walken has the opportunity to bypass it. Features of investing in Walken (WLKN) - it is essential to follow the hype around the application and its development, news, and events. Investment type: high risk Investment timing: 2-4 months. Goals: $1 Fundamental Analysis of Ancient8 (A8) This gaming guild aims to expand the GameFi community and make money. The business model is based on renting to players from fairly poor countries. They provide themselves players (workers) who do not invest money in NFT but work off their labor to share the profits with the guild. Also, the project has a blog that evaluates projects, selects the best projects for the players, shares the GameFi news, and creates a community. gaming NFTs Ancient8 (A8) creates an ecosystem around the project. It has a blog, plans co-operation with games that have been released and scheduled to launch, and plans to launch its Launchpad aimed at the sphere of GameFi. Ancient8 (A8) has an excellent and very attractive tokenomics for investors. Information about the team and roadmap is virtually absent, probably because of the pre-start state of the project and its specifics. 20% of the team members raise some concerns, which are compensated by the funds coming into the project. Several top funds (Alameda, Pantera, Coinbase, Coin98) are entering the Ancient8 (A8) project. This means the project could be worth a lot. The social accounts of Ancient8 (A8) are pretty developed. There is a face of the project and regular news. The project has considerable and confident potential. Even at the pre-start state, their actions are quite serious, which speaks of the goal to become number 1 in the market. The project is definitely interesting. You should follow it and its news and wait for the listing. Before listing, be sure to reanalyze and take into account the changes. Investment type: high risk Investment timing: 6-12 months Goals: - Fundamental Analysis of Polygon (MATIC) This is a platform for developing crypto projects compatible with the Ethereum blockchain. It is Ethereum’s additional layer. The project's goal, idea, and function are to create a platform "from developers to developers". Polygon (MATIC) creates a convenient ecosystem for developers, lowers their entry threshold, and makes projects more attractive due to lower transaction fees, fast transactions, easy scalability, the actual connection to the ETH network, and transfer of value from it. Polygon (MATIC) already has more than 19,000 projects, among which strong and popular players exist. Its main competitor is NEAR. Advantages over NEAR: Rapid and constant development of technical capabilities to create apps Earned a prominent name among the developers NEAR's advantages over MATIC: The project focuses on both developers and users The project actively supports developers on both the state of the idea, technical part, funding, and launch Polygon is constantly updating and working on the platform and shows great interest in developing it further and aiming to become a market leader in development platforms. It has good perspectives and will launch even more quality projects and grow. But its marketing is depressing. Investment type: high risk Investment timing: 6-18 months Goals: $1, $2, $3 I also recommend you to read: 8 Ways Crypto Wallets Can be Hacked The DeSci Guide: Is Decentralized Science the New Web 3.0 Trend? What are Quantum-Resistant Blockchains? What is Yield Farming and Why is it So Popular? How NFTs Turned a Little-Known Mobile Game Developer into a Multibillion-Dollar Corporation

Fundamental Analysis of ATOM, NEAR, WLKN, A8, MATIC

Money is a means to exchange value. It has come a long way, from shells and clay tablets to the complex financial system we have today. But coins, bills, and bank balances aren’t money’s final form — enter blockchain digital assets. Digital assets are intangible, electronically stored files or information with economic value. Examples include cryptocurrencies, software, domain names, social media accounts, website content, and digital photos. Blockchain digital assets are a specific subset of digital assets that are built on blockchain technology. In this context, blockchain serves as a transparent and tamper-resistant system for tracking ownership and transactions. Here, you’ll learn about the nine main types of blockchain digital assets as well as their uses, benefits, and most well-known examples. 1. Cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security. Unlike traditional currencies issued by governments, cryptocurrencies operate on . blockchain You can securely, as transactions are recorded on the blockchain. Cryptocurrencies provide a borderless, efficient, and censorship-resistant alternative to traditional currencies, challenging conventional financial systems. buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies Here are some examples of cryptocurrencies: is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009. It operates on a decentralized peer-to-peer network, allowing for secure and transparent transactions without the need for intermediaries. Bitcoin (BTC) uses advanced cryptographic techniques to provide improved privacy and anonymity for its users. Zcash (ZEC) is both a digital payment protocol and a cryptocurrency designed for fast and low-cost cross-border transactions. Ripple (XRP) 2. Stablecoins Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency designed to minimize price volatility by pegging their value to a stable asset, often a traditional currency like the US Dollar. This stability makes them a reliable and popular choice for everyday transactions, such as digital payments and remittances, and as a store of value in the crypto space. Stablecoins’ popularity grew quickly, surpassing at its peak in 2022, compared with $12 billion two years prior. The total circulating supply currently sits at $139 billion. $180 billion in circulating supply There are two types of stablecoins — . While centralized stablecoins are collateralized by deposits of cash or equivalents, decentralized stablecoins are backed by other cryptoassets held in . centralized and decentralized smart contracts Here are some stablecoin examples: is pegged to the USD and backed 1:1 by US dollars held in regularly audited reserves. Tether (USDT) was created on the Ethereum blockchain. Its value is stabilized through a system of smart contracts and collateral, allowing it to maintain a peg to the US Dollar without direct fiat backing. Dai (DAI) is designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the Euro and is backed by a 1:1 ratio reserve of Euros. STASIS EURO (EURS) 3. Securities Tokens A security is essentially a contract. Consider a basic stock; if you own one, you have a contractually granted share in an enterprise. This entitles you to a portion of the cash flow if the enterprise pays dividends, and you may also have the right to vote on certain matters related to the enterprise. Securities tokens have the potential to transform the stock, bond, and derivatives markets because all these actions can be programmed and automated in a token, making them run more efficiently, inclusively, and fairly. There are two main types of securities tokens: Traditional finance entities like asset managers or investment banks create stocks and bonds and record ownership on a blockchain and on an off-chain registry. TradFi-issued tokens: These are digitally native securities, such as and DeFi investment funds. DeFi securities tokens and funds: derivatives contracts Both TradFi-issued and DeFi securities tokens are subject to regulatory scrutiny under the legal frameworks governing traditional securities. Here are some examples of securities tokens: tokenizes venture capital investments. Investors holding tokens gain access to a share of the profits from a portfolio of startup investments, providing liquidity to traditionally illiquid venture capital assets. SPiCE VC SPiCE tokenizes real estate assets, allowing investors to buy and sell fractions of real estate properties. holders may receive dividends or a share of rental income from the underlying real estate. Harbor HBR tokenizes equity in traditional companies, allowing investors to buy and sell shares on the blockchain. token holders have economic rights and may receive dividends from the companies represented in the Neufund ecosystem. Neufund NEU 4. Protocol Tokens Protocol tokens are digital assets tied to a specific blockchain or protocol. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which serve as Internet cash, protocol tokens give you access, governance, or utility within a blockchain network. This is because most blockchain protocols were built to run and smart contracts. To deploy and utilize dapps on these networks, developers and users must pay transaction fees, normally using protocol tokens. decentralized apps (dapps) When utilizing dapp-supporting blockchain networks like Ethereum, you must pay transaction fees, commonly referred to as “gas fees,” in the native token of the respective protocol, which, in the case of , is . Similarly: Ethereum ETH transactions incur fees in . Solana SOL transactions require fees in . Cosmos ATOM transactions involve fees paid in . Avalanche AVAX transactions are subject to fees in . Polygon MATIC 5. Governance Tokens Governance tokens are digital assets that grant holders the right to participate in the decision-making processes of a or protocol. decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) Owners of these tokens can vote on proposed changes, upgrades, or other governance matters related to the blockchain or DAO. They also get a say in the allocation of resources from their common wallet. Governance tokens allow a community to collectively steer the direction of a decentralized system, promoting a more democratic and decentralized decision-making model. Here are some examples of governance tokens: Holders of get to oversee alterations to protocol logic and decide on the distribution of governance funds. Uniswap’s UNI token uses its for managing the incentive framework, determining how fees are paid, and establishing the long-term earnings approach for liquidity providers. Curve DAO CRV token Holders of can weigh in on decisions regarding the inclusion of assets and adjustments to collateral factors, the interest rate model, and more. Compound’s COMP token 6. Exchange Tokens Exchange tokens are digital assets native to . Their value lies in their functionality since users need to exchange tokens to use these platforms. centralized crypto exchanges (CEX) In addition, they improve liquidity and provide rewards, discounts, and other incentives to keep using that exchange. Exchange tokens are similar to governance tokens of , but are more centrally managed and don’t offer governance rights. decentralized exchanges (DEXs) Still, some view them as a form of “equity in the company” because the platform's success correlates with the appreciation of your tokens. Examples of exchange tokens include: Binance's BNB OKX’s OKB iFinex's LEO Cronos’ CRO KuCoin’s KCS 7. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) Fungible tokens are interchangeable and identical, like money. Each unit is the same, and one unit can be exchanged for another without any difference in value. Examples include traditional currencies like the US Dollar or cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique and can’t be exchanged on a one-to-one basis. Each token has distinct information or attributes, making it different from others. NFTs are used to represent ownership or proof of authenticity for specific digital or physical items like art, collectibles, virtual real estate, and more. These tokens have gained popularity in the digital art world, allowing artists and creators to tokenize and sell their work while buyers gain ownership with a verified and unforgeable on-chain certificate of authenticity. Here are the ten to date: most expensive NFTs 8. Natural Asset Tokens Natural assets like water, air, and carbon are essential for life on Earth and the economy. However, they’re commonly exploited and overused since there’s no way to control their consumption. Blockchain allows us to tokenize and govern the use of these assets transparently and verifiably. Natural asset tokens can then be utilized to incentivize the sustainable management of our natural capital. For instance, a conservation NGO could purchase a plot of land to ensure its long-term protection and divide it into on-chain tokens. Conservation activists, climate investors, and other people could purchase these tokens to support conservation efforts and potentially make a return on their investment if that plot of land appreciates in value. For example, is protecting natural assets and gamifying conservation efforts by selling . Ecosapiens artwork NFTs backed by CO2 Another example is . It sells to fund the purchase and protection of swaths of rainforest land. Fund the Planet Rainforest Token NFTs 9. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a digital version of a country's official currency issued by its central bank. Unlike cryptocurrencies, CBDCs are centralized and government-backed. They serve as digital representations of traditional money, enabling electronic transactions and payments. CBDCs aim to boost financial inclusion, reduce transaction costs, and provide the central bank with more efficient tools for monetary policy. Users can access CBDCs through , facilitating secure and instantaneous transactions while maintaining the stability and trust associated with traditional fiat currencies. digital wallets However, it’s crucial to ensure CBDCs allow for anonymous transactions and preserve user privacy. For instance, there are concerns that might use its to as part of its social credit scoring system. China digital renminbi (e-CNY) monitor how people spend money As of early 2024, , including and . Additionally, 21 countries are testing CBDCs, 33 are developing them, and 46 are in the research phase. 11 CBDCs are active globally Nigeria's eNaira Jamaica's JAM-DEX Blockchain Digital Assets — Key Takeaways Blockchain digital assets are revolutionizing our financial landscape, governance structures, and even environmental conservation. Whether it's the efficiency of cryptocurrencies, the uniqueness of NFTs, or the transparency of natural asset tokens, these assets are paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Also published . here

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ATOZ VIRTUAL

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