• Framer followed a gut feeling to jump into the crypto space, where he discovered NFTs and their potential.
• He created videos for NFT creators in exchange for access to whitelisted collections.
• Framer recently made a documentary video about Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao with AI, which caused CZ to react.

Crypto’s First AI Video Causes CZ Reaction

Framer is an e-commerce entrepreneur turned digital asset enthusiast who recently captured the attention of Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao by creating a documentary video about him with artificial intelligence (AI). In this interview with DailyCoin, Framer talked about his journey into the crypto space and how he came up with the documentary idea that caused CZ to react.

Gut Feeling Leads to New Passion in Crypto Space

Framer was familiar with digital currencies since 2017 but only fully jumped into the crypto space four years later when non-fungible tokens (NFTs) caught his attention. He noticed that marketplaces like OpenSea were used to purchase NFTs from resellers at higher prices than those of the original creators, and realized he could get onto whitelists by making videos or images about certain projects. This way, he acquired an NFT for 0.25 ETH which traded at 12 ETH on OpenSea after its public listing. His passion for video creation led him to merge it with his newfound interest in crypto and start experimenting with AI-generated art.

Making Crypto’s First AI Video

This experiment resulted in Framer creating cryptocurrency’s first AI video featuring Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao as part of his past story. The video combines actual pictures of CZ from different points in time along with audio recordings and captions generated by AI software. When asking what motivated him to make this first-of-its kind project, Framer replied: “I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and create something unique no one else had done before.“

Learning Curve & Reacting Audience

The process was not without its challenges; however, Framer mentioned that there is something special about learning from mistakes while doing creative work: „It can be frustrating but also very fulfilling if you keep pushing yourself,“ he said. After sharing the finished product online through Twitter, it quickly spread over social media channels and even reached CZ himself who reacted positively on Twitter: „Very cool! I hope people will use this technology more often.“

Conclusion

Although his background is not related directly to tech or coding, Framer managed to carve out a unique path within the industry based on creativity and experimentation. His story serves as an example of how passion combined with dedication can lead anyone into uncharted territories – sometimes without even expecting it!

• Yuga Labs launched its first-ever Bitcoin NFT collection on March 5th, but it was met with immense backlash.
• The main developer of Ordinals, which are powering Bitcoin’s NFTs, criticized the collection for taking custody of all bidders‘ BTC without providing adequate security.
• Crypto enthusiasts called it a ‚cash grab‘ and demanded that more credible players set a better example.

Yuga Labs Launches First-Ever Bitcoin NFT Collection

On March 5th, 2021, Web3 behemoth Yuga Labs launched its first-ever Bitcoin Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collection on Ordinals. The 300 generative abstract art pieces inscribed onto Bitcoin made headlines across the crypto world—but not in a positive way.

Ordinals Creator Criticizes Yuga Labs

The main developer of Ordinals, Casey Rodarmor, strongly criticized the collection for taking custody of all bidders‘ BTC without providing adequate security or returning it to them even if they weren’t the highest bidder. Rodarmor went so far as to say he would personally wash his hands of Yuga Labs forever if they ever attempted something like this again.

Crypto Enthusiasts Call It A ‚Cash Grab‘

The criticism didn’t stop there—crypto Twitter has been up in arms over what is being called a ‚cash grab.‘ Ordinally argued that credible players need to set a better example and some users have even reported not seeing their transactions registered after sending their BTC to bid on an NFT.

Yuga Labs Responds To Criticism

In response to the criticism, Yuga Labs has released a statement saying that they are working hard to ensure user experience is improved and that they take customer feedback seriously. They also emphasized that they take great care in ensuring user funds remain secure at all times.

Conclusion

Despite the initial backlash against Yuga Lab’s first foray into NFTs with Bitcoin’s blockchain, it remains unclear how this will affect their future projects or whether any changes will be made before future collections launch. In any case, it certainly opened up an important conversation about user safety and proper protocols for custodial services when handling digital assets like cryptocurrency and NFTs.

• Solana (SOL) network experienced another outage on February 25th, 2023.
• Community members are expressing concern as the blockchain’s reliability and inherent design are being called into question.
• The cause of the degradation in performance is unknown, but some suggest a flaw in Solana’s design may be to blame.

Solana (SOL) Network Experiences Outage

The Solana (SOL) blockchain suffered a significant network outage on February 25th, 2023. The outage lasted approximately 24 hours and caused transaction interferences resulting in the developer community opting for a network restart.

Community Questions Reliability of Blockchain

The recent outage has left the community disgruntled with some members questioning the network’s reliability and others illuminating flaws in Solana’s inherent design that could have triggered various outages. A tweet by Solana Status addressing the „coordinated restart“ on February 26th has gathered close to 200,000 views on Twitter amidst community FUD.

Design Flaw Could Be Responsible for Outages

Some community members believe that a major design flaw is responsible for the recurrence of network outages. According to one user, consensus occurring on-chain with validator communications reflecting as transactions inflates transaction volume and transactions per second (TPS), consequently bottlenecking the network which can lead to prolonged outages if validators become unavailable during an outage.

Price of SOL Has Not Declined Dramatically

Despite all this disruption, the price of SOL has not declined dramatically following another significant network outage despite upgrades implemented by Solana Foundation to improve their blockchain’s performance.

Cause Behind Performance Degradation Unknown

According to a report published by Solana Foundation, they remain unaware of what caused this „significant“ degradation in performance which further adds fuel to speculations from community members regarding potential underlying issues with its inherent design or other factors causing these outages.

• Japan plans to launch a CBDC pilot program in April 2023.
• The pilot will test the technical feasibility of the “digital yen” and model a CBDC ecosystem with the involvement of private companies.
• The BoJ is also considering lifting the ban on foreign stablecoins.

Japan Launches Pilot Program for Digital Yen

Japan plans to launch a pilot program for its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in April 2023. The executive director of the Bank of Japan (BoJ), Shinichi Uchida, announced the launch at a CBDC committee meeting on February 17th, stating that it will focus on the technical feasibility of the „digital yen“ and model an ecosystem with private companies involved.

Focus on Technical Feasibility

The main focus of this pilot program will be on testing out the technical feasibility of using digital currency in Japan and exploring how it would fit into their economy. Simulated transactions will take place during this time and no actual retail transactions will be made. To ensure smooth sailing, active collaboration between industry players and feedback from them is necessary, which is why they are creating a CBDC forum to facilitate communication.

Lifting Ban on Foreign Stablecoins

In addition to launching this pilot program, Japanese authorities are also considering lifting their current ban on foreign stablecoins. This has been highly anticipated by local media since November 2022 when rumors first started circulating about the Bank’s intentions for a digital currency system in Japan. At least three Japanese megabanks and regional banks are expected to collaborate with the BoJ for this project as well.

Importance Of Collaboration

The BoJ acknowledges that collaboration with industry players is paramount for successful implementation of their digital currency system which is why they have created a CBDC forum to facilitate communication regarding design choices such as alternative data models and frameworks for offline payments. It is important that all stakeholders benefit from these new developments so that trust is built between them moving forward into an era where digital currencies become more commonplace around the world..

Conclusion

Overall, Japan’s plans to launch its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) come as no surprise as it had been widely discussed by local media even before official confirmation was given in February 2023. With its upcoming pilot program set to commence in April 2023, we can expect great things from Japan as they venture further into becoming a leader in digital currencies worldwide!

• Optimism (OP) distributed 11.7 million OP tokens to active ecosystem users who have delegated the voting power of their OP tokens and spent more than $6.10 on layer 2 gas since March 25, 2022.
• The news caused a significant drop in the value of OP tokens which had gone up 250% since the start of 2021.
• Optimism plans to do more airdrops in the future to experiment & iterate on this ever-evolving mechanism.

Optimism’s Second Airdrop

Optimism (OP) surprised its users with a second airdrop on Thursday, allocating 11.7 million OP tokens to those that have delegated the voting power of their OP tokens and spent more than $6.10 on layer 2 gas since March 25, 2022. A snapshot of the airdrop was taken on January 20, 2023 and eligible users don’t need to claim their tokens as they’ve been sent straight to their wallets.

Reaction To The Airdrop News

The news caused a significant drop in the value of OP tokens which had gone up 250% since the start of 2021, going from $0.913 at the start of the year to an all-time high of $3.19 on February 3rd according to data from CoinGecko, before dropping by almost 9% following the announcement about the second airdrop and currently trading at around $2.37 with 15% lost over 7 days period .

Unlock Schedule

Industry observers have pointed out that OP has one of the worst unlock schedules in 2023 as only around 214 million OP tokens out of 4 billion are currently in circulation while around 5 million worth is being emitted daily adding pressure for further price decreases .

Future Airdrops

Optimism stressed that it’s going to do more airdrops in order to further facilitate positive-sum behavior in its ecosystem so it’s never too late for users to participate .

Conclusion

Optimism continues its journey towards scaling Ethereum network with multiple initiatives like these two successful airdrops but investors should be aware about bad unlock schedule it has with most of its token locked until 2023 .

• Layer-2 tokens, such as Optimism (OP), Loopring (LRC), ImmutableX (IMX), and Polygon (MATIC) are enjoying a strong rally in the crypto markets.
• The reason for the massive run might be that a new narrative is forming around the Layer-2 ecosystem and its promising future.
• Ethereum Layer-2 tokens seem to be benefiting from the still bearish environment in the financial markets.

Ethereum Layer-2 Tokens Enjoying Incredible Run

Ethereum Layer-2 tokens have been enjoying an incredible rally despite the still bearish environment in the financial markets. Optimism’s governance token OP has reached a new all-time high of $3.20, up about 230% in the last month. Other Layer-2 tokens like Loopring (LRC), ImmutableX (IMX), and Polygon (MATIC) are also pumping, indicating that a new narrative is forming around this sector of blockchain technology.

What is Layer 2?

Layer 2 refers to various scaling solutions on a separate blockchain that extends Ethereum network capabilities by taking multiple transactions off-chain and bundling them into one which can then be sent for verification to Ethereum mainnet, thus reducing gas costs. One such solution is an optimistic rollup Optimism (OP).

The Reason Behind This Pump

It’s difficult to determine what sparked this massive run in Ethereum Layer-2 tokens but some plausible reasons could include: 1) A rally in the equity market; 2) Multiple other crypto tokens being up huge since the start of 2021; 3) Special attention from investors towards these particular types of tokens due to their potential use cases; 4) Last year was supposed to be ‘the year of layer 2’s’ however multiple bankruptcies and controversies stopped it from happening; 5) This year there seems to be more optimism regarding layer 2 projects as they are gaining momentum right from start of 2021.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ethereum layer 2 tokens seem to have found renewed interest among investors due their ability to reduce transaction costs on Ethereum mainnet while providing more scalability and flexibility for developers working on decentralized apps or smart contracts. It remains unclear how long this pump will last but so far it looks like these projects could become very valuable over time if they continue delivering on their promises.

References

CoinGecko https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/optimism

• McDonalds tweeted on January 26th, 2023, sparking reactions from Elon Musk and the Dogecoin (DOGE) community.
• Elon Musk reaffirmed that he would „100%“ still appear in a McDonald’s ad if the fast food company implements DOGE payments.
• The price of DOGE has been experiencing an upswing of 6.42% over the last seven days, according to data by Messari.

On January 26th, 2023, the official Twitter account of the American multinational fast-food chain McDonald’s published a simple tweet that sparked a reaction from Elon Musk and the Dogecoin (DOGE) community. After a tweetless-period of more than three months, McDonald’s tweeted the phrase „what did I miss“ to its follower base of 4.7M, and the tweet has thus far accumulated approximately 8.1M views. Business magnate Elon Musk replied to the tweet by McDonald’s with „oh hi lol.“ DogeDesigner, a UX/UI graphic designer at Dogecoin, seized the opportunity to resurrect a year-old tweet from Musk, in which he pledged that he would „eat a happy meal on tv if McDonald’s accepts Dogecoin.“ DogeDesigner asked Musk if the deal was still open. Musk simply responded with the „100%“ emoji, speaking volumes on his opinion of a potential partnership should McDonald’s look to strike a deal.

The conversation between McDonald’s, Elon Musk and Dogecoin has kept the crypto-community abuzz with speculation. The Twitter conversation stemming from McDonald’s original tweet accumulated 8.1M views in less than 24 hours. It is clear that the three have become tightly intertwined in the public eye.

The price of DOGE has also been experiencing an upswing of 6.42% over the last seven days, according to data by Messari. However, Dogecoin’s value has remained unaffected by „the DogeFather“ speculation, trading at $0.085 USD at the time of writing.

It is clear that the conversation between McDonald’s, Elon Musk and Dogecoin is far from over. The community will be watching closely for any further developments as the trio continues to weave a unique and exciting narrative in the world of finance.

Bullet Points:
• Decrypt Studios held the inaugural Crypties awards gala in December 2022 at Art Basel in Miami.
• The awards gala was emceed by Josh Ostrovsky („The Fat Jewish“) and presenters from a range of crypto projects.
• Onstage panels and interviews from conferences and summits included Tezos co-founder Kathleen Breitman and a panel on raising venture money even during Crypto Winter.

At the end of 2022, Decrypt Studios hosted the first-ever Crypties awards gala in Miami, Florida at Art Basel. The night was emceed by Josh Ostrovsky („The Fat Jewish“) and featured a range of presenters from crypto projects. The festivities included an array of awards in nine different categories.

The night was sponsored by a range of leading crypto projects, including Polygon, Filecoin Foundation, Lamina1, Async, BeetsDAO, The Gold Mask, Gem Set, Breakout, Anonymous, Infinite Objects, Ape Water, Decentralized Pictures, and Vault 721.

The Crypties Awards gala also featured onstage panels and interviews from conferences and summits. Tezos co-founder Kathleen Breitman appeared to discuss how the Tezos blockchain has used a proof-of-stake mechanism since its inception, her admiration for Tendermint, Ethereum and sharding, progressive decentralization, and NFT gaming with Decrypt’s Stephen Graves.

A panel was also convened to discuss raising venture money even during Crypto Winter. Clay Robbins of Slow Ventures, Soona Amhaz of Volt Capital, Sarah Guo of Conviction and formerly Greylock, and Alex Strzesniewski of AngelBlock joined Decrypt’s Jason Nelson at 0xpo Summit in San Francisco to discuss their experiences and strategies.

The night ended with the awarding of the inaugural Crypto Unicorns award, which was accepted by Katrina Wolfe from presenter Avery Akkineni of Vayner3. The other nominees in the category were Stepn, Zed Run, and Blankos Block Party.

All in all, the Crypties awards gala was a thrilling night of celebrating the best in crypto projects. With its star-studded list of presenters, sponsors, and nominees, the night left a lasting impression on all who attended.

•Blocknative CEO Matt Cutler was interviewed at 0xpo Crossroads in San Francisco on November 3.
•The Crypties 2022 awards gala was held in December 2022 at Art Basel in Miami.
•Kathleen Breitman of Tezos, Clay Robbins of Slow Ventures, Soona Amhaz of Volt Capital, Sarah Guo of Conviction, and Alex Strzesniewski of AngelBlock discussed raising venture money at 0xpo Summit in San Francisco.

Live events are an important part of the crypto space, providing a platform for leaders in the field to share their expertise and experiences. On November 3, Matt Cutler, the CEO of Blocknative, sat down with Decrypt’s Jason Nelson at 0xpo Crossroads in San Francisco to tell his Web3 origin story and the Blocknative business—plus misconceptions in the crypto space.

In December 2022, Decrypt Studios held the inaugural Crypties awards gala at Art Basel in Miami. Hosted by Josh Ostrovsky („The Fat Jewish“), the evening saw awards given out in nine categories, with sponsors including Polygon, Filecoin Foundation, Lamina1, Async, BeetsDAO, The Gold Mask, Gem Set, Breakout, Anonymous, Infinite Objects, Ape Water, Decentralized Pictures, and Vault 721.

At Web Summit in Lisbon, Kathleen Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, discussed how the Tezos blockchain has used a proof-of-stake mechanism since its inception, her admiration for Tendermint, Ethereum and sharding, progressive decentralization, and NFT gaming with Decrypt’s Stephen Graves onstage.

On November 3, Clay Robbins of Slow Ventures, Soona Amhaz of Volt Capital, Sarah Guo of Conviction and formerly Greylock, and Alex Strzesniewski of AngelBlock joined Decrypt’s Jason Nelson at 0xpo Summit in San Francisco for an extensive panel on raising venture money even during Crypto Winter. The panelists discussed the challenges of fundraising in a bear market, sharing their experiences and giving advice on how to navigate the current market conditions.

Live events are a key part of the crypto experience, allowing leaders in the space to educate, inform, and inspire others. Events such as 0xpo Crossroads, Crypties 2022, Web Summit, and 0xpo Summit provide an opportunity for meaningful conversations and a platform to share knowledge and experiences.

• Phantom Co-Founder Francesco Agosti will be appearing at 0xpo Crossroads in San Francisco on November 3.
• The event will feature an onstage interview with Decrypt’s Jason Nelson about the history of Phantom and what he’s looking forward to in Web3.
• Live Events will feature onstage panels and interviews at conferences and summits.

On November 3, the Phantom Co-Founder Francesco Agosti will be making an appearance at 0xpo Crossroads in San Francisco. This event provides a unique opportunity to hear from one of the minds behind the popular Solana dapp, as Decrypt’s Jason Nelson will be onstage conducting an interview. The topics of discussion will include the history of Phantom and what Agosti is looking forward to in Web3.

In addition to the interview with Agosti, 0xpo Crossroads will also be featuring Live Events. These events will feature onstage panels and interviews from conferences and summits. This will provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to get up close and personal with the minds behind the projects that are driving the Web3 space.

For anyone interested in learning more about the history of Phantom and the possibilities of Web3, this is a can’t-miss event. With the combination of an onstage interview with the Phantom Co-Founder and the Live Events, 0xpo Crossroads is sure to be a memorable experience. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of this exciting event!