Shining Light on WSJ’s Attack on ShapeShift and Crypto 2249

Erik Voorhees is among the top-recognized serial Bitcoin advocates and entrepreneurs. He founded ShapeShift in August 2014 as an elegant, secure, and fast solution to digital asset exchanges. Erik has been a featured guest on Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNBC, BBC Radio, The Peter Schiff Show, and numerous blockchain industry conferences. His past affiliations include: BitInstant, Coinapult, and SatoshiDICE, which was responsible for most of the world’s Bitcoin transactions in 2012 and 2013.

Post Synopsis

  • ShapeShift has been the subject of claims from the Wall Street Journal related to money laundering
  • We have worked with the journalists for 5 months under false pretenses
  • The WSJ omitted relevant information
  • The WSJ forwent a chance to prevent potential illicit activity
  • ShapeShift is designed to protect users and their privacy and we do not transact in fiat
  • We publish every single transaction conducted on the platform, making all of them traceable
  • The authors do not have a sufficient understanding of blockchains and our platform in particular
  • The claims made are factually incorrect and deceptive
  • ShapeShift has an industry-leading compliance and AML program
  • We’re here to build a better financial system

ShapeShift has been the subject of claims from the WSJ related to money laundering

This past Friday (9/28), two reporters at the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article, “How Dirty Money Disappears Into the Black Hole of Cryptocurrency.”

The article begins as follows: “A North Korean agent, a stolen-credit-card peddler and the mastermind of an $80 million Ponzi scheme had a common problem. They needed to launder their dirty money. They found a common solution in ShapeShift.”

The article then describes the WSJ’s attempt to analyze two years of blockchain data, concluding (wrongly) that $9m was laundered through the ShapeShift platform. The article singled-out ShapeShift and implied that the company is a bastion of illicit activity because it hadn’t previously required user information–despite that same data showing that other exchanges (which did take user information) had similar figures.

Overall, the article contains factual inaccuracies, omits significant details about how ShapeShift operates, and reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how blockchain transactions work.

We have worked with the WSJ for 5 months under false pretenses

The WSJ reporters reached out to us months ago asking for friendly assistance on a piece about the crypto industry in general. Over a period of five months, we were open and accommodating of their questions while in contrast they misrepresented their intentions until very recently. Of the many things I communicated with them over the past months, they included not a single statement from those lengthy discussions, preferring instead to include out-of-context remarks I’d made elsewhere.

The WSJ omitted relevant information

Let’s instead look at the actual facts, which ShapeShift shared with the WSJ through multiple phone calls, in-person meetings, and emails, but the WSJ decided to exclude from their article; facts such as:

  • $9m (even if it was true) is 0.15% of ShapeShift’s exchange volume during the described time period;
  • We have a strong record of complying with law-enforcement requests, providing valuable assistance in over 30 investigations in 13 different countries all over the world;
  • We work with other exchanges on an almost-daily basis to identify and block thieves and criminals, through a self-policing group ShapeShift created to protect the users and industry;
  • We block entire countries on the sanctions lists;
  • We have an internal anti-money laundering program that uses blockchain forensics that are far more advanced (and we would argue, effective) than asking someone for their “name and address”;
  • We blacklist suspicious addresses upon learning of them.

There is no mention of any of this in the WSJ article.

The WSJ forewent a chance to prevent potential illicit activity

The WSJ reporters withheld information for months about suspicious accounts in order to build their story, rather than communicating it to the appropriate exchanges and ShapeShift immediately so that funds could be frozen or blocked. It is likely victims of these thefts lost their chance to recoup some of the funds due to this opportunism.

ShapeShift is designed to protect users and their privacy and we do not transact in fiat

Unlike most other exchanges, ShapeShift is a crypto-to-crypto, non-custodial platform. We don’t take custody of user funds, but instead swap our own assets for theirs, at a set price. We don’t touch fiat currency, so users cannot swap their dollars/euros/yen for our Bitcoin/Ethereum/Dogecoin. Not a single dollar, euro, or yen has ever been laundered through ShapeShift. It can’t be done.

We publish every single transaction conducted on the platform publicly, making all of them traceable

From ShapeShift’s beginning, it has had a unique model — one which respects user privacy, and yet one which is transparent about all transaction details. To date, ShapeShift remains the only financial company in the world that publishes all transactions that go through its platform. It was this very feed of public information which the WSJ relied upon. Perhaps the irony is lost on the WSJ, but the WSJ would have been unable to do this kind of investigation with any other crypto exchange, because they aren’t transparent in this way.

The WSJ did not have a sufficient understanding of blockchains and our platform in particular

Blockchains and cryptocurrency represent a new, fast-evolving technology and industry. For those who are not real experts, it can be confusing. And the WSJ reporters appear to have gotten confused about how our platform functions. Based on our own analysis of the transactions cited in the article, the WSJ erroneously attributed vast sums of allegedly illicit transactions to ShapeShift in a way that exhibits a profound failure to grasp how blockchains, in general, and our system in particular, really work.

The claims made are factually inaccurate and deceptive

For example:

1) The authors allege this address is a suspicious person. 1AE2cBJDn4cuLCR6RPESpqdaDXdZwhgUya

2) On 9/20/17 this person sends 0.0959 BTC ($600) to another address, which is an exchange (someone other than ShapeShift) 18G8Mf61kFFDt9AVLUdvh1xTUYrLDny6T4

3) Nearly a year later, on 7/13/18 this 18G8 address sends a batch transaction out of its wallet. As part of the batch, 11 BTC ($70,000) is sent to ShapeShift’s address:
1NSc6zAdG2NGbjPLQwAjAuqjHSoq5KECT7 This 11 BTC is not a user sending funds to ShapeShift, it is one of our exchange partners sending BTC to us.

In other words, $600 of suspicious funds were sent to an exchange that wasn’t ShapeShift. Because ShapeShift happens to be a customer of this same exchange–10 months later in a completely unrelated transaction–the exchange sent funds to ShapeShift. The authors didn’t understand how to properly read the blockchains transactions, so they assumed there was $70k in “dirty money” sent to ShapeShift.

Allegation: $70,000 laundered by ShapeShift
Reality: $0 laundered by ShapeShift

We’ve found numerous other examples. We asked the WSJ to send us the specific transaction ID’s that they are claiming as received by ShapeShift, but the analysis we’ve been able to do thus far indicates the WSJ has made wildly inaccurate assertions. As of this writing, the WSJ has been unwilling or unable to send the requested transaction data necessary for us to do a more fulsome analysis of their assertions.

ShapeShift has an industry-leading compliance and AML program

Contrary to the portrayal in the WSJ piece, ShapeShift has always sought to comply with those laws that apply to its unique business model. Crypto being a new technology and the Bank Secrecy Act being a relatively old law, there are rational and strong legal arguments that ShapeShift is not subject to the “Know Your Customer” rules found in the BSA. Indeed, in part because of this legal uncertainty, we have sought clarification from regulators and have implemented KYC in the interim. That is, despite the fact that ShapeShift operates in a world of unclear and changing regulations, we have built an industry-leading compliance program:

  • We have been working with inside and outside legal counsel for years in addressing regulation appropriately, particularly in the US and Switzerland
  • We have an industry-leading Anti-Money Laundering compliance firm checking all our transactions
  • We have a Chief Legal Officer with 20 years of regulatory experience at leading law firms
  • We have a Chief Compliance Officer with 6+ years of compliance experience
  • We monitor addresses on our blacklists to prevent known illicit transactions
  • We have announced mandatory KYC for all users of ShapeShift

All of the above was done upon thorough, thoughtful, and extensive legal and business-risk analysis in the interest of mitigating perceived threats.

We’re here to build a better financial system

The WSJ article’s implication that ShapeShift is somehow negligent or complicit on this issue of money laundering is false and absurd; emblematic of a media industry that cares more about clickbait sensationalism than it does about improving the financial state of mankind. But we should not expect the Wall Street Journal to change Wall Street.

An objective observer will find no complacency here; ShapeShift’s record (based on facts) compares favorably against any peer, within the crypto industry or without.

Ultimately, we are trying to pioneer a new financial system, and we don’t expect to be loved by the proponents of the old. That’s understandable. Yet ShapeShift has always been in favor of complying with the laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates, even though many of these laws are unclear, ever-changing, contradictory, and in some cases ineffective.

We will push forward, and we’d suggest the WSJ change their title to be more accurate and objective, “Less than two tenths of one percent of ShapeShift’s business might be illicit.”

-Erik Voorhees
CEO ShapeShift

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Introducing BounceBit Testnet Phase 2: App Store 5705

Following the success of BounceBit Testnet: BounceClub East-to-West Event launched on March 8, 2024, BounceBit announces the rollout of BounceBit Testnet Phase 2: App Store.

While the previously launched Testnet BounceClub Event will operate as usual without any changes, BounceBit Testnet Phase 2 highlights BounceBit App Store’s features and encourages developers to deploy on the BounceBit Testnet by submitting their decentralized applications (DApps) to the BounceBit App Store through GitHub pull request.

BounceBit Testnet Phase 2 mirrors the mainnet environment, offering developers, validators, full node operators, delegators, and users an early preview of the BounceBit Mainnet. This phase welcomes everyone to interact with the BounceBit PoS staking chain and the BounceClub ecosystem.

Here’s what you can expect from BounceBit Testnet Phase 2:

Deploy on BounceBit testnet

BounceBit Testnet Phase 2 offers developers the chance to get an early experience of deploying on the BounceBit chain by submitting their DApps to be listed on the BounceBit App Store. The BounceBit App Store features both in-house DApps and those built by community developers or external projects. To have your DApp listed on the BounceBit App Store, submit a pull request on BounceBit’s GitHub repository. The BounceBit team will then review and, if approved, list your DApp on the BounceBit App Store. DApps that are listed during Testnet Phase 2 will receive priority consideration for being listed on the BounceBit Mainnet App Store based on their performance.

For more details on the onboarding process, please refer to BounceBit’s official guide.

Stress-testing DApps

BounceClub owners and users are invited to participate in testing all DApps that are listed on the BounceBit Testnet App Store. BounceClub owners can select and add DApps to their BounceClubs, while BounceClub users can interact with the DApps when exploring different BounceClubs.

The BounceClub community plays a crucial role in evaluating the listed DApps’ performance and security, identifying vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. This Testnet Phase 2 contributes to the resilience and reliability of the BounceBit ecosystem, striving to maintain a smooth and secure environment for all BounceBit users.

Onboarding more validators

The BounceBit Testnet has kicked off with its first set of node operators during the BounceClub East-to-West Event. Currently, there are 24 active validators participating, with a combined staking amount totaling over 1000 $BBTC and over 283 million $BB.

For Testnet Phase 2, BounceBit aims to broaden the network by inviting more validators to participate. New validators will be guided through the onboarding process for Phase 2 via Discord.

Testing BounceBit’s tokenomics

BounceBit Testnet Phase 2 will continue the rigorous testing of BounceBit’s tokenomics, including token generation events (TGE), inflation rates, vesting schedules, gas fees, block sizes, and the validator slashing mechanism. Additionally, the BounceBit native LSD module’s performance will be observed continually.

About BounceBit

BounceBit is building a BTC restaking infrastructure that provides a foundational layer for different restaking products, secured by the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu. The BounceBit chain, designed as a showcase of a restaking product within the BounceBit ecosystem, is a PoS Layer 1 secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit’s native token – A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin’s security with full EVM compatibility. Critical ecosystem infrastructure like bridges and oracles are secured by restaked BTC. Through an innovative CeDeFi framework, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield across multiple networks.

MVC unveils testnet version of game-changing Bitcoin sidechain asset bridge 6373

The Bitcoin ecosystem has recently been in the spotlight, with the emergence of innovative solutions such as the BRC20 concept and the continuous evolution of applications that captivate the market’s interest. This resurgence evokes memories of the DeFi summer of 2020 on the Ethereum network, where decentralized applications thrived alongside a surge in token prices, setting the stage for high expectations for the Bitcoin ecosystem. In a significant development, the much-anticipated Bitcoin ecosystem application, MicrovisionChain (MVC, Ticker $SPACE), has announced the testnet version of its cross-chain asset bridge feature, marking a game-changing milestone for the Bitcoin sidechain.

Developed through a collaboration between the MVC technical team and the Octopus Space team, the Orders Bridge is now a part of the MVC ecosystem. Currently, the Bridge facilitates cross-chain transactions exclusively from the Bitcoin network to the MVC network. MVC stands as one of the top three global Bitcoin sidechain solutions in terms of hash power and boasts impressive technical features, including smart contracts on UTXO public chains, low fees with high concurrency, and high throughput. Previous reports suggest that MVC can support nearly unlimited transactions per second (TPS).

By bridging assets to the MVC network, users can leverage the numerous advantages offered by the network’s features, effectively overcoming many limitations associated with transactions on the native Bitcoin network. The MVC solution offers significant cost savings, as cross-chain transaction fees to MVC are reported to be one five-hundred-thousandth of the peak rates on the Bitcoin network. Moreover, due to MVC’s network characteristics, transactions feature zero-block confirmations, eliminating network congestion and block confirmation delays as obstacles to trading. Unlike other Bitcoin cross-chain solutions, assets bridged to MVC remain based on the UTXO layer1’s Tokens, significantly reducing the risk of “fake Tokens.”

Beyond its groundbreaking asset bridge, Orders.Exchange also encompasses an order book DEX, Swap, and liquidity pools within its ecosystem. The platform gained widespread attention for being the first in the network to support a complete range of trading order types. It enables the trading of any Bitcoin asset, including Ordinals NFTs and BRC20 tokens, through the creation of ASK and BID orders. This approach ensures that the immediate trading needs of both buyers and sellers can be met. Notably, Orders.Exchange is the only platform in the Bitcoin ecosystem that supports the construction of BID orders, distinguishing it as a unique service provider in the space.

In its Swap and liquidity pool solutions, Orders.Exchange demonstrates strong technical capabilities and a commitment to decentralization and asset security. According to information disclosed by the team, its Swap and liquidity pool frameworks are built on a decentralized architecture. This framework splits users’ orders into several parts, each handled by different modules within the framework. Some modules solely process user operation data without touching the transaction data, while others are dedicated to allocating funds based on the orders without interpreting the transactions themselves. The modules operate independently without sharing data, significantly reducing the potential for losses due to hacking attacks. Impressively, this complex logic is executed within a single block, meaning Swap transactions only require confirmation in one block.

The liquidity pool is particularly critical, as it holds a significant amount of user assets, and inadequate security could expose users to financial risks. Orders.Exchange employs cold and hot wallet segregation along with a threshold multisignature approach for fund management. In the hot wallet (online environment), Orders.Exchange stores only a minimal amount of assets necessary for basic services. Assets exceeding this threshold are transferred to the cold wallet (offline environment), which replenishes the hot wallet only when its assets fall below the threshold.

To isolate cold and hot wallets, Orders.Exchange uses a threshold multisignature method to eliminate all potential internal misconduct. For the hot wallet, a 2/3 threshold multisignature is used, meaning three parties hold the multisig private keys, and any transaction requires signatures from at least two of them to proceed. The cold wallet employs a 3/5 threshold multisignature, underscoring a heightened emphasis on asset security. The institutions involved in the multisignature management are well-known security audit firms, each with a reputation to maintain. Known participants include sCrypt, a reputable Bitcoin network audit firm, and Scalebit, which has officially announced its audit work. Notably, Orders.Exchange plans to co-host a public seminar on asset security with the renowned audit firm Certik in early April.

With the multitude of positive developments surrounding Bitcoin and the approaching halving event, there is every reason to believe that the potential of the Bitcoin ecosystem is fully comparable to that of the Ethereum ecosystem at its inception. At this juncture, closely monitoring the movements within the Bitcoin ecosystem becomes particularly crucial. Orders.Exchange stands out as the most technically accomplished platform with already implemented functionalities, and we believe it possesses significant potential, heralding a new era for Bitcoin sidechain solutions.

Twitter: https://x.com/mvcglobal

TG: https://t.me/mvcofficial

Masa Network Integrates with LayerZero to Power Its Cross-chain AI Data Network 6581

Masa Network’s AI Data Marketplace will be an interoperable network for the world’s personal data, launching across multiple blockchains from day one

Masa Network, the world’s leading decentralized personal data network, has announced its integration with LayerZero, an interoperability protocol that seamlessly connects blockchains and allows developers to build omnichain applications, tokens and experiences. The integration with LayerZero will enable communication for the Masa Data Network which will be launched on a dedicated Avalanche Subnet, with Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain. The MASA token interoperability will further expand to Polygon, Base, Celo and more in the future via LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) Standard, which enables native cross-chain token transfers.

Masa is set to launch its native MASA token alongside the Network Mainnet on or around April 11th, 2024. Masa aims to shift the control of personal data back to users in the AI era. A person’s digital footprint and social graph is encrypted and stored in a completely private way in a Zero-Knowledge Soulbound Tokens (zkSBTs) data locker on the Masa Network. Users can own, share and earn from their personal data to train AI models, power AI agents, and power innovative AI applications.

Users earn MASA tokens as rewards when their data is used by developers to power the decentralized AI economy.

Calenthia Mei, the Co-founder of Masa, said, “Masa is thrilled to be integrating with LayerZero Labs, who has become the industry standard for interoperability. Masa wants to empower users to own, share, and earn from their data, no matter which blockchain network their data is on. With LayerZero’s support, we are excited to be cross-chain and interoperable from the very beginning.”

With the explosion of AI models, Masa has emerged as a leader in supplying vast amounts of privacy-first personal training data, powering the future of AI applications. It has amassed over 1.4 million unique wallets and over 37 million proprietary data points.

Developers can utilize Masa Network’s massive collection of private-by-default user data to train AI models, build innovative apps, power decentralized advertising, and more. Masa will also be providing out-of-the-box large-language models for real-time data searching within the network.

Simon Baksys, VP of Business of Development at LayerZero, commented “We are excited to collaborate with Masa to enhance privacy and innovation in AI development. The integration of LayerZero infrastructure with Masa’s ecosystem, will enable accelerated development of personalized AI applications while ensuring user data remains private and secure.”

About LayerZero

LayerZero is an interoperability protocol that connects blockchains (50+ and counting), allowing developers to build seamless omni-chain applications, tokens, and experiences. The protocol relies on immutable on-chain endpoints, a configurable Security Stack, and a permissionless set of Executors to transfer censorship-resistant messages between chains.

About Masa

Masa is the world’s personal data network, empowering users to own, share and earn from their data. In the AI era, Masa is building a scalable, secure, and resilient global data market, where millions of developers can build innovative applications using privacy-first user data.

Masa has amassed over 1.3 million unique wallets and over 37 million proprietary data points in its exponential growth since launch in August 2022. It has raised more than $9.2 million in funding from leading investors such as DCG, Anagram and GoldenTree, and was incubated by Coinlist’s Seed Program and Binance’s Most-Valuable-Builder Accelerator.

Reject anxiety, utilize TrendX wisely, and position yourself as smart money 6877

On March 26th, in the dynamic landscape of bull markets, TrendX announced the launch of AlphaSquare, marking a significant step in smart investment strategies. This event emphasizes the importance of choosing effective tools in a bull market, filled with wealth myths and abundant opportunities. However, not every participant can capitalize on these opportunities, as it demands smart decision-making. This article explores the strategic value of tools like TrendX, especially designed for these market conditions.

Navigating Uncertainties in Bull Markets:

With the advent of the Bitcoin ETF, the cryptocurrency market has entered a regular four-year bull market cycle, bursting with varied narratives like BTC and ETH ecosystems, Layer 2 solutions, and AI integration. While these trends offer great opportunities, they also create a challenging environment of information overload and decision paralysis for investors.

In this whirlwind of possibilities, investors grapple with the dilemma of choice and timing. The fear of missing out often leads to over-diversification or missed opportunities, impacting both profits and investor confidence. The sheer cost and complexity of accessing reliable information further exacerbate these challenges, leaving investors vulnerable and often misled.

Code-Based Reliable Strategy Tools:

Objective tools, such as TrendX, offer a robust solution. TrendX excels in market analysis, tracking a vast array of projects, Twitter influencers, and smart money movements. It’s a comprehensive database vital for crafting effective investment strategies.

Data analysis is crucial in the Web3 industry, revealing trends and patterns for informed decision-making. However, it’s the effective use of data that transforms it into a powerful investment tool.

TrendX stands out by providing indices on often overlooked emotional fundamentals and industry discussion heat. Using AI for sentiment analysis, it identifies correlations between market mood swings and token price movements. This feature is especially beneficial for short-term traders seeking clear investment targets.

Furthermore, TrendX simplifies smart money tracking. Following the moves of major players can be a strategic advantage for retail investors.

Harnessing Strategy Tools and AI:

The integration of smart money tracking with sentiment analysis forms the backbone of TrendX’s AlphaSquare. This feature offers multi-factor strategies, real-time updates, and backtesting analysis, empowering investors to make informed decisions in real-time, thereby maximizing profits and minimizing risks.

AlphaSquare has developed various strategies to cater to different investor profiles and is set to release more in the future. These strategies range from general investment approaches to more nuanced analyses combining smart money movements and KOL insights.

The upcoming update, Strategy Plaza, will allow users to customize and share strategies, fostering a community of shared learning and market trend insights. This feature is expected to enhance the platform’s effectiveness and accuracy through continuous user collaboration and strategy refinement.

Summary

In summary, utilizing the right strategy tools like TrendX’s AlphaSquare in a bull market can significantly enhance profit capture and foster growth among investors. It represents a transformative step in evolving from an ordinary investor to a well-informed, strategic market player.

AvaxTech Passes SolidProof Smart Contract Audit, Enhancing Safety for Avax Investors 6898

The AvaxTech project has recently passed a smart contract audit by the well-respected SolidProof. This milestone adds to AvaxTech’s already impressive track record of providing valuable products for the Avax chain.

The project aims to enhance safety for Avax investors and promote secure investments in the ever-evolving digital landscape. With its team of experts, AvaxTech provides reliable analysis and information for investors.

AvaxTech’s Impact on Avax Ecosystem

The spirit of AvaxTech is to support the Avax community by providing reliable tokens through their products. Monk, the project’s developer, has an extensive background in the cryptocurrency world.

He has worked on over 100 projects related to product development and idea consultancy. Monk’s expertise includes developing bots used by thousands on Telegram, providing Web3 Dapp platforms, and smart contract audits. Many recognize him for his work on meme coins, which he still actively supports.

Monk has now turned his focus to the Avax blockchain and established AvaxTech with the development team. He leads the team in creating and supporting products and platforms for Avax. As a voluntary supporter, Monk offers information support to developers and companies looking to develop on Avax.

Impressively, AvaxTech has detected over 2,000 scam tokens on the Avax blockchain since November 2023. This has raised awareness among thousands of investors and aided in creating a safer ecosystem.

The recent completion of the smart contract audit for AvaxTech by SolidProof further solidifies their reliability. This project lets almost the entire Avax community access trustworthy tokens and trading tools.

How AvaxTech Promotes Secure Investments

The AvaxTech ecosystem features multiple tools to assist investors in making secure investments within the Avax blockchain. One of these tools is the Analyzer Platform, which provides users with an easy-to-read dashboard for all their analysis needs.

This includes analyzing token addresses and wallets for any suspicious activity. It also involves accessing vital information such as market cap, liquidity ratio, risk for honeypot systems, transaction taxes, and more.

All of this information comes from AvaxTech’s impartial third-party engine, giving users a reliable source for project analysis. It is pretty much like having an ID card for a project. This makes it easier for traders to evaluate the potential benefits and risks.

With AvaxTech’s Telegram Analyzer Bot, users can scan for suspicious activity directly through the messaging app. This technology enables quick and easy monitoring of investments on the go.

Furthermore, AvaxTech offers tools such as the New Pair Channel and New Lock Channel on Telegram. The latter can be useful for alerting users to new pair listings and LP lockings in real time.

Lastly, with the Telegram Live Trending feature, users can easily spot trending Avax tokens and gain insights on potential investments. Together, these products make up AvaxTech’s suite of tools promoting secure and informed investments in Web3.

About AvaxTech

AvaxTech is a company founded in November 2023 with the goal of developing products for the Avax chain. With its first product, the Telegram analysis bot @AvalancheAnalyzerBot, AvaxTech gained a wide audience.

The platform has also been pivotal in protecting Avax token investors by detecting 96% of SCAM Tokens.

AvaxTech has become a valuable organization for all Avax communities and investors with its popular web analysis platform, Avaxanalysis.com.

On January 22, AvaxTech launched $ATECH Token, which has utility in its entire ecosystem of products. This project has become a brand within the Avax ecosystem. Nowadays, thousands of investors are using the platform for newly added tokens.

$ATECH Token serves as a payment and utility token in the entire AvaxTech ecosystem, giving it real purpose and utility. Its use is necessary for accessing all products developed by AvaxTech.

unagi(x) by Wemade Integrates Chainlink CCIP on WEMIX3.0 Mainnet as Exclusive Cross-Chain Infrastructure for Omnichain Gaming Ecosystem 8711

Wemade, one of South Korea’s largest game developers and the founder of unagi(x), and Chainlink, the industry-standard decentralized computing platform, announced today that Chainlink CCIP—the industry standard for cross-chain interoperability—has been integrated by unagi(x) on WEMIX. As the network’s official cross-chain infrastructure, CCIP underpins WEMIX’s gaming mega-ecosystem and unagi(x)—the interoperability engine for unagi, the omnichain initiative to enable fast on-off chain trading.

The AAA MMORPG NIGHT CROWS —which launches globally in 170 countries on March 12th—will integrate unagi(x) powered by CCIP across six chains: WEMIX, Kroma, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Polygon. Interoperability between this diverse selection of networks allows users to fully immerse themselves in the game, while tokenizing in-game assets on their preferred chain.

“We selected Chainlink CCIP as it offers a proven solution for cross-chain token transfers and multi-chain abstraction to enhance user experiences across Web3 gaming and beyond,” said Henry Chang, CEO of Wemade. “By seamlessly connecting WEMIX to the multi-chain ecosystem and enabling cross-chain transfers of in-game NIGHT CROWS tokens and NFTs with CCIP, we’re unlocking a novel omnichain gaming experience and interchain economy that will help drive the growth of all of Web3.”.

unagi(x) being powered by CCIP enables Web3 gamers to play NIGHT CROWS across the multi-chain ecosystem, while facilitating seamless transfers of in-game tokens and NFTs between chains. Users can freely choose their gaming chain, connecting and exchanging game tokens and NFTs with the ‘una Wallet,’ which enables users to intuitively manage assets and transfers across supported networks via the omnichain infrastructure.

“I am very impressed by how Wemade is on the cutting edge of blockchain gaming, a growing part of the entire blockchain economy, which I believe will eventually intersect with DeFi in new and interesting ways,” said Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink. “We are excited to support them in their plans to lead the blockchain gaming community into the future with a secure connectivity solution.”

CCIP was selected as Wemade’s official interoperability solution because of its proven track record as the provider of oracle services used by hundreds of dApps and its dominant position as the leading provider of oracle services in the DeFi space. Advanced features including programmable token transfers and a single standardized interface for omnichain application development were also key factors leading to the decision to choose CCIP.

As a result, the integration of CCIP within unagi(x) creates a secure environment for NIGHT CROWS gamers to effortlessly navigate across chains, and positions NIGHT CROWS to redefine the possibilities of omnichain gaming.

About Chainlink

Chainlink is the industry-standard decentralized computing platform powering the verifiable web. Chainlink has enabled over $9 trillion in transaction value by providing financial institutions, startups, and developers worldwide with access to real-world data, offchain computation, and secure cross-chain interoperability across any blockchain. Chainlink powers verifiable applications and high-integrity markets for banking, DeFi, global trade, gaming, and other major sectors.

Learn more about Chainlink by visiting chain.link or reading the developer documentation at docs.chain.link.

Wemade

With over two decades of gaming industry expertise, Wemade is at the forefront of the next global wave of Web3 game developers innovating with blockchain technology. Aiming to accelerate the mass adoption of blockchain technology, Wemade is building a one-of-its-kind, experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem that offers a wide spectrum of intuitive, convenient, and easy-to-use Web3 services. Visit www.wemix.com/communication for more information.