This is Charles Brett’s start-of-the-week Enterprise Times blockchain catch-up 2022-Week 6. Necessarily it is idiosyncratic and selective.
It is not intended to be comprehensive but does seek to highlight ‘Quick Takes’ on specific developments as well interesting pieces to read, a listing of some (not all) announcements/press releases and pointers to upcoming events.
Quick Takes – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up 2022-Week 6
The NFT ecosystem is a complete disaster
Top marketplaces facilitate epic amounts of theft and wash trading, scams are rampant, and the cringe is unbearable. Can it last?
Quick Take: puzzled by how and why NFTs have gained such popularity? This analysis is as good a shake down as you may read anywhere. Worth the time…
Federal Reserve Board releases discussion paper that examines pros and cons of a potential U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC)
“The paper summarizes the current state of the domestic payments system and discusses the different types of digital payment methods and assets that have emerged in recent years, including stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies. It concludes by examining the potential benefits and risks of a CBDC, and identifies specific policy considerations.”
Quick Take: the Fed does not sound very enthusiastic, even when the US payments systems creaks. Want to comment? Go here (for the next 100 odd days).
7 pieces to read – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up 2022-Week 6
- Will blockchain be good for the planet? (interview)
- Blockchain rare earth scheme to certify sustainable output for EVs
- Crypto, blockchain investments in 2021 exceeded previous 3 Years combined: KPMG
- Sequoia makes a big bet on Web3, leading $450 million investment in Polygon
- The virus killer: how blockchain contributes to the fight against COVID-19
- Web3 faces its own Joe Rogan moment (behind Bloomberg paywall)
- Bitcoin worth US $3.6B seized in the US.
Selected announcements/press releases/opinions – Charles Brett’s Blockchain Catch-up 2022-Week 6
- How blockchain technology can help solve Asia’s need for green finance (opinion)
- Public blockchains are the new national economies of the metaverse (opinion)
- The metaverse makes no sense and here’s why (opinion)
- Silicon Valley bets on blockchain nuts and bolts (opinion, behind FT paywall)
- Intel launches ‘blockchain chip’ (announcement)
- Fnality tests synthetic CBDC with Natwest, Santander ahead of October launch (announcement)
- Central Bank Digital Currencies status (resource).
Selected upcoming events
- Digital Assets Week (21-25 March 2022)
- Bitcoin 2022 (April 6th-9th, 2022)
- Paris Blockchain Week Summit (12-14th April 2022).
