Presented by CryptoLink.Tech

Volume 1 | Edition 5 | July 20, 2023

Opening Thoughts

5 weeks into this thing and not looking back! For those of you who have been here from the start, thank you as always. If you are new to the newsletter, thank you for taking the time to read my stream of consciousness for the week. 😂

The space seems pretty thin.

The only action on crypto Twitter this week was the Opepen fiasco, which seemed to have sparked some controversy in the NFT community per usual.

The NFT community can’t have anything nice. They get nice things like good marketing and mega-degen communities and they still find ways to bicker and argue like a bunch of school children.

Anyways, let’s get into it for the week shall we!

Cryptolink Connect

Here, we delve into the latest in the world of CryptoLink.Tech! From AnyToAny to PaperDEX, this is the spot to hear about all things CL.

Destination Decentralization: Validator Reservation Page Live for Existing Validators

Our existing Validators have gotten their bit of alpha!

The Validator reservation page is now LIVE for existing validators and is soon to be released to the public!

With the upcoming launch of the public reservation page users can look forward to seeing some new chains up for launch (ETH & ARB). It should be an exciting end to July!

Aesthetic = Pleasing 🤩

UFC 420 Atlas v MEV: Sandwich Bots Begone

Atlas has been battling the evil sandwich bots that got after our own last week.

Ink_Fanatic was visciously attacked by the bots when making an INK swap and Atlas vowed to never let that happen again.

Bots are often rogue and can strike with any trade, but Atlas is pushing a patch to ensure we don’t have those problems with AnyToAny.io!

To learn more about MEV or sandwich bots, check out this weeks ‘Decoded’ near the end of the newsletter.

Crypto Currents

This section covers major recent developments and trends in the crypto world.

BTC Backed USD: Big Plans for RFK Jr. if Elected

We have seen in more than once already. Politicians have been flocking to grift off the Crypto community. We have seen it from DeSantis to Ramswamy at this point, but none have seemed quite genuine.

RFK Jr. is doubling down on his support for BTC with his latest comments on his plans for the dollar if elected.

RFK went on to mention Gold, Silver, and BTC as possible options for the USD backing.

To take things a step further, Cointelegraph is reporting that RFK Jr. also said he would work to make BTC profits tax exempt.

That’s one way to get the attention of the web3 community.

Degens assemble!

Fink Doubles Down: BlackRock CEO Thinks BTC Has Transcendental Potential

Fink is back at it this week with more bullish comments on Bitcoin.

The CEO went on to say that cryptocurrencies offer a differentiating value proposition to other assets. According to BlackRock, investors continue to inquire about cryptocurrencies and adding them to their portfolios.

I hear a ton of bullish news with this one. If you needed any more reassurance that this has a serious shot look no further than BlackRock’s record with ETFs.

According to Cointelegraph, BlackRock has filed for 550 ETFs in its history and has only been denied once.

Over 99% success rate is pretty good.

bulls rumbling in the vast distance 

🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂(🐂)

Victory Bells: Gary Capitualtes After XRP Ruled NOT a Security

I know at this point everyone already heard the news since it came out last Thursday, but it’s still awesome to take a W when you can.

Last week a judge ruled XRP is not a security and the price went ZOOM.

Fingers crossed that this sets a positive precedent moving forward.

Oh, and I found this hilarious.

Interchain Intel

Updates and insights from across different blockchain networks.

New Watering Hole: Oasis Moves EVM Operations to Sapphire

The Oasis blockchain (yes that one) has launched its privacy-enabled EVM compatible chain called Sapphire.

Currently if you are in the CryptoLink ecosystem you may be familiar with Oasis’ previous EVM side-chain called Emerald.

The CryptoLink team will be reaching out to Oasis to figure out the next steps in migrating over if that is something that they deem necessary.

In the meantime we can dig into what this chain is:

• Privacy-Enabled

• EVM Compatible

• Confidential Abstraction

• Confidential Fungible Tokens

• Decentralized Identification

Cointelegraph reports that its users will be in complete control of their on-chain data and how it is shared.

Seems pretty interesting, and because it’s close to home I will be doing a further deep dive!

CELO’s Big Proposal

The CELO blockchain put up a huge proposal last week!

As you all know we are also on CELO so this could very well affect the CryptoLink ecosystem, and as always the team will be reaching out to see what the best course of action is.

CELO has proposed to rejoin the Ethereum ecosystem as a Layer-2 scaling solution to the blockchain giant.

They plan to utilize the OP stack, the set of software used to power the Optimism Mainnet and now other blockchains, as the infrastructure to make the move if it happens. The CELO team says that this would remove the need for overbearing upgrades to the blockchain and monitoring tools.

This would be an interesting move for CELO, and probably a smart one.

CELO is a blockchain that is focused on mobile phone adaptability and reaching developing nations.

Opepen Takes Crypto Twitter By Storm

Another NFT craze has now come and sorta went with the Opepen craze the last week.

NFT “artist” and master web3 marketer JackTheButcher launched the Opepen collection, getting ThreadGuy to use an Opepen version of his own pfp on Twitter to drive hype.

The hype won and tons of people made their own Opepen as well as large brands in the web3 space such as OpenSea and Polygon.

Even Beeple got in on the fun and has included Opepen in three of his ‘everyday’s since the hype has been driven up.

Naturally this couldn’t go on without some level of controversy. The Network crowd, led by Shillain Villain and his posse, has been saying that the Opepen was a scheme to take more people’s money.

The Network guys have also claimed there is some sort of ‘shadow group’ of NFT elites called the “WAGMI Cabal” that pulls all these strings.

More Spy Kids.

wtf.

I said F*** it and made one.

Tech Trends

Here, we explore the latest technological advancements and innovations in the blockchain space.

Privacy Maxxing: What Is a Privacy Chain/Coin?

The Oasis news got me thinking… what exactly is a “privacy coin”?

Obviously the purpose is in the name and one can draw their own conclusions as to what it means, but how does it differ from other blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum?

There are a few well-known privacy chains out there already, such as Monero and ZCash.

I always wondered why Monero was an option for every “Pay with Crypto” widget on a web2 platform like an online casino. Now it makes sense.

Monero, for example, takes multiple measures to secure and shield the ledger from public eyes. They are private by default, meaning you can’t turn off the privacy settings like you can on ZCash. Monero uses one-time stealth addresses and ring signatures to ensure that each transaction is encrypted.

ZCash uses zero-knowledge proofs to create a transparent yet privacy-enabled ledger for its blockchain.

Zero-Knowledge Cryptography is a multi-step process of math and randomness to generate a transaction key. This key is called a zk-SNARK, which is supposed to prove a transaction happened without really revealing anything about the transaction.

Often the ID at the bar anaology is used when discussing zero-knowledge proofs, the central concept of privacy coins moving forward.

Imagine you want to go to a bar and you have to prove to the bouncer that you are 21 years old (using the States as an example).

However, you don’t want to reveal the other info on your ID such as your address. Zk-Proofs would allow for that verification to happen.

I don’t know who Tory Green is, but thanks for the example mate. This thread is great info on the topic for further reading!

Decoded

In this section, we decode complex blockchain and cryptocurrency concepts into understandable language.

DeFi Deli: Uncovering the World of Sandwich Bots

In the rapidly evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi), a new term has gained prominence: MEV, or Miner Extractable Value. MEV refers to the potential profit that miners or validators can extract by reordering, front-running, or inserting transactions into blocks to their advantage. One specific strategy that has emerged as a concern is the use of Sandwich Bots.

Sandwich Bots are sophisticated trading algorithms that aim to exploit price movements in decentralized exchanges (DEXs). These bots insert their own trades in between pending transactions, taking advantage of price discrepancies before the original transaction is executed. By cleverly timing their trades, Sandwich Bots can profit from buying low and selling high, often at the expense of unsuspecting traders.

The rise of Sandwich Bots has raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the DeFi ecosystem. While some argue that they are simply using available market opportunities, others express concerns about their potential to manipulate prices and exploit regular users. It has become essential for DeFi participants to stay informed about the risks associated with MEV and the strategies employed by Sandwich Bots.

As the DeFi landscape continues to evolve, efforts are underway to mitigate the impact of MEV and Sandwich Bots. Projects and protocols are exploring solutions such as MEV auctions, which allow users to bid for a share of the profits derived from MEV. Additionally, advancements in decentralized oracle networks and smart contract design aim to minimize the vulnerability of transactions to front-running attacks.

Understanding MEV and the tactics employed by Sandwich Bots is crucial for anyone navigating the DeFi space. By staying informed and vigilant, participants can make informed decisions and actively contribute to the development of a fair and efficient decentralized financial ecosystem.

Final Byte: Wally’s Wisdom

Another week, another banger for the people!

As much as the space seems super dead sometimes, all you have to do is look a little deeper and there is some interesting news.

While I’m a bit surprised that the BlackRock hype hasn’t spilled over into the space quite yet, maybe that’s a larger sign of the greater economic situation. Should we buckle up for a rocky end to the year, anon?

Either way, we are still here every day. It’s funny when things start to heat up and then cool off again with the news cycles, just another Thursday around these parts.

That’s why I’m bullish on every project we still work with or keep in contact with. People that have withstood the test of the last year are serious about this thing. If you know builders that are still grinding and have been for the last year or so, pat them on the back today.

This space will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. The best thing to do is keep building, then build some more.

Special shout out to all of the CryptoLink homies putting in insane amounts of work on twitter for AnyToAny. Marketing is tough in this space because it’s all about trust. The more we have grassroots support from real people that use our platform, the further our end destination moves. The moon is the limit with a rock-solid group of supporters.

BTK, Jimmy Rinse, CPunksW00t, FerretPewPew, Ink_Fanatic, JHarp, NoDeeb8, Lamp, Jigs and every single one of our other die-hards…. we appreciate YOU!

Thank you for being part of our chain reaction this week. We hope these insights help you navigate the exciting world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Stay linked for more updates next week!

Best,

Wally, CMO CryptoLink.Tech

ZEALY CODE: FERRETKINI