Ethereum's Shadow Fork

Today is Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

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Ethereum's Shadow Fork

The first mainnet shadow fork for Ethereum went live Monday, signifying a critical achievement for the popular cryptocurrency.

Background: Ethereum’s network follows a proof-of-work (PoW) system, which can be a manual way of verifying a user. The network is now switching to proof-of-stake (PoS), which can be faster and more energy-efficient.

Details: A shadow fork basically is a critical point in this migration where data can now be shared on both chains. Basically, it is huge news for Ethereum developers and traders.

History: Ethereum, the second-largest crypto by market cap, has been pegged by some experts to overtake Bitcoin in 2022. Obviously, that hasn’t happened yet.

Numbers: Despite the shadow fork on Monday, the price of Ethereum fell about 6%. However, most cryptos had a bad Monday as well, which has been attributed to rising interest rates.

Final Thoughts: At this point, Ethereum is still down for the year.

Notables

Notable Earnings Today: CarMax (NYSE: KMX), Albertsons (NYSE: ACI), OrganiGram Holdings (Nasdaq: OGI), Airspan Networks Holdings (NYSEAMERICAN: MIMO).

Notable IPOs Today: Charge Enterprises, Inc. Common Stock (Nasdaq: CRGE).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Brakes to Go (StartEngine), newBin (StartEngine), We Are The New Farmers (Republic).

Notable Economic Events Today: OPEC Monthly Report (7:00 a.m. ET), Consumer Price Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Federal Budget Balance (2:00 p.m.).

Meta Eyes Monetization Tools

Meta Platforms (Nasdaq: FB), the parent company of Facebook, announced Monday afternoon that it was testing new tools for its virtual reality game, Horizon Worlds, that would allow users to earn money.

Sell This: The company is testing a new feature where creators can sell virtual items and effects within their worlds.

Bonus: Meta is also exploring a potential bonus program for creators that would come in the form of goal-oriented monthly programs.

Background: Meta launched the free Horizon Worlds last year, as a way for users to get involved in the metaverse. In October, the company created a $10 million Horizon Creators Fund to give resources to creators.

Numbers: Shares of Meta are down 36% in 2022, but are up about 15% in the past month.

Final Thoughts: This news might excite metaverse enthusiasts, but it remains to be seen if investors will like it.

Cryptocurrency Startups Buzzing Through Equity Crowdfunding

Some of the most successful and lucrative companies to raise capital through equity crowdfunding so far in 2022 are in the cryptocurrency space.

Mining: Josh Terry Bitvault, a Bitcoin mining operation, raised over $1 million on Wefunder.

So Cool: HydroHash, a liquid-cooled crypto mining powered by renewable energy, already sold out on Republic with $5 million raised.

Bank On It: Unbanked, a crypto and fintech startup, has already raised over $2.3 million on Republic in a campaign that ends in April.

Final Thoughts: Will this crypto trend in equity crowdfunding last throughout 2022?

Trends to Watch

Tweet This: Twitter Grapples With an Elon Musk Problem (The New York Times)

Protest: Etsy sellers launch a week-long strike over increased fees (NPR)

Oil Of Your Problems: Oil dives 4%, below $100 on China lockdowns, reserves release plan (Reuters)

Keep Dreaming: Bitcoin price drops to $39K, but data shows leverage traders dreaming of $50K (Cointelegraph)

Promising: Pair of Drugmakers Soar in Meme-Like Session on Study Results (Bloomberg)

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