The TGCm Weekly RunUp

June 28, 2023

AuthorAuthor

Alan Buxbaum & Jami
June 28, 2023

Welcome back to ThinkGrowCryptoMedia! Your Cardano-biased, new media outlet for any and all blockchain-knowledge needs.

Let's kick things off with the latest Cardano update - Node 8.1.1.

Don't let the "minor release" tag fool you; this upgrade packs a punch! It's all about optimizing the Cardano blockchain's heartbeat, known as epoch boundaries.

Plus, it tightens up communication with other nodes by addressing an issue with peer-to-peer (P2P) topologies! Pretty neat stuff. You can learn more about Cardano's Dynamic P2P here.

Last but certainly not least, a ton of SPOs are reporting zero missed slots when it comes to block production! Now that’s what we call efficiency. (Check out Conrad and Star Forge Stake Pool’s post about it here!)

Oh, and while we’re at it, we also want to thank Conrad for his support this past week! Getting love from one of Cardano’s most important protocol founders (none other than ADA Handle, of course) means the world to us.

Ok, let’s get into it 👇

 📊 Cardano Ecosystem Stats

🚀 Cardano Headlines

Initial Stake Pool Offerings (ISPOs) are an integral part of the Cardano ecosystem. They've transformed the way projects raise funds and how investors support them.

In an ISPO, ADA holders delegate their tokens to a specific project's stake pool. The twist? Instead of earning ADA as a staking reward, you receive the project's tokens (although some ISPOs let you get both!).

This unique model allows you to directly support projects you believe in while earning their tokens as a reward, facilitating a direct connection between projects and their communities.

Enter Optim Finance’s "ISPO Bond", a financial tool that takes ISPOs a step further.

This new feature allows you to delegate more ADA to an ISPO than you actually own.

Sounds a bit degen, right? Don’t worry, the math says otherwise!

It works via a lender locking their ADA in a smart contract while enabling a borrower to tie their stake key to it. The lender then gets a predetermined percentage of it over a set period.

This allows Cardano enthusiasts to delegate a large amount of ADA to an ISPO, and in return, receive more of the project's tokens.

To learn more about ISPO bonds click here

In Other News

💸 Blockchain Headlines

As per usual, the crypto world has seen a number of developments this past week. We wish we could say it was all roses and sunshine, but that would be like saying Matt Reeves’ The Batman could hold a candle to the Nolan’s classic trilogy.

Chief among them is Prime Trust, a Nevada-based technology-driven trust company, going into receivership due to “mismanaging” funds. Specifically, the company was found to have less than 3.5% of customer funds in its holding.

Now that’s what we call partial reserves!

While situations like this one are admittedly way too common these days, it surely won’t do any favors for how US regulators will continue to treat the new asset class.

You can read more about it here and below.

In Other News

📢 Cardano Community Corner

From onboarding Telekom companies to application updates, the Cardano Community never sleeps! Let’s check in on what the talk of the town has been this week.

🖌 NFT of the Week with Noodz 🍜

Each week, we check in with our resident NFT connoisseur, Noodz. Let’s see what he’s got cookin’ for us…

For all that partake, Cardano is currently in its 420th epoch! 🥳

In true Stonerz Club fashion, a celebratory-NFT was minted to the blockchain, complete with a tune called The Anthem by Musikavi.

Be sure to give it a listen here.

📢 Cardano Events

💬 Get in Touch

That's all for now!

If you have any feedback or questions, please reach out to us by email or by sending us a DM on Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

Please note that the content provided in this newsletter is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for guidance before making any significant decisions.