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TL;DR Immutable X is a layer-2 scaling solution for NFTs on Ethereum. It offers instant trade confirmation and near-zero gas fees for minting and trading NFTs. Users can easily create and trade NFTs without compromising the security of their assets. Immutable X uses an engine called Zero-Knowledge Rollup to achieve scalability. It can facilitate up to 9,000 transactions per second. Immutable X’s shared global NFT order book can efficiently enhance NFT liquidity and increase their trading volume. NFTs can be bought and sold on any marketplaces built on Immutable X. IMX is an ERC-20 utility and governance token. It’s used to pay for transaction fees and incentivize users and developers on Immutable X. Token holders can earn rewards through staking and participating in the platform's governance. Learn more on Binance.com Introduction Trading and minting NFTs on Ethereum can be expensive, especially during times of high traffic. Users need to pay higher gas fees to have their transactions confirmed quickly. It’s also common for minting transactions to fail, causing significant losses. Article By Binance: (APE) ApeCoin - What Is It? BAYC, MAYC And BAKC Explained| FXMAG.COM What is Immutable X? Immutable X is a layer-2 scaling solution for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum. It aims to improve Ethereum’s scalability and user experience. Immutable X was founded in 2018 by James Ferguson, Robbie Ferguson, and Alex Connolly. It offers instant transaction confirmation and near-zero gas fees for minting and trading NFTs. Users can easily create and trade ERC-721 and ERC-20 tokens at lower costs without compromising the security of their assets. How does it work? At the core of Immutable X is a scaling technology called Zero-Knowledge Rollup (ZK-Rollup), which is a layer-2 protocol for validating transactions on the Ethereum blockchain. Instead of adding every transaction data to the blockchain, ZK-Rollup batches hundreds of transactions into a single zero-knowledge proof known as the zk-STARK proof. Zk-STARK stands for zero-knowledge succinct transparent arguments of knowledge. It’s a verification method used to prove possession of certain knowledge without revealing any information about it. It can provide Immutable X transactions with increased levels of privacy and security.  After batching the transactions, the proof is submitted to the blockchain and verified by a smart contract. The ZK-Rollup smart contract maintains all transaction details on layer 2, so that the proof can be quickly verified as they don’t contain the complete data of every transaction. The computing and storage resources required for validating a block will be lower too. This is how Immutable X can facilitate up to 9,000 transactions per second (TPS) with significantly reduced gas fees. For the end-users, Immutable X transactions have zero gas fees. Another unique feature of Immutable X is a set of powerful REST APIs that can simplify complex blockchain interactions NFTs users trade or mint on Immutable X are 100% carbon-neutral. For example, minting 8 million NFT trading cards for the play-to-earn game Gods Unchained would consume approximately 490 million kWh (490 MWh) on Ethereum. With ZK-Rollup compressing the data required for minting, Immutable X only used 1,030 kWh to mint the same amount of NFTs, which is 475,000 times less energy consumption. The minuscule energy consumption remaining is offset with carbon credits. Article By Binance: Altcoins: Harmony (ONE) - A Blockchain Project Explained| FXMAG.COM Another unique feature of Immutable X is a set of powerful REST APIs that can simplify complex blockchain interactions. Users can create and transfer NFTs easily via API calls without having to interact directly with smart contracts. Combined with Immutable X’s simple software development kits (SDKs), developers can integrate the APIs and Wallet to their platforms easily. This will allow them to build NFT projects, such as play-to-earn games, in just a few hours rather than weeks.  To facilitate a third-party NFT marketplace ecosystem, Immutable X provides a global order book that allows NFTs to be bought and sold on any marketplace that implements their scaling solutions. This means that orders created in one marketplace can be filled in another, effectively increasing the trading volume and liquidity of NFTs. Immutable X also supports all desktop Ethereum wallets. Users can seamlessly trade NFTs on different NFT-enabled crypto wallets without moving their assets across networks. What is IMX? IMX is the native token of Immutable X. It’s an ERC-20 utility and governance token with a 2 billion total supply. IMX is used to pay for transaction fees and incentivize users and developers on Immutable X. They can earn IMX tokens by contributing to the platform’s growth, such as trading NFTs and building applications.  As a utility token, IMX allows token holders to earn rewards through staking in reward pools. They can also participate in the governance of Immutable X by submitting and voting on community proposals. The more IMX coins they hold, the greater their voting power.  Read next: (UKOIL) Brent Crude Oil Spikes to Highest Price For April, (NGAS) Natural Gas Hitting Pre-2008 Prices, Cotton Planting Has Begun How to buy IMX on Binance? You can buy Immutable X (IMX) on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance.  1. Log in to your Binance account and click [Trade]. Select either the classic or advanced trading mode to start. 2. Search “IMX” to see the available trading pairs. We will use IMX/BUSD as an example. 3. Go to the [Spot] box and enter the amount of IMX you want to buy. In this example, we will use a Market order. Click [Buy IMX] to confirm, and the purchased IMX will be credited to your Spot Wallet.     Closing thoughts Immutable X leverages layer-2 scaling technology to bridge the gaps in trading NFTs on Ethereum. It creates a platform for NFT businesses to grow, including play-to-earn games and marketplaces.

Summary: Binance places sanctions on certain Russian account holders. Terra’s LUNA coin topples Binance. Despite today's drop, BRISE is still on an overall increase. (BNB) Binance Price drops today. Read next: ECB Announcements to Possibly Tighten Monetary Policy Strengthens the Euro. EUR/USD, EUR/GBP, AUD/NZD and EUR/CHF All Increased | FXMAG.COM   The overall price of Binance has decreased throughout trading today. On Thursday Binance announced the removal of its services for Russian coin holders of certain accounts that hold any value of more than 10000 Euro, the move came in an effort to comply with EU sanctions on Russia. The affected accounts will only be allowed to withdraw their investments. Binance Coin Price Chart Terra’s LUNA coin price continues to rise. Terra’s LUNA coin has increased in price today, continuing on the upward trend the coin has been following for the past couple of days. This price surge came on monday as a result of the algorithmic coin taking over from Binance (USD) as the third largest stablecoin (based on circulation). Terra USD Price Chart Related article: Altcoins: IOTA, Litecoin (LTC) and Cardano (ADA) Threatened? Crypto Markets Lie in The Hands of Regulations and Government Policies? | FXMAG.COM Bitgert (BRISE) price on the rise the past week As of today, the price of Bitgert (BRISE) has decreased, however looking at the price of the coin over the past week it has been on the rise. The coin's value in the future will be dependent on market sentiment and current market conditions. Bitgert (BRISE) Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, coindesk.com

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. Binance has no relationship to these projects, and there is no endorsement for these projects. The information provided through Binance does not constitute advice or recommendation of investment or trading. Binance does not take responsibility for any of your investment decisions. Please seek professional advice before taking financial risks.   TL;DR In 2021, the meme coin market saw exponential growth, especially the dog-themed meme coins. As of November 2021, one of the most popular “breeds” is Dogecoin (DOGE) and its rival Shiba Inu (SHIB).  Meme coins are meme-inspired cryptocurrencies. They tend to be highly volatile compared to major cryptocurrencies like bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH). This is likely because meme coins are heavily community-driven tokens. Their prices are usually influenced by social media and online community sentiments. This often brings a lot of hype but also FOMO and financial risk. While it’s true that some traders became rich with meme coins, many lost money due to market volatility. Binance Academy: (APE) ApeCoin - What Is It? BAYC, MAYC And BAKC Explained| FXMAG.COM Introduction Some say 2021 was the year of “dogs” for crypto. The doggy duo Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) led the meme coin pack and skyrocketed in price and market capitalization. As of November 2021, DOGE has gained over 8,000% since the beginning of the year and is ranking #9 by market capitalization on CoinMarketCap. Its competitor, SHIB, has pumped more than 60,000,000% since January. Learn more on Binance.com What are meme coins? Meme coins are cryptocurrencies inspired by memes or jokes on the Internet and social media. The first meme coin created was Dogecoin (DOGE). Launched in 2013 as a parody, DOGE was inspired by the popular Doge meme of a Japanese Shiba Inu dog. Meme coins tend to be highly volatile. They are mainly community-driven and can gain popularity overnight due to online community endorsements and FOMO. Still, their price can also slump unexpectedly when traders turn their attention to the next meme coin. Another characteristic of meme coins is that they often have a huge or unlimited supply. For example, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has a total supply of 1 quadrillion tokens, while DOGE has no maximum supply, and over 100 billion tokens are already in circulation. As meme tokens generally do not have a coin-burning mechanism, the huge supply explains their relatively low prices. With just $1 USD, you can buy millions of meme tokens. Why are meme coins so popular? While it’s hard to define specific reasons, some say that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the crypto market grew as retail investors wanted to hedge against inflation. Meme coins also boomed amidst the hype, growing both in market capitalization and variety. Read next: Binance Academy: Immutable X Token (IMX) - What Is It? IMX Explained. How To Buy IMX?| FXMAG.COM It all started after the “meme stock” saga of GameStop (GME) and AMC Entertainment (AMC) in late 2020, where the Reddit community pumped up the prices of these shares to as much as 100 times in a few months. In January 2021, a Reddit group joked about pumping up the price of DOGE to create a crypto equivalent of GME. The trend caught on, and along with the influence of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s tweets, DOGE price rallied. Dogecoin reached a new all-time high of $0.73 USD, with an increase of over 2,000% in five days. In May 2021, Elon Musk joked about DOGE publicly on TV, and many say it was the cause of the following price drop However, in May 2021, Elon Musk joked about DOGE publicly on TV, and many say it was the cause of the following price drop. Several traders then turned to other meme coins on the market, such as the “Dogecoin killer” SHIB. At the same time, retail investors were FOMOing into meme coins hoping to become millionaires overnight, sparking yet another meme coin rally. Another reason why retail investors find meme coins attractive is that they typically only cost a few cents or even a fraction of a cent. Technically, the low price doesn’t mean much because these coins have huge supplies. Still, holding millions of a certain meme coin feels different than holding a fraction of ETH or BTC. Traders can get thousands or even millions of DOGE, SHIB, or Akita Inu (AKITA) tokens with just a few dollars. Binance Academy: Polkadot (DOT) Explained - A Pinch Of Origins And History| FXMAG.COM Apart from the potential profits, the meme coin frenzy is also driven by their respective community sentiments. As mentioned, meme coins are inspired by popular Internet memes, intended to be fun and sometimes considered an “insider joke” for a community. Buying meme coins, in a way, is showing support for their respective community. Following the GME stock market saga, meme coin traders inspired by the Reddit group SatoshiStreetBets started a “David vs. Goliath” battle to bet against the mainstream cryptocurrencies. The crypto market in 2021 was therefore flooded with community-driven meme coins. Potential risks of investing in meme coins Meme coins might have seen exponential growth in 2021, but like all cryptocurrencies, trading and investing in meme coins carries high financial risk. First of all, the tokenomics of meme coins can be concerning. Take Bitcoin as an example. It has its blockchain, a well-written whitepaper, an established ecosystem, and a deflationary nature. We are seeing more institutional adoption of bitcoin in recent years as well. Compared to BTC, most meme coins are inflationary with no maximum supply. Their ecosystem, use cases, and fundamentals are often defined by the collective jokes of the community. Only a few meme coins were built on the technology of major cryptocurrencies. For example, DOGE’s technology was derived from Litecoin (LTC), and SHIB was built on the Ethereum blockchain.  As the meme coin market continues to grow, you should be aware that there might be projects taking advantage of the hype to scam traders Another potential risk is that meme coins are heavily community-driven and are more speculative than the larger market capitalization cryptocurrencies. This volatility constantly leads to unexpected pump and dump. The lifecycle of meme coins is generally short-lived. Their prices can rocket thousands of times from celebrity shilling or FOMO, or crash unexpectedly when the community decides to move on to the next meme coin. As the meme coin market continues to grow, you should be aware that there might be projects taking advantage of the hype to scam traders. For example, Squid Game (SQUID), a meme coin inspired by the popular Netflix show of the same name, surged over 86,000% in a week. However, the development team rug-pulled suddenly and caused the price to plummet by 99%. What’s worse is that holders were not allowed to sell their SQUID tokens. Therefore, you should always be careful and DYOR before trading or investing in meme coins. An overview of the popular meme coins Leading the meme coin market with the highest market capitalization are Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB). After the success of DOGE and SHIB, a large number of dog-themed meme coins entered the market and gained traction within the second half of 2021. Dogecoin (DOGE) Dogecoin (DOGE) was created in 2013 by software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. It was inspired by the meme of a Shiba Inu dog and was intended to be a joke cryptocurrency to attract mainstream attention. As a fork of Litecoin (LTC), DOGE adopts the same Proof of Work (POW) mechanism, and it has no maximum supply. For a more comprehensive overview of DOGE, check out What Is Dogecoin?. Shiba Inu (SHIB) Shiba Inus (SHIB) is the rival of DOGE and is often referred to as the “Dogecoin killer”. SHIB is also named after a Japanese dog breed. It was created by an anonymous developer named Ryoshi in August 2020. The main difference between DOGE and SHIB is that the latter has a limited supply of 1 quadrillion tokens, of which 50% were burnt and donated to charity. SHIB’s ecosystem also includes a decentralized exchange, an NFT art incubator, NFTs, and an NFT game. To learn more about SHIB and its ecosystem, check out What Is Shiba Inu (SHIB)?. Dogelon Mars (ELON) Dogelon Mars (ELON) closely follows the doggy duo in terms of popularity. As the name suggests, ELON is named after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his passion for his company SpaceX. ELON is a fork of Dogecoin and has a circulating supply of 557 trillion tokens. As of November 2021, ELON has surged over 3,780% since its launch in April 2021. Akita Inu (AKITA) There are many other meme coins using Japanese dog breeds as their mascots, such as Akita Inu (AKITA), Kishu Inu (KISHU), and Floki Inu (FLOKI). AKITA was heavily inspired by DOGE. It was launched on Uniswap as an ERC-20 token in February 2021. Its tokenomics is very similar to SHIB. Like SHIB’s developer Ryoshi, the AKITA team locked 50% of its total supply on Uniswap, while the remaining 50% was sent to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. However, AKITA only has a total supply of 100 trillion tokens, which is 1/10 of the total supply of SHIB. AKITA gained traction alongside its fellow doggy coins in May 2021 and is seen by some community members as another “Dogecoin killer”. Samoyedcoin (SAMO) Samoyedcoin (SAMO) is a dog meme coin project built on the Solana blockchain. At launch, 13% of SAMO supply was airdropped to members of the community. According to their website, SAMO roadmap includes burning events, airdrop tools, a decentralized exchange (DEX), and the creation of NFTs. Samoyedcoin recently gained popularity due to a sudden increase in price. SAMO grew over 4,300% within a month. In October 2021, the price went from $0.005 to over $0.22 in roughly 30 days. Read next: Solana (SOL) - Let's Have A Look At This Altcoin| FXMAG.COM Kishu Inu (KISHU) Kishu Inu (KISHU), another canine-themed meme coin, has grown exponentially since it launched in April 2021. KISHU includes participation rewards for active users, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and a DEX called Kishu Swap. It has been growing in popularity and recorded over 100,000 holders and 2 billion dollars market capitalization within one month after its launch. SafeMoon (SAFEMOON) Another meme coin newcomer that capitalized on the rally was SafeMoon (SAFEMOON). It is a BEP-20 token launched on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) in March 2021. SAFEMOON rewards long-term holders by penalizing those who sell the token with a 10% exit fee, of which half of the fees will be distributed to existing SAFEMOON holders, and the other half will be burnt. It attracted retail investors’ attention after it soared in April. As of November 2021, SAFEMOON has a 9418.54% ROI, according to CoinMarketCap. How to buy meme coins on Binance? You can buy the more popular meme coins, such as DOGE and SHIB, on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance. For other less prominent meme coins, you can go to decentralized exchanges.  Let’s take DOGE as an example. 1. Log in to your Binance account. Then, head to [Trade] at the top bar to select the classic or advanced trading page. 2. On the right side of the screen, type “DOGE” on the search bar to see a list of the available trading pairs. We will use DOGE/BUSD as an example. Click “DOGE/BUSD” to open its trading page.   3. Scroll down to the [Spot] box and enter the amount of DOGE to purchase. You can select different order types to buy DOGE. We will use a Market order in this example. Click [Buy DOGE] to confirm the order, and you will see the DOGE you purchased in the Spot Wallet.   Closing thoughts With new meme coins entering the market every day and traders hoping to replicate the profits posted by DOGE and SHIB, it is important to DYOR before committing to any meme coins. Keep in mind that meme coins are highly volatile compared to other digital currencies. Trading or investing in cryptocurrencies involves high risk. Meme coins are largely community-driven and might crash unexpectedly, so you should never invest what you cannot afford to lose. Read next: Litecoin (LTC) Explained - The Way It Works, Terms Associated With LTC| FXMAG.COM

TL;DR Yield Guild Games (YGG) is a gaming guild focused on blockchain play-to-earn games. It’s a community that invests in NFT assets and connects blockchain gamers around the world. Their goal is to build a network of players and investors who help each other get started and grow in the NFT gaming space. Introduction Since the success of Axie Infinity, the space of play-to-earn (P2E) blockchain games has been growing rapidly. While the P2E trend has attracted millions of people around the world, gaming NFTs are not affordable for many players, especially in developing countries. Yield Guild Games is building a P2E community and offering a solution to these players, so they can get started with NFT gaming. Learn more on Binance.com What is Yield Guild Games (YGG)? Yield Guild Games (YGG) is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that invests in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) used in blockchain games. These games are part of a broader concept known as the metaverse. The term metaverse refers to the many elements of blockchain-based digital worlds, including digital land, digital assets, and more. Read next: Binance Academy: Meme Coins - What Are They? Dogelon Mars (ELON), Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), SafeMoon (SAFEMOON), Kishu Inu (KISHU) And AKITA| FXMAG.COM The idea of creating a global play-to-earn gaming community arose in 2018. Gabby Dizon, the YGG co-founder and CEO, noticed that blockchain gaming was trending in Southeast Asia. At that time, many gamers were looking to get started in the popular NFT game Axie Infinity, but they lacked the money to buy the in-game NFT characters called Axies. Understanding that blockchain gaming can be an empowering tool for those living in developing countries, Dizon started lending his Axies to other players who couldn’t afford to buy their own. This inspired him to co-found Yield Guild Games with Beryl Li in 2020 to help gamers thrive in the world of NFTs and blockchain gaming. How does Yield Guild Games work? Yield Guild Games combines Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and NFTs to create a metaverse economy on the Ethereum blockchain. The YGG DAO is an open-source protocol with rules enforced by smart contracts. It serves many different purposes, such as carrying out governance decisions voted by the community, issuing rewards, and facilitating NFT rentals. YGG is made up of multiple SubDAOs, which consist of groups of players from a specific NFT game or geographical location. Each SubDAO has its own set of rules to manage the activity and assets of the respective play-to-earn game. Read next: Binance Academy: Immutable X Token (IMX) - What Is It? IMX Explained. How To Buy IMX?| FXMAG.COM This model allows players of the same NFT game to work together to maximize their in-game profits. It also enables guild members to rent and use the community-owned NFT assets to earn in-game rewards. In return, those that lend their NFTs via the DAO can share a portion of the gamers’ earnings. On YGG, all NFTs and digital assets are stored within the YGG Treasury, which is controlled by the community. The treasure provides the NFTs to each SubDAO, and it includes P2E assets from multiple blockchain games. YGG Scholarships To maximize the value and utility of gaming NFTs, the YGG DAO uses an NFT rental program known as scholarships. The idea was initially introduced by the Axie Infinity community to benefit both NFT owners and play-to-earn gamers.  In Axie Infinity, Axie owners can lend their gaming assets to help new players get started in return for a percentage of their in-game rewards. The process is done through blockchain smart contracts in a way that scholars can only use the NFTs in-game. Only the manager (owner) can trade or transfer the NFTs. Similarly, YGG provides scholarships to new players under a revenue-sharing model, where they can get NFT assets to start playing and earn in-game rewards. The scholars don’t need to invest any money upfront, but they share a portion of their earnings with their managers. Apart from NFTs, new players will also receive training and guidance from community managers. YGG scholarships are not limited to NFTs in Axie Infinity. The YGG Treasury also owns virtual lands in The Sandbox and League of Kingdoms, virtual cars in F1 Delta Time, among other play-to-earn games.  SubDAOs As mentioned, the YGG DAO is primarily composed of SubDAOs. You can think of SubDAOs as localized communities within the main YGG DAO. These local communities consist of players from a specific P2E game or location. For example, there is a SubDAO dedicated to Axie Infinity players, a SubDAO for The Sandbox players, another SubDAO for Southeast Asian players, and so on. By grouping players into different SubDAOs, they can discuss gaming strategies and help each other maximize performance. Read next: (APE) ApeCoin - What Is It? BAYC, MAYC And BAKC Explained| FXMAG.COM Each SubDAO manages its respective game’s activities and assets under its own set of rules and conditions, but they still contribute earnings to the YGG DAO. In a SubDAO, there is a community lead, a wallet, and a SubDAO token. Token holders can share the yields generated from the gameplay based on their contributions. They also get to make suggestions and vote on governance decisions related to the SubDAO, such as whether to purchase more in-game NFTs, or how to manage their assets. What is the YGG token? Yield Guild Games (YGG) is an ERC-20 token that gives holders the right to participate in the governance of the YGG DAO. It has a total supply of 1 billion tokens, and 25 million YGG was sold via an Initial DEX Offering (IDO) on SushiSwap in 2021. To support the community, YGG has set aside 45% of the total supply to be distributed to users gradually over four years.  As the platform’s native token, YGG is used to pay for services on the network. It can also be staked to earn rewards in the YGG vaults or used to unlock exclusive content on the YGG Discord channel. In addition, YGG holders can submit proposals and vote on decisions regarding the guild’s technology, products, projects, token distribution, and overall governance structure. The winning suggestions that eventually get implemented on the DAO will be rewarded YGG tokens. YGG Vault The YGG DAO adopts a different approach to yield farming than most DeFi staking platforms. Typically, tokens are staked to earn fixed-rate interest. On YGG, each vault represents a token reward program for a specific activity that YGG operates. For example, one vault may provide yields based on the performance of a scholarship program, while another vault rewards stakers based on the Axie breeding program. YGG also plans to develop an all-in-one super index vault that represents all yield-generating activities in its ecosystem. This vault will reward stakers based on the guild’s revenue from subscriptions, merchandise, rentals, treasury growth, and SubDAO index performance. Token holders can stake for the activity they support, and rewards will be distributed proportionally to the amount of YGG they stake via smart contracts. Depending on how the vault is programmed, rewards might also include YGG tokens, Ether (ETH), or stablecoins.  How to buy YGG on Binance? You can buy Yield Guild Games (YGG) on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance.  Log in to your Binance account and click [Trade]. Select either the classic or advanced trading mode to start. Click on [BTC/USDT] to open the search bar and type “YGG” to see the available trading pairs. We will use YGG/BUSD as an example. Go to the [Spot] box on the right and enter the amount of YGG to buy. In this example, we will use a Market order. Click [Buy YGG] to confirm your order, and the purchased YGG will be credited to your Spot Wallet.   Closing thoughts Through a unique revenue-sharing model, YGG is building a decentralized community in the real world. It offers participants an opportunity to thrive in these virtual worlds through an innovative gaming economy. As metaverse projects are on the rise, NFT guilds like Yield Guild Games could benefit from the influx of newcomers and crypto enthusiasts looking to explore play-to-earn NFT games for an alternative source of income.

TL;DR The Crypto Fear and Greed Index provides a score of 0 to 100 for crypto market sentiment. It’s based on the CNNMoney Fear and Greed Index for analyzing the stock market.  Fear (a score of 0 to 49) indicates undervaluation and excess supply in the market. Greed (a score of 50 to 100) suggests an overvaluation of cryptocurrencies and a possible bubble. Noticing changes in the level of fear and greed can become part of your trading strategy when choosing to enter or exit the crypto market.   Introduction When deciding if you should buy in or sell out of the crypto market, a good trader or investor will always look for supportive data. There are charts to look at, fundamentals to analyze, and market sentiment to tap into. However, studying every metric and index available isn't the most efficient use of time. With the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, a combination of sentiment and fundamental metrics provide a glimpse of market fear and greed. While you should not rely on this indicator alone, it can help you figure out the overall feeling of the cryptocurrency markets.    Learn more on Binance.com What is an index? Traditionally, an index takes multiple data points and combines them into a single statistical measure. You might have already heard of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), a famous index that tracks the stock market. The DJIA is a price-weighted combination of 30 large companies listed on numerous stock exchanges in the U.S. Traders and investors can buy DJIA to get a combined exposure to these companies' stocks. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is also a weighted measure of market data, but that's where the similarities end. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is not something you can purchase nor any kind of financial instrument. It’s just a market indicator that can complement your analysis.   What is a market indicator? Market indicators make it easier for traders and investors to analyze market data. Indicators exist in all forms of market analysis: technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and sentiment analysis. If you've experimented already with technical analysis (TA), you've probably already got some experience with indicators. These range from simple moving averages to complex chart patterns like Ichimoku Clouds. TA indicators are concerned with analyzing prices, trading volume, and other statistical trends. Fundamental analysis indicators take a different approach. When you research a token or stock, you’re essentially trying to determine the underlying fundamental value of the project. For example, your research could include the number of users and total market value combined into an indicator. In addition, we have market sentiment indicators that measure the feelings and thoughts of investors and traders. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is just one of many. Other examples include The Bull & Bear Index from Augmento and WhaleAlert that tracks large transfers from whales in crypto markets. To an extent, crypto research relies heavily on analyzing social media, the community, and public opinion. For this reason, sentiment analysis can come in handy for this asset class.   What exactly is a Fear and Greed Index? CNNMoney originally created the Fear and Greed Index to analyze market sentiment for stocks and shares. Alternative.me have since then made their version tailored to the crypto market.  The Crypto Fear and Greed Index analyzes a basket of different trends and market indicators to determine whether the market participants are feeling greedy or fearful. A score of 0 indicates extreme fear, while 100 suggests extreme greed. A score of 50 shows the market is somewhat neutral. A fearful market could be an indication that cryptocurrencies are undervalued. Too much fear in a market can lead to overselling and excess panic. Fear doesn't necessarily mean that the market has entered into a long-term bearish trend. Instead, you can think of it as a short or mid-term reference to overall market sentiment. Greed in the market is the opposite situation. If investors and traders are greedy, there's a possibility for overvaluation and a bubble. Imagine a situation where FOMO (fear of missing out) causes investors to pump the markets, overvaluing Bitcoin’s price. In other words, the increased greed may lead to excess demand, artificially inflating the price.   How does the Crypto Fear and Greed Index work? Each day, Alternate.me calculates a new value from 0 to 100. As of July 2021, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index only uses Bitcoin-related information. The reason behind this is BTC's significant correlation with the crypto market as a whole when it comes to price and sentiment. There are plans in the future to cover other large coins, presumably including Ether (ETH) and BNB.     You can divide the index's scale into the following categories: 0-24: Extreme fear (orange) 25-49: Fear (amber/yellow) 50-74: Greed (light green) 75-100: Extreme greed (green) The index calculates the value by combining five different weighted market factors. Let's take a look: 1. Volatility (25% of the index). Volatility measures the current value of Bitcoin with averages from the last 30 and 90 days. Here, the index uses volatility as a stand-in for uncertainty in the market. 2. Market momentum/volume (25% of the index). Bitcoin's current trading volume and market momentum are compared with the previous 30 and 90-day average values and then combined. Constant high-volume buying suggests positive or greedy market sentiment. 3. Social media (15% of the index). This factor looks at the number of Twitter hashtags related to Bitcoin and, specifically, its interaction rate. Typically, a constant and unusually high amount of interactions relates more to market greed than fear. 4. Bitcoin dominance (10% of the index). This input measures BTC's dominance of the market. Increased market dominance shows new investment into the coin and the possible reallocation of funds from altcoins. 5. Google Trends (10% of the index). By looking at Google Trends data for Bitcoin-related search queries, the index can provide insights into market sentiment. For example, a rise in "Bitcoin Scam" searches would indicate more fear in the market. 6. Survey results (15% Index Score). This input is currently paused and has been for some time.   Why is the Crypto Fear and Greed Index useful? The Crypto Fear and Greed Index can be a valuable tool for checking market sentiment changes. Large swings may provide an opportunity to enter or exit before the rest of the market follows the trend. We can see a brief example of this by checking the last three months of total cryptocurrency market cap versus the index figures.     Point 1 shows April 26, 2021, the bottom of a significant swing in the index value from 73 (Greed) to 27 (fear). Point 2 shows the start of another slide on May 12, 2021, from 68 (greed) to 26 (fear). We can see if this has matched with the crypto market by comparing these changes with the overall crypto market capitalization.     Point 1 again shows April 26 starting at $1.78 trillion (USD) before climbing up to a peak of $2.53 trillion on May 12. If you combine this with what we see above, you see a large swing in sentiment from greed to fear coinciding with a local bottom in the crypto market cap. As the market becomes more greedy, the overall market cap rises until it reaches its maximum. At the maximum, sentiment once again sharply drops. With our example, the index has proven helpful in finding a buying opportunity and predicting a sell-off in the market. Using the index, you can check whether your emotional reactions are overblown or in line with the market. But will it always be helpful for every situation? More than likely, no.   Can I use the index for long-term analysis? The indicator doesn’t work as well on long-term analysis of crypto market cycles. Within a bull or bear run, there are multiple cycles of fear and greed. These switches are useful for swing traders to take advantage of. However, for investors who want to hold, it will be difficult to predict the change from a bull to a bear market just from the index. You will need to analyze other market aspects to get a long-term perspective. As always, recommended advice is that you don't rely solely on one indicator or style of analysis. Make sure to do your own research (DYOR) before investing any money and only invest what you can afford to lose.     Closing thoughts The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is a simple way to gather and summarize a whole range of fundamental and market sentiment metrics. Rather than have to do this yourself, you can rely on the indicator to track social media, Google Trends, and other statistics. If you want to include it in your analysis, consider complementing it with other metrics and indicators to get a more balanced view.

TL;DR A typical crypto card lets you earn crypto rewards or instantly convert your crypto to fiat currency to pay for goods and services. Both Mastercard and Visa issue crypto cards, meaning you can use your crypto in millions of locations globally. A prepaid crypto card is similar to a debit card in that it has to be pre-loaded with crypto to spend. You can get a crypto card from a licensed issuer such as a crypto exchange or bank. However, crypto cards aren't without risk. Your funds stored on the card can still lose their market value, and any transactions you make with your card are likely to be taxable. Crypto credit cards work more like standard credit cards with crypto rewards. You can pay your credit card bill with fiat cash but receive crypto bonuses on the money you spend.  Binance offers a Binance Visa Card for KYC and AML verified customers. You can complete the sign-up process in under a few minutes and enjoy zero administration or transaction fees, cashback, and other benefits.   Introduction While much of crypto's interest is in its investment potential, it still has a use case in transferring value. Satoshi Nakamoto didn't create Bitcoin to make people billionaires. It was, however, designed as a global, digital payments system. One way to achieve this goal is with crypto cards. This payment method is now helping people use crypto and digital assets in their daily lives and even receive crypto rewards as well.   Learn more on Binance.com   What is a crypto card? A typical crypto card acts in a similar way to your debit card. You can pay for items or services that accept the card provider. While it might sound like you are paying a vendor directly with digital currencies, this isn't actually what happens. The vendor receives fiat cash into their account and not crypto. Your crypto card takes the cryptocurrency in your linked account, converts this into the local currency you're paying in, and then uses this cash to pay. We'll explain this with an example later on. Both Visa and MasterCard offer crypto cards with partner companies who apply for a license. These are the two most commonly used payment providers globally, making crypto cards almost universally accepted by retailers. Some crypto cards only offer crypto rewards on the money spent with the card. These cards are usually credit cards that require a credit check to sign up for.   How does a crypto card work? As we mentioned, a crypto card doesn't actually pay the vendor with crypto. It conveniently converts your crypto into cash which you can spend with the vendor through the card.  For example, imagine you have $500 (US dollars) of BNB in your Binance Card's Funding Wallet. At a restaurant, you go to pay the $100 bill with your crypto card. Once you have inserted your card and agreed to the payment, Binance sells $100 of BNB and loads the fiat onto the card. The restaurant then gets paid $100, and you're left with $400 of BNB in your Funding Wallet. All of this happens within the few seconds it takes to use your crypto card. You can also use crypto cards for ATM withdrawals if your service provider supports them. The same method above is used to withdraw your physical cash.   What are the differences between a crypto card and a credit or debit card? There are a few minor differences between credit and debit cards and crypto cards. For the most part, they function in the same way when it comes to paying. The most significant difference between a crypto card and a credit/debit card is that you load your typical crypto card with cryptocurrencies. A debit card is pre-loaded with fiat currencies, and a credit card's transactions are paid off later with fiat. A prepaid crypto card works similarly to a traditional debit card. You must have the funds in your account before you can spend them. You cannot load your cards with fiat cash but only with crypto. When you make a payment, your funds are converted immediately in your crypto wallet. On the other hand, Crypto credit cards extend a line of credit that lets you purchase now and pay later. Gemini and BlockFi both have released crypto credit cards with crypto cashback. Your credit card bill is payable in normal fiat currency, meaning that the crypto credit card is basically a rewards credit card. To order a card, you will have to be a customer with a company that already provides a crypto card, such as a crypto exchange or crypto-supporting bank that supports crypto. The process will involve you completing Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering procedures before you can order your crypto card, just like with any regular credit or debit card. With a crypto credit card, you will also need to pass a credit check.   What are the benefits of using a crypto card? The key benefit of a prepaid crypto card is the ability to use your crypto for everyday purchases. This has traditionally been difficult to do unless a vendor directly accepts crypto. Even then, some coins like Bitcoin can take 30 minutes for a transaction to confirm. The price is also volatile, meaning you may actually pay more or less than expected. Many crypto cards also come with benefits like cashback rewards or discounts with certain subscriptions like Spotify or Netflix. These benefits lure you towards a specific card provider and are similar to those offered with standard debit/credit cards. Make sure to compare what each card offers to find the best benefits for you. Don’t also forget to look out for possible exchange fees you might have to pay in the conversion process.   Do crypto cards have any risks? Having a crypto card provides all the same risks as holding crypto. If you have loaded up your account with Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), your account’s fiat value will constantly change. This means you may not have the exact amount of money in your account as you think, depending on exchange rates. You should also remember that in many tax jurisdictions, the spending of crypto is a taxable event. This doesn't matter if you're spending a few dollars on a coffee or thousands of dollars on a car. If you have made any gains or losses on your crypto before you use it to purchase something with your crypto card, you'll have to pay or write off the appropriate taxable amount. You can avoid this problem by purchasing stablecoins to use with your crypto card, as the price very rarely changes from its pegged value.   What is Binance Card? Binance Card is a Visa debit card connected to your Binance account. By loading up your Card's Funding Wallet, you can spend crypto anywhere that Visa is accepted. It acts in the same way as the prepaid crypto debit cards mentioned above.   Which countries is Binance Card available in? Binance card is available only to users from selected countries, including:  Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.   How to apply for a Binance Card Getting a card is simple if you've already got a Binance account and live in an eligible country. If you aren't yet registered with Binance, you can follow our Binance Beginner's Guide and be set up in minutes. You will need to complete all relevant KYC and AML processes before successfully applying for a Binance Card. To order your card, make sure you're logged in and go to the Binance Card page. You can also navigate to this page by hovering over [Finance] on the Binance homepage and clicking [Binance Visa Card].     Next, click [Get Started] followed by [Order Card]. You'll now see some KYC information and an agreement to confirm.     After confirming, you will land on the Order Card page. Here you can choose the format of your name to appear on the card. Once you have confirmed your choice, click [Continue].       You will now find your details pre-filled out with extra missing information for you to fill in. Finally, agree to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Cardholder Agreement before clicking [Order Your Binance Card]. Once you've ordered your card, you'll also have access to a virtual card to use before your physical one comes. You can add this card to Google Pay Send, or even use it for online purchases. If you prefer to use the Binance mobile app, you can also order your card there. For more details on how to order a Binance Card, head to our FAQ.   Benefits of using Binance Card Apart from allowing you to spend your crypto in stores, restaurants, and VISA acceptors worldwide, Binance Card also has some unique benefits and perks. 1. Zero Fees - A Binance Visa Card is free for any Binance user. There are no Binance administrative, processing, or annual fees, but you may occasionally be subject to third-party fees. 2. You can keep holding your crypto - There's no need to exchange your crypto into fiat in preparation for purchasing something. Binance converts it exactly when you need to, which means that your crypto can still earn possible market gains.  3. Up to 8% cashback - Depending on your BNB monthly average balance, you will get up to 8% cashback on all your purchases. This cashback is given to you in BNB in your Binance account. You can read more details on the cashback program here. 4. Safe funds - Your crypto funds are SAFU and protected by Binance. Binance has a high level of safety and uses robust security standards.     Closing thoughts If you have some crypto that you no longer want to HODL, a crypto card makes converting to fiat simple. Without using a crypto card, you'd need to go through the conversion process and transfer the fiat manually to your bank account. This can take days to do, depending on your bank and cryptocurrency exchange. A crypto card really is one of the fastest ways to use your crypto for purchasing things and is a welcome development. However, always make sure that you keep accounts of what you spend for tax reasons.

TL;DR The Internet is on the verge of a new era, with both crypto projects and public companies exploring the possibilities of the metaverse. Some companies have confidently entered the metaverse early, while others have been on the fence despite their technology being an obvious fit. Such companies usually work with immersive hardware, 3D, interactive platforms, connectivity, blockchain, semiconductors, and security, which are essential for making the metaverse a reality. Introduction The metaverse has the potential to be one of the technological trends to disrupt current market structures. The new technologies required to build the metaverse will also present opportunities for anyone to be part of this next step of the Internet, be they new projects, public companies, or even individual investors. Learn more on Binance.com The metaverse has gained massive popularity in a short time. Facebook's rebranding to Meta was may have established the metaverse as something more than a passing trend. Apart from crypto projects, numerous big companies have begun to recognize the metaverse as the next stage of Internet evolution. The Internet has undergone a series of major changes throughout its history — namely, Web1, Web2, and Web3. The first version of the Internet consisted mainly of static sites that could display only information. Today, in the Web2 era, users have social media platforms and dynamic websites that allow them to alter their data and upload their own content. We are currently anticipating the emergence of Web3, which could see the metaverse come to fruition. Web3 will consist of more open, connected, intelligent websites and web applications that will allow users to have greater ownership and control of their data and content. As such, Web3 could also weaken the power held by large, centralized Web2 enterprises today. Like the metaverse, Web3 doesn't actually exist yet. However, some of its essential technologies do. For instance, blockchain and cryptocurrency could bring decentralization and digital economies to Web3. In addition, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) could enhance online social interactions on Web3 platforms. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) could improve language processing (such as for customer service bots) on Web3 due to its ability to link human-created content to machine-readable data. With the metaverse, everyone has a chance to be part of the next phase of the Internet. For example, new projects could build metaverse components and solve the Internet’s current problems. Additionally, companies that are less financially restricted could build vital technologies and explore how their current products and services could contribute to the metaverse. Even individual investors can participate in Web3 by buying stock in metaverse-related companies. Publicly listed companies have been exploring the metaverse to see how it may suit their needs. For instance, Microsoft is focusing on virtual offices and working environments in the metaverse, while Google is developing an AR solution that connects the digital and real worlds. Similarly, Fortnite producer Epic Games plans to connect AR, VR, and 3D content to its platforms. These developments give users a vision of what the companies behind them are trying to achieve. While there’s no way of knowing which companies will succeed in the metaverse, users can already buy their stocks — one way users can involve themselves in the metaverse ecosystem to aid its progress. Businesses risk losing their competitive advantage if they don't keep up with fundamental changes in the economy, such as technological development. These changes usually give rise to new dominant companies and can cause one-time market leaders to lose their positions or even vanish from the market. Growing interest in the metaverse may be the result of companies perceiving it as the next so-called secular trend. Secular trends are major changes in the industry that continue to develop over a long period of time, with prime examples including  personal computers, mobile devices, and e-commerce. Companies might therefore see involvement in the metaverse as necessary to support their future trajectory. There are various ways in which public companies can enter or support the metaverse. This article will dive into immersive hardware, 3D creation software, interactive platforms, connectivity, blockchain, semiconductors, and security. Immersive hardware The popular consumer products of today are limited to sight and sound. Even our view of future metaverse hardware usually incorporates only VR headsets. However, immersive hardware could bring the dimension of touch to the metaverse. For instance, potential haptic devices could allow people to have a physical connection with the virtual world.  3D creation software Creating digital environments that mimic the real world as closely as possible can be difficult and time-consuming. With 3D cameras, however, 3D creation software may be able to solve these problems. Developers would first capture natural environments on film, then feed the 3D spatial data to the relevant software. This software would then process and generate a virtual double that could be used in the metaverse as a base on which users can build. Interactive platforms Online shopping is huge in the Web2 era — with interactive tools, users can add things to their shopping carts and move between pages via links by clicking the correct spots on their screens. Similarly, native interactive tools and venues are needed to enable users to interact with the metaverse. Interactive platforms would make this a reality and drive activity in the metaverse.  Connectivity Fast connectivity has been indispensable since the advent of the Internet. The metaverse will likewise need lightning-fast connection to enable users to work, socialize, and play in real time. Computers must also be powerful enough to render 3D to ensure smooth connectivity. Blockchain Blockchain technology could become a foundational layer of the metaverse. It allows for a decentralized and transparent way to achieve digital proof of ownership, digital collectibility, and governance. It also promotes accessibility and interoperability.  In addition, cryptocurrency is built on the blockchain and enables users to transfer value while they work and socialize in the metaverse. Other blockchain applications for the metaverse include non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi).  Semiconductors As mentioned above, the metaverse will have higher computing power requirements, thereby necessitating advancements in semiconductor technology. Furthermore, improved semiconductors are essential for the metaverse as it will generate a large amount of data to be stored. Security The metaverse will collect a vast amount of data from its users, many of whom would prefer to remain anonymous and not leave any trace of their identities, finances, or other sensitive data in the wrong hands. This is why the metaverse will require cybersecurity solutions. Unity Software Unity Software is the industry leader in 3D software, with half of all 3D content produced today using its software technology. It stands to reason, therefore, that Unity Software could be involved in creating metaverse content. Shopify, Inc. Shopify is one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms. Its current software products are aimed at online retailers, assisting them with payments, analytics, and order completion. This gives it the potential to shape commerce relations in the metaverse. Shopify already has an NFT platform in beta that allows NFT sales using its storefront. It also has a token-gated commerce platform its clients can use to connect with fans and drive sales. Meta Platforms Inc. Since its rebranding from Facebook, Meta has invested billions of dollars in developing metaverse content, software, and AR and VR headsets. Match Group Inc. Match Group is the parent company of popular dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. It acquired leading South Korean social discovery and video technology company Hyperconnect in 2021 to create new digital channels through which people could meet and engage with new connections, regardless of borders and language barriers. CrowdStrike Holdings CrowdStrike Holdings is a cybersecurity technology company that offers cloud-delivered protection to stop breaches and as such, could meet the metaverse’s cybersecurity needs.   Closing thoughts The metaverse is a hot topic in the technology industry that has already attracted investments from many companies despite not actually existing yet. Web3’s potential to shift power from centralized Web2 giants to the people may well lead new projects, public companies, and even individual investors to invest in its critical infrastructure.

TL;DR The internet has evolved from the “read-only” Web 1.0 to the current state of Web 2.0, which is often described as participatory and social-driven. Now, we are gradually moving toward the next phase of the internet, Web 3.0, often styled Web3 in the digital asset space. Web3 holds the promise of allowing people to own things digitally, easily transact online, and have more control of their personal data. Blockchain and crypto ecosystems already have working products for Web3. For example, users can make peer-to-peer (P2P) payments and collect digital items with crypto wallets. Many blockchain-based projects are decentralized by design and allow anyone to use them. Introduction Digital assets can become an intrinsic part of Web3 – a new internet that is expected to remedy the ills of the current Web such as the concentration of power at the hands of a few centralized social media platforms and exploitation of users’ personal data. The decentralized and permissionless nature of blockchains is instrumental in distributing communication power rather than granting it to central authorities. While digital assets bring native digital payments to Web3, they can also function as tokens programmed to play a wide range of roles in digital economic systems. Blockchain and crypto could also make Web3 more community-centered through decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).  Learn more on Binance.com How is Web3 different from Web2? The main evolutionary steps of the internet are often represented as the qualitatively different phases dubbed Web1, Web2, and Web3. In the Web1 era, users couldn't change online data or upload their own content to the websites they were interacting with. The internet back then consisted of static HTML pages that enabled simple, one-way experiences, such as reading information forums. Web2 allowed content consumption and simple interaction. Then, Web2 has gradually emerged as a more interactive internet where users were more involved in generating their own content. Since these modes of online interactions were mainly facilitated by social media platforms, Web2 saw the rise of new types of centralized tech giants. The current Web2 ecosystem is changing again as more of its failings get exposed. For example, internet users have become more concerned about data tracking and ownership, as well as censorship issues. The power of centralized companies has become especially noticeable when they began leveraging it to ban specific users and organizations form their platforms. Web2 companies also use the data to keep users on their websites and create targeted ads for third parties’ benefit. Such economic incentives can drive such companies to act not in users’ best interest. The vision of Web3 is that of the next step toward a better internet. Its central promises include making online platforms decentralized, trustless, and permissionless. It could also bring about digital ownership, digital-native payments, and censorship-resistance as a new standard of Web products and services. Blockchain and crypto are perfectly positioned to become essential technologies of Web3 because they are inherently decentralized, permitting anyone to record information on-chain, tokenize assets, and create digital identities.  How do blockchain and crypto fit into the Web3 ethos? Decentralization. As noted above, one of the central problems of Web2 is concentration of power and data at the hands of a few major players. Blockchain and crypto can decentralize Web3 by facilitating a wider distribution of information and power. Web3 could employ blockchain-powered public distributed ledgers to allow for greater transparency and decentralization. Permissionlessness: Blockchain-based projects replace proprietary systems of traditional companies with openly available code. The permissionless nature of the applications built on the blockchain allows anyone worldwide to access and interact with them without restrictions. Trustlessness: Blockchain and crypto eliminate the need to trust any third party, such as a bank or an individual intermediary. Web3 users can transact without the need to put trust in any entity but the network itself.  Payment rails: Cryptocurrencies could serve as the digitally native payments infrastructure of Web3. Digital assets can potentially improve the expensive and bulky payment infrastructure of Web2 because they are truly borderless and don't require intermediaries. Ownership: Crypto already offers tools like self-custodial crypto wallets that allow users to store their funds without intermediaries. Users can also connect wallets to decentralized apps to use their funds in a variety of ways or showcase their digital items. Anyone can verify ownership of these funds and items using a transparent public ledger. Censorship resistance: Blockchains are designed to be censorship-resistant, meaning that no party can unilaterally alter the record of transactions. Once the record has been added to the blockchain, it's nearly impossible to remove it. This feature could help preserve all manner of speech from government and corporate censorship. Are blockchain and crypto essential for Web3? Web3 may well rely on technologies that are not related to blockchain or cryptocurrency. For example, technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), the internet of things (IoT), and the metaverse may become essential to the new era of the internet as well. While the blockchain could operate more on the infrastructure side of Web3, these technologies and solutions could help make the internet more immersive and connected to the real world. IoT could connect various devices through the internet, while AR could embed digital visual elements into the real world, and VR could construct computer-generated environments populated by items represented as digital assets. Finally, scaling and bringing these technologies together could make a unified metaverse the reality of Web3. Crypto could provide digital-native payment rails and much more. Utility tokens can unlock a universe of use cases essential for Web3. Also, non fungible tokens (NFTs) could help verify identity and ownership within the digital realm in a way that does not compromise users’ control of their personal data. What will Web3 with crypto and blockchain look like? Blockchain technology can become one of the foundations of Web3, but users might not even notice it. If the applications built on blockchains are user-friendly and intuitive, people will not give the underlying infrastructure another thought – much like we rarely consider the data servers and internet protocols that are foundational to social media platforms that we use daily. NFTs could enable users to display digital collectible items to other users and help create and maintain their unique digital identities. They could also serve other functional purposes, such as underpinning many key processes in online gaming. Blockchain and crypto can transform the way Web3 users coordinate and enforce collective action through decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). DAOs empower people to organize around a shared interest without a central decision-making authority. Instead, token holders vote to determine the best course of action together. In addition, all the activity and votes are visible on a blockchain. Therefore, DAOs can drive Web3 to be more decentralized, transparent, and community-centered.  Closing thoughts Web3 may solve the big problems of today’s internet and minimize the power of the tech giants. However, it is still largely an aspirational vision rather than tangible reality. Still, the technologies that will likely underpin the next iteration of the Web are indeed already in development. Blockchain and crypto are often considered to be the among the technologies that are most likely to usher in the Web3 revolution because they are designed to facilitate decentralized, permissionless, and trustless interactions. In addition, blockchain technology and digital assets do not rival other key components of Web – such as AR, VR, and the internet of things – as they are likely to yield the most promising solutions when combined with one another.

TL;DR   Polymesh is a public permissioned layer 1 blockchain focused on improving the security token industry. Using its utility token POLYX, it rewards and fines actors in the blockchain ecosystem accordingly to increase blockchain security. POLYX also facilitates governance and staking within its ecosystem. Introduction   Securities are tradable financial instruments that hold real-world value. By tokenizing securities, the securities market — which is worth hundreds of trillions — has the potential to grow even more. This could improve the market’s efficiency and transparency, among other benefits.  Tokenized securities, or security tokens, are issued on blockchains such as Polymesh, which is an institutional-grade blockchain built specifically for regulated assets like security tokens.  Learn more on Binance.com What is Polymesh? Polymesh is a layer 1 public permissioned blockchain built for security tokens, which  are digital contracts for fractions of assets that hold real-world value.  As a public permissioned blockchain, anyone can view the network. However, you must complete an identity verification process to participate in it. This verification process applies to all actors on the chain, from issuers and investors to stakers and node operators.  Node operators in particular must be permissioned and licensed financial entities. This increases network security, since these entities face greater reputational risk than unidentifiable actors.  Polymesh enables market participants to enjoy the unique benefits of private and permissionless networks, offering trust in the network without compromising on transparency. How does Polymesh work?   Node operators and stakers work together to secure the layer 1 blockchain and validate blocks.  Node operators who successfully validate blocks are rewarded in POLYX, Polymesh’s utility token. Stakers stake their POLYX on node operators to increase the latter’s chance of being selected for the validator pool every 24 hours. After node operators collect a commission of up to 10%, stakers will receive POLYX. Securing Polymesh Polymesh employs a Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) consensus model, which was developed by Polkadot, to define the network's roles, rules, and incentives. This system is designed to help increase the blockchain’s security, as it makes harmful behavior costly and difficult to execute. Through this mechanism, node operators and stakers are rewarded or fined in POLYX, according to their performance.  Polymesh’s fee structure Many public permissionless blockchains have a fee market, where fees can vary greatly in a matter of seconds. For instance, if users compete for space on the blockchain to run code or store data (i.e., the blockspace), this would likely incur higher fees. Polymesh keeps transaction costs low and consistent by basing fees on the on-chain weight (in bytes) and complexity of the transaction, with Polymesh Governance having the authority to adjust the rate. Polymesh Governance is a democratic system consisting of a council of key stakeholders, the Polymesh Governing Council, and POLYX holders.  The Polymesh Governing Council sets and charges protocol fees for certain native functions, such as reserving a token ticker. Fee payment is split at a 4:1 ratio between the Network Treasury — maintained by Polymesh Governance — and node operators. Network Treasury funds are typically used for improving or securing the network.  What makes Polymesh unique?  Polymesh is one of the few layer 1 blockchains built for security tokens. Currently, most securities-focused projects are layer 2 initiatives built on pre-existing blockchains like Ethereum or Solana. Polymesh, however, is a standalone layer 1 blockchain. With its infrastructure, Polymesh hopes to improve the security token industry by solving governance, identity, compliance, confidentiality, and settlement challenges.  Governance  Built on the Substrate framework, Polymesh takes advantage of seamless upgrades to offer forkless architecture, so there will only ever be one version of the chain. An on-chain governance model featuring a council of key stakeholders can easily resolve any issues. Identity  Unlike most public blockchains that allow anyone to participate, Polymesh’s mandatory identity verification process generates an on-chain identity for every individual or entity participating in the network. On-chain interactions can be traced back to known, real-world entities. Compliance The ability to create and manage security tokens is built into the base layer of the blockchain. Additional characteristics like compliance and rules are optional and can be automated and enforced at the token level via smart contracts. Confidentiality Polymesh’s protocol MERCAT (Mediated, Encrypted, Reversible, SeCure Asset Transfers) enables confidential asset issuance and transfers. Users can maintain trade privacy, while Polymesh does not have to sacrifice compliance or transparency.  Settlement Instant settlement is possible for both on- and off-chain assets through Polymesh’s on-chain settlement engine, two-way transaction affirmation, and near-instant deterministic finality. What is POLYX?   POLYX is Polymesh’s native token. It is classified as a utility token under Swiss law, based on guidance from Swiss financial regulator FINMA. POLYX is used for governance, securing the chain through staking, and creating and managing security tokens. Governance  Governance is facilitated through Polymesh Governance. Any verified POLYX holder can influence Polymesh’s direction in two ways: submitting a Polymesh Improvement Proposal (PIP) or voting using POLYX. To submit a PIP, a user has to bond POLYX to it using Polymesh Governance. Once approved, PIPs are voted on by the Governing Council for implementation.  Staking  Any verified POLYX holder can participate in staking by bonding POLYX to a node operator of their choice to increase that operator’s chance of receiving rewards.  The Polymesh ecosystem Existing participants in Polymesh’s ecosystem include cryptocurrency exchanges, experienced players in the tokenization space (Polymath), and companies with sizable security token portfolios (RedSwan). The Polymesh Association aims to encourage further development through two programs:  The Grants Program for individuals and businesses building open-source functionality on Polymesh. The Ecosystem Development Fund for businesses with closed-source technology that integrate Polymesh. There is a wealth of information available for developers who want to integrate Polymesh, including the Polymesh SDK library and dedicated support channels for the community. How to buy POLYX on Binance?   You can buy POLYX on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance.  1. Log into your Binance account and go to [Trade] -> [Spot].  2. Type “POLYX” in the search bar to view the available trading pairs. We will use POLYX/BUSD as an example. 3. Go to the [Spot] box and enter the amount of POLYX you want to buy. In this example, we will use a market order. Click [Buy POLYX] to confirm your order, and the purchased POLYX will be credited to your Spot Wallet. Closing thoughts   To build an improved security token space, the Polymesh team is also working on other areas, including stablecoin infrastructure, non-fungible token (NFT) implementation, confidentiality via the MERCAT protocol, and user onboarding.