What is Kyber Network (KNC)?

Kyber Network is a decentralized, blockchain-based protocol that facilitates the exchange of tokens without an intermediary and provides liquidity for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. At the time of this writing, Kyber Network is integrated with more than 100 applications, and powers KyberSwap, Kyber Network’s decentralized exchange (DEX). Kyber Network is governed by the holders of its native KNC token through KyberDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

Kyber Network Provides Critical Liquidity to DeFi

Before examining Kyber Network’s design, let’s first unpack why liquidity is important to the DeFi ecosystem. In the cryptocurrency community, liquidity refers to several things: the ability to exchange an asset without substantially shifting its price in the process, the amount of trading activity in a market, and the ease with which an asset can be converted to cash. Liquidity is essential to healthy, functional, user-friendly markets, but can be difficult for new DeFi protocols to both attain and retain.

In traditional financial markets, liquidity providers are centralized entities like banks and financial institutions. However, utilizing centralized entities to provide liquidity in DeFi markets would run contrary to the ecosystem’s ethos of decentralization. As a result, permissionless protocols like Kyber Network have emerged to take their place. Kyber Network’s mission is to create a world in which any token of value can be used anywhere for swaps in any wallet, as well as for payment services, and other newly developed financial products.

How Does Kyber Network Work?

Kyber Network consists of a set of smart contracts that can be implemented on any smart contract-capable blockchain, though it is only implemented on Ethereum as of December 2020. The protocol aggregates liquidity from a variety of reserves, including token holders, market makers, and decentralized exchanges, into a single liquidity pool on its network. Anyone can provide liquidity to the network. Kyber Network enables its three primary users — decentralized applications (dApps), vendors, and crypto wallets — to execute instant token swaps without the use of a trusted third party.

Let’s run through two types of trades.

In every trade, there is the token that represents the core asset. Ether (ETH) currently acts as this token in the Ethereum implementation of the protocol, so any trade must involve an exchange of ETH for another token. Imagine that you want to trade ETH for BAT, Brave’s Basic Attention Token:

  • You send your ETH to the Kyber Network smart contract.
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best ETH to BAT exchange rate.
  • The contract then sends the ETH to the reserve with the best ETH to BAT exchange rate.
  • Finally, that reserve then sends you your BAT.

Now let’s imagine that you want to trade BAT for DAI. In this example, since you are not trading directly in ETH, some additional steps are required because ETH is the core asset:

  • You send your BAT to the Kyber Network smart contract. 
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best BAT to ETH exchange rate.
  • The contract then sends the BAT to the reserve with the best BAT to ETH exchange rate. 
  • That reserve then sends ETH to the contract. 
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best ETH to DAI exchange rate. 
  • The contract then sends the ETH to the reserve with the best ETH to DAI exchange rate.
  • Finally, that reserve then sends you your DAI.

Despite the second trade involving more steps, both trades are completed in a single blockchain transaction. Likewise, with Kyber Network, all trades are instantly settled on the blockchain and are either executed in full or reverted. In other words, your trades should never be partially executed (though they may be partially executed on other types of exchanges). Additionally, all exchange rates offered by reserves are publicly verifiable if you query the smart contracts.

When integrated into dApps, DeFi platforms, and crypto wallets, the Kyber Network has a wide range of use cases. For example, a dApp that would like to accept users who do not hold its native token can integrate the Kyber protocol to allow for in-app token swap and token conversion functionalities. These features enable the dApp’s users to utilize any Kyber Network-supported token and simultaneously enable the dApp to receive payment in the token of its choice.

KyberDAO and KNC

Holders of KNC can participate in the governance of Kyber Network through KyberDAO. By staking their tokens, KNC holders can vote on the network’s fee model, rebates for reserves, and other proposals, and also earn staking rewards denominated in ether. KNC is a deflationary staking token, which means its supply will decrease over time. KNC is only an ERC-20 token as of December 2020, but Kyber Network anticipates that it will also be implemented on other blockchains in the future. Nonetheless, its supply will be managed as if it were a single token, and Kyber Network is developing technologies that will enable the transfer of KNC across blockchains.

Kyber Network’s broadly integrated protocol offers an on-chain, decentralized solution to DeFi’s liquidity challenges and provides ERC-20 tokens with ecosystem-wide utility.

What products support KNC?

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase            ✔      ✔
Pro           ✔      ✔

What regions support KNC?

 USNYEUUKCA/SG
Coinbase    ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔     ✔
Pro    ✔  ✔  ✔     ✔

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  US  UK  EU 
USD   ✔ ✖️✖️
GBP  ✖️  ✔✖️
EUR  ✖️  ✔ ✔

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDC BTC ETH 
KNC    ✖️  ✔ ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

How many confirmations are needed for KNC?

KNC requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts KNC?

KNC is hosted on the Ethereum blockchain.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.01 KNC

Maximum: 121,000 KNC

On April 20, 2021, KNC (Kyber) deployed their new token and swap contracts. You can reference KNC’s tweet for more on the token swap. While we won’t support the new smart contract at the time of the initial token swap, we will support it a later date in 2021. 

What do I need to know about the KNC token swap?

The new KNC smart contract will be available on Coinbase and Coinbase Pro.

New smart contract

Coinbase will not support the new smart contract at the time of the token swap. You won’t be able to trade (buy/sell) the new token. You can still trade the older version of KNC before the conversion tha occurs later in 2021. 

Once Coinbase supports the new smart contract later in 2021, Coinbase will automatically convert all the KNC tokens in your account and trading will be enabled. If you have KNC in your Coinbase accunt, we’ll notify you a few weeks before the conversion once a conversion date is determined. 

Moving KNC Tokens

You have the option to move your KNC tokens out of Coinbase any time before the conversion date. 

Sending and receiving KNC Tokens

When sending/receiving KNC tokens, please check what version of KNC tokens you currently hold. Exchanges and wallets might have or have not updated to the new token contract, and your funds might be lost if you send an unsupported version of KNC. The Ethereum contract address for the old KNC token is: 0xdd974d5c2e2928dea5f71b9825b8b646686bd200.

Will I be able to deposit the new KNC token to Coinbase before the conversion? 

No. Coinbase KNC wallets supporting the new smart contract won’t be available until afterthe conversion later this year.  We’ll announce this date on Twitter once we know.

What happens if I deposit the new KNC token into my Coinbase account before the conversion?

If you transfer the new KNC token from another exchange to Coinbase before the upgrade then the token will not be accessible or available for withdrawal from Coinbase until the KNC smart contract is supported.

What happens if I deposit the old KNC smart contract after it’s deprecated on Coinbase?

These deposits would not be supported and would be treated as an unsupported digital currency. Depositing unsupported assets in your Coinbase account will cause you to lose them.

Sending and receiving

Old KNC: You will be able to send & receive the old KNC before update/conversion.

New KNC smart contract: You will not be able to send & receive the new KNC smart contract before the upgrade/conversion.

After the upgrade, sending and receiving the new KNC tokens will be enabled on Coinbase Pro but sending and receiving old KNC tokens will no longer be available.

What happens to my KNC after the mandatory conversion to the new KNC smart contract?

As previously mentioned, all of your KNC tokens will automatically convert to the new smart contract and your new KNC tokens will be available in Coinbase products. You’ll then be able to buy, sell and convert KNC on Coinbase products.

Will we support the new KNC token on Pro trading books?

Yes, but only after Coinbase supports the conversion later this year.

What does this mean for KNC in my standalone Coinbase Wallet?

If you have KNC in your Coinbase Wallet, KNC funds will not convert to the KNC. You will need to follow the instructions outlined by KNC in their Migration Guide

By Gemini and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is MASK Network (MASK)?

Mask Network is a portal that allows users to seamlessly send encrypted messages, cryptocurrencies, and even DApps (Defi, NFTs, DAO) over the top of social networks without migrating, and thereby creating a decentralized Applet(DApplet) ecosystem. In short, we want to bridge the New, Open Internet right on top of the current one.

An Overview 🔍

Instead of creating a new platform, Mask Network aims to bridge Web2 (the current web) and so-called Web3, to empower the general public to use the better web within the current mainstream platforms, without using any API or centralized server.

Our Vision 🚩

People live on the Internet. The current version of the internet consists of big techs after big techs where people essentially have to give up control of their own autonomy and cannot even get a breathing room in between the platforms. Many want to overthrow them by starting new ones.

We don’t — We want to create something above them. Cryptography and Web 3 technology (including blockchain, decentralized storage, and peer to peer networks, etc) is enabling us to pull off the job.

The historical reference is the Operating system vs Web browser. Microsoft Windows used to be the ‘evil’ dominant player, taking over 90% of the OS market share. But the Internet (more specifically, Web) changes everything. Everyone still uses operating systems, but the pie has been significantly diluted by the Internet. The web browser is built inside the operating system and sucks in most of the operating system usage gradually and effectively — became the operating system. Microsoft had to preinstall IE to fight back against Netscape — finally leading to DOJ’s action against Microsoft.

Historical Parallel: Microsoft Windows — Netscape Navigator

Now onto the social networks. Some 90% of the global Internet users are social network users. Social networks have become the infrastructure that few can bypass. Directly competing against those giants seems infeasible. What if we can create something over-the-top of them that people want? Lots of problems have arisen in social networks. They can barely do cross border payments, no space to permanently store files, no real secure encryption. They monetize based on our data and labor and we have little bargain power to stop that.

Is there something that can fix all those problems? The rise of peer to peer networks, blockchain, decentralized storage, collectively denominated as Web 3, are giving us a silver lining. We want to piece them together and give ordinary users a whole new Internet inside the existing one.

Mask Network — the bridge connect Web2 and Web3

What Have We Done and How Has it Been Received

Mask Network has been up and running for almost a year. In the earliest version back in July 2019. The basic function it provides is sending and receiving encrypted posts (tweets/fb posts) with access control. This is achieved without having a centralized server. We also kept UI consistency with platforms to reduce on-boarding costs.

What products support MASK? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
  Coinbase           ✖️     ✖️
  Pro           ✔      ✔
Wallet          ✖️     ✖️

What regions support MASK?

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Wallet✖️✖️  ✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  USUKEU
USD   ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✔✖️
EUR ✖️ ✔ ✔

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDCUSDTBTCETH
MASK   ✖️   ✔ ✖️ ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

How many confirmations are needed for MASK?

MASK requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts MASK?

MASK is hosted on Ethereum.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000010000000000

Maximum: 33,069

By Mask Network and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

刘慈欣和周鸿祎为什么唱衰元宇宙

1865年,有英国人在北京做蒸汽机车实验,这在当时是新鲜事物,李岳瑞 《春冰室野乘记》载:“京师人诧所未闻,骇为妖物,举国若狂,几至大变。旋经步军统领衙门饬令拆卸,群疑始息。”意思是,北京人觉得它是妖怪,群情沸腾,后来步军统领衙门就把它拆了,这样,事情才止息。

美国

火车入京,骇为妖物。据《点石斋画报》

1876年吴淞铁路建成通车,吃瓜群众纷纷围观。后来,发生了一起火车压死人的事故,于是反对火车的声音达到高潮。最终,清政府收购了这条铁路,并将其拆了。

在当时的某些国人看来,火车这个玩意儿因为需要铁轨,需要开山铺路,对风水是大大不利的。

李鸿章是个明白人,他还是要修火车。1881年唐胥铁路建成,李鸿章说这是运输煤炭的“马路”,希望就此蒙混过关。结果,太后英明,说是“机车直驶,震动东陵,且喷出黑烟,有伤禾稼”,意思是这个破玩意儿惊扰了祖宗,而且不利于环保,要改进。于是,既然是“马路”,就改为驴马拖拽吧。

最后,居然有一个阶段就真的是用驴马来拖拽着车厢在铁轨上滑行的。

美国

驴马拉车厢,还需要人来赶驴

当年,火车是妖怪,如今元宇宙是妖怪。

1.妖魔化元宇宙的风气很不好

10月28日,马克·扎克伯格在facebook connect大会上宣布,脸书更名为“meta”。脸书于当天回应:改名是为了重塑品牌,以配合公司从“社交媒体公司”向“元宇宙公司”这一转向。

随后,元宇宙一词大火。

于是,有人卖课赚了百万,有公司借助元宇宙概念赚了几十亿的市值。

这个里面的确有炒作、割韭菜的行为,不过,这一切和正经的元宇宙概念与应用有啥关系?一个明星唱歌唱得好,有人假借他的名义在某城市开演唱会卖票,结果李逵没来,来的是李鬼。难道这罪名该李逵背吗?难道不是该怪自己太大意,又或者李鬼太可恨吗?

现在有一股妖魔化元宇宙的风气,我看很不好。

这就像几百年前,很多人根本就不知道火车是什么,就瞅了几眼,就跟着瞎起哄,说这玩意儿是妖怪一样。

现在很多人根本不知道元宇宙是什么,就跟着媒体、名人起哄说元宇宙是妖怪。

此前有媒体评论说:“推动新概念及其产业逐步走向成熟需要时间,通向令人神往的科技未来需要脚踏实地、打好发展地基。正如不论虚拟现实、增强现实还是混合现实,中心词都是‘现实’,这也预示着离开了现实的支撑,终归是海市蜃楼无本之木。‘基础不牢地动山摇’,这样的道理不论在真实宇宙还是元宇宙,应该都是适用的”。

很多人对此理解为批评元宇宙,这其实是几句放之四海而皆准的大道理。你想想互联网发展之初,有人这样说是不是也很有道理?

可是这是批评元宇宙吗?这是批评不好好推进元宇宙,某些人只想借元宇宙割韭菜、炒概念。

人家前面还有一句话“不过可以明确的是,一些新概念承载着人们对技术发展的信心,以及对未来美好生活的期待”。

2.元宇宙办公室可以节省通勤时间

擅长构建虚拟宇宙世界的刘慈欣,近日在公开演讲中怒怼元宇宙,称“元宇宙将引导人类走向死路。”刘慈欣觉得元宇宙是极具诱惑、高度致幻的“精神鸦片”,担忧人类沉浸在虚拟世界固步自封。

刘慈欣是科幻作家,以前当过电工,但是他一天老板都没当过,他也没做过技术公司,他有很高的写作天分和想象力,可是他没有什么商业思维。

 我个人是不玩游戏的,我也反对未成年人玩游戏。我想刘慈欣觉得元宇宙是极具诱惑、高度致幻的“精神鸦片”,大多也是从这个角度考虑。

不过,元宇宙不等于游戏,游戏应用只是元宇宙的一部分。

在虚拟空间里,人们可以购物,甚至可以进行体育锻炼,戴上AR眼镜跑步、打球并不是幻觉,如果技术再成熟一点,还会有大规模的虚拟办公室、会议室出现,会极大地缓解交通拥堵问题。

美国

有人说从燕郊到北京,“我的上班路,就像一场战斗”,有媒体报道:早上5:30分,天还漆黑,街上难觅人影,燕京航城北门外的818路快车公交车始发站,这里已经站了两排等待进京的乘客。有乘客说,这是到北京最快的一班车。走得早,不堵车,一个小时多一点就能到。

如果有了元宇宙办公室,且解决了拟真感、低延迟的问题,有些比较跟得上潮流的公司会考虑元宇宙办公室,因为在元宇宙办公室也可以打卡,也有电脑。

这是正经的工作空间和工作需求,而且可以省交通费,可以节省一大笔买房、租房的费用,和“精神鸦片”完全搭不上边。

想想看,每天节省来回四五个小时的通勤时间,这是多么令人高兴的事儿。而且老板也比较放心,因为他可以观察员工在元宇宙办公室的工作状态。

3.元宇宙不是现实世界的敌人

在11月20日晚播出的央视对话节目中,360集团创始人周鸿祎表示,元宇宙的概念最近炒得很热,很多人找到了新的圈钱手段。他认为,第一,元宇宙幻想的虚拟现实,还要假以时日;第二,Facebook的幻想不代表未来,而是代表人类的没落。

美国

周鸿祎发言截屏(下同)

我仔细看了周鸿祎发言的视频,他说他和美国同行交流,美国同行告诉他元宇宙的最高未来是实现脑机接口,“躺床上,插着氧供着营养液,通过脑机接口刺激大脑,在虚拟世界里形成幻觉”。

美国

其实,周鸿祎还是在反对脑机接口,这个观点他早就表达过,在去年的ISC2020大会上,周鸿祎谈马斯克脑机接口时表示强烈反对,称马斯克是半疯半狂的人。周鸿祎认为如果脑机接口用于帮助残障人士,那是合适的。如果每个人都连上了互联网,数据保护会变成很大的挑战。

周鸿祎认为元宇宙的最高未来就是脑机接口,这个结论是“美国同行”告诉他的。不过,这个“美国同行”怎么就能确认元宇宙的最高未来就是脑机接口?

美国

众所周知,元宇宙是一个发展中的概念,未来在技术上有哪些突破,根本就无法预测。这个美国同行居然就把元宇宙的最高未来给预测了,他是上帝还是神?

何况,脑机接口只是数据接入的形式之一,个人也可以选择眼镜和头盔呀,周鸿祎只强调脑机接口,并不妥当。

周鸿祎在发言中还把虚拟世界的行为和个人在现实工作中的奋斗对立起来,他说“如果我们摆脱现实,在现实中不经过艰苦的努力去获得一种成就,大家都生活在一个虚幻的空间里……”。

美国

谁说了利用元宇宙作为生活、工作的工具,就要完全脱离现实生活?这不是刻意制造对立吗?

现实情况是李四在元宇宙教室听了易中天的讲课之后,还会去买易中天的书来看,如果有易中天的演讲在本城举行,他也会去参加,而且希望获得签名。

工作日的晚上,在元宇宙健身房锻炼的李四,到周末也希望去郊区跑个10公里,因为空气质量完全不一样。

元宇宙不是现实世界的敌人,不是精神鸦片,只是一个工具。

全世界每年因交通事故死亡人数超过百万,我们会拒绝使用汽车吗?

4.沈葆桢曾国藩都曾反对修铁路

说回前面的历史,1876年吴淞铁路被拆,你们知道出主意的是谁吗?是名臣沈葆桢,“自沈幼丹(即沈葆桢)任江督时,力主铁路不宜筑之议,决意将重价购回拆毁。”

美国

苏州火车开往吴淞的年画

沈葆桢是晚清时期的重要大臣,政治家、军事家、外交家、民族英雄,中国近代造船、航运、海军建设事业的奠基人之一,是清朝抵抗侵略的封疆大吏林则徐之婿。

即使是这样聪明睿智的人物,也有自己认知的局限性。

如今,沈葆桢的故乡福州早已经通了高铁。

有人认为,中国历史上出过两个半完人。一个是孔子,第二个是王守仁,曾国藩则被评为半个完人。在曾国藩的倡议下,建造了中国第一艘轮船,建立了第一所兵工学堂,印刷翻译了第一批西方书籍,安排了第一批赴美留学生。

就是这样一位被梁启超称为“立德、立功、立言三不朽”的人物,也是坚决反对在中国修建铁路的,甚至反对一切带有铁路意义的技术手段。曾国藩认为铁路是西方人用来侵夺中国利益的手段。

曾国藩任直隶总督时,为消除永定河水患,有人曾禀请购买和使用挖河机器,为此需要修建轻便铁路,曾国藩对此的答复是:“近年中国力拒外洋来开铁路之议,岂可反自中国作俑!此层决不可行。”自己修铁路也不行!

李瀚章称赞曾国藩:“其深识远略,公而忘私,尤有古人所不能及者”。但是在技术问题的认识上,曾国藩也有自己的不足之处。

所以,保持自己的独立思考很重要,元宇宙的发展还需要安静观察,不要轻易否定。

美国

毕竟,刘慈欣、周鸿祎、沈葆桢、曾国藩都可能会说错。

有人在不断创新,引领时代,创造财富和令人欣喜的未来。

有人停止学习,或者学习能力跟不上,只想巩固现有的利益和地盘,最终会被时代的高铁抛弃。

嗯,高铁抛弃某些人的时候,连招呼都不会打一声。

保持学习力,时时刷新自己的思维力,随时准备微调甚至重构自己的思维体系和认知框架很重要。

没有什么不变的,唯一不变的只有“不变”本身。

By 抱朴财经

职业电竞不好做:万分之一出道率,24岁退役魔咒

BP是一个游戏术语,B是禁用(Ban),P是选择(Pick)。BP通常出现在上场前:两队决定禁用哪些英雄,并选择那些未被禁用的英雄。如何选择,考验着双方的谋略战术。

  中国的电竞行业在这两年进入发展的快车道,成为全球赛事营收最高、核心观众最多的市场,在这一过程中,也面临很多BP时刻。年轻人要不要做职业选手?退役的选手从高光回归寻常,如何规划未来的路?俱乐部该不该全面拥抱商业化甚至饭圈化?当电竞火爆,对青少年的影响与日俱增,社会该不该更冷静地去关注虚拟与现实的边界?

  澎湃新闻行业观察与产业调查栏目“痛点”推出《电竞人生BP指南》专题,通过采访俱乐部管理者、电竞赛训负责人、在役与退役的职业选手、电竞行业研究学者,呈现行业现状。

  上海浦东某别墅小区,幽深静谧,最近的商业区要打车走上一会儿,JDG京东电子竞技俱乐部英雄联盟分部驻扎在此。近两年,JDG的成绩爬升很快,在2020年斩获《英雄联盟》职业联赛(LPL)春季赛冠军及夏季赛亚军,挺进全球总决赛八强。

  在游戏里叱咤风云的“探险家”、“机械公敌”、“兽灵行者”,是生活里一群二十岁左右的少年。赢得比赛是他们最大的向往。

  24岁的JDG上单选手张星冉,从进入这个行业开始,已经过了差不多8年这样的生活,经历了电竞从“不务正业”到“为国争光”的转变——现在,中国已是全球赛事收入最高的电竞市场,2021年电竞用户预计达到4.25亿。是这群电竞选手们,支撑起了电竞产业链的基座。

  但在光环的另一侧,是极其苛刻的选拔条件、日复一日的枯燥训练、日夜颠倒的生活作息。

  JDG的选手们,大约在午间起床,训练,吃饭,然后继续训练,直到凌晨入睡。别墅一层最大的房间作为训练室,十多台电脑微微发烫,坐在电竞椅上的选手们目不转睛。到点了,便走向另一侧的小食堂。如果不是比赛外出,选手每天接触最多的人,除了队友、教练、经理,就是食堂阿姨,很适合全身心地投入到训练里。

  别的电竞俱乐部也大抵如此,阔绰一点儿的包下别墅,艰苦一点的则是“网吧队”,住四人间六人间上下铺。他们的经历大都相似:十多岁,在游戏内的排行中崭露头角,被俱乐部选中参与青训,经过极高的淘汰率后,真正进入到职业序列中,开始“打怪升级”。

  在网上,流传着他们精彩操作的视频,精妙绝伦。但在生活中,他们是什么样子?进入这个圈子,有哪些门槛?退役之后,有哪些未来的方向?澎湃新闻采访了多位职业电竞选手,他们有的刚从青训体系中闯关成功,有的正值当打之年,还有的已谢幕台前,正寻找新的方向。

  万分之一“出道率”

  什么样的人可以成为职业电竞选手呢?这个问题,听到最多的回答是,要有天赋。几乎每个人都认同,天赋的决定因素,比重甚至超过了后天的训练。

  如果把天赋具象化,就是游戏系统里的排名系统。《英雄联盟》设有排位赛机制,匹配段位实力相近的玩家来对局,根据胜负获得点数的增加或扣减,通过不断累积胜点,晋升到更高段位。从黑铁、青铜、白银、黄金、铂金到钻石,共分为六个大段。每个大段有五个小段,每个小段需积满100胜点。

  到达钻石段位后是超凡大师,此时不再有100胜点上限,大师胜点超200分后,全服前500名可以晋升傲世宗师,全服前200名为最强王者。

  这就和高考分数一样,被划出985、211、一本、二本。从各家俱乐部青训招募的标准来看,要求基本都在985级别:即大师段位以上。

  “排行能打得很高,就知道自己有天赋。”JDG上单选手张星冉向澎湃新闻表示。

  张星冉谈道,家里表哥表姐特别会读书,家里不缺读书的料,而自己的技能点被“点”在了游戏上。“因为当时排行比较高,国服前几十吧,所以就想打职业。国服当时职业选手也在打,碰到之后没觉得有什么差距,既然水平都差不多,所以我也有机会打职业。”

  打到国服前几十是什么概念?《英雄联盟》国服(指中国区服务器)人数最多的大区艾欧尼亚在千万用户之多,其他区则在百万级别,前几十名,无疑是十万挑一。难度,不亚于高考考上985大学。

  “我的建议就是韩服必须是王者,国服最好是峡谷1000分,如果没有这个前提,我建议你不要打职业。”前LPL职业选手、原LNG战队辅助段德良(游戏ID:Duan)向澎湃新闻记者表示。

  天赋的差异,则是一件很残酷的事情,尤其是当它比较难以用后天的努力来弥补时。

  人社部曾在2019年发布《新职业——电子竞技员就业景气现状分析报告》,报告称,目前我国正在运营的电子竞技战队(含俱乐部)多达5000余家,电子竞技职业选手约10万人,还有大批量半职业、业余电子竞技选手活跃在各种中小规模电子竞技赛事的赛场上。

  10万人,数字看着庞大,但真正能进入大众视野的,凤毛麟角。就像是分布在一个金字塔上,越顶级,越稀少。天赋,已经天然决定了他们的位置在哪儿。

  游戏陪练平台比心推出了电竞青训选拔项目“星火计划”,全国范围内16到18岁的青少年可报名,从中选拔出具有职业选手潜力的玩家,输送至电竞俱乐部参与青训。广西男生韦荣是其中之一,他是身边朋友中打游戏打得最好的,在《英雄联盟》韩服(韩国地区服务器)的成绩是“大师150点”。通过星火计划,他获得了老牌电竞俱乐部WE的试训资格。

  韦荣是从10万人中脱颖而出。截至2020年,比心星火的报名人数超过10万,进入线下试训84人,比例不到千分之一。其中真正入俱乐部成为职业选手的有9人,比例进一步被缩小至万分之一。

  来试训的所有的人,都在游戏这一项活动上有着过人的天赋。这就像各个省市的状元们考上清华北大,然后发现这里依然有排名,有人可以继续拿A,也有人只能吃到C和D。

  在训练赛中表现不佳,以及年龄问题,7天的试训结束后,韦荣未能被选上。

  韦荣是个乐观小伙儿,从WE离开后,他去了另一家电竞俱乐部,和另外两名选手争夺一个上单首发的位置。但在这场竞争中,韦荣输给了一位来得更晚、03年出生的男生。“年纪小的一来压力就大,因为他过来的时候只有400分(指大师段位的胜点),他两周之内时间打上了800分。”

  这让韦荣开始质疑自己。“一个人如果有很过人的天赋,他会在排位升降级中打得很快,不会在一个阶段停留很久,很快刷到能跟LPL那些人正面对抗(的段位)。”

  教练委婉地向他表达:“打(端游)的话可能没那么好出来,提前去做手游准备吧。”言外之意,不言自明。

  排名冷冰冰地展现天赋的差异,如果继续追问天赋到底是什么,还有很多种解释。

  “别人不懂的你能懂,别人会的,你会的比他更多,甚至不用去学习,都能明白的那种状态。”这是韦荣琢磨出的理解。韦荣已经做得比大多数人要更好。但这个领域里,总有更强的人冒出。

  “比如像Faker那样的职业选手,《英雄联盟》刚出来一个新英雄,他只需要玩一把,或者是训练模式玩一下,他就知道这个英雄具体要怎么玩。”段德良说,“只需要玩一把,差不多就精通了,这就是天赋。”

  也有的人用学科天赋与电竞天赋类比。“老师教你一套公式来解这道题,但有天赋的人会重新创造一种方式来解题。”某电竞俱乐部经理安齐(化名)说。安齐带过几个战队,在他看来,一个孩子有没有天赋,其实一两天就能看出。

  职业选手,这是一个少有的,经验只排在第二位的工作,但这不代表经验和后天的努力不重要。

  “训练其实主要是要练团队之间的配合。”张星冉说。归根结底,《英雄联盟》是一款极其讲究团队配合的游戏,光一个人“Carry”,难以长久。

  张星冉认为,自己作为有着多年职业经历的选手,过了“只用天赋打游戏”的阶段。“经验这个东西,细节到每一个小操作、每一个处理方式。有一百多个英雄,一个英雄和另一个英雄对峙,哪些时间该做哪些事情,这些就是经验一个个累积下来。”

  韦荣的几段训练经历,也让他积累了大量实战经验。韦荣现在已经向《英雄联盟》手游转型。《英雄联盟》手游职业赛事蓄势待发,像他这样在端游赛事中经验丰富的选手,很快被吸纳。

  24岁这个坎

  在JDG俱乐部的冰箱里,叠放着一大摞饮料,可乐一定是无糖的,茶饮一定是低卡的。近两年,俱乐部还为选手请了理疗师,应对肩颈、背、腰的劳损问题。

  健康问题,在电竞的圈子里的关注程度越来越高。毕竟,当你天赋异禀,踏上了电竞职业之路,当你运气卓绝,一路过关斩将打入顶级赛事,最害怕的事情,是巅峰期太短暂。

  足球、篮球、网球等商业价值顶级的赛事,不乏三十、四十岁仍活跃的选手,但电竞选手的职业黄金期通常比较短。人力资源和社会保障部曾在2019年出具的《电子竞技员就业景气现状分析报告》显示,被调查的电子竞技员超过半数在16到22岁之间,有不到三成在23至30岁之间,年龄普遍偏低。

  澎湃新闻记者统计发现,近两年来LPL退役的知名选手年龄在21到26岁区间,平均约23.5岁。

  公认国内最顶级的LPL选手、曾出战雅加达亚运会并获得冠军的简自豪(游戏ID:Uzi),是23岁退役的,原因是被诊断出二型糖尿病。

  压力大、肥胖、饮食不规律、熬夜,这是简自豪总结的病因。“这半年我有慢慢的改变作息,控制饮食,减肥,运动和吃药,可是情况没有得到改变。并且因为吃药。我的精神状态没有以前那么好了。医生也说如果再继续严重下去,并发症很快就会出现,加上我原本手伤就比较严重,我的身体条件不允许我再继续战斗下去了。”Uzi在微博上写道。

  Uzi此前在接受澎湃新闻采访时谈道,自己的作息大约是每天中午12点起来,吃好饭开始训练,打Rank,然后团队训练,一直训练到第二天早上6、7点。

  “每天十几个小时的训练,你可能坚持个一周两周,到了第三周的时候你就会想说,我能不能休息一下?但现实是不允许的。”Uzi说,“只有平时付出的足够多,赛场上才会有成果。”

  每天十几个小时的训练,是电竞选手的生活常态,熬夜似乎是这一行的必备技能。

  张星冉的平均入睡时间是凌晨4点。问及为什么不改成早睡早起,他笑了笑说,“也不可能早上六七点起来打游戏,要玩基本都是玩得很晚。因为所有的人都是这个点,如果你错开了,就和其他战队错开,训练赛也会错开。”

  韦荣现在的队伍是合宿,中午12点“上班”,夜里12点结束“下班”,晚一点要练到一两点。回到房间里,队友们再玩玩手机聊聊天,不知不觉又到深夜。

  如果“夜猫子”这件事,年轻人都还比较能扛,那么久坐带来的发胖,则不那么愉快了。

  身高186公分的张星冉,曾一度“胖到自己无法忍受的程度”,奋而在训练之余走上了减肥之路。健身的时间是挤出来的,他选择比队友的起床时间早一两个小时,去做锻炼。经过一年的努力,他瘦了60斤,被调侃为“电竞男模”。

  24岁的张星冉坚持运动,希望保持健康的状态,让职业生涯尽可能地久一点。“暂时不会退役。等我觉得我谁都打不过的时候,我肯定会自觉地退役。我的自尊心不会允许我水平退了还强行打。”

  段德良则在24岁这一年,选择了退役,原因正是在于状态的下滑。

  “因为我退役之前那个赛季打得特别差,我自己这边有点接受不了,接受不了自己没有以前那么厉害了。”段德良向澎湃新闻记者说。

  1996年生的段德良职业经历曲折:十多岁时离开家,在网吧做网管,和伙伴组成“网吧队”,“打得很猛,被青训的看上了”。2015年底,他被职业电竞俱乐部VG选中,开启了职业选手生涯。2017年,VG因成绩不佳而被降至了次级联赛。段德良没有选择离开,而是陪伴队伍重新打回LPL,团队精神是这个游戏的内核,段德良很在乎义气这件事情。

  回到LPL后,小段却坐了大半年替补席。直到2019年,他加盟LNG,才真正在LPL圈子里崭露头角。当时他23岁,对于LNG为什么引进这样一位“大龄”选手,还曾引起俱乐部粉丝的质疑。小段很快用出彩且稳定的表现,回应了外界声音。可巅峰期太短暂,一个赛季的表现不佳,让他背负起巨大的心理压力。即使才24岁,他已是“在LPL里年龄最大的辅助选手”。

  2020年11月,段德良在微博写了一篇五百字的小作文儿,郑重宣布了自己退役的消息。

  “看比赛的时候总会听解说说到年轻真好,是啊年轻真好,当我察觉到自己的反应操作集中力开始下降的时候,也会时不时的感慨上一句年轻真好!”

  “虽然走到今天没取得过什么成绩,但因为很热爱所以一直在努力坚持,直到我发现自己真的力不从心,我不想拖累队友,也不想让大家看到一个很差的自己,所以也到了说再见的时候了。”

  问及为何没有再尝试一阵儿,再给自己一点机会,就像当年逆风翻盘回到LPL。电话那头的小段,长叹了一口气。“当时真的是对自己打击很大,就觉得自己实力不够了,没有资格打LPL了。”

  退役之后

  高光过后,退役的选手们,都去哪儿了?这就像是毕业生从学校踏上社会,退役的电竞选手,同样是从象牙塔,被弹射回现实世界里。

  现在,他们要将自己从过往抽离,然后到找到下一个全身心热爱的事业,这对谁都不是件轻而易举的事情。

  从电竞选手Duan做回24岁的段德良,要做些什么呢?段德良脑海里闪现过去开一家奶茶店的想法。但奶茶店该怎么开呢?会不会赔钱?

  看起来,更为稳妥和普遍的做法,是追寻前辈们的选择。大部分的选手,虽然离开了赛场,但仍留在这个蓬勃发展的领域里,成为解说、教练、领队,实现自循环。

  还有不少顶尖选手的退役去向,是成为游戏主播。刘谋(PDD)是其中的代表。这位曾经的IG战队上单选手,现为斗鱼平台人气最高的游戏主播之一,为后续电竞选手转型铺出了路。

  站在更上游的人,也希望帮助他们跑通这条路。在今年腾讯电竞的活动上,腾讯电竞称将与直播平台虎牙联合推出电竞选手职业生涯保障计划,为选手们提供再就业机会。

  但走到顶端的,始终是少数。做游戏直播,除了游戏打得好,还得能说会道、插科打诨,一天数小时滔滔不绝。这些都做到了,能不能有人气依旧是一门玄学。

  段德良尝试直播了一段时间,规定自己很早起床,尝试了不同时间段做直播,“特别认真在做,但效果不是特别好。因为我这个位置又不好做直播,而且怎么说,喜欢看辅助的会很少。”

  小主播能出头,大都背后倚靠着一家实力不错的MCN机构,做形象、内容包装。也许未来可以考虑签约一个MCN机构,比单打独斗要上升得快一点。段德良知道这些门道,但谈到这,似乎没有特别打动他。

  还有一批LPL退役选手,以及一直在次级联赛(LDL)但未能有机会打入LPL的选手,瞄准了《英雄联盟》手游的机会。

  “可以试试。”段德良说。过了一会儿,段德良又直言,“不想去做手游,如果。”他顿了顿,“也没有如果。就还是想去做端游。”

  或者,十几岁离开家,闯荡电竞江湖的的他,是不是可以回去继续读书?

  电竞行业和中国其他的体育行业类似。当踏上职业道路,生活就不再是寻常道路:读书、高考、大学与工作,而是训练与比赛交替。目前我国有针对高水平运动员的大学招生计划,但对于电竞选手,似乎还未发展到这一步。

  目前,行业有自发推出的电竞奖学金计划,启动两年来有29名选手被北京邮电大学和广州体育学院的成人教育专业录取,这是一个比较好的开始。

  现在的段德良,还在玩着《英雄联盟》。“你有想过给自己放假放到什么时候,后面再去做一点事情吗?”记者问。“应该快了,快了。”段德良说。 

  张星冉在今年的LPL春季赛中表现不错,正鏖战夏季赛,以争取S赛(《英雄联盟》全球总决赛)资格。他跳过了记者问未来规划的问题,白净的娃娃脸,浮起一丝狡黠的笑意,“有想过,但肯定不能说”。

  韦荣在备战《英雄联盟》手游联赛的上线,最新的消息是,职业资格赛阶段将于9月开始。但所在队伍训练赛表现状态不佳,教练在要不要换人这件事上,给了他不小的心理压力。

  这个年龄,还经得住一次落选吗?无论如何,在他看来,这里的生活,比回到老家三点一线的工作要更有魅力。“最快乐的时候是每天和队友很努力训练,然后得到自己想要的答案和成绩。”他说。

By 陈宇曦、秦盛

What is Civic (CVC)?

Civic is a blockchain identity verification technology that allows consumers to authorise the use of their identities in real-time. It allows businesses and financial institutions to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of background checks.

About Civic Coin:

Civic (CVC) is a cryptocurrency based on Ethereum. This is what powers the Civic’s identity verification mechanism. Upon verifying their information using Civic, users may safely share and verify personal information with service providers. This eliminates the regular re-verification requirements. Service providers may give CVC to users and verifiers in exchange for this convenience.

Jonathan Smith and Vinny Lingham founded Civic in 2015.

Primary features of Civic

CVC coin is an ERC20 token. This means that you can store it on any wallet that supports Ethereum.

  • Civic is a network of decentralised applications built on Ethereum that focuses on verifying and requesting information about one’s identity.
  • It enables people to use the blockchain to verify their age when purchasing beer from vending machines.
  • The Civic ecosystem is composed of three distinct components: Users, Requesters, and Validators.
  • The user is in complete control of their data as it is stored locally on their mobile device. They can share the information with whom they want to.

Is Civic a promising cryptocurrency?

Civic coin price currency has increased over 200% in 2021 and by around 800% in the previous year.

According to different civic currency price forecasts, the coin still has the opportunity to grow. There may be a higher upside potential after the coin resumes its ascent to the peak.

Suppose you missed the Civic Coin’s Initial Coin Offering (ICO). In that case, you could purchase it on third-party cryptocurrency exchanges such as CoinSwitch Kuber.

How to use Civic coins?

It is more than a coin and aims to serve as both a wallet and an identification card. You may use it to build a safe and handy personal database. It can save virtually anything you desire, from your passport details to your medical history.

Pros & Cons of Civic coin

Pros

  • Civic securely verifies the identity of any user without requiring a username and password.
  • It does a thorough background check on the individual by examining publicly available information such as social media accounts. This effectively prohibits the creation of false identities and identity theft.
  • It seeks to address real-world issues and has enormous development potential.
  • As their technology is patented,  it may be advantageous against competitors in the future.

Cons

The platform may face stiff competition soon. More blockchain applications may emerge in the future as the size of the identity verification business is huge. Thus, Civic must establish several relationships and enter the mainstream market soon to flourish.

Which products support CVC? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase           ✔     ✔
Pro           ✔     ✔
Wallet           ✔    ✖️

What regions support CVC? 

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase    ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️
Pro   ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️
Wallet ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
EUR ✖️ ✖️ ✖️

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTC
ETHUSDT
CVC   ✔  ✖️
 ✖️   ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for CVC?

CVC requires 35 network confirmation. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts CVC?

CVC is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001 CVC

Maximum: 1,130,000 CVC

By coinswitch and coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is Braintrust (BTRST)?

Braintrust is the first decentralized talent network that connects highly skilled tech freelancers with the world’s most reputable brands, aligning the interests of both talent and enterprises. This week, we sat down with the Braintrust team to discuss what they are building, its use cases, recent traction, and their thoughts on Web 3.0 more broadly.

1. To begin, what is Braintrust and what problem does it solve?

Braintrust is the first decentralized talent network that connects highly skilled technical freelancers with the world’s most reputable brands like Nestle, Porsche, Atlassian, Goldman Sachs and Nike. Braintrust’s unique business model allows talent to retain 100% of their earnings and enables organizations to spin up flexible, skilled teams on-demand at a fraction of the cost of traditional staffing firms. This new business model that limits fee extraction and enables community ownership is uniquely enabled by a blockchain token.

Since coming out of stealth in June 2020, Braintrust has grown gross services volume (GSV) from $3.5 million in 2020 to a $31 million GSV run rate in 2021, growing over 34% on average each month. Braintrust’s community has scaled its use, adoption and talent earnings, with 215% growth in the talent community and individual hourly rates for talent on the network averaging nearly $100 per hour–all without any fee extraction.

2. Are there certain industries that your marketplace focuses on?

Braintrust’s talent community primarily focuses on large, complex technology and design projects spanning software, machine learning, data analytics, and related functions. Examples might include creating a health insurance shopping platform for a major insurance carrier, or the staffing of five full-stack engineers for a transportation company.

Braintrust attracts top tech talent from companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, and more—and it’s currently focused on four core categories involved in agile software development and IT:

  • Designers (Graphical + UI/UX)
  • Engineers / Architects
  • Product and Project Managers
  • Quality Assurance

Currently, approximately 50% of the talent on Braintrust is based in the U.S., with the other 50% based in 100+ different countries around the globe.

3. There are many marketplaces out there for global talent. Why use blockchain? Why is decentralization important?

What makes Braintrust unique is its model: the marketplace is decentralized and user-controlled. Other platforms like Toptal, Upwork, Gigster, etc., take 20-40% of what the talent makes on the platform and ownership is highly concentrated among a few people and investors. Braintrust takes 0% of what the talent makes, and it’s controlled by its token governance community. This approach enables Braintrust to attract and retain higher-quality talent. Blockchain technology is what enables Braintrust to cut out the middlemen and keep incentives aligned. This dramatically reduces costs for clients and increases the earnings of talent by eliminating hefty fee extraction, and therefore attracts the best people in the world who keep 100% of what they earn on the Braintrust platform.

Braintrust’s blockchain-powered model aligns the incentives of the network itself with the people building it. This is made possible by awarding control and user ownership through BTRST tokens based on contributions to the network. The token powers the entire decentralized network’s governance, incentivizing the community to build the network through referring clients and inviting and vetting new talent. It has a fixed supply of 250 million tokens, meaning the total number of tokens in circulation can never surpass that amount. This blockchain approach is in stark contrast to Web 2.0 models, where a centralized platform would extract disproportionate value in the form of high fees paid by its knowledge workers.

Not only does this put more control in the hands of the community, it has the potential to help grow the network rapidly.

4. What has been your acquisition strategy for top talent and how do you incentivize them to refer other qualified candidates?

Braintrust’s user-ownership structure has enabled a strong talent acquisition model built on BTRST, driving down talent acquisition costs to nearly zero while scaling demand rapidly. Today, almost 50% of Braintrust’s new client acquisition and talent acquisition is driven by referral programs based on BTRST tokens. These referral programs are called Connectors. Anyone can sign up, get a unique code and start adding their network to Braintrust. When those connector-introduced users start transacting, the Braintrust network pays out rewards programmatically to the connectors as a percentage of the transactions — or Gross Services Value (GSV) — they produce. Connectors earn tokens for each successfully paid invoice, giving them more network ownership for helping drive talent and value to the network.

The combination of platform growth and community growth illustrates how Braintrust’s unique tokenization model aligns the incentives of freelancers with the marketplace itself.

5. What are some of the brands hiring on Braintrust? What have you learned from those early adopters?

Braintrust’s highly skilled, vetted talent attracts enterprises and organizations across the business spectrum. Since June of 2020, Braintrust’s client community including Pacific Life, Nestle, and Stanley Black & Decker has more than tripled in size, while the average project size has grown to $57,000, with some as large as $300,000. In addition to project size, jobs on the platform have more than tripled in 2021.


6. Traditional marketplaces tax their users with fees. How does Braintrust make money?

Braintrust charges a flat 10% success fee to the client (employer). Braintrust is a “public good” not-for-profit, and the project’s goal is to fulfill its mission of creating a decentralized talent marketplace, and make the network more useful for everyone that controls it and runs their business on it.

7. What are the primary use cases for your native token, BTRST?

The BTRST token has a number of uses, including:

  • Governance: BTRST token holders can discuss ideas for improvements, propose changes, and vote on governance proposals. Because each token represents one vote, users who hold more tokens have greater say on how the network develops.
  • Bid Staking: In a competitive market, talent may stake tokens to stand out, offering their tokens as collateral, which they would lose if they fail to deliver on the contract (based on community-based adjudication). Clients can also stake tokens, which go to qualified applicants if the clients don’t go forward with the job — encouraging talent to apply knowing they will be compensated for the time they spend crafting a proposal. Token bid staking helps “un-stick,” or reduce friction, in the marketplace, keeping it more transparent by addressing mismatches of supply and demand.
  • Career Benefits: The tokens are also expected to be redeemable for special perks offered by other community participants exclusive to the Braintrust community, including free and discounted software, products, and career resources. Users can also earn tokens by taking courses on Braintrust Academy, a community-run organization, which teaches talent valuable skills to help them earn more on the network.

Note: BTRST tokens do NOT represent equity, debt, a claim on profits, or dividends and do not constitute any financial instrument of any business or organization.

There have been a number of major technological shifts in the last 20 years that have reset the technological landscape, whether that be the rise of mobile computing or of cloud computing. New tech giants have risen out of these macro shifts in how we use technology in our daily lives, and have basically cornered the market on innovation.

Web 3.0 is another one of these major tectonic shifts, and we’re beginning to see it move beyond the experimental phase and to very real, very tangible use cases. Because of the decentralized nature of this particular new model, these new use cases are growing adoption and usefulness at a clip that’s never been seen before. That’s because Web 3.0 isn’t about amassing swollen organizations with tens of thousands of employees; instead, it’s all being driven by large numbers of people engaging and taking part as contributors and beneficiaries.

In that way, it’s really two trends converging to create something incredibly powerful. The first is the continued maturity of Web 3.0 tech and its open nature that gives anyone the opportunity to build cool, useful things. The second is that enough people are understanding that the old way — centralized institutions that call the shots and make the rules — is not beneficial to them as users.

Together, this ownership economy and the rise of Web 3.0 are going to spark some incredibly cool projects that bring more and more people into crypto, not just as curious onlookers or speculators, but as users of protocols and tools that are enhancing their lives.

9. What is the best way for the community to get involved with Braintrust?

Stay connected to us on Discord, Twitter and Telegram to hear the latest — and start earning tokens as a community member by helping build the Braintrust network.

Which products support BTRST? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase         ✔     ✔
Pro          ✔     ✔
Wallet          ✖️     ✖️

What regions support BTRST? 

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase    ✔✖️  ✔✖️✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️✖️
Wallet   ✖️✖️  ✖️ ✖️ ✖️✖️✖️✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✔ ✖️
EUR ✖️ ✔ ✔

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTC
ETHUSDT
BTRST   ✖️  ✔
 ✖️   ✔

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

How many confirmations are needed for BTRST?

BTRST requires 35 network confirmation. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts BTRST?

BTRST is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001 BTRST

Maximum: 125,000 BTRST

By CoinList and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What Is Orion Protocol (ORN)?

Orion Protocol (ORN) is an open-source decentralized blockchain platform that acts as a liquidity aggregator for centralized and decentralized exchanges. Orion Protocol was created with the goal of providing cryptocurrency users and traders with the best rates for trading tokens and coins across multiple exchange markets and platforms.

Orion Protocol collects liquidity from a great variety of exchanges so that users can get the best rates and lowest fees for their trades. The system collects the liquidity from exchanges to transform it into a single API that finds the best routes for users. The system is also based on order books, so when an order is made, the aggregator immediately searches for multiple routes until it delivers the most suitable trading rates for network users.

With Orion Protocol, trades become simple and easy as traders don’t need to search for the best rates themselves, which would require them to find, access, and compare various exchange platforms. Users also don’t need to get used to a multitude of APIs and features on different exchanges. Network users can manage and access their assets with Orion’s non-custodial solutions. Orion addresses one of the biggest issues on centralized exchanges: hacking, by providing non-custodial solutions for asset management.

How Does Orion Protocol Work?

Orion Protocol forms an entire ecosystem for traders by unifying the whole crypto market in a single API. Orion offers a full suite of features, tools, and products for traders and crypto users, which includes a portfolio management application, trading terminals, enterprise trading, liquidity boost, app store, and DEX launcher.

With all these widely available features and products at their disposal, users can trade tokens and cryptos at the best available rates. Orion seeks the most optimal routes so users don’t have to search through different exchanges to find the best trading opportunities. Users can also manage their assets within a single application with the Orion portfolio management app, which shows all relevant trading data for individual traders.

Network users can also access the Orion app store and buy and access apps that may help them with trades. Some of the available apps are payment integration systems and trading bots. Orion also has an extension for enterprise trading that companies and firms can integrate with their systems. Exchanges, both centralized and decentralized, can also use Orion’s liquidity boost extension as a built-in feature to contribute to the overall liquidity.

Who Are the Founders of Orion Protocol? (History of Orion Protocol)

Orion Protocol launched in 2020 with its utility token ORN. Orion Protocol was founded and developed by Alexey Koloskov, who is also the CEO of the protocol, and his team. The CSO of Orion Protocol, Yanush Ali, claims that Orion Protocol is what the cryptocurrency industry needs to resolve some of its biggest issues.

The project was created with the aim of reducing risks, such as hacker attacks, that sometimes happen on centralized exchanges. The project also addresses the fact that decentralized exchanges, although far less prone to malicious attacks, are underdeveloped. Orion resolves these issues with aggregate features and a series of products available in the Orion market and app store. The main goal of the team is to create a one-stop ecosystem for traders and crypto users.

What Makes Orion Protocol Unique?

One of the factors that make Orion Protocol unique is the goal of the project, which is to reduce the risks involved with trading on decentralized and centralized exchanges. Orion Protocol also finds the best trading routes for network users with the most favorable fees and trading rates. The project aims to create a one-stop ecosystem for traders and cryptocurrency users.

Traders and crypto users can make the most out of liquidity on the protocol, manage their assets, and access apps for trading and other purposes. As a unique project that unifies multiple crypto trading and blockchain-based services, Orion Protocol simplifies trading by finding the best options for traders in an instant.

What Gives Orion Protocol Value?

Orion Protocol’s value is defined by a variety of specific factors, which include the technical capacity of the project, its technology, the activity of the dev team, and mainstream use and adoption. The roadmap plans also contribute to the overall value of the project, while Orion Protocol plans to introduce a price oracle and high-margin DEX trading.

The market value of the Orion Protocol token (ORN) depends on a multitude of specific factors, among which is volatility. The cryptocurrency market has proven to be more volatile than traditional financial markets, like the stock market. The value of ORN may depend on important events and elements like roadmap developments and the activity of the dev team, updates and upgrades, partnerships, integrations, mergers, and other important news.

How Many Orion Protocol (ORN) Coins Are in Circulation?

There are currently 31,995,000 ORN in circulation out of a total of 100,000,000 ORN ORN. The Orion Protocol token is supply-capped, which means that its supply is limited and no new tokens should be minted beyond the token generation event. The finite supply acts as an anti-inflation mechanism, meaning that ORN could be a good store of value in the long term. There are also mechanisms in place to regularly remove tokens from the circulating supply and burn them, such as those used for licensing fees and refunds, making the token deflationary.

The number of ORN coins in circulation multiplied by the current price of Orion Protocol equals the market cap. The market cap determines the rank of ORN among its cryptocurrency peers and decides its market share.

Other Technical Data

Orion Protocol enables non-inflationary staking that increases the annual percentage rate for the liquidity of the ecosystem. The protocol employs a Delegated Proof of Broker staking. This mechanism has two components, Broker Stakers and Non-broker Stakers. With DPoB, Orion Protocol preserves the value of ORN as it regulates rewards for staking. DPoB collects rewards from 13 different revenue sources instead of minting new ORN tokens to incentivize network participants.

Brokers or Broker Stakers execute trades in the system, and Non-broker Stakers stake their ORN tokens to choose Brokers. The network participants are rewarded with network fees, which is how the value of ORN is preserved.

How Is the Orion Protocol Network Secured?

The system is secured through the use of automation and staking for voting and liquidity, while the protocol also performs regular and thorough audits. With the launch of the Orion Protocol mainnet, the network was fully audited for security purposes by CertiK. CertiK is a security company that ensures and checks the overall correctness of smart contract operations.

How to Use Orion Protocol

Orion Protocol is a multi-purpose decentralized finance system that aggregates the best routes for crypto traders to facilitate low fees and top trading rates. Users can access Orion Protocol to trade their assets instead of searching through multiple exchange platforms to find the best rates for various cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Orion Protocol also delivers an entire ecosystem of applications and services for traders, enterprises, and individuals, so users can take advantage of liquidity, trading terminal, app store asset management, wallet integration, and staking rewards. ORN tokens are used as the main method of payment on the network, as a reward for stakers, and for staking. ORN can also be traded in the crypto market for a profit.

How To Choose an Orion Protocol Wallet

ORN can be stored in any wallet that supports ERC-20 tokens and the type you choose will likely depend on what you want to use it for and how much you need to store.

Hardware wallets or cold wallets like Ledger or Trezor provide the most secure option for storing cryptocurrencies with offline storage and backup. However, they can require more technical knowledge and are a more expensive option. As such, they may be better suited to storing larger amounts of ORN for more experienced users.

Software wallets provide another option and are free and easy to use. They are available to download as smartphone or desktop apps and can be custodial or non-custodial. With custodial wallets, the private keys are managed and backed up on your behalf by the service provider. Non-custodial wallets make use of secure elements on your device to store the private keys. While convenient, they are seen as less secure than hardware wallets and may be better suited to smaller amounts of ORN or more novice users.

Online wallets or web wallets are also free and easy to use, and accessible from multiple devices using a web browser. They are, however, considered hot wallets and can be less secure than hardware or software alternatives. As you are likely trusting the platform to manage your ORN, you should select a reputable service with a track record in security and custody. As such, they are most suited for holding smaller amounts of cryptocurrencies or for those making more frequent trades.

Kriptomat offers a secure storage solution, allowing you to both store and trade your ORN tokens without hassle. Storing your ORN with Kriptomat provides you with enterprise-grade security and user-friendly functionality.

Buying and selling ORN, or trading it for any other cryptocurrency, is done in mere moments when you choose our secure platform as your storage solution.

Orion Protocol Staking

Orion Protocol depends on staking for liquidity and for voting, while the staking system is based on a Delegated Proof of Broker consensus mechanism.

What products support ORN?

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase           ✔     ✔
Pro          ✔     ✔
Wallet          ✔    ✖️

What regions support ORN?

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Wallet ✔ ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  USUKEU
USD  ✔ ✖️✖️
GBP  ✖️ ✖️✖️
EUR  ✖️✖️✖️

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDCBTCETH
ORN    ✔  ✔  ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for ORN?

ORN requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts ORN?

ORN is hosted on the Ethereum blockchain.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001

Maximum: 16,667

By kriptomat and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is XYO (XYO)?

The XYO Network, short for XY Oracle Network, is offering a people-powered location network built on the blockchain. In a nutshell, the XYO Network is a trustless cryptographic location network that enables layered location verification across many devices and protocols. The network utilizes a cryptocurrency called XYO to function.

XYO taps into the Ethereum blockchain to allow users to “call out” for specific queries that revolve around location requests.

The XYO Network is a project launched by a company called XY, which has been around since 2012 building location technology solutions for autonomous drones, self-driving vehicles, smart cities, and space exploration. The first product XY launched is XY Findables, a network of over 1 million people connected by Bluetooth and GPS devices. These devices are essentially little fobs that can be attached to frequently misplaced items such as keys, backpacks, dog collars, etc.  

How Does XYO Network Work?

The XYO Network contains four primary pillars: Sentinels (The Data Gatherers), Bridges (The Data Relayers), Archivists (The Data Storers), and Diviners (The Answer Aggregators).

  1. Sentinels gather location information through radios, sensors, and other methods. These act as the location witness.
  2. Bridges take data from Sentinels and relay it over to Archivists. These act as location data transcribers.
  3. Archivists store the information for Diviners to analyze it.
  4. Diviners serve as oracles and analyze all the location heuristics to provide answers to queries and assign accuracy scores. Diviners then relay these answers back into a smart contract.

The XYO Network debuts an original Proof of Origin consensus algorithm combined with Transient Key Chaining to ensure that ledgers flowing into the network are valid while making it impossible to falsify the chain of origin for the data. The XYO Network stores the information on a public blockchain called the XYOMainChain.

Who Would Use the XYO Network?

Beyond the technical guts of the XYO Network lays a multitude of use cases that span several industries.

An example noted in the whitepaper is for eCommerce merchants who use XYO to offer a premium “payment upon delivery” service to its customers. The merchant would write a smart contract (on Ethereum’s platform), XYO would track the location of the package every step of the way until fulfillment, and only once it has arrived does the vendor gets paid.

Which products support XYO? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase           ✔     ✔
Pro           ✔     ✔
Wallet           ✔     ✖️

What regions support XYO? 

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase    ✔✖️  ✔✖️✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️  ✔✖️✖️✖️
Wallet ✔ ✔  ✔✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD  ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
EUR ✖️ ✔ ✔

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTCETHUSDT
XYO   ✖️  ✔ ✖️   ✔

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for XYO?

XYO requires 35 network confirmation. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts XYO?

XYO is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001 XYO

Maximum: 2,770,000 XYO

By ALEX MOSKOV and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is GYEN (GYEN)?

GYEN is a stable coin built on the Ethereum blockchain, backed by the Japanese Yen (JPY). According to its website, GYEN crypto is the first regulated digital JPY. This ERC-20 token is issued by GMO-Z.com Trust Company Inc (“GMO Trust”) and strictly pegged 1:1 to the Japanese Yen. The GYEN stablecoin is 100% fiat-backed. Meaning, the coin is 100% backed by the physical currency (JPY), which you can trade online in real-time at any GYEN-accepting exchange.

As per the whitepaper, the stablecoin is introduced to “alleviate the problems inherent with unregulated and non-fiat backed stablecoins. Moreover, the GYEN crypto offers high liquidity. You can always redeem 1 GYEN for 1 JPY directly with GMO Trust, or by trading with other digital assets on exchanges that list the stablecoin.

How Much is GYEN Crypto?

As of Nov 17,2021, GYEN’s price is $0.0474.

If you would like to buy GYEN, the top cryptocurrency exchanges for trading in GYEN stock are currently Coinbase ExchangeGate.io, and Liquid.

Which products support GYEN? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase          ✔      ✔
Pro          ✔      ✔
Wallet          ✔     ✖️

What regions support GYEN? 

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase    ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️✖️
Pro   ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️✖️
Wallet ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD  ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
EUR ✖️ ✖️ ✔

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTCETHUSDT
GYEN   ✖️  ✖️ ✖️    ✔

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for GYEN?

GYEN requires 35 network confirmation. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts GYEN?

GYEN is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001 GYEN

Maximum: 13,736,264 GYEN

By Stealthoptional and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

靠小道消息炒币是亏光的最快方式

炒币是在炒什么?币价涨跌是否可以预测?从在其他投资品种的交易经验来看,数字货币市场的价格也有其规律性,其行情研判方法跟其他常规品种有一些相似性,但也有所区别,它更多是消息面主导的市场。

消息面因素影响

影响币价的因素有很多,但是当价格急剧下跌或急剧上涨时,重大消息和新闻似乎一直是始作俑者。消息是一个强大的东西,我们已经看到大量的“假新闻”在币圈占据了主导地位,并导致了很多不必要的恐惧,从而造成行情异常波动。

无论是好消息还是坏消息,在短时间内对加密币交易都有潜在的收益。加密货币市场比传统市场对消息更加敏感。如果一条好消息传播到市场,币价可能立即上涨;另一方面,坏消息会对币价产生负面影响。

那么我们需要对市场消息做一个理性的分析。

消息的性质区分

消息从真实性上可以分为真消息、假消息和真假难辨的消息

消息的真假大致可以从获得消息的来源来判断,但也不是绝对。对币价的影响方面,一般来说,真消息会更大一些,假消息也会影响币价,只是在澄清之后币价很快会回归。

真假难辨的消息也往往会被一些动机不纯的炒作人士利用来影响币价走势,但在最终证实或证伪之后币价最终也会回归真实价值。

消息的种类及来源

宏观政策变化:比如世界各国对加密币的态度、监管政策的调整;国家或某超级公司支持或打压某行业的消息;影响特定项目的政策消息。

项目细节:项目的重组、变动、再融资、奖赏激励等消息;项目团队数字加密币增持或减持的消息;社会或项目团队突发性消息,比如人事变动,团队违法或跑路等消息;项目进度明显低于或超出路线图和市场预期的消息。

对项目发展和币价没有任何卵用,单纯为了吸引眼球、引爆流量、制造话题的币圈娱乐新闻。

在接收到消息后,消息的来源也是判别可信度的方法之一。

是否是官方宣传媒体?项目官方网站、发布会、线下活动等。是自媒体、 社交网络还是传统媒体?

消息对币价的影响

利好。主要体现为超出之前市场预期的、突发性的、对项目现在或未来的预期构成利好支撑的消息,由于之前币价未反映此消息,因此这类消息出台后会促进币价上涨,上涨的幅度和持续性则视消息的性质而定。一般来说,项目进度出现的超预期完成的消息和实质性影响项目的利好政策相对对币价的正面促进作用更长久一些。

利好出尽。主要表现为,消息虽为利好的性质,但是在前期已有预期,币价已经反复炒作甚至透支该消息的预期,那么在消息兑现的时候就会表现为利好出尽,币价将逐渐见顶从而实现价值回归。

利好出货(伪利好)。这一类主要是针对那些看似是利好实质对项目没什么影响的突发性假利好消息,由于一些新进入者受所谓的“利好消息”蒙蔽短期集中买入,这时场内原有资金正好找到了一个好的机会出货,从而造成了币价的冲高回落,新买入者立马被套。这种情况发生的几率很大,特别是在下跌趋势中或是在大市的熊市状态下,其相当具有欺骗性和诱惑性。

利空。这个概念很好理解,但是难点在于投资者需要考虑的就是消息的利空影响程度和之前币价是否已有所反应或已经反应了多少。

利空出尽。消息虽然仍为利空,但是币价在之前已经反应甚至过度反应。因此消息兑现时,市场并无表现,或者缓慢走高。

利空建仓(假利空)。突发性的表面性利空,对项目未来没有实质性影响,甚至反而变成了靴子落地后的积极影响。这时币价往往会出现低开大跌,然后正好被新建仓资金把握机会,获取大量廉价筹码。

如何应对?

1、分清消息的来源,是道听途说的小道消息还是正规渠道公布的消息。

2、分清消息的性质,利好还是利空?对项目的未来是否具有实质性影响?

3、根据利空利好的程度查看币价之前是否有所反应,反应的程度如何。然后就可以根据各自消息的类型做出对应的正确决策了。

炒币十诫:

1、听小道消息炒币

       买卖币的依据,基本就是某大V说、我圈内朋友透露、某个微信群说……学习技术分析太难了,弄不好就会画虎不成反类犬,听消息多简单呀,只需要你告诉我一个代币的字母,马上就梭哈,完全不用动脑子。

2、频繁交易、追涨杀跌

       “一万年太久,只争朝夕”,价值投资对大部分人来讲,只能是说说而已。我大学初入币圈时就有一个很天真的想法,这么多的币,每天都有暴涨、暴跌,我每天赚5个点,1年后就财富自由了。我还真这么干了,一天交易50次,买涨杀跌,然后那个月在寝室吃了一个月的泡面。

3、抗跌

       所有韭菜必备,币圈韭菜的心理素质太好了,跌了90%后依旧可以坦然地说留给我儿子。抗住了暴跌,一直拿到牛市,岂不是爆赚。非也,熊市大家都能扛下去,震荡市才是地狱模式。熊市扛下来了,震荡市死了。

4、永远满仓

       深受大佬的影响,梭哈区块链,大佬可能是假装满仓,而我们是真满仓。满仓就像强奸,当你无力反抗时,就闭上眼好好享受。

5、恐高

       某个币一涨就很紧张,尤其是最近有几次小回升,生怕利润回撤了,着急出手,然后一次次懊恼叹息错过了十倍币、百倍币。

6、把运气当作实力

       我也是这种人,侥幸在比特币3100附近抄了底,不少币赚了3-4倍,以为自己是炒币高手。在回暖上升的市场环境下,一买就涨,少有失手,老子天下第一。

7、人傻胆子大

       区块链是甚么?智能合约是甚么?才不管这些,义无反顾的梭哈,然后做起了数钱的美梦。话虽难听,但事实就是如此,我曾经也是因为币圈的造富效应才入场的。

8、只认识代币字母

       BTC、ETH、BCH这几个字母都认识,闪电网络是甚么?POS是甚么?大区块是甚么?不知道。

9、选择性相信

       我重仓了某个币,你怎么老唱衰,你懂个狗屁,你居然没看见那么多成功的例子……仓位决定大脑,已被洗脑。

10、牛顶、牛尾进场

       恭喜你,你已经成为了一颗币圈标准合格的韭菜!

你位于哪个段位?

10条全中:

最强王者。你是韭菜中的王中王,是所有韭菜的知己。

中7-9条:

永恒钻石。韭菜中的王族,深得韭菜精髓。

中4-6条:

秩序白银。熟悉了币圈套路,意识觉醒并开始理解、遵守市场规律。

中1-3条:

倔强青铜。脱离韭菜只差一步,但依旧倔强的在韭菜地里徘徊。

By 陀螺财经