Major news this week was that we signed up a new major sponsor for 2024 in the form of Cloudtech. Check out the announcement we had here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7157480321783943168
1. Upcoming Events and Partnerships
Zoom into DeFi: Aus DeFi Meetup Don't miss our virtual Aus DeFi meetup on Wednesday, 31st! It's your chance to connect with fellow DeFi enthusiasts. Sign up and join us online: https://www.meetup.com/australian-defi-association/events/298436488/
We also have a few meetups across the country including in Perth: https://www.meetup.com/australian-defi-association-perth/events/298626399/
and Melbourne: https://www.meetup.com/aus-defi-association-melbourne/events/298689063/
Innovative Insights at Blockchain Australia Policy Forum Next month, we're thrilled to partner with NotCentralised at the Blockchain Australia Policy Forum, featuring the groundbreaking SIKE AI insights tool. Stay tuned for more details!
Blockchain APAC's Ripple-Effect Announcement Big news from Blockchain APAC! They've just announced a partnership with Ripple for their upcoming policy forum. Check out the details here: https://twitter.com/stevevallas/status/1749190330384298273?t=ctwMioj4LGXw8O2PC44VNg&s=19
2. Industry Highlights and Collaborations
DeFi at the Australian Open The Australian Open wasn't just about tennis; it was a hotspot for DeFi networking! See how our industry leaders collaborated in Melbourne:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ashimachaudhary_collaboration-trust-fintech-activity-7155423104372994048-LBCa?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lthennessy_very-grateful-for-the-invite-from-my-wonderful-activity-7155478263593635840-YE8a?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android
https://twitter.com/0xUpside/status/1750283279193039039?t=J_gIJ6a36NkRgxLiRnXi7g&s=19
Verida's 2023 Vision for Decentralization and Web3 Verida's 2023 recap is a must-read! They discuss partnerships, innovations, and upcoming events shaping the future of Web3: https://news.verida.io/verida-2023-recap-accelerating-decentralization-and-web3-adoption-f9319ad73db6.
3. Must-Read Articles and Videos
Exploring Bitcoin ETF Futures in Australia Delve into the compelling need for a Bitcoin futures market in light of potential Australian Bitcoin ETFs: https://www.afr.com/technology/lack-of-bitcoin-futures-might-restrict-future-aussie-bitcoin-etf-20240115-p5exbv.
Blockchain's Role in Revolutionizing Science Don't miss this insightful discussion by Bankless with Brian Armstrong of Coinbase and Patrick Joyce of Research Hub on how blockchain can rejuvenate modern science:
.
The Unusual Tale of a Pastor and Crypto Scam A story that sounds like a joke, but isn't. Here's a pastor's account of his involvement in a crypto scam: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thebillkerr_its-true-13m-was-taken-out-but-half-ugcPost-7154960024182689792-FShE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android.
Web3 Influencers Pivot to AI Anthony Day highlights how Web3 influencers are now moving into the AI sphere. Watch his analysis here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anthonyjjday_blockchain-technology-management-activity-7155174778146811904-hmxO?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android.
Unveiling the True Value of Bitcoin Olivier's post provides a comprehensive look at Bitcoin's value, well beyond common perceptions: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielsbatten_the-african-village-mining-bitcoin-activity-7155676926827798529-LXii?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android.
Polygon & Fox: Blockchain Meets Broadcasting Discover how Polygon and Fox are collaborating to use blockchain for verifying broadcaster content: https://polygon.technology/blog/fox-corporation-taps-polygon-pos-to-power-verify-an-open-protocol-for-content-and-image-verification.
Now for some education updates from one of our sponsors, Blockdaemon.
Airdrops and Proof of Stake
An airdrop is an asset distributed by a Web3 project to wallet addresses that meet certain criteria. Normally, airdropped assets are fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).Â
2023 was a major year for lucrative crypto airdrops, with 2024 keeping up the momentum. A powerful example was Arbitrum, with over 42 million Arbitrum (ARB) airdropped tokens claimed within an hour in March. Arbitrum’s treasury was boosted by $59 million from unclaimed airdrops alone.Â
This is just one of many success stories that have set new benchmarks in the industry. Aidrops share multi-million dollars of value, leading many Web3 community members to take notice.Â
Proof-of-stake (PoS) chains have become the dominant platform for airdropped tokens.Â
One such example is Proof-of-Stake chain Celestia, which launched in October with 60 million TIA (6% of the supply) distributed via a Genesis airdrop. This allowed the community to help bootstrap the network by delegating their TIA to validators. The Celestia (TIA) airdrop distributed ~$120 million worth of value to 580,000 users. Options for liquid staking have also emerged around this ecosystem, offering another avenue for staking TIA. Â
By staking airdropped tokens in 2024, community members play a role in supporting early stake-based blockchains, and get rewards in return. This article was brought to you by Blockdaemon.Â
Stay tuned for more updates and insights in the ever-evolving world of blockchain and crypto. Here's to an exciting and prosperous year ahead in the digital frontier!
Mark Monfort, Chain Reaction Editor, Australian DeFi Association / NotCentralised
About Aus DeFi Association
The Australian DeFi Association (Aus DeFi) is a non-profit community organization dedicated to increasing education and awareness of blockchain technology, specifically decentralized finance (DeFi) and web3-based projects. Their goal is to empower the Australian community with the knowledge and tools to participate in the decentralized economy, and to promote the adoption and growth of blockchain technology in Australia. They strive to provide a more grassroots approach to promoting blockchain technology compared to other industry-focused organizations in Australia, and to provide a platform for community members to learn about and engage with this emerging technology.
You can watch our recorded meetups and interviews here on YouTube:Â https://www.youtube.com/@ausdefiassociation3956/videos
Sponsors
This newsletter is brought to you by our sponsors at NotCentralised who use their AI tool, SIKE, to bring together the highlights each week. For more on SIKE and the world of business-friendly AI, see here.
We also thank all of our sponsors who help us run and organise and keep this association going. We could not do it without them so check out their details here