The surge in popularity of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have brought along significant scalability challenges. Blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum face heightened demand as the interest in decentralized applications (DApps) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) increase. This has led to platforms like BlockEden.xyz, a software powerhouse based in San Francisco, to seek scalable solutions. Enter NEAR Protocol, an open-source platform launched in 2020 as a decentralized cloud infrastructure to host DApps.

A Brief Overview of NEAR Protocol​

NEAR Protocol is a layer-1 blockchain that uses Nightshade, a unique sharding technology, to achieve scalability. It offers cross-chain interoperability through the Rainbow Bridge and a layer-2 solution called Aurora. Users can bridge ERC-20 tokens and assets from the Ethereum blockchain to the NEAR Protocol network, enabling access to higher throughput and lower transaction fees. The native token of the NEAR Protocol, NEAR, is used for paying transaction and data storage fees. NEAR token holders can also stake their tokens on the NEAR wallet to receive rewards or use them to vote for governance proposals.

The team behind NEAR Protocol is on a mission to address scalability limitations through sharding. Co-founded by Alex Skidanov and Illia Polosukhin in 2020, NEAR Protocol features a wide range of programming tools and languages, along with smart contracts with cross-chain functionality. These tools and features, coupled with a simplified onboarding process and human-readable account names, make NEAR Protocol a developer-friendly platform.

Integration of NEAR Protocol into BlockEden.xyz​

The integration of NEAR Protocol into BlockEden.xyz's API marketplace offers developers a scalable, secure, and efficient platform for creating groundbreaking decentralized applications. BlockEden.xyz, already known for its robust security and impressive uptime record, has enhanced its offerings by introducing NEAR Protocol.

Understanding NEAR's Core Technology: Nightshade Sharding​

Nightshade is the innovative sharding technology that forms the backbone of the NEAR Protocol. It enables the efficient processing of data by distributing the workload across multiple validator nodes. Each node handles only a fraction of the network’s transactions, allowing for a higher number of transactions per second. The dynamic adjustment of nodes based on network traffic ensures overall efficiency and low transaction fees.

Bridging Networks with Rainbow Bridge​

Rainbow Bridge, an application on NEAR Protocol, enables the transfer of ERC-20 tokens, stablecoins, wrapped tokens, and even NFTs between Ethereum and NEAR blockchains. This allows users to benefit from the higher throughput and lower fees on the NEAR Protocol. The Rainbow Bridge operates in a fully permissionless and decentralized manner, locking tokens on Ethereum and creating corresponding tokens on NEAR to maintain a constant circulating supply.

Unleashing Efficiency with Aurora​

Aurora, a layer-2 solution on the NEAR Protocol blockchain, is designed to host thousands of transactions per second with an approximate block confirmation time of 2 seconds. Comprising the Aurora Engine and the Aurora Bridge, it offers compatibility with Ethereum and supports all tools available in the Ethereum ecosystem, making it easy for developers to transition to NEAR.

Staking and Governance with NEAR Token​

NEAR, the native token of the NEAR ecosystem, serves as the medium for transaction and storage fees. Token holders can stake their NEAR to run validating nodes, participate in governance by voting on platform decisions, and submit proposals.

Conclusion​

The blockchain space continues to evolve, and platforms offering lower transaction costs and increased throughput are likely to drive mainstream adoption. The integration of NEAR Protocol into BlockEden.xyz's API marketplace is not just a mere upgrade; it's a significant step towards that future. With scalable solutions like sharding and cross-chain bridges, NEAR Protocol provides the ideal environment for developers to build efficient DApps and DeFi products. Together with BlockEden.xyz, NEAR Protocol is set to redefine the boundaries of blockchain technology.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlockEdenHQ
• Discord: https://discord.gg/4Yfvs2HWey
• Source Link: https://blockeden.xyz/blog/2023/07/14/beyond-boundaries-the-integration-of-near-protocol-into-blockedenxyzs-api-marketplace/

In the bustling world of blockchain and decentralized applications, QuickNode has established itself as a formidable force. This doc will explore a comprehensive exploration of QuickNode's business model, competitive landscape, potential drawbacks, and key tactics to go head-to-head with this blockchain player.

QuickNode’s Business Model - The Success Recipe​

QuickNode offers an exemplary performance, with its speed being 2.5 times faster than competitors. This speed isn't just a claim; it's backed by actual performance metrics, which you can check out on their comparative page.

With the flexibility to handle 15+ chains and a mind-boggling 99.99% availability - SLA guaranteed no less - QuickNode offers unparalleled reliability in the space. Furthermore, they've successfully onboarded some big guns like Google, Visa, Adidas, and Coinbase. They've also courted long-term internet investors, including 776 Ventures, Tiger Global, Softbank, and more.

The Four Pillars of Revenue​

Node Management

QuickNode's Node Management Platform is the company's flagship product and primary source of revenue. With a dual-tiered model, it offers self-service options for developers and businesses who want hands-on access, as well as enterprise-grade solutions for larger corporations. This approach covers a wide range of customer needs, from small startups to industry juggernauts.

• Self-service Options: This is ideal for developers or small-scale organizations that require on-demand access to blockchain networks. It offers flexibility and control, allowing them to deploy nodes and manage their applications as needed.

• Enterprise-grade Solutions: For larger corporations with more complex needs, QuickNode offers a custom-tailored solution. This package includes advanced analytics, priority support, and guaranteed uptime. The personalized nature of this solution means businesses can focus on building their products rather than worrying about node management.

Icy Tools - NFT Development

Icy Tools, QuickNode's next pillar, offers unique utilities for NFT development. As the NFT market has exploded, the demand for tools to streamline the creation, management, and trading of NFTs has grown exponentially. QuickNode's Icy Tools provide developers with an efficient and intuitive way to tap into this burgeoning market, thereby driving significant revenue for the company.

App Marketplace

QuickNode's App Marketplace is another key revenue stream. It hosts a wide range of applications built on QuickNode's infrastructure, providing a platform for other businesses and developers to sell their products. QuickNode, in turn, earns revenue through commissions and listing fees. This marketplace not only adds a vibrant ecosystem to QuickNode's offering but also acts as a value-added service for their node management customers.

Network Integration Fees

Lastly, QuickNode also derives revenue from Network Integration fees. Given the ever-expanding landscape of blockchain protocols, integrating new networks is a continuous process. QuickNode charges businesses and developers a fee for this service, providing them with seamless access to emerging protocols.

Each of these pillars plays a crucial role in QuickNode's revenue model, leveraging different aspects of the blockchain landscape to ensure the company's sustained financial health. Their diversified income sources have helped them remain resilient and adaptable, ready to face the dynamic challenges of the industry.

High-speed growth of the business​

QuickNode has shown robust growth metrics that underscore its escalating position in the market. In 2022 alone, the firm witnessed a more than 40% quarterly uptick in enterprise revenue, demonstrating a sustained demand for its offerings.

Platform usage, a key indicator of product adoption, scaled 550% times over the past year. Reflecting a strong bottom line, gross revenue also spiked, showcasing a 370% YoY growth.

Further indicating QuickNode's expanding user base, new account registrations jumped by 177% YoY. Additionally, there was a massive 264% YoY surge in endpoints deployment, proving the company's increasing operational scale and efficiency.

The Competitive Landscape - Where the Rubber Meets the Road​

Now, let's delve into the crux of the matter. While QuickNode leads the pack in the node creation/connection market, it’s not without competition. Rivals like Amazon, Microsoft's Azure, and IBM are eyeing the space, posing potential threats to QuickNode's dominance. However, QuickNode has managed to hold its ground, primarily due to its industry-leading speed and flexibility, earning it rave reviews from customers. But is that enough to keep it ahead in this high-stakes game?

The Alchemy Conundrum

Alchemy, with its Silicon Valley roots and robust investor backing, is an intriguing contender. While it brings a lot to the table, it's not quite up to par with QuickNode when it comes to speed and offering. Yet, Alchemy's Silicon Valley connection and buzz could play a role in the ongoing battle of the nodes. It raised at 10.2B valuation on the market top reflected in their valuation and revenue multiple, which is rumored to be 120x - 200x.

Infura - The Fallen Star

Infura entered the arena as a trailblazer, focusing on Ethereum node RPC. However, post-acquisition by ConsenSys, it seems to have lost momentum. Although Infura supports six chains, its speed is trailing behind QuickNode's.

Coinbase Cloud - The Fake Dark Horse

Acquiring Bison Trails puts Coinbase Cloud on the map, but rumors suggest Coinbase is dissatisfied with the outcome and has cut off the business. Although the product relaunched with support for 25 chains, only Ethereum is in general availability. Moreover, its lack of public speed data keeps it shrouded in mystery.

BlockDaemon - A Specialized Contender

BlockDaemon distinguishes itself by specializing in an area - institutional-grade staking - that's rather different from QuickNode's primary focus, and hence it's not seen as developer friendly.

Is QuickNode falling short?​

Not exactly. It's more about the vast ocean of opportunities that its competitors might venture into. It's like saying that no team can win every time, even if they have the best players. This field is big enough for many players to participate, and each player has their unique strategies. Let's not forget - blockchain is about dispersing power, not centralizing it. So, no player can dominate this field.

Furthermore, QuickNode's influence is concentrated on certain blockchains, with a maximum of 25 chains. In the real world, there are at least five to six hundred blockchains, and with the rise of AppChain, more players will enter the market. This will undoubtedly give new entrants new opportunities.

Lastly, QuickNode focuses on large enterprise users, and its pricing has risen accordingly, making it unsuitable for small and medium enterprises and independent developers.

The Team Behind QuickNode - The Brains of the Operation​

The QuickNode team, with its previous experience in managing hosting and CDN scaling businesses, brings a wealth of relevant skill sets to the table. Yet, we can't dismiss the fact that their competitors also come with their unique strengths, networks, and experiences.

BlockEden.xyz vs. QuickNode​

BlockEden.xyz follows the strategies below to effectively compete with QuickNode.

1. Differentiate on Unique Services: First, BlockEden.xyz can offer unique APIs or blockchain services that QuickNode does not provide, like Aptos and its indexer, Sui and its indexer. By identifying gaps in QuickNode's offerings and stepping in to fill those gaps, BlockEden.xyz presents itself as a unique, comprehensive solution.
2. Competitive Pricing: Another way to compete is through pricing. BlockEden.xyz offers more competitive pricing models that are more affordable for smaller businesses or developers. A flexible, scalable pricing model can attract a wider range of customers, from startups to enterprise-level organizations.
3. Superior Customer Service: Providing superior customer service and technical support is another great way to compete. Quick response times, helpful resources, and knowledgeable support staff make all the difference when it comes to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4. Partnerships and Integrations: BlockEden.xyz seeks partnerships with other blockchain platforms or services, creating integrations that make it more appealing to customers. These partnerships can expand BlockEden's reach and functionality.
5. Community Engagement and Developer Support: QuickNode has a strong developer community. BlockEden.xyz could compete by fostering a similar community and a developer DAO 10x.pub, providing strong support, and cultivating an ecosystem of developers and users who can contribute to and improve the platform.

Our key to successful competition is not necessarily to beat QuickNode at its own game, but to provide unique value that QuickNode does not. We are finding the niche where BlockEden.xyz can excel, and focus on serving that market exceptionally well.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlockEdenHQ
• Discord: https://discord.gg/4Yfvs2HWey
• Source Link: https://blockeden.xyz/blog/2023/07/09/quicknode/

---

Note: This is a comprehensive analysis of QuickNode and its competitive landscape. It doesn't represent an endorsement or criticism of the company but aims to offer an unbiased overview. Always conduct your research when considering investments or partnerships.

In today's digital era, blockchain technology has become a crucial part of online transactions and data sharing. As the use of blockchain expands, so does the need for an efficient and transparent way to navigate its ecosystem. Enter Blockroma, an open-source, EVM-compatible blockchain explorer, fulfilling this necessity effectively and efficiently.

What is Blockroma?​

A blockchain explorer like Blockroma is a web tool that allows users to interact with the blockchain network, providing real-time data, transaction history, and network status. It aids users in understanding individual transactions - including sender, receiver, amount, and transaction time - and provides insights into the blockchain network's current state.

The Tech Stack​

Blockroma utilizes a modern technology stack - TypeScript, React, and PostgreSQL - that ensures scalability and easy maintainability. It empowers you with its quick and straightforward deployment process, contributing to a seamless user experience.

Advanced Features​

Blockroma steps beyond traditional blockchain explorers, offering advanced features such as searching for specific transactions or addresses, facilitating the creation and viewing of smart contracts, and exploring the history of particular blocks. These features allow users from all backgrounds - developers, traders, investors, or everyday users - to comprehend the blockchain network better and leverage its full potential.

Why Choose Blockroma?​

• Transparency: Blockroma simplifies the process of accessing blockchain data, enabling users to verify transactions, addresses, and other data effortlessly.
• Real-time data: It provides real-time data on transaction confirmations, network status, and mining difficulty, which are essential for those needing to monitor the blockchain's health and performance.
• Searchability: Blockroma's advanced search feature improves the tracking and analysis of blockchain activities by allowing users to search for specific transactions, addresses, or blocks.
• Security: Enhancing security on the blockchain, Blockroma helps users verify the authenticity of transactions and the identities of the parties involved, providing an added layer of assurance for businesses.

Additional Benefits​

Apart from these features, Blockroma also provides custom themes, premium support, and priority updates for managed hosting on Blockroma.com. Moreover, it allows a worry-free experience with zero operation costs.

Conclusion​

In a nutshell, Blockroma makes blockchain navigation easier, efficient, and secure for individuals and businesses. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, Blockroma stands as a robust solution for exploring and interacting with the blockchain. Embrace the future of blockchain interaction with Blockroma.

Andreesen Horowitz, more commonly known as a16z, is a name that reverberates through the halls of venture capital with an aura of visionary innovation. An essential branch of their investment activities, a16z crypto, focuses explicitly on the burgeoning field of crypto and web3 startups, an area that is quickly redefining how we view digital commerce, privacy, and online interaction. Their venture into this domain is more than merely a business move—it is a commitment to shaping the contours of the rapidly evolving Web3 landscape.

The a16z Crypto Startup School, a twelve-week accelerator program, is designed around the specific needs of web3 startups, imparting crucial knowledge, resources, and support. Recently, this initiative showcased an intriguing array of 11 ambitious projects, each aiming to disrupt various sectors through blockchain and Web3 technologies. For the curious, every bit of detail is available on the a16z crypto startup school page.

Demo Projects​

These projects not only provide a glimpse into the future of various industries but also offer valuable insights from both a builder's and investor's perspective. They represent practical use cases of blockchain technology and the ways it can innovate systems and processes. Here is a brief overview:

1. Blockus: With the intent of revolutionizing the gaming economy, Blockus is developing a comprehensive solution for game studios to focus on gameplay more effectively.

2. ChainPatrol.io: This project aims to bolster Web3 security, offering real-time protection for Web3 communities and raising the bar for digital asset security.

3. mbd.xyz: This ambitious endeavor seeks to democratize AI recommendation systems, pioneering the concept of the 'Curation Economy', potentially reshaping online content consumption.

4. Web3Analytic: In an era of data-driven decisions, Web3Analytic provides no-code user analytics solutions that can enhance product performance and user experience.

5. KIKI world: This innovative project is set to disrupt the beauty industry, promoting a model of co-creation and co-ownership of beauty products with enthusiasts.

6. formless: Formless proposes a transformation of the media distribution ecosystem by monetizing intellectual property through smart contracts, offering a potentially game-changing method for content creators to benefit from their work.

7. Fuul.xyz: Addressing the need for streamlined affiliate marketing in the Web3 space, Fuul.xyz aspires to build a bridge between content creators and Web3 projects.

8. frens: This communications super app aims to foster transactions with friends, protocols, and smart contracts within the conversation, representing an innovative blend of social networking and Web3.

9. Discove: Discove is exploring a unique protocol for composable mini-apps, presenting a novel approach to Web3 applications that could enhance their utility and ease of use.

10. Stackr Labs: By offering a unique modular rollup SDK, Stackr Labs allows developers to focus on state machine building, streamlining the development process in the Web3 space.

11. Sky Lab: Sky Lab envisions an autonomous world, focusing on building games on top of initial world primitives. This could redefine the interactive experience in gaming and beyond.

Categorization​

Given the diverse array of projects presented at the a16z Crypto Startup School, they can be categorized based on the industry or sector they primarily target. Here's a possible categorization:

1. Gaming and Entertainment: This category includes projects that are focused on innovating within the gaming industry, leveraging blockchain and Web3 technologies to enhance user experience, game design, and monetization. Project included: Blockus, Sky Lab.

2. Security and Infrastructure: Projects that primarily aim to enhance the security and infrastructure of the Web3 space. This includes everything from data protection to the development of key tools and software that can be used by other Web3 services. Projects included: ChainPatrol.io, Stackr Labs.

3. Data Analytics and AI: These projects focus on leveraging data and AI for various purposes like enhancing product performance and user experience, as well as democratizing AI recommendation systems. Projects included: Web3Analytic, mbd.xyz.

4. Content Creation and Media Distribution: These projects look at the ways in which content is created and distributed, particularly in terms of intellectual property and how creators are compensated for their work. Project included: formless, KIKI world.

5. Marketing and Communication: Projects focusing on improving communication within the Web3 space, fostering transactions, and enhancing affiliate marketing for Web3 projects. Projects included: Fuul.xyz, frens.

6. Web3 Applications and Platforms: Projects that are working on novel applications and platforms within the Web3 space, particularly in terms of their design and user interface. Project included: Discove.

Each of these categories represents a unique approach to the utilization of blockchain and Web3 technology, providing insights into the diverse range of applications these technologies can offer across different sectors.

Conclusion​

The rise of Web3 is a fascinating, complex phenomenon and projects such as these, supported by the likes of a16z Crypto Startup School, are contributing to this dynamic evolution. For a more in-depth exploration of each project, the a16z Crypto Startup School page provides comprehensive details.

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlockEdenHQ
• Discord: https://discord.gg/4Yfvs2HWey
• Source Link: https://blockeden.xyz/blog/2023/06/08/exploration-a16z-crypto-startup-school-projects/

Earning rewards by staking your SUI with BlockEden.xyz through the Sui Wallet, Martian Wallet, or Suiet! We're excited to announce that SUI staking on Mainnet is finally accessible, providing an opportunity for you to generate passive income from your $SUI by earning staking rewards. This guide will explain, step by step, how to use your preferred Sui wallets: Sui Wallet, Suiet, and Martian Wallet.

• Staking SUI with Sui Wallet
• Staking SUI with Martian Wallet
• Staking SUI with Suiet
• Staking SUI with Ethos Wallet

Staking SUI with Sui Wallet​

First, you'll need to install the Sui Wallet browser extension. Currently, Sui Wallet is available exclusively on Chrome, though future updates may include support for other browsers. If you aren't using Chrome and wish to stake SUI, consider using the other wallets discussed in this guide.

To create your wallet, click on "Get Started", then "Create a New Wallet". If you already have a wallet, you can import it by clicking on "Import an Existing Wallet".

Now you need to set a password. It's recommended to choose a strong password with a minimum of 12 characters, including numbers, letters, and symbols. Also, be sure to write your password down and store it in a safe, offline location. Once you've agreed to the terms and conditions, select "Create Wallet".

Make sure to note down your recovery phrase in a secure place, preferably offline. It's crucial for future access to your SUI.

Staking Your SUI​

After your wallet is set up, it's time to stake! On the dashboard, click "Stake & Earn SUI". Choose your desired validator from the list, confirm your selection, and click on the validator.

Next, specify the quantity of SUI you want to stake. Verify all details before clicking "Stake Now".

Upon successful transaction confirmation, your stake will begin to earn rewards from the beginning of the next epoch. There's no need to restake as rewards are automatically compounded.

Unstaking SUI with Sui Wallet​

To claim or unstake your SUI, click "Currently Staked". You'll see a list of your validators. From this list, select the validator with whom you'd like to unstake.

Then, click on "Unstake SUI". Verify all details before confirming with "Unstake Now".

Congratulations! You've successfully unstaked your SUI.

Staking SUI with Martian Wallet​

Firstly, download the Martian Wallet app and set up your wallet account. Be sure to download the browser extension using the official website’s download button. Once the extension is added to your browser, Martian Wallet will open.

On the "start" screen, click "Create a New Wallet" to initiate the process. If you already have a wallet, select "I already have a Wallet", enter your private phrase, and recover your wallet.

As before, set a secure password of at least 12 characters, mixing numbers, letters, and symbols. After selecting your password and agreeing to the terms and conditions, click "Continue".

Your recovery or seed phrase will be presented next. Remember to securely store this phrase offline and not to share it with anyone. It's vital for future access to your assets.

Staking Your SUI​

With your account ready, you can now start staking. In the Martian extension dashboard, click "Stake your SUI". Scroll to find and select your desired validator.

Enter the amount of SUI you want to stake and remember to reserve some SUI for gas fees. The minimum staking amount is 1 SUI. After filling this out, click "Preview".

Finally, verify all the details on the pop-up, including the staked amount and gas fees. If everything is correct, click "Confirm and Stake". A "Success" message should appear shortly, indicating a successful stake. You can now close the window, and your stake will start earning rewards from the next epoch.

Process for Unstaking or Claiming with Martian Wallet​

Unstaking your SUI from Martian Wallet is a straightforward process. Begin by navigating to the Home screen and selecting “Stake”. From there, you will be presented with a list of all your staked SUI and their respective epochs on the stake dashboard. Please note that you must unstake all SUI at the same time. Identify the SUI you wish to unstake, click on it, and then select “Unstake”. After a brief wait, your assets will be unstaked, congratulations!

Steps to Stake SUI using Suiet​

To start, you need to download the Suiet Wallet extension. This can be done by visiting the official Suiet website, where you should select the download option that best suits your needs. Please exercise caution and ensure you download the wallet from the official Suiet site.

After downloading and installing the extension, you'll need to set it up. To do so, open the extension and click on “Create Wallet”.

The next step is to create a secure password that includes a mix of capital and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers, with a minimum length of 12 characters. Safely record this password, preferably offline, then proceed to the next step.

You'll then be given a recovery phrase, which is vital for future access to your assets. It is paramount that you keep this phrase confidential and store it in a secure location, preferably offline.

Staking Your SUI​

With the preparation complete, it's now time to stake your SUI. Start by going to the dashboard and selecting “SUI”, then choose “Stake”.

On the top of the dashboard, you'll find a list of validators. Select your preferred validator and decide on the amount of SUI you wish to stake. Remember to keep some SUI reserved for gas fees and future transactions. Once everything is in order, confirm the transaction.

Once the transaction is confirmed, your stake will start accruing rewards from the start of the next epoch.

How to Claim or Unstake SUI with Suiet​

Claiming your SUI rewards or unstaking your SUI with the Suiet wallet is a straightforward process. Just navigate to your staked assets, click on the one you wish to handle, and select “Unstake”. After a brief wait, you will receive a confirmation of successful unstaking. It's as simple as that!

Staking SUI with Ethos​

Similar to the other wallets, you first need to create your wallet to stake SUI with Ethos. Visit the official Ethos Wallet for Sui website to start.

Once the Ethos extension is downloaded and installed, click on “Generate New Wallet” and create a secure password, following the same guidelines as mentioned before. Write down your password securely.

You will then be provided with a recovery or seed phrase. Remember, this phrase is essential for accessing your assets in the future and should not be shared with anyone. Safely store this phrase, preferably offline.

Ethos also gives you the option to customize your wallet with a color and emoji. This step doesn't affect the wallet's security and can be skipped or completed based on personal preference.

Staking Process for SUI with Ethos​

For staking on Ethos, select “staking” on the dashboard. From the list of validators, select your desired one and proceed.

Enter the amount of SUI you wish to stake, taking care to reserve some for gas fees and future transactions. Review the transaction details and if everything seems fine, click “Review”, and then “Confirm”. A message stating “Staking Complete!” should appear shortly. Your staked SUI will start earning rewards from the next epoch.

You'll need to wait for an epoch (24 hours) to unstake your SUI. The rewards on SUI are auto-compounded, so you won't have to restake your rewards.

Claiming SUI Rewards with Ethos​

To claim your SUI rewards, navigate to "staking" on Ethos's top right menu. This will open up your staking overview where you can see your accumulated rewards.

For unstaking, select the validator you wish to unstake with and click “Unstake SUI”. Confirm your decision and that's it, you've unstaked your SUI.

Remember, staking not only provides rewards but also contributes to the SUI ecosystem and aids in securing the blockchain network.

Closing Remarks​

Staking plays a key role in ensuring the sustainability and security of blockchain networks. By staking your digital assets, you help in operating the network and get rewarded for it. For those interested in staking SUI or learning more about this process, you can reach out to BlockEden.xyz through their Website, Twitter, Blog, or join the Discord community.

---

DISCLAIMER: This article does not provide financial advice. Staking, delegation, and cryptocurrencies involve considerable risk, and there is always the possibility of loss, including the loss of all staked digital assets. Delegators may face the risk of slashing in case of security or liveness faults on certain protocols. It is advised that you do thorough research before choosing a validator.

Etherscan stands as the leading Ethereum block explorer and has significantly grown since its inception in 2015, extending its services to include other chains such as Fantom, Polygon, BSC, Arbitrum, among others. While Etherscan has successfully secured funding twice - in 2016 and 2021, the specific amounts were never disclosed. Interestingly, the company didn't take advantage of favorable funding conditions to raise more capital, suggesting they're likely profitable.

Etherscan's main revenue streams come from Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings and advertising. Their range of SaaS solutions includes various on-chain tools like wallet-to-wallet messaging, staking, token approvals, and more.

As per LinkedIn data, Etherscan maintains a workforce of 29 employees. The estimated cost of this staffing level, also referred to as the headcount burn, is approximately $1.2 to $2.15 million each year.

Income Sources​

• (58.4%) SaaS / Total - Estimated Income: $2.91M - $12.55M / yr
  • Explorer as a service
  • API plans
  • BSCscan's delegation services, wallet-to-wallet messaging, token approval-revoke tool, etc.
• (1.4%) Newsletter - Estimated Income: $0.12M - $0.3M / yr
• (40.2%) Website Ads - Estimated Income: $2.4M - $8.64M / yr
• Donations

Headcount and Burn​

Here is the burn rate for headcounts, not including operational costs such as third-party vendors, office spaces, etc.

Item	HC	Pay range	Estimated Expense	%
Engineering	12	$100k - $200k	$1.2M - $2.4M	55.43%
Business Development	8	$80k - $120k	$0.64M - $0.96M	22.17%
Operations	4	$70k - $100k	$0.28M - $0.4M	9.24%
Community and Social Services	3	$60k - $90k	$0.18M - $0.27M	6.24%
Information Technology	2	$100k - $150k	$0.2M - $0.3M	6.93%

It would be relatively easy for Etherscan to expand to businesses like Dune’s dashboard or Nansen’s wallet tagging. However, they are not doing so, which indicates that they might be extremely profitable.

Blockchain technology has emerged as a leading force in the digital world, offering revolutionary solutions that extend beyond cryptocurrency. Programming languages dedicated to blockchain technology are carving a unique space for themselves. Among these languages, Move has secured a significant spot, thanks to its robustness and inherent security features. Today, we will introduce an innovative tutorial called "Sui Move," designed to teach developers the Move programming language using a learn-by-example approach.

Understanding Move: The Programming Language​

Before we jump into the tutorial, let's briefly recap what Move is. Created by Facebook's subsidiary, Diem Association (formerly Libra), Move is a statically-typed, resource-oriented programming language. Its design is centered around enforcing safety and security, making it the ideal language for coding blockchain and cryptocurrency projects. The Sui Move is a variant of the Move programming language.

Resources in Move are a key construct that makes it stand out from other blockchain programming languages. These are special types that can't be copied or discarded, only moved between storage locations. This feature allows for precise control over digital assets and significantly mitigates the risk of common security issues, such as double-spending.

Sui Move: A Learn-by-Example Tutorial​

Located at https://blockeden.xyz/docs/sui/sui-move/intro/, "Sui Move" is a comprehensive, learn-by-example tutorial designed to teach developers how to code using the Move programming language.

"Sui Move" is constructed on the philosophy that hands-on learning accelerates comprehension and proficiency. The tutorial is divided into small, manageable chunks, each focusing on a specific aspect of Move. This allows learners to not only understand the technicalities of the language but also gain insights into how and where they can be implemented.

"Sui Move" stands out in its approach to teaching. Instead of overwhelming the learner with dense theory, it offers an array of examples for every concept. The learner can directly interact with these examples, providing a dynamic learning environment that encourages exploration and understanding at a deep level.

The tutorial is designed to be accessible for various experience levels. Whether you are a seasoned developer looking to dive into blockchain development or a beginner who's just starting, "Sui Move" is tailored to ensure you grasp and master the concepts effectively.

What You'll Learn​

"Sui Move" covers a broad range of topics that form the core of Move programming language. Here's a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Understanding the syntax and structure of Move.
• Deep dive into Move's unique resource-oriented model.
• Manipulating data using Move's functions and methods.
• Learning to create and implement Modules and Scripts.
• Handling exceptions and ensuring security in your Move programs.
• Learning how to create a custom coin and NFT.

Why Choose Sui Move?​

"Sui Move" is not just a tutorial; it's a well-structured learning journey. It offers:

1. Real-world Examples: Every concept is paired with a practical example that demonstrates how to use it effectively.
2. Comprehensive Coverage: It provides a thorough understanding of Move, from basic syntax to advanced constructs.
3. Step-by-Step Guidance: Every module is designed to gradually build your understanding, reducing the learning curve and making complex concepts easier to grasp.
4. Flexibility: It caters to a wide range of learners, from beginners to experienced developers.

Blockchain technology is shaping the future of numerous industries, and mastering a language like Move can open new avenues for developers. With "Sui Move," you have a resource that can guide you effectively through your learning journey. So, dive in, start coding, and explore the exciting opportunities that Move and blockchain technology hold for you.

Get started now at https://blockeden.xyz/docs/sui/sui-move/intro/.

There is a constant buzz in the world of cryptocurrency, with new narratives cropping up at regular intervals. While a lot of attention has been given to Shanghai upgrades, BRC20, meme coins, and halving phenomena, the "DeFi Summer" of 2020, a milestone in the rotation of narratives in the crypto world, has been mostly forgotten. However, three years later, there have been some noteworthy developments in the DeFi space worth highlighting.

The Declining Attention on DeFi​

Post the "DeFi Summer" of 2020, the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ecosystem has evolved and grown significantly, introducing innovations like decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, derivatives, fixed income tools, algorithmic stablecoins, asset synthetics, and aggregators.

However, after peaking in May 2021, traditional DeFi blue chips like UNI, LINK, SUSHI, and SNX have been seeing a decreasing trend. Leading DeFi projects such as Uniswap and Synthetix and new entries like OHM under "DeFi 2.0" seem to be gradually fading away from the market spotlight. The DeFi narrative, once the darling of the crypto world, has been overshadowed by other emerging narratives like NFTs, DAOs, Metaverse, and Web3.

Fundamentally, the services offered by most DeFi products are similar, with only a few leading products standing out due to their brand and user stickiness. Many platforms rely heavily on their native tokens to incentivize user participation. However, these liquidity rewards can inflate Total Value Locked (TVL) figures temporarily but are not sustainable in the long run, leading to volatility and quick capital movement when new higher yield opportunities arise. This dynamic has led to an overall downtrend in the price of DeFi tokens since 2020.

Innovations in the DeFi Space​

Ignoring the declining performance of DeFi tokens in secondary markets, some interesting changes are happening within the DeFi landscape. Notably, leading projects like Curve and MakerDAO have been diversifying their product range, blurring the boundaries between different DeFi protocols.

MakerDAO, traditionally known for its DAI stablecoin, has started venturing into the lending space with the launch of Spark Protocol. This protocol, built on Aave V3 smart contracts, allows users to borrow assets like ETH, stETH, DAI, and sDAI. This is a remarkable shift in strategy and points towards a significant overlap of stablecoin and lending functionalities.

In a similar vein, Aave, primarily known for its lending services, is planning to launch its native decentralized stablecoin, GHO, backed by collateral and pegged to the dollar. Both MakerDAO and Aave's lending mechanisms are based on Aave V3 smart contracts, and it will be fascinating to see who emerges successful in this foray outside their traditional domains.

Curve, which is known for its large-scale asset exchange services, has also recently introduced its stablecoin, crvUSD. With Curve's inherent liquidity advantages, crvUSD seems to have a headstart in the stablecoin race.

Among all these DeFi blue chips, Frax Finance has made significant strides in liquidity collateralization. Its product frxETH has shown exceptional growth since its launch in October 2022, reaching almost 220,000 tokens valued at around $400 million within just 200 days.

Conclusion​

The sustainability of DeFi projects that relied heavily on liquidity incentives was always questionable. This reality has prompted leading DeFi protocols to innovate and diversify their product ranges, breaching the traditional boundaries that separated them.

Ethereum, the world's most adopted blockchain platform for smart contracts, is known for its regular upgrades, each bringing forth new features, parameter adjustments, or enhanced security. These upgrades, driven by both proactive innovation and the need to mitigate potential security threats, have punctuated Ethereum's evolution over the years.

Before the Ethereum merge last September, the platform had seen 14 upgrades. Notably, a reactive upgrade occurred in 2016 after the DAO Fork incident when Ethereum Classic (ETC) emerged following a cyber-attack that jeopardized the DAO project's ETH funding.

Over the past few years, significant upgrades have taken place. The London upgrade in August 2020 introduced EIP-1599, introducing ETH burning and dynamic adjustment of the Base Fee for every transaction. In September 2022, the Paris upgrade transitioned Ethereum's consensus mechanism from Proof of Work (POW) to Proof of Stake (POS), signaling the end of the machine mining era.

After the Shanghai upgrade, Ethereum's core development team announced that the most important update this year would be the Cancun upgrade, expected to occur later this year.

Cancun Upgrade: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?​

Named after the city that hosted the Ethereum Developer Conference (Devcon), the upcoming Cancun upgrade will implement crucial improvements to the Ethereum network.

The star of the upgrade, EIP-4844, aims to allow Ethereum nodes to temporarily store and retrieve off-chain data, fulfilling the data and storage needs of blockchain applications. If successfully implemented, EIP-4844 is expected to reduce the costs of Layer 2 (L2) rollup solutions. Reportedly, EIP-4844 has already been tested on four development networks, with a fifth testing network about to launch.

Originally intended for completion during the Shanghai upgrade, EIP-4844 was postponed to the Cancun upgrade. Developers have also agreed to include EIP-6780 (preparing for future application of Verkle Trees), EIP-6475 (providing improved readability and compact serialization), and EIP-1153 (introducing transient storage opcode) in the upgrade.

The Principle Behind the Upgrade​

The essence of Ethereum's scalability efforts lies in increasing data processing volume and speed. Two directions are pursued concurrently – Layer 2 rollups and sharding on the mainnet. The implementation of EIP-4844 is the first step towards complete sharding.

Prior to the Cancun upgrade, L2 information was stored in the Calldata of L1 information. This method was costly and limited due to Calldata's limited space.

With the Cancun upgrade, L1 will be stored in a new location called "Blob". Blob storage is more affordable and offers more space, allowing Ethereum to host more data, increase its transactions per second (TPS), and reduce costs. As Blob is a temporary data package cleaned up every 30 days, nodes only need to download a fixed amount of data per month, decreasing node burden.

In essence, the Cancun upgrade will make L2 cheaper and faster. This will not only benefit L2 protocols but will also foster rapid development for ecosystems built on L2.

In conclusion, the upcoming Ethereum Cancun upgrade promises to be an important milestone, heralding a new era of efficient, affordable, and scalable blockchain applications. Stay tuned for further updates as the Ethereum community continues its pioneering work in advancing decentralized technologies.

In recent times, discussions in the Bitcoin realm have seemingly transitioned towards the Bitcoin network itself, with BRC20 tokens emerging as a hot topic. People are contemplating whether the arrival of Bitcoin's Layer 2 (L2) expansion solutions and the BRC20 standard could introduce enhanced functionality and scalability to Bitcoin. However, it's important to tread carefully, as these discussions currently seem to lean more towards market speculation. Let's delve into Bitcoin's L2 architecture, BRC20, and potential security concerns.

Understanding Bitcoin’s L2 Architecture​

The blockchain ecosystem grapples with a so-called 'impossible triangle'—security, decentralization, and scalability—of which only two can be achieved at the cost of the third. Bitcoin, for example, has prioritized security and decentralization, sacrificing scalability in the process. Bitcoin’s block generation time is approximately 10 minutes, a significant lag compared to other popular blockchains like Ethereum 2.0 or Solana that boast block times on the scale of seconds or even milliseconds. This limitation has spurred demand for Bitcoin scalability solutions, leading to the emergence of Bitcoin's L2 expansion, exemplified by systems such as Stacks.

Stacks is a decentralized application and smart contract network built on top of Bitcoin. This network connects to the Bitcoin blockchain through a cross-chain consensus mechanism, achieving the goal of preserving Bitcoin's security while also offering a rich application scenario for smart contracts. Stacks operates in a layered fashion, where the base settlement layer (Bitcoin) is supplemented by the addition of smart contracts and programmability (Stacks), which further incorporates a scalability and speed layer (Hiro's subnet). This layered approach not only offers functionality akin to blockchains like Ethereum but also avoids many shortcomings of complex public chains.

Explaining BRC20​

To understand BRC20, we first need to familiarize ourselves with Ordinals. Ordinals is a protocol that assigns unique identifiers to Bitcoin's smallest unit, satoshis (sats), essentially transforming each sat into a unique non-fungible token (NFT), akin to Ethereum NFTs. Additionally, Ordinals allow for the inclusion of text, images, audio, and video within sats, further accentuating their uniqueness.

The creator of BRC20, leveraging the Ordinals protocol, introduced the concept of fungible tokens on Bitcoin by assigning a unified "format" and "attributes" to sats. BRC20, through Ordinals, inscribes JSON formatted text data into sats, acting as a ledger for BRC20 tokens and tracking token holdings and transfers.

Risks Associated with BRC20​

Despite the attention BRC20 tokens have garnered, they currently exist as mere JSON files without practical value or business use-case, and their popularity largely hinges on Bitcoin's popularity and traffic. Further, managing BRC20 tokens is not as straightforward as handling Bitcoin and requires a dedicated wallet. Moreover, participation in BRC20 investment requires third-party tools which often carry an entry barrier.

Several risks surround BRC20 tokens. Firstly, market speculation and hype may create a bubble, overvaluing the tokens. Secondly, similar to other blockchain technologies, BRC20 tokens are susceptible to hacking attempts. Lastly, the lack of regulatory oversight in the blockchain and cryptocurrency markets could lead to fraudulent or illegal activities involving BRC20 tokens.

A common misconception among users is that BRC20 tokens, created using Bitcoin's security, are as secure and stable as Bitcoin. However, the two are fundamentally different. Bitcoin's security is underpinned by cryptographic and consensus algorithms, and it has been running relatively stably for a considerable duration. Conversely, BRC20 relies on the Ordinals