🦄 Recap: DeFi Week of Aug. 1

Hello Defiers!

This was the week we’ve been waiting for — EIP-1559, aka London, made its debut and the upgrade was as dramatic as we were expecting. We all felt the burn as Ethereum began a new chapter in its evolution, and The Defiant produced a raft of primers and news stories to chronicle the event and explain what’s going to change in DeFi as a result of this historic shift.

Guest writer Marcus Sandstrom unpacked how EIP-1559 will alter the eonomics of Ethereum, and YYCtrader did the math on the deflationary effects of the upgrade. That’s going to be a powerful new force in DeFi so be sure to check it out. Owen Fernau, meantime, reported on how EIP-1559 will change the Ethereum experience for users and developers, and Dan Kahan got his arms around the market action, including the burn rates, as the upgrade rolled out on Aug. 5.

But it was not all good news as crypto came under heavy regulatory scrutiny from the US Senate to the SEC. We have a story that wraps it all up and Camila Russo also hosted a newsy livestream with leading voices in the DeFi regulatory story, including SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, Compound CEO Robert Leshner, crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro, and the outspoken Chris Blec. Important stuff! Also, check out Cami’s buzzy podcast with the creators and investors behind Stoner Cats, the NFT-loaded show about felines and ganja.

And, of course, don’t miss our latest videos from Robin Schmidt, who this week provides invaluable guidance on how to navigate the pricey world of NFTs, among other topics.

So savor your weekend, and catch up on the DeFi action… It’s safe to say the action will probably accelerate yet again next week, right?!

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🙌 Together with:

• Balancer, one of the leading DeFi automated market makers (AMM) for multiple tokens. Dive into their pools at https://balancer.finance/!
• Kraken, consistently rated the best and most secure cryptocurrency exchange, which can get you from fiat to DeFi
• Aave, an open-source and non-custodial liquidity protocol where users can earn interest on deposits and borrow assets.
• The DeFi Pulse Index, by Index Coop - DPI is the easiest way to capture the upside of DeFi with the benefit of diversification. Buy DPI today on your favorite DEX.

Podcast

🎙 "We Get to Tell Future Pixar Animators They Can Quit Their Jobs and Come Build With NFTs:" Stoner Cats Team

In this week’s episode, I speak with some of the creators and investors behind Stoner Cats, the NFT-infused adult cartoon show about a group of cats who become sentient from their owner’s marihuana. And there are famous humans behind these cats, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin is one, and Jane Fonda is another. Ashton Kutcher’s VC fund is also involved. With all these big names, there was huge anticipation around this NFT sale -- so much, that the demand made Ethereum gas prices spike, so that many purchases didn’t go through and over $700,000 were lost in failed transactions.

Ashton Kutcher said after this interview that the team is going to personally gift ETH to cover all failed transaction fees. Producer Lisa Sterbakov, investors Maaria Bajwa, Morgan Beller, and NFT creator Jonathan Howard, talk about the motivation behind Stoner Cats, how NFTs is changing the game for creators, what the chaotic launch was like for them, how they got Vitalik to join the show, and more behind the scenes scoops.

🎙Listen to the interview in this week’s podcast episode here:

Video

📺 DeFi Transparency x The Defiant & DeFiWatch

📺 Quick Take: Punks, Blocks, and the biggest buys in NFT land

📺 Tuesday Tutorial: How to buy and sell digital PFP collectible NFTs

📺 First Look: Alchemy NFT - the remix layer for NFTs

📺 Defiant Weekly: The Defiant Guide to Art Blocks

Inbox Dump #20

For paid subscribers only — The Inbox Dump is where we include the updates and announcements that flood our DMs each week and didn’t make it to The Defiant’s content platforms. We also include a compilation of DeFi and crypto funding rounds in the past week so you have these in one handy place.

Research

🦄 Here’s How EIP-1559 Changes the Economics of Ethereum (Hint: Lower Gas, Maybe)

In this week’s research piece, Marcus Sandstrom, co-founder of Viseo.se, provides an invaluable look at how the London upgrade will rewire the economics of Ethereum. It may have a big impact, especially when it comes to gas prices. A must-read on this historic week.

Defiers may be a disparate, opinionated bunch but there is one thing we can all agree on — Ethereum gas prices are a real drag.

Just look at what’s happened over the past few months. Gas prices have ping-ponged all over the place, turning off users from doing all the cool things Ethereum was designed to support, such as minting NFTs, sending money, or playing with DeFi apps and services. Volatile fees have also been a boon for other blockchain projects like Solana and Cardano, which are trying to one-up Ethereum.

The bottom line is that gas prices — essentially, the cost of processing transactions — are preventing Ethereum from truly being Ethereum. Yet this week we may finally have a solution: It’s called EIP-1559, and it is the mother of all updates for the Ethereum blockchain so far.

Friday

News

• Here’s the Latest on How U.S. Regulators Want to Crack Down on CryptoTop U.S. lawmakers and regulators are taking steps to tighten their grasp on cryptocurrencies, or advocating for greater control over digital assets. Here are the bills, speeches and charges issued by U.S. government representatives and agencies in the past week.
• ETH Burns and a Price Surge After EIP-1559 ExecutesThe Ethereum market is on fire, at least proverbially speaking. Over the first eight hours since EIP-1559 was implemented, thus changing the transaction fee mechanism of Ethereum, 2,458 ETH, or $6.9M at ETH’s current price of around $2.8K, had been burned.
• Gelato Releases Tool to Ease Pain of LiquidationsLiquidations are a pain for Defiers, but a new tool aims to prevent them automatically. Decentralized bot network, Gelato Finance, released a user interface yesterday which will automatically pay down users’ debt on lending platform Aave if they are close to liquidation.
• Hedge Fund Giant Steven Cohen Dives into Crypto with $21M Funding Round in Messari In the latest sign that Wall Street big shots love crypto, Point72 Ventures, the early-stage investment firm founded by hedge fund billionaire Steven Cohen, has led a $21M funding round in Messari, the crypto market intelligence provider. It is Point72’s first foray into crypto.
• Crypto vs. Wall Street NFTs Dropping From pplpleasr and Fortune MagazineArtist pplpleasr, who has worked with big name DeFi protocols Uniswap, SushiSwap and Pickle Finance, has teamed up with Fortune Magazine for an NFT drop.

Dive

• Can’t Afford a CryptoPunk? New Platform Lets Buyers Join Forces to Buy NFTsWith NFT prices out of control and wealthy whales squeezing out would-be buyers, collectors are banding together in a newly launched project that lets them pool their capital to bid on works. It’s called PartyBid, and during its public launch on Aug. 4 the action got intense as a coveted CryptoPunk hit the auction block.

Links

• ETH Burned
• Trader Top 9: Congress and SEC Take Aim at Crypto: Cove Markets
• Senator Who Wrote Controversial Crypto Tax Rule Proposes Modest Revision: CoinDesk
• Binance to restrict derivatives trading for Hong Kong users: CoinTelegraph

Thursday

News

• Governance Wars Break Out Over Proposal to List BOND on AaveSupporters of the tokenized risk protocol BarnBridge are upset as a proposal to list the project’s BOND token as collateral on lending platform Aave has been met with unexpected resistance from a handful of large token holders in the final stretch of the on-chain vote.
• SEC’s Peirce Takes “Liberty-Loving” Perspective after Gensler Calls for Tighter Crypto RegulationSEC Commissioner Hester Peirce is taking a “liberty-loving perspective” when it comes to cryptocurrency and DeFi, contrasting with statements by the agency’s chairman on Tuesday.

Links

• Remarks Before the Aspen Security Forum: SEC Chair Gary Gensler
• DeversiFi launches first Layer 2 bridge between Polygon for instant transfers: DeversiFi
• The Evolution of Yearn with Tracheopteryx and Facu: ZeroKnolwedge
• French Fund Manager Unveils EU-Regulated Bitcoin-Stocks ETF: Bloomberg

Wednesday

EIP-1559

• Ethereum Price Rallies in Lead Up to EIP-1559The price of Ethereum’s Ether has been rallying in the lead-up to the EIP-1559 upgrade. ETH crossed $2,500 for the first time since June 16 over the weekend — that’s a 47% increase from $1.7K on June 22, the lowest since hitting an all-time high above $4.3K on May 12.
• What Will Change for Users and Developers After EIP-1559With anticipation building about EIP-1559’s effect on ETH and gas prices, here’s what users should expect. First and foremost, if you have ever been confused by Ethereum gas fees in the past, the upgrade which includes EIP-1559 is meant to make gas fees more predictable and the user experience less complex.
• The Math Behind a Deflationary ETH After EIP-1559There’s a bullish case for ETH, and it’s being defined by terms such as ultrasound money, triple-halving, and deflationary asset. Ethereum’s London hard fork is set to execute on August 5 and the included EIP-1559 upgrade has been hailed by many as a game changer for the world’s second largest cryptocurrency.

Feature

• Zuckerberg’s Vow to Make Facebook a Metaverse Company Roils DeFi Community At this point, we really shouldn’t be surprised when Mark Zuckerberg courts controversy. But on July 28, he actually told investors on an earnings call that Facebook would become a metaverse company in the future. Huh? Maybe Zuckerberg was just tossing off the latest buzzword to goose Facebook’s stock. Or maybe he truly believes that in the years to come Facebook will “transition from a social media company to a metaverse company.”

Links

• Into The Chef’s Jacket with Ross-San: The Legal Engineer at the Core of Trident: Medium
• Ethereum Addresses Using DeFi Rose 65% Last Quarter: Decrypt
• FTX launching NFT sports platform, backs LCS esports league with 7 year deal: CoinTelegraph

Tuesday

News

• Art Blocks NFTs Soar as Savvy Collectors Snap Up Edgy PiecesWhile all eyes remain on red-hot NFT avatars like Cryptopunks and Bored Apes, some savvy collectors have been quietly amassing Art Blocks in recent weeks. The hook? Art Blocks specializes in a revolutionary genre called Generative Art that’s been around a long time but has found new life in the spellbinding world of NFTs.
• When $114M in CryptoPunks Sell, So Do Other NFT ProjectsCryptoPunk sales exploded over the past week, and the rest of the NFT market is coming along for the ride. The OG NFT avatar project has always been the biggest tour de force in the NFT marketplace, but recently the project has seen an unprecedented amount of sales, in both volume and value.
• Crypto Tax Debate On Capitol Hill Signals Big Changes for DeFiTaxing cryptocurrencies just picked up serious momentum, with potentially serious ramifications for DeFi. The U.S. Senate’s $1 trillion infrastructure package now under consideration includes a provision that would tax transactions involving Bitcoin and its ilk to raise around $28 billion in funding.

Links

• Monero’s former maintainer arrested in the US for allegations unrelated to cryptocurrency: CoinTelegraph
• EIP1559 Expert Panel | Tim Beiko, Hasu, Micah Zoltu, Barnabe Monnot, Matt Garnett (LightClients): Bankless
• Ethereum London Upgrade Community Call: Medium

💜Community Love💜

Thanking all the amazing Defiers for the support and love this week (and always)!

0xBaba.eth🍌 @0xBaba23Some great alpha on @stonercatstv on this @DefiantNews podcast episode Way more bullish on the long term outlook of this project. These stoner cats are like the master key to all future episodes and series Makes me wanna go buy up some more cats

open.spotify.com“We Get to Tell Future Pixar Animators They Can Quit Their Jobs and Come Build With NFTs:” Stoner Cats TeamListen to this episode from The Defiant on Spotify. In this week’s episode, I speak with some of the creators and investors behind Stoner Cats, the NFT-infused adult cartoon show about a group of cats who become sentient from their owner’s marihuana. And there are famous humans behind these cats, E…12:59 AM ∙ Aug 4, 20216Likes1Retweet

Zeneca_33 🍌 @Zeneca_33Great article by @DefiantNews on @artblocks_io. It provides a better understanding of why AB is so special compared to 90-95% of the NFTs out there, and a glimpse into what the future might hold. Also just anything @ArtOnBlockchain says is gold, as usual🤎 thedefiant.io/artblocks/

thedefiant.ioArt Blocks NFTs Soar as Savvy Collectors Snap Up Edgy Pieces - The Defiant - DeFi NewsWhile all eyes remain on red-hot NFT avatars like Cryptopunks and Bored Apes, some savvy collectors have been quietly amassing Art Blocks in recent weeks.2:55 PM ∙ Aug 3, 2021169Likes45Retweets

RΞSISTANCΞ⧫🌉🌌🍍🦇🔊∞ @reesistanceeNice article from @DefiantNews about last @AaveAave proposal. https://t.co/hargKkEk8A

BarnBridgΞ 🌉 @Barn_BridgeWe still love @AaveAave and we live to fight another day together. https://t.co/VdTCJ1AwaE5:43 PM ∙ Aug 5, 20219Likes2Retweets

VictorZhang.eth 🦇🔊 @Victor928OMG, today is my best day, with two big surprises. Firstly one of our teammates just got his first child. Then I saw this👇. My favorite crypto video channel @DefiantNews talks about our project @AlchemyNFT and its first product AutographNFT.io youtu.be/ujzxzNZtq-I

youtu.beAlchemy NFT - the remix layer for NFTsAlchemy NFT just announced a funding round from the likes of Mark Cuban who clearly sees opportunity in an API layer for NFTs. Rather than pump out derivativ...11:47 PM ∙ Aug 4, 202136Likes7Retweets

Unchained Podcast @Unchained_podRecommended Read: @dankahan of @DefiantNews with a comprehensive guide to NFT avatars

thedefiant.ioA Comprehensive Guide to the Top NFT Avatars - The Defiant - DeFi NewsIf you’re looking to get into NFT Avatars you might be suffering from decision paralysis — here’s a guide for you.11:40 PM ∙ Aug 3, 202110Likes4Retweets

Crypto Gucci 🦇🔊 @CryptoGucciKiller new article from @DefiantNews on what’s going on in @artblocks_io. This goes into detail on why ArtBlocks has gained so much attention and grown into a massive community! Kuddos to @ArtOnBlockchain for developing such an awesome #NFT project!

thedefiant.ioArt Blocks NFTs Soar as Savvy Collectors Snap Up Edgy Pieces - The Defiant - DeFi NewsWhile all eyes remain on red-hot NFT avatars like Cryptopunks and Bored Apes, some savvy collectors have been quietly amassing Art Blocks in recent weeks.6:49 PM ∙ Aug 3, 202112Likes4Retweets

Ser Industria @SerIndustriaar@CamiRusso fundadora de @DefiantNews uno de los sitios educativos mas queridos y consultados en #DeFi, será expositora en el panel sobre #FinanzasDescentralizadas 📽Transmisión desde estudio de TV #criptoconferencia 📅12agosto. Inscripción gratuita: eventbrite.com.ar/e/conferencia-…

12:57 PM ∙ Aug 3, 202113Likes9Retweets

Evan Van Ness @evan_van_nessWhat about muh "buy the rumor, sell the news?" As I told @DefiantNews, 1559 is the most bullish fundamental change for $ETH since mainnet launched, and it has gone up approximately 7500x since then 🤷‍♂️ thedefiant.io/the-price-of-e…

2:29 AM ∙ Aug 5, 202126Likes4Retweets

degenism @degenismNotes on DeFi Transparency x The Defiant & DeFi Watch ⚖️📝 with SEC Commissioner @HesterPeirce, Atty. @lex_node, Compound CEO @rleshner, @DefiantNews Chiefess @CamiRusso , and DeFi Watch founder @ChrisBlec9:24 PM ∙ Aug 4, 202120Likes11Retweets

Uncle Pennybags 🦍 @realpennybagsWorth watching!

The Defiant @DefiantNewsIt's the #TuesdayTut you've been waiting for! @DirSchmidt opens up his #NFT playbook and shows you how to: 🔍Research collectibles 🗺️Navigate drops ☠️Avoid scams 🎮Use NFTs for gaming 💰 Exit at a decent price if you need liquidity Watch Part 1👇 https://t.co/0o7CmAEFD78:17 PM ∙ Aug 3, 202111Likes4Retweets

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