Blockchain Gaming

Kraken Removes Lightning Network Feature for German Users

Saturday. September 14 at 10:00 AM

1 min. read

Top cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has disabled the Lightning Network feature for its customers in Germany, citing technical reasons. Initially, reports suggested regulatory issues were the cause, but Kraken clarified that it was due to technical changes. The company stated that the decision was made to ensure a reliable and secure platform for German clients. The Lightning Network, a second-layer application for Bitcoin, facilitates faster transactions for smaller purchases by routing them through side channels. This feature is aimed at reducing transaction fees during network congestion. While Kraken has disabled this feature, other major exchanges like Coinbase offer Lightning integration to provide cost-effective Bitcoin transactions. By utilizing the Lightning Network, customers can opt for a more efficient payment method during peak network activity, ultimately reducing transaction costs.

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SWIFT to Conduct Digital Asset Trials in 2025

Thursday. October 3 at 5:30 PM

Banks in North America, Europe, and Asia are gearing up to take part in trials involving digital assets by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). SWIFT recently announced plans to commence digital asset trials on its network in 2025, focusing on transactions with multiple digital currencies and assets. The trials aim to investigate how the banking network can offer financial institutions unified access to various digital asset classes and currencies. Initial use cases will concentrate on payments, foreign exchange, securities, and trade to enable multi-ledger delivery-versus-payment and payment-versus-payment transactions. SWIFT is determined to bridge emerging and established forms of value by developing practical mainstream applications for seamless transaction tracking. The upcoming digital currency trials are part of SWIFT's ongoing blockchain-related initiatives, including participation in Project Agorá and proposing a blockchain-based state machine for transaction management.

Blockchain Gaming

Revolutionizing Gaming with Shardbound: Ethereum Strategy Game Enters Open Beta on Steam and Epic Store

Thursday. October 3 at 2:30 PM

Shardbound, a strategy card battler game built on Ethereum's layer-2 scaling network Immutable zkEVM, is set to launch its open beta on Steam and the Epic Games Store on October 9. The game, described as a mix of Hearthstone and Fire Emblem, offers players the flexibility to win matches through various strategies, reminiscent of Sid Meier's Civilization. The open beta aims to gather feedback from the community to enhance the gaming experience. While the game will allow card trading as NFTs in the future, the initial launch will not integrate NFTs on Steam and Epic Store. Bazooka Tango, the team behind Shardbound, is focused on creating a seamless gaming experience across different platforms. With plans to revolutionize gaming through blockchain technology, Shardbound is poised to offer a unique and immersive gameplay experience for players.

Blockchain Gaming

Debate Over Solana's Centralization

Thursday. October 3 at 2:00 PM

Solana faced criticism from Edward Snowden over centralization, sparking a debate within the crypto community. Snowden questioned Solana's approach of centralizing everything for speed and efficiency, raising concerns about potential disruptions. In response, Solana advocates defended the network's decentralization and challenged Snowden's claims. The debate highlighted the ongoing competition among blockchain networks, with Cardano also being mentioned as an alternative to Ethereum. Despite the criticism, Solana developers remain confident in the network's decentralization, citing upcoming improvements like the Firedancer validator client. While Snowden's comments stirred controversy, key contributors viewed it as part of the industry's discourse. The debate underscores the importance of decentralization in blockchain technology and the efforts to address criticisms within the community.

Blockchain Gaming

Empowering EV Owners with Renewable Energy Charging

Wednesday. October 2 at 6:00 PM

Energy Web has introduced AutoGreenCharge, a mobile app that allows electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge their vehicles with renewable energy. The app, powered by EnergywebX technology and secured by the Polkadot blockchain, ensures that every charging session is 100% renewable. Through the integration of renewable energy certificates (RECs), users can track and verify that their EVs are charged with clean energy in real-time. AutoGreenCharge also offers personalized access to different types and locations of renewable energy sources. Mani Hagh Sefat, CTO of Energy Web, emphasized the app's role in promoting sustainable choices and contributing to the global energy transition. The beta version of AutoGreenCharge is now available for download, allowing users to participate in shaping the future of green charging. By connecting their EVs to the app, users can monitor their energy consumption and environmental impact, while also retiring real renewable energy certificates with each charging session.

Blockchain Gaming