Cryptocurrency
What is BounceBit: Liquid Restaking on Bitcoin
The concept of liquid restaking, a topic that has gained significant popularity in recent quarters, offers users the exciting possibility to extract additional value from their staked tokens.
Predominantly, however, this has been applied throughout a variety of Ethereum-based applications.
BounceBit, on the other hand, is delivering a BTC restaking infrastructure designed to provide a foundational layer for various restaking products.
In the following guide, we take a closer look at how BounceBit works, the tokenomics behind its native cryptocurrency, and more. Let’s dive in.
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What is Liquid Restaking?
Before we explain what BounceBit does, it’s important to understand the concept of liquid restaking that we mentioned above.
You might be familiar with liquid staking protocols and their liquid staking tokens (LSTs). It’s a mechanism that came to prominence with protocols like Lido. Users are able to stake their ETH into Lido (or other protocols) and receive a synthetic representation of this ETH. This is a new token that’s supposed to be pegged to the value of ETH 1:1. They could then use this synthetic ETH to carry out various operations with other protocols that support it.
Liquid restaking, on the other hand, is a process aimed at increasing the economic security of external systems. In essence, you can take your synthetic ETH (your LST) and restake it, receiving another token called a liquid restaking token.
As mentioned above, most of the LRT protocols are increasingly focused on Ethereum because of its Proof of Stake architecture.
BounceBit, on the other hand, is building a BTC restaking infrastructure that’s designed to provide a layer for restaking products on the Bitcoin network.
How do they do it? Well, let’s find out.
What is BounceBit?
In a bid to reimagine Bitcoin’s value, BounceBit proposes an infrastructure designed based on the conviction that Bitcoin should be predominantly asset-driven at the infrastructure level.
BounceBit differentiates itself as a Proof of Stake layer one ecosystem where validators are required to stake BTC and the native BounceBit token. This establishes a dual-token security system that’s aimed at strengthening the network itself but also at improving the intrinsic value of Bitcoin by providing its holders with an active role in validating the BounceBit network.
The goal is to provide a symbiotic relationship between BounceBit’s native token and BTC in an attempt to create a versatile and resilient network.
BounceBit also leverages interoperability with other networks that are EVM-compatible, incorporating staked assets such as BTCB on the “Build ‘N’ Build” (BNB) Chain and Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC).
Now, it’s worth noting that when t comes to generating yield on BTC – there is a very unique challenge that’s inherently different from yield-generation protocols associated with Ethereum. The Bitcoin protocols can’t yield returns when the BTC is held within multi-signature wallets. This is what BounceBit confronts by integrating a centralized finance (CeFi) approach, taking advantage of Mainnet Digital’s custody services, as well as Ceffu’s MirrorX technology stack.
This essentially allows Bitcoin to maintain its presence on-chain, while also engaging in trading activities on centralized exchanges.
What Problems Does BounceBit Solve?
- Tackling Lack of Transparency
Those who were around in 2022 remember the transparency issues that plagued the industry through the likes of Celsius and others.
BounceBit incorporates on-chain proof-of-reserve (PoR), while also maintaining transparent activities in a bid to restore the trust and deliver a secure platform that allows BTC holders to earn interest.
Undoutedbly, BTC holders face the challenge of their assets being underutilized. BounceBit seeks to tackle this challenge by providing them with a means of actively engaging their assets in the thriving sectors of decentralized finance and NFTs.
- Improving Bitcoin Utility by Enabling Additional Use Cases
By extension of the above, BounceBit also commits to expanding the overall utility of BTC and Bitcon’s network as a whole. The goal is to broaden the scope of opportunities for BTC holders and leverage the cryptocurrency as a major asset.
- Unifying BTC Across Chains
BounceBit identifies the absence of a smart contract platform within Bitcoin’s ecosystem as limiting the overall development of dApps and works to provide one.
Understanding BounceBit’s Infrastructure
BounceBit is building a network that leverages the well-known Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm to rethink conventional staking models that focus on a single token. They call this approach Dual-Token Proof of Stake (PoS).
In light of the above, it’s worth explaining that the protocol’s architecture incorporates a number of node operators. These can be selected as validators. These are parties that have to stake BB (the native token of BounceBit) and/or BBTC (staked BTC on the BounceBit chain). Their job is to record and verify the transactions on the network and as a reward – they receive transaction fees. As it’s a hybrid model, validators can choose to accept BBTC and/or BB tokens.
The purpose of accepting BTC, albeit staked, in the consensus mechanism, is to bootstrap the protocol with the deep liquidity that Bitcoin’s network has to offer, while also taking advantage of its relatively lower volatility.
Sustainable Validator Economics
In a bid to balance the requirements for operating the network, BounceBit empowers its validators to charge a commission on the staking rewards. This is an approach that attempts to ensure that validators are compensated appropriately for the important role that they play in maintaining the robustness and functionality of the network.
BounceBit’s chain is fully compatible with both the Ethereum Virtual Machine and with Solidity. The latter is the programming language that’s predominantly used to create smart contracts for Ethereum. This ensures that the migration for developers would be seamless while also leveraging the proven security and abundant ecosystem of Ethereum.
BounceClub: For Owners and Members
The BounceClub takes inspiration from Apple Inc.’s strive for innovation. It is an on-chain Web3 world where users are empowered to customize, launch, and engage with various dApps.
For BounceClub Owners -> If you meet the criteria to own a BounceClub, you will be able to select desired protocols from the BounceBit App Store and customize the space seamlessly and in a very user-friendly way. There’s a complete guide on it that you can find here.
For BounceClub Members -> Say you’re not interested in operating a BounceClub, you can still browse the various clubs that are created by other users and engage in different Web3 activities. You would only need to get your wallet connected.
The main purpose of the BTC bridge within BounceBit’s ecosystem is to provide a secure way of transferring BTC between Bitcoin’s network and other EVM Chains, including BounceBit.
It is a critical component of the functionality and the completion of BounceBit’s vision and purpose.
It’s important to note that network validators are responsible for maintaining the security of the bridge. Each validator also operates a bridge node. They contribute to the signing of cross-chain messages, taking the multi-signature approach multiple steps further. You can find out more about the BounceBit BTC bridge here.
The Liquid Staking Tokens
BounceBit has a native liquid staking smart contract. If users opt-in to stake their BB or BTC, they will receive an LST (liquid staking token). These are:
- stBB – derived from staking BB
- stBBTC – derived from staking BBTC (BTC staked on BounceBit)
These can be later restaked to Shared Security Clients with the aims of aggregating security and unlocking liquidity of staked assets. LSTs can be redeemed here by simply unstaking. Following the redemption request, users have to wait for 24 hours before they can claim.
BounceBit Economy: Everything You Need to Know About BB Tokenomics
First things first, BounceBit’s economy is primarily composed of three types of actors, all of which are relatively self-explanatory:
- Users
- BB Holders
- Node operators
BB is the native token that powers the BounceBit platform. The total supply is capped at 2.1 billion (paying homage to the number of 21 million – Bitcoin’s capped supply.)
BB tokens can be used in multiple ways, so we will list a few of them:
- Use BB to take part in the on-chain governance process
- Stake BB to participate in the PoS Dual-token mechanism (read above)
- BB is paid out as a reward for validators who secure the network
- It’s the denomination of gas fees on the network
Here’s what the token release schedule looks like:
This is the BB token distribution:
Testnet & TVL Incentive: 4%
Investors: 21%
Team: 10%
Advisors: 5%
Binance Megadrop: 8%
Market Making: 3%
BounceClub & Ecosystem Reserve: 14%
Staking Reward & Delegation Program: 35%
The Binance Megadrop: Step by Step Guide
As you can see, the Binance Megadrop has 8% of the total supply reserved for it. It is a new token launch platform that’s designed to integrate Binance’s Simple Earn and the Web3 Wallet of the company.
It aims to provide users with early access to certain Web3 projects well before they are listed on the exchange.
The following is a step-by-step guide on how to participate in the Binance Megadrop for BounceBit.
There are two ways to participate, and both require a Binance account.
You can register one using this link and also earn a $600 welcome bonus as an exclusive deal for CryptoPotato readers!
Now that your account is ready, the first thing you can do is navigate to the Megadrop section and lock your BNB to earn scores. From there, you can subscribe to your BNB and lock it for a certain period of time, thus earning a score.
As you can see, the longer the subscription period, the higher the multiplier is.
The next thing you can do is complete Web3 quests. To do so, you will need the Binance Web3 Wallet. You can create one from your Binance mobile application. Navigate to your “wallets” tab at the bottom and then tap on the “Web3” at the top.
From here, simply follow the instructions, and your Web3 wallet will be generated. Now that your wallet is complete, navigate back to the Megadrop section and hit the “Start Quest” at the bottom – you will have to stake with BounceBit.
From there on, you can follow the instructions, which will guide you toward quest completion.
The total score you receive will be a combination of your Locked BNB score, your Web3 quest multiplier, and will also add your Web3 quest bonus. So the formula looks like this:
Total Score = (Locked BNB Score * Web3 Quest Multiplier) + Web3 Quest Bonus.
If you fail to finish all the quests, you will receive a multiplier of just 1.
This post has been powered by BounceBit.
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Cryptocurrency
Major Declines in BTC Mining Stocks Despite Bitcoin’s 128% YoY Rally
The cryptocurrency market has been on a rollercoaster, especially in the last couple of months, with Bitcoin rallying 128% year-on-year as of Christmas Day.
However, despite the bullish trends, the impressive performance hasn’t translated into gains for publicly listed Bitcoin mining companies, with many of their stocks showing significant declines.
Mining Stocks Falter Despite Market Gains
Data from the Hashrate Index shows that several major players in the sector are experiencing downturns. The biggest losses were recorded by Argo Blockchain. The stock of the UK-based BTC miner with a 1,500 PH/s hashrate has plunged 84.31% year-to-date (YTD), accompanied by a 5% dip over 24 hours.
Greenidge, which operates two main data centers in Dresden, New York, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, also suffered major losses, going down nearly 9% in the last day and more than 74% YTD.
Other poorly performing stocks included Sphere 3D, whose market cap fell to $23 million after share prices dipped by 4.22% overnight and 71.32% since the year began.
Mawson Infrastructure Group and Ebang International also registered 70% and 53% drops in their YTD values, respectively, with the same scenario replicated in their 24-hour performances, where both fell more than 4%.
Bigger capped firms such as Riot Platforms, with a recorded hashrate of 29,400 PH/s, also posted notable losses, sliding almost 8% in the last day and 29.92% YTD. On its part, Marathon Digital reported a 3.56% reduction over 24 hours and a more significant 16.05% from the year’s start.
Outliers Reaping From Bitcoin’s Surge
On the brighter side, companies like TeraWulf bucked the trend, posting a YTD surge of 152.61%, pushing its stock price to $5.81. Interestingly, it suffered the worst one-day dip of all BTC-miner stocks, shedding more than 12% from its price in that period.
Similarly, Bitdeer gained 131% across 12 months, boosted by a slight 0.15% increase in the last 24 hours to breach the $20 mark. Other stocks that showcased resilience included Hut 8 Mining and Northern Data, with a combined hashrate of 8,400 PH/s, whose prices have jumped 71.83% and 65.73% in that order.
This divergence between BTC’s bullish run and the mining sector’s struggles highlights the complexity of virtual asset investment. It continues to dominate the crypto market, with a 5% increase since December 24, to push its price to just below $99,000. However, the world’s largest virtual asset by market cap is down 5.6% across seven days, balanced by the 128% it has gained since January.
Elsewhere, statistics recently shared by CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju revealed that institutional holders of the OG crypto have spiked to 31% from only 14% in 2023. The uptick has been driven by the growing popularity of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), government acquisitions, and the effect of MicroStrategy’s BTC-buying spree.
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Cryptocurrency
Fartcoin Price Continues to Soar Towards $2, Could Wall Street Pepe and Meme Index Explode Next?
Despite its humorous name, Fartcoin has proven itself as a meme coin to be taken seriously by traders and investors across the globe.
Having risen by 19% in the past day alone to hit $1.13, Fartcoin is well on its way to the next target of $2, having now become one of the top 10 meme coins by market cap.
Fartcoin Boosted by Bullish Sentiment
Just a couple of months ago, Fartcoin seemed like an unlikely success story – but since late October, investors have been wowed by profits of up to 7,900%:
As the chart above shows, there’s still plenty of power left in this token, and Fartcoin remains on track to hit or even exceed its key resistance level at $1.30.
On lower time frames, Fartcoin is also continuing to outperform. At the time of writing, it’s overcome a difficult dip and started pumping once again:
Fartcoin’s popularity largely seems to have stemmed from the attention given to it by mainstream financial and business news outlets. From Fortune to NBC, Fartcoin is practically inescapable – and investors have become increasingly emboldened as they pour more and more funds into the token.
You’ll see tradfi accounts tweet about Bitcoin from time to time, rarely ever any alts
But now we see tradfi accounts blasting out 3 tweets in a row about fartcoin
No other coin has had this effect pic.twitter.com/vDDTsqkJOZ
— HornHairs (@CryptoHornHairs) December 19, 2024
Although Fartcoin is a good example of how traders and investors can have fun with money they can afford to lose, it’s also a sign that market participants need greater insights into the crypto markets. Nobody wants to miss out on a great opportunity, no matter how unlikely it might appear at first.
When it comes to meme coins in particular, diversity is also key to success.
With the above in mind, the next two tokens will provide crypto enthusiasts with everything they need to stay ahead of the game and profit from the best opportunities the crypto markets have to offer.
Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE), Meme Index ($MEMEX) the Next Meme Coins to Pump Like Fartcoin?
While Fartcoin bulls and believers celebrate their gains, many traders are backing Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) to be the next meme coin to explode. The project has already raised over $35 million in the first three weeks of its presale, making it one of the fastest-growing ICOs.
This is a one-of-a-kind Web3 project that empowers token holders with all the trading strategies, alpha calls, and insights required to beat the market and maximize gains on an ongoing basis.
By joining the WEPE Army (a tight-knit and exclusive group of insiders), WEPE token holders can become true crypto masters – and contribute to market-moving trades and investments. Instead of being the “fish” beholden to larger players, the WEPE Army will finally be able to out-trade the biggest institutions and outwit the craftiest market manipulators.
The WEPE token is currently priced at a discounted value of $0.0003655 (with a staking option providing an APY of 37%), though this price increases throughout the presale.
Another new meme coin catching eyes is Meme Index ($MEMEX), a project that’s building the first decentralized meme coin index. It provides token holders with the opportunity to stake their MEMEX tokens into at least one of four “baskets”, each of which represents a different collection of meme coins.
From the “Titan” index (representing the most popular meme coins like DOGE, SHIB, PEPE, and FLOKI) all the way to the “Meme Frenzy” index (home to the latest high-reward and high-risk tokens), Meme Index allows investors to choose exactly how volatile they want their investments to be – without relying on the outcome of just one token’s performance.
MEMEX tokens also provide holders with project governance votes, so they can have a say in how the project evolves, and which tokens will be included in future baskets.
With over $345,000 raised within days of its presale announcement, Meme Index tokens are still available at a price of $0.0145702, with a staking APY of up to 4,954%.
Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content; it’s written by a third party. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.
Readers are also advised to read CryptoPotato’s full disclaimer.
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Cryptocurrency
Could Solana Hit $300 in 2025 as SOL Layer 2 Project Solaxy Raises $5M?
Solana has had a volatile month, losing nearly 22% but still holding its position above the crucial $180 support level. However, investor optimism is still high, with many traders expecting a rally and VanEck’s bullish prediction for 2025.
Meanwhile, Solaxy (SOLX) is a new Layer-2 project that is creating a lot of buzz in the Solana ecosystem. It broke through the $5 million barrier in its presale just a few days ago.
Could these two projects be set to boom in 2025?
SOL Rebounds From Crucial Support Level – Rally on the Cards?
Solana saw a nearly 10% drop over the past week and a 22% fall in the past month.
It then experienced a 9% gain over the past 3 days after rebounding from its $180 support. However, its trading volumes declined during this time, raising speculation if this slight recovery is the calm before another storm.
The altcoin also has found dynamic support near the 200-day EMA, which will likely provide reliable support in its upcoming rally.
Another reason the community is bullish is that Solana’s dominance in DEX activity and the meme coin space has still ensured its position in the spotlight.
The popular American asset management firm VanEck recently predicted Solana could reach $500 in 2025.
VanEck 10 Crypto Predictions for 2025
Prediction #1: Crypto bull market hits a medium-term peak in Q1, sets new highs in Q4. We project Bitcoin to be valued at around $180,000, Ethereum to trade above $6,000, Solana to exceed $500, and Sui to surpass $10.
— VanEck (@vaneck_us) December 13, 2024
According to Coinglass data, SOL’s long/short ratio on Binance stood at around 4.13 at the time of writing, reaffirming traders’ strong bullish sentiment.
This could be partly because SOL has been consolidating on its daily chart for a few weeks and forming the bullish flag-and-pole pattern.
Buyers should wait for a close above this pattern to gauge SOL’s immediate growth potential.
Meanwhile, new project Solaxy has caught huge investor attention due to its developing of a layer 2 blockchain to solve Solana congestion issues.
Many investors view this as a potential catalyst for Solana, particularly given its recent challenges with network congestion. Could this breakthrough bring fast, smooth, and cheap transactions on Solana?
Solaxy Could be the Answer to Solana’s Overload
Solana’s main chain has been pushed to its limits as traders keep piling in.
It’s been crippled by high-frequency trading overload and meme coin frenzies, leading to frustrating slowdowns. This is where Solaxy steps in with a mission to offer an “off-ramp” for transactions, taking the load off the congested network.
The project bundles transactions off-chain and settles them on the Solana mainnet in batches. This allows Solana to do what it does best: quickly process transactions without being bogged down by huge traffic spikes.
Early investors are clearly impressed by this concept, which is evident in its presale numbers. The project is witnessing an average inflow of $500K daily, and has raised over $5 million in total.
In fact, many believe Solaxy might provide the well-needed extra push needed to put Solana back in the spotlight.
Early Investor Excitement Around SOLX
At the heart of the project is SOLX, the native token of Solaxy’s Layer-2 network. This token facilitates transactions, staking, and governance.
Early investors can grab $SOLX for just $0.001578 at the time of writing. However, this price will increase in less than 24 hours when the presale enters the next stage.
The project’s team has also confirmed plans to list SOLX on major exchanges after the presale. This has triggered even more excitement, with investors speculating about potential price surges once liquidity opens up on bigger platforms.
It’s worth noting that SOLX has a supply cap of around 138 billion tokens. This is relatively small compared to some meme projects with an unlimited supply that could face inflation risk.
Triple-Digit Staking Rewards and Strong Investor Support
One feature that’s catching everyone’s attention is Solaxy’s staking portal.
It currently offers an APY of over 750%, but this figure will decline as more investors stake their SOLX tokens. On the surface, it might seem like just another staking gimmick. However, Solaxy positions it as part of a broader plan to grow the Solana ecosystem.
With over 1.5 billion $SOLX already staked, the project’s investor support seems quite solid.
Many popular crypto analysts and channels have highlighted Solaxy’s potential.
For instance, 99Bitcoins, a well-known channel with over 700,000 subscribers, recently reviewed Solaxy. In their new video, the analyst from their team discussed the project’s potential.
He highlighted how the hype could snowball further once SOLX is introduced to mainstream exchange audiences.
And it’s not even just about the big channels. Other analysts have pointed out how Solaxy’s concept could prove useful if Solana experiences another wave of high-volume trading.
Because users can offload their trades to a second layer, the entire ecosystem may run more efficiently—a win-win for both developers and traders.
If the project delivers on its promise, it could set a new benchmark for Layer-2 scalability within the Solana ecosystem.
Interested investors can follow Solaxy on X and join its Telegram channel to receive the latest project updates.
Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content; it’s written by a third party. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.
Readers are also advised to read CryptoPotato’s full disclaimer.
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