Cryptocurrency
Vana Mainnet Goes Live with $VANA to Power Data as a New Asset Class in Global AI Economy

[PRESS RELEASE – Georgetown, Cayman Islands, December 16th, 2024
During the testnet phase, over 1.3m users contributed more than 6.5m data points to train user-owned AI models. On mainnet, DataDAOs will leverage the $VANA token to enable users to collectively own, monetize and govern their personal data for a stake in the booming AI economy.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 2024 — Vana, the pioneering network for user-owned data, today announced the launch of its mainnet and native $VANA token. The launch marks a significant milestone in breaking through the data wall that’s limiting AI development while preserving privacy and giving users a stake in the value their data generates.
Developed by Open Data Labs — a San Francisco-based research and technology company born out of the MIT Media Lab — the Vana network is an EVM-compatible blockchain that enables users to maintain ownership and control over their personal data while allowing that data to be used for AI model training through privacy-preserving technologies.
The mainnet launch follows Vana’s successful testnet phase, which saw over 1.3 million users contributing over 6.5m data points to DataDAOs, processing approximately 1.7 million transactions daily. The testnet demonstrated that programmable data ownership is not just possible, but critical at this point in AI development, says Anna Kazlauskas, CEO of Open Data Labs and inventor of Vana:
“Today’s mainnet launch marks a fundamental shift in how data is owned and monetized in the AI era. Users have always legally owned their data, but platforms have captured all the economic value — and most users don’t even realize their data is legally theirs!
“Vana lays the groundwork for a new kind of data economy – one where users can benefit from the AI models they help create, and where developers can finally access the cross-platform datasets needed to build truly powerful AI. Property rights were the foundation that enabled modern economies to flourish – and in today’s digital economy, programmable data rights are the foundation for the next generation of AI.”
The key features of the Vana mainnet will include:
- Trustless Validation through secure data ingress and trusted execution nodes
- Granular Permissioning allowing users complete control over their data usage
- Onchain Data Provenance tracking how contributed data is applied
- Data Liquidity Pools (DLPs) enabling collective data pooling, governance and monetization via DataDAOs
- Proof of Contribution mechanism ensuring fair rewards for data quality
- Staking $VANA to DataDAOs through Data Hub
With the network’s proof-of-contribution system, users can earn by contributing their data to DataDAOs – receiving dataset-specific tokens that grant governance rights while maintaining control over how their data are used. These data tokens can be traded for $VANA, the network’s native currency. The top DataDAOs also receive DataDAO rewards. Beyond data contributions, users can earn additional tokens by running nodes, validating transactions, and staking to DataDAOs.
With a total supply of 120 million tokens, $VANA will serve as the foundation for the network’s economic model, enabling:
- Governance over network parameters and data usage
- Staking to secure the network and validate data contributions
- Incentivization of high-quality data submissions from data contributors
- Revenue Sharing from AI model development and data usage
Among the DataDAOs building on Vana are DNA DAO, addressing privacy concerns around genetic data ownership, and an expansion of the successful Reddit Data DAO, which has already demonstrated the potential of community-owned data pools. Read more about DataDAOs on Vana here.
The mainnet launch comes at a crucial time when AI development faces increasing data scarcity, while users seek greater control over their digital footprint. Vana’s solution enables individuals to participate in and benefit from the AI economy while maintaining sovereignty over their data.
As AI hits a data wall and more platforms monetize user data without sharing any upside with users, users deserve to own a stake in the future of AI, says Art Abal, CEO of Vana Foundation:
“The current way we buy and sell private data in Web2 is broken. Our data is extracted and held for ransom by a few platforms and data-brokers. They decide how much our data is worth, and the technology it creates. No more. This is just the beginning of a future where we can decide our data’s worth and decide what technology it creates. This is the data revolution!”
Users can start staking $VANA on Data Hub here. For more information, users can visit www.vana.org, read our docs, follow us on X, launch a new DataDAO.
Media Contact:
About Vana
Vana is the first decentralized network for user-owned data, unlocking data as a new digital asset class. The Vana network consists of an EVM-compatible blockchain, secure personal server environment, and set of native contracts designed for the trustless and secure exchange of user-owned data via DataDAOs.The network empowers users to maintain control over their data while participating in the growing AI economy by pooling their data with others and earning rewards for their contributions.
Media Kit | Vana Docs | X | Discord
About Vana Foundation
Vana Foundation is a non-profit entity tasked with ensuring the sustainability and growth of the Vana ecosystem.
About Open Data Labs
Open Data Labs is an independent research company focused on technology to accelerate user-owned data. Open Data Labs created the Vana protocol and provides ongoing core developer services to the Vana Foundation.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Displays Signs of Weakness Following New All-Time High

Bitcoin surpassed its all-time high of $109K earlier this week, reaching a new high of $112K. Despite this, the price exhibits slight bullish momentum, suggesting a potential consolidation at this level for the short term.
Technical Analysis
The Daily Chart
Bitcoin has officially broken above its previous all-time high of $109K, establishing a new peak around the $112K region. This breakout underscores strong buyer interest and highlights the bullish sentiment that continues to fuel this cycle.
However, the recent price action suggests that bullish momentum is softening, with BTC beginning a minor pullback toward the broken $109K level. This area now acts as a crucial support zone. If renewed demand materializes at this level, Bitcoin could resume its upward trajectory toward the $115K mark and potentially higher.
Conversely, if selling pressure intensifies and the $109K level fails to hold, a deeper correction may unfold. In this scenario, a retest of the psychological $100K support becomes increasingly probable, potentially classifying the breakout as a bull trap, shaking investor confidence, and introducing volatility in the short term.
The 4-Hour Chart
On the 4-hour chart, BTC maintains a bullish market structure, with a clear sequence of higher highs and higher lows. The price has consistently respected an ascending trendline, which remains a key dynamic support.
Following the breakout, Bitcoin is currently retracing toward this trendline as well as the broken $109K swing high. This confluence zone will play a pivotal role in determining the next move. Should it hold, a renewed rally toward the $115K resistance zone becomes highly likely.
However, if Bitcoin fails to hold this level and breaks below the trendline, it would signal short-term weakness, opening the door for a correction toward the $100K range.
On-chain Analysis
By ShayanMarkets
While BTC has reached a new all-time high at $112K, a wave of profit-taking is naturally expected, particularly from short-term traders securing gains. However, a deeper look into on-chain metrics reveals a contrasting narrative among long-term holders, investors who have held BTC for over 150 days.
The LTH-SOPR has remained relatively low during this rally, especially when compared to the levels seen during Bitcoin’s surge to $73K in late-2024. Despite the price now being significantly higher, long-term holders are not showing signs of major profit realization. This indicates ongoing accumulation behavior, reflecting confidence in higher future valuations.
This divergence in behavior highlights that the current consolidation phase is likely driven by short-term holders and retail participants, rather than broader market distribution. If long-term holders continue to display conviction, Bitcoin is well-positioned to resume its uptrend following this short-term pause, with the potential to set new ATHs in the mid-term.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
Ethereum Price Analysis: Is ETH Primed for a ‘Healthy’ Correction?

Ethereum has been struggling to reclaim the crucial 200-day MA of $2.7K, with the price roughly forming a double-top pattern.
The recent price action hints at potential corrective consolidation toward the $2.2K threshold, before attempting a breakout.
Technical Analysis
The Daily Chart
ETH has encountered strong resistance at the crucial 200-day moving average around $2.7K over the past week, reflecting a significant seller presence at this psychological level.
The asset has lost upward momentum and is currently displaying a double-top formation—a classic bearish reversal pattern. This structure signals increased profit-taking and distribution, suggesting a probable short-term corrective phase targeting the $2.2K support zone.
This retracement phase could serve as a healthy reset, attracting new demand at lower levels and providing the necessary momentum for a fresh breakout above the $2.7K resistance. Structurally, Ethereum remains confined between the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, setting the stage for a potential bullish breakout in the coming weeks.
The 4-Hour Chart
On the lower timeframe, Ethereum’s weakening bullish momentum is reflected in its price action within an ascending wedge, a bearish reversal pattern. This formation often signals diminishing buyer strength and increased seller dominance. Additionally, a clear bearish divergence between the price and the RSI indicator confirms this outlook, pointing to aggressive distribution near the current resistance.
If ETH breaks below the wedge’s lower boundary near $2.4K, a pullback toward the $2.2K level becomes the most likely scenario. However, an unexpected breakout above the wedge could trigger a short squeeze, fueling a renewed rally toward higher resistance levels.
Onchain Analysis
Ethereum continues to hover below a critical resistance range, keeping investors on edge about the likelihood of a bullish breakout. While price action alone has provided mixed signals, insights from the futures market shed light on underlying sentiment shifts that could shape the asset’s next major move.
One of the most telling indicators is the ETH Taker Buy-Sell Ratio, which measures whether aggressive market orders are dominated by buyers or sellers. Aggressive orders, those executed at market price, typically reflect urgency and strong conviction from market participants.
Recently, this ratio’s 14-day moving average has seen a notable decline, pointing to increased aggressive selling activity. This trend suggests that bears are regaining control, triggering a wave of profit-taking and distribution as Ethereum struggles near resistance.
If the selling pressure persists and the ratio continues trending downward, Ethereum could undergo a deeper correction, with the $2.2K support emerging as a likely target. However, if this aggressive selling is primarily driven by short-term players or “weak hands,” it could represent a healthy consolidation phase before a broader bullish breakout resumes.
In short, Ethereum’s next direction hinges on whether the current selling momentum intensifies or exhausts, in the face of growing mid-term demand.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
These Are This Week’s Biggest Altcoin Gainers and Losers as BTC Slides to $108K (Weekend Watch)

After this historic week in which bitcoin skyrocketed past its January all-time high and set a new one, the asset’s price has retraced following Friday’s tariff statements by the POTUS.
Many altcoins have posted notable gains on a weekly scale, led by HYPE, while SUI and XRP have retraced the most from the larger caps.
BTC to $108K
It all began last Sunday evening when BTC broke out of its weekend calmness and shot up from $103,000 to almost $107,000. It faced immediate resistance there and was pushed south on Monday. The scenario repeated once again as the business week progressed, but the bulls took complete control of the market on Wednesday.
After a minor pullback, the cryptocurrency went hard on the offensive in the afternoon and jumped past $109,100 to market a new all-time high. The bears were quick to intercept and drove bitcoin back down to $106,500, but that was another short-lived correction.
By Thursday morning, BTC had resumed its run and skyrocketed to almost $112,000 (on Pizza Day) to register a new all-time high.
More volatility ensued on Friday when US President Trump recommended new tariffs against the EU, and bitcoin slipped by several grand almost immediately. It now trades at around $108,000 after a quiet weekend, but it’s still 4% up weekly.
Its market cap remains close to $2.150 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts is above 61%.
Volatile Alts
The altcoins seem to be led by a new megastar: HYPE. Its price charted a new all-time high on Friday, and even a compromised Hyperliquid X account couldn’t halt its momentum. It’s up by 30% on a weekly scale and has become the top performer.
AAVE follows suit with a 19% weekly jump, while XMR is third with a 17.7% such increase. PEPE and BCH are next in line.
In contrast, SUI has dropped by 5% since this time last Sunday, and XRP has slipped to $2.3 after a 2.8% weekly decline.
The total crypto market cap has shed around $30 billion since yesterday and is down to $3.5 trillion on CG.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
- Forex3 years ago
Forex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex3 years ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex3 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Forex3 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- Cryptocurrency3 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- World3 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Commodities3 years ago
Copper continues to fall in price on expectations of lower demand in China
- Economy3 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions