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Are Decentralized Exchanges the Future of Cryptocurrency Trading?
In an interview with crypto.news, Akshay Nassa, CEO of Chimp Exchange, analyzed the evolving dynamics and challenges facing decentralized exchanges today.
Centralized exchanges (CEX) like Binance and Coinbase currently dominate the cryptocurrency trading landscape. These platforms facilitate the vast majority of cryptocurrency transactions globally, offering a range of services that appeal to both novice and experienced traders.
Their structured and regulated environments offer a sense of familiarity and security similar to that of traditional financial systems, which attracts a large user base.
However, the centralized nature of these exchanges has raised security concerns, underlined by frequent security breaches and regulatory challenges. These incidents have highlighted vulnerabilities where users’ assets and privacy are at risk, prompting a debate about the need for more resilient trading platforms.
As a response to concerns about centralized platformsDecentralized exchanges (DEXs) have gained traction by upholding the blockchain’s core principles of decentralization, security, and user privacy. These platforms facilitate trading directly from personal wallets, eliminating the intermediary role traditionally played by centralized authorities and thus reducing the likelihood of security breaches.
But DEXs have not been without their problems either. They face criticism for issues such as smart contract vulnerabilities and the complex challenge of balancing transparency with user privacy. Additionally, the open nature of their architecture has occasionally made them vulnerable to attackadding an additional layer of concern about their overall robustness in terms of security.
Nassa, however, is optimistic about the potential for DEXs to change the decentralized trading landscape for the better and potentially surpass centralized exchanges in terms of user trust and transaction efficiency.
Initially, DEXs promised greater security, privacy, and control over personal funds than CEXs. To what extent have they delivered on these promises? Where have they fallen short?
DEXs have certainly made great strides in delivering on these promises. They have given users more control over their funds, eliminating the need to trust their assets to a central authority. The privacy aspect is also a big win: transactions can be more discreet than the transparency often required by CEXs. However, DEXs have had their share of challenges. On the security side, they have faced some significant issues with smart contract vulnerabilities and sophisticated attacks. So while they have been successful in many ways, there is still room for improvement, especially in making their platforms more secure and user-friendly.
Hackers are increasingly targeting DEXs, causing huge losses of funds; what factors do you think may have led to these attacks? Are they lacking in security compared to CEXs?
Well, there are several factors contributing to the rise of DEX attacks. The open nature of their smart contracts allows for transparency and innovation, but it also gives hackers a clear view of potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, the decentralized nature means there is no central authority to quickly intervene when something goes wrong. Compared to CEXs, which often have more resources and dedicated security teams, DEXs can sometimes lag in terms of immediate threat response and comprehensive security measures. That said, many DEXs, including Chimp Exchange, are investing heavily in security improvements to address this gap.
What improvements should DEXs prioritize to strengthen their security frameworks and prevent such incidents, while increasing user adoption?
First, rigorous and continuous auditing of smart contracts is essential. Working with top security firms to review and test contracts can help identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Implementing security protocols, such as multi-signature wallets and strong encryption methods, can also add significant protection. On the user side, education is key: helping users understand best practices for protecting their private keys and recognizing phishing attempts.
DEXs have also been criticized for publicly displaying trading histories and making wallets vulnerable to hacks. Can this be solved without compromising user privacy?
Absolutely, this can be addressed. Technologies like Secure Enclaves, Zero-knowledge Proofs, and confidential transactions can help. These allow transactions to be verified without revealing sensitive details, effectively keeping trading histories private. Additionally, decentralized identity solutions can enhance wallet security without compromising user privacy. By integrating these technologies, DEXs can protect user data and trading activity while maintaining the transparency and security required by the decentralized ecosystem.
Given the challenges DEXs face due to slow transaction speeds and high fees during high volume periods, what solutions could potentially address these issues?
Scalability solutions are crucial here. Layer-2 solutions, such as rollups and state channels, can significantly improve transaction speed. Newer technologies, such as Ten’s Proof of Block Inclusion (POBI), help with fast withdrawals and lower fees. Another promising approach is the implementation of sharding, which can divide the blockchain into smaller, more manageable parts to increase throughput.
Have there been recent advances that could improve transaction efficiency and profitability?
Yes, there have been a couple of exciting advances. Rollup, Sidechain, Starknet, and Plasma are gaining traction for their ability to increase transaction throughput and reduce costs. Other blockchains like Solana and Polkadot are also making waves with their high-speed, low-cost transaction capabilities. These advances are paving the way for more efficient and cost-effective DEX operations, and we are already integrating some of these innovations into Chimp Exchange.
What is the long-term outlook for decentralized exchanges? Is there the potential for these platforms to eventually dethrone the dominance of centralized exchanges?
To be honest, the long-term outlook for DEXs is very promising. As security improves and scalability solutions are implemented, the user experience on DEXs will continue to improve. There is a growing demand for privacy and control over personal assets, which DEXs are uniquely positioned to provide. While centralized exchanges have their place, especially for ease of use and liquidity, DEXs are steadily catching up. And who knows, maybe in the next five years, we could see DEXs overtake the dominance established by these centralized exchanges!
News
Cryptocurrency Price August 1: Bitcoin Dips Below $65K; Solana, XRP Down Up To 8%
Major cryptocurrencies fell in Thursday trading following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged. Overnight, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate at 5.25-5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while also signaling the possibility of a rate cut at its next meeting in September. The unanimous decision by the Federal Open Market Committee reflects a continued wait-and-see approach as it monitors inflation trends.
CoinSwitch Markets Desk said: “Bitcoin has fallen below $65,000 after the US Federal Reserve announced it would keep interest rates unchanged. However, with markets now anticipating rate cuts at the next Federal Reserve meeting in September, the outlook for a Bitcoin rally by the end of the year has strengthened.”
Meanwhile, CoinDCX research team said: “The crypto market has plunged after the Fed decision. Tomorrow’s US unemployment rate announcement is expected to induce more volatility, with the ‘actual’ figure coming in higher than the ‘expected’ one, which is positive for cryptocurrencies.”
At 12:21 pm IST, Bitcoin (BTC) was down 3.2% at $64,285, while Ethereum was down nearly 4.5% at $3,313. Meanwhile, the global market cryptocurrency The market capitalization fell 3.6% to around $2.3 trillion in the last 24 hours.
“Bitcoin needs to clear its 200-day EMA at $64,510 to consolidate further. Otherwise, a retest of $62,000 could be in the cards,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.
Altcoins and meme coins, such as BNB (3%), Solana (8%), XRP (5.7%), Dogecoin (5%), Cardano (4.6%), Avalanche (4.3%), Shiba Inu (3.8%), Polkadot (3.4%), and Chainlink (4%) also saw declines.
The volume of all stablecoins is now $71.64 billion, which is 92.19% of the total cryptocurrency market volume in 24 hours, according to data available on CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 54.99%. BTC volume in the last 24 hours increased by 23.3% to $35.7 billion.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, opinions and views provided by experts are personal. They do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE, JUP Down 10% While Bitcoin Drops 4%
Altcoins dogwifhat, Bonk, THORChain, and Jupiter have suffered losses of more than 10%, while Bitcoin is down 4% in the last 24 hours.
After a period of relative calm yesterday, July 31, Bitcoin (BTC) price action has seen a drastic change as the cryptocurrency dropped by more than $3,500, bringing its value to $63,300. At the same time, altcoins mirrored this trend, with the total value of liquidated positions rising to nearly $225 million over the course of the day.
Initially, the week started on a positive note for Bitcoin, which reached its highest point since early June, hitting $70,000. However, this peak was short-lived, as it was quickly rejected, leading to a substantial decline, with Bitcoin falling below $65,500.
The cryptocurrency managed to regain some stability, trading comfortably at around $66,800. However, following a Press conference According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the value of Bitcoin has fallen again to $64,300, down more than 3% in 24 hours.
BTC Price Chart 24 Hours | Source: crypto.news
The recession coincided with a relationship from the New York Times stating that Iran had called for retaliatory measures against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, increasing the risk of further conflict in the region.
Meanwhile, on the economic front, the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rates in place, offering little information on a planned September rate cut. Powell also hinted that while no concrete decisions have been made on the September adjustment, there is growing consensus that a rate cut is likely.
Amid Bitcoin’s decline, altcoins have suffered even more significant losses. For example, dogwifhat (Wife) saw a 12.4% drop and (DISGUST) has suffered a 10% drop. Other altcoins such as THORChain (RUNE) also fell by 10%, while Jupiter (JUPITER) and the Ethereum naming service (ENS) decreased by 8% and 9% respectively.
Among the largest-cap cryptocurrencies, the biggest losers are Solana (SOL) with a decrease of 8%, (Exchange rate risk) down 6%, Cardano (ADA) down 4%, and both Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) recording a decrease of 4.4%.
Data from CoinGlass indicates that approximately 67,000 traders have been negatively impacted by this increased volatility. BTC positions have seen $61.85 million in liquidations, while ETH positions have faced $61 million. In total, the value of liquidated positions stands at $225.4 million at the time of writing.
News
Riot Platforms Sees 52% Drop in Bitcoin Production in Q2
Bitcoin mining firm Riot Platforms has released its second-quarter financial results, highlighting a decline in cryptocurrency mined due to the recent halving.
Colorado-based Bitcoin (BTC) mining company Riot platforms revealed its second quarter financial results, highlighting a significant reduction in mined cryptocurrencies attributed to the recent halving event that took place in early April.
The company reported total revenue of $70 million for the quarter ended July 31, a decline of 8.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Riot Platforms attributed the revenue decline primarily to a $9.7 million decrease in engineering revenue, which was partially mitigated by a $6 million increase in Bitcoin extraction income.
During the quarter, the company mined 844 BTC, representing a decline of over 50% from Q2 2023, citing the halving event and increasing network difficulty as major factors behind the decline. Riot Platforms reported a net loss of $84.4 million, or $0.32 per share, missing Zacks Research forecast a loss of $0.16 per share.
Halving increases competitive pressure
The Colorado-based firm said the average cost of mining one BTC in the second quarter, including energy credits, rose to $25,327, a remarkable 341% increase from $5,734 per BTC in the same quarter of 2023. Despite this significant increase in production costs, the firm remains optimistic about maintaining competitiveness through recent deals.
For example, following the Recent acquisition Cryptocurrency firm Block Mining, Riot has increased its distributed hash rate forecast from 31 EH/s to 36 EH/s by the end of 2024, while also increasing its 2025 forecast from 40 EH/s to 56 EH/s.
Riot Platforms Hashrate Growth Projections by 2027 | Source: Riot Platforms
Commenting on the company’s financials, Riot CEO Jason Les said that despite the halving, the mining company still managed to achieve “significant operational growth and execution of our long-term strategy.”
“Despite this reduction in production available to all Bitcoin miners, Riot reported $70 million in revenue for the quarter and maintained strong gross margins in our core Bitcoin mining business.”
Jason Les
Following its Q2 financial report, Riot Platforms shares fell 1.74% to $10.19, according to Google Finance data. Meanwhile, the American miner continues to chase Canadian rival Bitfarms, recently acquiring an additional 10.2 million BITF shares, increasing its stake in Bitfarms to 15.9%.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Riot was the first announced a $950 million takeover bid for Bitfarms in late May, arguing that Bitfarms’ founders were not acting in the best interests of all shareholders. They said their proposal was rejected by Bitfarms’ board without substantive engagement.
In response, Bitfarms She said that Riot’s offer “significantly understates” its growth prospects. Bitfarms subsequently implemented a shareholder rights plan, also known as a “poison pill,” to protect its strategic review process from hostile takeover attempts.
News
Aave Price Increases Following Whales Accumulation and V3.1 Launch
Decentralized finance protocol Aave is seeing a significant spike in whale activity as the market looks to recover from the recent crash that pushed most altcoins into key support areas earlier this week.
July 31, Lookonchain shared details indicating that the whales had aggressively accumulated Aave (AAVE) over the past two days. According to the data, whales have withdrawn over 58,848 AAVE worth $6.47 million from exchanges during this period.
In one instance, whale address 0x9af4 withdrew 11,185 AAVE worth $1.23 million from Binance. Meanwhile, another address moved 21,619 AAVE worth over $2.38 million from the exchange and deposited the tokens into Aave.
These withdrawals follow a previous transfer of 26,044 AAVE from whale address 0xd7c5, amounting to over $2.83 million withdrawn from Binance.
AAVE price has surged over 7% in the past 24 hours amid buy-side pressure from these whales. The DeFi token is currently trading around $111 after jumping over 18% in the past week.
Recently, the price of AAVE increased by over 8% after Aave founder Marc Zeller announced a proposed fee change aimed at adopting a buyback program for AAVE tokens.
Aave v3.1 is available
The total value locked in the Aave protocol currently stands at around $22 billion. According to DeFiLlamaApproximately $19.9 billion is on Aave V3, while the V2 chain still holds approximately $1.9 billion in TVL and V1 approximately $14.6 million.
Aave Labs announced Previously, Aave V3.1 was made available on all networks with active Aave V3 instances.
V3.1 features improvements that are intended to improve the overall security of the DeFi protocol. The Aave DAO governance has approved the v3.1 improvements, which also include operational efficiency and usability for the network.
Meanwhile, Aave Labs recently outlined a ambitious roadmap for the projectwith a 2030 vision for Aave V4, among other developments.
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