Our 2021 calendar (annual report) is available to view here.
“Leverage in the crypto markets — particularly on the retail side — has been a big theme that accentuates the volatility.” – Devin Ryan, JMP Securities
Bitcoin is a notoriously volatile market. The lack of oversight found across cryptocurrency exchanges makes the market ripe for abuse. And, since massive price swings occur at least biweekly, fears of manipulation are founded.
The assertion that Bitcoin is subject to price manipulation is bolstered by the fact that such practice is rampant among “altcoins.” Wash trading, pump and dump schemes, and spoofing have become almost...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: Manipulation and Volatility"...In a move that reflects both a national trend and a campus commitment to partnership, Michigan State University Press has merged with Michigan State University Libraries. The announcement was made by Dean of Libraries Joseph A. Salem, Jr.
“We’re thrilled about this partnership, and we think it’s a natural way to support scholarly publication and strengthen our mutual commitment to learning,” Salem said. “Like other academic libraries, MSU Libraries has taken an active role in scholarly publishing. And, like other...
Continue reading "MSU Press Merges With MSU Libraries To Optimize Resoures & Expand Access"...Bitcoin mining – the process in which a bitcoin is awarded to a computer that solves a complex series of algorithms – is a deeply energy-intensive process. When people mine bitcoins, what they are really doing is updating the ledger of Bitcoin transactions, also known as the blockchain. This requires them to solve numerical puzzles which have a 64-digit hexadecimal solution known as a hash. The hash rate is the measuring unit of the processing power of the Bitcoin network.
On March 18, 2021, the annual power consumption of the Bitcoin network was estimated to be 129 terawatt...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: Energy Consumption"...
One of the 20th century’s greatest writers, Jorge Luis Borges – who called the universe a library, served as director of the Argentine National Library, and left a prolific body of literature when he died in 1986 – now has his own sort of library within a library at Michigan State University Libraries, which recently acquired more than 19 boxes of correspondence, papers, photographs, rare manuscripts, first editions, publicity, clippings, and other ephemera related to Borges’s life and work that was collected by former MSU Professor Donald Yates. The most recent...
Continue reading "MSU Libraries Acquire Major New Collection of Manuscripts & Materials Connected to Borges"...Price is what you pay, Value is what you get
Proof-Of-Work
For something to be an effective currency, it must have value. Until 1971, the US dollar (USD) represented actual gold. The gold was scarce and required work to mine and refine, so the scarcity gave the gold value. Cryptocurrencies are similar. “Coins” (which are nothing more than publicly agreed on records of ownership) are generated or produced by “miners.” These miners are people who run programs on specialized hardware made specifically to solve proof-of-work puzzles. The work behind mining coins gives them value...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: A Valuation Discussion"...The theme this week is “investor perspectives” or more specifically, investor sentiment. For a specific list of publicly traded, non-crypto companies that have some level of exposure to cryptocurrencies, either through investments, partnerships, or side ventures, check out Top Crypto Bets via Yahoo Finance.
Q1 this year was profoundly positive in venture funding for the crypto/blockchain sector. Roughly $3 billion was allocated to crypto projects. According to The Block, this quarter also had more crypto/blockchain venture deals greater than $100m than 2019 and 2020 combined...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: Investors"...The theme this week is "blockchain development", specifically the relative rise of crypto. For more on Bitcoin development specifically, check out TradingView's Bitcoin/USD Timeline. Our next post will feature "investor perspectives."
The Bitcoin market cap now exceeds the GDP of 175 countries. In 2017, the bitcoin market cap was $15.66 billion dollars. It has since grown to $2 trillion as of April 5th, 2021. In short, it took the market over 3 years to grow from $500 billion to $1 trillion, but it recently doubled in market cap in just two months.
Bitcoin’s...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: Blockchain Development"...The theme this week is "crypto use cases." For even more information on Blockchain use cases, see IBM's "Blockchain use cases" by Industry (segmented by Government, Insurance, Supply Chain, etc.). Check back next week for data on "blockchain development."
The ‘World Economic Forum’ anticipates that ~10% of global GDP will be stored on the blockchain by 2025.
Leaders are increasingly investing in blockchain and digital assets as a top five strategic priority, with 66% forecasting investments of $1 million or more in the next 12 months.
Because...
Continue reading "Crypto Data Digest: Blockchain Use Cases"...
Did you miss the print version of our Spring 2021 newsletter? Need a digital version to share with a friend or colleague?
Click on the title beside the PDF icon below to access the issue (or, from the main News Blog, click on the story headline to access the PDF).
Featured stories:
Deep in the Library Catalog: How MSU Librarians are Eliminating Harmful Language
New Collection in Vincent Voice Library Features Voices of the Black Imaginary: An Interview with Professor of English Julian C. Chambliss
Forthcoming Book by MSU Professor Digs Into Archives & Spotlights Long... Continue reading "Spring 2021 INSIGHT: The Newsletter of MSU Libraries"...