Thread by @mwill_crypto

0/ On a day that marked the 10th anniversary of the #Bitcoin #blockchain, the #crypto ecosystem has been ripe with updates and releases.

Below, I've pieced together a 15-part thread filled with developments from the past day or two. Hope it proves helpful!

1/⌛️ #Mimblewimble-based privacy #cryptocurrency BEAM (@BEAMprivacy) is scheduled to launch on mainnet today at 14:00 GMT!

The wait is over! Find out all about the release in the following announcement. medium.com/beam-mw/beam-t…

2/ 🗣️ @NEOErikZhang (Co-Founder & Core Developer, @NEO_Blockchain) shared that NEO's developers are on the verge of completing a slew of improvements re its dBFT consensus algorithm.

A release before next month's #NEOdevcon2019, perhaps?

https://twitter.com/neoerikzhang/status/1080712555469754368

3/ 🔜 #Cryptocurrency exchange @KuCoinCom confirmed a late-Jan. launch of KuCoin 2.0, a so-called "dynamic, secure and malleable trading platform."

2Q19 for launch of their KuMEX #crypto derivatives trading platform. GUMO OTC trading platform after that! news.kucoin.com/en/new-years-g…

4/ 🆕 @SEFtokenio has become the first entity to tokenize a covered warrant (i.e., a type of warrant issued without an accompanying bond or equity).

Issued by the #Ethereum-based @Securitize_io. Convertible into equity in Mercari, a licensed electronic swap execution facility.

5/ 🔑 Happening today - and coinciding with the 10th anniversary of #Bitcoin's genesis block - is a community-wide initiative coined #ProofOfKeys by its creator @TraceMayer. Not your keys, not your bitcoin!

Watch below for more about the event.

6/ 🎂 Staying with #Bitcoin's 10th birthday, #crypto trading platform @BitMEXdotcom celebrated by purchasing ad space on the front page of London-based The Times, a newspaper oft-cited within the industry due to its corresponding page from January 3, 2009!

https://twitter.com/BitMEXResearch/status/1080590401323450368

7/ 🤑 Open-source bounties platform @GetGitcoin announced its 'Gitcoin Grants' product!

Marks the first #Ethereum-based platform that's able to accept recurring, on-chain payments (i.e., EIP-1337 [@1337alliance]). medium.com/gitcoin/gitcoi…

8/ 🗽 Per NYS Assembly Member @ClydeVanel, New York State has become the first U.S. state to create a #cryptocurrency task force!

Comprising technologists, consumers, enterprises, and investors, the 9-person task force will study how to properly regulate, define and use #crypto.

9/ 📣 In their first project update since mid-November, #Ethereum-powered P2P micropayment infrastructure project @ConnextNetwork announced that its code has been made open-source!

Click through for more Connext updates. medium.com/connext/connex…

10/ 🇵🇦 Today saw the launch of the first Panama-based foundation focused on #blockchain development and regulatory inclusion!

The Latin American Blockchain and Fintech Initiative (@LABFin) was recently formed by crypto projects incl. @ChainZillaio, @KomodoPlatform & @PundiXLabs.

11/ 🚀 @Sentinel_co [ $SENT ] publicly launched its Tendermint Testnet (STT) v1.1, making the Sentinel dVPN fully functional on #Tendermint!

Marks the first step in Sentinel's transition from #Ethereum to its native @Cosmos @Tendermint_Team chain. medium.com/sentinel/senti…

12/ 🎙️ @AlexSaundersAU (Founder & CEO, @NuggetsNewsAU) uploaded an interview with @Aerobatic (Founder, @FunFairTech) to hear about all the latest from FunFair [ $FUN ], a #crypto project developing #blockchain-based solutions for the online gaming space.

13/ 🎧 @StarkWareLtd co-founders @EliBenSasson and Uri Kolodny featured in the final episode of the 'Into the Ether' podcast's five-part series on scaling #Ethereum.

Click below to hear them discuss their STARK-based approach with host @econoar! podcast.ethhub.io/scaling-ethere…

14/ 🔛 Also today, the podcast's producers, @EthHub_io, officially launched their open-source, community-driven research and resources hub!

Congrats to @econoar, @sassal0x, @ChazSchmidt and @AlexanderFisher! Click through to see what they've created. medium.com/ethhub/introdu…

15/ 📰 Keeping with the #Ethereum-related content, @LocalEthereum published this piece recapping 2018 for both their own budding project and the Ethereum ecosystem in general.

Features a heap of upcoming #LocalEthereum improvements, too! blog.localethereum.com/reflecting-on-…

16/ 🔥 No better way to wrap things up than by linking to this terrific 63-part blog post by @arjunblj.

In it, Arjun looks at the year that was for various arms of the #crypto ecosystem, before closing with some thoughts on prices and adoption.

{fin} medium.com/@arjunblj/cryp…