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SEI Coin Soars: In the Spotlight in Wyoming State
Known as one of the crypto-friendly states in the US, Wyoming is preparing to take a big step in the crypto space. According to the official statement made on June 19, 2025, the state is preparing to launch WYST, a fiat (fiat)-backed stablecoin, in July, which will be the first in the US. This development, along with the evaluation of Sei Network among the blockchain networks that can be used in the WYST project, led to a sudden increase in the price of the SEI token.In the last 24 hours, the SEI price increased by more than 10%, reaching approximately $ 0.20. In the same period, the transaction volume increased by 56.22%, exceeding $ 210 million. This momentum strengthened the reputation of Sei Network among investors.Wyoming's stablecoin move: WYSTThe WYST project, managed by the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, started the testing process in March 2025. In this process, high-performance blockchain networks such as Aptos, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche and Sei Network were evaluated. Although an official report has not been published yet, it is claimed that Sei outperforms its competitors such as Ethereum and Avalanche in terms of transaction speed (TPS) and transaction time. The project will use the Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard developed by LayerZero Labs. This technology will enable the WYST stablecoin to be interoperable between different blockchain networks. The fact that Sei Network is supported by major investors such as Circle, Delphi Digital, Multicoin Capital and Coinbase seems to have attracted Wyoming's attention. The project, led by Governor Mark Gordon and supported by the Commission's Executive Director Anthony Apollo, is progressing rapidly thanks to the state's crypto-friendly legal infrastructure.Investor confidence in SEI token is increasingAccording to market data, SEI is trading at $0.20 as of June 20, 2025. Although it is still far from its March 2024 peak of $1.14, the recent price increase is notable. SEI is up 13 percent on the back of news from Wyoming. It reached a daily high of $0.213. However, it is still 80 percent below its all-time high of $1.14, which it recorded on March 16, 2024.Overall, the current volume increase indicates a revival of investor interest. SEI’s market cap has surpassed $1 billion, while the total assets locked on the Sei Network has reached $507 million.According to DeFiLlama data, the stablecoin market cap on the platform is $217 million. On-chain activity on the Sei Network has also reached record levels: More than 1.5 million transactions were made in the last 24 hours, and the number of active addresses has increased to 616,000.It has not yet been announced which blockchain will be officially selected for WYST. The fact that strong competitors such as Ethereum and Solana are also on the evaluation list shows that competition is high.
What is Celestia (TIA)?
Celestia is an innovative project that adopts modular blockchain architecture, a new approach in the blockchain and cryptocurrency world. Unlike classic (monolithic) blockchains, Celestia works by separating the execution and consensus layers. This allows the network to allocate tasks such as transaction verification and data availability to different layers, increasing scalability. TIA coin, the native cryptocurrency that powers the Celestia network, is also referred to as Celestia coin. So what is Celestia coin? In short, TIA coin is a token used on the network to pay for transactions, pay for blobspace, and secure the network through staking. Although full of technical details, Celestia's approach can be summarized as “blockchain that focuses on its own business”. Let's look at the details of this project together...Definition and Emergence of CelestiaCelestia is one of the best examples of a modular blockchain. A modular blockchain refers to an architecture in which the core functions of the blockchain are divided into separate layers. In Celestia's case, the consensus and data availability layer is separated from the execution layer where smart contracts run. This allows each layer to focus on its own “area of expertise”, resulting in increased scalability and flexibility. This approach aims to solve the problem of data overload, which is common in blockchains. Clearly, Celestia makes everyone's job easier by “dividing labor”. For example, there are no smart contracts running on the Celestia main network; instead, different projects run their own chains, leveraging Celestia's security and data. This structure makes it possible to specialize in different tasks of the blockchain, just like the specialization of departments in a company.The Celestia project dates back to 2019. Mustafa Al-Bassam, one of the founders of the project, published an academic paper called “LazyLedger” during his PhD studies at the University of London. This paper is known as the work that sowed the first seeds of the modular blockchain concept. In the same year, Al-Bassam found two other co-founders to bring his ideas to life: Ismail Khoffi and John Adler. Although the project was initially called LazyLedger, it was later renamed Celestia. All three founders are blockchain veterans; Al-Bassam has an academic background in scalability and security, while Khoffi worked as an engineer in the Cosmos ecosystem (Tendermint, Interchain Foundation). Adler gained experience as a researcher on the Ethereum side (at ConsenSys). Thus, the Celestia team, which combines different expertise, set out with the vision that “everyone can easily start their own blockchain”. The development of the project was carried out by building on the Cosmos SDK, so Celestia can actually be seen among Cosmos-based projects. Cosmos' Tendermint consensus mechanism is used in a customized way in Celestia (with innovations such as two-dimensional data encryption and Namespaced Merkle Tree). Since its inception, Celestia has caused a stir in the industry as one of the first modular blockchain networks.Celestia's History: Important MilestonesWhen did Celestia launch and how did it grow? The Celestia project started to develop rapidly after the concept and team formation in 2019. Founded in 2019, the project continued its R&D efforts after changing its name from LazyLedger to Celestia. In 2020 and 2021, while infrastructure development continued, the community slowly started to form. Celestia was attracting attention in the industry, especially as its modular architecture concept was seen at the time as a new remedy for blockchain scaling.In 2022, the testnet version started, receiving major investmentThe year 2022 was a period of significant testing for Celestia. In May 2022, the first public testnet, code-named Mamaki, was released. The Mamaki testnet was one of the first to support data availability sampling (DAS), a key feature of Celestia. By testing their applications on Mamaki, developers were able to test the “send and retrieve data” API provided by Celestia. With this testnet, innovative ideas such as interactions between a full node and a light node, and fragmentation and reassembly of block data were successfully tested. Later in the year, Celestia Labs increased its financial strength with a significant investment. In October 2022, a $55 million investment round was completed, led by major investors such as Bain Capital Crypto and Polychain Capital. This gave Celestia both the financial resources and industry support to accelerate mainnet preparations. At the end of 2022, a developer-focused devnet called Arabica and a testnet upgrade called Mocha, which updates the existing testnet, were announced. These testnets were used to experiment with improvements to Celestia's protocol and gather developer feedback. In short, 2022 was a “year of rehearsals” for Celestia.2023: Celestia mainnet launched, airdrop realized2023 was the year the Celestia project matured and opened up to the world. In March 2023, the Celestia team launched an incentivized testnet program called Blockspace Race. In this nine-week long program, close to 1000 participants (validators, light nodes, etc.) completed various tasks and collected points. The Blockspace Race pushed the Celestia network close to full capacity, enabling scalability and resiliency tests. After this successful testing period, the Celestia team was ready to transition to the main network. October 31, 2023 became the Celestia mainnet date. The network was officially launched. With the mainnet launch, the project's native token, TIA, was also introduced to the masses for the first time. Since Celestia is part of the Cosmos ecosystem, with the launch of the mainnet, it became possible to track the Celestia blockchain through Cosmos block explorers such as Mintscan. At the mainnet launch, Celestia conducted an airdrop of 6-7% of the total supply to select testnet participants and early backers. Through this airdrop, community members received TIA tokens and the network's first validators began staking their tokens.From the early days of Mainnet, exchanges started listing the TIA token. Major cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance, KuCoin, Bybit opened TIA trading in early November 2023, providing liquidity. Post-launch, market interest was so high that the TIA coin price rose significantly from $2 in the first few weeks to $2 in a few months. Especially in early 2024, with the popularization of the modular blockchain narrative, the TIA price reached a historic peak of $20 around February 2024. This period saw Celestia generate a great deal of excitement across the industry. However, due to the nature of crypto markets, such spikes were followed by corrections. By mid-2024, the TIA price had stabilized and hovered in the $3-5 range for the second half of the year. Still, Celestia's total market capitalization exceeded a billion dollars, placing the project in the top 50 most valuable crypto assets. In the chart below, you can see the fluctuations of the TIA price after the mainnet exit: TIA coin price since launch In 2024, the Celestia network continued to grow rapidly, technically and ecosystem-wise. In January 2024, Celestia rolled out its first major protocol update called Lemongrass. This update reduced the block time from 12 seconds to 6 seconds and doubled the network's data processing capacity. The faster block time significantly increased Celestia's transaction (or data) throughput per second. Later that year, another upgrade, codenamed Ginger, continued the scalability improvements. In addition to technical advancements, important steps were also taken on the ecosystem side. Leading platforms such as Polygon announced that they would integrate Celestia into their toolkits for developers. For example, the inclusion of Celestia in Polygon's Chain Development Kit at the end of 2023 was a critical step in the adoption of the modular blockchain concept. Celestia has also made a name for itself by partnering with projects such as StarkWare (StarkWare is known for ZK-rollup solutions such as StarkNet).Integrated projects were launched with Cosmos' CosmWasm, EVM and MoveSince the Celestia mainnet was launched, the number of projects built on it has skyrocketed. In the early months of 2024, it was reported that the number of projects running their own application chains or rollups within the Celestia ecosystem exceeded 20. In total, these independent chains published more than 75 GB of data to Celestia from November 2023 to mid-2024. Projects in the ecosystem include Ethereum-compatible rollups, specialized chains for DeFi applications, gaming-focused blockchains, and various infrastructure protocols. Thanks to Celestia's flexibility, even chains using different smart contract environments such as EVM, Move or CosmWasm can be integrated into Celestia. In other words, a developer can build their own chain in any programming language/environment and entrust their data to Celestia. By the end of 2024, Celestia had gone from strength to strength, both technically and financially. The Celestia Foundation raised an additional $100 million in an additional round of funding around October 2024, bringing the total capital raised to $155 million. This investment was a significant resource that will be used to support Celestia's long-term development plans and grow the ecosystem. Around the same time, some projects in the Cosmos ecosystem began to integrate with Celestia. For example, Stride, an L1 blockchain on a Cosmos network, integrated with Celestia, becoming the first “Rollchain” to send its data to Celestia. Similarly, Noble, a Cosmos-based stablecoin network, has also started using Celestia's data layer. These developments showed that Celestia can support not only its own ecosystem but also other blockchain ecosystems. Throughout 2024, Celestia's staking rate steadily increased; by the end of the year, nearly 60% of the total TIA supply was staked on the network and more than 400,000 accounts had delegated TIA to network validators. So the community was very active in security and participation in governance.2025: What's next?Entering 2025, Celestia was confidently moving forward with the goals on its roadmap. Indeed, in April 2025, the Celestia team announced a new testnet called mamo-1. Mamo-1 is a high-capacity testnet designed to push Celestia's technical limits. In this testnet, the block size was increased to an incredible 128 MB and the network's capacity to process data without permission reached a record high of 21.3 MB/s. By comparison, the Celestia mainnet currently supports a block size of 8 MB (block time ~6 seconds). The experience with Mamo-1 will provide guidance on how to increase the main network block size to a massive 1 GB in the future. Through this test network, Celestia is observing the behavior of the network under high data load and identifying optimizations that may be needed in the protocol. As of 2025, the Celestia development team and community are working. The most prominent issues are to further scale the network, reduce cost and improve the user experience, especially by working on the Celestia TPS value. Why is Celestia valuable?While traditional blockchains aggregate many tasks on a single chain, Celestia takes a different path: it separates and specializes tasks, thus restoring the balance of scalability, security and decentralization. This “divide and conquer” approach offers a whole new blockchain experience for both developers and users. Let's take a look at why Celestia is so valuable.Modular architecture: A “divide and conquer” approachCelestia's biggest difference is that it separates the core functions of blockchain. The consensus layer sorts blocks, while the data availability layer ensures that data is available on the network. The execution layer runs on independent chains outside of Celestia.This structure allows applications to run freely on their own chains without disrupting the performance of the network. Instead of a truck carrying a giant load, we can think of Celestia as a train that distributes the load into wagons: more loads, faster transportation. The modular blockchain process can be visualized as follows: Source: Celestia.org Scalability with Data Availability Sampling (DAS)With Celestia's DAS technology, it is possible to check whether data is available on the network with small samples without downloading the entire data of a block. This method allows lightweight nodes to easily utilize the network. Today, the Celestia network can process thousands of transactions, generating 8 MB blocks every ~6 seconds. This puts it several steps ahead of conventional chains. In addition, security is not compromised with mechanisms such as fraud proofs. DAS system. Source: Celestia.org Flexibility and adaptability: There is a place for everyoneCelestia positions itself as a “data layer” and does not interfere with the technology of the chains running on top of it. Whether it's an optimistic rollup infrastructure, a zk-rollup, a custom application chain... They can all be hosted on Celestia. Especially compared to optimistic rollups running on L1s like Ethereum, Celestia offers a much lower cost alternative. Moreover, the sovereign rollups running here benefit from security and can act freely in their own execution environments. In short, if you are a developer, no matter what language or infrastructure you use, Celestia opens its doors to you.What does the TIA token do? The engine that runs the networkCelestia's native token, TIA, is used both to pay for data publishing fees and for staking. Initially, the total supply of TIA coins was 1 billion. In other words, TIA started with an annual inflation rate of about 8% and is designed to be reduced over time to a range of 2-5%. As of 2025, the circulating TIA supply is around 613 million. Users who secure the network by staking can get a share of newly minted tokens and transaction fees. The Celestia token price is also hovering around the $2 mark as of 2025, with a market capitalization in excess of a billion dollars.Strong community and expanding ecosystemJust as important as the technology is the community. Celestia has quickly built a vibrant ecosystem of thousands of developers, validators and users. With tools like Celestia Explorer, the network can be monitored transparently and governance decisions can be participated in. It has also been integrated into the Ethereum ecosystem with solutions like Blobstream and into the Cosmos world with projects like Stride. In this way, Celestia has gone beyond being just a technical project and has become an important player in the sector. The image below shows the most important projects in the Celestia ecosystem: Celestia/X Who is the Founder of Celestia?Celestia stands out not only for its technical vision but also for the strong founding team behind it. If you ask “Who is the founder of Celestia?”, the answer consists of three names: Mustafa Al-Bassam, Ismail Khoffi and John Adler. All three have solid experience in the blockchain and software world. Mustafa Al-Bassam is the CEO of Celestia Labs and one of the brains behind the project. A “white hat” hacker who made a name for himself in the tech world at a young age, Al-Bassam wrote the LazyLedger paper that laid the foundation for Celestia while pursuing a PhD in blockchain scalability at the University of London. He also co-founded the Chainspace project, which was acquired by Facebook. In short, Al-Bassam's academic and practical experience lies behind Celestia's scalability-focused structure. Celestia team Ismail Khoffi is Celestia's technical lead as CTO. Coming from a Cosmos and Tendermint background, Khoffi played a key role in shaping Celestia's Cosmos SDK-based structure. Referred to as a “technical wizard”, Khoffi is focused on making the user experience simple and straightforward while improving Celestia's complex infrastructure. John Adler is the director of research and development. An expert on Layer-2 solutions and optimistic rollup technologies in the Ethereum ecosystem, Adler contributed greatly to the theoretical underpinnings of Celestia's modular blockchain architecture. He is also a critical advisor on issues such as the integration of different execution layers into Celestia.These three founders have shaped all of Celestia's building blocks, from security to data scalability to cross-chain compatibility. Their knowledge and experience in different fields have played an important role in Celestia's solid position in the industry today.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Here you can find the most frequently asked questions about Celestia and short answers:What is Celestia, how does it work?: The Celestia mainnet was launched on October 31, 2023 and the TIA token was released on the same day. Project foundations were laid in 2019, and testnet phases were completed in 2022. By 2024, the ecosystem grew rapidly and matured. What does the TIA token do?: TIA is used to pay for data transmission and staking on the Celestia network. It is also used to participate in governance votes, allowing users to have a say in the network.What does Celestia modular architecture mean? A modular blockchain is the separation of core tasks into different layers. Celestia is referred to as a “modular” network because it separates the data and consensus layer from execution.Who founded Celestia?: The founding team consists of Mustafa Al-Bassam, Ismail Khoffi and John Adler. All three are experienced in blockchain technologies; they developed Celestia's modular architecture together.Which networks does Celestia integrate with? Celestia integrates specifically with Cosmos-based projects and the Ethereum ecosystem. Thanks to the IBC protocol, it can communicate directly with Cosmos chains, and Ethereum-compatible rollups can also use Celestia as a data layer.How to buy TIA and where to store it: The TIA token can be purchased on major exchanges such as Binance, KuCoin and Bybit. To store it, Celestia-compatible wallets such as Keplr, Leap or Ledger are preferred.Follow our JR Kripto Guide series for the latest information on Celestia and modular blockchain technologies!
What is Aptos (APT)?
What is Aptos, which we have heard a lot about in the crypto world recently? In short, Aptos is a new generation layer-1 blockchain platform that stands out with its high-speed and scalable structure. In other words, it is an independent blockchain with its own network like Ethereum or Solana, and the native cryptocurrency of this network is called Aptos coin or APT with its symbol. Especially with its launch in 2022, many people wondered “What is Aptos coin?”. The aim of Aptos is to bring blockchain technology to a wider audience and to make the Web3 infrastructure more secure, fast and user-friendly. In doing so, it uses innovative technologies such as the Move programming language inherited from Facebook's former crypto project Diem.The team behind Aptos takes a very sincere approach to the development of the project. So while the technical details are deep, the Aptos community and developers aim to create a “us to them” environment. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to what Aptos does, its history, technological features and value. We will also touch on the founders of Aptos and frequently asked questions, and try to answer your questions such as “What does Aptos do?”.Aptos Definition and OriginAptos is described as a high-speed, scalable layer-1 blockchain. What does this mean? It means that Aptos runs on its own main network and is designed to process a large number of transactions per second. Its main goal is to address the scalability and security challenges in the blockchain world. The Aptos project was founded in 2021, and interestingly, it was born from the ashes of Meta (formerly Facebook)'s failed Diem (Libra) project. The team that founded Aptos are actually former engineers who worked on Meta's cryptocurrency initiative.So if you ask, “Who founded Aptos?”, the answer is Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. The duo left Meta in 2021 to found Aptos Labs and start developing this new blockchain. Thanks to their experience at Meta, they had significant know-how in building an enterprise-scale infrastructure.One of the things that makes Aptos special is that it uses the Move programming language for transactions. Move is a smart contract language developed for Facebook's Diem project, which was later made open source. The biggest advantage of this language is its focus on security and source control. In smart contracts written in Move, digital assets are defined as “resources”. This makes it almost impossible to copy a token, use it in two different transactions at the same time, or accidentally destroy it. In short, Move provides transaction security by preventing errors that are common in other blockchain languages. On the other hand, Move also offers flexibility to developers and works with lower transaction fees. Since smart contracts on the Aptos network are written in this language, Aptos' infrastructure is secure and fault-tolerant.The vision of Aptos is to take Web3 infrastructure to a new level. In other words, to provide a platform where decentralized applications (dApps) and crypto projects can run smoothly in the background, and users don't have to worry about speed or security. The Aptos team drew on both past experience and new ideas to answer the question “How can Layer-1 blockchain be better?”. As a result, by 2022, the Aptos network emerged and turned heads in the crypto world. History of Aptos: Important MilestonesAlthough Aptos is a very young project, it has experienced many important developments in a short period of time. Here are some of the most important milestones in Aptos coin history:In 2021, the foundations of APT were laid: The foundations of the project were laid. With Meta's Diem project on the shelf, Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching, who worked on that project, started developing their own independent blockchains. Aptos Labs was founded and the first concepts were created.In the spring of 2022, it received huge investments from industry giants: Aptos attracted the attention of major investors even before it went mainnet. In March 2022, a seed investment round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Tiger Global and Multicoin Capital raised nearly $200 million. It then raised a further $150 million in a Series A round led by FTX Ventures and Jump Crypto in July 2022. In this way, Aptos received a strong financial backing with over $350 million in total investment even before its mainnet was launched. Binance Labs even made a strategic investment in the project in September 2022, raising Aptos' valuation. This investment news fueled interest in Aptos in the crypto community.October 2022 saw the launch: The mainnet of the Aptos blockchain was launched. It was called “Aptos Autumn” and the Aptos network was officially launched. October 17, 2022 was recorded as the Aptos mainnet date. With the opening of the mainnet, Aptos coin (APT) started to be listed on major crypto exchanges. APT started trading on platforms such as Binance and Coinbase, and the APT coin price experienced high volatility in the early days. In the early days of the network, the Aptos team thanked the community by distributing an airdrop totaling 20 million APT coins to early adopters who participated in the testnet process. With this airdrop, each eligible user received 150 APT tokens (this airdrop was worth around $1200 at initial prices). Soon, APT's market capitalization reached a billion dollars. So for those who ask “When did Aptos come out?” in this period, we can say October 2022 as the answer.Between 2022 and 2023, many Aptos-based projects were launched: With the launch of the mainnet, the Aptos ecosystem started to develop rapidly. Aptos Explorer, the network's own block explorer, was launched. Similarly, Aptos Names, a domain name service (a system for mapping users' wallet addresses to legitimate names) was announced. Various wallets (Petra, Martian, etc.) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs) were developed by the community. For example, a DEX application such as Liquidswap by Pontem Network was implemented on Aptos. During this period, NFT marketplaces, gaming projects and DeFi protocols sprouted on the Aptos network, creating a vibrant ecosystem. Some projects in the Aptos ecosystem. Source: BlockBase Microsoft and Google Cloud partnerships announced in 2023: Aptos' development continued unabated. Partnerships with major technology companies were among the highlights of the year. In April 2023, a partnership with Google Cloud was announced; Google Cloud started running a validator node to support the Aptos network and provide cloud infrastructure support to developers. In August 2023, a strategic partnership with Microsoft was announced. In this context, Aptos Labs and Microsoft announced that they would work on new solutions that combine blockchain and artificial intelligence. The news of the partnership was also welcomed by the markets: After the Microsoft news, the Aptos coin price rose by about 15% in one day.In 2024 and beyond, the price has almost stabilized: The Aptos team continues to work on further increasing the scalability of the network and improving the developer experience. In 2024, Aptos continued to make a name for itself with protocol updates, parallel processing engine improvements (innovations such as Block-STM v2) and grants to ecosystem projects. Aptos Labs also took steps to expand in the Asian and European markets, while the Aptos Foundation continued to provide support to developers and projects. There are many more milestones ahead for this still young layer-1 blockchain. Meanwhile, APT coin is trading at $5.57 as of April 2025, with a market capitalization of around $3.45 billion. It ranks 30th in the CoinMarketCap rankings. Apt coin price has so far seen its highest level of $ 19.90 on January 30, 2023, while its lowest level was recorded on December 29, 2022 with $ 3.09. APT coin price since launch Why is Aptos valuable?So, with so many blockchain projects out there, what makes Aptos different and why has it attracted so much investment? Aptos is valued for several key reasons.The secure and innovative Move languageAptos prioritizes security by using the Move language in smart contracts. Move prevents many security vulnerabilities that can arise during transactions, such as double-spending or accidental loss of cryptocurrencies, which is not possible by Move's design. This allows applications developed on Aptos to be more reliable. With Move, developers can be more confident that the code they write will not have unintended consequences.High TPS with parallel processing engineAptos has parallel processing capability in its technical architecture. This means that transactions on the network are not processed in a single queue, but multiple transactions can be processed in parallel at the same time. Thanks to the Block-STM technology developed by the Aptos Labs team, the network can theoretically handle very high transaction volumes. Internal tests have shown that it can handle up to 160,000 transactions per second (TPS). While these numbers are yet to be reached in the real world, it means that Aptos has the potential to be much faster than current popular networks. This parallel transaction blockchain approach allows users to make transactions with low latency and low fees, even when the network is busy. In the table below, you can see how the Aptos network compares to various popular blockchains:BlockchainReal TPS (Mainnet)Maximum TPS (Test Environment)Theoretical Max TPSBlock TimeFinality TimeAptos41 TPS12,933 TPS160,000 TPS0.13 sec0.9 secSolana65,000 TPS65,000 TPS65,000 TPS0.4 sec~1 secEthereum15 TPS15 TPS15 TPS12 sec60 secAvalanche4,500 TPS4,500 TPS4,500 TPS1–2 sec~2 secSui4,000 TPS120,000 TPS120,000 TPS0.5 sec~1 secDeveloper-friendly and open source infrastructureThe team behind Aptos places great importance on the developer experience. Aptos was developed as an open-source project from the start, meaning that its code is transparently available on GitHub. There are also Aptos developer tools that support different programming languages. For example, there are libraries, SDKs (Software Development Kits) and extensive documentation for those who want to use the Move language. There are even Aptos SDKs for languages as diverse as Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Rust and Java. This makes it easy for developers from different backgrounds to step into the Aptos ecosystem. In addition, the network's design is modular and upgradeable, making it easier to add new features or troubleshoot issues. Example of coin realization on Move. Source: Numencyber Strong investor and community supportThe support behind a project is as important to its success as the technology. Aptos has gained a huge vote of confidence at the very beginning of its journey by receiving funding from some of the most reputable investors. As mentioned above, giants of the crypto world such as a16z (Andreessen Horowitz), Coinbase Ventures, Multicoin Capital, FTX Ventures, Jump Crypto, Binance Labs have invested in Aptos. This is not only a financial support, but also a source of reputation for the project. In addition to big funding, Aptos also has an active community support. Thanks to the testnet campaigns and airdrops organized before the mainnet, a wide range of users got involved in the project. Today, the Aptos ecosystem is a vibrant and growing world with contributions from both individual investors and developer communities. Finally, it is worth noting that the Aptos network is Proof-of-Stake (PoS) based and users can participate in the network by staking Aptos. So if you have an APT token, you can stake it to validators and contribute to network security and earn rewards. This mechanism both increases the security of the Aptos network and provides passive income for token holders.Who is the Founder of Aptos?When it comes to Aptos, it is hard not to wonder about the team behind it. Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching are the founders and leaders of Aptos. We can say that the answer to the question “Who founded Aptos?” is these two names. They are both former employees of Meta (Facebook) and held important positions in Facebook's crypto project called Diem. In 2021, after leaving Meta, they founded Aptos Labs and started developing the Aptos blockchain. In other words, behind Aptos are two experienced names and a strong team. Aptos founders Avery Ching and Mo Shaikh When they worked at Meta, Mo Shaikh was more involved in strategy and business development (on the Novi wallet project), while Avery Ching was one of the chief software architects of the Diem blockchain. In other words, one knows the business side of the business and the other knows the technology side very well.In 2021, Shaikh and Ching left Meta and set out to realize their vision by founding Aptos Labs. Aptos Labs, a for-profit company, is the main team responsible for the development of the Aptos blockchain. There is also the Aptos Foundation. There is a division of tasks between Aptos Labs and the Aptos Foundation: Aptos Labs builds the protocol's technical development, infrastructure and products, while Aptos Foundation focuses on maintaining the decentralization of the network, community management, grant programs and ecosystem growth. In a way, the Foundation is the public interest and community face of Aptos, while Labs is the engineering and operations side. The Aptos Labs team at their offices in Palo Alto. Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching combine the professionalism of Silicon Valley roots with the spirit of the blockchain world. In other words, they blend the corporate approach with the vision of decentralization. During Aptos' development process, they have been very systematic in terms of team building and securing investment. For example, Mo Shaikh led the fundraising process for the project and raised hundreds of millions of dollars in a short time. Avery Ching led the integration of technological innovations such as Move language and Block-STM, focusing on realizing the high performance and security Aptos claims. As a result, under the leadership of these two founders, Aptos continues to move forward both technically and in terms of business strategy.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)You may still have some basic questions about Aptos. Let's try to clear your minds by providing short and clear answers to these frequently asked questions below:What is Aptos and what language does it use? Aptos is a next-generation layer-1 blockchain project focused on scalability and speed. It has its own network and native cryptocurrency (APT) and uses the Move programming language for smart contracts. The Move language, originally developed for Facebook's Diem project, enables Aptos to have secure and efficient smart contracts. In short, Aptos is a high-performance blockchain that relies on the Move language to secure its transactions.Who founded Aptos?: The founders of the Aptos project are Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. They are former employees of Meta (Facebook) and held key positions in Facebook's crypto project Diem. In 2021, after leaving Meta, they founded Aptos Labs and started developing the Aptos blockchain. In other words, behind Aptos, there are two experienced names and a strong team built by them.When was the Aptos mainnet launched? Aptos' mainnet was officially launched in October 2022. More specifically, October 17, 2022 is the day of the Aptos mainnet launch. This launch was dubbed “Aptos Autumn”. With the mainnet launch, transactions on the Aptos network began and the APT token was listed and traded on exchanges.What is the Move language?: Move is a proprietary smart contract programming language used by Aptos (and previously by Facebook Diem), hence why it is sometimes referred to as the Aptos Move language. Move's design focuses on the secure management of cryptocurrencies. For example, in Move, each asset is a “resource” and cannot be copied or destroyed, which prevents issues such as double-spending. Move is also a secure language based on Rust, making it difficult for developers to make error-prone transactions. As a result, Move is a modern programming language that aims to build more secure and error-free applications in the blockchain world.Where Aptos is used: Aptos is a general-purpose blockchain platform, so its use cases are quite broad. Many Web3 projects can run on it, such as decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, NFT marketplaces, blockchain games, social media applications. In particular, its high transaction speed and low latency make it a suitable platform for real-time gaming or transaction-intensive finance applications. In addition, new token projects can be developed on the Aptos network, and voting and governance applications can be implemented through smart contracts.How much is the APT token supply: The total supply for APT, Aptos' native token, has been announced at 1 billion units. This is the maximum amount that will be reached when all APT tokens are issued. However, not all of this supply is in circulation. Initially, some of the tokens were split between the community, the team, investors and the Foundation. Over time, the circulating supply increases with tokens unlocked at certain periods. For example, in the first phase, the amount in circulation was about 13% (130 million APT), with the remaining tokens entering the market on various schedules. The APT token is used to pay transaction fees, stake and participate in governance on the network.Follow our Jr Kripto Guide series for up-to-date content on the future, technology and potential of Aptos.
$4.1 Billion BTC and ETH Options Expire Today
The cryptocurrency market is holding its breath as it awaits the expiration of today's massive options contract. A total of $4.11 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options will expire. This development could have a significant impact on the short-term price movements of both assets, which have been losing value in recent days. Bitcoin makes up the majority of the options volume: According to today's data, $3.5 billion worth of contracts are expiring on the BTC side and approximately $565 million on the ETH side. This indicates that volatility in the markets may increase. According to Deribit data, 33,972 Bitcoin options are expiring today. This number has increased compared to last week. On Ethereum, 224,509 contracts will expire. Last week, this figure was 246,849. Balance in Bitcoin, optimism prevails in EthereumWhen looking at the options expiring for Bitcoin, the "maximum pain" price is determined as $ 105,000. The maximum pain price is known as the point where investors will suffer the most loss, and prices are generally expected to converge to this level. In addition, the put-call ratio for BTC is at 1.00; in other words, investors are almost equally distributed between bullish and bearish expectations. This situation shows that the market is indecisive or in a consolidation process in the short term.On the Ethereum side, the picture is more optimistic. The maximum pain price for ETH is at $ 2,600. The fact that the current price is below this level shows that investors think the price will rise. The put-call ratio in ETH is 0.69, which shows that call options are the dominant. This ratio shows that investors are taking positions more in the bullish direction, in other words, the market is more positive in this asset.Markets may enter the weekend volatileThe days when option contracts expire are usually the times when short-term fluctuations occur in the markets. According to the "maximum pain" theory, prices tend to move towards the levels where options will suffer the most losses. Therefore, the price movements to be seen in both BTC and ETH today may develop depending on the levels concentrated especially in option positions.According to Deribit analysts, "While BTC exhibits a balanced positioning close to the maximum pain level, upward flows dominate on the ETH side. We will watch and see how the market will react this time." In other words, it was emphasized that investors should be careful. In addition to these developments, the increasing geopolitical tensions in recent days and the statements of US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell are also affecting investor sentiment. In particular, the possible military moves of the US in the Middle East and the increasing tension with Iran are strengthening the downward risk perception in the market.In summary, today's high-volume options expiration could cause short-term but sharp fluctuations in the crypto market. Both macroeconomic developments and geopolitical risks continue to play an important role in investors' strategies
Alarm Bells Ring for Crypto Users After 16 Billion Passwords Leak!
In today's world where concerns about digital security are at their peak, one of the largest password leaks ever recorded has hit the agenda like a bombshell. According to data revealed by cybersecurity platform Cybernews; 16 billion passwords and login data, including user information related to major platforms such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Telegram, have been leaked onto the internet. This huge leak especially threatens the assets of cryptocurrency users.A frightening development for crypto investors: Passwords leakedThe cybersecurity world has been shaken by one of the largest data leaks ever recorded. According to the report published by the Cybernews platform, more than 16 billion user login information and passwords have been leaked onto the internet. This huge data set, which includes account information related to Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, GitHub and some government portals, poses a great danger especially for cryptocurrency users.However, the source of this leak is not directly the servers of technology giants. According to Cybernews researchers, this information was stolen from data kept by users in 3rd party applications, browser add-ons or cloud storage areas that were left unencrypted. In addition, much information was compromised through malware that was infecting user devices.The leaked data does not only consist of current information. Cybernews states that stolen data obtained from different sources in previous years has also been recirculated with this new package. In other words, the cyber debris of the past further increases today's risks.Crypto wallets are targetedCybersecurity experts emphasize that this leak may affect cryptocurrency users the most. The main reason for this is that many users store their wallet passwords, backup keys or recovery phrases in e-mail boxes or cloud-based note applications instead of secure physical areas. This allows hackers to access not only passwords but also wallets directly. Crypto assets are coins that cannot be retrieved or the transaction canceled once they are captured. Therefore, when a wallet's password or keywords fall into the hands of hackers, the risk of permanent theft of assets is much higher.Experts recommend activating two-factor authentication (2FA) systems in particular. It is also very important to store vital data such as crypto wallet information offline, for example in hardware wallets or physical copies.Tether CEO: Escape from the cloud is comingOne of the reactions to the leak came from Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, the world's largest stablecoin issuer. Ardoino said, "The cloud has failed us again," and announced PearPass, a completely local and open-source password manager. According to Tether, this new application will store passwords and encryption keys only on the user device. It will need neither a server nor a cloud service.Ardoino, who introduced PearPass by saying, "No server, no cloud, no leak," argues that offline security systems will become much more critical in the future. In fact, he explained his vision in a podcast interview by saying, "We want to produce technologies that can work even in disaster scenarios like World War."It is unclear for now whether PearPass will integrate with Tether's other projects. However, it is known how much the company attaches importance to security and privacy with P2P solutions such as Pear Credit, which it has previously developed.
SUI Comments and Price Analysis 19 June 2025
SUI Technical Analysis: Sui Is at the Critical Channel SupportLooking at the 4H chart of SUI, we see that the price is trading within the descending channel and is now testing the lower band of this channel. During this downtrend which started at around $3.65, the price of the coin has been rejected from the upper band of the channel many times before. Sui is currently trading around important support level around $2.65–$2.52. Falling Channel Structure We could say that this area is where a strong reaction could occur as it is technically both horizontal support and is the channel lower band. However, if the price cannot hold around this support level, then the next support area could be around $2.44–$2.24.The first resistance level would be $3.03 if the price goes upwards. If this level is passed, we could see a quick rise towards the level of $3.47–$3.64, yet we should bear in mind that these price levels also coincide with the upper band of the descending channel and they form a strong resistance area.These analyses, not offering any kind of investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels considered to offer trading opportunities in the short and medium term according to the market conditions. However, the user is responsible for their own actions and risk management. Moreover, it is highly recommended to use stop loss (SL) during the transactions.
ALT Comments and Price Analysis 19 June 2025
AltLayer (ALT) Has Broken Out of the Descending ChannelAs it is clearly seen on the ALT chart, the price of the coin has broken the descending channel within which it has been trading for some time with a great momentum caused by the news of the UpBit listing. With this momentum, the price increased more than 100% in a few hours. This upward breakout of the price could be interpreted as a trend shift on the chart as the descending channel has been broken with a great volume and the pattern has turned to positive. We understand that buyers are now more dominant since the strong resistance zone $0.03145–$0.03258 has been exceeded. The coin is now trading around the level of $0.03764 after the breakout of the channel. Should the price hold around this level, we can say that initial targets could be $0.03967–$0.04109 and later $0.04481 in case of upward movements. Moreover, we can expect the price to go up more if it remains above the level of $0.0410.It is safe to say that the first support area would be $0.03595 in case of downward pullbacks. If the price goes below this support area, it is possible that we will see a test to the upper band of the broken channel and a retest to the level of $0.03258. However, technically speaking, the chart structure is positive for the time being. When we assess the descending channel breakout, resistance reversals, and bullish pattern together, new highs in the price are promising.These analyses, not offering any kind of investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels considered to offer trading opportunities in the short and medium term according to the market conditions. However, the user is responsible for their own actions and risk management. Moreover, it is highly recommended to use stop loss (SL) during the transactions.
What is Shiba Inu (SHIB)?
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is an ERC-20 based meme coin running on the Ethereum blockchain. It's named after the adorable Shiba Inu dog breed from Japan, and features this cuddly companion in its logo. In a nutshell, it's a community-driven crypto project that emerged in 2020 to rival Dogecoin. Its debut slogan is also legendary: “Dogecoin Killer” or ”Dogecoin Killer.” What started as a joke as a Dogecoin competitor has evolved into a whole ecosystem.The most interesting part of Shiba Inu is that it is completely decentralized and shaped by the community. The founder of Shiba coin is a mysterious person using the pseudonym “Ryoshi”. When he launched SHIB in August 2020, 1 quadrillion tokens were created. From a technical point of view, SHIB is actually a token that runs on Ethereum. In other words, it doesn't have its own blockchain, it operates on the Ethereum infrastructure. Security and functioning are completely dependent on Ethereum. Let's take a deep dive into this iconic meme coin...Description and Emergence of the Shiba InuWhat is Shiba coin? Shiba Inu first appeared as a “joke coin” as an alternative to Dogecoin. It was launched by a mysterious person or group using the name Ryoshi. So when did SHIB coin come out? The project was launched in August 2020. Ryoshi, like Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto, kept his identity a secret and described himself as a “nobody” and wanted to leave the project entirely in the hands of the community. That was his philosophy: Decentralization and community power. “I am nobody, I am not important. I am Ryoshi”, emphasizing that it was all about the Shiba community (ShibArmy), not personal fame.If you ask what SHIB token is; Shiba Inu (SHIB) is an ERC-20 token running on the Ethereum blockchain. In other words, it uses the Ethereum infrastructure, Ethereum-based token. It is also managed by smart contracts. It was launched as a “humor-themed” cryptocurrency to rival Dogecoin. When it was first launched, a total of 1 quadrillion SHIBs were produced. Half of this was locked into a liquidity pool on Uniswap, so that anyone who wanted to could buy SHIB fairly from the market. The other half was sent directly to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The idea was to ensure that the project would be truly decentralized and not keep large amounts of tokens in the founders' pockets. From the beginning, Shiba Inu described itself as a “decentralized community experiment” and quickly gained a lot of attention online.Although it didn't attract much attention at first, Shiba Inu's star suddenly shone in 2021. Especially on social media, Reddit and Twitter, the hashtag #ShibArmy created a huge fan base. Shiba's original goal was not to develop serious technology; it was about creating value through the power of community. But over time, the project grew and the color changed. With DeFi projects like ShibaSwap and technical developments like Shibarium, SHIB became more than just a “joke coin”. Thus, Shiba Inu began to build its own ecosystem, becoming a more robust organization.History of Shiba Inu: Important MilestonesShiba Inu history is rich. The rise of the Shiba Inu in a short period of time and the important events in the project have been truly dizzying. To answer the question “What does Shiba Inu do?”, here is a quick look at the important stops in Shiba Inu's journey:2020: Birth and first stepsThe Shiba Inu project was launched in August 2020. The SHIB token was first listed and traded on Uniswap. Founder Ryoshi wanted to show that the token was distributed fairly by locking 50% of the total supply on Uniswap and destroying the keys. At this time, SHIB was barely worth anything and the community was just starting to take off.2021: The boom year and the growth of the ecosystem2021 has been a turning point for the Shiba Inu. Especially in October, when Elon Musk shared a photo of his Shiba Inu dog, the SHIB price jumped more than 240% in a week. With this momentum, SHIB reached an all-time high price of $0.00008845 at the end of October. SHIB price chart since launch In the same year, the Shiba Inu team also launched its own decentralized exchange, ShibaSwap. Here, users could trade SHIB and other tokens, provide liquidity and earn rewards. Along with ShibaSwap, two new tokens were born: LEASH and BONE. The LEASH token was initially indexed to the Dogecoin price, but then switched to a fixed supply. BONE became ShibaSwap's governance token and is earned from transactions within the platform. We can compare BONE, SHIB and LEASH as follows:FeatureSHIB (Shiba Inu)LEASH (Doge Killer)BONE (Bone ShibaSwap)Price (April 2025)$0.00001413$159.29$0.3112Market Capitalization$8.3 billion$17.13 million$71.79 millionCirculating Supply589 trillion tokens107,553 tokens229,923,351 tokensMaximum Supply1 quadrillion tokens107,647 tokens250 million tokensPurposeCommunity-focused meme coin; used for payments, staking, and NFTs.Originally designed as an alternative to Dogecoin; offers scarcity through limited supply.Governance token of the ShibaSwap platform; used for transaction fees on the Shibarium network.Use CasesShibaSwap, Shibarium, NFTs, Metaverse, and payments.NFTs and exclusive staking opportunities; special community access.DAO voting, ShibaSwap rewards, and Shibarium transaction fees.Community SupportStrongly backed by the ShibArmy; highly active on social media.More niche community; offers rarity and exclusive access advantages.Supported by DAO members and Shibarium users.Another big event was when Vitalik Buterin burned 90% of the SHIBs he had. About 410 trillion SHIBs were destroyed and the rest were donated to charity organizations. This move reduced the supply of SHIBs and made the token more valuable. By the end of 2021, Shiba Inu had surpassed 1 million users, creating a huge community. Vitalik Buterin's statement and process on SHIB burning. Source: Etherscan 2022: Founder's departure and community takeoverIn May 2022, Ryoshi announced his complete withdrawal from the project, deleting all his social media accounts and writings. Leadership thus passed to the developer and community under the pseudonym Shytoshi Kusama. In fact, Ryoshi had said from the beginning that one day he would leave the scene. This step was completely in line with Shiba Inu's goal of decentralization. In the meantime, the Shiba Inu team has not been idle, and major projects such as Shib: The Metaverse and a mobile game called Shiba Eternity.2023 and beyond: Shibarium, new horizonsThe year 2023 was a year of major technical breakthroughs. Shiba Inu's long-awaited layer-2 network, Shibarium, went live in March with a test network called Puppynet, which attracted a lot of attention. Then, in August, Shibarium's main network officially went live. Thanks to Shibarium, the Shiba Inu ecosystem continues to benefit from the security of Ethereum while offering faster transactions and lower gas fees. Transactions on Shibarium are charged with the BONE token.The launch of Shibarium is one of Shiba Inu's biggest steps towards becoming a serious blockchain project, far beyond just a meme coin. The creation of more than 21 million wallets during the testnet process clearly shows how wide the project has reached.As of 2023, the Shiba Inu ecosystem will include ShibaSwap (decentralized exchange), Shibarium (layer-2 network), Shiboshis (NFT collection) and Shib: The Metaverse (metaverse project). As of 2025, the Shiba Inu ecosystem continues to grow with the success of Shibarium and new projects. Shibarium has surpassed 1 billion transactions, reaching over 198 million wallet addresses. In addition, the Shiba Inu team is working on a layer-3 network that will be built on Shibarium and powered by the TREAT token. The community continues to grow every day.Why is Shiba Inu Valuable?Since its debut, Shiba Inu has received a lot of praise from fans and critics alike. So, what makes SHIB worthwhile? Let's look at the main factors that have made the Shiba Inu's star shine:A strong and active SHIB communityPerhaps Shiba Inu's greatest strength is the massive ShibArmy community behind it. Millions of people quickly showed interest in SHIB and started accumulating SHIB in their wallets. Reaching 1 million addresses in November 2021 made it clear how big this interest was. As of 2025, Shiba Inu's official Twitter account also has close to 4 million followers. On social media, ShibArmy members create content about SHIB, spread memes, organize campaigns, and sometimes SHIB hashtags even enter the world trends on Twitter. This massive community support not only keeps SHIB visible in the market, but also paves the way for new use cases.Decentralization and governance with DAOShiba Inu is now fully under the control of the community, with founder Ryoshi stepping down from the project completely. Decisions here are made by community voting through a decentralized structure called Doggy DAO. The key to having a say in the votes is the BONE token. BONE holders can vote on many issues, from which projects to support to which improvements will be made. “Whoever has the most BONEs has the most say” logic works. In other words, the steps that will move Shiba Inu forward are determined by the community itself, not a centralized team. This structure adds extra confidence to the project because people feel that they are not only investors but also part of something.Expanding ecosystem and technology moves: Shiboshis, Shib: The Metaverse and moreInitially dismissed as just a “joke coin”, Shiba Inu has managed to build its own ecosystem over time. Thanks to ShibaSwap, which was launched in 2021, users could stake SHIB, LEASH and BONE tokens and earn income. In other words, SHIB is no longer just a token to be bought and sold, but a passive income tool. Also, a 10,000-piece NFT collection called Shiboshis was released and attracted a lot of attention. Then the “Shib: The Metaverse” project was announced, a universe where you can buy virtual land and play games using SHIB. ShibaSwap screenshot. In 2023, the Shibarium network was officially launched. Shibarium allowed Shiba Inu to get rid of Ethereum's problems of congestion and high transaction fees. Now SHIB and other tokens can be traded faster and cheaper. Moreover, this infrastructure paves the way for new decentralized applications (dApps). In short, Shiba Inu is no longer just a joke; it has built an ecosystem full of DeFi, NFT, Metaverse and Layer-2 solutions. This keeps interest in SHIB alive and fuels anticipation for the future of Shiba Inu.Social media power and viral impactShiba Inu is a project that feeds directly from social media culture. It grew with the content produced by ShibArmy on channels such as Twitter, Reddit and TikTok. Even the indirect posts of names like Elon Musk rocketed the SHIB price; a 240% jump in the price with a tweet is not easily seen in conventional markets.The community is constantly working to keep the interest up: daily token burns, new project announcements, viral meme posts, etc. keep them in the spotlight on social media. Of course, this viral success sometimes puts the project in a speculative mood. But at the end of the day, community and visibility are everything in the crypto world. As of April 2025, the Shiba token price is hovering around $0.00001401.While Shiba Inu has a strong community and a growing ecosystem, some risks should not be overlooked. SHIB still has a huge supply, which makes it difficult for its price to rise to serious levels. Moreover, in the past, much of the supply has been concentrated in a small number of wallets; the movements of large holders can easily move the price. Since its value is largely based on community belief and social media influence, it can experience sharp drops as well as spikes. Who is the Founder of Shiba Inu?The founder of Shiba Inu is Ryoshi, whose real identity is still unknown. What is known about Ryoshi is quite limited; after explaining his vision in a few blog posts and social media posts in the early days of the project, he preferred to stay completely in the background. From day one, he described himself as a “nobody” and never wanted to be center stage. For him, Shiba Inu should be run entirely by the community, without the need for a founder or leader.Ryoshi wrote in one of his writings, “I have said from the beginning that I am nobody, I am insignificant. Even if those who try to expose me succeed, the result will be disappointing. I'm just someone typing away at a keyboard, someone who can be easily replaced. I'm Ryoshi,” he said, clearly expressing his determination to remain anonymous. Ryoshi's first blog post. He explains that he is 'just a human behind the keyboard'. Source: Medium To date, Ryoshi's true identity has not been revealed. In this way, he is reminiscent of Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin. As Shiba Inu grew up, there was much speculation about “Who is Ryoshi?” but no concrete information was found. To preserve the mystery, Ryoshi deleted all his social media accounts in June 2022 and virtually disappeared from the digital world. His silent farewell at the time marked a turning point for the Shiba community.With Ryoshi's complete withdrawal from the project, the leadership of Shiba Inu passed to Shytoshi Kusama, another person who had been involved in the project from the very beginning. Shytoshi has announced that he will carry on Ryoshi's vision and grow the project with the community. In a blog post, he wrote, “Ryoshi was one of the most successful anonymous founders in the crypto world. I don't know who he is either, but his legacy lives on in the Shib ecosystem and all our decentralized projects,” he said in a blog post.Even today, there is no clear answer to the question “Who is Ryoshi?”. But it's less about who she is and more about what she stands for. Instead of turning the spotlight on himself, Ryoshi wanted the project to belong entirely to the community. In other words, he practiced the philosophy of “Everyone can change, but what we build is permanent”. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)As the Shiba Inu (SHIB) ecosystem grows, many questions naturally arise. Here are the most frequently asked questions and answers about Shiba Inu:What is Shiba Inu and how does it work? Shiba Inu (SHIB) is a meme coin running on the Ethereum network. SHIB is ERC-20 standard and is transferred securely and compliantly through the Ethereum infrastructure. With the Shibarium network, transactions have become faster and cheaper.When did SHIB come out and who founded it? The founder is a pseudonym Ryoshi, who remains anonymous. Ryoshi started the project, quickly handed it over to the community, and then withdrew from the project completely in 2022. So when did Shiba come out? Shiba Inu was released in August 2020.Does investing in Shiba Inu make sense: While Shiba Inu offers potential with its strong community and large ecosystem, it carries high risk due to its extreme volatility. The investment decision should be based on individual risk tolerance and market analysis.Which exchanges is SHIB listed on? SHIB is traded on many major crypto exchanges and platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, KuCoin, Huobi, Gate.io, Kraken, Robinhood. It is also available on decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap.What is Shibarium and ShibaSwap: ShibaSwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) owned by the Shiba Inu community that allows users to trade and stake tokens such as SHIB, LEASH and BONE. Shibarium is the Shiba Inu ecosystem's layer-2 solution on Ethereum, offering fast and low-cost transactions.Is SHIB supply limited: Shiba Inu had an initial supply of 1 quadrillion tokens, but after Vitalik Buterin's massive burn, the supply has been reduced to around 590 trillion. There are no new SHIB mintings, but the total supply is still quite high.Don't forget to check out our JR Kripto Guide series to follow Shiba Inu and its ecosystem projects closely!
What is Official Trump Coin (TRUMP)?
Official Trump Coin (TRUMP) is a Solana-based meme coin launched by former US President Donald Trump in January 2025. This cryptocurrency, which is fueled by internet humor culture (memes), made a big impact on the first day, as it was promoted by Trump himself on his social media accounts. As the name suggests, this token, named after Trump, is the official entry of a political figure into the crypto space.Trump Coin was launched not as a traditional investment tool, but as a digital collectible and community token symbolizing Trump's “winning” spirit. In short, “What is Trump Coin?” is a community-driven cryptocurrency project that brings Donald Trump's global popularity and messages to the blockchain world. Let's take a look at the official cryptocurrency of Donald Trump, the new President of the United States...Definition and Emergence of Trump CoinTrump Coin is a meme token that runs on the Solana network and draws directly from internet culture. It's less about technical innovation and more about humor and community interest. Announced on January 18, 2025 by Donald Trump himself, the coin was promoted on Truth Social and X (the former Twitter). The project's website described it as “Trump's only official meme coin”. At first, some people thought “is this for real?”, but the fact that the announcement came directly from Trump has largely eliminated doubts. The real goal of Trump Coin is much more than just issuing a token. Through this coin, Trump aims to bring his supporters together in the digital world and bring his political stance to the Web3 space. The project's marketing language reflects this very clearly. For example, the coin's slogan is “Fight, Fight, Fight” - meaning “Fight, Fight, Fight”. This fits perfectly with Trump's combative character and “never give up” rhetoric that he has been emphasizing for years. Even the token's logo carries this message: It depicts Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in 2024, with his fist raised in the air. The image behind the coin is all about “resilience, leadership and victory”.Technically speaking, Trump Coin is not an investment vehicle; it is more of a digital collection or symbol. In the official statements of the project, the emphasis on “not investment advice” was repeated frequently. At this point, the aim is not to put users in a “buy, hold, sell” cycle, but rather to keep the community of Trump loyalists together. Coin holders can show on the blockchain that they are part of the Trump movement. So the token is not just a digital asset - it's also a political token of allegiance.In short, Trump Coin is a community-centered meme coin that brings Trump's power and influence to the crypto world. If asked what a meme coin is, the answer would be a project based on entertainment, humor and social interaction rather than a serious project. Trump's meme coin takes advantage of Solana's fast and low-cost infrastructure. But what's really remarkable is the name behind it and the cultural-political impact it has had. While Trump has previously distanced himself from cryptocurrencies, he is now at the center of digital finance with a token bearing his name. This explains why the project is being talked about so much.History of Trump Coin: Key MilestonesOne of the most important elements that shows that Trump Coin is more than just a meme coin is the rapid developments since its launch. Directly named after a political figure and announced by him, the cryptocurrency has been a hit with the markets and the public from day one. Below are the main milestones that have shaped the short but remarkable history of the Donald Trump Coin project:January 18, 2025 - Official launch: The TRUMP coin release date was marked on the calendar for January 18. Donald Trump officially launched the coin on the Solana blockchain, announcing it on his Truth Social and X accounts. This is the first time a US president has circulated a cryptocurrency bearing his personal brand.The first day saw a price explosion: In the hours after the launch, the value of Trump Coin skyrocketed. The TRUMP token price jumped more than 600% from around US$10 to more than $70 within hours. The surge pushed the market capitalization of the TRUMP token to almost $11 billion, instantly making it one of the largest cryptocurrencies. The sudden price explosion has made Trump Coin headlines in both the crypto community and the mainstream media. TRUMP coin all time chart 1 billion supply and viral spread: The TRUMP coin supply was set at 1 billion tokens. At launch, 20% (200 million units) were made available for public sale, while the remaining 80% were locked in wallets belonging to Trump's digital companies. This controlled supply strategy envisioned a gradual release of tokens to avoid large sales surges. In the early days of the project, Trump Coin went viral on social media, with official announcements being shared tens of thousands of times on platforms such as Twitter and Telegram and generating intense engagement within the community. TRUMP coin distribution and emission schedule as of April. Source: Gettrumpmemes.com The launch of Melania Coin: On the heels of the Trump Coin launch, then First Lady Melania Trump took a similar step. On January 19, 2025, Melania Trump announced her own meme token ($MELANIA) on the Solana network, and Donald Trump shared his wife's project with his followers on social media. However, this simultaneous release had an immediate impact on the TRUMP coin: Within minutes of Melania's announcement, the price of the TRUMP token plummeted by more than 50%. This sparked a “Trump vs Melania Coin” debate in the community. Many users shared side-by-side comparisons of the supply, price performance and community size of both tokens. According to the available data, we can compare the two coins as follows:FeatureTrump Coin ($TRUMP)Melania Coin ($MELANIA)Price$13.23$0.52Market Cap$2.64 billion$288 million24-Hour Volume$1.82 billion$46 millionCirculating Supply200 million550 millionTotal Supply1 billion1 billionAll-Time High$75.35 (January 2025)$13.73 (January 2025)BlockchainSolanaSolanaLaunch DateJanuary 18, 2025January 20, 2025OwnerDonald J. TrumpMelania TrumpTRUMP pioneered political cryptocurrencies: Trump Coin is considered a groundbreaking example of the “political cryptocurrencies” trend, as it is the first high-profile cryptocurrency issued by a political leader. Thanks to the global influence of Trump's name, the project has popularized the concept of political figure tokens, a new niche in the crypto world. Indeed, unlike other meme coins, the TRUMP meme coin stands out thanks to the political influence behind it.Why is Trump Coin valuable?The reason why Trump Coin has attracted the attention of millions of people and reached a high market capitalization in a short period of time is not only the curiosity generated by its name, but also various factors that make the project unique. What sets this coin apart from other Solana-based coins or meme coins is shaped by both its technical infrastructure and Trump's personal influence. Below are the key elements that make Official Trump Coin valuable:Global recognition: The Trump FactorThe name Donald Trump has a globally recognized brand equity. This gives Trump Coin a unique appeal and trust. Trump's global popularity was one of the main reasons why many investors were attracted to the TRUMP token at launch. The fact that Trump has millions of loyal supporters means that the coin will always have broad mass support behind it. This gives TRUMP a special value compared to other anonymous meme coins.Advantages of the Solana networkThe fact that the TRUMP coin runs on the Solana blockchain gives it the technical advantage of speed and low costs. Solana is known for its capacity to process thousands of transactions per second and its low transaction fees. This makes Trump Coin transactions both fast and cost-effective. Especially considering the high gas fees on networks like Ethereum, the fact that it is a Solana-based coin makes the TRUMP token attractive for practical use. Meanwhile, the interest generated by the TRUMP coin has not been limited to itself; the Solana network has also been severely affected by this wind. As can be seen in the graph below, user activity in the Solana ecosystem skyrocketed following the TRUMP launch. Solana's native token SOL also hit an all-time high in terms of price. The number of active addresses and wallets on Solana jumped with the launch of the TRUMP coin. Source: CoinMetrics Political support and community influenceTrump Coin came with the support of a strong political community behind it. At Donald Trump's urging, many of his supporters have embraced the token like a badge and actively promoted it in online communities. The token's existence creates a sense of political belonging, as it is presented with the idea of “joining the movement” of Trump. This loyal community supports its value by providing a constant demand and interest in the coin. Furthermore, Trump's political decisions or statements can directly affect community morale and therefore the price of the token - an important factor that differentiates TRUMP coin from other cryptocurrencies.Collection value: A digital legacyTrump Coin is also seen as a digital collectible. Just as Trump's NFT trading cards have gained popularity as part of his brand legacy, the TRUMP token is similarly valued as an asset representing Trump's digital legacy. For many Trump supporters, owning this coin is not only a possible investment gain, but also a memento, an icon of the Trump era. The project's emphasis on “community token, not investment” also points to this collecting and memorabilia purpose. In this way, Trump Coin can be seen as a unique cryptocurrency whose value is partly based on emotional and cultural accumulation. Trump's NFT cards. Source: Magic Eden The impact of social media is undeniableOne of the key drivers of Trump Coin's value is its viral impact on social media. When the token's launch was announced by Donald Trump on social platforms, it reached millions within hours and multiplied its price. Similarly, viral campaigns, meme sharing and community activity around the project directly shape the coin's market performance. For example, positive news about TRUMP in the post-launch period can push the price up, while negative news (such as another token announcement) can create immediate selling pressure.In the latest developments, a statement on the TRUMP token's official website announced that the first 220 investors will be invited to a private gala dinner with Donald Trump on May 22. A private VIP reception and tour for the top 25 investors is also planned. Following this announcement, the price of Trump Coin increased by more than 50 percent on April 24, reaching $ 14.70. In the morning hours of April 25, it fell to around $12.30. Interestingly, this rise coincided with the announcement that the token unlocking process that investors had been waiting for would be delayed for 90 days. This suggests that Trump Coin's value is largely determined by social media influence and community interaction.Who is the Founder of Trump Coin?So, who launched the Trump coin project? As the name suggests, the founder of the Trump Coin project is Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America. As of 2025, Trump, who is the President of the United States again, has repeatedly expressed his vision for the cryptocurrency world. Indeed, during the 2024 election campaign, he promised to make America the “crypto center of the world” and stated that he aims to be the “first crypto president”. Interestingly, Donald Trump's interest in cryptocurrencies is a recent development. In a 2019 statement, he claimed that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “not money”. He said that these coins have “high volatility” and that most of them are “just air”.The launch of Trump Coin was announced directly on Donald Trump's official platforms. The operational management of the project is being handled by digital startups affiliated with the Trump Organization. For example, CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC, which previously managed Trump's NFT collections, are involved in the project, holding 80% of the total token supply. This structure means that the bulk of the coin supply is locked up on the Trump front.Although Donald Trump has actively promoted this crypto initiative, official statements emphasize that the TRUMP blockchain project is not affiliated with any political campaign or public office. It also states that the token is not a security and should not be considered for investment purposes. In other words, Trump Coin is described by its founder as a “community engagement” tool rather than an investment instrument. In short, Donald Trump is both the inspiration and the face of this project. The aim of the coin is to engage and interact with his supporters in a new digital economy model.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)For users who want to better understand the basics of Official Trump Coin, here are short and clear answers to frequently asked questions:What is Trump Coin and what does it do? Trump Coin is a cryptocurrency issued by Donald Trump that runs on the Solana blockchain. So, what does Trump coin do? As it is a meme coin, it aims to represent Trump's community support in the digital space rather than being a technical project. In short, Trump Coin is used as a token that brings Trump supporters together and carries his message of “winning” rather than providing any tangible service.When was it issued and by whom?: Trump Coin was officially launched on January 18, 2025 by then US President Donald Trump. News of the launch was first announced on Trump's own Truth Social account and other social platforms. This confirmed that the coin is an official Trump-owned initiative with the name “Official Trump Coin”.Which network does it run on? The TRUMP token runs on the Solana blockchain, which is known for its transaction speed and low fees. This means that Trump Coin benefits from all the technical advantages of the Solana network (fast confirmation time, low cost, high scalability, etc.). Users can send, receive and trade Trump Coin through Solana-compatible wallets.Investment or collection: According to Trump Coin's development team and official statements, the token is not intended as an investment tool. Rather, it is intended to be a digital collection and engagement tool for Trump supporters. Therefore, TRUMP coin stands out more for its community engagement and “digital souvenir” aspect than the expectation of financial return. Of course, the price may change as it is traded on the market, but the core message of the project is “not investment advice”.Which exchanges is it listed on? The Trump crypto project was listed on various cryptocurrency exchanges shortly after its launch. In particular, TRUMP token is traded on some international platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, Upbit, Bybit Bitget, HTX (Huobi) and Bitrue. It is also possible to trade Trump Coin on Solana-based decentralized exchanges. What is the future of Trump Coin? It's hard to say anything definitive about the future of Trump Coin. Experts say that the token's performance will depend on community interest, general market trends and the release of locked tokens over time. In the long term, the value of TRUMP coin remains uncertain; the market's reaction to the project and sustained community support will be critical. Some observers believe that Trump Coin could prove successful and become an enduring digital symbol or, on the contrary, serve as a warning against overly speculative investments. The fact is that Trump Coin has already become one of the intersections of politics and popular culture in the crypto world.For more on Trump Coin and similar political crypto projects, follow our JR Kripto Guide series!
What is Solana (SOL)?
As blockchain technology rapidly evolves, next-generation networks are racing to offer faster, lower-cost and more scalable solutions. One of the most notable participants in this race is Solana, a project that has attracted the attention of both developers and investors in recent years. So what makes Solana such a special and prominent project? Let's take a step-by-step look at what Solana is and how this network came to be.Definition and Emergence of SolanaThe short answer to the question of what Solana is is that it is a decentralized, high-performance Layer-1 blockchain network. Solana aims to offer fast transaction speeds and low fees for developers and users. These aspects stand out, especially when compared to older open blockchains such as Ethereum. Solana is seen as a censorship-resistant, secure and fast blockchain to facilitate global adoption.Solana was developed by Solana Labs, a San Francisco-based technology company. So, when did Solana come out? When was Solana founded? Although the project was officially founded in 2018, development work on the protocol first began in 2017 when co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko wrote the original Proof-of-History (PoH) white paper. Yakovenko had extensive experience in distributed systems and compression algorithms at Qualcomm, where he previously worked. This experience helped him understand that a reliable clock that simplifies network synchronization can ultimately make the network exponentially faster. Yakovenko reasoned that using PoH, he could speed up the blockchain tremendously compared to “clockless”, “timeless” blockchain systems like Bitcoin and Ethereum.According to Yakovenko, his team wanted to build a smart contract platform that leverages reliable computations without performance limitations and high costs. With traditional blockchains struggling with speed and throughput, Anatoly thought of applying his expertise in distributed systems to blockchain.The first PoH technical paper was published in November 2017. Greg Fitzgerald posted an open source implementation (prototype) of Anatoly's white paper to GitHub in February 2018. Greg released the first version at the end of February, showing that the prototype could process 10,000 transactions per second. Stephen Akridge then demonstrated an improved throughput by offloading signature verification to GPUs. Anatoly, Greg, Stephen and three others founded the company, which was initially called Loom. However, it turned out that there was already an existing project called Ethereum-based Loom Network, so the team had to change the name. Since the co-founders often surfed at Solana Beach in California, they chose the name “Solana” for their blockchain, inspired by the beach's name, and the name stuck.The “mainnet beta” version of the project went live in March 2020. This marked the transition from an experimental protocol to a functional network. The project launched the Solana mainnet beta, offering smart contract support and basic transaction capabilities. Thus, SOL coin came into our lives.The most important building block that makes Solana technically different and powerful is the Proof of History (PoH) mechanism. So, what is Proof of History? PoH is designed to keep time between computers in a decentralized network without the need for all computers to communicate and agree about it. Solana uses cryptographic functions to timestamp transactions so that each verifier can trust the network's timeline without waiting for collective confirmation. This mechanism increases transaction throughput by reducing the need for coordination between validators. While PoH plays an important role in the PoS consensus mechanism, it is not a standalone consensus mechanism.History of Solana: Key MilestonesHaving familiarized ourselves with the technical background of Solana, let us now take a look at the development process of the project, i.e. its journey through time. Here are some of the highlights of Solana's history:November 2017: Anatoly Yakovenko published the Proof-of-History (PoH) technical paper describing a new timekeeping method for distributed systems.February 2018: Greg Fitzgerald uploaded an open source implementation (Silk) of Anatoly's technical paper to GitHub. The first release verified and processed 10,000 transactions per second.June 2018: Solana technology started working on cloud-based networks.July 2018: The Solana team released the first public test network of 50 nodes, capable of accelerating up to 250,000 TPS.December 2018: The team launched a 150-node, gigabit network testnet (v0.10 Pillbox) and conducted a “soak test” with bursts averaging 200,000 TPS and up to 500,000 TPS.July 2019: The Solana team raised around $20 million in funding rounds (private token sales) led by Multicoin Capital.August 2020: The incentivized testnet (Tour de SOL) was launched.March 2020: Solana's Beta Mainnet was launched. The team also raised $1.76 million through a public token auction.2021: Solana's price rises 13500% to over $260 during a bull run in 2021. This coincided with FTX launching a new NFT marketplace on the Solana blockchain, OpenSea, the world's largest NFT marketplace, providing support for Solana collections, and a huge surge in NFT and DeFi projects. This period of growth is often referred to as “Solana Summer”. New wallets like the Phantom wallet and ecosystem projects like Serum emerged, increasing user adoption.September 2021: Raydium suffers a major network outage due to a denial-of-service attack by bots. The network was offline for 17 hours.January 2022: There were partial outages for two weeks. The network experienced prolonged outages, including a 30-hour outage due to heavy bot operations.May 2022: A network outage caused by NFT minting bots occurred and lasted for 7 hours.June 2022: There was a consensus failure due to a software bug, which led to another network outage.July 2022: Solana Ventures launches a $100 million investment fund for Korean startups GameFi, NFT and DeFi.August 2022: Around 8000 Solana-based hot wallets (including Phantom and Slope) are exploited and millions of dollars are lost.2022 FTX Collapse: With FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried being a prominent Solana supporter, the collapse of FTX created a major test on Solana. SOL price plummeted. The project team and developers who chose to stay on the network showed resilience, releasing new updates and products. After the crash, the slogan “Only Possible on Solana” (OPOS) became popularized and became a rallying call for the community.February 25, 2023: Another network outage caused by a slowdown in block production after a validator software upgrade.December 2023: Circle's EURC stablecoin goes live on Solana. Solana sets a record for monthly new and active addresses, with the number of active addresses surpassing 15.6 million, 50% above November's figures. Solana records higher trading volume than Ethereum in December 2023, and does so without downtime.Late 2023/Early 2024: The rise of the BONK meme coin attracted significant interest in the Solana ecosystem and attracted investors and users. Network performance improved and on-chain user and activity metrics surpassed their peaks in 2021.In 2024, SOL grew: Solana was the fastest growing ecosystem for new developers, with 81% of all DEX transactions reported to come from the Solana ecosystem. New innovations such as liquid staking were introduced. Solana starts to overtake Ethereum in terms of fees and revenue. Platforms like Pump.fun make it easier to launch meme coins. Upgrades like Firedancer and Runtime V2 continued. The second version of the Solana Saga mobile phone is ready. Solana Pay launches as an integrated app on Shopify for millions of businesses. Franklin Templeton expanded the Franklin Onchain US Government Money Fund to Solana. The reconfiguration process for network outages has begun: By 2025, Solana will have been operating without interruption for more than 1 year. This is an important milestone to remove the “mainnet-beta” label. The frequency of network outages is decreasing as the network matures. But some community leaders predict that outages will continue. As of April 2025, Solana has a market capitalization of over $50 billion, making it one of the most influential blockchains. Real-world performance hovers around 4,000 TPS per second. Although Solana faced challenges (including network outages and decentralization concerns), the team quickly deployed upgrades such as the QUIC protocol and stake-weighted transaction prioritization to stabilize the network and significantly improve it by 2025.January 2025 saw a record high: Solana's Mainnet Beta network and its native token, SOL, went public in March 2020. Looking at price history, SOL hit an all-time low of $0.5052 on May 11, 2020. Despite the difficult period after the FTX crash, the project team continued to develop. The recovery process gained momentum towards the end of 2023 as users returned to the network. The SOL price rose rapidly from $10, reaching $101 in early January 2024. Then, continuing its momentum, Solana reached an all-time high of $294.33 on January 19, 2025. Behind this rise, US President Donald Trump's TRUMP and his wife Melania Trump's MELANIA meme coins were issued on the Solana network. As of April, the token is around $150. SOL price chart since launch Why is Solana valuable?After all these historical developments, we need to take a closer look at the technological value of Solana to better understand why it has attracted so much attention. Solana's features and technological innovations are the key elements that make it valuable in the blockchain space:High transaction speed and low transaction costSolana's most distinctive feature is its speed. The network can theoretically process up to 65,000 transactions per second, or according to some sources, up to 710,000 on a standard gigabit network. In Solana vs Ethereum comparisons, this difference is quite striking; while Ethereum processes about 13-15 transactions per 1.0 second, Solana's capacity sets it apart from many blockchain networks. BNB Chain, on the other hand, is around 74.41. This speed is the result of Solana's unique Proof-of-History (PoH) mechanism, a process of “layering” on top of the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system. PoH allows blocks to be generated much faster by sequencing transactions without the need for validators to communicate.FeatureEthereum (ETH)Solana (SOL)BNB Chain (BNB)Consensus MechanismProof of Stake (PoS)Proof of History (PoH) + PoSProof of Staked Authority (PoSA)Real-Time TPS14.38 TPS1,214 TPS74.41 TPSMaximum TPS (100 blocks)62.34 TPS2,909 TPS1,731 TPSTransaction Fee (Average)$1.90$0.006$0.02In addition to speed, low transaction costs are also a key advantage. Unlike older blockchains where simple transactions became expensive, Solana makes even micro-transactions feasible. The average transaction fee is typically less than a cent, or even $0.00025 according to some sources. This affordability makes Solana particularly attractive for high-volume applications and frequent transactions. Low fees and high speed have the potential to enable Solana to compete with centralized payment processors (such as Visa).Ideal infrastructure for Web3 and NFT projectsSolana's high throughput and low fees have created an attractive environment for experimenting with new applications in various categories such as DeFi, NFTs, GameFi and DePIN. Applications on Solana benefit from the speed and low cost of the network. Solana is particularly well suited for NFT minting and trading on NFT platforms, allowing users to list, buy or sell NFTs without incurring the high “gas” costs seen on other networks. Projects such as Serum, Raydium, Jupiter, Magic Eden, Solanart, Phantom, Backpack, Solflare, Bonfida (offering interface, API and data analytics for Serum), Orca (DEX) are operating in the Solana ecosystem. DePIN projects such as Helium and Render Network also use Solana. Some projects in the Solana ecosystem. Source: Decentralized.co Overall, the Solana ecosystem is constantly growing. There are hundreds of native protocols in areas such as DeFi, NFT and DePIN. Giant exchanges, institutional investors and global banks are starting to show interest in Solana. Circle's USDC and EURC stablecoin integrations and bridging protocols like Wormhole have increased liquidity and allowed users to easily transfer funds to Solana. The Solana Pay integration with Shopify and institutions like Franklin Templeton moving their funds to Solana show that adoption is growing. Moreover, Solana accounted for 81% of all DEX transactions in 2024.Solana has a developer-friendly environment and an open source structureSolana uses a powerful and adaptable programming language like Rust. Compared to Ethereum's Solidity, Rust is considered less difficult to learn and attracts a wider pool of developers. It also offers the flexibility to code in popular languages like C++ and C. This opens the door for developers who may not have considered blockchain before. More developers means more projects and a more diverse ecosystem. Solana offers a developer-friendly environment; tutorials and a comprehensive coding guide are available. All core client software is publicly hosted on GitHub under open source licenses, allowing open access and community contributions. Solana became the #1 blockchain for new developers in 2024. The diversity of Solana developer tools enabled this first place.Hybrid structure with Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS)Solana combines the unique Proof-of-History (PoH) mechanism with Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) or Proof-of-Stake (PoS). PoH acts as the network's “clock” by verifying the chronological order of transactions. This allows validators to process transactions much faster. The PoS layer is used to secure the network. Validators (or agents) stake SOL tokens to validate transactions and add new blocks. This hybrid approach ensures high transaction speed and scalability, while balancing energy efficiency and security (malicious actors risk losing their staked SOL).Thanks to the PoS network and other innovations, Solana's energy consumption is low. Each transaction reportedly uses only as much energy as a few Google searches. Combined, these factors make Solana a valuable blockchain network that is high-speed, low-cost, scalable and has a thriving ecosystem.What does SOL coin do between the technical features?Just as important as Solana's technical power and ecosystem is the economic model at its heart: SOL coin. Because within Solana's ecosystem, not only the technical infrastructure, but also the economic elements that feed and run this infrastructure play a critical role. So, what does SOL coin do? SOL plays multiple roles within the Solana network. First of all, we need to explain what SOL coin is. SOL is the native cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain. Its value stems from the network's core capabilities and its own use cases.SOL is the native cryptocurrency of the Solana network and plays a key role in its functioning. First of all, transaction fees for all transactions on Solana are paid in SOL. This enables the fast and low-cost structure of the network.Furthermore, the network is secured by staking SOL tokens. In this way, validators or delegators both support the network and earn rewards. This system forms the basis of Solana's Proof-of-Stake model. SOL also plays a role in governance. Holders have the right to vote on protocol updates and decisions on the network. In the DeFi and NFT projects, the SOL is used as both collateral and a means of payment. Above all, SOL can be traded and used as a store of value, just like other major cryptocurrencies. Who is the Founder of Solana?The answer to the question of who founded Solana is Anatoly Yakovenko, the lead developer and visionary. Yakovenko is the CEO and co-founder of Solana Labs. Anatoly Yakovenko's background is important for understanding Solana's technical vision. Yakovenko worked for many years at Qualcomm, a Fortune 500 company that provides semiconductors, software and wireless technology services for mobile phones. At Qualcomm, he focused on distributed systems and compression techniques. He also worked at companies like Dropbox. His experience in this industry and his knowledge of distributed systems design led to the idea of improving blockchain efficiency with Proof-of-History. Yakovenko realized that creating a chronological record of events by adding a “clock” to his block could make the blockchain more efficient. This idea led him to write a technical paper in 2017 defining the concept of Proof-of-History. Anatoly Yakovenko and the Solana team Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko teamed up with former Qualcomm colleagues Greg Fitzgerald and Stephen Akridge to develop the project. Greg Fitzgerald worked on the first iteration of the PoH blockchain and moved to Rust. Stephen Akridge worked on porting signature verification to GPUs. Raj Gokal later joined the team. Other key members of the Solana team include Jeffrey Levy (Solana Foundation and Solana Labs Operations Advisor), Matthew Sorg (Technology and Product Lead), Caesar Chad (Rust Developer and Investor Relations) and Spencer Spinell (Strategic Advisor).Two key organizations play a role in the Solana ecosystem:Solana Labs: A technology company based in San Francisco, California. It has built the basic building blocks of blockchain and continues to develop the infrastructure and technology underlying the network. It is responsible for optimizing the network and keeping it running efficiently. Solana Labs also acts as an incubator, providing teams with tools and connections to build their businesses. The Solana Labs team is skilled and able to react quickly to changes in the network and provide timely fixes.Solana Foundation: A Switzerland-based non-profit organization founded in June 2019. Dedicated to the decentralization, adoption and security of the Solana ecosystem. Oversees funding for grants, the Delegation Program and developer tools. Controls official brand assets, social media accounts, websites and trademarks. It operates with a relatively small team (60-65 full-time employees).Decentralization process with community inputThe Solana network is distributed across 4,514 nodes (including 1,414 validators and 3,100 RPCs). The validator set is spread across 37 countries. The Nakamoto Coefficient (the minimum number of independent entities that must cooperate to stop the network's viability) is usually quoted as 19, but the actual figure is likely to be lower as individual entities can anonymously operate multiple validators. The set of validators and hosting providers (with the leading ones such as Teraswitch, Latitude.sh, OVHcloud, Cherry Servers) still shows some concentration. However, multiple client implementations such as Firedancer aim to increase client diversity, reducing the risk of a single failure affecting the entire network. Solana and Ethereum are currently the only layer 1 blockchains that offer multiple client implementations. Significant changes to the core components of the network go through a public SIMD (Solana Improvement and Development) proposal process. Decentralization is an area of ongoing development and improvement for Solana.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Following our guide to Solana, we wanted to answer the most frequently asked questions. In this section, you can find short and clear answers to frequently asked questions about Solana for both beginners and curious followers.What is Solana and how is it different from Ethereum? Solana is a scalable Layer-1 blockchain that offers high speed and low transaction costs. It is faster than Ethereum (in terms of TPS), has much lower transaction fees and includes an innovative time mechanism such as Proof-of-History (PoH). While Ethereum is considered more established and stronger in terms of decentralization, Solana is an attractive alternative for performance-oriented projects.Who founded Solana: Solana was founded by former Qualcomm employee Anatoly Yakovenko. Yakovenko was joined by Greg Fitzgerald, Stephen Akridge and later Raj Gokal. Development began in 2017, with the main network launching in 2020.Why is the Solana network so fast? Solana's speed is due to the chronological ordering of transactions thanks to the PoH mechanism and the ability of validators to operate with synchronized time information. Furthermore, the high hardware requirement and the ability to execute parallel transactions (Sealevel) increase the TPS.How the NFT and DeFi projects work at Solana: Solana's low compute overhead and high speed make it an ideal infrastructure for NFT and DeFi projects. Projects such as Magic Eden, Raydium, and Jupiter run on Solana. NFT minting is cheap and fast, while DeFi protocols support functions such as liquidity, staking and lending.Is Solana reliable, why are there network outages? While Solana is generally reliable, it has experienced network outages in the past. These were usually caused by bot attacks, software bugs and heavy transaction load. However, since 2024, network stability has improved significantly and there have been no outages for the last year.What does Solana's future look like: The future of SOL coin shows strong growth with developer interest, user adoption and innovative infrastructure. Upgrades like Firedancer, the expansion of Solana Pay, and growing institutional interest make the network's future bright. By 2025, Solana stands out as one of the strongest Layer-1 projects with its stable operation and growing ecosystem. Follow our JR Kripto Guide series to learn more about the Solana network and its place in the Web3 world!
What is Official Melania Coin (MELANIA)?
Official Melania Coin (MELANIA) is a Solana-based token issued by Melania Trump, the current First Lady of the United States. Launched in January 2025, the cryptocurrency is promoted as a collectible token that reflects Melania Trump's vision of digital art and personal values. MELANIA, also referred to as “Melania Trump coin”, quickly gained popularity as one of the rare examples of a political figure entering the Web3 space. This project, which attracted great attention in the first days of its launch, reached a market value of billions of dollars in a short time, revealing the influence of the American First Lady in the cryptocurrency space. So what is Melania Coin and what is its purpose? In this guide, we take a detailed look at the emergence, history, value and future of the MELANIA token.Definition and Emergence of Melania CoinMelania Coin is a “meme” themed cryptocurrency running on the Solana blockchain. Although it is a meme coin, it is categorized as a “political meme coin” because of the name behind it. On January 19, 2025, it was officially launched by Melania Trump, then the First Lady of the United States. On this date, hours before Donald Trump took over the presidency, Melania Trump announced on the social media platform X: “The Official Melania Meme is on the market! You can get MELANIA now.” Shortly after, former President Donald Trump also supported the project by sharing his wife's post. Melania Trump's move followed her husband's TRUMP token, which was launched the day before, and drew attention in terms of high-level political figures entering the cryptocurrency space one after another. Trump also launched a meme coin called TRUMP on the Solana blockchain. Melania Trump's X post announcing the MELANIA coin The $MELANIA token was introduced as a collectible crypto token designed to reflect Melania Trump's personal values and vision for digital art. The project was announced on the official website melaniameme.com with images that reflect Melania Trump's messages and art themes. Melania explained that she does not see this cryptocurrency as an investment, but as a digital collectible for those who want to show support for the values she symbolizes. Indeed, the websites of both the TRUMP and MELANIA tokens include disclaimers that these coins are not investment opportunities or securities. The Melania Coin project also states that it is “not affiliated with any political campaign, government office or government agency” and that it is positioned as a purely personal and community-oriented initiative.Melania Trump's launch of this project is also symbolic of the entry of political figures into the Web3 space. While some pop culture icons and internet influencers have previously launched their own meme coins, this is the first time a US First Lady has launched her own cryptocurrency while on active duty. History of Melania Coin: Key MilestonesMelania Coin (MELANIA) is a meme coin launched by former US First Lady Melania Trump that has sparked unprecedented activity in the crypto world. Here is the stunning story of Melania Coin's rapid rise and fall through history and media attention:January 19, 2025: Official launch The official launch of the MELANIA token took place on this date. Following Melania Trump's announcement on social media, the coin was publicly traded on the Solana network. Just before the launch, on January 18th, her husband Donald Trump also launched his own meme coin, TRUMP. These back-to-back launches created a huge buzz in the crypto markets. Although Melania Coin was listed at a very low price of $0.1 at the time of its launch, it started a rapid uptrend within minutes. Thousands of investors and collectors started buying MELANIA within the first few hours; trading activity on the Solana network exploded. In fact, on launch day, total transaction fees on the Solana network reached an all-time high of $32.43 million on January 19th. This intensity even pushed the SOL coin price to a record high. In short, the launch of Melania Coin made history not only for its own price chart, but also for its ecosystem-wide impact. Transaction fees on the Solana network jumped in January. Source: Glassnode Price explosion in the first 24 hours Melania Coin experienced a “rocket rise” within the first 24 hours after launch. The rapid appreciation seen in many meme coins also happened for MELANIA, but much more dramatically. By the end of the first day, the price was up well over 1000%. According to some sources, a jump of nearly 24,000% was recorded. This extraordinary increase pushed the price of MELANIA to around 13 dollars. In other words, Melania Coin appreciated hundreds of times in just a few hours, giving early buyers enormous profits. As a result, the market capitalization of the MELANIA token quickly surpassed the billion-dollar mark. As of January 20, 2025, the day after the launch, MELANIA had a market capitalization of approximately $1.9 billion.Volatility and sharp fluctuations started within 24 hours Immediately after the meteoric rise, Melania Coin's price began to experience sharp corrections and fluctuations. Within 24 hours of the January 20 peak, with more tokens entering the market and profit realizations, the price lost more than 50% of its value. For example, MELANIA made its first major correction on January 21, falling from around $13 to around $6. In the days that followed, volatility remained high, with the price fluctuating up and down within a few dollars and the market capitalization experiencing billion-dollar volatility. By the end of January, Melania Coin's price was down to the $3-4 range. The downtrend continued through February 2025, with the current price of Melania coin dropping to around $1.5 in mid-February. During these fluctuations, there was a great deal of media interest in the market and experts began to debate the sustainability of MELANIA. By April 2025, the MELANIA token price had lost 96% of its value compared to its initial peak. In other words, the price dropped from $13 on the first day to less than $0.5 in mid-April, giving back almost all of its gains. The chart below summarizes the price trajectory of Melania Coin from its launch in January 2025 until April 2025: Media attention and comparisons with TRUMP The Melania Coin story has been heavily discussed in the media and crypto community. The first First Lady cryptocurrency and the wild fluctuations in its price made headlines. Many news reports compared MELANIA to Donald Trump's TRUMP token, which was launched the day before. The TRUMP coin also saw a huge rally at launch, jumping from $10 to $75 on the first day, reaching a market capitalization of nearly $15 billion. Melania Coin, on the other hand, seemed to be lagging behind the Trump token, with a peak price of around $13 and a market capitalization of almost $2 billion. The table below summarizes the key indicator comparison of TRUMP and MELANIA tokens as of January 21, 2025:CoinInitial Market CapAll-Time High PricePrice on January 21, 202524h VolumeTRUMP> $14 billion$75.35$42.70$40 billionMELANIA~ $2 billion$13.73$4.04$3.2 billionWhile the data above shows that the total market capitalization of the TRUMP token was initially much higher than that of Melania Coin, it also reveals that both coins were subject to tremendous volatility. Indeed, MELANIA's exit caused a sudden drop in TRUMP's price. Following the launch of Melania Coin, TRUMP plummeted nearly 30% from $72 to $49. This was interpreted as investor migration between the two coins and Melania Coin draining liquidity from the Trump token. In a way, these meme coins issued by two members of the Trump family brought the question “are they competing?” to mind. Although Melania did not emphasize competition, the market brought MELANIA vs. TRUMP comparisons. Media reports and analyses have often juxtaposed the two tokens, evaluating their technical specifications, price performance and community reactions. As a result, Melania Coin's history has been characterized by sharp rises and falls in the first few months, and has been widely followed in the crypto world.Why is Melania Coin Valuable?There are several important factors behind Melania Coin's rapid rise in popularity and value. These can be summarized as follows:Melania Trump's political and social influenceOne of the most important elements that makes the MELANIA token valuable is the power of the name behind it. As the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump is a well-known and active public figure in the country and around the world. Therefore, her signing on to such a project as the Melania Trump blockchain project automatically gave the coin a brand value and recognition. A large part of the community saw it as a form of social engagement to support what was billed as the “First Lady of America cryptocurrency project” instead of an ordinary meme coin. Melania Trump's active political and social role helped the coin gain mainstream media coverage from day one, which accelerated its viral spread. Melania's fans and supporters embraced the cryptocurrency as a symbolic token of loyalty. In fact, the project's promotional statement emphasized that MELANIA represents Melania Trump's “persona” and philanthropic image. In this way, the coin was more than just an element of humor; it also had a special meaning for collectors by creating a sense of being a partner in Melania Trump's values.Why is MELANIA on the Solana network? Melania Coin is technically built on the Solana blockchain. Solana is an advanced blockchain infrastructure that can process thousands of transactions per second, has extremely low transaction fees and offers smart contract support. This choice played a critical role in the MELANIA token's ability to quickly go mainstream. Users were able to buy and sell MELANIA almost costlessly thanks to the low gas fees on the Solana network. The high-performance Solana infrastructure enabled the token to withstand large volumes of transactions and user flows. In fact, experts say that Solana has become one of the most preferred networks for meme coin issuance thanks to its “lightning-fast transactions” and compatible DeFi ecosystem. In this way, Melania Coin was able to turn its technical advantage into value by working on Solana instead of slower and more expensive networks like Ethereum. In addition, the transparency of transactions on Solana made it easy to track the transfer movements of the MELANIA token through block explorers. For example, on launch day, Solscan data showed that more than 22,000 different wallets held MELANIA tokens. This high level of engagement was managed smoothly thanks to Solana's scalability.Community support and viral spread sealed the coin's fateThe most important factor that determines the fate of every meme coin is the strength of its community. Melania Coin has also gained a strong community and social media presence in a short time. From day one, tens of thousands of people bought MELANIA and joined the project. The hashtag #MelaniaMemeCoin trended on social media, and thousands of posts about the project were shared on crypto forums. In addition to Melania Trump's own following, curious investors from the general crypto community also added MELANIA to their portfolios as the “first First Lady coin”. As the community grew, the FOMO (fear of missing out) effect on the MELANIA price increased and more people jumped on board. This viral cycle added to the coin's value, as its market capitalization was largely fueled by social media hype and meme culture. Given Melania Trump's celebrity status and the popularity of the Trump brand, the MELANIA coin naturally spread to a wide audience. The community also created various digital artworks, NFTs, humorous visuals around the project, adding vibrancy to the ecosystem. This viral spread, fueled by community and brand power, has turned the coin into a phenomenon, underpinning its value.Political figures enter the digital worldMelania Coin has become more than just a cryptocurrency, it has become a symbol of a political figure's power of representation in the digital world. The cryptocurrency industry is used to seeing technology-driven startups or projects led by anonymous teams. The entry of a high-profile figure like Melania Trump has opened a new window into how political identities can interact with blockchain technology. This added another dimension of value to the coin: cultural and historical value. For many collectors, the MELANIA token is valuable not only for its price, but also for the “firsts” it represents. Moreover, some analysts have also placed Trump and Melania tokens in a special place in crypto history, describing them as the FOMO phase of a rising bull market. Overall, as you can see below, many political figures have cryptocurrencies - many of them community-created. Kaynak: Coinranking MELANIA: Collection token with limited supply Melania Coin has been touted as a collectible cryptocurrency from the very beginning. The description on Melaniameme.com emphasizes that this token is not an investment instrument, but a digital collectible. This approach defines the coin's value in terms of rarity and uniqueness. The total supply of MELANIA coins is limited to 1 billion tokens. This fixed supply means that there will be a maximum of 1 billion MELANIA coins on the market, which theoretically creates a scarcity value. Moreover, not all of these 1 billion tokens are in circulation immediately; there is a specific vesting (unlocking) schedule. Tokens allocated to the project team and organizations close to Melania Trump were locked for the first 30 days, then programmed to be gradually unlocked over 13 months. This is a method already used by cryptocurrency projects as a trust mechanism to ensure that there are no sudden supply shocks in the market and that the team doesn't sell immediately, driving the price down.In the long run, the limited supply policy creates the expectation that the price can find support if demand remains stable or increases. For collectors, the fact that a significant portion of the coin was also distributed to the public, rather than all tokens being held by specific individuals, made it attractive. For example, 20% of the total supply was split evenly between public distribution, 20% community, and the rest team/treasury. Thanks to this limited and controlled supply structure, the MELANIA token has taken its place among crypto collectible tokens. For some collectors, owning MELANIA means owning a rare digital object - like a limited edition work of art. This increases the perceived value of the coin. Who is the Founder of Melania Coin?The founder and inspiration for Melania Coin is Melania Trump herself, former model and current First Lady of the United States. Born in 1970, Melania Trump (née Knauss) is a well-known public figure who was the First Lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and again from 2025 upon her husband's re-election. Melania Trump has already stepped into the Web3 and NFT space. In December 2021, she released her first NFT collection called “Melania's Vision”. She presented this NFT as a watercolor by a French artist depicting her own eyes. The base price of Melania's Vision NFT is currently 0.494 SOL on Magic Eden. In 2022, Melania Trump also launched an NFT platform bearing her name and offered some commemorative NFTs for sale. So before Melania Coin came along, Melania Trump was already a familiar figure in the world of digital enterprise. Using this experience, she embarked on developing a cryptocurrency project in her name following her husband's 2024 election victory.The MELANIA token project was launched by MKT World LLC, a company Melania Trump founded in Florida in 2021. MKT World is a venture firm known as the executor of Melania's NFT and digital projects. According to official records, the technical development and distribution of Melania Coin was organized by MKT World. The official website of the project, melaniameme.com, is also managed by this company. Through this company, Melania Trump controls part of the total supply of the coin. As the founder, Melania Trump has made it clear that her goal in developing the coin was not to make a profit for her investors, but to provide her supporters with a digital means of interaction and support. Indeed, the terms on melaniameme.com state that the MELANIA meme coin project “does not constitute any investment opportunity or security” and is “purely a digital collectible.” Melania Trump, as the founder, has been at the forefront of project promotions. Melania Trump herself is the face of the project and has informed the community through posts on her official social media accounts. For example, she tweeted the launch tweet from her account and directed it to the website. She also emphasized to the crypto media that the purpose of the MELANIA token is to “show support and interact” and is not connected to any political campaign. The brand value of Melania Trump's name has increased the coin's awareness on a global scale, as well as providing a basis for the project's credibility. However, some critics have also questioned Melania Trump's crypto project in terms of conflict of interest and transparency. However, according to official statements, Melania has stated that she will donate some of the proceeds from this project to charity. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Below you can find the most curious questions and answers about the cryptocurrency project of the current First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump:What is Melania Coin and what is its purpose?: Melania Coin (MELANIA) is a meme coin issued by Melania Trump, running on the Solana blockchain. The purpose of Melania coin is to support Melania Trump's values and digital presence, rather than return on investment. It is focused on collectability and community engagement, with a political theme.When was Melania Coin launched and by whom? When did Melania Coin come out? It appeared on January 19, 2025. The answer to the question of who issued Melania coin is Melania Trump herself. The coin was launched by Melania Trump. The announcement was made on social media and the project was developed by MKT World. The launch date was one day after Donald Trump's coin.Is Melania Coin for investment or collection?: The MELANIA token is designed for collection and digital support, not for investment purposes. Official sources emphasize that it is not an investment tool. However, some users aim to profit from price movements.What network does Melania Coin work on? Melania Coin is an SPL token running on the Solana network. This enables fast and low-cost transactions. All technical infrastructure and transfers take place on the Solana blockchain.Which exchanges can you buy Melania Coin on? Melania Coin is listed on DEXs like Jupiter, Raydium and centralized exchanges like KuCoin, Gate.io, LBank, Bitget. On Binance, it is only available as a perpetual futures contract. It can also be purchased with credit card or crypto on the official site. Is the MELANIA token reliable: As with any cryptocurrency project, trustworthiness is a multi-dimensional issue for the MELANIA token. The fact that Melania Trump launched the project is an element of trust. However, there is high volatility and some inherent risks. Therefore, investors are advised to be careful and only trade with amounts they can afford to lose.Follow our JR Kripto Guide series to learn about Official Melania Coin's place and potential in the political crypto world!
What is Ripple (XRP)?
XRP has been one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the cryptocurrency world for many years. As the native token of RippleNet, it stands out especially for the innovative solutions it provides to cross-border payment systems. So, what is XRP, how does it work and why is it so important? Also, what does XRP coin do? In this guide, you'll find details on everything from the definition and history of XRP, to how it works and its future potential. If you're ready to discover everything about XRP, read on!Definition and Emergence of XRPXRP is a cryptocurrency, the native crypto asset of the RippleNet payment network. Its main purpose is to make cross-border money transfers fast and low-cost. XRP was designed as an alternative to the slow and expensive international money transfer systems like SWIFT that financial institutions around the world currently use. While it is often associated with Ripple, XRP is technically traded on a separate blockchain network that operates independently of that company. As of 2025, the XRP Ledger network is integrated with new features such as the issuance of stablecoins, decentralized finance solutions, and Ethereum-compatible sidechains.XRP was developed by Ripple in 2012. Its goal is to make cross-border money transfers over the blockchain technology-based XRP Ledger (XRPL) network fast, low-cost and reliable. Unlike Bitcoin, XRP Ledger uses a Unified Consensus Algorithm instead of energy-intensive mining. This means that network validators, as trusted nodes, can confirm transactions in seconds. Although XRP was initially called “Ripple”, the token was later renamed XRP and the network itself was renamed XRP Ledger to avoid confusion. The process on the Ripple network also allows for the transfer of money with cryptocurrency.So we can explain the difference between RippleNet and XRPL as follows: RippleNet refers to a payment network for global payments. XRP Ledger represents the technology infrastructure behind RippleNet. XRPL is an open-source and decentralized blockchain technology. Here's how RippleNet handles the payment process, as can be seen in the diagram below: The structure of the XRP Ledger is as follows: XRPL.org Since its emergence, the Ripple ecosystem has grown in collaboration with banks and financial institutions. XRP's main use case has been to provide liquidity as a bridge currency between different fiat currencies. By 2025, the XRP Ledger network aims to increase its integration into the financial world with new features such as the issuance of stablecoins (e.g. Ripple's dollar-indexed RLUSD stablecoin), enterprise solutions for decentralized finance, and even Ethereum-compatible sidechains. With these enhancements, XRPL is on its way to becoming a trusted infrastructure for global transactions for banks, fintech companies and institutions with its regulatory-friendly structure. In particular, the fact that the lawsuit filed against Ripple in the US began to be concluded in favor of the company in 2025 provided an important clarity that XRP is not a security. Thus, it reinforced the initial vision of the ecosystem.XRP's History: Key Milestones2025 was a critical year for XRP, both in terms of market success and regulatory victories. In the first days of the year, XRP rose to 3rd place among cryptocurrencies with a strong rise in its price. Thus, XRP became the third most valuable cryptocurrency after Bitcoin and Ethereum. Positive developments in the long-running SEC case and increased institutional interest in crypto in the global market played a major role in this rise. But XRP has a broader history. The milestones for XRP in general, the history of XRP is as follows:2012: The birth of Ripple and XRPOpenCoin (later Ripple Labs) was founded under the leadership of Jed McCaleb and Chris Larsen. In June 2012, the XRP Ledger was launched and the XRP token was launched. A total of 100 billion XRP was pre-produced, most of which was held by Ripple Labs. The project was initially inspired by Ryan Fugger's RipplePay idea in 2004 and developed a network that, unlike Bitcoin, relies on consensus verification, not mining.2017-2018: First big price spike XRP, which was worth just a few cents in early 2017, experienced a massive surge in value over the course of the year, in line with the general uptrend in the cryptocurrency market. In December 2017 in particular, the XRP price skyrocketed to several dollars. In early January 2018, XRP reached a historic high of over $3 (around $3.84), which remained a record price for a long time. This surge made XRP the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization at the time. However, as 2018 progressed, XRP was also affected by the general decline in the crypto market, with its price falling as low as $0.30 by the end of the year. Still, the 2017 rally helped XRP gain global recognition and get listed on major exchanges. January 2018 screenshot showing the largest cryptocurrencies. Source: CoinMarketCap December 2020: SEC litigation beginsThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Ripple for allegedly selling unregistered securities. This led to sharp fluctuations in XRP's price, triggering one of the biggest uncertainties in the project's history.July 2023: Critical decision in the caseAfter nearly three years of legal battles, an important interim ruling was issued in the case. New York Southern District Court Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Ripple's sale of XRP on exchanges did not violate federal securities law. While this decision is seen as a victory that most sales of XRP are not securities, it was stated that only private sales to institutional investors can constitute unregistered securities. The SEC appealed this decision, but its appeal was rejected in the same year. Thus, the case ended partially in favor of Ripple. It took nearly 2 more years after this development for the legal process to truly come to an end.January 2025: XRP soars The XRP market experienced a historic rally. The XRP price broke the $3 level for the first time in 7 years, reaching its highest level since 2018. Still, it did not reach its record in 2018. However, with this rise, XRP's market capitalization crossed the $170 billion mark and became the third largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin and Ethereum. XRP's performance was supported by the general recovery in the crypto market and the expectation that the new US administration will take crypto-friendly steps. XRP price chart since launch. March-April 2025: Critical moments in the trialThe case between Ripple and the SEC is nearing its end. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that after more than 4 years of struggle, “the moment we have been waiting for has arrived” and the SEC will withdraw its appeal. At the same time, it was reported that the case reached the closing stage with a settlement of approximately $ 50 million and the official result is expected to be announced shortly. This development signaled that the regulatory hurdles for XRP in the US market are about to be removed.In April, the court decided to stay the appeals process for 60 days to give the parties time to negotiate a settlement. Meanwhile, the head of the SEC, which is known for its anti-crypto stance in the US, changed; Gary Gensler was replaced by Paul Atkins, a pro-crypto figure. This change on the regulatory side has created a more favorable legal environment for XRP. Although the Ripple case is still a hot topic among investors, there is a general opinion that the process ended in favor of Ripple. This case, which lasted for quite a long time, was a process that wore investors out.Why is XRP valuable?There are many elements that increase the value of XRP and make it unique. These include speed, low cost, institutional adoption, regulatory clarity, technological innovation and market position. Let's examine these elements one by one:Fast and low-cost money transfersSo, what are the features of the XRP token? First, one of the most important features of XRP is its high speed and low cost. But is the XRP transfer time really that short? XRP Ledger has one of the fastest confirmation times among blockchains. Transactions are usually finalized within 3-5 seconds and transaction fees are extremely low. This makes XRP a faster, cheaper and more efficient alternative to traditional systems, especially for cross-border payments. Many banks and financial institutions have started to favor Ripple's payment network and XRP over traditional networks like SWIFT. So Ripple has become a SWIFT alternative.Partnership with giant companiesAnother important factor is institutional adoption. So far, Ripple has partnered with financial giants such as Santander and SBI. In 2018, Spanish banking giant Santander launched the first blockchain-based cross-border payment application (One Pay FX) in partnership with Ripple. Thus, XRP was winked for banking integration. In addition, Japan-based financial group SBI Holdings shows a strong presence in the Asian market by establishing close collaborations with Ripple. Founded in 2016, SBI Ripple Asia brings together 61 banks in Japan to offer instant payment solutions using Ripple's xCurrent technology. This consortium aims to increase the efficiency of banks in Japan in cross-border payments.As of 2025, these collaborations continue. Ripple has established an XRP fund with HashKey in Asia and partnered with Chipper Cash in Africa to create new payment corridors. In 2025, Ripple acquired a global prime brokerage company based in London called Hidden Road for $1.25 billion. This strengthened the XRP Ledger ecosystem with more than 300 institutional clients and over 50 million daily transactions. These developments increase XRP's transaction volume and reinforce its credibility in the financial world. Ripple CTO David Schwartz called the Hidden Road acquisition “a game-changing moment for XRP Ledger and XRP.”Legal clarity and technical infrastructure bring value to XRPLegal clarity and trust is also a key driver of XRP's value. By 2025, it became clear that XRP is not a security in the US. The settlement of the SEC case has boosted confidence in XRP and triggered the desire of major financial companies to develop XRP-based products. For example, giant investment firms such as BlackRock and Fidelity are reportedly preparing to launch XRP ETFs in the US. The consolidation of the legal landscape boosts XRP's credibility and supports its valueTechnological innovations and ecosystem development are also factors that increase the value of XRP in the long term. The XRP Ledger network is constantly evolving and the innovations planned for 2025 increase the value potential of the platform. The introduction of Ethereum-compatible EVM sidechains aims to bring smart contract-like transactions to XRPL. In addition, steps such as the change at the end of 2024 to reduce the amount of account reserves from 10 XRP to 1 XRP have made the network cheaper to use and encouraged more users to join. Tokenization capabilities on XRPL are also expanding. The Multi-Purpose Token (MPT) standard, which is being developed to represent real-world assets (gold, bonds, commodities, etc.) as tokens, marks progress in this area.If we look at the technology of the cryptocurrency, XRP was pre-mined when it was launched. So XRP is a pre-mined coin. The fact that it is not actively mined is also favored by investors. This means that a smart contract, not miner activity, controls the release of future tokens on the network. Perhaps it is this clarity that makes RippleNet stand out in the global payments infrastructure. As we've noted before, traditional cross-border payment systems face problems such as high transaction fees, slow processing times and complex regulatory requirements. To solve these problems, RippleNet uses blockchain technology to offer real-time messaging, settlement and payment processing between financial institutions. It is therefore hoped to be a permanent fixture in the global payments arena.Who is the Founder of XRP?More than one person was involved in the creation of XRP. The founder of the project is Jed McCaleb, who previously developed the eDonkey file-sharing network. In 2011, McCaleb came up with the idea of a payment ledger that would run on trusted nodes as an alternative to energy-hungry Bitcoin mining, a concept that later became the core of the XRP Ledger. In 2012, McCaleb, along with computer engineers David Schwartz and Arthur Britto, launched the “Ripple” project, coding XRPL. Soon after, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Chris Larsen joined the team and together they founded Ripple Labs. As the project's first CEO, Larsen played a key role in growing the XRP ecosystem through bank deals and investor relations. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. Source: Bloomberg Jed McCaleb left his technical leadership role at Ripple in 2013 and went on to found a similar payment protocol called Stellar (XLM). McCaleb, who came to prominence by gradually selling off around 9 billion XRP as he left Ripple, made billions of dollars from these sales and became one of the richest names in the crypto sector by 2025. He is currently working on blockchain and space technology startups (such as Vast Space).Chris Larsen has remained on Ripple's board as Chairman and is particularly active on regulatory reform and environmental sustainability in the blockchain sector. David Schwartz, another founding engineer of XRP Ledger, is now Ripple's CTO (Chief Technology Officer), leading the technical development of the network.The company's current CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, has led Ripple since 2015, although he was not part of XRP's original founding team. Under Garlinghouse's leadership, Ripple has made many deals with banks and financial institutions to increase XRP adoption and successfully managed the SEC litigation process. Indeed, Garlinghouse heralded the imminent conclusion of the SEC case in March 2025, calling it “a major victory for XRP and the company in every respect.”Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)As a result, Ripple has long been the focus of veteran cryptocurrency traders as it is a well-established company and is behind XRP. Moreover, it continues to come to the fore with its continuous collaborations. In this section, you can find frequently asked questions and answers about XRP and Ripple:What is XRP and how is it different from Ripple? XRP is a cryptocurrency developed by Ripple and is used to provide liquidity and accelerate cross-border payments in the global payment network called RippleNet. So, what is Ripple? While Ripple offers a payment infrastructure that uses XRP, XRP is a cryptocurrency and can be traded independently of Ripple. So the Ripple XRP difference is quite big.Who founded XRP?: XRP was developed by OpenCoin (later Ripple Labs), which was founded in 2012 by Jed McCaleb, Chris Larsen and Arthur Britto. In other words, this team is the answer to the question: Who is the founder of XRP? The team took over a previous project called RipplePay and created the XRP Ledger.When did XRP come out? XRP entered the market in 2012 and became the core crypto asset of RippleNet.How XRP works and which organizations use it: XRP is a decentralized cryptocurrency that runs on the XRP Ledger, enabling fast and low-cost payments between financial institutions. Through RippleNet, institutions such as Santander, SBI Holdings, SBI Remit use Ripple and XRP technology.Is XRP reliable, why is it so controversial: XRP is controversial for its decentralization. This is because Ripple Labs controls a large portion of the XRP supply. XRP is also controversial because of its long legal battle with the US securities regulator. During the case, many cryptocurrency investors questioned whether XRP was a security.Has the XRP case been finalized? Yes. The XRP SEC case, which began in December 2020, maintained legal uncertainty over XRP for a long time. But in July 2023, the court ruled that XRP was largely not a security. By 2025, the outcome of the XRP case was finalized. The SEC dropped its appeal and a $50 million settlement was reached between the parties. These developments created a definitive legal ground that XRP is not a security.Explore our JR Crypto Guide series to understand the impact of XRP and Ripple technology in the world of finance!
Fetch.ai Buys Back $50 Million in FET
Fetch.ai, which sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies, has announced plans for a major $50 million buyback for its native token FET. The strategic move, announced by the company’s CEO Humayun Sheikh, aims to “both rebuild investor confidence and increase the value of the token,” according to the statement. This move, along with the increasing adoption of ASI1 and Fetch.ai’s agent-based platform, has drawn attention in the cryptocurrency market.What does the token buyback mean for FET?The buyback process, which will be conducted by the Fetch.ai Foundation, will be carried out on different exchanges and with the support of market makers. Company officials state that this process will not only reduce the token supply and create upward pressure on the price, but will also reinforce confidence in the project’s long-term vision. CEO Humayun Sheikh made the following statement on social media:“With the increasing use of ASI1 and our agent-based platform, we are observing that the utility of FET has increased significantly. Therefore, I think the current value of FET is low. With the support of our market makers, the Fetch.ai Foundation will repurchase a total of $50 million worth of FET tokens from the markets.”Market reactions and price movementsMarket analysts state that such large repurchases usually lead to short-term price increases and increase investor confidence. Indeed, following the news, the FET token gained 4.07% in value in the last 24 hours and was trading at $0.68 at the time of writing. In the last 90 days, FET has seen a 33% increase. The token’s 24-hour trading volume reached approximately $145 million. With the announcement of the repurchase program, investors’ eyes have turned to Fetch.ai again. The company’s approach to Binance’s BNB buyback strategy could steadily increase the value of its token in the long term.Fetch.ai is trying to gain a significant place in the Web3 ecosystem, especially with its autonomous agent technology and AI-powered solutions. In short, Fetch.ai is a blockchain-based platform that allows users to develop AI-powered digital “agents.” These agents can search for information on behalf of a user, automate transactions, or communicate with different services. Everything is decentralized, meaning these agents operate completely under user control without being subject to a specific authority.Thanks to the tools offered by the platform, users can interact with these agents through both technical and non-technical means. For example, the AI model called ASI-1 Mini can operate with low system resources and can be accessed via mobile. While Fetch.ai brings AI to the Web3 world, it also aims for users to benefit directly from this process.
Sol Strategies, a Canadian Fund Firm Focused on Solana, is Expanding to Nasdaq
Canadian-based crypto asset management firm Sol Strategies has taken an important step towards opening up to the US capital markets. The company has made its official application to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to be listed on Nasdaq in order to grow its strategy focused on Solana (SOL). The company, which announced a new financing agreement of $500 million during the same period, aims to increase Solana assets and expand its validator infrastructure with this source.A Nasdaq application from the Canadian company SolanaCanadian-based crypto asset management firm Sol Strategies has taken its first official step towards opening up to the US stock exchanges. On June 19, the company filed Form 40-F with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The shares of the company, which will have the new symbol "STKE", are currently traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker "HODL" and on the over-the-counter (OTC) markets in the US under the ticker "CYFRF". Following the filing, Sol Strategies’ Canadian share price rose 4% from $2.28 to $2.38. Ontario-based Sol Strategies has become one of the rare institutional players to focus on Solana in recent years, moving away from major assets like Bitcoin. The company, which completely divested its Bitcoin holdings by the end of 2024, officially announced its transition to a treasury strategy focused on Solana in a shareholder letter dated January 29, 2025.As of May 2025, Sol Strategies reportedly held a total of 420,355 SOL tokens. Of this amount, 268,671 are actively staked through the company’s own validators. This staking process, in addition to providing passive income; contributes to the Solana network, indicating the company’s role in the ecosystem. The total value of the recent purchases is calculated at approximately $4.7 million.$500 million funding dealIn April 2025, the company signed a $500 million convertible note deal with New York-based investment firm ATW Partners. This deal gave the company the opportunity to increase Solana assets and expand its infrastructure investments without compromising its equity.A large portion of the fund will be used to expand the company’s validator network and technological infrastructure. The convertible note structure is known for offering the flexibility to convert debt into equity depending on market conditions.Solana price is stagnantDespite all these positive developments, there has been no noticeable increase in Solana price. As of June 19, SOL price fell by 1.62% to $146.38. There was a decrease of approximately 9% on a weekly basis and 13.6% on a monthly basis. Despite this, Solana continues to be among the top ten cryptocurrencies with a market value of $77.2 billion.In the meantime, we are seeing interest from institutional investors in altcoins like Solana. Companies such as Nasdaq-listed Classover Holdings and Hong Kong-based MemeStrategy have similarly announced plans to create Solana treasuries. The growing likelihood of Solana ETFs being approved in the U.S. is also supporting the interest.
Interest Rate Decision Remains Steady, Trump Escalates Tensions: How Did Cryptocurrencies Move?
Cryptocurrency markets were eagerly awaiting the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision on Wednesday and the speech of Fed Chair Jerome Powell. In addition, US President Donald Trump's statements regarding the Iran-Israel tensions drew attention in the market. So, how did all this affect cryptocurrencies?The Fed's interest rate decision was announced in line with expectationsCryptocurrency markets generally maintained their resilience despite both the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision and the increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. However, there is a volatile picture beneath this calm outlook. Although major assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), XRP and Solana (SOL) experienced short-term gains after the Fed kept interest rates steady at 4.25%-4.50% in line with expectations, a clear direction for investor sentiment still remains uncertain.The Fed’s economic projections released on Wednesday showed that two interest rate cuts were still on the table by the end of 2024, but expectations for 2026 and 2027 pointed to a slower rate cut process. Chairman Jerome Powell’s “wait-and-see” approach delayed markets from finding a clear direction, while also revealing the fragility of altcoins. In particular, artificial intelligence and real asset (RWA)-themed tokens lost 4.8% and 3%, respectively. Tensions are rising in the Middle EastOn the other hand, the escalating tensions in the Middle East were another factor that increased anxiety in the markets. News that the US was considering a direct military intervention in Iran suppressed risk appetite in both traditional and cryptocurrency classes.While the tension between Iran and Israel continues, remarkable statements continued to come from US President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters, Trump stated that he wanted to end the conflicts in the region, but avoided giving a clear answer on whether the US would make a military move against Iran.Claiming that Iran was in a defenseless position, Trump said, “I can’t say we won’t strike Iran.” He added that he had called on the Iranian side to come to the White House, but that this opportunity was not taken advantage of. He stated that the country’s air defense systems had been largely disabled and that he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who could also take on a possible mediation role.Trump indicated in his statements that patience with Iran was running out. He said, “We expect them to surrender, if they don’t, we will target military facilities,” and that possible scenarios were on the table. While acknowledging that no concrete gains had been made yet, he also emphasized that serious progress had been made.Trump, who drew attention to the fact that the coming days would be critical, stated that Iran had been posing a threat for years and that its desire to attain nuclear weapons capacity posed a great threat. “Next week will be very decisive, perhaps even sooner,” Trump said, signaling that developments in the region could take shape rapidly.Altcoins fell sharplyThis situation led to sharp sales, especially in altcoins. While XRP, Cardano (ADA) and Solana lost more than 1% in value in the last 24 hours, Dogecoin (DOGE) gave up its previous gains with a decline of nearly 10% on a weekly basis. Ethereum, on the other hand, erased its weekly gains and fell by 0.7%.Interest in Bitcoin ETFs continuesDespite all these developments, institutional interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US drew attention. While $389 million in new inflows were recorded in just one day on Wednesday, $19 million in additional funds were flowed into Ethereum ETFs. This reveals that investors continue to seek a “digital safe haven” against volatility.Despite its 13% increase since the beginning of the year, Bitcoin has been on an indecisive course as of this week. “Bitcoin is caught between two worlds, neither responding to risk appetite nor bouncing on geopolitical risks like gold,” FxPro analyst Alex Kuptsikevich said.
