Notes 3/31: Tether Attestation Report, Stablecoins as Free Banking, and The Banality of Another DeFi Hack

Tether, the algorithmic stablecoin that straddles all of crypto, released an attestation report for its second quarter this morning. As usual, it is a sham and a mishmash of meaningless statistics and assertions. The report does not provide much clarity about its finances though it does bring to light some of the underlying risks. According… Read More Notes 3/31: Tether Attestation Report, Stablecoins as Free Banking, and The Banality of Another DeFi Hack

The Otherdeed Sale Highlights Crypto’s Persistent Problems

There is never a dull moment in crypto. On any given day, there is a scam or a hack. On others, there is a controversy. The latest kerfuffle in cryptoland involves an NFT sale (what else?) and highlights two persistent problems: high transaction fees and regulatory uncertainty. The Otherdeed Mint: A Troubled Sale It started… Read More The Otherdeed Sale Highlights Crypto’s Persistent Problems

bZx Attack Shows DeFi Has The Same Vulnerabilities as Traditional Finance

One of the conceits of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is that it is different from traditional finance. The concept of a finance ecosystem governed by smart contracts, devoid of rent-seeking centralized institutions, is an enticing one. But two comprising situations on a decentralized finance protocol last week threw the nascent nature of the so-called DeFi ecosystem… Read More bZx Attack Shows DeFi Has The Same Vulnerabilities as Traditional Finance