Following the successful launch of the Shelley testnet last week, Cardano users will be able to earn ADA from November onwards as the network starts to add all the additional functionalities to the staking protocol ahead of a slated move to mainnet sometime in the new year.

Cryptography may be the foundation of a secure network, but human factors should never be underestimated. Bitcoin developers have finally revealed the details of a vulnerability in the Lightning Network, which was first discovered last this month.

Given the decline of cryptocurrency markets over the past week, it may be a good time to put things into perspective about the latest dip. While the usual advice to ‘zoom out’ is scant comfort during a bear season, it may be reassuring to note that many of bitcoin’s metrics are still in an upwards trajectory. 

Here, we take a look at the relative size of the crypto economy, some technical historical patterns, rising interest among institutional investors, and demographic shifts, all of which suggest a bright future for bitcoin despite the occasional dip.

London has an unusual number of strings to its bow. Not only is it one of the largest financial centers, it is rapidly becoming a leading hub for fintech investment. Last week a leading lawyer suggested that regulators are making London an “incredibly positive” place for crypto.

Crypto markets are again under pressure. After a short stabilization yesterday, Bitcoin resumed its slide and briefly plunged below $8000. The rest of the market followed suit,  most coins showing single-digit losses with few exceptions.

When you think of blockchains with a social media application, Bitcoin is probably not the first ledger that comes to mind.

• Ethereum tumbles to its weakest trading level since April 2019
• The lower time frame shows that a potential bullish reversal pattern may be forming
• The recent drop has created bullish MACD divergence on the 30-minute time frame extending towards the $210.00 level

Ethereum has staged a minor recovery towards the $165.00 level after falling alongside the broader cryptocurrency market, as Bitcoin tumbled below the $8,000 support level on Thursday.

Supply chain blockchains aren’t just for tracking your organic vegetables. MediConnect, a new project building a blockchain-based solution to trace and manage prescription medication, has successfully completed the workflow of its Proof of Concept and has begun integrating with online pharmacies.

This week, NEO joined Microsoft’s .NET Foundation, serving as a major asset to Microsoft’s blockchain efforts. Following the integration, NEO willbe able to introduce a new set of tools for Microsoft Visual Studio, making it easier for mainstream developers to create NEO dApps. This news comes just months after NEO expressed interest in the .NET stack.

In this series on Bitcoin and money, Crypto Briefing takes a deep dive into the complexities of the modern monetary system and how Bitcoin, as the ultimate hard money, can serve as a solution to many of its problems.

In concluding the series, we examine the steps that will lead to a truly decentralized global economy, and the challenges that participants in this economy will face along the way.

The full nine-part series is available here.