Welcome to All Things Blockchain your go-to source for keeping up to date with everything blockchain and crypto related.

Welcome to the first ATB newsletter of 2024,

there’s plenty of bullish activity for us to get excited about and we want you to be informed and ready for this up and coming bull run, so let’s get into it!

This months issue:

It’s just the start of 2024, and so much has already happened in crypto…

There was a false start, but the Bitcoin spot ETF was finally approved.. but where to now?

👀 Elon’s making moves in crypto?!

📧Open Opensea’s new wallet with just your email.

🎅🏼Reliving the amazing time that was our last meeting: NFT hunt and Christmas party.

🎫Next up on the agenda, Binance Australia is sponsoring our meeting next week, hosting a panel about the future of crypto in 2024 and we want you to be there.

THE TLDR;

Bitcoin spot ETF and BTC dip:

After a false start (and “compromised” SEC X account) finally all 11 Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were approved and began trading two weeks ago, after months of speculation and 6 years of waiting. We saw $4.4 billion of trading volume recorded on the first day, which was outstanding! Since then we’ve seen a giant dip in market price for various reasons.

The TradFi game is a long one and will be sure to deliver positive results over time but of course, the market is impatient as these aren’t the quick gains crypto is familiar with.

Okay, so now Bitcoin is down bad, is an ETF actually a good thing for crypto in the long run?

Bitcoin ETFs allows everyday people to invest in Bitcoin without the complications and risks of owning Bitcoin directly (for example opening a wallet, holding your private keys.) This means we'll see more “normal” people dip their toes in the crypto waters, ultimately driving up the demand and fuel the market coming into the next bull run!

👀 Elon is making moves in crypto:

Elon’s goal in 2024 is for X to become an "everything app," and last week it was granted a money-transmitter license from the US state of Utah, is the 15th state to green light his plans.

Elon is has openly spoken about these plans involving crypto, as both his companies hold Bitcoin and he of course holds doge

X has laid out its grand plans, saying that they intend to compete with financial services like PayPal, Visa and banks. This vision for the platform includes launching peer-to-peer payments, revolutionising the way we connect, communicate, and transact.

Ultimately X’s grand plans could be a driving factor in bring crypto adoption to the masses 🚀

📧 Opensea’s new email onboarding experience:

Aimed at creating a simpler onboarding experience, OpenSea has introduced a new self-custodial wallet powered by Privy technology that allows users to explore NFTs using just their email address. There is no longer a need for wallet extensions, seed phrases, or even crypto?

Yes, now you can even use your credit or debit card to buy your next NFT.

This three-click onboarding experience aims to be faster, easier and removing barriers to entry for individuals interested in NFTs and crypto but may have been hesitant to try.

This could be seen as positive innovation to onboard more people into the Web3 space or could be taken in the total opposite direction.

ATB recap:

Our last meeting we had an incredible turnout, with 70 people from our community joining us to hunt for NFTs across Brisbane, bringing Blockchain into the real world. Big thanks to Labrys, our NFT treasure hunt was a seamless and exciting experience for everyone involved.

After our NFT hunt, we celebrated the year that was, despite the long, cold, bear market.. the energy and enthusiasm of our ATB community throughout the year has been unmatched.

A big shoutout to all our sponsors your support is invaluable in bringing our community together.

What’s on this month:

Our first meeting of 2024 will be held next week, on Wednesday the 7th of February and is proudly sponsored by Binance the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange.

This month our focus is:

'Outlook & Predictions for the Aussie Crypto Industry in 2024’

With all eyes on the future of the industry 👀 the expert panel will be predicting the year ahead and delving into the market trends for 2024 and forecasting what crypto users can expect in the coming year.

Big spoiler: we're super bullish!

General themes include:

-The upcoming bitcoin halving

-The recent Bitcoin spot ETF approvals

-The influence that institutional investment could exert on crypto

-The expected trends in market movements.

Of course the Australian perspective won’t be overlooked, the panel will cover recent local developments in crypto products, licensing, and regulation in the space.

This event will be both in-person and live-streamed.

Register to live-stream the event 👇🏼

Livestream: Outlook & Predictions for the Aussie Crypto Industry in 2024!

Book your in-person spot below (limited places) 👇🏼

Let's Talk: Outlook & Predictions for the Aussie Crypto Industry in 2024!

If you want to attend in-person, there is only a handful of spots available, so please register soon as possible as the number of attendees is limited due to venue restrictions.

Do you have a question?

We're kicking off the year answering all your burning questions with our fresh new online AMA series, first up is Jo Rocca talking about How to become a Blockchain developer.

Catch the first one on Monday the 5th of February at 6-7pm AEST

Get access to the AMA space here 👇🏼

AMA: How to become a Blockchain developer.

Women in Digital Economy

Join Women in Digital Economy as they forging a path for the growth and success of Women in tech, with a focus on Web3 and AI.

Join their in-person talking on the evolution of Ancient Coins to the Digital Currency of today, on Wednesday the 21st of February at 5pm AEST (bookings are essential.)

Book your place here 👇🏼

Ancient Coins to Digital Currency

If you want to read all about what the Women in Digital Economy are doing you can do that here.

👏🏼 Sponsor spotlight:

We'd like to shout out our amazing sponsors for 2024! without their support none of this would be possible..

Binance Australia:

Binance is the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange, their mission is to empower customers to access Bitcoin, Altcoins, and other digital assets.

Swyftx:

Swyftx is Australia's top cryptocurrency exchange, revolutionising finance by merging DeFi and TradFi together and offering over 320 digital currencies.

Web3 Convention:

Join us 18-19th of May for the Web3 Convention at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Australia. This global gathering brings leading experts and innovators in AI and Web3 space, we’ll see you there!

Stables:

Stables is transforming how you interact with your digital wallet by redefining spending, sending, and earning stablecoins, all within one seamless balance. Stables leading the way in the ever-evolving landscape of digital financial services.

Bitget:

Bitget is helping users trade smarter by providing a secure, one-stop crypto investment solution. With 20 million registered users worldwide, and a daily trading volume of 10 billion USDT, Bitget is a leader in the crypto space.

Hashlock:

Hashlock is redefining blockchain security with new standards of safety and innovation in the industry. Hashlock ensures robust protection for blockchain projects.

Tax On Chain:

Tax On Chain is your specialist crypto accounting firm, catering to private and business clients undertaking any crypto activities, from DeFi and DAOs to NFTs and beyond.

Labrys:

Labrys is building a digital future from concept all the way to launch, specialising in cutting-edge design and state of the art development with a focus on Web 3.0 solutions.

Syla:

Syla is Australia's leading crypto tax software, designed by a team of Australian tax professionals, created exclusively for Australian crypto investors.

And of course we'd like to thank you for being a valued member of our community! If you'd like to see something featured in our next edition please reply to this and let us know.

ATB.

Written by Jess de Haas.