🎉Cheers to 2024! Web3, GameFi, Tokens, Crypto, Degen Mints

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👀 WHAT’S THE META.. 👀

GM, GA, or GN wherever you may be.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Don't worry we got you. The market has been brewing, here's what's currently happening:

China claims to clarify its Web3 strategies and business models as the country plans to move forward in Web3 development.

Hong Kong states that it’s ready to accept future spot crypto ETF applications.

MicroStrategy has purchased $615.7 million worth of BTC leading up to the SEC’s spot approval.

Avalanche an L1 chain will actively set to accumulate meme coins in their portfolio as part of their culture catalyst program.

🔮 NFT EVENTS & DROPS 🔮

So many mints, so little time. Don't worry Mani's got you covered. Eight gems to keep an eye on this coming week.

1. Overworld Incarna PFP reveal on 3rd jan

2. Entagle's Genesis NFT project, 'Webverse' minting on 5th Jan

3. Info on Skyborne legacy's RG byte will be announced on 6th Jan

🪙 CRYPTO DIGEST 🪙

Crpyto Market Volatility and Emerging Economic Challenges

Bitcoin's market cycles have shown a pattern of diminishing returns, with a reduction factor of around 5.44. Following this trend, the next cycle could potentially see an increase of about 387%, setting a price target near $75,500 from the current cycle bottom of $15,500. While this projection is critical for market observers, it's essential to remain alert to the market's unpredictable nature and external variables that could alter this trajectory.

The trajectory of Bitcoin's market cycles could deviate from historical patterns with new catalysts. An approved Bitcoin ETF and further adoption by countries could invite institutional investment and mainstream acceptance, potentially enhancing Bitcoin's valuation beyond current projections.

Over the past year, the altcoin sector has witnessed exceptional performances. Bonk (BONK) skyrocketed with an 11,000% gain, marking its meteoric rise in the crypto space. Injective (INJ) and Kaspa (KAS) also posted impressive rallies of 2,700% and 2,000%, showcasing strong market momentum. Render (RNDR) realized a 1,000% increase, highlighting its potential, and Solana (SOL) secured a 900% gain, reflecting increased adoption and investor confidence.

Federal Reserve policies are critical to the financial landscape, with anticipated interest rate cuts as early as March 2024 poised to significantly impact borrowing costs and economic activity. The presence of an inverted yield curve is a notable predictor of economic distress, typically foreshadowing a recession. The curve's normalization may signal impending challenges for the economy. Monitoring key economic indicators, including unemployment rates and manufacturing output, is crucial. These indicators offer foresight into potential market directions, and their analysis is essential for informed decision-making by both policymakers and investors.

🎙️ AMA HIGHLIGHTS 🎙️

🚀 DEGEN HIGHLIGHTS (DYOR/NFA) 🚀

Notable Degen Mints

This is the segment where I will be keeping you all updated on the most notable releases throughout the upcoming week!

Webverse

Key Details
A project by EntangleFi which will allow NFT holders exclusive benefits/access on their platform which is launching sometime February 2024. There's a $NGL Token, multiple revenue streams and they plan on building a cross-chain DEX, leveraged yield farming protocol and more!

I would recommend at least keeping an eye on this project as it's unique in comparison to previous releases and has potential to be good.

Mint Price: 0.15/0.5 ETH
Mint Date: 5th January

Supply:
- Weaver/WL (4700): 0.15 ETH
- Agent: (300): 0.5 ETH
Mint Time: TBA

ittybits by jeremy.eth

Key Details
Another punk project, 12x12 pixels which is 1:1 with the original cryptopunk collection (traits). These are usually 50/50 and his recent tweets don't have high engagement so it is hard to determine the demand, it's best to watch current number minted as well as monitor secondary for any sales/listings.

Mint Price: 0.007 ETH
Mint Date: 5th January
Supply: 10,000

Mint Time:
- WL: 6PM ET
- Public: 7PM ET

TinFun

Key Details
One of the more hyped releases this week which everyone should attempt to go for, I believe this should do well on secondary once it's sold out. Whitelist spots are currently selling for $750-850 which is a good indicator on how hyped a release is.

Don't sleep on this, I would expect the Chinese Community to be very interested in this too seeing as it's LaserCats' project (huge chinese web3 influencer).

Mint Price: 0.1 ETH
Mint Date: 7th January
Supply: 10,000 (WL is Guaranteed/Public is Lucky Draw, I assume this means it's a raffle)
Mint Time: TBA

🕵️ UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE MULTICHAIN?

As we often find ourselves wrapped up in the narratives pushed on us in Web3 as in the real world, it can be very easy to miss the forest through the trees.

Blockchain technology is Blockchain technology. Different chains, rollups, LayerZero, L1's and L2's all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Many were created to solve the problems and pain points of their counterparts. While some are made as a meme but quickly gain adoption.

While some projects and traders focus on only 1 at a time, we see protocols, wallets, as well as some NFT projects using the different chains to their advantage. Some examples are gaming projects having a Genesis pass or PFP on Eth, while their gameplay and game assets exist on a cheaper L2. There are also NFT’s that can be held on either Sol, Eth, or Polygon but all within the same collection one burns the eth version to mint the sol version or vice versa.

The success of Sol, Avax, and LayerZero at least should have you curious and explorative at this point in time. We are now seeing Vitalik himself as well as others specifically call out the lack of decentralization among roll ups and L2s. What does this mean for space? Most likely it means more solutions, better solutions and trustless ones at that.

Now defining what makes these chains different, what makes them necessary and how you can benefit from each of them is something that will take a healthy amount of DYORing and a little bit of experimenting. However time and time again we have been rewarded as early participants with airdrops, and great positions on trades when new chains gain a larger user base. So find a group of people you trust, or sources of information that are well known in the space and start branching out.

The future of this tech and this space is multichain. The benefits of staying nimble and being willing to learn new things far out way any "loyalist" or maxi sentiment you may have. As someone wise once said, moving to a new chain, a new wallet and a new protocol can be scary at first. You may feel lost, but spend 10 minutes clicking a few buttons and it's just business as usual.

🔦 ARTISTS IN FOCUS 🔦

As we enter 2024 I wanted to highlight some artists that i think could have a big impact this year ranging from established names to newer emerging artists. We ended 2023 with a strong flurry of successful art releases across all chains, in particular on ETH, Solana and BTC. It will be interesting to see how this all develops this year, especially with the rise of AI art.

To kick things off I want to highligh the AI artist I've been most impressed by recently, Delta Sauce. His recent BrainDrops release "Views" really put him on the map and included a wide variety of works. Each filled with emotion and great detail, his execution is very strong and I think he will have a big 2024 as AI art continues to grow.

On the opposite end of the spectrum it's been great to see more nft artists release physical works alongside their digital art, I think it could be a big year for bridging more digital to physical art as the use of NFT technology rises. One artist who is doing this really well is Almendra Bertoni who is making both digital and phyisal versions of her work. Her physical works are not like any other artists works I have seen in the nft space as Almendra carves her works from wood, often cut to shape and hand painted. With the likes of Larry June already collecting her work, 2024 is set to be a big year for her.

An emerging artist that really gained momentum towards the end of 2023 is Orkhan, who's work is already being collected by some high profile nft collectors. I was lucky enough to meet with him at Art Basel in Miami and he describes himself as a new media artist merging his middle eastern background with art and technology. He makes beautiful mezmorising slow moving works that you could watch for hours and and has a strong variation of styles that are very recognisable amongst all the new work being put out at the moment. Definitely one to watch in 2024