Despite being just a few days away from the new year, the crypto news doesn’t stop. It’s been an amazing year for altcoins, layer 1 blockchains, and cryptocurrency in general. This year saw the adoption of cryptocurrency continue to spread and the blockchain movement continues to gain momentum.
As the year wraps up, here are some of the final new and noteworthy events of 2021.
Astroport Launch
Phase 1 of the Astroport launch is finally underway. The protocol hit an astonishing $1 billion total locked value (TVL) within hours of the launch. What’s even more incredible is that the Astroport token hasn’t even been released yet.
Astroport has been a highly anticipated platform launching on the Terra blockchain. It provides a suite of new functionality and tools to the blockchain, and even some new features that have yet to be seen in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Those that have been in the Terra ecosystem for a while now may be eligible for an airdrop once the Astroport token is officially released. The airdrop is based on wallets that used Terraswap, as well as a few other Terra-based protocols such as Anchor and Mirror.
Grim Exploit
Despite the constant flow of positive news for blockchain and crypto-enthusiasts, there are occasionally negative announcements as well. Grim Finance is an autocompounder on the Fantom network that recently suffered a massive hack. The hacker ended up taking over $30 million in several different tokens including TOMB, BOO, SPIRIT, and FTM.
As of right now, the protocol’s future is uncertain as the majority of its liquidity was removed due to the potential for other exploits. However, several prominent figures in the Fantom ecosystem have stepped up to provide support for the victims of the hack.
SpookySwap offered $300,000 in BOO to the hacker for the safe return of certain assets. Harry Yeh has mentioned he’d like to put together a plan to support those who lost money in the exploit and even mentioned adding an insurance feature to Tomb Finance.
The event highlights the vulnerability and risk that many decentralized applications (DApps) suffer from. Fortunately, it also showcases the generosity and support that the blockchain community can show when it comes together.
Ubuntu Token DEX Listing
Wrapping up the year on a positive note, the highly anticipated listing of $UBUT is happening on December 29th. Ubuntu Token is a charitable cryptocurrency project that provides funds for several different charities across the world. The $UBUT token provides holders with a variety of benefits and will be available on Pancakeswap and Ubuntu Swap.
The project token provides holders with their share of a 1% tax on all transactions. It also incorporates a regular buyback feature to ensure the token remains deflationary with a stable floor.
You can check out the official press release announcement
SushiSwap Development Team Change-Up
The Twitter world is abuzz with the news that the founder of Wonderland, Abracadabra.money, and Popsicle Finance may be joining the Sushiswap development team as its leader. Sushiswap has been facing some difficulties over the last year due to potential corruption and poor management.
However, the project may be saved by none other than Daniele Sesta. Daniele is a very well-known figure in the blockchain industry thanks to his involvement in several incredibly successful projects. He recently put forth a proposal to revitalize Sushiswap and change up the platform.
With Daniele at the helm, Sushiswap would be incorporated into his own network of applications through a variety of different features and functions. In fact, this would be one of the largest multi-chain DApp coordinations ever to be seen in blockchain history.
The proposal is still underway, so the future of Sushiswap is still up in the air. But Daniele is responsible for developing several of the most popular blockchain projects, so reinvigorating Sushiswap should be a cinch.
Closing out the year with style
2021 has been an incredible year for decentralized finance, blockchain games, and the NFT market. New blockchains have sprouted up, and cryptocurrencies have hit multiple all-time highs.
While the future remains unknown, 2022 looks quite bright for the world of cryptocurrency. So here’s to the new year, and the many opportunities it will bring!
