Evening News | Tencent recently released multiple job postings for Web3 positions; the Ethereum Foundation's treasury funds were approximately $1.6 billion as of the end of the first quarter

Organizer: Linqi, Chain Catcher

"What important events have occurred in the past 24 hours?"

1. Nansen: The growth rate of the NFT market has surpassed that of the cryptocurrency market

Blockchain data analytics firm Nansen recently released a quarterly research report on NFTs. The analysis highlights that the NFT industry has outperformed the cryptocurrency market year-to-date, with an expected market valuation of $80 billion by 2025. According to Nansen's 2022 quarterly NFT report, the NFT market has already surpassed the cryptocurrency market this year, with a year-to-date ETH return of 103.7% and a USD return of 82.1%. Despite a decline in most asset classes globally as of February 2022, the NFT-500 rose by 5.9% in the first 30 days of March. (Source link)

2. Tencent's recruitment website recently posted multiple Web3 job openings, including Web3 product planning and alliance chain EVM development

According to Tencent's recruitment website, Tencent has recently posted multiple Web3 job openings, including positions for Web3 blockchain product planners, Web3 blockchain data analysts, Web3 blockchain backend developers, Web3 blockchain frontend developers, Web3 blockchain middle and backend developers, and Web3 blockchain smart contract developers.

Some job requirements include familiarity with blockchain frameworks such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cosmos, with preference given to those with underlying development experience; proficiency in EVM principles and the Solidity smart contract language and development libraries, along with relevant project experience; and preference for candidates with experience in Ethereum NFT and DeFi project development.

Some job responsibilities include researching domestic and international Web3 industry trends and competitors; conducting product research, planning, prototyping, and PRD output for distributed projects like Web3; developing blockchain address profiling models through transaction data mining; and participating in research on innovative features such as blockchain scalability and cross-chain communication; contract development based on compliant alliance chain EVM.

Additionally, according to recruitment information circulated on social media, Tencent Games is directly hiring Web3 talent but is not focusing on blockchain games, with current emphasis on overseas Web3 exploration. (Source link)

3. Ethereum Foundation operational report: As of the end of Q1 2022, treasury funds amount to approximately $1.6 billion, with $48 million spent in 2021

The Ethereum Foundation has released its operational report as of Q1 2022. The report shows that as of March 31, 2022, the Ethereum Foundation's treasury funds amount to approximately $1.6 billion, of which about $1.3 billion is in crypto assets and $300 million in non-crypto assets, with 99.1% of the $1.3 billion in crypto assets being Ethereum.

In 2021, the Ethereum Foundation spent a total of $48 million, of which $20 million was external spending, including grants, domain allocation, bonuses, sponsorships, etc. All expenditures include: Layer 1 research and development spending ($21.8 million), Layer 2 research and development spending ($1.9 million), zero-knowledge proof application research and development ($3.6 million), development platform ($5.9 million), community development ($9.7 million), and internal operations and support ($5.1 million). (Source link)

4. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: Amazon may support the sale of NFTs

According to Chain Catcher, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in an interview with CNBC that he does not hold any tokens such as Bitcoin or NFTs, but he is optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Furthermore, Andy Jassy mentioned that there are currently no plans to accept cryptocurrencies as a payment method in Amazon's retail business. However, Andy expressed interest in NFTs and stated that in the future, Amazon may support the sale of NFTs. "I think the NFT market has really taken off and will continue to grow significantly." (CNBC)

5. CCTV Finance: The number of trademark applications for the metaverse by Chinese companies exceeds 10,000, with some metaverse products merely riding the concept

According to CCTV Finance's official Weibo account, the CCTV Finance program reported that since "metaverse" became the focus of the internet, many internet companies have begun to lay out their strategies. Various metaverse applications can be found in mobile app stores, including chat software utilizing worker intelligence technology and immersive virtual games. However, user satisfaction with these products claiming to be part of the metaverse seems to be low.

Despite this, companies chasing the metaverse concept continue to emerge. Over the past year, the number of trademark applications for "metaverse" by Chinese companies has exceeded 10,000, involving more than 1,500 companies across various industries. Technology and entertainment companies, as well as enterprise service companies, are the main applicants, followed by retail, automotive, education, and IoT companies.

However, aside from a few companies whose industries are related to the supporting technologies of the metaverse, most companies show clear signs of merely riding the concept. Some companies aim to create "metaverse spatial experience scenarios," which are essentially VR (virtual reality) exhibition halls and digital scenic spots that have been popular in the cultural tourism industry for many years; some companies claim to be laying out the metaverse, but their main actions are merely developing virtual idols; and other companies propose "enterprise metaverse" solutions, resulting in the development of visualization platforms. (Source link)

1. “Andre Cronje's Latest Article: Crypto is Dead, Long Live Crypto”

After announcing his exit from the crypto industry on March 6, Andre Cronje has publicly spoken out today, discussing his views on the current spirit and culture of the crypto industry, pointing out that crypto culture has stifled the spirit of crypto.

2. “Detailed Explanation of Cross-Chain Communication Protocol Axelar: How to Unlock Cross-Chain Composability and Liquidity?”
Following the popularity of LayerZero's cross-chain bridge Stargate, the cross-chain protocol track has become a market focus, and Axelar network is another cross-chain interoperability protocol worth noting. Axelar aims to break down barriers to cross-chain communication, connecting users, assets, and dApps across multiple blockchain ecosystems, allowing developers to build on the best platforms that meet their needs while leveraging the Axelar stack to unlock cross-chain composability and liquidity.
3. “Using Flash Loans for Malicious Voting, Hackers Drain Over $100 Million in Assets from Beanstalk”
On April 17 at around 10 PM Beijing time, the decentralized stablecoin protocol Beanstalk suffered a flash loan attack, resulting in the loss of over $100 million in crypto assets. Specifically, the attacker completed a flash loan on the lending platform Aave, accumulating a large amount of the protocol's governance token STALK; using STALK, the attacker quickly passed a "malicious governance proposal," transferring all funds stored in the protocol.