Solana Spot ETFs, 𝕏 Becomes A Solana Frontend, Solana Joins The UFC & More

Welcome back!

This is J264G and this week I’ve got these titbits for you:

• 𝕏, The Solana Frontend: Actions and Blinks are about to change the internet.

• Cryptocurrencies ≠ Securities: A U.S. District Court sides with crypto — again.

• Tokenized Commodities: elmnts brings tokenized commodities to Solana.

Last week both VanEck and ArkInvest/21Shares filed for a Solana spot ETF in the US. 

So what's the SEC doing in the meantime? ⬇️

It's all so tiring, but we keep doing what we’re doing.

Now, let’s jump right into this week’s newsletter!

Click on any underlined heading/hyperlink to learn more.

Spotlight

Loose Cannon Journalism

Crypto news publications such as Coindesk, Cointelegraph, The Block, Blockworks, and Decrypt are meant to serve as forces for good. 

Within the crypto ecosystem, they keep the community informed and stimulate meaningful debates. And beyond our bubble, they ignite interest in crypto and assist in onboarding new enthusiasts.

But what happens when crypto news publications fail to uphold these ideals?

Here’s an example ⬇️ 

This is not the first time Cointelegraph chose to run an opinion piece like this. Don't believe me? Well, I got news for you: Remember the following piece from April?

If you're confused because both articles look the same — trust your instincts: Cointelegraph's Solana hit pieces don't even get the luxury of individual, customised title images. 

Regardless, Cointelegraph took down Daniel O'Keeffe's opinion piece, you won't find it online any longer. 

So, render me confused: Cointelegraph wants to run anti-Solana clickbait, but takes it down when the blowback is too strong? 

Regarding opinion pieces, here’s what I think: 

• Opinion pieces should be written by domain experts. Domain expertise ensures that the knowledge imparted is relevant and up-to-date — which allows complex concepts to be conveyed effectively.

• Personal viewpoints are inherent in opinion writing. Having said that, they must be grounded in factual information to ensure the integrity of the publication and to avoid misleading readers.

• While opinion pieces reflect individual perspectives, it is important to acknowledge and address counterarguments to demonstrate intellectual honesty and encourage critical thinking among readers.

• Editorial oversight also plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality and integrity of published content. Rigorous editorial review ensures that facts are verified, logical consistency is maintained, and ethical standards are adhered to. 

By adhering to these principles, news publications can ensure that their opinion pieces contribute positively to public debate, accurately inform their audience, and uphold the values of responsible journalism.

Cointelegraph, however, seems to be doing none of this.

Daniel O'Keeffe's opinion piece was not grounded in factual information, intellectual honesty, and domain expertise — I doubt he spent any significant time in the Solana ecosystem exploring any of the apps and services I discuss in this newsletter on a weekly basis. And regarding Cointelegraph's editorial oversight … you be the judge.

If we want crypto to grow and onboard more people, loose cannon journalism from our peers is definitely not what we need. 

Mishaps happen, so I’ll remain confident that Cointelegraph will continue to be a champion for all of crypto.

But if improvements aren't made, there are numerous other publications that excel in crypto journalism and are well worth your support.

Number Of The Week

News Bites

𝕏, The Solana Frontend: Last week, Solana introduced Actions and Blinks. The toolkit enables developers to deploy Solana transactions via shareable, metadata-rich links on 𝕏 and anywhere else on the internet — no dApp required. This is a strong move for distribution, as it essentially transforms websites or social media platforms into a surface for on-chain transactions — making Solana more accessible and user-friendly for non-crypto users. For Actions and Blinks to be successful, however, new crypto users need to be onboarded and educated swiftly regarding OpSec and transaction security. So I’m eager to see the steps that will be taken to mitigate risks. You can find Actions and Blinks repos here and examples here.

New SVM API: I've been talking a lot about dedicated SVM projects such as Sphere, Sonics, and IRON. In order to support this rapidly expanding ecosystem, Anza has been working on an API to make building with Agave's SVM even easier. Check out the details here.

Cryptocurrencies ≠ Securities: Last week, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sided with a previous judge in saying that the SEC had not made its case that secondary sales of Binance’s tokens — sold by sellers other than Binance — are  subject to security laws. This is not the first legal ruling arguing that cryptocurrencies are not securities — so its only a matter of time this will be established in rules and regulations as well.

Tokenized Commodities: Securitize and BlackRock have been pioneering the RWA industry with their BUIDL fund on Ethereum. Another interesting RWA use case are tokenized commodities, which elmnts — a new Solana platform — wants to bring to market.

Crypto Hollywood: The Collision Awards are dedicated to honouring excellence in animation and motion design across various disciplines. Claynosaurz, an animation/motion studio initially bootstrapped as a Solana NFT project, has officially been selected as a finalist for this year's Collision Choice Awards — alongside Pixar, Disney, and Sony Pictures.

Caught In 4K

Weekly Take

Keks & Giggles

And that's a wrap!

If you'd like to reach me, respond to this newsletter or reach out to me on 𝕏.

Talk soon!

J264G

_{DISCLAIMER
None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research. Lastly, please be advised that we discuss products and services from our partners from which our team members may hold tokens/equity.}