We've filtered through all the noise to distill crucial updates into a breezy, 5-minute read. No need for you to sift through endless info — we've got you covered. Ready to delve into this week's top Cardano news? Let’s dive in.
Here are the topics of the week:
The Latam Cardano Community to Organize “Argentina Digital Nation,” a Web3 Event in Buenos Aires
Mehen to Moneta: The USDM Platform Rebrands its Stablecoin
The Voting Period for Project Catalyst Fund 12 Proposals is Right Around the Corner
Minswap Labs Announces the Arrival of its V2 Public Testnet
Weekly Development Report
& More!
This newsletter is segmented into categories of less technical news topics to those that are more technical, in an effort to make it easier for our readers to follow. The first category will focus on news involving the Cardano ecosystem, while the second category will focus on projects that have been announced recently. The third category, which will be found towards the end of the newsletter, will focus on the most technical topics.
This week on Cardano…
The Latam Cardano Community to Organize “Argentina Digital Nation,” a Web3 Event in Buenos Aires
The Latam Cardano Community is organizing an event that will showcase Argentina’s entrepreneurial leadership and resilient spirit and how these qualities, paired with the right opportunities and the use of technology, can boost innovation at a national and global level.
Argentina Digital Nation (ADN) will be held in Puerto Madero’s Hotel Hilton on July 31st and will focus on Government, Education, Business, Finance, Culture, Society, and Innovation. The event will include panel discussions with keynote speakers from Argentina’s public and private sectors, as well as important figures from the blockchain industry abroad, such as Cardano Cofounder Charles Hoskinson, who is already a confirmed speaker. Exclusive networking sessions will also be held, providing opportunities for professionals from various sectors to exchange ideas and form potential alliances.
The event will center around three key concepts: Argentine DNA, freedom through technology, and innovation at a governmental level. Argentine DNA (or ADN in Spanish), is a reference to the country’s leaders and entrepreneurs, who have shown resilience, dedication, and creativity in the technological sector.
If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please send an email to: sponsors@adn.events. Registration for the event is now open. Make sure to sign up with your email to be the first to receive information about ticket sales! READ MORE
Mehen to Moneta: The USDM Platform Rebrands its Stablecoin
Moneta, formerly known as Mehen, is the company behind the USDM stablecoin on the Cardano blockchain. This rebranding signifies their commitment to financial autonomy within the Cardano ecosystem.
Why the change?
Moneta better reflects their vision of promoting financial freedom and growth.
The butterfly logo symbolizes transformation and aligns with their goals.
USDM remains central
Moneta upholds the stability and security principles established with USDM.
The USDM ticker symbol will remain unchanged for market recognition.
Mehen, named after the ancient Egyptian creator god, played a pioneering role in developing USDM, the first fiat-backed stablecoin on Cardano. USDM serves as a cornerstone for decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, facilitating instant and secure on-chain payments. While Mehen provided a solid foundation for USDM's scalability within Cardano, Moneta signifies a broader vision. This rebranding reflects Moneta's commitment to empowering individuals and businesses with financial opportunities. READ MORE
The Voting Period for Project Catalyst Fund 12 Proposals is Right Around the Corner
As the voting period for Project Catalyst’s latest funding round is right around the corner, Lucas Macchiavelli, the author of the Cardano Newsletter, Cardano ambassador in Argentina, member of the Latam Cardano Community, and co-founder of Token Allies, has co-authored six proposals in two different categories: Five of them can be found under “Cardano Open: Ecosystem” and one other can be found under “Cardano Use Cases: MVP.”
Community voting for Project Catalyst’s 12th funding round will take place from June 27th to July 11th. As Cardano seeks to widen its blockchain implementation across the world, these proposals focus on projects that will catapult blockchain technology adoption in different regions of the globe.
Here is a summary of each proposal:
Ecosystem: “Cardano Worldwide Marketing Campaign” → A proposal to launch a professional marketing campaign to increase Cardano's reach in the main crypto cities in the world and places where Cardano must have a strong presence, particularly in the USA, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, and UAE. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
Ecosystem: “Academic Research at UBA, one of the most prestigious Universities in LATAM, with focus on Decentralized Governance Research” → The Latam Cardano Community submitted a proposal to host an education event at the Faculty of Law at the University of Buenos Aires to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by decentralized governance systems, with a focus on Cardano's innovative approach. Legal scholars, practitioners, and students will be invited to participate in workshops aimed at exploring the intersection of blockchain technology and Argentine law. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
Ecosystem: “Scaling Cardano Adoption in Latam: A University & Incubator Outreach Program” → The Latam Cardano Community proposes a significant expansion of the "Universities Onboarding to Cardano" project funded in Fund 10. The solution would tackle the lack of widespread Cardano awareness within Latam universities and incubators, fostering long-term growth in the Cardano user base and transaction volume within the Latam ecosystem. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
Ecosystem: “LATAM Cardano 2024: Driving Crypto Adoption in Mexico” → The proposal seeks to organize a large-scale Cardano event in Mexico City to address the lack of mass events and localized onboarding. While there is a significant crypto adoption in Mexico City, there still exists a gap in Cardano's presence. The event will feature workshops, panels, and networking opportunities, engaging both seasoned investors and those new to cryptocurrency. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
Ecosystem: “Bring Tier 1 influencers to Cardano through Impact marketing” → This proposal focuses on launching a marketing campaign through a series of recognized events in Argentina, targeting 7,000 attendees and reaching more than 1 million people on social media platforms. The main objectives of these events are to improve Cardano brand awareness and attract new wallets to the ecosystem through pre-event and on-site incentives by collaborating with top-tier influencers and the best event production companies in the country. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
MVP: “The bridge from JAPAN to LATAM, by Token Allies DAO” → In Cardano it's hard for investors in places like Japan to find great projects with proven models to invest in, and for projects in places like Latam to find the proper investors to scale and grow. Token Allies DAO, the first Decentralized VC in Cardano, wants to bridge that gap by democratizing access, dismantling barriers, redefining Venture Capital through transparency, and mutual alignment. READ THE FULL PROPOSAL
Explore the proposals and if they represent your vision of an improved Cardano ecosystem, make sure to vote for them in the upcoming elections!
Minswap Labs Announces the Arrival of its V2 Public Testnet
After a beta-testnet and bug bounty period, Minswap launched a public testnet this week for Cardano users to try out its V2 launch.
There's been recent discussion about a new wave of DeFi applications (dApps) emerging on Cardano, often referred to as "Cardano DeFi 2.0." This term signifies a significant upgrade compared to the first generation of Cardano DeFi dApps. Cardano DeFi 2.0 promises a significant leap forward, focusing on faster transaction speeds, greater dApp interoperability, and increased decentralization for a more robust network.
Minswap V2, a decentralized exchange built on Cardano, is often cited as a prime example of the improvements associated with DeFi 2.0. Compared to its predecessor (Minswap V1), Minswap V2 reportedly offers significant enhancements in all the aspects mentioned above. In essence, Cardano DeFi 2.0 represents a potential leap forward for DeFi applications on Cardano. These new dApps aim to be faster, more versatile, and more affordable to use, ultimately contributing to a more robust and user-friendly DeFi ecosystem on the Cardano blockchain.
Some of Minswap V2 features include:
Advanced Order Types: Offers features like limit orders, stop-loss orders, OCO orders, zap functionality (adding/removing liquidity with one asset), donation orders, and flexible deposits/withdrawals.
Reduced Transaction Size: Saves on storage space and potentially lowers batcher fees.
Lower Node Operation Requirements: Aims to make it easier to run nodes on standard hardware.
Minswap V2 serves as an example of how this next generation of DeFi applications aims to offer a wider range of functionalities at lower costs, ultimately making DeFi on Cardano more user-friendly and accessible to a broader audience. READ MORE
Weekly Development Report
Interesting Stories:
🎊 A Message from Lucas 🎊
We are still interested in hearing your feedback! If you haven’t done so already, please fill out the form below. We would love to hear your thoughts on what you like, what you don’t like, and any suggestions you may have for us. We are actively looking to upgrade the quality of our newsletter, and your opinion is vital in order to make that happen!
–Lucas Macchiavelli