Old all-time highs from 2017 come back to haunt Bitcoin as BTC price action fails to see relief this "Septembear."Bitcoin (BTC) starts the second week of September still trying to cement $20,000 as support as bears clinch control.

The largest cryptocurrency emerges from a sideways weekend with a weekly close almost exactly at the $20,000 mark — but that significant psychological level is already struggling.

Expectations already favored further downside during this month — the so-called “Septembear” phenomenon which normally sees BTC price lose ground in September — and so far, there has been little evidence that this year will be different to most.

BTC/USD is down 1.5% in September 2022, and while the losses are modest, there are plenty of potential catalysts on the horizon.

Macroeconomic turmoil remains the name of the game in much of the world, the emphasis increasingly shifting to Europe as the energy crisis unfolds and the euro reaches twenty-year lows versus the U.S. dollar.more info

Negative market sentiment is causing derivative funding rates to remain negative—but this could provide an opportunity for traders. The funding rates for Bitcoin and Ethereum, the leading cryptocurrencies by market cap, remain negative for derivative traders, suggesting a potential short-term bull signal.

The Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate hikes and plans for future tightening of policy have placed increased pressure on markets across the globe. This past Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated his intent to counter inflation with higher interest rates in the near future. Markets reacted sharply to inflation news in May and have continued to slowly make new lows amid a summer of economic turmoil.more

Just weeks away from the historic event, experts discuss technical and political risks that could stem from the Ethereum network’s upgrade.It’s been awaited for half a decade, delayed for years, praised, condemned, tweaked, and so its developers say, perfected.

Ready or not, here comes Ethereum’s long-anticipated merge. But, given the technical feat that it is, is there any risk of something going terribly wrong?

The merge—Ethereum’s transition from a proof-of-work system to proof of stake—is set to occur between September 10 and September 20. During this historic upgrade to the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, upon which well over half of all decentralized finance activity is built, could your funds and NFTs go missing, or your favorite apps stop working?

Developers say there’s nothing to worry about—they’re confident the merge will have no impact on asset security or app functionality. But confusion surrounding the event could spike instances of scammers manipulating uninformed users, and, looking to the months and years to come, the implications of the merge could well have long-term political and even legal ramifications.more

The blockchain developer ranks 26 out of 600 global brands in a new report which analyzes consumers’ emotional connection to brands.Blockchain developer Cardano represents the crypto space with a top spot in a new report on global brand intimacy. Cardano ranks 26 among 600 brands and holds the top spot in the crypto industry, according to a report released by brand relations agency MBLM.

According to the report, brand intimacy refers to the emotional connections brands are able to create with their user base and audience. MBLM utilized artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to understand consumer relationships with some of the world’s leading brands, including Disney, Tesla and Apple.more

Also, Web3 CEO Maggie Love asks just how decentralized Ethereum is if Amazon hosts most of the network’s nodes. It was an underwhelming week; the prices of all leading cryptocurrencies went down over the last seven days, but not by much. There were relatively fewer stories of crypto adoption, or regulation, or fresh disasters from the ongoing crypto winter, than usual.Over on crypto Twitter, things were more animated. On Monday, Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, shared a table of how crypto regulations are developing among G20 states.more

Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson says the Vasil Hard Fork is set for September. “We’re not quite over the finish line.”The Ethereum Merge may be right around the corner—but so is Cardano’s Vasil hard fork.

Cardano is a peer-reviewed proof-of-stake blockchain which supports smart contracts and NFTs, and aims to solve global challenges surrounding identity management. Its token ADA is the No. 8 cryptocurrency by market cap, according to CoinMarketCap data.more info

Lists of fantasy gear sparked a market boom (and bust), but also the imagination of builders. Loot-inspired games and media are nearing release—and a “Loot 2” NFT launch could accelerate growth. Hype skyrocketed—but it didn’t last. While the average sale price for a Loot NFT soared to over 21 ETH, or about $84,000 at the time, the speculative frenzy soon faded. Prices fell, volume slowed, and the buzz quieted in the weeks that followed its launch. But Loot’s creative spark was real.

A small community of creators continue to use the NFTs as “scaffolding” to inspire an array of games and more. One year after the hysteria, the builders of the “Lootverse” told Decrypt about building in the wake of deflated hype, why they believe it’s the start of a creative revolution, and how “Loot 2” might accelerate it.more info

The metaverse has been touted as the place where we’ll spend our lives in the future—but the visuals still leave a lot to be desired.It’s approaching 20 years since the release of Second Life, an early stab at an immersive multiplayer universe from Linden Labs, in which people began living and working—as well as making plenty of cash along the way. Two decades on, the promise first hinted at in Second Life is nearing reality, as the persistent digital world of the metaverse starts to make inroads into the mainstream.

The breathless coverage and endless hype of the metaverse would have the average person convinced that they’ll need to start planning for a life permanently attached to a VR headset.more info