DWF Labs switches headquarters from Singapore to Abu Dhabi

UK-headquartered decentralized mobile network project World Mobile has teamed up with PT Professional Telekomunikasi Indonesia, better known as Protelindo, to launch a blockchain-based 5G mobile network. Founded in 2003, Protelindo is an Indonesian digital infrastructure firm that specializes in fiber optic networks and telecommunications towers. It owns and operates a large network of these towers in Indonesia, leasing them out to various mobile service operators.  The two firms acquired Combined Space Technologies (CST) earlier this year as a joint venture. CST had been originally founded in Cambridge in the UK, backed by Deutsche Telekom to the tune of $70 million. Successful demos of its proprietary technology had been completed in conjunction with British Telecom (BT) and Deutsche Telekom before World Mobile and Protelindo decided to purchase the company.Photo by Alessio Soggetti on UnsplashWorld Mobile StratosphericIn a press release published on Aug. 8, World Mobile outlined that through CST, the two companies have launched World Mobile Stratospheric.  World Mobile asserts that the establishment of this stratospheric connectivity platform is “unprecedented.” The project implicates the use of fixed-wing drone aircraft, which it proposes to use to host 500,000 simultaneous 5G handset connections while flying at altitudes of up to 20,000 meters. World Mobile Group Chief Business Officer (CBO), Charles Barnett, told Cointelegraph that each drone can provide wireless network coverage over an area of 15,000 square kilometers. Each aircraft will host 450 individually steerable beams in order to deliver the service within a defined geographical area. Low latencyBarnett outlined that the technology can achieve just six milliseconds of total latency with the service having the capability of providing 5G service up to 18 times cheaper per gigabyte by comparison with other similar technologies. It’s thought that the service will compete with space/satellite-based telecoms systems such as Elon Musk’s Starlink. While Starlink has brought internet to corners of the globe that were otherwise underserved, it has been criticized in terms of its interference with astronomy, increased space debris and the potential for atmospheric pollution. Additionally, the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based service has much higher overheads. In comparison with World Mobile Stratopheric’s six millisecond latency, Starlink is much higher at 47 milliseconds. The system delivers directly to the consumer’s device, whereas Starlink is delivered to a satellite dish with significant cost implications for the user. Stratomast, the hydrogen-powered drone aircraft, can stay up for between six and nine days and produces zero emissions. While Starlink and World Mobile Stratospheric may compete, Barnett believes that Starlink is the better choice when delivering service to remote areas that lack any cellular connectivity at all, whereas Stratospheric is the best option in areas with a higher density of mobile users. Micky Watkins, CEO of World Mobile, said that the partnership proves how blockchain can unlock new models for global connectivity. He added:“It aligns infrastructure deployment with community participation and makes decentralized telecom not just possible, but scalable.” Watkins believes that by combining advanced aerospace technology with token-driven economics, the project is building a network that connects more people, faster, in an economically efficient and environmentally sound manner. 

Arthur Hayes: Chinese monetary policy could ignite crypto marketArthur Hayes, Co-Founder of Seychelles-incorporated crypto exchange and derivatives platform BitMEX, suggests that China could inject a substantial amount of credit into its economy, potentially giving a boost to Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.Photo by Eric Prouzet on UnsplashPotential flood of yuan creditThe firebrand crypto OG outlined his thoughts on the matter in a blog post which was published on Monday. Hayes discussed how, although China has currently made credit expensive in order to hold back credit growth and inspire confidence in the economy, its monetary authorities might be gearing up to flood the economy with yuan credit, creating a favorable environment for cryptocurrencies.He outlined a series of factors contributing to this potential surge in Chinese credit. He pointed to the interplay between U.S. monetary policy and the Chinese yuan, emphasizing how recent U.S. actions are laying the groundwork for China to issue substantial credit, particularly to its struggling property sector.Describing U.S. policy as “weakening the dollar by issuing more Treasury bills,” Hayes noted the consequent decline of the dollar index (DXY) throughout November. He argued that the weaker dollar gives China the flexibility to increase yuan credit without significant depreciation, possibly even leading to yuan appreciation.If the Federal Reserve at a minimum holds rates and better still, starts to cut rates, China will be in a position to pursue the stimulus needed for its property market and for infrastructure spending.Hong Kong as the gateway to capital marketsAccording to Hayes, the global monetary dynamics set in motion by these factors could be advantageous for Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market. He explained that the bulk of the financing will trickle down into speculation within the financial markets. If China starts printing yuan, the capital is likely to flow into global markets, supporting the prices of various risk assets.But how can this happen, given that speculation and crypto trading are prohibited in China? Hayes’ view is that Hong Kong is now China’s gateway to the global capital markets. Wealthy Chinese individuals now bank via Hong Kong. As we have seen, the autonomous Chinese territory has a workable regulatory framework in place and is now actively licensing crypto exchanges and brokers. Consequently Bitcoin and crypto, generally, could be among the risk assets benefiting from an influx of capital.Furthermore, the BitMex co-founder believes that as yuan credit becomes abundant, the global demand for dollar credit and liquidity may decrease. Given that the dollar is a primary funding currency, a fall in the price of credit could lead to a rise in fixed-supply assets like Bitcoin and gold in dollar terms.Hayes concluded what is a long and detailed blog post by stating:“I will continue moving money out of T-bills and into crypto because I want to get in now before it becomes apparent through the data that China’s money printer is going brrrrr.”He suggested that Chinese New Year, which occurs in mid-February of next year, could be the time in which that extra credit materializes in China. Hayes’ latest assertion comes on the back of a bold claim he made last month when he suggested that bitcoin could reach a unit price of $1 million by 2026.

Google Cloud becomes a Volunteer Validator for gaming blockchain XPLAXPLA, a gaming blockchain guided by Korean cultural content company Com2uS Holdings, revealed in a blog post on Tuesday (local time) that Google Cloud has joined as a validator for its blockchain network.Through their collaboration, Google Cloud will take on the role of the first Volunteer Validator for the XPLA blockchain. This partnership enhances the network’s security and governance, as validators are responsible for maintaining the integrity of a blockchain network by validating and relaying transactions.Photo by engin akyurt on UnsplashLayer-1 mainnetXPLA is a layer-1 mainnet that features a diverse group of network participants from the Web3 space. This includes notable enterprises such as Oasys, Animoca Brands, Yield Guild Games (YGG), Blockdaemon, gumi and LayerZero, all contributing to the ecosystem.Commenting on this initiative, Jack Buser, Google Cloud’s director of game industry solutions, said, “We are pleased to take on a role as a Volunteer Validator for the XPLA ecosystem.” According to South Korean news outlet Etoday, Buser expected that the cloud computing services provider’s robust infrastructure will contribute to driving rapid growth and fostering innovation within the realm of Web3 gaming.Better Web3 experiencesPaul Kim, Leader of the XPLA team, echoed similar sentiments as he welcomed Google Cloud’s participation in their project. He mentioned their shared aim to deliver innovative and appealing Web3 experiences to gamers worldwide within a transparent Web3 ecosystem. Kim said, “Through this collaboration, XPLA can secure advanced IT technology and insights into future industries.”