What is the Ethereum Shanghai upgrade? When is it?


Key takeaways

  • Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade is slated for April 12th
  • For the first time, users will be able to unstake their ETH
  • There is currently 17.7 million ETH locked up, equivalent to 15% of the entire supply
  • Some users have had their ETH locked up since December 2020, when it traded at 

Ethereum has its next major event lined up, referred to as the Shanghai upgrade. But what actually is it? And when is it going to happen?

Well, the when is the easiest part. After much anticipation, the event is slated to occur Wednesday (April 12th). 

As for what it is, the headline development is that staked ETH will finally be able to be unstaked and sold. 

Since the Merge upgrade went live in September 2022, Ethereum has been a proof-of-stake blockchain. However, staked Ethereum has still been locked up…until now. Once the Shanghai upgrade goes live, users are free to do what they wish with their ETH. 

While the Merge only took place seven months ago, stakers had been locking up their ETH in the staking contract long before. Staking actually opened in November 2020, with the Merge repeatedly delayed until finally taking place in September. 

How much Ethereum will be released?

Finally, the Merge went live in September, but the full transition to proof-of-stake was not yet completed. This means the ETH locked up has continued to grow and today there is 17.7 million ETH locked up, translating to 15% of the entire supply. 

It has been a long wait for some investors. The price of Ethereum was below $400 in December 2020, before going bananas in 2021 as the crypto boom send prices vertical. It climbed as high as $4,800, only to crash down below $1,000 again as prices cratered during the bear of market. 

And through all this time, the ETH has just been…there. Locked up and restricted from sale. 

Liquid staking derivatives

Although investors did have options. Many utilised liquid staking derivatives, which means that they received tokens in lieu of their staked ETH. They could then trade these tokens, which because they will be redeemable for ETH once unlocked, theoretically (and largely in practice, too) traded pretty close to 1:1 with ETH. 

So while the previous chart paints a rollercoaster of emotions as ETH skyrocketed during the pandemic boom before freefalling back down, not all investors were forced to ride that rollercoaster. 

Will there be sale pressure on ETH?

The presence of staking derivatives means that the event will be less climatic, at least in terms of sell pressure. However, it remains true that ETH will still be easier to sell, and there is nothing to say that investors won’t withdraw and sell their ETH directly once they can. 

Then again, there is nothing to say this will happen either. Like many things in markets, it comes back to the concept of being “priced in”. This event is not a surprise, and hence the pressure will likely not be heavy in either direction. 

Of course, a bit of irrationality is not exactly rare in crypto markets, so perhaps there will be some movement. But again, this is a move which has been coming for a long time – it just formally has a date now. 

Macro environment will hold the key

While the event is key for the fundamentals and long-term future of Ethereum, when looking at the price action specifically, macro remains the most pivotal factor, and the reason that crypto prices have surged upwards thus far in 2023. 

ETH will continue to trade in line with the wider market. This in turn depends largely on the future path of interest rates and the sentiment in financial markets. 

2023 has thus far seen a complete flip in expectations of interest rates, with the market pricing in an end to the uber-tight monetary policy which has been in place for the last year. This has helped propel crypto prices north, with Ethereum up 58% this year. 

However, price is impossible to forecast, especially in the short-term. But looking beyond the number-go-up or number-go-down, the Shanghai upgrade represents another important milestone for Ethereum as a network and a technology, regardless of whether sell pressure may impact price in the short-term.

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Bitcoin miner stock CleanSpark has upside to $12, analyst says

  • H.C. Wainwright reiterates CleanSpark Inc its top pick for 2023.
  • Analyst Mike Colonnese explained why in a research note today.
  • CleanSpark stock is already up more than 50% for the year.

Shares of CleanSpark Inc (NASDAQ: CLSK) are up nearly 15% this morning after an H.C. Wainwright analyst named the bitcoin miner his top pick for 2023.

CleanSpark stock could quadruple from here

On Tuesday, Mike Colonnese reiterated his “buy” rating on the crypto company and said its shares could climb to $12 – about a 300% upside from here.

The bullish call on Clean Spark stock arrives only hours after it revealed to have bought 45,000 new Antminer S19 XPs from Bitmain for about $145 million.

CLSK secured machines for a very attractive $23/TH, the lowest we’ve seen for these rigs, and 12% below the going rate for high efficiency ASICs based on Luxor’s Bitcoin ASIC Price Index.

With this purchase, the analyst added, CleanSpark will be able to improve its hash rate to 16 EH/s in line with the company’s year-end target.

CleanSpark stock is significantly undervalued

CleanSpark is expected to report its Q2 financial results next month. Consensus is for it to lose 37 cents a share this quarter versus 5 cents of EPS a year ago.

For the year, CleanSpark stock is up more than 50% at writing. Still, Colonnese is convinced that it’s significantly undervalued. His research note reads:

It’s trading at 46% discount to peers on market cap to deployed hash rate, which we view as unwarranted. Today’s announcement should give investors more visibility and conviction into CLSK.

In terms of fleet efficiency, CleanSpark is ahead of everyone else in the industry following today’s deal with Bitmain, the analyst concluded.

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Crypto industry “healthier” than what market prices indicate: a16z report

  • Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has released its second edition of the State of Crypto report.
  • According to the venture capital firm, the crypto industry has steadily grown over the years, even as prices flactuate.
  • a16z has also unveiled the “State of Crypto Index,” a tool to help track the health of the crypto industry.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a leading venture capital firm that backs some of the best projects in the emerging technologies industry, has released its latest “State of Crypto report”.

The Silicon Valley based VC giant says in the report that the cryptocurrency sector is healthier than what the prevailing market prices suggest.

The report also notes that cryptocurrency prices have been characterised by periods of massive gains and then crypto winters. Commeting on this, a16z researchers Daren Matsuoka, Eddy Lazzarin, Robert Hackett and Stephanie Zinn wrote:

“In the period marked by our now-annual State of Crypto report, it would be easy for a casual observer to overlook the rapid progress the crypto industry is making. Major infrastructure improvements like The Merge – a momentous achievement in decentralized and open source development – simply don’t make headlines as often as high-profile bankruptcies, busts, and flameouts.”

Crypto “healthier” than the story prices tell

a16z’s second report comes after a period of turbulence for crypto in 2022, with the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX the low point for the industry in terms of its impact as a setback.

Crypto prices tumbled towards the end of the year before making a decent recovery in the first quarter of 2023. Of this aspect, the Andreessen Horowitz report says it is easy to miss the point when it comes to overall development across the industry.

In particular, the researchers highlight Web3 technology at the latest intersection of this trajectory.

“Our 2023 report aims to address the imbalance between the noise of fleeting price movements – and the data that tracks the signals that matter, including the durable progress of web3 technology. Overall, the report reflects a healthier industry than market prices may indicate, and a steady cycle of development, product launches, and ongoing innovation,” the report states.

a16z also announced the “State of Crypto Index,” which it says is an interactive tool that will help people “track the health of the crypto industry.” According to the VC firm, the tool focuses on innovation and technological advances, rather than on the financial aspect of the industry.

The index will provide a nuanced measure of what crypto development entails, looking at 14 industry metrics, including total verified smart contracts, active addresses, DEX volume, transacting wallets and active developers among others.

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Automated Trading Signals Attracting Investors to ASI Token Presale as Q2 2023 Approaches

Investors have long been attracted to the crypto markets for their innate profitability. In fact, cryptocurrency is the most lucrative asset class ever to exist, owing to the speculative nature of blockchain technology and its disruptive capabilities.

The AltSignals crypto platform has long been helping traders maximize investment returns through automated trading signals. As the crypto platform expands, it is expected to revolutionize the process of trading thanks to an AI-powered toolkit that forecasts crypto market volatility.

Crypto platform AltSignals is making great strides in the field of automated trading

Automated trading signals have attracted significant interest over recent years, as algorithmic tools such as AltAlgo™ have helped traders of all skill levels maximize investment returns. JP Morgan reported in 2020 that more than 60% of trades worth over $10 million were executed by automated trading tools and recently stated that AI could disrupt the financial markets.

AltAlgo™ is the proprietary trading tool released by AltSignals, a crypto platform expanding its blockchain offering to include a new automated trading protocol that is powered by artificial intelligence. Automated trading tools can help institutional and retail investors by condensing complex data into a single buy or sell signal with unrivaled accuracy.

 AltSignals’ token ASI is now available during its presale. ASI was initially made available at $0.012 and is scheduled to rise to $0.02274 by the final stage of investment. The token will power the crypto platform’s new blockchain services, including a new-and-improved automated trading tool called ActualizeAI.

What is AltSignals?

AltSignals has shared profitable trading signals with 50,000 community members since it launched in 2017. The crypto platform is specially designed to help traders navigate market volatility – AltAlgo™ has consistently had over 70% accuracy since it first launched and helped traders who matched its trades to 10x their portfolio in 19 separate months.

The crypto platform’s new automated trading stack, ActualizeAI, is expected to further optimize the accuracy rate of AltSignals’ existing tools. ActualizeAI leverages machine learning capabilities to continually improve the frequency and accuracy of automated trading signals, which could revolutionize how people trade the crypto markets.

ActualizeAI is set to analyze vast amounts of market data, including sentiment levels, and provides automated trading signals directly to its users. AltSignals has a proven track record for success that goes back over 5 years, which has led to great excitement surrounding the project’s new AI-based development.

How does ASI work?

The ASI token is used to provide access to ActualizeAI. Holders can also stake ASI tokens on the AltSignals platform to earn a passive yield on their long-term investment. They can also vote on governance proposals for new community-led initiatives.

Token holders will also gain access to the  AI Members Club, providing a host of new benefits for the crypto platform’s users. Among these benefits are early-stage crypto investment opportunities, where traders can buy into up-and-coming Web3 projects during their earliest fundraising rounds.

The AI Members Club will also host trading tournaments where traders can compete for the chance to win significant crypto prizes. The club will also allow members to test out new automated trading tools before they are officially released, which can help give users an advantage over other market participants.

Can ASI reach $0.40 in 2023?

The ASI token has deflationary tokenomics and vast utility within the AltSignals platform. The expanded offering from the crypto platform is expected to attract major levels of demand, owing to the innate profitability of the services provided.

Not only will ASI token holders access an industry-leading trading toolkit, but they can also participate in lucrative early-stage investment opportunities for new crypto projects. The AltSignals platform is designed to help its users make a profit in the crypto market, which is a key reason why there is significant demand for the ASI token.

Some expert price predictions for ASI after the crypto presale is over $0.50. The presale will raise the value of ASI to $0.02274 before it is launched on digital asset exchanges, meaning that presale investors make a 25x return if AltSignals hits its mid-term price target.

Are AI-based crypto protocols the next sector to take off?

Artificial intelligence and blockchain are rapidly evolving technologies disrupting the digital world. The number of projects that leverage artificial intelligence is continually rising, with many of the top projects producing significant returns in recent months.

Fetch.ai (FET) has risen over 900% since the beginning of 2023, while The Graph (GRT) has tripled in value. AltSignals could follow suit after the ASI token presale, which has already attracted $112k in just 1 day.

AI-based crypto protocols will likely keep expanding over the coming months and years. The range of use cases for artificial intelligence within the realm of Web3 is growing, and AltSignals looks set to revolutionize automated trading by leveraging the new technology.

Is ASI worth buying?

The ASI token presale could be a prime investment opportunity over the coming years. AltSignals is improving automated trading tools through the use of artificial intelligence, which could serve an increasing number of users as the crypto market enters its next bull phase. Investors who participate in the ASI presale are expected to see significant investment returns as a result.

The token is currently available at the $0.012 price level; however, it will rise before the end of the presale. Regardless of the price at which investors buy ASI, it certainly seems to be a great buy for its utility alone.

You can participate in the $ASI crypto presale here.

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Telegram Investor Groups Buzzing as AltSignals Announces Its Crypto Presale

  • AltSignals has announced a presale for the utility token ASI that unlocks next-gen AI trading insights
  • The popular platform has more than 52,000 users and boasts incredible reviews
  • The ASI presale looks set to be one of the best investment opportunities of 2023

The crypto world seems to have found a favored method to exchange ideas, having chosen instant messenger service Telegram for its communication needs. It often means that the earliest chance to spot top-notch crypto presale opportunities is across the application.

Investors paying attention are currently witnessing the wave of excitement rippling across Telegram due to the upcoming AltSignals crypto presale announcement. Many within the space see the presale as a rare opportunity to glean huge profits thanks to the project’s strong proposition and important ability to leverage its huge community of users. 

AltSignals boasts more than 50,000 crypto traders among its user base and has built its extensive community on the strength of its product offerings. This established base, alongside a heavily discounted presale on a token backed by a hugely successful product, are solid reasons contributing to the excitement, with ASI in future enabling access to ActualizeAI — the next evolution in premium signals.

What is AltSignals?

AltSignals has built its reputation on providing extremely high-quality trading signals across daily crypto trades, Binance futures, Forex, CFD and shares. Perhaps the clearest indicator of just how strongly its customer base values the user experience is AltSignals’ Trustpilot rating, with over 500 ‘Excellent’ ratings and an overall rating of 4.9/5.

Having built up a devoted community of more than 50,000 users since its launch in 2017, AltSignals has established itself as a leader in helping all levels of traders make profits every day with incredible results thanks to guidance from the platform.

AltSignals is building an indicator tool known as ActualizeAI, which will be using advanced AI leveraging natural language processing and sentiment analysis to constantly scan the markets to find machine-learning-driven trading opportunities. These can then be communicated as rapidly as possible to traders, giving them a vital edge on the competition and allowing them to maximize their profits as a result.

The signal success rates speak for themselves, with AltSignals technology delivering a 70-83% success rate on ETH and BTC trades. This success rate is critical proof explaining the huge popularity of the platform and means that the ASI presale is likely destined for similar success.

How does AltSignals work? 

AltSignals leverages both fundamental analysis and technical analysis in order to provide a complete data set to the advanced algorithms used to identify trades. With the addition of machine learning, its pattern recognition will be virtually unrivaled, helping drive the massive successes seen to date.

The current technology, AltAlgo™, has provided incredible results for traders and has solidified the position of AltSignals as a market leader in profit-maximizing trading signals across a range of different markets. This has enabled countless traders to beat the competition and get the most out of their trades.

This proven technology has served more than 3,700 crucial signals to traders, and with learning materials and coaching to support traders of all levels, AltSignals may be one of the largest collaborations of accomplished crypto traders out there — hence the excitement for the next stage of product development.

The ASI presale also marks the launch of the ActualizeAI Club, where token holders can use their ASI tokens to sign up to receive exclusive beta access to all new releases. Offering a valuable outlet, the group serves to keep savvy traders ahead of the markets. Joining and participating in the group also provides users with the ability to earn even more ASI tokens, set to launch in Q1 2023.

What is ASI? 

The ASI token is built on the Ethereum blockchain, providing a high level of security for ASI holders. The token itself is a utility token with critical roles across the AltSignals platform, with ASI ownership being fundamental to accessing different, exclusive areas of the platform and extra types of signals, such as those for the ActualizeAI product.

ASI will be key to early access to trading signals ahead of other traders, and the competitive edge that this provides is set to deliver huge gains for the token. As users flock to the platform, this edge is certain to be a fundamental driver adding to the incredible interest already shown so far in the project’s presale.

The token also plays a role in enabling value exchanges across the AltSignals platform, such as accessing educational resources and more. This high level of utility means that many are expecting to see a great deal of buying pressure for ASI that should drive up the price of the token further. As if that wasn’t enough, the ASI token will have a 3-5 year buyback and burn plan to ensure a deflationary effect on the supply of ASI — likely driving up the price of the token. 

Is ASI considered a good investment? 

Experienced crypto investors will know that crypto presales can herald enormous returns, with access to highly discounted prices available and limited awareness of the project creating significant value propositions. The ASI crypto presale is an incredible example of this, providing investors with a unique opportunity to get on board a project destined for greatness.

With the project’s already huge user base and solid reviews behind it, analysts are forecasting a bright future ahead for AltSignals and its ASI accordingly, with the presale having already raised $112k in just 1 day. With many already speculating on whether the token will smash through the $1 barrier in 2023 there’s no doubt that ASI holders will have an exciting 2023 ahead of them.

You can participate in the ASI presale here.

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