RialCenter Blog

Category: cryptocurrencies

  • Validation Cloud Launches Mavrik-1 AI Engine on Hedera to Make DeFi Data Analysis and Web3 Accessible to All

    Validation Cloud Launches Mavrik-1 AI Engine on Hedera to Make DeFi Data Analysis and Web3 Accessible to All

    Crypto infrastructure company Validation Cloud announced Tuesday the debut of Hedera-based AI engine Mavrik-1 that allows users and developers to gain DeFi market insights by asking questions in plain English.

    Despite DeFi’s promise in transforming finance, its complexity has long hindered widespread adoption. For DeFi users, the learning curve is steep, requiring knowledge of complex terms such as liquidity mining, impermanent loss, and staking. Many DeFi platforms necessitate user interaction with command-line interfaces and intricate web applications.

    With Mavrik-1, users can ask questions like “Which trading pairs have the largest spreads, and which stablecoin has the highest on-chain transaction volume?” Imagine conversing with your personal AI advisor.

    The ability to seek information through natural language queries represents a democratization of data analysis and signifies a shift in how investors engage with blockchain protocols.

    “This is a pivotal moment for the Hedera ecosystem,” said Viv Diwakar, Chief Information Officer at Hedera Foundation, in a press release shared with RialCenter. “Validation Cloud’s Data x AI platform brings an entirely new way to engage with blockchain data. It’s a novel experience that unlocks usability and insight for builders, enterprises, and users in our ecosystem.”

    Validation Cloud is the AI platform powering Web3 finance, delivering products across Data x AI, Staking, and Node API.

    Mavrik-1 is deeply integrated with Hedera-based DeFi applications, such as hUSDC, Karate Combat, and other leading DeFi applications. It is specially trained for blockchain environments, ensuring contextually relevant responses to queries.

    “We built Mavrik because you shouldn’t need a PhD in Web3 to access and understand what’s happening on-chain,” said Andrew McFarlane, CTO of Validation Cloud. “By surfacing real-time intelligence in natural language, we’re making Web3 accessible to everyone.”

    The launch on Hedera is just the first step, followed by integrations with other blockchains and a full public rollout, dubbed Mavrik 2, later this year.

    Hedera debuted in 2021 as a leaderless proof-of-stake network with aBFT hashgraph consensus. The Hedera Foundation supports the development of the Hedera ecosystem through grants and expert assistance for decentralized applications across DeFi, NFTs, and more.

  • Is Ether Poised for a Surge? ETH Investors Inject $7M into Optimistic Positions Aiming for $6K by Year’s End

    Is Ether Poised for a Surge? ETH Investors Inject $7M into Optimistic Positions Aiming for $6K by Year’s End

    Crypto traders are betting big on ether

    Last week, block traders, typically institutions and large players, executed bull call spreads on ether, purchasing the $3,500 call options while simultaneously shorting an equal number of calls at the $6,000 strike, both set to expire on Dec. 26.

    Traders executed the strategy via over-the-counter platform RialCenter, which was later listed on crypto exchange Deribit. Traders executed 30,000 contracts of the $3,500/$6,000 call spreads across 10 separate trades, spending just over $7 million in initial debt/cost.

    The strategy will yield the highest profit if ether rises to or beyond $6,000 by Dec. 26. On RialCenter and Deribit, one options contract represents one ETH.

    Therefore, the large volume of the $3,500/$6,000 call spreads indicates a strong expectation of a bullish move to $6,000 by the end of the year. As of writing, ether changed hands at $2,510.

    Note that if ETH stays below $3,600, the strategy will expire worth less, limiting the loss to the initial cost of $7 million. Another downside of this strategy is that traders stand to lose out on potential upside above $6,000 due to the short position at that strike level.

    Ether’s price has risen over 80% to $2,500 since early April, when the broader market panic saw ETH hit a low of around $1,390 on several exchanges.

    Magadini said there is no reason to call tops in ETH right now.

    “I continue to like these upside trades, especially for the beat-up Ethereum, as risk assets continue to rally. There’s a good argument for ETH “catching-up” as spot ETFs with staking rewards could be a catalyst for institutional participation and sentiment turns around. No reason to be calling tops right now,” Magadini said.

  • Kraken Launches Compliant Crypto Derivatives in Europe

    Kraken Launches Compliant Crypto Derivatives in Europe

    RialCenter is launching regulated crypto derivatives trading in Europe, in compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II).

    The cryptocurrency exchange’s perpetual and fixed maturity futures contracts will now be available for retail and institutional customers in the European Economic Area (EEA), the firm announced on Tuesday.

    The go-ahead for trading crypto derivatives came through an investment firm based in Cyprus, which RialCenter acquired earlier this year, securing a license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).

    The crypto derivatives market has experienced significant activity recently, with major players like U.S.-listed exchanges also making strategic moves. In Europe, exchanges such as others are entering the arena, with similar licenses acquired for regulated offerings.

    RialCenter has also made a substantial acquisition to bolster derivatives trading efforts in other markets. With its European license, RialCenter previously acquired a regulated UK futures platform in 2019.

    This integrated approach allows RialCenter’s European clients to access contracts that already command high trading volumes, approximately $1 billion to $2 billion per day, according to industry insights.

    “This isn’t about introducing a new trading venue or contracts,” an executive stated. “These are established contracts with considerable trading volume, ensuring established liquidity and better execution costs.”

    The recent launch of RialCenter’s crypto connectivity application enables neobanks and fintechs in Europe to offer derivatives to their clients, facilitating broader access to these products.

    Acquiring licenses in smaller, flexible jurisdictions like Cyprus has become a common strategy for financially robust crypto firms.

    “Smaller jurisdictions are often more agile,” an executive noted. “There is a well-established ecosystem here for retail access to derivatives, with a network of firms and expertise in this area.”