Buckle up for highlights from last month in the Moonbeam universe! Remarkable achievements, great partnerships, and several successful community events made February a momentous month for Moonbeam. ๐๏ธ
Read on!
TL;DR
- ETH Denver: Moonbeam sponsored the event, hosted a Polkadot Mini-Summit session, BUIDLathon bounty for cross-chain dApp development, and networked with partners
- GameFi Updates: Stars Arena battle arena game by Animo Industries is coming to Moonbeam, promoting Web3 gaming adoption
- Native USDT & USDC: Stablecoins integrated on Moonbeam, enhancing DeFi liquidity and bridging centralized/decentralized finance
- $PINK Airdrop: 12 projects received allocations, 50% allocated to engaged community members based on staking, governance, etc.
- Gauntlet Partnership: Optimizing Moonbeam’s grant programs, economics, budget framework, and long-term sustainability
ETH Denver – A Successful Crypto Meetup
ETH Denver 2024 was a melting pot of innovation and collaboration, with Moonbeam pivotal in fostering cross-chain development and connectivity. The launch of the “Cross-Chainify any dApp with Moonbeam” BUIDLathon bounty offered $10K in prizes to incentivize developers to explore cross-chain capabilities using Moonbeam. In addition, we take pride in being one of the main sponsors of ETH Denver, showcasing our dedication to supporting the Ethereum and Polkadot ecosystems.
The Polkadot Mini-Summit featured a “Building Connected Contracts on Moonbeam” session by Kevin Neilson. This session, held on February 28, provided invaluable insights into creating interoperable smart contracts, emphasizing Moonbeam’s role in enabling seamless cross-chain functionality.
The Moonbeam booth at the ETH Denver Main Event became a hub for enthusiasts and developers alike, offering a chance to engage with the Moonbeam team and its partners, including Diode Chain, Squid Router, StellaSwap, ANIMO industries, TeddyDaoNFT.
This interaction provided a firsthand experience of Moonbeam’s ecosystem and its collaborative projects.
Moreover, the DAppy Hour side event, co-sponsored by Tanssi Network, Subsquid, Arrington Capital, and Moonbeam on March 1st, offered a fun setting for networking and discussion, further highlighting Moonbeam’s community-driven approach to blockchain development and its vision for a connected, interoperable future!
GameFi Updates – Stars Arena on the Way to Moonbeam!
Moonbeamโs gaming landscape is getting boosted with the upcoming launch of Stars Arena, a dynamic online multiplayer battle arena game crafted by Animo Industries, promising to redefine the boundaries of blockchain gaming. Its engaging third-person mech-shooter gameplay introduces players to a universe where they can own cross-chain assets and sets the stage for a broader adoption of web3 gaming.
Sicco Naets, Moonbeam Foundation’s Head of Ecosystem Development, highlights the partnership’s aim to transcend conventional play-to-earn models by integrating web3 technology to add meaningful utility to gameplay. This approach not only simplifies the acquisition and management of in-game assets for players but also marks a significant step towards the mainstream adoption of blockchain in gaming.
More in Moonbeam and Gaming on the way! ๐น๏ธ
Native USDT & USDC Arrive on Moonbeam
A significant leap forward for DeFi on the Moonbeam Network, February saw the integration of native USDT and USDC stablecoins on Polkadot and Moonbeam. This development is a crucial advancement for Moonbeam liquidity, enhancing the ecosystem’s ability to attract and retain growth.
Binance, the world’s largest centralized crypto exchange, kickstarted the month by enabling native USDC deposits and withdrawals directly to the Polkadot AssetHub, providing its 150 million+ global users with a seamless bridge between traditional and decentralized finance. Following suit, Kucoin announced support for native USDT deposits and withdrawals to Polkadot, further solidifying the stablecoins’ presence within the ecosystem. On Moonbeam, Stellaswap and other dApps announced support for USDC and USDT. Moonwell DeFi embraced now allows lenders to earn GLMR and WELL rewards for depositing native USDC (xcUSDC).
Moonbeam’s $PINK Airdrop – Supporting Projects and Rewarding the Community
The $PINK airdrop was an exciting event for the Moonbeam ecosystem, allocating a big amount of the $PINK meme coin’s total supply to Moonbeam projects and community members.
After a submission period, the Moonbeam Review Team approved 12 projects to receive a $PINK allocation of approximately 4.1667% each, totaling 50% of the allocated supply.
The selected projects span gaming, DeFi, NFTs, and more, supporting engaged teams contributing to Moonbeam’s growth!
The remaining 50% was designated for the loyal Moonbeam community. A snapshot taken on January 10th, 2024, determined eligibility based on staking, voting, NFT holdings, and other involvement metrics. This portion will be distributed among active community members, long-term stakers, governance participants, and more. Over 19K addresses were eligible for the 25% allocation. The 25% was split into 20% for OG & active members like ambassadors and delegates, 50% for long-term stakers, and 30% for NFT holders and Airlyft participants across tiers based on points earned.
With non-foundation Treasury Council members managing the distribution process, Moonbeam aimed to properly recognize and reward its dedicated ecosystem while driving further engagement with the allocated $PINK supply. The event highlighted Moonbeam’s community-focused approach and commitment to fostering a vibrant environment for projects building on the network!
Read all about the initial Forum proposal details here.
Moonbeam Gauntlet – Grant Program Analysis
Moonbeam partnered with Gauntlet, a leading DeFi-native quantitative research firm, to optimize grant programs and economic mechanisms within the Moonbeam ecosystem. Gauntlet has worked with major DeFi protocols like Uniswap, Arbitrum, Aave, and more, bringing expertise in risk management, incentive optimization, and mechanism design.
This multi-stage initiative will kick off with an analysis of Moonbeam’s past grant programs and recommendations for measurable objectives and KPIs. Gauntlet will then conduct a deep dive into Moonbeam’s economics, examining the treasury, fee mechanisms, and projected expenses to define a strategic budget framework. Finally, they will propose actionable plans to grow revenues, reduce costs, and maximize Moonbeam’s economic efficiency and long-term sustainability, backed by quantified impact projections.
This partnership is about data-driven insights that optimize Moonbeam’s grant incentives, spending, and economic policies. By collaborating with Gauntlet’s analytical capabilities, Moonbeam can make informed decisions to foster a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for the long-term growth of the network.
Read more about Gauntlet X Moonbeam here!
Other Notable Events
- Coinbase Wallet released its in-app subscription service with Moonbeam among the first chains to be supported. With this feature, Coinbase Wallet users can now subscribe to the Moonbeam list & receive notifications about the network.
- SubQuery built a unified data indexing solution for Moonbeam and Moonriver by introducing a versatile tool capable of querying both EVM logs and Substrate.
Conclusion
The past month has been exceptional for the Moonbeam ecosystem, marked by significant advancements and strategic partnerships. From the successful ETH Denver event showcasing Moonbeam’s commitment to fostering cross-chain development to the upcoming launch of the highly anticipated Stars Arena game, Moonbeam solidifies its position as a driving force in Web3! Moreover, integrating native USDT and USDC stablecoins has unlocked new opportunities for DeFi growth and liquidity.
The $PINK airdrop was also a highlight for the community, supporting innovative projects and rewarding the loyal Moonbeam community. At last, we are excited about the strategic partnership with Gauntlet, promising to optimize Moonbeam’s grant programs, economic mechanisms, and long-term sustainability with data-driven insights to ensure the network’s continued growth and success.
Thank you for being a part of Moonbeam’s journey! Until next time.
