Hey Cardanians! Welcome aboard the Weekly Cardano Digest #42!!

We've filtered through all the noise to distill crucial updates into a breezy, 5-minute read. No need for you to sift through endless info — we've got you covered. Ready to delve into this week's top Cardano news? Let’s dive in.

Here are the topics of the week:

• Finest Investments Launches First Tokenized Gold Asset on Cardano

• Anzens Partners with BitGo Trust for Secure Custody of USDA

• Midnight Network Testnet Is Now Live

• Cardano Enhances Traceability for Georgian Wine

• World Mobile Token Integrates Chainlink CCIP

• Weekly Development Report

• & More!

This newsletter is segmented into categories of less technical news topics to those that are more technical, in an effort to make it easier for our readers to follow. The first category will focus on news involving the Cardano ecosystem, while the second category will focus on projects that have been announced recently. The third category, which will be found towards the end of the newsletter, will focus on the most technical topics.

This week on Cardano…

Finest Investments Launches First Tokenized Gold Asset on Cardano

Finest, a Germany-based platform, has pioneered the tokenization of gold on the Cardano blockchain with the launch of fGLD. This innovative project is a collaboration between NMKR, IAMX, and FluidTokens, each contributing their expertise to create a secure, compliant, transparent, and user-friendly platform.

fGLD offers investors a new way to own and trade gold, eliminating the complexities of physical storage and transportation. This tokenized gold is backed by actual gold reserves, providing a secure and transparent investment option.

Traditionally, investing in gold has been associated with high costs and complexities due to the need for physical storage and safekeeping. Unlike physical gold, tokenized gold eliminates the complexities of storage, insurance, and transportation. This democratization of gold investment makes it easier for individuals to participate in the gold market, regardless of their financial resources, aligning with Cardano's broader mission of promoting financial inclusion, especially in regions with limited access to traditional financial systems.

This development showcases Cardano's potential for expanding into new asset classes, such as precious metals. The blockchain’s decentralized ledger ensures secure and transparent transactions, while the energy-efficient consensus mechanism makes transactions eco-friendly. These benefits make fGLD an attractive option for investors seeking a sustainable and reliable gold investment. READ MORE

Anzens Partners with BitGo Trust for Secure Custody of USDA

Anzens, the issuer of the USDA stablecoin, has announced a partnership with BitGo Trust, a leading qualified custodian for institutional clients. This collaboration will provide secure custodial services for USDA once it launches on the Cardano blockchain.

The partnership between Anzens, EMURGO (the technology provider behind Anzens), and BitGo Trust highlights Anzens' commitment to security. By integrating BitGo's advanced financial infrastructure, Anzens aims to provide a highly secure and reliable stablecoin solution.

USDA is a Cardano-native, fully reserved stablecoin. It is designed to facilitate the development of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and protocols on Cardano. The upcoming launch of USDA also marks Anzens' first offering for individuals and enterprises seeking to connect traditional banking and financial services with crypto economies.

Anzens is committed to regulatory compliance and financial inclusion. They are registered as a Money Service Business with FinCEN and focus on serving emerging markets. By connecting digital assets with traditional financial institutions, Anzens aims to empower individuals and businesses worldwide. BitGo Trust is a well-respected name in the crypto industry, known for its expertise in digital asset custody. Anzens is one of the first clients to utilize BitGo Trust's newest offering, which provides segregated accounts for added security.

This partnership is a significant milestone for Anzens and the Cardano ecosystem. It demonstrates Anzens' commitment to providing a secure and reliable stablecoin solution for users. The launch of USDA is expected later this year. READ MORE

Midnight Network Testnet Is Now Live

The Midnight Network is now available for developers to test and build on. This testnet environment provides a stable platform for experimenting with building applications that protect sensitive data.

The Midnight Network is designed to meet the needs of organizations that require data protection and ownership while leveraging the benefits of blockchain technology. By providing a reliable and secure testing environment, the testnet enables developers to explore the possibilities of building applications on the Midnight Network.

Key features include:

• Hard fork capability: Testnet allows for hard forks, enabling major upgrades without disrupting existing projects.

• ZK Snark upgradability: Developers can benefit from future security and performance enhancements without rewriting their smart contracts.

• Data protection: Midnight's programmable data protection allows developers to selectively disclose data.

• Easy development: The Compact language and development tools make it easier for developers to build on Midnight.

• Community involvement: Join the Discord channel to provide feedback and participate in hackathons.

The Midnight Network testnet plays a vital role in ensuring the stability, security, and performance of the network before its mainnet launch. Developers can use the testnet to experiment with building applications and test their code in a controlled environment. This feedback is essential for refining the network and shaping the future of data protection and blockchain technology. READ MORE

Cardano Enhances Traceability for Georgian Wine

The Cardano Foundation has partnered with Georgia's National Wine Agency (NWA) and Bolnisi Winemakers Association to implement a blockchain-based solution for wine traceability.

Despite the advancements in technology, consumers still rely heavily on traditional wine bottles and labels for information. This poses challenges for Georgia in promoting its wines and their unique heritage. Additionally, the lack of reliable tracking systems hinders Georgia's ability to combat counterfeit products and showcase the authenticity of its wines. These issues limit the country's ability to charge premium prices and grow its wine industry.

Georgia's NWA selected Cardano blockchain technology to power a new wine traceability program. The Cardano Foundation partnered with the Agency and Bolnisi Winemakers Association to develop this solution. The program uses blockchain to track wines from the vineyard to the consumer, improving transparency, certification, and consumer trust, allowing consumers to easily verify the authenticity and provenance of Georgian wines using QR codes.

This initiative benefits both consumers and producers. Consumers can gain confidence in the authenticity of the wines they purchase, while producers can enhance their reputation and command premium prices.

The Cardano Foundation's collaboration with Georgia's NWA demonstrates the potential of blockchain technology to transform traditional industries and improve supply chain transparency. In fact, the NWA plans to expand this traceability solution to other regions in the country. They also aim to register and certify a large portion of Georgia's wine production on the Cardano blockchain. READ MORE

World Mobile Token Integrates Chainlink CCIP

World Mobile Token (WMTx) has successfully integrated Chainlink CCIP, a cross-chain interoperability solution, across multiple blockchains. This integration will enable seamless token transfers and staking for WMTx users, enhancing the overall user experience.

Chainlink CCIP was chosen for its proven security and reliability, and is backed by Risk Management Network, an independent network that provides additional security by monitoring and verifying cross-chain operations. This is crucial given the history of security breaches and losses in the cross-chain industry.

WMTx is the utility token of the World Mobile network, a decentralized mobile network focused on connecting underserved communities. By utilizing blockchain technology, World Mobile aims to provide affordable and high-quality connectivity to billions of people worldwide.

Chainlink is a leading decentralized computing platform that powers various applications and markets in sectors such as finance, DeFi, and gaming. Chainlink's reputation for security and reliability makes it a valuable partner for WMTx. READ MORE

Weekly Development Report

Interesting Stories:

1. Voting for the 2024 Intersect elections is now open

2. StellarTX Capital invests one million ADA in Cardano’s Dedium Network

3. Metera Protocol and Strike Finance form an alliance to bring MTKs to Strike  

4. Iagon and EMURGO partner to drive Iagon’s upcoming enterprise pilot

5. Rocket by JPG Store to launch on October 8th 

6. The ADA Handle Gallery now supports all native assets on Cardano

🎊 A Message from Lucas 🎊

Hello everyone! Another week for building on the ecosystem. The amount of interesting conversations I've been having for the past few weeks is just crazy.

The Argentina Tech Forum is just 2 weeks away and we are all excited to welcome back Charles Hoskinson and the IOG team to the country. Lots of interesting meetings and events ahead 👀

If you are interested in joining us or coming to Argentina let me know, I would love to help. Shoot me a DM on X!

–Lucas Macchiavelli