GM, Syndicate Network! Welcome to the very first edition of our daily newsletter.

Let me give you a rundown on what to expect. Every day, we’ll cover 2 major stories happening in crypto and 1 emerging opportunity. At the end of this newsletter, you’ll be able to vote on what goes into our HODL Wallet (a paper-traded treasury) and what you thought of today’s edition.

With that out of the way, let’s get started.

Today’s top stories:

• 🚀 Visa teams up with Solana.

• 🤯 Get fiat for crypto on Metamask.

• 🔥 The zkSync airdrop is IMMINENT.

SOLANA’S BIGGEST PARTNERSHIP? 🚀

Solana can’t stop making HUGE partnerships.

Visa has teamed up with Solana to expand stablecoin settlement.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• Select vendors now have the option to opt for USDC settlement on the Solana network instead of relying on conventional fiat currency.

• This option helps merchants settle payments faster and cheaper, cutting down the time for cross-border payments that take days to complete.

• Visa has successfully conducted several pilot programs, demonstrating its capability to transfer millions of USDC via the Solana network.

This is just one of a number of wins Solana has made. In recent months, we’ve seen the blockchain partner with Web2 titans such as Shopify and Google Cloud.

Could Solana be the go-to blockchain for businesses and everyday people?

CASHOUT YOUR CRYPTO FOR FIAT WITH METAMASK 🤯

MetaMask is the most popular crypto wallet out there.

It has introduced a new feature called “Sell,” which allows users to link their wallet to their bank account and convert their crypto into fiat (USD, EUR, and GBP).

This feature is currently only supported in the United States, the United Kingdom, and select European regions.

So why does this matter?

• It increases adoption.

• Makes crypto accessible.

• It’s convenient.

MetaMask wallet has now become the “one-stop-shop” for your crypto journey.

Before this feature, normies new to crypto had to find the right centralized exchange, such as the notorious FTX, link their bank account, buy crypto, and then create a wallet to store it.

Now, users can simply create a MetaMask wallet and use the in-app features like “Buy” and “Sell” to have a seamless Web2 to Web3 experience.

However, it does come with a hefty transaction fee of 9%. I expect fees to drop as MetaMask seeks additional providers.

MAXIMIZING THE ZKSYNC AIRDROP 🔥

You have finally reached the “opportunities” section of the newsletter. Here is where I highlight the potential opportunities happening in crypto. Of course, none of this is financial advice, please DYOR (DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH)!

Today, we’ll be talking about zkSync, one of the most anticipated airdrops happening in crypto.

So what is zkSync?

• zkSync Era is a Layer-2 protocol that scales Ethereum with cutting-edge ZK (zero-knowledge) tech. In layman’s terms, zkSync wants to increase the speed and number of transactions that can happen on Ethereum while also preserving Ethereum’s decentralization.

• 8.8M+ transactions have been executed on their testnet.

• Matter Labs, the brains behind zkSync, has raised a staggering $458M dollars of venture funding.

Let’s take a step back and understand how an airdrop typically works: In short, you receive tokens for interacting with ecosystem dApps (decentralized apps), such as exchanges, NFT marketplaces, and games.

Crypto enthusiasts are quickly finding all of the ways to maximize the number of zkSync tokens they get from this airdrop, with several creating guides on how to participate.

Quick News

A federal judge dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Uniswap.

Coinbase creates new lending service for institutional clients in the U.S.

California crypto custodian, BitGo, has locked in a strategic partnership with South Korean commercial bank, Hana Bank.

Ethereum Layer2 network Base experiences a 30-minute outage.

P.S. - We’re curious… Reply to this email and let us know your thoughts on today’s edition and how we could improve!

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.