Nick Szabo first described smart contracts in the 1990s. Back then, he defined a smart contract as a tool that formalizes and secures computer networks by combining protocols with user interfaces.

A security is a financial instrument that holds value and can be traded. Under this definition, many of the instruments we see today – stocks, bonds, options – could be considered securities.

You have likely seen these two similar-sounding terms, APY and APR, when looking into decentralized finance (DeFi) products. APY, or annual percentage yield, incorporates interest compounded quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily, while APR, or annual percentage rate, doesn’t. This simple distinction can make a significant difference to the calculations for returns over a period of time. It is therefore important to understand how these two metrics are calculated and what it means for the returns that you can earn on your digital funds.

The Ethereum mainnet will soon shift from a Proof of Work to a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism in an upgrade called The Merge. The Merge is part of a series of major Ethereum ecosystem upgrades, which also include The Surge, The Verge, The Purge, and The Splurge. The goal of these upgrades is to make Ethereum more scalable and energy efficient. The Merge will combine the Ethereum mainnet with the Proof of Stake Beacon Chain and is expected to happen in September 2022.

Although blockchain technology was initially designed to function as the architecture of Bitcoin, it's now being used in many different fields. One of these fields is that of governance, where distributed systems have the potential to greatly change the public sector.

The metaverse is a concept of a 3D digital world. It consists of virtual spaces that you can explore using an avatar you create. In the metaverse, you can play games, go shopping, hang out with friends at a virtual coffee shop, work with your colleagues in a virtual office, and much more. Some video games and work socialization tools have already implemented certain metaverse elements into their ecosystems.

Since the early days of the Digital Revolution in the 1950s, a wide range of groundbreaking technology has been created. Despite being initially restricted to just a few individuals, the industry developed very quickly, and most of the novel technologies became increasingly widespread and accessible.