In This Issue

• For this weeks portfolio tip, I’ll be talking about how we’re all traders as well as GPT-4.
• David has the top 10 crypto tools that every investor needs.
• Sam has a report for you on Degen Toonz.
• Rebecca has this week’s top trending coins.

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Lark’s Portfolio Tips

We Are All Traders

I was thinking about something the other day, in crypto we are all traders. I suppose unless you are buying Bitcoin to literally never sell and be buried with your private keys. If so then you do you! And yes, you can use Bitcoin as a wealth preservation asset and take cash loans versus your coins instead of selling. There are different options and strategies to be used in all cases.

But for most of us, at some point, we will sell. For coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum the time frames may be much longer. For basically everything else in crypto we are looking at shorter time frames. It could be a month, a year, or two years, but the day will come. And, I am talking about crypto here, because things like real estate and stocks could fit into the hodl to the grave category, but even then lots of people make shit tons of money flipping houses or hopping in and out of stocks versus holding forever. 

Anyway, at some point, a coin will meet the selling criteria. A price target will be achieved. The narrative will reach a peak. Or perhaps the entire market reaches the euphoria phase and it becomes time to sell. 

There is something strange in markets that we seem to think of traders as only those who are day trading, but in fact, we are all traders. If you buy something with the intent of selling it for more later, then guess what, that is a trade. 

But usually, we think of investors as the long-term investors. So again BTC and ETH. But, when it comes to everything else, adopting a trading mindset becomes more important. And yes, we are seeing some coins starting to run the gauntlet of being multi-cycle survivors like Cardano, BNB, and Matic. Long-term investing is certainly becoming more real in crypto. And staking income if you get good entries can make great long-term income if the network survives. 

But we must not fear selling. One thing I look back on as a mistake is that I should have sold some of my BTC and ETH when the up-trend line broke in late 2021. Long time frame swing trades can really increase the size of your stack and make it all real by putting money in your hand.

For example, had you bought one Bitcoin in 2020 for say $10,000 and then sold when the trend line broke at $53,000 then you would have made $43,000 in profit, or maybe around $30,000 after giving a quarter to the taxman. Leaving you with about 40k cash including the original 10k. A bit of patience to rebuy at 20k and suddenly you have two Bitcoin instead of just one. Or you just rebuy one BTC and enjoy some sweet profits and then do it all again.

And that is just the big stuff. When we talk about altcoins it is critical to be emotionless. 90% plus of these coins fail. They do not make it to the next cycle. 9% never reach new highs. 1% are the Matics and Cardanos. The odds are not in your favor when investing long-term in altcoins. 

When you enter a position, think about the end too. The beginning is exciting, but what is more exciting is cashing out for millions in the future. Think about what that will look like, and what your selling plan will actually look like when the time comes. 

Think like a trader, date the coins, don’t get attached, don’t marry your bags. Yes, some coins will be multi-cycle winners, but they are rare, and even then swing trading can lock in huge gains and help increase the size of your bag. 

ChapGPT 4

Open AI has just released its newest version of Chatgpt, and the results are insane. It is 500 times more powerful than the previous version of ChatGPT! It has already passed major exams and will be allowing for inputs and outputs for video, images, and audio. 

I wonder if this could cause as much hype as the first ChatGPT hype wave? 

If so it will drive general interest in all things, and yes assets, related to AI. So that could bring a new wave of hype to AI coins like FET, AGIX, GRT, OCEAN, and ROSE. 

Just some food for thought. 

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Top 10 Crypto Tools Every New Investor Needs by David

So you’re a newly initiated Crypto Bro or Gal, Class of 2023. Congratulations, and welcome to the most fast-paced, entertaining, and high-potential industry on Planet Earth.

You’re new around here, so you’ll need a few high quality resources on tap to keep you informed, grounded, and focused. And a few laughs along the way don’t hurt either. This industry will test you mentally and emotionally, so take everything that you can get.

And without any further adieu, I present to you the top 10 crypto tools that every new investor needs for 2023.

1. CoinMarketCap

Established in 2013, CoinMarketCap is the absolute go-to for cryptocurrency price-tracking. The website provides accurate, real-time pricing for over 22K currencies, along with macro metrics like total market cap, dominance, and trade volume.

But if you dig into the website just a bit, you’ll soon realize the treasure-trove of information behind the surface. Cryptocurrency, NFT, blockchain, and exchange data is sliced up and served out in multiple ways. The website features an event and ICO calendar to help you keep track of major industry happenings. And the news, research, glossary, and “Alexandria” sections can help deepen your crypto knowledge.

2. lookintobitcoin.com

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, it all starts with the King.

The crypto OG. The most decentralized network on Earth. The baddest money ever invented. The highest market dominance. The unknown creator. I’m taking about Bitcoin.

Whether you like it or not, the rest of the crypto market revolves around bitcoin’s price action. And at a macro level, bitcoin’s price action revolves around its supply, demand, and halving events. So if you don’t want to miss the crypto forest for the trees, then it pays to have a quality eduction in bitcoin and bitcoin macro theory.

lookintobitcoin.com is the place to do just that. This website makes “Bitcoin data more accessible to everyone.” Its bread and butter are the free, high quality, easy to understand, relevant bitcoin data charts.

Seriously. This website kicks ass. Dive in.

3. CoinDesk

CoinDesk is crypto’s hardest-hitting and sophisticated news publication. CoinDesk covers the crypto-economy, Web3, financial innovation, and how broader economic, financial, and regulatory systems are effecting our industry.

The publication houses over 50 journalists who are routinely featured in other major publications like Bloomberg, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. CoinDesk does excellent work, as evidenced by its 13 million monthly website visitors and 1.3 million Twitter followers. The publication gained serious mainstream respect after it first broke the news about the FTX debacle.

Whether you’re a crypto-newbie or expert, CoinDesk is required daily reading. You’ll learn a ton about how economics, finance, government, and regulatory agencies are impacting crypto. And if you’re not a reader, check out CoinDesk TV, the publication’s daily news show.

4. Crypto Twitter

CoinDesk is legit, but if you’re looking to mainline breaking news, analysis, speculation, conversation, outright conspiracy, and the funniest crypto memes, then allow me to proudly introduce to you, the rabbit hole known as Crypto Twitter.

Crypto Twitter is… well it’s a blast. And like any other feed-style social media platform, it can be whatever you want it to be. It all depends on whom you follow. But make no mistake, Crypto Twitter is where the L1 conversations are happening. Everything else is an L2.

So get plugged in. And the best way to start is by following your boy Lark Davis, @TheCryptoLark. I also recommend following top industry accounts like CZ from Binance as well as top exchange accounts like the Binance account.

5. DeFiLlama

DeFiLlama is the best resource for all things decentralized finance (DeFi). The website primarily aggregates DeFi total value locked data across all available dApps and blockchains. In English, that means DeFiLlama will orient you to the most disruptive and innovative sub-industry in the World.

Like CoinMarketCap, there’s a ton of rich data and resources on DeFiLlama. “Yields” tracks lender and borrower interest rates. “CEX Transparency” monitors the financial health of centralized exchanges. “Liquidations” shows real-time liquidation levels.

DefiLlama data is open-source, and the website is maintained by individuals and contributors from around the globe. If you’re into crypto, then DeFiLlama is a staple.

6. Messari

Messari is a crypto-focused data and markets analytics platform. In many ways, Messari strikes as a more sophisticated, white collar version of CoinMarketCap.

Messari specializes in offering crypto-related data sets, tools, and in-depth research reports, primarily marketed to enterprises and institutions. However, their website offers a plethora of data and reports available to anyone for free. It’s high quality stuff. Check them out.

7. YouTube

Conceptually, Crypto YouTube is almost identical to Crypto Twitter, just in video format. I’m proud to say that there’s a strong, vibrant crypto community on YouTube. In fact, crypto and YouTube grew up together. And the latter has done the Lord’s work in spreading the message of monetary freedom and anti-authoritarianism to the end’s of the Earth.

So dive in. There’s plenty of solid crypto content creators who will show you different perspectives with regards to crypto, economics, trading, and monetary policy. I recommend Coin Bureau and Altcoin Daily for great content.

And of course, if you’re not subscribed to the Lark Davis’ channel, then dude you’re out of your element!

8. Glassnode

Glassnode is an on-chain data analytics platform. In English, that means Glassnode pulls all the relevant data possible from blockchains, and then publishes that data in relevant ways. Remember that most blockchains are open source, transparent ledgers. So address activity, coin flows, network, miner, and fee statistics are available for anyone to see. Glassnode captures and publishes this data to interested parties.

Glassnode might be the most sophisticated tool on this list. With regards to content, it’s similar to lookintobitcoin. Except that Glassnode’s net is much deeper and wider (it covers multiple blockchains). And it can be overwhelming for new users. So ease into it, and take advantage of the tutorials.

9. Block Explorers

Block Explorers are web-applications that read and publish blockchain block data. “Blocks” are batches of transactions verified on-chain and divided by specific time slots. Every block contains a list of transactions that occurred within that particular time slot. So blocks include information with regards to sending and receiving addresses and the amount of assets transferred. You can use a block explorer to inspect these specific transactions.

There are many block explorers on the web. Nearly every public blockchain has one. My favorite is Blockchair. But I encourage you to check out a few different options, find one you like, and then begin to explore a blockchain that interests you. And like Glassnode, a block explorer can be overwhelming the first time you use it. So take your time.

10. Wealth Mastery

Last but not least… Wealth Mastery is your go-to website and newsletter for all things crypto. The Wealth Mastery newsletter covers cryptocurrencies, DeFi, NFTs, Lark’s portfolio, technical analysis, the broader economy, and other issues. It’s delivered to the inboxes of a global subscriber network twice per week. Currently, over 55K individuals and groups are subscribed.

The Wealth Mastery website hosts a crypto library of over 500 articles. It offers a Crypto Beginners Guide, great for those just getting started. And for those needing a more serious deep-dive, the website also provides a Bitcoin Investing Course and an Altcoin Investing Course.

Time. Specifically, yours. That’s the value of Wealth Mastery. If you didn’t notice from #1 – 9, there’s a lot to keep track of in the crypto space. Well #10 tracks all of it, summarizes the important stuff, and delivers it straight to you.

So save yourself some time and join our network.

Final Thoughts

Crypto is a dynamic, complex, and interesting industry. Lark and the Wealth Mastery team believe that bitcoin, certain L1s and L2s, DeFi, and other innovations are and will continue to revolutionize the global economic order.

And if this is true, then you need some great resources to help you navigate the terrain. The list above is an excellent place to start. Good luck!

What Are Degen Toonz by Sam

As expected, the crypto bear market has shaken out a lot of NFT projects. On the plus side, that makes it easier to identify which teams are survivors, and that tends to mean the bigger names. But have any less well known projects stuck around? Consistently flying just under the radar is a busy project called Degen Toonz, and it’s worth taking a look at.

Degen Toonz First Impressions

Image credit: Degen Toonz

Take a look at Degen Toonz and you’ll find cats. More specifically, retro, Looney Tunes style cartoon cats, in a range of outfits and color schemes, and with various accessories. On the surface, it’s an uncomplicated PFP collection that mainly follows the template laid down in 2021 by Bored Ape Yacht Club, which itself took cues from PFP originator CryptoPunks.

There are 8,888 items in the Degen Toonz main collection, taking in a variety of attributes. As you’d expect, rarer traits are more valuable, with some of the most sought after being robots and gold fur.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find Degen Toonz sub-collections. There are Detonated Toonz, in a side area called GM/GN Industries there is dynamite for sale, and there are Minter Reward Cards.

In case you’re wondering, dynamite can be used to create Detonated Toonz from original Toonz, and there’s also radioactive dynamite, to create radioactive Detonated Toonz (which are more valuable). Minters Reward Cards were airdropped to people who bought Toonz from the original mint, but can be bought and sold, and have ecosystem benefits for holders.

How Degen Toonz Started

Image credit: Degen Toonz

Degen Toonz was launched back in February 2022 by founders Bader Asad and Prince Lail. The initial drop was a slow starter, taking a week to mint out at a price of 0.085 ETH, but once it had sold out, it suddenly exploded in popularity. The design and vibes seemed to strike a chord with NFT collectors, flippers looking for quick profits showed up to the party too, and floor prices rose.

While prices have fluctuated a lot since then, a very strong, vocal community has grown up around the project. There’s a lot of loyalty towards what’s being built (and towards the PFP cats at the center of it all), which has been solidly maintained throughout tough market conditions, and there’s a committed team at work creating a brand.

What Degen Toonz Has Developed

Image credit: Degen Toonz

The first step Degen Toonz took to expand the project was airdrops of dynamite, allowing for the creation of Detonated Toonz. This is not a novel concept, emulating what Yuga Labs did with Mutant Apes, but it was a reasonably effective way, at that time, to keep momentum. Also, the mechanics and narrative elements were well constructed and looked good, and the GM/GN Industries part of the Degen Toonz world was established.

Shop

Image credit: Degen Toonz

In July 2022, Degen Toonz launched an apparel range, and the website now features a shop. The range currently on sale is limited, but a second collection is in the works for this year. One criticism here is that from a user point of view, the shop element of the project feels a little separate from the rest of the experience.

Loftz and TNZ

Image credit: Degen Toonz

More ambitiously, at the end of 2022 Degen Toonz launched its Loftz feature, which feels closely integrated into the feel and aesthetic of the whole project, and looks core to future development.

Click into the Loftz area, and you’ll find your Toon at home in its urban apartment, from where you can click on the Toonz OS terminal to access various features: a podcast, news, a marketplace, and a Spotify-linked music player.

The other key action you can perform here is claiming the project’s native TNZ tokens. There are various levels and multipliers at work, taking into account the full range of NFTs within the ecosystem, but basically, by holding Degen Toonz you’ll earn token rewards, which can be stacked for later, or spent within the marketplace feature.

Degen Toonz Future Plans

Degen Toonz is a constantly developing work-in-progress, so in February the team released an updated roadmap for 2023.

Featured plans began with the marketplace within Loftz, and the integration of TNZ tokens. The next phase is to enable greater personalization of your character, and the roadmap talks about being able to roam around Toonz Town (the as-yet unrealized world outside the Loftz), although it’s not clear exactly how that will work.

The third planned phase is focused on customizing your Loftz environment, with tradable decorative collectibles, and there’s mention of web2 brand partnerships.

Among various other updates, a part that’s especially interesting is mention of taking the TNZ token on-chain. Currently, TNZ only operates within the Degen Toonz site, but the team is focused on changing to an on-chain format, citing regulatory clarity and proper use case as hurdles to be dealt with.

Is It Worth Buying Degen Toonz?

Image credit: Degen Toonz

Was Degen Toonz an NFT pioneer, establishing new ways of starting a brand in web3? Not really. For that you would need to look to Yuga Labs, and that, arguably, is the primary criticism of Degen Toonz: a reliance, at the start, on unoriginal models.

On the other hand, very few enterprises (in either web3 or traditional fields) create entirely new approaches, and, from among the huge number of PFP drops that took inspiration from (or just outright copied) earlier projects, Degen Toonz has stood out from the crowd with a distinct, infectiously positive character. What’s more, with its Toonz Town and Loftz plans and developments, it’s now navigating clearly in its own creative direction.

Also on the plus side, Degen Toonz has community, a committed team in charge, reputable collaborations, and its output is cleanly well-executed. And for one last factor it has in its favor, there’s the current price: as a project that’s active, building, and has excellent engagement, Degen Toonz looks, by comparison with more famous names in the NFT space, like it might be an undervalued collection.

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Trending Coins This Week by Rebecca

Here are my key takeaways from the trends this week and it’s been chaos, contagion, and confusion in the crypto market. 

1. USDC is a US stablecoin issued by Circle that saw its peg break down to $0.88 as it was revealed to have $3.3B in exposure to collapsed US bank, Silicon Valley Bank. Since the Fed has stepped in to pay SVB’s depositors, the peg has corrected back to $1.
2. Dai is an Ethereum stablecoin that depegged to an all-time low of $0.89 as USDC’s instability caused a domino effect throughout the stablecoin market.
3. Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin that became the sole stablecoin survivor as USDC’s instability caused 9 out of the top 10 stablecoins to depeg—except USDT. At one point, USDT was even trading above its peg at $1.01.
4. Access Protocol is a content monetization protocol on Solana and Starknet that’s announced Ozon Labs will be joining its independent publishing platform, Access Scribe, that’s launching its beta version in Q2.
5. Liquidity USD is the ETH stablecoin on the Liquidity protocol that temporarily lost its peg. The price dropped to $0.96 after Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by the US regulators in the traditional market.
6. Velodrome Finance is a DEX on Optimism that’s raised its stable pair swap fees to 0.05% in response to the current volatility caused by the industry contagion.
7. Liquidity is a borrowing protocol on Ethereum that’s seen its LQTY token listed on the CryptoCom exchange and its stablecoin LUSD is available on a brand-new AMM called Maverick Protocol.
8. Ethereum whales have moved over 357K ETH, with over $39M transferred to Coinbase to possibly sell in the aftermath of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. Ethereum developers also confirmed the Shapella update will go live on the Goerli testnet on March 14.
9. Blur is an NFT marketplace that’s captured 84% of ETH-based NFT transactions so far this month.
10. Bitcoin saw its price drop below $20K as more than $70B was wiped off the crypto market due to the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in the US. BTC then rallied after the government announced its depositor bailout.
11. Optimism is an L2 Ethereum scaling solution that’s seen Coinbase Wallet launch its first-ever quest on the network for users to earn OP rewards by completing tasks such as swapping, delegating, and staking.
12. Radiant Capital is a decentralized, non-custodial lending protocol on Arbitrum that’s teasing its v2 launch which is going live soon. Proposals 10-12 are also now live for the community to vote on.
13. BNB is the native coin for the Binance chain that’s taken a tumble with over $2.3M in outflows due to ongoing regulatory scrutiny. Binance has also said it will convert $1B worth of BUSD to Bitcoin, ETH, BNB, as well as other tokens to support the market.
14. ZigZag is a DEX built on zkSync and Starknet that’s still seeing hype in the cryptoverse after it completed its airdrop to over 100,000 users, making it the largest in crypto history.
15. Bone is the governance token for the ShibaSwap DEX and gas token for Shibarium that’s seen a surge in activity due to the public beta launch of the layer-2 network, Shibarium.

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Final Notes

Thank you so much for your support, and I truly hope that today’s issue will give you insights needed to help you master your wealth.

If you are reading this it means you are on the free version of the Wealth Mastery Investor Report, which is great for news and tips on the crypto markets.

If you really want to take advantage of fastest growing asset class EVER, I highly recommend you join us in the Premium Investor Report.

You’ll immediately get access to:

• Deep dive altcoin report on the hottest coins and a monthly report on high potential low caps.
• Full Technical Analysis report on large caps and the broader market.
• In-Depth Guide on the latest and highest potential airdrops and testnets.
• 3 weekly curated NFT mints from the most hyped upcoming collections.
• My Investment Portfolio Updates

See you next time!

Lark and the Wealth Mastery Team

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Legal Disclaimer

Wealth Mastery (Lark Davis, and the Wealth Mastery writing team) are not providing you individually tailored investment advice. Nor is Wealth Mastery registered to provide investment advice, is not a financial adviser, and is not a broker-dealer. The material provided is for educational purposes only. Wealth Mastery is not responsible for any gains or losses that result from your cryptocurrency investments. Investing in cryptocurrency involves a high degree of risk and should be considered only by persons who can afford to sustain a loss of their entire investment. Investors should consult their financial adviser before investing in cryptocurrency.

You can find a full disclosure of all my crypto & venture investments here.