Ethereum Reaches New All-time High Of $2,200

Ethereum Reaches New All-time High Of $2,200

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) – The battle for control of Arm Ltd.’s China business is escalating with new lawsuits aimed at keeping the unit’s controversial chief executive in power, further complicating SoftBank Group Corp.’s efforts to sell the business to Nvidia Corp.The dispute erupted almost a year ago in June after the board voted to oust Arm China Chief Executive Officer Allen Wu for conflicts of interest, but he refused to leave. Now the Chinese unit, which remains under Wu’s control, has filed lawsuits against three senior executives the board designated to replace him, according to people familiar with the matter. The previously unreported suits could take years to resolve, suggesting Wu may remain entrenched.Wu fired the three men – including co-CEO Phil Tang – but they were subsequently reinstated by the board. In the new lawsuits, Arm China is suing the trio, demanding they return company property, according to the people.Arm China declined to comment on any ongoing legal cases or possible settlement talks. It did say the three executives had caused “material damages” to the company and they had been terminated for legitimate reasons.Tang didn’t return requests for comment. Arm Ltd. declined to elaborate, saying it won’t comment on pending legal matters.The complex tussle has thrown into question the future of Arm, whose semiconductor technology is the world’s most widely used for smartphones and is increasingly deployed in computers. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son agreed to sell the British chip designer to Nvidia for $40 billion last year, but the path for completing that transaction is growing increasingly difficult.The China dispute also raises questions about Beijing’s willingness to protect foreign investment in the world’s second-largest economy. Arm Ltd. sold a majority stake in the China unit to a consortium of investors, including Beijing-backed institutions. That has complicated the British firm’s efforts to manage Arm China and Wu, who has support from local authorities in Shenzhen.Both sides appear to be at a stalemate. Wu, a Chinese-born U.S. citizen, pulled back from signing settlement agreements worth tens of millions of dollars if he would leave the company, the people said, asking not to be identified talking about legal matters. At the same time, two minority shareholders in Arm China linked to Wu have filed lawsuits to overturn his June 4 dismissal, they said.SoftBank opened negotiations with him last year and had hoped to reach some sort of resolution, they said. Instead the court battles are deepening and the Japanese company has soured over the increasingly complicated dispute, the people said. SoftBank is now resigned to letting the legal proceedings take their course and there are no current negotiations with Wu, according to one of the people.“We are going through a leadership change in China; it’s taking time to resolve,” said Arm Ltd.’s Chief Executive Officer Simon Segars in an interview with Bloomberg Television recently. “It’s hard. But we are confident that’s going to get resolved.”SoftBank and Nvidia declined to comment on the dispute in China.Arm China said in a statement that Wu’s position “is compliant with legal registration and confirmed by China law and regulations.”Read more: Arm Takes Aim at Intel Chips in Biggest Tech Overhaul in DecadeThe standoff accords a relatively unknown executive outsized influence over one of the industry’s most important pieces of technology, in the world’s biggest internet and semiconductor market. Chinese companies need unfettered access to Arm’s products to push forward with the country’s attempts to make itself more independent in chip technology, an area where it’s largely reliant on imports. Beyond resolving the stalemate, Nvidia and SoftBank also need Beijing’s signoff to seal their deal, and it’s unclear whether Wu’s presence would complicate that.Wu’s hold on Arm China is partially due to local laws which make it difficult to change control of a company unless you’re physically in control of the company stamp and registration documents. He’s refused to give them up and has used company funds to pay for legal fees incurred in his attempt to fight off his dismissal, the people said.Arm China said payment of legal fees “is made in compliance with company policies as well as China laws and regulations.”His ultimate goals appear to be a large cash payoff and immunity from subsequent legal action, according to people who’ve spoken with him. Inside Arm China, which is responsible for selling licenses to its chip designs and fundamental technology in the country, Wu has told local staff he’s not going anywhere. He recently gave employees Chinese New Year cash presents in a red envelope with his surname on it.Arm China said the money came from Wu personally to show his appreciation to colleagues, a tradition at Chinese New Year in the country.Hearings in the case against the three executives are expected to take place in late May, one of the people said. Separately, two minority shareholders in Arm China have sued the Chinese entity in Shenzhen to nullify the board’s decision to oust Wu. These two cases are now being merged and hearings are slated for late April, the people said.Son told investors as recently as February that he expects to close the Arm sale and “I don’t have any Plan B.”Arm, for its part is trying to make sure that its technology remains pervasive in China despite U.S. sanctions intended to curb the supply of American technology to major companies like Huawei Technologies Co. While Arm is a U.K.-based company part of its operations are in the U.S. making its products subject to controls.The Chinese government has not stated its position on the Arm China leadership struggle, but the unit has several government-backed shareholders including sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. and the Silk Road Fund.In his interview with Bloomberg Television, Arm Ltd. CEO Segars said that the ten-month standoff hasn’t hurt Arm’s business in China. Lack of travel for face-to-face meetings during the pandemic has prolonged the process of changing leadership in China, he said.“When we announced the deal in September, we said it would take about 18 months,” he said. “We remain confident in that timeline.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

How to Stake Ethereum on Coinbase • 4 Easy Steps • Benzinga

The Ethereum network is in the process of upgrading its blockchain. If you want to transact on Ethereum today, it’ll cost you anywhere from $10 to $100, depending on the type of transaction you want to perform. Due to Ethereum’s proof-of-work model, the network can only process about 15 transactions per second. The Eth 2.0 upgrade will improve both the cost and transaction throughput of Ethereum’s blockchain.

This upgrade to Ethereum will replace the crypto miners with staked Ethereum, a model known as proof-of-stake (POS). Anyone who owns Ether tokens can stake their tokens on the Eth 2.0 chain, and you can earn rewards for doing so. Currently, the interest rate equivalent of these rewards is about 7.5% annually.

To run your own validator node, you’ll need 32 Ethereum tokens. However, cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase allow anyone to easily stake their Ethereum tokens with no minimum required.

Step 1: Make a Coinbase account.

If you don’t already have a Coinbase account, you’ll need to create one via the Coinbase mobile app. Signing up for Coinbase is a simple process –– all you have to do is enter your name, email, and location, then create a secure password.

Once you’ve made an account you’ll need to verify your identity for tax purposes. Some documentation you’ll need is your driver’s license, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth. Once you’re verified, you can purchase any cryptocurrency supported on Coinbase’s exchange.

Step 2: Purchase Ethereum tokens.

Staking Ethereum requires you to purchase Ether tokens. You can buy Ethereum tokens directly on Coinbase, making it easy for you to buy and stake your Ethereum tokens all in one place. You can purchase Ether tokens in a similar way to stocks: as a market order or a limit order. Market orders will purchase Ether tokens at market price, while limit orders only purchase Ether tokens if it hits a prespecified price that you set when placing your limit order.

Step 3: Join the waitlist.

Unfortunately, you can’t stake Ethereum tokens on Coinbase right away. Due to the high demand to stake Ethereum, Coinbase created a waitlist that puts you in line to stake your Ether tokens. The wait time can vary, but the sooner you join the waitlist, the sooner you’ll be able to earn interest on your Ethereum tokens. If you want to get started staking right away, Kraken offers Ethereum staking without a waitlist.

Step 4: Stake your Ethereum tokens.

Since Coinbase runs the validator nodes, all you need to do is deposit any amount of Ether tokens to stake and the exchange will do the rest. Once you’ve staked your Ethereum tokens on the Eth 2.0 network, you can sit back, relax, and watch your cryptocurrency portfolio earn interest without doing anything.

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) vs Proof-of-Work (PoW)

Bitcoin, the 1st public blockchain, uses a proof-of-work (PoW) validation model to verify transactions on the blockchain. Many other blockchains followed suit — Litecoin, Ethereum and Dash are all PoW blockchains. This validation model relies on a network of cryptocurrency miners that use powerful computers to secure the blockchain. However, PoW uses immense amounts of electricity, and these blockchains can’t handle nearly as many transactions as proof-of-stake chains can.

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) was 1st used in Peercoin, an altcoin that launched back in 2013. Crypto engineer Sunny King ideated this proof-of-stake blockchain as a solution to many inefficiencies of the PoW model. Instead of using energy-intensive cryptocurrency miners, users can stake their tokens to act as validators on the blockchain. If the validator tries to cheat the system in any way, their funds can be seized.

Staking cryptocurrency in this way secures the network from fraudulent transactions. The more cryptocurrency you stake, the more influence you have over the blockchain; however, the more crypto you stake, the more you risk losing if you try to cheat the system. When you stake your Ether tokens, a computer program will validate transactions on your behalf accurately, so you don’t need to do anything else to earn interest once your tokens are staked.

Pros and Cons of Staking Ethereum

You should evaluate your goals as an investor before deciding whether to stake your Ethereum tokens. Cryptocurrencies are one of the most volatile asset classes you can invest in, so you should have a high-risk tolerance if you decide to stake Ethereum.

Staking Ethereum will earn you interest on your principal investment. This interest, projected to settle around 4% to 8% annually, is paid in Ether tokens. This is great if you think Ethereum will appreciate in value because if this happens your interest will increase in value as well.

The biggest risk of staking your Ether tokens is associated with the volatility of Ethereum. If Ethereum tokens crash in value, you won’t be able to sell your tokens if Eth 2.0 hasn’t been launched yet. Staking Ethereum is only for investors who see Ethereum as a long-term investment.

Staking Rewards on Coinbase

The rewards for staking your Ethereum tokens on Coinbase is around 7% annually. This rate fluctuates with the number of Ethereum staked on Eth 2.0, so expect this interest to decrease up until Eth 2.0 launches. Once Eth 2.0 replaces the current Ethereum network, validators will earn rewards for transactions on Ethereum’s blockchain.

Also, staking your Ethereum on Coinbase will net you 25% less interest than staking independently. You need 32 Ether tokens to stake your crypto as an independent node, and you can do so on Ethereum software wallets like Argent. If you don’t have 32 Ethereum tokens to stake but still want to earn interest, you can stake any amount of Ether on Coinbase.

How Does Staking Work?

When you stake your Ethereum, you won’t be able to withdraw your cryptocurrency until the launch of Eth 2.0. The launch date hasn’t been set, but the Ethereum foundation is working hard to push out the update as soon as they can. It’s expected that Eth 2.0 mainnet will launch at the end of 2021, but some speculate the upgrade won’t be finished until early 2022.

Staking tokens is a way to validate transactions on a proof-of-stake blockchain. While both Bitcoin and Ethereum currently use proof-of-work to validate transactions through cryptocurrency miners, this process is very inefficient and power-intensive. By staking your Ethereum tokens on Eth 2.0, you’re directly supporting the upgrade to Ethereum’s ecosystem. This upgrade will give Ethereum’s network much more utility, as transactions will be far less expensive and much quicker.

Is Staking Ethereum Profitable?

If the value of Ethereum stays constant or rises, staking Ethereum is a great way to increase your return on investment. Instead of simply holding the asset, you’re able to earn interest that’s paid in Ethereum to accumulate more cryptocurrency. Since Ethereum is a volatile asset, a big risk involved with staking Ethereum tokens on Eth 2.0 is that your investment is no longer liquid. You need to be okay with not being able to sell your investment until Eth 2.0 launches, which may still be 1 year away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Latest Ethereum price and analysis (ETH to USD)

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) – The battle for control of Arm Ltd.’s China business is escalating with new lawsuits aimed at keeping the unit’s controversial chief executive in power, further complicating SoftBank Group Corp.’s efforts to sell the business to Nvidia Corp.The dispute erupted almost a year ago in June after the board voted to oust Arm China Chief Executive Officer Allen Wu for conflicts of interest, but he refused to leave. Now the Chinese unit, which remains under Wu’s control, has filed lawsuits against three senior executives the board designated to replace him, according to people familiar with the matter. The previously unreported suits could take years to resolve, suggesting Wu may remain entrenched.Wu fired the three men – including co-CEO Phil Tang – but they were subsequently reinstated by the board. In the new lawsuits, Arm China is suing the trio, demanding they return company property, according to the people.Arm China declined to comment on any ongoing legal cases or possible settlement talks. It did say the three executives had caused “material damages” to the company and they had been terminated for legitimate reasons.Tang didn’t return requests for comment. Arm Ltd. declined to elaborate, saying it won’t comment on pending legal matters.The complex tussle has thrown into question the future of Arm, whose semiconductor technology is the world’s most widely used for smartphones and is increasingly deployed in computers. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son agreed to sell the British chip designer to Nvidia for $40 billion last year, but the path for completing that transaction is growing increasingly difficult.The China dispute also raises questions about Beijing’s willingness to protect foreign investment in the world’s second-largest economy. Arm Ltd. sold a majority stake in the China unit to a consortium of investors, including Beijing-backed institutions. That has complicated the British firm’s efforts to manage Arm China and Wu, who has support from local authorities in Shenzhen.Both sides appear to be at a stalemate. Wu, a Chinese-born U.S. citizen, pulled back from signing settlement agreements worth tens of millions of dollars if he would leave the company, the people said, asking not to be identified talking about legal matters. At the same time, two minority shareholders in Arm China linked to Wu have filed lawsuits to overturn his June 4 dismissal, they said.SoftBank opened negotiations with him last year and had hoped to reach some sort of resolution, they said. Instead the court battles are deepening and the Japanese company has soured over the increasingly complicated dispute, the people said. SoftBank is now resigned to letting the legal proceedings take their course and there are no current negotiations with Wu, according to one of the people.“We are going through a leadership change in China; it’s taking time to resolve,” said Arm Ltd.’s Chief Executive Officer Simon Segars in an interview with Bloomberg Television recently. “It’s hard. But we are confident that’s going to get resolved.”SoftBank and Nvidia declined to comment on the dispute in China.Arm China said in a statement that Wu’s position “is compliant with legal registration and confirmed by China law and regulations.”Read more: Arm Takes Aim at Intel Chips in Biggest Tech Overhaul in DecadeThe standoff accords a relatively unknown executive outsized influence over one of the industry’s most important pieces of technology, in the world’s biggest internet and semiconductor market. Chinese companies need unfettered access to Arm’s products to push forward with the country’s attempts to make itself more independent in chip technology, an area where it’s largely reliant on imports. Beyond resolving the stalemate, Nvidia and SoftBank also need Beijing’s signoff to seal their deal, and it’s unclear whether Wu’s presence would complicate that.Wu’s hold on Arm China is partially due to local laws which make it difficult to change control of a company unless you’re physically in control of the company stamp and registration documents. He’s refused to give them up and has used company funds to pay for legal fees incurred in his attempt to fight off his dismissal, the people said.Arm China said payment of legal fees “is made in compliance with company policies as well as China laws and regulations.”His ultimate goals appear to be a large cash payoff and immunity from subsequent legal action, according to people who’ve spoken with him. Inside Arm China, which is responsible for selling licenses to its chip designs and fundamental technology in the country, Wu has told local staff he’s not going anywhere. He recently gave employees Chinese New Year cash presents in a red envelope with his surname on it.Arm China said the money came from Wu personally to show his appreciation to colleagues, a tradition at Chinese New Year in the country.Hearings in the case against the three executives are expected to take place in late May, one of the people said. Separately, two minority shareholders in Arm China have sued the Chinese entity in Shenzhen to nullify the board’s decision to oust Wu. These two cases are now being merged and hearings are slated for late April, the people said.Son told investors as recently as February that he expects to close the Arm sale and “I don’t have any Plan B.”Arm, for its part is trying to make sure that its technology remains pervasive in China despite U.S. sanctions intended to curb the supply of American technology to major companies like Huawei Technologies Co. While Arm is a U.K.-based company part of its operations are in the U.S. making its products subject to controls.The Chinese government has not stated its position on the Arm China leadership struggle, but the unit has several government-backed shareholders including sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. and the Silk Road Fund.In his interview with Bloomberg Television, Arm Ltd. CEO Segars said that the ten-month standoff hasn’t hurt Arm’s business in China. Lack of travel for face-to-face meetings during the pandemic has prolonged the process of changing leadership in China, he said.“When we announced the deal in September, we said it would take about 18 months,” he said. “We remain confident in that timeline.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.