Mad News #23 📰 90,000+ Sign Up For CEX
The Backpack wallet is now available on Android devices along with a developer APK, Mad Skulls host a fire side chat with Armani Ferrante and Mad Lads traits begin to appear in other NFT collections.
Welcome back to the Mad News! 🗞️
Backpack launches Android application
Developer APK released for Android devices
France embraces the Backpack way
90k+ people on waiting list for Backpack Exchange
Mad Skulls host first fire side chat with Armani Ferrante
Mad Lads culture expanding offline
…and much more!
View the full Table of Contents here.
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Backpack Wallet is available on Android via Google Play Store
First Apple, now Android.
The Backpack Wallet is available for download on all Android devices.
Download the app in the Google Play Store.
Backpack is also available on all iOS devices.
Download the app in the Apple App Store.
Developer APK released for Android devices
Roll up your sleeves and explore Backpack’s developer APK.
APK stands for Android Package Kit, it is a type of file format that contains files needed to install and distribute applications.
Backpack est disponible dans l'App Store Français
The Backpack Wallet is now available for download in the French iOS App Store.
France has helped lead the way for crypto adoption in Europe although regulation changed earlier this year that made approvals more difficult for new operators.
Backpack Exchange waitlist nearing 90k signups
More than 90k+ emails have registered for a chance at beta access to the Backpack Exchange.
Kevin MD, a dedicated community member, created a monumental thread that breaks down everything we know about the Backpack Exchange.
Centralized exchange popularity soars in 2023
Centralized exchanges manage hundreds of billions of dollars in trading volume each month.
October marked a particularly healthy month as buying interest in crypto currency spikes.
Dozens of news platforms feature the Backpack Exchange reveal
The Block was the first crypto publication to break news of the Backpack Exchange but they were not the last.
Journalists from publications across the ecosystem covered the story:
Cointelegraph
CryptoRank
Lucky Trader
NASDAQ
Yahoo Finance
CoinMarketCap
The Crypto Times
Decrypt
Benzinga
Blockworks
LAD OF THE WEEK: Browski
Browski is our LAD OF THE WEEK!
Browski (a.k.a. SOL_mfer) earned his hype man wings before Mad Lads minted and has become one of the most outspoken supporters of Backpack since then.
He regularly adds to the Mad Meme economy but is more well known for long form posts about Solana and Backpack.
Many Lads follow him for his keen instinct on digging up alpha and hopeful outlook for the future.
Make sure to give Browski a follow!
Mad Skulls host their first fire side chat with Armani Ferrante
Solana Legend hosted the first Mad Skulls fire side chat featuring Armani Ferrante.
The show focused on the Exchange news and the relationship between Backpack and Mad Lads holders.
Armani Ferrante joined a live recording of the Block Podcast during Breakpoint 2023
Armani Ferrante joined Frank Chaparro of The Block for a live recording the The Scoop podcast.
This comes on the tail of Armani’s keynote speech where he announced the Backpack Exchange’s mission to the world.
Zeta Markets tease upcoming trading platform benefits for Mad Lads holders
Zeta Markets is back with another fun Mad Lads integration on their trading platform.
Now that our snapshot has been taken - we're excited to officially announce our absolutely stacked lineup of NFT partner communities for Season 1 of Z-Score.
The team began teasing a special trading bonus for certain NFT holders called “Z-Pass" as well as a special callout to the Mad Lads.
Mad Lads culture expanding on and offline
We’ve seen fans of the Mad Lads do amazing things with their NFT’s intellectual property, the Mad Meme depository is a testament to that.
Mad Lads 🤝 street art, sms sends the Mad Lads on a train car journey through America.
Marc Tillment opts for a Mad Lads PFP in his NEARCON promo.
Resident acrobat P8tron takes the Fock It. mentality to another level.
Fuel is pumping inches
WAO is the vibe
Fock it in my veins
Being a Mad Lad is a way of life
Grim Syndicate launches Mad Alberts trait in their NFT collection
Grim Syndicate was one of the first projects to launch and xNFT.
They memorialized the Mad Alberts trait forever as they roll out a feature where holders can upgrade their NFT into a mustachioed skull.
Michelin 3xplorer Club also adds Alberts trait to their Ethereum-based collection
The Michelin 3xplorer Club minted last month and included a Mad Lads trait in their artwork.
Floor price for the collection currently sits at 0.13 ETH.
Solana releases Breakpoint 2023 recap highlights
Breakpoint 2023 was a week filled with next level programming and delight in The Netherlands.
First Lisbon, than Amsterdam.
Next year?
Singapore!
Hyperdrive Hackathon winners announced by Matty Taylor during at Breakpoint 2023
Matty Taylor, Head of Growth at the Solana Foundation, took to the stage and announced the prize winners for the Hyperdrive Hackathon.
Hyperdrive saw more than 7,000 participants submit 907 final projects tot he judges, the largest online Solana hackathon to date and the latest in a stream of growing submissions.
AWS, Ironforge, UXD, Magic Eden, IO.NET, Helio, Phantom, The Network State and EasyA joined the Solana Foundation as category sponsors for the hackathon, offering a platform for crypto startups to jumpstart their journey.
FluxBot, an AI-powered chatbot, was the Grand Champion winner and received a prize of $50,000 USDC.
We sat down with Scott Hague, co-founder of FluxBeam (the parent of products like FluxBot) a few weeks ago for a Mad Interview.
Hong Kong hosts the last Hacker House of a busy year
Solana has sponsored 34 Hacker Houses so far and Hong Kong makes number 35.
This Solana x Circle Hacker Houses is open to all builders who register ahead of time. Please register early if you plan to attend — it’s first come, first serve!
Solana Japan boasts growing active community
Japan has a strong crypto community and Solana projects have began popping up left and right (not to mention projects like Backpack and Mad Lads setting up shop there).
Solana Toronto prepares for 6th monthly meetup in a row
Canada is another country that is home to hundreds of Solana builders. A regional community has formed in Toronto which hosts regular meetups for members.
Vibes are high post-Breakpoint, join @0xSolanaGirl, @0xMert_ and other Canadian Solana legends coming home from Amsterdam. Warm up with drinks, tacos, and conversation as we kick back and share the alpha dropped at Solana Breakpoint.
Come to Solana Toronto's 6th monthly meetup this Friday, November 17th where we celebrate going halfway around the Sun and all the way across the world. We are celebrating the individuals and organizations that are contributing to the future of Solana and Canada.
Encode Club readies new Solana Bootcamp cohort
Encode Club has sponsored numerous Solana bootcamps aimed at onboarding experienced developers to the SVM world.
Their next class kicks off on November 20th. There is still room to attend but spots are going quickly.
PODCAST CORNER!
Validated
Justin Bons from Cyber Capital joins Austin Federa to talk about both his disillusionment with the Ethereum L2 roadmap and why he has reconsidered his initial critiques of Solana.
He also discusses the importance of approaching crypto with an interdisciplinary lens and how his philosophy background has encouraged him to stay open-minded, even if it means rethinking old beliefs.
Listen on Apple Podcasts here.
Logan Jastremski Podcast
Logan sits down with Paul Bohm, the founder of Teleport, to discuss how the blockchain is disrupting ride sharing apps.
Ridesharing is broken, but protocols can fix them
Lightspeed Podcast
Lightspeed hits us with two episodes this week.
The first episode isn’t *quite* a podcast but rather a collection of keynote speeches on the Solana Global State Machine during Breakpoint 2023.
This episode is the opening presentation from Breakpoint 2023! You'll hear from Solana's top talent, including Anatoly, Dan Albert, Amira Valliani, Noah Prince and Mert Mumtaz. This is the Solana ecosystem deep dive you won't want to miss!
Jorrit Palfner and Yannik Schrade join for the second podcast of the week and discuss “why privacy is required for crypto to go mainstream”.
This discussion is more technical than usual, but the insights are incredible.
We discuss the implications of private computation, how Light and Elusiv bring privacy onchain, the risks of zero-knowledge proofs, why build privacy on Solana and not an SVM rollup and more!
Follow us on all platforms!
Table of Contents
Mad Lads & Backpack
Backpack Wallet is available on Android via Google Play Store
Developer APK released for Android devices
Backpack est disponible dans l'App Store Français
Backpack Exchange waitlist nearing 90k signups
Centralized exchange popularity soars in 2023
Dozens of news platforms feature the Backpack Exchange reveal
LAD OF THE WEEK: Browski
Mad Skulls host their first fire side chat with Armani Ferrante
Armani Ferrante on the Block Podcast during Breakpoint 2023
Zeta Markets teases benefits for Mad Lads holders
Mad Lads culture expanding on and offline
Grim Syndicate launches Mad Alberts trait in their NFT collection
Michelin 3xplorer Club also adds Alberts trait to their Ethereum-based collection
Solana
Centralized exchange popularity soars in 2023
Solana releases Breakpoint 2023 recap highlights
Hyperdrive Hackathon winners announced at Breakpoint 2023
Hong Kong hosts the last Hacker House of a busy year
Solana Japan boasts growing active community
Solana Toronto prepares for 6th monthly meetup in a row
Encode Club readies new Solana Bootcamp cohort
PODCAST CORNER!