Input Output, a blockchain research and development company, announced that co-founder and CEO Charles Hoskinson received an award at the ETH10X event in Zug, Switzerland.

ETH10X celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Ethereum Foundation and its role in creating Crypto Valley, a key center for blockchain innovation.

Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson Recognized with Swiss Award

Hoskinson, along with seven other Ethereum co-founders, was recognized by the Canton and City of Zug for their contributions to the blockchain industry. He started working on Ethereum in 2013 as one of its original developers but parted ways after disagreements over the project’s direction.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized at ETH10X alongside my fellow Ethereum founders. Crypto Valley has been a cornerstone for the global blockchain industry, and I am proud to have played a part in its origins,” Hoskinson commented.

Although no longer part of the Ethereum Foundation, Hoskinson remains committed to advancing the blockchain industry. In 2015, he teamed up with Jeremy Wood to create Input Output, a blockchain research and engineering company that is now one of the leading firms in the field. The firm creates high-assurance blockchain infrastructure solutions for public, private, and government clients.

Read more: Who Is Charles Hoskinson, the Founder of Cardano?

In 2017, Hoskinson founded Cardano, a third-generation blockchain that stands out for its emphasis on academic research and a structured development approach. Cardano’s methodical process, relying on peer-reviewed research, positions it as a more secure and scalable alternative to earlier blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

“Since those early days, I’ve been inspired to continue driving the industry forward, and that passion has led to the founding of Input Output with Jeremy Wood. Our mission has always been to push the boundaries of decentralization, and with projects like Cardano, we are leading the way in building more secure, inclusive, and scalable financial systems that can empower people around the world,” Hoskinson added.

Input Output is continuing to develop new blockchain solutions. The company recently introduced Midnight, a fourth-generation blockchain platform focused on privacy and selective disclosure. Midnight allows users to manage both public and confidential information on-chain, addressing privacy, identity, and interoperability issues.

Additionally, Input Output’s recent Chang hard fork marked the beginning of the Voltaire era for Cardano, introducing decentralized governance and paving the way for the future of financial systems. This makes Cardano one of the first major blockchains to implement a token-based governance system.

Read more: What are Crypto Forks?

In an interview with BeInCrypto, Hoskinson also revealed plans to introduce a vision for “Cardano 2”, where he will outline potential improvements and future directions for the Cardano ecosystem.

According to RootData statistics, 97 publicly disclosed crypto VC investments occurred in September, representing a 12.6% decrease from August’s 111 rounds.

September’s total fundraising amount reached $607 million, a 22% drop from the $785 million raised in August.

Notable Decline in Crypto VC Investments

Venture capital activity serves as a key indicator of major investors’ interest in the crypto market. September marked the lowest point in 2024, with only 97 publicly disclosed crypto VC rounds, down from 111 in August.

The total amount raised also fell sharply, dropping from $785 million in August to $607 million in September, making it the worst month of the year for both the number of rounds closed and the amount of investment.

The declining funding volume reflects a cautious approach amid economic and geopolitical uncertainties. Interestingly, the allocation of funds across sectors shifted as well.

Read more: Best Investment Apps in 2024

In August, decentralized finance (DeFi) captured nearly 25% of total investments, with artificial intelligence (AI) following at 15%. In September, infrastructure and DeFi dominated, securing more than half of the overall investment value.

Celestia Takes the Center Stage

The largest event in September was Celestia’s $100 million funding round led by Bain Capital, with additional contributions from Syncracy Capital, Robot Ventures, and Placeholder.

This round brings Celestia’s total fundraising to $155 million, following its recent launch as one of the first modular data availability layer protocols. The startup aims to address a critical challenge in blockchain networks: scalability and data availability.

Read more: Top Blockchain Companies in 2024

Decentralized perpetuals trading platform Infinex raised over $65 million using a new patronage fundraising model. Kain Warwick, Infinex’s founder, introduced the “Patronage” model, designed to offer equal investment opportunities through Patron NFTs, shifting away from the traditional venture capital approach.

Infinex held four rounds of its Patron Sale, attracting both retail participants and major crypto entities, including Wintermute and Solana Ventures.

Huma Finance raised $38 million, includeing $10 million in equity investment and $28 million in yield-bearing RWAs on the platform. Distributed Global led the equity investment, with contributions from Hashkey Capital, Folius Ventures, and Stellar Development. For the RWA portion, Stellar Development Foundation was the largest participant, committing $10 million.

The Open Network and AI-powered blockchain platform Balance.fun tied for 4th place in September by investment size. Crypto exchange Bitget and Foresight Ventures invested $30 million in TON, while Balance.fun raised an equal amount from investors including a16z, Galaxy, and others.

Hamster Kombat’s (HMSTR) performance since its airdrop and subsequent listing on cryptocurrency exchanges has been underwhelming. Despite the initial hype and excitement surrounding the project, the profit-taking activity that followed has caused HMSTR price to plummet significantly over the past week. 

With growing bearish sentiment toward HMSTR, the Toncoin-based token is poised to extend its decline. This analysis delves into what you need to know. 

Hamster Kombat Fails To Impress Holders

On September 26, Hamster Kombat distributed 60 million HMSTR tokens to its game players, after which it began trading on cryptocurrency exchanges at $0.014.

However, massive selloffs quickly caused its price to plummet within minutes. The token has since continued its downtrend, declining 50% over the past six days. As of this writing, HMSTR trades at $0.0047, marking an 11% drop in the last 24 hours.

Since the airdrop, HMSTR has faced a bearish bias, reflected in its negative weighted sentiment, currently at -0.16. This metric tracks the overall market mood, and negative sentiment suggests that most social media discussions are driven by fear, uncertainty, and doubt—often a precursor to a prolonged downward trend.

Read more: Top 8 Hamster Kombat Alternatives in 2024

Despite HMSTR losing half its value in under a week, its futures traders remain optimistic. Coinglass data shows that since HMSTR became tradeable, its funding rates have stayed positive, indicating that more traders are betting on a price rally than on a decline.

However, many of these long positions have not been profitable, as liquidations continue. Since September 26, $9 million worth of HMSTR long positions have been liquidated due to the token’s ongoing price drop.

HMSTR Price Prediction: More Decline on the Horizon

Readings from HMSTR’s hourly chart signal that the token is poised to extend its decline. Its Directional Movement Index (DMI), which measures the strength of a trend, supports this bearish outlook. At press time, the token’s positive directional indicator (blue) rests below its negative directional indicator (red). 

When positioned this way, the asset’s price is experiencing more downtrends than upward movements. Traders view this as a bearish signal, suggesting that sellers are stronger than buyers. If the bears remain in control, they may cause HMSTR’s price to plummet to a low of $0.0010.

Read more: 7 Best Exchanges To Buy and Sell Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) in 2024

However, if market sentiment shifts from bearish to bullish, HMSTR’s price could surge by 59%, reaching the resistance level at $0.0075.