According to CryptoPotato, Shiba Inu (SHIB) may be poised for a short-term upswing, supported by developments in its layer-2 blockchain solution, Shibarium, and a resurgence in the meme coin sector. Despite underperforming in recent days with a 3% price drop over two weeks, key metrics and factors suggest the correction could be nearing its end. CryptoQuant data reveals that SHIB exchange netflow has been positive only once in the past eight days, with a shift from centralized exchanges to self-custody methods considered bullish as it reduces immediate selling pressure.

The asset's burning program could also contribute to a potential rally. The burn rate has spiked on several occasions in recent weeks, with over 9 billion tokens destroyed since the beginning of 2024. This mechanism aims to reduce SHIB's massive circulating supply, making it scarcer and potentially more valuable over time. The Shibarium team recently introduced an update designed to automate the token burning process, reducing manual intervention. Further advancements in the layer-2 scaling solution could also fuel SHIB's possible upswing. Launched in August 2021, Shibarium aims to support the meme coin's ecosystem growth by reducing transaction fees and improving speed.

A potential revival of the meme coin sector could be another factor propelling a SHIB rally. Meme coins sometimes follow each other's trends, and many are currently performing well, particularly those built on Solana, which have experienced a significant upswing in recent weeks.

According to Decrypt, a recent study has found that daytime napping can improve brain function and health. The research, which surveyed 378,932 UK residents, was conducted using data from the UK Biobank and published in the journal Sleep Health. The study was co-authored by scientists from the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay; University College London; Massachusetts General Hospital; and Harvard Medical School. The researchers found that the size of the brain, which is known to decrease with age, can be positively affected by daytime napping. The study also analyzed the frequency of napping, highlighting that the length and timing of naps could affect cognitive function. Longevity experts and biohackers have emphasized the importance of adequate sleep in an increasingly stressful world, with billionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson prioritizing sleep above all else in his quest for immortality.

According to CryptoPotato, Polygon, a layer-2 scaling network, came close to matching Ethereum's user base in 2023, as reported by blockchain analytics firm Flipside. Polygon acquired 15.24 million users that year, approaching Ethereum's 15.4 million, with a difference of around 160,000 wallets. Flipside defines an "acquired" user as someone who engaged in at least two transactions on a specific blockchain, with at least one occurring in 2023. During the first half of 2023, Polygon led the user acquisition race but was later surpassed by Ethereum, which maintained its lead throughout the latter part of the year.

In January, Polygon achieved a remarkable milestone with 2.8 million acquired users, constituting over 40% of the total number for 2023, according to Flipside. Ethereum secured the lead for the entire year, while Bitcoin claimed the third position with 10.65 million acquired users. Solana and Arbitrum completed the top five rankings. The aggregated data from the eight tracked blockchains, including Optimism (OP), Avalanche (AVAX), and Base (BASE), revealed a total of 62 million acquired users. Flipside observed that user acquisition peaked in May but gradually declined afterward. Notably, Flipside suggested a connection between the surge in acquired users starting in March and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The event potentially eroded confidence in centralized entities, prompting a shift towards decentralized custody alternatives.

In its predictions for future trends, Flipside observed a decline in NFT-related activities and a shift towards decentralized finance (DeFi) activities during 2023. Anticipating the upcoming cycle, Flipside suggested that DeFi activities would continue to dominate, surpassing the prominence of NFT trading. Specifically, it highlighted decentralized exchange (DEX) trading and yield farming as ongoing predominant applications while also forecasting the emergence of new DeFi applications like the Ethereum restaking protocol Eigenlayer. According to Flipside, user behavior in 2024 is expected to involve increased interaction with multiple blockchain networks, although most users will likely stick to engaging with a single chain. The prediction further emphasized a growing trend of user interaction with Layer 2 networks in the coming year. Despite being a minority in 2023, users with more than one blockchain predominantly interacted with Layer 2s. Flipside speculated that rising transaction fees during the next crypto market bull run could lead Layer 2 networks to lower their costs for end users competitively, potentially driving increased interest in associated governance tokens.

BNB Chain has recently proposed the introduction of atomic object updates to BNB Greenfield, as stated in their latest tweet. The primary objective behind this update is to significantly boost the efficiency of object modifications on Greenfield by ensuring atomicity and consistency.

According to Foresight News, OpenSea CEO and co-founder Devin Finzer has revealed that the company has received acquisition interest and is open to potential deals, although no specific details about when or by whom the acquisition would take place were provided. Finzer added that OpenSea is adopting a fairly open attitude, and if a suitable partner emerges, they would consider it. However, he also stated that OpenSea is not actively seeking buyers and currently has no plans for an acquisition.