GM, this is The Crypto Xplorer, we're here to satisfy your curiosity and explore the depths of the crypto universe!

Here's what we got for you today:

• Fed announces a new instant payments system

• Arbitrum airdrop: get your hands on Free governance tokens now

• The countdown is on: Ethereum's shapella hard fork is set to launch on April 12th.

FED Announces A New Instant Payment System

The US central bank has announced its instant payments system, FedNow, is set to go live in less than four months, giving citizens a new prompt settlement and clearing service for their transactions.

You know what that means - No more waiting for days or long lines - just whip out your phone and voila! You're good to go.

It'll begin operations in July, following a certification process in April and a trial period.

Some experts are speculating that the timing of the launch may have something to do with recent US bank failures.

I mean, what better way to distract the public from financial instability than by introducing a shiny new payment system, right? 😬

I guess it's a step in the right direction for the Fed. Who knows, maybe in a few years we'll be able to pay for everything with emojis and GIFs. 🤷‍♂️

So mark your calendars for July, folks!

Arbitrum Airdrop: Get Your Hands on Free Governance Tokens Now

The Arbitrum Foundation (the governing body behind Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Arbitrum), is launching an airdrop of governance tokens alongside its layer-3 development tool, Arbitrum Orbit.

The move is apparently in line with a proposal by Vitalik Buterin, who wants a decentralized optimistic rollup.

And if you're wondering about the specifics, It's expected to happen on March 23rd.

The airdrop will make up 11.5% of the total token supply, with an additional 1.1% earmarked for DAOs.

The remaining governance tokens will be distributed over time to the community through grant programs. (So, if you're looking for some free tokens, start coming up with ideas that can be built on top of Arbitrum).

The token will operate only as a governance token, it would not be used to pay fees on the Arbitrum chain. 

Good old ETH will remain the token used for paying fees. (I mean, why fix what's not broken?). 🤷‍♂️

To top it all off, Arbitrum also released a development kit that lets anyone launch their own layer-3 solution on top of Arbitrum. (this is like good music to developers). 🎶

The Countdown Is On: Ethereum's Shapella Hard Fork Is Set to Launch on April 12th.

Hey guys, hold onto your hats! We've got some exciting news coming up.

Ethereum is about to get a major facelift with the "Shapella" hard fork set to hit the mainnet on April 12th.

This upgrade will allow validators to withdraw their locked-up ether from the network. Finally, validators can get their hard-earned cash back! 😀

With the activation of withdrawals, offline validators can also reclaim their principal stake and claim earned fees at a reduced gas cost.

According to a researcher at Arbitrum, the Goerli testnet upgrade was successful, and there are not many roadblocks ahead of the Shapella hard fork on Ethereum's mainnet. It's smooth sailing from here on out!

Well, almost smooth sailing. Documentation is being reviewed, and tooling is receiving last-minute bug fixes to ensure a safe withdrawal process. (Because nobody wants to be stuck with an empty wallet) 😀

So, let's cross our fingers and hope for a successful launch. 🤞

That's all we have for today. See you on Twitter if you're there: @danielakpobare

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell assets or make financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.