Today in Crypto: Sino-US Bitcoin ASIC War May Be Starting, Neon EVM Testing Alternative Gas Payments

• Sino-US Bitcoin ASIC War: The Miner Weekly report suggests that a silicon war between the US and China may be starting in the bitcoin mining industry. US startup Auradine aims to offer North American mining operations an alternative to Chinese manufacturers with its efficient bitcoin ASIC design.
• Neon EVM Testing Alternative Gas Payments: Neon EVM, an Ethereum Virtual Machine on Solana, is introducing a feature that allows users to pay gas fees with tokens such as SOL, USDC, and USDT. This alternative gas payment option will be available on Devnet in the coming weeks and on Mainnet in Q1 2024.
• Collaboration for AI-Driven Tokenized Story-Telling: Dacoco, the publisher of Alien Worlds, is collaborating with Science Fiction author Kevin J. Anderson to introduce AI-Driven Tokenized Story-Telling. This concept combines AI with community creativity and will be governed through decentralized on-chain mechanisms.
• Growth of Bitcoin Spot ETFs: Fineqia International's analysis reveals a 91% growth in total Assets Under Management (AUM) for Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) with digital assets as underlying collateral. This growth outpaces the growth of underlying digital assets by 30%, with bitcoin's larger proportion within digital asset ETPs contributing to the differential.

The article covers various developments in the crypto industry, including advancements in bitcoin mining technology, alternative gas payment options, collaboration for AI-driven storytelling, and the growth of Bitcoin Spot ETFs. The overall sentiment is positive, highlighting progress and potential opportunities in the industry.