Frankfurt

Bitcoin nodes data: Frankfurt houses the largest city-wide network

Distributed across 5,773 cities worldwide, over 60% and 14% of the Bitcoin nodes run on IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, respectively, while more than 25% run anonymously on .onion.

While the United States holds the biggest share of Bitcoin (BTC) hash rate contribution and ATM network, the city hosting the most reachable Bitcoin nodes — a crucial pillar of the Bitcoin network — is Frankfurt, Germany.

Bitcoin nodes are a distributed network of computers that run the Bitcoin software and accept a set of proof-of-work (PoW) consensus rules to validate and broadcast transactions on the blockchain. Of the 43,706 nodes hosted across 134 countries, the U.S. hosts 9,999 (30.53%), while Germany ranks second with 4,529 (13.83%) nodes, according to data from Bitnodes.

*List of top 10 countries with most number of Bitcoin nodes. Source: Bitnodes*

However, when it comes to the contribution of individual cities, Frankfurt was found to host the largest number of IPv4/IPv6 Bitcoin nodes at the time of writing. Nearly 2%, or 652 nodes, remain active in Frankfurt. The U.S. city of Ashburn takes the second spot with 517 (1.58%) nodes, as shown below.

*List of top 10 cities with most number of Bitcoin nodes. Source: Bitnodes*

Due to factors such as internet service provider firewalls and private networks, nearly 18% or 5,865 Bitcoin nodes were not attributed to any specific location — aiding Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision for a truly decentralized payments system. The top 10 cities with the highest Bitcoin nodes include Helsinki, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Moscow, Tokyo, Dublin and Nuremberg.

Distributed across 5,773 cities worldwide, over 60% of the nodes run on IPv4 protocols, 14% run on IPv6 protocols and more than 25% run anonymously on .onion.

Amid skyrocketing hash rates and increased adoption, the growth of the Bitcoin ATM network seemed stagnant over the past six months.

*Chart showing the number of crypto ATMs installed over time. Source: CoinATMRadar*

Just 94 Bitcoin ATMs were added to the global network between July and December 2022, with a modest 4,169 ATMs added during the year’s first six months.

Crypto startup to save iconic fiat money sculpture with 1M euros in funding

The crypto industry is coming to save the troubled “Euro-Skulptur” monument in Frankfurt after traditional banks refused to support the symbol of eurozone decision-making.

The paths of traditional finance and the cryptocurrency industry have intersected again, with a crypto startup coming to save the iconic “Euro-Skulptur” monument in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt-based crypto startup Caiz Development will provide 1 million euros, or about $961,000, in funding over the next five years to rescue the famous sculpture depicting the symbol for the Euro.

Announcing the news on Tuesday, Caiz said that the firm saw a good marketing opportunity in supporting the sculpture by obtaining unique exposure.

Through the funding, the firm was able to put its product board next to the 14-meter-high art installation bearing 12 yellow stars, which represent the original members of the currency union.

*Euro monument and Caiz’s marketing program. Source: Caiz Development*

The iconic euro statue was erected in 2001 in front of the former European Central Bank headquarters to celebrate the introduction of the euro, and has since become a symbol of eurozone decision-making. The monument has seen trouble in recent years as it has been frequently vandalized, causing the Frankfurt Culture Committee to spend some 250,000 euros every year to keep the sign in proper condition.

The committee sought sponsorship support from 110 banks to save the sculpture, but none of them wanted to support the “Euro-Skulptur.” Committee chairman Manfred Pohl said that 90 of the banks didn’t even bother answering, while those eight who responded did not provide enough funds to save the sign.

“This symbol is a part of the identity of the city of Frankfurt. I cannot understand that, in Frankfurt, we must beg for money,” Pohl said.

Now, the iconic monument has been saved thanks to the cryptocurrency industry, which is often very skeptical about the existing fiat currency system. Caiz Development CEO Joerg Hansen admitted that the cryptocurrency industry often opposes government-backed centralized currencies to in favor of decentralized cryptocurrencies.

“We think that this is an amount extremely well spent, from a marketing point of view as well as a signal for the local and international finance community,” Hansen told Cointelegraph. He noted that the sculpture is photographed hundreds of times a day and is caught by hundreds of reports, adding:

“We also take a stand for inclusion, tolerance, and diversity symbolized by the sculpture, and an offer of cooperation with the traditional financial world.”

Caiz was founded as a software development company in 2018, focusing on blockchain-based solutions, including those for global payments, central bank digital currencies and tokenized assets. The firm considers its Euro monument’s sponsorship as an “impactful investment” in marketing, diversifying its treasury portfolio over the next five years, Hansen said.