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Twitter Reactions: Kane Williamsons 667 minutes of masterclass rubs salt in Pakistans wounds – CricTracker

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Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 199, when a rain break forced the players off the field. But then, the man is the epitome of calmness, and the Kiwi skipper walked back to the dressing room, with no anxiety on his face. After the rain break, the right-hander nonchalantly flicked Shaheen Afridi past mid-wicket to bring up the fourth double century of his career.

There were no celebrations from the man after the landmark, just a raise of his willow to acknowledge the rousing ovation that he received from the crowd. Such was the grace and poise the Kiwi skipper displayed out in the middle that a true connoisseur of Test cricket would have admired his classic knock, irrespective of nationality.

In his marathon stay that lasted 364 deliveries, Williamson scored 238 glorious runs, including 28 delightful boundaries all across the ground. His innings came to an end when he hit Faheem Ashraf straight to Shan Masood at third-man, who for a change held on to the offering.

In the first session of the day, Henry Nicholls and Williamson continued to make life difficult for the Pakistan bowlers. In the pre-lunch session, the left-right duo added 114 runs off 28 overs, scoring their runs at a rate of 4.07 runs per over. The left-handed Nicholls brought up the 7th Test century of his career with a majestic drive past cover.

The Pakistanis finally made the breakthrough in the 120th over of the innings when they managed to scalp Nicholls and ended a mammoth 369-run partnership between the two men. To a short delivery from Mohammad Abbas, the left-hander went for the pull, but he hit it straight down the throat of Naseem Shah at fine leg. BJ Watling was the next man to depart, edging Shaheen Afridi to Haris Sohail in the slip cordon.

Williamson also went past a very significant milestone during the course of the day as he breached the 7000-run barrier in Tests and became the third Kiwi batsman to do so. Williamson also became the fastest New Zealand batsman to 7000 Test runs, reaching there in just 144 innings. The Black Caps skipper is just 264 runs away from becoming the all-time leading run-scorer for New Zealand in Test cricket. The batting Superstar also equaled Brendon McCullum in the all-time list of batsmen with the most double centuries for the Kiwis.

Apart from Williamsons double hundred, the other bright spot of the day was Daryl Mitchells maiden Test century. The right-hander pummeled 8 fours and 2 sixes and scored 102 off just 112 balls, at a strike rate of 91.07. New Zealand declared their first innings with the scorecard reading 659/6, with the last 4.5 overs fetching 60 runs for them.

In reply, Pakistan ended the Day at 8/1, with Kyle Jamieson removing Shan Masood. The left-hander recorded his second duck of the match, as he departed after edging Kyle Jamieson to the slip cordon. Masood has endured a horrible series against New Zealand, aggregating just 10 runs in the four innings that he has played, scoring three ducks.

New Zealand will be looking to wrap things up on Day 4.

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Twitter Reactions: Kane Williamsons 667 minutes of masterclass rubs salt in Pakistans wounds - CricTracker

The Meaning of Life According to Harry Potter and Soul – MuggleNet

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by Victor Chan

SPOILERS FOR SOUL AHEAD: PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Dumbledore once described music as a magic beyond all we do here (SS 128), a statement that Joe Gardner, the protagonist of Pixars Soul, would agree with. Indeed, Id like to believe that the magic of music is studied at the Department of Mysteries. Harry Potter and Soul both explore abstract concepts such as being in the zone, along with death and the meaning of life through a humanist approach. In Soul, characters search for their purposes in life, and although Harry was the Chosen One, he still had the agency to choose his life path. Here are three things that Harry Potter and Soul can teach us about the meaning of life.

At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry is presented with two choices: go back or go on. Likewise, at the end of Soul, Joe is given another chance at life. Both character-defining moments occur in the heads of Harry and Joe. In Soul, 22 describes the Great Before as an illusion and hypothetical. In Deathly Hallows, when Harry asks Dumbledore where he thinks they are, Dumbledore replies, This is, as they say, your party (DH 712).

At the core of both Harry Potter and Soul is the idea that it is our choices that show what we truly are. The circumstances that we are placed in define us less than how we respond to being placed in those circumstances. In Harry Potter, Hogwarts students are Sorted into Houses based on their personalities and values. Soul explores the concept of a beforelife where souls are readied for life on Earth. One particular scene early on shows souls being assigned personalities, seemingly arbitrary. Joe asks, This is where personalities come from? to which another character replies, Do you think people are just born with them?

However, even though Hogwarts students are Sorted into Houses and souls are assigned personalities, Harry Potter and Soul reject determinism. In fact, in the Great Before, souls need to find their own spark.

In Harry Potter and Soul, characters grapple with the fear of the unknown. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore tells Harry that it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness (HBP 566). In Soul, 22 has a cynical attitude toward what they think living on Earth will be like. In Harry Potter, Voldemort fears what Dumbledore describes as the next great adventure (SS 297). When Joe finds himself on the way to the Great Beyond at the start of Soul, he runs away from the light. Later in Soul, Joe says, Im just afraid that if I died today, then my life would have amounted to nothing.

Fear of the unknown holds people back from chasing that spark that makes life worth living. In Soul, we see an unnamed character with a stable, well-paying job in finance who is unhappy with their life but scared to make a career change.

Dumbledore believes that even though people fear the unknown in death, thats what makes it the next great adventure. This is shown in 22s character arc in Soul. When we first meet 22, they do not want to leave the Great Before to begin life on Earth. However, after they accidentally get sent to Earth and experience simple joys such as tasting pizza, feeling the wind blow, and catching a falling leaf in the palm of their hand, they do not want to return to the Great Before.

In Soul, when Joe tells his mother that music is all he thinks about, she says, You cant eat dreams for breakfast. Joes mother wants him to be realistic and settle on a career. This interaction transported me to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone when we are introduced to the Mirror of Erised. According to Dumbledore, the Mirror shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts, and men have wasted away before itnot knowing if what it shows is real or even possible (SS 213). Dumbledore tells Harry not to dwell on dreams and forget to live (SS 214).

This idea of forgetting to live is explored in Soul. In the Great Before, lost souls are souls belonging to people who are disconnected from life because they cannot let go of their obsessions. Those souls are stuck in a state of limbo. In Deathly Hallows, a fragment of Voldemorts soul becomes stuck in limbo at Kings Cross. He was so obsessed with killing Harry that he never considered the possibility of Lily invoking an ancient form of magic, and he was so obsessed with immortality that he never considered that splitting ones soul could cause eternal pain and suffering in the afterlife. In Half-Blood Prince, a conversation between Voldemort and Dumbledore takes place where Voldemort says, Nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore (HBP 444). In truth, Voldemort never searched for the power of magic based on love because he was obsessed with using the Dark Arts to gain power and immortality.

In Sorcerers Stone, Dumbledore tells Harry that people have wasted away before the Mirror of Erised, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. When Joe finally gets his big break as a musician, he has an existential crisis. He had been dreaming of this moment his entire life, but when the moment finally arrived, it was underwhelming because he didnt feel any different. During a pivotal scene in the film, Joe realizes that its the little moments of joy that make life worth living, even if they may seem infinitesimal in comparison to the bigger picture at the time.

In Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore says that Voldemort was in such a hurry to mutilate his own soul, he never paused to understand the incomparable power of a soul that is untarnished and whole (HBP 511). Although Joes dream of a career in jazz is not as extreme as Voldemorts quest for immortality, both Harry Potter and Soul convey the importance of living in the moment and not developing tunnel vision.

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The Meaning of Life According to Harry Potter and Soul - MuggleNet

10 Strongest Gods In The DC Pantheon | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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As powerful as many of DC's heroes and villains are, they pale in comparison to the literal gods and goddesses that exist in that multiverse.

The DC landscape is filled with characters that absolutely boggle the mind in terms of unfathomable power. From heavy hitters such asThe Man of Steel, The Flash, and Shazam, these "terrestrial" heroes, for lack of a better term, pale in comparison to some of the entities that are capable of flipping these heroes worlds upside down.

RELATED:Flash: The 10 Most Powerful Villains Of The Fastest Man Alive

From reality warping to time-travel, these cosmic-level beings can, and in some instances, have made reality their will, bringing in the question of whether The Presence is obsolete in his position of DC's Supreme Being.

Superboy-Prime is an unfathomable force to be reckoned with that has thrashed both DC heroes and villains alike. Following the obliteration of his home universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superboy-Prime would return from the Paradise Dimension alongside Alexander Luthor with a twisted scope of what he saw as a failing superhero landscape.

Believing the Post-Crisis heroes to be feigning heroism instead of upholding his idea of altruistic heroism, Super-Boy tumbled down the villainous rabbit hole, becoming the very thing he resented. Debatably the most powerful incarnation of Superman due to a lack of weakness to green kryptonite, Superboy-Prime has shattered dimensional barriers with sheer strength; subdued the JSA, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol all at the same time; escaped the Speed Force; and was even held in a guarded quantum containment field after dispatching almost the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps.

Known as the First Lantern, Volthoom became the first being to harness the power of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, making him the most powerful ring bearer amongst all other Lanterns. Searching for a remedy to his now-dead homeworld, Volthoom used a device capable of multiversal space/time travel called the Travel Lantern to venture into the multiverse.

Coming across the Maltusians in the main DC universe, Volthoom would aid the ancient aliens in bearing their experimental power battery in exchange for being able to take it back to his universe. However, upon being exposed to the infinite power the spectrum wields, Volthoom's psyche shatters, turning him against the Maltusians and killing hundreds of them. His constructs are physical manifestations as opposed to light constructs, lending credence to the idea that reality-warping is well within his abilities, not to mention being nigh-immortal.

Father to the Raven of the Teen Titans, Trigon is the quasi-manifestation of evil and hatred in the DC universe whose existence stretches back before the Big Bang. While his "demonic" appearance gives the idea of him being some variety of a Hell Lord, he is, in fact, a decedent of an ancient celestial alien race called The Divine.

This race would summon the evils of a hundred galaxies called the Heart of Darkness to cleanse Trigons' corrupted soul but Trigon, in turn, wouldabsorb the energy, elevating his cosmic power and slaying The Divine. Capable of a myriad of abilities ranging from molecular reconstruction, immortality, and metamorphosis, Trigon also swindles women from other worlds into bearing his children, spreading his evil across countless universes.

Hailing from the 5th Dimension, a dimension where the laws of physics are none existent, Mr. Mxyzpltk is an imp who has been a prankster to the Man of Steel for nearly 80 years. Originally a jesterin the 5th Dimension, Mxy uses his reality-warping abilities to jovial lengths to annoy Superman until he is undoubtedly sent back to his dimension once Superman gets him to say his name backward.

RELATED:Superman: 9 Amazing Mr. Mxyzptlk Cosplay That Look Almost Just Like The Comic

Despite this nuanced caveat, he can travel through space/time and dimensional barriers; break the fourth wall; is immortal and completely self-sufficient; and theoretically can do anything his imagination wills such as increasing his size and defeating the Spectre by cracking the earth over his head.

The Anti-Monitor is the OG cosmic menace that was the main antagonist in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Having multiple retcons to his origin, his most recent one revealed he is the offspring of an ultra-cosmic being called Perpetua, who along with his brothers, the Monitor, and the Forger of Worlds, were in charge of creating, examining, and destroying multiverses.

Hell-bent on destroying all things in existence, his vast reality warping capabilities have seen large contingents ofDC superheroes face-off against him and fail. He can wipe out entire universes, distribute portions of his Anti-Matter power to other beings, and even wield the anti-life equation to dominate the wills of those he chooses. It is said that if he "dies," he is reborn in the 6th Dimension, the highest plane of existence that exists beyond time and imagination.

The Spectre is the physical embodimentof Gods' vengeance in the DC universe. Having multiple hosts over the character's tenure, the Spectre rejected the notion of mercy and in turn, was made to bond itself to a human soul in hopes that it would mitigate the wrath of God.

Originally an angel named Aztar who sided with Lucifer during his rebellion, Aztar would come to repent for his violation and as punishment was made to be the embodiment of God's judgment. Having faced off with immensely powerful characters including the Anti-Monitor and Parallax, the Spectre derives its power from The Presence, the end-all-be-all creator in DC comics, making him nigh-omniscient and nigh-omnipotent.Even when "killed" he can reconstitute himself, effectively making him immortal.

Originally from theWatchmenseries by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Doctor Manhattan and the rest of the Watchmen began strategically segueing into the DC Universe at the start of DC Rebirth in 2016. When Nuclear physicist Jon Osterman is ensnared in an intrinsic field subtractor,a machine that utilizes radiation to remove "intrinsic" fields from solid objects, he reconstitutes himself as a godly being who can perceive all space/time, at the same time, relative to his life personally.

Now a quantum being with unlimited power, Manhattan can telekinetically control subatomic matter making his capabilities unfathomably grand in scope. From limited time-travel,size-alteration, and immortality tobeing able to create life and alternate universes, Doctor Manhattan is truly acosmic being that is in a category of his own.

Lucifer was originally an Archangel named Samael whose existence extended back well before the creation of the DC universe. Rebelling against his father, The Presence, at the dawn of time, Lucifer's war against Heaven would result in him being cast into a void dubbed The Chaoplasm which would transform into a desolate and barren region known as Hell.

RELATED:Doctor Manhattan Vs. Lucifer Morningstar: Who Wins In A Fight?

Awaiting the day to be freed, Lucifer's frustration of a deceitful pre-destination being intrinsically tied to him overrides his positionand he releases the souls of Hell and retires to Earth, leaving Dream of The Endless to watch over the bleak dimension. From nigh-omniscience, chronokinesis, and reality alteration, Lucifercan manipulate any external force to the extent he desires, making him one of DC'smost powerful characters.

Crisis on Infinite Earths had the Anti-Monitor.Zero Hour had Parallax.Infinite Crisis had Superboy-Prime. Every "crisis-event" in DC served as either a character rework or line-wide, hard reboot, each withan antagonist giving the heroes, and sometimes villains, a rude awakening in how inept they were against their vast abilities.

Now, what if there was a cosmic menace so grandiose they were actually the puppetmaster, pulling the strings on these crisis-events to obtain complete and total control of the Multiverse? Well, that would be Perpetua. Hailing from the 6th Dimension, Perpetua is a Super Celestial who wastasked by the Judges of the Source to create new life within the Omniverse, however, desired to eliminate the judges instead. Now free of her captivity after being imprisoned, Perpetua is on a quest to destroy and recreate the Multiverse as the ultimate, end-all-be-all DC enemy.

Where Marvel has The One Above All, and Image Comics has Mother, DC's omnipotent creator of all things is known as The Presence. Only making a handful of nuanced appearances, The Presence is the Source of Creation, birthing the vast cosmic energies that inhabit the multiverse. His power, like his counterparts, extend beyond the multiverse and into the Omniverse. Anincorporeal entity whose power is the source of every other power or energy, The Presence is one of a kind among DC characters.

NEXT:10 Superheroes Who Have Beaten A God

Next 5 Characters Spider-Man Lost To But Shouldn't Have (& 5 He Beat But Shouldn't Have)

Trevon Gibbs is a 22 year old entertainer living in California with a keen interest in all things involving the overall medium of superhero epics. Trevons journey as a writer is in its beginning stages, but its one hes excited to be embarking on, and bring his eye and imagination of comic book superheroes, to you.

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10 Strongest Gods In The DC Pantheon | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Book review: V.E. Schwab writes a book to leave you weeping and heartbroken – Sheffield Telegraph

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been causing quite a stir in the book community and for good reason.

This beautiful book totally enchanted me and I ended up reading it two times in one month because it was just that good.

I initially picked up this book as the early reviews were raving and the premise of a romance including a character of the literal devil was intriguing.

But this novel blew my already high expectations out of the water.

V.E.Schwab wrote an epic tale of romance with a fast plot which kept me on my toes the whole time.

Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil but not all is what it seems as instead of immortality he makes her invisible, figuratively.

She can live forever but any person that she meets will forget her as soon as she is out of their eyesight.

Leading to a rather miserable existence for the main character.

The novel follows Addie from the 18th century to present day and how she finds ways to leave a mark on the world despite the devil's curse.

This book brought about a few existential crises in myself as it forces you to ponder your own impact and what you would do differently if you never aged.

The biggest pleasure of this book was the unravelling of Addies past as she travels the world and slowly grows into herself.

Schwab doesnt give you all of this information in one go.

She slowly drip feeds you the secrets of Addies past which constantly surprise me.

By the end of this book I was an emotional wreck, Schwab tears out the reader's heart several times and I loved it.

If like me the never ending pandemic is extending your singledom then I would highly recommend this novel to fill that romance hole.

If you want to hear more of my book thoughts you can follow me on Instagram @lauraandrew95

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Book review: V.E. Schwab writes a book to leave you weeping and heartbroken - Sheffield Telegraph

Ethereum Posts 450% Gain in 2020, Beats Bitcoin – Finance Magnates

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Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency in the world, posted a significant gain in 2020 as the price of ETH increased by more than 450%. Ethereum has performed better than Bitcoin this year.

Ethereum is currently trading around $730, a significant jump from $129 at the start of 2020. On the other hand, the worlds largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin is hovering around $28,000, compared to around $7,200 at the start of this year. BTC posted a nearly 300% gain since the start of 2020.

ETH price is not the only indicator that shows its performance. Grayscale, a leading cryptocurrency asset management firm reported growing interest in ETH-related investment products earlier this year. Michael Sonnenshein, Managing Director at Grayscale Investments, outlined the growing interest of institutional investors in Ethereum.

Jesse Willms on Making The Most Of The eCommerce BoomGo to article >>

Over the course of 2020, we are seeing a new group of investors who are Ethereum-first and in some cases Ethereum-only. Theres a growing conviction around ETH as an asset class. The development of the asset class has continued to solidify itself, he mentioned in an interview.

On the last day of 2020, Ethereum touched the $750 mark, its highest level since March 2018. The price of ETH is still far away from its all-time high of $1380, but the recent price action shows that the worlds second-largest cryptocurrency is set to test new highs in 2021. ETHs recent introduction of Beacon Chain and its network upgrade to make the entire system more efficient attracted several institutional investors to participate in Ethereum 2.0 staking. The current market cap of ETH stands at around $83 billion.

Due to the growing interest of investors in Ethereum 2.0, several cryptocurrency exchanges started offering ETH staking services, including Binance. Finance Magnates earlier reported about the support from cryptocurrency exchange Gemini for the latest upgrade of the ETH network. But, the key driver has been the institutional adoption of the worlds second-largest cryptocurrency. Institutional investors started including ETH in their investment portfolios this year.

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Ethereum Posts 450% Gain in 2020, Beats Bitcoin - Finance Magnates

Bitcoin, Ethereum Crash Liquidates $1.1 Billion Leveraged Traders – Crypto Briefing

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Key Takeaways

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices dropped all the weekend gains before the traditional markets opened for trading Monday, liquidating $1.1 billion leveraged orders.

Nevertheless, market sentiments continue to wax bullish despite the carnage.

On Sunday at 5 PM CST, the CME futures market opened with a gap of $4,000 since closing at $29,385 before the holidays on Dec. 31.

Bitcoin crossed $30,000 for the first time over the weekend, topping at $34,800 this morning. However, the correction came just as quickly, as BTC prices dropped 20% around 1 AM CST.

Bitcoin futures on CME prices traced back to $28,440, filling the positive gap.

The volatility in Ethereum was even stronger as the second-largest cryptocurrency topped $1,150 for the first time in three years. The price of ETH, however, corrected 23% to $900 after peaking at $1,170.

Across exchanges like Binance and Huobi, over $1.1 billion were liquidated in the last four hours, with Bitcoin longs accounting for nearly 93.6% of the amount.

A 30-40% correction has been a standard in Bitcoin bull markets, which seldom run on over-leveraged longs across these platforms.

For example, the funding rate for Ethereum longs on BitMEXeven after the dropis close to 474% annually. Similarly, for Bitcoin, the funding rates are running above 70% annually. Moreover, a quick recovery above $30,000 after the CME gap fill is seen as a robust bullish signal.

While the bullish market sentiments seem unhinged by the correction, the high funding rate for long orders on futures markets can act as a catalyst for additional correction. Todays low, around $27,750, will act as support for a positive trend.

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Ethereum has finally broken $1,000 after three years. The milestone was reached following a parabolic 40% price surge throughout Sunday. A recent survey of the ecosystem also points to Bitcoins...

Ethereum is in parabolic mode. ETH hit $800 for the first time in two years this morning and has since made a run past $900, peaking around $970 this afternoon....

In this short article, we are going to talk about the uniqueness of the inverse perpetual swap.

Ethereum just hit $800. The milestone follows a rapid 18% price increase for Bitcoin, now trading above $34,000. Ethereum Follows Bitcoins Price Surge Bitcoin and Ether are soaring. Ether is...

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Bitcoin, Ethereum Crash Liquidates $1.1 Billion Leveraged Traders - Crypto Briefing

Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH bulls ignore overbought RSI to attack $1,100 – FXStreet

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ETH/USD stays bid around $1,090 during early Tuesdays trading. The crypto major refreshed the highest since February 2018 before stepping back to 886.00 amid overbought RSI conditions.

While the oscillator remains in the region suggesting ETH/USD pullback, the quote ignores the downside signals while following bullish MACD clues.

That said, the $1,100 round-figure is in a hands reach to the ETH/USD buyers during the latest upswing. However, the previous days high around $1,169 and the $1,200 can challenge the pairs further upside.

In a case where Ethereum buyers refrain from bending the knee around $1,200, February 2018 peak near $1,225 and the record top, marked in January 2018, surrounding $1,420, will be in the spotlight.

Alternatively, even counter-trend traders will wait for a downside break of an immediate support line, at $952 now, for fresh entries. Following that 50% and 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of December 23 to January 04 upside, respectively near $858 and $785 will challenge the ETH/USD bears.

It should be noted that an upward sloping trend line from December 23, close to $766, adds to the downside filters.

Overall, ETH/USD is up for challenging the multi-month top but momentum indicators test the bulls.

Trend: Bullish

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Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH bulls ignore overbought RSI to attack $1,100 - FXStreet

Ethereum active supply hits 5-year low – AMBCrypto News

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The Ethereum [ETH] market has been seeing increased momentum that has been driving the price of the cryptocurrency in the past few months. Amid the active spot market, the active supply of Ethereum has been dropping to new lows. According to the data provider Glassnode alerts, the active supply of ETH measured on a 3-6 month timeframe has just hit a 5-year low of 5.073 million ETH.

The data provider noted:

The chart above indicated that the supply had noted a strong peak in 2019 when the price of most cryptos was consolidating between a tight range. Now that were in an active bull market, the active supply has been reduced to a 5-year low.

It was a sign of a strong HODLING behavior among the Ethereum investors and traders, as the coin marched higher on the charts. The Ethereum charts on TradingView indicated a seven-day consecutive upwards swing in ETHs price towards the end of the year. This 34% surge within a week pushed its value from $565 to $759 and at the time of writing, ETH was being traded at $734.

As the altcoin holds on to a price level above $700 and as Bitcoin hit a new all-time high over $29k, the chances of the commencement of an alt season appear strong. Meanwhile, the traders were preparing to participate in the altseason that is yet to begin.

This enthusiasm was reflected in the significant increase in the number of addresses holding Ethereum. To bookmark a good end to 2020, the number of addresses holding ETH hit an ATH of over 51.4 million. This value was 34.7 million at the beginning of the year. Whereas the number of non-zero addresses also reached 50.476 million, reflecting the bullishness in the traders attitude.

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Ethereum active supply hits 5-year low - AMBCrypto News

Valid Points: A Year in Review by Your Ethereum 2.0 Staking Experts – Yahoo Finance

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In less than 48 hours, 2020 will be behind us.

It almost seems too big a task to recount all that has happened in this world, in this industry and in our own personal lives but our colleague Brad Keoun, editor of CoinDesks daily cryptocurrency markets newsletter, First Mover, offers an excellent start to summarizing 2020. He writes:

This year saw the biggest drop-off in economic activity since the Great Depression, the biggest money-printing episode in the Federal Reserves 107-year history, an epochal shift toward remote working, negative prices for crude-oil futures and the first real signs the global financial system might be migrating toward fast-growing markets for cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

Related: What Is Proof-of-Stake?

2020 also saw an explosive growth in the total value locked and user activity for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on Ethereum. We witnessed the genesis of Ethereums primary scaling solution with the launch of Ethereum 2.0 and the emergence of an entirely new use case for ether through staking.

Where do we go from here? For todays special, year-end edition of Valid Points, weve gathered commentary from the industrys most well-known Eth 2.0 staking experts. Theyll be illustrating through charts what caught their attention most this past year and what theyll be watching closely for in the next.

Our first contribution is from Tim Ogilvie, the founder and CEO of Staked. Staked helps investors earn yield from staking and DeFi without taking custody of their crypto assets.

My favorite Ethereum chart shows the daily gas usage. I love it because its one part of the great story that I expect will propel ETH over the next few years. There are three legs to the stool:

Related: Proof-of-Stake Was Bigger Than Eth 2.0 in 2020

Story continues

1. Our chart. People are using ETH with increasing frequency, driving increased gas demand.

2. EIP-1559, introducing Fee Burns. This is an upcoming Ethereum improvement that will take all of the gas demand and use it to burn ETH. The more ETH gets used, the more ETH supply gets burned.

3. ETH2: Ethereums transition to proof-of-stake, allowing for low issuance of new supply while providing strong security guarantees.

Bitcoin has an amazing story as an asset with a fixed supply of 21 million BTC. Ethereums story has the potential to be even stronger. If gas usage exceeds supply issuance, youve now got a digital asset with a steadily declining supply.

My 2021 prediction: This becomes the dominant story around ETHs valuation and it drives significant price appreciation.

Next, we have the head of strategy and operations for stake.fish, Jun Soo Kim. With support for over 10 different blockchain networks, Jun Soo and his team are working to secure and contribute to an exciting new staking ecosystem and enable users to stake with confidence.

By far my favorite chart of Ethereum 2.0 is how consistently the participation rate has been averaging at above 98% after the first few days of the Beacon Chain launch. The participation rate shows how well the active validators are doing to stay online and conduct their attestation duties. If the participation rate was any closer to 66%, we would need to be seriously concerned about the network health. But at the current levels, we have a nice big buffer that alleviates any concerns for network finality halts.

There is also another takeaway from this data. While there are many professional staking service providers running validators on Ethereum 2.0, there is a bigger number of individuals who are operating validators themselves. These independent validators have been contributing to the high participation rate. From this, we can infer that Ethereum 2.0 has achieved its goal of making sure anyone can run validators on their own without having to rely on specialized technical knowledge or hardware. This provides hope that while staking services and exchanges will grow, the number of independent validators will grow as well. Independent validators are key in ensuring Ethereum 2.0 remains decentralized and I hope we keep seeing improvements to the experience of running validators.

We havent even seen the beginning of Ethereum 2.0 integration with DeFi. Tokenized staked ETH and how they become a part of the existing DeFi stack will be a key theme in the first half of 2021.

Our penultimate contribution comes from Chandler Song, CEO of Ankr. Ankr Network is a San Francisco-based Web 3.0 infrastructure provider working at removing entry barriers and opening Ethereum 2.0 staking to everyone with Stkr decentralized protocol.

This chart represents the number of ETH sent by validators to the Ethereum 2.0 deposit contract since it went live on Nov. 4. To launch on the planned Genesis date of Dec. 1, 524,288 ETH had to be transferred until Nov. 24. This threshold was met only hours before the activation deadline.

We see that early on the community was hesitant to stake their ETH. The fact that the staked funds are locked and essentially illiquid for an indefinite period made the progress slow in the first weeks. We think that one of the important factors that helped break the momentum was staking-as-a-service solutions going live with synthetic assets that solve early Ethereum 2.0 liquidity issues.

We are going to see the growing popularity of liquid bond tokens representing ETH 2.0 stake. These assets have two functions: turn illiquid ETH into a tradable and liquid asset and allow investors to participate in building trust to grow the Ethereum network.

Last but not least, our final chart comes from Mike Garland, product manager for Alchemy. Alchemy is a blockchain developer platform powering 4 million users and $7.5 billion dollars of transactions in 99% of countries worldwide.

Our favorite ETH 2 graph of 2020 is one which shows the 35,300% increase in global adoption weve seen of the Beacon Chain since just before the Dec. 1 launch.

Weve seen great developers and teams pouring in to pick up and start using ETH 2.0 and all signs point to even greater adoption going into the new year.

The ETH and ETH 2.0 ecosystems are only as good as the developers and users that drive them, so seeing this kind of growth so early for ETH 2.0 has us super excited for the year ahead.

Well soon be incorporating data directly from CoinDesks own Eth 2.0 validator node in our weekly analysis. All profits made from this staking venture will be donated to a charity of our choosing once transfers are enabled on the network. For a full overview of the project, check outour announcement post.

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Valid Points: A Year in Review by Your Ethereum 2.0 Staking Experts - Yahoo Finance

LCX.com Starts Crypto Exchange with Bitcoin and Ethereum – Finance Magnates

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When Bitcoin prices are setting new records, the Liechtenstein Cryptoassets Exchange, popularly known as LCX.com, has launched its digital currency exchange services. The platform is regulated and in compliance with local Liechtenstein regulations.

Announced on Tuesday, the new exchange will initially facilitate trading with Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD Coin and LCX token. However, it has plans to add more digital currencies into its offering.

Commenting on the new platform, LCX.com Co-founder and CEO, Monty Metzger said: LCX Exchange is a new generation of cryptocurrency exchange. 2021 will be the year of blockchain innovation, and we see crypto compliance as key to success.

The exchange started its operations only a week after it received eight licenses from the Liechtenstein regulator under the countrys new blockchain laws. The licenses ensure LCXs compliance as a crypto exchange, a digital currency custodian and a price oracle.

Jesse Willms on Making The Most Of The eCommerce BoomGo to article >>

Founded in 2018, the exchange focused on strengthening its processes before approaching for the licenses.Finance Magnateslast year reported on LCXs partnership with blockchain analytics firm, Elliptic to automate compliance against illicit transactions.

LCX is launching its exchange when the demand in cryptocurrency markets are soaring, mostly with the rally of Bitcoin. The digital currency broke all records and is trading strongly above $30,000 even after corrections in double digits.

Though the altcoins market remained dull overall, Ethereum soared significantly, even dwarfing Bitcoin in yearly gains. LCX is listing both of these tokens in the initial batch.

Meanwhile, major exchanges are seeing record-breaking demand for cryptocurrencies, and the volumes are breaking records too.

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LCX.com Starts Crypto Exchange with Bitcoin and Ethereum - Finance Magnates

Huobi Group Explains how Ethereum will be Merging Two Digital Assets, BETH and ETH, as It Transitions to ETH 2.0 – Crowdfund Insider

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Digital asset exchange Huobi noted earlier this month that the ongoing upgrade of Ethereum (ETH), the worlds largest platform for building decentralized applications (dApps), is expected to make the original smart contract enabled blockchain much more usable, scalable, and effective but it will also take a fairly long time before the transition to Ethereum 2.0 has been successfully completed.

As mentioned in a blog post by the Huobi Group, the path to Ethereum 2.0 will not be an overnight thing, and will have several different stages or phases to it. The transition process begins with Phase 0, which will involve the Beacon Chain going live and then the move towards a new proof of stake (PoS) consensus algorithm will begin to take place, Huobi explained.

The exchange further noted that with this major change in the blockchain consensus mechanism, there will also be a new digital currency created, called BETH. As noted by Huobi, the creation of a new cryptocurrency on an existing blockchain, born of a new chain upgrade causes many logistical difficulties, but these will all have to be overcome if ETH 2.0 is to be a success.

The Huobi Group added:

When Phase 0 does occur, BETH will have to co-exist with the already prevalent ETH cryptocurrency. This is logistically something quite unique, but it has been planned out and factored in by those [who are involved with the development and deployment of] ETH 2.0. So, how will BETH and ETH coexist to begin with, and what will be left when ETH 2.0 is finally complete?

The exchange further explained:

ETH 2.0 is more like a recast new chain that will coexist with ETH 1.0 for quite a long time, the new chain will not instantly replace the original as that would be impractical, but this method throws up its own issues. So, the new chain of ETH 2.0 will also mint a new token, which is BETH. In other words, before ETH 2.0 and ETH 1.0 are completely merged, there will be two types of Ethereum tokens in the network: ETH and BETH.

Huobi also pointed out that the generation of BETH is unidirectional. Users (which includes verification nodes) must lock ETH into the contract in order to register the public key address of the Beacon Chain. The public key registered in the contract will be recognized via the ETH 2.0 chain, the Ethereum asset (ETH) anchoring the master chain will be burned, and the Ethereum asset (BETH) on the Beacon Chain network will be generated, Huobi noted.

Currently, its not possible for users to migrate BETH on the ETH 2.0 Beacon Chain to the ETH 1.0 chain before both chains have been merged, Huobi clarified. And before ETH 2.0 begins supporting cross-shard transactions, BETH tokens cant be transferred, and it will become a non-transferable asset for validators and users, Huobi added.

This process is quite different from a typical hard fork (backward incompatible) update where a duplicate is made, instead old tokens on ETH need to be manually destroyed through the smart contract, and generate a new token BETH on ETH2.0, Huobi explained. The migration process is long-term and irreversible, Huobi confirmed, while adding that in the past hard fork upgrade, both tokens were migrated automatically and instantaneously.

BETH tokens will appear to be a bit useless as they cant be transferred and wont become a non-transferable asset for validators and users, Huobi acknowledged. The exchange pointed out that BETH may be used to take part in the Casper consensus for mining, and users may receive about 10% BETH staking rewards each year.

BETH is temporarily unable to transfer on the chain; while ETH Token can still be used normally, but users cannot get any staking rewards, Huobi clarified, while noting that a core concept of ETH2.0 is to lower the threshold so that more people can participate in the staging.

For instance, a home PC or laptop would also have the capability or the computing capacity to build Ethereum nodes. Therefore, the number of users participating in the Beacon Chain Staking may be higher than other blockchain projects, Huobi claims.

Eventually, ETH and BETH will be able to merge and will be integrated, so that theres just one ETH token in the entire network.

Huobi added:

In the migration plan announced by Vitalik Buterin in October 2019, it was clearly stated that the entire user migration process will attach great importance to the user experience. Therefore, if an ETH holder has no intention to participate in BETH Staking, he can directly wait for the merger after 2 years without manual migration, and may not even be aware of the automatic merger process.

Huobi concluded:

BETH is a special token of the transitional period and a staged product. However, considering that the two adopt a one-way exchange scheme, in a long transition period (Phase 0 ~ Phase 2, about 2 years), the two may not be able to converge, so the two are two different tokens during the transition period.

As covered, Huobi has provided a detailed explanation of why Ethereum is arguably the most important distributed ledger technology (DLT) project, but time will tell if Ethereum 2.0 succeeds.

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Huobi Group Explains how Ethereum will be Merging Two Digital Assets, BETH and ETH, as It Transitions to ETH 2.0 - Crowdfund Insider

Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith’s trial to start in September 2021 – CoinGeek

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Virgil Griffith, the Ethereum researcher accused of aiding North Korean government officials to evade sanctions, will stand trial starting September 2021, a New York court has ruled.

Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York ruled, A conference is set for September 7, 2021 at 9:30 am in Courtroom 11D 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY. For reasons stated on the record, time is excluded in the interest of justice under the Speedy Trial Act through September 7, 2021 to allow both sides to discuss a resolution of this matter and review discovery.

If either Griffith or the prosecutors oppose the September 7 trial date, they must submit in writing their reasons for the opposition before December 30, 2020.

U.S. authorities arrested Griffith in November 2019 after he returned from attending a blockchain conference in North Korea. They claimed that he had violated the IEEPA, an act that prohibits U.S. citizens from offering any good or service to countries that the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on.

While setting the date for the trial, Judge Castel also granted Griffiths motion to compel discovery of material in the possession of the Office of Foreign Assets (OFAC), stating:

Defendants motion to compel discovery of material in the possession of OFAC is GRANTED to the extent that the government is directed to conduct a review of material in the possession of OFAC for the period from October 24, 2019 to the present that is related to Mr. Griffiths prosecution; the government shall disclose any materials that must be disclosed to the defendant consistent with the governments obligations.

The Judge, however, deferred ruling on Griffiths motion to compel a search of files of some government agencies regarding the blockchain capabilities of North Korea. He ordered Griffiths legal team to meet with the prosecutors and agree on a stipulation. They shall then submit this stipulation to the court no later than January 25, 2021.

Griffiths lawyers have insisted that the prosecutors case against the Ethereum Foundation developer is fatally flawed. In their most recent motion, they claimed that Griffith is not even aware of what crimes he is charged with. They claimed that despite the government presenting 6,800 pages of discovery, its all vague and none points to the exact crimes he allegedly committed.

FollowCoinGeeks Crypto Crime Cartelseries, which delves into the stream of groupsfromBitMEXtoBinance,Bitcoin.com,Blockstream,ShapeShiftandEthereumwho have co-opted the digital asset revolution and turned the industry into a minefield for nave (and even experienced) players in the market.

New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeeksBitcoin for Beginnerssection, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoinas originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamotoand blockchain.

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Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith's trial to start in September 2021 - CoinGeek

Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 7.82% Up In The Last 12 Hours – Via News Agency

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Ethereum is currently on bullish momentum. At 23:03 EST on Sunday, 3 January, Ethereum is at $1,018.56 and up by 7.82% in the last 12 hours.

Over the last six hours, Ethereums higher value was $1,018.56 and the lower value was $967.92.

Over the last twelve hours, Ethereums higher value was $1,018.56 and the lower value was $917.11.

In relation to Ethereums daily lows, its 30.934% up from its trailing 24-hour low of $777.92

In relation to Ethereums yearly highs and lows, its 970.141% up from its 52-week low and 0.106% down from its 52-week high.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months average volatility was 25.95%, 5.57%, and 1.92%, respectively.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months high and low average amplitude percentage was 30.46%, 9.77%, and 7.06%, respectively.

According to FX Empire on Sunday, 3 January, "Crypto.com Coin and Litecoin rallied by 10.53% and by 8.38% to lead the way, with Ethereum rising by 6.06%.", "Chainlink (+0.28%), Ethereum (+0.50%), and Litecoin (+0.54%) joined Bitcoin in the green, with Bitcoin Cash SV flat."

Bitcoin breaches $34,000 as rally extends into new year. According to Bloomberg Quint on Saturday, 2 January, "Still, there are reasons to be cautious, partly since Bitcoin remains a thinly traded market. "

BQ big decisions: Bitcoin is crying out for A place in your portfolio. beware of the risks. According to Bloomberg Quint on Sunday, 3 January, "On this BQ Big Decisions podcast, BloombergQuint speaks to author, angel investor and expert on Bitcoin Ajeet Khurana about what to keep in mind when deciding whether to invest in Bitcoin."

Ether follows Bitcoin to record high amid dizzying crypto rally. According to Bloomberg Quint on Monday, 4 January, "The digital currency Ether reached a record on Monday a day after Bitcoin breached $34,000 for the first time as the surge in cryptocurrencies continues.", "Proponents of Bitcoin argue that its muscling in on gold as a hedge against U.S. dollar weakness and inflation risk, citing evidence of growing interest among institutional investors. "

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Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 7.82% Up In The Last 12 Hours - Via News Agency

Fund manager Bitwise surpasses $500 million in Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto AUM – AMBCrypto News

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Crypto fund manager Bitwise surpassed $500 million in assets under management (AUM) and recorded Q4 inflows into its Bitcoin, Ethereum, and crypto index funds, outpacing previous quarters.

On 28 October 2020, Bitwise Surpassed $100 Million in AUM after the firm recorded increasing demand from hedge funds and advisors.

Bitwises 10 Crypto Index Fund which tracks crypto-assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, among others, saw the strongest demand and crossed over $400M in AUM.

Furthermore, Bitwise Bitcoin Fund and Bitwise Ethereum Fund have also recorded increased demand as well. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bitwise, Hunter Horsley said:

The speed at which professional investors are moving into crypto right now is remarkable,

He cautioned investors that while adoption of crypto as an asset class and conviction around its role in portfolios expands, he urged all investors to consider the risks associated with investing in cryptocurrencies in general and the Bitwise Funds in particular.

Bitwise also recorded high inflows into its funds during Q4 2020, which surpassed the total cumulative inflows of 2018 and 2019 overall.

According to the fund manager, this surge in demand came from Bitwises financial advisors, hedge funds, corporate balance sheets, and other institutional investors and primarily Bitwises core audience as well.

Earlier, Bitwise announced that the firms 10 Crypto Index Fund liquidated its position in XRP in light of the Securities and Exchange Commission accusations against Ripple for conducting a securities offering.

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Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 7.33% Up In The Last 24 Hours – Via News Agency

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Ethereum is currently on bullish momentum. At 19:05 EST on Saturday, 2 January, Ethereum is at $774.51 and up by 7.33% in the last 24 hours.

Over the last six hours, Ethereums higher value was $785.87 and the lower value was $760.52.

Over the last twelve hours, Ethereums higher value was $785.87 and the lower value was $752.98.

In relation to Ethereums daily highs and lows, its 7.331% up from its trailing 24-hour low of $721.61 and 1.446% down from its trailing 24-hour high of $785.87.

Regarding Ethereums yearly highs and lows, its 0% down from its 52-week low and 0% down from its 52-week high.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months average volatility was a negative 1.02%, a positive 2.27%, and a positive 0.67%, respectively.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months high and low average amplitude percentage was 4.09%, 6.71%, and 6.21%, respectively.

Wall street revives dream of a Bitcoin ETF with new SEC filing. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 31 December, "In the past she has described Bitcoin as a "highly speculative asset" and "not a stable store of value.", "For years, regulators have quashed hopes of a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, citing worries about everything from market volatility and industry manipulation to thin liquidity."

According to Business Insider on Thursday, 31 December, "The VanEck Bitcoin Trust would reflect the performance of the MVIS CryptoCompare Bitcoin Benchmark Rate."

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Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 7.33% Up In The Last 24 Hours - Via News Agency

Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 5.74% Up In The Last 6 Hours – Via News Agency

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Ethereum is currently on bullish momentum. At 11:04 EST on Saturday, 2 January, Ethereum is at $767.55 and up by 5.74% in the last 6 hours.

Over the last six hours, Ethereums higher value was $767.55 and the lower value was $725.85.

Over the last twelve hours, Ethereums higher value was $767.55 and the lower value was $725.85.

In relation to Ethereums daily lows, its 6.366% up from its trailing 24-hour low of $721.61

Regarding Ethereums yearly highs and lows, its 706.419% up from its 52-week low and 0.194% down from its 52-week high.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months average volatility was a negative 1.02%, a positive 2.27%, and a positive 0.67%, respectively.

Ethereums last day, last week, and last months high and low average amplitude percentage was 4.09%, 6.71%, and 6.21%, respectively.

Bitcoin hits new record, set for biggest monthly gain since 2019. According to Bloomberg Quint on Wednesday, 30 December, "While a growing institutional presence has been part of the narrative of the current bull run, we may see increased retail interest in Bitcoin as a form of digital gold," Paolo Ardoino, chief technology officer of crypto exchange Bitfinex said in an email."

South African Bitcoin trader under liquidation, business day says. According to Bloomberg Quint on Wednesday, 30 December, "A provisional liquidation order has been granted against a South African Bitcoin trading company that is said to have received about 9.45 billion rand ($644 million) from as many as 280,000 investors, Business Day reported."

Wall street revives dream of a Bitcoin ETF with new SEC filing. According to Bloomberg Quint on Thursday, 31 December, "For years, regulators have quashed hopes of a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, citing worries about everything from market volatility and industry manipulation to thin liquidity.", "In the past she has described Bitcoin as a "highly speculative asset" and "not a stable store of value."

According to Business Insider on Thursday, 31 December, "The VanEck Bitcoin Trust would reflect the performance of the MVIS CryptoCompare Bitcoin Benchmark Rate."

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Ethereum On Bullish Momentum: 5.74% Up In The Last 6 Hours - Via News Agency

Reef and Avalanche Partner to Usher in DeFi Mainstream Adoption amidst Ethereum’s Lag and High fees – Yahoo Finance

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TipRanks

Weve turned a new page on the calendar, Old Man 20 is out the door, and theres a feeling 21 is gonna be a good year and so far, so good. The markets closed out 2020 with modest session gains to cap off larger annual gains. The S&P 500 rose 16% during the corona crisis year, while the NASDAQ, with its heavy tech representation, showed an impressive annual gain of nearly 43%. The advent of two viable COVID vaccines is fueling a surge in general optimism.Wall Streets top analysts have been casting their eye at the equity markets, finding those gems that investors should give serious consideration in this new year. These are analysts with 5-star ratings from TipRanks database, and they are pointing out the stocks with Strong Buy ratings in short, this is where investors can expect to find share growth over the next 12 months. We are talking returns of at least 70% over the next 12 months, according to the analysts. ElectraMeccanica Vehicles (SOLO)Electric vehicles, EVs, are growing more popular as consumers look for alternatives to the traditional internal combustion gasoline engine. While EVs simply move the source of combustion from under the hood to the electric power plant, they do offer real advantages for drivers: they offer greater acceleration, more torque, and they are more energy efficient, converting up to 60% of their battery energy into forward motion. These advantages, as EV technology improves, are starting to outweigh the drawbacks of shorter range and expensive battery packs.ElectraMeccanica, a small-cap manufacturer from British Columbia, is the designer and marketer of the Solo, a single-seat, three-wheel EV built for the urban commuter market. Technically, the Solo is classed as an electric motorcycle but it is fully enclosed, with a door on either side, features a trunk, air conditioning, and a Bluetooth connection, and travels up to 100 miles on a single charge at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. The recharging time is low, less than 3 hours, and the vehicle is priced at less than $20,000.Starting in Q3 2020, the company delivered its first shipment of vehicles to the US, and expanded into six additional US urban markets, including San Diego, CA and Scottsdale and Glendale, AZ. ElectraMeccanica also opened four new storefronts in the US 2 in Los Angeles, one in Scottsdale, and one in Portland, OR. In addition, the company has begun design and marketing work a fleet version of the Solo, to target the commercial fleet and car rental markets starting in the first half of this year.Craig Irwin, 5-star analyst with Roth Capital, is impressed by SOLOs possible applications to the fleet market. He writes of this opening, We believe the pandemic is a tailwind for fast food chains exploring better delivery options. Chains look to avoid third party delivery costs and balance brand identity implications of operator- vs. company-owned vehicles. The SOLO's 100-mile range, low operating cost, and std telematics make the vehicle a good fit, in our view, particularly when location data can be integrated into a chain's kitchen software. We would not be surprised if SOLO made a couple announcements with major chains after customers validate plans.Irwin puts a Buy rating on SOLO, supported by his $12.25 price target which implies a 98% upside potential for the stock in 2021. (To watch Irwins track record, click here)Speculative tech is popular on Wall Street, and ElectraMeccanica fits that bill nicely. The company has 3 recent reviews, and all are Buys, making the analyst consensus a unanimous Strong Buy. Shares are priced at $6.19 and have an average target of $9.58, making the one-year upside 55%. (See SOLO stock analysis on TipRanks)Nautilus Group (NLS)Based in Washington State, this fitness equipment manufacturer has seen a massive stock gain in 2020, as its shares rocketed by more than 900% over the course of the year, even accounting for recent dips in the stock value. Nautilus gained as the social lockdown policies took hold and gyms were shuttered in the name of stopping or slowing the spread of COVID-19. The company, which owns major home fitness brands like Bowflex, Schwinn, and the eponymous Nautilus, offered home-bound fitness buffs the equipment needed to stay in shape.The share appreciation accelerated in 2H20, after the companys revenues showed a recovery from Q1 losses due to the corona recession. In the second quarter, the top line hit $114 million, up 22% sequentially; in Q3, revenues reached $155, for a 35% sequential gain and a massive 151% year-over-year gain. Earnings were just as strong, with the Q3 $1.04 EPS profit beating coming in far above the year-ago quarters 30-cent loss.Watching this stock for Lake Street Capital is 5-star analyst Mark Smith, who is bullish on this stock. Smith is especially cognizant of the recent dip in share price, noting that the stock is now off its peak which makes it attractive to investors. Nautilus reported blowout results for 3Q:20 with strength across its portfolio We think the company has orders and backlog to drive high sales and earnings for the next several quarters and think we have seen a fundamental shift in consumers' exercise-at-home behavior. We would view the recent pull back as a buying opportunity, Smith opined.Smiths $40 price target supports his Buy rating, and indicates a robust 120% one-year upside potential. (To watch Smiths track record, click here)The unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating shows that Wall Street agrees with Smith on Nautilus potential. The stock has 4 recent reviews, and all are to Buy. Shares closed out 2020 with a price of $18.14, and the average target of $30.25 suggests the stock has room for ~67% upside growth in 2021. (See NLS stock analysis on TipRanks)KAR Auction Services (KAR)Last but not least is KAR Auction Services, a car auctioning company, which operates online and physical marketplaces to connect buyers and sellers. KAR sells to both business buyers and individual consumers, offering vehicles for a variety of uses: commercial fleets, private travel, even the second-had parts market. In 2019, the last year for which full-year numbers are available, KAR sold 3.7 million vehicles for $2.8 billion in total auction revenue.The ongoing corona crisis, with its social lockdown policies, put a damper on car travel and reduced demand for used vehicles across market segments. KAR shares slipped 13% in 2020, in a year of volatile trading. In the recent 3Q20 report, the company showed revenue of $593.6 million, down over 15% year-over-year. Third quarter earnings, however, at 23 cents per share profit, were down less, 11% yoy, and showed a strong sequential recovery from the Q2 EPS loss of 25 cents.As the new vaccines promise an end to the COVID pandemic later this year, and the lifting of lockdown and local travel restrictions, the mid- to long-term prospects for the second-hand car market and for KAR Auctions are brightening, according to Truist analyst Stephanie Benjamin.The 5-star analyst noted, Our estimates now assume that the volume recovery occurs in 2021 vs. 4Q20 under our previous estimates Overall, we believe the 3Q results reflect that KAR is well executing on the initiatives within its control, specifically improving its cost structure and transforming to a pure digital auction model.Looking further ahead, she adds, delinquencies and defaults for auto loans and leases have increased and we believe will serve as a meaningful volume tailwind in 2021 as repo activity resumes. Additionally, repo vehicles generally require ancillary services which should yield higher RPU. This supply influx should also help moderate the used pricing environment and drive dealers to fill up their lots, which remain at three-year lows from an inventory standpoint.In line with these comments, Benjamin sets a $32 price target, implying a high 71% one-year upside potential to the stock, and rates KAR as a Buy. (To watch Benjamins track record, click here)Wall Street generally is willing to speculate on KARs future, as indicated by the recent reviews, which split 5 to 1 Buy to Hold, and make the analyst consensus view a Strong Buy. KAR is selling for $18.61, and its $24.60 average price target suggests it has room to grow 32% from that level. (See KAR stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Reef and Avalanche Partner to Usher in DeFi Mainstream Adoption amidst Ethereum's Lag and High fees - Yahoo Finance

Bitcoin and Ethereum Bounce Back After Banking Green Light – Decrypt

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In brief

It was a bumpy Monday for the cryptomarkets. After the fanfare of Bitcoin breaking the $30,000 barrier, it quickly shed $5,000 or 33% of its value in a number of hours, reminding new investors that investing in cryptocurrencies can be rough on the nerves.

Adding to that pain, in January alone (thats just five days), more than $2 billion worth of futures contracts have been liquidated as a result of Bitcoins volatility. But there was a ray of sunshine for rattled investors yesterday in the form of new regulation.

Overnight, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the bureau of the US Treasury Department charged with regulating banks, gave the green light for banks to use stablecoins and blockchains for payments.

The news sent prices moving upwards again. Ethereum rose by nearly 12% in the immediate aftermath, thanks in part to the sheer volume of stablecoins using the network. Bitcoin headed back above the $30,000 and has stayed there ever since.

The good news led to a flurry of money moves overnight, with 24-hour volume up 6,203%, according to data provider Nomics.

Despite the wipe out in the futures markets and increased volatility, sentiment among investors is still firmly in the buy camp according to TradingView.

The bullish sentiment is being driven by ever more institutional investors piling into to cash in on the market beating performance of Bitcoin. As we reported yesterday, the word on Wall Street is, Momentum is a powerful force, and we dont want to fight it.

It was a similar story yesterday for stock markets. The S&P 500 suffered its worst start to a year since 2016, with declines continuing in Asia amidst concern that two new COVID variants are squeezing economies even further.

In the UK, a fresh nationwide lockdown has led to school closures and a ban on meeting others outside. While in South Africa, a vaccine-resistant strain is starting to gather pace.

With chaos in the US and in Europe over how quickly they can deploy a vaccine - at its current rate, the UK will take six years to fully vaccinate the population, despite being first out of the gate with its immunisation programme.

The ongoing political saga in the US is also adding pressure to prices, as the Georgia Senate runoff and fresh allegations of election fraud dominate the headlines.As a result, volatility indexes tipped up - the Cboe jumped the most since October.

But investors are holding onto the panic being consigned to the first quarter of the year. If we learned anything in 2020, its that predictions rarely come true.

This sponsored article was created by Decrypt Studio. Learn More about partnering with Decrypt Studio.

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Slack Is Restored – The New York Times

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As it has grown in recent years, Slack has become an essential workplace tool, with many users in media organizations and companies that have shifted to working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 750,000 companies use the service, according to Slack, which became an independent, publicly traded company in mid-2019.

Salesforce, a company that sells marketing and sales software, announced in December that it would buy Slack for $27.7 billion in cash and stock, the latest in a series of major deals showing the demand for tools that allow people to work remotely. Adobe said in November that it planned to acquire the management software company Workfront for $1.5 billion, and Atlassian, which sells tools for developers, said it would buy the enterprise services business Mindville for an undisclosed amount.

The high-profile deals indicated intense competition in the market for workplace software. Other companies with such products, including Airtable, Dropbox and Smartsheet, may be among the potential targets for acquisitions by powerful tech companies. Executives at Slack, which was founded in 2010, had rejected such offers in the past.

Slack has also faced increasing competition, especially from Microsoft, which offers a collaboration product called Teams. In July, Slack filed a complaint with the European Commission that claimed that Microsoft had unfairly bundled Teams with its Microsoft Office work products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Though outages were once fairly common for internet companies, especially start-ups that grew quickly, they have become more rare as several tech giants, like Google and Facebook, have built networks of interconnected data centers.

But major firms have experienced widespread problems in recent months, highlighting how reliant many companies, schools and governments have become on those networks.

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Slack Is Restored - The New York Times

Donald Trump and Joe Biden vs. Facebook and Twitter: Why Section 230 could get repealed in 2021 – USA TODAY

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The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google are facing a grilling by GOP senators making unfounded allegations that the tech giants show anti-conservative bias. Their focus includes Section 230, a law relating to unfettered internet speech. (Oct. 28) AP Domestic

In 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act, which fueled the rise of the modern internet and technology giants Facebook, Google and Twitter. And thatlaw contains a provision that has emerged as one of the nation's most hotly contested issues.

Section 230 allowed these companies to largely regulate themselves, shielding them from liability for much of the content their users post on their platforms, and granting companies legal immunity for good faith efforts to remove content that violates their policies.

The key part of the provisionsometimes called the "twenty-six words that created the internet" reads: No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

What that boils down to: Individual users canbe sued for content they post but generally the platformscannot, at least not successfully.

From COVID-19 to voter fraud:Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say

'Who the hell elected you?'Tech CEOs accused of bias against Trump and conservatives days before election

There are exceptions such as federal crimes and intellectual property claims. Also, lawmakers in 2018 chipped away at Section 230 protections by passing a law that makes it easier to sue internet platforms that knowingly aid sex trafficking.

But broadly speaking, internet companies have wide latitude to decide what can stay on their platforms and what must come down. Internet platforms say they could not exist in their current form without these protections.

We have to get rid of Section 230, President Donald Trump said at a rally in Georgia on Monday night, referring to the horrendous tech giants. Or youre not going to have a country very long.

Democrats and Republicans agree that the nation's leading tech companies have becometoo powerfuland need tougher regulation. Both partiesare threatening to narrow or repeal Section 230.

Bottom line, they say, social media platforms should be held more accountable for how they police content. But their reasons are very different.

Democrats including president-elect Joe Biden have urged Congress to revise Section 230 to force tech companies to remove hate speech and extremism, election interference and falsehoods.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called Section 230 a giftto Big Tech. "It is not out of the question that that could be removed," she said in 2019.

Trump and many Republicans, on the other hand, accuse tech companies of censoring conservativesand limiting their reach on social media.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appears on a monitor behind a stenographer as he testifies remotely during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing "Does Section 230's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?" on Oct. 28.(Photo: Pool, Getty Images)

A number of bills to hold Facebook, Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content are circulating in Congress, includingthe EARN IT Actand the PACT Act.

However, Jeff Kosseff, an assistant professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academys Cyber Science Department, saysit would be challengingfor Congress to reach consensus on how to alter Section 230.

You have two competing views as to what platforms should be doing, Kosseff, author of The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet, told USA TODAY last year. Its hard to imagine what would satisfy everyone who is upset with the tech companies.

If Section 230 were repealed, he says we would see the platforms conduct more moderation, not less, because of the increased risk of their liability for content users' post.

Twitters Jack Dorsey and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg say their platforms strike a balance between promoting free expression and removing harmful content. They acknowledge making some enforcement errors but say their policies are applied fairly to everyone.

Both tech leaders say they're open to revising Section 230. Zuckerberg told lawmakers in November: "We would benefit from clearer guidance from elected officials."

Censorship or conspiracy theory?Trump supporters say Facebook and Twitter censor them but conservatives still rule socialmedia

Dorsey said the platforms should be more open with users about how content moderation decisions are made and should offer a straightforward way to appeal moderation decisions. Hed also like to see users be able to opt out of algorithms that determine what content they see on the platform.

Trumps attacks on Section 230 intensified in the final weeks of his re-election campaign as social media companies labeled or removed posts they deemed false or misleading or that could cause harm or incite violence.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are on opposite sides of the vote-by-mail issue.(Photo: AP)

If anything, the attacks intensified after the election as social media companies flagged the presidents allegations of election rigging and voter fraud. Trump also tried to repeal Section 230 through the National Defense Authorization Act.

Charges of anti-conservative bias raged before the presidential election when Facebook and Twitter limited the spread of a New York Post article about Bidens son Hunter, which cited unverified emails reportedly uncovered by allies of Trump.

Zuckerberg said Facebook throttled the story while it was being fact-checked after warnings from the FBI to be on "heightened alert" about "hack and leak operations" in the final days before the 2020 election.

Twitter initially blocked links to the article, saying the links included peoples personal information and relied on hacked materials, both violations of its policies, but then reversed itself.

Conservatives have complained for years that social media companies silence the political speech of right-leaning users.

Nine in 10 Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party say its at least somewhat likely that social media platforms censor political viewpoints they find objectionable, up slightly from 85% in 2018, according to an August report from the Pew Research Center.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law on Online Platforms and Market Power in the Rayburn House office Building, July 29, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.(Photo: Pool, Getty Images)

Researchers have found no evidence to support GOP grievances that conservative voices are squelched. Rather, they say social media algorithms dont have a political affiliation or party but instead favor content that elicits strong reactions from users. What's more, studies consistently show that conservative voices and viewpoints dominate the conversation on these platforms.

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Donald Trump and Joe Biden vs. Facebook and Twitter: Why Section 230 could get repealed in 2021 - USA TODAY