The Ontario government has significantly ramped up its use of special orders that eliminate the requirement to give public notice before changing the way land can be developed.

Ministers zoning orders, or MZOs, were once considered a tool only for extraordinary cases. They allow the minister of municipal affairs currently Steve Clark to set aside local planning processes and public consultations, and designate land use without the possibility of appeals.

The Star reported in June that Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government had used the tool eight times since taking office in 2018; the previous government had filed just two MZOs throughout 2016 and 2017. The Ford governments count has more than tripled since, hitting 26 MZOs by early October.

The tally includes a flurry of orders related to long-term-care developments this summer two in Toronto, and many others across the GTA. Several of the orders were connected to pandemic-era efforts to speed up development of nursing homes that meet modern standards.

Not all the MZOs are solely for nursing home beds: some permit uses from food and retail to offices and retirement homes. A piece of provincially owned land in Torontos Thistletown will also permit a wide range of residential development. The province declined to detail its plans for that site, saying no final decisions have been made since it scrapped a plan developed by the former Liberal government.

Other MZOs issued in Toronto this summer expedited construction on a pair of modular housing projects for the homeless.

While critics acknowledge that MZOs, in some cases, can be appropriate and serve the public interest, several argue that the Ford governments escalated use since taking office in 2018 is unprecedented, reduces government transparency and undermines local planning processes.

What it does is send a signal to the development world that, hey, this is possible. We can just sidestep the development process and go straight to the Minister, said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture wrote to Clark in August and expressed concern with the uptick of MZOs in municipalities with robust planning systems, arguing that doing so short-circuited planning principles and policies, while depriving affected people of consultations.

The Greenbelt Council, in a report sent to Clark in July, recommended MZOs be used sparingly. Where they were deemed necessary, it urged greater transparency through a detailed and specific explanation of the proposals urgency, size and nature.

But the province said its orders this summer kickstarted critical projects, and that any MZOs filed for non-provincially owned land were requested by municipalities.

Torontos chief planner, Gregg Lintern, said the city still held consultations for the modular sites granted MZOs, though he acknowledged that not everyone may be satisfied by its efforts.

For the modular sites, MZOs meant not having to turn to Torontos committee of adjustment, which has been in a backlog, he said.

COVID-19 demanded an accelerated response to issues like homelessness, which the new supportive housing units could address, said Lintern.

Victor Doyle, a retired bureaucrat who spent decades in Ontarios housing ministry, acknowledged that efforts to increase long-term-care beds or supportive housing were hard to take issue with.

If (the pandemic) is the rationale for expediting them, then thats all that should be allowed, Doyle said.

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He was skeptical of zoning orders allowing for other uses as well.

My biggest concern is these things are promoted as cutting red tape, he added. But the red tape theyre cutting is basically the cutting out of any citizen participation.

With files from Noor Javed

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Ontario government ramps up use of special orders to rezone land without appeals - NiagaraFallsReview.ca

In March, a judge for the United States District Court in Washington declared unlawful the appointment of Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II to lead the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Mr. Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner, was unlikely to win Senate confirmation after he headed a conservative SuperPAC that backed candidates challenging Republican incumbents, including the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell

Mr. Cuccinelli is now the acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.

A different federal judge in Maryland later ruled that Chad F. Wolf is likely serving unlawfully as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, a conclusion the Government Accountability Office had arrived at in August. The court temporarily barred the Trump administration from enforcing new directives Mr. Cuccinelli and Mr. Wolf had issued imposing restrictions on asylum seekers.

But both men remain in their positions.

In the case of the Bureau of Land Management, the ruling was definitive. Late last month, Brian Morris of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, who was appointed under the Obama administration, found that Mr. Pendley had served unlawfully for 424 days as acting director of the bureau.

Any function or duty Mr. Pendley performed during that time, Judge Morris ruled, would have no force and effect and must be set aside as arbitrary and capricious.

He ordered briefs from all parties regarding which of Mr. Pendleys policies should be overturned, due this week.

Mr. Pendley, a former oil-industry lawyer, has ridiculed the established science of climate change and called for the sale of public lands. He has led the agency since August 2019 as deputy director for programs and policy, a title that David Bernhardt, the Interior secretary, augmented with, exercising the authority of director.

The White House formally withdrew his nomination in August, a tacit acknowledgment that he could not win Senate confirmation.

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Judges Tell Trump His Officials Are Serving Illegally. He Does Nothing. - The New York Times

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Former Liberal MP Raj Grewal, charged by RCMP, has case adjourned to January - Kamloops This Week

Tom Shypitka of the BC Liberals say his top priorities for Kootenay East and the Elk Valley for the current election are wildlife and land access management, healthcare access for Kootenay East residents and education.

Shypitka, who served at the MLA for Kootenay East in the previous parliament was nominated as the BC Liberals pick to re-contest the seat a second time.

I got in to (politics) because I care about the region, said Shypitka.

When I was asked to take over the helm from Bill Bennett (in 2017) I jumped at the chance and got into it. Within the four years Ive really fallen in love with the job. I love the people of Kootenay East and I really enjoy fighting for their concerns and I want to continue that.

Shypitka explained that wildlife and land access management was his number one priority, citing decreases in populations of ungulates, land access conflicts and increased interest in the area. We have really got to get this under control here.

According to Shypitka the main problem was with funding for the sector.

We are so far behind other jurisdictions such as Wyoming and Colorado and Montana and Idaho for that matter in funding that they make us look pretty sad.

He said that his solution was to rustle up more funding for the sector by ensuring the money from tags and licences came back to the region and revenues through taxes on resources (such as coal) that could kick in over a certain commodity price.

If we can all get together on it, we can protect our wildlife, enhance our land access and rebuild our habitat.

We put a value on our timber, we put a value on our coal, we put a value on our oil and gas, but we dont put a value on our wildlife, and I think thats got to change, big time.

Another big priority for Shypitka is access to healthcare something he said residents in the Elk Valley and Kootenay East were getting the short end of the stick on due to being supposedly shut out of Alberta.

In the last three or four years were seeing a real shutdown of our access to (Alberta) healthcare and thats really troubling to the people of Kootenay East, because the alternative now is to go to Vancouver or Victoria and thats not acceptable.

Theres a lot of theories in why this access has been shut down, Ive got a couple of firm beliefs on why it is, but government really hasnt been able to help me at all clear the confusion on why were seeing this access being denied.

The third big local issue was education.

Shypitka pointed to Isabella Dicken Elementary School as a priority, saying the number of portable classrooms wasnt good enough for the community.

Isabella Dicken has the unfortunate distinction of being the school in BC that has the highest amount of portables in it eight. And now they just added another one. The NDP platformed on reducing portables, that was their big thing, but weve seen an increase in Kootenay East so Id really like to get a handle on that.

Shypitka also listed various BC Liberal campaign promises in senior care and taxation/revenue as a major focus.

On senior care, he said that with an aging population in the Elk Valley it was important that seniors could stay in their homes longer and enjoy the comfort and support theyre accustomed to, highlighting a $1 billion support plan announced by BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson.

On taxes, Shypitka took aim at the NDPs record. Weve seen over 21 new or increased taxes by this NDP government, and yet nothing on the revenue side as far as business is concerned, in fact quite the opposite.

He highlighted the provincial party promise to put the provincial services tax (PST) on hold for 12 months if elected, saying it would be fantastic for the bottom line of businesses struggling in COVID-times.

I really believe the BC Liberals initiate to remove PST for a year is really going to restart our economy and get people back to feeling confident.

Shypitka will go up against the NDPs Wayne Stetski and the BC Greens Kerri Wall in the upcoming election to be held on Oct. 24.

READ MORE: Nominations close for BC election

BC politics

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Shypitka lists priorities as wilflife and land access, health and education - Fernie Free Press

Gladys Berejiklian has said she is pleased to be giving evidence at a NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation into disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

An Icac witness list issued on Thursday revealed the premier had been summonsed and is the only person scheduled to appear on Monday, when the anti-corruption bodys hearing enters its fourth week.

Im pleased to be assisting with those inquiries, she told reporters. And it wouldnt be appropriate for me to elaborate.

Maguire was forced to quit the Berejiklian government in 2018 after a separate Icac inquiry heard evidence he sought payments to help broker deals for property developers.

The current inquiry has heard evidence Maguire sought payments to help broker deals for Chinese property developers.

It is investigating whether Maguire breached the public trust by using his public office and parliamentary resources to improperly gain a benefit for himself or for G8way International, a company he effectively controlled.

The premier was dragged into the saga this week when the commission heard Maguire gave a western Sydney landowner, Louise Waterhouse, Berejiklians email address to help her lobby for rezoning changes that would benefit her parcel of land.

In a recorded phone call aired at the commission, Maguire passed on the email address and suggested the premier would be able to provide a tickle from up top.

Waterhouse told the inquiry Berejiklian never responded to her email, and no zoning changes were made to her property.

Berejiklians former chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank is scheduled to give evidence at the inquiry on Friday.

Maguire will also give evidence from next Tuesday to Thursday.

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Gladys Berejiklian called to give evidence at corruption commission inquiry into former MP - The Guardian

The end of the global economic status quo might be approaching as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. What does this represent for Bitcoin in the Future?

To learn more about how the current pandemic affected the two biggest economic powers and its effect on Bitcoins value, make sure to click here.

John McAfee, one of the most recognizable names in the crypto world, predicted back in 2017 that Bitcoin would hit $1 million by 2020.

Although the actual outcome didnt match his predictions, its interesting to note that his logic didnt rely as much on Bitcoins value increasing as on the value of the dollar decreasing.

It is currently possible to observe a downtrend on the dollars value as the Chinese economy explodes, almost as if one was directly the consequence of the other. This is likely to be the case, given the economic conflict that has been taking place between the two countries.

Many experts believe that acquiring as much Bitcoin as possible could be the best way for crypto investors to prepare for the still-developing economic struggles caused by the pandemic.

With Covid-19 still making headlines in the news every day, it is possible to see that the pandemics effects have been far greater than anyone could have predicted. Wall Street and American companies were not ready for an event of this magnitude and the disruptions it caused in the American Economy.

However, while the United States presents political diversion and economic distress, China has grown stronger as an economic superpower by the hour.

Some sources indicate that Covid-19 could have emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan. Although not entirely confirmed, its believed that an animal with coronavirus bit a human in this lab, with the following infections taking place first in Wuhan and soon expanding to other countries.

This has resulted in theories that propose that the initial infection might not have been caused by an accident, given the quick recovery that China experienced and the positive effects it had on its economy.

China was set to overtake the United States economy over the next four years according to most predictions. However, many believe that a plan was orchestrated by the Chinese government to expedite their political and economical supremacy.

The existence of one superpower is a common trend in the worlds history and seems to repeat every few centuries with different countries taking the leading role.

Past eras saw the world ruled by the Roman Empire, then there were the British, followed by Germany in two different instances, and even the U.S.S.R created a dominant nation for itself.

The U.S. has no longer found itself competing with another nation when it comes to military or economic domination after successfully beating the U.S.S.R on the race that ensued after WW2.

That was until now, when China began to rise as a superpower by gaining international recognition, especially in the last year, transforming itself in the only challenger for the United States.

Although China was the epicenter of the pandemic, its economy has surprisingly improved throughout 2020 as its stock market stabilized and has been going up ever since, while 60% of American businesses that have closed might be permanent closures.

China is the second-biggest economy at this time and its expected for it to reach the same GDP as the U.S by the end of 2020. The next target is to surpass the U.S. dollar, which is the federal reserve currency of the world at this time as all countries must own U.S. dollars to do business.

The American government is devaluating its currency, unintentionally assisting the Chinese government, by increasing the issuing of dollars. As so, due to the dollars current loss of value and the growing inflation caused by mass printing, the United States is likely to fall behind if conditions don't change.

It is highly likely that Bitcoins value will skyrocket as demand by investors increases, asBitcoin has proven to be a successful hedge tool when it comes to shielding from drops in USDs value.

As such, a rise in the demand for Bitcoin would be tied to the American Dollars value, which in turn is tied to the American economy. This means that BTCs value will go up as the American Dollar drops.

If the predictions regarding the loss of the USDs position as the world reserve currency occurs, Bitcoins values will be even greater as investors around the world would prepare for the chaos and race that would follow by buying BTC.

Even if the theories about the Chinese government's involvement in the current pandemic are not true, China is still a waking dragon that will eventually devour the US if there are no immediate changes. In any case, the crypto market is waiting to act accordingly.

To learn more about this topic as well as Clintext, a project that aims to reduce healthcare costs using blockchain, make sure to watch Bitboys video bly scrolling up or clicking here.

Articles on Bitboy may contain affiliate links that help us to remain profitable. It might come as a surprise, but all these great articles aren't cheap to produce. If you don't mind helping us out, please click on the links!

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The Impact of the COVID Pandemic on Global Economy and Bitcoin - BitBoy Crypto

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Over the past decade, cryptocurrency has become a breaker of old approaches in monetary policy, finance, economics, and e-commerce. The speed at which the crypto industry is growing today is very impressive. The global cryptocurrency market volume is predicted to reach $1,758 million by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 11.2%.

More and more people are getting faced with the digital currency so the questions on the future of cryptocurrencies are becoming especially relevant today.So what is the future of cryptocurrency? In this article, well try to figure this out.

Predicting the crypto worlds future is impossible without knowing the current situation on the cryptocurrencies market.

What trends can we observe today?

The growth of digital currencies around the world allows making some predictions about the future of crypto market. Lets look ahead to the future and try to forecast the prospective trends in the crypto world development.

Bitcoins reign will not end

The first thing that worries many crypto holders is What will happen to Bitcoin?

The ups and downs of Bitcoins rate, rumors about the next hard fork, legalization in some countries, and prohibition in others all these kinds of news makes people guess what will come up with the most popular coin. Experts have different opinions from a complete drop in price to the status of the only currency in the world.

Most experts are leaning towards that Bitcoin will maintain its current positions and even strengthen them. For example, John McAfee, businessman and computer programmer, says:

You cant stop things like Bitcoin. Its like trying to stop gunpowder.

He also made a bet that if Bitcoin will not cost $500,000 by the end of December 2020 he will eat his ownwell, you know.

James Altucher, Americanhedge-fund manager,author,podcasterand entrepreneur, is not sure that BTC price will reach 1000000 USD:

Will it be a million dollars in 2020? Maybe. Will it be 2021? 2022? Who knows.

He also predicted that:

At least one countrys currency is likely to fail soon likely Argentina or Venezuela. This will lead to mass adoption of Bitcoin among that populace. That will in turn lead to Bitcoin rising by more than $50,000 when it happens.

And just a few days after this forecast, the Venezuelan President announced that they are planning to release national crypto called El Petro. Right now a lot of countries like China, Tunisia, Senegal, Sweden, Singapore, Uruguay, Thailand, Turkey, and Iran are also working on the creation of national cryptocurrency.

So what will happen to Bitcoin? No one knows. The only thing in which many experts agree is that Bitcoin will stay as a gold standard in the crypto world for a long time.

Cryptocurrencies will be mainstream

Cryptocurrencies is a fashionable investment and a sign of belonging to the special community this idea is actively promoted by various sports organizations, popular performers, public figures that release their own altcoins.

According to CoinMarketCap, there are already more than six thousand cryptocurrencies, and their total capitalization is $353 billion. A couple of years ago, the digital currency was almost unknown to anyone except geek developers and crypto enthusiasts. However, things are changing:prospects for businesses, rising prices, and strong community support will step by step make cryptocurrencies mainstream around the world.

Market volatility will not disappear

Cryptocurrencies are unstable by their nature, and their volatility is one of the reasons why someone becomes a millionaire and the others lose fortunes.

The strong volatility of crypto is caused by the fact that they are still at an early stage of development. Cryptocurrencies have huge growth potential if they can enter the mass market.

But every news about cryptocurrencies either hints at the possibility of markets going down or rising up. The volatility in the cryptocurrency markets will continue to be felt as the news affects the market, and it is only at the stage of rapid development.

The future of tradingdecentralized exchanges

In the near future, we will see a prime of decentralized exchanges. Many believe that DEXes is not yet ready for mass adoption. But there are factors for a favorable development of events.

First of all, centralized exchanges dont fit the purpose of cryptocurrencies cause the key advantage of digital coins is decentralization. In decentralized exchanges, transactions can be made directly between users (peer-to-peer) without the need for a trusted intermediary, which means there are no transaction fees for users.

On top of this, decentralized exchanges are much more secure against hackers as there no single point of failure like in centralized exchanges. Everyone knows the cases with Mt.Gox, Bitfinex, Coincheck when people lost millions and millions. The need for more security will lead users to decentralized exchanges.

The rise of crypto loans

Cryptocurrency is convenient to take on credit not long ago this idea seemed like a wild ride since the digital currency has high volatility. But today the popularity of lending in digital currencies is increasing and here are the main reasons:

Nowadays, the entire crypto loaning industry is estimated at $4.7 billion and the number of crypto loan platforms will continue growing.

Regulators gonna regulate

In the early days of cryptocurrencies history, traditional financial institutions sharply criticized crypto enthusiasts. The crypto market, however, has proven that it is sturdy against these kinds of attacks. Nowadays traditional institutions opinion regarding cryptocurrency is changing. In the future, stakeholders can have an increase in the flow of funds from Wall Street to cryptocurrencies.

There is no doubt that this will require more transparency and regulation in the crypto market. Today government and regulatory agencies around the world, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (and this is only within the US borders) are giving more and more attention to cryptocurrencies. The regulation of the crypto in different states is realizing in diverse ways: in some countries, it is legally recognized as a means of payment, in others its use is prohibited.

The G20 summit participants, following the discussions on cryptocurrencies, came to the conclusion that a complete prohibition of crypto will not solve anything as nowadays the digital currency plays a significant role in the economy. And if the digital currency cannot be prohibited, it must be regulated:

Technological innovations can deliver significant benefits to the financial system and the broader economy. While crypto-assets do not pose a threat to global financial stability at this point, we are closely monitoring developments and remain vigilant to existing and emerging risks.

As we can see the world is changing very quickly. The speed with which cryptocurrencies are integrating into the global financial system is a clear indicator that traditional financial institutions can no longer have a monopoly on the management of financial flows.

The year 2020 is the start of a new decade for the cryptocurrency industry. The next ten years will bring us key changes in traditional finance when blockchain and cryptocurrencies will become a daily thing in most countries of the world.

What are your thoughts on the future of cryptocurrencies? Tell us your ideas in the comments below.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Previously published at https://stealthex.io/blog/2020/09/15/is-cryptocurrency-really-the-future/

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Extrapolating The Future of Cryptocurrency - hackernoon.com

WAN CHAI, HONG KONG, HONG KONG ISLAND 2018/04/07: A Bitcoin ATM machine in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. [+] (Photograph by Miguel Candela/SOPA Photographs/LightRocket by way of Getty Photographs)

Fashionable digital foreign money Bitcoin has been a information fixture since its introduction in 2009. If truth, Bitcoin is the worlds main digital foreign money, with a market capitalization over $175 billion. This explosive progress has led donors and their advisors to discover varied charitable giving alternatives utilizing digital currencies.

The Inner Income Service (IRS) describes digital foreign money as a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and / or a store of value. Its creators designed it to function like authorized tender, and as a medium of exchange, though only a few governments at the moment acknowledge it as authorized tender anyplace on the earth.

At present, Bitcoin and different digital currencies, comparable to Ethereum and Ripple, signify a complete market capitalization of over $250 billion.Many giant charities, together with giant donor-advised funds and group foundations, are wanting to faucet into this market or have already acquired digital donations. For instance, United Manner, American Crimson Cross, and the American Most cancers Society settle for donations of Bitcoins. Most main donor-advised funds settle for Bitcoin, and a few settle for different cryptocurrencies as nicely.

Smaller nonprofits have begun accepting the foreign money as nicely.Know-how and monetary methods involving the asset have solely grown extra advanced with time, as ideas like proof-of-stake, forks, and decentralized finance (DeFi) all have grow to be extra outstanding within the cryptocurrency world.

Ryan Raffin

With this explosion in value, many house owners of Bitcoin and different digital currencies have important appreciation in these property. This makes cryptocurrency a really interesting candidate for charitable giving. This text discusses the tax remedy of Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies below present IRS guidelines. It has a selected emphasis on the tax outcomes for donations of digital foreign money.

2014 Bloomberg Finance LP

IRS Positions on Bitcoin The Inner Income Service was faster than many organizations when it got here to consideration of the monetary and tax implications of digital foreign money. In March of 2014, the IRS issued a Discover on the tax remedy of transactions involving digital foreign money. This was its first official assertion on cryptocurrency, though its printed steering since then has confirmed that remedy. Most significantly, the IRS acknowledged that, for tax functions, digital currencies are property and never foreign money.

This property remedy signifies that conventional achieve and loss rules will apply due to this fact treating these property as securities or enterprise property. A celebration promoting, spending, or in any other case disposing of digital foreign money may be topic to capital good points or peculiar earnings tax. Though the charity will probably be promoting the foreign money, exempt organizations will not be usually taxed on earnings, even from the sale of appreciated property.

The most important tax implications for donations of digital foreign money, due to this fact, contain the donor reasonably than the charity. The primary consideration for donors is the charitable earnings tax deduction acquired. As a preliminary matter, notice that in answering questions on donated cryptocurrency, the IRS refers a number of occasions to its common publication on charitable contributions. This helps the belief that the usual noncash charitable deduction guidelines will apply.

The achieve might be peculiar, or capital, relying on the supply of the digital foreign money to the donor. The dedication on the kind of achieve or loss the taxpayer acknowledges relies on whether or not that particular person held the digital foreign money as a capital asset for funding functions. If the donor didnt maintain the property as an funding, it might be topic to peculiar achieve or loss remedy. That is extra prone to be the case if the donor is a so-called miner or the place the digital foreign money is in any other case earnings paid for companies rendered.

Outcomes for Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Donors These prospects result in three potential tax outcomes for donors of digital foreign money. First, a donor giving digital foreign money held short-term (i.e., lower than one 12 months) as a capital asset will be capable to deduct the lesser of price foundation or honest market value as much as 50 p.c of adjusted gross earnings.Nevertheless, if the donor held the Bitcoin or different foreign money for greater than a 12 months as a capital asset, the deduction could be the honest market value of the present as much as 30 p.c of adjusted gross earnings. Lastly, if the foreign money is topic to peculiar achieve or loss remedy within the arms of the donor, the donor may deduct the fee foundation of the present as much as 50 p.c of her adjusted gross earnings.

If the donor acquired Bitcoin as peculiar earnings as fee for companies rendered or property bought, the donor may solely deduct the fee foundation below the peculiar earnings discount guidelines. The IRS defines the fee foundation of the digital foreign money as its honest market value when the proprietor receives it. So if a third-party pays the donor Bitcoin worth $500 for skilled companies, and that Bitcoin later appreciated to $1,000 USD, the donors charitable earnings tax deduction could be restricted to $500, or price foundation.

These guidelines are very favorable to donors holding appreciated digital foreign money as capital property, permitting them to keep away from incurring a tax for capital good points on the Bitcoins or different foreign money. That is very true following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which restricted Part 1031 exchanges to actual property solely, which means homeowners of digital foreign money couldnt merely exchange them for different digital currencies to keep away from recognizing achieve. Word that this donation would additionally permit the donor to keep away from the potential 3.eight p.c Medicare surcharge on funding earnings. The acute appreciation in Bitcoin and different cryptocurrency makes the asset class a really sturdy candidate for charitable giving. Higher nonetheless, IRS commentary has clearly laid out the tax outcomes and necessities for substantiating such donations. Though there are some hoops to leap by means of to get a good market value deduction, these difficulties might be minimal compared to the advantages of optimizing tax effectivity in giving. These tax gadgets are after all not the one issues for donations of Bitcoin or altcoins, however they will present a strong motivation for the best donor holding appreciated cryptocurrency.

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Tax Implications For Donations Of Bitcoin - Fintech Zoom

When it comes to hedge against the volatility of the stock market, investors have chosen gold as a safe haven. Gold has proven to be an effective way to manage the risk during such times. But in the last couple of years, a new alternative has come to light. In 2009, when Bitcoin came into existence, the value was insignificant.

Over the last 10 years, the value has risen from $0.0008 to nearly $11,500 today. So, traditional investors have shown interest in putting their money into a new kind of asset. Moreover, they found that Bitcoin can also be used as a safe space during market uncertainties.

Although its an individual decision whether to invest in gold or Bitcoin, lets see what financial experts think about it?

What Financial Experts Say About Gold?

As per experts opinion, gold is a safe haven asset during market trouble for many reasons. The precious metal has served as one of the best alternative investments during a market crash or financial crisis. Here are some reasons for which gold is a valuable asset.

For the above reasons, almost every financial expert advises diversifying an investment portfolio with gold. Now lets know what they say about Bitcoin.

How Do Financial Experts See Bitcoin?

According to some financial experts, Bitcoin has some common properties with gold and referred to as Digital Gold. Here are some reasons why Bitcoin is also a good opportunity for investment.

In 2017, John McAfee, founder of McAfee and a Bitcoin evangelist, predicted that Bitcoin would reach $1 million in 2020. However, it will take a few more years to reach the milestone, but Bitcoin has had a positive perspective for many people.

Comparison of Bitcoin and Gold

From ancient times, gold has remained the safest asset. After Bitcoin was launched a decade ago, it has only achieved huge popularity in the last couple of years. Here are some aspects based on which experts have compared the two assets.

1. Safety, Legality

In terms of corruption, both gold and Bitcoin cant be corrupted easily. But Bitcoin is not as safe when compared to gold due to its infrastructure. In the past, a popular crypto exchange named Mt.Gox went offline, and that took away about $460 million in Bitcoin from the public. Again, gold is the winner in terms of legality.

2. Scarcity

Both the assets are scarce in their supply. The only difference is the total amount of Bitcoin is known, whichis 21 million units. Whereas the amount of gold is not known, we know it is limited.

3. Utility

Gold has many uses from ancient times. As a precious metal, it is used for jewelry, in the electronic industry, and many more. On the other hand, Bitcoin has a large impact on the financial world by giving everyone access to send and receive value without the help of banks.

4. Volatility

The major concern of Bitcoin is its high volatility. So many investors resist considering it as a safe-haven asset. On the other hand, gold is successful in maintaining its value over the years.

5. Liquidity

Both gold and Bitcoin have high liquidity and can be exchanged with traditional currencies.

Conclusion

From the above, we can conclude that it is best to invest in both the assets. But it solely depends on your risk appetite and investment goals to decide how much you want to invest in which asset. You can invest in Bitcoin through bitcoin profit. Hopefully, the article has helped you to decide whether to buy gold or Bitcoin.

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Should You Buy Gold or Bitcoins: What Financial Experts Think - Tech Guide

Were less than two weeks from the start of the 2020 NFL season and Jadeveon Clowney is still on the free agent market.

The three-time Pro Bowl defensive end remains unsigned as training camps around the league conclude and teams ramp up for NFL action. Clowney has received interest from multiple teams, but the 27-year-old remains unsigned largely because of his asking price.

The elite pass rusher initially entered free agency with a $20 million per year asking price but has reportedlyloweredhis price tag to somewhere in the $17-18 million range awaiting an ideal suitor.

If you ask Yahoo! Sports NFL insider Charles Robinson, the Seattle Seahawks or Tennessee Titans could still make a deal with Clowney. That is, at the right price.

I think its Tennessee and Seattle, and I think its all on Clowney deciding what the number is that hes willing to play for, Robinson said Tuesday on the Pat McAfee show. If its sub-$15 (million), this, I think, can get done. Maybe its 12 or 13 with incentives that could push it, but the market, its not great.

Clowney, who turned 27 on Feb. 14, made $15 million in 2019when he was traded by the Houston Texans to the Seahawks. The Texans paid $7millionofClowney'scontract for this season, while the Seahawks picked up the remaining $8millionof the deal.

In 11 starts through 13 games in Seattle, Clowney compiled 21 tackles (seven for loss), three sacks (13 quarterback hits), four forced fumbles (two recoveries) and one interception for a touchdown (three pass breakups).

Robinson noted how Yannick Ngakoues trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Minnesota Vikings may have had a domino effect on Clowneys value on the market. Ngakoue signed a one-year, $12 million deal, making it unlikely Clowney could obtain the type of money hes looking for in a future NFL team.

Hes also turned down several lucrative offers from the Cleveland Browns, per Robinson. The Browns presented Clowney with deals between one and three years, all within the $17 to $18 million per year range, but the star pass rusher was not interested.

When asked if Clowney could pull a Le'Veon Bell and sit out the entire season if his contract demands aren't met,ESPN's John Clayton said it's entirely possible.

As of today, hes taking the same position, Its either $15 million or Im not playing,' Clayton said. And unless he changes that then hes not playing because no one is going to pay him $15 million, particularly now that you saw (Browns defensive end) Olivier Vernon took a (paycut to $11 million) and you saw that (Ngakoue is making $12 million). I think right now its up to him.

But Clayton does think Clowney would be open to reducing his asking price for the right team, a la Seahawks.

If he goes down to $12 or $11 million, he could be here (in Seattle), he said. I could see that happening.

While theres no new indications that a Clowney signing is imminent, the clock is ticking and Clowney will soon have to decide whether hes going to play this year or sit out the entire 2020 season.

Check out the latest Talkin' Seahawks podcast with Joe Fann and special guest Joel McHale

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Seahawks one of two teams still in the mix for Jadeveon Clowney-- report - NBCSports.com

After aiming to buy TikToks US, Canada, Australia , and New Zealand business, Microsoft might be looking to include the Indian and European regions in the deal as well.

According to a report by theFinancial Times, the Seattle-based tech company wants to buy TikToks global business operations. Sources familiar with the matter told FT that a deal is in works for Microsoft to buy TikTok India. However, if it falls through, Bytedance might look for foreign or Indian investors.

The Chinese tech giant would also look to license its technology and share revenue with new investors.

Last month, India banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps after a skirmish at the border between the two nations. The country was the short video apps biggest market before the ban with over 200 million active users.

After TikToks ban, a swarm of short video apps has emerged in the market including local products such as Chingari, Roposo, Moj, and Mitron, and international apps such as Triller and Instagram Reels. However, theres no clear winner or leader in the segment at the moment.

Read next: Study: Instagram's algorithm favored Trump over Biden

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Microsoft reportedly wants to buy up TikTok's India operations too - The Next Web

Alex Dovbnya

Trading legend Peter Brandt compares XRP to Fords biggest flop

XRP, the cryptocurrency associated with blockchain company Ripple, continues to face harsh criticism from unapologetic commodity trading veteran Peter Brandt.

In a recent tweet, he drew a hilarious comparison between the struggling token and Edsel, Fords most famous flop car.

Brandt tweeted out yet another insult directed at XRP in response to Onchain Capital CEO and CNBC Africa Ran NeuNer who crowned Chainlink (LINK) as the Tesla of the cryptocurrency industry.

Chainlink (LINK) has surged by yet another 45 percent over the past two days, surpassing Bitcoin in terms of trading volume on the Coinbase exchange.

Despite Zeus Capital actively working to spread FUD about Chainlink and short-sellers trying to catch the top, LINK keeps updating its all-time highs.

This is reminiscent of how the shares of the Elon Musk-helmed e-car manufacturer performed in early July before eventually taking a respite.

The price action of the LINK token is also eerily similar to that of XRP in late 2017. The latter, despite surging 43 percent over the past month, is down 7.69 percent from where it was trading one year ago.

Edsel, which took ten years and $250 mln to get planned and manufactured, is considered to be one of the biggest failures in the car industry and a synonym of a commercial flop. Shortly after its debut in 1957, Ford discontinued the production of Edsel just three years later.

Brandt is not the only only one who brings up Fords retro cars to make an argument about a cryptocurrency. Earlier this year, crypto baron John McAfee compared Bitcoin to Ford Model T, the first mainstream American car, to underscore how outdated its tech is.

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Unattractive and Overhyped? Peter Brandt Compares XRP to Fords Flop Car Edsel - U.Today

In Egypt, teenager Menna Abdel Aziz used social media to ask for protection after a sexual assault. She was arrested on a variety of charges, including misusing social media and corrupting family values.

Two young women, Haneen Hossam, with 915,000 TikTok followers, and Mawada Eladhm, with 3.1 million TikTok followers) were also arrested for their social influencing videos. Renad Imad, another social media influencer, was arrested after allegations of posting indecent content and prostitution.

In late June, belly dancer Sama El-Masry was sentenced to three years imprisonment for posts to the TikTok video sharing platform and other social media.

These and several other arrests follow on the heels of earlier cases, including singer Sherine Abdel Wahabs arrest for insulting the Nile River at a concert, Rania Youssefs arrest for wearing a revealing dress in 2018 and the 2015 arrest of novelist Ahmed Naji, said to be the first contemporary Egyptian writer arrested for violating public modesty.

These cases illustrate the social vulnerability of young women, especially those without social and economic connections, and confusion about what is permissible expression, and what isnt.

What is clear is that the Egyptian women mentioned above are seen as increasingly dangerous to entrenched social, political, and gendered hierarchies.

[Read: How TikTok teens amplified political activism and threatened Trumps political campaign]

COVID-19 has only underlined questions about when to regulate speech. Quarantines and lockdowns have affected social engagement patterns, as people seek new outlets to connect with others. Usage rates of Netflix, Instagram Live, and TikTok have skyrocketed.

In the US, the media market is ring-fenced by the norms of free speech. But recently, US President Donald Trump threatened to shut down Twitter after it added fact-checking links to his tweets. Both Trump and a Florida congressman have had tweets flagged for glorifying violence. Facebooks hands-off policy to policing politics on its platform has resulted in a virtual walk-out at that company and a new commitment to regulating political speech.

Some commentators consider the present moment to be a turning point in the battle to keep fake news and alternative facts out of social media.

A pressing question is whether a platform for expression such as TikTok deserves to be regulated. The Trump administration is considering a TikTok ban. Their concern is Chinese control of US data, not dance videos. What, if anything, should be done about user-created content?

To understand the perils of over-regulation, we can consult the most important theorist of liberty, John Stuart Mill. In my recent book, I present Mill as a liberal, a feminist, and a critic of state interventionism. Mill argues for almost complete freedom of expression and freedom of the press in countries capable of free discussion and exchange of ideas. He places individuality at the center of his vision of what a person with character is, and he argues that there is value in nonconformism.

Social media platforms often play a role in reinforcing trends and in creating a sort of sameness, but they remain vehicles for self-expression, especially of young people. Mill would not support their regulation by the government.

If we want to understand why non-liberal governments see threats in self-expression, we can return to communist Czechoslovakia and dissidents such as Vclav Havel. In his 1978 essay, The Power of the Powerless, Havel identifies a hidden sphere of youth culture. Pre-political engagement takes place there and sometimes leads to the creation of a parallel polis, or space where a group of citizens can feel politically active.

During the Arab Spring, graffiti and popular songs were part of the parallel polis. Similarly, Czechoslovakian dissidents found places for expression in popular culture. Thus, Charter 77, the political movement which Havel co-founded, was connected to popular music and concerts. Politically, even music matters.

Thus, in a manner reminiscent of the American youth culture of the 1960s, the parallel polis offers an alternative to a tightly controlled, state-centered public life. Both an unfettered utopia and an escape, this space is the dream of users of immersive platforms such as Second Life. And in the case of Minecraft, an in-game uncensored library exists as an archive of censored real-world data. Thus, a game can have important real-world consequences.

So can Twitter. Media analysts see Twitters 500-million daily tweets as an important vehicle of activism. The book #Hashtag Activism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice explains how counter publics use Twitter to advocate for social change, identity redefinition, and political inclusion.

Now, in the aftermath of the George Floyd shooting, we are also seeing more overtly political uses of TikTok. Teens are using the platform to record protest marches and to make statements about social justice.

Today, TikTok and Instagram, or even mahraganat music (described as an Egyptian fusion of electronic and folk music) are seen by some governments not as entertainment, but instead as challenges to state social control. Mahraganat, for example, was recently banned in Egypt. Calls to ban TikTok have been raised worldwide and bans have been tried out in India and Indonesia.

Platforms such as TikTok are oriented towards younger users. The age of users raises valid questions about the privacy and protection of minors. But outright bans may over-regulate the legitimate expression of young people. And applying cybercrimes laws to regulate user-created content may do the same thing. A new Egyptian social media campaign (#If Egyptian Families Permit) to free the arrested young female TikTok users makes just this point.

Women in the Middle East and North Africa region have been complaining about legal and social restrictions on their behavior and bodies since well before the Arab Spring. Until this tension is mediated in civil society, governments will continue to see a hidden sphere of resistance in even apolitical, user-created dance videos on TikTok. And young people will continue to find new ways to connect on social media, in spaces that are increasingly hard for governments to regulate.

This article is republished from The Conversation by Chris Barker, Assistant Professor of Political Science, American University in Cairo under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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SAN FRANCISCO Swarm Technologies is working with Exolaunch of Germany to send 24 SpaceBee satellites into orbit on the SpaceX Falcon 9 small satellite rideshare mission scheduled to launch in December.

Swarm won FCC approval to offer global internet-of-things service with a constellation of 150 Spacebee satellites, which are one-quarter the size of a single cubesat.

Exolaunch, a rideshare launch and satellite deployment company based in Berlin, will handle launch, integration and deployment of SpaceBee satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, according to an Aug. 3 news release.

Earlier this year, Exolaunch announced an agreement with SpaceX to send multiple small satellites into orbit on the December rideshare flight.

For the December launch, Exolaunch plans to integrate microsatellites and cubesats on a Falcon 9 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter port and to send the satellites into orbit with EXOpod, the firms proprietary deployment system.

After integrating SpaceBEEs into EXOpod at Swarms headquarters in Mountain View, California, Exolaunch will mate the satellites with the launch vehicle at SpaceX facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to the news release.

Our team, experienced in handling large constellations of satellites,is ready to utilize its launch expertise and deployers to arrange the rides to space for Swarm aboard SpaceXs Falcon 9, Jeanne Medvedeva, Exolaunch commercial director, said in a statement.

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Swarm works with Exolaunch to fly 24 SpaceBees on SpaceX Falcon 9 - SpaceNews

In a nutshell: Have you ever had the urge to play Minecraft while playing Minecraft? Now, such an unlikely scenario is possible, thanks to a mod that lets you build a computer in-game that can boot several working operating systems.

The feat is possible thanks to the VM Computers mod that comes from delta2force. It uses the open source VirtualBox to run operating systems, including Windows 95, Linux, and more.

The mod itself goes straight into your mods folder, and youll also have to grab VirtualBox 6.1 or newer. But the work doesnt end there: youve still got to get your in-game PC. This involves crafting an ordering tablet and then waiting until a satellite passes over you, which happens five times per day.

Once youve created your virtual hard drive, imported the ISO files, and built your computer, its time for some Inception-like game-within-a-game fun; its possible to play a game of Minecraft within Minecraft.

As is the case with almost everything on the planet, the mod also lets you play Doom 1993 inside the best-selling game of all time, as demonstrated by redditor uDrunkMate.

Weve already seen Windows 95 running via a desktop app, Nintendo 3DS, Apple Watch, Xbox One, and more, but it pales in comparison to Doom. The venerable fps was recently made to work on the Playdate, a retro-style handheld that uses a crank controller. Its also been imported to a McDonalds cash register, John McAfees unhackable crypto wallet, Apples touch bar, a Porsche 911, inkjet printers, a Commodore 64, ATMs, calculators, iPods, and, like Minecraft, on virtual console within the game itself.

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You can build a working PC inside Minecraft that plays games, including Doom and Minecraft - TechSpot

Last month, India banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat, and UC Browser after tension between both nations at the border.

The countrys government is now inspecting to ban 275 more China-originated apps including popular battle royale game PlayerUnknowns BattleGround (PUBG)and ByteDances music app Resso.

According to a report from the Economic Times, government officials have created a list of 275 apps that might be violating security measures and user privacy. Apart from PUBG and Resso, the list includes ecommerce app AliExpress from Alibaba and photo-sharing app ULike.

India moved to ban 59 Chinese apps after more than 20 of its soldiers were killed in a skirmish at the border with the neighboring country.

[Read: Heres why AI didnt save us from COVID-19]

ETs report also notes that the government is planning to formalize the process of banning apps that pose a threat to national and user security. A set of ministries will form a law or a procedure to address such concerns in the future.

An official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) told ET that officials will follow a due process:

There is a process involved, there is a committee in place for such ban orders. If there is such an order, then MeitY will act

However, its worth noting that Indias Personal Data Protection (PDP) bill is still in the draft and discussion stage. So theres no formal process to acting on apps that might violate user privacy.

China-basedapps have found great success in Indias vast internet userbase. Before its ban, TikTok had more than 200 million users in the country, while PUBG has garnered more than 50 million players in the country

Read next: Satoshi Nakaboto: Bitcoin crosses $10K for first time in 2 months

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India is reportedly looking to ban 275 more Chinese apps including PUBG - The Next Web

On an investor call earlier this week, Teslas CEO Elon Musk begged precious metal miners to dig up more nickel. But why?

Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way, Musk said on the call yesterday, Reuters reports.

While Tesla did turn an unexpected profit last quarter, its a rare occurrence for the company. Despite this, Musk is still keen to keep Tesla on a path of swift growth rather than rationalize the EV maker into a profitable business.

However, that growth wont come without its challenges, namely the availability of resources like precious metals used in battery manufacturing.

The real limitation on Tesla growth is cell production at affordable price, Musk said, adding the company would expand its business with Panasonic and CATL and possibly with others.

[Read: Germany drafting EU proposal to introduce pan-European tolls to use motorways]

Teslas primary battery technology was traditionally based on a blend of nickel cobalt aluminum. However, as the company shifts away from using cobalt over ethical mining and cost concerns, its placing a greater emphasis on the need for a steady supply of nickel.

Using nickel in battery cells helps to make them energy dense. In other words, this means batteries can be smaller, lighter, and overall use fewer resources for the same comparative kWh power rating.

It means batteries, the most costly component in an EV, could get cheaper. This gives EV makers with two options: reduce the price of their vehicles, or increase their range for the same cost.

The precious metal has been a crucial component in pretty much all modern batteries.

It was used in nickel cadmium cells, nickel metal hydride batteries that were widely used in portable electronics devices like cameras, Walkmans, and power tools in the 1980s.

The Toyota Prius, that could be considered one of the forebearers of modern clean vehicles, used nickel metal hydride batteries as part of its hybrid drivetrain.

Now, modern lithium-ion batteries, like those used in Teslas, laptops, and phones, are the most popular choice for EV makers the world over, and they still rely on nickel as a main component. In fact, batteries based on nickel cobalt aluminum chemistry like those Tesla use can be up to 80% nickel, according to the Nickel Institute.

It boils down to basic economics: the more nickel thats available the cheaper it should become. When 80% of an EV battery is made up of the stuff, its easy to see how much that could impact the overall cost of a battery.

[Read: Tesla battery cooling fault coverup heats up as feds get involved]

Those in the EV and battery industry are watching Tesla closely right now. Having made significant improvements to its vehicles range and efficiency in recent years, its Long Range Model S now goes over 400 miles on a charge the company is next expected to announce a million mile battery.

Last month, one of Teslas battery suppliers, CATL, announced that it was already producing power units robust enough to deliver electricity for over 1 million miles of motoring, but Musk remained silent.

Tesla is expected to make announcements on its battery tech developments in September at its battery day event.

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Here's why Elon Musk is a massive nickel backer - The Next Web

Is Bitcoin a Good Investment?

Historical index for the Bitcoin price prediction: B+ Should I invest in Bitcoin CryptoCurrency? Should I buy BTC today? According to our Forecast System, BTC is a good long-term (1-year) investment*. Bitcoin predictions are updated every 3 minutes with latest prices by smart technical analysis. Q&A about BTC projections. See Our Other ForecastsAt News Alarms, we predict future values with technical analysis for wide selection of digital coins like Bitcoin. If you are looking for virtual currencies with good return, BTC can be a profitable investment option. Bitcoin price equal to 9159.000 USD at 2020-07-20. If you buy Bitcoin for 100 dollars today, you will get a total of 0.01092 BTC. Based on our forecasts, a long-term increase is expected, the price prognosis for 2025-07-19 is 14139.20 US Dollars. With a 5-year investment, the revenue is expected to be around +54.37%. Your current $100 investment may be up to $154.37 in 2025.

About Bitcoin Price Prediction 2020-2025

Bitcoin price prediction for July 2020.

In the beginning price at 9136 Dollars. Maximum price $9950, minimum price $8491. The average for the month $9180. Bitcoin price forecast at the end of the month $9144, change for July 0.1%.

BTC to USD predictions for October 2020.

In the beginning price at 8770 Dollars. Maximum price $10267, minimum price $8770. The average for the month $9351. Bitcoin price forecast at the end of the month $9595, change for October 9.4%.

Bitcoin Price Prediction 2021

Bitcoin has been performing quite well and recently it has started with its bull run. This has taken the market by amazement. Now the traders and investors are in a state where they are trying to make optimum utilization of the bull run. The more the trading, the more the price. Moreover, as we know, Bitcoins are scarce in circulation, i.e. there can be only 21 million Bitcoins mined, out of which 17 million has been mined already, which means only 4 million to be mined, which will make its value more. Additionally, several countries like the U.S., Japan, and South Korea have shown extreme willingness to integrate Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies into their financial systems by setting up regulated markets that might function freely and securely. By the end of the year 2021, the Bitcoin price will reach $23,499.

Bitcoin Price Prediction 2022

Bitcoin might experience unexpected growth by 2022, with the adoption rate getting tripled. Bitcoin might be accepted by the masses worldwide as the most feasible payment system, which is hassle-free. Bitcoin anyway is not far off before it takes the sweet spot for fiat currencies, and most of the developed world might see the change coming in faster than the rest. By 2022, Bitcoin might reach $32,000, given the advancements are stable.

Bitcoin Price Prediction 2025

Bitcoin price prediction suggests that the Bitcoin price is up for a long-term 385.450281% in the BTC price value with a 5-year investment. This means that in 2025, the Bitcoin price is forecasted to stand at $ 50044.6. (Bitcoin Future Prediction)

Bitcoin might touch the $50k mark in the year 2025, which can take the crypto market to a whole different height altogether. As per the predictions and analysis, Bitcoin stays securely to number one position, without any close contender. Gradually, Bitcoin might be seen more as a store of value, along with it being an alternative currency. There are certain Bitcoin price prediction tools that help experts come up with data. The fiat currencies might be replaced by Bitcoin, as predicted by crypto enthusiasts like John McAfee.

By 2025, Bitcoin might be used more often by more people, i.e, the real-time use case will be increased, which will make it even more powerful.

Bitcoin Bullish Scenario After Bitcoin Halving

Bitcoin went bullish after the third Bitcoin halving on May 11, 2020. That was a breakout of the major trendline above $14k mark, which happened back in 2017. Under a key level of $10k, the Bitcoin price showed extreme volatility. 4 years back, when the 2nd bitcoin halving took place, Bitcoins price showed volatility as well, as it surged not right after the halving process, but over the course of next year to reach as high as $2526 on July 2017.

Short Term Bearish Scenario Post Bitcoin Halving

There was a short term bearish scenario as several Bitcoin investors estimated BTC to fall as low as $6500. As per Dave the Wave, a BTC trader, if the price of Bitcoin continues to move based on a fractal taken from 2019, it might pullback to the $6000 region. Cryptocurrency investor, Scott Melker said, the market observed a strong shakeout on May 10, when the price of BTC suddenly dropped to $8,100.

Bitcoin Halving Explained

Bitcoin Halving is the phenomenon in which the miner reward keep on halving, or decrease by 50% after every four years, which happens after mining 210,000 blocks. Satoshi, the creator of Bitcoin wanted to create a system that would be self-sustaining, similar to gold mining. So, in order to control supply, he came up with the method of Bitcoin halving. The 3rd Bitcoin Halving just got over, a few days back., where the block reward reduced from 12.5 BTC to 6.25 BTC. The crypto space was filled with hysteria, as prior to the halving process, Bitcoin touched the 10,000 USD mark.

I cover market structure for News Alarms, specifically how the bond, derivatives, and cryptocurrency markets work or dont.

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A Beginners Guide to Bitcoin Trading Price Prediction 2020-2025 - News Alarms

UPDATE: Over 1,000 Twitter employees and contractors are said to have had access to the same internal tools that are believed to have allowedcyber criminals to obtain control over36 high-profile accounts, according to two former Twitter employees.

Speakingto Reuters, the former staff members familiar with Twitter security practices said that, in early 2020, theseemployees had the power to make changes to user account settings as well as hand over the controls to other parties.

The number includes not only permanent Twitter staff, but also contractors from American IT services provider Cognizant, raisingquestions as to why so many people were given such widereaching security privileges.

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The former employees also told Reuters that, despite last weeks breach, the companys security policy is still animprovement on procedures operated during their time at the company. Twitter had decided to crack down on breaches by logging the activity of its staff following an incident in November 2019, when an employee was caught allegedly spying for the Saudi Arabian government.

According to Ilia Kolochenko, founder and CEO of web security company ImmuniWeb, the attack was"enhanced by exploitation of other weaknesses in Twitters internal security.

It is not excluded that the attackers were assisted by an insider or were exploiting a high-risk vulnerability detected in one of Twitter's web systems. Otherwise, we may reasonably infer that Twitter has virtually no internal security controls and best practices that we should normally expect from a tech company of its size, he said.

Meanwhile, on a call to investors on Thursday, Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey admitted to missteps:

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We fell behind, both in our protections against social engineering of our employees and restrictions on our internal tools, he said.

23/07/2020: Cyber criminals who targeted 130 accounts as part of last weeks major Twitter hack gained access to the private communications of up to 36 account holders, the company has confirmed.

Among the targeted individuals, hackers compromised 45 accounts to the extent they were able to send tweets, and a fourth 36 had their direct messages accessed, according to the firm. It's believed at least eight accounts had their archived account data accesed through the Your Twitter Data tool, which holds the entirety of their account activity, although none of these eight accounts are verified on the platform.

Twitter hasnt indicated whether there's any overlap between those whose accounts were compromised, those whose DMs were accessed, and those whose archived data wasdownloaded.

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Several high-profile individuals, including former US President Barack Obama and democratic frontrunner Joe Biden were among those involved in the hack, evidenced by a number ofTweets promoting a fraudulent Bitcoin buy-back scheme,suggestingthesewere among the 45. Other accounts tweeting in such a way included Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and other prominent business figures.

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The fraudulent tweets described a scheme in which any Bitcoin donated to a specific wallet would be returned to the user doubled. To date, the scam has attracted396 Bitcoin transactions worth more than 96,000 in all.

Generally, should a hacker gain full control of an account to the point they could send tweets, they would also be able to read previously sent direct messages, or even send new ones with ease.

Twitter, however, has insisted that just one elected official, an unnamed Dutch politician, was among those whose DMs were accessed. There is currently no indication, the company added, that any other former or current elected officials had their DMs accessed, ruling out the likes of Obama or Biden as being among the 36.

Although attackers gained full control over some accounts, Twitter has said they would have been unable to view previous passwords as these are not stored inplain text. It added that even with access to internal tools hackers would still have been unable to view these.

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Hackers were, however, able to view personal information, including email addresses and phone numbers, which are displayed to some employees who have access to internal company support tools.

Of the accounts that were taken over,hackerswere able to view what Twitter has described as additional information. The company added its forensic investigation of these activities is still ongoing.

McAfee founder John McAfee, meanwhile, has suggested his own Twitter account has been either hacked or frozenin the past 12 hours, with some tweets disappearing or seen by only a handful of individuals. It's unclear whether these reports are related with last week's major hack.

As the probe continues, Twitter said it would further secure its systems to prevent future attacks, and roll out additional company-wide training to guard against social engineering tactics.

This story was updated on 24/07/2020

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More than 1,000 Twitter employees had the security access needed to aid hackers - IT PRO

In July 2017, John McAfee said he would eat his own dick if Bitcoin does not hit $500,000 within three years. Today, BTC is hovering at a mere $9,130 and its price must increase by more than 5,376% to meet McAfees prediction.

John McAfee tweets he would eat his dick if Bitcoin doesnt hit $500k. Source: John McAfee Twitter

In general, Bitcoin quite clearly got nowhere near $500,000 in the past three years. Not only that, but McAfee is also seemingly backtracking from his $1 million per BTC prediction.

Last year, McAfee said he is positive Bitcoin goes to $1 million. He said negativity around the cryptocurrency market was overblown, especially considering Bitcoin was in the mid-$10,000s.

But on July 19, 2020, McAfee said:

Not going to get out of it. I never believed Bitcoin would hit $1 mil. It's absurd. Its an old, tired, worthless coin. I just wanted to eat my dick on TV. Wait for it.

Since mid-2019, the price of Bitcoin dropped from around $13,900 to $9,100. Following the 34% drop in a 12-month period, McAfee no longer feels confident about his $1 million BTC prediction.

In July 2019, McAfee said:

Bitcoin is at the mid 10's and people worry. LMFAO!! Why do you pay attention to weekly fluctuations? Look at the past few months FFS! It's rising drastically. I'm still positive about my $1 mil BTC price by the end of 2020. Alt coins like MTC and Apollo will rise ten times more.

Contrary to expectations, it also seems McAfee was referring to the end of 2020 as the prediction date for $500,000 per Bitcoin.

When several cryptocurrency enthusiasts questioned him about the subject, McAfee cited a website called dickening.com. The website says McAfee promised to eat his own dick if BTC does not hit $1 million by December 31, 2020.

McAfee said that it is well documented his bet was for Dec. 31 of this year, not July 2020. When asked about the bet, he reaffirmed that he would follow through with his bet if BTC does not hit $500,000.

He said:

It's well documented that I will eat my dick on Dec 31st 2020, not in July of this year. Google the bet. The In three years was a reference to that date. The originator of this tweet did not research it. Will I eat it? You bet! Myself, or, perhaps, a subcontractor:)

Max Keiser, the host of The Keiser Report and Bitcoin investor, sarcastically said McAfee must now be recovering at the hospital after honoring the bet.

John McAfee honored his bet, made three years ago, to bite off his dick if Bitcoin wasnt at $500,000 GOOD NEWS: Hes doing well at the hospital and expected to make a full recovery, Keiser said.

Of course, McAfees track record shows that his predictions should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, his facetious U.S. Presidential campaign now appears to be inactive. Then in May 2020, McAfee questioned his own price prediction, leaving many confused.

Nevertheless, for McAfee to win the bet, BTC price would now have to gain at least 10,000% over the next five months.

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Worthless Coin McAfee Says He Never Believed Bitcoin Would Hit $1M - Cointelegraph