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NASA: Rover May Have Found Remnants of Ancient Martian Oasis – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Gale Crater Mystery

Three billion years ago, Mars looked very different from how it does now. And ever since weve been able to land rovers on the planets surface, weve been trying to get peeks of its distant past.

The 100-mile Gale Crater, which is believed to be the result of a massive ancient impact, has scientists particularly fascinated. According to data collected by NASAs Curiosity rover, the crater was once dotted with small streams that created an oasis of shallow, salty pools of water.

At least, thats the theory sketched out in a new paper by NASA scientists published in the journal Nature Geoscience. They envision the crater to once have resembled the Altiplanos, the high altitude regions of South America that are dotted with briny lakes and streams.

During drier periods, the Altiplano lakes become shallower, and some can dry out completely, lead author William Rapin said in a statement. The fact that theyre vegetation-free even makes them look a little like Mars.

Since April, the rover has been testing samples from a region called the clay-bearing unit, near Mount Sharp, a peak in the center of the Gale Crater. Samples suggest the region was once a salty lake bed that dried up billions of years ago.

We cant say whether were seeing wind or river deposits yet in the clay-bearing unit, but were comfortable saying is its definitely not the same thing as what came before or what lies ahead, Curiosity team member Chris Fedo said.

READ MORE:NASAs Curiosity Rover Finds an Ancient Oasis on Mars [Jet Propulsion Lab]

More on Martian lakes: New Research: Mars Used To Be Covered In Huge Rivers

NASA: Rover May Have Found Remnants of Ancient Martian Oasis - Futurism

Police Robot Ignores Woman Trying to Call Police – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Paul Bot, Mall Cop

Those Knightscope security robots may not be so great at their jobs.

When a woman in a park near Los Angeles saw people fighting and tried to summon help via a police robot patrolling nearby, the robot merely told her to step out of the way and continued along its pre-determined route, according to NBC News. No help came until the spectators called 911 directly, raising the question of what, if any, function these robots areactually supposed to serve.

It turns out that the robot, a K5 model named HP RoboCop,patrols the park on behalf of the police department but doesnt have any way of summoning human officers to the scene, Huntingdon Park police chief Cosme Lozano told NBC.

Instead, he said, calls go to Knightscope and will continue to do so until the police department develops protocols for handling calls made through the police bot. Its surprising news, given that the robot has been patrolling the park since June.

The fact that people assume the robot, which has the word police emblazoned on it in large letters, to connect them to the police department reveals just how nebulous these robots are. Especially when they pop up without any sort of public education to go alongside them.

Are we going to get in trouble if we touch it? park visitor Violete Alvaraz posed to NBC. Whos guiding it? I dont know how it works. Should I still call 911?

READ MORE: A RoboCop, a park and a fight: How expectations about robots are clashing with reality [NBC]

More on security bots: Robot Security Guards Will Constantly Nag Spectators at the Tokyo Olympics

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Police Robot Ignores Woman Trying to Call Police - Futurism

Astronauts Just Grew Meat in Space for the First Time – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Space Meat

In 2018, Israeli-based food tech startup Aleph Farms made a breakthrough in the alt-meat industry by creating the worlds first lab-grown steak, a hunk of cell-cultured meat that mimicked the texture and structure of the beef youd find at the supermarket.

The company hopes to one day provide access to nutritious slaughter-free meat to everyone on Earth and maybe everyone in space, too, as astronauts have now used Alephs process to successfullygrowmeat on the International Space Station.

This first-of-its-kind experiment took place in the Russian segment of the International Space Station on September 26, according to an Aleph press release published Monday.

The astronauts used a 3D bioprinter developed by Russian company3D Bioprinting Solutions to coax bovine cells shipped from Earth into forming muscle tissue. In other words, they grew a tiny piece of beef in microgravity.

The proof-of-concept experiment not only illuminates a path to providing astronauts aboard the ISS or even further out in space with fresh meat, but it also demonstrates the ability of Alephs process to work under extremely hostile conditions.

We are proving that cultivated meat can be produced anytime, anywhere, in any condition, Aleph CEO Didier Toubia told The Guardian. We can potentially provide a powerful solution to produce the food closer to the population needing it, at the exact and right time it is needed.

READ MORE: First meat grown in space lab 248 miles from Earth [The Guardian]

More on lab-grown meat: For the First Time, a Startup Grew a Steak in a Lab

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Astronauts Just Grew Meat in Space for the First Time - Futurism

China Is Breeding Massive Pigs That Weigh More than a Grand Piano – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Pork Problems

A devastating outbreak of African swine fever has destroyed an estimated half of Chinas pig population over the past year or so.

Thats a huge deal given that China consumes more pork than any other nation, so Chinas government responded by urging farmers to increase pig production and some have taken that to mean they should breed the biggest pigs weve seen this side of Okja, according to a new Bloomberg story.

Bloomberg notes that some Chinese farmers have managed to increase the typical average weight of their pigs at slaughter from 110 kilograms (242 pounds) up to 140 kilograms (308 pounds).

In the province of Jilin, meanwhile, farmers are trying to raise the pigs as big as possible, farmer Zhao Hailin told Bloomberg, with the goal being an average weight of 175 to 200 kilograms (385 to 440 pounds) as opposed to the typical 125 kilograms (275 pounds).

Then theres the farmer in the Guangxi province who managed to breed a massive 500 kilogram (1,102 pound) porker, according to Bloombergs story.

Bloomberg doesnt note exactly how the farmers in China are managing to raise such massive pigs but most likely, theyre just breeding big pigs with more big pigs, thereby producing generation after generation of hefty animals.

However, in 2017, Chinese researchers showed they could use the gene-editing technology CRISPR to produce pigs with a lower fat content and if todays farmers are using similar means to breed their massive pigs, the animals should undergo stringent safety testing before they end up on anyones dinner plate, pork shortage be damned.

READ MORE: Chinas Breeding Giant Pigs That Are as Heavy as Polar Bears [Bloomberg]

More on pigs: Scientists Used Genetic Modification to Create Low-Fat Pigs

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China Is Breeding Massive Pigs That Weigh More than a Grand Piano - Futurism

Elon Musk: Teslas Will Soon Make "Fart" and "Goat" Noises – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Potty Mouth

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a weak spot for potty humor.

First, the carmaker introduced a fart app for its electric vehicles, which generates rude bathroom sounds.

Now, Musksays Teslas will soon be getting customized horn and movement sounds, including goats and farts, according to a emoji-laden Sunday tweet.

And for all the Monty Python fanatics out there, Musk is including an option for coconuts movement sounds as well a reference to the British 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The coconut sounds option has already shown up for Tesla owners as part of a new V10 software update.

Its not the first time Musk has referenced the film: in December 2018, Musks tunnel-digging company The Boring Company erected a tower of bricks in reference to a watchtower that appeared in the movie, knight and all.

Its not the first instance of Tesla buffing its sound design. Tesla added pedestrian warning sounds to its Model 3 last month as Electrek reports likely an effort to meet new electric car standards around the world, including the U.S.

Musk is also considering custom sounds uploaded by Tesla owners and the ability to honk or fart backwards by directing the sound behind the vehicle while backing up, Electrek reports.

READ MORE: Tesla is making customizable horn and other sounds, including farts and goats [Electrek]

More on Musks farts: Teslas Toilet Humor Mode Is Real and Its Called Emissions Testing

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Elon Musk: Teslas Will Soon Make "Fart" and "Goat" Noises - Futurism

Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin’s ‘Ritmo’ Will Take You Back in Time – Billboard

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Black Eyed Peasand J Balvin joined forces to release Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life) on Friday (Oct. 11) from the Bad Boys for Lifesoundtrack.

Ritmo take us back to the '90s thanks to its sample of Corona's Rhythm of the Night and is a hybrid of hip-hop and pop withBalvins incendiary and infectious take on reggaeton. Lyrically, they mix Spanish and English verses with the sticky chorus of the original song. Toda la noche rompemos, a el otro dia volvemos (we break in all night, we come back next day), Balvin sings while BEP adds: Baby tonight is like fuego.

I wanted to reimagine Rhythm of the Night by Corona and give it a minimal, futurist, afro-fused reggaeton vibe, Black Eyed Peaswill.i.am says in a press release. The final song and video feel like the classic next level futurism that the Black Eyed Peas are all about.

The video, also released Friday, shows scenes of Bad Boys for Life with colorful images of BEP and Balvin singing and dancing on a stage with neon lights.

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Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin's 'Ritmo' Will Take You Back in Time - Billboard

Dustin Bolton Brings Afro-Futurist Adventure Kudzu: Heart of the Mountain to KaBOOM! in 2020 – Bleeding Cool News

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Explosive publisher BOOM! Studios has announced a new original graphic novel to be published via explosive all-ages imprint KaBOOM! next August. Kudzu: Heart of the Mountain by Dustin Bolton is billed as a stunning new vision of sci-fi and fantasy fused together in an unforgettable story about discovering your future by first understanding your past.

3.5 Million Years Ago, Our Galaxy Was Rocked by an Explosion – Futurism

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Danzig

Roughly 3.5 million years ago, the sky turned into a massive flare of bubbling gas shining out of the galaxys center a true spectacle for the early ancestors of modern humans. And theres a chance we could catch the next event with our own eyes.

The explosion, also known as a Fermi bubble, was essentially our galaxy discharging a huge quantity of nuclear energy, including deadly ionizing radiation emanating from the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

And according to a new study published on the preprint site arXiv, the epic event took place about 3.5 million years ago.

The discovery is redefining how weve come to understand our galaxy which has been far more active than we thought.

Astronomers have been observing much smaller burps of the center of the galaxy for decades, but never something quite this violent.

Its an amazing thought that, when cave people walked the Earth, if theyd looked off in the direction of the galactic center, theyd have seen some kind of giant ball of heated gas, lead author and director of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy at the University of Sydney Bland-Hawthorn said in a video about the study.

It mustve been an extraordinary spectacle.

The flare must have been a bit like a lighthouse beam, Professor Bland-Hawthorn told Astro 3D. Imagine darkness, and then someone switches on a lighthouse beacon for a brief period of time.

And you didnt have to blink: the researchers estimate it couldve lasted for some 300,000 years an eternity to humans, but a short blip in galactic terms.

To find out when the explosion occurred, the researchers used data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The discovery could give us insight into the formation of celestial bodies.

We do think that [these events affect] how stars develop in the long-term evolution of our galaxy, but we just dont know exactly how, Bland-Hawthorn told ABC.

And it might happen again.

Everyone says give it time, it will explode again, Bland-Hawthorn added. Its the same with this galactic centre, give it time and it will blow up again.

READ MORE: Early Earthlings May Have Watched the Galaxys Center Explode 3.5 Million Years Ago [Live Science]

More on the milky way: Milky Ways Giant Black Hole Lets out Two Giant, Radioactive Burps

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3.5 Million Years Ago, Our Galaxy Was Rocked by an Explosion - Futurism

These SC houses are falling into the ocean as beaches erode. Who should remove them? – Charleston Post Courier

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

Almost a year on, a legal fight to set the road map for how South Carolina deals with imperiled beach houses has stalled.

The challenges that have popped up in the case beg the question of whether the state can really be compelled to deal with vulnerable oceanfront properties as sea levels rise and storms intensify.

At the same time, recent trends in state policy have moved South Carolina's position from one of "retreat" gradually encouraging homeowners to move away from the shore to one of preservation, or doing everything possible to keep homes in place.

The legal case concerns five homes on Harbor Island, a gated retirement and vacation community at the eastern edge of Beaufort County. As parts of the island's beach have eroded, the houses are now routinely underwashed by the ocean and have largely been left derelict, with pieces of the structures falling into the sea.

The Harbor Island Owners Association is arguing that the people who own the homes should remove them. Two other homes on the beachfront have already been demolished and two have been relocated, said Don Woelke, the manager of the association.

"We know that with sea level rise and the fact that nearly every beach in South Carolina is eroding, were going to see more houses that are located on the active beach," said Amy Armstrong, the lead lawyer representing the association. "What we wanted to achieve is to get some precedent about what happens, whos responsible when this happens, and how."

The situation is relatively rare, though most beaches in South Carolina are gradually eroding. In other places, federally or locally funded renourishment programs suck sand off the ocean floor and spit it back onto the beach periodically; Harbor Island isn't eligible for public funds because it doesn't allow the general public access to its beach.

Beach renourishment, though, is a "mid-term solution to a long-term problem," said Paul Gayes, a professor of marine science and geology at Coastal Carolina University. It's also one that's likely to become increasingly costly over time, as continuous storms are forcing beach towns to renourish more and more often.

"The likelihood is playing out that logically, youre going to run into places that are not going to be able to sustain it," Gayes said.

And that makes the Harbor Island example a peek into the future, when many places beyond the small, private island are likely to face the same issues.

The Harbor Island suit was filed in November 2018. For the S.C. Environmental Law Project which isArmstrong's group, the suit was an opportunity to strengthen the public trust doctrine, the legal concept that the beach is open to the public, and that the state has an interest in protecting it.

Under that logic, the plaintiffs argued that South Carolina should be responsible for removing the houses. But since then, a judge has ruled that SCELP was not specific enough in simply naming the state; it needed to sue a specific agency or official.

The nonprofit Law Project then pivoted to another tactic: forcing the homeowners themselves to pull houses off the beach.

It's been a lengthy process, though Armstrong said it's not unreasonable to expect a suit like this to be litigated over years. Several motions still need to be heard and no trial date has been set yet.

The homeowners named in the suit have largely denied that they're liable for the house removal or asked to be dismissed, according to court records.

One couple, John and Judy Price, argued in filings that the Owners Association is actually responsible to protect the beach because it's a "common area," like other amenities on the island, and says state authorities recommended a renourishment project in 2017.

Chris Deters, an attorney for the Price family, said that rather than filing a suit, the owners' association should have invested in an engineering solution to stop the erosion. Deters said it might be more wise to make a concession and allow for more public access, in exchange for public renourishment funding.

"The (owners association) is tone deaf to the threat our current environmental pattern presents to the coastal community," Deters said.

The strongest response came in a filing by St. Helena attorney Bruce R. Hoffman, who is representing defendants Barbara and Patrick Shurtleff. Their filings argue that Armstrong herself has a conflict of interest and needs to be removed because she once spoke with Debra Hoffman, Bruce's wife, about potentially representing them in a different case related to sand-trapping groins built on Hunting Island.

The Hoffmans also own a beachfront home on Harbor Island, though they are not named defendants. Armstrong said the assertion she should be removed is a "sideshow," and that she never had an attorney-client relationship with the Hoffmans, and thus, no conflict in this case.

"We know the law in this area. Weve been successful," Armstrong said. "Of course they would like us to not be counsel."

But Hoffman maintained that by simply consulting with beachfront property owners, even for a different case, Armstrong gleaned confidential information that should disqualify her from suing them now.

"I'm just doing what I think is best for my client and my clients case," Hoffman said.

For the other 600-odd homeowners on Harbor Island, the legal drama doesn't change the fact that there are still houses in the beach falling into the water, piece by piece.

"There was no idea on how long it would actually take (when the case was first filed)," Woelke said. "This is a process, and we live with it, and we just wait."

The houses on Harbor Island aren't the only ones that have been overtaken by the sea. Beach communities in South Carolina have struggled with erosion and the impacts of strong storms for over a century.

Earlier this decade, abandoned cottages on and eroding section of nearby Hunting Island either fell into the ocean or were demolished. In that case, houses owned by the state park there were removed by public officials, but private homes were considered the responsibility of their owners, according to a 2013 report in the Beaufort Gazette.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is responsible for telling the owners of vulnerable beach homes to remove them when they're on active beach, spokeswoman Laura Renwick said, but few situations across the state have reached that level in recent years.

Meanwhile, more changes in state policy have flummoxed coastal policy experts, as a revision of the state's beach management laws deleted the word "retreat."

The change was part of the fallout after DHEC published new lines limiting beach development and rebuilding in late 2017; those lines, in some cases, barred property owners from rebuilding if their homes were damaged. They've since been revised.

While the changes might seem technical, Gayes said the alteration of state policy really means that South Carolina has taken the stance that it will not move beach houses where they are, regardless of rising sea levels.

Even with renourishment, he said, "At the end of the day, youre buying time."

These SC houses are falling into the ocean as beaches erode. Who should remove them? - Charleston Post Courier

Vero Beach outlasts Treasure Coast to clinch district title in overtime thriller – TCPalm

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

The Fighting Indians clinched the District 9-8A title and won their 59th consecutive regular season game with their thrilling 31-30 overtime win. Jon Santucci, jon.santucci@tcpalm.com

PORT ST. LUCIE Vero Beach coach Lenny Jankowski likes to prepare his team for every possible scenario, so a few weeks ago, he started having his team practice overtime scenarios.

That decision looks brilliant now.

Vero Beach quarterback Ryan Jankowski completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Dawson on 4th-and-goal and Henry Morgan kicked the game-winning extra point in overtime as the Fighting Indians outlasted Treasure Coast 31-30 in a thrilling game on Friday at South County Regional Stadium.

Its the second time this season that Ryan Jankowski has thrown the game-winning touchdown pass on fourth down in the fourth quarter or overtime.

More: Ryan Jankowski making most of his chance to lead Vero Beach offense

I knew Jermaine was going to open and I just stood there, took a shot and delivered a touchdown, the quarterback said. I always want to have the ball last in my hands. I always want to have a chance to win the game.

District win, district champs. This feels great.

With the win, Vero Beach (6-0, 2-0) clinches the District 9-8A championship for the sixth consecutive season and extends its regular-season win streak to 59 games one away from tying Lakelands state record.

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Treasure Coasts Turk Watkins scored an 8-yard touchdown with 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend the Titans' lead to 24-17, but the Fighting Indians drove down the field and Jaden Meizinger scored the game-tying touchdown with 6 seconds remaining in the game. It was the second touchdown of the game for Meizinger.

It was a great high school game, Lenny Jankowski said. It was a shame someone has to come out on the short end of it. I think it was kind of what we bargained for. I just was so proud of our guys to hang in there and make the plays when we needed to make them.

Week 8 roundup: Centennial's defense comes up big against Central

Treasure Coast (6-1, 1-1) scored five touchdowns Keegan Davis scored three times and Watkins scored twice but were stopped on all five of its two-point conversion attempts.

Watkins scored on a 5-yard run on the Titans' possession in overtime, but his conversion pass fell short.

Were struggling in the kicking department, Treasure Coast coach Irvin Jones said. We went for it the first time, and then when we went for the second time to make up for the first time that we didnt get it. Then all of the sudden the kicker hasnt kicked all night and we kept going for it.

This years district showdown was highly anticipated. Both teams came into the game undefeated. Vero Beach is ranked No. 4 on the states first RPI power rankings; Treasure Coast is No. 11. And after last years thriller, which Vero Beach won 34-31, fans were expecting another instant classic.

They got that and then some. The game featured six lead changes. Davis 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Treasure Coast an 18-17 lead after the Titans trailed at halftime for the first time this season. The Fighting Indians didnt regain the lead until Morgans overtime extra point.

The Titans had an opportunity to take a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter, but Vero Beach got a key stop on the two-point conversion that kept the lead to seven.

Its starting to seem like these are regular games with us. Jones said.

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Vero Beach outlasts Treasure Coast to clinch district title in overtime thriller - TCPalm

Unexpected Brit beach becomes only one in UK to make it into international top six – Mirror Online

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

A beach in Yorkshire has been named as an unexpected entry in a list of the top six in the world.

Tripadvisor has compiled Traveller's Choice beaches that are great for kids , and includes the likes of Bondi Beach in Australia and Siesta Beach in Florida, Leeds Live reports .

But you might be surprised to learn that amongst those sandy paradises is Filey Beach - a beautiful beach just a stone's throw from Scarborough, inYorkshire.

Filey is about an hour and a half drive fromLeeds, and is a great spot to explore, particularly in the summer.

Explaining Filey's inclusion, Tripadvisor said: "Filey is a perfect beach for kids to explore. There is a sculpture trail that surrounds the bay, and the ancient remains of a Roman signal station can be found on the cliffs just above.

"Filey is also well-known for its rock pools, which provide hours of fun looking at marine life. Along the promenade, families will find cafes, changing facilities, a childrens playground and even a crazy golf course."

The beach is not the only to earn plaudits for its pristine shores.

Earlier this year, Bournemouth was crowned the UK's best beach for 2019 .

The popular seaside spot topped the list in the 2019 TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards for beaches, thanks to its golden sands, swim-friendly waters and of course bustling Bournemouth itself.

Travellers rated the beach as the sixth best in Europe, and it even made the top 20 in the awards' global rankings.

It's not surprising when you consider that Bournemouth Beach offers up seven miles of golden, fine sands, with blue flag beaches that are ideal for families who flock there during the summer months.

Unexpected Brit beach becomes only one in UK to make it into international top six - Mirror Online

Mexico Beach business community wiped out by Michael – The Albany Herald

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

Editors Note: Third in a four-part series on the devastation Hurricane Michael wrought on the Mexico Beach, Fla., community, which is frequented by many southwest Georgians.

MEXICO BEACH, Fla. Slow and easy, sun and sand, food and friends, family and memories ... these are the things the Mexico Beach community has always offered visitors to its little piece of paradise.

I live in paradise, why would I need a vacation? one local said, and she meant that statement.

The members of the local community are the faces visitors remember year after year as they join their family and friends to vacation and make beautiful memories. Familiarity makes a vacation more like a homecoming as families gather to enjoy time together at the quaint beach community that they visit year after year. People have always looked forward to revisiting their favorite places operated by their favorite locals.

Many kicked off their annual vacation by staying at the El Governor motel; their great stay usually started by a friendly greeting and chat with Wiley at check-in. Others stayed year after year with the Wood family at The Driftwood Inn or were married in their small, beautiful chapel and became a part of their unique place on the beach. Days could be spent at the beach, fishing on the pier, or enjoying a game of air hockey or pool at Tommy Ts. Nate and his friendly staff at Mexico Beach Marina offered everything needed for fishing.

Stocking up for the stay required a visit to Gulf Foods and a visit with the friendly and helpful owner Lance and his staff and a quick grab from that deli (where Niece prepared her yummy food).

Meals could be enjoyed in many ways during a stay in Mexico Beach. The Hunter family at The Shell Shack offered many varieties of fresh or steamed fish and seafood, most of it Gulf-caught, and who could forget that delicious smoked fish dip? Michael and Hal, the guys at Killer Seafood, offered a menu that included supreme culinary happiness. Fish tacos and bread bowls filled with steaming goodness in Killer Seafoods own simmering sauce were just a few of the tourist and local favorites.

Mango Marleys homemade chips and freshly made sandwiches and seafood items always made hungry travelers happy. Another community standard for excellent seafood and steaks (and an excellent weekend breakfast) was The Fish House; always an enjoyable experience. Last to be discussed but always first for local flavor both in food and conversation was Sharons Cafe, enjoyed by all who visited.

Everyone shopped for things to take home as treasures to remind them of the time spent on vacation. The Shell Shack always had unique natural shells, artistic creations and local souvenirs that made both adults and children smile. Mayor Catheys Ace Hardware was a hardware store plus a great place to find unique gifts and keepsakes from a vacation. Mexico Beach Marina offered coolers, clothes and outdoor supplies to enjoy.

For decades each visit to Mexico Beach was unique, but the same. Familiar faces and places of the community made time spent there even more enjoyable. On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael either damaged or completely destroyed all the businesses mentioned above.

That hurricane, however, did not destroy the fine business people of this community. Many of them are already back in business in some capacity and others are in progress. Mango Marleys Outpost is operating out of a food truck and a military tent and has been serving up delicious food since shortly after the hurricane. Catheys Ace Hardware is open and supplying those working hard to repair and rebuild.

The Killer Seafood mobile unit is ready to go and will be serving soon. Mexico Beach Marina has recently reopened and welcomes everyone to stop and shop. The Hunter family at The Shell Shack is hard at work on the rebuild and will be back in action soon.

Everyone in the Mexico Beach community is recovering, repairing and rebuilding as best they are able. A lot goes into recovering from total destruction and devastation. Each component of this unique community handles each step forward differently. Some businesses sadly will not rebuild and they will be missed.

Huge progress has been made in the year that has passed since Hurricane Michael and will continue for years to come. Mexico Beach will forever be changed. But the people of this small, quaint community strive to rebuild and recover while preserving the individuality of their town.

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Mexico Beach business community wiped out by Michael - The Albany Herald

Lawmakers to call for disciplinary action against judge – WPTV.com

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. A Florida state senator and other elected officials called for disciplinary action on Friday against a Palm Beach County judge who sentenced a man to 10 days in jail for missing jury service.

15th Circuit Civil Judge John Kastrenakes sentenced 21-year-old DeAndre Somerville to 10 days behind bars last month, put him on probation for a year, and ordered him to complete 150 hours of community service after the young man overslept and missed jury service on Aug. 21.

But after Somerville read a poignant and heartfelt letter of apology in court, Judge Kastrenakes vacated and rescinded Somerville's contempt of court charge and punishment, meaning his record his now clean.

Despite that, State Sen. Bobby Powell (D - West Palm Beach) has called for the Judicial Qualifications Commission to investigate Judge Kastrenakes.

"I was upset, my heart was broken, and to see the reason why [Somerville] was there, I thought and knew it was unacceptable and knew something had to be done," said State Sen. Powell at a news conference Friday morning outside the Palm Beach Count Courthouse.

WATCH NEWS CONFERENCE

Lawmakers call for disciplinary action against Palm Beach County judge in jury duty controversy

"I'm of the belief and understanding that Judge Kastrenakes, in an unjustifiable manner, moved to unfairly punish DeAndre Someville for missing jury duty," said State Sen. Powell.

On Friday, Powell joined Somerville, his attorney Edwin Ferguson, along with other elected officials and community leaders and called for disciplinary action against the judge, claiming he violated the Code of Judicial Conduct.

"It's understandable that the judge would be angry with the disruption," said Congresswoman Lois Frankel. "But with that said, the delay of court was minor, there was no apparent harm to the case. So it's not understandable why a young non-offender was thrown in jail for 10 days, potentially exposed to violenty criminals who would rape and beat him."

Rep. Frankel went on to call Somerville's punishment "cruel and unjust."

Earlier this week, Somerville expressed gratitude for Judge Kastrenakes' decision to rescind his conviction and punishment.

"I'm just glad that he did have a change of heart and he really knows the real me and he sees that I'm not a bad kid," Somerville told WPTV's Michelle Quesada on Tuesday. "I'm just someone who made a bad mistake."

WATCH INTERVIEW

Palm Beach County man thankful after judge's change of heart

Judge Kastrenakes' court order read, in part:

WPTV has reached out to Judge Kastrenakes for a comment, but have not heard back.

In a tweet announcing Friday's news conference, State Sen. Powell wrote:

Court records show Keith Lattimore spent nine days in jail and was sentenced to three months probation after being found guilty of contempt of court back in April.

According to a court order from Judge Kastrenakes, Lattimore appeared for jury selection on Dec. 12, 2018.

However, Lattimore told workers in the court's jury administration office that "(1) he had better things to go than come to court; (2) he didn't believe in coming to court; (3) and he refused to participate in the process. Thereupon, he left the building without permission."

Lattimore "exhibited contemptuous conduct, which directly impeded the due administration of justice," the court order stated.

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Lawmakers to call for disciplinary action against judge - WPTV.com

Jack Black helps Redondo Beach family who lost daughter host event to thank Torrances Providence Trinity Kids Care Hospice – The Daily Breeze

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

Actor Jack Black was the emcee at Layla Paige Sonnens Nature Walk for TrinityKids Care, a fundraiser for this South Bay pediatric hospice care program. The walk took place at the South Coast Botanic Garden Saturday Oct 12, 2019.(Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

Actor Jack Black was the emcee at Layla Paige Sonnens Nature Walk for TrinityKids Care, a fundraiser for this South Bay pediatric hospice care program. The walk took place at the South Coast Botanic Garden Saturday Oct 12, 2019. Parents Matt and Reese Sonnen tell the story of their daughter Layla Paige Sonnen. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

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The Sonnen family, including (from left) Luke, Larissa, Matt and baby Layla during Laylas second birthday on April 8, 2017, in Redondo Beach. (Photo courtesy of Larissa Sonnen)

Actor Jack Black was the emcee at Layla Paige Sonnens Nature Walk for TrinityKids Care, a fundraiser for this South Bay pediatric hospice care program. The walk took place at the South Coast Botanic Garden Saturday Oct 12, 2019. Pre walk warmups entertained the group. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

Actor Jack Black was the emcee at Layla Paige Sonnens Nature Walk for TrinityKids Care, a fundraiser for this South Bay pediatric hospice care program. The walk took place at the South Coast Botanic Garden Saturday Oct 12, 2019. Supporters listen to the emotional of Layla Paige Sonnen as told by her parents Matt and Reese Sonnen. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

By Nicholas Ingram, contributing writer

Layla Paige Sonnen, born with an incurable brain disorder, died days after her second birthday. Her life was short, but her impact on people around her was immeasurable, her family said.

Laylas parents organized a walk for Saturday , Oct. 12, at the South Coast Botanic Garden, to say thank you to the team who helped the child and her family at Torrances Providence Trinity Kids Care Hospice.

Our initial thought was to get some friends and family together, walk by the beach and say a prayer for Layla, said Redondo Beach resident Matt Sonnen, Laylas father. Seven people would have been good.

Nearly 400 people packed the Botanic Garden lawn on Saturday morning and among them was entertainer Jack Black.

Providence board member Neil Seigel heard about the event and reached out to his brother box-office stalwart Black, star of such movies as Kung Fu Panda, Goosebumps and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Ive been on the board since 2002, and we were looking for a fund-raising opportunity for the childrens pediatric hospice, Seigel said. We wanted to create an event, and we schemed together on the board. I asked Jack if he would be kind enough to do it.

When Laylas mother, Larissa Sonnen, heard of Blacks involvement, she was speechless. The Jack Black?!? Sonnen asked. My son, Luke, was beyond excited. Its absolutely amazing.

What an amazing day for a beautiful walk, event emcee Black said to the crowd before the walk began. Im excited to be a part of it.

Sporting a trimmed beard and clad in the events purple t-shirt, Black put a spin on a line from his 2003 movie, School of Rock Yall ready to walk? he asked the crowd.

After Black spoke, Sonnen shared his familys journey, from Laylas birth until hospice became involved. (Trinity Kids Care) sat down with us and they were so good at it. They didnt push us, but got us to the point of realizing Layla was suffering, and the best thing to do was let her go.

This event was born out of a family that lost a child, and it was their idea to connect with other families that have gone through something similar, said Terri Warren, chief executive of the hospice. Its about family and working with your neighbors.

Im seeing a lot of people who can learn from this experience, take it and pay it forward, Jan Schlesinger, one of Laylas physical therapists. Thats what the family wants to do, is thank the people that helped them at Laylas end.

After Sonnen shared his familys story, Black took the microphone one more time before a group stretch and a brisk walk around the garden.

Im impressed to hear your story of courage and grace, said Black. The world needs more organizations like Trinity Care.

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Jack Black helps Redondo Beach family who lost daughter host event to thank Torrances Providence Trinity Kids Care Hospice - The Daily Breeze

Peace Doves mural created in honor of victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting – WAVY.com

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Two Pittsburgh men are hoping to heal the Virginia Beach community through art.

They are creating a vision that will answer the violence that hit the area on May 31. The mural will honor those whose lives were taken at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.

The mural is called Peace Doves.

Its hard to see a silver lining in such a tragedy, said artist John Muldoon.

Its also hard to put into words the impact of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, which is why Muldoon and fellow artist Sean Coffey are putting it onto a wall in the Rudee Loop in Virginia Beach.

Coffey said, Try to help them heal a little.

The artists designed the Peace Doves mural last spring, hoping to paint it on the outer wall of the Rudee Loop, but their design was not chosen by the City of Virginia Beach. However, when they heard about the shooting, they offered to paint it anywhere in the city for free.

It seemed a little bit like this was meant to be, Muldoon said.

The mural will have 12 origami doves.

The peace doves just being, you know, almost a worldwide sign of peace, Coffey said.

The doves are also a tribute to the 12 people killed in the shooting.

The mural will also have the shadow of hummingbirds, which are known for their resilience.

Muldoon said, We think this community has strength and we wanted it, we wanted it to carry on, we want it to keep going.

These Pittsburgh residents know something about carrying on. Their community was also impacted by a mass shooting nearly one year ago.

Its hard for everybody to find a balance again at the end of it, so were hoping this balance of color and light and peaceful thoughts can help everybody come to peace with the things that have happened, Coffey said.

They hope their art speaks for them: a message of peace and strength.

Coffee and Muldoon will spend about 30 hours on this mural. They hope to have it finished by Saturday night.

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Peace Doves mural created in honor of victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting - WAVY.com

2 Bitcoin Developers Explain How The Cryptocurrency Could Still Fail – Forbes

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

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In a few months, it will have been eleven years since the Bitcoin network was launched by Satoshi Nakamoto. The fact that the digital cash system has simply existed for this long is a grand achievement, but this is still an experimental project that could fail.

Bitcoin price predictions of anywhere from $42,000 by the end of 2019 to $100,000 by the end of 2021 have been made this year, but as Blockstream mathematician Andrew Poelstra has explained in the past, the developers behind the cryptocurrency are worried about just making sure the system doesn't completely fall apart more than anything else.

51% attacks are often brought up when it comes to ways in which Bitcoin could eventually fail, although improvements related to mining decentralization are in the works. Impending government crackdowns on Bitcoin are often talked about by skeptics of the digital cash system, but some U.S. lawmakers seem convinced they wouldn't be able to implement a Bitcoin ban.

So, what are the real threats to Bitcoin? MIT's Cory Fields and former Blockstream CTO Greg Maxwellboth of whom have contributed heavily to Bitcoin's development over the yearsrecently shared their thoughts on the matter in separate forums.

The Social Attack

Maxwell, who can often be found correcting people who are wrong about Bitcoin-related things on various subreddits, recently shared his view on one of the most pressing issues facing Bitcoin today in response to another Reddit user's question about 51% attacks. After explaining why Bitcoin's voting process for ordering transactions is necessary in the first place, Maxwell shared his view that 51% attacks may get more attention than they deserve.

"I think people obsess far too much about '51%' it has some kind of attractive mystery to it that distracts people," wrote Maxwell. "If you're worried that someone might reorder history using a high hash-power collusion just wait longer before you consider your transactions final."

According to the Blockstream co-founder, a social attack vector where the rules of the Bitcoin network are changed in favor of a more centralized model is a much bigger risk to the system.

"A far bigger risk to Bitcoin is that the public using it won't understand, won't care, and won't protect the decentralization properties that make it valuable over centralized alternatives in the first place," wrote Maxwell. "[A] risk we can see playing out constantly in the billion dollar market caps of totally centralized systems. The ability demonstrated by system[s] with fake decentralization to arbitrarily change the rules out from under users is far more concerning than the risk that an expensive attack could allow some theft in the case of over-eagerly finalized transactions."

It should be noted that Maxwell's concerns are not theoretical. In the past, proponents of two Bitcoin forks, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV, have declared their altcoins to be the true version of Bitcoin. That said, neither of those networks gained much traction in terms of being considered the "real Bitcoin" by cryptocurrency users.

Of course, this sort of attack could also pop up in the form of an altcoin that starts from scratch with a much more centralized model and overtakes Bitcoin's network effects to become the world's preferred form of digital money. For example, the innovations enabled by Bitcoin, such as its uncontrolled monetary policy and censorship-resistant transactions, would likely become useless if everyone decided to move over to Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency, which is likely to be much more easily controlled and regulated by governments.

Introducing a New Bug

Like Maxwell, Fields does not view a 51% attack as the most likely way in which the Bitcoin experiment could fail.

"My answer though is that the most likely sudden death scenario for a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is an accidental bug that gets introduced internal to the system," said Fields during a recent talk at the 2019 MIT Media Lab Cryptoeconomic Systems Summit.

Fields's concerns are also not theoretical, seeing as critical bugs have been found in these sorts of systems in the past.

"There was a Bitcoin Cash bug that I found and disclosed and it kicked off a discussion about responsible disclosure in these systems and how to do it generally," said Fields during his talk. "I was a little smug for a few months until we were effected by a similar bug in Bitcoin Core which potentially would allow for money printing out of thin air."

At the end of his talk, Fields reached out to other Bitcoin developers to work with him on a ten-year plan for making it less likely that these sorts of bugs will find themselves in consensus-critical Bitcoin software again in the future.

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2 Bitcoin Developers Explain How The Cryptocurrency Could Still Fail - Forbes

Cryptocurrency: What to know about digital money – Fox Business

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

ThinkMarkets chief analyst Naeem Aslam on his outlook for Bitcoin.

Investors around the world have taken notice of Bitcoins rapid rise in price as well as some dramatic falls since it launched just a decade ago.

Buying and selling cryptocurrencies can feel like doing commerce in a sort of digital wild west. There are fortunes to be made, but also scammers and thieves ready to take advantage of the unprepared.

But as the world enters its second decade with crypto, traditional financial services and mainstream businesses have been examining how they can get in on it, and regulators have also taken note. As the market continues to evolve, here are five things to know about cryptocurrency:

Cryptocurrencies rely on a technology called blockchain, which is an open database of every transaction that verifies the security of transactions.

For Bitcoin, each block contains numerous transactions, and they are added to the blockchain by computers doing complex mathematical equations, a process called mining. The miners are then provided Bitcoin as transaction fees for the service.

The amount of Bitcoin rewarded to miners decreases by half for every 210,000 blocks confirmed, and theres a maximum amount of potential Bitcoin: 21 million. The ability to create Bitcoin will stop in the year 2140, when the supply reaches that limit.

A collection of Bitcoin (virtual currency) tokens are displayed in this picture illustration taken December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Illustration (Reuters)

Other cryptocurrencies are tied to other systems. Some are even connected to physical assets like gold. Popular cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin include Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and XRP.

People store their cryptocurrencies in a wallet, an app that contains the mathematical signature proving ownership of the currency.

Cryptocurrencies can be bought and sold on exchanges. Popular ones include Coinbase, Binance and Gemini. Intercontinental Exchange Inc., the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, has announced plans to launch a crypto exchange called Bakkt.

The first - and to date - most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, went live on Jan. 3, 2009. It was created by someone named Satoshi Nakamoto, who may actually be several people using a pseudonym. The first 50 Bitcoin were mined that day.

Bitcoinmarket.com, the first Bitcoin exchange, opened in March of 2010. Others soon followed.

On May 22, 2010, a man paid 10,000 Bitcoin to someone who ordered two pizzas for him from Papa Johns. As the market value of Bitcoin later skyrocketed, that Bitcoin would be worth millions of dollars.

Namecoin, the first alternative cryptocurrency called an altcoin was launched on April 18, 2011.

A customer feeds cash currency in to a Bitcoin ATM located in Flat 128, a boutique in New York's West Village, U.S. on August 22, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Bitcoins market price hit $10,000 per coin for the first time on Nov. 28, 2017. It peaked less than a month later at its all-time high price of $19,783.21.

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In June of 2019, Facebook announced that it planned to launch a cryptocurrency called Libra.

The price of cryptocurrencies can fluctuate widely. Bitcoins price has previously dropped about $1,000 in a single day.

Bitcoin remains the most valuable cryptocurrency and has the highest market capitalization calculated by the number of currently available currency and the price. Other cryptocurrencies range in price from a few hundred dollars per coin to a fraction of a cent.

Exchanges like Coinbase keep track of the prices of various cryptocurrencies and provide a platform for trading them.

Cryptocurrency market statistics. Photograph of computer screen. (iStock)

The short answer is, Yes. But illegal activity can still be tied to crypto.

The IRS has treated cryptocurrencies as property for tax purposes since 2014. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission defines virtual currencies as commodities. The Securities and Exchange Commission says offers and sales of digital assets were subject to federal law.

In April of 2019, the SEC issued its framework on digital currencies that fall under the category of a security.

The SEC has recently announced several cases of litigation related to cryptocurrencies:

Cryptocurrencies are a rapidly evolving field.

One exchange, Mt. Gox, was shuttered after it lost hundreds of thousands of Bitcoin and went bankrupt. In May, the exchange Binance said hackers stole thousands of Bitcoin worth millions of dollars.

Some lawmakers are eager to add additional regulations, just as more traditional businesses like Facebook with its Libra are looking to get into the market.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's face is visible on a mock "Zuck Buck" depicted on a screen as David Marcus, CEO of Facebook's Calibra digital wallet service, foreground, is questioned by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., during a House Financial Services C (AP)

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in early September that Libra will need to be held to a high standard.

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Libra would have to be held to the highest regulatory standards and supervisory expectations, he said.

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Cryptocurrency: What to know about digital money - Fox Business

Bitcoin History Part 18: The First Bitcoin Wallet – Bitcoin News

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

Bitcoin users today are blessed with a panoply of feature-rich software and hardware wallets. When Bitcoin launched, however, there were no wallets. It took Satoshi Nakamoto to engineer the first desktop client, and his creation proved surprisingly resilient, serving the community faithfully for years.

Also read: Bitcoin History Part 17: That Time Mt. Gox Destroyed 2,609 BTC

The first bitcoin wallet was a full client, which meant you had to download the entire blockchain history for it to synch. This wasnt an issue to begin with, since there was precious little history to record, although the synchronization period swiftly expanded. Reviewing the wallet in 2012, Vitalik Buterin wrote: Because it is a full node, the client must download the entire (currently 6 gigabyte) blockchain to operate, which can take up to a few days the first time you start the client and several minutes to an hour every time you start the client afterward if you do not keep it running constantly. Today, the BTC blockchain is approaching 250 GB.

Satoshi began working on the first bitcoin wallet concurrently with his development of the Bitcoin protocol, and the Bitcoin-Qt wallet, as it was known, was released in February 2009. The private keys for the Qt wallet were stored in a file on the users desktop titled wallet.dat, prompting anguished stories over the years of individuals accidentally deleting this folder or having it accessed by malware searching for it specifically, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of BTC. There was nothing inherently insecure about Satoshis wallet, though. In fact, given that it came with the option to create a fully encrypted backup, Qt was a highly secure wallet when optimally configured.

Bitcoiners who entered the space pre-2014 will fondly recall the experience of downloading the Qt wallet and watching in wonderment as their first coins arrived, as if by magic, into its receiving address. More often than not, those coins were then sent swiftly on to their final destination Silk Road.

The first build of the Bitcoin-Qt wallet, 0.1, was believed to have been lost to time until Hal Finney, by then virtually incapacitated with Lou Gehrigs disease, found the source code in 2012. Bitcoiners curious to see what the first BTC wallet looked like can download and run the Bitcoin-Qt client 0.1 on PC. Satoshis readme.txt file that accompanies the software explains:

To support the network by running a node, select: Options->Generate Coins and keep the program open or minimized. It runs at idle priority when no other programs are using the CPU. Your computer will be solving a very difficult computational problem that is used to lock in blocks of transactions. The time to generate a block varies each time, but may take days or months, depending on the speed of your computer and the competition on the network.

Ever the master of cutting through complexity, Satoshi finishes: Its not a computation that has to start over from the beginning if you stop and restart it. A solution might be found at any given moment its running. As a reward for supporting the network, you receive coins when you successfully generate a block.

While functionality was limited, the Qt wallet did have a few advanced features to it. In addition to sending and receiving coins and incorporating an address book, it enabled the user to digitally sign a transaction, proving that they were the owner of a particular public key.

Starting from version 0.9.0, the Bitcoin-Qt wallet became known as the Bitcoin Core wallet, following a proposal by Gavin Andresen, who opined that bitcoin core sounds strong and rock-like, which is what you want for something that forms the backbone of the network. Peter Todd demurred, responding that Bitcoin Core has the serious problem that it implies you need it, but the motion passed, and Qt became Core. History, however, would prove Todd to be right.

Despite bitcoiners today having access to an array of user-friendly SPV wallets, the Bitcoin Core wallet is still going strong. As Bitcoin.org, where it can be downloaded, acknowledges, It offers high levels of security, privacy, and stability. However, it has fewer features and it takes a lot of space and memory. Its survival is a credit to its creator, and to the Bitcoin developers who have devoted countless hours to improving it over the past 10 years and counting.

Bitcoin History is a multipart series from news.Bitcoin.com charting pivotal moments in the evolution of the worlds first cryptocurrency. Read part 17 here.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Did you know you can verify any unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction with our Bitcoin Block Explorer tool? Simply complete a Bitcoin address search to view it on the blockchain. Plus, visit our Bitcoin Charts to see whats happening in the industry.

Kai's been manipulating words for a living since 2009 and bought his first bitcoin at $12. It's long gone. He's previously written whitepapers for blockchain startups and is especially interested in P2P exchanges and DNMs.

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Bitcoin History Part 18: The First Bitcoin Wallet - Bitcoin News

Bitfinex and Tether Face Class Action Filed by Lawyers Who Sued Craig Wright – CryptoGlobe

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

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Lawyers who successfully sued Craig Wright for billions of dollars in bitcoin are going after crypto exchange Bitfinex and its affiliated dollar-backed stablecoin Tether - both already facing existing legal claims.

Kyle Roche and Velvel Freedman filed a class-action lawsuit in the Southern District of New York alleging more than $1.4 trillion in damages suffered by plaintiffs David Leibowitz, Jason Leibowitz, Benjamin Leibowitz, Aaron Leibowitz, Pinchas Coldshtein and "all other similar situated".

The lawsuit claims that iFinex - parent company of Bitfinex - BFXNA Inc, BFXWW Inc, Tether Holdings Ltd, Tether Operations Ltd, Tether Ltd, Tether International Ltd and a number of related individuals used cryptocurrency to "defraud investors, manipulate markets, and conceal illicit proceeds". The claim continued:

Part-fraud, part-pump-and-dump, and part-money laundering, the scheme was primarily accomplished through two enterprises Bitfinex and Tether that commingled their corporate identities and customer funds while concealing their extensive cooperation in a way that enabled them to manipulate the cryptocurrency market with unprecedented effectiveness.

Tether appeared to anticipate news of further lawsuits against it. Just two days earlier in a blog post dated October 5, Tether - citing an unpublished research paper accusing it of market manipulation and fraud - said it expected "mercenary lawyers" to exploit the "deeply flawed paper" as evidence in the ongoing lawsuit.

Indeed, it appears that Roche and Freedman have used this paper as the background for the lawsuit, as point 13 of their filing to the New York District Court refers to Tether's October 5 statement. It read:

Fully aware of the incredible harm theyve inflicted on the cryptocurrency market, on October 5, 2019, Bitfinex and Tether published statements where they generally described the allegations contained herein, admitted that they 'fully expect' to be sued, and stated that they 'would not be surprised if just such a lawsuit will be filed imminently'.

The filing concluded that calculating the damages at this stage would be premature, but added:

There is little doubt that the scale of harm wrought by the Defendants is unprecedented. Their liability to the putative class likely surpasses $1.4 trillion US dollars.

Roche and Freedman were the principal lawyers acting on behalf of the Kleiman estate versus Craig Wright, the bitcoin investor and self-proclaimed to be bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto, winning a claim that is likely to be worth several billion dollars.

It was revealed in the summer that the ongoing legal battle both Tether and Bitfinex face against the New York Attorney General over claims Tether's dollar reserves were used by Bitfinex to plug a funding gap, has already cost the firms more than half a million dollars.

Featured Image Credit: Photo viaPixabay.com

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Bitfinex and Tether Face Class Action Filed by Lawyers Who Sued Craig Wright - CryptoGlobe

How Bitcoin Miners Fueled the Bear Market Trend of 2018 – BTCNN

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Danzig

When the financial industry was left astounded by the downward spiral of Bitcoin in 2018, questions as to the cause largely went unanswered even though some analysts had one or two things to say about it. Nevertheless, there is no need to search further as recent data has revealed who to hold responsible for the markets continued degradation, and that is Bitcoin Miners.

Token Analyst uploaded a new study that showed the role miners played in the fall of Bitcoin. The analysis, which was shared on social platforms on October 11, stated that the moment miners began to sell coins directly, things began to go wrong for Bitcoin.

It is not a coincidence that the moment BTC/USD crashed to$3,100 was the same time miners were orchestrating a massive sell-off. June andAugust recorded a massive transfer of coins to exchanges, which depreciatedeven further what was left of the Bitcoin price.

Token Analyst stated: We see miners taking advantage ofvolatility by sitting on their mined stash and then selling around large priceswings.

Already there are assumptions that point to miners as havinga hand at the collapsed Bitcoin price of 2018, and now, the data released by TokenAnalyst has confirmed them.

The unusual event is not also lost to the popular industrycommentators who have been following the issue for a long time now. One ofthem, PlanB, has shown via his stock-to-flow Bitcoin price model that theinfluence of miners over Bitcoin price should not be taken lightly.

Another group of commentators, which include Cole Garner,Filb Filb, and others, believe that miners encourage minimum BTC prices.

Garner, who is in support of the concept, has backed up hisbelief by repeating what Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, said back in2010, which is that production cost plays a vital role in the price of acommodity. He further added that:

If the price is below cost, then production slows down. If the price is above cost, profit can be made by generating and selling more.

Therefore, these statements may be geared towards preparingthe minds of the crypto community members for a new Bitcoin price floorprojected to be around $6,400, because it is improbable that miners will sellbelow the price.

The next block size halving expected to happen in May 2020will determine a lot of things for Bitcoin enthusiasts, just like it did in2016. With block reward dropping to 6.25 BTC per block, everyone should buckleup for new price highs.

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How Bitcoin Miners Fueled the Bear Market Trend of 2018 - BTCNN

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