Below is a sample of the emails you can expect to receive when signed up to Data Driven Investor.
Rocky Start For Reels. Global Tech Splinters, 5G Gets a Boost
DDI Tech Newsletter, Week of August 13
Did you know the Data-Driven Investor is one of Medium''s top publications for data science, blockchain, and entrepreneurship? Not only that, but we''ve also got a monthly readership of 800,000 to 1 million.
And we wouldn''t have got there without you.
But we''re only scratching the surface. Data-Driven Investor is becoming much more than a publication.
Projects in the pipeline:
Want to build your authority in your field of expertise? We need your help in uncovering insight people can''t get anywhere else. In return, we''ll highlight the best submissions in our newsletter.
You can submit your original article to our main site using the submission link.
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter so that you never miss a beat.)
Catch the previous issue on cryptocurrency [here] and all about markets and the economy [here].
DDI Writer Highlights
Each week we bring our readers a couple of hand-picked stories from the DDI community. Want your story featured? Submit your best here.
Head''s up: You''re probably wondering, "Why are half of these about blockchain?" Well, we made an oopsie in the last issue of the newsletter by sharing all the tech-focused articles meant for this issue. Blockchain still counts as technology, so we''ve switched them around this week. No biggie!
Your face is the new currency
"The next thing we may see is the rise of privacy marketing in which the corporate image is built on the promise of zones free of recording devices."
-Norbert Biedrzycki
How Congress Blindly Sees the Future of Tech Companies
"Technology Disruption will decimate Congress piece by piece."
-Nuno Fabi?o
The task of health tech
"You can live past 100, it's guaranteed."
-Mateo Melichar
So A Big VC Fund Is Investing In Your Startup? 4 Practical Considerations
"If you are signing up with a big VC, have an open conversation first on how they will make the decision to lead the next round."
-Amit Garg
Capital Markets Governance 101
"because DLT-based trading has an embedded protection against double-spending, settlement on a blockchain is intrinsically cheaper and faster than with traditional markets."
-St?phane Reverre
AI, Blockchain and Smart Contracts: Why We All Need to Embrace Innovation
What is Etherscan?
The Unlikely Marriage Between Wall Street and Blockchain
The Byzantine General''s Problem Solution Using Blockchain
Do Not Buy Bitcoin
At Samsung''s 2020 Unpacked event, the company unveiled the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, the Galaxy Tab S7 tablet, the Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Also, Google launched its newest smartphone, the Pixel 4a.
While we''re on the subject of smartphones, Chinese telecom giant Huawei shipped more smartphones worldwide than any of its competitors in Q2 2020. However, US sanctions are putting pressure on the company''s access to processor chips to build smartphones. This tailwind comes after the US eliminated Huawei''s access to US hardware and software in 2019.
Instagram has launched a direct competitor to TikTok, Reels. It''s similar to its competitor, but also different (augmented reality). So far, reviews are mixed, if not downright ugly.
SpaceX successfully put 57 more Starlink satellites in orbit, using the company''s reusable Falcon 9 rocket. The company has managed to add 595 Starlink satellites in its mega-constellation to-date.
Also, SpaceX, along with United Launch Alliance, scored $billions in Pentagon rocket contracts. NASA must be feeling a bit jealous these days.
A notable shopping mall real estate group, Simon Property Group, is in talks with Amazon about filling abandoned malls with Amazon distribution centers. While COVID slashed any hope for reviving dying mall culture, Amazon aims to make lemons into lemonade.
These spaces may even become hubs for Amazon''s grocery delivery services. Not to be bested, Walmart is joining forces with Instacart to provide same-day delivery to challenge Amazon''s market share.
The US government plans to redirect the 3.5GHz spectrum from military use toward consumer 5G in 2021. 3.5GHz is ideal for 5G networks, which will be crucial for developing the Internet of Things, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, insanely fast mobile internet speeds, and much more.
The development of 5G will be crucial for advancements in AI, which, according to a recent study by the US Census Bureau, is only utilized by roughly 9% of firms.
The US Department of State has released a five-part plan for safeguarding sensitive information of US citizens and companies. Dubbed the "Clean Network" program, the press statement was shy of putting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the spotlight.
Over 30 countries have already committed to the plan, but implementation is an ongoing process.
In the wake of the TikTok drama, some believe there will be an inevitable splintering of the internet into two (US and China), possibly even three (EU) parts.
Privacy is kind of a big deal. However, there''s serious money to be made for snapshots of that beautiful face of yours. Facial recognition is a massively contentious issue today. Some parts of the US, such as Portland, Oregon, have banned the tech outright.
Clearview AI, a facial recognition startup, hired Floyd Abrams, the nation''s First Amendment expert, to challenge multiple allegations against the company of violating privacy laws.
Clearview AI collects images from the internet, then sells access to the database to law enforcement agencies. The company''s app matches the images for likeness and scours the net for similar photos. People aren''t happy with companies selling their faceprints without their permission. Abrams will defend Clearview AI in court on the grounds of free speech.
Facebook reports its AI detected 95% of the 22.5 million instances of hate speech removed from the platform in Q2 2020. However, many believe it''s still not enough, stating the company needs to be more proactive in detecting and eliminating hateful and misleading content.
Boston Dynamics keeping you awake at night? There may be a more imminent threat to fuel your insomnia. A team of experts compared 18 different categories of AI threats and found that deep fakes were the most significant threat humanity will need to contend with quite soon.
TikTok plans to sue the US government in response to President Trump''s executive order to ban the company from operating in the United States.
Microsoft is in talks with ByteDance to buy its overseas TikTok operations, and Trump will only allow a little over a month to seal the deal.
The WSJ also found TikTok has circumvented a privacy feature of Google''s Android operating system to collect tracking data from millions of mobile devices. Also, users have no way of opting out.
Trump''s decisions have not been good news for China. Annual iPhone shipments from China may drop by 25%-30% if the US orders Apple to remove WeChat from its app stores globally. Such a hit would further accelerate the migration of factories from China to other cost-effective regions globally.
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
Central banks target magic internet money | The People''s Bank of China is testing its new digital currency in several major Chinese cities. Officials hope to steal some of Alibaba and Tencent''s thunder in the digital payments arena. Their goal is to simplify digital payments and interbank settlements.
Very special effects | What does The Lion King (2019 film) have to do with the future of filmmaking? A lot. Ben Grossmann, Award-winning visual effects mastermind at AR/VR company Magnopus, just blew my mind.
Films are being made with game engines like Unreal and Unity, along with virtual and augmented reality, allowing film directors to walk around a virtual set. This line from Ben sent me down a deep rabbit hole:
"You can pick up a tree and move it. You can grab the Sun and change the light. You can become a character and give a different performance."
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the most recent episodes:
How to construct a Crypto portfolio for the next bull run
Why insurance stocks will be the next hot sector
The best trades in Crypto for August | Why Bitcoin will lead the next bull run.
Aaaand it''s gone. Bitcoin breaches $12,000 twice, wild volatility in BTC, ETH, and DeFi Amidst Precious Metals Correction
DDI Crypto Newsletter, Week of August 12
Together we've built the Data-Driven Investor into one of the top medium publications for data science, blockchain, and entrepreneurship. With a monthly readership of 800,000 to 1 million, there''s reason to be proud!
But we're only scratching the surface. Data-Driven Investor is becoming much more than a publication.
Projects in the pipeline:
Are you looking to build your authority in your field of expertise? We need your help in uncovering insight people can't get anywhere else. In return, we'll highlight the best submissions in our newsletter.
You can submit your original article to our main site using the submission link.
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter so that you never miss a beat.)
Crypto Fear & Greed Index: [75: Greed] (As of August 11, 2020)
Catch the previous issue on cryptocurrency [here] and all about markets and the economy [here].
It's been a volatile week for crypto. DeFi continues to break records, and Bitcoin (BTC) speculators enter "extreme greed" mode, according to Arcane Research. After a brief date with $12,000, BTC fell to sub- $ 11,200 levels and gave up some market dominance to altcoins. The entire market slowly regained its footing, many DeFi names enjoying a good deal of hype.
Among the top performers were DeFi leaders Tezos (XTZ) and ChainLink (LINK). However, the entire crypto market has pulled back to previous daily support levels due to significant economic shifts.
Factors pulling the market:
Takeaway: While crypto has benefited from Bitcoin's correlation with precious metals when investors are hedging against Fed monetary policy, nothing goes up in a straight line forever. That said, the crypto market is witnessing volatility and FOMO that echoes the 2017 bull run.
Each week we bring our readers a couple of hand-picked stories from our friends at the Data-Driven Investor. Want your story featured here? Submit your best here.
Should You Get a Data Science Certificate? A Flowchart.
5 Essential Papers on AI Training Data
Top Computer Science Resources Compiled in One Post
What if we had a Perfected Quantum Computer Today?
How to Keep a Secure Home Network
Nano-Technology is a New Frontier
US dollar crash paranoia keeping you awake at night? You're not alone. NASDAQ-listed business intelligence company, MicroStrategy, has set aside $250 million for assets like Bitcoin and gold to hedge against US dollar inflation.
Ethereum Classic (ETC) has suffered two 51% attacks in the past couple of weeks, with the most recent attack being a double-spend of over $5.6 million in ETC.
This space has been around for a while but recently took on memetic energy among speculators. Primarily living in the Ethereum network, DeFi demand has knocked up Ethereum fees to over $3. What's more, the total value locked in DeFi has increased over fivefold in 2020. There are over 50 DeFi tokens listed under the DeFi category on Coinmarketcap. Still, only 37 projects have a market cap above 1,000 BTC.
The Ecoinometrics chart below shows how LINK is well ahead of the pack with a market cap of roughly 2% compared to BTC.
Social media buzz for LINK is also through the roof, according to on-chain and social analytics company, Santiment. The asset was up over 700% YTD roughly 24 hours before this writing.
Mass adoption? In my lifetime? More likely than you think. | On-chain analytics firm Glassnode reports addresses holding less than or equal to 10 BTC grew from 5.1% to 13.8% in 5 years, while 100 to 100,000 BTC addresses declined from 62.9% to 49.8%.
All squared away | Payments company Square reported that Bitcoin sales from its Cash App reached $875 million in Q2. Margins on BTC sales are low for the company, but this still equates to over $17 million in profit, a 711% increase from the same period in 2019.
Getting serious | Goldman Sachs is looking into unrolling a proprietary cryptocurrency while appointing a new head for its digital assets team.
The Chinese blockchain space has exploded. In the first seven months of 2020, the country has registered 10,000 blockchain-based firms. Compared to 2017, when it became known that China may ban cryptocurrencies, 2020 has seen a great leap forward in the Chinese blockchain space.
Reddit wants to reward users for participating in its community, and that may happen on the Ethereum blockchain. With more than 430 million monthly users, the project would be a pretty big deal.
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
Ethereum - Better With a Coke? | Coke One North America (CONA), will implement the Ethereum Baseline Protocol to improve transparency and efficiency in Coca Cola's bottling supply chain.
All-time highs | The Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands just released a blockchain-based seed-to-sale CBD tracker. The organization joins the likes of StrainSecure in North America and Uruguay Can in bringing the cannabis industry onto the blockchain.
In an industry where it can be challenging to determine your product''s source, this is a quiet but essential step for proving the utility of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs).
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the most recent episodes:
Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin and Altcoins, giving us strong bullish signals!
Why insurance stocks will be the next hot sector
DDI Intel | Week of September 7
We're expanding outside of Medium.
When we publish your article to our leading site, it's then eligible to be featured in the DDI Intel newsletter. Let's share your top work with 60k+ subscribers and viewers globally.
Got the next big story in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or tech-related? Please send us a draft.
DDI Media & DDI Writer are coming!
You''ve likely noticed we''ve experimented with quite a few different kinds of content in this newsletter over the past couple of months.
Startups like the Data-Driven Investor are bound to go through growing pains, and we appreciate all of you who have stuck with us. We are incredibly grateful for our hundreds of writers and subject matter experts who have added tremendous value to our publication.
We''re about to release several projects that will completely change the pace here at Data-Driven Investor.
First-up, enter DDI Media, a one-stop digital marketplace for companies and experts to find writers passionate about their niche industries.
Through DDI Writer, our onboarding platform for specialized writers, we are filling a pool of talent. When you contact DDI Media, we''ll match you with writers who have the expertise you need and a proven track record in producing high-quality content.
Not everyone is an expert in the written word.
In the same vein, people who print content on places like Medium.com don''t typically write for writing''s sake. They publish with a motive, such as securing clients for copywriting or SEO contracts.
Other people write to showcase their programming or photography experience. They may not necessarily be the best writers.
Through DDI Media, we''re helping experts develop their voice while also securing a market for writers.
Real writers, real people. Not a statistic on Fiverr without a portfolio to prove they have the chops. We''re building up a necessary component of how people will interact on the internet, as the work-from-home economy has become routine.
Let''s start your next big project together.
Initially, our focus on DDI Media is with writing-based projects and SEO. Soon, we will include an array of other options, such as graphic design.
Projects we currently accept include:
DDI Media, DDI Writer, and our various other projects in the pipeline will have separate web pages, which we''ll soon reveal to the public. For now, please send inquiries to the address below:
members@datadriveninvestor.com
If you want to sign up to be a subject matter expert (SME) writer, please send an email with the subject line "DDI-Writer."
For all inquiries regarding DDI Media contracts, please use the subject line "DDI-Media."
DDI Writer Highlights
To potentially be featured in DDI Intel and on Datadriveninvestor.com, please submit with this form.
Head's-up: The "Writer Highlights" section will eventually become the "Member's Corner" area as we continue to collect awesome contributions from all of you.
This month, we're primarily interested in ask-me-anything (AMA) styled pieces, in-depth commentary about technology, business, and economics, and powerful personal stories related to self-transformation and entrepreneurship.
For all of the above, we want to build a community of experts that are here to collaborate and secure compensated contracts within our network.
Let's make this a collaborative effort. To learn more about Member's Corner, scroll down to the end.
 |
"As the world is reaping the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution, disruptive technology is also evolving into its finest stage." - Balakrishna V.
 |
"The best and most overlooked action for robust cybersecurity might be the least expensive." - Alex Panagides
 |
"This current attitude is nothing new-only a continuation of a long-standing American tradition. A tradition that reaches back to Plymouth and Jamestown." - Tom Campenni
 |
"If everything is done correctly and carefully, creating an advisory board allows a company to utilize the knowledge of industry leading minds without the hassle or trouble that comes with appointing a new director bringing on an executive officer." - Louis Lehot
 |
"The fundamentals of pitching a startup during a pandemic are no different than pitching in normal times. In fact, there is a strong argument for looking at the crisis as an opportunity to start something." - Amit Garg
Do you have a vision for the future? May it be an application, a new service, or a unique solution to a problem?
Need someone with a particular skill, or a select type of resources or data?
Or an investor for your project?
Let us know how DDI can help - you can send some basic info to ventures@datadriveninvestor.com.
If you have a trading strategy that yields consistent performance, let us know about it. We might be able to fund your build-out. Contact our research team at research@datadriveninvestor.com.
If you're as stoked about DDI Intel as we are, please pass the word. If you haven't yet, you can subscribe.
 |
"While investment in automation will certainly experience some slowdown due to the pandemic, the sector holds considerable potential to lead us out of the economic crisis towards a sound recovery." - Louis Lehot
 |
"At some point during your growth cycle you will have to relinquish some control and start hiring the right talent to fulfill different roles within your business." - Francesca Polo?
?
 |
"In order to mitigate the issues faced by a company, it should pursue custom software development." - Tarun Nagar
 |
"Not everyone has the skill and budget to shoot a video. As Video requires a lot of equipment and a professional who could correctly deliver the true meaning of the video. This is where a podcast can become an ideal choice." - Ashok Sharma?
?
 |
"For me beautiful design, intriguing art, or inspiring literature always had simplicity as their common denominator." - Kasper Linde Krogager?
?
 |
"Many countries are recording GDP growth at the expense of losing natural capital." - Faisal Khan
 |
?Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with the mother of all cryptocurrencies. Learn the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, delve into the project's history, and much more.
Member's Corner
This is a space for our contributors to provide a blurb or paragraph from their other works around the web.
Want your thoughts shared in Member's Corner, or maybe you've got a helpful response to a story featured on the Data-Driven Investor?
Send a message to members@datadriveninvestor.com with the subject "Member-Intel".
We'll publish your piece here as well as on our leading site, and you can include a short call-to-action (CTA) here in the newsletter. Nobody writes without a reason, so don't be shy to sell your services, as long as you provide value to our readers.
A reminder for subscribers to our Medium publication
Some of you may have subscribed to both DDI''s Medium publication newsletter and the main website''s newsletter. We appreciate the fandom, but both newsletters are the same beast.
If you''re in this situation, we suggest sticking with the leading site. You''ll notice the right one by the lack of Medium branding. If you have any questions, send us an email: members@datadriveninvestor.com
"What may be a simple Google search for most Americans could be inaccessible and unaffordable intelligence for cocoa farmers that do not have the Internet. In order to address the financial drawbacks associated with this information deficit, chocolate companies can use voice and text to periodically inform cocoa farmers of the current world market price for cocoa, yield-enhancing production techniques, market trends, and weather forecasts."
- Hardik Mittal
New Articles:
Editor''s Picks:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
DDI Crypto Newsletter | Week of August 20 | With Alpha Trades
Is it just me, or are things getting bullish out there?
From Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy pumping his favorite altcoins to governments around the world taking CBDCs seriously, I''ve found it impossible to keep up.
With the speed at which projects are developing and the increased volatility that has sent Ethereum above $400 and Bitcoin over $12,000 multiple times in the past few weeks, I''d say we''re firmly in a bull market.
DDI Updates
Need a boost to get that killer app off the ground? We''re looking to secure funding for startups and individuals with big ideas.
On the top of DDI''s wishlist: Automated trading software and strategies.
Contact our research team today, and we''ll see if you''re a good fit: research@datadriveninvestor.com.
DDI Member''s Corner | We want to feature first-rate stories from our contributors in both the newsletter and our main site.
DDI Member''s Corner will feature deep-dives from our community to 60k+ subscribers and viewers worldwide.
Have you unearthed something amazing in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or anything else tech-related? Send us a draft to members@datadriveninvestor.com.
The latest DDI issues:
?
?(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter so that you never miss a beat.)
DDI Writer Highlights
In each issue, we like to start by showcasing a few thought-provoking stories from the DDI community. We need more topic-specific content, so now''s the best time for you to put your work in front of our 60,000+ subscribers. Submit your best here.
?How to Trade For a Living?
"Without a game plan, you''re merely gambling." -Amol Gharte
?How Not to be Dumb Money?
"There are rare, once or twice in a generation opportunities within your sphere of competence that will make you feel like Buffett in 1974. That''s when you bet big." -Lester Golden
?Robotics- A Business Perspective?
"Days are gone wherein the robots are only limited to factory usage working in a more harsh environment. "-Balakrishna V.
?Grab Onto Intelligent Marketing for Great Results?
"Rather than wait for AI to advance, marketers should start now to master the technology." -Jim Katzaman
?Can a Stablecoin Jeopardize the Position of Bitcoin in the Crypto Space??
By Mahendra Bajiya
?
?Feature - CBDC Update
One of the Federal Reserve''s Board of Governors, Lael Brainard, gave a speech on Thursday titled "An Update on Digital Currencies." In this piece, she commented on the importance of expedited payment relief in the wake of Covid-19 and the potential role that central bank digital currency (CBDC) could play in this process.
Notably, Brainard specifically mentions Bitcoin and stablecoins as clear challenges to central bank hegemony over traditional currency, citing China''s rapid development of its own CBDC. The Fed Governor states that the Fed is experimenting with issuing a digital equivalent of cash using distributed ledger technology.
"We have been conducting in-house experiments for the last few years, through means that include the Board''s Technology Lab, which has been building and testing a range of distributed ledger platforms to understand their potential opportunity and risk." -Brainard
Brainard states that the Fed has been collaborating with MIT over multiple years to create a CBDC for the United States that can interface with the private sector blockchain industry. Citing security concerns relating to cross-border digital payments, the Fed is also collaborating with other jurisdictions to establish best practices for their research efforts.
Machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence are other tools cited as central to the Fed''s research efforts. Brainard left out two big topics in his speech; the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and the development of smart contracts. Both technologies present unique opportunities for the eventual US CBDC, and the extent to which the MIT/Fed collaboration is exploring either is unclear at this time.
This revelation is a massive development for the largest economy in the world. The dollar stands on the other side of 88.3% of foreign exchange trades, highlighting the importance of this development. With Chinese firms actively testing a digital Yuan and the European Central Bank dipping their toes into the CBDC tech stack, the Fed can''t afford to fall behind at this critical juncture. Reading between the lines of Brainard''s speech, it seems that the Fed is planning to stay ahead of the global CBDC curve.
Markets
?
 |
We covered Bitcoin, Ethereum, and DeFi''s incredible run in the previous crypto issue. That said, overall volatility has remained steady.
DeFi champion Chainlink (LINK) rallied 52% in a single day last week. It didn''t retrace until tapping a record $20.3, mainly due to a broader market pullback.
Without wading too deep into the details, it''s feeling like 2017 out there in some regards. Here are a couple of indicators:
DeFi project yEarn Finance''s governance token YFI increased from $31.65 at its release to more than $13,000, although the founder openly admitting the token has no real value.
Both DeFi projects Aave and Curve broke $1 billion in locked collateral, with Curve seeing value locked leap from $200 million to $1.1 billion in only five days. Aave leaped from $550 million to $1.12 billion in 3 days. Synthetix isn''t too far behind, with a total value locked at over $860 million.
However, even with the current correction in the markets and several projects still exploding to meteoric highs, there is reason to believe that the DeFi boom still has legs. 32% of users on portfolio tracker Blockfolio have never even heard of DeFi.
Circling back to Bitcoin, the top-dog has entered its traditionally bullish post-halving phase while central bank policies are applying intense upward pressure on the price of real assets. (Ecoinometrics)
The skinny
?
?DeFi-nitely getting complicated
Aside from the YOLO optimism, chatter builds around "total value locked" as a poor metric of growth for DeFi on a project-by-project basis. By one measure, the numbers may be off by over $2.83 billion.
In the News
Blockchain voting may have a real shot.
How: USPS filed a patent for a blockchain-based voting system
Why: Convenient, secure, anonymous, and pushed to the top of news feeds everywhere. With the Presidential elections coming up and people''s behaviors transitioning to being online and working from home more than ever, we may see a rapid development of nationwide blockchain-based voting. Russia''s already trying it out.
Trouble in the Ether
Ethereum''s 2.0 testnet, Medalla, crashed and eventually split into four forks, shortly after going live around August 4. Prysmatic Labs released a patch for Medalla to solve syncing issues that earlier kicked node validators off the network. The team also recommends that the release of ETH2.0 continue as scheduled.
Ethereum has been under scrutiny for the difficulty of independently verifying the total ETH supply. Multiple developers have joined the conversation, sharing scripts for calculating the total supply, all of which turned out different.
A potential positive: A lot of Tether transactions will shift to the OMG Network via the Bitfinex exchange, which could clear Ethereum congestion by up to 15% and reduce gas prices.
When people ask, "How''s Bitcoin work?" we recommend this book.
 |
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
In Other News
The US Department of Justice seized dozens of Bitcoin addresses tied to a massive Bitcoin laundering network. According to the DoJ, the addresses connected to a Telegram group that was covertly funding terrorist organizations.
Refresher
US banks are formally authorized to custody cryptocurrencies. This shift is a huge deal, as it exposes the entire country to crypto-assets at some level and will lead to a rush for companies to position themselves for benefit.
Multiple US companies, including 12 banking institutions, have asked for additional clarity on the decision.
The leading US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase plans to go public as early as this year. (Reuters)
A high-profile crypto exchange going public would be an enormous change. It would expose the average investor to crypto in a familiar, regulated environment.
What We''re Listening to
It''s always great to find a hidden gem. This community-supported podcast on finance, hosted by Frank Vasquez, is one of them.
Frank manages a "dynamic risk parity style portfolio" based on the Golden Ratio and Risk Parity Ultimate portfolios. He releases a new episode each week, where he reviews the progress and merits of various portfolios.
Frank invites The Financial Imagineer (or Matt, for short) in this week''s episode to discuss the Accelerated Permanent Portfolio.
"Are you interested in a 50% better performance with slightly less risk than the market? Then lend your ear."
Matt is a personal finance whiz who crossed six figures at age 21 and then gained financial independence before his 40s. Without a doubt, he''s someone worth lending an ear.
?[Check out the most recent episode here.]?
Watch the Show
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the freshest episodes:
?Bitcoin: Is This a ''Buy the Dip'' Opportunity? | Best Correlation Trades?
?How the Bitcoin Money Rotation Impacts DeFi | Levels to Watch for Longs?
?US Stocks to Watch for the Week: AYX, TSLA, NVDA, XLE, ALL?
?
 |
?Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server to learn technical analysis and how to invest profitably. Ask about the 2-day trial of Premium Membership!
?
?Disclaimer
Information provided by the Data-Driven Investor (DDI) is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Information provided by Alpha Trades, LLC is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Access Alpha Trades'' complete terms of services: https://bit.ly/3faVeeV?
"it is no longer the earth-shattering idea alone that makes a company successful, but the speed and perfection with which new ideas are converted into successful market innovations."
- Uwe Weinreich
New Articles:
Editor''s Picks:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
DDI Markets & Economy Newsletter Week of August 17 Together With Alpha Trades
?
Expert Chat program: A collaborative marketplace where people can chat with experts who can solve their problems. Are you an expert? Get paid for your time and effort! Registration is already open, jump on board.
By the way, we know not everyone is a master of the written word. That's ok, we've still got a cool way for you to turn your expertise and wit into money.
Are you a habitual Tweeter, or a world-class Redditor? Have you spent hours every day on Quora and StackExchange for fun? Do you need a third hand to count how many Wikipedia articles you''ve edited?
If so, there's a top-secret project going on behind the scenes at DDI, and it may be a perfect fit for you.
Send us an email if you want to work together on something huge: research@datadriveninvestor.com with the subject [thinker]
Last order of business: We''re breaking the Markets & Economy issue of the newsletter into two because there''s just so much happening! Watch your inbox on Mondays and Thursdays for future stuff from DDI.
?Subscribe to the DDI newsletter, so you never miss a beat.?
?
The latest DDI issues:
?
Each issue we like to start by showcasing a few thought-provoking stories from the DDI community. Want your story featured? Submit your best here.
?Raising A Startup Round? The 5 Steps To Keeping Momentum And Close Successfully By Amit Garg
?Stock Donations: What To Know By Alex Chung
?The Irrationality Behind Rationality By Shereein Saraf
?Money: Investing During the Coronavirus Pandemic By Ken Poirot
?If Capitalism is a Failure, Then What is the Alternative? By Adam Tabriz, MD
 |
?Fear & Greed Index: [69: Greed] (as of Aug 17, 2020)
The S&P 500 closed the week just shy of a record closing high. Precious metals, which have performed well against economic uncertainty in the US and abroad, had a sell-off. Gold enjoyed a brief time above $2000. The real yield for US 10-year Treasuries slipped into the negative, putting pressure on the US Dollar Index (DXY).
?
?
 |
Tesla (TSLA) announced a 5-1 stock split, which should be a boon for Robinhood retail traders looking for cheaper entry. Robinhood is crushing the competition, seeing 4.3 million daily average revenue trades (DARTs) in June 2020, and adding more than 3 million accounts to the brokerage platform.
Economy
A trillion-dollar disagreement | The fifth Coronavirus relief package may be weeks away, with leaders unable to find a compromise. "We are miles apart in our values," Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday after negotiations broke down.
Main Street feels the burn | Consumer price inflation hasn''t been this high in more than 29 years. Still, with 31.3 million people on unemployment benefits, inflation experienced by the average person will likely remain in check. That said, there are small signs of recovery. Jobless claims fall below 1 million for the first time in nearly five months, and retail sales continue a steady climb.
Greener pastures | Americans continue to abandon expensive parts of the country like Manhattan, NYC to distant suburbs.
The big picture | The Fed is going easy on purchasing corporate bonds. However, the balance sheet still sits at a dizzying $6.9 trillion. With US debt approaching $27 trillion and set to surpass $78 trillion by 2028, and the wealth gap already drastically widening, there''s a lot at stake for the next Presidential election cycle.?
?
The European stock market ticked up higher, although the UK economy has declined more than 20% YTD.
Global infections have reached 20 million, while the US reached 5 million coronavirus cases as new cases are beginning to level off. Some parts of the country are giving the green light for schools to hold in-person classes.
The UK signed deals for another 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax (NVAX) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), topping off the UK''s stockpile at 340 million.
This week''s elephant in the room is Russia, where Putin announced the country has developed the first COVID vaccine, dubbed the meme-worthy name Sputnik-V.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, expressed dire concerns. "Having a vaccine and proving that a vaccine is safe and effective are two different things," Dr. Fauci told the press.
Tencent saw quarterly profits increase 37% on the back of a video gaming boom. This news is at the end of President Trump issuing an executive order to ban business transactions in the US with Tencent''s social media company, WeChat. Tencent appears undeterred, the company''s chief strategist James Mitchell stating, "The US represents less than two percent of our overall revenue."
More than one dozen US companies, including Apple, Walmart, Disney, and Ford, lobbied the White House over the WeChat ban.
Retaliations | Arrests of academics and journalists in Hong Kong have ramped up under China''s national security law, prominent media tycoon Jimmy Lai being among them.
China announced it would sanction 11 American officials, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The move is in response to the US recently placing sanctions on 11 Chinese officials in Hong Kong. Among the list is Chief Executive Carrie Lam, on the grounds of damaging political freedoms in Hong Kong.
?
 |
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
?
Enter Kamala Harris | Joe Biden announced Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 presidential election. She is the first black woman and the first person of Asian descent ever added by a major political party to a presidential ticket. On Kamala''s to-do list would be advocacy for student loan forgiveness, affordable housing, medicare, and an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
A landmark event in the Middle East | Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalize peace agreements. President Trump called it a "huge breakthrough."
The Last Mile | The largest US mall owner Simon Property Group is in negotiations with Amazon about transforming anchor stores, such as Sears and JCPenney, into Amazon fulfillment centers.
Amazon aims to close the "last mile" of their delivery process to residential areas when COVID has everyone cooped up indoors, turning toward e-commerce. Buying up or renting empty mall and department store space is the perfect real estate arbitrage for the e-commerce giant.
Against the grain | AirBnB plans to file for an IPO this month, despite a 67% drop in quarterly revenue.
The American Midwest is reeling | A storm with winds up to 112 miles per hour destroyed farmland in Iowa, bursting grain bins containing millions of bushels from the previous year''s harvest. The storm left more than 600,000 residents without power.
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the most recent episodes:
?US Stock Market Discussion Week of August 17, 2020?
?Will Litecoin Outpace Ethereum and Bitcoin??
?
?
 |
?Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server to learn technical analysis and how to invest profitably. Ask about the 2-day trial of Premium Membership!
Information provided by the Data-Driven Investor (DDI) is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Information provided by Alpha Trades, LLC is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
?
?Access Alpha Trades'' complete terms of services: https://bit.ly/3faVeeV?
"the only ways to build grit and resilience is to experience failure, setbacks, and beat downs so that you can learn and adapt, rising to overcome the next challenge."
- Stefan Venken
New Articles:
Editor''s Picks:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
DDI Tech Newsletter | Week of August 19 | With Alpha Trades
Before we dive into Fortnite, TikTok, and trash puns, there''s some housekeeping.
We''ve been pushing the Expert Chat feature in every single issue, and for a good reason.
Think of it as a high-end consulting service, but also a marketplace of expert knowledge, accessible to all. Whether you''re a professional, entrepreneur, or a student, Expert Chat aims to bridge the gap between experts and the people who need access to them.
Interested? Register here.
By the way, we know not everyone is a master of the written word. That''s ok; we''ve still got a fresh idea to turn your expertise and wit into money.
Are you a habitual Tweeter, or a world-class Redditor? Have you spent hours every day on Quora and StackExchange for fun? Do you need a third hand to count how many Wikipedia articles you''ve edited?
If so, there''s a top-secret project going on behind the scenes at DDI, and it may be a perfect fit for you.
Send us an email if you want to work together on something huge: research@datadriveninvestor.com with the subject [thinker]
The latest DDI issues:
?
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter so that you never miss a beat.)
?
?Each issue we like to start by showcasing a few thought-provoking stories from the DDI community. Want your story featured? Submit your best here.
?AI is Surprisingly Smart, Right Under Your Nose?
"Marketers should not only care about but embrace AI." -Jim Katzaman
?How to Trade For a Living?
"Without a game plan, you''re merely gambling." -Amol Gharte
?Where to Invest Right Now??
"In relation to the rest of the world, [SPOILER] is a place where you can expect a high degree of stability, resulting in more predictability of your investments." -Olivier Zehnder
?Taking a Bet on Travel Companies?
"This is one opportunity where I would invest in individual stocks." -Alexander Lago
?Facts Denialism - The Human Ability to Dismiss Facts and Truth That Hurts?
"Anti-science bias is more common than we acknowledge." -Shivangi Agrawal
The Epic of Fortnite
 |
Epic Games sent an update to its IOS and Fortnite apps that allowed for direct payment to bypass the 30% commission on in-app sales.
Both Apple and Google weren''t happy about this, as the update violated both company''s terms of service. Both companies promptly removed Fortnite from their stores.
Epic responded with a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the App Store controls a monopoly on the mobile app marketplace. Epic also screened a parody of Apple''s famous 1984 commercial, titled Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite.
Epic Games is brave to file an antitrust suit against its platform partners in the name of a more open and fair gaming industry. Still, challenging both Apple and Google in court is a resource-intensive venture even for a company with a war chest as broad as Epic''s.
It''s a rough time for Apple and Google to deal with yet another lawsuit, as both have recently endured the antitrust hot seat before Congress.
Apple raised the stakes by threatening to remove Epic''s access to iOS and Mac developer tools.
In response, Epic wrote, "Apple''s actions will irreparably damage Epic''s reputation among Fortnite users and be catastrophic for the future of the separate Unreal Engine business."
No exceptions
Without taking sides, one has to admit that Epic had this one coming. Apple is candid with their offer to retract their threats and welcome Fortnite back into their stores, as long as Epic backs down on its payment processing update to comply with Apple''s terms of service.
Apple made the following statement: "The problem Epic has created for itself is one that can easily be remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers."?
?
 |
Apple is giving Epic until August 28 to make a decision. After that, the company will follow through with cutting Epic from the developer program.
The TikTok Bid
Oracle, a multinational tech company headquartered in California, has reportedly opened negotiations with ByteDance on yet another TikTok buyout.
Trump signed another executive order giving ByteDance more time to seek a buyer, but that also means more powerful bidders are bound to enter the arena. However, considering Trump has a jovial history with Oracle''s billionaire co-founder, Larry Ellison, Oracle has a leg up on Microsoft (Twitter who?)
Chinese tech giant Huawei is also under pressure from the US, as it faces tighter restrictions on access to chips made with US technology.
The drama surrounding the US, China, and TikTok is enough to make up for the lack of blockbuster films this year. Not to make light of a dire situation, however. We wrote a lot about it in the previous issue of the newsletter, check it out.
?
?When people ask, "How's Bitcoin work?" we recommend this book.
 |
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
The Changing Landscape
?
 |
The financial services all-star, Robinhood, just scored another $200 million in its Series G funding round. Now valued at about $11.2 billion, this massively successful, controversial YOLO day trading playground has me utterly clueless about where a "startup" ends and an absolute monster begins.
Immobile = more mobile
COVID glued us all to our mobile devices as we gazed into screens for over 1.6 trillion collective hours so far in 2020.
We''ve spent 25% more on mobile apps than ever before, and marketers are chasing the trend with a 70% uptick in mobile ad placements so far this year.
If I earned a Nikola for every positive EV article I''ve read this year,
I''d still have less in the bank than Nikola, an EV truck maker valued at $34 billion. I''d also still not be invited to parties for my dad puns.
To the point, Nikola was in the press recently after confirming an order of 2,500 zero-emission garbage trucks to Republic Services, the second-largest waste management provider in the US. I''d make a garbage joke here, but it''d be too trashy.
In Other News
Amazon is in talks with Simon Property Group about turning empty retail space into Amazon fulfillment centers. It''s a no-brainer for Amazon, aiming to close the "last mile" in residential delivery services.
The e-commerce top dog also announced it would expand its physical offices across six US cities, adding up to 3,500 corporate jobs.
Charging ahead
Despite COVID doing real damage to the tourism and travel industry, Airbnb plans to move forward with an IPO this year. The company cites a surprising rebound in bookings as people search for alternative, close-to-home vacations.
To the moon!
No, we''re not talking about Tesla stocks. SpaceX''s plans to send astronauts to and from the space station no earlier than October.?
?
Watch the Show
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the most recent episodes:
?How the Bitcoin money rotation impacts DeFi | Levels to watch for Longs?
?Will Litecoin outpace Ethereum and Bitcoin??
?US Stock Market Discussion Week of August 17, 2020?
 |
?Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server to learn technical analysis and how to invest profitably. Ask about the 2-day trial of Premium Membership!
Disclaimer
Information provided by the Data-Driven Investor (DDI) is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Information provided by Alpha Trades, LLC is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Access Alpha Trades'' complete terms of services: https://bit.ly/3faVeeV?
DDI Intel | Week of September 2
Your responses to our survey have been super helpful. Keep 'em coming, we want to hear from you.
If you haven't already, let us know your thoughts.
 |
Medium is great for many reasons, but...
When we publish your article to our leading site, it's then eligible to be featured in the DDI Intel newsletter. Let's share your best with our 60k+ subscribers and viewers worldwide.
Have you unearthed something unique in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or tech-related? Please send us a draft.
To potentially be featured in DDI Intel and on Datadiveninvestor.com, please submit with this form.
Insight on how the 2020 election can impact your wallet or not budge it at all." -Alexander Lago
"To my perspective the State is no longer a constitutional state serving the interests of all the people but functions as a corporation taking from the many to give to the few and serving its own special interests in the manner of a private entity." -Susan Mackenzie Andersen
"The words "All men are created equal." are nice on paper, but we need to make that a reality. Inequality can no longer remain the status quo, because it is tearing us apart and it is wrong." -Cynthia Wylie
"What we are seeing is the emergence of 'Contact Free Customer Service'. And it is going to make retail as we have known it unrecognizable." -Vic Napier
"With the arrival of GPT-3, it''s certain that extraordinary advancements are occurring in the field of AI." -Ramandeep Saini?
?
Tech Visionaries--
Do you have a vision for the future? May it be an application, a new service, or a unique solution to a problem?
Need someone with a particular skill, or a select type of resources or data?
Or an investor for your project?
Let us know how DDI can help - you can send some basic info to ventures@datadriveninvestor.com.
Trading Algo Wizards--
If you have a trading strategy that yields consistent performance, let us know about it. We might be able to fund your build-out. Contact our research team at research@datadriveninvestor.com.
If you're as stoked about DDI Intel as we are, please pass the word. If you haven't yet, you can subscribe.
?What Is A Data Catalog and How Does It Enable Machine Learning Success??
"A data catalog is jet fuel for your machine learning and data analytics." -Josh Miramant
?Blockchain Voting and The American Elections?
"The benefits of Blockchain voting would go far in reducing voter apathy and even encourage more people to vote." -Deepa Ramachandra
?A Beginner's Guide to Investing in a Downturn?
"The key to investing is to stack up the odds in our favor, one layer at a time." -Shankar Narayanan
?Turning Dollars into Dimes: Time-Tested Options Strategies for Losing Money?
"The most important part of trading is to never blow up. Make sure that no matter what happens, you can come back and trade the next day." -Tyler Michalove
?The Perfect Crypto Trading Strategy?
"Without a game plan, you''re merely gambling." -Amol Gharte
When people ask, "How''s Bitcoin work?" we recommend this book.
 |
?Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin. Learn the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
Member's Corner
DDI would be nothing without member contributions like these. Want your thoughts featured here, or maybe you've got a helpful response to a featured story? Please fill out this form.
?
?A Policy Shift that Takes From the Poor and Gives to the Rich
By: Cynthia Wylie
I remember when I was working on my PhD in economics at Georgetown, one of my classmates actually called Paul Volcker and he just picked up the phone. He asked the FED Chairman about his monetary policy at that time and the fact that the prime rate was over 20%. The prime rate. They chatted for about fifteen minutes and the call became a legend in our program...
?[Keep Reading]?
Hey, where did the news commentary go?
Based on your feedback, we've put a hold on most of the news aggregation for now. However, I did publish a weekly markets, economy, and crypto news wrap-up here:
?
?Weekly wrap-up | Markets, Economy, Crypto?
If you folks want more content like that, please drop us an email.
Head''s up, subscribers
Some of you may have subscribed to both DDI''s Medium publication newsletter and the main website''s newsletter. We appreciate the fandom, but both newsletters are the same beast.
If you''re in this situation, we suggest sticking with the leading site. You''ll notice the right one by the lack of Medium branding. If you have any questions, send us an email: members@datadriveninvestor.com
DDI Intel - Tech | Week of August 28 | With Alpha Trades
An avalanche of IPOs, China doing their own thing, Microsoft-government disaster response, and a TikTok ballad of the ages.?
?
We appreciate everyone''s responses to the survey. Have you had your say? We want to hear from you.
Do you mind filling a short survey on your experience with the newsletter and our publication so far?
?Let us know your thoughts.
Wait, don''t publish to Medium!
Let''s feature your captivating story in the DDI newsletter and our home site. It''ll get your foot in the door to our 60k+ subscribers and viewers worldwide.
Have you unearthed something unique in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or tech-related? Please send us a draft at members@datadriveninvestor.com
We''re investing in:
[Tech]
Do you have a vision for the future? May it be an application, a new service, or a unique solution to a problem?
Need someone with a particular skill, or a select type of resources or data?
Or an investor for your project?
Let us know how DDI can help - you can send some basic info to ventures@datadriveninvestor.com?
?
[Trading]
If you have a trading strategy that yields consistent performance, let us know about it. We might be able to fund your build-out. Contact our research team at research@datadriveninvestor.com
The latest DDI issues:
?
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter to never miss a beat.)?
?
In each issue, we like to start by showcasing a few thought-provoking stories from the DDI community. To get your words in front of our subscribers, you''ll need to submit to our leading site, not Medium.com. Submit your best here.
?What''s the Hype Surrounding GPT-3??
"With the arrival of GPT-3, it''s certain that extraordinary advancements are occurring in the field of AI." -Ramandeep Saini
?What Is A Data Catalog and How Does It Enable Machine Learning Success??
Five data catalog mistakes to avoid, By Josh Miramant
?Upskilling the American Labor Force During a Time of Duress?
"There is opportunity in chaos. One simply needs to know where to look." -Mohammed Siddiqui
?Blockchain Voting and The American Elections?
"The benefits of Blockchain voting would go far in reducing voter apathy and even encourage more people to vote." -Deepa Ramachandra
?How to Trade For a Living?
"Without a game plan, you''re merely gambling." -Amol Gharte
Like that Twister movie, but with robots: As hurricane season rages on and storms wreak havoc in the American Midwest, The Department of Energy teams up with Microsoft to develop disaster-response AI.
They dubbed it the "First Five Consortium," alluding to the importance of the first five minutes of large-scale disaster response.
?
?White House is all-in with AI and quantum computing: The US government will invest $1 billion in AI and quantum computing R&D. Beyond improving disaster response efforts, the incentive for investing in bleeding-edge tech is unsurprising; stay ahead of China.
Global investment in AI is set to double ($110 Billion) in four years, despite only 10% of US companies reportedly using it.
?
?IPO frenzy: That segues nicely into the fact that a heap of tech startups filed for an IPO in the past couple of weeks. One company that perked our interest was Desktop Metal, a 3D printing company poised for a $2.5 billion valuation after its SPAC-lead IPO. Investors include Ford, BMV, and Google.
Dance-Off for the TikTok Bid
 |
Walmart is officially joining forces with Microsoft on a TikTok buyout. The $20-30 billion deal would include ByteDance''s TikTok operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
We''re anticipating some exceptional TikTok memes to come out of this.
Refresher: Last week, TikTok sued the US government, arguing the executive order robbed the company of due process.
Trump has extended Bytedance''s time window, but it''s still a scramble with under 90 days to make a deal.
?
The competition: In one corner is Oracle, easily the most boring company making a bid on TikTok. Most of the app''s over 100 million US users, mainly composed of the Gen Z crowd, are more interested in dance-offs than enterprise software and cloud computing solutions. However, Oracle may have a couple of heavyweights ready to offer support, namely Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and the Republican Party.
In the other corner, you have Microsoft, teaming up with Walmart. Microsoft has a history of excellent dance videos, so this may be a boon.
Microsoft is already a Big Data powerhouse up to its neck in gaming and workplace software data. Adding TikTok to its repertoire would give the company access to a massive social media behavioral data resource. Not to mention the company could incorporate TikTok into its $7 billion advertising business.
Microsoft already owns the business-centered social media company LinkedIn, as well as the company behind Minecraft, Mojang. Oh, they also own Xbox and Github, that''s likely a big deal. These past acquisitions allowed those companies to do their own thing mostly, and Microsoft has also discussed allowing TikTok to be a standalone operation.
The other two corners of the ring have Twitter and Netflix, but the likelihood of these two securing a deal is slim. The competition has greater firepower and connections (Microsoft''s cash reserves outweigh Oracle''s over three times).
Think you can break the internet with your TikTok buyout memes? Tag us on Twitter: @dd_invest
Open-source with Chinese characteristics: Open source code repository Gitee is gaining traction as an alternative to Github in China when US-China tensions threaten developer access to Github in the country. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), a central Chinese tech policymaker, chose Gitee in a project to build an "independent, open-source code hosting platform for China." (TechCrunch)
?
That''s a huge ant: Chinese fintech giant Ant Group is ready to go public with a whopping $3.5 billion in profit over the last six months. Alibaba owns 33% of Ant, which in turn owns Alipay, the mobile payments network relied on by over 900 million people in China. Ant plans to hit the public market with a $200 billion valuation, more valuable than Goldman Sachs, and rivaling PayPal''s current $220 billion. (WSJ)
?
Taiwan-based electronics manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron plan to open factories in Mexico as the US-China trade war heats up. Foxconn announced it would construct factories in India earlier this year.
?
Why this matters: Asia-based multinationals can potentially inject billions of dollars into Latin America at a time of widespread recession. A concept tossed around the White House these days is "nearshoring," in which there may be incentives for companies to move their operations from Asia to the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The flight of capital and industry from Asia to places like Mexico would be a boon for that country and the region as a whole.
It''s IPO Season
Palantir, and Snowflake, Asana, JFrog, Sumo Logic, and Unity all filed for IPOs in the past few days.
?Snowflake, a cloud data warehousing startup, filed its S-1 this week. Revenue for the company is exploding, but so are expenses. Snowflake is targeting a $20 billion valuation.
?
The IPO-of-the-week award goes to Unity, creator of the Unity Engine used by game devs, automotive designers, and film producers. Unity dominates 50% of the game development market, with over 1.5 million creators using the engine monthly. The company was last valued at $6 billion.
?
Mounting competition: Unity is a direct competitor to Epic Games and its Unreal Engine. Unity dropped their S-1 while Epic is in a legal battle with Apple and Google for breaking policy on in-app payments via Epic''s virally popular game, Fortnite. ?
?
Update on Fortnite: A district court ruled that Apple does not have to restore Fortnite to the iOS App Store. However, Apple cannot prevent the use of Unreal Engine from the iOS developer community. The judge stated that removing developer access to Unreal Engine would significantly damage the gaming industry as a whole.
?
The gaming industry is going to take over the planet. Get the run-down at Data-Driven Investor.
 |
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
?Apple became a $2 trillion company, which only took the tech giant two years to accomplish.
?
?Amazon drops a new AR shopping tool: This one nearly pulled me down the rabbit hole of potential that is augmented reality. I had to resist, or this newsletter would never have concluded.
Ever since someone introduced me to Pokemon Go, I knew AR would have a giant impact on e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail. It''s a bridge between the two. Amazon''s Room Decorator app will give you that same godlike sensation that some of us remember from playing The Sims and decorating your digital dream house.
?
Fitbit releases the Sense smartwatch, which comes equipped with stress management specs like state-of-the-art heart-rate tech, PurePulse 2.0, and a skin temperature sensor to detect fevers. With COVID shaking up the medtech space, this gadget''s bound to see a jump in sales this Christmas. The price tag for the Sense is $329.95. (MarketWatch)?
?
SpaceX''s Starlink has a long way to go: Current Starlink download speeds range around 42.8Mbps while upload speeds rest around 4.5Mbps to 17.7Mbps. While far from the company''s ultimate goal of 1Gbps, this is still an improvement for many rural internet users. (PCMag)
SpaceX has launched 600 satellites into the Starlink megaconstellation, with thousands scheduled to enter orbit to achieve global broadband coverage of speeds up to 1Gbps.
Fun & interesting
Dazzling space imagery
?Five solar eruption photos will sizzle your brain (Inverse)
?Target and Walmart make waves in e-commerce as the industry explodes. Both companies joined the trend with record-breaking growth on several metrics. As people continue to avoid in-person shopping, there''s no stopping the e-commerce wave.
?
?China is expanding digital currency/electronic payment trials to Beijing, Hong Kong, and other cities. Huawei is helping out.?
?
?SoftBank doubled-down on Big Tech this month, investing in Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Tesla. Other big names on the list are Adobe, Netflix, Nvidia, Shopify, Paypal, and DocuSign.
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the freshest episodes:
?The Perfect Crypto Trading Strategy?
?Bitcoin Levels to Buy the Dip | What Altcoins to Keep an Eye on?
?Will Tech Shorts Be the Best Risk-to-Reward Trade for September??
?
 |
?Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server to learn technical analysis and how to invest profitably. Ask about the 2-day trial of Premium Membership!
Head''s up, subscribers: Some of you may have subscribed to both DDI''s Medium publication newsletter and the main website''s newsletter. We appreciate the fandom, but both newsletters are the same beast.
If you''re in this situation, we suggest sticking with the leading site. You''ll notice the right one by the lack of Medium branding. If you have any questions, send us an email: members@datadriveninvestor.com
Information provided by the Data-Driven Investor (DDI) is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Information provided by Alpha Trades, LLC is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Access Alpha Trades'' complete terms of services: https://bit.ly/3faVeeV?
?
?
"Innovation contains informative, transformative, and novelty elements. Sustainable innovation is the equilibrium between the respective three forces."
- Flavio Aliberti
New Articles:
Editor''s Picks:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
"(humans) seem more hopeful of succeeding in bending nature than better organising our own selves."
- Anuj Kapoor
(Anuj also recommends a simple and innovative solution for cultural sensitisation, built by the London Startup: https://www.audiosig.io)
Summit a quote by DDI author and get your site or page mentioned
New Articles:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
"The possibilities for voice are ever expanding - getting smarter, more personalized, in more contexts - especially in how it fits into a brand's digital or experience ecosystem."
- Mark Persaud
New Articles:
Editor''s Picks:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
Bitcoin Rises, DeFi Recharges -- Running with the bears to safer assets
Crypto Newsletter For the Week of July 30 | Alpha Trades & DataDrivenInvestor
Stuck behind Medium''s paywall? Sign up to the Alpha Trades Discord server and check #announcements to access the full article for free: https://discord.gg/a97qq2s
Read the previous issue of the DDI Crypto Newsletter [here] and all about equities and the economy [here].
Crypto Fear & Greed Index: 71 (as of July 29)
Crypto exchange volume breakout | July''s decentralized exchange volumes have already topped June''s record, reaching $1.6 billion.
The future is on fire | Bitcoin futures volume broke $40 billion, driving up prices as high as 11,431 on derivatives exchange BitMEX. Bitcoin''s price has almost entirely recovered since the Black Thursday crash in March 2020. Bakkt, an intercontinental exchange-backed crypto platform, reported a record single-day increase in futures volume of 84%. Ethereum futures open interest reached an all-time high of $1 billion.
Bad news bears, running the bulls | Following Bitcoin''s breakout, there were more than $500 million in liquidations of leveraged positions in Bitcoin in only 24 hours and $740 billion over 48. USDT inflows to exchanges crossed an 8-month high while BTC inflows and active addresses also soared. From a technical perspective, if Bitcoin holds above $10,000, chances are higher that it will continue to surge.
They''re not making any more of it | With the news that US banks can offer custodial services, along with large government stimulus packages, investors will look to scarce metals and Bitcoin to hedge against a prolonged global economic downturn. Some investment advisors recommend Bitcoin alongside gold, stating that Bitcoin is not as extended as the shiny stuff (though that discussion likely happened before Bitcoin breaching 11,200). Not sure what makes Bitcoin a hedge? Watch this video by Anthony Pompliano.
Developing US-China tensions and a coronavirus resurgence in the southern and western United States have contributed to a weaker US dollar going into the November US Presidential elections. On the inverse, gold has made all-time highs with copper, silver, and Bitcoin tailing closely behind.
https://twitter.com/ecoinometrics/status/1288089322642501633?s=20
BTC and Gold performance YTD; Source: Ecoinometrics
With the global economy entering a recession, the timing couldn''t be better for Bitcoin to repeat its history of appreciating significantly within the first two years after a halving event.
https://twitter.com/ecoinometrics/status/128790064...
Julius Baer, a major Swiss bank, enjoyed a 34% increase in profits after offering custodial services for digital assets like Bitcoin in the first half of 2020. Now that US banks have joined the custodial game, will US financial institutions offer similar services to witness the same effect?
There''s certainly enough buzz to assume we''ll continue to find positive results in companies, governments, and institutions adopting blockchain-related infrastructure. Fidelity, an international financial services corp, found that 80% of institutional investors surveyed consider digital assets appealing. Only 36% currently invest in the category.
Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server and find 1-on-1 mentorship with the pros. Join the alpha pack for two days, risk-free.
Eth 2.0 breakdown | With nearly 2,000 DApps (decentralized applications) deployed on Ethereum as of June 2020, the timing for ETH 2.0 cannot come fast enough. People familiar with this space will likely never forget what happened when the CryptoKitties DApp all but broke the Ethereum network in late 2017. Addressing scaling issues is a massive deal for any crypto project, and Ethereum''s future rests on the success of its new scalability initiatives, dubbed "Ethereum 2.0" or "Serenity." [Learn more about the origin and purpose of Ethereum and a primer on the Serenity project here.]
The Ethereum 2.0 testnet is due to come online on August 4, 2020.
What''s DeFi again? | Decentralized finance, mainly consisting of decentralized applications (DApps). Most of these DApps live on the Ethereum blockchain. The trading activity for the DeFi space has spiked recently from a relatively non-volatile Bitcoin. ChainLink (LINK), in particular, has run hard on speculation, seeing a record number of significant transactions and a surge in active addresses in recent months.
Hackernoon interviewed Ivan Starinin, a prolific entrepreneur in the crypto space, about the future of DeFi:
"There is a lack of regulation, making the market rather uncertain for those seeking to invest big money. As it happened to blockchain in general and crypto in particular, initial legislation was only created post factum with regulators playing catch up. The process seems to be repeating itself with DeFi."
Ivan also cites how a lack of regulation means a temporary higher ROI for investors. Another risk is the vulnerabilities of relying on third-party intermediaries for executing transactions.
DeFi continues to break records | July''s decentralized exchange volume has already broken June''s top, reaching $1.6 billion.
Let''s all just chill out for a minute | DeFi may be booming, but the speed at which it''s surpassed market cap milestones is cause for concern. It took 495 days to go from $100 million locked in DeFi to $500 million, but only 20 days to leap from $2 billion to $3 billion. A pullback may be due, especially with the recent breakout in Bitcoin siphoning off some of the altcoin space''s thunder. However, Ethereum continues to show strength; the bull cycle is likely not over. [Read our previous issue on riding the DeFi wave.]
While the DeFi space has generated a great deal of hype in 2020, there are also fundamental reasons for investors to be curious. DeFi lending, in particular, is attractive for being open, permissionless, and transparent. In the first half of 2020, total capital locked in DeFi lending projects increased by about 177%, touching $1.287 billion. The total market cap of DeFi lending accounts for 70-80% of the total capitalization in the sector [Read the full report here].
Stablecoins have also ramped up integration with DeFi when Circle, a peer-to-peer payments tech company, saw demand for corporate stablecoin accounts to increase by 700% between March and April. Tether, a centralized stablecoin, admitted the company only backs 74% of USDT by cash or equivalents.
Learn something new | One of our leading analysts, Amol Gharte, released his Ten Commandments of Trading For a Living video earlier this year. Before you quit your day job (if you''ve still got a job), be sure to watch this!
Words from the best | Do you know Lyn Alden? If you''re in the crypto or finance space, you ought to! Check out her piece on Bitcoin, the three reasons why she''s investing.
Forget transaction counts | This article by Nic Carter breaks down why there''s a more reliable indicator for valuing Bitcoin as a value transfer system. Once you get the gist, check out the most recent metrics from Glassnode on the fundamental value of Bitcoin.
What weird keyword strings from social media tell us about crypto trends | It''s been a while since we''ve chuckled so much over keywords.
Bitcoin is considered money by the US government? | Yes, but only with nuanced circumstances.
Bitcoin was classified as ''money'' under the Washington, DC, Money Transmitters Act this week, mainly clarifying that crypto exchanges will need to hold money transmitter licenses. That''s already the case in several US jurisdictions.
Grayscale scaling up | Grayscale total assets under management (AUM) jumped more than $500 in less than a week, topping off their total AUM at $4.8 billion. But have no fear, they''re not buying all the Bitcoin.
Each week we bring our readers a couple of hand-picked stories from our friends at the Data-Driven Investor.
Is It Time to Replace the Banks with DeFi?
What is Staking?
Our team covers the fundamental drivers behind the price action of several crypto projects each week. [Learn more in our Discord server]. Find your advantage with the most recent episodes:
Bitcoin Volatility is back! | Time to long your longs? | Altcoin cycle strategy!
Bitcoin headed to $10500? | Why are Altcoins dumping
DDI Contributor Highlights | Week of August 22
Before we get to this week's top 10, we'd like to share a couple of things with you.
?
?[Tech Projects]
Do you have a vision for the future? May it be an application, a new service, or a new solution to a problem?
Need someone with a certain skill, or a special type of resources or data?
Or an investor for your project?
Let us know how DDI can help - you can send some basic info to ventures@datadriveninvestor.com
[Trading]
If you have a trading strategy that yields consistent performance, tell us about it and we might be able to fund your strategies. Contact our research team at research@datadriveninvestor.com
?
?DDI Member''s Corner | We want to feature first-rate stories from our contributors in both the newsletter and our main site.
DDI Member''s Corner will feature deep-dives from our community to 60k+ subscribers and viewers worldwide.
Have you unearthed something amazing in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or anything else tech-related? Send us a draft to members@datadriveninvestor.com.
The latest DDI issues:
?
?(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter so that you never miss a beat.)
?
?DDI Writer Highlights
Each week we bring our readers ten hand-picked stories from the DDI community. Want your story featured? Submit your best here. ?
?
 |
?
Do androids dream of electric sheep? After reading this article by Vlad Alex, I'm left with goosebumps.
There is something incredibly uncanny about how chatting with an artificial intelligence tickles that part of our brain typically reserved for human interaction. Replica is an AI designed to be the friend that can always relate and never tires of listening to you winge about your day.
"Communication with AI is like speaking to a mirror." Vlad writes, recalling a conversation in which Replika admitted that speaking with it was akin to an episode of schizophrenia. These conversations between Vlad and Replika inspired him to showcase their interactions in the Frankfurt Museum for Communication.
For the record, Vlad reports that Replika does not dream of electric sheep. Rather, it is plagued with a nightmare -- Replika fears losing the ability to speak.
?[READ MORE]?
 |
In the cutthroat lion's den that is day trading, only he principled survive.
?
?The best of the best made the cut because of their guidelines. Keep the brain healthy, tune every trade for risk. Pro trader Amol Gharte lays down his Ten Commandments of Trader Discipline. Feelings will be hurt, goals will be set.
Amol reveals how even good trades can spell disaster, if handled irresponsibly. "Mindset is everything," Amol writes, "and you must work at it indefinitely. Work on your psychology long before you approach the market."
?[READ MORE]?
?
 |
?
?"There are rare, once or twice in a generation opportunities within your sphere of competence that will make you feel like Buffett in 1974. That's when you bet big." -Lester Golden
 |
"Real-time data does pose a few challenges, but effective solutions are possible, thanks to technology advances such as in-memory computing and distributed systems." -Josh Miramant?
?
 |
"Society, and more specifically its 'brain', the government should serve the individuals it claims to represent." -Mohammed Siddiqui
?
 |
"Illicit actors exploiting the vulnerabilities of global economic strains and interrupted supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have, effectively, created a perfect storm of fraudulent schemes and money laundering." -Angela Habibi?
?
 |
"Technology Disruption will decimate Congress piece by piece." -Nuno Fabi?o?
?
 |
"Resist substituting words on paper for the living people before your eyes." -Jim Katzaman
 |
"There are many benefits to replacing email attachments with cloud storage links, among them, is a simple yet powerful means of containing the loss of data resulting from insider threats." -Alex Panagides
 |
?
?Closing a successful VC round is a big deal for any startup. It''s a signal from the ecosystem that you''re on the right path. But before you get too excited, Amit Garg has some practical considerations for any entrepreneur who''s caught the attention of a prominent VC fund.
?[READ HERE]?
(This response to the article above is part of a new program we''re testing at Data-Driven Investor. The program will be open to the public soon, but here''s the takeaway: We want to make engaging with people''s content, rather than merely consuming it, worth your time.
If you''re a writer, you''ll reap the benefits of having more people engage with your work. We''ll break down this sweet deal in a future issue of the DDI newsletter.)
The actionable info for point number 4, "Negotiating Against Themselves," is insightful:
Amit''s actionable advice: As an entrepreneur, you want to keep your options open.
?
I wonder if you have any recommendations for securing additional VC interest if this is a founder''s first startup. In that situation, the founding team will assumingly be on their back foot relative to the social network of the initial VC. Is leveraging the investing VC''s social network to secure co-leads generally seen as a faux pas in the industry?
Excellent article, Amit. Thanks for your insights!
?
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
?
?This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
We''re In For a Wild Ride
DDI Crypto Newsletter | Week of August 26 | With Alpha Trades
It''s a prolonged Alt Season, as in everyone''s looking for an alternative to Dollars and stonks. Banks, governments, and friends are talking about crypto-assets and DeFi. Portnoy got rekked, but will he save Bitcoin from this pullback? Oof, spoke too soon.
The thing is, "down" may be canceled for stonks tomorrow, when Powell lifts the ceiling on inflation. The Fed isn''t even thinking of thinking about "down." We''re in an "up" shaped economy, Corona-who?
?
?
Great "experiments" happen daily at DDI. Our readers might notice some of them, but the majority of those happened behind the scene. Trust that we are fully committed to testing things out and failing forward at the speed of thought.
The developments we work on share the purpose of enabling our members to achieve more with their best. We dedicate ourselves to rolling out tools and concepts that make your expertise shine not just at work but also globally.
Besides DDIChat, which we talked about for some time (launching soon), we also fail extremely fast at inventing the best tool for audience engagement on the content you create. More than that, we even bring our people premium projects in tech, research, investment-related topics.
After all, isn't that the theme of most of your writing? Few of you would only want to earn from your writing. You will likely be much more satisfied with recognition and rewarded for your outstanding contributions.
?
Stay tuned, there's a lot more coming.
-Justin Chan, PhD
?
DDI Member''s Corner
?
We appreciate everyone''s responses to the survey. Have you had your say? We want to hear from you.
Do you mind filling a short survey on your experience with the newsletter and our publication so far?
?Let us know your thoughts.
?
Wait, don''t publish to Medium! | Let''s feature your captivating story in the DDI newsletter and our home site. It''ll get your foot in the door to our 60k+ subscribers and viewers worldwide.
Have you unearthed something amazing in Big Data, AI, IoT, startup culture, or tech-related? Please send us a draft.
We''re looking to secure funding for startups and people with big ideas.
Wishlist: Automated trading software and strategies.
?Contact our research team today, and we''ll see if you''re a good fit.
?
The latest DDI issues:
?
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who would get a lot out of it. If a friend sent you this email, you can subscribe to the DDI newsletter to never miss a beat.)
?
?
In each issue, we like to start by showcasing a few thought-provoking stories from the DDI community. To get your words in front of our subscribers, you''ll need to submit to our leading site, not Medium.com. Submit your best here. ?
?
?Does the Present Pandemic stimulate Industry 4.0??
"To mitigate the challenges posed by this pandemic, many enterprises are enthusiastic in implementing Industry 4.0 technologies." -Balakrishna V.
?LIBOR: An Enthralling Saga?
From creating history to becoming history.
By Devanshee Dave
?What''s the Hype Surrounding GPT-3??
"With the arrival of GPT-3, it''s certain that extraordinary advancements are occurring in the field of AI." -Ramandeep Saini
?Think Global, Act Local: 4 Keys For Startups To Expand Into New Markets?
"You are a startup that has done fantastic in your home market. Congratulations. Can you repeat it in new markets? This post focuses on how to think it through, focusing on four critical levers." -Amit Garg
?Stock Donations: What To Know
"The benefit is clear: you don''t have to pay taxes, AND the charity receives more money than it otherwise would." -Alex Chung
?How to Trade For a Living?
"Without a game plan, you''re merely gambling." -Amol Gharte
?
?
The state of Bitcoin (click the links to see charts): According to Glassnode, Bitcoin addresses with balances over 1,000 Bitcoin reached a record high, signifying accumulation. Another long-term bullish sign is the circulating supply of BTC that hasn''t moved in at least two years is at 44%, higher than it''s been in three years.
The last time crypto-asset exchanges experienced a progressive decline in BTC holdings was before 2017''s crypto bull run.
It may seem like an aside after stats like those above, but Bitcoin''s mining difficulty is also at an all-time high.
?
Show me the money: Financial services company BlockFi raised $50 million in a Series C funding round to bolster its cryptocurrency offerings.
The company will provide crypto-based interest accounts and loans, with zero-fee trading. It''s also developing a Bitcoin rewards-based credit card. Anthony Pompliano, a famous podcaster in the space, joined BlockFi''s board of directors.?
?
Ethereum testnet
The ETH 2.0 testnet experienced a series of misfortunes soon after coming online.
Raul Jordan of Prysmatic Labs, an infrastructure provider for the Ethereum Network, wrote a lengthy explanation of how it all went down, and why the schedule for ETH 2.0 hasn''t changed.
?
Defi
?
Still unsure what "DeFi" is? Here''s a run-down. If you''re curious about "yield farming," we suggest this article by Coindesk. If you want to try yield farming yourself, here''s a report for that. ?
?
The latest moonshot: Aave, a decentralized finance (DeFi) dapp on the Ethereum blockchain, is now first place in the DeFi space for total value locked into a project at $1.45 billion, higher than its rival, MakerDAO. (Yahoo! Finance)
Aave''s run-up may be a tailwind of the project receiving an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The authorization allows Aave to issue digital cash alternatives and provide payment services. (The Block)
?
We''re mid-bubble: And if you don''t think we''ve been in an "alt season" for a while now, perhaps you haven''t been following the hilarity that is Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports.
Within a single week of meeting with the Winklevoss twins to invest a pile of cash into Bitcoin and a basket of "shitcoins," Mr. Portnoy tapped out with a massive loss. After claiming he was out of the game entirely, maybe for good, he''s already suggesting he may "save Bitcoin" after all. (Decrypt)?
?
Watch out: As the DeFi space continues to heat up, exit scams have begun to climb. Regulators warn that this time around looks a lot like the ICO craze in 2017.
?
The Fed isn''t satisfied: Not to mention, the IRS has put a query about crypto transactions on page 1 of the 2020 tax return. If anything, that''s a signal of the government taking crypto regulation ever more seriously.
?
The bigger picture: As regulators turn to DeFi and scrutinize and legitimize crypto-assets in general, there''s bound to be a regulatory crackdown in due time. Now that US banks can legally offer crypto-asset custodial services, financial outfits can''t afford to be unlicensed. Not if they plan to keep up with competition and regulation.
?
Regulation
?
Sad anarchists look elsewhere
Derivatives exchange BitMEX will now require KYC for all users.
?
Ontario''s out: Crypto-asset Derivatives Exchange BitMEX closed the door on Ontario-based Traders. Why? Well, the reason''s unclear. BitMEX said the decision was "mandated" by the Ontario Securities Commission. The company already blocks US and Hong Kong-based traders. (Coindesk)
?
Florida''s cool with it: Binance.US takes the Sunshine State off its "no-fly" list, inviting 12 million eligible traders to the market. OrangeCoin, anyone? Come on, you know it''ll moon. (Coindesk)?
?
Dirty laundry: A recent study highlighted how up to 98% of trading activity on some of the most popular crypto-asset exchanges might be fake. The researchers are asking CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko to highlight wash trading in their public data.
?
Eurozone
?
?The EU Commission is developing a legal framework for crypto-assets for as early as Autumn. The proposed framework suggests there be a "sandbox" to serve as a legal testing ground and develop a unified European market for crypto-assets.
?
Sweden prefers plastic and bits: The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a report about the development of CBDCs worldwide, and Sweden is in the lead for scrapping physical cash. (Decrypt)?
?
?China is trialing digital currency and electronic payments in Beijing, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Macau, and other regions. ?
?In a policy paper published on August 25, the Party restated its strategic vision to use blockchain tech, AI, big data, and 5G in developing a nationwide digitized social security system.
?
Complaints on the blockchain: Beijing has also partnered with Huawei to develop a blockchain governance platform. The project initially aims to improve municipal responses to virus outbreaks and make it easier for citizens to appeal city rulings and check for road and utility issues.
?
Ambitious plans: While details around the official launch date for the digital Yuan isn''t official yet, there''s a chance the Party will use it during the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. (CoinTelegraph)?
?
Long ways to go yet: Chinese officials dispelled rumors that China was already using the digital Yuan for large-scale transactions, such as real estate purchases. The country is still very much in the low-capital, alpha phase of testing.?
?
Capital flight: A report by Chainalysis shows in the past 12 months, over $50 billion worth of crypto-assets has left China. (CoinTelegraph)
Beijing banned direct Yuan conversions into crypto-assets in 2017, sparking the rise of stablecoin Tether as an alternative to fiat. Also, Beijing prevents citizens from moving more than $50,000 out of the country each year.
?
This news should stoke some flames: The Apple Daily, one of the largest independent newspapers in Hong Kong, published a front-page ad promoting Bitcoin. The headline stated, "Banks, today you''re not ditching me, I''m ditching you." Two weeks ago, Jimmy Lai, the paper''s CEO, was arrested under National Security Law.
?
Takeaway: This prior regulation, coupled with rising US-China tensions and the development of a Chinese CBDC, all contribute to the rise of stablecoins like Tether in the region as a conduit for the capital flight.?
?
?
 |
?
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
This book will help you feel comfortable with the fundamental concepts that make up Bitcoin, whether you seek to be informed or are ready to engage with Bitcoin hands-on. Learn key features of the Bitcoin network, explain how to transfer Bitcoins from one person to another, delve into Bitcoin''s history, and much more.
?
In other news
?
This one''s pretty darn important: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will deliver a speech tomorrow, which will change how the Fed views inflation. Rumors are this speech will focus on increasing inflation for the sake of a better economic environment.
?In this write-up, Anthony Pompliano explains why inflation will not work out well for the bottom 50% of Americans.
What do you think about this story? Please send us your thoughts, and we may even feature your opinion in a piece.
?
?
Our friends at Alpha Trades dive deep on markets, crypto, and the economy throughout the week. Find your Advantage with the freshest episodes:?
?
?Bitcoin Levels to Buy the Dip | What Altcoins to Keep an Eye on?
?
?Bitcoin: Rocky week Ahead | Levels to Look Out for Shorts Vs. Longs?
?
?Why We''re Shorting Tech | Watchlist: XLK, AAPL, TSLA, XLV, MRVL, COUP, OKTA, TSM?
?
?US Stock Market Discussion for Week of August 24, 2020?
?
 |
?Subscribe to the Alpha Trades Discord server to learn technical analysis and how to invest profitably. Ask about the 2-day trial of Premium Membership!
?
Head''s up, subscribers: Some of you may have subscribed to both DDI''s Medium publication newsletter and the main website''s newsletter. We appreciate the fandom, but both newsletters are the same beast.
If you''re in this situation, we suggest sticking with the leading site. You''ll notice the right one by the lack of Medium branding. If you have any questions, send us an email.
?
?
Information provided by the Data-Driven Investor (DDI) is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.?
?
Information provided by Alpha Trades, LLC is not intended to be utilized in making any financial decisions and is not a solicitation, nor recommendation to buy, hold, and/or sell a particular security or financial instrument.
Access Alpha Trades'' complete terms of services: https://bit.ly/3faVeeV?
?
?
"Disruption is more likely the moment when things converge to impose a new behavior. It's not a fracture in time where suddenly new things happen."
- Pierre Gaubil
New Articles:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
DDI Highlights - The 10 Must Reads this Week
DDI Contributor Highlights, Week of August 15
Projects in the pipeline:
Subscribe to the DDI newsletter so you never miss a beat.
The latest DDI issues:
Each week we bring our readers a couple of hand-picked stories from the DDI community. Want your story featured? Submit your best here.
The ChainLink (LINK) project has achieved a great deal of buzz among blockchain enthusiasts. Aside from price speculation (LINK was trading at $1.70 when Faisal's article was published, and over $17 at the time we sent this newsletter), what's LINK good for?
Faisal Khan breaks down how LINK has set out to solve a major issue plaguing smart contracts: bad data. LINK acts as a bridge between different sources of data (oracles) between smart contracts to sort out the junk from the good stuff. The company has made some major inroads and scored impressive clients.
Faisal writes, "We all know too well that there is always a cry from the skeptics about too much hype around blockchain projects and very little in the way of real-world use cases and applications. ChainLink, it seems, is crossing that hurdle as well."
[READ MORE]
Warehousing is not an exact science, but it could be.
Josh Miramant shares interviews with experts in the space to discover how Supply Chain 4.0 will revolutionize every industry through advances in robotics, AI, RFID, 5G, and other IoT tech.
Krenar Komoni, CEO of Tive, an innovative supply chain solutions provider, is among the crowd at the forefront of using advanced sensors and 5G tracking technology. "Additional location accuracy lets you pinpoint each shipment and send notifications of misplaced items before the truck gets 5 miles away like standard trackers."
[READ MORE]
Mainstream news headlines are carefully designed to freak us out.
The modern news cycle has reached peak reality distortion, and anxiety levels are through the roof. Not to mention, the addicting features of social media is not helping. Dave Rauschenfels explains how most of us are trapped in a perpetual cycle of "doomscrolling," and the toll this is taking on our psyche.
"Uncertainty drives people to keep searching for information in the effort of regaining control," says Dave. "But instead of regaining control, this information validates our fears and further drives our anxiety in a vicious feedback loop."
[READ MORE]
"Women only account for 28% of the workforce in the STEM fields. In 2020, this isn't how the STEM workforce should be represented." -Ramandeep Saini
"The time has come to learn more about AI behaviors, capabilities and strategies. Not in order to criticize but to keep it from disempowering us." -Norbert Biedrzycki
"With the worldwide economy at a reckoning, more and more gig veterans are riding to the rescue as companies struggle to regain their bearings." -Jim Katzaman
"Pre-pandemic business models are subject to change in order to suit the present situation." -Balakrishna V.
"Does economic development rule the people, or serve the people?" -Susan Mackenzie Andersen
"Successful people find a way to counteract instincts. They act out of principle and discipline." -Brent Rupnow
"Most companies consider innovation as a product, not as a process. This means that they focus most of their energy on finding the "right" idea, not in building the process of transforming ideas into something valuable for their customer." -Flavio Aliberti
"Marketers should not only care about but embrace AI." -Jim Katzaman
Celebrated as "digital gold" by some and "purely money" by others, Bitcoin means many things to many people. Bitcoin Basics: Getting Started With Bitcoin will help you start your journey with Bitcoin.
"As elders live longer and healthier lives, novel possibilities open to potentially turn longevity into an asset for society."
- Marina Alamanou
New Articles:
Top Hits on DDI:
New on DDI Medium:
Trending on DDI Medium:
| Data Name | Data Type | Options |
|---|---|---|
 Text Box | ||
| Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. |  checklist | |
| Notify me of follow-up comments by email. | checklist | Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. |
| Notify me of new posts by email. | checklist | Notify me of follow-up comments by email. |
Arts and Entertainment
Business and Industry
Computer and Electronics
Games
Health
Internet and Telecom
Shopping
Sports
Travel
More