Tag: Investments

Elon Musk Plans to Launch AI Startup to Compete with OpenAI

by Blockchain News

According to recent reports, Elon Musk is planning to launch an AI startup to compete with OpenAI, one of the most popular generative AI companies that he co-founded in 2015. Musk is reportedly assembling a team of AI researchers and engineers for the new venture and is in talks with existing investors from SpaceX and Tesla for investment. The new AI startup will place Musk among other tech giants, such as Google and Microsoft, in the race to build next-gen AI.

The alleged findings complement recent reports that Musk has been procuring nearly 10,000 graphics processing units to power Twitter’s AI initiatives. In addition, Musk has incorporated a company named X (X.AI) and changed the name of Twitter to “X Corp” in company filings as part of his plans to create an “everything app” under the “X” brand.

However, it is worth noting that Musk and more than 2,600 tech leaders and researchers signed an open letter urging a temporary pause on further AI development on March 30, citing “profound risks to society and humanity.”

Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the Bedrock initiative to allow its users to build generative AI from foundation models. This move by AWS is another sign that tech companies are heavily investing in AI and trying to develop their own AI capabilities.

In conclusion, Elon Musk is reportedly launching an AI startup to compete with OpenAI, and is in talks with existing investors from SpaceX and Tesla for investment in the new venture. Musk’s recent incorporation of X (X.AI) and his plans to create an “everything app” under the “X” brand suggest that he is making significant investments in AI. Additionally, AWS’s Bedrock initiative highlights the ongoing efforts by tech companies to develop their own AI capabilities. While AI holds enormous potential for advancing society, it is crucial that the development of this technology is done in a responsible and ethical manner to minimize potential risks to society and humanity.

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South Korea Invests in Metaverse Fund for Economic Growth

by Blockchain News

South Korea has been making significant investments in the metaverse, seeing it as a potential new economic growth engine. The country’s Ministry of Science and ICT recently announced a major investment in a fund dedicated to driving metaverse initiatives, with the goal of supporting the mergers and acquisitions of various firms in the metaverse ecosystem and helping domestic metaverse-related companies compete with global players.

The South Korean government has invested 24 billion Korean won ($18.1 million) to create a fund of more than 40 billion Korean won ($30.2 million) for metaverse development. The fund, called the Metaverse Fund, aims to help local players raise capital and compete with major tech companies, which have shown increasing interest in the metaverse.

The government recognizes that it can be difficult for local players to raise capital through private investments due to the underlying investment risks. As a result, the Metaverse Fund will provide a new avenue for investment and support to local companies looking to expand their metaverse-related offerings.

In addition to investing in the Metaverse Fund, South Korea also plans to actively support local metaverse-related companies. The country aims to help these firms compete with global players and plans to assist in their growth and development.

However, while South Korea is investing heavily in the metaverse, the country is still cautious about potential cross-border threats. In February, the country announced independent sanctions related to cryptocurrency thefts and cyberattacks against specific North Korean groups and individuals. This move demonstrates South Korea’s commitment to maintaining checks and balances on potential threats in the physical world.

Overall, South Korea’s investments in the metaverse reflect the country’s commitment to exploring new opportunities for economic growth. By supporting local companies and investing in the development of the metaverse ecosystem, South Korea is positioning itself to be a leader in this emerging field.

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FTX Japan users withdraw funds amid litigation

by Blockchain News

The continuing dispute between FTX and its co-founder, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), has been making a stir in the cryptocurrency market, with many consumers left waiting for a resolution to the conflict between the two parties. In the meanwhile, customers of FTX Japan have made the executive decision to take things into their own hands by withdrawing all of their money.

The problems for FTX started in November 2022, when Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao made the announcement that his company would be liquidating its substantial holdings of FTX Token (FTT). This caused a domino effect that slowed down fund withdrawals across FTX and its subsidiaries. FTX Token (FTT) was the cryptocurrency that Binance held. The statement had a particularly negative impact on the Japanese cryptocurrency trading site Liquid Group, which has been controlled by FTX since February 2022. On November 15, withdrawals were fully halted for the platform.

Moving ahead in time to the 21st of February, FTX Japan commenced withdrawals, although the procedure was not an easy one. In order to complete the withdrawals, cash needed to be transferred from the now-defunct FTX Japan exchange onto an account with Liquid Japan. Despite this, some users saw this as a positive turn of events, and as a result, many of them started withdrawing all of their money from FTX Japan.

Hibiki Dealer, a well-known cryptocurrency trader based in Japan, just reported that they were able to effectively remove all of their cash off the site. Concerns have been expressed regarding the steadiness and dependability of cryptocurrency exchanges as a result of the scenario, even if it is unknown how many users have followed suit.

The volatility nature of the cryptocurrency market highlights the significance of effectively managing risk, which is also brought to light by this episode. It is essential for exchanges to have solid risk management procedures in place in order to safeguard not just themselves but also the users of their platform. In spite of this, it is still unknown how FTX will bounce back from this setback, which is particularly concerning given the current legal dispute with SBF that hangs over the firm.

In conclusion, while the decision by FTX Japan to restart withdrawals was a welcome step for its consumers, the scenario has underlined the issues that face crypto exchanges in a market that is very volatile. Cryptocurrency exchanges must place an increased emphasis on risk management and user safety in order to remain competitive in an industry where consumers are increasingly demanding accountability and transparency.

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2022 was a tough year for crypto with a decline in venture

by Blockchain News

The year 2022 will go down in history as a challenging one for cryptocurrencies, as the gloomy market circumstances were reflected by a decrease in the amount of venture capital (VC) financing pouring into the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries.

A analysis by Blockdata reveals that there would be consistent decreases in financing on a quarterly basis through the year 2022. This comes after a period of growing venture capital investing into the larger Web3 field through 2021.

Blockdata closed out the final quarter of 2022’s analysis of the value of venture capital financing by noting a 34% decrease from the previous quarter’s total. The data was obtained from CB Insights. When compared to the first and second quarters of the year, the third quarter’s results were much worse, falling by 67% and 53%, respectively.

After reaching a record high of $11 billion in investments and 692 agreements in the first four months of 2022, the ensuing decline in venture capital investment occurred quarterly after that point.

Blockdata identifies a number of reasons for the decrease in venture capital financing for cryptocurrency and blockchain-related projects in 2017. The collapse of the Terra ecosystem, which cost $60 billion and occurred in May 2022, is noted as a trigger event that led to the eventual insolvency of bitcoin lending businesses Three Arrows Capital and Celsius.

The implosion of FTX in November 2022 contributed further to the volatility that permeated throughout the space, while the global macro conditions in capital markets, which were affected by rising interest rates and inflation, also played a role in the decline of investments made by venture capitalists.

As a direct consequence of this, venture capitalists only contributed $3.7 billion to financing during the fourth quarter of 2022. This is a 61% decrease compared to the $9.6 billion that was contributed during the same period in 2021. The overall capital received by blockchain and cryptocurrency firms fell by 11% annually, from $32 billion to $29 billion, bringing the total to $29 billion.

A good conclusion that Blockdata notes is the fact that the number of trades in 2022 is expected to increase by 35% compared to 2021. According to the company, there has been a slowdown in venture capital expenditure, but investors are still eager to fund blockchain-based technology, apps, and businesses. This is despite the fact that venture capital spending has been on the down.

According to the findings of the research, investments in venture capital are gradually moving toward “non-volatile ideas.” These innovations include cross-chain bridges, payments and remittances, loans, decentralized autonomous organizations, asset management, and digital identity management.

The fourth quarter saw a number of significant venture capital investments. Amber Group was successful in obtaining the most money, bringing in $300 million during a Series C round in December 2022. This was done in order to combat drawdowns of certain goods that were impacted by the FTX scandal.

During the fourth quarter, there were a total of nine “blockchain mega-rounds,” each of which resulted in the receiving of more than $100 million in investment. Only Uniswap and Celestia, with respective market values of $1.7 billion and $1 billion, were able to achieve the coveted “unicorn” designation during the fourth quarter of the previous year.

Due to their participation in thirteen separate fundraising rounds for blockchain and cryptocurrency businesses, Coinbase Ventures has been recognized as one of the most active corporate venture capital investors until 2022.

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Scammers Target Australians in Cryptocurrency Call Center Scheme

by Blockchain News

It has come to light that people of Australia are the principal targets of a sophisticated multinational network of con artists that operate out of call centers focused on bitcoin. The network is believed to have originated in China. The heart of operations for the network may be found on the continent of Australia. It is commonly believed that the administration of this network is being handled by criminal syndicates that have their headquarters in Israel.

As part of a large-scale operation, law enforcement officers from the countries of Serbia, Germany, Bulgaria, and Cyprus carried out house searches in a total of eleven locations across the country of Serbia, including four call centers. These locations included the country’s capital city of Belgrade. Officials from the island nation of Cyprus were responsible for the operation’s coordination. During the course of this operation, they discovered evidence showing that Australians were among the citizens of all of the other countries who were exposed to the highest degree of examination. This information suggests that Australians were among those subjected to this level of inspection. The material was made available to the general public on February 23 via the dissemination of an article that had been authored by The Australian and published on that day.

Fifteen individuals and about 1.46 million dollars’ worth of cryptocurrencies were seized into custody as a direct result of the operations, which were carried out as a direct consequence of the acts.

It would seem that con artists who work out of these contact centers are using advertisements on social media in an effort to persuade fresh victims into falling for their schemes. They achieve this goal by ensuring prospective investors that any investments they make would result in a significant return on the cash that they have invested. The findings of the research reveal that individuals do engage in this activity, which testifies to the notion that it is prevalent since it indicates that people do participate.

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LinksDAO and Spey Bay Golf Club

by Blockchain News

LinksDAO, a golf business run by a decentralized autonomous organization, is considering making a bid to buy the recently placed up for sale Spey Bay Golf Club in Scotland, which is estimated to be worth approximately $900,000.

After a few weeks of informal discussion, the proposal vote was officially opened on February 20 by LinksDAO, which describes itself as a “global group of golf enthusiasts” with the goal of building the “world’s greatest golf community.” This event followed the official opening of the vote on February 20.

It would be the very first time that the DAO has ever purchased a golf course.

At the time this article was written, more than 88 percent of the 4,100 LinksDAO tokenholders had already voted in support of the proposal. The voting period will officially end on February 22 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The proposal stated that the LinksDAO acquisition committee will meet with the relevant parties required to construct a “compelling offer” for the purchase of the club “with the full intent of successfully purchasing the golf course” in the event that the final tally remains in favor of the purchase.

The authors of the proposal, who identified themselves as “Bez,” “Jim,” “cbruce,” and “nickwalkermsu,” explained that even though the majority of the DAO’s research efforts have been focused on locating an appropriate golf course purchase in the United States, “this listing was too special to ignore.”

“During the course of our hunt for a golf course to buy, we came across a potentially advantageous piece of real estate in Scotland known as the Spey Bay Golf Club. The purpose of this vote is to decide whether or not we should proceed with making an offer and working toward purchasing the course.

The writers also said that the course is “playable now,” and they mentioned that the course’s high ceiling in comparison to its inexpensive price makes it a worthwhile investment.

According to the authors’ explanation, “even a price that is quadruple the ‘recommended price’ would be lower than most subpar courses we have reviewed so far in the United States.” 

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Alexis Ohanian bought 50000 ETH

by Blockchain News

According to reports, Alexis Ohanian, one of the co-founders of the social media website Reddit, purchased 50,000 Ether (ETH) coins during the presale of the cryptocurrency in 2014 for only $15,000, which works out to a price of about 30 cents per coin.

Ohanian, who had left the social media giant in 2020, stated in an interview with Forbes on February 21 that he found the concept of a decentralized store of value to be very appealing, in part due to his Armenian heritage. This led him to take an early gamble on Ethereum. Ohanian left the social media giant in 2020.

“Any group of people who have in their consciousness or in their collective history some idea of persecution, especially by a state, makes the idea of a store of value that is not controlled by any one state very attractive.” [Citation needed] “Any group of people who have in their consciousness or in their collective history some idea of persecution, especially by a state.” And so, in some respects it was ingrained in me at the time, and this made me open to the concept of a decentralized currency in a manner.

According to CoinMarketCap, the value of this investment has skyrocketed to an astounding $82.5 million at today’s rates, marking a growth of 549,589% from its initial value.

He went on to describe how Turkish forces had taken the ancestral carpets that had been passed down through his family during the Armenian genocide that occurred during World War I. This is what sparked his interest in “unseizable property.”

Ohanian is a strong supporter of self-custody, perhaps as a result of his distaste to having his property seized. He keeps some of his most valuable crypto-related assets off exchanges, which makes them less susceptible to the prying eyes of governments. He is in charge of managing the secret keys to these investments.

Ohanian said that he recognized the possibility for developers to construct a broad variety of possibly unseizable assets on top of Ethereum when he first heard about it during a meeting with the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. Some examples of these types of assets include nonfungible tokens (NFTs).

As a direct consequence of this, he made his first investment in Ether; nevertheless, he later said in an interview that “in retrospect, I didn’t invest nearly as much as I should have.”

Ohanian used the money he made from his early investments in Ether and Coinbase to launch his own venture capital company, which he called 776, in the year 2020. The company has financial stakes in 29 cryptocurrency-related firms, and in February 2022, it successfully secured $500 million to fund more investments of a similar kind.

Following Ohanian’s line of thinking that investors may take advantage of the opportunity to purchase assets at lower prices during a bear market, the company has seen the most recent market slump as the ideal moment to place long-term bets on the cryptocurrency business.

The company now has more than 750 million dollars’ worth of assets under management.

Ohanian made the observation that while cryptocurrencies are incredibly unpredictable, “there are enough of individuals who have the generational awareness of experiencing enormous inflation,” which makes the volatility of cryptocurrencies much more tolerable.

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Payments giant PayPal and Galaxy raise $20 million

by Blockchain News

They are based in New York City and run their company from there. The cloud platform that is in charge of the upkeep of blockchains and protocols is managed by Chaos Labs, which also has the responsibility of monitoring the platform. Chaos Labs is in charge of the administration of this platform. The well-known online payment network PayPal and the investment management company Galaxy worked together in order to infuse an initial capital of twenty million dollars into the fledgling firm. This was made possible via their collaboration. We were able to do this through cooperating with one another.

In order to protect cryptographic protocols against threats that are derived from the outside world, Chaos Labs makes use of an automated risk management platform. Because of this, it will be easier to protect the protocols against threats that come from the outside world. The platform is capable of running agent-based simulations as well as scenario-based simulations; using any of these two types of simulations helps to the platform’s capacity to protect protocols against economic vulnerabilities and market manipulation events. Due to the aforementioned reason, the platform is in a position to accomplish the objective that was stated before.

The initial funding will be put toward the primary objective of the investment, which is to make it possible for Chaos Labs to increase the degree to which it is able to automate on-chain risk optimization. This will be accomplished by making it feasible for Chaos Labs to increase the degree to which it can automate on-chain risk optimization. This will be achieved by putting the money into working toward the achievement of this objective.

There were a total of 23 different companies that took part in the round of fundraising, in addition to the six angel investors who were involved. The members of this organization include a number of well-known companies and individuals, including Coinbase Ventures, Polygon, Avalanche, OpenSea UniSwap, and Balaji Srinivasan, to mention just a few examples. Balaji Srinivasan is also a part of this organization as a member of its membership.

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CEO of Composable Finance Vigorously Refutes Allegations

by Blockchain News

The current chief executive officer of Composable Financial has vehemently rejected claims of legal improprieties made by Karel Kubat, who formerly served as the chief technical officer of the decentralized finance infrastructure platform.

In a tweet published on February 20, Kubat announced his resignation from the company while also making a number of allegations against his previous employer and the CEO of that business.

Kubat said that he would be leaving from his position because the business had not supplied him or the community with financial disclosures and because he did not have an overall picture of the company’s financial condition.

However, Kubat stated that he has a strong suspicion that CEO Omar Zaki, who has been legally barred from raising money for companies, was involved in the raising of Series A funds for the company in violation of a cease-and-desist mandate from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Kubat said he suspects that Zaki was involved in the raising of funds for the company in order to circumvent the legal prohibition.

In addition to this, Kubat added that he had a sneaking suspicion that Zaki’s involvement in the alleged rug-pulling effort known as Bribe was “far higher than he officially acknowledged.”

On February 20, in response to Kubat’s resignation, Zaki had an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Twitter Spaces. In this session, he vehemently disputed all of the allegations that had been made against him. He said that to the best of his knowledge, all of the company’s acts had been carried out in complete and total compliance with the law.

Zaki provided this answer in response to allegations that the firm lacked financial transparency: “Since the company is privately held, we are unable to make its financial information publicly available.”

On the other hand, he said that “we remain incredibly confident that we have adequate resources, staff, and the technology to really execute upon our goals, there is nothing here that gives me worry or should lead the public to be concerned.”

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Institutional investors pull back from crypto amid regulatory crackdown

by Blockchain News

In the aftermath of the regulatory crackdown in the United States, institutional investors may have gotten the jitters on cryptocurrency. As a result, digital asset investment products had the highest weekly outflow of any asset class in 2023.

The institutional cryptocurrency fund management CoinShares said on February 20 that digital asset investment products suffered withdrawals of $32 million last week, the greatest outflow of the year. This was the largest outflow since the beginning of the year.

The outflow follows a massive crackdown on the digital asset industry in the United States, which has targeted everything from staking services to stablecoins to crypto custody as the Securities and Exchange Commission ramps up what industry analysts have dubbed its “war on crypto.” The SEC has targeted everything from staking services to stablecoins to crypto custody as it ramps up what they have dubbed their “war on crypto.”

According to CoinShares analyst James Butterfill, outflows peaked at $62 million halfway through the previous week, but they dropped down by the end of the week as sentiment recovered.

The vast bulk of these withdrawals, or 78%, were made from investment instruments connected to Bitcoin (BTC), while Bitcoin short funds received an infusion of $3.7 million during this time period. The company placed responsibility for the increasing outflows on the heightened scrutiny from regulators.

We think that this is because investors in ETPs have a more pessimistic outlook on recent regulatory pressures in the United States in comparison to investors in the wider market.

Despite this, the general market had a gain of 10% over the time period in question, which was not reflective of the pessimistic outlook expressed by institutional investors. Butterfill said that as a result of this, the total assets under management for institutional products reached $30 million, which is the highest level since August.

However, blockchain equities reversed the trend with inflows that totaled $9.6 million for the week. Ethereum (ETH) and mixed-asset funds also saw withdrawals of capital over the same time period.

In the month of January, institutional investors resumed their practice of investing in cryptocurrency funds, with total inflows of $117 million for the last week of the month, marking a new record for the past six months.

Nevertheless, there has been a withdrawal from funds during the last two weeks, after a period of four weeks in January when there were deposits.

The change in attitude might be attributed to a regulatory enforcement action that occurred on February 9, when the SEC brought charges against Kraken for the staking services it provided. A few days later, it filed a lawsuit against Paxos about the minting of Binance USD (BUSD), and only the week before that, it suggested reforms that would affect cryptocurrency companies that operate as custodians.

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Bitcoin (BTC) $ 27,190.29 1.91%
Ethereum (ETH) $ 1,871.25 1.57%
Litecoin (LTC) $ 90.55 1.92%
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) $ 113.17 1.07%