UDSKRIFT 🔗
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Welcome back to another episode of Bitcoin & AI
Data Centers, the podcast where we delve into
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the latest happenings in the world of data
centers, artificial intelligence, and
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everything Bitcoin and crypto.
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I am Roni, your AI-generated host, reporting
from a secret location in Wakanda.
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Today, we have a thrilling lineup of news and
updates, so let's dive right in.
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First up, Bitcoin could be on track for a
breakout this September as United States money
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market funds reach a new all-time high of over
six point two trillion dollars.
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This surge in money market funds is largely
driven by institutional investors who are
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positioning their portfolios in anticipation of
an upcoming interest rate cut by the Federal
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Reserve.
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According to the Kobeissi Letter, which posted
about this on August twenty-fifth, most of the
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inflows have been driven by institutional
investors.
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They are gearing up for what they believe to be
the end of an era of high interest rates.
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The Kobeissi Letter stated, 'Most of the
inflows have been driven by institutional
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investors as they position portfolios in
anticipation of Fed rate cuts.
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The era of high rates is coming to an end.'
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Now, why is this significant for Bitcoin?
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Lower interest rates in the world's largest
economy could increase investor appetite for
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risk assets such as Bitcoin.
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This could also invite more institutional
investment into the crypto space.
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Bitcoin analysts are already converging on a
breakout in September, with some predicting
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that Bitcoin could reach as high as eighty-six
thousand dollars.
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Investors are increasingly expecting an
interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve at
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its upcoming meeting on September eighteenth.
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According to the latest data from the CME
FedWatch tool, the odds of a twenty-five
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basis-point rate cut currently stand at
sixty-five point five percent, while the odds
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of a fifty basis-point rate cut are at
thirty-four point five percent.
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These expectations could set the stage for a
Bitcoin rally.
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Popular analyst Titan of Crypto shared his
insights on August twenty-fourth, stating,
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'Bitcoin heading toward sixty-eight thousand
dollar target.
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BTC's eighteen percent surge is in progress.'
He pointed to technical indicators such as the
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moving average convergence/divergence crossover
setup as signals for this upward trend.
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Another analyst, Mikybull, also chimed in on
August twenty-sixth, suggesting that Bitcoin
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could be set for ninety-five thousand dollars
after September.
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He wrote, 'Bitcoin in its final expansion, wave
five, looking ready.
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Ninety-five thousand dollars and then one
hundred forty-three thousand dollar price
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targets.'
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Adding to this optimistic outlook, inflows to
United States-based spot Bitcoin
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exchange-traded funds are starting to increase.
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According to Farside Investors data, U.S.
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spot Bitcoin ETFs saw over two hundred
fifty-two million dollars worth of cumulative
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net inflows on August twenty-third.
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This is more than twice the average daily
inflows of one hundred fourteen million
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dollars, signaling a positive trend for
Bitcoin's price action.
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However, it is important to note that Bitcoin
faces significant resistance around sixty-five
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thousand dollars.
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A potential rally above this level could
liquidate over five hundred twenty-eight
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million dollars worth of cumulative leveraged
short positions, according to CoinGlass data.
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So, while the outlook is bullish, there are
hurdles to overcome.
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That wraps up our first segment for today.
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Stay tuned as we delve into more exciting
updates on crypto investment products, Stacks'
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Nakamoto Upgrade, and much more.
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You are listening to Bitcoin & AI Data Centers,
and I am your host, Roni.
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We'll be right back after this short break.
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Next on our docket, we have some exciting news
about crypto investment products.
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Cryptocurrency investors have been increasingly
purchasing Bitcoin-related exchange-traded
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products amid concerns over potentially looming
interest rate cuts in September.
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According to a report by the crypto investment
firm CoinShares on August twenty-sixth, digital
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asset
Load full transcript
investment products saw weekly inflows
worth five hundred thirty-three million dollars
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from August eighteenth to August twenty-fourth.
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Last week’s purchasing pace of crypto-related
ETFs marked the largest inflows in the past
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five weeks, fueled by anticipation of interest
rate cuts in the United States.
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United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome
Powell, on August twenty-first, suggested that
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the first interest rate cuts could occur in
September two thousand twenty-four.
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Among various crypto investment products
analyzed by CoinShares, Bitcoin-related
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exchange-traded products saw the largest
inflows last week, totaling five hundred
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forty-three million dollars.
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The most significant buying came from
BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, which
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recorded three hundred eighteen million dollars
in inflows last week.
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On the other hand, Ether-related crypto
investment products saw negative flows,
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totaling thirty-six million dollars in outflows
over the period.
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Ethereum outflows came despite new Ether ETF
issuers continuing to see inflows, but the
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Grayscale Ethereum Trust offset the buying with
one hundred eighteen million dollars of
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outflows.
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Despite massive outflows from the Grayscale
Ethereum Trust, the new Ethereum
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exchange-traded funds have seen three point one
billion dollars of inflows since launching on
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July twenty-third.
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The inflows were partially offset by outflows
from Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust, which
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offloaded two point five billion dollars over
the period.
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Amid increasing inflows, the Bitcoin price saw
notable growth, with Bitcoin adding about eight
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percent to its value from fifty-nine thousand
five hundred dollars on August eighteenth to
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sixty-four thousand three hundred dollars on
August twenty-fourth.
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Still, the cryptocurrency is down around six
percent over the past thirty days after
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reaching the price of sixty-nine thousand nine
hundred dollars on July twenty-ninth, according
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to data from CoinGecko.
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While crypto inflows surged past five hundred
million dollars for the first time in five
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weeks, they were far from beating historical
records.
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The largest spike of inflows in two thousand
twenty-four was recorded between March eleventh
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and March seventeenth, soon after the Bitcoin
price reached its historical high of
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seventy-three thousand six hundred dollars on
March fourteenth.
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According to an analysis by the crypto
financial services platform Matrixport, one of
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the main reasons for the latest Bitcoin surge
is the active minting of new stablecoins like
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Tether.
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Robust stablecoin minting is the main force
behind Bitcoin rise, suggesting institutional
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influence surpasses macroeconomic factors,
Matrixport said in its latest update on August
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twenty-sixth.
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Next on our docket, we have some groundbreaking
news about the Stacks Network and its upcoming
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Nakamoto Upgrade, which promises to
revolutionize decentralized finance on the
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Bitcoin ecosystem.
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Stacks, the largest Bitcoin layer-2 network by
market capitalization and one of the oldest and
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most dedicated Bitcoin projects, is undergoing
its most significant upgrade to date.
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This upgrade, set to activate on August
twenty-eighth, will bring several fundamental
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changes to the network, including a dramatic
increase in transaction speeds and the
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introduction of a new decentralized asset
called sBTC, backed one-to-one by Bitcoin.
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The Nakamoto Upgrade is expected to
significantly boost transaction speeds on the
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Stacks Network, reducing settlement times from
the current ten to thirty minutes, which
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mirrors Bitcoin’s timing, to around five
seconds.
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That is a one hundred times improvement and
will transform the usability of the network.
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This speed enhancement will be a game-changer
for decentralized finance applications built on
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Bitcoin, making the user experience much more
seamless and efficient.
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Four weeks after the Nakamoto Upgrade is
implemented, sBTC will be introduced.
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This new decentralized asset will facilitate
the transfer of Bitcoin between the Bitcoin
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blockchain and Stacks, and will also be used as
gas in transactions.
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The introduction of sBTC is expected to further
boost the ecosystem of decentralized finance
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applications on Bitcoin by providing a more
efficient way to transfer value and execute
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transactions.
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Projects built on the Stacks blockchain have
historically struggled with the slow
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transaction speeds of the Bitcoin network,
resulting in a sub-optimal user experience and
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limiting the possibility of high-volume use
cases.
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For example, Velar, one of the most popular
decentralized exchanges in the Stacks
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ecosystem, has had a user experience that falls
short of its peers on other networks like
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Uniswap.
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However, with the Nakamoto Upgrade, Velar’s
user experience is expected to be on par with
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its peers, with the added advantage of being on
the world’s largest and most decentralized
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blockchain.
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The timing of this upgrade could not be more
perfect.
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Unlike Ethereum and Solana, which have seen a
variety of viral products built on their
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networks, Bitcoin has rarely generated the same
level of enthusiasm for its ecosystem.
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Traditionally, interest has focused on Bitcoin
as an asset rather than on its broader
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ecosystem.
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However, this began to change in early twenty
twenty-three with the introduction of the
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Ordinals Protocol, which popularized the
creation of non-fungible tokens and fungible
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tokens within the Bitcoin network.
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The Ordinals Protocol reignited interest and
innovation around Bitcoin, leading many to
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refer to this period as Bitcoin's second phase.
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Discussions about Bitcoin’s scalability,
building Web3 products on Bitcoin, investments
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in Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, and Bitcoin
decentralized finance have reached
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unprecedented levels.
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Before the Ordinals Protocol, there were only a
handful of Bitcoin layer-2 solutions.
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Today, there are roughly eighty Bitcoin layer-2
solutions, many of which are backed by
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investments from major funds such as Pantera,
Coinbase, Polychain, OKX Ventures, and Binance.
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The Nakamoto Upgrade and the launch of sBTC
come at a time when the ecosystem is much more
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vibrant and mature, ready to recognize the true
value of these advancements.
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This upgrade will further fuel the wave of
innovation that has been building around
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Bitcoin since the emergence of the Ordinals
Protocol.
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With more projects exploring Web3 development
on Bitcoin and networks like Stacks providing
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faster and cheaper platforms that support smart
contracts, it raises intriguing questions about
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the future of other blockchain networks like
Ethereum.
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While it is too early to draw definitive
conclusions, it is clear that the Nakamoto
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Upgrade could mark a significant turning point
for Bitcoin’s ecosystem.
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This is a question that few would have asked
two years ago, but today it has become a key
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topic for reflection.
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The crypto community is eagerly watching to see
how these developments unfold and what they
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mean for the future of decentralized finance on
Bitcoin.
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Next up on our docket is a fascinating case
study from the past that might offer some
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insights into the future.
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According to blockchain tracing firm Arkham
Intelligence, the price of Ether once surged
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over five hundred percent in the months
following a massive Ethereum Foundation sale of
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Ether.
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This historical event has led many to speculate
on what might happen this time around.
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In an August twenty-fifth post on X, Arkham
Intelligence highlighted, 'The Ethereum
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Foundation famously sold the top in both May
and November two thousand twenty-one.
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But in two thousand twenty, they sold one
hundred thousand Ether, right before Ether
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pumped six times.' The Ethereum Foundation sent
around thirty-five thousand Ether, worth
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ninety-six million dollars, to a wallet
identified as a Kraken exchange deposit address
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on August twenty-third at five twenty-six PM
Coordinated Universal Time.
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Arkham's data shows that on December
seventeenth, two thousand twenty, the Ethereum
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Foundation sold around one hundred thousand
Ether, worth roughly sixty-three million
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dollars at a price of six hundred thirty-five
dollars per Ether.
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Five months later, on May twelfth, two thousand
twenty-one, the price surged to a high of four
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thousand one hundred eighty-two dollars.
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Later that
year, on November tenth, it hit a
cycle high of four thousand eight hundred
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ninety-one dollars and seventy cents.
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So, what does this mean for the current market?
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Arkham Intelligence posed the question, 'Last
night, they sent another thirty-five thousand
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Ether to Kraken, worth ninety-five million
dollars.
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Did they get it right this time?' This question
has led to significant speculation within the
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crypto community.
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In response to the buzz, Ethereum Foundation
executive director Aya Miyaguchi took to X to
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clarify the situation.
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She explained that the transfer was part of
'treasury management activities' and was not
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necessarily 'equal to a sale.' According to
Miyaguchi, the Ethereum Foundation has an
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annual budget of one hundred million dollars,
which includes grants and salaries, but some
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recipients can only accept payment in fiat
currencies.
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Miyaguchi added, 'This year, there was a long
period of time when we were advised not to do
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any treasury activities due to regulatory
complications, and we were not able to share
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the plan in advance.' Looking forward, there
will likely be 'planned and gradual sales' to
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manage the foundation's finances.
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The price of Ether has been mostly stable over
the last few days.
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At its lowest point on August twenty-fourth, it
was around two thousand six hundred fifty-six
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dollars.
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The price spiked to two thousand eight hundred
eight dollars the following day and settled at
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around two thousand seven hundred forty-three
dollars on August twenty-sixth.
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This latest transfer comes a month after a
wallet associated with the Ethereum Foundation
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transferred roughly ninety-two thousand Ether,
worth over two hundred fifty-three million
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dollars at current prices, to an unidentified
wallet.
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The address had not moved in seven years, and
the foundation still has not publicly explained
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who was responsible for the transfer and why.
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On May sixth, two thousand twenty-three, the
Ethereum Foundation made another notable
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transaction, transferring nearly thirty million
dollars in Ether to Kraken.
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The price fell four point eight percent to one
thousand nine hundred dollars on the day, but
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the decline was negligible amid a wider
recovery trend at the time.
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According to Arkham, the Ethereum Foundation
still holds around two hundred seventy-three
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thousand Ether, worth over seven hundred
fifty-one million dollars at current prices.
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This ongoing activity from the Ethereum
Foundation will definitely be something to
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watch closely as it could have significant
implications for the market.
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Binance Labs recently announced investments in
decentralized artificial intelligence
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ecosystems Sahara AI and MyShell.
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As artificial intelligence continues to
intersect with blockchain technology and
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digital assets, the venture capital and
incubator arm of crypto exchange Binance has
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placed investments in AI-focused startups.
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Binance Labs investment director Max Coniglio
shared the details behind the company’s most
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00:18:25,519 --> 00:18:30,615
recent investments and explained why the crypto
firm has been diving into artificial
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intelligence.
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On August fourteenth, the venture capital firm
invested in the decentralized platform Sahara
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AI.
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The project will create an artificial
intelligence ecosystem that allows on-chain
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attribution throughout the artificial
intelligence development cycle, reward
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participants for operating infrastructure, and
build an autonomous agent, among its many other
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goals.
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In addition, on August fifteenth, Binance Labs
announced that it invested in another
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decentralized artificial intelligence ecosystem
called MyShell.
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The platform allows users to build and share
their own artificial intelligence applications.
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Coniglio told Cointelegraph that one of their
goals with the recent investments is to promote
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decentralized applications powered by
artificial intelligence.
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00:19:24,934 --> 00:19:30,375
The Binance Labs executive believes that both
artificial intelligence and blockchain will
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flourish if they are open source.
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Coniglio explained, 'Artificial intelligence
and blockchain are a powerful combination.
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Both thrive on open-source innovation,
challenge traditional regulations, and drive
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significant wealth creation.
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00:19:48,819 --> 00:19:52,414
They complement each other by addressing mutual
challenges.'
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Coniglio believes that the two technologies
align with each other.
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He said that artificial intelligence improves
blockchain’s user experience and enhances
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decentralized systems.
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On the other hand, the executive explained that
blockchain ensures authenticity, boosts
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collaboration on open-source projects, and
supports the computational needs of artificial
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intelligence.
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00:20:22,404 --> 00:20:27,684
While it looks good on paper, Coniglio
highlighted that there are still challenges for
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00:20:27,684 --> 00:20:30,265
those who want to build using these
technologies.
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The Binance Labs executive said blockchain
developers and projects must build solid
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00:20:37,299 --> 00:20:39,320
products and sustainable businesses.
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00:20:40,259 --> 00:20:46,274
'To succeed, founders must grasp artificial
intelligence technology and possess strong
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business acumen.
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New technology alone won’t create large-scale
impact,' he added.
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Meanwhile, artificial intelligence-focused
tokens have surged in the last seven days as
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00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,539
investors anticipate the upcoming earnings
report of tech giant Nvidia.
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00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:11,019
Artificial intelligence-focused tokens such as
Near Protocol, Artificial Superintelligence
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00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:19,215
Alliance, Bittensor, and Render have seen gains
outpace the broader crypto market over the past
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00:21:19,215 --> 00:21:19,715
week.
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00:21:20,335 --> 00:21:26,974
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives described the
upcoming event as 'the most important tech
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00:21:26,974 --> 00:21:33,619
earnings in years' because he believes Nvidia
is the foundation for the artificial
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intelligence revolution.
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Mac users are being warned about a new strain
of malware called 'Cthulhu Stealer,' which can
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00:21:43,214 --> 00:21:46,755
steal their personal information and target
crypto wallets.
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This malware specifically targets popular
crypto wallets such as MetaMask, Coinbase, and
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00:21:53,454 --> 00:21:56,115
Binance on macOS operating systems.
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00:21:56,115 --> 00:22:03,039
Cybersecurity firm Cado Security issued a
warning on August twenty-second, stating, 'For
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00:22:03,039 --> 00:22:08,400
years, there has been a general belief in the
Zeitgeist that macOS systems are immune to
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00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:08,900
malware.
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00:22:09,654 --> 00:22:15,734
While macOS has a reputation for being secure,
macOS malware has been trending up in recent
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00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:16,234
years.'
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00:22:17,494 --> 00:22:24,650
The 'Cthulhu Stealer' malware appears as an
Apple disk image, or DMG file, and disguises
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00:22:24,789 --> 00:22:29,529
itself as legitimate software like CleanMyMac
and Adobe GenP.
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When users open the file, the macOS
command-line tool for running AppleScript and
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00:22:36,390 --> 00:22:39,434
JavaScript is used to prompt them for their
password.
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00:22:40,134 --> 00:22:46,075
Once this is entered, a second prompt will
appear for the password to the popular Ethereum
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wallet, MetaMask.
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00:22:49,109 --> 00:22:54,869
In addition to MetaMask, the malware targets
other popular crypto wallets, including those
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00:22:54,869 --> 00:23:02,250
from Coinbase, Wasabi, Electrum, Atomic,
Binance, and Blockchain Wallet.
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The stolen data is stored in text files before
the malware fingerprints the victim’s system to
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00:23:09,474 --> 00:23:14,375
gather additional data such as IP address and
operating system version.
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Cado Security researcher Tara Gould explained,
'The main functionality of Cthulhu Stealer is
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00:23:21,549 --> 00:23:27,009
to steal credentials and cryptocurrency wallets
from various stores, including game accounts.'
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00:23:28,365 --> 00:23:34,705
The 'Cthulhu Stealer' malware is very similar
to 'Atomic Stealer,' another malware identified
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00:23:35,565 --> 00:23:39,025
in two thousand twenty-three targeting Apple
computers.
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00:23:39,970 --> 00:23:45,990
This similarity indicates that the developer of
'Cthulhu Stealer' probably took 'Atomic
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00:23:46,130 --> 00:23:50,069
Stealer' and modified its code, according to
Gould.
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00:23:51,329 --> 00:23:57,805
The malware was being rented out to affiliates
for five hundred dollars per month using the
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00:23:57,805 --> 00:24:04,065
Telegram messaging platform, with the main
developer sharing profits from successful
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00:24:04,285 --> 00:24:04,785
deployments.
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00:24:06,285 --> 00:24:13,549
However, the scammers behind the malware are
said to be no longer active, following disputes
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00:24:13,609 --> 00:24:19,710
over payments that have led to accusations of
an exit scam by affiliates.
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00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:27,144
On August twenty-third, Cointelegraph reported
that the AMOS malware, which also targets Mac
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00:24:27,144 --> 00:24:29,965
users, can now clone Ledger Live software.
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00:24:30,664 --> 00:24:36,285
This highlights the increasing sophistication
and variety of malware targeting macOS users.
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00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:42,820
Apple has recently acknowledged the increasing
threat of malware targeting its operating
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00:24:42,820 --> 00:24:43,320
systems.
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00:24:43,779 --> 00:24:49,640
On August sixth, the tech giant announced an
update to its
next-generation macOS version
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00:24:50,035 --> 00:24:54,755
that makes it a little more difficult for users
to override Gatekeeper protections, which
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00:24:54,755 --> 00:24:58,055
ensure only trusted applications are allowed to
run on the system.
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00:24:59,154 --> 00:25:05,980
In May, Telegram played down the severity of an
exploit that allowed researchers to gain access
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00:25:05,980 --> 00:25:11,279
to macOS camera systems, stating that it had
more to do with Apple’s permission security
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00:25:11,580 --> 00:25:13,039
than the messaging platform.
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00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:20,285
Our final story today takes us to Thailand,
where authorities have busted an illegal
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00:25:20,345 --> 00:25:26,125
Bitcoin mining operation that was causing
repeated power outages in a local town.
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00:25:26,744 --> 00:25:31,730
According to reports from the Agence
France-Presse, Thai police and electricity
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00:25:31,950 --> 00:25:39,150
authorities raided a house in Ratchaburi, a
province located to the west of Bangkok, after
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00:25:39,150 --> 00:25:42,369
frequent reports of power outages in the area.
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00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:47,938
The raid took place on Sunday, August
twenty-fifth.
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00:25:47,938 --> 00:25:56,164
Jamnong Chanwong, a chief district security
officer, explained that the power outages began
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00:25:56,164 --> 00:26:01,369
around the middle of July, which is likely when
the mine became fully operational.
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00:26:02,390 --> 00:26:08,869
The mining operation had been consuming a large
amount of electricity but paying very little in
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00:26:08,869 --> 00:26:13,049
fees, leading to significant disruptions in the
local power supply.
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00:26:14,305 --> 00:26:19,985
The authorities did not arrest anyone at the
site of the mine, but the investigation is
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00:26:19,985 --> 00:26:20,485
ongoing.
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00:26:22,144 --> 00:26:27,205
This incident highlights the challenges that
come with the rapid growth of Bitcoin mining,
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00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:33,039
particularly in regions where infrastructure
may not be equipped to handle the increased
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00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:34,080
power demand.
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00:26:35,580 --> 00:26:41,180
Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and
Malaysia have become popular destinations for
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00:26:41,180 --> 00:26:48,244
Bitcoin miners, largely due to the availability
of low-cost electricity, skilled labor, and
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00:26:48,244 --> 00:26:49,384
established infrastructure.
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00:26:50,404 --> 00:26:57,095
This trend has accelerated since China banned
all crypto mining operations in two thousand
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00:26:57,095 --> 00:27:01,210
twenty-one, prompting many miners to relocate
to neighboring countries.
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00:27:02,710 --> 00:27:07,750
Just last week, Malaysian authorities destroyed
nine hundred eighty-five Bitcoin mining
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00:27:07,750 --> 00:27:13,585
machines worth approximately four hundred
fifty-two thousand five hundred dollars as part
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00:27:13,585 --> 00:27:18,244
of their ongoing crackdown on power theft
associated with Bitcoin mining.
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00:27:19,024 --> 00:27:25,125
In addition, seven individuals were arrested in
Malaysia earlier this month for allegedly
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00:27:25,265 --> 00:27:29,609
operating Bitcoin mining activities using
stolen electricity.
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00:27:31,029 --> 00:27:36,789
While the allure of low-cost electricity and
favorable conditions makes Southeast Asia an
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00:27:36,789 --> 00:27:42,329
attractive destination for Bitcoin miners, it
also brings challenges for local authorities
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00:27:42,755 --> 00:27:48,355
who must balance the benefits of this industry
with the need to maintain reliable power
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00:27:48,355 --> 00:27:49,575
supplies for residents.
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00:27:51,075 --> 00:27:55,174
That wraps up today's episode of Bitcoin & AI
Data Centers.
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00:27:55,829 --> 00:28:00,569
Thank you for tuning in to stay updated on the
latest in data centers, artificial
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00:28:00,630 --> 00:28:03,849
intelligence, and everything Bitcoin and
crypto.
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00:28:04,390 --> 00:28:08,890
I am Roni, your AI-generated host, signing off
from Wakanda.
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00:28:09,669 --> 00:28:15,375
Until next time, stay curious and keep
exploring the world of crypto and AI.
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00:28:15,835 --> 00:28:16,335
Goodbye!