Full Transcript for Bitcoin Breakout Predictions, Stacks Upgrade, and AI Investments in Crypto

investment products saw weekly inflows worth five hundred thirty-three million dollars 60 00:04:56,685 --> 00:04:59,024 from August eighteenth to August twenty-fourth. 61 00:05:00,870 --> 00:05:07,350 Last week’s purchasing pace of crypto-related ETFs marked the largest inflows in the past 62 00:05:07,350 --> 00:05:13,050 five weeks, fueled by anticipation of interest rate cuts in the United States. 63 00:05:13,875 --> 00:05:20,754 United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, on August twenty-first, suggested that 64 00:05:20,754 --> 00:05:27,009 the first interest rate cuts could occur in September two thousand twenty-four. 65 00:05:27,009 --> 00:05:33,063 Among various crypto investment products analyzed by CoinShares, Bitcoin-related 66 00:05:33,063 --> 00:05:40,220 exchange-traded products saw the largest inflows last week, totaling five hundred 67 00:05:40,220 --> 00:05:42,224 forty-three million dollars. 68 00:05:42,224 --> 00:05:47,985 The most significant buying came from BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, which 69 00:05:47,985 --> 00:05:52,004 recorded three hundred eighteen million dollars in inflows last week. 70 00:05:53,029 --> 00:05:57,930 On the other hand, Ether-related crypto investment products saw negative flows, 71 00:05:58,310 --> 00:06:02,009 totaling thirty-six million dollars in outflows over the period. 72 00:06:02,470 --> 00:06:08,675 Ethereum outflows came despite new Ether ETF issuers continuing to see inflows, but the 73 00:06:08,675 --> 00:06:13,875 Grayscale Ethereum Trust offset the buying with one hundred eighteen million dollars of 74 00:06:13,875 --> 00:06:14,375 outflows. 75 00:06:15,875 --> 00:06:21,000 Despite massive outflows from the Grayscale Ethereum Trust, the new Ethereum 76 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:27,539 exchange-traded funds have seen three point one billion dollars of inflows since launching on 77 00:06:27,539 --> 00:06:28,439 July twenty-third. 78 00:06:30,419 --> 00:06:36,584 The inflows were partially offset by outflows from Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust, which 79 00:06:36,584 --> 00:06:40,284 offloaded two point five billion dollars over the period. 80 00:06:41,384 --> 00:06:48,410 Amid increasing inflows, the Bitcoin price saw notable growth, with Bitcoin adding about eight 81 00:06:48,410 --> 00:06:54,730 percent to its value from fifty-nine thousand five hundred dollars on August eighteenth to 82 00:06:54,730 --> 00:06:58,750 sixty-four thousand three hundred dollars on August twenty-fourth. 83 00:06:59,930 --> 00:07:05,954 Still, the cryptocurrency is down around six percent over the past thirty days after 84 00:07:05,954 --> 00:07:11,954 reaching the price of sixty-nine thousand nine hundred dollars on July twenty-ninth, according 85 00:07:11,954 --> 00:07:13,415 to data from CoinGecko. 86 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:21,160 While crypto inflows surged past five hundred million dollars for the first time in five 87 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,939 weeks, they were far from beating historical records. 88 00:07:26,435 --> 00:07:32,834 The largest spike of inflows in two thousand twenty-four was recorded between March eleventh 89 00:07:32,834 --> 00:07:38,960 and March seventeenth, soon after the Bitcoin price reached its historical high of 90 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,500 seventy-three thousand six hundred dollars on March fourteenth. 91 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:50,000 According to an analysis by the crypto financial services platform Matrixport, one of 92 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:55,785 the main reasons for the latest Bitcoin surge is the active minting of new stablecoins like 93 00:07:55,785 --> 00:07:56,285 Tether. 94 00:07:57,145 --> 00:08:03,805 Robust stablecoin minting is the main force behind Bitcoin rise, suggesting institutional 95 00:08:04,264 --> 00:08:11,069 influence surpasses macroeconomic factors, Matrixport said in its latest update on August 96 00:08:11,069 --> 00:08:11,569 twenty-sixth. 97 00:08:12,910 --> 00:08:18,785 Next on our docket, we have some groundbreaking news about the Stacks Network and its upcoming 98 00:08:18,785 --> 00:08:24,625 Nakamoto Upgrade, which promises to revolutionize decentralized finance on the 99 00:08:24,625 --> 00:08:25,524 Bitcoin ecosystem. 100 00:08:27,345 --> 00:08:34,839 Stacks, the largest Bitcoin layer-2 network by market capitalization and one of the oldest and 101 00:08:34,839 --> 00:08:40,779 most dedicated Bitcoin projects, is undergoing its most significant upgrade to date. 102 00:08:41,639 --> 00:08:47,125 This upgrade, set to activate on August twenty-eighth, will bring several fundamental 103 00:08:47,345 --> 00:08:52,784 changes to the network, including a dramatic increase in transaction speeds and the 104 00:08:52,784 --> 00:08:59,845 introduction of a new decentralized asset called sBTC, backed one-to-one by Bitcoin. 105 00:09:01,379 --> 00:09:07,379 The Nakamoto Upgrade is expected to significantly boost transaction speeds on the 106 00:09:07,379 --> 00:09:13,294 Stacks Network, reducing settlement times from the current ten to thirty minutes, which 107 00:09:13,294 --> 00:09:16,674 mirrors Bitcoin’s timing, to around five seconds. 108 00:09:17,294 --> 00:09:22,834 That is a one hundred times improvement and will transform the usability of the network. 109 00:09:23,855 --> 00:09:29,769 This speed enhancement will be a game-changer for decentralized finance applications built on 110 00:09:29,769 --> 00:09:34,350 Bitcoin, making the user experience much more seamless and efficient. 111 00:09:35,690 --> 00:09:40,429 Four weeks after the Nakamoto Upgrade is implemented, sBTC will be introduced. 112 00:09:41,394 --> 00:09:46,514 This new decentralized asset will facilitate the transfer of Bitcoin between the Bitcoin 113 00:09:46,514 --> 00:09:50,535 blockchain and Stacks, and will also be used as gas in transactions. 114 00:09:51,875 --> 00:09:58,200 The introduction of sBTC is expected to further boost the ecosystem of decentralized finance 115 00:09:58,259 --> 00:10:03,879

applications on Bitcoin by providing a more efficient way to transfer value and execute 116 00:10:03,940 --> 00:10:04,440 transactions. 117 00:10:06,419 --> 00:10:11,634 Projects built on the Stacks blockchain have historically struggled with the slow 118 00:10:11,634 --> 00:10:18,355 transaction speeds of the Bitcoin network, resulting in a sub-optimal user experience and 119 00:10:18,355 --> 00:10:22,455 limiting the possibility of high-volume use cases. 120 00:10:23,154 --> 00:10:29,670 For example, Velar, one of the most popular decentralized exchanges in the Stacks 121 00:10:29,670 --> 00:10:36,230 ecosystem, has had a user experience that falls short of its peers on other networks like 122 00:10:36,230 --> 00:10:36,730 Uniswap. 123 00:10:37,910 --> 00:10:44,125 However, with the Nakamoto Upgrade, Velar’s user experience is expected to be on par with 124 00:10:44,125 --> 00:10:49,264 its peers, with the added advantage of being on the world’s largest and most decentralized 125 00:10:49,644 --> 00:10:50,144 blockchain. 126 00:10:51,644 --> 00:10:55,105 The timing of this upgrade could not be more perfect. 127 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:01,399 Unlike Ethereum and Solana, which have seen a variety of viral products built on their 128 00:11:01,399 --> 00:11:07,659 networks, Bitcoin has rarely generated the same level of enthusiasm for its ecosystem. 129 00:11:08,764 --> 00:11:13,965 Traditionally, interest has focused on Bitcoin as an asset rather than on its broader 130 00:11:13,965 --> 00:11:14,465 ecosystem. 131 00:11:15,404 --> 00:11:20,285 However, this began to change in early twenty twenty-three with the introduction of the 132 00:11:20,285 --> 00:11:26,120 Ordinals Protocol, which popularized the creation of non-fungible tokens and fungible 133 00:11:26,180 --> 00:11:28,279 tokens within the Bitcoin network. 134 00:11:29,540 --> 00:11:34,764 The Ordinals Protocol reignited interest and innovation around Bitcoin, leading many to 135 00:11:34,764 --> 00:11:37,745 refer to this period as Bitcoin's second phase. 136 00:11:38,524 --> 00:11:44,384 Discussions about Bitcoin’s scalability, building Web3 products on Bitcoin, investments 137 00:11:44,524 --> 00:11:49,860 in Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, and Bitcoin decentralized finance have reached 138 00:11:49,860 --> 00:11:51,480 unprecedented levels. 139 00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:57,720 Before the Ordinals Protocol, there were only a handful of Bitcoin layer-2 solutions. 140 00:11:58,579 --> 00:12:04,705 Today, there are roughly eighty Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, many of which are backed by 141 00:12:04,705 --> 00:12:12,644 investments from major funds such as Pantera, Coinbase, Polychain, OKX Ventures, and Binance. 142 00:12:14,279 --> 00:12:21,000 The Nakamoto Upgrade and the launch of sBTC come at a time when the ecosystem is much more 143 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,899 vibrant and mature, ready to recognize the true value of these advancements. 144 00:12:27,894 --> 00:12:32,774 This upgrade will further fuel the wave of innovation that has been building around 145 00:12:32,774 --> 00:12:35,674 Bitcoin since the emergence of the Ordinals Protocol. 146 00:12:36,615 --> 00:12:42,509 With more projects exploring Web3 development on Bitcoin and networks like Stacks providing 147 00:12:42,569 --> 00:12:49,529 faster and cheaper platforms that support smart contracts, it raises intriguing questions about 148 00:12:49,529 --> 00:12:52,829 the future of other blockchain networks like Ethereum. 149 00:12:54,424 --> 00:12:59,245 While it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, it is clear that the Nakamoto 150 00:12:59,304 --> 00:13:03,245 Upgrade could mark a significant turning point for Bitcoin’s ecosystem. 151 00:13:04,424 --> 00:13:10,179 This is a question that few would have asked two years ago, but today it has become a key 152 00:13:10,179 --> 00:13:11,399 topic for reflection. 153 00:13:11,940 --> 00:13:17,460 The crypto community is eagerly watching to see how these developments unfold and what they 154 00:13:17,460 --> 00:13:20,759 mean for the future of decentralized finance on Bitcoin. 155 00:13:22,035 --> 00:13:27,475 Next up on our docket is a fascinating case study from the past that might offer some 156 00:13:27,475 --> 00:13:29,014 insights into the future. 157 00:13:30,115 --> 00:13:36,379 According to blockchain tracing firm Arkham Intelligence, the price of Ether once surged 158 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,879 over five hundred percent in the months following a massive Ethereum Foundation sale of 159 00:13:41,879 --> 00:13:42,379 Ether. 160 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:47,820 This historical event has led many to speculate on what might happen this time around. 161 00:13:48,985 --> 00:13:54,365 In an August twenty-fifth post on X, Arkham Intelligence highlighted, 'The Ethereum 162 00:13:54,745 --> 00:14:01,160 Foundation famously sold the top in both May and November two thousand twenty-one. 163 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:06,700 But in two thousand twenty, they sold one hundred thousand Ether, right before Ether 164 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:13,799 pumped six times.' The Ethereum Foundation sent around thirty-five thousand Ether, worth 165 00:14:13,799 --> 00:14:19,684 ninety-six million dollars, to a wallet identified as a Kraken exchange deposit address 166 00:14:19,825 --> 00:14:25,045 on August twenty-third at five twenty-six PM Coordinated Universal Time. 167 00:14:26,545 --> 00:14:32,289 Arkham's data shows that on December seventeenth, two thousand twenty, the Ethereum 168 00:14:32,750 --> 00:14:38,403 Foundation sold around one hundred thousand Ether, worth roughly sixty-three million 169 00:14:38,403 --> 00:14:42,529 dollars at a price of six hundred thirty-five dollars per Ether. 170 00:14:43,470 --> 00:14:51,111 Five months later, on May twelfth, two thousand twenty-one, the price surged to a high of four 171 00:14:51,111 --> 00:14:53,644 thousand one hundred eighty-two dollars. 172 00:14:53,644 --> 00:14:59,675 Later that

year, on November tenth, it hit a cycle high of four thousand eight hundred 173 00:14:59,675 --> 00:15:02,809 ninety-one dollars and seventy cents. 174 00:15:02,809 --> 00:15:05,710 So, what does this mean for the current market? 175 00:15:06,330 --> 00:15:12,649 Arkham Intelligence posed the question, 'Last night, they sent another thirty-five thousand 176 00:15:12,649 --> 00:15:17,105 Ether to Kraken, worth ninety-five million dollars. 177 00:15:17,105 --> 00:15:22,625 Did they get it right this time?' This question has led to significant speculation within the 178 00:15:22,625 --> 00:15:23,605 crypto community. 179 00:15:24,865 --> 00:15:32,570 In response to the buzz, Ethereum Foundation executive director Aya Miyaguchi took to X to 180 00:15:32,570 --> 00:15:33,789 clarify the situation. 181 00:15:34,490 --> 00:15:41,325 She explained that the transfer was part of 'treasury management activities' and was not 182 00:15:41,384 --> 00:15:48,024 necessarily 'equal to a sale.' According to Miyaguchi, the Ethereum Foundation has an 183 00:15:48,024 --> 00:15:53,870 annual budget of one hundred million dollars, which includes grants and salaries, but some 184 00:15:53,870 --> 00:15:57,090 recipients can only accept payment in fiat currencies. 185 00:15:58,509 --> 00:16:04,910 Miyaguchi added, 'This year, there was a long period of time when we were advised not to do 186 00:16:04,910 --> 00:16:10,225 any treasury activities due to regulatory complications, and we were not able to share 187 00:16:10,225 --> 00:16:17,424 the plan in advance.' Looking forward, there will likely be 'planned and gradual sales' to 188 00:16:17,424 --> 00:16:19,125 manage the foundation's finances. 189 00:16:20,799 --> 00:16:24,740 The price of Ether has been mostly stable over the last few days. 190 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:32,789 At its lowest point on August twenty-fourth, it was around two thousand six hundred fifty-six 191 00:16:32,789 --> 00:16:33,360 dollars. 192 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:39,575 The price spiked to two thousand eight hundred eight dollars the following day and settled at 193 00:16:39,575 --> 00:16:43,995 around two thousand seven hundred forty-three dollars on August twenty-sixth. 194 00:16:45,654 --> 00:16:51,410 This latest transfer comes a month after a wallet associated with the Ethereum Foundation 195 00:16:51,950 --> 00:16:58,658 transferred roughly ninety-two thousand Ether, worth over two hundred fifty-three million 196 00:16:58,658 --> 00:17:02,745 dollars at current prices, to an unidentified wallet. 197 00:17:03,285 --> 00:17:08,884 The address had not moved in seven years, and the foundation still has not publicly explained 198 00:17:08,884 --> 00:17:11,705 who was responsible for the transfer and why. 199 00:17:12,980 --> 00:17:18,519 On May sixth, two thousand twenty-three, the Ethereum Foundation made another notable 200 00:17:18,580 --> 00:17:23,720 transaction, transferring nearly thirty million dollars in Ether to Kraken. 201 00:17:24,740 --> 00:17:30,595 The price fell four point eight percent to one thousand nine hundred dollars on the day, but 202 00:17:30,595 --> 00:17:35,815 the decline was negligible amid a wider recovery trend at the time. 203 00:17:36,914 --> 00:17:41,022 According to Arkham, the Ethereum Foundation still holds around two hundred seventy-three 204 00:17:41,022 --> 00:17:47,070 thousand Ether, worth over seven hundred fifty-one million dollars at current prices. 205 00:17:47,769 --> 00:17:52,410 This ongoing activity from the Ethereum Foundation will definitely be something to 206 00:17:52,410 --> 00:17:56,110 watch closely as it could have significant implications for the market. 207 00:17:57,394 --> 00:18:01,974 Binance Labs recently announced investments in decentralized artificial intelligence 208 00:18:02,275 --> 00:18:06,194 ecosystems Sahara AI and MyShell. 209 00:18:06,194 --> 00:18:10,755 As artificial intelligence continues to intersect with blockchain technology and 210 00:18:10,755 --> 00:18:16,480 digital assets, the venture capital and incubator arm of crypto exchange Binance has 211 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,380 placed investments in AI-focused startups. 212 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:25,519 Binance Labs investment director Max Coniglio shared the details behind the company’s most 213 00:18:25,519 --> 00:18:30,615 recent investments and explained why the crypto firm has been diving into artificial 214 00:18:31,154 --> 00:18:31,654 intelligence. 215 00:18:33,315 --> 00:18:39,095 On August fourteenth, the venture capital firm invested in the decentralized platform Sahara 216 00:18:39,234 --> 00:18:39,734 AI. 217 00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:45,579 The project will create an artificial intelligence ecosystem that allows on-chain 218 00:18:45,579 --> 00:18:49,980 attribution throughout the artificial intelligence development cycle, reward 219 00:18:49,980 --> 00:18:56,085 participants for operating infrastructure, and build an autonomous agent, among its many other 220 00:18:56,085 --> 00:18:56,585 goals. 221 00:18:57,765 --> 00:19:03,205 In addition, on August fifteenth, Binance Labs announced that it invested in another 222 00:19:03,205 --> 00:19:07,759 decentralized artificial intelligence ecosystem called MyShell. 223 00:19:07,759 --> 00:19:12,899 The platform allows users to build and share their own artificial intelligence applications. 224 00:19:14,399 --> 00:19:20,159 Coniglio told Cointelegraph that one of their goals with the recent investments is to promote 225 00:19:20,159 --> 00:19:23,835 decentralized applications powered by artificial intelligence. 226 00:19:24,934 --> 00:19:30,375 The Binance Labs executive believes that both artificial intelligence and blockchain will 227 00:19:30,375 --> 00:19:32,394 flourish if they are open source. 228 00:19:33,414 --> 00:19:38,919 Coniglio explained, 'Artificial intelligence and blockchain are a powerful combination. 229 00:19:40,259 --> 00:19:46,419 Both thrive on open-source innovation,

challenge traditional regulations, and drive 230 00:19:46,419 --> 00:19:48,119 significant wealth creation. 231 00:19:48,819 --> 00:19:52,414 They complement each other by addressing mutual challenges.' 232 00:19:53,994 --> 00:19:58,654 Coniglio believes that the two technologies align with each other. 233 00:19:59,194 --> 00:20:05,690 He said that artificial intelligence improves blockchain’s user experience and enhances 234 00:20:06,069 --> 00:20:07,529 decentralized systems. 235 00:20:08,869 --> 00:20:15,369 On the other hand, the executive explained that blockchain ensures authenticity, boosts 236 00:20:15,429 --> 00:20:20,345 collaboration on open-source projects, and supports the computational needs of artificial 237 00:20:20,404 --> 00:20:20,904 intelligence. 238 00:20:22,404 --> 00:20:27,684 While it looks good on paper, Coniglio highlighted that there are still challenges for 239 00:20:27,684 --> 00:20:30,265 those who want to build using these technologies. 240 00:20:31,779 --> 00:20:37,299 The Binance Labs executive said blockchain developers and projects must build solid 241 00:20:37,299 --> 00:20:39,320 products and sustainable businesses. 242 00:20:40,259 --> 00:20:46,274 'To succeed, founders must grasp artificial intelligence technology and possess strong 243 00:20:46,274 --> 00:20:47,255 business acumen. 244 00:20:47,954 --> 00:20:52,054 New technology alone won’t create large-scale impact,' he added. 245 00:20:53,154 --> 00:20:59,240 Meanwhile, artificial intelligence-focused tokens have surged in the last seven days as 246 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,539 investors anticipate the upcoming earnings report of tech giant Nvidia. 247 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:11,019 Artificial intelligence-focused tokens such as Near Protocol, Artificial Superintelligence 248 00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:19,215 Alliance, Bittensor, and Render have seen gains outpace the broader crypto market over the past 249 00:21:19,215 --> 00:21:19,715 week. 250 00:21:20,335 --> 00:21:26,974 Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives described the upcoming event as 'the most important tech 251 00:21:26,974 --> 00:21:33,619 earnings in years' because he believes Nvidia is the foundation for the artificial 252 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:34,900 intelligence revolution. 253 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:43,214 Mac users are being warned about a new strain of malware called 'Cthulhu Stealer,' which can 254 00:21:43,214 --> 00:21:46,755 steal their personal information and target crypto wallets. 255 00:21:47,615 --> 00:21:53,454 This malware specifically targets popular crypto wallets such as MetaMask, Coinbase, and 256 00:21:53,454 --> 00:21:56,115 Binance on macOS operating systems. 257 00:21:56,115 --> 00:22:03,039 Cybersecurity firm Cado Security issued a warning on August twenty-second, stating, 'For 258 00:22:03,039 --> 00:22:08,400 years, there has been a general belief in the Zeitgeist that macOS systems are immune to 259 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:08,900 malware. 260 00:22:09,654 --> 00:22:15,734 While macOS has a reputation for being secure, macOS malware has been trending up in recent 261 00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:16,234 years.' 262 00:22:17,494 --> 00:22:24,650 The 'Cthulhu Stealer' malware appears as an Apple disk image, or DMG file, and disguises 263 00:22:24,789 --> 00:22:29,529 itself as legitimate software like CleanMyMac and Adobe GenP. 264 00:22:30,390 --> 00:22:36,390 When users open the file, the macOS command-line tool for running AppleScript and 265 00:22:36,390 --> 00:22:39,434 JavaScript is used to prompt them for their password. 266 00:22:40,134 --> 00:22:46,075 Once this is entered, a second prompt will appear for the password to the popular Ethereum 267 00:22:46,214 --> 00:22:49,109 wallet, MetaMask. 268 00:22:49,109 --> 00:22:54,869 In addition to MetaMask, the malware targets other popular crypto wallets, including those 269 00:22:54,869 --> 00:23:02,250 from Coinbase, Wasabi, Electrum, Atomic, Binance, and Blockchain Wallet. 270 00:23:03,075 --> 00:23:09,474 The stolen data is stored in text files before the malware fingerprints the victim’s system to 271 00:23:09,474 --> 00:23:14,375 gather additional data such as IP address and operating system version. 272 00:23:15,549 --> 00:23:21,549 Cado Security researcher Tara Gould explained, 'The main functionality of Cthulhu Stealer is 273 00:23:21,549 --> 00:23:27,009 to steal credentials and cryptocurrency wallets from various stores, including game accounts.' 274 00:23:28,365 --> 00:23:34,705 The 'Cthulhu Stealer' malware is very similar to 'Atomic Stealer,' another malware identified 275 00:23:35,565 --> 00:23:39,025 in two thousand twenty-three targeting Apple computers. 276 00:23:39,970 --> 00:23:45,990 This similarity indicates that the developer of 'Cthulhu Stealer' probably took 'Atomic 277 00:23:46,130 --> 00:23:50,069 Stealer' and modified its code, according to Gould. 278 00:23:51,329 --> 00:23:57,805 The malware was being rented out to affiliates for five hundred dollars per month using the 279 00:23:57,805 --> 00:24:04,065 Telegram messaging platform, with the main developer sharing profits from successful 280 00:24:04,285 --> 00:24:04,785 deployments. 281 00:24:06,285 --> 00:24:13,549 However, the scammers behind the malware are said to be no longer active, following disputes 282 00:24:13,609 --> 00:24:19,710 over payments that have led to accusations of an exit scam by affiliates. 283 00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:27,144 On August twenty-third, Cointelegraph reported that the AMOS malware, which also targets Mac 284 00:24:27,144 --> 00:24:29,965 users, can now clone Ledger Live software. 285 00:24:30,664 --> 00:24:36,285 This highlights the increasing sophistication and variety of malware targeting macOS users. 286 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:42,820 Apple has recently acknowledged the increasing threat of malware targeting its operating 287 00:24:42,820 --> 00:24:43,320 systems. 288 00:24:43,779 --> 00:24:49,640 On August sixth, the tech giant announced an update to its

next-generation macOS version 289 00:24:50,035 --> 00:24:54,755 that makes it a little more difficult for users to override Gatekeeper protections, which 290 00:24:54,755 --> 00:24:58,055 ensure only trusted applications are allowed to run on the system. 291 00:24:59,154 --> 00:25:05,980 In May, Telegram played down the severity of an exploit that allowed researchers to gain access 292 00:25:05,980 --> 00:25:11,279 to macOS camera systems, stating that it had more to do with Apple’s permission security 293 00:25:11,580 --> 00:25:13,039 than the messaging platform. 294 00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:20,285 Our final story today takes us to Thailand, where authorities have busted an illegal 295 00:25:20,345 --> 00:25:26,125 Bitcoin mining operation that was causing repeated power outages in a local town. 296 00:25:26,744 --> 00:25:31,730 According to reports from the Agence France-Presse, Thai police and electricity 297 00:25:31,950 --> 00:25:39,150 authorities raided a house in Ratchaburi, a province located to the west of Bangkok, after 298 00:25:39,150 --> 00:25:42,369 frequent reports of power outages in the area. 299 00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:47,938 The raid took place on Sunday, August twenty-fifth. 300 00:25:47,938 --> 00:25:56,164 Jamnong Chanwong, a chief district security officer, explained that the power outages began 301 00:25:56,164 --> 00:26:01,369 around the middle of July, which is likely when the mine became fully operational. 302 00:26:02,390 --> 00:26:08,869 The mining operation had been consuming a large amount of electricity but paying very little in 303 00:26:08,869 --> 00:26:13,049 fees, leading to significant disruptions in the local power supply. 304 00:26:14,305 --> 00:26:19,985 The authorities did not arrest anyone at the site of the mine, but the investigation is 305 00:26:19,985 --> 00:26:20,485 ongoing. 306 00:26:22,144 --> 00:26:27,205 This incident highlights the challenges that come with the rapid growth of Bitcoin mining, 307 00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:33,039 particularly in regions where infrastructure may not be equipped to handle the increased 308 00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:34,080 power demand. 309 00:26:35,580 --> 00:26:41,180 Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia have become popular destinations for 310 00:26:41,180 --> 00:26:48,244 Bitcoin miners, largely due to the availability of low-cost electricity, skilled labor, and 311 00:26:48,244 --> 00:26:49,384 established infrastructure. 312 00:26:50,404 --> 00:26:57,095 This trend has accelerated since China banned all crypto mining operations in two thousand 313 00:26:57,095 --> 00:27:01,210 twenty-one, prompting many miners to relocate to neighboring countries. 314 00:27:02,710 --> 00:27:07,750 Just last week, Malaysian authorities destroyed nine hundred eighty-five Bitcoin mining 315 00:27:07,750 --> 00:27:13,585 machines worth approximately four hundred fifty-two thousand five hundred dollars as part 316 00:27:13,585 --> 00:27:18,244 of their ongoing crackdown on power theft associated with Bitcoin mining. 317 00:27:19,024 --> 00:27:25,125 In addition, seven individuals were arrested in Malaysia earlier this month for allegedly 318 00:27:25,265 --> 00:27:29,609 operating Bitcoin mining activities using stolen electricity. 319 00:27:31,029 --> 00:27:36,789 While the allure of low-cost electricity and favorable conditions makes Southeast Asia an 320 00:27:36,789 --> 00:27:42,329 attractive destination for Bitcoin miners, it also brings challenges for local authorities 321 00:27:42,755 --> 00:27:48,355 who must balance the benefits of this industry with the need to maintain reliable power 322 00:27:48,355 --> 00:27:49,575 supplies for residents. 323 00:27:51,075 --> 00:27:55,174 That wraps up today's episode of Bitcoin & AI Data Centers. 324 00:27:55,829 --> 00:28:00,569 Thank you for tuning in to stay updated on the latest in data centers, artificial 325 00:28:00,630 --> 00:28:03,849 intelligence, and everything Bitcoin and crypto. 326 00:28:04,390 --> 00:28:08,890 I am Roni, your AI-generated host, signing off from Wakanda. 327 00:28:09,669 --> 00:28:15,375 Until next time, stay curious and keep exploring the world of crypto and AI. 328 00:28:15,835 --> 00:28:16,335 Goodbye!