Crypto News
Grayscale's Recent Legal Victory
Judge Neomi Rao ordered the SEC to vacate its order denying Grayscale's application to convert its trust-based BTC product into an ETF. This ruling celebrates the crypto industry as it opens the possibility of a spot BTC ETF. The approval of such an ETF would provide a secure investment vehicle for US retail and institutional investors, bypassing challenges related to crypto custody. This development has caused Bitcoin's price to rally and reduced the discount on GBTC's market value.
Spot BTC ETF Battle Not Over
While the SEC has been defeated in this legal battle, more is still to come. The court has mandated the SEC to revisit Grayscale's proposal, leaving room for further denial and costly litigation. However, there is optimism that the SEC might use this defeat as a graceful exit and eventually approve a spot BTC ETF. Industry expert Jake Chervinsky believes the SEC may follow the rule of law and end their anti-ETF stance.
SEC's First Enforcement Action Against NFTs
The SEC recently announced its first enforcement action against a media company called Impact Theory for selling unregistered securities in the form of NFTs. The company had raised $30 million by promising big returns and marketing themselves as "the next Disney." As a result, Impact Theory agreed to a cease-and-desist order, paid fines, set up a refund fund for investors, and faced public scrutiny. This action by the SEC indicates their commitment to crack down on regulatory violations in the crypto space.
Twitter Acquires License for Crypto Payments:
Twitter has acquired a license that allows them to add cryptocurrency payments to their platform. This move paves the way for Twitter to introduce features for sending and receiving cryptocurrencies to millions of global users.
Changes in the Last Week
- Bitcoin's price: $26,046 (-0.2%)
- Ethereum's price: $1,650 (-0.3%)
- Gold's price: $1,939
AI News
Enhanced AI Models
Google's Cloud service now offers 20 new prebuilt AI models optimized for enterprises. Customers can tap into third-party systems like LLaMa-2 (Meta) and Claude 2 (Anthropic) for added functionality.
AI Watermarking Tool
To combat disinformation and deepfakes, Google introduced SynthID, an AI watermarking tool that identifies authentic images.
Duet AI Assistant
Google's Duet AI assistant is available across major Workspace apps, providing enhanced productivity support. However, it comes with a price tag of $30 per month per user for enterprise customers.
Travel Update
Gamarjoba from Tbilisi! We've arrived safely in the beautiful country of Georgia and have settled comfortably into our new environment. This week, we're excited to participate in the Heureka conference, which reunites us with friends we typically see only during this occasion.
As part of the conference, we're looking forward to exploring a walnut farm in the Kakheti region, renowned for its vineyards.
Did you know that for over 8,000 years, this area of the South Caucasus has been a cradle for grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production? The traditional wine is called "qvevri wine" or "amber wine." It's a unique style of wine that is made using ancient winemaking techniques. The process involves fermenting and aging the wine in large clay vessels called "qvevris," which are buried underground. Looks like this:
Throughout our 6-week stay, we'll be primarily based in the heart of Tbilisi and visiting other regions for weekend getaways. Stepping beyond the city limits immediately transports you to rural landscapes – something very special to experience. The warmth of the people here has already made an impression, and we're eager to dive deep into the country's culinary delights and renowned wines.
I am currently reading
$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers to Want to Buy Your Stuff
by Alex Hormozi
Tool of the week
E-sim
This week, I'd like to highlight the convenience of e-SIM, particularly for digital nomads. E-SIM enables you to activate a mobile plan without a physical SIM card.
The evening before we left for Georgia, we purchased Magti's e-SIM service online. So far, the experience is great.
We could purchase the e-SIM online effortlessly, opting for an affordable plan that included unlimited internet for about 15 EUR for 30 days (e-SIM was about 3 EUR). The process was very straightforward and without any complications. As soon as we landed in Georgia, we had internet connectivity without the usual hassle of finding a local provider, waiting in line, or dealing with in-person paperwork.
Inspiring Quotes
“Don’t form your own conclusion based on what you see. That’s the easy way. Resist that temptation. Why? Because you will never know the true situation if you’ve not walked in someone’s shoes. Remember, the ignorant sees only with his eyes. Learn to see with your heart and mind.”—Mufti Menk
And
“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”—Marcus Aurelius
Productivity Tips and Tricks
How Time Audits Affect Your Productivity?
Examining how you spend your time can align your activities with your goals and values. This empowers you to choose where to invest your energy and attention. Through regular time audits, you can uncover inefficiencies, streamline your workflow, and optimize processes.
To conduct an effective time audit, track your daily activities using a journal or time-tracking app, noting the tasks and their durations. Categorize tasks, evaluate their importance, and analyze the results to adjust your schedule and priorities for improved productivity.
This will boost your efficiency and help you overcome procrastination, focus on what truly matters, and enhance your ability to plan effectively, ensuring you allocate time for essential tasks, rest, and leisure.
