Crypto News
Regulatory News
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Richard Heart, the founder of projects like Hex, Pulsechain, and PulseX. Heart is accused of selling unregistered securities and misappropriating millions of dollars for personal expenses like luxury cars and watches.
Surge in Hacks, Scams, and Rug Pulls
Unfortunately, July witnessed a surge in hacks, scams, and rug pulls, resulting in over $300 million lost to exploits and fraudulent activities. The last two days of the month saw two significant incidents. Curve Finance was hacked for approximately $50 million, raising concerns as the CEO reportedly holds a substantial amount of debt backed by Curve tokens.
Ethereum Futures-based ETFs
In the world of traditional finance, there's a buzz around the launch of Ethereum futures-based ETFs. Six asset managers, including VanEck, ProShares, and Grayscale, have filed applications with the SEC to introduce these ETFs.
Top-performing Altcoins in July
XRP saw a significant increase of 46.53%, followed by MKR (+44.81%), UNI (+22.56%), SOL (+22.64%), and OP (+20.60%). It's been quite a profitable month for investors in these altcoins.
Changes in the Last Week
Bitcoin $29,615 (+1,2%) ⎸ Ethereum $1,859 (+0.1%) ⎸ Gold $1,933
AI News
OpenAI's GPT-5 trademark filing hints at revolutionary features.
OpenAI has filed for the GPT-5 trademark, signaling exciting developments in AI technology. The application covers many language model applications, promising speech and text production advancements, audio conversion, speech recognition, machine learning, translation, text generation, and neural network development.
While there is no release date for GPT-5 yet, the success of its predecessors, GPT-3 and GPT-4, has created much anticipation for this next addition.
Meta introduces AudioCraft for music and audio generation.
Meta has unveiled AudioCraft, a suite of AI tools designed to generate music and audio based on text prompts. MusicGen can create short music pieces, while AudioGen can generate various audio clips like environmental sounds and sound effects. The suite also features an improved version of EnCodec for higher-quality music. While AudioCraft holds the potential to revolutionize the music and audio industry, concerns about copyright infringement and plagiarism have been raised.
OpenAI adds Custom Instructions to ChatGPT Plus.
OpenAI has introduced Custom Instructions to its ChatGPT Plus. This feature allows users to set default behavior and text for their chat sessions, giving them more control over how the language model responds. Initial feedback suggests the feature might be underwhelming. Still, it represents a step towards allowing users to define their rules and behaviors in AI interaction. Users can access Custom Instructions by having a ChatGPT Plus account and enabling it in their settings, enabling personalized conversations with ChatGPT.
Other News
Travel Tips
I recently stumbled upon an article discussing safety in Mexico, which reminded me of our wonderful time there. It was the first country we lived in for an extended period when we began our perpetual traveling. We had nothing but positive experiences throughout our stay and encountered some genuinely unique and kind-hearted people.
While Mexico is generally a safe country, it's essential to be aware that there are areas where violence is more prevalent, mainly due to the presence of cartels. However, you can ensure a fantastic experience with a respectful attitude and some street smarts.
- You can research the regions you plan to visit and check for travel advisories or safety warnings.
- Avoid areas known for high crime rates and be cautious. In cities like Mexico City, avoid neighborhoods like Doctores and Tepito, where the possibility of trouble is higher.
- Be a respectful and kind visitor.
- Avoid showing your Rolex or newest iPhone when walking on the streets. Don't carry excessive cash or expose your credit cards openly. This is valid for any bigger cities, as pickpockets are everywhere.
- Use secure ATMs in well-lit and populated areas.
- If you refrain from getting involved with drugs and never purchase them from local cartels, you will probably not have trouble with them. It's simple like that.
- You should also be cautious if you encounter any situations with the police. Stay calm, cooperative, and respectful, as they might not always be on your side.
These are simple yet effective tips that can be applied in Mexico and any other country you may visit.
I am currently listening
The Authority Hacker Podcasts: #316- Ultimate New Pinterest Strategy
I am currently watching
The full story of Mister Beast.
Tool of the week
Fiverr.com is a website where freelancers offer digital services like design, writing, and more to people and businesses.
Users can browse and hire freelancers for various tasks at different prices. It's a platform for both getting work done and finding work.
Productivity Tips and Tricks
Fiverr also serves as an excellent tool for streamlining productivity through outsourcing. This approach is particularly beneficial for digital nomads and small business owners. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by minor tasks, platforms like Fiverr provide the means to hire capable freelancers skilled in areas like graphic design, writing, and website development. By doing so, you can dedicate your energy to primary responsibilities and relish your travels without the burden of micromanagement. Fiverr is beneficial for substantial business needs and smaller tasks, such as crafting a funny birthday video for your friend, for example. The options are nearly boundless.
Fiverr.com has made our small team more efficient too. We can give unique jobs to skilled freelancers, which saves time, uses resources better, and lets us find different talented people when we need them. This way, our work gets done well, on time, and doesn't cost too much, helping us grow.
Give it a try - fiverr.com
Inspiring Quotes
"One version of confidence is: I've got this figured out.
Another version is: I can figure this out.
The first is arrogant and close-minded. The second is humble and open-minded.
Be humble about what you know, but confident about what you can learn." – James Clear
And
“No one can compete with you on being you” – Naval Ravikant
