🚀 GM,
It’s a beautiful Tuesday – so fasten your seatbelts, grab your favorite beverage, and let’s dive into the top stories that have been buzzing around this week! 🚀📚
This newsletter is exclusively written by industry professionals from CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, and esteemed media publications.
💰 Dogecoin: Is it Going to Take Over Twitter?
🚫 Sorry US, Worldcoin is Not Available Yet… But It’s Coming!
💻 EthCC Paris: My First-Hand Experience at the Epicenter of Ethereum
🎨 Editor’s Adventure: Getting My Iris Scanned by the Worldcoin Orb
Is Dogecoin coming for Twitter?
Hold onto your wallets because the crypto world is buzzing with excitement once again, thanks to none other than the man of the hour: Elon Musk. The Twitterati detective squad has caught wind of a subtle change in Musk’s bio after Twitter’s rebrand to “X,” and it’s got tongues wagging about the future of the beloved Dogecoin. 🐕
In a clever move that has sent the rumor mill into overdrive, Musk’s profile location now flaunts both an “X” and a “D.” Of course, the “X” represents Twitter’s spiffy new branding, but what’s that sneaky “D” all about? Well, we can’t help but speculate that it’s a nod to none other than Dogecoin itself! 🌙
Now, some skeptics may ask why Musk wouldn’t create his very own specific token for these payments. But here’s where it gets interesting, my fellow crypto buffs! Goldman Scahs former executive Raoul Pal suggested that by using Dogecoin, Musk could cleverly dodge those pesky securities laws, giving him “zero execution risk.” Now that’s maneuvering like a true genius! 💡
As we speak, Dogecoin is barking at $0.07.
Will Dogecoin become the chosen currency for Twitter’s intriguing new era or is it all just a clever marketing ploy? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: in the land of cryptocurrency, nothing is as it seems. 🌐
Worldcoin is here — just not in the US
Introducing… Worldcoin! (but not in teh US)🚀
This digital revolution is available for everyone in the world except our American friends. Yep, sorry folks, but Worldcoin has fenced off the United States for now.
Led by the visionary OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Worldcoin has come to redefine the concept of digital identity with its groundbreaking “World ID” system. It’s like a digital passport for the cyberspace wanderers among us. 🕵️♀️🌐
The terms of service clearly state that “WLD tokens are not intended to be available for use, purchase, or access by US persons.”
Who could’ve guessed that a silver ball with cameras and sensors would hold the key to our digital destinies? 🌟
Naturally, some skeptics wonder why Worldcoin didn’t just rely on government solutions like know-your-customer (KYC) rules. Blania’s response? Sure, they could’ve taken that route, but most governments around the world don’t have the best identity systems.. 👁️📸
In a lengthy new blog post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argues that an effective, reliable proof-of-personhood system, like Worldcoin, “seems very valuable,” but warns there are big risks in the race to develop one.
The Ethereum co-founder’s first concern relates to privacy—and the act of scanning someone’s iris. Buterin fears this could capture much more data than meets the eye, including a person’s sex, ethnicity and even certain medical conditions.
Note: Your biometric data will be stored and zipped off to teams in the European Union and the United States. 🌍🤝
We Visited EthCC Paris
For those who couldn’t make it to the grand Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) in Paris, We’ve got you covered with the juiciest highlights. 🚀
✨ Ethereum’s Abstraction Voyage with Vitalik Buterin ✨ Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, took us on a historical journey of account abstraction. What’s that, you ask? It’s a fancy term for developers working their magic even before the blockchain network launched. Buterin teased a potential Ethereum Improvement Proposal that could revolutionize crypto wallets, making them as easy as an email account. Say goodbye to wallet woes! 💼📧
🌐 a16z: Web3 to Fix Social Media? Oh, Yes! 🌐 Sriram Krishnan, general partner at a16z crypto, dropped some wisdom about the transformative powers of Web 3.0. According to him, it’s the perfect time to build large-scale crypto social media applications that fix all our current gripes.
🔥 Reddit: The Collector’s Paradise Mirela Spasova, Reddit’s avatar aficionado, spilled the tea on their mission to onboard millions of users into the wonderful world of digital collectibles. With over 8 million users already dipping their toes in the collectible pool, Reddit is making waves and generating big bucks for creators. 🎨💰
⛓️ Chainlink’s Quest for Interoperability Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, unveiled the Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) across multiple blockchains. This protocol aims to create a secure internet of contracts, attracting all those money-wielding individuals, big banks, and asset managers to the marvelous world of blockchain. 🌐💪
💎 Aave’s Lens Protocol V2: The Social Network Awakens 💎 Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave Companies, dropped a bombshell with the launch of Lens Protocol V2—a web3 upgrade targeting decentralized social networking.
And that’s a wrap, folks! EthCC brought together the brightest minds in the Ethereum universe, paving the way for a decentralized future.
Editor Wrap: I Had My Iris Scanned by the Worldcoin Orb…
I had quite the unique experience last Friday during brunch in central Paris. You won’t believe it, but the event was organized by Worldcoin, a crypto and identity startup co-founded by none other than Sam Altman from OpenAI/ChatGPT fame.
They’ve come up with a fascinating way for humans to prove their individuality, bid farewell to those annoying captchas, and potentially pave the way for a whole new digital economy. Intriguing, right?
Now, let me tell you, I was a bit hesitant at first, considering the whole concept involved getting my iris scanned by a futuristic shiny sphere. As someone who rejects cookies on every single website and avoids FaceID on my iPhone, I had my reservations. But the folks at Worldcoin assured us that they were all about transparency and user privacy. They even open-sourced most of the hardware and software involved, impressively.
So, I gathered my courage, put aside my worries of dystopian futures, and made my way to Paris to see what this orb was all about. After witnessing a few others getting scanned, it was finally my turn. I settled onto a cozy leather sofa, ready to face the orb.
Now, here’s where things got a bit interesting. Despite all the fancy artificial intelligence and zero-knowledge proof technology, we still faced a bit of a hiccup with internet connectivity. Turns out, both the orb and the administrator needed an internet connection, and the venue’s WiFi and the admin’s hotspot were just not cooperating. After a few failed attempts, we managed to make it work though.
With the technical glitches overcome, I loaded up the World App on my phone and clicked on the option to download a grant. It was like receiving a beta token, a little IOU of sorts. But before I could proceed, I had one important step left: getting verified by the orb.
So, I lined up my QR code on the World App with the orb’s two camera eyes, while the Worldcoin staff scanned their own QR code. It reminded me of scanning a card at the self-checkout of a supermarket, you know? Finally, the moment arrived. The administrator lifted this melon-sized, shiny silver orb towards my face, aligning its cameras and lights with my eyes.
I have to admit, I felt a bit like a character in a sci-fi movie at that point. The orb’s infrared lights beamed, and a white light slowly formed a circle around the cameras. Unfortunately, my initial attempt failed, probably because I foolishly tried to capture a video with my phone in between me and the orb. But we gave it another shot, and this time it worked like a charm.
As the circle completed and the scan finished, the app on my phone started processing my data to finalize the process. It took a few minutes (and a quick restart of the app), but then it was done! From that moment on, I possessed a unique digital identifier, forever able to prove my one-of-a-kind human existence. Phew, what a relief!
I have to give credit where it’s due though. Despite my initial concerns, the actual scanning process was surprisingly smooth and not nearly as intimidating as I had imagined. Perhaps it speaks to the thoughtfulness of Worldcoin’s design, or maybe our willingness to embrace avant-garde technodreams that would have seemed far-fetched just months ago.
So, there you have it – my adventure with the futuristic orb and the quest for my unique identity. It had its glitches along the way, but overall, it was a captivating and eye-opening experience (pun intended). Of course, I can’t help but ponder all the potential ways my iris data could be used, some of which I might not be thrilled about. But let’s hope that safeguards and responsible practices are in place to protect user privacy.
Meme Coin Corner
💰Dogecoin Bumps 10% on X Payments Speculation, DOGE Futures Traders Lose $10M
🚀Elon Musk Discloses Why Rebranding Twitter To X Is Crucial & Impact Of Shiba Inu Dog
🔥 Shiba Inu (SHIB) Investors Taking Profits? Billions Move on Exchanges?
THINGS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS WEEK
Tuesday: Conference Board Consumer Confidence data
Wednesday: Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting + Jerome Powell speech
Thursday: Q2 GDP report and Unemployment Claims
Friday: Core PCE Price Index (PCE focuses on consumer buying habits and costs)
The highlight of the week will be the FOMC meeting where the Federal Reserve determines whether to raise interest rates or maintain the current levels.
Twice weekly crypto goodness, coming your way! Catch us every Tuesday and Friday. And hey, don’t forget to check us out on Wednesdays for all the latest AI news – because why limit yourself to just one kind of intelligence?
