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Articles by Alison McMurtrie
Five ways to support older struggling readers to catch up
As state education departments progressively shift towards structured approaches to teaching early literacy – with Victoria being the latest to announce a shift towards evidence-based instruction – the proportion of students who require additional support to master this essential skill should, hopefully, decline over time.
Let’s talk about COP28
COP in UAE this year is all about how the planet can manage temperature rises, sea level rises, population migration and to create a fund for climate-based disasters. What has this got to do with web3? It’s all in the opportunity! Blockchain can manage smart contacts, real world assets can be digitised and tracked, tokenised. Digital currencies can help ensure full traceability of emergency funds into the hands of those who need them, and not the scammers or criminals.
Circle to make USDC available to over 85 Million Nubank Customers
Circle and Nubank have joined forces to make USDC, Circle's leading regulated dollar stablecoin, accessible to over 85 million Nubank customers. Nubank, a digital financial platform serving 90 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, is gearing up to introduce USDC through its crypto platform, Nubank Cripto. The collaboration kicks off with the introduction of USDC on Nubank Cripto, allowing Brazilian users to seamlessly purchase and hold digital dollars.
Funds Are Safu… Fund Are Safu, RIGHT!?
I suppose many of you saw the news about CZ, some of you might even feel uneasy that your $24.76 balance on Binance might be ‘in jeopardy’ now. This is life, and it is full of surprises, good and bad ones. The changes are coming when you least expect them. So what do we have at the moment? CZ-less Binance that has to pay some fines, and start playing by the rules. Could they manage it, or will they go ‘belly up’ in the next half a year?
Let’s talk about startups
Yes - it highlighted all the amazing benefits of what is different and innovative about web3 (well you don’t need me to tell you!) and then used the web2 yard stick to measure against…. Mmmm hello? Yes – this is the issue. Web3 at its core is all about equality, decentralisation, democratisation of power, and YET – here we are, allowing startups who are truly innovative to be measured against the same perceived success factors and fundraising mechanisms that the web2 startups are.
Jillians feature large at #CardanoSummit2023
1) I am Jillian Plomin, part of the team building the $USDM stablecoin - Cardano’s Premiere Fiat-backed Stablecoin - and NFT creator for Project Bookworm, also on the Cardano blockchain. I’ve been writing for decades, first as a playwright, then as a professional copywriter in advertising and PR, as well as a political communications consultant. Blade of Baz and Project Bookworm are my first stab at being a novelist.
Missing in action
The Trrue team have been out and about recently to quite a few events, some focused on specific topics/ technology and some more generic. But there was something missing from them all - new tech! Yes there was the AI stuff (a LOT) but very little real web3 content. It was entry level and mostly given by male speakers - boo. There are so many great real world applications of web3 tech and businesses doing that, that the chatter about them and the value driven by the tech should be at every conf.
Disney Announces NFT platform with Dapper Labs
Disney is setting its sights on the future of digital collectibles by partnering with blockchain and metaverse company Dapper Labs to launch a non-fungible token (NFT) platform. In a groundbreaking move announced on November 14, Disney revealed its plans to tokenize beloved cartoon characters spanning a century of entertainment history, bringing them to life on its NFT marketplace named Disney Pinnacle.
Blockchain.com has successfully concluded a $110-million Series E financing round
Blockchain.com, a prominent player in the blockchain industry, has successfully concluded a significant milestone with the closure of a $110-million Series E financing round. The investment not only marks a substantial financial injection but also represents a noteworthy shift in the company's valuation.
Looking to the future
I was at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York last week, and you might ask, why? But it’s all about the future, if you aren’t thinking about what’s next, then there is the risk that you and your business will become stagnant and potentially become yesterdays news. There were amazing panelists from the UN Secretary General, the World Bank, Bank of America, Central Bank of Brazil and many more. A.I. of course was the hot topic, but there was also a lot of talk about digital currencies and crypto.
Bitcoin Golden Cross: Time to Buy or Brace for the Storm?
Presently, BTC is positioned above its Bull Market Support Band, holding its ground at an impressive $34,000. In the event of a price retracement, the Bull Market Support Band level of $28,907 is the level the bulls want to see hold for a continued move higher. The recent occurrence of a Golden Cross in BTC is causing ripples in the financial waters. A Golden Cross materializes when the 50-day moving average goes above the 200-day moving average.
Should you tone down the web3-ness?
Are more web3 startups removing their web3-ness from marketing to access a larger customer base- to be the bridge? My first inkling of this was when we were working on the brand and messaging for Trrue. We recognised that if we wanted investors and businesses outside of the web3 world then we would need to remove or limit the way we talk about the tech. The media has polarised the web3 world- people either love it or avoid it at all costs- and it usually comes from understanding - or lack of.
Bitcoin Price Skyrockets to $35K+ as Blackrock Starts Buying Bitcoin in Preparation for ETF Approval.
The inception of BlackRock's foray into the realm of Bitcoin has ushered in a remarkable development - their spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), aptly christened IBTC, has now found a place within the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). This alludes to the now highly likely possibility of securing the approval by the SEC (United States Securities and Exchange Commission).
Financial Regulation - good or bad?
Surely the whole reason for some of these innovative solutions are to reduce red tape, streamline processes and make transacting more ‘transparent’, safer, more secure and faster. Similarly, we all know that some of these technologies have been taken on by some of the shadier adopters. The role of AML, KYC & KYB is of greater importance now more than ever. But, read the news or articles and almost every day there is an announcement of a traditional embracing the digital.
How a False ETF Announcement Unleashed $100 Million Cryptocurrency Liquidations
As data emerged, the Bitcoin liquidation cascade was nothing short of devastating, eclipsing a staggering $71 million as the short-lived market euphoria abruptly shifted course. According to Coinglass, the total sum of liquidations across the crypto space following the false ETF news amounted to a jaw-dropping $114.7 million. But how did this blunder happen?
The rise of Community
Usually NOT the social media manager (according to one of my friends anyway) – as social media is advertising now. Community is chatting; it’s WhatsApp groups, it’s Telegram, Reddit, Discord, and may I say one of the reasons why Facebook is seeing a revival with younger demography. Community is about having a common value, belief or interest and sharing about it. For ‘traditional’ businesses this can be hard – hard to navigate the true valued community vs a marketing tool.
The Biggest Use Case for Blockchain that the World is Yet to see
In a landscape riddled with rug pull after rug pull, it becomes apparent that the Web3 sphere has weathered its fair share of storms. From the demise of Celsius and Luna to the seismic downfall of FTX – the largest financial fraud in recorded history – it is undeniable that this digital frontier has yet to attain the maturity it craves. Despite the stormy seas of this bear market, my conviction in the boundless potential of blockchain technology remains steadfast.
Bitcoin as Legal Tender: How El Salvador’s Experiment Is Performing 2 Years In?
Hello stranger, how’s it going? It may sound weird, but what were you doing two years ago, somewhere around September? I bet it was something important, grandiose, ambitious and possibly even life-changing. Well, you weren’t the only egg that made some bold moves in that timeline. We had something HUGE happen to our dear Bitcoin in that time too.
Algorand Global Hackathon Launch Party!
The Algorand Foundation, the organization focused on growing the ecosystem for the world's most advanced, secure and reliable layer-1 blockchain, announces the opening of registration for Build-A-Bull, a global virtual hackathon with $200,000 (USD) in prizes. The hackathon, powered by Algorand Ventures and in collaboration with AWS, will run from October 18 through November 15, 2023. Registration is free and open to anyone.
Web3 events? Worth it or all hype?
Diversity: The tech space has a bit of a perception that its lacking females, and especially females who are willing to be on panels or give talks – not what I saw at Zebu. Well done to the team – a great mix of panels, and lots of females everywhere! Community: This is where I struggled. A lot of Web3 enthusiasts are on ‘X’ with alter egos, or nick names – how to know even know who is who?
Quebec-based Entrepreneur Introduces Canada's First Non-Custodial Mobile Exchange Platform for Bitcoin and Ethereum Transactions
Currently in the BETA phase, Marsan Exchange is accessible solely to existing clients of the platform as they transition to the mobile application. The company has plans to open the platform to the wider public by the subsequent quarter, enabling a more extensive user base to experience the potential of this innovative exchange platform. Marsan's vision seeks to offer Canadians a seamless, secure, and non-custodial cryptocurrency exchange experience.
NFT Artist Spotlight: An Interview with Sarah Woods
Sarah Woods is a unique artist with a focus on art and poems, mixing the two in web3. She can be found on NFT marketplaces such as Objkt, Opensea and more! Interview with Artist Sarah Woods Can you tell us a story about what brought you to the world of NFTs? It was during the pandemic, when I was getting a lot more time to create and paint. I kept seeing ‘NFT’ being mentioned on different social timelines and my FYPages.
The Dawn of KOY Network Marks a Paradigm Shift in Africa's Financial Landscape
Building on the transformative power of Web3 technologies and blockchain, KOY Network is not just another fintech company but a catalyst for economic growth and financial inclusivity. At the helm of this journey are CEO Richard Erikodi and CTO Douglas Horn, who are not just talking about change but architecting it. Traditional banking and financial systems have long been criticized for their exclusionary practices, high transaction fees, and inefficiency.
Does Crowdfunding have a future?
The purely financial traction is changing, and investors are wanting to have an exchange of goods, ala Kickstarter, or see an impact for their investment. But even this is not a clear split. There is a division of high net worth individuals using Crowdfunding as an investment tool, in return for an equity share, and potential tax breaks depending on your jurisdiction. And, the others, who can be uncomfortable with the term investor.
Decrypt Introduces the 1000x Loyalty Program and Destination for Financial Entertainment
1000x is a membership community spanning the spectrum of gaming entertainment by offering exclusive access and discounts on sports betting, casino games, online poker, and more. The program offers two tiers of membership, each corresponding to different levels of perks, including discounts and preferred rates at partners like PokerGo, Stake.com, Action Network, and Rotowire, member-exclusive events such as poker tournaments, access to a 1000x community Discord, and more.
ESG ❤️ Web3
Shocker - the UN SDG's (link) are not being met by a number of countries. Increased poverty, increased climate events and rampant greenwashing are in the news every week. What is green, sustainability, ESG, impact, SDG anyway? Poorly defined terms used inconsistently in the media. It is time for community to mobilise, support innovative solutions that can be implemented fast - make the social and environmental changes to protect our planet.
Calling NFT Artists! Blockleaders Magazine wants to speak with you...
If you are an established or budding NFT artist, poet, writer or creator we want to hear your story and showcase your work. Each week we have been scanning Twitter, sifting through Foundation, ploughing into Superrare, scrolling through Objkt and more to discover NFT artists that make us think and make us smile.
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