Tag Archives: Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency Is Here To Stay Here’s Why

Cryptocurrency Is Here To Stay. Here's Why.

In 1995, many seriously claimed that Internet use was about to collapse. That has been one of the worst predictions ever made. Innovation and digitization are paving the way for a future world we can't imagine. Cryptocurrencies, Metaverse, and Web 3.0 are taking the world by storm, providing secure information on the Internet and a whole new virtual experience.

In just a few short years, cryptocurrencies have grown from a digital novelty to a trillion-dollar technology with the potential to disrupt the global financial system. Government officials worldwide have also voiced concerns about digital currencies' stability and risks. Having witnessed every internet fad, we believe this is not one.

Cryptocurrencies are a force, taking money creation and control away from central banks and Wall Street. However, critics say the new technology is completely unregulated in most parts of the world and gives more power to criminal groups, terrorist groups, and rogue states. They argue that power-hungry crypto mining is also destructive to the environment.

Depending on who you ask, cash will not remain king ever again. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward digital and contactless payments. It led to a more mainstream acceptance of physical cash alternatives like a cryptocurrency that will likely stay.

UK lawmakers recognize crypto as a financial instrument

British lawmakers in the House of Commons have voted to recognize cryptocurrencies as regulated financial instruments in the country. The proposal, introduced by Parliamentarian Andrew Griffiths, was approved by the House of Commons after its second reading on October 25.

Griffith's proposal seeks to include crypto assets as part of a service regulated by the proposed Financial Services and Markets Act. As such, cryptocurrencies are subject to the same regulation as other financial assets included in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2022, except for stablecoins payment.

After the bill is finally passed, the UK Treasury will have the power to regulate the crypto market. At the same time, Griffith said the Treasury Department would consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the framework fully maximizes its benefits and addresses the risks of the crypto activity.

How cryptocurrency is here to stay

The invention of cryptocurrencies has revolutionized how people exchange money and buy goods and services. Facilitating rapid and secure transactions is one of the most significant benefits of using cryptocurrency. Below are some reasons why crypto isn't going away any time soon.

The beginning of decentralization: We have entered an era where we can own and control all our assets. Decentralization provides financial freedom from changes in banks and governments. Without third-party involvement, it can provide greater transparency and better transaction security. A network built on the blockchain does not require the trust or knowledge of others. Decentralized finance (Defi) as a system can easily replace traditional financial processes for obvious reasons.

Peer-to-peer transactions: "Saving extra fees" is the most convincing factor for everyone. Intermediaries on financial blockchains added additional costs to transactions. More middlemen mean more money! The appeal of P2P is that you can transfer ownership of assets or goods without the involvement of a third party. Peer-to-peer transactions are transparent, secure, and less complicated. In short, peer-to-peer transactions provide privacy and no additional transmission costs.

Ease of use: We spend valuable time in long lines, filing and filling out forms and slips to send and receive money. Remember when our financial work was suspended due to server outages and holidays? Pretty scary! The advent of digital currencies has paved the way for endless possibilities. The undeniable advantage of digital currency is its ease of use. With a smart device, you can be your own bank, making transactions easier and time-saving.

Fraud Prevention/Transparency: We are constantly concerned about whether the banking details we enter lead to misconduct or whether third-party systems track our transactions and usage. Blockchain concerns user privacy, so data breaches are rare because it contains limited personal information. All transactions are encrypted between "digital wallets" and produce precise parity calculations in the ledger. Blockchain technology is poised to disrupt every aspect of our existence through this security.

Global acceptance: In the past, people had to invest more to send or receive payments across borders. By overcoming international borders, digital currencies promise flexibility and economic growth. Aside from the overall look, it's cheap, easy, and fast. Digital currencies can facilitate trade and provide multiple opportunities to strengthen the financial health of countries. There is no denying that digital currencies are securing themselves to be the currency of choice for future generations.

Summary

Cryptocurrency is here to stay since people have found it helpful in our fast-paced world. New cryptocurrencies keep popping up daily to meet users' needs; some have gained popularity among tech enthusiasts due to their unique features.

People are excited about using bitcoin as payment for goods and services and investment vehicles for traders. However, many factors still keep it from mainstream use today- especially compared to traditional currency systems. While there's always room for improvement, it is clear that this new form of currency isn't going away anytime soon!

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

About: Prince Chinwendu. (Nigeria) Rapid and sustainable human growth is my passion, and getting a life-changing opportunity into the hands of people is my calling. Empowering entrepreneurs provides me with enormous gratification. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

Cryptocurrency Decentralization: What Does It Take To Become Fully Decentralized? Which Crypto Projects Meet The Criteria?

Cryptocurrency Decentralization: What Does It Take To Become Fully Decentralized?  Which Crypto Projects Meet The Criteria? 

 
 

What differentiates cryptocurrency from traditional finance technologies? Crypto is decentralized, whereas the financial system we have been locked into is centralized. It has undoubtedly been a hot topic since the first bitcoin block was mined in 2009, and now with regulators worldwide converging on the crypto industry, decentralization is more critical than ever. This article explains what decentralization means and looks at the different layers of decentralization in cryptocurrency and which cryptos are the most decentralized.

Decentralization Defined

What is decentralization, and why is it so important? According to this dictionary,  decentralization is the process of shifting control from one main group to several smaller ones. In business, decentralization describes a structure that distributes control among many smaller groups or locations rather than giving that power to a single, central organization. In government, decentralization is often thought of as a way to move power into the hands of individual citizens.


Image by: Markethive.com

As it happens, decentralization is a political philosophy that emerged in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Decentralization fits under the broader umbrella of Libertarianism, another political philosophy associated with the French Revolution, which puts Liberty Above All Else. Liberty is what cryptocurrency is all about; hence, the blockchain networks underpinning crypto are often designed with decentralization as a focal point.

However, it's not just decentralization at the blockchain level that matters. In many cases, being centralized at other levels makes decentralization at the blockchain level irrelevant. Complete decentralization is of the utmost importance, primarily for two reasons. 

  1. Security: When a cryptocurrency is decentralized from top to bottom, it’s almost always highly secure because there's no single point of failure. It also creates censorship resistance, as no central authority can decide what you can and can't do with your digital property. 
  2. Crypto Regulations: A genuinely decentralized cryptocurrency is next to impossible to regulate as there's no identifiable individual or institution that can be coerced or sanctioned. In other words, if a cryptocurrency is truly decentralized, it's challenging, if not impossible, for a central authority to shut it down.

Regulations will destroy crypto projects that are not truly decentralized, and they are the ones that are really not all that different from existing financial technologies. Below, we look at the five layers of cryptocurrency and how important decentralization is at each layer. CoinBureau.com coined the names depicting the various layers for simplicity.


Image source: Coin Bureau

Layer 1: Decentralization At The Developer Layer

The developer layer involves the individuals and institutions that create the crypto project. Arguably, decentralization at this level means the more unaffiliated individuals and institutions a cryptocurrency has, the more decentralized this layer is. Decentralization is vital at the developer layer for a few reasons. The first is regulation; you may know that the SEC uses the Howey Test to determine what cryptos to track. 

In short, this means that if the SEC can identify an individual or institution creating the expectation of profit you have when you invest in a particular coin or token, then that cryptocurrency is a security subject to strict regulations. 

So, what does the SEC think about cryptocurrencies with multiple individuals and institutions creating profit expectations for a particular coin or token? According to the now-famous 2018 speech by SEC director Bill Hinman, he stated that Ethereum wasn't a security because it's “sufficiently decentralized.” 

The second reason why decentralization is essential at this layer is longevity. Simply relying on a small group of individuals or institutions for development means there’s a high risk a crypto project will sink if the core team disbands. One example is the recent departure of the DeFi star developer Andre Cronje, with many of the crypto projects he left behind now facing severe uncertainty. 

The security of the cryptocurrency is the third reason decentralization is important at the developer layer. This is simply because relying on a small group of individuals or institutions for security is much more likely to be compromised by either internal or external actors. A recent example is the hack of Axie Infinity’s Ronin side chain, where the hacker managed to take control of the private keys belonging to Ronin's validators by hacking Sky Mavis, the company behind Axie Infinity and Ronin. 

Layer 2: Decentralization Of A Coin Or Token

The second layer, which is coin or token decentralization, ties in with the first, specifically the distribution of a particular coin or token. The coin or token layer is where the definition of decentralization becomes exceptionally nuanced. It varies from crypto to crypto, along with the effects of centralization at this layer on a cryptocurrency’s market cap, governance structure, and blockchain security.

For all cryptocurrencies, the distribution of a coin or token must be decentralized. In other words, evenly spread out because if a handful of whales hold most of the supply, they can easily manipulate the price. For coins or tokens used in voting for changes to a cryptocurrency’s project, blockchain, or protocol, centralization at the coin or token level means that a handful of token holders can easily monopolize significant decisions about the project. 

For coins belonging to a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency blockchain, if a handful of wallets hold most of that coin supply, they pose a security threat to that cryptocurrency’s blockchain. Although many have come close, there’s yet to be a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency subject to this type of corruption. That’s why Solana actively monitors how much its largest validators are staking to ensure their blockchains remain secure. 

Note that decentralization at the coin or token layer is also essential for proof-of-work cryptocurrency coins because of the price manipulation factors. If too much of the supply of a proof-of-work coin is held by a handful of whales, they could crash the price below the point where it would still be profitable for miners to process transactions on its blockchain. 

Layer 3: Infrastructure 

The third layer of decentralization in cryptocurrency is the infrastructure layer. This refers to the different technologies you use to interact with or access cryptocurrency blockchains. Although many may think crypto wallets, cryptocurrency exchanges are arguably first on the list in any cryptocurrency infrastructure. That’s because it's challenging and sometimes impossible to acquire a coin or token without using a centralized exchange. 

It may seem a bit of a paradox, but for quite a while, centralized cryptocurrency exchanges were surprisingly decentralized as many didn't have an official headquarters. Sometimes, even the company running the exchange didn't even exist. It was just a series of subsidiaries registered in countries with little to no regulation. 

Often, these subsidiaries were established by various individuals or institutions where the people and the physical infrastructure were spread out worldwide in mostly unknown locations. However, this isn’t the case today, as most cryptocurrency exchanges have been forced to register with regulators and impose KYC on their users. The KYC aspect isn’t necessarily bad but leads to centralization as the non-compliant exchanges are shut down. 

Decentralization at the infrastructure layer has also been problematic for some of the most significant crypto projects. It’s an issue for Ethereum because many of Ethereum’s applications rely on Infura for infrastructure to interact with the Ethereum blockchain, including the Meta Mask browser extension wallet. 

As a result, many of Ethereum's services go offline whenever Infura has an outage. It’s only happened twice in the last few years, but it continues to be a wake-up call for the Ethereum community.  Another big wake-up call has been in Infura’s recent decision to begin blocking access to any services using its technology where the end user lives in a sanctioned country. 

Layer 4: The Blockchain Layer 

The fourth layer of decentralization in cryptocurrency is the Blockchain layer. It’s often the layer that's referred to when you hear or see anything related to decentralization in cryptocurrency. Similarly to the coin or token layer, decentralization at the blockchain layer can look very different depending on the cryptocurrency in question; in some cases, the number of nodes doesn't necessarily matter.

Algorand is an excellent example of this, as its blockchain has thousands of participation nodes involved in consensus. However, all transactions on Algorand are processed by a smaller group of 120 relay nodes, most run by the entities behind Algorand and its affiliates. Some would argue that Algorand is technically decentralized because its relay nodes don't participate in consensus, but others disagree. 

Solana, whose mandate is to support its blockchain's decentralization, security, resilience, and adoption, has over 3,400 validator nodes across six continents, including over 1900 consensus nodes, according to its first-ever “Validator Health Report.” Furthermore, an average of 95 consensus nodes and 99 RPC nodes have joined the network every month since June 2021. A large, diverse set of validator operators are essential to maintain a resilient, distributed and credibly neutral network for global usability.


Image source: Solana

There are 1,900 block-producing nodes on the Solana network, but that doesn’t mean all 1,900 are separate entities running each of these nodes. Several companies have built businesses off of running multiple validators on multiple chains. However, it’s critical for the health of the blockchain that no single entity builds up too much control over the validator network of the chain, even if their running multiple validators.

The Solana Foundation has verified that of 1,915 consensus-producing validators, at least 1,688 (88.14%) are run by independent entities. The remainder may also be independent of each other, but it has yet to be verified. 

The other critical issue is centralized Cloud Computing Services, and almost every cryptocurrency uses servers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their Blockchain operations.  The decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol, dYdX, went down during the AWS outage last December, and a handful of other cryptocurrencies were also affected. 

Some crypto projects took the AWS outage as a sign that they must ensure all their validator nodes aren't all relying on the same centralized infrastructure. Others have gone as far as integrating with decentralized cloud providers, like Akash Network.

On another note, AWS and Azure have been guilty of banning or suspending newly established free-speech platforms from their hosting services, leading to some forward-thinking crypto social network platforms building their own independent cloud servers. 

Another centralization issue at the blockchain layer for many crypto projects is the storage of their complete transaction histories. You could have a blockchain with thousands of validators leveraging all kinds of computing services, but if only a handful of them have access to the entire transaction history, it’s possible it may result in transaction manipulation, so it would be difficult to determine that the Blockchain is decentralized. 

Only a few crypto projects have been transparent about how their full transaction history is being stored. One of them is Bitcoin, whose full nodes store its full transaction history. There are currently around 15,000 Bitcoin nodes worldwide, arguably making it the most decentralized at the blockchain layer. 


Image source: https://bitnodes.io/

Layer 5: The External Layer 

The fifth and final layer of cryptocurrency decentralization is the external layer. As the name suggests, the external layer is everything cryptocurrencies rely on that isn't necessarily exclusive to cryptocurrency. This is where the definition of decentralization gets complicated because the external layer includes websites, internet service providers, and in some cases, financial institutions. 

Websites for almost every crypto project are hosted on a centralized service. Although some crypto projects are okay with it, it creates a real problem for decentralized applications and other interactive Web3 technologies. The world’s leading decentralized exchange, Uniswap, was forced to delist 100 tokens from its interface, which calls its purported decentralization into question. This has prompted other DeFi protocols like Aave to migrate their front ends to decentralized storage solutions, like the Interplanetary File System. (IPFS)

It gets interesting with internet service providers (ISPs) mainly because banning ISPs from allowing their users to access cryptocurrency-related websites, albeit limited to select countries, has proven that it’s possible. Although it’s presumably unlikely to be enforced elsewhere, the worst-case scenario is that we could see governments dictate that ISPs stop serving cryptocurrency miners and validators. Fortunately, Blockchain projects are hoping to decentralize the internet itself using peer-to-peer signals on open-source infrastructure.

Banks also fit into the external layer with their defacto digital dollars. These are the Stablecoins like USDT, USDC, and BUSD and have some of the largest market caps in cryptocurrency. This is because there's always demand for stablecoins, regardless of market conditions. Also, most of the crypto market's trading volume involves stablecoins. And that means they are one of the core technologies that make most of the cryptocurrencies possible in their current form.

This is why a stablecoin crackdown is one of the biggest threats to the crypto industry. All regulators would have to do is restrict access to the reserves backing the stablecoins in circulation, which centralized financial institutions hold. In fact, most of the reserves backing the USDC stablecoin are in the custody of the world's largest asset manager, Blackrock. More about that in a forthcoming article. 


Image by: Markethive.com

Which Cryptos Are The Most Decentralized?

According to a survey conducted by Cointelegraph of various experts in the crypto industry, there aren’t any cryptocurrencies that come close to Bitcoin's overall decentralization. Bitcoin is leading the charge because dozens of individuals and institutions are building on Bitcoin. Also, BTC supply is broadly distributed, there's no shortage of infrastructure available to interact with the Bitcoin blockchain, and the Bitcoin blockchain has over 15,000 full reachable nodes. 

Considering the five layers explained above, no cryptocurrency has yet scored ideally on all criteria. Even Bitcoin falls short at the external layer. Also, some believe Ethereum’s decentralized applications are more critical as users can participate in fully-fledged economies, whereas that’s not possible with Bitcoin. 

So we could say Ethereum is a runner-up, along with Monero, but as mentioned above, Ethereum decentralization still seems to be lacking on some layers. As for Monero (XMR), it’s constantly at risk of getting delisted from centralized exchanges due to unreasonable crypto regulations.

It’s evident that most of the more decentralized cryptocurrencies have been around for a long time, and many believe that it’s ultimately ‘time’ that has allowed Bitcoin to decentralize so much. However, technology is evolving at a much faster pace today, and it looks like Solana and Cardano may well be the next runners-up. 

A Lifeline For Emerging Decentralized Social Media and Marketing Platforms.  

This is good news for other sectors like social media, marketing, and digital broadcasting. With all the events and censorship issues around social media and tech giants, given their propensity to ban or suspend their services to individuals and companies that go against their narrative, a decentralized blockchain that can handle large crypto-based communities and be part of a parallel economy is of the utmost importance. 

The crypto and blockchain projects that uphold the interests of entrepreneurs and advocate for free and critical thinking are paving the way. They will ensure that individuals and the developing ecosystems will have the financial freedom, liberty, and sovereignty that is fundamentally our right of passage, which seems to be all but forgotten by the monopolies and so-called authorities and their over-zealous regulations. 

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

Also published @ BeforeIt’sNews.com; Steemit.

 

Does This New Trend Correlate With This Flagrant Prediction?

Does This New Trend Correlate With This Flagrant Prediction?

By now, many of us have heard of the declaration, “You’ll own nothing and be happy,” cited by Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum and all part of The Great Reset. Yet, only a few believe this infamous prediction will actually become a reality. Sadly, our ownership of things is vanishing, and many of us unwittingly embrace this new normal. 

There is an alarming trend permeating every sector of the economy, and in this article, we’ll cover where this trend came from and why cryptocurrency could be the only defense. The following will explain how “they” plan to make you happy while owning nothing, and there can be no doubt it’s nothing to be happy about. 

The Ownership Predicament

One of the things we all believe we own is our mobile phone. An essential item that all of us have and these days has become an extension of ourselves, and it’s difficult to function without it. So, the question is, how often do you need to change or upgrade your phone due to poor performance? 

Statistics show that we change our phones every 2 to 3 years, consistent with the battery's life span. A solution to the periodical upgrades would be just to install a new battery so you can enjoy your phone for another two years until you need to replace the battery again, and so on. Well, that’s the theory.


Image source: rapidrepair.in

In practice, however, changing the battery is not so simple and can damage the phone, providing you can actually get a replacement battery. In the case of newer iPhone models, the phone will detect when you've replaced the battery and give you all manner of warning messages, which push you to go to the Apple Store for an extensive repair, which could cost as much as a new phone.

Now, critics of this scheme have accurately observed that the inability to independently open, modify or repair a device that you own means that you don't actually own it because ownership literally means the ability to do all of the above and more. 

These and other issues have given rise to a global movement called Right To Repair, which has pressured Apple and other tech giants to make repairs more accessible, albeit to a limited degree due to the lobbying power these corporations wield. 

However, the right to repair doesn't entirely eliminate the underlying ownership issue. Did you know manufacturers slow down a smartphone’s performance to force you to buy a new one? 

Samsung was fined for this practice in 2018, and as usual with all the big tech companies, Samsung’s fine amounted to nothing more than a rap over the knuckles compared to the profits it probably made from artificially slowing down phones. It’s something that the company is allegedly still doing today, and this level of control negates any aspect of ownership. 


Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko with Solana smartphone. Image: Solana Labs/Decrypt

On a positive note, Solana has developed a smartphone that has unique functionalities setting it apart from other phones. It is a web3-enabled device that features tight integration with the Solana blockchain. Anatoly Yakovenko, the co-founder of Solana, believes the key to unlocking the potential of crypto is to bring it into everyone’s hands. Solana Mobile bridges this gap by allowing easy access to the world of crypto and web3 and provides greater adoption and understanding of crypto. 

The project is an open-source platform that aims for widespread adoption and seeks collaboration from other smartphone manufacturers. If these companies believe crypto is important enough, then billions of users can have the opportunity for self-custody. This has the potential to disrupt the industry, creating a new ecosystem that is not burdened by legacy software and hopefully minimizes artificial manipulation.

Planned Obsolescence 

The practice of forcing people to upgrade through some nefarious means has found its way into everything from household appliances to hospital equipment, and it’s not a new practice. It’s been around for nearly 100 years, known as Planned Obsolescence. The term was coined by an American real estate broker named Bernard London in a paper titled “Ending the Depression through Planned Obsolescence," published in 1932.

Bernard said that the Great Depression made no sense because “factories, warehouses, and fields are still intact and are ready to produce in unlimited quantities, but the urge to go ahead has been paralyzed by a decline in buying power and, by extension, a decline in demand.” Given this situation, Bernard proposed the following solution;

“I would have the government assign a lease of life to shoes and homes, and machines to all products of manufacture, mining, and agriculture when they are first created, and they would be sold and used within the term of their existence, definitely known by the consumer. After the allotted time had expired, these things would be legally dead and would be controlled by the duly appointed governmental agency and destroyed if there is widespread unemployment.”

In other words, everything produced in the economy would be artificially made obsolete by the government at a specific date to cause the population to consume more. So that the economy recovers while simultaneously providing ample employment, further fostering economic growth. 

Bernard's problematic idea of planned obsolescence never really caught on because, arguably, it was the second world war that ended the Great Depression. This is primarily because the post-war period was one of incredible prosperity, particularly for the United States, as it managed to reap much of the rewards of victory while incurring little in the way of losses compared with its allies. Also, the US dollar had just become the world's reserve currency.


Image source: Investopedia

More importantly, the populations of countries like the United States and Canada exploded after the second world war; hence the generation referred to as Baby Boomers. It’s important because the rapid increase in population meant a rapid rise in consumption, so there was no need for planned obsolescence business practices. 

Companies could comfortably sell high-quality hardware that would last for decades because they knew there would always be another wave of buyers coming next year as more baby boomers became adult boomers. However, by the 1970s, it became clear that baby boomers weren’t having the same number of children as their predecessors.

Ostensibly, many western countries tried to fill this future demographic gap by introducing immigration, and this seems to have worked for a while. However, by the early 2000s, it turned out that immigration alone wasn't enough to fill the demographic gap, which continued to grow as companies needed increasingly future consumption to continue their future expansion. 

Meanwhile, native birth rates continued to decline, and this seems to be the period when Bernard's idea of planned obsolescence started to become a reality. Companies were effectively forced into selling low-quality products requiring a repurchase every few years to continue consumption trends in the absence of a growing population. 

Hardware As A Service

So, what does all of the above have to do with us owning nothing and being happy? If you’re an iPhone user, you may recall that Bloomberg reported that Apple would be rolling out a subscription service, and it’s nothing like their current service. It applies to the hardware, not the software, meaning that the subscription service will be for the physical phone itself. 

Louis Rossmann, a popular YouTuber, and computer repair shop owner who has gone head-to-head with anti-repair corporate lobbyists, reacted to the Bloomberg article, pointing out that a service is when someone or something does something for you. A phone is not a service; it’s a product, and it should be yours entirely from the moment you purchase it. 

Louis also highlighted that many Wall Street investors are pushing for publicly traded companies to adopt this so-called Hardware as a Service business model (HaaS) because it will make them trade at higher valuations, regardless of their actual earnings. 

This sounds disturbingly similar to the ESG investment trend, which effectively consists of asset managers moving their money into companies that comply with their ever-changing criteria, causing their stocks to pump even though no actual profits are being made.

Hardware as a service satisfies Environmental criteria because the number of devices in circulation can be reduced, and the ones in circulation can be reused. Any old devices can be easily recycled; you'll likely need to give back your old device to get a newer version. 

Hardware as a service also satisfies Social criteria because everyone will have subscription services for the same devices. There will be no phone with a better camera or a bigger memory.  Nor will there be a faster or slower, bigger or smaller car, which means everyone will be truly equal. 

Hardware as a service satisfies Governance criteria because it will put the company producing the product in total control of its creation, use, and destruction. Furthermore, HaaS will result in actual profits because people will pay for subscription services for just about everything they have in their possession until they die. 

Whereas Planned Obsolescence was formulated to solve the Great Depression, it appears that Hardware as a Service is being introduced to ensure consumption continues to increase even as the demographic decline continues. 

HaaS is not likely to be forced upon us consumers. As we’ve recently seen in other products, applying too much force tends to result in an equal or more significant amount of resistance because people know something is up when they don't have a choice. 

Instead, however, the ability to own anything will likely become ever more difficult as time goes on, starting with items that tend to be the most expensive purchases for the average person. Housing is at the top of the list, with costs going through the roof. 

 


Image source: The Guardian

Housing

The housing market and the rising costs in this sector of the economy will eventually cause the population to push politicians to do something—for example, Berlin’s campaign to resocialize housing. One of the outcomes could be that the government starts nationalizing housing. In other words, taking it away from landlords in the name of the greater good, and while these policies will be directed towards the big fish at first, the small fish will come next, just like with taxation. 

Alternatively, if the housing market collapses, we could see asset managers like Blackstone swoop in and acquire as many properties as possible with the freshly printed money they received from their respective central banks. Basically, you’ll rent from the government or Wall Street. 

Personal Transport Vehicles

The next item on the list is vehicles of all kinds. A lot of activity is already in play by car-sharing companies, electric scooter companies, and shared bicycle companies. There’s every chance these entities are extracting as much data as possible in preparation for HaaS models for similar vehicles. And the fact that many of these companies continue to receive large investments, despite being barely profitable is evidence of this effect.

Interestingly, HaaS in cars is likely a reason why there's such a massive push for electric vehicles. That's because it's easy to break the rules of a sharing economy when the car is powered by petrol and hardware, but it's much harder to break the rules when the vehicle is powered by electricity and software. 

Moreover, there's a limit to how many electric cars can be made because there doesn't seem to be enough lithium on the planet to replace existing vehicles with electric cars, according to the World Economic Forum's own research. So it effectively guarantees that electric vehicles will need to be shared. 

Phones And Computers

Phones and computers will probably be the third class of products to get sucked into the hardware as a service scheme, but the average person could take quite a while to accept it. That's because phones and computers are frequently listed as a person's most valuable possessions, primarily because it's something that you can truly shape to meet your personal needs.

These devices also contain lots of sensitive personal data that you'd rather keep to yourself and not share with anyone. Keeping track of phones and computers would also be very difficult without a digital ID, which is also a prerequisite for the rollout of Central Bank Digital Currencies and internet censorship, which the powers that be have explicitly stated they want to enforce.

Is The Tradeoff Worth it? 

The number of people on board with this Hardware as a service idea seems to be increasing. This is simply because an increasing number of people can't afford a home, a car, or even a quality computer or phone. But many think the tradeoff is too great, given that we are all unique, inherently sovereign human beings with Divine free will bestowed upon us. It’s not in our nature to be enslaved by any physical entity without the freedom to make choices, grow and prosper.

There is something precious that we do own, and that is ourselves. The few things we should have a right to own are ultimately an extension of ourselves. They allow us to exercise ownership of ourselves in the world so long as the path to ownership exists. This is why having a place to call home, a way to get around, and the ability to communicate and express oneself is objectively vital and universally sought after. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. 

I can’t imagine anyone being “happy” in a world where the path to ownership of literally everything except our physical body is obstructed. To make matters worse, we may even lose ownership of ourselves because of a digital ID “they” plan to roll out.

What’s The Solution? 

It should be clear by now that our current financial system is not working, and some say it hasn’t been working for decades or even longer because it’s not just Hardware as a Service, as Planned Obsolescence was proposed almost 100 years ago. As all crypto enthusiasts know, cryptocurrency was built to replace this broken financial system. Although cryptocurrency still has a very long way to go, it has already fixed one of the most critical aspects of finance: the ability to truly own your assets. 


Image source: wtfhappenedin1971.com

Some may consider this is nothing new, but it really is! The money in your bank can be seized, and authorities can confiscate any physical property you have. Even your house can be taken from you if you don't pay your taxes, and in some countries, the government can take your property at will using Eminent Domain.

Some might think this is fine, but it's not. These are the sorts of legal levers that governments and corporations are slowly starting to pull to take control of everything you own. Once realized, it’s easier to understand why the Entrepreneur and CEO of MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor, is a colossal Bitcoin advocate. 


Image source: Markethive.com

BTC can't be seized because a third party does not technically own it. It can't be confiscated because it's not physical. And it can't be taken by the government through some obscure law because the only law in crypto is immutable computer code. This makes BTC the best hedge against a world where you will own nothing because it guarantees you will own something.

A growing number of companies and individuals also realize what’s happening and are building a Parallel Economy to counter the “woke trend” and the elite pushing for this new world order and planning the great reset of the world. We must be aware of what’s happening and what’s in store before we are blindsided. Be part of communities that believe in liberty, financial sovereignty, and the freedom to live the way we have been accustomed to so that the legacy may continue for future generations. 

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

Three Wise Investing Principles For The Current Times

Three Wise Investing Principles For The Current Times

This article explores the importance of an investment portfolio and the process of setting it up. 

Why Consider an Investment Portfolio?

Perhaps one of the hardest lessons of these last two years is the realization that you can be great at what you do, and yet see all your efforts go up in smoke during economic turmoil. We live in a rapidly changing world and no industry is immune from the potential fallout of economic events.

Certainly the case for having more than one income stream has been underlined in these last two years, and being able to work online from home has taken on a new advantage. For many the idea of having an online business from home solves a lot of issues and generates money in the short term. At the same time it can be overwhelming to be wearing many hats in business without an established team around you. It is important to take a step back and put all of these things in a bigger context in terms of your life aspirations and how money plays its part in that scenario.

The Benefits of An Investment Portfolio?

There are several good reasons to consider an investment portfolio. This is not the same as portfolio income. When approached properly it helps you become proficient in financial literacy which you can pass on to your children. 

Financial investments give you financial assets which can produce cash flow in the medium to long term income. Central to the theme of investments is that money is working for you rather than the other way round. It is a smart move to work in partnership with money, as opposed to simply working for it.

The key is to have a diverse portfolio across several sectors to spread the risk and create good upside potential for profits. This is what Warren Buffet reportedly did so successfully. For many the word investment may sound a bit daunting, and too long term to be a serious consideration.


Image Source: Investment Portfolio

This gives clues as to where to start. Many people are caught up with the immediate short term things, only to regret not taking a more holistic long term view.  Here are three wise principles to apply to investing.

The First Investment

Steven Covey, author of ‘The 7 Principles of Highly Effective People’, advocates where life decisions are concerned, that you start with the end in mind and use that as a main reference point. This is all about the context in which all decisions play out.

So you need to start with yourself, and decide what you want your life to be about moving forward and build accordingly.  ‘Know thyself’ is a phrase often read, but how well do you really know yourself?  Take the time to do this and you will reap dividends, pun intended!!

The Second Investment

Once you have done so take the time to invest in your financial education. Financial literacy worldwide is very low, and yet significant money decisions are made everyday. This means there are likely to be far more speculators than investors involved in investing. 

Teach a Man to Fish

There are many experts in investing with free videos on youtube to get you off the mark. Robert Kiyosaki is a well known expert who talks in terms of six basic rules. He uses debt to invest and get rich while reducing or avoiding taxes with this strategy. He walks through the use of other people’s money, the three types of income, financial education, investing for cashflow, risk and raising capital.

On the other hand the investment community I joined teaches the opposite in advocating not to use loans to invest. Only you can decide which path you will take, but know the ‘why’ and the consequence of each decision. Weigh up the pros and cons. This is why it is important to become educated, so you can make informed decisions.

Give A Man A Fish | Teach A Man To Fish

In the community I joined they allow you to partake in their portfolio. At the same time they encourage you to learn how to create your own portfolio, which I have since been doing. It’s a combination of two strategic approaches –  ‘teach a man to fish’ and ‘give a man a fish’.

I learned about 8 Rules to govern my investment practice. I share them here in slightly paraphrased fashion so you can use these as guidance by way of developing your own portfolio.

  • Know what financial independence and financial freedom specifically mean to you. In other words what figures would equate to financial independence and freedom from your perspective.
  • The second rule references 5 commandments to follow. Firstly put 10% of your income aside for the purposes of investing. Always control revenue and expenditures. Protect your money from losses. Learn to invest. Learn to earn more.
  • Choose your financial plan and stick to it.
  • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket so to speak. Learn to diversify.
  • Always keep investment discipline.
  • Greed and laziness leads to bankruptcy and ruin.
  • Always study investing.
  • Always increase your investment deductions.

By having the above structure I was able to start developing my own portfolio. One of the key things in addition is to know your risk profile. In other words, how much are you prepared to risk when investing in something?

A positive way to rephrase this would be the price you are willing to pay for your education and research concerning that investment.  For example I decided to do a certificate of deposit strategy on a new project, but since this was new, I was very risk averse, and took a conservative approach.

I put $16 in and was able to 10x it into $160 in 1.5years. I was happy because the key objective was to get some wins from sound practice rather than simply hope I would rake in a lot of money. I was able to add to this after.

One of the first things taught in investment is not to put in anything you are not prepared to lose, and yet you see many doing the opposite. For example the enticement of short term and lucrative income pulls many a speculator in, only to see a rug pull happen quite suddenly. One thing the above two approaches agree on is the importance of financial education and investing for the long-term, not just the short-term.

The Third Investment
 

Source Image: Wisdom

This may present controversy for some but warrants serious consideration, and that is the wisdom of ethical investing. With everything that is currently going on in the world, what principles drive your investment strategy.?

I for one will not invest in Big Pharma because their profits depend on people being sick and therefore there is both an orchestration and a monopoly to dominate the markets so that people buy their stuff. There are people whose mindset is solely on what will make them money regardless of consequences. That may be driven by a survival mentality, impatience, greed or lack of education regarding alternative and lucrative choices.

Catherine Austin Fitts is an investment banker and former US Secretary of Housing during the Bush Administration. She is the creator of the Solari Report, which is an advisory publication for investors. In many of her talks she puts investment within the context of what has been going on in the world from a political and economic standpoint. She gives a comprehensive educational assessment from an aerial viewpoint with regards the plan of the globalists and its relationship to investing.

While she is not a fan of cryptocurrency for valid reasons, her core message is an important consideration in choosing investments, because what you invest in does not just shape your life, but also impacts the political and economic landscape. The bottom line of her message is that since the globalists such as the W.E.F. and their associates are wanting to enslave us, it is incumbent that we do not ‘build their prisons for them’ because they intend to put us in them!

You don’t have to invest in the Monsanto’s of this world for example. You can invest ethically and profit while changing the structures of society for the better. In doing so you stop feeding the beast so to speak.

Types of Investment

With the above three investment tips in mind, when it comes to what to invest in, that depends on you, your educational assessment and your life governing ethical principles, as to what you choose and prioritize. 

Traditionally there are different sectors such as technology, advertising, property, money, real estate to name a few. You can invest in property, technology, media, precious metals, restaurants, start up companies or already established companies. Basically any financial vehicle which creates cash flow can be considered an asset for the purpose of investing. Make sure to create your own investment criteria, by which you select or deselect investments.

As far as company investments are concerned, look at the company's vision, community, financial assets and projections, along with market statistics when assessing viability. Is it a liquid or illiquid asset? Who are the owners? Is there an advisory board?  What is the benefit to society?

Maybe you decide to do a safe haven play and invest in gold as an inflation hedge. Now it is easier to liquidate gold too. Study the precious metals and decide what best fits your needs. There may be certain companies you like which you could invest in. Maybe you choose to invest in projects that you are interested in such as cryptocurrency. Currently this is like the wild west and a very volatile market. So you need to have a firm sense of how risk averse you are, while keeping a very disciplined mindset. Maybe you go for projects that have real utility or are tied to real world assets.

Exploration of Investments

You might wish to look into legacy projects that are trying to improve the world we live in. Markethive is an obvious example of investing in a company that is building an ecosystem for the entrepreneur to thrive. Constellation DAG is an example of a blockchain that is fast and feeless in response to the issues with other blockchains such as ethereum etc.

Image Source: Constellation DAG

Qortal is a project that is building a new internet built around privacy and accessibility. Debtbox on the other hand is a project tied to real world investments using innovative scanning technology, for example. Bobcoin is tackling unemployment in Africa and pollution with its cryptocurrency based project.

None of the above are recommendations, but hopefully will stimulate critical thinking. Know your values, develop an investment mindset, otherwise you are effectively gambling. Also think about the world you wish to create through your investment choices.

For me I am looking to bring balance to my investments to include those I wish to see become part of our future such as Markethive, and technologies that allow me to create my own banking system as part of a parallel society to the one we are currently living in. 

Image Source: Markethive

Words of Wisdom

The Chinese bamboo tree has much to teach us about abundance in the long term. In the first four years there is no visible sign of growth. Yet in the 5th year when it breaks through the surface of the ground, it grows significantly to 90 feet tall within 5 weeks. So the question is posed – did it take 5 weeks or 5 years to grow 90 feet tall?

The answer is the latter because had it not been consistently watered and nurtured on a daily basis the growth spurt could not have happened. So be encouraged even if you have yet to start an investment portfolio.  It is never too late to do the right thing by you, especially if it creates a legacy that will inspire others beyond your life. 

Can you imagine the world we would live in if more did that, and what would happen if we started to thrive through making wise, ethical investments? This is how you change the world, one step at a time. Hold that thought, and live it out.

 

 

About: Anita Narayan. (United Kingdom) My life's work is about helping individuals to greater freedom through joy and purpose without self-sabotage, so that inspirational legacy can serve generations to come. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenging The Crypto Winter’s Devastating Effects Safeguard Your Portfolio and Hang In There

Challenging The Crypto Winter’s Devastating Effects. Safeguard Your Portfolio and Hang In There

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are down more than 50% this year as inflation and rising interest rates prompt investors to seek safe-haven assets. CNBC confirms that cryptocurrencies have lost more than $2 trillion since their 2021 highs, and not everyone thinks the bear market will end anytime soon. In 2017, the crypto industry witnessed exponential growth. Many crypto enthusiasts saw it as a way to save money and make transactions more secure. 

However, some investors were skeptical of the space when prices were skyrocketing. They believed prices would continue to rise and that many people would profit from cryptocurrency investments. Nonetheless, there were still areas of great concern about the asset. Many have struggled with crypto losses in recent months. Is the crypto winter here to stay?

Many investors became cautious when the crypto market began to decline earlier this year. Prices had dropped considerably from their all-time highs. Some people even believed the market was crashing, leading to mass sell-offs. This led to a massive reduction in the overall cryptocurrency market cap. Although the market has shown signs of recovery, prices are still lower than at the beginning of the year.

As many investors lost faith in cryptocurrencies, many companies suffered as well. Many businesses stopped accepting crypto as payment for goods and services. This left many companies unable to pay their bills and operate normally. Some small businesses even went bankrupt due to a lack of bill payments. Additionally, government agencies began reducing their services for crypto businesses; some even stopped accepting applications from local businesses. All those working in the crypto space saw a drastic drop in their income after January prices.

Fortunately, many people have turned to cryptocurrencies to save money. Typical banks give meager amounts of interest on savings accounts. However, several banks now offer accounts with 0% monthly fees. Some people have even turned to cryptocurrency as an alternative form of investment. Although the market is far from optimal, it's working for those in need of protection against loss of income.

The crypto winter is still prevalent worldwide. Prices remain lower than they were at the start of this year. Several companies have cut jobs and services due to decreased revenue. Chances are that things may become much more alarming than they are already.

What Caused the Crash?

The cryptocurrency market crash began earlier this year as rampant inflation prompted the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates and cool the economy. Despite being a hedge against inflation, cryptocurrencies are more closely correlated with tech stocks than gold prices. The rapid decline of the tech industry has accelerated the collapse of cryptocurrencies.

Algorithmic stablecoins are the next victim. Its sister coin, Luna, fell to zero as investors began dumping TerraUSD (UST), the stablecoin shedding the dollar. While Terra-based Defi protocols like Anchor and Astroport died instantly, leveraged hedge funds holding Luna were the most prominent victims.

For example, Three Arrows Capital (3AC) lost $600 million in the UST/Luna collapse. The hedge fund also had a $1.2 billion highly leveraged position in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, the value of which fell to $550 million. Unsurprisingly, it defaulted on Voyager Digital's $650 million loan and went bankrupt.

The bankruptcy of 3AC had a domino effect on the entire industry. The hedge fund's creditor list brought not only Voyager Digital out of business but also Genesis Trading, CoinList, DeFiance Capital, and FalconX. The companies are still solvent, but massive losses could force them to scale back their growth plans and ambitions.

The collapse of UST and the bankruptcy of 3AC caused many investors to withdraw their funds from the crypto ecosystem. Unfortunately, many Defi protocols rely on two-way liquidity to function and run into problems. Celsius' stETH, in particular, started trading at a discount, making it difficult for the group to raise funds for redemption.

Meanwhile, several high-profile hacks have accelerated those losses and dented consumer confidence. Crypto startup Nomad, for example, lost about $200 million and did not disclose whether customers would receive refunds if funds were not recovered. The robbery comes just a month after Harmon Horizon lost about $100 million to a similar bridge attack.

Potential Long-term Effects

What does crypto winter mean for mainstream crypto adoption? Will this accelerate or impede the efforts of the industry players to make digital assets a standard payment method? The industry has beheld new ways for consumers to pay with cryptocurrencies instead of fiat, suggesting the answer may be uncertain.

The crypto winter has led to a crisis of confidence among retail and institutional investors. For example, Coinbase saw a sharp drop in trading volume and had to cut 18% of its workforce to cut costs. At the same time, many crypto miners are experiencing profitability problems due to the low prices of many tokens.

The good news is that FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried has become a JPMorgan-like figure, bailing out cryptocurrency projects and helping the market stabilize in the short term. For example, he provided a $250 million loan to bail out crypto lender BlockFi and a $200 million line of credit to Voyager Digital through his Alameda research.

The bad news is that the crash negatively affected many people. For example, Morgan Stanley predicts that VC funding for cryptocurrency companies could drop by 50% due to the poor macroeconomic outlook and the crypto winter. A lack of new funding could force many unprofitable projects to scale back or shut down entirely.

Investors may also have lesser interest in crypto assets. Unsurprisingly, retail interest in crypto assets has fallen with prices, and it may take some time to recover. As a result, demand for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds and other financial assets is likely to decline, while the diversification advantages of the asset class are questioned.

Finally, the crypto industry may also have to deal with structural changes. For example, algorithmic stablecoins may need to reconsider whether they need tangible reserves to back their value. Meanwhile, regulators may use the crypto winter to regulate banking-like decentralized finance (Defi) applications or monetary-like stablecoins.

Safeguard Your Portfolio

Crypto traders and investors have a variety of ways to hedge their portfolios through the crypto winter. While some have exited the market entirely, there is always a chance that they will miss out on an excellent opportunity to re-enter the market. Finally, a lot of market timing research shows that investors tend to sell after a dip and miss out on buying at the bottom.

Some strategies and best practices to consider are:

Dollar-Cost Averaging – Over time, investors may want to continue to buy small amounts of cryptocurrencies, thereby reducing their cost base when the price of cryptocurrencies falls. In the case of a recovery, they can make more profits.

Tax-Loss Harvesting – Investors can sell losing positions to realize the current tax period loss, offsetting their ordinary income and capital gains. Since cryptocurrencies are not subject to wash sale rules, investors can quickly buy back and maintain their asset allocation.

Diversification – Investors should consider holding a more comprehensive range of assets rather than a few risky projects to reduce the risk of a single project disrupting their entire portfolio.

Please note before implementing these strategies, it is best to consult with your financial and tax advisor to discuss how they may affect your overall portfolio. For example, the timing of certain sales may affect your marginal tax rate, or diversification into certain crypto assets may change the risk level of your overall portfolio.

The Bottom Line

The crypto winter has been emotionally and practically challenging for fans of cryptocurrencies. However, lower prices may help cryptos reach new users and create legal channels for investors to interact with projects appropriately. Thus, enthusiasts should be patient as regulators and consumers generally adopt cryptocurrency use.

Prominent cryptocurrencies have all traded sharply lower since the beginning of the year. As a result, retail investors have scaled back their trading activity, miners struggled to make a profit, and institutional investors were reluctant to back up new projects or add crypto assets to their portfolios.

The current crypto winter won’t end the industry, given its explicit goal to become a new monetary system and a much-needed one. With the macroeconomic factors at play, it may take a while for the market to recover and rebuild confidence. Therefore, some cryptocurrencies and projects may offer discounts on their current valuations. Ideally, search out transparent crypto projects with a purpose and utility behind them.

Crypto experts have repeatedly stated that crypto winters are good for Bitcoin. The who’s who of the industry express that bear markets are actually healthy for the crypto industry, as it removes speculators and scams while providing space to build real products and services that assist in creating a sustainable global economy. 

So, all these factors are contributing to a more robust, healthier cryptocurrency industry where genuine projects and communities will flourish. Therefore, all investors, particularly retail and those new to the industry, should look at the bigger picture and understand why crypto is poised to liberate us from a failing traditional financial system. Companies are working hard to make this a reality, and a Parallel Economy is starting to take shape that will eventually become mainstream by the Grace of God. 

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

About: Prince Chinwendu. (Nigeria) Rapid and sustainable human growth is my passion, and getting a life-changing opportunity into the hands of people is my calling. Empowering entrepreneurs provides me with enormous gratification. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

The Rise Of A Parallel Economy: Entrepreneurialism In Full Swing Challenging The Woke Trend

The Rise Of A Parallel Economy: Entrepreneurialism In Full Swing Challenging The “Woke” Trend 

In the current political climate and apparent age of awareness around privilege and oppression, many of us are questioning and re-examining previously unchallenged ideas. The degree of polarity is exponential worldwide, and derision is rampant among societies. Many are experiencing their freedom, identity, and self-expression being stripped away by the disingenuous elite who want to crush entrepreneurialism and critical thinking. 

The wheels have been set in motion for the Great Reset and Stakeholder Capitalism plans involving ESG, global Digital ID, and a new monetary system by the BIS. NGOs, asset management firms, and the banking cartel working with governments are enforcing mandates of ridiculous restrictions on companies in the name of climate change, hurting businesses and citizens worldwide. 

As is with big tech, specifically social media with its cancel culture oppressing free speech and self-expression. Both sides of the spectrum are in lockstep, trying to kill the entrepreneurial spirit and stifle innovation, which is precisely what they want, all in the name of stakeholder capitalism, with an aim to have complete control, but they won’t win. 

As we are in the very throes of a new satanic age, it’s time to be more creative and more entrepreneurial because the reality is the perplexing big tech and big finance left-wing ideology has created an entire woke industrial complex

That complex doesn't like any form of dissonance: you either abide by their rules on everything from climate change to transgenderism and vaccines to abortion, or you're out. That reality has been slowly growing for 20 years but now moving at a very rapid pace.

A growing number of entrepreneurs are seeing this oppressive dictatorship take hold, and the once thought of as “healthy capitalism” has turned into a “woke crony capitalism.” These brave critical thinkers are standing up for their rights and the people's rights, and they are on the verge of breaking the system. 

Thanks to the internet, cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and the introduction of independent cloud servers as an alternative to the centralized AWS and the like, entrepreneurs are actually developing a Parallel Economy where we don't have to rely on the system and its corrupt ideology.

The individuals and companies that are rising up have proved it can be done. When the system rejects your views and confiscates your liberties and livelihood, you can continue and thrive outside the system, which is terrifying to the media. In the last decade, big tech, especially the social media giants, has become the gatekeepers of speech. This is a real threat to anyone who disagrees with the government and its power and string puppets. 

Many who have dared to share their views have been canceled on social media, email accounts blocked, bank accounts confiscated, and payment provider boycotts. This is the new system the left-wing is creating. If this insane left-wing crusade continues at the current pace, half of the population will be locked out of the economy entirely. That's what Russia faced when it was sanctioned by various governments and the western banking system. In fact, they created a parallel economy by creating their own banking system. 

People just want to participate in regular normal economic activity without being flagged for not believing in and using pronouns or wishing to use energy that actually works. One of the gracious things about the apolitical environment is that it unites us, irrespective of race, gender, or politics. 

The role of capitalism and an apolitical marketplace in an otherwise divided polity is to provide social forces that result in cohesion across divisions. So as this parallel economy grows, everybody is welcome to participate, with the only requirement being that you have the common sense to see the actual value of freedom.

Some innovators are fed up with woke left-wing intolerance and are the first to step out and take risks by building alternatives to counter an ever-increasing oppressed system. These alternatives cover the many aspects of our lives that the woke culture has infiltrated. 

We’ll review some of these inspiring entrepreneurs and their companies from various sectors pioneering the parallel economy, including financial, dating and relationships, entertainment, social media, and marketing, plus find out how we can participate in building a parallel economy.


Image source: Strive, Media Reel

Strive Asset Management 

The mission of  Strive Asset Management is to “restore the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics.” They are in direct competition with the asset management giants like Blackrock. They have seen the need to restore capitalism for the people who want to move in the traditional direction of focusing on products and services for profit rather than social agendas or ideologies.  

What Strive finds is that many major companies are not in competition with each other. So they do not take advantage of an opportunity to fill the gap that may arise due to a company's decisions to push agendas that many customers are adverse to and put off from participating.  

Why is that? It’s because the top shareholders are the same for all these companies; they are the woke investors like Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard. There's a concentration of capital of around $20 trillion that is handled by these three companies alone. They are essentially the puppet masters behind the scenes pulling the strings and effectively mandating through soft power, ensuring these companies adopt their one-sided political agendas. 

So is that the free market where companies are free to do what they want to be sustainable and grow in the interests of product and service excellence? In effect, they're being told by a small group of actors directly doing favors for the government behind the scenes who are in bed with unelected leaders of the WEF to direct corporate America's and corporations' behaviors worldwide.

Entrepreneur, Author, and Co-founder of  Strive Asset Management, Vivek Ramaswamy, says,

“The free market is not free to fix what it's not free to fix. Companies need to have the restraints lifted so that they are able to and be allowed to pursue their own self-interest.” 

Fascism Hurts The Free World

So how do agendas like climate change, ESG, and pushing for a great reset of the world hurt the entrepreneurial and creative spirit? 

As explained by Vivek, one example is Chevron Oil and Gas Company when in 2020, they were forced to adopt a Scope 3 Emissions Cap. The company and its board were against this change, but Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard voted in favor of it, so the majority supported the proposal, and of course, it was set in motion. 

The Emissions Cap requires not just Chevron to reduce its own emissions but to reduce the emissions of anyone who uses their oil, all the way downstream, including their employees who commute to work and the Amazon truck delivering food to its customers. So that means Chevron as a company is required to take responsibility for everything and everybody that uses its oil. 

It's a problem because Chevron, as a company, cannot exist as it has done if it has to take responsibility for reducing customers using its own product. Why would it ever be in the interest of a business, whether it be a small entrepreneurial business or a legacy company like Chevron, to say, “it's in my interest to force my consumers to use less of the core product that I make?” 

Nefarious Double Standards

That is a fundamentally anti-growth measure. It's essentially a measure opposed to human flourishing delivered through American capitalism. Furthermore, it's not even good for the environment or the alleged effects of climate change because when Chevron drops these projects, some firms in China get to pick them up that have even worse and dirtier oil production. 

It's interesting to note Blackrock doesn't apply the ESG standards to Chinese companies but gets its license to be an asset management builder in China and make a lot of money. And they're doing it while applying these ESG standards to the United States that cripple American energy companies and affect the lives of everyday citizens. 

It’s important to note that these asset management firms use peoples’ retirement funds to invest in their agenda-driven interests that do not serve the people's interests. It’s becoming clear that most people do not want their asset managers advocating for the political agendas they are pushing. 

It's a geopolitical tool and a trojan horse. They’ve used capitalism as a trojan horse to undermine America from within, and China will be the biggest beneficiary at the end of the day. It's the merger of state and corporate power that neither of them could do independently. It's a hybrid of the two together, making it more powerful than either alone. The merger of state and corporate power is the classical definition of fascism.


Image source: Twitter 

The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff is a new dating app co-founded by Daniel Huff. Huff is a Republican who worked at the White House as an adviser for the Trump administration before becoming an entrepreneur. He saw an opportunity and a real need to counter the antagonism and discrimination from many of the dating apps out there today that either promote or enforce left-wing extremist ideology. 

He brings to light how the conservative individual who subscribes to a “live and let live” philosophy has difficulty finding traditional mediums to connect with people. Many dating apps have agendas and ideologies that don’t necessarily fit society's moral values or ethical standards.  

It’s not just antagonism from the users of an app but the platforms' discrimination. One example of platform bias is when joining the community on one of the largest dating apps; it is an absolute requirement that you affirm your support for Black Lives Matter before having access. 

Another is pressing people to add pronouns to their profiles, which has become a contentious issue for many. Also, adding stickers to profiles relaying your interests, even political interests, except all stickers relate to left-wing only. 

According to Huff, the Left has repeatedly stated that if you don’t like how we do things, build your own, so he did! He says the Republicans have been playing catch up for too long with Liberal technology, adding,

“We just don't want to catch up. We want to make a superior product. And we can do that by adding features that no one else has that distinctively set us apart and help to create a parallel economy.” 

 
Image source: Twitter, EricJuly.com 

Rippaverse Comics

Rippaverse Comics is about bringing the industry back to its essence. The unfortunate state of the comic industry with the likes of Marvel and Disney, now owned by mega-corporations, where timeless characters have been bastardized beyond recognition. They are distorted with a leftist message of political and social views incongruent with the age-old narrative or characters. 

A bunch of activists masquerading as writers has infiltrated the industry. They use well-known characters as a medium or vehicle to push their leftist agendas and fundamentally ruin the industry for those who aren't interested in that. 

The corporate entities in control have no loyalty to the reader, the customer, or the legendary comic character that people know well and love. They don't protect or care about the sanctity or legacy of these characters. 

Commentator, content creator, and musician Eric July saw the opportunity and the hole in the market for a comic book company with ethics and standards that put customers first. The company vows to deliver content that doesn’t include current politics or narratives that many comic lovers are fed up with being force-fed. Also, the customers' ethnic backgrounds or genetic makeup are totally irrelevant to them. 

Founder and owner of Rippaverse Comics, Eric July, started this venture in the parallel economy with no external investors, and he has expressed it will remain that way, saying,

“We want to expand in many different avenues, including video games, animation, and maybe even live-action movies. But not if it means selling off our assets; we only answer to the customer.” 

In setting up the company, the project was completely organic. Eric bypassed all major organizations and regular channels when dealing with publishing and distribution and has been very successful in helping creatives and the people behind the scenes at Rippaverse Comics. 

This push to subvert the corrupted mega players has successfully gained tens of thousands of followers and subscribers. The company has surpassed its revenue expectations, so it’s clear there is a growing awareness in society of the evil game woke capitalism is playing. 


Image source: Markethive.com

Markethive Media – The Ecosystem For Entrepreneurs 

Markethive is a prominent contributor to the Parallel Economy in the social media, broadcasting, and inbound marketing spectrum. Thomas Prendergast, entrepreneur, author, artist, and engineer, pioneered the automated marketing concept and was ahead of the curve, initiating a social network in the ‘90s before Web 2.0 social media emerged. 

Thomas Prendergast, Founder, Architect, and CEO of Markethive, anticipated the tyrannous and evil direction of where the world was heading, hence the emergence of the first Blockchain-driven, decentralized social market network that circumvents the injustices forced upon us.  

Markethive is a Divine vision giving back the autonomy and freedom of expression desperately needed to communicate and conduct any business online. With a holistic approach, Markethive enables every individual to realize their potential regardless of what is happening out there.

Thomas expressly states,

“Amid this upheaval, Markethive’s primary objective is providing financial inclusion for all. We have blockchain technology and an integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem where people have privacy, autonomy, and sovereignty. 

They earn income with our native crypto coin (Hivecoin) in many different ways daily, including becoming a shareholder via the ILP, the added staking advantage of our crypto wallet with Markethive Credits, and profiting from the many cottage industries within the Markethive ecosystem. Essentially, it’s the community that owns Markethive and not the hierarchy".

Big venture capitalists or corporations do not fund Markethive. It is for the people, by the people, and of the people who stand for truth, liberty, and freedom. Furthermore, Markethive has removed itself from the centralized giant tech cloud services that have shown themselves as wicked despots and established sovereign cloud server systems, free from dictatorship and an internet shutdown due to censorship. 

These aspiring entrepreneurs and critical thinkers will not acquiesce to the insidious actions of big tech and are part of what is causing real frustration and risk for the woke culture and crony capitalists. Due to the fascism of governments and mega-corporations the world is experiencing, Markethive has its own merchant account and exchange to ensure complete privacy and anonymity. It also eliminates the threat of having your account closed or confiscated by authorities who feel the need to censor you and withdraw your liberties for whatever reason. 

The End Goal

The end goal of the projects is not to create a more polarized economy; through healthy competition and true diversity, the private sector that is depoliticized can bring divided communities together to cooperate in a transparent fashion.

There’s a resurgence of entrepreneurs and a rise of businesses being created to serve the hundreds of millions of customers and users who are tacitly ill-affected from their private sector or feel left behind by this woke trend. And they will do it in an elegant way rather than combative. The winners will be the new businesses that operate according to apolitical principles. 

Much to the chagrin of the authoritarian entities, we are entering a more decentralized age, where everybody wins. The free market is at its finest when we are doing what we love serving other people for the sake of all humanity. 

Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of innovation, striving for a free and peaceful world. They are critical thinkers, creative and inspirational. They also ‘walk softly and carry a big stick’ and are not easily fooled by the trickery and lies of self-serving dictatorial agencies. 

With God’s help, we will withstand the technocracy that is trying to enslave humanity. There is something greater than the elite, tech giants, and mega-corporations that even they cannot control. Every thinking individual recognizes that something more prominent is taking place. You can be part of the Parallel Economy by joining and disseminating the good news and supporting the entrepreneurs and companies that will bring us into a new Golden Age. 

 

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

Facebook Instagram and WhatsApp: A Proven Breeding Ground for Cryptocurrency Scams

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp: A Proven Breeding Ground for Cryptocurrency Scams

Cryptocurrency, or crypto, is a digital currency transferred directly between users without a central banking system. It was invented in 2008 as an open source project and is not governed by any bank or government authority, distinguishing it from traditional currencies such as dollars, pounds, and euros.

The first cryptocurrency to be created was bitcoin, which was released in 2009 and has since become the best-known example of cryptos. Bitcoin and altcoins are innovative technologies, but they have also been associated with some undesirable activity, including illicit activities like cybercrime and tax evasion, as well as scams and investment frauds. At the moment of writing, there are 20,942 cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of $1.06T, according to coinmarketcap.

The world of cryptocurrency is rapidly expanding, but this doesn't mean everyone starting a cryptocurrency project is good or honest with investors' money. Scammers have found new ways to trick people into giving them money without repercussions. Unfortunately, victims of cryptocurrency scams have few options for restitution as perpetrators evade authorities and hide their identities behind fake online accounts.

Cryptocurrency has become an investment vehicle for many people. Naturally, some people take advantage of this new technology to scam innocent people out of their money. Most scammers use social media platforms to lure in victims, with Meta being the chief platform used to perpetrate these evil acts. They pretend to be investors or traders and spread false rumors about specific cryptocurrencies. Those who fall for these tactics end up giving out sensitive financial information to complete scams.

One particularly dangerous scam involves a hacker posing as a bank and requesting personal information from customers. This information is then used to create fake IDs that scammers can use to buy cryptocurrencies with stolen money. After that, the scammers sell the digital coins and get away with stolen funds. These scammers often run away with millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. Many people lose money due to cryptocurrency scams and are left in serious debts that may take several years to pay off.

However, in most cases, it's difficult for investors to recognize a scam when it occurs. Because most fraudulent projects mimic successful ICOs with similar whitepapers and business plans. The creators often don't even use their names when planning their scams. They usually use fake social media accounts and web forums to communicate with potential victims. These fraudulent projects fail within a year due to shoddy programming and design choices.

An FTC Report released in June showed that since 2021, about 50% of people who have lost money to crypto scams claim to have originated from social media platforms. Meta's Instagram contributed 32% of reported scams, while Facebook and WhatsApp were cited in 26% and 9% of cases, respectively.

U.S. senators have asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to detail his company's policies to address rising crypto fraud cases on Facebook and Instagram. The Washington Post reported this on September 9. Lawmakers are calling for this after a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report showed a significant increase in crypto scams on Meta's social media platform.

According to the publication by the Washington Post, Senator Robert Menendez said:

"Based on recent reports of scams on other media platforms and apps, we are concerned that Meta provides a breeding ground for cryptocurrency fraud that causes significant harm to consumers."

Lawmakers have instructed Meta CEO to provide a detailed report on how the company is crushing cryptocurrency scams and what it is doing to help scam victims. Mark Zuckerberg is directed to respond to the request by October 24, 2022.

For each of Meta's social media platforms, questions asked include how the company detects and removes crypto scammers, educates and warns users about crypto scams, and supports victims of fraudulent crypto schemes. The senators also questioned how Meta verifies that crypto ads are not scams and what regulatory clearances are required to advertise on its platform. Additionally, they asked how Meta works with law enforcement to track down scammers.

The U.S. authorities have warned that scammers are increasingly making use of social media to defraud investors. In August, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned investors against scams that exploit fear of missing out (FOMO) on social media.

According to another FTC Report, more than 95,000 users lost about $770 million to crypto scams on social media. Over 70% of reported scams are classified as investment, romance, or online shopping scams.


Image source: Federal Trade Commission 

A 2021 BBC study found that around 10,500 victims lost more than $18 million to scam giveaways in the first three months of 2021. Most gift-giving scams are carried out by impersonating an influential figure like Elon Musk.

One victim reportedly lost over $550,000 in February 2021 after sending 10 BTC to the Elon Musk giveaway scam.

While several government agencies are busy making plans to safeguard citizens from crypto scams, you have to ensure you make due findings about an investment before injecting your funds into it. Without doing adequate research on the subject matter in question, you may have yourself to blame for it. 

Also, considering that governments have not been effective in combating these crimes, it's clear you have to be more watchful of what you invest your money into. As they say, "you get what you pay for" with cryptocurrencies and ICOs in general, so you should go out there and conduct thorough research on the best possible projects on the market today that can provide you with a real return on your investments.

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

About: Prince Chinwendu. (Nigeria) Rapid and sustainable human growth is my passion, and getting a life-changing opportunity into the hands of people is my calling. Empowering entrepreneurs provides me with enormous gratification. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

Study Shows More Than a Third of Africa’s 53 Million Cryptocurrency Holders Are Nigerians

Study Shows More Than a Third of Africa’s 53 Million Cryptocurrency Holders Are Nigerians

Cryptocurrency and blockchain are hot topics in the news these days. Due to its growth and adoption, many people have become interested in digital money worldwide. However, Africa is making tremendous progress when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption. Cryptocurrency is transforming African economies through payments, international trade, and government functions. As countries look to embrace this new technology, Africa is poised to take advantage of its many benefits.

Several African countries have embraced cryptocurrency and blockchain technology by regulating crypto trading or creating state-backed crypto. For example, Kenya's Central Bank (CBK) classified crypto as a virtual currency and regulated its trade. South Africa also has plans to regulate crypto trading when it issued an amendment to its financial services regulatory framework this year. Uganda introduced a regulatory framework for blockchain development and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), which has led to increased investor interest in the country. Several other African countries are looking into similar strategies, further expanding the continent's cryptocurrency adoption rate.

Businesses in Africa typically use local bank accounts to conduct business with other nations. This allows African companies to make international payments using locally stored funds instead of transferring funds from abroad using foreign exchange dealers (FEDs). All thanks to the introduction of cryptocurrency. Many businesses across Africa now use cryptocurrency for international payments since it's cheaper than FEDs and doesn't require additional paperwork or conversions. This frees up time for other tasks while increasing profit margins simultaneously. The adoption of this technological development makes it perfect for casual businesses without extensive staff resources.


Image Source: https://mediciland.com/

African countries are also looking into blockchain technology to increase government transparency and accountability across the continent. Blockchain is secure and can transfer data quickly without any loss of accuracy like traditional computer systems do. This makes it ideal for keeping records such as land registries safe and easily accessible by all users on a decentralized platform like the Internet instead of an authoritative centralized system like governments have traditionally used.

Some African countries are already implementing this strategy, such as Zambia, which has created several pilot programs with international tech partners. These programs will bring government services online for the first time by allowing citizens access to their records online. Cryptocurrency has revolutionized African economies by making daily transactions cheaper, easier, and more secure than before, something any business would love!

Applying existing technology effectively can improve citizens' lives in developing areas far faster than simply throwing money at problems could ever achieve. Therefore, while developed countries wait to "catch up" with digital currency innovation, things appear to be changing in Africa, and Nigeria is leading the way and will be leaps ahead!

Nigeria Championing Crypto Adoption in Africa

According to the latest crypto-proprietary data from Triple-A, the African continent now has an estimated 53 million cryptocurrency holders. This is about 16.5% of the estimated global total of 320 million people. Interestingly, of all cryptocurrency holders in Africa, Nigerians account for more than a third of the total, or just over 22 million.


Image source: TripleA.io 

Nigeria has the fourth largest cryptocurrency holder globally, while the United States is the highest-ranked country with 46 million cryptocurrency holders. According to statistics, India and Pakistan are close behind, with 27 million and 26 million crypto owners, respectively.

While Nigeria ranks fourth in cryptocurrency ownership, the country is still considered the world leader in the number of people who Googled the keywords 'bitcoin' and 'cryptocurrency.' These findings are supported by the report of another study. The study shows that Nigeria is one of the most crypto-obsessed countries in the African continent.

Meanwhile, data from Triple-A shows that South Africa has the second largest cryptocurrency holder population in Africa at 7.7 million. This figure is equivalent to about 12.5% ​​of South Africa's population. Kenya has the third largest cryptocurrency owner in Africa, with 6.1 million or 11.6% of the country's population.

The top 5 countries in Africa with the most cryptocurrency owners are Egypt and Tanzania, with 2.37 million and 2.32 million holders, respectively. Seychelles is the lowest-ranked African country, with an estimated 1,257 cryptocurrency owners.

Bottom Line

The future belongs to those who will seize it today. No doubt, African countries like Nigeria are doing just that. By embracing cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology early on, the country has created an optimal environment for businesses and investors alike. Boosting their local economies significantly via increased investment and revenue generation opportunities through the adoption of innovative technologies such as these is something they have been doing at a rapid pace and with much success so far!

 

 

About: Prince Chinwendu. (Nigeria) Rapid and sustainable human growth is my passion, and getting a life-changing opportunity into the hands of people is my calling. Empowering entrepreneurs provides me with enormous gratification. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Five Tenets Of The Great Reset: What You Can Do To Reject And Counter The New Normal

The Five Tenets Of The Great Reset:

What You Can Do To Reject And Counter The New Normal

The famous quote by Winston Churchill, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” has been used in many contexts. The first context was the creation of the United Nations at the end of World War Two. This quote has been touted quite a few times since the start of the pandemic but has become more evident in the context of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Great Reset

I started researching and writing about this topic from another perspective two years ago when many claimed that it was “nothing but a conspiracy theory,” with the majority of ordinary people oblivious to what was being planned decades ago. 

As it turns out, it isn’t a “theory”; it’s real, with the elites and NGOs conspiring behind closed doors with their plans to implement a global environmental, social and economic shift under the guise of sustainability with a primary focus on Stakeholder Capitalism. Klaus Schwab, the leader of the pack at WEF, has been very open to letting the global population know that “we will own nothing and be happy.”


2020 virtual event in Geneva, Switzerland – Video

It’s all laid out in Agenda 21/30 and based on a 2020 book, The Great Reset, which Klaus Schwab co-authored with a lifelong colleague, Thierry Malleret.  Now that the cat’s out of the bag and the new normal is starting to take shape, many more people are becoming aware of what’s happening, but a growing number of us ordinary folks are not in favor of it. 

What matters now is that we take the steps needed to secure our personal and financial freedom so that no one can infringe upon them. There are ways in which we can effectively resist any pressure to conform to a “new normal” – whatever that may be. So today, we’ll review the Great Reset, discover ways to resist it and determine which cryptocurrencies will withstand the global shift. 

Who Really Created The WEF?

The WEF is an international organization based in Switzerland. It comprises some of the world's most influential individuals and institutions, including current and former presidents, media moguls, big tech CEOs, asset managers, banks, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As stated on the WEF’s website, the organization's explicit purpose is to “…shape global, regional and industry agendas.” It does this by supporting individuals and institutions that promote its agenda.

The WEF is headed by Klaus Schwab, a German engineer economist and former professor who served as its chairman since it was founded in 1971. Interestingly, the WEF wasn’t simply Klaus Schwab's brainchild but was born out of a CIA-funded Harvard program headed by Henry Kissinger and pushed to fruition by John Kenneth Galbraith and the “real” Dr. Strangelove, Herman Kahn. 

These three powerfully influential men from the American political elite were the driving force behind the European-based globalist organization. They recognized Schwab’s potential and saw a reflection of their own intellectual desires in him. Back in the late 1960s, they recruited and mentored Klaus Schwab, helping him to create the World Economic Forum. You can read this fascinating story here

Almost all the WEF’s agendas are based on Klaus and his mentors’ ideas. Today, Klaus and his cohorts consider the pandemic to be on a par with another world war as far as its global disruption goes. It presents an opportunity to replace capitalism with stakeholder capitalism. 

Stakeholder capitalism is one of Schwab’s ideas, and it fundamentally replaces shareholders with so-called stakeholders who basically decide what everyone does. If you're wondering who the stakeholders are, Klaus has made it clear in interviews and at many events that the stakeholders are the individuals and institutions who are a part of the WEF. 

In crypto terms, you can think of stakeholder capitalism as being the total centralization of control in the hands of the world's most powerful people, corporations, and organizations. 

Three Phases Of The Great Reset

According to Klaus, there are three phases to the great reset, and the first two relate to the pandemic. These are “Restrain” (fight the virus), the phase we are in currently. Then, “Recover” is the next phase where the world enters the “new normal.” 

Now, the third and final phase is “The Great Reset” itself, which focuses on the following five points;

  1. Redefining the Social Contract 
  2. Decarbonizing The Economy 
  3. Digitizing Everything 
  4. Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism
  5. Global Rollout of all the above ensures those first four tenets find their way into every country. 

As to how exactly the WEF will roll out the great reset around the world, Klaus states that this will be achieved primarily with the help of the WEF’s network of so-called global shapers and young global leaders who will all push for the great reset in their respective nations. The WEF hopes to have it all in order by 2030.

The WEF’s 2020 virtual event in Geneva, Switzerland, focuses on the great reset and their new book in more depth, and you can hear it straight from the horse's mouth in this video. They blatantly tell you what they want and how they plan to get it, which blows the “conspiracy theory” out of the water. 

So now that we know what the great reset is and how the WEF elites plan on rolling it out, we can prepare for its five points outlined above. It’s worth noting that there seems to be quite a bit of overlap between these five points, and it sounds like they will be implemented simultaneously, not in sequential order. 

It's also important to remember that these points are already slowly being implemented. This means you must bare in mind how a change in one could affect the other when preparing to avoid or resist them. This could become difficult since part of the WEF’s agenda distorts traditional definitions of inflation, well-being, and economic growth. 

This distortion of definitions lies at the core of redefining the social contract, as this involves replacing all of the above with ESG-focused metrics that prioritize diversity and inclusion over actual productivity. 

1: Redefining the Social Contract 

ESG has its roots in an initiative spearheaded by the United Nations and some of the world's largest corporations. As time goes on, the ESG criteria are becoming more aligned with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). 


Image Source: United Nations

There are 17 SDGs in total, noting a couple of examples mentioned in the great reset virtual event video above of what the WEF wants to see from a few of them. The 4th SDG is quality education, and co-author of the book, The Great Reset, Thierry Malleret, stated at the virtual event that the WEF doesn't like that a science degree from one University is considered more prestigious than a science degree from another University. 

As such, the WEF would like to see all degrees eliminated and replaced with specific skills training that would last until the end of your life. In other words, you'll be in school until you die and never even get a degree. Plus, there’s also the WEF indoctrination you're likely to endure. Now the switch to skills training also ostensibly implies that there will be no more small businesses or entrepreneurs, just mega corporations where everyone is a worker bee. 

This sounds ridiculous until you realize it relates to the 10th SDG, which is reduced inequality. Here, the WEF is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that economic inequalities do not continue to increase. It includes making sure you’ll own nothing and be happy, as brazenly stipulated in the WEF’s infamous video.

Instead, you'll rent what you use from the stakeholders who will own everything, and remember that these stakeholders are all the folks at the WEF. Historically, attempts at making everyone equal tend to end very badly, as making everyone equal usually translates to making everyone equally poor and miserable except for the select few. The select few in power are subsequently forced to kill anyone who tries to reject that poverty and misery. 

Ironically, the WEFs push for eliminating inequality comes from the fears its constituents have about the riots, revolutions, and migrations that will inevitably occur if inequality continues to increase. A few WEF members have admitted this on stage, including at that Great Reset virtual event. 

Fortunately, there's an easy way to resist this redefining of social contracts, and that's to reject any ESG or SDG-related criteria, especially when it's being used to redefine what a recession means. Instead, stick to tried and true social contracts, and reinforce them with your friends, family, and community. 

Better yet, invest your time, money, and energy in individuals and companies who vocally oppose ESG, SDG, and other top-down decrees coming from technocrats who are out of touch with what life is like for the average person. 

Pro tip – Stay away from companies that force you to pay a subscription service to use a “physical product” that should be entirely in your ownership. The moment you purchase it, your future might just depend on it. 


Image source: The Verge

2: Decarbonizing The Economy 

The second point of focus for the great reset is decarbonizing the economy, and here's where things get a bit complicated and contentious. That's because many would argue that moving away from fossil fuels is a good thing. 

However, there is a right and a wrong way to transition to more renewable energy sources. So telling farmers to stop using fertilizer during a food crisis or shutting down nuclear plants during an energy shortage is not how you decarbonize the economy; It's how you destroy the economy. 

It's also important to remember that many environmental elites see the average person as a form of carbon that should be reduced, if not eliminated. It is why they're eager to implement lifestyles and diets that are objectively unhealthy. Such as constantly living in the metaverse 24/7 and eating insects. 

Another problem with the WEFs green energy agenda is that the energy structures it envisions will result in the hyper-centralization of the electricity grid, probably by design. That's because if everything runs on electricity, it becomes pretty easy to control everything.

Another thing that's probably by design is the focus on wind and solar, and that's because not every country has the ability or resources to create its own wind farms or solar panels. This forces them to trade with other countries for energy, which promotes the globalized world, the WEF wants to see. 

Now, as with redefining social contracts, there’s an easy way to resist the WEFs warped decarbonization doctrine, and that's to advocate for renewable energy solutions that actually make sense. Educate your friends, family, and community about the risks of decarbonizing too quickly. 

Additionally, acquire solar panels and power generators to become as energy independent as possible. Also, learning how to build gasifiers will come in handy when they start making it more and more difficult for the average person to buy petrol and petrol-powered cars. 

On a good note, Bitcoin will not be banned because of its energy use or carbon emissions. That's because even the WEF knows that the energy and carbon emissions associated with crypto mining are a fraction of a percentage of the global total, as explained in this article

They're just upset that they can't control BTC like other cryptos, which is why ESG-obsessed asset managers are impelling green energy disclosures from crypto miners. They are also investing in publicly traded crypto mining companies; it's their attempt at taking control, and it will fail. 

3: Digitizing Everything 

Bitcoin relates to the third focus of the great reset, and that's the digitization of everything. Essentially, every asset will be tokenized on a permissioned blockchain that the government and the central bank run. To clarify, the BIS is heavily involved with the WEF, and many of its members are so-called agenda contributors. This means they are directly engaged with the WEF’s great reset plans. 

The tokenization of all real-world assets in such a manner means the government and central bank could turn off your ownership of anything at any given time, for whatever reason it sees fit, including your identity. But having said that, we’re apparently going to own nothing anyway! I go into more detail in this article about the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and its vision of the future financial system.

Furthermore, the digitization of money, specifically the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), is something that just about every central bank is planning on rolling out, courtesy of the BIS.


A Blueprint for Digital Identity | weforum.org.pdf

To complete the CBDC puzzle is the dystopian digital identity. This is a prerequisite for the rollout of a CBDC since you need to be able to identify individuals, and it’s no secret that governments have been working hard on proof of concepts for digital IDs during the pandemic. 

A digital ID is also a prerequisite for widespread internet censorship, which the WEF apparently wants to implement with the help of artificial intelligence. It’s not surprising, given that information about the WEF and its affiliates is spreading like wildfire these days. 

To be candid, resisting the WEFs digitization will be extremely difficult. Of the five focuses of the great reset, it's the most critical pillar because if you control the flow of information and the flow of money, you truly control everything.

Case in point, Klaus Schwab explicitly stated at the great reset virtual event that they need digital infrastructure, such as digital identity, facial recognition, human tracking, etc., to enforce ESG criteria and all the upcoming social contracts the WEF cronies are cooking up in the organization's Ivory Tower. 

That means that it is imperative that you reject any form of digital identity that is not entirely decentralized from top to bottom. It also means you must acquire some form of currency that cannot be easily tracked, censored, or confiscated by a centralized authority. This includes cash, precious metals, and select cryptocurrencies. 

Also, familiarize yourself with decentralized social, video, and broadcasting platforms, like Markethive, where your information and content are free from censorship. It would be impossible for any authority to shut down distributed data centers globally and sovereign servers entirely autonomous. 

Decentralized blockchain technology and cryptocurrency create an entire ecosystem, ultimately free from subjugation, and the solution for entrepreneurs and small businesses to thwart the opposition and continue to thrive.

Other platforms include Odysee for video, Theta for live streaming, and Arweave for uploading information. These cryptocurrencies will be significant as we endure this tyrannical shift being forced upon us. There are many alternative websites popping up; however, it’s good to be aware that many purporting to be for the people are essentially controlled opposition. 

It’s essential to understand the freedom of information and the freedom of money are the ultimate deterrence to the great reset. That's because the truth eventually overcomes indoctrination, no matter how often it's labeled disinformation or misinformation. 

Overcoming this depends on the ability to financially support the individuals and institutions speaking and propagating these truths. So it’s time to abandon the tech giants in favor of a new world order and get behind platforms with your best interests at heart. 

Pro tip: keep physical copies of all your most important records, such as land deeds, home ownership, documents, passports, driver's license, crypto wallet seeds, and the like. Even if expired, they will help preserve your identity if you become persona non grata for opposing the WEF’s ever-expanding agendas. 

And if you think that complying with them will save you, recent events have shown that it will only make things worse for you and everyone else in the end. The only winners in this system will be stakeholders at the WEF, which ties into the 4th factor; the great reset. 

4: Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism

It’s unclear how the WEF will introduce stakeholder capitalism, mainly because it's not entirely evident how its stakeholder capitalism governance structure works. The WEF has over 4,000 individual members and hundreds of institutional partners, with 100 of them labeled as strategic. 

How they all come to a consensus is anyone's guess. Even if we assume, it's just the 100 strategic partners calling the shots, it's hard to imagine that they're all on the same page about every issue. 

It was evident in one of Klaus's speeches from one of the WEF events earlier in the pandemic, where it sounded like he was desperate to keep the interests of these so-called stakeholders aligned. Now you'd think the real stakeholders are governments, but the great reset co-author  Thierry Malleret admitted at the virtual event that the private sector effectively controls the public sector through lobbying. 

In another article, I discussed the enemies of cryptocurrency and that Wall Street is one of the most prominent lobbyists out there. This means that the real stakeholders are the big banks, asset managers, and the central banks, as they ultimately determine how money moves in the economy.

BlackRock and Bank of America have been explicit in their intentions to direct capital to anyone advocating ESG and remove capital from anyone or anything that offends their sensibilities, regardless of ESG status, such as Tesla. So, this is how stakeholder capitalism can be fought, and that's to exacerbate the differences in interests between the different stakeholders at the WEF wherever possible. 


Image source: Twitter 

It's important to point out that centralized power is inherently unstable. That's because, as more power gathers, in one place, the more profit someone stands to gain if they stab the other participants in the back, especially if it earns them the support of the people. 

Arguably, elite figures like Elon Musk fall into this category. He may be seen as benevolent, or maybe because he figured out that he stands to gain much more by siding with “we the people.” He’s already richer than all the other elite figures, so he’s won their hierarchical game.  

So, supporting breakaway figures like Elon might be our best bet at encouraging more of them to defect from the WEF and ruin its stakeholder capitalism. There’s a strong possibility there are more stakeholders who are not happy with being hated by the public and can't stand Klaus and his clown company, who would love the get the same sort of fanfare as Elon Musk. 

5: The Global Rollout

The final factor of the great reset is the export of the WEF’s endgame to every single corner of the earth. Klaus explicitly stated during that virtual conference that the WEF would leverage its network of global shapers and young global leaders to ensure the great reset is implemented in every country. Klaus also specified that over 10,000 of these recruits are slowly slipping into various positions of power worldwide. And he repeatedly stated that the great reset’s success depends on this. 

This makes sense because there's only so much the WEF can achieve from the top down, and the pandemic proved this. Klaus and his cult followers saw the pandemic response as a “test of the great reset philosophy.” But, this top-down test didn't go nearly as well as the WEF had hoped, which seems to be why they are leaning so heavily on the global shapers and young global leaders lately. 

It's an inorganic bottom-up approach that pushes the WEF’s agenda in major social and economic hubs, and it's no coincidence that most of them seem to have been on-boarded during the pandemic. 

Notably, it’s convenient that the global shapers and young global leaders' websites are searchable. The former lets you see which WEF agents are looking to change things in your city, and the latter lets you see which WEF agents are looking to change something in your country or region. 

If you see a global shaper or young global leader running for public office, vote for a different candidate who represents your views but isn't aligned with the WEF. All it takes to double-check is a quick search on the WEF website, the Global Shapers website, and the Global Leaders website. 

Interestingly, the WEF blocked someone on Twitter for commenting on just two posts saying to vote against its young, global leaders. Note that the WEF gets lots of hate on Twitter daily and doesn't block everyone. So it would seem that undermining the WEF’s subverters may well be the organization's Achilles heel.

Klaus Schwab admitted at the end of that virtual event that they might not succeed, so let's ensure they don't. And remember that we only have until 2030. So, make the next eight years count through your selective spending, full attention, directed energy and informed voting. That's really all we need to do to defeat the WEF at the end of the day. 

Once the WEF has been defeated, the next order of business will be to create robust decentralized, autonomous organizations to replace institutions like the WEF and its affiliates. We need to prevent this degree of centralized power from ever happening again so that the average person can finally live in peace. Also, fix the monetary system, which has been the driver of this centralization since the dawn of time. 

 

Reference:
Coin Bureau
World Economic Forum

 

 

Editor and Chief Markethive: Deb Williams. (Australia) I thrive on progress and champion freedom of speech. I embrace "Change" with a passion, and my purpose in life is to enlighten people to accept and move forward with enthusiasm. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

 

 

 

 

Jump Crypto Promulgate Plans to Develop a New Validator Client for Solana

Jump Crypto Promulgate Plans to Develop a New Validator Client for Solana

The Solana network has been haunted by outages and slowdowns this year, especially during periods of congestion due to high demand. Still, the Solana Foundation is now trying to revamp the network to make it more stable, with a new open-source validator client to be developed by Jump Crypto.

Creating a new validator client for Solana is long overdue, as the protocol is now out of favor with users due to the attacks and outages it has experienced recently. Jump Crypto's joint venture is being conducted in partnership with the Solana Foundation. Both entities are working to reposition Solana as one of the fastest and most resilient smart contract networks.

The new development is expected to improve the accuracy with which Solana receives blocks and makes the network more resistant to attacks. The new features are designed to provide greater security to Phantom Wallet. It gives users control over reporting spam, which helps block contract addresses and domains. Investors can likewise earn SOL tokens as "rent" by reporting spam NFTs. Given the high risks involved with cryptocurrencies, users should exercise caution when transacting with third-party websites.

The process of building the new validator client will be overseen by Jump Trading's Chief Scientific Officer, Kevin Bowers, who leads a proven team of scientists and engineers developing complex algorithms, software, and Trading systems in the hardware and network space.

The move is significant because Jump Crypto, the Chicago-based subsidiary of Jump Trading, is a major player in the cryptocurrency world with substantial investments across the industry, including some Solana-related projects. Validators play a vital role in proof-of-stake blockchains like Solana by confirming the legitimacy of transactions sent to the chain. Anyone can act as a validator, provided they hold the desired amount of Solana's native currency, SOL, and transact in a way that benefits the network.


Image Source: Jump Crypto

Many Solana validators, including Coinbase Cloud and Jump Crypto itself, also offer "staking" services – allowing smaller users to add their own SOL to the validator pool and receive a portion of the rewards validators receive for providing their services. In response to questions about the relationship between new Validator clients and existing clients, a Solana spokesperson provided the following statement:

“In plain language, Solana Labs has an engineering team that is solely focused on building what has been the only software in the world that is capable of running the Solana network. Now there will be a second entire initiative that will be able to coexist and run the Solana network as well.”

In announcing the new validator client, Jump Crypto said the project would help accelerate Solana adoption, drive further technical improvements, and increase its network's decentralization.

Jump Crypto's assertion that its new project will improve Solana's technical performance will likely prove true, given the company's profound reputation for innovation. His contribution is also likely to be welcomed as the network suffered a series of embarrassing crashes and outages earlier this year.

However, the company's claim that its Validator client will increase decentralization may be causing a stir in some circles. That's because Jump Crypto has invested heavily in Solana and has made several rescues; most notably, it spent $320 million to rescue Solana-related projects from catastrophic hacks. Meanwhile, Solana's founders and executives appear to be working closely at Jump Crypto and its parent company.

Solana's close ties to the Chicago-based trading giant could irritate critics who argue Solana lacks the decentralization of Bitcoin or its rival Ethereum.

“Through Jump’s decades of work in solving some of the most complex networking challenges across traditional financial markets, we have seen firsthand the impact that improving a network’s speed and efficiency can have on an entire financial system,” said Jump Crypto executive and former UC Berkeley researcher Kevin Bowers, who leads the Validator project.

But for now, the infusion of technical know-how from Jump Crypto and the potential of the new validator client to bring more people into the network should prove to be an overall boon for Solana. This will outweigh the criticism of the project's governance structure.

 

 

 

About: Prince Chinwendu. (Nigeria) Rapid and sustainable human growth is my passion, and getting a life-changing opportunity into the hands of people is my calling. Empowering entrepreneurs provides me with enormous gratification. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.