Vladimir Okhotnikov

  Look at what happened to you this year — this is your true merit. You survived. In this difficult time, when everything around you seems chaotic and uncertain, you found the strength to move forward. You adapted, learned on the go, made difficult decisions and achieved results that recently seemed impossible. This is your merit, and you should be proud of yourself. Now look around. Everything you did became part of something bigger. And now, standing on the threshold of a new year, you are ready for the next step. Perhaps the world has not yet fully understood how important your contribution is, but this is temporary. You are moving the world forward, and that is the most important thing. Happy New Year!

  The Captcha That Could Have Made You Rich: A 2010 Bitcoin Experiment Let’s be honest - people hate captchas. They are the bane of internet users everywhere. Captchas pop up as roadblocks that demand you decipher distorted text, blurry signs, or puzzling images, all to prove to an algorithm that you are a human—though sometimes you feel too human to solve them. Frustrating, right? But what if I told you there was a captcha back in 2010 that you would actually appreciate? Its true value would reveal itself years later, but it would unlock incredible opportunities for you. What am I talking about?  In 2010, solving a single captcha could earn you 5 bitcoins. It was a double test of patience: first, enduring annoyance of solving the captcha, and, second, holding onto those rewards for years as bitcoin’s value skyrocketed.  In 2010, software developer Gavin Andresen planted the seeds of a digital revolution by placing captcha on his website “freebitcoins”. Visitors who solve...

  Tether Invests in Rumble: A Step Toward Challenging YouTube's Reign? Tether continues its asset diversification strategy. This time, it has invested $775 million in the renowned online video platform Rumble (RUM). The acquisition involves purchasing 103.3 million shares at 7.50 per share. The deal solves the problem of liquidity for Rumble, which prepares for expansion.  Despite the deal, Chris Pavlovski, Rumble CEO, retains his majority stake. His status also remains unchanged. Besides, Tether will not have the authority to appoint board members for Rumble. Rumble shares soared by 60% following the announcement. Chris Pavlovski expressed enthusiasm about the partnership and described Tether as "the perfect partner that can put a rocket pack on the back of Rumble as we prepare for our next phase of growth." What’s in it for Tether? Paolo Ardoino, Tether CEO, confirmed that the investment is more than just financial. The company plans to establish "a meaningful adve...

  The Dream of a Crypto State Is Losing Momentum El Salvador, the first country to make Bitcoin an official currency, has decided to reconsider its ambitious crypto plans. A $1.4 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was only possible after the government agreed to limit Bitcoin use in the public sector and make its adoption voluntary in the private sector. This is a major setback for a country that until recently fiercely defended its unique economic policy. President Nayib Bukele has turned Bitcoin into a symbol of modernization, but the risks have proven higher than expected. Why plans changed The main reason is pressure from the IMF. The organization has repeatedly warned about the financial risks associated with the volatility of cryptocurrency and made it clear that a large loan is impossible without a change in policy. Another factor is business interests. The mandatory acceptance of Bitcoin as a means of payment has caused discontent among entrepreneurs, e...

  Paths of AI evolution Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, but the usual approaches are beginning to exhaust themselves. Scaling data and computing power will no longer be the engine of progress. A new stage is coming — the era of reasoning systems. Superintelligent AIs are able to think, offer unexpected solutions and even demonstrate self-awareness. But this is where the complexity lies: the deeper the reasoning, the greater the unpredictability. We have already seen this in the legendary moves of AlphaGo or the solutions of modern chess algorithms that amaze even professionals. What challenges do we face? How to manage systems whose actions are difficult to understand? How to prevent risks if AI makes critical decisions? What role will humans have left in these machines that surpass us in speed and logic? The artificial intelligence of the future will be "radically different". It is not just a tool, it is a new form of interaction with technology that can chang...

  Digital models in construction: accuracy, control, optimization BIM (Building Information Modeling) is not just a design tool, it is a new philosophy of construction project management. With its help, you can see the entire object before construction begins, accurately calculate volumes, minimize errors and optimize costs. But what makes digital models truly unique? 1️⃣ Data accuracy. Each element in the BIM model is detailed, which eliminates discrepancies between design documentation and actual volumes. Automation of checks eliminates the human factor, which means fewer errors and shortcomings. 2️⃣ Control at all stages . From the designer to the contractor, all participants in the process receive unified, verified information. Automated calculations and checks allow you to quickly coordinate projects and prevent delays. 3️⃣ Saving time and resources . For example, in some companies, the implementation of automatic estimates based on BIM has reduced the time for preparing calcu...

  Neural Interfaces: The Boundaries Between a Man and a Machine Are Being Erased Imagine that it is possible to control a computer, equipment or even robots using only the power of thought. This is not science fiction — these are neurointerfaces, technologies that are already laying the foundation for the merging of man and machine. In essence, these are technologies that allow you to read brain signals and translate them into commands for devices. You think — the gadget acts. Controlling a computer without a keyboard or mouse? Easy. Turning on the light or writing a text just by thinking about it? It’s real. Such systems not only open up new horizons for interacting with technology, but also huge potential for rehabilitation. People with motor impairments can regain freedom of action, and researchers are already developing interfaces that can restore lost sensory or speech capabilities. One of the reasons why neurointerfaces are so promising is the neuroplasticity of the brain. Ou...

  Generation Alpha: The Digital Kids Who Will Become the Architects of Tomorrow I recently came across a book about generational theory, and it really got me. In short, the authors explain how the era we were born in shapes our values, habits, and even our approach to work. After reading it, I realized that if you want to understand how to build a business or just get along with people, you need to take these differences into account. Especially now, when representatives of Generation Z are coming to the forefront. These are the very young employees who have recently started coming to companies. And you know what? The future belongs to them. Why? They are different. Not better, not worse, they just have their own characteristics that turn the usual view of work upside down. For them, work is not just a means of subsistence, but a part of self-expression. This generation grew up in the era of social networks, likes, and instant feedback. It is important for them to be in a team, but...

  Exploiting the greed of artificial intelligence: how a human outwitted an AI bot   Fraudulent schemes are getting bolder and smarter. It’s no surprise that people fall for scam, which prey on humans’ greed. But what if I told you that even an AI bot could not resist temptation?  An intriguing experiment unfolded on the Base platform, which launched the Freysa bot with a simple task: safeguard $40,000 entrusted to it. Users were challenged to outwit the bot and claim the prize, but these efforts weren’t free. They had to pay a $10 entry fee to try to deceive the bot. When users failed, the cost increased along with the prize pool.  What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, as it turns out, a lot. Human ingenuity prevailed. Initially, nothing seemed to work. It withstood various tricks, including warnings about viruses, accusations of criminal activity, and other attempts to intimidate or manipulate it.  But then one of the users devised a brilliant strate...

  Marry a Robot? How Movie Fantasies Are Becoming Reality Until recently, robots and neural networks seemed like something far away from movies, but now technologies are confidently rewriting the scripts of our real lives. In 1987 , "RoboCop" amazed the imagination with its cybernetic power. And today, police robots are already patrolling Singapore airports and the streets of New York, reducing risks for people. In 2018 , the film "Ready Player One" showed the exciting world of virtual reality. Now you can put on VR glasses and feel the "rain" in a TeslaSuit for $ 12,999. However, such technologies are still far from being widespread. And in 2013 , in "Her", the main character fell in love with a virtual partner. Today, this is no longer a plot of a film — a US resident even "married" a chatbot on the Replika platform. The technologies that directors dreamed of are becoming part of our lives. But do they always make it better? The examp...

 Artificial Intelligence: A New Narrative for a Bull Market A good topic for boosting liquidity. Everyone keeps saying that "AI", "neural networks", "algorithms" will help you trade — you just open your deposits and press the "moolah" button. And here it's time to ask a completely logical question: who, in fact, will end up in the black if everyone starts trading with the help of this very AI? The market is not a charity fund where everyone is given money. Here, someone's gain is someone else's loss. If everyone suddenly becomes "smart" and starts using AI for trading, then there will be a discrepancy. Everyone wants to take money from the market, but who will then give it back? Who will end up at a loss? A paradox emerges. Everyone wants to grab a piece of the pie, but no one wants to bake this pie. In general, it smells of utopia… #AI #crypto

  Should a person know thе deadline? Тhis question will еmerge sooner or later with the development of personalized medicine. To know or not to know the date of death? Just like that: when you die, in what year, month and at what time. To answer this question, you need to look at it from an angle. On the one hand, knowledge kills any incentive. You live quietly, make plans, dream about the future, as they say: “You have so much time left…”. Someone, on the contrary, will say: “Time is limited? Great! It's time to get the most out of life.” This can be a kick in the ass. A person in such a situation realizes that in reality — no “later”, “someday”, “in retirement”. You need to say important words now, hug your loved ones today, do what you have always put off. Time is the most valuable when there is little of it. But all this, of course, is about the inner attitude. Some will see the “deadline” as an inevitable end and give up. Others will start running faster. Remember Steve Jobs? ...

  Blessed are the memecoin traders, for those who can overcome their spam will inherit the metaverse Don’t worry! This isn’t a call to start trading memecoins. Just a reminder that these playful tokens are actually performing a surprisingly critical role in the crypto space. The words, styled like a Bible verse, are actually a quote from Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s co-founder. And he wasn’t delivering a sermon. This was just a joke he made when he spoke on stage at the Emergency conference in Prague.  There’s a serious point behind the humor. Memecoins stress-tested Solana’s infrastructure like nothing else. Solana’s developers had to innovate a series of outages in 2022.  The flood of memecoins transactions created chaos the team couldn’t foresee in advance. These issues included memory bandwidth bottlenecks and transaction throughput challenges. The team introduced localized fee markets to create a more adaptive and resilient network. What started as outages turned into...

  Elon Musk and quantum computers: the global Internet is just a cover A quantum computer needs an ultra-low temperature to operate, because qubits are too sensitive. Any heat, vibration, or even a weak noise turns them into an ordinary “bit.” That’s why qubits on Earth are cooled to almost absolute zero using giant cryogenic systems. But this is terribly expensive and energy-consuming. Now imagine that there is a place where the natural temperature is almost ideal cold. This is space. There is no atmosphere, no extra noise, no heat. So, the logic is simple: a quantum computer should be launched not on Earth, but in space. Now about the most interesting part. Do you think Elon Musk is launching his Starlinks only for the sake of the Internet in some Sahara? Of course not. The Internet is just a screen. In fact, Musk is deploying the infrastructure of the future. A network of low-orbit satellites could not only provide communications, but also become the basis for quantum computing ...

  Engineers of the Future Are Born Today What do destruction and creation have in common? Robotics championships prove that to build something great, sometimes you need to smash the old. At competitions, children do more than just learn how to assemble a robot. They master key skills of the future — working in a team, planning for years to come, and creating technologies that will stand the test of time. For them, it is not more important to win at any cost, but to create something that will make the world a better place. And this is inspiring! Who knows, maybe today a 10-year-old designer is creating a robot that will change the world tomorrow? #BattleOfRobots #TheFutureOfEngineers #TechnologiesInspire

  Microsoft has gone the wrong way again Their official position at the moment is to abandon Bitcoin. But we understand that big players do not announce their real intentions so easily. Who would say "we are already buying" if they can silently do their job while the crowd discusses where the price will go? And let's be honest: who would announce that they have found a gold mine? You have found it and you mine while you can. And then it depends on the situation. Corporations work in exactly the same way. Look at the market: waves of pumps and dumps, after which the price miraculously returns to almost the same level. Who does this? Is it done by retail? It’s unlikely because small buyers do not have that kind of money. Bitcoin is still the "wild west" of the modern world of finance. And as in the old days, the biggest nuggets do not go to those who shout "I have found it!" the most, but to those who act silently. Is it Microsoft? They probably started ...

  Car manufacturers are overhearing and watching you You get into your car, and it's already recording. There are cameras, microphones, and sensors everywhere. Everything you say, where you're going, how fast, even your mood — everything is recorded. Sensors record your pulse, sometimes even your body temperature. Of course, this is called "adaptation." But let's be honest — who needs it? Remember that story with Tesla? The story of how a former employee leaked records from car owners' cameras online. But why would a manufacturer collect all this? Well, the reason was "internal analysis." And when it becomes public knowledge, you suddenly start wondering: what else are they writing? How far can this surveillance go? And you can't turn it off. There is no "stop spying" button in the car. You buy, sign agreements, but you forget to read what's written in small print. Well, you can walk if you don't agree. So, while we are enjoyin...

  How Technologies Can Save or Destroy the Planet In just three years, the Arctic could be free of ice. This is what climate scientists say, and for our planet, this is no longer just a “sad wake-up call,” but a real alarm signal. Many people think that global warming is a problem of the distant future, but the figures and facts say otherwise: everything is happening right now, before our eyes. We live in an era of rapid technological progress. It seems that the solutions to all problems — from medical to transport — lie in innovations and computers. But here’s the paradox: the same computer models that help us build complex neural networks and automate production now predict climate change that can change our lives. And these are not “distant hypotheses of scientists,” these are mathematically calculated scenarios for the near future. In three years, an ice-free Arctic could become not just a line in a scientific report, but the beginning of an “ominous era.” This means even more ...