Vladimir Okhotnikov

  Trump, Memecoins and the Reputation of the Crypto Industry Honestly, the news of Donald Trump and his wife Melania launching memecoins made me smile and think at the same time. At first glance, it looks like another political stunt designed to hype and attract attention. But if you dig deeper, the question arises: how do such initiatives affect the perception of the crypto industry as a whole? Memecoins themselves do not carry any real value, and their success depends entirely on emotion, hype, and popularity. They exist at the intersection of culture and finance, but when a memecoin becomes a tool for political play, it already looks, at the very least, strange. The fact that the $TRUMP trading volume in a day exceeded $11 billion only emphasizes how speculative the nature of such assets can be. Trump probably sees this as a strategy — both political and economic. Memecoins can be a way to strengthen his supporter base, involve them in some kind of "ecosystem experiment". ...

  Playing with Fire: Senator Lummis Exposes Burning Evidence and Crypto Sabotage A new government takes the reins at he White House. With it comes accountability for the actions of the previous government.  As it turns out, many events unfolding before our eyes were far from accidental. Banks systematically denied services to crypto companies based on directives received from government agencies.This operation known as Chokepoint 2.0 raises many questions. Banks refused to serve crypto companies after letters received from government institutions with recommendations to do so. Who orchestrated this sabotage, and under whose orders? If the public gains access to these documents, we could uncover astonishing truths. However, will we ever get the chance?  According to recent reports, there’s a scramble to destroy these incriminating records, which hindered the development of the crypto industry. Senator Cynthia Lummis has raised alarms about this.  She suggested that, a...

 One of the world's largest asset managers says Bitcoin is not suitable for retirement portfolios Many of those born in the last century were brought up in a culture of bank deposits, government bonds, and long-term investments in blue chips. The younger generation sees it differently. For them, Bitcoin is not a risk, but an insurance policy against the depreciation of fiat money. It is an alternative to a system that has repeatedly demonstrated its fragility. However, Vanguard says that cryptocurrency is not a suitable tool for retirement savings. A traditional retirement portfolio is built on low-risk assets: bonds, dividend stocks, real estate. The goal of such a portfolio is to protect capital from inflation, minimize losses, and ensure a stable income in retirement. In this sense, Bitcoin looks like a marginal asset — its rate can collapse by 50% in a week and grow by the same amount for no apparent reason. For a 70-year-old pensioner this is not an investment, but a lottery. ...

  95% of Day Traders Lose Their Deposits: Why?  I ran across an interesting statistic that says 95% of day traders end up trading at zero. Some even suggest this figure is optimistic, claiming the actual numbers are even worse!  Many beginners give up after their first losses. They feel hopeless and disheartened. What can I say? Market dynamics are tough, and Bitcoin is no exception. Even with the best asset in hand, emotions often cloud judgement, especially when navigating an unfamiliar playing field.  So, why do many people jump into trading? There is a certain allure of the trader lifestyle. They think they will lounge by the pool with cocktails in hand, while money effortlessly rolls in. But reality paints a harsher picture: 80% of day traders quit within two years 40% give up trading in a month  Only 13% remain active in 3 years, and this figure reduces to 7% in 5 years Besides, their losses are staggering. Trading, it seems, is far from a dream job for mo...

  60 Billionaires Can’t Be Wrong: The List of Wealthy Bitcoin Investors Circulates Online Investors are increasingly attracted by Bitcoin, including the wealthiest ones who tend to act with caution. I came across a list including at least 60 billionaires from various countries who invest in Bitcoin. These include high-profile figures like hedge fund titans and tech entrepreneurs, who have been steadily accumulating Bitcoin throughout the year. Many others are following their lead. Doesn’t this suggest that Bitcoin has already earned significant trust? The leading cryptocurrency is widely accepted as a hedge against economic and geopolitical risks. It’s also a top-performing asset, outpacing gold in returns.  Despite its volatility, Bitcoin is often considered a superior investment opportunity, which increases the purchasing power of its holders. Over the last five years, the price of gold has risen by 71%, while Bitcoin has skyrocketed by over 1,000%!  Additionally, tech-...

  Hollywood on Fire: AI Saves and Causes Chaos The fires in Southern California have consumed thousands of acres, forced 180,000 people to evacuate, and destroyed many homes, including celebrity properties. In the fight against this disaster, artificial intelligence has become a real hero, but also a source of problems. The Alert California system, developed at the University of California, has already saved lives by detecting a fire in Orange County before people noticed it. Cameras and machine learning algorithms were able to do what humans cannot: instantly identify a threat in a remote area. Such technologies provide speed and accuracy, which are critical in the fight against fire. However, on the other hand, AI has become an instrument of chaos. False images created by generative neural networks showed the iconic Hollywood sign surrounded by fire and scenes of looting. Fakes increase panic, complicating crisis management. For me, this story is a clear confirmation of the ambi...

  BlackRock's Jay Jacobs believes that regulatory support from the Trump administration will have a positive effect on BTC Wait, what about decentralization? Why can anyone influence the value of cryptocurrency? That's not what it was created for. Those who just came to crypto and heard that cryptocurrency is not managed, it is decentralized — you are not mistaken. Just look at it from the other side. Here, look. Yes, Bitcoin is technically decentralized. No one can "turn off" the network or directly manage it alone. To do this, you need to have 51% of the network's power, which is currently unrealistic to do. But that's not what we're talking about now. In the Bitcoin market, it's not the code and blockchains that decide everything, but the money and mood of investors. And here the main players are institutional investors who rely on the very regulatory framework that retail investors are allegedly running from. That is, those who buy Bitcoin for a co...

  How Technology Is Blurring the Lines Between Life and Death Technology doesn’t just erase the boundary between real life and the virtual realm. It’s also blurring the line between life and death. AI’s capability to “resurrect” the dead has been actively used in the movie industry. However, human entrepreneurial spirit knows no bounds! One of the emerging offerings in the market is the ability to converse with a deceased person. People mourning the loss of loved ones, eagerly turn to these tools when grieving. Being in the state of emotional vulnerability, they often overlook the unusual nature of such interactions.  These ‘digital’ resurrections are made possible through AI tools that gather information about the deceased. The tools process data from letters, emails, chats, and text messages or ask questions to build a simulated personality. These chatbots mimic the texting style of the person, while some companies now offer video interactions.  For instance, StoryFile,...

  Bitcoin’s Path to $1 Million: Closer Than You Think When you hear bold forecasts about Bitcoin being worth a million dollars, it may sound overly optimistic, even bordering on foolishness. Experts like Robert Kiyosaki often make such predictions, and it’s easy to be skeptical in these cases. His forecasts are often controversial and highly speculative. Besides, as the author of commercial books, he has a vested interest in creating hype around his name to boost sales. The more absurd his statements sound, the better the sales results. Consequently, such predictions can’t be fully trusted. However, more and more highly-qualified experts are beginning to make similar claims. Is there a grain of truth in them? While the forecast about Bitcoin reaching the million-dollar milestone seems far-fetched, let’s examine this projection more closely. What if it’s not as unrealistic as it seems?  We need to look at the history of Bitcoin to understand this. A closer study reveals that th...

  From Self-Attack to Self-Healing: How Engineered Immune Cells Are Changing Medicine  Imagine your body waging war on itself, mistaking its own tissues for dangerous invaders. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s a harsh reality for millions battling autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. This is also a huge problem for organ transplants patients. Transplanted tissues, which should be accepted as part of the body, are often perceived as foreign and rejected. But what if we could rewrite this, turning fear into hope? Engineered immune cells offer a promising solution to combat inflammation in the body. A medical research team from the University of California, San Francisco, has discovered that these specialized immune cells can not only suppress inflammation but also eliminate inflammatory molecules without weakening the body's overall immune defenses.  Equipped with targeted sensors, these cells can focus on specific organs or tissues. Th...

  Are we ready for the future? Have you ever wondered how quantum computers can change our world? And it's not just about scientific discoveries, but also about new threats that can destroy the data protection technologies we are used to. Today, we are confident that our banking transactions, correspondence, and digital signatures are protected. But what will happen when a quantum computer learns to solve problems that now seem unsolvable? For example, to crack encryption keys in a matter of minutes. This is not science fiction, but the reality of tomorrow. Researchers are already developing new algorithms that are resistant to quantum attacks. Post-quantum cryptography is our shield in the digital era of the future. We are standing on the threshold of a new era. The only question is whether we will be able to meet it fully armed. After all, the foundation for the digital security of the future is already being laid. #QuantumEra #Cryptography #Security #Technologies

  Attention everyone participating in Zoom meetings! Scammers have started using phishing links. They forge conference invitations to make you download and run malware. It can collect information about your system, steal data from your browser, and even extract information about crypto wallets. This does not mean that someone is stealing your cryptocurrency right now. Or will do it tomorrow. You just need to remember that such a possibility exists. What does a safe and official link to Zoom look like: https://ххх. zoom.us /ххх. What does a suspicious link look like: https:/… us4zoom … In this case, the “ us4 ” prefix to zoom.us indicates a substitution and a possible hacker attack. What to do? Check the meeting link twice. Only log in through the official Zoom client or website. Install a reliable antivirus and keep it updated. Other similar phishing links are built on the same principle. Always check what the original address looks like.  #Zoom #Scammers #crypto

  CZ: If You Can’t Hold On, You Won’t Get Rich Once during a significant downturn in the crypto market, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binance former CEO, twitted a phrase that resonated deeply: If you can’t hold on, you won’t get rich. It was a simple, yet powerful message that inspired many cryptocurrency enthusiasts to continue holding their crypto assets. Many of them got rich thanks to this policy. He reminded market participants of a basic investment principle frequently overlooked by crypto holders. Panic is common during market crashes. Traders often lose control of their emotions and sell off their holdings. As a result, losses are inevitable.  If you can’t tolerate the intense ups and downs in a highly volatile cryptocurrency market, it might not be the right place for your investments. However, those who understand how the crypto market works embrace this volatility and often find themselves rewarded in the long run. CZ’s advice to “hold on” has become a timeless classic that...

  Just in Time to Reap Big Bucks: How Wall Street Pros Navigate the Crypto Wave  Bloomberg reported that many Wall Street professionals jumped into the crypto. A great move, just in time to ride the 2024 rally!  Now, they couldn’t be happier about their career decision. They are seeing the payoff for their bold career moves.  Plunge into crypto wasn’t without its risks. After the FTX collapse and Bitcoin’s dramatic plunge below $6,000, it seemed like a colossal mistake. It required an extraordinary amount of patience and resilience for many. But those who persevered through the hardest times, are now reaping rewards.  For instance, Vivek Raman, Etherealize founder, previously worked at Morgan Stanley, UBS, Deutsche Bank, and Nomura. But then found inspiration in Ethereum and decided to introduce blockchain to the traditional finance sector – the stocks, in particular. Now his company works to bridge the gap between Wall Street and the Ethereum ecosystem. The art...

  Coincidences are not random, and random coincidences are not coincidences. Flooz.com is an almost forgotten story that could have become a prologue to cryptocurrencies, but turned into a dot-com tragicomedy. At that time, the idea was innovative, one might even say revolutionary: to create a platform for buying and using electronic currency on the Internet. Two enterprising friends, Levitan and Vaksman, thought ahead. When people were still afraid to give their credit card details on the Internet, they offered a solution. Flooz promised convenience and security, which were sorely lacking. Users received electronic money for purchases on partner sites and could spend it in all partner online stores. Moreover, the rate was very favorable: for 800 fiat dollars, Flooz credited a thousand electronic ones. Retailers supported this payment method to increase sales, and Flooz's profit was in coins selling and repurchasing. It was profitable and convenient for everyone. But a good idea of...

  DeFi Gets Safer, CeFi Faces Growing Security Woes in 2024 According to the Web3 Security Report, released annually by blockchain security firm Hacken, DeFi (decentralized finance) financial losses dropped by 40% in 2024. While the sector lost $787 million in 2023, this year losses amounted to $474 million.  What led to improvement? The significant reduction was mainly due to improved protocols and fewer bridge exploits. The industry works much to improve the quality of its instruments.  It would be great news if not for the poor performance of the CeFi (centralized finance) sector, which spoils the overall picture. Breaches of centralized exchanges doubled primarily due to access control vulnerabilities. The amount of losses in CeFi is $694 million this year. Another wide-spread issue is high-profile hacking. Notorious cases include Japan's DMM Exchange and India's WazirX Exchange. These numbers paint a clear picture. DeFi is tightening its defenses, while CeFi struggle...

  Forbes outlined 9 key predictions for crypto industry in 2025  2024 was a groundbreaking year for crypto! As a result of all the events, the sentiment and expectations differ greatly in the crypto market. However, 2025  is poised to be even more revolutionary! Here is what Forbes envisions for the crypto world in the coming year: One of the G7 or BRICS countries will add Bitcoin to its national reserves. This will make a significant shift in sovereign wealth management. Similarly, one of the top tech giants (the Magnificent Seven - Meta, Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, and Tesla) will add BTC to its reserves. Which one will take this leap? Time will tell.  New crypto funds and Ethereum staking products will attract more institutional investors. Layer 2 solutions will pave the way for Bitcoin’s active adoption in decentralized finance (DeFi). Experts from Forbes expect that the supply of stablecoins will surpass 200 billion dollars. Their growing use in gl...