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Proof-of-Stake Explained – A Gateway for Everyday Investors

ABC Staff
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Proof-of-Stake Explained – A Gateway for Everyday Investors

Blockchain adoption has accelerated rapidly in recent years, and much of this momentum comes from the shift to Proof-of-Stake (PoS). Unlike Proof-of-Work, which demands enormous computing power, PoS allows users to secure networks by staking their tokens. This makes blockchain participation accessible to everyday investors who want to earn rewards while keeping their assets safe.

How Proof-of-Stake Works

In PoS systems, validators are chosen to confirm transactions based on the amount of tokens they stake. The more tokens staked, the higher the chance of being selected. Validators earn rewards which are shared with those who delegate their tokens to them. Importantly, delegators never give up ownership of their assets.

This model has proven effective for blockchains like Solana, which boasts high throughput and low fees. By staking SOL tokens, users contribute to the network’s stability while benefiting from regular returns.

Why Staking Is Growing

There are several reasons PoS is attracting global attention:

  1. Energy Efficiency – Far less power-hungry than traditional mining.
  2. Passive Income – Delegators earn consistent rewards over time.
  3. Accessibility – No need for expensive hardware or technical knowledge.
  4. Security – Networks remain secure because validators risk their staked tokens if they act dishonestly.

Tools That Simplify Staking

Getting started with staking has become easier thanks to user-friendly wallets. For example, phantom wallet offers a seamless way to delegate Solana tokens. Users simply select a validator, delegate their tokens, and begin earning rewards—all while retaining control of their funds.

At the same time, validator services such as ubik.capital have emerged to provide professional, reliable infrastructure. Their focus on transparency and security ensures delegators receive consistent rewards without unnecessary risks.

Why This Matters to Investors

For readers of platforms like abcmoney.co.uk, staking represents an intersection between traditional finance principles and emerging digital assets. It provides a steady, low-barrier entry point for investors who want exposure to blockchain without actively trading volatile markets.

Final Thoughts

Proof-of-Stake is not just a technical upgrade—it’s a financial innovation. It empowers individuals to participate in blockchain ecosystems safely and profitably. By combining trusted validator services like ubik.capital with simple tools such as phantom wallet, investors can take advantage of staking while strengthening decentralized networks.

Durable vs. Regular Power of Attorney: A Real-Life Rundown

ABC Staff
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0
Durable vs. Regular Power of Attorney: A Real-Life Rundown

Why this choice matters more than most people think

Life rarely sticks to the plan. One week you’re juggling work and errands; the next you’re dealing with a hospital check-in, a long flight, or a health scare in the family. That’s the moment a power of attorney (POA) stops feeling like “paperwork” and starts feeling like a lifeline. Nakase Law Firm Inc. often gets asked a straightforward but important question: how does a durable power of attorney differ from a regular power of attorney?

Now, before we go any further, a quick way to frame it helps: a regular POA is great for short stints when you’re still fully able to decide; a durable POA keeps working if you can’t make decisions for a time. California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer Inc. often points out that queries like what does it mean to have a fiduciary duty are at the heart of these arrangements, because trust and responsibility are what make the entire system work.

A quick, relatable picture of a regular POA

Think of a regular POA like lending your neighbor the spare key while you’re out of town. They can water the plants, accept a package, and take in the mail—perfect for a short trip. Now picture you return and grab your key back. That’s the idea: it works well for limited tasks and then the authority fades back to you.

For example, a freelance designer heading to Tokyo for eight weeks might ask a sibling to sign a lease renewal, deposit checks, and pay utility bills. It’s practical and time-bound. If the designer is alert and reachable, it’s smooth sailing.

Where a regular POA runs out of road

Here’s the catch that surprises people: once the principal loses capacity, a regular POA stops. Let’s say the same freelancer has an unexpected medical crisis. If decision-making becomes impaired, the regular POA no longer functions. That’s not a glitch—it’s the built-in limit.

What makes a durable POA different (and why families lean on it)

Now switch scenes. A durable POA keeps operating if the principal can’t decide for a time. Picture a retired bookkeeper who’s meticulously paid every bill on the first of the month for thirty years. After a stroke, those routine tasks can’t wait. With a durable POA, the chosen agent can keep the lights on, sign checks, talk to the bank, and handle insurance. No scramble for court orders. No frozen accounts. Just continuity.

That’s why durable POAs show up so often in estate planning. They allow the agent to step in right away so ordinary life—mortgage, prescriptions, tax filings—doesn’t grind to a halt.

So, what is the core difference?

To put it plainly:
• Regular POA stops if the principal can’t make decisions.
• Durable POA keeps going through that period.

One word—“durable”—is what carries the day. If the document doesn’t clearly say it remains effective through incapacity, the law treats it as regular. That small clause prevents big headaches.

When a regular POA is actually a smart pick

Not every situation calls for the durable version. Suppose a college senior studies abroad and needs mom to manage the lease and security deposit until graduation. Or a founder wants a trusted partner to sign closing papers next Friday while they’re on a long-haul flight. In moments like these, short-term authority is all that’s needed. A regular POA fits snugly, does the job, and quietly retires.

Why durable POAs are the steady choice for long-term planning

Now shift to long-range peace of mind. If you’re helping an aging parent who’s sharp today but might need support later, a durable POA creates an on-ramp. No court petitions to access a checking account. No delay paying medical bills. It’s the safety net families use so the practical side of life keeps moving—day by day, bill by bill.

A short story from everyday life

Take Maya, who manages her dad’s condo dues and prescription refills from another city. When her dad’s memory started slipping, the durable POA let her speak with the insurer, adjust pharmacy deliveries, and authorize needed home repairs—all without a courthouse visit. That saved time, money, and a lot of stress during an already heavy season.

The trust piece: fiduciary duty in plain talk

Here’s where good judgment matters. Whether the POA is regular or durable, the agent must put the principal first. No side deals. No “borrowing” from accounts. No shortcuts that benefit the agent. That’s fiduciary duty in everyday terms.

And yes, it has teeth. If an agent uses funds for personal errands or ignores clear limits, courts can step in, require repayment, and remove that person from the role. With durable POAs, this duty matters even more because the principal might not spot problems in real time. So the top rule stands: pick someone careful, steady, and accountable.

Building the document without tripping on technicalities

Let’s talk setup. The principal must be of sound mind at signing. The document needs to say if it’s durable. Some states want witnesses, others want notarization. Many offer standard forms that keep the process simple. Even with forms in hand, a short meeting with a lawyer pays for itself—small wording choices can have big consequences. You can also spell out limits: maybe your agent can pay bills and file taxes, but can’t gift money or sell real estate without a second signature.

Yes, there are risks—here’s how people manage them

People worry about misuse, and that’s fair. A few guardrails help:
• Choose an agent with a long track record of steady judgment.
• List clear do’s and don’ts in the document.
• Ask for periodic updates to a sibling or attorney, so more than one set of eyes is on the account activity.

Those simple habits keep trust strong and reduce drama later.

Regular or durable—how do you decide?

Start with your timeline. If you’re covering a short trip, a one-off deal, or a defined window, a regular POA is often perfect. If your focus is long-term stability—aging parents, a chronic condition, or just practical planning—a durable POA is the workhorse that keeps life moving.

Plenty of folks use both: the regular for a specific task and the durable as the backstop. The key is to match the tool to the season of life you’re in right now—and the one you want covered next.

A few conversational pointers to wrap up

Here’s the short version to keep in your head: a regular POA helps when you’re present and able; a durable POA steps up when you’re not. Pick an agent who will treat your money and choices with care. Set boundaries that reflect your values. And get the wording right so your plan actually works when the moment arrives.

In the end, this is about peace of mind. It’s about making sure the bills are paid, the forms get signed, and your voice is honored—through the ups and downs that real life brings.

The Art of Seeing Around Corners: James Richman’s Predictions for the Next Decade of Medtech

ABC Staff
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The Art of Seeing Around Corners: James Richman’s Predictions for the Next Decade of Medtech

James Richman, the investor-turned-CEO known for his pattern-recognition prowess, forecasts three seismic shifts that will redefine value, competition, and leadership in the medtech industry by 2035.

The Signal in the Noise 

In the early 2010s, few could see the direct line between the rise of cloud computing and the subsequent explosion in Al capabilities. But for those trained to see systemic patterns, the signal was clear. This ability to see the signal in the noise is the core skill of a great investor. It’s this unique lens that James Richman, a private investor who became a tech CEO, now applies to the future of medtech. 

“Most people are looking at the wave, trying to predict where it will crest,” says Richman. “An investor learns to look at the underlying currents and the shape of the ocean floor. That’s what tells you where the next set of waves will form.

We asked Richman to look beyond the immediate headlines and identify the fundamental, often-overlooked shifts that will shape the medtech landscape for the next ten years. His predictions are not about specific gadgets, but about the deep, systemic changes that will determine who wins and who loses. 

The Great Unbundling: From Selling Devices to Managing Outcomes 

The Prediction: “The era of selling a surgical device as a one-time capital expense is ending. The future is ‘Device-as-a-Service, where revenue is tied to patient outcomes, usage metrics, and value-based care contracts. The device itself will be ‘unbundled’ from the services, data, and analytics that surround it.”

The “Why” (The Pattern): This shift is driven by the convergence of two powerful forces: the relentless push from payers and providers toward value-based care, and the ability of smart, connected devices to generate a constant stream of performance data. The growth in these arrangements is undeniable, with the value-based care market projected to potentially double from $500 billion to $1 trillion. 

The Strategic Implication for Leaders: This creates an existential threat for companies built on a transactional sales model. It requires a complete re- architecting of the revenue cycle and operational infrastructure. How do you bill for a “successful knee replacement” on a subscription basis? The operational complexity will be staggering, and those who can’t master it will be left behind. 

The Rise of the Operational Moat: Data as a Competitive Barrier 

The Prediction: “In the coming decade, a medtech company’s most defensible competitive advantage-its ‘moat’ will not be its patent portfolio, but its proprietary operational data and the intelligence layer that sits on top of it. The company with the cleanest, most integrated, and most predictive data on the end- to-end value chain will have an almost insurmountable lead.” 

The “Why” (The Pattern): As devices become more commoditized, the ability to use data to prove superior outcomes, predict the total cost of care, and navigate. reimbursement with near-perfect accuracy becomes the key differentiator. A competitor can copy a device, but they can’t copy six years of proprietary data that proves its value to payers and providers. As studies have shown, companies that effectively use data are significantly more likely to outperform their competitors. 

Connecting to the OTLEN Philosophy: “This is why the work we’re doing at OTLEN is so foundational, Richman states. “We’re building the intelligent systems that allow companies to start building this moat now. The ability to unify clinical, financial, and operational data into a single, predictive engine is the prerequisite for the business model of the future.” 

“For decades, the crown jewels of a medtech company were stored in the patent lawyer’s office,” Richman adds. “In the future, they’ll be stored on a secure, intelligent cloud platform, and they won’t be blueprints for a device, but a decade of data that proves its value.” 

The New CEO Mandate: From Domain Expert to Systems Architect 

The Prediction: “The successful medtech CEO of 2035 will be less of a pure medical device expert and more of a complex systems architect. Their primary job will be to orchestrate the flow of data and capital across their entire ecosystem, from R&D through to the patient’s home and the payer’s bank.” 

The “Why” (The Pattern): This follows from the first two predictions. If the business model is about managing outcomes and the moat is built on data, then the leader’s job is to design and manage the system that delivers both. Deep expertise in a single silo like sales or engineering will be insufficient. We are already seeing a trend where the path to the C-suite is changing, with a growing appreciation for leaders with financial and strategic systems-level expertise. 

The Strategic Implication for Leaders: Boards must rethink succession planning. The ability to understand and lead a data-driven, systems-oriented organization will become the most critical leadership trait, valued over narrow, domain-specific experience. 

Conclusion: The Future is a Systems Problem 

The common thread through all these predictions is that the future of medtech is a systems problem. The next generation of breakthroughs will be as much about operational and financial architecture as they are about clinical science. 

“The question every medtech leader should be asking their board today is simple,” Richman concludes. “Are we organized to win in a world where our operational efficiency is as important as our engineering innovation? Because that world is not ten years away; it’s arriving now.” 

Which of these predictions do you think will have the biggest impact on the industry? Share your forecast in the comments.

For ongoing insights into the future of healthcare and technology, follow James Richman on Linkedin. www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrichmanorg

 

Smart Home Investments: Why an Efficient Boiler is a Money-Saving Essential

Josh Haines
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Smart Home Investments: Why an Efficient Boiler is a Money-Saving Essential

Rising Cost of Living in the UK

With the cost of living continuing to rise, UK households are under increasing pressure to reduce their monthly expenses. Energy bills remain one of the largest financial burdens, with heating accounting for a significant share of costs. For many families, an outdated or inefficient boiler can quietly drain hundreds of pounds each year. Exploring modern, energy-efficient options through providers like WarmZilla’s boiler range can make a substantial difference, helping homeowners reduce their bills while improving comfort and achieving long-term savings.

The Importance of Energy Efficiency in the Home

Heating typically accounts for more than half of a household’s energy use, making it the largest driver of rising utility bills. With government incentives, net-zero targets, and stricter efficiency regulations on the horizon, investing in energy-saving upgrades has never been more relevant. Modern appliances, particularly efficient boilers, offer one of the best returns on investment – reducing monthly costs, boosting a home’s EPC rating, and ensuring long-term compliance with future standards.

Best Home Upgrades for Cutting Energy Costs

Simple improvements, such as insulation, double glazing, and smart thermostats, can make a noticeable difference in energy bills. However, upgrading to a modern, energy-efficient boiler often delivers the fastest payback. With heating responsible for the majority of household energy use, a new boiler can quickly reduce costs while adding long-term value to the home.

Choosing the Right Boiler for Long-Term Savings

When it comes to reducing household energy costs, selecting the correct boiler is key. Homeowners typically choose between three main types: combi, system, and regular boilers. Of these, combi boilers are the most popular in the UK, thanks to their space-saving design and ability to provide hot water on demand. For a breakdown of the top-performing models, refer to this guide to the best combi boilers, which highlights options that strike a balance between efficiency, reliability, and value.

Maximising Your Return on Investment

Upgrading to an energy-efficient boiler delivers returns beyond lower monthly bills. A modern system can enhance your property’s EPC rating, making it more appealing to potential buyers or tenants, while also reducing ongoing maintenance costs. Together, these benefits ensure a new boiler is not just a household upgrade but a wise financial investment.

Future-Proofing Your Home

As energy prices and efficiency standards continue to rise, upgrading your boiler is one of the smartest financial decisions homeowners can make. By cutting bills, boosting property value, and reducing maintenance, a modern boiler helps protect both your home and your wallet. To explore reliable, cost-effective options, visit trusted providers like WarmZilla and take the first step toward future-proofing your home.

Amazon Stock Jumps 8% as AWS Unveils Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Sienna Wilson
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Amazon Stock Jumps 8% as AWS Unveils Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Amazon.com Inc. shares jumped 8% in pre-market trading today following Amazon Web Services (AWS) placing a bombshell on its quantum computing platform, making the e-commerce giant a leader in the next-generation cloud technology.

The stock spared no space, surging higher than it had been since the spring rally, including up to 200, the day after the news was disclosed at a virtual summit of more than 2 million developers around the globe. This soarhead ends a tumultuous week of Big Tech, in which macroeconomic speculations have kept investors on their toes.

The show star: AWS Braket Quantum Leap initiative that brings the first commercially viable quantum processor into a fully open cloud. The system, dubbed Q-Pulse, has 1,000 logical qubits (the most ever in a prototype) and is projected to reduce weeks of time to minutes to solve complex simulations. Readers in the early procession, including drug companies and energy companies, reported advances in drug discovery and climate modelling in live demonstrations.

Quantum Leap: Inside the Tech That Could Redefine Industries

The heart of the buzz is the hybrid architecture of Q-Pulse, a combination of quantum and classical computing that enables smooth scaling. Engineers at AWS demonstrated real-time uses: by modelling the dynamics of the plasmas used in making fusion energy, they showed how their optimised supply chains could reduce the logistics cost by 30 per cent, and how their fast fusion energy research could be done supercomputer-like.

And of course, it is no longer sci-fi, but it is the motor of the economy of the future, according to AWS CEO Matt Garman, who sees quantum services alone as a 50-billion-dollar revenue stream by 2030.

The site will be launched in stages, with beta access to enterprise clients in North America and Europe next month. The cost per quantum gate operation will begin at 0.01 US dollars, lower than competing with other companies and allowing startups to afford it. Security features, such as post-quantum encryption, will tackle the long-established apprehensions regarding data vulnerability during entangled states.

This is based on the fact that Amazon dominates the cloud market with a 100billion US dollar a year and AWS is controlling 32 per cent of the market share. The whisper of 18% growth on Q3 guidance, whispered through analyst calls, is driven by AI workloads and now takes up 40 per cent of capacity. The quantum push comes as consumer spending is softening, with the retail division of Amazon showing no growth in its e-commerce sales over the last few quarters.

Quantum Fever on Wall Street: Bears Run Rampant

The adoption in the market was electric. The pre-market volume reached 120 million shares, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose on the wave of Amazon by 0.7%. Technology peers such as Microsoft, whose Azure Quantum is behind in the number of qubits, fell 1.5 per cent, and IBM, a leader in quantum computing, rose slightly on partnering news.

Tech analyst Raj Patel of Horizon Capital said Amazon just quantum-leapt ahead of the competition. It is not incremental; it is exponential. Multiples to expect a rerating to 35x forward earnings. Calls went on a tear, where January $220 options are selling at triple the price it was last week, with the market looking to break above the 200-day moving average.

But sceptics signal obstacles. Improved quantum error rates of less than 0.1% may cripple reliability in mission-critical activities. A regulatory wave is on the horizon, with the FTC investigating monopolies of the cloud by Big Tech. Value investors have decrystallised the 28 billion capex that Amazon is spending this year, yet today the bet has proved right.

Amazon’s stock has gained 22 years, compared to the Nasdaq at 28% and the S&P 500 at 15%. A short interest rate of 2.8% has squeeze potential in the event of accelerated adoption.

Ripples Across Tech and Beyond

The news rings across Silicon Valley. Within medical care, Q-Pulse would potentially accelerate personalised medicine, which would imitate protein folds to treat rare diseases. It is attracting the attention of finance companies as a risk modelling tool, which could prevent future crises such as the derivatives meltdown of 2008. The potential of battery breakthroughs is creating buzz in the energy sectors, which are in line with world net-zero commitments.

The energy hunger of quantum cooling systems is lamented by its critics, who gulp kilowatts to achieve almost perfect zero temperatures. Amazon responded with sustainability commitments: by 2028, data centres should be carbon-neutral, which means they should run on renewables. Meanwhile, labour proponents urge the adoption of reskilling to replace routine coding with quantum-displacing jobs.

For rivals, it’s a wake-up call. With a new team of 100 qubits, the Quantum AI team at Google has to work faster. Acquisition speculation sent startups such as Rigetti Computing up by 15%, and IonQ stood still.

Bezos Era Echoes: Strategy in the Spotlight

Even after the CEO-ship, the shadow of Jeff Bezos remains. The quantum bet is a reprise of his Day One ethos-unremitting innovation through the retail grind. This allows current chief Andy Jassy, whose inability to keep Prime Video subscriber numbers up is under scrutiny, to shift the narrative to cloud plays with high margins. A stable boardroom is a plus; the latest proxy battle collapsed, rewarding Jassy with his $212 million package.

Amazon is in a fine financial position, with a cash amount of $85 billion to finance moonshots without debt spikes. Future Q3 earnings on October 31 might be a surprise: some people are whispering about $155 billion in revenue and 1.20 EPS, five percentage points higher than expectations. However, tariff negotiations and holiday shipments are problematic.

Wider markets take note. The Fed minutes in October, which are scheduled on Wednesday, might indicate rate breaks that would fuel growth names. A hot CPI print tomorrow could turn that around, cut the wings off of Amazon.

Quantum Playbook: Surviving the Quantum Wave

People crowded in on platforms such as Webull, and the hashtag QuantumAmazon was trending on social feeds. Long-term bulls are looking to hit $250 by the end of the year because of the 60% margins of AWS. Contrarians ensure against nascent technology overhyping with puts.

Value hunters would balance Amazon with other staples such as Procter & Gamble. Trading bells are ringing, but one thing remains true: Amazon has the ability to make what-if turn into watch this and continue to keep the Street glued. Whether Q-Pulse will usher in a computing renaissance or fall into the hype pile, the quantum quake of our times has certainly put a shot of rocket fuel in the path of Amazon.

Kaspa Explodes 40% to New All-Time High Amid Binance Integration Bombshell

Sienna Wilson
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Kaspa Explodes 40% to New All-Time High Amid Binance Integration Bombshell

Today, the cryptocurrency market is aflame with a shocking 40% increase in only a single session of Kaspa (KAS), the high-throughput proof-of-work blockchain with its blockDAG architecture, that has soared to an all-time high and shattered its market cap into a new stratosphere by passing the valuation of 10 billion dollars in a single session.

Trading volumes reached a new high of $4.8 billion, much higher than the recent altcoin movement and even compared to the superrallies of Solana in 2021. The (apparently unexpected) news of Binance becoming fully integrated, with future trading and staking rewards, makes Kaspa a fundamental building block of next-generation DeFi applications.

Kaspa, the creation of DAGLabs founder Yonatan Sompolinsky, whose work inspired the GHOST protocol of Ethereum, has always been conspicuous among the layer-1 competitors.

Its blockDAG format also supports parallel processing of blocks, permitting transaction speeds of up to 10,000 blocks per second without compromising either decentralisation or security. The project initially focused on scalability-minded enthusiasts and has become a juggernaut, boasting more than 1 million active wallets and collaborations with the gaming, NFT, and supply chain tracking sectors.

Institutional Frenzy Heats up with Binance Bombshell

The spark? Binance, the largest crypto exchange by volume in the world, announced this morning that it will list KAS perpetual futures contracts with leverage of up to 50x, and a 5% annual staking pool given to holders.

The new technology created by Kaspa will be exactly what Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao wants to see in his vision of frictionless and high-speed trading: In a video update, which garnered 2 million views in hours, Zhao described it as the perfect fit. The move follows months of speculation, and on-chain data has indicated whale accumulations have surged by 300 per cent in the past quarter.

The commercial reaction was prompt and violent. The opening price of KAS was a good one; it was generated at the end of the last week, 15%. However, by 2 PM ET, KAS shot 40.2% higher, leaving the 1.5% increase of Bitcoin in its dust. Ether had a respectable 3 per cent, but the altcoins Avalanche and Polygon put in 7 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.

It is not a hype but validation, according to blockchain analyst Kira Novak of Chainalysis. This stamp of approval by Binance leads to floods of institutional inflows, and KAS could see new heights of 1 per year-end.

The heavyweights of venture echoed the sentiment. Pantera Capital, an early Kaspa investor who put in a $50 million stake, today announced a $200 million growth fund to be used in ecosystem grants in DeFi and Web3 gaming.

Its sub-second confirmations put it in the perfect position to be used in real-time applications, according to fund manager Paul Veradittakit. Meanwhile, Grayscale applied to a Kaspa Trust ETF, detailing the coin as having a solid security model in an SEC filing that leaked in mid-morning, still fueling the fire.

Upgrade Protocol Upgrades Network Performance

To top things off, at midnight UTC, Kaspa fired off the rocket fuel by turning on her Crescendo hard fork, and the block production rates increased from 1 to 10 blocks per second.

This upgrade, which has been years in the making, reduces confirmation times down to less than 100 milliseconds without sacrificing 51 per cent attack resistance with its PHANTOM protocol. It was touted by developers as a scalability moonshot, and testnet simulations demonstrated zero downtime with 50,000 TPS or higher.

Practically, it implies that Kaspa is now ready to be mass-adopted. Today, a Tel Aviv-based fintech startup announced the integration of KAS as a means of making instant micropayments, claiming to save 90 per cent of the cost compared to Ethereum gas charges.

South Korean gaming studios later emulated and introduced in-game economies based on the KAS that give players tokens as rewards. We waited until we could get a PoW chain that does not sacrifice speed, said Neo Tokyo Games CEO Ji-Hoon Park. “Kaspa delivers.”

Social ardour leaked into social media. The hashtag #KaspaToTheMoon was trending all over the world on X, with 800,000 posts, and the r/Kaspa subreddit on Reddit gained 50,000 new members in a single night.

Tweets of flying eagles and broken ceilings went viral, and one viral video of a trader making 10K to 14K of sales received 1.5 million likes. Mobile wallets such as the Kaspa App enabled retail investors to partake in the volume spike, and on-ramp services like MoonPay recorded a threefold increase in KAS purchases.

Obstacles in the Landscape of a Bullish Future

With all the euphoria, there are dark spots. Regular oversight is a wild card, with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs already approved by the SEC, but the quick upswing of Kaspa might raise questions about its concentration of the mining power, though the latest halvings have helped decentralise hashrate in the pools worldwide.

A constant PoW criticism, energy consumption became the target of eco-advocates, who pointed out that Kaspa has a footprint as terrible as Bitcoin, despite better throughput. The Kaspa Foundation responded by promising 100 per cent renewable mining stimulus by Q2 2026.

Volatility bites too. Profit-taking in the afternoon trimmed the peak by 3 per cent, and KAS closed at $0.37 as the Asian markets came to their senses. Rallies such as these spawn corrections, trader Elena Ruiz cautioned in a Crypto Twitter session.

The support at 0.32 is holding, but not yet on longs, which are overleveraged. Trade conflicts between the U.S. and China geopolitically pose a risk to the mining hardware supply, which could increase the cost of KAS miners using ASIC rigs.

Yet optimism prevails. In a recent report on digital assets, the European Central Bank has hailed the innovativeness of the consensus of Kaspa as an example of how CBDC can be interoperable, indicating pilot projects. In Africa, where mobile money has dominated, Kenyan remittance company M-Pesa looked to KAS to make cross-border settlements because of its low charges.

The Crypto Dominance of Kaspa

With October 6, 2025, becoming a thing of the past, the reversal of Kaspa seems epochal, a sign of perseverance in an unpredictable business. Since its humble beginning as an initial academic experiment, KAS reflects the potential of a scalable, secure blockchain without the tradeoffs of proof-of-stake.

To the uninitiated, it is easy to jump in because you can buy KAS through exchanges such as KuCoin or the new Binance spot market and then stake to earn interest or mine using available GPUs. This is the reincarnation of PoW, quipped Sompolinsky in a rare interview. “Fast, fair, and future-proof.”

The ripple extended into wider markets: The spill-over enthusiasm saw Bitcoin push to $72,000, and the overall crypto cap increased 5 per cent to 2.8 trillion. Breaths of the altseason swell, and Kaspa takes the lead.

In prospect, a DevCon in Prague next month might be when layer-2 is revealed, and there are rumours of an imminent Nike NFT drop on the Kaspa chain. Whether it maintains this height or challenges the bottom supports, one fact remains: in the wild frontier of crypto, Kaspa has built its myth, inviting both builders and believers to the blockDAG dawn.

Bittenser Crypto Skyrockets to $23.12 with $2.5B Volume – AI Blockchain Revolution Begins

Sienna Wilson
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Bittenser Crypto Skyrockets to $23.12 with $2.5B Volume – AI Blockchain Revolution Begins

It is unbelievable and startling because Bittenser (BTSR), the new blockchain token used to conduct decentralised AI computations, has soared more than 25 per cent in just the last 24 hours.

Volume has soared to record heights of over $2.5 billion, with investors overrunning what some are labelling the next big thing in crypto-AI blending. This upsurge follows a historic regulatory approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is a potential green light to mainstream market acceptance.

Having only been launched under two years ago, by a group of tech visionaries that included former Google engineers and blockchain pioneers, Bittenser has been billed as a game-changer.

The infrastructure underlying BTSR, in contrast to a traditional cryptocurrency, is built around making users available idle computing resources to train AI models, in exchange for tokens. This P2P model has been compared to early Bitcoin mining, but with a current twist: democratising artificial intelligence to everyday users.

Global Rally Gear Up Regulatory Breakthrough

It took a sudden announcement by the SEC later that Friday to give rise to the meteoric rise today. As a regulatory agency, Bittenser was listed as a utility token, not a security, in a filing that also exempted it from heavy regulation that has plagued other competitors, such as XRP by Ripple.

In a prepared statement, SEC Chair Elena Martinez said, “This ruling is a turning point in the crypto ecosystem. The Bittenser architecture encourages real utility in the development of AI accessibility as it fits our ethos of encouraging innovation without taking unnecessary risks.

Market analysts promptly responded. BTSR began the day at $18.47 on exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase, a slight increase over the end of Friday. However, by noon, it had already dug its own grave up to $23.12, a gain of 25.3 per cent, compared to the 2 per cent slow wander of Bitcoin and the 4 per cent push of Ethereum.

According to CryptoQuant strategist Liam Hargrove, the apparentness of the SEC eliminates an enormous overhang. Institutional money is standing on the sidelines; it is pouring in. There had been rumours of such a breakthrough during the week, but it was proven as a thunderbolt.

Already a major funder, with a current investment of $150 million, the Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm increased its bet by announcing a $300 million expansion fund specifically to invest in Bittenser ecosystem projects. It is not only investing in a coin, it is betting on the future of the human-AI collaboration, proclaimed firm partner Sarah Kline in a tweet that more than half a million people have already liked.

Tech Upgrades Fuel Adoption Surge

In addition to regulation, Bittenser released version 3.0 of its core protocol today, which added quantum-resistant encryption and reduced transaction costs by 40 per cent. The upgrade will address long-standing scalability issues that have enabled the network to handle up to 10,000 AI training jobs simultaneously, comparable to centralised superpowers such as AWS.

Indie developers and small AI startups that were early adopters have noted a smooth integration process, with one San Francisco-based company saying the platform saved it 60% on its research and development budget.

The timing couldn’t be better. As the global AI hype approaches fever pitch, due to recent developments in generative models, Bittenser is positioned as the ethical alternative. According to Dr Aria Voss, the lead architect at Bittenser Labs, centralised AI is a black box and operated by a handful of corporations.

Our tokenomics are both transparent and equitable in the allocation of rewards, enabling creators the world over. Today, Voss, head of the team based in Berlin, revealed partnering with European universities, some of them as part of a strategy to introduce BTSR into academic AI programs by 2026.

The buzz on social media increased the momentum. On social networks such as X and Reddit, the hashtag BittenserBoom has become a worldwide trend, having been mentioned over a million times since the dawn of the day.

Success stories were provided by enthusiasts: a Brazilian programmer who mined 500 BTSR last month now enjoys a windfall of $12,000, and a Tokyo-based artist used the network to train a custom NFT generator, receiving tokens as royalties.

Difficulties Befall Both in the Ecstasy

There is not everything starry in this crypto utopian world. Critics cite environmental issues, with the proof-of-computation consensus of the network, although more energy-efficient than proof-of-work, still requiring massive amounts of energy to accomplish a distributed AI task.

GreenChain Watch, an environmental group, presented a statement today, asking Bittenser to speed up the transition to nodes powered by renewable sources. The group warned that innovation should not be at the cost of the planet, using statistics to highlight the 15% increase in network carbon footprint that occurred during the summer.

Volatility is an apparition as well. Although the current rally is manic, past experience, such as the Dogecoin frenzy of 2021, can serve to remind investors of sudden shifts in direction. Sensing the frenzy, trading bots have already caused a mini-sell-off in after-hours, dropping BTSR to $22.80 at the opening of European markets.

Veteran trader Marcus Hale joked on one of the most popular podcasts that people should be careful about buying the rumour and selling the news because retail investors are pouring in through mobile applications.

Geopolitical tremors are also emerging. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China foreshadowed limitations on foreign AI tokens, which would put a damper on the success of Bittenser in Asia, its second-largest market.

Its move was celebrated by the European Union, where its commissioner Thierry Breton celebrated the move on Twitter, saying that he supported harmonised utility classifications.

Prospective: A Crypto-AI Age?

At the moment when the sun sets on October 6, 2025, the elevation of Bittenser seems to be not only a blip but a harbinger. Having surpassed a market cap of more than 15 billion, the token has now established itself as one of the 20 leading cryptocurrencies. Future progress, such as a virtual summit next week with a keynote by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, could take it a step ahead.

Casual investors interested in a start should begin with small projects: become a passive holder of BTSR or add to the computer power using the Bittenser application. This is no mere speculation; this is being part of the AI revolution, Voss repeated in a live AMA that attracted 200,000 viewers.

However, in the unstable game of online currencies, the current success is a reminder of an ancient adage: fortune is kind to the enterpriser, but prudence restrains the hurry. The world is following with wallets in hand, as Bittenser charts its path, and whether this is the catalyst that could trigger the next bull run, or a temporary flash in the crypto night.

Bitcoin stayed unchanged in the wider market at around $68,500 on the halo effect of Bittenser, and the crypto gainers of the day, such as Solana and Cardano, recorded gains of 8% and 6% respectively. The layer-2 solutions of Ethereum at the time looked at Bittenser technology as a fork.

Bittenser Labs said it would release more information tomorrow, with information on a mobile mining beta on iOS and Android. There is some speculation of a celebrity endorsement, which is believed to have involved Elon Musk, but it has not been confirmed.

To date, October 6 remains a red-letter day, leaving Bittenser imprinted in the annals of crypto lore. It will either maintain this pace or come to a simmer, but one thing is certain: the convergence of blockchain and AI has its poster child, and the ride has only just begun.

Stanislav Kondrashov on the Potential of the New Lithium–Sulphur EV Battery

Danielle
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0
Stanislav Kondrashov on the Potential of the New Lithium–Sulphur EV Battery

A possible game-changer for electric mobility

Key features of a transformative technology

Until now, the industrial uses of sulphur have been largely confined to specific sectors such as rubber manufacturing, where it is employed to enhance the quality of rubber-based products including tyres, and in the textile industry, where it plays a crucial role in producing sulphides and sulphates.

In the near future, however, solid-state sulphur may prove pivotal in the automotive world – particularly in electric vehicles and their batteries, a sector that sits at the heart of the global energy transition.

“Batteries based on sulfur and lithium could represent an innovation of great strategic significance for the electric vehicle sector,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, a veteran entrepreneur and civil engineer, as well as an expert in raw materials. “Over the next few years, it is possible that we will see the birth of new families of batteries that could be added to the existing ones, sometimes using the same resources (as in the case of lithium) and adding new ones, with increasingly different and interesting characteristics. The possibilities, from this point of view, seem truly numerous.”

Just a few days ago, two leading automotive companies announced a collaboration to develop a next-generation battery based on lithium and sulphur. According to their claims, this new design would deliver greater range, enhanced power, and significantly faster charging times – reportedly cutting charging duration by half compared with conventional batteries.

The combination of lithium and sulphur in battery technology is not new; it was first explored in the 1960s. However, its large-scale adoption was hampered by technical limitations, particularly the gradual loss of rechargeable capacity. A major obstacle was the formation of lithium polysulphides during discharge, as sulphur reacted with lithium. These polysulphides would diffuse through the electrolyte and reach the anode, and their residual presence during subsequent charging cycles caused rapid degradation of the battery.

The technological breakthrough

Recent advancements in materials science have now addressed these long-standing challenges. One of the most significant innovations has been the introduction of specialised barriers and coatings designed to block the movement of polysulphides between electrodes, thereby preventing the degradation that previously limited the battery’s lifespan. This development is regarded as one of the most promising aspects of the new technology – though it is far from the only one.

“When discussing possible technical improvements that could be made to batteries, the issues of degradation, performance and autonomy have always been of central importance. The innovations that we will witness in these years, such as the one related to lithium-sulfur batteries, could solve some of these long-standing issues, projecting the entire battery sector towards new stages of its development. Considering the great multiplicity of materials that can be drawn on, for the creation of the anode and cathode, it is possible that new combinations of raw materials will emerge every few months, further contributing to the technological advancement of the sector,” explains Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov.

Lightweight design and improved range

The lithium–sulphur battery offers several compelling advantages over traditional battery types. It is significantly lighter, yet able to store more energy. According to a recent analysis, these batteries could achieve an energy density of 400–600 watt hours per kilogram, whereas conventional lithium-ion batteries typically do not exceed 250 Wh/kg. In terms of weight, lithium–sulphur batteries would be approximately 30–50% lighter, allowing electric vehicles to benefit from greater driving range and enhanced overall performance.

One of the persistent challenges in the EV sector has been balancing battery capacity with vehicle weight, which directly impacts efficiency and range. By reducing mass while increasing energy storage, lithium–sulphur batteries offer a promising solution to this dilemma.

The faster charging capability of these new batteries, according to the two companies behind their development, stems from their simpler chemical structure. Unlike conventional batteries that rely on the diffusion of lithium ions into solid materials such as graphite, the lithium–sulphur battery operates on direct reactions between lithium and sulphur. This not only accelerates the charging process but also enables the battery to function at lower voltages, allowing quicker energy absorption. Additionally, sulphur’s natural properties in solid-state form limit excessive heat generation during reactions, improving both efficiency and safety.

“No battery is free from possible defects, but continuous progress in technology and in the materials sector is making it possible to create increasingly safe, lightweight and high-performance devices,” concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “In this sector, technological innovation is proceeding at a truly impressive pace, with new families of batteries that seem to appear out of nowhere every few months. One wonders what levels of development we will be able to achieve, if these advances were to continue in the coming decades. In all likelihood, the rechargeable battery sector will continue to give us true masterpieces of ingenuity every few years.”

Aluminium Dynamics in Switzerland by Stanislav Kondrashov

Danielle
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0
Aluminium Dynamics in Switzerland by Stanislav Kondrashov

The Swiss Government’s Backing of Strategic Companies in the Sector

A Strategic Asset for Energy Development

In recent decades, certain materials have begun to stand out on a global scale for their remarkable versatility and unique characteristics, which make them suitable for a wide range of modern applications across very different industries. One such material is aluminium, widely valued for its lightness and resistance to corrosion, qualities that make it a key player in numerous industrial sectors.

“In addition to its natural properties, aluminium is especially appreciated for its potential linked to recycling,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur, civil engineer, and expert in strategic raw materials. “Aluminium is one of the most recyclable materials in the world: the recovery process is very efficient, and it is able to retain almost 100% of its original properties. Compared to the amount of energy required to produce primary aluminium from bauxite, aluminium recycling requires only 5%, giving rise to interesting opportunities related to energy savings”.

One of its main application areas is construction, where aluminium is used for façades, window frames, and roofing. In this field, the material is selected for its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions without deterioration, while also adding durability to structures. Aluminium’s excellent conductive properties also make it invaluable in electronics and communications, particularly in the production of cables and heat sinks. However, in the era of energy transition, aluminium has assumed a leading role in the renewable energy sector, especially in the manufacture of solar panels, wind turbines, and some battery components.

“Aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and over the years, it has found its way into some of the most advanced modern applications,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “One of the best-known is linked to the Apollo space capsule, which allowed man to set foot on the Moon for the first time. In its main components, the structure contained large quantities of aluminium.”

Another well-known use of aluminium is in the automotive industry. In this sector, where weight reduction is crucial, aluminium is utilised in the production of components such as body panels, rims, and other structural parts. This reduces the overall weight of vehicles, which in turn improves energy efficiency and lowers emissions. The economic performance and production of aluminium are closely tied to this application, which is often affected by fluctuations in demand within the automotive sector.

The Situation in Switzerland

A similar scenario is unfolding in Switzerland, where the steel and aluminium industries are facing various challenges. Recently, in a bid to mitigate the crisis, it was announced that several strategically significant companies in the aluminium sector could receive substantial public support. This assistance would come in the form of a four-year exemption from part of the taxes paid for using the electricity grid. The aim is to protect domestic production and safeguard a significant number of jobs.

“The support for strategic Swiss producers is certainly positive because it perfectly demonstrates the fact that even the institutions are starting to consider aluminium a truly strategic asset for their economic, industrial, and energy development,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “The strategic value of this material goes far beyond its industrial applications. As previously mentioned, its sustainable potential certainly represents a distinctive feature of great importance for the possibility of making a concrete contribution to the sustainability of various industries. For example, packaging made with aluminium can be collected, recycled, and reintroduced into production cycles in a very short time. In the automotive sector, in addition to its ability to confer a high degree of lightness to vehicles, recycled aluminium can further contribute to increasing the sustainable potential of the sector”.

The First Signs of the Crisis

According to the Swiss aluminium association Alu.ch, production in Switzerland fell by 2% last year compared to the previous year. At that time, it was highlighted that demand for aluminium in the construction sector remained strong, while applications linked to the automotive industry had slowed due to a downturn in that sector in France and Germany. As already noted, the automotive industry is a major consumer of aluminium, making the material’s fortunes particularly sensitive to changes in the performance of that sector.

Alu.ch further reported that among the factors contributing to the slowdown in the automotive market were a decline in new car purchases by consumers and a lack of growth in demand for electric vehicles. This resulted in a reduction in orders from Swiss suppliers. Despite these challenges, the association expressed confidence that long-term demand for aluminium products made in Switzerland would remain secure, thanks to the wide variety of applications they serve. These include sustainable packaging, infrastructure for clean energy, and renewable energy projects, all of which are seeing continued growth worldwide in line with the advance of the global energy transition.

Synechron Acquires RapDev, Calitii and Waivgen to Create World’s Largest ServiceNow Practice for Banking and Financial Services

Danielle
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0
Synechron Acquires RapDev, Calitii and Waivgen to Create World’s Largest ServiceNow Practice for Banking and Financial Services

Synechron, a leading global digital transformation consulting firm, has announced the creation of a new global ServiceNow business following the acquisitions of RapDev, Calitii, and Waivgen.

By uniting these three companies under one umbrella, Synechron has established the largest financial services-focused ServiceNow practice worldwide. The new business will leverage ServiceNow’s market-leading, cloud-based platform to help enterprises transform workflows and integrate artificial intelligence into critical aspects of their operations.

Traditionally focused on the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sectors, Synechron will now also be able to extend its expertise to other industries. The combined experience of the newly acquired firms will support sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy and utilities, airlines, and more.

“Bringing RapDev, Calitii, and Waivgen together is a pivotal moment in our growth journey,” said Faisal Husain, CEO of Synechron. “The power of ServiceNow is incredible and we are excited to help our customers unlock that value through the industry knowledge and engineering prowess of this new team.”

While all three companies specialise in ServiceNow, they also bring distinct capabilities. RapDev is the world’s largest Datadog partner, and Waivgen is a leading Appian partner – two key platforms highly relevant to Synechron’s global client base. Calitii brings significant expertise in architecting and delivering full-scale ServiceNow implementations for some of the world’s largest banks. Each firm also brings unique AI capabilities to enhance solution design and delivery, including Waivgen’s extensive library of BFSI-focused agents designed to empower banks, insurers, and other global financial institutions to harness the power of AI.

In these transactions, RapDev was represented by Canaccord Genuity, Calitii by Raymond James, and Waivgen by Tura Advisory.

Leadership Perspectives

  • “Our decision to team with Synechron began with a connection to its people, culture, and origin as an engineering-led, entrepreneurial business,” said Tameem Hourani, CEO of RapDev. “This unique opportunity to join another high-growth engineering team creates an exponential opportunity to accelerate our growth globally.”
  • “Calitii and Synechron speak the same language when it comes to helping banks innovate,” said Patrick O’Connor, CEO of Calitii. “Together with ServiceNow, we will bring clients an even wider set of capabilities to speed their AI adoptions.”
  • “Waivgen combines platform know-how with extensive investment in agentic AI,” said Arjun Devadas, CEO of Waivgen. “As part of this new team, we can now bring our AI agents to a global audience.”
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