Daily Archives: January 17, 2022

Flawed diamonds may be the key to quantum internet – MINING.COM – MINING.com

Posted: January 17, 2022 at 9:02 am

Imagine trying to connect an Altair, an early personal computer developed in 1974, to the internet via WiFi. Its a difficult, but not impossible task. The two technologies speak different languages, so the first step is to help translate, the researchers said in a media statement.

Having noticed this issue, they decided to develop an interface approach to control the diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers in a way that allows direct translation to quantum devices.

To realize the quantum internet, a quantum interface is required to generate remote quantum entanglement by photons, which are a quantum communication medium, Hideo Kosaka, one of the studys authors, said.

According to Kosaka, the promised quantum internet is rooted in more than a centurys worth of work in which researchers determined that photons are both particles and waves of light simultaneouslyand that their wave state can reveal information about their particle state and vice versa.

More than that, the two states could influence each other: pinching the wave could bruise the particle, so to speak. Their very nature is entangled, even across vast distances. The aim is to control the entanglement to communicate discrete data instantaneously and securely, he said.

The scientist pointed out that previous research has demonstrated this controlled entanglement can be achieved by applying a magnetic field to the nitrogen-vacancy centers, but a non-magnetic field approach is needed to move closer to realizing the quantum internet.

His team successfully used microwave and light polarized waves to entangle an emitted photon and left spin qubits, the quantum equivalent of information bits in classical systems. These polarizations are waves that move perpendicular to the originating source, like seismic waves radiating out horizontally from a vertical fault shift. In quantum mechanics, the spin propertyeither right- or left-handedof the photon determines how the polarization moves, meaning it is predictable and controllable. Critically, according to Kosaka, when inducing entanglement via this property under a non-magnetic field, the connection appears steadfast against other variables.

The geometric nature of polarization allows us to generate remote quantum entanglement that is resilient to noise and timing errors, Kosaka said.

The researcher and his team now plan to combine this approach with a previously demonstrated quantum information transfer via teleportation to generate quantum entanglement, and the resulting exchange of information, between remote locations. The eventual goal is to facilitate a connected network of quantum computers to establish a quantum internet.

The realization of a quantum internet will enable quantum cryptography, distributed quantum computation and quantum sensing over long distances of more than 1,000 kilometers, the expert said.

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GOP bill setting free speech rules, punishing colleges that violate them moves forward – Wisconsin Public Radio News

Posted: at 8:59 am

A bill aimed at punishing colleges and universities for violating free speech and academic freedom rules set by Republicans has passed a legislative committee by a party-line vote. This comes after a GOP author amended the legislation to remove provisions that were potentially unconstitutional.

The bill, introduced by state Rep. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, and Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, bars technical colleges and universities from enforcing time, place or other restrictions on free speech events happening anywhere on campus except classrooms.

The legislation also requires colleges to survey students annually about First Amendment rights, academic freedom, whether they feel there is perceived political bias at their school or the "campus culture promotes self-censorship."

If anyone feels a college or university violated their rights, the bill allows them, a district attorney or state attorney general to sue the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents or a technical college district board. If a judge rules against a college, the court must award a minimum of $500 in damages and a maximum of $100,000 in damages to plaintiffs.

In addition to financial penalties, if a school violates the bill's regulations, it will be required to notify incoming students that it has "violated the free speech or academic freedom provisions in the Wisconsin statutes."

The bill passed by the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee on Thursday looked different from the original legislation introduced Dec. 2.

An amendment offered by Rep. Cabral-Guevara removed aspects that were potentially unconstitutional, including a provision that would have allowed legislative committees, like her own, to rule on alleged violations. The amendment also removed a proposal to block state grant funding for scholarships from going to schools found to have violated free speech rights.

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During a Dec. 8 public hearing on the bill, an attorney with the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council said lawmakers giving themselves judicial authority "very well could be subject to separation of powers issues" and that "it's kind of questionable" whether a legislative committee could restrict financial aid to colleges.

During a meeting of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee on Thursday, Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, said the legislation is unnecessary because First Amendment protections already exist at the federal and state level. She also pointed to a 2017 UW Board of Regents policy that punishes students for repeatedly violating free speech rights of others.

"So, at the end of the day, I do think at least some of the bill authors were more interested in putting forward a bill that was designed to be political and furnish political talking points during the year 2022, to which you can conclude pretty reasonably that it has more to do with outside the building politics than it certainly does within making laws," said Shankland.

Cabral-Guevara pushed back, saying the legislation is needed due to genuine concerns from constituents who said they feel campus environments stifle free speech rights of conservative students or teachers.

"I hope that students and instructors will have a platform in the future, no matter what side you stand on and where you stand, to speak freely their passions and their desires (and) their concerns on the campuses that are supported here in Wisconsin," said Cabral-Guevara.

State Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said the majority of professors and instructors at state colleges are "great, great people."

"But there are some that are abusing their position where they're supposed to be encouraging free thought and open discussions," said Moses.

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Free speech, Whole Foods, and the endangered apolitical workplace | TheHill – The Hill

Posted: at 8:59 am

Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston BezosFree speech, Whole Foods, and the endangered apolitical workplace Space: One important thing that might retain bipartisan focus Virtual realities may solve Fermi's paradox about extraterrestrials MORE has always told his staff tostart with the customer and work backward. That could now change in a dispute betweenAmazon-owned Whole Foods and both Black Lives Matter and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). NLRB lawyers are arguing that Whole Foods must allow workers to wearBlack Lives Matter masks at work, suggesting in effect that Bezos should start with the worker and work forward by allowing them to advocate for social change. The company is arguing that such a rule would constitute a violation of its own free speech rights.

Whole Foods is fighting for the right to maintain a workplace free of political slogans or demonstrations.

In herconsolidated complaintagainst Whole Foods Market, Inc., San Francisco Regional Director Jill Coffman declared that the company is violating the rights of workers in 10 different states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Washington, Indiana, and California). Coffman maintained that through this complaint, we hope to enforce the Act and protect workers rights to speak up about these important issues.

The problem is that there are speech interests on both sides.

The complaint also highlights an increasingly incomprehensible position on corporate speech for many on the left. Democraticpoliticians(includingPresident Biden) have called for more censorship and interventions from social media corporations to protect customers from their owndangerous proclivities in reading material.When some of us have objected to such censorship,advocates have insistedthat these private companies have every right to limit speech under the First Amendment.Of course, the First Amendment argument in support of corporate censorship ignores that the amendment is not the exclusive measure of free speech. These companies, and their government supporters, have created the largest system of censorship in history and its impact on political and social speech is enormous.

Given that support for corporate censorship, you would think that Whole Foods would have support in limiting speech for its actual workers. Its not censoring its customers, but rather keeping the company neutral on political issues as customers shop for wild caught salmon or organic avocados.

Whole Foods, it seems, does not want to follow social media companies like Twitter and effectively write off whole groups within its customer base.

In claiming workers have the right "to speak up about these important issues, the NLRB complaint does not grapple with the obvious problem: Can employees wear "Blue Lives Matter" or pro-life or pro-choice masks? How about Proud Boy or MAGA masks?

This week, American Airlinesissued a public apologyfor a pilot who had aLets Go Brandonsticker on his personal luggage. If the pilot had a BLM sticker, would the NLRB consider it protected?

The NLRB complaint also does not state if workers can wear hats or other garments to proclaim political viewpoints. Some companies like McDonalds require actual uniforms. Would those uniforms now be subject to important messaging by workers or do companies like Whole Foods have to require actual uniforms to prevent divisive messaging?

Finally, if workers can wear items espousing political viewpoints, can they demonstrate in other ways? Can they say their piece or take a knee at Starbucks before handing over a doubleFrappuccino? The complaint really does not say. It just wants BLM masks to be protected but does not address the slippery slope that such a rule creates.

The fact is that many customers and companies may support the principle of black lives matter, but not the organization. Indeed, Whole Foods might object that BLM called upon customersto boycott Whole Foods and other "white-owned" businessesrecently. Others object to theMarxist viewsof some of the BLM founders, theanti-police rhetoric, or apparentquestioning the nuclear family.

The controversy raises obvious comparisons to the NFL controversy. While widely debated among fans and commentators,there was not a credible argument that players had a "right"to demonstrate at the workplace any more than Whole Foods workers could periodically demonstrate in the middle of the store on any political issue.

The Supreme Court has pushed back on federal agencies trying to regulate speech. In 2017, inMatal v. Tam,eight of nine justices rejected the use of the Lanham Act's disparagement clause to bar the trademarking of a name considered offensive. The question in the Whole Foods case is whether the government can require companies to allow speech deemed unacceptable or offensive.

Last February, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughsdismissedsuch a challenge involving a Whole Foods in Cambridge, Mass., after employees claimed that the company was selectively enforcing its dress code by banning "Black Lives Matter" face masks. In heropinion, Burroughs found that this long-standing policy was not strictly enforced until recently, including instances where employees wore "LGBTQ+ messaging, National Rifle Association (NRA) messaging, the anarchist symbol, the phrase 'Lock Him Up' and other non-Whole Foods messaging," including a SpongeBob SquarePants mask. The Court ruled that these allegations did not amount to race-based discrimination under Title VII and the law does not protect free speech in a private workplace.

The position of the NLRB would negate corporate policies requiring uniformity in appearance and apolitical workplace environments. Whole Foods wants customers to focus on produce, not politics. Employees can cover their cars with slogans and engage in any protests outside of work. However, Whole Foods has every right to dictate the appearance of its stores and staff.

There is an inescapable irony in targeting this corporation despite its$10 million in donations to social justicecauses and groups.The Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet slogan highlights the common ground with its clientele. Of course, what constitutes good produce is not without some political elements. Whole Foods, for example, markets its selection of food fromindigenous groups and local farms. Those causes, however, are tied to how food is raised and where it comes from.

It is not surprising that the company wants to reinforce common interests in organic food rather than contemporary politics. It remains focused on produce-related causes.

What is surprising is that the NLRB would radically alter the right of companies to make such decisions in the appearance and messaging in the workplace.

That, of course, could change the minute an NLRB lawyer shows up wearing a MAGA hat.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates on Twitter@JonathanTurley.

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Hate speech in the time of free speech – The Hindu

Posted: at 8:59 am

It is important that specific and durable legislative provisions be enacted to combat hate speech

The rising frequency of hate speech in India has not gone unnoticed. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition on the events organised by the Hindu Yuva Vahini in Delhi and by Yati Narsinghanand in Haridwar on December 17 and 19, 2021, respectively, wherein calls to violence were made against Muslims. But the laws dealing with hate speech are ineffective and deficient. So, the Supreme Court has been asked to review hate speech laws and various High Courts have been called upon to provide interpretation of ingredients of hate speech. The lack of clear legislative guidance has meant that we are seeing discordant judicial outcomes. Nevertheless, this growing incidence of hate speeches, especially those targeting minorities, in combination with the judicial ambiguity has provided an opportunity to chart legislative reforms.

Hate speech is neither defined in the Indian legal framework nor can it be easily reduced to a standard definition due to the myriad forms it can take. Blacks Law Dictionary has defined it as speech that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group, such as a particular race, especially in circumstances in which the communication is likely to provoke violence. Building on this, the Supreme Court, in Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan v. Union of India (2014), described hate speech as an effort to marginalise individuals based on their membership in a group and one that seeks to delegitimise group members in the eyes of the majority, reducing their social standing and acceptance within society.

Editorial | Striking fear: On Haridwar hate speech and legal action

The current legislative set-up has several provisions to criminalise offences which can be characterised as hate speech. The High Court of Karnataka, in Campaign Against Hate Speech v. The State of Karnataka (2020), was of the opinion that the Indian Penal Code illegalises speeches that are intended to promote enmity or prejudice the maintenance of harmony between different classes. Specifically, sections of the IPC, such as 153A, which penalises promotion of enmity between different groups; 153B, which punishes imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration; 505, which punishes rumours and news intended to promote communal enmity, and 295A, which criminalises insults to the religious beliefs of a class by words with deliberate or malicious intention, contribute to combating hate speeches. The Supreme Court has upheld the view that the objective behind such provisions is to check fissiparous communal and separatist tendencies and secure fraternity so as to ensure the dignity of the individual and the unity of the nation.

The Supreme Court, in State of Karnataka v. Praveen Bhai Thogadia (2004), emphasised the need to sustain communal harmony to ensure the welfare of the people. In the Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan case, the Supreme Court underlined the impact hate speech can have on the targeted groups ability to respond and how it can be a stimulus to further attacks.

The Madras High Court has on several instances dealt with the issue of hate speech, characterising it as small spark capable of merely lighting a lamp to destroying a forest. In G. Thirumurugan Gandhi v. State (2019), the Madras High Court explained that hate speeches cause discord between classes and that responsibility attached to free speech should not be forgotten. Summing up these legal principles, in Amish Devgan v. Union of India (2020), the Supreme Court held that hate speech has no redeeming or legitimate purpose other than hatred towards a particular group.

Despite judicial guidance from the Amish Devgan case, uncertainty around interpretation of hate speech has resulted in the adoption of varying standards. The Madras High Court, in Maridhas v. State (2021), quashed an FIR alleging hate speech involving targeting of minorities by holding that the YouTuber is entitled to protection under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution and distinguished this case from the application of the Who? What? Where? test laid down in the Amish Devgan case. Per contra, the Madras High Court, in the case of Fr. P. George Ponnaiah v. Inspector of Police (2022), gave no relief to the petitioner by holding him to be a person of influence. By doing so, the High Court has failed to appreciate that a YouTuber with more than 4 lakh subscribers and a periodic record of publishing motivated content would have more influence than a priest with a limited audience from an isolated incident. It is trite that statements made by persons with influence having the mere likelihood of breach of peace have to be construed to constitute hate speech.

Unfortunately, divergent decisions from constitutional courts expose the lack of established legal standards in defining hate speech, especially those propagated via the digital medium.

The Law Commission of India, in its 267th report, recommended the insertion of two new provisions to criminalise and punish the propagation of hate speech: Section 153C and Section 505A of IPC. Section 153C was drafted to cover an offence committed when any person uses threatening words which are intended to cause fear, or commends hatred for the purpose of inducing violence through words, spoken or written, visible representation or signs on the grounds of race, caste, religion, sex, gender identity and other characteristics. Section 505A was to include provisions penalising causing of fear, alarm, or provocation of violence. Furthermore, the 189th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, in 2015, recommended the incorporation of separate and specific provisions in the Information Technology Act to deal with online hate speech. None of the recommendations have been acted upon and this has partly given rise to ambiguity in construing hate speech by various constitutional courts.

Much of the existing penal provisions deal with hate speech belong to the pre-Internet era. The need of the hour is specialised legislation that will govern hate speech propagated via the Internet and, especially, social media. Reference can be drawn to the Australian federal law called the Criminal Code Amendment Act, 2019, which imposes liability upon Internet service providers if such persons are aware that any abhorrent violent material, which is defined to include material that a reasonable man would regard as offensive, is accessible through the service provided by them.

Editorial | Incorporating limits: On IPC and hate speech

Action commonly taken against modern-day hate speeches have a whack-a-mole effect wherein the underlying objective of inciting communal disharmony or hatred, despite the detention of the offender, survives through digital or social media platforms for eternity. Thus, taking cue from best international standards, it is important that specific and durable legislative provisions that combat hate speech, especially that which is propagated online and through social media, is enacted by amending the IPC and the Information Technology Act. Ultimately, this would be possible only when hate speech is recognised as a reasonable restriction to free speech.

Manuraj Shunmugasundaram is Advocate, Madras High Court and Spokesperson, DMK. Inputs for the article were provided by Thiyagarajan B.

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Opinion | Basic Income Guarantee is the best way to improve lives – TheSpec.com

Posted: at 8:58 am

We are concerned that the public is not sufficiently aware of what has been happening with regard to the Ontario governments Poverty Reduction Strategy launched over a year ago. An American consortium, FedCap, has been hired to replace the services previously offered by Employment Ontario in 12 regions of Ontario. This change began as a pilot in Peel, Hamilton Niagara and Muskoka-Kawarthas in October 2020 and was expanded to nine more regions in June 2021. Part of this organizations mandate is to help people receiving benefits from the Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works find employment. The problem is this organization does not have a good track record, and advocates for people with disabilities are sounding the alarm.

The focus of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is to increase the number of people moving from social assistance to employment. On the surface this may seem like a positive goal but we are talking about many people who have been medically declared unable to work because of a disability. FedCap may be able to find a short-term job for some people with disabilities, but when the measure of success is simply the number of people placed in jobs, the incentive for this organization is to ignore the reality that many of these job placements are for very short-term work that will leave the recipient returning to social assistance again and again. And it is likely that people will be pressured to accept employment for which they are very unsuited.

It also appears that the government has determined that this model works before it has even been tested. The pilot, run in the three districts of Peel, Hamilton-Niagara and Muskoka Kawarthas was not completed or evaluated before the same model was rolled out in nine additional regions.

This model is similar to a failed program tried over two decades in Australia called Jobactive. A 2019 report to the Australian Senate entitled Jobactive: Failing Those it is Intended to Serve, made 41 recommendations including several that recipients of the services should be included and consulted in the planning process. Stakeholder consultation has not occurred in Ontario. Those who will rely on this program have not had an opportunity to comment or critique the changes to these services.Historically, we know that privatization in Ontario has not gone well. Think of the privatization of highway maintenance services, highway 407 itself and long-term care facilities. These things have not saved money in the long run and have resulted in inferior service delivery.

Social services should be provided by the government with the goal of providing services to those in need while maintaining dignity. The title Poverty Reduction Strategy sounds good. However, there is a much better doable, affordable solution to virtually eliminate poverty and to facilitate people being able to live in dignity in Ontario and Canada. It is a Basic Income Guarantee. Many studies have demonstrated that when people receive a Basic Income Guarantee they do not stop working or looking for work. In fact, in many cases, recipients use the benefit to upgrade their skills or education so that they can find better employment and improve their quality of life.

We encourage you to find out more about the changes to the delivery of these services to some of our most vulnerable citizens. Contact your MPP and ask where they stand on this important issue.

Colleen Cooper and Carol Stalker are members of Basic Income Waterloo Region.

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BTC likely to repeat Q4 2020 move 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week – Cointelegraph

Posted: at 8:58 am

Bitcoin (BTC) starts a new week facing multiple hurdles but with strong internal support can old resistance below $50,000 finally fall?

A correction event now almost in its third month is frustrating many, but conditions may soon be right for a fresh charge against opportunistic bears, an increasing number of analysts are saying.

With inflation running hot and United States lawmakers set to make the Bitcoin mining debate public this week, there are plenty of potential pitfalls in store.

Nonetheless, its beginning to feel like Bitcoin is at the point where it is capable of producing a classic surprise when the majority of the mainstream economy least expects it.

Cointelegraph takes a look at five factors worth paying attention to when charting BTC price action over the coming week.

Bitcoin looks decidedly uninterested in tackling even local resistance levels as the week begins.

After a rangebound weekend with little unique price action, BTC/USD is putting in lower lows on short timeframes while avoiding key zones around $44,000.

With Wall Street closed for a holiday, Monday could shape up to offer more of the same before markets provide direction.

Bitcoin did, however, manage to close out the week at exactly the crucial point identified by trader and analyst Rekt Capital as useful for aiding bullish momentum.

A Weekly Close above ~$43100 (black) would be a good sign of confirmation for BTC to continue higher from here, he wrote Sunday alongside an accompanying price chart.

A subsequent dip took the largest cryptocurrency lower, with $42,337 on Bitstamp the local floor for Monday at the time of writing.

Also cautiously optimistic is fellow popular trader Crypto Ed, who is eyeing a potential replay of last weeks run above $44,000, something that bears subsequently quashed.

Although its early but this looks like the start of continuation of last weeks move. Fingers crossed! hesummarizedin part of his latest Twitter update.

Last week, meanwhile, Cointelegraph reported on sentiment favoring an upside breakout as an eventual outcome of the current ranging behavior.

The stage is being set in more ways than one this week as the topic of inflation returns to haunt U.S. markets and politics alike.

Amid a fresh flurry of headlines about how inflation is hitting consumers, the highest consumer price index (CPI) print in 40 years is already hitting President Joe Bidens approval ratings.

Reining in the 7% year-on-year CPI increase could see the Federal Reserve enact no fewer than four key rate hikes in 2022 alone, Goldman Sachs forecast last week. This, in turn, places more pressure on weary consumers.

The stage is being set in the coming weeks, Pentoshi argued.

Closer to home, this week will see U.S. lawmakers discuss the alleged environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining.

With a significant chunk of the Bitcoin hash rate now coming from the U.S., any hostile policies will matter more than most when it comes to sentiment. A repeat of the China exodus from May 2021 and its knock-on effect for hash rate and network security will not be welcomed by anyone.

The hash rate, as Cointelegraph noted, is nowback at all-time highs, fully recovered from last years events.

The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing is due to take place on Thursday and is titled Cleaning Up Cryptocurrency: The Energy Impacts of Blockchains.

The hearing will be livestreamed in real time on the day.

Bitcoin volatility is plumbing multi-year lows encouraging for its acceptance as a mainstream asset, but not something many expect to last.

According to the Bitcoin Volatility Index, which calculates the standard deviation of daily BTC returns for the last 30 and 60 days, Bitcoin is at its least volatile since November 2020 at 2.63%.

Current price movements are thus similar to before BTC/USD entered price discovery after cracking its $20,000 all-time high from 2017.

For trader, entrepreneur and investor Bob Loukas, the stage is now set for a potential repeat of those events.

Remember when everyone was loading up BTC options in Sept/Oct for the super cycle. Those are probably down 80+%, he commented, noting that derivatives traders from before the current $69,000 all-time highs are likely more than disappointed.

While exciting price moves are yet to reappear after Decembers drawdown, however, they are now all the more likely thanks to Bitcoins supply becoming increasingly inaccessible.

With illiquid supply at ATHs for this cycle, Bitcoin is essentially a bonfire covered in gasoline, market commentator Miles Johalargued.

As Cointelegraph reported, BTC is being ferreted away into cold storage out of the grip of speculators.

Amid questions over the absence of retail investors even after a 40% price drawdown, new data shows that the sector has in fact had little interest in Bitcoin for an entire year.

Eyeing new entities appearing on the blockchain, Glassnode analyst TXMCshowed just how quiet Bitcoin has really been in terms of retail adoption since January 2021.

A look at the 30-day exponential moving average (EMA) of new entities coming on-chain reveals that the last major surge ended at the start of Q1 last year.

Since then, despite two new all-time price highs, new entity numbers have fallen and returned to standard rates normally seen after bull cycle peaks.

Bitcoin bull/bear markets have a distinct on-chain activity profile, TXMC explained on Twitter.

The data underscores how the average investor has all but forgotten Bitcoin, even as it swept new highs and institutional activity remained strong.

Interest levels from Google users have added to the trend, with search rates for Bitcoin worldwide at levels previously the norm in December 2020.

Miners, although being far from underwater at current price levels, are also getting less income from transaction fees than at any point since late 2020 just 1.08%.

This is an indicator that retail is not in yet... Although price is really similar to early 2021 When retail? Twitter-based on-chain analyst Blockwise queried this weekend, presenting further Glassnode data.

Bitcoins New Year extreme fear continues and if on-chain behavior is anything to go by, its set to remain the dominant sentiment force.

Related:Top 5 cryptocurrencies to watch this week: BTC, NEAR, ATOM, FTM, FTT

According to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures market sentiment via a basket of factors to assess just how traders are likely to act at a given price point, things have rarely looked bleaker.

Since late December, the Index has characterized the status quo as extreme fear, and so far, no price shifts have managed to alter it.

The same is true this week, with Fear & Greed at 21/100 well within the extreme fear bracket.

Similarly, data covering BTC moving at a profit or loss shows timidity among transactors, with precious little profiteering to be seen.

Such behavior is common during price dips and was seen last year during the summer as BTC/USD fell and bottomed at around $30,000.

This is the real Fear & Greed Index, popular Twitter account On-Chain College commented, uploading the data, which comes from Glassnodes realized profit/loss ratio indicator.

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Bitcoin price news: Will the cryptocurrency hit ‘new highs’ this year despite it’s rough – MARCA.com

Posted: at 8:58 am

Bitcoin didn't have the best start of the year but the stats suggest it has finally stabilized this week and it might even be on its way to another massive rise. After adding 1% since last Sunday, the biggest cryptocurrency on the market is slowly recovering after dropping 12% during the initial week of 2022. If we take the first week of 2021 and compare it to this one, we can see Bitcoin last year made a massive gain of 15% and traded above $50,000 per coin. Although this week's improvement look minuscule, experts on the matter are convinced Bitcoin will be on the rise again over the next couple of weeks.

Currently, Bitcoin price sits at a "low" $42,000 per coin but experts are suggesting it might jump between $50,000 to $60,000 in the next few weeks. The reason for this jump, according to CEO of Panxora Gavin Smith, is the looming inflation. It's all about a "real" interest rate that will be adjusted for inflation. When the figure is negative, it only means that consumer prices will keep on rising faster than benchmark bond yields. As investirs keep effectively losing value by holding bonds and other fixed-income instruments. This dynamic encourages risk-taking amid the function of ultra-loose monetary policies put in place by all central banks around the world.

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the Consumer Price Index had risen 7% in December compared to 12 months prior to that. It went up from the 6.8% that was registered during the month of November. This is actually the fastest annual increase since 1982. Even though Bitcoin has already recivered after going below $40,000 on Monday, ths rebound pales in comparison to bitcoin standards. It is believed that if the cryptocurrency breaks $45,500 this year, there might be another sharp move higher than ever before in modern history. It might all happen during 2022.

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Bitcoin crashes the midterms – POLITICO

Posted: at 8:58 am

Aarika Rhodes, an elementary school teacher mounting a left-leaning primary challenge against California Democrat Brad Sherman, the most prominent critic of cryptocurrency in the House, is promoting the technology in her run. She said she has taken several thousand dollars worth of donations in cryptocurrency to date, having embraced it after talking to voters and hearing from crypto advocates who urged her to draw a distinction with Sherman on the issue.

More and more people of color, women, single moms are looking into Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, Rhodes said. I never met anyone who was against it.

Roughly one in six Americans have personally traded, used or invested in cryptocurrency, according to Pew Research Center, including 13 percent of white, 18 percent of Black, 21 percent of Hispanic and 23 percent of Asian Americans.

So far, the political incentives around cryptocurrency are proving lopsided. More candidates have found reason to embrace a technology backed by legions of devoted users, a fresh crop of newly rich donors, and a growing number of lobbyists, than to vocally reject it.

Look, it just seems cool. Everybodys got a friend whos made some money on it. Theres a lobbyist who wants to take me to lunch, said Sherman, who has called for banning cryptocurrency outright, of the hype that has made it popular with his colleagues on the Hill. Shunning the technology, on the other hand, has brought the congressman few immediate rewards. In addition to facing a crypto-fueled primary challenge, he has inspired the creation of a new super PAC, Shut Down Sherman, dedicated to taking down Enemy Number 1 to Crypto.

Sherman bemoaned a lack of political interest in what he sees as the emerging threats from crypto, such as its potential to undermine U.S.-imposed financial sanctions and the U.S. dollars status as the global reserve currency.

That is worth hundreds of billions of dollars to American families, and theres no lobbyist in this city that protects it, he said. No lobbyist is fighting for the ability to go after criminals with sanctions.

Ron Hammond, director of government relations at the Blockchain Association and an advisor to the pro-crypto HODL PAC, said that rather than fielding concerns about crypto, he is more likely to receive requests for advice. Congressional staffers from both parties want help, he said, drafting pro-crypto tweets for their bosses, who see that the subject can generate frenzied social media engagement.

The website for the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, which was formed to foster the accounting technology underlying cryptocurrency, lists 18 Republican and 17 Democratic lawmakers. Sherman, though, is not alone in taking a hard line on the crypto boom.

Brock Pierce, a former child actor turned crypto entrepreneur, is exploring a run for the Vermont Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Patrick Leahy. | (Photo: Business Wire)

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has called for Congress to do more to regulate the industry. She is also among the Democrats calling for a crackdown on the carbon emissions associated with some cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, which relies on vast numbers of specialized computers competing to solve mathematical puzzles as part of an energy-intensive process that secures its network.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both spoken out against cryptocurrency on account of its potential to undermine the dollars global dominance.

In June, Trump likened Bitcoin to a scam, telling Fox Business Network, "The currency of this world should be the dollar. And I don't think we should have all of the Bitcoins of the world out there. I think they should regulate them very, very high."

Younger politicians are less likely to prioritize such concerns. I dont know a single Republican under the age of 50 whos critical of crypto, said Hammond, who previously worked for Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio. Hammond said that some older members of the party quietly oppose cryptocurrency adoption but have hesitated to express public opposition.

The technology has even split the Trump family along generational lines. Former first lady Melania Trump, 51, posted a tweet this month in honor of Bitcoins 13th birthday, as she launches her own line of non-fungible tokens, digital collectibles that rely on the same blockchain technology that enables cryptocurrencies.

While those who deal on the world stage are more likely to see crypto as a threat to the U.S.-led global financial order, many mayors like Eric Adams of New York and Francis Suarez of Miami have embraced crypto as a way to attract attention, and potentially jobs, to their cities.

The technology is also inspiring candidates who have made money from it to mount crypto-themed runs for office. In Oregons newly created 6th District, Matt West, a DeFi or decentralized finance, a new form of lending enabled by blockchain technology developer, is running as a pro-crypto Democrat. On the heels of a quixotic independent presidential bid, Brock Pierce, a former child actor turned crypto entrepreneur, is exploring a run for the Vermont Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Patrick Leahy.

As the total value of cryptocurrencies has exploded to more than $2 trillion in recent years, those made rich by the boom have begun to throw their weight around as donors, too. Last year, the second-largest individual donor to Joe Bidens presidential election efforts was Sam Bankman-Fried, the 29-year-old founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried gave more than $5 million but evinced little interest in scoring a meeting with the beneficiary of his largesse.

As Congress and the Biden administration begin to grapple in earnest with the implications of cryptocurrency on a range of policy fronts, crypto donors are becoming more strategic. On New Years Eve, Jesse Powell, the CEO of Kraken, another exchange, issued a public call for lists of candidates who support cryptocurrency and of crypto enemies. The next day, he announced he had made maximum allowable contributions to 15 politicians, including Rhodes, Mandel and West.

Sam Cooper, a former deputy chief of staff to pro-crypto Sen. Ted Cruz who now advises crypto clients in the private sector, said donors are still getting their bearings this cycle, before what he anticipates will be a more organized effort in the next presidential election.

By then, Cooper said he expects crypto will have gone from a niche issue to a campaign trail staple. Will Bitcoin become a core issue in 2022? No. Its going to be inflation and immigration and the things we see everyday, he said. But I do expect in 2024, especially on the Republican side, that this will be an issue.

Ben Schreckinger covers tech, finance and politics for POLITICO; he is an investor in cryptocurrency.

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Bitcoin stays in tight range as analyst eyes potential ‘interesting week’ in BTC – Cointelegraph

Posted: at 8:58 am

Bitcoin (BTC) hovered near $43,000 on Jan. 17 as "boring" price action combined with signs that the market could be stabilizing.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingViewshowed BTC/USD staying firmly within its established trading range between $40,000 and $45,000.

With few surprises expected thanks to the Wall Street holiday, traders took the opportunity to call for a level-headed approach on focus on altcoins.

Popular analyst William Clemente meanwhile highlighted Bitcoin bouncing along an ascending trendline this month, this soon to approach a turning point as part of a wedge construction.

"Should be an interesting week," he forecast.

Beyond spot price, data showed that market composition still employed near all-time high leverage, this only just beginning to reduce in week two of January.

Such leverage prevalence previously sparked concerns that a liquidity cascade could be made all the more real, with a significant move up or down hitting traders.

"The highly increased leverage ratio of Bitcoin that since some days remains at an all-time high is showing concerns that a massive volatility increase will follow up," commentator Vince Prince warned on the day.

On the topic of altcoins, meanwhile, some moves diverged from the flat performance seen more broadly.

Related:BTC likely to repeat Q4 2020 move 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week

The top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap were led by Cardano (ADA), which conspicuously bucked the sideways trend to post daily gains of almost 9% at the time of writing.This placed ADA/USD at a three-week high.

"Crucially, the market psychology is working on $ADA again," Cointelegraph contributor Michal van de Poppe summarized.

Further down, Litecoin (LTC) managed 4.5% gains in some brief respite for hodlers.

"Another bounce at strong support. A break of the blue resistance should send this flying. Not there yet," trader, analyst and podcast host Scott Melker added about the LTC/USD pair.

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Bitcoin stays in tight range as analyst eyes potential 'interesting week' in BTC - Cointelegraph

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Want to profit from cryptocurrency? Heres how to buy Bitcoin – HT Tech

Posted: at 8:58 am

If you are planning to invest in a cryptocurrency, here is how to buy Bitcoins, then heres everything that you need to know.

Cryptocurrency has come a long way and the journey has been very much like a yo-yo ride! Bitcoin is the first decentralized cryptocurrency, which has seen all the developments in the crypto market since its hush-hush beginnings. In simpler terms, Bitcoin is an online currency system which can be used for the purpose of investment or as a method of payment. However, it is not controlled by any government or corporate for that matter. In fact, Bitcoin is not regulated or managed by any central authority. It allows users to trade money without the need for a third party such as a bank, credit card company, or other financial institutions. It is seen more as an investment option currently rather than a payment method although that is gradually changing. Furthermore, because money transfers do not require names, there is little risk of identity theft. However, as the Bitcoin price volatility indicates, it is a very risky business and those who do invest in it should know about. There are also innumerable scams that have been carried out by cybercriminals with Bitcoin. So, if you are still thinking of buying Bitcoin, here's how to.

Step 1: Store your Bitcoin

To buy Bitcoin, you must first create a Bitcoin storage site, which is the first stage in the Bitcoin purchasing process. There are two ways to store Bitcoins online right now:

Another way to store your Bitcoin is a paper wallet, which is one of the most popular ways to keep your Bitcoin safe. The wallet is small and compact, and it is composed of coded paper. One of the advantages of a paper wallet is that the wallet's private keys are not stored digitally. As a result, it is immune to cyber-attacks and hardware system failures. When you receive your Bitcoin paper, it will contain two QR codes on it: one for receiving Bitcoin and the other for paying Bitcoin.

Step 2: Choose exchange service

Obtaining Bitcoin through an exchange is the easiest way to buy Bitcoin. You simply need to create an account and convert your cash (rupees, dollars, pounds etc) into Bitcoin. There are hundreds of exchanges to choose from such as Cryptaw, CoinBase, Circle, Xapo and more. To register an account with an exchange service, you will need to provide your personal information or identity to the provider.

Step 3: Buy Bitcoin with an exchange account

Once your exchange service account is set up, you will need to link your existing bank account with it for the movement of funds. If you need to link a bank account in order to use the exchange service, it will very certainly only accept banks from the country where the exchange business is based.

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Want to profit from cryptocurrency? Heres how to buy Bitcoin - HT Tech

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