Daily Archives: February 1, 2022

Car enthusiasts speak out about reckless driving as new bill is proposed to rev up penalties | News Channel 3-12 – KEYT

Posted: February 1, 2022 at 3:02 am

MONTECITO, Calif. - In a parking lot full of horsepower, car lovers spoke out about those who are "show offs" with their vehicles in a dangerous and deadly way. It is the focus of new legislation.

Some of the reckless driving has led to deaths in California.

Kevin Haeberle is with the Community Hot Rod Project, a non profit on the South Coast. He says "your 30 seconds of fame doesn't belong on the streets with showboating with your cars."

He promotes automobile education, design and engineering. The group also mentors youth. "Showing up and showing how creative you are with your build, that's a different story," he says.

Friday legislators in the Los Angeles area gathered with the California Highway Patrol to speak out against several forms forms of street racing and on-the-spot events that sometimes takes over entire streets with no notice.

State Senator Henry Stern(D-Los Angeles) is working on tough new enhanced laws andto improve traffic safety funding.

He says. "the reckless speeding and sideshows and street races,the use of cars as weapons are not victimless crimes and they are certainly not a game or a vanity project something to put on your Tik Toc or Instagram and be proud of." One victim of a high speed car crash during a street spectacle was the mother of a 13-year old who was eating in a restaurant. She died when an out of control car hit the building.

Senator Stern says at the state level they can write legislation that would effect how crimes are prosecuted without a range or discretion, and that could make the penalties far more costly than they are now. He said, "There's got to be an enforcement piece to this. There has to be consequences."

In some cases it could end up with the loss of a vehicle due to these violations.

The Senator's office says,Sterns bill is still in development, but it will require more resources go directly to enforcement, not just traffic safety infrastructure and public education, as has been the primary focus in years past. The bill he will introduce next month also will push prosecutors to be more aggressive in going after street racers and other reckless speeders.

Haeberle says, "when it comes to public safety, keep it off the road. Do it in a sanctioned area."

He also says those attending his events are advised to follow the rules to be able to return. "Upset neighbors is not a good thing. That's why we promote no revving, no burnouts and anything like that at our events."

Over the weekend, Santa Barbara transportation officials gathered in La Mesa Park to talk about a $25-million project for Cliff Drive on the Mesa. This will include more crosswalks, signals, and safety features in an area that has had deadly accidents, in some cases because of speeding and reckless driving.

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Car enthusiasts speak out about reckless driving as new bill is proposed to rev up penalties | News Channel 3-12 - KEYT

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Vandalism reported at Tiffin city parks – TiffinOhio.net

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Tiffin, Ohio Tiffin Parks and Recreation has been experiencing a substantial amount of vandalism in recent months. With the recent snowfalls, staff have noticed damage to the volleyball courts, basketball courts, parking lots and grass areas at Hedges-Boyer Park and other parks throughout the city.

The mission of Tiffin Parks and Recreation is to provide the people of Tiffin with full and equitable access to local parks, recreational programs, and leisure opportunities that enhance the quality of life in our community.

With the vandalism that has occurred, the Parks Department and Tiffin Police Department have had to divert time and resources in an attempt to bring this to an end. Additionally, expenses may be incurred to repair damage to the basketball courts, which were surfaced in 2017 for $25,000.

Mason Correll, Recreation Operations Manager for the City of Tiffin said, We ask you, as citizens of Tiffin and the surrounding areas and patrons of our local parks, to be vigilant while enjoying all that the parks have to offer. If you see something, please, say something. Together, as a community, we can make our parks even better.

In 2021, the Parks and Recreation Department invested in a high-quality surveillance system with the hopes of preventing further vandalism to the parks. Additionally, due to a large amount of vandalism, specifically car donuts, to the parking lot of the former Vic Wurm baseball field at Hedges-Boyer Park, the department will be installing concrete barriers at the top of the hill in order to restrict vehicle traffic to the parking lot.

Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz said, These are not victimless crimes, and unfortunately result in a cost to taxpayers both through employees time and resources to address damage. City staff work hard to maintain our beautiful parks system, and it is heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary destruction.

To report information about recent vandalism, call Tiffin Police Department at (419) 447-2323 or Tiffin Parks and Recreation at (419) 448-5408.

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Shirley Tilghman wins award for ‘exemplary contributions to the genetics community and society’ – Princeton University

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA)selected former Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman as the 2022 winner of the George W. Beadle Award for outstanding contributions to the community of genetics researchers.

The award citation lauded Tilghman's "exemplary contributions to the genetics community and society with service on the National Advisory Council for the Human Genome Project Initiative and advocacy for transparent, equitable policies, openness in data sharing and publicly available databases, and sustainable funding policies. The award also recognizes pioneering contributions to mammalian imprinting."

I am deeply grateful to the Genetics Society of America, and my colleagues who nominated me for this wonderful honor, said Tilghman, who is an emerita professor of molecular biology and public affairs in addition to having served as University president from 2001 to 2013. Having an award named after one of the 20thcenturys greatest geneticists is truly meaningful to me.

A native of Canada, Tilghman received her Honors B.Sc. in chemistry from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1968. After two years of secondary school teaching in Sierra Leone, West Africa, she obtained her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Tilghman came to Princeton in 1986 as the Howard A. Prior Professor of the Life Sciences. In 1998, she became the founding director of Princetons Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. She was a member of the National Research Councils committee that set the blueprint for the U.S. effort in the Human Genome Project, as well as one of the founding members of the National Advisory Council of the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health.

She is renowned not only for her pioneering research, but for her national leadership on behalf of women in science and for promoting efforts to make the early careers of young scientists as meaningful and productive as possible.

Her other awards and honors include being named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in 1988, winning the LOral-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2002, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Developmental Biology in 2003 and receiving the GSA Medal in 2007. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the Royal Society of London.

The Beadle Award is awarded annually to someone who the GSA determines has contributed to the genetics community beyond an exemplary research career, for example by creating an invaluable technique or tool, helping the community adopt a model system, being a voice for the community in public or political forums, or maintaining active leadership roles. GSA established the award in 1999 in honor of George W. Beadle (1903-1989), an outstanding scientist and a respected academic and public servant who won the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Tilghman and the recipients of the GSA's other awards will present their work in a lecture series to be held online during 2022.

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Inherited retinal diseases the patient journey – Insight News

Posted: at 3:01 am

Assessment of viable retinal cells is made by combining the information derived from the clinical assessment including BCVA, OCT, visual field assessment, visual electrophysiology (including full field scotopic threshold testing and patient reported outcomes). The assessment will include a combination of all the investigations, and this will vary from patient to patient.

IRD management is similar to other complex conditions. The management around this process is critical to ensure that patients receive the appropriate ophthalmic and genetic advice.56-58Patients are best managed in a multi-disciplinary clinic with ophthalmologists experienced in IRD diagnostic steps and management, and with access to clinical geneticists and genetic counsellor expertise

The four steps outlined in this review will lead to improved patient care with streamlined ophthalmic diagnosis, molecular diagnosis and counselling, management of visual dysfunction and preparation for clinical trials and therapies.

The complexity of IRDs requires input from both ophthalmology and clinical genetics.44 The benefits of modern genetic diagnostics and counselling supports the introduction of equitable genetic testing for patients with presumed genetically-caused retinal diseases.5

NOTE: Some of the material has been adapted from the RANZCO Guidelines for the assessment and management of patients with inherited retinal diseases, which Profs Grigg and Jamieson co-authored with seven other experts.

References

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32. BarlowStewart K, Dunlop KL, Fleischer R et al. The NSW Genetic Counselling Workforce: Background information paper an evidence check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute for the Centre for the NSW Ministry of Health [Internet]. Sydney: Sax Institute for the NSW Ministry of Health; 2015 [cited 2021 Dec 7]. Available from: https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/The-NSW-Genetic-Counselling-Workforce_June2016.pdf.

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36. Gonzalez-Cordero A, Kruczek K, Naeem A et al. Recapitulation of Human Retinal Development from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Generates Transplantable Populations of Cone Photoreceptors. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 9: 820-37.

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39. Gonzalez-Cordero A, West EL, Pearson RA et al. Photoreceptor precursors derived from three-dimensional embryonic stem cell cultures integrate and mature within adult degenerate retina. Nat biotechnol 2013; 31: 741-7.

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47. Lee JJY, van Karnebeek CDM, Wasserman WW. Development and user evaluation of a rare disease gene prioritization workflow based on cognitive ergonomics. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2019; 26: 124-33.

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49. Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Sumaroka A et al. Outcome Measures for Clinical Trials of Leber Congenital Amaurosis Caused by the Intronic Mutation in the CEP290 GeneCEP290-LCA Outcomes. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 2017; 58: 2609-22.

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52. Scholl, H.P.N. The natural history of the progression of atrophy secondary to stargardt disease (ProgStar) studies: Design and Baseline characteristics: Progstar Report No. 1. Ophthalmology 2016; 123: 817-28.

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Bitcoin price: Can the cryptocurrency recover in February? – Marca English

Posted: at 3:00 am

Bitcoin (BTC) returned at over $38,000 on the last day of January as selling pressure is apparently wearing off after a rocky start to 2022.

Historically, bitcoin has positive returns in February, which could give traders some hope as technical indicators suggest short-term buyers could stay active around the $35,000-$37,000 support area, but upside looks to be limited toward $45,000. Despite the recent spike in price, some analysts are still skeptical of BTC due to the Biden administration preparing to release an executive order in February to regulate bitcoin as a matter of national security.

It's hard to predict if the new regulations will have a positive or negative impact on the digital coin, so the crypto market remains highly volatile. Even though history points to positive returns in February, bitcoin could end up falling for a third consecutive month.

Bitcoin produced an average return of 12% in February throughout the past nine years. The second month of the calendar finishes with a gain over 85% of the time.

As the crypto market stabilized to end January, investors poured 22.1 million into bitcoin-focused funds last week, the second consecutive week of money inflow into BTC. Despite one of its worst-ever starts to a year, crypto funds saw inflows of $19 million during the seven days through January 28.

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Bitcoin price: Can the cryptocurrency recover in February? - Marca English

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Cryptocurrency has an impact on economies. That’s why some are afraid of it and some welcome it – The Conversation AU

Posted: at 3:00 am

One month into 2022 and the debate on cryptocurrency is already heating up, with calls for regulation causing a rift between jurisdictions that are crypto friendly and those that arent. Which will determine the future of the market?

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has reportedly signed a roadmap to regulate crypto operations in Russia. The news comes after Russias central bank published a consultation paper that proposed a blanket ban on crypto-related activity in the country.

The paper, titled Cryptocurrencies: Trends, Risks, and Regulation, states a wider adoption of cryptocurrencies creates significant risks for the Russian financial market. It says non-state-based currencies pose a threat to citizens well-being, through loss of investments as a result of market volatility, scams and cyber attacks.

Jurisdictions have grappled with the idea decentralised digital currencies provide an alternative to sovereign currency and thus pose a threat to central banks power over monetary policy.

Although Russia has stopped short of completely stifling operations inside its borders, the latest events follow a broader trend of nations struggling to embrace cryptocurrency. Future bans or regulations will determine the future of the industry.

China has banned cryptocurrency trading multiple times. An outright ban on crypto mining last year was a massive loss to the industry, as most crypto mining happened in China.

Mining involves running software on computer servers to solve cryptographic algorithms. This process validates transactions and maintains a shared record of transactions across the blockchain network. People who participate, the miners are automatically rewarded in cryptocurrency.

Mining is an international industry, and large capital outlay goes towards the land, power and infrastructure needed to set up mining warehouses.

Read more: Why is Bitcoin's price at an all-time high? And how is its value determined?

The mining ban in China drove miners to sell or ship their equipment overseas and invest capital in friendlier jurisdictions, particularly the United States. One consequence was the strengthening of the network, as mining operations were diversified. As such, future bans may have less of an effect on the market.

Currently, most Bitcoin mining occurs in the US, Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada, Malaysia and Iran. Some networks face great challenges. In Kazakhstan, for instance, power has reportedly been rationed away from miners to conserve energy during electricity shortages, forcing miners to leave the country.

Reports estimate this will cost Kazakhstans economy US$1.5 billion (or A$2.14 billion) over the next five years, including US$300 million in tax revenue.

Crypto has come a long way since Bitcoins anonymous launch in 2009. There are now thousands of cryptocurrencies, with an estimated total market cap of US$1.66 trillion (about A$2.36 trillion).

Its often stated, including in the recent report from Russias central bank, that the anonymity of cryptocurrencies enables illegal activity such as money laundering, terrorism financing and drug trade.

This isnt entirely true. In fact transaction history on public blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum (the largest by market capitalisation), is public.

Many governments (including those of Australia and the US) collaborate with large private blockchain analytics firms to monitor citizens crypto wallet addresses and transactions. They do this to mitigate risks of money laundering and tax evasion.

Read more: Around the world, regulators are realising Bitcoin is money

Contrary to popular belief, most cryptocurrencies arent anonymous; they are pseudonymous. If a persons identity is linked to their wallet address via a central touch point, such as a cryptocurrency exchange or an email, that wallet is traceable to the individual.

Research (commissioned by Zcash but carried out by the Rand corporation) found there isnt widespread illicit use of privacy coins preserving users anonymity.

Cryptocurrency continues to become increasingly mainstream as an investment asset class, technological infrastructure and a social experiment in non-state-based infrastructure.

With this, crypto communities hold growing influence in public policy debates. For example, crypto advocates were able to slow down a major federal government infrastructure bill in the US last year.

Yet jurisdictions are choosing different pathways regarding policy and regulation. Some such as China and Russia view it as a fiscal and ideological challenge to sovereign monies. Others view it as an opportunity for innovation, investment and economic growth.

As different approaches emerge, 2022 may be a defining year for both the crypto industry and those competing to either ban or welcome it.

Past examples suggest countries that welcome crypto networks reap economic benefits through innovation, investment, jobs and taxes. Business benefits of adopting crypto as a digital asset include access to new demographics and technological efficiencies in treasury management.

At the same time, the effects of policy and regulation on the industry demonstrates cryptocurrency isnt a completely decentralised thing that exists only on the blockchain.

In the competition to limit but benefit from cryptocurrency, Australia has emerged as a potential destination of crypto friendliness. A report published in October by the Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre looks favourably on cryptocurrencies.

It proposes market licensing for crypto exchanges, streamlined taxation arrangements and a regulatory structure for decentralised autonomous organisations, or DAOs. These function using the same philosophy of self-governance as decentralised cryptocurrency networks, using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency tokens to manage participation and enforce rules.

Australias choice is to capture the enormous economic potential of decentralised digital assets. How this will impact the national economy remains to be seen. But if history is a lesson to be learned from, we can expect policy to shape outcomes.

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Cryptocurrency has an impact on economies. That's why some are afraid of it and some welcome it - The Conversation AU

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People Working At Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency Exchanges Can Earn More Than $1 Million A Year – Forbes

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Bitcoin exchange rate graphic illustration

President Joe Biden told United States federal agencies to regulate cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, like NFTs. Biden maintains that regulating this fast-growing industry is so important that it's become a matter of national security. It's an interesting point of time for this action, as the crypto market is going through a tumultuous time, losing large amounts of value for its investors.

Regulatory bodies, such as theSecurities and Exchange Commission,the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Internal Revenue Service and FINRA, will likely coordinate their investigations, audits and examinations. Theyll also review whether or not tokens should be considered and registered as securities.

So far, the likelihood of regulation and the recent crash in the value of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has not yet affected the rich total compensation packages offered by cryptocurrency firms, according to an analysis by the professional social network Blind.

The compensation is highly competitive at cryptocurrency exchanges. They also tend to offer remote work options and other great benefits. Typical total compensation packages at bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges usually offer employees equity, stock options and restricted stock unitswhich could result in future windfalls, if the firm does well.

According to self-reported salary data listed on Blind, here is what people say they earn working in the cryptocurrency space at a top exchange. These numbers are for engineers. The compensation for other professionals, managers and executives may escalate even higher:

The demand for talent for bitcon, digital assets, NFTs and related platforms is blazing hot. A search on LinkedIns job site for crypto yields 15,433 results in the U.S. There were 4,656 listings for bitcoin jobs and 6,381 for NFTs. The site, unfortunately, doesnt disclose the compensation on most of the job listings.

Companies, in an effort to attract and recruit talent, are offering higher wages, sign-on bonuses, remote, hybrid and flexible workstyles, one-on-one mentoring and free college tuition. There is another sweetener that some businesses are considering to attract people to join their firmspaying in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

In 2021, we saw digital assets go parabolic. The number of new crypto projects and the incredible rise in value of the asset class caught America and the worlds attention. To some people, purchasing digital assets was viewed as a hedge against the U.S. dollar thats being devalued, due to rising inflation and questionable policies from the federal government and Federal Reserve bank. Other folks, especially young people, saw cryptocurrencies as a YOLO (you-only-live-once) trade that could make them rich quickly.

Burdened with heavy college tuition debt payments, exorbitant apartment and home prices, coupled with an alarming inflation rate raising the price of everything, digital assets seemed like the only way to get ahead financially.

If you get paid in U.S. dollars, as inflation increases, the value of your paycheck decreases. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights rising costs. The consumer price index in September spiked 5.4% higher in 2021. The growth was so fast and furious that the U.S. government called for a nearly 6% cost-of-living increase for people on Social Security. This was the largest hike in four decades. Inflation has surged by 7%.

We are seeing signs of change in payments. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he would take a paycheck 100% in Bitcoin and will also offer cryptocurrencies to public employees too.Eric Adams, the new Mayor of New York City, similarly announced that hes looking into paying people in bitcoin and other digital assets, and will accept his first three paychecks in bitcoin. Sports stars Russell Okung, Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Rodgers have all said they will be paid, at least in part, in crypto, according to Bloomberg.

If you accept a salary in crypto, you have to have a strong stomach and be comfortable with seeing strong gains, along with scary plunges in value. Payment in cryptocurrency is not without risk. There is a lot of volatility in this space.

In 2021, the price of bitcoin hit $67,000 and subsequently plunged to under $30,000, and then bounced back again. Ethereum saw record highs of around$4,800 on December 1, only to see it trade lower at around $3,600 to $3,900. If you were paid in bitcoin, ethereum or other coins at a high point and then the price cratered,you will owe taxes based on the higher value you were paid.

For people who ardently believe in the future of crypto, are open to volatility and risk and have a long-term time horizon, payment in Bitcoin may be an exciting new way to enhance your wealth.

Beckham signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $750,000 and bonuses that could bump it up to $4.25 million. The NFL wide receiver said was taking his entire salary in bitcoin. He reportedly converted a $750,000 paycheck into bitcoin, and may have lost the equivalent of almost $350,000, according to an analysis from MarketWatch. While the price of bitcoin has since somewhat rebounded, it hasn't fully recovered and remains extremely unpredictable.

It could turn out that bitcoin surges and his next check will be substantially higher. Beckham most likely could afford the wild swings. For others, it's a cautionary tale to be careful about the vicissitudes of cryptocurrencies and converting your cash salary into highly volatile and largely unregulated digital tokens.

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People Working At Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency Exchanges Can Earn More Than $1 Million A Year - Forbes

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Cryptocurrency Prices Today : Ahead of Budget 2022, bitcoin, ethereum rise – Moneycontrol.com

Posted: at 3:00 am

Bitcoin's market dominance dipped 0.07 percent to 41.75 percent and the currency was trading at $38,033.97 today. (Representative image)

The global cryptocurrency market capitalisationrose4.66percent over the last 24 hours to $1.75 trillion, while the trading volumes were up 15.08percent to $63.86billion.

While decentralised finance (DeFi) accounted for 15.58 percent of the 24-hourcryptocurrencytrading volume at $9.95billion, stablecoins 78.02percent of at $49.83 billion. Bitcoin's market dominancedipped 0.32percent to 41.52 percent and the currency was trading at $38,340.42 in the morning on February 1.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2022 during the day and it would be closely watched for any announcements or signals on the government's stance on cryptocurrenciesthat have been gaining popularity but continue to operate in a grey area.

In rupee terms,Bitcoinrose 1.85percent to trade at Rs30,39,615, while Ethereumrose 4.2percent to Rs 2,13,849.6.

Cardanorose 0.9percent to Rs 82.99 and Avalanche 4.43percent to Rs 5,534.6. Polkadot gained 6.33percent to Rs 1,525.79and Litecoin was up 0.87percent to Rs 8,636.15 in the last 24 hours. Tetherdipped 1.6percent to Rs79.5

Memecoin SHIBrose 2.29percent, while Dogecoinrose 1.02percent to trade at Rs 11.22. Terra (LUNA)increasedby13.68percent to Rs4,073.4

JP Morgan analysts have said that Bitcoin will struggle to get institutional adoption because of its volatility, while Ethereum will face more competition from rival blockchains.

In a note for investors, analysts at the New York City-based bank said that they saw "significant challenges" going forward for the two biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap.

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX announced that it raised a $400 million Series C funding round, which now values the rising firm at $32 billion.

It's asignificant uptick in valuation from the last time FTX raised funds in October 2021, when it pulled in $420.69 million in a Series B-1 round at a valuation of $25 billion. Prior to that, FTX announced a $900 million Series B raise in July 2021 that was later revised to $1 billion, with a valuation of $18 billion.

January has been brutal for Bitcoin, with prices declining 20 percent since the start of the month but things have gone much worse for other cryptocurrencies in the top 15 by market capitalisation, specifically the "Ethereum killers."

In January, Solana has lost 42 percent of its value relative to the US dollar, Terra is down 40 percent, and Avalanche has been buried by a 36 percent drop. Lower down on the table, Algorand is worth 43 percent less since the start of the year. Cardano ticked down 20 percent, while Polkadot lost 27 percent.

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Cryptocurrency Prices Today : Ahead of Budget 2022, bitcoin, ethereum rise - Moneycontrol.com

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Shopify CEO Tobi Ltke to join board of Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange – Coast Reporter

Posted: at 2:59 am

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. says Shopify CEO Tobi Ltke will join its board of directors.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. says Shopify CEO Tobi Ltke will join its board of directors.

Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong said in a release that Ltke brings experience as an entrepreneur, and as an early adopter of crypto including through Shopify's integration with Coinbase's crypto payment platform.

He says Ltke will help as Coinbase looks to expand crypto to more people and businesses globally.

Ltke said in a statement that Coinbase and Shopify share the like-minded vision of decentralized finance and entrepreneurship.

In 2020, Shopify also joined the Facebook-backed Diem (then called Libra) Association that was working on a global digital currency, though media reports last week said that the association was selling its assets.

Coinbase says the appointment is still subject to formal board approval.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SHOP)

The Canadian Press

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Shopify CEO Tobi Ltke to join board of Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange - Coast Reporter

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Cryptocurrency and QR code: Here’s the latest trick scammers are using to steal your money, FTC warns – WHAS11.com

Posted: at 2:59 am

Officials said no one from the government, law enforcement, utility company, or prize promoter will ever tell you to pay them with cryptocurrency.

KENTUCKY, USA Federal officials are warning consumers that scammers are now asking people to pay with cryptocurrency and then using QR codes to steal their money and personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission said a scammer will call and say they work for the government, law enforcement, a local utility company, or even say you've won the lottery or a prize.

If you stay on the phone long enough, they'll ask you for money and request you go to a store with a cryptocurrency ATM. Once you're there, they'll tell you to put money into the ATM and buy cryptocurrency.

The FTC said the scammers will then send you a QR code with their address embedded in it. Once you scan the code, the cryptocurrency gets transferred to them and your money is gone.

"Nobody from the government, law enforcement, utility company, or prize promoter will ever tell you to pay them with cryptocurrency," the FTC said.

They warned consumers that any unexpected tweet, email, call or social media message -- especially from people you don't know -- asking you to pay them in advance for something, is a scam. "Every time," the agency said.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said to report the scammers to the state using the online scam report form. Reports can also be made directly to the FTC by filling out their form online.

If you see or hear something on the internet or in social media and you're not sure about it, let us know and we'll VERIFY it for you.

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Cryptocurrency and QR code: Here's the latest trick scammers are using to steal your money, FTC warns - WHAS11.com

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