Germany’s economy shrank more than expected in the fourth quarter according to revised figures, raising doubts over the ability of Europe’s biggest economy to escape recession and recover swiftly from its energy crisis. High inflation drove sharp falls in German consumer spending and investment in buildings and machinery in the final quarter of 2022, the
Bitcoin (BTC) stands at the start of a “new regime” after its early 2023 price gains, and next year will prove pivotal. That is the opinion of Charles Edwards, founder of quantitative Bitcoin and digital asset fund Capriole Investments. As investment behavior around Bitcoin recovers in line with network fundamentals and price action, Edwards, perhaps like
Google Cloud, the remote services division of the software giant, has announced a partnership with blockchain company Tezos to become a block validator (“baker”) in its network. As part of this partnership, Google Cloud will also offer Tezos validation services through its platform, allowing easier deployment for customers worldwide. Google Cloud Partners With Tezos Google
On February 24 last year, the world awoke to news that Russian tanks had rolled into Ukraine from the east and north. Troops had been massing on Ukraine’s borders for months and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had made a series of fiery speeches on the long-running conflict in the Donbas region. There were fears that
Tencent, the Chinese software and tech company, has announced its metaverse suite of services designed to target Asian markets. The company revealed that it will revamp its media offering with its new “metaverse-in-a-box” proposal, which aims to facilitate the task of building virtual worlds for third-party companies. Tencent to Focus on Offering Metaverse Tools to
China has called for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine and a return to negotiations as Beijing attempts to position itself as a peacemaker in the conflict on the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Chinese foreign ministry on Friday released a 12-point paper on its position on a “political settlement” to the war
Job cuts at McKinsey and KPMG this month are the first concrete sign that a boom in spending on consultants that started during the pandemic might be over, as clients move to reduce costs and battle inflation. Companies short on staff and desperate to make their operations digital after the pandemic paid record amounts to
31.1.23 The train taking me from Poland to Ukraine is full. The passengers are almost all women, and I share a compartment with one who’s mostly silent. In the long hours when the train is at a standstill, passport control and customs come around. Then we trade a few sentences. She’s expecting a child and
A former facilities worker who allegedly set up a secret cryptocurrency mining operation inside a Massachusetts school’s crawl space is due for arrest after missing a scheduled court hearing to answer to charges. Nadeam Nahas was scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 23 facing charges of vandalizing a school and fraudulent use of electricity, according
Each February, the team at NPR’s fabulous Planet Money podcast announce their Valentines, nerdy love letters to under-appreciated data releases or obscure supply-chain trackers. This year, co-host Amanda Aronczyk revealed that her Valentine would be for . . . the office. She loved the camaraderie of office life. As love letters go, it was bittersweet. At the beginning of
On February 22 1946, 77 years ago this week, George Kennan sent a 5,000-word telegram to James Byrnes, then US secretary of state. It was to become known as the “long telegram” and would form the basis of America’s policy towards the Soviet Union for nearly half a century. A shy and introverted Midwesterner, Kennan
Europe needs to do more to boost supply chain self-sufficiency in renewable energy, the head of French utility Engie has warned, as huge US subsidies help it steal a march in creating an independent green tech industry. Catherine MacGregor, the gas distributor’s chief executive, said it was branching heavily into renewables in Europe as well
The US will make “no apologies” for prioritising American jobs in its bid to lead the global clean energy contest, the White House official responsible for the $369bn green funding drive has said. In an interview with the Financial Times, John Podesta, Joe Biden’s senior clean energy adviser, pushed back at criticism that the US
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to defeat Russia in 2023, as Ukraine marked the solemn anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and a year that forever altered the country and upturned the global order. “A year ago on this day, from this same place around seven in the morning, I addressed you with a brief
Crypto exchange BTC-e’s alleged operator Alexander Vinnik may be a candidate for prisoner swap between the United States and Russia. That’s according to a statement by one of his lawyers for Russian media. The latest court hearing in Vinnik’s case has been postponed. Russian Accused of Laundering Billions Through Crypto May Return Home, According to
The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced the deployment of Base, an Ethereum layer two (L2) scaling network, after developers launched the Base testnet on Thursday. The company said it is incubating Base within Coinbase and that the L2 chain will progressively decentralize over time. Coinbase L2 Scaling Platform Aims to Help Scale the Crypto Economy
The Ethereum community appears to have taken a bullish view of Coinbase’s newly announced layer-2 network, Base, which has been described as a “massive confidence vote” and a “watershed moment” for the blockchain network. Secured on Ethereum and powered by layer-2 network Optimism, Base aims to eventually become a network for building decentralized applications (DApps)
Billionaire Russell Weiner, the creator of Rockstar Energy Drink, has listed his Park City, Utah home, Monitor’s Rest, with Engel & Völkers Park City for $50 million. Situated on 5 acres, the property is the most expensive home in Utah. From a Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence Network that regulates circadian rhythm lighting, monitors and calibrates
Jack Dorsey’s payment company Block Inc. reported $1.83 billion of Bitcoin (BTC) revenue from its Cash App business unit in the fourth quarter, representing a 7% fall from the same time last year. In its Q4 and full-year results announced on Feb. 23, Block attributed the fall in Bitcoin revenue to the decline in BTC price
U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer has introduced the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Anti-Surveillance State Act “to halt efforts of unelected bureaucrats” from “stripping Americans of their right to financial privacy.” The bill also prohibits the Federal Reserve “from issuing a CBDC directly to anyone.” CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act Introduced U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN) announced
Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments. Hong Kong moves bullish On Feb. 20, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong launched a consultation on its proposed regulatory requirements for digital asset trading platforms. The SFC requires the licensing by June of all cryptocurrency exchanges operating