Prices rose modestly after a stronger-than-expected U.S. manufacturing report.
Crypto markets traded higher on Monday evening after a stronger-than-expected U.S. manufacturing report helped lift broader risk sentiment.
Bitcoin (BTC) was trading around $78,338, up roughly 2.1% over the past 24 hours, while Ether (ETH) rose about 1.5% to $2,338, according to CoinGecko.
BTC Chart
Among other large-cap tokens, BNB gained about 2.3% to $772, while XRP climbed 1.8% to $1.62. Solana (SOL) rose roughly 3.5% to $104.73, recovering some of its recent losses.
The total cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at approximately $2.72 trillion, up about 2.3% on the day, while 24-hour trading volume totaled roughly $223.3 billion.
On the upside, MYX Finance (MYX) led the day’s gainers, rising about 13.3%. MemeCore (M) advanced roughly 11.1%, while Hyperliquid (HYPE) gained about 10.6%.
On the downside, Monero (XMR) fell around 6.7%, while pumpfun (PUMP) slipped about 5% and Rain (RAIN) dropped 4%.
Liquidations and ETF Flows
Around $729.3 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGlass. Long liquidations accounted for about $453 million, while short liquidations totaled $276 million.
Ethereum recorded the largest share of liquidations at approximately $266.3 million, followed by Bitcoin at around $233 million. CoinGlass data also showed that about 176,301 traders were liquidated during this period.
ETF flows remained mixed as of Jan. 30, with Bitcoin spot ETFs recording $509.7 million in net outflows. Meanwhile, Ethereum spot ETFs saw about $252.9 million in outflows. Elsewhere, XRP spot ETFs posted $16.8 million in net inflows, while Solana spot ETFs recorded $11.2 million in daily outflows.
Meanwhile, CoinShares’ weekly fund flows report showed investor interest in digital assets continued to wane, with $1.7 billion in net outflows over the past week.
The selloff has flipped year-to-date (YTD) flows to a net outflow of about $1 billion and has pushed total assets under management (AUM) down by $73 billion from its October 2025 peak.
Promising Macro Data
The market rebound followed a stronger-than-expected ISM Manufacturing PMI report, which tracks how U.S. manufacturing is doing month to month.
Monday’s report showed that the Manufacturing PMI registered 52.6 percent in January, a 4.7-percentage point increase compared to the adjusted reading of 47.9 percent in December 2025.
“The overall economy continued in expansion for the 15th month,” the report reads. “The New Orders Index expanded for the first time since August, with a reading of 57.1 percent, up 9.7 percentage points over December’s seasonally adjusted figure of 47.4 percent and its highest since February 2022.”
For years, hotel search has followed the same predictable formula: sort by price, stars, or distance. While functional, this approach ignores a critical factor—why a traveler is booking in the first place. A business traveler, a family on vacation, and a couple planning a romantic getaway may all see the same results, even though their needs are completely different.
Artificial intelligence is changing that paradigm. Modern AI-driven systems are moving beyond static filters and into intent-based hotel ranking, delivering search results that align with traveler purpose, context, and behavior. This shift is redefining how online travel agencies (OTAs), travel management companies (TMCs), and AI travel assistants design hotel discovery experiences.
The Limitations of Traditional Hotel Search
Conventional hotel ranking relies heavily on surface-level attributes such as nightly rate, star classification, and proximity to landmarks. While useful, these metrics don’t capture traveler intent.
For example:
A corporate traveler prioritizes walkability to offices, reliable Wi-Fi, and quiet surroundings.
A family values safety, nearby attractions, and larger room configurations.
A leisure or romantic traveler looks for ambiance, scenic areas, and dining experiences.
Treating all travelers the same often leads to lower engagement, higher bounce rates, and missed conversion opportunities. This is where AI introduces a smarter alternative.
What Is Intent-Based Hotel Ranking?
Intent-based hotel ranking uses artificial intelligence to understand context rather than just cost. Instead of asking, “Which hotel is cheapest?” the system asks, “Which hotel best fits this traveler’s purpose?”
AI models evaluate hundreds of variables—location intelligence, surrounding amenities, neighborhood characteristics, and historical traveler behavior—to dynamically rank hotels according to specific use cases such as business, family, or romance.
This approach delivers:
More relevant search results
Higher booking confidence
Better alignment between traveler expectations and actual experiences
The Role of Geospatial AI in Hotel Discovery
One of the most powerful drivers behind intent-based rankings is geospatial AI. Rather than focusing solely on a hotel’s address, geospatial intelligence analyzes the spatial relationships around it.
Advanced platforms now process hundreds of millions of spatial data points, examining factors such as:
Distance to offices, convention centers, schools, or attractions
Neighborhood noise levels and density
Accessibility to transport, dining, and entertainment
Walkability and safety indicators
By analyzing over 200 million spatial relationships, AI can accurately infer whether a hotel environment suits business travel, family stays, or leisure trips. This depth of understanding was simply not possible with traditional rule-based systems.
Speed Matters: Real-Time AI at Scale
Relevance alone isn’t enough—performance is critical. Modern travel platforms require results in real time, especially when serving AI travel agents and conversational booking interfaces.
Leading intent-based systems are now delivering sub-250ms response times, enabling:
Instant hotel re-ranking during live searches
Seamless integration with AI-powered chat interfaces
Scalable deployment across global inventories
This speed ensures that intelligence doesn’t come at the cost of user experience.
Why Intent-Based Rankings Matter for OTAs and TMCs
For OTAs and corporate travel platforms, intent-driven hotel search unlocks measurable business benefits:
Higher conversion rates through relevance
Reduced search fatigue and decision overload
Improved traveler satisfaction and loyalty
Smarter personalization without manual rule creation
Travel management companies can also better enforce policy compliance by surfacing hotels aligned with business intent while still offering quality options.
Instead of relying on static hotel attributes, the API uses geospatial AI to dynamically rank properties based on traveler intent—business, family, or romance—while maintaining ultra-fast response times. This allows travel platforms to embed intelligence directly into their search and recommendation layers without rebuilding their entire stack.
The Future of Hotel Search Is Intent-First
As AI continues to reshape digital travel, hotel discovery will become less about filters and more about understanding human purpose. Travelers no longer want to scroll endlessly—they want results that make sense for their trip.
Intent-based hotel ranking represents a fundamental shift in how travel platforms think about relevance, personalization, and value delivery. For companies building the next generation of booking experiences, embracing AI-driven, geospatially intelligent search isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a competitive necessity.
A metric tracking the health of the US economy has just posted its highest monthly score since August 2022, and crypto analysts say it could signal a turnaround for Bitcoin, which is trading at $78,000.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a measure of manufacturing activity in the US, recorded a score of 52.6 in January, beating the market consensus of about 48.5 and ending 26 consecutive months of economic contraction, ISM stated in a report on Monday.
The index score is a closely watched metric by investors and the Federal Reserve in assessing economic strength, inflation risks, and whether to tighten or ease monetary policy.
A score above 50 indicates the economy is expanding, while a score below 50 indicates it is contracting. The last time the ISM reading was above 52.6 was in August 2022.
ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index since Jan. 2016. Source: Trading Economics
Bitcoin analysts say the strong ISM reading could signal a turnaround for Bitcoin after it hit a 10-month low of $75,442 on Monday.
Data show that the rise and fall of the manufacturing index from mid-2020 to 2023 closely mirrored Bitcoin’s (BTC) price changes over the same period.
“Historically, these PMI reversals mark the shift to risk-on conditions,” Strive’s vice president of Bitcoin strategy, Joe Burnett, said, pointing out that Bitcoin has rallied after rises in the manufacturing output index score in 2013, 2016, and 2020.
Pseudonymous Bitcoin analyst, Plan C, added: “If you don’t upgrade your understanding of the Bitcoin cycle from the 4-year halving mirage mindset to a business cycle / macro mindset fast… You will miss the boat completely on the second massive leg of this Bitcoin bull market!”
On the other hand, Into The Cryptoverse founder and CEO Benjamin Cowen noted that Bitcoin doesn’t always move in lockstep with the manufacturing index, adding that “Bitcoin is not the economy.”
The ISM Manufacturing PMI fell or remained flat across several months last year while Bitcoin rose toward its $126,080 high.
BTC price predictions are far and wide
Bitcoin has seen a turbulent few months since the Oct. 10 liquidation event, when over $19 billion in leveraged crypto positions were suddenly liquidated from the ecosystem.
At its current price, Bitcoin is down nearly 38% from its October high, while precious metals and the stock market have mostly trended upward, prompting a fall in Bitcoin market sentiment.
Institutional investors have varying opinions on how Bitcoin would fare in 2026.
Related: 4 reasons why $75K may have been Bitcoin’s 2026 price bottom
In a 2026 prediction report, crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly said Bitcoin would trade above $150,000 by the end of the year, while Fundstrat research head Tom Lee on Jan. 20 tipped Bitcoin would retrace further before making a late-stage comeback and set a new high.
Galaxy Digital took a pass on making a prediction and said 2026 would be “too chaotic” to even guess, saying Bitcoin could end up anywhere between $50,000 and $250,000.
Magazine: A ‘tsunami’ of wealth is headed for crypto: Nansen’s Alex Svane
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Strategy (MSTR) added 855 bitcoin to its balance sheet for approximately $75.3 million last week, paying an average price of $87,974 per BTC, according to a filing published Monday.
The purchase came just days before bitcoin’s sharp sell-off, which briefly pushed prices below $75,000 over the weekend. Despite the timing, the acquisition represents a relatively small addition for the company, which has routinely purchased hundreds of millions — or even billions — of dollars’ worth of bitcoin in recent weeks.
Led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, Strategy now holds a total of 713,502 BTC, acquired for roughly $54.26 billion at an average price of $76,052 per coin.
With bitcoin trading just above $77,000 at the time of writing, the firm’s treasury is marginally above breakeven after more than five years of accumulation.
Last week’s purchase was fully funded through the sale of common stock, consistent with Strategy’s ongoing capital-raising strategy to finance bitcoin acquisitions.
Bitcoin and Strategy’s stock drop
Bitcoin’s weekend drop briefly placed Strategy’s treasury underwater, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.
Bitcoin fell to a low of roughly $74,500 during early Asian trading on Feb. 1 and into Feb. 2, pushing the company’s unrealized losses close to $1 billion at the session low before narrowing significantly as prices rebounded.
Losses were estimated at around $150 million as BTC recovered to the mid-$75,000 range.
Strategy remains the world’s largest corporate bitcoin holder and has shown no signs of slowing its accumulation.
Saylor has hinted at further purchases in 2026, following the firm’s largest buy of the year on Jan. 20, when it acquired more than 22,000 BTC.
To support continued buying, Strategy recently increased the dividend on its Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock to 11.25%. Proceeds from preferred share sales have financed more than 27,000 BTC in recent acquisitions.
Strategy shares fell over 7% in premarket trading Monday to $138.49, marking a new multi-year low as bitcoin’s volatility weighed on sentiment across crypto-exposed equities.
Bitcoin is trading at $77,822, with 24-hour volume totaling $86 billion. The asset is down about 1% on the day, sitting roughly 1% below its seven-day high of $78,611 and around 4% above its seven-day low of $74,592.
BTC’s circulating supply stands at 19,982,656 coins, with a fixed maximum supply of 21 million. The total Bitcoin market capitalization is approximately $1.56 trillion, reflecting a 1% decline over the past 24 hours.
Jupiter said it has secured a $35 million strategic investment from ParaFi Capital, marking the first time the Solana-based onchain trading and liquidity aggregation protocol has taken outside capital after years of bootstrapped, profitable growth.
The transaction involved token purchases at market prices with no discount and an extended lockup period and was settled entirely in Jupiter’s JupUSD stablecoin, the companies said. Financial terms beyond the $35 million investment were not disclosed.
Source: Jupiter
The investment comes as Jupiter has processed more than $1 trillion in trading volume over the past year and expanded beyond swap routing into perpetuals, lending and stablecoins, according to the company.
The deal also included warrants allowing ParaFi Capital to acquire additional tokens at higher prices, a structure the companies said was intended to reflect long-term alignment.
The investment follows a recent expansion of Jupiter’s product offerings. In October, Jupiter rolled out a beta version of its onchain prediction market developed with Kalshi, followed in January by the launch of JupUSD, a Solana-native, dollar-pegged stablecoin built in partnership with Ethena Labs.
Jupiter’s native token (JUP) was up around 9% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data.
Source: CoinGecko
Related: VC Roundup: Crypto funding rebounds as institutions test onchain finance
Decentralized protocols attract VC attention
In 2025 and early 2026, venture firms have continued to deploy capital into decentralized protocols through token-based deals.
In October, a16z Crypto invested $50 million in Jito, a Solana-based liquid staking protocol, through a token-based deal that granted the firm an undisclosed allocation of Jito’s native tokens at a discount.
In January, Babylon, a decentralized protocol focused on Bitcoin-native staking and lending, raised $15 million from a16z Crypto through the sale of its BABY token, with the firm saying the funding would support development of the protocol’s onchain infrastructure.
Beyond decentralized finance, venture investors have also supported other categories of decentralized protocols in recent months.
In September, decentralized science platform Bio Protocol raised $6.9 million from investors including Maelstrom Fund and Animoca Brands to support the development of its AI-native, blockchain-based framework for biomedical research.
Last year, Humanity Protocol, a decentralized identity platform, raised $20 million from Pantera Capital and Jump Crypto at a reported $1.1 billion valuation to develop its Proof of Humanity onchain identity system based on biometric data.
Magazine: A ‘tsunami’ of wealth is headed for crypto: Nansen’s Alex Svanevik
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Ripple has cleared a crucial regulatory hurdle in Europe, unlocking the ability to scale regulated blockchain payment services across the EU and deepen institutional adoption as digital finance rules tighten. Ripple Breaks Into Europe’s Financial Core as Full EU EMI License Signals Green Light for Massive Expansion A major regulatory development is reshaping Ripple’s European […]
You can find out more about any person based on their likes, follows, hashtags and other activity on Instagram
Did you know that around 3 billion people use Instagram each month? It is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, alongside Facebook and WhatsApp.
People love using Instagram because it is a visual-based social media platform where users share pictures and short videos with their followers. Everyone, from individuals to businesses, shares millions of photos and videos daily to promote themselves or their brands and products.
However, did you know that you can also use Instagram to learn more about a person or business and what they like? Each post that they create is a clue to their interests, hobbies, activities, personalities, and habits. The more posts you look through, the more you will learn about that person or business.
The AI-Powered Instagram Activity Tracker
Manually searching through hundreds or thousands of Instagram posts is a time-consuming task for researching someone. What if there was a way to automate the research process to scan through thousands of posts within seconds? Now, there is a way, thanks to the power of AI technology.
Knowing what a person likes and who they follow and unfollow can tell you a lot about their personality and interests. If you are interested in dating someone, sending them a gift, or simply starting a conversation, you can learn everything you need to know by tracking their Instagram activity with Snoopreport.
Activity Report Generated Automatically
A 100% legal solution to monitor someone’s Instagram likes without installing an app
Snoopreport’s Instagram activity tracking reports will show you accurate information about the person’s Instagram account for the time period you searched. It lets you access the information from your Snoopreport account dashboard. You will see three key pieces of information and a button labeled “See Reports.” This allows you to know how to see what someone likes on Instagram, check their follows and unfollows, hashtags and much more!
When you click the “See Reports” button, you will access the complete set of comprehensive information about the person or brand based on their Instagram activity. The information you will see falls under the following categories:
Interests – Identify the user’s specific interests. Some examples of interests may include cinema, fashion, shopping, television shows, travel, art, politics, and so on. If you can learn more about a user’s interests, you can better understand how to appeal to them or how they may appeal to you.
Psychological Profile – What kind of mentality or personality does the person have? Are they highly sophisticated, cultured, or laid back? The Snoopreport activity report will give you keen insight into an Instagram user’s personality by identifying similar interests within specific industries. That will tell you more about their tastes and personal roles in influencing others.
Income – You won’t learn an Instagram user’s specific income figures or data, but you will get an idea as to their income range or bracket. For instance, if they regularly show interest in high-priced products or travel, one may conclude that they fall into a higher income bracket with above-average economic status.
Location – The report will identify the user’s specific country or city, so you know where they are in the world.
Education – Based on the user’s interests, you will gain some perspective into their education level and specific areas of expertise. You can likely determine whether the user has a higher level of education in a particular field of interest.
Unusual Aspects – Does the user have an unusual or concentrated interest in one particular niche market, or do they show interest in a diverse range of markets? Instagram tracker will pick up on any unusual aspects regarding their interests and activities.
Conversation Starters – The activity tracker report will provide recommendations on which questions to ask to start conversations with the user. These recommendations will be strictly relevant to the interests and activities detected on their Instagram profile.
Date Ideas – If you are considering going on a date with the user, the tracker report will give you some ideas for where to go. Once again, these ideas will be based on their specific interests and the places they like to go.
Who Should Use Snoopreport?
Snoopreport is ideal for individuals and professionals alike. Here are some common scenarios where you could benefit from using Snoopreport to track someone’s Instagram activity:
Search for gift ideas for your friends or family members
Keep an eye on your child’s Instagram activity and usage
Monitor your spouse or romantic partner to see if they are potentially cheating
Stay updated on what your favorite celebrities are doing
Stay updated on popular influencers and their activities
Research the business competition in your commercial marketplace
As you can see, Snoopreport’s Instagram activity tracking reports offer many benefits to individuals and businesses that need to monitor and research other people or companies.
Identify unusual aspects and user hobbies instantly with Snoopreport.
100% Legal and Ethical
Are you worried about the legal ramifications associated with tracking someone else’s Instagram activity?
The good news is that you have nothing to worry about. It is 100% legal and ethical to use Snoopreport’s AI-powered platform to track anyone’s Instagram activity, as this information is already public. The only thing the Snoopreport platform does is automatically research this public Instagram activity so you can save time researching it yourself.
Meanwhile, your research remains 100% private and discreet. The Instagram user will have no idea you are researching their activities. In fact, you don’t even need to install an app or scan through the user’s Instagram profile page. All you need is their Instagram username to begin the research on the Snoopreport platform. It is that simple and easy to get started.
Conclusion
Snoopreport has more than 500,000 users. They trust the platform because it is safe, secure, and highly effective in tracking the Instagram activity of any person, business, or account holder to learn more about them. All tracked Instagram views, likes, follows, and unfollows will compile into a comprehensive report, providing specific details on the user’s hobbies, personality, interests, and other vital information.
Alongside many of the world’s rich and powerful, some prominent leaders in the crypto industry are explaining their connections, however tenuous, with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) released millions of new files on Saturday, among which appeared the names of several prominent crypto figures.
The connections vary from passing mentions to possible investments and business ties with the disgraced former financier who was found dead in his prison cell in August 2019.
With public speculation mounting over the files’ contents and calls for prosecution, individuals named in the documents have begun addressing their links to Epstein, seeking to distance themselves from him. Others have not yet made public statements.
Inclusion in the files does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.
Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel, co-founder of payments platform PayPal and a major crypto investor, wrote an op-ed for the Financial Times in 2025, stating that the second term of US President Donald Trump would shed light on the Epstein files.
Invoking the Greek term “apokalypsis,” meaning “to bring into the light,” Thiel said that most Americans “mistrusted the official story that he died by suicide.” He argued that the Distributed Idea Suppression Complex (DICS), a conspiratorial term coined by Eric Weinstein, the managing director of Thiel Capital, “had lost total control of the narrative.”
Thiel had an extensive correspondence with Epstein, discussing world politics and Thiel’s lawsuit with Gawker and planning meetups. Epstein invested $40 million in Thiel’s Valar Ventures and even invited him to visit his notorious island in the Caribbean.
Epstein invites Thiel to the Caribbean. Source: DOJ
Despite this extended correspondence, Thiel representatives have told The New York Times that he never visited Epstein’s island.
Adam Back, Austin Hill and Joi Ito
In 2014, Epstein took part in the $18-million oversubscribed seed round of blockchain technology company Blockstream.
Throughout the deal, Epstein corresponded with co-founders Austin Hill and Adam Back. According to documents posted by the DOJ, Epstein’s personal investment of $50,000 in Blockstream was made through MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito’s fund.
Epstein invested in Blockstream. Source: DOJ
Back stated that the relationship began and ended with the investment. On X, he wrote, “A few months later, Ito’s fund divested its Blockstream shares due to a potential conflict of interest, and other concerns. Blockstream has no direct nor indirect financial connection with Jeffrey Epstein, or his estate.”
In 2015, Hill was seeking introductions with other influential individuals within Epstein’s orbit, such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and British private equity executive Blythe Masters.
Hill’s message re: Masters. Source: DOJ
Elon Musk
After a stint working with the Trump administration to cut government spending, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called for the government to release the Epstein files. In a since-deleted X post, Musk wrote:
Source: Ron Pragides
As recently as Sunday, Musk said that “there need to be prosecutions” of Epstein clients.
Musk had extensive correspondence with Epstein, which even mentioned having Musk’s SolarCity company electrify Epstein’s Caribbean island with solar power.
Other emails suggest social connections. At the end of 2012, Musk wrote, “Do you have any parties planned? I’ve been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose. The invitation is much appreciated, but a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I’m looking for.”
Epstein answered, “Understood , I will see you on st Barth, the ratio on my island might make Talilah [Musk’s ex-wife] uncomfortable.”
“Ratio is not a problem for Talulah,” answered Musk.
Source: DOJ
According to emails, the visit didn’t pan out. Musk wrote on Jan. 2, 2013, “Logistics won’t work this time around.”
In September 2013, Epstein asked Musk if he had any plans for the opening of the UN in New York. Musk responded, stating that he was too busy running SpaceX and Tesla. “Flying to NY to see UN diplomats do nothing would be an unwise use of time.”
Epstein responded, “Do you think i am retarded, . ? just kidding , there is no one over 25 and all very cute.”
Musk stated on X Monday that he had never been to an Epstein party, nor been on his island or notorious “Lolita Express” airplane.
Source: Elon Musk
Bryan Johnson
Longevity enthusiast and billionaire Bryan Johnson was also mentioned in the Epstein files. Though correspondence is limited to setting up a call between Epstein and Johnson, the details of which were described in an X post:
Source: Bryan Johnson
Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick, US secretary of commerce under the Trump administration, also visited Epstein’s island with his wife and children in December 2012. According to an email with Allison Lutnick, the commerce secretary’s wife, the family met up with Epstein while on their own vacation on a yacht from Caneel Bay.
According to a 2011 schedule, the two also met for drinks in May 2011.
Lutnick has reportedly made an effort to distance any involvement he had with Epstein. According to CNBC, Lutnick said he cut off ties with Epstein decades ago and called him “gross.”
Brock Pierce
Cryptocurrency investors and Tether co-founder Brock Pierce wrote on several occasions to Epstein regarding cryptocurrency.
In 2011, the two arranged a meeting in New York, and other emails regarding scheduling calls and Google Meets were referenced in the DOJ database.
In 2015, Pierce sent Epstein an email describing investment opportunities in US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and discussing Epstein’s investment in Blockstream. Further emails between Pierce and Epstein’s accountant, Richard Khan, suggest that the former was brokering a deal for an investment in Coinbase.
Pierce’s email with Khan. Source: DOJ
In a heavily redacted screenshot of a WhatsApp group from May 2018, a photo of Pierce is featured. One chat participant, supposedly Epstein, acknowledged that Pierce taught him “all about crypto.”
Screenshot from the WhatsApp chat. Source: DOJ
Pierce did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.
Michael Saylor
Strategy chair Michael Saylor appears in the Epstein files through third-party correspondence. The documents do not show any direct communications between Saylor and Epstein but instead reference him in emails exchanged between Epstein and New York-based publicist Peggy Siegal.
She described Saylor as “a nice guy who just wants to upgrade his social life” in March 2010. She also noted Saylor’s boat, a “160 foot Fed ship.”
A couple of months later, Siegal recounted a dinner party at which Saylor was present. She said he was “sort of like a zombie on a drug. We had smart directors sitting next to him and his idiot gorgeous date and could not get any conversation out of him except ‘I have a yacht I am taking to Cannes.’”
An earlier email from James Coleman of Hanley Advisors, who was also clued into the conversation, suggested that Saylor “is a typical computer guy who is trying to break out into social acceptance?? Think he has been taking wrong route from what I can tell and thrown slot of money and attracting mostly the wrong crowd.”
“I think David Reuben might be a better boat owner (242)…he seems like a more stable new friend.”
Saylor did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.
Millions of files released, but prosecution unlikely
The DOJ released millions of records to the public in what it claims is a fulfillment of its public duties regarding the case. In addition to the figures listed above are far more incriminating documents that implicate even a member of the British royal family.
Survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes have decried the manner in which the Trump administration has released the documents. The names of possible wrongdoers are heavily redacted, while the identities of victims are not protected.
Victims’ attorney Brad Edwards said, “We are getting constant calls from victims because their names – despite them never coming forward, being completely unknown to the public – have all just been released for public consumption.”
Another victims’ attorney, Jennifer Freeman, said the “handling of the Epstein files has been a mess from the start, filled with […] ham-fisted redactions, while exposing the identities of survivors.”
The DOJ signaled that it is not prepared to pursue prosecutions based on the newly released material.
Magazine: 6 weirdest devices people have used to mine Bitcoin and crypto
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That means there is no center. To make a pun, no “core.” Bitcoin exists because of everyone participating in some way; buying and hodling, sending and receiving, running a node, mining, building some service or protocol on top of it. It exists as the culmination of everyone adding their contributing piece of the whole.
But underneath all of those contributions and pieces, Bitcoin is ultimately a network run by software. Without that software, no one can buy and hodl, no one can send and receive, or run a node, or mine, or contribute any piece to form any whole. Without software, there is no Bitcoin.
Software doesn’t write itself. People have to write that software.
Many people have filled that role over the years. The first was Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator. After him came people like Martti Malmi, Hal Finney, and many others in the years after. All of them are why Bitcoin is still here functioning today.
Because software development is such a highly specialized field, much of the work of Bitcoin developers goes unnoticed, unappreciated, and in many cases not even understood by a large swath of the people around the world who own and use bitcoin.
This issue aims to bring a greater depth of understanding of the work done on Bitcoin Core, the predominant software implementation of the Bitcoin protocol. The articles inside go through past work done to improve Bitcoin Core, as well as the Bitcoin protocol in general, work coming to fruition in the near future, and some of the general thinking behind how developers approach different problems.
Many of the articles are written by developers contributing to Bitcoin Core themselves.
It has been my absolute pleasure to work on taking this issue from an idea to the physical copy you hold in your hand right now, and help these developers to explain their work to you themselves.
Hopefully you walk away with a greater understanding of what it has taken to keep Bitcoin functioning all of these years, and what it will take for many years to come.
-Shinobi
Don’t miss your chance to own The Core Issue — featuring articles written by many Core Developers explaining the projects they work on themselves!
This piece is the Letter from the Editor featured in the latest Print edition of Bitcoin Magazine, The Core Issue. We’re sharing it here as an early look at the ideas explored throughout the full issue.
Rosa María González was arrested four years after the collapse of Generación Zoe scam.
Complex diplomatic situation makes extradition difficult, police admit.
González was allegedly plotting the launch of a new scam while in Venezuela.
Venezuelan police have arrested Rosa María González, one of the suspected masterminds behind Generación Zoe, an Argentine crypto scam that left tens of thousands of investors out of pocket to the tune of at least $120 million.
The scam’s masterminds offered investors returns of up to 7.5% on their stakes.
Police in San Cristóbal, in the Venezuelan state of Táchira, apprehended González almost exactly a year after the scam’s kingpin, Leonardo Cositorto, was jailed for 12 years in Argentina.
Cositorto told investigators González had fled with 611 Bitcoin, worth $56 million after Generación Zoe collapsed in mid-2022, the Argentine newspaper Clarín reported.
“Hopefully, she will tell the truth, and we can recover the [investors’ lost] money, because we were left with nothing,” an unnamed source close to Cositorto told Clarín.
Crypto-related crime is on the rise globally, with a South Korean plastic surgery chief using crypto to embezzle customers’ payments and a mass address poisoning attack targeting Ethereum wallets.
“Quantum security” features
Generación Zoe promised investors massive returns, claiming to use market-predicting bots and its own gold-backed cryptoasset.
Investigators discovered it was actually a Ponzi scheme, with older investors paying “dividends” drawn from newer investors’ stakes.
González reportedly introduced Cositorto to the idea of using trading algorithms that she had created. She claimed the algorithms featured “quantum security” features and “could generate returns of up to 70% per month.”
“It’s the most advanced crypto trading algorithm out there,” she told would-be investors in a video. “It doesn’t exist anywhere else. But we have it right here.”
After evading police detection in Buenos Aires by using private security firms, González reportedly fled to Venezuela. From there, she reportedly worked with associates from her time at Zoe on a new scam project, according to the newspaper.
González allegedly sent one individual money so he could quit his job and dedicate himself entirely to the new project.
The new scam, Clarín wrote, involved promising Argentine investors 5% monthly returns on stakes of at least $1,000, with investors paying for their stakes in crypto.
González reportedly wanted to tell investors about the launch of a new platform, also powered by trading bots, this time purportedly developed by companies based in the UK.
Repatriating González will not be a simple process, Interpol officials told the newspaper. Diplomatic relations between Caracas and Buenos Aires were effectively severed in July 2024, following Venezuelan elections that Argentina’s government called “fraudulent.”
Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him at tdalper@dlnews.com.
