In his keynote address, Trump promised to fire Gary Gensler on Day 1 of his administration, which was met with a roar of applause from the audience. He also proposed the creation of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve using the 200,000 BTC seized by the Department of Justice. Trump told audience members Bitcoin is “going to the moon” and to never sell the digital asset, as it may one day surpass the market cap of gold. He hopes to make the United States the crypto capital of the planet and Bitcoin superpower of the world.
Various Democratic House and Congress members wrote a public letter to the chair of the DNC urging them to “take a forward-looking approach to digital assets and blockchain technology.” They call on the party to add pro-crypto language to the party platform, select a VP candidate with crypto knowledge, a pro-innovation SEC Chair, and lean on industry experts to create better policy.
Electric Capital's "Crypto Market Map" now features over 1,700 crypto projects, with significant contributions from 233 community members who added projects to the market map categories. The map categorizes projects across six layers from user-facing apps to foundational infrastructure, highlighting the role of regular community input to keep the database current and reflective of ongoing developments in the crypto space.
EigenLayer's Actively Validated Services will soon gain the ability to reward stakers and operators for securing their protocols. 4% of the EIGEN supply will go towards further rewarding stakers as a rewards boost. Details on EigenLayer's Season 2 stakedrop will be announced by the Eigen Foundation soon.
AAVE is revamping its staking mechanism and safety module to increase the appeal and sustainability of the AAVE token. The team is considering eliminating slashing risks, using borrowing activity revenue for rewards, and shifting from using staked AAVE for bad debts to using aTokens for added yields. These changes, still in the temperature check phase, aim to enhance token stability and attractiveness, although details on revenue allocation for stakers and incentives for restakers are yet to be determined.
If elected, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promises to make Bitcoin non-taxable and direct the treasury to buy 4 million BTC, saying it would make Bitcoin worth “hundreds of trillions of dollars.” MicroStrategy's Michael Saylor explained that his 2045 bear case is $3M, base case is $13M, and bull case is $49M per coin.
The State of Michigan Retirement System has invested $6.6 million in the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, marking it as the second pension fund to invest in spot bitcoin ETFs, signaling a growing institutional interest in crypto assets. Previously, Wisconsin's investment board reported substantial holdings in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, indicating a trend towards longer-term institutional investments in bitcoin.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·2 min read·TLDR Crypto Successful prediction markets rely heavily on regularity. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have high customer acquisition costs and need to retain users who will consistently bet large amounts over time. Regular, recurring markets like sports events or economic indicators are most effective here, whereas less frequent events like elections, which don't encourage repetitive betting, will have lower long-term value.
Coinbase is planning a tokenized money-market fund in a push towards the real-world asset sector.
Helius is now the number one validator on Solana, surpassing both Galaxy and Coinbase.
30 celebrity tokens were launched on Solana by figures like Andrew Tate and Soulja Boy last month, sparking significant initial interest.
Stability AI has unveiled Stable Video 4D, a novel generative AI model built on its existing Stable Video Diffusion and Stable Video 3D models. Unlike traditional 3D models, Stable Video 4D produces videos from 8 different perspectives over time using dynamic object datasets. This cutting-edge technology is expected to be influential in sectors like movie production, gaming, and AR/VR.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·3 min read·TLDR Design The new Mazda logo redesign aims to modernize the brand, shedding its dated 1990s emblem for a flatter, more angular version. This change aligns Mazda with recent trends in other car manufacturers over the past five years. This contemporary update is timely and sensible as part of Mazda's effort to move upmarket.
Adobe faces an FTC lawsuit for allegedly misleading consumers about early termination fees (ETFs) for its Creative Cloud subscriptions, which the FTC claims were not disclosed. Internal documents revealed Adobe executives were aware of consumer confusion and dissatisfaction. Although Adobe's general counsel argued that the company had already started improving its subscription practices before the FTC's involvement, he acknowledged the complexity of displaying the ETF calculation on the order screen.
Dribbble's mission is to help designers earn a living by maximizing user interactions and transactions. Over 80% of content is discovered via search rather than feeds. A new search algorithm increased relevance and user engagement but reduced the diversity of designers engaged, prompting ongoing tests of new algorithms and ranking signals to improve engagement.
Starting at Lyft's design systems team, Namika Varma-Chang transitioned from feature design to focusing on mature design systems. At Lyft, she learned to balance the slower, detailed design systems process with the fast-paced product development environment. Her first project, a validation message component, highlighted the importance of thorough audits, collaborative design, and systems thinking to ensure clarity and consistency across the product.
The future of AI in design and software development is rapidly evolving, with companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Apple integrating these technologies into everyday workflows while grappling with their complexities. As we move past the "peak of inflated expectations," there is a shift towards subtle, integrated AI that enhances user interactions and productivity, reflecting the "supernormal" design approach.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·12 min read·TLDR Design A source of web design ideas dedicated to landing pages that pages like home can filter, pricing, about, sign up, and more.
Sendune is a user-friendly open-source platform that effortlessly creates beautiful, professional email designs. It features customizable templates, drag-and-drop tools, and real-time collaboration for seamless team workflows.
The WCAG Plugin for Figma integrates accessibility guidelines into your design process, offering guideline searches, notation cards, and utility tokens.
Discoverability, distinct from learnability and communicability, is the user's ability to find, understand, and use a system's features. Improving it involves employing strategies like using written instructions and gradual feature introduction. Noticeability doesn't guarantee discoverability - users must also comprehend the element's function.
2024.07.29·uxpsychology.substack.com·9 min read·TLDR Design Box shadows can create impressive visual effects, but their use in design must be creative. This article explores the extremes of box-shadow usage, pushing the boundaries of what's possible, from simple depth illusions to complex 3D effects and animations. It highlights box shadows' versatility and potential pitfalls, showcasing creative yet impractical examples for fun and experimentation.
Information architecture in web design has become less prevalent, often overshadowed by user experience design, Agile delivery, and Lean UX, which emphasize incremental development over comprehensive planning. This shift was seen with the launch of GOV.UK and the rise of service. Interaction design can lead to consistency, clarity, and usability issues.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·12 min read·TLDR Design Creating error-tolerant interfaces involves designing systems that minimize the impact of user errors and make recovery easy.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·9 min read·TLDR Design Apple might drop its "Plus" models, starting with the iPhone 17, in favor of a premium "Slim" version, reflecting Apple's shift towards sleeker, more powerful devices and potentially setting new industry standards.
"Comics 1964-2024" is a comprehensive monograph accompanying a Paris exhibition that celebrates six decades of influential comic art across Europe, Asia, and the USA.
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Runway is everything for startups. Your banking solution should help you to make the most out of every dollar and reach the next phase of growth in a better position.
The AI startup landscape is experiencing a shift, with a decrease in the number of early-stage companies being funded, while large established players continue to attract significant investments. Venture dollars are still flowing into the space despite the cooling of the hype surrounding Generative AI, particularly toward companies with strong technical foundations, unique value propositions, and sustainable revenue streams. AI-native startups that have found product-market fit are scaling rapidly as the market continues to evolve, paving the way for potential IPOs.
2024.07.29·aspiringforintelligence.substack.com·6 min read·TLDR Founders AI agents are revolutionizing customer service by handling complex tasks like setting up speakers, refreshing radios, and processing returns. Developing these agents involves a collaborative process of defining journeys, building detailed specifications, and continuously monitoring and improving performance using AI-powered tools. The real learning and improvement happens after launch, as the agents handle more interactions and gather insights, requiring close collaboration between customer experience and technology teams.
Rows, a spreadsheet software company, experienced significant growth over the past few years through rapid experimentation and strategic decisions. By focusing on its ideal customer profile, leveraging AI features, and making bold moves like removing its homepage, it was able to increase its user base from 10,000 to 1 million users. Moving forward, Rows plans to continue investing in its product, exploring additional acquisition channels, and building product-led distribution channels to reach its goal of 1 billion users.
Tapping into a person's sense of identity can be a powerful motivator, encouraging them to take action and engage with a community. Reframing actions as identities, such as "Become a pro user" rather than "Upgrade your plan," makes individuals more likely to participate and feel a sense of belonging. This approach can be further amplified through subtle cues, like using specific emojis, to create a shared identity and foster loyalty.
SaaS founders face a critical decision between prioritizing growth or profitability in the current economic climate. While some acquirers prefer high-growth opportunities and others favor steady cash cows, companies that are neither growing nor generating profits risk eroding their value. SaaS founders should assess their ability to accelerate growth realistically and, if not feasible, shift their focus towards achieving healthy profit margins to maximize their company's valuation.
The 1-3-5 method is an efficient approach to content creation that involves creating one substantial piece of content and then breaking it down into multiple smaller pieces. By extracting three core ideas from the main content and transforming each idea into five micro-pieces, creators can produce a variety of consistent, valuable content that caters to different audience preferences without overwhelming themselves.
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A set of landing page components and templates that you can copy and paste into your codebase. Made for React and built on top of Tailwind CSS.
Create high-quality music in seconds with Brev.ai for your videos, social media, and more.
Momentum is a powerful force in the world of startups, venture capital, and individual investors. The best founders and investors are able to create, nurture, and manage momentum to their advantage, while those who lose it often struggle to recover. However, overconfidence can lead to downfall, so it's important to remain humble and vigilant even when riding a wave of success.
When it comes to selling a product, it's not always about the product itself but about its benefits to the buyer. By digging deeper and finding the "benefit of a benefit," businesses can uncover unique and compelling ways to pitch their product and resonate with their target audience. This approach involves analyzing the benefits and downsides of a product and identifying the secondary or tertiary benefits that can be used to create effective marketing copy.
Effective communication is key to building strong relationships, whether personal or professional. By using simple yet powerful prompts like "Tell me more," "Could you share an example?", "What led you to this decision?", and "What does support look like to you?", individuals can foster open and honest dialogue, gain a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives, and work towards finding common ground. This approach helps to break down barriers, resolve conflicts, and ultimately leads to more productive and meaningful conversations.
The SaaS industry is currently experiencing a mixed performance, with about 10% of companies thriving, often fueled by AI, while another 20% are doing well by targeting end consumers outside of the tech sector.
The tech industry is shifting its focus from big data to artificial intelligence (AI), with major players like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft investing tens of billions of dollars in AI data centers.
Venture capital firms are showing signs of renewed confidence, with US venture funds and SPVs calling $7 billion in capital during the first half of 2024, a significant increase from the previous year.
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Manual penetration testing will only get you so far, and most companies rarely find the time and resources to do it regularly.
A Python package named "lr-utils-lib" was found to have hidden malicious code targeting macOS systems to steal Google Cloud Platform credentials. The malware sends harvested credentials to a remote server and is linked to a fake LinkedIn profile, raising concerns about social engineering tactics and AI verification challenges. This incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity practices, such as vetting third-party packages and critically evaluating information from AI sources, in preventing potential security risks for individuals and enterprises.
Gemini cryptocurrency exchange disclosed a data breach involving banking information of some customers. The breach was caused by a cyberattack on a third-party service provider. Gemini is advising impacted individuals to stay vigilant and take measures to protect their bank accounts from potential fraud.
A critical bug in Docker Engine lets attackers bypass authorization plugins in certain versions by sending API requests with no content, leading to potential unauthorized actions like privilege escalation. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-41110, affects specific versions of Docker Engine up to v27.1.0 and Docker Desktop up to version 4.32.0. It can be mitigated by updating to the latest patched versions, avoiding AuthZ plugins, and restricting access to the Docker API.
The Mercari Security team discusses its process for creating a tool to map an attack surface. The first iteration of the tool sought to scan IaC for domains and scan them using the Burp Enterprise API. This strategy failed, as their IaC did not contain all domains. The next iteration involved directly querying asset inventories from AWS and GCP and then spinning up a GCR task to utilize a Chromium browser to take screenshots and then visualize the hostnames and IP addresses found.
This blog post discusses how Named Pipes can be used by attackers for Command and Control and how defenders like EDRs can detect these usages. Attackers can exploit named pipes to move laterally within a network. Monitoring named pipe creation and communication patterns can help detect malicious activities.
2024.07.29·links.tldrnewsletter.com·17 min read·TLDR InfoSec