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Taiwan’s central bank has made significant strides in its central bank digital currency (CBDC) research, revealing a prototype platform. According… Continue reading Taiwan Advances CBDC Development, unveils prototype
The post Taiwan Advances CBDC Development, unveils prototype appeared first on ReadWrite.

Taiwan’s central bank has made significant strides in its central bank digital currency (CBDC) research, revealing a prototype platform.

According to a recent report by a local news outlet, the central bank’s plans to conduct multiple hearings and forums in the coming year to further its CBDC study and development. Central Bank Governor Chin-Long Yang emphasized in a recent research report that developing a digital currency is not a race among nations.

The bank has not set a definitive timeline for CBDC issuance, according to the Central News Agency. Yang is set to present the CBDC development progress report to Taiwan’s parliament, the Legislative Yuan, on Wednesday.

The prototype platform features a two-tier issuance structure and will initially offer a non-interest bearing currency. It will support both anonymous and registered wallet options.

On the retail front, the platform has demonstrated a processing capacity of 20,000 transactions per second. The central bank also plans to develop a wholesale CBDC, which could serve as a clearing asset for tokenized assets.

Taiwan’s interest in CBDC is not new

Taiwan initiated its CBDC research in 2019 and has completed two testing phases. The central bank maintains a cautious approach toward potential CBDC issuance. Notably, the bank distinguishes its CBDC research from cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, which remain largely unregulated in Taiwan. However, crypto service providers must comply with anti-money laundering (AML) laws.

Recent developments in Taiwan’s crypto landscape include the formation of an industry association to create self-supervisory rules and proposed amendments to AML laws. These amendments would require crypto firms to register for compliance, with potential penalties including imprisonment for non-compliance.

Following in The Bahamas’ footsteps

The Bahamas, a pioneer in launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC) called the Sand Dollar, is now developing regulations to boost its adoption. As ReadWrite recently reported, the Caribbean nation plans to mandate commercial banks to offer access to this digital currency, aiming to expand its reach. Despite being launched in 2020, the Sand Dollar has seen limited uptake so far.

Recent data shows some growth, with the currency’s circulation volume increasing by 60.8% to $1.7 million by the end of 2023, and personal wallets growing by 20% to reach 118,955. The Sand Dollar’s development began in the late 1990s as part of efforts to modernize the country’s payment systems, with a pilot program launched in 2019 and a nationwide rollout in October 2020.

Featured Image: Pixabay

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The meme coin market is abuzz with a new contender: Billy. This adorable dog-themed coin has seen explosive growth, reaching… Continue reading BILLY’s Potential Surge to a Billion-Dollar Market Cap – Can This P2E Meme Coin Follow Suit?
The post BILLY’s Potential Surge to a Billion-Dollar Market Cap – Can This P2E Meme Coin Follow Suit? appeared first on ReadWrite.

The meme coin market is abuzz with a new contender: Billy. This adorable dog-themed coin has seen explosive growth, reaching a market cap of $170 million.

While the broader crypto market experiences a downturn, BILLY surges to new highs, captivating investor attention.

Further bolstering the momentum within the meme coin space, PlayDoge, another emerging project, has generated significant buzz.

Its presale has already secured an impressive $5.4 million, highlighting the ongoing interest in innovative meme coin concepts.

Billy’s (BILLY) price prediction

The Billy (BILLY) token is currently priced at $0.1576, marking a 14.41% increase over the past day, a remarkable 162.35% increase over the past week, and an impressive 148.96% increase over the past month.

Despite other meme coins experiencing price declines, the $BILLY token appears to be on an upward trajectory in the coming days. $BILLY had maintained a steady $100 million market cap for some time, but recent surges have propelled it to all-time highs.

With the current market capitalization now at $170 million, the coin’s rapid ascent underscores strong bullish momentum. Comparisons with other successful meme coins like $WIF token, which achieved a $1.8 billion market cap, indicate that $BILLY holds significant growth potential.

Given the current positive sentiment, there is a realistic possibility that $BILLY could reach a market cap of $1 billion, translating to a substantial 6X return on investment.

While this growth may not occur linearly, achieving intermediate milestones such as $300 million or $500 million market caps would reinforce $BILLY’s path towards becoming a prominent blue-chip meme coin.

The Billy token distinguishes itself with its engaging and memeable branding, centered around a cute dog similar to Doge but with its own unique twist.

One of the standout features of the $BILLY token is the development of a bot that allows users to create their own memes, enhancing its appeal and utility in the meme coin community.

Additionally, Billy has garnered support from various influencers, further driving its popularity and market presence.

With its current trajectory, $BILLY is well-positioned to join the ranks of prominent meme coins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe. Its strong community support and innovative features make it a compelling investment opportunity in the meme coin space.

Best alternative meme coin on presale: PlayDoge (PLAY)

PlayDoge is a new mobile game in the P2E genre that has garnered significant attention during its presale phase. It has raised over $5.4 million and offers a unique combination of nostalgic Tamagotchi-style gameplay with modern cryptocurrency rewards.

Players nurture digital pets within an 8-bit world, engaging in activities such as feeding, training, and mini-games. $PLAY tokens, the primary in-game currency, are earned through these interactions and achievements.

These tokens serve a dual purpose: facilitating in-game transactions and acting as tradable assets on cryptocurrency markets.

Source – PlayDoge Twitter

The P2E mechanics are central to PlayDoge’s design. Players accumulate XP by caring for their pets and succeeding in mini-games. Leaderboard systems reward top earners with additional $PLAY tokens and exclusive in-game rewards, fostering a competitive community.

Participation in PlayDoge is facilitated through MetaMask wallets, allowing users to purchase tokens during the presale or on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) after launch.

The project offers flexibility in purchase options, accepting various cryptocurrencies and even credit card payments. PlayDoge has established a substantial online presence, particularly on platforms like X and Telegram.

This active community fosters discussions, updates, and feedback, contributing to the ongoing development of the PlayDoge ecosystem. To take part in the $PLAY token presale, visit playdoge.io.

Conclusion

Both Billy and PlayDoge exemplify the dynamic opportunities within the meme coin and P2E sectors of cryptocurrency. Billy’s impressive market performance underscores its potential for significant gains.

PlayDoge’s innovative approach to gaming and tokenomics, on the other hand, sets the stage for a promising future. For investors seeking exposure to high-growth segments of the crypto market, Billy and PlayDoge represent compelling choices.

Stay tuned for further developments as these projects continue to make waves. If you’re looking to invest in meme coins, these two are definitely worth considering.

If you’re interested in the absolute best initial coin offerings (ICOs) of 2024, explore our comprehensive guide featuring the most promising options.

Related

Top Meme Coins to Watch During a Bear Market – dogwifhat, PlayDoge, and Pepe Unchained

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The “largest password compilation” with approximately 10 billion unique passwords has been leaked on a popular hacking forum, presenting significant… Continue reading ‘Largest password leak ever’ exposes 10 billion credentials
The post ‘Largest password leak ever’ exposes 10 billion credentials appeared first on ReadWrite.

The “largest password compilation” with approximately 10 billion unique passwords has been leaked on a popular hacking forum, presenting significant risks for users who reuse passwords.

Researchers at Cybernews uncovered a file named rockyou2024.txt, containing 9,948,575,739 unique plaintext passwords. This file was posted by a forum user known as ObamaCare, who only recently joined the forum but has been active in sharing data from various breaches.

The file is described by researchers as a mixture of old and new data breaches, pointing out that it does not represent a single new breach involving 10 billion passwords. They explained that the RockYou2024 leak includes passwords that are commonly used by people worldwide, thereby significantly increasing the risk of credential stuffing attacks where attackers use stolen passwords to attempt access to unrelated services.

For example, someone might use a password obtained from the Frontier Communications breach to see if you use the same password for your bank account.

The researchers elaborated on potential threats, stating, “Threat actors could exploit the RockYou2024 password compilation to conduct brute-force attacks and gain unauthorized access to various online accounts.”

RockYou2021 data breach

They also showed that this compilation is an evolved form of a previous leak named RockYou2021, which had 8.4 billion passwords and originated from a 2009 data breach but had expanded significantly by 2021.

The team analyzed that attackers likely built the RockYou2024 dataset by collecting additional passwords from subsequent leaks, increasing the total by 15 per cent over three years. This compilation now includes data possibly accumulated from over 4,000 databases spanning more than two decades.

The team also warned that the extensive RockYou2024 compilation could be used to target any system vulnerable to brute-force attacks, ranging from online services to industrial hardware.

They also noted the compounding threat posed when this data is combined with other leaked information, such as user email addresses from other databases, which can lead to widespread financial fraud and identity theft.

What should users do?

Data security isn’t always within our control, especially in the face of constant data breaches. It’s important for users to take proactive steps and remain vigilant to prevent cybercriminal attacks.

Here are a few measures users can implement:

Reset passwords for any accounts sharing the same credentials (email and password)
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts to introduce an additional layer of security
Use a password manager to create and manage secure, complex, and unique passwords for different accounts effortlessly.

Featured image: Canva

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The cryptocurrency market is down, with PEPE crashing and the sentiment turning towards a bear market. However, a new 100x… Continue reading Best Altcoin to Buy During a Bear Market – Next 100X Meme Coin Gem?
The post Best Altcoin to Buy During a Bear Market – Next 100X Meme Coin Gem? appeared first on ReadWrite.

The cryptocurrency market is down, with PEPE crashing and the sentiment turning towards a bear market. However, a new 100x opportunity could change things: Pepe Unchained.

This new meme coin is surging, having raised $2.7 million already. Today, we’re diving deep into this exciting presale gem that’s generating a lot of buzz.

Pepe Unchained has been widely discussed across crypto media platforms in recent days, showing substantial growth. In this article, we thoroughly analyze and explore the details of this project.

Pepe Unchained presale surpasses $2.7 million

Pepe Unchained’s presale has quickly become very popular. It raised $2.7 million in early funding within just three weeks, which is impressive for a new meme coin project. Right now, investors can purchase $PEPU tokens for only $0.0083258 each.

Pepe Unchained’s team accepts payments in ETH, BNB, USDT, and cards. They are not strict about payment methods. However, time is running out. The presale price will increase periodically during the campaign, with the next increase happening in one day and ten hours.

It’s not just money that’s coming in. Pepe Unchained is building a large online community, with over 5,400 followers on X and 2,200 members on Telegram already.

Pepe Unchained is the new meme coin everyone is talking about. From early investors to prominent experts, its immediate success in the presale is generating widespread excitement. Many people are betting on $PEPU’s future.

Pepe Unchained: Pioneering a Layer-2 platform for meme coins

Pepe Unchained isn’t your average meme coin. It merges crypto’s technology and culture frontiers. Similar to other layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum and Polygon, Pepe Unchained will process transactions off the main Ethereum network, promising speeds 100x faster and much lower costs.

While there are many popular L2 solutions available, none are exclusively dedicated to meme coins, making Pepe Unchained truly groundbreaking. Inspired by the iconic Pepe meme, it aims to create a dynamic environment for developers and meme coin enthusiasts alike.

Pepe is hard at work!

His Layer 2 blockchain is coming out soon. Stay tuned for the launch! 🐸 ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/ouHZNluT0n

— Pepe Unchained (@pepe_unchained) July 5, 2024

Beyond meme coins, developers can build specialized dApps, games, and more within Pepe Unchained’s ecosystem. The potential is limitless, and the viral appeal of meme coins positions Pepe Unchained for rapid adoption upon launch.

Additionally, there will be a built-in bridge connecting Ethereum and Pepe Unchained networks, facilitating seamless cryptocurrency transfers between them.

The project is also developing a block explorer for transparency, akin to Ethereum’s etherscan, enabling users to track transactions and view wallet data on Pepe Unchained.

This early momentum is significant. By combining meme culture with layer-2 technology, Pepe Unchained’s team is capitalizing on two of crypto’s most popular trends. If they can execute their plans, we could be witnessing a meme project with enormous potential for growth.

Pepe Unchained offers high APY staking

Pepe Unchained isn’t just faster and cheaper than Ethereum; it also stands out with its staking rewards. According to its whitepaper, the network’s lower operating costs will reserve more tokens for the community, distributed through staking rewards.

The whitepaper suggests stakers will receive “double the rewards,” but in reality, the rewards are significantly higher. Staking is currently active, offering an impressive 685% APY. Compared to Ethereum’s maximum 7% APY, Pepe Unchained offers stakers 10x the rewards.

When considering the potential for $PEPU’s price to appreciate, this makes Pepe Unchained one of the most promising cryptocurrencies available. However, it’s important to note that the allocation of Pepe Unchained’s staking rewards is limited, meaning returns will decrease as more tokens are staked.

Currently, over $233 million worth of $PEPU tokens have been staked. For those looking to maximize their returns through compounding, acting promptly is advisable.

To take part in the $PEPU token presale, visit pepeunchained.com.

Related

Pepe Unchained Presale Raises Over $2 Million Despite Market Slump – Could This Be the Next 10x Crypto?
Pepe Unchained Meme Token ICO Hits $2 Million – Could PEPU See a Post-Launch Surge Like PEPE?

The post Best Altcoin to Buy During a Bear Market – Next 100X Meme Coin Gem? appeared first on ReadWrite.

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Elden Ring is a massive game in scope and scale. Even after you’ve defeated the game’s vast quantity of bosses… Continue reading All the Elden Ring endings explained and how to get them
The post All the Elden Ring endings explained and how to get them appeared first on ReadWrite.

Elden Ring is a massive game in scope and scale. Even after you’ve defeated the game’s vast quantity of bosses and made your way to the heart of the Erdtree, it’s time to choose your ending.

Naturally, Elden Ring has more than creator FromSoftware’s other games, with six possible endings to your time in the Lands Between.

Players who have the the DLC Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree take note – once you’ve finished the DLC and seen its ending, you can travel back into the Lands Between and finish off the first game to see one of its endings.

While the game will always culminate in the climactic boss rush in Leyndell and a showdown with the Elden Beast, what the player does in the run-up to the finale will determine which of the six endings they can obtain. Check out our guide to the endings and the steps to take to get each one in this handy Elden Ring endings guide.

The 4 Elden Lord endings

There are three achievements for finishing Elden Ring, and you can get one of them, the Elden Lord achievement, for four different endings. Despite covering over half the possible endings, it’s not the most common game completion achievement, and only 36% of Steam players have snagged it.

The Age of Fracture ending

This could be considered the ‘default’ ending, and it’s the ending players will get if they don’t do any sidequests or meet any extra requirements. In this, the player becomes the Elden Lord, maintaining the status quo as ordained by the Greater Will. The player mends the Elden Ring and brings order to the Lands Between.

You have used your runes to mend the Elden Ring, but to what end? Will the cycle start again with some new lowly tarnished looking to change fate? This ending leaves a lot of room for ‘what comes after’, much like the endings in Dark Souls where players choose to relight the first flame.

How to obtain the Age of Fracture ending

No unusual prerequisites are needed
Beat the game as detailed in our progression guide
When prompted, select the ‘Mend the Elden Ring’ option after the final boss fight

The Age of the Duskborn ending

This is the ending that Fia, the Deathbed Companion, is looking to achieve. Naturally, this means players will need to finish Fia’s questline (and some of Ranni’s) to get this ending. In this ending, Fia severs the connection between Erdtree and the cycle of renewal present through the Lands Between. Those Who Live In Death can’t be persecuted if everyone’s the same kind of zombie.

Souls stop returning to the Erdtree, which dies as a result. It becomes a blackened, zombie tree, spreading Deathblight through the lands – but nobody cares because everyone lives on after death. ‘Duskborn’ refers to the rebirth into death faced the first time you ‘die’. A bleak ending indeed, and one that Fia is very clear about wanting to achieve. You brought it on yourself.

How to obtain the Age of the Duskborn ending

Complete Ranni’s questline up to obtaining the Carian Inverted Statue by defeating Radahn and fetching the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron
Complete Fia’s questline by killing the Fia’s Champions boss in Deeproot Depths, obtaining the Cursemark of Death, defeating the Lichdragon Fortissax, and getting the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince
Beat the game
When prompted, select the ‘Use Mending Rune of the Death-Prince’ option after the final boss fight

The Age of Order ending

The Age of Order ending takes the status quo maintained by the player in the Age of Fracture and ramps it up to eleven. The Elden Lord creates a new Golden Order to rule over, with no chaos and no interference from those pesky Outer Gods or any silly free will. Sitting in diametric opposition to chaos, the Greater Will demands order.

While nothing seems wrong with this ending at first, it wouldn’t be very FromSoftware to have a ‘good’ ending. If you look deeper than the surface level, life under the Perfect Order of the Greater Will is repressive, with no freedom. It’s not a bad ending by any means, but it isn’t a cheerful one.

How to get the Age of Order ending

Complete the Brother Corhyn and Goldmask questline – note that you need at least 37 intelligence to progress past a certain point (you could always rebirth to get the stats needed and then rebirth back again if magic’s not for you)
Beat the game
When prompted, select the ‘Use Mending Rune of Perfect Order’ option after the final boss fight

The Blessing of Despair ending

This is probably as close as Elden Ring gets to a ‘bad ending’ in the traditional sense. In the Blessing of Despair (and blessing seems like a strange word to be using here), the player works with the Loathsome Dungeater to take the curse he is afflicted with and apply it to reality itself by using it to mend the Elden Ring. Yuck.

Dung Eater has become so damaged and deranged by his curse that he has started to see it as a blessing he wants to share with the world. Souls can no longer return to the Erdtree, resulting in an age of despair and rot forever.

How to achieve the Blessing of Despair ending

Complete the Loathsome Dungeater’s questline by giving him five Seedbed Curses
Beat the game
When prompted, select the ‘Use Mending Rune of the Fell Curse’ option after the final boss fight

The Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending

This is the absolute opposite of the Golden Order ending, where players eschew the Two Fingers and the Golden Order entirely, instead choosing to embrace the Three Fingers. No Gods, no masters, no order. The world is engulfed by flame and chaos. Judging by the clues gained along the way, everyone goes absolutely mad, too.

And to top it off, your constant companion throughout the game, no not Torrent, Melina, appears in the final cutscene to swear to chase the Lord of the Frenzied Flame (you) across the world to get vengeance and bring Destined Death upon you. At least you have ended the suffering of the Lands Between – you can’t suffer if you’ve been burned to dust, right?

It’s also the rarest ending, with just 29% of Steam players achieving the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending achievement.

How to get the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending

Follow Hyetta’s quest, giving her Shabriri grapes along the way, until you find her in the Subterranean Shunning Grounds. Note – if you progress beyond this point, you are locked into this ending (unless you do a rather long quest to get out of it – beware, it involved beating the infamous Melania. If you do reverse this, you will then be locked out of the Frenzied Flame ending, so make your mind up before you do)
Enter the Cathedral of the Forsaken and allow the Three Fingers to embrace you
Beat the game
When prompted, select the ‘Become the Lord of the Frenzied Flame’ option after the final boss fight – it will be the only option as this path locks you out of the other paths.

The Age of Stars ending

Despite involving one of the game’s longest questlines, The Age of Stars ending is the most common one, with 43% of Steam players seeing this ending. This is probably because it’s the ending associated with Ranni, everyone’s favorite blue wife.

Ranni is opposed to the status quo and refuses to let things continue as they are. She went so far as to kill her own body, inhabiting the various doll-like forms we see her in, so she was immune to control by the Greater Will. Being born an Empyrean meant she had no say in her destiny and had to become a possible replacement for Queen Marika.

Ushering in a new god, the Dark Moon, Ranni and the Tarnished player character rule together, with Ranni as queen and you as her Royal Consort. It’s not clear where you go exactly, because part of Ranni’s ethos is to be removed and apart from that which she is governing (she saw the direct intervention of the Golden Order as a failing). Some confusion has been caused by a localization and translation error in the final cutscene, explained in detail by Frontline Japan.

How to get the Age of Stars ending

Complete Ranni’s questline. It’s a pretty long affair and ends in the player marrying Ranni, which is a nice change from the usual bleak outcomes in Elden Ring.
Beat the game
Do not interact with the corpse of Marika! Instead, look for Ranni’s distinctive blue summon sign and call her to join you.

Featured image credit: Bandai Namco

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Since there are a plethora of characters you can acquire in The First Descendant, you’ll probably want to secure as… Continue reading How to get Freyna in The First Descendant
The post How to get Freyna in The First Descendant appeared first on ReadWrite.

Since there are a plethora of characters you can acquire in The First Descendant, you’ll probably want to secure as many as possible to both test them out to find your suited playstyle, as well as giving you other options when you’re partying up with your friends.

In this guide, we’ll be going through how to unlock Freyna in The First Descendant so you can add another one to the pool of available options.

How to unlock Freyna in The First Descendant

Just like other Descendants in the game, there are two ways you can unlock Freyna – the easy route via the store, or grind it out, securing the required materials.

If you choose to get Freyna by buying her in the store, this will cost 300 Caliber which equates to around $5. This doesn’t exactly break the bank but will certainly add up if you’re wanting a few different characters.

The other option is to locate all the items needed. The full list of these is again similar to that of other Descendants but it is great to know all the same.

Here is a full list as well as where you will need to go to get them:

Freyna Enhanced Cells (1)

Vespers Normal in The Shelter

Freyna Stabilizer (1)

Vespers Normal in Ruins Path

Freyna Spiral Catalyst (1)

Vespers Normal in Ruins Underground

Freyna Code (1)

Void Fusion Reactor in Sterile Land Rockfall Zone

400,000 gold

Once you have collected them all and have enough Gold, just head back to Anais and you’ll be able to research Freyna.

Do keep in mind that there is a research time associated with this, so don’t expect to be playing her right away, but at least you’ve done the hard work and you can relax knowing that your new Descendant is on its way.

Other The First Descendant guides you may like

How to unlock Bunny
How to get Blair
How to get Void Shards
The First Descendant max level
How to find and open Encrypted Vaults
How to fast travel
The First Descendant Twitch Drops
The First Descendant beta rewards

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Mt. Gox, once the world’s leading Bitcoin (BTC) exchange, is set to begin repaying investors using Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).… Continue reading Mt. Gox to repay investors in Bitcoin
The post Mt. Gox to repay investors in Bitcoin appeared first on ReadWrite.

Mt. Gox, once the world’s leading Bitcoin (BTC) exchange, is set to begin repaying investors using Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

The repayment was announced on July 5 over a decade after Mt. Gox’s catastrophic collapse. The announcement reads:

On July 5,2024, the Rehabilitation Trustee made repayments in Bitcoin and Bitcoin
Cash to some of the rehabilitation creditors through a part of the Designated
Cryptocurrency Exchanges etc. in accordance with the Rehabilitation Plan.

What was Mt. Gox?

Mt. Gox, short for “Magic: The Gathering Online eXchange,” was founded in 2010 by Jed McCaleb and later sold to Mark Karpelès. Originally created to facilitate trading cards for the game Magic: The Gathering, it pivoted to become a Bitcoin exchange in 2010. At its peak in 2013, Mt. Gox handled over 70% of all Bitcoin transactions worldwide, making it the largest cryptocurrency exchange of its time.

In February 2014, Mt. Gox abruptly ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy. The exchange announced it had lost approximately 850,000 BTC, valued at about $450 million at the time. This loss, attributed to a combination of hacking and poor security practices, sent shockwaves through the nascent cryptocurrency community.

Mt. Gox’s collapse was a watershed moment for Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem. It highlighted the risks associated with centralized exchanges and the importance of robust security measures in handling digital assets. The incident led to increased scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges and calls for better regulation in the industry.

Now, nearly a decade later, Mt. Gox is preparing to repay some of its creditors. The exchange recently issued a notice outlining plans to compensate investors using Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Remarkably, the value of the lost Bitcoin has appreciated significantly since 2014, now worth over $50 billion. This means some creditors might receive more in value than their initial investments, despite the exchange’s inability to recover all lost assets.

The repayment process introduces an intriguing dynamic to the cryptocurrency market. As Mt. Gox releases Bitcoin to creditors, it will increase the circulating supply of the cryptocurrency. Basic economic principles suggest this could potentially exert downward pressure on Bitcoin’s price.

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There has been much talk about Meta AI, the advanced AI assistant developed by the tech giant, both positive and… Continue reading How to use Meta AI in WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook
The post How to use Meta AI in WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook appeared first on ReadWrite.

There has been much talk about Meta AI, the advanced AI assistant developed by the tech giant, both positive and negative. The company began rolling out features earlier this year in a bid to gain ground in the artificial intelligence race. Meta AI is already available in several countries across its platforms—Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram—and continues to launch new capabilities.

What is Meta AI?

Built with the large language model (LLM) Llama 3, Meta claims it is one of the “world’s leading AI assistants” and is already available for free to many users worldwide. The assistant is capable of complex reasoning, following instructions, visualizing ideas, and solving nuanced problems. The company first announced the program at last year’s Connect, partnering with Microsoft to integrate the Bing search engine.

It is starting to go global with more features. Meta AI can be used on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger to complete tasks, learn, create, and connect.

The assistant also integrates various capabilities such as researching topics, exploring interests, receiving how-to advice, and learning new hobbies. Its latest image generation technology can spark inspiration, animate creations, and realize creative visions.

@MetaAI can be used in group chats on Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp to share recommendations on how to organize a group project or inspire ideas for dinner party recipes or even a trip itinerary.

How to access Meta AI?

To access Meta AI, visit www.meta.ai in your browser and click “Ask Meta AI anything…” at the bottom of the page. After typing your question and clicking the up arrow, you can choose to log in with your Facebook account or continue without logging in. It might take a moment for it to generate an answer.

Users can leave feedback on the responses by using the thumbs up or thumbs down icons, or copy an answer by clicking the copy icon. Clicking on an example question can also start a conversation. To begin a new conversation, select “New conversation” on the left sidebar. If you’re logged in with a Facebook account, your history with Meta AI will be saved, so you can revisit old conversations by clicking them on the sidebar.

If you opt not to log in, your history will be lost once you leave the site and will be automatically deleted, with the content deletion process potentially taking up to 90 days, and additional time for removing information from backups and recovery systems.

Be aware that Meta AI explains that its responses might not always be accurate or appropriate and should not be relied upon for important decisions. Meta may also collect and use data such as your text prompts and responses to enhance its AI models.

How do I use Meta AI in WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook?

Users can make the most of Meta AI on their various apps in different ways.

WhatsApp Web

On WhatsApp Web, you can access the feature by opening WhatsApp Web in your browser and looking for the dedicated Meta AI icon, a hollow circle with blue color, at the top of your screen.

WhatsApp group chat

In a WhatsApp group chat, you can interact with the assistant by typing “@” in the message field, selecting “Meta AI” from the options, typing your question, and sending it to get informative responses directly in the chat.

Users can also test out Meta’s Imagine feature, where you can see an image as you start typing, and it’ll change with every few letters added, so you can watch as the system bring your creativity to life. Meta states: “The images generated are also now sharper and higher quality, with a better ability to include text in images.”

Instagram

On Instagram, start by opening or starting a chat in Direct Messages, summon the AI by typing “@”, and then send your question or request. Meta AI will then analyze and respond within the chat.

Facebook

For Facebook, engage Meta AI directly within an interesting post on your feed by clicking an “Ask Meta AI” button or similar option, ask your question to learn more about the post’s content, and receive answers directly within the interface.

If you find a post you’re interest in, you can ask it for more information right from the post. For example, if you see a photo of Machu Picchu in Peru, you can ask the chatbot what time of year is best to avoid crowds there.

Messenger

In Messenger, start the process by typing “@” in a new or existing chat, send your inquiry or task, and Meta AI will respond in the chat, offering recommendations, completing tasks, or adding an interactive element to your conversation.

Let’s say you’re planning Spring Break in your Messenger group chat. Using search in Messenger you can ask Meta AI to find flights to Florida from New York and figure out the best beaches to check out – all within the Messenger app.

Meta AI in English is only available in a dozen countries outside of the U.S. This includes Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Can I turn off Meta AI on Facebook?

It appears that Meta AI cannot be switched off, despite some users looking for the option. A Meta spokesperson confirmed to ReadWrite: “Meta AI aims to be a helpful assistant and is in the search bar to assist with your questions. You can’t disable it from this experience, but you can search how you normally would engage with a variety of results.”

Users can still use the search bars by typing in words and clicking on the text results that appear below, rather than clicking the blue send icon at the right end of the bar, which activates an AI chat. On Meta’s own Facebook page, users have urged for opt-out options.

Featured image: Meta / Canva

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In The First Descendant, while you can play the game without having to go for different skins at all, they… Continue reading The First Descendant Ultimate vs normal Descendants: What’s the difference?
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In The First Descendant, while you can play the game without having to go for different skins at all, they are part of the fun, allowing you to customize your characters to your liking.

One section of cosmetics that is confusing some though are the ‘Ultimate’ versions of Descendants since they are costly, posing the question of the what the difference between these and the regular version is.

Here, we’ll take you through the Ultimate vs normal Descendant differences to see if it is worth the cost.

What is the difference between Ultimate and normal Descendants in The First Descendant?

Right off the bat, the key difference between Ultimate and normal Descendants is that they’re essentially ‘enhanced’ versions of the base characters.

This is due to the fact that the Ultimate variant has enhanced stats coupled with extra pre-catalyzed mod slots. These stats vary character to character but are buffs all the same.

This is a huge time save since the mod slot aspect can only be achieved by reaching level 40 on a Descendant and utilizing a Crystallization Catalyst.

Obviously, there’s the whole cosmetic aspect too. These outfits can only be gotten through the Ultimate character and cannot simply be acquired out in the world. Making it even more enticing for those who love a good clothing change.

You can purchase Ultimate Descendants with real cash but they will set you back a pretty hefty sum – potentially something you’re not comfortable with. You can still unlock them by simply playing the game but it will take some serious time and materials, so expect to grind.

How many Ultimate Descendants are there?

There are currently five Ultimate Descendants in the game – Ultimate Ajax, Ultimate Bunny, Ultimate Gley, Ultimate Lepic, and Ultimate Viessa.

We expect this number to grow as future updates hit, hopefully allowing for more options, and giving those whose main isn’t the above list the chance to secure an Ultimate version.

Other The First Descendant guides you may like

How to unlock Bunny
The First Descendant max level
How to find and open Encrypted Vaults
How to fast travel
The First Descendant Twitch Drops
The First Descendant beta rewards

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Unauthorized streaming site Animeflix has been shut down, according to TorrentFreak. The anime-focused site unexpectedly went offline on Thursday (July… Continue reading Pirate site Animeflix unexpectedly shuts down
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Unauthorized streaming site Animeflix has been shut down, according to TorrentFreak. The anime-focused site unexpectedly went offline on Thursday (July 4).

The sudden closure of this anime piracy site quickly sparked discussions and reactions among its users. Animeflix, which attracted tens of millions of monthly visitors, had also established a vibrant Discord community with over 35,000 members.

Why did Animeflix shut down?

The operators of the site did not specify why it was shut down, but they stated that the decision was made after “careful consideration.” The site had recently been under significant legal scrutiny, which might have influenced their decision.

In a statement to their followers on Discord, the moderators stated: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Animeflix. After careful consideration, we have decided to shut down our service effective immediately. We deeply appreciate your support and enthusiasm over the years.

“Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope the joy and excitement of anime continue to brighten your days through other wonderful platforms.”

what happened to animeflix?
byu/Ariul inanimepiracy

TorrentFreak reported that Animeflix was identified as a shutdown target by the anti-piracy coalition ACE last December.

It’s uncertain whether these initial enforcement efforts led to the site’s closure. In May, rightsholders escalated their efforts through the High Court of India, securing a comprehensive injunction that effectively suspended Animeflix’s primary domain, Animeflix.live.

The court issued a restraint against the owners and all affiliates of 26 websites, such as movies123.la, vegamovies.yt, animedekho.com, and others. The order prohibits them from “communicating to the public, hosting, storing, reproducing, streaming, broadcasting, re-broadcasting, causing to be seen or heard by public on payment of charge and/or making available for viewing plaintiffs’ content through their websites.”

Despite the legal action, the impact on the site appeared minimal. Animeflix simply transitioned to new domains, Animeflix.gg and Animeflix.li, and informed its users that the old domain name had become “unavailable.”

However, the site became unreachable again last week, and the team appeared to completely shut down the site without prior warning.

Featured image: Canva / Ideogram

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