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How Trump v United States Will Affect the Country Moving Forward

Few franchises are as confusing as the X-Men franchise, but that doesn’t take away from how amazing the movies are (most of them anyway). The series has been going on since 2000, and most of their movies aren’t numbered, so it can be hard to know where to start or what entry comes next. So, to help with that, here are the X-men movies in order of release date. P.S. This list will only cover the core X-Men movies to make it less confusing for beginners. This means that only the movies that drive the main plot further will be included. So, the Deadpool movies, the New Mutants, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Logan won’t be included. The X-Men Movies in Order X-Men
X2
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: First Class
The Wolverine
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men Apocalypse
Dark Phoenix 1. X-Men (2000) The X-Men had been popular for decades, especially in the 90s, and it culminated with them getting their first Hollywood movie in 2000. It starred a fairly unknown Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and seasoned acting veterans Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan as Professor Xavier and Magneto. Through fate, the lonely wanderer Wolverine finds himself joining the X-Men and becoming a reluctant hero. There, he’ll team up with other heroes such as Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Grey. 2. X2 (2003) Mutant distrust is at an all-time high after a mutant attacks the White House, and unfortunately, the X-Men are caught in the crossfire. The main person leading the crusade against mutants is Colonel William Stryker, and he won’t stop until they’re all dead and buried. Separated and with their backs against the wall, the X-Men will have to turn to an old foe if they want to take down Stryker. But even though he hates mutants, Stryker seemingly has a past with them, specifically, with Wolverine. As the X-Men and Magneto work together to take down the Colonel, Wolverine has his own side mission: to discover how he and Stryker are connected. 3. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) News breaks out that there is a serum that can take away one’s mutant powers, which, of course, catches the attention of all mutants, including Professor Xavier and his school of mutants, and Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. Although the serum is optional for any mutant who wants it, Magneto and his Brotherhood are certain that this is only the beginning. That in the near future, mutants will be forced to take it. Lines are drawn within the mutant community, and they go to war with each other. In the middle of all this is a mutant child. He has the power to take away other mutants’ powers, and it was because of him that the serum was able to be made. As long as he’s alive, the serum will always be available, and so the X-Men take a last stand to protect him against Magneto. 4. X-Men: First Class (2011) Although we had seen the X-Men in three different movies before, we still didn’t know a ton about them such as how they were formed, why, and how Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr came to know each other. Well, X-Men: First Class answers all of those questions and some that you didn't even know you had. The first iteration of the X-Men come together to take down former Nazi Sebastian Shaw as he pulls the strings of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. His ultimate goal is for both countries to wage nuclear war against one another. Charles, Erik, and their rag-tag team of mutants do everything they can to stop him. 5. The Wolverine (2013) You might be wondering why the first and third Wolverine movies aren’t included on this list but the second one in the trilogy is. I know; it’s kind of a confusing thing to do. However, the other two movies can be watched in a vacuum; they give more insight into the Wolverine character, but they don’t necessarily have much to do with the X-Men team itself. The Wolverine movie is special in that it directly deals with the aftermath of X-Men: The Last Stand. And on top of that, it leads right into Days of Future Past. 6. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) The past and present clash in Days of Future Past. After everything they have fought for, the X-Men have failed, and their worst nightmare has come true. Mutants are persecuted, hunted down, and killed by robots called sentinels. It is a grim, apocalyptic time, but not all is lost. They have one shot to make things right, and the only man right for the job is Wolverine. He gets sent back in time to the 70s to stop the sentinels from ever being created. There, he’ll meet up with the younger versions of Professor Xavier, Magneto, Beast, and more as they fight to prevent that ugly future from happening. 7. X-Men Apocalypse (2016) The X-Men have saved the world from the Sentinels, but a new threat emerges. Maybe new isn’t the right word considering this person is from ancient Egypt. We’re talking about Apocalypse, one of the first mutants ever. He has awakened in the present, but he’s disappointed in the modern world and plans to restructure it in his image. It’s up to the X-Men to stop him, and who’s a part of the line-up? It’s a mix between veterans such as Beast and Raven along with newcomers Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Quicksilver. 8. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) Jean Grey has always been one of the strongest X-Men, so it’s a good thing she’s on our side. However, after a mission goes awry, she awakens the Phoenix Force within her. With Jean becoming even stronger than she already was, it’s up to the X-Men to not only protect her from herself but from others such as Magneto. Technically, this isn’t the final film in the franchise as The New Mutants was released a year later, but that could be watched in a vacuum. Dark Phoenix can be considered the true ending to Fox’s X-Men film series. Read More 1. How to Watch the Harry Potter Movies in Order The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order
The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order Feature image source Few franchises are as confusing as the X-Men franchise, but that doesn’t take away from how amazing the movies are (most of them anyway). The series has been going on since 2000, and most of their movies aren’t numbered, so it can be hard to know where to start or what entry comes next. So, to help with that, here are the X-men movies in order of release date. P.S. This list will only cover the core X-Men movies to make it less confusing for beginners. This means that only the movies that drive the main plot further will be included. So, the Deadpool movies, the New Mutants, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Logan won’t be included. The X-Men Movies in Order X-Men X2 X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: First Class The Wolverine X-Men: Days of Future Past X-Men Apocalypse Dark Phoenix X-Men X2 X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: First Class The Wolverine X-Men: Days of Future Past X-Men Apocalypse Dark Phoenix 1. X-Men (2000) The X-Men had been popular for decades, especially in the 90s, and it culminated with them getting their first Hollywood movie in 2000. It starred a fairly unknown Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and seasoned acting veterans Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan as Professor Xavier and Magneto. Through fate, the lonely wanderer Wolverine finds himself joining the X-Men and becoming a reluctant hero. There, he’ll team up with other heroes such as Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Grey. 2. X2 (2003) Mutant distrust is at an all-time high after a mutant attacks the White House, and unfortunately, the X-Men are caught in the crossfire. The main person leading the crusade against mutants is Colonel William Stryker, and he won’t stop until they’re all dead and buried. Separated and with their backs against the wall, the X-Men will have to turn to an old foe if they want to take down Stryker. But even though he hates mutants, Stryker seemingly has a past with them, specifically, with Wolverine. As the X-Men and Magneto work together to take down the Colonel, Wolverine has his own side mission: to discover how he and Stryker are connected. 3. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) News breaks out that there is a serum that can take away one’s mutant powers, which, of course, catches the attention of all mutants, including Professor Xavier and his school of mutants, and Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. Although the serum is optional for any mutant who wants it, Magneto and his Brotherhood are certain that this is only the beginning. That in the near future, mutants will be forced to take it. Lines are drawn within the mutant community, and they go to war with each other. In the middle of all this is a mutant child. He has the power to take away other mutants’ powers, and it was because of him that the serum was able to be made. As long as he’s alive, the serum will always be available, and so the X-Men take a last stand to protect him against Magneto. 4. X-Men: First Class (2011) Although we had seen the X-Men in three different movies before, we still didn’t know a ton about them such as how they were formed, why, and how Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr came to know each other. Well, X-Men: First Class answers all of those questions and some that you didn't even know you had. The first iteration of the X-Men come together to take down former Nazi Sebastian Shaw as he pulls the strings of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. His ultimate goal is for both countries to wage nuclear war against one another. Charles, Erik, and their rag-tag team of mutants do everything they can to stop him. 5. The Wolverine (2013) You might be wondering why the first and third Wolverine movies aren’t included on this list but the second one in the trilogy is. I know; it’s kind of a confusing thing to do. However, the other two movies can be watched in a vacuum; they give more insight into the Wolverine character, but they don’t necessarily have much to do with the X-Men team itself. The Wolverine movie is special in that it directly deals with the aftermath of X-Men: The Last Stand. And on top of that, it leads right into Days of Future Past. 6. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) The past and present clash in Days of Future Past. After everything they have fought for, the X-Men have failed, and their worst nightmare has come true. Mutants are persecuted, hunted down, and killed by robots called sentinels. It is a grim, apocalyptic time, but not all is lost. They have one shot to make things right, and the only man right for the job is Wolverine. He gets sent back in time to the 70s to stop the sentinels from ever being created. There, he’ll meet up with the younger versions of Professor Xavier, Magneto, Beast, and more as they fight to prevent that ugly future from happening. 7. X-Men Apocalypse (2016) The X-Men have saved the world from the Sentinels, but a new threat emerges. Maybe new isn’t the right word considering this person is from ancient Egypt. We’re talking about Apocalypse, one of the first mutants ever. He has awakened in the present, but he’s disappointed in the modern world and plans to restructure it in his image. It’s up to the X-Men to stop him, and who’s a part of the line-up? It’s a mix between veterans such as Beast and Raven along with newcomers Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Quicksilver. 8. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) Jean Grey has always been one of the strongest X-Men, so it’s a good thing she’s on our side. However, after a mission goes awry, she awakens the Phoenix Force within her. With Jean becoming even stronger than she already was, it’s up to the X-Men to not only protect her from herself but from others such as Magneto. Technically, this isn’t the final film in the franchise as The New Mutants was released a year later, but that could be watched in a vacuum. Dark Phoenix can be considered the true ending to Fox’s X-Men film series. Read More 1. How to Watch the Harry Potter Movies in Order How to Watch the Harry Potter Movies in Order The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order Feature image source Feature image source source

The X-Men Movies in Order: How to Watch Them By Release Date

While Bitcoin has gained greater institutional acceptance with the recent ETF launches in the US, it is still not a pure institutional asset, and it is not a pure commodity like gold. It is so much more: secure, decentralized, and programmable value. Zulu Network believes that Bitcoin can be so much more. The Bitcoin Ecosystem is ready to evolve by adding BitFi (Bitcoin Native DeFi), integrating existing infrastructure, and advanced programmability to take Bitcoin from a store of value into a new economy with native yield, exciting innovations, and sophisticated DeFi applications. Zulu Network is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 with a Dual-Layer architecture (L2+L3). ZuluPrime L2 is EVM compatible for Bitcoin scaling and BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi); ZuluNexus L3 offers UTXO programmability, a unique solution to continuously support Bitcoin native innovation, making transactions cheaper, fast, extendable, and programmable. Zulu’s other innovations also include the first Bitcoin decentralized bridge (with a working demo coming in the next couple of weeks) and its unique hybrid PoS / PoW mining design. BitFi has the potential to reshape the financial industry and offer individuals greater control over their financial assets. However, its scalability capacity is currently limited. There is clearly massive demand, but poor infrastructure and limitations for mass adoption, like scalability issues, to foster new Bitcoin native format innovations. Zulu Network is building a new infrastructure to solve these limitations with a programmable, extendable, and innovative new approach to the Bitcoin Ecosystem. Zulu wants to unlock the Bitcoin Economy for all developers and users. Zulu Network’s Ground-Breaking Architecture Zulu Network’s unique Two-Tier architecture (L2+L3) aims to move the Bitcoin Network forward with a new infrastructure that solves the limitations of the current Bitcoin ecosystem, such as big demand but poor infrastructure, scalability issues, and lack of native innovations that limit the potential for mass adoption. Zulu’s Bitcoin Layer 2 solution offers a unique two-tiered architecture, supporting both EVM and UTXO, paving the way for revolutionary advancements within the Bitcoin ecosystem: ZuluPrime L2 is EVM compatible, for Bitcoin scaling and BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi). ZuluNexus L3 offers UTXO programmability to support Bitcoin native innovation, making transactions cheaper, faster, extendable, and programmable. Zulu’s other innovations also include the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge (with a working demo coming soon) and its unique hybrid PoS / PoW mining design. Zulu Lwazi Alpha Testnet Highlights ZGP Points Campaign: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1
25k+ users and 52k+ transactions in the first 48 hours.
40k+ users and 287k+ transactions in the first week.
Currently, 140k+ registered users and 1M+ transactions!
Social Media: 40k+ Twitter followers, 35k+ Discord members, 56k+ Telegram members. Zulu Network Architecture With a dual-layer architecture on Bitcoin (L2 & L3), Zulu Network offers: ZuluPrime (EVM): EVM-compatible L2 platform aimed at building a new BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi) ecosystem through smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). ZuluNexus (UTXO): L3 integrates the scalability of UTXO and focuses on the innovation of Bitcoin’s original ecosystem and native assets. The Bitcoin Network is used as an L1 finality for Zulu. Zulu Network is also building the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge to connect all Bitcoin Layer 2s and the entire crypto ecosystem to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Like most of the blockchain world, the Zulu team was captivated by the immense possibilities that Robin Linus put forth in the white paper for BitVM. Zulu believes in Satoshi's ethos of true decentralization. That is why, to fully realize the vision of Zulu in its entirety, a trust-minimized bridge with both inflows and outflows to and from the Bitcoin Network and Ethereum ecosystem is necessary. Therefore, in the interest of further advancement of the Bitcoin ecosystem, Zulu has taken it upon themselves to implement the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge. Zulu uniquely enhances the Bitcoin network by integrating a dual-layer architecture that supports both traditional UTXO and advanced programmable features, allowing for the development of sophisticated decentralized applications (DApps), expanding Bitcoin’s capabilities while maintaining its foundational principles of security and reliability. For a more in-depth look at the Zulu Network architecture, click here: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/architecture-deep-dive-how-zulu-will-move-bitcoin-forward-837d2492c234 Zulu Network Key Achievements First Dual-Layer Architecture on Bitcoin (L2+L3).
First implementation of a decentralized Bitcoin bridge.
Unique PoW + PoS mining
First Bitcoin Layer 3 (ZuluNexus)
Solving UTXO and BitFi (Bitcoin Native DeFi) limitations through programmability, extendibility, and advanced capabilities.
$3m raised in Pre-Seed Funding from top VCs
Launch of Zulu Lwazi Alpha Testnet and Zulu Genesis Points Moving the Bitcoin Economy Forward Zulu invites everyone to move Bitcoin forward with them. Explore, innovate, and contribute to the evolution of blockchain technology with Zulu. Learn More About Zulu Network Website: https://zulunetwork.io/ Whitepaper: https://zulunetwork.io/whitepaper.pdf Gitbook: https://docs.zulunetwork.io/ Github: https://github.com/zulu-network/ Zulu Lwazi Testnet: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/lwazi Testnet Points Guide: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 ZuluScan: https://testnet.zuluscan.io/ Bridge: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge/ This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. While Bitcoin has gained greater institutional acceptance with the recent ETF launches in the US, it is still not a pure institutional asset, and it is not a pure commodity like gold. It is so much more: secure, decentralized, and programmable value. Zulu Network believes that Bitcoin can be so much more. The Bitcoin Ecosystem is ready to evolve by adding BitFi (Bitcoin Native DeFi), integrating existing infrastructure, and advanced programmability to take Bitcoin from a store of value into a new economy with native yield, exciting innovations, and sophisticated DeFi applications. Zulu Network is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 with a Dual-Layer architecture (L2+L3). ZuluPrime L2 is EVM compatible for Bitcoin scaling and BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi); ZuluNexus L3 offers UTXO programmability, a unique solution to continuously support Bitcoin native innovation, making transactions cheaper, fast, extendable, and programmable. Zulu’s other innovations also include the first Bitcoin decentralized bridge (with a working demo coming in the next couple of weeks) and its unique hybrid PoS / PoW mining design. BitFi has the potential to reshape the financial industry and offer individuals greater control over their financial assets. However, its scalability capacity is currently limited. There is clearly massive demand, but poor infrastructure and limitations for mass adoption, like scalability issues, to foster new Bitcoin native format innovations. Zulu Network is building a new infrastructure to solve these limitations with a programmable, extendable, and innovative new approach to the Bitcoin Ecosystem. Zulu wants to unlock the Bitcoin Economy for all developers and users. Zulu Network’s Ground-Breaking Architecture Zulu Network’s unique Two-Tier architecture (L2+L3) aims to move the Bitcoin Network forward with a new infrastructure that solves the limitations of the current Bitcoin ecosystem, such as big demand but poor infrastructure, scalability issues, and lack of native innovations that limit the potential for mass adoption. Zulu’s Bitcoin Layer 2 solution offers a unique two-tiered architecture, supporting both EVM and UTXO, paving the way for revolutionary advancements within the Bitcoin ecosystem: ZuluPrime L2 is EVM compatible, for Bitcoin scaling and BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi). ZuluNexus L3 offers UTXO programmability to support Bitcoin native innovation, making transactions cheaper, faster, extendable, and programmable. Zulu’s other innovations also include the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge (with a working demo coming soon) and its unique hybrid PoS / PoW mining design. Zulu Lwazi Alpha Testnet Highlights ZGP Points Campaign: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 25k+ users and 52k+ transactions in the first 48 hours. 40k+ users and 287k+ transactions in the first week. Currently, 140k+ registered users and 1M+ transactions! Social Media: 40k+ Twitter followers, 35k+ Discord members, 56k+ Telegram members. ZGP Points Campaign: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 25k+ users and 52k+ transactions in the first 48 hours. 40k+ users and 287k+ transactions in the first week. Currently, 140k+ registered users and 1M+ transactions! Social Media: 40k+ Twitter followers, 35k+ Discord members, 56k+ Telegram members. Zulu Network Architecture With a dual-layer architecture on Bitcoin (L2 & L3), Zulu Network offers: ZuluPrime (EVM): EVM-compatible L2 platform aimed at building a new BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi) ecosystem through smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). ZuluNexus (UTXO): L3 integrates the scalability of UTXO and focuses on the innovation of Bitcoin’s original ecosystem and native assets. The Bitcoin Network is used as an L1 finality for Zulu. Zulu Network is also building the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge to connect all Bitcoin Layer 2s and the entire crypto ecosystem to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Like most of the blockchain world, the Zulu team was captivated by the immense possibilities that Robin Linus put forth in the white paper for BitVM. Zulu believes in Satoshi's ethos of true decentralization. That is why, to fully realize the vision of Zulu in its entirety, a trust-minimized bridge with both inflows and outflows to and from the Bitcoin Network and Ethereum ecosystem is necessary. Therefore, in the interest of further advancement of the Bitcoin ecosystem, Zulu has taken it upon themselves to implement the first trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge. Zulu uniquely enhances the Bitcoin network by integrating a dual-layer architecture that supports both traditional UTXO and advanced programmable features, allowing for the development of sophisticated decentralized applications (DApps), expanding Bitcoin’s capabilities while maintaining its foundational principles of security and reliability. For a more in-depth look at the Zulu Network architecture, click here: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/architecture-deep-dive-how-zulu-will-move-bitcoin-forward-837d2492c234 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/architecture-deep-dive-how-zulu-will-move-bitcoin-forward-837d2492c234 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/architecture-deep-dive-how-zulu-will-move-bitcoin-forward-837d2492c234 Zulu Network Key Achievements First Dual-Layer Architecture on Bitcoin (L2+L3). First implementation of a decentralized Bitcoin bridge. Unique PoW + PoS mining First Bitcoin Layer 3 (ZuluNexus) Solving UTXO and BitFi (Bitcoin Native DeFi) limitations through programmability, extendibility, and advanced capabilities. $3m raised in Pre-Seed Funding from top VCs Launch of Zulu Lwazi Alpha Testnet and Zulu Genesis Points First Dual-Layer Architecture on Bitcoin (L2+L3). First implementation of a decentralized Bitcoin bridge. Unique PoW + PoS mining First Bitcoin Layer 3 (ZuluNexus) Solving UTXO and BitFi (Bitcoin Native DeFi) limitations through programmability, extendibility, and advanced capabilities. $3m raised in Pre-Seed Funding from top VCs Launch of Zulu Lwazi Alpha Testnet and Zulu Genesis Points Moving the Bitcoin Economy Forward Zulu invites everyone to move Bitcoin forward with them. Explore, innovate, and contribute to the evolution of blockchain technology with Zulu. Learn More About Zulu Network Website: https://zulunetwork.io/ https://zulunetwork.io/ https://zulunetwork.io/ Whitepaper: https://zulunetwork.io/whitepaper.pdf https://zulunetwork.io/whitepaper.pdf https://zulunetwork.io/whitepaper.pdf Gitbook: https://docs.zulunetwork.io/ https://docs.zulunetwork.io/ https://docs.zulunetwork.io/ Github: https://github.com/zulu-network/ https://github.com/zulu-network/ https://github.com/zulu-network/ Zulu Lwazi Testnet: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/lwazi https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/lwazi https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/lwazi Testnet Points Guide: https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 https://medium.com/@zulu_network/earn-zulu-genesis-points-zgp-now-phase-1-lwazi-c69323fd3ea1 ZuluScan: https://testnet.zuluscan.io/ https://testnet.zuluscan.io/ https://testnet.zuluscan.io/ Bridge: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge/ Bridge: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge/ https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge/ https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge/ This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. here. here.

Zulu Network: Moving The Bitcoin Economy Forward With a Two-Tiered Bitcoin Layer 2 Architecture

Even though the Harry Potter film series ended 13 years ago and the book series ended over 15 years ago, the Harry Potter universe still has a massive chokehold on pop culture. Spin-off movies and video games are still being made. Universal Studios theme parks across the world have specific sections dedicated to the world of Harry Potter; the franchise is still a big deal. However, it could be intimidating to a newcomer who never got around to reading the books or watching the movies. Well, don’t fret. I’m here to help with that. Here are all of the Harry Potter movies in chronological order. The Harry Potter Movies in Order Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2 1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) We begin our journey in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The first movie in the series, this film lays out all the groundwork for the next 7 movies by introducing the audience to the world of Harry Potter. We follow Harry as he too learns of the secret magic world, finds out he’s a wizard, and enrolls in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But it’s not all fun and games for Harry and his new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The threat of the mysterious evil and once-powerful wizard Lord Voldemort looms in the air. So, the three friends go on an adventure to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone before it can be used by Voldemort and his loyalists. 2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) It’s Harry’s second year in Hogwarts, and he feels like he has a much better grasp on the magical world after a year. But there are still plenty of things to learn and plenty of secrets to uncover, specifically in Hogwarts. There is rumored to be a secret chamber within the school that houses an ancient creature. After that creature starts taking victims, it’s up to Harry and his friends to find out the secret of the chamber and how to defeat the creature. Along the way, they’ll find out more about the history of Hogwarts and a mysterious student of the past, Tom Riddle. 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Philosopher Stones and ancient creatures are one thing, but a serial killer escaping from a super prison specifically to kill you is on a whole other level. Sirius Black has broken out of Azkaban Prison and Harry Potter and the entirety of Hogwarts is put on high alert. To protect the students, Dementors, creatures that serve as Azkaban’s prison guards are sent out to Hogwarts to keep an eye out for Sirius. Even though they’re supposed to protect the students, they are terrifying; specifically, to Harry. He’ll have to overcome his fear of the Dementors, find Sirius before he finds him, and still pass his classes. He is still a teenager in school after all. 4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) If you thought that Hogwarts was the only magical school in the world, you wouldn’t be alone in thinking that. I did too. As it turns out, however, there are plenty of other schools out there. They often compete with each other in an event called the Triwizard Tournament. One student from each school will compete in the tournament and take on dangerous obstacle after dangerous obstacle. Well, it’s supposed to be one student per school. The other two schools chose their champions, and Hogwarts chose its champion in the form of Cedric Diggory. But these movies are called Harry Potter, not Cedric Diggory, so I think you know how this turns out. Harry is unceremoniously and surprisingly added to the tournament, and he has no choice but to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. 5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) After the shocking events of the Goblet of Fire, the mood and atmosphere in Hogwarts changes dramatically. Harry publicly declares that Voldemort is back and puts everyone on edge. But there are many people, including a lot of his fellow students, who don’t believe him and think it’s just fear-mongering. That’s not the only change in Hogwarts, however, as there’s a new a Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor named Dolores Umbridge who acts as a dictator. With Voldemort returning and Dolores having a stronghold on the school, Harry Potter and his friends take it upon themselves to prepare against the Dark Lord. 6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) Now that it’s unmistakable that Voldemort has returned, preparations have started to defeat him. Professor Slughorn has a memory of Voldemort that he keeps close to his chest, preventing anyone from knowing what it’s about. Although it’s shrouded in secrecy, it can be inferred that it must be extremely important for Slughorn to be so protective about it. But there’s another mystery afoot. Actually, there’s two. One is about an old book, and the other is about Harry’s old rival, Draco Malfoy. Harry comes across an old textbook that has unique spells scribbled on it by someone calling themselves the Half-Blood Prince. Meanwhile, Draco starts acting suspiciously, and Harry suspects he’s working for Voldemort. Harry will have to find the truth behind the Half-Blood Prince and Draco before the end of the year. 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) It’s Harry’s final year of school, but he won’t be attending. How could he? Voldemort is growing stronger by the second, and he’s seemingly taken over the Magic World. So, Harry, Hermione, and Ron go on a journey to try to weaken the Dark Lord. The one way to do that is by hunting down and destroying Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The Horcruxes are pieces of Voldemort’s soul; as long as he has at least one Horcrux, he remains unkillable. But along the way, they’ll come across a fairy tale that ends up being true: The Deathly Hallows. Three powerful items that can make the user invincible. These three items are the Elder Wand, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone. 8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) This is the end. The culmination of 10 years and 8 films. One final battle between Harry and his allies against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And of course, it has to take place in Hogwarts. There’s really not much to say about this film other than the fact that it’s an amazing movie and a satisfying conclusion to this 8-film saga. It answers questions that fans have had for years, wraps up storylines, and gives a great farewell to our trio of heroes. You won’t be disappointed. Read More 1. Apple Opens the Emulation Floodgates... Potentially 2. The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order 3. The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order Feature image source Even though the Harry Potter film series ended 13 years ago and the book series ended over 15 years ago, the Harry Potter universe still has a massive chokehold on pop culture. Spin-off movies and video games are still being made. Universal Studios theme parks across the world have specific sections dedicated to the world of Harry Potter; the franchise is still a big deal. However, it could be intimidating to a newcomer who never got around to reading the books or watching the movies. Well, don’t fret. I’m here to help with that. Here are all of the Harry Potter movies in chronological order. The Harry Potter Movies in Order Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2 1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) We begin our journey in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The first movie in the series, this film lays out all the groundwork for the next 7 movies by introducing the audience to the world of Harry Potter. We follow Harry as he too learns of the secret magic world, finds out he’s a wizard, and enrolls in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But it’s not all fun and games for Harry and his new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The threat of the mysterious evil and once-powerful wizard Lord Voldemort looms in the air. So, the three friends go on an adventure to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone before it can be used by Voldemort and his loyalists. 2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) It’s Harry’s second year in Hogwarts, and he feels like he has a much better grasp on the magical world after a year. But there are still plenty of things to learn and plenty of secrets to uncover, specifically in Hogwarts. There is rumored to be a secret chamber within the school that houses an ancient creature. After that creature starts taking victims, it’s up to Harry and his friends to find out the secret of the chamber and how to defeat the creature. Along the way, they’ll find out more about the history of Hogwarts and a mysterious student of the past, Tom Riddle. 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Philosopher Stones and ancient creatures are one thing, but a serial killer escaping from a super prison specifically to kill you is on a whole other level. Sirius Black has broken out of Azkaban Prison and Harry Potter and the entirety of Hogwarts is put on high alert. To protect the students, Dementors, creatures that serve as Azkaban’s prison guards are sent out to Hogwarts to keep an eye out for Sirius. Even though they’re supposed to protect the students, they are terrifying; specifically, to Harry. He’ll have to overcome his fear of the Dementors, find Sirius before he finds him, and still pass his classes. He is still a teenager in school after all. 4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) If you thought that Hogwarts was the only magical school in the world, you wouldn’t be alone in thinking that. I did too. As it turns out, however, there are plenty of other schools out there. They often compete with each other in an event called the Triwizard Tournament. One student from each school will compete in the tournament and take on dangerous obstacle after dangerous obstacle. Well, it’s supposed to be one student per school. The other two schools chose their champions, and Hogwarts chose its champion in the form of Cedric Diggory. But these movies are called Harry Potter, not Cedric Diggory, so I think you know how this turns out. Harry is unceremoniously and surprisingly added to the tournament, and he has no choice but to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. supposed 5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) After the shocking events of the Goblet of Fire, the mood and atmosphere in Hogwarts changes dramatically. Harry publicly declares that Voldemort is back and puts everyone on edge. But there are many people, including a lot of his fellow students, who don’t believe him and think it’s just fear-mongering. That’s not the only change in Hogwarts, however, as there’s a new a Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor named Dolores Umbridge who acts as a dictator. With Voldemort returning and Dolores having a stronghold on the school, Harry Potter and his friends take it upon themselves to prepare against the Dark Lord. 6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) Now that it’s unmistakable that Voldemort has returned, preparations have started to defeat him. Professor Slughorn has a memory of Voldemort that he keeps close to his chest, preventing anyone from knowing what it’s about. Although it’s shrouded in secrecy, it can be inferred that it must be extremely important for Slughorn to be so protective about it. But there’s another mystery afoot. Actually, there’s two. One is about an old book, and the other is about Harry’s old rival, Draco Malfoy. Harry comes across an old textbook that has unique spells scribbled on it by someone calling themselves the Half-Blood Prince. Meanwhile, Draco starts acting suspiciously, and Harry suspects he’s working for Voldemort. Harry will have to find the truth behind the Half-Blood Prince and Draco before the end of the year. 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) It’s Harry’s final year of school, but he won’t be attending. How could he? Voldemort is growing stronger by the second, and he’s seemingly taken over the Magic World. So, Harry, Hermione, and Ron go on a journey to try to weaken the Dark Lord. The one way to do that is by hunting down and destroying Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The Horcruxes are pieces of Voldemort’s soul; as long as he has at least one Horcrux, he remains unkillable. But along the way, they’ll come across a fairy tale that ends up being true: The Deathly Hallows. Three powerful items that can make the user invincible. These three items are the Elder Wand, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone. 8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) This is the end. The culmination of 10 years and 8 films. One final battle between Harry and his allies against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And of course, it has to take place in Hogwarts. There’s really not much to say about this film other than the fact that it’s an amazing movie and a satisfying conclusion to this 8-film saga. It answers questions that fans have had for years, wraps up storylines, and gives a great farewell to our trio of heroes. You won’t be disappointed. Read More 1. Apple Opens the Emulation Floodgates... Potentially Apple Opens the Emulation Floodgates... Potentially Apple Opens the Emulation Floodgates... Potentially 2. The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order 3. The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order Feature image source Feature image source source

How to Watch the Harry Potter Movies in Order

Moving Beyond Self-Esteem For Self-Fulfilment 

স্ব-পরিপূর্ণতার জন্য স্ব-সম্মান অতিক্রম করা

Über das Selbstwertgefühl hinausgehen und sich selbst verwirklichen

Más allá de la autoestima para la realización personal

Aller au-delà de l’estime de soi pour l’épanouissement personnel

आत्म-संतुष्टि के लिए आत्म-सम्मान से आगे बढ़ना

自己実現のために自尊心を超える

자존감을 넘어 자기 실현을 위해

Indo além da autoestima para a autorrealização

Выход за пределы самооценки ради самореализации

Kendini Gerçekleştirmek İçin Benlik Saygısının Ötesine Geçmek

Vượt lên trên lòng tự trọng để hoàn thiện bản thân

超越自尊，实现自我价值

By utilizing simple mathematics and parallel computing, we can efficiently overcome performance constraints when manipulating large images. This article will explore how the geometric distortion features of can be used to transform color spaces, as demonstrated in the following example: ImageMetalling To comprehend the code discussed in this article, it would be beneficial to have knowledge of the Color Lookup Table, geometric distortion, and how to work with pixels using the GPU. Main idea Up until now, to alter the color ratio in an image's pixels, we've employed a variety of intuitive and familiar tools such as curves, levels, and , among others. Essentially, these tools manipulate the image's color space. Hue/Saturation What if we could replace all these tools with a single, definitive method? This method is unique because it can replace all other tools simultaneously. A method that's accurate due to its perceptual impact, aligning with the nature of human perception, rather than a literal or simplistic approach, like how Photoshop operates. This is the method we will explore in this article. Let's see how we can manipulate not just the image itself but also its color representation. This will be done in a simple, mechanical way that is accessible to all. Deformation of objects using the MLS method There are various methods of image deformation, such as or . These are indeed fundamental and excellent tools. However, they often suffer from limitations such as the restricted number of control points that can be manipulated, or the excessively smooth extrapolation of the target distortions. affine transformation nonlinear transformation on the B-Spline When dealing with color spaces, we may want to tightly associate a control point and its surroundings with their deformation. Furthermore, the set of points can be arbitrary. This issue has been effectively addressed for animation tasks in computer graphics, but it is still not widely used as a color correction tool in major photo editing software. is a method for reconstructing (approximating) an objective function on a set of known values using the values of the weighted mean square sum. This remarkable technique has many applications in regression analysis, statistics, Big Data, and deep learning. MLS Solving the problem So, imagine we have N control points on a plane. To visualize this, think of a rubber surface scattered with balls that lay flat on a hard table. Each of these balls can be moved and fixed to a target point. Now, envision this surface colored with a slice of color space, for instance, RGB, HSV, or, for the sake of clarity and smoothness, Lab. L=80 Then, with respect to affine transformation, we need to find a solution for the equation: - root mean square weight, - desired transformation function of point , X - initial position of control points, - target position of control points Let's minimize this: in our case, we need to find such a function: in which the sum of all differences between points (where we arrived) and the value of the function from the starting point (where we started) — would be minimal, or in mathematical terms, tend to zero. On the other hand, any affine transformation can be written through the equation: where is the transformation matrix (like ), and is the . M CCM T translation matrix We can assume that for each variable in equation , we can find the minimum value for equation . (1) (2) Because the derivatives with respect to each of the variables in are zero for equation , we can directly solve for through the matrix in equation . The partial derivatives with respect to the free variables in form a linear system of equations. (2) T M (2) T Now, as you can see, we are able to express as a function of : T M Where and — are : weighted centroids This enables us to express equation as a function of : (2) M As you can see, it makes no difference to us which points we look for in the minimum of equation . Whether to search for points (1) or distances between weighted centroids and control points. Therefore, we will not be solving equation for the original control points but instead for new ones: and Considering equation , the solution to the problem is simplified to finding M from: (1) (3) Next, the problem is simplified by differentiating equation and determining as a solution to a system of linear equations using inverse matrices. To find the inverse matrix, we must reduce the system to a solution that includes square matrices on both sides of the equation. And so from we first obtain: (4) M (4), Boom! That’s it, the required function has been found, use to substitute into : (5) (3) The only remaining task is to code the solution , as exemplified in the . Given that there is no necessity for a system of equations solver, and that the matrices involved are merely 2x2, the entire mechanism should, in theory, operate fairly rapidly. (6) ImageMetalling-16 example Expansion of optimization conditions Upon closer examination of , we can observe certain characteristics associated with it, as we have solved the problem by considering it as an affine transformation task, i.e., the task of scaling and shifting. It's clear that in reality, deformations are not confined to just these two parameters. Therefore, can be expressed in a more complex form. For instance, consider transformation which permits uneven translations of the original field. Therefore, let's envision M as: At the same time M M similarity where and are connected through the similarity coefficient M’ M’’ with other vectors and Since all are similar to each other as plane vectors, we can write the similarity equality as an equation for the two-dimensional case: Or rewrite it as: From which it follows that we can now write as: (1) Since we expressed M through and and both of them were found, then we can rewrite by solving , as we did in the previous step: (5) (7) Where In conclusion, the presents a method to link similarity transformation with the covariance matrix and to identify for what's termed the rigid transformation. This approach allows for maximum deformation of spatial properties. At first glance, this method appears quite intuitive, and we anticipate it will be effective in deforming certain color spaces for our intended purposes. original publication M However, this hypothesis still needs to be empirically tested, which you can do yourself. This can be accomplished by downloading and experimenting with the deformations in various spaces, and with different settings for finding . the example M Implementation We will write the main code of the solver in , taking into account the fact that the code will be executed both on the in Metal cores and on the ; for this, it will have to be wrapped in an extension. Obviously, running the solver code on the GPU will be beneficial if the size of the array of control points and the space that we will be modifying are large. C++ GPU CPU Objective-C++ Code of kernels using the solver
kernel void kernel_mlsSolver(
                             constant float2  *input_points  [[buffer(0)]],
                             device float2    *output_points [[buffer(1)]],
                             constant float2  *p      [[buffer(2)]],
                             constant float2  *q      [[buffer(3)]],
                             constant int    &count   [[buffer(4)]],
                             constant MLSSolverKind  &kind [[buffer(5)]],
                             constant float    &alpha [[buffer(6)]],
                             uint gid [[thread_position_in_grid]]
                             ){
    ///
    /// The core of the solver calculates new coordinates for each point 
    ///
    float2 point = input_points[gid];
    IMPMLSSolver solver = IMPMLSSolver(point,p,q,count,kind,alpha);
    output_points[gid] = solver.value(point);
} General MLS solver code

class IMPMLSSolver{
     
public:
         
    /**
     Create a solver for MNC
      
     @param point the current point relative to which we calculate the deformation 
     @param p array of initial control points
     @param q array of control target points
     @param count number of control points
     @param kind solver type: affine transformation, similarity transformation, transformation with maximum possible rigidity
     @param alpha - degree of deformation
     */
    IMPMLSSolver(const float2 point, 
#ifndef __METAL_VERSION__              
              const float2 *p, 
              const float2 *q,
#else
//
// It's important to understand that this is not just a different data type, but a different layout mechanism
// data in memory. In a specific solution for Metal Java, we pass arrays to
// GPU constant memory.                 
//                 
              constant float2 *p, 
              constant float2 *q,
#endif
              const int count, 
              const MLSSolverKind kind = MLSSolverKindAffine, 
              const float alpha = 1.0): 
    point_(point),
    kind_(kind), 
    alpha_(alpha), 
    count_(count),
    weight_(0),
    p_(p), q_(q)
    {
         
#ifndef __METAL_VERSION__
        //
        // For the assembly CPU, allocate temporary buffers for calculating intermediate values
        // solver
        //
        w_ = new float[count_];   
        pHat_ = new float2[count_];   
        qHat_ = new float2[count_];   
#endif
         
        // Finding the weights  
        solveW();
         
        // Finding a vector with a "header"
        solveHat();
         
        // Solving the main optimization equation
        solveM();  
         
#ifndef __METAL_VERSION__
        delete pHat_;
        delete qHat_;
        pHat_=qHat_=0;
#endif
         
    }    
         
    /**
     Returns the deformation point by coordinate
 
     @param point starting position
     @return new position 
     */
    float2 value(float2 point) {
        if (count_ <= 0) return point;   
        return (point - pStar_) * M + qStar_;
    }
     
    ~IMPMLSSolver() {
#ifndef __METAL_VERSION__
        delete w_;
        if (pHat_) delete pHat_;
        if (qHat_) delete qHat_;
#endif
    }
     
private:
     
    MLSSolverKind kind_;
    float   alpha_;
    int     count_;
    float2  point_;
#ifndef __METAL_VERSION__              
    const float2 *p_;
    const float2 *q_;
    float *w_;
    float2 *pHat_;
    float2 *qHat_;    
#else
    constant float2 *p_;
    constant float2 *q_;
    thread float w_[MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS];
    thread float2 pHat_[MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS];
    thread float2 qHat_[MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS];
#endif
     
    float weight_;
    float2 pStar_;
    float2 qStar_;
    float mu_;
     
    float2x2 M;
     
    void solveW() {
         
        weight_ = 0;
        pStar_ = float2(0);
        qStar_ = float2(0);
 
        for (int i=0; i<count_ && i<MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS; i++) {
             
            float d =  pow(distance(p_[i], point_), 2*alpha_);
             
            if (d < FLT_EPSILON)  d = FLT_EPSILON; 
             
            w_[i] = 1.0 / d;
            weight_ = weight_ + w_[i];
             
            pStar_ += w_[i] * p_[i];
            qStar_ += w_[i] * q_[i];
 
        }
         
        if (weight_ < FLT_EPSILON)  weight_ = FLT_EPSILON;
         
        pStar_ = pStar_ / weight_;                
        qStar_ = qStar_ / weight_;
    }  
     
    void solveHat(){        
         
        mu_ = 0;
         
        float _rmu1 = 0;
        float _rmu2 = 0;
         
        for (int i=0; i<count_ && i<MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS; i++) {
             
            pHat_[i] = p_[i] - pStar_;                        
            qHat_[i] = q_[i] - qStar_;
             
            switch (kind_) {            
                case MLSSolverKindSimilarity:
                    mu_ += similarityMu(i);
                    break;                
                case MLSSolverKindRigid:
                    _rmu1 += rigidMu1(i); 
                    _rmu2 += rigidMu2(i);
                    break;
                default:
                    break;
            }
        }
         
        switch (kind_) {            
            case MLSSolverKindRigid:
                mu_ = sqrt(_rmu1*_rmu1 + _rmu2*_rmu2);
                break;
            default:
                break;
        }
         
        if (mu_ < FLT_EPSILON)  mu_ = FLT_EPSILON; 
         
        mu_ = 1/mu_;
    }
     
    void solveM() {
        switch (kind_) {
            case MLSSolverKindAffine:
                M = affineM();
                break;
            case MLSSolverKindSimilarity:
            case MLSSolverKindRigid:
                M = similarityM(point_);
                break;
        }
    }  
                    
    float2x2 affineM() {
        float2x2 mi = (float2x2){(float2){0,0},(float2){0,0}};
        float2x2 mj = (float2x2){(float2){0,0},(float2){0,0}};
 
        for (int i=0; i<count_ && i<MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS; i++) {
             
            float2x2 pti({
                pHat_[i], 
                float2(0)                
            });
             
            float2x2 ppi({
                (float2){w_[i] * pHat_[i].x, 0.0}, 
                (float2){w_[i] * pHat_[i].y, 0.0}                
            });
             
            mi = mi + (float2x2)(pti * ppi);
             
             
            float2x2 ptj({
                w_[i] * pHat_[i], 
                float2(0)                
            });
             
            float2x2 qpj({
                (float2){qHat_[i].x, 0.0}, 
                (float2){qHat_[i].y, 0.0}                
            });
             
            mj = mj + (float2x2)(ptj * qpj);
        }        
        return inverse(mi) * mj;
    }
     
     
    float similarityMu(int i)  {
        return w_[i]*dot(pHat_[i], pHat_[i]);
    }
     
    float2x2 similarityM(float2 value) {
         
        float2x2 m = (float2x2){(float2){0,0},(float2){0,0}};
         
        for (int i=0; i<count_ && i<MLS_MAXIMUM_POINTS; i++) {
             
            float2 sp = -1 * __slashReflect(pHat_[i]);
            float2 sq = -1 * __slashReflect(qHat_[i]);
             
            float2x2 _p({
                (float2){w_[i] * pHat_[i].x, w_[i] * sp.x}, 
                (float2){w_[i] * pHat_[i].y, w_[i] * sp.y}                
            });
             
            float2x2 _q({qHat_[i], sq});
                         
            m = m + (float2x2)(_p * _q);
        }
        return  mu_ * m; 
    }
     
    float rigidMu1(int i) {
        return w_[i]*dot(qHat_[i], pHat_[i]);        
    }
     
    float rigidMu2(int i) {
        return w_[i]*dot(qHat_[i],  __slashReflect(pHat_[i]));        
    }
}; Examples In the application, you can interact with the colors of the picture; the colors will be marked on the Lab color space plane: a-b (in the code, you can replace it with any other). Colors that you want to fix and not change are also worth noting. Then, pull the color dot that you want to change to another. In this example, I highlighted the color of the bottle and chaotically marked a few more. As you can see, by significantly changing one color, the rest are practically unaffected, which can be very convenient for, for example, commercial photographers engaged in digital subject photography or for enthusiasts who dream of matching the color of a digital image to a film one. And this is what the RGB cube looks like after our Lab space settings. For reference, the application also draws a hald-LUT and an HV plane from HSV space. In this example, light color correction has been made: the cold tint of the original slide has been removed. This is how the LUT of the original RGB cube is approximately transformed. It is obvious that the presented framework for working with color spaces can become a universal color correction tool for future generations of digital photographers, when film finally leaves the scene, and color and sound design become a common practice. Also published . here

Understanding Color Space Transform Using The Moving Least Squares Method

Do you want to move your online community from one platform to another? Many small and big businesses today focus on creating a solid online community because of the benefits it offers. Online communities allow brands to engage with their customers directly, understand their needs better, and create stronger relationships. Such communities have become a very effective form of marketing platform by allowing you to take your conversation beyond the immediate problem. So you get to understand your audience better. You can then use this valuable feedback to improve your customer experience. These users then become advocates of your brand and start spreading positive word-of-mouth. As a result, your brand name becomes stronger, more credible, and more trustworthy. Besides, by maintaining an active online community, you can also turn it into a platform for generating user-generated content. You can encourage your users to get creative with your products and share their stories with others. These communities allow you to reach out to users beyond your immediate customers. Expanding your reach helps increase brand awareness, attracts more leads, and increases your conversions. Considering all these benefits, most businesses today have an online community. Some even turn their websites into social networking sites with the intent of building a community around their brand. However, many businesses don’t do their research when they start their communities. So, after a while, they might want to move them to another platform. However, moving an online community from an existing platform to a new one can be a complex and challenging task. Doing this successfully needs proper planning and execution. If you’re someone trying to move your online community to another platform, this post is for you. In this post, we’ll discuss how to successfully move your online community to another platform. So let’s get started. How to Move Your Online Community As mentioned above, moving your online community needs proper planning and a solid strategy. In this section, let’s look at how to get started to make this process a success. 1. Set Clear Objectives The first important point to remember when moving an online community from one platform to another is to set clear objectives. Consider your decision and analyze it well to understand why you want to make this switch. This will help you evaluate the new platform and identify whether it will help you achieve your goal. When you have considered switching the platform, you need to ensure that it helps you upgrade your community’s features and functionalities. However, this upgrade should align with your community objectives. This will help ensure that the new platform has the capabilities to support your community's growth. It’ll also help you analyze how the switch will affect your community’s user experience and engagement. It is important to select a platform that will help you optimize the user experience. But don’t restrict yourself to these analyses alone. Make sure that you also define your own success criteria for the process and set a timeline for it. This will help you make the process a more seamless one. 2. Communicate With Your Community Members The next important step to remember when switching your online community’s platform is to communicate with your community members. Switching the platform without intimating your users might create various disruptions and confusion. If you don’t notify them about the process earlier, they might try to access the platform and fail to log in. Some might even look for information in the community and be disappointed with the process. This can confuse them. By notifying them beforehand, you are actually preparing them for this switch. In the notification, properly mention what they should expect from this switch. For example, let them know the exact timing at which you plan the switch. Ask them not to access the platform within that time. By setting expectations, you can reduce dissatisfaction and prepare them for a better experience. Be open and transparent about the process. This will and help you manage your online community better. You can also run a Q&A session to answer all their queries to clear their doubts. Again, don’t forget to talk about the timeline. build trust 3. Select the Right Platform The next and most important point to consider is selecting the right platform. This is crucial for the success and growth of your community. Evaluate the needs of your community and understand the features and functionalities you are looking for in your community. Make sure that the features align with the specific needs of your community. It should help you engage your audience better, improve their experience on the platform, and, at the same time should, allow you solid management, customization, and moderation options. Another key factor to remember is the new platform’s features, security, scalability, etc. Reach out to the support team of the new platform if needed and see if it offers . free migration support It’s also important that you protect your community member’s data and ensure their privacy. So, before finalizing a platform, evaluate the security measures it offers. 4. Prepare for the Migration Process Once you have finalized the platform, it’s time to start the migration process. To start with, you first need to map out a plan for the entire process. In the plan, you should include various important things like your milestones, a timeline of the process, key responsibilities, etc. You should also consider technical needs, keep your existing data ready, and consider other essential components for the migration. Doing this will help you understand the process better and ensure a smooth transition. Once you have everything ready, it's time to map the data structure from the old to the new platform. Your migration process can be called a success only when you have properly imported and exported all your files. This includes post discussions, user profiles, all your content, etc. So make sure that all your data is imported accurately. The entire process might sound challenging, but working on it and getting the process completed properly is super important. 5. Test and Validate Simply conducting the migration process isn’t enough. You also need to ensure that things have been done properly. And the only way to do that is to test and validate the process. Before making your community live for your users, make sure to conduct extensive research. This will help you identify and address any technical issues, bugs, or usability concerns. Understanding these problems earlier helps you fix them without letting your users face them. You can also run a parallel testing phase where you can collect feedback from your users. This will help you understand any error or glitch in your platform, and you can fix them to ensure a better user experience. Don’t hesitate to continuously iterate and enhance the community experience based on user input and changing needs. Once your testing process is complete, go ahead and validate your user accounts and other important activities in the community. 6. Treat the Migration as Your New Launch The final step is to treat the emigration process as a new launch. Your users need to know that your community is live again. So let them know about it in a grand way. Use different channels to promote your launch. You can do it on Facebook, Instagram, or any other that you think can help you reach out to your target audience. Another way of promoting your launch is through blog posts. Publish some nice content talking about why you opted for the switch and how it can help your users. social media channels It can also be a good decision to send out newsletters talking about it. This can help you engage with your users directly and communicate your message more effectively. How to Make Your Online Community More Popular Now that you know how to plan and prepare for moving your online community to a new platform, let’s check out how to make your community more popular. 1. Create Valuable Content One of the most important ways to run an active community is to create value for your users. Your audience wouldn’t want to be part of your community if they don't find it useful. This makes it important for you to consistently create valuable content for your users. Just do some research to understand what is trending in your industry. You can then create some great content around that topic. You should also encourage your users to participate in the discussion. This will help you engage your audience in a meaningful way. 2. Maximize User-Generated Content The next effective way to make your community more popular is to maximize user-generated content (UGC). Such content helps you create valuable resources for the entire community. Besides, when users post such content, they feel a sense of ownership around that content. This will encourage them to engage better with users who participate in discussions about it. It’s a good way to keep the community active. You just need to clearly set your expectations about the type of content you’ll accept. So, add a section that includes guidelines on topics, formats, and quality standards. You can also add it in the FAQ section or pin a post that guides users in creating relevant content in the community. To encourage more people to share their content, you can also offer incentives or highlight the best UGC in your community. It helps motivate your users to share more of such content. 3. Cross-Promote Your Content When you post something in your community, it's mostly your users who notice your content. So you should always consider cross-promoting your content for more reach, better engagement, and attracting more new users. A very good way to do that is to collaborate with influencers from your industry. Reach out to a popular influencer and co-create content with them. Talk about the value your community can offer. Another popular way of cross-promoting your content is to guest blog in popular publications. You can use these opportunities to showcase your expertise and then highlight the benefits of joining your community. 4. Interact with Members To be able to attract more users to your community, you have to maintain a certain standard. For example, your audience wouldn’t want to be part of it if you don’t interact with them. So always be responsive to your users. Be prompt in responding to their comments, questions, or feedback. You should also ask open-ended questions to encourage people to participate. Just make sure to respond to them when they send their answers. It is also important that you show your appreciation for their feedback, suggestions, and ideas. This will make them feel more valuable, and they will be encouraged to interact with you more often. 5. Embed Your Community on Your Website No matter how popular your community becomes, it’s always important that you keep attracting more users to it. One way of doing it is to on your website. embed your community When you do that, every time a user visits your website, they will notice your community, too. This will encourage them to join the community and reap its benefits. Embedding your community on your website is a good way of creating awareness about it and popularizing it amongst your visitors. Conclusion Building a strong online community needs time, effort, and, more importantly, consistency. These communities can be a wonderful platform for nurturing relationships, engaging in meaningful conversations, and offering value to your users.

The Definitive Guide to Moving an Online Community

They say movies are not real life; they are just a way to create more illusions in our minds. However, the answer is relative. Movies are a great way to inspire us to learn and innovate for the present and future. With sci-fi, what we saw 20 or 30 years ago is now a part of our daily life: the touch screen, the metaverse, robots working in some plants around the world, and the domination of artificial intelligence. Soon, we may attain singularity, as proven by brilliant minds like Raymond Kurzweil. Mr. Robot, Chloe O'Brien, how many people inspired us to become computer nerds through the movies? Nmap is seen in different successful movies like , and and there’s a great tribe of curious learners after watching some footage! Ocean 8 The Matrix Reloaded, Die-Hard 4, Are you one of them? Let’s discover together! What is Nmap? Nmap or Network Mapper is a free and open-source utility used by network engineers for network discovery and audits. A network admin can use the utility to scan active network devices, the service they are running, and open ports. In pen testing, white or black hat hackers can use Nmap to scan and discover vulnerabilities on target computers; it’s written in the Lua language and is still the favorite daily companion for pen testers and network admins. Nmap gives three primary functionalities: Nmap gives 3 primary functionalities: shows detailed information on every active network and each IP address helps to identify security vulnerabilities shows a list of active hosts and identifies the operating system of every connected device Nmap basics The best way to know the tool is through daily practice. Let’s discover basic commands to train your brain and fingers as future pen testers. in our short demo, we use Nmap on Ubuntu our favorite Linux distribution, you can also use it on Windows but Linux remains the best kernel to test advanced things in security. if Nmap is already installed on your Ubuntu, you can skip the installation, here we show the installation if it’s not done yet on your computer. installing Nmap : To install, you need a higher privilege as root “ ” sudo apt install nmap sudo. Once the utility is installed, run “ in the shell; the version will be displayed, and additional arguments to add to the utility. nmap” Checking Nmap options on Ubuntu : displays the version, and options to make the most of the utility. Let’s scan a host with an IP address of to see if it’s active. nmap 172.20.120.174 The result shows an active host with a state of “ ”. up Let’s scan to get some details about the scan www.nasa.gov : gives more details about the scan. The output shows the time a ping was initiated, the website, and the number of ports scanned. nmap –vv : to enable operating system detection, version detection, and script scanning. In the output, we can see running. nmap -A Android Now you have some basic knowledge of , open your shell and go further by testing more commands. Nmap Challenge Open your shell and run these five commands to discover nmap to install the utility in your shell sudo apt install nmap by targeting an IP address in your local network nmap followed by a website of your choice to get some details nmap -vv to detect the operating system of a target machine nmap -A followed by the IP address of your target PC to discover vulnerabilities nmap -Pn –script vuln Conclusion Movies have the power to inspire us to explore beyond fiction. Some movies aim to inspire a wide audience to learn and embrace new technologies. There are various ways to educate ourselves, such as through books, podcasts, and documentaries. Learning and inspiration can lead to exponential growth. Also published . here

Nmap: From Movies to the Most Used Tool in the Industry

After Avengers: Endgame, it seemed that a lot of the storylines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were coming to a close. However, not all of them. And on top of that, new ones were already on the horizon. These storylines would come to fruition in the next phase of the MCU: phase 4. This phase saw the continuation of Black Widow’s, Black Panther’s, Doctor Strange’s, and Spider-Man’s stories, and it also saw the introduction of Shang-Chi and the Eternals. If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Because here are the MCU Phase 4 movies in order. Phase 4 Movies in Order Black Widow Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Eternals Spider-Man: No Way Home Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Thor: Love and Thunder Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 1. Black Widow (2021) Although Black Widow was introduced early in the MCU, it would take over 10 years for her to get her own stand-alone movie. The movie would give fans more of an insight into her character, her past, and would cover time periods unexplored by other movies. It would also introduce her family: Yelena Belova, the Red Guardian, and Melina Vostokoff as they reunited to take down the leader of the Red Room. But they’ll have to take care of his number one assassin first: Taskmaster. 2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) A son going against his father; A tale as old as time. But the reason this type of story has remained prominent is because it’s a good one, and Shang-Chi managed to not only reach its expectations but exceed them. Shang-Chi was living in San Francisco, wanting to put his past behind him. But the past reaches out to him and forces him to not only confront it but also to confront his father: Xu Wenwu. However, this isn’t your typical father; he has immense power thanks to the ten rings. Shang-Chi will have to put all his heart and soul to overcome his dad. 3. Eternals (2021) Just like Shang-Chi’s dad has lived for over a 1,000 years, the Eternals have lived for a very long time. Except they lived for even longer, hiding in the shadows of history. What’s their purpose? To protect humans from the creatures known as Deviants. But when the seemingly extinct Deviants return from slumber, the Eternals will once again have to unite to take them down. 4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) At the end of the last Spider-Man movie, the whole world finds out that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. And, of course, his life changes immediately. He’s being interrogated by government officials, he’s being treated differently in school, and he finally has to come clean to his Aunt May about his secret double life. However, Peter can live with all of that. What he can’t live with, however, is the lives of his friends being impacted by his decision to be a superhero. To fix this, he turns to one Doctor Strange for help. The good doctor proposes a spell that will make the whole world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, but things don’t go as planned. What happens next is something that fans have been wanting to see for many years. 5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Coming right off the heels of No Way Home is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. By this point, the multiverse concept was already something that the MCU was expanding on with shows like Loki and What If? But now, it was Doctor Strange’s turn to jump head-first into the multiverse. After he’s blindsided by a new threat, Doctor Strange and his new ally, America Chavez, accidentally stumble into another universe. They’ll have to fight their way back home to help out Wong and the rest of the sorcerers. 6. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) After the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Thor is going through some things. He lost his realm, his friend Heimdall, his brother Loki, and he feels responsible for the Blip. But in Love and Thunder, he’s finding his groove back. Although the realm of Asgard is gone, the people remain, and they need help. Asgardian children are kidnapped, and Thor and Thor have to save them. No, that’s not a typo. There are two Thors: Thor Odinson and the Might Thor who is revealed to be the returning Jane Foster. And good thing that there’s two of them because the villain who kidnapped the kids is Gorr the God Butcher 7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) After the unfortunate passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther/ T’Challa, plans had to pivot. In Wakanda Forever, T’Challa also passes away, which leaves Wakanda without a Black Panther. Although reluctant at first, T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, is forced to take the mantle after Wakanda is threatened by Namor and the Atlanteans. What ensues is a battle between two powerful nations, both fighting to ensure the future of their people. Conclusion Marvel’s Phase 4 may have had its ups and downs, but overall, it was another fun section in the MCU’s history. Read More: The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order The Apollo Justice Trilogy: The 5 Best Cases The New Tomb Raider Games in Order

The MCU Phase 4 Movies in Order

Since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been a Hollywood juggernaut. And even 15 years later, it still has millions of fans around the world. But many would agree that the peak of the MCU’s popularity is already in the past, particularly, it seemed to peak in the third phase. The MCU’s phase 3 was a time of extreme hype. There really was nothing quite like it, and it’s something that could most likely never be successfully replicated again. If you missed out on it, don’t worry. Here are all the MCU Phase 3 movies in chronological order. The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order 1. Captain America: Civil War 2. Doctor Strange 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 4. Spider-Man: Homecoming 5. Thor: Ragnarok 6. Avengers: Infinity War 7. Ant-Man and the Wasp 8. Captain Marvel 9. Avengers: Endgame 10. Spider-Man: Far From Home 1. Captain America: Civil War (2016) The beginning of the phase started off with a bang because in Captain America: Civil War, trouble was brewing, and not just because of the supervillains. There was trouble brewing within the Avengers. The government and the public were fed up with the mistakes of the Avengers, and they wanted to hold them accountable by forcing them to work for the United Nations. Captain America and a few other heroes were extremely against this while Iron Man and his side were in favor. The two sides can’t see eye-to-eye and clash in epic fashion. 2. Doctor Strange (2016) After an accident leaves him with shaky hands, Doctor Stephen Strange’s days as a surgeon are over forever. However, what happens next no one could expect as Strange then begins his journey to be a sorcerer. First, he only does so for selfish reasons. But the more time he spends training, the more he realizes that he wasn’t meant to be a rich and selfish surgeon; he was meant to be the Sorcerer Supreme. In simpler terms, he was destined to be a superhero. 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Jumping from the mystical side of the MCU to the cosmic one, everyone’s favorite rag-tag team of mischiefs returns for a second adventure. In the first movie, it’s heavily implied that Peter’s father is an important figure and somebody we’ll one day get to see. Well, in Vol. 2, we finally meet the mysterious man. And nothing is ever the same for the Guardians of the Galaxy. But beyond that, we get to meet the interesting Mantis, flesh out more of Gamora and Nebula’s relationship, and get to know another side of Rocket. 4. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) It was a long time coming, but it finally happened. One of the most popular superhero characters of all time finally got his own movie in the MCU. After making his debut in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man goes back to living a “regular” life as a teenager in Brooklyn. As regular as can be when you’re a superhero that is. But he quickly realizes that he won’t just be nabbing purse snatchers and petty thieves. He’ll have to deal with his own supervillain in the form of the Vulture. Even though he’s already gone toe-to-toe with some of the Avengers, this may be his biggest challenge yet. 5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Although this was the third movie for Thor, it felt like a fresh beginning. This version of Thor was more silly and comedic, and although future installments played too much into this, he was perfect in Thor: Ragnarok. In fact, everything about this movie is amazing. After their sister returns, Thor and his brother Loki find themselves in a strange new world that they can’t seem to escape of. That doesn’t matter though because they need to figure out a plan quickly before their sister destroys all of Asgard. Luck is on their side, however, as two allies are also stranded on the strange planet. Together, the 4 of them do everything they can to stop Hela. 6. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Since his small teaser at the end of the first Avengers movie, Thanos had been built up as the final boss of the Avengers. A bigger threat than they could ever dream of. And in Infinity War, we find out if they’re up to the task. Still reeling from the prior events of Civil War, the Avengers (alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy) fight the Mad Titan before he can reclaim all of the Infinity Stones. Because it’s just not Earth that is being threatened but the entire universe. 7. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) While the Avengers are fighting for their lives, Ant-Man and the Wasp have their own mini (ha) adventure in San Francisco. The Wasp’s mom, Janet van Dyne, is stuck in the Quantum Realm after she shrunk too small. Decades later, Ant-Man and the Wasp believe they have the power and know-how to bring her back. Unfortunately, it won’t be an easy journey. Along the way, they’ll have to deal with both Sonny Burch and Ghost, 2 opponents who have their own agendas. 8. Captain Marvel (2019) Captain Marvel was released toward the tail-end of Phase 3, but it actually takes place before most of the other movies in the MCU. It follows a mysterious Kree soldier who suffers from memory loss. As more of her memories get uncovered, she has to ask herself, “Who can she trust?”  This question itself opens up doors and reveals secrets she never thought possible and allows her to become Captain Marvel. 9. Avengers: Endgame (2019) This was it. The culmination of the 21 movies that came before it. The Avengers once again have to come together and join forces to fight Thanos for a second and hopefully final time. But a lot has changed since they last encountered him, and many of the Avengers have changed (some for better and some for worse). None of that matters, however, because the stakes are higher than ever, and only the Avengers can make everything right. Although there was one more movie in Phase 3, Avengers: Endgame seemed to be a fitting conclusion to the saga. 10. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Even though Peter Parker isn’t finished with high school, he’s had enough adventure and excitement for a lifetime. But the hits keep on coming for Spidey. On a school trip to Europe, he’ll come across other superpowered beings such as the Elementals and Mysterio who will turn his life upside down. And if that wasn’t enough, he still has to deal with being a teenager: getting bullied, having girl problems, and having a love-sick best friend. Conclusion Phase 3 of the MCU was one of its best, and this article should help you get on track to relive the journey or start it for the first time. Feature image source Also published here Read More: The Apollo Justice Trilogy: The 5 Best Cases The New Tomb Raider Games in Order Persona 3 Remake Officially Announced: Everything We Know So Far

The MCU Phase 3 Movies in Order

The os package in Python provides a wide range of functionalities for interacting with the operating system. One of the most commonly used aspects of this package is its ability to perform file and folder operations such as iteration, deletion, creation, moving, and opening. In this article, we'll explore how to utilize the os package for these tasks. Iterate Through All the Items Within a Folder You can use the os package in Python to iterate through all the items within a folder using the os.listdir() method. And you can use the os.path.join function to concatenate the folder path with each item in the folder to get the absolute path. Here's an example of how to do it: import os

# Replace 'folder_path' with the path of the folder you want to iterate through
folder_path = 'path_to_folder'

# Iterate through all items in the folder
for item in os.listdir(folder_path):
		print(item) 
		# Get the absolute path of the item
		item_path = os.path.join(folder_path, item) 
		# Display the absolute path of the item
		print(item_path) In this example, returns a list of all the items (files and subfolders) in the specified folder. You can then iterate through this list and perform any operations you need for each item. os.listdir(folder_path) Remember to replace with the actual path of the folder you want to iterate through. 'path_to_folder' Deleting Files and Folders The package provides methods to delete both files and folders. Here's how you can achieve this: os To Delete a File: import os
os.remove('file_path/file.txt') To Delete an Empty Folder: import os
os.rmdir('folder_path')  # Replace with the actual folder path To Delete a Non-Empty Folder and All Its Contents: import shutil
shutil.rmtree('folder_path')  # Replace with the actual folder path Remember to replace and with the actual paths of the file or folder you want to delete. Use these functions with caution as they will permanently delete the specified files or folders. 'file_path/file.txt' 'folder_path' Creating Folders Creating a new folder using the package is straightforward: os import os
os.mkdir('new_folder')  # Replace with the desired folder name Moving and Renaming Files/Folders The package allows us to move and rename files and folders as well. Here's an example of moving a file: os import os
os.rename('old_location/file.txt', 'new_location/file.txt') Opening Files and Folders You can also open a folder in the default file explorer using the package. For instance, to open a folder in the File Explorer (Windows): os import os
os.startfile('folder_path')  # Replace with the actual folder path Conclusion The package in Python offers powerful capabilities for file and folder operations, allowing developers to efficiently manage file system tasks within their applications. os By utilizing the methods provided by the package, you can seamlessly iterate, delete, create, move, and open files and folders in your Python programs. os Thank you for taking the time to explore data-related insights with me. I appreciate your engagement. If you find this information helpful, I invite you to follow me or connect with me on . Happy exploring!👋 LinkedIn Also published here

How to Use the os Module for High-Level File Operations Such as Iterating, Moving, and More

When I first joined the crypto industry in 2017, the welcome message I received was simple: "We've got Bitcoin and Ethereum. is digital money. Ethereum is a platform that people build cool apps on." Bitcoin Fair enough. I was in. There was no negativity. No trying to push me to one blockchain or another. No tribalism. The welcome was simple but intriguing. It made me hungry to learn as much as I could. Times have changed. With polarity at an all-time high and blockchain disputes raging online daily, the crypto industry has never been so hostile and unwelcoming to new participants taking their first glimpse inside. "Bitcoin maximalists" are largely to blame. The subgroup of Bitcoin participants, some of whom have amassed huge followings, have spread hate, incorrect and damaging information, and the worst possible Bitcoin slogan—"Bitcoin, not Crypto"—across the industry. For Bitcoin's sake, the slogan needs to end. We need a new welcome message. Let's explore why from a communications perspective. Bitcoin as a Religion Offers Clarity The comparison that likens Bitcoin to religion is well-founded; it's one we can elaborate upon to show just how terrible "Bitcoin, not crypto" is as a message. Take yourself back to the times of the early Christian Church. A relatively small (in comparison to the global population) group of people was on a mission to convert non-believers into followers of Christ. With Bitcoin today, a relatively small (in comparison to the global population) group of people is on a mission to convert non-believers into adopters of a new form of currency. The parallels are clear as day—two grassroots movements led by people pouring their hearts and souls into making the world a better place. Now, picture the following scene: A group of early Christians invited curious non-believers to a meeting place to discuss Jesus Christ. A non-believer named Joshua asks: "Why is Christianity the best religion? Why should I choose Christianity instead of converting to Judaism? "Christianity, not Judaism," replies one of the Christians with boastful pride. "Judaism is a scam!" another Christian shouts in support. The room falls silent; the non-believers are clearly nervous and confused. One of them bravely speaks up after a moment, asking, "Well, can you at least give us some context into why you believe that?" He continues, "I'm a Muslim, but I'm curious about several religions currently and am trying to figure out what each offers." The Christians become more rowdy: "You should go to prison for considering those scams!" "Think of the children; what are you doing?" "Christianity, not Judaism, not Islam!" Now picture that same scene, but replace Christians with Bitcoiners and replace the non-believers with altcoin users and Bitcoin-curious people. I think you get the point. Attacking other crypto participants' beliefs, telling Bitcoin-curious people that everything else in crypto is a scam, and shouting "Bitcoin, not crypto" from the mountaintops is no way to convert people to Bitcoin. It's no way to sustain and grow a movement that ties so closely to peoples' beliefs. To bring people to Bitcoin, it's essential that we be respectful of their current activities and beliefs centered around other cryptocurrencies and use sound reasoning to educate them on why Bitcoin is the best option. Act with grace, not hate. Promoting a Lie Hurts Trust in Bitcoin Anyone in the world can Google "Is Bitcoin a cryptocurrency?" and find that the factual, undeniable truth is that, yes, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. There is an endless list of evidence that supports this. Oxford Languages, the source of Google's English dictionary and the world's leading dictionary publisher with over 150 years of experience, defines a "cryptocurrency" as the following: "a digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralized system using cryptography, rather than by a centralized authority." Cross-reference that definition with the Bitcoin whitepaper and, like magic, Bitcoin is confirmed as a cryptocurrency. Imagine that. To anyone who isn't a brainwashed Bitcoin maximalist, this is the most basic concept in the industry. The first thing everyone learns about Bitcoin is that it's a cryptocurrency. For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of someone discovering Bitcoin for the first time. You check out social media to learn more about Bitcoin and the industry and come across tweets like this: We are still early….. #bitcoinnotcrypto pic.twitter.com/qa3rZcwSfx — Sea₿az (@SeaBaz_) September 19, 2023 Can you imagine how confused you'd be? Would you want to learn more and dive deeper into an industry with such an identity crisis at its fundamental level? Stirring up controversy and generating confusion is no way to improve Bitcoin education or adoption. As an industry, it's essential that we make learning as straightforward as possible. Instead, Focus on Differentiation and Familiarity In claiming that Bitcoin isn't crypto, Bitcoiners resort to a juvenile argument that sounds a lot like bullying or like there's nothing better to say. "Bitcoin, not Crypto" is the "Your Mom" comeback of Web3. It's a middle school-level last resort that causes two fundamental problems: It indicates that Bitcoin can't effectively differentiate itself from other cryptocurrencies. It compares two Web3 concepts, making it difficult for novices to understand. Differentiation There's no scenario in which "Bitcoin, not crypto" is used that a sound argument couldn't be used instead. Using "Bitcoin, not crypto" is a cop-out argument that signals that Bitcoin isn't worth using the energy to properly defend. Worse even, it's a complete failure to take advantage of a moment to differentiate Bitcoin from other cryptocurrencies. If someone asks why they should choose Bitcoin instead of Ethereum, the answer should relate to proof of work and Bitcoin's fundamentals as ultrasound money. "Bitcoin, not crypto" is a psychotic answer to such an important question. Thinking back to my own onboarding experience, if I had been told "Bitcoin, not crypto" and that everything in crypto aside from Bitcoin was a scam, I don't think I would've been so keen to get involved in the industry. Why would anyone want to join an industry where all but one product is a scam? People's questions about the crypto industry deserve genuine, well-founded answers. They deserve much more than claims that projects clearly run with good intentions and a humanity-first mission are evil scams. They deserve a proper welcome and room to explore everything the industry has to offer. That is how we have grown as an industry for years and how we should continue to do so. Be an information resource and let people choose what they align to on their own. Familiarity For a novice, Bitcoin and Crypto are two foreign concepts. Telling them Bitcoin isn't crypto doesn't further their understanding of Bitcoin; it's a path to confusion and doubt. Those aren't emotions that we should want anyone to feel when they first find Bitcoin. Trust is vital to onboarding. Clear, unbiased information is vital to establishing trust. The message Bitcoiners propagated years ago, "Bitcoin is digital gold," was far better than "Bitcoin, not crypto." The gold metaphor is much more effective to spread because it brings familiarity to an extremely complicated subject. Almost everyone understands gold; at the very least, they know it is valuable due to its rarity and commonly serves as a safe store of value. That's how genuine curiosity is sparked. It opens the door for adoption. Moving Beyond "Bitcoin, Not Crypto" The crypto industry's current atmosphere of divisiveness and hostility, epitomized by the "Bitcoin, not Crypto" slogan, is detrimental not just to Bitcoin but to the entire crypto space. This approach alienates newcomers and muddies the waters of understanding and trust. The early ethos of inclusivity and eagerness to educate, which once welcomed and intrigued many of us, including myself, has been overshadowed by a tribal mentality that does more harm than good. As an industry, we must return to our roots of open-mindedness and informative dialogue. The focus should be on providing clear, factual information, celebrating the unique attributes of various cryptocurrencies, and fostering an environment where curiosity and learning are encouraged. Only by adopting a more welcoming and constructive approach can we hope to see the crypto industry thrive and evolve, inviting participation from a diverse range of thinkers and innovators. This change is not just necessary; it's crucial for the future and the growth of the entire crypto ecosystem. We must be better. Tip Jar Enjoy the article? Consider leaving a tip to support my writing efforts. All donations are greatly appreciated! Coinbase (BTC): 0x9543128838F74bF6e95b7e056D288bc190236C2D Metamask (ETH): 0x22B4E04c13EEBD21e2D35c4001B8B8fFFF17DD3a Phantom (SOL): AXmyuktns4ehTWAuJbMDwavHAufbRpkQB3aoeJ7yE8iP Disclaimer: This article is written purely for entertainment and educational purposes and should not be taken as financial advice in any way. Do your own research. If you are seeking financial advice, find a professional who is right for you. Also published . here

Moving Beyond 'Bitcoin, Not Crypto'

Introduction: Ever since the buzz about GenAI and ChatGPT, I have been trying to understand the space and leveraging it into my day-to-day activities as a Data Engineer. No doubt it has been useful for debugging with respective programming and documentation. Personally, it played a significant role in helping me plan my Dubai itinerary. It even contributed to naming my friend’s daughter. However, it works pretty well if you give appropriate and precise requirements. There is a lot of anxiety among people that AI is going to take our jobs as they feel almost everything will be automated through AI. Is LLM as good as everyone claims? In this article, we will look into the specifics of Gen AI’s role in data engineering and see where it flourishes, where it requires enhancement, and where human expertise remains irreplaceable. Areas of Strength: Basic Data Querying: 100% the human necessity is going to get disrupted, but the severity based on the complexity is high. Even the SQL practitioners won’t feel much difference here, and self-serve analytics will catch fire in this area which is something phenomenal! Again, to quote positively, data engineers won’t need to guide the stakeholders nearly as much! Troubleshooting Pipeline Failures: LLMs coupled with agents will slash on-call load massively. LLMs processing stack traces/quality failures can recommend the built-in remedies and nudge the ball down the field to address the problem, presumably even over Slack. And that is a fantastic percentage of data engineering hours saved! To be clear, some hard failures require manual troubleshooting. Anomaly Detection: Regardless of the structure, format, source, complexity, timeliness, or even natural play of data, large language models can identify anomalies. LLMs are well-suited to anomaly identification because they can work across a variety of data sources, identify subtle patterns, and distinguish when data isn’t behaving as expected. This will help data engineers to identify and fix data quality problems in advance. Areas for Enhancement: Data Cleansing: Our results suggest that Language Models (LLMs) are highly effective in data cleansing due to their high performance in unstructured data management and semantic error identification and correction, as well as high scalability. Furthermore, our review of the current state-of-the-art suggests that even more substantial improvements are possible, including fine-tuning of LLMs to specific domains or even organization data. In addition, various interactive mechanisms as well as coupling with data quality frameworks can significantly increase the efficiency of LLMs. Overall, LLMs allow for organizing and improving the whole process of data cleansing, helping to obtain high-quality datasets, and, consequently, valuable insights. Visualization and Report Generation: Language Models (LLMs) excel in visualization and documentation tasks by automating the creation of reports, summarizing data insights, and generating narrative-driven reports. Enhancements needed include improving document organization and categorization, data-driven storytelling capabilities integrating with version control systems and visualization tools for seamless output generation, and enhancing interpretability features to ensure clarity and coherence in reports. Writing Pipeline Code in SQL, Spark, or Flink LLM can be a helpful starting point, and for our work, it is a good boilerplate. Still, the generated material is hard to debug — or often not, worth the trouble. Prompt-driven content is still far from being able to turn out a nice, optimized, and absolutely accurate data pipeline. Optimization By providing suggestions on efficient query structures and detecting problems that slow performance, LLMs are especially powerful when it comes to SQL optimization. They can even make recommendations for optimizations on the basis of historical query data. Things for improvement include integrating database-specific optimization techniques into the training of LLM, bridging with query execution plans in order to give context-oriented advice and feedback mechanisms so that one can modify strategies for optimization according to what users prefer as well as performance metrics. Physical Data Model As soon as the logical model is finalized, LLM will be efficient in moving and upgrading this logical (or conceptual) data model into the targeted architecture. The problem that LLM encounters with all the examples is that it’s hard for most people to understand the pipeline, table, and its relationship. Areas Where Human Expertise Remains Irreplaceable: Logical Data Model Data modeling is a very soft skills-focused task. You have to communicate with different stakeholders to understand the business context in detail. Understanding what data is needed, the relationship between entities, and considering different scenarios are human-oriented tasks that LLMs must continue to struggle with. Building Pipeline and Framework Once they reach a certain level of complexity, LLMs begin to give up. Imagine if someone asked ChatGPT, “Can you provide me the source code of Android’s next version?” While LLMs can help with routine data engineering tasks, they do not have the insight or inventiveness unique to humans that allows for new solutions to complex challenges, unlocking creativity in technical terms. Domain Expertise and Intuition: Human data engineers bring a unique blend of domain expertise and intuition to their work that often surpasses what conventional software isn’t able to achieve through automation. This intuition allows them to find subtle patterns in data that no fully rigorous automated system can. Based on their knowledge of this field and their experiences in it, they can predict future trends. They can also make decisions in light of a broader context, including corporate or government needs, ethical considerations, and potential future scenarios. This holistic approach to data engineering surpasses what LLMs have achieved. Although LLMs have great power, they are typically restricted to the patterns and relationships they have been trained to recognize. Conclusion: On the whole, Gen AI can certainly automate trivial procedures such as looking for information, launching programs that don’t work properly, repeatedly correcting faults, and anomaly detection. My gut tells me that Gen AI will win out and excel at tasks such as Data Cleansing, Optimization, and Writing Pipelines — once the team understands gaps and missing patterns. But it can not learn purely human soft skills that are important for building logical data models or a framework. I believe that these skills, which cannot be automated, are also essential for stakeholders to ask for innovation in the first place. After all, no one ever asked Steve Jobs if they needed anything like an iPhone; he just thought up what would become its invention. References: https://barrmoses.medium.com/will-genai-replace-data-engineers-no-and-heres-why-708b0a27da6b ​​__https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-data-governance-challenges-era-large-fnq5e__ https://www.dataversity.net/navigating-the-risks-of-llm-ai-tools-for-data-governance/ https://www.skyflow.com/post/why-ai-governance-requires-data-governance https://coreykeyser.medium.com/you-cant-govern-ai-without-governing-data-27bb88d8f9ea https://www.ankursnewsletter.com/p/gpt-4-gpt-3-and-gpt-35-turbo-a-review https://towardsdatascience.com/from-chaos-to-clarity-streamlining-data-cleansing-using-large-language-models-a539fa0b2d90 https://medium.com/@wangshally11/data-cleaning-warm-up-before-training-large-language-models-74ed1edceead Introduction: Ever since the buzz about GenAI and ChatGPT, I have been trying to understand the space and leveraging it into my day-to-day activities as a Data Engineer. No doubt it has been useful for debugging with respective programming and documentation. Personally, it played a significant role in helping me plan my Dubai itinerary. It even contributed to naming my friend’s daughter. However, it works pretty well if you give appropriate and precise requirements. There is a lot of anxiety among people that AI is going to take our jobs as they feel almost everything will be automated through AI. Is LLM as good as everyone claims? In this article, we will look into the specifics of Gen AI’s role in data engineering and see where it flourishes, where it requires enhancement, and where human expertise remains irreplaceable. Areas of Strength: Basic Data Querying: 100% the human necessity is going to get disrupted, but the severity based on the complexity is high. Even the SQL practitioners won’t feel much difference here, and self-serve analytics will catch fire in this area which is something phenomenal! Again, to quote positively, data engineers won’t need to guide the stakeholders nearly as much! Troubleshooting Pipeline Failures: LLMs coupled with agents will slash on-call load massively. LLMs processing stack traces/quality failures can recommend the built-in remedies and nudge the ball down the field to address the problem, presumably even over Slack. And that is a fantastic percentage of data engineering hours saved! To be clear, some hard failures require manual troubleshooting. Anomaly Detection: Regardless of the structure, format, source, complexity, timeliness, or even natural play of data, large language models can identify anomalies. LLMs are well-suited to anomaly identification because they can work across a variety of data sources, identify subtle patterns, and distinguish when data isn’t behaving as expected. This will help data engineers to identify and fix data quality problems in advance. Areas for Enhancement: Data Cleansing: Our results suggest that Language Models (LLMs) are highly effective in data cleansing due to their high performance in unstructured data management and semantic error identification and correction, as well as high scalability. Furthermore, our review of the current state-of-the-art suggests that even more substantial improvements are possible, including fine-tuning of LLMs to specific domains or even organization data. In addition, various interactive mechanisms as well as coupling with data quality frameworks can significantly increase the efficiency of LLMs. Overall, LLMs allow for organizing and improving the whole process of data cleansing, helping to obtain high-quality datasets, and, consequently, valuable insights. Visualization and Report Generation: Language Models (LLMs) excel in visualization and documentation tasks by automating the creation of reports, summarizing data insights, and generating narrative-driven reports. Enhancements needed include improving document organization and categorization, data-driven storytelling capabilities integrating with version control systems and visualization tools for seamless output generation, and enhancing interpretability features to ensure clarity and coherence in reports. Writing Pipeline Code in SQL, Spark, or Flink LLM can be a helpful starting point, and for our work, it is a good boilerplate. Still, the generated material is hard to debug — or often not, worth the trouble. Prompt-driven content is still far from being able to turn out a nice, optimized, and absolutely accurate data pipeline. Optimization By providing suggestions on efficient query structures and detecting problems that slow performance, LLMs are especially powerful when it comes to SQL optimization. They can even make recommendations for optimizations on the basis of historical query data. Things for improvement include integrating database-specific optimization techniques into the training of LLM, bridging with query execution plans in order to give context-oriented advice and feedback mechanisms so that one can modify strategies for optimization according to what users prefer as well as performance metrics. Physical Data Model As soon as the logical model is finalized, LLM will be efficient in moving and upgrading this logical (or conceptual) data model into the targeted architecture. The problem that LLM encounters with all the examples is that it’s hard for most people to understand the pipeline, table, and its relationship. Areas Where Human Expertise Remains Irreplaceable: Logical Data Model Data modeling is a very soft skills-focused task. You have to communicate with different stakeholders to understand the business context in detail. Understanding what data is needed, the relationship between entities, and considering different scenarios are human-oriented tasks that LLMs must continue to struggle with. Building Pipeline and Framework Once they reach a certain level of complexity, LLMs begin to give up. Imagine if someone asked ChatGPT, “Can you provide me the source code of Android’s next version?” While LLMs can help with routine data engineering tasks, they do not have the insight or inventiveness unique to humans that allows for new solutions to complex challenges, unlocking creativity in technical terms. Domain Expertise and Intuition: Human data engineers bring a unique blend of domain expertise and intuition to their work that often surpasses what conventional software isn’t able to achieve through automation. This intuition allows them to find subtle patterns in data that no fully rigorous automated system can. Based on their knowledge of this field and their experiences in it, they can predict future trends. They can also make decisions in light of a broader context, including corporate or government needs, ethical considerations, and potential future scenarios. This holistic approach to data engineering surpasses what LLMs have achieved. Although LLMs have great power, they are typically restricted to the patterns and relationships they have been trained to recognize. Conclusion: On the whole, Gen AI can certainly automate trivial procedures such as looking for information, launching programs that don’t work properly, repeatedly correcting faults, and anomaly detection. My gut tells me that Gen AI will win out and excel at tasks such as Data Cleansing, Optimization, and Writing Pipelines — once the team understands gaps and missing patterns. But it can not learn purely human soft skills that are important for building logical data models or a framework. I believe that these skills, which cannot be automated, are also essential for stakeholders to ask for innovation in the first place. After all, no one ever asked Steve Jobs if they needed anything like an iPhone; he just thought up what would become its invention. References: https://barrmoses.medium.com/will-genai-replace-data-engineers-no-and-heres-why-708b0a27da6b https://barrmoses.medium.com/will-genai-replace-data-engineers-no-and-heres-why-708b0a27da6b https://barrmoses.medium.com/will-genai-replace-data-engineers-no-and-heres-why-708b0a27da6b ​​__ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-data-governance-challenges-era-large-fnq5e __ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-data-governance-challenges-era-large-fnq5e https://www.dataversity.net/navigating-the-risks-of-llm-ai-tools-for-data-governance/ https://www.dataversity.net/navigating-the-risks-of-llm-ai-tools-for-data-governance/ https://www.dataversity.net/navigating-the-risks-of-llm-ai-tools-for-data-governance/ https://www.skyflow.com/post/why-ai-governance-requires-data-governance https://www.skyflow.com/post/why-ai-governance-requires-data-governance https://www.skyflow.com/post/why-ai-governance-requires-data-governance https://coreykeyser.medium.com/you-cant-govern-ai-without-governing-data-27bb88d8f9ea https://coreykeyser.medium.com/you-cant-govern-ai-without-governing-data-27bb88d8f9ea https://coreykeyser.medium.com/you-cant-govern-ai-without-governing-data-27bb88d8f9ea https://www.ankursnewsletter.com/p/gpt-4-gpt-3-and-gpt-35-turbo-a-review https://www.ankursnewsletter.com/p/gpt-4-gpt-3-and-gpt-35-turbo-a-review https://www.ankursnewsletter.com/p/gpt-4-gpt-3-and-gpt-35-turbo-a-review https://towardsdatascience.com/from-chaos-to-clarity-streamlining-data-cleansing-using-large-language-models-a539fa0b2d90 https://towardsdatascience.com/from-chaos-to-clarity-streamlining-data-cleansing-using-large-language-models-a539fa0b2d90 https://towardsdatascience.com/from-chaos-to-clarity-streamlining-data-cleansing-using-large-language-models-a539fa0b2d90 https://medium.com/@wangshally11/data-cleaning-warm-up-before-training-large-language-models-74ed1edceead https://medium.com/@wangshally11/data-cleaning-warm-up-before-training-large-language-models-74ed1edceead https://medium.com/@wangshally11/data-cleaning-warm-up-before-training-large-language-models-74ed1edceead

LLMs: An Assessment From a Data Engineer

In my latest letter, Sell in May and Go Away, I highlighted that we were heading for the low liquidity season of the year and that the crypto markets would need a pause before trending higher. At this moment in time, I think the sluggish summer may finally be coming to an end. Uncertainty regarding the U.S. elections is in front of us, and given the many events that unfolded this month, I think we can expect plenty more volatility where investors will be “trading the election” until we see the results in November. Trump Going to the Oval Office? Trump is likely to become the next president. Following the assassination attempt, prediction markets put his likelihood at 71%, and now with Biden’s withdrawal, that has fallen to a comfortable 60%, with Kamala Harris looking like the second most obvious choice with a 38% probability currently. Digital Assets is the Talk of Town What’s interesting about this election is that digital assets have become a topic for candidates to discuss. Apparently, the political elite has finally understood that the +50M crypto holders in America represent a big voter base. This weekend, Trump and R. Kennedy Jr. are both speaking at the Bitcoin2024conference. Kamala Harris was also expected to speak there but declined the opportunity just a few days ago.Another interesting aspect is Trump’s choice of running mate, JD Vance. JD Vance is a self-proclaimed BTC holder, has been a strong proponent of the crypto industry in the Senate, and one of Gary Gensler's most vocal critics in recent years. A bitcoiner on the running card. How about that? Is it Finally Time to Lower the Rates? It’s now been a year since the Fed raised its benchmark rate to between 5.25% and 5.5%, holding this target range steady to date. In the meantime, Jerome Powell has said again and again that rates would not be lowered before something would either break or before the Fed would have been convinced inflation rates would trend lower towards the target rate of 2%. The most recent economic data signals that the Fed could soon start cutting rates: The Fed is getting closer to its 2% inflation target. In June, the monthly CPI fell by 0.1%, while the annual CPI rose by 3%. The U.S. economy is finally softening. GDP growth slowed to an annual rate of 1.4% in Q1 2024, down from 3.4% in the previous quarter. The labor market is also cooling down; June’s unemployment rate spiked to 4.1%, the highest it has been since November 2021. Additionally, Jerome Powell appeared on Capitol Hill this month and warned that “reducing policy restraint too late or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment.” Is the “higher for longer” regime coming to an end? It is still quite a balancing act for the Fed, but it seems inevitable that something has to move sooner rather than later. Currently, the market is predicting a 95.3% chance of a rate cut in September’s FOMC meeting. Bitcoin Remains Resilient Despite Sell-offs Bitcoin’s price has remained range-bound between $60K and $70K for most of the summer despite the drying liquidity from Bitcoin ETFs, which had propelled the price from lows of $42K before the approval to record highs of $73K in March. But what’s more remarkable is BTC’s resilience following the recent $2.87 billion sell-off by Germany’s Saxony state. That said, there's a risk of additional selling pressure. Mt. Gox, the defunct crypto exchange, has started its repayment plan, which aims to reimburse creditors around $9 billion worth of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. 140,000 BTC; this is worth over $9 billion at the current market price. So far, over 40% of the repayments have already been distributed to the creditors. On the brighter side, repayments in-kind does not equal selling pressure as creditors may decide to HODL their BTC. On-chain data shows that BTC withdrawals on Kraken spiked after the exchange completed distributing its share of allocated repayments. This is a sign that a good number of Mt. Gox creditors could be moving their repayments to cold wallets for long-term HODLing. Personally, I remain optimistic that BTC’s price will trend higher in H2 based on its current resilience amid the much-awaited Mt. Gox repayments, which most had predicted would be a huge sell-off event. Additionally, there are some macro and industry-specific factors that could be catalysts in sustaining the current price levels or pushing BTC higher: A good number of the creditors might decide to HODL onto their BTC, causing only short-term downward pressure on BTC’s price. Once the uncertainty over Mt. Gox repayments is over, there is no big expected selling pressure. There is a high chance that the Fed will cut rates in September, likely triggering a rally in risk-on assets. Liquidity is gradually returning to the market. Blackrock’s Bitcoin Spot ETF recently recorded a daily net inflow of $526 million, the largest since March 13th. The crypto market could soon play catch-up with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Gold, which showed strength in Q2 while BTC lagged over the past three months. The crypto markets are favoring the Republican Party, and currently, it remains likely that Trump will take office. In my latest letter, Sell in May and Go Away , I highlighted that we were heading for the low liquidity season of the year and that the crypto markets would need a pause before trending higher. At this moment in time, I think the sluggish summer may finally be coming to an end. Sell in May and Go Away Sell in May and Go Away Sell in May and Go Away Uncertainty regarding the U.S. elections is in front of us, and given the many events that unfolded this month, I think we can expect plenty more volatility where investors will be “trading the election” until we see the results in November. Trump Going to the Oval Office? Trump is likely to become the next president. Following the assassination attempt, prediction markets put his likelihood at 71%, and now with Biden’s withdrawal, that has fallen to a comfortable 60%, with Kamala Harris looking like the second most obvious choice with a 38% probability currently. Digital Assets is the Talk of Town What’s interesting about this election is that digital assets have become a topic for candidates to discuss. Apparently, the political elite has finally understood that the +50M crypto holders in America represent a big voter base. +50M crypto holders +50M crypto holders This weekend, Trump and R. Kennedy Jr. are both speaking at the Bitcoin2024 conference. Kamala Harris was also expected to speak there but declined the opportunity just a few days ago. Another interesting aspect is Trump’s choice of running mate, JD Vance. JD Vance is a self-proclaimed BTC holder, has been a strong proponent of the crypto industry in the Senate, and one of Gary Gensler's most vocal critics in recent years. Bitcoin2024 A bitcoiner on the running card. How about that? Is it Finally Time to Lower the Rates? It’s now been a year since the Fed raised its benchmark rate to between 5.25% and 5.5%, holding this target range steady to date. In the meantime, Jerome Powell has said again and again that rates would not be lowered before something would either break or before the Fed would have been convinced inflation rates would trend lower towards the target rate of 2%. The most recent economic data signals that the Fed could soon start cutting rates: could The Fed is getting closer to its 2% inflation target. In June, the monthly CPI fell by 0.1%, while the annual CPI rose by 3%. The Fed is getting closer to its 2% inflation target. In June, the monthly CPI fell by 0.1%, while the annual CPI rose by 3%. The U.S. economy is finally softening. GDP growth slowed to an annual rate of 1.4% in Q1 2024, down from 3.4% in the previous quarter. The U.S. economy is finally softening. GDP growth slowed to an annual rate of 1.4% in Q1 2024, down from 3.4% in the previous quarter. The labor market is also cooling down; June’s unemployment rate spiked to 4.1%, the highest it has been since November 2021. The labor market is also cooling down; June’s unemployment rate spiked to 4.1%, the highest it has been since November 2021. The labor market is also cooling down; June’s unemployment rate spiked to 4.1%, the highest it has been since November 2021. Additionally, Jerome Powell appeared on Capitol Hill this month and warned that “ reducing policy restraint too late or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment. ” reducing policy restraint too late or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment. Is the “higher for longer” regime coming to an end? It is still quite a balancing act for the Fed, but it seems inevitable that something has to move sooner rather than later. Currently, the market is predicting a 95.3% chance of a rate cut in September’s FOMC meeting. Bitcoin Remains Resilient Despite Sell-offs Bitcoin’s price has remained range-bound between $60K and $70K for most of the summer despite the drying liquidity from Bitcoin ETFs, which had propelled the price from lows of $42K before the approval to record highs of $73K in March. But what’s more remarkable is BTC’s resilience following the recent $2.87 billion sell-off by Germany’s Saxony state . Germany’s Saxony state Germany’s Saxony state That said, there's a risk of additional selling pressure. Mt. Gox, the defunct crypto exchange, has started its repayment plan, which aims to reimburse creditors around $9 billion worth of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. 140,000 BTC; this is worth over $9 billion at the current market price. So far, over 40% of the repayments have already been distributed to the creditors. On the brighter side, repayments in-kind does not equal selling pressure as creditors may decide to HODL their BTC. On-chain data shows that BTC withdrawals on Kraken spiked after the exchange completed distributing its share of allocated repayments. This is a sign that a good number of Mt. Gox creditors could be moving their repayments to cold wallets for long-term HODLing. Personally, I remain optimistic that BTC’s price will trend higher in H2 based on its current resilience amid the much-awaited Mt. Gox repayments, which most had predicted would be a huge sell-off event. Additionally, there are some macro and industry-specific factors that could be catalysts in sustaining the current price levels or pushing BTC higher: A good number of the creditors might decide to HODL onto their BTC, causing only short-term downward pressure on BTC’s price. A good number of the creditors might decide to HODL onto their BTC, causing only short-term downward pressure on BTC’s price. Once the uncertainty over Mt. Gox repayments is over, there is no big expected selling pressure. Once the uncertainty over Mt. Gox repayments is over, there is no big expected selling pressure. There is a high chance that the Fed will cut rates in September, likely triggering a rally in risk-on assets. There is a high chance that the Fed will cut rates in September, likely triggering a rally in risk-on assets. Liquidity is gradually returning to the market. Blackrock’s Bitcoin Spot ETF recently recorded a daily net inflow of $526 million, the largest since March 13th. Liquidity is gradually returning to the market. Blackrock’s Bitcoin Spot ETF recently recorded a daily net inflow of $526 million, the largest since March 13th. The crypto market could soon play catch-up with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Gold, which showed strength in Q2 while BTC lagged over the past three months. The crypto market could soon play catch-up with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Gold, which showed strength in Q2 while BTC lagged over the past three months. The crypto markets are favoring the Republican Party, and currently, it remains likely that Trump will take office. The crypto markets are favoring the Republican Party, and currently, it remains likely that Trump will take office.

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