Pocketfiedis in the Application Development Tools Industry

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Crypto Update 04/01 TLDR Market's big! Total market cap at a whopping $2.6 trillion, but remember, crypto is a rollercoaster. Fear & Greed Index at 82/100. Bitcoin's on an upward swing, but don't get swept up in the hype. Research first! Trading volume is high across the board - be cautious; it could be FOMO. Positive news today isn't a guarantee for tomorrow. Crypto can be exciting but risky - DYOR (do your own research)! Buckle up, crypto enthusiasts, because Ether's on a tear. We've witnessed a 3.5% surge over the weekend, pushing the price past $3,630 – a sweet 18.75% jump from its recent low just over a week ago. But what's the secret sauce behind this sudden price action? Let's peel back the layers and see if we can find some rational reasons amidst the potential frenzy. First, there's a clear shift in investor sentiment. Money's flowing into the Ether market, flexing its muscles against both the U.S. dollar and Bitcoin. The ETH/BTC ratio is up 2.5%, hinting at a possible short-term rotation of investment strategies. Ether's even stealing the spotlight from its altcoin brethren, with its dominance index rising a cool 2.16% in the past 48 hours. It's like everyone's RSVP'd to the Ether party, leaving the other cryptos with a case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The Great Capital Churn: Speaking of FOMO, the crypto whales – those deep-pocketed investors – seem to be feeling it too. Data suggests these financial Goliaths have been accumulating ETH like crazy, with their reserves increasing by 1.15% in March. When the whales start piling in, it often precedes a price surge. After all, nobody likes to miss out on a potential windfall, right? This whale activity adds fuel to the fire, potentially igniting a self-fulfilling prophecy as others jump in to avoid missing the boat. Whales on the Prowl: The FOMO isn't just a whale thing. Regular traders are getting in on the action, too. Funding rates for Ether's perpetual contracts are spiking. In simpler terms, it's costing more to hold onto long positions (essentially betting the price will go up). But hey, if you truly believe the price will keep climbing, that extra cost might be a small price to pay. This trend, combined with a steady open interest of around $14 billion, suggests traders are borrowing more to buy, essentially doubling down on their bullish bets. It's a classic case of market sentiment feeding on itself, potentially creating a positive feedback loop. Traders Feeling the Fever: Now, let's not forget the world of technical analysis – the land of charts and squiggly lines that some swear by. Ether's recent price action has seen it rebound after testing a key support level. And some technical analysts are poring over fancy wedge patterns, predicting a price target of either $3,280 or a glorious breakout beyond $4,000 by April's end. Remember, folks, these are just predictions, not magic spells. Technical analysis can be a helpful tool, but it's important to remember that the market is a complex beast, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. A Technical Tinkerbell: The Final Word: Tread Carefully So, what can we take away from all this? Ether's on a roll, fueled by a mix of capital movement, whale activity, bullish traders, and a sprinkle of technical optimism. But the crypto market, as always, is a wild west. It's a land of opportunity but also a land fraught with risk. Do your own research, don't let the fear of missing out cloud your judgment, and tread carefully, my friends. Remember, even the most well-informed predictions can be wrong, and even the most euphoric markets can experience corrections. Invest responsibly, and never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Crypto Market Update: Ether's Weekend Escapade

On January 3, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin,  mined the Genesis block. At that time, nothing special happened. In retrospect, the day marked the beginning of a new era. On that fateful day, a new industry emerged, and a new technology evolved. Overall, It’s a starting point for the dramatic transformation of the world’s financial system. Although Bitcoin mining isn’t Satoshi Nakamoto’s (the creator of Bitcoin) main focus, it’s a significant part that continues to sustain the Bitcoin network over the years. According to , the market size of the crypto-mining industry has grown significantly over the years. As of 2023, the industry's market size is around $2.17 billion. It’s projected to grow to around $7 billion by 2033. Precedence Research However, in 2009, Satoshi, as the only miner on the network, effectively mined Bitcoin with his general-purpose personal computer. But currently, the industry has undergone significant growth, and it’s no longer efficient to mine Bitcoin with your personal computer. Of course, a lot has changed in the Bitcoin mining industry. A lot of enthralling things have happened over 15 years. Here, we’ll discuss the changes that moved Bitcoin mining from zero to an over $2 billion industry in 15 years. Before that, we'll briefly discuss what Bitcoin mining is. Without much ado, what’s Bitcoin mining? What is Bitcoin mining? Simply put, is the process of minting new bitcoin. Just think about precious metal miners extracting gold from the earth. Bitcoin mining is the process of validating and appending new blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain. To do this, Bitcoin miners generate cryptographic solutions that match certain criteria. Bitcoin mining The primary purpose of Bitcoin mining is to verify the correctness of transactions in a block, therefore maintaining the integrity of the blockchain. Newly minted bitcoins are rewards for solving the complex computational and technological process required to validate transactions and append new blocks. Bitcoin miners need to invest energy to create Bitcoin. But unlike precious metal mining, the energy expounded is in the form of electrical energy. Miners compete against each other to solve complex cryptographically encoded hash puzzles to verify blocks. The first miner to solve this problem gets the chance to update the Bitcoin blockchain and receive a reward for the work done. In Bitcoin mining, the more powerful a computer you have, the more guesses you can make per second and the more chances you have at solving the problem and winning a block. Bitcoin mining: The Past 1. The Days of Humble Beginning On January 3, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first Bitcoin block using his/her/their personal computer, like the one I’m currently using to write. As the only miner on the network, Satoshi didn’t need specialized equipment to solve the complex hash puzzle required to create a block. A general-purpose computer usually contains a central processing unit (CPU), which controls how commands are processed and executed. Since there are no other miners on the network, the computational energy required to create new blocks and earn mining rewards could be processed by CPU devices. 2. The Era of GPUs and FPGAs A little after a year since the first Bitcoin block was mined, on 10th October, 2010, the first GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) miners were introduced. Unlike CPUs, GPUs are designed for games and are optimized to perform advanced computation tasks for generating several thousand time-sensitive image pixels. Although GPUs were not primarily designed for Bitcoin mining, they were reprogrammed to perform the computational tasks required to mine new bitcoins. These specialized processing units are designed to compute simple math operations in parallel rather than once at a time — like in CPUs. GPU makes Bitcoin mining 6X more efficient than using CPUs, and it only costs roughly twice as much as CPUs. In a bid to find more efficient devices to solve the computational hash puzzles, the power of GPUs were soon overshadowed by the Introduction of FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) in 2011. FPGAs are highly customizable, highly efficient devices and can compute the computational operations required for mining Bitcoin twice as fast as the highest-grade GPU. These devices allow miners to reprogram the hardware specifically to the requirement of the mining process. Unlike GPUs and CPUs, FPGAs are labor-intensive and require customization on both the software and hardware layers. 3. The Introduction of ASICs Until 2013, Bitcoin was mined with tools built for different purposes but reprogrammed to mine Bitcoin. In 2013, Canaan Creative, a China-based hardware manufacturer, released the first ASICs (Application Specific integrated circuits). This device changed the course of Bitcoin mining. ASICs, unlike the other devices used before, were designed ground-up to solve mathematical hash computations to mine Bitcoin. This groundbreaking equipment offers incomparable/unfettered efficiency and computational power. The introduction of ASICs changed the course of history. The Bitcoin network’s hashing power increased significantly on-ward, and individual bitcoin miners find it difficult to succeed as a standalone miner. Over the years since 2013, the mining pool has become popularized. Even though the Slush pool has been available since 2010, miners started pooling their resources together and sharing rewards based on their contributions. This changed the way mining is conducted today. 4. Institutional Investors and Environmentalist Got Interested As the industry matured and the price of bitcoin skyrocketed, institutional investors piqued interest in Bitcoin mining. Deep-pocketed investors took advantage of economies of scale and areas with cheap electricity to build mining farms that house large arrays of ASICs like the one below. Over the years, while the growth remains unprecedented, the talk about the environmental impact of Bitcoin also continues to gain traction. Talks about the amount of electricity required for Bitcoin mining and powering mining farms became a thing of concern. Debates about the sustainability of the industry were common. However, over the years, a lot of innovative processes to address the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining were introduced. For example: Miners started seeking out locations with cheap and renewable energy sources for sustainability. For example, Iceland saw an influx of mining farms because of its abundance of hydro and geothermal energy. And it’s the favorable cold climate that would help reduce the cost of cooling the mining devices. Also, upgrades on mining software and hardware became popular. Mining tools were upgraded, while firmware and software were optimized for optimal performance. More granular control over factors like voltage, clock speed, and heat generation was implemented to manage energy consumption. Bitcoin mining: The Present The Bitcoin mining industry has significantly evolved over the past 15 years and shows no sign of stopping. Since the introduction of mining pools and farms, there have been concerns about centralization, which is against the vision of Satoshi Nakamoto. The introduction of decentralized mining pools helps maintain the vision of Satoshi Nakamoto to build a financial system with no centralized control. Miners were able to reduce the risk of centralization associated with mining pools and farms. Moreover, the industry has become more mature. As a collaborative effort to promote a sustainable mining process, the Bitcoin mining council was created . The council has been working on creating standardized energy reporting and encouraging the adoption of renewable energy. Also, the introduction of protocols like also advanced the industry in a bid to counter the centralization of mining power, which could lead to risk of censorship and network security. Stratum V2 protocol improved communication between miners and pool operators. Stratum V2 With Stratum V2 upgrades, miners have the freedom to decide to choose which transactions to include in their blocks or not. It reduces the miner's dependencies on 3rd parties (in this case, pool operators). Apart from countering centralization, the protocol enables bandwidth optimization, error correction, and better data encryption. The fight to counter centralization in Bitcoin mining has been a serious thing. The introduction of the developed by The Block (Jack Dorsey’s company) also focuses on decentralizing and democratizing the Bitcoin mining industry. The mining development kit aimed to enable developers to integrate Bitcoin mining into different devices and applications to make it more accessible and innovative. Bitcoin mining development kit With Block’s mining development kit, anyone can mine Bitcoin with off-grid power sources, house appliances, intermittent power sources, heating solutions, etc. Apart from aiming to decentralize mining, the kit could reduce the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining by only using excess or renewable energy. Finally, the most engaging news is that Bitcoin mining has achieved a new sustainability milestone. According to a report published by Daniel Batten on on the 18th of January, about 54.5% of Bitcoin mining energy consumption is currently powered by renewable energy. Bitcoin ESG forecast Bitcoin is the only primary global industry powered by sustainable energy. What a great feat! Bitcoin mining: The Future In about four months, the entire mining industry economy will undergo a significant change. In April 2024, we’ll witness the fourth , where block rewards, which is currently 6.25 bitcoin, will be reduced by half to 3.125 bitcoin per block. Bitcoin halving This will affect the profitability and efficiency of Bitcoin mining. Miners currently earn money through transaction fees and block rewards. Block reward produces the highest return to the miner, which will be affected in less than five months. However, the recent introduction of innovative tech like showed there is always potential for innovators to use the Bitcoin network, which could create demands for services provided by miners. While ordinals ushered in a spike to miner fees earlier in 2023, it has dwindled. ordinals on the Bitcoin network Finally, as a way to reduce the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining (energy consumption, technological wastes, etc), has shown potential for effectiveness. Despite its shortcomings, the industry shows prospective and currently attracts more users. It provides easy access to Bitcoin mining. And it does not require buying or setting up specialized equipment to mine. Bitcoin cloud mining Although it’s still at its inception, cloud mining offers prospects for efficiency and profitability.

Bitcoin Mining: The Past, The Present, and What’s Next?

Obviously, no job family is going to disappear overnight; change takes time. But looking ahead helps orient everyone’s energy and steer careers away from the doom and gloom of job decline. Reading AI job impact reports can give you vertigo: 85 million jobs will be displaced globally due to AI ( ) Oliver Wyman Forum There are predictions that software developers ?! might be extinct by 2040 : “In the next five years, 83 million jobs will be lost and 69 million are projected to be created” World Economic Forum 40% of the global workforce - 1.4 billion people - will need to reskill. ( ) IBM study As a product manager, I ask the question of whether there’s a future for my career in the post-AI world. naturally These numbers sound bad enough to throw in the towel and say “Well, I’ll just give up I guess, look the other way, and see what happens”. But is that: can my whole claim disruptive trends are visible far in advance if you’re looking the right way and can sift through some noise, getting to a level of operational expertise in any emerging tech is relatively simple. There are jobs that will probably, within the next several years, be displaced almost completely (my one bet is on frontline customer support), and then there are jobs that will go through a boom cycle. For those, the traditional market won’t be able to provide enough supply, and we will see similar qualifications rebranding as we did with coding boot camps over the last 10-15 years. Most of us in tech will likely land somewhere in the middle: even if the changes come quickly, we have the choice and the luxury of iterating towards new skills (and opportunities) rather than needing a complete pivot. Designers, Devs, and PMs: AI Will Kill Some & Create Some By 2027 ( ): World Economic Forum Demand for designers will increase some; Depending on the type of developer, the jobs might see up to a 25% increase (blockchain developers being one of the leaders of the pack!) Roughly ~10% of PM jobs are going to die, and roughly ~10% will be added, so net zero. Product management is actually . But the experience of an AI PM vs. a random PM is not fungible, so the key advantage is to be as close to the growing tech (whether it’s AI or other) as possible. one of the top AI talent demands Macro Trends That Will Influence Our Individual Experience: Engel’s Pause & Solow’s Paradox It will take more than just job opportunities that will determine we experience progress, our own relevance, and careers of the next decade or two; it will be influenced by macro trends too. how The Mid-Term Impact Might Be Just Bad in General, but Hopefully, We’ll Live to See the Turnaround: Engels’ Pause Engels’ Pause describes the British industrial revolution in the early 1800s when working-class wages stagnated while GDP grew quickly. There are several theories, the bottom line being that the owners and investors of the booming businesses pocketed the gains and kept wages relatively flat. If it sounds familiar - argues that advanced economies are now in a new, “post-1980 Computer Revolution” Engels' Pause. Carl Benedikt Frey He explains that early labor-replacing technologies tend to decrease wages; once more sophisticated labor-augmenting technologies show up, wages and demand for talent tend to increase: "If technology replaces labor in existing tasks, wages and the share of national income accruing to labor may fall. If, in contrast, technological change is augmenting labor, it will make workers more productive in existing tasks or create entirely new labor-intensive activities, thereby increasing the demand for labor. (…) The growing capital share of income meant that the gains from technological progress were very unequally distributed: corporate profits were captured by industrialists, who reinvested them in factories and machines.” This is an optimistic sign! And aligned with what the enterprises expect: 87% of executives surveyed believe employees are more likely to be augmented than replaced by generative AI. IBM From : OWF “As some experts look at how employeesʹ current tasks will be affected by generative AI and automation, they divide the work into three types: transactional, relational, and expertise-related. Much of our transactional work will be substituted by a combination of robotic process automation, machine learning, and generative AI, while work requiring deep expertise or human collaboration will increasingly be augmented.” Waiting for the Immediate Signs of AI Revolution Might Be a Snoozefest: Solow’s Paradox and the Productivity J-Curve Solow’s Paradox and talk about a similar phenomenon: that as we (we, as in economies, companies, CEOs, and investors) pour money into a “groundbreaking” technology, the effects of it don’t seem to show up for a while: Erik Brynjolffsen’s Productivity J-Curve A similar question was raised in 1987, when economist Robert Solow observed a disconnect between the burgeoning computer age and the anticipated productivity gains — an observation now known as “Solow’s paradox.” Businesses and governments poured money into IT infrastructure, yet the expected leap in productivity was conspicuously absent. This paradox left many wondering if the problem lay not with the capacity of the technology but rather with the manner of its implementation. ( ) OWF Erik Brynjolffsen explains why that might be happening: General purpose technologies enable and require significant complementary investments, including co-invention of new processes, products, business models and human capital. These complementary investments are often intangible and poorly measured in the national accounts, even when they create valuable assets for the firm. He , and why it took a while for the electric motors’ revolutionary effects to materialize: the first generation of factory managers took out the steam engine - out of a factory that was and organized around the limitations of the steam engine - and plopped the electric engine in its place. gives an example of the steam engine being replaced with electric motors specifically built for It wasn’t until the new wave of managers redesigned the systems and workflows for the affordances of the electric engine that the expected innovation and productivity could be seen. Nobody Should Count on Employers to be the Drivers of Effective Re-Skilling One might say “OK, so if AI is so important, and there is not enough talent out there to hire, then surely the companies will invest money to train people.” And sure, they will; there are plenty of statistics that confirm that. But there’s already a significant and growing mismatch between what (and how quickly) companies are able to provide and what people need for their jobs - let alone what employees will need to be competitive in the job market vs. just slightly better at their existing, narrowly defined jobs. From : OWF Ok, So What’s the Recipe for Staying Afloat Here? On an individual level, there’s a discouraging disconnect between: The vague promises of what AI is supposed to be able to do, or how it be revolutionizing our work, versus what the existing products can do in practice right now; should between what the demand for AI talent is looking for, and where the supply market is (i.e., where we, the employees, are) today. But both of these trends are moving pieces; the key is to be one of the pieces moving along, not staying behind. The antidote is to use something, build something, and learn something (which I cover in my next post) until, inevitably, each of us starts to notice the applications and opportunities that actually bring progress: PS. If you liked this post - you might like my future takes at , where I write pragmatic takes on disruptive tech & its opportunities, with a sprinkle of deep dives into data and market insights. hypegeist.substack.com Also published here

Product Managers, Designers, and Devs: What Does Their Future Look Like in a World Filled With AI?

প্রোডাক্ট ম্যানেজার, ডিজাইনার এবং ডেভস: এআই দিয়ে ভরা বিশ্বে তাদের ভবিষ্যত কেমন দেখায়?

Produktmanager, Designer und Entwickler: Wie sieht ihre Zukunft in einer Welt voller KI aus?

Gerentes de producto, diseñadores y desarrolladores: ¿cómo será su futuro en un mundo lleno de inteligencia artificial?

Chefs de produit, concepteurs et développeurs : à quoi ressemble leur avenir dans un monde rempli d'IA ?

उत्पाद प्रबंधक, डिज़ाइनर और डेवलपर: AI से भरी दुनिया में उनका भविष्य कैसा दिखता है?

プロダクト マネージャー、デザイナー、開発者: AI で満たされた世界における彼らの未来はどのようなものになるでしょうか?

제품 관리자, 디자이너, 개발자: AI로 가득 찬 세상에서 그들의 미래는 어떤 모습일까요?

Gerentes de produto, designers e desenvolvedores: como será o futuro deles em um mundo repleto de IA?

Менеджеры по продуктам, дизайнеры и разработчики: как выглядит их будущее в мире, наполненном искусственным интеллектом?

Ürün Yöneticileri, Tasarımcılar ve Geliştiriciler: Yapay Zekayla Dolu Bir Dünyada Gelecekleri Nasıl Görünüyor?

Giám đốc sản phẩm, nhà thiết kế và nhà phát triển: Tương lai của họ sẽ như thế nào trong một thế giới tràn ngập AI?

产品经理、设计师和开发人员：在充满人工智能的世界中，他们的未来是什么样子？

Note: a SWOT analysis is an evaluation of the fundamental, operational, technical, social, economic, and even to some degree administrative elements of a project. This is not a model to be used for trading purposes. (NFA, DYOR) Composed of four elements, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, a SWOT analysis framework provides excellent insight for establishing a high-level understanding of the state of a project's well-being through the lens of a birds-eye view. It can help formulate decisions around which areas require more attention, set performance goals, and organize a foundational understanding of where a project is headed. Rarely (if ever) used in crypto, it is time to apply this timeless method of evaluation to the digital asset space. Today, , the alternative, new generation layer one born from the ashes of Meta's DIEM, will get a SWOT. Aptos (APT) 💪 Strengths (Internal) (Helpful) 1. Flywheel of Innovation Aptos is consolidating the best of all worlds by applying some of the most cutting-edge designs across every element of the project. From governance optimizations that allow delegating actors the right to post independent votes, transactional optimizations separating gas payers and transaction senders, allowing sponsored/subsidized activity, functional optimizations splitting consensus away from data dissemination, improving efficiency, alongside the MOVE language, MOVEVM, AptosBFTv4, Block STM, and an ever-expanding set of AIP (Aptos Improvement Proposals), the project is in a neverending cycle of self-improvement. Obviously, many projects can lay claim to their innovations, but the reasoning behind why this is highlighted for Aptos specifically has to do with how openly available all of the information is and how relatively easily it can be accessed. 2. Derived from Meta Aptos is the result of the research and development conducted by (formerly Facebook) during their attempt to launch the cryptocurrency projects Diem and Novi. After the regulatory heat against Meta became too difficult to deal with, the infrastructure was spun off into Aptos. Inheriting all of the knowledge, corporate support, and intellectual capital, Aptos was able to raise a cool USD 400 million in 2022 on the back of its reputation/merits. Having the notoriety and prestige of association with Meta gives Aptos potentially unlimited capacity for fundraising and networking. Moreover, given the extent of private deals that take place in crypto land, it is not impossible to rule out some kind of shadowy/indirect affiliation between Meta and Aptos. Meta 3. MOVE Programming Language Originally developed by Meta for its Diem crypto project, MOVE is a functional language based on , which has become one of the most promising up-and-coming languages in the Web3 space. Avidly explored by new-generation teams today, including SUI, there is an entire ecosystem of projects now contributing to the progression and growth of MOVE. By leveraging MOVE for its architecture Aptos is building an army of powerful, specialty engineers and distinguishing itself from nearly every other project. Moreover, if the primitives that MOVE provides truly result in a user/developer experience that penetrates the mass markets, Aptos would be the thought leader in the space whom everybody else would refer to. RUST 4. Intuitive Learning Modules Developer onboarding has by far been the most critical bottleneck facing Web3 as a whole. New virtual machines, data structure, and logic already present an intellectual hurdle for devs to conquer; the onslaught of new languages has only further muddied the waters and made it that much less appealing for new programmers. Perhaps due to their experience and understanding of the Web2 world, Aptos has provided not just excellent documentation of its information but has gone beyond with tutorials in a highly comprehensive, inviting format. By reducing the friction associated with the Web3 learning curve, Aptos becomes a desirable place for new Developers to arrive. 5. Decent Decentralization With over 125 validators currently active and a Nakamoto coefficient ranging from 15–17, Aptos deserves credit for achieving a notable level of decentralization, given how still young the project is. The decentralization is achieved through coordinated efforts between early-stage participants with locked tokens and a lot of delegating power and the Aptos foundation itself, diligently spreading their votes to maximally optimize for a more even distribution. This movement (no pun intended) is counterintuitive to the centralized-overlord image many degens paint about Aptos; even if the current levels of decentralization stay steady, Aptos would be more decentralized (at the validator level) than the vast majority of the projects on the first 10 pages of CoinMarketCap. 6. Staking Ratio Over >83% Of the roughly 1,070,000,000 APT tokens in existence, there are 892,118,332 APT tokens, or just over ~83.37%, currently staked. While the caveat here is that the locked tokens belonging to early-stage investors are also staked, that remains among the highest of any tier-one staking crypto project. At this level, the staking ratio becomes a leading correlational (delayed) indicator that can be used to gauge the macro state of the network at a given moment. Based on how this metric fluctuates over time, it becomes possible to evaluate the level of conviction of the current stakeholder set and even model how the supply will flow. The most exciting change to observe will be how the unlocks impact it. 😞 Weaknesses (Internal) (Harmful) 1. Vicious APT Unlocks Upcoming Starting in December of 2023, the rate of "genesis" tokens (those allocated to early participants) coming into circulating supply will increase, set to double the total supply in 2024 alone. With roughly 300 million tokens (~30%) already in circulation, the relative amount of new tokens making their way into the marketplace will potentially result in suppressed prices during upcoming rallies as earlier investors look to offload their positions. 2. Locked Supply Staking Aptos allows for the tokens that are locked away to be staked. The tokens earned are immediately liquid, creating a conflicting set of interests between user groups. The motivation behind such a decision is understandable: to entice early-stage participants with all the more economic incentives; however, allowing for this to take place creates a closed environment where only deep-pocketed, resourceful participants amplify their control over the network. Given how disproportionately large the amount of locked tokens being staked versus free-floating tokens is, the locked staking supply makes Aptos a "Rich get Richer System." 3. Low Stablecoin Interest Stablecoins are a direct expression of a network's retail/commercial adoption. Coming in sub $50 million (USDC dominating >75% of the stable supply) and the presence of just a single project currently working within the Stablecoin segment, that is Thala with the MOD (Move Dollar), Aptos is very behind on this front. 🧐 Opportunities (External) (Helpful) 1. Pipeline of Megalodon Partners Already locked in a deal with Microsoft that brings Aptos Move to the GitHub Co-Pilot and the Microsoft AI to the Aptos community. With its strong emphasis on gaming and NFTs, Aptos has been able to secure a multitude of partnerships with prominent organizations around the world, including NeoWiz, Marblex, Lotte Group, and others. Outside of gaming, areas such as ticketing with KYD Labs and collectible community Art with NBCUniversal have also caught some recognition. Moving forward, it seems that the pace of new partnerships and their significance will only continue to increase. 2. Chingari Application Integration Ranked third by gross income and boasting over 100 million downloads from the Google app store, Chingari is considered to be one of the underdogs on the Web2 social media scene. Integrating Aptos sometime in the second half of 2023, Chingari empowered users with the ability to mint and transact in Aptos native digital assets. This single application, with its limited utilities and limited audience awareness, resulted in a quadrupling of on-chain activity. 3. Synergies with Eastern APAC Region The eastern APAC (Asia Pacific) region is a massive, developing market that has just begun to enter the crypto economy. Countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc., are home to highly digitized societies with a historical inclination towards gambling as a vehicle to escape their economic circumstances. Aptos has been putting forth much more effort to win the hearts of the APAC communities while the US has been stuck in regulatory limbo. If the next crypto cycle is led by non-US countries, Aptos is positioned well to capture that influx. 4. DEFI Growth Sitting at around ~80 million USD in TVL across its DEFI platforms, Aptos has a tremendous runway for new capital. Both legacy DEFI projects as well as newly built ones, stand to benefit from extending services to the Aptos Network. The lower the starting point, the greater the impact of inflows; moving TVL from ~80m to ~380m is a 375% increase, and moving it from ~380m to ~680m is 79%. 5. Integrations with External OG Protocols Alternative networks (including Ethereum, Solana, Binance, and others) have already established superiority in the degree of applications built on them. Meanwhile, Aptos is still severely behind in terms of the number of protocols in its ecosystem; there are still no EVM projects on Aptos, but SushiSwap has already announced its intentions to become the first one. 😳 Threats (External) (Harmful) 1. Layer 1 Competition Layer 1's are easily the most contended sectors of the crypto economy. Their foundational nature to the establishment of a digital financial system has attracted competition from the world's brightest and best-funded teams around the world. Putting Ethereum aside, there has been an onslaught of new generation Layer 1's, from Solana to Near to SEI, SUI, and beyond, that provide superior technological capabilities over the preceding generation projects. Moving forward, the competition that Aptos faces will continue to become more sophisticated, forcing the project to stay at the bleeding edge (or become the focal point) in order to remain relevant. Takeaway: Aptos is a serious force to be reckoned with. Positioning itself as a very smooth, no-hype, no BS, technologically heavy project, Aptos is building a professional environment catering to a unique culture. Not wasting its resources trying to battle other communities, Aptos moves forward with big, peaceful, focused strides. Conclusion: There was a lot not mentioned in this coverage, including the suave, quixotic images and qualities of technical cofounders Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. The deep ties to Venture Capital. The social strategy. The Supply policy. Perpetual Supply inflation is an element that is economically impossible to ignore, and Aptos has it. Usually, this would be deeply scrutinized; however, at a modest 7% tapering off to 1.5% by 2032 and a minuscule burning mechanism applied to all transaction fees, this seems to be a more balanced long-term approach. In the middle of experiencing its first full cycle in crypto, The nascency of Aptos holds much promise for future waves of projects that grow the ecosystem with retroactive airdrops, potentially resulting in recursive wealth effects that spill over into the token. Thank you so much for reading, I hope this serves you well on your journey. Live long and prosper 🥂 Also published here.

The Aptos (APT) SWOT Analysis

The Social Media Revolution: A New Era Unfolds Imagine a digital universe where social media isn't just a passive scroll through endless feeds but a vibrant, ever-changing landscape ripe with opportunities for connection, creativity, and cashing in on your content. This is the new narrative being written in the social media saga, where the number of users has skyrocketed to a mind-boggling 4.9 billion in 2023, and the market's worth has ballooned to a cool $230 billion USD. And guess what? We're on track to welcome another billion users into the fold by 2027. The Advertising Juggernauts: Meta and TikTok Lead the Charge Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room: advertising dollars. It's the secret sauce that keeps the social media giants like Meta and the rising star TikTok, a ByteDance sensation, flush with cash—$142.07 billion in ad revenue last year, to be exact. But it's not all likes and shares in this digital playground. Here's the glitch in the matrix: data security. It's the Achilles' heel of these platforms, with Twitter's massive hack affecting 400 million users and Meta's own blunder exposing 600 million passwords. It's a wake-up call to the titans of social to lock down their fortresses. And then there's the creativity crunch. Major players like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have spread their digital tentacles far and wide, but they're serving up the same old menu of likes, shares, and messages. Where's the space for users to truly unleash their creativity and forge deeper connections? Elevating Creativity: The Rise of Talent-Centric Platforms in Social Media In today's hyper-connected world, social media has become the canvas for creative expression. However, this digital canvas is often cluttered, leaving true talent and cultural richness overshadowed by the pursuit of virality. The challenge for genuine creators is finding a space that amplifies their voice amidst the digital din. Talent Lost in Translation The algorithmic nature of mainstream social media platforms has cultivated a culture of likes and follows, where the value of content is often gauged by its popularity rather than its quality. This has inadvertently led to a homogenization of content, where unique voices struggle to be heard. As global connectivity brings us closer, individual cultural expressions risk being diluted in a sea of trending topics. The need for platforms that celebrate diversity and provide a haven for cultural storytelling is more pressing than ever. Innovation or Stagnation? The Creative Dilemma Despite their ubiquity, platforms like Facebook and YouTube are hitting a creative wall. It's time to ask: Are they merely expanding their reach, or are they enriching the user experience? Users are spending over two hours a day engaged with social media, yet the profits are pocketed by a select few. Enter the era of decentralized networks—champions of privacy, ownership, and equitable profit sharing. A Shift in Focus: The Need for a Dedicated Space To counteract the noise, there's a growing need for platforms that prioritize the journey of creators, offering them a dedicated space to hone and display their crafts without the pressure of conforming to fleeting trends. The digital realm has the potential to be a melting pot of cultures, fostering exchange and understanding. A dedicated platform for creators can transform the way we experience and interact with diverse cultural narratives. Introducing Vurse: The Vanguard of Social Media emerges as a beacon of innovation from the dynamic city of Dubai, redefining the rules of engagement by empowering users to own their content and their earnings. Vurse Vurse is pioneering a new paradigm of interaction, where creators and fans build genuine connections, and everyone has a stake in the platform's success. With unique challenges and upcoming monetization rewards for participation, is not just a platform; it's a playground for the imagination that pays. As we stand on the cusp of a VR revolution and a short-form video renaissance, Vurse offers a gateway to a "hyper-interactive" world where creativity equals currency. Vurse Vurse isn't just another social platform; it's a cultural shift. It's an invitation to step up, stand out, and steer the future of social connectivity and creativity. Be part of Vurse, where you're the creator, the innovator, and the game-changer. How Vurse is Redefining User Interaction with Cutting-Edge Technology In the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, stands out as a paragon of innovation, redefining the nexus between augmented reality (AR) and user-generated content. Vurse's Advanced Camera Module (VCam-3.0) is a testament to this, providing a third-generation camera module that offers a glimpse into an augmented reality, curated by artificial intelligence. This isn't just about applying filters or special effects; it's about altering the fabric of reality as seen through the lens of a smartphone. The platform's AI doesn't just understand the user's environment; it enhances it, bringing a level of personalization and interactivity previously unseen in the social media space. Vurse Furthermore, the Reality Decorative System by an Observer-AI is a groundbreaking feature that goes beyond mere observation. After analyzing the complete physical environment of the user, it doesn't just suggest changes but actively generates new reality decorative templates. This is a leap towards a future where AI assists in creative processes, potentially leading to a new wave of digital aesthetics. It's not hard to imagine how this technology could revolutionize fields like interior design, event planning, and even art, making Vurse a potential hub for creators from diverse industries. Advanced Technology at Your Fingertips At the heart of Vurse's technology suite is the Advanced Camera Module (VCam-3.0), a tool that transforms reality through an AI-driven lens, enabling users to record and immerse themselves in an augmented world. Complementing this is the Reality Decorative System, which post-analysis, suggests new decorative templates, enhancing the user's physical environment. Vurse's Monetization System introduces an avant-garde approach to monetizing social media activity. It recognizes every action on the platform, from likes to shares, translating them into tangible rewards in the form of points. These points are not just symbolic; they are a currency that can be converted into Vurse's native tokens. This democratizes the earning potential, allowing everyone from content creators to the casual user to benefit financially from their online presence. It's a model that could inspire loyalty and sustain long-term engagement, as users see a direct correlation between their activity and financial gain. The introduction of the Vurse Layer-1 chain Protocol signifies a robust commitment to the principles of blockchain – decentralization, security, and transparency. By migrating to its own Layer-1 Protocol, Vurse is not just joining the blockchain movement; it is positioning itself as a custodian of its users' trust. This strategic move could attract a user base that values privacy and control over their content and transactions, setting Vurse apart in a market where data privacy concerns are escalating. Engagement and Interaction: The Core of Vurse's User Experience The Guessing Challenge is a unique feature that exemplifies Vurse's commitment to interactive content. It allows users to embed questions within their videos, turning passive viewership into an interactive quiz show. This kind of engagement deepens the connection between content creators and their audience, creating a two-way conversation that is both entertaining and rewarding. It’s a clever use of gamification that could transform the way users interact with video content, making every view a potential interaction. Equally engaging is the VS Challenge, which brings the competitive spirit of gaming into the realm of social media. By allowing users to challenge each other in a video duel, Vurse creates a platform for creators to showcase their talents in a head-to-head format. This not only fosters a sense of community but also adds a layer of excitement to content consumption. It could redefine the metrics of success on social media, moving away from passive likes and shares to active, participatory engagement. How Vurse is Redefining Talent Discovery In a world saturated with social media platforms, users crave a space that values authenticity over algorithms. Amid the cacophony of viral dances and fleeting trends, the true essence of individuality often fades into the background. , a dynamic mobile application launched in October 2023 in India as a beta, has garnered more than 110,000 downloads in its first month — it's a movement celebrating talent and culture. Vurse The Challenge: Breaking Through the Noise Social media has become a double-edged sword. While it has democratized content creation, the overwhelming surge of information makes it hard for genuine talent to shine. Creators are often caught in the relentless cycle of chasing likes and follows, with creativity taking a backseat to popularity. As the digital world expands, cultural boundaries blur. This merging should ideally lead to a richer tapestry of global expression, but more often than not, it dilutes individual cultural identities. There is a pressing need for platforms that not only showcase diverse talents but also deepen our connection with cultural roots. Vurse: A Platform with a Vision for the Future Vurse's holistic approach goes beyond mere features; it builds an entire ecosystem centered around user interaction. By focusing on the fundamental building block of interaction – be it with the content itself or between creators and fans – Vurse presents a compelling package that combines entertainment with tangible benefits. It's a platform that understands the evolving landscape, where the line between content creators and consumers is increasingly blurred, and everyone seeks to be part of the creative process. In the constellation of social media platforms, Vurse is a shining star, not just for its technological prowess but for its forward-thinking approach to social media as a whole. It's a harbinger of a future where interaction, creativity, and privacy are not just valued but foundational to the user experience. As Vurse continues to grow and evolve, it may well set the standard for what a social media platform can and should offer in the 21st century. Don’t forget to like and share the story! : Vested Interest Disclosure This author is an independent contributor publishing via our . Be it through direct compensation, media partnerships, or networking, the author has a vested interest in the company/ies mentioned in this story. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR brand-as-author program

Vurse: Revolutionizing Social Media through Blockchain-Powered Creativity

ভার্স: ব্লকচেইন-চালিত সৃজনশীলতার মাধ্যমে সামাজিক মিডিয়ার বিপ্লব

Vurse: Revolutionierung sozialer Medien durch Blockchain-basierte Kreativität

Vurse: revolucionando las redes sociales a través de la creatividad impulsada por Blockchain

Vurse : révolutionner les médias sociaux grâce à la créativité basée sur la blockchain

वर्से: ब्लॉकचेन-संचालित रचनात्मकता के माध्यम से सोशल मीडिया में क्रांति लाना

Vurse: ブロックチェーンを活用した創造性を通じてソーシャル メディアに革命を起こす

Vurse: 블록체인 기반 창의성을 통해 소셜 미디어에 혁명을 일으키다

Vurse: revolucionando a mídia social por meio da criatividade baseada em blockchain

Vurse: революция в социальных сетях посредством творчества на основе блокчейна

Vurse: Blockchain Destekli Yaratıcılık Yoluyla Sosyal Medyada Devrim Yaratmak

Vurse: Cách mạng hóa phương tiện truyền thông xã hội thông qua sự sáng tạo dựa trên nền tảng Blockchain

Vurse：通过区块链驱动的创造力彻底改变社交媒体

BUSINESS EFFORTS AND A DISCOVERY

Many projects allocate a significant portion of their liquidity to whales, venture investors, and funds. The result? Well, it's not quite the decentralization they claim because the project team and these deep-pocketed investors hold most of the cards. Check token distributions of popular coins, and you may be shocked to learn that huge swathes of so-called decentralized networks are reserved for early investors or founders, leaving the general public on a second plan. Because of this, crypto-enthusiasts do not enter the projects, as they understand that the big players will pour liquidity through them. Therefore, the projects don’t have a community that will validate nodes, create networks, etc. A Fair Launch is the solution to these exact problems. So, What Exactly Is It? In simple terms, a Fair Launch is the launch where your community takes the role of the initial investors in your startup. They provide the project with liquidity, effectively rendering it truly decentralized. You possess a database filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of wallets, each holding a portion of the token supply. Crucially, you have real people involved, not just only investors. It's imperative to grasp this concept: An investor's primary objective isn't merely to trade or sell your tokens; it's to hold them and strategically deploy them when the time is right. That's precisely what they'll do, with a 100% certainty that their share of tokens will eventually be sold, leaving the project bereft of liquidity. Consequently, this is the most significant challenge for any project: the absence of resources to purchase its own tokens from the market, which, in turn, leads to the tokens becoming less valuable. Thankfully, the emerging narrative of Fair Launches is gaining traction, and the web3 space is actively combating this issue. Now, let's delve deeper into the mechanics of a Fair Launch. First of all, you have to follow the basic concepts: Make a clear and high-quality MVP of your project. Gather the appropriate community for which you plan to make Fair Launch. After all, the launch process is driven by the community. So, How Do You Build This Community? It's all about making sure people get something awesome from you. Here's the game plan: Nail your marketing strategy Partner up with other projects and media outlets Roll out attractive campaign incentives Toss in some NFTs that open the door to exclusive perks What is important at this stage - is security audits, regular appearance on the network, and high-quality communication with the community. It is important to build a relationship of trust, and clearly show the idea of the product and your narrative. People should understand why they join your project. Crypto Hamsters But here's another concern: not only big investors, but also crypto beginners, often called "hamsters," can flood the market by selling all their tokens at once, which can hurt the project's liquidity. We believe the solution comes at two levels. First, when a project is starting and building its community, it should share a compelling story, an exciting plan, and the benefits it'll bring in the future to keep these "hamsters" interested. On a larger scale, there's a need for better education in the digital world. Some projects are already working on easy-to-understand lessons for beginners in the crypto world. These efforts can help more people become crypto experts and understand the market better. The Main Phases of Creating a Successful Fair Launch: Before the Launch: This is the early step where investors get pre-approved to participate. They share their email and wallet addresses to keep out bots and scammers, ensuring only legit investors join. Whitelisting: These rules prevent fraud and confirm everyone's legit. Investors may need to provide ID documents like passports or licenses to meet these requirements. KYC/AML Requirements: The project team lays out a clear plan for how tokens will be shared, how many will be made, and who gets what. This info is public before the launch to create a fair process where all investors have an equal shot at buying tokens at the same price. Token Distribution: During the Launch: This is where the initial token sale happens, raising funds for the project. The goal is to sell tokens at a fixed price to all investors, with no special deals. The project sets a minimum and maximum target for the sale's success. Token Sale: The next step is getting the tokens on exchanges so that investors can buy and sell them. This adds liquidity and can raise the token's value over time. Listing on Exchanges: After tokens are on exchanges, the project team must provide ongoing support. This includes tech updates, security fixes, and active community engagement. Marketing and promotion are vital to keep the project visible and gaining momentum in the market. Without this support, a project can struggle to succeed. Post-Launch Support: In addition, once your token is up and running smoothly, it's a good move to get lots of different investors and VC funds on board. Keeping the money flowing from regular folks can be tricky, so having some big-shot investors around, after the launch, is a smart idea. It keeps your product in the spotlight. New Developments in Fair Launch Processes: Popular decentralized launchpads like Uniswap and PancakeSwap have made fair launches easier. They let projects start their tokens in a transparent and fair way. Plus, some projects use cool stuff like token bonding curves to make sure the token's price is fair and true to its value. And there's more! Community-driven models, like initial liquidity offerings (ILOs), let the community set the token's price and supply by adding money to a decentralized exchange. It keeps things fair and adds cash to the market. Here's How Some Projects Do It: They reward early users with airdrops. Take OpenDAO, for instance. They dished out their SOS tokens to folks who had previously used the NFT marketplace OpenSea. Some projects keep the rewards flowing for folks who keep contributing. A cool example is Yearn.Finance (YFI). Its creator, Andre Cronje, didn't keep any YFI tokens for himself. Instead, he let people who added liquidity to the platform earn those tokens. And then, there's Bitcoin - the OG of fair launches. Miners get new Bitcoin to help out with the network. The founders didn't hoard coins before the launch. Though back then, the crowd was pretty small. Conclusion Therefore, the main goal of Fair Launch is to build a quality community. Here's the deal: Is the crypto world in the mood for your project right now? Check the Crypto Vibes: You've gotta have a killer marketing plan to build that awesome community. Marketing Magic: Fair Launch works best for projects with rock-solid fundamentals and game-changing ideas that can win over a bunch of folks. Top-Notch Product: Fair Launch isn't the go-to startup launch method, but it's how we get a real taste of decentralization. Of course, like anywhere else, it comes with its own set of shortcomings and issues, but as explained earlier, there are ways to address them.

How to Have a Fair Launch: A Guide For a Successful Crypto Launch

কিভাবে একটি ন্যায্য লঞ্চ আছে: একটি সফল ক্রিপ্টো লঞ্চের জন্য একটি নির্দেশিকা৷

So gelingt ein fairer Start: Ein Leitfaden für einen erfolgreichen Krypto-Start

Cómo tener un lanzamiento justo: una guía para un lanzamiento criptográfico exitoso

Comment avoir un lancement équitable : un guide pour un lancement de crypto réussi

निष्पक्ष लॉन्च कैसे करें: सफल क्रिप्टो लॉन्च के लिए एक गाइड

公正なローンチを行う方法: 仮想通貨ローンチを成功させるためのガイド

공정한 출시 방법: 성공적인 암호화폐 출시를 위한 가이드

Como fazer um lançamento justo: um guia para um lançamento criptográfico bem-sucedido

Как провести честный запуск: руководство для успешного запуска криптовалюты

Adil Bir Lansman Nasıl Yapılır: Başarılı Bir Kripto Lansmanı İçin Bir Kılavuz

Làm thế nào để có một buổi ra mắt công bằng: Hướng dẫn để ra mắt tiền điện tử thành công

如何公平启动：成功加密货币启动指南

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . SIR FELIX MAKES HIMSELF READY here SIR FELIX MAKES HIMSELF READY. Sir Felix, when he promised to meet Ruby at the Music Hall on the Tuesday, was under an engagement to start with Marie Melmotte for New York on the Thursday following, and to go down to Liverpool on the Wednesday. There was no reason, he thought, why he should not enjoy himself to the last, and he would say a parting word to poor little Ruby. The details of his journey were settled between him and Marie, with no inconsiderable assistance from Didon, in the garden of Grosvenor Square, on the previous Sunday,—where the lovers had again met during the hours of morning service. Sir Felix had been astonished at the completion of the preparations which had been made. "Mind you go by the 5 p.m. train," Marie said. "That will take you into Liverpool at 10.15. There's an hotel at the railway-station. Didon has got our tickets under the names of Madame and Mademoiselle Racine. We are to have one cabin between us. You must get yours to-morrow. She has found out that there is plenty of room." "I'll be all right." "Pray don't miss the train that afternoon. Somebody would be sure to suspect something if we were seen together in the same train. We leave at 7 a.m. I shan't go to bed all night, so as to be sure to be in time. Robert,—he's the man,—will start a little earlier in the cab with my heavy box. What do you think is in it?" "Clothes," suggested Felix. "Yes, but what clothes?—my wedding dresses. Think of that! What a job to get them and nobody to know anything about it except Didon and Madame Craik at the shop in Mount Street! They haven't come yet, but I shall be there whether they come or not. And I shall have all my jewels. I'm not going to leave them behind. They'll go off in our cab. We can get the things out behind the house into the mews. Then Didon and I follow in another cab. Nobody ever is up before near nine, and I don't think we shall be interrupted." "If the servants were to hear." "I don't think they'd tell. But if I was to be brought back again, I should only tell papa that it was no good. He can't prevent me marrying." "Won't your mother find out?" "She never looks after anything. I don't think she'd tell if she knew. Papa leads her such a life! Felix! I hope you won't be like that."—And she looked up into his face, and thought that it would be impossible that he should be. "I'm all right," said Felix, feeling very uncomfortable at the time. This great effort of his life was drawing very near. There had been a pleasurable excitement in talking of running away with the great heiress of the day, but now that the deed had to be executed,—and executed after so novel and stupendous a fashion, he almost wished that he had not undertaken it. It must have been much nicer when men ran away with their heiresses only as far as Gretna Green. And even Goldsheiner with Lady Julia had nothing of a job in comparison with this which he was expected to perform. And then if they should be wrong about the girl's fortune! He almost repented. He did repent, but he had not the courage to recede. "How about money though?" he said hoarsely. "You have got some?" "I have just the two hundred pounds which your father paid me, and not a shilling more. I don't see why he should keep my money, and not let me have it back." "Look here," said Marie, and she put her hand into her pocket. "I told you I thought I could get some. There is a cheque for two hundred and fifty pounds. I had money of my own enough for the tickets." "And whose is this?" said Felix, taking the bit of paper with much trepidation. "It is papa's cheque. Mamma gets ever so many of them to carry on the house and pay for things. But she gets so muddled about it that she doesn't know what she pays and what she doesn't." Felix looked at the cheque and saw that it was payable to House or Bearer, and that it was signed by Augustus Melmotte. "If you take it to the bank you'll get the money," said Marie. "Or shall I send Didon, and give you the money on board the ship?" Felix thought over the matter very anxiously. If he did go on the journey he would much prefer to have the money in his own pocket. He liked the feeling of having money in his pocket. Perhaps if Didon were entrusted with the cheque she also would like the feeling. But then might it not be possible that if he presented the cheque himself he might be arrested for stealing Melmotte's money? "I think Didon had better get the money," he said, "and bring it to me to-morrow, at four o'clock in the afternoon, to the club." If the money did not come he would not go down to Liverpool, nor would he be at the expense of his ticket for New York. "You see," he said, "I'm so much in the City that they might know me at the bank." To this arrangement Marie assented and took back the cheque. "And then I'll come on board on Thursday morning," he said, "without looking for you." "Oh dear, yes;—without looking for us. And don't know us even till we are out at sea. Won't it be fun when we shall be walking about on the deck and not speaking to one another! And, Felix;—what do you think? Didon has found out that there is to be an American clergyman on board. I wonder whether he'd marry us." "Of course he will." "Won't that be jolly? I wish it was all done. Then, directly it's done, and when we get to New York, we'll telegraph and write to papa, and we'll be ever so penitent and good; won't we? Of course he'll make the best of it." "But he's so savage; isn't he?" "When there's anything to get;—or just at the moment. But I don't think he minds afterwards. He's always for making the best of everything;—misfortunes and all. Things go wrong so often that if he was to go on thinking of them always they'd be too many for anybody. It'll be all right in a month's time. I wonder how Lord Nidderdale will look when he hears that we've gone off. I should so like to see him. He never can say that I've behaved bad to him. We were engaged, but it was he broke it. Do you know, Felix, that though we were engaged to be married, and everybody knew it, he never once kissed me!" Felix at this moment almost wished that he had never done so. As to what the other man had done, he cared nothing at all. Then they parted with the understanding that they were not to see each other again till they met on board the boat. All arrangements were made. But Felix was determined that he would not stir in the matter unless Didon brought him the full sum of £250; and he almost thought, and indeed hoped, that she would not. Either she would be suspected at the bank and apprehended, or she would run off with the money on her own account when she got it;—or the cheque would have been missed and the payment stopped. Some accident would occur, and then he would be able to recede from his undertaking. He would do nothing till after Monday afternoon. Should he tell his mother that he was going? His mother had clearly recommended him to run away with the girl, and must therefore approve of the measure. His mother would understand how great would be the expense of such a trip, and might perhaps add something to his stock of money. He determined that he would tell his mother;—that is, if Didon should bring him full change for the cheque. He walked into the Beargarden exactly at four o'clock on the Monday, and there he found Didon standing in the hall. His heart sank within him as he saw her. Now must he certainly go to New York. She made him a little curtsey, and without a word handed him an envelope, soft and fat with rich enclosures. He bade her wait a moment, and going into a little waiting-room counted the notes. The money was all there;—the full sum of £250. He must certainly go to New York. "C'est tout en règle?" said Didon in a whisper as he returned to the hall. Sir Felix nodded his head, and Didon took her departure. Yes; he must go now. He had Melmotte's money in his pocket, and was therefore bound to run away with Melmotte's daughter. It was a great trouble to him as he reflected that Melmotte had more of his money than he had of Melmotte's. And now how should he dispose of his time before he went? Gambling was too dangerous. Even he felt that. Where would he be were he to lose his ready money? He would dine that night at the club, and in the evening go up to his mother. On the Tuesday he would take his place for New York in the City, and would spend the evening with Ruby at the Music Hall. On the Wednesday, he would start for Liverpool,—according to his instructions. He felt annoyed that he had been so fully instructed. But should the affair turn out well nobody would know that. All the fellows would give him credit for the audacity with which he had carried off the heiress to America. At ten o'clock he found his mother and Hetta in Welbeck Street—"What; Felix?" exclaimed Lady Carbury. "You're surprised; are you not?" Then he threw himself into a chair. "Mother," he said, "would you mind coming into the other room?" Lady Carbury of course went with him. "I've got something to tell you," he said. "Good news?" she asked, clasping her hands together. From his manner she thought that it was good news. Money had in some way come into his hands,—or at any rate a prospect of money. "That's as may be," he said, and then he paused. "Don't keep me in suspense, Felix." "The long and the short of it is that I'm going to take Marie off." "Oh, Felix." "You said you thought it was the right thing to do;—and therefore I'm going to do it. The worst of it is that one wants such a lot of money for this kind of thing." "But when?" "Immediately. I wouldn't tell you till I had arranged everything. I've had it in my mind for the last fortnight." "And how is it to be? Oh, Felix, I hope it may succeed." "It was your own idea, you know. We're going to;—where do you think?" "How can I think?—Boulogne." "You say that just because Goldsheiner went there. That wouldn't have done at all for us. We're going to—New York." "To New York! But when will you be married?" "There will be a clergyman on board. It's all fixed. I wouldn't go without telling you." "Oh; I wish you hadn't told me." "Come now;—that's kind. You don't mean to say it wasn't you that put me up to it. I've got to get my things ready." "Of course, if you tell me that you are going on a journey, I will have your clothes got ready for you. When do you start?" "Wednesday afternoon." "For New York! We must get some things ready-made. Oh, Felix, how will it be if he does not forgive her?" He attempted to laugh. "When I spoke of such a thing as possible he had not sworn then that he would never give her a shilling." "They always say that." "You are going to risk it?" "I am going to take your advice." This was dreadful to the poor mother. "There is money settled on her." "Settled on whom?" "On Marie;—money which he can't get back again." "How much?" "She doesn't know;—but a great deal; enough for them all to live upon if things went amiss with them." "But that's only a form, Felix. That money can't be her own, to give to her husband." "Melmotte will find that it is, unless he comes to terms. That's the pull we've got over him. Marie knows what she's about. She's a great deal sharper than any one would take her to be. What can you do for me about money, mother?" "I have none, Felix." "I thought you'd be sure to help me, as you wanted me so much to do it." "That's not true, Felix. I didn't want you to do it. Oh, I am so sorry that that word ever passed my mouth! I have no money. There isn't £20 at the bank altogether." "They would let you overdraw for £50 or £60." "I will not do it. I will not starve myself and Hetta. You had ever so much money only lately. I will get some things for you, and pay for them as I can if you cannot pay for them after your marriage;—but I have not money to give you." "That's a blue look out," said he, turning himself in his chair,—"just when £60 or £70 might make a fellow for life! You could borrow it from your friend Broune." "I will do no such thing, Felix. £50 or £60 would make very little difference in the expense of such a trip as this. I suppose you have some money?" "Some;—yes, some. But I'm so short that any little thing would help me." Before the evening was over she absolutely did give him a cheque for £30, although she had spoken the truth in saying that she had not so much at her banker's. After this he went back to his club, although he himself understood the danger. He could not bear the idea of going to bed quietly at home at half-past ten. He got into a cab, and was very soon up in the card-room. He found nobody there, and went to the smoking-room, where Dolly Longestaffe and Miles Grendall were sitting silently together, with pipes in their mouths. "Here's Carbury," said Dolly, waking suddenly into life. "Now we can have a game at three-handed loo." "Thank ye; not for me," said Sir Felix. "I hate three-handed loo." "Dummy," suggested Dolly. "I don't think I'll play to-night, old fellow. I hate three fellows sticking down together." Miles sat silent, smoking his pipe, conscious of the baronet's dislike to play with him. "By-the-bye, Grendall,—look here." And Sir Felix in his most friendly tone whispered into his enemy's ear a petition that some of the I. O. U.'s might be converted into cash. "'Pon my word, I must ask you to wait till next week," said Miles. "It's always waiting till next week with you," said Sir Felix, getting up and standing with his back to the fire-place. There were other men in the room, and this was said so that every one should hear it. "I wonder whether any fellow would buy these for five shillings in the pound?" And he held up the scraps of paper in his hand. He had been drinking freely before he went up to Welbeck Street, and had taken a glass of brandy on re-entering the club. "Don't let's have any of that kind of thing down here," said Dolly. "If there is to be a row about cards, let it be in the card-room." "Of course," said Miles. "I won't say a word about the matter down here. It isn't the proper thing." "Come up into the card-room, then," said Sir Felix, getting up from his chair. "It seems to me that it makes no difference to you, what room you're in. Come up, now; and Dolly Longestaffe shall come and hear what you say." But Miles Grendall objected to this arrangement. He was not going up into the card-room that night, as no one was going to play. He would be there to-morrow, and then if Sir Felix Carbury had anything to say, he could say it. "How I do hate a row!" said Dolly. "One has to have rows with one's own people, but there ought not to be rows at a club." "He likes a row,—Carbury does," said Miles. "I should like my money, if I could get it," said Sir Felix, walking out of the room. On the next day he went into the City, and changed his mother's cheque. This was done after a little hesitation. The money was given to him, but a gentleman from behind the desks begged him to remind Lady Carbury that she was overdrawing her account. "Dear, dear;" said Sir Felix, as he pocketed the notes, "I'm sure she was unaware of it." Then he paid for his passage from Liverpool to New York under the name of Walter Jones, and felt as he did so that the intrigue was becoming very deep. This was on Tuesday. He dined again at the club, alone, and in the evening went to the Music Hall. There he remained from ten till nearly twelve, very angry at the non-appearance of Ruby Ruggles. As he smoked and drank in solitude, he almost made up his mind that he had intended to tell her of his departure for New York. Of course he would have done no such thing. But now, should she ever complain on that head he would have his answer ready. He had devoted his last night in England to the purpose of telling her, and she had broken her appointment. Everything would now be her fault. Whatever might happen to her she could not blame him. Having waited till he was sick of the Music Hall,—for a music hall without ladies' society must be somewhat dull,—he went back to his club. He was very cross, as brave as brandy could make him, and well inclined to expose Miles Grendall if he could find an opportunity. Up in the card-room he found all the accustomed men,—with the exception of Miles Grendall. Nidderdale, Grasslough, Dolly, Paul Montague, and one or two others were there. There was, at any rate, comfort in the idea of playing without having to encounter the dead weight of Miles Grendall. Ready money was on the table,—and there was none of the peculiar Beargarden paper flying about. Indeed the men at the Beargarden had become sick of paper, and there had been formed a half-expressed resolution that the play should be somewhat lower, but the payments punctual. The I. O. U.'s had been nearly all converted into money,—with the assistance of Herr Vossner,—excepting those of Miles Grendall. The resolution mentioned did not refer back to Grendall's former indebtedness, but was intended to include a clause that he must in future pay ready money. Nidderdale had communicated to him the determination of the committee. "Bygones are bygones, old fellow; but you really must stump up, you know, after this." Miles had declared that he would "stump up." But on this occasion Miles was absent. At three o'clock in the morning, Sir Felix had lost over a hundred pounds in ready money. On the following night about one he had lost a further sum of two hundred pounds. The reader will remember that he should at that time have been in the hotel at Liverpool. But Sir Felix, as he played on in the almost desperate hope of recovering the money which he so greatly needed, remembered how Fisker had played all night, and how he had gone off from the club to catch the early train for Liverpool, and how he had gone on to New York without delay. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Anthony Trollope (2004). The Way We Live Now. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5231/pg5231-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

SIR FELIX MAKES HIMSELF READY

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . MR. MELMOTTE IS PRESSED FOR TIME here MR. MELMOTTE IS PRESSED FOR TIME. About this time, a fortnight or nearly so before the election, Mr. Longestaffe came up to town and saw Mr. Melmotte very frequently. He could not go into his own house, as he had let that for a month to the great financier, nor had he any establishment in town; but he slept at an hotel and lived at the Carlton. He was quite delighted to find that his new friend was an honest Conservative, and he himself proposed the honest Conservative at the club. There was some idea of electing Mr. Melmotte out of hand, but it was decided that the club could not go beyond its rule, and could only admit Mr. Melmotte out of his regular turn as soon as he should occupy a seat in the House of Commons. Mr. Melmotte, who was becoming somewhat arrogant, was heard to declare that if the club did not take him when he was willing to be taken, it might do without him. If not elected at once, he should withdraw his name. So great was his prestige at this moment with his own party that there were some, Mr. Longestaffe among the number, who pressed the thing on the committee. Mr. Melmotte was not like other men. It was a great thing to have Mr. Melmotte in the party. Mr. Melmotte's financial capabilities would in themselves be a tower of strength. Rules were not made to control the club in a matter of such importance as this. A noble lord, one among seven who had been named as a fit leader of the Upper House on the Conservative side in the next session, was asked to take the matter up; and men thought that the thing might have been done had he complied. But he was old-fashioned, perhaps pig-headed; and the club for the time lost the honour of entertaining Mr. Melmotte. It may be remembered that Mr. Longestaffe had been anxious to become one of the directors of the Mexican Railway, and that he was rather snubbed than encouraged when he expressed his wish to Mr. Melmotte. Like other great men, Mr. Melmotte liked to choose his own time for bestowing favours. Since that request was made the proper time had come, and he had now intimated to Mr. Longestaffe that in a somewhat altered condition of things there would be a place for him at the Board, and that he and his brother directors would be delighted to avail themselves of his assistance. The alliance between Mr. Melmotte and Mr. Longestaffe had become very close. The Melmottes had visited the Longestaffes at Caversham. Georgiana Longestaffe was staying with Madame Melmotte in London. The Melmottes were living in Mr. Longestaffe's town house, having taken it for a month at a very high rent. Mr. Longestaffe now had a seat at Mr. Melmotte's board. And Mr. Melmotte had bought Mr. Longestaffe's estate at Pickering on terms very favourable to the Longestaffes. It had been suggested to Mr. Longestaffe by Mr. Melmotte that he had better qualify for his seat at the Board by taking shares in the Company to the amount of—perhaps two or three thousand pounds, and Mr. Longestaffe had of course consented. There would be no need of any transaction in absolute cash. The shares could of course be paid for out of Mr. Longestaffe's half of the purchase money for Pickering Park, and could remain for the present in Mr. Melmotte's hands. To this also Mr. Longestaffe had consented, not quite understanding why the scrip should not be made over to him at once. It was a part of the charm of all dealings with this great man that no ready money seemed ever to be necessary for anything. Great purchases were made and great transactions apparently completed without the signing even of a cheque. Mr. Longestaffe found himself to be afraid even to give a hint to Mr. Melmotte about ready money. In speaking of all such matters Melmotte seemed to imply that everything necessary had been done, when he had said that it was done. Pickering had been purchased and the title-deeds made over to Mr. Melmotte; but the £80,000 had not been paid,—had not been absolutely paid, though of course Mr. Melmotte's note assenting to the terms was security sufficient for any reasonable man. The property had been mortgaged, though not heavily, and Mr. Melmotte had no doubt satisfied the mortgagee; but there was still a sum of £50,000 to come, of which Dolly was to have one half and the other was to be employed in paying off Mr. Longestaffe's debts to tradesmen and debts to the bank. It would have been very pleasant to have had this at once,—but Mr. Longestaffe felt the absurdity of pressing such a man as Mr. Melmotte, and was partly conscious of the gradual consummation of a new æra in money matters. "If your banker is pressing you, refer him to me," Mr. Melmotte had said. As for many years past we have exchanged paper instead of actual money for our commodities, so now it seemed that, under the new Melmotte régime, an exchange of words was to suffice. But Dolly wanted his money. Dolly, idle as he was, foolish as he was, dissipated as he was and generally indifferent to his debts, liked to have what belonged to him. It had all been arranged. £5,000 would pay off all his tradesmen's debts and leave him comfortably possessed of money in hand, while the other £20,000 would make his own property free. There was a charm in this which awakened even Dolly, and for the time almost reconciled him to his father's society. But now a shade of impatience was coming over him. He had actually gone down to Caversham to arrange the terms with his father,—and had in fact made his own terms. His father had been unable to move him, and had consequently suffered much in spirit. Dolly had been almost triumphant,—thinking that the money would come on the next day, or at any rate during the next week. Now he came to his father early in the morning,—at about two o'clock,—to enquire what was being done. He had not as yet been made blessed with a single ten-pound note in his hand, as the result of the sale. "Are you going to see Melmotte, sir?" he asked somewhat abruptly. "Yes;—I'm to be with him to-morrow, and he is to introduce me to the Board." "You're going in for that, are you, sir? Do they pay anything?" "I believe not." "Nidderdale and young Carbury belong to it. It's a sort of Beargarden affair." "A bear-garden affair, Adolphus. How so?" "I mean the club. We had them all there for dinner one day, and a jolly dinner we gave them. Miles Grendall and old Alfred belong to it. I don't think they'd go in for it, if there was no money going. I'd make them fork out something if I took the trouble of going all that way." "I think that perhaps, Adolphus, you hardly understand these things." "No, I don't. I don't understand much about business, I know. What I want to understand is, when Melmotte is going to pay up this money." "I suppose he'll arrange it with the banks," said the father. "I beg that he won't arrange my money with the banks, sir. You'd better tell him not. A cheque upon his bank which I can pay in to mine is about the best thing going. You'll be in the city to-morrow, and you'd better tell him. If you don't like, you know, I'll get Squercum to do it." Mr. Squercum was a lawyer whom Dolly had employed of late years much to the annoyance of his parent. Mr. Squercum's name was odious to Mr. Longestaffe. "I beg you'll do nothing of the kind. It will be very foolish if you do;—perhaps ruinous." "Then he'd better pay up, like anybody else," said Dolly as he left the room. The father knew the son, and was quite sure that Squercum would have his finger in the pie unless the money were paid quickly. When Dolly had taken an idea into his head, no power on earth,—no power at least of which the father could avail himself,—would turn him. On that same day Melmotte received two visits in the city from two of his fellow directors. At the time he was very busy. Though his electioneering speeches were neither long nor pithy, still he had to think of them beforehand. Members of his Committee were always trying to see him. Orders as to the dinner and the preparation of the house could not be given by Lord Alfred without some reference to him. And then those gigantic commercial affairs which were enumerated in the last chapter could not be adjusted without much labour on his part. His hands were not empty, but still he saw each of these young men,—for a few minutes. "My dear young friend, what can I do for you?" he said to Sir Felix, not sitting down, so that Sir Felix also should remain standing. "About that money, Mr. Melmotte?" "What money, my dear fellow? You see that a good many money matters pass through my hands." "The thousand pounds I gave you for shares. If you don't mind, and as the shares seem to be a bother, I'll take the money back." "It was only the other day you had £200," said Melmotte, showing that he could apply his memory to small transactions when he pleased. "Exactly;—and you might as well let me have the £800." "I've ordered the shares;—gave the order to my broker the other day." "Then I'd better take the shares," said Sir Felix, feeling that it might very probably be that day fortnight before he could start for New York. "Could I get them, Mr. Melmotte?" "My dear fellow, I really think you hardly calculate the value of my time when you come to me about such an affair as this." "I'd like to have the money or the shares," said Sir Felix, who was not specially averse to quarrelling with Mr. Melmotte now that he had resolved upon taking that gentleman's daughter to New York in direct opposition to his written promise. Their quarrel would be so thoroughly internecine when the departure should be discovered, that any present anger could hardly increase its bitterness. What Felix thought of now was simply his money, and the best means of getting it out of Melmotte's hands. "You're a spendthrift," said Melmotte, apparently relenting, "and I'm afraid a gambler. I suppose I must give you £200 more on account." Sir Felix could not resist the touch of ready money, and consented to take the sum offered. As he pocketed the cheque he asked for the name of the brokers who were employed to buy the shares. But here Melmotte demurred. "No, my friend," said Melmotte; "you are only entitled to shares for £600 pounds now. I will see that the thing is put right." So Sir Felix departed with £200 only. Marie had said that she could get £200. Perhaps if he bestirred himself and wrote to some of Miles's big relations he could obtain payment of a part of that gentleman's debt to him. Sir Felix going down the stairs in Abchurch Lane met Paul Montague coming up. Carbury, on the spur of the moment, thought that he would "take a rise" as he called it out of Montague. "What's this I hear about a lady at Islington?" he asked. "Who has told you anything about a lady at Islington?" "A little bird. There are always little birds about telling of ladies. I'm told that I'm to congratulate you on your coming marriage." "Then you've been told an infernal falsehood," said Montague passing on. He paused a moment and added, "I don't know who can have told you, but if you hear it again, I'll trouble you to contradict it." As he was waiting in Melmotte's outer room while the Duke's nephew went in to see whether it was the great man's pleasure to see him, he remembered whence Carbury must have heard tidings of Mrs. Hurtle. Of course the rumour had come through Ruby Ruggles. Miles Grendall brought out word that the great man would see Mr. Montague; but he added a caution. "He's awfully full of work just now,—you won't forget that;—will you?" Montague assured the duke's nephew that he would be concise, and was shown in. "I should not have troubled you," said Paul, "only that I understood that I was to see you before the Board met." "Exactly;—of course. It was quite necessary,—only you see I am a little busy. If this d——d dinner were over I shouldn't mind. It's a deal easier to make a treaty with an Emperor, than to give him a dinner; I can tell you that. Well;—let me see. Oh;—I was proposing that you should go out to Pekin?" "To Mexico." "Yes, yes;—to Mexico. I've so many things running in my head! Well;—if you'll say when you're ready to start, we'll draw up something of instructions. You'd know better, however, than we can tell you what to do. You'll see Fisker, of course. You and Fisker will manage it. The chief thing will be a cheque for the expenses; eh? We must get that passed at the next Board." Mr. Melmotte had been so quick that Montague had been unable to interrupt him. "There need be no trouble about that, Mr. Melmotte, as I have made up my mind that it would not be fit that I should go." "Oh, indeed!" There had been a shade of doubt on Montague's mind, till the tone in which Melmotte had spoken of the embassy grated on his ears. The reference to the expenses disgusted him altogether. "No;—even did I see my way to do any good in America my duties here would not be compatible with the undertaking." "I don't see that at all. What duties have you got here? What good are you doing the Company? If you do stay, I hope you'll be unanimous; that's all;—or perhaps you intend to go out. If that's it, I'll look to your money. I think I told you that before." "That, Mr. Melmotte, is what I should prefer." "Very well,—very well. I'll arrange it. Sorry to lose you,—that's all. Miles, isn't Mr. Goldsheiner waiting to see me?" "You're a little too quick, Mr. Melmotte," said Paul. "A man with my business on his hands is bound to be quick, sir." "But I must be precise. I cannot tell you as a fact that I shall withdraw from the Board till I receive the advice of a friend with whom I am consulting. I hardly yet know what my duty may be." "I'll tell you, sir, what can not be your duty. It cannot be your duty to make known out of that Board-room any of the affairs of the Company which you have learned in that Board-room. It cannot be your duty to divulge the circumstances of the Company or any differences which may exist between Directors of the Company, to any gentleman who is a stranger to the Company. It cannot be your duty—." "Thank you, Mr. Melmotte. On matters such as that I think that I can see my own way. I have been in fault in coming in to the Board without understanding what duties I should have to perform—." "Very much in fault, I should say," replied Melmotte, whose arrogance in the midst of his inflated glory was overcoming him. "But in reference to what I may or may not say to any friend, or how far I should be restricted by the scruples of a gentleman, I do not want advice from you." "Very well;—very well. I can't ask you to stay, because a partner from the house of Todd, Brehgert, and Goldsheiner is waiting to see me, about matters which are rather more important than this of yours." Montague had said what he had to say, and departed. On the following day, three-quarters of an hour before the meeting of the Board of Directors, old Mr. Longestaffe called in Abchurch Lane. He was received very civilly by Miles Grendall, and asked to sit down. Mr. Melmotte quite expected him, and would walk with him over to the offices of the railway, and introduce him to the Board. Mr. Longestaffe, with some shyness, intimated his desire to have a few moments conversation with the chairman before the Board met. Fearing his son, especially fearing Squercum, he had made up his mind to suggest that the little matter about Pickering Park should be settled. Miles assured him that the opportunity should be given him, but that at the present moment the chief secretary of the Russian Legation was with Mr. Melmotte. Either the chief secretary was very tedious with his business, or else other big men must have come in, for Mr. Longestaffe was not relieved till he was summoned to walk off to the Board five minutes after the hour at which the Board should have met. He thought that he could explain his views in the street; but on the stairs they were joined by Mr. Cohenlupe, and in three minutes they were in the Board-room. Mr. Longestaffe was then presented, and took the chair opposite to Miles Grendall. Montague was not there, but had sent a letter to the secretary explaining that for reasons with which the chairman was acquainted he should absent himself from the present meeting. "All right," said Melmotte. "I know all about it. Go on. I'm not sure but that Mr. Montague's retirement from among us may be an advantage. He could not be made to understand that unanimity in such an enterprise as this is essential. I am confident that the new director whom I have had the pleasure of introducing to you to-day will not sin in the same direction." Then Mr. Melmotte bowed and smiled very sweetly on Mr. Longestaffe. Mr. Longestaffe was astonished to find how soon the business was done, and how very little he had been called on to do. Miles Grendall had read something out of a book which he had been unable to follow. Then the chairman had read some figures. Mr. Cohenlupe had declared that their prosperity was unprecedented;—and the Board was over. When Mr. Longestaffe explained to Miles Grendall that he still wished to speak to Mr. Melmotte, Miles explained to him that the chairman had been obliged to run off to a meeting of gentlemen connected with the interior of Africa, which was now being held at the Cannon Street Hotel. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Anthony Trollope (2004). The Way We Live Now. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5231/pg5231-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

MR. MELMOTTE IS PRESSED FOR TIME

Previous Chapter - The Last 3 Days (18): Confrontation in the Darkness All published chapters can be found here. 18:49:55 On the muted TV in the Burns’ living room, the KQTS anchor had never been more animated in front of a camera, laughing as he responded to call after call. Anne, Olga, and Eileen drank wine as they sat on the sofa and talked, about Friday night’s dessert on the coffee table. Eileen’s earlier reticence had dissolved sometime during the last bottle of pinot noir. “You delivered Becky in your bathtub? Alone? Respect.” “Where was your husband?” Anne asked. Olga tossed back her wine and held her glass out for more. “Gone,” she said. “Was better anyway.” 15:07:10 Having assembled a makeshift mattress from a soft-sided suitcase and an olive drab knapsack with a convenient bedroll attached to use as a headrest, Nick took advantage of the darkness within the Greyhound’s cargo hold to sleep. He slept through the bus slowing and stopping, but not the abrupt flood of light as the cargo hatch opened. As slowly as he dared to, Nick pulled his legs up into a fetal position to avoid being noticed. The bus driver slid a pair of boxes into the open hold and closed the hatch. 14:30:00 Ryan was already talking before Don was through the door. “I need to pee.” “Wrong answer,” Don replied and spun on his heel. “Wait!” Ryan screamed, hoping his voice would carry through the fractional gap in the closing door. “Wait. I’ll show you where we dumped Nick in exchange for my freedom. On one condition — “ Don’s face appeared in the doorway. “What’s that?” “I tell you on the front steps.” 14:21:47 It was the final dusk of his life and Bobby had decided he would give Ryan until he had finished the six-pack whose cans now littered the glassed vestibule of the office building opposite the precinct station. And he was close to finishing that last beer when he saw Ryan follow Don out of the Precinct’s front entrance. He started to get up but noticed the handcuffs on his friend’s wrists, so he stayed seated in the vestibule of a building opposite the station. He wasn’t about to risk being cuffed himself, not even for Ryan. Draining the can, he watched as the cop turned to Ryan and unfolded a map. Ryan looked at it but otherwise didn’t move. The cop grabbed Ryan’s elbow and made to take him back inside when Ryan said something that stopped the cop in his tracks. Bobby felt real fear then — fear he’d see his friend die right then, right there. Instead of drawing his weapon, the cop raised the map again, but this time unfolded another panel. Ryan pointed to a spot that earned him another menacing look. The cop dangled his key to the hand-cuffs for Ryan to see then tossed them over his shoulder and walked back inside. Ryan raced down the steps and disappeared around the corner. Confused, Bobby followed, collecting the key on his way. He found Ryan facing the wall. “Oh,” he said. “That’s why you — “ “Bobby! Bring up the van.” “It ran out of gas. But — “ Ryan pulled up his fly and turned to him. “So what are we driving?” Bobby pointed at a pair of bicycles leaning against the wall near the vestibule where he kept watch. “Bicycles?” Bobby held out a folded sheet of printer paper. “Yeah. But I know where they are.” 13:56:43 Bonfires answered the receding sunlight as dusk embraced the giant crowd occupying the expansive manicured lawns of Veteran’s Park. All listened to the pastor’s voice amplified through speakers liberated from untended electronics stores, their boxes used to fuel the fires, and repeated his prayers. 13:14:43 Don had spread the map on his desk, ignoring the second hand smoke from the Sergeant’s and Peter Thurro’s cigarettes as they studied it with him. The Lobby was finally empty. “Tough decision, my friend,” the Sergeant advised. “What’s likely to be a wild goose chase or go home to Anne and Jack. Either way, you should go.” Don sighed and sat back. “You’re right. Nick could be anywhere now. I have to trust he’ll find his way home. But how do I break it to Anne?” He stood and folded the map. The Sergeant also got to his feet, his arm extended. “It’s been a privilege.” “We should all go home. Last night and all.” “No one to go home to,” the Sergeant said. Peter shrugged. “Same here.” “Well, there’s room for both of you at my place.” 13:08:54 Comfortable now with the repetitive choreography of each stop, Nick slid between some boxes whose destination labels were beyond his home. It was fully dark now, the hold lit by a few small lights which was fortunate, because there were far fewer items to hide behind. The hatch opened and Nick froze, even holding his breath on the off chance when he exhaled it might mist as the night cooled off. The Driver’s arm reached in, detached something from the ceiling of the hold and withdrew. Nick relaxed — then felt his ankle hooked by cold metal. Dragged from his hiding place, he landed awkwardly on the gravel shoulder. Pinned in place by the hook at his throat, all he could do was lie there while the Driver shut the hatch. “No ticket, no ride.” Tossing the luggage hook aside, the Driver re-boarded his bus and it pulled away. Nick climbed to his feet, watched the lights of the bus recede and then looked around. Not a light to be seen. Though paved, the road was barely two lanes, silent forest lining both sides into the night. He headed after the bus. 12:56:27 Ryan and Bobby hid behind some bushes across from the Taylor house. Bobby had been right — his Escalade was parked in the drive. “Let’s go,” Ryan said. “Wait, there’s a car coming.” A sedan slowed as it closed on the two friends, and pulled into the adjacent driveway behind the Escalade. They could hear but not see the car’s male occupants enter the home. “Come on. Leave the bikes.” “Leave the — they’re worth three grand apiece.” But Ryan was already across the street. Bobby darted into the shadow of the SUV, keeping low and trying to watch every direction at once. Ryan padded up to the front door and twisted the handle. A moment later, Ryan was through and the door was ajar, leaving Bobby with no choice but to follow. 12:55:32 The flight of North Korean missiles had exhausted their fuel long ago and their drab green paint made them invisible, unless viewed from Benevolence B7438 and even then they appeared like a loose group of shotgun pellet silhouetted against the much closer Earth. A good number of the missiles flew wide of the mark, but several impacted and a few of these detonated. Benevolence B7438 shrugged them off. 12:51:44 Bobby considered the uneaten food on the table. “They were here.” He tasted some cold scrambled egg, but spit it out, then harvested all the remaining bacon. “A while ago. Looks like they just up and left.” Noticing the decanters on the side board, Ryan selected one at random, chose a heavy tumbler and carried them to the coffee table. “They can’t be far. We’ll wait.” The Escalade key fob was on the coffee table. Ryan pocketed it and settled back to enjoy his drink. Bobby scraped the eggs onto one plate and thrust it into the microwave. 10:48:12 At least the night was clear, lit by a waxing moon that made it easy for Nick to keep walking along the median tire groove of oncoming traffic. There were far fewer pebbles and such there for his bare feet to step on and he wouldn’t be caught out by approaching traffic as he studied the stars. He had never seen so many, but couldn’t ever remember caring one way or another. Then he caught a familiar shape in his peripheral vision and stopped in his tracks to be sure he hadn’t imagined it. The shape remained when he looked directly at it. It was an abandoned car parked on the side of the road. Sure, it predated fuel injection and powered windows, but that just meant there was less to go wrong. Nor would he have to hotwire it. The key was in the ignition. The dash lit up but the engine didn’t turn over. A moment later, he had the hood up. Also published here.

The Last 3 Days (19): Benevolence Shrugs

The $30,000 Bequest, and Other Stories by Mark Twain, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE FIRST WRITING-MACHINES here THE FIRST WRITING-MACHINES From My Unpublished Autobiography Some days ago a correspondent sent in an old typewritten sheet, faded by age, containing the following letter over the signature of Mark Twain: “Hartford, March 10, 1875. “Please do not use my name in any way. Please do not even divulge that fact that I own a machine. I have entirely stopped using the typewriter, for the reason that I never could write a letter with it to anybody without receiving a request by return mail that I would not only describe the machine, but state what progress I had made in the use of it, etc., etc. I don't like to write letters, and so I don't want people to know I own this curiosity-breeding little joker.” A note was sent to Mr. Clemens asking him if the letter was genuine and whether he really had a typewriter as long ago as that. Mr. Clemens replied that his best answer is the following chapter from his unpublished autobiography: 1904. VILLA QUARTO, FLORENCE, JANUARY. Dictating autobiography to a typewriter is a new experience for me, but it goes very well, and is going to save time and “language”—the kind of language that soothes vexation. I have dictated to a typewriter before—but not autobiography. Between that experience and the present one there lies a mighty gap—more than thirty years! It is a sort of lifetime. In that wide interval much has happened—to the type-machine as well as to the rest of us. At the beginning of that interval a type-machine was a curiosity. The person who owned one was a curiosity, too. But now it is the other way about: the person who own one is a curiosity. I saw a type-machine for the first time in—what year? I suppose it was 1873—because Nasby was with me at the time, and it was in Boston. We must have been lecturing, or we could not have been in Boston, I take it. I quitted the platform that season. doesn't But never mind about that, it is no matter. Nasby and I saw the machine through a window, and went in to look at it. The salesman explained it to us, showed us samples of its work, and said it could do fifty-seven words a minute—a statement which we frankly confessed that we did not believe. So he put his type-girl to work, and we timed her by the watch. She actually did the fifty-seven in sixty seconds. We were partly convinced, but said it probably couldn't happen again. But it did. We timed the girl over and over again—with the same result always: she won out. She did her work on narrow slips of paper, and we pocketed them as fast as she turned them out, to show as curiosities. The price of the machine was one hundred and twenty-five dollars. I bought one, and we went away very much excited. At the hotel we got out our slips and were a little disappointed to find that they contained the same words. The girl had economized time and labor by using a formula which she knew by heart. However, we argued—safely enough—that the type-girl must naturally take rank with the first billiard-player: neither of them could be expected to get out of the game any more than a third or a half of what was in it. If the machine survived— it survived—experts would come to the front, by and by, who would double the girl's output without a doubt. They would do one hundred words a minute—my talking speed on the platform. That score has long ago been beaten. first if At home I played with the toy, repeating and repeating and repeating “The Boy stood on the Burning Deck,” until I could turn that boy's adventure out at the rate of twelve words a minute; then I resumed the pen, for business, and only worked the machine to astonish inquiring visitors. They carried off many reams of the boy and his burning deck. By and by I hired a young woman, and did my first dictating (letters, merely), and my last until now. The machine did not do both capitals and lower case (as now), but only capitals. Gothic capitals they were, and sufficiently ugly. I remember the first letter I dictated, it was to Edward Bok, who was a boy then. I was not acquainted with him at that time. His present enterprising spirit is not new—he had it in that early day. He was accumulating autographs, and was not content with mere signatures, he wanted a whole autograph . I furnished it—in type-written capitals, It was long; it was a sermon; it contained advice; also reproaches. I said writing was my , my bread-and-butter; I said it was not fair to ask a man to give away samples of his trade; would he ask the blacksmith for a horseshoe? would he ask the doctor for a corpse? letter signature and all. trade Now I come to an important matter—as I regard it. In the year '74 the young woman copied a considerable part of a book of mine . In a previous chapter of this Autobiography I have claimed that I was the first person in the world that ever had a telephone in the house for practical purposes; I will now claim—until dispossessed—that I was the first person in the world to . That book must have been I wrote the first half of it in '72, the rest of it in '74. My machinist type-copied a book for me in '74, so I concluded it was that one. on the machine apply the type-machine to literature The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. That early machine was full of caprices, full of defects—devilish ones. It had as many immoralities as the machine of today has virtues. After a year or two I found that it was degrading my character, so I thought I would give it to Howells. He was reluctant, for he was suspicious of novelties and unfriendly toward them, and he remains so to this day. But I persuaded him. He had great confidence in me, and I got him to believe things about the machine that I did not believe myself. He took it home to Boston, and my morals began to improve, but his have never recovered. He kept it six months, and then returned it to me. I gave it away twice after that, but it wouldn't stay; it came back. Then I gave it to our coachman, Patrick McAleer, who was very grateful, because he did not know the animal, and thought I was trying to make him wiser and better. As soon as he got wiser and better he traded it to a heretic for a side-saddle which he could not use, and there my knowledge of its history ends. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mark Twain (2004). The $30,000 Bequest, and Other Stories. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/142/pg142-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE FIRST WRITING-MACHINES

US senators recently spotlighted growing fears over North Korea’s reliance on cryptocurrencies to advance its banned nuclear program. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tim Kaine, and Chris Van Hollen demanded details from the Biden administration on strategies to counter this threat. A Rogue Nation’s Cryptic Dealings The decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies makes them an attractive avenue for illicit activities. Insiders confirm a significant portion of North Korea’s missile advancements stem from funds generated by crypto theft and cyberattacks. Data indicates the regime pocketed a record $1.7 billion in stolen crypto last year. With oversight and transparency challenges, cryptocurrencies risk becoming tools for those jeopardizing global security. An Urgent Inquiry In their inquiry to the Treasury Department, the senators sought clarity on intentions and plans to disrupt North Korea’s cryptic endeavors. They warned of the country’s growing penchant for exploiting digital assets to bypass international safeguards. The administration now faces pressure to craft a robust response. For the US and allies, addressing the nexus of technology and security is a two-part challenge: understanding and evolving rapidly to stay ahead of threats. Our Actions Define Our Values Technology holds immense potential, but without wisdom, becomes a force of ruin. Security is found not in might, but in uplifting humanity’s dignity. True progress lies in empowering people, not subjugating them. We must never forget this. “. Thank you for reading “US Senators Sound Alarm on North Korea’s Crypto Misuse Subscribe to our newsletter: Consensus Protocol Follow us on Twitter: Twitter Also published . here

US Senators Raise the Alarm on North Korea’s Crypto Misuse

Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . MONEY AT A PREMIUM here CHAPTER VI. MONEY AT A PREMIUM “Who’s there? I have nothing here for anyone. Go away!” Such was the inhospitable greeting with which Isaac Hakkabut received his visitors. “Hakkabut! do you take us for thieves?” asked Servadac, in tones of stern displeasure. “Oh, your Excellency, my lord, I did not know that it was you,” whined the Jew, but without emerging any farther from his cabin. “Now, old Hakkabut, come out of your shell! Come and show the governor proper respect, when he gives you the honor of his company,” cried Ben Zoof, who by this time had clambered onto the deck. After considerable hesitation, but still keeping his hold upon the cabin-door, the Jew made up his mind to step outside. “What do you want?” he inquired, timorously. “I want a word with you,” said Servadac, “but I do not want to stand talking out here in the cold.” Followed by the rest of the party, he proceeded to mount the steps. The Jew trembled from head to foot. “But I cannot let you into my cabin. I am a poor man; I have nothing to give you,” he moaned piteously. “Here he is!” laughed Ben Zoof, contemptuously; “he is beginning his chapter of lamentations over again. But standing out here will never do. Out of the way, old Hakkabut, I say! out of the way!” and, without more ado, he thrust the astonished Jew on one side and opened the door of the cabin. Servadac, however, declined to enter until he had taken the pains to explain to the owner of the tartan that he had no intention of laying violent hands upon his property, and that if the time should ever come that his cargo was in requisition for the common use, he should receive a proper price for his goods, the same as he would in Europe. “Europe, indeed!” muttered the Jew maliciously between his teeth. “European prices will not do for me. I must have Gallian prices—and of my own fixing, too!” So large a portion of the vessel had been appropriated to the cargo that the space reserved for the cabin was of most meager dimensions. In one corner of the compartment stood a small iron stove, in which smoldered a bare handful of coals; in another was a trestle-board which served as a bed; two or three stools and a rickety deal table, together with a few cooking utensils, completed a stock of furniture which was worthy of its proprietor. On entering the cabin, Ben Zoof’s first proceeding was to throw on the fire a liberal supply of coals, utterly regardless of the groans of poor Isaac, who would almost as soon have parted with his own bones as submit to such reckless expenditure of his fuel. The perishing temperature of the cabin, however, was sufficient justification for the orderly’s conduct, and by a little skillful manipulation he soon succeeded in getting up a tolerable fire. The visitors having taken what seats they could, Hakkabut closed the door, and, like a prisoner awaiting his sentence, stood with folded hands, expecting the captain to speak. “Listen,” said Servadac; “we have come to ask a favor.” Imagining that at least half his property was to be confiscated, the Jew began to break out into his usual formula about being a poor man and having nothing to spare; but Servadac, without heeding his complainings, went on: “We are not going to ruin you, you know.” Hakkabut looked keenly into the captain’s face. “We have only come to know whether you can lend us a steelyard.” So far from showing any symptom of relief, the old miser exclaimed, with a stare of astonishment, as if he had been asked for some thousand francs: “A steelyard?” “Yes!” echoed the professor, impatiently; “a steelyard.” “Have you not one?” asked Servadac. “To be sure he has!” said Ben Zoof. Old Isaac stammered and stuttered, but at last confessed that perhaps there might be one amongst the stores. “Then, surely, you will not object to lend it to us?” said the captain. “Only for one day,” added the professor. The Jew stammered again, and began to object. “It is a very delicate instrument, your Excellency. The cold, you know, the cold may do injury to the spring; and perhaps you are going to use it to weigh something very heavy.” “Why, old Ephraim, do you suppose we are going to weigh a mountain with it?” said Ben Zoof. “Better than that!” cried out the professor, triumphantly; “we are going to weigh Gallia with it; my comet.” “Merciful Heaven!” shrieked Isaac, feigning consternation at the bare suggestion. Servadac knew well enough that the Jew was holding out only for a good bargain, and assured him that the steelyard was required for no other purpose than to weigh a kilogramme, which (considering how much lighter everything had become) could not possibly put the slightest strain upon the instrument. The Jew still spluttered, and moaned, and hesitated. “Well, then,” said Servadac, “if you do not like to lend us your steelyard, do you object to sell it to us?” Isaac fairly shrieked aloud. “God of Israel!” he ejaculated, “sell my steelyard? Would you deprive me of one of the most indispensable of my means of livelihood? How should I weigh my merchandise without my steelyard—my solitary steelyard, so delicate and so correct?” The orderly wondered how his master could refrain from strangling the old miser upon the spot; but Servadac, rather amused than otherwise, determined to try another form of persuasion. “Come, Hakkabut, I see that you are not disposed either to lend or to sell your steelyard. What do you say to letting us hire it?” The Jew’s eyes twinkled with a satisfaction that he was unable to conceal. “But what security would you give? The instrument is very valuable;” and he looked more cunning than ever. “What is it worth? If it is worth twenty francs, I will leave a deposit of a hundred. Will that satisfy you?” He shook his head doubtfully. “It is very little; indeed, it is too little, your Excellency. Consider, it is the only steelyard in all this new world of ours; it is worth more, much more. If I take your deposit it must be in gold—all gold. But how much do you agree to give me for the hire—the hire, one day?” “You shall have twenty francs,” said Servadac. “Oh, it is dirt cheap; but never mind, for one day, you shall have it. Deposit in gold money a hundred francs, and twenty francs for the hire.” The old man folded his hands in meek resignation. “The fellow knows how to make a good bargain,” said Servadac, as Isaac, after casting a distrustful look around, went out of the cabin. “Detestable old wretch!” replied the count, full of disgust. Hardly a minute elapsed before the Jew was back again, carrying his precious steelyard with ostentatious care. It was of an ordinary kind. A spring balance, fitted with a hook, held the article to be weighed; a pointer, revolving on a disc, indicated the weight of the article. Professor Rosette was manifestly right in asserting that such a machine would register results quite independently of any change in the force of attraction. On the earth it would have registered a kilogramme as a kilogramme; here it recorded a different value altogether, as the result of the altered force of gravity. Gold coinage to the worth of one hundred and twenty francs was handed over to the Jew, who clutched at the money with unmistakable eagerness. The steelyard was committed to the keeping of Ben Zoof, and the visitors prepared to quit the . Hansa All at once it occurred to the professor that the steelyard would be absolutely useless to him, unless he had the means for ascertaining the precise measurement of the unit of the soil of Gallia which he proposed to weigh. “Something more you must lend me,” he said, addressing the Jew. “I must have a measure, and I must have a kilogramme.” “I have neither of them,” answered Isaac. “I have neither. I am sorry; I am very sorry.” And this time the old Jew spoke the truth. He would have been really glad to do another stroke or two of business upon terms as advantageous as the transaction he had just concluded. Palmyrin Rosette scratched his head in perplexity, glaring round upon his companions as if they were personally responsible for his annoyance. He muttered something about finding a way out of his difficulty, and hastily mounted the cabin-ladder. The rest followed, but they had hardly reached the deck when the chink of money was heard in the room below. Hakkabut was locking away the gold in one of the drawers. Back again, down the ladder, scrambled the little professor, and before the Jew was aware of his presence he had seized him by the tail of his slouchy overcoat. “Some of your money! I must have money!” he said. “Money!” gasped Hakkabut; “I have no money.” He was pale with fright, and hardly knew what he was saying. “Falsehood!” roared Rosette. “Do you think I cannot see?” And peering down into the drawer which the Jew was vainly trying to close, he cried, “Heaps of money! French money! Five-franc pieces! the very thing I want! I must have them!” The captain and his friends, who had returned to the cabin looked on with mingled amusement and bewilderment. “They are mine!” shrieked Hakkabut. “I will have them!” shouted the professor. “You shall kill me first!” bellowed the Jew. “No, but I must!” persisted the professor again. It was manifestly time for Servadac to interfere. “My dear professor,” he said, smiling, “allow me to settle this little matter for you.” “Ah! your Excellency,” moaned the agitated Jew, “protect me! I am but a poor man—” “None of that, Hakkabut. Hold your tongue.” And, turning to Rosette, the captain said, “If, sir, I understand right, you require some silver five-franc pieces for your operation?” “Forty,” said Rosette, surlily. “Two hundred francs!” whined Hakkabut. “Silence!” cried the captain. “I must have more than that,” the professor continued. “I want ten two-franc pieces, and twenty half-francs.” “Let me see,” said Servadac, “how much is that in all? Two hundred and thirty francs, is it not?” “I dare say it is,” answered the professor. “Count, may I ask you,” continued Servadac, “to be security to the Jew for this loan to the professor?” “Loan!” cried the Jew, “do you mean only a loan?” “Silence!” again shouted the captain. Count Timascheff, expressing his regret that his purse contained only paper money, begged to place it at Captain Servadac’s disposal. “No paper, no paper!” exclaimed Isaac. “Paper has no currency in Gallia.” “About as much as silver,” coolly retorted the count. “I am a poor man,” began the Jew. “Now, Hakkabut, stop these miserable lamentations of yours, once for all. Hand us over two hundred and thirty francs in silver money, or we will proceed to help ourselves.” Isaac began to yell with all his might: “Thieves! thieves!” In a moment Ben Zoof’s hand was clasped tightly over his mouth. “Stop that howling, Belshazzar!” “Let him alone, Ben Zoof. He will soon come to his senses,” said Servadac, quietly. When the old Jew had again recovered himself, the captain addressed him. “Now, tell us, what interest do you expect?” Nothing could overcome the Jew’s anxiety to make another good bargain. He began: “Money is scarce, very scarce, you know—” “No more of this!” shouted Servadac. “What interest, I say, what interest do you ask?” Faltering and undecided still, the Jew went on. “Very scarce, you know. Ten francs a day, I think, would not be unreasonable, considering—” The count had no patience to allow him to finish what he was about to say. He flung down notes to the value of several rubles. With a greediness that could not be concealed, Hakkabut grasped them all. Paper, indeed, they were; but the cunning Israelite knew that they would in any case be security far beyond the value of his cash. He was making some eighteen hundred per cent. interest, and accordingly chuckled within himself at his unexpected stroke of business. The professor pocketed his French coins with a satisfaction far more demonstrative. “Gentlemen,” he said, “with these franc pieces I obtain the means of determining accurately both a meter and a kilogramme.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

MONEY AT A PREMIUM

Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . BIRTHDAY-PRESENTS here CHAPTER III. BIRTHDAY-PRESENTS “It's my brother!” the Sub-warden exclaimed, in a warning whisper. “Speak out, and be quick about it!” The appeal was evidently addressed to the Lord Chancellor, who instantly replied, in a shrill monotone, like a little boy repeating the alphabet, “As I was remarking, your Sub-Excellency, this portentous movement—” “You began too soon!” the other interrupted, scarcely able to restrain himself to a whisper, so great was his excitement. “He couldn't have heard you. Begin again!” “As I was remarking,” chanted the obedient Lord Chancellor, “this portentous movement has already assumed the dimensions of a Revolution!” “And what are the dimensions of a Revolution?” The voice was genial and mellow, and the face of the tall dignified old man, who had just entered the room, leading Sylvie by the hand, and with Bruno riding triumphantly on his shoulder, was too noble and gentle to have scared a less guilty man: but the Lord Chancellor turned pale instantly, and could hardly articulate the words “The dimensions your—your High Excellency? I—I—scarcely comprehend!” “Well, the length, breadth, and thickness, if you like it better!” And the old man smiled, half-contemptuously. The Lord Chancellor recovered himself with a great effort, and pointed to the open window. “If your High Excellency will listen for a moment to the shouts of the exasperated populace—” (“of the exasperated populace!” the Sub-Warden repeated in a louder tone, as the Lord Chancellor, being in a state of abject terror, had dropped almost into a whisper) “—you will understand what it is they want.” And at that moment there surged into the room a hoarse confused cry, in which the only clearly audible words were “Less—bread—More—taxes!” The old man laughed heartily. “What in the world—” he was beginning: but the Chancellor heard him not. “Some mistake!” he muttered, hurrying to the window, from which he shortly returned with an air of relief. “Now listen!” he exclaimed, holding up his hand impressively. And now the words came quite distinctly, and with the regularity of the ticking of a clock, “More—bread—Less taxes!'” “More bread!” the Warden repeated in astonishment. “Why, the new Government Bakery was opened only last week, and I gave orders to sell the bread at cost-price during the present scarcity! What can they expect more?” “The Bakery's closed, y'reince!” the Chancellor said, more loudly and clearly than he had spoken yet. He was emboldened by the consciousness that here, at least, he had evidence to produce: and he placed in the Warden's hands a few printed notices, that were lying ready, with some open ledgers, on a side-table. “Yes, yes, I see!” the Warden muttered, glancing carelessly through them. “Order countermanded by my brother, and supposed to be my doing! Rather sharp practice! It's all right!” he added in a louder tone. “My name is signed to it: so I take it on myself. But what do they mean by 'Less Taxes'? How can they be less? I abolished the last of them a month ago!” “It's been put on again, y'reince, and by y'reince's own orders!”, and other printed notices were submitted for inspection. The Warden, whilst looking them over, glanced once or twice at the Sub-Warden, who had seated himself before one of the open ledgers, and was quite absorbed in adding it up; but he merely repeated “It's all right. I accept it as my doing.” “And they do say,” the Chancellor went on sheepishly—looking much more like a convicted thief than an Officer of State, “that a change of Government, by the abolition of the Sub-Warden—-I mean,” he hastily added, on seeing the Warden's look of astonishment, “the abolition of the office of Sub-Warden, and giving the present holder the right to act as Vice-Warden whenever the Warden is absent—would appease all this seedling discontent I mean,” he added, glancing at a paper he held in his hand, “all this seething discontent!” “For fifteen years,” put in a deep but very harsh voice, “my husband has been acting as Sub-Warden. It is too long! It is much too long!” My Lady was a vast creature at all times: but, when she frowned and folded her arms, as now, she looked more gigantic than ever, and made one try to fancy what a haystack would look like, if out of temper. “He would distinguish himself as a Vice!” my Lady proceeded, being far too stupid to see the double meaning of her words. “There has been no such Vice in Outland for many a long year, as he would be!” “What course would you suggest, Sister?” the Warden mildly enquired. My Lady stamped, which was undignified: and snorted, which was ungraceful. “This is no jesting matter!” she bellowed. “I will consult my brother,” said the Warden. “Brother!” “—and seven makes a hundred and ninety-four, which is sixteen and two-pence,” the Sub-Warden replied. “Put down two and carry sixteen.” The Chancellor raised his hands and eyebrows, lost in admiration. “Such a man of business!” he murmured. “Brother, could I have a word with you in my Study?” the Warden said in a louder tone. The Sub-Warden rose with alacrity, and the two left the room together. My Lady turned to the Professor, who had uncovered the urn, and was taking its temperature with his pocket-thermometer. “Professor!” she began, so loudly and suddenly that even Uggug, who had gone to sleep in his chair, left off snoring and opened one eye. The Professor pocketed his thermometer in a moment, clasped his hands, and put his head on one side with a meek smile. “You were teaching my son before breakfast, I believe?” my Lady loftily remarked. “I hope he strikes you as having talent?” “Oh, very much so indeed, my Lady!” the Professor hastily replied, unconsciously rubbing his ear, while some painful recollection seemed to cross his mind. “I was very forcibly struck by His Magnificence, I assure you!” “He is a charming boy!” my Lady exclaimed. “Even his snores are more musical than those of other boys!” If that were so, the Professor seemed to think, the snores of other boys must be something too awful to be endured: but he was a cautious man, and he said nothing. “And he's so clever!” my Lady continued. “No one will enjoy your Lecture more by the way, have you fixed the time for it yet? You've never given one, you know: and it was promised years ago, before you— “Yes, yes, my Lady, I know! Perhaps next Tuesday or Tuesday week—” “That will do very well,” said my Lady, graciously. “Of course you will let the Other Professor lecture as well?” “I think not, my Lady?” the Professor said with some hesitation. “You see, he always stands with his back to the audience. It does very well for reciting; but for lecturing—” “You are quite right,” said my Lady. “And, now I come to think of it, there would hardly be time for more than one Lecture. And it will go off all the better, if we begin with a Banquet, and a Fancy-dress Ball—” “It will indeed!” the Professor cried, with enthusiasm. “I shall come as a Grass-hopper,” my Lady calmly proceeded. “What shall you come as, Professor?” The Professor smiled feebly. “I shall come as—as early as I can, my Lady!” “You mustn't come in before the doors are opened,” said my Lady. “I ca'n't,” said the Professor. “Excuse me a moment. As this is Lady Sylvie's birthday, I would like to—” and he rushed away. Bruno began feeling in his pockets, looking more and more melancholy as he did so: then he put his thumb in his mouth, and considered for a minute: then he quietly left the room. He had hardly done so before the Professor was back again, quite out of breath. “Wishing you many happy returns of the day, my dear child!” he went on, addressing the smiling little girl, who had run to meet him. “Allow me to give you a birthday-present. It's a second-hand pincushion, my dear. And it only cost fourpence-halfpenny!” “Thank you, it's very pretty!” And Sylvie rewarded the old man with a hearty kiss. “And the pins they gave me for nothing!” the Professor added in high glee. “Fifteen of 'em, and only one bent!” “I'll make the bent one into a hook!” said Sylvie. “To catch Bruno with, when he runs away from his lessons!” “You ca'n't guess what my present is!” said Uggug, who had taken the butter-dish from the table, and was standing behind her, with a wicked leer on his face. “No, I ca'n't guess,” Sylvie said without looking up. She was still examining the Professor's pincushion. “It's this!” cried the bad boy, exultingly, as he emptied the dish over her, and then, with a grin of delight at his own cleverness, looked round for applause. Sylvie coloured crimson, as she shook off the butter from her frock: but she kept her lips tight shut, and walked away to the window, where she stood looking out and trying to recover her temper. Uggug's triumph was a very short one: the Sub-Warden had returned, just in time to be a witness of his dear child's playfulness, and in another moment a skilfully-applied box on the ear had changed the grin of delight into a howl of pain. “My darling!” cried his mother, enfolding him in her fat arms. “Did they box his ears for nothing? A precious pet!” “It's not for nothing!” growled the angry father. “Are you aware, Madam, that I pay the house-bills, out of a fixed annual sum? The loss of all that wasted butter falls on me! Do you hear, Madam!” “Hold your tongue, Sir!” My Lady spoke very quietly—almost in a whisper. But there was something in her look which silenced him. “Don't you see it was only a joke? And a very clever one, too! He only meant that he loved nobody but her! And, instead of being pleased with the compliment, the spiteful little thing has gone away in a huff!” The Sub-Warden was a very good hand at changing a subject. He walked across to the window. “My dear,” he said, “is that a pig that I see down below, rooting about among your flower-beds?” “A pig!” shrieked my Lady, rushing madly to the window, and almost pushing her husband out, in her anxiety to see for herself. “Whose pig is it? How did it get in? Where's that crazy Gardener gone?” At this moment Bruno re-entered the room, and passing Uggug (who was blubbering his loudest, in the hope of attracting notice) as if he was quite used to that sort of thing, he ran up to Sylvie and threw his arms round her. “I went to my toy-cupboard,” he said with a very sorrowful face, “to see if there were somefin fit for a present for oo! And there isn't nuffin! They's all broken, every one! And I haven't got no money left, to buy oo a birthday-present! And I ca'n't give oo nuffin but this!” (“This” was a very earnest hug and a kiss.) “Oh, thank you, darling!” cried Sylvie. “I like your present best of all!” (But if so, why did she give it back so quickly?) His Sub-Excellency turned and patted the two children on the head with his long lean hands. “Go away, dears!” he said. “There's business to talk over.” Sylvie and Bruno went away hand in hand: but, on reaching the door, Sylvie came back again and went up to Uggug timidly. “I don't mind about the butter,” she said, “and I—I'm sorry he hurt you!” And she tried to shake hands with the little ruffian: but Uggug only blubbered louder, and wouldn't make friends. Sylvie left the room with a sigh. The Sub-Warden glared angrily at his weeping son. “Leave the room, Sirrah!” he said, as loud as he dared. His wife was still leaning out of the window, and kept repeating “I ca'n't see that pig! Where is it?” “It's moved to the right now it's gone a little to the left,” said the Sub-Warden: but he had his back to the window, and was making signals to the Lord Chancellor, pointing to Uggug and the door, with many a cunning nod and wink. {Image...Removal of Uggug} The Chancellor caught his meaning at last, and, crossing the room, took that interesting child by the ear the next moment he and Uggug were out of the room, and the door shut behind them: but not before one piercing yell had rung through the room, and reached the ears of the fond mother. “What is that hideous noise?” she fiercely asked, turning upon her startled husband. “It's some hyaena—or other,” replied the Sub-Warden, looking vaguely up to the ceiling, as if that was where they usually were to be found. “Let us to business, my dear. Here comes the Warden.” And he picked up from the floor a wandering scrap of manuscript, on which I just caught the words 'after which Election duly holden the said Sibimet and Tabikat his wife may at their pleasure assume Imperial—' before, with a guilty look, he crumpled it up in his hand. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Lewis Carroll (1996). Sylvie and Bruno. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/620/pg620-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

BIRTHDAY-PRESENTS

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SHOWS HIMSELF EQUAL TO THE OCCASION here CHAPTER XXXIII. IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SHOWS HIMSELF EQUAL TO THE OCCASION An hour after, the “Henrietta” passed the lighthouse which marks the entrance of the Hudson, turned the point of Sandy Hook, and put to sea. During the day she skirted Long Island, passed Fire Island, and directed her course rapidly eastward. At noon the next day, a man mounted the bridge to ascertain the vessel’s position. It might be thought that this was Captain Speedy. Not the least in the world. It was Phileas Fogg, Esquire. As for Captain Speedy, he was shut up in his cabin under lock and key, and was uttering loud cries, which signified an anger at once pardonable and excessive. What had happened was very simple. Phileas Fogg wished to go to Liverpool, but the captain would not carry him there. Then Phileas Fogg had taken passage for Bordeaux, and, during the thirty hours he had been on board, had so shrewdly managed with his banknotes that the sailors and stokers, who were only an occasional crew, and were not on the best terms with the captain, went over to him in a body. This was why Phileas Fogg was in command instead of Captain Speedy; why the captain was a prisoner in his cabin; and why, in short, the “Henrietta” was directing her course towards Liverpool. It was very clear, to see Mr. Fogg manage the craft, that he had been a sailor. How the adventure ended will be seen anon. Aouda was anxious, though she said nothing. As for Passepartout, he thought Mr. Fogg’s manœuvre simply glorious. The captain had said “between eleven and twelve knots,” and the “Henrietta” confirmed his prediction. If, then—for there were “ifs” still—the sea did not become too boisterous, if the wind did not veer round to the east, if no accident happened to the boat or its machinery, the “Henrietta” might cross the three thousand miles from New York to Liverpool in the nine days, between the 12th and the 21st of December. It is true that, once arrived, the affair on board the “Henrietta,” added to that of the Bank of England, might create more difficulties for Mr. Fogg than he imagined or could desire. During the first days, they went along smoothly enough. The sea was not very unpropitious, the wind seemed stationary in the north-east, the sails were hoisted, and the “Henrietta” ploughed across the waves like a real transatlantic steamer. Passepartout was delighted. His master’s last exploit, the consequences of which he ignored, enchanted him. Never had the crew seen so jolly and dexterous a fellow. He formed warm friendships with the sailors, and amazed them with his acrobatic feats. He thought they managed the vessel like gentlemen, and that the stokers fired up like heroes. His loquacious good-humour infected everyone. He had forgotten the past, its vexations and delays. He only thought of the end, so nearly accomplished; and sometimes he boiled over with impatience, as if heated by the furnaces of the “Henrietta.” Often, also, the worthy fellow revolved around Fix, looking at him with a keen, distrustful eye; but he did not speak to him, for their old intimacy no longer existed. Fix, it must be confessed, understood nothing of what was going on. The conquest of the “Henrietta,” the bribery of the crew, Fogg managing the boat like a skilled seaman, amazed and confused him. He did not know what to think. For, after all, a man who began by stealing fifty-five thousand pounds might end by stealing a vessel; and Fix was not unnaturally inclined to conclude that the “Henrietta” under Fogg’s command, was not going to Liverpool at all, but to some part of the world where the robber, turned into a pirate, would quietly put himself in safety. The conjecture was at least a plausible one, and the detective began to seriously regret that he had embarked on the affair. As for Captain Speedy, he continued to howl and growl in his cabin; and Passepartout, whose duty it was to carry him his meals, courageous as he was, took the greatest precautions. Mr. Fogg did not seem even to know that there was a captain on board. On the 13th they passed the edge of the Banks of Newfoundland, a dangerous locality; during the winter, especially, there are frequent fogs and heavy gales of wind. Ever since the evening before the barometer, suddenly falling, had indicated an approaching change in the atmosphere; and during the night the temperature varied, the cold became sharper, and the wind veered to the south-east. This was a misfortune. Mr. Fogg, in order not to deviate from his course, furled his sails and increased the force of the steam; but the vessel’s speed slackened, owing to the state of the sea, the long waves of which broke against the stern. She pitched violently, and this retarded her progress. The breeze little by little swelled into a tempest, and it was to be feared that the “Henrietta” might not be able to maintain herself upright on the waves. Passepartout’s visage darkened with the skies, and for two days the poor fellow experienced constant fright. But Phileas Fogg was a bold mariner, and knew how to maintain headway against the sea; and he kept on his course, without even decreasing his steam. The “Henrietta,” when she could not rise upon the waves, crossed them, swamping her deck, but passing safely. Sometimes the screw rose out of the water, beating its protruding end, when a mountain of water raised the stern above the waves; but the craft always kept straight ahead. The wind, however, did not grow as boisterous as might have been feared; it was not one of those tempests which burst, and rush on with a speed of ninety miles an hour. It continued fresh, but, unhappily, it remained obstinately in the south-east, rendering the sails useless. The 16th of December was the seventy-fifth day since Phileas Fogg’s departure from London, and the “Henrietta” had not yet been seriously delayed. Half of the voyage was almost accomplished, and the worst localities had been passed. In summer, success would have been well-nigh certain. In winter, they were at the mercy of the bad season. Passepartout said nothing; but he cherished hope in secret, and comforted himself with the reflection that, if the wind failed them, they might still count on the steam. On this day the engineer came on deck, went up to Mr. Fogg, and began to speak earnestly with him. Without knowing why it was a presentiment, perhaps Passepartout became vaguely uneasy. He would have given one of his ears to hear with the other what the engineer was saying. He finally managed to catch a few words, and was sure he heard his master say, “You are certain of what you tell me?” “Certain, sir,” replied the engineer. “You must remember that, since we started, we have kept up hot fires in all our furnaces, and, though we had coal enough to go on short steam from New York to Bordeaux, we haven’t enough to go with all steam from New York to Liverpool.” “I will consider,” replied Mr. Fogg. Passepartout understood it all; he was seized with mortal anxiety. The coal was giving out! “Ah, if my master can get over that,” muttered he, “he’ll be a famous man!” He could not help imparting to Fix what he had overheard. “Then you believe that we really are going to Liverpool?” “Of course.” “Ass!” replied the detective, shrugging his shoulders and turning on his heel. Passepartout was on the point of vigorously resenting the epithet, the reason of which he could not for the life of him comprehend; but he reflected that the unfortunate Fix was probably very much disappointed and humiliated in his self-esteem, after having so awkwardly followed a false scent around the world, and refrained. And now what course would Phileas Fogg adopt? It was difficult to imagine. Nevertheless he seemed to have decided upon one, for that evening he sent for the engineer, and said to him, “Feed all the fires until the coal is exhausted.” A few moments after, the funnel of the “Henrietta” vomited forth torrents of smoke. The vessel continued to proceed with all steam on; but on the 18th, the engineer, as he had predicted, announced that the coal would give out in the course of the day. “Do not let the fires go down,” replied Mr. Fogg. “Keep them up to the last. Let the valves be filled.” Towards noon Phileas Fogg, having ascertained their position, called Passepartout, and ordered him to go for Captain Speedy. It was as if the honest fellow had been commanded to unchain a tiger. He went to the poop, saying to himself, “He will be like a madman!” In a few moments, with cries and oaths, a bomb appeared on the poop-deck. The bomb was Captain Speedy. It was clear that he was on the point of bursting. “Where are we?” were the first words his anger permitted him to utter. Had the poor man been an apoplectic, he could never have recovered from his paroxysm of wrath. “Where are we?” he repeated, with purple face. “Seven hundred and seven miles from Liverpool,” replied Mr. Fogg, with imperturbable calmness. “Pirate!” cried Captain Speedy. “I have sent for you, sir—” “Pickaroon!” “—sir,” continued Mr. Fogg, “to ask you to sell me your vessel.” “No! By all the devils, no!” “But I shall be obliged to burn her.” “Burn the ‘Henrietta’!” “Yes; at least the upper part of her. The coal has given out.” “Burn my vessel!” cried Captain Speedy, who could scarcely pronounce the words. “A vessel worth fifty thousand dollars!” “Here are sixty thousand,” replied Phileas Fogg, handing the captain a roll of bank-bills. This had a prodigious effect on Andrew Speedy. An American can scarcely remain unmoved at the sight of sixty thousand dollars. The captain forgot in an instant his anger, his imprisonment, and all his grudges against his passenger. The “Henrietta” was twenty years old; it was a great bargain. The bomb would not go off after all. Mr. Fogg had taken away the match. “And I shall still have the iron hull,” said the captain in a softer tone. “The iron hull and the engine. Is it agreed?” “Agreed.” And Andrew Speedy, seizing the banknotes, counted them and consigned them to his pocket. During this colloquy, Passepartout was as white as a sheet, and Fix seemed on the point of having an apoplectic fit. Nearly twenty thousand pounds had been expended, and Fogg left the hull and engine to the captain, that is, near the whole value of the craft! It was true, however, that fifty-five thousand pounds had been stolen from the Bank. When Andrew Speedy had pocketed the money, Mr. Fogg said to him, “Don’t let this astonish you, sir. You must know that I shall lose twenty thousand pounds, unless I arrive in London by a quarter before nine on the evening of the 21st of December. I missed the steamer at New York, and as you refused to take me to Liverpool—” “And I did well!” cried Andrew Speedy; “for I have gained at least forty thousand dollars by it!” He added, more sedately, “Do you know one thing, Captain—” “Fogg.” “Captain Fogg, you’ve got something of the Yankee about you.” And, having paid his passenger what he considered a high compliment, he was going away, when Mr. Fogg said, “The vessel now belongs to me?” “Certainly, from the keel to the truck of the masts—all the wood, that is.” “Very well. Have the interior seats, bunks, and frames pulled down, and burn them.” It was necessary to have dry wood to keep the steam up to the adequate pressure, and on that day the poop, cabins, bunks, and the spare deck were sacrificed. On the next day, the 19th of December, the masts, rafts, and spars were burned; the crew worked lustily, keeping up the fires. Passepartout hewed, cut, and sawed away with all his might. There was a perfect rage for demolition. The railings, fittings, the greater part of the deck, and top sides disappeared on the 20th, and the “Henrietta” was now only a flat hulk. But on this day they sighted the Irish coast and Fastnet Light. By ten in the evening they were passing Queenstown. Phileas Fogg had only twenty-four hours more in which to get to London; that length of time was necessary to reach Liverpool, with all steam on. And the steam was about to give out altogether! “Sir,” said Captain Speedy, who was now deeply interested in Mr. Fogg’s project, “I really commiserate you. Everything is against you. We are only opposite Queenstown.” “Ah,” said Mr. Fogg, “is that place where we see the lights Queenstown?” “Yes.” “Can we enter the harbour?” “Not under three hours. Only at high tide.” “Stay,” replied Mr. Fogg calmly, without betraying in his features that by a supreme inspiration he was about to attempt once more to conquer ill-fortune. Queenstown is the Irish port at which the transatlantic steamers stop to put off the mails. These mails are carried to Dublin by express trains always held in readiness to start; from Dublin they are sent on to Liverpool by the most rapid boats, and thus gain twelve hours on the Atlantic steamers. Phileas Fogg counted on gaining twelve hours in the same way. Instead of arriving at Liverpool the next evening by the “Henrietta,” he would be there by noon, and would therefore have time to reach London before a quarter before nine in the evening. The “Henrietta” entered Queenstown Harbour at one o’clock in the morning, it then being high tide; and Phileas Fogg, after being grasped heartily by the hand by Captain Speedy, left that gentleman on the levelled hulk of his craft, which was still worth half what he had sold it for. The party went on shore at once. Fix was greatly tempted to arrest Mr. Fogg on the spot; but he did not. Why? What struggle was going on within him? Had he changed his mind about “his man”? Did he understand that he had made a grave mistake? He did not, however, abandon Mr. Fogg. They all got upon the train, which was just ready to start, at half-past one; at dawn of day they were in Dublin; and they lost no time in embarking on a steamer which, disdaining to rise upon the waves, invariably cut through them. Phileas Fogg at last disembarked on the Liverpool quay, at twenty minutes before twelve, 21st December. He was only six hours distant from London. But at this moment Fix came up, put his hand upon Mr. Fogg’s shoulder, and, showing his warrant, said, “You are really Phileas Fogg?” “I am.” “I arrest you in the Queen’s name!” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Around the World in Eighty Days. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/103/103-h/103-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG SHOWS HIMSELF EQUAL TO THE OCCASION

Liquidity Matters: Reviewing 10 Popular Decentralized Exchanges in Web3

La liquidez importa: revisión de 10 intercambios descentralizados populares en Web3

La liquidité est importante : examen de 10 échanges décentralisés populaires sur le Web3

तरलता के मामले: वेब3 में 10 लोकप्रिय विकेंद्रीकृत एक्सचेंजों की समीक्षा

流動性は重要: Web3 で人気のある 10 の分散型取引所をレビューする

Questões de liquidez: analisando 10 exchanges descentralizadas populares na Web3

Các vấn đề về thanh khoản: Đánh giá 10 sàn giao dịch phi tập trung phổ biến trong Web3

流动性很重要：回顾 Web3 中 10 个流行的去中心化交易所

Nisida—1825

The number of dollars lost to cryptocurrency-related crimes has dropped this year, with one huge exception... Crypto ransomware. Attacks like ransomware are continuing to grow in numbers, extorting victims for about $449.1 million between the start of this year till June. I'd say this is good news overall since other scams have been stealing far less money than ever. Still, it shows that ransomware is still a concern. In 2021, the money lost to that particular business cyber threat hit $1.5 billion, although it has dropped by 40% year-over-year as of this year. Nevertheless, it is a big problem for crypto owners and businesses. What is Ransomware? Ransomware is a type of malware that locks a victim's data or device and threatens to keep it locked—or worse—unless the victim pays a ransom to the attacker. And according to the 2023, these ransomware attacks represented 17 percent of all the cyberattacks last year. IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index The most common type of ransomware is called encrypting ransomware or crypto-ransomware. The attacker demands a ransom in exchange for providing the encryption key needed to decrypt the data. The other form of ransomware is called non-encrypting ransomware or screen-locking ransomware which locks the victim's entire device. Blocking access to the operating system. The device will display a screen that makes the ransom demand instead of starting up as usual. With these two types, we can further divide them into the following subcategories: A ransomware that steals, exfiltrates, sensitive data and threatens to publish it. Leakware or Doxware. Includes all ransomware that affects mobile devices. Mobile ransomware. It threatens to destroy data if the ransom isn't paid, except in cases where the ransomware destroys the data even if the ransom is paid. Wipers or Destructive ransomware. It's just what it sounds like. A ransomware that scares users into paying a ransom. Scareware. Why is Ransomware Up? As per , there are two reasons that together help to explain the upward trend in crypto-ransomware: Chainalysis . Both of these trends are evident, which shows how the distribution of ransomware payment sizes has changed since the year 2020. (1) Targeting of large, deep-pocketed organizations by ransomware attackers and (2) the number of successful small attacks For the latter half of this year, and if this current trend keeps on going up, attackers can expect a reel of about $898.6 million. IT will probably be one of the biggest amounts this category has ever seen, which is second only to the 2021 number of $939.9 million, not to compare them. We can conclude that it is a sign that ransomware isn't going anywhere anytime soon, even if there are other crypto scammers bagged up. Ransomware Attacks and Crypto It's not just crypto that's been terrorized by ransomware. According to the FBI, critical US infrastructures were targeted for ransomware attacks with a grand total of 860 times across 2022. It's a shame to know as well that healthcare is one of the biggest industries to suffer from this type of cybercrime, given that there are large databases of sensitive health data that many companies in this space have access to. For those that are crypto investors or business owners, you better take care of following up on any messages or emails that could expose your personal information. You could get a secured VPN, sign up for the best email security tools, and also be careful when downloading Windows updates; they're the latest way that ransomware hackers can steal your data. Also published here .

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