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I have been podcasting for a year now between and , and I've learned a few things about audio. I'm in no way an audio expert yet and my background isn't in audio engineering or production. But, one day in 2020 I bought a mic and started learning lessons the hard way - by doing, f*cking up, and improving. The Art Hustlers' Studio The HackerNoon Podcast Over the past year, I've made audio mistakes and it has been fabulous for and growth. On the very first podcast episode I recorded, I had my mic muted for the first half of the episode. On an episode I recorded with an in-person guest, the audio was horrifying because I didn't know how to position the mic. With this slogging thread and story, I hope you can learn from some of my mistakes by adjusting to the optimal settings for your Yeti Blue mic. many my career The Yeti Blue Mic There are a few nobs on the Yeti Blue mic. The first is the . As part of my pre-recording checklist, I always make sure I can see a solid red light on that mute button, which indicates the mic is on and not muted. If you're light is flashing, you won't be recording audio, my friend. mute button The next nob is the . As a podcaster who records with guests, this dial is pretty much just for show. Apparently, you can plug your headphones directly into the mic - I've never needed to do this. volume dial On the backside of the mic, I have the . Gain refers to the level of sound output for the mic. If the gain is too high, you'll get clipped. If the gain is too low, you won't hear anything; the gain dial is very sensitive. To give you some context, on one of the latest recordings of The HackerNoon Podcast, one of the mic's gain was set at 3 o'clock and that was way too high. Mine is set at 8 o'clock, but I also have a vocal booth surrounding my mic which helps. Try setting your dial to 9 o'clock to start. In general, I'd say it's better to err on the side of quiet than loud because it can mostly be adjusted in post (unless it's TOO quiet). gain nob Below the gain nob is the . This dial changes the type of recording pattern your mic will use. There are four kinds of patterns: cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional, and bidirectional. For podcasting, you should be using the cardioid setting which is the one that looks like a little butt. This is optimized so that whatever is directly in front of the mic (in this case you) will be recorded. If you were recording with a guest in person and with only one mic, you'd want to change to omnidirectional or bidirectional. pattern nob Image source One other important thing to remember about using the Blue Yeti mic is where to speak into the mic. Most people want to point the tip of the mic towards their mouth, but you should actually be keeping the mic up and down and talking into the side of it. You also don't want to be too close and talking directly into the mic itself. It's better to talk at least a foot back and turn up the gain if you need to. Image source This Slogging thread by Alex Cobb, Amy, David, Guy and Linh occurred in hackernoon's official #podcast channel, and has been edited for readability. Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 2:45 PM What's everyone setting his or her gain to for the TWOPI recordings? Also, is everyone making sure to keep audio rolling throughout and not cutting it off partway through? 🤔 1 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 2:48 PM Because someone may have clipped a bit...the entire episode Amy Jul 8, 2021, 3:02 PM Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:04 PM Yours looks good! I like 9 o'clock, but it sounds great. That sounds insulating is doing numbers. 🔥 1 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:05 PM Sound* Amy Jul 8, 2021, 3:37 PM David I believe you are the culprit in question 😂 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:37 PM Not pointing any fingers or naming any names, but it's not Amy, and the gain problem specifically isn't Guy. David Jul 8, 2021, 3:55 PM ha its probably me, I attached a mic for the first time. its also a yetti. it worked fine via restream in this first recording and then twopi and storm podcast yesterday was second and third time using it. https://twitter.com/productschool/status/1412501856870449152 David Jul 8, 2021, 3:55 PM with this computer. Amy Jul 8, 2021, 3:56 PM you probs just need to put your gain to 9'oclock. “clipping” means it was too loud so you went over the audio threshold for appropriate volume :savage-smiling-with-tear: 😂 1 :savage-joy: 1 :savage-smiling-with-tear: 1 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:57 PM Audio expert over here^ :face_with_monocle: 😂 1 Guy Jul 8, 2021, 3:57 PM Who’s gain? But glad my $30 5 year-old mic isn’t causing too many issues hehe Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:58 PM Your issue was muting your audio periodically and inadvertently pausing the recording. Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 3:59 PM So, it's not a competition, but Amy wins. 🍾 2 🏆 2 David Jul 8, 2021, 3:59 PM Is Storm's also off? Are those two recordings salvagable/publishable? podcast ✅ 1 David Jul 8, 2021, 3:59 PM Gain was at 3 oclock, just moved to 9 oclock now Guy Jul 8, 2021, 4:00 PM Does muting on zoom affect the recording (even when I’m not speaking)? I HAVE A SQUEAKY CHAIR 😂 1 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 4:00 PM Yup. It's an abysmal system. We truly do live in a society. Do they have WD-40 over there? Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 4:01 PM Can we hear a test of 9 o'clock? Idk if you can send it over the slack. Guy Jul 8, 2021, 4:02 PM I’ve been meaning to give it a good spray-down for ages, but cheers for letting me know about the zoom muting thing! Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 4:03 PM Yeah, it's something no one else seems to realise and I only found out about by reading the podcast recording guidelines. Terrible system from Zoom. Only way around it would be recording a separate track as well. No worries, tho, mate. Took care of it. Cheers. 🙌 2 Amy Jul 8, 2021, 4:18 PM David you also gotta change the bottom dial to the butt looking icon loooool David Jul 8, 2021, 7:32 PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4PvTrTp7Tc :man-facepalming: 1 😂 1 Linh Jul 8, 2021, 9:25 PM omg what’s going on??? i don’t understand anything =))) Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 9:28 PM It's also called cardioid, but that's SO much less fun to say. Linh Jul 8, 2021, 9:30 PM so i’m planning to use the yeti mic with the dongle as mentioned at the end of the twopi episode, awhat now? do i have to know anything about zoom setting or what have you? Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 9:36 PM I'd say don't mute your Zoom call under any circumstances. I THINK you can mute the mic If you have to. Linh Jul 8, 2021, 9:37 PM omg that’s news for me. ok. how does one mute the mic though 🙈 Alex Cobb Jul 8, 2021, 9:37 PM Should be a button, depending on the model. Amy's doesn't seem to have one. My model has a little button right in the middle. Amy Jul 8, 2021, 9:39 PM Oh my mute button is on the other side Amy Jul 8, 2021, 9:39 PM Have 10/10 recorded entire episodes with the mic muted in the past SOOO That's it, everyone - thanks for reading! I hope this helps you avoid some of the same audio mistakes I was making. If you want to check out my podcasts, you can listen to The Art Hustlers' Studio or The HackerNoon Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the meantime, I'll be podding hard.

How to Adjust the Blue Yeti Microphone Settings For Podcasting

Cómo ajustar la configuración del micrófono Blue Yeti para podcasting

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Stop me if you’ve heard this before — “I started XXX because I hated my job, and I wanted to do XXX”. Or “I hate my job. How can I start a startup/business?” I have never really understood these arguments. They may have their own merits, I am not sure. But I for one, just don’t see it. Actually every time I hear this, the only thought in my head is — What?? It’s great that you have started up on your own, or that you want to start. But how is it related to you hating your job? More importantly, why did you get in a job that you hated? If you hate your job, why aren’t you finding one that you would love? Is it possible that you don’t hate your job but what you’re doing on a day to day basis? That you’re still figuring out what is it that you want to do in life? How do you want to shape things forward. What is it that you are great at, feel passionately for and what gives you that warm feeling of pleasure? Is it possible that you’re still learning the chops? I’VE ALWAYS LOVED WHAT I WAS DOING I loved my job! Every single one of them. Well, other than two — my first job, and another from where I moved on after 2.5 months. As far as the first job is concerned, I was doing a lot of research work. It was fun, but not fulfilling. I couldn’t really find gratification deep within while I was doing that. So, 10 months into the job, I quit. The only other job that I wasn’t in love with was when I was trading in Eurodollar futures. The market is amazing, you lose a lot of money for the company, you make some as well, but at the end of the day, depending on your company’s DNA, it could feel like you are just going through the motions. Every. Single. Day. Sure, you get paid well. Really well. But, is that enough? I figured it wasn’t, so I moved on. Other than them, I have loved everything I have done in my professional life. I have loved conceptualizing and executing both small and big-ass marketing strategies for an e-commerce biggie. I have loved managing the brand for a tech magazine. I have loved handling the monetization strategy for a social gaming network. Most recently I was in love with handling business processes for a communication and collaboration company. ( ) Yes, like Slack. I started in, with handling marketing for one of the products and gradually moved on to setting up the entire sales team, processes, and strategy for another product. I was whatever the company needed me to be — a marketing guy, a PR guy, a content writer, a sales associate, the sales head. Whatever. We gradually increased our team size to quite a sizeable number, but I loved every day of it. I am still in touch with guys from my previous organization. Amazing people who were working in my team. Whom I had hired. And we don’t just socialize. We talk about work, they seek my advice when they feel stuck. They know they can do so because they know I will help. They know I loved what I was doing, and I left for reasons that had got nothing to do with how I felt about them or the work or my schedule. I left to start something I believed in. Something that was drawing me towards itself. Something where I felt I’ll be able to do things differently, and that feeling — it is exciting as fuck. I EVEN LOVED LEAVING A JOB I LOVED — TO DO NOTHING BUT TRAVEL I took a break from work — to travel through Europe and South East Asia. One and a half years, give or take. For 18 months straight — no work, all legs. Kept on traveling and traveling. I didn’t do it because I hated my job and needed to unwind. I did it because I wanted to experience it. I did it because I wanted to do it. I did not want to wait long enough for it to feel right. It felt right and I did it. Now, off of everything I have done — — I have been great at most of them, I have sucked or been naive at some. And that’s okay. I identified what is it that I was lacking and I fixed it. at the risk of sounding arrogant I have been good at my job because I did what I loved to do, so every day was fun. Did I have disagreements — with my team members, my CEOs and other teams? Of course. Who wouldn’t. But it was all part of a process. And it was all amazing. I like to think that I am quite good at what I do, and one of the main reasons is because I have always done what I thought I would love to do. And not just the role. The team. The team’s vision. The senior management. How they approach things. Everything has to come together. As a result, my new experiences keep on piling up on top of my previous learnings, and they form quite a cohesive bond — making my foundation stronger. SO WHY DID I QUIT AND START ON MY OWN? I started up because I saw problems that I felt I could fix. I saw a huge opportunity that existed, a void waiting to be filled. I started because I could see I was the right guy to try fixing it — to make a dent here, slash a couple of things there. I started because I wanted to do “more” of what I love to do, not because I didn’t already love what I was doing. And that, my friends, matters a lot. Love what you do, or try finding a place where you would. Especially if you want to start on your own some day. Getting in touch is easy. I am available on , . I write on Medium, but I guess that you already knew. I also have a account. :-) Twitter Facebook, Quora, LinkedIn mail Have fun! Let’s chat. Humans, bots — really doesn’t make much difference to me.

I never hated my job. Yet, I quit. Again!

Past work by Axis Design Are you a designer too? A few years ago, like every non-designer technology person out there, I caught the design/design thinking bug. I became that annoying non-designer who read Don Norman’s ‘ ’, Jay Greene’s ‘ ’ and Tim Brown’s ‘ ’ but stopped just short of calling myself a designer. The products that captured our attention and money were, all of a sudden, . It’s still the case. Design of Everyday Things Design Is How It Works Change By Design design-centric Only recently have I come to realize how annoying that must have been to folk who actually got an education and have years of experience designing stuff. To those people, including L my Industrial Designer friend from undergrad, I apologize. Change cometh…only learners will thrive. As the pace of convergence between the built environment, technology, energy generation/management has picked up, I’ve come to the heightened realization that experts across all these industries have to engage at a much deeper level than before when our industries were siloed. For this reason I’ve started to spend a lot more time with experts in these industries (architects, industrial designers and natural born tinkerers) that are becoming more relevant to me as a technology strategy expert in the utility industry. A few weeks ago, I had a fantastic lunch with 3 world renowned architects and must have annoyed them with all my questions which they graciously answered. The conversation centered the . I’m excited about continuing the conversation about how design is a point of contact between these scales. large scale economic systems and physical infrastructures of the energy world, as well as the more tangible scale of use and experience Naturally, my next conversation had to be with an industrial designer. And that was a recent chat with Dan Phipps at his in downtown Round Rock TX. Like a rookie, the first time I met Dan I pitched an IoT idea, and I should have shut my mouth to just listen. Second chat I decided to shut my mouth and learn how designers bring those two scales I mentioned above together through their work. Axis Design and Prototyping studio Non obvious business lessons Dan Phipps is extremely understated. Knowing I would share this blog post made him uncomfortable. For someone who’s worked on iconic hardware products and brands like Kodak, Crockpot, Dell, HP, Bose, Polaroid, SnapOn, Yeti and a few others that can’t be named, Dan is too understated. In his position I’d have made t-shirts with all those logos and plastered ‘ ’ and I’d only wear those t-shirts. All the time. I Designed For Them Along with thoughts on design, Dan shared some non-obvious lessons that I couldn’t resist sharing with designers old and new. The lessons are also applicable to those of us who work, and will do more work, with designers as all these industries converge. Dan shared a story about a client who was a pleasure to work with and had some cool projects. Within the organization Dan’s client had great products that were responsible for the only growth and profits the larger organization was seeing. Fast forward a few months the organization files for bankruptcy and Dan never got paid. Worse still, and when Dan decided to add the modelling shop to his design studio, Dan had paid vendors for work that he was now not getting paid for. It was a lesson in understanding the industry, and market conditions, as a whole instead of just focusing on the work you do for the team within the organization. This story reminded me of a similar story Tim Brown shared in ‘Change by Design’ where he talked about his good work with the Wadkin Bursgreen company, a company that is no longer in existence, designing circular saws and spindle molders. Tim Brown shared that Learn as much about the industry climate as you do about the client: ‘ As a designer I didn’t see that it was the future of the woodworking industry that was in question, not the designs of its machine. ’ Dan has found that the level of communication between his firm and the client is a great indicator of how well the project will go. It determines the level of excitement with the work and aids or impedes the flow of ideas. He once had a client who was a bad communicator who nonetheless expected the ideas Dan’s team brought to him to match what he had in his This non-communicative style didn’t start midway into the project. It was the style even when the contract was being signed. Listen to the signals. The start of the discussions is a good sign of how the engagement will go. When clients tell you who they are, listen: head. In Dan’s own words ‘ . This is not about a client telling the designer what to do but the client sharing enough that the designer knows where to go with the work. Statements like ‘ ’ or ‘ ’? are good indicators of clarity of vision on the customer’s side. Seek that and nurture that from your clients. It’s about intangibles: A good customer can communicate what they want from you. Not the solution, the vision’ we want you to design this new marker, we really need to stylize the cap our vision for the marker is what is Marker : Hand in hand with #2 and #3 is how the client organization communicates internally. How do employees navigate decision making within the business? Even when the client has the vision nailed down, you’re collaborating with the client to enhance and fulfill that vision and it’s going well, how does your contact fare when they hit the who see change and new thinking as a disease to be killed? They exist in all organizations big and small and play a big role in whether the project is successful or not. Watch out for Corporate Antibodies Corporate Antibodies Sidenote: The relationship between this and my industry the utility industry: change is going in the industry but the antibodies within and without and resisting and preventing the growth that can come from embracing the changes. These lessons apply in every industry and at one point or the other you/me/we are either the client or the designer. Managing engagements with an understanding of these things does not have anything to do with how we think the client is. It truly is about how well we communicate. It’s about how well we listen whether we are the client or the designer, especially in industries where the tradition has been to not listen to the customer at all ( ). That will no longer do in a world that is fast changing around us… innovative Come to think of it the four lessons can be boiled down to one; listen. It means no egos, a learning mindset and an open ear. cough, cough, utility industry, cough, cough The other Daniel on the team at the CNC machine Dan P had one last piece of advice for all young designers (having been in this business for the last 20 years or so); work hard and hone your craft. ‘ And don’t we all want to be set apart from the competition… It’s about developing a habit for working hard so that when you do find the thing you are passionate about — a project, a client, a business — the habit will translate and it will set you apart from the competition.’ I’ll make a plug for Dan here (he wouldn’t do it himself), if you’re looking for great product design work from a great team check out axisdesign.com or email me seyi at asha-labs dot com. Please share, like and do all the things you do to articles on Medium. Read more critical but relatable analyses of the most important industry (utilities) at Asha Labs or reach out for ghostwriting (that doesn’t suck) at HarperJacobs . Seyi Fabode is an Operating Partner at VestedWorld .

4 Non Obvious Lessons from an Industrial Designer for Microsoft, Dell, Kodak and Yeti.

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, with almost 20% of the global population and more than 1.46 billion people living there. That’s why the local level of crypto adoption influences global numbers. In terms of crypto regulation, this region still stays in a grey zone. Most nations on this continent haven’t issued any legal framework on virtual currencies. Among 54 UN member states, less than 10 have legal acts on this topic. However, Africa is moving toward the legalization of cryptocurrencies and VASP operations. The region's greatest economies by GDP, Nigeria, and South Africa, already have the following procedures. One more local country with a perspective economy, Kenya, is also working on its own crypto regulation framework. Last, but not least, Namibia and Botswana, South Africa's neighbors and former British colonies have also enacted legislation on this topic. In this article, I’d like to describe countries that stay ahead in crypto regulation. Nevertheless, several African countries still ban crypto like Egypt and Morocco, for example. Central African Republic One more nation in Africa which tried to make cryptocurrencies legal was the Central African Republic (CAR). In April 2022, the National Assembly of CAR declared bitcoin legal tender on the initiative of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. However, this intention was quickly scrapped. In June 2022, CAR froze crypto legalization under pressure from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). It also has postponed the ICO of the state cryptocurrency, SangoCoin. And it is still being determined when cryptocurrency payments will become legal in BEAC countries. In my opinion, BEAC agrees on this topic with IMF. South Africa South Africa is the most advanced African state in the field of crypto regulation. The country legalized crypto in 2022. VASP licenses are issued by the local financial regulator (FSCA) under the FAIS ACT, in March 2024 it has approved 59 VASPs to operate in the country. Moreover, in April, the regulator claimed that already 75 VASPs are registered as crypto asset service providers (CASPs). CASP is a special category of FSP (financial service provider) license. Virtual assets have the same legal status as financial assets, making the current framework understandable and predictable. South Africa is currently on the FATF gray list, which may be one reason the regulator introduced a requirement for all cryptocurrency companies in the country to register. South Africa has also allowed crypto payments, and the local tax authority (SARS) and created a regulation framework for crypto taxation. The basis of this approach is that cryptocurrencies in a country are regulated and taxed like other financial assets in accordance with the country's legislation. The capital gain tax rates for virtual assets are the same as for other forms of wealth: 18% for individuals and 21.6% for corporate capital gains tax. Nigeria Along with the Republic of South Africa, Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa. The country has 230 million inhabitants, at least 12 million of whom use crypto. Some sources even count more than 45% of crypto adoption there. This fact makes Nigeria one of the largest crypto markets, comparable to Argentina and even the United States, regarding the number of crypto users. The Central Bank of Nigeria was firmly against legalizing cryptocurrencies and banned crypto transactions for a long time. Moreover, Nigeria was one of the first major economies to implement its CBDC, E-naira. One of the goals of the CBDC issue is to offer residents an alternative to cryptocurrencies and cash in order to control all processes in the economy. However, Nigeria's SEC took a different stance and legalized crypto transactions (exchange and storage) in May 2022. On the other hand, direct crypto payments still have no legal status, and the taxation system for cryptocurrencies is still in its infancy. According to the Finance Act, the capital gains tax (purchase of cryptocurrency) is 10%. Unfortunately, Nigeria has recently worsened its attitude towards cryptocurrencies. The country's authorities have launched an investigation against Binance, and the exchange has officially stopped operating in the country. Other foreign exchanges also have issues with operations in the country Kenya This nation is the third largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa and Nigeria. In December 2022, local regulators issued a joint communique about crypto regulation. Based on the local Capital Markets Bill, this nation should implement a crypto regulation and taxation framework. The type of applicable tax on cryptocurrency gains depends on the time period during which the holder owns virtual assets. Personal income tax (up to 30%) is applied if the period is shorter than 12 months, and capital gain tax (15%) is applied for a longer period. However, a complete VASP regulation framework and licensing procedures are still in progress and will probably be implemented during this year. Other Nations The first country in Africa that adopted crypto regulation before anyone was Mauritius. It issued a legal framework for crypto assets and ICO in December 2021. FSC of Mauritius is the regulator. However, we have no information yet on how this law is enforced and what companies operate in Mauritius. As mentioned above, Namibia and Botswana are other African nations with crypto regulation procedures. Botswana passed the Virtual Assets Act at the beginning of 2022 and has already issued the first crypto licenses. Namibia approved the crypto bill in 2023. Also, Ghana has been working on new regulations for cryptocurrencies since December 2023, and it has created a special task force for this purpose. Despite the formal ban on cryptocurrencies, the Central Bank of Morocco announced its desire to legalize them in 2022. Conclusion South Africa and Mauritius were the first African nations to adopt crypto regulation into their legislation. They were followed by Nigeria, Namibia, and Botswana. A cryptocurrency law in Kenya is also in the process of being passed. Thus, there are only six countries in Africa that have clearer regulations on virtual assets. According to my information, the rest of African nations have no regulation of cryptocurrencies yet. Among the factors holding back the development of crypto regulation in Africa are: the high inflation rate in many countries in the region, the low standard of living, and the general difficulty in developing legislation. Another factor that slows down the legalization of cryptocurrencies in the region is the need to coordinate these laws with international organizations such as the IMF. If you are interested in crypto regulation, you can watch the global crypto regulation ratingshere, and get updates on my Telegram channel. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, with almost 20% of the global population and more than 1.46 billion people living there. That’s why the local level of crypto adoption influences global numbers. In terms of crypto regulation, this region still stays in a grey zone. Most nations on this continent haven’t issued any legal framework on virtual currencies. Among 54 UN member states, less than 10 have legal acts on this topic. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, with almost 20% of the global population and more than 1.46 billion people living there. That’s why the local level of crypto adoption influences global numbers. In terms of crypto regulation, this region still stays in a grey zone. Most nations on this continent haven’t issued any legal framework on virtual currencies. Among 54 UN member states, less than 10 have legal acts on this topic. However, Africa is moving toward the legalization of cryptocurrencies and VASP operations. The region's greatest economies by GDP, Nigeria, and South Africa, already have the following procedures. One more local country with a perspective economy, Kenya, is also working on its own crypto regulation framework. Last, but not least, Namibia and Botswana, South Africa's neighbors and former British colonies have also enacted legislation on this topic. In this article, I’d like to describe countries that stay ahead in crypto regulation. Nevertheless, several African countries still ban crypto like Egypt and Morocco, for example. Central African Republic One more nation in Africa which tried to make cryptocurrencies legal was the Central African Republic (CAR). In April 2022, the National Assembly of CAR declared bitcoin legal tender on the initiative of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. However, this intention was quickly scrapped. declared declared In June 2022, CAR froze crypto legalization under pressure from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). It also has postponed the ICO of the state cryptocurrency, SangoCoin. And it is still being determined when cryptocurrency payments will become legal in BEAC countries. In my opinion, BEAC agrees on this topic with IMF. froze froze postponed postponed South Africa South Africa is the most advanced African state in the field of crypto regulation. The country legalized crypto in 2022. VASP licenses are issued by the local financial regulator (FSCA) under the FAIS ACT, in March 2024 it has approved 59 VASPs to operate in the country. Moreover, in April, the regulator claimed that already 75 VASPs are registered as crypto asset service providers (CASPs). CASP is a special category of FSP (financial service provider) license. claimed claimed Virtual assets have the same legal status as financial assets, making the current framework understandable and predictable. South Africa is currently on the FATF gray list, which may be one reason the regulator introduced a requirement for all cryptocurrency companies in the country to register. South Africa has also allowed crypto payments, and the local tax authority (SARS) and created a regulation framework for crypto taxation. The basis of this approach is that cryptocurrencies in a country are regulated and taxed like other financial assets in accordance with the country's legislation. The capital gain tax rates for virtual assets are the same as for other forms of wealth: 18% for individuals and 21.6% for corporate capital gains tax. Nigeria Along with the Republic of South Africa, Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa. The country has 230 million inhabitants, at least 12 million of whom use crypto. Some sources even count more than 45% of crypto adoption there. This fact makes Nigeria one of the largest crypto markets, comparable to Argentina and even the United States, regarding the number of crypto users. The Central Bank of Nigeria was firmly against legalizing cryptocurrencies and banned crypto transactions for a long time. Moreover, Nigeria was one of the first major economies to implement its CBDC, E-naira. One of the goals of the CBDC issue is to offer residents an alternative to cryptocurrencies and cash in order to control all processes in the economy. However, Nigeria's SEC took a different stance and legalized crypto transactions (exchange and storage) in May 2022. On the other hand, direct crypto payments still have no legal status, and the taxation system for cryptocurrencies is still in its infancy. According to the Finance Act , the capital gains tax (purchase of cryptocurrency) is 10%. legalized legalized Finance Act Finance Act Unfortunately, Nigeria has recently worsened its attitude towards cryptocurrencies. The country's authorities have launched an investigation against Binance, and the exchange has officially stopped operating in the country. Other foreign exchanges also have issues with operations in the country Kenya This nation is the third largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa and Nigeria. In December 2022, local regulators issued a joint communique about crypto regulation. Based on the local Capital Markets Bill, this nation should implement a crypto regulation and taxation framework. The type of applicable tax on cryptocurrency gains depends on the time period during which the holder owns virtual assets. Personal income tax (up to 30%) is applied if the period is shorter than 12 months, and capital gain tax (15%) is applied for a longer period. However, a complete VASP regulation framework and licensing procedures are still in progress and will probably be implemented during this year. Other Nations The first country in Africa that adopted crypto regulation before anyone was Mauritius. It issued a legal framework for crypto assets and ICO in December 2021. FSC of Mauritius is the regulator. However, we have no information yet on how this law is enforced and what companies operate in Mauritius. legal framework legal framework As mentioned above, Namibia and Botswana are other African nations with crypto regulation procedures. Botswana passed the Virtual Assets Act at the beginning of 2022 and has already issued the first crypto licenses. Namibia approved the crypto bill in 2023. Virtual Assets Act Virtual Assets Act crypto bill crypto bill Also, Ghana has been working on new regulations for cryptocurrencies since December 2023, and it has created a special task force for this purpose. Despite the formal ban on cryptocurrencies, the Central Bank of Morocco announced its desire to legalize them in 2022. special task force special announced announced Conclusion South Africa and Mauritius were the first African nations to adopt crypto regulation into their legislation. They were followed by Nigeria, Namibia, and Botswana. A cryptocurrency law in Kenya is also in the process of being passed. Thus, there are only six countries in Africa that have clearer regulations on virtual assets. According to my information, the rest of African nations have no regulation of cryptocurrencies yet. Among the factors holding back the development of crypto regulation in Africa are: the high inflation rate in many countries in the region, the low standard of living, and the general difficulty in developing legislation. Another factor that slows down the legalization of cryptocurrencies in the region is the need to coordinate these laws with international organizations such as the IMF. If you are interested in crypto regulation, you can watch the global crypto regulation ratings here , and get updates on my Telegram channel . here Telegram channel

Is Africa a Sleeping Crypto Giant?

Moving Beyond Self-Esteem For Self-Fulfilment 

স্ব-পরিপূর্ণতার জন্য স্ব-সম্মান অতিক্রম করা

Über das Selbstwertgefühl hinausgehen und sich selbst verwirklichen

Más allá de la autoestima para la realización personal

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

आत्म-संतुष्टि के लिए आत्म-सम्मान से आगे बढ़ना

自己実現のために自尊心を超える

자존감을 넘어 자기 실현을 위해

Indo além da autoestima para a autorrealização

Выход за пределы самооценки ради самореализации

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Ishan Pandey: Hi Joe, I am delighted to welcome you to our "Behind the Startup" series. Please tell us about your background and about your journey of marketing NiceHash to the masses. Joe Downie: I come from a background in business consulting and growth for a wide variety of industries, particularly luxury hospitality chains, then later IT companies, and cybersecurity. I entered the world of crypto through Bitcoin, like many people. NiceHash has also been an amazing entry point into the crypto industry, as mining is truly where all the magic happens. Marketing mining is both challenging and fascinating, as it is such a niche part of the industry, yet it can make money for millions of people. A core part of our marketing work is to build trust with audiences, as this is key to helping people understand how things work and how it can benefit them. Ishan Pandey: How do you plan to leverage NiceHash's position as a global leader in cryptocurrency mining to further accelerate Bitcoin adoption worldwide? Joe Downie: Over the last few years we have worked hard to position NiceHash outside of its core audience, attending conferences and showcasing the tools and solutions we provide to businesses as well as retail users. NiceHash is quite well known as a user-friendly platform, but not many people are aware that this also translates into our services and products for professionals. Leveraging this balance between pro and beginner is what makes NiceHash uniquely positioned to solidify itself as the leading platform for mining and beyond. Ishan Pandey: Given the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency regulations, how do you ensure that NiceHash's marketing efforts remain compliant with regulatory requirements across different regions? Joe Downie: We have invested a great deal of time and manpower into compliance, especially in the last 12 months, as this is critical for us. Being compliant is the only way that this industry can grow and be taken seriously, as we have seen with the Bitcoin ETFs: a whole new layer of legitimacy is added as investors have more trust and confidence, especially after events like the FTX fiasco. NiceHash works very hard to ensure we are always compliant with national and international regulatory frameworks, even when it means making tough business decisions. Ishan Pandey: As the head of marketing, how do you ensure that NiceHash's messaging resonates with both experienced cryptocurrency miners and newcomers to the industry? Joe Downie: This is a balancing act that we are constantly evolving and refining, as we need to ensure the right people get the right information. NiceHash is already well known on the consumer side, and many newcomers to crypto come to our platform. We have a much wider spectrum of communication channels than most companies do, where we are on all the main media channels, plus we have communities, forums, and a human support team, which helps us stay connected with our customers and provide the relevant information for their needs. Ishan Pandey: Please Tell us, your views on Bitcoin halving and how the Bitcoin mining community views this event. Joe Downie: Most miners will have been factoring in the halving of their operating costs for quite some time now, even the small ones. When bitcoin halves, this makes a lot of older hardware less profitable due to less reward received for the work done by the machine, so miners will have been gradually replacing hardware to the newest they can afford. Miners will not worry much about the halving as long as the Bitcoin price stays where it is ($70K+) or continues to rise, as most of them are in it for the long run. Ishan Pandey: As NiceHash continues to evolve, how do you approach adapting marketing strategies to align with new product developments and technological advancements in the crypto industry? Joe Downie: This is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, so we are constantly evolving strategies and tactics. We have very short ‘A/B test’ times when it comes to marketing campaigns as there is little to no precedent for the products we launch. This means there is no benchmark data to work with, or even anything of a similar nature, so we are oftentimes working from scratch. The plus side is it has made our marketing extremely flexible and sharp when it comes to ‘educated guesswork’ as we have developed a solid system for predicting unknowns and iterating campaigns fast. Things move much faster in this industry, and we have to stay in front. Ishan Pandey: Do you see any institutional interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining? Joe Downie: Yes we do, especially over the last 12 months, and it shows in the USA, where the publicly traded miners have seen a massive increase in interest. As people start to understand more about how cryptocurrency works, they want to get to the source, and that source is mining. Ishan Pandey: According to you, what new trends and events can we see in 2024 that may impact the blockchain industry? Joe Downie: I think this year we will see some ‘consolidation of innovation’ and a lot of legitimacy added to the industry, which will see bigger players and investors looking closer to the possibilities of blockchain. This will likely lead to the revival of some aspects, for example, multi-chains and layer 2 technologies, but I don’t think anything groundbreaking or new will come just yet. I think this year the trend will be very much focused on Bitcoin, and that will bring attention to the Lightning Network. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Ishan Pandey: Hi Joe, I am delighted to welcome you to our "Behind the Startup" series. Please tell us about your background and about your journey of marketing NiceHash to the masses. Ishan Pandey: Hi Joe, I am delighted to welcome you to our "Behind the Startup" series. Please tell us about your background and about your journey of marketing NiceHash to the masses. Joe Downie: I come from a background in business consulting and growth for a wide variety of industries, particularly luxury hospitality chains, then later IT companies, and cybersecurity . I entered the world of crypto through Bitcoin, like many people. NiceHash has also been an amazing entry point into the crypto industry, as mining is truly where all the magic happens. Marketing mining is both challenging and fascinating, as it is such a niche part of the industry, yet it can make money for millions of people. A core part of our marketing work is to build trust with audiences, as this is key to helping people understand how things work and how it can benefit them. Joe Downie: cybersecurity Bitcoin, Ishan Pandey: How do you plan to leverage NiceHash's position as a global leader in cryptocurrency mining to further accelerate Bitcoin adoption worldwide? Ishan Pandey: How do you plan to leverage NiceHash's position as a global leader in cryptocurrency mining to further accelerate Bitcoin adoption worldwide? Joe Downie: Over the last few years we have worked hard to position NiceHash outside of its core audience, attending conferences and showcasing the tools and solutions we provide to businesses as well as retail users. NiceHash is quite well known as a user-friendly platform, but not many people are aware that this also translates into our services and products for professionals. Leveraging this balance between pro and beginner is what makes NiceHash uniquely positioned to solidify itself as the leading platform for mining and beyond. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: Given the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency regulations, how do you ensure that NiceHash's marketing efforts remain compliant with regulatory requirements across different regions? Ishan Pandey: Given the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency regulations, how do you ensure that NiceHash's marketing efforts remain compliant with regulatory requirements across different regions? Joe Downie: We have invested a great deal of time and manpower into compliance, especially in the last 12 months, as this is critical for us. Being compliant is the only way that this industry can grow and be taken seriously, as we have seen with the Bitcoin ETFs: a whole new layer of legitimacy is added as investors have more trust and confidence, especially after events like the FTX fiasco. NiceHash works very hard to ensure we are always compliant with national and international regulatory frameworks, even when it means making tough business decisions. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: As the head of marketing, how do you ensure that NiceHash's messaging resonates with both experienced cryptocurrency miners and newcomers to the industry? Ishan Pandey: As the head of marketing, how do you ensure that NiceHash's messaging resonates with both experienced cryptocurrency miners and newcomers to the industry? Joe Downie: This is a balancing act that we are constantly evolving and refining, as we need to ensure the right people get the right information. NiceHash is already well known on the consumer side, and many newcomers to crypto come to our platform. We have a much wider spectrum of communication channels than most companies do, where we are on all the main media channels, plus we have communities, forums, and a human support team, which helps us stay connected with our customers and provide the relevant information for their needs. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: Please Tell us, your views on Bitcoin halving and how the Bitcoin mining community views this event. Ishan Pandey: Please Tell us, your views on Bitcoin halving and how the Bitcoin mining community views this event. Joe Downie: Most miners will have been factoring in the halving of their operating costs for quite some time now, even the small ones. When bitcoin halves, this makes a lot of older hardware less profitable due to less reward received for the work done by the machine, so miners will have been gradually replacing hardware to the newest they can afford. Miners will not worry much about the halving as long as the Bitcoin price stays where it is ($70K+) or continues to rise, as most of them are in it for the long run. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: As NiceHash continues to evolve, how do you approach adapting marketing strategies to align with new product developments and technological advancements in the crypto industry? Ishan Pandey: As NiceHash continues to evolve, how do you approach adapting marketing strategies to align with new product developments and technological advancements in the crypto industry? Joe Downie: This is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, so we are constantly evolving strategies and tactics. We have very short ‘A/B test’ times when it comes to marketing campaigns as there is little to no precedent for the products we launch. This means there is no benchmark data to work with, or even anything of a similar nature, so we are oftentimes working from scratch. The plus side is it has made our marketing extremely flexible and sharp when it comes to ‘educated guesswork’ as we have developed a solid system for predicting unknowns and iterating campaigns fast. Things move much faster in this industry, and we have to stay in front. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: Do you see any institutional interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining? Ishan Pandey: Do you see any institutional interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining? Joe Downie: Yes we do, especially over the last 12 months, and it shows in the USA, where the publicly traded miners have seen a massive increase in interest. As people start to understand more about how cryptocurrency works, they want to get to the source, and that source is mining. Joe Downie: Ishan Pandey: According to you, what new trends and events can we see in 2024 that may impact the blockchain industry? Ishan Pandey: According to you, what new trends and events can we see in 2024 that may impact the blockchain industry? Joe Downie: I think this year we will see some ‘consolidation of innovation’ and a lot of legitimacy added to the industry, which will see bigger players and investors looking closer to the possibilities of blockchain. This will likely lead to the revival of some aspects, for example, multi-chains and layer 2 technologies, but I don’t think anything groundbreaking or new will come just yet. I think this year the trend will be very much focused on Bitcoin, and that will bring attention to the Lightning Network. Joe Downie: Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

Joe Downie Reveals NiceHash's Marketing Secrets Driving Crypto Adoption

Sylvia: 100 Days

Hello! My name is Amir, I am a social media & community manager, and I spend a lot of time in front of the computer: eight hours a day, sometimes more. Three months ago, to better understand what happens to my brain when I work, I bought the Waverox Mind Tracker and spent over 90 hours in it. In this review, I will tell you how it works, its pros and cons, and who it might be useful for. What is Mind Tracker and why did I buy it? Essentially, the Waverox Mind Tracker is a headband that helps track your brain’s state throughout the day. Waverox says that the gadget will help improve productivity, and teach you how to focus better and cope with stress. Honestly, I don't have serious productivity problems, and I don't generally stress too much, but I was curious about what happens in my head and whether I could work even more efficiently. That's how I got the device. Before this, I had never used anything like that, other than fitness trackers for sport. Price, form factor, design, and other specifications I bought MindTracker in October 2023, and it cost me ~700 Euros at the time. I don't know the current price – but you can learn it by leaving a request on the Waverox website. You can choose from 2 form factors: wireless headphones with noise cancellation, or a headband (my option). As far as I’m aware, their functionality is pretty much identical, and they have the same number of electrodes. I’ve picked the headband because it’s slightly lighter, and I wouldn’t trade my AirPods for the world. The gadget was delivered in a minimalistic matte black box, with a travel case inside. The first impression was rather positive: the headband is very good-looking, made of matte plastic, and the wires are hidden inside the headband. Golden electrodes that do most of the work are also hidden and aren’t seen when I wear the headband. I could see that engineers and designers did a great job. Ergonomics-wise, the headband is very light and small, so I never had any problems with wearing it outside. Additionally, you can adjust the headband to your head. A USB charger is included in the packaging. I charge the headband about once a week, and I wear it for 1-2 hours on weekdays, so I just charge it on Sunday. To use the Mind Tracker, you can either use a PC or a smartphone. I use both the Mac OS and the IOS apps, and it synchronizes great. I always have the app open when I’m working, but outside of work, for a meditation session or to check the data for the day, I use the mobile app. What MindTracker does and how I use it The device reads real-time brain activity data using electrodes. It processes the obtained data and translates it into metrics: concentration, fatigue, stress level, cognitive load level, and others. Right from the home screen, I can see three blocks of data about my state. The first one shows the brain's load level (usually represented as a percentage). This metric shows me how busy my brain is at the moment. One funny experiment I did is trying to imagine a complex environment while closing my eyes - my brain’s load level skyrockets. The second block reflects my overall current state: engagement, relaxation, anxiety, stress, or overwork. In three months, it showed a state of fatigue only once; the rest of the time, I was either focused or relaxed. Based on this metric, you can make more informed decisions about when to work. Usually, when I see that my brain is focused, I try to get as much work done as possible. The third block shows my emotional state: whether I am focused, calm, or tense. I found this metric especially useful, as I tend not to give attention to my emotions when heavily concentrated. If the app shows me I’m tense, it’s a sign for me to take a step back, and think about why I feel that way. To ensure accurate tracking, I calibrate my device in the morning: I put it on while being in a calm state and just measure the indicators. This allows me to track iAPF: my If it decreases, something is wrong, and I need to rest. It's interesting to measure iAPF in the morning and evening; for example, this morning, my iAPF was -3.6%, and now, in the evening, it's -2%. individual alpha frequency. I also go through the Stress Resistance training. It is a 25-day course of nine-minute meditations. I usually do it like this: dim the lights, go to a quiet place, sit in one position, and listen to the training. During the session, MindTracker reads the brain's state and plays different sounds. If I am completely relaxed, it suggests nature sounds; if I stop feeling relaxed, it adds the sounds of a busy highway. Ideally, the training should be done every day, but I don't always find the time, so I have only reached level 6 so far. At the end of the session, the device informs whether I passed the level. If the training is not done for some time, the statistics are reset, and you have to start over. Here’s how I use the Mind Tracker. I wake up in the morning, calibrate it, then work for 3-4 hours. It’s important to note that I work from home, so I calibrate the device BEFORE starting to work. I usually leave it on when I do my usual coffee run since it’s interesting to me how my brain switches once I’m out of the house. I have no problems with wearing the headband outside: it’s not at all heavy and feels like it’s made out of fabric. Towards the evening, I sometimes put it back on to do the training I mentioned earlier. When working from a coffee shop or a co-working, the headband doesn't bother anyone. Sometimes people ask what it is because the device has a pretty noticeable green light when turned on. Personally, I like the way the device looks, so I like wearing it in public. Seems very cyberpunk-ish, especially with a black hoodie and a laptop. In conclusion, the Waverox Mind Tracker didn’t make any shocking revelations about me, or the way I work. I’m a pretty calm and productive person, and the device mainly confirmed that for me. However, I find it very useful for deciding when to work and when to take breaks. I’ve tried the Pomodoro Technique before using the Mind Tracker, but found it lacking personalization. For this purpose, the Waverox Mind Tracker is perfect for me. Pros, cons, and who it's suitable for Mind Tracker pros: Excellent design. Accurately shows the state. Various metrics. Training programs: perfect solution for those who want to start meditating, learn to relax, and deal with stress. Cons: Form factor: it would be great if the device was even smaller and could fit into the ear. No app for Android yet. Calibration is needed, and while it takes a minute to perform, I’m still too lazy for that sometimes.

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