Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds could be three times bigger than their gold counterparts as younger investors grow up, an ETF expert has said.  Speaking to Bitcoin Magazine TV on Thursday, Bloomberg senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, said that while bitcoin’s price is currently volatile, things would change in the future.  Bitcoin ETFs debuted in 2024 after a decade of denials from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The ETFs had the most successful launch in the history of the products and currently manage nearly $100 billion in assets, according to Coinglass data.  JUST IN: Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas says…

The brain’s microscopic wiring may need a different kind of textbook illustration. Instead of the smooth, narrow tubes commonly drawn extending from nerve cells, some axons resemble strings of tiny pearls. These repeating bulges are not simply decorative details. Their shape appears to influence how electrical messages travel. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine brought this unexpected architecture into focus in a study published online in Nature Neuroscience on December 2, 2024. Working with mouse neurons, they found evidence that a familiar picture of brain cell anatomy may overlook an important feature of the cells’ signal-carrying extensions. Related research has since…

In July, the European Commission confirmed leather’s exclusion from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) — this week, the change became official.The leather sector’s EUDR exemption is a victory for an industry that has lobbied hard for its removal, but challenges remain ahead of the deforestation regulation’s 2030 review, when policymakers will reassess whether hides should comply with deforestation rules.The industry is now seeking to rebuild its reputation through science, voluntary standards and stronger supply chain traceability, executives attending the Sustainable Leather Forum in Paris said, but traceability remains one of the sector’s biggest obstacles.Leather representatives maintain that hides’ low…

When did you realise you had finally grown up? It’s a trick question, obviously: maturity is just realising that life is full of things you don’t feel old enough for but somehow manage anyway, while getting better at pretending to know what you’re doing. But the question is worth asking nonetheless, because for gen Z the goalposts of grownup life are clearly shifting.It’s a truism that adulting now comes later than it did to generations who still don’t consider adulting a verb, with 43% of 25-year-olds still living at home and plenty more jobless university graduates boomeranging back there this…

Russians head to the polls from Friday to Sunday to elect members of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, in the first parliamentary election to be held since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The vote comes as Russians face a slowing economy as well as Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries and warehouses far from the front line.United Russia, the governing party that backs President Vladimir Putin, is expected to keep its dominant position.The authorities are presenting the election as a chance for voters to have their say. Critics argue that with no genuine…

Two years ago “Trump was at the height of his powers,” said one Starmer Cabinet minister. “The reality is different now.” While November’s looming midterm elections threaten to dent Trump’s authority at home, abroad his approaches to NATO and the Middle East have led European allies to find solace elsewhere. Britain and its allies are forming groups of so-called middle powers, while Carney pushes closer ties between Canada and the EU that will still be in negotiation long after Trump’s departure. And Burnham has repeatedly talked about strengthening ties with Brussels — seeing through a reset in relations that Starmer…

The House of Lords has long been derided as a stuffy relic of the past. But now its benches, usually filled with haughtily dressed men, could soon resemble something more akin to “dress-down Friday”.One of the nation’s most storied chambers of power has enacted a rule change: men are no longer required to wear a tie in the House of Lords. Instead, they should opt for “business attire”.Ties have long been a knotty item of neckwear. For some, they are a nuisance: too tight and they are uncomfortable, too loose and they look a bit shabby. For others, such as…

The shadow foreign secretary has told Donald Trump “don’t be silly” over his comments on the UK’s sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and Irish reunification.Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat said the US president was trying to appeal to voters at home by making comments about the British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean and saying he would “love” to see a united Ireland.Trump has said America’s position on the Falklands is “one of many” under review, and hinted he would not help the UK in any potential future conflict with Argentina.And the US president said on a visit to Ireland last…

If you’re hunting for a new vacuum, Dyson has surely come up in one way or another. The brand is famous for its powerful vacuum cleaners, but its air power also extends to other parts of the home, including hair care and air purification. It’s a dream household staple; I lugged around an old Dyson vacuum for years until I could upgrade to one of the newer stick models rather than buying something that wouldn’t be as powerful or last as long.But the cost can make it a hard investment to make, even if it’s worth it. If you’re shopping…

The U.S. is continuing to target Iran’s use of bitcoin.  In a Thursday statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated BitBank, an Iranian crypto exchange, as part of Operation Economic Outcast — the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government economic campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its enablers.  The U.S. has sanctioned Iran for decades. This year, the Middle Eastern country has stepped up its use of cryptocurrencies — including bitcoin — in order to skirt around economic penalties.  “Today’s designations of Iranian digital asset infrastructure make perfectly clear that efforts to finance the Iranian regime using cryptocurrencies are not…