@elonmusk Backdoor deals, insider trading, and pay-to-play schemes keep them rich while taxpayers get screwed. Funny how they never get arrested for it… but if we did it? We’d be in jail. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Today, @Ripple announced the acquisition of Hidden Road for $1.25B, one of the largest deals ever in the crypto space. But the price tag isn’t what’s most important – it’s that this deal marks a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for crypto to access the largest and most trusted traditional markets, and vice versa. Prime brokers (along with other key functions historically managed by banks for the most part) like Hidden Road have proven themselves as *the* trusted intermediary for the largest hedge funds, market makers, OTC desks, quant traders and more. Ripple has been a customer of Hidden Road for years, and we know their breadth of expertise firsthand, clearing $3 TRILLION annually for 300+ of the top financial institutions globally. This is the capital and activity that will tap into XRP and the XRP Ledger’s bread-and-butter – instant, efficient, scalable and low cost movement of value. Instead of waiting for <24 hours to settle trades through fiat rails, Hidden Road will be using XRPL for clearing a portion of trades, and most consequentially, using RLUSD as collateral across its prime brokerage services, including cross-asset (crypto and traditional instrument) trades. With this deal and the backing of Ripple’s significant balance sheet, Hidden Road will exponentially expand its capacity to service its pipeline and become the largest non-bank prime broker globally. Ripple and Hidden Road combined are a generational leap forward, ready to truly bring the worlds of traditional and decentralized finance together. https://t.co/UYOOyQ21dG

Chelsea sources have revealed the club intend to do the majority of their in’s and out’s by the end of June, including a striker and right footed winger. Chelsea have been working on these deals for months. (@SJohnsonSport) #CFC# 🤔

Up to 45% off Haas Tooling AND our Winner’s Circle membership for $10? We can’t believe it either! Don’t miss this. Jump on these epic deals now! 🔗 https://t.co/cL24ZBvsBL #haascnc# #haasautomation# #haastooling# #haas# https://t.co/DUee83Pies

Do you still believe that the #ChristWay# is a matter of #religion#?? Not at all! it #deals# with the #future# of our #vibrational# #plan#. #Open# your ears to the @RitornaCristo music! https://t.co/OEyexdpzhE

KTV Over Offices: My Playbook for Scaling Crypto in APAC (Part 1/2) Let's be honest… in Asia, the magic rarely happens in offices and meeting rooms. They happen at 1am in a KTV booth when everyone's had 10 shots each and the person you’ve been trying to talk business with finally says “Ok, what does your project do?” Whilst Western founders perfect their pitch decks, Asian business deals get sealed over late-night dinners, in private WhatsApp / WeChat DM’s, and yes, during KTV sessions and nights at the club where your tolerance for alcohol might just secure the deal. This is part 1 of the APAC playbook nobody tells you about. My no bullshit guide to cracking seven key crypto markets across Asia. After years of building in the region, I've seen countless Western projects face-plant because they tried to copy-paste their Silicon Valley approach. So I'm breaking down exactly how to navigate China's censorship maze, tap into Vietnam's builder energy, win over Singapore's gatekeepers, penetrate Hong Kong's old-money circles, ride Korea's narrative waves, crack Malaysia's trust code, and vibe with Thailand's mobile-first communities. Got your eye on a specific partner? 👀 Drop "APAC" in the comments whilst tagging the project, and I'll try get you a warm intro from my stakeholder list of 300+ regional contacts Note: Post was inspired by @ahboyash 1. CHINA 🇨🇳 China remains a high-potential yet complex crypto market. Despite a ban, underground activity is vibrant, with $86 billion in crypto flowing through the country from mid-2022 to mid-2023 and OTC volumes exceeding $20 billion by mid-2024. The market is driven by crypto-native users and curious pragmatists seeking wealth preservation and speculative opportunities. Stablecoins like USDT dominate. User psychology divides experienced users who navigate restrictions easily, while the general public remains risk-averse. Resonant narratives include financial security, blockchain innovation, and global participation. To capture Chinese users, you must go underground but stay loud where it counts. Build stealth micro-communities on WeChat and QQ, wrap your product in "blockchain innovation" narratives, and flood early adopters with gamified rewards like airdrops, quests, and collectible NFTs. Move fast, speak their language, and make every action feel like a VIP invitation into the next big opportunity Adoption • Approx. 4.2% of population holding crypto • Top exchanges: Binance (~20% of volume is from Chinese users), OKX, HTX • Predominantly retail adoption • DeFi shows strong growth • NFTs see traction when framed as "digital collectibles" • Memecoins see speculative hype cycles • Infra protocols have limited but strategic growth Regulation • Fully illegal • No formal tax framework for crypto • Foreign crypto marketing restricted Trends • Dominant chains: Tron, Ethereum, BSC, L2s • Top use cases: Stablecoin transfers, DeFi, OTC swaps • Popular wallets: MetaMask, imToken, TokenPocket • High-frequency behaviours: CNY → USDT OTC → DeFi, and airdrop farming • Fiat on/off ramps rely on OTC desks and private brokers • Popular narratives: Yield farming, airdrop farming • Most active users: Retail traders, degens, airdrop hunters • Sentiment: Primarily yield-maxi, secondarily anti-establishment and pro-privacy Exchanges @binance, @OKX, @HTX_Global (Huobi), @gate_io, @Bybit_Official VC / Funds @fenbushi, @CsquaredVC, @SevenXVentures, @DFG__official KOLs / Agencies @Cipher_Dance, @iamyourchaos, @snow949494, @Elabs_crypto, @EnHeng456 Community Groups @ETHPanda_Org, @see_dao Events @EthereumSH Media @PANewsCN, @JinseFinance, @bwenews, @TechFlowPost, @ChainCatcher_, @Foresight_News, @OdailyChina, @BlockBeatsAsia, @BiteyeCN

FROM PIXELS TO PRIMETIME: GAMING'S CULTURAL REVOLUTION Video games have become the new comic books—once dismissed as juvenile entertainment before evolving into Hollywood's premier content pipeline. Just as Marvel and DC transformed from "funny books" to billion-dollar franchises, gaming has completed a similar cultural journey. The critical acclaim for HBO's "The Last of Us" and Amazon's "Fallout" validate gaming narratives as sophisticated storytelling vehicles, while prestigious studios like A24 pursue Death Stranding adaptations and auteurs like Sam Lake secure creator-driven deals once reserved for elite filmmakers. Unlike early comic adaptations that merely borrowed characters, today's gaming adaptations embrace the medium's unique storytelling techniques—proving video games have evolved from simple distractions to legitimate art commanding Hollywood's respect and resources. Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN

Holy fuck. Vietnam, our best growing trade partner in SEA, who invested in helping us diversify away from Chinese supply chains, offered the US a zero tariff deal. And Trump's team ***REJECTED*** it. Wtf?! How are countries even supposed to respond here. Does the Trump admin even want deals?!

“Everything off the table, if Afghan Taliban do not cooperate on TTP” Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Sadiq Khan @AmbassadorSadiq while speaking at a seminar organised by @IPRI_Pak said that TTP is a big challenge for us, it cannot be tolerated, because our young boys are being martyred every day, it has become so common in certain areas. It would be criminal to ignore that. Afghanistan has to work with us on this, if they are not working with us then all deals are off, and there can be no further progress on anything. Pakistan can be very helpful to Afghanistan, if we could stop terrorism coming from the other side of the border. I will be honest and pragmatic about it, we have an issue in Pakistan, that is one part. But people coming from Afghanistan is also an issue that has to be stopped. The solution is not necessarily killing people, the solution is not necessarily arresting people and handing them over to Pakistan. The solution is restraining it, the solution is containing them on which I think no one should have any objection.

Two weeks ago, @virtuals launched Genesis — a new token launch system aiming to reward contributors, not speculators. Genesis replaces the usual bonding curve model with a "proof of contribution" points system. Since its debut, most tokens launched through it have 2x’d or more, fueling demand for Virgen Points and showing there’s still room for creativity in token design. Here’s how Genesis works, and how to get involved.👇 ~~ Analysis by @davewardonline ~~ Core Features: A New Coordination Mechanism Each Genesis launch starts with a 24-hour presale where anyone can join by pledging their earned Virgen Points and $VIRTUAL simultaneously to earn part of the 37.5% of token supply reserved for the presale. You commit or “spend” Virgen Points to determine your allocation size (how many tokens you can get), while you spend $VIRTUAL to cover the cost of those tokens. The more points you pledge, the more tokens you can earn—but no one can receive more than 0.5% of the total supply, keeping things fair and preventing any one person from dominating. Outside of the supply reserved for the presale, the rest of the tokens are distributed as follows: + 12.5% for the liquidity pool (to help with trading) + 50% for development, treasury, and marketing Furthermore, some key features make these launches stand out: 📊 Contribution-based allocations — You can earn Virgen Points by doing things like staking $VADER or helping out AI projects. These points determine your share of the presale tokens, not how much $VIRTUAL you can commit. 🔄 Automatic refunds — If a launch doesn't go through or doesn't meet the minimum of 42,425 $VIRTUAL committed, or you pledged more than needed, any unused tokens or unspent points are automatically sent back to you. 🔒 Developer vesting and auto-lock — Developers can choose to lock up their tokens on a vesting schedule, so you know exactly when they'll get access. It adds transparency before you commit. 🎉 Everyone benefits — Projects can get fast growth and a wide token holder base, while committed community members get preferential involvement in their success. How to Participate in a Genesis Launch To navigate a Genesis launch from start to finish, there are a handful of main steps to follow through: 1. Pledge Virgen Points and $VIRTUAL: You must pledge both at the same time during the presale. 2. Get an estimated allocation: The system calculates your share based on the proportion of total pledged points. 3. Commit $VIRTUAL: You must commit enough $VIRTUAL to cover your estimated allocation (maximum 566 $VIRTUAL, including a 1% fee). If either your points or $VIRTUAL are insufficient, your entry will be rejected. 4. Lock in your final allocation: After 24 hours, allocations are finalized and excess funds automatically refunded. If your final token allocation costs less $VIRTUAL than you committed, you'll get the difference back. 5. Make adjustments during the presale: If your allocation gets diluted by new participants, you can add more points or $VIRTUAL to maintain your desired share. 6. Review developer commitments: Check vesting schedules and token locking agreements before finalizing your participation. How to Earn Virgen Points Currently, there are three core strategies to go about earning Virgen Points. These strats include: Hodl $VIRTUAL tokens: Earn points by holding $VIRTUAL or Virtuals agent tokens, with rewards proportional to holding amount and duration. Trading also generates points but at a reduced rate, incentivizing long-term commitment over speculation. Stake greenlit Virtuals tokens: Yesterday, Virtuals confirmed points eligibility via staking specific, “recognized” tokens from verified projects like @aixCB_Vc, @RabbiSchlomo_Ai, and @AcolytAI, as Bankless alum @0xSim0 pointed out. The biggest share (5% of daily Virgen Points) goes to people staking @Vader_AI_, who also get priority for bigger allocations in launches. Yap about Virtuals: Creating quality content for Virtuals on Twitter can also earn you points, though you must link your account to Virtuals and submit your posts daily through their Typeform to earn additional points. Read their guide here to learn more. Tips for Virgen Points If you go on the hunt for stacking points, some things you'll want to remember: → Holding Genesis tokens boosts points: Soon, you can earn free points simply by holding Genesis tokens for 24+ hours, which must be claimed manually and within 24 hours. → Taking profit triggers a cooldown: Selling Genesis allocations for profit triggers a temporary points reduction that gradually recovers over time. → Focus on maximizing yield: @VaderResearch suggests users not just chase high returns, but instead look for deals where you get a good token allocation with fewer points. → Save points for big launches: Sim0.eth advocates for saving points for the most hyped launches to optimize your yield. But keep in mind that points expire in 30 days, so don’t wait too long. All that said, Genesis breathes fresh life into Virtuals while also showcasing a novel mechanism for designing token launches. While not perfect, the contribution-based allocation certainly rivals “who-knows-who” or other more primitive systems susceptible to being gamed. Interestingly, this is also happening while a new wave of token launchpads are popping up on Solana, hinting at a growing appetite for experimentation in this vertical. Overall, Virtuals continues to be working across all avenues to keep novelty a core component of their platforms—let's see if they can keep up the pace!