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The year 2024 was transformative for the cryptocurrency industry, marked by significant redemption stories that bolstered its legitimacy. Ripple Labs achieved a notable legal victory against the SEC, with XRP outperforming Bitcoin by rising over 251% in value. This victory, coupled with Ripple's partnerships with over 300 financial institutions, solidified its position in cross-border payments. Meanwhile, memecoins like Pepe and Dogwifhat experienced a revival, with gains of over 1,200%, attracting retail investors and even influencing U.S. politics through Elon Musk's involvement. The real-world asset (RWA) tokenization sector also saw substantial growth, highlighted by BlackRock's launch of the Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on Ethereum, which surpassed $500 million in market cap. Predictions suggest the RWA sector could grow to between $4 trillion and $30 trillion by 2030, showcasing the industry's potential for integrating traditional finance with blockchain technology. These developments not only increased valuations but also restored trust and credibility in the crypto ecosystem.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed readiness to retaliate with counter-tariffs should President-elect Donald Trump impose tariffs on Canadian goods, as discussed in an interview on MSNBC. Trudeau emphasized Canada's significant trade relationship with the US, noting that Canada is the top export partner for about 35 US states. In response to previous US tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada had already retaliated with tariffs on various US products. Trudeau also highlighted Canada's efforts to bolster border security to address Trump's concerns about fentanyl and illegal migration, despite these issues being minor in comparison to other sources. Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Trump to discuss energy relations, and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly suggested that all options, including energy supply restrictions, are being considered. Trudeau's comments come at a time when he is preparing to step down as prime minister, with his party set to choose his successor soon.
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Apple Inc. faced a challenging period in the last quarter of the previous year, with a 5% decrease in global iPhone sales and a decline in market share to 18% worldwide in 2024. The company struggled particularly in China, its largest market outside the US, where it lost ground to local competitors like Xiaomi and Vivo. This downturn was partly attributed to the absence of Apple Intelligence features in the newly launched iPhone 16 series, which are still not available in China as Apple works on securing local partnerships for AI enhancements. Despite these setbacks, Apple managed to grow in regions like Latin America and saw an uptick in sales of its more expensive Pro and Pro Max models in China. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone brands like Lenovo's Motorola, Huawei, and Honor are rapidly developing their own AI tools, intensifying competition in the market.
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In mid-2022, an attack on OpenSea's email service provider, Customer.io, led to the leakage of over seven million user email addresses. This data, which was not initially made public, has now been fully publicized, according to SlowMist's chief information security officer, 23pds. The leaked information includes emails of prominent figures in the cryptocurrency sector, providing scammers with a new resource for phishing and scamming. OpenSea had previously warned its customers about the breach, advising them to assume their email was compromised and to take precautionary measures. The incident underscores the ongoing threat of phishing scams, which were reported to have cost over $1 billion in stolen digital assets in 2024. Users are recommended to use strong, unique passwords, employ two-factor authentication, and keep their software updated to mitigate risks associated with such data leaks.
