AI monetization end goal

Good morning, Coin Discoverers!

CRYPTO

• BTC: $63,884.50(-0.15%)YTD (+44.63%)

• ETH: $3,418.25(-0.21%)YTD (+45.29%)

• BNB: $569.73 (-0.38%)YTD (+81.50%)

*Crypto numbers as of 5:00 am EST on July 19th

Lens aims Q4 mainnet on ZKsync

Lens is preparing for a public trial of its ZKsync integration. This initial testing phase is expected to begin in 1-2 months, followed by a full launch in 3-4 months.

While Lens V3 on the mainnet will introduce some privacy features, the long-term vision is to empower users with more control. This includes the possibility of profiting from their data through participation in AI training models.

Polymarket bettors raise Biden dropout odds to 80%

On Thursday, news outlets reported increasing pressure on Biden to consider stepping down, potentially as soon as this weekend.

Just two days ago, the odds on Polymarket were around 33%, but they have since more than doubled. On Thursday morning, Axios reported growing pressure among Democrats and close friends to urge Biden to step down in the coming days, citing several top Democratic sources.

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Shiba Inu Price Drops 10% After WazirX Hack Involves $100M in SHIB

News of the WazirX hack quickly spread, leading to a 10% drop in Shiba Inu (SHIB), a popular memecoin, from $0.00001886 to $0.0000174 within a few hours.

Blockchain analyst Lookchain reported that 5.43 trillion SHIB tokens, valued at $102 million, were stolen in the hack, making it the largest theft among other stolen tokens like ETH, MATIC, PEPE, and USDT. These cryptocurrencies also experienced price declines following WazirX’s security breach.

Pixelverse to Airdrop 30% of PIXFI Tokens to Community Members

Pixelverse, the web3 gaming platform with over 75 million players on its popular PixelTap app, is making waves by announcing a groundbreaking 30% airdrop of its PIXFI tokens to reward community members.

To encourage early participation, Pixelverse will reward unique NFTs to all PixelTap and Dashboard users who register before July 18th, 00:00 UTC. Starting July 25th at 12:00 UTC, users will have one week to claim their exclusive NFTs.

STOCKS

• DOW: 40,665.02 (-1.29%)

• S&P: 5,544.59 (-0.78%)

• NASDAQ: 17,871.22 (-0.70%)

*Stock numbers as of market close on July 18th

Glass Lewis advises Vista Outdoor shareholders to support the CSG deal

Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has recommended that Vista Outdoor shareholders vote in favor of merging the company's ammunition unit with Czechoslovak Group (CSG), according to a report seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Previously advising stockholders to abstain from voting on the deal with Prague-based defense firm CSG on July 23, Glass Lewis now states that supporting the deal is "the best option" to maximize shareholder value.

Tenaz Energy of Canada to acquire Dutch NAM's offshore assets for $180 million

Canada's Tenaz Energy announced on Thursday that it has agreed to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of NAM Offshore B.V. from NAM, a joint venture between Shell, ExxonMobil, and the Dutch government, for 165 million euros ($180.33 million).

The Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij operates the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands. Tenaz Energy has operations in Canada and offshore gas assets in the Netherlands.

REAL ESTATE

• 15-year: 6.30%

• 30-year: 6.81%

*Mortage rates via Mortgage News Daily

Hedging, HELOC, Broker, Cybersecurity, DPA, Warehouse Products, and Trigger Lead Legislation

It's not just Americans who are struggling to afford U.S. homes. International purchases of U.S. homes have plummeted by 36 percent over the past year to 54,300 properties valued at $42 billion, marking a record low. This decline is attributed to foreign buyers being deterred by the strong dollar and a shortage of available properties, as many owners hold onto pandemic-era low mortgage rates.

For those international buyers seeking affordable options, Detroit, MI, stands out with the most affordable housing, determined by the median house price divided by median annual household income. Detroit is 10.4 times cheaper than Santa Barbara, CA, which has the least affordable housing.

TECH

Anthropic and Menlo Ventures Launch $100M Fund for AI Innovation

Menlo Ventures and Anthropic announced the $100 million Anthology Fund on Wednesday, aimed at driving AI innovation. The fund will invest in startups from seed to expansion stages that use Anthropic's AI models to create applications and infrastructure solutions.

The venture capital firm, which recently led a $750 million funding round for Anthropic, is allocating $100 million from its latest $1.35 billion fund raised in November 2023.

QUICK RECAP

#1. Meta Platforms (META.O) in talks to acquire 5% stake in EssilorLuxottica, worth 4.33 billion euros ($4.73 billion).

#2. Darden Restaurants (DRI.N) to acquire Chuy's Holdings for $605 million, adding 101 Chuy's restaurants to its portfolio of brands.

#3. Serbia to prioritize European carmakers, producing 58,000 tonnes of lithium yearly, enough for 1.1 million EVs.

#4. Plenty and Mawarid form $680 million joint venture to build five indoor farms in the Middle East over five years.

#5. Capital One (COF.N) plans to invest $265 billion over five years if its Discover Financial takeover succeeds, focusing on LMI lending and branch retention.