January 2023 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Cryptocurrency: Craig Wright is a Liar, Fraud, and Royal Asshole
by grarpamp 28 Feb '23

28 Feb '23

https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2020/05/25/craig-wright-called-fraud-in-mes… Craig Wright Called 'Fraud' in Message Signed With Bitcoin Addresses He Claims to Own "Back in 2016, White Ops Chief Scientist Dan Kaminsky went so far as to call him the "world’s first cryptographically provable con artist." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfOlE-mmYBo Faketoshi RageQuit https://github.com/albacorelabs/FakeToshi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29TX4GJyCCY Asshole Faketoshi on stage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7-eZvfl5o Faketoshi cast https://faketoshi.cypherpunks.xyz/ "What #cryptocurrency learned in 2018. Craig Wright aka #Faketoshi (Not #Bitcoin's founder) is against decentralization, is pro-censorship, threatens legal action, is anti free-market, anti open-source & is a pro-government authoritarian centralizing power to 1 man rule! #NoThanks" https://craigwrightisnotsatoshi.com/pdfs/Faketoshi,%20The%20Early%20Years%2… https://github.com/faketoshi/site

2 4

Listing of Parts of Life
by Karl 27 Feb '23

27 Feb '23

-> Keep something similar to how it has been (body, environment, culture, home ...) -> Hold different approaches together and their merits (ways, cultures, genes, personalities, memes) Feel free to rewrite.

2 4

Video: Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim Tells Goldman Sachs to Pay Up on 1MDB Settlement - Bloomberg
by Gunnar Larson 18 Feb '23

18 Feb '23

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-30/malaysia-pm-anwar-tells-… Malaysia PM Anwar Tells Goldman to Pay Up on 1MDB Settlement New leader wants to close chapter on troubled state firm Goldman must ‘come out clean and deal with Malaysia’: Anwar By Anisah Shukry <https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ATEMygeteYA/anisah-shukry> and Michelle Jamrisko <https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AQNh_obg0vA/michelle-jamrisko> +Follow January 30, 2023, 12:42 PM UTC Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim demanded that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/GS:US> honor its settlement with the government for its role in the 1MDB scandal, saying the Wall Street firm shouldn’t use its financial strength to dictate terms. The abuse of the sovereign state fund was made possible because of “complicity” from institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Anwar told Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin in his first interview with international media since becoming prime minister.

1 1

Cryptocurrency: Kanye West For Crypto President 2024
by grarpamp 09 Feb '23

09 Feb '23

1 1

[spam][crazy][fiction][random] Non-Canon MCBoss Spinoffs
by k 08 Feb '23

08 Feb '23

I'm out of it right now. Maybe this can work for me? --- MCBoss stops their giant robot spider in the midst of rampaging across a metropolis. "Lower the escalator, I want to go down and visit the plebs." 23 crewmembers pull each others' bodies apart and reassemble each other into an escalator. Some are terrified and others muffle their screams. Some spray blood and others block the spray and clean it up. Some are casual about it, like it's what they're used to and experienced with.

5 586

Cryptocurrency: Noting The Carnage
by grarpamp 08 Feb '23

08 Feb '23

Sam Bankman-Fried's net worth fell 93% in 1 day, loses Billionaire status (cryptoslate.com) Every shitcoin scammer: Bitcoin bad (i.redd.it) Billionaires like SBF, CZ, Musk Are Not Our Friends And Never Will Be (self.CryptoCurrency) FTX isn't collapsing because of "bad" business or CZ. It's because they committed crimes (self.CryptoCurrency) FTX explained perfectly. (i.redd.it) How's everyone doing today? (i.redd.it) In case there's any confusion about what r/buttcoin wants (self.Buttcoin) Happy ATHversary: exactly one year ago, today, Bitcoin was touching its "All Time High" value at ~U$69,045.00. (self.CryptoCurrency) FTX, 3AC, Voyager, Celsius, Alameda, Hodl Do You Realize What They've Done? (self.CryptoCurrency) Binance Is Strongly Leaning Toward Scrapping FTX Rescue Takeover After First Glance at Books (coindesk.com) Crypto All the Way Down (i.redd.it) For the 10000000th Time Get Your Bitcoin Off of Exchanges (self.Bitcoin) The great Sam vs. CZ crypto war, a visual recap [Meme level over 9000] (self.CryptoCurrency) So THIS is that "red wave" I was hearing about. (i.redd.it) FTX mostly trades Bitcoin IOUs (future contracts) not real bitcoin. Coinglass shows FTX only holds about 36 real Bitcoin. The market is over reacting to the collapse of a shitcoin & IOU casino. (self.Bitcoin) Ethereum supply shock today (self.ethereum) Coinbase released a statement (self.CryptoCurrency) so..... wtf? (i.redd.it) Alright guys ! Its time for a guessing game. Which big project dies next??? (self.CryptoCurrency) BTC drops below $17,700. (i.redd.it) Imagine (i.redd.it) Only way to become a millionaire in crypto is start off as a billionaire. (i.redd.it) RIP to anyone that bought earlier today and thought they hit a fat dip. (self.CryptoCurrency) Alameda's leaked balance sheet (i.redd.it) Congrats to everyone who still sticks around. (self.CryptoCurrency) Billionaires like SBF, CZ, Musk Are Not Our Friends And Never Will Be (self.CryptoCurrency) submitted 21 hours ago by OneThatNoseOneBronze This should go without saying but it needs to be said. Billionaires are not our friends. Somehow these people manage to amass cult followings who hang on their every word almost like Gospel. Many of us have come to crypto for financial freedom and uses where conventional finance has failed us. Heck, even if you are just here for the profits these people are still very bad source of advice and trust in them is misplaced trust. I could start with SBF who seems to be intent on acquiring every single crypto company and absolutely crush the competition using what seems to be(or used to be) his unlimited bank account for unlimited buying power. He has also recently come out with some very anti-decentralization statements. Speaking of decentralization we move to CZ who has built up an image of being very pro-decentralization and yet skirts around and avoids the entire issue when it's asked about regarding BSC. On the Binance blog he claims that "decentralization is a gradient scale" and refuses to describe Binance's chain as centralized when only 19 validators are needed to alter or outright freeze the chain completely as we saw recently. Further, any and all validators are chosen by Binance themselves. Binance has also been involved in many cases of either attempting skirt around or outright just ignoring regulatory laws while at the same time CZ speaks warmly about the benefits and positivity of regulations. Elon Musk outright manipulates markets to his whim and fancy and seems to find it a fun game that he partakes in gleefully as investors may lose their life savings, futures and family funds. He talks a big game about free speech but has started permanently suspending accounts that "impersonate others", which are generally actually obvious account parodies especially those done to him. He also plays a certain segment of crypto "investors" like fiddles who pump the market and get dumped on when he "doesn't follow through" on a tweet and heavily suggest ideas he has no intention of implementing. I don't think I need to mention the likes of Do Kwon, Alex Mashinsky and John Karony as well as know their deviousness all too well. On this particular note we should realise an important step in DYOR. NEVER invest in any token or platform that has a single individual as the face of the entire company, usually the founder or CEO as the face of the company. All of these people are only here to feed their own ego, and use the veneer of crypto "freedom" to attract those already holding resentment toward traditional finance to gain their blind trust. They are here for the cash and the attention. If nothing else, find yourself a platform or product with a CEO/head whose keeps his/her head down and puts in the work and doesn't have to tweet every hour for validation. This trickles further down into investment based on "endorsements" from celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather and Tom Brady. You can even include Matt Damon in this as while it was an "above-board" paid ad, he was 100% using his name and influence to promote crypto and should clearly know the risks and backlash that it could bring but he seems to have blindly sold out for the money. Recent market events have also shown that we give these people way too much power. I saw a comment on the sub that said it's actually not a bad thing if Cefi collapses, as Defi would take over. A very interesting statement. 408 comments share save hide report top 200 commentsshow all 408 sorted by: best Want to add to the discussion? Post a comment! [–]ThatInternetGuyPlatinum | QC: CC 87, BNB 61 | TRX 8 | r/Prog. 165 75 points 19 hours ago Where do you think CZ got his money from? It's from y'all pouring billions and billions right onto his manipulative traps. permalink embed save report reply [–]fontinuos 2 points 9 hours ago What traps? Sure I might use one of the platforms/services he offers (Binance exchange) so every time I make a trade he gets a cut in fees. Multiply these with being the biggest exchange in the planet and the guy makes millions a day. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]SnowbatttPlatinum | QC: CC 523, BTC 15 | ADA 10 | Unpop.Opin. 13 2 points 14 hours ago Who the fuck is CZ though. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ghost_LagoonSilver | QC: CC 663 | VET 407 9 points 13 hours ago Just the richest guy in crypto and of of the richest on the planet. Scary guy permalink embed save parent report reply [–]ThatInternetGuyPlatinum | QC: CC 87, BNB 61 | TRX 8 | r/Prog. 165 8 points 13 hours ago CZ is the frontman for a group of wealthy, shady Chinese investors. The dude started investing in Bitcoin right around the same time I did (when BTC was $10). He likely sold out at $3K and founded Binance with the fund from Chinese investors and his. It may be smart since now he could just print BNB to prop up his net worth whenever. For the records, BNB was $3 just 3 years ago. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Red5point1Platinum | QC: DOGE 126, CC 62 1 point 8 hours ago* you should read up on Wolong. https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@joseph/wolong-the-game-of-deception-unedited-v… permalink embed save parent report reply [–]DentuamSilver | QC: BCH 33 1 point 6 hours ago Well said. hes a frontman. we dont know who has the truth power in the binance empire. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Goldy_lordyTin 1 point 8 hours ago The real question is ... Why China blocked crypto and we have a chinese as the CEO of the biggest crypto exchange... seems some collusion here. So don't fall for this manipulative scheme. CCP control this guy... and not only this one. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (1 reply) [–]WonzkyPlatinum | QC: CC 947 179 points 21 hours ago Corporations are never your friends, they exist to make money permalink embed save report reply [–]BaecchusPlatinum | QC: CC 490 | r/WSB 11 50 points 20 hours ago Exactly, thank you. They'd throw your entire family tree under the bus for extra profit. Star struck fanboys are some of the biggest losers on this planet. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]loaded-diper33Bronze 11 points 15 hours ago What do you think is going on inside these fanboys' minds? Do they think these billionaires would give them money by being their white knights? Clowny 🤡 permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Yoda1268Tin | 2 months old 4 points 13 hours ago aspiration and belonging....(i.e. if I agree and cheer on Elon Musk, then I'm "somehow someway part of his circle."). That's why building a cult of personality is so enticing. Because once you have "followers", they'll go through brick walls for you. Look at all the dictators, nazis, fascists, generally bad dudes throughout history. they all have amassed a strong following...whether through charm or fear (generally it's a combination of both). permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]deathbyfish13NFT Degen 2 points 13 hours ago Just like all this bullshit with Elon Musk. I don't understand the logic behind people defending him, simping over the dude like they're best buds when he doesn't give a shit about you, just your data and your wallet permalink embed save parent report reply [–]NotPresidentChumpPlatinum | QC: DOGE 340, CC 103 | r/WSB 180 7 points 18 hours ago You mean the corporation that changes their profile pic to a rainbow every month isn’t just like me??? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]GabeSterPlatinum | QC: DOGE 2475, CC 858 19 points 20 hours ago Corporate profits ATH, inflation at ATH permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CryptoScamee42069Bronze 4 points 19 hours ago And as an extension of that, businesses for profit only offer a service when they have something to gain. Either they know the chips are stacked against you, or in the long run in the bigger picture, the house wins anyway. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]the_far_yardStack a Sat, Stash a Gwei, Bull or Bear, D-C-A. 4 points 15 hours ago On top of this, what they are doing is known as intra-elite competition. It's fair game to them, and we're funding it- most of the time. What they are doing is similar to what you see in a sports league. It doesn't matter who stays on top, what matters is that they're in the league, and we are not. It's senseless to stay loyal to a CEX. Adjust. Always read and adjust. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]kgentesTin 9 points 19 hours ago* They are your friend if you own stock. That's the point. They are by extension the will and manifestation of the people who hold their stock ownership. And at least in most modern nations this means corporations are legal entities that can exist and perform activities that live without a moral conscience. They exist for the sole benefit of the stock holders, unless of course they are a non-profit, which theoretically means they exist to pursue and accomplish the stated charter of the nonprofit. Yes, for profit companies are there to make money. If you own stock, they are your friend, since they work to generate profits for you. If you are not a shareholder, yes you'd be ill-informed to believe that corporation would act in anything but their own self-interest. Failing to see these basic facts of market and stock ownership is your fault, not the corporations, not the market, not the governments, not the regulatory departments. Yours. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]disaintnomuthafukenPTin 1 point 16 hours ago Where is the morality in your interpretation? Just because it is, does not mean its right. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]kgentesTin 4 points 14 hours ago* I didn't say it was right. That is not the goal of the market system. Morality isn't inherintly part of it's constituent parts. Corporations are not morally founded They are instruments of market systems. That is why they are only "friends" to their own shareholders. No one else. If you heard anything else you need to reread what I said. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]danuinahTin 2 points 4 hours ago Well put; I'd like to add that absolute majority of 'retail investors' are into crypto because of free money; in this context they're no different than corporations who's intention is to maximize profits, hence talking about morality or 'good vs bad' seems contradictory and amusing at the same time. permalink embed save parent report reply continue this thread [–]Yoda1268Tin | 2 months old 3 points 14 hours ago Everyone's been brainwashed into believing that "Profit Maximization" is the ultimate moral and existential holy grail. The biggest lie ever perpetuated by capitalism. The appeal to greed is powerful. it is one of the 7 deadly sins. That's why everything is purposedly framed in a zero-sum game manner (us vs them). permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Aromatic-Front-5919Tin 3 points 20 hours ago Youtube has told me differently permalink embed save parent report reply [–]bakenj420Bronze 5 points 18 hours ago But, they have electrolytes! permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Scarecrow4980 3 points 19 hours ago and this often includes squashing the little guy. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Routine-Detail-5576Platinum | QC: CC 26 | Buttcoin 16 4 points 17 hours ago And crypto exists to scam you out of yours permalink embed save parent report reply [–]unityVTin | 2 months old 2 points 17 hours ago What about when you own them? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]diwalostSilver | QC: CC 25 | ADA 49 2 points 17 hours ago And we exist to help them with that. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]ZoomLongTin 4 points 20 hours ago That’s why I don’t work in one. In other news if anyone’s hiring permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CryptoScamee42069Bronze 2 points 18 hours ago Will get on knees for DCA money permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]MitochondrionbabyTin | LRC 9 | r/WSB 11 1 point 19 hours ago Vitalik won't let me down. Right Vitalik? Right? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Walla_Walla_26Tin | ETH critic 0 points 17 hours ago Vitalik doesn’t own an exchange, but damn don’t let me down either!!! permalink embed save parent report reply [–]selphfourgivenessSilver | QC: CC 222, BTC 28 | r/CMS 26 | Superstonk 24 5 points 17 hours ago but damn don’t let me down e̶i̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ether permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Walla_Walla_26Tin | ETH critic 0 points 16 hours ago Very nice EDIT! permalink embed save parent report reply continue this thread load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (4 replies) [–]IWillKillPutin2022Tin | 3 months old | CC critic | CelsiusNet. 50 115 points 20 hours ago Finally someone writing this! Fuck the billionaires permalink embed save report reply [–]Mr_Bob_FergusonPlatinum | QC: CC 168 27 points 16 hours ago I dare anyone to try this post in the /Tesla/ sub! permalink embed save parent report reply [–]IWillKillPutin2022Tin | 3 months old | CC critic | CelsiusNet. 50 13 points 16 hours ago Instantly banned permalink embed save parent report reply [–]deathbyfish13NFT Degen 10 points 13 hours ago Post criticism of Musk in the Tesla sub? Believe it or not, straight to jail permalink embed save parent report reply [–]IWillKillPutin2022Tin | 3 months old | CC critic | CelsiusNet. 50 2 points 13 hours ago *twitter jail permalink embed save parent report reply continue this thread [–]GuyWithNoEffingCluePlatinum | QC: CC 557 2 points 12 hours ago Stone this guy, officer! permalink embed save parent report reply [–]IWillKillPutin2022Tin | 3 months old | CC critic | CelsiusNet. 50 3 points 13 hours ago firing squad arrives permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]niloonyPlatinum | QC: CC 1190 6 points 16 hours ago The Tesla Investors sub aren't big fans at the moment. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]mikiekwoodsTin 6 points 13 hours ago How bout ex-billionaires? permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]mave_wreckTin | CC critic 3 points 10 hours ago What do you mean? We have this kind of post every single day. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]TavionnfTin | 2 months old 2 points 13 hours ago To be fair, SBF isn't a billionaire anymore. Do we like him again? permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]staffellSilver | QC: CC 124 | r/CMS 16 | Politics 12 2 points 10 hours ago What do you mean *finally*. It's the most fucking obvious thing ever. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]TheRicFlairDripTin 3 points 13 hours ago just a reminder for everyone to use DEX instead of CEX. thats why i use rubic exchange, you can literally buy any coin their without KYC, registration or dealing with a CEX... DeFi really is the next big thing coming for crypto after all this recent manipulation of greedy billionaires permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (3 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [–]999999999989Tin 37 points 21 hours ago CZ looks the most friendly, so maybe the most dangerous one permalink embed save report reply [–]xadiantPlatinum | QC: CC 202 | Futurology 12 13 points 12 hours ago I think he doesn't have the Messiah complex and keeps it professional unlike other crypto clowns. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]IHateEditedBgMusicBronze 3 points 13 hours ago* He's accumulating power and says SAFU a lot. He must care for me. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Mediocre_Piccolo8542Silver | QC: CC 106 | ADA 141 4 points 10 hours ago He does, but he still stays professional, unlike other clowns with their motivational speech patterns where they say things like “let’s change the world, bank the unbanked” etc. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]IHateEditedBgMusicBronze 3 points 10 hours ago I respect CZ latest announcement about proof-of-reserves, definitely the right direction. Binance has very good practises too. In the end though, you still don't hold any keys. permalink embed save parent report reply [+][deleted] 16 hours ago (3 children) load more comments (2 replies) [–]Whole_Visible 21 points 21 hours ago* If you ever want to have a small view in how different rich people live, do grubhub/doordash in the rich part of town. Not the wealthy suburb housing dual income doctors and engineers. Talking a bit more out of the city where every lot is like 15k-20k sqft landscaped with high walls and trees and high hedges surrounding it. Then realize these aren't even the hundreds of millionaires to billionaires. You're seeing a bunch of homes of geriatric millionaires - single digit to low double digit millionaires - and their children and grandchildren whom after inheritance splitting it may not even be a million each. They still have physically close neighbors Billionaires have compounds. They have to make efforts to even see their neighbors let alone have conversation permalink embed save report reply [–]CONSOLE_LOAD_LETTERPlatinum | QC: CC 556 3 points 9 hours ago* One fact I like to remember is that if you earned a $1 million a year income you'd probably think that was a lot... but it would still take you 100,000-200,000 years to be able to match guys like Bezos, Musk, or Gates. To further put that in perspective, Mesopotamia, known as one of earliest human civilizations to ever arise, was "only" 6,000 years ago. And here's another good illustrative comparison on how crazy wealth disparity of billionaires is using grains of rice to get a better sense of scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSOVBiEotaw permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Cravensworth_reduxPlatinum | QC: CC 60, DOGE 22 | BANANO 10 98 points 21 hours ago I'll never understand the cults that develop around these rich people. They offer nothing and are parasites. permalink embed save report reply [–]ReasonableHat60010k Moons is the goal 52 points 20 hours ago The Elon fan boys are ground-breakingly cringe permalink embed save parent report reply [–]benmck90 35 points 20 hours ago Speaking as an ex-Musk fan boy.... Space-x and Tesla were doing really cool things that nobody had done at the time. Starting right around the "pedo guy" comment a few years ago is when Musk started to lose his shine for me. Then over the years I gradually thought less and less of him until finally I'm fully on board with the Musk hate. A shame cause I really like Space-X. But you have to realize the accomplishments of Space-X aren't really because of Musk intelligence or work drive or anything like that. It's from brilliant engineers gladly taking a narcissists money and using that to drive innovation. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]ReasonableHat60010k Moons is the goal 30 points 20 hours ago* I actually worked at spaceX 2017-2019. Nothing noteworthy, a closeout technician, fancy words for “tank cleaner”. We basically cleaned out both the liquid oxygen and fuel side of the 2nd stage of the f9’s. And installed the internal components. Anyway, it was a horrible work/life experience. When I joined we were working 12-16 shifts and alternating weekends. Eventually things cooled down and it wasn’t as demanding but that was after we had a huge layoff a little before I left. The leadership sucks and they don’t last long because of the demanding workload. The silver lining was the free iced coffee. Edit: Elon did show up a few times. I maybe saw him walk through twice with this woman that looked like a twitch streamer cosplaying a goth schoolgirl. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]hughheffresTin 14 points 18 hours ago Lol Grimes that is too funny permalink embed save parent report reply [–]benmck90 5 points 20 hours ago Cool insight. Thanks for sharing your experiences! As an aside... I just make my emotional support iced coffee at home. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]ABena2tBronze | r/WSB 35 2 points 18 hours ago nice. did you quit? get laid off? fired? what happened? permalink embed save parent report reply continue this thread [–]soyoudohaveaplanTin 2 points 8 hours ago That makes sense. I have always wondered how SpaceX manages to build things at such an insane pace. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Walla_Walla_26Tin | ETH critic 2 points 18 hours ago Elon has been kind of a tool lately. Buying twitter….wtf was he thinking? Maybe I’ll be proven wrong permalink embed save parent report reply continue this thread load more comments (1 reply) [–]soyoudohaveaplanTin 3 points 8 hours ago Would those brilliant engineers have spontaneously assembled to create SpaceX without him? Probably not. He obviously contributes something other than just money. Remember that SpaceX nearly went bankrupt. I do admire his achievements as an entrepreneur. That doesn't mean I need to like him as a person though. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]haarp1 1 point 6 hours ago also tesla, but if was from their own making - banking too much on robots if remember correctly (alien dreadnaught) permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (2 replies) load more comments (1 reply) [–]Dude_McGuy0Tin | CelsiusNet. 45 24 points 20 hours ago* Agreed. The US in particular has a sort of "celebrity worship" culture that I don't understand. And it's not a new thing, it's been around waaay before social media. It's what fuels the entertainment channels and magazine sales at the check out stand. People put their favorite movie stars, pro athletes, musicians, and rich people in general on a pedestal. These people shouldn't have any significant influence over the population for any topic that isn't related to how they became rich/famous. But for some reason they do. If a basketball player endorses an athletic shoe that at least makes some sense. They probably have a good idea of what makes a good sports shoe. But if a Basketball player endorses a car? No one should give a shit. The person on the commercial is not an expert in what makes a good car. But people fall into this marketing hook line and sinker anyway. And that's how we end up with Tom Brady, Lebron James, and Matt Damon shilling for crypto companies. In the case of the ultra-wealthy types like Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, etc. People should only pay attention to their advice that is related to what made them wealthy. No one should give a shit about what Musk has to say about free speech, politics, social media policy, cryptocurrency, etc. The guy is famous for start-up technology companies, anything he has to say outside of the topic of business/technology shouldn't be taken any more seriously than asking your neighbor. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Sav89_Tin 8 points 19 hours ago Some people just eat up what they see in the media and don't apply any sort of critical thinking. They need to apply the classic rule of crypto; DYOR. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Mediocre_Piccolo8542Silver | QC: CC 106 | ADA 141 4 points 10 hours ago The US is simply more materialistic culture where people always want the newest car and newest phone. Worshipping people who create, advertise, or can at least afford all the newest material stuff is the consequence of it. Another new trend from there - bunch of fake motivational gurus and fake businessmen running from one podcast to another making smart faces while talking platitudes and giving terrible advice. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]haarp1 5 points 6 hours ago this. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]krollAYPlatinum | QC: ETH 84, DAI 36, CC 32 | TraderSubs 77 5 points 16 hours ago It’s the belief that prosperity is always earned and therefore Elon must be extremely smart and deserving to get where he is. It ignores the fact that Musk and most of his peers started on third base and think they hit a homer, and that a lot of success in business is down to luck or timing or really just about who you know. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Cravensworth_reduxPlatinum | QC: CC 60, DOGE 22 | BANANO 10 2 points 11 hours ago Yes. If someone has reach the billionaire status then they must be smart and brilliant. Never mind that the had 100s of millions to start with ha permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Scarecrow4980 8 points 20 hours ago I'll never understand the celebrity cult. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]w_savageCrypto is my personality. 5 points 19 hours ago I think it's just fun to see them living a life that we wished we had. (Not me personally) permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Routine-Detail-5576Platinum | QC: CC 26 | Buttcoin 16 4 points 18 hours ago Yeah but the cult around crypto makes total sense. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (3 replies) [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 3 points 12 hours ago I wont trust Binance again, just buy my crypto and send it to my Ledger permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Cravensworth_reduxPlatinum | QC: CC 60, DOGE 22 | BANANO 10 2 points 11 hours ago I agree with that logic entirely. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 11 hours ago Shoutout to Banano permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CryptoScamee42069Bronze 3 points 19 hours ago The answer is simple. They have money. We want money. 99% of us are looking for a get rich quick scheme and they think that’s the easiest way. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (3 replies) [+]Vivid-Accident712 10 points 20 hours ago (0 children) [–]statesBoy313JustHodlIt 5 points 21 hours ago hey, if they give me 1 BTC they can surely be my friends permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]RooostyfitalllTin 6 points 18 hours ago DEFI fixes this permalink embed save report reply [–]EmuGroundbreaking348Platinum | QC: CC 68 9 points 21 hours ago I heard they finger horses now too. Nobody's safe anymore permalink embed save report reply [–]GabeSterPlatinum | QC: DOGE 2475, CC 858 14 points 20 hours ago Can you blame them? /s obviously permalink embed save parent report reply [–]AnonyMustardGas34Tin 6 points 20 hours ago Finger Horse Inu to the moon permalink embed save parent report reply [–]brainpower11Tin | CC critic 7 points 21 hours ago If i had a billionaire friend i wouldn't be checking the charts (at least this much) permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]EpicMichaelFreemanSilver | QC: CC 135, BNB 18 | ADA 472 | NVIDIA 58 4 points 12 hours ago CZ and Binance have done a lot of good for the crypto industry. Without Binance, there would be a lot less crypto adoption. permalink embed save report reply [–]Rory_RussellBronze 1 point 11 hours ago I agree. Plus CZ follows me on Twitter so I definitely agree 😄 permalink embed save parent report reply [–]bccrz_Tin | BANANO 16 7 points 19 hours ago CZ just did a hostile takeover of a major competitor at the expense of investors/shareholders. Billionaires are only beholden to their ambition. permalink embed save report reply [–]HughMungusEnigmaTin 8 points 19 hours ago I would argue he did it because SBF is lobbying for stupid crypto regulations that would serve to benefit only SBF and co. At least that's the move I would make if I were in CZs position as he's holding tokens of a project that conflicts with his core values. I'm not convinced any billionaire has the evil intent implied by OP but rather are obsessed with the game of business and are detached from the reality of the people behind the money they acquire. Friend or foe doesn't really matter. A few billionaires throwing a few hundred mill around contributes a few hundred mill more to a market cap than if they weren't around at all. They also have the power to convince the whole world that CBDCs are the way to go and that crypto is just tech for criminals like all the other billionaires think. So to that extent they most definitely are our friends and if we're so concerned about day to day volatility then government bonds are the play. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CumonNowLesgoTin 2 points 18 hours ago Finally!! someone who actually thinks with a brain here. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Red5point1Platinum | QC: DOGE 126, CC 62 1 point 8 hours ago indifference is evil. he didn't care who was going to be affected. the means does not justify the ends. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]BringerofsalvationPlatinum | QC: CC 95 11 points 21 hours ago Yep, billionaires didn’t get to where they are by caring about anything other than their bottom line. permalink embed save report reply [–]KeyzAndBagz 3 points 21 hours ago Gotta shit on a lot of people to get to the top permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]p1AmericaTin 1 point 21 hours ago humanity is never a requirement for massive wealth consolidation permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Amazing_Succotash677Tin | CC critic 6 points 21 hours ago No shit permalink embed save report reply [–]justswallowhardTin | ETH critic 3 points 20 hours ago Why would they mix with peasants permalink embed save report reply [–]Titozar13Platinum | QC: CC 48 5 points 21 hours ago Decentralization is our best friend. permalink embed save report reply [–]fabiodrumsTin 6 points 19 hours ago Decentralization? What is that? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CryptoScamee42069Bronze 3 points 19 hours ago Beats me but I hope to find out when I get a best friend permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (1 reply) [–]sickvisionzSilver | QC: CC 568, r/DeFi 101 | r/SSB 24 | Politics 21 7 points 20 hours ago Someone literally posted "CZ and SBF aren't your friends" this morning. Stop farming. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]PrinceZero1994 2 points 20 hours ago I won't be here if they were my friends. I'd be right there with them living the life. permalink embed save report reply [–]DKIPurpleTin | Superstonk 22 2 points 19 hours ago The only billionaire I trust is future me 🤞🏾 permalink embed save report reply load more comments (3 replies) [–]Balantines_ka_chodaTin | 3 months old | CC critic 2 points 12 hours ago We know, never trust billionaires. permalink embed save report reply [–]afischer83Bronze | ADA 5 2 points 9 hours ago One of them already not a billionaire permalink embed save report reply [–]BatmanNightBronze 2 points 9 hours ago We were laughing and stuff but they really did a number on us permalink embed save report reply [–]DerWaldbubTin | 0 months old 3 points 15 hours ago I know they are not my friends. And I don't expect them to be my friends. But in the case of Musk: I like Tesla and Tesla has increased the speed of electrical car adoption. I like Starlink. I like rockets that go up and LAND again. That's futuristic for me. And if Musk gets Starship together, Humankind will - just like that - enter a new phase of space exploration. I can't hate Musk for that. The behemoth NASA doesn't get any of that done. As for CZ. I have money on his exchange, I'm staking there. He keeps his exchange strong. He makes BNB be relevant. For me, seeking for financial freedom, that's attractive. Sure monopoly is bad and yada yada, but RIGHT now my money is relatively safe. It's not on some exchange that can collapse over the weekend. And for that - again - I can't hate CZ. Actually, they're doing what I want them to do. permalink embed save report reply [–]Mountain-Bar-2878Tin 2 points 20 hours ago Shitpost, we already know this permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]meeleen223Moons = Magic Internet Money Vol. 2 4 points 21 hours ago CZ has the same ideas of grandeur like Zuck and Elon Elon on the other hand is a narcissit who tries hard to be relatable to us commoners In the end we are just pawns to them permalink embed save report reply [–]bny192677Platinum | QC: CC 403 12 points 21 hours ago I cant forget the day elon dumped Bitcoin payment and the market crashed , fuk him permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 12 hours ago Their only intend is to take money from retail permalink embed save parent report reply [–]SomewhereAtWorkTin | Politics 11 2 points 11 hours ago Don't call youself "retail" and make it sound like a mom 'n' pop shop. You are as greedy and bad as they are. The only difference is that you are poor. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) load more comments (1 reply) [–]busmobbingTin 3 points 20 hours ago Elon musk is my friend. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]bad-crypto-adviceDon’t do the opposite of what I say. 6 points 21 hours ago* No How dare you speak about my heroes like this. These billionaires are geniuses. They know better than you how to handle your money. Their richness proves it. They deserve your money and respect, otherwise they’ll never bring us into wealth once they’ve reached the pinnacle. permalink embed save report reply [–]DeeperBagsTin 6 points 21 hours ago Is this a sarcastic bot with a serious comment or a serious bot with a sarcastic comment or both? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]DeeperBagsTin 10 points 21 hours ago It's a serious person that looks like a sarcastic bot posting a serious comment. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]bad-crypto-adviceDon’t do the opposite of what I say. 5 points 21 hours ago Definitely not a bot. And very serious. I’m one of the best investors in this entire community. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 12 hours ago One of the most famous permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]OneThatNoseOneBronze[S] 4 points 21 hours ago lol mate for your vote ratio you might really want to add a /s permalink embed save parent report reply [–]AnonyMustardGas34Tin 8 points 20 hours ago Look at his username 😉 permalink embed save parent report reply [–]bad-crypto-adviceDon’t do the opposite of what I say. 4 points 20 hours ago Why would you assume that I’m being sarcastic? permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Four_KrustiesTin 2 points 16 hours ago /s is for cowards permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 12 hours ago Ah I just saw your username and it's you. All good permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CymandeTVYour forever DM 2 points 21 hours ago Révolution ! permalink embed save report reply [–]MortalFarmerTin 3 points 19 hours ago cry some more permalink embed save report reply load more comments (4 replies) [–]Part-SelectBronze | QC: CC 24 2 points 20 hours ago what if CZ is my friend in real life permalink embed save report reply [–]FadedPosterSilver | QC: CC 146, ETH 35 | ADA 64 | Politics 163 1 point 19 hours ago He’s my friends uncle permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Chora_agora69Tin -1 points 18 hours ago Hate him anyway permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (2 replies) [–]BYEenbroPlatinum | QC: DOGE 95 | CC critic 3 points 20 hours ago Hitpiece 💩 permalink embed save report reply [–]I_Love_FonesTin 2 points 19 hours ago This week's crypto volatility teaches all of us: Don't use blockchains funded by centralized exchanges e.g. Binance Smart Chain, Cronos, KCC. Don't use centralized exchanges that promote their own minted tokens for trading discount e.g. Binance, FTX, KuCoin. Don't trust millionaires and billionaires that are posting often on social media; they have an agenda as shown with the FTT and Solana crash. permalink embed save report reply [–]HughMungusEnigmaTin 3 points 19 hours ago I only use Binance and I'm doing fine and idk how you came to that conclusion. Did you know they have a flexible interest saver for USDT and BUSD that pays 8%? my shitty bank charges me monthly account keeping fees and only offers an interest rate of fuck all with bonus fuck all if I don't withdraw. So idk what alternative there is. All I see from defi is hacks on bridges and everyone's over leveraged. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]I_Love_FonesTin 3 points 18 hours ago I've been doing just fine earning yield in Defi. To each his/her own. If CZ is willing to crash another exchange's crypto as a hostile takeover maneuver, then I want nothing to do with his exchange, blockchain, or BNB/BUSD. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [+]Zaytion_ 2 points 19 hours ago (13 children) [–]da_real_jubjubTin 2 points 19 hours ago They've helped develop the tech industry and have brought good things to the crypto world. Theyre not my friends but they're also not the enemy. permalink embed save report reply [–]HughMungusEnigmaTin 1 point 18 hours ago Exactly! I'd rather they throw a few hundred mill into the market cap and spread the positivity of financial freedom than be any other billionaire and just say it's only tech for criminals and that we should all be excited for CBDCs and long for the day that we own nothing and everything is a rental. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Infamous_Barnacle_17Tin | TRX 5 | AvatarTrading 11 1 point 21 hours ago I truly believe billionaires are the scourge of the earth but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from their actions. permalink embed save report reply [–]ThatInternetGuyPlatinum | QC: CC 87, BNB 61 | TRX 8 | r/Prog. 165 2 points 19 hours ago If they don't provide utility, it means you're benefiting from the next guys. Think of some music streaming service where millions are happy to pay to listen to songs, and if you invest in such a service, you're profiting from revenues generated from the utility. On the other hand, if you're profiting from the tweets of billionaires, you're just gambling which is never sustainable. permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Intelligent_Page2732Platinum | QC: CC 912 1 point 21 hours ago Like they will ever become a friend of a nobody like me. permalink embed save report reply [–]Cosmic___Anomaly22Tin | 3 months old 1 point 21 hours ago anyone who is rich is not your friend permalink embed save report reply [–]CryptoScamee42069Bronze 5 points 19 hours ago I can’t wait until I’m so rich everyone hates me permalink embed save parent report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]xContaminatedxTin 1 point 20 hours ago As much as I hate to say it, coinbase seems to have proven itself as being a very top Exchange, while yes the fees are ridiculously high, and their spread on prices are rough, it’s a US, publicly traded, regulated, company that, other than the recent poly incident that even effected me, has stayed the most consistent and least controversial. Coin base not having their own coin is honestly being shown to be the best method for an exchange. Granted this isn’t to say coinbase is the best, or that it doesn’t have major flaws, but it seems to be the least controversial. If only they don’t have half ass customer support permalink embed save report reply [–]Connect_Fee1256Bronze 2 points 15 hours ago Kraken makes them look pretty average permalink embed save parent report reply [–]DMugreIn Satoshi we trust 1 point 19 hours ago All my friends are dead, push me to the edge🎼 permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]aZamarykBronze | GMEJungle 170 | Superstonk 346 1 point 19 hours ago Theyre all scammers. Fuck them all. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]2globalnomadsTin 0 points 21 hours ago Billionaires like SBF, CZ, Musk Are Not Our Friends And Never Will Be I am afraid you got that wrong. Musk will always be your friend as long as you keep polluting our planet with his electric cars. permalink embed save report reply [–]HannyBo9Platinum | QC: CC 52 0 points 21 hours ago You wouldn’t hate yourself if you were one. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Alex_The_Old_KidPlatinum | QC: CC 248 -2 points 20 hours ago You don t become a billionaire by being friendly permalink embed save report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 11 hours ago Truth has been spoken permalink embed save parent report reply [–]eviloctoPlatinum | QC: CC 38 | Politics 84 2 points 11 hours ago And for some reason he's being down voted for it. permalink embed save parent report reply [–]DeeperBagsTin -2 points 20 hours ago Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is quietly buying his 2 millionth bitcoin and snickering. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]XohduhPlatinum | QC: CC 325 | TraderSubs 10 0 points 18 hours ago Eat the rich permalink embed save report reply [–]54sTAtEsTin | 0 months old 0 points 18 hours ago A lot of jealousy in this sub. We are involved with finances and you’re shitting on the most successful people in this field. You can live however you want but don’t preach out of jealousy and misguided hate it’s not a good look. permalink embed save report reply [–]SnowbatttPlatinum | QC: CC 523, BTC 15 | ADA 10 | Unpop.Opin. 13 0 points 14 hours ago Thanks, Captain Obvious. permalink embed save report reply [–]supercali45Platinum | QC: ALGO 26, CC 17 | Politics 488 0 points 12 hours ago Duh .. MuskRats didn’t learn from when he crashed crypto last year with his Doge coin SNL bullshit, him buying Bitcoin for Tesla and dumping when convenient, him tweeting to pump and dump suckers permalink embed save report reply [–]Danji1Tin 0 points 11 hours ago Thank you captain obvious. Anyone he believed otherwise deserves to lose all their money. permalink embed save report reply [–]aminokPlatinum | QC: ETH 427, CC 385 | TraderSubs 388 -2 points 18 hours ago* Musk has done an incredible job in helping human civilization move forward, with SpaceX and Tesla. I don't want him - or any one for that matter - to own the financial system, and that's why I support Ethereum/decentralized-finance, but I do support his efforts in those fields which are currently not amenable to decentralization, like rocket launches to space and battery electric vehicle manufacturing. As for your pop-critique of Musk which is mostly regurgitated from anti-Musk tweets by diehard Democrats - who are targeting Musk only because he's not onboard with the Democrat's censorship regime - let's parse it: Elon Musk outright manipulates markets to his whim and fancy and seems to find it a fun game that he partakes in gleefully as investors may lose their life savings, futures and family funds. Musk exercises his right to Free Speech, by commenting on things. If idiots decide to invest based on jokes he tweets about Doge, that's on them, not Musk. Musk has no legal or moral obligation to self-censor, because what he does by tweeting is not "manipulate markets". He talks a big game about free speech but has started permanently suspending accounts that "impersonate others", which are generally actually obvious account parodies especially those done to him. When those accounts are using the exact same tactic that scammers use to deceive people, which is to copy the display name and profile picture of a famous person's account, then it's no longer just parody, it's deception, and fair game for banning. He also plays a certain segment of crypto "investors" like fiddles who pump the market and get dumped on when he "doesn't follow through" on a tweet and heavily suggest ideas he has no intention of implementing. See point one: he has a right to free speech. Casual musings are not indications he intends to do anything, and any one who perceives it otherwise only has themselves to blame. permalink embed save report reply [+]Luffydude comment score below threshold (1 child) [–]AutoModerator[M] 1 point 21 hours ago Here is a Nitter link for the Twitter thread linked above. Nitter is better for privacy and does not nag you for a login. More information can be found here. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. permalink embed save report reply [–]FootballBat69Platinum | QC: CC 206 1 point 20 hours ago Fuck em all permalink embed save report reply load more comments (2 replies) [–]pmbproinvalid string or character detected 1 point 20 hours ago Agree. Waiting for the next tiresome fake battle of the ‘beefing’ billionaires too. permalink embed save report reply [+]ShinobiHanzo 1 point 19 hours ago (0 children) [–]Odysseus_LannisterPlatinum | QC: CC 1447 1 point 19 hours ago I think people conflate themselves as “pre-billionaires” where they idolize behavior like this because they think it will make them successful. News flash: it doesn’t. It just makes you a petty dick without billions of dollars. You’re never gonna be Uber rich, so start enjoying the littler things in life and learn to live happily within your financial realm. permalink embed save report reply [–]Cheese6260Bronze 1 point 19 hours ago They play life with different rules permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]fabiodrumsTin 1 point 19 hours ago CZ is the shadow of the Do Kwon sorcery. permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]lordchickenburgerMoon and bitcoin are me love 1 point 19 hours ago moral of the story we should rich people are there to F everyone permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]HeyYes7776Tin 1 point 19 hours ago Um sorry to say the same investors that backed the web2 assholes have centralized the web3 investment deal flow and all the data to source and pump their founders companies. And now here comes Blackrock!!! Lol these web2 LPs and Investors only invest in people just like them. It’s what makes this market a real danger to the economy. How is Andreessen going to invest in an “anti-Zuck”? They love themselves. They only back founders that reflect themselves back to them. permalink embed save report reply [–]dig1futureTin | 1 month old 1 point 19 hours ago Exceptions in mind most are controlled too man if they actually rose from lower classes over time. Its why I prefer to get high multi millions at most because you still get to do what ya want. Not so at those levels and higher. They will also be the first, again exceptions in mind as always, to see the effects of all this tech like CBDCs in action. They have their own unique situation. permalink embed save report reply [–]vegetablewizardTin 1 point 19 hours ago Someone should repost this every day permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]masstransienceBronze | QC: CC 19 | LRC 7 | Politics 117 1 point 19 hours ago But they said they’d love me forever if I just gave them everything I had… permalink embed save report reply [–]Waiting-For-Godot-64Tin 1 point 19 hours ago Were they supposed to be? I think not. permalink embed save report reply [–]RCBT88Tin 1 point 19 hours ago I thought we were friends Matt 🤕🥲 permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]Mikeyctc 1 point 19 hours ago* Everyone needs to find ERGO or projects that instill the same transparency and values,. ERGO is truly decentralized, Fair launch, and working toward defi solutions that are for users, Not the VC’s and scam artists permalink embed save report reply [–]thenudelmanSilver | QC: CC 837 | IOTA 35 | TraderSubs 15 1 point 19 hours ago There are no friends in the market permalink embed save report reply load more comments (1 reply) [–]kgentesTin 1 point 18 hours ago If you think that SBF is a billionaire, you aren't paying attention. permalink embed save report reply [–]DreadknotXPlatinum | QC: CC 116, XRP 25, BTC 19 | Politics 13 1 point 18 hours ago I’ve had my suspicions permalink embed save report reply [–]KevinOpelFounder of Delay 1 point 18 hours ago I thought all the Billionaires were cool with us :( permalink embed save report reply [–]revertiblefateTin 1 point 18 hours ago True thats why we shouldn't pick side on this crypto exchange turf war. Binance is trying to enter us market by buying out ftx. permalink embed save report reply [–]Individual__Tin 1 point 17 hours ago Absolutely. They'll always sellout for money permalink embed save report reply [–]Next_Foundation_3892Tin 1 point 18 hours ago The video that started the debate. All Retailers pay the price. SELF CUSTODY PRIME IMPORTANCE IN BEAR MARKETS! https://youtu.be/Ytaa_5liwMA permalink embed save report reply [–]letsgetyoustartedTin | GMEJungle 5 | GME subs 21 1 point 18 hours ago OP all I want to know is, are you my friend? permalink embed save report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 12 hours ago I am your friend, not just because we both lost a lot of money this year permalink embed save parent report reply [–]Ephemeral_DreadBronze | NEO 5 1 point 18 hours ago SBF isn't a billionaire ;) permalink embed save report reply [–]Ill-Addition2024Tin 2 points 12 hours ago Yikes permalink embed save parent report reply [–]CVV1Platinum | QC: CC 88 | PCgaming 18 1 point 18 hours ago SBF is no longer a billionaire. You should fix the title. It’s easier to go from billionaire to millionaire in crypto than anything else. permalink embed save report reply [–]Kevin3683Silver|QC:CC474,ETH44,BTC39|CelsiusNet.51|ExchSubs34 1 point 18 hours ago Elon is the “I’m not like the other girls” of billionaires permalink embed save report reply [–]LemonConnoiseurTin | 3 months old 1 point 18 hours ago I ain’t anyones friend and I ain’t rich permalink embed save report reply load more comments (2 replies) [–]baha3xTin 1 point 18 hours ago And still there is someone out there buying dogecoin because of elon permalink embed save report reply

1 35

Driving-while-black still a capital crime in the fascist USA
by professor rat 01 Feb '23

01 Feb '23

All minority and female police in the US must be assumed to be fans of Adolph Hitler as we as staunchly militant blue-collar trade-unionists. Clearly this is not a Black and White problem - Its a Black and Blue one. And only anarchists will abolish the Police. Most political reformers have some part of the unfree system they wish to abolish Republicans would abolish the monarchy, Secularists would abolish or disestablish the Church, Socialists would (or used to) wish to abolish the apparatus of exploitation; pacifists would abolish the Army. Anarchism is unique in wishing to abolish all. Could be a good week for Big Igloo types in the US to ambush and murder minority cops - or any cops. They have my full tactical solidarity and support. Esp in Florida. You don't want to get frost-nip when killing pig-cops. Men and women of the worlds police work every day to fuck the public. You can fuck some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you are going to end up in a body bag or a pinebox before you manage to fuck all of the people all of the time.

2 1

A Trump Prosecutor's Memoir Of A Case That Didn't Happened -- At Least Not Yet-- Is Latest Tell-All Controvers - Libel & Defamation - United States
by Gunnar Larson 31 Jan '23

31 Jan '23

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/libel--defamation/1276058/a-trump-prose… There is a long and rich history in the United States of government officials writing "tell-all" books about their experiences. Vincent Bugliosi wrote about his prosecution of Charles Manson. Two ex-prosecutors wrote "Stonewall," the "real story" of the Watergate prosecutions. Jeffrey Toobin wrote "Opening Arguments" about his role in the Iran-Contra investigation. Kenneth Starr wrote "Contempt" about his Whitewater prosecution. And John Bolton, James Comey and Andrew McCabe (among others) wrote revealing books about the workings of the Trump Presidency. There's also a long and rich history of government outrage (and sometimes litigation) because these works allegedly disclose confidential, classified or privileged information in violation of the author's fiduciary or contractual obligations, or because of disputes regarding the government's often cumbersome vetting process. See, e.g., Penguin Books USA v. Walsh, 756 F. Supp. 770 (S.D.N.Y. 1990) (allowing publication of Toobin book; whether or not having prosecutors publish is a wise idea, "there is no permanent "gag" on prosecutors from speaking or writing about investigations and prosecutions which they have conducted or in which they have been involved"), vacated, 929 F.2d 69 (2d Cir. 1991). The latest controversy involving a former prosecutor's book is an especially bizarre addition to this canon. On January 18, 2023, the Manhattan District Attorney demanded that its former prosecutor, Mark Pomerantz, "pause" the scheduled February 7 publication date of his new book, "People v. Donald Trump: An Inside Account" so that the DA can review it to make sure pending investigations are not compromised by his disclosures. (The DA has not yet seen the manuscript.) What's going on? Well, Pomerantz's book focuses on something that didn't happen while he was in the DA's office: the indictment of former President Donald Trump, a non-event Pomerantz has described as a "grave injustice." But – less than a year after Pomerantz's angry resignation because of this alleged inaction – the DA says it is now actively pursuing just such a prosecution. The DA is concerned that Pomerantz's publication of a book setting forth the case against Donald Trump (and lamenting that it was never filed) at the same time as the DA is preparing to bring the case against Donald Trump could be harmful to the prosecution (and, one might add, would be very confusing). Put differently, assuming People v. Donald Trump is published on schedule,it would be the first prosecutorial "tell-all" in American history written about a criminal case before it was ever filed. If this sounds weird, it is. Pomerantz is a well-known former federal prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer. In February 2021, at the behest of then-District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Pomerantz joined the DA's office as one of the leaders of the team probing Donald Trump's financial dealings. In that role, Pomerantz formed the strong view that Trump was "guilty of numerous felony violations" involving false financial statements and was said to be preparing to present the case to a grand jury in late 2021. However, in November 2021, with Vance retiring, Alvin Bragg was elected DA. In March 2022, Pomerantz noisily resigned from the DA's office because, as he described it, Bragg had decided to indefinitely suspend the pursuit of an indictment against the former President. In an open letter to Bragg, Pomerantz noted that Bragg had raised "issues as to the legal and factual sufficiency of the case" and questioned "the likelihood that a prosecution would succeed." Pomerantz had tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade Bragg that, although "no case is perfect," prosecutors believed Trump would be convicted before an impartial jury. Pomerantz declared that Bragg's decision not to prosecute Donald Trump immediately on the existing record "is misguided and completely contrary to the public interest" and "will doom any future prospects that Mr. Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating," leaving Trump a free man when (in Pomerantz's view) he should not be. In the ensuing months, Pomerantz wrote a book to address this perceived injustice and secured Simon & Schuster as its publisher. According to the Amazon blurb about the new book, it tells the story of Pomerantz's "unprecedented investigation, why he believes Donald Trump should be prosecuted, and what we can learn about the nature of justice in America from this extraordinary case." The book is described as a "cautionary tale that illuminates the challenges of prosecuting Donald Trump, why Trump manages to dance between the raindrops of accountability" and how prosecutions in other jurisdictions might still bring him to justice. Simon & Schuster adds that the book explains why a justified indictment "never happened." It turns out that "never" might be a pretty short time. Notwithstanding Pomerantz's resignation, in 2022 Bragg's office continued to pursue a case against Allen Weisselberg, the long-time CFO of the Trump Organization, obtaining a guilty plea in August. The Office also obtained a conviction at trial in December of the Trump Organization for criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records. In the midst of this activity, on November 21, 2022, the press first reported that the DA had decided to "resuscitate" the Trump inquiry (The New York Post) and "breathe new life into an inquiry that seemed to have reached a dead end." (The New York Times). According to the Times, "the prosecutors had decided to return to the investigation's original focus under Pomerantz, i.e., the making and accounting for a 2016 "hush-money payment" to Stormy Daniels, a "porn star who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump." Whatever prompted this revival of a potential prosecution against Trump, subsequent media reports have indicated that Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, and others involved in the alleged scheme to pay Daniels to buy her silence have been meeting with attorneys in the DA's office as the investigation heats up. On January 18, 2023, the DA's general counsel wrote to Simon & Schuster that, "in light of the pre-publication descriptions of his book and the benefit of current knowledge of the matter," the DA "believes there is a meaningful risk that the publication will materially prejudice ongoing criminal investigations and related adjudicative proceedings." The letter continued by saying that Mr. Pomerantz had previously promised to obtain "prior written permission" from the DA before making any disclosure "relating to the 'existence, nature, or content' of any communications or records or documents that relate in any manner" to the investigation. The DA promised to take no more than 60 days for its review. According to the Wall Street Journal on January 18, 2023, Pomerantz and his publisher have declined the request to submit the manuscript and intend to publish on February 7, as scheduled. Pomerantz stated: "I am confident that all of my actions with respect to the Trump investigation, including the writing of my forthcoming book, are consistent with my legal and ethical obligations." Neither Pomerantz nor his publisher has addressed the obvious disconnect between one of the premises for the book – the DA's failure to indict Trump – and the DA's current pursuit of such an indictment. One may infer that, by publishing, Pomerantz either does not believe the DA actually intends to proceed or that his book will not impair any future prosecution. How ironic it would be if publication of the People v. Donald Trump made it harder to obtain the very guilty verdict that Pomerantz so desires, or makes Pomerantz's predictions of "doom" from the delay a self-fulfilling prophecy. As to the legal issues, it is hard to assess the merits of the parties' positions at this juncture, especially without knowing the book's actual contents. The DA's Office has not asked a court to enjoin publication, and it would face a heavy burden to impose such a prior restraint on publication. See, e.g., Neb. Press Ass'n v Stuart, 427 U.S. 539 (1976). For a government to impose a prior restraint on freedom of expression, it must generally show that such expression "will immediately and irreparably create public injury " Arcara v. Cloud Books, 68 N.Y.2d 553, 558 (N.Y. 1986). Nevertheless, this case has unique aspects. In most every other tell-all book by a prosecutor, the author talks about a prosecution where the evidence has already been presented in court and, at most, all that remains are appeals. The potential prejudice is much more direct when the book is published before trial. Here, to the extent that Pomerantz makes the case that Trump should have been indicted, he is doing so before his successors have presented that evidence, either to a grand jury or in open court. One can readily imagine a Trump defense lawyer seeking to exploit disclosures in the book such as Bragg's doubts about proceeding, or potential differences in the characterization of evidence between Pomerantz and his successors. Whether any of these factors is sufficient to establish immediate and irreparable "public injury" is open to question. There is also the possibility of a claim that the prosecutor has violated New York Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6, which forbids a lawyer who "has participated" in a criminal matter from making a public, extrajudicial statement that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know "will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter." The Rule provides that a statement is likely to be materially prejudicial if (among other things) it relates to the "character, credibility, reputation or criminal record of a party," or expresses "any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of a defendant or suspect in a criminal matter that could result in incarceration." Of course, we don't yet know what is in the book so assessing the extent of potential prejudice is impossible. By the same token, Pomerantz is surely aware of his obligations as a former prosecutor and has concluded that he need not share the manuscript with the DA. He may well assert that the book appropriately relies on the mass of public information about the case against Trump or merely reflects his opinions on topics such as the societal consequences of the failure to indict before now. As he no doubt correctly stated in his resignation letter: "Many of the salient facts have been made public in proceedings brought by the Office of the Attorney General." Moreover, the "hush money" payment to Daniels was more than 6 years ago, and there have been numerous public disclosures about the underlying facts (including in Congressional inquiries and in the Southern District of New York prosecution of Michael Cohen), as well as in a number of prior books. As a result, it may be difficult for the DA to show what facts are really "new" in Pomerantz's manuscript. It is likely that the legal fall-out from publication will take a long time to resolve. Bragg's office reportedly copied both the Department of Investigation and the Conflicts of Interest Board on his letter to Pomerantz. To the extent there is any public disclosure of confidential information, that could also lead to a referral to an attorney disciplinary committee. Unsurprisingly, Trump is unhappy with the prospective book and, on January 23, his attorney warned Pomerantz and his publisher that he would sue for defamation and "use every possible legal resource to punish you and your publisher for the incredible financial harm that you have caused my clients to suffer." (Pomerantz's response: "If the former president should sue me, I will defend that litigation.") As to other future litigation, there is little precedent for an action for damages by the government for improper disclosure of information, though the CIA was able to get a judgment in 2012 seizing all revenues that a former CIA officer would receive from his unvetted and purportedly harmful book, "The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture." With all the moving parts here – the new book, the continuing DA investigation, the threatened defamation suit and the other potential fallout – this one will be worth watching.

1 0

Re: Morning Spam
by Undiscussed Groomed for Male Slavery, One Victim of Many 31 Jan '23

31 Jan '23

On 1/10/23, Undiscussed Groomed for Male Slavery, One Victim of Many <gmkarl+brainwashingandfuckingupthehackerslaves(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Visitor: “ > > i was going to post more but i think it’s inferrable from what was > already said nd am confus3d some. i’m sure it will expand another way > with more coping. >

1 131

Sullivan & Cromwell’s Crypto Clients Are in Growing Distress
by Gunnar Larson 31 Jan '23

31 Jan '23

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2023/01/sullivan-cromwells-crypto-clients-ar… Screenshot of November 8, 2022 Message Sent by Former Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Ryne Miller, to FTX Employees, Three Days Before FTX Filed Bankruptcy (Source: Sam Bankman-Fried Draft Testimony to House Financial Services Committee) By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 31, 2023 ~ Andrew (Andy) Dietderich, Law Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell Andrew (Andy) Dietderich, Law Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell Who Is Involved in the FTX Bankruptcy Case The 144-year old law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, which previously prided itself on being the go-to law firm for Wall Street, decided a few years back to get deep in the swamp with all things crypto. That dicey decision is now playing out in negative headlines that are dragging down the reputation of the 900-attorney law firm. Adding to questions swirling around its past legal representation of now indicted crypto kingpin, Sam Bankman-Fried, as well as his bankrupt crypto exchange, FTX, and his hedge fund, Alameda Research, is the fact that a growing number of Sullivan & Cromwell’s other crypto clients are also in various stages of distress. Notwithstanding that reality, the presiding judge in the FTX bankruptcy proceedings, John Dorsey, signed an order on January 20 naming Sullivan & Cromwell the lead counsel in the FTX bankruptcy case. But long before Judge Dorsey’s order was signed, Sullivan & Cromwell was billing large bucks to FTX, acknowledging in a bankruptcy court filing that over the prior 16 months it had collected legal fees and expenses of $8,564,487.50 from FTX and its affiliates, plus a $12 million retainer for FTX bankruptcy work. According to Bloomberg Law, Sullivan & Cromwell “has more than 150 people working on the FTX case, including 30 partners…” A court filing from Sullivan & Cromwell shows that its partners can charge as much as $2,165 per hour. The final tab in the bankruptcy case is expected to land in the “hundreds of millions of dollars” according to the Bloomberg Law article. Sullivan & Cromwell snagged this very lucrative bankruptcy work, according to a screen shot (see above) shared by Sam Bankman-Fried in the testimony he was prepared to present to the House Financial Services Committee on December 13, because it had a friendly former partner at FTX. (Bankman-Fried was arrested by federal prosecutors from the Justice Department and thus prevented from delivering his testimony in person, but Forbes obtained a copy of the document.) The inside man was Ryne Miller, who left Sullivan & Cromwell and went directly to FTX.US as General Counsel in August of 2021. Despite Miller’s eight years at Sullivan & Cromwell and more than three years working as legal counsel at a federal regulator, Miller somehow managed not to notice the following at FTX: there was no functioning Board of Directors; there was no accounting department; there was no functioning compliance department making sure that customer funds were not co-mingled with Sam Bankman-Fried’s personal piggy bank, his hedge fund, Alameda Research. This lack of corporate controls was described by the new FTX CEO, John Ray, at the December 13 hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. Despite these failures by Ryne Miller, John Ray reported in a declaration filed on January 17 with the FTX bankruptcy court that Miller is “still employed” by FTX.US, which is also part of the bankruptcy proceedings. As a direct result of this lack of corporate controls, Ray told the House panel that over $8 billion of customers funds are missing at FTX. At a bankruptcy court hearing on January 20, a former FTX in-house attorney, Daniel Friedberg, was prepared to testify as follows to the court, according to a sworn declaration he filed: “Mr. Miller informed me that it was very important for him personally to channel a lot of business to S&C as he wanted to return there as a partner after his stint at the Debtors. This bothered me very much and I told him that his job was to only hire the best outside counsel for the job, and that his allegiance was now to the Debtors and not S&C…” And this: “I told Mr. Miller that S&C was not the proper law firm to select [for the bankruptcy proceedings] because of the claims and conflicts, as well as the exorbitant costs of the firm. Mr. Miller told me that there was over $200 million cash in LedgerX and that he was going to send these funds to S&C, and that bankruptcy legal costs were therefore not a problem…” Friedberg appeared via Zoom on the day of the January 20 hearing. A lawyer, Marshal Hoda, who was representing two FTX customers who were challenging Sullivan & Cromwell being named lead counsel, asked Judge Dorsey to question Friedberg. Dorsey denied the request and then signed the order making Sullivan & Cromwell lead counsel. While Sullivan & Cromwell enjoys the potential for billing tens of millions of dollars in this bankruptcy case, this is a sampling of how its other crypto clients are performing. (The law firm filed a listing of its current and former crypto clients with the court so that potential conflicts could be explored by a correctly suspicious U.S. Trustee, who represents the U.S. Department of Justice in bankruptcy cases.) BlockFi: BlockFi, a crypto exchange, is Sullivan & Cromwell’s current client. It filed bankruptcy last November. It revealed that FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund, Alameda Research, owe it over $1 billion. Coinbase: This publicly-traded crypto exchange is Sullivan & Cromwell’s current client. It finished last year with a market value loss of 86 percent. Coinbase announced last June it was slashing 18 percent of its workforce. It announced a further 20 percent headcount reduction this month. Robinhood: This is a publicly-traded stock trading platform and Sullivan & Cromwell’s current client. Sullivan & Cromwell concedes in a bankruptcy court filing that it advised Bankman-Fried personally on a stock transaction involving his purchase of more than half a billion dollars of Robinhood stock. The monies to fund that transaction came from loans from his hedge fund, Alameda Research, which prosecutors say was looting the funds from FTX customer accounts. The Justice Department has seized those Robinhood shares. CNN reported yesterday that the Justice Department is alleging in its criminal case against Bankman-Fried that “he attempted to obscure his criminal misuse of FTX customer property,” by purchasing the Robinhood shares “through a foreign special purchase vehicle with no public connection to FTX or Alameda.” The lawyer and law firm that performed this work for Bankman-Fried has yet to be explored in Judge Dorsey’s court. Gemini is a current client of Sullivan & Cromwell. It has $900 million of customer funds frozen at another bankrupt crypto firm, Genesis. On January 12, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged both firms with selling unregistered securities. Kraken is another crypto exchange that is a current client of Sullivan & Cromwell. It settled charges in November with the U.S. Treasury Department for evading sanctions on Iran; then announced later in the month that it was laying off 30 percent of its workers. Sequoia Capital is a current client of Sullivan & Cromwell. It was also a large venture capital investor in FTX. It has now written down to zero its entire investment of $214 million in FTX. Silvergate Bank’s parent (publicly-traded Silvergate Capital) is listed as a former client of Sullivan & Cromwell. Just exactly when that relationship ended is not indicated. Silvergate Bank has managed to pull off a replay of the panic bank runs in the early days of the Great Depression. On January 5, Silvergate reported that its “total deposits from digital asset customers declined to $3.8 billion” as of December 31, 2022 (down from the previously reported $11.9 billion on September 30, 2022.) That’s a shocking 68 percent drop in deposits in one quarter – at a (wait for it) federally-insured bank backstopped by the U.S. taxpayer that also decided to get deep in the crypto swamp. Silvergate’s publicly-traded stock lost 88 percent of its market value last year. FTX was one of the crypto firms holding deposits at Silvergate. On December 6, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and John Kennedy (R-LA) wrote to Silvergate demanding answers regarding the funds it had transferred from FTX customer accounts to Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund, Alameda Research. The Senators inquired as follows: “Your bank’s involvement in the transfer of FTX customer funds to Alameda reveals what appears to be an egregious failure of your bank’s responsibility to monitor for and report suspicious financial activity carried out by its clients. The public is owed a full accounting of the financial activities that may have led to the loss of billions in customer assets, and any role that Silvergate may have played in these losses.” Despite all of this, Judge John Dorsey stated in open court on January 20 that he couldn’t see any evidence that Sullivan & Cromwell had a conflict that would prevent it from serving as lead counsel in the FTX bankruptcy. (Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?)

1 0