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Cryptocurrency: SEC Reconsidering ETF Rules, Open For Your Comments
by grarpamp 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

https://www.coindesk.com/the-sec-is-reviewing-the-bitwise-bitcoin-etf-rejec… For those seeking to trojan distributed cryptocurrencies into the traditional markets structures, and as Grayscale and others have many offerings, and as other countries have ETFs and other vehicles, and other reasons and articulable support... links to comment instructions in article above. The SEC Is Reviewing the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Rejection Nov 18, 2019 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking a second look at the rejection of a recent bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) proposal. Overturning the rejection would clear the way for potentially the first bitcoin ETF in the U.S., following years of anticipation of a mainstream-ready investment product. According to a notice published in the Federal Register over the weekend and dated Nov. 18, the SEC’s five commissioners will review the bitcoin ETF put forth by Bitwise Asset Management. Bitwise did not request the review, said Matt Hougan, the company’s global head of research. “We do, however, welcome the opportunity to submit comments and continue the dialogue with the SEC,” he said in an email. The rejection was written by the agency’s Division of Trading and Markets on Oct. 9. The Nov. 18 notice actually references a letter from the SEC’s commissioners dated Oct. 15. It is not clear what triggered the SEC’s review. Under current federal law, the commissioners can grant a review at their discretion, or following the filing of a petition. The order rejecting the proposal will remain in effect until the review has concluded, the notice said, with the commissioners either upholding the staff rejection or overturning it. As part of the review, the general public can comment on the rejection through Dec. 18, 2019. Groundhog day Unlike the SEC’s formal approval or disapproval process, there are no set deadlines for the review of a decision. The Commission has previously reviewed the rejection of a bitcoin ETF proposal filed by the family office of Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, ultimately upholding the decision after more than a year. It is possible that an SEC commissioner may have called for the Bitwise review. Famously, Commissioner Hester Peirce – dubbed “Crypto Mom” by the community – announced the review of nine rejected bitcoin ETF applications in 2018. Peirce also dissented from the SEC’s second rejection of the Winklevoss ETF. The ETF applications, filed in late 2017 and early 2018 by GraniteShares, ProShares and Direxion, were rejected in August 2018, with Peirce announcing their review the next day. However, it remains unclear what the status of this review is, or whether any of these decisions will be overturned. Neither Peirce nor an SEC spokesperson immediately responded to emailed requests for comment. ProShares declined to comment, and a request for comment to Direxion was not returned by press time. GraniteShares CEO Will Rhind told CoinDesk in a phone call that nothing had come of the SEC’s review so far, and he did not expect this to change in the near future. “I think [SEC Chairman Jay Clayton] has spoken publicly about the ETF applications and … he’s made it clear at least from the top that the market has to mature a little bit before there’ll be an approval,” he said.

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Sasha writes...
by grarpamp 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/org.html http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/lists.txt

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Amazon Braket – Get Started with Quantum Computing
by coderman 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-braket-get-started-with-quantum-com… Amazon Braket – Get Started with Quantum Computing by [Jeff Barr](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/author/jbarr/) | on 02 DEC 2019 Nearly a decade ago I wrote about the [Quantum Compute Cloud](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-qc2-the-quantum-compute… on April Fool’s Day. The future has arrived and you now have the opportunity to write quantum algorithms and to run them on actual quantum computers. Here’s what we are announcing today: [Amazon Braket](https://aws.amazon.com/braket) – A fully managed service that allows scientists, researchers, and developers to begin experimenting with computers from multiple quantum hardware providers in a single place. [Bra-ket notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bra%E2%80%93ket_notation) is commonly used to denote quantum mechanical states, and inspired the name of the service. AWS Center for Quantum Computing – A research center adjacent to the [California Institute of Technology](https://www.caltech.edu/) (Caltech) that will bring together the world’s leading quantum computing researchers and engineers in order to accelerate development of quantum computing hardware and software. Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab – [A new program](https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/) to connect AWS customers with quantum computing experts from Amazon and a very select set of consulting partners. What’s Quantum Computing Ordinary (classical) computers use collections of bits to represent their state. Each bit is definitively 0 or 1, and the number of possible states is 2n if you have n bits. 1 bit can be in either of 2 states, 2 bits can be in any one of 4 states, and so forth. A computer with 1 MiB of memory has 2(8*1048576) states, excluding CPU registers and external storage. This is a large number, but it is finite, and can be calculated. Quantum computers use a more sophisticated data representation known as a [qubit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qubit) or quantum bit. Each qubit can exist in state 1 or 0, but also in superpositions of 1 and 0, meaning that the qubit simultaneously occupies both states. Such states can be specified by a two-dimensional vector that contains a pair of complex numbers, making for an infinite number of states. Each of the complex numbers is a probability amplitude, basically the odds that the qubit is a 0 or a 1, respectively. A classical computer can be in just one of those 2n states at a given time, but a quantum computer can occupy all of them in parallel. If you have been in IT for any length of time, you know that [Moore’s Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law) has brought us to the point where it possible to manufacture memory chips that store 2 tebibytes (as I write this) on a thumb drive. The physical and chemical processes that make this possible are amazing, and well worth studying. Unfortunately, these processes do not apply directly to the manufacture of devices that contain qubits; as I write this, the largest quantum computers contain about 50 qubits. These computers are built on several different technologies, but seem to have two attributes in common: they are scarce, and they must be run in carefully controlled physical environments. How it Works Quantum computers work by manipulating the amplitudes of the state vector. To program a quantum computer, you figure out how many qubits you need, wire them together into a quantum circuit, and run the circuit. When you build the circuit, you set it up so that the correct answer is the most probable one, and all the rest are highly improbable. Whereas classical computers use Boolean logic and are built using NOT, OR, and AND gates, quantum computers use superposition and interference, and are built using [quantum logic gates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_logic_gate) with new and exotic names (X, Y, Z, CNOT, Hadamard, Toffoli, and so forth). This is a very young field: the model was first proposed in the early 1980s, followed shortly by the realization that a quantum computer could perform simulations of quantum mechanical systems that are impossible on a classical computer. Quantum computers have applications to machine learning, linear algebra, chemistry, cryptography, simulations of physics, search, and optimization. For example, [Shor’s Algorithm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor%27s_algorithm) shows how to efficiently factor integers of any size ([this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q&t=160s) has a really good explanation). Looking Ahead Today’s implementations of public key cryptography are secure because factoring large integers is computationally intensive. Depending on key length, the time to factor (and therefore break) keys ranges from months to forever (more than the [projected lifetime of our universe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe)) However, when a quantum computer with enough qubits is available, factoring large integers will become instant and trivial. Defining “enough” turns out to be far beyond what I can cover (or fully understand) in this blog post, and brings in to play the difference between logical and physical qubits, noise rates, error correction, and more! You need to keep this in mind when thinking about medium-term encryption and data protection, and you need to know about [post-quantum cryptography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-quantum_cryptography). Today, [s2n](https://github.com/awslabs/s2n) (our implementation of the TLS/SSL protocols) already includes two different key exchange mechanisms that are quantum-resistant. Given that it takes about a decade for a new encryption protocol to become widely available and safe to use, it is not too soon to look ahead to a time when large-scale quantum computers are available. Quantum computing is definitely not mainstream today, but that time is coming. It is a very powerful tool that can solve certain types of problems that are difficult or impossible to solve classically. I suspect that within 40 or 50 years, many applications will be powered in part using services that run on quantum computers. As such, it is best to think of them like a GPU or a math [coprocessor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8087). They will not be used in isolation, but will be an important part of a hybrid classical/quantum solution. Here We Are Our goal is to make sure you know enough about quantum computing to start looking for some appropriate use cases and conducting some tests and experiments. We want to build a solid foundation that is firmly rooted in reality, and to work with you to move into a quantum-powered future. Ok, with that as an explanation, let’s get into it! Amazon Braket This new service is designed to let you get some hands-on experience with qubits and quantum circuits. You can build and test your circuits in a simulated environment and then run them on an actual quantum computer. [Amazon Braket](https://aws.amazon.com/braket) is a fully managed AWS service, with security & encryption baked in at each level. You can access [Amazon Braket](https://aws.amazon.com/braket) through a notebook-style interface: The Python code makes use of the Amazon Braket SDK. You can create a quantum circuit with a single line of code (this is, according to my colleagues, a “maximally entangled Bell state between qubit 0 and qubit 1”): bell = Circuit ( ) . h ( 0 ) . cnot ( 0 , 1 ) And run it with another: print ( device . run ( bell , s3_folder ) . result ( ) . measurement_counts ( ) ) In addition to the classically-powered simulation environment, [Amazon Braket](https://aws.amazon.com/braket) provides access to quantum computers from [D-Wave](https://www.dwavesys.com/), [IonQ](https://ionq.com/), and [Rigetti](https://www.rigetti.com/). These devices have a couple of things in common: they are leading-edge tech, they are expensive to build and run, and they generally operate in a very extreme and specialized environment (supercooled or near-vacuum) that must be kept free of electrical, thermal, and magnetic noise. Taken together, I think it is safe to say that most organizations will never own a quantum computer, and will find the cloud-based on-demand model a better fit. It may well be the case that production-scale quantum computers are the first cloud-only technology. The actual quantum computers are works of art, and I am happy to be able to share some cool pictures. Here’s the D-Wave [2000Q](https://www.dwavesys.com/d-wave-two-system): The Rigetti [16Q Aspen-4](https://www.rigetti.com/qpu): And the [IonQ linear ion trap](https://ionq.com/technology): AWS Center for Quantum Computing As I noted earlier, quantum computing is still a very young field; there’s a lot that we don’t know, and plenty of room for scientific and technological breakthroughs. I am pleased to announce that we are forming the AWS Center for Quantum Computing. Located adjacent to the Caltech campus, our goal is to bring the world’s top talent together in order to accelerate development. We will be researching technology that might one day enable quantum computers to be mass-produced, while also working to identify applications that are best solved on quantum computers. Both of these are long-term challenges, and I look forward to watching the progress over the next decade or two. Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab We understand that this is a new and intriguing technology, and we know that you want to learn, build your skills, and make some plans to put quantum computing to use. The [Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab](https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/) will allow you to tap into our own expertise and that of our consulting partners. Our goal is to work with you to find those practical uses, and to help you to build up your own “bench” of qualified quantum developers. You will also be able to take advantage of research and collaboration opportunities at the [Quantum Solutions Lab](https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/). Quantum Computing Resources Here are some of the reference materials that you might find useful. Some of this will make your head spin, but if I can understand even a little bit of it, then so can you: [The Quantum Computing Party Hasn’t Even Started Yet](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-quantum-computin… – A very gentle overview of the field. [Wikipedia – Quantum Computing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_computing) – A good summary, with lots of links and diagrams. [How Quantum Computers Break Encryption | Shor’s Algorithm Explained](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q&t=160s) – Helpful video. Skip ahead to [8:03](https://youtu.be/lvTqbM5Dq4Q?t=483) if you want the TL;DR. [Quantum Computation and Quantum Information](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Computation_and_Quantum_… – The definitive (so they say) textbook on the subject. [Quantum Computing for the Determined](http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/quantum-computing-for-the-determ… – A series of 22 short explanatory videos, starting with [The Qubit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2q1PuI2RFI). [Quantum Computing for the Very Curious](https://quantum.country/qcvc) – A long-form article by the author of the preceding videos. [Quantum Computing Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWJCfOvochA) – Like the title says, quantum computing explained to 5 different people. [Quantum Supremacy Using a Programmable Supercomputing Processor](https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/10/quantum-supremacy-using-progra… – An important result, and a major milestone that shows how a quantum computer can outperform a classical one for a particular type of problem. Be sure to read Scott Aaronson’s [Supreme Quantum Supremacy FAQ](https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=4317) as well. [This is What a 50-qubit Quantum Computer Looks Like](https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/09/this-is-what-a-50-qubit-quantum-c… – A stunning photo-essay of IBM’s 50-qubit computer. [Shtetl-Optimized](https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/) – Professor [Scott Aaronson](https://www.scottaaronson.com/) has been [researching](https://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/), [writing](https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Computing-since-Democritus-Aaronson…, and [blogging](https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/) about quantum computing for a very long time. — [Jeff](https://twitter.com/jeffbarr);

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Virgil Griffith - Crypto Advocate and Educator Arrested at LAX from DPRK
by grarpamp 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

https://virgil.gr/ https://twitter.com/virgilgr #FreeVirgil Adopt Distributed Privacy Cryptocurrencies https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-arrest… https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1222646/download https://twitter.com/SDNYnews/status/1200478952520859648 10:17 AM - 29 Nov 2019 USA Berman: As alleged, Virgil Griffith provided highly technical information to North Korea, knowing that this information could be used to help North Korea launder money and evade sanctions. "GRIFFITH was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday and will be presented in federal court in Los Angeles later today. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: "As alleged, Virgil Griffith provided highly technical information to North Korea, knowing that this information could be used to help North Korea launder money and evade sanctions. In allegedly doing so, Griffith jeopardized the sanctions that both Congress and the president have enacted to place maximum pressure on North Korea's dangerous regime." Assistant Attorney General John Demers said: "Despite receiving warnings not to go, Griffith allegedly traveled to one of the United States' foremost adversaries, North Korea, where he taught his audience how to use blockchain technology to evade sanctions. By this complaint, we begin the process of seeking justice for such conduct."

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tor stinks, take #476052
by Punk-Stasi 2.0 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

source : surveillance valley "Within a year, the agency increased Tor’s contract to a quarter million dollars and then bumped it up again to almost a million just a few years later. The relationship also led to major contracts with other federal agencies, boosting Tor’s meager operating budget to several million dollars a year. Dingledine should have been celebrating, but something nagged at his conscience. Immediately after signing the contract, he emailed Ken Berman, his contact at the BBG, to tell him he was worried about the optics of the deal. Dingledine wanted to do everything he could to maintain Tor’s independent image, but as head of a tax-exempt nonprofit that received funding from the federal government, he was required by law to publicly disclose his funding sources and publish financial audits. He knew that whether he liked it or not, Tor’s relationship with the federal government would come out sooner or later. “We also need to think about a strategy for how to spin this move in terms of Tor’s overall direction. I would guess that we don’t want to loudly declare war on China, since this only harms our goals?” he wrote. “But we also don’t want to hide the existence of funding from [the BBG], since ‘they’re getting paid off by the feds and they didn’t tell anyone’ sounds like a bad Slashdot title for a security project. Is it sufficient just to always talk about Iran, or is that not subtle enough?” In college Dingledine had dreamed of using technology to create a better world. Now he was suddenly talking about whether or not they should declare war on China and Iran and worrying about being labeled a federal agent? What was going on? Berman emailed back, reassuring Dingledine that he and his agency were ready to do anything it took to protect Tor’s independent image. “Roger—we will do any spin you want to do to help preserve the independence of TOR,” he wrote. “We can’t (nor should we) hide it for the reasons you have outlined below, but we also don’t want to shout if from the rafters, either.”

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Libgen Sci-Hub: Got any terabytes?
by grarpamp 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

https://old.reddit.com/r/seedboxes/comments/e129yi/charitable_seeding_for_n… https://old.reddit.com/r/libgen/ https://old.reddit.com/r/scihub/ https://the-eye.eu/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa7jxb/archivists-are-trying-to-make-sur… https://torrentfreak.com/sci-hub-libgen-blocked-by-austrian-isps-following-…

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California Penal Code 12355
by Ryan Carboni 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

I don't know where that other email came from a few days ago, but this is more correct. >12355. (a) Except as provided in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 12301), any person who assembles, maintains, places, or causes to be placed a boobytrap device as described in subdivision (c) is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or five years. Everyone should avail themselves of all means of self defence.

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Mega spin - USGov corp "We'll Help 'Legitimate' Latin America Govts Prevent Protests From "Morphing Into Riots"" - [PEACE]
by Zenaan Harkness 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

Oh this is rich! Funny stuff. "My precious, precious spin!" Funny if it weren't so insidious. Funny sad. Embarrassing. We'll Help 'Legitimate' Latin America Govts Prevent Protests From "Morphing Into Riots" https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pompeo-well-help-legitimate-latin-am… For Washington it's never too late to dust off the ole Monroe Doctrine, apparently. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday issued a bombshell declaration concerning US Latin America policy, vowing Washington's support to countries facing mass protests and unrest which Pompeo says could be hijacked by Cuba and Venezuela (and thus by extension allies in Moscow and Beijing). Citing recent popular political unrest in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, the US top diplomat said "We in the Trump administration will continue to support countries trying to prevent Cuba and Venezuela from hijacking those protests and we'll work with legitimate (governments) to prevent protests from morphing into riots and violence that don't reflect the democratic will of the people." He was addressing an audience at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky. ... The Fallen Anon On and on the circus goes... CIA's next? Nobody knows. "Legitimate" is as Empire says; no sovereignty, law, nor truth is hallowed. The Fed had it all but the last nations, two! "NK and Iran?" you ask, yes it is true. "Surely -two- only free, on the rest trolls would feed?" 'Tis not money they seek, "think deeper and see". 'Ere strong arm, indebt, and pilfer by decade, SWIFT 'nuclear' threat controlled all Ace of Spades; The Fed's threat he did use, thugged those failing to bow, "Thus the Fed's fallen?" "Yes" says Putin, "it is now." Selling you and your children for the fiat parade; Your Soul remains true, but by your will may -it- trade. So stay true and righteous, live life and love more, For we create our shared world, one step for all. -- 7 day challenge muffas :) Do not the wake the snake for 7 days! (Yes, No Nut November surprisingly became instead No Nut Next November :D - but don't be too harsh on yerself.)

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SpyCulture: DisInfoWars Podcast by Tom Secker
by Ryan Carboni 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

>A tip came from the FBI, who were tapping Ellsberg’s phone calls, specifically a >phone call between Ellsberg and his psychiatrist Lewis Fielding where Ellsberg >said he was ‘immensely relieved that he had completed his task’. Other reports >said that Ellsberg and his wife indulged in hallucinogenic drugs and orgies, >suggesting they were part of the hippy scene, and that Ellsberg had a girlfriend >from Sweden, a major entry point for Soviet agents to get into Western Europe. >When news came in that the Pentagon Papers had been supplied to the Soviets >before the New York Times began publishing them alarm bells started to ring. >People noted that Ellsberg had attended Cambridge University, where the >members of notorious Soviet spy ring were recruited. One needs to be a well rounded individual to run our nation's economy or to be part of any elite sector. Like orgy experience or something. The trick I think is to not come off like a creepy loser in order to get invited to these drugged out BDSM parties.

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The Fed' shills for world's greatest tax - Carbon Hoax - 'Member the Fed - [MONEY] [PEACE]
by Zenaan Harkness 02 Dec '19

02 Dec '19

The Federal Reserve Bank, neither federal, nor reserve, nor constitutional, is once again shilling for a global tax of some sort, any bloody sort, just bring the damn tax in already (thank you Greta Thunderburger!) Now why, oh why, would the Fed be shilling for a global tax? Perhaps because they're starting to pump such volumes of voluminous fiats that "full faith and credit" is possibly going to come a gutser? Perhaps the ginormous money printing is causing imbalances where too much money is going (or about to go) into the hands of the populace (UBI I hear you correctly say)? Or perhaps it's just plane sheer unbridled greed and control instincts of the central Bankers Gone Wild? Whatever it is, we know firstly it's a firetrucking hoax, but hey, what's new? Fed Warns Climate Change Is A Major Threat To The Economy https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/fed-warns-climate-change-now-major-threat-… https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2019/sti191107 ... "The U.S. economy has experienced more than $500 billion in direct losses over the last five years due to climate and weather-related events. In addition, climate change has significant consequences for the U.S. economy and financial sector through slowing productivity growth, asset revaluations and sectoral reallocations of business activity" ... Nonetheless, real impacts are already being felt and we must develop the tools to assess and manage them." Impacts... like a 16-year-old girl with Asperger's syndrome dictating monetary, fiscal and social policy? ... At least Greta Thunberg will be happy for a few years before the social catalysm that results from the Fed's final act of idiocy means that eating the rich - and just about anyone else - will be more than just a figure of speech.

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