Zeros

Understanding the $75 Billion in Illicit Digital Assets: Context and Perspective A recent report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has identified approximately $75 billion in digital assets linked to illicit activity that could potentially be seized by law enforcement. For those following developments in digital currency regulation and crime, this figure raises important questions about the scale and nature of illegal activity in the cryptocurrency space. What the Number Represents The $75 billion estimate includes $15 billion held directly by illicit entities and over $60 billion in wallets with indirect exposure to criminal activity. Notably, darknet market operators and vendors control over $40 billion of these digital assets, representing the largest single category within the total. Bitcoin accounts for approximately 75% of the total illicit value, though stablecoins are playing an increasingly significant role in such activities. The fact that these funds exi...

How to Start a Shouting Match With the Teens in Your Life (The Drake vs. Kendrick Survival Guide) So apparently, Drake tried to sue Kendrick Lamar over Not Like Us , and the court just tossed it out like yesterday’s fries. Which means two things: (1) rap beefs are now officially part of the American justice system, and (2) it’s Homecoming Weekend , so someone’s teenager is about to yell at you for having the wrong opinion about it. Let’s be honest : none of us are actually qualified to have opinions about Drake or Kendrick Lamar. We just remember when Hotline Bling came out and think it’s still kind of new. Meanwhile, teenagers are dissecting diss lyrics like they’re Shakespearean sonnets. “ Mom, you don’t get it—‘the Boogeyman’ line means something .” And you’re standing there holding a pumpkin spice latte thinking, I thought we were talking about music? Here’s a quick guide to surviving this generational shouting match: Step One : Pretend you’re neutral . S...

Labor Federation Opposes Senate Cryptocurrency Bill The AFL-CIO has formally opposed the Responsible Financial Innovation Act , a Senate bill that would establish regulatory frameworks for digital currency. The Teamster's objections center on worker retirement security and systemic financial risk . The legislation would permit FDIC -insured banks to custody and trade digital assets directly. It would also allow companies to issue tokenized financial assets with reduced SEC oversight. The AFL-CIO argues these provisions create a " facade of regulation " that legitimizes cryptocurrency without adequate consumer protection. The Teamster's primary concern involves retirement funds . Millions of workers whose pensions and 401(k)s are managed through institutional channels could face exposure to cryptocurrency volatility if the bill passes. Current regulations prevent insured banks from engaging in high-risk  trading. The proposed legislation would remove...

The Empty Echo : What Happens When Our Malls Disappear? You're pulling the Halloween decorations down from the closet, and right behind them, there's the box marked,  Christmas . In a few weeks, you'll be shopping for gifts—probably clicking through Amazon at midnight, maybe making a quick Walmart run between errands. It's efficient. It's convenient. But something has been quietly vanishing while we've been adding items to our digital carts. Across America, the malls that once anchored our communities are being demolished. Eastland Mall in Columbus, Ohio—once a bustling center of commerce and community—began its demolition this year. The Outlets at Hillsboro in Texas, Jamestown Mall in Missouri, and dozens of others have met the same fate or are scheduled for the wrecking ball. These aren't just buildings coming down. They're town centers disappearing. The numbers tell a sobering story. Between 2016 and 2024, a net 18,730 ma...

Will Ethereum Tank? A Deep Dive into the Vitalik Vanishing Act Look, I'm going to level with you: every single person holding ETH right now is secretly praying for a massive tank. Not because we're masochists (well, not primarily), but because a proper crash means we get to spend the next six months doing what we do best—obsessively analyzing the, " second blockchain according to canon, " while pretending we understand what " gas fees " actually represent in the grand cosmic scheme of things. But first, can we address the elephant in the room? Where is Vitalik Buterin ?  Remember when you couldn't scroll through crypto Twitter for thirty seconds without seeing that distinctive profile picture? The man was everywhere—conferences, podcasts, Medium posts written in that distinctively earnest tone that made you feel simultaneously enlightened and confused. Now? Radio silence . Did he finally get a real job? Is he working at a Starbucks in Ot...

Ravyn Lenae: The New Soft Storm We’ve Been Waiting For Wow . Just—wow. You know that feeling when you stumble across an artist and suddenly feel like you’ve been living under a rock your whole life? That’s me right now with Ravyn Lenae . I was scrolling through Billboard , half-expecting another recycled headline about Taylor Swift’s Showgirl era, when I saw her name. One click later, and I’m knee-deep in neon soul, floating vocals, and emotional precision that’s part Sade , part The Weeknd , and all her own. Let’s start there— Sade . You can’t say Ravyn Lenae without at least whispering that comparison. Both have this uncanny ability to seduce without shouting, to let silence hum between beats. Ravyn’s voice is pure silk, never hurried, never desperate to prove itself. Like Sade, she lets mood carry melody. Her songs feel like dim light on glass—soft, reflective, and endlessly replayable. And yet, there’s something futuristic happening too. While Sade gave us quiet luxur...

The French Connection : How Your Retirement Got Hooked on Digital Smack Remember The French Connection ? That gritty 1971 masterpiece where Gene Hackman chases heroin smugglers through the Métro, under cars, into the grimy underbelly of international drug trafficking? Well, mes amis , I have news: nearly 20% of you are now living in that movie. Except instead of hiding pure heroin in a Lincoln Continental, you're hiding Bitcoin in your portfolio allocation, and nobody—especially not your bank manager—wants to talk about where it really came from. Let's be clear : your retirement fund isn't being turbocharged by some visionary understanding of blockchain technology. It's being propped up by the financial equivalent of street-corner product that nobody can quite explain, everyone's afraid to refuse, and absolutely no one is certain won't disappear in a police raid. Digital assets! Cryptocurrencies! It sounds so much cleaner than, " wildly specu...