Addressing a single executive order from Donald Trump’s voluminous first-day edicts is like singling out one bullet in a burst from an AK-47. But one of them hit me in the gut. That is “Establishing and Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency.’’ The acronym for that name is DOGE (named after a memecoin), and it’s the Elon Musk–led effort to cut government spending by a trillion bucks or two. Though DOGE was, until this week, pitched as an outside body, this move makes it an official part of government—by embedding it in an existing agency that was formerly part of the Office of Management and Budget called the United States Digital Service. The latter will now be known as the US DOGE Service, and its new head will be more tightly connected to the president, reporting to his chief of staff.

The new USDS will apparently shift its former laser focus on building cost-efficient and well-designed software for various agencies to a hardcore implementation of the Musk vision. It’s kind of like a government version of a SPAC, the dodgy financial maneuver that launched Truth Social in the public market without ever having to reveal a coherent business plan to underwriters.

The order is surprising in a sense because, on its face, DOGE seems more limited than its original super ambitious pitch. This iteration seems more tightly centered on saving money through streamlining and modernizing the government’s massive and messy IT infrastructure. There are big savings to be had, but a handful of zeros short of trillions. As of yet, it’s uncertain whether Musk will become the DOGE administrator. It doesn’t seem big enough for him. (The first USDS director, Mikey Dickerson, jokingly posted on LinkedIn, “’I’d like to congratulate Elon Musk on being promoted to my old job.”) But reportedly Musk pushed for this structure as a way to embed DOGE in the White House. I hear that inside the Executive Office Building, there are numerous pink Post-it notes claiming space even beyond USDS’s turf, including one such note on the former chief information officers’ enviable office. So maybe this could be a launch pad for a more sweeping effort that will eliminate whole agencies and change policies. (I was unable to get a White House representative to answer questions, which isn’t surprising considering that there are dozens of other orders that equally beg for explanation.)

One thing is clear—this ends United States Digital Service as it previously existed, and marks a new, and maybe perilous era for the USDS, which I have been enthusiastically covering since its inception. The 11-year-old agency sprang out of the high-tech rescue squad salvaging the mess that was Healthcare.gov, the hellish failure of a website that almost tanked the Affordable Care Act. That intrepid team of volunteers set the template for the agency: a small group of coders and designers who used internet-style techniques (cloud not mainframe; the nimble “agile” programming style instead of the outdated “waterfall” technique) to make government tech as nifty as the apps people use on their phones. Its soldiers, often leaving lucrative Silicon Valley jobs, were lured by the prospect of public service. They worked out of the agency’s funky brownstone headquarters on Jackson Place, just north of the White House. The USDS typically took on projects that were mired in centi-million contracts and never completed—delivering superior results within weeks. It would embed its employees in agencies that requested help, being careful to work collaboratively with the lifers in the IT departments. A typical project involved making DOD military medical records interoperable with the different systems used by the VA. The USDS became a darling of the Obama administration, a symbol of its affiliation with cool nerddom.

During the first Trump administration, deft maneuvering kept the USDS afloat—it was the rare Obama initiative that survived. Its second-in-command, Haley Van Dyck, cleverly got buy-in from Trump’s in-house fixer, Jared Kushner. When I went to meet Kushner for an off-the-record talk early in 2017, I ran into Van Dyck in the West Wing; she gave me a conspiratorial nod that things were looking up, at least for the moment. Nonetheless, the four Trump years became a balancing act in sharing the agency’s achievements while somehow staying under the radar. “At Disney amusement parks, they paint things that they want to be invisible with this certain color of green so that people don’t notice it in passing,” one USDSer told me. “We specialized in painting ourselves that color of green.” When Covid hit, that became a feat in itself, as USDS worked closely with White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx on gathering statistics—some of which the administration wasn’t eager to publicize.

By the end of Trump’s term, the green paint was wearing thin. A source tells me that at one point a Trump political appointee noticed—not happily— that USDS was recruiting at tech conferences for lesbians and minorities, and asked why. The answer was that it was an effective way to find great product managers and designers. The appointee accepted that but asked if, instead of putting “Lesbians Who Tech” on the reimbursement line, could they just say LWT?

Shiba Inu whales are rotating their profits into PropiChain, betting on its AI features and potential to rise.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) whales make strategic moves by cashing out and rotating profits into new opportunities. As a result, SHIB has experienced a 3.12% dip in the past 24 hours. This shift in focus indicates a growing interest in projects that promise higher returns.

PropiChain (PCHAIN) is catching investors’ attention due to its unique AI features. The project has raised $2 million during the presale, with its token selling at $0.01.

Shiba Inu sees 883% outflows

Shiba Inu experienced a massive 883% increase in outflows, with large investors pulling out over 460 billion SHIB. Between January 15 and 16, the total Shiba Inu outflows grew from 647 billion to 1.11 trillion SHIB. This large-scale movement has left investors worried about its future price movement.

The significant outflows were driven by big investors cashing out and adjusting their positions. Some investors sold out their Shiba Inu holdings to protect their gains. This pushed Shiba Inu to drop, denoting a 10.84% decrease in the past week.

Analysts believe Shiba Inu might have limited upside potential as new meme coins take the spotlight.

Whales bet on PropiChain and its AI features

Shiba Inu whales are betting big on PropiChain’s AI-driven altcoin. The project has raised $2 million during the presale and this is only scratching the surface as new investors join the fold.

At $0.01, PropiChain could be undervalued, making it a favorite among investors in the crypto space.

Its appeal comes from real estate tokenization and fractional ownership features. This will create new opportunities for PropiChain’s users, as many of them will be able to buy portions of properties. The true impact of this model is that it allows them to diversify their portfolios and earn passive income through rental income.

However, PropiChain’s AI features are its secret weapon. The platform will allow for predictive market analysis, helping users spot lucrative real estate investments and capitalize on them before anyone else.

With its automated valuation models, users will benefit from fair and accurate property appraisals. This will allow buyers and sellers to close real estate deals faster as the pricing is provided by AI algorithms.

Additionally, smart contracts will be used to automate transactions such as auto-leasing and lease renewals. This process handles transactions on behalf of landlords and tenants, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

PropiChain also incorporates the metaverse for virtual property viewing, allowing users to walk through properties in the digital space.

To maintain the safety of users and investors, PropiChain’s smart contracts have been rigorously audited by BlockAudit, a reputable Web3 security firm.

Shiba Inu and PCHAIN in 2025

While Shiba Inu has surged thanks to the hype around meme coins, PropiChain is counting on its AI features for a significant edge in 2025.

The new altcoin is also benefiting from bull market rotations, where smart money rotates their profits from established altcoins. With a growing community of investors, PropiChain could be the dark horse of this bull market.

Investors scoop the PCHAIN token

PCHAIN could currently be one of the most undervalued tokens in the market. At $0.01, PropiChain provides growth investors with a low entry for potentially massive gains.

Due to its promising AI features, PropiChain has raised $2 million in its ongoing token presale. This is considered a stepping stone as it has been listed on CoinMarketCap, opening up an avenue to attract more investors. The listing serves as a reminder the AI-driven altcoin is committed to transparency and growth.

For more information on PropiChain, visit their website or online community.

Earthblade, the next game from the developers of Celeste, has been canceled. The fantasy-inspired game got its first trailer in late 2022, and the game would have let you explore a “free-roaming, dynamically-loading map,” Extremely OK Games’ Maddy Thorson said at the time. But the team decided to cancel the game in December after a team conflict and because of the pressure of trying to follow up on Celeste, Thorson says in a post detailing what happened.

The “disagreement” was between Thorson and Noel Berry (Thorson refers to the two of them as “us”) and Pedro Medeiros over “the IP rights of Celeste,” Thorson says. “We eventually reached a resolution, but both parties also agreed in the end that we should go our separate ways,” and Medeiros is currently working on a game called Neverway. “Losing Pedro wasn’t the only factor in cancelling the game, but it did prompt us to take a serious look at whether fighting through to finish Earthblade was the right path forward,” Thorson says.

The huge success of Celeste also “applied pressure on us to deliver something bigger and better with Earthblade, and that pressure is a large part of why working on it has become so exhausting,” Thorson says. “Pedro isn’t to blame for this — in fact the split with him has given us the clarity to see that we have lost our way, and the opportunity to admit defeat.”

Thorson and Berry want to refocus on “smaller-scale projects” and are “prototyping again” to try and “rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it at Celeste’s or TowerFall’s inception.”

Dubai-based crypto market maker CLS Global will plead guilty to charges related to wash trading on the decentralized exchange Uniswap.

Federal prosecutors in Boston announced Wednesday that the company will face market manipulation and wire fraud charges after falling victim to an FBI sting operation.

$428K Fine and U.S. Market Ban

As part of the plea agreement, the financial services firm will pay penalties and forfeited assets totaling over $428,000. The company will also be barred from offering services to U.S. investors and will be required to file annual compliance certifications.

A press release shows that CLS Global had been providing market-making services and other related offerings for crypto companies. The investigation specifically focused on its involvement with NexFundAI, a fake digital currency company set up by the FBI that had token trading on Uniswap.

The firm admitted that it had agreed to provide services for NexFundAI, which included wash trading to fraudulently generate trading volume and attract investors.

During several video conferences between July and August 2024, an employee explained that CLS used an algorithm for self-trading, buying, and selling from multiple wallets so that the activity was not visible and appeared organic. The worker revealed, “I know that it’s wash trading, and I know people might not be happy about it.”

The UAE-based firm then proceeded to buy and sell the token on Uniswap using its own wallets, creating fake trading volume to meet exchange listing requirements and bring in potential investors.

FBI Sting Operation

CLS Global is registered in the United Arab Emirates and has more than 50 employees based outside the U.S. It provided crypto-related services accessible to American investors, with the company’s official website listing partnerships with major centralized exchanges such as Binance, Bybit, KuCoin, Bitfinex, OKX, and Bitget.

The charges against it followed an undercover law enforcement operation targeting crypto “wash trading,” a practice where assets are bought and sold by the same party to create the illusion of market activity.

The company was one of three market makers investigated in the initiative, which also led to charges against several individuals involved in manipulating digital assets that were offered and sold as securities. This case marked the first set of criminal charges against financial services firms for market manipulation and wash trading in the industry.

Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a related civil enforcement action against CLS Global, alleging violations of securities laws. The agency is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest, and civil penalties, with any money seized from the crypto firm credited to the SEC resolution.

Ethereum (ETH) has been underperforming in recent weeks, with its price action leaving investors disappointed following last week’s flash crash and heightened volatility. Despite initial hopes for a recovery, ETH has struggled to regain momentum, trending downward since mid-December. This lack of bullish movement has left investors eager for a surge that could break Ethereum out of its current slump.

Related Reading

Adding to the anticipation, top analyst Carl Runefelt recently shared a technical analysis suggesting that Ethereum may be preparing for its next significant move. According to Runefelt, ETH is forming a 4-hour symmetrical triangle, a pattern often associated with periods of consolidation before a breakout. While the direction of the breakout remains uncertain, the formation indicates that a decisive move could be on the horizon.

As Ethereum hovers near key levels, market participants are closely monitoring the triangle’s resolution. A breakout to the upside could reignite bullish sentiment, while a breakdown may signal continued struggles for the largest altcoin. With the broader crypto market showing signs of recovery, the coming days will be crucial for Ethereum to prove its resilience and reestablish its position as a leading performer in the space. All eyes are now on ETH’s next move.

Ethereum Consolidates Before A Move

Ethereum is currently in a short-term consolidation phase, trading between key demand and supply levels as the market grapples with uncertainty. While analysts are anticipating a major move, the direction remains unclear due to heightened volatility and mixed sentiment among investors. ETH’s price action reflects a market in wait-and-see mode, with traders closely monitoring key technical levels for signs of a breakout.

Top analyst Carl Runefelt recently shared his technical analysis on X, highlighting Ethereum’s preparation for its next significant move. According to Runefelt, ETH is forming a 4-hour symmetrical triangle, a pattern that often precedes a decisive breakout. He noted that this setup comes with both bullish and bearish scenarios, depending on the direction of the breakout.

If ETH breaks above the triangle, the bullish target is set around $3,900, signaling the potential start of a new bullish phase. Conversely, a breakdown below the triangle would point to a bearish target near $2,720, indicating further downside. Runefelt emphasized the importance of monitoring this pattern as it unfolds, as the outcome could set the tone for Ethereum’s next trend.

Related Reading

With market sentiment still uncertain and volatility remaining high, Ethereum’s symmetrical triangle offers a clear framework for traders. Whether the breakout is upward or downward, it will likely mark the beginning of a significant move, shaping Ethereum’s trajectory in the weeks to come. For now, investors are keeping a close eye on this critical technical formation.

Volatility Driving The Market

Ethereum is currently trading at $3,317, navigating a market dominated by massive volatility. This heightened price action has become the primary force driving speculation and uncertainty among traders. As Ethereum struggles to stabilize, holding above critical support levels is essential to maintaining a bullish structure and avoiding further downside.

The $3,300 level has emerged as a key area of support that bulls need to defend to sustain momentum. If ETH can hold this mark and push above the $3,550 resistance with strength, it could solidify a bullish outlook and potentially lead to a stronger recovery. Breaking this level would also signal renewed confidence among investors, opening the door to a more sustained upward trend.

However, the market’s uncertainty also carries the risk of a deeper correction. Losing the $3,000 psychological level could trigger additional selling pressure, leading to a dramatic drop and testing lower support zones. Such a move would challenge ETH’s resilience and likely extend its consolidation phase.

Related Reading

As the market waits for clearer signals, Ethereum’s ability to hold above key levels will be closely watched. The coming days are critical for determining whether ETH can maintain its structure or face further volatility and downside pressure.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.

In 2015, the blogging site Tumblr launched a GIF discovery feature called Tumblr TV as an experimental product. Now, with the U.S. TikTok ban leaving the fate of the short-form video app uncertain, Tumblr has decided it’s finally time to launch Tumblr TV, which has since evolved to support video, to all its users as one of its standard features.

The company on Tuesday announced the product’s graduation from its experimental projects home known as Tumblr Labs, explaining how the tab would become available to everyone. New users will see the tab in a fairly prominent third position in the app. Meanwhile, existing users will be able to toggle Tumblr TV on or off in their Dashboard Tabs configuration settings, Tumblr said.

The decision to promote the video product from an experiment to a core feature nearly 10 years after its creation has a lot to do with the demand for TikTok alternatives in the wake of the U.S. law that banned the app and others with Chinese ownership in the country.

Though enforcement of that ban is currently on hold after President Trump’s intervention, it’s still unclear whether TikTok will agree to a deal — despite its many suitors — to keep the app live in the U.S. after the 75-day deadline extension is up.

Like many apps, Tumblr noted it saw a surge of users joining its service on the day of the TikTok ban on January 19, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. As a result, the blogging service saw a roughly 35% increase in iOS app installs and a 70% increase in new users joining Communities, a feature that allows users to join various groups focused on specific interests.

In fact, some newcomers even established Tumblr Communities, like TikTok Repository, aimed at those who wanted a place to back up and share their TikTok videos. Another Community, TikTok Refugees, was active with both new and returning users, the company said.

As a competitor to TikTok, however, TumblrTV falls short. Though the company made many improvements while the service was a Labs feature — including the addition of lightbox support, improved scrubbing, and video support — the final product doesn’t feel all that much like TikTok, where original creator content dominates.

Tumblr’s video feed does allow for vertical swipe-based navigation within its channels (like Art or Sports) when viewed on mobile, similar to TikTok. But the GIFs featured in this full-screen viewing mode are naturally grainy, while many of the videos featured aren’t formatted for vertical viewing because they were never recorded for a vertical video app in the first place.

Still, the company hopes that a video feed could make TikTok users feel a little bit more at home if they decide to move to Tumblr.

Of course, with TikTok back online in the U.S. for the time being, the demand for a backup app is likely waning.

Payments-focused cryptocurrency XRP and world’s most-used blockchain Solana (SOL) prices spiked on Wednesday afternoon, after report that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is adding futures contracts of both.

According to a post on X, CME have posted the futures page for XRP and SOL in their “staging subdomain.”

A screenshot of the website shows that the regulated futures could start trading on Feb. 10 pending regulatory approval. The website was not accessible at the time of publication. CoinDesk reached out to CME for comments.

“We’ve seen a slew of ETF filings for SOL and XRP futures ETFs. Typically these would use CME or CBOE futures but we don’t have any yet,” Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart told CoinDesk. “I would expect CME to list those futures in the next month assuming those issuers know something we don’t.”

XRP and SOL jumped as much as 3% in the minutes after the post started circulating on social media, TradingView data showed.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 10:09 UTC): Adds comments from Bloomberg ETF analyst.

Read More: Solana Bull Bets Big on SOL Rallying to $400