The crypto industry is desperate to see crypto action from U.S. President Donald Trump, now a few days into his new presidency, but there hasn’t yet been a confirmation from the White House that an executive order is pending.
It’s not entirely off of Trump’s radar, though, because he did mention the crypto industry in his address on Thursday to the World Economic Forum, saying that an increase in domestic oil and gas production will secure U.S. manufacturing dominance and make it “the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.”
Still, he spent much more of the speech talking about U.S. AI commitments and didn’t mention digital assets again.
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The sector will likely be watching closely at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, when Trump is again scheduled to sign executive orders. The White House has already issued an extensive array of such orders. While they don’t carry the weight of law, such directives can steer the federal government’s priorities.
Trump is also scheduled to speak with crypto-friendly El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at 3:30 p.m., news which sparked another rally in Bitcoin’s price.
In other corners of the federal government, the Senate Banking Committee established its first digital assets subcommittee on Thursday, with Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis running it alongside other crypto-friendly lawmakers. And the Securities and Exchange Commission, newly led by Republican Mark Uyeda, announced a crypto task force this week.
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
Donald Trump has called on Opec to push down global oil prices and insisted that central banks around the world lower interest rates “immediately” afterwards.
In a speech to executives in Davos on Thursday, the US president urged Saudi Arabia and other producers to lower the cost of crude oil, expressing dismay that they had not done so already.
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“I’m going to ask Saudi Arabia and Opec to bring down the cost of oil. You gotta bring it down. Which frankly I’m surprised they didn’t do before the election,” he said.
“Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue,” he said, referring to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“You gotta bring down the oil price, that will end that war. You could end that war,” he added.
The US president also used the speech to insist that companies around the world manufacture their products in the US — or face sweeping tariffs on imported goods entering the American market.
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He touted his economic agenda of radical deregulation and the “largest tax cut in American history” to business chiefs and global leaders, calling it “nothing less than a revolution of common sense”.
Voyager Technologies has filed its confidential paperwork to go public, according to multiple media reports. The defense and space company has raised over $215 million from investors like Afterburner Capital and Balerion Space Ventures, according to PitchBook. The Denver-based company will likely be valued between $2 billion and $3 billion, and Morgan Stanley and Latham & Watkins are expected to lead the IPO, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The company, founded in 2019, has a wide set of offerings, from propulsion technologies for defense purposes to building in-space infrastructure. Voyager has also forged powerful partnerships in the industry, linking up with Palantir to integrate Palantir’s AI into Voyager’s offerings.
Technically, Donald Trump broke his campaign promise by not freeing Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht on day one of his presidency. (No, inauguration day is not “day zero.”) But as I explained in my previous Take, I wasn’t expecting a literal first day pardon anyways. Even day two exceeds my expectations. Trump delivered, and I’m very glad he did.
When I first heard about Silk Road in early 2013, I was immediately intrigued by the concept of buying and selling drugs anonymously online. To this day, I think darknet markets are the best intermediary step before the war on drugs is ended: It removes dealers from street corners while providing users some level of quality assurance through a public rating system.
Discovering Silk Road was also how I first learned about Bitcoin. I started writing about the digital currency a few months later, and am still at it today. In a way, I owe my career to Ulbricht.
That Ulbricht was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison was a miscarriage of justice in my view. Even if you believe he is guilty of everything he’s been convicted of (all non-violent crimes), over a decade behind bars should be long enough.
To be sure, I don’t believe Trump actually cares about Ulbricht; he could have freed him during his first term if that was the case. And Trump certainly has no intent of ending the war on drugs; if anything, he’s about to escalate it by designating cartels to be terrorist organizations and imposing the death penalty on drug dealers. Trump promised to pardon Ulbricht because that would benefit him politically — but to his credit, he kept his word.
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Ross is finally free. Well done President Trump, and everyone else who helped make this happen.
This article is a Take. Opinions expressed are entirely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
Lightchain AI is emerging as the secret weapon in the crypto world, poised to surpass popular tokens like Shiba Inu and Dogecoin in market dominance. Combining cutting-edge AI integration with blockchain technology, Lightchain AI offers unmatched utility and scalability.
Its Lightchain AI Presale has already raised $12 million at $0.00525 per token, showcasing strong investor confidence and a promising future. As Shiba Inu and Dogecoin thrive on community support, Lightchain AI’s revolutionary features position it as the next big player ready to redefine the crypto landscape in 2025.
Shiba Inu and Dogecoin- Popularity vs. Long-Term Potential
Lightchain AI is rising as a top choice for the 2025 market boost due to its focus on common rules, clear sight, and fresh thoughts. Its Common Rules gives token owners the strength to guide how the platform moves forward, making sure choices are fair and open. This clear sight ͏builds trust in group; an key part for lasting success.
The place’s good link makes it easy to join with other networks and setups, making it more adjustable in many places. This skill broadens its appeal and helps the work team.
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Lightchain A͏I also cares about apps that work in a spread out way (dApps) by giving a comfy and handy base for their build and run. By making real-world apps with clear links, and open, Lightchain AI sees itself as a leader in blockchain change for the 2025 market boom.
Why Lightchain AI Is Poised to Dominate the Crypto Market
Lightchain AI is set to dominate the crypto market with its innovative vision and strategic roadmap. The journey begins with Prototype Development in November 2024, including rigorous testing of PoI and AIVM in a sandbox environment. The Testnet Rollout follows in January 2025, enabling real-world testing by developers and node operators.
By March 2025, the Mainnet Launch will activate full functionality, while May 2025 sees Ecosystem Growth, with grants and partnerships driving adoption. Global Adoption efforts in June focus on scalability and interoperability, with long-term sustainability initiatives completing the roadmap.
To address risks, Lightchain AI employs advanced mitigation strategies, such as sharding for scalability, differential privacy for data protection, and decentralized governance to prevent power centralization. These innovations ensure resilience and success.
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Lightchain AI’s secret token, LCAI, is set to surpass SHIB and DOGE in market dominance, making it the must-have crypto investment for today. The project has already attracted significant attention from prominent investors and influencers worldwide, with its potential applications extending far beyond the meme-inspired coins of today.
So don’t wait- invest in Lightchain AI now to secure your future tomorrow. With its groundbreaking technology and strategic roadmap, it’s no surprise that LCAI is on track to become a leading force in the cryptocurrency market.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored article and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.
Stifel CEO Ron Kruszewski discusses banks’ M&A space and market valuation ahead of the new US administration’s policy. Kruszewski speaks to Bloomberg’s Lisa Abramowicz on the sidelines of the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Source: Bloomberg)
The Labour Government has been accused of introducing “mass bank spying” through new legislation aimed at assisting the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cracking down on benefit fraud.
Under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament earlier this week, ministers plan to save £8.6billion over the next five years.
Privacy campaigners have branded the measures “one of the biggest assaults on welfare in a generation” as the bill is set grant the DWP new powers to obtain bank statements from individuals suspected of benefit fraud and require banks to flag potential breaches of eligibility rules.
According to Government figures, the department estimates that benefit fraudsters cheated taxpayers out of £7billion last year.
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Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo warned the legislation is “turning British welfare into a digital surveillance system” with “unprecedented privacy intrusions”.
Do you have a money story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing money@gbnews.uk.
The DWP has been accused of “mass bank spying” by campaigners
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Under the new legislation, the DWP will have powers to recover money directly from bank accounts of benefit fraudsters who are no longer receiving benefits or in PAYE employment. The department will specifically target those who have the means to pay but have refused to do so.
Officials stress that while they will be able to request bank statements, they will not have direct access to bank accounts. The measures are part of what the DWP calls its “biggest fraud crackdown in a generation”.
Banks and building societies will face new requirements to report potential breaches of benefit eligibility rules. The legislation also grants DWP organised crime investigators new powers to apply for search warrants.
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This will allow them to support police in searching premises and seizing evidence such as computers and smartphones. Furthermore, the time limit for civil claims against Covid fraud will be doubled from six to twelve years, giving authorities more time to investigate complex cases.
The DWP is is line to be awarded new powers
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Carlo said: “We must be extremely cautious about the Government creating a second tier justice system reserved for people who rely on welfare that side-steps fair hearings in courts to take away people’s funds and freedoms.”
She warned that elderly, disabled and people on the poverty line could have their lives “destroyed by mistaken punishments” and acknowledged that, while everyone wants genuine fraudsters to face justice, the new powers extend beyond fraud to correcting the government’s “own frequent payment errors”.
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“These are totally unprecedented privacy intrusions and punishments that will do more damage to fundamental British values of fairness and justice than to the serious fraudsters,” Carlo added.
Big Brother Watch UK expressed particular concern about the Government’s ability to directly access bank accounts and suspend driving licences. Among the most controversial new powers is the DWP’s ability to apply for driving bans of up to two years for benefit fraudsters.
This penalty would apply to individuals who owe £1,000 or more and repeatedly refuse to repay the money. The driving ban measures will specifically target those who have ignored previous requests from the DWP.
As part of the legislation, a comprehensive framework for banks to identify potential benefit fraud is being rolled out. Financial institutions will be required to report suspicious activity that could indicate breaches of benefit eligibility rules.
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Liz Kendall has pledged a benefits crackdown PA
The DWP says this proactive approach aims to prevent debts from accumulating and reduce the need for later repayment demands. New investigative powers will also allow DWP organised crime investigators to work more closely with police.
They will be able to apply for court warrants to search premises and seize electronic devices as evidence against suspected fraudsters. Michael Erhardt, campaigner at Disability Rights UK, criticised the Government’s approach to benefit fraud.
“The problem isn’t the social security budget – it is poor Government direction and underfunding of public services that are leading to more and more people becoming physically and mentally unwell,” he said.
He emphasised that supporting people with health conditions should be a societal priority. “When people are unwell or when they have long-term impairments or health conditions, then we as a decent society should give them the level of benefits that they need to live on,” Erhardt stated.
Stellantis’ Belvidere site has been mothballed since February 2023 after the carmaker temporarily discontinued production of the Jeep Cherokee crossover. Read More
The new flagship Galaxy lineup brings with it a handful of upgrades for each of the three models, with increased RAM, new AI tools, and the blazing-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
One of the upgrades that caught my eye during the livestream was the announcement of a new storage tier for the baseline S25, which now comes in a 512GB storage option in addition to the existing 128GB and 256GB variants – but, for some reason, not in the US.
The 512GB storage tier was previously limited to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. But this small change gives UK and Australia-based customers a lot more flexibility when it comes to finding the right sizing and storage capacity for them.
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The S25 Plus measures 6.7 inches diagonally, so getting more storage previously meant picking up a rather large phone. Keen photographers, gamers, or long-term users who prefer a smaller Galaxy phone now have the option of carrying around half a terabyte of storage in the form of the 6.2-inch S25.
At £959 / AU$1,599, I actually think this high capacity handset is very reasonably priced. It certainly undercuts the 512GB model of the iPhone 16, which comes in at a hefty $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949. Overall, a very pro-consumer choice – good job, Samsung.
However, part of me thinks Samsung could have gone a little further with this year’s baseline Galaxy flagship when it comes to storage. Though it may seem crazy to say to those of us who can remember the days of 16GB being the default, I think we’re getting close to the logical end of the 128GB default.
Having plenty of storage space is important as we continue to rely on our phones for day-to-day tasks. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
With generative AI offering new ways to create different types of content, and phone makers continuing to focus on high-resolution mobile photography, users have more ways to fill up their storage than ever before. This, combined with the deflation of component prices over time should, in my opinion, spell the end of 128GB flagships sooner rather than later.
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Though still enough space for light to medium users, the baseline S25’s 128GB storage option now sticks out like a sore thumb in the company’s lineup. I’d love to have seen Samsung push forward and break this standard before it becomes noticeably outdated.
Of the ‘big three’ phone makers – Apple, Samsung, and Google – Samsung is especially renowned for fitting its phones with high-spec components. A higher standard storage would’ve given the S25 an edge over the Pixel 9 and iPhone 16, both of which sport 128GB as standard and both of which won’t be upgraded until much later in the year.
Still, I’m happy with the lineup we’ve got – as mentioned, this is one of the most competitively priced baseline flagships on the market, and if raising the standard storage tier would incur a price hike then perhaps keeping it steady was the right move. And those who pre-order an S25-series phone get a storage upgrade on the house anyway, doubling your storage for no extra cost.
Liz Kendall has pledged a benefits crackdown PA
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