Dow Jones Dips, Nasdaq Flies; Meta Rockets among Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘surprise’

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower even as the Nasdaq jumped more than 3%. Meta platforms (META) Mark Zuckerberg spun as he shared his surprise. apple ( AAPL ) led earnings Microsoft (MSFT) was the top blue chip.

X

New Leaderboard member US Global Jets (JETS) ETF rose above a buy point. A trio of other notable names bounced back amid bullish action. chewable (CHWY), Tapestry (TPR) and Arrow Electronics (ARW) all tested inputs.

New data from the Labor Department showed first-time jobless claims fell to 183,000 from 186,000 in the previous week. Analysts had expected them to rise to 193,000. The labor market continues to show strength, with first-time claims last week coming in well below expectations for the second week in a row.

Nasdaq Jumps, Small Caps Shine

Today’s action was key, as the stock market often reacts to Fed meetings on the second day. Traders remain in risk-on mode today, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s virtuoso post-meeting press conference performance boosting markets.

The Nasdaq was the strongest of the major indexes as it gained 3.3%. DocuSign ( DOCU ) performed well here with a gain of 7.7%.

The S&P 500 rose 1.5% to hit a five-month high. WW Grainger ( GWW ) was among the stars here as it gained 13% following the company’s quarterly results.

S&P 500 sectors closed mixed. Consumer discretionary, communications services and technology were the best performers, while consumer staples and energy were the worst laggards.

Small caps also impressed, with the Russell 2000 up 2.1%. Growth stocks struggled to the close, with the Innovator IBD 50 ETF ( FFTY ) up 1%.

Dow Jones today: Microsoft, Apple Impress

The Dow Jones Industrial Average underperformed other major indexes, although some components performed well. It closed off lows but was still down 0.1%.

Microsoft shares rose 4.7% today to become the top performer on the Dow Jones. MarketSmith shows that MSFT shares are clear of their 200-day moving average for the first time since April.

Apple shares also performed well, rising 3.7%. AAPL shares also rose to the 200-day line and are up more than 20% so far this year.

Apple’s earnings will be paid after the close, Wall Street expects EPS to fall 8.1% to $1.93, with sales down 2.2% to $121.21 billion, according to Zacks Investment Research.

On the downside, UnitedHealth (UNH) and Merck ( MRK ) both lagged the Dow. UNH decreased by 5.3% and MRK by 3.3%.

Meta Stock Rockets; Mark Zuckerberg admitted his “surprise”.

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms rose after its latest quarterly report on Wednesday. While earnings were down, revenue, sales guidance and Facebook user numbers were all flat in views.

Meta shares closed slightly lower on Friday’s highs, but still gained 23.3%. This allowed it to escape the 200-day moving average. No access points are currently visible.

Investors seemed particularly pleased with the firm’s announcement of a $40 billion share buyback. The parent of Facebook and Instagram cut its forecast for expenses, including capital expenditures.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to be finding his inner Ebenezer Scrooge, suggesting during the earnings call that “reducing layers of management” will improve information flow, which will lead to better products and better employee retention.

“It was a little surprising to me to be honest, the company felt better to me when we started looking into this,” he said.

Zuckerberg is already reaping the benefits. The tech mogul, who Bloomberg estimated was worth $57.2 billion at Wednesday’s close, will see his net worth increase significantly by the end of trading today.

New Leader Passed Buy Point

The US Global Jets ETF pulled away from a buy point amid bullish moves in the airlines space.

In the process, he managed to break free from the 20.79 handle entry, earning a spot on the prestigious IBD Leaderboard list. The ETF rose 3.1%, nearing the top of a buy zone.

The ETF holds most of its holdings in both U.S. and foreign airlines, but aerospace firms and travel firms also have meaningful positions in the fund.

Wednesday’s IBD Stock of the Day, Delta Airlines (DAL), closed above the 39.72 buy point, with a 5% buy zone extended to 41.70. He finished the day right.

Among related stocks, Southwest Airlines (LUV) rose 3.4%, United Airlines (UAL) rose 4.2%, American Airlines (AAL) rose 2.2% and Alaska Weather (ALK) increased by 3.3%.

Align Technology The stock is sinking its teeth into monster gains

Orthodontic stock Align Technology (ALGN) was one of the best performers on the stock market today.

It rose 27.3% after beating Wall Street views on the top and bottom lines in its quarterly report.

Investors also boosted shares of Align after the firm announced it would buy back up to $1 billion in stock over the next three years.

No entry is seen after the stock has broken out and moved 60% above its 50-day moving average.

ALGN shares are now up nearly 70% through 2023.

Outside the Dow Jones: 3 Stock Test Entries

It’s a good time to buy quality stocks, and several popular names are tested buy points on Thursday.

Online pet retailer Chewy is in a buying zone after clearing its handle cup entry on 48.11.11. The relative strength line just hit a six-month high, a bullish sign.

Arrow Electronics crossed the 129.66 cup base entry after the earnings report. It has the highest EPS rating of 95.

One reason to be cautious is that future estimates are not very impressive. EPS will grow 29% in 2023 and 1% in 2024.

The tapestry is just below the entrance after clearing the 47.15 cup buy point earlier. This is the first stage basis, which means that net rich gains are more likely.

Earnings are the main weakness, with the EPS Rating falling to 52 from 99. Earnings are seen rising 5% this year before rising to 15% in 2024.

Follow Michael Larkin on Twitter @IBD_MLarkin for further analysis of growth stocks.

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How to access information in censored countries

Keystone / Richard Jones

China, Russia, Iran, and other countries with dictatorships and harsh regimes increasingly block free Internet access and use the Internet to collect information. This guide explains how to avoid online censorship and use the internet safely and anonymously.

This content was published on February 2, 2023 – 3:37 pm

How to access blocked websites: proxy servers and VPNs

Static proxy servers the answer used to be – IP addresses that forward internet traffic. But now many censors have become aware of such credentials and have blocked them.

Instead, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) can be used. A VPN is an encrypted tunnel connection to a server, possibly in another country, that hides what is happening in the tunnel. VPNs can allow internet access from a censored area, but they are not foolproof. While they can’t see the tunnel, censors can identify VPNs and who’s running them. In many places they are illegal.

Browse with Tor

Another option Tor browserExternal link, Available for download on the Tor project website. Tor, built in layers like the onion logo, connects users to the Internet using a series of paths called Tor nodes. Each node places a layer of encryption on top of the browser’s behavior, so it cannot be read by other Tor nodes.

All normal websites can be accessed using Tor with varying degrees of anonymity. The website operator cannot identify the browser’s IP address or any other identifying features because Tor blocks access to this information. To avoid censorship, Tor developed pluggable vehicles. These hide the nature of internet traffic, so web surfing can appear to be e-mail or video conferencing activity, for example.

Sometimes censors can object to connectable traffic by seeing how the server responds to its traffic. If the server does not respond as expected to traffic sent because pluggable transports are used, authorities may disconnect you. If such traffic is detected, it is usually intercepted and blocked. But maybe the authorities will continue to investigate the user.

Browsing with Tor can be a bit less convenient than a standard browser because it doesn’t store settings or passwords. Some websites or organizations also block traffic from the Tor network because they consider it dangerous, but this is generally more accepted.

Construction of bridges

To access Tor from a censored country, you need a so-called bridge. Bridges help users access the Tor network despite mode blocks. Each Tor user can provide a bridge through their own machine, so if people in countries with free internet access do so, they can give people in censored countries more options to access the Tor network.

To avoid censorship on Tor, you need to use the correct browser settings. During Tor installation, the Firefox-based browser asks if you are in a censored country once. If you confirm this, pluggable transport is loaded automatically.

It is also possible to download transports that can be connected to Tor through existing browser settings. Bridges are also loaded, and the Tor browser continuously searches for the current bridges itself.

Users in uncensored countries will be asked by Tor if they want to provide a bridge. This may have a small impact on internet speed.

There is also a project called SnowflakeExternal link allows all users with regular Chrome or Firefox browsers to provide bridges without Tor. The Snowflake Bridge only exists as long as someone surfs it before it “melts” and becomes unrecognizable.

Secure messaging services

Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger are widely used, but data may not be secure. It’s a free program called Alternative AlarmExternal link, open source code allows experts to regularly check its security.

How SWI swissinfo.ch reaches users where censorship exists

One way to access our website is to set up a VPN.

In addition, we distribute our content through secure messaging services such as Telegram for the Russian languageExternal link and ArabicExternal link content, chat services for our Chinese-speaking communities, such as WeChat (you can find us on WeChat under the username 瑞自庁电报), and newsletters.

For our content in Russian, we now offer a daily newsletter with the most important article of the day. You can register via this secure linkExternal link. You can read the article sent in this newsletter directly in your inbox without entering our website.

End of input

This article is adapted from internet censorship guidelinesExternal link originally published on Deutsche Welle.

Have any questions or feedback? Let us know!

As per JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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Bitcoin’s New $337 Billion Market Opportunity…Arizona?

Bitcoin’s New 7 Billion Market Opportunity…Arizona?

In late January, the Arizona legislature introduced a new bill Bitcoin (BTC 1.45%) legal tender within the state. If the bill passes into law, Arizona will become the first US state to have Bitcoin as legal tender.

While this may seem quixotic to many cryptocurrency skeptics, it is actually similar to what El Salvador did in September 2021 when it became the first country in the world to legalize Bitcoin. Since then, the government of El Salvador, led by President Nayib Bukele, has become one of the staunchest supporters of Bitcoin on the world stage. So it’s natural to ask: What will be the consequences of Arizona making Bitcoin legal tender?

Arizona Bitcoin Bill

The new Arizona bill officially states that Bitcoin can serve as a medium of exchange for “payment of debts, government fees, taxes and duties.” It will also require merchants to accept Bitcoin as payment for all commercial transactions. In fact, keeping $20 worth of Bitcoins in your digital blockchain wallet will be the same as keeping a physical $20 bill in your real-world leather wallet.

Image source: Getty Images.

Of course, Bitcoin is already legal in the US, but the Arizona Bitcoin bill would add a whole new dimension. It will affect every business in Arizona, which has a state GDP of $337.42 billion in 2021. This is more than 10 times the national GDP of El Salvador. In addition, the Arizona legislature introduced a bill that exempts cryptocurrency from taxation. In other words, the state government could not tax you for your crypto holdings. If you expect Bitcoin to rise to the moon, this is a big deal.

But does this Arizona bill actually have a chance of passing? On the surface, it seems very difficult. First, State Senator Wendy Rogers, the politician behind the Bitcoin push, attempted to pass this bill in 2022 and failed on second reading. Wendy Rogers is a very polarizing figure in the world of Arizona politics, so she may have trouble getting true bipartisan support for the bill. And second, some legal experts say the Bitcoin bill could be illegal under the US Constitution’s “contract clause,” which prohibits states from issuing their own money. So, even if the draft law is adopted, it can be closed in the courts for a long time.

Potential impact

However, Bitcoin bulls can definitely dream. For example, the decision to make Bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador has had some positive effects. First, Bitcoin has made it much easier for Salvadorans living outside the country to send remittances home. This is important because El Salvador is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to remittances. Bitcoin has also led to a surge in “crypto tourism” for the country. A small beach town known as Bitcoin Beach was even featured by CBS News. 60 Minutes. Based on that success, there are now plans to build a Bitcoin City in the country.

So if you extend this example to Arizona, the new Bitcoin bill will affect migrants entering the state to work, given that Arizona shares a 370-mile border with Mexico. This will likely make it easier for these unbanked migrants to transfer money home. And that could lead to a crypto-tourism boom for cities like Phoenix. Instead of Bitcoin Beach, Arizona could promote Bitcoin Desert. Come visit the Grand Canyon and then spend your Bitcoin in Phoenix!

There is another possible economic impact here, and that is the possibility of Arizona becoming a cryptocurrency hub. Tech entrepreneurs from Southern California may be tempted to move to Arizona the way tech entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are now moving to Texas. Add in the fact that the state of Arizona is trying to create a cryptocurrency tax-exempt estate, and you can immediately see how Arizona could become an attractive destination for anyone who believes in the future of cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin’s global appeal

At some point, Arizona could become a real $337 billion market opportunity for Bitcoin. Of course, this can only happen if everyone within the state starts accepting Bitcoin. And that’s likely to happen if there’s another big Bitcoin bull market rally where everyone gets rich. This was the case when El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021.

However, even skeptics have to admit that Bitcoin has recently gained legitimacy around the world. For example, in December 2022, Brazil passed a new Bitcoin bill. The Pacific island nation of Fiji has also elected a pro-bitcoin prime minister. Additionally, several Caribbean island nations are now planning to make cryptocurrency legal tender.

So Arizona is by no means out on the world stage. I am bullish on Bitcoin long and hope that Bitcoin will one day be able to enjoy a Grand Canyon sized market opportunity like the one in Arizona.

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Gold pulls back, taking silver gains, and USDX rises again

Welcome to Kitco News’ 2023 Outlook Series. Uncertainty continues to dominate financial markets as the central bank’s monetary policy drags the global economy into recession to cool inflation. Follow Kitco News to learn from the experts how to navigate turbulent financial markets in 2023.

(Kitco News) – Gold prices were lower in U.S. trading on Thursday afternoon and silver was well below its daily high. Profits from short-term futures traders are showing in both metals after gold hit a nine-month high and silver hit a four-week high overnight. A bounce in the US dollar index today after taking a hit on Wednesday is also a daily foreign market element for precious metals. Still, gold and silver are firmly in near-term technical control. April gold was last traded down $10.10 at $1,932.70, while March silver was up $0.036 at $23.65.

Thursday’s market was still digesting Wednesday afternoon’s FOMC statement and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference. The Fed, as expected, raised the Fed funds rate by 0.25%. However, Powell’s comments at the press conference led the market to believe that the Fed is close to ending its rate hike streak. Powell said inflation has eased but needs to pull back further. He mentioned the word “disinflation” that characterizes the current economic conditions of the United States. Most agreed that in the final assessment, Powell was not as hawkish as he had been in recent FOMC press conferences, leaving the door open for a Fed “pivot” sooner rather than later.

Regular monetary policy meetings of the European Central Bank and the Bank of England were held today, where both central banks increased their key interest rates by 0.5%. The actions were not unexpected.

The focus now turns to Friday morning’s January US employment report from the Labor Department. The core non-farm payrolls number is expected to be 187,000 jobs, after an increase of 223,000 in the December report.

The day saw the main US dollar index in foreign markets higher, but it hit a nine-month low overnight. Nymex crude oil futures prices are slightly firmer, trading around $76.50 a barrel. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note currently stands at 3.365%.

Technically, April gold futures prices hit a nine-month high early today and then reversed course to hit an “off day” low on the daily bar chart. Bulls still have a solid overall near-term technical advantage. There is a three-month uptrend on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside price target is a close above solid resistance at $2,000.00. The Bears’ next near-term downside target is futures prices below solid technical support at $1,900.00. First resistance is seen at $1,950.00, followed by today’s high at $1,975.20. First support is seen at $1,925.00, followed by this week’s low at $1,915.50. Wyckoff’s market rating: 8.0

Live 24 hour silver chart [ Kitco Inc. ]

March silver futures hit a four-week high earlier today. Silver bulls have an overall near-term technical advantage. However, trading has been choppy and higher. The silver bulls’ next upside price target is a close above solid technical resistance at the January high of $24,775. The next downside price target for the bears is closing prices below the solid support at $22.00. First resistance is seen at $24.00, followed by last week’s high of $24.415. The next support is this week’s low of $23.05 and then the January low of $22,845. Wyckoff’s market rating: 6.5.

March NY copper fell 35 points to close at 410.75 cents today. Prices closed near session lows and hit three-week lows today. Copper bulls have the firm’s overall near-term technical advantage but are weakening slightly. A four-month uptrend has stopped on the daily bar chart. The next upside price target for copper bulls is to push and close above solid technical resistance at the January high of 435.50 cents. The next lower price target for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at 395.00 cents. First resistance is seen at 420.00 cents, followed by this week’s high of 424.90 cents. First support is seen at this week’s low of 410.25 cents, followed by 405.00 cents. Wyckoff’s market rating: 7.0.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect his views Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a requirement to make any exchange for commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article accepts no responsibility for any loss and/or damage resulting from the use of this publication.

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More details are revealed in the NYC free internet pilot

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Markets don’t believe Powell – see Bitcoin’s likely move in February

The FOMC meeting on February 1 was perhaps the most anticipated event on the investment landscape. This includes the cryptocurrency market, so there are high expectations, especially among Bitcoin investors and enthusiasts.

The big question of the day was whether and how much the Federal Reserve would continue to raise interest rates. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced at the FOMC meeting that the interest rate of the Federal Fund will increase by 25 basis points. This was within the expectations of investors and contributed to a more bullish outlook for Bitcoin thus far.

The impact of the FOMC results on Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market

Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision may have been to create a new financial system that would break away from the traditional financial system. Fast forward to today and it is clear that there is a significant connection between the crypto market and traditional finance. This is largely due to how investors react to economic changes.

This is the second time in a row that the Fed has increased the discount rate by 25 BPS. Bitcoin reacted positively to the news with a slight uptick in the hours after the new rate hike was announced.

It even managed to raise the price level above $24,000 in a short period of time. The total cryptocurrency market size is up 4.5% at the time of writing.

The rising result confirms that investors are optimistic about the Fed’s decision. This is largely because keeping the rate on hold confirms that quantitative tightening is putting the Fed on the right track toward economic normalcy.

This result could lead to a higher forecast for February, as we saw in January. However, this will depend on whether there will be significant demand to sustain the price increase.

The last few hours since the FOMC meeting have led to a resurgence in demand. The number of daily active addresses has increased significantly, which confirms the flow of buyers to the retail segment. BTC’s MVRV ratio has risen consistently over the past three days, confirming significant demand during this period.

Source: Sentiment

The risk is not over yet

The Fed aims to keep quantitative easing measures in reserve until June. That means it has a deadline to reach its target rate of 2%. So, if there is a risk of missing the target, it may have to raise rates further over the next three months.

Powell said during the FOMC meeting that the Fed will continue to reduce its balance sheet. So a limited position may be on the table for the next few months.

Another interest rate hike above current levels could push the cryptocurrency market into a tight corner. This would become another bearish scenario that could push Bitcoin below $20,000.

Therefore, the next FOMC meeting in March will carry more weight in terms of impact on the market. Powell confirmed that the Fed is ready to raise interest rates further if needed.

There is also a chance that the risk of a potentially higher rate hike in March will weigh on investor sentiment this month. Perhaps market observations can already point to such a conclusion.

For example, over the past 24 hours, bitcoin exchange inflows have remained significantly higher than outflows.

Source: Glassnode

Higher currency inflows could indicate that more investors are moving BTC to exchanges and possibly preparing to sell. If that happens, February may not be as bullish as January.

Is Bitcoin still the right horse for the 2023 rally?

There is no doubt that altcoins tend to follow in the footsteps of Bitcoin. However, a more open-minded approach may benefit those seeking better opportunities.

This is already showing in some assets in the last few days. For example, Bitcoin has gained about 6.77% in the last three days. At the same time, Cardano’s ADA rose to 11% over the same period, outperforming BTC.

Source: TradingView

How much is 1,10,100 BTC today?

There is also the fact that ADA still has more ground to cover than BTC until it reaches its previous ATH. However, a more diverse approach would be beneficial, as there is still much uncertainty ahead.

The result

According to Powell’s comments, the Fed can reverse its current direction if necessary. This means there is still a risk that FUD will flow back into the market over the next two or three months.

Nevertheless, the Fed’s fight against inflation is going well, so the long-term outlook still favors Bitcoin and the overall market recovery.

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Mortgage rates fell for the fourth week in a row

Washington, DC
CNN
—

Mortgage rates edged lower this week as a smaller rate hike by the Federal Reserve signaled an encouraging improvement in inflation.

30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell 6.09% on average in the week ending Feb. 2 from 6.13% a week ago, according to data released Thursday by Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate was 3.55%.

After rising for most of 2022, spurred by the Fed’s tough rate hikes to curb rising inflation, mortgage rates have been trending lower since November amid data that continue to show inflation has peaked.

Mortgage rates haven’t been this low since September and are now almost a full point below last year’s peak of 7.08%, last reached in early November.

“This one percentage point reduction in interest rates could allow up to three million more mortgage-ready consumers to qualify for a loan with an average home price of $400,000,” said Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater.

On Wednesday, the Fed approved its smallest interest rate hike since March. The move to slow the pace of growth sends a clear signal that the central bank is making progress in its fight against inflation.

Although the Fed does not directly set the interest rates that borrowers pay on their mortgages, its actions affect them. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond, based on a combination of expectations about the Fed’s actions, what the Fed actually does, and investors’ reactions. When Treasury yields rise, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow.

As inflationary pressures ease, mortgage originators have followed suit by lowering the cost of borrowing, said George Ratiu, manager of economic research at Realtor.com.

The impact of the Fed’s actions has kept a floor under mortgage rates for the short term, he said, and he expects rates to remain around 6% for the next few weeks.

“The Federal Reserve controls short-term rates, but long-term rates, including 30-year mortgage rates, are a function of market expectations about the path of the economy,” said Mike Fratantoni, senior vice president and chief economist for Mortgage. Bankers Association. “And investors are betting that the economic slowdown and the Fed’s recent victory over inflation will push interest rates lower over time.”

The MBA predicts that mortgage rates will decline by nearly 5% by 2023.

Other economic data plays a role in changing mortgage rates, including reports on jobs and inflation.

“The latest indicators still point to a resilient economy,” Ratiu said. Despite the Fed’s efforts to cool the economy, the labor market remains tight: Wednesday’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed 11 million jobs were added in December, the highest since July.

Housing economists and those in the mortgage market are looking to the next inflation report due on February 14 to see if the pace of price increases continues to slow.

Despite low interest rates in recent weeks, mortgage applications fell 9% last week compared to the previous week, according to the MBA.

“Despite lower rates, overall application activity declined last week, indicating a still-volatile time of year for housing activity,” said Joel Kahn, vice president and deputy chief economist at MBA. “Buying activity is expected to be boosted by low interest rates and moderate home price growth as the spring home buying season begins. “Both trends will help some buyers regain their purchasing power.”

Ratiu said low rates for the housing market eased the financial burden on homebuyers.

According to Realtor.com, housing market data for January showed that the number of homes for sale increased, properties stayed on the market longer and prices fell 11% from their peak in 2022.

“The down payment for today’s median home buyer is lower than it was last summer,” Ratiu said. “While this is positive news, affordability remains a major challenge, particularly for first-time buyers.”

The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders nationwide. Only borrowers with 20% down and excellent credit are included in the survey. Many buyers with less down payment or less than ideal credit will pay more than the average rate.

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How data cleanrooms can help keep the internet open

Are data clean rooms the solution to what IAB CEO David Cohen calls the “slow-moving train wreck” of targeting? The voices at the IAB will tell you they have a big role to play.

“The issue with addressability is that once cookies are gone and identifiers are lost, about 80% of the addressable market will become an unknown audience, so there is a need for privacy-centric consent and a better consent-value trade-off,” Jeffrey Bustos, IAB’s said vice president of measurement, addressability and data.

“Everybody talks about first-party data, and it’s very valuable,” he explained, “but most publishers who don’t have access have about 3-10% of their readers’ first-party data.” For advertisers who want to reach relevant audiences and publishers who want to offer valuable inventory, first-party data is not enough.

Why do we care? Who was talking about data clean rooms two years ago? According to the IAB, the increase in interest is recent and significant. DCRs, at the very least, have the potential to connect brands with their audiences on the open web; maintain viability for publishers’ inventories; and provide sophisticated measurement capabilities.

How data clean rooms can help. DCRs are a type of privacy-enhancing technology that allows data owners (including brands and publishers) to share customer first-party data in a privacy-friendly manner. Cleanrooms are secure spaces where first-party data from multiple sources can be resolved into a profile of the same customer, while that profile remains anonymous.

In other words, DCR is a sort of Switzerland—a place where a competitive truce is called while first-party data is enriched without compromising privacy.

“The value of a data cleanroom is that a publisher can both collaborate with a brand on its data sources and the brand can understand audience behavior,” Bestos said. For example, a brand that sells eyeglasses may not know anything about its customers other than basic transactional information—and that they wear glasses. Matching profiles with publisher behavioral data provides enrichment.

“If you can understand the context of behavior, you can understand what your customers are reading, what they’re interested in, what their hobbies are,” Bustos said. Armed with these insights, a brand has a better idea of what content they want to advertise against.

Even if it doesn’t have a universal requirement for access like The New York Times, a publisher must have some level of first-party information for compliance to occur. Publishing may only suit a small portion of an eyeglass retailer’s customers, but if they like to read the sports and arts sections, it at least gives the retailer some guidance as to what audience they should be targeting.

Dig deeper: Why we care about data cleanrooms

What constitutes a good match? The State of Data 2023 report, which focuses almost exclusively on data cleanrooms, expresses concern that DCR’s effectiveness may be threatened by poor compliance rates. Average compliance rates hover around 50% (less for some DCR types).

Bustos wants to put it in context. “From a cookie perspective, when you match data, the match rates are usually around 70 percent,” he said, so 50 percent isn’t scary, although there’s room for improvement.

One obstacle is the lack of continuous interaction between identity solutions – although it exists; LiveRamp’s RampID works with, for example, Trade Desk’s UID2.

Even so, Bustos said, “it’s incredibly difficult for publishers. They have a bunch of personality pixels firing for all these different things. You don’t know which authentication provider to use. There’s definitely a long way to go to make sure there’s interoperability.”

Maintaining an open internet. If DCRs can contribute to solving the addressability problem, they will also contribute to the problem of keeping the Internet open. Walled sites like Facebook are rich in first-party and behavioral data; brands can reach those audiences, but with very limited visibility to them.

“The reason CTV is a really valuable proposition for advertisers is because you can identify a really powerful user on a 1:1 basis,” Bustos said. “You don’t have that in your standard news or editorial publishing house. I mean, the New York Times jumped on it, and it’s been incredibly successful for them.” To compete with walled gardens and streaming services, publishers need to offer some degree of targeting — and without relying on cookies.

But DCRs are heavy loads. Data maturity is an essential quality to get the most out of DCR. The IAB report shows that more than 70% of brands evaluating or using DCRs have other data-related technologies such as CDP and DMP.

Bustos explained: “If you want a clean room of data, there are many other technology solutions before. You have to make sure you have strong data assets.” He also recommends starting by asking what you want to achieve, not what technology would be nice to have. “The first question is, what do you want to achieve? You may not need DCR. ‘I want to do this,’ then see what tools will lead you to it.”

Also understand that implementation takes talent. “It’s a demanding project in terms of installation,” Bustos said, “and there’s been a significant increase in consulting companies and agencies helping to build these data cleanrooms. You need a lot of people, so it’s best to hire outside help for the installation and then have an in-house maintenance crew. it’s more efficient to launch.”

Underutilization of measurement capabilities. One of the key findings in the IAB’s research is that DCR users are using audience customization more than realizing the potential of measurement and attribution. “You need very strong data scientists and engineers to build advanced models,” Bustos said.

“A lot of brands that are looking into this are saying, ‘I want to be able to do predictive analysis of my high lifetime value customers that they’re going to buy in the next 90 days.’ Or ‘I want to measure which channels are driving the most growth.’ What they want to do is very complex analysis; but they really have no reason why. What’s the matter? Understand your bottom line and develop a consistent data strategy.”

Trying to realize incremental growth from your marketing can take a long time, he warned. “But you can easily do reach and frequency and overlap analysis.” This will identify the investments made in the channels and offer as a by-product where the increase in growth is happening. “Companies need to know what they want, define what the outcome is, and then have the steps to get you there. This will also help you prove your ROI.

Dig Deeper: Failing to make the most of cleanroom data is costing marketers money

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Russians are sending money via cryptocurrency to help Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited soldiers in Kherson, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Russians, angered by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, are sending “significant amounts of money” through cryptocurrency channels to help Ukraine, his deputy digital minister said.

Two days after Putin’s troops and tanks crossed the international border between Russia and Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian government Twitter accounts posted requests for cryptocurrency donations.

Blockchains are transparent publicly distributed ledgers, and since then, Ukraine has been analyzing where crypto donations are sent from around the world.

The war-torn country has been able to determine that more than 100,000 people have sent aid to Ukraine through cryptocurrency channels.

“Donations to Ukraine have ranged from one dollar to millions of dollars,” Ukraine’s Deputy Digital Minister said Alex Bornyakov This was reported by Yahoo Finance’s The Crypto Mile.

“Crypto offers an anonymous way of transferring money in certain cases. We have seen that some Russians are donating to us in significant amounts,” added Bornyakov.

“The Russian people who donated sent a large amount of money.

“I understand that there is no other way to do this than with cryptocurrency from within Russia.”

To date, the majority of crypto donations received by Ukraine have been in bitcoin (BTC-USD) and ether (ETH-USD), although USD stablecoins have contributed a significant proportion.

A third of the donated amount came through the Cryptofund Aid to Ukraine initiative, backed by Ukraine-based cryptocurrency Kuna and blockchain company Everstake, and supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

Among the most popular digital asset donations sent to Ukraine are bitcoin, ethereum, cardano (ADA-USD), solana (SOL-USD), polkadot (DOT-USD), and stablecoins such as USDC (USDC-USD) and USDT (USDT). -USD).

“So far, Ukraine has bought about 650 bitcoins, more than 10,000 ethereum, and also a considerable amount of polkadots, almost 1.8 million solans and $2.8 million in USDC stablecoins,” the deputy digital minister added. .

Ukrainian crypto and blockchain industry

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, cryptocurrency exchange Kuna, founded in December 2015 by Ukrainian Mykhailo Chobanian, has emerged as the country’s largest crypto-fundraising platform.

The Ukrainian government uses Kuna to cash cryptocurrency sent from around the world.

According to Crystal Blockchain Analytics, as of November 30, more than $184 million in cryptocurrency has been raised to support Ukraine.

These include a $1.86 million transaction from the sale of NFTs Julian Assange and Pak.

And about $200,000 worth of CryptoPunk NFTs were also sent to the Ukrainian government’s Ethereum account.

Ukraine’s Live Return NGO, which supports the country’s military, received several million dollars in crypto donations, according to a study by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.

However, crowdfunding and content creation platform Patreon suspended the Come Back Alive page on February 24 due to policy violations related to its military activities.

For those who want to send cryptocurrency to help the country and its citizens, a donation in cryptocurrency can be made through the website. However, since the collapse of FTX in November 2022, the website link now redirects to the official Ukrainian government donation site.

Ukraine’s war-torn economy

Electricity has been curtailed across the country due to Russia’s recent missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The window during which Bornyakov could be interviewed by Yahoo Finance UK was limited.

Russia’s occupation seriously affected the economy of Ukraine. The country has faced declining industrial production, rising inflation and a depreciating currency.

The loss of Crimea and its industries during Russia’s annexation of the region in February 2014 also disrupted trade and investment, causing Ukraine’s GDP to fall and unemployment to rise.

In addition, the country has had to cope with increased military spending and support for internally displaced people, further exacerbating the economic impact.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the conflict cost Ukraine at least a third of its GDP in 2022. Ukraine’s own economic data shows a 30.4% drop in GDP since the start of the war.

“In 2022, Ukraine’s economy suffered the biggest loss and damage inflicted on it by the Russian Federation in the entire history of its independence,” Ukraine’s economy minister and first deputy prime minister, Yuliya Sviridenk, said in a statement in January.

The drop in GDP is characterized as the largest drop in any year since Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Ukrainian DAO and Russian political activist Nadya Tolokonnikova

Leading political activist and member of Pussy Riot in July 2022 Nadia Tolokonnikova NFTs can make powerful statements about civil disobedience and protest, he told The Crypto Mile.

Tolokonnikova is a co-founder Ukrainian DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) raising $6.75m (£5.66m) in ethereum in five days for organizations helping war-torn Ukrainians who have devastated their country. Funds were collected by selling NFT with the image of the Ukrainian flag.

Speaking on episode 4 of The Crypto Mile, he said that NFTs can be used for political purposes: “Ukraine DAO actually allowed a lot of people from Russia to donate to Ukraine, otherwise they couldn’t send money because it was blocked by the Russian banking system “.

While blockchain is a publicly visible distributed ledger that transparently records all transactions, the system is outside of centralized authorities and crypto wallets that send and receive money can remain anonymous.

Read more: UK unveils ‘world first’ plans to regulate crypto and digital assets

“When you raise money for activism, it’s often for very sensitive topics that can cause trouble, so cryptocurrency can provide a layer of anonymity,” Tolokonnikova said.

The co-founder of the art-activist group Pussy Riot also launched the Unicorn DAO in May 2022.

The Unicorn DAO has pledged to use the NFT space to “redistribute wealth and visibility to create equality for women-defined and LGBTQ+ people.”

The movement cites ArtTactic’s 2021 report that found only 5% of NFT sales were by female-identified artists.

Alex Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for Ukraine, speaks at the SALT conference in Manhattan, New York, USA. — Alex Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for Ukraine. Photo: David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters

The integration of NFTs, DAOs and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is changing the way charities collect donations and distribute funds to those in need.

Crypto advocates told the Cointelegraph news agency that the new technology has led to the creation of “new wealth distribution mechanisms.”

According to crypto-author Anne Connelly, every organization will eventually have a crypto donation platform just like they accept credit cards.

Download the Yahoo Finance app available for apple and Android.

See: Bitcoin Set to Explode Ahead of Fed Rate Meeting – The Crypto Mile Weekly Update

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80% of employees who quit with ‘big resignation’ regret it: new survey

The “big regret” is the latest workplace trend sweeping the country, with the majority of professionals who left their jobs last year wishing they could, according to a new survey.

2022 was another record year for layoffs, with 4.1 million workers leaving their jobs in December, bringing the total to over 50 million for the year. About 47 million quit a year ago because of higher wages and better working conditions. According to a new study by Paychex, 8 out of 10 professionals who quit their jobs now regret their decision.

Paychex surveyed 825 employees and 354 employers who quit during the “great layoff” to analyze the impact of the layoff frenzy and measure employee job satisfaction.

They found that mental health, work-life balance, workplace relationships and chances of re-employment suffered as a result.

Gen Zers struggle the most

According to Paychex, Gen Z employees remember their old jobs the most. A whopping 89% of Gen Zers say they regret quitting and that their mental health has suffered as a result.

Jeff Williams, Paychex’s vice president of enterprise and HR solutions, told CNBC Make It that “the ‘big resignation’ caused a lot of regret among employees looking for new opportunities. Among those regrets, employees missed their co-workers.” . “These friendships create a sense of community among employees, creating a positive company culture—something else employees missed in their previous jobs.”

“Our research found that 9 out of 10 people reported changing industries after quitting, and professionals who changed industries regretted their choices 25% more than employees who stayed in the same industry. Gen Zers were the most likely to miss working in an office, and Gen Xers were the most likely to miss their previous jobs. they missed out on a lot of work-life balance.”

Apparently, the job rewards, benefits, and culture that led to the massive resignations of young workers aren’t enough to satisfy them.

“Despite satisfaction with mental health and work-life balance influencing many resignations, only half of our survey respondents said they were satisfied with their mental health (54%) and work-life balance (43%) in their new jobs. Unfortunately, Gen Zers reported the lowest levels of positive mental health and work-life balance.”

No devotion, no emptiness

While most employers say they are open to rehiring employers, some are more hesitant, questioning the loyalty of boomerang employees.

When asked if they want to rehire employees who quit during a major layoff, 27% of employees said yes and have already hired at least one former employee. 43 percent said yes, but they should not be rehired yet, and 30 percent said no.

“Anecdotally, we believe that more employers are open to the idea of boomeranging employees back into companies,” Williams explains. “Tight labor markets, specialized skills, lead time, and knowing the quality of expected work are cited as reasons for hiring managers. Those hesitant to rehire emphasize loyalty, expected compensation, and underlying doubts about employee motivations. .”

“Many employers either want or have given people their jobs back, and the average business has probably already done so. But for others, loyalty in the workplace prevents employers from giving them back. Returning employees saw a 7% increase, but 38% of employers was unwilling to offer new benefits to former employees. About a third of employers would not consider giving people their jobs back, and blue-collar employers are 17% more likely than white-collar employers to feel that way.”

Turning over a new leaf

It’s natural to take time to reminisce about the good old days, but Williams advises employees not to dwell on the past too long.

“Nostalgia is the enemy of growth. If your former employer won’t hire you again, be realistic and move on. Realize your worth, be confident in who you are, and move on.”

As employees figure out how to turn over a new leaf, Williams suggests “starting with a fresh perspective on what you’re overseeing.”

“For example, you control whether a trusted friend reviews your resume. You control networking on LinkedIn. You control going to networking events, taking a night class to improve your skills, and giving yourself a favor in the search.”

Williams also says that employers should try to avoid future layoffs to put “stability” on your resume, and that while things may look bleak now, it won’t last forever.

“The great resignation changed not only the workplace, but also the mindset of those looking for better job opportunities. The good news is that there is hope for business people who have changed their minds about the decision to resign. Many employers are willing to rehire people and improve their benefits.” .

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