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Bitcoin Retreats from Peak Amidst Volatility Surge

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Bitcoin took a rain check on a sudden upswing at the Wall Street open on February 9th as 24-hour gains reached 6%.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView illustrated BTC’s price trajectory retracting after hitting $47,700.

The move, fuelled by spot markets, barely paused overnight as consecutive Asia and United States trading sessions posed little challenge for bulls.

At the time of writing, attention focused on $47,400 as volatility persisted, with Bitcoin still assessing its highest levels since late 2021.

The week’s performance also marked Bitcoin’s strongest since last October.

“Strong bounce from the midrange, attacking $48,000 again, as expected,” popular trader Jelle wrote in part of his latest analysis on X (formerly Twitter).

“Last hurdle for Bitcoin to overcome, not much standing in the way of new all-time highs once it breaks.”
Jelle additionally described the current price range as a “moment of truth.”

Fellow trader Skew, meanwhile, cautioned that the entire day would likely remain “pretty volatile.”

More reserved about the immediate outlook was Keith Alan, CEO and co-founder of trading resource Material Indicators, who noted significant sell-side liquidity just below the two-year range highs and $50,000.

“Something to consider before you FOMO into BTC at this level.

There is ~£175M in BTC ask liquidity (aka resistance) stacked between here and $50k, and only ~£50M in bid support down to $43k,” part of his own X post read.

READ MORE: FCC Outlaws AI-Generated Robocalls in US Following Surge of Fraudulent Voice Messages

Alan nonetheless suggested that a weekly close above $45,000 would benefit bulls, with whales easily able to drive the market higher should $50,000 be breached — to the detriment of short positions.

“If you are considering a short, be prepared to get squeezed. IF whales manage to push above $50k there is currently very little friction up to $55k,” he concluded.

An accompanying chart illustrated buy and sell liquidity and cumulative volume delta, or CVD, on the BTC/USDT order book of the largest global exchange, Binance.

The day’s movements among the newly launched U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued an encouraging narrative for bulls.

The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) saw outflows as anticipated, while the previous day’s cumulative netflows among the remaining nine ETFs were the third-largest since their Jan.

11 launch, according to data uploaded to X by Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart.

As Cointelegraph reported, the ETFs from BlackRock and Fidelity Investments recorded the most successful first month’s trading of any ETF product in the past thirty years.

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Bitcoin’s L2 Ecosystem is Booming as Halving Approaches

To say Bitcoin has dominated the crypto headlines of late would be an understatement. Even setting aside the SEC’s landmark approval of multiple spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January, BTC enthusiasts have had plenty to celebrate with the asset’s value growing by almost 15% in the last fortnight.

With the fourth quadrennial Halving coming up, Bitcoin’s Layer-2 ecosystem is also enjoying a moment in the sun, smashing several significant milestones that underscore the appeal of solutions built on Satoshi’s network. At long last, supporters of the blockchain have more than the “digital gold” narrative to trumpet: Bitcoin-based DeFi solutions are proving a smash hit. 

Bitcoin L2 Comes of Age

As with Ethereum, Layer-2s on Bitcoin run atop the main chain with the goal of increasing its capacity to process transactions. These auxiliary networks, and the dApps they support, essentially build out the architecture of Bitcoin and broaden the appeal of its ecosystem. 

When DeFi took off in 2020, Ethereum activity exploded and a number of Layer-2s (Arbitrum, Optimism etc) subsequently appeared offering superior throughput, lower costs, chain specialization, and dApp utility. The idea that Bitcoin L2s could follow a similar trajectory is undeniably appealing to BTC maxis.

Although Bitcoin L2s are at a much earlier stage than the preponderance we see on Ethereum, they are growing at a rapid rate. Payments on the Lightning Network, one of the best-known L2 solutions designed to lighten the load on the main chain, have grown by over 1200% in two years. Recent hype around BTC has also seen other significant developments.

Stacks, a Layer-2 network enabling smart contracts and dApps to use Bitcoin as a secure base layer, has been one of the big winners. The Total Value Locked (TVL) on Stacks surpassed all-time highs in January, peaking at $63 million on the day the ETFs were green-lit. Another L2 project, Rootstock, also hit its highest TVL in two years.

The feel-good factor extends to solutions anchored to L2s, like StackingDAO, a liquid staking protocol operating on Stacks. In just a month, the project became the second-largest DeFi protocol on Stacks by TVL, with over 10 million $STX tokens locked. 

BitFlow, a native Bitcoin DEX, has also announced $2m TVL in its $stSTX LSD pool. Liquid staking derivatives – which let users access the liquidity of staked tokens that would otherwise be locked in a smart contract – was a major trend last year, with Lido becoming the single biggest defi dApp on Ethereum. 

Given how many bitcoiners simply hodl their satoshis, LSDs – which let them stake for yield and put their capital to use in DeFi – could end up at the center of a veritable BTC L2 boom.

The recent uptick in Layer2 activity on the Bitcoin network is a sight to behold. The emergence of projects that advance the network’s utility through sophisticated L2 solutions seems destined to unlock new BTC use cases and accelerate demand for digital gold. If Bitcoin-based L2s can replicate those that spawned from Ethereum, the next 18 months will prove very interesting.

Boosting Your Cryptocurrency’s Brand Before the 2024 Halving

Like clockwork every four years, Bitcoin’s mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto programmed the world’s dominant cryptocurrency to go through a dramatic supply squeeze known as the halving (or “halvening” if you want to sound really crypto-native). As if controlled by the mystical gods of blockchain themselves, the amount of shiny new bitcoin entering circulation gets abruptly chopped in half. poof Just like that.

And so as 2024 continues ticking by, cryptocurrency project teams across the land find themselves facing yet another BTC halving event – the third in Bitcoin’s relatively brief but wild history. If past halvings are any indication, the impending slash to supply should rocket BTC’s price into a new all time high – or at least, that’s what 84% of investors think will happen.

As such, the halving presents an opportunity for crypto projects to make sure their unique brands stand out – before the Bitcoin mothership takes off without them.

Refresh Your Project’s Branding and Messaging

Like an ageing rock band embarking on a reunion tour, many a crypto project kicking around since the last halving bear signs of showing their age – tired branding, recycled messaging, questionable colour schemes. Before stepping back in the spotlight for their halving encore, these projects would be wise to nip and tuck their aesthetic elements as well as craft marketing narratives that better resonate in today’s Web3 landscape. 

No one wants to listen to musical acts that refuse to release new songs or at least go back and remaster the old ones. Savvy crypto projects understand the importance of polishing up their unique value propositions and tying them to the latest crypto developments (i.e. the halving) rather than relying on dated materials that fail to excite. Out with the old, in with the bold.

Step Up Your PR Game

In the frequently scam-ridden world of crypto, establishing trust and credibility remains a towering obstacle for projects seeking adoption. And with the terabytes of information overload numbing people’s minds in today’s digital era, cutting through the noise to stand out presents its own unique challenges. 

Crypto projects are thus wise to step up their PR game as the next halving chapter approaches. While cryptonative journalists and podcasters love the tech, they crave the story and personality behind the project even more. Founder interviews, guest articles in niche publications, and unique angles that highlight new integrations or developments are the types of inbound marketing plays that catch reporter eyes. 

And don’t forget press releases blasted out through crypto press release distribution services – those can help plant your credibility-establishing messages in front of the right audiences at the right time. This is a vital strategy for long term success in the volatile world of Web3. 

Ramp Up Community Engagement Efforts

Unless they fancy themselves fading into irrelevance, crypto project teams would be immensely unwise not to tap into and re-energise their grassroots communities as the 2024 halving approaches. Those communities represent their most valuable mechanism for long-term growth amidst the inevitable adoption hype halvings fuel. 

Projects should host frequent AMA sessions, run creative social contests and giveaways utilising their native tokens, and provide other incentives to strengthen contributors’ attachment. These cultivation moves build loyalty while organically surfacing ideas for desired features and user experience upgrades directly from users themselves. 

Smart crypto platforms even graduate especially talented community members into more formal roles — admins, subreddit mods and brand ambassadors who can spread the word. Converting standout supporters into leadership positions in this way activates the perfect candidates to manage the next waves of adopters Bitcoin’s proposed price explosions will soon attract into the community.

Increase Exposure Through Advertising and Cross-Promotions 

As the next Bitcoin halving approaches, creating hype and visibility for crypto projects will be key. This is the time to focus on widening your exposure through smart advertising and partnerships.

Consider splurging a little on native ads in popular crypto publications – that targeted audience needs to hear about you. Work out some affiliate deals with leading crypto YouTubers and podcasters in the hope that their influential sway will rub off on you. And don’t forget about cross-promotions with complementary crypto projects. A little ambassador and creator camaraderie can go a long way.

And once again, remember to double down on building your social media and community channels. That’s where curious followers will come knocking when Bitcoin hits fever pitch. Getting as many eyes on your crypto project as possible needs to take top priority for every marketer’s game plan leading up to the halving. When hype builds, you wanna be on their radar.

Polish Your Whitepaper 

A crypto project’s whitepaper operates much like a band’s discography – its comprehensive documentation of the technical vision, product roadmap, tokenomics, and other key details. As the crypto crowd swells heading into the next halving-powered hype cycle, projects would be remiss not to polish up those vital historical records. 

That means integrating new developments, ensuring branding and messaging sync with the papers’ contents, and potentially even creating supplementary “greatest hits” materials like one-pagers, lite papers, or help docs for simplified consumption. Outdated whitepapers risk losing relevance as interest resurges, so a little spring cleaning of the core literature can freshen things up as interest and scrutiny compounds from both existing and new community members.

Final Word

The impending 2024 halving signals a pivotal moment for crypto projects to shine a spotlight on their unique value propositions before Bitcoin once again dominates attention. By taking proactive steps to refresh branding, boost community engagement, expand visibility channels, and polish underlying literature, projects can ride the rising interest into the halving event on positive momentum. 

The compounding awareness should lead to stronger communities, accelerated adoption and partnerships, and greater resilience to weather any crypto winter that may follow Bitcoin’s price peak. 

Republican Senators Criticize SEC’s Handling of Debt Box Lawsuit

A cohort of five Republican lawmakers from the United States Senate have lambasted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its handling of a lawsuit against Digital Licensing, trading as Debt Box.

In a missive dated February 7 addressed to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, six Republican senators articulated their “significant concerns” regarding the commission’s conduct in the Debt Box affair, contending that the regulator behaved in an “unethical and unprofessional manner.”

The SEC, in filings with the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Northern Division, acknowledged in December that it had failed to be “accurate and candid” in asserting that Debt Box shuttered bank accounts and intended to relocate to the United Arab Emirates.

“Whether Commission staff deliberately misrepresented evidence or unwittingly presented false information, this case raises questions about the integrity of other enforcement actions initiated by the Commission,” asserted the senators.

“It is challenging to sustain confidence that other cases are not based on questionable evidence, obfuscations, or outright misrepresentations.”

The six senators—JD Vance, Thom Tillis, Bill Hagerty, Cynthia Lummis, and Katie Boyd Britt—seemingly refrained from prescribing a specific course of action for the SEC going forward, merely voicing their apprehensions.

READ MORE: US Judge Approves Sealed Settlement Between BlockFi and 3AC in Crypto Dispute

They remarked that the SEC’s proposed remedy of mandatory staff training and personnel reshuffling may prove inadequate.

The SEC instigated legal proceedings against Debt Box in July 2023, alleging the company orchestrated an illicit $50 million cryptocurrency scheme.

The court, on the basis of the SEC’s assertions, sanctioned a temporary restraining order to immobilize Debt Box’s assets.

However, subsequent revelations disclosed numerous inaccuracies in the SEC’s claims, prompting the court to threaten sanctions and the commission to seek dismissal of the case.

It remains unclear whether the Republican senators aimed to cast doubt on other enforcement actions targeting cryptocurrency firms by the SEC.

The commission currently has active lawsuits against Binance, Kraken, Ripple, and Coinbase. Cointelegraph reached out to the SEC for comment but received no response at the time of going to press.

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Ether Surges 10% in February Amidst Bullish Cryptocurrency Market

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Ether‘s value surged by 10% in the initial nine days of February, surpassing the $2,450 mark for the first time in three weeks.

This upturn correlated with the wider bullish trend in the cryptocurrency market and was notably influenced by the macroeconomic landscape.

While the reasons underpinning Ether’s surge are evident, there’s mounting optimism among investors as deposits on the Ethereum network rise.

Yet, the question lingers: is this momentum potent enough for a sustained ascent beyond $2,800?

Weak economic indicators from China and concerning fiscal debt trends in the United States are fostering an environment favourable for risk-on assets.

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell highlighted the necessity for a more sustainable approach to public debt.

Neil Irwin, of Axios Macro, predicts a decrease in the Fed’s policy interest rate due to projections of escalating US debt service costs.

Meanwhile, China’s manufacturing activity saw a decline for the fourth straight month, prompting the central bank to implement measures supporting the real estate market.

This economic backdrop led to investors divesting fixed-income assets, causing the two-year US Treasury yield to rise to its highest level in two months.

Despite these developments, the S&P 500 index hit a record high above $5,000 on February 9, suggesting a lack of immediate concern regarding an economic downturn.

However, the US fiscal debt trajectory, as highlighted by Powell, creates a conducive setting for scarce alternative assets like Ether.

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While cryptocurrencies face competition from the stock market for risk-on capital, they also present an opportunity for alternative investments.

Stocks such as Nvidia and Amazon, trading at significantly high earnings multiples, contribute to this narrative.

Assessing the sustainability of Ether’s February gains requires scrutiny of on-chain activity within the Ethereum network.

Smart contract deposits, particularly on the EigenLayer liquid staking solution, surged to an 11-month high, indicating growing demand for ETH.

Moreover, Ethereum’s dominance in transaction fees underscores its robust demand compared to competitors like Tron and BNB Chain.

Beyond its current applications, optimism among Ether investors stems from the potential of a new nonfungible token format, ERC-404, which could boost sector activity.

Additionally, the impending Dencun network upgrade scheduled for March 13 promises reduced transaction costs for layer-2 rollups.

With fixed-income investors exploring alternatives and the Ethereum network’s continuous expansion, Ether investors remain undaunted by recent gains or resistance at $2,650, indicating a resilient price trajectory compared to previous tests in January.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Pursues Trillions in Funding for Semiconductor Development

Sam Altman, the CEO of the artificial intelligence (AI) developer OpenAI, is reportedly engaging with investors globally to secure trillions of pounds for the development of semiconductor chips.

As per a report by The Wall Street Journal on 8th February, Altman’s endeavour would necessitate fundraising in the range of £5–7 trillion.

Sources close to OpenAI indicate that these funds would alleviate the company’s scaling limitations and address the scarcity and expense of chips crucial for advancing high-level AI systems.

Altman has purportedly been advocating for collaborations between OpenAI and “various investors,” chip manufacturers, and energy suppliers, expressing OpenAI’s willingness to become a “significant customer” of new factories.

An OpenAI spokesperson remarked:

“OpenAI has had productive discussions about increasing global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy, and data centres — which are crucial for AI and other industries that rely on them.”

Altman recently conferred with the United States Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to deliberate on the initiative, recognising the necessity for involvement from patrons, industry partners, and governments worldwide.

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An OpenAI spokesperson affirmed their commitment to keeping the U.S. government informed due to the topic’s significance to the country’s “national priorities.”

The CEO of OpenAI also held discussions with the United Arab Emirates National Security Advisor, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyan.

According to insiders, the UAE could play a pivotal role with U.S. government approval.

Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, and representatives from chip fabrication firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, have reportedly engaged in discussions with Altman regarding his project.

An individual familiar with the matter disclosed that Microsoft — a majority stakeholder in OpenAI — is cognisant of the company’s fundraising endeavours and extends support.

In December 2023, reports surfaced indicating OpenAI’s discussions with investors contemplating investments exceeding £100 billion in the company.

Nvidia continues to dominate the market for chips used in AI computation.

Amidst a surge in AI model development over the past year, the company has reported record-breaking revenue and a valuation surpassing £1 trillion.

Meta, a prominent tech conglomerate owning social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, has recently unveiled its entry into the AI chip market.

It introduced its latest chip, “Artemis,” intending to deploy it in its data centres to enhance AI capabilities and lessen reliance on Nvidia.

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Spot Bitcoin ETFs Surge Despite GBTC Outflows: British Investors Pour £403 Million Into Market

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On 8th February, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) encountered their third-largest surge, amounting to £403 million.

The substantial inflow occurred despite over £100 million exiting the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC).

The total influx into spot Bitcoin ETFs has surpassed £2.1 billion since their introduction on 11th January, indicating robust demand for BTC in the market.

The third-largest inflow day for spot BTC ETFs coincided with BTC’s price surpassing $46,000 to mark a fresh multiweek high, just £2,000 shy of new yearly highs.

Leading the ETF flow chart is BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) with an inflow of £204 million, followed by Fidelity with £128 million, ARK 21Shares with £86 million, and Bitwise with £60 million.

The remaining seven ETFs collectively witnessed £27 million in inflows, while GBTC recorded another £102 million in outflows.

IBIT also clinched the distinction of becoming the first ETF to surpass GBTC’s daily trading volume.

Nonetheless, the total trading volume of all 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs dipped below £1 billion for the first time since their inception.

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Bloomberg senior analyst Eric Balchunas underscored BlackRock’s overtaking of Grayscale in trading volume as a significant achievement, noting that it typically takes about five to 10 years for a new fund to surpass the category’s “liquidity king.”

Market analysts interpret the positive flow into Bitcoin ETFs as indicative of investors’ appetite and burgeoning demand.

The net flows into the ETFs imply that approximately £403 million, or roughly 8,698 BTC, was withdrawn from the market and transferred into cold storage.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs received approval from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for listing on 10th January and commenced trading the following day.

Since their launch, spot BTC ETFs have witnessed record trading volumes, with over a billion dollars traded daily, indicating robust investor interest.

The forthcoming Bitcoin halving is less than 70 days away, which will halve the market supply of BTC from 6.25 BTC per block to 3.125 BTC.

With mounting demand from institutional investors, the dwindling supply could propel BTC to reach new market highs.

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Australian Court Ruling Sets Precedent for Crypto Yield Products Regulatory Framework

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An Australian federal court has seemingly drawn a nuanced line regarding crypto-yield products, ruling that while products promising a managed yield will require a financial services license, “pass-through” decentralized-finance (DeFi) products may not.

In an order dated February 9, federal court judge Ian Jackson ruled that Block Earner would face penalties over its “Earner” product offering in 2022, which provided yield for loans denominated in USD Coin, Bitcoin (BTC), Ether, and PAX Gold (PAXG), stating that it needed to obtain an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL).

However, Jackson refrained from categorising Block Earner’s DeFi “Access” product similarly, explaining that it did not operate under a managed investment scheme and, therefore, no AFSL was required.

“The Court’s decision carries nuanced implications for Block Earner and the broader crypto industry in Australia,” Block Earner stated on February 9.

“The decision provides guidance to the industry as to the applicability of Australian financial services laws to crypto-related products and services.”

The case was initiated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), which alleged that both Block Earner’s Access and Earner products violated corporation laws.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Piper Alderman digital asset lawyer Michael Bacina clarified that Access was simply a pass-through to decentralized finance (DeFi).

“The Earner product involved a representation that users’ crypto would be used to generate a return (but users would only receive a fixed interest amount),” said Bacina.

Meanwhile, the Access product does not depend on Block Earner generating a return at all and is “completely dependent on Aave or Compound,” he added.

The crucial aspect to examine lies in how these products are marketed, Bacina emphasised.

“The takeaway for Australian crypto businesses is how important it is that marketing and representations clearly align and that the features of products are very carefully considered.”

READ MORE: Crypto News Today: Spot Bitcoin ETFs Surpass $1 Billion in Daily Trading Volume

The Earner product operated from March 17, 2022, to November 16 of the same year.

Block Earner confirmed to Cointelegraph that it terminated the Earner product before proceedings commenced and that the findings do not affect any of Block Earner’s current products.

In a statement, Block Earner said the dismissal of ASIC’s case against Access “is an important development in showing how DeFi can coexist with Australia’s regulatory frameworks, paving the way for further development and adoption of DeFi solutions.”

Aaron Lane, a senior research fellow at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s Blockchain Innovation Hub, believes the Australian Treasury’s proposed legislation for the crypto sector is likely to impose licensing conditions on Block Earner, should it be passed.

ASIC will now seek orders from the court imposing monetary penalties. The proceedings have been listed for a case management hearing at 9.30 am on March 1, 2024.

ASIC said the decision was a step forward in protecting consumers from digital asset products.

“ASIC remains concerned that consumers do not fully appreciate the risks associated with products involving crypto-assets and today’s decision is an important step forward to ensuring there are appropriate protections for consumers.”

The securities regulator called on firms offering cryptocurrency products to “carefully consider” whether their offerings constitute financial products under the existing regime.

If products do fall under the definition of a managed investment scheme, firms should seek licensing before offering them, ASIC stressed.

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FCC Outlaws AI-Generated Robocalls in US Following Surge of Fraudulent Voice Messages

AI-generated voices utilised in unwarranted or automated robocalls have now been officially deemed illegal in the United States following a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In a statement dated February 8, the agency declared, “Today the Federal Communications Commission announced the unanimous adoption of a Declaratory Ruling that recognises calls made with AI-generated voices are ‘artificial’ under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).”

“This would give State Attorneys General across the country new tools to go after bad actors behind these nefarious robocalls.”

The FCC’s prohibition comes shortly after residents of New Hampshire received fraudulent voice messages mimicking U.S. President Joe Biden, advising them against participating in the state’s primary election.

Robocall scams are already prohibited under the TCPA — a U.S. law overseeing telemarketing.

The recent ruling will also criminalise the use of “voice cloning technology” employed in these scams. The regulation will take immediate effect, stated the FCC.

“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters.

We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice,” stated FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

The FCC initially suggested the prohibition of AI robocalls under the TCPA on January 31, which is a 1991 law regulating automated political and marketing calls made without the recipient’s consent.

The TCPA’s primary objective is to shield consumers from unwanted and intrusive communications or “junk calls” and to limit telemarketing calls, the use of automatic telephone dialling systems, and artificial or pre-recorded voice messages.

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FCC regulations also mandate telemarketers to acquire written consent from consumers before initiating robocalls. The ruling will now ensure that AI-generated voices in calls are also held to the same standards, London Insider reported.

The FCC highlighted in its recent statement that AI-supported calls have surged in recent years and cautioned that the technology now has the potential to befuddle consumers with misinformation by replicating the voices of celebrities, political figures, and close family members.

Furthermore, while law enforcement has been able to address the repercussions of an unwanted AI-voice-generated robocall — such as the scam or fraud they aim to perpetrate, the new ruling will empower law enforcement to pursue scammers solely for using AI to generate the voice in robocalls.

Meanwhile, the alleged perpetrator behind the Biden robocalls in mid-January has been traced back to a Texas-based firm named Life Corporation and an individual named Walter Monk.

The Election Law Unit issued a cease-and-desist order to Life Corporation for contravening the 2022 New Hampshire Revised Statutes Title LXIII on bribes, intimidation, and suppression.

The order necessitates immediate compliance, and the unit reserves the right to take further enforcement actions based on prior conduct.

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Dencun Upgrade Clears Final Testing Hurdle, Sets Stage for Ethereum Mainnet Deployment

Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade, which introduces “proto-danksharding,” has successfully completed its final testing phase via the Holesky testnet and is now awaiting scheduling for its mainnet deployment.

Data indicates that the Dencun upgrade was initiated on Holesky at approximately 11:35 am UTC on February 7, with Nethermind promptly sharing the news on X.

This upgrade is widely anticipated to reduce transaction costs on Ethereum layer-2s.

Dencun will notably introduce proto-danksharding through Ethereum Improvement Proposal-4844 (EIP-4844).

The key feature of EIP-4844 is the introduction of “blobs,” which will enable Ethereum nodes to temporarily store and access large amounts of off-chain data.

Philippe Schommers, head of infrastructure at Gnosis, previously explained to Cointelegraph that the implementation of Dencun on the Ethereum mainnet could potentially lower rollup costs by up to 10 times.

A decision regarding the mainnet deployment date of Dencun is expected to be made on February 8 during an AllCoreDevs call, while Ethereum enthusiast Anthony Sassano stated on February 7 that “all signs point to early-mid March.”

READ MORE: Ethereum Foundation Explores Strategies to Optimize Blockchain for Rollup-Centric Roadmap

Combining the Cancun and Deneb upgrades, Dencun is poised to be the most significant upgrade of Ethereum since the Shapella upgrade last April, which marked the first instance of unstaking Ether (ETH) from the Beacon Chain since its launch on December 1, 2020.

Cancun primarily focuses on network scalability at the execution layer, with EIP-4844 being the central component.

Additionally, EIP-1153, EIP-4788, and EIP-6780 are included in the upgrade.

Deneb, on the other hand, concentrates on enhancing Ethereum’s consensus layer.

Before being tested on Holesky, Dencun underwent deployment on the Goerli and Sepolia testnets on January 17 and January 30, respectively.

However, the deployment of Dencun to Goerli encountered a four-hour delay due to a bug that hindered the testnet from completing the upgrade.

“The network faced syncing issues with nodes due to a bug in Prysm, Ethereum’s proof-of-stake client,” explained Nebojsa Urosevic, a founder of the Ethereum development platform Tenderly, to Cointelegraph at the time.

“This incident underscores the importance of having multiple clients and the necessity of testnets,” Urosevic added.

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