Block: 840,651
DTG/ICOD: 0800EST 24Apr24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Mass Graves Found In Gaza / Musk Stokes Free Speech Debate With Aussies / Ukraine Hits Oil Refineries / US Aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan Pass Congress / Tennessee OKs Guns for Teachers / Columbia University Protests Continue / DOJ want Binance's Zhao in Prison / Stablecoins Increase in Usage / Block Announces New Mining Rigs
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $66,556, 28.70 oz Gold, .15 Median US House
24hr Hi: $67,148/ Lo: $65,864
Vol: $24B (Down 4%)
Mkt Cap: $1.3T (Even)
HashRate: 584 EH/s
Avg Fees: 37,760 sats/tx (Up 35%)
Nodes: 18,900
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. UN calls for investigation into mass graves found at Gaza hospitals: United Nations leaders demanded a “clear, transparent and credible” investigation Tuesday after mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of men and women were discovered on the grounds of two major hospitals in Gaza that were previously under assault by the Israeli military. The mass graves contained some people stripped naked with their hands tied, raising concerns over potential war crimes, the U.N. said, describing the bodies as “buried deep in the ground and covered with waste.” (TheHill)
2. Musk decision to leave knife attack video on X prompts police terror warning, says Australian senator: An Australian senator said on Wednesday that police feared Elon Musk's decision to ignore a regulator order and leave footage on his social media platform X of a Sydney bishop being stabbed might encourage people to join terrorist groups. An Australian court has upheld a regulator order for the billionaire to take down posts containing footage of the April 15 stabbing of the Assyrian bishop during a service. (Reuters)
3. Ukraine Hits Multiple Russian Refineries Overnight Despite US Warnings: Ukraine launched drone attacks on several Russian oil refineries overnight, Russian sources said on Wednesday, despite pushback from Washington urging Kyiv to reel in its strikes on Moscow's oil infrastructure. (Newsweek)
-US Events-
1. Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s Desk: The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to give final approval to a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending it to President Biden for signature. (NYT)
2. Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow teachers to be armed: The 68-28 vote in favor of the bill sent it to Republican Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. Under the bill passed Tuesday, a worker who wants to carry a handgun would need to have a handgun carry permit and written authorization from the school’s principal and local law enforcement. They would also need to clear a background check and undergo 40 hours of handgun training. (Politico)
3. Columbia sets deadline for agreement with protesters, threatens 'alternative options' for clearing protesters: The university has already moved to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester over safety concerns sparked by the protest. University President Shafik said in a message to the university community Tuesday night that if discussions are unsuccessful, administrators would have to "consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate." (Fox)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. US DOJ seeks 36 months’ imprisonment for Binance founder Changpeng Zhao: “Zhao’s willful violation of U.S. law was no accident or oversight,” the Department of Justice said in the filing. “He made a business decision that violating U.S. law was the best way to attract users, build his company, and line his pockets.”, the DOJ said. While Zhao’s sentencing is scheduled for April 30, the former Binance CEO remains free on bail after securing his release with a $175 million bond. A judge previously denied his request to travel to Dubai. (TheBlock)
2. Number of Stablecoin Holders Nears 100M Mark, Data Show: The number of addresses holding dollar and crypto-pegged stablecoins has increased 15% this year to above 93.6 million, the highest on record. Tether (USDT) holders, with an industry-leading market cap of $114.07 billion, accounted for just over 80% of the total stablecoin addresses, followed by USDC and BUSD. (CoinDesk)
-Institutional Concerns-
NSTR
-Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)-
1. WEF Says 98% of Central Banks Are Exploring CBDCs: According to the WEF’s study, CBDCs could bring benefits like eliminating credit and liquidity risks, facilitating final settlements, and promoting financial stability. (Blockononomi) (AC-The remainder of the article portrays WEF's infatuation with CBDCs.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Mortgage Applications Fall the Most in 2 Months: Mortgage applications in the US fell by 2.7% from the previous week in the period ending April 19th, trimming the 3.3% increase from halfway through the month to mark the sharpest weekly decline since early February. Mortgage rates rose to 7.24% this week. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Indiana water plant hack admitted by Russian hackers: CNN reports that Indiana-based water and wastewater treatment plant and electricity provider Tipton Municipal Utilities has been targeted by a cyberattack on April 19 claimed by Russia-linked hacking operation CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn. Based on a video posted by the hackers on social media, TMU had its water aeration and movement software altered as a result of the breach. However, such manipulation has been minimized as a "minor annoyance" to operators of water and wastewater plants by Infinity Squared Group CEO Ron Fabela. (SCMag)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Jack Dorsey’s Block announces development of ‘full Bitcoin mining system’: In an April 23 blog post, Block said it had completed development of a three-nanometer chip used for BTC mining, which led to the firm announcing a “full Bitcoin mining system. (CoinTelegraph)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 72/100 (Up 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
