Happy New Year! Ready to take 2023 by the horns? We are, too 😎

In today’s read, you will find:

What’s buzzin’ in marketing?
SBF pleaded not guilty. Wait, what?
Gemi(ni) back my money!
Coinbase with a settlement
Binance helps Ukraine with payments

Hope you will enjoy it!

Thank you for reading Smart Marketing on Blockchain. This post is public, so feel free to share it 🧡

Share

🛒 What’s buzzin’ in marketing?

Heard about ChatGPT, the AI tool designed by OpenAI that answers queries (this might be subjective) better than Google? Well, Microsoft seems to have connected the dots because it plans to integrate ChatGTP with Bing Search. In fact, Microsoft is growing strong in AI-based features - the company integrated a text-to-speech model (DALL-E) into its Microsoft Suite, invested $1 billion in OpenAI, and has an exclusive license to use its text generator AI GPT-3. In 2016, Microsoft launched its “conversation as a platform” offering, a bet on chat-based interfaces overtaking apps as our primary way of using the internet and finding information. It looks like, together with ChatGPT, Microsoft now wants to make that a reality inside Bing and challenge Google one more time!
Something for Twitter Saga fans, now! The evolution of the Blue Bird is live, but some question if the new version is 2.0 or maybe 1.5 because most of the changes look somehow familiar…
1. Advanced Search Filters will be re-designed to serve Twitter users, finally. The feature exists already but is hardly used because it’s hard to find..and use. In the updated version, users will be able to filter for various Tweet attributes such as like, reply, retweet counts, post dates, and specific words or phrases. George Hotz, a Twitter intern and a known security hacker, will be leading this project.
2. Swipeable Feed Modes will be re-launched to help users switch between recommended & followed content. The experiment from March proved that users prefer their feeds filled with topics, threads, and authors they actually follow instead of recommended content. With the “new swipeable navigation”, Twitter will try to tap on AI-based recommendations again, aiming to follow TikTok’s success in driving higher engagement.
3. Cause-based & Political Ads that have been banned on Twitter since 2019 will be released in the coming weeks in the USA. Back then, Twitter preferred political message reach to be “earned, not bought”, but Musk thinks otherwise. One year ahead of the US elections appears to be a good time for Twitter to “facilitate public conversation around important topics”.
Linked In announced several updates that will come into effect in 2023. Among many others, the Microsoft-owned platform wants to facilitate job seeking with personalized job collections but also enhance the creators’ workspace with a post scheduling feature. LinkedIn focuses sharply on accessibility, with new features such as standardized accessibility job titles, improved video with high contrast and auto captions, and alternative texts that aim to build more accessible and equitable experiences.

Thank you for reading Smart Marketing on Blockchain. This post is public, so feel free to share it 🧡

Share

1️⃣ SBF pleaded not guilty. Wait, what?

Bankman-Fried, who faces 8 criminal counts, including money laundering and wire fraud, pleaded NOT guilty. If convicted, the charges may land him a long prison sentence of up to 115 years.

At the January 3 hearing, the judge agreed to keep private the identities of two bail co-signers. The judge also added a new bail condition that prohibits SBF from transferring or accessing FTX and Alameda assets after federal prosecutors observed a series of transactions tied to his crypto wallets. Bankman-Fried denied he was making the reported transactions.

Both his teammates, Caroline Ellison (Alameda CEO) and Gary wang (FTX co-founder), have already pled guilty and are cooperating with the prosecutors.

2️⃣ Gemi(ni) back my money!

Three Gemini customers filed a request for class action arbitration against Genesis Global Capital and its parent company DCG. Gemini and Genesis execs took off to Twitter late Monday to exchange mutual accusations of lack of collaboration to resolve the dispute. Here’s a quick recap of what it’s all about:

Genesis halted withdrawals due to insolvency in November
Due to the above, Gemini had to halt its Earn program (a program that let users deposit funds to get 7.4% APY returns)
340k users have been locked out on their Earn accounts; over $900 million in assets have been frozen
Cameron Winklevoss (Gemini co-founder) alleges Genesis can’t pay Gemini back because Genesis lent out $1.675 billion to DCG (Genesis’ parent company)

Winklevoss published on Twitter an open letter to Barry Silbert (DCG CEO), who denied having borrowed the money from Genesis. Now, Gemini faces a potential class action lawsuit from investors who accuse the exchange of engaging in the sale of unregistered securities via its Earn offering.

3️⃣ Coinbase with a settlement

Coinbase has reached a $100 million settlement with New York's Department of Financial Services (DFS) over its failure to scale an anti-money laundering program.

The department found Coinbase treated its onboarding requirements for customers as a "simple check-the-box" and had not done sufficient background checks between 2018 and 2021.

Although the exchange has already addressed the problems, it is now obliged to pay $50 million penalty and an additional $50 million to expand its compliance department.

4️⃣ Binance helps Ukraine with payments

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine, ANC Pharmacy, one of the biggest pharmacy chains, partners with Binance to enable contactless crypto payments through Binance Pay.

Initially rolled out in Kyiv, the new payment feature will be available in more than 1,000 locations - both at ANC pharmacies and ANC Pharmacy-operated stores like Kopiyka and Shara.

In order to use crypto payments, users must download the Binance application. After choosing a product to order online on ANC’s website, users will be able to pay using Binance Pay and pick up the order at a preferred location.

🔥 HOT BITS & BITES

MicroStrategy to build its own SaaS platform powered by Bitcoin Lightning Network ⚡️
Genesis cuts 30% of staff.
Logan Paul threatens to sue Coffeezilla over CryptoZoo scam accusations ☝🏻
Wyre will reportedly shut down after the canceled acquisition.
Crypto scammers tricked investors out of $45M and used their money to buy luxury goods.
$450m of FTX-owned Robinhood shares seized by DOJ 🔍

Thank you for reading Smart Marketing on Blockchain. This post is public, so feel free to share it 🧡

Share

🏖 FUN FACTS & MEME SECTION

💡 Did you know that Dogecoin started as a joke? The idea was that there were so many coins out there in 2013 just being introduced that the creators of Dogecoin invented the cryptocurrency around the image of the surprised-looking Shiba Inu dog. Now, Dogecoin is the sixth-largest crypto (excluding stablecoins), with a market cap exceeding Polygon and Cardano.

🥇 Meme of The Week

Smart Marketing on Blockchain

🤟🏻 Microsoft challenges Google