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NBCUniversal veteran could replace Elon Musk as Twitter CEO: Report

Elon Musk announced his departure as Twitter CEO on May 11, suggesting his replacement would be a woman who would take over within roughly six weeks.

Reports from major media outlets have suggested that NBCUniversal’s chair of global advertising and partnerships, Linda Yaccarino, could follow Elon Musk as the next chief executive officer at Twitter.

According to a May 12 report from Axios citing people familiar with the situation, Yaccarino will leave her position at NBCUniversal, where she has worked for more than 11 years. She is reportedly in talks to become the CEO of Twitter.

On May 11, Musk announced that he would be stepping down as CEO to become the social media company’s executive chair and chief technology officer. He did not specifically name his replacement, providing no details other than the fact she would be a woman and start within roughly six weeks.

Whoever assumes the key leadership role at Twitter would have a major influence on international discourse and digital assets. Yaccarino’s tweets include some praising Musk’s appearances in interviews and discussing how the social media platform handles tweets containing hate speech and calls for violence. In April, the NBCUniversal veteran interviewed Musk at a Florida conference, where the two discussed Twitter’s policies.

Related: Elon Musk’s ‘top priority’ for Twitter includes cutting down on crypto scam tweets

During Musk’s time as CEO since taking over the platform in October 2022, he fired key members of the company’s executive team and phased out the platform’s legacy verification system in favor of various paid checkmarks. He has also impacted the price of Dogecoin (DOGE) by briefly changing Twitter’s logo to the memecoin’s dog symbol and caused the price of Milady nonfungible tokens to surge after tweeting a meme on the NFT.

Magazine: Musk hints at suing Microsoft, US Rep. wants Gensler fired, and more

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36% of the top 1,000 crypto projects went silent on blogging this year

A whopping 35.8% of the world’s largest crypto projects haven’t uploaded a single blog post in 2023.

More than a third of the top 1,000 crypto projects — a term that includes both crypto companies and individual tokens — haven’t published a single new article on their respective websites in 2023.

According to a May 1 research report, from blockchain marketing agency Guerilla Buzz — whose clients include the likes of Coingecko and crypto exchange AAX — a staggering 35.8% of the top 1,000 cryptocurrency projects have failed to update their websites with any new written content this year.

Additionally, the report found that of these 1,000 projects, less than half (49.7%) have posted more than 2 new articles in 2023.

Guerilla Buzz researchers stated that the inspiration for the comparative study emerged after noticing that “many crypto companies do not prioritize strong marketing foundations.” Instead, the bulk of these companies choose to focus their efforts on “generating hype for their token sales” and “opting for short-lived growth spurts” instead of prioritizing long-term organic growth.

The paper claims that the research methodology was “straightforward” yet “labor-intensive.” First, researchers manually inspected the corresponding website of the top 1,00 crypto projects to see if it had a blog. From there they assessed the number of articles published within recent years and checked to see how many new blog posts had been published in 2023.

The blogging habits of the top ten crypto projects. Source: Guerilla Buzz.

Of the top 10 crypto projects, Binance’s BNB Chain was the clear blogging leader, with 59 new articles published this year. In second place was Polygon (MATIC) with 36 new posts, followed by Cardano (ADA) with 12.

The paper also found that the most popular blogging website of choice for crypto projects was the free blog hosting website Medium. This is reportedly a practice that has stuck around since the days of the 2017 Initial Coin Offering (ICO) craze, where thousands of new projects popped up in the span of a few months, many of which opted for little more than a one-page website, a whitepaper, and “lofty promises of a tech revolution.”

Related: This blockchain-based social media platform is going after TikTok

Notably, while Medium remains the go-to platform for many crypto project blogs, it may not actually be the best choice for companies seeking long-term growth.

“By relying on Medium’s platform, these companies are essentially boosting Medium’s traffic and growth instead of their own,” researchers wrote.

“While Medium’s excellent on-page SEO capabilities and high domain authority may have made it an easy choice for crypto companies seeking to generate buzz quickly, this focus on short-term gains may not be sustainable in the long run.”

Magazine: Why join a blockchain gaming guild? Fun, profit and create better games

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Hollywood studios reject banning AI from writer’s rooms

The Writers Guild of America sent out a list of demands to Hollywood studios, including regulating AI usage in guild-affiliated projects.

Artificial intelligence (AI) brings yet another industry into a hot debate over its usage as Hollywood and the greater media industry faces petitions from the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

WGA recently sent out a list of demands which included the regulation of AI usage on the minimum basic agreement (MBA) covered projects. It stated that AI should not be used to write or rewrite literary material nor be used as source material.

Additionally, it demanded that MBA-covered material can’t be used in training AI. In its initial statement back in March, the guild wrote:

“The WGA’s proposal to regulate use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies ensures the Companies can’t use AI to undermine writers’ working standards including compensation, residuals, separated rights and credits.”

However, Hollywood studios officially rejected the demands and countered with an offer of “annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology.”

This issue pertaining to AI usage was one of many, including compensation and working conditions, that pushed the WGA to go on an authorized strike in Los Angeles on May 2 for the first time in 15 years. 

Ellen Stutzman, the chief negotiator for the WGA, called the proposal “reasonable” and said that AI should be kept “out of the business of writing television and movies.” She also commented that some members of the guild had penned the name “plagiarism machine" for AI.

Related: Michael Schumacher’s family to pursue legal action over AI interview

AI tools are already being implemented in Hollywood for touching up visuals and de-aging actors’ appearances, among other things. 

Hollywood production studios’ stance of openness to emerging technologies such as AI differs from the stance of major companies in other creative industries like the music industry.

The initial response of Universal Music Group after AI-generated music started popping up on streaming services was a manhunt to get them removed, along with lawsuits. Though some artists themselves with established names in the industry are encouraging the usage of the technology.

Magazine: How to control the AIs and incentivize the humans with crypto

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The Agenda podcast chats crypto, media and ethics with Molly Jane Zuckerman

Should crypto media have a universal code of ethics, and what role — if any — should journalists play in promoting crypto mass adoption?

2022 was a rather challenging year for the crypto sector, and the prevalence of Ponzi schemes, decentralized finance scams, nonfungible token rug pulls and questionable centralized exchange bookkeeping put the issue of ethics in the space on blast. 

Of course, the negative news of last year wasn’t an outlier or a one-off — generally, “good” ethics have been an issue in crypto for years, and it’s probably safe to assume that challenges will continue to dot the landscape for the foreseeable future.

Within the context of media, it’s important to recognize that objective, unbiased news reporting and transparency are paramount if the industry is to earn the trust of the wider public and, as a result, change the negative perspectives people often hold about it.

In the latest episode of Cointelegraph’s podcast The Agenda, hosts Ray Salmond and Jonathan DeYoung sat down with crypto media vet Molly Jane Zuckerman to discuss her experience with ethics challenges in the industry and her ideas on how to integrate best practices into the sector.

When asked by Salmond about the most important things to fix in crypto media and the potential for journalists to experience a “kind of shadowy pressure to do what’s in the company’s best interest,” Zuckerman suggested that drastic improvements in transparency are needed. She mentioned that the Association of Cryptocurrency Journalists and Researchers, an organization she co-founded, has been working on a standards guidebook to help reporters and news agencies alike:

“It is something I spend a lot of time thinking about, just even outside of my day job, is how do we make sure that people working in crypto have sort of a rule book to follow beyond just what their newsroom might tell you might tell them.”

Zuckerman elaborated:

“I think the issue is if you have access to do something that’s so easy for really big money, it can really tempt a lot of people. So, I think that even people with very, very high moral standards and very clear ethical boundaries — at least I’ve seen this in a few companies I’ve worked for, [they] will purposely not give them access to parts of the site that would tempt them.”

Is the onus of ethics primarily on journalists or protocol builders?

When asked whether crypto’s ethics crisis stems primarily from companies and their profit objectives or from the capacity of journalists to be compromised, Zuckerman suggested that it could be a mixture of both. She also takes issue with the fact that many crypto media outlets and journalists see their mission as to help catalyze mass adoption, saying:

“I don’t think it [crypto media] should help catalyze mass adoption, personally. I think crypto media should just lay bare the facts of what is happening in the space. And I think, unfortunately, right now, if crypto media did a neutral job of that, then most people would probably leave the space because it would just be articles about bankruptcy after bankruptcy after bankruptcy.”

According to Zuckerman, the true purpose of crypto media is to educate readers: 

“I don’t think that any media outlet should ever have a goal being, like, let’s get more people to use cryptocurrency. I think it should be, let’s get more people to understand how it works. But if they understand how it works and hate it, then that’s the same positive result to me as understanding how it works based on an article you read and liking it.”

To hear more from Zuckerberg, tune in to the full episode of The Agenda on the Cointelegraph Podcasts page, Spotify or Apple Podcasts — and be sure to check out Cointelegraph’s other shows as well.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

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El Salvador Considers Opening Second Bitcoin Embassy in Texas to Boost Economic Exchange

El Salvador Considers Opening Second Bitcoin Embassy in Texas to Boost Economic ExchangeOn Feb. 14, 2023, Milena Mayorga, the Salvadoran ambassador to the United States, announced that her country is considering opening a second bitcoin embassy in the Lone Star State. Mayorga said that Texas is “our new ally” and the goal is to expand “commercial and economic exchange projects.” Ambassador Milena Mayorga Fosters Growing Relationship Between […]

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FTX customers are safe from being doxxed, for now

The decision comes after a Jan. 8 filing by FTX’s lawyers, who argued that public disclosure could create an undue risk of identity theft or unlawful injury to FTX creditors.

The names of up to nine million FTX customers are set to remain confidential for at least three more months following the latest ruling in FTX bankruptcy proceedings. 

The decision was reportedly made by Judge John Dorsey in the Delaware-based bankruptcy court on Jan. 11 in response to a 168-page filing by FTX on Jan. 8, which requested the court to withhold confidential customer information.

Judge Dorsey said that he remains “reluctant at this point” to disclose the confidential information, as it may put creditors “at risk,” despite increased pressure from several media outlets:

“We’re talking about individuals here who are not present – individuals who may be at risk if their name and information is disclosed.”

Days earlier, FTX lawyers argued “that disclosure of the information would create an undue risk of identity theft or unlawful injury to the individual or the individual’s property” and that the court should use its “broad discretion” under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to protect those affected by FTX’s collapse.

In late December, a group of non-U.S. FTX customers also pushed the Delaware bankruptcy court to keep customer information private, arguing in a Dec. 28 joinder filing that public disclosure would cause “irreparable harm.”

Judge Dorsey’s decision does however run contrary to most bankruptcy proceedings where creditor information is disclosed — which is what happened in cryptocurrency lender Celsius’ bankruptcy proceedings in October.

Related: Getting funds out of FTX could take years or even decades: Lawyers

The Delaware-based bankruptcy court hasn’t been as kind to FTX equity holders, having released a Jan. 9 document that disclosed the investors expected to be wiped out and the number of shares they held with FTX.

Cast your vote now!

Among those included NFL legend and former FTX brand ambassador Tom Brady, his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary.

It appears that progress is being made though, with FTX reported to have already recovered $5 billion in cash and cryptocurrency, FTX attorney Andy Dietderich said in a Jan. 11 statement.

According to early bankruptcy filings in November, more than 1 million creditors were speculated to be involved, with $3 billion being owed to the 50 largest creditors alone.

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Media Draws Attention to Sam Bankman-Fried’s 2 Visits While on House Arrest

Media Draws Attention to Sam Bankman-Fried’s 2 Visits While on House ArrestAfter FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was released on bail and traveled to his parent’s home in California, it has been reported that SBF was visited by the crypto advocate Tiffany Fong, and also the “Big Short” author Michael Lewis while he’s been on house arrest. Fong detailed she managed to interview SBF, while Lewis […]

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US senator calls on SEC’s Gensler to answer for ‘regulatory failures’

Republican Senator Tom Emmer has long been a critic of Gary Gensler and the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission’s cryptocurrency oversight strategy.

Minnesota Senator Tom Emmer has slammed United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler for his flawed “crypto information-gathering efforts” and insisted Gensler should appear before Congress to explain the cost of his “regulatory failures.”

Emmer’s comments came from a Dec. 10 tweet to his 67,500 Twitter followers, where he made reference to a bipartisan Blockchain Caucus letter he co-authored to the SEC Chairman on Mar. 16.

Emmer said, “we now know Gensler's crypto information-gathering efforts were ineffective” citing the collapses of the Terra ecosystem and bankrupt crypto platforms Celsius, Voyager and FTX.

“[Gensler] must testify before Congress and answer questions about the cost of his regulatory failures,” the Senator added.

He pointed out Gensler hasn’t made an appearance before the House Committee on Financial Services since Oct. 5. 2021 which left crypto media to fill the void for the SEC’s investigative failures according to Emmer.

Writers of the March Blockchain Caucus letter stated the SEC’s efforts in sourcing information from crypto companies were not “targeted, intentional, or clear” but rather “haphazard and unfocused.”

Emmer argued Gensler’s response — which came two months later — sidestepped several questions that inquired into the methods and processes the SEC would adopt in providing oversight to the digital asset industry.

“Instead, Gensler decided to explain to Congress the roles of the SEC’s Enforcement and Examination Divisions,” Emmer stated.

Emmer has previously expressed criticism toward the financial watchdog’s crypto oversight strategy.

“Congress shouldn’t have to learn the details about the SEC’s oversight agenda through planted stories in progressive publications,” he stated on Nov. 26.

Related: Republican lawmaker claims SEC chair was coordinating with FTX ‘to obtain regulatory monopoly’

A few days earlier on Nov. 23, Emmer tweeted Gary Gensler’s lack of leadership was a contributor to FTX’s catastrophic collapse which took effect in early November.

Much of Gensler and the SEC’s efforts over the past years were focused on determining if cryptocurrencies fall within the definition of the Howey test and thus are subject to U.S. securities laws, most notably the ongoing Ripple case with its XRP (XRP) token

Emmer has long been a proponent of cryptocurrencies as a financial asset as far back as 2020 and takes a view that the U.S. government should clear the way to ensure that it doesn’t stifle innovation in the crypto industry.

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New York Times, FT, Bloomberg Blasted for Attempting to Get FTX Creditors’ Names Unsealed

New York Times, FT, Bloomberg Blasted for Attempting to Get FTX Creditors’ Names UnsealedAmid the ongoing FTX bankruptcy proceedings, court documents indicate that media firms such as Bloomberg, the New York Times (NYT), Dow Jones & Company, and the Financial Times (FT) want the redacted information tied to FTX creditors unsealed. The media companies believe the public should be made aware of the creditors’ information, as the publications […]

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Report Shows Crypto News Publication The Block Was Secretly Funded by Bankman-Fried’s Alameda

Report Shows Crypto News Publication The Block Was Secretly Funded by Bankman-Fried’s AlamedaOn Dec. 9, 2022, Axios reporter Sara Fischer reported on the CEO of the crypto media The Block after it was discovered that the chief executive was secretly funded by Alameda Research, the now-defunct trading firm co-founded by Sam Bankman-Fried. According to the report, sources say The Block executive Michael McCaffrey received $16 million in […]

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