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The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree on Monday recognising the independence of the two separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Immediately afterward he ordered Russian troops into these regions, in a ‘peacekeeping’ mission as he declared, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. To get more news about topfx alternative, you can visit wikifx.com official website.
On Thursday, Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Russian missiles raining down on Ukrainian cities, and explosions were heard even in Kyiv. The attack was wide-ranged, taking place by land, air, and sea, and was reported as the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II. Dozens were reportedly killed in Ukraine, including civilians, in an assault that the Russian President has described as a “special military operation”.
Chief of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, stated that Russia’s “brutal act of war” shattered peace in Europe, and NATO has positioned additional US troops to the Baltic nations bordering Russia. Leaders across the world have condemned Russia’s actions and are moving towards imposing severe sanctions against Russia. Australia, Canada, and Japan have announced sanctions against Russia, targeting Russian banks and oligarchs. Britain has moved to sanction Russian individuals and banking institutions in the UK and the UK PM Boris Johnson vowed on Thursday to impose massive sanctions against Russia and even stated that Vladimir Putin may face charges for war crimes.
The US President, Joe Biden, announced on Tuesday the "first tranche" of measures against Russia, which aim to deliver a hard blow on the country’s economy, including sanctions on Russia's sovereign debt so that the country can no longer raise money for its state financing. Biden, speaking from the White House on Thursday, unveiled harsh new sanctions against Russia that would "impose a severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time."
The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that EU members states have unanimously agreed upon a package of new sanctions against Russia. More importantly, Germany has suspended the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a move that may cause an energy crisis in Europe, which depends on Russia for approximately 40% of its gas and send the prices of energy-related assets even higher.
The EU has announced further sanctions, targeting Russia’s defense minister and military chiefs and imposing visa bans and freezing assets of high-ranking Russian officials. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU is planning new sanctions against Russia, that will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy, blocking access to technologies and markets and crippling it's economy.
Russia has threatened to retaliate against EU sanctions, and it is likely that the EU, which relies on Russia for key imports, will pay a heavy price. The price of gold, oil, and other key commodities such as corn and wheat is already climbing and prices are expected to climb further as the crisis unfolds, contributing to rising inflation rates in the Eurozone.
Safe-haven currencies, such as the dollar and the Yen, have climbed the past few days, as the crisis that has been brewing for months between Russia and Ukraine escalates. The Russian stock market and the Rubble have plummeted to historic lows, in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Global stock markets crashed to multi-month lows early on Thursday, but recovered later in the day, as markets absorbed news of the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine.
Mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine at the end of last week turned investors’ attention towards safe heaven currencies, boosting the dollar and the Yen, while the Euro retreated.To get more news about topfx reviews, you can visit wikifx.com official website.
Hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the issue were diminished on Monday, as Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the two separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Immediately afterward, he ordered Russian troops into these regions, in a ‘peacekeeping’ mission as he stated, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and effectively launching an invasion against Ukraine.
The US President announced on Tuesday the "first tranche" of measures against Russia, which aim to deliver a hard blow on the country’s economy, including sanctions on Russia's foreign debt so that the country can no longer raise money for its state financing. Australia, Canada, and Japan have also announced sanctions against Russia, targeting Russian banks and oligarchs, while NATO has positioned additional US troops to the Baltic nations bordering Russia.
The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that EU members states have unanimously agreed upon a package of new sanctions against Russia. More importantly, Germany has suspended the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a move that may cause an energy crisis in Europe, which depends on Russia for approximately 40% of its gas and send the prices of energy-related assets even higher. Britain has moved to sanction Russian individuals and banking institutions in the UK, while it is reported that further sanctions are on the table.
Safe-haven currencies, such as the dollar and the Yen, are expected to benefit from these recent developments as demand for safer assets grows. However, Russia’s move against Ukraine has been anticipated for some time now and may have largely been priced in by markets. Further developments are expected though and may cause high market volatility in the coming weeks.
US Flash Manufacturing PMI, Flash Services PMI, and CB Consumer Confidence data were released on Tuesday and were mostly positive for the US economy. These are leading indicators of economic health and provide support for the dollar, as signs of economic recovery may steer the Fed’s monetary policy towards a more hawkish direction.
Rising inflation rates in the US support the dollar, amidst expectations that the Federal Reserve might tighten its monetary policy to tackle inflation. Monthly Retail and Core Retail Sales released last week were higher than expected, indicating that the US economy is moving in a positive direction, also fuelling expectations of a sharp increase in the Fed’s interest rates.
The Federal Reserve has so far indicated that it will tighten its monetary policy to fight soaring inflation rates in the US. It is not clear, however, to what extent the US Central Bank intends to increase its interest rates, and there is wide speculation on the subject, causing uncertainty and market volatility. A series of rate hikes have already been priced in by the markets, with many investors predicting a sharp benchmark interest raise of 50 base points in March.
The dollar index climbed higher on Wednesday, reaching 96.2, boosted by positive economic data and rising geopolitical tensions. The dollar is considered a safe-haven currency and rises when a risk-aversion sentiment prevails, as investors turn towards safer assets.
Several economic and inflation indicators for the dollar will be released on Thursday, including Quarterly Preliminary GDP, Unemployment Claims, US Crude Oil Inventories. These may cause volatility for the dollar, since economic, inflation, and employment data may influence the Fed’s future monetary policy. In addition, important inflation indicators are the Core PCE data, which is scheduled to be released on February 25th. The next meeting of the US Central Bank in March is drawing near and indicators of inflation are expected to affect the Fed’s decision to raise its benchmark interest rate.
Empires X is an online investment platform. It will allow you to invest money into real estate, some non-specified private investments and a trading bot (Ex Bot, Bin Bot).To get more news about empiresx, you can visit wikifx.com official website.
The main selling point seems to be the trading robot that trades Nasdaq and will allegedly generate you a return on your investment up to 1% daily.
There is also a very generous affiliate program that can earn you additional revenue across 20 levels. You will earn a portion of what people under you invest.
The EXB robot costs $400 per year and it is the initial investment that everyone has to make in order to become an investor. If you want to be just an affiliate, your minimum initial investment will be $200.
Unfortunately there is no doubt that EmpiresX is actually a scam that will just run for a limited period of time and then disappear with all the money left in the system. In this review we explain why.
The basics
We have to repeat ourselves in almost every scam review we make: When you see an anonymous trading robot that is supposed to make you 1% daily in financial markets, you can be pretty much sure that it is a scam. It really is that simple.
It is because financial markets are largely unpredictable and prices of different assets don’t always move the same way, with the same magnitude. Every experienced trader will tell you that it is absolutely impossible to have a steady daily return on financial markets. You have to accept this fact.
Financial trading is a game of probabilities and risk management. Sometimes you earn, sometimes you lose, the goal is to make your profits bigger than your losses. It is a very difficult task and the majority of people fails in this.
Legit investment offers will provide you with proofs about their performance, there will be mandatory regulatory information, audited results etc. EmpiresX provides nothing to back up their claims.Empires X is providing investment services. As we have already explained in this review, besides the trading robot there is also real estate investing and some other non-specific investing.
These activities are regulated in most countries. This means that EmpiresX needs authorizations from financial regulators in every country they want to have members/investors in.
So, is EmpiresX regulated as required by the law? No, it is not. In fact, it is a completely anonymous enterprise. The only contact information they provide on their website is an e-mail address, that’s it. Doesn’t look very trustworthy, does it?
The fact that people who run EmpiresX are hiding and breaking the law by not being regulated tells a lot. It is a scam that you have to avoid.It is obvious that EmpiresX is a huge pyramid scheme, a Ponzi scam that will try to run as long as deposits are flowing in. But this type of scam scheme always runs out of steam and collapses.
It is just inevitable due to the nature of the scheme, where money is just moved from newer to older members. So if Empires X is paying at all, expect it to stop and it can happen any time. Then the end will be quick a money will disappear.
Since all the payments to EmpiresX are made in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, nobody will be able to get their money back and to trace the scammers who took it.
Orders are sometimes filled away from the desired price due to gaps in the market. This occurs because currency prices can sometimes be very volatile, or liquidity can be thin. In these scenarios, orders cannot always be filled at the exact price, but the next available price.To get more news about t4t capital, you can visit wikifx.com official website.
The limits are in place to protect our capital and to protect your profits from the week before. This stops you risking all your profits should you have a bad week. These are hard account/equity balance levels that cannot be broken. They remain static for the duration of the Assessment phase.
If you Breach any Limits your account will require a reset to continue with the opportunity to become a funded trader with T4TCapital.The Weekly Loss Limit Level is 2% of the initial Account Starting Balance. It remains static at this amount for the duration of the Assessment. This provides you with a static equity balance for the week that you cannot go below.
The is the safety net for our Capital. It is calculated by taking 4% of the starting account size, in this case $100,000 and subtracting the 4% or $4,000 to obtain a Maximum Drawdown Level of $96,000.
Should you make a profit during the first week the $4,000 trails (your highest account balance) just like a trailing stop on a trade until the level hits the account start balance, where it then remains static at that level for the life of the account.
For example, if you reach an account balance of $104,000 the Max Drawdown becomes $100,000 at this point it never moves. If you then increased your account balance to $106,000 the Max Drawdown remains static at $100,000.
The rules cover all account sizes and are industry standard rules. When we mean industry standard we mean professional trading rules employed by the financial institutions such as the banks, hedge funds and mutual funds. These trading rules are managed by our trading server at T4TCapital.
If you breach one of these trading rules, your account will not require a reset, instead the trade that you placed that breaches a rule will be automatically closed at market. You will more than likely incur a small loss due to transaction fees. Think of it as a penalty for breaking the rules!
Rule 1 – A Valid Stop Loss Must Be Attached to Every Trade When it is Opened
You cannot open a position and then add a stop loss afterwards. The stop loss must be a pending order attached the entry position.
To be VALID your Stop Loss must be within your available limits. If your Weekly Loss Limit is $2,000, you cannot open a position with a Stop Loss that if triggered the loss will exceed $2,000.
You can use any trading methodology you wish and you can even use robots or EA’s however you are responsible for ensuring they have a Valid Stop Loss attached when the position is opened.
Rule 2 – All Trades Will be Closed Automatically by T4TCapital on Friday @7PM GMT.
This is a very basic rule. All trades either open or pending will be closed automatically by T4TCapital on Friday at 7PM GMT.
Over the last few years with the numerous geopolitical issues, gapping on the Monday open has been commonplace. It is an unnecessary risk to have trades open over the weekend when the market is closed.
If you want a long term trade then simply exit the trade on Friday and enter back into the trade on Monday at the same (or close ) to the same price.
What You Should and Shouldn’t Store in a Home Safe
The very items we often keep in a home safe may the ones that shouldn’t be there, such as valuables that aren’t inventoried, documents you rarely need, and large sums of cash. Other items such as insurance documents and priceless heirlooms also need to be stored in a safe place, but which valuables are best protected in a fireproof, gun safe at home, and which belong in a safety deposit box at a bank? Let’s take a look. To get more news about safe lock, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
What to store in a home safe
Generally, anything of value to you — but not to a thief — can be stored in a home safe. Take other irreplaceable items to the bank. Things you should keep in a home safe include: Social Security cards passports, insurance policies and “power of attorney” documents. Since banks are not open 24/7, a good home safe is a better place to keep these key documents. However, burglars could easily break into your home, force you to open the safe, or haul off the entire thing before breaking into a bank and swiping your safety deposit box. This is why many experts insist that your fireproof home safe be anchored to the wall or floor, so your personal documents and/or high-price items should be secure enough.
Your last will and testament should also be protected inside a home safe. Unless you have an estate attorney who will hold the original will documents for you, keep this paperwork in a fireproof home safe and give the combination or spare key to a trusted person who doesn’t live with you. If you absolutely must store it at the bank, prevent delays by making sure in advance the executors are named in the document.
Vintage photographs, old-school camera negatives, stamp collections, and small amounts of emergency cash-- these are the kinds of items that should go into resealable plastic bags to reduce risk of water damage, then into either a media or fireproof safe.
What goes in a safety deposit box?
Until someone is ready to wear it, Grandma’s engagement ring should be secured in a bank box. While it’s okay to store a reasonable amount of emergency cash in a home safe, large sums should be in a bank account where it can earn interest. Don’t sock away a lot of cash in a bank deposit box, because FDIC insurance only covers cash deposited in bank accounts. (Since the bank won’t cover losses from a safe deposit box, talk with your home insurance or renter’s insurance carrier if you’d like to insure valuables stored there.)
Other items that belong in a safety deposit box include the deed to your home, birth certificates, and car titles. According to the FDIC, U.S. Savings Bonds that haven’t been converted into electronic securities should also be stored at the bank. Also, if you take pictures or shoot video of personal property for insurance purposes, such as proof of ownership after a fire, you should store the media in a bank box, not at home.
Lastly, information stored on physical computer media (discs, USBs, or external hard drives) should go in the bank box. The bank’s vault won’t be susceptible to extreme temperatures or magnetic interference that could erase data. Physical media would typically be a backup for critical data on a computer or tablet, or home-cloud storage systems (these are essentially just an external hard drive with Wi-Fi capability), which could be destroyed in a fire.
Where to keep a safe in your home
Understanding where to keep a safe in your home is an excellent way to make sure the wrong people don’t find your most prized possessions. It also makes accessing your belongings quick and easy. Before choosing a place, take into account what you’ll be using the safe for; will it be holding expensive jewelry, stacks of cash, or valuable family antiques? Tuck these away in a safe in your master bedroom/bathroom or within your closet. Keeping your safe in an easy-to-access location will encourage you to use it. Also think about how frequently you’ll be using your safe. If you plan on keeping valuable everyday items inside of the safe, like a wallet or your camera, then keep it in a spot you can easily get to. No one wants to crawl into the depths of an attic or basement each day to retrieve something. If your safe weighs over 1,000 pounds, it belongs on the first floor of your home to prevent damage. If you’re concerned about the size of the safe you are purchasing, speak to a professional for assistance.
Not all safes are the same and therefore need to be treated differently. For example, safes with electronic locks should not be in rooms with high moisture levels or humidity. This includes garages, basements, bathrooms, or laundry rooms. Humidity or moisture can contribute to the locks failing to work. An excellent spot to keep your fireproof safe is on the hard floor in your garage or basement.
Pro’s and Con’s of Mechanical Safe Locks and Electronic Safe Locks
A question that many potential safe buyers ask is what type of lock to choose. After all, what's the point of buying a safe if you aren't getting a lock that will keep it secure? You will find that safe locks come in two varieties: mechanical safe locks and electronic safe locks. But which type will best suit your needs? Take a few minutes to learn more about each type of lock and review the pros and cons of each.To get more news about smart home accessories, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
When most people think of a safe, the image of a mechanical dial lock often comes to mind. You know, the type of lock you see on bank safes in old movies. To open a safe with a mechanical lock, you spin the dial to the right until you land on the first number, then spin to the left and go past the next number once before landing on it, and then dial to the right for the last number. Let’s consider a mechanical lock’s pros and cons.
Pros of Mechanical Locks
Mechanical safe locks have been standard since the 1800s.
There are no electronic parts that require batteries.
Mechanical locks usually have a long lifespan.
Cons of Mechanical Locks
Nothing much has changed with the technology of mechanical locks.
These are considered Group Two locks, which a professional thief can typically crack in 15 minutes or less.
The process of opening a mechanical lock is slow, and one mistake means you must start over. This wastes precious seconds in an emergency when you need to get to your gun fast.
Maintenance will be required on a mechanical lock if its tumblers become misaligned.
The lock code is preset by the factory, which makes it harder to remember.
If the lock code needs to be changed, you have to hire a locksmith to do it.
Electronic Locks – the New Lock on the Block
Today, it seems that everything is going digital, including our home’s door locks, which eliminates the need to carry a door key. The purpose of going digital with everyday items is to make your life easier.
Pros of Digital Locks
As a Group 1 lock, digital safe locks have high manipulation resistance because they have 999,999 possible lock combinations.
It could take up to 27 years for a thief to manipulate all the codes possible in a digital safe lock.
You can choose your own pass code and change it whenever you want.
Many come with lights, which provide fast, easy access in the dark of night, so you can see to enter your code whether you are wearing glasses or not.
Removing the keypad does not affect the safe’s security.
They Block unauthorized users after several failed attempts.
The lock memory remembers pass codes even during battery changes.
You can service your own lock.
From storied maisons to artists who create wearable art in the form of jewelry, the following 21 brands (in no particular order) each offer a singular point of view and aesthetic unique to its own. From the fantastical vignettes imagined by the sculptor Bibi van der Velden to designs once created only for the maharajas, this list guides you through the varied and remarkable pieces of the jewelry world, as well as the perfected versions of those classic and timeless pieces you've been searching for.To get more news about 3d jewelry design, you can visit jewelryhunt.net official website.
Ana Khouri
Ana Khouri's pieces are easily distinguishable by their sculptural elements and use of negative space. Khouri catapulted the shift toward ear play and showed that there are endless ways to design an ear cuff. Elevating the look from punk to haute couture, Khouri expanded the notion of traditional jewelry styling to one of art.
Irene Neuwirth
Irene Neuwirth's whimsical and free-spirited designs capture a beautiful balance between luxury and playfulness. Combining a diamond tennis necklace with precious stone charms carved like fruit, Neuwirth reminds us that jewelry is fun while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship and quality. Some of my favorites are her opal candy beaded necklace and her gumball rings.
Bibi van der Velden
Animals and nature are common themes throughout Bibi van der Velden's intricate designs. Trained in sculpting, van der Velden hand-carves each piece with unusual materials like the tusk from a 60,000-year-old mammoth or wings from a scarab, and is adept at engineering movement as in her Galaxy Spinning Pearl Ring.
Repossi
Using geometric form and severe angles to design the base of each piece while adding elements of extreme femininity either through the cut of the diamond or curve of the negative space, Gaia Repossi creates jewelry for the strong, modern woman unfettered with traditional notions of jewelry. Each piece resembles a work of art through its innovative aesthetic and refined quality.
David Webb
David Webb's world of baubles is not for those with a tame heart. Original, and often dramatic, designs of animals and grand cocktail rings are Webb's signature.
Verdura
For the jewelry aficionado, Verdura is a common reference. Famous for many designs such as the Maltese Cross Cuff designed for Coco Chanel and the curb-linked watch and bracelet (pictured here) made famous by Greta Garbo, Verdura has adorned the stars of Old Hollywood and royalty, including Princess Diana.
Sanjay Kasliwal
The Kasliwal family dates back to the 16th century as the legendary jewelers to the maharajas. Combining Indian aesthetic and craftsmanship with his learnings from goldsmiths in Italy, Sanjay Kasliwal designs to bring his family's heritage to all corners of the world.
Cartier
The storied French maison remains one of the most sought-after labels when it comes to jewelry and watches. Popular for its Panthére, Love bracelets, and more, Cartier—named the Jeweler of Kings—dates back to the 19th century as the favorite among royalty.
Sidney Garber
Sidney Garber pieces are the essence of timeless luxury. If you are in search of the perfect chain-link necklace (which can be worn multiple ways, the Y shape being my favorite), search no more. Because time and time again, this one takes the win. Now helmed by Garber's daughter, Brooke Garber Neidich, the company donates all profits to nonprofit organizations dedicated to children.
We all love a little bling in the dreary day-to-day of our average lives. Finding those perfect pieces of jewelry can turn an outfit into a statement, and what more could you really want? But how do you find those pieces and brands that are actually worth your time? To get more news about make your own custom jewelry online, you can visit jewelryhunt.net official website.
From engagement and wedding rings to simply stunning pieces you’ve gifted yourself, there are so many options when it comes to jewelry.
You’re looking at gemstones, metals, styles, cut, clarity, and, of course – cost! Each factor adds to the brand to break down and clarify what exactly makes the best jewelry brands the best.
When you buy, you want a quality product, especially when it comes to jewelry. No matter your gender, age, race, or sexuality, everyone can agree that if you’re giving or receiving jewelry, you want it to be a good piece that will last.
Jewelry goes beyond a simple accessory and many times people have memories of places, trips, and loved ones attached to what they wear.
To help you out when buying, whether it’s for your next gift for others or simply for yourself, we’ve created this list of 12 brands that offer amazing customer service, custom pieces, and, above all else, the quality you’ve been hoping for.
The 7 Best Jewelry Brands
Through careful consideration, we’ve narrowed the endless companies online down to a Top 12 Best Jewelry Brands list just for you! These 12 brands each have unique components that earned them a place on this list.
#1: James Allen Jewelry Brand
If you’re looking for quality diamonds, then James Allen may just be the best jewelry brand in the business in that regard.
This company has been reviewed not only by us, but Business Insider, National Jeweler, and Forbes, all of whom claim that this brand is easily worth their offered prices.
#2: Gabriel & Co Jewelry Brand
Focusing their efforts on weddings and accessories, the Gabriel & Co brand typically caters to women. This company was founded by the Gabriel brothers on the notion of bringing special designs to standard markets to make every moment special.
The founders understood that each piece of jewelry told a story of the moment it was received and decided they wanted to add to that history of each piece through their unique designs.
#3: Blue Nile Jewelry Brand
When it comes to the wedding industry, Blue Nile has you covered. We’ve included this as one of the best jewelry brands for their reputation as well as unique customization options available online.Mark Vadon, the co-founder of this Seattle-based company, set out to design a jewelry brand that offered simplicity to a typically frustrating and overwhelming time.
#4: Frost NYC Jewelry Brand
We’re well aware that weddings and engagements aren’t the only places where jewelry shines, so that brings Frost NYC to our list of best jewelry brands. This company was founded by Arthur Ilyev and Nick Kaykov in 2000 to bring top-quality jewels to people at an affordable price.
These hip-hop pieces are styled for both men and women, though more items lean towards men’s fashion.
#5: Gorjana Jewelry Brand
Take a casual turn with your jewelry fashion through Gorjana’s striking product line.
It seems fairly safe to add this as one of our best jewelry brands after Michelle Obama hyped it up in People Magazine. We don’t know about you, but that alone is some high endorsement for this company’s quality pieces.
#6: Aurate Jewelry Brand
Leave behind the old and step into the new with the modern designs of Aurate. Founders Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui created the company based on their frustration with green fingers, high prices, dainty pieces, and old-fashioned designs.
This New York company creates durable, quality pieces that are ethically sourced and sustainably made at prices that wouldn’t make you lose your mind.
#7: Ross-Simons Jewelry Brand
Here’s to a classic brand we can trust to provide the quality we need. Ross-Simons was founded in the 1950s and has continued to put forth the effort needed to remain strong in the jewelry game.
Established with the goal of affordable top-quality pieces, the company has remained one of the best jewelry brands on the market in terms of their inventory, designs, prices, and service.
The sandbox-style video game Minecraft, released back in 2011, is getting a Web3 update thanks to a few developers unaffiliated with Microsoft.To get more microsoft latest news, you can visit shine news official website.
NFT Worlds is a project built on third-party Minecraft servers with a Polygon-based overlay. Polygon is an Ethereum sidechain which offers lower gas fees (i.e., transaction fees) for users. NFT Worlds’ blockchain layer on Minecraft will allow players to access Web3 features, such as an online shop where they can buy items for their Minecraft experience using the $WRLD ERC-20 token
Some of Minecraft’s software is open source, meaning that anyone with the right technical knowledge can build upon it. And Minecraft doesn’t have an established economy like competitor Roblox, which has a robust virtual marketplace and its own (non-crypto) digital currency called Robux. NFT Worlds gives players a metaverse experience in an existing game, which is big news for Minecraft fans and NFT collectors alike.
NFTs—unique blockchain-based tokens that signify ownership over an asset—can come in many forms. In the case of NFT Worlds, the NFTs are pieces of virtual land. There are 10,000 different Worlds, varying in appearance from snowy tundras to forest islands to massive volcanoes. The current floor price—or lowest price to buy immediately without bidding—for a piece of land is 14.5 Ethereum, or about $38,150.
Since Microsoft bought Minecraft’s developer Mojang Studios for a whopping $2.5 billion in 2014, Minecraft’s player base has grown. The game had 131 million monthly active users in 2020 and over 141 million monthly active users in 2021.
NFT Worlds has seen an uptick in interest as well, reporting that over 26,000 player hours were logged on a test server in a three-day period this month. And from January to February this year, the average price for an NFT World suddenly increased by 10 Ethereum ($26,000) after remaining largely stagnant for months.While some might balk at paying upwards of $40,000 for a piece of virtual land, competing Ethereum metaverse game The Sandbox often commands much higher prices. Back in December, someone paid $450,000 for a small piece of virtual land next to rapper Snoop Dogg’s property in The Sandbox.
Compared to The Sandbox—whose economy is run by the $SAND token—NFT Worlds’ properties are exponentially larger.
In fact, ArkDev, co-founder of NFT Worlds, said in a Twitter Space on Wednesday that there are “concerns about the worlds being so humongously large.”NFT Worlds co-founder Temptranquil added that “without some kind of transportation or portal system, a player couldn’t just walk” across an entire piece of land in the game.
When it comes to future developments, the NFT Worlds team wants to make the game experience as low-gas and “frictionless” as possible by using an EIP-2771, an interface which can enable cheaper “meta transactions” on Ethereum. NFT Worlds also wants to create a “global auction house” of sorts, which will function as their online marketplace.
The co-founders chose to build on Minecraft because they see Microsoft as developer-friendly and less strict than competitors like Roblox.“Minecraft has a really large, custom thriving game development system,” ArkDev said.
Microsoft appears to be supportive of metaverse thinking more broadly, as its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard last month was partly aimed at helping it develop “building blocks for the metaverse,” according to a press release at the time.
But building a Web3 world on top of an existing centralized game owned by a billion-dollar company isn’t without its risks. ArkDev and Temptranquil are well aware of the chance that they might “get rugged” by Microsoft, meaning that Microsoft could shut down their project at any time with legal action.
In a sign that the United States government's export restrictions on semiconductor sales to Russia due to its war against Ukraine have been enacted swiftly, multiple reports have emerged today that both Intel and AMD have suspended chip sales to Russia. In addition, reports have also emerged that TSMC's decision to participate in the sanctions will thwart Russia's supply of homegrown chips. Intel has provided us with a statement on the matter, and we have also reached out to AMD and Nvidia for comment.To get more intel news, you can visit shine news official website.
The Russian media outlets also claim that the suspensions have been confirmed by the Association of Russian Developers and Electronics Manufacturers (ARPE). Additionally, Chinese IT companies are said to have been notified by Intel that sales to Russia have been banned.
Intel provided the following comment to Tom's Hardware: "Intel complies with all applicable export regulations and sanctions in the countries in which it operates, including the new sanctions issued by OFAC [Office of Foreign Assets Control] and the regulations issued by BIS [Bureau of Industry and Security]."
The extent of the halted sales is currently unclear. The new export restrictions are primarily aimed at chips for military purposes or dual-use chips that could be used for both civilian and military purposes. That means sales of most consumer-focused chips, like AMD's Ryzen and Intel's Core chips, likely won't be impacted. However, it is widely expected that there will be a temporary halt for all semiconductor sales to Russia as companies work to decide which products and customers are impacted. Additionally, the US DoC has added 49 Russian companies to the Entity List.
The new US export restrictions are akin to the sanctions leveled at Huawei, but they apply to an entire country — a first. Russia has prepared for years to deal with potential sanctions, especially in the wake of the international sanctions in 2014 after its actions in Crimea, by both promoting its own indigenous semiconductor production and also stockpiling chips for just such an occurrence.
However, Russia's domestically-designed chips from companies like Baikal, MCST, Yadro, and STC Module are actually manufactured by Taiwan-based TSMC, which has agreed to also suspend sales to the country to comply with the new export restrictions. That means Russia's supply of homegrown chips could also be cut off.
While companies like Intel and AMD are reportedly suspending sales immediately, that won't have an immediate devastating impact on the industry. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the Russian government accounts for less than 0.1% of global chip purchases, while the broader Russian market represents roughly $50.3 billion out of the $4.47 trillion global semiconductor market.
Instead, the impact is expected to be felt when supercomputers, networking, military chips, and the like fail or need upgrades. In those cases, Russia would be forced to acquire the chips illicitly.