JUST IN: Russia's State Duma passes a bill in first reading allowing crypto for foreign trade payments, recognizing it as property under Russian law and designating the Central Bank as regulator.
🚨 Understanding Crypto With Grayscale | @VoiceOfWeb3_ Podcast
🎙️ New episode coming soon
We’re hosting @Ray_scale , Head of Product & Research at @Grayscale Investments, to break down the evolving #CryptoMarket and institutional adoption
In this episode, we explore #CryptoETFs, #Tokenization, #RWAs, and how institutions are shaping the future of #DigitalAssets and #Web3
If you're interested in #Blockchain, #CryptoTrends, and real market insights, this episode is for you
📌 Dropping soon on Voice Of Web3
Subscribe now: https://t.co/oaNwgW7nwd
Follow us on Spotify: https://t.co/3SI95ngpbU
BRUTAL: @VitalikButerin just called out L2 projects at Hong Kong Web3 Festival
'L2s that clone @ethereum but add nothing new serve NO PURPOSE'
Says real L2s should build what mainnet CAN'T DO
This hits different when the Ethereum founder says it
Ok, so this ceasefire… We got it all wrong.
As usual, there is more at play than meets the eye.
What I’m about to say is my opinion, speculation about what’s really going on here.
Before I tell you what I think, I’ll tell you what my reasoning is.
As the north of Israel is being bombarded non stop, it seemed very strange to me that either Bibi or Trump would agree to such a ceasefire.
Furthermore, what is the point of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon if it doesn’t apply to Hezbollah, the ones who are doing the firing?
So, the way I see it, there are two options here.
The first one is that the IRGC played Trump by getting him to agree to this ceasefire. Trump then proceeded to play Netanyahu by forcing this on him.
That simply doesn’t add up to me. Trump isn’t one to get played and Netanyahu has proven that he’s not one to be forced into a deal that will directly harm Israelis.
Of course those of you reading this who can’t stand Trump or Bibi or both will opt to believe that this is what happened, that both Trump and Bibi sold out the Israeli people.
I would believe that if both of them hadn’t proven to us time and time again that they are masters at chess and there is always more than meets the eye.
Call me naive. Call me a Trump/Bibi fan. Call me whatever you want.
I refuse to believe that this ceasefire was given to the IRGC “for free”.
So that begs the question, what did Trump get and what did he then give Bibi for either one of these leaders to agree to this deal?
And here is where the speculation comes in but to be clear, it’s not just random speculation.
What I’m about to say is based on things both Bibi and Trump have said over the past 12 hours since the ceasefire went into effect.
So what could possibly justify such a ceasefire? What could Trump and Netanyahu have gotten out of this that would make me say “Ohhh, now I get it. Yea, I’m glad they accepted this ceasefire!”?
So here’s what I think. Let’s dissect this, shall we?
For starters, we know that this ceasefire includes Israel staying in place in Lebanon. It also includes Israel’s operational freedom to do what it needs to do if there is an imminent threat.
We also know, based on what Trump said, that the IRGC has officially caved on the nuclear issue and has agreed to hand the US its uranium and to stop enriching more.
I’ll remind you that if the US maintains the naval blockade it has in place now for a few more weeks, the IRGC won’t be able to pay salaries. They will be totally economically obliterated.
Done. Finished.
Bibi explicitly said, as the ceasefire was coming into effect that, “I spoke with Trump. He is determined to continue the naval blockade and destroy Iran's remaining nuclear capabilities."
Now, if this ceasefire with Lebanon includes Israel, Lebanon, and the US joining forces to disarm Hezbollah, that would be absolutely historic and monumental.
Well, “A senior Israeli official said that the Trump administration intends to actively be a part of the efforts by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and is prepared to use American resources to achieve this goal. “Trump wants this to happen, so this time the U.S. will be far more involved,” the official said.
The official added that the current ceasefire terms are significantly better than those in November 2024, describing the situation as “much improved,” mainly because Hezbollah has suffered a substantial blow this time and because Israeli forces are present on the ground. “Forces are deployed from Naqoura to Syria and will not withdraw. In addition, Iran is in a much weaker position in terms of its ability to support the organization’s recovery".
The official emphasized that Israel will continue to act against any threat to civilians and soldiers, adding: “This is currently a ten-day ceasefire. For it to continue, the burden of proof lies with Lebanon and Hezbollah.”
Interesting. Kinda changes things and puts this whole ceasefire into a much better light.
Furthermore, Netanyahu has said on multiple occasions that he’s received messages from various Arab countries that they are interested in forming an official relationship with Israel.
A few years ago, that would have been science fiction. But if Lebanon is one of those countries, and these talks happening now and continuing soon in the White House bear fruit, Israel and Lebanon signing a long lasting mutually beneficial deal? That would be pretty incredible.
Is it possible? In my opinion, if we can do it with Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE, I see no reason we can’t do it with Lebanon.
I’ll remind you that the Lebanese government can’t stand Hezbollah because the terrorist organization is destroying the lives of the Lebanese people, not to mention the immense destruction it has brought on the beautiful country of Lebanon.
After Trump announced the ceasefire, the Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized "the necessity of Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in southern Lebanon."
Except guess what. The ceasefire happened and Israel did NOT withdraw, it remained 10km deep into Lebanon, so he can go take his demands and shove them where the sun don’t shine.
Also… As we speak, there are residents of a village in the south confiscating Hezbollah flags from other residents who support the organization.
It seems Hezbollah is not only weakened militarily. Their legitimacy among the Lebanese people is becoming increasingly non existent.
By the way, let’s not forget about Syria. Syria's interim President just said: "The negotiations with Israel are not at a dead end, we are serious about a security agreement.”
So, perhaps that’s also on the table. Peace with Syria on top of Lebanon.
By the way, we need to remember something very important. We all want to see Hezbollah finished but when we talk about defeating them, that doesn’t happen automatically. It requires IDF soldiers. Let’s not forget that these are our children. They need a rest too!
Maybe we needed a short pause anyway. Independence Day is approaching and Israelis could use a moment to breathe. Just a thought.
By the way, despite Hezbollah declaring their opposition to the talks between Lebanon and Israel, they have stopped firing.
Ask yourself why that is. Out of the kindness of their hearts? They all of a sudden became Zionists?
They’re obviously scared of something. They’re afraid to say no to Trump. As they should be.
Also…
Last night, the CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper said,
“There's been no better teammate than Israel.”
So the Israel/US relationship is rock solid.
Those saying that we are entering this ceasefire in the same situation we were in before are just simply ignorant. That is unequivocally false.
Israel enters the pause in a stronger position than six weeks ago, after the IDF says it killed more than 1,700 Hezbollah operatives, destroyed hundreds of launchers and thousands of rockets, and expanded its security buffer in southern Lebanon.
Each one of those things is extremely significant.
Ok, so let’s sum this up and analyze Israel’s current position as this ceasefire takes effect.
Trump, Israel, and Lebanon have agreed to join forces to disarm Hezbollah. Huge.
Israel and Lebanon are having serious talks toward a peace deal brokered by the US. Huge.
The IRGC, Hezbollah, and of course Hamas strongly oppose these new diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon. They’re happening anyway and there’s nothing they can do about it. Huge.
The IRGC and Hezbollah tried to make demands that Israel withdraw from Lebanon for the ceasefire to happen. Their demands were rejected and not even considered by anyone. Israel remains 10km in and has the freedom to do whatever it needs to do if there is any sort of threat by Hezbollah. Huge.
Syria is itching for a peace deal with Israel. Huge.
The IRGC has agreed to hand other its uranium and stop enriching more. If they play with Trump on this, we all know what’ll happen next. Trump isn’t Obama or Biden. He’s not messing around. The fact that they basically caved on the nuclear topic is absolutely astronomical!
So… The IRGC has no navy, no airforce, a much decreased number of ballistic missiles with no ability to make more, no air defenses, a very confused and incompetent leadership, and immense economic and diplomatic pressure from all directions including the US blockage and the entire Arab world.
Israel, on the other hand, gets to give our kids a nice rest and some good BBQs on Independence Day while maintaining total security control in Lebanon and a relationship with the US that’s about the strongest it’s ever been.
After just 10 days, if Israel or the US is not satisfied with the promises from the IRGC and Lebanon, both militaries have everything they need in place with their hands on the trigger.
Just like the US launched this blockage in a matter of hours, if the ten days end and the results are not satisfactory, both Bibi and Trump can declare that they gave the IRGC the opportunity to end the war and they declined the offer and continued their aggression. Now it’s time to finish them off and that won’t take long.
This naval blockage, by the way, is perhaps even more effective than the military efforts as far as regime change. Remember, in a matter of weeks, the IRGC will not be able to feed their families.
In other words, this ceasefire is basically the nail in the coffin of the IRGC and of Hezbollah. They are both backed into a corner and are totally buckling under the military, diplomatic, and economic pressure from the US, Israel, and the Arab world.
Or… said even more simply, the IRGC and Hezbollah lose.
Israel, the US, and Lebanon win after potentially pulled off the best checkmate in history.
And the IRGC knows it too. The Commander of Iran’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi just said:
“The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the most popular army in the world.”
Not only is that a delusional remark that is totally disconnected from reality but that’s the best he’s got? A popularity contest?
No claims of victory. No claims of military strength moving forward. No diplomatic flexing.
Just a delusional comment about his imaginary popularity.
Maybe he needs to go back to high school where popularity was something to brag about. 🤣
Now, with all that info, do you still think that Trump and Bibi sold out the Israeli people?
I don’t. I think we were just handed victory on a silver platter.
SIREN surged 307% weekly while RAVE hit a 3,765% gain and $14.62 ATH. On-chain analysts flag manipulation. Here's what the price data and technicals actually show.
https://t.co/J2lFkFeemq
$BTC ETF Holders Show Conviction Despite 42% Loss
#Bitcoin ETF investors are holding steady despite facing record paper losses of roughly 42%. Outflows remain modest.
🚨 World Liberty Financial faces a U.S. House probe over an alleged secret $500M UAE-linked investment.
Lawmakers are checking possible conflicts and whether funds reached Donald Trump’s family.
Watch full story⤵️
https://t.co/WG6ocsVRRs
2016: “R.I.P. Bitcoin. It’s time to move on.”
2026: “A Bitcoin death spiral.”
Same story. Different year.
Zoom in, it looks scary.
Zoom out, it’s just another chapter.
Markets panic. Technology compounds.
When in doubt, zoom out.
🇺🇸 White House stablecoin-yield talks: “constructive” meeting, says advisor
The White House crypto adviser @patrickjwitt said the meeting on stablecoin rewards/yield was “constructive, fact-based, and solutions-oriented,” according to coverage citing his public remarks. 
LATEST: @austingriffith's AI agent $CLAWD is up 67.52% in the past 24hrs, briefly testing the $20 million mark.
Can the token make it back to ATHs of ~$39 million?
NEW: Starting March 1, Steak ’n Shake will give hourly employees at company-owned locations a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 per hour worked, with payouts vesting after two years
Picture of the Day - The Real Israel
This series illustrates how remarkable Israel is - a person, a site, an event... whatever.
The reason is simple: I want to show my brothers and sisters that moving home to Israel isn’t running away - it’s running TO an incredible place.
Israel is where every Jew is at home - with dignity, security, freedom and pride.
Using the hashtag #RealIsrael so it’s easy to find all these images in one place.
Today’s photo is:
Sderot
You may have heard of the city of Sderot because for many years, they were on the front lines and lived with the threat of rockets from Gaza on a daily basis. For that, we owe them our gratitude.
Sderot is a western Negev city and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In 2023, it had a population of 35,477.
Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza and, as mentioned, is notable for having been a major target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
Between 2001 and 2008, rocket attacks on the city killed 13 people, wounded dozens, caused millions of dollars in damage and profoundly disrupted daily life.
Although rocket fire subsided after the Gaza War (2008–09), the city has come under rocket attack on occasion since that time.
In 2024, Sderot was chosen to serve as a model for Israeli cities in the implementation of urban forestry ideas.
Sderot was founded in 1951 as a transit camp for Jewish immigrants, primarily from Kurdistan and Iran. The settlement initially housed 80 families and was originally called Gabim Dorot, before later being renamed Sderot, a symbolic nod to the numerous avenues of trees planted in the Negev to combat desertification and beautify the arid landscape. Like many localities in the Negev, a green motif was chosen in keeping with the Zionist vision of "making the desert bloom."
On top of everything that makes Sderot unique, the food scene there is also worth noting.
HaPassage Hamburger, HaHummus Shel Tehina, Hummus Batuki, Sushi Moto, Pasta Vezehu, and Pizza Artichoke are some of the food options in the city.
Sderot offers unique experiences centered on history, resilience, and nearby nature, with key attractions including the Black Arrow Memorial, the Sderot rocket-proof train station, and significant sites in the surrounding region like Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Micha's Tent, and local farms for pick-your-own produce.
Visitors can explore "dark tourism" tours understanding the Gaza Envelope's reality, visit local museums like The Honey and Bee House, or enjoy activities like laser tag and nature walks.
Between the resilience and the diversity of the people, Sderot is a perfect representation of the #RealIsrael.