Bitcoin Price Skyrocketing Thanks To Russia
Bitcoin Price Skyrocketing Thanks To Russia

Bitcoin (BTC) has defied the broader stock market slump, surging 15% in the past 24 hours. The world’s largest cryptocurrency was trading at just $37,727 ($51,928 AUD) this time yesterday, and has rocketed to $43,351 ($59,669 AUD) at the time of writing. 

Bitcoin 1-Week Chart: CoinMarketCap

According to The New York Post, the surge can be partially explained by Russians clamouring to escape the tanking ruble, which is currently down over 30% thanks to the sweeping economic sanctions from the US and the EU.  

First Block Capital Founder and CEO Marc Van der Chijs told The Post he had seen bitcoin selling for $46,000 on Russian exchanges on Monday afternoon — a $5,000 premium when compared to its US price.

“There’s not normally a difference [between the US & Russian bitcoin price] because there are arbitrage possibilities,” van der Chijs said. “That seems to indicate that this urge in bitcoin price is because of Russian buying.” 

Contrastingly, Blockchain.com research chief Dr Garrick Hileman cautioned investors not to jump to conclusions — “We see some evidence of an increase in bitcoin-ruble volume,” further warning that the current price action may not be directly correlated with Russian buying…

“There’s certainly a big uptick there compared to what the norm was historically,” added Hileman. “Is it significant enough to kind of move the price to this degree? I really can’t say.” 

It’s also possible that bitcoin’s recent surge could be attributed to people converting fiat into cryptocurrencies in order to donate to funds to Ukrainian military efforts and charities, which have raised more than US$20 million ($27 million AUD) in crypto over the past five days. 

Regardless of whether or not the current surge can be attributed to Russian demand for Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies continue to gain attention, both positive and negative as the conflict in Ukraine escalates. 

On Monday, Ukraine’s vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov called on crypto exchanges to block Russian users, which Binance (the world’s largest crypto exchange) staunchly refused. 

“We are not going to unilaterally freeze millions of innocent users’ accounts,” a spokesperson for Binance told CNBC. “Crypto is meant to provide greater financial freedom for people across the globe. To unilaterally decide to ban people’s access to their crypto would fly in the face of the reason why crypto exists.”

While crypto investors and blockchain enthusiasts might be rejoicing at seeing some green on the charts again, it’s worthwhile to note that this could be the beginning of the most controversial crypto rally to date. 

If it is confirmed that this upwards price movement is in fact coming from increased Russian demand, it will draw a host of unwanted attention from regulators and governments around the world looking to clamp down on the Russian economy. 

This all begs the question: should cryptocurrencies remain free to be used by anyone in the world? Or, should exchanges be more willing to listen to governments, especially if it turns out that digital assets are being used to skirt sanctions and fund Russian war efforts? 

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Kanye West Shows You How Not To Get Over Your Ex
Kanye West Shows You How Not To Get Over Your Ex

Kanye West is hanging out with Instagram model (and Kim Kardashian doppelgänger) Chaney Jones in Miami. Kanye was first spotted with Chaney after his Donda 2 listening party at the LoanDepot Park.

Kanye has been struggling to get over his split from Kim Kardashian for some time, taking to Instagram on numerous occasions to express his disdain for her new boyfriend (Pete Davidson) and his desire to get his family back.

Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in February last year. And it turns out that February really isn’t Kanye’s month, as Kanye was reportedly dumped by Uncut Gems actress Julia Fox earlier this month, too.

Now he appears to have moved on again – this time to someone who looks similar to his ex-wife. A few days ago he was spotted with Chaney Jones – and American media outlets were quick to point out how similar she looks to Kim Kardashian.

The Mirror wrote: “Chaney has clearly taken inspiration from Kanye’s estranged wife’s fashion choices as she stepped out in a skintight catsuit and shield sunglasses, similar to the one that the mother of the rapper’s children wore to his Donda show at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2021.”

The Daily Mail reports that on Thursday the pair “were seen leaving ZZ’s Club together in the early hours of the morning.”

Chaney today posted an image of herself shopping with Kanye to her Instagram story, providing “social media official” (in High Sobiety’s words) evidence they are hanging out.

They reportedly spent the bulk of their retail therapy time racking up Balenciaga looks, something which High Snobiety says is “step one of Ye’s girlfriend handbook — you know, the Kim K. 2.0 shopping spree.⁠”

High Snobiety wrote: “Attack of the Kim Klone: Kanye’s dating a Kardashian lookalike.”

In hindsight, perhaps the “his muse” post Chaney made weeks ago could have been referring to Kanye (although the post has been edited). If this is to be believed, however, it’s possible they have been hanging out for three weeks.

Though the Balenciaga shopping spree is probably not something most people will ever experience, perhaps this is one of the more relatable Kanye moments his fans will ever see.

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Andrew Garfield’s Mum Made Him Take A Banana To The SAG Awards
Andrew Garfield’s Mum Made Him Take A Banana To The SAG Awards

Andrew Garfield is on top of the world right now.

The 38-year-old has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance after his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. His stint as the famous superhero between 2012 and 2016 had a mixed reception at the time, but after No Way Home, fans have discovered a newfound appreciation for the affable British-American actor.

Garfield’s not letting his time in the limelight affect his characteristic good humour and humility, however… And he hasn’t forgotten the importance of a healthy snack. Garfield was spotted rocking up to the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards in California yesterday carrying a banana, so he’d have something to eat on the red carpet.

We love a well-dressed, potassium-filled man.

The dude just loves bananas, apparently – check out this glamour shot from 2016. Images: Twitter/Vogue

Garfield paired his high-fructose refreshment with an equally refreshing pinstriped suit; a slick black shirt and tie; and an OMEGA De Ville Trésor watch on his wrist to boot. Garfield is a bit of a watch aficionado, with pieces from brands as diverse as Citizen and Hamilton in his collection as well.

RELATED: Not Even A Rolex ‘Batman’ Can Save Tom Holland’s New Style Direction

Garfield was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the SAG Awards for his depiction of playwright Jonathan Larson in the musical biopic tick, tick… BOOM! The category was ultimately won by Will Smith for playing Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, in another biopic, King Richard.

Other nominees in the same category included another member of the Marvel fraternity, Benedict Cumberbatch, for The Power of the Dog; Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos and Denzel Washington for The Tragedy of Macbeth.

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10 Best Cognac Brands In 2022
10 Best Cognac Brands In 2022

Cognac is a variety of brandy that, like some other spirits such as tequila, can only be called cognac if it’s produced around the Cognac region of France and whose production process follows appellation d’origine contrôlée (controlled designation of origin). The brandy, for example, has to be twice distilled in copper pot stills specifically from the regions of Limousin or Tronçais.

It’s time to step into the world of cognac.

Being based on brandy means that cognac is produced from grapes, which further means its taste is affected depending on the region, climate and soil those grapes came from. Cognac can be classified by either one of six different ‘crus’ – a term that defines the region the grapes that went into its production came from – or those that don’t carry the ‘cru’ identity, so distillers can have more freedom when it comes to grape selection.

There’s plenty more to be said about the production methods and illustrious history of cognac, which we recommend you look into. All this means there is a whole world of cognac out there waiting to be explored and if you like discovering new tastes – as well as a tipple – it could be a spirit you will enjoy if you’ve yet to try it. For veteran drinkers, we imagine you already have a good knowledge of brands.

Nevertheless, we’ve put together this list of some of the very best cognac in the world that you should try at least once.

Martell Cognac

Price Range: $40 – $360

Martell is one of the ‘big four’ Cognac producers and has been making its product since 1715, making it the oldest. Founded by Englishman Jean Martell, the brand has found itself partnerships with high-profile clients including Concorde, Queen Mary, and the Palace of Versailles. Martell owns vineyards in the Grande Champagne, Petit Champagne and Borderies regions (i.e. the top three) and uses only Tronçais oak casks to help produce its unique flavour palette.

Martell cognac is transferred from those casks to demijohns to halt the maturation process, before being bottled. It’s claimed that Martell stores more than 200,000 barrels of maturing cognac at any one time. The Jean Martell cellar is where you’ll find the company’s rarest products, some of which will be aged for 200 years or more.

Martell has also recently become the world’s first to produce cognac finished in bourbon casks, creating a brand new spirit which it calls Blue Swift.

Shop Martell

Hennessy

Price range: $50 – $3,500

We’re pretty confident all of you would have heard about Hennessy, and there’s a good chance you would have tried it as well. Hennessy has earned itself a global reputation having been in production for 255 years and as a cognac producer, it is the largest in the world. Bottles range from the highly recognisable V.S. all the way through to the exclusive Hennessy Paradis Imperial (although a bottle of Hennessy Ellipse is said to sell for around US$13,000).

Shop Hennessy

Courvoisier

Price range: $35 – $410

Courvoisier is another long-standing cognac house that is said to have been a favourite of Napoleon and Charles Dickens. The company still has its headquarters in the same building it moved into in 1828 in Jarnac, just outside Cognac, and is currently the only cognac house to have received the “Prestige de la France” award in 1984 for providing quality products to France.

It’s also the only cognac producer to control the entire process from grape to glass, with its strict production that was first established in Paris in the 1800s being followed to this day. This includes using grapes from the top four crus; only working with a defined list of growers, and only distilling its product between November and March. The maturation process takes places in 200-year old barrels, each chosen by the master blender.

Shop Courvoisier

Rémy Martin

Price Range: $50 – $35,000

Rémy Martin rounds out the ‘big four’ group cognac houses (along with the previous two and Martell, which is to come) and has been producing its particular blend for nearly 300 years. All Rémy Martin cognacs can be classed as Cognac Fine Champagne, which means they’re made from grapes sourced from the two ‘best’ regions – or crus – of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne.

Nowhere is that ‘best’ mentality exemplified than with the Rémy Martin Louis XVIII, a cognac made solely from grapes of various ages between 50 years – 100 years from the Grande Champagne region, with a 3-litre bottle setting you back around $35,000.

Shop Rémy Martin

Hine

Price Range: $55 – $660

Hine cognac can be traced back to 1791 when Dorset, England native Thomas Hine left his homeland to head to France to learn how his father’s favourite spirit was made. His journey got off to a rough start, finding himself imprisoned after attempting to escape the French Revolution. He happened to be placed in a cell in a cognac house and after marrying the owner’s daughter, he eventually took over the business and placed his own name above the door.

The company is still under the ownership of the Hine family and has since earned itself the title of being the only official supplier of Cognac to the British Monarchy (Queen Liz clearly appreciates an after-dinner tipple). Like Remy Martin, Hine sources its grapes from the Grande and Petite Champagne regions, which coupled with its distillation methods – its cellar is found under the River Charente which causes high humidity levels – gives way to its unique flavour.

Shop Hine

Frapin

Price Range: $60 – $4,000

The Frapin family has cemented itself as a major figure within the Grande Champagne region, having settled there in 1270. Originally wine producers, the family turned its hand to using its grapes to make cognac instead and today, the company sources its grapes from some 240-hectares of vines. Frapin puts its eaux-de-vie through a double distillation process, before being matured in Limousin oak casks.

The warehouse the casks are stored in has two levels, which allows for two very different atmospheric conditions: greater humidity on the ground level, or a drier climate in the attic. Where the casks are stored affects the resulting flavour. Every single bottle Frapin produces is made entirely on the family estate, one of the only cognac producers that can make such a claim.

Shop Frapin

Hermitage

Price Range: $80 – $7,000

Hermitage positions itself as a “luxury” producer of cognac, compared to the likes of the ‘big four’ which churn out millions of bottles every year. Hermitage is more than happy to let its smaller yield of product mature in cellars for decades on end, and the cognac in those barrels is the result of a very specific distillation process, carried out by some of the finest distillers in the world.

Put simply, Hermitage describes its single estate cognacs as being “the very finest available in the world today.”

Shop Hermitage

Camus

Price Range: $60 – $550

Camus has remained a family-owned cognac producer since its founding 1863 and today finds itself being the cognac of choice for most travellers, being stocked in virtually all international airports and even on most airlines. The company’s headquarters can still be found in the Cognac region itself, with its grapes being sourced from as the Île de Ré, a small island off the coast of La Rochelle and on that falls under the sixth cru.

Grapes from this region are said to give a more “maritime” taste, which Camus seems to prefer. Although the company also offers a bottle of cognac that has been finished in Tawny Port barrels to inject a new fusion of flavours.

Shop Camus

Cognac FAQ

How to drink cognac?

Cognac can be enjoyed neat or mixed in a cocktail like a Side Car or Swift.

What is cognac?

An aged spirit from the Cognac region in France. It's given its name because it's aged in French aged barrel and it comes specifically from the Cognac region.

What is cognac made from?

Cognac is made from grapes and aged in French oak barrels.

Can cognac go bad?

Cognac does not continue to age once bottled. So it should remain good to drink for a considerable amount of time.

What's the difference between cognac and brandy?

Cognac is a variety of brandy, just like a Scotch is a variety of whiskey. Cognac is specially produced in the Cognac region of Southwest France. If it does not come from there, it is not real Cognac.

Which Cognac is the smoothest?

A Cognac’s smooth rating should be dependent on its age and quality. Younger Cognacs like VS or VSOP will have a different smoothness than aged ones like XO or Hors d’Age.

How is cognac made?

Cognac is made from a blend of grapes grown in Charante region of France, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in oak barrels, either Limousin or Tronçais.

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Aeronautical Engineer Warns Against Popular Economy ‘Travel Hack’
Aeronautical Engineer Warns Against Popular Economy ‘Travel Hack’

We recently found out that changing seats before the plane has taken off is a bad idea, because it can mess with the plane’s weight distribution. But did you know there are a few other reasons not to bound over to a row of tempting looking empty seats (and lie across them), even after takeoff?

A man who claims to be an aeronautical engineer recently wrote a letter to travel publication Traveller warning: “There is no way they [passengers lying across a row of economy seats] can be properly restrained in that position.”

“In the event of a sudden updraught or downdraught, they would become a missile, endangering their own and their fellow passengers’ lives,” he said.

“Moreover, several passengers together just switching seats without obtaining permission from the flight attendant could cause a change in aircraft trim, unexpected by the pilot.”

Left Image: Passenger Shaming. Right Image: Flickr/Kent Wien

That said, there are conflicting accounts as to how bad it really is. Quora user Guarav Deshmuckh, whose profile states he has travelled to 24 countries, wrote the following, in response to the question: “On an airplane, is lying down to sleep on multiple seats allowed if those seats are otherwise empty?”

“It is actually encouraged by most of the airlines. Yes, you read it right!!”

Quora user, Guarav Deshmuckh

Mr Deshmuckh said: “The gate agents actually try to make the seat allocation in a way that its possible for passengers to get some space, especially on emptier long haul flights.”

“Also, some of my flight crew friends told me once that they encourage passengers to do so. Its good for passengers as well as crew.”

“Its just like any other activity you do on aircraft (like walking etc.) when you are not strapped in the seat,” he added.

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Harmony Price Prediction AUD 2022
Harmony Price Prediction AUD 2022
  • As the crypto market once again struggles to find its feet, Harmony (ONE) has fallen harder than other cryptocurrencies. As of Monday the 11th of April, ONE has dropped 20% over the past week.
  • After experiencing a short-lived rally at the start of this year, ONE has unfortunately shaved off most of its gains and has fallen back to 2021 lows.
  • Harmony has grown in popularity as a layer 2 platform for building Decentralised Applications (DApps) that offer faster and more efficient alternatives for developers that build on the Ethereum network. Most experts are bullish on Harmony, with some expecting the token to be worth upwards of $1 by 2024.

ONE began last 2020 at $0.004 USD ($0.005 AUD) per token and surged to an all-time high of $0.37 USD ($0.50 AUD) in October 2021, a comfortable 10,000% return for early investors.

At the time of writing (11th of April 2022) ONE was trading at $0.12 USD ($0.16 AUD), down 69.4% from its October peak. Owing to its relatively small market cap of $1.3 billion USD ($1.8 billion AUD), Harmony is one of the more volatile cryptocurrencies available on the market.

Much of its volatility can be directly attributed to the fact that the Harmony blockchain is still in the early stages of adoption and development. It also faces stiff competition from other network-based cryptocurrencies like Solana (SOL) and Cosmos (ATOM).

With all of this in mind, what exactly is Harmony? Can it really compete with large-cap crypto networks like Ethereum and Solana? If so, how high can investors expect the price of ONE to rise?

What is Harmony?

Founded in 2018 by now CEO Steven Tse, Harmony was designed as a platform that focuses heavily on scalability and interoperability. This means that Harmony’s blockchain can be easily upgraded as adoption grows and allows for developers to transfer their pre-existing applications and digital assets more efficiently than anywhere else.

These factors have made Harmony an extremely attractive prospect for both investors and technical users that were growing weary of the high ‘gas’ fees, slow transaction speeds and now-‘outdated’ (or so they claim) communication models of the Ethereum network.

Now, in order to clear up any confusion about the terminology: Harmony refers to the blockchain that powers decentralized applications, while the ticker: ONE refers to the actual token (cryptocurrency) that makes all this work possible and profitable for investors and developers.

Can Harmony Really Compete with Market Leaders?

Harmony is making massive leaps to increase the adoption and usability of its blockchain among developers and technical users. Last year they announced full Ethereum compatibility, allocated $300 million USD ($421 million AUD) in funding to new developers and successfully integrated new services for DeFi and NFTs. Even with all of these positive developments underway, most analysts are still sceptical as to whether Harmony can ever compete with established market leaders like Ethereum, Solana or Cardano.

Echoing this sentiment, Capital.com analyst Mikhail Karkhalev wrote on the 7th of December 2021: “The competition for dApps platforms is intense: Ethereum, Cardano and Solana, regardless of bandwidth, are the market leaders and it will be a challenge to displace them from their positions.”

“In my opinion, Harmony will be able to find its audience and help a couple of promising projects grow, possibly from the IoT or the financial space. However, the project might remain in the shadow of more popular brands, as it has nothing principally new to offer,” Karkhalev added.

“But, of course, no one is taking away the potential value and future prospects. If they manage to build a competent marketing policy, growth of the project is inevitable,” continues Karkhalev.

Harmony News & Price Prediction 2022

Price action for ONE during the start of this year has tracked the broader slide of the crypto market. Despite seeing a massive surge from $0.21 ($0.29 AUD) on January 1 to $0.37 ($0.52 AUD) on January 15, ONE failed to regain traction. This has largely been due to fact that the Harmony network suffered a major outage on January 15th due to “block propagation issues”, according to a report from Binance. This led to immediate downward price action, with the value of ONE falling over 45% in the following week.

While Harmony’s developers have downplayed the issue and handled it with the utmost transparency, network outages are one of the most major problems a blockchain network can face. If a truly decentralised system can be victim to unforeseen outages that cause days of inactivity and reduced functionality, it can spell disaster for that project.

In the Wild West of crypto markets, the blockchains and tokens that fail to prove they are robust and functional, tend to fail quickly and viciously. If the team at Harmony can’t prove to their community of developers and investors that the Harmony network is still safe and the problems are fixed for good, then the ride ahead for ONE could very bumpy…

With all of this being said, what can we expect the price of Harmony to do this year?

Automated analysis from DigitalCoin predict Harmony to grow sustainably in price moving forward, expecting a gradual increase from its current lows to $0.26 USD ($0.39 AUD) by the end of this year.

Analysis from Wallet Investor is far more bullish, with their algorithm predicting the average price to reach $0.61 ($0.85 AUD) by the end of this year.

Harmony Price Prediction 2023

Despite most analysts and crypto experts maintaining an overall bullish sentiment for the growth-oriented business model of Harmony, they conclude it is unlikely that Harmony will ever grow enough to legitimately challenge the market leaders.

In the crypto market, trying to make accurate long-term predictions can prove very difficult. However, in the spirit of providing general overview, chief analyst from Capital.com, Mikhail Karkhalev gave a slightly bearish prediction of ONE’s long-term utility:

“Harmony is an interesting project, if only because the developers plan to increase transaction processing speed to 1 million transactions per second in the near future, and to 10 million transactions per second in the long term.

“That sounds promising, but as one of the co-founders of Solana said, blockchain bandwidth and scalability are no longer an issue in the crypto market…”

Wallet Investor’s automated forecasting ranks ONE as an “awesome” long-term investment. According to its projections, ONE can reach a maximum price of $0.47 ($0.66 AUD) by late-2023.

TradingBeasts, for their part, forecast ONE’s price to hit $0.23 ($0.32 AUD) by the beginning of 2023. They are doubtful that Harmony has what it takes to massively increase in value long-term and predict a maximum price of approximately $0.38 ($0.53 AUD) by the end of 2023.

Harmony Price Prediction 2025 (and beyond)

Analysts from DigitalCoin reckon Harmony could reach $0.337 USD ($0.473 AUD) in 2022, $0.402 USD ($0.564 AUD) in 2023, $0.586 USD ($0.823 AUD) by 2025 and $0.868 USD ($1.21 AUD) by the end of 2028. According to Wallet Investor’s automated forecasting, Harmoney could attain a price target of $1 USD ($1.40 AUD) per token by March 2025.

How to Buy ONE Token

If you do decide to go ahead purchase ONE token, you can do so on a fairly wide variety of crypto exchanges and platforms. As ONE is still a “medium-market cap” token, it isn’t listed on Coinbase but can be found virtually everywhere else. The best crypto exchanges & platforms for beginners to purchase ONE token on are Coinspot and Crypto.com.

If you’re already purchasing crypto like a pro and you feel comfortable with the more technical exchanges you can also find ONE on Binance & KuCoin.

All legitimate crypto exchanges and platforms will require you to go through some form of verification process that will ask you to provide a phone number, email address or upload ID documentation. Always make sure that the platform you purchase crypto on is secure.

Harmony Price Prediction Conclusion

Ultimately, Harmony’s ONE token seems to have a solid and sustainable growth potential in the broader crypto market. While the token may not ever soar in value from its current price, it looks to have the necessary fundamentals to grow sustainably from here. Always keep in mind that crypto markets are very unpredictable and almost all digital assets are prone to enormous moves in value, both up and down.

RISK STATEMENT: This article is of a general nature only, and is intended for solely informational purposes. This is not financial advice. No one can guarantee the price of any asset will keep going up. Never invest more money than you can afford to lose into any crypto.

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Solana Price Prediction AUD: Where SOL Can End Up In 2022
Solana Price Prediction AUD: Where SOL Can End Up In 2022
  • After experiencing network difficulties, Solana (SOL) has been declining in value since early-November last year and is currently trading for US$99 ($133 AUD).
  • This downward trend has been amplified by the overall crypto market decline, causing SOL to fall 62% from its all-time-high of US$259 ($350 AUD) on November 6, 2021.
  • Despite being ‘the new kid on the block,’ Solana remains the key competitor to Ethereum as it continues to make advancements in the world of smart contracts, NFTs and Web3.
  • If Solana can overcome technical issues and stay relevant with the upcoming release of ETH 2.0, it is set to rise in value moving forward, with some experts predicting a US$1000+ valuation by 2023.

Everyone wants to know what the next big thing in crypto is going to be. Fomo-fuelled investors look to the charts of Bitcoin & Ethereum and yearn for similar, life-altering gains. Solana (SOL) is the most recent cryptocurrency project to enjoy the exponential growth crypto markets are famous for, soaring in value from just US$1.52 ($2.05 AUD) on January 1, 2020 and reaching an all-time high of US$259 ($350 AUD) in November 2021.

However, after suffering a series of technical attacks and network difficulties, SOL has shaved 62% off its total value since reaching its all time high, currently trading for US$99 ($133 AUD). This has led many investors to question whether or not Solana is robust enough to survive the remainder of 2022.

So, what is Solana? Is it a good idea to buy right now? And what can we expect to happen going into this year and beyond?

Solana (SOL) 1 Year Price Chart: CoinMarketCap

What is Solana?

Created in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana is the native token of a blockchain network that has grown massively in 2021 after gaining its well-deserved reputation as the “Ethereum killer”. Where the Ethereum network is slow and expensive, Solana is fast and cheap; offering up a competitive alternative for crypto aficionados to create new applications, mint NFTs and develop new projects in the rapidly expanding worlds of DeFi and Web3.

Did Solana get hacked?

On December 10th 2021, the Solana network was victim to its second major cyber-attack in 3 months, which significantly slowed down the network and sparked concerns as to whether or not the blockchain it runs on is safe for developers and users. The first major attack on Solana occurred on September 14, which rendered the network completely unusable for 17 hours.

While the consequences of the most recent attack were not as severe as Septembers’, it’s still not a great sign for the Solana network. According to
Justin Bons, the founder and CIO of Cyber Capital, the repeated attacks on the Solana network are the result of major design flaws in Solana’s Proof of History (PoH) protocol. 

As an increasing number of investors are starting to look at Solana (SOL) with a healthy dose of scepticism, several cryptocurrency experts have come to its defence.

What do the experts think about Solana?

As reported by Forbes: Loan Venkatapen, co-founder of Blocklabs Capital Management speaking on the problem of security, stated that:

“Solana’s long term potential is not affected. Ethereum during their early years also experienced similar issues that have since been largely corrected… What’s important in this kind of situation is not the bug, but how the network is actually able to come together and bring a solution. This is exactly what we are seeing today with Solana.”

Kyle Samani, a managing partner at crypto investment firm Multicoin claimed that both developer activity and the flow of money into Solana’s blockchain are still growing at an astounding rate. He went on to add that while Ethereum may not be “replaced” by Solana, it’s very clear that Solana will remain competitive moving forward. 

Solana Price Prediction & News 2022

As the broader crypto market struggles to recoup some of its hard earned gains of the last few weeks, SOL has fallen harder than other crypto assets, dropping over 12% in the last 24 hours. Analysts aren‘t overly optimistic when it comes to predicting how SOL will perform through the coming months.

Technical analysts from FXStreet predict that SOL is on a solid downwards trend with no signs of slowing down any time soon. It was predicted that if SOL were to fall through its support level at US$100 ($135 AUD) — which it has — investors should prepare themselves for a deeper slump to US$75 ($102 AUD).

Analysis of SOL: FXStreet

A recent macro-report from the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is far more bullish, stating that the current decline in price is merely a “price discovery phase” that is occurring during a broader deficit of capital inflow to crypto markets. Due to a large increase in the volume of “staking”, which temporarily reduces the overall supply of a token, Kraken predicts that is entirely possible SOL to surge above $200 AUD in late-May of this year.

Solana 5 year price prediction (2027)

Over the long term, experts remain divided as to whether Solana will continue to surge in value as it outpaces its competitors, or whether its security issues will drag it into obscurity. 

According to Finder: Paul Levy, a senior lecturer at the University of Brighton, SOL will be worth US$3,000 in 5 years time, declaring that its strong and rapidly expanding user base will create substantial growth, regardless of Ethereum’s performance.

Solana 9 year price prediction (2031)

Contrastingly, the CEO of the crypto exchange Coinmama, Sagi Bakshi offers a completely bearish prediction, asserting that SOL will be worth less than $50 AUD by 2030.

“I have no idea if Solana can survive, there is nothing that indicates to me that it will succeed.”

Solana price prediction conclusions

  • The biggest risk when looking at SOL is security. If it were to suffer a larger attack that showed growing gaps in the functionality of the network, it could lose a substantial amount of its value quite quickly. If developers can’t ensure that their network is robust and safe to use, it could spell serious trouble for SOL. 
  • The second largest cause for concern is Ethereum. SOL has grown exponentially in value because it gained a serious competitive advantage over the slow speeds and high “gas” fees of Ethereum. If Ethereum can successfully move to a Proof of Stake network (scheduled for June or July of this year) which drastically reduces cost and increases transaction speed, SOL may suffer a decline in price. 
  • Despite this, SOL remains the fastest and cheapest platform service in the crypto space today, meaning that users of the network will continue to create decentralised applications, digital assets and smart contracts more efficiently than anywhere else.
  • The number of users and developers on the Solana blockchain continues to expand massively and it seems quite likely that it will grow alongside and compete with Ethereum over the long term. 

RISK STATEMENT

This article is of a general nature only, and is intended for solely informational purposes. This is not financial advice. No-one can guarantee the price of Bitcoin will keep going up. Never invest more money than you can afford to lose into any crypto.

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Hollywood, Please Stop Doing All-Female Remakes Of Classic Films
Hollywood, Please Stop Doing All-Female Remakes Of Classic Films

It’s no secret that Hollywood is obsessed with ‘remakes’ and ‘reboots’ and while some can be good – the 2001 Ocean’s Eleven is much better than the original 1960 version – most tend to pale in comparison. But in recent years, Hollywood has started doing remakes with all-female casts; something I desperately wish they’d stop doing.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I’m a misogynist, hear me out: I believe it’s far more ‘feminist’ for Hollywood to focus on producing original films and television series that feature all-female or female-led casts and have female writers, producers and directors, rather than rehashing the same old story but gender-flipped.

Ghostbusters is one of the many classic films to get an all-female reboot. Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing/Columbia Pictures

Take the all-female remakes Ghostbusters (2016), Ocean’s Eight (2018), What Men Want (2019) and How I Met Your Father (2022). All of these ‘female’ remakes have significantly lower IMDb scores than their respective originals, and while I’m sure there are some chauvinistic people out there deliberating scoring them lower, they all are – in my humble opinion – nowhere near as good as Ghostbusters (1984), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), What Women Want (2000) and How I Met Your Mother (2005).

Why? Well, firstly the stories are unoriginal and predictable because, duh, we’ve seen it before. Secondly, they all just seem to be pandering; and in doing so, we get one-dimensional characters, poor plots and cliched dialogue. If Hollywood really wants a pat on the back for being more feminist and diverse, rather than spending time, energy and money on all-female remakes, focus on original content.

For example, the films Hidden Figures, The First Wives Club, A League Of Their Own, Alien and Bridesmaids and the Emmy award-winning series Buffy the Vampire Slayer all have women leading the cast but because they are ‘original’, the characters are interesting, the plots are fully realised and the dialogue (mostly) rings true.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a brilliant female-led show because it’s original. Image Credit: 20th Television

That’s because these films/shows have been specifically written for women as opposed to all-female remakes where women have to jump into a role that was originally written for a man. Plus, the ‘feminism’ is not rubbed in the audience’s faces; the leads are just strong, complex women who work at NASA, seek revenge on their ex-husbands, make baseball history, fight aliens, deal with friendships disintegrating over jealously and kill vampires…

There’s no ‘hey, look we remade this film but now every male character is a female; yay us’ bullshit that’s essentially performative feminism. So, please Hollywood, I beg you, stop making all-female remakes and give me more Buffy’s and Ripley’s.

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The Best Ryan Reynolds Movies And Where To Watch Them
The Best Ryan Reynolds Movies And Where To Watch Them

Canadian actor, Ryan Reynolds is arguably one of the biggest stars on the planet. He’s had an incredible acting career, which has earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has an iconic ‘couple-goals’ relationship with his wife Blake Lively, and is also a businessman; he has ownership stakes in Aviation American Gin and Mint Mobile.

Over the course of his career, Reynolds has starred in multiple genres, including romantic comedies, serious dramas and brutal action films, and has become known for his charismatic yet sardonic personality which is heavily featured in most of his films.

If you’re a fan of Reynolds and are in the mood to watch him on-screen, you’re in luck. These are the best movies starring Ryan Reynolds and where you’ll be able to watch them in Australia; and don’t worry, Green Lantern isn’t on this list…

Adventureland

Image Credit: Miramax Films

6.8 IMDb score, stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stweart & Ryan Reynolds, Comedy, Drama & Romance, released in 2009

Set in 1987, when a privileged college graduate finds out his parents can no longer afford to send him on a summer holiday around Europe or to a prestigious graduate program in New York, he’s forced to work at his local amusement park. Reynolds is not the lead in this film but is charming and captivatingly sardonic whenever he’s on-screen.

Adventureland’s a fantastic coming-of-age film with serious indie vibes and a killer soundtrack.

Where To Watch: Stan.

Buried

Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

7.0 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, released in 2010

Reynolds plays Paul, a truck driver working in Iraq, who wakes to find himself buried alive in a coffin with nothing but a lighter and mobile phone. Reynolds’ performance is phenomenal in this enthralling and suspenseful film.

If you’re wanting to see Reynolds at his absolute best without playing a comic book character, Buried is for you.

Where To Watch: Binge & Foxtel Now.

Deadpool

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

8.0 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin & T.J. Miller, Action, Adventure & Comedy, released in 2016

Hands down Deadpool is Reynolds’ best film. Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, a smart-ass mercenary who’s diagnosed with terminal cancer. He’s offered a ‘miracle treatment’ but this mutates him; he becomes immortal and is able to regenerate but is disfigured horribly.

Laugh-out-loud funny and with brutally violent action scenes, if you’re a fan of Reynolds, Deadpool (and its sequel) is a must-watch.

Where To Watch: Both Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are available on Disney+.

Definitely, Maybe

Image Credit: Universal Pictures

7.1 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin & Kevin Kline, Comedy, Drama & Romance, released in 2008

Definitely, Maybe is one of those rare romantic comedies that’s exceptionally well-written and doesn’t follow every single trope of its genre. Plus, Reynolds is fantastic as the lead; he perfectly acts as a sarcastic but loveable guy telling his daughter how he met her mother.

Speaking of, if you’re a fan of How I Met Your Mother, you’ll love Definitely, Maybe (and the ending’s WAY better than HIMYM’s).

Where To Watch: Binge & Foxtel Now.

Free Guy

Image Credit: 20th Century Studios

7.2 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer & Taika Waititi, Action, Adventure & Comedy, released in 2021

When Guy, a friendly bank teller who’s grown bored of his life, discovers he’s actually a Non-Playable Character in an online video game he begins to do whatever he wants; not what he’s programmed to do. Reynolds’ signature humour is on full display in Free Guy, which has an interesting plot and great performances from all involved.

Whether you’re a fan of video games or not, you’ll enjoy Free Guy.

Where To Watch: Disney+ & Foxtel Now.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Image Credit: Lionsgate

6.9 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson & Gary Oldman, Action, Comedy & Crime, released in 2017

A disgraced but extremely skilled bodyguard, played by Reynolds, agrees to escort an assassin, played by Jackson, to a trial where he’ll testify against a powerful dictator. Violent and with wonderfully witty banter between Reynolds and Jackson, action fans will love The Hitman’s Bodyguard.

This movie can be best described as a buddy cop movie – and a very good one at that – even though neither lead characters are actually cops.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video & Stan.

Just Friends

Image Credit: New Line Cinema

6.2 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris & Chris Klein, Comedy & Romance, released in 2005

Just Friends was a film done by Reynolds relatively early in his acting career and has become somewhat of a cult classic. Reynolds is delightfully sarcastic throughout the film but the stand-out in Just Friends is Anna Faris; she’s non-stop hilarious.

Personally, this is one of my favourite Christmas films and I get angry that it’s severely underrated.

Where To Watch: Sadly, Just Friends isn’t available to stream anywhere, so you will have to rent or purchase it.

Life

Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

6.6 IMDb score, stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson & Ryan Reynolds, Horror, Sci-Fi & Thriller, released in 2017

Astronauts aboard the Internation Space Station collect and study a soil sample from Mars because they believe it contains proof of extraterrestrial life. It does; however, the life form turns out to be extremely dangerous.

Life, while a tad derivative, features one of Reynolds’ rare serious performances but he’s bloody good at it, and Gyllenhaal’s and Ferguson’s performances are also great.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video.

Mississippi Grind

Image Credit: A24

6.4 IMDb score, stars Ben Mendelsohn & Ryan Reynolds, Comedy & Drama, released in 2015

Reynolds lends his charisma to Mississippi Grind; a film that’s not well-known but enjoyable. The film follows two gamblers as they embark on a trip to a legendary high-stakes poker game. Mendelsohn and Reynolds have great chemistry and turn in fantastic performances.

Mississippi Grind is really more of a drama with both comedic and poignant moments but is still a movie to definitely add to your watch list.

Where To Watch: Stan.

The Nines

Image Credit: Destination Films/Newmarket Films/Optimum Releasing

6.3 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis & Melissa McCarthy, Drama, Fantasy & Mystery, released in 2007

The Nines features three separate stories but as the film progresses you slowly learn the strange connection between them. The Nines has gained a cult following over the years but ultimately still divides people; so, you’ll either love or hate this film.

If you’re a fan of Reynolds you should just give The Nines a go.

Where To Watch: Stan.

The Proposal

Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

6.7 IMDb score, stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson & Betty White, Comedy, Drama & Romance, released in 2009

The Proposal is a straight-up romantic comedy; so, if that’s a genre you enjoy or you’re looking for a film to watch with your partner, this film is for you. The plot’s predictable but features solid performances from the entire cast (especially White) and some genuinely funny moments.

If you’re wanting something lighthearted, The Proposal is a great choice.

Where To Watch: Disney+.

Red Notice

Image Credit: Netflix

6.3 IMDb score, stars Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds & Gal Gadot, Action, Comedy & Thriller, released in 2021

Johnson plays an Interpol agent who is forced to team up with the world’s greatest art thief, played by Reynolds, to catch a ‘most-wanted’ art thief, played by Gadot. Red Notice received mixed reviews with most critics calling it terrible but most audiences raving about it.

You can make up your own mind by watching Red Notice for yourself…

Where To Watch: Netflix.

The Voices

Image Credit: Lionsgate

6.4 IMDb score, stars Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton & Anna Kendrick, Comedy, Crime & Fantasy, released in 2014

The Voices is a black comedy that’s very weird and quirky; it will not be enjoyed by all. But if you like offbeat, edgy films, The Voices is a must-watch. The film follows a nice but mentally ill guy who believes his dog and cat can and do talk to him.

Honestly, despite being a tad bizarre, The Voices features one of Reynolds’ best acting performances; he not only acts incredibly convincingly as the lead but also voices the dog and cat.

Where To Watch: Stan.

Woman In Gold

Image Credit: The Weinstien Company

7.3 IMDb score, stars Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds & Daniel Brühl, Biography, Drama & History, released in 2015

Another film where Reynolds is in a serious role, Woman In Gold is based on a true story and follows Maria Altmann – a Jewish refugee – as she legally fights the Austrian government for a painting she believes is rightfully hers as it was taken from her family by Nazis during the war. Compelling, interesting and moving, Woman In Gold is a film that pretty much anyone and everyone will enjoy.

Plus, both Mirren and Reynolds turn in excellent performances.

Where To Watch: Stan.

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