Just two days ago it was announced that a new massive leak has exposed over 16 Billion passwords and login credentials, including Apple, Google, Facebook and others. This "new" massive data breach has caused havoc, sparking wide media coverage from known websites such as Forbes, Dailymail, Time Magazine, filled with warnings and doom-wongering. At first, I was completely puzzled, another data breach? It's certainly concerning to have your login credentials leaked to the darknet and certainly a victim to automated attacks. I decided to do some digging on whether this was a new leak or the media was overexaggerating.

I stumbled upon the following article on Bleepingcomputer, which claims that this isn't a new data breach, or a data breach at all. Quoting from the article itself

it appears to just be a compilation of previously leaked credentials stolen by infostealers, exposed in data breaches, and via credential stuffing attacks.

To be clear, this is not a new data breach, or a breach at all, and the websites involved were not recently compromised to steal these credentials.

Instead, these stolen credentials were likely circulating for some time, if not for years. It was then collected by a cybersecurity firm, researchers, or threat actors and repackaged into a database that was exposed on the Internet.

Thus, from my understanding, it's a compilation of stolen credentials that were collected from a cybersecurity firm and then re-exposed to the internet. The datasets are to be stored in a format usually associated with the malware "infostealer".

An infostealer is malware that attempts to steal credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and other data from an infected device. Over the years, infostealers have become a massive problem, leading to breaches worldwide.

Any thoughts about this? Do you feel safe on the internet and what precautions do you take to ensure your safety of your personal details, such as your login credentials? Have you ever fallen a victim through any of these leaks (stolen wallet, account etc)? Is there a way to be truly safe out there?

Always search the source and doubt what you're reading, sometimes, even the most "reputable" websites will post overexaggerated articles or simply, something that isn't entirely true. Always do your own research.

Source: Bleepingcomputer.com

Hello,

If anyone has seen my recent thread, I've been previously trying to recover a friend's account on Coinbase, in which he had a tiny bit of money a few years ago. After recovering the account, the total balance was approximately €200 worth of Bitcoin, which had been bought/sent, doesn't matter, in 2017, for €2, that's approximately a 9900% increase! These are the times we wish we had spent €10 or €20, and now we would have a semi-decent amount of money, not to mention what the results would be with larger amounts of money >€200.

Does anyone have similar experiences?

I've been trying to verify an old account with some leftover balance on Coinbase and proof of address has been failing for over three days now. I've submitted landline bills, car insurance and even rental agreement, all of which show the address clearly, including full name but nothing is accepted. Has anyone experienced it before? I'm seeing quite a few complaints on Reddit, and it seems to be a reoccuring issue. The same documents have been accepted in other exchanges.

It's extremely frustrating and starting to piss me off.

Αύριο είναι η "επέτειος" αν μπορούμε να το αποκαλέσουμε έτσι, των δύο χρόνων από το δυστήχημα - δολοφονία των Τεμπών. Ποιοι θα κατεβείτε, ή κατεβήκατε (γιατί είναι και σχεδόν 12 το βράδυ ήδη) στο συλλαλητήριο;

Σήμερα δημοσιεύτηκε το πόρισμα από τον ΕΟΔΑΣΑΑM, συνοπτικά αναφέρει ότι υπάρχει μεγάλη αλλοίωση υλικού (κάτι που γνωρίζαμε ήδη), ότι η φωτιά δεν προήλθε από τη σύγκρουση ή τα έλαια σιλικόνης που υποστήριζε η κυβέρνηση της Ν.Δ, αλλά από ύπαρξη υδρογονανθράκων, καύσιμης ύλης, ενώ εντοπίστηκε και ίχνη ξυλένιου, ενός χημικού διαλύτη που δεν αναφερόταν σε καμία από τις φορτωτικές της αμαξοστοιχίας. Τέλος, συνοψίζει πως το "μανιτάρι" της φωτιάς προκλήθηκε από καύσιμη ύλη που δε μπορεί να προσδιοριστεί, λόγω της αλλοίωσης του τόπου που αναφέρθηκε ήδη.

Σε γενικές γραμμές, τίποτα που δε γνωρίζαμε ήδη, απλώς μέχρι τώρα, η κυβέρνηση μας βάφτιζε ψεκασμένους, συνωμοσιολόγους, και ότι είμαστε για τα μπάζα όσοι πάμε στις διαδηλώσεις. Για να μην αναφέρω τις εγκληματικές "συμπτώσεις" θανάτων σημαντικών ατόμων. Η ουσία όμως δεν είναι τόσο το τι μετέφερε, αν ήταν παράνομα καύσιμα και άλλα πολλά. Η ουσία είναι ότι εν έτει 2023, δύο τρένα, στη μοναδική σιδηροδρομική γραμμή της Ελλάδας, συγκρούστηκαν και έπειτα συγκαλήφθηκε από τη κυβέρνηση με οποιοδήποτε δυνατό μέτρο.

Ποια πιστεύετε θα είναι η κατάληξη σε αυτό το εγκληματικό δυστύχημα; Πιστεύετε θα αλλάξει κάτι ή από αύριο η ζωή θα συνεχίσει να "κυλλάει" και θα μείνει πίσω μας, για άλλη μια φορά;

Hello there,

I've seen a couple of topics have already popped up regarding DeepSeek, talking about how it might burst the U.S.A.'s tech bubble or how it caused a market stock crash. I haven't checked the validity of these claims, but I've also seen posts mentioning how it was responsible for a minor crash in the cryptocurrency market. From my understanding, DeepSeek is an open-source AI that cost far less money to develop than ChatGPT while providing the same service. I actually downloaded it on my phone to test it out, and I can't see any major functionality differences with ChatGPT, apart from the "Deep think" option, which shows the "chain of thought.".

I haven't used it for any complex purposes, even though I'm planning to test it with some Excel data from my master's thesis, so I'm not the most suitable person to judge its capabilities, nor compare them to other platforms. However, I'm not understanding how DeepSeek is thought to be such an economic threat to the U.S.A. I understand that open-sourcing it is a huge deal; everyone can access it on Github; everything is public, but why has it blown over? Everyone seems to be talking about it.

What concerned me, though, isn't the economic threat or the supposed drop in the cryptocurrency market, but a video I saw a few days ago on Instagram and TikTok, showing that traffic is being sent to China and on Alibaba Cloud. On the one hand, it sounds plausible because their servers are situated there, right? On the other hand, though, it is possible that it's sending our personal data.

What are your thoughts? Is it an economic threat? Do you also believe that it's collecting any data we submit to it?

I'm quoting an article and the video itself.

Video

Article

Hi,
Just a while ago I received a suspicious SMS message from a number supposedly from Binance. I was intrigued at first because it appeared to be Binance itself, since you can also see previous messages from the 2FA authentication when logging in. It said that a new Ledger wallet was connected to my Binance account and if this action wasn't done by me, to contact them at a Greek number.

A quick Google search showed other reports of it being a scam, however, I'm now curious, how do they spoof the sender's number to actually show up as Binance, is this a global scam or has it only appeared in Greece? Most importantly, how did they get my number? Did they know I have a Binance account or was it completely random? Perhaps this has something to do with a suspected data breach that I had also posted about a few months ago?

Hi, I know this is a bit random, but I'm going to go ahead, I'm currently in Bucharest and I've seen there are quite a few Romanians on the forum, would anyone be willing to grab a beer in the evening perhaps?

Hello there,
I was looking through my spam folder on my main email this time and I stumbled upon an email from Solaris group, the company who issued Binance's debit cardsz informing me about a possible data breach. At first, I thought it's another phishing email but upon reading it, it looks legit, since it doesn't prompt you to any sketchy looking website.

Privacy and our personal details are of outmost importance, yet, I personally haven't seen an announcement from Binance regarding such an important matter.

"Dear Customer,

We are writing to all former Binance Card Holders to inform you that we are currently investigating a data breach where personal contact information may have been accessed.

We want to assure you that as your Binance Card Account has been closed since December 2023 there is no threat to your account or funds, it is crucial to be aware of the increased risk of phishing attempts during this time.

In light of this situation, we urge you to be vigilant and take the following precautionary measures:

1. Beware of Phishing Attempts: Do not act on any unsolicited call, email, or SMS that you may receive. Phishing attempts may try to trick you into providing personal information or clicking malicious links.
2. Do Not Share Your Personal Data: Never share your personal information, such as passwords or account details, with any third party.
3. Do Not Click on Suspicious Links: Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments from unsolicited messages.
4. No Direct Calls Asking for Personal Information: Neither we nor our partners will ever call you directly to ask for personal information. If you receive such a call, please report it to us immediately.

Please ensure that you only follow information coming from our official email address, which can be validated by the sender line showing contact@solarisgroup.co.uk.

We are taking this matter very seriously and are working diligently to resolve it. Your security is our top priority, and we will keep you updated with any further developments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team via contact@solarisgroup.co.uk and https://customersupport.solarisgroup.co.uk/hc/en-gb.

We may contact you again if there are any further updates,

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Best regards,
Solaris EMI (Formerly Contis)"

I received this email today, which is of course a phishing email, but it looked a little more believable compared to others I've received the past few months, it even has a "verified" tick next to their email. Never "manually" secure your account by connecting your wallet to an unknown service or platform, or even worse, input your private key because automatic validation "failed".

Unfortunately, there's still a reasonable amount of people who are unaware and fall victims to these scams.

A large number of newbie ranked accounts have been posting the exact same messages, translated into other languages and are spamming the local boards with a service they're promoting. They've spammed most of local boards already, by a different account each time. It's safe to assume that they're all alts of the same person, translating from one language to another. I wasn't sure if this was worth reporting, but the supposedly main thread of this "service" looks sketchy and is consisted of replies of their own alt accounts to appear that they have an audience.

Users:
danxa82jfu
xamteuan82h
lamtikhong91
anhthanh8qun8a
wuant8anhh
wantraung8ah
lamxanutnah

Okay, we've probably all seen so-called Facebook or Telegram groups offering great returns and promising information on fixed matches. I always believed they're scams and still do, up to a degree, of course. Money doesn't grow on trees, but something really stood out to me this time. A friend of mine reached out to me, not in any attempt to lure me into this; he wasn't aware that I'm also involved in sports betting and that he's in a Facebook group of approximately 100 users, where the "administrator" is distributing money on certain matches of completely unknown teams in India, Guatemala, Pakistan, or other countries, with odds usually higher than 1.7 to 1.8.

The only catch is that they have to a share portion of the earnings with the group's administrator, who is basically giving you the money to make the bets. I was dumbfounded to see that there were plenty of wins, with bets even surpassing 2.0 odds and doubling your money. However, he told me that it was risky because it could potentially end up having his account banned, and he is microbetting smaller amounts of €5–€10 in other random matches, so it appears that he also has a few losses.

To be honest, I've heard of many signals or fixed matches, but nothing like this. Have you ever heard of such groups before, and have you ever tried joining one?

Not long ago, user @nutildah, known for his campaign against AI content reported Stake's user, borovichok for AI usage in his posts, a little more than a month after user @JollyGood reported him for the same offence, along with a few other observations regarding his behaviour in regards to his posts. Thread found here.

However, this user doesn't seem to understand, or doesn't want to, or simply believes that everyone else is plain stupid, there's no other explanation. This, is going to be the third report in less than 3 months.

I could certainly find more posts, but I already spent enough time. It seems that he's still using a mixture of AI and some writing of his "personal opinion" to make it look more human-written, even though there's a distinctive difference in the grammar and tone of writing between his text and AI's.

I don't understand why in less than a month from the previous report, this user is resorting to AI usage, a third offence. We've seen other accounts get banned due to AI usage, but he's still using it like nothing happened, while there was no response from Stake manager in regards to the report against borovichok?

Another explanation may be that multiple people use the same account, or multiple accounts, which is why you can notice differences in his posts, in terms of writing style, grammar and AI usage. It's extremely evident in posts that he's expressing his opinion and in others that actually require some knowledge to answer, in terms of definitions, technical specifications etc.

Post 1.

I agree with you that chasing losses in gambling is a futile and detrimental pursuit because it often leads to further losses, complicates the gambler`s situation, and exacerbates emotional turmoil due to unrealistic expectations. When a gambler experiences defeat multiple times, the gambler should take a break rather than chase losses. I think all gamblers should recognize that gambling results in more losses than wins as this recognition can help a gambler to avoid excessive gambling and make better predictions.

The importance of understanding the negative consequences of chasing losses, a gambler can break free from the cycle of destructive behaviour associated with compulsive gambling. Instead of approaching losses with a negative mind, they can be seen as part of the game. This shift in mindset can help a gambler to develop healthier attitudes towards gambling and prevent further financial and emotional distress. A gambler can set clear limits on betting activities, practice responsible bankroll management, take breaks when needed, and focus on long-term goals rather than short-term losses.

Copyleaks: AI Content Detected
HiveModeration: The input is: likely to contain AI Generated Text 96.5%
Sapling.ai: 100% Fake
GPTZero:We are moderately confident this text is a mix of ai and human
GPTZero basically claims that the first paragraph is human written, but the second is fully written by an AI.

Post 2.

No doubt, anonymity remains a key feature of many crypto transactions, including gambling. However, regulatory pressures and increasing scrutiny have led some crypto casinos to implement Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures similar to traditional fiat casinos. This move towards compliance with regulatory standards is aimed at enhancing transparency, preventing fraud, and ensuring a safe gaming environment for all gamblers.

This shouldn’t be surprising because society is dynamic and so there is always a need to adapt to changing market dynamics. The trajectory of crypto gambling suggests a gradual alignment with regulatory frameworks to meet industry standards and address concerns around legality and player protection. While the allure of anonymity initially drew many to crypto casinos, the shifting landscape indicates a move towards greater transparency and accountability.

Copyleaks: AI Content Detected
HiveModeration: The input is: likely to contain AI Generated Text 99.9%
Sapling.ai: 100% Fake
GPTZero:We are moderately confident this text is a mix of ai and human (First sentence of second paragraph is supposedly human written).

Post 3.

Most of the problems associated with gambling can be prevented if all gamblers can gamble with limitations. Moderate gambling can go a long way to mitigate the losses in gambling and prevent addiction. Gambling can be a form of entertainment when done in a responsible and limited manner. Setting limits is one way to ensure that gambling does not become a harmful activity.

A gambler needs to set a limited amount of time and money spent on gambling activities as you mentioned. This can help prevent individuals from spending too much time, energy and financial resources on gambling, which can lead to neglecting family and work. By setting a specific time limit, individuals can ensure that they are not overspending their time and resources on gambling. By setting a specific budget for gambling, gamblers will not risk more money than they can afford to lose. This can also help prevent them from using funds intended for other important purposes, such as family expenses or savings.

Copyleaks: AI Content Detected
Sapling.ai: 100% Fake
GPTZero: GPTZero:We are moderately confident this text is a mix of ai and human (First sentence of second paragraph is supposedly human written, the rest fully AI written, difference in grammar can also be noticed).

Post 4.

While luck is considered to be unpredictable, some argue that it can be analyzed and influenced to a certain extent. By understanding the odds and probabilities associated with different gambling games, gamblers can make more informed decisions that may increase their chances of winning. For instance, in games like poker or blackjack, a gambler can adopt a mathematical strategies to improve their odds of winning. When though this do not guarantee steady win, you might be sure to make a little profit.

By calculating probabilities, and expected values, and understanding statistical concepts, a gambler can gain insights into the underlying mechanism of games. This knowledge can help players make strategic decisions that may tilt the odds in their favour. I have seen people who make predictions on pool games making calculations to know the match that is likely to end in a draw. Sometimes, the calculation works in their favour and other times it doesn't too and that is why I will always conclude that gambling is a game of luck regardless of what anyone says.

Mixed results on detectors.
Sapling.ai: 65% fake
GPTZero: 5/8 sentences are AI written.
Difference in grammar can also be detected throughout his post and in comparison with other posts.

Post 5.

Let it be noted here that the advent of the internet and technological advancements paved the way for a significant shift from offline gambling to online gambling. One of the key factors driving the popularity of online gambling is its accessibility and convenience. With just a few clicks or taps on their smartphones or computers, a gambler can place a bet or play casino games from the comfort of their homes at any time of the day. This ease of access has made gambling more pervasive in society, attracting a broader demographic of players.

Despite the shift to online platforms, the thrill of taking risks, the potential for big wins, and the social aspect of gaming are still major draws for many gamblers. However, it’s essential to recognize that gambling also carries inherent risks such as addiction, financial loss, and negative impacts on mental health.

Copyleaks: AI Content Detected
HiveModeration: The input is: likely to contain AI Generated Text 99.9%
Sapling.ai: 100% fake
GPTZero: We are highly confident this text was ai generated 97%

Post 6.

Casino bonuses are a common marketing strategy used by online casinos to attract new players and retain existing ones. These bonuses come in various forms, such as welcome bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, free spins, and loyalty rewards. While they may seem like free money at first glance, it is essential to understand that casinos are businesses aiming to make a profit as you have noted and so, the terms and conditions attached to these bonuses often include wagering requirements to protect the casino’s interests.

Wagering requirements dictate how many times a player must wager the bonus amount before being able to withdraw any winnings associated with it. For example, if a casino offers a $100 bonus with a 20x wagering requirement, the player would need to wager $2000 ($100 x 20) before cashing out any winnings.

Copyleaks: AI Content Detected
HiveModeration: The input is: likely to contain AI Generated Text 99.9%
Sapling.ai: 100% fake
GPTZero: GPTZero:We are moderately confident this text is a mix of ai and human (3/5 sentences, first paragraph AI written)

Nope, this won't be one more thread about El Salvador's Bitcoin adoption. With that being said, let's dive into the subject of this topic.

El Salvador is a small country in Central America that has become extremely popular in the forum in the last few years due to it recognizing Bitcoin as legal tender and attempting to adopt it in its economy on a daily basis. Whether or not this adoption was successful remains unknown. From what I've read, a large number of citizens claimed the early bonuses and never bothered again, so it's hard to say that Bitcoin adoption has been a success, although it's best not to jump to conclusions again.

Now let's jump into the actual subject of this topic. Recently, it has come to the attention of the media that El Salvador, a country that was considered one of the most dangerous in the world, has turned upside down and is ranking as one of the safest countries and the safest in Latin America, lowering the homicide rates by 70%. 154 homicides were recorded in 2023, the lowest in decades.

El Salvador has been struggling with notorious gangs for years, while according to government data, over 120.000 civilian lives have been lost due to gang rivalries, while it was claimed that over 80% of the country's territory was controlled by gangs. The country was declared in a state of emergency in early 2022, which allowed the police to arrest and jail suspected gang members while at the same time suspending their right to an attorney and court approval of preliminary detention. Although this crackdown has severely decreased crime rates in the country, human rights organizations are claiming that the crackdown included abuses, torture, and even deaths in custody. The police have arrested over 75.000 suspected gang members and released 7.000, while human rights groups have reported 190 deaths and over 5.000 cases of abuse.

Although President Nayib Bukele was recently re-elected with over 85% of the votes cast, human rights organizations are calling him a dictator; however, the citizens have ruled that they prefer safer streets rather than supporting human rights.

What's your opinion? Do you support the way president Bukele tackled corruption and crime, or is he rightfully being called a dictator?

Sources:
1. https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240205-el-salvador-s-president-bukele-claims-record-reelection-victory
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/25/el-salvador-crime-human-rights-prisons/
3. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-salvador-says-murders-fell-70-2023-it-cracked-down-gangs-2024-01-03/

Hello there,

I know this topic might sound a little cringe-worthy or lame, but I'm going to go ahead and post it. Just a few days ago, I realized that on January 2, 2024, I'd crossed 3 years of active participation on Bitcointalk and in my involvement with cryptocurrencies. I signed up in 2014 and wasn't too active in the beginning. I was a teenager back then and didn't know much, and unfortunately, I didn't have the means to acquire Bitcoin. I stuck around in the forum for a while and quit. Most of my posts have been deleted, either out of shame of seeing what gibberish I was writing a few years later or because the threads were completely scrapped.

I then returned in May of 2017, after seeing the attention cryptocurrencies were receiving, and quit again after approximately a year, when the market had completely crashed from the ATH of $20,000. I was completely disheartened by this, but now I'm disappointed to see the huge opportunity I missed. What's surprising me is that, in my mind, I was almost certain that I had stayed for at least two years back then. That's disappointing to see how easily I just abandoned everything all together. My attempt to stick around was quite petty. I could have stuck around for a while longer; it would have been of tremendous help now.

I've now been active for 3 consecutive years, my longest active period so far, and I'm quite impressed, to be honest. Seeing that I wasn't disappointed when Bitcoin plummeted to $16,000 approximately a year ago, it is quite positive that I won't easily quit this time. I'm also grateful for my Bitcointalk internet pals and users I've interacted with, who have made this journey a lot more fascinating; a large thank you goes to Lucius who has been a great friend throughout the last months, and Hhampuz, with which I've stuck for the past years in his signature campaigns, and has been nothing but great so far. This potentially proves that I'm here to stay for quite a long time.

Edit: Accidentally posted this on Meta, my bad, moved to the reputation board

[Ultegra134's Binance Launchpool Portfolio]

Hello there, and Merry Christmas to everyone!

First of all, I'd like to state that I'm in no way affiliated with Binance, nor am I a large fan of centralized exchanges. I keep the majority of my funds, especially Bitcoin, off exchanges for the known reasons that have been discussed on the forum multiple times, and I'm not going to repeat them again, except for some stablecoins, which aren't a huge amount but still a decent sum of money. So, without further ado, let's return to the subject.

I've been participating in Binance's Launchpool since late July, with the first project that I staked, the coin Pendle. I didn't stake for the whole 30 days it was available in order to have the full picture, but it wasn't worth staking my coins there rather than on a different platform. All other options after that, SEI, Cyber, MEME, Neutron, with the last one being Fusionist (ACE), yielded great results, especially the last one, in which I regret participating only for a day or two.

So far, I've had great returns. Keep in mind that I acknowledge that most of the coins being listed there have no actual purpose, nor do I have faith in them, nor are they to be held for long-term purposes; they're simply pumped due to Binance's intervention, and I'm taking advantage of that. Currently, another coin, NFPrompt, is listed, shortly after ACE was discontinued, and another one was announced today.

I personally believe that if these projects are taken advantage of through Launchpool, it's basically risk-free money. The only thing you're risking is the opportunity cost of the money you're putting into staking.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever tried it before, and if yes, do you believe it's worth a try?

Ultegra134's Binance Launchpool Portfolio

Project	Days to stake	Staked funds	Profit	Opening date	Listing date
_________________	_________________	_________________	_________________	_________________	_________________
Pendle	25 days (staked for 8 - days at most)	$	$50.5	July 29, 2024	August 20, 2024
SEI	30 days	$	$20	September 1, 2024	October 1, 2024
Cyber	30 days	$	$85	September 1, 2024	October 1, 2024
Neutron (NTRN)	20 days	$	$ - 29 Unsold coins	October 31, 2024	November 20, 2024
MEME	30 days	$	$43	November 27, 2024	December 27, 2024
Fusionist (ACE)	5 days (Only staked for 1)	$	$20	December 18, 2024	December 23, 2024
NFPrompt	8 days	$	$60	December 20, 2024	December 27, 2024
Sheepless AI	4 days	$	$31.5	December 28, 2024	January 4, 2024
XAI	4 days	$	$15	January 05, 2024	January 09, 2024
Manta Network	2 days	$	$35	January 16, 2024	January 18, 2024
AltLayer	8 days	$	$36.5 + 45 unsold coins	January 19, 2024	January 25, 2024
Pixels	10 days	$	$93	February 9, 2024	February 19, 2024
Portal	8 days	$	$38	February 22, 2024	February 29, 2024
Aevo	5 days	$	$- 18 Unsold coins	March 8, 2024	March 13, 2024
Ether.fi	4 days	$	$48	March 14, 2024	March 18, 2024
Ethena	3 days	$	$85~	March 30, 2024	April 01, 2024
Saga	4 days	$	$ - 13 Unsold coins	April 5, 2024	April 9, 2024
Omni Network	4 days	$	$	April 14, 2024	April 17, 2024

Hello there,

This is something that I've been wondering about for quite a while. What are your thoughts regarding shopping platforms such as AliExpress, Shein, Temu, and so on? I've personally used Aliexpress a few times in the past and had zero problems; it was usually something small and unsignificant, such as something for my bicycle or car. Cheap and decent quality for the price I paid. I had also noticed a period where Wish.com was being advertised everywhere, but I refrained from using it because I wasn't keen on installing an app just to browse their website. Similarly to Shein, it was everywhere for a relatively long period of time, and you'd hear everyone talking about it. I had installed their app, browsed through a few items, and then uninstalled it for good.

Here's where the difference was made: I did fall victim to Temu's advertising practices; their first user bonus, which I took advantage of a few times, bought me a decent backpack, which I'd find for €30 on Aliexpress, and a dish drying rack, which would cost me over €25 for one, along with a few other things. Most were decent quality, at least for the price paid, with a few being completely crap: some sunglasses, decorations that arrived broken, earbuds that died after a day,, and so on. I wasn't fond of these apps because I wasn't keen on the idea of waiting 20 days to receive some cheap stuff from China that I don't actually need. I usually ordered through Aliexpress if it was something I couldn't find here or was extremely expensive, while at the same time I wasn't in a hurry.

Personally, I've tried to limit my purchases to items that are at least useful andusefulndom things that are never going to be used or have no use whatsoever, but still, I can admit that I've fallen victim to fast-fashion apps. It is being said that solely in Greece, they're receiving €250.000 worth of orders aday., At least a few months ago, when the article was posted, I could not verify the validity of those data, but it's safe to say that they're receiving hundreds of thousand orders per day in Europe alone.

Do you believe that their ridiculously low prices could be hurting the local economy, and why? Have you purchased from them?

Η κατάσταση με τα ενοίκια έχει φτάσει στο απροχώρητο, το μέσο ενοίκιο για ένα δυάρι διαμέρισμα ξεπερνάει τα 400€ στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις, πόσο το οποίο είναι πάνω από το 58% του βασικού μισθού. Σχολιάζουμε συνεχώς στα social media για τα υψηλά ενοίκια του εξωτερικού, σε χώρες της Γερμανίας, Ελβετίας, κλπ, αλλά ποσοστιαία σε σχέση με τον βασικό μισθό της εκάστοτε χώρας τα ενοίκια δεν ξεπερνάνε το 30% με 40% του μισθού.

Τα τελευταία χρόνια έχουμε γεμίσει βραχυχρόνιες μισθώσεις, αφαιρώντας εκατοντάδες ακίνητα από την αγορά. Τα μέτρα της κυβέρνησης μέχρι τώρα δεν έχουν αποτέλεσμα στην επίλυση του στεγαστικού, μέχρι και τα ευνοϊκά δάνεια που υποτίθεται δόθηκαν στους νέους από 18-30 ετών είτε δεν εκπληρώθηκαν ποτέ, είτε είχαν τεράστιες απαιτήσεις που απέκλεισαν χιλιάδες δικαιούχους. Στην ήδη δυσχερή κατάσταση, η αγορά έχει γεμίσει εκατοντάδες μεσιτικά γραφεία που κερδοσκοπούν πάνω στους ενδιαφερόμενους, ζητώντας μέχρι και αμοιβή επίδειξης του ακινήτου, ενώ δημιουργούν αθέμιτο ανταγωνισμό ανεβάζοντας περαιτέρω τις τιμές.

Ποια είναι η γνώμη σας για την υπάρχουσα κατάσταση; Θα υπάρξει βελτίωση στο μέλλον; Μέχρι τώρα κάθε χρόνο, ακόμα και από πέρυσι υπάρχει μια αύξηση άνω των 10-15% στα ενοίκια.

I did a quick search and didn't find any mentions on the forum so far. I recently stumbled upon an article claiming that the Brave browser, which is quite common in the cryptocurrency world for its BAT tokens and the privacy benefits it offers, is supposedly installing a VPN service on your computer without informing you or getting your permission beforehand. Although this is a paid optional service, don't you think you should be asked whether you want a service running on your computer?

I've also used it in the past but found no real purpose to replace the Chrome browser, which I find the most convenient of all so far. The BAT tokens aren't worth the hassle switching either.

I find it a little contradictory to advertise this browser as a more secure and private option, while at the same time you're being installed with something you're potentially not interested in without your knowledge. On the one hand, I want to believe that it's not that big of a deal, but on the other, I find it unacceptable. What's your opinion about this? Do you believe it's worrying and something to be noted?



Quoting services' screenshot from the article

Source: https://www.neowin.net/news/the-brave-browser-on-windows-has-also-been-installing-vpn-services-a-fix-is-in-the-works/

With halving less than a year from now, the majority of us are speculating a major increase in price and possibly the start of another bull market after 4 years. Some are expecting to surpass the previous ATH of almost $70,000 and possibly reach $100,000. Although this scenario sounds great and all, I'm not quite confident that it'll happen in the upcoming year or so. The current economic condition in the world isn't too promising and, in my opinion, will set back investments in general, including bonds and the stock market. I hope I'm proven wrong, though.

However, I tend to have a more pessimistic and down-to-earth approach to this matter. Bitcoin's current price is ranging from $27,000 to $28,000 as we speak, while we will also occasionally see it as low as $25,000. With that being said, in my opinion, sometime after the halving, the scenario of Bitcoin surpassing $50,000 doesn't sound too impossible to me. Thus, if we suppose that someone purchases Bitcoin now, approximately within a year, he or she may be capable of doubling their initial investment.

I know that these are all pure assumptions, but instead of speculating massive ATH and 3x or 4x returns, which are way too common in the forum, why not expect something that is more probable to happen in the near future? And to be honest, doubling your investment is a great yield that cannot easily be found in other forms of investment.

To be honest, I've had this question for quite a while. I keep seeing people claiming to just hold and hold; it'll take one, two, three, or whatever years for the next bull market. However, I'm often wondering: do you ever feel tired of waiting for Bitcoin to thrive? The past few months, or the whole past year—I'm not sure I've lost track of time—have been quite stale. Bitcoin has been ranging between $25.000 and $28.000 for quite a while. The volatility compared to other periods is lower than we're used to, or at least, to what I was used to in the past.

I feel that there isn't too much excitement and this adrenaline feeling anymore; suddenly you'd see Bitcoin climb or crash; you'd be curious when it'd stop, what your next move would be, or simply feel accomplished seeing your money's value grow. Price movements are quite insignificant at this point compared to the huge pumps or dumps that occurred in 2020 or 2021.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against holding, nor am I getting frustrated, at least not yet; I did it in the past and regretted it, even though my only source of income is signature campaigns. It's just that sometimes you can't stop the thoughts from circling around your head. I generally didn't bother to even look at it's price, but I've recently started feeling a little wearied. Perhaps it has to do with the life-induced stress that I've discussed in a previous thread. Who knows? How do you cope with waiting?