Historian and author Sally Hoedel, however, doesn’t see Elvis as a cautionary tale of self-destruction. Instead, she sees a man who struggled, every day, to survive. First, Elvis struggled through extreme poverty. Then, he struggled through extreme fame like no one had experienced before. Finally, he struggled with disease and disorder in nine of the eleven systems of the body. Five of those disease processes, Hoedel finds, were present from birth. She expertly puts all of this into historical context, pointing out differences in medical treatments and protocols for the time. Additionally, the family tree is shown to have the same ailments leading to short lives for Elvis’ mother and three of his uncles, all on the maternal side of the family. With the lack of longevity in Elvis’ family, his death at age 42 is no longer a coincidence and has an explanation.

In her compelling, thought-provoking release, Elvis: Destined to Die Young, Hoedel offers factual and scientific data, plus never-before-published information she gained by interviewing people who personally knew Elvis, to dive deep into his struggles with multiple chronic health conditions. Having access to various medical records and relationships with Elvis’ nursing staff was also invaluable.

Hoedel examines Elvis Presley — devoted son, husband, father and friend — while plowing through the negative hype and legendary myths surrounding the man. Elvis’ downward spiral of health struggles is intertwined with his life story. Her extensive research provides answers to lingering questions about his death and dispels the long-held theory that abuse of prescription drugs is what killed Elvis. Readers may be surprised to learn that, based on Elvis Presley’s family history and the genes he was dealt, nothing could have saved the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The result is a totally fresh, unique, humanizing approach to Elvis.

“It was clear that the more he toured, the more medication he would need to function through the very real ailments. Toward the end, even the medication wasn’t enough,” said Hoedel. “A new tour would start, and Elvis would be fresh and ready to go, but after a week he would be right back where he started and need more medication to sustain the schedule.”

Bodyguard Ed Parker said, “Elvis was like a battery that had been drained too many times. His body could no longer hold a charge.”

All the while, Elvis had close to 100 people relying on him, from family to friends to employees. Memphis Mafia member Lamar Fike begged Elvis to quit touring after Elvis complained of fatigue and pain. Elvis replied, “I have to make payroll.”

“I wrote this book because I genuinely believe this is a story that Elvis would want known,” Hoedel said. “He needed to be a strong American male while he was alive, and he hid his pain and his body’s weaknesses. Yet, he always knew he was just like everyone else: human. I believe he would be OK with everyone now understanding just how human he was. He struggled but he tried. My only hope for this labor of love is that it makes someone stop and think about Elvis just a little bit differently. He deserves it.”

To date, Elvis: Destined to Die Young has won two awards. It was named the Best Nonfiction Book of the year at the Pencraft Book Awards and the Best Regional Nonfiction Book at the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Larry Geller, long-time friend and hairstylist to the King said, “Grappling with and creating a wholistic picture of one such as Elvis Presley is no small task, and Sally has made a meticulous and intelligently crafted contribution.”

Rose Clayton Phillips, co-author of Elvis Up Close and The King and Dr. Nick, said, “Elvis: Destined To Die Young is an earnest examination of how the genetic profiles of Elvis Presley and his parents interacted to abruptly end Elvis’ life. Author Sally A. Hoedel in an admirable quest to uncover the true causes of Elvis’ relentless pain and untimely death, has penned an intriguing book to dispel decades of rumors about Elvis’ demise. Hoedel has mastered an enormous amount of pertinent research, which she delivers in an authoritative, yet conversational style, giving needed clarity and perspective to scientific and medical data.”

Sally A. Hoedel, a lifelong Elvis fan and historian, has a journalism degree from Michigan State University and is co-owner of Character Development and Leadership, a curriculum business. She lives in Northern Michigan with her husband and their four daughters.

The post New Book Claims Elvis Pressley Died From Genetic Health Problems, Not Drugs appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Attract fresh leads every day

Landon Stewart and Chris J Stapleton, Co-founders of Clients & Community, run one of Facebook’s most active, and fastest growing, communities. The group, which helps its members launch their own coaching business, attracts hundreds of inquisitive visitors each day. The team is adamant that your level of success depends on your ability to generate fresh leads every day.

Commenting on their approach, the pair adds: “A lucky few have succeeded in growing their group organically, however, they are the exception and not the rule. That requires a massive investment of time and energy, and a degree of good luck. Most ‘newbies’ would be better served paying for ads that will attract an audience immediately. Because we have new people coming through our group constantly, it keeps everything fresh. These are the ones who ask the most questions and are keen to learn about what we do.”

Logic suggests if you want to attract fresh people each day, you should create content on a daily basis. However, Stapleton explains why this might not be true, “We feel there is a tipping point at which posting too frequently can actually dilute your effectiveness. We are strategic in everything we post and typically only post once or twice per week. Often our posts overcome objections- anytime we hear an objection during our sales process, we’ll do a post on it. What we’ve found is by the time we have a phone call with prospective clients, objections have already been overcome. As a result, our conversion rates are way higher than the industry average.”

Know your target audience

Growth is a natural consequence of identifying, and connecting with, like-minded kindred spirits. Thankfully, Facebook allows you to specify the type of people you want to reach. Having your own avatar (your ideal group member) based on age, location, interests etc. is a necessity. As people join, the feel of the group might change. That’s why it’s important to start out with a clear idea of who you want to attract, compare it with who you’re actually attracting, and ask if there’s anything you need to adjust.

As Landon Stewart explains, “We put out content that appeals to a certain type of individual (sometimes referred to as your avatar or perfect client). Our model is client-led. That is, people raise their hands, ask questions, and show an interest in what they’ve seen from us. Our content is designed to move everyone in our group forward towards our ultimate goal, which is to have a one-on-one conversation with them. That’s where we make the offer to invest in our services.”

Once you have a base of loyal followers, you may even want to consider Facebook Lookalike Audience to amplify your reach. This service connects you automatically with those who have the same qualities as your intended audience. To use the service, however, Facebook recommends you have a source audience of between 1000-5000 people. These are usually your best customers, rather than your entire group, as they’ll tend to be most representative of your values and interests.

Clearly define campaign objectives

Most attempts to grow a Facebook group with ads fail because there isn’t a clear vision of the desired outcome. Facebook identifies three circumstances where you’ll want to promote your brand. It refers to them as objectives—awareness, consideration and conversion.

Awareness is about letting people know that you exist. It can be getting your brand name out there, letting people know what you offer, and growing a profile. Consideration is about catching the audience’s interest and encouraging them to search for more information (a link to your website, a video explanation). Conversions, the coalface of any enterprise, is about asking the audience to take some kind of action. This is where all advertising efforts are turned into a response—someone joins your mailing group, buys your product, signs up for your services.

Interestingly, Facebook further divides the three main objectives into 13 different subcategories. While your objectives can change, it’s crucial to select one per campaign and measure how you’ve performed. Only then can you truly know if you’re making progress.

For growing Facebook groups, Landon Stewart and Chris J Stapleton have found the conversion objective works best: “You want your ad to go to a landing page that collects a lead’s email in exchange for an invitation to join your group. Once they opt-in, you redirect them to your community.”

Whatever route you take, the best advice is to be intentional in everything you do. Ask if your content resonates with your followers? Are your actions bringing you closer to achieving your goals? Is there anything you need to change to stay on course?

The post 3 Ways You’re Using Facebook Groups Wrong appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Video game creative writing has quickly become one of the most innovative arenas for writers in the 21st century. Imagine Todd Meier’s “Civilization” without leader motivations, steampunk scenarios and wistful narrator musings to distract and amuse while the game loads. No comic book-based action-adventure game would have any elan were it not successfully adapted from its source material of lengthy scripts to bring the characters and story to life. Role-playing games with their various outcomes just doesn’t feel organic without realistic consequences to smooth the action back into the cutscenes. And lest we forget, cutscenes themselves can be longer than entire trilogies worthy of their own edited presentations on YouTube.

As with any other profession, skills must be developed, nurtured and honed. An education in creative fiction writing might not be necessary for everyone, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the skills and experience that go along with that particular degree when job hunting. Even spending time in a university drama department can yield valuable skills when it comes to directing voice actors to give life to your characters.

On the flip side, having a grasp on the nuances of back end game creation and development can be just as useful when building a realistic and cohesive narrative for a digital universe. Understanding the creative bounds and potential of coding will give you, the writer, context for how the overall product is developed with developers on the technical side.

Here are some recommended steps you can take now:

• Really, truly, obsessively study video games. Play them to be sure, but take notes on the successes and failures of each. Is there a thread or theme that runs from the opening credits until your sign off? Do characters interact hyper-specifically to each other, their environment, and the prompts and buttons of the player?
  
• Be the writer you want to become. Writers write – don’t just dream it, be it. Write short stories and novellas because you love telling stories. Write poetry to make your prose shine. Keep a journal of ideas, notes, brief excerpts of conversations real and imagined.

• Seek assignments from local publications for the professional experience, whether or not it yields a paycheck. The criticism and feedback provided by the editors and fellow writers will be essential in your personal writing process. Writing for a timed publication will also teach you the importance of meeting a deadline

• Make friends with other writers! Even well-known writers you’d think would never give you the time of day. Join creative collaborations with amateur artists and game designers, many of whom frequent game shops where good old fashioned dice rolling RPGs are sold. Established writers don’t have all the time in the world for folks that aren’t serious; but if you’re tenacious and respectful of the craft and show some actual promise in your work, you’ll find that 99% of professional writers are somewhat approachable and there are many ways for this to manifest. 

• Explore digital art! As digital artwork and artists have become part of the vernacular and are bridging the gap between fine art and gaming, taking the time to catch a show or deep dive into digital art archives will provide you with a base level understanding of the imaging and universe creation that you’ll be writing for – context is everything!

• Make your own hypothetical video game or find someone who can build your ideas into a real interactive prototype. Be prepared to hire someone and don’t be afraid to fight for the integrity of your vision while also yielding to the limits of the technology. Remember you’re still learning about the creative process here and see this is a stepping stone towards future success.

• Build your writing portfolio. The more work you can show prospective partners and employers the better. Consider the range and type of work in your portfolio as well. Don’t be afraid to include a variety of writing projects and experiments – nothing is too short or off-base as long as it is of quality.

• Apply for jobs in the industry and go on interviews. Learn to take criticism and “No” for an answer and how to persist without being a pest. Do it for the practice and don’t be afraid to come back for more. Many employers eventually hire the person who appears to want the job the most.

Be patient. No one gets anything they want quickly especially in a competitive field like video game design, but be persistent and eventually this practice will bear fruit.

The post How to Get Into Writing for Video Games appeared first on Grit Daily News.

The Colorado cold case that gripped the nation from 1969 until 1971 is now the subject of a new documentary, Love, Spies, and Cyanide, by Ocean Coast Production and Executive Producers James Norton, R.K. Price, and Michelle Loveall. Love, Spies, and Cyanide resurfaces the scandalous details of the strange disappearance of renowned University of Colorado Russian History Professor, Thomas Riha, and the death of his alleged mistress Galya Tannenbaum.

In this thought-provoking highly controversial documentary, the filmmakers challenge the law enforcement’s original findings and explore the mysteries of one of the Cold War’s most intriguing spy vs spy cases. Professor Thomas Riha, a suspected Russian counter spy, and Galya Tannenbaum, an alleged U.S. Intelligence Agent, were entangled in a mysterious love affair before Riha’s disappearance. Speculation also arose that Riha may have been bisexual, and that Galya had murdered Riha, although his body was never found.

With no proof of involvement in Riha’s disappearance, the single mother of four was charged with forging his name to documents and confined to the Colorado Asylum for the Criminally Insane after accepting an ill-advised insanity plea.

“Galya’s harsh sentencing did not match the alleged crime,” said Michelle Loveall, executive producer. “With no one to advocate for her, Galya was indefinitely locked

away. While incarcerated at the asylum, Galya died of cyanide poisoning under suspicious circumstances, although her death was quickly ruled a suicide.”

Many believe Galya herself was merely a victim and murdered to silence her.

“To this day the case remains unsolved and Galya’s part in the events that unfurled is nebulous, at best,” said James Norton, executive producer and Galya’s only son.

The filmmakers explore Galya’s mysterious life and ask if she was a mastermind spy and a cold-blooded killer, or simply a single mother who like so many marginalized people of her time fell victim to her own government’s prejudices or foreign enemies who silenced her.

Love, Spies, and Cyanide questions why those at the highest levels of the U.S. government, including the FBI and CIA, abruptly abandoned their investigations shortly after Galya’s death.

“There is an abundance of speculation and questions as to why the government did not pursue further investigation into Galya’s death,” said R. K. Price, executive producer and author of Love, Spies, & Cyanide: Galya’s Story. “Some believe the investigation was stopped because Galya was a convenient scapegoat, while others believe Galya was part of a top-secret spy ring which, if uncovered, would compromise national security. Either way, her family and the rest of America deserve to know the truth.”

When the case reached international acclaim chaos and disparity erupted between the FBI and the CIA, causing the warring agencies to break off communications. The breakdown in communication between the government agencies lasted for decades, continuing until the tragedy of 9/11.

This multi-part series also examines how the standoff between the agencies impacted national security during the height of the Cold War and for many years to follow. Congressional panels were convened. Tensions grew. Like today, relations between the U.S. and Russia were on the brink.

Love, Spies, and Cyanide presents the inside story of the two enigmatic figures, explores their relationship, and brings to light new evidence surrounding these spellbinding events.

“Today, even 50+years later, the government still refuses to release its files which keeps one of the most talked about cases in Colorado and the nation’s history a deep dark secret,” Norton said. “Our documentary uncovers many of those secrets while searching for answers to a mystery that rocked the country then and remains unsolved today.”

Ocean Coast Productions

Indie Producers James Norton, Michelle Loveall and R.K. Price joined forces in ways nearly as unusual as the case they have documented in this film series. In 1971 Price, a Colorado reporter at the time, broke the original story of Galya’s death. He wrote a historical novel about it and Riha’s disappearance. James Norton, Galya’s only son, a successful California businessman, never believed his mother committed suicide. Neither does Price. Norton read Price’s book but wanted a factual, not fictional account of his mother’s death being told. Michelle, also a prominent California businesswoman and lover of Cold Case mysteries, stepped in. She helped bring Norton and Price together to collaborate on the production. The rest is history. Three years later and hundreds of hours of research, interviews, and filming they have a story to tell unlike none other.

The post Love, Spies, & Cyanide Raises New Questions in the Unsolved Mystery Disappearance of Thomas Riha and Death of Galya Tannenbaum appeared first on Grit Daily News.

These are major accomplishments, especially for someone who could have lost his life as a teenager in the rough streets of Boston in the late 1980s and 90s. During that time, Domingo  was frequently fighting and getting expelled from school. He was once robbed at gunpoint and even stabbed four times by gang members. To add insult to injury, he faced jail time on an alleged gun charge. 

However, despite being an angry and rebellious young man, he was also a gifted musical talent inspired by rap legends like KRS One, Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest and others.  He had a much larger purpose; but his failure to realize it nearly cost him, big time.

“A lot of crazy things were going on in the streets in the 80s and early 90s,” said Guyton, 46. “My mom and grandma did everything they could to keep me in the house, but I loved being outside and feeling the pulse of the street. They bought me a drum set, a Nintendo Gameboy, a little pocket TV, and all sorts of other things to keep me inside. The older I got, the more I wanted to be outside with my boys. That got me in a lot of trouble.”

Guyton contended with most of the ailments that plague inner city black and Latino youth,  however, while he often disregarded it, his family had a strong foundation in the community and in the church. He had people willing to help him, but it would take numerous setbacks and interventions from family members, classmates and outsiders for him to get the picture.

By age 17, Guyton sought to escape his neighborhood after being threatened by gang members. Surprisingly, he enrolled in Worcester State College where he met friends who were also interested in music. They went on to produce songs, participate in competitions, and release a rap album in 1999. Performing under the moniker, “Mingo,” Guyton’s nights consisted of partying and women as he and his team gained local and national recognition for their music. However, even with the music taking off, once he graduated from college, something more significant was taking shape.

“I was hired by the YMCA as a teen and skate park director in Worcester, Massachusetts. I oversaw teen clubs, basketball leagues and learned a lot about balancing budgets and hiring staff,” he recalled. “I was able to incorporate some of my own talents and skills into the programs. “Two young women that worked with me were always ministering to me, along with other brothers.”

Despite his initial resistance and inner battles, the death of his grandmother and his desire to be a better person kept tugging at Guyton. He vowed to produce music without profanity, attend church, and become more active in the community. 

Fast forward to today, and Guyton is the founder of Wake Up My People Publishing. Through the imprint, he releases music and films that deliver powerful and uplifting content, as well as spreading God’s message. He is a community leader who mentors young men, speaks across the country at schools, conferences and churches. The streets, guns, drugs and clubs transitioned into a man of perspective, intent on sparking change in communities across the country. 

“When I made the transition, I was finally able to become educated about myself,” Guyton said. “As that started to happen, I began to use my music for good and to share how I got to know my personal Lord and Savior.”

His newest endeavor is a major feature film entitled, Yesterday Today Forever.  It is a riveting and modern interpretation of the story of Peter in the Bible – and production is nearing completion. 

“At this stage in my life, I know that I cannot complete this journey on my own,” he said. “I am just going to do what God wants me to do.”

The post From Pain to Purpose – Award Winning Music and Film Producer Domingo Guyton Empowers Lives through Art appeared first on Grit Daily News.

As anyone who has dealt with decentralized apps or cryptocurrency knows, joining the blockchain space can be overwhelming. Crypto wallets, tokens, cryptocurrency, blockchain networks, gas, addresses, protocols, and exchanges, are only some of the terms a beginner will find. There is no going around it and denying it, blockchain is not the most user-friendly technology out there.

If understanding these terms and navigating them is hard as a user, understanding how they work on the backend and the complex infrastructure that supports it can be even harder. In fact, ease of development is considered by many as one of the biggest issues preventing corporations from actively using blockchain. Not only are blockchain developers in limited supply but the work required to transform existing infrastructure into its decentralized version can also result in high costs.

With blockchain still being a young technology, there are also many uncertainties that need to be dealt with. For example, the blockchain trilemma is pretty much still a thing, the bad implementation of blockchain can result in millionaire hacks, and regulatory uncertainty means more risks. While new and crowd-funded projects can afford to risk building on the blockchain, big corporations do not.

It is not surprising that many projects were born over the past few years with the aim to ease these concerns. Some projects promise to bring the best of the centralized and decentralized world to deal with the trilemma, while others claim to be invulnerable or highly resistant to attacks. However, few projects seem to be focusing on the topic of easing concerns around regulation.

While President Biden’s executive order on crypto was received as good news by the crypto community, it is uncertain what the results will be. In the past, the Securities and Exchange Commission has taken hostile actions against crypto companies like Coinschedule, Ripple, WisdomTree, and LBRY.  These actions have relied primarily on the claims that some cryptocurrencies and NFTs should be considered a security and as such, are under their jurisdiction.

To deal with this issue, Pocketful of Quarters came up with a unique “‘no Action’ ERC-20 Token” which can be used by projects in the gaming industry while remaining compliant with SEC regulations. This is possible due to the company being the only one to get a no-action letter from the SEC, granting its token “consumer product” status. While unique in its kind so far, the company’s approach has proven to be not only innovative but impactful in the space.

Pocketful of Quarters’ COO Tim Tello joined  CryptoOracle’s Co-Founder Lou Kerner in a fireside chat during Grit Daily House. The chat, which took place during Consensus 2022, provided attendees with unique insights on how this unique token could not only change the gaming industry but also the blockchain space.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what Joseph had to say, worry not. You will be able to watch the fireside chat in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post Struggling to Adopt Blockchain? Meet the Token That Could Change That! appeared first on Grit Daily News.

According to the Blockchain Game Alliance and DappRadar’s Q1 of 2022 report, $2.5 billion were raised by blockchain games during the first quarter. If this trend was to continue, investments would increase by 150% when compared to last year, with activity having grown already by 2,000%.

This growth is not fortuitous but the result of technologies like NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse gaining relevance in the blockchain and mainstream tech spaces. In fact, blockchain gaming’s impact on the blockchain space has been so strong that its activity accounts for 52% of all blockchain activity.

Games like Axie Infinity, Splinterlands, Alien Worlds, Crazy Defense Heroes, Sky Mavis, and The Sandbox are some of the games leading to the rise of blockchain gaming. Not only have these games allowed players all around the world to generate economic gains but they have also introduced innovative mechanics and partnerships.  An example of this is The Sandbox’s recent partnership with Time Magazine to develop “Time Square”, a metaverse version of NYC’s iconic intersection.

“The Sandbox is often viewed as a ‘virtual Manhattan’, a vibrant space alive with culture, entertainment, and brands, where anyone can discover, learn, work, meet new people, play, dance, and find amazing new opportunities,” said The Sandbox’s Co-Founder and COO Sebastien Borget in the announcement. “By partnering with TIME, we’re adding TIMEPieces as the beating heart and soul of this virtual Manhattan, where a design call for virtual architects will be held in TIME Square, a place in our creative metaverse for brands and creators.”

But what is the reason behind gamers’ captivation with blockchain gaming? The reason is simple: The play-to-earn model. Historically, gamers have been unable to profit from playing their favorite games as most developers don’t allow real money transactions. While the reasons for this decision vary, they are often related to an attempt to prevent botting, account hacking/sharing, and legal issues.

The result is that most players don’t truly own their in-game assets as they can’t sell them nor take them out of the game ecosystem. Blockchain changed this by introducing NFTs and crypto, facilitating the creation of open marketplaces for gamers to trade their assets. This, in addition to being able to move assets out of the game ecosystem, result in true ownership.

As part of Grit Daily House during Consensus 2022, attendees had the opportunity to hear directly from one of the pioneers shaping the future of blockchain gaming. PixelSmarter’s Founder & DashLeague Creator Joseph Lazukin sat with Entrepreneur Magazine’s Jeff Hunter to talk about the opportunities and challenges in the blockchain gaming industry.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what Joseph had to say, worry not. You will be able to watch the fireside chat in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post The Future of Web3 Gaming and How It Is Driving Blockchain Activity appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Less than one month ago, Austin hosted for the first time what has been one of the most important conferences in the crypto space since 2015: Consensus 2022. The city is also known for hosting South by Southwest “SXSW”, the Enterprise Digital Asset Summit, DCentral, ETH Austin, BitBlockBoom,  and many more. In addition to this, Austin is also home to companies like Gemini, Core Scientific, Talos Digital, and Scala.

When keeping in mind these events and companies, it is easy to understand the reasons behind Musk’s prediction. Austin is a vibrant city in which disruptive tech is not only welcome but has been encouraged over the past years. Back in 2018, Wanchain’s president Dustin Byington was already telling Crunchbase:

“Austin is a natural—and currently budding—hub for cryptocurrency. It has a strong tech and startup community, a big Libertarian influence which the crypto ethos is built off of, and the macro trend of companies moving to Texas because of the lack of state income tax—which could really benefit this new industry.”

Well, Austin has only gotten more relevant in the tech industry since these comments and now, it seems to be only a matter of sustaining organic growth. While the bay area still is the biggest tech hub in the US after having captivated top talent for years, this might be changing. The region’s inability to deal with spiking housing/living prices meant that, over time, the influx of workers and companies shifted directions, with remote working being a major factor.

But what are the reasons that make Austin so attractive to the FinTech, Crypto, and blockchain industries? This was one of the topics discussed in the “Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene” panel, which took place during Grit Daily House at Consensus 2022. Axios’ Reporter Asher Price sat with Henry Collective’s Founder & General Partner Tyler Knight and Silverton Partners’ Managing Partner Morgan Flager to talk all about the city’s vibrant FinTech scene.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what these experts have to say on the future of Austin as a FinTech hub, worry not. You will be able to watch the panel in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene: Why Texas’ Capital Might Become the Next FinTech Hub appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Concerns around the ethical implications of blockchain technology have been around since its early days. However, as the technology gained relevance, it would eventually become one of the major sources of both positive and negative criticism. Probably the biggest criticism that blockchain technology has had to face was when the New York Times published a piece on Bitcoin’s environmental impact.

The piece, titled “In Coinbase’s Rise, a Reminder: Cryptocurrencies Use Lots of Energy”, brought further attention to existing concerns on Proof-of-work’s energy consumption. Many articles and columns would show up over the next few days, with companies like Square and Citi weighing in. While the topic of Bitcoin’s use case is certainly not in the spotlight nowadays, it remains relevant.

More recently, Non-Fungible Tokens have also risen to prominence as celebrities and brands around the world started using and advocating them. During the NFT craze, thousands of people joined the discussion on how ethical NFTs really were. While supporters defended their potential use cases and their role in democratizing art, detractors pointed at the financial implications of speculation around them and their hypocrisy.

Debate on the ethics of new technologies is nothing new. The International Journal of Ethics published by The University of Chicago Press was already publishing about the topic back in 1923. In an article titled “Some Ethical Consequences of the Industrial Revolution”, Austin Freeman referred to the industrial revolution by saying:

“This ethical atrophy represents the subsidence to a lower level of essential civilization. For civilization, as we have agreed, is based upon the recognition by man of his duty towards his neighbour; of which none can be more obvious than that of honesty and fair dealing.”

Today, most of us don’t think of the technical revolution as a negative but quite the opposite. Just like that, most criticism toward NFT, blockchain, and crypto, is more about their current status… Not about the technology itself. When it comes to investing in a socially responsible manner, it is not about investing in crypto or not, but the how.

The “The Math of Socially Responsible Investing in Blockchain & the Metaverse” panel saw experts discuss this topic as part of Grit Daily House during Consensus 2022. Leah Callon-Butler, Director at Emfarsis; Evin Cheikosman, Policy Analyst at World Economic Forum; and Nisa Amoils, Managing Partner at A100x Ventures, took to the stage to share their insights, opinions, and experience with the attendees.

Moderated by Linqto’s Chief Strategy Officer Karim Nurani, panelists discussed topics such as environmental concerns around blockchain, the regulation of fintech, and the role of women in developing countries. If you want to know what these experts have to say, you can watch the entire panel in the video below. You can also find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel!

The post Crypto Ethics: The Math of Socially Responsible Investing in Blockchain & the Metaverse appeared first on Grit Daily News.

With investors currently looking for the best way to deal with the inconsistencies of the current economic landscape, caution seems to be the law of the land across markets. As such, investors are choosing to focus on projects generating actual value instead of their potential, status, or connections. This means that at this time, a startup with a positive balance sheet has a unique opportunity to beat unicorns when it comes to raising pre-IPO funding.

Surprisingly, Venture Capitalists in the crypto ecosystem seem to have remained more cool-headed than their stock counterparts. It is well known by now that Andreessen Horowitz raised a $4.5 billion crypto fund. However, other Crypto investors have also achieved the same, with Sequoia raising $500 million back in May and Binance lab doing the same in early June.

What all of these funds have in common is their heavy focus on Web3 projects, a continuation of a trend that has been going on for several months. The popularity of Web3 in the tech world has been so overwhelming that tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have been unable to deal with it. Despite having been the mecca for tech employees for more than a decade, these companies have seen an exodus of top talent looking to work in Web3.

While Web3 is only one of the niches driving the pre-IPO deal flow in the blockchain space, its relevance is of special significance. This is especially true due to the criticism Web3 has received from figures like Jack Dorsey, Aaron Levie, Stephen Diehl, and Molly White. Despite this criticism, investors like Marc Andreessen are extremely bullish on Web 3, going as far as saying:

“The easiest way to think about it is: When you get something like this, this sort of collective effect that has a movement behind it and is attracting many of the world’s smartest people to work on it… basically the criticisms end up playing out differently than the critics think. These critics make a long list of all the problems but these genius engineers and entrepreneurs look at that list of problems as a list of opportunities.”

The question “Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow?” was the main topic of one of the panels at Grit Daily House earlier this month. Karim Nurani, Chief Strategy Officer at Linqto; Evan Greenberg Co-Founder of Blockchain Beach; and Marc Weill, Senior Advisor at Two Sigma Ventures, sat to share the unique environment that has emerged with the latest market winter.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what these panelists have to say about this topic, worry not. You will be able to watch the panel in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post Crypto Startup Funding Is Still Going Strong, but Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow? appeared first on Grit Daily News.