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Eric and Donald Trump Jr Partner with Hut8 on Bitcoin Mining

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Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr have invested in a Bitcoin-mining company. It was reported that the two brothers partnered with Hut 8, a publicly traded cryptocurrency infrastructure firm, to launch a new venture called American Bitcoin. The Trump brothers merged their company, American Data Centers, with Hut 8, securing a 20% stake in American Bitcoin, while Hut 8 holds the remaining 80%. Eric Trump has taken on the role of Chief Strategy Officer for the new company, which aims to leverage Hut 8’s 61,000 mining machines to become a major player in Bitcoin mining. The venture also plans to build a “Bitcoin reserve” by retaining mined coins, with intentions to capitalize on low U.S. energy costs for efficient operations. This move marks a significant expansion of the Trump family’s growing involvement in the cryptocurrency industry.

The investment by Eric and Donald Trump Jr. in a Bitcoin-mining company like American Bitcoin, in partnership with Hut 8, carries several potential implications across economic, political, and environmental spheres. The Trump family’s high-profile involvement could lend legitimacy and visibility to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining, potentially encouraging more institutional and retail investment in the sector. Their participation might signal to others that crypto is a viable long-term asset class. With a 20% stake in a company tied to Hut 8’s infrastructure (61,000 mining machines), the Trumps could influence Bitcoin’s supply dynamics if American Bitcoin’s “Bitcoin reserve” strategy succeeds in hoarding mined coins, potentially driving up prices during scarcity periods.

Bitcoin mining operations, especially if scaled in the U.S. with a focus on low energy costs, could create jobs in regions hosting data centers, aligning with broader economic development narratives. This venture strengthens the Trump family’s pivot toward tech and finance, diversifying their business portfolio beyond real estate and media. It could also bolster their appeal among libertarian-leaning or crypto-enthusiast voter bases, especially if tied to deregulation or “America First” energy policies.

Given their political connections—particularly with Donald Trump Sr.’s past presidency and potential future influence—the brothers might push for crypto-friendly legislation, such as tax incentives for miners or relaxed regulations on energy use, shaping the U.S. crypto landscape. Their involvement might polarize opinions on crypto further. Supporters may see it as a bold move toward innovation, while critics could view it as another opportunistic venture by a controversial family, especially if linked to speculative bubbles or environmental concerns.

Bitcoin mining is notoriously energy intensive. American Bitcoin’s focus on leveraging “low U.S. energy costs” could reignite debates about sustainability, especially if operations rely on fossil fuels rather than renewables. Critics may point to the carbon footprint, while proponents might argue it drives energy infrastructure investment. Depending on where mining facilities are located, local ecosystems and power grids could face strain, particularly in areas with cheap but non-renewable energy sources. This could lead to community pushback or, conversely, economic revitalization in energy-rich regions.

American Bitcoin enters a crowded field with established players like Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms. The Trump name might give it a branding edge, but success will hinge on operational efficiency and market conditions (e.g., Bitcoin price volatility or mining difficulty). If Bitcoin’s price drops or mining profitability wanes (due to halving events or regulatory crackdowns), the venture could face financial strain, impacting the Trumps’ reputation and Hut 8’s stock performance. The Trump brothers’ involvement might deepen the cultural divide around cryptocurrency—seen by some as a revolutionary tool and by others as a speculative fad. Their polarizing personas could amplify this split.

By framing it as an “American” endeavor, they might tap into nationalist sentiment, positioning Bitcoin mining as a patriotic counter to foreign dominance (e.g., China’s past mining supremacy). In summary, this investment could ripple through markets, policy, and public discourse, amplifying both opportunities and risks in the crypto space. Its success—and broader impact—will likely depend on Bitcoin’s trajectory, energy strategies, and the Trumps’ ability to navigate their unique blend of business and political capital.

A Foray into Solana Compute Unit Proposal

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The Solana community is currently discussing proposals to increase the Compute Unit (CU) limit per block from its existing cap of 48 million. Compute Units on Solana serve a purpose similar to Ethereum’s gas, acting as a measure to limit transaction complexity and ensure equitable resource allocation across the network. This debate stems from a desire to enhance transaction throughput and network efficiency, particularly as Solana continues to grow in usage and adoption.

Two key proposals have emerged: SIMD-0207 suggests a modest increase to 50 million CUs, while SIMD-0256 proposes a more substantial jump to 60 million CUs. The goal is to allow more transactions to fit within each block, potentially reducing congestion during peak times and enabling support for more computationally intensive operations. Proponents argue this could improve user experience by lowering transaction delays and failures, especially as demand for block space rises.

However, the discussion isn’t without trade-offs. Raising the CU limit could place additional strain on validators and node operators, potentially affecting network stability if not implemented carefully. Solana’s developers appear to favor a gradual approach, avoiding drastic changes—like a previously considered 96 million CU target—due to concerns about infrastructure readiness. Other block parameters, such as the 12 million CU limit per account write lock and 36 million CU cap for vote transactions, would remain unchanged to maintain balance in core functions like consensus.

The debate reflects Solana’s ongoing efforts to scale while preserving performance. No final decision has been confirmed, but the community’s focus on incremental adjustments suggests a cautious yet forward-looking strategy. Raising the Compute Unit (CU) limit on Solana from the current 48 million per block would have several potential impacts—both positive and negative—on the network, its users, developers, and validators. A higher CU limit (e.g., 50M or 60M) would allow more transactions to be processed per block. This could reduce congestion during high-traffic periods, such as NFT mints or DeFi spikes, leading to fewer dropped or failed transactions and a smoother user experience.

More CUs per block would enable developers to build and execute more computationally intensive smart contracts or programs. This could attract new projects to Solana, enhancing its ecosystem and competitiveness against chains like Ethereum or newer rivals. With less contention for block space, users might see faster transaction confirmations and lower retry rates. This could bolster Solana’s reputation as a high-performance blockchain, especially for real-time use cases like gaming or payments. By fitting more transactions into each block, developers and dapps could see reduced costs per transaction in terms of priority fees, as competition for limited CU resources eases slightly.

Processing more CUs per block requires greater computational power, memory, and bandwidth. Validators running on lower-spec hardware might struggle to keep up, potentially leading to missed blocks or degraded performance. This could raise operational costs for node operators. If the CU increase outpaces the capabilities of smaller validators, the network might unintentionally favor larger, better-resourced operators. This could erode Solana’s decentralization over time, a concern given its already high validator hardware requirements.

Pushing the CU limit too high, too fast (e.g., to 60M or beyond) might strain the network’s consensus mechanism or amplify existing bottlenecks, like state bloat or memory usage. Past Solana outages, often tied to resource overload, highlight this risk. Not all transactions need more CUs—simple transfers use far less than complex DeFi operations. Raising the limit might disproportionately benefit specific dapps or users, potentially skewing network priorities and leaving simpler use cases unaffected.

A modest increase (e.g., to 50M) might offer quick wins with minimal disruption, while a larger jump (e.g., 60M) could set the stage for future growth but require more testing and infrastructure upgrades. If successful, this could solidify Solana’s position as a scalable blockchain, attracting more developers and capital. However, if mishandled, it might fuel criticism about reliability or centralization. While base fees are fixed, priority fees (paid to validators for transaction inclusion) could drop as CU scarcity decreases, subtly shifting validator revenue models.

Nigeria’s Economy Expands by 3.84% To N22.61tn in Q4 2024, Driven By Non-Oil Sector – CBN

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Nigeria’s domestic economy recorded an expansion of 3.84% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching N22.61 trillion, according to the latest economic report from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This growth, largely driven by the non-oil sector, highlights the deepening structural shift in the country’s economic composition as the oil sector continues to underperform.

While the non-oil sector expanded by 3.96%, the oil sector lagged behind with a modest 1.48% growth, reflecting persistent challenges in the country’s crude oil production. Economists believe that the performance of the non-oil sector underscores the struggles of Nigeria’s once-dominant oil industry, which has faced years of declining output due to pipeline vandalism, oil theft, regulatory uncertainties, and underinvestment in upstream activities.

For years, Nigeria has struggled to meet its crude oil production targets, significantly impacting overall GDP growth. Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, the country has consistently fallen short of its OPEC quota, limiting the oil sector’s contribution to economic expansion.

Recently, Nigeria briefly exceeded its OPEC production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) for the first time in a long while, signaling a potential rebound. However, this progress was short-lived as output declined again in subsequent months, hampering the government’s push to achieve its ambitious target of 2.2mbpd.

The drop in oil production has been linked to ongoing security issues in the Niger Delta, where crude theft and pipeline sabotage remain widespread. Additionally, logistical and technical challenges at key oilfields have slowed production recovery efforts.

The CBN’s report noted that while increased crude oil production from 1.33mbpd to 1.43mbpd helped moderate the slowdown in the oil sector, the overall contribution of oil to GDP growth remained marginal. In total, the oil sector contributed just 0.07 percentage points to the economy’s 3.84% growth in Q4 2024, further underscoring its diminished role in driving Nigeria’s economic expansion.

Economic analysts have consistently emphasized that increased crude oil output could significantly accelerate Nigeria’s GDP growth. Historically, when oil production surged above 2mbpd, the economy experienced higher expansion rates. However, the country has struggled to sustain such levels, with recent production figures falling well below expectations.

According to industry experts, achieving the government’s 2.2 mbpd target would not only boost export earnings but also strengthen Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves, stabilize the naira, and provide much-needed fiscal revenues to support economic development.

Although the uptick in the non-oil sector’s performance is seen as a sign of economic diversification, analysts caution that relying on it as the primary growth driver without addressing structural issues in the oil sector could limit Nigeria’s long-term economic potential. Given that crude oil still accounts for the bulk of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and government revenue, the sector’s weak performance poses a significant risk to fiscal sustainability.

The non-oil sector’s 3.96% growth in Q4 2024 outpaced the previous quarter’s 3.37% expansion, contributing a substantial 3.77 percentage points to total GDP growth. The CBN report emphasized that the non-oil sector expanded at a faster pace, making it the primary driver of economic growth.

Key industries leading this expansion include financial services, information and communication, trade, crop production, and transportation. The financial and insurance sector recorded significant growth due to the increasing adoption of financial technology, higher banking penetration, and rising investment inflows into capital markets. The expansion of digital banking services and mobile payment solutions contributed to stronger financial sector performance.

The information and communication sector also continued its upward trajectory, benefiting from improved internet penetration, rising demand for data services, and increasing digital transformation across various industries.

The trade and agricultural sectors remained robust, particularly in crop production, which was supported by favorable weather conditions and government interventions aimed at boosting food security. Trade activities surged due to increased logistics efficiency and a recovering consumer demand.

The transportation and storage sector also saw significant improvements, driven by government investments in infrastructure projects and growing e-commerce logistics networks.

However, Nigeria’s electricity and gas subsector contracted by 5.05% in Q4 2024, highlighting ongoing challenges in the country’s energy sector. The downturn was attributed to increased electricity tariffs, continued grid collapse, and a growing shift towards alternative energy sources such as solar power.

Looking ahead, the CBN projects that Nigeria’s economy will continue on a growth trajectory in 2025, supported by government policies, increased investor confidence, and exchange rate stabilization. However, the ability to sustain this momentum will depend on several factors, including oil production recovery, inflationary pressures, exchange rate stability, and infrastructure development. Achieving and maintaining higher crude oil output remains critical for overall economic performance.

T-Mobile Ordered to Pay $33M in Private Arbitration Settlements

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T-Mobile has been ordered to pay $33 million in a private arbitration settlement due to a SIM swap attack that exploited security vulnerabilities, resulting in significant high end cryptocurrency theft. This incident occurred in February 2020, when attackers hijacked a customer’s phone number by convincing a T-Mobile employee to transfer it to a SIM card they controlled. Despite the account having enhanced security measures, such as an eight-digit PIN, the breach allowed the theft of over 1,500 Bitcoin and approximately 60,000 Bitcoin Cash, valued at $38 million at the time.

The California law firm Greenberg Glusker, representing the victim, tech entrepreneur Joseph “Josh” Jones, argued that T-Mobile’s numerous security failures enabled the attack. This ruling, reported in late March 2025, marks one of the largest known payouts related to SIM swapping and highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in telecom security practices. Frequent SIM swaps expose weaknesses in telecom security, like lax verification processes. This erodes public confidence in mobile carriers and 2FA systems, pushing regulators or companies to overhaul policies—costly and slow changes that affect millions of users. The victim faces a domino effect: hours spent reclaiming their number, legal battles over stolen funds, and emotional stress.

Their contacts might get scammed too, amplifying the social fallout. Think of it like a pebble in a pond: the SIM swap is the splash, but the waves hit financial, personal, and institutional shores. In 2021, the FBI reported SIM swapping incidents tied to losses exceeding $68 million, showing how one breach can spiral. The $33 million settlement T-Mobile is paying for the SIM swap vulnerability carries several significant implications. This ruling sets a precedent that telecom companies can be held financially liable for failing to protect customers from SIM swap attacks, even when customers have taken steps like adding PINs. It may push carriers to strengthen security protocols to avoid similar costly judgments.

The case exposes persistent weaknesses in mobile carrier authentication processes. With attackers bypassing enhanced security measures, regulators and consumers might demand more robust safeguards, such as multi-factor authentication beyond SMS or employee training to detect social engineering. The theft of $38 million in cryptocurrency underscores the vulnerability of digital assets tied to phone numbers. This could accelerate efforts to decouple crypto wallets from SMS-based verification, nudging the industry toward hardware keys or biometric authentication. The size of the payout—one of the largest for a SIM swap case—may encourage more victims to pursue litigation against telecoms. This could lead to a wave of lawsuits, forcing carriers to allocate more resources to legal defense and settlements.

High-profile cases like this raise public awareness about SIM swapping risks, potentially driving demand for better education on securing accounts and pressure on carriers to proactively inform customers about threats. Though this was a private arbitration, it might catch the attention of agencies like the FCC or FTC, prompting investigations or new rules to enforce stricter cybersecurity standards across the telecom sector. In short, this settlement could catalyze changes in how telecoms secure their systems, how crypto holders protect their assets, and how the legal system addresses tech-related vulnerabilities—while costing companies that fail to adapt.

Is BlockDAG the Real Solana Killer? EVM, WASM & $208 Million Viral Presale Backs The Layer 1 Claim

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Solana may have dominated headlines in the last bull cycle, but a new Layer 1 is emerging with the firepower to dethrone it—and this time, the numbers, architecture, and community are all aligning.

BlockDAG, a hybrid DAG + Proof-of-Work blockchain, is now being widely called a “Solana Killer”, and after its explosive Keynote 3, that label is looking less like hype and more like reality. With a live testnet, DeFi tools launching at mainnet, and powerful EVM + WASM compatibility, BlockDAG is shaping up to be the chain developers—and investors—won’t be able to ignore.

And the momentum backs it up. In just 48 hours post-keynote, BlockDAG raised $5 million, pushing its presale past $208 million. Currently in Batch 27 at $0.0248, the coin has already sold over 19 billion BDAG, and analysts are projecting an aggressive climb toward $1 once it hits major exchanges.

BlockDAG vs. Solana: What’s the Difference?

Solana built its reputation on speed, processing up to 65,000 transactions per second thanks to its Proof-of-History consensus. But that speed comes with major tradeoffs—network outages, centralization risks, and limited tooling support for developers outside its ecosystem.

BlockDAG flips that model by combining Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure with Proof-of-Work security—a parallel-processing approach that allows multiple blocks to be confirmed simultaneously without bottlenecks. The result? Speed without sacrifice.

More importantly, BlockDAG supports both EVM and WASM, giving developers access to the broadest tooling possible. This means seamless compatibility with Ethereum’s smart contract ecosystem, while also embracing the future with WebAssembly—a faster, safer, and more scalable virtual machine.

“Each of these advancements brings us closer to a truly scalable, decentralized, and trustless financial system,” said Antony Turner, BlockDAG CEO, during Keynote 3.

Solana doesn’t offer native EVM or WASM support. BlockDAG does. And that gives it a serious edge in attracting smart contract developers from both Ethereum and Polkadot ecosystems—without needing bridges, wrappers, or compromises.

DeFi-Ready From Day One

While Solana has worked hard to build its DeFi ecosystem, many protocols launched slowly and required third-party integration for key functionalities. BlockDAG, on the other hand, is launching its mainnet with DeFi infrastructure built-in.

Keynote 3 confirmed:

  • Native staking
  • Lending & borrowing tools
  • Token swap functionality
  • Cross-chain bridges
  • Governance modules

This is more than a tech launch—it’s an ecosystem rollout. Users will be able to earn, transact, and govern the network from day one, with token and NFT creation wizards also ready at mainnet. That’s something most chains take years to deliver.

With over 800,000 X1 Miner App users and 400,000 Tap Miner signups, BlockDAG already has an engaged audience that’s earning and interacting with the token before it even lists. That kind of adoption isn’t theoretical—it’s happening now.

Why BDAG Could Overtake Solana in 2025

Solana’s current market cap hovers in the billions. BlockDAG, with $208M raised pre-launch, is still in its early innings. But the upside is exactly what’s drawing in both retail and institutional investors.

Exchange listings across 10+ major CEXs are already confirmed post-mainnet. With over 16,600 miners sold and a global network of 100+ active nodes, the foundation is real, and it’s growing fast.

The hybrid model also addresses a major criticism of Solana—centralization. BlockDAG’s dual-layered mining structure (via mobile app and ASICs) ensures security is distributed, inclusive, and censorship-resistant. That’s the kind of decentralization Web3 was built for.

If BDAG hits even a modest $1 valuation, early buyers at $0.0248 could be looking at 40x returns. And with momentum like this, the price may not stay this low for long.

“We are more than a project; we are pioneers of a new decentralized era,” Turner declared during the keynote—and the market seems to agree.

The Verdict: BlockDAG Is Built for the Long Game

Solana might have had the spotlight, but BlockDAG is building the infrastructure to outlast and outperform. With superior compatibility, real DeFi tools, stronger decentralization, and growing adoption before launch, the title of “Solana Killer” no longer feels premature—it feels earned.

The next 12 months will determine who leads the next wave of Web3. BlockDAG isn’t waiting for the future to arrive—it’s building it in real time.

And for those looking to get in early, Batch 27 may be the last chance before BDAG becomes the headline it’s destined to be.

 

Website: https://blockdag.network

Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu