Now that spring is finally here, it’s time to start transitioning your wardrobe from winter into the current season. That doesn’t necessarily mean put away all sweaters and coats, because as we know spring can be very fickle. But there are a few tricks to making those winter-looks more spring friendly.
Transitional Coats: Last week I talked about transitional coats, and these are the perfect items to add into your wardrobe right now. Lightweight, but will still keep you warm on a cool night. Spring Sweaters: Layer with a transitional coat, or wear on its own, some of your winter sweaters are easy to wear into spring. I lived in these cashmere sweaters from Everlane all winter, and I know I’ll be pairing them with skirts and shorts for spring. Pumps instead of Boots: I’ve traded in my boots for pumps. Keeping my feet warm isn’t a priority anymore, so it’s time to break out my favorite heels and pair back to effortless denim. These pumps have been worth the investment – I wear them the most during spring.
What’s the problem?
Trees are more important today than ever before. More than 10,000 products are reportedly made from trees. Through chemistry, the humble woodpile is yielding chemicals, plastics and fabrics that were beyond comprehension when an axe first felled a Texas tree.
The idea of merging all the current Broccoli projects into one has gained much attention. Even the former CEO of Binance, CZ, has supported this idea.
Previously, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) shared the story of his dog Broccoli, which quickly sparked a wave of meme coins BROCCOLI in the crypto market. However, these projects are fragmented, and many have seen sharp price drops since their launch.
The Bold Idea Of Merging All The Broccoli Meme Coins
A user on the X platform (formerly Twitter) shared his opinion on the current state of the Broccoli projects. In the present context, this user posed a question:
“The odds of any single broccoli hitting 10x are slim to none on its own, but together?” the X user suggested.
He pointed out that the fragmentation of the Broccoli meme coin projects has prevented many investors from participating because people don’t know—or can’t predict—which project will receive liquidity.
There are too many projects being introduced. The popularity of the Broccoli meme coin has brought CZ in for much criticism.
Some Broccoli projects reached a market cap of tens of millions of USD within hours but quickly collapsed due to sell-offs or scams.
Different BROCCOLI Meme Coins on DEXs. Source: DEXSCREENER
Earlier this January, Binance announced and introduced three Broccoli projects, including Broccoli (BROCCOLI), CZ’S DOG (Broccoli), and Broccoli (Broccoli) into Binance Alpha, which have the potential to be listed on the exchange.
“Merging all Broccoli under one new contract is the safest, most promising bet for everyone involved. The odds of any single Broccoli hitting 10x are slim to none on its own, but together? That’s a real possibility,” wrote popular BNB trader Ben Todar.
He noted that each community is too distinct, and picking one as the standout is very difficult. When CZ first shared about his dog Broccoli, many investors asked him for the official CA (contract address).
The former Binance CEO has also expressed interest in this idea. He suggested that combining them would be the best approach in the current chaotic meme coin space.
Most recently, when CZ revealed that he holds a significant amount of BNB, the price of the BROCCOLI meme coin skyrocketed. However, as of the time BeInCrypto wrote this article, many BROCCOLI coins had lost most of their value.
The three CZ’s Dog projects on Binance Alpha have faced the same fate. Data show that more than 40% of Binance Alpha tokens decreased in price after the announcement.
Thus, the merger idea might be an attempt to salvage the situation. A larger community may have the opportunity to vote on the listing of their coin through a new feature introduced by Binance.
However, the timing and potential execution plan remain unclear.
Crypto.com has ignited controversy within its community after proposing to re-mint 70 billion CRO tokens. This decision marks the reversal of a 2021 token burn intended to reduce the circulating supply permanently.
The move, which passed at the last minute with a decisive vote, has left many CRO holders feeling betrayed.
Crypto.com Makes Last-Minute Push to Secure Victory
The outcome remained uncertain for most of the proposal’s voting period, which ran from March 2 to March 16. While the “yes” votes narrowly led, the proposal did not pass the 33.4% quorum of eligible votes.
That changed on Sunday at 14:00 UTC when a sudden influx of 3.35 billion CRO tokens tipped the balance. This secured the necessary quorum and significantly boosted the “yes” votes. Notably, voter turnout was 70.58%, exceeding the required threshold. The final tally was 62.18% in favor, 17.61% against, and 20.11% abstaining.
To put it in perspective, only 11.86% of validators voted “yes,” with only two of its validators (Starship and Falcon Heavy) supporting the proposal initially.
By the end of the vote, three more Crypto.com-controlled validators, Electron, Antares, and Minotaur IV, joined them. Meanwhile, two independent validators, Cosmostation and Polkachu.com, also backed the proposal.
Notwithstanding, their votes had minimal impact on the outcome as Crypto.com controls between 70-80% of the total voting power. This means the company tipped the scales through its dominance over the network.
Community members were quick to express frustration, accusing Crypto.com of manipulating the process. Based on the claims, it appears the Crypto.com exchange leveraged its significant control over the network’s validators. One large token holder voiced their disappointment on Telegram.
“They [Crypto.com] pushed their votes almost at the last minute. And now they created a precedent that other projects could follow,” Unchained reported, citing a community member on Telegram.
Repercussions for Crypto.com and Cronos Blockchain Upgrade
With the vote secured, Crypto.com is set to upgrade the Cronos blockchain, re-minting 70 billion CRO tokens. The newly minted supply will vest over five years and serve various purposes, including the potential creation of a CRO ETF (exchange-traded fund).
Notably, the original 70 billion CRO burned in 2021 will remain out of circulation. Nevertheless, the timing and nature of this decision have fueled skepticism within the community, especially given Crypto.com’s prior assurances that the 2021 burn was final.
A day after the controversial re-minting passed, Crypto.com introduced another proposal to burn 50 million CRO tokens. This constitutes about 0.07% of the freshly minted supply and has been met with widespread derision.
“It is a spit in all CRO holders’ faces. I mean, how dare you re-mint 70 billion tokens and on the same day start a proposal for burning 50 million tokens,” crypto journalist Laura Shin revealed, citing one validator who opposed the re-minting proposal on Telegram.
The comment reflects the general sentiment among the Crypto.com community. Many feel that this irreparably damaged their trust in the platform.
Amidst an outraged community and eroded trust in Crypto.com, the fallout from this decision could have long-term repercussions for the company and the broader Cronos ecosystem. Meanwhile, voting on the latest burn proposal continues.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Ramil Palafox, a dual US-Philippine national, with orchestrating a $198 million crypto scam.
From January 2020 to October 2021, Palafox ran a Ponzi-style scheme through his company, PGI Global, defrauding many investors.
SEC Cracks Down on Massive Crypto Scam
According to the press release, the regulator claims that Palafox raised about $198 million from investors globally. He promised them substantial returns from crypto and foreign exchange trading.
“As alleged in our complaint, Palafox attracted investors with the allure of guaranteed profits from sophisticated crypto asset and foreign exchange trading, but instead of trading, Palafox bought himself and his family cars, watches, and homes using millions of dollars of investor funds,” Associate Director of the SEC’s Philadelphia Regional Office Scott Thompson stated.
Furthermore, the company operated with a multi-level marketing (MLM) structure. Palafox attracted investors by claiming expertise in the crypto sector and offering an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven trading platform. Yet, both of these claims provedto be fraudulent.
The scheme eventually collapsed in 2021, resulting in significant financial losses for investors.
“The SEC’s complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, charges Palafox with violating the anti-fraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws,” the press release detailed.
The SEC demands that Palafox return ill-gotten gains and pay civil penalties. The regulator has also asked for a permanent injunction to prevent Palafox from engaging in similar activities in the future. Additionally, the US Attorney’s Office has filed criminal charges.
Iranian National Charged for Running Dark Web Marketplace
Meanwhile, in a separate case, a federal jury indicted Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for founding and operating a dark web marketplace. According to the US Office of Public Affairs, the Nemesis market facilitated the illegal sale of drugs, including fentanyl and other controlled substances. The marketplace was also involved in criminal activities like stealing financial data and distributing malware.
