Governance
Top tech stories today: February 19, 2024
Major social media platforms, such as YouTube, are testing new features. Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has experienced a notable surge
Headline
Major social media platforms, such as YouTube, are testing new features. Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has experienced a notable surge
Context
Get your day off to a flying start with the latest top tech news: Bitcoin mining difficulty sees a significant surge, while major social tech platforms are rolling out exciting new features for users to test. Google’s Gemini, a suite of generative AI models, apps, and services, appears promising in some aspects but falls short in others. Its flagship model, Gemini Ultra, aims to handle various multimodal tasks, though its image generation capability is not yet available. ( Tech Crunch )
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
The PitchBook report noted a surge in venture funding for cryptocurrency-related businesses, with a $1.9 billion total for Q4 2023, up 2.5% from the previous quarter. This growth was driven by investments in companies like Swan Bitcoin and Blockchain.com. ( Cointelegraph ) On February 18, the team at FixedFloat confirmed a significant cyberattack, affecting thousands of users and resulting in the loss of millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin and Ether. Investigations are ongoing, and the exchange is focused on improving security and restoring services. ( Cointelegraph ) Bitcoin’s mining difficulty was expected to increase by an estimated 6%, reaching a record 81.73 trillion. The difficulty has steadily risen and is anticipated to reach 100 trillion soon. Bitcoin’s reward will be halved in April, a phenomenon known as the Bitcoin Halving. ( Cointelegraph ) New research from Coin Metrics asserts that the possibility of a 51% or 34% attack on Bitcoin or Ethereum by nation-states to dismantle the blockchains is now unrealistic due to prohibitive costs. ( Cointelegraph )
Key Points
- 1. Google Gemini: Everything you need to know about the new generative AI platform
- 2. VC blockchain and crypto funding rises in Q4 2023
- 3. FixedFloat confirms $26M exploit in Bitcoin, Ether
- 4. Bitcoin mining difficulty surpasses 80 trillion ahead of halving
- 5. Coin Metrics research shows BTC and ETH are immune to 51% attacks
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
