What Makes Joseph McNeal a Leader in Business Development and Real Estate

Claire Peterson on October 10, 2022

Business developer and real estate expert Joseph McNeal is in the trade of creating success for his clients by leveraging marketing, recruiting, real estate, and the benefits of financial planning. Initiating and promoting business growth among his clients have always been his strongest attributes, and his world wonders for them throughout the years he has made his service available. If anything, he has made the success of his clients his gauge for his personal success.

Joseph is a successful investor in real estate and insurance with over ten years of experience. He has received his certificate in alternative investments from Harvard Business School Online, real estate and construction management from the University of Denver, and is a Graduate, REALTOR® Institute. Additionally, he is also a Military Relocation Professional and a certified Pricing Strategy Advisor.

He had a colorful season serving in the military and has amassed a variety of titles, including US Army Aviation Technician, Master Fitness Trainer, Master Resilience Trainer, and Tactical Combatives Instructor. On top of all those, Joseph was also a Certified Personal Trainer, Performance Enhancement Specialist and Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Apart from being an army veteran with more than a decade of military service, he is a lifelong learner, having graduated with an MBA, MS, BA, AAS, and AA.

Joseph has taught college courses in occupational studies, business, martial arts, science, and fitness subjects. His diverse and rich background gives him a unique perspective of the needs of people and the demands in the market. As someone exposed to many industries, he has mastered the art of connecting with people, which has significantly worked to his advantage.

Because of his hard work and commitment to making a lasting difference in the lives of his clients, they have been nothing but generous in praising him. They attribute their success in getting the perfect property to his excellent negotiation skills and vast network within the real estate industry.

“My family and I cannot thank Joseph McNeal enough for all that he has done for us. Joseph took his job to another level. He went above and beyond for us and will for anyone. He always worked really hard to get us what we wanted. Joseph, thank you for your service to our country and for all the hard work you put in for us to be living in our dream home,” shared satisfied customer Anna Hummel.

Acquiring the best possible deals for his clients is Joseph’s topmost priority. “Joseph was my Realtor for my first home buying experience, and I could not be more pleased. He is extremely knowledgeable in his field and beyond helpful. He taught me many things about home buying and spent quality time making sure that I got the best deal and option for me and my needs/wants. Joseph is also very polite and honest, and I appreciate his hard work ethic. I would recommend Joseph time and time again. Thanks, Joe,” Ashley Fifield expressed.

Whether it is investing in real estate or developing a new business, Joseph McNeal and his team are among the most dedicated groups in the industry who are making things happen for their clients. Not much for empty promises, Joseph has an impressive track record when meeting his clients’ expectations, and he is determined to protect his image and good name to elevate the experiences of his customers.

Crypto report: Binance loses $570 million in a heist after hackers target cross-chain bridge

Claire Peterson on October 10, 2022

Theft has become a recurring problem in the crypto and NFT space, and Binance has become the latest victim of a significant robbery.

The report

On Friday, a Binance spokesperson revealed that a Binance-linked blockchain was involved in a $570 million hack last Thursday.

On Thursday, the cryptocurrency exchange platform tweeted that Binance had temporarily suspended BNB Smart Chain, its blockchain network.

The company claimed that the action was the result of irregular activity.

On Friday, Binance released a statement claiming that hackers stole two million BNB cryptocurrency tokens, which were worth $ 570 million at the time.

Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, initially tweeted that about $100 million worth of cryptocurrencies had been stolen.

On Thursday, he tweeted:

“Your funds are safe. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

According to Binance, tokens worth $100 million remain “unrecovered” and have been removed from the chain by the hacker.

At the moment, the remaining funds of the BNB chain are being frozen.

The hack

The big heist was carried out when the hackers targeted what is known in the crypto space as a cross-chain bridge.

Recently, bridges have become the target of most hackers.

Bridges are the infrastructure that allows users to exchange crypto assets on different blockchains.

Their services usually hold large reserves of various coins.

This puts coin reserves at the center of the hackers’ radar.

According to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, coin reserves have made blockchain bridges prime targets for theft.

Theft

Elliptic reports that about $1.83 billion was stolen from bridges in August, with the majority ($1.21 billion) in 2022.

Binance was not alone as others experienced major thefts in 2022.

Other losses include $190 million stolen from cryptocurrency bridge provider Nomad in August.

In June, California-based Harmony announced a loss of $100 million at the end of June.

Axie Infinity’s Ronin Bridge lost $625 million in March.

Effects of the Binance hack

The latest hack caused the BNB blockchain to go offline for about nine hours.

BNB made a corporate post saying that the chain’s ecosystem contacted the chain’s validators to prevent the incident from spreading further.

Chain validators are people who verify that transactions on the blockchain are legitimate.

According to a tweet from the company, the channel went back online around 2:30 a.m. ET.

Reference:

Binance-linked blockchain hit by $570 million crypto theft

Halloween movie recommendations: slasher films to binge

Nicholas Alexander on October 10, 2022

With Halloween coming in a few weeks, what better way to get into the spirit of the spooky season than by watching some horror movies?

However, horror branches out into many sub-genres, and the focus of this article is to take a look at some of the best movies in the slasher genre.

Psycho (1960)

Psycho is about Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who leaves after stealing money from her employer to run away with her lover (John Gavin).

However, she makes a stop at the Bates Motel, run by the polite and quiet Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), apparently dominated by his ruthless mother.

Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological horror may not have been the father of slasher films, but it’s often touted as one of the pioneering slasher films.

Psycho is easily one of the most recognizable films, and the shower scene has become one of the most iconic moments in film history.

The film’s music has also become synonymous with the slasher film genre.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th follows a group of teenage camp counselors as they try to fix and reopen an abandoned summer camp.

Aside from the challenge of renovating the old summer camp, they have to survive as someone tries to kill them.

Although there have been several slasher films, Friday the 13th is arguably the most influential of them all.

The cliché of a group of teenagers killed one by one in a field began with this 1980 slasher film.

Friday the 13th was responsible for initiating the “stalker” subgenre in slasher films that show the killer’s perspective as he follows his victims.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Five hippies embark on a journey through rural Texas to investigate a case of grave vandalism.

Along the way, however, they arrive at a farm where they must survive a family of cannibals and a chainsaw maniac.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films in the horror genre.

For many, it raised the bar and introduced the public to blood that wasn’t as common at the time.

One of the most iconic horror characters, Leatherface, is the archetype of the hulking silent killer with no personality.

Many horror directors have credited The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a huge influence on their works, including Alien, The Hills Have Eyes, and House of 1000 Corpses.

Halloween (1978)

On Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 15-year-old sister, which led to him getting confined in an asylum.

Fifteen years after his murder, Myers manages to escape from the psychiatric hospital and the riots in his hometown.

Before Jason Voorhees, there was Michael Myers, who laid the groundwork for the masked silent killer who walked silently as his victims tried to escape.

The movie helped take the slasher genre to the next level and introduced the latest female trope.

Halloween also paved the way for others in the genre to follow.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The Elm Street teenagers say they’ve all had nightmares and, surprisingly, dream of the same character.

After one of them dies in his sleep, they realize that in order to figure out how to defeat Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund), it’s important to uncover the truth.

Before Vecna from Stranger Things, Freddy Kreuger was the character that haunted people’s nightmares.

He is easily recognizable by his burnt flesh, his beige fedora, his red and green sweater, and, of course, his metal claws.

A Nightmare on Elm Street also introduced the eerie use of surreal settings, with a haunting nursery rhyme about the villain.

Child’s Play (1988)

After being shot, a killer (Brad Dourif) uses dark magic to transfer his soul into a nearby doll.

A woman (Catherine Hicks) unknowingly purchases the possessed doll for her son (Alex Vincent).

When it comes to the slasher genre, it’s impossible to exclude the biggest killer doll from the list.

Chucky has given many children nightmares by bringing the killer doll concept to life on screens.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

The sequel to Friday the 13th will hit theaters a year later.

However, the storyline takes place five years after the event, with much of the same storyline.

The main difference is that this film marked the debut of the iconic character Jason Voorhees as the antagonist.

In this film, Jason remains the behemoth he knows today, but it wasn’t until Friday the 13th Part III (1982) that he wore his iconic hockey mask.

Scream (1996)

If there was a movie that took every element of the horror genre and created something new.

Filled with meta references, Scream makes countless references to the unspoken rules of the slasher and horror genres.

Scream spawned six sequels and a short-lived series, redefining the horror genre from the 1990s to the early 2000s.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Urban legends have been the source of many horror films, and in the case of this film, they certainly cemented the hookman as a horror staple.

Four friends driving to the beach accidentally hit a pedestrian and dumped him in the harbor, vowing never to talk about the accident.

A year later, they are chased one by one and killed by an unknown attacker who uses a hook as a weapon.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, along with Scream, helped revive the horror genre in the 1990s.

Mortgage rates finally start to ease after surging for six weeks

Nicholas Alexander on October 10, 2022

For six weeks, mortgage rates have risen for six straight weeks, but last week they began to retreat.

According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.66% in the week ending October 5, up from 6.70% the week before.

Mortgage rates

Mortgage rates have more than doubled since the start of the year following the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented rate hike campaign.

Their decision was based on the objective of curbing rising inflation.

However, uncertainty about a possible recession and the impact of interest rate hikes on the economy affected the volatility of mortgage rates.

Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, said:

“Mortgage rates decreased slightly this week due to ongoing uncertainty.”

“However, rates remain quite high compared to just one year ago, meaning housing continues to be more expensive for potential homebuyers.”

According to Freddie Mac, the average mortgage rate is generally based on a survey of conventional borrowers with excellent credit who have put 20% down.

However, buyers who deposit less money upfront or have imperfect credit will have to pay more.

Volatile rates

Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, revealed that investors and analysts have sifted through all the economic data for clues on the Fed’s next steps.

They also want to predict the future of the United States and the global economy.

Although the Fed does not directly determine the interest rate that borrowers pay on mortgages, its actions affect interest rates.

Mortgage rates generally follow 10-year US Treasuries.

The more investors anticipate rising interest rates, the more likely they are to sell treasury bonds, causing interest rates and mortgage rates to rise.

10-year government bonds rose almost 4% from 3.25% last month before falling back to around 3.75% this week.

Danielle Hale compared investor stocks to a driver navigating the streets in fog, tending to overcorrect at every turn.

“Signs that we are closer to the end of the tightening cycle – such a surprisingly steep decline in job openings – tend to cause rates to slip, while rates bounce higher on signals like robust activity in the services sector,” Hale elaborated.

Homebuying

Despite this week’s low interest rates, the average interest rate for a 30-year loan remains more than double that of last October.

In 2021, buyers who put down 20% on a $390,000 home and financed the rest with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 2.99% would have a monthly mortgage payment of $1,314.

Today, homeowners who buy homes at the same price at an average rate of 6.66% would have to pay $2,005 per month in principal and interest, another $691 per month.

Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, noted that fewer people have applied for a mortgage as rates have continued to rise in recent weeks.

According to Broeksmit, ongoing economic uncertainty, coupled with the devastation of Hurricane Ian in Florida last week, led to a 14% drop in mortgage applications from the week before.

The MBA also found that more and more borrowers are applying for adjustable rate mortgages, or ARMs.

ARM applications increased to nearly 12% of all applications last week.

Freddie Mac calculated the average rate for ARMs at 5.36%, more than a percentage point lower than the 30-year fixed rate.

“While rate increases are needed to tame inflation and alleviate the burden it places on household budgets, higher borrowing costs have caused consumers to think twice about major purchases like homes and cars,” said Hale.

The longer potential buyers sit on the sidelines, the greater the leeway for potential buyers.

Reference:

Mortgage rates take a breather after rising for several weeks in a row

A man enters a Chicago police station, gets shot

Leah Cooper on October 10, 2022

The shooting is a major nuisance in the United States, and another shooting occurred at a Chicago police station on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at the Ogden District Station (10th) of the Chicago Police Department.

The suspect allegedly entered the station with a gun and waved it to officers in the lobby.

After the incident, the police said they would increase security at the station.

What happened

The male suspect entered the police station at 3315 W. Ogden Ave. in the Lawndale neighborhood before 1 p.m., according to CPD Superintendent David Brown.

The attacker had wrapped a plastic bag around his hand.

Officers noticed a gun barrel sticking out of the pocket.

The suspect was reportedly muttering and ranting before the officers present told him to drop the gun.

Although Brown refused to go into details, he said the suspect yelled a number of things at the officers, mostly about anti-police sentiments.

Several officers drew their guns and fired, hitting the suspect at least once in the shoulder.

After the incident

A Chicago fire department official said a male civilian sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to Mount Sinai hospital.

Meanwhile, Brown said the suspect’s injuries were not life-threatening.

None of the officers present were injured in the accident.

As for the suspect, police have not yet identified him and described him as uncooperative.

CPD spokesman Tom Ahern said an attacker was in custody with stabilized conditions. It was also revealed that the assailant’s weapon had been recovered.

What happens next?

After the incident, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it was responding to the shooting.

The agents involved will carry out routine administrative tasks for 30 days.

CPD facilities security

Two weeks ago, another incident occurred when a Waukegan man was charged with trespassing at the CPD’s Homan Square facility.

While the officers were providing SWAT training, the man grabbed some weapons.

According to Brown, the department is currently evaluating what they can do to increase safety in CPD facilities.

“The number of officers being shot at or shot, and this anti-police sentiment expressed by this particular offender, has us all concerned about access to our police facilities,” said Brown.

The Chicago Police Department is considering measures they can take to increase their safety. There have already been two incidents at their facilities.

“If you can look at some other police facilities around the country, they have some type of ballistic translucent glass or barrier,” Brown pointed out.

“We have to balance that with being obviously open for the community to come in and make reports; come in and engage with our officers, so it’s a balance we have to strike – but there are some things we believe that we can do.”

As of Wednesday evening, the police had still not identified the man who had brought a firearm to the police station.

Due to his uncooperative attitude, they plan to fingerprint him in their database to identify him.

Reference:

Chicago police shoot person who entered 10th District station lobby with gun

Gary Vaynerchuk is taking his VeeFriends NFT to the real world as plushies and vinyl figurines

Leah Cooper on October 10, 2022

Gary Vaynerchuk made a name for himself by converting his VeeFriends doodles to NFTs, which resulted in a trading volume of over $300 million.

VeeFriends won a Christie’s auction seat, brand partnerships, and a seat at the VeeCon convention in May.

This time around, the project is receiving another update as the characters transform into toys for US department store toy chains.

The toys

VeeFriends will hit shelves this month across Macy’s and Toys “R” Us brands as plush and vinyl figures.

The toys are based on ten VeeFriends characters from the extensive NFT collection.

They were designed in collaboration with Toikido, a toy and entertainment startup.

Characters like Patient Panda, Practical Peacock, and Willful Wizard are randomly distributed in “blind boxes” and end up in people’s homes as real-world collectibles.

The first wave of toys will go on sale on October 17. Potential owners can also order them from the Macy’s, Toys R Us, and VeeFriends websites.

Toys ‘R’ Us

Although Toys R Us was once a popular independent chain, it was forced to close in 2018 after bankruptcy proceedings.

VeeFriends president Andy Krainak said the iconic brand has a special place in Vaynerchuk’s heart as a toy collector and toy flipper.

They shared in a press release that the deal means more to Vaynerchuk than anyone could ever have imagined.

The Series 2 collection

Earlier this year, VeeFriends shared plans to move from NFTs to mainstream products with the launch of the Series 2 collection.

While the first collection was based on Vaynerchuk’s marker-based doodles, the Series 2 NFTs have a more refined look with cartoon-like features.

This was done to provide a backbone for potential VeeFriends products such as clothing, games, packaged food, and more.

Vaynerchuk explained that VeeFriends must “stand up to intellectual property” and resort to more fleshed-out character designs for their creations.

VeeFriends

Despite the expansion, VeeFriends is still based on Vaynerchuk’s focus on inspirational content.

The same goal helped him become a successful author and social media influencer.

As the project ventures into new content products, Krainak said he no longer views the project as an NFT game.

“Today, I think of VeeFriends as a transmedia or multimedia company where we’re doing stories in all forms and fashions,” he explained.

“Any form or medium in which we can bring to life, if you will, the characters and traits that we’re hoping to inspire in others.”

Krainak is also planning other storytelling opportunities for VeeFriends.

With prospects for books, video games, and other formats, he says the company is still in its infancy when it comes to creating everyday online content.

However, the goal is to make community members and the general public fall in love with VeeFriends through story-based initiatives.

Expansion

The launch follows the announcement in July of a $50 million funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

According to Krainak, the funds will support the expansion after the volatile state of the cryptocurrency market in recent months.

The transition from NFTs to consumer products will be difficult.

Developers generally don’t want to diminish the value or appeal of NFT by appealing to a wider audience.

With VeeFriends, Gary Vaynerchuk and his team decided to reward certain NFT owners with free products like toys and other partnerships, including clothes.

Collectors who have NFTs of characters that transform into toys have until October 18 to request a free version.

They will also get benefits at upcoming toy launch events.

“We’re looking at opportunities to reward our current community and holders as they carry on this journey with us,” said Krainak.

“We are here to build VeeFriends over the next 40 years.”

Reference:

VeeFriends Toys coming to Macy’s Toys R Us as Ethereum NFT brand expands

Spawn reboot gets three big writers on board

Leah Cooper on October 10, 2022

As the comics continue to make the leap to the big screen, Spawn has once again joined the trend.

Although there was a movie over two decades ago, Image’s popular comic book superhero/antihero is finally getting a reboot.

The project recently received its latest announcement on Twitter.

The announcement

Creator and artist Todd McFarlane shared the great news Thursday that Spawn’s film has three writers on board: Malcolm Spellman, Scott Silver, and Mathew Mixon.

Malcolm Spellman helped write the Marvel series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, while Scott Silver contributed to the gritty Joker movie in 2019.

While not much is known about Spawn’s reboot, actor Jamie Foxx is associated with the project as Al Simmons/Spawn.

However, a director has not yet been found and the full cast has not yet been announced.

Spellman’s enthusiasm for the project

Malcolm Spellman shared his excitement about working on the project, saying:

“I grew up in Berkeley, which is a comic book city,” he started.

“Todd McFarlane’s Spawn character was always one of my favorites — a Black superhero that was no bullshit, he was cool and dealt with modern issues.”

“Myself, Matt Mixon, and Scott Silver are pledged to honoring what Todd started and what Spawn is at its core, delivering something that’s relevant and edgy and unlike any other superhero movie out there.”

The long wait

A Spawn movie was released in 1997, starring Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo, but it was panned by critics.

Although the film was not well received, a sequel was in the works.

However, it made no progress.

Since then, fans have been waiting for Spawn to return to screens for years, as McFarlane teased a film adaptation.

Over the years, he kept assuring them that Al Simmons would be back.

“We’ve had some announcements of people who are attached to it, but not all of them,” explained McFarlane.

“We just wanna hold a little bit longer until we’re a little bit closer to the final script that we’re going to be selling out in Hollywood, so the buzz will be big.”

Todd McFarlane

For years, creator Todd McFarlane has been empathizing with frustrated fans eager to get a formal announcement.

Despite their frustrations, he kept quiet about the Spawn project, saying:

“I know when people don’t get concrete names and information and stuff, and when I have to say, ‘Stuff’s happening. Just wait,’ that’s not a very satisfying answer.”

“And that’s what’s frustrating, because I know that it’s way more than that happening.”

While fans expected McFarlane to share new details at San Diego Comic-Con this year, he explained that the plan was changing.

Spawn’s creative team held talks to reveal key details of the event, but decided to save it for New York Comic-Con 2022.

Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx shared that production has yet to begin but has seen the first concept art for the suit to be used in the film.

“I’ve seen a lot of concepts,” he said.

“Because Todd, what he does it, every single day he’s doodling and he’s fixing and he’s doing some things that, to me, I think is gonna be like way out when you see it.”

Reference:

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn film taps Joker, Falcon and Winter Soldier writers

A letter from Elon Musk reveals plans of pushing through with acquiring Twitter

Jason Robinson on October 10, 2022

On Monday, Elon Musk surprised the world when he sent a letter to Twitter saying he intends to push through with his plan to buy the company.

The news was revealed in a securities filing Tuesday, in which he claimed to be buying the company at the originally agreed price of $ 54.20 per share.

The letter

Musk’s letter says the acquisition will proceed on original terms, provided the Delaware law firm stays litigation over Musk’s first attempt to exit the agreement and the lawsuit is suspended due to exposure to disputes.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed receipt of Musk’s letter, repeating an earlier statement that the company intended to complete the transaction at a price of $54.20 per share.

“Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” Musk tweeted on Tuesday.

News of the letter first surfaced on Tuesday, with reports emerging from Bloomberg.

Twitter stock

Twitter stock (TWTR) was halted twice, with the second halt being due to the pending news.

However, after trading resumed, TWTR jumped over 20% to over $51 per share.

The stock approached the trading price for the first time in months.

The trial and Musk’s messages

News of Elon Musk’s letter surfaced as both sides prepared to appear in court in two weeks over his bid to end the $44 million acquisition deal.

Twitter initially sued Musk to complete the acquisition.

Parag Agrawal, the CEO of Twitter, was reportedly deposed by Musk’s lawyers on Monday, while Twitter’s lawyers originally planned to depose Musk on Thursday.

The letter also follows the release of Musk’s personal text messages about the deal on Friday.

Reports highlighted a number of Silicon Valley insiders and billionaires who reached out to him to discuss the deal. They also offered to fund the deal.

What the acquisition could mean

The deal could end the controversial back and forth of months between Elon Musk and Twitter.

Over the months, uncertainty has clouded workers, investors, and Twitter users.

It is now up to the social media platform to determine how to respond to the proposal.

According to Josh White, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University, Twitter’s board of directors is likely to accept the deal.

“The very public saga has certainly taken a toll on them and Twitter employees,” said White.

“It is best for all parties to finish the deal and make a quick and seamless transition. I suspect it will close quickly.”

Eric Tally, a professor at Columbia Law School, believes Twitter won’t drop the lawsuit until the deal is officially finalized.

He hinted that Twitter might want to continue the process in negotiations with Musk if his bid fell through again.

“Twitter is probably going to say, ‘look, we definitely want to engage you on this… But we’ve still got a trial on Oct 17, and until this is signed, sealed, and delivered, we’ve got to get ready for trial,’” said Talley.

The Elon Musk-Twitter saga

The saga between Tesla’s CEO and the social media platform began in April when Musk revealed that he had become Twitter’s largest shareholder.

In the following months, he accepted an offer to serve on Twitter’s board of directors and later retired.

Musk later threatened a hostile takeover of the company and signed a deal to take over Twitter.

After expressing concern about the bots on the platform, Musk sought to end the deal.

His action prompted Twitter to sue him for closing the deal, adding claims from a Twitter whistleblower to his argument.

Elon Musk initially tried to get out of the deal, saying the company had misrepresented the number of spam and fake bot accounts on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the company said it violated the deal and used bots as an excuse to get out of a deal after the buyer regretted the general market downturn.

Throughout the saga, Twitter continued to insist that it intended to enforce the price and terms agreed months earlier.

Legal experts have suggested that Twitter take the strongest case to court, saying Musk has the tough job of proving that the company made misleading claims in the stock request or purchase agreement.

The lawsuit was the latest obstacle to closing the deal after Twitter shareholders voted to approve the deal last month.

The deal was originally supposed to expire this month.

The saga today

When news of the potential closure of the deal emerges, attention will turn to what Musk’s control could mean for Twitter.

He previously suggested a number of changes, including the restoration of Donald Trump’s account and the lifting of permanent account bans.

Musk also hinted that he wants to make the platform more open to “free speech” and may want to change content moderation policies.

Twitter officials also expressed concern over Musk’s acquisition, focusing on perks like remote work and parental leave.

Reference:

In major reversal, Elon Musk again proposes buying Twitter at full price

Huge rally in the stock market a good sign in October

Edward Anderson on October 10, 2022

A new month often opens up new opportunities for businesses, and October got off to a good start with positive news.

Despite growing concerns about the financial health of European banking giant Credit Suisse and weak economic data, the stock market rebounded early in the fourth quarter.

Stocks

The Dow jumped to 765 points (2.7%), the biggest gain since mid-July.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 gained 2.3% and 2.6%, respectively.

The third quarter and stocks ended in September last Friday, with stocks reaching a low milestone.

On Monday, however, all but one of the Dow’s 30 stocks finished higher, a sign of market volatility.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was the only stock not to reach the same heights as the others.

Investor concerns

Ongoing inflation continues to worry investors over the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes.

Many fear that attempts to contain price increases could send the economy into recession.

In the course of 2022, inventories dropped dramatically.

The CNN Business Fear & Greed Index, CNN’s way of measuring stock market movements, continues to show Extreme Fear levels.

Monday’s market rally, however, could signal a perverse “bad news is good news” rally.

Meanwhile, fears of rising tensions at Credit Suisse (CS) could prompt the Fed to ease aggressive rate hikes.

Bond market investors rely on stress.

Treasury bonds and inflation

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has fallen in recent days.

Where it briefly rose above 4% last week, it fell to 3.66% on Monday.

Inflation also remains a problem.

However, if the Fed and other central banks are concerned that a troubled European bank could lead to another financial contagion, now is not the time to raise interest rates by a historic amount.

Last week, traders estimated there was a greater than 70% chance that the Fed would hike rates by three-quarters of a percentage point for the fourth consecutive session at its Nov. 2 meeting.

Today, the probability of a rate hike of this magnitude has fallen to 50%, with the probability of a more modest hike increasing by half a point.

The latest US manufacturing data could also prompt the Fed to reconsider how it should raise interest rates.

Economic progress

The economic nonprofit, the Institute for Supply Management, reported that the influential manufacturing index fell in August.

The index also fell below Wall Street forecasts.

Both can be seen as a sign that Fed rate hikes to slow the economy and reduce inflation are having the desired effect.

On Monday, Jim Baird, chief investment officer of Plante Moran Financial Advisors, released a report stating:

“The economy is slowing – a reality that is increasingly apparent in the manufacturing sector.”

“The good news is that there are welcome signs that prices are stabilizing.”

The price of oil and other stocks

On Monday, a rise in the price of oil boosted energy supplies, but it also brought bad news for consumers.

Chevron (CVX) was the highest share in the Dow, while the energy sector was the best in the S&P 500.

Oil stocks rose after reports suggested that the OPEC+ blockade on oil producers is considering a cut in production.

The cut should mitigate the recent steep drop in crude oil prices.

Investors will also be relieved that the British pound, which has recently fallen to record lows against the US dollar, has recovered after the new UK government abandoned plans to cut taxes on wealthier Brits.

However, a stronger pound could increase fears of rising bond yields and rising credit costs in the UK.

Meanwhile, Tesla (TSLA) was among the stocks that did not participate in Monday’s rally.

The company’s shares fell nearly 9%, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500.

Over the weekend, it also reported disappointing delivery and production figures in the third quarter.

On the other hand, Tesla’s rival GM (GM) recovered after posting positive sales in the third quarter.

Reference:

Stocks kick off October with a huge rally

NFL All Day comes out as a dark horse with more sales generated in the NFT space

Edward Anderson on October 10, 2022

The NFL is the newest sports league to join the NFT space, and the sale of the NFL All Day platform has shown great results.

Since the public launch, NFT’s sales have hit the 24-hour sales chart.

NFL All Day

NFL All Day had months of closed beta development and opened to the public in August.

Developed by Dapper Labs, the officially licensed collection launched alongside the NFL regular season and achieved amazing results.

In the first weeks of the season, surveys showed users buying more stream-based NFTs on Sundays. It is usually played on Sundays.

Sale

The current cryptocurrency bear market is having a significant impact on NFT prices and sales volume.

However, NFL All Day has skyrocketed and sales are increasing.

On September 12 and 19, NFL All Day topped CryptoSlam’s overall 24-hour NFT market rankings.

In a series of exceptional events, NFT managed to outperform Bored Ape Yacht Club and other blue-chip projects.

The average selling price of Bored Apes in September was around $110,000.

The average retail price for the NFL All Day is now $31.

On September 11, the first big slate of the season, the NFL recorded a one-day secondary market worth nearly $1.17 million.

The number showed an increase of almost 283% from the previous day.

The momentum of the platform continued the next day, reaching over $1.1 million on September 12.

This happened on September 18, when the platform managed to generate over $905,000 in NFT sales, a 204% increase from the previous day.

Sales rose slightly to nearly $906,000.

More than two weeks later, Tuesday’s overall sales volume dropped significantly.

As more NFL All Day NFTs have been selling out on Sundays and Mondays, the average retail price has increased over time.

On September 10, over 10,900 NFTs were sold on the platform for $28 each. The next day, nearly 29,400 NFTs were sold at an average price of less than $40.

NFT buy bumps

Dave Feldman, senior vice president of marketing at Dapper Labs, said the company is seeing increased engagement every game day.

Data from CryptoSlam shows a slight increase each day from Wednesday to Thursday since the start of the regular season.

“That doesn’t come as a surprise to us,” Feldman said.

He pointed out a few possible reasons why collectors buy more during games.

According to Feldman, Dapper has completed a playbook feature dedicated to weekly challenges involving acquiring NFTS and interacting with the platform.

Users who complete challenges can earn rewards ranging from NFT packs to cosmetic discounts for their profile, including trophies and banners.

From interacting through social media to playing in fantasy leagues, Feldman sees life in the NFL as a complement to the lives of football fans.

“We’re not asking anyone to change their behavior,” he said.

“Instead, we’re just giving them the opportunity to own a piece of the action that they are already so passionate about.”

Online community traffic

Dave Feldman also credits the playbook feature with increasing traffic for the NFL All Day community.

Week after week since launch, traffic on Discord servers grew by 53%, in line with the first week of the season.

There was also a 65% increase in Discord chat activity.

Dapper Labs

Dapper Labs promotes its NFT collectibles on the official NFL network with ads featuring Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The company also uses paid advertising on social networks to attract new users.

NFL All Day follows the same approach as NBA Top Shot, which was successful during the NFT boom in early 2021.

Both platforms take existing video clips of their respective sports and turn them into limited-edition digital collectibles.

However, the two sports are also very different as the NBA offers games throughout the week while NFL games usually take place on Sundays.

Some games are played on Mondays and Thursdays, allowing Dapper Labs to deliver content and announcements on certain days.

Reference:

NFL All Day NFT sales surge on Sundays during football games