David Miller, a white-collar attorney specializing in the defense of crypto clients, will lead the CFTC’s reduced enforcement team at a critical juncture for the agency.
Bitcoin (BTC) traded sideways on Saturday, following a period of pronounced market weakness.
BitcoinWorld Ethereum Block Builder Centralization: Buterin’s Crucial FOCIL Proposal to Fortify Censorship Resistance In a pivotal move for blockchain’s future, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled a crucial proposal to combat the creeping threat of block builder centralization, a challenge that could undermine the network’s foundational promise of neutrality and open access. This development, reported in late 2024, arrives as the Ethereum ecosystem prepares for its next major evolution, highlighting the ongoing battle to preserve decentralization in an increasingly competitive and sophisticated landscape. The proposed mechanism, dubbed FOCIL, aims to act as a powerful, procedural safeguard, ensuring that no single entity can wield unchecked power over transaction inclusion on the world’s leading smart contract platform. Understanding the Ethereum Block Builder Centralization Challenge Block building represents a critical, yet often opaque, layer in Ethereum’s post-Merge architecture. Following the transition to Proof-of-Stake, the process separates into two key roles: the block proposer (validators chosen by the algorithm) and the block builder. Builders compete in a private marketplace, known as mev-boost relays, to assemble the most profitable bundles of transactions from the mempool. Subsequently, they submit these bundles to proposers for inclusion. However, this specialization has led to significant centralization risks. A handful of sophisticated block builders, often leveraging advanced algorithms and substantial capital for Maximum Extractable Value (MEV), now dominate this market. This concentration poses several tangible threats. Primarily, it creates a single point of failure and increases the risk of censorship. For instance, a dominant builder could theoretically exclude transactions from specific protocols or geographic regions to comply with external pressure or to manipulate market prices for profit. Moreover, excessive centralization contradicts Ethereum’s core ethos of permissionless participation and robust neutrality. While the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade will formally codify the proposer-builder separation (PBS), Buterin argues this structural change alone is insufficient. He contends that simply having a market for builders does not inherently prevent a monopolistic or malicious actor from controlling it. Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS): A design paradigm that isolates the role of choosing a block (proposer) from constructing it (builder) to mitigate MEV-related risks. MEV (Maximal Extractable Value): The profit that can be extracted from reordering, including, or excluding transactions within a block. Censorship Resistance: A fundamental property of a blockchain ensuring no valid transaction can be permanently prevented from inclusion. Decoding Buterin’s FOCIL Proposal for Censorship Resistance Buterin’s proposed solution, FOCIL (Focused Inclusion List), introduces a clever cryptographic and game-theoretic layer to enforce transaction inclusion. The core mechanism is elegantly simple yet powerful. For each new block, a small, randomly selected committee of participants—likely validators within the network—is assigned a special duty. This committee creates a short, cryptographically committed list of transactions that must be included in the next block. The block builder, regardless of their identity or motives, must incorporate these designated transactions. Crucially, if the builder omits any transaction from this mandatory list, the network’s consensus rules will reject the entire block, rendering it invalid and costing the proposer their reward. This design elegantly shifts the power dynamic. It ensures that even if a single, malicious block builder achieves market dominance, they cannot systematically exclude specific users or transaction types. The randomness of committee selection prevents targeting, while the economic penalty for non-compliance enforces adherence. Buterin frames FOCIL not as a replacement for a competitive builder market but as a foundational “backstop” guarantee. It ensures the network’s censorship resistance properties hold under even extreme assumptions of builder centralization. This proposal reflects a principle often discussed in blockchain governance: trust minimization through verifiable, rule-based enforcement. Key Components of the FOCIL Mechanism Component Function Impact Random Committee Selects mandatory transactions Prevents collusion and targeting Inclusion List Cryptographically committed list of must-include TXs Provides a verifiable mandate for builders Block Rejection Rule Invalidates blocks omitting listed transactions Creates a strong economic disincentive for censorship The Glamsterdam Upgrade and the Road Ahead The context of the Glamsterdam upgrade, expected to be Ethereum’s next major hard fork, makes this proposal particularly timely. Glamsterdam is anticipated to enshrine PBS into the core protocol, moving it away from its current reliance on external software like mev-boost. This “enshrinement” aims to simplify the protocol and reduce reliance on off-chain trust assumptions. However, as Buterin highlights, enshrining PBS without safeguards like FOCIL could inadvertently cement the power of centralized builders. Therefore, the community is now actively debating whether mechanisms for censorship resistance, such as inclusion lists, should be part of Glamsterdam or a subsequent upgrade. Industry experts and core developers are currently analyzing the technical feasibility and potential trade-offs of FOCIL. Potential considerations include the computational overhead for the random committee, the optimal size of the inclusion list to balance security with efficiency, and the integration path with existing Ethereum infrastructure. The discussion extends beyond Ethereum, serving as a case study for all Proof-of-Stake blockchains facing similar centralization pressures in their block production supply chain. The outcome will significantly influence Ethereum’s resilience against regulatory or corporate pressure to censor transactions, a concern that has grown across the crypto industry. Comparative Analysis: FOCIL vs. Alternative Solutions FOCIL enters a field of existing ideas aimed at similar problems. Another prominent concept is the “Builder’s Market with Reputation,” which relies on social consensus and slashing to penalize builders who consistently censor. However, this approach is slower and more subjective. A more direct alternative is mandatory transaction inclusion via the protocol itself for all transactions meeting a base fee, but this could be impractical and inefficient. FOCIL strikes a middle ground by being minimally intrusive. It only intervenes with a small, random sample, preserving most of the builder market’s efficiency while guaranteeing a high probabilistic assurance against censorship. Furthermore, FOCIL aligns with a broader trend in Ethereum research toward “credible neutrality” and robust social consensus. It operationalizes the principle that certain network properties are non-negotiable and must be protected by the protocol’s core rules, not left to market forces alone. This philosophical stance is crucial for maintaining Ethereum’s position as a global, neutral settlement layer. The proposal also demonstrates the iterative, research-driven nature of Ethereum’s development, where potential vulnerabilities are identified and addressed proactively through peer review and rigorous debate before they manifest as critical failures. Conclusion Vitalik Buterin’s FOCIL proposal represents a critical and proactive step in Ethereum’s ongoing evolution to mitigate block builder centralization. By introducing a randomly mandated inclusion list enforced at the consensus layer, the mechanism provides a powerful, trust-minimized backstop for censorship resistance. This innovation ensures that Ethereum’s foundational values remain intact even under extreme market concentration, complementing the structural changes expected with the Glamsterdam upgrade. As the community evaluates this and other solutions, the focus remains on preserving Ethereum’s neutrality, security, and decentralization—attributes essential for its long-term role as a cornerstone of the open digital economy. The debate around FOCIL underscores the sophisticated, principled engineering required to sustain a decentralized ecosystem at scale. FAQs Q1: What is block builder centralization on Ethereum? Block builder centralization refers to a situation where a small number of entities control the process of assembling transaction blocks before they are proposed. This concentration risks censorship, reduced network resilience, and conflicts with Ethereum’s decentralized ideals. Q2: How does FOCIL actually prevent censorship? FOCIL prevents censorship by forcing block builders to include a small, random set of mandated transactions. Builders who omit these transactions have their blocks rejected by the network, suffering a financial penalty. This makes censorship economically irrational. Q3: Is FOCIL part of the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade? Not necessarily. The Glamsterdam upgrade is expected to enshrine Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS). FOCIL is a separate proposal currently under discussion. The community will decide if it should be included in Glamsterdam or a future upgrade. Q4: Does FOCIL slow down Ethereum or make it more expensive to use? The design aims for minimal impact. By only mandating a very small number of random transactions per block, FOCIL seeks to preserve network efficiency and throughput while adding a powerful censorship-resistance guarantee. Q5: Why is censorship resistance so important for Ethereum? Censorship resistance ensures Ethereum remains a neutral, global platform where any valid transaction can be processed. It is vital for financial freedom, credible neutrality, and protecting users from being excluded by powerful intermediaries or external pressure. This post Ethereum Block Builder Centralization: Buterin’s Crucial FOCIL Proposal to Fortify Censorship Resistance first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
Cardano released Rosetta Java v2.1.0, improving on-chain governance and API functionality. The update enables direct access to Conway-era governance features for developers and exchanges. Continue Reading: Cardano Foundation Launches Rosetta Java v2.1.0 to Expand On-Chain Governance The post Cardano Foundation Launches Rosetta Java v2.1.0 to Expand On-Chain Governance appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
Nasdaq has on Monday filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to list yes-or-no binary options connected to the Nasdaq 100 and the Nasdaq 100 micro index. Big U.S. exchanges have been chasing the event prediction markets boom since this stuff first went mainstream during the 2024 U.S. presidential race. Nasdaq targets Nasdaq 100 binary options in predictions market In its proposal, Nasdaq says it wants to list binary options on the Nasdaq 100 and the Nasdaq 100 micro index. The contracts are called Outcome-Related Options. They are designed as straight yes-or-no bets on a specific event. Pricing is simple too. The filing says these options would trade between 1 cent and $1. That price range matches the core point of a binary option. You either get paid based on the outcome or you do not. That is why people call them all-or-nothing options. The Nasdaq 100 tracks 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq. The list includes names like Apple, Nvidia, and Intel. The micro index is based on 1/100th of the full value of the Nasdaq 100 , so it is built to be smaller in size. Top Nasdaq executives said last week the company planned to stay very focused on the Nasdaq 100 as it starts this prediction markets push. The filing lines up with that plan by putting the Nasdaq 100 and the micro version at the center of the rollout. US lawmakers attack war wagers on prediction markets amid regulatory uncertainty The whole prediction markets industry is also getting hit with fresh political heat. Federal lawmakers turned up scrutiny after wagers spread about the fate of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the Saturday bombardment of Iran. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut posted on X, “It’s insane this is legal.” Chris was reacting to a post that highlighted people who made money linked to the invasion. He added, “People around Trump are profiting off war and death. I’m introducing legislation ASAP to ban this.” Other lawmakers raised similar alarms. Rep. Mike Levin of California wrote on X that “prediction markets cannot be a vehicle for profiting off advance knowledge of military action.” Mike also posted, “We need answers, transparency, and oversight.” States have spent years passing sports betting laws, and many of them rely on tax revenue from wagers to help balance budgets. Some states now argue that prediction markets are stepping on their turf. The complaint is that these markets are federally regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and often offer betting lines on sporting outcomes, which states say collides with their own regulated sportsbooks. Kalshi also got dragged into the spotlight. Kalshi said it “doesn’t allow markets directly tied to death” when asked about betting lines tied to whether Khamenei would be out of power. The company said it issued refunds on the market and pointed to rules that bar wagers on death. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour replied to Chris in a separate post and wrote, “regulated prediction markets are not allowed to do war markets.” Tarek also said, “The market you’re posting is unregulated and offshore.” Kalshi said, “We included every precaution on this market to make sure people could not trade on the outcome of death.” The company added, “Our rules were clear from the beginning, we never changed them, and we settled based on the rules.” Kalshi also said, “We reimbursed all fees and net losses because we thought the UX could have been clearer for users.” Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
Check out the new info box on coin chart pages! Now you can get a feel for the market in a single glance. Continue Reading: Is Your Portfolio Ready for the Bull Run? The Tool You Can’t Afford to Miss The post Is Your Portfolio Ready for the Bull Run? The Tool You Can’t Afford to Miss appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
XRP network activity has plunged by nearly 26% in a week, falling from 55,080 to 40,778 active addresses, signaling a sharp shift.
BitcoinWorld ChatGPT to Claude: The Definitive Guide to Switching Your AI Assistant In a significant shift within the artificial intelligence landscape, a growing number of users are actively migrating from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to Anthropic’s Claude, driven by heightened concerns over privacy, ethics, and corporate governance. This comprehensive guide provides the factual context behind this trend and delivers a clear, step-by-step process for transferring your data and making the switch effectively. The Catalysts Driving the ChatGPT to Claude Migration Recent geopolitical and corporate developments have fundamentally altered user perceptions. The tipping point emerged in early June 2025 when Anthropic, Claude’s creator, publicly refused a U.S. Department of Defense request to utilize its AI models for mass domestic surveillance programs or fully autonomous weapon systems. This principled stance on AI ethics triggered a swift governmental response. Subsequently, President Trump issued an executive order directing all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic products. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth further announced plans to formally designate the company a supply-chain threat, citing national security concerns. Conversely, within hours of this announcement, OpenAI confirmed a new partnership agreement with the Pentagon. While the company emphasized the inclusion of unspecified “safeguards,” the deal ignited immediate and widespread debate among technologists, privacy advocates, and the general public regarding the ethical boundaries of AI development and deployment. Market data reflects this controversy’s impact. Claude rapidly surged to the top of the free app rankings on Apple’s U.S. App Store, decisively overtaking ChatGPT. Anthropic reports record-breaking daily signups, with free user growth exceeding 60% since January 2025 and paid subscriber numbers more than doubling this year. Pre-Migration: Exporting Your Data from ChatGPT Transitioning to a new AI assistant does not require abandoning your digital history. Properly exporting your data from ChatGPT ensures Claude can understand your preferences and context from the outset, creating a seamless user experience. You have several methodological options for this data extraction process. Method 1: Exporting Personalized Memory and Preferences Begin within your ChatGPT account settings. Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Memory . Select “Manage” to review all stored information about your preferences, conversation history, and personalized instructions. Experts recommend auditing this data first, updating any entries that no longer reflect your current needs or interests. Once verified, you can manually copy the relevant text-based content for transfer. This method offers precision but can be time-consuming for users with extensive histories. Method 2: Bulk Export of Chat History For a complete archive, use ChatGPT’s built-in export tool. Proceed to Settings > Data Controls > Export Data . The system will compile your entire chat history into downloadable text or JSON files, which are then emailed to the address associated with your account. Technology analysts note that this process’s duration depends directly on your account’s data volume, potentially taking several hours for power users. This comprehensive approach guarantees no conversational context is lost during the migration. Method 3: Manual Curation and Summarization A third, hybrid approach involves manual curation. You can scroll through your chat history and copy-paste only the most critical conversations or prompts. Alternatively, you can instruct ChatGPT itself to generate a summary of your key preferences, frequently discussed topics, and any custom instructions you regularly employ. This method, while requiring more active effort, allows for strategic filtering, ensuring only the most valuable data is ported to the new system. Executing the Import Process into Claude After securing your data from ChatGPT, importing it into Claude is a straightforward procedure designed for user accessibility. First, ensure Claude’s Memory feature is activated, as this functionality is essential for retaining personalized context. Access Claude Settings > Capabilities and toggle Memory to “On.” Note that this feature typically requires a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription plan. Next, initiate a new conversation with Claude. Use a direct prompt such as: “Here is important context I’d like you to remember. Please update your memory about me with the following information.” Then, paste your curated data or summaries directly into the chat interface. For users who exported bulk JSON files, avoid pasting raw logs. Instead, prompt Claude with: “Please review this exported chat data and summarize my key preferences and interaction patterns.” Industry best practice recommends a final verification step. Ask Claude to recite back the key points it has saved to confirm accurate data ingestion. You maintain the ability to update these preferences continuously as your needs evolve. Comparison of Core Features and Ethical Frameworks The migration trend underscores a broader evaluation of AI platform values. The table below outlines a factual comparison based on public statements and documented features as of June 2025. Feature / Policy ChatGPT (OpenAI) Claude (Anthropic) Core Ethical Stance Partners with defense entities with stated safeguards. Publicly refuses use for surveillance/autonomous weapons. Data Memory & Personalization Stores user preferences and chat history for context. Offers explicit Memory feature for user-defined context. Recent Market Movement Facing user scrutiny following Pentagon deal. Record signups and app store ranking surge. Reported User Growth (2025) Specific figures not publicly disaggregated. Free users +60%, paid subscribers 2x since Jan. Completing the Transition: Account Management To fully sever ties with ChatGPT, users must go beyond simply canceling a subscription, as account deletion is a separate process. First, purge your stored data. Revisit Settings > Personalization > Memory and delete all stored memory and personalization settings. For an additional layer of assurance, you can issue a final chat command: “Delete all my memory and personalized data.” Finally, navigate to your account management or privacy settings to find the option to permanently delete your account. Confirm the action, understanding that this typically erases all historical data, chat logs, and account information irreversibly. Users should only proceed after confirming successful data export and import into their new AI platform. Conclusion The migration from ChatGPT to Claude represents more than a simple platform switch; it reflects a growing user prioritization of transparent ethical frameworks in artificial intelligence. By following this structured guide to export ChatGPT data, import it into Claude, and properly manage account closure, users can transition smoothly while retaining their valuable digital context. This process empowers individuals to align their technology use with their values, choosing an AI assistant whose operational principles match their expectations for privacy and responsible innovation. FAQs Q1: Is my data safe during the export process from ChatGPT? Yes, the export process uses your account’s secure settings. The data is compiled and sent via email to your registered address, maintaining the platform’s standard security protocols during transfer. Q2: Do I need a paid Claude plan to use the Memory feature? Yes, currently the persistent Memory functionality that allows Claude to remember your preferences across conversations requires a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription. Free tier users have session-based memory only. Q3: Will Claude work exactly like ChatGPT after I import my data? No. While Claude can learn your preferences, it is a different AI model with its own strengths, conversational style, and capabilities. The import process provides context but does not replicate ChatGPT’s exact behavior. Q4: Can I reverse the account deletion with ChatGPT if I change my mind? Typically, no. Account deletion is usually a permanent action. OpenAI’s policy states that deleted accounts and their associated data cannot be recovered. Be certain before proceeding. Q5: What are the main ethical differences cited between Anthropic and OpenAI? The central difference highlighted in recent news involves their stated approaches to military and surveillance applications. Anthropic has publicly refused certain defense use cases, while OpenAI has proceeded with a Pentagon partnership, albeit with claimed safeguards, leading to a public debate on AI ethics. This post ChatGPT to Claude: The Definitive Guide to Switching Your AI Assistant first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
Institutional inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs surged to $1.45 billion in a single day. Retail investors withdrew $5 billion from Binance over the past month. Continue Reading: Institutions Pour Billions into Spot Bitcoin ETFs as Retail Outflows Hit Binance The post Institutions Pour Billions into Spot Bitcoin ETFs as Retail Outflows Hit Binance appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
The situation for the second-largest meme coin has worsened recently, following a double-digit slide over the past 14 days. Some worrying factors suggest Shiba Inu (SHIB) could experience a further collapse in the near future, while one popular analyst predicted it might crash to a five-year low. The Free Fall is Yet to Happen? While Shiba Inu enjoyed some notable surges last year, 2026 has been nothing but painful. As of this writing, it trades at around $0.000005467 (per CoinGecko’s data), representing a whopping 60% plunge on a yearly scale. Its market cap has tumbled to roughly $3.2 billion, further widening the gap with niche frontrunner Dogecoin (DOGE), which maintains a capitalization of more than $15 billion. According to Ali Martinez, SHIB might be on the verge of a crash to as low as $0.00000138. This is not the first time the analyst has warned about such a scenario. Last month, he noted that the meme coin dropped below the important level of $0.00000667, claiming this could have opened the door to a meltdown to the aforementioned zone. Shiba Inu’s burning mechanism also signals that a further pullback may be on the way. Over the past 24 hours, the burn rate has decreased by approximately 99% after only 20,176 SHIB were sent to a null address. SHIB Burn Rate, Source: shibburn.com The program’s ultimate goal is to reduce the meme coin’s overall supply, potentially making it more valuable in time (assuming demand remains constant or heads north). It was adopted in 2022, and since then, the team and community have destroyed more than 410.7 trillion tokens, leaving 585.47 trillion in circulation. SHIB Supply, Source: shibburn.com The stalled progress of Shibarium is also a bearish factor. Shiba Inu’s layer-2 scaling solution saw the light of day in the summer of 2023 and aims to foster the project’s development by lowering transaction fees, improving speed, and enhancing scalability. It suffered an exploit in September last year, which shook investor trust and caused widespread damage across the Shiba Inu ecosystem. Prior to the incident, daily transactions processed on Shibarium were in the millions, while after that, they plummeted to mere thousands. Shibarium Transactions, Source: shibariumscan.io The Bullish Signals Even as the meme coin struggles and the broader crypto market is under pressure, SHIB’s supply on centralized exchanges keeps shrinking. According to CryptoQuant’s data, those reserves fell below 81 trillion tokens, the lowest point since May 2021. SHIB Exchange Reserves, Source: CryptoQuant The development could be interpreted as a positive sign because it suggests that investors are in no rush to move their holdings to such platforms: a move often seen as a pre-sale step. Meanwhile, Shiba Inu’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) briefly plunged below 30, indicating the asset has entered oversold territory and could be due for a resurgence. The technical analysis tool runs from 0 to 100, and conversely, ratios above 70 suggest SHIB could be overbought and gearing up for a possible correction. As of this writing, the RSI stands at roughly 36, or much closer to the bullish zone. SHIB RSI, Source: CryptoWaves The post Shiba Inu (SHIB) Plunges by 17% in 2 Weeks: Is a 75% Crash Next? appeared first on CryptoPotato .