Hey Waivly Crew! 🌊 The U.S. government wants to take control of nearly $700 million of assets it seized from Sam Bankman-Fried. Microsoft will shut down AltspaceVR on March 10th
Want more from us at Waivly? Join Waivly+, the premium Waivly membership that gives you exclusive Web3, NFT, and crypto content, insights, news, resources, and so much more, all blended together into one super low-cost and quick to join membership 🎉 Click here to get onboard and to become a Waivly+ Crew member! Enjoy a huge 75% off saving on your membership by joining today.
U.S. seizes $700 million linked to Sam Bankman-Fried
Federal prosecutors have seized nearly $700 million in assets linked to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, primarily in the form of Robinhood shares.
According to court documents, the seized assets include $94.5 million in an account in Silvergate Bank, $49.9 million held at Farmington State Bank, and $20.7 million at ED&F Man Capital Markets, Inc.
The bulk of the value comes from 55,273,469 Robinhood (HOOD) shares that Bankman-Fried allegedly purchased using stolen FTX customer funds. The stock closed Friday at $9.52, valuing the shares at roughly $526 million.
“We believe that these assets are not property in the bankruptcy estate” or are subject to exemptions, meaning they don't have to be frozen like most FTX assets are, pending wind-up," U.S. Attorney Seth Shapiro told a Delaware bankruptcy court earlier this month.
Binance Charity to provide 30,000+ Web3 scholarships in 2023
Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of the world’s largest crypto exchange, has announced plans to fund 30,665 Web3 scholarships in 2023.
The Binance Charity Scholar Program (BCSP) aims to enable the next generation of students to develop skills and experience in Web3 without facing financial barriers. Binance Charity explained in a blog post:
“We recognize that digital education and skills development can be out of reach for many, resulting in a blockchain industry that lacks diversity and talent. The Binance Scholar Program changes all that, covering the costs of tuition and course fees at some of the world’s leading universities, colleges, and vocational training providers.”
Amongst the schools involved include the University of Western Australia, the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany, and the Nigerian-based technology hub, Utiva.
Binance Charity said they also partnered with Ukrainian-based facilities to help re-train Ukrainians who may have lost their jobs due to the war with Russia.
Over the past six months, Binance Charity has donated more than $2.2 million in BUSD — a fiat-backed stablecoin issued by Binance and Paxos — and granted 36,500 scholarships from 82,000 applications.
The Waves
⏲️ OpenSea adds real-time data to NFT collection pages
🧐 CNBC’s Jim Cramer urges investors to sell crypto
👀 The Federal Reserve probes Goldman Sachs
👛 1inch Network launches hardware wallet
Creator Special
Why do we love brands like Nike, Coca-cola, and Apple? Because they tell great stories. Stories for Selling is the newsletter that sends you a new, short, re-applicable case study every week on a marketing campaign where brands tell stories effectively. It's all built for you to take home key lessons and reapply them in your business or content. And it's totally free. Sign up here.
Samanyou Garg is the founder of Writesonic, an AI writing platform designed to help users create SEO-optimized and plagiarism-free content.
Earlier this month, Writesonic launched ChatSonic, a ChatGPT-like chatbot that integrates with Google Search to create content with the latest information. It can also create digital images and respond to voice commands.
Israel Riqueros is a New York City-based creative, photographer & director. He creates conceptual cinematic imagery that is inspired by film, music, and the human condition.
The artwork above is part of “MAIN SEQUENCE,” an NFT collection that focuses on the concept of humankind searching for hope, putting faith and purpose into something greater than themselves.
Microsoft to shut down AltspaceVR on March 10th
Microsoft will shut down AltspaceVR, the social virtual reality (VR) platform the company acquired in 2017, on March 10th, 2023.
In a blog post published on Friday, Microsoft explained the move will help shift its focus to support immersive experiences powered by its mixed-reality platform, Microsoft Mesh.
AltspaceVR became one of the first social VR experiences when it launched in 2015. After the startup announced it would shut down in 2017, Microsoft rescued the platform as part of its efforts to build its own mixed-reality ecosystem.
“We look forward to what is to come, including our launch of Microsoft Mesh, a new platform for connection and collaboration, starting by enabling workplaces around the world,” Microsoft said. “In the near term, we are focusing our VR efforts on workplace experiences, learning from and alongside our early customers and partners, and ensuring we deliver a foundation that enables security, trust, and compliance. Over time, we hope to extend to consumer experience[s] a[s] well."
This news came just days after Microsoft announced it would cut 10,000 employees through the end of March. According to Windows Central, plans to cut the AltspaceVR team as part of the reorganization.
Learn how to speak a new language like a local with Babbel
Whether you’re embarking on a trip soon or have had ambitions of learning a new language for years, odds are you want to start speaking it confidently sooner than later. Turn to Babbel, the top language-learning app that helps users start speaking a new tongue in just three weeks.
That’s because Babbel goes far beyond just vocabulary; it’s about preparing to have real-life exchanges with locals through lessons (podcasts, games, articles and live online classes) built by expert language instructors (read: not AI). Take up to 55% off when you start your language learning journey today.
Share the Waivly newsletter with your friends
That wraps up today's newsletter. Thank you for reading through, and we hope you liked today's content. Know someone else who would enjoy this newsletter just as much as you do? Send them to our website and get them onboard the Waivly Crew. Get more from us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want more from us at Waivly? Join Waivly+, the premium Waivly membership that gives you exclusive Web3, NFT, and crypto content, insights, news, resources, and so much more, all blended together into one super low-cost and quick to join membership 🎉 Click here to get onboard and to become a Waivly+ Crew member! Enjoy a huge 75% off saving on your membership by joining today.
*Waivly+ is the premium Waivly membership. Join at anytime by clicking “Subscribe” on the Waivly website, and cancel anytime by heading to your account on Waivly.
*Babbel is an advertiser working with Waivly.