All that, plus updates on several criminal cases, an outline of regulatory and law enforcement scrutiny towards Polymarket, and a look at Trump’s various pro-crypto allies and Cabinet nominees in this issue.
In this issue I also address the topic of a “Bitcoin strategic reserve” — a talking point that keeps coming up with crypto advocates fantasizing about Trump’s future plans, but which seems to be broadly being confused with promises made by his one-time opponent, RFK Jr.
This strategy of betting on the winners was partly to ensure loyal advocates in Congress, but it was also because the crypto industry’s spending was as much a show of force as it was about actually achieving their desired outcomes.
While the cryptocurrency industry failed to convincingly prove a flood of single-issue crypto voters were waiting to hit the polls, they proved that they didn’t actually need people to care about crypto so long as billionaire industry executives had enough money to throw around.
@LalaKroniq@hankg it is possible to both have complaints about the media (much of which is corporate controlled, but much of which is not) while also standing in opposition to legal intimidation
Perhaps the CJR editors decided it went without saying, but it feels worth mentioning that — if his appointments go as planned — he will soon have the entire judicial branch to bring to bear on journalists, not just his wacky lawyer neighbor
“'It is both conscious and unconscious. Journalists at smaller outlets know very well that the costs for their organization to defend themselves could mean bankruptcy. Even journalists at larger outlets don’t want to burden themselves or their employees with lawsuits. It puts another layer of influence into the journalistic process,' [Anne Champion] said."
"The drumbeat of legal threats signals a potentially ominous trend for journalists during Trump’s second term in office. Litigation is costly and time-consuming. Most news organizations will look to settle rather than face months—more likely years—of discovery and depositions..."
made some new stickers based on the linocut print i did earlier this year. the fight to protect libraries and access to information will be more important than ever.