As bitcoin (BTC) gets closer to the $100,000 mark for the first time — it crossed $99,000 earlier Friday — capital is rotating into alternative cryptocurrencies, creating a buzz in the broader crypto market.
Amid the excitement, proof-of-stake smart-contract blockchain Cardano’s native cryptocurrency ada (ADA) is having its moment. The token has surged 10% in the past 24 hours, trading at 90 cents early Friday on Coinbase and other exchanges. That’s the highest price since May 2022, according to CoinDesk Indices data.
The price has risen 22% this week, taking the month-to-date gain to 152%. That has raised the token’s market capitalization to $30.85 billion, making it the world’s 10th-largest digital asset. In contrast, the CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), a measure of the broader crypto market, has advanced 14% this week and 58% this month.
ADA’s rally is accompanied by continued accumulation from whales, hefty crypto addresses with more than $10 million in the token. According to Tagus Capital, whales now hold over $12 billion in ADA.
On-chain activity confirms the involvement of whales and institutions, indicating that this rally could have staying power. Data from analytics firm IntoTheBlock shows the number of large transactions involving ADA has skyrocketed by 300% in two weeks.
It’s a sign of “heightened interest from institutional investors,” Tagus Capital said in a daily newsletter, noting the spike in large transactions. “Some of this momentum is sentiment-driven, as previously noted, with Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, hinting at potential collaborations with the Trump administration for crypto-friendly policies.”
Hosted by Lydia PolgreenJamelle Bouie and Michelle Goldberg
Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio
When Democrats coalesced around Kamala Harris this summer, they set their differences aside in the interest of preventing a second Trump presidency. But at what cost?
On this episode of “Matter of Opinion,” Lydia Polgreen is joined by her fellow Opinion columnists Jamelle Bouie and Michelle Goldberg to discuss whether this temporary unity is good or bad for the future of the Democratic Party.
(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)
Credit…Photo Illustration by The New York Times. Photo:Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Recommended in this episode:
“Poll Finds Harris Rising as She Challenges Trump on Change” by Adam Nagourney, Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz: More From Their ‘60 Minutes’ Interviews” by Brit McCandless Farmer
Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview on “The View”
“Silicon Valley, the New Lobbying Monster” by Charles Duhigg in the New Yorker
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“Matter of Opinion” is produced by Phoebe Lett, Sophia Alvarez Boyd and Andrea Betanzos. It is edited by Jordana Hochman. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Pat McCusker. Engineering by Maddy Masiello. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Sonia Herrero, Efim Shapiro, Isaac Jones and Pat McCusker. Our fact-checking team is Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. Our executive producer is Annie-Rose Strasser.
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A small, heart-shaped body of water aptly named Green Lake lies at just under 9,000 feet on the western side of the Tetons, deep within the Jedediah Smith Wilderness area of Wyoming. Mirroring the surrounding conifers, the surface of the lake rests perfectly still this fall evening.
From the trailhead, it’s a little over five miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gained to the snug knoll where I’ve pitched my tent. Sitting in my sling chair, I take in the view: granite cliffs, high ridges, and sweeping tundra, the alpine grass, willows, and fireweed a rippling tapestry of burgundy, lavender, saffron, straw-yellow and burnt umber. A sickle moon hangs in the fading blue sky as a Swainson’s thrush sings its liquid, rising song. There’s not another sound, except the faintest tinkle of the stream entering the lake beneath my camp.
This stillness was once the entirety of the world, a base line quiet of wind and waves, of bird, whale and human song. This highly diverse natural symphony has steadily vanished worldwide since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, replaced by a cacophony that has become the background to our everyday lives: the roar of jets, the rumble of traffic, the racket of construction.
You have to go to really wild places to reconnect with stillness on a grand scale, and it’s a nice coincidence that I’m camped this evening in one of the wilder places of the lower 48 states in this year of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the 1964 Wilderness Act. The legislation was the product of a group of visionary foresters and writers, and it contains one of the more memorable lines ever written about the relationship between humanity and nature: “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
Today, nearly 112 million acres of wilderness have been permanently set aside from development in the United States, and the natural attributes of these landscapes remain untrammeled by roads or industry, protecting hundreds of intact ecosystems and countless wildlife populations while affording unspoiled recreation to hikers, skiers, horse packers, wildlife watchers, anglers and hunters. These open spaces have also lifted the spirits of millions of visitors.
Despite these notable achievements, the United States still hasn’t protected the full ecological diversity that lies on federal lands, neglecting to include temperate forests and grass and shrub lands. Even if the 16 million acres currently designated as Wilderness Study Areas were fully protected, the United States would have set aside, by my calculation, only 5 percent of its land beyond the reach of development.
This week, one of our favourite pop stars here at Euronews Culture shared a divisive drink combination.
Indeed, Dua Lipa split the internet with her now-viral TikTok post showing the ‘Levitating’ and ‘Houdini’ singer pouring a can of Diet Coke into a glass. Nothing strange about that. But then she added pickle juice and some jalapeño sauce to the mix. And yes, a few pickles and jalapeño slices did tip into the beverage.
She seemed to think it was delicious. British chef Gordon Ramsay even tried it in response to the clip, and he wasn’t levitating…
Gordon was no fan of Dua’s drink recipe
Much like her olive oil-and-ice cream tip earlier this year, we tried this new combo and… Well, it’s surprisingly good. It’s two-for-two for Lipa. As far as we’re concerned, she is fast becoming our culinary sensei.
While we wait for her to drop another unusual combination, we got thinking about our very own strange pairings, and thought we’d share our favourite food mashups. Just keep an open mind, and hopefully these will inspire you to step outside your culinary comfort zones.
And don’t call the authorities (or Gordon) – we’re fine, we promise.
Peanut butter & pickles
Peanut butter and pickles
Peanut butter is the great love of my life. Together through thick and thin, crunchy and smooth, I’m convinced there’s no food or life circumstance it won’t make better.
Take, for instance, pickles. Pickles are delicious too. They’re salty and sour, tubby little things bursting with boisterous brine that temporarily satiates every human particle of yearning. Some people will relish in telling you this is wrong, but they’re the ones who are wrong – and clearly living on a lower, less joyous plane of existence.
However, no great snack comes without consequence. If you, too, have issues with self-control, you might well find yourself at the end of a gherkin jar with sandpapered taste buds and stinging lips. This is where the peanut butter comes in – as a sort of armour for acidicness.
Spread it onto the pickle like icing – don’t be precious, just really let yourself go if the mood takes – et voilà! You’ve got yourself a creamy barrier that offsets any sharpness with butteryness. Always go for crunchy peanut butter (obviously) for added texture, and have a hand towel nearby (it’s a bit messy). If you’re feeling lazy and don’t mind getting pickle juice in the peanut butter container, go right ahead and dunk the pickles straight in there.
Please note that this snack combination does sometimes come with moments of troubling self-reflection, but if, as the saying goes, “love means never having to say you’re sorry” then nope, I’m not sorry for choosing to live like this. Dill with it. AB
Goat’s cheese & Nutella
Goat’s cheese and Nutella
Sweet and savory is a thing, and let’s not pretend it’s not a glorious pairing for the ages. One which I’ve discovered works wonders is cheese and chocolate – specifically goat’s cheese and Nutella. Or whichever chocolate paste you favour, but it has to be said that Nutella works best.
Before you run for the hills or suspect they’ve let me out of my straitjacket for the day, hear me out. The distinct flavour of goat’s cheese marries well with the hazelnut goodness of one of Italy’s finest exports.
Yes, Nutella is manufactured by Piedmont’s Ferrero. Now you know.
Don’t be too decadent with the amounts you add – this isn’t Amber’s peanut butter and pickle recipe (which I’m definitely trying out tonight). Just some light dollops will do. However, once you do lovingly affix the paste to the cheese and top it with some pistachios if you’re feeling extra fancy, and mama mia, che delizioso!
And when you think about it, cheese is regularly enjoyed with jams and chutneys. So, is it that surprising another sweet paste works wonders?
Nutella also works a treat with Manchego cheese, cancelling out some of the saltiness and leaving you with an orgasmic snack that works particularly well if you’re in the mood for a grilled cheese… It may sound odd but it actually makes all the cheesy sense in the world. And if you’re not opposed to the idea, feel free to try out another one of my madcap Nutella / chocolate tricks: leave out the garlic from your hummus and add some Nutella and a swig of maple syrup. Beat all of that up like it owes you money, and go to town on that dip. Trust me – it’ll blow your socks off. DM
Mayonnaise & Nutella
Mayonnaise and Nutella
Memory rarely comes as it’s presented in art. There are few crystal clear flashbacks dialogue recalled with perfect clarity. Nor is it vague moments covered in haze. Most often, it’s a selection of singular moments, preserved in amber. This is one of them.
I remember almost nothing from my Year 2 teacher Mrs Moses (I was 6 years old) aside from her sincerely suggesting we try this bizarre combo. I’ve loved it ever since.
As with all great peculiarities, some of my sick pleasure comes from the instant recoil anyone makes when they hear you have dared combine the luxurious sweet treat of Italy’s national hero with the unctuous savoury condiment mayonnaise.
Dear reader, stay with me. You’re assuming that the Nutella is the main player here with the mayo acting as a sulphureous sideshow. It’s not. We’re adding complex nutty tones and deep chocolate hues to the masterpiece landscape oil painting that mayonnaise is.
Forget your gag reflex for one second and picture the pure decadence of everyone’s favourite emulsification complemented by everyone’s favourite sweet palette. Don’t think of it as Nutella and mayonnaise. Think of it as a poor man’s chocolate creme brulée. Add a bit of sugar on top and torch it, I dare you. JW
Wotsits & Kinder Egg
Wotsits and Kinder Egg
A bizarre food combination that I believe could pair disturbingly well with Dua Lipa’s evil pickle juice Diet Coke is what I like to call a Kinder Egg Wotsit sandwich.
If you’re scratching your head thinking, “What’s a Wotsit?”, just imagine a Cheeto – a bright, nuclear orange cheese puff crisp from the UK that I personally consider a national treasure.
To make this delicious monstrosity of a sandwich, first carefully split your chocolate Kinder Egg in half and throw away the sad little toy inside. Replace it with the real star of the show – two to three Wotsits. Seal it up and voilà – your sandwich is ready to devour however you please.
As you take a bite, you’ll first be greeted with the smooth, creamy chocolate goodness o
f the Kinder Egg, only to be pleasantly interrupted by the satisfying crunch and salty cheesiness of the Wotsits.
And for those who like to really live life on the edge, you can spice things up by using Flamin’ Hot Wotsits instead. You’re welcome! TF
Mashed potato & Marmite (and a whole lot more)
Mashed potato and Marmite
Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I don’t think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport – I think about mashed potatoes.
There’s something incredibly soothing about forking a food into a smudgy then velvety texture, as if all life’s frustrations could be so easily melded into a meditative mush. It’s also this perfect foundation for stirring in crazy concoctions, like a witch tending to her love potion.
Obviously, olive oil and/or butter are no-brainers, but after that, I always go for a hefty spoonful of Marmite. You know it’s enough when the mash turns to the colour of fudge.
Next, Tabasco. Just about three or four blobs – I sometimes imagine it’s the blood of my enemies or tears from the devil, then fold it in. Add a little sprinkle of garlic salt because, why not? Then heat up some (thick) gravy, pour over, and tuck in.
I can’t exactly explain why this works – there’s the added umami flavour and hints of spice and garlic that bring extra excitement to the gloopy creaminess of the mash – but ultimately, it’s just a mad mash-up of things I like that together, somehow work and always make a bad day better. It’s quite beautiful, really.
Not the dish itself – that does, admittedly, look like a sewage spill. AB
Strawberries & basil (and pepper)
Strawberries and basil
My esteemed colleagues have been regaling you with quite the lunatic (but bizarrely yummy-sounding) array of recipes, so I’m going to temporarily dial it back and stick with the basics.
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of this simple yet deliciously depraved combination, I pity you. Follow my lead.
Cut some fresh strawberries and place them in a bowl. Roll up a few basil leaves into succulent scented cigarette and chop some thin slices. Sprinkle them on top of nature’s candy and then crack some black peppercorns to season.
I’ve heard of some intrepid gastronomes who add a soupçon of balsamic vinegar glaze, lemon, or a mist of white sugar. Fine additions, but surplus to requirement. It’s the KISS principle in the kitchen that works best: Keep It Simple, Sous-chef.
Et voilà – a healthy and yummy dessert which sees the pepper and basil leaves neutralize some of the tartness and bring out some extra flavours in the strawberries. The magic condiments also work with a lot of citrus fruits – pineapple in particular.
Once you’ve been converted, the sky’s the limit. My tip: sliced peaches (thirds work best), halved strawberries and whole blueberries, with generous helpings of chopped basil and properly ground pepper. Add some granulated sugar this time, mix everything together and you’ve got yourself a fruitbowl you won’t forget in a hurry.
Now, brace yourselves for our final recommendation, which sounds like an artery-clogging nightmare… DM
Quorn mince & a whole lot of condiments
Who knows???
The instruction on the back of Quorn mince – the meat alternative that became a staple in the 2010s – says something to the effect of “combine with your favourite sauce and heat up”.
Being a hungry kitchen illiterate teenager, I took this instruction a little too literally and created a monster.
Instead of sauce being the pomodoro base of a typical ragu, I assumed it meant condiments. Naturally this meant putting a load of the frozen mince in a bowl and pouring in a hefty combo of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard (the yellow American-style slop), brown sauce (always HP), Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (Tabasco) and to give it some Asian satay flair, peanut butter.
Throw the bowl, now resembling some kind of primordial soup, into a microwave for about 10 minutes. Enough to caramelise the sugars, evaporate the liquid and turn this war crime into a sticky-yet-crispy MSG nightmare. Finally, top with cheese and blast for a few more minutes to make it presentable.
I nicknamed this dish “Sploosh” after the magical treat from the book “Holes”. I can’t speak to Sploosh’s nutritional qualities, but I have a hunch it’s all you’d need to survive in any inhospitable environment. Much like all good cooking, it brings together all the key flavour profiles: sweet, salty, spicy, and bitter. Admit it, you’re intrigued. JW
For weeks now, Europe is anxiously looking at its number one economic powerhouse, Germany – to be more precise: at the country’s ailing car manufacturers, some of Germany’s industrial pillars.
A serious car crisis in the Federal Republic, triggered by a quasi-collapse of the electrical vehicle market, could have severe consequences elsewhere in the EU.
Threats of historic job cuts, plant closures at Volkswagen and plunging earnings at Mercedes-Benz and BMW prompted emergency talks at Berlin’s economy ministry this week.
But given strained federal finances and fights with China over tariffs, the government’s toolbox is rather empty.
Nonetheless, economy minister Robert Habeck expressed his willingness to help but excluded quick fixes: “Everyone has said that planning is the most important thing. And that means long-term planning. Not a flash-in-the-pan action, because this only has the effect of pumping up the market again in the short term and then possibly collapsing again.”
Germany is in the uncomfortable position today to be forced to re-orient its entire manufacturing sector that depended on cheap Russian energy.
You can already hear Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy shouting: “I told you so!”
Zelenskyy was at the United Nations this week to drum up support for what he called his “victory plan”.
He also reacted to pleas from the European far-left and far-right to negotiate with Russia:
“We know some in the world want to talk to Putin. We know it. To meet, to talk, to speak. But what could they possibly hear from him? That he’s upset because we are exercising our right to defend our people, or that he wants to keep the war and terror going just so no one thinks he was wrong.”
How the Ukrainian economy keeps suffering from the war was detailed this week by the latest outlook from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The EBRD covers not only Ukraine, but large parts of eastern Europe and central Asia. The bank’s findings are an important bellwether for the global economy.
We spoke to Beata Javorcik, the chief economist of the EBRD.
Euronews: So, your latest Regional Economic Prospects report is called “Along the adjustment path” – that sounds like a friendly way of saying “It’s disappointing”. What do the economies you invest in need to adjust to?
Javorcik: Well, the situation in Europe remains quite challenging. We continue to have very high prices of energy. Particularly the price of natural gas is five times as high as in the US. The demand for exports, particularly from Germany, is muted. Given the difficult situation of the German economy and, finally, the costs of borrowing continue to be high, there is this extra risk premium, this extra interest rate. Countries in the regions had to pay when the war in Ukraine started. And this risk premium continues to be there.
Euronews: On the upside are a decline in inflation and an increase in real wages. What exactly happened?
Javorcik: Well, by historical standards we have seen a very fast disinflation process, though of course the adjustment is not done yet. Inflation remains above the pre-COVID level, but on the positive side we have managed to avoid a hard landing. So, this fight with inflation has come without very big unpleasant effects in terms of unemployment. As the inflation episode started, we saw a big decline in real wages, but then real wages started catching up. That was visible in the last few months in the last year. They are not yet back to the pre-COVID trend, but they have certainly caught up in a significant way.
Euronews: I guess there are still some remaining inflationary pressures – what are they?
Javorcik: Inflation still remains high in some countries, such as Turkey or Egypt, still in high double digits. And depreciation of domestic currencies, which has made imports more expensive, has contributed to further inflation.
Euronews: One country is still in the spotlight: Ukraine. How are they coping with the ongoing war economically?
Javorcik: Well, despite the war early this year, so in the first quarter, Ukrainian economy managed to grow very fast. The bleak Black Sea corridor allowed Ukraine to export grain as well as metals and ores. But then this heavy bombing and destruction of electricity infrastructure happened. And that made the situation very difficult. There are rolling blackouts. There are shortages of electricity. The country is importing electricity from Europe, but it comes at a higher cost. And that’s weighing down on the economy.
Over the weekend, former U.S. President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump and a number of lawmakers spoke at the Bitcoin Nashville conference. The biggest piece of news everyone has been talking about was Trump and Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ proposals to create a strategic reserve for Bitcoin, but the event also served as Sen. Tim Scott’s entry into actual crypto discussion.
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BTC conference
The narrative
Lawmakers – and Donald Trump, who of course is hoping to regain the presidency this November – took the stage through the Bitcoin Nashville conference last week to try and appeal to BTC holders for votes or funds.
Why it matters
This is the first major U.S. election where crypto is getting attention from lawmakers and candidates. While it’s still not totally clear whether there truly is a significant mass of single-issue crypto voters, what is clear is lawmakers are going to continue to appeal to this crowd over the next few months.
Breaking it down
First up: Former President Donald Trump spoke, saying if he’s elected he’ll work to appoint friendlier regulators, but his biggest promise may be his suggestion that the U.S. would create a strategic bitcoin stockpile, a promise echoed by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) who introduced a bill this week that would support that goal.
“And so as the final part of my plan today, I am announcing that if I am elected, it will be the policy of my administration, United States of America, to keep 100% of all the bitcoin the U.S. government currently holds or acquires into the future, we’ll keep 100%,” Trump said. “I hope you do well, please. This will serve, in effect, as the core of the strategic national bitcoin stockpile.”
The former president also acknowledged that “most of the bitcoin currently held by the United States government was obtained through law enforcement action.”
“You know that they took it from you. Let’s take that guy’s life. Let’s take his family, his house, his bitcoin. We’ll turn it into bitcoin. It’s been taken away from you, because that’s where we’re going now. That’s where this country is going to – fascist regime. And so as I take steps to transform that vast wealth into a permanent national asset to benefit all Americans,” he said.
The proposals – both from Trump and Lummis – still leave some questions unanswered at the moment, but in a broader sense, they’re more just messages to the bitcoin community at the moment, that if Trump becomes president again (and/or if Republicans become the majority party in the Senate), he’ll be friendlier toward the industry than in his first term.
Trump also shouted out Vivek Ramaswamy, who briefly also vied for the Republican ticket.
“I’ve heard from Vivek 175 million people in some form, are involved with this world of crypto and Bitcoin and all of the others, 175 million,” he said. “So when they heard that, they said, ‘Let’s be nice to them, at least until after the election.'”
You can read a partial transcript of Trump’s remarks here.
As my colleague Jesse Hamilton reported, this event also served as Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) first substantial introduction to the crypto community. The Senate Banking Committee’s top Republican, Scott – another former contender for the presidency – will become the committee’s chair if the GOP retakes the Senate, putting him in charge of legislation that could affect the Securities and Exchange Commission and crypto regulation more broadly. He did not introduce any specific policy ideas during his remarks on stage.
Stories you may have missed
This week
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If you’ve got thoughts or questions on what I should discuss next week or any other feedback you’d like to share, feel free to email me at nik@coindesk.com or find me on Twitter @nikhileshde.
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