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  • These are the 37 donors helping pay for Trump’s $300 million White House ballroom

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his $300 million White House ballroom will be paid for “100% by me and some friends of mine.”

    The White House released a list of 37 donors, including crypto billionaires, charitable organizations, sports team owners, powerful financiers, tech and tobacco giants, media companies, longtime supporters of Republican causes and several of the president’s neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida.

    It’s incomplete. Among others, the list doesn’t include Carrier Group, which offered to donate an HVAC system for the ballroom, and artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia, whose CEO, Jensen Huang, publicly discussed its donation.

    The White House hasn’t said how much each donor is giving, and almost none was willing to divulge that. Very few commented on their contributions when contacted by The Associated Press.

    A senior White House official said the list has grown since it was first released in October, but some companies don’t want to be publicly named until required to do so by financial disclosure regulations. No foreign individuals or entities were among the donors, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.

    Here’s a look at the divulged donors:

    Tech giants (8):

    Amazon Background: Trump was once highly critical of company founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, but has been much less so lately. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, an event attended by Bezos. Its video streaming service paid $40 million to license a documentary about first lady Melania Trump. Its cloud-based computing operation, Amazon Web Services, is a major government contractor.

    Apple Background: After an up-and-down relationship during Trump’s first term, CEO Tim Cook has sought to improve his standing with the president this time. Before returning to the White House, Trump hosted Cook at his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago, and said he had spoken with Cook about the company’s long-running tax battles with the European Union. Cook also donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. In the spring, Trump threatened the computing giant with tariffs after Apple announced plans to build manufacturing facilities in India. In August, Cook presented the president with a customized glass plaque with a gold base as the CEO announced plans to bring Apple’s total investment commitment in U.S. manufacturing over four years to $600 billion.

    Google Background: During his first term, Trump’s administration sued Google for antitrust violations. While a candidate last year, Trump suggested he might seek to break up the search engine behemoth. Once Trump won the election, Google donated $1 million to his inauguration, and its CEO, Sundar Pichai, joined other major tech executives in attending the ceremony. Google’s subsidiary, YouTube, agreed in September to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump after it suspended his account following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. According to court filings, $22 million of that went to the Trust for the National Mall, which can help pay for ballroom construction.

    HP Background: An original Silicon Valley stalwart, the company donated to Trump’s inaugural fund. HP ‘s CEO, Enrique Lores, participated in a White House roundtable event in September. Lores also previously met with President Joe Biden at the White House on multiple occasions as top CEOs endorsed that administration’s economic plans.

    Meta Background: Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had been critical of Trump going back to 2016, and Facebook suspended Trump for years after the Jan. 6 insurrection. This time around, Meta contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, and Zuckerberg attended.

    Micron Technology Background: The producer of advanced memory computer chips announced an April 2024 agreement with the Biden administration to provide $6.1 billion in government support for Micron to make chips domestically. Then, in June, Micron pledged $200 billion for U.S. memory chip manufacturing expansion under Trump. But at least $120 billion of that involved holdovers first announced during Biden’s administration.

    Microsoft Background: The company donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, twice what it spent for Biden’s or for Trump’s first inauguration. CEO Satya Nadella has also met with Trump numerous times, as Microsoft has supported the administration’s relaxation of regulations on artificial intelligence. He met previously with Biden, too. Trump has called for Microsoft’s president of global affairs, Lisa Monaco, to be fired because she was a deputy attorney general under Biden when the Justice Department led several investigations against Trump.

    Palantir Technologies Background: Co-founded by billionaire libertarian Peter Thiel, the firm concentrates on artificial intelligence and machine learning. It has seen profits soar thanks to lucrative defense and other federal contracts.

    Crypto (5):

    Coinbase Background: The major cryptocurrency exchange was founded by Brian Armstrong, a top donor to a political action committee that helped Trump and other pro-crypto candidates in 2024. Armstrong attended the first crypto summit at the White House in March. Coinbase also hired Trump’s co-campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, to its Global Advisory Council.

    Ripple Background: In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped a lawsuit filed during Trump’s first term, which accused the company of violating securities laws by selling XRP crypto coins without a securities registration. In his second term, Trump has eased regulations on digital assets, repealing an SEC accounting rule and a previous presidential executive order mandating more federal study and proposed changes to crypto regulations.

    Tether Background: A cryptocurrency company and major stablecoin issuer, Tether paid fines for misleading investors. CEO Paolo Ardoino has been to Trump’s White House, and, in April, the company hired former Trump administration crypto policy official Bo Hines to lead its domestic expansion efforts.

    Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss Background: Each Winklevoss twin is listed as a separate donor. Best known as Zuckerberg’s chief antagonists in “The Social Network,” the brothers founded the Gemini cryptocurrency exchange. Biden’s SEC sued Gemini for selling unregistered securities, but the case has been paused under Trump.

    Energy and industrial (4):

    Caterpillar Background: The equipment maker ‘s PAC has donated to candidates from both parties, but given more to Republicans. It has also said publicly that Trump’s tariffs, some of which the administration has now eased, could increase its costs and hurt earnings.

    NextEra Energy Background: NextEra is the world’s largest electric utility holding company. Trump says he’ll work to ensure tech giants can secure their own sources of electricity to power data centers, especially as they expand energy-hogging artificial intelligence operations. Google recently entered into an agreement to buy power from a shuttered nuclear power plant in Iowa owned by NextEra, which the company plans to bring back online in 2029.

    Paolo Tiramani Background: An American industrial designer who has donated to Trump’s political campaigns. Tiramani, with his son, runs BOXABL, a firm specializing in modular, prefabricated homes.

    Union Pacific Background: Trump has endorsed the company’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, which would be the largest-ever rail merger. It also will be up to the president to appoint two more Republican members of the Surface Transportation Board, who will ultimately decide whether to approve the merger. In August, Trump fired one of the two Democratic members of the board.

    Philanthropy (3):

    Adelson Family Foundation Background: Founded to strengthen the state of Israel and the Jewish people, the foundation was created by Miriam Adelson, the majority owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, close Trump ally and longtime GOP megadonor. She’s also the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire founder and owner of Las Vegas Sands.

    Betty Wold Johnson Foundation Background: Based in Palm Beach, the foundation supports health, arts and culture initiatives, as well as environmental and educational programs. It’s named in honor of the mother of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom during his first term.

    Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation Background: The nonprofit based in Lake Worth Beach, near Palm Beach, focuses on promoting health care, social justice, the arts and community initiatives. Isaac is an Israeli American businessman and financier and former chair of Marvel Entertainment. He and his wife have donated to Trump’s presidential campaigns and affiliated PACs.

    Trump administration officials (3):

    Benjamin Leon Jr. Background: The Cuban American founder of Miami-based Leon Medical Centers is Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Spain.

    Kelly Loeffler and Jeffrey Sprecher Background: A former Republican senator from Georgia, Loeffler heads Trump’s Small Business Administration. Her husband is CEO of the energy market Intercontinental Exchange Inc. and chairs the New York Stock Exchange. The couple faced scrutiny in 2020 for dumping substantial portions of their portfolio and purchasing new stocks, including in firms making protective equipment, after Congress received briefings on the severity of the coming coronavirus pandemic.

    Lutnick Family Background: Howard Lutnick is Trump’s commerce secretary. A crypto enthusiast, he once headed the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.

    Communications/entertainment (3):

    Comcast Background: The mass media and telecom conglomerate has often been criticized by Trump, including in April, when the president posted that Comcast was a “disgrace to the integrity of broadcasting.” The company owns NBC and is spinning off MSNBC. It could be interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Discover, and that would leave Comcast looking for government approval.

    Hard Rock International Background: A Florida-based gaming and tourism concern owned by the Seminole Tribe, the company operates a number of casinos, including the former Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Trump has for decades criticized federal exemptions allowing tribes to operate casinos.

    T-Mobile Background: The wireless carrier is indirectly linked to Trump Mobile, which the president’s family controls and offers gold phones and cell service in a licensing deal. Trump Mobile uses Liberty Mobile Wireless, a small, Florida-based network that T-Mobile says runs its operations on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile says that is unrelated to its decision to donate to Trump’s ballroom, which it says is meant to “restore and enrich the historic landmarks that define our nation’s capital.”

    Big Tobacco (2):

    Altria Group Background: The tobacco giant controls Philip Morris USA, maker of Marlboro. It has pressed for federal crackdowns on counterfeit and illegal vaping products. The company donated $50,000 to Trump’s inauguration.

    Reynolds American Background: With brands including Lucky Strike and Camel, the company has been active in lobbying to steer the Trump administration away from a Biden-proposed ban on menthol cigarettes.

    Defense/national security (2):

    Booz Allen Hamilton Background: A major defense and national security technology firm with extensive government contracts, it paid fines to settle lawsuits with the Justice Department under Biden. Booz Allen Hamilton agreed to pay more than $377 million in 2023 to settle allegations that it improperly billing costs to its government contracts. In January, it paid nearly $16 million to settle allegations that it submitted fraudulent claims in connection with government contracts.

    Lockheed Martin Corporation Background: The massive defense contractor has huge government contracts. It said in a statement that it “is grateful for the opportunity to help bring the President’s vision to reality and make this addition to the People’s House.”

    Individuals (7):

    Stefan E. Brodie Background: A biotech entrepreneur and co-founder of the chemical manufacturing company Purolite, Brodie and his family donated to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and affiliated committees. Brodie and his brother, Donald, were convicted in 2002 of circumventing U.S. sanctions on Cuba.

    Charles and Marissa Cascarilla Background: Charles Cascarilla is co‑founder of the blockchain firm Paxos. He and his wife are philanthropists who have advocated for financial technology sector deregulation.

    J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul Background: Longtime Republican donors and Palm Beach residents, the couple controls U.S. sugar refining interests that includes the Domino brand.

    Edward and Shari Glazer Background: Members of the family that owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has a controlling stake in the Manchester United football club, the couple donated to Trump’s campaign. Edward is the founder and CEO of US Property Trust, which operates shopping centers, and the car dealership company US Auto Trust.

    Harold Hamm Background: The billionaire oil tycoon and pioneer of hydraulic fracturing heads the oil producer Continental Resources. He’s praised the Trump administration for aggressively moving to purchase oil to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve stockpile.

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Background: A Palm Beach resident and chair and CEO of the Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm he helped establish in 1985. Schwarzman has donated to Trump and his PACs previously and led his first-term President’s Strategic and Policy Forum.

    Konstantin Sokolov Background: Born in Russia, he immigrated to the U.S. and now heads the Chicago-based private equity firm IJS Investments. Sokolov has donated to many educational and charitable causes in the past, and to Trump’s political campaigns.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

    ___

    This story has been updated to correct the first name of an individual who donated to the White House ballroom. He is Harold Hamm, not Howard Hamm.

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  • Tether CEO Alerts: Email Newsletter Provider for Crypto Companies Might Be Compromised

    Tether CEO Alerts: Email Newsletter Provider for Crypto Companies Might Be Compromised

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    Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, has issued a warning about a possible security breach involving a prominent email vendor frequently used by cryptocurrency companies.

    CoinGecko’s co-founder and COO, Bobby Ong, supported the caution, noting that the cryptocurrency data platform’s newsletter service might also be affected.

    Email Vendor Compromise

    In a post on X, Ardoino stated that they had received two independent confirmations indicating that a prominent vendor commonly used by crypto companies to manage mailing lists might have been compromised.

    He added that they are not disclosing the vendor’s name until the investigation is complete, but advised caution regarding any emails suggesting crypto-airdrops received in the past 24 hours.

    CoinGecko’s co-founder and COO, Bobby Ong, corroborated the warning in a public service announcement on X. He alerted the community to an ongoing supply chain email breach attack, indicating a potential impact on CoinGecko’s newsletter service. Ong emphasized the broader implications, noting that various crypto companies could be affected by email blasts promoting fraudulent token launches.

    Email Phishing Threats

    Email-related security breaches are not new to the crypto industry. Last year, blockchain-based metaverse company The Sandbox reported a similar incident where a security breach led to an email phishing campaign. The breach allowed unauthorized access to email addresses, which were then targeted with phishing messages falsely claiming to be from the project itself.

    The Sandbox claimed that an unauthorized third party gained access to an employee’s computer and used the obtained information to send the fake emails. Other prominent crypto firms, including Nansen, Celsius, OpenSea, and Ledger, have also experienced similar exploits in recent years.

    Phishing is a technique used by hackers to lure a victim into clicking on a malicious link sent via emails or messages that appear to be from trusted companies. The goal is to trick individuals into disclosing personal information, like passwords and credit card numbers.

    As investigations continue, both Tether and CoinGecko have advised users to exercise heightened caution with email communications, especially those promising crypto-airdrops or new token launches.

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    Wayne Jones

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  • Stablecoin Takeover? Record Tether 71% Dominance Raises Questions About Crypto Future

    Stablecoin Takeover? Record Tether 71% Dominance Raises Questions About Crypto Future

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    Tether, the issuer of the ubiquitous USDT stablecoin, cemented its dominance in 2023, ballooning its market share to a staggering 71%. This explosive growth, however, comes with a chilling undercurrent: a United Nations report linking USDT to a surge in cybercrime and money laundering in Southeast Asia.

    Glassnode data paints a stark picture of Tether’s ascent. Its market capitalization reached a record $95 billion in January 2024, fueled by a 40% increase in USDT supply over the past year. Meanwhile, competitors like Circle’s USDC saw their market share shrink, with USDT now commanding over 7 times the circulation of its nearest rival.

    Tether Market Dominance Soars 

    USDT dominance shown in green. Source: Glassnode

    Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s new CEO, has prioritized cooperation with U.S. law enforcement. The company boasts of freezing wallets linked to sanctions lists and recovering over $435 million in illicit funds.

    However, the UN report casts a shadow on these efforts, detailing how USDT facilitates “sextortion,” “pig butchering” scams, and underground banking across Asia.

    While Tether has proactively banned over 1,260 addresses linked to criminal activity, the sheer volume of illicit transactions raises concerns about the effectiveness of these measures.

    USDT market cap currently at $94.904 billion. Chart: TradingView.com

    Critics point to Tether’s opaque reserve backing as a breeding ground for misuse, calling for greater transparency to combat money laundering.

    Tether’s Reign At Risk: Regulatory Challenges

    The stablecoin market, once touted as a bridge between traditional finance and the crypto world, now faces a reckoning. Tether’s dominance is undeniable, but its association with criminal activity threatens to erode trust and trigger stricter regulations.

    Tether total assets nearing the $95 billion level. Source: Gabor Gurbacs X post.

    Meanwhile, Circle’s recent IPO filing hints at a potential shift in the landscape. With regulatory scrutiny intensifying, Tether’s future hinges on its ability to address concerns about transparency and combat illicit activity.

    Can it clean up its act and maintain its crown, or will the tide turn towards its more transparent rivals? Only time will tell if Tether’s reign as the king of stablecoins will weather the storm of controversy.

    With its historic 71% market share, Tether’s reign over the stablecoin realm is undeniable. Yet, the shadow of illicit activity threatens to eclipse its success.

    As regulators sharpen their focus and competitors like Circle step into the ring, the question looms: will Tether clean house and retain its crown, or will this be the tipping point for a stablecoin revolution, reshaping the future of crypto itself?

    Only time will tell if Tether’s dominance signals a bright new era for digital currencies or serves as a cautionary tale, paving the way for a more transparent and accountable crypto landscape. The gloves are off, and the fight for the future of stablecoins is just beginning.

    Featured image from Shutterstock

    Disclaimer: The article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.

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    Christian Encila

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  • Tether’s Paolo Ardoino debunks FUD, discusses surging USDT market cap

    Tether’s Paolo Ardoino debunks FUD, discusses surging USDT market cap

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    Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s former CTO who is now the CEO of the leading stablecoin project, recently highlighted the company’s significant earnings and emphasized the global use of USDT as a hedge against inflation.

    Ardoino told the Wolf of All Streets Podcast that Tether (USDT) has grown in circulation over the past year, even as other cryptocurrencies have experienced volatility. Tether has its own equity and capital, generated through holding US treasuries and short-term investments with proper risk management. He also mentioned that Tether still holds $72.6 billion in U.S. treasury bills.

    Tether remains focused on providing a stablecoin that maintains a one-to-one value with the U.S. dollar. In the last quarter of 2022, Tether generated $700 million in profit. Despite being one of the most scrutinized companies in the world, Tether has stood the test with all the black swan events and high-profile bankruptcies in the web3 space and is working proactively with law enforcement agents, including the Department of Justice, Ardoino says.  

    The CEO noted that Tether’s mission remains to provide a stablecoin that maintains a one-to-one value with the U.S. dollar, and the company has no plans to go public. 

    The company has its own equity and capital, generated through holding U.S. treasuries and short-term investments with proper risk management.

    According to Ardoino, Tether’s USDT has grown in circulation over the past year, even as other cryptocurrencies and stablecoins have experienced volatility. Despite the bear market, USDT’s market cap is sitting above $85 billion, making it the world’s third-largest crypto. Tether’s recent profitability has led the company to consider diversification. 

    They are also planning to transform into a comprehensive tech provider, necessitating expertise in crucial fields like energy, communication, and financial infrastructure, he revealed.

    Stablecoins and regulatory turbulence 

    Stablecoins have become a hot topic in the cryptocurrency world recently, with several related stories making headlines.

    Brian Brooks, Valor Capital Group partner and former Acting Comptroller of the Currency and Binance U.S. CEO, has stated that demand for stablecoins in developing nations can make the U.S. dollar relevant again. 

    On July 27, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee made significant progress by advancing a bill aimed at creating a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins, a category of cryptocurrencies usually tied to conventional assets like the U.S. dollar. 

    The proposed legislation gives the U.S. Federal Reserve the responsibility of outlining the conditions for issuing stablecoins, all while upholding the regulatory power of state authorities. This bill was adjusted earlier to address worries expressed by certain democrats who feared that stablecoin issuers might bypass stringent oversight by choosing to operate under state regulations.

    The recent conviction of former cryptocurrency tycoon and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, accused of embezzling over $10 billion from customers and investors, highlights another troubling incident in the cryptocurrency sector. Despite such alarming developments, there appears to be minimal enthusiasm for implementing clear regulatory measures.

    Last year, when cryptocurrencies faced significant downturns and several companies faced bankruptcies, the U.S. Congress explored various strategies to regulate the industry. However, progress on these initiatives has been sluggish, particularly amidst the backdrop of this tumultuous year marked by geopolitical tensions, inflation concerns, and the impending 2024 election.

    President Joe Biden, who issued an executive order concerning government supervision of cryptocurrency, directed the Fed to assess the potential creation of a digital currency. 


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    Ogwu Osaemezu Emmanuel

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