Filecoin and Starket are two coins in the crypto news headlines today, FIL for its stellar performance over the past few days and Starknet for its trading debut after a much anticipated airdrop distribution. Another project creating huge waves in the cryptocurrency industry is Bitcoin Dogs.

With its presale surpassing the $3 million milestone, this project is quickly cementing analyst projections that its one of the best crypto to buy today. Here's more.

Among the top gainers in the past 24 hours, Filecoin reached prices near $8 to see it trade at levels last seen in early January. With the price up more than 10% in 24 hours and 40% this past week, FIL is one of the altcoins seeking a significant bounce ahead of the potential market run in the second half of the year.

With its recent integration with Solana to bolster access to the SOL blockchain networks block history, Filecoin has gained fresh traction for its decentralized cloud storage protocol. Notably, Filecoin has also integrated with Pyth Networks Data Feeds, a development that makes the decentralized data storage marketplace more appealing to users.

The surge in interest around AI tokens is also a key reason for FIL price soaring in the past few days. An overall spike in activity in the space could spark more demand for the protocol. In coming months, FIL bulls could tap into the overall market outlook to target a breakout above $10. However, the all-time high of $236 remains a long way off.

Starknet (STRK) is an Ethereum layer-2 scaling protocol whose native token went live on crypto exchanges on February 20. This follows the Starknet Foundations launch of the tokens distribution to early ecosystem users and other eligible wallets. In total, the airdrop targeted 1.3 million wallets in this first phase, with over 700 million STRK allocated to the program.

As users got the STRK tokens, some chose cash in and thus injected downward pressure. Indeed, STRK traded to highs of $7 after making its debut on Binance. However, it is currently hovering around $2.20 across major exchanges. Data on CoinGecko shows STRK is down 49% from the average high of $4.41.

While the overall crypto market sees a lull amid Bitcoins continued hovering in the $52k region, Bitcoin Dogs, a project tapping into the Bitcoin ecosystem, is taking the market by storm.

The play-to-earn gaming and NFT project is the first ICO on Bitcoin and interest in what it offers has seen unprecedented interest in the native $0DOG. Launched on February 14, the Bitcoin Dogs ICO broke the first milestone of $1 million in less than 24 hours. Less than a week into the presale, early adopters eyeing the future of BRC-20 tokens have allocated more than $3 million.

From $0.015, the price of $0DOG has increased to $0.0198, giving stage 1 participants an early glimpse of what potentially awaits when the ICO ends on March 15 and the tokens list on exchanges. If you are looking to join the Bitcoin Dogs presale, a good place to start your due diligence is the whitepaper. Joining the growing $0DOG community on social media could also be a great way to keep tabs on the project.

However, as the presale lasts for only 30 days and presale prices increase every 72 hours, these early stages might offer the best opportunity to get positioned.

You can check out this projects tokenomics, roadmap and team here.

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Crypto Investors Rush to Bitcoin Dogs as Binance Lists STRK and Filecoin Rallies - Bankless Times

Shell Token Launch On January 22, 2024, Arbitrum-based DeFi protocol Shell launched its long-awaited SHELL governance token. Airdrop recipients can check their eligibility through the Shell app. Once claimed, SHELL tokens can be staked to generate yield. ...

On January 22, 2024, Arbitrum-based DeFi protocol Shell launched its long-awaited SHELL governance token. Airdrop recipients can check their eligibility through the Shell app. Once claimed, SHELL tokens can be staked to generate yield. Staked tokens grant voting power in the Shell DAO, which governs the protocol.

Shell aims to unify DeFi with a single swap interface for NFTs and one-to-many swaps across every major protocol. The protocol was built by a Hawaii-based DeFi development team, and has grown to a user base of 45,000.

Shell is a longtime DeFi protocol, created in 2020 by Cowri Labs. Cowri is helmed by chief economist and founder Kenny White. In 2021, Shell v2 became one of the first Arbitrum-native DEXs, launching with a novel smart contract design for swaps.

With Shell v3, developers at Cowri Labs hope to combine their unique technology with the massive liquidity of major projects like Uniswap and OpenSea, delivering a unified DeFi experience in a single app. It's the first real omni dapp, says Cowri Labs head of developer relations Petar Popovic, the app where you can do everything. That's the goal.

At launch, Shell v3 supports Balancer and Curve pools, allowing users to trade tokens and NFTs through multiple protocols from within the Shell app. Unlike aggregators, Shell v3 also allows users to manage LP positions across all supported protocols.

White hopes that Shell v3 will combine the best features of DEX aggregator 1inch and data aggregator DeFi Llama, becoming a place where people come to trade and explore the DeFi ecosystem. Shell v2 benefitted from an impressive UI and contract design, but nevertheless struggled to offer competitive swap rates in the face of older protocols with much larger TVL. Consequently, Shell v2 users had to choose between staying within the Shell app or hunting for better rates.

Shell v3 aims to solve this dilemma by integrating all major pools across all protocols with the Shell contracts and app. To start, the Cowri team is focusing on Arbitrum, but with the launch of the DAO the future will be shaped by community vote.

One big change with Shell v3 is a de-emphasis on native protocol TVL. Since Shell now serves to connect external pools, the Cowri team feels volume is the key to success. One major responsibility of the DAO is control over the protocol unwrap fee, which is currently set to zero but may be activated in the future to generate DAO revenue.

The total SHELL token supply is 200 million, unlocked every block after token launch through two-year linear vesting. 40 million have been allocated to users who contributed to the protocol over the past four years.

80 million tokens are split across the Cowri Labs core team, Cowri Labs itself, protocol contributors, and Cowri Labs investors such as BlueYard. 80 million are in the newly-formed DAO treasury, fully under the control of DAO members.

Tokens are not available in full upon claiming the airdrop. All investors, core team members, and airdrop recipients will unlock their SHELL on a block-by-block two-year linear vesting schedule.

The vesting system uses tradeable vesting NFTs from Sablier. From launch, the NFTs can be bought and sold via NFT marketplaces. Shell is also building a vesting stream AMM to allow instant in-app buying and selling of vesting NFTs. This AMM is expected to launch later in Q1 2024.

The SHELL token is currently trading through the Shell app. As for Cowri Labs, the team is already planning future integrations, with Uniswap and Aave on the near horizon.

Website: http://www.shellprotocol.io App: https://app.shellprotocol.io/trade Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShellProtocol Discord: https://discord.gg/shellprotocol Telegram: https://t.me/shellprotocol GitHub: https://github.com/shell-protocol

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DeFi Unifier Shell Protocol Launches Token, Staking, and Arbitrum Airdrop - The Defiant - DeFi News

BOSTON Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said he didnt hear anyone talking about Dec. 22 before the game, but still he felt it.

On that night in Southern Manitoba, the Jets dealt Boston its third straight and the worst defeat in a four-game losing streak, 5-1.

The Jets outshot, outhit, out-faceoffed and straight-up outplayed the Bruins that night.

They embarrassed us the last time at Winnipeg, Montgomery said.

Exactly a month later, the Bruins and Jets met again at TD Garden on Monday. Montgomery was confident going in that his team would answer the bell.

We have a lot of proud guys whove represented the Bruins for a long time in a good way. I think the opportunity to get back at them was something that was motivating to them, he said. Its something thats part of the culture here.

The Bruins proved him right. They paid back the defeat by snapping the Jets 13-game streak of allowing no more than two goals and their 34-game streak of not more than three. They scored two in the first and two in the third, including an empty-net goal to win 4-1.

That was a game plan of ours. We dont like losing twice in a row. The momentum we had from last game and the start of this homestand was something we wanted to continue, said Jeremy Swayman, whose 21 saves were critical. As you saw from the first to the last whistle, excellent Bruins hockey. Really special stuff we can build on.

While it wasnt as physical as a playoff game is likely to be, for 54 minutes it was low-scoring and tight. After dropping nine goals on the hapless Habs on Saturday, this game demanded more.

Thats playoff hockey to be honest, said Jake DeBrusk who added a critical short-handed goal late to seal the win. Its probably not as physical or intense, but tight checking and low scoring is what youre going to see when it counts. Anytime you can get any ground in terms of confidence from winning these type of games it really helps everybody in the group.

Montgomery agreed.

It was nice. Weve had a lot of games here recently where weve been scoring goals, Montgomery said. It was nice to have a 2-1 lead going into the third and extend the lead again.

All betting sites in MA will have promo codes for signing up. Dont forget to check out BetMGM Massachusetts and DraftKings Massachusetts.

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Why the Bruins were extra motivated to beat the Jets - MassLive.com

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Marco Silva has revealed last seasons embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to Crawley has spurred Fulham onto the semi-finals this year.

The Cottagers host Liverpool on Wednesday night trailing 2-1 on aggregate as they aim to reach a first major domestic cup final since 1975.

Silvas side led at Anfield in the first leg before conceding twice in three minutes to find themselves as outsiders to down Liverpool and reach Wembley.

The journey is a far cry from their 2-0 loss to Crawley in the second round last August, where Silva made 10 changes from their previous Premier League game.

My ambition is to always play cup competitions and go further, Silva said on the eve of the tie.

Last season we were promoted and we played in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and our aim was always to go further of course its important to recognise that the Premier League was the main thing.

But at the same time, when we played the other competitions we were trying to be strong enough the first game in the Carabao was really poor last season.

It was a good moment to speak with the players about what I demand from them and what we demand from any competitions that you play in the future.

Silva has taken charge of 229 games in England across spells at Hull, Watford, Everton and Fulham.

The 46-year-old also reached the Greek Cup final with Olympiacos in 2016, having won the Taca de Portugal with Sporting the season before.

But he admits the visit of Liverpool and the potential for a first-ever game as a manager at Wembley means Wednesday is one of the biggest nights of his managerial career in England.

It is one of them, yes, he replied. I did play a (League Cup) semi-final with Hull City as well against Manchester United but, if you ask me right now, I would prefer to have another more important one in one months time or two months time.

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Marco Silva using Carabao Cup exit at Crawley last term as motivation for Fulham - The Independent

There has been a notable surge in demand for products and services from direct-to-consumer brands and internet platforms in the health and wellness sector. This uptick is attributed to the common New Year's resolution of consumers focusing on their fitness and well-being.

HealthifyMe, a startup backed by Khosla Ventures and Unilever Ventures, reported a significant spike in sales on the first day of 2024, reaching 2.5 crore, more than three times its average daily revenue. Tushar Vashisht, the CEO, highlighted a seasonal spike in the new year, accompanied by heightened engagement and excitement from new consumers.

Notably, nearly 66 per cent of the revenue in January so far has come from subscription renewals, a substantial increase from the previous year's 50 per cent. HealthifyMe anticipates touching 35 crore in revenue by the end of January, creating a monthly record.

Boldfit, a bootstrapped D2C brand specialising in fitness products and nutritional supplements, experienced a 20-25 per cent increase in sales during the first week of January, when compared to regular business months. This quarter, January to March, accounts for a significant 35 per cent of Boldfit's annual business, making it the best quarter for the fitness industry as a whole.

Blissclub, an Elevation Capital-backed apparel brand focusing on gym and yoga wear for women, reported robust revenue growth from mid-December to January. Founder and CEO Minu Margeret noted that December 2023 was the best month in terms of top-line performance, with a 50-60 per cent revenue increase compared to the previous months.

While companies like Cultsport and Curefit observed increased sales over the past fortnight, they expect a decline in customer interest by the end of January. Cultsport, the D2C vertical of Tata Digital, predicts a 30 per cent drop by February. However, they still anticipate a 20 per cent growth compared to January 2023, fuelled by ongoing consumer demand and the addition of new product categories.

Fireside Ventures, a brand-focused venture capital firm, recognises the broader trend of growing demand for health and wellness products beyond the typical New Year's resolution season. Ankur Khaitan, at Fireside Ventures, emphasises the shifting mindshare and wallet share of consumers toward health and wellness, signalling ongoing opportunities for investments in this space.

All in all, the health and wellness industry is experiencing a surge in demand driven by New Year resolutions, with several brands recording remarkable sales figures. While the peak is expected to subside in the following months, there is a broader trend of sustained interest in healthier solutions, providing investment opportunities in the sector.

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Your 2024 New Year Resolution Has Boosted The Health & Fitness Industry - Her Circle

Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff isnt looking for revenge on the Los Angeles Rams team that traded him or the coach who tossed him aside. Instead, he wants to deliver a Super Bowl to a city who has never come close.

While Matthew Staffords return to Detroit has dominated early headlines for the Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams Wild Card matchup this Sunday, Jared Goff is certainly at the center of the proverbial stage as well. His time with the Rams came to an abrupt and painful end when LA decided it was time to make a big investment in upgrading the quarterback by trading Goff and a pair of first-round picks (and more) for Stafford. While Goff already had his return to LA in a regular season matchup in 2021, one would think the heightened stakes of a playoff game may make this one more meaningful.

However, the Lions quarterback downplayed the significance of any sort of revenge this week, instead focusing on the potential of delivering a huge moment in Detroits franchise history, seeing as they have only won a single playoff game in the Super Bowl era.

I so badly want to win a game for this city, win a playoff game for this city that hasnt had one in so long, Goff said. Weve got a home playoff game for the first time in so long. Thats so much more important than anything personally for me. I want to be a part of this win.

Goff got closure from his time in LA by insisting on an exit interview with Rams coach Sean McVay after he was traded to Detroit. Many quarterbacks likely would have moved on and focused on what was ahead, but the veteran passer wanted to make sure he understood why the Rams had made the decision they did.

He wanted the full breakdown of why, former Rams offense tackle Andrew Whitworth told the LA Times in a 2023 piece. I thought that really showed his toughness.

Now, Goff appears to hold no ill will toward McVay. When asked on Wednesday where his relationship with McVay currently lies, Goff said their relationship was fine.

Sean and I are good, Goff said. I think hes a great coach. Obviously, we had our differences there at the end, but hes a great coach, hes done a lot of great things, and hes a guy that taught me a lot.

The way Goff talks makes it sound like hes put his past behind him long ago. When he landed in Detroit, he always expressed intrigue about the idea of building a program from the ground up. That was something he had experience with at Cal, going 1-11 his first year as a starter, and eventually getting the program to 8-5 his final college seasonthe teams best season record in six seasons (and theyve only matched that win total once since Goff left).

Now near the pinnacle of a similar journey in Detroit, Goff is hoping to deliver again.

Its exciting. Its been a goal of mine since I got here. Seeing the opportunity to be a part of something thats from the ground up, Goff said. To be able to be where were standing right now and have a chance to win the Super Bowl is pretty exciting. Weve got a long way to go, and the Rams are the first team in our way, and weve got to handle business.

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Jared Goffs motivation lies in delivering to Detroit, not revenge vs. LA - Pride Of Detroit

WEST WARWICK Without looking at the standings, you would never think that Coventry was winless with how they played against South Kingstown on Saturday.

The Oakers took advantage of nearly every mistake by the Rebels and won 6-5 in overtime. Coventry held a lead at the end of the first and second periods, finding ways to score despite SK dominating puck possession. Then, they outshot SK and won nine of 14 faceoffs in the third period before scoring quickly in overtime to win it.

SK had a 3-1 Division II record heading into the road matchup at Benny Magiera Ice Rink but traveled home feeling like it could be a low point in the season.

We took them lightly early on and it showed. The result is there, SK head coach Anthony Simeone said. Every team needs that one loss to motivate you the rest of the way. I told them to let tonight be the loss that pushes us the rest of the season.

While SK controlled possession for most of the first two periods, the formula for Coventry was simple throughout: dont waste their rushes. Coventry scored five of their six goals as a direct result of a break into the zone rather than a continuous possession.

The Oakers have a tiny roster of just 14 skaters, but theyre filled with speed. Goal scoring wasnt the reason they entered Saturdays game with an 0-4-1 D-II record, it was the fact that theyd allowed 7.6 goals per game in that stretch.

We beat them in the Christmas tournament and they gave us a good game, Simeone said about SKs 4-1 win on Dec. 27. They have a few really good kids on their team and they've got a great coaching staff that keeps them motivated. It just felt like the bounces went their way tonight, and they played a good game, but that's hockey.

SK went up 1-0 at 4:27 in the first period when Rebel sophomore Aaron Jarbeau scored on a tip-in on a pass by senior Michael Peters from behind the net, but that was the Rebels only lead of the night and it only lasted for a minute and a half.

Coventry broke into their offensive zone and got their first shot of the night on SK goalie Lucas Gordon who froze the puck to force a faceoff. The Oakers won the draw and got the puck to Collin King in the opposite faceoff circle who wristed it past Gordon.

Just over a minute and a half later, King stole the puck during a lengthy SK possession, skated all the way behind the net at the other end and passed to teammate Jack Horsman who one-timed it in for a goal.

Peters tied the game shortly after with a snipe from the slot on a rush of the Rebels own, but Coventry took the lead back before the end of the period with a powerplay goal at 11:21 by King on a rebound chance.

SK outshot Coventry 14-5 and won 14 of 24 faceoffs in the first period, yet Coventry had the momentum and led the game 3-2.

I think that's a good statistic that shows we had defensive breakdowns, Simeone said about allowing three goals on five shots. We had the puck in their zone most of the time and we just did a bad job getting back on defense, or covering their defensemen, or covering the guy who had the puck. We took too many penalties that led to them having odd-man rushes. When they shot, they scored because they just had those 2-on-1s or 3-on-2s; nobody was covering them.

SK dominated play early in the second period as well, at one point leading both shots and faceoffs 8-1 each, but that eighth faceoff win went to Rebel senior Ethan Hood who wristed it off the post. King received the puck for Coventry and went coast to coast against one defenseman who was unable to stop him from scoring his hat-trick goal to go up 4-2.

Hood got his revenge just 53 seconds later when he scored a goal on a wraparound. Rebels leading scorer Nolan Quirk sniped one top blocker shortly after to tie the game, but again Coventry retook the lead before the period ended. This time the goal came on a continuous possession where Gordon made two tough saves in a row before Coventrys Matt Horsman put the puck in the net on a third chance.

Our guys need to do a better job of helping Lucas out, Simeone said. I'm telling [Gordon], Don't be afraid to get in your guys' ears as well. I know you're trying out there and I'm going to get the guys to figure it out defensively. It's not his fault. We're just having breakdowns which is leading to them scoring. It happened the whole night. We have to be better defensively.

The third period was nearly the opposite of the first two as Coventry controlled possession for a chunk of time and outshot SK 11-7 but didnt score, while SK tied it up to send the game to overtime. Gordon stopped all 11 shots he faced in the period.

Quirk scored the tying goal on a penalty kill, shooting the puck from near the corner at an odd angle and ending up in the net. For a player who kills penalties and made a host of good defensive plays on Saturday, it was Quirks eighth goal of the year which is second in the entire RIIL.

We feel that he's one of the best players in the state of Rhode Island because he does it on both ends, Simeone said about Quirk. He's been tremendous for us in both aspects. When he goes defense to offense it really rallies the guys for us.

With 28 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 5, Quirk got caught in the middle of a team-wide scuffle and got sent to the penalty box along with Coventrys Jack Horsman. The Rebels, however, took an extra penalty on the play as Sean Dwyer, who also kills penalties, went to the box for slashing to send Coventry to the power play which carried into overtime.

Without Quirk or Dwyer on the ice for the overtime 4-on-3 penalty kill, Coventrys Evan Rogers drove into the zone and backhanded the puck past Gordon at 1:01 in overtime for the victory.

On the night, SK took eight penalties while Coventry took four. The Rebels outshot the Oakers 32-26. Faceoffs were dead even at 31.

The message in the locker room was to use this to come together as a group, Simeone said. Tonight there was a lot of back-and-forth talk amongst each other, kids being kids, but I didn't think we played a bad hockey game thats not why we lost; we had about 30 shots on net and we dominated time on attack. I said, Use this loss to come together as one. We know how good we can be and we just need to commit to building from this, learning from this and not letting this distance one another.

Next up for SK is a Friday night match at Boss Arena against Cranston (3-1). It's a chance to prove the loss was just a fluke while maybe turning it into a spark that ignites them the rest of the way. Another loss, on the other hand, could mean the start of a spiraling losing streak. Puck drop is at 8:15 p.m.

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Boys Hockey: Rebels dealt gut punch; look to use it as motivation - The Independent

We all know that sometimes it's not the

If your New Year's Resolution was to work out regularly, or start up (and commit!) to a training plan, then you might be feeling especially 'meh' at this point in the month apparently the second Friday of January is known as 'Quitters Day' and is the time at which we all bail on our 'new year, new me' commitments.

But not you. Oh no, because you have our 16 tricks to stay on top your plan and committed to that #GymLife (including advice from top personal trainer and online coach, Hannah Kerridge, founder of HKFitness)...

The key to getting an early morning gym sesh in is to make it as easy as possible to roll out of bed before your brain has time to realise what you're doing. Prep everything you can the night before - we're talking your breakfast, your headphones, and crucially, your outfit. Some gym bunnies even swear by sleeping in their workout gear so that they really can just get up and go. It'll feel a little gross at first, but hey, it's going to get sweaty anyway, right?

The worst sound in the world is that droning, beeping iPhone alarm, so why are we all still waking up to it every single morning? Switching to your go-to dance jam will make those early starts a little more bearable, putting a spring in your step before you even get the first sniff of coffee.

Go for something with a strong beat, the type of track you'd want to work out to - and make sure to mix up the playlist, lest you condition yourself to hate the song more than you hated the OG iPhone alarm in the first place.

Let's face it: if you don't physically have to get out from under the covers, it just ain't happening. Provided you don't share a room with someone who gets up significantly later than you, leaving your alarm or phone as far out of your reach as possible will force you to leave your duvet cocoon to switch it the hell off. By the time that you're vertical, the hard part is already over, and you might as well crack on.

Forcing yourself to attend a kickboxing class when you hate martial arts? Not a vibe. Having to rouse yourself to go to a dance class that you adore when you get there? So much better, says Kerridge. "You're more likely to stick with and be enthusiastic about an exercise plan if you actually enjoy what you're doing," she notes. "Trying a new class in particular can boost motivation too, not only does it mean you won't have to think about or plan what exercises to do you just turn up, do the class and go home but our brains respond well to novelty."

Time your hair washing schedule around your workouts

Let's say you're going to work out three times a week, and you're an every other day kinda hair-washer. Make a deal with yourself that you can only wash your hair after the sweaty end of that hardcore spin class or half hour run - and if you don't go, you've gotta stick with the grease. Not only is a long hot shower a great post-workout treat, if you do choose to skip it, you know there's only so much that dry shampoo can do

Use old pictures to your advantage

Instead of paying heed to the advice of picking a snap where you're unhappy with how you look, why not set your background to a picture where you felt best in your body? Every time you see that image, you'll be reminded of your goal, and the fact that it is achievable, because you can see it on yourself.

However, a word of caution here, says Kerridge: "You also need to be realistic. If you're looking at a photo of yourself from a year ago, when you were in the best shape of your life and you want to work back towards that, then great!

"But if people are using images of themselves from years ago, say their teenage years and they're now in their thirties, that's not going to work. Our bodies change over time, for a million reasons (hormones, giving birth, metabolism slowing down), and that's normal. Don't set yourself up to fail by setting an unrealistic target for yourself."

... or surround yourself with fitspirational quotes

Set that lock screen to a motivational fitness quote instead. Whether it's 'you'll never regret a workout, but you'll regret skipping one' or 'stop wishing, start doing', pick an inspirational gym phrase that resonates with you and keep it somewhere prominent.

In addition to your phone, you could use it as your wallpaper on your work computer, or stick a print of it on the mirror you look into every morning. It's all about that mentality, baby.

According to colour theory, red is the colour of energy, making it ideal for days when you're working on crushing your cardio. No need to go head-to-toe tomato, as even a little pop is likely to invigorate you, and you can get similar stimulation from brights like neon too.

At the other end of the spectrum, cooler blues and greens can aid concentration and focus for slower-paced workouts like yoga or weights.

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Feeling like you can't face exercise at all today? Tell yourself that you're just going to put your kit on. Once you're wearing the right stuff, it's very unlikely you'll change back out of it without doing anything. Promise that you'll work out for just five minutes, and then five minutes more, and keep challenging yourself until you're really, truly done. Even if you only do 15 minutes, it's 15 minutes more that you felt like you wanted to do at the beginning.

A killer workout playlist is obviously a great motivator, but sometimes, a really great podcast is even better. Podcasts vary from hilarious (we're loving Call Her Daddy and Kathy Burke's When There's A Will, There's A Wake) to fascinating (BBC History Extra Podcast, anyone?) to inspirational (TED Talks), so there's something out there to distract everyone from the pain of sweating it out on the treadmill. Limit yourself to only listening to an episode or a chapter when you're exercising - soon enough, you'll hit an awesome cliffhanger that will make you uncharacteristically desperate for your next workout, just so you can find out what happens.

Be it at the end of the working day, or first-thing in the morning when all you want to do is crawl back into bed for some sneaky extra kip, repeating a mantra will help. "Instead of thinking 'urgh, I have to work out' why not try repeating to yourself 'I'm lucky that I can workout' or 'I'm grateful that I have a gym pass'," Kerridge suggests. "It'll help you to feel like exercise isn't a punishment, but a positive addition to your life. The second you start seeing it as a punishment is the second that motivation levels will start to dip."

She also advises remembering your 'why' so why you wanted to commit to working out in the first place and repeating a mantra related to that e.g. 'I'm doing this to feel more confident on my next holiday' or 'I'm doing this because I know it helps my mental health'.

If people can show off about their incredible holiday or latest shopping haul, you're well without your rights to shout about your fitness regime from the rafters. Not only is using social media a great way to record your progress and keep yourself accountable, it gives you instant gratification every time you upload a snap and the hearts start flooding in. If you can't bring yourself to exercise for the health benefits, the endorphins or the epic meal you'll get to eat afterwards, then by all means, do it for the likes.

Most of us wouldn't go to work if we didn't earn money, so applying the same principle totally makes sense - almost like tipping yourself every time you keep to your workout schedule.

We get it: most of us work out for another glass of vino, or an extra slice of cake, and we'd never deny you booze or carbs. But if you can break free of the cycle of feeling like you have to 'earn' food, you can learn to associate other enjoyable activities with exercise for instance, always having a hot bath with expensive bubbles or watching an hour of your fave Netflix show after a workout. Eventually, your body will begin to anticipate the treat at the end of the hard stuff, and you'll start realising it's totally worth it after all.

Having someone to rely on for added motivation can be really beneficial, says Kerridge. "Not only will they spur you on, but you're less likely to bail especially during an early morning session if you know someone is relying on you!"

There will be times that taking a day off is needed and beneficial, says Kerridge, but you need to be honest with yourself. Are you really sick or are you feeling lazy? Or are you feeling like it's not worth your time anymore because the results aren't happening fast enough? "If you work out three times a week for an hour, that's around 1.8% of your week, and in the grand scheme of things... that's nothing. Those three sessions are enough to reduce your risk of diabetes, depression, certain cancers and more. Exercise can be your superpower and should be celebrated."

"Don't go in with an all or nothing mindset, a lot of people lose motivation because they expect their whole life just to be figured out in the gym, or they want quick results and if they don't see them, their will to work out drops," she adds. "Understand it's a lifestyle change and a long process, but as part of that even the most dedicated of gym rats take time off. The key thing is they get back to it after a break or some time out."

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Lost your motivation to work out? These 16 hacks will help - Cosmopolitan UK

This week marked the 15th year since the first block, the genesis block, was mined on the Bitcoin blockchain. For more than 10 of those years, industry stalwarts have pleaded with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve a U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), an instrument that's predicted to open the floodgates to a wave of institutional investment.

So far, the SEC has rejected every application, but that may be about to change. Analysts are predicting that at least one of the more than a dozen current proposals will be approved as early as Friday.

Opinions on what will happen in the crypto market if approval is granted are mixed.

Gabor Gurbacs, the director of digital assets strategy at VanEck, said that while a spot ETF will create "trillions in value" over the long term, people tend to "overestimate the initial impact of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs," and initial flows will equal only "a few hundred million of (mostly recycled) money."

Other analysts say approval will require ETF issuers to purchase tens of billions dollars of bitcoin to satisfy the institutional demand, leading to a radical shift in the supply and demand dynamics. Some analysts even predict a "supply shock" after exchange balances fell to a five-year low in October. A lack of bitcoin on exchanges suggests holders are storing it in their personal wallets, a sign they're less inclined to sell.

Analysis of flows into the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD), the first spot gold ETF in the U.S., which debuted in 2004, is informative. GLD amassed $1.9 billion in inflation-adjusted terms in its first four weeks, with the tally rising to $4.8 billion by the end of the first year, according to crypto exchange Coinbase. The ETF currently has $57.37 billion in total assets.

Going back further in time, Invesco's QQQ, an ETF that tracks the Nasdaq-100 index of some of the world's most innovative companies, was launched in March 1999, a year before the dotcom bubble burst. The fund saw inflows of $847 million ($1.6 billion in today's dollars) in the first 30 days.

And closer to home, the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), based on bitcoin futures, amassed around $1.5 billion in inflation-adjusted terms in the 30 days after its introduction in October 2021, when sentiment across crypto asset classes was uber bullish. As of Thursday, the fund held $1.65 billion in total assets.

BITO, which invests in regulated CME futures rather than actual cryptocurrency, is exposed to rollover costs. The fund has, nevertheless, closely tracked bitcoin's spot price since inception and been a viable option for people looking for exposure to bitcoin without the ownership and storage hassles.

Another consideration is the global economy, with elevated risk-free interest rates worldwide and worsening household finances. That macroeconomic environment plays against a scenario of strong mainstream uptake for spot ETFs.

Bitcoin has rallied 61% since early October, largely on expectations the SEC will approve one or more of the spot ETF applications. That's prompted several analysts to forecast a sell-the-news-led pullback once the ETFs go live. They say the price will drop as investors who'd benefited from the run-up sell to lock in their profits once the news is confirmed.

Consider the debut of CME bitcoin futures in December 2017, Coinbase's listing on Nasdaq in mid-April 2021, and the debut of several futures ETFs, including BITO. On those occasions, bitcoin had been rallying only to crash in the weeks after the events.

For instance, bitcoin surged 15% in the three days before the SEC approved the first futures ETFs. A month later it hit a record high $69,000 and then crashed into a bear market that lasted for more than a year.

CryptoQuant suggested last week that bitcoin could slump to as low as $32,000 because the amount of unrealized profits in the market is at a level that historically precedes a so-called price correction, often considered a drop of 10% in crypto markets. Bitcoin rallied 160% last year and has gained almost 4% this month.

CryptoQuant is not alone in predicting a decline. QCP Capital, a Singapore-based crypto trading firm, said on Telegram last month that initial demand for the ETFs could be lower than expected, setting the stage for a classic sell-the-news scenario.

Investors concerned about a replay of what followed the launches of CME futures and ProShares' BITO may want to note that both came when the market, having rallied by several hundred percent in 12 months, looked ripe for a correction.

This time round, the expected spot ETF launch comes ahead of the Bitcoin blockchain's quadrennial mining-reward halving, which has previously marked the beginning of meteoric price rallies. It also follows this week's brief price slide to $41,000 in a sell-off that liquidated $400 million in leverage bets and wiped out $2 billion in futures open interest.

The difference between earlier sell-the-news events and this one is that a spot bitcoin ETF involves actual bitcoin, removing supply from the market. The CME's launch of futures prompted price declines because it allowed traders to synthetically short the cryptocurrency following a ferocious bull market that was led by 2017's unsustainable ICO mania.

Another aspect of a spot bitcoin ETF is that institutional investors such as the typically conservative pension funds and insurance funds will gain a way to add exposure to native bitcoin, as opposed to an ETF derivative or bitcoin proxy shares like Coinbase (COIN) or MicroStrategy (MSTR).

There are currently 35 gold ETFs in the U.S., with total assets under management standing at $118.70 billion. A recent report by financial services firm NYDIG drew parallels between them and a potential bitcoin ETF.

"Given Bitcoins roughly 3.6 times higher volatility compared to gold, investors would need approximately 3.6 times less Bitcoin than dollar-denominated gold to achieve an equivalent level of risk exposure," the report said. "This would still translate to an additional demand of nearly $30 billion for a Bitcoin ETF."

UPDATE (Jan. 5, 14:05 UTC): Adds bullet points at top of the story.

Originally posted here:

If a Bitcoin ETF Is Approved, Heres What May Happen - CoinDesk

Bitcoin surged to start 2024, topping $45,000 for the first time since April 2022 amid an uptick in geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea and growing optimism around a potential bitcoin exchange-traded fund approval.

The world's largest cryptocurrency hit an intraday high of $45,913.30 early Tuesday morning, according to Coin Metrics. That was its highest level since April 5, 2022, and the first time it has traded above the $45,000 mark since then. It was last higher by nearly 3%, trading at $44,952.89.

The increase showed bitcoin's role as a hedge against uncertainty, which investors became familiar with last year. Over the weekend, a Maersk vessel came under attack by four small boats crewed by Houthi militants, who are based in Yemen and backed by Iran.

Most of the six-month rally in bitcoin is tied to the potential ETF, but before that narrative came into play, bitcoin's biggest catalyst was the regional banking crisis in the U.S. That led to bitcoin's first big gain of the year, allowing the cryptocurrency to shine as an alternative to the legacy system in place and hedge against uncertainty.

The move also comes amid continued excitement among traders that the U.S. could approve the first bitcoin ETF. This would allow investors to buy a product that tracks the price of bitcoin without having to own the cryptocurrency directly, likely appealing to larger institutional investors.

On Friday, BlackRock and other potential issuers updated the registration forms for their proposed bitcoin ETFs, including names of authorized participants. Investors are reading that extra detail as evidence that a decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is coming soon. Many industry experts expect the funds to be approved in January.

The continued price gains for bitcoin follow 2023's hot streak, when the price of the digital coin rose 157% and many expect the pop to continue.

Investors have high hopes for bitcoin in 2024. A decision on an ETF is widely expected to come sometime in January. Shortly after, in the spring, the Bitcoin halving is expected to take place, an event that historically has preceded steep price increases. Plus, Fed officials are anticipating at least three interest rate cuts this yearafter almost two years of hikes that have hurt the cryptocurrency.

Other cryptocurrencies also ticked higher Tuesday. Ether traded at around $2,367, up roughly 1%.

CNBC's Jesse Pound contributed to this report.

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Bitcoin tops $45,000 for the first time since April 2022 as crypto jumps to kick off new year - CNBC