Title: Blockchain's "Safe Standards"? More Like the Same Old Song and Dance
So, the Blockchain Payments Consortium (BPC) is here to "save" us. Another consortium, another promise of interoperability, another round of self-congratulatory press releases. Give me a break.
What's the BPC actually doing? Defining "safe, common standards." Oh, goodie. Because the problem with blockchain payments isn't a lack of standards, it's that... wait, what is the problem? Is it that they're clunky, slow, expensive, and about as user-friendly as a tax audit? Maybe.
The BPC claims it'll "enhance blockchain transactions with data requirements of traditional payments." Translation: We're going to bolt on all the bureaucratic crap that makes traditional payments so delightful in the first place. You know, the stuff that makes sure every transaction is tracked, traced, and reported to every government agency under the sun. Progress!
Standards? More Like Straightjackets
"Act as a bridge between blockchain ecosystems, regulators, and traditional financial institutions." That's code for "we're going to neuter blockchain until it's palatable to the same dinosaurs who are actively trying to kill it." I mean, let's be real, are regulators ever going to be truly happy with something they can't fully control?
And Stellar Development Foundation as a "founding member"? Of course. Because nothing screams "decentralized revolution" like a bunch of corporations getting together to decide how everyone else should play. More information on Stellar's involvement can be found in Stellar Development Foundation Joins Blockchain Payments Consortium as Founding Member.
It's like herding cats, except the cats are all libertarian crypto bros who think regulation is literally the devil. Good luck with that, guys.
Oh, and speaking of things that make no sense... My internet provider is throttling my bandwidth again. How am I supposed to write scathing indictments of the tech industry when I'm staring at a loading screen every five seconds? It's like they want me to be happy and productive. The nerve.
HIVE Mind or Herd Mentality?
Then there's HIVE Digital Technologies. They're "blending blockchain and AI," which sounds like the plot of a bad sci-fi movie where the robots steal your crypto. More on this can be found in Is HIVE Digital Technologies (TSXV:HIVE) Blending Blockchain and AI the Next Step in Its Growth Story?.
Apparently, Simply Wall St has a range of "fair value estimates" for HIVE that stretches from US$3.46 to a whopping US$34.63. That's not a range, that's a freakin' canyon. What are we supposed to do with that information? Flip a coin?
"Dilution risk remains front and center." You don't say. Because nothing inspires investor confidence like the constant threat of having your shares diluted into oblivion. It's the circle of life for penny stocks.
HIVE is building "Tier III+ AI data centers powered by renewable energy." That's nice, I guess. It's also what every company trying to greenwash their image is doing these days. Slap a solar panel on it and call it a day. Problem solved.
The kicker? "Substantial insider selling and dilution over the past year are already key worries." Hmm, insider selling... why does that not surprise me?
I wonder how many of the people pushing this stock actually own it?
So, What's the REAL Story?
This is just the same old story, repackaged for a new generation of suckers. Blockchain was supposed to be a revolution, but it's quickly turning into another tool for the establishment to consolidate power and extract wealth. And offcourse, they'll dress it up in buzzwords like "interoperability" and "safe standards" to make it sound palatable. Don't fall for it.
