Looks like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will authorize and regulate a Bitcoin ETF ( Exchange Traded Fund),  which means if you are thinking about starting your own crypto currency, you will have to register with the SEC and hire securities lawyers to complete the blizzard/tsunami of required  paperwork,,,,,,,,,,which means mucho much mucho mucho $$$$$$$ lawyer fees.

That's why Bitcoin recently went up to about $ 45,000 since a regulated ETF will attract many traders ( mandatory segregation of trader funds etc etc ) versus the gang of crooks currently in operation.

If you are thinking of becoming involved in  Crypto,  I suggest you read this link.........It's kind of a long article but I think it is important.



https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/asia/chinese-scam-operations-american-victims-intl-hnk-dst/


Here is another one

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/12/22/myanmar-pig-butchering-scams-watson-pkg-intl-ldn-vpx.cnn

Looks like the Nano market lends itself to be easily manipulated..........
mucho, mucho, mucho  caveat emptor.

Maybe you should think twice before you write your next personal check,

Seems like everything nowadays is a scam.


https://news.yahoo.com/check-washing-scam-running-rampant-150128110.html

Another example of confiscation of funds.......13 year old girl was the victim.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/waconia-family-says-bank-closed-042939175.html

If you are considering playing poker for a living, this is what you are dealing with when you play poker for high stakes.


https://www.pokernews.com/news/2023/12/wesley-airball-accuse-mars-cheating-poker-games-45012.htm

I love the part where they put a "special" deck into the game........also it seems that there are decks imported from China that are marked and you can see the actual cards being held by all the players, and are all but impossible to be detected.........probably you need special contact lenses to see the cards.

This is the type of situation which I was trying to describe above................which is the ultimate nightmare for people who had no criminal intent:



https://ij.org/case/us-private-vaults-missing-property/

 If you are carrying alot of cash in the USA to play poker, baccarat etc etc ...these articles may be of interest to you ( I'm not sure what the laws are in other countries )

https://endforfeiture.com/?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=civil-forfeiture&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgqGrBhDtARIsAM5s0_mTTOZjlPTcf5wg4O-p3g2ipDmOuiPFQgBAT3xkeaApjpSH5uKtGTIaAuHUEALw_wcB

https://civilrights.org/resource/why-civil-asset-forfeiture-is-legalized-theft/

https://ij.org/issues/private-property/civil-forfeiture/

A good  idea is to buy some Travelers checks and/or money orders and hide them in your shoes if you are planning on taking a long car or train ride to a casino or somewhere else.

Well if the article is trustworthy and there were no crooked dealers involved, then it appears there may be some type of mechanical method to beat the game if you can test it over a large sample size..

However, just like many slot machine and baccarat cheats in las vegas, instead of being satisfied with small consistent winnings, they got greedy and played too long in one casino and played for too high stakes.

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/casino-cheaters-caught-011620

Looks like me and king fu read the same articles all the time.

I do not understand how anyone can "invest" in bitcoin, crypto...etc etc which is totally unregulated and it seems that every week there is a story where someone rips off tens of millions of dollars ...but it seems that the SEC may eventually authorize a crypto ETF where you can trade it just like a stock in a regulated market......I think that would attract a lot of traders since it would be regulated and you can be sure you can get your money out at any time.

Not sure if anyone is still interested but here is another act in the crypto circus:


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/23/htx-heco-chain-crypto-hack-115-million-stolen-so-far.html

If anyone is still interested. here is another crypto news item:



https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/21/investing/binance-changpeng-zhao-treasury/index.html

Another crypto embarrassing situation:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/three-men-arrested-complex-bank-fraud-and-cryptocurrency-laundering-scheme

If you use your players card, the casino can tell if something not right is going on. 


https://www.yahoo.com/news/2-las-vegas-casino-dealers-214247419.html

This is a little off-topic but since this is an election year in the USA, I thought this quiz may be of interest

The American Psychiatric Association lists 10 Personality Disorders which can develop into severe and dangerous mental illness.

The link below describes one of these 10 mental health illnesses.

The quiz is for you to pick one of the 3 individuals listed below whom you think best describes this illness. If you can not choose one of the three listed below, then post the person  you think qualifies in this thread.

a. Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
b. Abrahm Lincoln (1809-1865)
c, Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

d, If none of the three are your choice, then post the person of your choice in this thread.

Your choice can be a person living or deceased.

https://www.nutritionfact.in/faqs/what-are-the-9-symptoms-of-narcissism

Only citizens of the USA can participate in the quiz,