Good morning! 🌞 

Guess what day it is?

National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day! Time to part ways with those forgotten Tupperware treasures lurking in the depths of your fridge. Don't worry; we won't judge 😉 . Let's make room for fresher bites and bid farewell to the relics of meals past. Clean out that fridge like you mean it, okay?

Economy

Bitcoin on the Rise!

According to a recent report from CoinShares, institutional investors are consistently investing in cryptocurrency funds as they hold out hope for the approval of a Bitcoin ETF. Last week, the European digital asset manager recorded $346 million in deposits to cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs), marking the highest over nine consecutive weeks of net inflows. The bulk of these deposits, $312 million or 90%, flowed into Bitcoin-specific funds. This influx, coupled with increasing cryptocurrency prices, has pushed the total value of assets under management in crypto funds to $45 billion.

An exchange-traded product is an investment vehicle whose shares are listed on an exchange, designed to track the performance of underlying assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, or benchmarks such as commodities, currencies, stocks, and bonds. While exchange-traded funds (ETFs) fall under the ETP umbrella, a key distinction is that a spot ETF would track the real-time price of Bitcoin, a feature none of the already-approved future Bitcoin ETFs possess.

Despite the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) concerns over volatility and manipulation risks in crypto markets, the industry remains optimistic about a potential approval for a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. Industry observers suggest that the consistent interest from institutional investors hints at an impending approval.

Financial behemoth BlackRock, along with firms like Fidelity and VanEck, are among those that applied to offer a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S.

Although not financial advice, it's reasonable to anticipate that as governments show growing approval, regulations tighten, and traditional financial institutions step into the arena, the days of the crypto wild west era and volatility are likely coming to a close.

Entertainment

Rising from the Ashes: The Future of One of the Largest Franchises of All Time

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the largest movie franchises to ever exist. But since the finale of the Avengers story line, ending with the massive success of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the franchise has has been increasingly less well received.

What is in the future for this media giant, and what is the path for recovery?

The MCU’s most recent cinematic release, The Marvels, has been a box office disaster, so far pulling in around $76 million in the domestic box office, and near $187 million world wide. It currently sits as the lowest box office of any MCU movie ever.

While $187 million sounds like a lot of money, it pales in comparison to $2.7 billion of Avengers: Endgame.

While this stands out as Marvel’s least successful movie, it's not the only one facing challenges recently, both at the box office and in terms of fan reception. Let's delve into the two primary issues plaguing Marvel's latest releases.

The Path to Recovery

The Avengers movies had very well liked characters. Getting to know them, usually through their own film, then putting them together and showing their interactions was very engaging. We knew of these characters formative experiences and driving motivations and we could see these interact and clash with the other characters.

Unfortunately, many of these early characters are no longer in the movies, and their replacements have in general have not been as well received.

Devoid of this, the only thing that could bring success back to the MCU would be movies that are good enough to stand on their own. While Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly managed that, not many of the others have.

The Big Question

To fix all these problems, do we need to reboot the whole franchise? Is starting over from scratch the best way to revitalize the story and bring back the characters we know? Taking the characters we have grown to love and showing us new and different stories that we have never seen from them? I am not sure, but I would love to see what you all think.

p.s. If we do a full reboot, my vote is for Alan Ritchson to play Captain America.

World News

Japan's Ancient Treasure Trove

In Central Japan's Kanto region, archaeologists discovered a stash of 100,000 ancient coins, some dating back 2,000 years. The find, located in the Sojamachi district where a factory was planned, included coins from China, some dating to the Western Han Dynasty (220 BCE – 9 CE). Only 334 coins have been examined so far, revealing 44 types spanning from Emperor Wendi's era (175 BCE) to the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). Although the materials weren't specified, the coins are likely copper or bronze based on their mint and burial method.

The Chinese-innovated coins featured a hole in the middle for efficient transport, storage, and counting, as they could be strung together. Discovered stacked and buried, possibly hastily, on property owned by wealthy members of ancient Japanese society, the coins were bundled in sets of around 100. A total of 1,060 bundles were unearthed, with traces of a straw mat indicating they were bundled before burial. The oldest coin, a Chinese ban liang, hints at the early days of unified China. The discovery also suggests that the area may have been a center of power for the long-gone Kozuke province during the Kofun Period, as other relics have been found in the vicinity.

Sports

McLaren Sign F1 Academy’s First Female Member

Bianca Bustamante, an 18-year-old F1 Academy racer, has made history by becoming the first female driver to join the McLaren Driver Development program. Born in the Philippines, she entered the scene in 2022, securing top rookie honors in the W Series. This year, she notched up two wins and two podiums with PREMA Racing in the F1 Academy.

As part of the McLaren program, Bustamante will race for the team on the 2024 F1 Academy grid, partnering with ART Grand Prix. The McLaren Driver Development initiative aims to nurture talent towards Formula 1, IndyCar, and Formula E.

Expressing her excitement, Bustamante said, "Signing with McLaren and ART Grand Prix is beyond anything I could've imagined. I'm grateful for this opportunity and believe I have the best structure for my career development. In 2024, my focus is on consistency and mental strength to challenge for the F1 Academy title."

Emanuele Pirro, Director of McLaren Racing Driver Development, praised Bustamante's work ethic and alignment with the team's values. He looks forward to her representing the team in the F1 Academy series in 2024.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.

Mind Stretchers

🌧️ 

A woman walks outside in the pouring rain without an umbrella or a hat but not a single hair on her head gets wet. How is that possible?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers
The horizon