Sergei Sergienko

🏛 Louisiana is now accepting crypto payments. State Treasurer John Fleming just announced that residents can use Bitcoin and USDC for state services. The first payment has already been made. Kinda fun how the US has such mixed feelings about crypto. Some states are super progressive, others are still resistant. I wonder how this all plays out.

🕺 Vitalik took the stage at Token 2049 and performed Castle in the Sky in Japanese like he was born to be a J-pop star. If he’s this fearless with his vocals, imagine what he can do with Ethereum...

💡 Came across the Web3 Workforce Survey by Consensys. It states that the majority of Web3 professionals—86%—are optimistic about the future of the industry. Key findings include a strong preference for flexible pay options, with many wanting a mix of crypto and fiat, and a high value placed on remote work. Very encouraging! 🌱 The survey also highlights a need for greater diversity, as the industry is currently skewed toward younger, predominantly male professionals. Surerly, mix of voices will keep things fresh and help us thrive.

🏢 Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent out a letter addressing the company’s culture and management bloat. He’s cutting down layers of managers and tackling the bureaucracy that’s slowed Amazon down—calling out dreadful things like "pre-meetings for the pre-meetings." Jassy is also pushing for a full return to the office five days a week. I obviously think that’s a step backward. Pretty sure that forcing people back into the office doesn’t fix Amazon’s deeper problems and might even add unnecessary friction.

⚖️ Balancing the drive to make money with a desire to do something meaningful can be tricky. On one hand, you want to earn a good living; on the other, you want to create something that truly helps people. I’ve realised these goals can work together. When you focus on building something valuable that solves real problems, success and profits often follow. 💡 Chasing money is short-term, but creating something with purpose leaves an impact. Aim for both.

🌱 Binance stepping in with $1 million in BNB to help those affected by typhoon in Vietnam is a good example of how crypto can save the day. Charity needs blockchain: you know exactly where the money’s going. No disappearing acts. Charity with receipts—because transparency matters. Plus, no waiting weeks for bureaucracy to catch up. Crypto’s got speed and accountability all in one.

💯 Vitalik’s push for higher ecosystem standards resonates with me. At Chrono.tech and LaborX, we’ve come across many enthusiastic startups looking to partner with us. However, we quickly realized that excitement alone isn’t enough. High standards for security and reliability must be in place. Until now, we carefully choose who we work with. Just like Vitalik emphasizes higher standards for L2s, we prioritize working with partners who meet certain criteria.

🏦 Interesting piece by WSJ on Tether. While Bitcoin grabs most of the spotlight, USDT is creating what the Journal calls "a parallel economy." Based in the British Virgin Islands, it facilitates cross-border transactions, serving as a bypass for US sanctions. It’s also helping less savory activities. But let’s be real: Tether’s influence is massive—$190 billion flows through it daily, almost as much as Visa. And despite its enormous profit last year, $6.2 billion, the company operates with minimal oversight. Tether claims to work with law enforcement and is enhancing its transaction monitoring, but the scope of its impact is impressive. And a bit concerning.

🍓 We don’t have all the details on Strawberry yet, but what we do know is exciting. The new OpenAI model promises to handle complex, multi-step problems with a focus on text. It might be slower (10-20 seconds per query) and pricier, but when it comes to solving tough problems, can we really expect quick solutions?

📱 Apple's latest updates were pretty much what I expected—AI is everywhere, and that’s exciting because AI rocks! The dedicated photo button on the iPhone 16 and reducing the number of cameras are smart moves. It was starting to get a bit ridiculous with all those lenses. Sometimes, less is more.