The Shiba Inu community continues to gradually diminish the circulating SHIB supply by conducting regular burns. According to fresh data shared by the Shibburn portal, over the past week, a significant portion of these meme coins has been pushed out of circulation for good.

Meanwhile, over the past day, the SHIB price has displayed a mild decline after failing to continue the 1.9% rise on Friday.

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20.3 million SHIB dissolved from supply

In a recent tweet, the aforementioned blockchain tracker revealed that over the past seven days, the Shiba Inu community has managed to dispose of a substantial meme coin batch as 20,311,173 SHIB were transferred to unspendable blockchain addresses.

This helped to drive the weekly burn rate by 43.66%, while the daily one has gone down by 97.15% due to a very small amount of SHIB burned over the past 24 hours. Since last morning, the community has so far managed to burn 69,808 SHIB.

SHIB price crashes following Bitcoin drawdown

In the meantime, the price of the prominent meme-themed asset, SHIB, has dropped mildly, losing 1.67% today. This price decline was likely triggered by Bitcoin’s drawdown as BTC sharply fell by 2.4% on Friday, losing the $113,250 mark and landing at $110,560. It has been moving in that price range so far. The decline happened in a single mammoth red candle on an hourly chart.

SHIB’s price fall, also marked by a huge red candle, followed a similar rise of 3.83% as the meme coin strove to surpass the $0.00001248 resistance level. At the time of this writing, SHIB is changing hands at $0.00001225.

Bitcoin has entered a consolidation phase after reaching $124,500 earlier this month and retracing below the $115,000 mark. The sharp move higher followed by weeks of sideways action has left the market in a state of uncertainty, with traders watching closely for the next decisive move. For many analysts, this consolidation is not a sign of weakness but rather a natural pause before the next leg higher.

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A push above the all-time high would be the clearest confirmation that the next wave of growth has begun. Momentum, however, remains dependent on whether buyers can reclaim lost ground and sustain pressure against resistance levels. Despite short-term caution, onchain signals suggest the broader cycle is still building toward expansion.

According to key data shared by CryptoQuant, the Bitcoin Composite Probability points to an early accumulation phase. Historically, such phases occur before major breakouts, when patient investors quietly build positions while price consolidates. This indicator aligns with the idea that the market is resetting before another surge.

Bitcoin Market Structure Points To Early Accumulation

According to top analyst Axel Adler, Bitcoin’s current cycle can be broken down into clear phases of accumulation and distribution. The index highlights two major accumulation points: the first in March 2023, when Bitcoin traded around $22,000, and the second in August–September 2023, near the $29,000 level. These zones marked periods when long-term holders and new entrants quietly built positions before the next leg upward.

Following these accumulation phases, Adler identifies five distribution waves where profit-taking dominated: first between $34,000 and $44,000, then at $62,000, followed by $90,000, $109,000, and most recently at $118,000. Each wave represented a step higher in the market structure, but also a point where sellers gradually released supply back into the market.

Currently, CryptoQuant’s composite places Bitcoin at a Probability of 38% with a Min-Max of 31%, which he defines as the “repair zone.” This phase, also referred to as digestion or base formation, reflects early accumulation without yet confirming an upward reversal. In other words, while the groundwork for a new rally may be forming, conviction from buyers has not fully returned.

For investors, this repair zone carries important implications. Historically, such phases have preceded new bullish waves, offering opportunities for those willing to accumulate before momentum shifts. As Bitcoin consolidates below its highs, Adler suggests that the market may be quietly preparing for continuation — a reminder that consolidation often sets the stage for the next decisive move.

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Testing Pivotal Level As Downtrend Extends

Bitcoin is trading around $109,800 after another sharp drop, reinforcing the selling pressure that has weighed on price action throughout August. The 4-hour chart highlights BTC’s continued struggle to regain momentum following repeated rejections near the $123,000 resistance zone. Each attempt to push higher has been met with heavy supply, leaving the market to trend lower in a series of lower highs and lower lows.

Currently, BTC sits just above the $110,000 mark, a level acting as short-term support. However, the broader structure remains bearish, with price trading below the 50-day ($112,725), 100-day ($115,023), and 200-day ($115,831) moving averages. These technical levels now serve as overhead resistance, further complicating the path for bulls to stage a meaningful recovery.

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If Bitcoin fails to hold the $110,000 support, the next downside target lies near $108,000, with a deeper correction potentially extending toward $106,000. Conversely, a bounce from current levels would require reclaiming $112,000 to ease immediate pressure, while a decisive move above $115,000 would be essential to shift momentum back in favor of buyers.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin is trading at a pivotal level after losing momentum from the $120,000 zone and slipping into deeper volatility. The price is now testing the $112,000 support level, a key zone for bulls to defend in order to avoid further bearish pressure. While the broader trend remains constructive in the long term, the short-term outlook has tilted toward weakness, with momentum indicators showing a leaning toward the downside.

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Analysts highlight this moment as a potential inflection point for the market. A strong defense of current levels could reset sentiment and allow Bitcoin to consolidate before another breakout attempt. However, failure to hold above $112K may trigger a sharper correction, opening the path toward deeper support levels.

Adding to the cautious tone, CryptoQuant’s head of research, Julio Moreno, shared new data showing that the CryptoQuant Bull Score Index has shifted into a neutral signal. This shift highlights that while selling pressure hasn’t fully taken over, the market is no longer in clear bullish territory. The coming days will be decisive in determining Bitcoin’s short-term trajectory.

Bitcoin Indicator Signals Caution

According to CryptoQuant’s head of research, Julio Moreno, Bitcoin’s Bull Score Index has shifted from a “Bullish Cooldown” phase to a “Neutral” phase. The index, which tracks overall market strength using a combination of trading flows, investor behavior, and derivatives data, declined from 70 to 50. This move signals that bullish momentum has weakened, leaving Bitcoin in a more balanced state between buyers and sellers.

Moreno noted that “for risk management purposes, further softening in the index indicates price could go lower.” This means that while the neutral zone doesn’t yet imply a confirmed downtrend, any additional deterioration could increase the probability of deeper corrections. Traders are therefore closely watching upcoming sessions, as price action around the $112K–$115K support zone will be critical in shaping short-term direction.

The broader context remains constructive. Bitcoin has been in a steady uptrend since 2023, a cycle that has already delivered massive gains and propelled the asset to new all-time highs above $124K earlier this month. Many analysts argue that the market is now in the final phase of this bull run, where volatility typically rises and investor sentiment becomes divided between expectations of continuation and warnings of exhaustion.

As the month comes to an end, global macroeconomic factors—including interest rate policies, institutional inflows, and liquidity conditions—will play a decisive role. If Bitcoin holds its support and fundamentals remain strong, this neutral phase may simply represent a healthy pause before the next upward move. Conversely, if weakness persists, the market could be signaling the start of a deeper consolidation phase.

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Price Action: Testing critical Support Level

Bitcoin is currently trading around $112,837, after a sharp decline from its all-time high near $123,217. The daily chart shows that BTC has slipped below the 50-day SMA ($116,158) and is now testing the 100-day SMA ($111,224) as support. This level has become a crucial line of defense for bulls.

The rejection from the $123K region highlights strong resistance overhead, which has led to several failed breakout attempts. The structure suggests that BTC has entered a consolidation phase, with the $111K–$116K zone serving as the immediate range. A decisive breakdown below $111K could open the way toward the 200-day SMA ($100,597), a level many analysts see as the final support for this cycle’s uptrend.

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Momentum indicators also align with weakening bullish pressure, as recent candles show lower highs and lower lows. However, holding above the 100-day moving average would strengthen the bull case, potentially setting up a rebound toward $118K and eventually retesting $123K.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

At the risk of being labeled the boy that cried wolf, there are early signs of a crack in the back of the NASDAQ 100 Index’s rally. These include a violation of the Lower Warning Line (dashed red line, LWL) of the Standard Pitchfork (red P1 through P3) after failing to hold the retaken ground above the Lower Parallel (sold red line). I know I’ve been beating a dead horse for weeks, but there continues to be a repeated non-confirmation of the higher price highs in the Momentum / Breadth Oscillator (dashed yellow lines). Not only does it reflect deterioration in upside momentum, but it also speaks to decaying breadth. There are early signs of a break of the trend in relative outperformance versus the SPX as witnessed by a drop below its longer-term moving average (blue line) for the first time in months (a drop of the shorter-term moving average, red line through the longer, would confirm the breakdown). There has been a sharp turn lower in the Stochastic Momentum Index (bottom panel) that at the very least suggests a potential deeper price retracement than we have seen in months. There is no question that I am sticking my neck out with this warning considering that over the next three days there could be news driven volatility in the rates market that will likely overflow into the equity markets. Key support is at the Kijun Plot (green line at 23,320) and second at Cloud support.

The “stripper index” — an anecdotal measurement that connects economic health with spending on adult entertainment — appears unable to predict Bitcoin’s (BTC) price.

Kodi Rose, a self-described “dollar stripper” and adult content creator, alluded to these frontline insights in a recent viral TikTok video, saying she believes the economy is already in a recession as fewer customers are asking where they can “hit the slopes,” a social code for cocaine.

The digital equivalent of exotic dancers is adult content creators, and OnlyFans dominates the space. On the platform, users subscribe to creators and tip for extras.

Turns out the stripper index doesn’t really work for Bitcoin. A 57-month revenue analysis of one mid-tier OnlyFans creator shows a negative correlation with Bitcoin’s price, despite the two moving in the same direction more than half the time.

To understand whether creators’ income holds any predictive value for Bitcoin, Cointelegraph spoke to veterans in the adult entertainment industry who’ve weathered both its ups and downs alongside crypto’s hype cycles.

Bitcoin followed OnlyFans model’s earnings 55% of the time

The stripper index is backed by the assumption that consumers will cut down on non-essential spending during economic downturns.

“Sex work is considered a ‘non-essential’ service — it’s entertainment, a luxury. Therefore, it’s one of the first expenses people cut when their financial situation becomes uncertain or they anticipate economic instability,” Catherine De Noire, an OnlyFans creator and brothel manager, told Cointelegraph. 

Related: Wrench attacks drive crypto investors to centralized custodians

Alana Nguyen, who performs on OnlyFans under the stage name “Nerdy Dancing,” shared her monthly earnings with Cointelegraph since moving online after the 2020 pandemic shut down of the physical world, including strip clubs. So far, she hasn’t noticed any clear correlation between crypto prices and subscriber behavior.

“Even if there are global economic conditions affecting overall spending, I don’t think crypto prices correlate strongly with my earnings,” Nguyen told Cointelegraph.

A Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.335 over 57 months suggests a moderately negative linear relationship between Nguyen’s earnings and Bitcoin’s price.

A 10-month rolling Pearson correlation between Nguyen’s earnings and Bitcoin’s price showed considerable volatility over time. The highest correlation was observed in the 10-month period ending July 2021, which were the first months of Nguyen’s business. 

Out of 48 total calculations, the rolling correlation coefficient was evenly split, with 24 positive and 24 negative values, suggesting the relationship between Nguyen’s earnings and Bitcoin’s price fluctuated without a consistent pattern. The rolling correlation rarely went above 0.5 or below -0.5, indicating low correlation.

In a separate measurement, Cointelegraph analyzed whether or not Nguyen’s earnings rose when Bitcoin’s monthly average rose compared to the previous month and when her revenue dropped as Bitcoin dropped. In this measurement, the two moved toward the same direction almost half the time, with 55% accuracy over 57 months.

“I’ve always thought concepts like the stripper index are only useful in terms of aggregate spending. Even in the strip club, my earnings aren’t necessarily tied to how the club is doing overall. It’s more about my personal selling ability that day — whether regulars come in or I get lucky with a big spender,” Nguyen said.

OnlyFans is notorious for opaque financial reporting. One website, OnlyGuider, claims to have analyzed the transaction behavior of over 1 million subscribers and found that the top 0.1% of creators earn the majority of the platform’s revenue.

According to data from OnlyGuider shared with Cointelegraph, the top 0.1% of creators earned $2,035,331 in April 2025, when Bitcoin’s average price was $94,207. As Bitcoin prices continued to rise in May and June, earnings for the top 0.1% also increased, reaching $2,038,972 in May and $2,052,502 in June.

Bitcoin’s relationship with OnlyFans and adult entertainment

Crypto was once seen as an alternative tool for facilitating payments to adult content creators. Pornhub, one of the industry’s largest platforms, began accepting cryptocurrency as early as 2018. OnlyFans, however, has taken a different path and does not offer crypto as a payment method.

“Crypto payments are not very popular in our brothel. Most clients prefer cash because it leaves no trace. Only a very small number of the women working with us accept crypto payments, and even then, the total number of transactions per year is extremely low,” De Noire said. 

“We haven’t noticed any significant change in spending behavior that corresponds with crypto fluctuations. Whether Bitcoin or Ethereum is performing well or not doesn’t seem to have a direct effect on how much our clients are willing to spend,” she added.

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Erotic film star Allie Eve Knox has stronger ties to the crypto community as an advocate for integrating cryptocurrency into the adult industry and through her involvement with SpankChain, which launched initiatives like SpankPay, a crypto payment option for adult creators that has since been discontinued. 

Knox, who offers her content on several platforms, including OnlyFans, agreed that the price of Bitcoin doesn’t appear to have a meaningful impact on her earnings.

“Anytime crypto hits an all-time high, our traffic actually slows,” Knox told Cointelegraph.

“People want to see the biggest number in their account and screenshot it. It’s not typical for them to go passing out money to get their wanks.”

Knox has been in the adult entertainment industry for 11 years and says she’s experienced 36 account closures over her career — from bank accounts to Cash App and PayPal. Crypto offered an alternative way to accept payments, but ironically, she claims she was de-banked even by crypto platforms.

“I showed a Showtime documentary crew how I could display my Coinbase QR code on camera, and viewers could pay me in Bitcoin or Ether. The day after it aired, Coinbase shut my account down.”

Modern payment options — whether crypto or digital banking — make transactions easier for both consumers and businesses. However, electronic methods still draw scrutiny from banks when used by sex workers. In brothels, clients often prefer cash, sometimes even leaving mid-session to withdraw money from an ATM, De Noire said.

“As an OnlyFans creator, however, I notice something a little bit similar. My subscribers generally have no issue using credit cards and trust the platform. Yet many of them still ask if they can pay via Bitcoin or other alternative methods,” she said.

“Since OF doesn’t allow payments outside the platform, I haven’t pursued this further, but it’s clear that even online clients are looking for more privacy and control over the data they share with financial institutions.”

Bitcoin’s honeymoon with OnlyFans models has passed

Web3 and adult content had their “good old days,” according to Knox, who says the non-fungible token (NFT) boom of 2021 opened up new income streams and gave creators more options to reach fans and spend their crypto earnings.

“Now, if a customer doesn’t already hold crypto, they have to move money from their bank, wait for it to clear into a wallet, maybe convert it, send it to a model, wait for confirmation and only then do they get the content,” she said.

Creators are also facing increasing barriers worldwide. Recently, China launched a nationwide crackdown on OnlyFans, while Sweden, a nation that’s politically and culturally very different from China, has imposed restrictions on purchasing adult content.

De Noire cited sociologist Zygmunt Bauman to point out that in today’s society, consumers aren’t just trying to survive, but they prioritize enjoyment.

“When you see a lot of non-essential services like massages, fancy coffee, wellness retreats or even sex work being used regularly, it’s a sign that the society has enough money going around,” De Noire said.

While cryptocurrency was once hailed as a promising payment solution for adult content creators facing financial censorship, the reality is more complex. Despite pockets of overlap, such as simultaneous rises in Bitcoin prices and earnings among top OnlyFans creators, adult entertainers and their earnings have shown little correlation with Bitcoin’s price trends. 

Magazine: Porn Payments Were Supposed to be Crypto’s Killer App: Why Have They Flopped?

Bitcoin has broken down from the two-week consolidation range that held the market between $115,724 and $122,077, reaching a new local low near $114,000. The drop confirms a shift in short-term momentum, putting bulls on the defensive. The $117,000 level—previously a key support zone—now serves as the immediate resistance that must be reclaimed to signal a possible reversal.

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The breakdown comes at a critical time, as sentiment across the market begins to shift. According to fresh data from CryptoQuant, futures sentiment turned bearish today, falling sharply before bouncing back slightly to 48%. While still close to neutral, any reading below 50% signals bearish dominance in positioning. This adds pressure to an already fragile technical structure and suggests traders are bracing for more downside.

Unless bulls can recover $117K quickly and close with strength, Bitcoin risks entering a deeper correction phase. With long-term support levels still intact, the broader bull trend remains in place—but this breakdown marks the first significant loss of momentum in weeks. The coming sessions will be critical in determining whether this is just a shakeout or the start of a larger trend reversal.

Bitcoin Advanced Sentiment Index Signals Rising Bearish Pressure

Top analyst Axel Adler has shared new insights into the Bitcoin Advanced Sentiment Index, a key metric used to gauge futures market positioning and broader investor mood. According to Adler, the index recently dropped to 40%—a sharp decline that reflected growing risk aversion and bearish positioning. Although the metric has since rebounded to 48%, it remains below the critical 50% threshold, which separates bullish from bearish territory.

This rebound signals a temporary pause in negative sentiment, but the broader trend shows a shift from bullish caution to bearish fear. Adler notes that as long as the index remains below 50%, the market lacks the confidence needed to sustain upward momentum. Traders are growing increasingly defensive, reducing long exposure and bracing for further downside.

If momentum continues to deteriorate, BTC could test the $112,000 level—the previous all-time high set in May. This zone may act as psychological and technical support, but failure to hold it could trigger a deeper correction.

With the Advanced Sentiment Index stuck in bearish territory and price action weakening, the market appears to be entering a riskier phase. While this doesn’t yet signal a full trend reversal, it does reflect growing uncertainty. Until sentiment and price reclaim higher ground, caution is warranted. The next move will likely depend on whether bulls can defend $112K—or if bears gain full control of the trend.

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BTC Loses Key Support After Breakdown

Bitcoin has officially broken down from its two-week consolidation range, losing the critical $115,724 support level highlighted in the chart. The price reached a new local low at $114,116 before recovering slightly to the $115,100 zone, where it’s currently attempting to find footing. This marks a significant shift in momentum, as bulls failed to defend the lower boundary of the range, which held firm throughout July.

The 12-hour chart shows rising volume accompanying this breakdown, adding weight to the bearish move. BTC now trades below the 50-day SMA ($116,981), confirming weakness in short-term structure. The next major support sits around $112,000—the prior all-time high set in May—which could act as a psychological and technical floor.

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The 100-day and 200-day SMAs remain well below current price action, suggesting that the macro trend is still intact. However, immediate momentum has clearly shifted, and bulls must reclaim the $117,000 area quickly to invalidate this breakdown.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Jack Dorsey’s technology company Block joined the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) index on Wednesday, marking the third public company with Bitcoin holdings to join the global benchmark.

Block holds 8,584 Bitcoin (BTC) worth approximately $1 billion, according to BitcoinTreasuries.NET. That stash makes Block the 13th-largest corporate holder of BTC.

The company’s shares on the NYSE exchange have jumped nearly 14% over the past five days since the company announced it would join the S&P 500.

The S&P 500 tracks 500 of the largest publicly listed US companies. Among the other index companies exposed to BTC are Tesla and Coinbase.

To be listed in the S&P 500, a company must have a market cap greater than $18 billion, a public float (a portion of the company’s outstanding shares that are available for trading) greater than 10%, and the most recent quarter’s earnings must be positive.

S&P 500 inclusions lead to more BTC exposure

The S&P 500 index accounted for $50 trillion in market capitalization as of the end of first quarter of 2025. By buying into an exchange-traded fund or other instrument that tracks the S&P 500, investors gain exposure to a wide variety of industries, including, now, crypto.

In a Wednesday X post, OnlyCalls wrote, “Institutional entrance solidifies BTC’s financial visibility. Expect more conservative entities to consider BTC as a viable treasury asset.”

Block is replacing Hess Corp, a US energy company that is dropping out after its $55 billion merger with energy conglomerate Chevron.

Related: Strategy launches Bitcoin stock pegged at $100 to increase treasury

Coinbase, Tesla stock performances

The other two companies with significant Bitcoin holdings that have landed in the S&P 500 are Coinbase and Tesla. Coinbase holds 9,267 BTC worth about $1.1 billion at time of publication. Tesla holds 11,509 BTC worth $1.4 billion.

Coinbase’s share price has risen 28.4% over the past month, according to Google Finance. That’s a steeper rise than the overall crypto market, which has jumped 23% in the past 30 days, according to CoinGecko.

Tesla’s share price has fallen 4.6% in the past month, though it may be linked less to the crypto market and more to its fundamentals and operations.

Magazine: Bitcoin OG Willy Woo has sold most of his Bitcoin — Here’s why 

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/block-joins-sampp-500-bringing-more-bitcoin-exposure-to-equity-index/feed/ 0 49265 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/moscow-exchange-to-launch-etha-tracking-ethereum-futures-index-fund/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/moscow-exchange-to-launch-etha-tracking-ethereum-futures-index-fund/#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 01:55:38 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/moscow-exchange-to-launch-etha-tracking-ethereum-futures-index-fund/

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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July 15, 2025

The Moscow Exchange says it will launch a fund that tracks one of the world’s biggest Ethereum ETFs, just weeks after debuting a Bitcoin index futures offering.

The Russian media outlet RBC reported that Maria Patrikeyeva, the Managing Director of the Moscow Exchange Derivatives Market, confirmed the plan, stating that the Ethereum (ETH) fund will debut sometime in August.

Moscow Exchange: Ethereum Fund to Launch in August

Patrikeyeva said the exchange “intends to start trading a futures contract for a fund that invests in Ethereum. She explained:

“The fund’s underlying asset will be the BlackRock-run iShares Ethereum Trust ETF. Its quotation will be equal to the cost of one share of the fund. The contract size will be slightly smaller than [that we use for the] IBIT [the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF].”

The iShares Ethereum Trust ETF trades on the New York-based NASDAQ exchange and launched in July 2024.

Exchange Grows Crypto-keen

The exchange has grown increasingly bullish on crypto this year, launching its first Bitcoin (BTC) futures contract on June 4.

The product is still restricted to qualified investors. It is cash-settled in rubles and tied to the value of BlackRock’s IBIT ETF.

The exchange followed up last month with a claim that a new BTC derivative instrument launch was “imminent.”

It is also waiting for regulatory approval for the planned launch of mutual funds and structured bonds that focus on cryptoasset indices.

Patrikeyeva added that the exchange would launch more futures products next month.

Another product will track American investment funds that invest in US government bonds, Patrikeyeva explained.

She said that the underlying asset for this futures contract will be the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT).

This will be the first future contract on the Moscow Exchange to track the dynamics of US debt securities.

Patrikeyeva confirmed that MOEX is also set to debut futures offerings for shares in the Chinese tech giants Tencent and Xiaomi this week.

Both Tencent and Xiaomi currently trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Tom Gardner is the chief executive officer of The Motley Fool, a company that provides investment advice. When asked, “What do you say to somebody who’s skeptical about paying for investment advice?” He gave an answer that covered a lot of ground and, not surprisingly, sounded a lot like what investing icon Warren Buffett has said.

The big takeaways? Be skeptical, work with people you trust, and if you can’t find someone you trust, go with an index fund. But digging into Gardner’s answer a little bit more will help you be a better investor, so let’s go.

You should be skeptical

Every investment you make requires you to trust someone else with your hard-earned savings. That is the core of what Gardner is saying and why he believes every investor should be skeptical. That’s as true of investors checking out The Motley Fool as is it of investors buying exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or those buying Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A -1.58%) (BRK.B -1.54%) stock.

Image source: Getty Images.

From a basic level, you need to ask about and understand what the person or entity is doing with your cash and why. But even more importantly, you need to trust that the person or entity that is investing on your behalf is doing so with your best interests at heart. Far too often on Wall Street, greed leads people to do things that are harmful to themselves or, sadly, others.

Are they eating their own cooking?

One of the best ways to figure out if you can trust someone is to invest alongside them. Basically, are they pitching you an investment idea they are also invested in? That’s where Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway provide a great example. Not only is Buffett the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, but he’s also heavily invested in the stock himself. He’s not just managing your money, he’s managing his own money, too. (The Motley Fool recommends Berkshire Hathaway stock, by the way.)

What’s interesting here is that Berkshire Hathaway is a company, but it is operated kind of like a mutual fund. Technically called a conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway owns about 180 businesses that do a lot of different things, from operating trains to building houses. And it also owns a portfolio of stocks that trade publicly, including Coca-Cola (KO -0.51%), American Express (AMX -0.08%), and Chevron (CVX -0.65%), among others.

But when you buy Berkshire Hathaway, effectively giving Buffett and his team your hard-earned cash to invest for you, you know he’s eating his own cooking, too. Like Gardner, Buffett has some advice for those who aren’t comfortable allowing others to invest for them: Just buy an index fund. Among the best options are funds that track the S&P 500 index (^GSPC -0.79%), which broadly represents the U.S. economy.

Essentially, just buy the market and keep on buying it until you find someone you are comfortable trusting with your savings. And if you never find that person, it’s OK. History suggests you will end up just fine if you keep buying the S&P 500 index.

SPY data by YCharts

Trust is the name of the game on Wall Street

Most people have good intentions, so it isn’t like you need to assume everyone on Wall Street is trying to rip you off. And still you need to take the time to get to know and understand the people you are trusting with your money. Even after doing some due diligence, though, you might still want to tread lightly.

That could be as simple as taking an entry level subscription to a Motley Fool newsletter to get a feel for what is being offered or buying a few shares of a stock, mutual fund, or ETF to get you into the groove of what is backing the investment. And remember that one of the most important signs that your interests are aligned with the person handling your money is if they are investing your money along with their own.

In context: As Google users complain about the worsening quality of search results and GenAI integration, European organizations are working to plant the seeds of alternative solutions. One such initiative aims to build a public index to support new search engines and reduce Europe’s reliance on Google and Bing.

Early trials of the Open Web Index are set to begin next month. This emerging project could help European countries move away from dominant, ad-driven search engines. As US tech giants increasingly optimize search around generative AI and advertising, the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative seeks to foster nonprofit alternatives.

The Open Web Index itself is not a search engine. Rather, it functions like a digital library from which search engines can retrieve files and web pages. Major search providers rely on proprietary indexes, while smaller engines are often dependent on them. According to the Open Web project, this centralization gives companies like Google disproportionate control over the global web.

Regulators in the United Kingdom and European Union have consistently pushed back against American tech giants such as Apple and Google, particularly on issues involving search and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, users around the world have reported a steady decline in search quality. Website operators also argue that Google is discouraging users from leaving its ecosystem, and generative AI tools frequently struggle to deliver accurate information. Some groups believe developing Europe-based alternatives is part of the solution.

New: How AI Overviews Shift Traffic From Publishers to Google

It’s not enough that Google’s AI Overviews reduce clicks to publisher websites

Google designed these so that what few clicks remain lead to walls of irrelevant ads and/or bad search results

Link in pic.twitter.com/usrycPvTNS

– Cyrus (@CyrusShepard) May 8, 2025

To accomplish this, a 14-member consortium, including universities, data centers, tech companies, and CERN, aims to fund and build the infrastructure for a robust and publicly available web index.

Small and medium-sized companies could use it to build search engines, large language models, or other applications that don’t try to sell users ads, or at least operate independently of US giants such as Google and Bing.

The project also aims to promote applications that adhere to European regulations, values, and cultures. For example, EU-based search engines and LLMs would theoretically produce more reliable results in languages other than English. The consortium is also carefully considering how the index scrapes web content and how clicks impact search rankings.

The first open trial will be launched via a Zoom meeting on June 6, from 10 AM to noon CEST. Participants will gain access to roughly one petabyte of content. The completed Open Web Index is expected to host about five petabytes, with plans to scale to 10 petabytes in future iterations.