Canny kids are borrowing adult faces to get around the age checks now required to access popular websites in the U.K., but there’s an easier (if more expensive) method: just use a virtual private network to access the web from another country. A tried and tested method for use in other countries with heavy internet censorship, that football’s coming home. The Financial Times reports an explosion in use of VPNs there in the last week. [archive]

But to evade the new rules, a growing number of people in the UK are turning to tools more often used by citizens in authoritarian regimes to get around internet censorship. Apps offering virtual private networks — which route a smartphone or PC’s internet traffic to another country, bypassing local network providers — made up half of the top 10 most popular free apps on the UK’s App Store for iOS this weekend, according to Apple’s rankings. Proton VPN leapfrogged ChatGPT to become the top free app in the UK, according to Apple’s daily App Store charts, with similar services from developers Super Unlimited and Nord Security also rising over the weekend. Proton, the Swiss-based company behind the top VPN app, said it had experienced a more than 1,800 per cent increase in daily sign-ups from UK-based users after new age verification rules took effect on Friday. Nord said there had been a 1,000 per cent increase in UK purchases of VPN subscriptions since before the rules took effect.

An amazing quote from Proton: “We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest.”

The so-called “Online Safety Act” does prohibit VPN companies from disclosing that their services can be used to circumvent censorship, but did not otherwise regulate their use. The omnishambles at hand–nothing successfully blocked and everyday Britons learning en masse how to browse more privately–has already got local media vaguely suggesting a VPN ban is now on the table.

Economist Henrik Zeberg believes that the most explosive phase of the altcoin market is about to kick off.

Zeberg tells his 182,800 followers on the social media platform X that the altseason, when altcoins outperform Bitcoin (BTC), is just getting started, and massive alt breakouts are likely to occur in the coming days.

He says the Ethereum (ETH/BTC) ratio is flashing bullish for altcoins, after increasing since tapping a local low in late April. Analysts often use the ETH/BTC ratio as an indicator of potential altcoin seasons.

“Altseason has already started. First slowly, later in a more explosive manner. I think we are max three to eight days away from the beginning of that explosive phase. ETH/BTC ratio tells us why…

It is close to setting off in the explosive phase!”

ETH/BTC is trading for 0.02478 BTC ($2,595) at time of writing.

Zeberg suggests that certain altcoins will start breaking out at different times.

“In the altseason it will be about identifying the next altcoin which is about to skyrocket. And then have an idea of how far it may run.”

Among the alts the economist believes will soon print new all-time highs is Solana (SOL)-based memecoin dogwifhat (WIF).

“I maintain my extreme Bullish perspective on WIF.”

In January, he suggested WIF could eventually hit $19.

WIF is trading for $0.86 at time of writing, down 9.9% in the last 24 hours.

Zeberg is also bullish on the Internet of Things (IoT) project Jasmy (JASMY).

The analyst uses the Elliott Wave theory to forecast a massive run for altcoins. The theory states that an asset tends to witness a five-wave rally with wave three being the longest and the strongest move up.

“Ready for Jasmy’s takeoff? We seem to be getting closer to the wave two bottom, little lower. Wave three should take Jasmy much much higher.”

Jasmy is trading for $0.01413 at time of writing, down 4.8% on the day.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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