Paying – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Sat, 16 Aug 2025 09:14:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.8 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Paying – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 If bitcoin passes, someone is paying me with bitcoin https://earlybirdsinvest.com/if-bitcoin-passes-someone-is-paying-me-with-bitcoin/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/if-bitcoin-passes-someone-is-paying-me-with-bitcoin/#respond Sat, 16 Aug 2025 09:14:38 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/if-bitcoin-passes-someone-is-paying-me-with-bitcoin/

To make sure you don’t fall into scams (also known as the payment will be returned), we recommend following the steps below.

  1. Once you broadcast a transaction that you pay you, Ask him or her for the transaction ID. It’s a rather long chain of Alphanum-shaped characters. example: 175A9BFFC0E84A7507C94AB8C28ADE40E629F051BD14F7F5FD4C2B0A0E9824A4 (This is the Coinbase transaction at block 910025).
  2. Go to Block Explorermempool.space etc. Find the transaction ID That a customer sent you.
  3. Please check the number of confirmations of the above transaction. As a standard, If a transaction gets 6 or more confirmations, it is considered final So, it is actually irreversible and not fraudulent.

If you have doubts, I hope this helps.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/if-bitcoin-passes-someone-is-paying-me-with-bitcoin/feed/ 0 53469 IUD birth control insertions can be painful. Doctors are finally paying attention. https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iud-birth-control-insertions-can-be-painful-doctors-are-finally-paying-attention/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iud-birth-control-insertions-can-be-painful-doctors-are-finally-paying-attention/#respond Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:23:49 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iud-birth-control-insertions-can-be-painful-doctors-are-finally-paying-attention/

IUDs have been a promising breakthrough in birth control, offering both convenience and effectiveness, and their use has exploded over the past few decades. But that progress has often come with some (painful) trade-offs. Vox senior reporter Allie Volpe has been digging into why medicine has been slow to catch up to the pain that IUD insertions can cause and doctors’ plans to make the process for more palatable for patients in the future.

It is a big reproductive rights story, at a time when those rights are increasingly under threat. I sat down and chatted with Allie about it.

Allie, are IUDs becoming more popular? What do people like about them?

They’re definitely more popular. Just over 6 million people, or 8.4 percent of contraceptive users between the ages of 15 and 49, use IUDs. It’s actually the fourth most popular form of birth control. No. 1 is tubal ligation or, as people refer to it, getting your tubes tied. The pill is No. 2, condoms are No. 3, and IUDs are No. 4. That’s a huge increase from the mid-‘90s when just 1 percent of birth control users used IUDs.

People really like the IUD. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. Once you get past the act of placing it, you have it for anywhere from three to 10 years, depending on the type you have. Both do the same thing: They prevent the sperm and egg from meeting.

A lot of people report less cramping on their periods, lighter periods, or even no periods in general. That’s a huge draw for people who often have painful periods or endometriosis. It’s a good way to treat those things.

I think a lot of people have the perception of IUDs as a quick, painless insertion that’s not really a big deal. Is that accurate?

It depends on who you talk to, right? It is quick. It is all over within a matter of minutes unless you’re getting anesthesia, which would make the process longer.

And for some people, it’s historically not been all that uncomfortable. But for others, it’s really uncomfortable. Pain is very personal, and it’s hard to pinpoint what pain actually is. Some people are like, “Yup, didn’t really feel it.” Others are like, “I’ve had multiple children, and this is more painful than childbirth.”

What we’ve been seeing over the last couple of years is those people coming on social media talking about their experiences with painful IUD insertions.

Why do you think that misconception persists? Why do even doctors misunderstand the pain that their patients are going through?

Women’s pain in medicine has long been minimized. There’s been reporting over the last couple of years about medical gaslighting, not just in gynecological procedures but across the board. Women will come in with a problem. And for decades, centuries, they’ve just been written off as being hysterical.

Specifically, when it comes to IUDs, as more people got them, you started to hear more stories about these being very painful. It’s a numbers game — more people get them, more people are going to have problems — but also a medical history game.

You’re writing about this now because things do seem to be changing. What’s going on?

One of the OB-GYNs I talked to said, “I’ve been placing IUDs for like 37 years. It’s not like I didn’t mention that it would be painful, but I just tried not to bring it up. Because if a patient expects something’s going to be painful, it’s going to be more painful than they really thought.” These conversations about pain were not really happening until recently.

Within the last year, the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both released recommendations telling doctors to talk to their patients about pain management during IUD placement.

For a while, there just wasn’t really good research that pointed to methods that might help during this procedure because the pain can come at multiple points. But these groups are urging doctors to talk to their patients about not only taking ibuprofen to manage the pain after the procedure but also using topical creams or an anesthetic shot during the procedure to reduce discomfort.

What questions should patients be asking their doctor?

All of the OB-GYNs I talked to really stressed this: Talk to your doctor before your appointment. Because if you walk in the day of, there’s not really a lot they can do. So, as you’re making this appointment, discuss your concerns with your doctor. Tell them if you’re concerned about pain or if you have any past history that might make this procedure more difficult for you. Ask, “What can you offer me?” Ask as many questions as you want.

If you don’t feel satisfied with the options they have — like if you really want a paracervical block but your doctor doesn’t offer it — ask if they have recommendations for another provider that will. Then start to talk through a plan with your provider. What medications will they give you pre-appointment? Some doctors now are giving people Xanax to chill out before the IUD insertion. They will probably often tell you to take ibuprofen beforehand. Ask what they will use during the procedure. Make sure you have that clear plan written out ahead of time.

If your doctor isn’t taking your concerns seriously, they’re blowing you off, or they don’t offer pain management that meets your standards. Some of the experts I talked to recommended reaching out to a hospital affiliated with a university. They have a higher chance of having a provider that uses some of these pain management methods. Others recommended searching for someone who’s trained in complex family planning. That means they have received additional training in abortion and contraceptive care, so they might also have more pain management options.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iud-birth-control-insertions-can-be-painful-doctors-are-finally-paying-attention/feed/ 0 47420 Tokyo Exchange-Listed Remixpoint Starts Paying CEO Fully in Bitcoin https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tokyo-exchange-listed-remixpoint-starts-paying-ceo-fully-in-bitcoin/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tokyo-exchange-listed-remixpoint-starts-paying-ceo-fully-in-bitcoin/#respond Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:51:25 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tokyo-exchange-listed-remixpoint-starts-paying-ceo-fully-in-bitcoin/

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

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Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has…

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Tokyo Exchange-Listed Remixpoint Starts Paying CEO Fully in Bitcoin

Japanese energy consulting firm Remixpoint has begun paying its CEO and President entirely in Bitcoin, becoming the first Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company to do so.

Key Takeaways:

  • Remixpoint is now paying its CEO entirely in Bitcoin, a first for a Tokyo-listed firm.
  • The company adopted Bitcoin over stock due to insider trading restrictions.
  • This move strengthens its crypto-focused strategy and aligns leadership with shareholders.

The move, announced Tuesday, is part of a broader strategy to align executive incentives with shareholder outcomes and reinforce commitment to the company’s financial performance.

In its press release, Remixpoint said the initiative aims to ensure the leadership “shares the same economic fate as shareholders,” a response to previous shareholder requests that executives hold company stock.

Remixpoint Executives Chose Bitcoin Over Company Stock

Due to restrictions related to insider trading laws, however, holding equity was not a viable option for executives.

Instead, the firm turned to Bitcoin, citing the cryptocurrency’s close price correlation with its own stock as a way to mirror the financial ups and downs of its investors.

CEO Yoshihiko Takahashi described the decision as a “clear signal” of his commitment to corporate value and shareholder-focused governance.

Remixpoint’s Bitcoin compensation policy builds on its crypto-forward strategy launched last year.

In September last year, the company began investing in digital assets as a hedge against yen depreciation and to diversify currency exposure.

Its crypto portfolio includes over 1,000 BTC, 900 ETH, nearly 14,000 SOL, 1.2 million XRP, and 2.8 million DOGE, according to its website.

Notably, the crypto-keen auto and electricity trading company is the former owner of the crypto exchange BITPoint, which it sold to the securities giant SBI in 2023.

Despite the BITPoint sale, Remixpoint has continued to pursue crypto-related business avenues. The firm began its crypto-buying strategy in 2024.

Following the announcement, Remixpoint’s stock rose 0.71% on Tuesday.

Japanese Firms Double Down on Bitcoin Strategy

Japanese firms show no sign of slowing their Bitcoin-buying fervor. The famously Bitcoin-keen Metaplanet has been consistently boosting the size of its own BTC holdings.

On Monday, Metaplanet expanded its Bitcoin treasury strategy with the purchase of 2,205 additional BTC.

The latest acquisition brings Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin holdings to 15,555 BTC, worth approximately 225.8 billion yen ($1.7 billion) at an average purchase price of 14.5 million yen per coin.

The purchase, valued at 34.5 billion yen, comes amid Metaplanet’s aggressive accumulation since designating Bitcoin treasury operations as an official business line in December 2024.

Metaplanet’s BTC Yield, a key metric tracking the percentage change in Bitcoin holdings per fully diluted share, rose 15.1% between July 1 and July 7, adding 2,017 BTC worth 31.7 billion yen in the quarter-to-date period.

BTC Yield highlights the net Bitcoin growth relative to share dilution, which the firm views as a measure of shareholder accretion.

Furthermore, Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed gaming firms like Enish and Gumi have also launched ambitious BTC-buying strategies.


]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tokyo-exchange-listed-remixpoint-starts-paying-ceo-fully-in-bitcoin/feed/ 0 46437 Mobile Giant AT&T Paying $177,000,000 To Current and Former Customers in Massive Data Breach Settlement https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mobile-giant-att-paying-177000000-to-current-and-former-customers-in-massive-data-breach-settlement/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mobile-giant-att-paying-177000000-to-current-and-former-customers-in-massive-data-breach-settlement/#respond Fri, 04 Jul 2025 20:19:25 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mobile-giant-att-paying-177000000-to-current-and-former-customers-in-massive-data-breach-settlement/

Mobile giant AT&T is preparing to pay millions of dollars to current and former customers to settle a class action lawsuit over a pair of massive data breaches.

A judge has granted preliminary approval for a settlement that will hand $177 million to people affected by the breaches.

The first breach is believed to have happened back in 2019, with hackers stealing sensitive data from 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former customers.

Although AT&T believes the data may have been taken from one of its vendors, the firm has acknowledged that data including customers’ social security numbers, names and dates of birth was exposed.

The second breach happened last year, when hackers breached the company’s Snowflake cloud workspace environment, stealing smartphone call and text metadata of nearly 110 million customers from May of 2022 to October of 2022.

People who can prove they suffered financial damages as a result of the data breaches will likely receive a larger share of the payout.

At time of publishing, affected customers are expected to receive notice of eligibility by mail or email, with the claims process coming in August.

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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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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mobile-giant-att-paying-177000000-to-current-and-former-customers-in-massive-data-breach-settlement/feed/ 0 45788 Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio Outlines Meme Stock Trading Strategy, Says Investors Are Not Paying Enough Attention to the ‘Most Important Thing’ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/billionaire-investor-ray-dalio-outlines-meme-stock-trading-strategy-says-investors-are-not-paying-enough-attention-to-the-most-important-thing/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/billionaire-investor-ray-dalio-outlines-meme-stock-trading-strategy-says-investors-are-not-paying-enough-attention-to-the-most-important-thing/#respond Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:49:31 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/billionaire-investor-ray-dalio-outlines-meme-stock-trading-strategy-says-investors-are-not-paying-enough-attention-to-the-most-important-thing/

Billionaire hedge fund legend Ray Dalio thinks investors aren’t paying attention to obvious factors in meme stock trading.

Dalio says in a new post on X that there’s always a “current most popular meme” that everyone believes in but is bound to lose its status.

“These memes typically are due to a mix of extrapolating what happened before and emotional considerations. Also, most investors typically don’t take into consideration market pricing. In other words, they tend to identify what has been a great investment (e.g., a strongly performing company) as great, and they don’t pay enough attention to its pricing, even though its pricing (whether it is cheap or expensive) is the most important thing.”

Dalio says this behavior sets the stage for potential market missteps, especially in the current economic climate.

At this time, it is typical for almost everyone to be looking to make money by buying assets that they believe will go up (rather than betting on them going down), and they quite often use leverage.”

Dalio’s meme trading advice follows dire warnings he’s recently issued about the US economy. Earlier this month, Dalio argued in an interview on PBS that the government needs to lower its budget deficit as a percentage of GDP from 7% to 3%.

“It has to be done with three things, and it has to be spread out among these three things, because any one of those three things would be too painful. Those three things are tax revenue, spending cuts and interest rates.

Although Congress and the president in the process does not deal directly with the third of those, right now a trillion dollars – half of our deficit – is interest payments, and not only do we have a trillion dollar interest payment, in the next year, we have nine trillion dollars of debt maturing that has to be either rolled over or sold…

So there’s what I call my 3%, three-part solution, which was very similar to 1991-1998. It was cut by 5% of GDP, the budget deficit, in those years was cut by 5% of GDP by spreading it around. So those are the three things that are needed.”

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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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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/billionaire-investor-ray-dalio-outlines-meme-stock-trading-strategy-says-investors-are-not-paying-enough-attention-to-the-most-important-thing/feed/ 0 42095 US State Paying $2,000,000,000 To Residents – No Strings Attached – in First-Ever ‘Inflation Rebate’ Program https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-state-paying-2000000000-to-residents-no-strings-attached-in-first-ever-inflation-rebate-program/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-state-paying-2000000000-to-residents-no-strings-attached-in-first-ever-inflation-rebate-program/#respond Sat, 03 May 2025 00:35:23 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-state-paying-2000000000-to-residents-no-strings-attached-in-first-ever-inflation-rebate-program/

A US state is preparing to hand billions of dollars to residents in its first-ever “inflation rebate” program.

New York’s Governor and state lawmakers say they’ve agreed on a budget framework that includes $2 billion for inflation refund checks to over eight million taxpayers.

The plan targets New Yorkers who filed taxes, are not claimed as dependents and earn below $150,000 annually.

Eligible joint filers earning up to $150,000 will receive $400, while those earning between $150,000 and $300,000 will get $300.

Single filers and heads of household earning up to $75,000 will receive $200, and those earning between $75,000 and $150,000 will get $150.

No application is needed and checks will be issued automatically using recent tax filings once the budget is passed and signed into law in about a week from today.

New York’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul says the rebates as a response to inflation-driven costs, reports News10 ABC.

“I can’t stop inflation, but everyone across the state paid more because inflation drove up prices.”

But the program has its critics.

Democratic Assemblymember Phil Steck says such programs are gimmicks, arguing for long-term tax relief or other spending priorities.

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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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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-state-paying-2000000000-to-residents-no-strings-attached-in-first-ever-inflation-rebate-program/feed/ 0 34075 Paying for Participation – How Are DAOs Incentivizing Governance and Does It Work https://earlybirdsinvest.com/paying-for-participation-how-are-daos-incentivizing-governance-and-does-it-work/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/paying-for-participation-how-are-daos-incentivizing-governance-and-does-it-work/#respond Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:45:14 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/paying-for-participation-how-are-daos-incentivizing-governance-and-does-it-work/
HodlX Guest Post  Submit Your Post

 

Many Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) struggle with low voter turnout and engagement despite managing multi-million-dollar treasuries.

A promising solution has emerged – DAO incentive programs, where members receive financial or token-based rewards to participate in governance actively.

From Uniswap’s monthly stipends for delegates to GnosisDAO’s allocation of non-transferable voting power, DAOs aim to combat voter apathy and professionalize their governance structures.

But are these incentives making DAOs more democratic or merely turning governance into a gig economy?

Source: DeepDAO

The apathy problem – Low turnout and high stakes

Voter participation in many DAOs remains alarmingly low, often in the single digits.

Even significant protocols like Maker and Uniswap struggle to attract more than 10% voter participation for critical proposals.

This apathy undermines decentralization, as decisions become dominated by a few active whales rather than a genuinely decentralized community.

Enter the ‘governance mining’ concept – rewarding users explicitly for their participation in governance activities.

DAOs hope to turn passive token holders into active stakeholders by paying participants.

Let’s explore recent case studies and their impact.

Uniswap’s delegate rewards – $6,000 per month for active voting

A prime example is the Uniswap delegate reward initiative, which the DAO extended in March 2025 for an additional six months, committing $540,000 from its treasury.

Delegates can earn up to $6,000 monthly in UNI tokens if they meet stringent criteria, including at least 80% voting participation and active contribution to governance discussions.

The community has widely supported this program, with a striking 99% approval – over 47 million UNI in favor.

According to Uniswap governance forums, past cycles demonstrated increased engagement and turnout, suggesting incentives indeed drive participation.

One delegate summarized the rationale and said,

“This initiative will improve the quality of Uniswap governance by incentivizing informed voting.”

Early data indicates that more UNI holders are actively delegating their tokens to prominent delegates, improving overall governance quality and quorum consistency.

GnosisDAO – Voting power as a non-monetary incentive

GnosisDAO adopted a different but equally intriguing approach, allocating non-transferable voting power rather than direct payments.

In February 2025, the DAO selected 10 community delegates, each receiving 500 GNO of voting weight (around five percent of the supply), contingent on their active participation.

Delegates who fail to vote consistently lose their privileged positions.

This strategy addresses Gnosis’s historical problem of voter centralization, aiming to increase adequate voter turnout by 35-50%.

Unlike Uniswap’s financial incentives drawn from treasury funds, Gnosis essentially minted new ‘governance-only tokens’ to boost decentralization – a distinct yet complementary solution to voter apathy.

MakerDAO and others – Stipends and performance-based grants

MakerDAO, a pioneer in DeFi governance, has been compensating delegates for over a year.

Using a performance-based formula, Maker disbursed approximately 102,000 DAI to six top delegates in January 2025 alone.

This example underscores that even well-established DAOs see merit in financially rewarding governance participation.

Meanwhile, smaller or mid-sized DAOs have also explored KPI-driven reward mechanisms or platforms to tip and incentivize active governance participants, suggesting widespread industry acceptance of governance incentives.

Results and concerns – Does paying for governance improve outcomes

Early outcomes from incentive programs are promising.

Uniswap, for example, now regularly meets quorum with proposals receiving detailed rationales and robust discussions from incentivized delegates.

Likewise, Gnosis anticipates improved participation rates.

Yet, several critical concerns remain.

Moral hazard and mercenaries

Critics argue that financial incentives may attract short-term participants driven solely by monetary gain rather than long-term project alignment.

However, supporters note these rewards are relatively modest compared to the immense protocol value, positioning them more as fair compensation for effort than outright bribes.

Centralization risk

Continuously rewarding a select few delegates risks creating entrenched ‘DAO politicians,’ potentially limiting the diversity of voices in governance.

Over-reliance on familiar delegates could inadvertently centralize power and decision-making.

Cost and community sentiment

Although Uniswap’s community overwhelmingly supported the incentive program, minor dissenting voices raised concerns about long-term sustainability and the potential misuse of DAO funds.

However, the $540,000 expenditure remains relatively minor, with a treasury valued at billions.

I believe that sustainable incentivization goes beyond simply paying participants – it lies in embedding incentives directly into the DAO’s economic design, forming what we call a ‘programmable economy.’

This approach includes an automatic reward system for actions like submitting proposals, voting and delegating while enabling members to assign their voting rights to trusted experts or specialized sub-DAOs focused on areas such as research or marketing.

Experts, in turn, receive rewards for their governance contributions.

This creates a self-reinforcing loop where community members, expert contributors and the DAO itself all benefit – helping transform participation from transactional to structural.

Conclusion – Professionalizing DAO governance or creating governance mercenaries

The trend of incentivizing governance participation through financial or token-based rewards has clearly gained traction among prominent DAOs.

Initial results suggest significant improvements in voter turnout, engagement quality and decentralization efforts.

However, these benefits have nuanced risks, including potential centralization and moral hazards.

The ultimate test remains: Can these incentives scale broadly across DAO communities without centralizing power or creating a class of paid governance mercenaries?

The upcoming governance cycles in Uniswap, Maker and Gnosis will offer crucial insights, determining whether incentivized governance can sustainably balance robust participation with genuine decentralization – an ongoing experiment with high stakes for the future of decentralized communities.

Roman Melnyk is the chief marketing officer at DeXe.

 

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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 loses 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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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/paying-for-participation-how-are-daos-incentivizing-governance-and-does-it-work/feed/ 0 29829 6 ways to boost your Mac’s storage without paying Apple’s insane upgrade prices https://earlybirdsinvest.com/6-ways-to-boost-your-macs-storage-without-paying-apples-insane-upgrade-prices/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/6-ways-to-boost-your-macs-storage-without-paying-apples-insane-upgrade-prices/#respond Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:49:56 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/6-ways-to-boost-your-macs-storage-without-paying-apples-insane-upgrade-prices/

Apple offers pretty good prices on the standard configurations of its Macs. $599 for a M4 Mac mini? $999 for a new M4 MacBook Air? $1,299 for a new M4 iMac? Those are attractively priced. But those prices involve a few sacrifices, most notably the starting storage of just 256GB. A quarter of a terabyte might sound like a lot, but much of what we do on the Mac involves large files–high-resolution pictures, videos, games (literally the biggest culprit), and a lot more. 256GB runs out quickly.

Apple does give customers the option to upgrade storage at the point of purchase, of course, but their prices are steep. Upgrading from 256GB to 512GB (the minimum amount we recommend) is an extra $200/£200, and jumping to a terabyte is another $200, turning an attractive entry-level offering into a pricey one.

But if you don’t want to plunk down the extra money, you can still expand your Mac’s storage without paying Apple’s exorbitant prices. The alternatives here are mostly external storage solutions–in other words, you’ll need to carry and plug in an extra device–but the compromise can help you meet your budget.

External SSDs and hard drives

Foundry

Pros

  • Best price/capacity ratio
  • Large range of capacities available

Cons

  • One more thing to carry or clutter your desk
  • Faster performance usually means higher prices

An external storage device offers the best combination of price and capacity. For example, you can get a 1TB LaCie Mobile Drive for about $80/£56 on Amazon that connects to your Mac via USB-C. LaCie sells that same drive with 5TB of storage for less than $170/£115–still lower than the upgrade to 512GB of internal storage on a Mac.

With external drives, you can opt for a hard drive or a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs (which are used internally on the Mac) are faster and higher-priced than hard drives. You can also choose between desktop drives that have a larger design and require you to plug it into a power outlet, or portable drives that are small enough to fit in a bag or pocket and are powered through the Mac’s Thunderbolt or USB port.

External drives use either USB-C or Thunderbolt to connect to the Mac. Thunderbolt drives are more expensive but faster, while cheaper USB-C-only drives often support slower data transfer rates. Learn more about the differences between Thunderbolt and USB.

Macworld has guides to the best external SSDs and the best external hard drives to help you find the best device for you.

USB flash drives

Unsplash

Pros

Cons

  • Durability issues
  • Awkwardly protrudes from the USB port

Often called “thumb drives” or “memory sticks,” a USB flash drive is essentially a stick of flash memory that plugs into a USB port. They’re small and easy to stash in a bag or pocket. They are available in capacities as high as 2TB, but 128GB and 256GB capacities are most commonly found, often for less than $30, such as this Samsung flash drive.

USB flash drives vary in price based on capacity and speed. Some have additional features such as a USB-A plug on one end and a USB-C plug on the other, or built-in encryption.

You can leave a USB flash drive plugged in, but if you are going to frequently read and write to the drive, you’ll want to opt for a portable or desktop drive instead. USB flash drives are more prone to wearing out than a full-fledged drive because flash memory has limited durability and USB flash drives don’t have the measures in place to maintain proper health. Also, they tend to use lower-quality parts so they can be cheap and treated as commodities (for example, the corner near my home sells USB flash drives).

While you don’t want to rely on USB flash drives are primary storage, they’re handy for, say, storing photos or videos from a shoot, file management when you want to keep files for a project separate from everything else, backups, and more.

SD cards

Pros

Cons

  • Requires a Mac with an SDXC card slot or a separate USB card reader
  • Durability issues

SDXC cards are memory cards often used in cameras and other portable devices, but you can also use them on the Mac. Only two Macs (MacBook Pro and Mac Studio) have built-in SDXC Card slots, however. For every other Mac, you must buy an SD Card adapter, which is inexpensive at about $10/£10. You can also find hubs and Thunderbolt docks with card slots if you plan to buy one anyway.

SDXC cards are good for uses similar to USB flash drives: file transfers, specifically storing files for projects, backups, and more. They have similar issues regarding the memory chips wearing out; they are more reliable because they use higher-quality memory, but they aren’t ideal as a drive that is always connected, and you are frequently reading and writing files to.

If you plan to use an SDXC card as a method of transferring files between Macs or other devices, consider buying another card as a backup. I’ve had instances where the metal contacts for the card get worn out or damaged from frequent insertions into devices. These cards did have several years of mileage on them but understand that they’re delicate relative to other storage devices mentioned here.

Cards are available in capacities between 32GB and 2TB and are available at different speeds. The higher capacity/faster cards can be more expensive than an external SSD drive of the same capacity, as you’re paying a premium for the extremely small size.

Network-attached storage

Pros

  • Conveniently accessible storage for many devices

Cons

  • Speeds restricted by the network
  • Setup isn’t simple

If you’re not familiar with network-attached storage (NAS), think of it as cloud storage, but specifically for your home. A NAS device connects to your home network, and your Macs, iPhones, iPads, and even Windows PCs and Android devices can access it whenever necessary. A NAS device is a good way to store files that need to be accessed by several devices or users, or it can be a way for individual users to move files from a device to free up space.

Because the NAS device connects to a network, the setup isn’t as simple as plug-and-play, but it’s not too difficult. Once it’s up and running, you can access it either through the Network menu in the Finder, or through an app, browser, or both. Some NAS devices can provide access when you’re away from home, but this may require using a paid service from the device’s company.

NAS devices range from ones with fixed hard drives starting at 2TB for $150/£150 to drives with multiple removable hard drives with capacities over 8TB and other features for several hundreds of dollars. Check out our picks for the best NAS drive for Mac if you’re interested.

Cloud storage

Foundry

Pros

  • Accessible anywhere there is internet access
  • Most services are not platform-specific

Cons

  • Fee-based service
  • Internet access required
  • Speeds affected by internet connection

Cloud storage is provided by a service online for a fee, usually a subscription. Apple offers iCloud, which includes iCloud Drive along with other services. Other popular cloud storage providers include Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Box. Learn more about the best cloud storage services for the Mac.

What’s great about cloud storage is that it is accessible by almost any device that has an internet connection. But because your ability to access it is reliant on the internet, cloud storage shouldn’t be used as primary storage. It’s good for storing files you want to access but not ones you use frequently, things like backups, photo and video storage, and file transfers. But it’s a great way to free up space on your Mac’s drive.

Also, since you have to pay a recurring fee, you’ll need to figure out how the cost benefits you. Many services have a free tier with a small allocation of storage; for example, iCloud Drive offers 5GB free. That limits what you can do.

Mac mini and Mac Studio SSD upgrades

Pros

Cons

  • Complicated installation
  • May void the Mac warranty

The M4 Mac mini and the Mac Studio have internal SSDs that are installed in slots, which makes them upgradeable but Apple doesn’t officially support upgrades after purchase by the company, a third party, or by do-it-yourselfers. Some small companies have released SSD upgrade kits, such as Expand Mac mini and PolySoft Services with video instructions on their websites.

The installations for these kits aren’t trivial but if your mechanical aptitude is limited, you should be able to do this. There is a risk of damaging your Mac and this installation could void your warranty, especially if there is obvious evidence of your work.

If you have an M2 Mac mini there are other ways to upgrade its memory. Learn more.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/6-ways-to-boost-your-macs-storage-without-paying-apples-insane-upgrade-prices/feed/ 0 28074 FTX will begin paying $11.4 billion in creditors in May after years of bankruptcy war https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ftx-will-begin-paying-11-4-billion-in-creditors-in-may-after-years-of-bankruptcy-war/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ftx-will-begin-paying-11-4-billion-in-creditors-in-may-after-years-of-bankruptcy-war/#respond Sat, 29 Mar 2025 22:00:05 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ftx-will-begin-paying-11-4-billion-in-creditors-in-may-after-years-of-bankruptcy-war/

FTX, a collapsed cryptocurrency exchange led by Sam Bankman-Fried, is expected to begin paying key creditors at the end of May, Bloomberg reported this week in a Delaware court case.

The company has raised $11.4 billion in cash to distribute to thousands of political parties affected by the 2022 bankruptcy.

These include institutional investors and companies that hold Crypto on the FTX platform. Small creditors who have claims under $50,000 have already begun receiving the distribution.

The collapse of FTX left a trajectory for financial craters and frustrated creditors. Since bankruptcy, Bitcoin has more than four times the price, increasing frustration among those waiting for assets.

The task of unlocking the FTX balance sheet has been slowed down by numerous billing, but many are reportedly suspicious. Andrew Mortdelich, the company’s bankruptcy lawyer, told the court that FTX received a “27th quarter” claim, Bllomberg reported.

Interest payments are exacerbating the urgency. Although FTX only earns a small profit on cash, legal creditors are entitled to 9% interest annually on unpaid claims. The longer it takes to pay, the more your company can make payments.

Read more: Almost all FTX creditors will return 118% of their funds to cash, the real estate says in a new plan

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ftx-will-begin-paying-11-4-billion-in-creditors-in-may-after-years-of-bankruptcy-war/feed/ 0 27943 XRPL Hits 2.8 Billion Flawless Transactions—Big Players Are Paying Attention https://earlybirdsinvest.com/xrpl-hits-2-8-billion-flawless-transactions-big-players-are-paying-attention/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/xrpl-hits-2-8-billion-flawless-transactions-big-players-are-paying-attention/#respond Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:05:17 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/xrpl-hits-2-8-billion-flawless-transactions-big-players-are-paying-attention/

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Blockchain technology is receiving a boost with the XRP Ledger, based on recent findings from industry observers. The system has handled over 2.8 billion transactions without any security failure, which has caught the eye of financial institutions globally.

Related Reading

Institutions Are Taking Notice

According to Jasmine Cooper, RippleX Head of Product, the effectiveness of XRPL is one of the major reasons institutional investors are drawn to it. Institutional asset issuers and investors are using XRPL more because of its speed and reliability.

For example, OpenEden has recently hit milestones in tokenizing US Treasury bills on the platform. Institutional investors are purchasing these tokenized assets that desire access to on-chain financial instruments.

BlackRock, the global asset management titan, is also making a push into asset tokenization, lining up with XRPL’s platform. Regulated exchanges like Archax are even listing tokenized assets created on the ledger, and it’s becoming more acceptable to mainstream financial institutions.

Real Estate Gears Up For Blockchain

XRPL is revolutionizing the way people buy and sell real estate by enabling tokenization. Firms such as Propy utilize it to facilitate automatic property sales, minimizing paperwork and accelerating transactions. This facilitates real estate trading and makes it more accessible.

This change might have a huge effect on an industry that is normally sluggish and convoluted. Through blockchain, XRPL assists in making transactions easy yet secure and reliable.

XRP market cap currently at $142 billion. Chart: TradingView.com

DeFi Growing On XRPL

DeFi on XRPL is gaining traction, owing to fresh technology such as the Automated Market Maker (AMM). The functionality allows traders to exchange assets and provide liquidity directly on the blockchain, eliminating the role of centralized exchanges.

RippleX is also looking to simplify XRPL for developers. The firm is introducing an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain that enables developers to create Ethereum-based smart contracts with the advantage of XRPL’s low-cost, high-speed transactions.

This element is likely to have more DeFi projects hitting the ledger and improve its connectivity with other blockchain networks.

Related Reading

A New Stablecoin On The Horizon

Ripple recently rolled out RLUSD, a new US dollar-backed stablecoin, on a small number of small crypto exchanges. The stablecoin will be applied in cross-border payments and liquidity. RippleX is said to be seeking regulatory approval to ensure that RLUSD meets the regulations, which could make it more appealing to institutional users.

The stablecoin is positioned as an adjunct to XRP, already employed as an international bridge currency. If the RLUSD gains traction, adoption of the XRPL network is likely to further increase.

Featured image from VOI, chart from TradingView

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