Despite recent crackdowns, cryptocurrency trading is alive and well. Facebook and Instagram go down following a massive whistleblower reveal. 

Plus, more on the right-to-repair movement and an update on a lawsuit around the cloud computing contract from the U.S. Department of Defence.

Read below for everything I have my eye on this week…

1. Can’t Keep Crypto Down

Trading volumes on the major cryptocurrency exchange Binance have been soaring lately, totaling $789 billion in September from $454 billion in July. 

Trading volumes are suggesting that recent crackdowns by regulators across the globe have had little impact on the platform's business. 

Clashes between cryptocurrency exchanges and regulators aren’t anything new, but for now, it seems like crypto can’t be kept down.

2. Instagram and Facebook Down Following Whistleblower Reveal

Facebook has been in the news quite a bit these past few months… 

The social media company has frequently come under fire from government officials and app users over everything from misinformation to negative effects on mental health.

This time Facebook is under pressure following a bombshell whistleblower report that the company suppressed research findings in favor of profit over the public good. 

Facebook recently conducted research that found links between poor mental health in teens and Instagram use.

3. Climate Change and the Right-to-Repair Movement

On average, people replace their phones just about every 2 years. And that time between is getting shorter each year.

Naturally, that adds up to a lot of waste material. Not to mention the large energy and material costs that go into making new phones. 

"The greenest smartphone is the one you already own," said Cole Stratton, an associate instructor at Indiana University Bloomington studying tech supply chains. 

As climate change and chip shortages plague supply chains, we could see more people repairing their old phones instead of getting new ones.

4. Photos From Europe-Japan Mission to Mercury

Photos emerge following a recent fly-by of Mercury, our solar system’s least-explored planet. 

And you might be surprised to find out that it closely resembles our own moon. 

Have a look for yourself: 

More pictures should emerge soon as the spacecraft that made the fly-by gets closer to Mercury. 

5. Oracle Loses its Challenge to Pentagon Cloud-Computing Contract 

This morning the U.S. Supreme Court put an end to software company Oracle’s challenge on how the Pentagon awarded its cloud-computing contract.

The U.S. Defense Department awarded a single-source cloud computing procurement contract to Microsoft back in 2019, only to scrap the deal in July.

Later, the Pentagon announced a new contract that is expected to include Amazon, which was also excluded from the prior one.

Oracle filed a lawsuit in 2018 against the structure of the procurement and certain Pentagon employees' conflicts of interest.

However, that case has finally been put to rest by the U.S. Supreme Court.

To a bright future,

Ray Blanco
Chief Technology Expert, Technology Profits Daily
AskRay@StPaulResearch.com