Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have had a breakout year in 2021 as they went from relative obscurity to being a regular topic of conversation on investment news and barreling into household conversation as celebrities from Snoop Dogg and Grimes to Twitter's Jack Dorsey got in on the craze. However, along with the wild amounts of money being invested in digital art, there has occurred another conversation about the amount of energy utilized in minting, distributing and trading NFTs; a new venture seeks to bridge that divide. 

NFTopia, a new NFT marketplace set to launch on December 31^st is set to reduce the emissions required to mint, or bring into existence, NFTs. As a cross-chain digital art exchange—set on Layer 2 on Ethereum—NFTopia also integrates NFTs of Solana, Cardano, and Binance Smart Chain in one, easy-to-use, (almost) gasless environment. NFTopia operates on Ethereum from a private node and layer-2 blockchain which reduces the amount of gas required for a transaction to nothing, just so long as the transaction is within the network. In addition to the transactions, the exchange will feature an array of tools for NFT creators, including a gasless minting function, the ability to transfer verification between networks, and API integration to make all transactions that much smoother.

To promote the launch of the new platform, the team is staging a presale season, wherein each prospective investor may buy up to 85k TOPIA tokens throughout the four periods. In addition, the developers are holding an airdrop contest for those of whom who would like to get in on the ground floor, but aren't quite ready to invest. These contests invite community members to bring new users into the fold, either by generating referrals or creating memes and short films. 

Making Dreams into Reality

As for after the launch, the development team was tight-lipped but could not completely hide their excitement, saying of future partnerships with artists: “we're not comfortable with dropping names right now, but we're in talks with the top artists across Solana and Ethereum right now. Every day our dream is coming closer to reality, and we will publicize when deals are cemented. Our plan for the year is to become the place for NFT-related activities across all networks. Whatever the market requires within the next year, we want to be there to provide it.”   

The presale period for NFTopia began on December 9^th and is available for purchase through the Ethereum network.

To explore the launch schedule and whitepaper for NFTopia, please check out their website. To keep up with updates, follow them on Twitter or Reddit, or connect with the team on Telegram.

Disclaimer: All investment strategies and investments involve the risk of loss. Nothing contained in this article should be construed as investment advice. Any reference to an investment's past or potential performance is not, and should not be construed as, a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit. 

The post 5 engaging lesson ideas for the holiday season appeared first on The Flocabulary Blog.

Comic creator Chris Beck has a problem most would be thrilled to have -- his first Kickstarter launch funded faster than he could have ever anticipated! But now he's struggling with what to do for stretch goals, and how he can maintain backer interest and enthusiasm without breaking the bank with a ton of unplanned for expenses. Luckily, he has a round table of veteran ComixLaunch Pros facilitated by Tyler James in his corner, and in this special mastermind season Chris and YOU will get a master class in savvy Kickstarter stretch goals!

Mainland Chinese Truck Market Continues to Deteriorate, Supply Constraints Add to Production Woes

The policy-induced pre-loaded consumption has given mainland Chinese medium- and heavy-duty truck (MHDT) market a chill since July, with production cutting by nearly 60% as compared with the same period of last year. The current supply chain constraints caused by semi-conductor and power shortages will weigh on production activities into 2022. In our November 2021 forecast, we expect the mainland Chinese MHDT production to further loose around 25,000 units for the second half of 2021 and 15,000 units for the first quarter of the next year.

High inventories of China 5-level trucks remain the biggest dragger

Owing to the OEMs' price competition, the pre-buy activity in preparation for the China 6 emission rules were greatly amplified, resulting in an over-storage of China 5-level trucks across dealer channels in the first half of 2021. By the end of October, nationwide MHDT inventories are calculated at 260,000 units, still way higher than the typical rates of 150,000-170,000 units. Roughly two thirds of inventories are China 5-level trucks, despite a closure of registrations in major markets such as Hebei, Shaanxi, and Shandong. A part of the unsaleable trucks has flowed into the second-hand market with price depreciating up to 50%. Such price differential, coupled with common concerns over increasing usage cost, makes China-6 level trucks even less favorable. Although the final chance to register a China 5-level truck is set on December 31, 2021 in some regions, the high inventory pressure will likely deepen into early 2022 before the full clearance of new China 5-level trucks in the market.

Semiconductor shortage gets worse but under control

The global automotive semiconductor shortage has worsened by the pandemic resurgence in Malaysia and Vietnam since the summer months. To minimize losses under the tighter resources, some OEMs have prioritized production to bestselling models or new models that need to be pushed to the market, while some OEMs have placed orders of key accounts the first in line. Moreover, there have been cases of pausing acceptance of advanced orders because of the uncertainty about final deliveries. As a result, the average lead time of new trucks in most manufacturers are extended from one week to above four weeks. The sophisticated premium models that account for less than 10% market share suffered the most, with production line rates almost halved for several brands. We expect the semiconductor supply chain to stay gloomy for the coming months, but its impacts on the MHDT production should be manageable under sluggish sales of China 6-level trucks.

Power shortage risk may persist in the medium term

The coal supply disruption stemming from the mainland Chinese government's energy consumption control has triggered a severe power crunch across the nation, with more than 20 provinces experiencing different degrees of load shedding measures since mid-2021. Except for three northeastern provinces - Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang where the residential sector is affected, most provinces have kept power rationing measures within energy-intensive industries. Some energy-intensive industries such as aluminum, electronics, and steel are ordered to curtail capacity by 20-30% in the second half to meet carbon reduction commitments, posing more hurdles to automotive supply chain and industrial freight transport. On one hand, the softening demand for China 6-level trucks has hindered truck makers to pass the inflating producer cost on to retail prices. On the other hand, the continued downswing in industrial output will undermine the road freight recovery. Although the government has fine-tuned policies to ramp up coal production and reined in coal and power prices, an upturn is not likely to emerge until the second quarter of 2022 when the winter heating season ends. Given the government's anti-pollution ambitions, the supply disruption risks may sustain for quite a while.

With de-stocking of China 5-level new trucks, we predict MHDT inventories to rebuild from the third quarter of 2022, supporting some improvements in production. However, the expected slowing economy as well as economic reform measures including property deleveraging, financial de-risking, and industrial decarbonization will continue to act as a drag from the demand side. The recently released State Council's guideline on antipollution campaigns which highlight a nationwide elimination of China 1-3-level trucks by 2025 may bring a turn to the market, while its practical enforcement and impacts remain uncertain before the issuance of more specific measures.

Gorilla of My Dreams writer Big Tim Stiles latest attempt to get some backer engagement and interaction during his Kickstarter flopped big time. In this mastermind style session, a round table of ComixLaunch Pros facilitated by Tyler James breakdown what went wrong with Tim's engagement strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it, as well as share what's worked for backer engagement during their launches. Mastermind season is BACK on ComixLaunch!

Doxxed Santa has a single primary goal, to give the users a safe space to trade. Their marketing wallet is committed to marketing with an assurance that it will keep shooting for the moon even after the holiday season. You can purchase the token during the upcoming event. The presale is set to happen on 29th after it hits the hard cap. It is your chance to grab and hodl Doxxed Santa.

Presale Details

Doxxed Santa will soon launch the presale on 29th on Unicrypt. Later on, the token launch will take place on PancakeSwap. The total supply of tokens is 1,000,000,000. Notably, there is automatic liquidity, with 70% of the total presale going to a secure lock for one year.

Security and KYC

DoxxedSanta has already carried out KYC. The project owner has provided personal details to a third party. It will ensure that the project increases trust among investors. To prove the badge appears on Unicrypt, upon looking at its profile on the exchange platform.

In addition to KYC, Doxxed Santa has already carried out an audit through Solidproof. The project's code has been thoroughly checked to find vulnerabilities using manual and automated tests. The report shows that it is entirely safe; hence you can be sure that it is free from attacks.

Doxxed Santa's Journey in Detail

The project has very quickly followed the journey on what it is planning. The first step is to create a website and have a social media presence. Next up is the audit and KYC, followed by the presale. At the moment, all the rest have taken place except the presale. 

From there, the marketing will take place with a positive approach as the holiday season is here. As more marketing goes on, the platform will attract more investors, taking the token to the moon! Afterall, that is what every project is about; marketing to stand out from the rest. 
Doxxed Santa is here to give you all gifts of joy on its journey to more development.

How to Buy the Token

Buying the Doxxed Santa token is very easy. You can click on the button on top of the website, saying buy on Pancakeswap. Then, you can proceed to buy the token by connecting the metamask or trust wallet on the exchange and looking for the token. Just like that, you can have your own Doxxed Santa token.

As Doxxed Santa says, "I know you stopped believing in Santa since you were 6 years old , but you are old enough now to believe in Doxxed Santa!"

For more information on Doxxed Santa, you can visit their;

Website: https://doxxedSanta.com

Whitepaper: https://doxxedsanta.com/whitepaperz.pdf

Main Channel: https://t.me/DoxxedSanta

Announcement: https://t.me/DoxxedSantaAnn

Chinese Channel: https://t.me/DoxxedSantaCN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoxxedSanta

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/doxxedsanta

The post 4 Ways Supply Chain Disruptions Will Impact the Holiday Season appeared first on The Network Effect.

Retailers are expecting a record number of holiday shoppers on Thanksgiving weekend placing parcel delivery companies in the spotlight to meet consumers' holiday expectations.

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Explosive e-commerce growth during the pandemic coupled with last-mile deliveries has made it necessary for fleet managers to turn to companies like Penske Truck Rental for additional equipment.

Penske, which has one of the largest rental fleets in North America, works with parcel delivery companies throughout the year to anticipate rental truck needs heading into the holiday season.

"We meet with our providers and vendors in the first quarter of the year to evaluate the previous year. And then, we meet several times throughout the year to discuss preparations for the upcoming holiday package season. We have a great working relationship with the delivery companies and value our partnership." said Jeff Werner, director of commercial rental sales for Penske Truck Rental.

Chances are during peak holiday delivery periods a Penske rental truck will be there to help your favorite parcel company deliver during the holidays.

Holiday Shopping List

The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts holiday sales in November and December will increase to between $843.3 billion and $859 billion, an increase over 2020. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $997.73 during the holidays.

The holiday shopping period – Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday – will feature nearly 2 million more shoppers than last year, according to the results of a survey by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

"We're expecting another record-breaking holiday season this year, and Thanksgiving weekend will play a major role as it always has," said Matthew Shay NRF president and CEO.

Two-thirds of holiday shoppers surveyed plan to shop on Thanksgiving weekend, with more than 30 million planning to shop in-store or online on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday remains the most popular shopping day with 108 million consumers planning to make purchases followed by Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday.

Meeting the Need

In previous years, late October and November have been months when rental truck requests from parcel carriers and others would start to increase. This year, the increase has occurred much sooner.

"Customers are purchasing items earlier to ensure they have them for the holiday season, which is causing the delivery companies to pick-up the trucks earlier than in past years. This will also ensure they have the necessary equipment for the last-minute holiday rush."

In addition to parcel delivery companies, Penske also supports the needs of small and medium-sized businesses that experience similar spikes in holiday demand.

"There are businesses (large and small), that are in need of extra equipment over the holiday season." Werner said. "With Penske's large fleet, we are able to work with the customers to provide equipment."

Penske draws on years of holiday rental demand experience to balance the needs of large parcel carriers and regional and local businesses. "Our teams are working hard to ensure there is equipment available for every type of business," Werner said.

While the holiday shopping season is in full swing, Werner advises businesses seeking rental trucks to act now.

"We constantly have new trucks coming in and customers returning trucks, so there is constantly an inventory turn around," Werner said. "Our teams do a great job of positioning equipment to take care of all of our customers."

Preparation is key.

"Customers need to plan ahead and give us a call at the earliest time they think they will need equipment," Werner said.

Penske offers a wide variety of rental trucks from large commercial semi-tractors and trailers to small box trucks. Penske encourages retailers and businesses to make reservations by calling its hotline for business rentals, 1-800-PENSKE1.

By Bernie Mixon

2021 may go down as the year for meme trading: from the Wall Street Bets saga in January to runs on cryptocurrencies like DogeCoin and SHIB, it's safe to say that this holiday season, there are sure to be some interesting conversations happening around the dinner table. Rounding off the end of this year and hoping to capitalize on the ongoing conversations about American inflation, jobs, and monetary policy is a new project recently launched on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) and trading exclusively on PancakeSwap that calls itself The FED Money Printer.

The idea for the coin itself was spun out of a simple joke: the idea that the Federal Reserve Banking system prints money, but what if people were able to print money themselves? The mechanics are that of a simple reflection token: whenever an investor buys or sells, they pay a 15% tax, wherein 4% goes to liquidity to maintain stability and growth, 4% goes to a Treasury fund, and the remaining 7% is dispersed among stakeholders in the form of BUSD-a BSC currency pegged to the value of the USD. Simply put, the more people hold during periods of volatility, the more money they get back.

Art... that makes money

“The whole thing is almost like an art project,” explained the developer, Sobel. “We just wanted to capitalize on the larger conversations happening around America's economic recovery efforts and see if we could inject ourselves in the middle of it through light-hearted political satire about monetary policy. We're blown away by how overwhelmingly positive the response has been from people.”

However, not everybody seems to share their enthusiasm. “Yeah, our launch did rub some people the wrong way, some more conspiracy-minded people seemed to have had our humor go over their heads-- our Telegram channel even got raided by a group from 4chan at one point.”

Despite these setbacks, Sobel saw an opportunity to incorporate the crisis into the brand: “I took a page from [John Maynerd] Keynes, and decided to win over some of our opposition by offering a stimulus package of free shares to anybody who wanted them. It didn't take long to bring many of them onboard.”

A Brighter Future

“At the end of the day it's just fun,” stated Sobel plainly. “I want everybody to be able to go into the holidays being able to say they paid for their presents with the ‘money printer.' It's just plain wholesome.”

What follows from there, the developer was a bit more oblique: “well I have seen in the news that the Federal Reserve likes talking about minting a trillion dollar coin some day. We don't do NFT's right now, but that could be something worth looking into.”

To connect with the team behind the FED Money Printer project, check out their website or join their Telegram channel.

REMINDER: 2022 Nasdaq Board Diversity Disclosure and D&O Questionnaires

As issuers prepare for the end of the 2021 calendar year and the beginning of the 2022 proxy season, many will soon begin circulating director and officer questionnaires. Nasdaq-listed issuers should consider including new questions regarding the diversity of their directors now. To assist listed issuers, Nasdaq has provided sample questions for inclusion in director and officer questionnaires.… More

The post REMINDER: 2022 Nasdaq Board Diversity Disclosure and D&O Questionnaires first appeared on IPO, Then What?.

A groundbreaking interactive series featuring companies that are letting viewers Click-to-Invest while they watch.

This month, thousands of scientists, climate change activists, and world leaders descend upon Glasgow, Scotland for the United Nations Climate Change Conference UK 2021...