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- 📈 Blockchain Nations: Coders vs. Governments Showdown
📈 Blockchain Nations: Coders vs. Governments Showdown
Datacentres or Doom: UK’s AI Crossroads!
This is Cliff Equity, the UK’s business newsletter that keeps you informed on what’s important in tech, business and finance in less than 5 minutes
In today’s stories:
Blockchain Nations: Coders vs. Governments Showdown
Datacentres or Doom: UK’s AI Crossroads!
Ferovinum’s £20 Million Toast to Innovation!
The summary: In a future where tech disrupts countries, you could swap your nationality like a mobile plan, with blockchain-powered startup nations run by ambitious coders eager to outshine traditional governments – what a lark!
The details:
A Tech Bro’s Dream of Citizenship on Demand: Imagine picking your nationality like a Netflix subscription. Balaji Srinivasan, crypto rockstar, dreams of startup nations – “network states” that begin as online communities and morph into full-blown countries. Choose your laws, values, and land, just like selecting a broadband provider.
Disrupting Countries, Because Why Stop at Taxi Apps?: Silicon Valley’s obsession with disruption isn’t content with just education or finance. Now, tech entrepreneurs, backed by venture capital, are eyeing governance. Replace pesky governments with efficient, profit-driven corporations? Sounds like a utopian fantasy... or dystopian nightmare.
Neo-Colonialism 2.0 or the Future of Democracy?: Critics fear these network states will be nothing more than corporate dictatorships, while fans argue they cut through the bureaucratic sludge of modern democracies. Regardless, it’s clear tech’s love affair with political disruption is only just beginning.
From Meme Lords to ‘Startup Nations’: With shady parties, blockchain cities, and awkward coders rubbing shoulders with hipster models, projects like Praxis promise “heroic virtue” and futuristic governance – though right now, they’re mostly just memes and mysterious gatherings.
Why it matters: Ah, the joy of watching tech billionaires plot to reinvent the world, where citizenship is as casual as a gym membership. If these startup nations take off, we might soon be governed by hoodie-clad coders and blockchain enthusiasts rather than elected leaders. So, brace yourself – tomorrow’s borders might be digital, but the chaos will be delightfully real.
The summary: Britain’s AI future hinges on building more datacentres, relaxing copyright laws, and swiftly upping its game, or it’ll be left sipping tea while the rest of the world zooms ahead!
The details:
Google warns that the UK risks becoming an AI has-been unless it ramps up datacentres and loosens copyright rules for AI training. Chop-chop, chaps!
The UK's AI readiness ranking? A lukewarm seventh globally. Google’s Debbie Weinstein urges swift policy changes, or we'll be waving AI goodbye from the back of the queue.
Labour’s decision to axe £1.3bn in AI infrastructure funding—no supercomputer, no AI Research Resource—has left Google nervously waiting for the government’s "AI action plan."
Copyright kerfuffle: Google wants relaxed rules on text and data mining for commercial AI use. Without it, Britain might end up training its AI on...well, not much at all.
Why it matters: If Britain wants to stay in the AI big leagues, it needs more than just fond memories of the Industrial Revolution—it needs datacentres and copyright reforms pronto. Slashing funding for crucial AI projects is like entering a marathon in flip-flops, while everyone else has jetpacks. And without access to copyrighted data, the UK’s AI models could end up as sharp as a butter knife.
The summary: Ferovinum is shaking up the wine and spirits industry with a savvy tech platform that uncorks funding and streamlines supply chains, helping smaller producers thrive and take on the big players!
The details:
Ferovinum has clinched a cool £20 million in an oversubscribed Series A round led by Notion Capital, with Jos White joining the board—one might say the drinks are on them!
Their platform tackles the industry's rather sticky problems: liquidity bottlenecks, clunky supply chains, and a labyrinth of regulations, helping wine and spirits businesses operate like a well-aged Bordeaux.
UK success has been sparkling, with £170 million in product transactions and a whopping 1,000% sales growth since early 2023—next stop, the US and Europe!
Ferovinum is the toast of innovative drinks brands, partnering with everyone from Edinburgh distilleries to English sparkling wine pioneers. Even canned cocktails are getting in on the action. Cheers to disruption!
Why it matters: Ferovinum is giving the rather old-fashioned wine and spirits industry a tech makeover, solving the age-old cash crunch and dragging supply chains into the 21st century. With major growth already under its belt, they're poised to uncork global markets, letting smaller producers give the corporate giants a proper run for their money. Essentially, it’s shaking up the world of booze with innovation—and perhaps saving us all from more stuffy business-as-usual.