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Trump attempts to bail out his wealthy cryptocurrency backers with U.S. crypto reserve

Just a few days ago, Mashable published an article investigating why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were suddenly in a freefall. Of the four main reasons, three were attributable to Donald Trump and his actions as president. 

This is not exactly what one would expect from Trump, who promised to be a pro-crypto president after its advocates helped him win the presidency.

But over the weekend, as Bitcoin lost roughly one-fifth of its value, Trump suddenly made an announcement that temporarily sent cryptocurrencies’ values skyrocketing once again.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced that the U.S. government would create a “Crypto Strategic Reserve” and begin buying various cryptocurrencies. Trump specifically mentioned five: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano.

“A U.S. Crypto Reserve will elevate this critical industry after years of corrupt attacks by the Biden Administration, which is why my Executive Order on Digital Assets directed the Presidential Working Group to move forward on a Crypto Strategic Reserve that includes XRP, SOL, and ADA,” posted Trump. “I will make sure the U.S. is the Crypto Capital of the World. We are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Crypto immediately went up across the market. Bitcoin, for example, shot up from the $85,000 range to the $95,000 range, ending a seemingly downward spiral that the crypto market was experiencing. 

However, critics immediately called out Trump and his administration for the move. For one, it seemed like a bizarre strategy for an administration spearheading a cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk to use taxpayer dollars to buy up cryptocurrencies. 

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“Nobody announced a tax or a spending program,” White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks said to those critics. “Maybe you should wait to find out what’s actually being proposed.”

Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, never shared precisely what was being proposed as a followup.

While most have likely heard of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the other three cryptocurrencies mentioned by the president serve very niche crypto audiences. Solana is probably best known as the platform on which many meme coins are built. For example, Trump’s controversial meme coin is traded on the Solana blockchain. Some crypto advocates even criticized Trump’s inclusion of XRP and ADA due to concerns regarding centralization and the lack of stablecoin issuers.

But speaking of Sacks, a big spotlight was also put on him and his seemingly coincidental connection to the five specific cryptocurrencies that Trump wants the U.S. government to buy.

Sacks was an early investor in Solana and, as a result, had a significant amount of Solana crypto holdings. Sacks claims he has since sold off all of his crypto holdings. However, Sacks has yet to speak to his venture capital firm Craft Ventures and its connection to the five specific cryptocurrencies.

Craft Ventures invests in crypto companies such as Bitwise, a crypto asset manager with significant crypto holdings. Its top five cryptocurrency holdings? Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano.

We’ll have to wait and see exactly what Trump and Sacks have planned to fully look into the ramifications here, but so far, it’s not looking good.

As for Trump’s attempt to help the crypto markets, the bounce appears to have been only temporary. As of publication, most cryptocurrencies have dropped back to their trading levels before Trump’s announcement.


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Score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.

SAVE 64%: Between May 6 and May 17, you can score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.


Get up to 64% off plus a free solar panel with purchase

I live in an apartment, so I don’t exactly have a “whole home” to back up. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s losing power. There goes the AC, the internet, the food in the fridge — it’s a total nightmare. If you actually own a house and have been putting off buying a backup power system because it’s pricey, I have some good news.

Right now, EcoFlow is running a Mother’s Day Sale through May 17 with discounts as high as 64%. They’re also throwing in free hardware to sweeten the deal: All single orders between $600 and $3,000 come with a free 45W solar panel, and orders over $3,000 come with two free 160W solar panels. If you’re looking for something more portable, their RAPID Power Banks are also up to 53% off right now.

Just keep an eye on the countdown clock — it’s for the Flash Sale items that have even better, limited-time price cuts. If you miss the flash window, the standard Mother’s Day and Home Improvement deals (including a $700 installation discount for larger systems) are still valid through mid-May.

Here are a few of the best deals I’ve spotted so far:

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Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before

Comedian John Early makes his feature directorial debut with Maddie’s Secret, an offbeat homage to melodrama that he wrote and headlines as its eponymous heroine.

As an aspiring food influencer, Maddie Ralph (Early) is passionate about her cuisine. And at first glance, she’s got a picture-perfect life: a loving husband (Eric Rahill), a devoted best friend (Kate Berlant), and a job at a culinary content studio called Gourmaybe. But as the title suggests, there’s a side to Maddie she can’t stomach sharing with her loved ones. And this secret could kill her.

Out of the movie’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, I cheered Maddie’s Secret, writing in my review for Mashable, “The film is silly and strange, but even amid campy bits, sincere. So, you’ll laugh at its parody elements, but may well be genuinely moved by Early’s commitment to this strange and splendid film.”

I also said “John Early is a better ingénue than Sydney Sweeney,” comparing Maddie’s Secret to another earnest (but less entertaining) TIFF offering, Christy. And I stand by it.

Maddie’s Secret opens in theaters in New York on June 19, and in Los Angeles on June 26.

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Pride is almost here! Check out the best dating apps for LGBTQ women.

We know Pride is all year round, but there is something special about the month of June. We’re not there quite yet, but if you want a main squeeze for all the parades and parties, you gotta start looking now. How about on a dating app?

As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

There are a few reasons why LGBTQ people might turn to online dating more quickly than straight folks. For one, you might live in an area without a thriving LGBTQ community, and in-person dating may be hard. If you don’t know other lesbians to begin with, how can you meet more IRL to date? (Sometimes, lesbian spaces can also be co-opted by The Straights.) Unfortunately, in-person dating may also be less safe, depending on where you live. 

Hookup apps for everyone


AdultFriendFinder


readers’ pick for casual connections


Tinder


top pick for finding hookups


Hinge


popular choice for regular meetups

Thankfully, we live in a time where we can find people like us with a few swipes. Lesbians are welcome on major dating apps, and there are also niche ones specifically for lesbians and other queer women and people. But which one to choose?

How to find the best dating apps for lesbians

illustration of woman giving flowers to another woman

Niche lesbian dating apps aren’t your only option for finding love.
Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable

In Mashable’s recommendations below, you’ll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you’ll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that’s probably not what you’re looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.

Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there’s no “Grindr for lesbians” — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble. 

You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.

Diving into the dating pool isn’t easy, but the water’s fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.

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