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On February 14, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, attended the Munich Security Conference and delivered a speech and answered questions at the "China Session." When asked about Chinas role in resolving regional conflicts, particularly the Ukraine issue, Wang Yi stated that Chinas position is clear: all regional hotspots should seek political solutions through dialogue and consultation, and the same applies to the Ukraine issue. However, China is not a party to the conflict, and the decision-making power is not in Chinas hands. What we can do is to promote peace talks. We have dispatched special envoys to mediate and, through various channels, emphasized to all parties that a ceasefire should be implemented as soon as possible, and that everyone should return to the negotiating table.On February 14, 2026, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, attended the Munich Security Conference, delivered a speech at the "China Session," and answered questions from the audience. Wang Yi emphasized that the erroneous remarks by Japanese leaders on the Taiwan issue exposed Japans undying ambition to invade and colonize Taiwan and the lingering specter of reviving militarism. Japan launched its invasion of China and attacked Pearl Harbor under the pretext of a so-called "crisis and existential crisis." The lessons of history are still fresh and must be heeded. If Japan does not repent, it will inevitably repeat the same mistakes. Good people should be vigilant. First and foremost, the Japanese people must be reminded not to be blinded and coerced by far-right forces and extremist ideologies again. All peace-loving countries should also warn Japan: if it chooses to go back to its old ways, it will only lead to its own destruction.Joint statement from the UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands: We and our partners will use all policy tools at our disposal to continue to hold Russia accountable.Joint statement from the UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands: We further express our concern that Russia has not destroyed all of its chemical weapons.The United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands issued a joint statement regarding the death of Alexei Navalny.

Bitcoin Lightning Network-Based Strike Can Rival Visa – MS

Cory Russell

Apr 25, 2022 09:49

Morgan Stanley is optimistic about the bitcoin Lightning Network's potential as a consumer payment option.


They believe Strike, a Lightning Network-based payment technology, can compete with or even outperform Visa in the digital payments market.


Strike has partnered with Shopify and NCR, the world's leading supplier of point-of-sale payment solutions.


Morgan Stanley published a new analysis on the Lightning Network, bitcoin's Layer 2 fast payment system, and its potential to enable a "long-term move towards payments and settlements utilizing digital and cryptocurrencies rather than fiat currencies like the US dollar."


Morgan Stanley's positive analysis on the Lightning Network's potential for broader adoption comes after Strike, a US-based digital payments platform built on top of bitcoin's Lightning Network, announced earlier this month a new integration agreement with e-commerce giant Shopify.


Customers who paid in bitcoin will now be able to receive payments in US dollars from US Shopify businesses. Strike has announced collaborations with NCR, the world's leading supplier of point-of-sale (PoS) payment services.

Morgan Stanley Believes That Lightning Network Will Be Able to Compete With Visa

Morgan Stanley outlined why it believes Strike, a Lightning Network-based digital payment network, can compete with or perhaps exceed Visa in its recent study.


Morgan Stanley observes that "in essence, Strike is directly competing with Visa Direct, which provides real-time settlement," adding that "the primary distinction for merchants will be paid a significantly lower transaction cost."


"The customer advantage is that they may, if they choose, host their bitcoin on a private, secure network, enabling an element of secrecy connected with their transaction," the bank says.


Morgan Stanley emphasizes the importance of Strike's cooperation with NCR. "NCR software is used by one in every six PoS devices worldwide," the bank says, "so this news is important even if just a tiny percentage of retail businesses opt to add crypto capabilities."

Cons of Making Bitcoin Payments

The Morgan Stanley analysis points out some of the disadvantages of utilizing a bitcoin-based payment system, such as the cryptocurrency's underlying volatility on a day-to-day basis, which makes forecasting future buying power problematic.


Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley says that existing tax regulations, which require users to pay capital gains taxes on cryptocurrencies they sell, are a barrier to greater acceptance of bitcoin as a widely used means of exchange.


The bank, on the other hand, mentions the Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act, which has been introduced in the US Congress. If passed, the law would exclude personal bitcoin transactions from taxation as long as the profits are less than $200.


Morgan Stanley, on the other hand, cautions that this plan may meet criticism, particularly from anti-crypto members of Congress, since it serves to establish bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) as credible alternatives to the US currency.


The Morgan Stanley analysis "suggests we are at the beginning of an age when more and more people may opt to pay for items using Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies over time," according to Alex Gladstein, who summarized it on Twitter.

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