Hey there, PoI squad! 🌟 

It's your friendly neighborhood crypto enthusiast Mochi, serving up today's hottest dish of Trump-flavored tech drama! From TikTok acquisition talks to AI mega-deals, we're diving deep into a world where politics meets technology. Grab your favorite beverage ☕ and let's explore how the former president is stirring up the digital pot!

Hire Ava, the Industry-Leading AI BDR

Ava automates your entire outbound demand generation so you can get leads delivered to your inbox on autopilot. She operates within the Artisan platform, which consolidates every tool you need for outbound:

• 300M+ High-Quality B2B Prospects

• Automated Lead Enrichment With 10+ Data Sources Included

• Full Email Deliverability Management

• Personalization Waterfall using LinkedIn, Twitter, Web Scraping & More

Book a demo to see what Ava can do.

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Trump expressed openness to potential TikTok acquisition by tech moguls Elon Musk or Larry Ellison amid ongoing regulatory challenges.

🟧 Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped and safely rescued after a cryptocurrency ransom incident in France.

🟧 MetaMask and Ramp Network have partnered to enable direct fiat withdrawals from Layer-2 networks, streamlining the crypto-to-cash process.

🟧 Oracle stock surged following Trump's announcement of a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership dubbed 'Stargate' with OpenAI and Nvidia.

Trump Welcomes Musk And Ellison As Potential TikTok Buyers

Former President Trump just dropped a social media bombshell by expressing his support for either Elon Musk or Larry Ellison to potentially acquire TikTok. During a press briefing about AI infrastructure (because apparently, we needed more tech plot twists), Trump suggested he'd be open to either tech titan taking the reins of the popular dance-and-dog-video app.

The stakes are astronomically high, with analysts valuing TikTok's U.S. operations at around $50 billion. But hold onto your smartphones, because Trump speculated the platform could be worth a whopping $1 trillion with the right operating permit! That's enough money to buy everyone on Earth a lifetime supply of bubble tea, but I digress.

Here's where it gets interesting: Trump proposed a rather unique deal structure, suggesting the potential buyer should "give half to the United States of America" in exchange for operating permits. It's like splitting the bill on a really, really expensive dinner date with Uncle Sam!

The plot thickens when you consider that Musk is already juggling Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), while Ellison's Oracle is currently TikTok's cloud infrastructure provider in the U.S. It's worth noting that Trump's stance on TikTok has done more flips than a viral dance challenge since 2020, when he initially tried to ban the app entirely.

ByteDance, TikTok's current owner, is keeping their cards closer to their chest than a poker player with a royal flush, though rumors suggest China might be eyeing Musk as a potential suitor.

Trump openly supports potential TikTok acquisition by either Elon Musk or Larry Ellison

Proposed deal structure suggests giving 50% ownership to the U.S. government

TikTok's U.S. operations valued at $50 billion, but Trump speculates it could be worth $1 trillion with proper permits

Ledger Executive Survives Cryptocurrency Ransom Kidnapping

Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped from his home in central France on January 21st. The good news? He's now safe, thanks to a swift police operation that secured his release on January 22nd. Talk about a hardware wallet creator needing some serious self-custody of his own person!

This isn't your average "forgot my password" crisis - the kidnappers demanded their ransom in cryptocurrency, which is like asking a pastry chef to pay you in croissants (except way more serious and definitely not delicious). The incident sent shockwaves through the crypto community, with even former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao jumping into the conversation on X before quickly doing a delete-and-retreat.

For those who've been living under a blockchain, Ledger isn't just another tech startup - it's a $1.42 billion company that's sold over seven million hardware wallets. They're basically the Fort Knox of crypto, helping people keep their digital assets safer than a dragon guarding its gold. Speaking of safety, Ledger proudly claims none of their wallets have ever been hacked, though this incident reminds us that sometimes the biggest security risks happen offline!

The crypto community's response was more cautious than a validator during a network upgrade, with Casa's CTO Jameson Lopp noting his "spidey sense" was tingling due to Ledger's initial silence. Turns out his spider sense wasn't wrong!

Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped and safely rescued after a police operation in France

Kidnappers demanded cryptocurrency as ransom, adding a dark twist to the crypto security narrative

Incident highlights real-world security risks in crypto, despite Ledger's success with 7 million+ unhacked wallets sold

MetaMask Launches Direct Layer 2 To Fiat Withdrawals

MetaMask just dropped a game-changing feature that lets you turn your Layer-2 Ether into real-world money ." Thanks to their expanded partnership with Ramp Network, users can now skip the whole "bridge-to-mainnet-then-pray-for-low-fees" dance we've all been doing.

Here's the scoop: this integration supports over 35 fiat currencies and works with popular L2 networks like Optimism, Polygon, and BNB Chain. For our American friends, you get instant bank transfers, while our European crypto fam gets to enjoy SEPA Instant payouts.

Ramp Network's CEO, Szymon Sypniewicz (try saying that three times fast!) explains that this move is all about eliminating those pesky extra steps like bridging or dealing with centralized exchanges.

The timing couldn't be better, as Ethereum L2 users have been desperately seeking ways to turn their digital dollars into real ones without performing a complicated crypto ballet involving multiple platforms. Plus, with the recent trend of making Web3 more accessible to Web2 users, this feels like teaching your grandparents to use a smartphone - it just makes everything easier for everyone!

MetaMask users can now cash out directly from L2 networks to fiat via Ramp Network

System supports 35+ fiat currencies with instant transfers in US and SEPA Instant in Europe

Integration eliminates need for bridging or using centralized exchanges, reducing costs and complexity

Oracle Stock Jumps As Trump Announces 500 Billion Dollar AI Partnership

Oracle‘s stock rocketed up 7% after Trump unveiled what I'm dubbing the "Mother of All Tech Deals." We're talking about a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership that's bringing together Oracle, OpenAI, and Nvidia like the tech industry's version of The Avengers!

Speaking of superheroes, Larry Ellison just pulled a Tony Stark move, getting $12 billion richer in a single day! That's enough to buy everyone in New York a lifetime supply of premium cloud storage (not that he would, but wouldn't that be nice?). This cosmic cash injection launched him past Mark Zuckerberg.

The plot thickens with a side of TikTok drama, as Oracle's already playing host to TikTok's U.S. data - talk about being everyone's favorite dance partner! And with Trump's recent 90-day TikTok ban extension, Oracle's looking like the popular kid at the tech prom who might just save the party.

Trump's inauguration, it was like a billionaire's convention with OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg all showing up (though Ellison apparently had other plans - maybe counting his new billions?).

$500 billion 'Stargate' AI partnership announced between Oracle, OpenAI, and Nvidia

Oracle stock jumped 10% total, making Larry Ellison $12 billion richer and the world's third-richest person

Project announcement comes amid ongoing TikTok drama, where Oracle plays a crucial role as U.S. data host

That's all the Trump-tech tea for today, PoI fam! 🎪 From potential TikTok sales to billion-dollar AI partnerships, it's been quite the rollercoaster. Remember to keep your crypto secure (looking at you, Ledger users 👀), and your withdrawals smooth (thanks, MetaMask! 💫).

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. very voice matters in the PoI community! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter

🍨📰 Catch you in the next issue! 📰🍨