The TOP 25 countries leading the way in Cryptocurrency Ownership

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September 14, 2023

NordenBladet – Cryptocurrencies have taken the world by storm, with a global market value of $4.67 billion in 2022, projected to reach $11.71 billion by 2030, according to a report by Grand View Research. This surge is driven by the increasing adoption of distributed ledger technology and growing acceptance of digital currencies as a legitimate means of payment.

Asia-Pacific’s Crypto Surge

The Grand View Research report highlights that the Asia-Pacific region is at the forefront of cryptocurrency growth, with China, Japan, and South Korea leading the charge. These nations are witnessing a rapid increase in crypto awareness and investments in blockchain technology.

Navigating Regulatory Challenges

While the crypto industry continues to expand, regulatory hurdles are not uncommon. Australia’s Senate Economics Legislation Committee recently rejected a bill proposing licensing systems for crypto-related services, hindering industry growth in the country. Similarly, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is poised to introduce strict rules on crypto marketing to protect citizens from illegal activities.

Unveiling Blockchain with Arkham’s Intelligence

Miguel Morel, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, is on a mission to deanonymize blockchain with his startup, Arkham’s Intelligence. His platform aims to shed light on cryptocurrency transactions by linking users’ blockchain identities to their real-world identities. By encouraging transparency and accountability, Miguel hopes to create a mechanism where users are incentivized to share valuable information with the crypto community.

Corporate Giants Driving Crypto Adoption

Established companies like Coinbase Global Inc., CME Group Inc., and PayPal Holdings, Inc. play a pivotal role in shaping the crypto landscape. Coinbase recently obtained approval to offer cryptocurrency futures trading, while CME Group introduced reference rates for Bitcoin and Ethereum, expanding market access. PayPal launched its own stablecoin, PYUSD, facilitating digital asset transactions.

The Global Impact of Corporate Investment

Large corporations wield considerable influence in driving crypto adoption, leveraging their extensive networks and resources for research and development. These investments enhance industry dynamics and build trust in digital assets. Many companies are also launching mobile applications to make crypto usage more accessible.

25 countries Leading in Cryptocurrency Ownership:

To provide insight into the global cryptocurrency landscape, we’ve compiled a list of the top 25 countries with the highest cryptocurrency ownership rates, based on data from Triple A. The rankings are determined by the percentage of each country’s population that owns cryptocurrencies:

25. Nepal (Crypto Ownership 4.43%)
Nearly 4.8% of Nepal’s population owns crypto.

24. Indonesia (4.55%)
Crypto as a payment method is widely accepted in Indonesia, with 4.55% of the population owning crypto.

23. Colombia (4.81%)
Approximately 4.8% of Colombia’s population, or 2.5 million people, own cryptocurrencies.

22. Morocco (4.90%)
Morocco boasts a cryptocurrency ownership rate of 4.90%.

21. Turkey (5.46%)
Turkey has 5.5% of its population, or nearly 4.6 million people, owning cryptocurrencies.

20. Argentina (5.56%)
Argentina has experienced significant growth in crypto ownership, with 5.6% of its population owning digital assets.

19. Russia (5.87%)
Russia counts nearly 14 million crypto owners, making up 5.87% of its population.

18. France (5.90%)
France has 5.9% of its population, approximately 3.4 million people, owning cryptocurrencies.

17. Philippines (6.13%)
Approximately 6.13% of the population in the Philippines owns cryptocurrencies.

16. United Kingdom (6.2%)
In the UK, 6.2% of the population, nearly 4.2 million people, own crypto, primarily among wealthier individuals.

15. Pakistan (6.40%)
Pakistan ranks among countries with high cryptocurrency ownership at 6.40%.

14. Brazil (6.98%)
Brazil has a substantial crypto community, with almost 16 million people, or 6.98% of the population, owning digital assets.

13. India (7.23%)
India ranks 12th in cryptocurrency ownership, with approximately 97.5 million crypto owners. Regulatory uncertainty persists.

12. Thailand (9.32%)
Thailand boasts a high crypto ownership rate of 9.32%, thanks to favorable laws.

11. South Africa (9.4%)
South Africa has a thriving crypto market, with a large middle-class population investing in digital assets.

10. Venezuela (10.30%)
Venezuela is a major crypto market, with 10% of its population owning digital assets.

9. Nigeria (10.34%)
Africa is witnessing rapid crypto growth, with Nigeria ranking high in ownership at 10.34%.

8. Kenya (10.71%)
Kenya has a substantial crypto community, with 10.71% of its population, almost 6.1 million people, owning digital assets.

7. Singapore (11.05%)
Singapore’s crypto ownership stands at 11.05%, reflecting its status as a global financial hub and crypto hotspot.

6. Iran (13.46%)
Iran has a robust crypto market, with 13.46% of its population owning digital assets.

These countries are at the forefront of the global cryptocurrency revolution, showcasing the growing acceptance and adoption of digital currencies on a worldwide scale. As crypto continues to shape the financial landscape, these nations are setting the pace for others to follow.

5. United States (13.7%)
Cryptocurrencies are highly popular in the United States. The government regulations are supportive and there is an exponential increase in the use of blockchain technology.

4. Ukraine (15.72%)
Amidst the Ukraine-Russia conflict, residents of Ukraine turned to foreign currencies and crypto as a safe haven. This has particularly fueled the use of crypto in Ukraine.

3. Saudi Arabia (17.53%)
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest markets for crypto in the world. Almost 17 % of the total population in Saudi Arabia owns crypto.

2. Vietnam (18.73%)
Vietnam ranks high among the countries with the highest cryptocurrency ownership. The rapid digitization of the economy explains the surge in crypto ownership across the country.

1. United Arab Emirates (27.67%)
The United Arab Emirates holds the largest ownership of crypto. The use of cryptocurrency is legal in the country, and government regulations are also favorable towards blockchain technology. Almost 28% of the total population in the country owns crypto.

Featured image: UAE (Unsplash)

Sweden: The weakened Swedish krona raises the prices of wines in Systembolagets

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 31, 2023

NordenBladet – On September 1, the prices of wines will be increased further in Systembolagets, with some wines the price increase is up to 43%. This is the third time this year that the prices of several popular wines have increased.

At the New Year, the prices of all wines in Systembolaget were increased, this decision was related to the alcohol tax.

In March, several suppliers decided to raise prices due to rising costs.

And now the time is ripe for a price increase again. From September 1, several popular wines will become more expensive. This increase is mainly due to the weakening of the Swedish krona, which makes it more expensive for suppliers to import wine to Sweden.

Systembolaget, colloquially known as systemet or bolaget , is a government-owned chain of liquor stores in Sweden. It is the only retail store allowed to sell alcoholic beverages that contain more than 3.5% alcohol by volume. Systembolaget acts as a portal for private companies selling alcohol on the Swedish market and as of 2023, it represents 1,200 vendors ranging from small local breweries to large scale importers and multinational companies, selling products from a total of over 5,000 producers from all over the world.

Systembolaget also sells non-alcoholic beverages, although this product segment represents less than half a percent of the company’s total sales of beverages. The minimum age to buy alcohol at Systembolaget is 20 years. At Swedish restaurants and bars the legal age to buy alcoholic beverages is 18 years, though bars and clubs may voluntarily set an age limit higher than 18 if they prefer.

Systembolaget’s stores must close no later than 20:00 on weekdays and 15:00 on Saturdays. On Sundays and public holidays all Systembolaget’s stores are closed. Systembolaget’s stores are also closed on Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve.

Featured image: Unsplash

Norway: Multimillionaire and real estate businessman Bjørn Hanevik was ordered to remove illegal docks and a garage from his property in idyllic Bergen’s Åsane

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 31, 2023

NordenBladet – Influential Norwegian investor and businessman Bjørn Hanevik, who works in real estate, hotels, restaurants and finance through his 100% owned company Bergen Harbor group, is at loggerheads with the municipality of Bergen. Bergen municipality’s planning and construction agency started an investigation regarding Hanevik last year. The news was first reported by Bergens Tidende (BT), NordenBladet.ee mediates.

The municipality issued an order to restore the stair structure, reduce the size of the Garage and dismantle two docks, with an area of 110 and 170 square meters.

Hanevik, which has a good position on this stretch of coastline, one of Norway’s most expensive, opposes the claims and claims that nothing has been built illegally.

“The issue is that it was all built in 1981 and 1982. There was correspondence with the owner at that time in the construction matter, which the municipality has not taken into account in this process. For our part, we have only preserved what has existed since the takeover,” Hanevik told Børsen.

Hanevik states that the fight against the municipality’s order has taken a lot of time in the last two years, and the whole requirement came as a shock to him.

According to BT’s information, the demands have led to the case now moving to political consideration. Settebyord advisor Ruth Grung (Ap) also believes that the breakwater should be removed. He justifies it with the protection of the beach area and draws attention to the fact that the docks have no natural connection with the terrain and the property.

Hanevik assures Børsen that he is not satisfied with the situation and wants to cancel all the demands made to him.

“We must achieve the perfect effect. The big question is what happened in 1982 and 1983,” he said.
According to tax records, Hanevik earned NOK 2.9 million in 2021 and had a net worth of NOK 280 million.

COMPLAINT: The luxury property in Åsane at the end of Våganeset is equipped with two docks, a sandy beach and stairs. It is not known how much of it will be left. Photos: Google Earth screenshot

Norway: Many banks are experiencing an increase in applications for deferred loan payments

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 31, 2023

NordenBladet – Many banks in Norway, including Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge, DNB, and Nordea, are experiencing an increase in applications for deferred loan payments, also known as “avdragsfrihet.” This surge in requests is due to concerns about rising loan costs caused by recent interest rate hikes.

Deferred loan payments allow borrowers to pay only the costs associated with having a loan and postpone the repayment of the principal amount. It’s intended as a temporary solution to help borrowers navigate financially challenging periods.

Stein Vidar Loftås, Chief Communications, Community, and Sustainability Officer at Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge, noted an increase in the number of avdragsfrihet applications. He explained that some borrowers who are in generally stable financial situations may need temporary relief when unexpected expenses arise, such as car repairs or appliance replacements.

One individual, Runar, sought avdragsfrihet to manage increased loan costs resulting from recent interest rate hikes. He initially requested this option to have more financial flexibility during a challenging period but found it especially helpful as interest rates continued to rise.

High loan costs have become a concern for many borrowers in Norway due to interest rate hikes. Kjersti Haugland, Chief Economist at DNB, explained that avdragsfrihet is one way for borrowers to shield themselves from the impact of higher interest rates. However, she emphasized that borrowers can also consider refinancing their loans or extending their loan terms as options to mitigate the effects of rising rates.

While avdragsfrihet can provide temporary financial relief, it’s essential to understand that it postpones loan repayment rather than reducing the total amount owed. Financial institutions, such as Nordea, have reported a significant increase in avdragsfrihet requests, with contributing factors being post-holiday credit card bills and an uptick in divorces.

Despite the increase in applications, many borrowers have prepared for tougher economic times and have established financial buffers. Loftås noted that most borrowers have calculated their financial limits to be higher than current conditions, indicating that the rise in interest rates may not have drastic consequences for the average borrower. When faced with financial challenges, individuals often make adjustments by cutting non-essential expenses or postponing luxury purchases before considering changes to their home loans.

Rising interest rates in Norway have led to an increase in avdragsfrihet requests from borrowers looking for temporary relief from higher loan costs. While this option can provide short-term financial flexibility, borrowers should carefully consider their financial situation and explore other alternatives, such as loan refinancing or extending loan terms, to manage the impact of interest rate hikes.

Featured image: DBN Bank in Stavanger, Norway (NordenBladet)

Norway: Norgesgruppen earned NOK 1.6 billion before tax in the first half of the year

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 31, 2023

NordenBladet – The Norgesgruppen grocery chain earned NOK 1.6 billion before tax in the first half of 2023. Norgesgruppen owns, among other things, the Kiwi and Meny chains. The group had operating income of NOK 54.3 billion in the first half of the year. Last year, the figure was 49.4 billion, they report in a press release.

Profit before tax fell to NOK 1.61 billion, compared to NOK 1.64 billion last year.

“Our investments in price cuts have kept us competitive in a tough market, and we have achieved solid growth in operating income,” says Group CEO Runar Hollevik in Norgesgruppen.

“At the same time, we are able to make our operations more efficient in order to handle the increased costs, which is crucial in the times we are in when everything costs more,” he adds.

Investments in price cuts over a longer period weakened the operating margin by 0.4 percentage points from 3.4 percent to 3.0 percent in the first half of 2023, the company writes.

“The competition for customers in food markets is fierce, but taken as a whole, Norgesgruppen wins customers. Increased costs for important input factors such as goods, packaging and rent also affect results in the first half of the year. So far in 2023, the extraordinary cost increases from the suppliers have also continued.”

Featured image: Kiwi shop in Ål, Norway (NordenBladet)

Finland: Desku — a digital desk that makes everyday life easier for students and school employees

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 30, 2023

NordenBladet – Various systems play a crucial role in supporting school operations, including the Primus-Wilma student management system and the digital platform Desku. Here’s a brief overview of these systems and their purposes:

Primus-Wilma Student Management System:

The Primus-Wilma student management system serves as a repository for essential student-related information, encompassing details such as student and guardian contact information, attendance records, evaluations, and educational history. Moreover, it acts as a conduit for communication between the home and the school. Parents can access Wilma via the Suomi.fi service, which verifies parental custody rights directly from the population information system. Following this validation, parents gain access to their child’s data on Wilma. The inclusion of the Suomi.fi service enhances Wilma’s information security by ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the student’s information.

Digital Platform Desku:

Desku is a digital desk designed to simplify the daily routines of both students and teachers. It offers a unified view for distributing services, documents, applications, and electronic learning materials pertinent to school activities. Desku is browser-based, making it compatible with all environments and supportive of all single sign-on services in Finland. Through this digital desktop, users can access the various digital services essential for the school’s daily functioning, all under a single user ID.

You can log in to the Desku website here: Desku.fi

Photo: Desku
Keywords / Tags: Desku, Desku.fi, Opentunti, Opentunti.fi, Opentunti ry, Finland, digilaud, Suomi.fi

Finland: Wilma — Most popular teaching, learning and assessment platform

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 30, 2023

NordenBladet – What is Wilma? Wilma, in the context of the global internet, serves as a versatile Service Virtualization tool that combines the functions of a Service Stub and an HTTP/HTTPS Transparent Proxy, primarily utilized by software developers and testers. However, in this article, we shift our focus to the Finnish perspective, specifically discussing Wilma as the web interface for educational purposes.

Wilma.fi stands as widely adopted educational platform, fostering a digital learning journey from kindergarten through high school. This platform plays a pivotal role in organizing and assessing educational activities, facilitating seamless communication, and enhancing information flow between educational institutions and students’ families.

Wilma operates as the web interface for educational institution management, ensuring a secure environment for teaching and early childhood education. Notably, it’s increasingly adopting a microservices architecture, incorporating both self-developed and partner-produced services. All data interactions within Wilma are directly synchronized with underlying databases like Kurree and Primus, ensuring real-time data accuracy, availability, and consistency.

Within Wilma, students have the ability to select courses, track their academic progress, access bulletins, and communicate with their teachers. Meanwhile, educators can input grades and attendance records, update their personal information, and engage with students and their guardians. For guardians, Wilma serves as a vital tool to monitor and investigate their child’s attendance, establish communication channels with teachers, and stay informed about school announcements.

Furthermore, Wilma is utilized by educational institution staff, management, and workplace supervisors, enhancing overall administrative efficiency.

To access Wilma, users can log in on the Wilma.fi website by entering their respective usernames and passwords in the designated fields. This service is accessible in both Finnish and Swedish languages.

In Helsinki, schools have widely adopted the Wilma web interface, offering guardians invaluable insights into instructional details and teaching arrangements. For students, it’s a means to track their academic journeys, while in general upper secondary schools, it facilitates course enrollment and management.

To whom and on what terms

Guardians receive their username and password for Wilma when their child starts school. Guardians lose their Wilma username and password when the student turns 18. Pupils receive their usernames and passwords from the school.

Wilma is part of Visma Enterprise Oy. Visma Enterprise offers a wide range of educational management electronic services and HR and workforce management solutions.

Opening photo: Wilma s logo
Keywords / Tags: Wilma, Wilma.fi, Finland, Visma, Inschool.fi

India became the first country to successfully land the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the south pole of the Moon

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 28, 2023

NordenBladet – Chandrayaan-3 is the third Indian lunar exploration mission under the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan programme. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, similar to those of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to lunar orbit in preparation for a powered descent by the lander.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 5 August, and the lander touched down in the lunar south pole region on 23 August 2023 at 12:32 UTC, making India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.

ISRO’s mission objectives for the Chandrayaan-3 mission were:

* Getting a lander to land safely and softly on the surface of the Moon.
* Observing and demonstrating the rover’s driving capabilities on the Moon.
* Conducting and observing experiments on the materials available on the lunar surface to better understand the composition of the Moon.

On 26th August, ISRO confirmed that two out of the three mission objectives have been accomplished already, while the third scientific experiments, is underway.

Recently, Russia also tried to land on the surface of the moon, but their automatic station Luna-25 was destroyed in a collision with the surface of the moon. Before that, Russian spacecraft had not reached the surface of the moon for 50 years.

Where is the Chandrayaan 3 now?
Pragyan rover of Chandrayaan 3 has been carrying out experiments on the South Pole of the moon since its successful landing on August 23.

Why is Chandrayaan-3 important?
On Aug. 23, thanks to the success of Chandrayaan-3, India made a strong mark in space history. Not only did it become the first nation to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon, but also the fourth to create imprints on Earth’s gleaming companion at all.

Who invented Chandrayaan-3?
S Somanath, an aerospace engineer, helped in the design of the rocket the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or the Bahuballi rocket that lifted Chandrayaan-3 into orbit. He is seen as an able leader whom the scientists and engineers at ISRO look up to.

Look also:

The Baltic States will join the continental European electricity grid at the beginning of 2025

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 26, 2023

NordenBladet – The climate and energy ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania discussed in Riga on Tuesday the details of the political agreement on the earlier synchronization of the Baltic states and that the synchronization with the continental European electricity system will take place in February 2025. According to the plan, the Baltic countries would officially notify the parties of Russia and Belarus’ withdrawal from the electricity system in August 2024, the climate ministry announced.

Next, the system managers of the three countries agree on the technical details, after which the prime ministers of the countries make the final political decision.

Estonian climate minister Kristen Michal said after the meeting that since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, risks have also increased in ensuring the energy security of the Baltic states. “Today’s meeting of the ministers is a sign of the strong unified energy security policy of the Baltic states,” he emphasized.

“Although the Baltic States do not buy or sell electricity to Russia and do not pay Russia for being in the common frequency band, historically we are still physically connected to the electricity system of the aggressor country, and according to the current geopolitical situation, the Baltic States are ready to make joint efforts to move away from the Russian electricity system and move to the Continent – Joining the European system will proceed faster than originally planned,” added Climate Minister Michal.

Featured image: Unsplash
Source: NordenBladet.ee

$80 BILLION Weight Loss industry enters ‘Age of Ozempic’, Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) rally

By

Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 25, 2023

NordenBladet – In recent times, the popularity of Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and other weight-loss drugs has soared, causing a significant impact on the weight-loss industry. Big pharmaceutical companies are witnessing a gold rush with these drugs, which are being widely promoted in advertisements, awards shows, and headlines. The pharmaceutical alternatives have made it easier and more effective for people to achieve weight loss without the need for traditional methods like diets, exercise, and behavioral changes.

The $80 billion weight-loss industry, which includes well-known companies like WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Noom, is facing a more complex landscape as customers turn to these new drugs. For decades, these weight-loss companies have thrived by promoting willpower and lifestyle changes, but the pharma-driven era is now posing a challenge to their traditional approaches.

WeightWatchers and Noom, recognizing the evolving science and changing consumer preferences, are adapting to the new trend. WeightWatchers’ CEO, Sima Sistani, acknowledged their willingness to learn and evolve by acquiring Sequence, a telehealth business that allows patients to receive virtual prescriptions for the weight-loss drugs. Similarly, Noom launched Noom Med, a telehealth platform with a similar purpose.

This transformation has the potential to revolutionize the dieting industry, with some experts even predicting the possible “demise of dieting.” As the pharmaceutical alternatives gain prominence, both WeightWatchers and Noom have faced financial challenges. The 40-year-old Jenny Craig has also experienced difficulties and recently closed down, selling its brand to Nutrisystem’s parent company.

The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic is reshaping the weight-loss industry, presenting both challenges and opportunities for companies that have long relied on traditional methods. It’s not just a business story but also reflects cultural and societal shifts in how people approach weight loss.

NVO One Year Trading Chart: Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) are up nearly 120% since Wegovy debuted in June 2021. This makes it Europe’s second most valuable listed company after luxury brand LVMH. Danish drugmaker also ramps up production to meet growing demand in US (Yahoo Finance extract as of July 25, 2023)
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Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management, developed by Novo Nordisk in 2012. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), modified with a side chain.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the action of the human incretin GLP-1, thereby increasing insulin secretion and increasing blood sugar disposal and improving glycemic control. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation.

In 2020, semaglutide was the 129th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 4 million prescriptions.

Photo: Rybelsus tablets produced by the Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk (NordenBladet)
Source: NordenBladet.ee

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