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On June 14th, a special meeting to promote the construction of the Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province on the 13th. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, attended and delivered a speech. He stated that it is necessary to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, implement General Secretary Xi Jinpings important expositions on Taiwan-related work and the Partys overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era, and build a high-quality Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone to promote greater achievements in cross-strait integrated development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Wang Huning stated that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, deepening cross-strait integrated development and building the Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone will usher in broad development opportunities and prospects. Support should be given to Fujian to explore new mechanisms, new paths, and new models for cross-strait integrated development, promote higher-quality, deeper, and broader integration, and further leverage the leading role of the Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone.June 14th - This morning, the Songjiawan Downward Tunnel and the Pujia Gou Upward Tunnel, two key connecting tunnels located at Lezhi Station in Ziyang, Sichuan Province, were successfully completed, marking a crucial breakthrough in the hub connection project between the Chengdu-Chongqing Central Line High-Speed Railway and the Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway. Lezhi Station is a newly built station and the only hub station connecting both high-speed railways simultaneously. The two connecting tunnels link the main lines towards Chengdu and Chongqing respectively, providing convenient conditions for trains to cross lines and turn around for traffic congestion relief.June 14th - According to US sources on the 13th, a US military fighter jet crashed on a mountain in Washington state, triggering a wildfire. The pilot ejected safely. It is understood that the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, belonging to the US Marine Corps, was conducting "routine training" before the crash.On June 14, it was reported that on June 13, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, held talks with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg in Ulaanbaatar. Wang Yi emphasized that China is willing to work with Mongolia, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, to continue efforts towards building a community with a shared future of peaceful coexistence, mutual assistance, and win-win cooperation. Chinas foreign policy has always maintained continuity and stability, and China is willing to continue to be a trustworthy and reliable partner for Mongolia, providing sustainable support for Mongolias development and revitalization. Chinas 15th Five-Year Plan provides a comprehensive plan for high-quality development over the next five years and also offers the world a list of opportunities. The Chinese and Mongolian economies are highly complementary, and strengthening the alignment of development strategies is conducive to expanding cooperation areas, tapping cooperation potential, and promoting the economic and social development of both countries. China is willing to work with Mongolia to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, expand economic and trade cooperation, promote the improvement and increase of cooperation in various fields, and achieve more tangible results.June 14th - According to the China State Railway Group, from January to May this year, the national railway system transported a total of 1.67 billion tons of freight, with daily loading volume reaching a record high. Data released by the China State Railway Group shows that in the first five months, the national railway system transported a total of 1.67 billion tons of freight, a year-on-year increase of 1.8%; the average daily loading volume was 186,300 wagons, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%, with 202,400 wagons loaded on May 2nd, setting a new record for daily loading volume.

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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