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“Danger in the mud,” by Jens Cullmann (Germany), is the grand prize winner of the 2022 World Nature Photography Awards. (Image credit: Jens Cullmann)

A creepy portrait of a crocodile keeping a watchful, yellow eye from a mud pool is the grand prize winner of the 2022 World Nature Photography Awards (WNPA), which honored the most evocative shots from thousands of entries in a variety of categories. The photo was taken in Zimbabwe by Jens Cullmann of Germany, who won the award for World Nature Photographer of the Year and scooped top prize for Animal portraits..

“This photograph is the result of my staking out the largest pool in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, at a time when an extended drought had reduced the pool to rapidly-drying mud,” Cullmann told the WNPA (opens in new tab) . “I had to be very careful not to disturb the crocodile, even though it was buried in dry mud. They will launch themselves with tremendous speed and power at any animal foolish enough to come too close.”

From underwater wonders to spectacular landscapes, here are the 2022 winners in each category.

 Related: Best wildlife photography cameras 2023 Behavior – Amphibians and reptiles

“Ride on you,” by Norihiro Ikuma (Japan), was the winner in the Behavior – Amphibians and reptiles category.  (Image credit: Norihiro Ikuma)

Norihiro Ikuma of Japan captured this otherworldly scene of two Japanese stream toads (Bufo torrenticola), also known as Honshū toads, looking over long strings of toad eggs as one toad rides on the other’s back. These animals are endemic to Japan and only come down from the mountains of Owase in Mie to the river when it is time to spawn. Behavior – Birds

“I’m coming for you,” by Charles Schmidt (U.S.), was the winner in the Behavior – Birds category.  (Image credit: Charles Schmidt)

This male hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) is heading straight for the camera lens, where photographer Charles Schmidt was patiently waiting for the bird to take off in Huntley Meadows Park, Virginia. “Ducks will often begin swimming more quickly when they are preparing to fly,” Schmidt told the WNPA. “I saw that they began to swim more quickly and thus was prepared to catch them taking off. I was lucky that they headed directly towards me!” Behavior – Invertebrates

“The ghost of the rocks,” by Javier Herranz Casellas (Spain), was the winner in the Behavior – Invertebrates category.  (Image credit: Javier Herranz Casellas)

This red crab (Grapsus adscensionis) was photographed by Javier Herranz Casellas on La Gomera, in Spain’s Canary Islands, just as a wave hit the rock where it was perched. The crab was looking for small crustaceans and plants to feed on when a thin veil of water streamed over its back, giving it a distinct Spider-Man-like appearance. Behavior – Mammals 

“Playgroup,” by Hidetoshi Ogata (Japan), was the winner in the Behavior – Mammals category.  (Image credit: Hidetoshi Ogata)

Hidetoshi Ogata photographed a rarely seen behavior of six Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) cozying up in a huddle during the lactation season on Japan’s Awaji Island. It takes just one embrace between a mother and her baby to entice other female and male monkeys to join a huddle, which can sometimes include more than 30 individuals and is thought to encourage grooming and cuddling behavior. Animals in their habitat

“The world is mine,” by Sascha Fonseca (U.A.E.), was the winner in the Animals in their habitat category.  (Image credit: Sascha Fonseca)

Sascha Fonseca, from the United Arab Emirates, set up a camera trap on the snowy peaks of the Indian Himalayas to snap this rare picture of a snow leopard (Panthera uncia). “I captured this image during a 3-year DSLR [digital-single-lens reflex] camera trap project in the Ladakh region of northern India,” Fonseca told the WNPA. “The mystery surrounding the snow leopard always fascinated me. They are some of the most difficult large cats to photograph in the wild. Not only because of their incredible stealth, but also because of the remote environment they live in.” Black and white

“Thankfulness,” by Ernoult Alain (France), was the winner in the Black and white category.  (Image credit: Ernoult Alain)

Ernoult Alain of France photographed this Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima), which looks like it’s rubbing its tummy after a big meal, on the Caribbean island of Grenada. The image captures, in stunning detail, the scales and folds of this endemic lizard’s skin as the animal stretches its neck. Nature art

“Underwater colorful snowstorm,” by Tom Shlesinger (Israel), was the winner in the Nature art category.  (Image credit: Tom Shlesinger)

Coral spawning underwater is a tricky event to capture, as it happens only for a few minutes, at a certain hour on a single night of the year. Tom Shlesinger of Israel captured the rare moment when thousands of corals cast their egg-and-sperm bundles into the open water, resulting in an artistic composition of what looks like a balloon-filled night sky. The bundles are carried away by sea currents and mix so that the sperm fertilize the eggs in the water. Nature photojournalism 

“Injured fur seal,” by Nicolas Remy (Australia), was the winner in the Nature photojournalism category.  (Image credit: Nicolas Remy)

Nicolas Remy captured this heartbreaking photo of an Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) with bad injuries caused by a boat propeller in Australia’s Port Kembla. Marine mammals such as whales, seals and sea lions are frequently hit by boats of all sizes, often resulting in injury and, sometimes, death. People and Nature

“The guts,” by Virgil Reglioni (Norway), was the winner of the People and nature category.  (Image credit: Virgil Reglioni)

To take this photograph, Virgil Reglioni of Norway abseiled down into the depths of a glacier at night. “This is how it feels to be inside the glacier’s guts,” he told the WNPA. “Not many people would even dare to go in there, where it is deep, cold, loud and wet. And that is the whole purpose of this photograph; pushing your limits to capture what few people will ever experience at night. Abseiling down felt incredible, as the more we penetrated into this dark monster, the more the fear rises up. The setup was simply impressive, and I did feel amazing just being hanging into that moulin with about 30 meters [100 feet] of dark void under my feet and my hanging tripod in the air.” Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments

“The Grand Tetons,” by Jake Mosher (U.S.), was the winner in the Planet Earth’s landscapes and environment category.  (Image credit: Jake Mosher)

This panoramic shot of the Milky Way crowning Grand Teton was U.S. photographer Jake Mosher’s reward for climbing to the top of Wyoming’s Table Mountain on a clear spring night. Towering 13,775 feet (4,199 m) high, Grand Teton is the highest peak in the Teton Range.

“On June 17th, 2021, I hiked, snowshoed and climbed to the 11,000-foot [3,400 m] summit of Wyoming’s Table Mountain to photograph the Milky Way over Grand Teton Peak,” Mosher told the WNPA. “While these iconic mountains have been photographed tens of thousands of times, I wanted to show an entirely unique view of them. I was treated to one of the most spectacular displays of airglow that I’ve ever seen — similar to the aurora and created by photo-charged particles, but spanning much of the horizon.” Plants and fungi

“Tree of life,” by Julie Kenny (Australia), was the winner in the Plants and fungi category.  (Image credit: Julie Kenny)

Julie Kenny of Australia captured sheep tracks surrounding a fallen tree in this evocative shot. “The tree is seen as a sacred symbol, which carries significant meanings in both religious and spiritual philosophies,” Kenny told the WNPA. “From above, the surrounding sheep tracks combined with the fallen tree reminded me of the Tree of Life. While the aerial perspective focuses on the earth, you can see the pooled water in the sheep tracks reflecting hints of blue from the sky. While this represents many different things, for me it communicates the interconnection of all things, beginnings and endings, the cycling of life.” Underwater

“Harlequin shrimps,” by Adriano Morettin (Italy), was the winner in the Underwater category.  (Image credit: Adriano Morettin)

Positioning the camera to focus on a blue sea star (Linckia laevigata), Adriano Morettin of Italy photographed a couple of color-coordinated harlequin shrimps (Hymenocera picta) in Lembeh Strait in Indonesia. Female harlequin shrimps grow larger than males do — up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) long. Urban Wildlife

“The home of the kestrel,” by Vladislav Tasev (U.K.), is the winner in the Urban wildlife category.  (Image credit: Vladislav Tasev) RELATED STORIES—Buzzing bees, sperm-covered sea stars stun judges of Wildlife Photographer of the Year

—Screaming monkeys, ‘headless’ penguins and face-planting zebras take top honors in Comedy Wildlife awards

—Heartbreaking photo reveals a baby baboon still clinging to its dead mother as she’s carried away by a leopard 

Vladislav Tasev of the United Kingdom spotted this male common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) perching on the doorstep of its new street-lamp home in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

“I took the picture at sunset to see the rust, the lamps and the bird in natural light,” Tasev told the WNPA. “The photo was taken in the town of Stara Zagora near the Thracian University, in an abandoned parking lot near a small forest.” 

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Politics

Crypto stocks down, IPOs punted amid tariff tumult

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Crypto stocks down, IPOs punted amid tariff tumult

Crypto stocks down, IPOs punted amid tariff tumult

Cryptocurrency firms felt the heat from US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff rollout this week as market turbulence sent share prices tumbling and foiled initial public offering (IPO) plans. 

From exchanges to Bitcoin (BTC) miners, crypto stocks suffered as much, if not more, than shares of other companies — despite the industry’s warm relationship with the US president. 

On April 2, Trump announced he was placing tariffs of at least 10% on practically all imports into the United States and adding additional “reciprocal” tariffs on some 57 countries. 

Since then, major US stock indices — including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq — tumbled by roughly 10% as traders braced for a looming trade war. 

Crypto stocks down, IPOs punted amid tariff tumult

Bitcoin miners sold off on Trump’s tariff news. Source: Morningstar

Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’

Sharp selloffs

Crypto exchange Coinbase — a prominent ally of Trump during the November US elections — experienced a similarly severe sell-off, with its stock price dropping by roughly 12% during the same period, according to data from Google Finance.

Bitcoin miners are also taking a hit. The CoinShares Crypto Miners ETF (WGMI) — which tracks a diverse basket of Bitcoin mining stocks — has lost roughly 13% of its value since immediately prior to Trump’s April 2 announcement, according to data from Morningstar. 

Even Strategy, one of the best-performing stocks of 2024, wasn’t immune. Its share price has fallen by around 6% on the news, Google Finance data showed.

According to Reuters, investment bank JPMorgan has raised its estimated odds of a global economic recession in 2025 to 60% from 40% previously. 

“Disruptive U.S. policies have been recognized as the biggest risk to the global outlook all year,” JP Morgan reportedly said.

“The effect … is likely to be magnified through (tariff) retaliation, a slide in U.S. business sentiment and supply-chain disruptions.”

Crypto stocks down, IPOs punted amid tariff tumult

Strategy’s shares also dropped this week. Source: Google Finance

IPO delays

The impact of US tariffs hasn’t been limited to stock price volatility. Stablecoin issuer Circle has reportedly paused plans for a 2025 IPO, citing market turbulence. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Circle is “waiting anxiously” before taking further steps after filing to take the company public on April 1. 

It is among several companies — including fintech Klarna and ticketing service StubHub — reportedly considering altering or shelving IPO plans. 

One exception may be Bitcoin itself, which some analysts say is finally “decoupling” from the broader market.

Bitcoin’s spot price has held above $82,000 this week, even as US equities markets collapsed.

Magazine: Unstablecoins: Depegging, bank runs and other risks loom

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Politics

Brazilian court authorizes crypto seizure for debt collection — Report

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Brazilian court authorizes crypto seizure for debt collection — Report

Brazilian court authorizes crypto seizure for debt collection — Report

Brazilian judges have been authorized to seize cryptocurrency assets from debtors who owe money and are behind on their payments, signaling a growing recognition that digital assets can be both a form of payment and a store of value.

According to local media reports, the Third Panel of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice unanimously authorized judges to send letters to cryptocurrency brokers informing them about their intent to seize an account holder’s assets to repay creditors.

The report was confirmed by the Superior Court of Justice, which issued a notice on its website.

The decision was reached unanimously by the Third Panel, which reviewed a case brought forward by a creditor.

“Although they are not legal tender, crypto assets can be used as a form of payment and as a store of value,” a translated version of the Superior Court of Justice’s memo read.

Brazilian court authorizes crypto seizure for debt collection — Report

Source: STJnoticias

Under existing rules, Brazilian judges are allowed to freeze bank accounts and order fund withdrawals, even without a debtor’s knowledge, should they rule that a creditor is owed money.

Following the recent decision, crypto assets now fall under the same purview. 

Minister Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva, who voted in the five-person panel, said cryptocurrencies still lack formal regulation in Brazil but noted certain bills have recognized the asset class as “a digital representation of value.” 

Related: Brazil’s data watchdog upholds ban on World crypto payments

Despite regulatory uncertainty, Brazil is a major hub for crypto

Although Brazil still lacks an overarching framework for digital assets, with the country’s central bank divvying up the regulatory processes into phases, crypto adoption is surging across the country.

Brazil ranks second among all Latin American countries in terms of “crypto value received,” which is a key benchmark for adoption, according to an October report by Chainalysis. 

Brazilian court authorizes crypto seizure for debt collection — Report

In Latin America, only Argentina has higher crypto penetration in terms of value received as of June 2024. Source: Chainalysis

Earlier this year, crypto exchange Binance was granted approval to operate in the country after it acquired a São Paulo-based investment company. 

A Binance executive told Cointelegraph at the time that Brazil was making “significant strides” in regulating the industry and expects a comprehensive framework to be finalized “by mid-year.”

Nevertheless, not all of Brazil’s regulatory proposals have been favorable for the industry.

In December, the country’s central bank proposed banning stablecoin transactions on self-custodial wallets at a time when more locals were using dollar-pegged tokens to hedge against the devaluation of the Brazilian real.

Industry observers told Cointelegraph at the time that such a ban would be difficult to enforce.

“Governments can regulate centralized exchanges, but P2P transactions and decentralized platforms are much harder to control, which means the ban would likely only affect part of the ecosystem,” said Lucien Bourdon, an analyst with Trezor. 

Related: Brazilian lawmaker introduces bill to regulate Bitcoin salaries

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Environment

EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival

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EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member's Festival

Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.

EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:

Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.

To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.

EcoFlow Member
Source: EcoFlow

EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”

Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.

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This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:

In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.

In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.

To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.

Source: EcoFlow

Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival

As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.

As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.

Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!

Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.

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