The stablecoin wallet platform won against the likes of Yellow Card and ICP Hub nominated in the same web3 category.

MiniPay wins web3 award at Africa Tech Summit

Cryptocurrencies that track the dollar are becoming a popular workaround for companies stymied by currency shortages on the continent.

Yellow Card Is the Crypto Startup Behind Africa's Stablecoin Boom - Bloomberg

This bizarre looking, two-door car spotted in L.A. might be a Tesla robotaxi, though there's more than meets the eye.

Photo of Strange Yellow Vehicle May Be Tesla's Secret New Project

Those travelling in areas affected by the yellow warnings are urged to check road conditions in advance of starting their journeys by car or bus and amend their plans if necessary.

Yellow weather warnings for rain and wind acoss UK - with travel disruption expected | UK News | Sky News

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Sussex on Saturday and Sunday (New Year’s Eve), December 30-31.

Yellow weather warning for Sussex – Met Office warns of strong winds causing disruption to travel and services

THE Met Office has issued a new yellow weather warning for snow and rain covering almost all of Scotland.

Scotland weather: Met Office issues yellow warning for snow and rain | The National

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Wiltshire with “strong and gusty winds” expected to hit the county.

Yellow weather warning in place for Wiltshire this weekend

A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for Dorset

Met Office issues yellow wind warning for Dorset | Dorset Echo

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Pembrokeshire due to strong winds which will be in place on Saturday and Sunday (December 30…

Yellow weather warning issued for Pembrokeshire as winds of up to 75mph expected

A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued by the Met Office, with areas of Somerset set to be affected.

Yellow weather warning for wind issued in Somerset and Devon | Somerset County Gazette

Yellow

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It’s hard to surprise anyone with artificial intelligence and machine learning nowadays. Even though it’s a young technology, the models and algorithms are already capable of completing many tasks. They can do anything from highly personalized customer service to sophisticated and . AI&ML-powered solutions can bring some benefits to virtually any industry. Real estate is definitely one of them. creative paintings There is plenty of duties in real estate where machine learning algorithms can come in handy. For example, you can use it to estimate how the price of a particular property will change in the future. It will help brokers understand the market and plan their strategy based on real data. And we were lucky to work on such a solution. Here is our experience of building a machine learning model for real estate price prediction. Real Estate Industry: Numbers To Pay Attention To Let us share some interesting statistics that show what real estate looks like right now so we can see the big picture: house markets in the United States. (Zillow) New York, San Francisco, and Chicago are one of the least competitive The prices for recently listed homes of the last year and 26.5% — to the same month of 2020. (Realtor) have risen 13.5% compared to March The median home price has reached $357,300 for 2022. (National Association of Realtors) The number of days that houses stay on the market is decreasing: for March 2022, it was 38 days, compared to . (Realtor) 49 days the previous year Finally, the most interesting one: , Gen X is, with 24% of all people who buy new homes. (National Association of Realtors) Millennials are not the biggest homebuyers on the market All these stats and trends play a part when you estimate and predict the price of a house. Now, we are going to move on to the machine learning case we had recently where all the stats came in handy. Real Estate Price Prediction Model: Why Did We Create It? It's hard to estimate a price of a particular house and predict its behavior in the future. Even if this prediction covers only a short period of time. Too many factors can influence the final numbers. The two most influential of them would be: the prices of the recently sold houses with similar parameters dominating market trends We can see from the previous part that both of these can change drastically with time and some measurements can be seasonal. Besides, there are many characteristics of the house itself that also count: the number of bedrooms, the building’s age, the overall condition, the quality of the neighborhood, proximity to shops, schools, and entertainment, and many more. Also, it’s worth mentioning that professional opinion on a price can have several forms: Comparative Market Analysis Real estate professionals look for comparable homes in the area and define the value of a property based on how those houses behaved on the market. Comparable homes are chosen by size, number of rooms, style, and recent sales price. Broker Price Opinion A Broker Price Opinion (BPO) is another option for a person to get a professional opinion on the house. It is usually made by a professional broker who is aware of the local market. This way is common for short sales, foreclosure, or providing buyers and sellers with the listing price. Such an amount of data that a broker should bear in mind while predicting the house price can get extremely voluminous. This task can be tedious even for the most experienced specialists. Besides, there’s still a possibility of a simple human error. That was the exact reason why we started working on this project a client has come to us with: To automate house price prediction and minimize the influence of possible human error. Our main goal was to make a highly accurate machine learning model that will predict the house price in a month with an accuracy of around 85 to 90 percent. How Did We Create It? Now, the main part: What for price prediction, what tech stack we used, and what main challenge we faced during the process. Let’s start with the overall strategy. Our journey proceeded the following way: steps we took to create a machine learning model . Our first data source was the client itself. They provided us with several datasets, however, it wasn’t enough for model training. To solve this issue, we started the research on other sources that could provide us with real estate data. We used several available sources of information related to the real estate market in the U.S., as well as data related to the country’s economic conditions, in order to achieve a more representative data set. Gathering data . To predict the price, we have chosen the following features: Feature engineering historical change in real estate price property location type of house neighbors presence or absence of a pool other nontraditional variables . Hyperparameters are meant to assist the model during the learning process. They are external to the model meaning they are imposed on it and it has no power to change them anyhow. They are also used only during the training itself and do not complement the model itself. This step was taken so we will have something to validate the model's results, control its behavior, and maximize the performance. Hyperparameter tuning . During the whole process of model training, we were constantly assessing and reevaluating the influence and relevance of each variable. These processes were meant to increase the accuracy of the final solution. Studying variables . When we finished the first version of the model, we started the process anew to polish the model and make sure its results are as accurate as possible. Iterating Technology Stack Our main tool was XGBoost, an open-source gradient-boosted decision tree library for machine learning. We used it for the Regression model. Other items on the list included: Python 3.7—programming language Pandas—data cleaning and analyzing Scikit-learn—classification and predictive analytics This toolset has helped us reach the desired accuracy. The Main Challenge Nothing is perfect in this world, and neither was our machine learning development process. For the most part, it was quite predictable and smooth, but at one moment, we faced the challenge of underfitting. Since the initial dataset was not of the best quality and was quite small, it was hard for the algorithm to find hidden trends and count the accurate results. As we already mentioned, the solution was found in third-party data sources. The information we were able to find in public sources has helped us get back on track and train the model correctly. The Results The results were even better than we expected. The client expected accuracy of around 85-90% compared to the real prices. We were able to achieve 91%. Yes, not that much of a difference, but taking into account the circumstances, we couldn’t expect a better outcome. Was It Successful? In a nutshell, yes, it was. The model was definitely not perfect, the initial data was not the best, and the underfitting issue played its part, but it’s a good start. We were able to see that machine learning is a viable technology in real estate and that we can easily continue working on more cases. Besides, price prediction is not the only area to work with: It also can include home hunting and . property evaluation

How We Used Machine Learning to Predict Real Estate Prices

Chatting is the most popular way to communicate and get things done today. Seriously, does anyone still make calls or send emails in the era of messengers? We enjoy chatting for several reasons. It’s natural because we use language to type or record messages. It’s simple because chats typically have plain and clear interfaces that we can grasp within minutes. Finally, it’s instant because messages get delivered immediately. That’s it. As we can get things done just like that, it’s no wonder that the number of people using WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging app, . is close to 1.5 billion However, although chatting is incredibly easy from the users’ side, it hardly comes to anyone’s mind as to how complex chats are on the inside. You probably usually imagine something like this when you send a GIF of a funny cat to your best friend: However, if you’ve ever wondered what hides behind the Black Hole, seize your chance to find out here. Let’s imagine that we’re sending a GIF with a cat to a friend of ours and we follow it step by step to see how the chat architecture is organized. Here we go. Chat architecture in a nutshell Every chat consists of two parts: and . Chat App Chat Server Engine The is a desktop, web, or smartphone chat application. It is responsible for receiving user data, such as messages and files, storing them locally, transferring to the backend for further processing, and displaying them to users. In other words, the Chat App acts as a mediator between the user and the backend. Chat App Users interact with the Chat App via the Chat User Interface (Chat UI). It includes various components and widgets that are used to send text and voice messages, share files, display dialogs, contact lists, etc. The is a pool of external servers responsible for the chat performance. The Chat Server Engine does all of the dirty work that is not visible to the users: obtains user messages from the Chat App, processes them, and delivers to the recipient. The Chat Server Engine falls into several components, each of them having their own responsibility: user files storage, message processing and delivery, etc. We’ll be covering all of them a bit later in this article. Chat Server Engine This is a general view of the chat architecture: ↔ ↔ client chat engine client To get deeper into the chat architecture, let’s send our cat out on an adventure. Сlick an Attach button in the Chat UI, select the GIF with the cat from the device Media Gallery-and voila! The cat’s journey has begun. Step 1. Preparations To make sure that the cat is not captured by some other cat lovers along the way, it gets encrypted with a security key so that no one but the recipient can decrypt it. Furthermore, the encrypted cat is transferred to the Chat Media Storage-a server where static data, such as user files, are stored (Amazon S3, Cloudinary, etc). The cat gets there via the Chat Media Storage Client-a Chat Client Engine component responsible for uploading data on the Chat Media Storage. After the cat finds itself a cozy place in the Media Storage, a link to where it is located is generated to be further sent to the recipient. SPOILER: You might have noticed that when you get a message with a picture attached, the picture sometimes has a Download indicator in the middle (like in Telegram and Viber) and is blurred (like in WhatsApp). That’s because you didn’t receive the picture itself but rather the message with the link to it inside. To be viewed, the picture has to be downloaded from the Chat Media Storage Client and decrypted first. Step 2. Dispatch At this step, a message is created and the link to the cat’s location is attached to it. The message is transferred to the , which is, actually, a user’s device storage where all messages are located. It allows users to access them anytime even if there is no Internet connection. Chat Device Storage At the same time, the message gets dispatched to the Chat Server Engine via the . Chat WebSocket Client After the message reaches the Chat Server Engine, you can see the first check mark appear in your message. This is a system message notifying that the cat has been successfully transferred to the server — but not yet delivered. Step 3. Delivery As soon as the message with the cat reaches the Chat Server Engine, it appears in the — a queue consisting of ALL of the messages waiting to be delivered at the moment. The messages are handled by , which are the server threads that take messages from the Queue and try to deliver them to the right recipients. Chat Message Queue Chat Workers After the worker takes the message from the Queue, two scenarios are possible. Scenario 1. The recipient is offline If the recipient is offline, the message can’t be delivered immediately. In this case, the message just stays in the Queue until the user goes online. Scenario 2. The recipient is online If the recipient is online, the message is delivered through the or and removed from the Queue. Then, the message gets decrypted and goes to the internal data storage on the recipient’s device. At the time, the second check mark appears in the message, notifying that the message has been successfully delivered-but not yet read. Chat WebSocket VOIP Push message Meanwhile, a notification pops up on your friend’s device, stating that there is an unread message. As soon as your friend opens the Chat App, the message stored in the Chat Device Storage is displayed in the Chat UI. At once, both check marks on your device change color, thereby notifying that the message has been read. Voila! You’ve just delivered the cat through the chat! Now let’s take a look at what the chat architecture looks like in its entirety. Well, that was a brief (yeah, truly brief:) ) and simplified description of chat architecture and its components. Further on in the series, we will get into more detail about how each of the components works. Stay tuned! ( ) Originally Published Here

A Deep Dive into Chat Architectures & Chat Engines that Enable You to Send Cat GIFs to Your Friends

Greetings! Welcome to another Startups of the Week feature! Each week, the HackerNoon team highlights standout Startups from our Startups of the Year database. Every featured startup, has been nominated as the best in their respective technology category or region. Under this week’s spotlight, we present to you: ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, and YellowMay. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Meet the Startups of the Week ROW Marketing Agency ROW Marketing Agency redefines digital marketing by blending innovation, strategy, and creativity. With a focus on SEO optimization, social media management, content marketing, digital strategy development, and online reputation management, each solution is designed to elevate brands in a competitive digital landscape. Operating out of Lahore, Pakistan, ROW Marketing Agency has been nominated as a top startup in the region, as well as in the Marketing, Creative Agency, and Social Media Industries. Vote for ROW Marketing Agency here. Violet Violet simplifies investing in nature by connecting institutional capital to regenerative agriculture, conservation, and bioeconomy projects in Brazil. Their goal is to build the infrastructure for Brazil to lead the global transition to a regenerative economy. Violet's new website is now live, showcasing a refined approach to bridging nature and finance. This milestone reflects a deep understanding of stakeholders—from producers and investors to corporations and NGOs—offering financial solutions that work for both nature and markets. Violet has been nominated as the top startup in the following: Sao Paulo, Brazil region, FinTech, Banking, and ClimateTech Industries. Vote for Violet here. YellowMay YellowMay redefines insurance by blending exploration, analysis, and connection to drive innovation. Offering tailored frameworks, market insights, and strategic partnerships, the company helps providers develop cutting-edge insurance products and processes. With a buyer-centric approach and data-driven strategies, YellowMay empowers businesses to navigate global and local markets. YellowMay has been nominated as the top startup in Helsinki, Finland region, and FinTech, Banking, and Risk Management Industries. Vote for YellowMay here. Featured Interview of the Week https://hackernoon.com/startups-of-the-year-2024-yellowmay-innovating-the-insurance-industry?embedable=true Follow YellowMay’s lead by answering some questions about your startup journey, milestones, achievements, and what Startups of The Year nomination means to you and your company! “If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking!” For your free interview, you can choose from our Startup Interview Templates, tailored to specific industries and regions. For example, the Startups of The Year: Education Interview covers the aspects of educational technology or approach that enhances the learning experience for students compared to traditional methods, challenges encountered in integrating technology with education, role of technology in shaping the future of education. Just like YellowMay, create your business page on HackerNoon that comes with perks of having your own Evergreen Tech Company News Page, inclusion in our weekly Tech Companies Ranking, and access to a free Startups of the Year interview. Featured Startups Special Package Discover our Lead Generation package, delivering 1M impressions through the HackerNoon Newsletter! With this package, you’ll get: 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US)

Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here


Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here or book a meeting with us! That’s all for this week, folks! See you in the next one. The HackerNoon Team About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many storieshave been written about these daring and rising startups. The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. Visit our FAQpage to learn more. Download our design assets here. Check out the Startups of the Year Merch Shop here. HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packagesto solve your marketing challenges. Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community. At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months, to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Get started for free. Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection, businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Greetings! Welcome to another Startups of the Week feature! Each week, the HackerNoon team highlights standout Startups from our Startups of the Year database. Every featured startup, has been nominated as the best in their respective technology category or region. Startups of the Year Under this week’s spotlight, we present to you: ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, and YellowMay. ROW Marketing Agency , Violet , ROW Marketing Agency Violet YellowMay . YellowMay Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here . here here Meet the Startups of the Week ROW Marketing Agency ROW Marketing Agency ROW Marketing Agency redefines digital marketing by blending innovation, strategy, and creativity. With a focus on SEO optimization, social media management, content marketing, digital strategy development, and online reputation management, each solution is designed to elevate brands in a competitive digital landscape. Operating out of Lahore, Pakistan, ROW Marketing Agency has been nominated as a top startup in the region, as well as in the Marketing , Creative Agency, and Social Media Industries. Lahore, Pakistan , Lahore, Pakistan Marketing Marketing Creative Agency , Creative Agency Social Media Social Media Vote for ROW Marketing Agency here. Vote for ROW Marketing Agency here. here . here Violet Violet Violet simplifies investing in nature by connecting institutional capital to regenerative agriculture, conservation, and bioeconomy projects in Brazil. Their goal is to build the infrastructure for Brazil to lead the global transition to a regenerative economy. Violet's new website is now live, showcasing a refined approach to bridging nature and finance. This milestone reflects a deep understanding of stakeholders—from producers and investors to corporations and NGOs—offering financial solutions that work for both nature and markets. website Violet has been nominated as the top startup in the following: Sao Paulo, Brazil region , FinTech, Banking, and ClimateTech Industries . Sao Paulo, Brazil region Sao Paulo, Brazil FinTech , Banking , FinTech Banking ClimateTech Industries ClimateTech Vote for Violet here. Vote for Violet here. here . here YellowMay YellowMay YellowMay redefines insurance by blending exploration, analysis, and connection to drive innovation. Offering tailored frameworks, market insights, and strategic partnerships, the company helps providers develop cutting-edge insurance products and processes. With a buyer-centric approach and data-driven strategies, YellowMay empowers businesses to navigate global and local markets. YellowMay has been nominated as the top startup in Helsinki, Finland region, and FinTech , Banking , and Risk Management Industries. Helsinki, Finland Helsinki, Finland FinTech FinTech Banking Banking Risk Management Risk Management Vote for YellowMay here. Vote for YellowMay here . here here Featured Interview of the Week https://hackernoon.com/startups-of-the-year-2024-yellowmay-innovating-the-insurance-industry?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/startups-of-the-year-2024-yellowmay-innovating-the-insurance-industry?embedable=true Follow YellowMay ’s lead by answering some questions about your startup journey, milestones, achievements, and what Startups of The Year nomination means to you and your company! YellowMay “If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking!” “If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking!” For your free interview, you can choose from our Startup Interview Templates , tailored to specific industries and regions. For example, the Startups of The Year: Education Interview covers the aspects of educational technology or approach that enhances the learning experience for students compared to traditional methods, challenges encountered in integrating technology with education, role of technology in shaping the future of education. Startup Interview Templates Startups of The Year: Education Interview Just like YellowMay, create your business page on HackerNoon that comes with perks of having your own Evergreen Tech Company News Page , inclusion in our weekly Tech Companies Ranking , and access to a free Startups of the Year interview . create your business page create your business page Evergreen Tech Company News Page Evergreen Tech Company News Page weekly Tech Companies Ranking Tech Companies Ranking free Startups of the Year interview free Startups of the Year interview Featured Startups Special Package Discover our Lead Generation package, delivering 1M impressions through the HackerNoon Newsletter! Lead Generation With this package, you’ll get: With this package, you’ll get: 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US)

Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US) Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here Open Rate: 13% - 15% Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61% Sample: Here Open Rate: 13% - 15% Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61% Sample: Here Here Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here or book a meeting with us! Learn more about this package here or book a meeting with us ! here here book a meeting with us book a meeting with us That’s all for this week, folks! See you in the next one. The HackerNoon Team About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. Startups of The Year 2024 many stories The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. free interview Evergreen Tech Company News Visit our FAQ page to learn more. FAQ Download our design assets here . here Check out the Startups of the Year Merch Shop here . here HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. startup-friendly packages Meet our sponsors: Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community . At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months , to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now ! Notion: Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months Get your offer now ! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Get started for free . Hubspot: Get started for free Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection , businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Bright Data: Bright Data’s scalable web data collection Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Algolia: AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform

ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, & YellowMay: HackerNoon Startups of the Week

Маркетынгавае агенцтва ROW, Violet і YellowMay: стартапы тыдня HackerNoon

Agencia de Marketing ROW, Violet y YellowMay: Startups de la Semana de HackerNoon

ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, & YellowMay: HackerNoon asteko Startups

ROW मार्केटिंग एजेंसी, वायलेट, और येलोमे: हैकरनून स्टार्टअप्स ऑफ़ द वीक

Marketinška agencija ROW, Violet i YellowMay: HackerNoon startupi tjedna

ROW Marketing Agency, Violet ו-YellowMay: סטארט-אפ השבוע של HackerNoon

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ROW Marketing Agency, Violet en YellowMay: HackerNoon Startups van de week

ROW Agency Agency Agency, Violet, & UmuhondoMay: HackerNtangiriro ryicyumweru

ROW Marketing Agentligi, Violet we YellowMay: HakerNoon hepdäniň başlangyçlary

ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, at YellowMay: HackerNoon Startups of the Week

I-ROW Marketing Agency, Violet, & YellowMay: I-HackerNoon Startups yeviki

The Silk Road—a marketplace that promised freedom but became a symbol of digital lawlessness—has left a legacy that continues to influence cybersecurity and legal debates today. With the recent release of key Silk Road administrator Ross Ulbricht, we are reminded of the choices that shape the balance between justice, innovation, and the evolving battle against cybercrime. The Wizard Behind the Curtain: Ross Ulbricht’s Vision and Downfall Ross Ulbricht, AKA “Dread Pirate Roberts,” envisioned the Silk Road as a libertarian experiment—a digital free market free from government control. The marketplace quickly became a hub for illegal activities, including drug trafficking, counterfeit goods, and hacking services. The Silk Road was a notorious online black market and one of the first modern darknet markets. It operated as a hidden service on the Tor network, allowing users to browse anonymously and use cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin, for transactions. It was designed as a marketplace for the exchange of illegal goods and services. Goods Sold on Silk Road 1.) Drugs - This was the primary product category, including: • Cannabis • Cocaine • MDMA • LSD 2.) Prescription drugs (e.g., opioids, stimulants) • Vendors often offered detailed descriptions of quality, origin, and potency, which set Silk Road apart as a marketplace. 3.) Fake Documents and Services • Fake IDs, passports, and counterfeit currency. • Hacking services, such as malware, botnets, and phishing kits. 4.) Weapons (to a limited extent) • Initially available but later banned by Ulbricht due to ethical concerns. 5.). Other Items • Software exploits and hacking tools. • Digital goods, such as stolen credit card information and account credentials • Occasional legitimate items like books or art, though this was rare. Revenue and Profit Margins Silk Road functioned on a commission-based system, taking a cut (typically 10-15%) from every transaction. The total revenue over its lifetime, Silk Road processed approximately $1.2 billion in transactions, with Ulbricht personally earning around $80 million in commissions before the site was shut down in 2013. 2. Profit Margins for Vendors. Vendors often charged a premium for the anonymity and security provided by Silk Road. Margins varied depending on many factors such as: Drug type and availability
Risks involved in shipping illegal items
Competitive pricing among vendors - vendors could mark up drugs by 200-500% compared to street prices, especially for high-demand substances or rare products. Customer pricing reflected convenience and quality assurance, as customers could review vendors and their products. This system incentivized higher-quality transactions but also increased overall costs for consumers. Down the Witches Road Ross Ulbricht was arrested on October 1, 2013, at a public library in San Francisco. The arrest marked the culmination of a complex and far-reaching investigation into the anonymous dark web marketplace he operated. The details are as follows below: Investigation Leading to Arrest 1. Initial Clues - The investigation began when an early Silk Road promotion post was traced to an online forum where the user “altoid” had advertised the marketplace in 2011. Later, the same user posted a request for tech assistance, leaving an email address tied to Ulbricht’s real identity. 2. Tracking Bitcoin - Investigators used blockchain analysis to trace transactions linked to the Silk Road, connecting them to accounts controlled by Ulbricht. 3. Operational Mistakes - Ulbricht used his personal email and real name in some communications early in the site’s existence. He once logged into a Silk Road server from his personal Wi-Fi network, exposing his IP address. 4. Physical Surveillance - The FBI monitored Ulbricht’s movements and activities in San Francisco, confirming his identity and role as DPR. Murder-for-Hire Allegations During the investigation, evidence emerged that Ulbricht had allegedly attempted to arrange six murder-for-hire plots to protect the Silk Road and its anonymity. The first allegation was in 2013 when a user named “FriendlyChemist” threatened to expose Silk Road’s vendors and customers unless paid $500,000. Ulbricht allegedly hired a hitman to kill FriendlyChemist, paying $150,000 in Bitcoin to an undercover law enforcement agent posing as the assassin. Other allegations were implicated in arranging additional hits on individuals he suspected of betraying or stealing from the Silk Road. In 2015, Ulbricht was convicted on all counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The murder-for-hire allegations, while not formally prosecuted, heavily influenced the court’s perception of his character and contributed to the severity of his sentence. Ulbricht’s supporters argue that his life sentence was excessively harsh compared to sentences for similar crimes in conjunction that the murder-for-hire evidence was not robustly tested in court. In the “Eyes of Justice”, He was made an example to deter future darknet operators. The case remains one of the most high-profile examples of law enforcement’s efforts to combat cybercrime and raises ongoing debates about sentencing, privacy, and the dark web. A warning to all would-be dark web operators of their actions and potential repercussions. “Ye pirates…be warned”…. The Release: A Questionable Decision The decision to release a former Silk Road administrator into a world that has dramatically evolved since their imprisonment has raised concerns among the cybersecurity community and lawmakers alike. Much like the “Wizard” in The Wizard of Oz, the promise of the Silk Road was an illusion—one that hid the true consequences of unchecked criminal enterprise. The release of this administrator has sparked questions about accountability and whether the justice system is prepared for the potential aftershocks and left cybersecurity professionals questioning if crime truly pays. The release of a Silk Road figure may embolden other cybercriminals who see this as a sign that justice can be navigated—or even avoided. The End of the Yellow Brick Road? For the cybersecurity community, it’s a reminder that the battle against cybercrime is far from over. For lawmakers, it’s a prompt to reflect on the decisions that created a martyr out of Ross Ulbricht and a cautionary tale about the limits of justice in a digital world. The Yellow Brick Road may have led to Oz, but this story reminds us that the real wizard—the promise of freedom through technology—was always an illusion, and the choices made along the way shape the world we must now navigate. The Silk Road—a marketplace that promised freedom but became a symbol of digital lawlessness—has left a legacy that continues to influence cybersecurity and legal debates today. With the recent release of key Silk Road administrator Ross Ulbricht, we are reminded of the choices that shape the balance between justice, innovation, and the evolving battle against cybercrime. The Wizard Behind the Curtain: Ross Ulbricht’s Vision and Downfall Ross Ulbricht, AKA “Dread Pirate Roberts,” envisioned the Silk Road as a libertarian experiment—a digital free market free from government control. The marketplace quickly became a hub for illegal activities, including drug trafficking, counterfeit goods, and hacking services. The Silk Road was a notorious online black market and one of the first modern darknet markets. It operated as a hidden service on the Tor network, allowing users to browse anonymously and use cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin, for transactions. It was designed as a marketplace for the exchange of illegal goods and services. Goods Sold on Silk Road 1.) Drugs - This was the primary product category, including: 1.) Drugs - This was the primary product category, including: • Cannabis • Cocaine • MDMA • LSD 2.) Prescription drugs (e.g., opioids, stimulants) 2.) Prescription drugs (e.g., opioids, stimulants) • Vendors often offered detailed descriptions of quality, origin, and potency, which set Silk Road apart as a marketplace. 3.) Fake Documents and Services 3.) Fake Documents and Services • Fake IDs, passports, and counterfeit currency. • Hacking services, such as malware, botnets, and phishing kits. 4.) Weapons (to a limited extent) 4.) Weapons (to a limited extent) • Initially available but later banned by Ulbricht due to ethical concerns. 5.). Other Items • Software exploits and hacking tools. 5.). Other Items • Software exploits and hacking tools. • Digital goods, such as stolen credit card information and account credentials • Occasional legitimate items like books or art, though this was rare. Revenue and Profit Margins Revenue and Profit Margins Silk Road functioned on a commission-based system, taking a cut (typically 10-15%) from every transaction. The total revenue over its lifetime, Silk Road processed approximately $1.2 billion in transactions, with Ulbricht personally earning around $80 million in commissions before the site was shut down in 2013. 2. Profit Margins for Vendors. Vendors often charged a premium for the anonymity and security provided by Silk Road. Margins varied depending on many factors such as: Drug type and availability Risks involved in shipping illegal items Competitive pricing among vendors - vendors could mark up drugs by 200-500% compared to street prices, especially for high-demand substances or rare products. Customer pricing reflected convenience and quality assurance, as customers could review vendors and their products. This system incentivized higher-quality transactions but also increased overall costs for consumers. Drug type and availability Risks involved in shipping illegal items Competitive pricing among vendors - vendors could mark up drugs by 200-500% compared to street prices, especially for high-demand substances or rare products. Customer pricing reflected convenience and quality assurance, as customers could review vendors and their products. This system incentivized higher-quality transactions but also increased overall costs for consumers. Down the Witches Road Ross Ulbricht was arrested on October 1, 2013, at a public library in San Francisco. The arrest marked the culmination of a complex and far-reaching investigation into the anonymous dark web marketplace he operated. The details are as follows below: Investigation Leading to Arrest Investigation Leading to Arrest 1. Initial Clues - The investigation began when an early Silk Road promotion post was traced to an online forum where the user “altoid” had advertised the marketplace in 2011. Later, the same user posted a request for tech assistance, leaving an email address tied to Ulbricht’s real identity. 2. Tracking Bitcoin - Investigators used blockchain analysis to trace transactions linked to the Silk Road, connecting them to accounts controlled by Ulbricht. 3. Operational Mistakes - Ulbricht used his personal email and real name in some communications early in the site’s existence. He once logged into a Silk Road server from his personal Wi-Fi network, exposing his IP address. 4. Physical Surveillance - The FBI monitored Ulbricht’s movements and activities in San Francisco, confirming his identity and role as DPR. Murder-for-Hire Allegations Murder-for-Hire Allegations During the investigation, evidence emerged that Ulbricht had allegedly attempted to arrange six murder-for-hire plots to protect the Silk Road and its anonymity. The first allegation was in 2013 when a user named “FriendlyChemist” threatened to expose Silk Road’s vendors and customers unless paid $500,000. Ulbricht allegedly hired a hitman to kill FriendlyChemist, paying $150,000 in Bitcoin to an undercover law enforcement agent posing as the assassin. Other allegations were implicated in arranging additional hits on individuals he suspected of betraying or stealing from the Silk Road. In 2015, Ulbricht was convicted on all counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The murder-for-hire allegations, while not formally prosecuted, heavily influenced the court’s perception of his character and contributed to the severity of his sentence. Ulbricht’s supporters argue that his life sentence was excessively harsh compared to sentences for similar crimes in conjunction that the murder-for-hire evidence was not robustly tested in court. In the “Eyes of Justice”, He was made an example to deter future darknet operators. The case remains one of the most high-profile examples of law enforcement’s efforts to combat cybercrime and raises ongoing debates about sentencing, privacy, and the dark web. A warning to all would-be dark web operators of their actions and potential repercussions. “Ye pirates…be warned”…. The Release: A Questionable Decision The decision to release a former Silk Road administrator into a world that has dramatically evolved since their imprisonment has raised concerns among the cybersecurity community and lawmakers alike. Much like the “Wizard” in The Wizard of Oz, the promise of the Silk Road was an illusion—one that hid the true consequences of unchecked criminal enterprise. The release of this administrator has sparked questions about accountability and whether the justice system is prepared for the potential aftershocks and left cybersecurity professionals questioning if crime truly pays. The release of a Silk Road figure may embolden other cybercriminals who see this as a sign that justice can be navigated—or even avoided. The End of the Yellow Brick Road? For the cybersecurity community, it’s a reminder that the battle against cybercrime is far from over. For lawmakers, it’s a prompt to reflect on the decisions that created a martyr out of Ross Ulbricht and a cautionary tale about the limits of justice in a digital world. The Yellow Brick Road may have led to Oz, but this story reminds us that the real wizard—the promise of freedom through technology—was always an illusion, and the choices made along the way shape the world we must now navigate.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Release of Silk Road Admin and Its Ripple Effects

Welcome to HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year 2024 interview series, spotlighting startups from around the world that are changing the way we live, one solution at a time. If you’ve been nominated, create a brand profile and answer these questions here.
Want to nominate a startup? Follow the steps here.Use the following sections to tell readers about your startup and get them to vote for you! These questions are designed to help tell readers about your company and vision and you do NOT need to answer all of them. Answer the ones that you feel can provide the most information.Looking for inspiration? Check out how other startups responded to last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions and examples of company responses here, here, and here. Wanna use this template? Click here. Hey Hackers, YellowMay has been nominated in HackerNoon's annual Startups of The Year awards in Helsinki, Finland. Please vote for us here: [insert URL to startup voting page for your city] Read more about us below to understand why we deserve your vote. Meet YellowMay YellowMay is a future-thinking innovation expert in the insurance industry, specializing in the innovation of products, processes, and strategies designed to benefit both end-users and the broader insurance ecosystem. By staying at the forefront of industry trends, YellowMay ensures that clients receive cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique needs.


7 experienced consultants across Europe How YellowMay Achieved Product-Market Git We have served over 50 customers, and we are able to grow awareness of our capabilities. This has given the trust of our customers to have a bigger impact on their business ideas.


Moving towards 7 figure deals is already within our reach! The Evolution of YellowMay We started as a marketplace and ended up as a consulting company!!!
Already when building the marketplace, we were met with requests to build solutions, and now, we just build solutions!
The growing demand to find individuals who can support the journey of the company is growing. Milestones and Achievements Collected 300k funding for the marketplace build-up. Crossed the +50 customer mark, nearing deal sizes of 6-7 figures. Lessons Learned The toughest period is definitely the slowness of the industry, and we have had to be able to be inventive in creating momentum to push projects to get started. 2 years as customer negotiations is nearly a norm… What Startups of The Year Mean to Us Someone had suggested us, and we are more than happy to join in as we are a bit of rebels shaking the structures within the insurance industry! Conclusion If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking! Vote for us today! [Insert link to startup voting page for your city, parent industry, or sub-industry]. Welcome to HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year 2024 interview series, spotlighting startups from around the world that are changing the way we live, one solution at a time. If you’ve been nominated, create a brand profile and answer these questions here. Want to nominate a startup? Follow the steps here. Use the following sections to tell readers about your startup and get them to vote for you! These questions are designed to help tell readers about your company and vision and you do NOT need to answer all of them. Answer the ones that you feel can provide the most information. Looking for inspiration? Check out how other startups responded to last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions and examples of company responses here, here, and here. Welcome to HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year 2024 interview series, spotlighting startups from around the world that are changing the way we live, one solution at a time. If you’ve been nominated, create a brand profile and answer these questions here . Startups of The Year 2024 create a brand profile create a brand profile create a brand profile here here Want to nominate a startup? Follow the steps here . here here Use the following sections to tell readers about your startup and get them to vote for you! These questions are designed to help tell readers about your company and vision and you do NOT need to answer all of them. Answer the ones that you feel can provide the most information. you do NOT need to answer all of them. Answer the ones that you feel can provide the most information. Looking for inspiration? Check out how other startups responded to last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions and examples of company responses here, here, and here. Looking for inspiration? Check out how other startups responded to last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions and examples of company responses here , here , and here . last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions last year’s Startups of The Year interview questions here here here here here here Wanna use this template? Click here. Wanna use this template? Click here . here Hey Hackers, YellowMay has been nominated in HackerNoon's annual Startups of The Year awards in Helsinki, Finland. Please vote for us here: Please vote for us here: [insert URL to startup voting page for your city] [insert URL to startup voting page for your city] Read more about us below to understand why we deserve your vote. Meet YellowMay YellowMay is a future-thinking innovation expert in the insurance industry, specializing in the innovation of products, processes, and strategies designed to benefit both end-users and the broader insurance ecosystem. By staying at the forefront of industry trends, YellowMay ensures that clients receive cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique needs.


7 experienced consultants across Europe YellowMay is a future-thinking innovation expert in the insurance industry, specializing in the innovation of products, processes, and strategies designed to benefit both end-users and the broader insurance ecosystem. By staying at the forefront of industry trends, YellowMay ensures that clients receive cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique needs. 7 experienced consultants across Europe YellowMay is a future-thinking innovation expert in the insurance industry, specializing in the innovation of products, processes, and strategies designed to benefit both end-users and the broader insurance ecosystem. By staying at the forefront of industry trends, YellowMay ensures that clients receive cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique needs. YellowMay is a future-thinking innovation expert in the insurance industry, specializing in the innovation of products, processes, and strategies designed to benefit both end-users and the broader insurance ecosystem. By staying at the forefront of industry trends, YellowMay ensures that clients receive cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique needs. 7 experienced consultants across Europe 7 experienced consultants across Europe How YellowMay Achieved Product-Market Git We have served over 50 customers, and we are able to grow awareness of our capabilities. This has given the trust of our customers to have a bigger impact on their business ideas. Moving towards 7 figure deals is already within our reach! We have served over 50 customers, and we are able to grow awareness of our capabilities. This has given the trust of our customers to have a bigger impact on their business ideas. We have served over 50 customers, and we are able to grow awareness of our capabilities. This has given the trust of our customers to have a bigger impact on their business ideas. Moving towards 7 figure deals is already within our reach! Moving towards 7 figure deals is already within our reach! The Evolution of YellowMay We started as a marketplace and ended up as a consulting company!!!
Already when building the marketplace, we were met with requests to build solutions, and now, we just build solutions!
The growing demand to find individuals who can support the journey of the company is growing. We started as a marketplace and ended up as a consulting company!!! Already when building the marketplace, we were met with requests to build solutions, and now, we just build solutions! The growing demand to find individuals who can support the journey of the company is growing. We started as a marketplace and ended up as a consulting company!!! Already when building the marketplace, we were met with requests to build solutions, and now, we just build solutions! The growing demand to find individuals who can support the journey of the company is growing. Milestones and Achievements Collected 300k funding for the marketplace build-up. Crossed the +50 customer mark, nearing deal sizes of 6-7 figures. Collected 300k funding for the marketplace build-up. Crossed the +50 customer mark, nearing deal sizes of 6-7 figures. Collected 300k funding for the marketplace build-up. Crossed the +50 customer mark, nearing deal sizes of 6-7 figures. Lessons Learned The toughest period is definitely the slowness of the industry, and we have had to be able to be inventive in creating momentum to push projects to get started. 2 years as customer negotiations is nearly a norm… The toughest period is definitely the slowness of the industry, and we have had to be able to be inventive in creating momentum to push projects to get started. 2 years as customer negotiations is nearly a norm… The toughest period is definitely the slowness of the industry, and we have had to be able to be inventive in creating momentum to push projects to get started. 2 years as customer negotiations is nearly a norm… What Startups of The Year Mean to Us Someone had suggested us, and we are more than happy to join in as we are a bit of rebels shaking the structures within the insurance industry! Someone had suggested us, and we are more than happy to join in as we are a bit of rebels shaking the structures within the insurance industry! Someone had suggested us, and we are more than happy to join in as we are a bit of rebels shaking the structures within the insurance industry! Conclusion If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking! If the insurance industry does not innovate and find solutions in this risky world, then someone else does so. That´s why we are here to help the industry develop new ways of thinking! Vote for us today! [Insert link to startup voting page for your city, parent industry, or sub-industry]. Vote for us today! [Insert link to startup voting page for your city, parent industry, or sub-industry] . [Insert link to startup voting page for your city, parent industry, or sub-industry]

Startups of the Year 2024: YellowMay - Innovating the Insurance Industry

In an enlightening conversation for the "Behind the Startup" series, Louis Bellet, the dynamic force behind Yellow Network, shares the intriguing story of its inception and its ambitious mission to redefine the cryptocurrency trading landscape. Born from the strategic merger of Openware.com and Yellow Trading, Yellow Network emerges as a groundbreaking solution, tackling the industry's pressing challenges head-on. With a focus on security, efficiency, and decentralization, Bellet details the innovative mechanisms and future-forward technologies that make Yellow Network a beacon of progress in the digital asset ecosystem. Revolutionizing Crypto Trade: Louis Bellet Unveils Yellow Network's Vision Ishan Pandey: Hi Louis, great to have you here for our "Behind the Startup" series. Can you share the story behind the founding of Yellow Network and what inspired you to start this venture? Louis Bellet: Yellow Network was born as a result of a collaboration of two established players in the industry. My journey began with Openware.com, where we built over 150 trading platforms, gaining unique insights into the pains and gains of both institutional and retail crypto businesses. Meanwhile, my partner Alexis, one of the founders of GSR and Yellow Trading, brought an in-depth perspective from the trading side. Our combined understanding of the industry's challenges led us to create Yellow Network. It represents our collaborative effort to innovate and solve persistent issues in the digital asset ecosystem, aiming to revolutionize the way digital assets are traded. Ishan Pandey: Can you elaborate on how Yellow Network aims to make cryptocurrency trading leaner, more efficient, and more secure in the current blockchain landscape? Louis Bellet: One of the main issues of the crypto industry today is the absence of the proper trading infrastructure. Yellow Network solves this by introducing a decentralized clearing system. It is designed to minimize reliance on a single market player with no separation of responsibilities, thus greatly reducing counterparty risks and removing potential points of failure. This approach connects brokers and exchanges across blockchains, enabling efficient and secure cross-chain trading and clearing. Yellow Network optimizes capital management through position netting, and streamlined settlement processes that consolidate a batch of trades into a single transaction. Ishan Pandey: How does Yellow Network utilize a P2P network and state channels to connect brokers across various blockchains? Louis Bellet: The P2P approach enables brokers to instantly connect to other network participants to match orders and execute trades directly with each other in a decentralized manner, bypassing the traditional centralized framework. State channels facilitate private, secure off-chain transactions between parties, ensuring privacy, scalability and efficiency without compromising the blockchain's integrity. In this way, we can bring ultra-high-frequency trading and minimize transaction costs, while also being able to trade assets cross-chain. Ishan Pandey: Could you explain in more detail how Yellow Network's automated smart clearing protocol and its significance in the context of cryptocurrency trading? Louis Bellet: Our core component is called ClearSyncTM; it is a protocol that automates the post-trade process, including the clearing and settlement of trades, through smart contracts. It handles all activities from the moment a transaction commitment is made until it is settled, similar to traditional finance clearing processes​​. Key features of ClearSyncTM include the ability to open and close trading channels, deposit collateral in various cryptocurrencies, and send high-frequency margin-calls requests off-chain. In addition, it offers the flexibility to request settlements using different methods, including atomic cross chain swaps, or even third-party custodians. It also handles disputes on a portofolio state to unlock the collateral, enhancing the security and reliability of the trading process​​. Essentially, ClearSyncTM reduces counterparty risk and eliminates the need for intermediaries, leading to a more streamlined and less costly trading process. Ishan Pandey: What features make Yellow Network an all-in-one Web3 solution, and how is it tailored for the global retail market? Louis Bellet: Yellow Network offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services tailored to the needs and expectations of a global crypto market. Features such as cross-chain liquidity access, decentralized identity management, and integrated wallet services serve well for both beginners and experienced traders. Among other things, the platform also features: Decentralized trading, allowing participants to trade using their nearest node; Scalable infrastructure: with the use of state channels to enable swift, efficient off-chain trading and clearing suitable for high-frequency trading​​; Enhanced liquidity access as opposed to traditional silos, offering seamless liquidity exchange across platforms and chains​​; Minimized counterparty risks with the automated netting and operates collateral and safety deposits for secure settlements​​; Capital efficiency for consolidating trades and lowering margin requirements, optimizing capital usage​​; A broker-dealer model that aligns with regulatory preferences and streamlines broker operations​​. Ishan Pandey: Can you provide insights into the decision to merge Openware and Yellow Trading to form Yellow Network? How has this merger contributed to the company's overall strategy? Louis Bellet: The decision to merge was strategic in nature and aimed at uniting our expertise in blockchain development and financial markets. When we first started working together with Alexis, we quickly realized that we have an aligned vision of the future of crypto and a similar outlook on how the main problems of the industry can be tackled. We have leveraged Openware's technical expertise in building infrastructure for exchanges with Yellow Trading's market insights, which created Yellow Network as we know it now. Ishan Pandey: Can you elaborate on Yellow Trading's role as a market maker and startup incubator within the Yellow Network ecosystem? Louis Bellet: Yellow Trading plays a dual role within Yellow Network. As a market maker, it provides liquidity, ensuring efficient and stable market operations. This is crucial in creating a fruitful trading environment, especially in emerging or less liquid markets. As a startup incubator, Yellow Trading nurtures innovative blockchain projects, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and network support to succeed, further enriching and integrating them into the Yellow Network ecosystem. Ishan Pandey: How do you perceive the current state of blockchain adoption globally, and what role does Yellow Network play in driving adoption? Louis Bellet: The global adoption of blockchain is primarily focused on trading and speculation. However, most traders don't fully utilize the benefits of the blockchain; they simply can’t; due to the isolated nature of exchanges and scalability issues. Blockchains are not the complete solution for decentralizing trading, but rather a component of the infrastructure. Yellow Network bridges the gap between isolated trading platforms and chains, facilitating efficient, real-time cross-chain transactions. This innovative approach progresses blockchain usage beyond current limitations, positioning Yellow Network at the forefront of promoting broader blockchain adoption and transforming the cryptocurrency trading landscape. Ishan Pandey: Looking ahead, how do you anticipate the regulatory landscape for blockchain and cryptocurrency evolving, and what preparations is Yellow Network making for potential regulatory changes? Louis Bellet: The regulatory framework for blockchain and cryptocurrency is expected to evolve towards greater clarity and structure, much like in traditional finance. In traditional finance, separating responsibilities like custody, exchange, and clearing is standard practice for risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. We are anticipating and aligning with this trend by distributing these functions. Our broker-dealer model, part of the network's design, separates these roles, reducing the risk of having all operations centralized in one entity. Our goal is to remain adaptable and responsive to regulatory changes, ensuring the longevity and legitimacy of our platform. Don’t forget to like and share the story! This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. Be it through direct compensation, media partnerships, or networking, the author has a vested interest in the company/ies mentioned in this story. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure:

Bridging Gaps in Crypto Trading: The Strategic Vision of Yellow Network

PARIS, France, December 20th, 2023/Chainwire/--Layer 3 Foundation Announces Testnet of Its P2P Yellow Clearing Network for Counterparty Risk Mitigation. Layer 3 Foundation, a pioneer in blockchain-based financial technology, has announced the launch of a testnet program for its Yellow Clearing Network, the first-ever decentralized clearing system. This initiative marks a significant step towards realising the foundation's mission of decentralizing clearing and settlement processes to scale trading using blockchain technologies. Founded by a team of experts in fintech, software architecture, cyber-security, and market making, Layer 3 Foundation has been at the forefront of leveraging blockchain to create innovative financial solutions. The $YELLOW token, central to Yellow Clearing Network, is a testament to the foundation's commitment to cutting-edge technology and a decentralized future. What To Expect In The Testnet The program will begin with Yellow’s closed beta testnet which will go live on Duckies, Yellow’s Canary Network, which utilizes $DUCKIES as the native token. The closed testnet will open on January 22nd, 2024, and continue till April of the same year and focus on testing key features of the trading terminal, including but not limited to: Opening and closing of clearing channels with counterparts; Off-chain market trading; Settlement of trades using blockchain escrow swaps; Deployment of broker nodes and mining liquidity; Testnet users will play a crucial role in evaluating the trading terminal's user experience, interface usability, Web3 signing flow, and overall system robustness. Layer 3 Foundation aims to gather valuable metrics, uncover vulnerabilities, and refine the platform for a wider audience. Applications for the closed beta can be submitted at yellow.org/canarynet. The company seeks blockchain-savvy individuals passionate about blockchain technology, trading, and finance. Successful candidates are expected to have a basic understanding of financial markets, experience in participating in testnets, and influence within small communities. Preference will be given to seasoned traders and technology enthusiasts who support the company’s mission. Yellow Clearing Network uses ClearSync, a protocol that frees traders from counterparty risk. It achieves this by verifying that all parties have sufficient collateral funding to fulfill trades. This ensures that traders do not exceed their capital limits, giving counterparties confidence that trades will be fully honored. Future Developments and Executive Insights Feedback from the closed testnet will be instrumental in preparing the platform for an open testnet phase and eventual general availability. says Louis Bellet, a core contributor at Layer 3 Foundation. "At Layer 3 Foundation, the imminent market introduction of our technology fills me with immense excitement! It's a game-changer in blockchain's evolution." Upcoming features include cross-chain settlements and enhanced security measures. The closed beta represents a critical phase in Layer 3 Foundation's roadmap to broader adoption and token listing. About Layer 3 Foundation The mission of Layer-3 Foundation is to develop a state channel-powered ecosystem as a Fintech scaling standard to support the evolution of the Internet towards Web 3.0. The company stands behind Yellow Clearing Network, a peer-to-peer solution for trading, clearing, and settlement. Operating as a Layer3 that utilizes state channels, Yellow Network provides a safer way for individuals and institutions to trade. With no requirement to lock assets, thanks to safety collateral, counterparties can transact safely within a liquid and fully compliant environment. Learn more: https://www.layer3.foundation/,  https://www.yellow.org/ About ClearSync Ltd. ClearSync Ltd. is a UK-based technology research center and a developer of the ClearSyncTM protocol, a set of automated smart contracts that allow participants to lock and unlock collateral through state channels to protect the clearing and settlement of assets. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to sell shares or securities. Contact Head of Biz Dev & Marketing Anastasiia Bobeshko ana@yellow.org This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here.

Layer 3 Foundation Announces Testnet Of P2P Yellow Clearing Network For Counterparty Risk Mitigation

The Big Four by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . THE YELLOW JASMINE MYSTERY IX. THE YELLOW JASMINE MYSTERY It was all very well for Poirot to say that we were acquiring information all the time and gaining an insight into our adversaries' minds—I felt myself that I required some more tangible success than this. Since we had come into contact with the Big Four, they had committed two murders, abducted Halliday, and had been within an ace of killing Poirot and myself; whereas so far we had hardly scored a point in the game. Poirot treated my complaints lightly. "So far, Hastings," he said, "they laugh. That is true, but you have a proverb, have you not: 'He laughs best who laughs at the end'? And at the end, mon ami, you shall see. "You must remember, too," he added, "that we deal with no ordinary criminal, but with the second greatest brain in the world." I forbore to pander to his conceit by asking the obvious question. I knew the answer, at least I knew what Poirot's answer would be, and instead I tried without success to elicit some information as to what steps he was taking to track down the enemy. As usual he had kept me completely in the dark as to his movements, but I gathered that he was in touch with secret service agents in India, China, and Russia, and, from his occasional bursts of self-glorification, that he was at least progressing in his favourite game of gauging his enemy's mind. He had abandoned his private practice almost entirely, and I know that at this time he refused some remarkably handsome fees. True, he would sometimes investigate cases which intrigued him, but he usually dropped them the moment he was convinced that they had no connection with the activities of the Big Four. This attitude of his was remarkably profitable to our friend, Inspector Japp. Undeniably he gained much kudos for solving several problems in which his success was really due to a half-contemptuous hint from Poirot. In return for such service Japp supplied full details of any case which he thought might interest the little Belgian, and when he was put in charge of what the newspaper called "The Yellow Jasmine Mystery," he wired Poirot, asking him whether he would care to come down and look into the case. It was in response to this wire that, about a month after my adventure in Abe Ryland's house, we found ourselves alone in a railway compartment whirling away from the smoke and dust of London, bound for the little town of Market Handford in Worcestershire, the seat of the mystery. Poirot leant back in his corner. "And what exactly is your opinion of the affair, Hastings?" I did not at once reply to his question; I felt the need of going warily. "It all seems so complicated," I said cautiously. "Does it not?" said Poirot delightedly. "I suppose our rushing off like this is a pretty clear sign that you consider Mr. Paynter's death to be murder—not suicide or the result of an accident?" "No, no; you misunderstand me, Hastings. Granting that Mr. Paynter died as the result of a particularly terrible accident, there are still a number of mysterious circumstances to be explained." "That was what I meant when I said it was all so complicated." "Let us go over all the main facts quietly and methodically. Recount them to me, Hastings, in an orderly and lucid fashion." I started forthwith, endeavouring to be as orderly and lucid as I could. "We start," I said, "with Mr. Paynter. A man of fifty-five, rich, cultured, and somewhat of a globetrotter. For the last twelve years he has been little in England, but suddenly tiring of incessant travelling, he bought a small place in Worcestershire, near Market Handford, and prepared to settle down. His first action was to write to his only relative, a nephew, Gerald Paynter, the son of his younger brother, and to suggest to him that he should come and make his home at Croftlands (as the place is called) with his uncle. Gerald Paynter, who is an impecunious young artist, was glad enough to fall in with the arrangement, and had been living with his uncle for about seven months when the tragedy occurred." "Your narrative style is masterly," murmured Poirot. "I say to myself, it is a book that talks, not my friend Hastings." Paying no attention to Poirot, I went on, warming to the story. "Mr. Paynter kept up a fair staff at Croftlands—six servants as well as his own Chinese body servant—Ah Ling." "His Chinese servant, Ah Ling," murmured Poirot. "On Tuesday last, Mr. Paynter complained of feeling unwell after dinner, and one of the servants was despatched to fetch the doctor. Mr. Paynter received the doctor in his study, having refused to go to bed. What passed between them was not then known, but before Doctor Quentin left, he asked to see the housekeeper, and mentioned that he had given Mr. Paynter a hypodermic injection as his heart was in a very weak state, recommended that he should not be disturbed, and then proceeded to ask some rather curious questions about the servants—how long they had been there, from whom they had come, etc. "The housekeeper answered these questions as best she could, but was rather puzzled as to their purport. A terrible discovery was made on the following morning. One of the housemaids, on descending, was met by a sickening odour of burned flesh which seemed to come from her master's study. She tried the door, but it was locked on the inside. With the assistance of Gerald Paynter and the Chinaman that was soon broken in, but a terrible sight greeted them. Mr. Paynter had fallen forward into the gas fire, and his face and head were charred beyond recognition. "Of course, at the moment, no suspicion was aroused as to its being anything but a ghastly accident. If blame attached to any one, it was to Doctor Quentin for giving his patient a narcotic and leaving him in such a dangerous position. And then a rather curious discovery was made. "There was a newspaper on the floor, lying where it had slipped from the old man's knees. On turning it over, words were found to be scrawled across it, feebly traced in ink. A writing-table stood close to the chair in which Mr. Paynter had been sitting, and the forefinger of the victim's right hand was ink-stained up to the second joint. It was clear that, too weak to hold a pen, Mr. Paynter had dipped his finger in the ink-pot and managed to scrawl these two words across the surface of the newspaper he held—but the words themselves seemed utterly fantastic: Yellow Jasmine—just that and nothing more. "Croftlands has a large quantity of yellow jasmine growing up its walls, and it was thought that this dying message had some reference to them, showing that the poor old man's mind was wandering. Of course, the newspapers, agog for anything out of the common, took up the story hotly, calling it the Mystery of the Yellow Jasmine—though in all probability the words are completely unimportant." "They are unimportant, you say?" said Poirot. "Well, doubtless, since you say so, it must be so." I regarded him dubiously, but I could detect no mockery in his eye. "And then," I continued, "there came the excitements of the inquest." "This is where you lick your lips, I perceive." "There was a certain amount of feeling evidenced against Dr. Quentin. To begin with, he was not the regular doctor, only a locum, putting in a month's work, whilst Dr. Bolitho was away on a well-earned holiday. Then it was felt that his carelessness was the direct cause of the accident. But his evidence was little short of sensational. Mr. Paynter had been ailing in health ever since his arrival at Croftlands. Dr. Bolitho had attended him for some time, but when Dr. Quentin first saw his patient, he was mystified by some of the symptoms. He had only attended him once before the night when he was sent for after dinner. As soon as he was alone with Mr. Paynter, the latter had unfolded a surprising tale. To begin with, he was not feeling ill at all, he explained, but the taste of some curry that he had been eating at dinner had struck him as peculiar. Making an excuse to get rid of Ah Ling for a few minutes, he had turned the contents of his plate into a bowl, and he now handed it over to the doctor with injunctions to find out if there were really anything wrong with it. "In spite of his statement that he was not feeling ill, the doctor noted that the shock of his suspicions had evidently affected him, and that his heart was feeling it. Accordingly he administered an injection—not of a narcotic, but of strychnine. "That, I think, completes the case—except for the crux of the whole thing—the fact that the uneaten curry, duly analysed, was found to contain enough powdered opium to have killed two men!" I paused. "And your conclusions, Hastings?" asked Poirot quietly. "It's difficult to say. It might be an accident—the fact that some one attempted to poison him the same night might be merely a coincidence." "But you don't think so? You prefer to believe it—murder!" "Don't you?" "Mon ami, you and I do not reason in the same way. I am not trying to make up my mind between two opposite solutions—murder or accident—that will come when we have solved the other problem—the mystery of the 'Yellow Jasmine.' By the way, you have left out something there." "You mean the two lines at right angles to each other faintly indicated under the words? I did not think they could be of any possible importance." "What you think is always so important to yourself, Hastings. But let us pass from the mystery of the Yellow Jasmine to the Mystery of the Curry." "I know. Who poisoned it? Why? There are a hundred questions one can ask. Ah Ling, of course, prepared it. But why should he wish to kill his master? Is he a member of a tong, or something like that. One reads of such things. The tong of the Yellow Jasmine, perhaps. Then there is Gerald Paynter." I came to an abrupt pause. "Yes," said Poirot, nodding his head. "There is Gerald Paynter, as you say. He is his uncle's heir. He was dining out that night, though." "He might have got at some of the ingredients of the curry," I suggested. "And he would take care to be out, so as not to have to partake of the dish." I think my reasoning rather impressed Poirot. He looked at me with a more respectful attention than he had given me so far. "He returns late," I mused, pursuing a hypothetical case. "Sees the light in his uncle's study, enters, and, finding his plan has failed, thrusts the old man down into the fire." "Mr. Paynter, who was a fairly hearty man of fifty-five, would not permit himself to be burnt to death without a struggle, Hastings. Such a reconstruction is not feasible." "Well, Poirot," I cried, "we're nearly there, I fancy. Let us hear what you think?" Poirot threw me a smile, swelled out his chest, and began in a pompous manner. "Assuming murder, the question at once arises, why choose that particular method? I can think of only one reason—to confuse identity, the face being charred beyond recognition." "What?" I cried. "You think—" "A moment's patience, Hastings. I was going on to say that I examine that theory. Is there any ground for believing that the body is not that of Mr. Paynter? Is there any one else whose body it possibly could be? I examine these two questions and finally I answer them both in the negative." "Oh!" I said, rather disappointed. "And then?" Poirot's eyes twinkled a little. "And then I say to myself, 'since there is here something that I do not understand, it would be well that I should investigate the matter. I must not permit myself to be wholly engrossed by the Big Four.' Ah! we are just arriving. My little clothes brush, where does it hide itself? Here it is—brush me down, I pray you, my friend, and then I will perform the same service for you." "Yes," said Poirot thoughtfully, as he put away the brush, "one must not permit oneself to be obsessed by one idea. I have been in danger of that. Figure to yourself, my friend, that even here, in this case, I am in danger of it. Those two lines you mentioned, a downstroke and a line at right angles to it, what are they but the beginning of a 4?" "Good gracious, Poirot," I cried, laughing. "Is it not absurd? I see the hand of the Big Four everywhere. It is well to employ one's wits in a totally different milieu. Ah! there is Japp come to meet us." About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (2023). The Big Four. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70114/pg70114-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

THE YELLOW JASMINE MYSTERY

THE YELLOW-WINGED SPHEX

The warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . WITH THE YELLOW MEN WITH THE YELLOW MEN Thuvan Dihn was not long in joining me; and, though we found the hooked weapon a strange and savage thing with which to deal, the three of us soon despatched the five black-bearded warriors who opposed us. When the battle was over our new acquaintance turned to me, and removing the shield from his wrist, held it out. I did not know the significance of his act, but judged that it was but a form of expressing his gratitude to me. I afterward learned that it symbolized the offering of a man’s life in return for some great favor done him; and my act of refusing, which I had immediately done, was what was expected of me. “Then accept from Talu, Prince of Marentina,” said the yellow man, “this token of my gratitude,” and reaching beneath one of his wide sleeves he withdrew a bracelet and placed it upon my arm. He then went through the same ceremony with Thuvan Dihn. Next he asked our names, and from what land we hailed. He seemed quite familiar with the geography of the outerworld, and when I said I was from Helium he raised his brows. “Ah,” he said, “you seek your ruler and his company?” “Know you of them?” I asked. “But little more than that they were captured by my uncle, Salensus Oll, Jeddak of Jeddaks, Ruler of Okar, land of the yellow men of Barsoom. As to their fate I know nothing, for I am at war with my uncle, who would crush my power in the principality of Marentina. “These from whom you have just saved me are warriors he has sent out to find and slay me, for they know that often I come alone to hunt and kill the sacred apt which Salensus Oll so much reveres. It is partly because I hate his religion that Salensus Oll hates me; but mostly does he fear my growing power and the great faction which has arisen throughout Okar that would be glad to see me ruler of Okar and Jeddak of Jeddaks in his place. “He is a cruel and tyrannous master whom all hate, and were it not for the great fear they have of him I could raise an army overnight that would wipe out the few that might remain loyal to him. My own people are faithful to me, and the little valley of Marentina has paid no tribute to the court of Salensus Oll for a year. “Nor can he force us, for a dozen men may hold the narrow way to Marentina against a million. But now, as to thine own affairs. How may I aid you? My palace is at your disposal, if you wish to honor me by coming to Marentina.” “When our work is done we shall be glad to accept your invitation,” I replied. “But now you can assist us most by directing us to the court of Salensus Oll, and suggesting some means by which we may gain admission to the city and the palace, or whatever other place we find our friends to be confined.” Talu gazed ruefully at our smooth faces and at Thuvan Dihn’s red skin and my white one. “First you must come to Marentina,” he said, “for a great change must be wrought in your appearance before you can hope to enter any city in Okar. You must have yellow faces and black beards, and your apparel and trappings must be those least likely to arouse suspicion. In my palace is one who can make you appear as truly yellow men as does Salensus Oll himself.” His counsel seemed wise; and as there was apparently no other way to insure a successful entry to Kadabra, the capital city of Okar, we set out with Talu, Prince of Marentina, for his little, rock-bound country. The way was over some of the worst traveling I have ever seen, and I do not wonder that in this land where there are neither thoats nor fliers that Marentina is in little fear of invasion; but at last we reached our destination, the first view of which I had from a slight elevation a half-mile from the city. Nestled in a deep valley lay a city of Martian concrete, whose every street and plaza and open space was roofed with glass. All about lay snow and ice, but there was none upon the rounded, domelike, crystal covering that enveloped the whole city. Then I saw how these people combated the rigors of the arctic, and lived in luxury and comfort in the midst of a land of perpetual ice. Their cities were veritable hothouses, and when I had come within this one my respect and admiration for the scientific and engineering skill of this buried nation was unbounded. The moment we entered the city Talu threw off his outer garments of fur, as did we, and I saw that his apparel differed but little from that of the red races of Barsoom. Except for his leathern harness, covered thick with jewels and metal, he was naked, nor could one have comfortably worn apparel in that warm and humid atmosphere. For three days we remained the guests of Prince Talu, and during that time he showered upon us every attention and courtesy within his power. He showed us all that was of interest in his great city. The Marentina atmosphere plant will maintain life indefinitely in the cities of the north pole after all life upon the balance of dying Mars is extinct through the failure of the air supply, should the great central plant again cease functioning as it did upon that memorable occasion that gave me the opportunity of restoring life and happiness to the strange world that I had already learned to love so well. He showed us the heating system that stores the sun’s rays in great reservoirs beneath the city, and how little is necessary to maintain the perpetual summer heat of the glorious garden spot within this arctic paradise. Broad avenues of sod sewn with the seed of the ocher vegetation of the dead sea bottoms carried the noiseless traffic of light and airy ground fliers that are the only form of artificial transportation used north of the gigantic ice-barrier. The broad tires of these unique fliers are but rubber-like gas bags filled with the eighth Barsoomian ray, or ray of propulsion—that remarkable discovery of the Martians that has made possible the great fleets of mighty airships that render the red man of the outer world supreme. It is this ray which propels the inherent or reflected light of the planet off into space, and when confined gives to the Martian craft their airy buoyancy. The ground fliers of Marentina contain just sufficient buoyancy in their automobile-like wheels to give the cars traction for steering purposes; and though the hind wheels are geared to the engine, and aid in driving the machine, the bulk of this work is carried by a small propeller at the stern. I know of no more delightful sensation than that of riding in one of these luxuriously appointed cars which skim, light and airy as feathers, along the soft, mossy avenues of Marentina. They move with absolute noiselessness between borders of crimson sward and beneath arching trees gorgeous with the wondrous blooms that mark so many of the highly cultivated varieties of Barsoomian vegetation. By the end of the third day the court barber—I can think of no other earthly appellation by which to describe him—had wrought so remarkable a transformation in both Thuvan Dihn and myself that our own wives would never have known us. Our skins were of the same lemon color as his own, and great, black beards and mustaches had been deftly affixed to our smooth faces. The trappings of warriors of Okar aided in the deception; and for wear beyond the hothouse cities we each had suits of the black- and yellow-striped orluk. Talu gave us careful directions for the journey to Kadabra, the capital city of the Okar nation, which is the racial name of the yellow men. This good friend even accompanied us part way, and then, promising to aid us in any way that he found possible, bade us adieu. On parting he slipped upon my finger a curiously wrought ring set with a dead-black, lusterless stone, which appeared more like a bit of bituminous coal than the priceless Barsoomian gem which in reality it is. “There had been but three others cut from the mother stone,” he said, “which is in my possession. These three are worn by nobles high in my confidence, all of whom have been sent on secret missions to the court of Salensus Oll. “Should you come within fifty feet of any of these three you will feel a rapid, pricking sensation in the finger upon which you wear this ring. He who wears one of its mates will experience the same feeling; it is caused by an electrical action that takes place the moment two of these gems cut from the same mother stone come within the radius of each other’s power. By it you will know that a friend is at hand upon whom you may depend for assistance in time of need. “Should another wearer of one of these gems call upon you for aid do not deny him, and should death threaten you swallow the ring rather than let it fall into the hands of enemies. Guard it with your life, John Carter, for some day it may mean more than life to you.” With this parting admonition our good friend turned back toward Marentina, and we set our faces in the direction of the city of Kadabra and the court of Salensus Oll, Jeddak of Jeddaks. That very evening we came within sight of the walled and glass-roofed city of Kadabra. It lies in a low depression near the pole, surrounded by rocky, snow-clad hills. From the pass through which we entered the valley we had a splendid view of this great city of the north. Its crystal domes sparkled in the brilliant sunlight gleaming above the frost-covered outer wall that circles the entire one hundred miles of its circumference. At regular intervals great gates give entrance to the city; but even at the distance from which we looked upon the massive pile we could see that all were closed, and, in accordance with Talu’s suggestion, we deferred attempting to enter the city until the following morning. As he had said, we found numerous caves in the hillsides about us, and into one of these we crept for the night. Our warm orluk skins kept us perfectly comfortable, and it was only after a most refreshing sleep that we awoke shortly after daylight on the following morning. Already the city was astir, and from several of the gates we saw parties of yellow men emerging. Following closely each detail of the instructions given us by our good friend of Marentina, we remained concealed for several hours until one party of some half dozen warriors had passed along the trail below our hiding place and entered the hills by way of the pass along which we had come the previous evening. After giving them time to get well out of sight of our cave, Thuvan Dihn and I crept out and followed them, overtaking them when they were well into the hills. When we had come almost to them I called aloud to their leader, when the whole party halted and turned toward us. The crucial test had come. Could we but deceive these men the rest would be comparatively easy. “Kaor!” I cried as I came closer to them. “Kaor!” responded the officer in charge of the party. “We be from Illall,” I continued, giving the name of the most remote city of Okar, which has little or no intercourse with Kadabra. “Only yesterday we arrived, and this morning the captain of the gate told us that you were setting out to hunt orluks, which is a sport we do not find in our own neighborhood. We have hastened after you to pray that you allow us to accompany you.” The officer was entirely deceived, and graciously permitted us to go with them for the day. The chance guess that they were bound upon an orluk hunt proved correct, and Talu had said that the chances were ten to one that such would be the mission of any party leaving Kadabra by the pass through which we entered the valley, since that way leads directly to the vast plains frequented by this elephantine beast of prey. In so far as the hunt was concerned, the day was a failure, for we did not see a single orluk; but this proved more than fortunate for us, since the yellow men were so chagrined by their misfortune that they would not enter the city by the same gate by which they had left it in the morning, as it seemed that they had made great boasts to the captain of that gate about their skill at this dangerous sport. We, therefore, approached Kadabra at a point several miles from that at which the party had quitted it in the morning, and so were relieved of the danger of embarrassing questions and explanations on the part of the gate captain, whom we had said had directed us to this particular hunting party. We had come quite close to the city when my attention was attracted toward a tall, black shaft that reared its head several hundred feet into the air from what appeared to be a tangled mass of junk or wreckage, now partially snow-covered. I did not dare venture an inquiry for fear of arousing suspicion by evident ignorance of something which as a yellow man I should have known; but before we reached the city gate I was to learn the purpose of that grim shaft and the meaning of the mighty accumulation beneath it. We had come almost to the gate when one of the party called to his fellows, at the same time pointing toward the distant southern horizon. Following the direction he indicated, my eyes descried the hull of a large flier approaching rapidly from above the crest of the encircling hills. “Still other fools who would solve the mysteries of the forbidden north,” said the officer, half to himself. “Will they never cease their fatal curiosity?” “Let us hope not,” answered one of the warriors, “for then what should we do for slaves and sport?” “True; but what stupid beasts they are to continue to come to a region from whence none of them ever has returned.” “Let us tarry and watch the end of this one,” suggested one of the men. The officer looked toward the city. “The watch has seen him,” he said; “we may remain, for we may be needed.” I looked toward the city and saw several hundred warriors issuing from the nearest gate. They moved leisurely, as though there were no need for haste—nor was there, as I was presently to learn. Then I turned my eyes once more toward the flier. She was moving rapidly toward the city, and when she had come close enough I was surprised to see that her propellers were idle. Straight for that grim shaft she bore. At the last minute I saw the great blades move to reverse her, yet on she came as though drawn by some mighty, irresistible power. Intense excitement prevailed upon her deck, where men were running hither and thither, manning the guns and preparing to launch the small, one-man fliers, a fleet of which is part of the equipment of every Martian war vessel. Closer and closer to the black shaft the ship sped. In another instant she must strike, and then I saw the familiar signal flown that sends the lesser boats in a great flock from the deck of the mother ship. Instantly a hundred tiny fliers rose from her deck, like a swarm of huge dragon flies; but scarcely were they clear of the battleship than the nose of each turned toward the shaft, and they, too, rushed on at frightful speed toward the same now seemingly inevitable end that menaced the larger vessel. A moment later the collision came. Men were hurled in every direction from the ship’s deck, while she, bent and crumpled, took the last, long plunge to the scrap-heap at the shaft’s base. With her fell a shower of her own tiny fliers, for each of them had come in violent collision with the solid shaft. I noticed that the wrecked fliers scraped down the shaft’s side, and that their fall was not as rapid as might have been expected; and then suddenly the secret of the shaft burst upon me, and with it an explanation of the cause that prevented a flier that passed too far across the ice-barrier ever returning. The shaft was a mighty magnet, and when once a vessel came within the radius of its powerful attraction for the aluminum steel that enters so largely into the construction of all Barsoomian craft, no power on earth could prevent such an end as we had just witnessed. I afterward learned that the shaft rests directly over the magnetic pole of Mars, but whether this adds in any way to its incalculable power of attraction I do not know. I am a fighting man, not a scientist. Here, at last, was an explanation of the long absence of Tardos Mors and Mors Kajak. These valiant and intrepid warriors had dared the mysteries and dangers of the frozen north to search for Carthoris, whose long absence had bowed in grief the head of his beautiful mother, Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium. The moment that the last of the fliers came to rest at the base of the shaft the black-bearded, yellow warriors swarmed over the mass of wreckage upon which they lay, making prisoners of those who were uninjured and occasionally despatching with a sword-thrust one of the wounded who seemed prone to resent their taunts and insults. A few of the uninjured red men battled bravely against their cruel foes, but for the most part they seemed too overwhelmed by the horror of the catastrophe that had befallen them to do more than submit supinely to the golden chains with which they were manacled. When the last of the prisoners had been confined, the party returned to the city, at the gate of which we met a pack of fierce, gold-collared apts, each of which marched between two warriors, who held them with strong chains of the same metal as their collars. Just beyond the gate the attendants loosened the whole terrible herd, and as they bounded off toward the grim, black shaft I did not need to ask to know their mission. Had there not been those within the cruel city of Kadabra who needed succor far worse than the poor unfortunate dead and dying out there in the cold upon the bent and broken carcasses of a thousand fliers I could not have restrained my desire to hasten back and do battle with those horrid creatures that had been despatched to rend and devour them. As it was I could but follow the yellow warriors, with bowed head, and give thanks for the chance that had given Thuvan Dihn and me such easy ingress to the capital of Salensus Oll. Once within the gates, we had no difficulty in eluding our friends of the morning, and presently found ourselves in a Martian hostelry. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1993). The warlord of Mars. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/68/pg68-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html. The lead image was generated using HackerNoon's Stable Disffusion Al Image Generator feature, via the prompt "Yellow Men".

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