Oil prices have stopped rallying as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas could lead to the end of the Houthi bombardments of the Red Sea, but prices are still set to end the week with a gain. The recent relentless oil price rally that saw Brent break $82 appears to have slowed, but backwardation continues to expand in both Dubai and Brent futures. A potential de-escalation between Israel and Hamas, leading to the Houthis ending their maritime warfare in the Red Sea, could bring flat prices lower from next week onwards.
THIS IS AN URGENT WARNING TO ALL BITCOIN OWNERS:
Q-DAY IS COMING…THE DAY WHEN QUANTUM COMPUTERS WILL STEAL ALL YOUR BITCOIN…UNLESS YOU ACT FAST!
Microsoft 2025: The year to become Quantum-Ready
“We find ourselves in an exciting and pivotal time. We are at the advent of the reliable quantum computing era. And we are right on the cusp of seeing quantum computers solve meaningful problems and capture new business value. As we look toward the next 12 months, the pace of quantum research and development is only going to accelerate, making this a critical and catalyzing time for business leaders to act.”
“Brace For Q-Day…The Day Your Bitcoin Will Be Stolen”
– Center for International Governance Innovation
A Special FREE Report is now available that can save you from financial ruin –- and even help you get filthy rich too
More about that after I tell you why your Bitcoin is in serious jeopardy of being ripped off – and soon!
So what exactly is Q-Day?
It’s when powerful new quantum computers finally break Bitcoin’s encryption code and rip off every last cent. It’s been all over the financial news, and analysts around the world are scared to death. Your Bitcoins will be stolen before you even know it. Worst of all, there may be nothing anybody can do to stop it.
Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Good News For Science, Medicine & Technology….. But An Absolute Disaster For Bitcoin…But An Absolute Disaster For Bitcoin
A few weeks ago, Google introduced a new quantum supercomputer called Willow, I call it the BEAST, that changes everything. Unlike ordinary classical computers, Willow runs on the principles of quantum mechanics. Instead of bits, it uses qubits which allows it to make trillions of calculations in nanoseconds.
In a mind-blowing feat, Willow’s 105-qubit chip completed a calculation that would’ve taken our fastest supercomputer a mind-boggling 10 septillion years (that’s 10 followed by 24 zeros) a mere 5 minutes.
Major tech companies and governments are all in the race to build AI Quantum computers, such as Musk’s xAI, IBM’s HERON, and Microsoft’s AZURE are leading the investments in quantum computing. Hostile state actors like China and Russia have quantum AI computers. Pictured below is the China (They are spending 15 times the money as the US) quantum computer the ZuchongzhiZ
Most of the world is cheering because it will revolutionize the development of new medicine, optimize energy grids, automotive design and materials, aerospace, and almost everything else you can think of.
Quantum Computers Have Bitcoin Analysts Freaking Out
Because they can break previous encryption codes that classical computers couldn’t. Even scarier, it has already started
A bank of quantum computers in China and Russia as we speak are working to break the cryptocurrency encryption, allowing thieves to steal at least $3.8 trillion in Bitcoin.
Just so you don’t think I’m an alarmist, exaggerating or lost my mind completely…expert financial analysts and respected publications are all terrified about Q-Day.
“Bitcoin is a timebomb ready to explode.”
– Wall Street Journal
“Quantum computers come for Bitcoin.”
– Forbes
“Reported on Kent Carlos Perez-Delgado, a researcher at the University of Kent:”
“If I had a large quantum computer right now, I would essentially take over All the Bitcoin.”
– Fortune
“Bitcoin contributors should start preparing for the quantum future.”
– AllianceBernstein
the co-founder of the prominent cryptocurrency Ethereum, admitted that advancing quantum computing tech has “consequences across the entire Ethereum roadmap.”
– Vitalik Buterin
I hope I’ve now convinced you that the threat to Bitcoin is real and it’ll be here any day. Maybe even today or tomorrow.
5 minutes to steal all your bitcoin
“Q-Day might come in 2025, Tilo Kunz Executive Vice President of the Canadian cybersecurity firm Quantum Defense.”
– Tilo Kunz
The bottom line: It’s not a matter of if Bitcoin is hacked, but when.
Still Skeptical? Well, Did You Know That Bitcoin Was Hacked Before?
- Since 2011, Bitcoin has been ripped-off to the tune of a staggering $138,202,386,000
- Etherium losses to hackers: $1,175,082
- TOTAL: $142,315,183,000 at current Bitcoin prices
Still, that’s chump-change compared to what will be $3 Trillion stolen by quantum computers this year.
And the ripple effect would send the world into an economic crisis that would make the Great Depression pale in comparison.
Important Points to Consider
Still, that’s chump-change compared to what will be stolen by quantum computers. And the ripple effect would send the world into an economic crisis that would make the Great Depression pale in comparison.
So why hack Bitcoin? To quote bank robber, Willie Sutton, “because that’s where the money is.” All $3.8 trillion worth of Bitcoin –- including yours.
Stealing Bitcoin Is A Piece of Cake
So why is stealing Bitcoin so easy? As experts say, the new quantum computers make it a snap because they can run so many calculations so fast. While classical computers use binary 0s and 1s, quantum computers use Qubits that can be in two states — 0 and 1 — at the same time.
Weird, isn’t it? But it accounts for quantum computers’ amazing power.
As such, analysts now realize that SHA-256 encryption, which serves as a security measure protecting Bitcoin, is no match for quantum computers.
On top of that, consider that there’s:
- No reserve.
- No government guarantee.
- No central computer or authority.
- Most people have no insurance.
- And nobody has seen the source code and nobody knows who even invented Bitcoin.
Now you know why everyone is panicing.
Bitcoin’s Quantum Weakness
Bitcoin is considered ultra-secure against classical computers, but particularly vulnerable to quantum computers. That’s because every time a transaction is made, a public key is available to everyone and a private key, visible only to the spenders, are generated.
This key combination is then digitally ‘written’ onto a ledger of monetary transactions (copy below) within the system – aka a blockchain.
But there’s a catch, a large gaping hole for hackers. The Bitcoin transaction is not fully secure until it has been integrated into the blockchain. There’s a vulnerability window that can be manipulated, not by regular computers but by quantum computers that once they had access, they would simply divert the funds to a different address.
And poof, just like that, your money’s gone. Easy peasy.
So Why Doesn’t Bitcoin Just Push Out A New Encryption Update?
As Fortune points out, Bitcoin’s decentralized nature could make pushing an encryption update an immense task. By the time they push out an update your money will be long gone.
This One Simple Move Can Protect You From the Bitcoin Disaster
THE COMING BITCOIN Q-DAY CRASH
In this timely and comprehensive report, you’ll get news and analysis you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll get all of Bitcoins “forbidden secrets” and believe me, it will blow you away.
Most of all, you’ll find out how to:
- Protect your Bitcoin so it won’t get stolen
- Hedge your Bitcoin so you don’t lose your money when it crashes
- Take your money out of the quantum computer hackers’ reach once and for all
- Make millions from the coming collapse even as others get wiped out
THIS MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SAVE YOUR BITCOIN INVESTMENT AND GET FILTHY RICH IN THE PROCESS.
YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT A MINUTE LONGER. ACT NOW!
Nick Guarino
Financial Analyst & Startigic Advisor
Publisher of The Wall Street Underground Celebrating our 30 year anniversary
Israel’s security cabinet greenlights Gaza deal
Israeli security cabinet voted on Friday in favor of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement previously reached between Hamas and Israel, calling on the wider government to accept it as well, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
During the meeting, as per a Kan correspondent, Netanyahu read out commitments given by outgoing United States President Joe Biden, as well as excerpts from his conversation with Biden’s successor, Donald Trump, in which Israel was given guarantees that should negotiations in part two of the deal fall through, the fighting will continue.
The full cabinet will now vote on the agreement.
Houthis Signal Pause on Red Sea Ship Attacks After Gaza Truce
The Yemen-based Houthis signaled a pause in their months-long attacks on commercial ships following a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. In his first comments since the Gaza truce accord was announced on Wednesday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said that the group would follow the agreement, suggesting a halt in its campaign on vessels and on Israel. Still, he left the door open for resuming the attacks, which would likely mean shipping firms will remain very cautious of returning to the Red Sea. “We will continue to follow the stages of implementing the agreement,” Al-Houthi said in a speech Thursday. “Any Israeli breach, massacre, or siege — we will be immediately ready to provide military support to Palestinians.” He didn’t clarify if he was referring to attacks on Israel or on ships. Ship owners and insurers have been waiting for the Houthis to signal their intent in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, following months of missile and drone firings that have sunk some vessels, damaged many and forced a large majority to avoid the crucial trade route altogether. The Houthis and Israel have also been hitting each other directly. The US-supported Gaza agreement is meant to start on Sunday, though that depends on Israel’s security cabinet approving it on Friday. The Houthis, an Islamist group that’s designated as terrorists by the US and is backed by Iran, started their attacks in late 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians as the Israel-Hamas war raged. They said they’d continue until fighting ended. Most Western-linked container ships have over the past year chosen to take the much longer route around southern Africa when sailing between Asia and Europe, and kept clear of the Red Sea. That’s squeezed global shipping capacity, lifting freight rates and boosted the earnings of carriers like Mitsui OSK.
Trump Team Readies Oil Sanctions Plan for Russia Deal, Iran Squeeze
Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are crafting a wide-ranging sanctions strategy to facilitate a Russia-Ukraine diplomatic accord in the coming months while at the same time squeezing Iran and Venezuela, people familiar with the matter said. The outgoing Biden administration on Friday imposed the most disruptive sanctions on Russia’s oil trade by any Western power to date. The move created an open question about how Trump views the measures, given his commitment to quickly ending the war in Ukraine. There are two main approaches under consideration by the Trump team. One set of policy recommendations — if the incoming administration believes a resolution to the Ukraine war is in sight — involves some good-faith measures to benefit sanctioned Russian oil producers that could help seal a peace deal, said the people, requesting anonymity as the deliberations are private. A second option would build on the sanctions, ramping up pressure even further to increase leverage, they said. The approach that Trump ultimately chooses is pivotal to the global oil market. Brent futures have gained almost $5 a barrel since Biden’s measures were announced. Some analysts anticipate further gains, something that would drive up fuel costs around the world. The Trump team’s plans are in the early stages and ultimately depend on the president-elect himself, the people said. Last week, Trump said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was being set up, raising the prospect of potential near-term negotiations to end the war. The strategy discussions include some of Trump’s cabinet nominees as well as former sanctions officials in his first administration, the people said. Several conservative-leaning think tanks are also being sounded out. The transition team has yet to announce Trump’s picks for some key roles involved in economic statecraft.
Trump’s advisers will ultimately be wrestling how to avoid major supply and price disruptions to the oil market at a time when Washington has extensive sanctions on three of the world’s top producers.
For the Trump team, a more-aggressive Russian policy mix could entail greater enforcement of secondary sanctions on oil trading, penalizing European shippers as well as Asian buyers, including major entities in China and India, the people said. Another possible approach: Pushing for more assertive interventions on tankers moving Russia’s oil through the vital Danish and Turkish chokepoints. A softer-touch scenario might mean issuing general licenses and lifting the price cap to higher than $60 per barrel — moves that would encourage Russian oil to keep flowing to the market. In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday for secretary of state, Marco Rubio cited the sanctions as a key piece of leverage that could bring about a peaceful resolution. Elsewhere, the Trump team is also assessing policy options for Iran and Venezuela. There’s a general consensus among his key advisers to return to a full maximum pressure strategy targeting Tehran, starting with a big sanctions package that hits major players in the oil industry, which could come as early as February, the people said. During Trump’s first term, a similar approach significantly curtailed Iranian oil exports, though they’ve climbed since President Joe Biden took office. The situation is more complex in Venezuela, where long-time ruler Nicolas Maduro just got sworn in for another term amid widespread evidence of election fraud but US oil firms like Chevron Corp. also have a presence.
Netanyahu confirms Gaza ceasefire deal inked
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams signed a hostage release and ceasefire agreement in Doha. Netanyahu has instructed his security cabinet to gather on Friday and vote on the deal, after which the government will convene to grant its approval. A special task force has been told to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza and the families of the captives have been informed that a deal had been reached, according to the statement. “The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages – both living and dead,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Just discovered in Texas 250 million barrels of untapped crude.
- Study: the Three Forks reservoir may hold some 250 million barrels of untapped crude.
- Study: developing these reserves would require the drilling of 600 more wells in the Three Forks play.
- U.S. shale can still surprise with undiscovered resources, even as more and more reports emerge suggesting that prime acreage in the shale patch is running out.
North Dakota’s claim to oil fame has long been the Bakken shale, one of the top shale plays in the country. The Bakken is considered a rather mature play, but now, studies by researchers with the state’s Department of Natural Resources have opened up the prospect of a second life for the Bakken. It is called Three Forks—a reservoir that lies within the Bakken shale play and may contain as much as 250 million barrels of crude as of yet untapped. And that oil is not too deep in the ground either, the researchers determined. “The Three Forks Formation is a prolific unconventional oil and gas reservoir within western North Dakota and has been the target of approximately 8,000 horizontal wells through ~mid-2023,” the North Dakota Department of Natural Resources reports in an info sheet on the deposit. It goes on to note that most of the wells already drilled in the Three Forks Formation were drilled in the upper strata of the formation. In the middle layer, some 340 wells have been drilled, and in the lower layer, there have been only 50 wells drilled so far. The reason is simple enough. Since the discovery of the Parshall field in the Middle Bakken back in 2006, most drilling has been concentrated there. Then the upper Three Forks followed between 2008 and 2010. In the early 2010s, drillers moved on to the middle Three Forks, with some 360 horizontal wells drilled there to date, producing around 92 million barrels of oil and 238 billion cu ft of natural gas. That only represents a modest 2% of the overall drilling activity in the Bakken play and less than 2% of total output. What the state’s researchers did was evaluate existing wells in the area. They found sufficient evidence of untapped oil in most of the wells they studied. All in all, developing these reserves would require the drilling of 600 more wells in the Three Forks play—and outside it because the reservoir extends beyond it, according to the data.
“There have been about 20 wells drilled in this middle Three Forks unit per year for the last six years, but it probably should be double to triple that,” one of the researchers involved in the study, Tim Nesheim, told Inforum.
Nesheim added that many drillers may have assumed that additional drilling in the area would only lead to faster production of oil and gas rather than higher production. That assumption, he said, was inaccurate. “After we (Nesheim and Starns) did our work, we believe that it’s more than that, that when you drill middle Three Forks wells, you’re getting more oil out of the ground long term,” the researcher said. “You’re not just speeding up your recovery, but you’re adding to your long-term recovery.”“We’ve done some of the research, and our hope is that companies will take our work and build on it, kind of giving them enough of a head start to do more,” Nesheim also told the North Dakota publication. The results of the study add to the growing body of evidence that U.S. shale can still surprise with undiscovered resources, even as more and more reports emerge suggesting that prime acreage in the shale patch is running out. Indeed, some resources are being exhausted, but the North Dakota news suggests that there is still plenty of crude to keep the U.S. producing at or around current levels for years.
The first stage of the shale industry’s evolution is clearly over. That was the age of “Drill, baby, drill” when nothing mattered but trying to see just how much oil one could get out of the ground, expenses be damned. It was also the age of the massive debt piles, the cash-burning, and the increasingly grumpy shareholders. Now, the industry has moved on to the age of fiscal discipline, with production growth a lot more moderate, not only because some reservoirs are maturing and beginning to get depleted but because of a change in priorities, from production at all costs to shareholder returns at all costs. Even in this new environment, however, there have been surprises. Last year, supermajors reported record oil and natural gas output from the top shale basin, the Permian. They also spoke of their plans to raise that output even further. Meanwhile, independents were boosting their own guidance after seeing higher volumes and lower cycle times to bring wells online in the first half of 2024. Most of those gains were the result of efficiency improvements, but these efficiency improvements cannot be sustained on a permanent basis. Sooner or later, drillers will run out of space for efficiency gains. The prospect of untapped resources getting discovered yet in the shale patch, on the other hand, means more oil and gas for longer.
Microsoft Warns 2025: The year to become Quantum-Ready
We find ourselves in an exciting and pivotal time. We are at the advent of the reliable quantum computing era. This past November, Microsoft successfully created and entangled 24 logical qubits in collaboration with Atom Computing. As our industry looks toward the next 12 months, the pace of quantum research and development is only going to accelerate, making this a critical and catalyzing time for business leaders to act. We’re seeing a growing need for business leaders to have the information and tools to understand better the depth of these amazing technical breakthroughs and the business applications and value they open up. In a business decision-maker study, 12% said their organizations were prepared to assess quantum opportunities. Clearly, there is an urgent need for leaders to get more information and better understand how technical advancements in quantum will enable real-world impact.
Leaders in global companies, investment funds, and governments across the world are making multi-billion-dollar investments in quantum computing. Those organizations that are in the throes of planning a comprehensive quantum-ready strategy are creating durable, competitive differentiation for their organizations and positioning themselves to harness the full power of quantum as it scales. Clearly, without strategic readiness, it’s a challenging proposition for leaders to assess the risks and returns, or to design effective and responsible quantum strategies that are necessary to create a full-on quantum roadmap for their organization.
NN: The Quantum Computer From Hell Is Here
Analysts Look at USA Sanctions Effect
Standard Chartered Bank Crude oil’s strong start to the year was reinforced on January 10 with the announcement of the latest, and most extensive yet, round of U.S. sanctions on Russia. Commodities research head Paul Horsnell, said in a report this week, that the new restrictions “roughly triple the number of directly sanctioned Russian crude oil tankers, enough to affect around 900,000 barrels per day”. “We do not expect Russia to be able to maintain the full extent of the flow, even with an increase in the use of shadow fleet tankers and ship-to-ship transfers, with perhaps an average 500,000 barrels per day of displacements over the next six months,” the Standard Chartered Bank analysts added in the report. “The global market had already tightened over the past three months, and the dislocation of Russian exports adds a further layer of prompt demand.”
Patti Financial market analysis Maria Agustina Markets Strategist Consultant to Exness, said the U.S. sanctions “are expected to reduce Russian oil exports, potentially cutting up to 700,000 barrels per day from global supply”. “However, actual disruptions might be smaller, as Russia and its key buyers explore alternative shipping arrangements,” Patti added in the analysis.
JPM Commodities Research team said the estimated value of open interest across energy markets “increased by four percent week on week ($29 billion) to $668 billion”. “The increase was predominantly driven by crude oil and petroleum products which experienced healthy inflows of $12 billion during the week across all trader types,” the note added. “This was further supported by strong price action across WTI/Brent crude oil markets which rallied by four percent week on week following the announcement that the U.S. will further tighten sanctions on Russian oil industry,” it continued.
J.P. Morgan’s oil strategists “have analyzed the announced sanctions in detail, arguing that it’s the enforcement that matters”. The note pointed out that the estimated value of open interest across natural gas markets increased by $3 billion week on week.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website on January 10, the department said it took “sweeping action to fulfill the G7 commitment to reduce Russian revenues from energy”. In that release, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said, “this action builds on, and strengthens, our focus since the beginning of the war on disrupting the Kremlin’s energy revenues, including through the G7+ price cap launched in 2022”. “With today’s actions, we are ratcheting up the sanctions risk associated with Russia’s oil trade, including shipping and financial facilitation in support of Russia’s oil exports,” Yellen continued.
Israeli cabinet on hold as Hamas allegedly stalls hostage deal…… Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on part of deal
The Israeli government announced Thursday morning it had postponed its cabinet meeting, stating it would not convene until mediators confirm Hamas has agreed to all terms of a proposed hostage release deal. The meeting was expected to formally approve the deal between the parties. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office accused Hamas of backing out of earlier agreements. “Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement,” the office added. The development comes after international mediators, including Qatar and US officials, announced that a deal was reached. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that unresolved issues remain, preventing Israel from moving forward. NN Deal No Deal
Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on part of deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backtracking on an agreement concerning prisoner release, AP reported. According to the ceasefire deal, Hamas is supposed to release dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel releasing several hundred Palestinian prisoners, as well as allowing the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Gaza to return to their homes. Netanyahu stated that Hamas is now backtracking on a part of the agreement that would give Israel the power to veto the release of some prisoners. Netanyahu affirmed that he has instructed the Israeli negotiators to push for the earlier agreement to be honored.
Hamas has yet to issue a statement on the matter.