Tag Archives: comparable

Vegan Infants: Growing at Comparable Rates to Omnivore Babies

Posted on by
Reply

Meat and dairy products are not essential for a child’s development.

Evgenia Gordeeva/Getty Images

Research indicates that infants born into vegan or vegetarian families may initially have slightly lower birth weights. However, by age two, they typically catch up to their omnivorous peers.

Official dietary guidelines suggest: A well-balanced vegan diet, rich in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fortified foods, can satisfy nutritional needs. Nonetheless, ensuring adequate nutrition for children’s growth can be challenging on a vegan diet, due to potential protein and amino acid deficiencies.

Small-scale studies have yielded inconsistent results regarding the advantages and disadvantages of a vegan diet for young children. To address these issues comprehensively, Kerem Avital and researchers from Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Israel, analyzed data from 1.2 million infants recorded at Israel’s National Family Care Center between 2014 and 2023, monitoring growth parameters such as height, weight, and head circumference during their first two years.

The researchers compared these growth metrics to reported dietary habits of parents when the infants reached around six months old. The majority of families identified as omnivorous, while only 1.2% reported as vegetarian and 0.3% as vegan.

This still reflects approximately 18,000 infants in vegetarian and vegan households. “The size of this study is significant enough that even these small percentages represent a substantial number of children, ensuring statistical reliability,” notes Tomer Avnon, a professor at Tel Aviv University who did not participate in the research.

During the first 60 days after birth, growth measurements such as height, head circumference, and overall development were comparable across all dietary groups. However, infants from vegan households were found to be slightly more likely to be underweight. Conversely, being overweight was rare overall but less common among vegan and vegetarian households.

By the time they reached 2 years of age, developmental benchmarks appeared to converge across all three dietary groups. While growth restriction was more prevalent in vegetarian and vegan families, the differences were minor and not statistically significant. Researchers accounted for various influencing factors, such as income, maternal age, and breastfeeding practices.

“The findings are quite encouraging,” stated Avnon. “It provides robust evidence that children of vegetarian and vegan parents can have healthy developmental trajectories.”

The analysis aligns with medical insights that babies born smaller than average typically “catch up” in their growth later, Avnon added. It should reassure parents that a meat-free diet can support healthy early childhood development, although the researchers point out that dietary habits were self-reported by parents, potentially affecting result accuracy. “This study lacks continuous assessments of children’s actual nutritional intake, an important element in long-term development,” he explains.

Zulfikar Bhutta, a researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, expressed concerns regarding the minor growth discrepancies noted among the groups. “The subtle differences in growth may have long-term implications, particularly since other studies indicate that vegan diets could lead to lower bone density and micronutrient levels,” he warned.

He encourages caution against assuming that a vegan or vegetarian diet is universally suitable during early childhood, especially in regions where malnutrition is a critical issue.

While the study was conducted in Israel, Avital believes the findings are applicable to countries with similar economic conditions and healthcare access, such as the United Kingdom. Bhutta advocates for larger studies to capture more precise data on dietary habits and parental characteristics.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Psychedelics Create Brain States Comparable to Meditation in Spiritual Lamas

Posted on by
Reply

Meditation and Low Doses of 5-MeO-DMT: Comparable Effects on Spiritual Experiences

Janique Bros/Getty Images

A highly skilled meditator dedicated 15 years to mastering ego quieting techniques. Recent brain scans reveal that he may have achieved a similar state using low doses of psychedelic substances.

According to Christopher Timmerman from University College London, “At low doses, there appears to be significant alignment in brain activity between this psychedelic state and non-dual meditation practices,” a meditative form that transcends the self-world distinction.

The field of psychedelic research is rapidly evolving, as scientists seek to explore how substances like 5-MeO-DMT can enhance consciousness and mental well-being. Notably derived from North American toads, 5-MeO-DMT is under scrutiny due to its unique effects: Rapid disruption of mental processing without vivid hallucinations.

Timmerman and his team undertook a study comparing the psychedelic state induced by 5-MeO-DMT with advanced meditative practices. Collaborating with lamas from the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, they recorded over 54,000 hours of meditation.

In a controlled setting, the lamas practiced meditation for 30 to 60 minutes, followed by either a placebo or low/high doses of 5-MeO-DMT. Brain activity was measured throughout these conditions, and post-session reflections on thoughts and self-perception were recorded.

They discovered that low doses (5 milligrams) of 5-MeO-DMT produced notable parallels in brain activity to meditative states. Scans indicated increased alpha activity, associated with a relaxed state of wakefulness, and reduced gamma activity linked to cognitive engagement, compared to both placebo and baseline conditions.

Timmerman pointed out that while both scenarios offer a calming effect where the lama’s thoughts “came and then vanished,” meditation provided a deeper sense of interconnectedness and mental clarity.

Higher doses (12 milligrams) of 5-MeO-DMT, however, boosted gamma activity. The lama described feelings of complete detachment from his surroundings, overwhelmed by intense white light. “I’m not thinking about anything,” he recounted, experiencing full disconnection from his body and environment.

This elevated dose also correlated with increased neuronal firing and entropy, indicating more unpredictable firing patterns compared to both placebo and baseline sessions, thus overwhelming his sensory perceptions. Conversely, lower doses resulted in decreased neuronal firing and entropy.

Lama Recording Brain Activity During Meditation

Christopher Timmerman

The research findings suggest a connection between different neural pathways, relating to the “collapse of the ego” and the sensation of “contentless consciousness.” However, changes in the lama’s brain activity do not necessarily account for his subjective experiences, as noted by Matthew Sachet from Harvard Medical School.

It’s essential to note that this study involved only one highly skilled meditator, potentially limiting the broader applicability of results, particularly as brain activity assessments can offer varying reliability. Additionally, blinding participants in psychedelic studies presents challenges due to the typical side effects of these substances, which can alert participants to their experience. Fortunately, no such effects were reported by the lamas.

Nonetheless, Timmerman emphasizes that if further research confirms the safe usage of 5-MeO-DMT can deliver comparable advantages to advanced meditation, the implications could benefit a wider audience. He is currently investigating whether this substance can expedite the learning curve for novice meditators, cautioning against unsupervised use, especially since 5-MeO-DMT remains illegal in several regions.

Meanwhile, Sachet posits that for individuals seeking mental health benefits from 5-MeO-DMT, meditation might provide “a viable path to a state that overlaps, at least partially, with some psychedelic effects,” sans the associated risks of toxicity or addiction.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Evidence Suggests Mars Once Had an Ocean Comparable to the Arctic Ocean

Posted on by
Reply

Mars Was Once Much Wetter

NASA/USGS

Mars’ geological features reveal that the planet once hosted rivers and extensive coastlines, indicating it may have had vast oceans in its history. This discovery offers the most substantial evidence yet of Mars’ once vibrant blue landscape.

According to Ezzat Heidari, a geochemist at Jackson State University in Mississippi (who was not part of the study), “The existence of liquid water on Mars encompasses a wide array of topics including rain, rivers, lakes, and oceans.” In his view, this research highlights a significant factor: the ocean.

The research team, featuring planetary geologists like Ignatius Indy and geoscientists such as Fritz Schlunegger from the University of Bern, made groundbreaking discoveries using data from numerous spacecraft. This includes NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the European Space Agency’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The ExoMars spacecraft, equipped with a specialized Bernese Mars camera, has been instrumental in capturing high-resolution color images, which were crucial for this research.

“These sophisticated images help us identify subtle variations in surface materials that are invisible in black and white images,” Indy explains. Combined with topographical data from other orbiters, these tools transform into a “geological time machine,” providing a clearer glimpse of Mars’ geological evolution.

To explore Mars’ potential ancient water sources, the researchers scrutinized Valles Marineris, an extensive canyon system over 4,000 kilometers long that runs along the planet’s equator. Their focus particularly emphasized the southeast area, Koprates Chasma, with its features dating back around 3.3 billion years.

By merging the new images with geomorphological analyses, the researchers identified structures indicative of river flow into oceans and the formation of alpine lakes at mountain bases—similar to Earth’s geography.

“The Nile Delta serves as a classic illustration,” Schlunegger notes. “If you were to drain the Mediterranean just past the end of the Nile, you’d observe features remarkably akin to those found on Mars,” he states.

Silty Deposits Left by Ancient Water on Mars

Algadestia et al. 2026, CaSSIS

The new data allowed scientists to trace the ancient coastline of Mars’ former ocean, estimating its size to be comparable to Earth’s Arctic Ocean. This could represent the largest ocean that ever existed on Mars.

“Our research indicates that approximately 3 billion years ago, Mars may have sustained significant bodies of surface water within Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in our solar system,” Indy remarked. “What’s even more intriguing is that these water bodies might have been linked to a much larger ocean that once spanned parts of Mars’ northern lowlands.”

While past research suggested the presence of water on Mars, much of the evidence was indirect. A notable study revealed Martian minerals that may have interacted with water long ago. Additional investigations have indicated that an ancient asteroid impact could have triggered a massive tsunami on the planet. Yet, acquiring conclusive data has remained a challenge.

The notion that Mars once harbored a vast ocean remains debated; as Michael Manga, a geoscientist from the University of California, Berkeley (who wasn’t involved in this study), points out, “Even if the ocean did exist, the geological record is far too ancient to be clear.”

This discovery raises fascinating possibilities for the search for extraterrestrial life and serves as a cautionary reminder that Earth’s crucial resources may also one day diminish.

“This paper addresses a question that is paramount to those researching Mars’ evolution,” Heidari said. “Martian oceans would have operated similarly to Earth’s oceans, playing a vital role in the planet’s health.”

World Capital of Astronomy: Chile

Discover Chile’s astronomical treasures, including the world’s most advanced observatory, and enjoy stargazing under the clearest skies on Earth.

Topics:

This rewritten content maintains the original HTML structure while optimizing for SEO with more relevant keywords and clarifications.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Men Might Need to Exercise More than Women for Comparable Heart Health Benefits

Posted on by
Reply

Exercise offers substantial advantages for heart health

Ian Canham/Alamy

For men over 50, engaging in more than twice the exercise as women may be necessary to achieve equivalent heart health benefits. Data analysis from activity trackers indicated that this demographic requires almost nine hours of moderate-to-vigorous activities, such as brisk walking or cycling, each week to lower their risk of coronary heart disease by 30%.

In comparison, women only need around four hours to achieve the same reduction.

Researchers had long speculated that women might experience greater heart benefits from exercise than men, based on self-reported data, although such figures can be misleading.

To address this issue, Chen Jiajing and colleagues at Xiamen University in China utilized data from wrist-worn activity monitors sourced from the British Biobank study, correlated with participants’ health records over an eight-year span.

The team first evaluated data from 80,243 adults, averaging 61 years in age and with no previous history of coronary heart disease. Women achieving at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly had a 22% reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease, while men saw only a 17% reduction with the same exercise commitment.

To reach a 30% risk reduction, even greater physical activity was required. There was a notable gender disparity in this regard, with women needing to exercise 250 minutes and men needing 530 minutes.

The team next examined 5,169 participants already diagnosed with coronary heart disease, with an average age of 67, and two-thirds being male. Women who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week were 70% less likely to die from any cause in the subsequent eight years compared to less active women. Conversely, men who completed the same amount of exercise only experienced a 20% lower likelihood of death than their less active counterparts.

“This isn’t bad news for men, but it’s important to recognize,” says Nir Einon from Monash University, Australia. “With this knowledge, men can strive to improve and exercise more. It’s encouraging for busy women, yet we must not forget that women also need to remain active.”

Chen and his team could not be reached for immediate comments, but the study suggests the discrepancy may be linked to hormonal factors, as higher estrogen levels can enhance fat metabolism during exercise. Eynon posited that biological differences could mean women utilize more breathing capacity, metabolic energy, and muscle strength to achieve comparable physical tasks as men.

The research is “robust”; Guidelines based on gender according to Ercilia DeFilippis at Columbia University in New York City, yet it primarily encompasses individuals who are about 93% white, affluent, and educated. DeFilippis highlighted that Black women typically experience poorer cardiovascular outcomes than their white counterparts, and social factors significantly impact their health and treatment adherence.

“It’s crucial to understand how these findings relate to more racially diverse and socio-economically disadvantaged groups in the future, given the severe impact of cardiovascular disease,” she emphasized.

Nonetheless, these findings for the older demographic indicate that remaining active in later years can offer considerable benefits, but exercise regimens should be customized according to age and physical capabilities, she reiterated. “It’s never too late to become active and move your body.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient ‘Terror Birds’ Likely Not Comparable to Giant, Hungry Caiman

Posted on by
Reply

Artist’s interpretation of the encounter between ancient caiman and terror birds

Julian Bayona Becerra

Approximately 13 million years ago, massive predators clashed in a sprawling South American wetland. Fossils of a giant flightless bird discovered in Colombia bear tooth marks from enormous caimans.

Andrés Link from the University of the Andes in Colombia and his team were examining crocodile fossils in the museum’s collection when they identified an unusual bone. This bone belonged to the Forsulhacid bird, commonly referred to as “terror birds.” These predators possessed hooked beaks and muscular legs equipped with sharp claws. The fossilized remains were from the lower limbs of a bird standing 2.5 meters tall, making it one of the largest terror birds ever found.

However, this predator likely faced a grim fate. Initially unearthed in Colombia’s Tatacoa desert by local paleontologist César Perdomo, the bones exhibited four distinct puncture marks.

Link and his research team sought to identify the predator that dared to bite such a formidable bird. They scanned the fossil’s surface to create a digital model of the tooth marks, finding striking similarities to the teeth of ancient predators in the region. The culprit was almost certainly not a mammal.

“There are no signs of gnawing, and the markings are rounded,” Link explains. “The lines closely resemble those attributed to alligators and caimans.”

Terror birds roamed the earth when northern South America was dominated by the Pebas System, a vast network of wetlands interspersed with tropical forests and grasslands. This flooded habitat supported a diverse range of crocodile species, leading the team to link the dental impression to the giant caiman Purussaurus neivensis, estimated to be around 4.5 meters in length.

“Terror birds were undoubtedly apex predators,” remarks Link. “However, this evidence indicates that when they ventured near large bodies of water, they could also fall prey to massive caimans, either in pursuit of prey or while navigating this complex ecosystem.”

The researchers speculate that the bird may have already been deceased when the caiman encountered it, with the tooth marks indicative of scavenging. There are no signs of bone regeneration surrounding the marks. Either way, the encounter proved fatal for the terror bird.

“These types of [tooth] impressions are more prevalent than one might assume,” states Carolina Acosta Hospitalce from La Plata National University in Argentina.

In a study published last year, she and her colleagues discussed tooth marks found on a smaller, older fossil terror bird—about 43 million years old—suggesting that ancient carnivorous marsupials also preyed upon these birds. These markings were also found on the lower limbs, leading Hospitalce to ponder whether this area of the bird’s anatomy is particularly vulnerable to predators.

“[Bite marks] offer fascinating glimpses into past life,” comments Stephanie Drumheller from the University of Tennessee.

When studying ancient environments, she notes there is a tendency to categorize extinct organisms into strict ecological roles. However, food webs can be quite intricate.

“This is an animal that thrived in aquatic environments, while another lived on land, entirely separate from one another. Yet, nature often defies our neat categorizations,” Drumheller observes.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Review: I Am Your Beast – A Fast-Paced Gaming Experience Comparable to Rambo

Posted on by
Reply

H
arding and Birkin may sound like law firms, but these two have a long history in the battlefield. Harding was a brilliant special forces operative who could handle any job, no matter how bloody. Birkin was Harding’s handler, and now he’s trying to bring him back for one last job. Harding has long ago hidden away in the woods to start a new life, but can Birkin chase him out at gunpoint? How far will they go? And with the two lost in the wilderness together, who is really chasing who?

That’s the engrossingly sleazy premise of Strange Scaffold’s latest action game, I Am Your Beast. What follows is not so much Rambo as an exploration of the way he’s become ingrained in our memory – the trees, the traps, the body counts. Strange Scaffold is known for making hectic, unrelenting games at a hectic, unrelenting pace. I Am Your Beast is another masterpiece of agility and efficiency. Playable in three hours at a stretch, this first-person shooter finds you constantly outgunned with firearms, but with infinite wit. Even the longest of the game’s “micro-sandbox” missions is over in 90 seconds, and you’ll be done before you have time to acknowledge the fact that the level names all sound like Jack Reacher novels – Late Shift, Breakdown, On Your Six.




I am your beast. Photo: Strange scaffolding

It all works extremely well: the beautifully streamlined design allows for fast first-person movement, having you ducking through roots one moment and leaping between the branches of a treetop canopy the next, while the sandbox approach to action sees you grabbing an enemy’s weapon, using it until it runs out of ammo, and hurling it at a nearby target to deliver the final blow, without having to be slowed down by tedious reloads.

There are elements of seminal first-person action games like Mirror’s Edge and SuperHot echoing this, but I Am Your Beast remains entirely its own thing. It has a speedrunner-like pacing, but the idea is that the simplest of mission structures, when combined with feel-good generic fiction, can really pump up the action. Simply fire up three laptops, target five satellite dishes, and kill everyone you come across. The objectives loop, but they add up to infinite lives in the game’s compact, complex arenas. A short health bar and a repetitive structure of attacking then disappearing behind the trees always make you feel like you’ve made a good getaway.

What makes I Am Your Beast thrilling is the vivid, well-chosen details. Grab the nearest herb and heal yourself on the spot. Let your enemy’s invincible attack helicopter wipe out hordes of enemies while sparing collateral damage. Kick people into ravines or jump on their heads to kill them. Every encounter is a chance to keep up the rhythm of carnage as inventively as possible, while increasingly frantic radio chatter from your enemies narrates the bloody and gore-splattered scenes as if they were commentating on a gruesome Olympics.

In fact, that emotion is at the heart of it all: Beneath the smoke and spent shells, I Am Your Beast is a reimagining of playground warfare as sport. On this forest battlefield, you perform deeds that are frighteningly good, and if you don’t get it right the first time, you’re one step closer to perfection.

Skip Newsletter Promotions

Source: www.theguardian.com

Chimpanzees communicate with each other at a speed comparable to human conversation

Posted on by
Reply

Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest, Uganda

Catherine Hobaiter

When chimpanzees socialize, they exchange gestures at a rate similar to how humans converse.

The researchers surveyed five wild chimpanzees.Pan troglodytesThe researchers studied 8,559 gestures made by 252 chimpanzees across chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities in East Africa — one of the largest studies of its kind. They recorded face-to-face interactions between the apes, recording the timing of one chimpanzee's gestures relative to those of the other.

An analysis of the ape “conversations” found that chimpanzees' signaling intervals are remarkably similar to human interactions, and even a little faster: “On average, it takes 120 milliseconds between the end of one gesture and the start of the next,” the researchers say. Gal Badig “In humans, the average is about 200 milliseconds, so this is very close,” said researchers at the University of St Andrews in the UK.

All chimpanzee groups responded quickly, but the exact timing varied from group to group: for example, chimpanzees from Sonso, Uganda, took a few milliseconds longer to return the gesture than the other chimpanzee groups studied.

Such differences in timing exist in human languages ​​too. For example, Japanese speakers generally Faster turn changes Japanese people have a different conversational style than Danish speakers. “We don't know exactly why,” says Vadig. “As with humans, we don't know if it's a cultural difference, something we've learned over time, or a reaction to our environment.”

Chimpanzees interacting in the Budongo Forest in Uganda

Adrian Soldati

Only 14 percent of the interactions the researchers observed between chimpanzees involved any kind of interaction. Most consisted of a single gesture, such as “go away” or “follow me,” in which the other person ran away or followed. But interactions were more frequent when the chimpanzees were negotiating over food or grooming.

“What's really exciting about this study is that it shows that communication is a cooperative, socially engaged process in non-human animals,” Budig says, “and that the processes involved in human language may have actually evolved much earlier than we thought.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

How to Witness the Spectacular ‘Devil’s Comet’ Event of 2024 Tonight, Comparable to Mount Everest in Size

Posted on by
Reply

Currently in orbit within the inner regions of the solar system is comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as Pons-Brooks, which is making its first appearance in over 70 years and is expected to be visible without the aid of telescopes soon. This massive ice chunk, roughly 30 kilometers (19 miles) in diameter, is comparable in size to Mount Everest and is considered one of the brightest known periodic comets by astrophysicists. Pons-Brooks, classified as a Halley-type comet, has an orbit around the Sun of 71.3 years and was last observed in the sky in 1954. Discovered in 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons and later confirmed in 1883 by William Robert Brooks, this is the first recorded sighting of the comet dating back to 1385.

When is Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks Visible?

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is currently visible and will remain so until April 21, 2024, with optimal viewing conditions expected towards the end of March. With binoculars or a small telescope, the comet is already observable in the sky, particularly when the Moon is located in the west below the Andromeda Galaxy moving through Pisces. By the end of the month, the comet will pass near the brighter stars in Aries, moving in the direction of Jupiter. As its brightness increases towards the end of the month, it may become visible to the naked eye under clear, dark skies. On March 31st, Pons-Brooks will be just 0.5 degrees away from a bright star named Hamal, which is equivalent to the diameter of the full moon, according to Strom. Those having trouble locating these constellations can benefit from downloading a stargazing app. For residents of the United States, the comet may also be visible in the sky during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Following its closest approach to the Sun on April 21, Pons-Brooks will fade and become visible only to observers in the southern hemisphere.

Why the Name “Devil’s” Comet?

The recent sighting of Pons-Brooks is not its first appearance in recent times. Referred to as the “Devil’s Comet,” due to a peculiar outburst in July 2023 that led to a temporary brightening resembling devil horns, Pons-Brooks is classified as a cryovolcanic comet that sporadically erupts, expelling dust, gas, and ice into space. These eruptions are triggered by the comet warming up as it nears the Sun, resulting in increased pressure causing the release of icy material from beneath the surface of the comet. The gas forms a bright coma, a halo of evaporated material surrounding the solid core of the comet. Comets appear brightest when closest to the Sun due to sunlight reflecting off the evaporated material, with the tails formed by interaction with charged particles from the solar wind. Pons-Brooks experienced similar but less intense outbursts on various dates in recent months, contributing to its brightness when close to the Sun.

What Does “12P” Mean?

The designation “12P” in the comet’s name indicates that it is the 12th comet discovered within a set period. Baskill explains that long-period comets, originating from the edge of the solar system, may have orbits lasting thousands or even tens of thousands of years, while short-period comets like Pons-Brooks return to the inner solar system in less than 200 years. Notable short-period comets include Comet Halley, with a period close to that of Pons-Brooks, expected to return in 2061. Current estimations suggest there are around 3,910 known comets in total, but astronomers believe there could be up to 1 trillion comets within our solar system.

Upcoming Comets

Expect to observe Comet 13P/Olbers in June and July, with observers in the Northern Hemisphere likely to spot it using binoculars. This comet, also known as a Halley’s Comet, orbits the Sun every 69 years. In late 2024, Comet C/2023 A3 is predicted to enter the inner solar system, potentially showcasing exceptional brightness in September and October, comparable to the brightest stars and potentially earning the title of “Great Comet.”

About Our Experts:

Dr. Paul Strom serves as an Assistant Professor within the Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at the University of Warwick, focusing on the PLATO space mission and various astrophysical topics, particularly far-ultraviolet observations to understand the environments where young planets form. His research paper titled “Exo-solar Comets from a Solar System Perspective” was published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Dr. Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer at the University of Sussex’s School of Physics and Astronomy. Previously involved with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, he organized the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Coinbase Addresses U.S. Regulatory Lawsuit Regarding Virtual Currencies, Comparable to Beanie Babies | Cryptocurrency

Posted on by
Reply

A federal judge in Manhattan on Wednesday accused Coinbase and U.S. securities regulators of disagreements over whether digital assets are and are not securities in a case closely watched by the crypto industry.

Coinbase opposed classifying cryptocurrencies as securities, arguing that digital coins are like Beanie Babies and more like collectibles than company stock.

“There’s a difference between buying Beanie Babies and buying Beanie Babies,” said William Savitt, a lawyer for Coinbase.


Coinbase has asked a court to dismiss a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit alleging that the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange is selling unregistered securities in defiance of regulations.

The SEC countered this argument by arguing that purchasing the token amounted to acquiring the issuer’s company.

The SEC argued that the crypto tokens at the center of the lawsuit support larger “companies” and are akin to investment contracts.

“When they buy this token, they are investing in the network behind it. You cannot separate one from the other. As the value of the network or ecosystem increases, [associated] It’s a token,” SEC attorney Patrick Costello said.

Judge Katherine Polk Failla heard arguments from both sides on Wednesday, focusing her questions on case law defining what securities regulators consider investment contracts and the attributes of some crypto tokens traded on platforms such as Coinbase. did. Failla said he was still considering several questions after a hearing that lasted more than four hours and did not decide the issue in court.

The judge’s ruling helps clarify the SEC’s jurisdiction over this area and is likely to impact digital assets. This case is one of many filed by the SEC against the crypto sector. The agency initially focused on companies selling digital tokens, but under the chairmanship of Gary Gensler, it has targeted companies that provide trading platforms, clearing activities, and act as broker-dealers.

The SEC sued Coinbase in June, accusing it of facilitating trades in at least 13 crypto tokens, including Solana, Cardano, and Polygon, which should have been registered as securities.

Although the Securities Act of 1933 outlined the definition of the term “security,” many experts rely on U.S. Supreme Court precedent to determine whether an investment product qualifies as a security. Masu. The key test is whether people are contracted to invest in common companies with the expectation of profit.

Coinbase argued that unlike stocks and bonds, crypto assets do not meet the definition of an investment contract, a position held by the majority of the crypto industry.

SEC lawyers argued that securities are different from buying collectibles like baseball cards or Beanie Babies, citing a 1990s trend in which Americans bought stuffed animals in hopes of rising prices.

“When you buy a collectible item, like a baseball card or some kind of figurine, you’re just buying that item. You’re buying something,” Costello said.

Still, Feira told SEC lawyers that he is “concerned” that the agency is seeking to “expand the definition of what constitutes a security.”

The SEC said buyers of digital assets, even on secondary markets like Coinbase’s platform, are buying tokens as investments similar to stocks and bonds.

However, Coinbase’s lawyers disagreed, pointing out that purchasers of such tokens did not sign a contract giving them the right to receive public corporate profits.

“Let me just say this: I would have been shocked to learn that the investment agreement had nothing to do with the contract,” said William Savitt, a lawyer for Coinbase.

The judge appeared to reject Coinbase’s argument that the case involved the so-called material issue doctrine. This legal principle is based on the Supreme Court’s decision that federal agencies cannot be regulated without specific authorization from Congress.

In its lawsuit, the SEC also targets Coinbase’s “staking” program, which pools assets and charges fees to verify activity on the blockchain network in exchange for “rewards” to customers. The SEC said the program should have been registered with the SEC.

Source: www.theguardian.com