WAO ART #467

Brazilian soybean production for 2023/24 season projected to be smaller than previously forecasted at 147.57 million metric tons. Drop in national yields and production losses in flood-hit Rio Grande do Sul state contribute to the reduction in soybean projection.

The European Union is evaluating ChatGPT's compliance with EU rules. ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, faces obstacles in complying with Italian and EU data privacy laws. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) finds that measures taken for transparency are not sufficient for compliance.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs earlier this year. Ethereum ETFs allow investors to buy and sell shares representing ownership of ether without directly holding the cryptocurrency.

Professor Tim Flannery will give the opening address at the 9th Pacific Nature Conference in Suva, Fiji. The conference focuses on biodiversity conservation in the Pacific region. Professor Flannery is an internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer, and conservationist.

A new trend in Nigeria involves tapping on a clicker app called Tapswap to mine coins. The app has gained immense popularity, with people of all ages tapping on their phones obsessively. This tapping phenomenon is a way to onboard new users into the Web3 space and reward them for inviting others.

Chinese authorities uncover billions in illicit crypto transactions despite a nationwide ban. Underground banks and illegal exchanges flourish as China's crypto crackdown falters. $86 billion of crypto flowed into China in the 12 months through June 2023, suggesting continued use of cryptocurrencies.

Ethereum's "Pectra" upgrade is scheduled for Q1 2025. It will introduce the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) Object Format (EOF) and 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). PeerDAS, a data availability sampling solution, will enhance network resilience and performance.