Google has announced an update to its financial products and services policy, which includes its policy on cryptocurrency advertising. The new rules will take effect in August and all prior crypto exchange certifications will be revoked. Advertisers must request new cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets certification with Google. Google Introduces New Crypto Ad Rules Google Inc. posted a notice Wednesday regarding its new crypto ad policy. “This policy will apply globally to all accounts that advertise these financial products,” the Internet giant wrote. The notice explains that Google will update its existing financial products and services policy in August “to clarify the scope and requirements to allow the advertisement of cryptocurrency related business and services.” The tech giant wrote: “Beginning August 3, advertisers offering cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets targeting the United States may advertise those products and services when they meet the following requirements and are certified by Google.” The company proceeded to explain how advertisers can be certified. Firstly, they must be duly registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) “as a Money Services Business and with at least one state as a money transmitter.” Alternatively, the advertisers can be “a federal or state chartered bank entity.” Furthermore, Google noted that the advertisers must meet all relevant legal requirements, including state, local, and federal laws and they must also “Ensure their ads and landing pages comply with all Google Ads policies.” The company elaborated: All prior cryptocurrency exchange certifications will be revoked on August 3, 2021. Advertisers must request new cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets certification with Google when the application form is published on July 8, 2021. Meanwhile, Google clarified that some ads are not allowed. They include “Ads for initial coin offerings [ICO], Defi trading protocols, or otherwise promoting the purchase, sale, or trade of cryptocurrencies or related products.” In addition, “Ad destinations that aggregate or compare issuers of cryptocurrencies or related products” are also prohibited. “ICO pre-sales or public offerings, cryptocurrency loans, initial DEX offerings, token liquidity pools, celebrity cryptocurrency endorsements, unhosted wallets, unregulated Dapps, cryptocurrency trading signals, cryptocurrency investment advice, aggregators or affiliate sites containing related content or broker reviews” are some examples of the ads that are not allowed. Google’s current financial products and services policy states: “We consider financial products and services to be those related to the management or investment of money and cryptocurrencies, including personalized advice.” Crypto ads are currently allowed in the U.S. and Japan.

Major banking corporation Standard Chartered is launching a cryptocurrency exchange and brokerage service, giving its clients access to cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ether. Standard Chartered joins a growing list of major banks worldwide that have embraced cryptocurrency. Standard Chartered Bank Diving Into Crypto Standard Chartered PLC (STAN.L) said Wednesday that the bank’s innovation arm, SC Ventures, will establish a cryptocurrency brokerage and exchange platform. The new exchange will be a joint venture between SC Ventures and BC Technology Group (0863.HK), a Hong Kong-based investment company specializing in digital assets. BC Technology operates OSL, the first cryptocurrency exchange to be licensed by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission. Alex Manson, head of SC Ventures, commented: We have a strong conviction that digital assets are here to stay and will be adopted by the institutional market as a highly relevant asset class. “We are constructing the building blocks for a safe and reliable investment infrastructure,” Manson added. Standard Chartered’s new cryptocurrency exchange platform and service will be based in the U.K. and target the European market. It aims to connect institutional investors with counterparties trading bitcoin, ether, and other digital assets, the bank said, adding that it plans to launch the new service in the fourth quarter. The announcement by Standard Chartered came shortly after HSBC Chief Executive Officer Noel Quinn said that his bank has no plans to launch a bitcoin trading desk or any other cryptocurrency services. HSBC has also changed its policy to bar clients from holding stocks of public companies that are heavy into the crypto sector, like Microstrategy. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered joins a growing list of major banks that have embraced bitcoin, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and DBS.

Fund manager Brian Kelly says that the market is mispricing bitcoin and “when bitcoin gets that mispriced it is the sign of the bottom.” He sees a string of “all positive things” that are reflected in the pricing of the cryptocurrency. Asset Manager Brian Kelly Says Market Is Mispricing Bitcoin Brian Kelly, the founder and CEO of digital currency investment firm BKCM LLC, was asked about where he sees the price of bitcoin heading in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. Kelly manages the BKCM Digital Asset Fund and the REX BKCM Blockchain ETF (NYSE: BKC). He authored “The Bitcoin Big Bang – How Alternative Currencies Are About to Change the World.” In addition, he was previously a hedge fund manager at Shelter Harbor Capital, where he co-founded. He also co-founded MKM Partners, a brokerage firm catering to institutional investment managers. “For me, when you look at bitcoin, it’s all about network effect and address growth,” the asset manager said. “One of the key metrics I look at when managing crypto money is how fast addresses are growing versus what the market is expecting the addresses to grow.” Referencing his chart, he explained: “Address growth is basically flat but the market is applying we are going to have a decline of 20% in address growth. We haven’t seen that type of differential since March 2020.” Kelly elaborated: Generally, when bitcoin gets that mispriced it is the sign of the bottoming process … The market is mispricing what’s going on underneath the fundamentals underlying bitcoin. He continued: “So we look back to March 2020 when we had a massive divergence when bitcoin was $3,500 and it roared to $60,000. We are looking at the exact same type of situation where it looks like bitcoin is trying to bottom.” As for his fund’s investment, he disclosed that he “personally added to our fund this month because I think it’s that big of an opportunity. In the fund, we are long and getting longer.” The fund manager then opined, “Now what I would like to see, obviously, bitcoin is very momentum driven, so now we need to see more price follow through here and get that momentum going,” emphasizing: To me the story hasn’t changed one bit. We are getting institutional adoption. We’re getting an inflationary hedge and regulatory wise, we are getting watered down regulation. Its not going to be banned, we are talking about bringing it into the fold. He reiterated, “Those are all positive things for me and that to me is reflected in that pricing.” Kelly was then asked about how low the price of bitcoin could fall to and whether $30K was the bottom. “I don’t know if $30,000 was the low,” he admitted. “I have pretty high conviction that it was.” However, he noted that “Bitcoin has a funny way of making you look silly.” He affirmed: “If it got down to $20,000, I would be buying with both of my diamond hands for sure.”

The governor of Ghana’s central bank, Ernest Addison, has said his institution is now “in the advanced stages of introducing a digital currency.” However, before its release into circulation, the digital currency—which is also known as the “e-cedi”— will first have to go “through three phases.” Bank of Ghana’s Embrace of Emerging Fintechs In his comments during a news conference on May 31, Addison also reiterated the Bank of Ghana (BOG)’s desire to maintain its reputation as Africa’s leader when it comes to embracing emerging financial technologies. Ghana’s central bank governor, Ernest Addison. “The Bank of Ghana was one of the first African Central Banks to declare that we were working on a digital currency looking at the concept of an e-cedi,” revealed Addison. Meanwhile, one local media report quotes the BOG chief explaining the key phases which the digital cedi is expected to pass through before its release to the public. As Addison notes, the digital cedi has already gone through the initial phase which involved “the design of the electronic money.” Once this process is complete, the BOG will then move to the implementation stage. Addison explained: After the implementation phase, we have a pilot phase where a few people would be able to use the digital cedi on the mobile applications and other applications that are currently running. According to the governor, it will be this implementation stage that will help the central bank to determine the feasibility of the project. BTC vs E-cedi Meanwhile, Addison also used the same news conference to draw comparisons between the “unregulated” cryptocurrencies like bitcoin (BTC), which is “too volatile to play the function of money” and the state-backed cedi. Reiterating his backing central bank digital currencies, Addison said: “I think there is a lot more emphasis on looking at digital money which is backed by the state, backed by the central banks. These private forms of money really are not able to perform the functions of money effectively.” In the meantime, with this revelation, Ghana becomes one of the few countries on the African continent to take concrete steps towards this goal. Many other African states are yet to make similar progress. What are your thoughts on the BOG’s revelation that it is now in the advanced stages of introducing a digital currency? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

A recent study published by Gambler’s Pick notes that Gen Zers are less likely to invest in traditional investments like equities and more likely to invest in cryptocurrencies, meme investments, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Gen Z More Likely to Invest in Cryptocurrencies and Meme Investments Than Stocks and Common Assets The web portal gamblerspick.com published a study at the end of April that highlights the investment choices of Gen Zers. Generation Z or Gen Z for short is a demographic that succeeds Millennials. The group colloquially known as “zoomers,” were born between the mid-to-late 1990s and up until the early 2010s. The Gambler’s Pick survey notes that Gen Zers are more apt to invest in cryptocurrencies and NFTs over traditional stocks. The survey polled 872 people and 24% of the group represented Gen Z and 27% were Millennials. “25% were Gen Xers, and 24% were baby boomers or older,” the Gambler’s Pick study adds. Some key findings noted that Gen Z likes collectives but is still more likely to invest in stuff like sneakers and clothes. Interestingly, the Gen Z crowd noted why they were investing and they mentioned fighting back “against institutions” and to “participate in a movement.” With things like meme assets, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs at the forefront of investment, Gambler’s Pick says that zoomers deal with high-risk investments better than older generations. “Baby boomers (and older respondents) tended to prefer to be a little safer with their investments,” the Gambler’s Pick researchers detail. Rather than technical analysis and stock fundamentals, Gambler’s Pick said Gen Z would rather take “tips and opinions” from Reddit, social media, and family and friends. Lastly, the study with 872 respondents shows that zoomers believe that markets are manipulated and high-net-worth individuals and institutions rule the roost. “Generally, baby boomers (and older) were a little more skeptical of these theories, but the younger generations were pretty sure there’s some truth behind them,” the study’s researchers concluded.

Deutsche Bank has conducted a survey about financial bubbles. Eighty-nine percent of respondents see some bubbles in financial markets, with bitcoin near the “extreme bubble” territory. However, more respondents expect the cryptocurrency to double than they do Tesla’s stock. Deutsche Bank’s Bubble Survey A survey published Tuesday by Deutsche Bank asked 627 market professionals to rate on a scale of zero to 10 how they see financial bubbles in a range of assets. According to CNBC, the survey was conducted between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15. The bank found that 89% of survey respondents currently see some bubbles in financial markets. Bitcoin is the closest to the “extreme bubble” territory, followed by U.S. tech equities, and European government bonds, according to the respondents. In addition, they see less of a bubble in European equities, Asian equities, and non-tech U.S. equities. Deutsche Bank’s survey result showing how respondents see bubbles in different types of assets. Source: Deutsche Bank. The price of bitcoin has risen about 66% since the beginning of December and about 9% since the beginning of the year. Bitcoin’s price reached an all-time high above $41K on Jan. 8. It has since retreated and stands at $32,475 at the time of writing, based on data by markets.Bitcoin.com. The Deutsche Bank survey also compares bitcoin to Tesla’s stock, which has also seen huge gains over the recent months. Tesla’s stock is up 44.5% since the beginning of December and almost 16% since the beginning of January. Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid, along with research analysts Karthik Nagalingam and Henry Allen, explained: When asked specifically about the 12-month fate of bitcoin and Tesla — a stock emblematic of a potential tech bubble — a majority of readers think that they are more likely to halve than double from these levels with Tesla more vulnerable according to readers. When comparing Tesla’s stock to bitcoin, however, more respondents believe that bitcoin is more likely to double than Tesla and less likely to halve.

The exchange-traded fund provider, Vaneck has filed for a Digital Asset ETF, which aims to hold equity in companies that generate revenue from cryptocurrency services. The latest ETF filing is different from the fund Vaneck applied for in mid-December, as it aims to bring investors exposure to the cryptocurrency industry. Last December, the asset manager, and ETF provider Vaneck filed for a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This was after the firm launched a bitcoin exchange-traded note called the “Vaneck Vector Bitcoin ETN” on Deutsche Böerse Xetra. Following these two actions, recent filings show that Vaneck wants to produce another fund called the “Digital Asset ETF.” The Digital Asset ETF registration was sent to the SEC on Thursday, January 21, 2021. Essentially the Digital Asset ETF will allow investors to gain exposure to companies offering goods and services within the crypto industry. The fund will hold equity in companies that generate at least 50% of revenues from the cryptocurrency and blockchain economy. The New York-based fund issuer’s ETF registration form says the fund “seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the MVIS Global Digital Assets Equity Index.” The firm’s ETF filing also details exactly what type of companies the Digital Asset ETF may include. “Digital asset companies may include small- and medium-capitalization companies and foreign and emerging market issuers, and the fund may invest in depositary receipts and securities denominated in foreign currencies,” Vaneck’s filing notes. This particular ETF registration is aiming at retail investors in contrast to targeting a limited number of accredited investors. The latest Vaneck news about the Digital Asset ETF follows the company’s recent issues with former partner Solidx. The law newsdesk law360 reported that the blockchain startup Solidx has accused Vaneck of breach of contract. According to the report, after Vaneck severed its relationship with Solidx, it allegedly leveraged the company’s technology. The latest Digital Asset ETF registration also mentions that Vaneck’s fund can invest in firms that hold a balance of digital currencies like the firm Microstrategy. Additionally, the fund describes companies with exposure to crypto-assets can represent firms like exchanges, mining operators, crypto custodians, and more.

The proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrency Firo announced that its protocol came under a 51% attack, notifying its holders to stop transactions. Formerly known as Zcoin, the privacy coin was reportedly subject of a blockchain reorganization attack. Firo Team Clarified the Attack Cannot Be Attributed to a ‘Coding Error’ According to a series of tweets published by Firo, the attacker breached the protocol on January 19, and they are working to restore operations. However, the Firo team clarified that the 51% mining attack is not the result of “a coding error but [the] nature of PoW.” One of the first reports about the attack came from the Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao, who said: XZC (FIRO) 51% attack, 306 blocks rolled back, to 2021-01-18 17:24:20(UTC). Another messy situation. At the time of making the attack public, Firo posted a tweet that said: We are working with exchanges and pools currently. Chainlocks that would have prevented this were being tested on testnet and was weeks away from deployment. The Firo team’s Telegram group has been posting some updates about the incident. Some of the posts revealed that the attacker “orphaned” confirmed transactions from January 18. As a preventive measure to deal with the incident, Firo released a hotfix wallet on January 21, asking people to upgrade their wallets and masternodes. As of press time, the team said the attack has stopped. According to markets.Bitcoin.com data, Zcoin (XZC) is quoting at $4.2568, down -16.51% on January 21. However, it remains positive on a yearly basis. Recent Incidents Related to Proof-of-Work Cryptos The most recent attack on a proof-of-work cryptocurrency dates back to November 2020. Grin, another privacy coin that suffered a 51% attack on its blockchain network. The Grin team built its token on the Mimblewimble protocol. On February 17, 2020, Zcoin (now Firo) reported that a typo had let an attacker cash a profit of around $400,000 at that time. They explained how the incident happened:

Another U.S. county is facing troubles related to crypto mining activities within its territory. This time, the second-largest county in Montana is the protagonist of the story, who will look forward to revisiting local zoning for mining operators. Authorities to Decide on Making Current Rules Permanent According to KPAX, Missoula County authorities seek to hold a series of public hearings addressing the matter. In fact, they are targeting to make zoning rules for bitcoin (BTC) mining activities permanent in the county. The Missoula County Planning Board already held the first conversations at the start of this week, said the local media outlet. The tale of the county’s relationship with crypto mining dates back to April 2019. Hyperblock, a Canadian company, built several 20-megawatt mining warehouses at the time. In the beginning, authorities praised the fact that such a move brought several jobs and revenues to the county. However, neighbors started to complain about the mining machines, fan noise, and raising concerns about potential environmental impacts. The authorities were forced to take urgent measures to regulate mining activities in Missoula. Hyperblock didn’t have a positive stance towards the new local zoning rules, and afterward, they decided to file for bankruptcy in May 2020. Cheap Hydroelectric Prices Attracts Crypto Miners to Missoula County The ongoing interim rules are due to expire in April 2021. However, the county will decide on whether or not to make the regulation permanent after holding “multiple sessions of public comment,” said KPAX. Missoula County is an attractive hotspot for bitcoin miners due to its cheap hydroelectric power. Although there is no decision in place, miners could be looking for other crypto mining-friendly U.S. counties. A similar situation is happening in a region in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Bitcoin’s bull-run seen at the end of 2020 put the public utility districts (PUD) in Central Washington on high alert, monitoring for suspiciously high power bills. Officials claimed crypto miners from China have come to the region to take advantage of its low hydroelectricity prices

Digital currency markets have dropped in value during the last two days as more than $100 billion was shaved off the entire crypto market valuation. Bitcoin slid to the lowest point of the year at $28,800 per unit on Thursday afternoon, and a number of other crypto-assets saw significant losses as well. Currently, as digital currency trading sessions head into the weekend, the crypto economy has regained some of the losses suffered during the last few days. Crypto Markets Attempt to Heal During the last 48 hours, the leading cryptocurrency in terms of market valuation has slid considerably in value. For instance, two days ago the price of bitcoin (BTC) was exchanging hands for $35,900 per coin and on Thursday afternoon (EST), the price dropped to $28,800 per unit. That’s a total loss of -19.77%, but BTC markets have rebounded since then and managed to climb right back over the $30k handle. At the time of publication, bitcoin (BTC) is swapping at prices between $32,200 to $32,800 per coin and has a touch over a $600 billion market valuation. The price of bitcoin (BTC) touched a new 2021 bottom touching $28,800 per unit on Thursday. Since then, BTC and a slew of other digital assets have recovered some of the losses. (BTC/USD chart on Jan. 22, 2021, @ 10:30 a.m. EST on Bitstamp via Bitcoinwisdom.io. Currently, BTC is swapping for $32,500 per unit during Friday’s crypto trading sessions. On Friday there’s over $28 billion in global BTC trade volume, with tether (USDT) capturing 52% of all bitcoin trades today. BTC shed over 13% over the course of the week, but is still up 35% for the last 30 days. Over the 90-day span, BTC has gained 140% and 275% against the USD for 12 months. Following BTC’s lead is ethereum (ETH), as each ether is trading for $1,240 per unit. ETH’s market cap is currently hovering at around $140 billion during Friday morning’s (EST) trading sessions. Behind tether’s (USDT) market valuation is polkadot (DOT) which is swapping for $17.36 per DOT. On January 22, XRP is currently trading for $0.27 per token and holds a $12 billion market capitalization. XRP is followed by cardano (ADA $0.34), litecoin (LTC $140.81), chainlink (LINK $21.37), bitcoin cash (BCH $448.74), and binance coin (BNB $40.57). Bitcoin cash BCH/USDT (tether) chart on Jan. 22, 2021, @ 10:30 a.m. EST on Exchange.Bitcoin.com. Bitcoin cash has a market valuation of around $8.1 billion and is down 12% during the last seven days. During the course of the month, BCH is up 56% and 56% for the 90-day span as well. Against the U.S. dollar over the course of the last 12 months, bitcoin cash (BCH) is up 32%. Institutional Appetite for Bitcoin In a note to investors, Etoro crypto analyst Simon Peters spoke about bitcoin’s (BTC) recent price movements and volatility. Peters said that lower prices could be “on the cards” but the analyst does not “believe it would last for long, [as] the cat is out of the bag with bitcoin.” “This price movement is a perfectly natural correction, one which happens in all assets once the market has perceived them to be a little overbought,” Peters wrote. “And although the price is dropping, sitting at just over $31,000 at the time of writing, the demand for bitcoin is not.” The Etoro crypto analyst added: Appetite among institutional investors is still growing with the likes of investment trust Grayscale buying $600m of the crypto asset in a single day this week and Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, announced two of its funds will trade in bitcoin derivatives in the future. Onchain Analyst Says Bitcoin Miners May Have Dumped On Friday, the CEO of Cryptoquant, Ki-Young Ju detailed the recent sell-off may have been sparked by some mining pools selling. “This dump might have started from BTC miners in F2pool,” the Cryptoquant executive tweeted. The onchain researcher also shared charts of the action which showed the Miners’ Position Index and miner to exchange inflows. “I got these bearish alerts yesterday,” Ki-Young Ju further added. “Miners’ Position Index went above 2.5, 569 people deposited BTC in a single block (10 min), [and] 78 miners deposited BTC in a single block (10 min).” Growing FUD No one truly knows what will happen from here in the land of crypto assets and the growing economy. During the last few weeks, lots of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) has been circulating wildly while crypto-assets like bitcoin (BTC) have been bullish. There’s been considerable regulatory scares, uncertainty surrounding the Biden administration, negative comments from Janet Yellen and Christine Lagarde, Mt Gox discussions, environmental debates over proof-of-work, tether (USDT) controversy, and the recent Ledger customer data hack. Despite all the FUD, cryptocurrency proponents still seem very optimistic about the future of crypto assets in 2021. Want to check out all the crypto market action with prices in real-time? Check out our crypto market aggregator at markets.Bitcoin.com.

Spooling is a type of programming that helps to copy data between two different devices. Printer spooler means a system that carries the data from the PC to the printer when the user gives the command to print. If you are facing print spooler service that keeps stopping errors on your Windows 10 PC then it means that there is a communication gap between the printer and your PC. This issue is not limited to a particular application or type of hardware but can occur in different ways and display numerous types of errors. The printer does not print anything, The printer repeats printing a particular file. Printing service halts all of a sudden. Printing stops with incomplete printouts. Print spooler keeps stopping Image Credits: Technomaniac Printing errors due to Windows 10 print spooler keeps stopping issues are not uncommon and are faced by thousands across the globe. This error has been occurring in older versions of Windows OS like Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1. There is no definite cause as to what stops print spooler in Windows 10. It can be due to print spooler settings, previously failed printing commands, driver issues, and loss of network connectivity in the case of Wi-Fi printers. This guide will help you to repair printer spooler errors in Windows 10. How to Fix ‘Print Spooler Service Keeps Stopping’ Error in Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista List of Contents Step 1: Use the Printer Troubleshooter Step 2: Check the Error Code Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler Service Step 4: Alter the Print Spooler to Automatic Step 5: Check the Printer Queue Step 6: Remove Old Printers Step 7: Update the Drivers Step 8: Reset the Registry Keys of Print Spooler Step 9: Install Windows Updates Step 10: Use Antivirus Software The Final Word on How to Fix Printer Spooler Errors in Windows 10 Frequently Asked Questions To resolve the Print spooler service that keeps stopping errors, you have to follow these steps one by one in the order they have been mentioned. This will help to isolate the problem and fix it. Here are the steps: Step 1: Use the Printer Troubleshooter Microsoft has inculcated certain troubleshooters in the Windows operating system to help identify and fix certain minor issues. You will have to open the Windows Settings box by pressing Windows + I and search for Printer Troubleshooter. Once you find it, click to execute and then follow the on-screen instructions. This troubleshooter has repaired the printer spooler in Windows 10 for many. Step 2: Check the Error Code If the issue persists, then check the error dialog box for an error code or message which might explain what has caused this issue to occur on your PC. If you cannot detect the meaning of the error code, then move to the next step. Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler Service This is a simple troubleshooting step that has restarted the stopped print spooler in Windows 10 over the years in almost all versions of Windows. To carry out this step, follow these instructions listed below: Open Command Prompt in Elevated Mode. (Type CMD in the search box and click on Open in Administrator Mode) Make sure the Command Prompt displays C:\Windows\System32. Type net stop spooler followed by Enter key. (This will stop the Printer Spooler) Next, type net start spooler and Hit the Enter key. Step 4: Alter the Print Spooler to Automatic The Printer Spooler is a service that runs in the background while your operating system is functional. A solution to repair printer spooler in Windows 10 is to set the service to Automatic startup from its original manual setting. Here is what you need to do: Press Windows + R to invoke Run box and type msc followed by Enter. Locate the Print Spooler Service in the list of services. (alphabetically arranged) Make a right-click and select properties. Choose Automatic from the dropdown and click on Apply followed by OK. Step 5: Check the Printer Queue When you give a print command, the print spooler service takes that command and puts it in a queue. Any command following the first one will fall in the queue and be executed on a FIFO basis (first in first out). If you are facing the Print Spooler error then you have to first get rid of all the jobs stuck in the queue and reset it to blank. This can be done by making a double click on the printer icon located in the right bottom corner of the taskbar near the date and time. Once it opens, right-click on each print job and select cancel. After all the existing print jobs are removed from the Print Queue, restart your computer and try to print. Step 6: Remove Old Printers Check your Printers & Scanners in the Windows Settings (Windows Key + I) for old printers attached to your system. Try to delete all the printers except the one you use currently. Step 7: Update the Drivers Drivers help bridge the gap between the software and the hardware which means that your OS communicates with your printer via drivers. To update drivers, you can follow either of the steps: Manual Method. Visit the Support website of your printer and download the latest driver and install it. Automatic Method. Use the Advanced Driver Updater application to scan, identify, download, and install the most updated drivers on your computer with a couple of mouse clicks. This application identifies all the possible driver issues like missing, corrupt, and outdated ones and updates them with compatible ones. Step 8: Reset the Registry Keys of Print Spooler The registry is the hierarchical archives of your computer which stores the reference to all the settings on your PC. A reset of these keys would help to repair print spooler in Windows 10. Follow these steps: Press Windows + R and type regedit in the Run box followed by Enter key. Navigate to the following path in your Windows Registry. For 32 bit architecture, use- //HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Environments/Windows NT x86/Print Processors/ for 32 bit Windows or for 64 bit, use this //HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Environments/Windows NT x64/Print Processors/ for 64 bit Windows. Delete all the folders present in this location except the WINPRINT entry. Restart your computer and try to print a new document. Step 9: Install Windows Updates Microsoft provides its users with regular updates that seem to work miracles most of the time and fix issues that cannot be fixed otherwise. Press Windows + I to open the Settings window. Select Updates & Security. Click on the Check for Updates Step 10: Use Antivirus Software Image Courtesy: Systweak Any unexplained and immediate errors can be caused by malicious software in your PC like viruses and malware. It is important to keep your system protected by installing antivirus software on your computer. There are many antivirus applications in the market and you can choose anyone. However, if you ask us, then we suggest using Systweak Antivirus which is fairly a new kid-on-the-block but still works like an expert identifying potential threats on a real-time basis. The Final Word on How to Fix Printer Spooler Errors in Windows 10 The Windows 10 Print Spooler keeps stopping error is not a major error and has been occurring for a long time on almost all versions of Windows OS due to a communication gap between the PC and the printer. The above steps mentioned have been suggested on troubleshooting forums by experts and as per the positive ratings, it seems they have worked for many around the world. You can follow these steps in order and repair the Printer Spooler on Windows 10 PC.

Outlook is undoubtedly an excellent email client, but that doesn’t mean it’s free from flaws. Several users have been reporting about one crucial feature “Outlook Rules” which is not working properly. What are Outlook Rules? Rules in Outlook are handy automated actions that help users to streamline their inboxes and become more efficient. For instance, you can set an action to be performed on your incoming email messages. Set a rule to filter your emails from a specific sender and save them in a separate folder for reviewing later. Certainly, Outlook Rules make the email management process effortless, because they help in staying organized, up-to-date and enhance productivity. But at times, you may find Outlook Rules Not Working accurately, so why does this happen? Let’s find out! Causes for Outlook Rules Not Working There can be several reasons why your Outlook Rules may not run properly. Some common causes are listed below: Rules exceeded the quota set for your mailbox. (If you’ve applied more than 100 rules) Some settings might be preventing Outlook from carrying out rules. If you’ve applied rules on the Outlook Client App, it will not work on Outlook Web Service. If you’re using @ when applying the ‘specific words in sender’s address’ rule. It won’t work! Your POP4 or IMAP account has turned corrupt. The set rules are configured to run on different devices. Rules have been disabled on your email account. Outlook Rules do not work on shared mailboxes. Whatever be the reason, keep reading this troubleshooting guide to restore your Outlook applications successfully and carry out all the automated actions ‘Outlook Rules’ properly. You might want to read: How Do You Recall An Email In Outlook? Before You Start Troubleshooting: Try This! Here are a few steps you can implement before troubleshooting the “Outlook Rules Are Not Working” issue: 1. Ensure Rules Feature Is Enabled To check follow the steps below: Launch Outlook and navigate to the Files, followed by the Rules and Alerts section. From the Rules and Alerts window, look for checkboxes against the set rules. If they are not enabled, select the boxes and press the OK button followed by Apply to implement the changes! 2. Rules Don’t Refer to a Deleted Folder or File In scenarios, when some set rules to the mailbox folder are deleted, you may face the issue ‘Outlook Rules are not working’. To check them, simply navigate to the Rules and Alerts dialog box and double-click on the rule > if there are any deleted folder/file, replace them with the existing one 3. Try Disable/Enable Cached Exchange Mode Disabling the settings and re-enabling it will help you rule out any temporary glitch that might be responsible for causing “Outlook Rules are not working”. To do so, all you have to do is: Launch Outlook and go to the File. Click on Account Settings and select Exchange account under the Email tab & select “Change Account”. From the new window, uncheck the box next to Use Cached Exchange Mode and check it again to re-enable the settings. Hit the Next button to save the changes! Additionally, you can click on More Settings to explore other Cached Exchange Mode settings under the Advanced tab. If these basic changes didn’t help you, try out the following workarounds to get rid of the annoying “Outlook Rules are not working: issue. Must-Read: How To Customize Navigation Pane In Outlook? (Resolved): Outlook Rules Not Working On Windows List of Contents Causes for Outlook Rules Not Working Before You Start Troubleshooting: Try This! 1. Ensure Rules Feature Is Enabled 2. Rules Don’t Refer to a Deleted Folder or File 3. Try Disable/Enable Cached Exchange Mode 1. Rename Rules 2. Delete Old Outlook Rules 3. Merge Similar Outlook Rules 4. Update Outlook To The Latest Build 5. Try Resetting the SRS File 6. Use An Outlook Repair Utility 7. Switch To Another Email Client Bottom Line Frequently Asked Questions Try these tested methods to resolve this Outlook issue on your Windows 10 OS. If you need any other assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. 1. Rename Rules In case your rules have lengthy names, try shortening them to reduce the size of the existing ones. To edit an Outlook Rule, all you have to do is: Launch Outlook. Click on File and go to Manage Rules & Alerts. If you find any message stating a broken rule, click the OK button. Check the box next to the red link (broken rule). Click the links under Rule description (refer to the screenshot below) Edit them as per requirement and click on the OK button! Must-Read: How To Send Encrypted Emails Using Gmail And Outlook? 2. Delete Old Outlook Rules It’s certainly a great practice to eliminate rules you no longer use or require rarely. So, try decreasing the Rules file size and clean your Rule folder. Here’s a brief tutorial to delete old rules: Launch Outlook. Navigate to the File tab. Head towards Manage Rules and Alerts. Check the box (rule) you wish to delete. Hit the Yes button to move further. Hit the Apply button to save the changes! Once you have decluttered your Rule folder, it’s time to create one and hopefully, you are free from the ‘Outlook Rules are not working’ problem. 3. Merge Similar Outlook Rules Well, to further reduce the size of the Rule folder, you can try merging multiple alike rules into one. After the combining process, you can delete the useless ones: Launch Outlook. Navigate to the File tab. Head towards Manage Rules and Alerts. From the new window, go to the Email Rules tab and select the rules you would like to edit. Hit the Change Rules button. Now, navigate to the Edit Rule Settings options and make alterations as required. After you’ve combined similar Outlook Rules, delete the unwanted ones and hit the Apply button! Must-Read: How To Schedule Email On Outlook? 4. Update Outlook To The Latest Build Outlook keeps on updating the service with new features and patches to fix bugs. You may witness the “Outlook Rules are not working” issue if you are using an outdated version. Launch Outlook. Go to the File. Select Office Account from the left-side panel. Hit the Update Options. From the new window that appears on your screen, hit the Update Now button and keep patience to let the Outlook update to the latest version. Further, we recommend our users update Windows as well to ensure no new updates are left which may hamper your experience. Once done, restart your system and start using Outlook normally. 5. Try Resetting the SRS File The SRS File includes all the settings you set for sending and receiving emails in Outlook. Try resetting the, to ensure no corruption exists: Launch File Explorer. Execute the path: C:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\ Hit the Enter button! Now from the new window, look for the Outlook.srs file and right-click on it to select option Rename. Rename the file to Outlook.srs.old This will allow Outlook to recreate a file automatically as soon as you launch the Email client. Must-Read: How to Automatically Forward Emails In Outlook And Gmail to Other Accounts? 6. Use An Outlook Repair Utility Stellar Outlook PST is certainly one of the best tools available in the market to fix rules with high precision, recover Outlook mailbox data lost due to PST file corruption. The application further helps if you are receiving any of the Outlook errors. 7. Switch To Another Email Client If you are super-tired of fixing Outlook Rules are not working issues or relevant issues, try switching to a better alternative. Use none other than eM Client, a feature-rich email service provider that comes with a built-in calendar, contacts, tasks manager, duplicate emails cleaner, and other functionalities to ease your workflow. What’s more? The email client comes with the ability to translate your emails into more than 30+ languages. Bottom Line Hopefully, this detailed guide helps to resolve the ‘Outlook Rules Not Running’ issue on Windows 10. If you have used any other method to troubleshoot the issue, mention them in the comments section below! Follow us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

MacBook keyboard not working? Well, MacBook’s trackpad is known for its responsiveness and is one of a kind compared to other keypads in the segment. So, if your MacBook’s keyboard suddenly stops working, don’t worry! You can easily fix your Mac’s trackpad by following a few workarounds. Image source: Macworld Here you go! Also read: 6 Awesome Tools to Enhance your Mac’s Keyboard Experience How to Fix the “MacBook Keyboard is not Working” Issue? 1. Wipe it Clean Yes, as simple as it sounds! Cleaning your Mac’s keyboard can work wonders to fix it. All you need to do is, arrange for a can of compressed air and then follow the below-mentioned steps: Hold your MacBook at a 75-degree angle in a slightly tilted position. Take the compressed air can and then start spraying it on the keyboard in a left to the right direction. Flip your MacBook in the opposite direction and then spray it again but this time in a right to left motion. Once you’re done, wipe the keyboard with a clean piece of microfibre cloth. Compressed air can instantly fix the unresponsiveness of Mac’s keyboard. So, before you start worrying about buying a new device, you can try this DIY hack at your home. 2. Restart Your MacBook Well, rebooting your device actually works like a miracle! If your Mac’s trackpad is not responding, tap the Power button to shut down your device and then restart it after a few minutes. Also, when you shut down your MacBook, don’t forget to flip down the flap as well. Some users have reported that it helped in fixing the keyboard. So, yes, why not give it a try? Also read: 14 Best Mac Keyboard Shortcuts To Speed Up Things 3. Update macOS Is your macOS up to date? Well, operating on an outdated OS can also trigger various issues on your MacBook and yes, it can also affect the keyboard. Our next workaround to fix the “MacBook keyboard not working” issue highlights updating the macOS. So, just to be sure, we recommend you check for any available updates and install the latest version of macOS on your device. To check for updates, tap the Apple menu, select “System Preferences”. Tap on “Software Updates” to check for any available updates. If any update is available, download and install it on your MacBook to upgrade it. Also read: Stuck With ‘Not Enough Space To Install macOS Big Sur’ Error: What To Do 4. Disable the Force Click Option To disable the Force Click option on your MacBook, follow these steps: Tap the Apple icon, select “System Preferences”. Tap on Trackpad and then switch to the “Point and Click” tab. Uncheck the “Force Click and haptic feedback” option. NOTE: You can only find the “Force click” feature on MacBooks with 3D touch keyboard support. Also read: 10 Handy Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts 5. Reset SMC To fix the “MacBook keyboard not working” issue, resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) can also work as an effective workaround. Here’s what you need to do. Shut down your device. Connect the MagSafe adapter. Press and hold Shift+Control+option keys along with the Power button altogether. As soon as the color of the MagSafe adapter changes, you can release the keys. Once the color of the MagSafe adapter changes, it indicates that the SMC has been successfully reset. After resetting the SMC, reboot your MacBook whether it fixed the keyboard. Also read: Complete Guide: Reset The PRAM & SMC On Your Mac 6. Restore your Device to an Earlier State If any recent changes made to your device have interfered with your MacBook’s keyboard becoming unresponsive, you can try restoring your device to a previous state. To do so, follow these quick steps. Restart your MacBook. When your device is booting, press the Command + R key to switch to the Recovery mode. Tap the “Restore from the Time Machine” option. Follow the on-screen instructions and restore your device to a previous checkpoint to undo the recent changes. 7. Reset PRAM PRAM is the Parameter Random Access Memory on macOS that is responsible for storing system settings. To fix the “MacBook keyboard not working” issue, you can try resetting the PRAM on your Mac. Shut down your MacBook. Reboot your device and when the Apple logo appears, press the Command+Option+P+R keys. As soon as you hear a chime or a startup sound, release the keys. Reboot your device to check if it fixed the issue. Download TuneUpMyMac Utility to Tweak Your MacBook’s Performance TuneUpMyMac is your one-stop solution to fine-tune your Mac’s performance in just a few clicks. This nifty tool cleans up your Mac, frees up storage space, and speeds up your device to make it more stable. TuneUpMyMac is a must-have utility for your MacBook that allows you to perform multiple tasks on your Mac without any hindrance. It cleans cache files, temp files, and other junk data to optimize your MacBook. Conclusion This wraps up our quick guide on the “How to Fix MacBook keyboard not working” issue. After following the above-mentioned workarounds, if you’re still experiencing any issues, then we advise you to visit a nearby Apple Store to get your device physically inspected.

Whenever your device starts responding slow or takes forever to boot, tech experts often advise you of one common solution, and i.e. to remove unwanted startup items. Isn’t it? Wondering how to remove startup programs on Mac? Well, you’ve come to the right place. But before we proceed, let’s get a basic understanding of what are startup items and how they impact your device’s performance. Also read: 10 Common MacBook Problems and How to Fix Them What are Startup Items? Why are they Used? Be it Windows or macOS, startup items or login items are a crucial part of any OS. The Startup items are apps and services that automatically launch as soon as your device restarts. Startup items are designed in a way that they don’t need any permission to execute, they just run automatically. Although, when your device gets loaded with too many startup items, it may burden the processor leading to slow response time, system lag, and other common issues. Hence, an ideal approach to keep your device’s performance in a top-notch state is to get rid of unwanted startup items to efficiently utilize your system resources. Let’s get started and learn how to remove startup items on Mac. How to Remove Startup Programs on Mac List of Contents What are Startup Items? Why are they Used? How to Remove Startup Programs on Mac (Manually)? How to Remove Daemons and Launch Agents from Mac? Conclusion One of the best ways to remove startup programs on Mac is to use a third-party utility tool with powerful features. Download and install the TuneUpMyMac utility tool on your device that allows you to get rid of startup programs, delete cache files, junk data and enhance its performance in just a few clicks. TuneUpMyMac is a must-have cleanup tool that can fine-tune your Mac’s performance and help you achieve a variety of other tasks. Here’s what you need to do: Download TuneUpMyMac on your Mac. Launch the app. Select the “Startup Apps” option placed under the “Optimization” section on the left menu pane. Scroll through the list of startup programs, select the ones that you need to remove, tap the “Remove” button once done. And it’s done! In just a few clicks, you can manage the Startup programs on your Mac with the help of the TuneUpMyMac utility tool. Also read: 10 Best Mac Cleaner Software & Optimization Apps In 2021 (Free & Paid) How to Remove Startup Programs on Mac (Manually)? Well, removing startup programs on Mac manually is a quite tedious process. Follow these steps to begin: Tap the Apple icon, select System Preferences> Users and Groups. Select your user name from the left menu pane. Now, switch to the login items tab. Here you will see an entire list of startup programs installed on your device. Select the ones that you need to remove, and then hit the “-” button placed underneath. After removing the startup items, reboot your device to check if it helped in improving the booting time of your device. Also read: How to Fix macOS “Recovery Server Could Not be Contacted” Error How to Remove Daemons and Launch Agents from Mac? Daemons and launch agents are types of startup programs on Mac that are used to automate processes. Although, they are hidden in the folders and it is quite typical to locate such items easily. Here’s a quick way to find and remove daemons and launch agents on your MacBook. Open Mac’s Finder> Go. In the search window, type “/Library/LaunchDaemons” and hit the Command key. Scroll through the list of Launching Daemons files, delete the ones that you no longer require. NOTE: Before you decide on deleting any important file, make sure you do a quick Google search to know a little about the file description. Some Launch Daemons files are critical for your system’s functioning hence these shall remain untouched. Head back one level, in the Go search bar, type “/Library/LaunchAgents”. Launch agents’ files are used during the login process. Scroll through the list of files, if you find anything suspicious, move it to the Trash Bin. Also read: How to Control+Alt+Delete on a Mac and Force Quit apps

Discord is a VOIP and IM combined application that is used by millions across the globe for making voice and video calls, text messaging, and sharing media and files with others. It is amazing software with many uses but there have been reports around the world that Discord is picking up the game audio. This issue can be easily fixed by the troubleshooting steps described in this guide. Why Discord Picking Up Game Audio Issue Occur Before we jump to the troubleshooting steps, it is important to identify the reason for this error, and here are a few possible ones: Possible ReasonsSolutions Check your Cables and Ports.Manually Check Cables & Ports plugged in Audio Driver errorUpdate Drivers Sound Settings issuesModify Sound Settings Unidentified ReasonReinstall Discord 4 Ways to Fix Discord Picking Up Game Audio List of Contents Why Discord Picking Up Game Audio Issue Occur Fix # 1: Manually Check Cables & Ports plugged in Fix # 2: Update Drivers Fix # 3: Modify Sound Settings Fix # 4: Reinstall Discord The Final Word On How to Fix Discord Picking Up Game Audio Fix # 1: Manually Check Cables & Ports plugged in Image: Freepik This step requires the user to physically check all the cables and ports of the PC and ensure that the Microphone is working and plugged in the correct port. Once you are certain that the hardware is fine, move to the next step. Fix # 2: Update Drivers The second step to fix discord game audio issues is to update the drivers, especially the audio driver in this case. You can update the audio driver in your PC by either downloading the updated driver from the support website of your hardware or using a third-party tool like Advanced Driver Updater. Using this tool, you can easily scan your computer’s drivers and update them to the latest version if available. Here the steps to use ADU on your PC: Step 1: Download and Install Advanced Driver Updater on your system by using the button provided below: Step 2: Launch the application and let it load completely. Step 3: Click on the Start Scan Now button to initiate the scan. Step 4: A list of driver issues and errors will appear on your screen. Step 5: Select the Update Drivers link beside the Audio Drivers and wait. Once your drivers are updated, check if the discord picking-up game audio issue persists. Fix # 3: Modify Sound Settings The discord game audio issues can also be fixed by disabling the Stereo Mix option and changing the Microphone option as default. Step 1: Make a right-click on the volume icon and then choose Sounds Step 2: In the new window, click on the Recording tab. Step 3: Next, right-click on the Stereo Mix option and choose Disable. Step 4: Right-click on your Microphone and click the Set Default button at the bottom of the window. Step 5: Now, open Discord and access the Settings. Step 6: Click on Voice Settings and select the Input & Output devices. Once you have selected the correct Input/Output devices, your discord picking up the game audio issue will be resolved. Fix # 4: Reinstall Discord If the above steps do not work, then probably it is time to reinstall Discord which can be done by first uninstalling the app from your PC. Step 1: Press Windows + R to invoke the Run box and type appwiz.cpl followed by Enter. Step 2: Locate Discord among the list of installed programs and make a right-click to choose the Uninstall option. Image: Discord Step 3: Once the app is removed from your PC, Reinstall it from the official website.

It won’t be hyperbole to say, virtually Google knows everything about us, more than we know. This is the reason you should know how to Password protect your google search history. Google is everywhere and people rely on it to watch videos, locate a place, surf the web, use Google Assistant, and more. What’s shocking is that we give the permission willingly to do so. Agreed, Google gives an option to keep a check on Web Activity. But this doesn’t mean it’s only visible to us. Anyone with access to the device on which we are logged into can see what was watched, searched, and asked. If we want to hide this from others, then? Fortunately, now Google has a solution for this too. If you think Incognito mode is the solution, you are mistaken. Now, you can password protect Chrome history using the new feature added to Manage My Activity Verification. This means activities visible under the Web Activity section like – YouTube history Web and map searches Google Assistant queries and more can be hidden and password protected. So, how does this feature work? Well, to get an answer and learn how to password protect google search history, you will need to read the post till the end. Note: Once the feature is enabled you, or anyone else who tries to check the activity history will need to enter the account password. This adds an extra layer of protection and allows hiding browser history. How To Password Protect Your Google Search History How to Hide History in Chrome? To enable this security feature and to password protect history on Chrome, follow the steps below: 1. Visit https://activity.google.com/ 2. Log in to your Gmail account, if not logged in 3. Click Manage My Activity verification. 4. You’ll now get a new pop-up window. Select, “Require extra verification > Save. 5. Next, when asked for, enter the Google Account password. 6. This will enable the hide browser history feature. 7. To see the activity history, hit Verify button and enter the account password Note: Every time you want to see activity history, you would have to verify it. In addition to this, if you want you can also Set up automatic deletions. How To Protech Your Google Search History Using Automatic Deletions? To do so, all you need to do is follow the steps explained below: 1. Visit https://myactivity.google.com/activitycontrols/webandapp 2. Verify it’s you. 3. Click the downward arrow next to Delete and select either the date range or click Set up automatic deletions. 4. Select the radio button next to Auto-delete activity older than. 5. To set the date range click the down arrow. 6. Click Next and remove the history from Chrome. Note: Setting up auto delete activity is an easy way to hide browser history. How to Keep A Check on What Google Knows About Us To keep a check on what Google stores, click here. Once on the Activity controls page, you will be able to see all information related to Web & App Activity, Location, YouTube, and more If this frustrates you and you just want to get rid of all this data, click Auto-delete or click Manage activity. Choosing the former will open a pop-up window from where you can choose the time and clean the history. In case this is not enough, and you want something concrete. We’ve got you covered. How to generate random passwords and securely store passwords. The easiest way to create random passwords and store them is to use a password manager, try using TweakPass – the best password manager. Using this professional password manager, you can generate passwords and store them in a secure AES-256 encrypted vault. What’s more, you add sites, create passwords, use Secure Notes to save confidential data, and more. Another thing that makes it unique is its browser extension that you can use on all the popular browsers. This means wherever you go, your passwords can be accessed. To know about the tool, you can read the comprehensive review of the same. Why use TweakPass – password manager? In today’s scenario where cyber-attacks, data breaches are becoming unpredictable, securing data has become a top priority. Creating complex passwords should be the first line of defense but remembering them and creating a unique password for each account is not easy. Luckily, the solution to this problem is password managers. Using them, you can generate random passwords for each account and can save them in the secure vault. The benefits of using TweakPass are:- No need to remember passwords for each account. All you need to do is recall the Master password to unlock the secure vault. Create strong passwords without putting much effort Faster access to passwords and usernames. Adds an extra layer of security Is Google’s Manage My Activity Verification of any use? If we look at it objectively, the new method does not add up much because anyone who has an access to the Gmail password can see the history. This means if the person you are trying to hide browser history from can still see it. So, what’s the use? The best way to secure your account is to not share the password and use TweakPass – the best password manager to generate random passwords. This will help stay secure. We hope we were able to answer how to password protect your google search history in Chrome and how to hide search history. In case you have any questions, do let us know in the comments section.

The all-new Ricoh MP C3003 is an amazing printer that is rather a mammoth of a device. It supports different paper sizes and offers many features to the user through a colorful digital display. But to print your documents from a PC, you will have to install the appropriate drivers for your printer to establish communication between the devices. This guide will help with two different methods to initiate a Ricoh MP C3003 driver download on your PC and install it. How To Download and Install Ricoh MP C3003 Printer Drivers List of Contents Manual Method To Initiate Ricoh MP C3003 Driver Download Automatic Method To Initiate Ricoh MP C3003 Driver Download The Final Word On How To Download and Install Ricoh MP C3003 Printer Drivers Two methods can be used to carry out a successful Ricoh printer driver install, and you can follow any method as both guarantee 100% success. However, it is the time and effort required are different in both methods. Image: Ricoh Manual Method: This method requires a user to navigate to the official website and search for the appropriate driver. Once found, the user has to download it, unzip it if needed, and then install the driver. This method will require basic computer skills and does consume considerable time and effort to complete the process. Automatic Method. This method, on the other hand, is quite simple and easy to carry out when compared to the Manual method. It involves installing a third-party driver update software that scans your PC, identifies the drivers’ issues, and then downloads/installs the most compatible and updated drivers. All these processes can be completed with a few mouse clicks and can be done by anyone even if using this app for the first time. This is what makes Smart Driver Care a very popular app and is used by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Manual Method To Initiate Ricoh MP C3003 Driver Download The manual method to install Ricoh driver can be performed successfully by carrying out the steps mentioned below: Step 1: Open any browser and navigate to the Ricoh Support Website. Step 2: In the Search box on the top, type MP C3003, followed by Enter. Image: Ricoh Step 3: Certain products matching what you have entered will be displayed. Click on your printer model which is MP C003. Image: Ricoh Step 4: Scroll down and click on Drivers and then choose your Operating System if not detected automatically. Image: Ricoh Step 5: Click on the download button next to the topmost driver as it is the latest version released. If you want a previous version of the driver, then you can scroll down. Image: Ricoh Step 6: Once downloaded, execute the file and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the Ricoh MP C3003 driver install on your PC. Automatic Method To Initiate Ricoh MP C3003 Driver Download The automatic method is rather easy to use and install as compared to the previous method. Here are the steps to fulfill a Ricoh printer driver installation on your computer. Step 1: Download and Install the Smart Driver Care app on your computer by using the official link provided below. Step 2: Once installed, you can launch the software open by using the shortcut created on the desktop. Step 3: Now that the Smart Driver Care is ready to use, click on the Start Scan link under the Driver section and wait until the scan completes. Step 4: You will get a list of driver issues listed on your screen within the app interface. Locate and click on the Update Driver option next to the printer driver issues. Step 5: Wait until the process completes and reboot your computer. Smart Driver Care is an intelligent software that detects all the missing, corrupt and outdated drivers on your computer and replaces them with new and updated ones. This ensures that there remains no communication gap between the hardware and software of your PC. With your drivers all updated, you will experience a smooth and flawless experience of using your computer like never before.

After upgrading your Mac to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, 10.14 Mojave, or 10.15 Catalina, you may have noticed a new category named ‘Other Volumes in Container’. It is quite similar to a partition in other file systems. For instance, a standard macOS Startup container includes volume such as: Macintosh HD: A dedicated volume where macOS software is installed. Preboot: A dedicated volume to support the booting This is usually hidden on Macs. Recovery: A dedicated volume that includes the recovery system of your machine. Virtual Machine: A dedicated volume for supporting your Memory (RAM) to save files like swapfile, sleepimage and more. These files are significantly large in size and take up most of your storage space. These volumes should not be removed as they are essential for running your Mac smoothly. However, the main problem arises when you get the warning “your disk is almost full”. When you check the Storage on Mac (Hit the Apple logo > Select option About This Mac > Choose Storage) you see that “Other Volumes in a Container” are taking over a significant amount of storage space. Some even observed the size of ‘Other Volumes’ keeps on growing on Macs. Though we cannot completely delete ‘other volumes in a container’ but there are ways to optimize your storage space: Thoroughly Clean Your Mac To Release Memory On Mac TuneupMyMac is one of the best Best Mac Cleaning & Optimization Software. It thoroughly cleans your startup disk and eliminates all the redundant files taking up space on your Mac. It ensures that no junk files, temp files, caches, login items, duplicates and other unwanted large/old files gobble up space on your Mac. One of the significant features of TuneupMyMac is ‘One-click cleaning’ that significantly identifies space on disks that contain files which your Mac doesn’t need but are responsible for causing low storage space errors. Here’s how it works: 1. Download & install TuneupMyMac. 2. Launch the Mac cleaner & optimizer. 3. Hit Start System Scan. 4. Once the scanning process begins, the application will identify junk and other residues and safely delete them to reclaim storage space. Hopefully the problems with ‘Other volumes in a container’ occupying a lot of space, should be fixed by now! Must-Read: 10 Quick Tips to Manage Storage and Tune-Up Mac for Best Performance How to Remove other volumes in a container? You can give a shot to the following workarounds to fix storage issues appearing due to ‘Other Volumes in a Container’. 1. Make A New User Account Well, plenty of users have suggested that creating a new user account altogether helped them reclaim storage from ‘other volumes in a container’. Click on the Apple logo that appears on the top-left corner of the screen. Navigate to System Preferences. From the new window, head towards the Users & Groups panel. Simply hit the padlock and type in your current Admin username & PASSWORD. Click on (+) icon and choose Administrator option that appears in the drop-down menu Now, you are all set to add the details of your new Once done, simply restart your Mac and log in with your New Account details. After doing so, you can go and check the storage and find that ‘other volumes in a container’ have gone! Must-Read: 10 Common MacBook Problems and How to Fix Them 2. Delete The Additional Volume Well, to delete those extra volumes you need to first find out what your Apple Storage has under the roof. To check out what volumes your drive consists of so that you can take further actions, you need to do the following: Note: Remember when you delete a volume, all the stored data in it gets erased. So, ensure your backup files to avoid losing any important one! Launch Terminal from your Dock or Utilities folder. Once launched, type and paste the following command: diskutil list Check carefully the breakdown of drives and volumes that appear on your screen. If you identify any extra volume which is taking up a lot of your system resources, delete that! To delete the volume: Open Disk Utility on your Mac. Choose the APFS Volume you wish to remove and hit the Delete button! Additional Tip Additional Tip: If the Delete button is dimmed or shows ‘currently in use’. It means you can’t remove the volume. In such scenarios, you need to take the help of Disk Utility in macOS Recovery mode! You Might Want To Learn: How To Use macOS Recovery Mode Efficiently? Fix – Internet Recovery Mode Not Working on Mac! 3. Turn Off Content Caching for “Cache iCloud Content” iCloud content caching is an excellent feature introduced with macOS High Sierra to speed up software updates and so on. If you’ve already switched on the feature, you need to uncheck it to significantly reduce the size of ‘Other volumes in a container’. To do so: Click on the Apple logo that appears on the top-left corner of the screen. Navigate to System Preferences and click on Sharing option followed by Content Caching. Now simply uncheck the option: Content Caching/Cache iCloud content. 4. Erase Your Disk & Reinstall The Operating System If nothing works, the last resort is to erase the disk and reinstall the latest macOS version. This will probably help you to fix the ‘other volumes in container” storage problem. IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to backup all your important data before implementing the following steps: To start the process of erasing the disk, you need to first launch your machine in the Recovery Mode. Once entered, you need to navigate to the Utilities window and choose Disk Utility. Click Continue to move forward. At this step, simply select Macintosh HD from the panel and hit the Erase Select APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) option and Erase that as well. Once the process is complete, start deleting all the volumes that appear on the sidebar. Close Disk Utility and start reinstalling macOS like the usual way! After it’s done, all the Other Volumes will be gone!

Microsoft has adopted a new attitude toward promoting its browser Edge and search engine Bing by sending pop-ups on Windows 10 PC. Many users have complained that they are getting annoying pop-ups repeatedly with suggestions to alter the default browser and search engine to Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Bing respectively. These pop -ps are only visible to those who do not have these Microsoft products as default and prefer using third-party browsers and search engines especially Google. The pop-ups are generated on a Windows 10 PC with the help of the built-in notification center. These pop-ups not only advertise Microsoft‘s products but also describe the benefits of using these products and switching them to default. One of the first forums where these pop-ups were noted is Reddit where users have complained about getting repeated popups stating ”Microsoft recommends different browser settings. Want to change them?”. The benefits of the switch are described as 1) Search that gives back time and money and 2) Fast and secure search results with Bing. This is followed by two buttons: Yes, Change Settings, and Maybe Later. A click on the first button will alter your default browser to Edge while a click on the second button will let you operate with your current settings. As far as the search engine is concerned, there is an ad released that promotes the MSN news feed of Bing explaining how secure it is and the other ad informs users of the Microsoft Rewards feature that is available only in a few select countries for now. These pop-ups can be easily dismissed by clicking the ’Maybe Later’ button but the question is “ How many times do I have to click it in a day?”. To get rid of this pop-up permanently, you can either click on ‘Yes, Change settings’ and set Microsoft products as default or continue using your third-party products and turn off the Edge Feature recommendations. Here are the steps: Step 1: Open the Edge Browser and type the following code in the address bar. ‘edge://flags/#edge-show-feature-recommendations' Note: You can copy this code from here and paste it in the address bar followed by Enter. Step 2: Next, click on the drop-down button next to the ‘Show Feature & Workflow Recommendations’ and select Disabled. Once done, close the Edge browser and smile, for you will not be seeing those annoying pop-ups anymore. This is a surprise step taken by Microsoft to promote its products and services. A new major update is all geared to launch in the fall which is code-named Sun Valley. Let us wait and watch for what changes will be introduced after this update.

Bluetooth is a reliable technology, but sometimes users may encounter ‘Bluetooth Not Available’ error. Some even have reported that occasionally the feature disappears from the Menu Bar on MacBook. (Refer to the screenshot below to see how the error appears on the device.) In case you are facing problems in establishing a successful Bluetooth connection or using a Bluetooth accessory, here’s what you need to do to troubleshoot when ‘Bluetooth is not working’. SYMPTOMS: “Bluetooth Is Not Available On Mac” Error (2021) Bluetooth icon getting dimmed with a squiggly line through it. You may see the error message “Bluetooth: Not Available”. When you try to access Bluetooth from System Preferences, you may see the message “you can’t open Bluetooth preferences pane because it is not available to you at this time.” The Bluetooth Settings are turned off on your Mac. From your Network Settings, you may witness the error message “Bluetooth PAN is not connected”. {FIXED}: Mac Bluetooth Not Working Issue (2021) Before we get into the advanced troubleshooting steps, it’s best to start with the basics. Restart Your MacHit the Apple icon > Restart > Your Mac will shut down & restart in a few moments. Turn Bluetooth AgainHit the Bluetooth icon from the Menu bar > Toggle off Bluetooth & switch it on again. Update Your Mac Open System Preferences > Software Update. If any update is available, click on the Update Now button! If the Mac ‘Bluetooth Is Not Available On Mac” error hasn’t gone away, try the following workarounds to fix connection issues. WORKAROUND 1 = Run A Mac Cleaner & Optimizer Oftentimes, there are a few corrupted files that may interfere while establishing connections via Bluetooth. To fix the issue, it is highly recommended to wipe useless junk files & temporary data. Install and run TuneupMyMac to thoroughly clean your Mac in a few clicks and get rid of all the potential junk files, login items, caches, cookies, and other residues that may hamper your performance. Let’s take a look at how to use TuneupMyMac to optimize your system in a go: STEP 1= Download & install TuneupMyMac. It boasts advanced features & powerful tools to enhance the speed with ease. It is compatible with OS X 10.7 or later. STEP 2= Launch the Mac cleaning & optimization utility and click on the Start System Scan button. STEP 3= As soon as the scanning process gets completed, TuneupMyMac will display all the potential junk files and other redundant data to reclaim storage space. Once you’ve cleaned your Mac thoroughly, try establishing a connection through Bluetooth. Hopefully, you’ll not face any error like “Bluetooth not working”. WORKAROUND 2 = Get Into Safe Mode Well, switching to Safe Mode on Mac automatically fixes plenty of issues, including Bluetooth not available error. To switch to Safe Mode, here’s what you need to do: STEP 1= Switch off your Mac securely. STEP 2= Now turn on your system and instantly press and hold the Shift key. STEP 3= Simply release the Shift key as soon as you encounter the login screen. STEP 4= At this point, you need to login into your machine. Hopefully, the annoying Bluetooth not responding issues will be fixed in the Safe mode. WORKAROUND 3 = Pair Your Bluetooth Device With Mac Again If you’ve already paired the device in the past, and are still facing issues while connecting to Bluetooth, you need to tell your Mac to forget it and start again. STEP 1= Firstly, you need to display all the paired Bluetooth devices. Click on System Preferences and click on Bluetooth. STEP 2= Navigate to the device that you might think is causing problems, click on the X button next to it, and click on the Remove button to unpair it. Simply, pair the device again with your Mac like the usual way. WORKAROUND 4= Eliminate Bluetooth.PLIST Files If you are still witnessing ‘Bluetooth Not Available’ error on your Mac, it is highly recommended to delete Property List Files. Your Mac stores information about Bluetooth devices in two files on your hard drive: one is personal & another is used by all users. If they get corrupted by any chance, they may hamper the Bluetooth connectivity issues. To remove .PLIST files, all you have to do is: STEP 1= Switch off Bluetooth feature and exit System Preferences. STEP 2= Navigate to a Finder window > select Go from the Finder menu and Go to Folder. STEP 3= Now enter the path mentioned below and hit the Go button. /Library/Preferences/ STEP 4= At this step, you need to locate the following files and delete them one by one. com.apple.Bluetooth.plist com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.lockfile STEP 5= Now restart your Mac! As soon as your Mac starts, a new set of .PLIST files will be generated and the Mac Bluetooth Not Available error must be fixed by now! WORKAROUND 5= Reset Bluetooth Module Well, some users even reported that resetting Mac’s Bluetooth module altogether, helped them to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues. If you are all set, let’s start the process: STEP 1= Hold Shift key + Option key and hit the Bluetooth option from the Menu bar. STEP 2= Choose the option to Reset the Bluetooth module. Restart your Mac and start repairing each of your Bluetooth devices! WORKAROUND 6= Reset NVRAM & SMC Oftentimes, a hardware-specific SMC reset helps to resolve the Bluetooth Not Working issue on Mac. The entire process may differ depending on the Mac models, but you can check out Apple’s Documentation for complete information. STEP 1= To start resetting NVRAM, you need to switch off your Mac. STEP 2= Now switch on your Mac and immediately & press the shortcut keys – Command + Option + P + R. Keep holding the keys for almost 20 seconds.

One of India’s leading private banks with 5,608 branches and 16,087 ATMs, HDFC Bank, has published a report stating that “it is just a matter of time before Indian investors have legal access to crypto plays.” This statement came as the bank scrutinizes crypto transactions in customer accounts. HDFC Bank Predicts Legal Acess to Crypto in India HDFC Bank, a leading private bank in India, published a Treasury Research report last week detailing its view on cryptocurrency. HDFC Bank currently has 5,608 branches and 16,087 ATMs across India. The bank was among the first to receive approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a private sector bank in 1994. “Like most conventional investors, we are yet to reconcile the often-conflicting properties of cryptocurrencies,” reads the bank’s report, entitled “Cryptocurrencies: Fad or Forever?” While acknowledging that cryptocurrency “helped to hedge against sharp movements in other asset classes,” the bank’s economists argued that “its own volatility … is a bit of a dampener.” Nonetheless, the report notes that “with central banks stepping into the crypto game, essential properties like limited supply of legacy crypto, this is a space that needs to be watched closely.” The bank stated: We think it is just a matter of time before Indian investors have legal access to crypto plays. The report further points out that “cryptocurrencies are one of the best-performing assets,” with BTC returning 10,869% since 2015. The meme crypto dogecoin is also analyzed in the report. The bank explained that the “Price of dogecoin depends on narrative” and “There are no fundamentals behind it that can stain prices.” The bank did not elaborate on what kind of legal access it is referring to. Cryptocurrency is not banned in India and investors can go to a number of local crypto exchanges to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies with INR. Both the central bank and the government have independently confirmed that there is no ban on cryptocurrency, crypto exchanges, businesses, or traders in India. The Indian government, however, has a draft cryptocurrency bill that contains recommendations to ban cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin. However, the government is reportedly setting up a panel of experts to re-evaluate the recommendations for crypto regulation. This HDFC Bank report was published at the time when some of the bank’s customers said that they received a letter stating that cryptocurrency transactions are not permitted. The bank cited the RBI circular of April 2018 which prohibited financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrencies. However, the Indian supreme court quashed this circular back in March of last year, allowing banks to resume providing services to crypto businesses, including cryptocurrency exchanges. Despite the supreme court’s ruling, several banks still cite this circular when scrutinizing crypto-related transactions in customer accounts. In its recent letter to customers, HDFC Bank wrote: “To comply with the regulatory guidelines … the banks are advised to exercise due diligence by closely examining the transactions carried out in the account on an ongoing basis.” The bank’s letter concludes: Request you to visit the nearest HDFC Bank branch within 30 days of the date of this communication to clarify the nature of these transactions. In case we do not hear from you, the bank will be compelled to restrict transactions in your account without further notice. However, on Monday, India’s central bank issued a notice to banks clarifying that the circular in question is “no longer valid” and should not be cited or quoted when dealing with cryptocurrency.

DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest bank, has launched its first security token offering (STO) on its cryptocurrency exchange. The DBS Digital Bond is priced at 15 million Singapore dollars. “We expect asset tokenization to increasingly become more mainstream,” said a DBS executive. DBS’ First Security Token Offering DBS announced Monday its first security token offering (STO) on the DBS Digital Exchange (Ddex). The DBS Digital Bond, priced at 15 million Singapore dollars (US$11.37 million), comes with a six-month tenor and coupon rate of 0.60% per annum. It is offered as a private placement and DBS is the sole bookrunner for the transaction. The bank detailed: This paves the way for other issuers and clients to tap on Ddex’s capabilities to efficiently access capital markets for their funding needs and sets the stage for more STO issuances and listings on Ddex as asset tokenisation turns mainstream. Clifford Lee, Global Head of Fixed Income at DBS, said that “this marks the first of many steps in the journey to evolve the traditional bond issuance into a broader digital ecosystem where more inclusive issuer and investor participation can be rapidly developed.” Lee continued: “While most bond tokenization exercises announced in Asia to date tend to be repackaged forms of a conventional bond issue, the current transaction directly combines existing legal and tax infrastructure requirements with a direct issuance on the digital exchange in smaller lot sizes.” The executive added: This bond token structure was only made possible because of the progressive development of Singapore’s legal and tax infrastructure, which can facilitate more STO issuances to broaden and deepen our capital markets. Eng-Kwok Seat Moey, Group Head of Capital Markets at DBS, commented: “Our maiden STO listing on the DBS Digital Exchange is a significant milestone … This cements our ability to provide integrated solutions across the digital asset value chain, from deal origination to tokenization, listing, trading, and custody, which in turn opens the door for more STOs on Ddex.” He emphasized: We expect asset tokenisation to increasingly become more mainstream as more of our clients start to embrace security token issuance as part of their capital fund raising exercise which we believe will boost Singapore’s ambitions to be a digital asset hub in Asia. The DBS Digital Exchange was launched in December last year. It offers “exchange services between four fiat currencies (SGD, USD, HKD, JPY)” and four “cryptocurrencies, namely bitcoin, ether, bitcoin cash, and XRP,” its website explains. The bank disclosed in its first-quarter earnings call that its crypto exchange “enjoyed strong market traction since its launch.” Specifically, its “Daily trading volumes have increased 10-fold from the initial week of launch, and the exchange currently serves over 120 participants. DBS also holds over SGD 80 million in digital assets in its custodial service,” the bank revealed. In May, the bank launched a trust service for cryptocurrencies.

An Australian bitcoin trader has filed a lawsuit against two of the country’s biggest commercial banks, accusing them of systematic discrimination when they closed his accounts on short notice. Allan Flynn is demanding compensation of AU$250,000 ($193,000) from ANZ and Westpac banks for closing his accounts immediately after they had been opened, the Australian Financial Review reported on Jan. 18. Flynn, who operates a registered bitcoin (BTC) exchange, has started proceedings against both banks at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The trader alleges he is the victim of unlawful discrimination, with no less than 20 banks closing his accounts in the past three years. He lamented: How am I supposed to run a lawful business if I can’t get a bank account? I am by no means alone or the first. I know of at least one other trader who has had accounts closed more than 60 times. Flynn’s exchange is registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), he says, and has helped facilitate BTC trades for about 450 customers. Westpac reportedly told Flynn that his account was closed because he was “under investigation for cryptocurrency fraud.” ANZ said it does not offer banking services to crypto brokers, issuers or exchanges. Per the report, Flynn claimed an ANZ worker had informed other banks and his clients that he was involved in fraud. Crypto exchange operators have had a tough time opening and maintaining accounts with traditional banking institutions. Earlier this month, Chile’s Free Competition Defense Court ruled that Banco Itaú and Banco Estado, two major banks in the country, must reopen the checking accounts of crypto exchange Buda. The accounts were closed in 2018 after they were wrongly implicated in a scam run by Terra Finance.

Responding to European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde’s recent remarks about bitcoin, the chief economist at investment firm Tressis said what Lagarde implied was “outrageous” and “dangerous” for cryptocurrency regulation. Economist Says Governments Would Be Happy to Implement Strict Crypto Regulations Daniel Lacalle, fund manager and chief economist at Tressis Gestion, commented on Christine Lagarde’s recent remarks about bitcoin and crypto regulation in an interview with NTD Business on Sunday. Tressis Gestion provides investment management, financial planning, investment strategies, and advisory services to customers in Spain. “Obviously, Ms. Lagarde does not have the power to implement legislation relative to cryptocurrencies,” he began. However, the economist admitted that the ECB president “is an important voice in Europe and a very important voice in the financial world. So, her comments are heard.” Lacalle believes that “numerous governments would be very very happy to implement strict regulations on cryptocurrencies,” noting that it is “fundamentally because, as we are seeing, cryptocurrencies are rising dramatically as a response to a very aggressive policy from central banks.” He added that “the European Central Bank is probably the one that’s conducting the most aggressive monetary policy of them all,” emphasizing that “Its balance sheet is already 61% of the GDP of the eurozone, while for example the Fed’s is about 34%” The economist elaborated: Central banks don’t like competition in the creation of money and obviously cryptocurrencies are competition and are a consequence of these aggressive monetary policies. Lagarde’s Remarks About Bitcoin Are ‘Extremely Dangerous’ and ‘Outrageous’ When asked about how regulations would affect crypto investors, Lacalle emphasized that “regulation is not bad if it is to facilitate transparency” and to improve access to crypto assets for small investors. For regulations that improve the “level of transparency, liquidity and the availability of an asset,” he said, “That is fine.” However, the economist warned: “I think that the problem is when they talk about regulations here, it’s more implying intervention or prohibition, complete prohibition. For example, banning the possibility of using financial measures to buy bitcoin or ethereum or other cryptocurrencies as we have seen in some economies. I think that is a dangerous path.” The fund manager exclaimed: I think that it’s extremely dangerous that the president of a central bank implies that almost all of the investors in cryptocurrencies are in some forms trying to hide money laundering activities. “That is absolutely outrageous when we all know that the vast majority of money laundering globally is conducted in fiat currencies, particularly in U.S. dollars and euros,” he emphasized. Lagarde also said that bitcoin is “a highly speculative asset, which has conducted some funny business and some interesting and totally reprehensible money laundering activity.” Responding to the ECB chief’s remarks, Lacalle opined, “you don’t hear the president of a central bank or the governor of a central bank say that it’s reprehensible and condemning an entire currency, be it the U.S. dollar, the yuan, the yen, the euro, whatever, because a small proportion of the users of that currency may be utilizing it for money laundering purposes.” Moreover, he asserted: You cannot just make the equivalent that money laundering and bitcoin or money laundering and cryptocurrencies are one and the same. That, I think is very negative and definitely not correct. The economist suggested that “Central banks should look at cryptocurrencies as a response to what they are doing,” pointing out that their actions are “absolutely incredible in terms of money supply growth and in terms of the impact on financial assets.” In conclusion, he suggested: Central banks should be extremely concerned about the bubble in sovereign bonds and not about what cryptocurrencies are doing.

Investors are increasingly seeking exposure to bitcoin following the recent months-long price rally. Bitcoin exchange-traded products are seeing record trading volumes. Meanwhile, more big banks are reportedly trying to get into the crypto space, including Goldman Sachs. High Demand for Bitcoin and Crypto Products With the price of bitcoin rapidly rising over recent months, more investors are seeking exposure to the cryptocurrency. The price of bitcoin rose about 24% since the beginning of the year and over 90% since the beginning of December. One bitcoin exchange-traded product in particular, BTCE, has recorded an average daily trading volume of $69 million in the first 11 days of January, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing data from Deutsche Börse where it is trading. This week, Switzerland’s principal stock exchange revealed that its crypto trading volume hit a record high of $1.2 billion in 2020. The exchange now lists 34 crypto exchange-traded products. Grayscale Investments’ Bitcoin Trust posted an average daily turnover of almost $1 billion in the first two weeks of this year, which is more than nine times the average in 2020, the publication added. The bitcoin trust’s assets under management grew from $1.8 billion to $17.5 billion during the year. Meanwhile, Canadian asset manager 3iq says its bitcoin fund has reached a milestone, exceeding one billion Canadian dollars ($785 million) in assets under management. Besides the bitcoin fund, the company offers the ether fund and a global crypto-asset fund. Chart of 3iq’s bitcoin fund. Source: 3iq Big Banks Want In, Including Goldman Sachs As bitcoin continues to outperform other assets, more major companies are seeking to get into the crypto space. Goldman Sachs’ global head of commodities research, Jeff Currie, said last week that the bitcoin market “is beginning to become more mature” after he called BTC “a retail inflation hedge.” The investment bank is now rumored to be have issued a request for information (RFI) to explore providing digital asset custody service. The RFI was reportedly sent to a prominent company in the crypto custody niche at the end of last year. An unnamed Goldman Sachs source indicated that the firm is talking to several companies with a focus on custody service. Recently, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted Anchorage conditional approval to become a national digital bank. Anchorage co-founder Diogo Mónica told CNBC last week that the regulatory approval will attract many large institutional players to begin offering their own crypto services, including custody. Other banks and financial services giants that have recently entered the crypto space include Spain’s second-largest bank BBVA, Standard Chartered Bank, Southeast Asia’s largest bank DBS, and Italian insurance giant Generali. Some of them offer only crypto custody services while others also offer bitcoin trading services.