Energy expert Vaqar Zakaria believes solar power makes “excellent economic sense” — and he lives by it. For over five years, his rooftop panels have slashed his bills, sometimes to zero, even allowing him to sell surplus electricity back through net metering. Last month, he took it further. After buying two electric vehicles, he has almost “declared independence” from the national grid. With more panels and doubled batteries, even his cars run on sunshine. “I am moving away from their fuel, and I don’t need their power,” said the CEO of Hagler Bailly, Pakistan, an Islamabad-based environmental consultancy firm, over the phone from Islamabad. “I call it the hand of God driving my car,” Zakaria said. He is already seeing economic gains from his investment. “The electricity I generate, including battery costs, comes to about Rs12 ($0.043) per unit, while it can be sold to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company at around Rs26 ($0.092) per unit.” However, he adds that he does not currently claim this benefit, as it...
South Korea’s tax agency is seeking a private custodian for seized crypto after a wallet seed phrase leak exposed government-held assets. South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) is moving to select a private custody provider for seized crypto assets after a February press release exposed a wallet recovery phrase and triggered the unauthorized transfer of confiscated tokens. On Feb. 26, the NTS accidentally exposed a crypto wallet seed phrase in an official press release, resulting in the unauthorized transfer of crypto tokens valued at about $4.8 million. The release included an image of a Ledger cold wallet and a sheet of paper showing the mnemonic phrase without being blurred. Citing people familiar with the matter, ZDNet Korea reported that the agency is reviewing a plan to outsource custody of confiscated crypto and is drafting selection criteria for providers. The NTS is reportedly aiming to select a provider within the first half of 2026. Read more
Technical indicators hint at a possible reversal in BTC’s relative performance, as traders watch whether key support levels can hold. Bitcoin (BTC) has endured a 14-month bear market against gold, with the BTC/gold ratio and momentum indicators at historic lows that previously marked cycle bottoms. Key takeaways: The BTC/GOLD ratio is at historic lows as multiple indicators hint at a cycle bottom. Read more