1. Substack Begins Accepting Bitcoin As Payment For Subscriptions (CoinTelegraph)

Independent online publisher Substack, with over half a million subscribers, announced that it has integrated Bitcoin Lightning payments in collaboration with OpenNode, a payment processor offering Bitcoin and Lightning optimized API solutions for businesses. OpenNode will now power both on-chain and off-chain Bitcoin and Lightning payments.

2. YouTube Surpasses 2M Creators In Monetization Program (MediaPost)

YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which helps creators monetize their content, has crossed more than 2 million creators. The number of new channels joining YPP were more than doubled in 2020 and there is 35% growth on the number of channels generating revenue of 6 figures in the US. YPP invested in policies, resources, and products to protect creators.

3. Western Ad Industry Recovered Completely, Heading Towards Boom (MediaPost)

Evidence is mounting that the Western ad economy is shifting from recovery to expansion, and to a boom, according to Standard Media Index (SMI), which released the latest analysis of ad growth in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where ad spending aggregate expanded 25% in the first half, and 52% in the second quarter.

4. Facebook’s Media Agency Review Coming To An End (AdAge)

For more than four months, Facebook has been reviewing media agencies to test their ad buying capabilities and their “thought leadership” skills. The social media behemoth has been running agencies through tests and simulations to pick the one best suited to help its brand, as it likes to count every penny it spends through its next agency.

5. California Film Commission Awards A Record $138.8M In Film Tax Credits (Variety)

The California Film Commission granted a record-breaking $138.8 million in film tax credits on Monday. Netflix alone received $43.3 million in funding for three initiatives. The amount of $138.8 million broke the previous record for a single round of film subsidies, which was $109 million in August 2016.

6. Pinterest’s Strategy To Control Cloud Cost Is Working (TheInformation)

Pinterest’s strategy to appoint spend captains on its engineering team to forecast its cloud capacity needs in advance and to oversee weekly AWS bills helped it to avoid buying additional capacity at a higher price. It also integrated internal financial analysts and data science leaders to collaborate closely on spending strategies and forecasting.

7. Facebook Tries Adding Video And Voice Calls Back Into Its Main App (Reuters)

Facebook is testing adding voice and video calls to its main app. The features are currently part of the standalone Messenger app, which Facebook originally spun out of its big blue main app in 2011 and officially removed in 2014. Facebook has introduced these features in its other products like Portal video cameras and Oculus virtual reality headsets.

Samien Kidwai

Hailing from an academic background, I have been an Assistant Professor in Mass Communication with an additional decade of experience in creative writing. I’m passionate about music and theatre with an inclination towards movies. Being an avid reader, I love to scribble my thoughts and ideas when I’m not running behind my 8 year old daughter.