The Download: what Twitter’s collapse would mean, and crypto’s meltdown

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Believe it or not, crypto’s meltdown could have been even worse 
Traditional financial institutions are still shielded from the worst of it. (The Atlantic $)
+ At least $1 billion is still missing following FTX’s collapse. (The Guardian)
+ AAX, another crypto exchange, has halted withdrawals. (Bloomberg $)
+ FTX’s collapse hasn’t come as a surprise to everyone. (Slate $)

2 Twitter’s new $8 verification is basically worthless
It’s incredibly easy to masquerade as someone you’re not. (WP $)
+ Twitter Blue has been paused while it tries to iron out its many problems. (The Information $)
+ Two weeks is a long time when Elon Musk’s your boss. (NYT $)
+ Why Black Twitter’s dark humor is among the platform’s funniest corners. (The Atlantic $)

3 It’s very hard to predicting how Gen Z will vote 
Partly because they ignore pollsters’ attempts to reach them over the phone. (The Verge)

4 How North Korea became a dangerous cyber threat
The rest of the world worries that any retaliation will provoke a cyber war. (FT $)
+ The FBI came close to deploying the Pegasus spying tool last year. (NYT $) 
+ How North Korea uses cutting-edge crypto money laundering to steal millions. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Mysterious ships passed near the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in September
The sightings, just days before its leaks were detected, fuels speculation the pipeline was deliberately sabotaged. (Wired $)
+ Here’s how the Nord Stream gas pipelines could be fixed. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are “looking forward to working together”
The pair have met for the first time since Biden became US President. (NYT $)
+ China’s chip suppliers are struggling amid US export controls. (FT $)

7 The FBI has seized one of the web’s largest pirated libraries
Its users won’t be able to access journals, academic texts and other textbooks for free anymore. (Motherboard)

8 The long, hard road towards growing more resilient crops
The ability to withstand more extreme weather will become ever more vital as the planet warms. (Knowable Magazine)
+ Seaweed can be turned into passable vegan bacon. (Fast Company $)
+ Solar panels that aren’t cumbersome and ugly are on their way. (WSJ $)
+ Heat is bad for plant health. Here’s how gene editing could help. (MIT Technology Review)

9 AI’s latest job? Website content writer
But its customers don’t want you to know their posts aren’t by humans. (WSJ $)
+ Quick naps helps AI to remember what it’s learned. (Motherboard)
+ Art platform DeviantArt’s users hate its new generative AI. (Ars Technica)

10 Silicon Valley seems to be turning its back on booze
Not drinking is treated as a badge of honor. (The Information $)

Quote of the day

“Honestly, his iPhone may as well be a Borg implant.”

—Tyler McClure, a father of two from Tennessee, likens his 75-year old father’s obsession with his iPhone to a Star Trek mind-control implant in an interview with the Washington Post.

The big story