At the Kazakhstan–China Business Forum in Shanghai, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna JSC Nurlan Zhakupov highlighted joint projects that are shaping the future of transit and logistics across Eurasia.
“The competitiveness of transport routes no longer depends solely on infrastructure. Data, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important,” he said.
The next stage of cooperation should focus on developing an intelligent transport corridor that integrates modern logistics routes with artificial intelligence, big data, digital twins, and intelligent freight management systems. Today, the joint transport and logistics network connects the Port of Lianyungang, Khorgos Gateway, the Xi’an Terminal, the Aktau Hub, and the ZHETYSU Logistics Complex in Almaty. In 2027, the network will be expanded with the addition of a dry port in Chengdu, further strengthening the route from China’s Pacific coast through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea to Europe.
The development of the transport corridor is being supported by large-scale infrastructure projects. The construction of the Bakhty–Ayagoz railway line will establish the third rail border crossing between Kazakhstan and China, with an annual capacity of up to 25 million tonnes.
“Together, we will strengthen the Middle Corridor as one of the key transport routes of the 21st century,” Nurlan Zhakupov said.
Samruk-Kazyna serves as Co-Chair of the Kazakhstan–China Business Council, with China’s CITIC Group serving as the Chinese Co-Chair. Following the Council’s two most recent meetings, more than 110 commercial agreements worth approximately USD 20 billion have been signed across the energy, transport, digitalisation, and industrial sectors.
Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna JSC, met with Phillip Gan, President of Huawei for the Middle East and Central Asia.
The parties discussed the implementation of joint projects and the prospects for further cooperation in digitalization, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence. They also reviewed cooperation on the development and modernization of telecommunications and IT infrastructure, including data transmission and communications networks, data centers, server and networking equipment, data storage systems, and other digital infrastructure.
Nurlan Zhakupov noted that Huawei is one of the world’s leading technology companies and emphasized that the implementation of joint initiatives will mark an important step in Kazakhstan’s digital transformation, support the development of high-tech infrastructure, and strengthen the country’s position in the global technology landscape.
Primit × Avalanche Season 1 “On-Chain Perp Frenzy” is now officially live on the Avalanche network. With a total prize pool of 100,000USDT equivalentin AVAX and four simultaneous reward mechanisms, this marks the first large-scale on-chain perpetual trading incentive event in the Avalanche ecosystem.
Full Mechanism Overview
Daily Random User Rewards ($7,000 pool)
Every day, 20 users with ≥$200 trading volume are randomly selected to share a $500 pool. 280 total winner slots over 14 days. Draws execute automatically via script daily, with off-chain public verification.
Twitter Contributor Rewards ($5,200 pool)
For community content creators. Post high-quality Primit tutorials, strategy analysis, risk management, or reward breakdowns on Twitter/X with #PrimitAvalanche. Human + Agent review. Top contributors earn $300–$500 each.
Referral Rebate Mechanism ($50,000 pool)
Every user receives an auto-generated unique Referral Code. A referred user must register via the code and achieve ≥$500 cumulative volume with ≥5 trades during the event to count as valid. After the event, the $50,000 pool is distributed proportionally by valid referral volume. No individual cap.
Volume Leaderboard ($37,800 pool, Top 120)
Ranked by cumulative volume after the event:
Top 1: $4,000
Top 2: $2,500
Top 3: $1,800
Top 4–10: $1,000 each (total $7,000)
Top 11–30: $450 each (total $9,000)
Top 31–60: $250 each (total $7,500)
Top 61–120: $100 each (total $6,000)
Avalanche Multiplier
Volume from AVAX-related pairs or using native gas receives a 1.5x weighting. This design directs traders toward Avalanche’s core ecosystem assets while providing quantifiable on-chain activity data for the Avalanche Foundation.
Founder Quote
“Season 1 is not a simple airdrop event. It’s a product stress test. We aim to prove that on-chain perpetual trading is ready to carry real, high-frequency, professional demand. Avalanche’s infrastructure makes this possible.” — Team Primit
About Primit & Avalanche
Primit is a next-generation on-chain perpetual contract trading platform focused on low-latency, low-fee, fully transparent on-chain derivatives. Avalanche is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain known for sub-second finality and minimal gas costs.
EBC12 brings together speakers from J.P. Morgan, the Financial Conduct Authority, Invesco, Coinbase, Fidelity International, and more than 300 leaders from the banks, regulators, and asset managers shaping Europe’s digital asset market.
Barcelona, Spain, July, 2026 — Eleven weeks after the European Union’s MiCA deadline, the 12th edition of the European Blockchain Convention (EBC12) returns to Barcelona at a pivotal moment for the industry. It is the region’s first major institutional gathering since the world’s first comprehensive cross-border digital asset regulation became fully law, and the event where European deal flow happens.
MiCA is now fully in force. For European markets, the focus shifts to what comes next: CASP licensing, stablecoin issuance, and the role of CBDCs in cross-border settlement. EBC12 is where that conversation takes place.
Rather than chasing mandates city by city across London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Barcelona, EBC12 compresses the European digital asset market into a single two-day commercial arena. It takes place on 16–17 September 2026 at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya.
Europe has set the pace for compliant digital asset markets, giving the industry a clearer framework for how crypto can scale within regulation rather than around it. The institutional signal is unmistakable: Deutsche Börse has invested $200 million in Kraken; Santander’s digital bank, Openbank, has expanded its crypto trading for customers across Germany and Spain. Both will be among the institutions discussing what comes next in Barcelona this September.
EBC expects 80 of Europe’s top 100 banks in Barcelona this September, up from 50 last year. The debate about whether institutions will enter digital assets is over. EBC12 is where they come to work out what comes next.
“Eight years ago, we built EBC because we believed Europe would be where this industry matured. A lot of people thought we were early. In 2026, European banks are deploying capital, institutional products are live across major markets, and the regulatory framework is in place. EBC is where the people driving that change meet once a year to do real business,” said Victoria Gago, Co-CEO of European Blockchain Convention and Digital Assets Forum.
Sessions cover institutional capital allocation, real-world asset tokenisation, regulatory market structure, and the future of stablecoins and CBDCs as global settlement infrastructure.
Confirmed speakers include Emma Landriault, Head of Kinexys Labs at J.P. Morgan; Mohamad Zaraket, Head of Digital Assets Strategy EMEA at BNY; Kathleen Wrynn, Global Head of DA, Invesco; Victor Jung, Vice President, Digital Assets & Currencies, Hamilton Lane; Previn Singh from Fidelity and Colin Payne, Head of Innovation at the Financial Conduct Authority, among more than 300 speakers from across banking, asset management, infrastructure, and policy.
Alongside the main programme, EBC12 features 10,000 pre-arranged one-to-one meetings, a Buy Side Breakfast for allocators and institutional investors, and a dedicated press room with direct access to speakers.
EBC12 expects over 5,000 attendees from 90+ countries for two days of market intelligence, strategic networking, and commercial momentum at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, a new premium venue reflecting the event’s institutional evolution.
— ENDS —
Notes to Editors
Event: European Blockchain Convention 12 (EBC12)
Dates: 16–17 September 2026
Venue: Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Website: eblockchainconvention.com
Press enquiries: ebc@yapglobal.com or samvidha@yapglobal.com
Founded in 2018, the European Blockchain Convention has grown into a key driver of European deal flow in digital assets, bringing together banks, asset managers, regulators, infrastructure providers, and builders annually. Alongside EBC, the Digital Assets Forum series extends this reach across London, Abu Dhabi, and New York throughout the year.
Garden City, NY — In a sport built on heart, discipline, and generational pride, few stories hit as hard as the rise of The Champ, El Feroz Vargas. This moment isn’t just a victory — it’s a cultural milestone. And today, JDLINO BRAND and FELITWO proudly congratulate El Feroz and his entire familión, honoring the legacy, the sacrifice, and the unstoppable fire that brought him to the throne.
A Champion Forged by Family, Culture, and Pure Feroz Energy
Every fighter has a story — but El Feroz Vargas carries a whole lineage into the ring. His triumph represents:
Generational strength passed down through his familión
Latin grit fused with New York ambition
A warrior’s discipline sharpened through years of sacrifice
A champion’s mindset that refuses to break
His victory is more than a belt — it’s a statement. A declaration that the Vargas legacy is alive, powerful, and ready to dominate the global boxing stage.
FELITWO: The Soundtrack of Champions.
When Felitwo’s voice hits the speakers, fighters feel it in their bones. His bilingual fire, his Global–Latin fusion, and his cinematic production have become the anthem of modern warriors.
Tracks like “Champ / Campeón” echo the same mentality that drives El Feroz Vargas:
ambition
discipline
hunger
legacy
Felitwo’s music doesn’t just accompany the fight — it amplifies it. It turns every punch into a moment. Every round into a story. Every victory into a cinematic scene.
JDLINO BRAND: Luxury Urban Power Meets Boxing Royalty.
From New York to global fashion capitals, JDLINO BRAND has become synonymous with luxury urban culture, editorial excellence, and cinematic storytelling. Today, the brand stands proudly beside El Feroz Vargas, honoring:
his discipline
his cultural pride
his familión’s unwavering support
his rise from dreamer to champion
This moment reflects everything JDLINO BRAND stands for: ambition, legacy, and unstoppable elevation.
The Familión: The Heart Behind the Champion
Behind every punch, every round, every victory — there is family.
The Vargas familión represents:
unity
sacrifice
tradition
love for the sport
Their support built the foundation that allowed El Feroz to rise. Their pride is the fuel behind his fire. Their legacy is now part of boxing history.
A New Chapter Begins
This victory is not the end — it’s the beginning of a new era.
A new champion.
A new legacy.
A new cultural force.
And JDLINO BRAND and FELITWO stand, celebrating the moment and preparing for the next chapter in the Vargas dynasty.
Zurich, Switzerland– Swiss author Pooyan Ghamari has published The Nakamoto Masquerade (ISBN 9783696383770), an English-language novel registered in the German national bibliographic catalog. The novel joins an expanded body of work by the author that now spans thirteen ISBN-registered books in English and German across governance, finance, philosophy, real estate, and literary fiction, as well as a collection of ebooks listed in Google Books. The full catalog and bibliographic references are maintained on the author’s official website at https://ghamari.org/my-books.
About the Novel
The Nakamoto Masquerade is described in the official catalog as a novel exploring ledgers, desire, institutions, geopolitical pressure, and the hidden mechanics of modern finance. Written in the European tradition of the literary novel, the Roman, the work uses the world of cryptocurrency and global finance as the setting for a wider inquiry into identity, belief, and the institutional forces shaping contemporary life.
It is published alongside two related works in the author’s literary cycle, Das Imperium ohne Flagge(ISBN 9783696397593) in German and The Bitcoin Mask (ISBN 9783696381684) in English.
About the Catalog
The author’s catalog includes thirteen ISBN-registered titles covering governance, society, finance, capital markets, philosophy, real estate, and literary fiction in both English and German. Recent titles include Human Dignity and Power, The Strait of Hormuz, the Matrix of Power, The Invisible Empire and the Chain of Free Nations, The Intelligence of Bees, Navigating Global Finance with SPV and AMC, The Invisible Chain, UAE Developers Decoded, and the German-language literary novel Unter dem stillen Himmel am Rhein. The complete catalog with ISBNs and descriptions is available at https://ghamari.org/my-books.
A parallel collection of ebooks by Pooyan Ghamari is listed in Google Books, covering Swiss business and democracy, decentralized governance, blockchain, quantum computing, and related subjects. The Google Books author collection is accessible at https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Pooyan+Ghamari%22.
Continuing Writing
The author publishes essays and analyses on geopolitical economy, sanctions, banking, and institutional questions at https://ghamari.org/articles.
About the Author
Pooyan Ghamari is a Swiss author based in Switzerland, writing across economics, finance, governance, technology, philosophy, history, and literary fiction. His full bibliography and biography are maintained at https://ghamari.org.
In the author’s own note at Ghamari.org: “Writing is not the end of learning. It is part of the journey of observing, questioning, and sharing ideas about people, systems, and civilization.”
Kazakhstan ranked 24th in the KidsRights Index 2026, becoming the only country from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to enter the global top 25 and outpacing its Central Asian neighbors in the annual ranking of children’s rights.
The index was released on June 24 by KidsRights, an Amsterdam-based international children’s rights organization, in cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam. It measures children’s rights in 194 countries.
The leader in the index is Luxembourg, followed by Iceland and Monaco. Germany, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Belgium, Slovenia and Austria round up the top 10 in the list.
Kazakhstan posted an overall score of 0.797 in the index. Its highest marks came in child protection at 0.944, and health at 0.900. The country also scored 0.847 in the life category, 0.765 in education and 0.583 in the enabling environment for children’s rights.
The report points to a worldwide deterioration in the protection of children’s rights, citing factors such as escalating armed conflicts, a sharp increase in conflict-related sexual violence against children and the spread of childhood obesity. It also highlights slow progress and, in some cases, setbacks in the implementation of children’s rights.
Just five countries moved up in this year’s index, while 31 dropped to lower-performing groups. The number of countries in the highest-performing category also fell by 30% from 2025.
“Children are increasingly exposed to risks they did not create and cannot control,” said Marc Dullaert, founder and chairman of KidsRights. “Whether children are growing up in the shadow of war or in environments that undermine their health, the result is the same: their rights, wellbeing and future opportunities are being put at risk. The world is failing to provide children with the protection they are entitled to.”
Children in Armed Conflicts
The report also warns of the growing toll that armed conflict is taking on children worldwide. Conflict-related sexual violence against children rose by 35% since 2024.
The report says more than one in five children globally are directly affected by armed conflict, while explosive weapons account for 69% of child casualties in war zones.
Obesity as Global Epidemic
The report points to childhood obesity as a global epidemic impacting children in every part of the world. It notes that for the first time in history, obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 surpasses underweight globally.
Overweight and obesity, which were once seen mainly as challenges for high-income countries, are now rising across low- and middle-income nations, highlighting the global reach of the crisis. Latin America and the Caribbean, along with the Middle East and North Africa, report the highest prevalence.
Astana Finance Days (AFD), the flagship financial forum of the Astana International Financial Centre, has evolved into one of the region’s leading platform for capital markets, investment dialogue and cross-border cooperation. What began as an industry-focused event has grown into a strategic meeting point for investors, regulators, policymakers, financial institutions and businesses from Central Asia, the Caucasus and the broader Eurasian region.
The 9th edition of AFD will take place on 9-10 September, 2026, in Astana under the theme Delivering Impact: Capital in Action. The programme will focus on how capital is mobilized, structured and deployed across regional and global markets – from capital markets and investment products to regulation, innovation, real-economy financing and cross-border cooperation.
AFD 2026 is expected to convene over 5,000 participants from more than 80 countries, including global investors, asset managers, policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies, and industry leaders.
For international participants, the Forum offers direct access to one of the region’s most dynamic financial ecosystems and to a market increasingly positioned as a gateway between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
From Dialogue to Deal Flow
What distinguishes AFD is not only its scale, but its function. The Forum is designed to move beyond high-level discussion and create the conditions for practical outcomes – from investment leads and strategic partnerships to market entry, institutional cooperation, and capital-raising opportunities.
In a region where connectivity is as much about trust as it is about infrastructure, AFD provides a neutral and internationally oriented platform where public-sector priorities, private-sector capabilities, and investor expectations can meet in one place.
A Track Record of Growth and Practical Outcomes
The 2025 edition brought together over 5,500 participants from 82 countries, including asset managers overseeing a combined total of $1.5 trillion. The programme featured 160 speakers, more than 40 business events, four new listings on the Astana International Exchange and the signing of seven agreements.
Inside the AFD 2026 Agenda
AFD 2026 will build on this momentum with a programme focused on practical solutions, investable opportunities and the future architecture of regional finance.
Key themes of AFD 2026 include capital markets and investment products; trust infrastructure: regulation, law, market confidence; innovation at institutional scale; financing the real economy; regional and cross-border capital cooperation.
Another defining element is the AFD Exhibition — a platform where participants will present their solutions and achievements. For companies, this represents an opportunity to strengthen market positioning and establish direct connections with strategic partners.
The forum is traditionally organised with the support of partners, including Gold Partner – Freedom; Silver Partners – Solidcore Resources and ITS, Bronze Partners – LMAX Group and Teniz Capital Investment Banking; Fintech Partner – Mastercard; Official Airline Partner – Air Astana, Partners – Orient Capital Management, Qanat Invest, Roemer Capital (Europe), Abylai Global Solutions, MYD Production and others.
Getting attention online is easy for a moment. Keeping people interested is the difficult part.
Every day, social media feeds are filled with creators trying to go viral, follow trends, or compete for visibility. Most disappear as quickly as they appear. But every now and then, someone manages to turn simple online attention into something more lasting.
That’s the direction Jessica Lasher seems to be heading.
The Vancouver-based internet personality has steadily built a growing audience across platforms by creating content that feels both confident and approachable at the same time. While many creators rely heavily on viral moments alone, Jessica’s online presence has developed through consistency, personality, and an understanding of what keeps people engaged long after they first discover a page.
What makes her rise interesting is that it hasn’t followed the usual influencer formula.
Jessica Lasher’s content doesn’t feel overly polished or disconnected from her audience. Instead, her pages carry a more natural energy that people seem to connect with immediately. Whether she’s posting fashion-focused content, cosplay-inspired visuals, fitness clips, or more casual moments, there’s a personality behind the content that keeps viewers paying attention.
That balance has become one of her biggest strengths online.
Social media audiences today move quickly. Trends change daily, and viewers scroll past hundreds of posts within minutes. Creators who manage to stand out usually do it by creating a recognizable identity rather than relying on one viral post at a time.
Jessica appears to understand that naturally.
Her content combines multiple sides of her personality without making anything feel forced. Some posts lean into a softer and playful aesthetic, while others showcase a more confident and bold side that immediately captures attention. Together, those contrasts create an online presence that feels more memorable than many accounts people encounter online.
And people are responding to it.
Across platforms, Jessica’s content has already generated millions of views, helping her build a steadily growing fanbase despite still being relatively early in her rise as a creator. Clips featuring her continue spreading through repost pages, short-form recommendations, and social shares, introducing her content to new audiences every week.
But views alone don’t create influence.
What separates growing creators from truly influential personalities online is audience connection. Followers need a reason to come back consistently, and Jessica’s content seems to create exactly that type of curiosity. Her audience doesn’t just watch one post and move on – they continue following her across platforms to keep up with what she posts next.
That kind of cross-platform attention is becoming increasingly valuable in modern social media culture.
Instead of building her presence around a single app, Jessica Lasher has created visibility across Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, and Facebook. That approach not only expands her reach but also helps strengthen her online identity beyond temporary algorithm boosts.
It’s part of why her name has slowly become more recognizable online.
Followers often describe her content as easy to watch because it feels less manufactured than traditional influencer branding. There’s still a polished visual style behind her posts, but the overall energy remains relatable enough for audiences to connect with naturally.
That relatability matters more than ever right now.
Modern audiences are becoming increasingly selective about the creators they support online. Instead of only following accounts with perfect aesthetics, many viewers are drawn toward personalities who feel authentic while still maintaining a strong visual identity. Jessica Lasher seems to sit comfortably in that space.
Her tattoos, fashion style, cosplay content, and fitness-focused posts all contribute to a recognizable look, but it’s the personality behind those visuals that keeps viewers engaged.
Another factor helping Jessica grow is consistency. Social media rewards creators who remain active and adaptable, and Jessica has continued evolving her content without losing the core identity her audience originally connected with. That ability to stay recognizable while still keeping content fresh is one of the biggest reasons some internet personalities continue growing while others plateau quickly.
And based on the momentum around her content right now, Jessica Lasher’s audience appears to still be expanding.
More viewers are searching her name online, more clips featuring her are appearing across social feeds, and more followers are discovering her pages through recommendations and reposts. That kind of organic visibility is often one of the clearest signs that a creator is beginning to move beyond casual influencer status and toward becoming a recognizable internet personality.
For Jessica, influence seems to be growing naturally from attention rather than being forced through heavy promotion.
That difference is important because audiences online tend to notice authenticity quickly. The creators who last are usually the ones who understand how to build attention without looking desperate for it.
So far, Jessica Lasher has managed to do exactly that.
And as her online presence continues growing across multiple platforms, it’s becoming increasingly clear that she isn’t just another creator having a temporary viral moment. She’s building something far more valuable – familiarity, audience loyalty, and a recognizable digital presence that continues getting stronger over time.
In a world where internet attention disappears quickly, turning visibility into real influence is rare.
But Jessica Lasher appears to be doing it one post at a time.
Every few months, social media seems to introduce a new personality that suddenly starts appearing everywhere. Sometimes it happens through one viral clip. Other times, it happens more naturally – through consistent content, growing engagement, and people sharing posts because they genuinely enjoy watching them.
That’s exactly what seems to be happening with Jessica Lasher.
Over the last year, the Vancouver-based creator has quietly built a growing online audience across multiple platforms, with fans continuing to discover her through Instagram, TikTok, X, and Snapchat. While she may still be considered a rising name in the creator space, more people online are starting to recognize her content the moment it appears on their feed.
Part of that comes from the energy she brings online. Jessica Lasher doesn’t come across like someone trying too hard to become internet famous. Her content feels relaxed, playful, confident, and personal at the same time – something followers tend to connect with quickly.
One scroll through her social media pages and it becomes easy to understand why her audience keeps growing. From fashion-focused content and cosplay-inspired looks to fitness clips and lifestyle moments, Jessica blends multiple styles together without making her content feel repetitive. That balance has helped her stand out in a space where many creators often end up looking the same.
Her audience also seems drawn to the contrast in her personality online. Some posts lean into a softer, more approachable side, while others carry a much more confident and bold energy. That mix has become a big part of her appeal.
Followers often mention that her content feels authentic – not overly scripted or heavily curated. In a social media environment filled with polished influencer branding, that kind of natural presence can make a huge difference.
And the numbers are beginning to reflect it.
Across social platforms, Jessica Lasher’s content has already generated millions of views, with clips continuing to circulate through repost pages, recommendations, and short-form video feeds. Even with a relatively early-stage following, her engagement levels continue growing as more viewers discover her content and start following her across multiple platforms.
That growth has happened steadily instead of overnight, which is often a stronger sign of long-term audience loyalty. Viral moments can bring temporary attention, but creators who continue gaining momentum usually build something deeper than quick internet trends.
Jessica’s audience appears to follow her because of her overall personality and presence, not just because of one specific post.
That difference matters.
Many online creators struggle to hold attention once trends move on, but Jessica Lasher’s content continues attracting repeat viewers because her audience never fully knows what kind of post they’ll see next. One day it may be a casual fitness clip, another day a cosplay-inspired shoot, and another a fashion-focused reel that spreads quickly across social feeds.
That unpredictability keeps her content interesting without making it feel random.
Her growing popularity also reflects a larger shift happening online right now. Audiences are becoming more interested in creators who feel relatable while still carrying a strong personal brand. Instead of following influencers who appear overly distant or manufactured, people are gravitating toward internet personalities who feel real enough to connect with while still standing out visually.
Jessica Lasher fits naturally into that space.
Her tattoos, confident style, and fashion aesthetic give her content a recognizable identity, while her softer personality keeps the overall vibe approachable rather than intimidating. It creates a balance that works especially well on modern social media platforms, where personality often matters just as much as appearance.
Another reason people are starting to notice Jessica is the consistency of her online presence. She remains active across multiple platforms, which helps keep her audience engaged while also expanding her visibility beyond a single app or algorithm.
That multi-platform growth has become increasingly important for creators trying to build long-term recognition online. Instead of relying on one viral moment, Jessica Lasher has been building familiarity – the kind that slowly turns casual viewers into loyal followers.
And judging by the growing attention around her name, that strategy appears to be working.
Search interest around Jessica Lasher has continued increasing as more viewers discover her content through recommendations, reposts, and fan pages. With every viral clip or shared post, new audiences are introduced to her content, creating the kind of momentum many creators spend years trying to build.
For now, Jessica Lasher remains one of the internet personalities people are just beginning to discover. But with her audience continuing to grow across platforms, it feels increasingly likely that her name will become much more recognizable in the months ahead.
Because once the internet starts paying attention to someone consistently, it usually means something bigger is already beginning.
