Tether no longer looks like a simple stablecoin company. It runs a balance sheet packed with short-term US Treasurys, reverse repos, gold and even Bitcoin ( BTC). It mints and redeems dollars at scale and can freeze addresses at the request of law enforcement. That is why both critics and supporters say Tether is behaving like a private dollar-linked central bank for parts of the crypto economy, though without a sovereign mandate or safety net.
In 2011, Germany ended compulsory conscription. But the largest economy in Europe now wants to move toward what the German Ministry of Defense is calling a "new military service." This would emulate a system used in Sweden, where a questionnaire is sent out to anybody aged 18. The process will be voluntary at least, at first. Starting July 1, 2027, it becomes mandatory for all men of that age.