Financial analyst Jim Bianco commented on Monday about Scottie Pippen’s dream encounters with Satoshi Nakamoto, noting that the NBA legend’s predictions about Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) have been surprisingly accurate.

What Happened Bianco, president and founder of Bianco Research, stated in a post on X that Pippen’s predictions have gained followers due to their accuracy, despite the strange methods he claims to use, such as receiving messages from Bitcoin’s anonymous creator in his dreams.

Bianco also analyzed Pippen’s latest forecast, in which the basketball star said, “I just took a nap, and Satoshi whispered to me: ‘Bitcoin will get closer to the Black Mamba numbers before it returns to Chamberlain.'”

According to Bianco, the post referenced NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 81 and 100 points in a single game, respectively. Simply put, Pippen expected Bitcoin to drop to $81,000 before recovering to $100,000.

Why It Matters The world’s leading cryptocurrency has fallen below the key support level of $93,000 and is at risk of falling further. Since the Christmas rally, Bitcoin has dropped by up to 6.5%.

Earlier, Pippen grabbed attention by predicting Bitcoin would hit $84,000 on U.S. presidential election day. While the digital asset didn’t meet these predictions, it reached $84,000 a week later.

Ecuador, engaged in a war against drug trafficking gangs, has declared a new state of emergency in Quito and seven of its 24 provinces, which are considered the most violent, according to a presidential decree released on Friday.

The 60-day measure suspends the rights to the inviolability of the home and correspondence in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, and El Oro, as well as the Amazonian provinces of Orellana and Sucumbíos. This state of emergency has been in effect since Thursday and was implemented due to the severe internal turmoil and internal armed conflict declared last year because of drug-related violence.

The decree includes Quito (in the province of Pichincha) and the towns of La Troncal (Cañar) and the mining town of Camilo Ponce Enríquez (Azuay), as well as the prison system, now under military control.

The government of Daniel Noboa, which began in November 2023, has consistently used this measure in response to an escalating wave of drug gangs fighting for control of the streets and prisons.

“This declaration is based on… the increase in violence rates, the commission of crimes, and the prolonged intensity of the presence of organized armed groups,” states the decree released on the presidential website.

A prominent British politician addressed Elon Musk’s recent criticism on Friday regarding the government’s handling of a historic child abuse scandal.

In recent days, Musk shared and reacted to posts on his social media platform X, condemning the UK government’s decision to reject a public inquiry into the child abuse scandal in Oldham, a town in northern England.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting dismissed Musk’s comments as “wrong and certainly misinformed” but extended an invitation to the tech mogul to collaborate with the government in combating child sexual exploitation.

The UK government argued that Oldham should follow the example of other cities by commissioning its own investigation into historical abuse. A 2022 report on safeguarding measures in Oldham between 2011 and 2014 highlighted failures by local agencies to protect children but found no evidence of a cover-up. The report noted “legitimate concerns” about far-right groups exploiting the high-profile convictions of predominantly Pakistani offenders across the country.

Musk has also criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of failing to bring justice to what many describe as “grooming gangs” during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. On Friday, Musk referred to the scandals as a “massive crime against humanity.”

Speaking to ITV News, Streeting emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling child sexual exploitation. He welcomed Musk’s potential involvement, stating, “Some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made, I think, are wrong and certainly misinformed. But we are ready to work with him. With his social network, he has a significant role to play in helping the UK and other countries address this serious issue. If he wants to roll up his sleeves and work with us, we’d gladly welcome him.”

Musk’s apparent interest in UK politics has grown since the Labour Party’s landslide victory in the July 2024 elections, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.