Snap's Rollback of Redesign May Signal an Identity Crisis
*By Britt Terrell*
Snap is doing something that is unprecedented in social media. The maker of Snapchat has answered angry users' protests and revamped its app to make it more similar to the original version.
"It's a sign of humility in a way for Snapchat," said Marty Swant, a staff writer at Adweek. "In a way, I wonder if they have a bit of an identity crisis."
Is Snap making a tool for publishers or is the app catering to its core users?
Snapchat's 2017 redesign was meant to bring more people to its publishing page. But loyal users revolted: A petition called for the app maker to revert to the old design, the platform saw its user growth [decline in the last quarter](http://deadline.com/2018/05/snap-inc-snapchat-slowest-growth-earnings-stock-plunges-1202380663/).
As Snap's stock continues to plummet ーit's down nearly 50 percent year-over-year ー the company must figure out ways to appeal to advertisers.
"I think the big picture that Snapchat has now is their ads are a lot more creative than the ads you're seeing on Instagram stories - Snapchat's main competitor," said Swant in an interview Monday with Cheddar. "They're just cooler looking, they're more engaging. I think that's a big play, but the question is, do users actually spend time with them?"
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/snap-redesigns-its-redesign).
Investors were on edge on Monday following bitcoin plummeting below the $40,000 dollar mark, hit its lowest price since September. The world's largest crypto has had months of hot and cold streaks, hitting a record high of $69,000 just months earlier in November. The latest drop now has analysts wondering just what 2022 will have in store for bitcoin and crypto as a whole.
Budd White, Chief Product Officer at Tacen explains what’s next for bitcoin and what other cryptos should be on the lookout for.
For the first time since September, Bitcoin fell below $40,000 early Monday. The currency's average short-term price has now dipped below its average long-term price, which is known by a rather dramatic term, a death cross. According to analysts, the indicator appears to be a result of mounting concerns of faster liquidity withdrawal by the US Federal Reserve. The crypto slump also follows a week of rough trading for equities overall. CEO Snickerdoodle Labs and Co-Founder of the Stanford Future of Digital Currency Initiative, Jonathan Padilla, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
With the record highs in pet ownership in recent months, there is a huge emerging market in pet technology. The new halo collar isn't just a smart collar; it's the next-generation dog safety system. Cheddar News sits down with the co-founders of Halo, Cesar Milan and Ken Ehrman, to discuss.
With no end in sight to supply chain snarls, some companies are reconsidering the way they manufacture goods. Harry Moser, founder and president of Reshoring Initiative and Jennifer Smith, logistics and supply chain reporter for the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss some of the ways companies are trying to solve their supply chain problems in the long term.
Bitcoin dipped below $40,000 this week amid a broader slump to begin the year. Some speculate that as cryptocurrencies correlate closer to traditional assets that factors like the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy will weigh on digital coins. Jalak Jobanputra, managing partner at Future Perfect Ventures, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss why crypto markets are feeling pressure from the Fed's potential 2022 rate hikes, broader crypto market predictions, and more.
A.I. startup Fractal has raised $360 million in funding, officially entering the unicorn club. Pranay Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder of Fractal, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the company plans to do with the fresh capital.
