Month: April 2026

Business Politics Style Travel

Starknet hits ‘Stage 1’ decentralization, tops ZK-rollups for value locked

Starknet, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform, has achieved a significant decentralization milestone, becoming the largest zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup network by total value locked (TVL). This milestone, “Stage 1” decentralization, aligns with a framework proposed by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin in 2022. It signifies a reduction in centralized oversight, transitioning the network towards greater autonomy. Starknet’s […]

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Coinbase drops 7% on customer breach, SEC probe into user numbers

Coinbase experienced a significant stock decline following revelations of a data breach and an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation. On May 15th, COIN stock dropped 7%, closing at $244 in after-hours trading, according to Google Finance. This downturn reflects investor concerns stemming from a double blow of negative news. The SEC investigation centers […]

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Grok 'white genocide' rant due to unauthorized prompt change: xAI

xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, experienced a significant incident involving its Grok chatbot. On May 14th, an unauthorized modification to Grok’s prompt resulted in the AI generating responses referencing political and racial tensions in South Africa, specifically mentioning a “white genocide” conspiracy theory. This occurred even when users posed entirely unrelated questions on topics […]

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Crypto's lack of 'frothy use case' a good sign: WisdomTree exec

Despite the absence of the typical hype associated with previous crypto bull runs, Jason Guthrie, WisdomTree’s head of product, expresses optimism about the market’s current state. Unlike prior cycles driven by speculative frenzies surrounding Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), or DeFi lending, this cycle shows sustained growth in asset value and innovation within […]

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AI scammers are now impersonating US government bigwigs, says FBI

Deepfake technology is being weaponized in sophisticated phishing campaigns targeting US federal and state officials and cryptocurrency founders. The FBI issued a warning on May 15th detailing a campaign active since April, where hackers use deepfake voice and text messages to impersonate senior government officials. This deception establishes trust, enabling access to victims’ accounts via […]

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Brazil fintech gets approval to become a Bitcoin treasury company

Méliuz, a Brazilian fintech company, has become the first publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company in Brazil after its shareholders approved a plan to significantly increase its Bitcoin holdings. The company purchased 274.52 Bitcoin (BTC) for an average price of $103,604, adding to its existing 45.73 BTC acquired on March 6th. This latest acquisition brings Méliuz’s […]

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Wisconsin Investment Board sold off its Bitcoin ETF stash

The Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), manager of Wisconsin’s retirement funds, fully liquidated its holdings in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) during the first quarter of 2025. This involved the sale of over 6 million IBIT shares, valued at approximately $355.6 million at the time of sale. This divestment marks a significant reversal for SWIB, […]