Alex Mashinsky, founder of the bankrupt crypto lender Celsius, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, admitting to misleading customers about the use of their funds and manipulating a crypto token for personal gain. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and has agreed to forfeit $48 million. Celsius, which once held $25 billion in assets, collapsed following the Terra Luna stablecoin failure, leading to a bankruptcy that trapped $4.7 billion of customer funds.
Big Tech is facing a reckoning as critiques from diverse political and economic sectors converge, highlighting issues like centralization and privacy erosion. The faltering AI market and growing public demand for privacy are fueling the push for alternative, democratic tech solutions, supported by innovative funding models and independent initiatives. As Big Tech's dominance wanes, a new ecosystem focused on genuine innovation and public benefit is poised to emerge.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Jerry Nadler have urged the DOJ and NTIA to investigate VeriSign for alleged predatory pricing of .com domains, claiming the company exploits its monopoly to overcharge customers without improving services. They argue that recent agreements with NTIA and ICANN may indicate collusion, potentially violating antitrust laws. Warren and Nadler are pressing for fair pricing regulations to protect consumers in the upcoming agreement review.
The U.S. Department of Justice is pushing for significant changes to dismantle Google's search monopoly, including ending its lucrative partnership with Apple and divesting Chrome. Critics argue that true competition will only arise through innovation, not government intervention, while some believe that transferring Chrome to a neutral entity could enhance user choice. The outcome of the ongoing antitrust case remains uncertain, with potential implications for Google's market dominance.
Nvidia reported a 94% revenue increase to $35.1 billion, driven by strong demand for its AI chips, despite earlier production issues with its Blackwell GPU. CEO Jensen Huang confirmed that production is now on track, with significant sales expected from major clients like Microsoft and OpenAI. The company continues to lead the AI market, although analysts caution that profit margins may shrink as it shifts to more expensive chip production.
Prominent Substack writers are increasingly using AI tools to enhance their content creation, with some newsletters reportedly relying heavily on AI-generated writing. While platforms like Substack offer a subscription-driven model that may shield them from clickbait AI content, a recent analysis revealed that many popular newsletters incorporate AI in their writing processes. As AI becomes more integrated into media, the potential for backlash grows, prompting initiatives like GPTZero's "certified human" badge to assure readers of authentic human authorship.
NATO's Innovation Fund is investing in European tech startups to enhance military capabilities amid concerns over US support under Donald Trump's administration. Key investments include Space Forge, which aims to manufacture semiconductors in space, and ARX Robotics, developing autonomous battlefield robots. This initiative seeks to bolster Europe's defense innovation and reduce reliance on American technology.
Meta is advancing its Llama AI models, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg announcing that Llama 4 is being trained on a GPU cluster exceeding 100,000 H100 chips, the largest reported. This open-source approach contrasts with proprietary models from competitors like OpenAI and Google, raising concerns about potential misuse. Despite challenges, Meta's ad revenue growth supports its ambitious AI investments, while OpenAI continues to develop GPT-5, promising significant advancements.
Medium is grappling with a significant influx of AI-generated content, with estimates suggesting over 47% of recent posts may be AI-created. While the platform employs human curation and spam filters to manage quality, some writers report encountering a notable amount of AI material, raising concerns about its impact on readership and content integrity. Despite these challenges, Medium's leadership maintains that their systems effectively filter out low-quality AI writing, emphasizing a commitment to human-generated content.
The US Department of Homeland Security warns that reliance on Chinese lithium batteries poses economic risks, highlighting concerns over supply chain dependencies. The report identifies companies like CATL and BYD as benefiting from state support, while the US government seeks to bolster domestic battery production through incentives. Despite efforts to curb Chinese competitiveness, analysts note that the pricing advantage of Chinese firms stems from established supply chains and market competition.
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