Author: John Smith

The U.S. Justice Department has spent nearly a year investigating Andreessen Horowitz over whether partners at the venture capital firm are improperly serving on the boards of competing artificial intelligence companies. Summary The DOJ is investigating Andreessen Horowitz over board seats held at competing AI companies. The probe involves Databricks and Fivetran and has been underway for nearly a year. Regulators are examining whether the board roles violate rules against interlocking directorates. The DOJ has not decided whether to take enforcement action. Bloomberg News reported on Aug. 17, citing people familiar with the matter, that the inquiry involves Databricks and…

Binance reportedly plans to apply for authorization from the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, seeking a potential return to the British market when the country’s comprehensive crypto rules begin in 2027. Summary Binance reportedly plans an FCA application when Britain’s six month authorization window opens in September. The FCA still prohibits Binance Markets Limited from conducting regulated activities without its written consent. Applications run from September 30, 2026, through February 28, 2027, ahead of October 2027 implementation. Filing an application would not guarantee approval, permission to relaunch, or acceptance by British regulators. Authorized crypto firms must satisfy capital, governance, custody,…

Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, joined Anthropic’s Project Glasswing on Aug. 17 and gained restricted access to Claude Mythos 5 for defensive cybersecurity work. Summary Payward joined Anthropic’s Project Glasswing and gained restricted access to the Claude Mythos 5 model. The company plans to scan all Payward environments for software vulnerabilities within the coming weeks. Payward says validated third party findings will be shared with relevant open source project maintainers. Anthropic limits Mythos 5 access to vetted organizations because its cybersecurity capabilities carry misuse risks. Mythos 5 usage requires customers to accept thirty day data retention for…

Cardano price fell about 1% to $0.174 as traders weighed a two-stage Dijkstra upgrade roadmap against a bearish chart structure and nearby liquidation risks. Summary Cardano price traded near $0.174 after breaking below a rising channel on the 4-hour chart. Cardano’s Dijkstra upgrade will roll out in two phases, beginning with protocol version 12. The daily chart places immediate support at $0.1706, followed by the $0.1385 swing low. CoinGlass data shows major upside liquidation clusters between roughly $0.183 and $0.187. Cardano price action today According to data from crypto.news, Cardano (ADA) price was trading near $0.174 at the time of…

Truth Ventures CEO Varun Datta has urged crypto investors not to demand recurring revenue from seed-stage companies, as RootData has listed 99 crypto projects that closed, entered bankruptcy, or became inactive in 2026. Summary RootData listed 99 crypto projects as closed, bankrupt, or inactive by late July. Galaxy recorded $4 billion across 355 crypto venture deals in the first quarter. Datta said seed startups should be assessed through founder knowledge and their path to a viable business. US-based companies received 70.2% of crypto venture capital during the first quarter. RootData listed 99 crypto projects that had announced closures, entered bankruptcy,…

World Liberty Financial has received preliminary OCC approval to establish a national trust bank that would issue USD1, manage its reserves, and provide digital asset custody across the United States. Summary World Liberty Trust must satisfy OCC requirements before it can begin banking operations. The proposed Florida-based bank would take over USD1 issuance and reserve assets from BitGo. Elizabeth Warren and nine senators have introduced legislation targeting bank ownership by presidents and their families. Lawmakers have also questioned a reported $500 million UAE-linked investment in World Liberty. World Liberty bank cannot open until conditions are met The Office of the…

Fireblocks has appointed former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Acting Chairman Elad Roisman as its chief regulatory and policy officer and general counsel for regulatory affairs. Summary Roisman will oversee Fireblocks’ regulatory strategy, policy engagement, and legal work involving regulation. The former SEC commissioner will act as the company’s main contact with regulators and standards bodies. Fireblocks said its platform has secured more than $14 trillion in digital asset transactions. The appointment takes effect immediately, with Roisman joining the leadership team in Washington, D.C. Roisman will lead Fireblocks’ regulatory work Fireblocks said in an Aug. 17 press release that Roisman…

RIOT stock has climbed 4.7% to $19.91 after JPMorgan raised its Riot Platforms price target to $22 following the Bitcoin miner’s $9.1 billion data center agreement reportedly involving Anthropic. Summary JPMorgan raised its RIOT target from $20 to $22 and retained an Overweight rating. Riot’s 20-year data center contract is expected to generate $9.1 billion in revenue. Morgan Stanley separately increased its RIOT target from $36 to $43. RIOT faces resistance at $20.48, while its main 4-hour support sits near $18.50. JPMorgan sees momentum building at Riot Platforms On Aug. 1, JPMorgan had increased its price target for Riot Platforms…

OpenAI has signed a 20-year lease for 4.25 gigawatts of initial AI capacity at an Ohio data center supported by up to $105 billion in guarantees from Nvidia. Summary OpenAI’s lease at the PORTS-Pike campus is expected to begin in phases in 2028. Nvidia has capped its initial guarantee obligations at a combined $105 billion. SB Energy will build, own, and operate the Pike County data center. Nvidia will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy and provide the campus’s AI systems. Nvidia’s Aug. 17 announcement said OpenAI will use the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, where SB Energy will…

Strategy has raised $333.7 million through common stock sales without buying or selling Bitcoin last week, leaving its holdings unchanged at 840,447 BTC. Summary Strategy raised $333.7 million from MSTR stock sales between Aug. 10 and Aug. 16. The company made no Bitcoin purchases or sales, keeping its holdings at 840,447 BTC. Strategy spent $132.2 million repurchasing STRC shares and $52.4 million on STRC dividends. Another $149.1 million was added to its U.S. dollar reserve, taking the total to $4.80 billion. According to a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 17, Strategy sold 3.46…