💰 Promptwatch raises €6M seed to scale AI search optimization
Amsterdam-based Promptwatch, an AI Search Optimization platform, has closed a €6 million seed funding round led by Seed + Speed Ventures, with participation from Blum Ventures and follow-on backing from Arches Capital.
Founded in 2025 by Gijs de Groot and Klaas Foppen, Promptwatch helps organizations understand and improve how they appear in AI-generated search results. The platform analyzes how AI models perceive brands using over 10 million daily data points from user prompts, AI responses, citations, and model updates. Customers include Duolingo, Fireflies, and Monks, with 1,840+ organizations using the platform.
The funding will accelerate development of Promptwatch's agentic AI technology, support international expansion, and fuel a new New York office to serve US enterprise customers and marketing agencies. …
Amsterdam-based Promptwatch, an AI Search Optimization platform, has closed a €6 million seed funding round led by Seed + Speed Ventures, with participation from Blum Ventures and follow-on backing from Arches Capital.
Founded in 2025 by Gijs de Groot and Klaas Foppen, Promptwatch helps organizations understand and improve how they appear in AI-generated search results. The platform analyzes how AI models perceive brands using over 10 million daily data points from user prompts, AI responses, citations, and model updates. Customers include Duolingo, Fireflies, and Monks, with 1,840+ organizations using the platform.
The funding will accelerate development of Promptwatch's agentic AI technology, support international expansion, and fuel a new New York office to serve US enterprise customers and marketing agencies. …
📊 XRP shows conflicting signals as bullish sentiment clashes with short positioning
XRP and Ethereum flashed contrarian bearish signals as social sentiment turned euphoric, yet their derivatives markets told opposite stories. XRP's funding rate turned negative at -0.0033%, meaning traders are paying to hold short positions, while Ethereum's funding remained positive at 0.0049%.
On-chain sentiment metrics from Santiment revealed the divide. XRP led with 3.02 bullish comments per bearish one, while Ethereum followed at 2.31. Bitcoin sat neutral at 1.40. The pattern carries contrarian weight: elevated bullish chatter often precedes near-term pullbacks, especially when paired with negative funding like XRP's.
The conflict creates a crossroads for XRP. If the token rallies, short sellers could face forced liquidations, triggering a squeeze. If bearish bets hold, bullish traders may retreat as optimism unwinds. XRP declined 7.22% over the past week, compared to Ethereum's 1.09% slip. …
XRP and Ethereum flashed contrarian bearish signals as social sentiment turned euphoric, yet their derivatives markets told opposite stories. XRP's funding rate turned negative at -0.0033%, meaning traders are paying to hold short positions, while Ethereum's funding remained positive at 0.0049%.
On-chain sentiment metrics from Santiment revealed the divide. XRP led with 3.02 bullish comments per bearish one, while Ethereum followed at 2.31. Bitcoin sat neutral at 1.40. The pattern carries contrarian weight: elevated bullish chatter often precedes near-term pullbacks, especially when paired with negative funding like XRP's.
The conflict creates a crossroads for XRP. If the token rallies, short sellers could face forced liquidations, triggering a squeeze. If bearish bets hold, bullish traders may retreat as optimism unwinds. XRP declined 7.22% over the past week, compared to Ethereum's 1.09% slip. …
🔧 Canada's banking regulator warns banks on AI risks, names Anthropic's Claude
Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) has publicly named Anthropic's Claude Mythos model in a regulatory warning to banks. An April email to bank technology chiefs, released under access-to-information rules, cited the frontier AI model as evidence that the window for addressing emerging risks is narrowing.
The move is unusual—regulators typically reference "advanced capabilities" or "emerging technologies" without naming specific vendors. OSFI's decision to explicitly mention Claude signals heightened concern about AI adoption in the financial sector.
The warning underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of large language models in banking infrastructure and compliance systems.
📰 Source: The Next Web
#AI #Anthropic #Banking #Regulation #Claude
Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) has publicly named Anthropic's Claude Mythos model in a regulatory warning to banks. An April email to bank technology chiefs, released under access-to-information rules, cited the frontier AI model as evidence that the window for addressing emerging risks is narrowing.
The move is unusual—regulators typically reference "advanced capabilities" or "emerging technologies" without naming specific vendors. OSFI's decision to explicitly mention Claude signals heightened concern about AI adoption in the financial sector.
The warning underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of large language models in banking infrastructure and compliance systems.
📰 Source: The Next Web
#AI #Anthropic #Banking #Regulation #Claude
🤝 Deutsche Bank and World Bank launch trade finance platform
Deutsche Bank and the World Bank have partnered to develop a new trade finance platform. The initiative aims to digitize trade finance processes globally.
The platform is expected to accelerate blockchain adoption and stablecoin usage in international trade. By streamlining traditionally manual processes, the partnership could reshape how cross-border trade settlements operate at scale.
📰 Source: Crypto Briefing
#TradeFinance #Blockchain #DeutscheBank #WorldBank #Stablecoins
Deutsche Bank and the World Bank have partnered to develop a new trade finance platform. The initiative aims to digitize trade finance processes globally.
The platform is expected to accelerate blockchain adoption and stablecoin usage in international trade. By streamlining traditionally manual processes, the partnership could reshape how cross-border trade settlements operate at scale.
📰 Source: Crypto Briefing
#TradeFinance #Blockchain #DeutscheBank #WorldBank #Stablecoins
🤝 JCB and Circle launch USDC pilot for Japan payments
JCB, Japan's major payments company, has partnered with Circle to pilot USDC for internal treasury transfers and merchant payments. The pilot extends stablecoin use into cross-border corporate settlement and retail transactions in Japan.
The partnership, announced July 14, represents a significant step toward mainstream adoption of stablecoins in enterprise and consumer payment flows. JCB's involvement signals institutional interest in blockchain-based settlement infrastructure for both B2B and retail use cases.
📰 Source: Crypto.news
#USDC #Circle #JCB #Stablecoin #Blockchain
JCB, Japan's major payments company, has partnered with Circle to pilot USDC for internal treasury transfers and merchant payments. The pilot extends stablecoin use into cross-border corporate settlement and retail transactions in Japan.
The partnership, announced July 14, represents a significant step toward mainstream adoption of stablecoins in enterprise and consumer payment flows. JCB's involvement signals institutional interest in blockchain-based settlement infrastructure for both B2B and retail use cases.
📰 Source: Crypto.news
#USDC #Circle #JCB #Stablecoin #Blockchain
📊 MicroStrategy breaks 'never sell' doctrine with $216M Bitcoin sale
MicroStrategy sold 3,588 BTC for roughly $216 million between June 29 and July 5, marking the second Bitcoin sale since 2022. The proceeds funded dividend obligations on preferred shares, according to the company's Form 8-K filing with the SEC.
The sale represents 0.4% of MicroStrategy's total holdings, which stand at approximately 843,775 BTC as of July 14. The company disclosed a formal "BTC Monetization Program" with up to $1.25 billion in capacity, signaling future Bitcoin sales may fund dividend payments rather than serve as one-off measures.
A Cryptopolitan poll of Bitcoin-versed readers found mixed sentiment: 33% view the sale as manageable within a disciplined treasury strategy, while 43% said it meaningfully changes their perception of the company. One-fifth of respondents now favor smaller Bitcoin treasury names like ABTC over MicroStrategy.
💰 BTC $64,671 (+3.4% in 24h)
📰 Source: Cryptopolitan …
MicroStrategy sold 3,588 BTC for roughly $216 million between June 29 and July 5, marking the second Bitcoin sale since 2022. The proceeds funded dividend obligations on preferred shares, according to the company's Form 8-K filing with the SEC.
The sale represents 0.4% of MicroStrategy's total holdings, which stand at approximately 843,775 BTC as of July 14. The company disclosed a formal "BTC Monetization Program" with up to $1.25 billion in capacity, signaling future Bitcoin sales may fund dividend payments rather than serve as one-off measures.
A Cryptopolitan poll of Bitcoin-versed readers found mixed sentiment: 33% view the sale as manageable within a disciplined treasury strategy, while 43% said it meaningfully changes their perception of the company. One-fifth of respondents now favor smaller Bitcoin treasury names like ABTC over MicroStrategy.
💰 BTC $64,671 (+3.4% in 24h)
📰 Source: Cryptopolitan …
🤝 JCB and Circle team up to test USDC payments at 40M merchants
JCB and Circle have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore USDC for both internal treasury operations and in-store merchant payments. The partnership targets JCB's network of roughly 40 million merchants and 140 million users globally, starting with proof-of-concept work rather than immediate rollout.
The real momentum is building on the treasury side. Circle and Nomura are piloting USDC-based FX settlement for Japanese businesses as early as 2027, while Standard Chartered launched integrated USDC mint and redemption access for institutional clients, strengthening on/off-ramp infrastructure. Circle has also expanded its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to Cronos to reduce payment fragmentation across chains.
Early wins are likely in cross-border B2B settlement and online flows before mass retail adoption. …
JCB and Circle have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore USDC for both internal treasury operations and in-store merchant payments. The partnership targets JCB's network of roughly 40 million merchants and 140 million users globally, starting with proof-of-concept work rather than immediate rollout.
The real momentum is building on the treasury side. Circle and Nomura are piloting USDC-based FX settlement for Japanese businesses as early as 2027, while Standard Chartered launched integrated USDC mint and redemption access for institutional clients, strengthening on/off-ramp infrastructure. Circle has also expanded its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to Cronos to reduce payment fragmentation across chains.
Early wins are likely in cross-border B2B settlement and online flows before mass retail adoption. …
🔧 WEEX launches API Broker Program with 70% fee sharing
WEEX announced its API Broker Program, enabling partners to embed institutional-grade crypto trading into their platforms with commission tiers from 50% to 70% fee sharing. The program targets AI trading assistants, trading bots, signal communities, and quant platforms seeking a white-label execution layer.
Integration is streamlined through OAuth Fast Connect, with most partners going live in 4–5 business days. WEEX provides access to 400+ spot pairs, 270+ futures pairs, and $5B+ daily futures volume paired with a 99.99% SLA.
Case studies show measurable impact: CryptoMind saw API trading volume grow 1,900%+ and new users jump 1,200%+ post-integration. PSL OmniTrade pushed API volume to over half the platform's total, with 3,700%+ growth in API trading volume.
💰 BTC $64,602 (+3.1% in 24h)
📰 Source: BeInCrypto
#WEEX #CryptoTrading #API #Broker #Bitcoin
WEEX announced its API Broker Program, enabling partners to embed institutional-grade crypto trading into their platforms with commission tiers from 50% to 70% fee sharing. The program targets AI trading assistants, trading bots, signal communities, and quant platforms seeking a white-label execution layer.
Integration is streamlined through OAuth Fast Connect, with most partners going live in 4–5 business days. WEEX provides access to 400+ spot pairs, 270+ futures pairs, and $5B+ daily futures volume paired with a 99.99% SLA.
Case studies show measurable impact: CryptoMind saw API trading volume grow 1,900%+ and new users jump 1,200%+ post-integration. PSL OmniTrade pushed API volume to over half the platform's total, with 3,700%+ growth in API trading volume.
💰 BTC $64,602 (+3.1% in 24h)
📰 Source: BeInCrypto
#WEEX #CryptoTrading #API #Broker #Bitcoin
🚀 AlphaX launches global zero-fee trading across crypto and TradFi
AlphaX, an on-chain trading exchange, has officially rolled out its Zero-Fee Trading Initiative, eliminating transaction fees for all market makers and takers in eligible regions. The platform offers fee-free trading across TradFi perpetual futures, crypto spot, and crypto futures markets.
Accounts can be created with only an email address—no KYC or seed phrases required—and traders can begin within 10 seconds. The exchange combines centralized execution speed with decentralized security through dual-core architecture. New feature Auto Earn allows users to earn up to 5% APY on USDT without lock-ups, with interest accruing even on margin or pending limit orders.
AlphaX is launching a $20,000 Daily Trading Competition where users generating at least 1 USDT in daily profit are eligible to share the prize pool.
📰 Source: Finbold
#AlphaX #Crypto #Trading #ZeroFees #DeFi
AlphaX, an on-chain trading exchange, has officially rolled out its Zero-Fee Trading Initiative, eliminating transaction fees for all market makers and takers in eligible regions. The platform offers fee-free trading across TradFi perpetual futures, crypto spot, and crypto futures markets.
Accounts can be created with only an email address—no KYC or seed phrases required—and traders can begin within 10 seconds. The exchange combines centralized execution speed with decentralized security through dual-core architecture. New feature Auto Earn allows users to earn up to 5% APY on USDT without lock-ups, with interest accruing even on margin or pending limit orders.
AlphaX is launching a $20,000 Daily Trading Competition where users generating at least 1 USDT in daily profit are eligible to share the prize pool.
📰 Source: Finbold
#AlphaX #Crypto #Trading #ZeroFees #DeFi
🔧 CT3 launches dedicated Storage Contracts for decentralized infrastructure
CT3 has announced a transition to a dedicated Storage Contracts model designed to scale its decentralized storage platform. The shift distributes workloads across multiple smart contracts instead of a single main contract, improving flexibility and capacity management as demand grows.
The platform has processed over 500,000 uploads from 180,000+ unique users, with each upload linked to an NFT access key for on-chain verification. Under the new architecture, participants can finance the deployment of new Storage Contracts and share profits generated from their utilization.
Each Storage Contract operates independently with fixed storage capacity, allowing the network to measure resource usage transparently and scale without rebuilding core infrastructure. The commercial model ties returns directly to real capacity utilization and the margin between acquisition and customer pricing.
📰 Source: Finbold …
CT3 has announced a transition to a dedicated Storage Contracts model designed to scale its decentralized storage platform. The shift distributes workloads across multiple smart contracts instead of a single main contract, improving flexibility and capacity management as demand grows.
The platform has processed over 500,000 uploads from 180,000+ unique users, with each upload linked to an NFT access key for on-chain verification. Under the new architecture, participants can finance the deployment of new Storage Contracts and share profits generated from their utilization.
Each Storage Contract operates independently with fixed storage capacity, allowing the network to measure resource usage transparently and scale without rebuilding core infrastructure. The commercial model ties returns directly to real capacity utilization and the margin between acquisition and customer pricing.
📰 Source: Finbold …
🤝 Ripple launches $250K grant program for veteran employers
Ripple has announced a new initiative supporting veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses. In partnership with Hire Heroes USA, the company is investing $250,000 through the Ripple Effect: Certified Veteran Employer Grants Program.
The program will distribute $10,000 grants to 25 selected businesses, providing both financial support and additional resources to help these employers scale operations.
At current market levels, XRP trades at $1.10 (+3.63% in 24h), with 24h volume at $1.27B.
📰 Source: Coinpedia
#Ripple #XRP #RLUSD #Veterans #Grants
Ripple has announced a new initiative supporting veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses. In partnership with Hire Heroes USA, the company is investing $250,000 through the Ripple Effect: Certified Veteran Employer Grants Program.
The program will distribute $10,000 grants to 25 selected businesses, providing both financial support and additional resources to help these employers scale operations.
At current market levels, XRP trades at $1.10 (+3.63% in 24h), with 24h volume at $1.27B.
📰 Source: Coinpedia
#Ripple #XRP #RLUSD #Veterans #Grants
🚀 ASML raises sales forecast again on AI chip demand surge
ASML, the world's leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer, has raised its sales guidance for the second time in 2026. The Dutch company cited continued strong demand from customers ramping up AI chip production capacity.
The upgrade reflects accelerating investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure globally. ASML's forecasts typically signal health across the entire semiconductor supply chain.
📰 Source: CNBC
#ASML #AI #Semiconductors #TechEarnings
ASML, the world's leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer, has raised its sales guidance for the second time in 2026. The Dutch company cited continued strong demand from customers ramping up AI chip production capacity.
The upgrade reflects accelerating investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure globally. ASML's forecasts typically signal health across the entire semiconductor supply chain.
📰 Source: CNBC
#ASML #AI #Semiconductors #TechEarnings
🏎️ Zoomex renews F1 sponsorship with Haas as crypto courts motorsport
Cryptocurrency exchanges have become central to Formula 1 sponsorship, with total team funding across the 2026 season projected to exceed $3 billion. Zoomex, a crypto trading platform, has renewed its partnership with the TGR Haas F1 Team for the 2026 season as Official Crypto Exchange Partner.
The exchange has backed driver Ollie Bearman since 2023, before his F1 debut. Bearman currently leads Haas in the Constructors' Championship standings with 21 points through mid-season, with the driver outscoring teammate Esteban Ocon 18 points to 3. Zoomex's branding appears on the VF-26's nose, barge-boards, and both drivers' race suits.
Zoomex frames the partnership as its "Road to the Championship" initiative, offering fans VIP race-day access, trading rewards tied to Grand Prix weekends, and community AMAs. …
Cryptocurrency exchanges have become central to Formula 1 sponsorship, with total team funding across the 2026 season projected to exceed $3 billion. Zoomex, a crypto trading platform, has renewed its partnership with the TGR Haas F1 Team for the 2026 season as Official Crypto Exchange Partner.
The exchange has backed driver Ollie Bearman since 2023, before his F1 debut. Bearman currently leads Haas in the Constructors' Championship standings with 21 points through mid-season, with the driver outscoring teammate Esteban Ocon 18 points to 3. Zoomex's branding appears on the VF-26's nose, barge-boards, and both drivers' race suits.
Zoomex frames the partnership as its "Road to the Championship" initiative, offering fans VIP race-day access, trading rewards tied to Grand Prix weekends, and community AMAs. …
💰 Applied Computing raises $20M for energy sector AI
Applied Computing, a London-based AI startup, has closed a $20 million funding round led by KBR, with participation from Databricks Ventures. The capital will accelerate deployment of Orbital, the company's flagship foundation model purpose-built for energy operations.
Orbital combines physics-informed AI with chemical engineering models, time-series forecasting, and language capabilities to help operators across upstream, downstream, and petrochemical sectors improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and optimize decision-making. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, the platform is designed specifically for real operating environments.
Alongside the funding, Applied Computing and KBR have signed a multi-year agreement to develop exclusive AI products for the energy industry. The investment will support international expansion, including a new Houston office, accelerate Orbital's commercial deployment, and expand research and engineering teams. …
Applied Computing, a London-based AI startup, has closed a $20 million funding round led by KBR, with participation from Databricks Ventures. The capital will accelerate deployment of Orbital, the company's flagship foundation model purpose-built for energy operations.
Orbital combines physics-informed AI with chemical engineering models, time-series forecasting, and language capabilities to help operators across upstream, downstream, and petrochemical sectors improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and optimize decision-making. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, the platform is designed specifically for real operating environments.
Alongside the funding, Applied Computing and KBR have signed a multi-year agreement to develop exclusive AI products for the energy industry. The investment will support international expansion, including a new Houston office, accelerate Orbital's commercial deployment, and expand research and engineering teams. …
🚀 Primit Season 1 launches with $100K Avalanche trading incentives
Primit's on-chain perpetual trading platform has officially launched Season 1 on Avalanche, featuring a $100,000 USDT-equivalent prize pool across four reward mechanisms. The event runs July 15–28 and marks the first large-scale on-chain perp incentive program in the Avalanche ecosystem.
Rewards include daily random draws ($7,000 pool), Twitter contributor bonuses ($5,200), a $50,000 referral rebate mechanism, and a volume leaderboard ($37,800 for top 120 traders). AVAX-pair trades receive 1.5x volume weighting to encourage ecosystem activity.
Primit's team positioned Season 1 as a product stress test to validate on-chain perpetual trading at professional scale. Avalanche's sub-second finality and low gas costs enable high-frequency execution required for derivatives markets.
💰 AVAX $6.59 (-0.83% in 24h)
📰 Source: BeInCrypto
#Avalanche #AVAX #Perps #Trading #DeFi
Primit's on-chain perpetual trading platform has officially launched Season 1 on Avalanche, featuring a $100,000 USDT-equivalent prize pool across four reward mechanisms. The event runs July 15–28 and marks the first large-scale on-chain perp incentive program in the Avalanche ecosystem.
Rewards include daily random draws ($7,000 pool), Twitter contributor bonuses ($5,200), a $50,000 referral rebate mechanism, and a volume leaderboard ($37,800 for top 120 traders). AVAX-pair trades receive 1.5x volume weighting to encourage ecosystem activity.
Primit's team positioned Season 1 as a product stress test to validate on-chain perpetual trading at professional scale. Avalanche's sub-second finality and low gas costs enable high-frequency execution required for derivatives markets.
💰 AVAX $6.59 (-0.83% in 24h)
📰 Source: BeInCrypto
#Avalanche #AVAX #Perps #Trading #DeFi
💰 Feathery raises $30M for AI financial services platform
Feathery, an AI operating and decisioning system for financial services, has announced a $30 million funding round, including its recently completed Series A.
The round was led by Portage Ventures, Index Ventures, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, Erie Strategic Ventures, and Bain Capital Ventures. The platform targets the financial services sector with AI-driven decision-making capabilities.
📰 Source: Finextra
#AI #Fintech #FundingRound #FinancialServices #SeriesA
Feathery, an AI operating and decisioning system for financial services, has announced a $30 million funding round, including its recently completed Series A.
The round was led by Portage Ventures, Index Ventures, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, Erie Strategic Ventures, and Bain Capital Ventures. The platform targets the financial services sector with AI-driven decision-making capabilities.
📰 Source: Finextra
#AI #Fintech #FundingRound #FinancialServices #SeriesA
🚀 Atlas System launches Web3 mutual financing platform Aug 1
Atlas System will officially launch on August 1, 2026, introducing a Web3-based infrastructure platform designed around voluntary mutual financing, on-chain transparency, and automated smart contract logic.
The platform positions itself as an alternative to centralized earning platforms, emphasizing decentralized architecture and transparent operations through blockchain infrastructure.
📰 Source: AMBCrypto
#Web3 #DeFi #AtlasSystem #Blockchain #Finance
Atlas System will officially launch on August 1, 2026, introducing a Web3-based infrastructure platform designed around voluntary mutual financing, on-chain transparency, and automated smart contract logic.
The platform positions itself as an alternative to centralized earning platforms, emphasizing decentralized architecture and transparent operations through blockchain infrastructure.
📰 Source: AMBCrypto
#Web3 #DeFi #AtlasSystem #Blockchain #Finance
🔧 Applied Computing raises $20M for AI refinery foundation model
Applied Computing, a London-based startup founded in 2023, has secured $20 million in Series A funding to develop a foundation model designed for the refinery industry. The round was led by engineering giant KBR, with Databricks Ventures also participating.
The startup addresses a critical inefficiency: refineries operate thousands of sensors measuring temperature, pressure, velocity, and viscosity, yet operators currently use less than 8% of the data these sensors generate. Applied Computing's AI model aims to unlock that untapped sensor data to improve decision-making.
📰 Source: The Next Web
#AI #Funding #Energy #AppliedComputing
Applied Computing, a London-based startup founded in 2023, has secured $20 million in Series A funding to develop a foundation model designed for the refinery industry. The round was led by engineering giant KBR, with Databricks Ventures also participating.
The startup addresses a critical inefficiency: refineries operate thousands of sensors measuring temperature, pressure, velocity, and viscosity, yet operators currently use less than 8% of the data these sensors generate. Applied Computing's AI model aims to unlock that untapped sensor data to improve decision-making.
📰 Source: The Next Web
#AI #Funding #Energy #AppliedComputing
🌐 Weather data sabotage threatens forecasts and prediction markets
A timely op-ed from MIT Technology Review highlights a growing vulnerability in global weather systems. Earlier this year, the weather station at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport was tampered with to record false temperature spikes, enabling prediction market gamblers to win large payouts—one individual won $20,000.
The risk escalates as AI-driven weather forecasting becomes more prevalent. These data-driven models depend heavily on accurate observations, yet coordinated manipulation across multiple stations could evade current quality controls. From financial fraud to potential national security threats, the stakes span fraud, disaster preparedness failures, and state-level sabotage. …
A timely op-ed from MIT Technology Review highlights a growing vulnerability in global weather systems. Earlier this year, the weather station at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport was tampered with to record false temperature spikes, enabling prediction market gamblers to win large payouts—one individual won $20,000.
The risk escalates as AI-driven weather forecasting becomes more prevalent. These data-driven models depend heavily on accurate observations, yet coordinated manipulation across multiple stations could evade current quality controls. From financial fraud to potential national security threats, the stakes span fraud, disaster preparedness failures, and state-level sabotage. …
💰 Citadel invests $400M in Crypto.com at $20B valuation
Citadel Securities has invested $400 million in Crypto.com, marking the exchange's first institutional funding round since its launch in 2016. The investment values the platform at $20 billion.
The funds will support Crypto.com's expansion into tokenized securities and derivatives markets. Citadel Securities President Jim Esposito described the convergence of traditional finance and digital assets as an "exciting evolution" with potential to improve market efficiency. This is Citadel's second major crypto bet—the firm invested $200 million in Kraken at a $20 billion valuation in November 2025.
The deal highlights a stark divide in crypto fundraising. June saw only 61 funding rounds—the lowest monthly total since November 2020. Monthly capital raised dropped to $1.44 billion in June from $3.89 billion in May. Large platforms continue attracting nine-figure checks while the broader sector faces a funding drought.
📰 Source: BeInCrypto …
Citadel Securities has invested $400 million in Crypto.com, marking the exchange's first institutional funding round since its launch in 2016. The investment values the platform at $20 billion.
The funds will support Crypto.com's expansion into tokenized securities and derivatives markets. Citadel Securities President Jim Esposito described the convergence of traditional finance and digital assets as an "exciting evolution" with potential to improve market efficiency. This is Citadel's second major crypto bet—the firm invested $200 million in Kraken at a $20 billion valuation in November 2025.
The deal highlights a stark divide in crypto fundraising. June saw only 61 funding rounds—the lowest monthly total since November 2020. Monthly capital raised dropped to $1.44 billion in June from $3.89 billion in May. Large platforms continue attracting nine-figure checks while the broader sector faces a funding drought.
📰 Source: BeInCrypto …
🔧 Zoomex Trading Competitions: The Scoring Formula Edge
Trading competitions reward strategy, not just luck. Zoomex's Individual Competition track ranks traders on a 70% trading volume / 30% total return formula—and most participants never check this weighting before competing.
Volume matters most. The 70/30 split means frequent, consistent execution across many trades typically outranks a single high-return position. Equally critical: only designated pairs and account types count. Recent Zoomex events required a Unified Trading Account and trades in specific contracts (BTC, ETH futures, and newer listings like METUSDT, COMMONUSDT, AIAUSDT) to qualify. Spot trades and legacy accounts generate zero competition volume, even if profitable.
Zoomex structures tiered bonuses around clear volume checkpoints—hitting the baseline threshold early, tracking daily leaderboard updates, then deciding whether pushing for top tiers justifies the marginal risk. …
Trading competitions reward strategy, not just luck. Zoomex's Individual Competition track ranks traders on a 70% trading volume / 30% total return formula—and most participants never check this weighting before competing.
Volume matters most. The 70/30 split means frequent, consistent execution across many trades typically outranks a single high-return position. Equally critical: only designated pairs and account types count. Recent Zoomex events required a Unified Trading Account and trades in specific contracts (BTC, ETH futures, and newer listings like METUSDT, COMMONUSDT, AIAUSDT) to qualify. Spot trades and legacy accounts generate zero competition volume, even if profitable.
Zoomex structures tiered bonuses around clear volume checkpoints—hitting the baseline threshold early, tracking daily leaderboard updates, then deciding whether pushing for top tiers justifies the marginal risk. …