Fintech
1. Crypto stocks fall as bets on Harris win rise after debate, Swift support
U.S. cryptocurrency shares fell in early trading on Wednesday after Democratic candidate Kamala Harris put her Republican rival and crypto supporter Donald Trump on the defensive in a combative presidential debate. (Investing)
2. India leads in crypto adoption for second straight year, report shows
India led the way in global adoption of cryptocurrencies for the second straight year as investors braved the country’s tough regulatory stance and steep trading taxes, a report from blockchain analytics company Chainalysis showed on Wednesday. (Economic Times)
3. Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Ellison urges judge to spare her prison for FTX fraud
Former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison urged a federal judge not to send her to prison after she pleaded guilty over her role in the theft of $8 billion from customers of Sam Bankman-Fried’s bankrupt FTX exchange. (MSN)
IT infrastructure
4. US closer to greenlighting Nvidia chips for Saudi Arabia, Semafor reports
The U.S. government is considering allowing Nvidia to export advanced chips to Saudi Arabia, which would help the country train and run the most powerful AI models, Semafor reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. (Reuters)
5. UK to class data centres as ‘critical national infrastructure’
Britain’s data centres will be classified “critical national infrastructure”, the government said on Thursday, giving the servers and I.T. systems that underpin the country’s communications extra protection from cyber attacks. (US news)
6. Utah law restricting youth social media use blocked by judge
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a Utah law designed to regulate social-media access for minors, dealing a blow to state Republicans’ legislative efforts to protect the mental health of children from addictive algorithms. (NationalReview)
7. Cyberattacks on US utilities surged 70% this year, says Check Point
U.S. utilities faced a near 70% jump in cyberattacks this year over the same period in 2023, according to data from Check Point Research, underlining the escalating threat to a critical infrastructure. (MSN)
Tech trends
8. Huawei’s Mate XT stirs Chinese pride but $2,800 price tag panned
Huawei’s new tri-foldable smartphone has ignited nationalistic pride in China with social media abuzz with what supporters see as its ability to out-innovate Apple despite U.S. sanctions – even if many are balking at the phone’s $2,800 price tag. (US News)
9. Amazon’s AWS to invest $1.8 billion in Brazil through 2034
Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), will invest 10.1 billion reais ($1.8 billion) in Brazil through 2034 to expand its data center operations in the country, it said on Wednesday. (Yahoo Finance)
10. US seizes over 350 websites used to import gun parts from China
U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they had seized more than 350 websites selling gun silencers and parts from China used to covert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns. (Reuters)
AI
11. Top EU privacy regulator opens probe into Google’s AI compliance
Google’s lead EU privacy regulator opened an inquiry on Thursday into whether the search engine giant adequately protected European Union users’ personal data before using it to help develop its foundational AI Model. (Yahoo Finance)
12. Adobe to launch generative AI video creation tool later this year
Adobe will unveil a new generative AI-powered video creation and editing tool in a limited release later this year, the software maker said on Wednesday, as it looks to beef up its suite of applications catering to creative professionals. (US News)
13. OpenAI in talks to raise funds at $150 bln valuation, Bloomberg News reports
AI heavyweight OpenAI is in talks to raise funds at a valuation of $150 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, a move that would fortify its status as one of the biggest startups in the world. (Yahoo Finance)
14. TDC NET boosts network management with Blue Planet automation software
Danish infrastructure provider TDC NET is leveraging automation software from Ciena-owned Blue Planet to improve the management of its mobile and fixed network resources. (Capacity)
