Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
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Block Adds Bitcoin Lightning to x402 Payment Standard for AI Commerce
Block joined the x402 Foundation and integrated Bitcoin Lightning into the open payment protocol, positioning the network for low-cost, high-volume transactions in AI-driven commerce alongside Google, Microsoft, AWS, and Coinbase.
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Lightning Labs discloses critical bug marking canceled invoices as paid
Lightning Labs disclosed a critical vulnerability in older Lightning Terminal software that could mark a Bitcoin Lightning invoice as paid even after the payment was cancelled and returned to the sender, risking merchants releasing goods without receiving funds. Fixes shipped in 2025.
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Bitget CEO suspects North Korea behind $352M hack, cites IP clues
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said a preliminary investigation found IP addresses matching VPN choices associated with a North Korean hacking group, citing pattern similarities to previous DPRK attacks.
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Gold prices decline to August lows amid Iran tensions and Fed rate hikes
Gold prices have edged lower to levels not seen since early August as geopolitical tensions with Iran and expectations of additional Federal Reserve rate hikes weigh on the precious metal's value.
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Oracle remains obligated to pay Project Jupiter debt despite force majeure
Oracle issued a force majeure notice for its $18 billion AI data center project in New Mexico due to power infrastructure complications, but remains contractually bound to pay debt costs regardless of whether the site becomes operational.
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Federal Reserve Proposes Stablecoin Reserve and Capital Rules Under GENIUS Act
The Federal Reserve opened two proposals for public comment to establish reserve requirements, capital standards, and an application process for banks seeking to issue payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act, signed by President Trump in July 2025.
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Stanford AI teams learn collaboration, beat debate-vote systems
Stanford's Self-Organizing Agent Teams framework enables AI agents to learn collaborative strategies from small datasets and achieve 66.7% accuracy on math and physics benchmarks, surpassing traditional multi-agent debate approaches and single-agent inference by significant margins.
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OpenAI pauses $200 Pro tier signups as GPT-6 Astra demand strains capacity
OpenAI halted new subscriptions to its $200 Pro plan on September 10, citing unprecedented demand for GPT-6 Astra. The move follows the launch of a mid-tier $100 plan in April and reflects intensifying competition in AI-powered services as rivals like Anthropic introduce similar pricing tiers.
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Federal Reserve proposes reserve limits and capital standards for stablecoin issuers
The Federal Reserve proposed new reserve-asset limits and standardized capital requirements for stablecoin issuers, advancing implementation of the GENIUS Act signed into law last year with a January 2027 effective date.
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Nvidia hires OpenAI data center head Chris Malone as DSX Platform VP
Nvidia hired Chris Malone, who ran data center operations at OpenAI, as vice president of its DSX Platform effective September 24, 2026. The move signals Nvidia's push into full-stack AI infrastructure as OpenAI retreats from building proprietary data centers.
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Brooklyn man sentenced to 12 years for $16M Coinbase customer support scam
Ronald Spektor, 23, received a four-to-12-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $16 million from approximately 100 Coinbase users through social engineering and fraudulent account-recovery schemes.
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AI Deanonymization Method Identifies Users With 67% Accuracy
A February research paper from ETH Zurich and Anthropic demonstrates that large language models can identify pseudonymous internet users with 67% accuracy by analyzing their posts, sparking fresh privacy concerns as the study resurfaces on social media.
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Solana options expiry September 25: 65% of Deribit open interest at risk
Roughly 65% of Solana options open interest on Deribit expires September 25, with key strikes at $90, $105, and $125. The same date carries $15.9 billion in Bitcoin and $2.1 billion in Ethereum options expiry, potentially driving broader crypto market swings.
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New York sues Polymarket over unlicensed gambling operation
New York's attorney general and governor filed a lawsuit against Polymarket on Wednesday, accusing the prediction market of operating without a license and exposing New Yorkers to gambling harms. The state is seeking to bar the platform from the state and impose fines.
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Sequans completes Bitcoin treasury exit after selling final 314 BTC
France-based semiconductor company Sequans has completed its exit from a Bitcoin treasury that once held over 3,200 BTC, selling its final 314 coins as corporate crypto strategies retreat amid market pressure.
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Crypto market lost $2.1T yet on-chain activity held steady as stablecoins surged
The crypto industry shed $2.1 trillion in market value over the past year, but measured on-chain economic activity declined only 1.6% as stablecoin adoption accelerated, reaching 22.5% of all measured balances by June.
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Bitcoin Retreats Below $85K as Fed Rate-Hike Odds Hit 75%
Bitcoin has retreated below $85,000 after reaching an eight-month high near $87,400, as inflation concerns push October Fed rate-hike odds to roughly 75% and raise questions about the sustainability of the rally.
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New York sues Polymarket over illegal gambling operation
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against prediction markets platform Polymarket, alleging its sporting event contracts violate state gambling laws. The action follows similar suits against Kalshi, Coinbase, and Gemini platforms.
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UK Couple Attacked in Crypto Home Invasion; £10K Reward Offered
West Midlands police are seeking four men who forced their way into a home in December 2025, assaulted a husband, threatened his pregnant wife with a knife, and stole cryptocurrency and watches. Crimestoppers is offering up to £10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
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LayerZero integrates TACEO Merces for private cross-chain token transfers
LayerZero and TACEO have integrated to shield participant identities and transfer amounts in cross-chain transactions, addressing institutional concerns about blockchain transparency. Merces mainnet launched on Monad and World Chain on September 24, 2026.
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SEBI Expands Portfolio Manager Rules for Overseas Stock Investments
India's Securities and Exchange Board of India approved new regulations allowing portfolio managers to invest client capital in overseas equities, debt, and other international assets for the first time, affecting an industry managing roughly $5.1 trillion in assets.
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IBM launches Swift blockchain ledger beta for tokenized deposits
IBM announced beta connectivity to Swift's blockchain ledger for tokenized deposits, letting banks instruct transfers using existing ISO 20022 payment formats and compliance processes instead of building blockchain-specific workflows.
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Elliptic launches AI tool for police to trace crypto in seconds
Elliptic announced Pulse, an AI product that lets frontline police officers input a wallet address or transaction hash and receive a plain-language financial summary, aiming to bring cryptocurrency investigation beyond specialized units.
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Solana hits $120 as public companies hold $2B in SOL treasury
Solana (SOL) has rallied to $120, its highest level in nine months, while Nasdaq-listed companies collectively hold over 17 million SOL tokens worth more than $2 billion. Forward Industries, Solana Company, and others have aggressively accumulated positions, raising capital specifically to purchase more tokens. Analysts warn that concentrated holdings could create cascading liquidation risks if forced selling occurs.