Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
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Smarter Web surges 36% on Bitcoin-backed preferred shares plan
Smarter Web Company PLC, a UK-listed digital services provider, announced plans for Bitcoin-backed preferred shares called MORE, triggering a 36% stock surge. The company targets £15–25 million to expand its 2,878 BTC treasury, the largest among UK-listed firms.
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OAT-Bund spread widens to 100 basis points, first time since eurozone debt crisis
The gap between French and German 10-year government bond yields has widened to 100 basis points, marking the first time since the 2008-2012 eurozone sovereign debt crisis that this level has been reached. The spread has nearly doubled since April 2026, signaling market differentiation and potential tightening of financial conditions in France.
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TotalEnergies and BlackRock's GIP strike $1.8B African infrastructure deal
TotalEnergies and Global Infrastructure Partners, a BlackRock affiliate, announced an $1.8 billion sale-and-leaseback deal covering midstream assets across Africa, allowing the French energy major to free up capital for exploration while retaining operational control.
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Eurogroup considers emergency session as energy prices strain euro-area budgets
Euro-area finance ministers are considering an extraordinary meeting to address surging energy costs, which have pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel and narrowed fiscal space for government support measures. The Dublin gathering in September set the stage for a coordinated policy response ahead of October's formal Ecofin session.
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US Treasury yields exceed 5% as Fed raises rates to 3.75%-4.00%
The 10-year US Treasury yield briefly exceeded 5% in mid-September, a level unseen since 2007, signaling tighter financial conditions across mortgages, corporate debt, and digital assets. The Fed raised rates 25 basis points, citing stubborn inflation.
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Bitcoin Fisher Transform prints fourth bullish cross in history
The Fisher Transform indicator, a price trend analysis tool, produced a rare crossover for only the fourth time in Bitcoin's history, signaling potential macro uptrend conditions according to analyst Willy Woo.
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Anthropic launches biology lab to test Claude in drug discovery
Anthropic has established physical biology labs and hired bench scientists to enable Claude to conduct real-world drug research experiments, targeting rare and neglected diseases alongside pharmaceutical partners Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca.
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UAE and Sweden arrest seven in $7M crypto laundering ring
Authorities in the UAE and Sweden detained seven suspects on September 17 in a joint operation that dismantled an international money laundering network moving roughly $7.1 million to $7.5 million through cash and cryptocurrency, with blockchain analysis linking the group to organized crime including contract killings.
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OpenAI and Anthropic explore 20-30 MW AI clusters in UK and Nordics
OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly exploring new AI compute clusters ranging from 20-30 megawatts in the UK and Nordic regions to bolster deployment and inference workloads as they compete in the high-stakes frontier-model race.
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UAE and Sweden arrest seven in $7.1M crypto laundering ring linked to contract killings
Investigators in the UAE and Sweden arrested seven people over an international money laundering network that moved roughly $7.1 million through cryptocurrency over ten months, with tracing of crypto transactions revealing links to organized crime and murder-for-hire operations.
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EU announces €3.3 billion aid to Ukraine for September 18 delivery
The European Union announced €3.3 billion in financial aid to Ukraine, scheduled for delivery on September 18. The package aims to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and counter Russian aggression in air and missile defense.
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Dtcpay Closes $25M Series A Backed by Japan's SBI Group
Singapore-based stablecoin payments firm Dtcpay completed a $25 million Series A funding round led by SBI Group, which invested through two Singapore-based funds. The capital will fund expansion of Dtcpay's merchant network and new product features.
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Binance Declines Comment on Lagarde Intervention Report, Reaffirms EU Commitment
Binance declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report alleging ECB President Christine Lagarde intervened in its failed Greek MiCA license bid, instead reaffirming its commitment to EU compliance and seeking authorization in another jurisdiction.
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Data centers adopt PFAS cooling for AI amid environmental concerns
Data center operators are adopting PFAS-based immersion cooling to manage extreme heat from AI servers, but environmental groups and communities are raising concerns about contamination risks from these persistent chemicals.
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HP uncovers fake AI trading bot replacing crypto wallet extensions
HP Wolf Security discovered a malware campaign distributing a counterfeit AI trading assistant that replaced seven browser crypto wallet extensions with phishing copies, capturing credentials on infected Windows machines without breaching the wallets themselves.
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Zcash NU7 upgrade targets November 5, cuts block times to 25 seconds
Zcash developers plan to activate the NU7 upgrade on November 5, reducing block times from 75 to 25 seconds while preserving the network's halving schedule. Testnet activation begins October 6, with a final decision on mainnet parameters set for October 20.
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XRP Ledger Foundation releases lending vaults with 60-second to 30-year lock periods
The XRP Ledger Foundation released code for closed-ended lending vaults that enforce fixed lock-up periods and use cash-basis interest accounting, but the feature remains unactivated and adoption depends on application builders and borrowers.
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World Money launches self-custodial super app in 150+ countries
World Money, a self-custody financial super app combining stablecoin payments, digital asset rewards and trading, began rolling out Thursday to more than 150 countries, with features varying by location.
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US approves $24.3B F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia, raising Israel edge concerns
The State Department notified Congress of a $24.3 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia for up to 48 F-35 stealth fighters, marking the first time a Middle Eastern nation other than Israel will operate fifth-generation jets. Congressional review begins, with critics citing risks to classified systems and Israel's military advantage.
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India's RBI taps diaspora deposits to shore up rupee reserves
India's central bank launched a campaign to attract foreign-currency deposits from overseas Indians, pulling in a record $127 billion by September 2026 through a zero-cost hedging facility. The strategy bolsters reserves but creates future redemption risks.
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BitGo Appoints Alex Rozman as Chief Compliance Officer
BitGo named Alex Rozman, a compliance veteran with over 25 years of experience, as Chief Compliance Officer effective September 21, 2026. The hire reflects the custodian's focus on regulatory navigation following its OCC national bank charter in December 2025.
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Bitcoin Could Outperform Gold as ETF Hedges Unwind: JPMorgan
JPMorgan analysts say Bitcoin has room to gain on gold if investors unwind defensive hedges in crypto ETFs. Bitcoin investors are currently hedging more aggressively than gold investors, with short interest in BlackRock's IBIT near 2026 highs while GLD shorts remain below average.
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TradingView launches AI agent integration via MCP server in public beta
TradingView opened a public beta of its Model Context Protocol server on September 16, enabling paid subscribers to connect AI assistants like Claude directly to their accounts for natural-language market analysis, watchlist management, and real-time data access—though delayed market data may limit split-second trading decisions.
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SEC Opens Five-Year Pathway for Tokenized US Stocks on Blockchain
The SEC's Innovation Exemption allows regulated US stocks to trade on blockchain-native venues for five years, arriving two days after the Senate blocked the CLARITY Act crypto bill. The framework opens the $77 trillion US stock market to decentralized trading mechanics.