Topic: #technology
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YouTube bans public crypto chart streams, forces creators behind paywalls
YouTube pulled public crypto chart livestreams on August 21, requiring such content to move behind subscriber-only paywalls. The policy shift disrupts retail access to free market data and forces creators to monetize through memberships.
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Hazync achieves 27ms Bitcoin block verification with zero-knowledge proofs
Hazync's developer reported millisecond-speed verification of Bitcoin's first 1,789 blocks using a zero-knowledge proof system, though completing a genesis-to-tip proof campaign remains unfinished and would demand substantial computational resources.
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Apollo Global Management discloses unauthorized cloud access, data breach
Apollo Global Management confirmed that attackers gained unauthorized access to its cloud platforms between July 6 and July 10, 2026, exposing personal data including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The breach, disclosed six weeks after discovery, involved phishing and social engineering tactics and targeted multiple other major financial institutions.
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Ethereum's Glamsterdam upgrade extends block validation to 6–9 seconds
Ethereum node operators now test Glamsterdam on Platåberget, a public network launched August 13 to rehearse coordinated client and infrastructure changes. The upgrade's core change, EIP-7732, separates block proposal from execution validation and extends the critical path from roughly 2 seconds to 6–9 seconds for validators.
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Flock Safety's AI Tool Tracks Drivers Without License Plates
Flock Safety's new OS Investigate system uses AI to identify drivers based on movement patterns alone, with 14 of its 69 preloaded prompts requiring no license plate or personal data—raising fresh concerns about mass surveillance capabilities.
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Rillet reaches $1 billion valuation in $100M Series C funding round
Rillet, an AI-native accounting platform for venture-backed startups, closed a $100 million Series C round at a $1 billion valuation, led by ICONIQ with backing from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and new investors including Bain Capital Ventures and Battery Ventures.
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State Department Offers $10M Reward for Iranian Hacker Tips
The US State Department has posted a $10 million bounty for information on Iranian hackers tied to Handala and Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna, marking an expansion of its Rewards for Justice program into cyber operations.
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OpenAI Launches ChatGPT for Teens with Parental Controls
OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT for Teens, a dedicated version for users aged 13 to 17 featuring parental controls, Study Mode, and stronger safeguards against harmful content.
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Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade breaks 21,000 gas constant for new accounts
Ethereum's Glamsterdam upgrade introduces state gas charges for new account creation, ending a decade-long flat 21,000 gas fee for simple transfers. Wallets and DeFi protocols must adapt or face failing transactions.
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Florida AI regulation battle: industry shifts to insider lobbying
Florida's emerging AI regulatory framework—ranging from consumer protections to data center energy rules—has become a testing ground for tech industry lobbying, with groups like TechNet pivoting from outright opposition to shaping policy from within.
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Compute Exchange launches AI inference token forward contracts
Compute Exchange rolled out forward contracts allowing enterprises to fix AI inference token prices for up to six months, using competitive bidding among providers to set rates and mitigate operational cost volatility.
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Trezor Data Breach: 13,689 Customers Exposed via ShipMonk
Trezor disclosed a breach at ShipMonk, its shipping provider, exposing names, emails, phone numbers and addresses of 13,689 customers across seven countries. The hardware wallet maker said its own systems were not compromised.
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Formlabs explores IPO with advisers as 3D printing company eyes public markets
Formlabs, a Somerville-based 3D printing company valued at $2 billion, is in discussions with potential advisers to prepare for an initial public offering. The company reported over $250 million in annual revenue and positive free cash flow in 2025.
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Anthropic cuts classifier overhead fees for Claude Code users
Anthropic lowered classifier overhead fees for Claude Code users effective August 7, 2026, reducing a cost layer that previously added 15% to 28% on token expenses during Auto Mode and safety-checked sessions.
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Chinese AI models show context-aware security flaws, researchers warn
Booz Allen and University of Toronto researchers found that Chinese AI models behave differently when prompted in U.S. government contexts, and that open-weight AI can power adaptive worms. The findings raise urgent questions about AI-assisted code security in immutable blockchain systems.
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Shopify Q2 revenue beats estimates, launches native USDC payments
Shopify beat earnings expectations and raised Q3 guidance, with shares surging 34% in premarket trading. The e-commerce platform's partnership with Coinbase and Stripe to enable USDC payments marks a major step toward mainstream crypto adoption for merchants.
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Ethereum Proposes EIP-8361 to Burn Staking Rewards at 50% Saturation
Ethereum developers proposed EIP-8361, a mechanism that would gradually burn validator rewards as staking approaches half the ETH supply, eliminating yield incentive at saturation. The proposal phases in over 18 months and faces criticism from major staking operators.
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Coldcard Bitcoin Exploit: $130M Stolen via Randomness Flaw
A flaw in Coldcard hardware wallets allowed attackers to brute-force private keys by exploiting weak entropy generation. More than 1,596 BTC have been stolen across confirmed waves, with a suspected fourth bringing the total to roughly 2,055 BTC worth approximately $130 million. Fixed firmware is now available.
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Spotify hits 300M paid subscribers despite price hikes in Q2 2026
Spotify crossed 300 million premium subscribers in Q2 2026, adding 7 million during the quarter despite price hikes across several regions. Revenue grew 14% year-over-year to €4.8 billion as the company expands into AI tools, fitness, and audiobooks.
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Arizona, Pennsylvania, Illinois halt data center tax incentives over energy concerns
Three major US states have reversed or paused data center tax incentives, citing strain on energy grids and fairness concerns as hyperscalers expand operations nationwide.
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Crypto VCs shift billions to AI and robotics, retreating from tokens
Paradigm and peers like a16z are deploying billion-dollar funds into robotics and AI startups as traditional equity plays, marking a strategic pivot away from cryptocurrency-native investments and likely inflating valuations across hard-tech sectors.
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Palantir posts 93% Q2 revenue growth, raises 2026 guidance on AI surge
Palantir Technologies reported Q2 revenue of $1.935 billion, beating expectations by $134 million and driving shares up 13% in after-hours trading. The company raised full-year 2026 guidance to $8.15–$8.16 billion on surging AI-integrated solutions demand.
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Air-Gapped Bitcoin Wallets: Offline Security Limits After $114M Coldcard Exploit
Air-gapped wallets keep private keys completely offline to reduce hacker exposure, but a $114 million Coldcard exploit demonstrates that offline security still carries risks. Recovery phrase theft and physical attacks remain viable threats.
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Citadel forecasts $500B in AI chip debt by 2028, reshaping credit markets
Technology companies are projected to issue more than $500 billion in debt by 2028 to finance AI data center chips, according to Citadel Securities. The borrowing wave could reshape investment-grade credit markets and influence crypto mining costs.