Ostium pauses trading as security firms report multimillion-dollar oracle exploit
Ostium halted trading after security firms discovered an oracle-related exploit affecting its OLP liquidity vault, with estimated losses between $18 million and $22 million. The platform advised users to revoke contract approvals following the attack.
Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer
OpenAI created GPT-Red, an LLM designed to identify vulnerabilities in its models by simulating cyberattacks. Training GPT-5.6 against this adversarial system produced what the company claims is its most robust model release.
Whatnot acquires Shaped to power real-time live shopping recommendations
Whatnot acquired AI startup Shaped to enhance its real-time recommendation and search capabilities for livestream shopping. The acquisition will strengthen Whatnot's personalization features as the platform expands into additional product categories.
Wærenskjold wins fastest ever Tour de France stage in frenzied sprint to Nevers
Norwegian sprinter Søren Wærenskjold won the fastest-ever Tour de France road stage in a sprint into Nevers during the 2026 race. Race leader Tadej Pogacar also set a record for fastest climb of the Col du Tourmalet earlier in the same stage.
NC’s First Bank to buy SC lender for $166M
First Bank will acquire Carolina Bank & Trust for $166 million, adding 14 branches to its existing 113 locations. The purchase is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027 and will bring First Bank's total assets past $13 billion.
The hidden skeleton “gatekeeper” inside brain cells could help fight Alzheimer's
A microscopic skeleton inside neurons acts as a gatekeeper controlling what brain cells absorb. When this structure weakens, neurons rapidly take in harmful proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that stabilizing it could prevent brain cell damage.
Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Pushes Past $65K – Can It Keep Climbing?
Bitcoin has rallied past 65,000 dollars and is testing a critical supply area that could indicate either a broader trend reversal or a temporary relief rally. The asset has reclaimed several short-term resistance levels as it approaches a major technical decision point.
Japan’s Landmark Vote Reclassifies Bitcoin And Crypto As Financial Assets
Japan's parliament approved legislation reclassifying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as financial assets instead of their previous classification. This regulatory shift aligns digital assets more closely with traditional financial markets.
Archaeologists found Homer's Iliad inside a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy
A 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy contained a papyrus fragment from Homer's Iliad, specifically from the "Catalogue of Ships" section. This marks the first archaeological evidence of a Greek literary text being deliberately used during the mummification process.
Astronomers just found four hidden white dwarf stars near Earth
Four white dwarf stars hidden next to brighter red dwarf companions were revealed through Hubble's ultraviolet observations, with one located 25 light-years away taking nearly thirty years to confirm. The discovery suggests the galactic neighborhood contains many more undiscovered white dwarf binary systems than previously accounted for.
Going to museums, movies, and theater may help your body stay younger
Older adults who regularly attended cultural activities like museums, movies, and concerts showed physical functioning equivalent to people approximately three years younger. Researchers identified potential mechanisms including stronger social ties, improved mental health, and healthier habits, though direct causation requires further study.
Spain show teamwork may win out in 'World Cup of superstars'
France's attacking depth featuring Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, Barcola, and Doue was expected to dominate their World Cup semi-final against Spain. Spain's teamwork approach challenged the notion that individual superstar talent alone determines World Cup success.
Scott Bessent Announces $130 Million Crypto Freeze Targeting Iran Central Bank
The US Treasury froze over $130 million in cryptocurrency connected to Iran's Central Bank through sanctions on multiple wallets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the action via a post on X, with OFAC sanctioning the wallets linked to the Central Bank of Iran.
CFTC Orders Fulfilment of Pending Trades on Kalshi Following a Michigan State Court Order
The CFTC ordered Kalshi to fulfill pending trades after overriding a Michigan state court order that had canceled them. The agency asserted its authority as the federal regulator of designated contract markets over state court decisions.
Fed’s Bowman Says Tailored AI Supervision Drives Financial Inclusion
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman stated that AI supervision should be tailored to avoid hindering bank implementation of artificial intelligence technology. Bowman argued that AI can expand credit availability to underserved populations through careful regulatory approaches.
Stablecoin Enabler Velocity Raises $38 Million Series A
Velocity, a stablecoin enablement firm, raised $38 million in Series A funding led by FirstMark and Dragonfly. The round included investors such as Coinbase Ventures, Capital One Ventures, and Ripple.
New QR Standard Unlocks US Instant Payments at Checkout
A new American national standard called X9.150 for merchant-presented payment QR codes was published Tuesday by the Accredited Standards Committee X9. The specification creates a common structure for dynamically generated codes to provide a universal interface to existing US instant payment systems.
PrismML Releases Bonsai 27B: 1-bit and Ternary Builds of Qwen3.6-27B That Run on Laptops and Phones
Ternary Bonsai 27B uses weights of negative one, zero, and positive one at 1.71 bits per weight, achieving an ideal size of 5.9GB. A 1-bit variant with binary weights also ships under Apache 2.0 license for running on laptops and phones.
OpenAI’s first hardware device is reportedly a screenless speaker that can move
OpenAI is developing a screenless speaker with mechanical elements that can move independently. The device is designed to function as a physical companion that manifests ChatGPT capabilities.
Velocity Raises $38 Million as Stablecoins Reshape Mainstream Business Finance
A stablecoin payments and treasury platform for enterprises raised $38 million in Series A funding. The platform reduces settlement times and enables companies to manage treasury operations while accessing stablecoin benefits.
Three US senators oppose CLARITY Act on ethics grounds with vote expected soon
Three US senators oppose the CLARITY Act on ethics grounds, with a Senate vote expected before August 10. The crypto market structure bill lacks confirmed Democratic support needed for passage.
Business Applications Jump 24% as AI Lowers Startup Costs
U.S. business applications reached 5.6 million in 2025, up 24% since ChatGPT's launch. Median employees at seed-stage startups dropped from five to four in Q1 2023, the quarter following ChatGPT's release.
Jamie Dimon says JPMorgan has slashed 40% of jobs in some departments, thanks to AI
JPMorgan Chase has reduced headcount by 30% to 40% in certain departments through artificial intelligence adoption. Most affected employees were offered positions elsewhere in the company, though the bank expects AI token expenses to increase in the second half of the year.
Anthropic commits $10 million to Canadian AI research across eight institutions
Anthropic allocated $10 million CAD across eight Canadian institutions to support research on beneficial and responsible AI applications. The funding targets three regional AI institutes,Amii, Mila, and Vector Institute,plus CHEO, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Université Laval.
Microsoft’s emissions rose 25% last year. Experts say they’ll surge even more dramatically in the years ahead
Microsoft's total emissions increased 25% in 2025, driven primarily by growth of its AI data centers and pausing use of certain renewable energy certificates. Three upcoming gas power plant projects totaling 4.75 gigawatts of capacity are expected to emit over 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Apple opens its new Siri AI to everyone with the iOS 27 public beta
Apple released iOS 27 public beta, making its revamped AI-powered Siri available to iPhone owners ahead of the official fall launch. The public beta gives users early access to the new assistant and other features before the software's official release.
Transatlantic Task Force Provides Recommendations for UK-US Collaboration on Digital Assets
A transatlantic task force published recommendations for US-UK collaboration on digital asset regulation, initiated during President Donald Trump's September 2025 visit to the UK. The Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future outlined how the two countries should work together on this regulatory framework.
Michelle Obama worried her $50 brooch was too modest for the Queen. Elizabeth wore it the next night.
Michelle Obama gave Queen Elizabeth a fifty-dollar brooch and worried it was insufficiently fancy for the occasion. The Queen wore the brooch the following evening.
Coffee Associated with Lower Risks of Liver Cancer and Deadly Cirrhosis
A study of hundreds of thousands of people found coffee consumption associated with lower risks of liver cancer and cirrhosis. The research was compiled by Cedars Sinai Medical Center examining outcomes across a large population.
Meta faces discrimination lawsuit over AI use in mass layoffs
Meta's May layoff of nearly 8,000 employees involved AI systems including keystroke monitoring and performance dashboards that allegedly penalized workers on medical or family leave. Current and former staffers filed a federal lawsuit claiming the AI-driven termination process disproportionately targeted employees with disabilities or protected leave status.