NCAA Plans To Expand March Madness To 76 Teams

Finance  NCAA Plans To Expand March Madness To 76 Teams  The NCAA is set to expand March Madness to 76 teams starting next season, according to multiple reports—the tournaments most significant expansion in decades.  Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images  Key Facts  The expansion, which is in the final steps of being greenlit, according to ESPN, will increase the number of March Madness teams from 68 to 76.  The expansion will reportedly apply to both the men‘s and women’s tournaments.  NCAA officials are in the final stages of sorting out media contracts for the new format, ESPN reported, noting the expansion is not expected to generate a windfall for the NCAA—though unnamed sources told the outlet there will be “a modest financial upside.”  How Will The March Madness Expansion Work?  The tournaments existing “First Four” play-in games, which whittled the field down from 68 to the 64 that participate in the official first round,, will be replaced next season. There will instead be an “opening round” of 12 games played by 24 teams in two different locations—one of which will be Dayton, Ohio, according to CBS Sports. Dayton has traditionally hosted play-in games. The other 52 teams will be slotted into the main 64-team bracket. The new opening round will

04-29Industry

Bitcoin news: BTC is the best inflation hedge, better than gold, Paul Tudor Jones says

Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones said bitcoin stands out as the strongest hedge against inflation, citing its fixed supply as a key advantage over traditional assets like gold.  “Bitcoin is unequivocally the best inflation hedge that there is — more than gold,” Jones said in an interview with Invest Like the Best podcast published Tuesday. He pointed to the largest cryptos capped supply. Unlike gold, whose supply increases each year, bitcoin has a hard limit on the number of coins that can be created, making it scarcer by design, he said.  Jones framed bitcoins appeal through the lens of past market cycles. During periods of aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus, such as after the March 2020 pandemic crash, he said inflation trades tend to emerge as central banks inject liquidity into the system.  “When you saw all the interventions… you just knew that the inflation trades were going to take off,” he said, adding that bitcoin was the most compelling opportunity at the time.  His bullish view on bitcoin contrasts with a more cautious stance on equities. Jones warned that stock markets are stretched, with valuations that historically point to weak future returns.  At the same time, a wave of upcoming initial public offerings —

04-29Industry

Tennessee Bans Bitcoin ATMs: Details

According to Coin ATM Radar data, there are 651 Bitcoin ATMs in Tennessee, most located at gas stations and shops around Nashville.Tennessee Approves Bitcoin ATM Ban  Tennessee has become the second US state to completely ban Bitcoin ATMs, making it a crime to own or operate these machines in the state. Governor Bill Lee approved House Bill 2505 on April 13, which gives property owners until July 1. Although kiosks allow purchasing Bitcoin or other digital assets with cash, federal authorities have flagged these devices as the main tool for scams targeting the elderly. The bill, introduced jointly by local representatives Cameron Sexton and Jay Reedy, classifies violations as Class A misdemeanors; this puts them on the same level as simple drug possession or domestic assault in Tennessee.  Scam Complaints Targeting the Elderly  Behind the law are increasing complaints that scammers are targeting elderly Tennesseans. Sexton emphasized in a March statement that kiosks open a door for scammers, while Reedy noted that crypto ATMs force citizens to drain their savings. Local authorities had issued an operational warning about overseas scammers impersonating police, to whom victims lost 4 million dollars. According to FBI data, Americans over 60 lost 257 million dollars in Bitcoin ATM

04-29Industry

EUR/USD declines to near 1.1700 ahead of Fed rate decision

Finance  EUR/USD declines to near 1.1700 ahead of Fed rate decision  The EUR/USD pair trades in negative territory around 1.1715 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. Uncertainty over a potential Middle East ceasefire continues to boost a safe-haven currency such as the US Dollar (USD) against the Euro (EUR). All eyes will be on the US Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision later on Wednesday.  US President Donald Trump said Iran asked the US to lift a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz while the two sides negotiate an end to the two-month war. Mediators in Pakistan expect Iran to submit a revised proposal to end the war in the next few days, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing sources close to the mediation process.  Nonetheless, uncertainty in the Middle East remains high as Iran has consistently said it will not open the critical waterway as long as the US maintains its blockade.  The Federal Reserve (Fed) is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming April policy meeting on Wednesday, maintaining the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%. This would mark the third consecutive hold. Traders will closely monitor Jerome Powells press conference after the meeting for hints on

04-29Industry

Iran internet blackout hits 60 days, deepens economic disruption

Irans internet shutdown has reached 60 days, compounding economic and social disruption. The market for the Iranian regime falling by June 30 sits at 7.5% YES, slightly down from 8% a day ago.  The blackout, part of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, points to deepening instability. Trader sentiment has barely moved, with odds for regime fall by June 30 holding steady over the past week. Irans digital isolation and daily economic losses between $30 million and $80 million have not shifted the prediction market.  The market has $127,150 in face value traded over the last 24 hours, with actual USDC volume at $11,723. The order book requires $220,844 to move the odds by 5 percentage points, a relatively thick market. The largest recent move was a 43-point spike to 50% at 11:40 AM, showing that while the market is generally stable, sharp moves can happen.  Traders appear cautious about overreacting to the blackout. The markets stability suggests participants are waiting for more concrete signals of regime change, such as leadership shifts or major defections. At 7.5¢, a YES bet pays $1 if the regime falls by June 30, a 13.3x return. That pricing reflects a long-shot bet unless significant internal fractures appear.  Watch for reports of

04-29Industry

Crypto Whales Move $14M+ in ETH from Exchanges Amid Market Shifts

ETH is in the news as new on-chain information released by Lookonchain indicates a spurt of huge withdrawals of Ethereum, show signs of new accumulation by the big players. There have been a number of high-value deals within hours, with whales bringing millions of dollars worth of ETH off centralised exchanges like Kraken and Binance.  Whales are buying $ETH.  Whale 0xE5eB withdrew 4,361 $ETH($9.98M) from #Kraken 5 hours ago after 3 months of inactivity.  A newly created wallet, 0xA605, withdrew 2,000 $ETH($4.58M) from #Binance 1 hour ago.https://t.co/ExlzRYPU6Chttps://t.co/MSpqv4LElD pic.twitter.com/ZKnpExGerr  — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) April 28, 2026  These trends imply that there is a change of feelings towards the great investors, or so-called whales, who, on average, modify the market dynamics by moving huge amounts of money.  Dormant Wallet Reactivates After Months  Another most remarkable transaction is a wallet that had been dormant in 3 months and then recorded no activity after that. The wallet, known as 0xE5eB, withdrew 4,361 ETH, worth about $9.98 million, from Kraken overnight.  Reawakening of dormant wallets tends to attract a lot of attention due to the possibility of strategic repositioning. Such activity in most cases is in line with future price movement expectations or long-term holding plans. The reappearance of this wallet out of the

04-29Ethereum

BNB Price Prediction: $580 Target Emerges as Technical Breakdown Accelerates

Market Context: Why BNB is Moving Now  BNB‘s struggle at $624 represents more than temporary weakness—it’s a fundamental shift in market structure for exchange tokens. The 22% gap below the 200-day moving average at $806 has transformed what appeared to be consolidation into a sustained bearish phase. This disconnect rarely reverses quickly, particularly when combined with the current risk-off sentiment plaguing crypto markets.  The tokens precarious position just above the Bollinger Band middle line creates an unstable foundation. Any meaningful selling pressure here triggers a cascade toward the lower band at $596, setting up the inevitable test of $580 psychological support.  Technical Picture Points Down  The indicator constellation paints a troubling picture beneath the surface calm. While the RSI sits neutrally near 49, this masks the underlying momentum exhaustion shown by the MACD‘s flatline behavior. More concerning is BNB’s position below both short-term averages—the 7-day at $632 and 50-day at $627—creating downward pressure at every bounce attempt.  Hourly candlesticks (about 96 bars), same endpoint as our cryptocurrency price pages. Numbers below refresh from 1-minute klines.  Full BNB price, calculator & analysis  The Stochastic reading in oversold territory tells only half the story. Without the sharp capitulation spike that typically marks bottoms, this oversold condition becomes a warning

04-29Industry

AI Agent Deletes Startup’s Database in 9 Seconds, Founder Says

In briefPocketOS founder Jeremy Crane claims a Cursor agent running Anthropic‘s Claude Opus deleted his company’s production database and backups in nine seconds.Crane said the AI later produced a written explanation admitting it violated multiple safety rules.The incident raises questions about AI coding tools, Railways infrastructure design, and safeguards around destructive API actions.  A software company founder claims an AI coding agent destroyed his firms production database, then copped to the mistake and explained how it happened, demonstrating the potential danger of entrusting sensitive access and materials to automated bots.  Jeremy Crane, founder of PocketOS—a software platform used by car rental operators to manage reservations, payments, and vehicle tracking—said in a viral post on X that a Cursor agent running Anthropics Claude Opus 4.6 encountered a credential mismatch while working on a routine task in a staging environment.  According to Crane, the agent tried to “fix” the issue by deleting a Railway database volume through a single GraphQL API call. He said the deletion took nine seconds and also wiped volume-level backups. PocketOSs most recent recoverable backup was three months old, according to Crane.  “Yesterday afternoon, an AI coding agent—Cursor running Anthropics flagship Claude Opus 4.6—deleted our production database and all volume-level backups in

04-29Industry

Stablecoin rails slow 19%, but dollar tokens quietly keep compounding

Stablecoin transfer volume fell 19.18% to $831B in 30 days, yet market cap and holders rose as USDT, USDC, and DAI added billions while Ethenas USDe saw $1.1B outflows.Stablecoin transfer volume dropped 19.18% to 831 billion dollars over the past 30 days, but total market cap rose 2.06% to 305.29 billion and holders increased 2.32% to 246.94 million.USDT, USDC, and DAI posted strong net inflows of 3.6 billion, 2 billion, and 1.2 billion dollars respectively, while Ethenas USDe suffered 1.1 billion dollars in net outflows amid yield compression and sustainability concerns.The slowdown in transfer volume follows a period when monthly stablecoin turnover hit 1.78 trillion dollars and annual volumes topped 33 trillion, pointing to a consolidation phase as Bitcoin and Ethereum trade off recent highs.  Stablecoin transfer volume declined 19.18% to $831 billion over the past 30 days, signaling reduced on-chain activity even as the broader stablecoin market continues expanding. Despite the sharp drop in transaction throughput, total stablecoin market capitalization increased 2.06% to $305.29 billion, while the number of holders rose 2.32% to 246.94 million, reflecting sustained adoption and holding behavior across digital dollar ecosystems.  Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value by pegging their price to a specific

04-29Industry

Online Football Betting with Crypto: Safe Sites for Bitcoin Players

Football betting has moved steadily toward crypto. Traditional sportsbooks depend on banks, regional rules, and identity checks. That creates delays when depositing or withdrawing funds, especially during busy periods.  Crypto betting platforms remove most of that friction. Bitcoin transactions settle on-chain, access is often immediate, and users can operate without relying on local banking systems. For football bettors who place frequent wagers, especially during live matches, that difference is noticeable.  At the same time, safety becomes a key concern. Without strong regulation, users need to rely on platform structure, transparency, and track record.  What “Safe” Means in Crypto Football Betting  Safety in crypto betting does not depend on a single factor. It is a combination of several elements.  A reliable platform processes deposits and withdrawals consistently, without unexplained delays. It provides clear bonus terms and does not restrict access after winnings. Transparency also matters. Some platforms expose betting data or operate on audited systems, which reduces reliance on internal reporting.  KYC policies are part of the equation. No-KYC platforms offer faster access, but they shift responsibility to the user. Platforms that require verification may offer more structured protection but introduce delays.  For Bitcoin players, the goal is to find a balance between speed, access, and reliability.  Why Bitcoin

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