Google and OpenAI Debut Super Fast AI Models—Gemini 3.7 Flash Is Out, But GPT-5.6 Sol Ultrafast Is Invite-Only

In briefGoogle launched Gemini 3.7 Flash on Thursday, a low-cost coding-and-agents model now generally available.OpenAI previewed GPT-5.6 Sol Ultrafast, a Cerebras-powered tier running its most capable model up to 14× faster.The speed race has shifted from raw intelligence to real-time agents, but only Googles model reaches every developer today.  Google and OpenAI both pushed the same message today: AI is now fast enough to feel impressive for those who use AI agents, each company announcing ultra fast models.  The two launches are built differently, and only one is actually in your hands today.  Myriad: When will OpenAI release GPT-6? Click to make your prediction.  Google shipped Gemini 3.7 Flash, its latest model tuned for software coding and autonomous business workflows. OpenAI opened a limited preview of GPT-5.6 Sol Ultrafast, a new service tier that runs its most capable model at up to 750 output tokens per second.  Today were introducing Gemini 3.7 Flash, our most intelligent workhorse model yet for coding and agents.  This model brings substantial gains across software engineering, web development, and complex knowledge work.  Now through the end of the year, Gemini 3.7 Flash is available…  Gemini 3.7 Flash is a general-availability model. It takes up to a million input tokens (roughly 750,000 words) and

08-14Industry

Live updates: Bitcoin slips back even as Fed rate hike expectations dwindle

Bitcoin finally moved, but it was down  Bitcoin (BTC), by any measure, still remains stuck in a tight trading range, but there has been some movement of note on Thursday.  Sadly for bulls, the coiled spring theory isn‘t yet working. Instead, BTC is headed lower, sliding below $63,000 at one point earlier this afternoon. It’s currently trading at $63,100 down about 0.5% over the past 24 hours. Other crypto majors are seeing similar declines.  The small losses are happening even as the interest rate picture in the U.S. is improving. Decent inflation reports yesterday and today appear to have taken the idea of a September Federal Reserve rate hike off the table.  The two-year Treasury yield, which was above 4.30% just days ago, has slid back to 4.14%, reflecting the sharply lower odds of tighter monetary policy.  Other risk assets — particularly U.S. stocks — continue to be where the action is. Higher by another 0.55% on Thursday, the S&P 500 notched another record high.

08-14Industry

Baltimore sues Kalshi and Polymarket, roping Coinbase, Robinhood and Webull into the fight

Quick TakeBaltimores Kalshi lawsuit also names distribution partners Coinbase, Robinhood and Webull as defendants.The city is seeking penalties, restitution and an order blocking unauthorized sports betting.  Baltimore, the most populous city in Maryland, has sued prediction market operators Kalshi and Polymarket over allegations that their sports-event contracts amount to illegal gambling, with the citys case against Kalshi also pulling its distribution partners Coinbase, Robinhood and Webull into the mix.  Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Council filed the lawsuits Thursday in Baltimore City Circuit Court. The complaints allege the companies violated the citys Consumer Protection Ordinance by offering sports betting without proper state licenses.  The city contends that Kalshi and Polymarket offer the same kinds of wagers as licensed sportsbooks, including game winners, point spreads and player performance contracts. The suits also claim that these platforms skirt state oversight, taxation and other consumer protections that licensed operators are required to abide by.  “These companies are running sportsbooks without licenses and betting that a new label will put them above the law,” Scott said. “It wont.”  Baltimore vs Kalshi  While the city filed separate complaints against Kalshi and Polymarket, the Kalshi case is a bit broader. Alongside Kalshi Inc. and KalshiEX LLC, the complaint names Robinhood

08-14Industry

Ethereum L1 drops Poseidon in post-quantum move

Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake has said the networks layer 1 will leave Poseidon after an eight-year, eight-figure research effort and pursue established hash functions such as SHA-2 or BLAKE2s.  Ethereum L1 turns away from Poseidon  Justin Drake said in an Aug. 13 X post that the Ethereum Foundation is abandoning Poseidon for its L1 roadmap and moving toward traditional options such as SHA or BLAKE.  “Goodbye, Poseidon!” Drake wrote, describing the decision as the result of an “8-year, 8-figure rabbit hole” in post-quantum cryptography.  Goodbye, Poseidon!  An epic 8-year, 8-figure rabbit hole in post-quantum cryptography reaches its dream conclusion. The Ethereum Foundation is abandoning Poseidon for L1, pivoting to SHA or BLAKE. This milestone unlocks ultimate security for lean Ethereum and foreshadows a golden…  Poseidon emerged in 2019 as a hash function designed for zero-knowledge proof systems. Its structure made it less costly to process inside Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge, commonly known as SNARKs, than traditional hash functions built around binary operations.  Since 2018, the Ethereum Foundation has invested in specialized hashes as part of its work on zero-knowledge technology. Poseidon later became a common choice across zk-rollups and zkVMs, including systems that secure billions of dollars in crypto assets.  Drake‘s announcement concerns Ethereum’s future L1

08-14Industry

Tether Claims 'Largest Inaugural Financial Audit' as KPMG Signs Off on 2025 Statements

In briefTether said KPMG issued an unqualified opinion, the best outcome, on Tether Internationals 2025 financial statements.The company called it the “largest inaugural financial audit in history.”The audit follows years of scrutiny over USDTs backing and Tethers push to expand in the U.S.  Tether said Thursday that Big Four accounting firm KPMG issued an unqualified audit opinion—industry jargon for the best possible result—-on the 2025 financial statements of Tether International, the company behind the worlds largest stablecoin USDT.  In a post announcing the audit, Tether called the review the “largest inaugural financial audit in history,” saying KPMG examined Tethers assets, liabilities, income, cash flows, internal systems, records, counterparties, and supporting documentation.  Myriad: Bitcoins next move? Click to make your prediction.  “Despite our company being subject to several years of detractors false claims, competitors lies, political attacks and misinformed coverage by several mainstream newspapers trying desperately to discredit us for the benefit of their friends in the tall ivory towers, Tether delivered what it promised,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino wrote on X.  An unqualified opinion means auditors found no major problems with the way the financial statements were presented. It does not, however, mean auditors are endorsing Tethers business or guaranteeing it can meet its obligations.  Tethers

08-14Industry

White House Lets Private Firms Hack Cybercriminals—At Their Own Legal Risk

In briefTrump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on Aug. 12 creating a program for private firms to disrupt foreign cybercriminal networks.Participating companies operate under DOJ and DHS direction, post a bond of at least $1 million, and face annual review.Americans reported more than $20.8 billion in losses to cyber-enabled crime in 2025, the White House said.  President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Tuesday directing the federal government to enlist vetted U.S. companies in offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal networks. The National Security Presidential Memorandum, dated Aug. 12, stands up a program inside the National Coordination Center of the Homeland Security Task Force.  “This memorandum expands the fight against TCO-perpetrated cybercrime by incorporating the ingenuity of the private sector,” the White House wrote in the orders purpose section, referring to transnational criminal organizations.  Myriad: When will OpenAI release GPT-6? Click to make your prediction.  “By partnering with vetted United States companies subject to the direction and oversight of the Federal Government, we will enhance our ability to counter TCO threats and combat transnational cybercrime, fraud, and other predatory schemes against American citizens.”  Two executive directors, one each from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, would run the program. Private

08-14Industry

BTC Dips Below $63,000 as $122M in Long Bets Get Liquidated

Bitcoin closed lower after a volatile session, dropping to $62,912 before recovering slightly back above $63,000, pushing its market cap to $1.26 trillion.  Key TakeawaysBitcoin dipped to $62,912 on Thursday as volatile trading erased late-night gains.Total crypto liquidations hit $227 million, led by $122 million in wiped-out long positions.AMINA Research warns that Strait of Hormuz risks may delay Fed rate cuts through late 2026.  Crypto Liquidations Top $227 Million  Following a virtually flat Wednesday close, bitcoin moved lower alongside an uptick in volatility. After spending much of Wednesday afternoon bound between $63,300 and $63,500, a brief late-night surge lifted the asset to $63,900 around 1:25 a.m. EST.  However, about two hours later, bitcoin began a descent that dragged it back below the $63,400 mark. The leading cryptocurrency repeated the pattern shortly after, rising to $63,900 before paring gains in another sell-off. Unlike the first round, however, bitcoin dipped to $62,912 at 12:44 p.m., pushing its market capitalization down to $1.26 trillion. Although it quickly reclaimed $63,000, the digital asset remained down 0.5%.  Bitcoins elevated volatility on Thursday spurred an uptick in liquidations. Long positions accounted for nearly $34 million of the total, up more than $13 million from the previous day. Across the broader crypto

08-14Industry

Tether gets unqualified KPMG opinion in first full audit

Tether has completed its first independent financial statement audit, with KPMG U.S. issuing an unqualified opinion after reviewing its 2025 accounts and a reported $6.814 billion reserve surplus.  Tether said Thursday that KPMG U.S. conducted the audit of Tether International, S.A. de C.V. under applicable professional standards and issued an unqualified opinion on the companys financial statements.  KPMG‘s opinion covers Tether’s full 2025 accounts  Rather than examining only a reserve report at a particular date, KPMG reviewed the companys financial position as of Dec. 31, 2025, along with its operating results and cash flows for the full year. The audit covered the balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in equity, and cash flow statement.  According to Tether, KPMG concluded that the statements “present fairly, in all material respects” the companys financial position and results under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.  An unqualified opinion means the auditor did not attach reservations, exceptions, or qualifications to its conclusion. Tether described the result as a clean audit, although the opinion applies specifically to the audited 2025 financial statements and the related evidence examined by KPMG.  The audit also tested the records supporting individual balance-sheet entries. KPMG examined transactions, internal systems, asset ownership, valuations, counterparties, and documents used to

08-14Industry

Crypto Group Warns Fed Could Use Banking Access to Squeeze Digital Asset Firms

In briefThe Blockchain Association filed an amicus brief supporting Custodia Banks petition for Supreme Court review.Custodia is challenging a ruling that upheld the Feds denial of its master account application.The group says the case could shape how much power federal regulators have over state-chartered banks.  The Blockchain Association is urging the Supreme Court to take up Custodia Banks fight with the Federal Reserve, arguing the central bank should not have the broad power to deny payment system access to eligible state-chartered banks.  In the amicus brief filed on Wednesday supporting Custodias petition, the crypto trade group said a lower court ruling in favor of the Fed gives federal regulators a quiet way to cut lawful businesses out of the banking system.  Myriad: Will the Clarity Act be signed into law in 2026? Click to make your prediction.  The decision ratifies the Feds misuse of its payment services to further an impermissible policy goal—debanking the digital-asset industry, the Blockchain Association wrote.  An amicus brief is a legal filing from someone who is not a party to a case but wants to give the court additional arguments or context. Here, the Blockchain Association is supporting Custodias request that the Supreme Court review the dispute.  At issue is Custodias

08-14Industry

CFTC to discuss crypto and AI rules at first IAC meeting

The CFTC has scheduled a three-hour meeting for Aug. 20 to examine crypto assets, artificial intelligence, prediction markets, and its recent work across the three sectors.  CFTC meeting will put crypto and AI policy on the agenda  The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in an Aug. 11 Federal Register notice that its Innovation Advisory Committee will hold its inaugural meeting on Aug. 20, bringing members together to discuss crypto assets, artificial intelligence, and prediction markets.  Scheduled to run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the meeting will take place in person for committee members in Washington. Members of the public will be able to follow the proceedings virtually, and the session may finish before 4 p.m. if the committee completes its business early.  The CFTC said recent agency activity involving the three areas will also form part of the discussion. Its notice does not identify a proposed rule that members will vote on, nor does it state that the meeting will produce immediate policy changes.  Rather, the IAC advises the commission on issues where technology, law, policy and finance overlap. Its recommendations may inform the agencys work, but the committee does not independently adopt or enforce CFTC regulations.  Chairman Michael S. Selig, who

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