Author: GT

Crypto markets rose Monday, with bitcoin (BTC) trading above $94,000 and the CoinDesk 20, a measure of the performance of the largest cryptocurrencies, adding 2.2% by the middle of the European morning. XRP led majors’ gains, rising almost 7%, driven by a ProShares ETF approval that will see three futures-tracked products go live on April 30. Cardano’s ADA gained more than 3% and BNB Chain’s BNB added 1%. Ether (ETH) was unchanged. One exception to the relatively dormant market was privacy coin monero (XMR), which surged more than 40% to as high as $371, a level not seen since May…

Baidu has unveiled ERNIE X1 Turbo and 4.5 Turbo, two fast models that boast impressive performance alongside dramatic cost reductions. Developed as enhancements to the existing ERNIE X1 and 4.5 models, both new Turbo versions highlight multimodal processing, robust reasoning skills, and aggressive pricing strategies designed to capture developer interest and marketshare. Baidu ERNIE X1 Turbo: Deep reasoning meets cost efficiency Positioned as a deep-thinking reasoning model, ERNIE X1 Turbo tackles complex tasks requiring sophisticated understanding. It enters a competitive field, claiming superior performance in some benchmarks against rivals like DeepSeek R1, V3, and OpenAI o1: Key to X1 Turbo’s…

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with the PayPal logo is placed on a laptop in this illustration taken on July 14, 2021. Dado Ruvic | ReutersPayPal, Block and Affirm are all closely tied to the health of the consumer, which has investors on edge headed into their earnings reports.Markets broadly have been jittery to start the year due largely to concerns about President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs and the prospect of higher import costs leading to rising unemployment and reduced consumer spending.Specific to e-commerce, there’s the end of de minimis trade exemptions for Chinese imports, effective May 2. That change, aimed at…

Only a handful of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), have been able to avoid the worst of the declines in response to President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. Most top cryptocurrencies are down at least 20% for the year, with two major categories of cryptocurrencies — Layer 1 blockchain networks and meme coins — getting slammed especially hard. Let’s take a closer look to see whether any of these beaten-down cryptos might be worth buying right now. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg looks on before the luncheon on the inauguration day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second Presidential term in Washington, U.S., Jan. 20, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | ReutersMark Zuckerberg’s plan is to make Meta the market leader in artificial intelligence. Investors will want to know how President Donald Trump’s tariffs-heavy trade policies will impact that strategy. Those answers could start to come as soon as this week as Meta’s AI strategy takes center stage when the company hosts its first Llama-branded conference for AI developers on Tuesday then reports its latest quarterly earnings the next day.Already, tech companies are…

(Bloomberg) — The gold rally has outshone other asset classes this month — even drawing some comparisons to bitcoin — as President Donald Trump’s tariff war reshapes the global economic order, pushing investors to look for safety. Now, shifts in options positioning has some market watchers saying it’s time to get cautious. Most Read from Bloomberg As bullion hit a record last week, the trading of options on the SPDR Gold Shares ETF surpassed 1.3 million contracts, a level never reached before. At the same time, the cost of hedging against declines in the exchange-traded fund sits near its lowest…

When Deepankar Rustagi last raised money for OmniRetail in 2022, excitement was high for African startups addressing the supply chain and operational challenges in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. At one point, these startups received more capital than all sectors, except fintech. Recently, though, the industry’s enthusiasm and venture capital’s interest have faded, as various business models have struggled under mounting pressure. Yet for Rustagi, OmniRetail isn’t just another B2B commerce platform; it’s an ambitious effort to reshape informal retail across Nigeria and West Africa using technology and embedded finance in a scalable, profitable way. Now, that vision has…

Bitcoin has been an unbelievable investment. In the past decade, the price has skyrocketed 37,000% (as of April 22). That monster gain is lightyears ahead of what the S&P 500 index was able to produce during the same time. Investors looking to gain exposure to one of the world’s best-performing assets might want to do so in a convenient way. Luckily, there are products on the market for this. Here’s a top Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) to buy now with $100 and hold forever. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10…

It’s been a busy year for TechCrunch events — and it’s about to get even bigger. StrictlyVC, our boutique, highly exclusive event series for VCs and startups, is crossing the Atlantic this May with stops in London and Athens! We’re bringing StrictlyVC’s insider conversations to Europe. On May 8, we’ll dive into Athens’ booming tech momentum with a special appearance by the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Then, on May 13, we’ll head to London to explore the investment and financial strategies shaping Europe’s tech ecosystem. If you’re thinking about expanding globally — or wondering how to start —…

The construction site of a plant for the production of hydrogen in Germany. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesA growing number of sizable companies, from mining giants to energy majors, are embracing the hype for natural hydrogen.It comes as buzz continues to build over the potential for a resource that advocates say could radically reshape the global energy landscape.Natural hydrogen, sometimes known as white, gold or geologic hydrogen, refers to hydrogen gas that is found in its natural form beneath Earth’s surface. The long-overlooked resource, first discovered by accident in Mali nearly 40 years ago, contains no carbon and…