Author: GT

The tech layoff wave is still kicking in 2025. Last year saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been the victim of reductions across the tech industry, with a staggering 16,084 cuts taking place in February alone. We’re tracking layoffs in the tech industry in 2025 so you can see the trajectory of the cutbacks and understand the impact on innovation across all types of companies. As businesses continue to embrace AI and automation, this tracker serves as a reminder of the human…

Fifty years after the founding of Microsoft, the CEO of its artificial intelligence division has a big task: develop a new product line as integral to daily life as the software giant’s past innovations. “We’re really trying to land this idea that everybody is going to have their own personalized AI companion,” said Mustafa Suleyman in an interview with The Associated Press. “It will, over time, have its own name, its own style. It will adapt to you. It may also have its own visual appearance and expressions.”Suleyman is laying out that vision on Microsoft’s 50th anniversary Friday. The celebration…

Since the start of April, bitcoin (BTC) has experienced an unusual increase in conviction from both short-term and long-term holders. According to Glassnode, short-term holders—those who have held bitcoin for less than 155 days—are typically more reactive to price movements, often buying during periods of euphoria and selling during downturns. However, of late, short-term holders appear to have become value-driven buyers despite bitcoin currently sitting roughly 25% below its all-time high. Since the start of April, this group has grown by around 15,000 BTC, now holding a total of just over 3.7 million BTC. That said, since February, they have…

Ant Group is relying on Chinese-made semiconductors to train artificial intelligence models to reduce costs and lessen dependence on restricted US technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The Alibaba-owned company has used chips from domestic suppliers, including those tied to its parent, Alibaba, and Huawei Technologies to train large language models using the Mixture of Experts (MoE) method. The results were reportedly comparable to those produced with Nvidia’s H800 chips, sources claim. While Ant continues to use Nvidia chips for some of its AI development, one sources said the company is turning increasingly to alternatives from AMD and…

A pump jack operates near a gas turbine power plant in the Permian Basin oil field outside of Odessa, Texas, U.S. February 18, 2025. Eli Hartman | ReutersU.S. oil prices have dropped to their lowest level since 2021 this week, sparked in part by concerns that the massive tariffs announced by the United States will hurt economic growth.Futures for U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell 7% on Friday, bringing the price per barrel to $62.28. At one point, it fell below the $62 level. The latest slide comes after a 6.6% decline on Thursday.Stock Chart IconStock chart iconWest Texas intermediate crude…

Pedestrians walk by an advertisement for Klarna.Daniel Harvey Gonzalez | In Pictures via Getty ImagesKlarna and StubHub are delaying plans to go public after President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent shockwaves through U.S. markets.The companies put their long-awaited debuts on pause because of market turbulence, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the discussions are confidential. Neither company has a timeline for when it will pursue an offering, the person said.Goldman Sachs, which is leading the Klarna IPO, declined to comment. Representatives from StubHub didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Both…

Since IPOs slowed to trickle a few years ago, limited partners who invest in venture capital funds have had one giant problem: a dearth of liquidity. Lack of cash returns has been especially troublesome for wealthy individuals or their small family offices — who manage the assets of the wealthy — that made substantial investments in VC funds. Having funds locked up in venture capital was a big issue for entrepreneur Mike Hurst. After selling Exactuals (a payments startup he founded) to City National Bank in 2018, he invested a good portion of the proceeds from the exit into tech…

The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) has experienced a significant decline, falling over 30% since its peak in December 2022. Currently, the TVL stands at approximately $94.49 billion, down from a high of $137 billion recorded on Dec. 17. This decline is attributed to a challenging macroeconomic environment and the still-maturing nature of the DeFi ecosystem. Recent data from DefiLlama indicates that DeFi’s TVL recently reached a low of $88 billion, reflecting a broader downturn in the crypto market. Analysts point to various factors contributing to this drop, including reduced user confidence and a decrease in active…

Chris Wright, chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc. and US energy secretary nominee for US President-elect Donald Trump, arrives for a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLiberty Energy lost around $600 million in market value in just two days, as the oilfield services company founded by President Donald Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright comes under heavy selling pressure.The stock has shed 30% since Wednesday’s close and was last trading 13.8% lower as of 11:00 a.m. ET. The sharp decline marks one of the…

IT asset management (ITAM) software has become essential for businesses to efficiently track, manage, and optimize their hardware, software, and cloud resources. As we approach 2025, the landscape of ITAM tools continues to evolve, offering more advanced features and capabilities. These solutions help organizations reduce costs, enhance security, ensure compliance, and streamline IT operations. From cloud-based platforms to AI-powered analytics, modern ITAM tools provide real-time visibility into asset lifecycles, automate routine tasks, and offer valuable insights for decision-making. They integrate seamlessly with other IT systems, such as service management and endpoint security solutions, to create a comprehensive IT management ecosystem.…