Author: GT

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, it didn’t just unleash war — it froze the financial system. Foreign currency transactions were banned under martial law, and getting critical supplies to the front became nearly impossible. “My teammates on the front lines needed real supplies, but the financial system was down,” said Sergii Vasylchuk, CEO of Everstake, speaking to TheStreet Roundtable. That’s when crypto stepped in. One of the biggest advantages of crypto is that you don’t have to wait the usual three to four business days traditional banks take to process transactions. Even on slower networks such as Bitcoin, the…

HoneyBook, a startup last valued in late 2021 at $2.4 billion, told TechCrunch that it hit $140 million in annualized recurring revenue (ARR). This makes HoneyBook one of the few startups with peak-VC-era valuations to report their financials after the market cooled.  Many startups that raised in 2021 and have not raised since then remain under pressure to generate the revenue needed to validate their previously inflated valuations, and many may not survive much longer. But HoneyBook is doing so well, it sees no reason to still keep its revenue metrics secret. HoneyBook offers business management software for independent service-based…

As U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest announcement of 25% auto tariffs led to renewed tension in the global markets, investors flocked to gold. It didn’t take long for the bullion to hit another record high as its price hit an all-time high (ATH) of $3,059.30 on March 27. The precious metal has hit 17 record ATHs in 2025 so far. In contrast, Bitcoin, often dubbed the “digital gold” by crypto enthusiasts, has been rangebound in the $84,000-$88,000 price range for the past seven days. Despite traders’ expectations, BTC has failed to break out from the range. As per Kraken’s price…

The Alibaba office building in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on Aug. 28, 2024.CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesIn November 2023, Jack Ma posted an internal memo at Alibaba, urging the e-commerce giant he helped create to “correct its course.” The message was as a rallying cry by one of China’s most prominent tech leaders to a company going through one of the most tumultuous times in its history.Alibaba’s share price was near record lows, growth was stalling amid intensifying competition, management changes were coming thick and fast, and Beijing was still closely scrutinizing the company. Ma himself was barely…

President Trump is slapping 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including from our immediate North American neighbors. He’s also placed a 25% tariff on certain parts used to build cars. It’s a decision that will likely supercharge the cost of new and used cars, but it’s also a gift to Tesla, the company run by Elon Musk, his biggest financial supporter in the presidential election.  The new tariff regime comes at an auspicious time for Tesla. The company is dealing with the fallout of Musk’s promotion of far-right ideology and his involvement with the unpopular Department…

Certification platform Certiverse raised an $11 million Series A led by Cherryrock Capital, it announced this week. The company was founded by Ruben Garcia, Pablo Meyer, and Federico Lopez in 2023. It lets organizations develop certification exams at, its founders say, far less cost than traditional methods.  Certifications are an age-old method to gain technical skills to boost job prospects, as well as gain mastery over a particular subject.  The company says it works with a range of companies, from the technology nonprofit The Linux Foundation to the software company HashiCorp.  CEO Garcia is not new to the certification industry.…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s use of a popular messaging app to discuss sensitive military plans — with a journalist on the text chain — is raising questions about security and the importance of safeguarding the nation’s secrets. It’s also highlighting the differences between classified and public information, and demonstrating that even encrypted apps like Signal can lead to embarrassing leaks if the humans doing the texting don’t follow basic security tips. What’s the difference between ‘classified’ and ‘top secret’?President Donald Trump’s administration says no classified material was leaked when senior officials used Signal to discuss upcoming attack plans…

SOPA Images / Getty Images GameStop shares tumbled in intraday trading Thursday, a day after the video game retailer said it was planning to issue $1.3 billion in convertible bonds for general corporate purposes, including buying Bitcoin. The company, which earlier this week updated its corporate investment policy to include buying the token, said it is offering the convertible bonds to investors in a private sale. GameStop shares fell around 15% in intraday trading Thursday. GameStop (GME) shares tumbled in intraday trading Thursday, a day after the video game retailer said it was planning to issue $1.3 billion in convertible…

Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesShares of AppLovin sank 20% on Thursday, their steepest drop on record, as another short-selling firm raised concerns about the company’s digital ad technology and claimed that it’s violating app store rules.AppLovin tumbled $65.92 to close at $261.70. The stock soared more than 700% last year, the biggest gain among U.S. tech companies, due to enthusiasm surrounding AppLovin’s artificial intelligence technology and the growth it was spurring in its ad business. But Muddy Waters Research on Thursday became the third short-selling firm to publish a report meant to raise significant investor skepticism. The stock…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fans of Studio Ghibli, the famed Japanese animation studio behind “Spirited Away” and other beloved movies, were delighted this week when a new version of ChatGPT let them transform popular internet memes or personal photos into the distinct style of Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki. But the trend also highlighted ethical concerns about artificial intelligence tools trained on copyrighted creative works and what that means for the future livelihoods of human artists. Miyazaki, 84, known for his hand-drawn approach and whimsical storytelling, has expressed skepticism about AI’s role in animation.Janu Lingeswaran wasn’t thinking much about that when…