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Google Cloud, MoneyGram, Vodafone’s Pairpoint, and eToro will run launch-phase nodes on Midnight, a zero-knowledge privacy network targeting a mainnet launch at the end of March 2026.The pitch isn’t anonymity, but selective disclosure. It’s the ability to prove compliance or settlement eligibility without broadcasting raw customer data onto a public ledger.Midnight’s Kūkolu mainnet launches at the end of March 2026 with federated operators, with a transition to broader decentralization planned but not yet scheduled.Midnight describes these operators as “federated,” meaning a limited, named set running the protocol under explicit coordination rules to prioritize uptime and operational stability during the Kūkolu…

The earnings focus remains on the retail space, with several bellwether operators on deck to report results this week, including Target TGT, Best Buy BBY, Costco COST, Macy’s M, and others.The earnings releases thus far provide a reassuring view of consumer spending, with broad spending trends largely stable and in line with what we have been seeing in recent quarters. That said, cumulative inflation remains a headwind, particularly at the lower end of income distribution. The stable aggregate spending trends reflect strength among high-income and younger consumer groups, with the bulk of the outlays going towards essentials and experiences.Demand for…

The Congressional Budget Office warns America’s public retirement programs are deteriorating at a shocking rate.

July NY world sugar #11 (SBN25) today is down -0.12 (-0.66%), and August London ICE white sugar #5 (SWQ25) is down -4.50 (-0.88%).Sugar prices today are under pressure on the outlook for a global sugar surplus.  Consultant Datagro said today that it projects a 2025/26 global sugar surplus of +1.53 MMT, recovering sharply from a 2024/25 global sugar deficit of -4.67 MMT. Don’t Miss a Day: From crude oil to coffee, sign up free for Barchart’s best-in-class commodity analysis.  Short covering over the past week has pushed sugar prices higher, with NY sugar posting a 5-week high Tuesday and London…

Fintech company Block announced that it would be laying off 4,000 of its 10,000 employees because of gains in AI productivity.“Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” Jack Dorsey, Block’s CEO, said in a letter to shareholders on Thursday. “We’re already seeing it internally. A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better. And intelligence tool capabilities are compounding faster every week.” Block is the parent company for online payment platforms such as Square and Cash App.Investors so far appear encouraged by Dorsey’s assertion that the cuts,…

Erste Asset Management GmbH lessened its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Free Report) by 12.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 341,182 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 46,890 shares during the period. First Solar accounts for 0.7% of Erste Asset Management GmbH’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Erste Asset Management GmbH owned approximately 0.32% of First Solar worth $76,141,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other…

Dorsey said AI-driven efficiency demands smaller teams, triggering one of the largest layoffs in Block’s history. Jack Dorsey announced that Block is reducing its workforce by nearly half, cutting more than 4,000 employees and bringing total headcount from over 10,000 to just under 6,000. In a note shared publicly on X, Dorsey described the move as “one of the hardest decisions in the history” of the company and said all employees would be notified the same day whether they are being asked to leave, entering consultation, or staying. Massive Layoffs at Block He stated that affected employees will receive…

After weeks of anticipation—and amid a share price decline of nearly 29% year-to-date (YTD)— reported Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings, and the results were…mixed. What’s likely to make headlines is the fact that the company failed to meet analyst expectations on both top- and bottom-line performance for the final quarter of the year, despite making year-over-year (YOY) improvements in both categories.Looking more closely, however, investors may find plenty of reasons to be optimistic about D-Wave’s future following its latest earnings report. The company made impressive improvements in multiple areas, including quarterly bookings, cash position, full-year revenue and gross profit, and…

Wholesale prices rose at a faster-than-expected pace in January, countering hopes that inflation was easing, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.The core producer price index, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.8%, more than the 0.6% gain in December and well ahead of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 0.3%.On an all-items basis, the headline PPI rose 0.5%, also above the forecast for 0.3% and 0.1 percentage point more than the prior month.For the full year, core wholesale prices accelerated 3.6%, while the headline index posted a 2.9% gain. Both figures are well ahead…

Key PointsPrediction market traders currently give Bitcoin a 10% chance of hitting $150,000 this year.As midterm elections approach, the U.S. government might start actively buying Bitcoin for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.In an ultimate bull-case scenario, U.S. buying of Bitcoin will set off a crypto “arms race” around the world.10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›At a current price of $67,000, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is now 46% below its all-time high of $126,000 from October. For more than four months now, there has been steady selling pressure on Bitcoin.So it’s perhaps no surprise that prediction market traders think Bitcoin has…