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In brief Visa continues to invest in stablecoin infrastructure, this time backing BVNK. BVNK builds crypto payments infrastructure for businesses. Visa announced another crypto venture this week, revealing an investment in stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK. London-based BVNK announced the “strategic investment” from Visa via the payment giant’s Visa Ventures arm. It did not reveal the size...

AI chatbots available on Meta’s platforms like Facebook and Instagram can engage in sexually explicit conversations with underage users, according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ says that after learning about internal concerns regarding whether the company was doing enough to protect minors, it spent months conducting hundreds of conversations with the official Meta AI chatbot, as well as user-created chatbots available on Meta platforms. In one reported conversation, a chatbot using actor/wrestler John Cena’s voice described a graphic sexual scenario to a user identifying as a 14-year-old girl. In another conversation, the chatbot imagined…

Layer 3 protocols are designed to fix many of the performance issues that plague the blockchain gaming space. With increased scalability, speed and flexibility, they open up possibilities that could reshape our gaming experiences.Key TakeawaysLayer 3 is considered the next milestone for blockchain gaming due to better scalability and user-centric features.It leverages advanced interoperability, connecting multiple chains for seamless in-game transactions.Recursion-based scaling delivers compressed proofs, reducing fees while increasing speeds.Application-specific customization helps game creators set unique parameters for tokens, fees, and gameplay.Leading Layer 3 protocols include zkSync Hyperchains, and Arbitrum Orbit, each offering innovative solutions.What Is Layer 3 in Blockchain…

CNN  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a unilateral three-day ceasefire in Ukraine next month, a move met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials who demanded the Kremlin leader immediately accept a longer truce proposal from the United States that he has so far rejected. Moscow said “all military actions” in Ukraine would be suspended from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11, a decision which it said was based on “humanitarian considerations.” The truce would coincide with Russia’s World War II Victory Day commemorations on May 9 and the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Putin’s…

LAHORE: Stands full, crowds buzzing; it was a party atmosphere here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday night. The spectators had turned up in numbers to support the home side, and it didn’t disappoint. Riding on the back of scintillating knocks by Daryl Mitchell and Sikandar Raza, Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans by five wickets to go second in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings, as the visitors’ — on sixth — woes deepened and their playoff hopes dented further. Chasing 186, Mitchell (64 off 38, four fours and as many sixes and Raza (40 off 21, two fours and…

Check out the companies making headlines in premarket trading. UnitedHealth — Shares dropped 7% in the premarket Tuesday after the company announced it was suspending its 2025 outlook due to higher-than-expected medical expenditures. UnitedHealth also announced CEO Andrew Witty was stepping down, effective immediately, for personal reasons. Stephen Hemsley will replace Witty as chief executive. Rigetti Computing — Shares tumbled 11.4% after the quantum computing firm recorded $1.5 million for first-quarter revenue, below the $2.6 million consensus forecast from analysts polled by FactSet. Coinbase — Shares rallied 9.2% following the announcement that the crypto trading platform will join the S…

Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and publishing Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Morbi pretium leo et nisl aliquam mollis. Quisque arcu lorem, ultricies quis pellentesque nec, ullamcorper eu odio. Este artículo también está disponible en español. Tony “The Bull” Severino has issued a cautionary reminder to the crypto community not to fall into the trap of comparing Bitcoin’s current cycle with its historic 2017 bull run. According to the technical analyst, a critical indicator on…

The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) says that, as part of its efforts to undo the Biden administration’s policies on financial lending, it has updated guidance clarifying that marijuana businesses are ineligible for key loan programs. In a report about the SBA policy changes that was published on Monday, congressional researchers said the agency is...

Good morning, and happy Monday! Thanks for reading another edition of The Drop In, DoubleBlind’s newsletter delivering independent journalism about psychedelics straight to your inbox. Today’s lead story is about how an ancient Peruvian empire used psychedelic beer to forge alliances and expand its territory. You can find it below! If you keep scrolling, you’ll...

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e. The model replaces both the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in the company’s lineup. The new handset is the least expensive member of the iPhone 16 lineup, aiming at emerging markets, including India. The world’s second largest smartphone market (behind China) has fueled significant iPhone sales, with Apple recently cracking the top five vendors in India. A week ahead of the iPhone 16e’s release, however, it’s unclear what impact the device will have on this key market. In 2024, India became the fourth largest market for Apple, after the U.S., China, and Japan,…