The crypto hacks came a little over two weeks apart in April, netting the attackers almost $600 million in total while triggering an investor exodus from one major platform and causing another to fail. But for all the damage the two exploits wrought, what most alarmed cybersecurity experts was how the hackers pulled them off. The attackers — widely believed to be North Korea-linked groups — appear...
The crypto hacks came a little over two weeks apart in April, netting the attackers almost $600 million in total while triggering an investor exodus from one major platform and causing another to fail. But for all the damage the two exploits wrought, what most alarmed cybersecurity experts was how the hackers pulled them off. The attackers — widely believed to be North Korea-linked groups — appear to have used artificial intelligence to select targets and design exploits, according to blockchain forensics firm TRM Labs. The heists displayed such a leap in sophistication that it’s highly likely the hackers worked with the help of AI, said TRM investigator Nick Carlsen, who specializes in North Korean crypto crime. AI in criminal hands would mark a sharp escalation of the threat facing crypto, which has lost billions of dollars to hacks over the past few years. The industry is uniquely exposed to digital theft because of the nature of the blockchain infrastructure it operates on. Investors yanked some $9 billion in two days from a lending protocol used to launder proceeds from one of the April hacks, showing how quickly confidence can vanish even when the platform itself isn’t the target. “There is no room for error in security” now, said Nicholas Smart, chief intelligence officer at blockchain investigations firm Crystal Intelligence. Hanging over it all is Mythos, the AI model Anthropic PBC has withheld from wide release over its cybersecurity risks. While there’s no evidence the hackers had access to it, researchers say it’s only a matter of time before criminals obtain more powerful AI tools. And Anthropic’s own research shows that even existing agents are highly capable of exploits. Read more: Inside Anthropic’s Race to Assess the Dangers of Mythos Decentralized finance, a $130 billion corner of the industry where investors trade, borrow and lend cryptocurrencies over automated protocols, has become particularly vulnerable. The number of DeFi exploits soared to a...
Sometimes, investing in popular assets has a way of turning hype into heartbreak. The cryptocurrency market might just be the most prominent example of this phenomenon. Once hailed as the bridge to a faster, cheaper global payments system, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has ridden waves of euphoria only to crash back to earth in epic fashion. As of mid-May, the token trades at about $1.40 -- roughly 60% below ...
Sometimes, investing in popular assets has a way of turning hype into heartbreak. The cryptocurrency market might just be the most prominent example of this phenomenon. Once hailed as the bridge to a faster, cheaper global payments system, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has ridden waves of euphoria only to crash back to earth in epic fashion. As of mid-May, the token trades at about $1.40 -- roughly 60% below its July 2025 peak. Although some bulls still cling to visions of institutional dominance and regulatory tailwinds, I think XRP could plummet to $1 or lower within the next year. Continue reading
The administration first gave Nvidia the nod to sell the high-end chips to China in December, but those sales have yet to materialize, in part because of the hoops the manufacturer had to jump through.
The administration first gave Nvidia the nod to sell the high-end chips to China in December, but those sales have yet to materialize, in part because of the hoops the manufacturer had to jump through.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that a Russian missile attack on a Kyiv apartment building the previous day killed 24 people, including three children. (Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that a Russian missile attack on a Kyiv apartment building the previous day killed 24 people, including three children. (Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka)
Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square will disclose a new position in Microsoft later in the day, the billionaire investor said on Friday, arguing that the tech giant sits at a "highly compelling valuation". Ackman's new closed-end fund Pershing Square USA, which debuted on the NYSE last month, has also recently made Microsoft a core holding, he said in a post on social media platform X. ...
Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square will disclose a new position in Microsoft later in the day, the billionaire investor said on Friday, arguing that the tech giant sits at a "highly compelling valuation". Ackman's new closed-end fund Pershing Square USA, which debuted on the NYSE last month, has also recently made Microsoft a core holding, he said in a post on social media platform X. Pershing's bet on Microsoft comes amid Ackman's growing appetite for tech holdings.
Suphanat Khumsap/iStock via Getty Images Despite historical phaseout efforts, nuclear's role in energy security is strengthening, particularly as gas and oil markets once again demonstrate vulnerability to geopolitics and geographical bottlenecks. Oil and LNG markets have been shaken in early 2026, and this volatility is strengthening the case for nuclear as an energy-security hedge. The current w...
Suphanat Khumsap/iStock via Getty Images Despite historical phaseout efforts, nuclear's role in energy security is strengthening, particularly as gas and oil markets once again demonstrate vulnerability to geopolitics and geographical bottlenecks. Oil and LNG markets have been shaken in early 2026, and this volatility is strengthening the case for nuclear as an energy-security hedge. The current war in the Middle East has transitioned from a flow disruption into a broader supply crisis, with global demand growth expectations for 2026 sharply downgraded amid availability constraints and economic uncertainty. The global build-out and restart of nuclear power has been gathering momentum quietly for several years, driven by a mix of climate and energy security priorities. Countries such as China have steadily expanded nuclear capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support industrial growth, while many others accelerated plans following the disruption caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, which exposed vulnerabilities in fossil fuel supply chains and reinforced the need for reliable, domestically controlled baseline energy sources. More recently, escalating tensions in the Middle East have added another layer of urgency, incentivizing governments to move faster on nuclear deployment as a hedge against geopolitical instability and potential energy price shocks, accelerating what had been a gradual, under-the-radar resurgence into a more pronounced phase of growth. In the US and Canada, the emphasis has been on the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), particularly to serve dedicated, behind-the-meter demand such as industrial sites, data centers and government or corporate operations. SMRs are intended to be faster to deploy, more flexible and better-suited to specific use cases — especially as energy-intensive sectors seek reliable, carbon-free power independent of the wider grid. However, this approach is still largely in the demonstration and early deploym...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Rigetti Computing, Inc. ( RGTI ) remains a prime example of paying the right price for a stock. The stock soared last year due to excitement around quantum computing, while the business is still years away from prime time with no guarantee for success. My investment thesis remains ultra Bearish on the quantum stock, even after dipping nearly $40 from the highs. So...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Rigetti Computing, Inc. ( RGTI ) remains a prime example of paying the right price for a stock. The stock soared last year due to excitement around quantum computing, while the business is still years away from prime time with no guarantee for success. My investment thesis remains ultra Bearish on the quantum stock, even after dipping nearly $40 from the highs. Source: Finviz Not Much To See Rigetti reported the following Q1'26 earnings results : Source: Seeking Alpha The company launched the Cepheus-1-108Q system used for cloud computing with Rigetti QCS, Amazon Braket, and Microsoft Azure Quantum. Unfortunately, though, the big revenue growth in Q1 came from reporting a large portion of the $5.7 million QPU order. Rigetti is still highly reliant on a very small amount of system orders. The company has a large $8.4 million C-DAC order for an on-premises 108-qubit system in India targeted for Q4, on top of the $5.7 million QPU order accounting for the majority of sales this year. The company has a solid 30% gross margin and limited costs for now. Rigetti spent only $21.4 million in operating expenses on a non-GAAP basis, with the Q1 net loss at just $14.7 million, helped by $5.4 million in interest income. In total, Rigetti reported negative free cash flow in the $20.6 million range. The company has a reasonable spending plan, though one actually has to wonder if management is investing enough in the competitive quantum computing space where much larger players exist. Quantum Advantage Is Still Far Away As with most quantum computing plays, the timeline to quantum advantage is years away. Rigetti defines quantum advantage as at least 3 years away and requires the following performance metrics, led by 1,000+ qubits with ~99.9% 2-qubit gate fidelity. Source: Rigetti Q1'26 presentation As a comparison, the company just released a 108-qubit system with a 2-qubit gate fidelity target of 99.5% later this year. In essence, Rigetti is looki...
JHVEPhoto Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) said it plans to sell about 8.1% of Vanguard International Semiconductor's stock through a block trade to financial institutional investors. TSM expects to sell up to 152M common shares of Taiwan-based Vanguard. TSM currently holds about 27.1% of Vanguard's shares, and after completion of the share sale, it expects to reduce its shareholding to ...
JHVEPhoto Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) said it plans to sell about 8.1% of Vanguard International Semiconductor's stock through a block trade to financial institutional investors. TSM expects to sell up to 152M common shares of Taiwan-based Vanguard. TSM currently holds about 27.1% of Vanguard's shares, and after completion of the share sale, it expects to reduce its shareholding to about 19%. The company added that it has no plan to sell more shares of Vanguard in the foreseeable future. The world's largest contract chipmaker said the proposed share sale is part of its plan to focus its resources on core business activities. In June 2024, TSM ceased to have representation on Vanguard's board. TSM added that the proposed share sale will not affect its strategic relations with Vanguard, including outsourcing of interposer production and licensing of GaN technology to Vanguard. More on Taiwan Semiconductor TSMC: Early Signs Of Formidable Foundry Competition TSMC: Expect More All-Time Highs Ahead TSMC: The Vital Cog Of The AI Revolution Is Sending A Powerful Growth Signal Taiwan Semi expects global chip market to reach $1.5T by 2030 TSMC approves $20B capex increase for TSMC Arizona
JHVEPhoto Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) said it plans to sell about 8.1% of Vanguard International Semiconductor's stock through a block trade to financial institutional investors. TSM expects to sell up to 152M common shares of Taiwan-based Vanguard. TSM currently holds about 27.1% of Vanguard's shares, and after completion of the share sale, it expects to reduce its shareholding to ...
JHVEPhoto Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) said it plans to sell about 8.1% of Vanguard International Semiconductor's stock through a block trade to financial institutional investors. TSM expects to sell up to 152M common shares of Taiwan-based Vanguard. TSM currently holds about 27.1% of Vanguard's shares, and after completion of the share sale, it expects to reduce its shareholding to about 19%. The company added that it has no plan to sell more shares of Vanguard in the foreseeable future. The world's largest contract chipmaker said the proposed share sale is part of its plan to focus its resources on core business activities. In June 2024, TSM ceased to have representation on Vanguard's board. TSM added that the proposed share sale will not affect its strategic relations with Vanguard, including outsourcing of interposer production and licensing of GaN technology to Vanguard. More on Taiwan Semiconductor TSMC: Early Signs Of Formidable Foundry Competition TSMC: Expect More All-Time Highs Ahead TSMC: The Vital Cog Of The AI Revolution Is Sending A Powerful Growth Signal Taiwan Semi expects global chip market to reach $1.5T by 2030 TSMC approves $20B capex increase for TSMC Arizona