Tesla’s spring update activates adaptive high beams that won’t blind oncoming drivers

by

Tesla’s vehicles may be in a sales slump, but that’s not stopping the company from regularly introducing fresh features for owners. Tesla’s spring software update includes several useful new functions in its EVs, including adaptive high beams on compatible cars and better trip planning. The update will allow some Tesla owners to use high beams … Read more

Ripple acquisition Hidden Road secures FINRA registration

by

Prime brokerage Hidden Road, which was recently acquired by Ripple for $1.25 billion, has secured a broker-dealer license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) — a move that enhances its capacity in the fixed-income markets.  As a FINRA broker-dealer, Hidden Road can further develop its fixed-income prime brokerage services and extend its capabilities in … Read more

Ramp is trying to get the US government as a customer after seeing a tweet from DOGE

by

Expense management startup Ramp is being considered for a charge card pilot program by the U.S. government’s General Services Administration, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The government’s internal expense card program, dubbed SmartPay, is a $700 billion program. It is estimated that the charge card pilot program contract for which Ramp is being … Read more

US jobless claims hint at stability as Bitcoin reaches 'inflection point' at $85K

by

The latest US initial jobless claims data came at 215,000, below the estimated expectation of 225,000, on April 17. The dip in jobless claims indicated that the US labor market remained stable, with fewer people being affected by the uncertainty of US tariffs. Initial jobless claims are a leading economic indicator that measures the health … Read more

OpenAI launches Flex processing for cheaper, slower AI tasks

by

In a bid to more aggressively compete with rival AI companies like Google, OpenAI is launching Flex processing, an API option that provides lower AI model usage prices in exchange for slower response times and “occasional resource unavailability.” Flex processing, which is available in beta for OpenAI’s recently released o3 and o4-mini reasoning models, is … Read more

Bitcoin in Standstill at $85K as Trump Increases Pressure on Fed’s Powell

by

Bitcoin (BTC) was treading water just below $85,000 late Thursday as tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell added another layer of uncertainty for investors. Markets dipped on Wednesday after hawkish comments from Powell, who criticized Trump’s tariffs policy, saying that it would likely result in a slowing economy and … Read more

Ethena Labs, Securitize unveil 'Converge' network roadmap

by

Ethena Labs, the developer of the USDe synthetic dollar (USDe), and financial technology company Securitize, released a preliminary roadmap for their upcoming Converge network, a high-throughput blockchain focused on real-world assets and decentralized finance (DeFi). According to the announcement, a testnet will be live in the coming weeks, with a mainnet launch later in 2025. … Read more

4 reasons why Bitcoin price could rally to $90K in April

by

Key points:  Monetary stimulus in China and Europe increases investors’ focus on Bitcoin price. The US Federal Reserve is under political pressure to cut rates, as the DXY weakens. Bitcoin’s decoupling from traditional markets continues to gain attention.  Bitcoin (BTC) traders are somewhat puzzled by BTC price jumping to $85,000, especially since the S&P 500 … Read more

Razer has quietly un-paused some laptop sales

by

Razer is selling laptops on its site again after a recent and sudden halt. In what seemed like a response to ongoing tariff tumult, the US Razer site had quietly pulled its Blade laptops from direct sales, including its new Blade 16 with Nvidia’s 50-series GPUs. Things seemed normal in other regions like Canada. But … Read more

As the trade war escalates, Hence launches an AI ‘advisor’ to help companies manage risk

by

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have underscored the increasing geopolitical risk that almost all businesses now face. As the situation continues to shift with Trump’s unpredictable deal-making, it’s also becoming clear how challenging it is for companies, nonprofits, consultants, and lawyers to keep up with the rapid day-to-day changes. “We are drowning in trade updates every … Read more

Trump blasts ‘too late’ Powell for not cutting interest rates

by

US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, accusing him of being too slow to cut interest rates and escalating a long-running conflict that risks undermining the central bank’s political independence. With the European Central Bank (ECB) cutting interest rates again on April 17, “Too Late” Powell has failed to … Read more

Judge blocks Ohio’s online parental consent law

by

A federal judge has struck down an Ohio law that would’ve required children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media platforms. In a decision on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that the law is unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment. Signed in 2023, Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification … Read more

Wyoming commission floats whether stablecoin is 'covered' by SEC rules

by

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a body authorized by the US state to issue a stablecoin, has suggested that it may clarify its language to better comply with potential guidelines from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In an April 17 meeting in the extension of the Wyoming Capitol building, Commissioner Joel Revill suggested the … Read more