#bloomberg

Blockchain-based and stablecoin-focused payments platform BVNK aims for a new funding round. According to Bloomberg, the startup, which is backed by Tiger Global Management, is in talks with potential buyers to raise at least $50M.

According to Bloomberg, former FTX user Nikolas Gierczyk has filed a lawsuit against the hedge fund Olympus Peak, which specializes in trading distressed debt claims.

Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is on the verge of releasing its latest AI model, named Strawberry, which is expected to improve its ability to reason through tasks. A limited access release is planned for this week, though no public launch date has been announced.

Bloomberg reports that Standard Chartered, a multinational financial corporation, is developing its own platform for trading Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). This new division will operate as part of the bank's global banking sector, with its management hub based in London.

In a move by the bankrupt exchange FTX, between 25 to 30 million SOL tokens have been sold to Galaxy Trading and Pantera Capital for $64 each, according to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg. This transaction is valued between $1.6 to $1.92 billion, though the exact date of the sale remains undisclosed.

Eric Balchunas, the Senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, has scaled back his optimism regarding the approval of a spot Ethereum ETF, now assessing the chances at 35% by the May deadline. He emphasizes, however, that approval remains a possibility, especially looking ahead to the longer term.

Ladan Stewart, the leader of the SEC's crypto unit, has transitioned from the agency to join the law firm White & Case, Bloomberg reports. In her new role, she will spearhead the development of crypto and cybersecurity practices.

Bloomberg’s Senior ETF Analyst, Eric Balchunas, humorously notes, "I can’t escape bitcoin ETFs even if I tried..."

Bloomberg reports that Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the ex-CEO of the crypto exchange Binance, saw his fortune grow by almost $25 billion in 2023. His financial growth surpassed that of other crypto industry billionaires, including Coinbase's CEO Brian Armstrong and the Winklevoss twins.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink made some intriguing remarks about the crypto industry during a Q3 earnings call, as shared on X by Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

Bloomberg reports that Dragonfly Capital, a crypto-focused venture company, is preparing to raise $500 million for a new fund aimed at early-stage blockchain projects. So far, over $250 million has been secured, with the full fundraising expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.

July 23 marked the debut of spot Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. trading markets. According to data from a Bloomberg terminal screenshot shared by analyst James Seyffart, the total net inflows amounted to approximately $106.8 million, with the overall trading volume surpassing $1.11 billion.

Bloomberg's senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, has revealed that the SEC asked applicants to submit their final S-1 form documents by Wednesday, along with a request for effectiveness on Monday. This suggests that the launch could happen on Tuesday, July 23.

Bloomberg sources report that Apple won't be paying OpenAI for using its artificial intelligence features (ChatGPT) in its products, at least at the start of their collaboration. Apple believes that the value of embedding OpenAI’s technology into millions of its devices outweighs monetary payments.

Three AI-focused crypto projects, specifically SingularityNET, Fetch․ai, and Ocean Protocol, are considering the merger of their tokens into a single ASI token, Bloomberg reports, without revealing its source.

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research and deployment company, has rebutted Elon Musk's claims of prioritizing profit maximization and violating their agreement on creating artificial general intelligence (AGI). This revelation stems from an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg.

The U.S. Department of Justice has leveled charges against three American individuals for committing fraud through SIM card swaps. Bloomberg reports that among the companies affected was the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which suffered a loss of over $400 million in client assets in the aftermath of its bankruptcy announcement.

The following image illustrates a comparison between Spot Bitcoin ETFs and such stock market titans as the SPDR S&P500 ETF Trust and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1, based on Bloomberg's data as of January 11, 2024.

Bloomberg reports that during a private dinner in Singapore, Binance alerted its VIP traders about an anticipated settlement with U.S. authorities, totaling $4.3 billion.