Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Sovereign debt just showed up onchain. BitGo announced custody and off-exchange settlement services for USDM1, a USD-denominated bond issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands and structured as the first natively issued onchain sovereign bond in history.

This is not a tokenized version of an existing bond. USDM1 was born onchain, designed from the ground up to live on Stellar, Ethereum, and Solana simultaneously.

What USDM1 actually is USDM1 is fully collateralized, structured under New York law, and backed 1:1 by short-duration U.S. Treasuries held in a bankruptcy-remote structure. Every USDM1 token has a real Treasury bill sitting behind it in a legally isolated account. If the issuer goes under, the collateral does not go with it.

The bond accrues value daily and comes with enforceable par redemption, meaning holders can redeem at face value under defined conditions. That feature alone separates it from most yield-bearing stablecoins, which offer similar economic exposure without the legal enforcement mechanisms.

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USDM1 has potential compatibility with Level 1 High-Quality Liquid Asset treatment, subject to regulatory determinations. That is the same classification U.S. government bonds currently hold under Basel III liquidity rules. If regulators eventually agree, institutions could use USDM1 to satisfy liquidity buffer requirements.

What BitGo brings to the table BitGo’s role here is custody and settlement infrastructure. Institutional clients can hold USDM1 in segregated, regulated cold storage with offline key management.

BitGo enables T+0 off-exchange settlement around the clock. Traditional sovereign bond markets typically settle on a T+1 or T+2 basis. T+0 means settlement happens the same session, without requiring assets to move onto an exchange first. It reduces counterparty exposure during the settlement window and opens the door to using USDM1 in margin trading and treasury workflows.

BitGo also confirmed the arrangement includes industry-standard legal documentation, which matters for institutional prime brokers and custodians that have strict requirements around documentation before they will accept an asset as eligible collateral.

The Marshall Islands and a genuinely unusual use case The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a small Pacific island nation spread across more than 1,200 islands. The RMI embedded USDM1 directly into its 20-year nationwide Universal Basic Income program. The bond is actively being used to distribute government payments to citizens across islands that, in some cases, have limited access to conventional banking.

That dual function—yield-bearing institutional asset and government disbursement rail—is genuinely novel. It demonstrates that a sovereign government can issue debt natively on public blockchains, use that debt to fund domestic programs, and simultaneously offer it to institutional investors through regulated custody channels.

What this means for institutional crypto and sovereign finance Rather than tokenizing an instrument that already exists in traditional markets, the RMI issued the bond directly onchain from day one. A natively onchain sovereign bond does not require a bridge between legacy settlement systems and blockchain rails. The asset starts onchain, settles onchain, and accrues yield onchain.

The multi-chain deployment across Stellar, Ethereum, and Solana is a deliberate choice. Stellar has deep roots in cross-border payment corridors. Ethereum remains the dominant layer for institutional DeFi and tokenized assets. Solana offers throughput and low transaction costs that make it viable for high-frequency settlement operations.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Chainlink is holding near a key support area while the market continues to judge whether its cross-chain infrastructure story can turn into durable demand for LINK.

The token has been trading around levels that matter to short-term traders, but the larger Chainlink conversation is not only about price. It is about whether CCIP, data feeds, and institutional integrations can keep moving from announcements into real usage.

That distinction matters. Chainlink has one of the clearest infrastructure narratives in crypto, especially around oracles, tokenization, and cross-chain communication. But infrastructure narratives take time to prove themselves. The market wants adoption, volume, and recurring demand — not just another list of integrations.

For LINK holders, the current support test is therefore about more than the chart.

TL;DR Chainlink is holding near a key support zone as traders watch LINK’s next move. CCIP adoption remains central to the longer-term Chainlink story. The market wants evidence that integrations are translating into sustained usage and demand. Chainlink’s Story Is Bigger Than One Price Level Chainlink is not a typical altcoin story.

The project sits underneath a large part of the crypto infrastructure stack through oracle services, data feeds, automation, proof-of-reserve tools, and cross-chain messaging. That makes it important even when LINK price action is quiet.

The problem for traders is that infrastructure value does not always translate cleanly into token momentum. A new integration can be useful. A major institution can test Chainlink tools. CCIP can expand across ecosystems. But the market still has to decide how much of that activity should be reflected in LINK’s price.

That is why support levels matter in the short term, but they do not tell the whole story.

If LINK holds support while adoption keeps growing, bulls can argue that the market is gradually pricing in Chainlink’s role as cross-chain infrastructure. If support fails despite continued announcements, traders may question whether the token is capturing enough of the network’s relevance.

The current setup sits between those two readings.

CCIP Is The Part Traders Keep Coming Back To Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol has become one of the most important parts of its market narrative.

CCIP is designed to help move data and value across blockchains in a more secure and standardised way. That matters because crypto remains fragmented. Liquidity, assets, applications, and users are spread across many networks, and institutions are unlikely to tolerate messy bridging risk at scale.

If CCIP becomes a widely used standard, Chainlink’s position in the market strengthens.

CCIP activity and integrations are the key areas to watch in the current Chainlink setup. That is the right area to watch. The market does not need another vague infrastructure claim. It needs evidence that real projects, institutions, or networks are using Chainlink tools in ways that create recurring demand.

That evidence can come through transaction volume, value transferred, integrations moving into production, and institutional use cases that go beyond pilot programmes.

Until then, CCIP remains a strong narrative with a live adoption test.

LINK Needs Usage To Beat The Altcoin Cycle Like other major altcoins, LINK still trades inside the broader crypto liquidity cycle.

When risk appetite is strong, infrastructure tokens can rally as investors look for high-quality altcoin exposure. When the market weakens, even strong projects can fall if capital rotates back to Bitcoin, stablecoins, or cash.

That is why Chainlink’s support area matters now. It shows whether buyers are willing to defend LINK during a less forgiving market.

The stronger case for LINK is that Chainlink has a clearer utility story than many altcoins. Its tools are used across DeFi, data, and cross-chain environments. It is also one of the few crypto projects that regularly appears in conversations about institutional infrastructure.

The weaker case is that token demand remains hard to model. Traders may believe Chainlink is important while still questioning whether LINK captures enough of that importance during quieter market periods.

That tension is not new, but it is becoming more important as the market matures.

If CCIP usage continues expanding and LINK holds support, the token could regain attention as an infrastructure play rather than a short-term altcoin trade. If usage data remains unclear and support breaks, traders may wait for a better entry or stronger confirmation.

For now, Chainlink’s story remains intact, but the market wants more proof. The next phase depends on whether adoption becomes visible enough to support the price narrative.

This article is based on information from Chainlink.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.

Chainlink (LINK), a decentralized oracle network focused on providing secure data feeds to blockchains, is drawing renewed attention as it deepens its integration in the evolving tokenized asset sector. With financial institutions seeking greater exposure to blockchain-based finance, Chainlink has emphasized its expanding role in accelerating tokenization trends.

Spotlight on tokenization initiativesChainlink recently highlighted its position as a central force in the “multi-trillion-dollar tokenization megatrend,” naming ecosystem participants such as Ondo, Robinhood, Maple, Centrifuge, OpenEden, and Securitize who are collaborating on tokenized finance solutions. This initiative underscores the network’s focus on supporting tokenized stocks, funds, and other real-world assets, underscoring Chainlink’s growing influence among institutions exploring blockchain finance.

Chainlink described itself as “the center of the multi-trillion-dollar tokenization megatrend” as it showcased partners participating in the project, including both DeFi-native companies and regulated financial firms.

The protocol’s infrastructure connects various blockchains and traditional systems, enabling interoperability that is essential for the evolving tokenization landscape. As institutions aim to bridge legacy assets to blockchain networks, Chainlink’s suite of oracle services and cross-chain tools continue to see increased adoption.

Mini dictionary: Tokenization is the process of converting real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, or property into digital tokens that can be traded and managed on blockchains. It enables increased liquidity, faster settlements, and wider access to financial instruments.

Price action finds support amid technical signalsLINK is trading at $8.16, reflecting a decline of 2.16% over the past 24 hours. The price remains below the immediate resistance at $8.58, which coincides with the upper Bollinger Band and acts as a ceiling for further gains in the near term. However, LINK has recovered above the middle Bollinger Band, suggesting a moderation in recent selling pressure.

Technical data from TradingView points to a stable On-Balance Volume (OBV) near 895 million, indicating buyers are maintaining positions rather than exiting, despite the recent price drop. Analysts note that a close above $8.58 could reinforce a bullish trend, potentially targeting higher resistance levels. Conversely, a close below $7.98 could put the next key support at $7.48 in focus.

Price LevelTypeSignificance$8.58ResistanceUpper Bollinger Band$8.16Current priceSpot rate$7.98SupportPotential breakdown point$7.48SupportNext lower supportDerivatives market signals rising interestCoinGlass data shows LINK’s open interest has grown to roughly $450 million—one of its highest recent readings. This surge in open interest comes as LINK’s price consolidates, often interpreted by traders as an influx of new capital readying the token for a significant move. While increased open interest is not a definitive indicator of future direction, it often points to heightened market engagement.

Rising open interest alongside stable prices suggests traders are positioning for potential volatility, indicating that LINK may soon break above or below its established range.

Investors continue to watch whether Chainlink’s strategic position in tokenized finance, supported by growing institutional adoption, can help the asset gain momentum above key resistance levels. Recent developments position the protocol as a key enabler for the broader adoption of blockchain technology by established financial entities.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network just made its clearest play yet for mainstream adoption. Base launched the Base Account on July 16, 2025, a new smart wallet infrastructure layer that automatically creates a self-custodial account the moment someone signs up for the Base app.

The feature is called “Sign in with Base,” and it works across apps and chains.

What Base Account actually does When a user signs up for the Base app, a self-custodial smart account is automatically generated. The feature set includes cross-app compatibility, meaning one account works across multiple applications built on Base and other chains. There’s also Base Pay, which enables one-tap USDC payments. Sponsored gas fees are baked in as well, meaning users don’t need to hold ETH to transact. Transaction batching is another inclusion, allowing multiple operations to be bundled into a single action.

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The Sub Accounts feature, which hit mainnet in Q2 2025 after a successful testnet rollout, laid the groundwork for this broader account infrastructure. Sub Accounts let applications create isolated account contexts within a user’s main wallet, useful for separating funds across different dApps without managing multiple wallets.

The 2026 roadmap: Beryl and Cobalt First up is Beryl, targeted for June 25, 2026. This upgrade introduces B20, a new native token standard designed to facilitate further abstraction improvements.

Then comes Cobalt in September 2026. Cobalt will establish native account abstraction at the protocol level, meaning gas sponsorship and transaction batching won’t be features bolted on top of the network — they’ll be built into the foundation. Every account on Base would essentially be a smart account with built-in capabilities that currently require third-party infrastructure.

The AI angle Base has been increasingly explicit about building “agent-native infrastructure,” and the smart account improvements feed directly into that strategy. Traditional externally owned accounts, controlled by private keys, require a single signer and lack programmable logic. Smart accounts with features like transaction batching and gas sponsorship are better suited for autonomous agents that need to execute complex multi-step operations. The combination of Base Account’s current features and the Cobalt upgrade’s native account abstraction creates an environment where AI agents could operate with the same ease as human users.

What this means for investors The introduction of these features has not yet triggered significant market price changes or expert commentary directly linked to the smart accounts announcement.

For the broader Ethereum ecosystem, Base’s roadmap creates competitive dynamics against other Layer 2 networks including Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync. Base has a specific advantage in Coinbase’s existing verified user base. “Sign in with Base” could become a path from centralized exchange user to on-chain participant.

Investors watching Base should track three things over the next twelve months: daily active smart accounts post-launch, developer adoption of Sub Accounts and Base Pay integrations, and whether the Beryl timeline holds.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

OKX Europe has launched a one-way conversion feature allowing customers to deposit USDT and convert it into USDC, offering a regulated migration path as the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules limit support for the world’s largest stablecoin.

According to a company announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the feature lets customers deposit Tether’s USDt (USDT) into their OKX Europe account and convert the tokens into USDC (USDC), one of the largest stablecoins available under the European Union’s MiCA framework.

Tether has not obtained authorization to issue USDT under MiCA, prompting many European platforms to restrict deposits, delist trading pairs or convert customer balances into compliant alternatives as the European Union completed the framework’s rollout on July 1.

OKX Europe said the feature is designed for customers whose existing platforms no longer accept USDT or plan to migrate their balances automatically. The exchange said conversions can be completed at the customer’s discretion rather than through a platform-imposed deadline.

The move comes even as USDT remains the dominant stablecoin globally. According to DefiLlama, Tether accounts for about 59% of the nearly $310 billion stablecoin market, with a market capitalization of roughly $184 billion, compared with about $73 billion for Circle’s USDC.

OKX Europe serves customers across 30 EU and European Economic Area countries under its MiCA license.

Source: DefiLlama

Why did Tether reject MiCA?Tether has defended its decision not to seek MiCA authorization for USDT, even as the move prompted many European crypto platforms to delist or restrict the stablecoin. Since the EU’s regulatory framework began taking effect in late 2024, exchanges across the region have been shifting users toward MiCA-compliant alternatives.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has repeatedly criticized MiCA, arguing its reserve requirements create unnecessary risks for stablecoin issuers by requiring a portion of reserves to be held with European credit institutions. 

In a May 2025 interview with Cointelegraph, Ardoino described the framework as “very dangerous when it comes to stablecoins,” saying Tether chose not to pursue authorization despite the likelihood that USDT would lose support on European exchanges.

The company has shown little sign of changing course. In a July 2025 post on X, Ardoino said Tether would reconsider seeking MiCA authorization only “when MiCA becomes safer for consumers and stablecoin issuers.”

Source: Paolo Ardoino

Recently, digital banking platform Revolut said it will stop supporting USDT for customers in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, giving users until Aug. 31 to sell or withdraw their holdings before automatically converting any remaining balances into their base currency.

Magazine: The British Virgin Islands are a top crypto hub no one ever talks about: Here’s why

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

OKX Europe is now letting users in the European Economic Area swap their USDT holdings into MiCA-compliant stablecoins like USDC and USDG.

The move comes ahead of the July 1, 2026 deadline, when licensed platforms in the EU will no longer be permitted to offer non-compliant stablecoins to European users. Tether, the issuer behind USDT and its roughly $175 billion to $186 billion market cap, has not pursued MiCA authorization and has shown no signs of changing course.

What’s actually happening OKX Europe, which secured its MiCA Crypto-Asset Services Provider license on January 27, 2025, now fully supports USDC (issued by Circle) and USDG (issued by Paxos) for deposits, trading, and related services including the OKX Card. The conversion feature gives European customers a voluntary path to move their USDT into these compliant alternatives.

Once July 1, 2026 arrives, any exchange operating under MiCA rules will be required to stop offering non-compliant tokens to EEA users entirely.

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To sweeten the transition, OKX is offering up to an 8% deposit bonus for assets moved from non-MiCA platforms starting from the enforcement of the new regulations.

OKX has partnered with Circle to enable global 1:1 USD-to-USDC conversions, reinforcing the liquidity infrastructure needed to make USDC a credible USDT replacement on its platform.

The great European USDT exodus USDT trading volumes on EU platforms have already dropped significantly, with some exchanges reporting declines exceeding 70%.

Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken have all either delisted or restricted USDT trading for European users in response to MiCA requirements.

Background: MiCA and the stablecoin shakeup MiCA is the EU’s attempt to create a unified regulatory framework for crypto across all member states. For stablecoins specifically, the regulation requires issuers to obtain authorization as electronic money institutions, maintain adequate reserves, and meet transparency requirements.

Circle, the company behind USDC, obtained its MiCA license relatively early, positioning itself as the natural beneficiary of any USDT restrictions in Europe. Paxos, which issues USDG, took a similar compliance-first approach.

What this means for investors For European crypto users holding USDT, the practical question isn’t whether to convert, but when. Waiting until the last moment before the July 2026 deadline risks running into congestion, potential slippage, or reduced conversion options as platforms finalize their compliance postures.

The broader implication is a fragmentation of stablecoin liquidity along regulatory lines. European markets are increasingly denominated in USDC and USDG, while USDT continues to dominate in Asia and other regions with less prescriptive stablecoin rules.

The competitive landscape between USDC and USDG in Europe is also worth monitoring. Circle has a significant head start in brand recognition and institutional partnerships, but Paxos has its own regulatory credentials and backing.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

USD/CHF trades with a downside bias on Friday as the Swiss Franc (CHF) outperforms its major peers, while the US Dollar (USD) is little changed. At the time of writing, the pair trades around 0.8074 after reaching 0.8149 earlier this week, its highest level since August 2025.

From a technical perspective, USD/CHF is still in a steady uptrend, marked by higher highs and higher lows, with the pair trading above its key moving averages. However, buyers have struggled to clear the multi-month resistance at 0.8150, suggesting that the rally that began in early May is losing momentum.

On the daily chart, the pair holds above the 100-day and 200-day Simple Moving Averages (SMAs), clustered around 0.7920 and 0.7919, respectively. It also trades above the 0.8000 psychological level.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 54 indicates modest bullish momentum, while the Average Directional Index (ADX) near 26 hints at a moderately directional trend. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator sits slightly negative, reinforcing the idea of a maturing advance where upside may slow but is still supported by underlying structure.

On the downside, initial support is seen at 0.8000, followed by the 100-day SMA at 0.7920 and the 200-day SMA at 0.7919. These moving averages form a broader demand zone if the pullback deepens.

On the topside, immediate resistance sits at 0.8150. A sustained break above this barrier could extend the broader recovery, while another rejection would likely keep the pair consolidating above the 0.8000 support.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Swiss Franc Price Today The table below shows the percentage change of Swiss Franc (CHF) against listed major currencies today. Swiss Franc was the strongest against the British Pound.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHFUSD0.06%0.18%0.05%-0.19%0.20%-0.01%-0.14%EUR-0.06%0.12%-0.04%-0.27%0.15%-0.06%-0.21%GBP-0.18%-0.12%-0.17%-0.40%0.02%-0.17%-0.34%JPY-0.05%0.04%0.17%-0.24%0.18%-0.05%-0.18%CAD0.19%0.27%0.40%0.24%0.42%0.20%0.06%AUD-0.20%-0.15%-0.02%-0.18%-0.42%-0.22%-0.33%NZD0.00%0.06%0.17%0.05%-0.20%0.22%-0.15%CHF0.14%0.21%0.34%0.18%-0.06%0.33%0.15% The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Swiss Franc from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent CHF (base)/USD (quote).

nVent Electric plc (NVT) Discusses Launch of New ERICO Grounding and Protection Products Prepared Remarks Transcript

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 17th, 2026

Elmet Group (NASDAQ:ELMT – Get Free Report) and Nisun International Enterprise Development Group (NASDAQ:AIOS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap construction companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, valuation, profitability, risk and institutional ownership.

Insider & Institutional Ownership 4.7% of Nisun International Enterprise Development Group shares are held by institutional investors. 5.4% of Nisun International Enterprise Development Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings for Elmet Group and Nisun International Enterprise Development Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Elmet Group 0 1 4 0 2.80 Nisun International Enterprise Development Group 1 0 0 0 1.00 Elmet Group presently has a consensus target price of $20.50, indicating a potential upside of 41.77%. Given Elmet Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Elmet Group is more favorable than Nisun International Enterprise Development Group.

Profitability This table compares Elmet Group and Nisun International Enterprise Development Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Elmet Group N/A N/A N/A Nisun International Enterprise Development Group N/A N/A N/A Earnings & Valuation This table compares Elmet Group and Nisun International Enterprise Development Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Elmet Group $211.26 million 2.05 $6.90 million $0.23 62.87 Nisun International Enterprise Development Group $5.07 million 0.67 -$220.91 million N/A N/A Elmet Group has higher revenue and earnings than Nisun International Enterprise Development Group.

Summary Elmet Group beats Nisun International Enterprise Development Group on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Elmet Group (Get Free Report)

Elmet provides precision-engineered components and advanced high-energy systems for growth markets. Our customers in these markets require advanced technology involving critical and strategic materials, such as tungsten, molybdenum and niobium (such materials, the “Critical Materials”) and high-level radio frequency (“RF”) engineering, including plasma generation, radar, and other high-energy systems (together, “High-Power Microwave”). Our products and solutions are integral to the Aerospace, Defense and Government, Industrial, Medical, Semiconductor and Electronics, and Energy industries. These are industries which require components capable of performing in extreme thermal, electromagnetic, and technical environments for vital use cases. Our fundamental mission is to strengthen U.S. domestic manufacturing capabilities to support the United States and its allies’ needs in both Critical Materials and advanced High-Power Microwave systems. We believe we are the leader and sole-source U.S. producer of many highly engineered Critical Materials products and a leading designer and manufacturer of High-Power Microwave components in the United States. Our business is organized into two divisions, Critical Materials Components (“CMC”) and Engineered Microwave Products (“EMP”). Through our divisions, we own and operate a vertically integrated engineering-to-production system, with custom design, development, and processing expertise for Critical Materials and High-Power Microwave that is unmatched in our markets and the industries in which we operate. Our High-Power Microwave expertise capitalizes on our vertically integrated engineering-to-production system, enabling us to deliver microwave energy solutions with custom design and development expertise. Our Critical Materials engineering and production expertise enables us to custom design elegant solutions for some of the most challenging environments on the planet. We believe these capabilities provide a significant competitive advantage in our markets and the industries in which we compete. — We are proud to be the only U.S.-owned and U.S.-based manufacturer of highly engineered tungsten and molybdenum products through our CMC division. We control the powder production, pressing, sintering, forming, milling and engineering of tungsten and molybdenum oxide to the finished engineered product. Our CMC products support many of the most critical programs on land, sea and air of the United States Department of War (also referred to as the United States Department of Defense) (the “DoW”). Our engineering expertise in our EMP division has enabled us to provide products and services to a wide variety of existing and emerging programs also supporting the DoW and space sector leaders, such as Lockheed Martin Corporation (“Lockheed Martin”), RTX Corporation (“Raytheon”), Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (“Teledyne”) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”). Our products are widely used in over 95 national lab programs, including benchmark research and development facilities such as Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (“Fermi”) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (“Los Alamos”) and many others around the world. Because of the common relationship among some of the products we offer, we regularly incorporate our Critical Materials and our High-Power Microwave components in the same defense programs and high-powered energy research facilities throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. Our comprehensive in-house design and manufacturing capabilities are supported by close to 100 engineers, engineering technicians, RF experts, metallurgists and research and development scientists. Our customers benefit from the specialized expertise, know-how and product design we have developed in both engineered high-temperature, high-density Critical Materials and High-Power Microwave technology. Our specific capabilities provide our customers with a value proposition which allows these customers to simplify their supply chain, increase their speed to market and maintain competitive cost structures. Our engineering expertise and established track record position us to serve customers who need a systems solution required to withstand extreme environments and meet stringent performance requirements. These customers rely on us to deliver technical design and scaled manufacturing of Critical Materials components and High-Power Microwave integrated systems to meet these standards. Given the critical nature of the components and solutions we provide, we engage with customers early in their design cycle to develop difficult-to-replicate solutions, using our specialized processes and equipment, creating a competitive advantage. We leverage our vertical integration and engineering capabilities to provide our products and services to five high-growth, strategically critical U.S. and global end-markets, which require components capable of performing in extreme thermal, electromagnetic, and mechanical environments including: Aerospace, Defense and Government, Industrial, Medical, Semiconductor and Electronics and Energy. We were organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware on September 13, 2024. Our principal executive offices are located in Portland, ME.

About Nisun International Enterprise Development Group (Get Free Report)

Nisun International Enterprise Development Group Co., Ltd, an investment holding company, provides technology-driven integrated supply chain solutions for enterprises and financial institutions in the People’s Republic of China and internationally. It offers professional solutions for technology supply chain management, technology asset routing, and digital transformation of tech and finance institutions. The company also provides a range of technology-driven customized financing solutions to small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance SMEs’ access to capital through its closed-loop ecosystem built on fintech platforms; and direct banking solutions to small- and medium-sized commercial banks and other financial institutions in their distribution and management of direct banking and other financial products. Nisun International Enterprise Development Group Co., Ltd has a strategic collaboration with Henan Wanbang International Agricultural Products Logistics Co., Ltd. for cooperation on businesses related to the agricultural field; and with Yingkou Yongxiang Logistics Co., Ltd. The company was formerly known as Hebron Technology Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Nisun International Enterprise Development Group Co., Ltd in September 2020. Nisun International Enterprise Development Group Co., Ltd was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China.

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Dash, a digital payments-focused cryptocurrency launched in 2014, has rolled out a new privacy system called Orchard designed to strengthen user anonymity and transaction confidentiality. The system leverages Zcash’s zero-knowledge proof technology, enabling users to send Dash while shielding the sender, recipient, and amount from public view.

Mainnet launch and transaction improvementsThe Dash Core team announced on X that Orchard pools were activated immediately, emphasizing faster confirmation speeds. According to the developers, transactions on Orchard can be confirmed in approximately one second, while wallet synchronization now takes roughly 20 seconds.

Previously, Dash depended on its PrivateSend feature, which mixed user coins through CoinJoin to obscure transaction trails. PrivateSend provided a degree of fungibility, but required pooling multiple user transactions to make tracing more difficult.

With Orchard, Dash transitions to a cryptographically advanced approach. The system implements zero-knowledge proofs, allowing the network to confirm transaction validity without revealing any participant details or transaction amounts. This represents a significant privacy upgrade compared to the older, mixing-based model.

Dash’s mainnet activation marks the beginning of a new era for privacy on its network, with the team reporting that users can now send funds with the details fully hidden from the public ledger.

Samuel Westrich, chief technology officer of Dash Core Group, described Orchard’s open-source code as mature and relatively straightforward to integrate. The upgrade has been deployed on Dash Evolution, the project’s updated chain introduced in 2024 to deliver faster transaction times and support for token-based applications.

Currently, Orchard covers standard Dash transfers. The team has announced plans to extend privacy features to stablecoins and other digital assets in the future.

Mini dictionary: Zero-knowledge proof — A cryptographic method allowing one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself. This is often used in privacy coins to keep sensitive transaction data confidential.

Zcash bug and market responseOrchard’s implementation on Dash arrives at a turbulent time for Zcash, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency that originally developed the Orchard system. On May 29, 2026, security researcher Taylor Hornby discovered a flaw in Zcash’s Orchard circuit. The bug had existed since Orchard’s activation in May 2022, raising concerns about Zcash’s total supply integrity.

This vulnerability could have allowed the creation of counterfeit Zcash tokens in complete secrecy due to Orchard’s privacy features. Following disclosure on June 4, Zcash (ZEC) experienced a steep price decline, falling from about $602 to around $299, marking a drop of more than 50%.

Zcash developers rapidly addressed the bug through an emergency update and have stated they found no evidence of the flaw being exploited.

The upcoming Ironwood update, scheduled for July 28 at block height 3,428,143, introduces a “turnstile” accounting system to cap total supply and enable verification in case counterfeit coins were created.

Dash’s new privacy system uses Orchard technology but operates independently from Zcash’s network. Despite technical similarities, no part of the bug discovered in Zcash affects Dash directly. However, the timing of Dash’s adoption of Orchard comes only weeks after Zcash’s critical incident.

CoinOrchard ActivationRecent Security BugMarket ImpactDashJune 2026No+0.2% daily increaseZcashMay 2022Yes, May 2026-50% after bug disclosureThe Dash market showed little reaction to the Orchard integration. On the day of the announcement, Dash edged up by just 0.2%, maintaining a market capitalization near $431 million and ranking 84th among cryptocurrencies by market value.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

After a wild first month, Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 4.61%), better known as SpaceX, is now below its IPO price of $135, and well under its initial trading price of $150. As of mid-afternoon Thursday, shares were changing hands for around $131. And from the peak of $225.64 it hit in its first week on the market, SpaceX is down 42%. Essentially, every investor who bought in after the IPO is now underwater.

For investors considering taking advantage of this opportunity to buy SpaceX stock for less than its IPO price, the question is where it might head from here. In the near term, that answer could depend significantly on a couple of major events coming in August. Let's review those upcoming catalysts, and consider what a $10,000 investment made today might be worth after the dust settles.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

What's coming up for SpaceX SpaceX hasn't announced a date for its first earnings report as a public company yet, but it's expected to happen on or around Aug. 6. SpaceX's financials have been a mixed bag so far. Its connectivity segment, which primarily consists of its Starlink satellite broadband unit, has been the bright spot. Of the company's $4.7 billion in Q1 revenue, connectivity accounted for $3.3 billion, and it's SpaceX's only profitable segment right now.

The first post-IPO earnings report will give investors a chance to see how revenue is growing and whether SpaceX is getting closer to profitability. If revenue and income make sizable jumps, that could start to bring SpaceX's valuation into more reasonable territory.

The other reason August will be a critical month for SpaceX is that it's when insiders will be able to start selling their shares. The space company put staggered lock-up periods in place for insiders and private stakeholders. These early shareholders will be permitted to sell up to 20% of their stock starting on the second trading day after its first post-IPO earnings report. They'll be able to sell an additional 10% if SpaceX stock trades at 30% or more above its IPO price for at least five of the 10 trading days before its earnings release. That seems unlikely at the moment, but considering how volatile SpaceX has been, it's still a possibility.

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The impact of the earnings report will depend on the numbers, but the additional shares could create selling pressure regardless, as insiders will likely start to take some of their profits.

SpaceX stock could be due for more difficulties in the near term. Even after its recent dip, it still trades at about 92 times last year's sales. It will most likely still look richly valued after its next earnings report, more shares will be hitting the market, and the hype that led to its initial pop seems to have worn off.

I don't think SpaceX stock will crash, but I expect it to continue losing value and trade in the $110 to $120 range by September. If you were to invest $10,000 in SpaceX at around $131 a share, in six weeks, your investment would be worth roughly $8,400 to $9,200 if this prediction proves accurate. Given the risks, it may be wise to wait for SpaceX's valuation to come down even further before investing.

Falling below $125 per share today, Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 4.42%) stock is officially a broken IPO now -- trading $10 below the point at which it priced its IPO last month. Investors who missed out on the IPO, therefore, can count themselves lucky they didn't lose money.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

But why is SpaceX down at all? And specifically, why is it down 4.7% through 12:10 p.m. ET today?

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Scrub one launch The most obvious catalyst is that SpaceX was forced to scrub a planned Starship test flight last night after at least two Raptor engines on the Starship's Super Heavy booster failed to ignite. CEO Elon Musk says those engines will need to be replaced, delaying Starship's "lucky" 13th test flight until early next week.

To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.

-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2026 What it means for SpaceX stock As reasons for a sell-off go, this one's kind of weak. On the one hand, yes, a lot of SpaceX's hopes and dreams hinge on Musk making Starship a success. The megarocket is the only launch vehicle on Earth capable of carrying Musk's V.2 Mobile and V3 Starlink satellites to orbit. In its Human Landing System form, Starship is also the designated hitter on NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon.

That said, Starship is a project years in the making. Delaying liftoff by a few more days isn't going to do SpaceX any harm -- certainly not as much harm as trying to fly and failing because the engines didn't work. Long story short:

If you liked SpaceX stock as an investment yesterday, before the launch scrub, there's absolutely no reason to like it any less today.

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Nearly 185 million shares, or about 29% of the public float, are now sold short, representing $25 billion in wagers, according to CNBC.

This marks a significant increase from just three weeks ago when short interest was between 5% and 7%. The surge in short selling comes as SPCX’s stock struggles, having dropped below its $135 IPO price on Wednesday.

Short Sellers Increase PositionsThe increase in short selling activity has been dramatic, with short interest ballooning from an estimated 40 million shares to 185 million shares.

Matthew Unterman, head of research at S3 Partners, noted the continuous demand from short sellers building speculative positions since the IPO. CNBC reported this trend has contributed to the stock’s downward momentum.

SpaceX Stock Dips Below IPO PriceTechnical AnalysisSPCX is currently on a six-day losing streak, with its market cap shrinking by approximately $240.01 billion over the past week. Despite the recent downturn, SPCX trades 43.74% above its 50-day simple moving average of $87.04 and 218.27% above its 200-day simple moving average of $39.31, indicating a long-term uptrend remains intact.

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The Defiance Daily Target 2X Short SpaceX ETF (CBOE:SPCQ) is up about 10% today, trading around $23 per share, as shares of Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ:SPCX | SPCX Price Prediction) slide below $125, $10 under the original IPO price.

SPCQ is a leveraged, inverse, single-stock ETF. It is engineered to deliver roughly negative two times the daily performance of SpaceX. Put simply: when SpaceX falls 5% in a session, SPCQ is designed to rise about 10% that day, before fees. SCPQ is up 91% since it launched in mid-June.

Why SpaceX Is Sliding Last night, SpaceX scrubbed a planned test flight for Starship V3, the newest spacecraft in Elon Musk’s arsenal. As he noted on X, “some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort.”

He followed up by sharing that “most probable launch timing is early next week” after the crews have diagnosed what went wrong.

For a stock as hyped, and as expensive by any traditional valuation metric, as SpaceX, any misstep can spook investors, and that’s what we’re seeing here. When you’re paying 80x+ annual revenue for a stock, it’s priced for perfection.

Underneath this specific news is a genuine debate about valuation. Commentators have flagged the enormous capital SpaceX needs to fund Starship, the Starlink satellite broadband build-out, and its xAI/Grok artificial-intelligence arm acquired earlier in 2026.

How the 2X Inverse Mechanic Actually Works SPCQ does not hand you a short position in SpaceX to hold. The fund uses swap agreements and short-dated options, backed by Treasuries and cash, to synthetically deliver negative 200% daily inverse leveraged exposure to SPCX. Crucially, that target resets every single trading day.

The daily reset matters enormously for anyone thinking about holding the fund. Over any period longer than one session, SPCQ’s return will diverge, sometimes sharply, from a simple negative-two-times SpaceX return. Compounding works in the holder’s favor during a steady one-way decline (which is why SPCQ has run so far as SpaceX has fallen for weeks), and against the holder during choppy, whipsaw markets. This is the volatility drag effect that has historically eroded leveraged and inverse ETFs held for weeks or months. A holder can be directionally right about a stock and still lose money in a product like this if the path is jagged enough.

Small Fund, High Costs, Tactical Use Only SPCQ is a very small, very specialized vehicle. Recent data pegs its assets at roughly $22.53 million, and the prospectus lists a gross and net expense ratio of 1.31%. Those fees compound daily against the holder. Stacked together, the risks are considerable: leverage, inverse exposure, single-stock concentration, and a newly public underlying whose price discovery is still in its early innings.

That is why products like this are designed strictly as short-term tactical or hedging tools. Today it is doing exactly what a trader would want it to do: amplifying a sharp down move in SpaceX into a double-digit gain. The same math will work in reverse the day SpaceX rallies. Investors watching the ETF should keep an eye on whether SpaceX starts rallying or continues lower, and remember that SPCQ’s headline numbers reflect a specific, path-dependent daily strategy tied to each session’s move.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

View of an Apple logo at an Apple store in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJuly 17 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and the U.S. Department of Justice are in early discussions about settling a 2024 lawsuit that ​alleges the iPhone maker violated antitrust laws, Bloomberg News ‌reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Apple and the DOJ did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reuters ​could not independently verify the report.

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The discussions are active, ​but there is no guarantee that the two sides ⁠will reach an agreement, the report said, adding that the ​iPhone maker has made multiple offers to the DOJ to ​bring the case to a close.

The department and 15 states sued Apple in 2024 as the government cracks down on Big Tech, alleging the iPhone ​maker monopolized the smartphone market, hurt smaller rivals and drove ​up prices.

In the lawsuit, the U.S. had accused Apple of making it harder ‌for ⁠consumers to block competitors and cited five examples where Apple used mechanisms to suppress technologies that would have increased competition among smartphones: so-called super apps, cloud stream game apps, messaging apps, ​smartwatches and digital ​wallets.

It could ⁠not be learned whether the state attorneys general were engaged in settlement talks, according to the ​report.

Shares of Apple were down 1.1% in afternoon ​trading ⁠on Friday. They have risen about 23% this year.

The report comes days after Apple sued OpenAI and two former employees, alleging misappropriation ⁠of its ​trade secrets to benefit the ChatGPT-owner's ​foray into consumer hardware, a dramatic escalation of already simmering tension between the ​two companies.

Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Apple filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI last Friday, and it’s not messing around. The complaint alleges a pattern of misconduct reaching all the way up to OpenAI’s chief hardware officer and claims more than 400 former Apple employees now work at the company. OpenAI’s response so far has been carefully hedged, and the timing couldn’t be worse with the company reportedly eyeing an IPO as early as later this year. 

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what the lawsuit could mean for OpenAI’s own hardware ambitions and IPO timeline, plus a bigger theme running through the week’s news: how much should anyone trust AI companies with their data? 

Listen to the full episode to hear more about: 

Why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is warning enterprises about handing data over to AI labs, and whether open source is really a way out of the “Trojan horse” data-trust problem  How forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) are changing the relationship between AI labs and their enterprise customers  Why General Catalyst just handed David Beckham’s health drink startup a $1 billion customer value fund  The scoop on a new $200M drug-discovery startup from an ex-OpenAI researcher  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. 

Anthony Ha is TechCrunch’s weekend editor. Previously, he worked as a tech reporter at Adweek, a senior editor at VentureBeat, a local government reporter at the Hollister Free Lance, and vice president of content at a VC firm. He lives in New York City.

You can contact or verify outreach from Anthony by emailing [email protected].

Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.

You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing [email protected].

Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.

You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.

Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.

You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.

Back in May at Meta Platformʻs (META 2.55%) annual shareholders meeting, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said something that caught a lot of people off guard -- that the notion of selling computing access, essentially entering the cloud computing arena, was "definitely on the table."

"Almost every week there are different companies that come to us from the outside asking us to both stand up an API service or asking if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium to what we've bought it at," Zuckerberg said.

Well now, according to various reports, including Bloomberg, it is in development, and it is called Meta Compute. Meta confirmed that the initiative is under development but said things could change and offered no details on its plans, according to Bloomberg.

Image source: Getty Images.

This would enter Meta into the cloud computing fray, where it would compete against "Magnificent Seven" rivals Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet. On July 9, Zuckerberg, in an interview with Bloomberg, confirmed that the idea of offering computing access "makes sense," furthering the notion that Meta is ready to make a splash in this business.

Shares jump on Meta's cloud ambitions Since the July 1 Bloomberg article came out, Meta stock has jumped some 21% to $677 per share. Last week, sparked by the Zuckerberg interview, Meta stock soared 15%, making it the best week for Meta stock in more than two years.

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Bloomberg's initial report included some details, although unconfirmed, on what Meta's cloud plans might look like. One idea, per Bloomberg, is to charge developers to "access AI models hosted on its infrastructure." The other option is to sell excess computing capacity, similar to other cloud providers.

It is way too early for investors to get too concerned about this one way or the other, as we don't yet know the details on what Meta is planning. I would guess that we'll hear more when Meta reports earnings on July 29.

Due to its size, resources, and relationships, Meta would have the capacity to generate meaningful revenue in this booming space. That's probably why we are seeing investor enthusiasm. But the real dirt is in the details, so keep an eye out for more.

In my opinion, Meta stock remains a great buy heading into earnings. Some 91% of analysts rate it a buy with a median price target of $810 per share, which suggests 20% upside. And it is still relatively cheap, trading at 24 times earnings and 21 times forward earnings, below the S&P 500 average.

Dave Kovaleski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

© Fritz Jorgensen / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

I keep hitting the buy button on Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) because I have finally seen a hyperscaler turn a compute bill into a receipt in the same quarter it wrote the check. That is the whole confession. Three AI spend metrics keep me coming back, and July 29 is not going to change what has already been proved on the income statement.

The Ad Auction Yield Loop The first metric is the one nobody can argue with. In Q1 2026, ad impressions across the Family of Apps grew 19% year over year while average price per ad climbed 12%. That is a Lattice and adaptive ranking story, and Susan Li spelled it out on the call: enhancements to Lattice modeling drove a “more than 6% increase in conversion rate for landing page view ads,” and the adaptive ranking model added another 1.6% conversion lift on major Facebook and Instagram surfaces. GPU clusters are being converted into higher ARPP in the same quarter they are installed. Total revenue rose 33.08% to $56.31 billion. That is my ad auction yield loop.

New Commercial Revenue Streams The second metric is the one the bears are ignoring. Meta Superintelligence Labs shipped Muse Spark, and Li disclosed that the value optimization suite is now running at an annual revenue run rate of over $20 billion, more than doubling year over year. Business AI conversations went from 1 million to more than 10 million per week inside a single year. More than 8 million advertisers are using GenAI ad creative tools. Zuckerberg said Meta is “on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.” That is a monetization surface that did not exist two years ago.

Operating Margin Defense The third metric is the one that lets me sleep. Full-year 2026 capex was raised to $125 to $145 billion, and Q1 capex alone was $18.997 billion, up 46.8% year over year. Yet full-year expense guidance stayed pinned at $162 to $169 billion, unchanged. Q1 operating margin held at 41%. Operating cash flow of $32.23 billion, up 34.13%, is funding the buildout. Debt/equity sits at 0.386 with interest coverage of 71.48x. ROE is 30.24%, ROIC 20.69%. That is discipline, not sprawl.

Why Meta, Not Alphabet Alphabet was the obvious alternative for the ad-plus-AI trade. I passed. Meta grew top-line 33.08% in Q1 while running a 41% operating margin and a forward P/E of 21. That combination of growth rate, margin, and multiple is what pulled my money here. This is a purer ad-auction compounder without a cloud segment diluting the AI attribution story.

The Real Risk The risk that could actually hurt me is capex ROI. Reality Labs lost $4.03 billion in Q1, total expenses grew 35% year over year, and Li admitted Meta has “continued to underestimate our compute needs.” If the auction yield loop stalls, the depreciation wave will hit hard. I am watching it. What keeps the thesis intact: five consecutive EPS beats, Q1 EPS of $10.44 against a $6.6587 estimate, and a Polymarket crowd pricing a 91% probability of another beat on July 29.

At $664.54, with 3.56 billion daily active people being monetized more efficiently every quarter, the buy button stays active because the receipts do.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

SummaryCompaniesJudge says emergency order not justifiedWorkers claim AI tools targeted people who took medical leaveNovel claims will be decided in private arbitrationJuly 17 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday rejected a bid by 26 employees of Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab to block the tech giant from laying them off while they pursue claims ​that they were targeted for job cuts by the company's AI-powered tools because they have disabilities or took medical leave.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in Oakland, ‌California, in a written order, opens new tab said he would not stop Meta from carrying out the layoffs beginning July 22 while the merits of the workers' novel legal claims are decided in private arbitration.

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The judge said the workers could not show that losing their jobs amounted to the "irreparable harm" required for him to issue an emergency order blocking the layoffs.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. The company has denied wrongdoing and said that decisions involving the layoffs ​were made by humans.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs in a joint statement said that while Orrick denied their request, he also recognized that the lawsuit raises "serious questions" about Meta's conduct.

"The ​Court expressly stated that it may reconsider its determinations 'based on any additional evidence the parties provide regarding whether and how AI was used' ⁠in the reduction in force," they said.

Meta in May notified nearly 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its global workforce, that they were losing their jobs as the company doubles down on ​its investments in AI.

The lawsuit filed on Monday claims that in selecting jobs to cut, Meta relied on AI tools that measured productivity and AI token usage, disadvantaging people who missed work because ​of medical conditions or to care for family members. The company also relied on performance reviews based in part on employees' adoption of AI, the plaintiffs said.

The case appears to be the first against a major U.S. company to challenge the alleged use of AI in conducting layoffs.

'NO DO-OVER'The plaintiffs had asked Orrick for a temporary restraining order blocking Meta from completing its layoffs while they pursue their claims in private arbitration.

Their ​motion for a preliminary injunction, a longer-lasting temporary order, is pending. Orrick on Friday suggested that he could change his mind once he has more information about the layoffs.

Lawyers for the ​plaintiffs said during a hearing on Thursday that along with their jobs and salaries, the workers stood to lose valuable stock options and their health insurance, imperiling their medical care for pregnancies and other conditions.

"There's ‌no do-over ⁠for bonding with a new baby or giving birth or having active medical treatment," one of the lawyers, Barbara Cowan, told Orrick.

Erin Connell, who represents Meta, countered that the workers were losing only employer-subsidized insurance, and not their coverage altogether. Those are the typical kinds of damages that can be recouped later on if the plaintiffs win their cases in arbitration, Connell said.

The workers say Meta's agreements require employees to arbitrate workplace disputes individually, but do not apply to requests for temporary relief.

Most workers at large companies sign arbitration agreements, which generally require employees to pursue workplace ​claims individually rather than through class actions ​in court. Companies say arbitration can provide ⁠a faster, cheaper alternative to litigation, while critics say it often favors employers and discourages workers from bringing claims.

Exceptions in arbitration agreements for temporary relief are common, but they are typically invoked in cases involving the alleged theft of trade secrets or the solicitation of clients or employees, ​and not layoffs of at-will employees.

The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit anonymously, include engineers, managers, researchers and designers. They were notified in ​May of the layoffs, which ⁠are scheduled to be finalized on July 22 for many workers and later in July or August for others, according to court filings.

Laid-off workers remain on the payroll but lost access to Meta systems on May 20 and have not performed work for the company since, Meta said in court filings.

They claim that Meta used a number of internal AI-assisted systems to score and rank employees on ⁠a termination ​list. Those included a large language model assistant known as "Metamate," an employee-trained "second brain" that tracked workers' communications and documents, ​and a productivity score drawn from scanning keystrokes, screen content, emails and browser history, according to the lawsuit.

Meta did not pause these systems while employees were on vacations and legally protected leave periods, and their AI adoption scores used ​as inputs for layoff selection dropped as a result, the plaintiffs said.

Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York and Katie Paul in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Dan Wiessner (@danwiessner) reports on labor and employment and immigration law, including litigation and policy making. He can be reached at [email protected].

© Ja Crispy / Shutterstock.com

I keep hitting the buy button on Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction), and I am not embarrassed to say the last add was this week. When a company earns $26.77 billion in net income in a single quarter while reaching 3.56 billion daily users, I stop looking for cleverer trades and start acting like an owner.

The pull, in human terms, is that Mark Zuckerberg has turned Meta into a company that prints cash from its Family of Apps while paying itself to build the next platform. Q1 2026 operating cash flow was $32.23 billion. That is the machine that funds everything else, and it is the reason I keep adding.

Reason One: Structural Cost Efficiency in AI Infrastructure Meta is building its future in-house. The Hyperion data center in Louisiana is now projected to exceed $50 billion for a 5 GW facility, with over $1.6 billion in local contracts already awarded. Zuckerberg told analysts that “one of the primary goals of our Meta compute initiative is to lead the industry in efficiency of building compute, and we expect that will be a strategic advantage over time.” The $125 to $145 billion 2026 capex range reads as scary until you notice $107 billion in new contractual commitments locking in supply through 2027.

Reason Two: Monetization Engines Beyond Ads The core ad engine is still cranking. Ad impressions rose 19% year over year and average price per ad climbed 12%. That alone would justify my position. Then JPMorgan flagged that Meta’s new Model API is priced 75% cheaper than OpenAI and Anthropic, described as Meta’s first real step toward monetizing AI outside advertising. Business AI conversations grew from 1 million to 10 million weekly since the start of the year, and partnership ads reached a $10 billion annual run rate. Multiple new revenue vectors are stacking behind an ad business already growing at 33% year over year.

Reason Three: Vertical Integration Nobody Else Owns Meta is rolling out more than one gigawatt of custom silicon developed with Broadcom, layering in AMD and NVIDIA, and just signed a multi-year agreement with Qualcomm for data center CPUs. On the consumer side, AI glasses users are tripling year over year, which Susan Li called one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics categories ever.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Why Not the Obvious Alternatives Snap and Pinterest are the usual defaults for social ad exposure, but I stick with Meta because Meta’s 41.44% operating margin, 82.00% gross margin, and 30.24% return on equity are the numbers of a category owner, and its P/E of 24 with PEG of 0.949 is not a premium to that quality. Alphabet is a fine business, but I already own Meta’s superior ROE and I do not need to pay for a second ad engine to get AI exposure.

The Real Risk Reality Labs lost $4.03 billion in Q1 2026 and $19.2 billion for full-year 2025. Add youth-related litigation with additional trials in 2026 and the capex acceleration, and this is not a sleepy compounder. The reason it has not changed my thesis is net debt to EBITDA of 0.471 and interest coverage of 71.48x. Meta can absorb losses others cannot.

The buy button stays active because Meta owns the users, the cash flow, the silicon, and the timeline. I keep buying because the receipts keep arriving.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) sits at the intersection of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, energy storage, and humanoid robotics, and the setup into 2027 is one of the most watched in the market. With shares changing hands at $397.92 and a model that just finalized the design of the AI5 inference processor alongside pilot production of Cybercab, the question retail investors keep asking is straightforward: what could a $10,000 stake actually be worth a year from now?

The Headline Answer Under the base-case model, a $10,000 investment in Tesla could be worth about $11,082 by 2027, a total return of 10.82%. That base case is anchored to a modeled 1-year share price target of $440.95, with a model confidence level of 90% and a BUY recommendation. Wall Street’s own consensus analyst target sits at $425.24, roughly in line with the base scenario.

Scenario Table: What $10,000 Could Become by 2027 Scenario Target Share Price Total Return Ending Value of $10,000 Bull (Optimistic) $493.69 24.07% $12,407 Base $440.95 10.82% $11,082 Bear (Conservative) $384.29 -3.42% $9,658 The spread is wide because Tesla’s beta is 1.802, meaningfully more volatile than the broader market. The current share price sits 15% below the 52-week high of $498.83, with the 52-week low at $297.82. Traders on Polymarket are also digesting this range in real time, with the crowd assigning a 64.5% probability that Tesla beats the next quarterly earnings print.

The Why: Three Drivers Behind the Target 1. Analyst consensus is skewed constructive. Of the covering analysts, 5 rate the stock Strong Buy, 18 Buy, 18 Hold, 4 Sell, and 2 Strong Sell. Bullish sentiment sits at 49% versus bearish at 13%. That mix supports the base case rather than the bull case, which is why the modeled target lands below the highest scenario.

2. Fundamentals are inflecting. Q1 FY2026 delivered a 14.14% EPS beat at $0.41, with revenue of $22.387 billion growing 15.78% year over year. Automotive gross margin expanded to 21.1% from 16.2% a year earlier, GAAP operating income rose 135.84%, and FSD active subscriptions climbed 51% to 1.28 million. Free cash flow more than doubled to $1.444 billion.

3. The catalyst stack is heavy. Volume production of Cybercab, Tesla Semi, and Megapack 3 is targeted for 2026, Optimus production lines are being installed at Fremont with a designed capacity of 1 million robots per year, and unsupervised Robotaxi rides launched in Dallas and Houston. FSD was approved in the Netherlands, opening a European regulatory path.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Tesla didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

For investors trying to size how AI compute and autonomy actually flow through to shareholder returns beyond just the chipmakers, this research on stocks powering the AI boom that aren’t chipmakers offers a useful framework for thinking about the second-order beneficiaries.

Risk: What Could Sink the Projection The bear case has real teeth. Vehicle deliveries grew just 6% year over year in Q1, global vehicle inventory rose to 27 days of supply from 22, and energy generation and storage revenue fell 12% year over year. Operating expenses grew 37% YoY on AI R&D and CEO stock-based compensation. Battery pack capacity remains a physical constraint on vehicle ramp, FSD approvals in China are still pending, and tariff exposure is a moving target. The stock also trades at a trailing P/E of 357, leaving little room for execution slippage.

Long-Term Context Zoomed out, the model’s 5-year base case points to $575.69 per share, a 44.68% total return, with a bull path to $685.30 (72.22%) and a bear path of just 7.21%. Investors weighing a 2027 entry are effectively deciding whether to underwrite the year in which Optimus, Cybercab, and Robotaxi transition from pilots into revenue.

The Bottom Line For a $10,000 stake, the modeled range by 2027 runs from about $9,658 in the bear case to $11,082 in the base case and $12,407 in the bull case, anchored to a base 1-year target of $440.95 and confidence of 90%. That is a scenario framework, not a promise. Analyst targets and model outputs are projections, not guarantees, and nothing here is personalized investment advice. Tesla’s next twelve months will be decided by execution on autonomy and robotics, and the dollar outcome for your stake will follow.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Tesla didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

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Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER, XETRA:UT8)'s planned acquisition of Delivery Hero (XETRA:DHER, OTCQX:DLVHF) could strengthen its cross-platform strategy and create additional opportunities to grow customer engagement, according to Jefferies, which highlighted the strategic benefits of the $14.8 billion transaction.

Jefferies wrote that the combination could increase the value of Uber One and expand cross-selling opportunities across additional delivery markets. The analysts noted that the deal is expected to nearly double the number of markets where Uber offers both mobility and delivery services, increasing those markets from 34 to 58.

The acquisition is expected to add more than 35 million Delivery Hero (XETRA:DHER, OTCQX:DLVHF) users and more than 15 million Uber mobility users located in markets where both services are available. Jefferies highlighted that customers using both Uber mobility and delivery products are more valuable to the company, generating three times more bookings and profits than single-product users. The analysts also noted that cross-platform engagement can serve as a more efficient customer acquisition channel, with costs approximately 50% lower.

Jefferies wrote that Uber’s expected $1.2 billion in run-rate synergies by the end of 2027 should enhance the financial contribution of the deal. The analysts noted that savings are expected to come primarily from deploying a common technology platform and reducing localized headcount outside Berlin.

The analysts also highlighted Uber’s expectation that the integration process will be relatively straightforward, as Delivery Hero will use existing Uber Eats technology rather than requiring a costly, multi-year technology overhaul.

Jefferies estimated that the transaction implies a valuation of roughly eight times 2027 enterprise value to EBITDA after including expected synergies, compared with about 11 times for Uber and 18 times for DoorDash.

While some investors have raised concerns that the acquisition could signal a more aggressive M&A strategy from Uber, Jefferies wrote that the company’s decision not to pursue additional large-scale acquisitions in the coming years should help address those concerns. The analysts noted that Uber remains focused on integrating Delivery Hero while maintaining its existing capital allocation priorities, including investment in its core businesses, autonomous vehicle development and share repurchases.

Jefferies added that Uber continues to have flexibility through more than $10 billion in annual free cash flow and selective divestitures of minority equity stakes, while maintaining its goal of returning roughly 50% of rolling 12-month free cash flow through share repurchases.

Shares of Uber traded down about 3% on Friday at $72, down almost 12% so far this year.

Alphabet shares fell on Friday, extending losses from the previous session after a report suggested Google’s flagship Gemini 3.5 Pro artificial intelligence model is running behind schedule.

Alphabet GOOGL stock declined about 2% on Friday after falling roughly 4% on Thursday following the report.

The weakness came despite continued bullish views from several Wall Street firms ahead of the company's earnings report due on July 22.

According to a Bloomberg report, Google has delayed the broader release of Gemini 3.5 Pro, its most advanced AI model, as it continues working to improve the model’s capabilities, particularly in coding.

The report cited people familiar with the matter who said the delay has frustrated engineers, AI researchers and managers concerned that Google risks falling behind rivals such as Anthropic and OpenAI.

Google first unveiled Gemini 3.5 Pro during its Google I/O developer conference in May, saying the model was being used internally and would be rolled out more broadly the following month.

The reported delay comes at a time when Alphabet is investing heavily in artificial intelligence across its products and cloud infrastructure.

According to the Bloomberg report, Google’s extensive product ecosystem and multiple layers of stakeholders involved in AI releases have contributed to slower product rollouts.

The company is integrating AI across services including Search, Maps and YouTube while balancing internal testing and government engagement.

Responding to reports of the delay, an Alphabet spokesperson told CNBC the company remains focused on rapidly releasing AI products.

"We’re currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners, and we’re productively engaged with the US government," the spokesperson said.

The reported delay has intensified investor scrutiny because Alphabet is expected to significantly increase AI-related spending this year.

Analysts forecast Alphabet's capital expenditure will reach approximately $187 billion in 2026, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

That figure would consume nearly all of the company's projected $212 billion in operating cash flow, leaving around $25 billion in positive free cash flow, compared with roughly $73 billion generated last year.

The company is under pressure to demonstrate meaningful progress in AI capabilities to justify the enormous spending bill.

Analysts remain optimistic despite reported setbackDespite concerns surrounding Gemini 3.5 Pro, several Wall Street firms maintained positive views on Alphabet.

Wedbush Securities named Alphabet a "top pick" ahead of the company's quarterly earnings.

Analyst Ygal Arounian reiterated an Outperform rating and described Alphabet as the "best-positioned full stack AI offering for the next era of internet and technology."

Arounian said, "Alphabet has the most complete ownership of the consumer distribution layer (Search, Android, Chrome, YouTube), model (Gemini), custom silicon (TPUs), and cloud infrastructure (GCP), at scale."

The analyst expects Alphabet to deliver strong quarterly results as it continues monetizing artificial intelligence across its ecosystem.

Gemini has now been integrated into 13 Google products with more than one billion users each, according to Wedbush.

Five of those products — Search, Android, YouTube, Gmail and Workspace — each serve more than three billion users.

Wedbush also noted that Gemini's monthly active users exceeded 900 million in May, up from 750 million in February, while AI monetization is beginning to surpass the company's traditional search business.

Alphabet shares have declined roughly 5% over the past month, a move Wedbush views as creating an attractive entry point for investors.

Cloud outlook remains a bright spotBMO Capital also reiterated its bullish stance on Alphabet while increasing its price target to $455 from $435.

The firm maintained its Outperform rating after raising fourth-quarter and fiscal 2027 Google Cloud estimates by 2% and 13%, respectively.

According to BMO, stronger cloud demand, expanding capacity, and a growing backlog support improved financial expectations for Google Cloud.

The firm also said Alphabet's search business continues to demonstrate mid-to-high-teen growth.

BMO noted that "Search leadership story remains intact with mid-to-high-teens growth, but new questions are emerging around Gemini model intelligence on reports that Gemini Pro 3.5 is being delayed as it falls short on benchmarks."

Amazon (AMZN 0.90%) just completed a large bond sale, and it's a direct sign of where CEO Andy Jassy is pointing the company. Amazon sold $25 billion worth of bonds to finance its data center build-out, telling investors it's going all in on the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out.

This is a big deal because there have been some concerns proliferating over the past month about the health of the AI build-out trend. This bond sale is a solid indicator that the trend is robust, so investors can refocus on what Amazon's future will look like as an AI-first infrastructure company.

Image source: Amazon.com Inc.

Jassy has some insight into what's coming In Jassy's annual letter to investors, he made the case for Amazon spending $200 billion on data center capital expenditures this year. One major factor he discussed was that the faster a cloud computing business grows, the more money it has to spend to build the data centers and purchase the chips necessary to run the workloads. Plus, he reiterated that Amazon's investments aren't being made on blind faith; the company has secured several data center clients that will start using the new computing capacity being developed the first day it's available.

That should calm investors' nerves a bit, as Amazon is doing everything right to secure a long-term opportunity in the cloud computing market.

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Another factor that could set Amazon apart is its custom AI chips. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has already been successful in developing in-house Graviton central processing units (CPUs) for data centers, and its Trainium chips could also be a huge advantage, as Amazon has touted their cost effectiveness over graphics processing units for AI training workloads. It can't fully finance its ambitious expansion plans with its current cash flows, so Amazon is doing the right thing by issuing debt to secure this opportunity, even if some investors don't like it.

However, with Amazon becoming a more cloud-focused business, the stock looks even more attractive.

AWS' operating margins are far superior to those of Amazon's commerce divisions. This is evidenced by the fact that AWS accounted for 59% of operating profit in the first quarter, despite making up only 21% of revenue. As this division grows faster on the back of the company's increasingly large capital investments, Amazon's profits will likely soar, making the stock a no-brainer buy at today's levels. I think that Amazon's transformation into a cloud-focused business will surprise a lot of investors, and that the upside in the stock is real and immense.

Keithen Drury has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The family of an Indiana teen who suffered traumatic brain injuries last year in a school bus crash is suing Amazon, a trucking company and local county officials for allegedly failing to keep a driver with a 20-year history of driving violations and drug use off the road.

On May 8, 2025, Lucas Bradshaw, then 16, was traveling to a game with his junior varsity baseball team when truck driver Shawn Akison, 42, crashed into the back of their mini school bus, according to a lawsuit filed last week in state court.

Akison was impaired by fentanyl, using his phone to check the Amazon app and traveling more than 75 mph in a 45-mph zone when the crash occurred – overturning the school bus and ejecting Bradshaw approximately 75 feet, the complaint alleged.

Lucas Bradshaw, then 16, suffered traumatic brain injuries in a school bus crash last year, according to the lawsuit. WNDU Bradshaw was rushed into emergency brain surgery after the crash and was in a coma for 54 days, spending a total of 125 days hospitalized and in intensive rehabilitation, according to the suit.

The teen suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, multiple brain hemorrhages, facial fractures and a broken arm, and continues to live with significant cognitive impairment, memory loss, vision loss and impaired mobility, according to the suit and his lawyers.

His family is seeking damages from Amazon and Elite Courier, the trucking company that hired Akison, arguing they did not adequately perform background checks on Akison.

They are also seeking damages from St. Joseph County, alleging police officers were aware of Akison’s erratic driving on May 8 and even initiated a pursuit – but terminated the chase without reporting it to neighboring LaPorte County officials once Akison crossed the county line. 

It is the third lawsuit filed in connection with the crash, which reportedly involved another school bus and a fourth vehicle – injuring seven baseball players and two coaches.

“This was a tragedy, and our hearts are with the families affected as they recover and the entire LaPorte County community,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Post. “Given this is active litigation, we have no further comment.” 

Shawn Akison pleaded guilty to causing catastrophic injury while operating a motor vehicle under the influence. WNDU/LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department Akison was hired by Elite Courier, a third-party trucking company based in Illinois, and made Amazon deliveries as a subcontractor through the app Amazon Relay. According to company policy, Amazon conducts daily carrier screenings and driver verifications, leaving the third-party courier responsible for background checks.

But the lawsuit described the life-changing incident as a preventable tragedy, arguing neither Amazon nor Elite Courier flagged Akison even though he had a history of driving with a suspended license, speeding, unlawful use of a phone while driving, weaving in and out of lanes and even leaving the scene of a separate traffic crash.

In January 2025, less than four months before the tragic school bus crash, Akison was arrested and charged for possession of heroin while he was making Amazon deliveries for Elite Courier after local police received 911 calls about his erratic driving, according to the lawsuit.

The overturned mini school bus and the freight truck involved in the tragic crash last year. WNDU Earlier this year, Akison was sentenced to eight years in Indiana prison after he pleaded guilty to causing catastrophic injury while operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

In addition to fentanyl, Akison had consumed cocaine approximately five days before the school bus crash, as well as three unprescribed Hydrocodone pills the day before the crash, according to the lawsuit.

St. Joseph County Police did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. Elite Courier could not be reached.