Markets

Ripple Acquires Crypto Wallet and Custody Firm Palisade

In brief The firm will slide Palisade’s offerings into its Ripple Payments and Ripple Custody solutions. Ripple acquired Hidden Road and GTreasury in billion dollar deals earlier this year. Ripple ended a four-year legal battle with the SEC this August. Ripple has acquired digital wallet provider and custody firm Palisade, the blockchain-based financial technology company…

Business

Crypto Is Finally Growing Up, Says VC Giant Andreessen Horowitz

In brief Developer activity is rising again after a post-FTX slump, led by Ethereum, Solana, and zero-knowledge projects. Stablecoin transactions now top $9 trillion annually, showing steady real-world use. Andreessen Horowitz says U.S. regulation is “finally normalizing,” but warns volatility and fraud still threaten progress. The cryptocurrency industry is no longer a niche experiment, but…

Business

FalconX to Acquire 21Shares in Latest Crypto Industry Deal

In brief FalconX has agreed to acquire 21Shares, one of the largest crypto exchange-traded product providers, though terms of the deal remain undisclosed. The companies said the deal will combine their infrastructure and product capabilities across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. 21Shares will remain independently managed under FalconX, with CEO Russell Barlow continuing in his…

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI’s Sora 2 Can Fabricate Convincing Deepfakes on Command, Study Finds

In brief NewsGuard found Sora 2 created fake news videos 80% of the time during 20 misinformation tests. The clips included false election footage, corporate hoaxes, and immigration-related disinformation. The report arrived amid OpenAI’s controversy over AI deepfakes of Martin Luther King Jr. and other public figures. OpenAI’s Sora 2 produced realistic videos spreading false…

Coins

Coinbase Acquires Crypto Fundraising Platform Echo for $375 Million

In brief Coinbase acquired Echo, an onchain fundraising platform founded by crypto figure Cobie, for approximately $375 million. The acquisition brings Echo’s private investment tools and public token sale product Sonar into Coinbase’s ecosystem, having facilitated over $200 million across roughly 300 deals since launch. The deal complements Coinbase’s July purchase of token management platform…