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By Ashok Nilakantan Ayers SILICON VALLEY / SAN FRANSISCO / CALIFORNIA: The numbers are staggering. Microsoft has spent over $20 billion building data centres stuffed with the most powerful computer chips ever made. Meta is burning through billions more, weaving artificial intelligence into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Google and Amazon are locked in a cloud-computing […]

The article The Great AI Gold Rush By US Big Tech Companies Through Huge Investment appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Stock market information for Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a crypto in the CRYPTO market.
The price is 91117.0 USD currently with a change of -180.00 USD from the previous close.
The intraday high is 91871.0 USD and the intraday low is 90476.0 USD.

Stock market information for Ethereum
Ethereum is a crypto in the CRYPTO market.
The price is 3017.08 USD currently with a change of -6.16 USD from the previous close.
The intraday high is 3042.57 USD and the intraday low is 2986.89 USD.

A substantial volume of cryptocurrency derivatives — exceeding $15.4 billion in notional value of Bitcoin and Ethereum options — are due to expire today, marking one of the largest monthly expiries of the year. This event may influence market dynamics as traders on major platforms close or roll over positions, potentially triggering volatility in spot prices.

Options from the leading derivatives exchange Deribit are included in today’s expiry, with roughly $13.4 billion in Bitcoin-denominated contracts and an additional $1.7 billion in Ethereum options scheduled to contract. The put/call ratio for BTC sits at approximately 0.58, signalling that calls outnumber puts — a structure often interpreted as mildly bullish when prevailing price levels are below key strike thresholds. For Ethereum, the put/call ratio is at 0.50, indicating an even balance between put and call positioning.

Max pain points — the strike prices at which the greatest number of options expire worthless — are calculated at about $100,000 for Bitcoin and near $3,400 for Ethereum. Both levels lie above the current trading prices, suggesting that many options might expire out-of-the-money unless the underlying assets rally.

Market observers note that this expiry arrives after a turbulent period of price slides. Bitcoin has shed more than 20 percent over the month, reflecting pressure from liquidity outflows, shrinking stable-coin pools, and forced deleveraging across derivatives platforms. Ethereum has struggled to regain momentum, and broader crypto sentiment has been cautious.

Some analysts say the large open-interest unwind could act as a cleansing event, reducing overhang and setting the stage for potential accumulation. Others caution that if a large number of holders close call positions without rolling them over, downward pressure on spot markets could deepen — particularly if liquidity remains muted around the expiry window.

Derivative-market data indicates that open interest has contracted sharply in the days leading up to expiry, signalling a wave of liquidations. That said, clustering of residual open interest at strike ranges between $80,000 and $100,000 for Bitcoin suggests that some investors are hedging or anticipating a rebound, possibly anchoring expectations for volatility post-expiry.

South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange saw roughly $36 million drained from its hot wallet linked to the Solana network in what officials describe as an “abnormal withdrawal”. The breach triggered an immediate freeze on deposits and withdrawals. The operator, Dunamu, moved remaining assets into cold storage and pledged to fully reimburse all affected users.

Authorities in Seoul identified the hacking group Lazarus Group — long associated with previous crypto thefts — as the prime suspect behind the intrusion. Investigators plan an on-site inspection of Upbit’s systems to determine how attackers bypassed security protocols.

The tokens siphoned off included SOL alongside several Solana-ecosystem assets. Observers noted that the attack bears striking resemblance to a prior Upbit breach in 2019 — when 342,000 ETH disappeared under circumstances later attributed to Lazarus and associated groups.

Security firms monitoring on-chain flows report that the speed and pattern of withdrawals mirror those from Lazarus-linked incidents. Analysts warn that the hack underscores persistent vulnerabilities when hot wallets — the always-online accounts exchanges use for frequent transactions — remain exposed to governance failures or credential compromises.

The timing of the incident coincided with a corporate milestone for Dunamu: the day saw the public announcement of a planned merger with technology firm Naver. Some security experts speculate that the attackers might have deliberately chosen the moment to maximise impact on market confidence and regulatory attention.

Upbit’s management emphasised that user assets held in cold storage remained untouched. The company began working immediately with token issuers and blockchain-analytics firms to freeze traceable stolen funds. Officials involved in the probe noted the laundering techniques — rapid mixing of tokens across multiple wallets and networks — reflect a refined modus operandi honed over several high-profile attacks.

US President Donald Trump announced that his administration will “permanently pause” migration from all so-called Third-World countries, declaring that current immigration flows have eroded national progress and vowing to revert admissions approved under his predecessor. The declaration came in a post on his social-media platform following a fatal shooting near the White House involving an Afghan national.

The measures outlined by Trump include revoking benefits for non-citizens, denaturalising certain migrants, and deporting those viewed as security risks or a burden to the state. He described the move as necessary to allow the US immigration system to “fully recover.” The policy lacks clarity on which countries fall under the Third-World classification and how the pause will be implemented.

This move marks the most sweeping immigration restriction since the start of his second term, which has already seen a broad tightening of refugee resettlement, expanded travel bans, and stricter visa controls. Since January, the administration has expanded vetting procedures and raised the administrative burden on legal immigration processes, affecting international students, skilled workers, and asylum seekers.

The freeze on migration follows a comprehensive review ordered by immigration authorities of all green cards issued to people from 19 countries flagged as “of concern.” That evaluation was initiated after the Washington shooting, with authorities signaling possible revocations. Government officials have described the overhaul as central to restoring order and safeguarding national security.

Critics warn the sweeping restrictions will hamper the United States’ ability to attract global talent and undercut its economic competitiveness. International students, skilled professionals, and refugees — all contributors to innovation and workforce growth — may now face steep hurdles, or clearance may be indefinitely delayed. Humanitarian organisations have expressed alarm over the impact on vulnerable populations seeking refuge and legal residency.

Bahrain-based alternative investment firm Investcorp has agreed to sell its majority stake in the European fintech firm Shine to cloud-software group Cegid, marking the end of an eight-year partnership. The deal will be executed via Investcorp Technology Partners and comes nearly a decade after Investcorp first backed the Danish fintech, then known as Ageras. Financial terms remain undisclosed, and the sale awaits customary regulatory clearances.

Shine, headquartered in Copenhagen, operates across multiple European markets including France, the DACH region, the Netherlands and Denmark. The platform provides a broad suite of services for small and medium-sized businesses — covering business formation, digital banking, invoicing, accounting, and payroll. Under Investcorp’s stewardship, it expanded its reach and grew recurring revenues more than ten-fold, while completing nine acquisitions in its core regions.

Cegid — majority-owned by private equity firm Silver Lake — aims to integrate Shine into its Small Business division, positioning the combined entity as a pan-European “financial copilot” for SMEs and accountants. The merged platform is being designed to offer a unified, cloud-native, AI-driven ecosystem combining e-invoicing, accounting, business banking, payments, payroll, HR and tax compliance. The target user base across Europe is estimated at over one million SMBs and 15,000 accounting professionals.

Reflecting on the sale, Investcorp’s Head of Technology Partners and Chairman of Shine, Gilbert Kamieniecky, said the firm is proud of having supported Shine’s evolution “from a start-up with only a few million in revenue into a European leader and unicorn.” Shine’s co-founders, Rico Andersen and Martin Hegelund, expressed optimism about the next phase under Cegid, emphasising their ambition to deliver more advanced, scalable financial infrastructure to businesses across Europe.

For Cegid, adding Shine strengthens its footprint across key European markets and significantly boosts its SMB customer base, offering opportunities to deploy embedded finance solutions and streamline compliance workflows ahead of evolving e-invoicing and digital reporting mandates across the continent. The integration of Shine’s scalable technology stack with Cegid’s existing cloud and AI infrastructure underscores a strategic bet on digital transformation in SME finance and accounting.

Organisers DMCC and Bybit have selected five winning projects from their global Web3 Unleashed #3 hackathon, granting a total prize pool of US$140,000 to the top teams. The live finale took place at S/O Uptown Dubai where finalists pitched across six tracks — DeFi, Web3 Gaming, SocialFi, Infrastructure, Tokenisation, as well as two new areas, DeFAI and DeSci.

More than 90 teams applied from around the world and ten were chosen to present before a panel of industry experts and investors. Judges assessed the entries on technical execution, innovation, business potential and real-world impact. The five winners were Yumi Finance, Glint Analytics, Sorachain AI, Aurayale and Spout Finance.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC, said the Web3 Unleashed programme has evolved from a regional initiative into a global benchmark for Web3 innovation, and adding new tracks this year reflects organisers’ commitment to technological evolution and decentralised transformation.

Helen Liu, Co-CEO of Bybit, noted the growing technical depth and global calibre of hackers joining the competition. She underscored that despite volatility in crypto markets — with major tokens facing pullbacks — the exchange remains committed to backing builders working on utility-driven Web3 solutions.

Support for the hackathon came from partners including DWF Labs, Hacken, CV Labs, Blockchain for Good Alliance, Verse8, CROSS and Cointelegraph, which contributed mentorship, technical guidance and exposure to participating teams.

The hackathon’s broadened scope this year, especially with DeFAI and DeSci categories, highlights widening interest in merging blockchain with artificial intelligence and decentralised scientific research — areas gaining traction among developers worldwide. The winners’ projects are expected to benefit from access to mentors, potential backing from investors and integration into DMCC’s expanding Web3 ecosystem.

Stakeholders consider the outcome indicative of a maturing Web3 landscape in Dubai and beyond, where decentralised technologies are increasingly judged on real-world utility, technical robustness, and cross-sector applicability.

Dogecoin has attracted fresh attention as price action strengthens in tandem with the debut of its first U. S. spot ETFs, even though initial institutional demand appears muted. Trading volume surged and chart patterns suggest growing bullish conviction among some market participants.

The first U. S.-listed spot Dogecoin ETF, Grayscale GDOG ETF, began trading on the NYSE Arca with a zero-fee structure for early investors. Its opening-day volume totalled just $1.41 million—well below some analyst estimates—but the listing nevertheless marks a milestone, signalling growing institutional interest in meme-coins like Dogecoin. The ETF’s modest start prompted tempered expectations, yet it underscores a desire among asset managers to provide regulated exposure to DOGE beyond speculative retail trading.

Parallel to the ETF launch, DOGE’s price behaviour has drawn attention. The token has been defending a support zone around the $0.15 level. Technical indicators show a compression of exponential moving averages and the formation of a falling wedge on daily and 12-hour charts—structures often interpreted by analysts as consolidation preceding a potential breakout. Should DOGE clear the resistance zone near $0.154–$0.16 with convincing volume, traders believe a move toward $0.18–$0.20 could follow.

Some traders cite the emergence of “higher lows” in recent trading sessions as evidence that buying pressure is gradually building. That pattern reflects increasing confidence in the token’s support base, potentially signalling a shift away from prolonged downtrends that have weighed on many altcoins over recent months.

Still, scepticism persists among observers. The low launch volumes of both the Grayscale ETF and comparable products highlight caution among institutional players. Compared with high-visibility fund flows into leading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the uptake of DOGE appears subdued—underscoring doubts about the token’s long-term appeal beyond meme status.

Macroeconomic conditions and broader market sentiment remain uncertain. Elevated volatility in crypto markets, combined with macroeconomic headwinds, may continue to dampen aggressive accumulation strategies. For DOGE to sustain upward momentum, technical breakout must align with renewed investor conviction.

At present, DOGE’s trajectory appears to hinge on whether it can secure a decisive breakout above the $0.16 resistance zone backed by volume. A successful move could ignite a rally toward $0.18–$0.20 and possibly higher; failure to do so may leave the token vulnerable to further consolidation or declines.

Stock market information for Dogecoin