Industry News

Tracks company news, strategic changes, funding activities, and personnel adjustments across the blockchain and crypto industries, delivering a full-spectrum industry overview for our users.

Memory Card Prices Double in Four Months: How Long Will the Surge Last?

NAND flash memory prices have entered a rapid upward cycle, with consumer-grade storage products like microSD cards seeing significant retail price increases. For example, a SanDisk Extreme 128GB microSD card rose from $17 in October 2025 to nearly $40 by February 2026—a 130% surge in under four months. This price surge is driven by structural shifts in the NAND market, primarily due to soaring demand from AI data centers. These large-scale buyers are securing the majority of NAND wafer supply through long-term contracts, leaving limited inventory for the consumer market. According to TrendForce, NAND contract prices rose 55–60% in Q1 2026, with enterprise SSD prices climbing 53–58%. Retail prices rose even more sharply due to constrained supply in the distribution channel. Unlike the 2016–2017 price cycle caused by production transitions, the current spike is demand-led. AI data centers are consuming NAND capacity at an unprecedented rate, with 2026 demand growth estimated at 20–22% against supply growth of only 15–17%. Manufacturers are prioritizing high-margin enterprise products over consumer-grade storage, further tightening retail availability. New production capacity from major suppliers like Samsung, Micron, and Kioxia is not expected until late 2027 or 2028. Until then, consumer storage prices are likely to remain high, with no significant price relief anticipated in the near term.

marsbit04/16 03:13

Memory Card Prices Double in Four Months: How Long Will the Surge Last?

marsbit04/16 03:13

The Allbirds, the Internet-Famous Shoes That Took Silicon Valley by Storm, Are Now All in on AI

Allbirds, the once-popular sustainable shoe brand favored by Silicon Valley elites and celebrities, has announced a drastic pivot from footwear manufacturing to AI infrastructure. On April 15, 2026, the company revealed plans to abandon its shoe business entirely, rebrand as "NewBird AI," and focus on GPU-as-a-service and AI cloud solutions. The move caused its stock to surge over 800% in a single day. The brand, known for its wool-based eco-friendly shoes, had struggled financially in recent years. Revenue fell from a peak of $298 million in 2022 to $152 million in 2025, with cumulative losses of $419 million over five years. In March 2026, Allbirds sold its intellectual property and footwear assets for just $39 million—a fraction of its former $4.1 billion valuation. The company secured up to $50 million in convertible notes to fund the acquisition of GPU hardware for AI compute leasing. However, the announcement lacked details about technical capacity, clients, or infrastructure plans. Critics highlight the high execution risks in the competitive AI infrastructure market, dominated by major cloud providers. The shift reflects a broader trend of companies rebranding around AI to attract investor interest, despite uncertain fundamentals. Allbirds also removed its "public benefit" corporate mission, signaling a departure from its original sustainability ethos. The move underscores the power of AI narrative in today’s capital markets, where storytelling often precedes substance.

marsbit04/16 02:13

The Allbirds, the Internet-Famous Shoes That Took Silicon Valley by Storm, Are Now All in on AI

marsbit04/16 02:13

Hyperliquid Founder's Circle of Friends Exposed: This Group of 'Olympic Gold Medalists' is Dominating Silicon Valley's AI Scene

This article profiles a group of former Olympiad medalists, now prominent AI entrepreneurs, who first connected through a Hudson River Trading (HRT) internship and high school competitions. The circle includes Jeff Yan (founder of Hyperliquid), Alexandr Wang (head of Meta's AI division after selling Scale AI), Scott Wu (CEO of Cognition, creator of AI engineer Devin), Johnny Ho (CSO of Perplexity), Jesse Zhang (CEO of Decagon), Demi Guo (CEO of Pika), and Steven Hao (CTO of Cognition). Their shared background in elite math and programming contests forged a powerful network. Now, they are leading some of Silicon Valley's most valuable AI companies, with several ventures achieving multi-billion dollar valuations. The piece draws a parallel to the "PayPal Mafia," highlighting their collective focus on engineering excellence, efficiency, and a shared vision for shaping the future with AI.

marsbit04/16 00:32

Hyperliquid Founder's Circle of Friends Exposed: This Group of 'Olympic Gold Medalists' is Dominating Silicon Valley's AI Scene

marsbit04/16 00:32

Breaking: Claude Introduces Mandatory Real-Name Verification, Requires Live Selfie with ID, Otherwise Immediate Account Ban

Claude, the AI assistant by Anthropic, has introduced a mandatory real-name verification system, requiring users to submit a government-issued photo ID and a real-time selfie. This move aims to prevent misuse, enforce usage policies, and comply with legal obligations. The verification process, handled by third-party provider Persona, is triggered for certain use cases, platform integrity checks, or security measures. Users from unsupported regions, those under 18, or those violating terms of service risk account suspension—even after successful verification. The policy has sparked significant user backlash, with concerns over increased surveillance, loss of privacy, and potential disruption to workflows. Many fear the stricter controls will drive users to competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is perceived as more stable and user-friendly. The announcement emphasizes data protection, stating that verification data is not used for model training or shared with third parties. However, users are advised to backup their data and avoid using personal subscriptions for unauthorized purposes like proxy services or multi-user setups to minimize risks.

marsbit04/16 00:28

Breaking: Claude Introduces Mandatory Real-Name Verification, Requires Live Selfie with ID, Otherwise Immediate Account Ban

marsbit04/16 00:28

X Makes A Big Crypto Move With Cashtags And In-App Trading Plans

X is expanding its crypto and financial market integration with the launch of Cashtags, a feature that enables users to discover tokens, view real-time price charts, and access trading functionality directly within the app. Initially available on iPhone in the US and Canada, the rollout will soon extend to web, Android, and global markets. Cashtags and contract addresses now trigger asset suggestions, allowing users to select specific stocks or cryptocurrencies. Tapping a Cashtag displays relevant posts feed and a price chart without leaving the platform. X also announced a pilot integration with Canadian brokerage Wealthsimple, enabling seamless in-app trading. This move aims to bridge market conversation with execution, positioning X as a platform where discovery, pricing, and trading converge. A broader global launch is expected soon.

bitcoinist04/15 18:32

X Makes A Big Crypto Move With Cashtags And In-App Trading Plans

bitcoinist04/15 18:32

Stables Partners With Mansa to Fix Asia’s Stablecoin Liquidity Gap

Stables, an API-first infrastructure platform, has partnered with settlement infrastructure provider Mansa to address the severe lack of stablecoin connectivity across Asia. Despite the region accounting for 60% of global stablecoin movements, only 1% of local banks support the technology, creating a significant infrastructure gap. The collaboration establishes a dedicated liquidity layer for Stables’ fiat-to-USDT corridor network, enabling fintechs and developers to settle large transactions efficiently and bypass fragmented banking systems. Mansa, which has processed $394 million across over 40 currency corridors since August 2024, will provide the necessary short-term liquidity to ensure stability during volatile periods. Stables’ CEO highlighted that the partnership supplies the deep liquidity required to make USDT a functional tool for large-scale cross-border commerce. The company, which handles over $1.5 billion in annual payment volume, is licensed in Australia, Europe, and Canada, and manages a full-stack compliance solution. This partnership reinforces Stables' role as a key orchestration layer in Asia’s USDT ecosystem.

TheNewsCrypto04/15 17:57

Stables Partners With Mansa to Fix Asia’s Stablecoin Liquidity Gap

TheNewsCrypto04/15 17:57

Deutsche Börse Drops $200M On Kraken In Push Toward Hybrid Crypto Markets

Deutsche Börse Group has invested $200 million in Kraken's parent company, Payward, acquiring a 1.5% fully diluted stake. This investment, part of a secondary transaction, aims to advance Deutsche Börse's digital asset strategy and provide institutional clients with regulated crypto services. The deal, expected to close in Q2 2026, deepens a partnership established in 2025. Separately, Kraken reported a security incident where a criminal group accessed limited client support data for about 2,000 accounts, though no funds were at risk. Meanwhile, Bitcoin and Ethereum saw significant price rallies, with Bitcoin climbing back to $75,600.

bitcoinist04/15 15:31

Deutsche Börse Drops $200M On Kraken In Push Toward Hybrid Crypto Markets

bitcoinist04/15 15:31

Bitunix Exchange Secures ISO 27001:2022 Certification, Reinforcing Strong Protection of User Data

Bitunix, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, has obtained the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, an international standard for information security management. This certification confirms that Bitunix has established formal systems to manage and protect sensitive user data and assets, following an external audit that evaluated its risk management and security controls. For users, this means stronger protection of personal information and funds, better alignment with global data protection rules, and increased operational transparency. The achievement reinforces user trust and commits the platform to continuous security improvements. Bitunix also maintains additional security measures, including Proof of Reserves with over 100% backing for major cryptocurrencies, real-time Merkle tree verification, a 1:1 asset backing model, and a $30 million USDC care fund for unexpected situations. According to Chief Strategy Officer Steven Gu, the certification reflects the company's commitment to security and transparency, ensuring users can trade with confidence. The exchange plans to continue updating its security practices as it grows.

TheNewsCrypto04/15 11:12

Bitunix Exchange Secures ISO 27001:2022 Certification, Reinforcing Strong Protection of User Data

TheNewsCrypto04/15 11:12

Agents Have Entered the Harness-Driven Era

The article discusses the significance of the leaked Claude Code from Anthropic, highlighting its revelation of advanced Agent engineering practices centered on "Harness" design. Rather than relying solely on model capabilities, modern AI systems now depend on a structured engineering framework—the Harness—to maximize performance. This framework includes six core components: multi-layered System Prompts, Tool Schema, Tool Call Loop (with Plan and Execute modes), Context Manager, Sub-Agent coordination, and Verification Hooks. The Harness enables tighter integration between training and inference, supports long-chain tool execution, and improves reliability through objective verification. It also drives six key training directions: behavior alignment via System Prompt, end-to-end tool-use training, integrated plan-execute training, memory compression, sub-agent orchestration, and multi-objective reinforcement learning. The shift to Harness-driven development reduces the emphasis on pure prompt engineering, favoring instead multidisciplinary talent with skills in AI, backend engineering, and infrastructure. The market is evolving toward more secure, private, and vertically integrated Agent deployments, with "model shell" companies needing either strong infrastructure or deep domain expertise to compete. Claude Code’s leak underscores that future AI advancements will be shaped by engineering architecture as much as by algorithmic innovation.

marsbit04/15 10:11

Agents Have Entered the Harness-Driven Era

marsbit04/15 10:11

NVIDIA Starts Selling the Method of Making Shovels

NVIDIA is accelerating its own GPU design process with AI tools, reducing tasks that took 8 engineers 1010 months to a single GPU running overnight, while achieving better results. However, it is not using AI to fully design GPUs yet. Instead, it is embedding its technology across the chip industry. A key move is its $2020 billion investment in Synopsys, a leading EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tool provider, and partnerships with Cadence and Siemens. This integrates NVIDIA’s hardware acceleration into essential chip design software, making its GPUs the fastest platform for EDA tools. Competitors like AMD and Intel now face a dilemma: use slower tools or rely on NVIDIA’s hardware to design competing chips. Chinese GPU firms, despite high market valuations, struggle with massive losses and dependence on restricted foreign EDA tools. NVIDIA’s strategy extends from AI-enhanced design to manufacturing, creating a self-reinforcing cycle where its hardware becomes essential for developing faster chips—even for those aiming to compete with it.

marsbit04/15 10:04

NVIDIA Starts Selling the Method of Making Shovels

marsbit04/15 10:04

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