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Skild AI announces $300M funding from Jeff Bezos, Softbank to build ‘robot brains’

Another unicorn has entered the race the develop human-level AI.

Artificial intelligence firm Skild AI recently emerged from stealth to report the successful closing of a $300 million series A funding round featuring participation by Jeff Bezos and Softbank among others.

Skild AI is a Carnegie Mellon spinout focused on building an AI system capable of being retrofitted to various machines and robotics devices called a “general-purpose brain.”

According to a company blog post, the funding was raised at a valuation of $1.5 billion and was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue, SoftBank Group, and Jeff Bezos (through Bezos Expeditions). It also featured participation from Felicis Ventures, Sequoia, Menlo Ventures, General Catalyst, CRV, Amazon, SV Angel, and Carnegie Mellon University.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Internet Computer Protocol promotes blockchain engagement in Africa

ICP’s DecaHack event highlighted the transformative potential of blockchain and the importance of nurturing talent in the sector.

Nigerian youths have been urged to actively engage with blockchain technology to enhance their global competitiveness.

Adedayo Adebajo, co-founder of ICP Hub Sahara — an official branch of the Internet Computer Protocol ecosystem — highlighted the importance of engaging with blockchain technology during the second DecaHack cohort held at the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State. DecaHack is an ICP-run initiative that offers online blockchain boot camps, a hackathon and a stage pitch competition for prizes.

Adebajo highlighted that failing to embrace blockchain could have severe implications for the country’s future.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Bitcoin traders eye bear trap as BTC price hits 10-day high of $60.4K

Bitcoin bulls may be able to trap late sellers below key bull market trendlines as BTC price weekend gains pass 5%.

Bitcoin traded above $60,000 on July 14 as an assassination attempt on United States presidential candidate Donald Trump sparked BTC price volatility.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView tracked a crypto market surge as news of the attack, which Trump survived, came in.

Local highs of $60,423 on Bitstamp marked Bitcoin’s (BTC) highest value since July 4.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev denied bail while awaiting appeal

Pertsev will now spend the next year in prison while his lawyers prepare an appeal for money laundering charges.

Alexey Pertsev, the developer behind the OFAC-sanctioned crypto mixer Tornado Cash has been denied bail while his lawyers prepare to submit an appeal for charges of money laundering. 

Pertsev’s defense lawyer, Keith Cheng, told DL News the rejection of Pertsev’s bail request came as a surprise, noting that an additional request for Pertsev to gain access to a computer to prepare for his appeal was also denied.

The court said Pertsev's continued detention would not obstruct his ability to prepare his defense, adding that Pertsev's request for computer access went against its safety protocol. 

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Donald Trump memecoin spikes 52% following assassination attempt

Trump's election odds on prediction markets and several other Trump-themed memecoins soared following an assassination attempt on the former president while he was speaking on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The price of the largest Donald Trump memecoin MAGA (TRUMP) surged more than 30% following an assassination attempt on the former President while he was speaking on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvannia. 

The Ethereum-based MAGA memecoin (TRUMP) spiked rapidly from a price of $6.31 to $10.36 immediately following the assassination attempt, seeing its total market capitalization jump from $293 million to $469 million in less than 45 minutes, per DexScreener data.

The price of several other Trump-themed memecoins also rallied on the news.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

What’s next for Bitcoin price now that German gov’t BTC balance hits zero?

The German government got rid of all of its Bitcoin, but it could still be a bit early to expect a trend reversal in BTC price.

On July 12, the X social network was aflame with multiple on-chain data outlets and independent analysts announcing that the German government’s Bitcoin wallets now have a zero balance. A portion of this group is suggesting that Bitcoin (BTC) price will go on an upward tear now that this assumed sell-pressure has been removed from the market. 

Despite the news, Bitcoin price remains constrained within a tight range where $60,000 serves as resistance and $54,000 as support.

Let’s take a look at some of the technical factors behind Bitcoin’s recent price action.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Whistleblowers asked the SEC to investigate OpenAI over alleged illegal NDAs

The complainants called the matter "urgent," but it remains unclear if the SEC will open an investigation.

Parties representing anonymous whistleblowers from artificial intelligence firm OpenAI have reportedly filed a grievance with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission over the firm’s alleged use of illegal non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). 

Documents sent exclusively to the Washington Post, per a report, indicate that a group of whistleblowers associated with OpenAI filed a complaint with the SEC in June alleging the company made former employees sign restrictive, illegal NDAs in order to prevent them from discussing safety and other concerns with federal agents.

According to the post, the documents it received, linked here, were sent to the newspaper by Senator Chuck Grassley’s office:

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Ether ETFs on the move, Messi promotes memecoin, and more: Hodler’s Digest, July 7-13

VanEck and 21Shares submit updated Ether ETF filings, Goldman Sachs to launch tokenization products, and Messi promotes memecoin.

Asset managers VanEck and 21Shares amended their S-1 forms for their prospective Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on July 8. While a specific launch date was not given in either of the amended filings, experts suggested a July launch window for the Ethereum ETFs.

Soccer sensation Lionel Messi made waves this week by promoting WaterCoin on his Instagram stories. The Solana-based memecoin claims to be a charity project focusing on water conservation and water-related issues, with purported plans to become a full-fledged ecological coin in the future. Note that investing in memecoins can carry substantial risk; always do your own research before making any investment.

The average Bitcoin transfer fee dropped to 2020 lows on July 7, when the metric hit $38.69. This quantitative measurement is determined by dividing miner profits by the total transactions successfully posted to the blockchain. According to recent data from CryptoQuant, the Bitcoin hashrate drawdown also reached December 2022 levels in July, suggesting that mining operations are capitulating.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

JP Morgan-backed blockchain firm ‘Partior’ closes $60M series B

Partior is already processing transactions on behalf of several firms including JP Morgan, DBS, and Temasek.

Partior, a blockchain settlement network and fintech services firm backed by JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and Temasek announced the successful closure of a $60 million series B funding round led by Peak XV Partners on July 12.

The round was supported by Valor Capital Group and Jump Trading Group with continuing support from DBS, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered and Temasek.

The funds, according to a blog post from Partior, will go towards facilitating the company’s global unified ledger, a blockchain-based bridge facilitating real-time, cross-border, multi-currency clearing and settlement for financial institutions including banks and payment service providers.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event

Nigeria’s SEC advised to regulate Bitcoin, Ether as commodities

By treating Bitcoin and Ether as commodities, Nigerian regulators can establish a more tailored regulatory framework that reflects the unique characteristics of these digital assets.

In light of a recent court ruling in Illinois that classified Bitcoin and Ether as commodities, Nigerian stakeholders are urging the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt a similar approach in its regulatory framework. 

The call for clarity and proper classification comes as cryptocurrencies play an increasingly significant role in the global financial landscape. Lucky Uwakwe, chairman of the Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN), spoke to Cointelegraph and emphasized the importance of clearly defining the class of crypto assets.

According to the chairman, this approach would provide creators with clear guidelines on where to seek regulation.

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Scammers Use Deepfake Elon Musk Video to Steal Crypto During Bitcoin 2024 Event