Bitdeer has launched its second-ever convertible senior note offering, which has seen its shares tumble 29% so far this year. Shares in Bitdeer Technologies Group took a hit on Thursday after the Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence infrastructure firm announced a $300 million convertible senior note offering. Bitdeer said that it intends to offer a “principal amount” of $300 million in convertible senior notes with an option for purchasers to buy an additional $45 million in a private placement. It is the second convertible note offering from the firm, following a $150 million offering in April 2024 that also triggered an 18% stock slump. Read more
Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari says crypto is “utterly useless” compared to AI, and that pro-stablecoin arguments are “a buzzword salad.” Neel Kashkari, the president of the US Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says that crypto is “utterly useless” in comparison to artificial intelligence and took a swipe at stablecoins, saying they don’t have many uses. Speaking at the 2026 Midwest Economic Outlook summit on Thursday, Kashkari drew comparisons between AI and crypto, saying the latter “has been around for more than a decade, and it's utterly useless.” “AI has not been around very long, and people are using it every day,” he added. “This is demonstrating to me that this thing is real and it has real long-term potential for the US economy as opposed to crypto.” Read more
Sanctions evasion networks, guarantee marketplaces, and large-scale money laundering schemes dominated illicit stablecoin use, says TRM Labs. Illicit entities received around $141 billion via stablecoins in 2025, the highest level observed in the last five years, says blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs. TRM said in a report released on Tuesday that the increase doesn’t reflect a broader growth in crypto-enabled crime, but does show a “deeper reliance on stablecoins within specific activity types where they offer clear operational advantages.” Stablecoins have been particularly used in sanctions-linked networks and large-scale money movement services, it said. Read more
Bitcoin developer Matt Carallo says Bitcoiners are looking to “blame something” for the asset’s sluggish price, dismissing quantum fears as the culprit. Bitcoin’s recent sell-off isn’t due to quantum computing fears, because if that were the case, Ether would be soaring, says Bitcoin developer Matt Carallo. “I strongly disagree with the characterization that Bitcoin's current price is materially, because of some kind of quantum risk,” Carallo told journalist Laura Shin on the Unchained podcast on Thursday. “If that were true, then Ethereum would be up substantially on Bitcoin,” he added. Ether (ETH) is down 58% since a major crypto market crash in early October, trading at $1,957 at the time of publication. Read more
(LEFT) Iran and Russia carry out a joint military exercise; while (right) US Air Force planes are seen on the tarmac at the Sofia airport in Bulgaria.—Reuters • Trump says Tehran has ‘10 days’ to make a deal with Washington, or ‘bad things will happen’ • Kremlin urges restraint; Germany pulls troops out of Iraq; Poland tells citizens to leave Iran WASHINGTON: War clouds are looming over the Middle East, as US warplanes and aircraft carriers head toward Iran in preparation for possible military action. Renewing his threats towards Tehran, President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that the country has around 10 days to reach a deal with Washington, or “bad things will happen”. CNN and CBS reported on Wednesday that the US military would be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Wednesday there were “many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran”...