Binance Hit by Record $6.3 Billion Crypto Hack – DTH

Binance Suffers Record $6.3 Billion Crypto Hack

Attackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, in what is being called the largest crypto hack in history. Blockchain analysis firms are attributing the breach to North Korea. While stablecoin issuers quickly froze roughly half of the stolen assets and Binance pledged to cover all customer losses using company funds, the incident has severely shaken market confidence, driving down cryptocurrency prices and prompting widespread fund withdrawals.

Source: Reuters

Reddit Shifts Toward a Logged-In User Experience

In response to declining search traffic and daily active users amid the shift to AI-driven search, Reddit is transitioning toward a primarily logged-in user experience to protect its data from unauthorized AI scraping while enhancing ad monetization and personalized user engagement. Despite user drops in the U.S., the platform’s revenue grew significantly through higher average revenue per user and lucrative AI data-licensing deals. Reddit plans to test this shift in select international markets before a global rollout, emphasizing that logged-in users can still maintain their anonymity.

Source: TechCrunch

Meta, TikTok, and X Lose UK Online Safety Data Challenge

Meta, TikTok, and X lost a legal challenge in London’s High Court against Ofcom over extensive data requests regarding their handling of harmful content under the UK’s Online Safety Act. The social media platforms argued the regulator’s demands were overly burdensome and lacked clarity, but Ofcom maintained the information is necessary to assess the effectiveness of safety rules. This decision comes amid ongoing disputes between major tech companies and Ofcom over regulatory enforcement and fees.

Source: The Next Web

Toyota and Waymo to Test Autonomous Robotaxis in Japan

Toyota and Waymo have partnered to test an autonomous fleet of Toyota bZ4X electric vehicles equipped with Waymo’s Level 4 self-driving technology in Japan starting in 2027, with plans to expand into the UK and other right-hand drive markets. The vehicles will be manufactured and fitted with autonomous hardware at Toyota’s Takaoka plant, joining Waymo’s ongoing ride-hailing deployment efforts in Tokyo.

Source: Engadget

Sam Altman Discusses Self-Replicating Data Centers and AI Safety

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed redirecting their robotics program toward building self-replicating data centers to address compute shortages in a podcast interview with Stripe co-founder John Collison. He highlighted key industry challenges, including potential safety risks from AI finding deep software vulnerabilities, the limitations of sandboxing superintelligent models, and the preference for collaborative agent teams over a single massive superintelligence. Altman also touched on the high costs and melancholy of AI mathematical discoveries, emphasizing the need for iterative deployment to balance rapid capabilities with public trust and alignment.

Source: The Next Web

GM Agrees to $220 Million Driver Data Privacy Settlement

General Motors has agreed to a $220 million settlement with 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia over its OnStar Smart Driver program, which tracked millions of customers’ driving habits without proper disclosure and sold the data to insurance brokers. Dealerships were incentivized to enroll customers without consent, leading to increased insurance premiums for drivers based on data collected between 2016 and 2024. As part of the agreement, GM must implement stricter data privacy protections, undergo mandatory assessments, and limit consumer data collection, following prior actions by California and the FTC.

Source: Engadget

Runware Plans to Mass-Produce Modular AI Data Centers

AI infrastructure startup Runware is planning to scale production of its factory-built, modular data center pods to nearly 1 gigawatt per month by 2028 from its factory in Romania. Designed to be deployed rapidly on smaller sites using closed-loop cooling and standard components, the customized pods aim to drastically reduce the time needed to set up AI compute capacity compared to traditional hyperscale facilities. Despite manufacturing and supply chain challenges, Runware reports $1 billion in committed interest for the pods and plans to bring a second factory online early next year while preparing to expand to the U.S.

Source: TechCrunch

Spotify Targets Early 2027 Launch for AI Music Remix Service

Spotify plans to launch an AI-powered music remix service in Q1 2027, potentially around the Grammy Awards in February, for an additional $4 to $5 per month. The feature will allow paying subscribers to alter tracks into new genres or artist styles, with royalties and chart counts flowing back to the original creators. While Spotify has secured licensing agreements with Universal Music Group, Merlin, and Believe, negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music are ongoing.

Source: Reuters

Meta Tests Threads Friends for Private Group Sharing

Meta is testing “Threads Friends,” a feature similar to Twitter’s defunct Circles, allowing select users in Ireland, Italy, and Japan to share posts with a customizable group of up to 50 followers. The app automatically suggests close contacts for the list, and friends-only posts display a green indicator and remain visible for 24 hours. While currently limited to test regions, any user added to a participant’s list can view their private posts.

Source: Engadget