The dollar and gold gained Friday amid escalating tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war, while stocks got a boost from data. Bitcoin pushed on further with its march towards the $100,000 mark, as the cryptocurrency benefits from US president-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ease regulation around digital tokens. The dollar, considered a safe haven asset, was bolstered by geopolitical uncertainty after Russia said the conflict in Ukraine had the characteristics of a “global” war and did not rule out strikes on Western countries. Meanwhile, the Russian ruble slumped to its lowest level since March 2022 against the US dollar, a day after Moscow fired a hypersonic missile on Ukraine and Washington sanctioned a key Russian bank. Yields on government bonds, another safe haven asset, fell as investors snapped them up, while the gold price rose. “Escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which triggered safe haven gold inflows, pushed the precious metal price to new all-time highs in euros and the pound sterling,” said IG analyst Axel Rudolph. Gold also posted strong gains in US dollars. The euro sank to a two-year-low against the dollar and the pound retreated after closely watched surveys showed contractions in business activity in November in the eurozone and Britain. Paris and Frankfurt stocks initially fell after a survey showed that Germany and France, the eurozone’s two biggest economies, were once again driving the weakness, with the latter posting the fastest fall in activity since January. But as the euro fell both Paris and Frankfurt stocks managed to recover their losses and advance. “The eurozone data has increased the chance of more rate cuts from the ECB next year,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, as well a cut of 50 basis points next month. “Investors have been jolted into recalibrating interest rate expectations on the back of this bleak economic news,” she added. London managed to gain 1.4 percent despite data showing that retail sales figures for October undershot forecasts, as the pound fell against the dollar. Wall Street stocks mostly advanced, comforted by positive economic data. READ ALSO: Dollar soars, bitcoin hits record, stocks swing as Trump win seen “US indices were propped up by the strongest US private sector growth since 2022,” said IG’s Rudolph. In Asia, Tokyo climbed as the government prepared to announce a $140 billion stimulus package to kickstart the country’s stuttering economy. However, Hong Kong and Shanghai sank on a sell-off in tech firms caused by weak earnings from firms including Temu-owner PDD Holdings and internet giant Baidu. Bitcoin set a new record high of $99,505.45 Friday morning before easing back slightly. It is broadly expected to soon burst through $100,000 as investors grow increasingly hopeful that Trump will pass measures to deregulate the crypto sector. Bitcoin has soared more than 40 percent since his election victory this month and has more than doubled since the turn of the year. The recent surge has also been “driven by news that Trump could set up an official crypto department that would sit in the heart of US government”, said XTB’s Brooks. In a further boost, the top US securities regulator Gary Gensler, who oversaw measures to rein in cryptocurrencies, announced Thursday that he intends to step down when Trump takes office in January. The move clears the way for the president-elect to pick Gensler’s successor. – Key figures around 1630 GMT – New York – Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 44,113.57 points New York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 5,956.74 New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 18,944.74 London – FTSE 100: UP 1.4 percent at 8,262.08 (close) Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.6 percent at 7,255.01 (close) Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.9 percent at 19,322.59 (close) Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 38,283.85 (close) Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.9 percent at 19,229.97 (close) Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 3.1 percent at 3,267.19 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0396 from $1.0476 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2513 from $1.2587 Dollar/yen: UP at 154.88 yen from 154.54 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.10 pence from 83.20 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $70.75 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.8 percent at $74.81 per barrel
Jamiya Neal's monster game leads Creighton past UNLVStill aiming to become a global leader in AI, the United States announced it will be moving forward on initiatives to incorporate generative AI into the inner workings of the Department of Defense (DoD)— just as AI's creators pitch their offerings to major defense contractors . Announced today, the office will be moving ahead with a new $100 million AI Rapid Capabilities Cell "focused on accelerating DoD adoption of next-generation artificial intelligence," including generative AI. It will be led by the department's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The announcement comes as a result of Task Force Lima, a Department of Defense generative AI task force established in 2023 to "assess, synchronize, and employ generative AI capabilities" in the DoD. "DIU's role is bringing the very best commercial tech to bear to meet critical warfighter problems with the focus, speed, and scale required to meet the strategic imperative," said DIU Director Doug Beck. "The result will help us scale the tech faster and more reliably, and will also help change the way the Department thinks about software development and delivery tempo for the future." The department's AI applications will include "decision support, operational planning, logistics, weapons development and testing, uncrewed and autonomous systems, intelligence activities, information operations, and cyber operations," as well as administrative purposes. Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. endorsed the international Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, a best practices initiative to explore the development of AI's military capabilities — despite already using the technology in warfare applications. In a Nov. 2023 statement, the Department of Defense announced its intention to explore "the responsible military use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems." AI watchdogs have warned of the accelerated use of AI in warfare and its global repercussions. One month prior, the White House announced an extensive regulatory executive order outlining risk and safety standards for AI, cybersecurity provisions, and various guidelines that spanned the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security, and Energy. The administration announced even more AI initiatives soon after , including the creation of a United States AI Safety Institute (US AISI). This was later followed by a warning to Big Tech to curb the spread of synthetic, AI-generated content. While it's uncertain whether President-elect Donald Trump will uphold the Biden administration's national and international AI commitments, the soon-to-be sworn in leader has already announced his pick for a position he's calling the "White House AI Czar." As for his picks for the country's defense leaders, Trump is rumored to be eyeing Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Shankir for a top spot in the Pentagon — Shankir is a proponent of the Department of Defense's rapid adoption of commercial tech, including AI. "The DoD has an imperative to responsibly pursue the adoption of generative AI models while identifying proper protective measures and mitigating national security risks that may result from issues such as poorly managed training data," said DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Dr. Radha Plumb. "We must also consider the extent to which our adversaries will employ this technology and seek to disrupt our own use of AI-based solutions."
To improve your local-language experience, sometimes we employ an auto-translation plugin. Please note auto-translation may not be accurate, so read article for precise information. In Brief Major players like Crypto.com and Bitget are driving innovation across finance, gaming, and blockchain, reshaping how we interact with technology. In this week’s updates, we take a look at many developments, from revolutionizing token trading and AI-powered finance to creating seamless Web3 gaming experiences. Major players like Crypto.com, Bitget, and Circle of Games are not just advancing the digital economy but reshaping how we interact with technology. As these pioneers push boundaries, their collaborations promise to redefine the future of finance, gaming, and beyond, creating a new era where the lines between the digital and physical worlds blur in exciting ways. , a leading name in the cryptocurrency space, has with Swiss fintech innovator to push the boundaries of crypto payment solutions. The partnership aims to create seamless integration between digital assets and traditional financial systems, focusing on Ethereum (ETH), Bitget Token (BGB), and USD Coin (USDC). Bitget’s existing services, like Bitget Pay for instant low-cost crypto payments and the globally accepted Bitget Card for converting crypto to fiat, have laid a strong foundation. Fiat24 complements this with its blockchain-based banking platform, offering users in over 65 countries Swiss offshore accounts and Mastercard debit cards, enhancing transparency and user ownership. Together, the two companies envision reshaping financial accessibility. Bitget plans to make crypto payments a mainstream reality, while Fiat24’s infrastructure ensures secure and user-friendly transactions. Gracy Chen, Bitget’s CEO, highlighted the partnership as a key step toward empowering users worldwide, particularly those without access to traditional banking with crypto-enabled financial solutions. This collaboration represents a significant step in advancing PayFi technologies, signaling a future where digital currencies play a central role in everyday financial activities. By driving innovation and adoption, Bitget and Fiat24 aim to bring crypto closer to becoming a universal financial tool. At the Global Game Show in Dubai, unveiled their web3-powered gaming platform, marking a significant advancement in casual gaming innovation. The platform integrates blockchain technology with user-friendly gameplay, providing an accessible experience for both blockchain novices and gaming enthusiasts. Key industry players, including Nazara Technologies and The Hashgraph Group, back this groundbreaking initiative. The platform premiered with six games, including popular titles like Chess and Ludo-Classic, showcasing how blockchain can be seamlessly integrated without overwhelming users. By early 2025, COG aims to extend its offers to 10 games, seeking to grab a bigger audience with various interests. Leveraging the Hedera blockchain, the platform now has 500,000 active users and is putting its sights on 25 million worldwide users over the next two years. With its launch in Dubai, COG is targeting rapid expansion across the MENA region, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, as part of its ambitious plan to attract millions of players by 2027. CEO Rabilal Thapa highlighted the company’s vision to make blockchain technology accessible while enhancing gaming experiences. As gaming continues to evolve, COG is leading the charge in bridging traditional gameplay with the decentralized world of web3. Japan-based AI innovator has joined forces with global cryptocurrency exchange to debut its BGR token, marking a pivotal step in blending artificial intelligence and blockchain. This strategic partnership positions bitgrit to extend its global reach while empowering users with secure, efficient access to the BGR token. In addition to providing a trading platform, the token’s listing on BTSE raises its profile among global investors. With careful preparation, bitgrit hopes to make BGR available to a wide range of people all over the world by integrating it into BTSE’s ecosystem. Creating practical applications that bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and daily usage is bitgrit’s larger aim, and this milestone is in line with that. By using BTSE’s vast network to promote adoption, the cooperation also opens the door for bitgrit to increase its market presence. The BGR token is the backbone of bitgrit’s ecosystem, which aims to bring together investors, data scientists, and developers to unleash AI’s full potential. Bitgrit and BTSE are collaborating to redefine technology’s role in producing transformational, global solutions by merging AI and blockchain. Their goal is to develop a decentralized economy that promotes innovation and sustainable growth. The partnership between Formula 1 and , which started in 2021, has been extended until 2030. The two groups’ shared goals of increasing participation from fans and education about the bitcoin market are highlighted by this renewal. Formula 1 has attracted a massive worldwide audience since the relationship began, with a total of 1.5 billion TV watchers, 750 million fans, and 96 million followers on social media. At the same time, Crypto.com has become the undisputed leader in the cryptocurrency sector, with a user base of over 100 million people worldwide. As part of the prolonged deal, Crypto.com will place an emphasis on providing unique fan experiences and activations at different Grands Prix, including visible branding throughout important races. The new agreement ensures that Crypto.com, which has been present at the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix from its inception in 2022, will maintain its status as the Official Title Partner of the event. Optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies and the partnership’s possibilities, Steven Kalifowitz, Chief Marketing Officer of Crypto.com, highlighted the significance of Formula 1 in increasing the brand’s worldwide visibility. This revitalization is in line with Crypto.com’s lofty goals for 2025, which is when the firm plans to establish itself as the go-to spot for all things related to digital money and cryptocurrency. is the clear market leader in bitcoin services, and they just started , a trust company based in the United States. This change makes it possible for the company to provide safe asset holding services to qualifying institutions and customers in the US and Canada. In the following weeks, digital assets for consumers in these locations will be effortlessly moved to the new platform. Crypto.com guaranteed users they would maintain uninterrupted access to their accounts and money during the transition and will be kept updated every step of the way. “This is a landmark move,” said Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com. He emphasized the platform’s continuous efforts to improve services and grow its presence in these crucial areas and said it reinforced the company’s trust in the North American crypto environment. In a separate announcement, Crypto.com revealed a partnership with Deutsche Bank to support corporate banking operations in Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong. This collaboration aims to improve operational efficiency while laying a strong foundation for further expansion. Karl Mohan, Crypto.com’s General Manager for APAC and MEA, emphasized that teaming up with a renowned financial institution underscores Crypto.com’s focus on security, compliance, and global growth. In line with the , please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience. Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.