Crypto

Experts predict pragmatic, regulated onchain privacy gains in 2026

Privacy on public blockchains surged in 2025, driven in part by a more than 600% rise in Zcash, major privacy initiatives from Ethereum and Solana, and growing interest in zero-knowledge proofs and fully homomorphic encryption from startups. Several privacy experts lay out how that momentum could play out in 2026.

Switzerland

Sparklers and ceiling foam probed after fast-spreading Swiss bar blaze

Investigators are probing how and why a New Year's Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana spread so rapidly, killing at least 40 people and injuring 119. Authorities said in a press conference that sparklers attached to champagne bottles that were held "too close to the

Elections

Guinea’s Coup Chief Claims Landslide Victory After Excluding Major Rivals

Gen. Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in Guinea more than four years ago, claimed a landslide victory in a presidential election held on Sunday, according to provisional results released by a government-controlled electoral agency he established. The agency reported that General Doumbouya won more than 80 percent of the vote;

Culture

A Year of Farewells: The Prominent Figures Who Died in 2025

The year 2025 saw an unusually long procession of high-profile deaths across the arts, politics, sciences and sports, from pop stars and screen icons to world leaders and innovators. Among the marquee names who died were Pope Francis, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Dick Cheney, Brian Wilson, Gene Hackman, Ozzy Osbourne,

Tech

RayNeo’s Air 4 Pro debuts HDR10 displays and B&O-tuned audio for smart glasses

RayNeo has unveiled the Air 4 Pro, which the company calls the world’s first HDR10-enabled smart glasses. The glasses use dual-layer OLED screens and side speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen. The Air 4 Pro are extended reality glasses that can connect to a smartphone, PC, or gaming console

Crypto

AI agents still immature — reinforcement learning and memory redesign needed, researchers say

Enterprise AI “agents” unveiled by vendors are mostly simple automations and fall short of the long-lived, goal-driven systems researchers define as true agents. Two technical gaps stand in the way: a robust reinforcement learning (RL) approach for long-horizon decision making, and a rethought memory system that can store and retrieve

Crypto

Solana and Cronos Push CoinDesk 20 Up 0.7%

CoinDesk Indices reports the CoinDesk 20 Index trading at 2,726.41, up 0.7% (18.35 points) since 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Ten of the 20 assets in the index are trading higher. Leading gains were Solana (SOL) and Cronos (CRO), each up 1.4%

AI

Meta acquires AI startup Manus in deal topping $2 billion

Meta has acquired AI startup Manus in a deal valued at more than $2 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports. Manus arrived in March 2025 shortly after Chinese startup DeepSeek. The company, originally called Butterfly Effect, described itself as "the first general AI agent" able to perform complex

Health

Delhi’s smog crisis deepens as protests and health warnings go unheeded

“The air is absolutely poison, in the last two years we've not had even one single good a day,” says Bhavreen Kandhari, an activist leading a public movement for clean air. Hundreds gathered at Jantar Mantar, near the Indian parliament, to demand action as the winter session takes

AI

Tuxedo's InfinityBook 14 Pro pairs strong Linux performance with lightweight design

Tuxedo Computers' InfinityBook 14 Pro is a Linux-first 14-inch laptop that delivers strong performance in a compact, unassuming chassis. The base model starts at about $1,223 and the reviewed Gen10 configuration includes a 16-core AMD AI 7 350 CPU, 32GB of RAM and integrated AMD graphics. The keyboard

Business

WiiM Amp Ultra praised for easy setup and strong streaming sound at $529

The WiiM Amp Ultra, priced at $529 on Amazon, is a compact digital amp designed primarily for streaming and earns high marks for ease of use and sound quality. The amp lacks a built-in phono preamp, so turntables need their own preamp to connect unless the turntable includes one. It

Tech

Trump says US is 'locked and loaded' and vows to 'rescue' Iranian protesters

US President Donald Trump has threatened intervention in Iran's cost-of-living protests, saying on Truth Social that "the United States of America will come to their rescue" if Iran kills peaceful demonstrators and that the US is "locked and loaded and ready to go." At

AI

Memories.ai unveils Project LUCI, a developer platform for AI wearables

Memories.ai has unveiled Project LUCI, a research prototype and developer reference design for AI wearables at CES. The system is available for developer preview, with full availability expected later in 2026 and reservations open now. The company shifted LUCI from a consumer concept shown last year into a developer-focused

World

Trump's Venezuela Pressure Is Part of a Long, Mixed U.S. Intervention Legacy

President Trump's pressure campaign against Venezuela is the latest episode in a long saga of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rooted in the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, that history includes both successes and failures. Key Topics World, U.s. Foreign Policy, Venezuela, Monroe Doctrine, Interventionism,

Tech

DHS suspends immigration applications from 20 more countries

The Department of Homeland Security is pausing immigration applications from 20 additional countries. The move comes after increased scrutiny of people who seek legal pathways for immigrating to the U.S. Key Topics Tech, World, Immigration, Dhs, U.s. Policy, Visas, Border

Crypto

Bitcoin Tops $90,000 as U.S. Session Shows Early Shift in Selling Pattern

Bitcoin pushed above $90,000 on the first official trading day of 2026, gaining about 2.5% over the past 24 hours and quoted at $89,743.14. Ether, Solana and XRP advanced roughly 4%. The move stands out after a stretch in late 2025 when crypto routinely sold off

World

Trump Warns Iran Over Protest Crackdown, Tehran Blames U.S. and Israel

President Trump warned Iran not to kill protesters. Iranian officials alleged the U.S. and Israel were stoking the sweeping protests and said U.S. military bases in the region are legitimate targets. Key Topics World, Iran, Protests, Trump, United States, Israel, Military Bases

Crypto

Tether Buys 8,888.88 BTC, Lifting Reserves Above 96,000 BTC

Tether added 8,888.88 BTC to its treasury wallet as part of its Q4 2025 profit allocation, CEO Paolo Ardoino said, a transfer worth roughly $780 million that brings the company’s holdings above 96,000 BTC. The purchase continues a policy introduced in 2023 that allows Tether to

World

Equinor contests U.S. order to suspend Empire Wind project

Equinor is challenging a U.S. order to suspend its Empire Wind project. No additional source material was provided, so further details could not be confirmed from the supplied content. Key Topics World, Business, Energy, Equinor, Offshore Wind, Legal, Us

Business

New Year’s 2026: Celebrations, Fireworks and Rituals Around the World

People across the globe marked the arrival of 2026 with fireworks, traditional rituals, street parties and quiet commemorations. Major displays lit up city skylines — from confetti and crowds in Times Square to fireworks over Copacabana Beach, the Champs-Élysées, the Giza Pyramids, the London Eye, Marina Bay and Taipei 101. Other

AI

Pebble launches Round 2 e-paper watch with 10-day battery and analog look

Pebble has unveiled the Pebble Round 2, a thin, open-source smartwatch that emphasizes an analog look and long battery life. The watch improves on the 2015 Pebble Time Round with a larger 1.3-inch e-paper display and a reduced bezel, making notifications and messages easier to read. Pebble says the

Business

Eight concealers tested: top picks for dark circles, dry skin and budgets

Concealer can hide the first signs of stress — darker eye bags, sudden spots — but formulas vary widely. Some crease or cake, while others blend smoothly or include skincare actives. A consumer journalist tested a wide range of products to find the best options for different needs and budgets. The top

Crypto

KBW upgrades TeraWulf, cites AI and HPC leasing pivot as key growth driver

Investment bank KBW upgraded TeraWulf to "outperform" from "market perform" and raised its price target to $24 from $9.50. Analyst Stephen Glagola said the market is underestimating the earnings upside from TeraWulf’s shift away from bitcoin mining toward AI and high‑performance computing (HPC)

Crypto

Report: Iran Offering Missiles, Drones and Warships for Crypto and Barter Payments

A report says Iran is pitching sales of missiles, drones and warships to foreign buyers using cryptocurrency, barter and local currencies. The measures are reportedly intended to sidestep Western financial controls. Key Topics Crypto, Iran, Arms Sales, Sanctions, Cryptocurrency, Drones, Military

AI

Study: bold speech can slow authoritarian creep, model shows

A new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences uses an agent-based computational model to examine how people balance the urge to speak out against the fear of punishment and how authorities adjust surveillance and penalties to minimize dissent. Co-author Joshua Daymude of Arizona State University said