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Adam Back Backs Simpler Security as Blockstream Launches BTC Custody

Blockstream, the Bitcoin infrastructure company led by cryptographer Adam Back, has unveiled an enterprise custody offering designed to keep the most sensitive parts of transaction authorization off the open network. The new solution is developed with French technology group Thales and is built to improve offline security for institutional users facing an environment of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Announced Friday, the custody system combines Thales hardware security modules (HSMs) with Blockstream’s Secure Multi-Party Computation (Secure-MPC) technology. According to Blockstream, the architecture allows institutions to authorize transactions while ensuring that the full signing protocol runs inside Thales’ protected security hardware—rather than splitting parts of the signing process across less controlled systems. Key takeaways Blockstream and Thales are positioning the new custody solution around secure transaction signing executed entirely inside Thales HSMs. The o...
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ChatGPT Adds AI-Enabled Payments via Visa, Mastercard, Amex

OpenAI has launched a new “ChatGPT Wallet” feature that enables AI agents to make purchases on users’ behalf directly inside ChatGPT, using major card payment networks. The release, announced Friday, is being built in collaboration with American Express, Mastercard, and Visa. The core idea is to move from conversational recommendations to actual transaction execution—without exposing a user’s real card information to the merchant or the AI agent. According to OpenAI, the wallet relies on biometric authorization and tokenized credentials generated for each approved purchase. Key takeaways ChatGPT Wallet lets eligible US ChatGPT Pro subscribers authorize AI-initiated purchases inside ChatGPT using existing card networks. Tokenized credentials are generated per transaction, reducing the need to share real card details with merchants or AI agents. Biometric verification is used to approve transactions, such as facial recognition or fingerprints. OpenAI plans staged automation , ...
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Payward, Kraken Parent, Increases Market Share as Trading Slows

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, reported a sharp drop in earnings for the third quarter, even as its platforms captured a larger share of global spot trading. In September, Payward’s share of worldwide spot trading nearly doubled to 6.5%, up from 3.3% a year earlier, according to financial highlights released Friday. While the market-share figure points to stronger competitive positioning in spot, the company’s underlying activity remained pressured. Payward said it handled $353 billion in transactions in Q3, down 30% from the same period a year earlier—an important reminder that higher share does not necessarily mean more overall trading across its systems. Key takeaways Payward nearly doubled its global spot trading share in September to 6.5% from 3.3% a year earlier, but Q3 transaction volume fell 30% year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA dropped to $60 million in Q3 from $178.6 million a year earlier, reflecting continued profitability pressure. Total platform ...
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Metaplanet Logs $170M Loss as Bitcoin Sales Weigh on Earnings

Metaplanet, a Japanese corporate Bitcoin treasury company, reported a sharp swing to a 27.16 billion yen net loss (about $170 million ) for the first nine months of 2026, reversing last year’s profit. The company cited two main drivers: a decline in the carrying value of its Bitcoin holdings and a loss incurred from selling part of its BTC. In its latest results, Metaplanet also provided insight into how it manages liquidity. During the quarter, it sold 10,000 BTC for 124.7 billion yen , temporarily holding the proceeds in cash, stablecoins and other liquid assets before buying more Bitcoin—an approach the firm said is aimed at demonstrating it can convert BTC into funding when needed. Key takeaways Metaplanet posted a 27.16 billion yen net loss for the first nine months of 2026, compared with a 13.53 billion yen profit in the same period of 2025. It recorded a 19.17 billion yen loss tied to a 10,000 BTC sale used to show liquidity and financing readiness. Losses from Bitco...
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Microsoft 365 Outage Disrupts Outlook and Teams Calendar Access Globally

A Microsoft 365 service disruption that began Thursday continued into Friday, with users reporting problems accessing Outlook email and some Microsoft Teams functions. Microsoft said in an update posted at 7:25 a.m. UTC that a patch improved stability on some servers and that the company was working to roll out the fix more broadly, but it did not provide a clear timeline for full restoration. The incident primarily affected Exchange Online, the cloud service behind Microsoft’s business email and calendars. According to Microsoft, a component that manages secure connections became overloaded, leading affected servers to stop processing certain requests. The company also said it saw no signs of a security breach. Key takeaways Exchange Online—used for Microsoft 365 email and calendar access—was disrupted after a secure-connection handling process became overloaded. Microsoft reported partial improvements after a patch, but did not state when service would return to full normal. Mi...
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Metaplanet posts $170M loss after Bitcoin holdings are sold

Japanese corporate Bitcoin holder Metaplanet reported a sharp turnaround in its first nine months of 2026, swinging to a net loss of 27.16 billion yen (about $170 million) as the value of its Bitcoin treasury declined and a planned BTC sale weighed on results. In the company’s disclosure for the period ended September, Metaplanet said the loss was driven primarily by a 19.17 billion yen (about $119.8 million) deficit from selling 10,000 BTC during the quarter and an additional 8.04 billion yen (about $50.3 million) loss attributed to the decline in the mark-to-market value of its remaining Bitcoin holdings. Key takeaways Metaplanet’s net loss for the first nine months of 2026 reached 27.16 billion yen (about $170 million), reversing last year’s profit in the same period. The company recorded a 19.17 billion yen loss tied to selling 10,000 BTC, with proceeds held temporarily in cash, stablecoins, and other liquid assets. After selling 10,000 BTC, Metaplanet used 149.9 billion yen ...
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Bitcoin Below $70K as Stocks Drop After Softer US PPI Data

Bitcoin has struggled to build momentum after rebounding from a dip around $67,500, hovering near $68,700 following the US market open on Friday. The latest move comes as traders reassessed macro signals after the October US Producer Price Index (PPI) showed inflationary price pressure remained elevated. While BTC’s intraday recovery helped offset earlier weakness, analysts are warning that the larger technical picture could deteriorate if key levels fail to hold. At the same time, US rate expectations shifted modestly higher after the PPI data, reinforcing the sensitivity of crypto to traditional risk assets. Key takeaways Bitcoin failed to reclaim $70,000 after testing roughly $67,500, its lowest level since mid-August. The US PPI rose 6.5% year over year in October—the largest annual increase since November 2022—though it came slightly below expectations on both monthly and annual readings. FedWatch Tool probabilities increased for a 25-basis-point December hike after the data...
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