Paradigm, the San Francisco-based crypto investment firm, is pursuing a new $1.5 billion fund aimed at backing companies across artificial intelligence, robotics and other frontier technologies. The fundraising plan, reported by the Wall Street Journal, signals the firm’s intention to broaden its mandate while continuing to back crypto-related ventures using its established technical-investment team. Public filings show Paradigm already manages roughly $12.7 billion in assets, underscoring the scale it brings to a fund that blends crypto with cutting-edge tech bets. The strategy reflects a broader industry twist: the convergence of digital assets with AI and automation, a nexus that has attracted increased capital over the past year. Paradigm will continue to invest in crypto companies, according to familiar sources, but the new vehicle will also evaluate frontier-tech opportunities outside the traditional crypto ecosystem. The Wall Street Journal noted that the firm’s managers sought ...

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and gold are diverging in 2026, as persistent liquidity dynamics and shifts in risk appetite reshape how each asset behaves. Gold has surged roughly 153% since the start of 2024, while Bitcoin has retraced about 30% over the same period. Analysts attribute the split to a steady expansion of global money supply, a cooling appetite for high-beta tech equities, and a drift of capital from exchanges into self-custody. Taken together, these forces help explain why gold strengthens in a liquidity-driven environment while Bitcoin struggles to keep pace in a bear-market backdrop for risk assets. Key takeaways Gold has outperformed Bitcoin since early 2024, rising about 153% versus a roughly 30% decline for BTC, signaling divergent responses to the same macro backdrop. Longer-term BTC trends have tracked money-supply growth (M2), but the strongest rallies historically occurred when liquidity growth aligned with surges in software and SaaS equities, highlighting the rol...

The market mood has shifted as cross-asset dynamics tighten around valuation, policy uncertainty, and the path of inflation. A respected equity research team recently downgraded US stocks to neutral, citing high price levels, a weaker dollar, and lingering policy risks that could cap upside in the near term. Against this backdrop, traders are weighing whether the growth-driven narrative in artificial intelligence and related infrastructure can sustain earnings momentum, while risk-off currents push alternative assets into sharper focus. The combination of these factors creates a delicate balance for investors seeking yield, capital preservation, and growth in a tightening macro regime. Key takeaways UBS’s global equity strategy team downgraded US equities to neutral, highlighting stretched valuations, dollar strength concerns, and policy headwinds that could limit upside. With limited upside for the S&P 500, there is a possibility of capital rotating toward non-equity assets, a...

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) traded in a tight band this week as market participants weighed chatter about a purported “10 a.m. dump” tied to a prominent quantitative trading firm. The narrative gained traction after Terraform Labs’ court-appointed administrator filed a suit alleging insider trading connected to the Terra ecosystem’s May 2022 collapse. Yet data from multiple trackers points to a more diffuse market dynamic, with no single actor reliably pushing Bitcoin lower through the open, and liquidity environments shading toward ETF inflows and broader risk sentiment. On the data side, spot Bitcoin demand returned with vigor as exchange-traded products (ETPs) drew fresh capital, and institutional names continued to tilt perceptions about how crypto balance sheets are managed in a stressed environment. Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has also faced its own set of pressures, including large corporate balance sheets reporting losses amid a broad downturn. The week’s discourse extended beyond the 10 ...

A Minnesota lawmaker has introduced a bill that could ban virtual currency kiosks statewide after reports of scams tied to crypto ATMs. Bitcoin ATMs (CRYPTO: BTC) have emerged as a focal point in law-enforcement briefings, where operators have been accused of enabling irreversible transactions that are hard to trace. Rep. Erin Koegel unveiled House File 3642 during a Thursday session of the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, arguing the technology behind crypto kiosks remains novel and minimally regulated. Minnesota voters have already seen a 2024 law intended to curb kiosk abuse by capping new-user deposits at $2,000 and requiring refunds to fraud victims, but Koegel’s measure would push toward a full ban if enacted. Supporters say it would shield residents from irreversible financial crimes, while opponents caution it could restrict access to legitimate crypto services and push activity underground. Koegel cited committee remarks and testimony during the session . Key takeaways ...

February’s tax-policy dialogue around crypto expanded across several jurisdictions, underscoring a global shift toward clearer reporting and new levies on digital assets. The year’s early momentum included a critical test for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), which struggled to reclaim the $70,000 level as policy debates intensified in Washington and abroad. While some governments signaled tighter controls, others moved toward formalizing frameworks that could steer crypto activity into more transparent channels. A snapshot of the month shows four countries weighing heavier capital-gains rules, new reporting standards, and targeted taxes on transfers, while the broader market wobbled amid tariff talk and uncertain regulatory progress. Key takeaways The Netherlands advanced a controversial Actual Return Act on Feb. 12, proposing a 36% capital gains tax on unrealized gains for savings, liquid investments, and crypto. The plan, backed by a majority in the lower house, faced steep criticism that it...

The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission is evaluating whether cryptocurrency could function as a consumer payment option within licensed online gambling, as the country moves to bring crypto activity under a new regulatory regime led by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Tim Miller, the commission’s executive director for research and policy, told attendees at the Betting and Gaming Council’s annual general meeting in London that policymakers want to map out “the potential path forward” for cryptoasset payments in Great Britain. He noted that, once the regime starts, regulated crypto activities would require FCA authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The licensing framework is targeted for 2027. Key takeaways The Gambling Commission is actively exploring a formal path to allow crypto payments for licensed gambling in Great Britain, as part of the FCA-regulated regime. Any entities conducting regulated crypto activities would need FCA authorization und...