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  • DECTA taps OpenPayd to streamline treasury settlement

    DECTA taps OpenPayd to streamline treasury settlement

    Payments technology provider DECTA has partnered with OpenPayd to enhance its international treasury operations, integrating regulated stablecoin infrastructure to streamline operational settlement across its business.

    Through OpenPayd’s rails-agnostic platform, DECTA will gain access to fiat infrastructure, OTC conversion and hybrid payment capabilities through a single platform. The setup is expected to help DECTA manage liquidity and operational settlement more efficiently as it serves fintechs and merchants across multiple markets.

    “Stablecoins are becoming a practical treasury tool for businesses operating internationally. The opportunity extends well beyond digital asset companies. Organizations want faster, more consistent ways to manage liquidity and settle obligations without adding operational complexity,” OpenPayd CCO Lux Thiagarajah said in a statement.

    OpenPayd serves more than 1,200 businesses and processes over $280 billion in annual volumes, with customers including eToro, Kraken, OKX and B2C2. Its combination of regulated fiat infrastructure and digital asset capabilities can help businesses modernize treasury functions without compromising institutional governance and controls, Thiagarajah stated.

    DECTA UK CEO Scott Dawson said the company is focused on using technology to make its financial operations faster, simpler and more resilient. He said OpenPayd will provide a more efficient way for DECTA to move its own funds internationally, manage liquidity and support settlement while maintaining the regulatory discipline underpinning its operations.

    The partnership is part of DECTA’s ongoing investment in technology that can strengthen the efficiency and resilience of its operations, as institutions increasingly turn to stablecoins for liquidity management, settlement and cross-border transactions.

    The OpenPayd solution will be used solely for DECTA’s proprietary treasury activity and will not be offered for customer-facing crypto or foreign exchange services.

  • Watch Out: There Are Claims That a Cryptocurrency Exchange Is “Insolvent”

    Watch Out: There Are Claims That a Cryptocurrency Exchange Is “Insolvent”

    Matthew Wang, co-founder and CEO of OpenGradient, claimed that BitMart is experiencing payment difficulties, alleging that their market maker team is unable to withdraw funds held on the exchange.

    Wang stated on social media that his team was unable to access the balances in their BitMart accounts and could not process withdrawals. The OpenGradient executive argued that this raised serious questions about BitMart’s financial health.

    Wang stated that OpenGradient’s market maker team was unable to withdraw their balances held on BitMart.

    OpenGradient’s CEO stated that the exchange was “bankrupt” and that the company was unable to withdraw its funds from the platform.

    BitMart Allegedly Asked Token Holders to Lock Their Assets

    Wang also alleged that about a week before BitMart’s closure announcement, it had suggested campaigns to some token projects that would encourage token holders to lock their assets on the exchange.

    The screenshot shared by Wang shows an account that appears to be communicating on behalf of BitMart, offering a six-month locked savings campaign for token holders.

    The shared message suggests an annual return rate of approximately 15 percent for the campaign, stating that one of the goals is to encourage long-term token holding and reduce short-term selling pressure.

    The CEO of OpenGradient claimed that BitMart used these campaigns to encourage users to hold onto their assets on the platform.

    Wang described the decision to ask token holders to lock up their assets shortly before the exchange closed as “a move made for liquidity.”

    *This is not investment advice.

  • EToro reports second quarter crypto loss even as total profit beats estimates

    EToro reports second quarter crypto loss even as total profit beats estimates

    EToro’s (ETOR) crypto trading was $7.2 million in the red in the second quarter of 2026, a decline of nearly 120% from the $37.7 million it made a year earlier, according to its second-quarter earnings released Tuesday.

    The Tel Aviv, Israel-based trading platform reported $1.35 billion in cryptoasset revenue, around 29% lower than the $1.91 billion a year earlier. Its cost of revenue from cryptoassets was $1.35 billion, leaving a $7.2 million loss, compared with a $37.7 million gain a year earlier.

    EToro said it is developing onchain perpetual futures and that crypto buying power is “coming soon.” Crypto activity has cooled, however: the company reported 1.4 million crypto trades in July, down 73% from a year earlier, while the average crypto trade fell 50% to $182.

    Overall, eToro’s net contribution rose 9% year over year to $229 million, driven mainly by equity trading, while funded accounts increased 18% to 4.28 million. Shares fell as much as about 11% after the announcements. The report also noted that the adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.68 beat analysts’ estimates of $0.61.

    Shares nevertheless traded more than 12% lower in the hours following the earnings release at around $29.80.

  • War on Iran: Mojtaba Khamenei is in ‘perfect health’, Iran says

    War on Iran: Mojtaba Khamenei is in ‘perfect health’, Iran says

    President Masoud Pezeshkian says Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in ‘perfect health’, as Iran undergoes a security shakeup with several senior commanders appointed to new roles, while Washington and Tehran continue to demand compensation from one another over the war.
    Al Jazeera’s Marah Rayan has the latest.

    Published On 11 Aug 2026

  • Tammy Fine To Lead Talent Development For NBC News

    Tammy Fine To Lead Talent Development For NBC News

    NBC News has named Tammy Fine as vice president, talent development, leading the team tasked with attracting, developing and retaining the network’s journalists and other newsroom personnel.

    Fine will succeed Liza Eaton, who has led the team over the past year and has decided to take a part time role, according to a memo sent to employees from Rebecca Blumenstein, president of NBC News editorial; Cheryl Rosenbloom, executive vice president of global human resources, and Libby Leist, executive vice president of Today and lifestyle.

    Tammy Fine

    They wrote, “Widely respected across the network, Tammy brings more than three decades of journalism and newsroom leadership experience, along with a longstanding dedication to developing the next generation of journalists.”

    The executives wrote that Kristen Powers, who joined talent development in the spring, will report to Fine and Catherine Kim, executive vice president of editorial for the network.

    Fine started at NBC News in 1993. Before joining the talent development team, she worked as producer and senior producer for Today, and producer for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. She also served as adjunct professor at Columbia University, teaching a graduate course on strategic communication in the digital age.

  • Kennedy Center Ordered To Pay Jazz Musician Chuck Redd More Than $250,000 In Legal Dispute Over His Opposition To Trump Renaming

    Kennedy Center Ordered To Pay Jazz Musician Chuck Redd More Than $250,000 In Legal Dispute Over His Opposition To Trump Renaming

    The Kennedy Center is being ordered to pay more than $250,000 in attorneys fees and costs to jazz musician Chuck Redd, who was sued after he backed out of a performance when Donald Trump‘s name was added to the arts institution.

    D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier ruled that the center owes Redd $252,479.70, about $6,000 less than he sought in legal and other costs.

    Shortly after the center’s board voted in December to add Trump’s name, Redd was among the musicians and artists who canceled performances. He was scheduled to perform at a free Christmas Eve “jazz jam,” but informed the center that he was backing out because he disagreed with the name change. He also emailed a statement to the Associated Press explaining his reason for canceling.

    The center sued Redd for breach of contract, with the lawsuit citing a morals clause, claiming that he “chose to abuse the public forum provided to him by the center in order to make a political statement.”

    In June, the judge dismissed the center’s lawsuit against Redd, noting that he never signed a contract for the 2025 performance. She also sided with Redd’s contention that his conduct was protected under the D.C. Anti-SLAPP Act.

    “Notably, the Center acknowledged at the Hearing that multiple artists canceled their performances leading to the cancelation of the Jazz Jam in its entirety, and Redd acknowledged that he is the only performer to his knowledge to have made a public statement and be sued thereafter,” the judge wrote.

    A Kennedy Center spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. In a filing last month, the center’s legal team called the proposed costs “nothing short of astonishing. It is out of all proportion to the issue at stake, the non-complexity of case, the experience needed to handle it, and most importantly, the work needed to defend it.”

    In a separate case, a federal judge ordered the center to remove Trump’s name from the building and other materials by June. A tarp now covers part of the facade of the structure, concealing the original name sans that of the president, but the judge has ordered a status update after the board meets again this month.

  • Heading to the UK? You Might Want to Leave Your Smart Glasses at Home

    Heading to the UK? You Might Want to Leave Your Smart Glasses at Home

    An array of UK businesses and institutions have announced bans on people wearing Meta’s smart glasses, citing privacy and moral concerns. The Guardian reports that UK courtrooms are now confiscating the devices from anyone trying to wear them in court, while pub chain Wetherspoons is no longer allowing them.

    Meta’s smart glasses include a built-in camera for recording images and video, as well as integrating AI features, music listening, and phone calls. But it’s their potential for covert recording that has so many concerned. They’ve been used in harassment content on social media, and after months of public pushback, a number of UK venues are banning them outright.

    Alongside Wetherspoons and its 800 pubs across the UK, London restaurateur Jeremy King told The Guardian that his Arlington, The Park, and Simpsons restaurants have all banned the glasses. ATG Theatres, which owns the Bristol Hippodrome and various theaters across London, doesn’t allow filming and will ask anyone wearing them to remove them.

    Soho private members’ clubs have banned the glasses too, as has the UK’s promoter of major Comic-Con events. They go even further than others, claiming that if anyone is spotted wearing them, they may be asked to leave the event and forced to forfeit any pre-booked signings, photographs, or other events.

    There has been some support for the glasses. Modern “glassholes” can still eat at Michelin chef Tom Kerridge’s restaurants and pubs, who said he has no problem with the devices.

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    Meta pushed back on the bans, noting that its glasses include a light that lets you know when you’re being recorded, and that it has improved anti-tamper measures. This comes after a report from journalist Joanna Stern, who found that modders are removing the indicator light for $100.

    Still, the market for non-display smart glasses grew 167% year over year in Q1, according to June data from IDC. Meta held 69.2% of the overall smart glasses market, thanks largely to its Ray-Ban partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyewear maker, “and a marketing machine that few hardware companies can replicate,” IDC says.

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  • RTX GPUs Prices Jump 30% Overnight, With RTX 5070 Hitting $900

    RTX GPUs Prices Jump 30% Overnight, With RTX 5070 Hitting $900

    Prices for Nvidia graphics cards have jumped overnight at some retailers as regional pricing adjustments finally impact American buyers.

    Taking an average of recent Newegg prices, Tom’s Hardware found that some card prices have increased by over 30%, with RTX 5070s now at a median price of $900; its launch price was $549. The RTX 5090 is up by 9% to $4,700.

    Gaming graphics card prices have been impacted by secondary demand several times over the past decade. But the AI-induced shortages are far worse than the cryptocurrency mining boom of years gone by. Many cards are now more than 50% more expensive than they’re supposed to be, and in some cases, closing in on double their original launch price. The RTX 5090 blew through that milestone a long time ago and is now about 150% more expensive in 2026.

    The latest round of price increases has been hinted at for a few weeks. We’d heard rumors of price increases in Eastern markets like Japan and South Korea, but as stock of older cards dwindled, we’re now seeing big price rises in the US too. Tom’s Hardware’s data is only from Newegg, so you can still find cheaper RTX cards elsewhere, but don’t expect that to last more than a few days.

    Nvidia RTX GPU prices.

    (Credit: Newegg)

    The price adjustments at the time of writing are as follows:

    • RTX 5050 is now 5% more expensive, at $315.

    • RTX 5060 is now 27% more expensive, at $470.

    • RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is now 13% more expensive, at $530.

    • RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is up 39%, now averaging $805.

    • RTX 5070 is now 36% more expensive, at $900.

    • RTX 5070 Ti is the only card not to see a price increase, but it’s still $1,100.

    • RTX 5080 is up 3%, now priced around $1,500.

    • RTX 5090 increased by 9%, with a median price of $4,700.

    There are cards that are more and less expensive; that’s the median for you. But it shows how ridiculous prices are right now. The RTX 5060 is almost $100 more than the launch price of the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, and the 5060 Ti 16GB is almost $400 more than it cost when it launched just over a year ago. The RTX 5070 is $150 more than when the 5070 Ti debuted, and the 5070 Ti is $100 more than what the RTX 5080 launched at. None of these cards is more powerful than they were, but AI buyers and global shortages have pushed the prices far into extremes.

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    Fortunately, AMD’s GPUs are less affected. Though they are more expensive than they were and should be, you can still find a 9070 XT for under $800, making it now cheaper than a 5060 Ti, a card it absolutely runs rings around. You can get an even better deal with the RX 9070 GRE, which is roughly comparable to the RTX 5070 and yet costs less than $550.

    These prices are unlikely to last, so if you need an upgrade, think fast, but watch out for resellers and scammers. They love nothing more than a desperate buyer.

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  • Chris Rock, ‘Heated Rivalry’s’ Hudson Williams to Keynote Toronto Film Festival

    Chris Rock, ‘Heated Rivalry’s’ Hudson Williams to Keynote Toronto Film Festival

    Chris Rock, set to world premiere his latest film, Misty Green, in Toronto, will take part in an informal conversation at the September film festival, as will Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams.

    Rock’s film for A24 follows an actress whose career has stalled years after her breakthrough role, as she fights for her second act. Rosalind Eleazar stars as Misty Green alongside Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace and Rock. Besides his breakout role in the gay hockey drama Heated Rivalry, Williams will also discuss in Toronto his upcoming star turn in the Crave and AMC+ supernatural mystery thriller Yaga, created by Kat Sandler.

    TIFF organizers also announced In Conversation With… sessions for Korean actor and singer Lee Min-ho, who will present his latest film, The Assassin(s), in Toronto, and director Rachel Morrison, as she brings her sophomore feature, Love of Your Life, a romantic drama starring Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre and Patrick Schwarzenegger, to the film festival for a world premiere.

    Andrew Scott is headed to Toronto with his latest movie, Simon Stone’s Elsinore, where he plays the late actor Ian Charleson in one of his final London West End stage roles as Hamlet, which he performed while living with AIDS.

    Scott has had other standout roles in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, playing Moriarty in Sherlock, and credits for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon.

    “This year’s In Conversation With… series brings together trailblazers and extraordinary storytellers for conversations that will offer audiences a deeper look at their craft and careers,” Anita Lee, chief programming officer at TIFF, said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The Toronto Film Festival will run from Sept. 10 to 20.

  • Martin McDonagh, Werner Herzog, Cody Fern Films Round Out 2026 Toronto Fest Lineup

    Martin McDonagh, Werner Herzog, Cody Fern Films Round Out 2026 Toronto Fest Lineup

    The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled a fresh round of titles to finalize its upcoming 51st edition, including Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine and Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard.

    Toronto is giving Cody Fern’s directorial debut, Closing Night, a world premiere, with Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Dianne Wiest starring in the Special Presentations title. There’s also a first look for Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s The Road Not Taken in the Special Presentations program, and a world bow for Bahman Ghobadi’s Trees are Watching film in the Centrepiece section.

    Also in the Special Presentations program, Toronto booked an international premiere for Nanni Moretti’s It Will Happen Tonight after it opens in Venice; and there’s North American premieres for Stéphane Brizé’s 11th feature, Un bon petit soldat (A Good Little Soldier), led by Alba Rohrwacher and Vincent London; and It’s My Time, by Chinese director Bai Xue.

    Bucking Fastard with Rooney Mara, Kate Mara.

    Courtesy of Lena Herzog

    The Special Presentations program also has Canadian premieres for Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, a dark comedy with John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA officers sent to Easter Island ahead of the 1973 coup in Chile; Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, the latest feature from the Grizzly Man director set for a Venice world premiere starring sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara, along with Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson; and Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, a documentary about the late Rush drummer and lyricist from directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn.

    There’s also Canadian premieres for Małgorzata Szumowska offbeat newlywed adventure The Idiot(s), starring Aimee Lou Wood and Johnny Flynn; and Guy Nattiv’s Liberation, starring Carrie Coon, Lily James and Bella Ramsey.

    The latest film additions to the TIFF lineup are the last announced titles for a 51st edition to feature in all 293 titles. Oscar-winning CODA filmmaker Sian Heder’s upcoming feature Being Heumann will open the September event, while Yan Lanouette Turgeon’s Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, a biopic about the late Canadian racing car driver Gilles Villeneuve, will close the annual film festival.

    The Toronto Film Festival is set to run Sept. 10 to 20.