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Starting 5: OKC clinches No. 1 seed, Denver wins 10th straight, Cade returns
For the third straight season, the Western Conference Playoffs run through OKC.

With their seventh straight win, the Thunder secured the West’s No. 1 seed – again.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

April 9, 2026

West Streaks: A first for Denver in the Jokić era, a third straight No. 1 seed for the defending champs

More Heat: Cade’s return sparks Pistons, Spida lifts Cavs over Hawks, Spurs win shorthanded

Roundup: Magic make it four straight, Book boosts Suns to secure No. 7 seed

Tonight On Prime: Tatum makes MSG return as C’s visit Knicks, LeBron & Steph square off

League Pass Spotlight: The offensive evolution fueling Houston’s 7-game heater

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A Prime Thursday…

Six games tip off tonight, headlined by a monster doubleheader on Prime as the Knicks host the Celtics (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Lakers visit the Warriors (10 ET | Tap to Watch).

Postseason Countdown: With five days until the SoFi Play-In Tournament, see the current Playoff Picture.

Chasing History Returns: “Chasing History,” the all-access series documenting the NBA Playoffs presented by Google and NBA Finals, is back for another season on the NBA App.

1. WEST STREAKS: NUGGETS MAKE IT 10, THUNDER CLINCH TOP SEED

Denver’s longest win streak of the Nikola Jokić era has come at the perfect time.

Twenty-two days ago, the Nuggets were 6th in the West. Ten straight wins later, they’ve emerged with a 1.5-game lead for 3rd.

Nuggets 136, Grizzlies 119: Down four at the half, Jokić (14 pts, 16 reb, 10 ast) and Jamal Murray (26 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) ignited a 39-22 3rd quarter for Denver, which took a double-digit lead and never looked back for its 10th straight win. | Recap
- Golden Stretch: It’s the Nuggets’ longest win streak since 2013. During the run, Jokić (25.2 pts, 12.7 ast) and Murray (27.6 pts, 7.1 ast) have combined for 52.8 pts and 19.8 ast per game
- Constant Creator: That includes seven triple-doubles from Jokić amid the streak, orchestrating the offense to the tune of 130.6 ppg
- Offensive Barrage: That’s the highest-scoring 10-game stretch of any team this season and Denver’s highest-scoring 10-game stretch since 1990
- “Doing everything in our power to catch this wave,” said Murray postgame. “Catch this rhythm, and be ready for Playoffs.”
- Final Stretch: With two games left on their schedule, the Nuggets (52-28) now hold a 1.5-game lead for 3rd over the Lakers and Rockets (both 50-29)
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

Three straight seasons. Three straight No. 1 seeds – and another win streak to go with it.

Thunder 128, Clippers 110: Chet Holmgren was a monster on both ends (30 pts, 14 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk), while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20 pts, 11 ast) extended his record 20-point streak to 140 consecutive games as the Thunder never trailed after the opening minute for a seventh straight dub. | Recap
- 🔒Top Dogs: With the win, the Thunder secure the West’s top seed and the league’s best record, a feat they’ve now pulled off in back-to-back seasons
- “It’s extremely important,” said Holmgren on securing the No. 1 seed. “Just knowing that in the event of a Game 7, it’s always gonna be at home. You can’t underestimate how valuable that is … now, we got more to do.”
- Seeking 65: At 64-16, OKC is one win shy of the franchise’s first-ever back-to-back 65+ win seasons
- Clips Stay Put: Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb) led LA, which remains one game up on Portland for 8th
2. MORE HEAT: CADE RETURNS, CAVS EXTEND STREAK, SPURS STAY ROLLING

The East’s No. 1 seed got its All-Star guard back Wednesday, and its offense felt the boost.

Pistons 137, Bucks 111: In his first action in 11 games, Cade Cunningham (13 pts, 5 reb) dished 10 assists to help get six other Pistons into double figures, while Jalen Duren (21 pts, 9 reb) and Duncan Robinson (20 pts) pushed Detroit to its 4th-highest scoring game of the season. | Recap
- On The Gas: Detroit dropped a 75-point 1st half and won the 2nd and 3rd quarters 78-52, building to a 31-point 4th quarter lead
- “I think I learned a lot, watching the team grow the way they did,” Cunningham said of his recovery time. “But I’m glad I’m back.”
- Bucks’ Best: Jericho Sims (11 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) logged a triple-double for Milwaukee, while Ryan Rollins (23 pts, 6 ast) led all scorers
- Twenty Years Later: The Pistons can reach 60 wins for the first time since 2005-06 if they win out against the Hornets (Friday) and Pacers (Sunday)
In a top-5 East duel, the league’s top 2nd-half scorer did what he does best.

Cavaliers 122, Hawks 116: After not taking a shot for the first eight minutes, Donovan Mitchell took over, turning in 31 points, 7 boards and 4 dimes, while Evan Mobley dominated inside (22 pts, 19 reb, 3 blk), rallying the Cavs past Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 pts) and the Hawks. | Recap
- Spida Swing: With Cleveland down seven at the half, Mitchell scored 13 in the 3rd as the Cavs went on a 44-20 run to seize control
- Clutch Close: Cleveland never trailed again, with Mitchell scoring the game’s final four points to stave off a late Atlanta push – securing the Cavs’ fourth straight win
- “It’s very tough to beat a team like this,” said Mitchell of Atlanta, which had won 18 of its last 21 games entering Wednesday. “This was a Playoff-like atmosphere in a Playoff-like game.”
- East Race: Cleveland moves just a half-game back of 3rd-place New York, while Atlanta – which has now dropped two straight – sits a half-game up on Toronto for 5th
Ronald Cortes/NBAE via Getty Images

San Antonio’s pursuit of the West’s No. 1 seed may have ended, but its scorching play continued, even without Victor Wembanyama (rib) and Stephon Castle (knee).

Spurs 112, Blazers 101: De’Aaron Fox (25 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast) scored 10 points in the opening 5:13, and just over 4 minutes later, San Antonio took the lead for good, getting past Portland despite Deni Avdija’s game-high 29 points. | Recap
- Separate Strengths: Keldon Johnson’s 20 points off the bench helped the Spurs win the reserves battle 48-10, as the Blazers got 91 of 101 points from five starters in double figures
- Silver Spurs: Now 29-3 since Feb. 1, San Antonio is locked into the No. 2 seed in the West in its first Playoff appearance since 2019
- 8th On The Line: The Blazers (9th) remain one game back of the 8th-place Clippers, who they meet on Friday in Portland (10 ET, League Pass)
3. ROUNDUP: MAGIC MAKING THEIR MOVE, SUNS LOCK IN 7-SEED

Rich Storry + Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

In a four-team race for the East’s final Playoff spot, Orlando is clicking at the right time.

Magic 132, Wolves 120: After seven 1st-half lead changes, Orlando took control from half to horn, with Paolo Banchero (20 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) leading seven Magic players in double figures in a fourth straight win. | Recap
- Terrence Tunes Up: Terrence Shannon Jr. (5 reb, 5 3s, 1 poster) led all scorers with a career-high 33 points for a shorthanded Wolves team that falls 3.5 games behind the 5th-place Rockets
- It’s Go Time: Orlando has climbed to 7th during its four-game win streak, now a half-game behind Toronto for the final guaranteed Playoff spot
Suns 112, Mavericks 107: Devin Booker was on one, dropping 37 points and 9 dimes while Dillon Brooks scored 28, as Phoenix staved off Cooper Flagg (11 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast) and Dallas to lock in the West’s No. 7 seed. | Recap
- Book Balling: It’s Booker’s third straight 30-piece and his fifth in his last six games
4. TONIGHT ON PRIME: TATUM, C’S RETURN TO MSG, STEPH & LEBRON DUEL

Madison Square Garden is a storied arena, rich with basketball history.

For Jayson Tatum, it carries another meaning.

“I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again,” Tatum said. “So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday.”

Tonight (7:30 ET, Prime), he returns to MSG for the first time since his season-ending Achilles injury, as the Celtics visit the Knicks. With a win, Boston can secure the East’s No. 2 seed.
- All-Star Form: The Celtics are 13-2 this season with Tatum in the lineup, and recently, he’s leveled up, averaging 25.3 pts, 10.7 reb and 7.3 ast over his last six games – all of which have resulted in wins
- All Together: As Tatum prepares to take another step – back onto the MSG floor – his longest-tenured teammate, Jaylen Brown, will be right there with him
- “That’s what teammates are there for,” said Brown on Tatum’s return to MSG. “We got his back, so we go out there and do what we got to do.”
Adam Glanzman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Test: Like Tatum and the C’s, the Knicks are heating up, too. They’ve won three in a row to maintain a one-game edge on the Cavaliers for the No. 3 seed.
- Captain Clutch, Again: Jalen Brunson, the reigning Kia Clutch Player of the Year, scored 17 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Hawks on Monday, 108-105
- “Things aren’t going to be perfect all the time,” said Brunson after the win on his late-game heroics. “But you trust your work and find a way.”
- Another Key Duel: Now, Brunson and the Knicks – who sent Boston home last season – will aim to knock off another top-5 East squad, with the streaking Cavs on their heels
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

A pair of modern legends are prepared to battle out West, as the Warriors host the Lakers (10 ET, Prime) for the fourth time in 2025-26.

Because for the first time this season, LeBron James and Steph Curry are set to go head-to-head.
- Legendary History: This will be the 28th regular-season meeting between the multi-time NBA champions. James holds a slight edge, 14-13, all-time
- King vs. Chef: James has averaged 30.2 pts, 9.1 reb and 7.3 ast in those matchups, while Curry’s posted 24.9 pts, 6.5 ast and 3.7 triples per game
- “What makes Steph one of the most dangerous players of all time is the fact that you’re going to get (scored on) in so many different ways,” James said
Golden State has locked up the No. 10 seed as it prepares for the Play-In, while Los Angeles sits in 4th, looking to get back in the win column after three losses.

5. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: ROCKETS SEEK 8TH STRAIGHT WIN VS. SIXERS

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Tied with the Lakers at 50-29 are the red-hot Rockets, who look to extend their season-long win streak to eight games tonight as they host the Sixers on League Pass (8 ET).

Houston’s surge isn’t just coming at a critical time – with Playoff seeding and homecourt advantage on the line – it’s a sign of something deeper: a team finding its offensive identity.

Amid their 7-0 run, the Rockets posted six straight games of 30+ assists, their longest such streak since 1986. And while that run ended in Tuesday’s win over Phoenix (26 assists), the blueprint behind it remains, writes The Athletic’s William Guillory:

The Rockets have tweaked their offense and found a spark that has them playing their best basketball.

They’re playing fast. They’re playing with physicality. They’re playing with confidence. And, most importantly, they’re playing together. | Read More

League Pass features three more games, including the Raptors and Heat meeting for the second time in three days (7 ET) after Toronto’s Tuesday win pushed it to 6th in the East.

Meanwhile, the Bulls visit the Wizards (7 ET), while the Nets host the Pacers (7:30 ET).
April 9, 2026
OpenAI Publishes Child Safety Blueprint to Address AI-Enabled Exploitation
In brief

OpenAI published its “Child Safety Blueprint” addressing AI-enabled child sexual exploitation.

The framework focuses on legal reforms, stronger reporting coordination, and guardrails built into AI systems.

The proposal was developed with input from child safety groups, attorneys general, and nonprofit organizations.
Aiming to address the rise of AI-enabled child sexual exploitation, OpenAI on Wednesday published a policy blueprint outlining new safety measures the industry can take to help curb the use of AI in creating child sexual abuse material.

In the framework, OpenAI lists legal, operational, and technical measures aimed at strengthening protections against AI-enabled abuse and improving coordination between technology companies and investigators.

“Child sexual exploitation is one of the most urgent challenges of the digital age,” the company wrote. “AI is rapidly changing both how these harms emerge across the industry and how they can be addressed at scale.”

OpenAI said the proposal incorporates feedback from organizations working in child protection and online safety, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Attorney General Alliance and its AI task force.

“Generative AI is accelerating the crime of online child sexual exploitation in deeply troubling ways-lowering barriers, increasing scale, and enabling new forms of harm,” President & CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Michelle DeLaune said in a statement. “But at the same time, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is encouraged to see companies like OpenAI reflect on how these tools can be designed more responsibly, with safeguards built in from the start.”

OpenAI said the framework combines legal standards, industry reporting systems, and technical safeguards within AI models. The company said these measures aim to help identify exploitation risks earlier and improve accountability across online platforms.

The blueprint identifies areas for action, including updating laws to address AI-generated or altered child sexual abuse material, improving how online providers report abuse signals and coordinate with investigators, and building safeguards into AI systems designed to prevent misuse.

“No single intervention can address this challenge alone,” the company wrote. “This framework brings together legal, operational, and technical approaches to better identify risks, accelerate responses, and support accountability, while ensuring that enforcement authorities remain strong as technology evolves.”

The blueprint comes as child safety advocates have raised concerns that generative AI systems capable of producing realistic images could be used to create manipulated or synthetic depictions of minors. In February, UNICEF called on world governments to pass laws criminalizing AI-generated child abuse material.

In January, the European Commission launched a formal investigation into whether X, formerly known as Twitter, violated EU digital rules by failing to prevent the platform’s native AI model, Grok, from generating illegal content, as regulators in the United Kingdom and Australia have also opened investigations.

Noting that laws alone will not stop the scourge of AI-generated abuse material, OpenAI said stronger industry standards will be necessary as AI systems become more capable.

“By interrupting exploitation attempts sooner, improving the quality of signals sent to law enforcement, and strengthening accountability across the ecosystem, this framework aims to prevent harm before it happens and help ensure faster protection for children when risks emerge,” OpenAI said.

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April 9, 2026
Bitcoin Pioneer Adam Back, Bernstein Say Quantum Threat to BTC Isn’t Existential
In brief

Bernstein says quantum computing poses a challenge to Bitcoin but represents a manageable long-term upgrade cycle.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back said current quantum hardware remains extremely limited and far from breaking Bitcoin cryptography.

Developers are already working on quantum-resistant cryptography as part of a future protocol transition.
The race between quantum computers and Bitcoin’s cryptography has become a recurring theme in the cryptocurrency industry. But even as anxieties over Bitcoin’s “Q-day” grow, a new report from investment firm Bernstein says the outcome is unlikely to be catastrophic for the world’s largest cryptocurrency.

Instead, the firm argues quantum computing should be treated as a long-term upgrade cycle for Bitcoin and the broader crypto industry rather than an existential threat to the network.

“The risk is neither existential, nor novel, and also not limited to crypto,” Bernstein wrote, noting that quantum computing also posed a threat to everything from financial services, military, and healthcare.

According to Bernstein, the highest threat from quantum computing is to the 1.7 million BTC, around $116.6 billion, in legacy wallets from the days when Satoshi Nakamoto was still active online. That’s because this stash of Bitcoin was stored in early address formats that expose public keys on the blockchain and could be targeted in a “harvest now, decrypt later” attack. For newer encryption protocols, chains, and crypto-linked real-world assets, the threat is limited to some unsafe practices that can be mitigated and managed, the firm said.

Bernstein also emphasized that quantum computing won’t impact Bitcoin mining in the near future.

“Bitcoin mining has no realistic risk from [quantum computers] based on Shor’s algorithm, as SHA encryption used in mining is quantum safe—several millions of years even after recent improvements, including Grover’s algorithm.”

Blockstream CEO Adam Back, a Bitcoin pioneer, who was recently named as the likely person behind the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto according to a new report by The New York Times, expressed a similar view.

“The Google paper is talking about algorithmic improvements, and doesn’t bring with it any hardware improvements,” Back told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Back’s comments come as concern over quantum computing intensified after new academic research suggested fewer quantum resources may be needed to break elliptic-curve cryptography, the digital signature system used by Bitcoin wallets. A March paper from Google Quantum AI also shortened estimates for when such capabilities could emerge, pointing to a possible timeline around 2032.

Current quantum computers operate with roughly a thousand physical qubits. Breaking the cryptography used by Bitcoin would require hundreds of thousands of stable, error-corrected qubits along with major advances in engineering and hardware reliability.

Back said current quantum systems remain “extremely basic” because of limitations with error correction, calling even the most advanced demonstrations trivial compared with the calculations needed to compromise Bitcoin’s cryptography.

“The biggest calculation it’s performed is that to factorize the number 21 into seven times three,” he said. “Sort of thing that primary school children can do.”

Bitcoin relies on elliptic-curve cryptography to secure transactions and SHA-256 hashing to power mining. While the Bernstein report suggests that quantum computers could eventually target the signature system, they are unlikely to threaten the mining algorithm.

The best approach, Back said, is to prepare Bitcoin users for a gradual transition to quantum-resistant security.

“The prudent thing to do is to prepare Bitcoin and give people the option to migrate their keys to a quantum-ready format,” he said. “The longer time that Bitcoin users have in order to migrate their keys for custodians and exchanges to move their coins to a quantum-ready format, the safer it will be,” he said.

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April 9, 2026
WGA West Urged by State Senator to Reach Deal With Striking Staffers

The Writers Guild of America has reached a deal with the studios, but most of the staff of its West local remains on strike.

In a letter on Wednesday, California Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas urged the guild to bring an end to the 51-day work stoppage.

“Every day this strike continues is a day the Guild is not at full capacity to carry out its mission,” Smallwood-Cuevas wrote. “I therefore urge you to end this strike by taking the WGSU‘s invitation to make a fair deal.”

About 110 members of the Writers Guild Staff Union walked off the job on Feb. 17, after five months of on-again, off-again negotiations failed to result in a contract.

The staffers are demanding better pay and job security. A key sticking point is the WGSU’s demand for seniority protections in promotions and layoffs, which the staffers have said is necessary to combat favoritism.

The WGA West has said it is offering a fair deal, which includes $800,000 worth of salary increases. The two sides talked on March 17 and March 24 but have not been able to reach a breakthrough. The WGA West has told members that the strike will end when the WGSU accepts a deal or decides to return to work without one.

The striking staffers lost health care coverage on April 1, as more than a month had passed without qualifying employment.

Four members of the Los Angeles City Council signed a letter of support for the WGSU in March — Eunisses Hernandez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Tim McOsker. Smallwood-Cuevas endorsed the WGSU’s demands in her letter to leadership.

“They deserve the standard union contract provisions that they’re fighting for, including an equitable wage step scale, layoff protections, and seniority in promotions,” she wrote. “A fair contract is not only a matter of basic dignity for these workers; it is essential to ensuring that guild staff can do the best possible job on behalf of WGAW members.”

April 9, 2026
Olivia Munn Says Male Co-Star Refused to Film Scene Being Saved by Woman and Stopped Production for ’45 Minutes’: ‘She Can’t Save Me. We’re Not Doing This’

Olivia Munn said during a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that one of her former male co-stars refused to be saved by her in a scene and stopped production for “45 minutes” to fight off the story beat.

“There have been a few times where I’ve been filming something, and my character was either like CIA, or a cop, or something, and there’s been scenes where my character has been the one to save the other character,” Munn said. The scene in question featured Munn and her male co-star fighting side by side in a bunker.

“If you read the script, it was that he was guarding his side, I was guarding my side, then we switch sides and then there’s a guy that was coming for him [who] was gonna shoot him in the back, so I shoot him,” she recalled. “And then we’re about to shoot and, somehow, I guess he didn’t read the script, and in that moment, he realized, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She can’t save me. No, no. She can’t save me.’”

Munn said her co-star then halted production and became “comative with the director” over the moment. She added that he had “no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this.’”

“Finally, after like 45 minutes of just stopping down, I said, ‘OK, how about instead of my character saving you, it’s just that we switch because it’s time for us to switch and so this is my guy to get,’” she said. “And he was like, ‘OK.’”

This isn’t the first time Munn shared a bad on-set experience with a male co-worker. During an episode of Dax Shepherd’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, she said a director she worked with on HBO’s “The Newsroom” tried to “ruin her chances” of getting a film role by telling the studio she was “really combative” while filming.

“I was on the one-yard-line for the movie and my manager calls me and says, ‘Hey, you’re gonna get the role. But first, I guess there’s another director who they know and he says that on “The Newsroom” you were late all the time and really combative,’” Munn said. “I lived seven minutes from there. I was never late. I was like, ‘I know who this is.’ He just was trying to bash me. And I told my reps, ‘Please tell the directors this.’ And then I still got the role. But I will always remember that just because of our conflicts of how we approached a role, he wanted to ruin my chances of getting anything else.”

April 9, 2026
You’ll have one more chance to buy Samsung’s pricey Galaxy Z TriFold this Friday

If you missed your chance to pay Samsung $2,900 for a phone earlier this year, we have great news for you. Android Police reported that what may be the final shipment of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will be arriving in the US on April 10. The unique foldable was discontinued a mere three months after it first went on sale, and it seems like Samsung is clearing out whatever inventory it has left. So if you have a spare $3,000 that you’re just desperate to get rid of, bookmark the TriFold’s page where Samsung has a countdown ticking away.

All jokes aside, our hands-on time with the TriFold at CES 2026 revealed a pretty snazzy device that managed to strike a decent balance between size and heft. But perhaps unsurprisingly for a phone with such an intricate design and high price tag, the company didn’t appear to have any intention to make the TriFold widely available. Samsung may have sold out each batch of the smartphone that went to retail, but the device didn’t offer much in the way of profit, according to reports in South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo.

April 9, 2026
Aori Expands to Rootstock, Bridging Bitcoin DeFi With Cross Chain Liquidity

Aori has officially joined Rootstock in a major collaboration, which opens new avenues of cross-chain liquidity and enhances access to Bitcoin-native financial applications. The development of Bitcoin based decentralized finance is gaining traction, with new infrastructure being added to tie up isolated blockchain ecosystems.

A faster, simpler way to move assets across chains🔥@aori_io is now live on Rootstock.

Its intent settlement protocol brings cross-chain liquidity routing to Bitcoin DeFi, letting users move assets across networks without the usual multi-step bridging process.

✔️No manual… pic.twitter.com/2IHVVTcL3F

— Rootstock (@rootstock_io) April 8, 2026

This integration brings the intent based settlement model of Aori to the ecosystem of Rootstock enabling the users to transfer assets across blockchains with increased efficiency. Initial support will be USDT0, with other assets like rBTC becoming available soon.

Through the integration of the Bitcoin secured infrastructure of Rootstock and the liquidity routing system of Aori, the partnership will ease the process of user interaction with decentralized finance on networks.

Simplifying Cross-Chain Transactions With Intent Based Trading

The difficulty of transferring assets between blockchains has been one of the historical problems of decentralized finance. Conventional cross-chain operations may involve users manually bridging tokens, communicating with various platforms, and conducting various transactions, each of which may add cost and risks.

Aori is a solution to this problem by using an intent-based system. Rather than handling a step at a time, users can simply specify the desired outcome, say, the transfer of assets through one chain to another. The execution is then done behind the scenes by the protocol.

Solvets are a set of liquidity providers that power this process. These players are in competition of meeting the user intents by sourcing liquidity and identifying the most efficient path to execute it. After being matched, the transactions are settled on chain with the help of smart contracts that are created to provide atomic and secure settlement.

The outcome is a smooth process that lowers friction, minimizes charges and enhances the speed of transactions and keeps a trust minimized structure.

Why Rootstock Strengthens the Integration

Rootstock is a key player in this collaboration as it expands the functions of Bitcoin beyond mere value transfers. Being a smart contract platform that is secured by the Bitcoin network, it allows a wide variety of decentralized apps, such as lending markets, as well as trading platforms.

By adding Aori, the functionality of Rootstock is enriched with the powerful cross-chain liquidity layer. Rootstock users are now able to access the liquidity of networks like Ethereum and Layer 2 ecosystems without using the traditional bridging options.

Meanwhile, Aori users will have direct access to DeFi opportunities backed by Bitcoin. This forms a two-way value bridge, linking hitherto disaggregated liquidity pools and enabling the transfer of capital across ecosystems more freely.

Benefits for Users and Developers

The integration provides evident benefits to users and developers working in the decentralized finance environment.

Rootstock can be a bridge to DeFi strategies based on Bitcoin to users who are already on Aori. They can now engage in lending, trading, and yield opportunities based on Bitcoin-secured infrastructure without going out of the multi-chain environment they know well.

The advantages are also substantial to the users of Rootstock. Aori also offers an easier method to move assets across chains without requiring various manual processes. Transactions are quicker and less expensive and access to external liquidity enhances the overall capital efficiency.

The integration is also beneficial to developers. Through the infrastructure of Aori, they are able to add cross-chain trading and liquidity routing to their apps without necessarily developing complex bridging systems. This reduces the development barrier and innovations are rapid in the ecosystem.

Addressing Liquidity Fragmentation in DeFi

Liquidity fragmentation continues to be a significant challenge of decentralized finance, where assets are typically locked in different blockchain networks. This restricts the efficiency of trading and access to wider financial opportunities.

The solution to this problem proposed by Aori is to orchestrate liquidity among chains and allow atomic settlement via smart contracts. Its solver network is based on the idea of sending capital to the point of need, instead of the method of fragmented bridges.

In the case of Rootstock, it implies enhanced access to vibrant ecosystems, as well as deeper pools of liquidity. As a result, users can engage in more advanced financial strategies without compromising on security or efficiency.

April 9, 2026
Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, with a motor that spins up to 65,000 RPM

Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, the HushJet Mini Cool. As the name suggests, it uses the company’s proprietary HushJet air projection system. This tech first showed up on an air purifier that we found to be exceptionally quiet.

Dyson promises the fan can deliver focused airflow of up to 25m/s, which works out to 55mph. The brushless motor spins up to 65,000 RPM. This thing looks like a legitimate cooling system, despite its size. It also weighs just 7.5 ounces.

It offers five speeds and a boost mode, which should be useful during that next heat wave. It charges via USB-C and ships with a charging stand. The fan can also stand on its own, making it a decent choice for a desk. The rechargeable battery can get up to six hours of use per charge.

Dyson

The HushJet Mini Cool costs $100, which is cheap for a Dyson product but expensive for a handheld fan. It’s available in a trio of colorways. The gray model is available tomorrow. The red version goes on sale this May and the blue one will be available for purchase in June.

April 9, 2026
What Would Happen to Bitcoin and Altcoins If a Permanent Ceasefire Were Reached Between Iran and the U.S.?

Cryptocurrency analyst Michaël van de Poppe, in his assessment of the overall market outlook, stated that despite short-term fluctuations, the upward trend could be maintained.

The analyst described current market conditions as “positive,” suggesting that a period of consolidation could be followed by a continued uptrend.

Van de Poppe argued that Bitcoin is experiencing a short-term correction, but that this is not alarming. According to the analyst, a rapid market recovery could be seen if geopolitical developments subside and a potential ceasefire becomes permanent. In this scenario, van de Poppe predicts that Bitcoin could make a strong move towards the $80,000 level in April, adding that maintaining the $69,500 level is critical for this to happen.

Related News New York Times Claims to Have Identified Bitcoin Founder Satoshi Nakamoto

The analyst also argued that the expected upward movement in Bitcoin would give momentum to the altcoin market as well. Van de Poppe noted that altcoins, which have recently experienced significant value losses, are currently at low levels, and that stronger increases could be seen in these assets if market conditions improve.

*This is not investment advice.

April 9, 2026
Olivia Munn Says Male Co-Star Refused to Film Scene Being Saved By Woman: “She Can’t Save Me”

Olivia Munn is getting candid about her experience working with a difficult male co-star on a past project.

During a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress recalled an unnamed actor refusing to film a scene in which her female character saved his.

“There have been a few times where I’ve been filming something — and my character was either like CIA, or a cop, or something — and there’s been scenes where my character has been the one to save the other character,” Munn explained.

In this specific instance, the Your Friends & Neighbors star said they were filming a gunfight scene in an underground bunker.

“If you read the script, it was that he was guarding his side, I was guarding my side, then we switch sides and then there’s a guy that was coming for him — was gonna shoot him in the back — so I shoot him,” Munn recounted. “And then we’re about to shoot and, somehow, I guess he didn’t read the script and in that moment, he realized, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She can’t save me. No, no. She can’t save me.’”

That’s when her co-star paused production and even got “combative with the director” over the scene. When reflecting on the incident and his behavior, she added, “There was no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this.’”

After nearly an hour of back and forth, the X-Men: Apocalypse actress decided to interject with an idea.

“Finally, after like 45 minutes of just stopping down, I said, ‘OK, how about instead of my character saving you, it’s just that we switch because it’s time for us to switch and so this is my guy to get,’” she said. “And he was like, ‘OK.’”

However, Munn admitted to host Drew Barrymore‘s audience, drawing laughter and cheers from them, “Now here’s the interesting thing: nothing changed. It’s just what he thought. I was doing the exact same thing.”

The actress has previously opened up about other negative experiences she’s had with men in Hollywood. Last year, Munn recalled a visiting Newsroom director giving her bad notes, which she didn’t take, and she later found out that he bad-mouthed her to keep her from getting another job. She still booked the role.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Munn opened up about what she’s learned from that experience and trying to stand up for herself in the industry.

“It’s playing the game a bit more,” she said. “And I should be able to speak up for myself and I should be able to draw the line, but we cannot. I can’t change the world and I cannot change how women have been portrayed and received for however long we’ve been on earth. So I’ve realized that I’m going to handle this situation in a way that is going to be the best outcome for me.”

Munn added, “I used to see so many other actors do it, and I’d think, ‘Why are you not taking the note? I can’t believe you’re being so indignant.’ Then I realized it’s a way to protect your art and your choices with a character. I hope I have helped more actresses learn this.”

April 9, 2026