MagazinAisle

Author: rb809rb

  • Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix

    Amazon’s self-driving subsidiary Zoox announced on Monday that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map the new cities before eventually rolling out its purpose-built robotaxis.

    Zoox says these two cities will offer a chance to test its sensors and battery performance in unique conditions its cars haven’t yet encountered in existing markets. Phoenix experiences extreme heat, dust and high-speed roads, while Dallas has more sprawling roads and varied weather compared to other cities where Zoox operates. The company is also opening new depots in both cities and a command hub in Scottsdale, Arizona which will handle fleet operations, remote guidance and rider support.

    The move brings Zoox’s footprint (between actual launches and test markets) to 10 US cities. It’s other areas of operation are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, DC. Amazon acquired the self-driving startup for $1.3 billion in 2020 and has been steadily expanding its reach, with the company saying its fleet has driven over one million autonomous miles and served more than 300,000 riders to date.

    Zoox’s expansion comes as competition in the robotaxi market intensifies. Alphabet-owned Waymo has continued its rapid spread across the US, while Tesla’s Robotaxis launched last year, though those are currently limited to parts of Austin, Texas. US regulators are set to hold a self-driving safety forum on Tuesday, with the CEOs of Waymo, Zoox and Aurora all expected to attend.

    The regulatory framework has dragged behind the rapid rollout of these vehicles as companies test and iterate the technology on public streets. Just in the last year, autonomous vehicles have struck a child near a school, blocked emergency services responding to a mass shooting and, at least in the case of Teslas, appear to be crashing at higher rates than human drivers.

  • Historical XRP Pattern Returns as One Bearish Metric Drops 80% — Trend Reversal Ahead?

    Historical XRP Pattern Returns as One Bearish Metric Drops 80% — Trend Reversal Ahead?

    $XRP price may be approaching a critical moment after weeks of downside pressure. The token has remained down roughly 8% over the past 30 days, showing that the broader structure is still bearish.

    However, a historical chart formation that previously triggered a rebound has appeared again. This time, the signal is accompanied by a sharp collapse in coin distribution and rising holder conviction, raising the possibility that $XRP could attempt a trend reversal if key levels break.

    Historical Divergence Returns as $XRP Prints the Same Bounce Setup

    The current setup begins with a bullish divergence on the Relative Strength Index (RSI). RSI is a momentum indicator that measures the speed and strength of price movements. When price falls, but RSI rises, it often signals that selling momentum is weakening.

    Between February 11 and March 8, $XRP’s price formed a lower low, while RSI formed a higher low. This is a pattern that often appears near potential trend reversal zones, assuming the fact that the broader $XRP price trend still leans bearish.

    Note: While this divergence pattern conceptually hints at a reversal, we would be using the word ‘rebound’ interchangeably, considering the bearish market sentiments.

    Interestingly, $XRP printed a nearly identical divergence earlier. Between February 12 and February 24, the price also made a lower low while RSI formed a higher low. Shortly after that signal appeared, $XRP rallied about 14%, confirming the divergence’s effectiveness.

    Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

    Historical $XRP Pattern: TradingView

    However, technical patterns alone rarely drive price moves. The strength of the current divergence becomes clearer when examining on-chain distribution activity.

    $XRP Distribution Activity Collapses as Selling Sentiment Fades

    One of the most important supporting signals comes from the Spent Coins age band data. This metric tracks how many tokens move on-chain each day, often signaling potential distribution.

    During the earlier February divergence, spent coins declined from 75.58 million $XRP to nearly 43 million $XRP, representing a 43% drop in distribution activity.

    Spent Coins Movement

    Spent Coins Movement: Santiment

    The current divergence shows a far sharper change. On March 7, spent coins surged to 122 million $XRP, signaling heavy coin movement. But by March 8, the figure collapsed to 19.77 million $XRP, marking an over 80% drop in distribution activity.

    <span class=$XRP Coin Activity”>

    $XRP Coin Activity: Santiment

    Such a steep decline in this bearish metric suggests that selling activity may have dried up rapidly after the divergence formed. With fewer coins moving on-chain, the market may be entering a period where holders prefer holding rather than distributing tokens.

    That behavior becomes even more visible when looking at long-term holder accumulation.

    Hodler Accumulation and Derivatives Strengthen the Reversal Setup

    Another key indicator is Hodler Net Position Change, which tracks how much supply long-term holders accumulate or distribute over a 30-day period.

    During the February divergence, this metric showed only modest growth. On February 12, the net position change stood near 126.8 million $XRP, rising slightly to about 149.3 million $XRP by February 24—an increase of roughly 17%.

    The current divergence shows stronger conviction. By March 3, the metric had dropped sharply to around 41.4 million $XRP, but it rebounded quickly to 211.6 million $XRP by March 8 when the divergence appeared.

    Compared with the 149 million $XRP level seen during the previous rebound signal (February 14), the current figure represents roughly 42% higher accumulation, indicating stronger holder conviction behind the potential reversal setup.

    Hodler Net Position Change

    Hodler Net Position Change: Glassnode

    But spot market behavior is only part of the story. Derivatives positioning suggests another possible catalyst.

    Derivatives data shows that short positions dominate $XRP’s leverage structure. Liquidation data, per the $XRP/USDT pair on Binance alone, indicates that roughly $110.8 million in short leverage sits above current prices, compared with only $42.1 million in long leverage. In other words, short exposure is about 163% larger than long exposure.

    More importantly, over 50% of these short liquidations cluster around the $1.39 level.

    $XRP Liquidation Map: Coinglass

    If $XRP pushes toward $1.40 (a round figure), a large portion of these short positions could be forced to close. This type of forced buying, known as a short squeeze, often accelerates upward momentum.

    $XRP Price Levels That Could Confirm a Reversal

    From a technical perspective, $XRP must first overcome $1.40, the level where large clusters of short liquidations sit. A break above that zone could trigger further upside toward $1.54, representing roughly 10% upside from current levels.

    If momentum strengthens further, $XRP could target $1.61, marking a potential 20% rally from the current range. The 10% to 20% rally range aligns with the bullish push seen during the historical divergence pattern from earlier.

    However, downside risks remain. If $XRP drops below $1.32, the current divergence structure would weaken. A deeper move under $1.27 would invalidate the bullish setup entirely and reinforce the broader bearish trend.

    $XRP Price Analysis: TradingView

    For now, $XRP sits at a technical crossroads. A historical divergence has returned, distribution activity has dropped sharply, and holder accumulation has strengthened. Whether these signals translate into a true trend reversal may depend on whether buyers can push the price beyond the $1.40 trigger level.

    The post Historical $XRP Pattern Returns as One Bearish Metric Drops 80% — Trend Reversal Ahead? appeared first on BeInCrypto.

  • Another Important Milestone for the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem Passed! The 20 Millionth BTC Successfully Minted!

    Another Important Milestone for the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem Passed! The 20 Millionth BTC Successfully Minted!

    The cryptocurrency ecosystem has passed another significant milestone. The 20 millionth unit of Bitcoin, the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency, has been successfully minted. This development is considered a major milestone reached by the Bitcoin network approximately 17 years, 2 months, and 1 week after the first block was created in January 2009.

    The Bitcoin network is built on a system with a total supply limited to 21 million. With the creation of the 20 millionth Bitcoin, the total amount in circulation has reached approximately 95.2% of the theoretical supply. This demonstrates that Bitcoin’s scarcity-based economic model is becoming increasingly evident.

    According to blockchain data shared by the crypto data platform Mempool, the Bitcoin in question was mined in block number 939,999 on the network. This block was produced by the US-based mining pool Foundry USA. This marks another historic milestone in Bitcoin mining.

    Due to Bitcoin’s block production mechanism, the rate at which new coins are mined decreases over time. The halving process, which occurs approximately every four years, reduces the block reward given to miners, thus slowing down the production of new Bitcoins. This mechanism ensures that the total supply of the network increases in a controlled and predictable manner.

    According to experts, mining the remaining approximately 1 million Bitcoins will take a very long time. Under current protocol rules, this amount is expected to gradually enter circulation through mining over the next 114 years.

    Crypto market analysts say that the mining of the 20 millionth Bitcoin once again highlights the digital asset’s limited supply model and creates a psychological threshold that could affect price dynamics in the long term.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Arizona man’s ‘Stranger Things’ collection reaches 2,301 items

    Arizona man’s ‘Stranger Things’ collection reaches 2,301 items

    Odd News // 1 month ago

    S.C. man stops to buy a drink, wins $200,000 lottery prize

    Feb. 5 (UPI) — A South Carolina man made a stop to quench his thirst and ended up buying a scratch-off lottery ticket that earned him a $200,000 windfall.

  • Todd Meadows’ ‘Deadliest Catch’ Death Detailed by Fellow Deckhand

    Todd Meadows’ ‘Deadliest Catch’ Death Detailed by Fellow Deckhand

    Deckhand Todd Meadows died last month during production on season 22 of the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. At the time his death was first reported, very few details were shared. On Friday, Meadows’ fellow deckhand and bunkmate on the Aleutian Lady explained what happened.

    Trey John Green III told Page Six the Bering sea was “calm” in the late afternoon of Feb. 20, but added the water was “only a degree or two above freezing.” The ship’s crew members were taking turns climbing into the boats to sift through crabs they’d just caught. Green said Meadows was in a pot, which was seated in the ship’s launcher, when it fell “over the rail” and into the chilly water.

    “It’s one of those things that none of us really understand,” Green, 30, said. “I don’t know what happened.”

    Meadows, who was 25, was “doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing,” Green added. “We’re like, ‘Holy crap, he’s gonna sink to the bottom. We’re not gonna have any way to get this pot back up.’”

    But Green says he saw Meadows escape the pot and attempt to swim. He was not wearing a life vest — none of the crew were.

    Meadows was in the water just “three or four minutes” before the boat’s designated swimmer retrieved him from the sea. He was already “lifeless,” Green said.

    The crew attempted CPR and used a defibrillator, but the efforts failed. The crew wrapped Meadows’ body in a tarp and “place it in the freezer to preserve it and head back to town,” the publication wrote.

    “Everybody did everything they could do,” Green said, adding that “everything” was captured by the production’s cameras.

    “This remains an active U.S. Coast Guard investigation,” a Discovery Channel spokesperson said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “We are assisting in their efforts and cannot comment at this time.”

    Todd Meadows from Deadliest Catch.

    Courtesy

    “We lost our brother, Todd Meadows,” the Aleutian Lady’s captain Rick Shelford wrote in a Facebook post last week. “Todd was the newest member of our crew; he quickly became family. His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”

    Deadliest Catch, produced by Fremantle’s Original Productions, unfortunately lives up to its name: Meadows is by no means the first death of a castmember on the job.

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Eyes State Stablecoin Framework Following Senate Passage

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Eyes State Stablecoin Framework Following Senate Passage

    In brief

    • The Florida State Senate passed Senate Bill 314 unanimously on Friday, positioning Florida to join other states with local stablecoin regulations.
    • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to review the legislation in its final form once it’s “delivered to his desk,” a spokesperson told Decrypt.
    • The bill folds stablecoins into Florida’s existing anti-money laundering laws by defining them as a form of “monetary value.”

    Florida moved closer to becoming the latest U.S. state to enact stablecoin rules at the local level, following the State Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 314 on Friday.

    Sam Armes, founder and President of the Florida Blockchain Business Association, described Senate Bill 314’s passage as a historic moment on X. He believes the bill will be signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a crypto advocate, within the next 30 days.

    A spokesperson for DeSantis told Decrypt that the governor has not yet received the bill from the legislature. “Once delivered to his office, he will review it in its final form,” she added.

    The measure, which passed unanimously on Friday, folds stablecoins into the Sunshine State’s existing regulations by explicitly defining them as a form of “monetary value” under the Florida Control of Money Laundering in Money Services Business Act.

    The legislation meanwhile authorizes the Florida Department of Financial Services to accept approved stablecoins for payments, such as state-issued licenses and taxes, alongside a pilot program to study how the government could utilize stablecoins itself.

    Republican Florida State Senator Colleen Burton told lawmakers that the legislation aims to integrate state oversight with federal guidelines, as established under a dual-track system in the GENIUS Act—a federal framework for stablecoins passed into law last year.

    “It’s important that we do this today,” she said, noting that the bill would allow Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation to become the primary regulator of payment systems using stablecoins.

    In many ways, Florida’s framework for stablecoins mirrors rules pertaining to traditional transactions. That includes requiring so-called money services businesses to maintain records of stablecoin transactions valued at more than $10,000, which is already the case for other digital assets defined as “virtual currencies.”

    In 2019, Texas became the first state to recognize stablecoins as a form of “monetary value” regarding money transmission rules, according to analysis from law firm Paul Hastings. In 2023, additional rules were adopted under that state’s Money Services Modernization Act.

    Daily Debrief Newsletter

    Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

  • Kalshi Sued Over Refusing to Pay Out Prediction Market After Iran Leader’s Death

    Kalshi Sued Over Refusing to Pay Out Prediction Market After Iran Leader’s Death

    In brief

    • Kalshi is facing a lawsuit in California over its resolution of a market related to the former Iranian leader.
    • The prediction market opted to utilize a rules provision called the “death carveout,” which effectively resolved and paid the market on its last traded price.
    • Plaintiffs allege the market’s rules were not disclosed prominently enough and are seeking compensation for their positions.

    Popular prediction markets platform Kalshi is facing a class action lawsuit related to its handling of a market on the unseating of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  

    Filed in the District Court for the Central District of California, the suit alleges that the platform ran a “predatory scheme to exploit retail consumers” by creating expectations that it would pay out correct predictions, yet failed to do so in its recent “Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader?” market. 

    The plaintiffs allege that they expected that in the event of Khameni’s death—which was confirmed by multiple outlets on February 28—holding contracts for Khameni out by March 1 would resolve to “yes,” ultimately paying each share $1 as a correct prediction. 

    Instead, the prediction market utilized a “death carveout provision,” a rules clause which indicated that if the Supreme Leader left office “solely because they have died,” then the market would “resolve based on the last traded price.” In other words, with this clause, the exchange did not pay out “yes” shares at $1.00, as expected by the plaintiffs. 

    “Plaintiffs and the proposed class members—who correctly predicted the outcome—did not receive the amounts they were promised,” the suit reads. “Plaintiffs Risch and Gliksman, like thousands of other consumers who correctly predicted the outcome, received arbitrary amounts unilaterally determined by [Kalshi] that were significantly lower than their respective contract values.” 

    As social media pushback began to build on February 28, the day of Khameni’s death, Kalshi CEO Tarek Monsour took to X to explain his firm’s decisions. 

    “We don’t list markets directly tied to death,” he said. “When there are markets where potential outcomes involve death, we design the rules to prevent people from profiting from death. That is what we did here.” 

    The plaintiffs allege those rules, like the death carveout “upon which defendants relied was not adequately disclosed to plaintiffs or the proposed class members at the time they entered into their trades.” 

    “In these instances, we make the caveat clear in the rules and in the market page, but today is a good learning that we can do more in terms of improving the UX and adding more ways to surface the rules,” said Monsour. 

    As a result, the firm reimbursed all fees and net losses, with Monsour highlighting that “no trader lost money” on the market. 

    Plaintiffs in the case held around $259.84 worth of positions in the market, which ultimately generated more than $54 million in total trading volume. 

    In the suit’s relief requests, plaintiffs and all others similarly situated are requesting compensatory damages representing the full value of “yes” payouts, and “punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish defendants and deter similar conduct in the future.” 

    “We stand by principle and law,” Mansour posted on X in acknowledgement of the suit, reiterating that the firm didn’t deviate from rules, prevented a market where traders can benefit from a person’s death, and made no money on the market. 

    Kalshi recently raised funds at an $11 billion valuation as prediction markets surge in popularity and trading volumes. (Disclaimer: Decrypt’s parent company, Dastan, operates the prediction market platform Myriad.) 

    Daily Debrief Newsletter

    Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

  • ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘The Studio’ Among American Society of Cinematographers Award Winners

    ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘The Studio’ Among American Society of Cinematographers Award Winners

    “One Battle After Another” dp Michael Bauman has won the top prize at the 40th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards.

    This year, the American Society of Cinematographers chose to nominate five DPs in the feature film category: “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Dan Laustsen, “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Darius Khondji, “One Battle after Another” (Warner Bros.) — Michael Bauman, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Autumn Durald Arkapaw and “Train Dreams” (Netflix) — Adolpho Veloso. All match the Oscar nominees in the cinematography category.

    For statistic watchers, the ASC has matched the best cinematography Oscar 18 times over the last 39 years. However, last year’s winner, Ed Lachman who won best theatrical feature film at ASC for “Maria,” did not claim the Oscar, that went to Lol Crawley for “The Brutalist.”

    Bauman landed two nominations this year, the other nod was for “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (“Buxum Bird”) in the limited or anthology series or motion picture made for television category.

    Mandy Walker, the 48th president of the American Society of Cinematographers kicked off the night’s events. She is the first woman to lead the century-old honorary society which was founded in 1919. She made history in 2024 when she became the first woman to win the top prize for Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” Walker said, “We are a diverse representative international group of cinematographers that champion camaraderie, education, exchange of ideas and the advancement of the technology of cinematography.”

    The first award of the evening, half-hour series, went to Adam Newport-Berra for “The Studio” (“The Oner”). “Black Rabbit” also triumphed in the TV category. There was a tie in episode of a one-hour regular series with both Alex Disenhof, ASC for “Task” (“Crossings”) and Christophe Nuyens, SBC for “Andor” (“I Have Friends Everywhere”) winning.

    Seven-time nominee Rodrigo Prieto won his first ASC award in the music video category for Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia.”

    Jason Reitman presented Guillermo del Toro with the ASC Board of Governors Award. Reitman joked as he recalled meeting the “Frankenstein” director, “I knew I had a big brother when I suggested we buy the village theater in Westwood and asked for his support, he threw his hand up so fast, I think his accountant had a hernia.”

    Reitman praised the filmmaker who has wanted to make Mary Shelley’s gothic novel since he was a young boy. “Guillermo was apparently already a gothic literature enthusiast. But this is why, like any virtuoso, there is an undeniable continuity of his work. This is why there are traveling art exhibits of his creations. This is why the name del Toro means something. Guillermo is not just a director of actors or stories. He is a director of atmosphere, of shadow, of architecture, of light.”

    del Toro said, “Of all the collaborations in the world of image creation, the most intimate is with cinematographer and director.”

    As a lover of film, and someone who has spoken out about AI and how “Frankenstein” was handmade by his team of artisans, he said, “We live in a very, very dangerous moment in which we are being told that image is something you can get on an app that anyone can create, and I say fuck, no.” del Toro went on to say, “When we come together, when we really vouch never to relinquish our duty, it doesn’t matter what the industry does, it doesn’t matter what the media does, it doesn’t matter what you can get on the phone or on the tablet. I don’t give a fuck. When we commit to the spiritual power of images, we can do everything.”

    Cynthia Pusheck whose credits include “Our Flag Means Death” and “CSI: Miami” was presented with the Presidents Award. To celebrate International Women’s Day, Pusheck honored the women who came before her, praising those whose shoulders she stood on. She recognized Walker and said, “Mandy may be our first female president, but I’m pretty sure she won’t be our last because did you see how many women were in the photo out there tonight, or how many are sitting on our board now?”

    Actor, writer and producer Kerri Kenney-Silver was the evening’s emcee. Kenney-Silver took a jab at the Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount’s Skydance deal. She joked, “Paramount Skydance just merged with the valet station, so you’re going to need your ticket, plus you’re going to need to sign up for HBO Max if you want to get your car tonight.” Kenney-Silver said, “The more chaotic our world is, the more chaotic our industry is, the more inspired images you create.”

    The ASC Awards honored Robert Yeoman, ASC, with the Lifetime Achievement Award; M. David Mullen, ASC, with the Career Achievement in Television Award; Stephen Pizzello, editor-in-chief of American Cinematographer, with the ASC Award of Distinction. The Curtis Clark Technology Award went to Kodak.

    Full list of winners below.

    Theatrical Feature Film (Sponsored by Keslow Camera)

    Michael Bauman for “One Battle After Another”

    Episode of a Half-Hour Series (Sponsored by RED Digital Cinema)
    Adam Newport-Berra for “The Studio” (“The Oner”)

    Limited or Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Sponsored by ARRI) 

    Pete Konczal, ASC for “Black Rabbit” (“Isle of Joy”)

    Episode of a One-Hour Regular Series (Sponsored by Panavision) *TIE*

    Alex Disenhof, ASC for “Task” (“Crossings”)
    Christophe Nuyens, SBC for “Andor” (“I Have Friends Everywhere”)

    Spotlight Award (Sponsored by Panavision)

    Mátyás Erdély, ASC, HSC for “Orphan”

    Documentary Award (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)

    Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko for “2000 Meters from Andriivka”

    ASC Music Video Award (Sponsored by Nanlux)

    Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC for “The Fate of Ophelia” (Performed by Taylor Swift)

  • Feel Sales Picks up Málaga Docs ‘This Body of Mine,’ ‘Filthy,’ ‘Coming Full Circle’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    Feel Sales Picks up Málaga Docs ‘This Body of Mine,’ ‘Filthy,’ ‘Coming Full Circle’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    Spanish sales agency Feel Sales is making a strong play at Málaga, boarding international sales rights on festival docs “This Body of Mine,” “Filthy” and “Coming Full Circle” as the Madrid-based outfit leans into the festival and its industry sidebar MAFIZ with a slate spanning auteurist nonfiction and export-ready genre.

    In fiction, Feel Sales’ Málaga presence is anchored by Jorge A. Lara and Fer Pérez’s corruption drama “The Righteous” (“Los justos”), a previously-announced pickup now set to screen in the festival’s Official Selection out of competition. The feature toplines Carmen Machi and Marcelo Subiotto and hits Málaga backed by RTVE, HBO Max and Wanda Visión. Feel Sales is also bringing the market premiere of action thriller “Rage” (“Rabia”), directed by Luis María Ferrández and toplined by José Luis García Pérez (“Berlín,” “Honor”).

    “We’re thrilled to return to the Málaga Film Festival and MAFIZ with a slate that reflects both our editorial vision and our commercial ambition,” said Yeniffer Fasciani, Feel Sales’ head of sales and acquisitions. “Our documentary acquisitions reinforce our commitment to bold, personal storytelling.”

    Leading the nonfiction trio is “This Body of Mine” (“Este cuerpo mío”), co-directed by actress Carolina Yuste (“La infiltrada”) and Afioco Gnecco and produced by Carlo D’Ursi’s Potenza Producciones, glimpsed via excerpts n post-production at Locarno’s Spanish Previews and now programmed completed in Málaga’s documentary strand and framed as an intimate, character-led journey through identity, friendship and self-reconciliation.

    Also newly boarded is “Filthy” (“Sucia”), co-directed by Bàrbara Mestanza and Marc Pujolar, which transforms Mestanza’s own sexual assault experience into an on-camera inquiry and an act of artistic reclamation. Built around the loaded refrain — “Why didn’t you do anything?” — the film pushes into a confrontation with shame, silence and the mechanisms that question victims’ credibility.

    Rounding out the doc package is “Coming Full Circle” (“Cerrando el círculo”), a food-and-territory portrait tracking chef Daniel Ochoa as he rebuilds his Sierra de Madrid restaurant Montia after a fire, positioning cuisine as a conduit for sustainability, community and coherence between craft and life. The title screens within Málaga’s Cinema Cocina showcase.

    “What sets these documentaries apart is resistance, resilience and empathy — qualities that feel urgently needed now,” Fasciani added. “We want them to travel across territories and, above all, spark meaningful conversations and understanding.”

    In Fiction Short Films Official Competition, Feel Sales is also presenting Polo Menárguez’s “One Vowel” (“Una vocal”), produced by Malvalanda, a family-relationship study that, Fasciani said, “maintains our commitment to short films and emerging filmmakers.”

    Feel Sales will cap its market activity with a special industry screening of “Rage,” which world premiered at Seville in the fall, positioning the high-concept survival thriller as a broad-audience, high-​s​peed play for buyers eyeing genre fare with commercial hooks.

  • Crypto funding up 50% in 12 months as fewer, larger deals dominate

    Crypto funding up 50% in 12 months as fewer, larger deals dominate

    Crypto fundraising increased by almost 50% year-on-year between March 2025 and March 2026, despite the number of deals dropping 46% as VCs concentrated bets on late-stage and strategic mega-rounds.

    Messari’s crypto fundraising overview shared by the company’s CEO Eric Turner on Sunday shows that the average deal size increased to $34 million in the last 12 months, up 272% from a year earlier. This came as the number of active investors fell 34.5% to 3,225.

    “Capital concentration is heavily skewed by late-stage and strategic mega-rounds,” Messari said, noting that in February, just three fundraising events contributed 44% of the $795 million raised over the last month.

    This included Tether’s $200 million investment into online marketplace Whop; $75 million raised for sports-focused peer-to-peer prediction market Novig in a Series B funding round led by Pantera Capital; and ARQ, a Latin American fintech app focused on stablecoins that secured $70 million in Series B funding on Wednesday, led by Sequoia Capital.

    Monthly change in crypto fundraising over the last five years. Source: Messari

    The $795 million figure marks a 65.3% fall from the previous 30 days.

    Turner noted that, outside of Dragonfly Capital, no major VCs have closed new funding rounds lately, adding that “the industry needs some fresh capital.”

    Meanwhile, Coinbase Ventures, QUBIC Labs, and Somnia have been the most active crypto investors over the past three months, Messari data shows.

    Crypto funding nowhere near 2021-2022 levels

    Monthly crypto fundraising has cooled significantly since its peaks in November 2021 and May 2022, when funding consistently hit $4 billion per month.

    Since then, the $4 billion milestone has been reached only three times. Some investors have started to expand their focus toward the AI and high-performance computing sectors.

    Related: Kalshi, Polymarket eye $20B valuations in potential fundraising: WSJ

    While most crypto fundraising has focused on late-stage activity, Messari noted that early-stage fundraising “remains high in volume but fragmented.”

    Messari pointed out that Interstate’s $1.5 million funding round on Thursday came from more than 15 participants, ranging from firms like Bloccelerate VC to individual angel investors like Sergey Gorbunov.

    Magazine: What’s a ‘Network State’ and are there real-life examples? Big Questions