Nexchain has developed its new product named Smart Actions, a series of intelligent modules which will help blockchain networks transition from manual and reactive systems to autonomous and self-optimizing ecosystems. With this announcement, Nexchain demonstrates their commitment to transitioning towards an Intelligent Web3. In the future, ML-based models will take care of all the work required to manage and govern networks instead of a human-run committee or their rigid and inflexible smart contracts.
Autonomic Governance and Resource Elasticity
The introduction of AI governance forms a crucial pillar to the Smart Actions of Nexchain’s platform. Historically, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) had to rely on slow manual processes, leading to a lot of friction associated with drafting proposals and experiencing voter fatigue from many lengthy proposals having been made at any one time. By creating real-time evaluations of proposals and analyzing voting patterns, Nexchain’s modules are designed to provide>Scaling Transaction Speed Through AI-Driven Verification
Nexchain addresses the blockchain trilemma, including security, scalability, and decentralization, through its use of AI-powered verification. When there is a sudden spike in demand, the conventional nodes may fail to finalize the transactions leading to high fees or even network collapse.
The Nexchain system has intelligent modules that can predictively load balance and optimize transaction settlement and validation. Thus, the Nexchain network can maintain high levels of throughput while at the same time ensuring that the validation process remains secure. Recent industry analysis suggests that the use of AI technology is quickly becoming common within the next generation of Layer-1 and Layer-2 technologies. Experts at CoinDesk believe that AI technology can act as a “shield” for smart contracts by enabling users to seek out possible vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Strengthening the Web3 Ecosystem
The emergence of Smart Actions signifies a broader movement towards cross-sector integration via Web3. The Nexchain brain could serve as the foundation for these specific application types, while ensuring that the underlying network is able to support the complexity of multi-faceted dApps.
Conclusion
Smart Actions from Nexchain is a huge step forward for a blockchain that is both resilient and more aware than ever before. Nexchain has established a new standard for what a “modern” blockchain can look like through the ability to repair and optimize itself without needing a human to make any manual interventions. Additionally, as AIs continue developing and becoming more intelligent, the line between smart contracts and intelligent actions will likely establish the standard for measuring success within the decentralized ecosystem.
[The following story contains spoilers from the season two finale of HBO Max’sThe Pitt, “9:00 p.m.”]
The Pittseason two finale conversation between Shawn Hatosy’s Dr. Jack Abbot and Noah Wyle‘s Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch about their respective mental health struggles is not the first time that the two close friends and fellow attending physicians have talked about suicide.
In fact, the topic comes up just minutes into the series’ first episode as Robby finds Abbot on the roof and jokes that jumping on his shift would be “rude.” Later in the first season, it’s Robby who’s up on the roof as Abbot tries to reassure him while Robby’s crying and talking about how he let himself and his staff down.
Though both Robby and Abbot walk out of the hospital together at the end of season one, it was that moment that planted the seeds in Wyle’s mind for Robby’s suicidal thoughts in season two.
“What would happen if Abbot hadn’t come back? If Abbot hadn’t stepped out and talked Robby down at the end of season one? Where does that scene end? How does Robby get off that roof? He was out there closer to the edge than Abbot had been that morning,” Wyle says. “I think that’s where the flirtation with this notion of checking out again came from.”
From there, mapping out Robby’s dark mental health journey in season two just involved “responsible storytelling,” Wyle says.
“If the one everybody looks to for help and guidance is the one that’s in the most trouble, who does he turn to?,” he adds. “And who can he show vulnerability to that he may not have it all worked out, especially when everybody looks to him to be such an authority and competent leader? So who helps the helpers seemed like a really good theme. And doctors don’t make good patients seemed like another good theme, this sort of isolation of leadership positions, feeling like you have to wear a double mask, was an interesting thing to explore.”
And with the American College of Emergency Physicians reporting that roughly 300 to 400 physicians a year die by suicide and the American Medical Association noting that “physicians are at a higher risk of suicide and suicidal ideation than the general population,” Wyle acknowledges “it’s not statistically an anomaly; it’s actually quite common.”
The team behind The Pitt got a real-life reminder of that halfway through the season, Wyle recalls, sharing that he learned from a friend of one of their directors that someone like Dr. Robby in his hospital, “who had gotten everybody through COVID and had been really an amazing figure,” went home one night and shot himself.
Wyle and the Pitt cast taped a message to the hospital staff saying they were thinking of them, and the experience amplified the importance of the story they were telling.
“That just underscored, to me, like how tragic [it] would be if Robby went through with it,” Wyle says, finding himself thinking, “We need to really explore this. We really need to take this all the way down to the studs to shout our comment.”
Portraying that, though, Wyle says was “a fairly unpleasant headspace to occupy every day, 12 hours a day, from that same emotional place that you left the day before.”
And he says it involved “fine brush work” to slowly reveal Robby’s state of mind across the season.
“You really want to make sure you’re not letting out too little or too much,” he says. “And you certainly don’t want it to seem like it’s getting gratuitous. That was my big fear. You can’t show too much in all these episodes, because it slips away at the professionalism. It becomes a little bit like, ‘OK, enough already’ to an audience member that’s very sophisticated, jaded and thoughtful.”
As for the significance of that final scene with baby Jane Doe, Wyle says it was not only “appropriate” to end the season with his character with that “innocent, abandoned life,” but also that it gives Robby the chance to “be able to tell a dark secret to somebody who can’t repeat it, who can’t respond to it, in a room that is almost hallowed ground for this kind of emotion.”
“This is the room where all of Robby’s ghosts are, most of them anyway,” Wyle says of the place where he had his meltdown in season one and watched Dr. Adamson die during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking ahead to season three, Wyle is reluctant to share too many specifics, in part because he doesn’t “know yet,” as the show’s writers, led by showrunner R. Scott Gemmill, are still mapping out the storylines.
But he offers some mild speculation about where Robby goes next.
“Knowing that if he wants to see more wonderful things and have people love him, he’s going to have to meet that universe more than halfway,” Wyle says. “And how to go about doing it is what we’re playing with now.”
As for whether Robby goes on his planned motorcycle trip and how long his sabbatical lasts (three months or just a few days), Wyle says “all of that is being discussed.”
And with respect to the writers’ approach to storytelling, Wyle says they’re trying to keep the focus relatively narrow and centered around the characters.
“As this show keeps scaling larger and larger in its reception, resisting the temptation to scale it larger and larger in its narrative is almost like a mantra that we keep repeating in the room, that this is about a very small community treating a very small community, and it’s representative of a much larger problem in population,” he says. “But the more specific and focused we keep our narratives just being what you would find in this arena and what these characters will find in their lives, the more we’ll be on mark. It feels more authentic to start with what’s in our environment already and then work outward.”
Eddie Murphy didn’t have a ton to say after a two-hour tribute inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theater Saturday night as he received the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award. But he did have some jokes.
“Have these always been this size? It seems like this is small. Is it?” Murphy asked as he held the silver star trophy. The crowd — filled with a who’s who of comedy heavyweights, studio heads, Oscar winners, filmmakers, actors and fans — laughed at the quip. But there might’ve been some truth to it, too, as no award could measure up to the larger-than-life career Murphy built across five decades.
At 65, Murphy said he found his way to the stage at just the right time. Accomplished enough to deserve it, young enough to fully enjoy the friends, collaborators and family members who filled out the black-tie event, and still spicy enough to toss out some of his signature humor. Spike Lee, the last in a starry parade of presenters to honor Murphy, had the task of presenting him with that seemingly miniature trophy. Murphy returned the favor by ribbing him by saying that every time Lee’s beloved New York Knicks lost their bid to become NBA champs, Lee was in the building. “If you think about all those classic moments, you was there,” Murphy said, to which Lee corrected him by saying he was present as a good luck charm at age 13 in 1970 when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
But about Murphy’s good timing. “I just turned 65,” Murphy noted, adding that he recently welcomed his first grandson and his third granddaughter. “It just feels like it’s raining blessings on me this month. It’s a lot of stuff, and to get this award and still look like myself, because sometimes they’ll let you wait till you’re real old to get this award.” He name-checked recent recipients and their ages when they were honored, like Mel Brooks at 86, Francis Ford Coppola at 86 and the oldest ever, Lilian Gish at 92.
“If you made me wait until I was 92, I would’ve come out here and said, ‘Fuck everybody. Fuck everybody!’ Then I would have shit on the floor,” he said before getting serious to close the ceremony, which will stream at a later date on Netflix. “I was looking out and seeing all my family, all my kids, my beautiful wife, seeing all the different people that I worked with. This is a special moment. And I want to thank and [Netflix co-CEO] Ted Sarandos for putting this whole thing together. I wish y’all can feel what I’m feeling, see what I’m seeing.”
What the audience saw and heard was a generous helping of Murphy’s great talents, showcased through clip reels, highlight packages and hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes from collaborators and close friends who praised his versatility, range and groundbreaking work, and for how he reached a hand back to help them on their way. Appearing on stage were Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Bill Burr, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, Arsenio Hall, Stevie Wonder, Robert Townsend, Judge Reinhold, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Jennifer Hudson (who performed a medley of songs from Dreamgirls). (Dan Akroyd was due to present but dropped out due to “life” circumstances, per his daughter, Belle, who stood in for him and read comments he prepared.)
The program featured all of his greatest hits, documented in order from his breakout turn in 48 Hours to the recent Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and nearly everything in between like Saturday Night Live, Delirious, Raw, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Vampire in Brooklyn, Boomerang, The Nutty Professor, Shrek, Dreamgirls, Bowfinger, Dolemite is My Name, Mr. Church, Daddy Day Care and more.
Hart kicked off the show by breaking down the supposed origins of Murphy’s full name, Edward Regan Murphy. “What happened to give us Eddie Murphy? It’s a lot of questions that I have, but regardless of the who, the how and the what, it tells us everything that we need to know about Edward Regan Murphy. Everything so much that we call the man Eddie. The reason why we call him Eddie is because he’s our pop. He’s our friend. And even you white people think he’s your friend, where he’s done a lot to show you different, but you think so. He’s given us the gift of laughter across generations.”
He also set the bar for Hart to reach in his own career. “You truly mean everything to me in this business. I stand where I stand today because of the work that you did before me, the doors that you opened up before me,” he praised. “You are a brother, a mentor, an inspiration. God damn it, you’re an idol. And I’m lucky to call you a friend, man.”
Morgan called him an icon and an inspiration, and noted how Murphy did an impression of him on SNL’s 50th anniversary special on the sketch “Black Jeopardy.” “One of the greatest performers ever who’s going to be playing me in a sketch with me? My God, what if he’s funnier than me?” Morgan mused. “And as we all know, Eddie Murphy does an incredible Tracy Morgan. Thanks, [Lorne Michaels]. Eddie Murphy did more for red leather outfits and cowboy boots than any Black man in history.”
Speaking of SNL, Thompson honored Murphy by calling him the blueprint. “For me personally, as someone who grew up dreaming about making people laugh, he wasn’t just an influence, he was proof. Proof that you could come in young, take big swings, trust your voice, and leave a mark that lasts decades. … But beyond the comedy, what I’ve always admired most is your range, sir. I mean, you could have stayed in one lane and been comfortable forever, but you didn’t do that. You evolved. You challenged yourself. You even changed your laugh. I mean, who does that?”
Chappelle, who co-starred with Murphy in The Nutty Professor, explained how Black people often have “fear for their heroes” because so many “are persecuted or shot down.” Murphy quickly became a hero of his after he saw the seminal stand-up special Raw when he was 14. “I knew somehow this was something really important in my life. Throughout my life, Eddie, man, I kept my eye on you. You were the ball I was watching. You were the hero that I worried about. Man, when you came up, it looked lonely. You was just by yourself. It was you, Michael Jackson, Rick James and Prince. All of whom are deceased and somehow you survived it.”
Chappelle said he recently did an interview (with AP’s Jonathan Landrum Jr.) in which he said he was considering reviving Chappelle’s Show. “And I told the guy, I said, ‘If you’d asked me that a year ago, I’d have said no.’ Chappelle’s Show was a very difficult show to do, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And one of the reasons that it was great was your brother, Charlie,” the stand-up said about Murphy’s late brother, who passed away in 2017 and was a regular on the classic sketch show. “I just want you to know, man, every time he mentioned you, he always said how proud he was of you.”
They recently had a chance to connect about Charlie when Chappelle reached out to Murphy and asked to come visit him. As Chappelle detailed the story, he also pitched Murphy to join a potential reboot — if there is one. “I didn’t know it was the day after his 65th birthday. Weather was beautiful. His grandkids were outside playing in the pool, screaming and laughing like children, just pure joy. And me and Eddie, for the first time, talked about Charlie since he passed. I hadn’t seen him or really had an occasion to speak about it. And in the midst of conversation, Eddie was the one that said, ‘Man, you should do a Chappelle’s Show movie or something like that.’ And I said, ‘Man, that’d be tough. That’s your brother.’ So Eddie, if I do it, man, do the Charlie parts and let’s fucking go.”
Robert Townsend, Skye Townsend and Dave Chappelle. Said Robert of Murphy: “They say laughter is healing. It’s medicine. If that’s true, then your body of work has helped heal this planet a few times.”
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
Like Morgan, someone who has experience being portrayed by Murphy is Wonder, whose appearance on stage was bookended by standing ovations. “Eddie and I found each other because he would imitate me on Saturday Night Live. He made fun of a blind man,” said the living legend. “I decided to show Eddie what a blind man could do with his comedy. I took over his show live on Saturday Night Live and it started a lifetime friendship. Eddie has shown me and us the power and courage of being funny. It’s not easy to make people smile, trying to get them to look on the brighter side. But Eddie has a way of getting in our head and hearts to create a belly laugh that eases the pain, builds a bridge and diffuses a situation which makes a real difference. That is power. And that is courage. And that is the funny man. My friend. A real man. Not AI.”
Wonder
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Multiple presenters praised Murphy’s versatility, including Hall, who was recruited for Coming to America by the man himself. “I got to play four characters,” said the former late night host. “A journalist was trying to suit me up one time and he said, ‘You have amazing range.’ I replied, ‘Pump the brakes, dog, save the word range for Eddie.’ When Eddie does a family film, he played a whole damn family. Black characters, white characters, old Jewish men, a prince, a member of Congress, a human spaceship, Gumby, a donkey. That’s range. Eddie, I’m here today for you as a friend, but also I’m here as a fan.”
He played that donkey in the blockbuster animated franchise Shrek, and his co-star Myers turned up on stage in the title character’s signature green in a comical moment. “Eddie’s character, Donkey, is a masterpiece, as is every character that Eddie has created over the years. Lovable, hilarious, joyous, vulnerable and loyal. Eddie combines all of those in a tour de force. And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest. Now, obviously, I never got to work with Charlie Chaplin. I never got to work with Alec Guinness. I never got to work with Peter Sellers, but it is my absolute honor to say and to be able to tell my kids that I got to work with Eddie Murphy.”
Myers
(Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for AFI)
Like Hall, another actor who received Murphy’s blessing was Randolph, who landed what would be a breakout turn in Dolemite. “The audition process and prep was rigorous, but Eddie bet on me. To be vouched [for] by someone like Eddie is like being knighted by a king in this industry. His taste and his talent is so revered and getting his stamp of approval opened countless doors for me with other titans in this industry. It has completely and wholly changed the trajectory of my career.”
It also changed her promotional schedule for the Netflix film. “Usually only the leads go on the press tour, but Eddie did something very rare and special. He made sure I was included in every step of it. And all those hours spent with him prepared me for my own journey with my award season with The Holdovers. I learned from not just Eddie the artist, but Eddie the icon. Now everywhere we went, we were greeted by sea of fans. The magnitude of this man’s star power was so great that quite honestly, to be in that close proximity to that kind of energy overwhelmed me. But Eddie never flinched. I watched him navigate every fan encounter, every interview, every talk show with such a level of grace and humor, and that I will never forget. By far, the greatest gift that he ever gave me was the opportunity to learn by watching him.”
Others got to experience his comedy off the clock. Rock shared a story about a night they were at a club and a white woman walked up to Murphy and said, “Oh my God, I’ve never kissed a Black man before. I’ve never kissed a Black man before.” Surrounded by an entourage, including his bodyguards, Murphy came quick with a punchline: “Eddie looked at her and goes, ‘Hey, hey, hey, hey, you can’t start at the top. You got to kiss one of these broke [n-word] first.”
Rock and Sarandos.
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
Martin detailed the time he got to meet Murphy and it also didn’t go so well. “When I first came to California, I had the honor of meeting my idol, Eddie Murphy. I went up to his security, and I said, ‘Can I meet him? Can I just meet him?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, you can meet him.’ And Eddie was leaning over so cool. I said, ‘Eddie Murphy, I’m Martin Lawrence.’ I said, ‘Brother, can I take a picture with you?’ Eddie looked at me so smooth and cool, looked me in the eyes, and he said, ‘No.’” Water under the bridge these days, as Lawrence said he now can get all the photos he wants because they are in-laws (following the marriage of their children, Eric Murphy and Jasmin Lawrence).
After all the clips were played and punchlines delivered, Murphy picked up his smaller-than-expected trophy and took a final bow. “I’m going to get backstage and cry,” he said before walking off. “But this has been wonderful.” And it was.
Murphy and Byron Allen.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Sarandos, Murphy and AFI’s Bob Gazzale.
(Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for AFI)
Hart
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
Thompson and Longoria, who starred with Murphy in Tim Story’s The Pickup.
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
Hudson
(Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for AFI)
Randolph
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
Bill Burr and Nia Renee Hill. Said Burr of Murphy: “I truly think you’re arguably the most talented guy who’s ever been in this business. I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do, and I’m looking forward to more of your work. I love you to death.”
(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Lawrence, Hall and Morgan with FIJI Water.
(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Sarandos and Lee with FIJI Water.
(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Clarence Chia, senior vp marketing, eCommerce and direct-to-consumer, FIJI Water and Alyssa Chia.
(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Murphy and wife Paige Butcher.
(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Butcher, Murphy, Bella Murphy, and Michael Xavier.
(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Sinners Oscar-winning cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw accepted the Franklin J. Shaffner alumni media award during the ceremony.
The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a fifth of the world’s oil, has again become the chaotic centre of the United States-Israel war on Iran, as a standoff between Washington and Tehran is complicating efforts to end the war.
Iran on Saturday reversed its decision on reopening the strait, and its military opened fire at a ship trying to pass through the waterway after US President Donald Trump said Washington will continue its blockade on Iranian ports.
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Trump has refused to end the blockade until a deal is finalised. On Saturday, he said that there have been “very good” discussions, but Washington won’t be “blackmailed”.
After a short-lived rise in transit attempts on Saturday, ships in the Persian Gulf once again stayed put, after reports of vessels coming under fire mid-passage and being forced to withdraw.
Their pullback restored the strait to its pre-ceasefire status, raising the risk of a worsening global energy crunch and increasing the likelihood of renewed fighting.
Here is what you need to know:
What has Iran said?
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday said the strait would be open for commercial vessels during the truce, which ends on April 22, in “line with the ceasefire in Lebanon”.
However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a clear reversal in Iran’s position, saying the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its “previous state”, amid the blockade of Iranian ports.
The IRGC’s joint military command said the US has “continued acts of piracy and maritime theft under the guise of a so-called blockade”.
(Al Jazeera)
“For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is now under strict management and control by the armed forces,” said the statement, cited by Iranian broadcaster IRIB.
“Until the United States restores full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from Iran to their destinations and back, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous condition,” it added.
Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US, said it was “impossible for others to pass” the strategic strait without Iran’s consent. He called Washington’s blockade “ignorant” and “foolish”, saying Tehran would not allow others to transit the strait if its own ships were blocked.
On Saturday, he said that major differences remain, despite some progress towards a deal.
What has the US said?
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, the US president accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement, but added that US negotiators will be heading to Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday to strike a deal.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” he said in the post.
Iran on Sunday said that it was tightening its control over the waterway once again in response to the US blockade of Iranian ports, which began on April 14. Tehran says the blockade violates the terms of the ceasefire.
Trump on Saturday said that the US was having “very good conversations” with Iran, but he noted that Tehran wanted to close the important oil corridor again and that it could not blackmail the US with such a move.
What is happening in the strait right now?
Lloyd’s List, a maritime firm, said traffic in the Straight of Hormuz had come to a halt after Iranian forces fired on several ships on Saturday.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said it received a report of a tanker being fired upon by what it said were two gunboats linked to the IRGC.
Meanwhile, India summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi and expressed deep concern that two Indian-flagged ships had come under fire in the strait, the government said.
Abas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, said the two sides are “engaging in war rhetoric ahead of any possible escalation and military conflict”.
“It seems that they are pressuring each other to win concessions – and we are not there yet,” Aslani told Al Jazeera.
“There are speculations that maybe the US is possibly planning to engage in limited strikes against Iran, but Iran has been saying that it will retaliate strongly,” he said. “This might end again in a wider conflict.”
What are other sticking points between the US and Iran?
Nuclear enrichment
The biggest contention is over hardening positions on Iran’s nuclear programme, chief among them being Tehran’s nuclear enrichment capability.
On Friday, Trump said Washington would obtain Iran’s enriched uranium, calling it “nuclear dust” and referring to the 440kg (970lbs) believed to be buried at sites hit by US strikes last year. He repeated on Truth Social that “the USA will get all Nuclear ‘Dust’”.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, Trump said the US would work with Iran “at a nice leisurely pace” and “start excavating with big machinery” to recover the material.
In a rebuke to Trump, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Washington had no justification for depriving Iran of its nuclear rights.
“Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights, but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?” Pezeshkian asked, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.
Israel and the US have repeatedly accused Iran of enriching uranium to develop nuclear weapons. But Iran says its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes and that it has honoured its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of US National Intelligence, testified to Congress in March 2025 that the US “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003.”
Khamenei was killed on February 28 in US and Israeli strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei has been named his successor.
Lebanon
A ceasefire in Lebanon had also been a key Iranian demand before it agreed to the two-week truce between the US-Israeli side and Iran.
While a 10-day ceasefire is technically in place between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, it remains fragile. Israel has carried out strikes despite the truce, and its forces have created a Gaza-like “yellow line” to create a buffer zone.
The truce was declared just days after Lebanon and Israel held their first face-to-face negotiations in decades in Washington. According to Iran’s FM Araghchi, the brief reopening of the Strait of Hormuz came in response to the ceasefire being extended to Lebanon.
Hezbollah has condemned the ceasefire agreement as “an insult to our country” and “a slippery slope with no end in sight”.
“A ceasefire means a complete cessation of all hostilities”, the Lebanon-based group said. “Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field, ready to respond to any violations of the aggression. A ceasefire cannot be unilateral; it must be mutual”.
Hezbollah is Tehran’s most powerful regional ally and a core pillar of the “axis of resistance” – a network of armed groups across the Middle East aligned with Iran against Israel, including Yemen’s Houthis and several factions in Iraq.
The group joined the fighting after the Israeli army killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in its initial strikes on Tehran.
The Strokes ended their performance on weekend 2 of Coachella on a note of political protest, capping the set with a video montage that accused the CIA of enacting regime change in foreign countries over the decades, finally concluding with footage of Israel bombing Gaza and the United States bombing Iran.
These several minutes of video commentary came as a surprise to audiences viewing at home as well as in the desert, since it bore no resemblance to how the group rounded out its set the previous weekend. The song that accompanied this statement, “Oblivius,” had not been performed by the Strokes in concert at all since 2016; it included singer Julian Casablancas repeating the statement in the chorus, “What side you standing on?”
As the Strokes wrapped up their final number Saturday night, the footage on the huge LED screens behind them portrayed recent American bombings in the Middle East with the large caption “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran” — followed by another video clip of a large building in Gaza being destroyed in a controlled explosion, with the caption: “Last university standing in Gaza.”
Most of the long montage took issue with what the band presented as America’s historic misdeeds, from the era of slavery up through America’s missile strikes in Iran. But bringing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict into it at the end was notable, given how the biggest controversy at last year’s Coachella had to do with the group Kneecap using its set to condemn Israel for military actions in the Middle East, albeit in more profane terms.
With the Strokes’ appearance, unlike Kneecap’s in 2025, the festival appeared to be ready for and accepting of presenting the band’s political statement, as long shots in the live video feed on YouTube made all of the group’s footage and captions clearly visible.
The bulk of the Strokes’ video montage had to do with assertions that the CIA has been responsible for overthrowing governments in South America or even assassinating leaders — along with giving voice to the conspiracy theory that the U.S. was involved domestically in the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. After showing an image of King, a caption read: “US govt found guilty of his murder in civil trial.” (The trial referenced took place in 1999, and was followed by the Justice Department declaring in 2000 that there was no evidence to lend validity to the jury’s verdict.)
Among the other accusations of secret U.S. intervention over the years, the Strokes’ video said that the CIA was suspected of involvement in the 1981 plane crashes that killed Panamanian president Omar Torrijos and Equadorian president Jaime Rondos, and in the overthrowing of figures from Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 to Chilean president Salvador Alende in 1973 and Bolivian president Juan Torres in 1976.
Following the climactic portrayal of bombings in Iran and Gaza, the Strokes’ video montage ended with a shot of a bomber plane in the air, as the song abruptly ended.
Much of the reaction to the band’s video commentary at Coachella among their fans was initially positive, with statements on their Instagram posts like “Thank you so much for using your stage to highlight Gaza and Iran and Latin America” and “Amazing show and a bombshell of reality at the end!”
Reaction among pro-Israel music fans and conservative U.S. fans may grow as clips of the performance are further disseminated on social media Sunday. Most followers of the Strokes, however, are likely to be aware of Casablancas’ past support for Palestine, as he signed a 2021 “Musicians for Palestine” letter.
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— 4AI 🔶 BNB (@4aibsc) April 18, 2026
What 4AI Actually Does
4AI is a marketplace on Binance Smart Chain where anyone can build and deploy AI agents. Backed by 0x Labs, the idea is that you shouldn’t need to be a major institution or a specialized developer to create an intelligent agent. Request what you need, someone builds it, you deploy it. Agents become reusable building blocks instead of custom tools you have to commission from scratch each time.
An agent trained to optimize yield strategies can be requested, built, and deployed by users who need exactly that capability without maintaining their own AI infrastructure.
How the Tri-Token Model Changes Everything
AquaFlux’s three-token structure brings real flexibility to RWA markets that have historically been fragmented and illiquid. Different tokens represent different risk and yield tiers. When you add AI agents that can analyze yields across those tiers and move capital between them in real time, the whole thing becomes smarter.
An AI agent connected to AquaFlux moves capital between risk tiers automatically, based on market conditions and yields. It’s fast in ways manual management never will be. It has the intelligence tools to optimize decisions and the onchain infrastructure to execute them atomically.
How the Partnership Works in Practice
The onchain risk engine that AquaFlux operates becomes the decision-making framework for AI agents optimizing yield strategies.
Rather than agents operating on general instructions or historical patterns, they have access to a structured risk assessment model that’s transparent, verifiable, and continuously updated based on onchain data.
An AI agent trying to maximize yield for a user can now evaluate RWA opportunities through AquaFlux’s risk framework, understand the composability options across the three-token model, and execute rebalancing decisions that balance yield with risk in real time. The agent knows how to optimize and it knows how to act.
Why This Bridge Matters for DeFi and RWAs
The separation between DeFi and RWA markets has created inefficiencies where capital doesn’t flow freely to the highest risk-adjusted returns because the two markets operate with different infrastructure, different custody models, and different user bases. Intelligent agents that can operate across both and make allocation decisions based on unified yield metrics begin to break down those inefficiencies.
For users, that means yield optimization that’s smarter and faster than doing it manually. AquaFlux’s RWA yield now reaches DeFi’s liquidity. Capital allocation happens through agents instead of sitting fragmented across separate infrastructure.
Conclusion
4AI and AquaFlux are connecting decentralized AI agents with structured RWA yield in a partnership that brings automated, intelligent capital allocation to real-world asset markets. AI agents can now evaluate RWA opportunities through AquaFlux’s tri-token framework and execute yield optimization decisions in real time onchain.
The partnership connects two markets that have historically operated separately by giving agents the tools to work across both at the same
France is facing a rise in crypto-related kidnappings as so-called “wrench attacks” become more frequent, brazen and violent.
That shift was visible this week amid the staging of an annual international blockchain and crypto conference. A police motorcade escorted VIP guests to a dinner at the Palace of Versailles. And security was also notably reinforced at the Carrousel du Louver, where the conference was taking place.
Wrench attacks in France have put the country so notably under the international spotlight that government officials took the stage at the conference in Paris to acknowledge their alarm at the scale of the problem. They said that this year alone, the country has suffered at least 41 crypto-related kidnappings and home invasions. That’s one every two to three days.
Jean-Didier Berger, Minister Delegate to the Interior Ministry, said a new set of measures is being prepared with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to tackle the growing issue. A prevention platform has already drawn thousands of registrations, but authorities say further steps are needed as incidents continue to rise.
Wrench attack epicenter
The country has become the epicenter of a global rise in wrench attacks. Across multiple jurisdictions, attacks on crypto holders are becoming more frequent and more violent, according to security researchers and law enforcement data.
Globally, the trend is also on the rise. In 2025, there were 72 verified physical coercion incidents globally, a 75% increase from the previous year, according to Certik and crypto researcher Jameson Lopp’s data, which tracks 188 attacks since 2014. Many more go unreported, he said. Cases involving physical assault rose even faster, up 250% year-over-year.
The term “wrench attack” refers to the use of physical force to extract access to digital assets. For some attackers, it is easier to coerce a person than to break encryption.
“Every time a wrench attack is successful, it tells the world that crypto owners are juicy targets,” Lopp told CoinDesk.
Unlike traditional bank transfers, crypto transactions cannot be reversed. Once a victim authorizes a transfer under duress, the funds can be moved quickly across wallets and chains.
Attackers seek points of weakness
Researchers say the way attackers identify victims has also changed.
“We’re seeing a shift from ‘find a wallet’ to ‘hunt a person,’” Phil Ariss of TRM Labs told CoinDesk. Rather than scanning for technical vulnerabilities, attackers build profiles, he added. They look at social media activity, public appearances and leaked datasets. They track routines and identify points of weakness.
“The biggest avoidable mistake is tying real-world identity, location and routine too tightly to visible crypto wealth,” Ariss said.
The problem is exacerbated when attackers get a helping hand from government officials. In one widely known case, in which a French tax official sold wrench attackers sensitive data. The case raised concerns among security experts that insider leaks and compromised state data were feeding directly into wrench attacks.
The pool of potential victims has widened, with mid-level holders increasingly being targeted, sometimes based on limited or indirect signals.
Anybody is a potential victim
Cases now include families, with children targeted alongside crypto-holding parents, making the attacks harder to categorize by severity.
In January 2025, Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped in France along with his partner. During the attack, one of his fingers was severed and sent to associates as part of a ransom demand. He was rescued after a police operation.
Other cases have involved prolonged captivity and torture, such as one in New York, where a crypto investor was held for more than two weeks. In Canada, a home invasion escalated into waterboarding and sexual violence as attackers attempted to force access to funds.
Lopp said both opportunistic and organized groups are involved, but there are signs of increasing coordination. “We do seem to be seeing more organized groups now,” he said.
TRM Labs’s Ariss says his team has observed similar patterns, noting some groups operate with defined roles and pre-planning, including surveillance and follow-home tactics.
“These look less like one-off robberies and more like small kidnap or robbery crews specializing in crypto jobs,” Ariss said.
After funds are obtained, attackers tend to move quickly and frequently the crypto assets they attain are converted into stablecoins and routed across multiple chains, making recovery more difficult.
France’s role in this trend may reflect a mix of factors, Lopp said, including cases involving leaked personal data and cross-border criminal networks.
Rising prices, heftier loot
More broadly, rising asset prices have increased the potential payoff from a single attack, while improvements in digital security have reduced the effectiveness of purely technical exploits.
“It’s far easier than trying to rob a bank,” Lopp said.
Another issue is visibility: wrench attacks might be significantly underreported because many are reported as standard robberies or home invasions, with no mention of crypto.
“A large share of incidents are still recorded as simple robberies,” Ariss said, adding that the crypto element is often left out at the time of reporting, which can make it harder for authorities to connect cases or identify broader patterns.
The increase in attacks has raised questions about the risks of self-custody, a core principle of cryptocurrency.
Some security experts point to measures such as multi-signature setups, withdrawal delays and spending limits as ways to reduce risk by limiting how much can be accessed under duress.
“If coercion cannot produce immediate access to the majority of funds, the risk and return changes,” Ariss said. Such measures do not eliminate the threat but may reduce the incentive for attackers.
As crypto adoption grows, attacks are becoming more frequent and severe, turning what was once a niche concern into a broader security risk.
As the countdown continues for the CLARITY Act, a critical bill regulating cryptocurrencies in the US, a notable move has come from the banking sector.
According to information shared by journalist Eleanor Terrett, banks, particularly those based in North Carolina, have begun to directly intervene in the debate surrounding stablecoin yields.
An email sent by the North Carolina Bankers Association to its member banks revealed serious concerns within the sector regarding the current consensus document. According to the email, shared by an employee of a small Wilmington-based bank, the current stablecoin “yield” regulation falls short of its goal of preventing deposits from shifting to stablecoins.
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The email in question encouraged bank employees to call Thom Tillis’s office and convey a specific message. The prepared text stated that under the CLARITY Act, any interest or similar return on stablecoins used as “stores of value” should be strictly prohibited. It specifically added that this prohibition should be clear, unambiguous, and without exception.
Institutional investors are warming to digital assets, with improving sentiment and broader use cases emerging as key drivers of adoption, according to a new survey from Tokyo-based bank Nomura and its crypto unit Laser Digital.
The study, based on responses from more than 500 investment professionals in Japan, found that 31% of respondents now hold a positive outlook on crypto over the next year, up from 25% in 2024. Meanwhile, negative sentiment has declined, pointing to a gradual shift in perception as the asset class matures.
A central theme is diversification. Some 65% of respondents said they view crypto as a portfolio diversifier, while 79% of those considering exposure plan to invest within three years. Most expect relatively modest allocations — typically between 2% and 5% — suggesting institutions are still in the early stages of adoption.
That shift is being supported by a changing regulatory and policy backdrop. In Japan, policymakers have spent the past year refining crypto frameworks, including discussions around classification, taxation and investor protections. Globally, clearer rules in major markets — alongside the approval and expansion of crypto investment products such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and tokenized assets — have reduced some of the uncertainty that previously kept institutions on the sidelines.
As a result, interest is expanding beyond simple price exposure. More than 60% of respondents expressed interest in staking, lending, derivatives and tokenized assets, reflecting growing demand for yield-generating strategies and more sophisticated portfolio construction.
Stablecoins are also gaining traction, with 63% of respondents identifying potential use cases ranging from treasury management to cross-border payments and investment in tokenized securities.
Still, barriers remain. Concerns around volatility, counterparty risk and the lack of established valuation frameworks continue to weigh on adoption. Regulatory uncertainty, while improving, has not fully disappeared.
Even so, the survey suggests the conversation is shifting. Rather than debating whether to invest in crypto, institutions are increasingly focused on how to do so — a sign that digital assets are moving closer to becoming a standard component of institutional portfolios.
Tehran says it will keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed until Washington ends its blockade of Iranian ports.
Published On 19 Apr 202619 Apr 2026
The strategic Strait of Hormuz has been closed again during the standoff between Iran and the United States as the influential Iranian parliamentary speaker has indicated that a conclusive peace agreement is still “far” away even though talks have made some headway.
With mediators pressing on after high-level discussions in Pakistan last weekend failed to produce an accord, Tehran declared it would keep the vital maritime trade corridor closed until Washington lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that any attempt to pass through the strait without permission “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted”.
The current two-week ceasefire will expire on Wednesday unless it is extended.
Here is what we know:
In Iran
US President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, the Iranian Students’ News Agency quoted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying on Sunday as Washington and Tehran continue to disagree on nuclear issues.
Iran’s “valiant navy” is “ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies”, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a series of X posts on Saturday.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said a framework of understanding must be agreed with the US first before more talks are held, saying, “There was significant progress made actually,” but dismissed US “maximalist” demands on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“There is now a certain sense of frustration and uncertainty when it comes to the road ahead,” Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi reported from Tehran. “We know that Iranians are very much worried, not only about the shadow of the war, but also about the element of surprise, even during this ceasefire.”
Minister of Education Alireza Kazemi said Iran’s government does not have plans to resume in-person education at the moment.
The Iranian Ministry of Science announced that 180 members of the academic community have been killed in the war, including 18 female students and one female university professor.
The semiofficial Tasnim News Agency, quoting the deputy director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, said the country’s airspace would be reopened with flights from east to west established gradually.
The aviation authority said Iran will resume international flights on Monday from Mashhad airport in the country’s northeast.
Iran is replenishing its missile and drone launchers at a higher speed than before the war started, Majid Mousavi, the IRGC’s Aerospace Force commander, said.
Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, Tasnim reported.
War diplomacy
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said in a televised address on Saturday night that there had been “progress” with Washington, “but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”
“We are still far from the final discussion,” said Ghalibaf, one of Tehran’s negotiators in the talks aimed at ending the war launched by Israel and the US against Iran on February 28.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned to Pakistan on Saturday from his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye in advance of an expected second round of US-Iran talks.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo and Islamabad hope to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday that Iran and the US had the will to continue talks to end the war and he remained “optimistic” that the two-week ceasefire would be extended.
In the US
Trump accused Iran of getting “a little cute” in its recent moves and warned Tehran not to try to “blackmail” Washington by flip-flopping on the strait.
“We have very good conversations going on,” the president told reporters at the White House, adding that Washington was “taking a tough stand”.
The US military said it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the Strait of Hormuz since it imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. In a post on X, its Central Command said US forces were still enforcing the blockade “against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas”.
In Israel
The Israeli military said another soldier has been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, the second death announced in less than 12 hours.
Israeli forces said they established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon similar to an Israeli military measure in the besieged Gaza Strip.
More than 1,000 homes in Tel Aviv have been left uninhabitable by the war with Iran, its mayor said.
In Lebanon
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Saturday’s attack that killed a French soldier serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
Naim Kassem, head of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, in a statement read on the group’s Al-Manar TV said a paper published by the US Department of State, which he described as the text of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, “means nothing at the practical level, but it is an insult to our country”.
“Everyone knows that the government of Lebanon has not met or approved this statement,” Kassem said.
