Trump Rules Out Pardon for FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried: NYT President Donald Trump has ruled out granting a pardon to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, according to comments he made to The New York Times. Trump said he has no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The statement matters…
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health Push Raises Questions About Data Security OpenAI said Wednesday that it is rolling out a new feature in ChatGPT that allows users to connect medical records and wellness data, a move that could expand the chatbot’s role in health-related use cases. The announcement also triggered immediate concerns from some privacy experts and…
Michael Saylor’s Strategy discloses new Bitcoin purchase to start the year Strategy, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based firm formerly known as MicroStrategy, reported another Bitcoin acquisition to open the new year. In a Monday filing, the company said it bought 1,286 BTC for approximately $116 million. The disclosure adds to a pattern of frequent, filing-backed Bitcoin…
Bitwise CIO Highlights Three Key Drivers for a Durable Crypto Upswing in 2026 Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan outlined three factors he says are necessary for a lasting crypto surge in 2026, pointing to a market backdrop that remains “constructive” rather than euphoric. In a blog post cited by NewsBTC, Hougan argued that the…
Bank of America upgrades Coinbase to “Buy” as exchange broadens beyond trading Bank of America has upgraded Coinbase (COIN) to a “Buy” rating, citing the company’s expanding ambitions beyond crypto trading and what the bank described as an increasingly diversified business model. As part of the move, Bank of America reiterated its price target of…
Ethereum treasury firm SharpLink stakes $170 million of ETH on Linea SharpLink Gaming, a publicly traded Ethereum treasury firm, has deployed $170 million worth of ETH to Linea, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling network, the company said Thursday. The Minneapolis-based firm said the move is part of its staking activity, following earlier plans to stake a…
**NJ Court Slaps Down Jailbreak on Domestic Violence Restraining Order** A New Jersey appeals court has upheld a final restraining order (FRO) against a man convicted of assault and weapons charges, rejecting his claim that prison bars make protection unnecessary. The ruling reinforces that domestic violence orders endure incarceration, prioritizing victim safety over temporary confinement….
Dogecoin Rapid Accumulation Suggests Sharp Upward Sweep Is Coming Dogecoin is drawing fresh attention as sentiment around meme coins improves, according to a market analyst’s commentary. The analyst highlighted signs of rapid accumulation in Dogecoin and said this pattern signals the potential for a sharp upward sweep in the near term. In this context, “accumulation”…
**Court Backs NJ in $24K Unemployment Clawback Battle** A New Jersey appeals court slammed the door on Jermaine De Pina’s bid to dodge repaying $23,976 in unemployment benefits he wrongly pocketed from 2008 to 2010, ruling that bureaucratic delays from the 2008 financial crash don’t count as “agency error.” The decision upholds strict repayment rules…
**NJ Court Shields Lawyers from Cross-State Defamation Suits** A New Jersey appeals court slammed the door on a disbarred ex-lawyer’s bid to sue a Hawaii attorney for libel over courtroom statements, upholding dismissal on jurisdiction and litigation privilege grounds. This non-precedential ruling reinforces ironclad protections for legal filings, potentially chilling forum-shopping in reputation battles tied…
Bitcoin ETFs Shed $486 Million as XRP Sees First-Ever Outflows U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) came under broad pressure midweek as risk appetite faded and major tokens moved sharply lower. Bitcoin and ether ETFs both saw notable withdrawals, while XRP recorded its first-ever day of net outflows. Bitcoin ETFs led the retreat, shedding $486…
**NJ Court Shields Wetlands, Crushes Meadowlands Housing Bid** New Jersey’s Appellate Division just slammed the door on a 170-unit apartment project in the Hackensack Meadowlands, upholding a state agency’s rejection because it would fill 1.8 acres of wetlands—far beyond the “minimal to no impact” rule in the local redevelopment plan. Developer East Rutherford Two lost…
Iran Accepting Crypto Payments for Weapons—But This May Not Help It Evade Sanctions Iran is again drawing attention for its use of cryptocurrencies as it looks for ways to conduct trade under international sanctions. New discussion has centered on a website called Mindex, which is presented as a channel for purchases that can include crypto…
**Casino Wins: Rewards Downgrades Aren’t Discrimination** New Jersey’s Appellate Division slammed the door on a Black gambler’s lawsuit against Resorts Casino, upholding summary judgment that tossed claims of racial bias, consumer fraud, and common law deceit over her Red Carpet rewards demotion. The ruling reinforces casinos’ broad discretion to police “abuse” of promotions based on…
**Tax Court Sidesteps Development Fee Fight, Eyes Crypto Parallels** New Jersey’s Tax Court just punted a challenge to Ocean City’s residential development fee on a $1.5 million home rebuild, ruling it lacks direct jurisdiction and shipping the case to Superior Court for potential bounce-back. Rancor Properties argues the fee—1.5% of the equalized assessed value—is wrongly…
XRP ETFs see $40M of outflows after eight-week run of inflows U.S.-listed spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted their first day of net outflows on Jan. 8, shedding $40.80 million, according to data from SoSoValue. The outflow ended a sustained stretch of positive flows. Since launching in November 2025, the XRP ETFs had recorded 36…
Oregon Tax Court Slams Door on Last-Minute Remote Trial Bid. In a sharp rebuke to procedural foot-dragging, the Oregon Tax Court denied taxpayer David Mednansky’s plea to testify remotely via Webex at his February 2026 property tax trial, upholding a long-set in-person mandate. Mednansky, challenging his county’s valuation, cited poverty, age 73, and stress from…
Bitcoin ETFs Shed $486 Million as XRP Sees First-Ever Outflows U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) came under broad pressure midweek as risk appetite softened and major tokens moved sharply lower. Bitcoin-focused ETFs led the retreat, shedding $486 million in net outflows. The pullback coincided with a sharp decline in both bitcoin and ether, weighing…
### Courts Shielded: Judges Fire Freely, Unions Blocked Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court just slammed the door on labor boards policing judicial firings, affirming that courts can axe employees like probation officer Aurora Bayles without meddling from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB). Teamsters Local 776 cried foul over Bayles’ January 2024 termination—alleging it was retaliation for…
**Parole Board Flexes Muscle on Firearm Violators** Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court just greenlit the Parole Board’s denial of street credit to Quran Cooper, a convicted robber turned firearm felon, slamming his max release date to April 2026. This unreported ruling reinforces the Board’s ironclad discretion over recommitments, signaling zero tolerance for weapon possession among parolees. For…
