Digital business models Archives | Page 374 of 569

Luxembourg marks crypto companies as high risk for money laundering

Luxembourg has classified virtual asset service providers (VASPs) as high-risk for money laundering in its 2025 National Risk Assessment.

The report highlights concerns about the crypto industry’s exposure to financial crime, citing factors such as transaction volumes, client reach, and international operations.

The assessment builds on 2020 and 2022 reports that flagged crypto risks linked to their internet-based and cross-border nature. Meanwhile, the European Union is advancing regulation with the MiCA framework to harmonise rules across member states.

Several crypto firms have recently secured licenses to operate within the EU. However, some, like Tether, resist new stablecoin regulations and were delisted on major platforms.

Money laundering using cryptocurrencies remains a challenge worldwide. The incidents highlight ongoing concerns about illicit activity in the growing crypto market.

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Trump Media plans $2.5 billion Bitcoin treasury

Trump Media & Technology Group has announced plans to raise approximately $2.5 billion through a private placement. The aim is to create one of the largest corporate Bitcoin treasuries.

The company operates Truth Social and Truth+. It intends to acquire significant Bitcoin holdings alongside its reported $759 million in cash and equivalents as of the first quarter of 2025.

Capital raising round comprises $1.5 billion in common stock and $1 billion in convertible notes, priced at a 35% premium. Transaction should conclude by 29 May, with funds used to buy Bitcoin and grow company’s crypto holdings.

Trump Media’s CEO, Devin Nunes, described Bitcoin as a ‘financial freedom’ asset and a strategic hedge against what he referred to as ‘harassment and discrimination’ by traditional financial institutions.

The company plans to integrate its Bitcoin strategy across its platforms, including subscription fees and a potential utility token.

The development places Trump Media among few public companies investing heavily in Bitcoin, reflecting a rising trend of corporates adopting crypto in their treasury.

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PREVAIL to offer advanced Edge AI chip design tools across Europe

The European Union’s PREVAIL project is preparing to open its Edge AI services to external users in June 2025.

Coordinated by Europe’s top research and technology organisations, the initiative offers a shared, multi-hub infrastructure designed to speed up the development and commercialisation of next-generation Edge AI technologies.

Through its platform, European designers will gain access to advanced chip prototyping capabilities and full design support using standard commercial tools.

PREVAIL combines commercial foundry processes with advanced technology modules developed in partner clean rooms. These include embedded non-volatile memories (eNVM), silicon photonics, and 3D integration technologies such as silicon interposers and packaging innovations.

Initial demonstrators, already in development with industry partners, will serve as test cases to ensure compatibility with a broad range of applications and future scalability.

From July 2025, a €20 million EU-funded call under the ‘Low Power Edge AI’ initiative will help selected customers co-finance their access to the platform. Whether supported by EU funds or independently financed, users will be able to design chips using one of four shared platforms.

The consortium has also set up a user interface team to manage technical support and provide access to Process Design Kits and Design Rule Manuals.

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El Salvador removes Bitcoin mandate

El Salvador has officially amended its Bitcoin law, making acceptance of the cryptocurrency voluntary rather than mandatory.

The move reverses a key element of the 2021 law that made Bitcoin legal tender alongside the US dollar.

The reform was approved by Congress on 29 January, with 55 votes in favour and just two against. The chamber is currently dominated by President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas Party.

According to officials, the amendment responds to requirements set by the International Monetary Fund as part of a US$1.4 billion loan agreement reached in December 2024.

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New Circle system aims to speed up global money transfers

Circle Internet Group is developing a new global payment network. The company, known for issuing the second-largest stablecoin, aims to facilitate seamless cross-border transfers. However, the project will rely on stablecoins to enable real-time international settlement.

The planned network will connect banks, digital wallet providers, and financial technology firms, allowing instant movement of funds across borders.

Circle aims to improve the efficiency of international payments while reducing associated costs.

There is growing interest in stablecoin infrastructure from both cryptocurrency-focused and traditional financial institutions. Circle’s initiative signals the expanding role of digital assets in modernising global finance.

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Agema and Heinen resolve funding clash over healthcare technology

Dutch ministers Eelco Heinen (Finance) and Fleur Agema (Public Health) have reached a long-awaited agreement on investing in new technologies and AI in healthcare.

If healthcare costs remain below projections, Agema will be permitted to allocate €400 million annually over the next ten years towards AI, sources close to the government confirmed to NOS.

The funding will be drawn from the €2.3 billion reserve earmarked to absorb the expected rise in healthcare expenditure following the planned reduction of the healthcare deductible to €165 in 2027.

However, Finance Minister Heinen has insisted on a review after two years to determine whether the continued investment remains financially responsible. Agema is confident that the actual costs will be lower than forecast, leaving room for innovation investments.

The agreement follows months of political tension in the Netherlands between the two ministers, which reportedly culminated in Agema threatening to resign last week.

While Heinen originally wanted to commit the funding only for 2027 and 2028, Agema pushed for a structural commitment, arguing that the reserve fund is overly cautious.

Intensive negotiations took place on Monday and Tuesday, with Prime Minister Dick Schoof stepping in to help mediate. The breakthrough came late Tuesday evening, clearing the way for Agema to proceed with broader talks on a new healthcare agreement with hospitals and care institutions.

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Opera unveils AI-first Neon browser

Opera has unveiled a new AI-powered web browser called Neon, describing it as an ‘agentic browser’ designed to carry out internet tasks on the user’s behalf.

Unlike traditional browsers, Neon offers contextual awareness and cloud-based AI agents that can research, design, and build content automatically.

Although Opera introduced a browser called Neon in 2017 that failed to gain traction, the company is giving the name a second chance, now with a more ambitious AI focus. According to Opera’s Henrik Lexow, the rise of AI marks a fundamental shift in how users interact with the web.

Among its early features, Neon includes an AI engine capable of interpreting user requests and generating games, code, reports, and websites—even when users are offline.

It also includes tools like a chatbot for web searches, contextual page insights, and automation for online tasks such as form-filling and booking services.

The browser is being positioned as a premium subscription product, though Opera has yet to reveal pricing or launch dates. Neon will become the fifth browser in Opera’s line-up, following the mindfulness-focused Air browser announced in February.

Interested users can join the waitlist, but for now, full capabilities remain unverified.

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ABCI-Q goes live as Japan ramps up quantum tech investment

Japan has officially launched the world’s most powerful supercomputer dedicated to quantum computing research. Known as ABCI-Q, the system is housed within the newly opened G-QuAT research centre in Tsukuba, operated by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

G-QuAT (Global Research and Development Centre for Business by Quantum-AI Technology) opened earlier this month with a mission to advance hybrid computing technologies that combine classical computing, such as AI, with quantum systems.

Its work is structured around three main goals: developing use cases for hybrid computing, supporting the quan t um technology supply chain, and enabling large-scale qubit integration.

ABCI-Q runs on 2,020 Nvidia H100 GPUs, connected using Nvidia’s Quantum-2 InfiniBand architecture, and integrated with CUDA-Q, Nvidia’s hybrid orchestration platform.

It supports multiple quantum processors, including superconducting qubits from Fujitsu, a neutral atom system by QuEra, and a photonic processor by OptQC—enabling diverse hybrid workloads across different qubit technologies.

The machine’s infrastructure includes 18 cryogenic systems supplied by Bluefors, built to support quantum computers with 1,000+ qubits and thousands of signal paths. G-QuAT has also partnered with IonQ to access its quantum systems via the cloud, bolstering research access and global collaboration.

The launch of ABCI-Q underscores Japan’s ambition to lead in next-generation computing. The government of Japan has committed over ¥330 billion (£1.7 billion) to quantum initiatives between 2020 and 2024.

AIST says the project aims to boost national industrial competitiveness, expand scientific capabilities, and foster a skilled quantum workforce.

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UK leads crypto adoption growth in 2025

The United Kingdom has recorded the fastest growth in cryptocurrency adoption globally in 2025. The finding comes from a new report by Gemini, the crypto exchange based in the United States.

The proportion of UK adults holding cryptocurrencies rose to 24% in April, up from 18% a year earlier, marking the sharpest year-on-year increase among the countries surveyed.

The report, based on a survey of more than 7,000 people across Europe, the United States, Singapore, and Australia, shows that Europe is leading the rise in cryptocurrency ownership.

Singapore continues to hold the highest individual rate, with 28% of respondents reporting ownership of cryptocurrencies.

Despite not yet having a national regulatory framework in place, the UK remains attractive to investors. In April, the government published a draft statutory instrument aimed at regulating crypto exchanges and related services.

The Treasury is expected to finalise the near-final version later in 2025 following public consultation.

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AI Mode reshapes Google’s search results

One year after launching AI-generated search results via AI Overviews, Google has unveiled AI Mode—a new feature it claims will redefine online search.

Functioning as an integrated chatbot, AI Mode allows users to ask complex questions, receive detailed responses, and continue with follow-up queries, eliminating the need to click through traditional links.

Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai described it as a ‘total reimagining of search,’ noting significant changes in user behaviour during early trials.

Analysts suggest the company is attempting to disrupt its own search business before rivals do, following internal concerns sparked by the rise of tools like ChatGPT.

With AI Mode, Google is increasingly shifting from directing users to websites toward delivering instant answers itself. Critics fear it could dramatically reduce web traffic for publishers who depend on Google for visibility and revenue.

While Google insists the open web will continue to grow, many publishers remain unconvinced. The News/Media Alliance condemned the move, calling it theft of content without fair return.

Links were the last mechanism providing meaningful traffic, said CEO Danielle Coffey, who urged the US Department of Justice to take action against what she described as monopolistic behaviour.

Meanwhile, Google is rapidly integrating AI across its ecosystem. Alongside AI Mode, it introduced developments in its Gemini model, with the aim of building a ‘world model’ capable of simulating and planning like the human brain.

Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis said the goal is to lay the foundations for an AI-native operating system.

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