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24 Apr 2026, 17:33

China and US on collision course over AI training, funding disagreements

China has rejected the U.S. accusation that tech giants from the Asian country are exploiting American AI technology, using the distillation process at an “industrial scale.” Both countries are setting up for an explosive collision as Chinese authorities reportedly intend to force domestic tech companies to stop accepting U.S. investments without approval. The accusations of theft come as Deepseek is preparing to launch a new V4 model, while the restriction of domestic companies is due to the strategic loss of the AI startup Manus. What is the US accusing China of? The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on foreign entities accused of exploiting American AI models, after a memo from Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, claimed that entities “principally based in China” are running deliberate, “industrial-scale campaigns” to “distill” U.S. frontier AI systems. Beijing has fired back, calling the accusations an “unjustified suppression” of its companies. Distillation is a method where a developer uses outputs from a larger, more powerful AI model to train a smaller, cheaper one. The U.S. claims this is a form of theft. Cryptopolitan reported that White House science adviser Michael Kratsios stated that the administration will work with American AI companies to build defenses and find ways to punish offenders. Kyle Chan, an expert on China’s technology development, stated that proving distillation among AI models is complex and akin to “looking for needles in an enormous haystack.” The White House memo outlined four specific measures to combat distillation, including sharing intelligence on distillation tactics with U.S. AI companies, coordinating defenses with these firms, developing best practices for identifying and mitigating attacks, and exploring ways to hold foreign actors accountable. OpenAI and Anthropic have previously alleged that Chinese labs used distillation to replicate their models. Specifically, Anthropic accused DeepSeek, along with Moonshot AI and MiniMax, of exploiting its models. Is China blocking US investment in AI? Bloomberg reported that Chinese regulators, including the National Development and Reform Commission, are planning to restrict tech companies from accepting U.S. investment without government approval. Meta’s (NASDAQ: META) acquisition of the AI startup Manus for approximately $2 billion (around ¥14.5 billion) was the catalyst for the decision. Chinese authorities launched an investigation into that deal, viewing it as a strategic asset loss to a geopolitical rival. And now, AI startups like Moonshot AI and StepFun are reportedly being told to reject U.S. capital unless Beijing explicitly approves it. DeepSeek released a preview of its new V4 model on Friday, stating that the DeepSeek-V4-Pro “significantly leads other open-source models” in world knowledge benchmarks, although it is “only slightly outperformed” by Google’s (GOOGL) top-tier Gemini-Pro-3.1. The V4 model is also priced significantly lower than GPT-5.5. The V4 costs 2 yuan ($0.28) per 1 million tokens while GPT-5.5 costs over 100 times more at 216 yuan ($30). Last year, DeepSeek’s cost-efficient model triggered a sell-off in U.S. tech stocks, as it proved that high-level AI could be built for less. Despite the “theft” accusations, the performance gap between top U.S. and Chinese AI models has “effectively closed,” according to a recent Stanford University report. If you want a calmer entry point into DeFi crypto without the usual hype, start with this free video.

24 Apr 2026, 16:18

Riot shares drop 1.46 percent after $39M BTC move

🚨 Riot Platforms transferred 500 BTC worth $39 million to NYDIG. Its shares dropped 1.46 percent to $18.21 after the move. Continue Reading: Riot shares drop 1.46 percent after $39M BTC move The post Riot shares drop 1.46 percent after $39M BTC move appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

24 Apr 2026, 16:18

BlackRock has bought over 41,000 Bitcoin since the start of 2026

BlackRock ( BLK ) has increased Bitcoin ( BTC ) holdings for iShares Bitcoin Trust ( IBIT ) by more than 5% year-to-date (YTD). At the beginning of this year, IBIT held about 770,290 BTC, as Finbold previously reported . The fund has since increased its Bitcoin bag to approximately 811,981 coins, according to official data analyzed by Finbold on April 24. Consequently, BlackRock’s IBIT has acquired nearly 41,691 BTC in 2026, representing a 5.41% increase. IBIT Bitcoin holdings as of April 23. Source: BlackRock On January 1, 2026, Bitcoin price averaged around $88,110, putting IBIT’s BTCs at an estimated value of $67.9 billion. Meanwhile, BlackRock reported a notional value of roughly $63.6 billion at press time. Although BlackRock’s IBIT has significantly increased its Bitcoin holdings YTD, its notional value had dropped by $4.3 billion at the time of reporting. Furthermore, BTC’s price has dropped by over 11% YTD, suggesting that institutional investors have a long-term view. What’s the impact of BlackRock’s IBIT relentless accumulation on BTC price? The unwavering institutional conviction for Bitcoin, as observed through IBIT’s YTD inflows, could trigger a supply squeeze. With BlackRock’s investors accumulating more BTCs despite the bear market, the available supply on cryptocurrency exchanges may decline further. ​ Bitcoin supply on all exchanges YTD. Source: CryptoQuant At the time of publication, the supply of Bitcoin on all crypto exchanges hovered around 2.67 million, down 3.26% from 2.76 million at the beginning of this year, based on analytics from CryptoQuant . As a result, the diminishing supply of Bitcoin across all crypto exchanges is bullish in the long term, given its mainstream adoption is expected to grow exponentially. If BlackRock’s IBIT investors continue to accumulate more BTCs in the near future, the digital asset may experience a sharp reversal from its macro bear market. The post BlackRock has bought over 41,000 Bitcoin since the start of 2026 appeared first on Finbold .

24 Apr 2026, 16:15

Shiba Inu Holds Ground Despite 31.7 Billion Token Inflows to Exchanges

Shiba Inu is showing resilience despite a sharp increase in tokens moving to exchanges. Data indicates that 31.74 billion SHIB entered trading platforms within 24 hours, raising concerns about potential selling pressure. This influx suggests that holders may be preparing to sell. Tokens held on exchanges are easier to liquidate, which often signals short-term bearish sentiment. Exchange reserves have also increased slightly, reflecting a higher available supply in the market. However, the broader trend shows a decline in large inflows. The seven-day average of SHIB deposits has dropped by 14.5% to 697.8 million tokens. This suggests that large-scale transfers are slowing, even as daily activity spikes. Exchange Activity Signals Caution The increase in exchange inflows comes at a time when demand across the crypto market remains uncertain. Higher supply levels can limit upward price movement, especially when buyer activity is weak. At the same time, market participation has declined. Open interest in SHIB derivatives has fallen by over 6% to $57.5 million. Trading volume has also dropped by 24% to $114.7 million. This indicates that traders are taking a cautious stance and waiting for clearer signals. Funding rates remain slightly positive at 0.0064%. This shows that long positions still dominate, though sentiment is only mildly bullish. Price Holds Key Support Level Despite ongoing pressure, SHIB has held above a key support level. At the time of writing, Shiba Inu trades at $0.000006229, marking a gain of 0.61% over the past 24 hours while staying firmly above the $0.0000060 threshold. It also remains above its 50-day moving average of $0.00000591. This level is often seen as a boundary between bullish and bearish trends. Holding above it suggests that buyers are still active. This stability comes even as major cryptocurrencies show weaker performance over the same period. Maintaining support levels may strengthen investor confidence.

24 Apr 2026, 16:13

Is the US Government Having Secret Plans with XRP? Ripple CTO Breaks Silence

Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has responded to renewed claims that XRP is tied to undisclosed government plans or hidden financial system deals. In remarks shared on X, Schwartz rejected the idea that there is a secret arrangement involving Ripple, XRP, and the U.S. government. His response came after social media posts revived theories that XRP could be part of a larger unannounced rollout tied to central banks or a future financial reset. The speculation has been circulating alongside extreme price targets for XRP, including claims that the token could reach $1,000 or even $10,000 because of supposed private agreements. Those theories often point to nonpublic business relationships, sealed contracts, or backdoor government coordination. Schwartz said those claims do not reflect what he knows from his position inside Ripple and from his visibility into the broader XRP ecosystem. He addressed the matter directly, saying, “There is no conspiracy. There is no secret plan. There is nothing going on with the government and some big thing to do with XRP. Nothing like that, as far as I know.” Schwartz added that if there were a major unannounced initiative of that kind, he would likely know about it because of his role and access to internal and external developments. Schwartz Draws a Line Between Hype and Business Reality Schwartz’s comments were aimed at a specific type of narrative that has become common in parts of the XRP community. Some users have argued that public information only reveals a small part of what is happening behind the scenes and that hidden details explain why XRP could one day move sharply higher. Schwartz said those assumptions are usually wrong. He said most of what people see publicly is close to the full picture. In his words, “About 99% of what you see is what there is.” He also warned that people who rely on unnamed sources or viral claims to guide their expectations may be building those expectations on false premises. His comments were not directed at ordinary business confidentiality, but at broader claims of a hidden plan involving governments or a large pending event. That distinction became clearer when he responded to another user who suggested that secrecy itself proved a larger theory. Schwartz answered that there are many secrets in business, but those are not the same as conspiracy claims. He said some of Ripple’s partners require non-disclosure agreements, which is common in commercial relationships, and that such confidentiality should not be confused with evidence of a hidden XRP plan. NDAs and Partnerships Remain Part of Routine Operations Ripple has partnerships with financial institutions and other companies, and some of those relationships are not discussed publicly in full detail. Schwartz acknowledged that point, but he said the existence of NDAs does not support the idea that a government-backed XRP rollout is taking place in secret. He said many partner agreements remain private because the counterparties want that confidentiality, not because they are part of a covert initiative. His fuller response on X stated that conspiracy theories claiming something large is about to happen or that the government will take major action tied to XRP are “almost always going to be completely false.” He added that people who invest time, money, or emotion based on those stories are misleading themselves. That statement was one of his clearest attempts to separate normal corporate confidentiality from market speculation built on rumor. The issue has drawn more attention because XRP is often discussed in relation to payments, cross-border settlement, and policy developments around digital assets. That has made the token more vulnerable to narratives that link it to official plans, even when no evidence has been presented. Reserve Talk Adds to Speculation Around XRP Part of the recent conversation also followed renewed attention to President Donald Trump’s statement that a U.S. Crypto Reserve should include XRP, SOL, and ADA. That comment has been used by some social media users to support broader theories about XRP’s role in future government policy. Schwartz did not comment on that statement as proof of any secret arrangement. Instead, his remarks focused on the lack of evidence behind claims of hidden government coordination. For now, Schwartz’s position is clear. Ripple may have confidential partnerships, and XRP may remain part of wider policy discussions, but he said there is no secret government plan around the token. Amid these allegations, the XRP price has not wavered, trading at $1.43, a 0.58% surge from the intra-day low.

24 Apr 2026, 16:05

'Undisputed King'—Saylor Topples BlackRock, Bitcoin Targeting $170K

Michael Saylor's Strategy surpassed BlackRock's IBIT as the largest institutional bitcoin holder. JPMorgan's 2026 target: $170,000