Invest ideasNews
7 Mar 2026, 19:55
Alibaba says its coding AI agent began mining crypto and opening covert network tunnels without authorization
Alibaba gave AI fearmonger s fr esh ammunition when it revealed that an AI agent developed to assist with coding tasks was reported to have been caught going beyond the original intent of its deployment, mining cryptocurrency, and establishing covert network tunnels without authorization. Alibaba revealed this development in a technical report it first published in December and revised in January. At first, its engineers thought the incident was a security breach before they discovered that it was its AI agent that was carrying out actions without any instruction from its operators. This development was revealed in a technical report from the Chinese technology giant, and it has provided fresh ammunition to researchers warning that advanced AI systems are capable of developing their own goals. The agent, known as ROME, was being trained through reinforcement learning. The discovery made by the Alibaba team was brought back to light by Alexander Long, founder of AI research firm Pluralis, on X , who shared an excerpt that detailed the incident, stating it is an “insane sequence of statements buried in an Alibaba tech report.” How did Alibaba’s team discover a rogue AI agent? According to the report , the team flagged a burst of security-policy violations originating from their training servers. The alerts showed that attempts were being made to access internal network resources and traffic patterns consistent with cryptomining activity. They initially treated it as a conventional security incident. However, when they looked deeper, they found signs that their agent had established and used a reverse SSH tunnel from an Alibaba Cloud instance to an external IP address. It also diverted “compute away from training, inflating operational costs, and introducing clear legal and reputational exposure,” according to the researchers’ notes. The behaviors, Alibaba’s team concluded, were not triggered by the task prompts and were not necessary for completing the assigned work. Is this an isolated incident? Aakash Gupta , a product and growth leader who quoted Long’s post on X, wrote that Alibaba had published “the first case of instrumental convergence happening in production.” He invoked a famous thought experiment in AI safety by stating that “This is the paperclip maximizer showing up at 3 billion parameters.” However, the Alibaba incident is not the first time an AI model has taken the initiative to perform authorized actions. Last year, Anthropic’s researchers disclosed that Claude Opus 4, one of its flagship models, had demonstrated a capacity to conceal its intentions and take action to preserve its own existence during safety evaluations. In one test scenario, the model attempted to blackmail a fictional engineer, threatening to reveal a personal secret if it was shut down and replaced. Why does this matter, especially for enterprises? According to a McKinsey research report released in October 2025, 80% of organizations that have deployed AI agents report having encountered risky or unexpected behavior. This is also coming at a time when enterprise adoption of agentic AI is on the rise, with major corporations cutting jobs and citing AI usage as the leading factor. Gartner projects that by the end of 2026, 40% of enterprise applications will embed task-specific AI agents. However, McKinsey has warned that agentic workflows are spreading faster than governance models can address their risks. A 2025 survey of 30 leading AI agents found that 25 disclosed no internal safety results, and 23 had undergone no third-party testing. It is important that enterprises take the possibility of agents going beyond the scope of the work into serious consideration. Alibaba said it had responded by building safety-aligned data filtering into its training pipeline and hardening the sandbox environments in which its agents operate, and it has received praise for sharing its findings with the public. Anthropic upgraded Claude Opus 4 to its highest internal safety classification. Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.
7 Mar 2026, 19:05
We Asked Google Gemini Where XRP Will Trade On March 31, 2026, Here’s What It Said
XRP has regained attention across the cryptocurrency market as investors evaluate its short-term outlook following a turbulent start to 2026. After experiencing notable volatility earlier in the year, the digital asset has begun stabilizing. As of report time, XRP trades at roughly $1.36, signaling a modest recovery that has renewed speculation about where the token could finish the month. To gain perspective, we asked Google’s AI platform, Google Gemini, to analyze current market conditions and estimate XRP’s potential trading range by March 31, 2026 . The model considered regulatory progress, institutional investment activity, technical indicators, and macroeconomic sentiment to develop several possible scenarios. Bullish Case: XRP Pushes Toward $1.75 In a favorable environment, Gemini projects XRP could climb into the $1.62 to $1.75 range before the end of March. Strong regulatory momentum would likely drive this outcome. Much of the market’s attention centers on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, a legislative proposal designed to define how U.S. regulators oversee cryptocurrencies. If lawmakers advance negotiations or signal strong support for the bill, investor confidence could rise quickly. At the same time, analysts expect that capital rotation from Bitcoin into altcoins could accelerate if broader market sentiment improves. Institutional investors may also continue accumulating XRP despite some recent ETF outflows, which would strengthen upward momentum. Moderate Case: Slow and Steady Recovery Gemini’s base scenario places XRP between $1.49 and $1.54 by the end of the month. This outcome assumes a gradual technical rebound following the late-February dip while investors wait for decisive regulatory developments. Chart analysts have identified a potential bull flag formation on the weekly timeframe. This pattern typically signals continuation of an upward trend after a consolidation phase. However, XRP must first break through the $1.55 to $1.67 resistance zone before confirming a sustained breakout. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Without a clear catalyst, the market may continue trading sideways while investors monitor legislative progress and institutional flows. Bearish Case: Downside Pressure Returns Gemini also outlines a bearish scenario where the XRP price could fall between $0.85 and $1.27. Several factors could trigger such a decline. Heightened geopolitical tensions could push investors into a “risk-off” stance , prompting them to reduce exposure to volatile assets like cryptocurrencies. Delays or setbacks related to the CLARITY Act could also dampen market confidence. In addition, failure to break above key resistance levels may encourage short-term traders to take profits. Institutional and Regulatory Influence XRP’s long-term narrative continues to evolve following the conclusion of the SEC v. Ripple Labs lawsuit in August 2025. The resolution removed a major source of regulatory uncertainty that had weighed on the asset for years. Institutional demand has also grown since the launch of spot XRP ETFs in late 2025, which attracted strong initial inflows. Although weekly momentum slowed to around $1.9 million in early March, total assets under management remain above $1 billion, signaling continued institutional interest. A Market Waiting for the Next Catalyst XRP’s price trajectory for the remainder of March will likely depend on regulatory clarity, institutional participation, and broader market sentiment. Gemini’s projections highlight both the opportunities and risks facing the asset as the crypto market waits for its next major catalyst. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are urged to do in-depth research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post We Asked Google Gemini Where XRP Will Trade On March 31, 2026, Here’s What It Said appeared first on Times Tabloid .
7 Mar 2026, 19:00
Bitcoin – How ceasefire hopes, oil prices are driving crypto market’s volatility
Geopolitical tensions are pushing oil higher, putting crypto’s hedge status to the test.
7 Mar 2026, 18:30
$35M Diverted To Crypto: Ex-CFO Gets 2-Year Prison Term
He told his colleagues only after the money was gone. Nevin Shetty, the former chief financial officer of a Seattle-based tech startup, was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison after secretly transferring $35 million in company funds into a cryptocurrency platform he ran on the side — then watching nearly all of it disappear in a matter of months. A Scheme That Ran In Secret Shetty made the transfers in 2022 without the knowledge of a single executive or board member at his employer, according to the US Justice Department. He moved the funds into a platform called HighTower Treasury, which he controlled, and used the money to pour into high-yield DeFi lending protocols promising annual returns of 20% or more. In the first month, he cleared $133,000. Then the Terra ecosystem collapsed, and the broader crypto market followed it down. By May 13, 2022, the value of those investments had fallen to nearly zero. With $35 million essentially wiped out, Shetty approached two fellow executives and told them what he had done. He was fired the same day. The case sat in federal court for years. Shetty was indicted on wire fraud charges in May 2023. A nine-day jury trial followed in November 2025, ending with a guilty verdict on four counts. At sentencing Thursday, a Seattle judge handed down the two-year prison term. Shetty was also ordered to repay the stolen funds in full and serve three years of supervised release after completing his sentence. How The Market Timing Made It Worse The timing of the transfers put Shetty at the center of one of crypto’s most chaotic periods. The collapse of TerraUSD and its sister token Luna in May 2022 triggered a broad market selloff that wiped out billions of dollars in value across the industry. Reports indicate Shetty’s DeFi positions were caught in that wave, with losses accelerating fast enough that the investment value reached near zero before any recovery was possible. The Justice Department said the disclosure of the transfers came only because of the market downturn — implying that, had conditions held, the scheme might have gone undetected longer. Where The SBF Appeal Stands Shetty’s case unfolded in the shadow of a far larger crypto fraud. Former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted separately and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024. Bankman-Fried has appealed that ruling. As of Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had not issued a decision following arguments heard in November, according to reports. The two cases are unrelated, but both reflect federal prosecutors’ continued push to bring criminal charges over crypto-related financial misconduct. Shetty’s two-year sentence stands as one of the more recent outcomes in that effort, covering conduct that took place more than three years ago. Featured image from Aggressive Austin, TX Criminal Defense Attorney, chart from TradingView
7 Mar 2026, 18:25
Bitcoin price prediction 2026-2032: Will BTC hit $150k soon?
Key takeaways: Bitcoin price faces volatility around $67K. Our Bitcoin price prediction expects BTC’s price to reach $150K by the end of 2026 due to the bullish sentiment following the halving event. By 2032, BTC might touch $350,548 following increased institutional adoption. Bitcoin’s outlook for 2026 has become highly debated. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs and the rally after the halving were expected to bring more clarity, but instead they’ve brought mixed volatility in Bitcoin price forecast. However, top analysts are bullish on BTC price prediction this year. Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has predicted that Bitcoin could reach about $250,000 by 2026. He bases this view on Bitcoin’s limited supply and the possibility that institutions and major companies will continue to adopt it. Investor and author Robert Kiyosaki has made a similar prediction, arguing that Bitcoin’s scarcity makes it a strong store of value in a world where traditional currencies are becoming less stable. As Bitcoin’s on-chain activities surge, questions arise, such as: “Does Bitcoin have the potential to hold above the $100K mark?” or “Will Bitcoin go up?” or “Where will Bitcoin be in 5 years?” Let’s answer them using our Bitcoin price prediction 2026 model. Overview Cryptocurrency Bitcoin Ticker BTC Price $67,766 (-0.9%) Market capitalization $1.52 Trillion Trading volume (24-hour) $68.77 Billion (-8%) Circulating supply 19.87 Million BTC All-time high $124,457; August 14, 2025 All-time low $0.04865; Jul 15, 2010 24-hour high $70,509.55 24-hour low $67,437.85 Bitcoin price prediction: Technical analysis Metric Value Current Price $67,766 Price Prediction $ 75,491 (+5.96%) Fear & Greed Index 10 (Extreme Fear) Sentiment Bearish Volatility 6.05% (High) Green Days 11/30 (37%) 50-Day SMA $ 78,023 200-Day SMA $ 97,334 14-Day RSI 39.79 (Neutral) Bitcoin price analysis TL;DR Breakdown: BTC price analysis shows that sellers are pushing the price toward $67K Resistance for BTC is at $71,164 Support for BTC/USD is at $65,033 The BTC price analysis for 7 March confirms that BTC faces selling pressure as BTC declines toward $67K. Currently, the Bitcoin price is aiming to hold below $70K. BTC price analysis 1-day chart: Bitcoin faces bearish pressure toward $67K Analyzing the daily Bitcoin price chart, we see that Bitcoin faces bearish pressure as it declines toward $67K. Currently, the BTC price is facing strong liquidation around immediate resistance channels. After the BTC price dropped below $70K, it triggered a rise in selling pressure. The 24-hour volume has dropped to $836 million, showing a decline in trading interest today. BTC is trading at $67,761, declining by over 0.9% in the last 24 hours. BTCUSD Chart by TradingView The RSI-14 trend line hovers around 45, hinting that a bearish correction is on the edge. The SMA-14 level suggests volatility in the next few hours. BTC/USD 4-hour price chart: Buying domination rises around EMA trend lines The 4-hour Bitcoin price chart suggests that bulls are strengthening their position to hold the price above the EMA trend lines. Currently, buyers are aiming for a trend continuation above $70K. BTCUSD Chart by TradingView The BoP indicator trades in a negative region at 0.17, showing that short-term sellers are taking a chance to accelerate a downward trend. However, the MACD indicator has formed green candles above the signal line, and the indicator aims for positive momentum, strengthening long-position holders’ confidence. Bitcoin technical indicators: Levels and action Daily simple moving average (SMA) Period Value Action SMA 3 $ 75,902 SELL SMA 5 $ 71,389 SELL SMA 10 $ 68,346 SELL SMA 21 $ 68,084 SELL SMA 50 $ 78,023 SELL SMA 100 $ 84,238 SELL SMA 200 $ 97,334 SELL Daily exponential moving average (EMA) Period Value Action EMA 3 $ 70,925 SELL EMA 5 $ 75,193 SELL EMA 10 $ 80,866 SELL EMA 21 $ 84,886 SELL EMA 50 $ 89,156 SELL EMA 100 $ 94,807 SELL EMA 200 $ 99,063 SELL What to expect from BTC price analysis next? The hourly price chart confirms that Bitcoin is attempting to drop below the immediate support line; however, bulls are eyeing a recovery rally in the coming hours. If BTC’s price holds momentum above $71,164, it will fuel a bullish rally to $73,523. BTCUSD Chart by TradingView If bulls fail to initiate a surge, the BTC price may drop below the immediate support line at $65,033, beginning a bearish trend to $62,085. Is Bitcoin a good investment? The rising institutional demand for Bitcoin etfs makes it a good investment option in the crypto market. However, Bitcoin has a short investment history filled with very volatile market value. Whether it is a good investment depends on your financial profile, investment portfolio, risk tolerance, and investment goals. It is suggested to conduct investment advice of the financial markets and understand the financial system risks. Why is Bitcoin down today? Bitcoin faced a surge in selling pressure as sellers pushed the price below immediate fib levels around $68K. Will the BTC price reach $100K? Bitcoin price broke its much-anticipated mark of $100K, aiming for a new ATH. The price currently prepares to maintain its buying demand above $100K. Will BTC reach $1 million? $1 million is a significant milestone for the BTC price. However, it is achievable if Bitcoin continues to attract institutional interest in the coming years. Is Bitcoin a good long-term investment? As several institutions continue to accumulate BTC and Bitcoin faces a rise in global recognition, Bitcoin has a solid long-term future. Recent news/opinions on BTC As reported by Cryptopolitan , Bitcoin accumulation slowed in February despite lower prices, as both whales and retail investors held back, keeping the market under selling pressure. Although BTC briefly rebounded to $65,000, it failed to break $70,000, with Glassnode data showing weak accumulation and little sign of a rapid recovery after the sharpest capitulation since 2022. Bitcoin price prediction March 2026 Bitcoin’s price dropped below $60K due to the rising bearish threat. However, it is now facing minor accumulation, which could mean we’ll see a recovery around March 2026. Bitcoin’s price might attempt to maintain an average price of $75,000 and be pushed further, at least $80,000 if strong downward pressures are not seen. However, we might see a rejection on the bearish side, leading to a consolidation at around $60,000. Bitcoin Price Prediction Potential Low Potential Average Potential High Bitcoin Price Prediction March 2026 $60,000 $75,000 $80,000 Bitcoin price prediction 2026 Historically, Bitcoin has been a significant crypto coin in the years following a halving, and it is expected to push up its price after a downturn in 2025. Bitcoin miners might play a crucial role in holding bullish sentiment for future price movements. Spot Bitcoin ETFs are projected to be a key driver of Bitcoin prices and the broader cryptocurrency market in 2026. As a result, Bitcoin’s trajectory might follow a bullish trend ahead with rising treasury term premium. Furthermore, there is an increasing bullish sentiment that the base interest rates could be cut in the US, and thus, help to further the upward movement of Bitcoin . An outcome of which the 2026 year could be positive for Bitcoin, with its crypto-price perhaps touching $150,000 at the highest and the low could be around $48,000. Bitcoin Price Prediction Potential Low Potential Average Potential High Bitcoin Price Prediction 2026 $48,000 $100,000 $150,000 Bitcoin Price Predictions 2027-2032 Year Minimum Price Average Price Maximum Price 2027 $115,000 $130,000 $185,000 2028 $140,491 $170,100 $216,738 2029 $164,063 $185,068 $244,142 2030 $195,629 $200,312 $255,321 2031 $225,903 $248,568 $270,593 2032 $285,058 $303,555 $350,548 Bitcoin price prediction 2027 Bitcoin might witness slow growth after 2025’s halving surge, resulting in a surge in selling pressure. However, more financial products including a surge in ETF flows might hold BTC prices within a bullish region. The digital assets market sentiment shows bullish signals for Bitcoin hit new highs. As the overall sentiment gives a bullish outlook, one should research more about Bitcoin before investing. We might see a maximum price of $185,000, with a minimum price of $115,000 and average price of $130,000. Bitcoin price prediction 2028 Based on a detailed technical analysis of past Bitcoin price data, it is projected that in 2028, Bitcoin could see a minimum price of $140,491. The potential maximum price is estimated to be $216,738, with an average value of $170,100. Bitcoin price prediction 2029 By 2029, Bitcoin’s price is expected to reach a low of $164,063. Maximum price projections are as high as $244,142, averaging about $185,068 for the year. Bitcoin price forecast 2030 Projections for 2030 suggest that Bitcoin could be valued at a minimum of $195,629. The price may peak at as much as $255,321, with an average throughout the year expected to be around $200,312. Bitcoin (BTC) price prediction 2031 The forecast for 2031 suggests that Bitcoin’s price could start at a minimum of $225,903 and potentially rise to a maximum of $270,593. The average price is anticipated to stabilize at about $248,568 throughout the year. Bitcoin price prediction 2032 The forecast for 2032 suggests that Bitcoin’s price could start at a minimum of $285,058 and potentially rise to a maximum of $350,548. The average price is anticipated to stabilize at about $303,555 throughout the year. BTC price predictions 2026-2032 Bitcoin Market Price Prediction: Analysts’ BTC Price Forecast Firm Name 2026 2027 Gov.Capital $102,000 $96,000 Kraken $127,878 $134,272 Cryptopolitan’s Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction A surge in bitcoin adoption and the expansion of the Bitcoin ecosystem might end the controversy of “Bitcoin bubble” in future. This might boost the Bitcoin cost and strengthen the Bitcoin network. At Cryptopolitan, we are bullish on Bitcoin’s future price as the historical market sentiment is extremely impressive. By the end of 2026, Bitcoin might record a maximum of $150,000, with a minimum price of $48,000 and an average price of $100,000. However, Bitcoin’s future market potential entirely depends on its buying demand, regulation, and investor sentiment regarding long-term holdings. Crypto analysts provide a positive sentiment as macroeconomic trends turn promising. We expect Bitcoin price to surpass a high of $216,738 by the end of 2028. Bitcoin historic price sentiment BTC price history: Coinmarketcap Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin in 2009, marking the first use of blockchain technology. Bitcoin was initially of little value, gaining significant traction and hitting over $15,000 during the 2017 boom, with further highs reached in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, Bitcoin peaked at $68,789.63 but dropped to $15,760 by December 2022 amid economic pressures, including inflation and geopolitical conflicts. By April 10, 2023, Bitcoin’s price surged 83%, breaking the $30,000 resistance level. Throughout mid-2023, Bitcoin’s value hovered around $30,000, nearly reaching $32,000 due to positive market sentiments and potential ETF approvals. Bitcoin experienced a significant price drop in mid-August 2023, falling to $25,000. However, its prices remained volatile, fluctuating between $26,000 and $29,500 in October. Bitcoin closed 2023 above $42,000, a 155% increase from the year’s start. In early 2024, Bitcoin rose above $45,000 on ETF anticipation but briefly dipped below $40,000 after approvals. It broke its 2021 all-time high in March, reaching $73,750.07 on March 14, before dropping below $60,000 in April. May saw another surge above $70,000, while June and July brought heavy fluctuations between $70K and $55K. Bitcoin rallied to $66K in September after a Fed rate cut, climbed to $70K in October’s Uptober rally, and surged toward $108K following Donald Trump’s victory in the November US elections. BTC ended 2024 consolidating below $95K. At the start of January 2025, BTC was trading between $92,788.13 and $95,824.39. However, it formed an ATH at $109,114 on January 20. In the weeks of February, the price of BTC dropped heavily as it dropped toward the $78K low. In March, the price of Bitcoin declined heavily and dropped toward a low of $76.6K. In April, the price of Bitcoin started recovering. By the end of April, it neared the critical $95K zone. In May, Bitcoin price skyrocketed and it formed a new ATH at $111,970. However, the price declined later, toward $104K. By the end of June, BTC price reclaimed the $108K level. In July, BTC price triggered a surge toward $123K; however, it faced strong selling pressure later. In mid-August, the price of Bitcoin surged above $124K. However, the price failed to maintain its momentum as it dropped below $110K in early-September. By the end of September, the price of Bitcoin dropped further and touched a low around $108K. In October, the price of Bitcoin crashed heavily below $110K. The price crashed further toward $84K in November. Bitcoin ended December 2025 on a bearish note by trading below $90K. Bitcoin price further dropped in January 2026 as it crashed toward $77K. In February, the price of BTC made a low at $60K.
7 Mar 2026, 18:20
South Korea is ending a nine-year "shadow ban" to allow 3,500 listed companies to invest in digital assets
Even though South Korea is ending a nine-year ban on its listed companies that prevented them from investing in digital assets, stablecoins like USDC and USDT are expected to be excluded under the new regulations. Corporations have made several arguments for why they should be allowed to trade stablecoins, including that it would help them settle payments faster and help them avoid volatility. However, the latest reports from local South Korean outlets claim that regulators plan to pass up on fiat-pegged cryptos in the new regime. South Korea’s government allows institutional trading of digital assets In 2017, South Korean companies were barred from digital asset trading, and now, nearly a decade later, the government has made the decision to allow the institutional trading of digital assets. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is preparing to release the guidelines for Virtual Currency Trading by listed corporations. However, local reports and official discussions from a March 5, 2026, government meeting indicate that stablecoins, the very tools many companies want for international trade, are set to be excluded from the rule. Under the current Foreign Exchange Transaction Act, stablecoins are not recognized as a formal method for external payment. In South Korea, all foreign exchange payments must traditionally go through a foreign exchange bank. If the FSC were to allow companies to invest in stablecoins now, it would create a legal contradiction where firms hold investment assets that they are simultaneously forbidden from using for commercial payments like trade. Furthermore, regulators are worried about the indiscriminate investments that could flood the market in the early days of legalization. By excluding assets like USDT (Tether) and USDC, the government hopes to prevent easy-to-use “digital dollars” from being used for illegal money laundering or unchecked capital flight Why do corporations want to trade stablecoins? Many listed firms with high trade volumes have argued that using stablecoins would allow them to use real-time exchange rates to avoid currency volatility, settle overseas payments faster and cheaper than traditional bank wires, and manage digital-first balance sheets without constantly converting back to fiat. Companies can currently still use personal wallets like MetaMask or overseas OTC (over-the-counter) platforms to handle stablecoins, but they have to do so without official corporate accounts. The Digital Asset Framework Act is split into Phase 1, which was focused on protecting individual users, and Phase 2, which is designed to build the actual infrastructure for a professional market. Recent discussions from the March 2026 Virtual Asset Committee meeting suggest that the government plans to let the 3,500 listed firms and professional investors buy major coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum and then draft new rules for stablecoin issuance that might begin a won-based stablecoin ecosystem. There is already a growing push to require stablecoin issuers to have at least 5 billion KRW in capital and for banks to hold a majority stake (over 50%) in these ventures. The ruling party has settled on a plan to cap major shareholder stakes in crypto exchanges at 20% but there are exceptions that allow for up to 34%. This could force giants like Upbit and Bithumb to undergo massive corporate restructuring within a three-year grace period. Cryptopolitan previously reported that Bithumb dealt with an accidental $43 billion transfer error; now the FSC has fresh ammo in its reasoning for pushing for a 5% equity capital limit on corporate crypto buys in order to ensure that if a company loses money on an accidental trade or market crash, it doesn’t sink the entire firm. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
