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4 Mar 2026, 19:20

Two-thirds of European firms use AI, but only 25% actually invest in the growing technology

The adoption of AI within European businesses is on a steady rise; however, the numbers show that most companies aren’t actually paying for it. In a research published by the European Central Bank (ECB), the use of AI has become widespread across continents, but actual investments in the technology have not produced the same results due to companies relying on free tools rather than searching for enterprise solutions. The ECB’s post was compiled after the bank’s survey on Access to Finance Enterprises, which was carried out between the second and fourth quarters of 2025. Why are companies not investing despite widespread use? A major reason for the divide between usage and investment levels lies in the issue of accessibility. Most firms do not see a reason to invest in AI infrastructure to deploy the technology, because accessible tools like ChatGPT, Claude , open-source AI models, and specific browser extensions have drastically dropped the barrier to entry. With these tools, companies can equip their entire workforce with AI capabilities without having to dip into company funds and without requiring custom solutions. According to the ECB, 90% of businesses with 250 or more employees make use of AI, compared to companies with 10 employees or fewer. On the other hand, investment in AI capabilities drops to around one in every four companies across the board. This greatly impacts the effects of AI on the economy. As the technology keeps developing and adoption increases, the capital expenditure isn’t growing at the same rate, suggesting that companies would rather experiment with AI freely rather than commit funds to it. Are firms replacing workers with AI? According to the ECB’s findings , companies using AI are not looking to replace workers, but are 4% more likely to hire additional staff than firms that do not. Additionally, businesses that invest in AI are 2% more likely to grow their workforce. This pattern occurs more often in smaller companies, while larger firms are not affected by AI adoption, suggesting that AI is more of a tool in smaller companies than an employee replacement. This is because these firms primarily use AI for research, development, and innovation applications to increase productivity and not to automate existing tasks. AI has taken a different route from past adoption predictions The ECB’s findings do not match the results from earlier research projects, such as the survey conducted by Germany’s Ifo Institute. The institute concluded from its survey that over 25% of German companies believed that AI would reduce the workforce within five years. Additionally, major companies in the US, such as Amazon, have linked thousands of job cuts to AI reasons. This difference can be attributed to timing and geography. The ECB’s research was conducted around what’s happening now and over the next year in Europe, where AI adoption varies differently when compared to the United States . For example, European companies have stricter rules when approaching AI investment and workforce structure. Another difference is the scale of investment in AI. According to Lebastard and Sonderman, the extent and timing of AI adoption differ between the US and Europe, pointing out how AI has had little effect on how Europeans conduct their business, and functions more like a support than a core aspect of their production. Lastly, in a paper published in January by the European Investment Bank , most firms that adopted AI boosted productivity by 4% through capital investment, and not through job cuts. The productivity boost often occurred in medium and large-sized organizations, with AI-adopting firms paying higher wages and incurring more innovative costs. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

4 Mar 2026, 18:50

Perplexity signs a multi-year deal to run AI workloads on CoreWeave's infrastructure

Perplexity, the AI search company, signed a multi-year deal to run its AI workloads on CoreWeave’s cloud platform, and investors took notice, pushing CRWV shares up roughly 5.7% in pre-market trading. The deal puts Perplexity on NVIDIA GB200 NVL72-powered clusters through CoreWeave’s infrastructure. Those clusters will carry the load for Perplexity’s fast-growing AI products, along with its Sonar and Search API services. CoreWeave is also bringing Perplexity Enterprise Max into its own offices. Staff will use it to search the web, pull from internal knowledge bases, run multi-step research, look through data, and tap into advanced AI models, all from a single place. Perplexity has already started running workloads through CoreWeave’s Kubernetes service as part of its first deployment phase. It is also using W&B Models to train, fine-tune, and manage its models from early testing through to live production. The move fits Perplexity’s wider strategy of spreading its infrastructure across more than one cloud provider, while adding to CoreWeave’s growing list of AI clients running at production scale. Max Hjelm, CoreWeave’s SVP of Revenue, sai d pr oduction AI demands more than raw computing power. “AI applications running in production require more than just access to raw infrastructure; they require best-in-class performance and reliability as well as a cloud platform designed end-to-end for AI that simplifies compute operations,” he said. Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko called CoreWeav e an “essential partner” for where the company is headed. div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> Fresh off an 8% drop Shares fell 8% in extended tradin g on Th ursday after an earnings report showed widening losses and a weaker outlook than Wall Street had expected, despite strong revenue. The company’s contracted revenue backlog came in at $66.8 billion, which points to strong long-term demand, though concerns about execution and heavy reliance on a handful of customers have kept some investors cautious. Looking ahead, CoreWeave is planning to spend between $30 billion and $35 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, a sharp jump from $10.31 billion in 2025. It wants to hit more than 1.7 gigawatts of active power by year-end, ahead of the analyst consensus sitting at 1.59 gigawatts, and grow beyond five gigawatts past its contracted footprint by 2030. div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown">A well-timed announcement before investor conferences The partnership gives CoreWeave a high-profile new customer outside its Microsoft/OpenAI concentration problem, fresh ammunition for diversification, and a premarket stock bump, all before the investor conference . Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer Brannin McBee will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, starting at 4:05 p.m. Eastern. Vice President Nick Robbins will follow at the Cantor Global Technology Conference in New York on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. As previously reported by Cryptopolitan , Nvidia has put $2 billion into CoreWeave, picking up Class A shares at $87.20 each. CEO Mike Intrator said th e money will help the company “accelerate our build” and spread its customer base. “This will lead to continued diversification,” he said. CoreWeave makes its money by renting out GPU-heavy computing capacity from its data centers, the kind of muscle companies need to train AI models and keep them running. That puts it in a growing class of cloud providers buil t fo r one thing: powering AI. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

4 Mar 2026, 12:25

Bitwise CIO Says 60/40 Portfolios Perform Better With Bitcoin

Adding a small allocation of Bitcoin to a traditional 60/40 portfolio can steadily improve returns, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. Research first published in 2018 and updated every year since shows that including cryptocurrency may improve long-term results in different market conditions. Visit Website

4 Mar 2026, 07:39

Pundit: Truth about Ripple’s XRP Escrow Will Be Disclosed Once This Happens

Crypto pundit UnknowDLT recently commented on XRP held in Ripple’s escrow. The post suggested that the XRP in escrow has not belonged to Ripple for a long time. According to UnknowDLT, Ripple functions as a custodian rather than an owner. While this remains speculative, it challenges common assumptions about Ripple’s control over the tokens. The distinction is important, as many market participants assume Ripple can freely sell escrowed XRP . UnknowDLT’s observation challenges this narrative, emphasizing that Ripple’s role is strictly administrative. This clarification could shift perceptions of XRP’s circulating supply and the company’s influence over it. The XRP that Ripple holds in escrow has not belonged to it for a long time. Ripple is simply the custodian and not the owner, as many believe. When the 1700 contracts are disclosed, you will see this. — {x} (@unknowDLT) March 2, 2026 NDAs and Confidentiality UnknowDLT highlighted Ripple’s extensive use of non-disclosure agreements. Reports indicate the company holds over 1,700 NDAs . These agreements could cover a wide range of arrangements, possibly including escrow or other operational matters. The existence of these NDAs suggests a high level of confidentiality in Ripple’s partnerships and token management, though the exact content is unknown. Speculation around secret deals involving escrowed XRP has persisted for years. Some rumors claim Ripple has negotiated major agreements, including an alleged 5 billion XRP deal with Amazon . UnknowDLT’s comments suggest that NDAs could be related to such arrangements. Potential Positive Perceptions for XRP From a market perspective, the idea that Ripple only acts as a custodian may be seen as reassuring. If the company does not directly own escrowed XRP, concerns over large, unplanned token releases could be reduced. While UnknowDLT frames this cautiously, the notion implies that XRP’s supply is managed under defined rules rather than by discretionary action. Disclosure of escrow mechanisms and the role of NDAs could offer more clarity in the future. Understanding how tokens are released and under what conditions would help investors assess risk and potential market behavior. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Ripple’s Strategic Management Ripple’s approach highlights the company’s strategic management of XRP. Custodianship allows Ripple to facilitate partnerships and token use without exerting direct control over the market. NDAs support these efforts by protecting sensitive agreements while maintaining compliance and operational security. Understanding that Ripple is a custodian, not an owner, changes the perception of risk related to escrowed XRP. UnknowDLT’s insights clarify Ripple’s role in managing escrowed XRP. The tokens are under custody, safeguarded by contracts and NDAs, and not available for arbitrary sale . As the 1,700 contracts become public, the market will gain a clearer view of how these holdings operate. This structure supports XRP’s stability and provides confidence that its supply is carefully managed. 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 advised to conduct thorough 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 X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Pundit: Truth about Ripple’s XRP Escrow Will Be Disclosed Once This Happens appeared first on Times Tabloid .

4 Mar 2026, 04:57

AI Models Prefer BTC the Most: BPI Research

Bitcoin Policy Institute's research shows that 36 AI models prefer BTC the most in financial scenarios. It leads with a 79.1% rate in long-term value storage. Stablecoins are ahead in payments. BTC...

4 Mar 2026, 04:40

Bitcoin Digital Gold Dream Shattered: Tiger Research Exposes Critical Flaws in Safe-Haven Narrative

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Digital Gold Dream Shattered: Tiger Research Exposes Critical Flaws in Safe-Haven Narrative In a sobering analysis that challenges a core cryptocurrency narrative, Asian Web3 research firm Tiger Research has delivered a pivotal report arguing that Bitcoin currently fails to fulfill its promised role as “digital gold.” Published this week, the findings scrutinize Bitcoin’s price behavior during six distinct geopolitical crises, revealing a pattern of sharp declines that starkly contrasts with gold’s historical stability. This report arrives at a crucial juncture for digital asset markets, forcing investors and institutions to re-evaluate Bitcoin’s fundamental characteristics as a potential safe-haven asset for 2025 and beyond. Bitcoin’s Geopolitical Stress Test: A Pattern of Decline Tiger Research’s report, titled “Bitcoin Plunges on Iran Airstrike, Still Digital Gold?,” provides a data-driven examination of cryptocurrency market reactions to global instability. The firm meticulously analyzed price movements surrounding events including the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, and the recent Iran airstrikes. In each instance, Bitcoin exhibited significant volatility and downward pressure, whereas gold typically saw increased demand and price appreciation. This consistent divergence forms the empirical backbone of their argument. Consequently, the research highlights a fundamental disconnect between the theoretical promise of Bitcoin as a non-sovereign store of value and its practical market behavior under duress. While central banks and nations continue to accumulate physical gold reserves as a cornerstone of monetary security, Bitcoin remains largely in a speculative phase of consideration, not adoption, for such strategic purposes. The Three Structural Hurdles Blocking Safe-Haven Status Tiger Research identifies three interconnected factors that currently prevent Bitcoin from maturing into a genuine safe-haven asset comparable to gold. First, the market structure contains an excess of derivatives products like futures and options. These financial instruments, while providing liquidity, also introduce complex leverage and speculative dynamics that can amplify sell-offs during panic events. Second, the participant base remains dominated by leveraged retail and institutional traders seeking short-term gains, rather than long-term holders seeking preservation of capital. This composition prioritizes trading velocity over foundational value storage. Finally, and perhaps most critically, Bitcoin lacks the centuries of accumulated behavioral records and established trust that gold possesses. Markets have no deep historical precedent to guide expectations during unprecedented events, leading to unpredictable and often risk-off behavior. The table below summarizes these core impediments: Impediment Description Impact on Safe-Haven Status Derivatives Overhang High volume of futures, options, and perpetual swaps. Amplifies volatility and creates forced liquidations during stress. Leveraged Trader Dominance Market participants primarily using borrowed capital. Incentivizes short-term speculation over long-term storage. Lack of Behavioral History No multi-generational track record during varied crises. Erodes institutional confidence and predictable response patterns. Expert Context and Market Evolution This analysis aligns with broader discussions among macroeconomists and veteran commodity traders. Historically, an asset achieves safe-haven status through demonstrated inverse correlation to equity markets during downturns and a proven ability to retain purchasing power. Gold has validated this across decades of inflation, war, and financial collapse. Bitcoin, by contrast, has shown higher correlation to risk-on tech stocks in recent years, undermining its diversification thesis. However, experts note the asset class is still young. The regulatory framework, custody solutions, and financial products surrounding Bitcoin are evolving rapidly. The potential for change exists, but it requires a fundamental shift in market structure and participant psychology, not merely the passage of time. The Path Forward: Bitcoin as “Next Gold” in Systemic Crises Despite its critical findings, Tiger Research’s report does not dismiss Bitcoin’s long-term potential. The firm posits a nuanced future where Bitcoin could evolve into something distinct from, yet complementary to, gold—termed the “Next Gold.” This potential hinges on addressing the three structural flaws. If derivatives markets become less dominant, if long-term, non-leveraged holders (like ETFs or national treasuries) form the core base, and if decades of crisis behavior build a reliable record, Bitcoin could carve its own niche. Notably, the report suggests Bitcoin’s unique utility might shine brightest in a very specific crisis scenario: a complete halt of traditional banking systems. Its decentralized, censorship-resistant, and globally accessible network could provide a vital financial lifeline where gold, due to its physicality and reliance on institutional vaults and markets, might face logistical challenges. This frames Bitcoin not as a replica, but as a technologically native solution for a digital age. Conclusion The Tiger Research report delivers a crucial, evidence-based reality check for the Bitcoin digital gold narrative. By highlighting its reactive volatility during geopolitical crises and pinpointing structural market flaws, the analysis urges a more mature and measured evaluation of Bitcoin’s role in a diversified portfolio. For Bitcoin to transition from a speculative technological innovation to a trusted store of value, the market must overcome significant hurdles related to derivatives, participant behavior, and historical precedent. The journey toward becoming “Next Gold” is possible, but as this report makes clear, it remains a path under construction, not a destination yet reached. FAQs Q1: What specific events did Tiger Research analyze to conclude Bitcoin isn’t digital gold? The firm studied Bitcoin’s price action during six geopolitical crises, including the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, and recent Iran airstrikes. In each case, Bitcoin’s price fell sharply, while gold’s price typically rose or held stable. Q2: What is the main difference between gold and Bitcoin as safe-haven assets? Gold has millennia of history as a trusted store of value during crises, is held in massive quantities by central banks, and has a deep, physical market. Bitcoin is digital, has a 15-year history, is held more speculatively, and its market is heavily influenced by derivatives and leveraged trading. Q3: Can Bitcoin ever become a true safe-haven asset? According to the report, yes, but significant changes are needed. The market must reduce its reliance on derivatives, attract more long-term, non-leveraged holders (like pension funds), and build a longer track record of stable behavior during future crises. Q4: What does “Next Gold” mean in the report? “Next Gold” suggests Bitcoin could evolve into a unique, digital-age store of value with different properties than gold. It might excel in scenarios where digital, borderless, and censorship-resistant transactions are paramount, especially if traditional banking systems fail. Q5: Should investors avoid Bitcoin based on this report? The report does not give investment advice. It provides analysis for informed decision-making. Investors should consider Bitcoin’s current characteristics (high volatility, correlation risks) versus its long-term potential, and align any allocation with their individual risk tolerance and portfolio strategy. This post Bitcoin Digital Gold Dream Shattered: Tiger Research Exposes Critical Flaws in Safe-Haven Narrative first appeared on BitcoinWorld .