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24 Jan 2026, 16:10

Meta cut 1,000 Reality Labs jobs, shifting focus from VR to AI

Meta has put the brakes on its virtual reality push, causing worry among developers who built their careers around the technology that once seemed central to the company’s future plans. The social media company cut roughly 1,000 workers from its Reality Labs division last week, representing a 10% reduction in that unit’s workforce, according to CNBC. The job losses hit teams working on Quest VR headsets particularly hard. Groups developing Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR platform, saw significant cuts, and the company closed down some of its internal production studios. Expensive vision loses momentum Reality Labs will now concentrate more on wearable technology, such as its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses produced in collaboration with partner EssilorLuxottica, and artificial intelligence initiatives, according to Meta. Beyond its first release, the firm declined to speak further. For a corporation that prioritized virtual reality only a few years ago, the withdrawal represents a significant shift. The current VR market began when Meta paid $2 billion to acquire Oculus in 2014. When CEO Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook to Meta, it signaled his commitment to building what he called the metavers e, in terconnected digital worlds where people would work and play. However, that vision has proven expensive. Reality Labs has burned through more than $70 billion in losses since late 2020. “I can see how it feels like a VR winter,” said Jessica Young, who makes content for Horizon Worlds as an independent creator. The company’s shift became clear at its Connect conference in 2025. Meta typically unveils new Quest headsets at these fall gatherings, but this time around, no VR hardware appeared. Instead, the company showed off its $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses , which feature a small built-in screen. “If Meta’s not putting out a new headset for another year or two, it’s going to feel stale,” Young said. “It already kind of does.” Meta’s technology leader, Andrew Bosworth, pushed back against suggestions that the company is walking away from virtual reality entirely. “We’re still continuing to invest heavily in this space, but obviously, VR is growing less quickly than we hoped,” Bosworth tol d te ch newsletter Sources. “And so you want to make sure that your investment is right-sized. ” Bosworth also shared a post from Palmer Luckey , who co-founded Oculus, stating that Meta still has the “largest team working on VR by about an order of magnitude.” Industry faces reality check Still, market watchers see bigger changes ahead. Research firm IDC noted in a December report that the Extended Reality market, which includes VR headsets, mixed-reality devices, and smart glasses, is going through a major shift. Jitesh Ubrani, who studies the market for IDC, sai d VR headset s ap peal mainly to a narrow group of video game enthusiasts. Regular consumers haven’t embraced wearing “big, bulky headsets” for extended periods, despite predictions from tech companies about a decade ago that they would. “The market has spoken,” Ubrani said. “There are certain niche audiences that will continue to use these headsets, but it’s not going to be broadly appealing.” Andrew Eiche runs Owlchemy Labs, a VR game studio owned by Google. He sai d th e industry made a mistake by comparing VR headsets to smartphones and expecting similar mass adoption. He called this a “strategic mistake.” Eiche also criticized Meta’s heavy promotion of Horizon Worlds, saying it made life harder for outside developers trying to reach Quest users. “We’re at the mercy of Meta,” Eiche said, adding that this “creates a situation where if Meta pulls back, we all pull back.” Meta’s cutbacks included ending a program that helped businesses use Quest headsets for tasks like employee training sessions. Sean Mann, who leads startup RP1, which makes software for accessing virtual worlds, sai d Me ta missed opportunities by focusing too narrowly on gaming rather than exploring wider uses for VR technology. Young plans to keep creating for Horizon Worlds even as Meta reshapes the platform into a mobile gaming service similar to Roblox. But she’s not excited about the mobile direction, saying the VR-focused version during the pandemic era had something special that may now be lost. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

24 Jan 2026, 15:15

Singapore commits over $778 million to AI research over next six years

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"> Singapore said Saturday it will put more than S$1 billion ($778.8 million) into artificial intelligence research over the next six years, joining a wave of governments across Asia-Pacific pouring money into the technology. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said the money will go toward research on making AI systems work better with less power, training people from high school through university level, and helping businesses put AI to work. The announcement, as reported by Reuters, continues a pattern of AI spending that started picking up speed in 2023. Last year, Singapore put aside S$500 million for powerful computers needed to run AI programs in both government offices and private companies. The government also committed another S$500 million to AI Singapore, a program meant to build up the country’s AI skills from the ground up. Back in 2023, researchers working through AI Singapore built a language model called Sea-Lion, short for Southeast Asian Languages in One Network. As reported by Cryptopolitan earlier, the project cost S$70 million, and companies like Indonesia’s GoTo started using it. The team put out an updated version in October 2025 that works with Qwen, a system from China’s Alibaba, and handles languages spoken across the region, including Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malay, Tamil, Thai, and Vietnamese. Region-wide push for AI dominance Australia put out its National AI Plan 2025 in December, setting up an AI Safety Institute and laying out plans to build more infrastructure and train workers. Japan moved earlier, passing a law in May 2025 to encourage AI research and development. The law created an AI Strategic Headquarters led by the prime minister. India joined in during November 2025, publishing official guidance on AI that marks the country’s shift toward formal rules on how the technology should be used. The rush of government action comes as companies worldwide spend heavily on AI. American firms, not counting the ones building AI systems, spent about $86 billion on the technology in 2025, according to market research. That number is expected to jump to $131 billion in 2026. But investors are getting pickier about where they put their money. They’re starting to see a difference between companies spending billions to build AI and companies selling the equipment and services those builders need. The ones providing infrastructure are starting to look like safer bets. Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.

24 Jan 2026, 14:01

Ethereum Launches $2M Quantum Defense Team as Threat Timeline Accelerates

The Ethereum Foundation has officially elevated quantum resistance to a top strategic priority with the formation of a dedicated Post Quantum team backed by $2 million in funding. The new initiative comes as blockchain networks face mounting pressure to defend against quantum computing threats that industry experts increasingly warn could materialize within years rather than decades. Ethereum researcher Justin Drake announced the team formation on Friday, revealing that Thomas Coratger will lead the effort alongside Emile, a core contributor to leanVM. “ After years of quiet R&D, EF management has officially declared PQ security a top strategic priority, ” Drake said, adding that the foundation has been developing its quantum strategy since a 2019 presentation at StarkWare Sessions. Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation's long-term quantum strategy. We've formed a new Post Quantum (PQ) team, led by the brilliant Thomas Coratger ( @tcoratger ). Joining him is Emile, one of the world-class talents behind leanVM. leanVM is the cryptographic… — Justin Drake (@drakefjustin) January 23, 2026 Foundation Commits Resources Across Multiple Fronts The Ethereum Foundation is launching comprehensive defensive measures spanning research, development, and infrastructure testing. Antonio Sanso will kick off bi-weekly All Core Devs Post Quantum breakout calls next month, focusing on user-facing security, including dedicated precompiles, account abstraction, and transaction signature aggregation with leanVM. The foundation announced two $1 million prize competitions to strengthen cryptographic foundations. The newly launched Poseidon Prize targets the hardening of the Poseidon hash function, while the existing Proximity Prize continues to drive hash-based cryptography research. “ We are betting big on hash-based cryptography to enjoy the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations, ” Drake stated. Multi-client post-quantum consensus development networks are already operational, with pioneer teams including Zeam, Ream Labs, PierTwo, Gean client, and Ethlambda working alongside established consensus clients Lighthouse, Grandine, and Prysm. Weekly post-quantum interop calls, coordinated by Will Corcoran, are managing collaborative technical development across these diverse implementation teams. The foundation will host a three-day expert workshop in October, bringing together top specialists from around the world, building on last year’s post-quantum workshop in Cambridge. An additional dedicated post-quantum day is scheduled for March 29 in Cannes, ahead of EthCC, to create multiple forums for advancing research and coordination across the global Ethereum development community. Industry Voices Split on Timeline Urgency The quantum threat has divided blockchain leaders on both timeline predictions and strategic priorities. Independent Ethereum educator sassal.eth called quantum computing “ a very real threat for blockchains ” that is “ coming sooner than most people think, ” praising the foundation’s defensive preparations. Pantera Capital General Partner Franklin Bi predicted that traditional financial institutions will struggle with the transition to post-quantum cryptography. “ People are over-estimating how quickly Wall Street will adapt to post-quantum cryptography, ” Bi said, adding that blockchain networks possess unique capabilities for system-wide upgrades at a global scale. The post-quantum race begins. My prediction: People are over-estimating how quickly Wall Street will adapt to post-quantum cryptography. Like any systemic software upgrade, it'll be slow & chaotic with single points of failure for years. Traditional systems are only as strong… https://t.co/6mEdFKcXrm — Franklin Bi (@FranklinBi) January 23, 2026 He argued that successful quantum resistance could transform select blockchains into “ post-quantum safe havens for data and assets ,” particularly as traditional systems face prolonged periods of vulnerability due to single points of failure. Bitcoin community assessments remain sharply contested. Vitalik Buterin previously shared Metaculus data showing a median 2040 timeline for quantum computers breaking modern cryptography, with roughly a 20% probability before the end of 2030. Metaculus's median date for when quantum computers will break modern cryptography is 2040: https://t.co/Li8ni8A9Ox Seemingly about a 20% chance it will be before end of 2030. — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 27, 2025 Blockstream CEO Adam Back has dismissed near-term concerns , claiming practical threats remain decades away and accusing critics of creating unnecessary market alarm. Project ZKM contributor Stephen Duan acknowledged transition challenges while calling quantum resistance “ inevitable ,” noting that his team will soon upgrade multiset hashing to a lattice-based construction. ZKsync inventor Alex Gluk also said the network’s Airbender prover is already “ 100% PQ-proof, ” highlighting Ethereum’s unmatched ability to adapt to emerging threats while maintaining its position as the global financial settlement layer. Foundation Plans Comprehensive Roadmap Release The Ethereum Foundation will publish detailed strategic guidance on pq.ethereum.org covering full transition planning to achieve zero loss of funds and zero downtime over the coming years. Drake highlighted recent artificial intelligence breakthroughs in formal proof generation, noting that specialized mathematics AI recently completed one of the hardest lemmas in hash-based SNARK foundations in a single eight-hour run costing $200. The foundation is developing educational materials, including a six-part video series with ZKPodcast and enterprise-focused resources through EF Enterprise Acceleration. Quantum Threatens $600B of Bitcoin @nic_carter joins me for an in-person @PodcastDelphi to cover his 6 months of research on Quantum's effect on $BTC Nic's first and only podcast on Quantum Listen directly here, or on any of the links below pic.twitter.com/CSnv7xekqn — Tommy (@Shaughnessy119) January 9, 2026 Ethereum now has representation on the post-quantum advisory board , Coinbase announced this week, bringing together leading cryptography researchers to assess long-term blockchain security risks as quantum computing capabilities advance across government and private-sector development programs. The post Ethereum Launches $2M Quantum Defense Team as Threat Timeline Accelerates appeared first on Cryptonews .

24 Jan 2026, 13:05

Analyst: XRP Rally Is Starting. The Road to $21.5 Is Beginning

Market transitions rarely feel obvious in real time. They often emerge quietly, after extended periods of consolidation and uncertainty, when sentiment still leans cautious. XRP now appears to be entering such a transition, where price behavior suggests accumulation rather than distribution and structure begins to favor expansion over decline. That view aligns with a recent analysis shared by CW on X, a crypto analyst with a PhD in Materials Science, who examined XRP through the lens of Elliott Wave theory. His assessment suggests that the market has already shifted into the early stages of a new bullish cycle, setting the foundation for a much larger move. Elliott Wave Analysis Points to a New Phase CW’s outlook relies on Elliott Wave structure, which maps market movements as repeating cycles driven by crowd psychology. According to his analysis, XRP has completed a prolonged corrective phase that followed its previous macro advance. The market now appears to be transitioning into a fresh impulsive wave. The $XRP rally is starting. The road to $21.5 is beginning. This is the Phase 4 peak. The first goal is to break through the ATH. https://t.co/kK0V4VgacH pic.twitter.com/WScCa1xzXS — CW (@CW8900) January 23, 2026 This phase transition matters because impulsive waves historically produce the strongest price appreciation. CW identifies the current period as the opening of Phase 4, a stage that has previously marked the most explosive portion of XRP’s bull cycles. The All-Time High as the First Major Test Before XRP can fully enter price discovery, it must overcome a critical technical barrier. The prior all-time high near $3.84 stands as the first major objective in the emerging rally. A decisive break above this level would confirm a higher high on the macro timeframe and validate the broader bullish structure. Such breakouts often shift market behavior. Once price moves beyond a former peak, selling pressure typically thins, and momentum-driven participation tends to accelerate. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Why the $21.5 Target Defines the Cycle CW’s $21.5 projection represents the anticipated peak of Phase 4 within the current Elliott Wave cycle. The target derives from Fibonacci extensions applied to XRP’s completed wave structure and mirrors proportional advances seen in earlier cycles. Rather than depending on short-term indicators, the projection reflects long-term symmetry, historical price behavior, and completed corrective patterns. This approach grounds the forecast in structure rather than speculation. Structure Favors Expansion Over Volatility Although short-term pullbacks remain possible , CW’s analysis emphasizes the broader trend rather than daily price swings. The current structure suggests that XRP has shifted from correction to expansion, a transition that typically unfolds over months. If this wave interpretation continues to play out, XRP’s focus will likely move from defending support to extending gains. In that context, the path toward $21.5 begins not with sudden hype, but with a confirmed structural shift that now points higher. 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 Analyst: XRP Rally Is Starting. The Road to $21.5 Is Beginning appeared first on Times Tabloid .

24 Jan 2026, 12:05

XRP Is Coiling Like a Spring. The Next Move Won’t Be Small

XRP has entered a decisive phase where price compression often precedes expansion . After a sharp rejection from recent highs, volatility has tightened, and the market now trades in a narrow range that reflects hesitation rather than stability. Such periods rarely persist for long, especially after strong directional moves, making the current structure one of the most important setups in recent weeks. This technical situation gained attention following an analysis shared by Xaif on X, which examined XRP’s 4-hour chart and highlighted a developing volatility coil . The post arrived as XRP struggled to reclaim lost ground, refocusing trader attention on key technical levels that could determine the next major move. Tight Consolidation After a Sharp Decline XRP pulled back aggressively from the $2.00 region and then transitioned into tight sideways movement. Price now oscillates between approximately $1.92 and $1.96, signaling a pause where buyers and sellers continue to test each other’s resolve. This behavior often reflects indecision, but it also signals that the market prepares for resolution rather than continuation of drift. $XRP is coiling like a spring the next move won’t be small. Price is compressing right at the Tenkan–Kijun zone after a sharp drop. This circled area shows tight consolidation usually where the next move gets decided. A clean break above 1.95–1.96 opens room for a relief push. https://t.co/b7ddNsb4tX pic.twitter.com/yCrvW0DKyB — Xaif Crypto| (@Xaif_Crypto) January 23, 2026 According to CoinMarketCap data, XRP currently trades near $1.91 as of report time, posting a modest 0.41% gain over the past 24 hours. Despite this uptick, price has not escaped the consolidation range , keeping volatility compressed. Ichimoku Signals a Volatility Coil Xaif’s analysis focuses on XRP compressing directly around the Ichimoku Tenkan-Sen and Kijun-Sen lines on the 4-hour timeframe. These levels often act as short-term balance zones where momentum resets. When price clusters tightly around both lines after a strong move, it typically signals stored energy rather than exhaustion. Historical Ichimoku backtests show that similar consolidation patterns frequently precede 5% to 10% directional moves once price breaks the structure. This statistical tendency adds weight to the current setup and explains why traders closely monitor this zone. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Levels That Will Define Direction XRP remains technically bearish while it trades below the broader downtrend line. A clean 4-hour close above the $1.95–$1.96 resistance zone would mark a short-term shift in momentum and open room for a relief rally. Such a breakout would likely attract momentum traders looking for continuation toward higher resistance levels. On the downside, strong support sits between $1.88 and $1.90. A decisive loss of that range would invalidate the consolidation thesis and expose XRP to renewed selling pressure, especially if overall market sentiment weakens. A Move Is Building, Not Fading XRP continues to compress rather than trend, a condition that historically resolves with force. While direction remains undecided, the structure suggests that the next move will arrive with speed and size. As volatility tightens further, the market approaches a point where patience gives way to momentum. 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 XRP Is Coiling Like a Spring. The Next Move Won’t Be Small appeared first on Times Tabloid .

24 Jan 2026, 11:57

Ethereum Foundation forms expert group to address quantum computing threats

After years of quiet research, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) has elevated post-quantum cryptography to a top strategic priority. The move to active engineering comes as the blockchain industry confronts accelerating timelines for quantum computing threats. The non-profit organization behind the Ethereum blockchain has announced the formation of a dedicated Post Quantum (PQ) team, led by Thomas Coratger, with support from Emile, a cryptographer behind the leanVM project that forms the cryptographic cornerstone of Ethereum’s quantum defense strategy. This is coming just a few days after Coinbase established an independent advisory board on quantum computing, which includes Ethereum researcher Justin Drake, who made the announcement of the latest EF Post Quantum team. Drake wrote on X , “Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy.” He stated, “Our journey began in 2019, with the “Eth3.0 Quantum Security” presentation at StarkWare Sessions. Since 2024, PQ has been central to the @leanEthereum vision. The pace of PQ engineering breakthroughs since then has been nothing short of phenomenal,” adding that after years of preparatory work, “timelines are accelerating. Time to go full PQ.” What threats await the crypto space with quantum computing? There is growing concern that quantum computers could eventually crack the elliptic curve cryptography, which most blockchain networks operate on, and this could potentially expose wallet keys and compromise billions of pounds in digital assets. While expert estimates vary widely on when such threats might materialize, ranging from as soon as 2028 to several decades away, the consensus is building that preparation cannot wait. Industry experts estimate a five to fifteen-year timeline before quantum computers could potentially break current cryptographic standards, according to research from Chainalysis . The challenge is compounded by “harvest now, decrypt later” scenarios, where adversaries could collect and store cryptographic data today to crack it once quantum computing advances enough to do that. How is the Ethereum Foundation preparing for the post-quantum phase? The EF is placing substantial resources behind its quantum resistance efforts. Drake wrote, “Today we are announcing a $1M Poseidon Prize to harden the Poseidon hash function. We are betting big on hash-based cryptography to enjoy the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations.” He also mentioned that the prize complements another $1 million initiative called the Proximity Prize, calling on the community to check it out as well. Previously, the foundation awarded $12 million to STARKware for work on Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge (zk-STARKS), which are central to the post-quantum strategy alongside hash-based cryptography. Multi-client post-quantum consensus devnets are already operational, with participation from established teams. The coordination for that section is being managed by Will Corcoran through the weekly PQ interop calls. Antonio Sanso, a researcher at Ethereum, will lead bi-weekly All Core Devs breakout calls beginning next month to coordinate development of post-quantum transaction signatures and account abstraction features. The foundation is also leveraging artificial intelligence for cryptographic verification, with Drake noting that Alexander Hicks, who works with the EF, ran a specialized maths AI for eight hours at a $200 cost. Drake stated that the AI “one-shotted a formal proof one of the hardest lemmas in the foundations of hash-based snarks.” According to Drake, the feat is mind-blowing, and applied cryptography will never be the same as a result. A comprehensive roadmap targeting “zero loss of funds and zero downtime” during the transition will be published on pq.ethereum.org, though specific timelines remain under wraps. The foundation plans workshops with a PQ day scheduled to be held in Cannes on March 29, 2026. Drake also mentioned that the EF will be hosting a 3-day PQ event in October, and it will be attended by top experts. There is also a six-part educational video series on Ethereum’s PQ strategy that will be released by the ZKPodcast, and materials for enterprises and nation-states are being prepared by the foundation’s Enterprise Acceleration team. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.