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11 Feb 2026, 19:00
India gives tech platforms 9 days to label all AI content and remove deepfakes within 3 hours
Ind ia j ust threw down a challenge that might be impossible to meet. Starting February 20, social media companies operating in the country must label every piece of fake AI content and take down illegal deepfakes within three hours. The technology to do this properly doesn’t exist yet . The rules, announc ed T uesday, put pressure on platforms like Meta, Google, and X to deploy systems that catch and mark AI-generated images, videos, and audio before users see them. Companies must also stop people from removing or hiding these labels. Even with billio ns i n resources, these tech giants struggle to make their current detection tools work reliably. Most big platforms already use something called C2PA, which plants invisible information inside files to show how they were made . It’s like a nutrition label for digital content. When it works, you can see if a photo came from a real camera or an AI generator. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn try to flag this content, but the labels a re e asy to miss , and plenty of fake stuff slips through. The system has major holes . Open-source AI tools and apps that make fake nude photos often skip the labeling process completely . Even when labels exist, th ey d isappear during file uploads on many sites. C2PA’s supporters have spent years sayi ng t he technology just needs wider adoption to succeed. India is about to test that claim with 500 million social media users. Why India’s market power changes everything India has 481 million Instagram users, 403 million on Facebook, 500 million watching YouTube, and 213 million using Snapchat. X considers India its third-biggest market. When a count ry t his large makes new rules, global tech companies typically adjust their systems everywhere, not just in one place. This push comes after India spent months dealing with a deepfake crisis . Cryptopolitan reported last October that Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan sued over fake videos using their faces, seeking nearly half a million dollars in damages. The couple claim ed Y ouTube’s AI trainers grabbed public content without permission to train systems that later created fake media with their images. Cases like these, along with viral fake videos of actress Rashmika Mandanna, pushed officials to act . The timing lines up with India’s AI ambitions. Google is building a $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam that will become the company’s largest facility outside America. The site will have gigawatt-scale computing power and is set to open in July 2028. With that kind of AI infrastructure arriving, regulators want content safety rules in place first. Critics warn of “rapid fire censorship” The tight deadlines worry free speech advocates. The Internet Freedom Foundation sa ys t he three-hour takedown window will force companies to use automated systems that delete too much content by mistake. They call it creating “rapid fire censors” because there’s no time for humans to review reports properly. Platforms like X, which haven’t set up any AI labeling yet, now have just nine days to build entire systems from scratch. Meta, Google, and X all declined to comment. Adobe, the company behind C2PA, stayed silent too . Officials writing the rules seem to know current technology isn’t ready. The requirements say platforms should use detection methods “to the extent technically feasible” – legal language that admits perfection isn’t expected. India’s leaders belie ve p ressure will drive innovation. They’re betting that when you force tech companies to either build better systems or lose access to hundreds of millions of users, they’ll figure it out fast . Whether better AI detection technology actually exists to be built, or if India just ordered companies to deliver something that can’t be made yet, remains to be seen. We’ll find out in nine days. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
11 Feb 2026, 18:18
Ripple Partners with Aviva Investors to Tokenize Traditional Funds
Ripple and Aviva Investors are partnering to tokenize traditional funds using blockchain technology. The collaboration leverages XRP Ledger’s secure, cost-effective infrastructure for digital asset management. Continue Reading: Ripple Partners with Aviva Investors to Tokenize Traditional Funds The post Ripple Partners with Aviva Investors to Tokenize Traditional Funds appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
11 Feb 2026, 18:00
Binance Founder CZ Reveals How Bitcoin Turned Him Into A Billionaire
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao says his path to crypto wealth started far from trading floors or VC circuits in a Shanghai poker game where a friend told him to take Bitcoin seriously, and a second friend urged him to bet a meaningful slice of his net worth on it. Binance Founder On His Bitcoin Origin Story By Zhao’s account in an interview with the All-In podcast, he first encountered Bitcoin in mid-2013, while he was still a junior partner at a Shanghai-based software and services firm. “One of my friends tells me, ‘Look, you got to look at this thing called Bitcoin,’” Zhao said. “It took me about roughly six months to fully understand it… back then there was the Bitcoin talk forum and then that’s pretty much it.” That friend, the Binance founder said, was Ron Tao, then a venture capitalist in China, who brought the topic up during a recurring, small-stakes poker game between entrepreneurs and investors. The pitch gained weight quickly when Zhao met Bobby Lee, who was preparing to leave Walmart and join BTC China (BTCC) as CEO. Bobby, Zhao recalled, didn’t frame it as a hobbyist curiosity. He framed it like a portfolio decision. Zhao said Lee told him to put 10% of his net worth into Bitcoin: “There’s a small chance you will go to zero then you lose 10%. There’s a much higher chance you will go 10x and you’ll double your net worth.” Zhao said that was the moment he started digging into the white paper “more carefully.” By the time Zhao felt he “fully understand[s] it,” he also felt he’d missed it. Bitcoin had run from roughly $70 in mid-2013 to around $1,000 by the end of 2013, he said. “I was like, I’m too late,” Zhao recalled. “Because everyone you talk to… has bought before you.” JUST IN: ASIA’S RICHEST MAN TALKS ABOUT HOW HE MADE OVER $80,000,000,000 ON #BITCOIN AND CRYPTO “YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL LATE TO BTC.” pic.twitter.com/GqilPyC6xI — The Bitcoin Historian (@pete_rizzo_) February 10, 2026 Still, he decided he wasn’t going to sit the next major technology wave out. “For me it was very clear I got to do something in this industry,” Zhao said, describing Bitcoin as the second foundational technology of his working life after the internet. “I was 35, 36 — I wasn’t going to miss it. The next thing that’s going to come along is going to be 10, 15 years later… and that’s AI.” That conviction translated into an unusually blunt trade: The Binance founder said he sold his Shanghai apartment to buy Bitcoin. “I said look I’m going to sell my apartment in Shanghai and then buy Bitcoin,” he told Chamath Palihapitiya. The sale, he said, came in tranches and he bought each time cash hit, even as the market slid. “I sold the apartment… for roughly $900,000… The first trench at $800 and then Bitcoin is dropping $600, $400. Kind of averaged to about $600.” Related Reading: Binance SAFU Fund Adds 4,225 Bitcoin ($300M) As Price Reclaims $70K Level He also described the social proof that mattered to him in that era: the early builders and miners he met while trying to pressure-test his own understanding, and a small Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas in December 2013 that contrasted sharply with the “drug lords” narrative dominating headlines after the Silk Road arrest . “When you go to the conference it was like a bunch of kids, a bunch of geeks… and they’re very nice people,” Zhao said, name-checking attendees like Vitalik Buterin and Charlie Lee. Zhao’s account of “getting rich” isn’t a single lightning strike so much as a sequence: buying Bitcoin after liquidating property, then taking operating roles at early crypto companies (including Blockchain.info and OKCoin), and later building exchange infrastructure that became the foundation for Binance and its token-driven growth story. Today, the exact size of the Binance founder’s fortune depends on who’s counting and how they value private stakes and token holdings. Forbes’ real-time tracker listed Zhao at $78.8 billion as of Feb. 10, 2026, placing him among the world’s richest individuals. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, which uses its own daily methodology, showed a materially lower figure for Zhao about $52.2 billion on its global rich list around the same time. At press time, Binance Coin (BNB) traded at $592.44.
11 Feb 2026, 16:45
AI Sales Startup Monaco Launches with $35M to Revolutionize CRM with Human-Guided Agents
BitcoinWorld AI Sales Startup Monaco Launches with $35M to Revolutionize CRM with Human-Guided Agents In a bold move that signals the next evolution of sales technology, former Founders Fund venture capitalist Sam Blond has officially launched Monaco, an AI sales startup that secured $35 million in funding to challenge industry giants like Salesforce. The San Francisco-based company emerged from stealth on Wednesday with a unique proposition: combining sophisticated AI agents with experienced human sales professionals in a hybrid model that could redefine how startups approach customer acquisition. Monaco’s public beta launch follows extensive private testing and represents a significant development in the increasingly competitive AI sales technology landscape. Monaco AI Sales Startup Emerges with $35M Backing Monaco has raised substantial capital through two funding rounds. The company completed a $10 million seed round followed by a $25 million Series A investment. Significantly, both rounds were led by Founders Fund, the venture capital firm where Sam Blond previously worked as a partner. Human Capital also participated in the funding. This substantial financial backing demonstrates strong investor confidence in Monaco’s approach to sales technology. The startup’s founding team brings together impressive credentials from across the technology sector. Sam Blond previously served as head of sales at financial technology company Brex before his brief tenure at Founders Fund. His brother Brian Blond, a co-founder, transitioned from sales to venture capital at Human Capital and previously worked at Sutter Hill Ventures. The technical leadership includes Abishek Viswanathan, former Chief Product Officer at Apollo and Qualtrics, and Malay Desai, previously Senior Vice President of Engineering at Clari. Monaco has attracted an impressive roster of angel investors, including: Stripe founders Patrick and John Collison Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan Greenoaks Capital founder Neil Mehta These high-profile backers provide Monaco with not just capital but also strategic connections and industry credibility as it enters a crowded market. The Human-in-the-Loop AI Sales Approach Monaco distinguishes itself from other AI sales startups through its hybrid model that integrates artificial intelligence with human expertise. The company’s platform features AI-native customer relationship management (CRM) software combined with a proprietary database for prospect identification similar to ZoomInfo. However, unlike purely automated competitors, Monaco employs experienced sales professionals who monitor and guide the AI agents’ work. This human-in-the-loop approach addresses several critical challenges in AI sales technology. First, human experts ensure the AI doesn’t “hallucinate” or generate inaccurate information during outreach campaigns. Second, they train the AI systems to better understand and sell the specific products or services. Third, actual customer meetings remain conducted by human representatives rather than AI avatars or automated systems. “We can replace full workflows with agents,” Sam Blond explained during the launch announcement. “Monaco builds a database of prospects, identifies the exact people at a target company to pitch and the sequence in which to target them. We orchestrate and execute that sequence. We schedule a meeting.” Addressing the AI Sales Technology Market Gap Monaco specifically targets seed and Series A-stage startups that typically lack resources to hire experienced sales teams. The company’s model makes professional sales expertise accessible to these younger companies through a subscription service rather than requiring direct hires. This addresses a significant market gap where early-stage companies need sophisticated sales capabilities but cannot afford traditional enterprise sales teams. “It’s this combination of the technology, but also the service,” Blond emphasized. “Monaco does not have an agent pretending to be a sales rep trying to sell to the customer.” The company currently employs approximately 40 people, many with extensive sales backgrounds, creating what Blond describes as a “career salespeople” culture within the organization. Competitive Landscape and Market Positioning Monaco enters an exceptionally crowded AI sales technology market. Y Combinator alone has graduated hundreds of sales-focused startups in recent years. The competitive landscape includes several distinct categories: Competitor Category Examples Key Differentiators Modern CRM Platforms Attio, Clay, Conversion Next-generation interfaces and workflows AI SDR Tools 11x, Artisan, 1mind Automated sales development representatives Incumbent Giants Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho Established market presence with AI additions Data Providers ZoomInfo, Apollo Prospect databases and intelligence Monaco positions itself against HubSpot as its primary initial competitor, targeting the same price-sensitive startup market. However, Blond acknowledges the ultimate ambition is to challenge Salesforce’s market leadership. “In the broad category of sales technology, there’s a market leader right now. That market leader is Salesforce,” Blond stated. “We are in the early innings of the next platform shift that will lead to a new market leader.” The company’s pricing strategy remains undisclosed beyond being a flat fee structure currently discounted during the beta period. This approach contrasts with Salesforce’s complex tiered pricing and HubSpot’s freemium model, potentially offering simpler cost predictability for early-stage companies. Industry Context and Timing Considerations Monaco’s launch occurs during a period of significant transformation in sales technology. The broader CRM market continues expanding rapidly, with Grand View Research projecting the global CRM market to reach $157.53 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 13.3%. Artificial intelligence integration represents the most significant trend within this expansion. However, AI sales tools face several adoption challenges. According to recent surveys by Gartner, approximately 42% of sales organizations report difficulties with AI implementation, citing concerns about data quality, integration complexity, and resistance from sales teams. Monaco’s human-in-the-loop approach directly addresses these adoption barriers by maintaining human oversight and expertise within the automated workflow. Blond points to the absence of a dominant AI-native sales platform as creating opportunity. “There definitely is not the ‘Cursor for sales’,” he noted, referencing the popular AI coding assistant. “But there will be.” This reference highlights how specialized AI tools have transformed adjacent industries like software development, suggesting similar potential in sales technology. Founder Motivation and Market Selection Sam Blond’s decision to enter the competitive sales technology market stems from his professional background and expertise. After leaving Founders Fund just 18 months after joining, he publicly stated that venture capital wasn’t for him and he preferred “going back to operating.” With extensive experience in sales leadership at Brex and earlier in his career, Blond identified sales technology as his natural domain. “As a non-technical founder, there’s really only one type of technology company that I’m qualified to be the founder of: a sales technology company,” Blond explained. This focus on domain expertise aligns with broader startup success patterns where founders with deep industry experience often outperform those without relevant backgrounds. The company culture reflects this sales-focused orientation. Monaco’s office features World War II-esque motivational posters with slogans like “Save Startups” and “Build the future with Monaco.” A prominent office gong rings whenever the AI system successfully schedules a meeting with a prospect, creating tangible recognition of system successes. Technical Architecture and Product Capabilities Monaco’s platform combines several technological components into an integrated system. The AI-native CRM forms the foundation, designed specifically for AI workflows rather than adapted from traditional CRM architectures. The proprietary prospect database provides enriched contact information and organizational data similar to established providers like ZoomInfo but integrated directly into the workflow. Key product capabilities include: Automated Outreach Campaigns: AI agents create and execute personalized email sequences based on prospect data and response patterns Meeting Coordination: Automated scheduling integrated with calendar systems and prospect availability Follow-up Management: AI-generated follow-up communications guided by human sales experts Meeting Intelligence: Automated note-taking and action item extraction from sales conversations Pipeline Analytics: Real-time sales funnel tracking with predictive conversion metrics The human oversight component operates through a dedicated interface where experienced sales professionals review AI-generated content, provide feedback and corrections, and intervene when human judgment is required. This creates a continuous learning loop where both the AI systems and human operators improve through interaction. Conclusion Monaco represents a significant new entrant in the AI sales startup landscape with its unique combination of sophisticated AI agents and human sales expertise. The company’s substantial $35 million funding, impressive founding team, and high-profile investor backing position it as a serious contender in the competitive sales technology market. By targeting the underserved early-stage startup segment with a hybrid human-AI approach, Monaco addresses both the resource constraints of young companies and the implementation challenges of pure AI sales tools. As the sales technology industry continues its rapid evolution toward AI integration, Monaco’s human-in-the-loop model offers a compelling alternative to both traditional CRM platforms and fully automated competitors. The company’s success will depend on execution, market adoption, and its ability to scale both its technological capabilities and human expertise components effectively. FAQs Q1: What makes Monaco different from other AI sales tools? Monaco combines AI automation with human sales experts who monitor and guide the AI’s work. Unlike purely automated systems, Monaco maintains human oversight to ensure accuracy and provide actual human representatives for customer meetings. Q2: How much funding has Monaco raised? Monaco has raised $35 million total through a $10 million seed round and a $25 million Series A round. Both rounds were led by Founders Fund with participation from Human Capital. Q3: Who are Monaco’s primary competitors? Monaco initially competes with HubSpot for early-stage startups but ultimately aims to challenge Salesforce. The company also faces competition from modern CRM platforms like Attio and Clay, plus AI sales automation tools like 11x and Artisan. Q4: What types of companies does Monaco target? Monaco specifically serves seed and Series A-stage startups that need sophisticated sales capabilities but lack resources to hire experienced sales teams. The company makes professional sales expertise accessible through subscription rather than direct hiring. Q5: What is Monaco’s pricing model? Monaco uses a flat fee structure currently discounted during the beta period. The company has not disclosed specific pricing details but positions itself as more affordable for startups than enterprise solutions like Salesforce. This post AI Sales Startup Monaco Launches with $35M to Revolutionize CRM with Human-Guided Agents first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
11 Feb 2026, 16:05
Mastercard Working with Ripple and XRP Behind the Scenes for Years
While consumers focus on convenience and speed, behind the scenes, global payment networks are quietly evolving. Banks and corporations have long sought ways to move funds across borders faster, cheaper, and more transparently. The challenge has been connecting legacy systems with emerging blockchain technologies without disrupting established processes. This integration requires careful planning, compliance alignment, and technological precision to maintain security while improving efficiency. Crypto commentator CryptoSensei recently highlighted on X that Mastercard has been collaborating with Ripple and XRP for years. The goal is not to create a completely new payment system but to build an interoperable network connecting existing infrastructure, including SWIFT, Visa, and Mastercard, with blockchain-enabled solutions. This approach allows traditional financial rails to work seamlessly with digital assets, enhancing transaction speed and transparency while adhering to regulatory standards. Mastercard has been working with @Ripple and $XRP behind the scenes for years An open, regulated, interoperable network connecting existing rails. SWIFT, Visa, Mastercard alongside newer networks like Ripple and Stellar This is not a new system. It’s the connection of… pic.twitter.com/TA8HizI1aU — CryptoSensei (@Crypt0Senseii) February 10, 2026 Interoperability Bridges Old and New At the heart of this collaboration lies interoperability. Ripple’s technology enables different payment systems to communicate and settle transactions efficiently. By integrating XRP and the XRP Ledger, Mastercard can process cross-border payments in seconds, reducing reliance on multi-day settlement cycles and minimizing counterparty risk. This structure does not replace existing systems; it connects them. Financial institutions can leverage blockchain’s real-time settlement capabilities while retaining compatibility with legacy networks. The result is a network that benefits from both the security of traditional finance and the speed and transparency of digital assets, creating practical solutions for corporations, banks, and individual consumers. A Regulated, Open Network Vision The collaboration emphasizes regulation and openness. Unlike experimental or siloed blockchain projects, Ripple’s integration supports a framework where new and legacy financial entities operate under shared compliance standards. This regulated approach ensures that innovation does not compromise safety, aligning with the broader industry trend of building transparent, auditable, and secure financial infrastructure. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 SWIFT, Visa, Mastercard, Ripple, Stellar, and other networks function together within this connected ecosystem. Each network retains its strengths while contributing to a unified settlement and transfer environment. The focus is on optimization and efficiency rather than replacing proven financial rails. Long-Term Strategic Implications The multi-year partnership signals a maturing role for XRP in institutional finance. By enabling faster settlement, improved liquidity management, and reduced counterparty risk, Ripple’s technology positions itself as a bridge between traditional and digital finance. For investors and industry observers, these developments highlight that XRP’s value proposition extends beyond price speculation. Its integration into established financial networks demonstrates tangible, long-term utility. Partnerships like this suggest a future where blockchain-enabled solutions form the backbone of global payments, proving that XRP’s relevance lies as much in infrastructure innovation as in market performance. 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 Mastercard Working with Ripple and XRP Behind the Scenes for Years appeared first on Times Tabloid .
11 Feb 2026, 16:00
Mistral invests €1.2B in Sweden to boost Europe’s AI sovereignty
French artificial intelligence firm Mistral has unveiled a €1.2 billion investment in AI infrastructure in Sweden, marking one of the continent’s most ambitious moves yet to secure AI data centres, compute capacity, and digital sovereignty. The investment comes as European governments and technology firms race to reduce dependence on US-based cloud and AI providers, against a backdrop of growing geopolitical and technological rivalry. Building AI infrastructure to secure sovereignty Mistral stated that the money would be used to build large-scale AI data centers, advanced computational power, and AI capabilities hosted locally in Europe. Arthur Mensch, the company’s CEO, referred to this investment as a strategic rather than symbolic move. “This is a concrete first step towards creating independent capabilities in Europe around AI,” stated Mensch. “With a complete vertical offering that has processed and stored data locally, we contribute to European strategic autonomy as well as competitiveness.” – Mensch He added that the planned project will “provide infrastructure for a European AI cloud that can serve industries, public agencies, and research organisations at a massive scale.” Recently, Lenovo said it is aiming to partner with Mistral AI and other providers rather than build its own large language models (LLMs) as part of its plan to repeat its 2025 success this year. Through partnerships with leading AI companies, Lenovo is saving itself from having to navigate complex global regulations while still providing regions with the needed AI solutions. Lenovo ended 2025 as a leader in the PC industry, shipping 71 million units. However, increased memory and storage prices could pose a challenge in 2026. Why Mistral is choosing Sweden to scale compute power Mistral, a France-based AI company, has chosen to build one of its new, large-scale data centers in Sweden because of its inexpensive energy supply, cooler climate, and reliable digital infrastructure, all important considerations when deploying energy-intensive AI systems. Mistral will work with EcoDataCenter , a Swedish company, to build these centers. This new data center is set to open in 2027 and will provide Mistral with a location to train and operate its next generation of AI models. The Swedish data center will be Mistral’s first investment in infrastructure outside of France. Nordic countries are becoming increasingly popular for companies seeking to build AI infrastructure. In July of this year, OpenAI announced it would build a data center in Norway as part of its Stargate initiative. Mistral, established in 2023, initially developed large language models. It subsequently branched out into infrastructure when it introduced Mistral Compute in June, which provides GPUs as well as API-driven and fully-managed products from a platform-as-a-service perspective. The company secured €1.7 billion in September at an estimated valuation of €11.7 billion, receiving investments from Nvidia, Microsoft, and ASML, among others. Even with additional funding totalling approximately $2.9 billion raised by Mistral, the company is significantly smaller than its many competitors in the US. OpenAI plans to raise up to $100 billion for future initiatives, while Anthropic intends to raise $10 billion. As Director of Innovation at Mistral, Mensch emphasises that the response from Europe requires “scale and speed,” adding, “this is about building the capability of Europe to control its own technology future.” Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.
