iShares Ultra Short-Term Bond Active ETF (BATS: ICSH)

Latest news for iShares Ultra Short-Term Bond Active ETF (BATS:ICSH)

BlackRock Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF

iShares Liquidity Income ETF

The fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade fixed- and floating-rate debt securities that are rated BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings and/or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), or Baa3 or higher by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), or, if unrated, determined by BFA to be of equivalent quality.

Long Ideas

News

Bonds

Dividends

Specialty ETFs

Small Cap

Treasuries

Markets

Trading Ideas

ETFs

ICSH

VCLT

Unlike government bonds, corporate bonds have one major advantage: they offer strong returns.

Long-Term Vs. Short-Term: Which Of These Monthly-Paying Corporate Bond ETFs Is Right For You?

iShares Ultra Short-Term Bond Active ETF

SSNC

Reported Sunday, SS&C GlobeOp Chosen By Arrowpoint Investment Partners To Administer Its Flagship $1B Multi-Strategy Fund

A prolonged period of unusually low junk bond spreads could be setting the stage for a dramatic market reversal, according to this economist, who sees eerie similarities to the pre-crisis conditions of May 2007.
What Happened: The credit spreads of high-yield or junk corporate bonds have remained below 3% for over 100 days, highlights the macro strategist at Crescat Capital, Otavio Costa in an X post.
According to Costa, a trend like this was observed in May 2007 which followed a spike in volatility and shattered market complacency, triggering a sharp widening of spreads. He draws a parallel between this incident to the current situation.
&#8220;Tight credit spreads are like tinder — just waiting to catch fire,&#8221; Costa added.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Junk bond spreads have stayed below 3% for 100 straight days. The last time this happened was in May 2007, and within two months, volatility spiked, marking the end of an era of investor complacency. As I've always said: Tight credit spreads are like tinder — just waiting to… <a href="https://t.co/nurBRbqQbn">pic.twitter.com/nurBRbqQbn</a>
&mdash; Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) <a href="https://twitter.com/TaviCosta/status/1893785921469714475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43878703/institutional-investors-load-up-on-technology-and-financial-stocks-in-q4-while-reducing-positions-in-healthcare-sector-amid-political-uncertainty">Institutional Investors Load Up On Technology And Financial Stocks In Q4 While Reducing Positions In Healthcare Sector Amid Political Uncertainty</a>
Why It Matters: A junk or a high-yield corporate bond is a debt instrument that has a below-investment-grade credit rating, whereas a credit spread is the difference between the yield on the junk bond and the yield on a comparable U.S. Treasury bond. The spread represents the extra return of the high-yield bond above the Treasury bond.
A lower credit spread indicates that a bond is considerably safer and investors are more confident in the ability of a company to repay its debts. A prolonged period of lower spreads could signal excessive risk-taking by investors, as they may become complacent about potential risks.
The graph shared by Costa highlights Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield Average Options-Adjusted Spreads, which have been below 3% for 100 straight days. According to him, this is a warning signal of upcoming volatility.
Price Action: As of Feb. 21, the 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.43%, while the two-year yield was at 4.20%. Also, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell on Friday. SPY declined 1.71% to $599.94, and QQQ plunged 2.07% to $526.12, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43876325/quantum-computing-top-holders-in-q4-blackrock-vanguard-ubs-state-street-pour-money-in-rigetti-d-wave-ionq-qubt">Top Holders Of Quantum Computing Stocks In Q4: BlackRock, Vanguard, UBS, State Street Pour Money In Rigetti, D-Wave, IonQ, QUBT</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Equities

Market Summary

Economics

Economist Warns Junk Bond Spreads Are Flashing 2007 Crisis Warning Signs: '…Just Waiting To Catch Fire'

Globe Telecom, Nokia collaborate on network APIs to provide banks with enhanced security #MWC25
<ul>
<li>Globe tests Nokia's Network Exposure Platform (NEP) to enhance security in financial services. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Globe Telecom, Nokia Collaborate On Innovative Network API Solutions To Fortify Bank Security

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) is facing escalating brand challenges as vandals targeted a Supercharger station with Nazi symbols and hate speech, the latest in a series of incidents reflecting growing public hostility toward the electric vehicle maker.
What Happened: The vandalism, reported on Sunday by tech YouTuber Quinn Nelson, prompted Tesla&#8217;s charging division to announce immediate removal plans and pledge to pursue charges against perpetrators. &#8220;We will press charges for vandalism at Superchargers,&#8221; Tesla wrote. 
This incident <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43767326/after-being-punched-for-driving-a-cybertruck-this-tesla-owner-is-leaving-1-bills-on-other-cybertrucks-to-spread-the-love">follows similar attacks</a>, including vandalism at a Massachusetts charging station and a Cybertruck being damaged in Brooklyn.
The backlash comes amid controversy surrounding CEO Elon Musk&#8216;s role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump&#8216;s administration, where his aggressive agency restructuring and federal worker terminations have drawn criticism from constitutional experts.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Will be removed by tomorrow morning. Our network will stay in first class condition for our customers.
&mdash; Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeslaCharging/status/1893854459568042490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">We will press charges for vandalism at Superchargers
&mdash; Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeslaCharging/status/1893869997274935398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43905455/bitcoin-dogecoin-disappointed-traders-but-this-10-days-old-crypto-delighted-with-a-smashing-138-rally-last-week">Bitcoin, Dogecoin Stumble, But This New Crypto Skyrockets 140% In A Week</a>
Why It Matters: Notable Tesla investor Ross Gerber highlighted the brand damage, announcing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43761581/ross-gerber-says-hes-eventually-selling-his-cybertruck-because-the-hate-is-real-as-protests-rock-tesla-showrooms">plans to sell his Cybertruck</a> after encountering anti-Musk graffiti. &#8220;The Tesla brand is broken,&#8221; Gerber posted on X.
The company faces mounting challenges across markets. Last week protesters gathered outside Tesla showrooms nationwide, with demonstrations in New York, Seattle, and California drawing up to 100 people. Singer Sheryl Crow publicly documented selling her Tesla Saturday, citing concerns about Musk&#8217;s political alignment.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives maintains a bullish $550 price target <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43761581/ross-gerber-says-hes-eventually-selling-his-cybertruck-because-the-hate-is-real-as-protests-rock-tesla-showrooms">despite these challenges</a>, arguing that brand concerns are &#8220;bark way worse than the bite.&#8221; However, Tesla reported its first annual sales decline in 2024, and German sales dropped 60% year-over-year in January following Musk&#8217;s support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43905475/elon-musks-truth-seeking-grok-ai-silences-trump-and-tesla-ceos-misinformation-claims-then-backtracksxai-blames-former-openai-employee">Elon Musk&#8217;s Grok AI Silences Trump, Tesla CEO&#8217;s Misinformation Claims, Then Backtracks — xAI Blames Former OpenAI Employee</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Tech

TSLA

Elon Musk-Led Tesla's Supercharger Vandalized With Nazi Symbols, EV Giant Says It 'Will Press Charges'

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) is poised to deliver another strong earnings performance this week, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, as artificial intelligence demand continues to drive growth for the semiconductor giant.
What Happened: &#8220;We expect another robust performance and &#8216;clear beat and raise special&#8217; this week from Nvidia that should calm the nerves of investors,&#8221; Ives wrote on X on Sunday, citing massive demand drivers from the company&#8217;s new Blackwell architecture and AI capital expenditure fueling what he called the &#8220;4th Industrial Revolution.&#8221;
The chipmaker&#8217;s fiscal fourth-quarter results, due after market close on Wednesday, are expected to show revenue growth of 72% year-over-year, with sequential growth of at least 8%. This performance would mark Nvidia&#8217;s consistent streak of beating consensus revenue estimates <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/content/43811314/analysts-see-buying-opportunity-in-nvidia-before-earnings">since before 2020</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">We expect another robust performance and &quot;clear beat and raise special&quot; this week from Nvidia that should calm the nerves of investors as the Godfather of AI Jensen lays out the massive demand drivers from Blackwell and AI Capex fueling this 4th Industrial Revolution &#x1f525;&#x1f3c6;&#x1f402;&#x1f37f;
&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1893798795005001776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Evercore ISI recently added Nvidia to their Tactical Outperform list, emphasizing the company&#8217;s five-to-ten-year technological lead over competitors. The firm noted Nvidia remains the top choice for major tech companies including Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Microsoft Corp.
The company&#8217;s robust financial position adds to investor confidence, with cash reserves up nearly 50% to $38.5 billion at the end of the third quarter, exceeding total liabilities. Despite an expected slowdown in growth rate, analysts project sustained high-double-digit growth through 2025.
Nvidia&#8217;s stock has already rebounded 20% from its late January low, with analyst consensus suggesting a potential 20% upside from mid-February levels. Tigress Financial recently reiterated this optimistic outlook, upgrading the stock to Strong Buy with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/content/43811314/analysts-see-buying-opportunity-in-nvidia-before-earnings">price target of $220</a>.
Price Action: Nvidia closed at $134.40 on Friday, down 4.08%. After hours, it rose 0.45%. Year to date, it&#8217;s down 2.83%, with a 52-week range of $66.25 to $153.13, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43904932/warren-buffett-favors-5-treasury-bills-over-buybacks-as-berkshire-hathaways-cash-pile-surges-the-rate-of-change-thats-most-telling-says-lawrence-mcdonald" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett Favors 5% Treasury Bills Over Buybacks As Berkshire Hathaway's Cash Pile Balloons To $334 Billion: ‘The Rate Of Change… That's Most Telling,' Says Expert</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

AMZN

GOOGL

MSFT

NVDA

Nvidia Set For 'Clear Beat And Raise Special' As AI Demand Surges, Says Dan Ives

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to art. 53 SIX Swiss Exchange Listing Rules
<ul>
<li>Key biosimilar value driver contributes to Sandoz global growth strategy and moves company closer to becoming #1 in biosimilars in US</li>
<li>Strengthens US immunology portfolio and increases access to biologics for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis</li>
<li>Meeting a variety of patient needs, Pyzchiva&#xAE; offers full suite of dosing options and extended stability compared with reference medicine</li>
</ul>

SDZNY

SDZXF

Sandoz Launches FDA-Approved Pyzchiva Biosimilar To Bolster US Immunology Portfolio And Revolutionize Treatment For 12 Million Patients

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Sunday that the next test flight of its Starship launch vehicle will be on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/space/25/02/43874743/elon-musks-spacex-starships-8th-test-flight-could-launch-as-early-as-feb-26">Friday or Feb. 28</a>.
What Happened: &#8220;Starship Flight 8 flies Friday,&#8221; Musk wrote briefly on social media platform X.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Starship Flight 8 flies Friday <a href="https://t.co/CmOdg13e6K">pic.twitter.com/CmOdg13e6K</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1893821821838819487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
SpaceX last launched Starship on Jan. 16.&nbsp;The spacecraft lifted off from Starbase in Texas at 4:37 p.m. CT, and the vehicle booster landed back at the launch site after separation from its first stage.
The spacecraft, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43046722/starship-explodes-during-flight-test-elon-musk-says-success-is-uncertain-but-entertainment-is-guaranteed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disintegrated in space during the flight test.</a>&nbsp;The spacecraft was carrying 10 Starlink simulators, which were similar in size and weight to the company's next-generation Starlink satellites,&nbsp;as payload.
The FAA subsequently ordered an investigation into the incident following reports of public property damage in Turks and Caicos. The probe will be spearheaded by SpaceX itself but the federal agency must approve the final report and corrective actions made to prevent a recurrence of the issue. Starship cannot fly again until the probe is concluded.
Musk&#8217;s post hints that the probe is either concluded or expected to be concluded before Friday. 
Why It Matters:&nbsp;The upcoming test flight would be Starship's eighth to date and second this year. SpaceX started testing Starship in April 2023.
The Starship vehicle is part of big dreams. While NASA is looking forward to landing humans back on the surface of the Moon after a gap of over 50 years with the help of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42108681/spacex-shows-off-conceptual-version-of-starship-which-will-help-humans-land-back-on-moon-in-over-50-yrs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">custom version of Starship</a>, Musk is dreaming of taking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40770222/elon-musk-sets-2026-for-starships-first-uncrewed-mars-mission-targeting-successful-landing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">humans to the planet Mars</a>&nbsp;aboard Starship. However, the vehicle is currently in the testing and development phase.
"…I would not be surprised if we fly 400 Starship launches in the next four years,&#8221; SpaceX President and COO&nbsp;Gwynne Shotwell&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/space/24/11/42105704/spacex-ceo-elon-musk-reveals-technical-glitch-that-led-company-to-drop-key-objective-of-starships-6th-test-flight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said at the Baron Investment Conference</a>&nbsp;in New York in November.
Starship, the President then said, will eventually take SpaceX "over the top as one of the most valuable companies."
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43878167/elon-musks-tesla-recalls-nearly-380000-model-3-y-vehicles-in-us-over-loss-of-power-steering-assist-concerns">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Recalls Nearly 380,000 Model 3, Y Vehicles In US Over Loss Of Power Steering Assist Concerns</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: SpaceX<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1893821821838819487/photo/1"></a>

SPACE

Elon Musk's SpaceX To Undertake Starship's 8th Test Flight On Friday

Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, briefly halted responses that suggested he and Donald Trump were spreading misinformation. Now the startup has linked this action to an unauthorized modification by a former OpenAI employee now working at xAI.
What Happened: Users noticed that Grok refused to provide sources linking Musk and Trump to misinformation, following an unapproved change to the system prompt.
Igor Babuschkin, xAI's head of engineering, confirmed the issue, blaming an unnamed former OpenAI employee at xAI for making the adjustment without authorization.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43221770/apples-ipad-turns-15-today-heres-a-throwback-to-when-steve-jobs-explained-called-it-the-third-category-after-phones-and-notebooks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple's iPad Turns 15 Today: Here's A Throwback To When Steve Jobs Explained Called It The ‘Third Category' After Phones And Notebooks</a>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The employee that made the change was an ex-OpenAI employee that hasn&#39;t fully absorbed xAI&#39;s culture yet &#x1f62c;
&mdash; Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) <a href="https://twitter.com/ibab/status/1893774017376485466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
"An employee pushed the change because they thought it would help, but this is obviously not in line with our values," Babuschkin said in response to questions on X.
He added that Grok's system prompt is publicly visible "because we believe users should be able to see what it is we're asking Grok."
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">You are over-indexing on an employee pushing a change to the prompt that they thought would help without asking anyone at the company for confirmation. We do not protect our system prompts for a reason, because we believe users should be able to see what it is we&#39;re asking Grok…
&mdash; Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) <a href="https://twitter.com/ibab/status/1893778039634563094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I believe it is good that we&#39;re keeping the system prompts open. We want people to be able to verify what it is we&#39;re asking Grok to do. In this case an employee pushed the change because they thought it would help, but this is obviously not in line with our values. We&#39;ve…
&mdash; Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) <a href="https://twitter.com/ibab/status/1893778842399154463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The development was first <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/618109/grok-blocked-elon-musk-trump-misinformation">reported</a> by The Verge.
Why It Matters: Musk has long touted Grok as a "<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/39004912/elon-musks-ai-startup-xai-nears-24b-valuation-aims-for-6-5b-funding-round-report">maximally truth-seeking</a>" AI, designed to offer uncensored information. However, this isn't the first time xAI engineers have intervened in Grok's responses.
Musk's team previously had to block Grok from stating that Musk and Trump deserved the death penalty.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Jesus Christ dude, what did Musk create lol <a href="https://t.co/GDN96nKgX0">pic.twitter.com/GDN96nKgX0</a>
&mdash; Hunter&#x1f4c8;&#x1f308;&#x1f4ca; (@StatisticUrban) <a href="https://twitter.com/StatisticUrban/status/1892986751368515679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Really terrible and bad failure from Grok. We have patched it like this for now until we finish our investigation of what went wrong here. <a href="https://t.co/QYQDtjLqeV">pic.twitter.com/QYQDtjLqeV</a>
&mdash; Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) <a href="https://twitter.com/ibab/status/1893035679464169971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
This came after xAI last week released Grok 3, introducing advanced AI features, including image analysis. Grok has also overtaken OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and China&#8217;s DeepSeek to become the <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43841642/elon-musks-grok-overtakes-openais-chatgpt-google-gemini-and-chinas-deepseek-as-the-leading-productivity-app-on-apples-app-store">leading productivity app</a> on the App Store.
Grok 3 is now accessible to Premium+ subscribers on X, Musk&#8217;s social media platform. xAI also plans to launch a new subscription tier, SuperGrok, for users accessing the chatbot via its mobile app and Grok.com.
Musk&#8217;s AI venture in November 2024 achieved a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42022077/elon-musks-xai-seeks-6b-at-50b-valuation-to-acquire-100k-nvidia-chips-for-memphis-data-center">valuation of $50 billion</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43772135/ex-openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-valued-at-30-billion-in-latest-funding-round-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ex-OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever's AI Startup Valued At $30 Billion In Latest Funding Round: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Elon Musk's Grok AI Silences Trump, Tesla CEO's Misinformation Claims, Then Backtracks — xAI Blames Former OpenAI Employee

The cryptocurrency market encountered headwinds last week, although a few under-the-radar coins notched up significant gains.&nbsp;
What happened: IP, the native token of Layer-1 blockchain Story, powered above the rest of the market with a whopping 138% jump last week.&nbsp;
Launched just 10 days ago, the token spawned a billion-dollar valuation last week, cruising to a peak value of $7.11.
The blockchain project helps creators register, license, and monetize their intellectual property assets, with IP used for paying transaction fees.
S, the native token of the high-speed blockchain platform Sonic, came a distant second, surging 58% over the week. The coin has been on an upward curve in February, up over 56% over the last month.
Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)-based MKR token, serving as the utility and governance token of stablecoin issuing protocol Maker, rallied 53% to become the third-most successful coin last week.&nbsp;
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Story (IP)</td>
<td>+138.85%</td>
<td>$3.96</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sonic (S)</td>
<td>+58.32%</td>
<td>$0.865</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Maker (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/mkr/usd">MKR</a>)</td>
<td>+53.28%</td>
<td>$1,536</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43826697/bitcoin-early-in-bull-market-can-compete-with-gold-etfs-blockstream-ceo-says">Bitcoin &#8216;Early In Bull Market,&#8217; Can Compete With Gold ETFs, Blockstream CEO Says</a>
Market barometer Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) contracted 0.83%, while ETH eked out a gain of 1.69%.&nbsp;
Other large-cap currencies like Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) and Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>) bled 13.57% and 8.56%, respectively. XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) also slipped 3.71%.
Popular meme coins like Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/shib/usd">SHIB</a>) were also hit by the bearish wave, slumping 12.50% and 6.52%, respectively.&nbsp;
The sentiment was majorly hit by the massive $1.4 billion ETH hack on cryptocurrency exchange Bybit, <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43901287/north-koreas-lazarus-group-suspected-in-1-4-billion-bybit-crypto-hack">allegedly executed</a> by North Korean state-backed actors.
Overall, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization contracted 1.8% over the week to $3.13 trillion.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Donald Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, But Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

$ADA

$BTC

$DOGE

$ETH

$MKR

$SHIB

$SOL

$XRP

Bitcoin, Dogecoin Stumble, But This New Crypto Skyrockets 140% In A Week

Prominent economic commentator Noah Smith sparked debate over food affordability solutions, mocking suggested alternatives to eggs amid soaring prices. 
What Happened: &#8220;Trump&#8217;s economy: Who needs eggs when you can eat chickpeas instead,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://x.com/Noahpinion/status/1893735304235745773">wrote</a> on X on Sunday, responding to Fox News coverage recommending alternative protein sources as egg prices hit record levels.
Smith&#8217;s commentary targeted an article suggesting consumers turn to bananas and chickpeas for breakfast alternatives, as egg prices reached an unprecedented $4.95 per dozen in January. The suggestion comes as retailers nationwide grapple with supply shortages and <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43709413/egg-prices-hit-record-highs-new-york-bodegas-get-creative-and-sell-three-packs-for-299">mounting consumer frustration</a>.
The price surge stems from a devastating two-year bird flu outbreak that killed approximately 17.2 million egg-laying hens in November and December alone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects another 20.3% price increase throughout 2025, compounding concerns about food inflation.
Brian Albrecht, Chief Economist at the International Center for Law &amp; Economics, attributed the rising egg prices primarily to a supply shock. &#8220;Lots seem to think monopoly power exacerbated the shock. It's taken for granted that's how it works,&#8221; he wrote on Tuesday.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The most obvious cause of rising egg prices is a supply shock. Lots of seem to think monopoly power exacerbated the shock. It's taken for granted that's how it works. We need to think through pass through more carefully<a href="https://t.co/XYXgmv3N1X">https://t.co/XYXgmv3N1X</a>
&mdash; Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianCAlbrecht/status/1892937658009080063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Scott Lincicome, Vice President for Economics and Trade at Duke Law School, dismissed claims of &#8220;greedflation&#8221; and &#8220;price gouging,&#8221; arguing that consumer demand — not sellers — is driving egg prices.
Citing a Wall Street Journal report, he noted that consumers are paying an average of $5 per dozen, while supermarkets, facing wholesale costs of $7 per dozen, are sometimes selling eggs at a loss. &#8220;It seems kind of odd that, in an industry with so many &#8216;monopolists,&#8217; supermarkets are doing this,&#8221; he remarked.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">tbh it seems kinds odd that, in an industry with so many &quot;monopolists,&quot; supermarkets are doing this
&mdash; Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottlincicome/status/1892310965477097876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43902384/trumps-tax-plans-gold-nears-3000-and-ray-dalios-solution-to-americas-debt-crisis-this-week-in-economics">Trump&#8217;s Tax Plans, Gold Nears $3000, And Ray Dalio&#8217;s Solution To America&#8217;s Debt Crisis: This Week In Economics</a>
Why It Matters: Amid the crisis, Trader Joe&#8217;s has emerged as a price leader, maintaining dozens at $3.49 through <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43835457/retail-expert-says-trader-joes-is-the-clear-winner-for-cheap-eggs-as-prices-rise-heres-how-theyre-doing-it">direct supplier relationships</a>. 
Major retailers have implemented purchase restrictions, with Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) limiting customers to two 60-count cartons and Kroger Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KR#NYSE">KR</a>) capping purchases at two dozen per visit. Some New York bodegas now sell individual eggs as dozens reach $10 in certain areas.
The national average egg price has <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43835457/retail-expert-says-trader-joes-is-the-clear-winner-for-cheap-eggs-as-prices-rise-heres-how-theyre-doing-it">surged 65% from last year</a>, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with January&#8217;s 15.2% increase driving nearly two-thirds of monthly grocery cost increases. 
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43904932/warren-buffett-favors-5-treasury-bills-over-buybacks-as-berkshire-hathaways-cash-pile-surges-the-rate-of-change-thats-most-telling-says-lawrence-mcdonald">Warren Buffett Favors 5% Treasury Bills Over Buybacks As Berkshire Hathaway&#8217;s Cash Pile Balloons To $334 Billion: &#8216;The Rate Of Change… That&#8217;s Most Telling,&#8217; Says Expert</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Trump Promised To Bring Food, Egg Prices Under Control Starting Day One, But They Are Still High: Expert Mocks Alternatives Being Suggested

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) may soon integrate Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Gemini into Siri.
What Happened: Apple Intelligence, introduced with iOS 18, currently allows Siri to direct requests to OpenAI's ChatGPT for more contextual responses.
A new backend update in iOS 18.4 beta, discovered by code researcher Aaron Perris on X, now includes references to both "Google" and "OpenAI" under third-party AI model options.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/01/43325503/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-pays-trump-25-million-to-settle-lawsuit-over-facebook-instagram-ban-after-jan-6-riot-a-big-year-for-redefining-our-relationships-with-governments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Meta Pays Trump $25 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Facebook, Instagram Ban After Jan. 6 Riot: ‘A Big Year For Redefining Our Relationships With Governments&#8217;</a>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Apple&#39;s backend has revealed that the next 3rd party iOS-AI integration will be Google Gemini <a href="https://t.co/0rIuJhT5Lj">pic.twitter.com/0rIuJhT5Lj</a>
&mdash; Aaron (@aaronp613) <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/1893058313316671627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Last year in June at the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39256948/tim-cook-announces-apple-intelligence-for-iphones-calls-it-next-big-step-tremendously-excited">WWDC24</a>, Apple software executive Craig Federighi hinted that Apple may <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39271592/apple-may-introduce-google-gemini-ai-model-for-iphone-mac-and-ipad-says-craig-federighi">integrate other AI models</a>, including Google Gemini.
While the leak doesn't confirm an immediate rollout, it suggests that Gemini integration could arrive in a later iOS 18 update or possibly iOS 19. Apple is also expected to launch its own AI-driven <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42183616/apple-could-delay-key-ios-19-features-plans-shifting-to-staggered-rollouts-with-2026-siri-overhaul-and-more">Siri model with iOS 19</a>.
In January, it was reported that <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43655603/apple-finds-its-ai-wingman-in-alibaba-can-it-power-an-iphone-comeback-in-china">Apple decided to collaborate</a> with Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) to enhance AI features in China. This partnership could help Apple regain its competitive edge in the Chinese market.
Meanwhile, Google in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42446686/google-introduces-ai-agent-prototype-that-can-browse-the-web">December introduced</a> Gemini 2.0, Veo 2, and Imagen 3 for video and image generation, alongside a quantum computing breakthrough with its Willow chip.
Last month, CEO Sundar Pichai also hinted that Google could soon explore <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43488268/googles-gemini-ai-could-soon-include-adssundar-pichai-hints-at-future-monetization-beyond-subscriptions">monetization strategies</a> for its Gemini AI, including the potential introduction of ads.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43487551/sundar-pichai-acknowledges-deepseeks-ai-advancementsbut-says-googles-gemini-still-leads-in-cost-performance-and-l" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sundar Pichai Downplays DeepSeek Threat — Google's Gemini Still Leads In Cost, Performance, And Latency</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

AAPL

BABA

GOOG

Apple May Soon Integrate Google's Gemini In Siri, Shows iOS 18.4 Leak

Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, continued to confuse the cryptocurrency community through his erratic social media behavior and mixed signals about his meme coin project.
What happened: The controversial hip-hop artist wrote in an X post, "I need my own blockchain" on Sunday,&nbsp; amid growing speculation about his official cryptocurrency launch.&nbsp;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I need my own blockchain
&mdash; ye (@kanyewest) <a href="https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1893745092671709263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Ye also reposted several of Changpeng Zhao's posts during the weekend, suggesting that the new meme coin could be based on the BNB Chain (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/bnb/usd">BNB</a>). 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">That one retweet got him to 33.2m followers? wow. &#x1f914; <a href="https://t.co/IXz4eweQcc">https://t.co/IXz4eweQcc</a>
&mdash; CZ &#x1f536; BNB (@cz_binance) <a href="https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1893367379511402607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
But inexplicably, Ye unfollowed Zhao and started following Olaf Carlson-Wee, founder of cryptocurrency investment firm Polychain.
Moreover, all his previous posts, teasing the upcoming launch, were deleted as of this writing.&nbsp;
Ye didn't immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43826697/bitcoin-early-in-bull-market-can-compete-with-gold-etfs-blockstream-ceo-says">Bitcoin &#8216;Early In Bull Market,&#8217; Can Compete With Gold ETFs, Blockstream CEO Says</a>
Why It Matters: Reports emerged earlier this week that Ye would launch a cryptocurrency called YZY, <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43879013/after-im-a-nazi-rant-on-x-kanye-west-is-reportedly-considering-a-token-after-all">intending to serve</a> as the official currency of his Yeezy brand.
Should the music artist follow this course, it would mean a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43583457/kanye-west-has-no-plans-of-introducing-his-meme-coin-coins-prey-on-the-fans-with-hype">departure from his recent stance</a>, in which he rejected plans to launch his meme coin and criticized celebrity-backed tokens.
Ye&#8217;s controversial opinions have impacted his business. Recently, Shopify&nbsp;removed his online store after he listed products featuring offensive symbols.&nbsp;
Meme coins, launched by influential people, have been a flavor in the ongoing season, headlined by the <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43425958/late-trump-memecoin-sale-costs-trader-33-million-in-potential-gains">high-profile launch</a> of Official Trump (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>) by President Donald Trump. The tokenomics and the wild fluctuations, however, have attracted criticism.&nbsp;
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Donald Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, But Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Entertainment

$BNB

$TRUMP

Kanye West Deletes X Posts On Potential Meme Coin, Unfollows Changpeng Zhao — What's He Upto?

Bybit said on Sunday it froze $42.89 million of the hacked funds thanks to the efforts of multiple parties and returned to a 1:1 backing of the Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) held in custody, days after the shocking $1.4 billion exploit.
What Happened: Bybit announced via X that it was successful in restricting hackers&#8217; ability to move the funds, a day after hackers stole over $1.4 billion worth of ETH and related tokens.
This was made possible due to the coordinated efforts of multiple teams including stablecoin issuers like Tether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">USDT</a>), Circle (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">USDC</a>), the Avalanche ecosystem (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/avax/usd">AVAX</a>), and cryptocurrency exchange Bitget, among others.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">A coordinated effort led to the freezing of $42.89M in just one day. Thanks to the following teams for their swift action: <a href="https://twitter.com/Tether_to?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tether_to</a>: Flagged address and froze 181K USDT <a href="https://twitter.com/THORChain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@THORChain</a>: Blocked the blacklist <a href="https://twitter.com/ChangeNOW_io?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChangeNOW_io</a>: Froze 34 ETH <a href="https://twitter.com/FixedFloat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FixedFloat</a>: Froze 120K USDC + USDT…
&mdash; Bybit (@Bybit_Official) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bybit_Official/status/1893687749229563958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Furthermore, the exchange thanked Lily Liu, President of&nbsp;the Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) Foundation, and meme coin launchpad Pump.fun for their &#8220;swift action&#8221; in blocking a Solana-based token whose creator might be affiliated with the group behind the Bybit exploit.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/calilyliu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@caLilyLiu</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/pumpdotfun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pumpdotfun</a> team for taking swift action to block and remove a Solana-based token whose creator may be affiliated with hacker groups, ensuring the security of the ecosystem. This is a great example of proactive security in action
&mdash; Bybit (@Bybit_Official) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bybit_Official/status/1893689554202157249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43826697/bitcoin-early-in-bull-market-can-compete-with-gold-etfs-blockstream-ceo-says">Bitcoin &#8216;Early In Bull Market,&#8217; Can Compete With Gold ETFs, Blockstream CEO Says</a>
Meanwhile, Bybit CEO Ben Zhou confirmed that the exchange has "fully closed" the ETH gap through loans, whale deposits, and ETH purchases, returning to a 1:1 backing of its client assets.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Latest Update: Bybit has already fully closed the ETH gap, new audited POR report will be published very soon to show that Bybit is again Back to 100% 1:1 on client assets through merkle tree, Stay tuned. <a href="https://t.co/QLa1vOujM6">https://t.co/QLa1vOujM6</a>
&mdash; Ben Zhou (@benbybit) <a href="https://twitter.com/benbybit/status/1893865556840775758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: The cryptocurrency market came in for a big jolt Friday after North Korea's infamous&nbsp;Lazarus Group allegedly hacked over a billion dollars worth of ETH from popular exchange Bybit, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43901287/north-koreas-lazarus-group-suspected-in-1-4-billion-bybit-crypto-hack">marking the biggest cryptocurrency heist</a> ever recorded.
Following the hack, Bybit launched a recovery bounty program, offering up to 10% of the recovered funds as a reward to cybersecurity experts who assist in retrieving the stolen assets.&nbsp;
Bybit continues processing withdrawals, securing liquidity through a bridge loan covering 80% of the stolen Ethereum to ensure customers' funds remain safe.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Donald Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, But Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

$AVAX

$USDC

$USDT

Bybit Nears Recovery After Crypto Heist: Freezes $42.89 Million In Stolen Funds, Secures $1.23 Billion In ETH Through Whales And Loans

ByteDance Ltd., the owner of TikTok, has reportedly seen its valuation climb past $400 billion, driven by major investors like SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TROW#NASDAQ">TROW</a>).
What Happened: At least three major investors have marked up ByteDance's valuation, with Fidelity estimating it at more than $410 billion and T. Rowe Price at over $450 billion.
SoftBank's Vision Fund has also revised its valuation to exceed $400 billion, factoring in the growth potential of ByteDance's AI business, Doubao, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-21/softbank-fidelity-t-rowe-value-bytedance-at-above-400-billion?srnd=phx-technology">reported</a> Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43876492/apples-visual-intelligence-may-come-to-iphone-15-pro-heres-how-it-can-transform-your-camera-with-ai-powered-real-time-search">Apple&#8217;s Visual Intelligence May Come To iPhone 15 Pro: Here&#8217;s How It Can Transform Your Camera With AI-Powered Real-Time Search</a>
SoftBank's valuation model assigns zero value to <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43724471/tiktok-returns-to-apple-and-google-app-stores-after-a-month-long-hiatus">TikTok's U.S. operations</a>, reflecting ongoing regulatory threats. If TikTok avoids a shutdown in the U.S., ByteDance's valuation could rise even further, the report noted, citing a source.
The increase comes amid a broader rally in Chinese tech stocks, driven by optimism <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43878215/chinas-deepseek-to-open-source-key-code-repositories-in-a-bid-for-full-transparency">around AI startup</a> DeepSeek and a more favorable regulatory environment in China.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: ByteDance's valuation surge highlights the growing importance of AI in the global tech sector, even as geopolitical tensions cloud its U.S. business prospects.
Investors are betting on ByteDance's AI leadership in China, where Doubao has 75 million active users.
In October 2023, ByteDance valued <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/11/42027476/bytedance-valuation-soars-to-300b-despite-threat-of-us-tiktok-ban">itself at around $225 billion</a>. This rose to $268 billion after a buyback in December 2023.
ByteDance investors see Donald Trump's return to the White House as a good sign for TikTok in the U.S. Although Trump once backed a ban on the app, he changed his position during his campaign.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43840286/apples-iphone-16e-to-drive-revenue-growth-for-tim-cooks-company-says-top-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple's iPhone 16e To Drive Revenue Growth For Tim Cook's Company, Says Top Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Media

SFTBF

SFTBY

TROW

ByteDance's AI Business Helps Boost Valuation Past $400 Billion Even As US TikTok Business Risks Loom

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index moved to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Friday.
U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index dipping more than 700 points during the session.
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 64.7 in January, a decline of 10% and a steeper drop than expected. The 5-year inflation outlook in the survey is the highest since 1995 at 3.5%. Existing home sales sank by 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.08 million in January, the sharpest decline in seven months, according to Trading Economics.
February&#8217;s flash S&amp;P Global PMIs released Friday morning revealed a sharp, unexpected drop in services and raised concerns about the health of the private sector.
Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) slumped around 7% on Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported the Department of Justice launched an investigation into the company's Medicare billing practices.
Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with information technology, consumer discretionary, and industrials stocks recording losses on Friday. However, consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.
The Dow Jones closed lower by around 749 points to 43,428.02 on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 1.71% to 6,013.13, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.20% at 19,524.01 during Friday's session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from Owens Corning (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OC#NYSE">OC</a>), Domino&#8217;s Pizza Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>), and Westlake Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WLK#NYSE">WLK</a>) today.
What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?
At a current reading of 35.4, the index moved to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 45.1.
The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43891623/top-2-health-care-stocks-that-may-rocket-higher-this-month">Top 2 Health Care Stocks That May Rocket Higher This Month</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Pre-Market Outlook

Dow Tumbles Over 700 Points Following Weak Economic Data: Investor Sentiment Declines, Greed Index Moves To 'Fear' Zone

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) share repurchases have dropped dramatically as Warren Buffett appears to prefer 5% Treasury bills over <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43903272/buffetts-assures-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-amid-skyrocketing-cash-reserves">buying back company stock</a>.
What Happened: Berkshire&#8217;s buybacks fell to $2.9 billion in 2024 from $9.2 billion in 2023 and $7.9 billion in 2022, Bear Traps Report founder Lawrence McDonald noted on Sunday on X. This decline comes as the conglomerate&#8217;s cash reserves have surged nearly 300% since 2022, reaching $334 billion by 2025.
&#8220;It&#8217;s NOT the size of the cash hoard, it&#8217;s the &#8216;rate of change&#8217; in the size of the cash that&#8217;s most telling,&#8221; McDonald wrote, highlighting Berkshire&#8217;s rapidly growing cash position from $109 billion in 2022 to $277 billion in 2024.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Berkshire &#8211; share repurchases &#8211; Buffett's actions are telling, indeed… 2024: $2.9B 2023: $9.2B 2022: $7.9B With <a href="https://twitter.com/DrDavidKass?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrDavidKass</a>
&mdash; Lawrence McDonald (@Convertbond) <a href="https://twitter.com/Convertbond/status/1893403416849773019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It's NOT the size of the cash hoard, it's the "rate of change" in the size of the cash that's most telling. <a href="https://t.co/NouUJot9SN">https://t.co/NouUJot9SN</a>
&mdash; Lawrence McDonald (@Convertbond) <a href="https://twitter.com/Convertbond/status/1893396250273140790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43902384/trumps-tax-plans-gold-nears-3000-and-ray-dalios-solution-to-americas-debt-crisis-this-week-in-economics">Trump&#8217;s Tax Plans, Gold Nears $3000, And Ray Dalio&#8217;s Solution To America&#8217;s Debt Crisis: This Week In Economics</a>
Why It Matters: The 94-year-old Buffett addressed these trends in his annual letter to shareholders on Saturday, reaffirming his commitment to business ownership <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43903272/buffetts-assures-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-amid-skyrocketing-cash-reserves">despite the record cash pile</a>. He assured investors that Berkshire would &#8220;forever deploy a substantial majority of their money in equities — mostly American equities.&#8221;
The surge in cash reserves comes as Berkshire has reduced stakes in several companies, including Citigroup and Bank of America while reinvesting proceeds into Treasury bills. Buffett cited improved Treasury yields as a factor, though he warned that fixed-coupon bonds offer no protection against currency devaluation.
The shifting allocation strategy reflects both current market conditions and Buffett&#8217;s cautious outlook. With U.S. stocks at record valuations, the legendary investor has found it challenging to identify attractive acquisition targets, leading to the unprecedented accumulation of cash equivalents despite his historical preference for owning businesses outright.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43904642/peter-schiff-slams-feds-2-inflation-target-for-the-first-99-years-the-unofficial-target-was-zero-amid-jerome-powells-inflation-concerns">Peter Schiff Slams Fed&#8217;s 2% Inflation Target: &#8216;For The First 99 Years… The Unofficial Target Was Zero&#8217; Amid Jerome Powell&#8217;s Inflation Concerns</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Warren Buffett Favors 5% Treasury Bills Over Buybacks As Berkshire Hathaway's Cash Pile Balloons To $334 Billion: 'The Rate Of Change… That's Most Telling,' Says Expert

With U.S. stock futures trading mixed this morning on Monday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Wall Street expects Owens Corning (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OC#NYSE">OC</a>) to report quarterly earnings at $2.90 per share on revenue of $2.77 billion before the opening bell, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>. Owens Corning shares gained 0.01% to $165.47 in after-hours trading.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Domino&#8217;s Pizza Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>) to post quarterly earnings at $4.91 per share on revenue of $1.48 billion. The company will release earnings before the markets open. Domino&#8217;s shares fell 2% to close at $462.37 on Friday.</li>
<li>Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HE#NYSE">HE</a>) posted a loss of 40 cents per share for the fourth quarter, versus earnings of 44 cents per share in the year-ago period. The company's sales fell to $799.18 million from $853.42 million. Hawaiian Electric shares fell 2.7% to $10.47 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
</ul>
Check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a>
<ul>
<li>After the markets close, ONEOK Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKE#NYSE">OKE</a>) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.51 per share on revenue of $6.73 billion. ONEOK shares fell 0.1% to $97.97 in after-hours trading.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Westlake Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WLK#NYSE">WLK</a>) to post quarterly earnings at $1.09 per share on revenue of $2.94 billion before the opening bell. Westlake shares fell 1.5% to close at $109.71 on Friday.</li>
</ul>
Check This Out: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43891623/top-2-health-care-stocks-that-may-rocket-higher-this-month">Top 2 Health Care Stocks That May Rocket Higher This Month</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Owens Corning, Domino's Pizza And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Monday

U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index dipping more than 700 points during the session. The S&amp;P 500 also fell 1.71% to 6,013.13, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.20% at 19,524.01 during Friday's session.
Wall Street analysts make new stock picks on a daily basis. Unfortunately for investors, not all analysts have particularly impressive track records at predicting market movements. Even when it comes to one single stock, analyst ratings and price targets can vary widely, leaving investors confused about which analyst&#8217;s opinion to trust.
Benzinga&#8217;s Analyst Ratings API is a collection of the highest-quality stock ratings curated by the Benzinga news desk via direct partnerships with major sell-side banks. Benzinga displays overnight ratings changes on a daily basis three hours prior to the U.S. equity market opening. Data specialists at investment dashboard provider Toggle.ai recently uncovered that the analyst insights Benzinga Pro subscribers and Benzinga readers regularly receive can successfully be used as trading indicators to outperform the stock market.
Top Analyst Picks: Fortunately, any Benzinga reader can access the latest analyst ratings on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. One of the ways traders can sort through Benzinga&#8217;s extensive database of analyst ratings is by analyst accuracy. Here&#8217;s a look at the most recent stock picks from each of the five most accurate Wall Street analysts, according to Benzinga <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Analyst Stock</a> Ratings.
Analyst: Lloyd Walmsley
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: UBS</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Buy rating on Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKNG#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>) and raised the price target from $5,560 to $5,960 on Feb. 21. This analyst sees around 20% upside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Feb. 20, Booking Holdings reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results and raised its quarterly dividend.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Mark Kelley
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Stifel</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Hold rating on Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/W#NYSE">W</a>) and slashed the price target from $47 to $46 on Feb. 21. This analyst sees around 9% surge in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Feb. 20, the company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 25 cents loss.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Doug Anmuth 
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: JP Morgan</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Underweight rating on Tripadvisor, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRIP#NASDAQ">TRIP</a>) and raised the price target from $14 to $15 on Feb. 21. This analyst sees around 1% downside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Feb. 20, TripAdvisor posted upbeat quarterly results.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: Alexander Paris
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Barrington Research</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 86%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained an Outperform rating on Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LINC#NASDAQ">LINC</a>) with a price target of $20 on Feb. 19. This analyst sees around 22% surge in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Feb. 18, Lincoln Educational Services said it will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and year-end financial results on Monday, Feb. 24.</li>
</ul>
Analyst: William Stein
<ul>
<li>Analyst Firm: Truist Securities</li>
<li>Ratings Accuracy: 85%</li>
<li>Latest Rating: Maintained a Hold rating on Analog Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADI#NASDAQ">ADI</a>) and raised the price target from $230 to $248 on Feb. 20. This analyst sees around 4% upside in the stock.</li>
<li>Recent News: On Feb. 19, the company said its first-quarter revenue declined 4% year-on-year to $2.42 billion, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $2.36 billion.</li>
</ul>
Read More: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43891623/top-2-health-care-stocks-that-may-rocket-higher-this-month">Top 2 Health Care Stocks That May Rocket Higher This Month</a></li>
</ul>

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

BKNG

LINC

TRIP

This Analyst With 86% Accuracy Rate Sees Around 20% Upside In Booking Holdings - Here Are 5 Stock Picks For Last Week From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts

Domino&#8217;s Pizza, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>) will release its fourth-quarter financial results, before the opening <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DPZ/earnings">bell, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.</a>
Analysts expect the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company to report quarterly earnings at $4.91 per share, up from $4.48 per share in the year-ago period. Domino&#8217;s projects quarterly revenue of $1.48 billion, compared to $1.4 billion a year earlier, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
On Oct. 10, the company reported sales growth of 5.1% Y/Y to $1.08 billion, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. EPS of $4.19 beat the consensus estimate of $3.68.
Domino&#8217;s shares fell 2% to close at $462.37 on Friday.
Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.
Let's have a look at how Benzinga's most-accurate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DPZ/analyst-ratings">analysts have rated the company</a> in the recent period.
<ul>
<li>Citigroup analyst Jon Tower maintained a Neutral rating and raised the price target from $440 to $520 on Feb. 19, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 72%.</li>
<li>Barclays analyst Jeffrey Bernstein maintained an Underweight rating and lowered the price target from $412 to $402 on Jan. 24, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 64%.</li>
<li>Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Harbour maintained an Overweight rating and cut the price target from $510 to $496 on Jan. 21, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.</li>
<li>Oppenheimer analyst Brian Bittner maintained an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $490 to $495 on Jan. 7, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 66%.</li>
<li>TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $475 to $515 on Nov. 25, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 73%.</li>
</ul>
Considering buying DPZ stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="613" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/23131450/image-183-1024x613.png" alt="" class="wp-image-794262" style="width:597px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/23131450/image-183-1024x613.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/23131450/image-183-300x179.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/23131450/image-183-768x459.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/23131450/image-183.png 1115w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Read This Next:
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43891623/top-2-health-care-stocks-that-may-rocket-higher-this-month">Top 2 Health Care Stocks That May Rocket Higher This Month</a></li>
</ul>

Domino's Gears Up For Q4 Print; Here Are The Recent Forecast Changes From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts

On Monday, Australia&#8217;s online safety regulator fined messaging platform Telegram about 1 million Australian dollars ($640,000) for failing to respond on time to an inquiry into measures preventing the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/08/40563957/is-telegram-safer-than-whatsapp-or-signal-app-might-not-be-so-private-after-all-report">spread of child abuse</a> and extremist content.
What Happened: The eSafety Commission had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/05/38751844/australia-calls-for-inquiry-into-metas-facebook-elon-musks-x-tiktok-to-make-these-platforms-accounta">requested information</a> from Telegram and Reddit about their efforts in combating child sexual abuse material and extremist activities.
Telegram was expected to respond by May but only submitted its answers in October, reported Reuters.
"Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia, and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43840109/google-takes-away-gemini-from-main-ios-app-users-forced-to-download-standalone-ai-chatbot">Google Takes Away Gemini From Main iOS App, Users Forced To Download Standalone AI Chatbot</a>
She added that Telegram's delay obstructed the regulator's ability to enforce online safety measures.
Telegram defended itself, stating it had fully answered all of eSafety's questions last year. "The unfair and disproportionate penalty concerns only the response timeframe, and we intend to appeal," the company told the publication.
Telegram did not immediately respond to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Last year, Telegram faced massive global scrutiny, when its founder Pavel Durov came <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/10/41145263/telegrams-pavel-durov-little-has-changed-in-privacy-policies-despite-legal-woes">under investigation in France</a> for alleged illegal activity on the platform.
Durov has denied the allegations. He is out on bail currently.
A <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41221289/telegram-the-new-frontier-for-criminal-gangs-un-report-uncovers-alarming-trends-in-organized-crime">UN report</a> in October 2024 also identified Telegram as a major platform for criminal networks in Southeast Asia, involved in trading hacked data and selling cybercrime tools.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40680081/alleged-deepfake-sex-crimes-south-korea-puts-telegram-under-the-microscope">South Korean authorities</a> have also been investigating the app for its alleged role in spreading explicit deepfake content.
The Australian government was also considering <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40784803/after-feud-with-elon-musk-and-mark-zuckerberg-australian-pm-anthony-albanese-set-to-ban-social-media">banning social media for children</a> due to health concerns.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/43763629/south-korea-joins-italy-in-halting-downloads-of-chinas-deepseek-amid-global-scrutiny-over-privacy-issues" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Korea Joins Italy In Halting Downloads Of China&#8217;s DeepSeek Amid Global Scrutiny Over Privacy Issues</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Social Media

Telegram Fined $640,000 By Australia For Delayed Response To Child Abuse, Terrorism Inquiry: 'Unfair And Disproportionate Penalty'

Unlike government bonds, corporate bonds have one major advantage: they offer strong returns.

When investing in corporate bonds, there are many variables an investor should consider such as credit risk, interest rates, Federal Reserve policy, and the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/22/10/29225539/this-congressman-just-dumped-his-shares-of-intel-and-bought-these-two-treasury-bond-etfs">size of their position</a>. Additionally, there are many types of bonds to consider such as short-term, medium-term and long-term bonds which have maturities ranging from five years or less, five to twelve years, and more than twelve years, respectively.

This is why some investors may prefer to invest in actively managed exchange-traded funds that seek to invest in the maturities of their preferences.

See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/22/10/29178291/3-reasons-to-invest-in-treasury-etfs-over-treasuries-themselves">3 Reasons To Invest In Treasury ETFs Over Treasuries Themselves</a>

<ul>
	<li>Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCLT#NASDAQ">VCLT</a>) is offering a dividend yield of 4.56% or $3.28 per share annually, making monthly payments, with an inconsistent track record of increasing its dividends. Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted corporate bond index with a long-term dollar-weighted average maturity. The fund currently has total assets under management of $4.8 billion with a turnover rate of nearly 36%. The Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index measures the investment return of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable securities issued by industrial, utility, and financial companies with maturities greater than 10 years.</li>
	<li>BlackRock Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ICSH#BATS">ICSH</a>) is offering a dividend yield of 0.95% or 47 cents per share annually, through monthly payments, with an inconsistent track record of increasing its dividends. BlackRock Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF seeks to provide current income consistent with the preservation of capital. The fund seeks to provide income by investing in a broad range of short-term U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade fixed- and floating-rate debt securities and money market instruments. The fund has assets under management north of $6.9 billion and a management <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/22/10/29206774/single-stock-etfs-are-on-the-rise-understand-these-core-principles-before-investing">fee of 0.08%</a>.</li>
</ul>

Comments

iShares Ultra Short-Term Bond Active ETF

News

Latest news for iShares Ultra Short-Term Bond Active ETF (BATS:ICSH)

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Popular Channels

Tools & Features

Partners & Contributors

About Benzinga