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Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)-based meme coin launchpad Pump.fun was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Thursday, claiming that all tokens created on the platform are unregistered securities.
What happened: The suit, filed in a New York federal court, named Baton Corporation, a U.K.-registered company, as the owner of Pump.fun. The complaint alleged that the platform earned nearly half a billion dollars in fees by selling "highly volatile unregistered securities."
The plaintiff further accused Pump.fun of allowing the sale of "worthless" digital tokens in minutes, disregarding basic investor protections, including "Know Your Customer" rules and anti-money laundering protocols.
The lawsuit also claimed that the network has no age verification or restrictions in place, allowing anyone to create tokens on provocative themes.
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/25/01/43325381/elon-musks-tesla-racks-up-600-million-paper-gains-on-bitcoin-in-q4">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Records $600 Million In Paper Gains On Bitcoin In Q4 Thanks To New Accounting Rule</a>&nbsp;
The lead complainant, Diego Angular, claimed to have lost money trading Pump.fun meme coins like Fwog (FWOG) and Griffain (GRIFFAIN) and sought compensation.&nbsp;
Alon Cohen, Pump.fun creator, didn&#8217;t immediately respond to Benzinga&#8217;s request for comment.
Why It Matters: The latest legal trouble comes two weeks after a class-action lawsuit was filed against Pump.fun over the sale of the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/41949184/elon-musk-endorsed-peanut-the-squirrel-surges-270-to-15-billion-valuation-only-more-wild-moves-ahead-says-millionaire-trader">popular</a> Peanut The Squirrel (PNUT) token.
Pump.fun was at the heart of the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/42014810/viral-baby-hippo-moodeng-makes-new-all-time-high-could-follow-shiba-inus-run-trader-predicts">Solana meme coin mania</a> last year, spawning multi-million dollar coins like PNUT, Fartcoin (FARTCOIN), and MooDeng (MOODENG).
As of this writing, the combined market capitalization of Pump.fun meme coins was nearly $6 billion, <a href="https://www.coingecko.com/en/categories/pump-fun">according </a>to CoinGecko. Over the last 24 hours, the valuation fell by 8%.
Photo by Avi Rozen on Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
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Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

News

$SOL

Are Fartcoin, MooDeng Tokens Securities? Solana-based Memecoin Creator Pump.fun Slapped With Class-Action Lawsuit

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) researcher Troy Teslike expects the company&#8217;s EV deliveries to drop this year despite the Elon Musk-led EV giant promising new and more affordable models on Wednesday.
What Happened: Teslike expects deliveries to decline 1% in 2025 to 1.77 million units, below the company-compiled consensus estimate of over 2 million units, the researcher said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Hi everyone. Here are the Tesla delivery estimates for the full year: • My Estimate: 1,772,000 units • Analyst Consensus: 2,039,674 units The analyst consensus comes from Tesla&#39;s survey of 26 analysts, known as the Company-Compiled consensus. Tesla delivered 1,789,226 cars… <a href="https://t.co/t5sKQBw6B0">pic.twitter.com/t5sKQBw6B0</a>
&mdash; Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) <a href="https://twitter.com/TroyTeslike/status/1885045876332114093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As per Teslike, the start of Tesla Semi deliveries won&#8217;t contribute to the delivery numbers this year and CEO Musk did not reiterate the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42802658/tesla-ceo-elon-musks-20-to-30-sales-growth-target-for-2025-is-not-realistic-says-analyst">20%-30% delivery growth target</a> that he had put forth in October.
&#8220;We expect the vehicle business to return to growth in 2025,&#8221; the company said in its earnings report instead. 
Teslike, however, expects sales to drop in both the U.S. and Europe due to top brand sentiment and fewer incentives. The researcher, however, expects deliveries to rise in China, similar to 2024. 
Tesla said on Wednesday that the company expects to start production of new models, including more affordable ones, in the first half of 2025. Teslike, however, expects the new vehicles to cannibalize sales of existing models.
Why It Matters: Tesla stock rose after hours on Wednesday despite the company reporting revenue and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43326143/tesla-stock-rises-5-after-hours-on-fsd-and-new-vehicle-promises-despite-q4-revenue-miss">earnings below expectations</a>. The company promised new and affordable models this year and said that it would start testing its autonomous ride-hailing service in Texas in June with vehicles deployed with its full self-driving (FSD) driver assistance technology, driving investor sentiment. 
However, Musk also warned that the company will be retooling factories for the start of production of its new and refreshed Model Y in the first quarter and the change will result in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43328898/elon-musk-warns-teslas-new-model-y-will-result-in-several-weeks-of-lost-production-for-ev-giant-in-q1">several weeks of lost production</a>. 
Tesla stock closed up 2.9% at $400.28 on Thursday, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro.</a> Tesla has a consensus price target of $320.75 based on the ratings of 32 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TSLA/analyst-ratings">analysts tracked by Benzinga</a> and a consensus &#8220;buy&#8221; rating.
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>
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Image via Shutterstock

Equities

Markets

Tech

TSLA

Tesla Researcher Predicts Drop In Deliveries For Elon Musk's EV Giant In 2025 Despite New Model Launches

Macro Economic Events

Econ #s

Economics

Reported Earlier, Australia Producer Price Index (QoQ) For Q4 0.8% Vs. 1.0% Est.; 1.0% (Revised) Prior

Reported Earlier, Australia Producer Price Index (YoY) For Q4 3.7% Vs. 3.9% Prior

BBJP

WisdomTree Trust Japan Total Dividend Fund

Reported Earlier, Japan Industrial Production (MoM) Preliminary For December 0.3% Vs. -0.1% Est.; -2.2% Prior

Reported Earlier, Japan Tokyo Core Consumer Price Index (YoY) For January 2.5% Vs. 2.5% Est.; 2.4% Prior

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally requested 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 to reconsider renaming the Gulf of Mexico
What Happened: The request follows an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43086509/trump-unleashes-executive-orders-on-border-security-oil-drilling-domestic-manufacturing-in-first-acts-as-president">executive order by U.S.</a> President Donald Trump to rename the body of water as the "<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43256798/google-maps-to-rename-gulf-of-mexico-to-gulf-of-america-for-us-users-in-aftermath-of-trump-executive-order">Gulf of America</a>."
The renaming will only affect Google Maps users in the U.S., while the rest of the world will continue to see the Gulf of Mexico.
Sheinbaum argues that the U.S. lacks the legal authority to change the name internationally, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which limits a country&#8217;s sovereign territory to 12 nautical miles from its coastline, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn1rgngn8o">reported</a> BBC.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43086509/trump-unleashes-executive-orders-on-border-security-oil-drilling-domestic-manufacturing-in-first-acts-as-president" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Unleashes Executive Orders On Border Security, Oil Drilling, Domestic Manufacturing In First Acts As President</a>
She also poked fun at Trump&#8217;s decision saying, &#8220;By the way, we are also going to ask for Mexican America to appear on the map.&#8221;
Why It Matters: Google has a history of adjusting place names in regions with territorial disputes. For instance, it refers to the body of water between Japan and South Korea as the "Sea of Japan (East Sea)."&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 2012, Iran warned of potential legal action against Google after the company removed "Persian Gulf" from its maps. In some regions, the waterway is now labeled as the "Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)."
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.
Google has also reportedly reclassified the U.S. as a &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43295150/google-reclassifies-us-as-sensitive-country-just-like-china-and-russia-after-trumps-gulf-of-america-move">sensitive country</a>,&#8221; a label typically reserved for nations with strict governments or border disputes, such as China and Russia.
Price Action: As of this writing, Alphabet&#8217;s Class A shares were up 0.35% in after-hours trading at $201.57, while Class C shares climbed 0.34% to $203.32. Earlier on Thursday, Class A shares closed 2.79% higher at $200.87, with Class C shares rising 2.76% to $202.63, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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>.
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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.

Politics

Media

GOOG

GOOGL

Mexican President Asks Google Not To Rename Gulf Of Mexico, Takes A Swipe At Trump Decision By Asking For 'Mexican America'

Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) corrected sharply this week, but the dog-themed cryptocurrency could gain upsides in the days to come, according to a popular trader's analysis on Thursday.
What happened: Trader Tardigrade, noted for recognizing patterns and forecasting the next moves for cryptocurrencies, predicted "upside momentum" for DOGE as the meme coin broke out from a descending trendline.&nbsp;
Typically, a break above the descending trend line indicates that buyer demand has increased and the bearish trend could end. Notably, DOGE lost over 6% in a week.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dogecoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dogecoin</a> is breaking out of a Descending Trendline &#x1f525;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24Doge&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$Doge</a> gains upside momentum &#x1f680; <a href="https://t.co/AHB2i4jGUX">pic.twitter.com/AHB2i4jGUX</a>
&mdash; Trader Tardigrade (@TATrader_Alan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TATrader_Alan/status/1885080007384719587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a separate post, the influential trader spotted a falling wedge pattern on the weekly Dogecoin vs. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) dominance chart.
The falling wedge is now supported by a key level. Dogecoin might outperform BTC and lead the #Altseason in the coming weeks," they stated.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24Doge.D&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$Doge.D</a>/ <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC.D&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC.D</a> (Dogecoin Dominance on Bitcoin Dominance) has formed a Falling Wedge on the weekly chart &#x1f525; The falling wedge is now supported by a Key Level.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dogecoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dogecoin</a> might outperform <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> and lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Altseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Altseason</a> in the coming weeks &#x1f680; <a href="https://t.co/U42ZCnE0gu">pic.twitter.com/U42ZCnE0gu</a>
&mdash; Trader Tardigrade (@TATrader_Alan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TATrader_Alan/status/1884956914502767086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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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/25/01/43325381/elon-musks-tesla-racks-up-600-million-paper-gains-on-bitcoin-in-q4">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Records $600 Million In Paper Gains On Bitcoin In Q4 Thanks To New Accounting Rule</a>&nbsp;
Ali Martinez, another widely followed cryptocurrency analyst, predicted DOGE to rise to $0.36 after the biggest meme coin by market capitalization was seen breaking out of a symmetrical triangle pattern.
A symmetrical triangle pattern, characterized by two converging trend lines, indicates a period of market consolidation before a potential breakout or breakdown.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dogecoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dogecoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24DOGE&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$DOGE</a> appears to have broken out of a symmetrical triangle, targeting $0.36! <a href="https://t.co/Inx2spKBa7">pic.twitter.com/Inx2spKBa7</a>
&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1884984215881834762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Why It Matters: The bullish projections contrasted with bearish signals coming from some popular technical indicators of Dogecoin.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence, which compares two exponential moving averages of price, flashed a "Sell" signal as of this writing, according to <a href="https://in.tradingview.com/symbols/DOGEUSD/technicals/">data </a>from TradingView.
Additionally, the Momentum indicator, which compares the short-term momentum and long-term momentum, also gave a bearish signal.
In the futures market, bearish bets on DOGE surged against bullish bets, <a href="https://www.coinglass.com/LongShortRatio">according </a>to Coinglass.
Price Action: At the time of writing, DOGE was exchanging hands at $0.3274, down 1.47% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Year-to-date, the coin was up 3.56%.
Image via Shutterstock
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$BTC

$DOGE

Dogecoin Might 'Outperform' Bitcoin And Lead The Altcoin Season, Says Analyst

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) has reportedly issued a stern warning to employees about leaking information.
This comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s comments during an all-hands meeting were leaked on Wednesday.
What Happened: In an internal memo, Guy Rosen, Meta&#8217;s chief information security officer, emphasized the seriousness of leaks, stating, &#8220;We take leaks seriously and will take action,&#8221; <a href="https://www.theverge.com/meta/603812/meta-warns-leakers-leaked-memo">reported</a> The Verge.&nbsp;
He highlighted the negative impact on team morale and productivity, adding that Meta will &#8220;take appropriate action, including termination&#8221; against those responsible.
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'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'</a>
Why It Matters: The memo came shortly after Zuckerberg&#8217;s remarks from Meta&#8217;s first all-hands meeting of the year were leaked, according to a separate <a href="https://www.theverge.com/command-line-newsletter/603754/mark-zuckerberg-tells-employees-to-buckle-up-in-leaked-all-hands-meeting">report</a> by The Verge.
During the meeting, Zuckerberg addressed employee concerns about layoffs, content moderation changes, and Meta's relationship with the Donald Trump administration.
He defended <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42960291/metas-content-moderation-changes-alarm-advertisers-as-zuckerberg-aligns-with-trump-and-musk">policy shifts</a>, highlighted Meta's continued AI and smart glasses investments, and expressed frustration over leaks, leading to stricter internal communications.&nbsp;
&#8220;We try to be really open, and then everything I say leaks,&#8221; he stated, adding, &#8220;It s&#x2A;&#x2A;ks.&#8221;
Meta&#8217;s warning to employees about leaks is not an isolated incident. In February 2023, the company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/02/30871801/metas-vr-headset-leaks-mystery-solved-source-identified-after-probe">identified the source of leaks</a> concerning its unannounced VR headsets.&nbsp;
Zuckerberg also has a history of taking a firm stance against leaks. In 2010, he demanded the immediate resignation of a Facebook employee after what he termed &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/09/40714270/mark-zuckerbergs-confidential-2010-email-demanded-a-facebook-employee-resign-immediately-aft">an act of betrayal</a>&#8221; against the company.
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.
Meta continues to perform well financially. The company reported a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43322201/meta-platforms-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-daily-actives-up-5-continued-strong-revenue-growth-expected">strong fourth quarter</a>, with revenue of $48.39 billion, beating <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings">analyst estimates</a> of $47.03 billion.
Price Action: Meta&#8217;s stock dipped 0.16% in after-hours trading to $685.91. Earlier on Thursday, it closed at $687, reflecting a 1.55% gain during regular trading, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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</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.

Meta Vows To Fire Leakers After Mark Zuckerberg's Private Comments Made Public — CEO Says, 'It S**ks'

Amid recent artificial intelligence sector turbulence, CNBC&#8217;s Jim Cramer wondered if Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) might be the next Chinese tech giant to draw market focus. 
What Happened: He posed the question on X on Thursday, writing, &#8220;First, it was DeepSeek, then it was BABA, and next, maybe Baidu?&#8221;
The observation comes as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) shares surged 6.39% to $102.91 on Thursday, driven by growing investor confidence in its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/43351350/alibaba-stock-rises-as-deepseek-selloff-continues-qwen-ai-model-gains-attention">Qwen 2.5-Max AI model</a>. Alibaba&#8217;s latest AI iteration has reportedly outperformed DeepSeek-V3 in multiple benchmarks, including Arena Hard, LiveBench, and GPQA-Diamond tests.
The market repositioning follows a tumultuous period triggered by DeepSeek&#8217;s disruptive entrance, which initially caused a massive tech sector selloff. NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) saw <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43294528/jim-cramer-says-the-shoot-first-learn-later-crowd-got-hosed-as-nvidia-and-other-tech-stocks-stage-recovery-after-deepseek-turmoil">nearly $600 billion erased from its market value</a> on Monday before staging an 8.82% recovery on Tuesday.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/43351350/alibaba-stock-rises-as-deepseek-selloff-continues-qwen-ai-model-gains-attention">Tim Cook Praises China&#8217;s DeepSeek For Driving Efficiency, Stresses Apple&#8217;s &#8216;Prudent And Deliberate&#8217; Approach Toward Capital Expenditure</a>
Why It Matters: DeepSeek, which emerged from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43293842/bill-ackman-questions-whether-deepseek-ais-hedge-fund-affiliate-profited-from-nvidias-sell-off-a-fortune-could-have-been-made">the $8 billion quantitative hedge</a> fund High-Flyer, had claimed to match OpenAI&#8217;s performance at significantly lower costs, developing its R1 model for just $5.6 million using lower-end Nvidia chips. However, sustainability concerns have since dampened enthusiasm for DeepSeek-linked investments.
The shifting landscape has caught the attention of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43296517/black-swan-author-nassim-taleb-nvidias-17-drop-on-monday-is-just-the-beginning-says-electric-cars-are-next-noting-pioneers-with-innovative-ideas-never-made-money">prominent market observers</a>. &#8220;Black Swan&#8221; author Nassim Taleb warned investors about the fragility of wealth concentration in technology stocks, suggesting at Miami Hedge Fund Week that potential drawdowns could be &#8220;two or three times bigger&#8221; than Monday&#8217;s selloff.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) for a potential $40 billion funding round at <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43374528/softbank-may-lead-openais-40-billion-funding-round-at-a-300-billion-valuation-despite-deepseek-disruption-report">a $300 billion valuation</a>, highlighting the intense competition in the AI space. OpenAI has accused DeepSeek of using its proprietary models without authorization, adding another layer of complexity to the evolving narrative.
Price Action: Baidu closed at $94.77 on Thursday, gaining 5.76% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock dipped slightly by 0.047%, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/43374018/bitcoin-dogecoin-trade-flat-ethereum-rises-ahead-of-feds-preferred-inflation-gauge-release-will-bitcoin-peak-in-early-2027">Bitcoin, Dogecoin Trade Flat, Ethereum Rises Ahead Of Fed&#8217;s Preferred Inflation Gauge Release: Will Bitcoin Peak In Early 2027?</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.

BABA

BIDU

NVDA

SFTBY

Jim Cramer Wonders If Baidu Could Be Next After Alibaba's AI Model Outperforms DeepSeek

Cryptocurrency firm Tether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">USDT</a>) announced the launch of USDT, the world&#8217;s most valuable stablecoin by market cap, on the Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) blockchain on Thursday.
What Happened: The integration will make the $139 billion-valued stablecoin available on Bitcoin&#8217;s base layer and the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/what-is-the-bitcoin-lightning-network">Lightning Network</a>, its second-layer protocol, according to a press release.
The integration will be made possible by the&nbsp;new Taproot-powered protocol, Taproot Assets,&nbsp;developed by Lightning Labs. The upgrade allows users to issue and transfer digital assets like stablecoins directly on the Bitcoin blockchain.
&#8220;Millions of people will now be able to use the most open, secure blockchain to send dollars globally. It all comes back to Bitcoin,&#8221; Lightning Labs CEO Elizabeth Stark said.
Tether CEO Paulo Ardoino said the integration will offer practical solutions for remittances, payments, and other financial services. 
USDT is already available on several leading blockchains like Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), Tron (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/trx/usd">TRX</a>), and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>).
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/25/01/43325381/elon-musks-tesla-racks-up-600-million-paper-gains-on-bitcoin-in-q4">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Records $600 Million In Paper Gains On Bitcoin In Q4 Thanks To New Accounting Rule</a>
Why It Matters: USDT is extensively used to enter and exit trading positions on exchanges, as well as in decentralized apps, remittances, and settlements, among other use cases. It is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and most traded among them all.
However, over the years, USDT has attracted criticism for being a popular tool for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/42166673/drug-cartels-use-tether-and-bitcoin-to-launder-millions-court-documents-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drug traffickers&nbsp;</a>and illegal gaming platforms to launder money. A UN report from last year explicitly mentioned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/01/36644909/from-casinos-to-slaves-un-report-details-tethers-role-in-organized-crime" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USDT's role</a>&nbsp;in boosting the&nbsp;illicit digital economy in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this month, Tether <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42956569/tether-to-relocate-headquarters-to-el-salvador">relocated to El Salvador</a>, citing the country&#8217;s cryptocurrency-friendly policies, favorable regulations, and widespread adoption of digital assets.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43326463/former-senator-bob-menendez-who-said-bitcoin-will-open-doors-of-corruption-in-el-salvador-gets-11-year-jail-term-for-accepting-bribes">Former Senator Bob Menendez Who Said &#8216;Bitcoin Will Open Doors Of Corruption In El Salvador&#8217; Gets 11-Year Jail Term For Accepting Bribes</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.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>

$ETH

$TRX

$USDT

USDT

Tether Is Bringing USDT To Bitcoin Network, Which Will Allow 'Millions' To Send Dollars Globally

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">delivered better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results</a>, with Deepwater Asset Management&#8216;s Gene Munster suggesting the quarter wasn&#8217;t as disappointing as initial numbers indicated, citing channel inventory adjustments and forward guidance as key factors.
What Happened: The tech giant reported revenue of $124.3 billion, slightly exceeding analyst estimates of $124.13 billion, while earnings per share came in at $2.40, above the expected $2.36. Despite these beats, iPhone sales showed some weakness, particularly in China.
Munster, analyzing the results on X, pointed to channel inventory adjustments as a significant factor in the apparent slowdown. &#8220;The mess wasn&#8217;t as big as it looked in the numbers,&#8221; he noted, explaining that about half of the weakness in China, where revenue declined 11%, was attributable to inventory management rather than underlying demand issues.
&#8220;I still believe Apple Intelligence will reaccelerate iPhone sales starting in June based on early uptake data in the US,&#8221; Munster said. 
The company&#8217;s installed base reached a new all-time high <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">across all products and geographic segments</a>, with CEO Tim Cook highlighting the role of Apple silicon in unlocking new possibilities through Apple Intelligence. Services revenue showed particular strength, growing to $26.34 billion from $23.12 billion year-over-year, representing about 20% of total sales.
Looking ahead, Munster expressed optimism about iPhone sales reaccelerating by June, based on early adoption data in the U.S. He emphasized the strength of Apple&#8217;s ecosystem, noting the 7% growth in the installed base to 2.2 billion devices.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24AAPL&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$AAPL</a>&#39;s quarter was not as bad as the numbers first looked based on channel inventory and the guide. I still believe Apple Intelligence will reaccelerate iPhone sales starting in June based on early uptake data in the US. <a href="https://t.co/jPrLxN4M6U">pic.twitter.com/jPrLxN4M6U</a>
&mdash; Gene Munster (@munster_gene) <a href="https://twitter.com/munster_gene/status/1885118521224351873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: However, challenges remain in China, where local competition and shifting consumer preferences toward domestic brands pose ongoing concerns. Despite these headwinds, Apple&#8217;s guidance for the March quarter suggests approximately 5% revenue growth, which Munster views as encouraging given the inventory adjustments in the previous quarter.
Price Action: Apple&#8217;s stock closed on Thursday at $237.59, down 0.74% for the day. However, in after-hours trading, the stock price rose by 3.01%, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43354237/deepseek-doesnt-own-name-trademark-in-us-could-this-be-the-next-battle-alongside-ip-theft-allegations">DeepSeek Doesn&#8217;t Own Name Trademark In US: Could This Be The Next Battle Alongside IP Theft Allegations?</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock 
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

AAPL

Gene Munster Says Apple's 'Mess Wasn't As Big As It Looked' As iPhone Maker Delivers Better Than Expected Results

About a billion Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/shib/usd">SHIB</a>) tokens were removed from circulation on Thursday, applying further deflationary pressure on the popular dog-themed cryptocurrency.
What Happened:&nbsp;Kaal Dhairya, a key figure in the ecosystem, took to X to announce the massive burning event to celebrate upgrades made to ShibTorch, Shiba Inu&#8217;s community-driven burn portal.
&#8220;To celebrate the progress team is making the deployer has burnt pending 1B SHIB, enjoy,&#8221; Dhairya said.
<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">To celebrate the progress team is making the deployer has burnt pending 1B SHIB, enjoy <a href="https://t.co/3fbkLUDjQp">https://t.co/3fbkLUDjQp</a> <a href="https://t.co/YsdwuATIyz">https://t.co/YsdwuATIyz</a>
&mdash; Kaal (@kaaldhairya) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaaldhairya/status/1885068301505569195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Coin burning involves purposely sending a cryptocurrency to an unusable wallet address to remove it from circulation. This is done to generate scarcity and gradually boost the market value of the token in the long term.
Due to the massive incineration, the burn rate shot up to 43325.59% in the past 24 hours, <a href="https://www.shibburn.com/">according </a>to Shiba Inu&#8217;s official burn tracker. As of this writing, nearly 410.744 trillion SHIB tokens have gone up in smoke.
ShibTorch was launched in August last year on Shibarium, Shiba Inu&#8217;s Layer-2 blockchain, allowing users to actively participate in burning tokens. Note that a portion of transaction fees paid on Shibarium are set aside and burned.
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/25/01/43325381/elon-musks-tesla-racks-up-600-million-paper-gains-on-bitcoin-in-q4">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Records $600 Million In Paper Gains On Bitcoin In Q4 Thanks To New Accounting Rule</a>
Why It Matters:&nbsp;The mega-burning event comes on the heels of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43261673/shytoshi-kusamas-biggest-announcement-ever-tease-triggers-rally-in-shiba-inu-ecosystem-tokens">big tease</a> by Shytoshi Kusama, Shiba Inu&#8217;s lead ambassador. Earlier this week, they hinted at the &#8220;biggest announcement&#8221; ever related to the blockchain ecosystem.
Kusama continued to pique the interest of the community, announcing that an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43293760/shiba-inus-shytoshi-kusama-teases-extremely-powerful-partnership-for-ecosystemcoin-themed-on-mysterious-personality-rallies-25">&#8220;extremely powerful partnership&#8221;</a> was the works.
Meanwhile, SHIB&#8217;s daily active addresses rose by 1.15% in the last 24 hours, although large transactions involving whales dipped significantly, <a href="https://app.intotheblock.com/?end_offset=20">according</a> to data from IntoTheBlock. 
Price Action: At the time of writing, SHIB was exchanging hands at $0.00001859, up 0.41% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43326463/former-senator-bob-menendez-who-said-bitcoin-will-open-doors-of-corruption-in-el-salvador-gets-11-year-jail-term-for-accepting-bribes">Former Senator Bob Menendez Who Said &#8216;Bitcoin Will Open Doors Of Corruption In El Salvador&#8217; Gets 11-Year Jail Term For Accepting Bribes</a></li>
</ul>

$SHIB

Shiba Inu's Burn Rate Explodes 43325% As A Billion SHIB Tokens Kicked Out Of Circulation

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>) is reportedly in discussions to spearhead a new funding round for OpenAI, potentially raising up to $40 billion.
What Happened: This investment would value the ChatGPT-maker at $300 billion, marking a record-setting funding round for a private entity, reported Reuters, citing sources.
As per the report, SoftBank assessed OpenAI&#8217;s value at $260 billion before the funding round, a notable increase <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41149788/openai-valuation-soars-to-157b-in-latest-funding-round">from $157 billion just months ago</a>.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43295689/tesla-gears-up-for-q4-print-here-are-the-recent-forecast-changes-from-wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Gears Up For Q4 Print; Here Are The Recent Forecast Changes From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts</a>
Earlier on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal also <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openaiin-talks-for-huge-investment-round-valuing-it-up-to-300-billion-2a2d4327">reported</a> that OpenAI could be valued at around $340 billion with this funding round.
Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Previously, it was reported that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43327823/softbank-eyes-historic-25-billion-investment-in-openai-poised-to-dethrone-microsoft-as-chatgpt-parents-biggest-investor">SoftBank might invest</a> $15 billion to $25 billion directly into OpenAI. This investment would represent a significant commitment for SoftBank and its CEO, Masayoshi Son, who has approximately $30 billion in cash reserves.
It could make it the largest stakeholder in OpenAI, surpassing Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), which has invested nearly $14 billion.
The move comes as DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, has said it developed its cost-effective R1 model <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43327016/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-accepts-deepseek-ai-has-some-real-innovations-but-wont-say-if-they-mark-a-turning-point-for-ai-cost-reduction">in just two months</a>, investing $5.6 million and using lower-end Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) chips.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43296041/openai-alleges-deepseek-used-proprietary-models-without-permission-as-microsoft-investigates-ai-security-risks">OpenAI has accused DeepSeek</a> of using its proprietary models without authorization.
Photo by NP27 on Shutterstock.
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>.
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<li><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></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.

MSFT

SFTBF

SoftBank May Lead OpenAI's $40 Billion Funding Round At A $300 Billion Valuation Despite DeepSeek Disruption: Report

Despite the slower-than-expected economic growth in the US for the final quarter of 2024, the stock market ended in the green on Thursday. The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq indices witnessed a rise of 0.5% and 0.4% respectively, as the GDP growth rate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43336153/us-economy-grows-below-q4-estimates-as-consumer-spending-hits-7-quarter-high">fell short of the forecasted 2.6% expansion</a>. The tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day 0.25% higher at 19,681.75.
These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors throughout the day:
Apple Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)
Apple&#8217;s stock dipped by 0.74%, closing at $237.59. However, the shares were seen trading nearly 3% higher in the after-hours session. The intraday high and low were $240.79 and $237.21, respectively, with a 52-week range of $260.09 to $164.08. The tech giant reported a successful first quarter, with <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">revenue of $124.3 billion</a> and adjusted earnings of $2.40 per share, both surpassing analyst estimates. 
Intel Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>)
Intel&#8217;s shares rose by 1.32%, closing at $20.01. The intraday high and low were $20.10 and $19.43, respectively, with a 52-week range of $46.63 to $18.51. Investors were closely watching the company&#8217;s CEO search and potential segment spin-offs following its fourth-quarter financial report. The company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43354712/intel-stock-climbs-on-better-than-expected-q4-report-details">reported earnings per share</a> of 13 cents which beat the consensus estimate of 12 cents.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBA#NASDAQ">WBA</a>)
Walgreens&#8217; stock climbed by 1.87%, closing at $11.46. The intraday high and low were $11.60 and $11.25, respectively, with a 52-week range of $23.77 to $8.08. The company announced the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/dividends/25/01/43357768/walgreens-boots-alliance-shares-slide-as-board-suspends-dividend">suspension of its quarterly dividend</a> as part of a longer-term turnaround strategy. 
United Parcel Service Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NYSE">UPS</a>)
UPS shares plummeted by 14.11%, closing at $114.9. The intraday high and low were $117.98 and $109.62, respectively, with a 52-week range of $158.95 to $109.62. The company reported a YoY <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43335015/ups-q4-earnings-major-customer-volume-cut-raises-jitters-stock-tanks">consolidated revenue growth</a> of 1.5% in the fourth quarter, missing the consensus. 
Tesla Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)
Tesla&#8217;s stock rose by 2.87%, closing at $400.28. The intraday high and low were $412.50 and $384.41, respectively, with a 52-week range of $488.54 to $138.80. CEO Elon Musk announced that the production of the new Model Y vehicle would result in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43328898/elon-musk-warns-teslas-new-model-y-will-result-in-several-weeks-of-lost-production-for-ev-giant-in-q1">several weeks of lost production</a> in the first quarter.
Image via Shutterstock
Prepare for the day&#8217;s trading <a href="https://editorial.benzinga.com/wp-admin/Premarket%20Movers%20&amp;%20News">with top premarket movers and news</a> by Benzinga.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43373930/ross-gerber-says-robotaxi-is-here-and-it-is-a-waymo-from-google-highlights-teslas-severe-hardware-limitations">Ross Gerber Says Robotaxi Is Here And It Is A Waymo From Google, Highlights Tesla&#8217;s &#8216;Severe Hardware Limitations&#8217;</a></li>
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

INTC

Apple, Intel, Walgreens, UPS, And Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

Leading cryptocurrencies lost their early gains on Thursday as investors awaited the release of crucial inflation data.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td>
<td>+0.03%</td>
<td>$104,582.18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+3.95%</td>
<td>$3,267.77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+0.05%</td>
<td>$0.3308</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
What Happened: Bitcoin broke through $106,000 in the morning before falling back to the $104,000 region. Popular dog-themed meme coin Dogecoin witnessed a similar price pattern.
Ethereum, on the other hand, sustained its gains, rising nearly 4% in the last 24 hours.
About $86 million in short bets were wiped out in the last 24 hours, out of a total of $143 million in cryptocurrency liquidations.
Interestingly, traders placing short bets on Bitcoin rose against those gunning for price increases, according to the Long/Short Ratio.
That said, if Bitcoin reclaims its all-time high, more than $530 million in short positions will be liquidated.
"Extreme Greed" emotion dominated the market, according to the reading on the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index, sparking concerns of a further correction.
Top Gainers (24-Hours)
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DeXe (DEXE)</td>
<td>+30.15%</td>
<td>$20.80</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JasmyCoin (JASMY)</td>
<td>+29.66%</td>
<td>$0.03193</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Arweave (AR)</td>
<td>+27.44%</td>
<td>$16.46</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.57 trillion, growing by 1.92% in the last 24 hours.
Stocks closed in the green on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 136.83 points, or 0.38%, to close at 44,882.13. The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.53% to end at 6,071.17. The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite popped 0.25% to 19,681.75.
The uptick came as investors parsed the earnings of the "Magnificent 7" companies. Shares of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) rose 2.87% and 1.55%, respectively.
The focus now shifts to Friday's personal consumption expenditures index report, considered the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.
See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>
Analyst Notes: Popular cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez emphasized the "critical importance" of $97,877 for Bitcoin, stating that a sizable amount of the apex cryptocurrency was scooped at this level.
"If it holds, the bull run could continue," Martinez predicted. "However, a break below $97,877 and $91,700 could put the entire bull market in jeopardy."
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">With a significant amount of <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> accumulated at $97,877, this level holds critical importance. If it holds, the bull run could continue. However, a break below $97,877 and $91,700 could put the entire bull market in jeopardy.<a href="https://t.co/adz1GAiTFL">https://t.co/adz1GAiTFL</a>
&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1884901807228436492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Another influential cryptocurrency trader, Michaël van de Poppe, ruled out the possibility of Bitcoin having 30% corrections this cycle.
"The markets become larger, through which a lot more liquidity is added and Bitcoin becomes more &#8216;boring&#8217;. Just a gradual upward pace," the trader noted.
Van De Poppe forecast that a Bitcoin peak could come either in the fourth quarter of 2025 or early 2027.
<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 don&#39;t think we&#39;ll have many 30% corrections on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> during this cycle. The markets become larger, through which a lot more liquidity is added and Bitcoin becomes more &#39;boring&#39;. Just a gradual upwards pace. Either Bitcoin peaks in Q4 2025 or somewhere beginning 2027.
&mdash; Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoMichNL/status/1885005301436531134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Photo by Avi Rozen on Shutterstock
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Bitcoin, Dogecoin Trade Flat, Ethereum Rises Ahead Of Fed's Preferred Inflation Gauge Release: Will Bitcoin Peak In Early 2027?

On Thursday, Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made significant trades involving Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>).
The Palantir Trade
Ark Invest&#8217;s decision to sell Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>) shares on Thursday comes amid a backdrop of competitive pressures in the AI space. 
Recently, Palantir has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43234047/palantir-stock-is-falling-monday-whats-going-on">faced challenges</a> from Chinese startup DeepSeek, which has introduced a high-performance AI computing solution at a lower cost. This development has caused some concern among investors, leading to fluctuations in Palantir&#8217;s stock price.
Ark Invest executed a sale of 127,969 Palantir shares worth $10.4 million through its flagship ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKK#NYSE">ARKK</a>). The stock closed at $81.22 on Thursday, January 30, marking a 1.83% increase from the previous day.
Notably, Ark has been on a Palantir share-selling spree. In early January, the firm had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42835519/cathie-woods-monday-moves-dumps-15m-worth-of-hot-stock-palantir-loads-up-amazon-com">sold $14.93 million worth</a> of the Alex Karp-led technology company&#8217;s shares.
Other Key Trades:
<ul>
<li>10X Genomics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXG#NASDAQ">TXG</a>) &#8211; Ark Invest purchased 314,472 shares through the ARKK fund and 55,354 shares via the ARKG fund. </li>
<li>Roblox Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RBLX#NYSE">RBLX</a>) &#8211; Sold 33,404 shares from the ARKK fund. </li>
<li>Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACHR#NYSE">ACHR</a>) &#8211; Sold 57,238 shares from the ARKK fund.</li>
<li>Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) &#8211; Acquired 8,304 shares through the ARKW fund.</li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

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Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Dumps Over $10 Million Worth Of Palantir Stock As AI Competition Heats Up

Prominent Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) investor Ross Gerber has highlighted significant challenges facing the electric vehicle maker&#8217;s Full Self-Driving system while praising competitor Waymo&#8216;s autonomous driving technology.
What Happened: Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, pointed to Waymo&#8217;s growing presence in the robotaxi space. 
&#8220;Waymo waymos everywhere. Driving flawlessly, with confidence. Robotaxi is here&#8230; and it&#8217;s called Waymo. Coming to your city soon,&#8221; he wrote on X on Thursday, referring to Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) subsidiary.
<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">Waymo waymos everywhere. Driving flawlessly, with confidence. Robotaxi is here… and it's called Waymo. Coming to your city soon. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24goog&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$goog</a>
&mdash; Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerberKawasaki/status/1885094196891312312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The investment manager&#8217;s comments come amid mounting concerns about Tesla&#8217;s hardware capabilities. Responding to Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt, Gerber suggested that even Tesla&#8217;s Hardware 4 system won&#8217;t achieve full autonomy, citing &#8220;severe hardware limitations&#8221; compared to Waymo&#8217;s proven robotaxi technology.
These observations follow Tesla CEO Elon Musk&#8216;s recent acknowledgment that the company will need to upgrade Hardware 3 vehicles for FSD customers, a process Musk described as &#8220;painful and difficult.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">At some point he will also admit HW4 isn't going to get to level 5 autonomy either. Tesla FSD has severe hardware limitations and waymo has proven exactly what you need to work as a robotaxi. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24tsla&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$tsla</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24goog&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$goog</a> <a href="https://t.co/B71oNWCAYJ">https://t.co/B71oNWCAYJ</a>
&mdash; Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerberKawasaki/status/1884986277277401151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 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/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">Apple Q1 Earnings: Revenue Beat, EPS Beat, iPhone Sales Slip, Installed Base Climbs To All-Time High — &#8216;Our Best Quarter Ever&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: The criticism extends beyond hardware concerns. Just a day after Musk celebrated Tesla&#8217;s achievement in &#8220;unsupervised&#8221; FSD operation, Gerber <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43329365/a-day-after-elon-musk-hailed-teslas-unsupervised-fsd-ross-gerber-criticizes-ev-makers-autonomous-driving-system-doesnt-work-when-dust-or-ash-get-in-the-cameras">highlighted the practical limitations</a> of the system&#8217;s vision-only approach. &#8220;My Tesla FSD doesn&#8217;t work when dust or ash gets in the cameras. Vision-only systems have some big limitations. Also, the sun shines into them wrong,&#8221; Gerber noted on X.
These developments come at a crucial time for Tesla&#8217;s autonomous driving program. The company faces an ongoing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into 2.6 million FSD-equipped vehicles, while Musk maintains that FSD will <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42894743/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-says-fsd-will-be-safer-than-human-drivers-in-q2-2025">exceed human driving safety</a> by the second quarter of 2025.
The debate intensified following Tesla&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43327837/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-dismises-lidar-again-says-if-humans-drive-without-shooting-lasers-from-their-eyes-so-can-autonomous-cars">recent fourth-quarter earnings call</a>, where Musk defended the company&#8217;s camera-only strategy, arguing that humans drive without &#8220;shooting lasers out of their eyes,&#8221; in contrast to competitors&#8217; use of LiDAR technology.
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Image Via Shutterstock 
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Ross Gerber Says Robotaxi Is Here And It Is A Waymo From Google, Highlights Tesla's 'Severe Hardware Limitations'

On Thursday, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) CEO Tim Cook lauded DeepSeek, a China-based AI startup.
What Happened: During Apple's <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">first-quarter earnings</a> call, Cook was asked about the perception that Cupertino is benefiting from lower compute costs.
The analyst inquired about Cook&#8217;s perspective on the DeepSeek situation and whether any changes in the cost landscape could impact Apple's margins.
In response, the Apple CEO detailed the company's use of a hybrid AI model, where simple tasks are executed locally on devices, while complex operations are managed in the cloud through AI partnerships.
Currently, Apple collaborates with OpenAI, leveraging ChatGPT to assist iPhone users via a private cloud.
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'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'</a>
"From a CapEx point of view, we&#8217;ve always taken a very prudent and deliberate approach to our expenditure and we continue to leverage a hybrid model, which I think continues to serve us well," Cook stated.
Despite <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43296041/openai-alleges-deepseek-used-proprietary-models-without-permission-as-microsoft-investigates-ai-security-risks">OpenAI&#8217;s accusation of DeepSeek</a> using its models without permission, Cook acknowledged DeepSeek&#8217;s contributions.
"In general, I think innovation that drives efficiency is a good thing. And, you know, that's what you see in that model," he said on the earnings call.
Why It Matters: Apple has previously indicated that it is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/11/42030331/heres-when-google-gemini-could-be-integrated-with-apple-intelligence">open to incorporating AI models</a> from other companies, like Google's Gemini or Anthropic's Claude, into future iPhones.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43296460/dan-ives-says-chinese-startup-deepseeks-6-million-ai-development-assertion-is-likely-a-fictional-story">DeepSeek claims to have developed</a> its cost-efficient R1 model in just two months with an investment of $5.6 million. While these claims have been scrutinized they have also raised questions about the need for large-scale GPU investments.
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.
On Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/43326499/mark-zuckerberg-says-chinas-deepseek-did-some-novel-things-were-still-digesting-but-meta-may-keep-pouring-billions-into-ai-infrastructure-anyway">acknowledged DeepSeek&#8217;s novel approaches</a>. However, he said it's too soon to determine how these developments will impact infrastructure usage and capital expenditures.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also recognized DeepSeek&#8217;s AI innovations but remained cautious about their <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43327016/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-accepts-deepseek-ai-has-some-real-innovations-but-wont-say-if-they-mark-a-turning-point-for-ai-cost-reduction">potential to reduce AI costs</a>.
Apple&#8217;s earnings report revealed a fiscal first-quarter <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43355688/apple-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-iphone-sales-slip-installed-base-climbs-to-all-time-high-our-best-quarter-ever">revenue of $124.3 billion</a>, surpassing analyst estimates, despite a decline in iPhone sales.
Price Action: Apple's stock rose by 3.01% in after-hours trading, hitting $244.75. In regular trading on Thursday, it closed at $237.59, reflecting a 0.74% decline, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Image via Shutterstock
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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.

Tim Cook Praises China's DeepSeek For Driving Efficiency, Stresses Apple's 'Prudent And Deliberate' Approach Toward Capital Expenditure

Entrepreneur and TV personality Kevin O'Leary has thrown his support behind <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43203763/trump-wants-to-get-rid-of-federal-emergency-agency-its-not-good-he-says-while-visiting-disasters-in-california-north-carolina">President Donald Trump's plan</a> to overhaul or even scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency. O'Leary's endorsement comes amidst growing debate over the effectiveness of FEMA and Trump's proposal to shift disaster relief funding directly to state governments.
On social media and in a Fox News interview, O'Leary <a href="https://x.com/kevinolearytv/status/1883270303952077040">said</a> Trump's plan is "smart" and "efficient." He explained that giving state governors control of disaster money, along with clear rules to track spending, would make things more transparent. "Every taxpayer wants accountability, and this plan delivers," he wrote.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trump's FEMA Criticism and Vision for Reform</h2>
Trump has been very critical of FEMA, saying it's not doing a good job and has too much red tape. During a visit to hurricane-hit North Carolina last week, Trump stated bluntly, "FEMA has turned out to be a disaster. I think we recommend that FEMA go away. I think, frankly, that FEMA is not good." He suggested redirecting disaster relief funds straight to state governors, whom he views as the CEOs of their states, capable of managing resources more effectively.
An <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/council-to-assess-the-federal-emergency-management-agency/">executive order</a> issued by Trump lays out a plan for a 20-member council that will be led by the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to evaluate FEMA and propose reforms within 180 days. While the White House clarified the review is aimed at reform rather than immediate elimination, Trump's sharp criticism has sparked intense discussion about FEMA's future.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Legacy of Challenges for FEMA</h2>
FEMA, established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, was created to centralize disaster management after decades of inefficiency. More than 100 federal agencies were involved in disaster relief, creating a chaotic and uncoordinated system prior to FEMA. The agency's role has since been enshrined in federal law, making it impossible for a president to unilaterally abolish it without congressional approval.
Despite its vital role, FEMA has faced challenges over the years. Under President Ronald Reagan, conservative appointees prioritized downsizing, and during President George W. Bush's tenure, FEMA's status was reduced within the Department of Homeland Security, which many critics say undermined its effectiveness. Trump's proposal to overhaul FEMA is seen by some as part of a broader strategy to disrupt government agencies.
Trending: According to Juniper Research, the total value of B2B cross-border payments stored on the blockchain is projected to exceed $4.4 trillion — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/web3-enabler-future-of-enterprise-transactions">Join the first company to bring blockchain payments to Salesforce early with just $100.</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mixed Reactions to Trump's Proposal</h2>
Critics argue that dismantling FEMA would set disaster management back decades, returning to a fragmented system where states struggled to manage large-scale emergencies. During his visit to disaster-stricken areas in North Carolina and Southern California last week, Trump's remarks about FEMA drew fire for undermining emergency workers and ignoring the agency's critical role.
However, O'Leary and others see merit in Trump's plan. O'Leary highlighted the inefficiencies of FEMA's bureaucracy, pointing out that disaster funds often fail to promptly reach those in need. He praised Trump's vision of milestone-based funding, saying it ensures transparency and effective use of taxpayer money.
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If governors are given the responsibility and accountability, taxpayers will know exactly how their money is being used, he said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s check in every month or every quarter or every year and see exactly how that Capital was used, and I think every taxpayer, including me, listening to that, says, ‘I like that idea. I want some accountability, and I want to see executional skills in action.'&#8221;
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Turning Point for Disaster Management?</h2>
The debate over FEMA's future comes at a critical time. Natural disasters, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43095813/california-wildfires-to-cost-275-billion-critics-slam-gov-newsoms-101m-firefighting-cuts-amid-record-rainfall-in-2023">from hurricanes to wildfires</a>, have been increasing in frequency and intensity. Critics of Trump's approach warn that eliminating FEMA could leave states overwhelmed during large-scale crises. Supporters, however, see it as a chance to streamline disaster relief and reduce federal inefficiency.
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