Lightspark Launches Grid Global Accounts, Targeting Fragmented Global Payment System

Block announced 800,000 Square merchants now accept Bitcoin payments, with new tap-to-pay features and zero processing fees through 2026. The company holds $2.2 billion in Bitcoin reserves and launched an upgraded Bitkey hardware wallet with touchscreen verification. Block aims to position Bitcoin as everyday spending money, not just a store of value, targeting Indian crypto adoption trends toward merchant payments.

While the trading platform’s crypto revenue tanked 47% to $134 million, a record-breaking surge in prediction market bets helped push overall revenue up 15% to $1.07 billion....

Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones called bitcoin the "best inflation hedge" due to its fixed supply, surpassing gold. He warned U.S. equities are severely overvalued, with S&P 500 valuations echoing the 2000 dot-com bubble, predicting negative 10-year returns. A major correction could explode the federal deficit and damage bond markets through collapsed capital-gains tax revenues.