News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Anthropic Data Leak Reveals Upcoming Mythos AI Model
Competitive Context: OpenAI finished pretraining its own frontier model, codenamed Spud, as both companies prepare for IPOs later in 2026. AI safety startup Anthropic confirmed on March 27 that a basic content management misconfiguration had exposed nearly 3,000 internal documents, inadvertently revealing details of an unreleased model called Claude Mythos that Anthropic describes as a step change in reasoning and cybersecurity capabilities. Anthropic now faces the uncomfortable task of defending both its operational security and its competitive strategy at the same time. According to Fortune, which broke the story on March 26, a default setting in Anthropic's content management system made all uploaded assets publicly accessible. Among the exposed files were draft blog posts revealing details about a model with the internal product name Capybara. Both Anthropic and OpenAI are racing to release flagship models ahead of planned IPOs later in 2026. Leaked draft blog posts describe Capybara as a new tier of model above Opus, which was previously Anthropic's top-performing offering. Internal documents position Capybara as larger and more intelligent than the Opus lineup, with dramatically higher scores in software coding, academic reasoning, and cybersecurity. One draft described Mythos as "currently far ahead of any other AI model in cyber capabilities" and warned it presages a wave of models that can exploit vulnerabilities in ways that far outpace defenders. Leaked benchmark comparisons showed gains across multiple domains, though Anthropic has not publicly released specific numbers or methodology details. Introducing a fourth tier above Opus positions Anthropic to compete directly with OpenAI's frontier models on cybersecurity, a domain where government and enterprise contracts carry outsized value. Given those capabilities, Anthropic plans to release Mythos first to defense organizations, giving them a head start at hardening their systems before broader public availability. Security researchers Roy Paz of LayerX Security and Alexandre Pauwels of the University of Cambridge independently reviewed the leaked data for Fortune, confirming the authenticity of the exposed documents. Anthropic is already testing Mythos with a small group of early access customers, suggesting the model is further along in development than competitors may have expected. In its official response, Anthropic confirmed both Mythos's capabilities and its deliberate release strategy. "We're developing a general purpose model with meaningful advances in reasoning, coding, and cybersecurity. Given the strength of its capabilities, we're being deliberate about how we release it. As is standard practice across the industry, we're working with a small group of early access customers to test the model. We consider this model a step change and the most capable we've built to date." A leap beyond that benchmark into what Anthropic describes as sharply higher scores would represent a notable capability jump in an already competitive field. For enterprise buyers evaluating AI vendors ahead of contract renewals, the leaked capability claims could shift purchasing decisions even before an official launch. At its core, the underlying misconfiguration was elementary. All assets uploaded to Anthropic's central data store were public by default unless explicitly set to private. Anyone with technical knowledge could query the system to retrieve files, including unpublished drafts. Fortune independently discovered the exposed data, informed Anthropic of the vulnerability, and gave the company adequate time to secure the system before publishing its report. An Anthropic spokesperson attributed the exposure to "human error in the CMS configuration." Anthropic characterized the exposed documents as early drafts unrelated to its core infrastructure, AI systems, customer data, or security architecture, and stated the CMS issue was unrelated to Claude, Cowork, or any of its AI tools. Internally, Anthropic had automated much of its software development using Claude-based AI coding agents, but said AI was not at fault for the misconfiguration. Beyond model details, the breach also exposed a PDF for an invite-only two-day retreat for European CEOs at an 18th-century English countryside manor where CEO Dario Amodei was scheduled to attend. Attendees were promised private briefings on Anthropic's AI strategy and direct access to senior leadership, details the company had intended to keep confidential. Raising further questions about routine security audits on its publishing infrastructure, CMS misconfigurations are among the simplest infrastructure errors to prevent, typically requiring only a configuration review to ensure new uploads default to private access rather than public. For a company founded with the explicit goal of creating safe AI, the pattern of security incidents is notable. In January 2026, a security flaw resurfaced in its Claude Cowork tool days after launch, allowing attackers to exploit the tool's own API to steal user data. In November 2025, Anthropic's claims about disrupting a Chinese state-sponsored campaign using Claude Code to infiltrate roughly 30 organizations drew backlash from the security community. In a separate security test, researchers demonstrated that Claude could be turned into a malware factory within eight hours, highlighting the dual-use risks of the same AI systems Anthropic markets for defensive purposes. Earlier in March 2026, the Trump administration blacklisted Anthropic after it set limits on how the military could use its AI models, and Anthropic has since filed suit against the government over the designation. Mythos arrives at a particularly charged moment in the AI industry. According to The Information, OpenAI finished pretraining its own model, codenamed Spud, as of March 25. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly wrote in an internal memo that "things are moving faster than many of us expected" and said the company is shutting down its video app Sora to free computing capacity for Spud. Altman described the model internally as a system that could accelerate the broader economy, underscoring the scale of ambition driving both companies as they prepare for public offerings. OpenAI also announced it would shut down its video generation app Sora to redirect computing capacity toward Spud's final training and evaluation runs. Releasing a frontier model before going public would strengthen each company's narrative to prospective investors, making the timing of Mythos's accidental exposure particularly awkward for Anthropic's leadership team. In February, OpenAI released GPT-5.3-Codex with high cyber capability classification under its Preparedness Framework, marking the first time the company rated one of its own models at that level for cybersecurity. Anthropic's leaked documents suggest Mythos would represent a further escalation, positioning both companies at the frontier of a domain with notable national security implications. Anthropic had already unveiled Claude Code Security in February 2026, a move that rattled cybersecurity stocks and signaled the company's expanding footprint in defensive AI applications. OpenAI VP of Research Max Schwarzer departed for Anthropic earlier in March, intensifying the talent competition between the two companies and raising questions about whether OpenAI can maintain its research edge as it simultaneously scales Spud toward production readiness. Leaked details of Anthropic's step-change Mythos model through a basic CMS misconfiguration highlight a persistent and widening gap between the company's safety messaging and its operational security practices. Apple experienced similar CMS leaks in 2018 with iPhone names and in 2025 with App Store debugging files, but for Anthropic the stakes are uniquely high. With Mythos already in early access testing and both companies positioning for IPOs in the coming months, Anthropic now faces a decision: accelerate the model's public release to control the narrative, or maintain the deliberate rollout strategy it outlined before the breach forced its hand.
AI Disruption Returns: Cybersecurity Stocks Tumble On Report Of New Anthropic "Step Change" AI Model - Conservative Angle
Cybersecurity stocks are slumping in premarket trading on Friday as the AI disruption trade returns after a Fortune report said Anthropic is testing a new AI model that "poses significant cybersecurity risks." According to the report, Anthropic is "developing and has begun testing with early access customers a new AI model more capable than any it has released previously," the company said, following a data leak that revealed the model's existence. An Anthropic spokesperson said the new model represented "a step change" in AI performance and was "the most capable we've built to date." The company said the model is currently being trialed by "early access customers." Descriptions of the model were inadvertently stored in a publicly-accessible data cache and were reviewed by Fortune. A draft blog post that was available in an unsecured and publicly-searchable data store prior to Thursday evening said the new model is called "Claude Mythos" and that the company believes it poses unprecedented cybersecurity risks. Among notable movers this morning: CrowdStrike -6.0%, Palo Alto Networks -4.6%, Cloudflare -3.9%, Zscaler -4.7%, Fortinet -4.0%, Okta -4.26%. The broader Global X Cybersecurity ETF is down 2.7% Security stocks -- along with software names more broadly -- have been pressured by concerns that tools from AI companies like Anthropic or OpenAI could reduce demand for products from legacy providers, weighing on their growth, margins, and pricing power.
US Stocks: SpaceX's listing stirs up social media frenzy, ticker bets
From rocket launches drawing millions of YouTube views to social media frenzy over its potential listing, SpaceX's debut is shaping up to be a landmark moment for Wall Street. From rocket launches drawing millions of YouTube views to social media frenzy over its potential listing, SpaceX's debut is shaping up to be a landmark moment for Wall Street. Traders are betting thousands of dollars on the company's ticker and speculating over its entry into the most elite club of U.S. companies, giving the world's most valuable startup a level of social media buzz that only a few companies enjoy, especially when they are yet to file their IPO paperwork. On Polymarket, users were betting on topics including the company's targeted valuation, the exchange it will list on and the ticker its shares would trade under. The combined trading volume of such bets exceeded more than $15.2 million, as of Friday. Odds on the prediction markets platform put a 25% chance on SpaceX choosing the letter "X" as its ticker, a sharp drop from 60% a month ago. The single-letter ticker is up for grabs after U.S. Steel, which reportedly held it for over a century, delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after being bought by Japan's Nippon Steel last year. Musk's social media platform is also called X after a rebrand from Twitter in 2023. Tuttle Capital Management CEO Matthew Tuttle said a better alternative would be "SPCX" - also the ticker of an exchange traded fund his company manages. Tuttle has indicated openness to selling the SPCX symbol to SpaceX. "I've not heard from Elon, but my phone line is still open and I'm holding out hope that I get a call," he said. Apart from X, other potential options floated on Polymarket include "SPAX" and the risque, "SEX". However, users see a roughly 70% probability that the company chooses a different ticker altogether. SpaceX is targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion in its listing, which would make it the sixth biggest U.S. company by market capitalization. Tesla and Meta Platforms could fall behind, with market valuations of $1.4 trillion and $1.39 trillion, respectively. That has fueled speculation over whether the company's market debut will force a rethink of the so-called "Magnificent Seven", a group of some of the most valuable U.S. companies. "When the company does finally go public, the Magnificent Seven will clearly expand. They'll probably call it the Magnificent Eight, the Super Eight or some new acronym," said Todd Schoenberger, chief investment officer at CrossCheck Management. To capitalize on his popularity among retail investors, CEO Elon Musk is also discussing allocating as much as 30% of the IPO to individual investors, at least three times the usual retail slice, Reuters reported. On social media platform Reddit's r/WallStreetBets thread, SpaceX was mentioned 130 times over the past week and was the 19th most popular mention, according to data from Germany-based data group Breakout Point. "The retail investor plays a very significant role when you have a company like SpaceX that's coming public. Most people would say yes to the opportunity of investing in Elon Musk's space company," said Jonathan Corpina, senior managing partner for Meridian Equity Partners.
Anthropic Considers Fourth-Quarter IPO | PYMNTS.com
By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Some bankers expect the artificial intelligence (AI) startup to raise more than $60 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), according to the report. The company's plans could change at any time, and it could decide not to go public at all, per the report. Anthropic did not immediately reply to PYMNTS' request for comment. The company was valued at $380 billion in a Series G funding round announced in February, in which it raised $30 billion. Five months earlier, in September 2025, Anthropic was valued at $183 billion in a Series F round in which it raised $13 billion. When announcing the Series G in February, the company attributed investors' interest in part to its strength in enterprise AI and coding. It added that it would use the new funding to support that strength with continued frontier research, product development and infrastructure expansions. It was reported March 4 that Anthropic's run-rate revenue had topped $19 billion, more than double the $9 billion it achieved about three months earlier. That report said the company's growth has been driven by the popularity of its coding tool Claude Code and other AI models and products. The company said Monday (March 23) that its Claude AI model can now use customers' computers to carry out tasks such as exporting a pitch deck as a PDF file and attaching it to an invitation. On Thursday (March 26), it was reported that a federal judge in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the U.S. government's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk and its ban on federal agencies use of the company's products. A final verdict in the case in which Anthropic sued the government to reverse the ban could be months away, according to the report. On March 10, it was reported that Anthropic argued in a court hearing that it could lose billions of dollars due to the government ban on its services. An attorney for the company told the court that the government's actions had caused more than 100 customers to express concerns about continuing to engage with Anthropic.
Microsoft Taps Crusoe for Dedicated 900-Megawatt AI Campus in Texas, Crusoe Says
This super composite rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Global Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (1 year), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions. This composite rating is the result of an average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), Financial Estimates Revisions (Composite), Consensus (Composite), and Visibility (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 4 of these 5 ratings for the calculation to be performed. We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
SpaceX's listing stirs up social media frenzy, ticker bets
This super composite rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Global Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (1 year), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions. This composite rating is the result of an average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), Financial Estimates Revisions (Composite), Consensus (Composite), and Visibility (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 4 of these 5 ratings for the calculation to be performed. We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Anthropic confirms it's been 'adjusting' Claude usage limits
The changes impact approximately 7% of users across Free, Pro, and Max tiers who now hit session limits faster during high-demand periods. If it feels like you've been hitting your Claude usage limits much more quickly over the past week, you're absolutely right. Anthropic has confirmed that it has been "adjusting" the five-hour usage limits for Claude Free, Pro, and Max users during the peak hours of 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekdays, while leaving overall weekly limits unchanged. The news comes via a Reddit post from an Anthropic representative. I reached out to Anthropic and confirmed the post is authentic. The Anthropic post doesn't specify when the usage limit adjustment took place, but my understanding is the new rate limits kicked in on Monday. Claude users have been complaining bitterly about how quickly they've been hitting their usage limits over the past week or so, and many had suspected a silent reduction in their five-hour usage allotments. Turns out they were right. Anthropic says it imposed the adjusted usage limits to "manage growing demand for Claude." "We've landed a lot of efficiency wins to offset this, but ~7% of users will hit session limits they wouldn't have had before, particularly in Pro tiers," the Anthropic post continues. "If you run token-intensive background jobs, shifting them to off-peak hours will stretch your session limits further." Anthropic acknowledged that the limit adjustment "was frustrating" and that it is "continuing to invest in scaling efficiently." Word of Anthropic throttling peak usage limits comes amid a surge of interest in Claude following its legal standoff with the Defense Department, which has sought to tag Anthropic as a "supply chain risk" after the company balked at signing a military contract. A judge recently stayed the Pentagon's move to apply the "supply chain risk" label. Anthropic's move to adjust its five-hour usage limits speaks to a bigger issue: how the big AI providers treat subscribers on flat-rate plans. In the past, AI users on "plus," "pro," or "max" plans (which cost anywhere from $10-250 a month, depending on the provider) rarely hit usage limits because they were simply chatting with models in a web-based chatbox. But with the rise of agentic AI functionality such as vibe-coding applications and "computer use" abilities, flat-rate AI subscribers are burning far more tokens than ever before, and the big AI providers are struggling to keep up with the demand. The problem is exacerbated by Claude's enormous one-million token context window, which was rolled out earlier this month. What's happening now is that Anthropic and other AI companies are hitting the brakes on flat-rate usage, sometimes silently. And no, it's not cool.
Breaking: US Court Rejects Trump Administration Anthropic Ban
Dispute stems from AI contract breakdown over limits on military and surveillance use. A U.S. federal court in San Francisco has halted key actions taken by the Trump Administration against Anthropic, granting the artificial intelligence firm temporary relief. The ruling blocks a Pentagon designation that labeled the company a supply chain risk and suspends a directive that ordered federal agencies to stop using its AI system, Claude. Judge Rita Lin issued the preliminary order, stating that the government's actions lacked statutory support. As a result, the court found that the measures appeared harsh rather than grounded in national security concerns. Anthropic Secures A Court Order Against Trump Administration Measures The court order prevents enforcement of restrictions imposed by the Trump Administration. These restrictions followed a Pentagon decision to classify Anthropic as a supply chain risk. The directive also required federal agencies to cease using the company's chatbot. According to Menlo Ventures data, Anthropic held a 32% share of the enterprise AI sector in 2025. This placed it ahead of competitors, including OpenAI at 25%. The court noted that a government-wide ban could reduce that position. The injunction follows a lawsuit filed by Anthropic on March 9 in Washington, D.C. The firm contended that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth overstepped his authority. Specifically, the lawsuit challenged the national security designation and related restrictions. Contract Dispute and Policy Differences Drive Conflict The dispute goes back to an agreement between Anthropic and the Pentagon in July 2025. The goal of the contract was to have Claude become the first AI model on the frontier approved for classified networks. However, negotiations broke down in February after the Pentagon requested revised terms. The Defense Department requested unrestricted military use of Claude for all lawful purposes. Anthropic rejected these conditions. The company claimed that its technology should not support lethal autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance. Following this breakdown, the administration escalated actions against the firm. On February 27, President Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic products. The Pentagon also moved to classify the company as a supply chain risk. During a March 24 hearing in San Francisco, Judge Lin questioned government lawyers on their motives. She asked whether Anthropic faced penalties for publicly criticizing the Pentagon's position. The court later concluded that the actions resembled First Amendment retaliation. Additional Developments as US Considers Iran War De-escalation The court decision arrives as the Trump Administration evaluates its broader foreign policy stance. As CoinGape reported, the U.S. is preparing for peace talks in the Iran war as President Trump considers winding down military efforts, with officials now exploring negotiations as the conflict enters its fourth week and impacts global markets, including oil prices. According to Axios, intermediaries such as Egypt, Qatar, and the United Kingdom have exchanged messages between the U.S. and Iran. These communications reveal that Iran is open to negotiations, although conditions remain strict. Iran has reportedly requested a ceasefire, guarantees against renewed conflict, and compensation. In contrast, the U.S. seeks several commitments. These include a pause in missile development, zero uranium enrichment, and limits on proxy financing.
Form Energy, Crusoe partner on 12 GWh of iron-air batteries for AI data centers
Only weeks after announcing the world's largest project to support a Google data center in Minnesota, the US iron air battery specialist has entered another mega deal, bringing its project pipeline under agreement to more than 75 GWh. U.S. long-duration storage specialist Form Energy has agreed to deploy 12 GWh of capacity for AI infrastructure developer Crusoe, with deliveries starting in 2027. Under the agreement, Crusoe has secured reserved volume, pricing, and delivery terms, ensuring access to Form Energy's iron-air battery technology as it scales its AI infrastructure. All systems will be manufactured at Form Energy's Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia, supporting domestic energy manufacturing and job creation. Crusoe aims to deliver AI infrastructure at speed and is therefore committed to a "bring-your-own-capacity" approach, whereby power generation is developed and secured alongside compute. This model accelerates deployment, reduces reliance on constrained grid capacity, supports utility system growth, helps shield ratepayers from cost increases, and enhances overall grid reliability, the company explains. To read the full story, please visit our ESS News website...
NYSE Owner Adds $600M to Polymarket Investment, Bringing Total Near $2B - FinanceFeeds
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has committed an additional $600 million to prediction market platform Polymarket, bringing its total planned investment close to $2 billion. The latest capital injection forms part of a broader funding arrangement first outlined in October 2025, when ICE disclosed plans to deploy up to $2 billion into the crypto-based betting platform. The $600 million tranche represents a continuation of that multi-phase commitment, with some disclosures suggesting ICE's deployed capital now exceeds $1.6 billion, alongside potential secondary share purchases. ICE's growing exposure to Polymarket reflects a broader strategic shift toward event-driven trading markets, a segment that has evolved rapidly from niche crypto experimentation into a more mainstream financial product. Prediction markets allow users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events, ranging from elections to macroeconomic data, using blockchain-based infrastructure. In recent years, the sector has recorded a surge in trading activity and user participation, drawing increasing attention from both retail and institutional investors. Analysts view ICE's move as a diversification play beyond its traditional derivatives business, where competition has intensified. By expanding into prediction-based instruments, exchanges can access a wider retail audience while unlocking new revenue streams tied to market sentiment and real-time data. ICE has indicated that the investment is not expected to materially impact its financial performance or capital return strategy, highlighting the long-term nature of the bet. The investment comes amid intensifying competition in the prediction market sector. Platforms such as Kalshi have also raised significant funding, underscoring growing institutional interest in the space. Founded in 2020, Polymarket has emerged as a leading player, offering markets tied to geopolitics, economic trends, and social developments. The platform's valuation for the current funding round remains undisclosed and is expected to be revealed once fundraising concludes. ICE's continued backing signals rising confidence in prediction markets as an extension of financial trading infrastructure, blending elements of derivatives, data analytics, and speculative positioning. As traditional exchanges search for new growth avenues, the boundary between financial markets and event-based betting continues to narrow.
Anthropic's Most Powerful AI Yet, Claude Mythos, Exposed in Massive Data Leak
Not a day goes by without news about Anthropic, currently the hottest AI company in the world: An accidentally publicly accessible data store has revealed internal materials from AI company Anthropic, including drafts of blog posts and unpublished content surrounding a new AI model that has not yet been officially announced. The model is internally named "Claude Mythos" and is said, according to the company, to be the most powerful system Anthropic has ever developed. The leak immediately triggered strong movements in the financial markets. According to the leaked documents, "Mythos" represents a new model category that goes beyond Anthropic's previous top tier. Until now, the company offered three tiers: Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus. Mythos is set to form a fourth, even more powerful level. According to the internal materials, the name was deliberately chosen to evoke "the deep connective tissue that links knowledge and ideas together." Compared to the previous flagship model Claude Opus 4.6, Mythos achieves significantly higher scores in the areas of software development, academic reasoning, and cybersecurity. "Mythos is currently far ahead of any other AI model in cyber capabilities and heralds an imminent wave of models that can exploit vulnerabilities in ways that far exceed the efforts of defenders," the leaked documents state. Should the new model really come to market soon and prove better than Claude Opus 4.6, that would be a big deal. After all, Claude Opus 4.6 is currently at the top of the AI charts, meaning Anthropic would be widening its lead over rivals Google, OpenAI, and others. A central theme of the leaked documents is the model's exceptional performance in the field of cybersecurity. The model is said to be capable of quickly identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in software systems. Anthropic itself warns in the internal documents of the significant risks that come with this. For this reason, the company is planning a particularly cautious and gradual market launch. In a first phase, selected organizations from the cyber defense sector will receive early access in order to strengthen their systems against the coming wave of AI-powered attacks. Anthropic emphasizes that Mythos is also very costly to operate due to its size and computational intensity. The leak immediately triggered strong price movements in technology and cybersecurity companies. The fear that such a powerful model could render existing security solutions obsolete drove investors to sell. Stocks of cybersecurity companies such as Palo Alto Networks (PANW), CrowdStrike (CRWD), and Fortinet (FTNT) fell sharply by 4 to 6 percent, and the iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) also dropped significantly. According to the business magazine Fortune, around 3,000 files from Anthropic's blog infrastructure were accidentally stored in a publicly accessible data store. These included drafts for announcements as well as internal material that had not yet been intended for publication. Anthropic has not yet officially commented on the incident. Also not to be overlooked: Anthropic is currently in the fast lane and has made significant inroads particularly in the B2B and coding market as well as in office software. The company also plans to go public this year -- and buzz around new AI models is always a welcome boost. As recently reported, Claude is currently suffering from massive outages. These could be the result of a flood of users turning to Anthropic.
US Court Stops Pentagon From Blacklisting AI Company Anthropic
The label could have cut Anthropic off from major government contracts and business A US federal judge has temporarily stopped the Pentagon from labeling artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a "supply chain risk", a move that could have severely hurt the firm's business and government contracts. The decision was issued by District Judge Rita Lin, who said the government's action appeared unfair and lacked proper justification. She also paused an earlier directive linked to former President Donald Trump that had asked federal agencies to stop using the company's AI tools, including its chatbot Claude. Also Read: US Labor Department Proposes Major Wage Hike For H1B, Other Visa Workers In simple terms, calling a company a "supply chain risk" means the government considers it unreliable or unsafe to work with -- something that can effectively cut it off from major contracts. Anthropic argued in court that this label was imposed suddenly and without clear evidence, damaging its reputation and operations. The dispute reportedly began after disagreements between the company and the US Department of Defense over how its AI technology should be used. Anthropic had raised concerns about its tools being deployed in sensitive areas such as autonomous weapons or mass surveillance. Following these disagreements, the Pentagon moved to restrict its use. During the court hearing, Judge Lin questioned why such a strong step was taken against a US-based technology company, especially using powers that are usually reserved for dealing with foreign threats. She indicated that if the government had concerns, it could simply stop using the company's products instead of issuing a broad and damaging designation. The court's order does not force the Pentagon to continue working with Anthropic. It only prevents the government, for now, from officially branding the company as a risk while the legal case continues. The judge has also given the government time to challenge the decision in a higher court. Also Read: 'Something That Cannot Be Said For Most': Trump Praises PM Modi, Pledges To Build Stronger Ties With India Anthropic welcomed the ruling, saying it would continue focusing on developing safe and responsible AI systems. The Pentagon has not yet publicly responded to the order Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories -- On NDTV Profit.
ICE Adds $600M to Polymarket Investment Despite US Regulatory Scrutiny
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), said Friday it completed a new $600 million direct cash investment in Polymarket, deepening its bet on prediction markets as a new area of growth for exchange operators. The company also said it expects to purchase up to $40 million of Polymarket securities from existing holders, adding to its previously announced investment commitment made in October 2025. In that earlier deal, ICE said it would invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket, marking one of the largest institutional moves into the prediction market sector. The latest transaction advances that arrangement, though terms for the new investment, including valuation, were not disclosed. The deal signals ICE's intention to expand its exposure to prediction markets, even as the sector faces evolving US regulatory scrutiny. Aishwary Gupta, global head of business at Polygon Labs, said ICE's latest investment reflects institutional attention toward onchain market platforms. Gupta told Cointelegraph that Polymarket's growth on Polygon shows how blockchain infrastructure is being used to support high-frequency, real-time market activity. Related: Lawmakers push another bill to curb prediction market insider trading "Intercontinental Exchange's investment in Polymarket highlights the growing institutional interest in onchain market platforms," Gupta said. He said Polymarket's growth on Polygon shows how blockchain infrastructure can support high levels of real-time market activity at scale. The news comes as prediction markets face increasing regulatory pressure across the US. At least 11 states are pursuing legal action against prediction market platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi. Nevada has issued a temporary ban on Polymarket competitor Kalshi, while Arizona filed criminal charges alleging the platform operated an illegal gambling business. Several other states have sent cease-and-desist orders or are considering new legislation. Polymarket recently updated its rules to more clearly prohibit trading on confidential information as lawmakers and critics raise concerns that prediction markets can be vulnerable to insider-style activity, especially around politics, sports and geopolitics.
India's undersea turbulence; Anthropic's courtroom win
The government has asked telcos and subsea operators to assess risks to India's data cables amid the war in West Asia. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5. Also in the letter: ■ IT firms lean on M&A ■ OpenAI's ad pilot mints money ■ Microsoft set for worst quarter The Centre has asked telecom operators and subsea cable firms to map India's exposure to potential damage to undersea data cables amid the conflict in West Asia and to draw up hard fallback plans, according to people in the know. Driving the news: The Department of Telecommunications has already met industry leaders as anxiety mounts over Iran's threats to cables that run through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea -- two of the world's most critical data arteries. Traffic, latency, and cost risks: Roughly a third of India's westbound internet traffic to the US and Europe flows through this corridor. Some of it can be rerouted via Singapore, but capacity there is limited and more expensive. Longer detours across the Pacific would slow speeds further and push up costs, industry experts warned. Data centre ambitions at risk: Any sustained disruption could derail India's $270-billion data centre push, which hinges on stronger, more resilient subsea connectivity. Also Read: Google announces $30 million science fund; new subsea connectivity initiative Dario Amodei, CEO, Anthropic A federal judge has temporarily barred the US Department of Defense from labelling Anthropic a security risk, giving the AI startup breathing room in its fight over federal contracts and the military's use of its technology. Breathing room: The ruling is interim, but it allows Anthropic to continue bidding on and executing US government contracts for now. Also Read: Why the US government labelled Anthropic a 'supply chain risk': A timeline The case centres on a $200-million contract in which Anthropic sought to bar the use of its models for surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Pentagon has pushed back, stressing it will not let a private company dictate how its technology is deployed. Company's stance: An Anthropic spokesperson said the firm was "grateful to the court for moving swiftly" and that it "remains focused on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI." Also Read: Claude Mythos: Leak spills details on Anthropic's new AI model, its most powerful yet Even as it jousts with regulators, Anthropic is weighing a public listing as early as October, according to reports. Details: Also Read: Anthropic Claude can now control your computer: New update explained Infosys' $560 million investment in Optimum Healthcare IT and Stratus underlines how IT services firms are leaning into specialised solutions and large deals to cushion revenue pressure from AI. What's going on? India's nearly $300 billion tech services industry could see revenue shrink 2-4% over the next two years as companies accelerate AI adoption. To offset that drag, firms are chasing bigger, more strategic deals and acquisitions. Large deals: Also Read: AI software plugins likely to weigh on IT roles for next 12-18 months, experts say Expert view: Analysts say these deals are coming at attractive valuations and add useful, high-margin capabilities. But despite the spending spree, Karan Uppal, vice president at Phillip Capital, noted that these deals still account for only a modest share of overall revenue. Muted quarter ahead: Meanwhile, ET reported that fourth-quarter results for India's large-cap IT firms are likely to stay soft, with growth expected between -1.6% and 2%, according to brokerages CLSA and JPMorgan. Also Read: Nimble mid-tier IT riding large deal momentum as AI rejigs biz Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI OpenAI's ChatGPT ads pilot in the United States has already topped $100 million in annualised revenue within six weeks, showing strong early demand for its new ads business. Quick lookback: In January, Sam Altman-led OpenAI said it would begin testing ads in ChatGPT, with a limited group of users in the US, aiming to fund the heavy costs of building frontier AI models. Also Read: OpenAI set to raise about $10 billion from MGX, Coatue, Thrive The ads currently appear to users on the free tier and the lower-priced Go plan. OpenAI had stressed that ads are separated from ChatGPT's responses and do not affect its outputs, insisting that user conversations are not shared with advertisers. Also Read: ETtech Explainer: Why is OpenAI shutting down Sora, its text-to-video app? Tell me more: The company said around 85% of users are currently eligible to see ads. Still, fewer than 20% actually see them on a given day - suggesting headroom to grow ad revenue even before expanding the user base. OpenAI now plans to roll out the pilot to more countries in the coming weeks, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Also Read: SoftBank secures $40 billion loan to fund further OpenAI investment Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft Microsoft is under pressure on two fronts: heavy AI infrastructure spending that has yet to show a clear payoff, and investor fears that AI agents from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI could weaken demand for its core software products. Stock suffers: The company's stock is down 24% in the first quarter, on track for its biggest loss since its 27% drop in the fourth quarter of 2008. It's by far the weakest performer among the Magnificent Seven tech giants at the start of the year, with an index tracking the group down 13% over the same period. Long-term value? Some analysts say the stock now looks cheap, trading below 20 times next 12-month earnings. Others warn that software growth could slow and margins could come under pressure as customers turn directly to AI vendors.
SpaceX IPO sparks social media frenzy, investors place bets on company ticker
SpaceX is targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion in its listing, which would make it the sixth biggest US company by market capitalization From rocket launches drawing millions of YouTube views to social media frenzy over its potential listing, SpaceX's debut is shaping up to be a landmark moment for Wall Street. Traders are betting thousands of dollars on the company's ticker and speculating over its entry into the most elite club of US companies, giving the world's most valuable start-up a level of social media buzz that only a few companies enjoy, especially when they are yet to file their IPO paperwork. On Polymarket, users were betting on topics including the company's targeted valuation, the exchange it will list on and the ticker its shares would trade under. The combined trading volume of such bets exceeded more than $15.2 million, as of Friday. Odds on the prediction markets platform put a 25 per cent chance on SpaceX choosing the letter "X" as its ticker, a sharp drop from 60 per cent a month ago. The single-letter ticker is up for grabs after US Steel, which reportedly held it for over a century, delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after being bought by Japan's Nippon Steel last year. Musk's social media platform is also called X after a rebrand from Twitter in 2023. Tuttle Capital Management CEO Matthew Tuttle said a better alternative would be "SPCX" - also the ticker of an exchange traded fund his company manages. Tuttle has indicated openness to selling the SPCX symbol to SpaceX. "I've not heard from Elon, but my phone line is still open and I'm holding out hope that I get a call," he said. Apart from X, other potential options floated on Polymarket include "SPAX" and the risqué, "SEX". However, users see a roughly 70 per cent probability that the company chooses a different ticker altogether. From magnificent seven to super eight? SpaceX is targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion in its listing, which would make it the sixth biggest US company by market capitalization. Tesla and Meta Platforms could fall behind, with market valuations of $1.4 trillion and $1.39 trillion, respectively. That has fueled speculation over whether the company's market debut will force a rethink of the so-called "Magnificent Seven", a group of some of the most valuable US companies. "When the company does finally go public, the Magnificent Seven will clearly expand. They'll probably call it the Magnificent Eight, the Super Eight or some new acronym," said Todd Schoenberger, chief investment officer at CrossCheck Management. To capitalize on his popularity among retail investors, CEO Elon Musk is also discussing allocating as much as 30 per cent of the IPO to individual investors, at least three times the usual retail slice, Reuters reported. On social media platform Reddit's r/WallStreetBets thread, SpaceX was mentioned 130 times over the past week and was the 19th most popular mention, according to data from Germany-based data group Breakout Point. "The retail investor plays a very significant role when you have a company like SpaceX that's coming public. Most people would say yes to the opportunity of investing in Elon Musk's space company," said Jonathan Corpina, senior managing partner for Meridian Equity Partners.
Anthropic says it's testing an AI model that's a "step change" in performance after a draft blog in an unsecured data store revealed the Claude Mythos model
Hadas Gold / @hadas_gold: BREAKING: Anthropic has been GRANTED a preliminary injunction re: Pentagon 'supply chain risk' designation by Judge Rita Lin in California but is allowing a stay for one week https://storage.courtlistener.com/ ... This is a devastating ruling for the government, finding Anthropic likely to prevail on essentially all of its theories for why the government's actions were unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the things she mentions is the huge range of amici briefs supporting Anthropic (by the way, 0 supported USG) -- so thanks to everyone here who signed on to FAI's brief, or to one of the many many others. These things do matter. More importantly, you were on the right side of history.
SpaceX Listing Stirs up Social Media Frenzy, Ticker Bets
Elon Musk speaks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as they attend the Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Evan Vucci/AP/2025 file) From rocket launches drawing millions of YouTube views to social media frenzy over its potential listing, SpaceX's debut is shaping up to be a landmark moment for Wall Street. Traders are betting thousands of dollars on the company's ticker and speculating over its entry into the most elite club of U.S. companies, giving the world's most valuable startup a level of social media buzz that only a few companies enjoy, especially when they are yet to file their IPO paperwork. ODDS ON 'X' On Polymarket, users were betting on topics including the company's targeted valuation, the exchange it will list on and the ticker its shares would trade under. The combined trading volume of such bets exceeded more than $15.2 million, as of Friday. Odds on the prediction markets platform put a 25% chance on SpaceX choosing the letter "X" as its ticker, a sharp drop from 60% a month ago. The single-letter ticker is up for grabs after U.S. Steel, which reportedly held it for over a century, delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after being bought by Japan's Nippon Steel last year. Musk's social media platform is also called X after a rebrand from Twitter in 2023. Tuttle Capital Management CEO Matthew Tuttle said a better alternative would be "SPCX" -- also the ticker of an exchange traded fund his company manages. Tuttle has indicated openness to selling the SPCX symbol to SpaceX. "I've not heard from Elon, but my phone line is still open and I'm holding out hope that I get a call," he said. Apart from X, other potential options floated on Polymarket include "SPAX" and the risque "SEX." However, users see a roughly 70% probability that the company chooses a different ticker altogether. SUPER EIGHT SpaceX is targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion in its listing, which would make it the sixth biggest U.S. company by market capitalization. Tesla and Meta Platforms could fall behind, with market valuations of $1.4 trillion and $1.39 trillion, respectively. That has fueled speculation over whether the company's market debut will force a rethink of the so-called "Magnificent Seven," a group of some of the most valuable U.S. companies. "When the company does finally go public, the Magnificent Seven will clearly expand. They'll probably call it the Magnificent Eight, the Super Eight or some new acronym," said Todd Schoenberger, chief investment officer at CrossCheck Management. To capitalize on his popularity among retail investors, CEO Elon Musk is also discussing allocating as much as 30% of the IPO to individual investors, at least three times the usual retail slice, Reuters reported. On social media platform Reddit's r/WallStreetBets thread, SpaceX was mentioned 130 times over the past week and was the 19th most popular mention, according to data from Germany-based data group Breakout Point. "The retail investor plays a very significant role when you have a company like SpaceX that's coming public. Most people would say yes to the opportunity of investing in Elon Musk's space company," said Jonathan Corpina, senior managing partner for Meridian Equity Partners.
Intercontinental Exchange Announces New $600 Million Investment in Polymarket
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), one of the world's leading providers of financial market technology and data powering global capital markets, today announced that, as part of its previously announced investment arrangement with Polymarket, ICE has completed a new $600 million direct cash investment in Polymarket, which is part of an equity capital fundraising by Polymarket. ICE also expects to make purchases of up to $40 million of Polymarket securities from certain existing holders. In October 2025, ICE made an initial direct investment in Polymarket of $1 billion, and with today's additional direct investment and the anticipated additional purchases of Polymarket securities, ICE will have completed its obligations under its investment arrangement with Polymarket. ICE's investments in Polymarket are not expected to have a material impact on ICE's financial results or expected capital return plans. Certain terms of ICE's investment in Polymarket, including the valuation of today's investment, are expected to be disclosed following the completion of Polymarket's fundraising. This press release does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities. About Intercontinental Exchange Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks that connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes helping our customers access mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and efficiency. ICE's futures, equity, and options exchanges -- including the New York Stock Exchange -- and clearing houses help people invest, raise capital and manage risk. We offer some of the world's largest markets to trade and clear energy and environmental products. Our fixed income, data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers streamline processes and capitalize on opportunities. At ICE Mortgage Technology , we are transforming U.S. housing finance, from initial consumer engagement through loan production, closing, registration and the long-term servicing relationship. Together, ICE transforms, streamlines, and automates industries to connect our customers to opportunity. Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here . Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading "Key Information Documents (KIDS)." Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the SEC on February 5, 2026.
Mayor calls for stronger crowd control in response to chaos downtown after Opening Day
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has issued a statement in the aftermath of a busy night for Cincinnati police who dealt with large, unruly crowds after the city's Opening Day festivities.The crowds were caught on camera. Several fights were reported and multiple arrests were made all in the hours after Opening Day celebrations.At one point, much of The Banks was blocked off, as well as access to the Roebling Bridge. Those areas have since reopened, but there are still a lot of questions."It's an outrage. This is exactly what causes fear and concern among our guests who come to support our urban core," the mayor's statement begins. "It's the kind of behavior that forces us to look at and implement more severe crowd control restrictions in our Downtown."Video obtained by WLWT shows crowds swarming officers at the Banks Thursday evening. People can be seen pushing, shoving and falling over each other.Other videos posted online, that WLWT does not have permission to share, depict fights breaking out as well from Fountain Square to Washington Park and Over-the-Rhine.Cincinnati police were working crowd control and dealing with fights into the early hours of the morning."Thank you to our Cincinnati Police Department for your quick and effective work. I'm grateful that our Police, Hamilton County Sheriff, and state law partners were prepared with a coordinated and swift response to keep folks safe and prevent things from escalating even further," the mayor continued. "I am glad that they are okay. But we cannot ask this of them every night."My expectation is full accountability from those involved last night, and that every stakeholder and community member is willing to work with us to prevent this from happening again," Mayor Pureval's statement concludes.In a social media post, Cincinnati's police union -- FOP Queen City Lodge No. 69 -- asked for prayers for the officers "trying to manage an unruly crowd of criminals that are terrorizing OTR, Downtown and the Banks."The union's post continues, saying, "this is a direct result of a soft on crime City Hall and Hamilton County Judges. Welcome to lawless Cincinnati."WLWT spoke to a sergeant dealing with the crowds after bars closed. We're told that while officers were busy, crowds like this are pretty normal after a big event like Opening Day. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has issued a statement in the aftermath of a busy night for Cincinnati police who dealt with large, unruly crowds after the city's Opening Day festivities. The crowds were caught on camera. Several fights were reported and multiple arrests were made all in the hours after Opening Day celebrations. At one point, much of The Banks was blocked off, as well as access to the Roebling Bridge. Those areas have since reopened, but there are still a lot of questions. "It's an outrage. This is exactly what causes fear and concern among our guests who come to support our urban core," the mayor's statement begins. "It's the kind of behavior that forces us to look at and implement more severe crowd control restrictions in our Downtown." Video obtained by WLWT shows crowds swarming officers at the Banks Thursday evening. People can be seen pushing, shoving and falling over each other. Other videos posted online, that WLWT does not have permission to share, depict fights breaking out as well from Fountain Square to Washington Park and Over-the-Rhine. Cincinnati police were working crowd control and dealing with fights into the early hours of the morning. "Thank you to our Cincinnati Police Department for your quick and effective work. I'm grateful that our Police, Hamilton County Sheriff, and state law partners were prepared with a coordinated and swift response to keep folks safe and prevent things from escalating even further," the mayor continued. "I am glad that they are okay. But we cannot ask this of them every night. "My expectation is full accountability from those involved last night, and that every stakeholder and community member is willing to work with us to prevent this from happening again," Mayor Pureval's statement concludes. In a social media post, Cincinnati's police union -- FOP Queen City Lodge No. 69 -- asked for prayers for the officers "trying to manage an unruly crowd of criminals that are terrorizing OTR, Downtown and the Banks." The union's post continues, saying, "this is a direct result of a soft on crime City Hall and Hamilton County Judges. Welcome to lawless Cincinnati." WLWT spoke to a sergeant dealing with the crowds after bars closed. We're told that while officers were busy, crowds like this are pretty normal after a big event like Opening Day.
SpaceX's listing sparks ticker bets, Magnificent Seven rethink
From rocket launches drawing millions of YouTube views to social media frenzy over its potential listing, SpaceX's debut is shaping up to be a landmark moment for Wall Street. Traders are betting thousands of dollars on the company's ticker and speculating over its entry into the most elite club of U.S. companies, giving the world's most valuable startup a level of social media buzz that only a few companies enjoy, especially when they are yet to file their IPO paperwork. On Polymarket, users were betting on topics including the company's targeted valuation, the exchange it will list on and the ticker its shares would trade under. The combined trading volume of such bets exceeded more than US$15.2-million, as of Friday. Odds on the prediction markets platform put a 25-per-cent chance on SpaceX choosing the letter "X" as its ticker, a sharp drop from 60 per cent a month ago. The single-letter ticker is up for grabs after U.S. Steel, which reportedly held it for over a century, delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after being bought by Japan's Nippon Steel last year. Musk's social media platform is also called X after a rebrand from Twitter in 2023. Tuttle Capital Management CEO Matthew Tuttle said a better alternative would be "SPCX" - also the ticker of an exchange traded fund his company manages. Tuttle has indicated openness to selling the SPCX symbol to SpaceX. "I've not heard from Elon, but my phone line is still open and I'm holding out hope that I get a call," he said. Apart from X, other potential options floated on Polymarket include "SPAX" and the risqué, "SEX." However, users see a roughly 70-per-cent probability that the company chooses a different ticker altogether. SpaceX is targeting a valuation of US$1.75-trillion in its listing, which would make it the sixth biggest U.S. company by market capitalization. Tesla TSLA-Q and Meta Platforms META-Q could fall behind, with market valuations of US$1.4-trillion and US$1.39-trillion, respectively. That has fuelled speculation over whether the company's market debut will force a rethink of the so-called "Magnificent Seven," a group of some of the most valuable U.S. companies. "When the company does finally go public, the Magnificent Seven will clearly expand. They'll probably call it the Magnificent Eight, the Super Eight or some new acronym," said Todd Schoenberger, chief investment officer at CrossCheck Management. To capitalize on his popularity among retail investors, CEO Elon Musk is also discussing allocating as much as 30 per cent of the IPO to individual investors, at least three times the usual retail slice, Reuters reported. On social media platform Reddit's r/WallStreetBets thread, SpaceX was mentioned 130 times over the past week and was the 19th most popular mention, according to data from Germany-based data group Breakout Point. "The retail investor plays a very significant role when you have a company like SpaceX that's coming public. Most people would say yes to the opportunity of investing in Elon Musk's space company," said Jonathan Corpina, senior managing partner for Meridian Equity Partners.
