Crypto Biz: Google bullish on blockchain, UK’s $125M AI pledge, Voyager and Binance

At the intersection of tech and cryptocurrency news, the Google for Startups Cloud Program has expanded to see 11 blockchain firms. Together, the entities volition supply grants, expertise and services to emerging Web3 entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom authorities has allocated $125 cardinal successful backing for a task unit aimed astatine accelerating the country’s artificial quality (AI) readiness. The task unit volition absorption connected ensuring sovereign capabilities, specified arsenic nationalist services, and fostering the adoption of harmless and reliable AI instauration models.

In different headlines, troubled cryptocurrency speech FTX is acceptable to merchantability its LedgerX futures and options speech and clearinghouse for astir $50 cardinal to backstage equity concern bureau M7 Holdings, taxable to tribunal approval. Meanwhile, Binance.US has backed retired of its statement to acquisition Voyager Digital’s assets, worthy $1 billion, citing a “hostile and uncertain regulatory clime successful the United States.”

This week’s Crypto Biz: Google expanding its Web3 program, U.K. pledging $125 cardinal for an AI task force, FTX selling LedgerX for $50 cardinal and Binance.US backs retired of $1 cardinal Voyager plus purchase.

Google Cloud broadens Web3 startup programme with 11 blockchain firms

Google for Startups Cloud Program has expanded to see 11 Web3 blockchain partners, specified arsenic Alchemy, Polygon, Celo and Hedera. Blockchain analytics institution Nansen besides announced that it has partnered with Google Cloud to supply real-time blockchain information for startups arsenic portion of the program. As portion of the caller Cloud Program, pre-seed Web3 startups tin person up to $2,000 successful Google Cloud credits valid for 2 years, portion seeded startups tin entree $200,000 implicit 2 years for Google Cloud and Firebase usage. Additionally, blockchain partners are offering grants of up to $3 cardinal to seeded companies successful the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Nansen volition besides usage its database of implicit 250 cardinal wallet labels to supply startups with real-time intelligence.

UK pledges astir $125M to make ‘safe AI’ taskforce

The U.K. authorities has announced that it is providing 100 cardinal pounds ($125 million) successful archetypal backing to enactment a task unit aimed astatine accelerating the country's readiness for AI. The task unit is aimed astatine ensuring “sovereign capabilities,” which see nationalist services, and fostering the adoption of "safe and reliable instauration models." This coincides with the U.K.’s commitment to becoming a subject and exertion superpower by 2030. The task unit is expected to motorboat its archetypal pilots of AI usage and integration targeting nationalist services successful the adjacent six months. The U.K. is besides pushing for “safe AI,” which aims to modulate exertion to “keep radical safe” without limiting innovation.

FTX sells LedgerX for $50M to affiliate of Miami-based speech holding company

Cryptocurrency speech FTX has agreed to merchantability its LedgerX futures and options speech and clearinghouse to M7 Holdings, an affiliate of Miami International Holdings, for astir $50 million. The deal, which is taxable to support from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, is scheduled to beryllium heard successful tribunal connected May 4. The acquisition of LedgerX is portion of FTX’s ongoing efforts to monetize assets and present recoveries to stakeholders. FTX purchased LedgerX successful August 2021 to grow its spot trading services. The FTX speech is presently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. 

Binance.US backs retired of $1B Voyager plus purchase, blames regulatory environment

Binance.US has backed retired of its agreement to purchase bankrupt cryptocurrency brokerage Voyager Digital’s assets for $1 billion. The speech blamed the determination connected the “hostile and uncertain regulatory clime successful the United States.” The Voyager Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors tweeted its disappointment astatine the quality and said it was investigating imaginable claims against Binance.US. Voyager and the creditors' committee person said they would present enactment connected distributing currency and crypto to customers straight via the Voyager platform. Voyager declared bankruptcy successful July 2021.

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