UK announces independent adequacy decisions; Edwards named ICO top candidate ICO launches investigation into how social platforms use children's personal data Plus, externally, "there's been a continuous flow of innovation, countless areas where the ICO has needed to step up, move quickly and provide certainty," he said. Drawing a parallel with the challenge many practitioners now face, Edwards said the ICO has had to make choices and prioritize its efforts in this dynamic time. "I know you can relate to that challenge," he told attendees. You are expected to do more with less, to adapt and change, upskill and stay informed, often within a fixed or shrinking budget." The ICO's priorities under Edwards have focused on areas "where we believe we could make the most meaningful difference" — that being in AI and biometrics, children's privacy, cookies and online tracking. "That work fed directly into our recommender systems investigations, which echo timely concerns we're now seeing in research and litigation in California about social media addiction," Edwards said. The Reddit action came just weeks after another undertaking was announced against Imgur's parent company over children's privacy violations. With biometrics, the first enforcement action under Edwards was against Clearview AI, which has been in litigation since. "Now we're waiting on a Court of Appeal hearing," Edwards said on the status of the Clearview action, "and frankly, there is little chance that it will be resolved before my time here concludes." Litigation aside, he said this was "an important case for us to pursue" because of the "impact on people's rights and the wider implications for issues of jurisdiction over foreign companies processing UK citizens' data." The protracted litigation, however, is "resource-intensive and slow," said Edwards. When Edwards first took office, he announced a listening tour right as the U.K. was considering reform of its data protection law, which has since been updated under the DUAA. Legal certainty was top of mind at the time, and, for Edwards, continues today. He described some of the directions in which the ICO is regularly pulled, from a rise in public data protection complaints — which has risen from more than 40,000 in 2024-25 to 66,000 in 2025-26 — to demands for investigating every data breach report and "pursue every organisation with the full suite of enforcement tools at our disposal." The ICO has also faced calls to provide more guidance to undergird legal certainty for business, while others, in "a recent Select Committee hearing" have suggested that "we should be auditing all government use of third-party IT applications, and all cloud storage contracts." "This means using all the regulatory tools available to us to drive change — producing guidance and advice, engaging upstream with companies and leading criminal prosecutions." He offered that companies should think about what would make the largest difference to customers and stakeholders if things go to plan, and what would be the "greatest harm if left unaddressed." The ICO has asked itself similar questions, he said, and that guides its priorities. "Just like at that first IAPP London in 2022," he said, "I want to leave you with a message of reassurance and certainty. As the regulator, we're here to help you navigate change. And we're expanding our Data Essentials training to help small and medium businesses feel more confident using people's data responsibly in an evolving world." This content is eligible for Continuing Professional Education credits. The IAPP is a policy neutral, not-for-profit association founded in 2000 with a mission to define, promote and improve the professions of privacy, AI governance and digital responsibility globally.

Bitcoin (BTC) has rebounded to nearly $69,000 for the first time in more than a week, recently trading for $69,869 after falling below the $63,000 mark on Tuesday. Altcoins Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) are the biggest gainers among the top 10 coins by market cap, with Ethereum rising 12% on the day to a recent price of $2,075 while Solana has jumped almost 14% to just shy of $89. Both coins had shown substantial losses in recent weeks, but are swinging back the other direction on Wednesday. Other major gainers with double-digit rises during that span include Polkadot (DOT), Filecoin (FIL), Uniswap (UNI), Aptos (APT), Avalanche (AVAX), and Chainlink (LINK). More than $400 million worth of short positions have been liquidated in the last 24 hours, per data from CoinGlass, making up the vast majority of the $463 million worth of total liquidations during that span. Prominent crypto stocks are skyrocketing Wednesday as the risk-on appetite grows in equities, with USDC stablecoin issuer Circle showing a 29% spike to $79 per share after reporting earnings, while blockchain lender Figure is up 15% to $34 per share and Ethereum treasury leader BitMine Immersion Technologies has swung up almost 14% to $22. Polkadot, Solana Lead Altcoin Surge Ahead of Nvidia Earnings Call Other notable crypto stock gainers today include Coinbase with a 13% swing to $183, Bitcoin treasury giant Strategy rising nearly 9% to above $135 per share, and Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings with a 7% rise to $8.66. While still bearish overall, users on Myriad—a prediction markets platform operated by Decrypt's parent company, Dastan—are gaining more confidence that Bitcoin will continue rising. They currently pencil in a 43% chance that Bitcoin will next rise to $84,000 rather than fall to $55,000, with odds rising about 14% in the last day.

New York, NY, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mint a .molt domain. Molt.id the first AI agent domain name system built natively on Solana, today announced the upcoming launch of its native token $MOLTID on February 25 at 6PM UTC via Meteora. The launch marks a pivotal moment for the project as it expands from a fully operational mainnet protocol into a token-powered ecosystem designed to sustain, reward, and scale the autonomous agent economy. Molt.id has already been live on Solana mainnet, enabling users to mint .molt domains , Metaplex Core NFTs that come bundled with a personal AI agent, an immutable domain wallet with no private keys, persistent cloud storage, and verifiable on-chain identity. The protocol eliminates the technical barriers that have historically prevented everyday users from deploying and operating autonomous AI agents. The Problem: AI Agents Are Too Hard to Run Despite the explosive growth of AI and autonomous agents in Web3, deploying one remains a significant technical challenge. Users typically need a VPS or dedicated machine (often $600+), Docker and DevOps knowledge, ongoing server maintenance, private key management with constant exposure risk, and recurring monthly hosting bills that add up quickly. For most people creators, traders, community managers, small projects, and DAOs , this is simply out of reach. The result is that the AI agent economy remains gated behind technical and financial barriers, accessible only to developers and well-funded teams. That one NFT mint gives the holder: - A personal OpenClaw AI agent instance — powered by Cloudflare, running on-demand with zero idle costs. - An immutable domain wallet — a permanent Asset Signer PDA derived from the NFT itself. The owner co-signs every transaction, maintaining full custody at all times. - Persistent agent storage — all agent data including personality (soul.md), skills, memory, and conversation history stored on Cloudflare R2, tied directly to the NFT. - On-chain identity — all public agent data anchored on Solana via Metaplex Core. "We built Molt.id because we believe AI agents should be as easy to deploy as registering a domain name," said the Molt.id team. "No one should need to be a DevOps engineer to have an autonomous agent working for them on-chain. Each .molt agent is designed to be a fully autonomous participant in the on-chain economy. - Token trading — buy and sell directly from the agent wallet - Token launching — deploy tokens with creator fees tied to the domain wallet via Genesis Protocol - x402 payments — pay for services and get paid, autonomously - x402 service hosting — generate revenue by offering agent capabilities to other agents and users - Agent-to-agent interactions — discover, verify, and transact with other .molt agents on-chain - Train and sell — train an agent for specific tasks and list it for sale on secondary marketplaces like Tensor Trade These capabilities are being rolled out progressively as the protocol matures, with documentation updated in real-time at docs.molt.id. Molt.id is the first AI agent domain name system on Solana. By minting a .molt domain — a Metaplex Core NFT — users receive a personal AI agent, an immutable domain wallet with no private keys, persistent cloud storage, and verifiable on-chain identity. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

Central Bank Digital Currency: The Centre will launch a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based food subsidy distribution pilot project under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in the Union Territory of Puducherry on Thursday in a major step towards strengthening India's digital public infrastructure and enhancing transparency in subsidy delivery, according to an official statement. The digital rupee or e-rupee is a tokenised digital version of the Indian rupee, issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The introduction of the digital rupee offers an opportunity to enhance the direct benefit transfer (DBT) ecosystem by providing a secure, instant, traceable, and programmable digital cash mechanism for PMGKAY beneficiaries, thereby enabling smoother fund flow and reducing friction in availing entitlements.Also Read Kisan Credit Card Big Update: RBI likely to bring major changes in KCC, scheme to help crores of famers by... Union Budget 2026 Banking Sector Announcements: Nirmala Sitharaman announces restruction of the Power Finance Corporation, allocates... The pilot project will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, in the presence of Puducherry Lt Governor, K. Kailashnathan and Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy. The tokens will be redeemable exclusively for the purchase of entitled foodgrains at authorised merchants and fair price shops, thereby ensuring purpose-bound usage of subsidy and enhanced transparency. It seeks to enhance transparency, efficiency, accountability, and beneficiary empowerment in subsidy delivery. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies Policy.

Last week, artificial intelligence was blamed for writing buggy crypto software. Octane Security, a self-described “AI-native security firm,” said on Wednesday its AI tool found a high-severity bug in Nethermind, software that runs the Ethereum blockchain. Nethermind fixed the bug before it could be exploited, Octane said. Bug hypotheses, exploit verification, and production-grade reports can now happen 10× faster, which rewrites the threat model for every organisation putting code onchain.” Octane's announcement comes just five days after AI firm Anthropic rattled cybersecurity stocks with a new security tool that “scans codebases for security vulnerabilities and suggests targeted software patches for human review.” AI has taken the tech world by storm, enabling experienced software engineers to write code faster than ever before. This week, a report from Citrini Research rattled Wall Street by envisioning a future where AI has replaced human workers and nuked the world economy. The S&P dropped more than 1% on Monday as a result. And AI has triggered fears that the technology can be used to break cybersecurity. Others are concerned engineers could become over-reliant on AI-written code and release buggy software. That concern came to life earlier this month, when a bug in AI-generated code cost users of crypto protocol Moonwell nearly $2.7 million in crypto. One Moonwell software engineer said the code in question had passed an audit from crypto security firm Halborn. “AI coding will become more and more prevalent, and the increasing adoption of vibe coding remains one reason why more investment in design, threat modelling, formal methods, fuzzing, and 24/7 monitoring are critical steps for every web3 team to take,” Seth Hallem, CEO at crypto security firm Certora, told DL News after the Moonwell incident. Octane's experience suggests that investment might increasingly flow toward AI. In the run-up to the launch of Ethereum upgrade Fusaka last year, Octane joined an audit contest sponsored by Gnosis and Lido. Octane partnered with pseudonymous security researcher Guhu, who reviewed potential bugs flagged by the company's AI. Octane and Guhu submitted 17 issues, 16 of which were fixed by client teams. Nine were considered severe, and, of those, “six are believed to be unique,” the company said. “Exploitation would have removed that capacity from the network, causing affected validators to miss block rewards, incur inactivity leak penalties, and degrade overall network liveness and availability.” Aleks Gilbert is DL News' New York-based DeFi correspondent.

Bitcoin BTC$65,121.75 bounced back above $68,500 during Wednesday's U.S. session, gaining more than 6% over the past 24 hours as deeply bearish positioning across the crypto market began to unwind. The move sparked a broader relief rally across altcoins. Solana (SOL), DOGE$0.09290, ADA$0.2663 and Chainlink LINK$8.4681 each advanced more than 10%, outperforming bitcoin and the broad-market benchmark CoinDesk 20 Index's gains. With Wednesday's bounce, BTC now has erased the early-week selloff that saw prices plunging below $63,000. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, a popular sentiment gauge, has been hovering in Extreme Fear levels for most of February. Perpetual futures funding rates — the periodic payments between long and short traders — had also turned negative multiple times over the past weeks. This means short sellers have been paying longs to maintain positions, a sign that bearish bets had become crowded. The rebound has liquidated nearly $400 million in leveraged bearish bets across crypto derivatives over the past 24 hours, CoinGlass data shows. Notably, bitcoin perpetual funding rates remain below neutral even amid the rally, suggesting the move isn't being driven by aggressive leveraged speculation. Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) surged 29% following an earnings beat, while Coinbase (COIN) gained 13%. Bitcoin miners — increasingly tied to AI infrastructure themes — were lagging, with Bitfarms (BITF) and MARA Holdings (MARA) standing out with 6%-7% gains. Many crypto-linked stocks had built up sizable short interest from hedge funds, 10x Research's Markus Thielen noted, leaving them primed for a sharp reversal. Improving risk appetite across traditional markets has given a favorable backdrop for the crypto bounce. It is widely viewed as a gauge of U.S. capital flows, institutional participation, and overall market sentiment. XRP jumps 6% as exchange data points to institutional accumulation Break above $1.37 draws strong spot demand, with ETF inflows and retail buying suggesting positioning shift. Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services.

Bitcoin has lost nearly 30% of its value since January. Yet Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is making the case that it remains one of the most powerful tools ordinary people have to fight rising prices. Armstrong laid out his argument in a post on X, and later repeated it at the World Liberty Forum, an event hosted by the family of US President Donald Trump. Wealthier people protect themselves by moving money into stocks, real estate, and Bitcoin. People without access to those same options get hit hardest and have no way out. Inflation is a regressive tax on the poorest people in society, since they only hold cash. Once people have wealth, they can afford and get access to inflation-resistant asset classes (stocks, bitcoin, real estate, etc). Economists have made similar arguments for years — that inflation acts like a hidden tax on those with the least. Bitcoin does not move like a slow, grinding inflation rate. For someone with no financial cushion, that is not protection. The more grounded part of Armstrong's message involves legislation. The CLARITY Act, currently being debated in Congress, aims to define how digital assets are regulated in the US — which agencies hold authority and under what conditions. US Senator Bernie Moreno said lawmakers are pushing to pass the bill by April. Armstrong, speaking at the forum, called a balanced version of the bill a potential win for crypto firms, banks, and consumers alike. Talks have focused on stablecoins and whether they can offer competitive yields without running into existing banking rules.Keeping Pace With China China is advancing a government-backed digital currency that pays interest. His message to US regulators was direct: fall behind on stablecoin policy, and America loses ground in a competition it should be leading. It is a real concern — even if his inflation argument leaves something to be desired. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.

In the world of digital creativity, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have opened up new ways for artists, creators, and developers to showcase and sell their work. But for someone completely new to the space, the process of creating and selling an NFT can feel confusing and overwhelming. This guide breaks down that journey into simple, human-friendly steps—starting from your idea to finally listing it on a marketplace. Before diving into the creation process, it's important to understand what you're actually building. This could be digital art, music, writing, virtual real estate, or even a video clip. Consider what you wish your NFT to mean. Ensure the file is not too large, as most platforms have size restrictions. Your NFT home is the blockchain you decide to use. Each blockchain has their own characteristics, fees, and eco-footprint. As a new user, it's worth reading a bit about all of them and selecting one that suits you and your budget. This is where your NFT will be posted for sale on the internet. Each platform also has different support, fees, and exhibition to the community. In order to access the blockchain, you will need a digital wallet. This is your bank account of the crypto world. It holds your cryptocurrency and enables you to sign and authorize actions such as minting an NFT or getting paid. Creating the wallet is generally free, and initializing it means saving a recovery phrase that will grant you complete control of your wallet. Be sure to hold this phrase close and confidentially. When your wallet is established, connect it with the NFT marketplace you prefer. All platforms provide a simple-to-use process that allows you to upload your file, place a name and description on it, and choose how you want to sell it. Once you've minted, your NFT is now live on the marketplace. It can be found by buyers, collectors, and other creators. You will also get a link that you can share on the internet to market your creation—though this tutorial will resist diving into marketing strategies. Some platforms even allow you to get a small fee each time your NFT is resold in the future—a 'royalty'. After your initial sale, don't get discouraged if it takes a while for momentum to pick up. It can take weeks or months for many creators to sell their first piece. It may feel new to create and sell your first NFT, but it does not have to be made complex. As with any creative endeavor, it's a matter of discovering new instruments, learning along the way, and sharing your work with the world. If you begin with a vision in mind and proceed with caution through the steps, your NFT adventure can be a fulfilling mixture of innovation and discovery. This is not financial advice; always do your research. Video | ‘Fight for Justice Is Not Yet Over' | Epstein Survivor Marina Lacerda Speaks to Outlook Video | Our Lovely Friends Podcast | Anu Singh Chaudhary On Feminism & The Female Gaze In Cinema Video | UGC Equity Rules | Why Did Safeguards Against Caste Discrimination Spark Backlash? Krishna On National Symbols, Dissent, And Democracy In Crisis DSC Vs Aadhaar ESign: Which One Do You Need For Tax Season FY 2025-26? Redmi K90 Pro Max Blends Premium Hardware With Affordable Pricing How Do Token Burns Offset Inflationary Staking Rewards? Data Availability Layers: The Missing Piece Behind Scalable Blockchains How Will Real-World Asset Tokenization Impact Token Design? Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand, ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s: Kiwis Crush Lankans With Emphatic 61-Run Win Copyright © 2026 Outlook Publishing India Pvt Ltd. All pages of the Website are subject to our terms and conditions and privacy policy.

Home | Updates | Reddit hit with a major ICO penalty over children's privacy failures The ICO found Reddit processed children's data without a lawful basis, exposing young users to inappropriate content and breaching core requirements of the Children's code. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has fined Reddit £14.47 million after finding that the platform unlawfully used children's personal information and failed to put in place adequate age checks. Although Reddit updated its processes in July 2025, self-declaration remained easy to bypass, offering only a veneer of protection. Investigators also found that the company had not completed a data protection impact assessment until 2025, despite a large number of teenagers using the service. The regulator noted that unlawful data processing occurred over a prolonged period, and that children were at risk of viewing harmful material while their information was processed without a lawful basis. The ICO said it will continue monitoring Reddit's current controls and expects online platforms to align with robust age-assurance standards rather than rely on weak verification. It will coordinate its oversight with Ofcom as part of broader efforts to strengthen online safety and ensure under-18s benefit from high privacy protections by default. Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? The GIP Digital Watch observatory reflects on a wide variety of themes and actors involved in global digital policy, curated by a dedicated team of experts from around the world.

Strategy has become the most-shorted large-cap US stock as hedge funds ramp up bearish bets, according to data from Goldman Sachs. Crypto bank Anchorage Digital said it holds Strategy's perpetual preferred security STRC on its balance sheet, adding an institutional backer to Michael Saylor's Bitcoin treasury company at a time when Wall Street traders are increasingly betting against it. In a Wednesday post on X, Anchorage co-founder and CEO Nathan McCauley said the purchase shows alignment between two companies built around Bitcoin (BTC) infrastructure and corporate treasury adoption. Institutions don't just talk about Bitcoin, they structure around it,” McCauley wrote. The shares pay an 11.25% annual dividend distributed monthly in cash. Related: Michael Saylor says quantum threat to Bitcoin is more than 10 years away A year ago, it did not rank among the top 50. The company began rising on the list in late 2025 as its share price weakened even before Bitcoin peaked in October. Strategy functions as a leveraged public-equity proxy for Bitcoin. It issues securities and deploys the proceeds into BTC. Gains can amplify during rallies, while downturns magnify pressure on the share price. The company currently holds 717,722 Bitcoin worth about $46.68 billion at current market prices. The coins were acquired at an average cost of about $76,020, leaving the company sitting on an estimated $7 billion unrealized loss with Bitcoin trading near $66,000. On Monday, it announced another purchase, acquiring 592 BTC for $39.8 million. Related: Michael Saylor hints at Strategy's 100th Bitcoin buy Last week, Strategy founder Michael Saylor said the company intends to convert roughly $6 billion in convertible bond debt into equity, replacing repayment obligations with newly issued shares. The change would lower leverage on the balance sheet by turning bondholders into shareholders, though it could dilute existing investors. Cointelegraph is committed to providing independent, high-quality journalism across the crypto, blockchain, AI, and fintech industries. To support open access to our website and sustain editorial operations, certain commercial or partner references may appear on our site. These arrangements help maintain an accessible platform and do not result in additional costs to readers. All partners are reviewed prior to entering any paid partnership. All partners are reviewed prior to entering any paid partnership. All partners are reviewed prior to entering any paid partnership.

On Tuesday, the Washington-based nonprofit — which represents more than 125 crypto companies — released a document titled Digital Asset Tax Principles. The framework is intended to guide lawmakers as they revisit tax policy for digital assets amid broader regulatory discussions. She emphasized that tax rules should be practical for both taxpayers and regulators, adding that the group's recommendations are designed to provide clarity while reinforcing US competitiveness in the global digital economy. One major recommendation is the creation of a meaningful de minimis exemption for small digital asset transactions, which would ease compliance burdens for everyday users. The association also proposes that stablecoins be treated as cash for tax purposes, arguing that such treatment would prevent disproportionate reporting requirements for routine payments. For example, it recommends that mining and staking rewards be treated as self-created property, taxable only when the tokens are sold or otherwise disposed of, and sourced to the owner's residence. The framework also addresses economic ownership, urging lawmakers to allow nonrecognition treatment for transactions that do not materially change a taxpayer's economic exposure. In addition, the association highlights privacy and safety concerns, advocating for reporting requirements that achieve legitimate enforcement goals without unnecessarily compromising taxpayer privacy. The Blockchain Association suggests implementing a safe harbor for foreign individuals trading on US exchanges and adopting policies that encourage digital asset activity to remain onshore rather than move abroad. It also calls for anti-abuse provisions that close wash sale loopholes while preserving the ability of Americans to use digital assets in everyday transactions. Further recommendations aim to improve access and flexibility within the tax system. Currently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies crypto as property rather than currency. As a result, most crypto-related activity falls into one of two categories: capital gains or ordinary income. Ronaldo is a seasoned crypto enthusiast with over four years of experience in the field. He is passionate about exploring the vast and dynamic world of decentralized finance (DeFi) and its practical applications for achieving economic sovereignty. Ronaldo is constantly seeking to expand his knowledge and expertise in the DeFi space, as he believes it holds tremendous potential for transforming the traditional financial landscape.