The crypto-mining company formerly known as Hive Blockchain Technologies is pivoting to artificial intelligence and web3, and has changed its name accordingly. The Vancouver-based miner has dropped the “blockchain” marker and said that its new branding as Hive Digital Technologies is intended to reflect “its mission to drive advancements” in AI applications like ChatGPT, and to “support the new web3 ecosystem.” Hive intends to use its existing fleet of Nvidia graphics processing units “for...

The largest US digital asset exchange Coinbase Global Inc. said the intersection of artificial intelligence and crypto represents an important opportunity for entrepreneurs, including helping to prevent some of the excesses cited by critics of the technology. “As applications within AI and blockchain mature, the disruptions these technologies represent may lead to areas of collaboration and the emergence of new use cases for crypto to help address specific societal challenges posed by AI,”...

The Ethereum network is set to undergo a technical revamp on April 12 that will allow users to withdraw tens of billions of dollars of its native token, Ether. Known as the “Shanghai” upgrade, it’s a necessary step after the world’s most commercially important crypto platform shifted to a less power-hungry process for ordering transactions. Investors burned by recent turmoil in crypto markets will be wondering if, presented with their first opportunity to withdraw their tokens, some Ether...

Ethereum, the world’s most used blockchain, is days away from a pivotal upgrade that could lure billions of dollars into its native token. But the software update is already generating scrutiny from Wall Street regulators. Ether has attracted the attention of US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who says that cryptocurrencies like it ought to be regulated as securities. That’s an opposing stance to Commodity Futures Trading Commission Interim Chair Rostin Behnam, who...

In a major twist in the digital-assets world, Bitcoin has added nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to its blockchain. The new protocol that makes them is called “Ordinals.” And just like anything in crypto, fierce debate has ensued about this on social media. Bitcoin NFT proponents call the move a game-changer. Naysayers worry about potential pitfalls of Bitcoin NFTs — like rising transaction costs and environmental concerns. Higher fees could push Bitcoin away from its primary use as a decentralized...