🧠Claude Opus 4

☀️Good morning. It's Friday, May. 23, and we're covering, Ryan Reynolds-Backed MNTN Soars 65% In $187M IPO, Anthropic Launches Claude 4 Models With Major Leaps In Reasoning, Coding, Escalating Conflict: Russia's Airstrike on Ukraine Targets Critical Infrastructure, and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here.

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MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $3.51 Trillion, a 0.39% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $156.3B, which makes a 20.59% decrease.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $43.8B, 28.02% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $148.29B, which is 94.87% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 61.67%, a decrease of 0.59% over the day.

New XRP Futures ETFs Launch As Ripple’s SEC Battle Drags On

Volatility Shares launched the first-ever XRP futures ETFs on Nasdaq on May 22, introducing XRPI and a 2x leveraged version (XRPT). These ETFs give investors exposure to XRP futures contracts, not the cryptocurrency itself and mark a major step in integrating crypto into traditional finance. Meanwhile, Teucrium’s XXRP, another 2x futures ETF, continues to trade steadily since its April debut. As of May 23, XRP was trading at $2.45, up 12% on the day, and remains the fourth-largest crypto by market cap at $142 billion. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Ryan Reynolds-Backed MNTN Soars 65% In $187M IPO

MNTN, the connected TV ad-tech startup co-led by actor Ryan Reynolds, surged 65% on its first trading day, closing at $26.36 per share after pricing at the top of its IPO range ($16). The IPO raised $187 million, valuing the company at $2 billion (or $2.7 billion fully diluted). Reynolds, MNTN’s Chief Creative Officer, helped pitch the IPO to Wall Street bankers. The company focuses on performance marketing for streaming TV, helping 96% of its customers, many SMBs advertise on TV for the first time.

Why It Matters: While MNTN lost $21M on $64.5M in Q1 revenue, demand was strong: the IPO was 14x oversubscribed. Reynolds’ Maximum Effort creative agency will continue working with MNTN under a new contract. A 65% pop shows investor appetite for ad-tech with differentiated positioning. (Read Deeper)

Tariff Shock Hits Japan's Auto Suppliers, Small Firms Like Kyowa Caught In Crossfire

Japanese auto suppliers are reeling from sweeping new U.S. tariffs under the Trump administration, including a 25% levy on automobiles and a 24% tariff on all Japanese goods (temporarily reduced to 10%). For small companies like Kyowa Industrial—founded in 1946 and led by Hiroko Suzuki, the impact is deeply personal and existential. The firm had begun pivoting into medical devices to survive the EV transition, only to find those products hit by tariffs too. Japan’s government, calling the situation a “national crisis,” has sent negotiators to Washington while urging smaller firms to consolidate and innovate.

Why It Matters: Japan’s $400B+ auto sector, long central to its economy, is being squeezed by both EV disruption and geopolitical risk. Automakers like Toyota, Nissan, and Ford have issued vague statements of support but are largely pushing costs down the supply chain. With 70% of its business tied to automakers, Kyowa and tens of thousands of similar firms, face growing uncertainty. ( Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Anthropic Launches Claude 4 Models With Major Leaps In Reasoning, Coding

At its first-ever developer conference, AI startup Anthropic introduced the Claude 4 family of models, Opus 4 and Sonnet 4, engineered to excel at long-horizon tasks, multi-step reasoning, and advanced coding. Opus 4, the flagship model, outperforms OpenAI’s o3 and Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro on coding benchmarks like SWE-bench Verified, while Sonnet 4 offers upgraded math, logic, and instruction-following capabilities.

Why It Matters: Claude 4 models are also safer, with enhanced safeguards and cybersecurity measures, addressing concerns about misuse. The upgraded Claude Code SDK now integrates with VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub, enabling developers to embed AI into their workflows more easily. (Read Deeper)

SpaceX’s Starship Cleared For Flight 9 With Expanded Hazard Zones

The FAA has cleared SpaceX’s Starship system for its ninth test flight, following two dramatic explosions earlier this year. But this time, regulators are expanding the hazard zones, essentially no-fly/no-sail areas—both in the U.S. and abroad, more than doubling the footprint due to heightened safety concerns. The updated zone spans 1,600 nautical miles from Texas through the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. The flight must also occur during “non-peak” air traffic times, after previous launches caused airline disruptions.

Why It Matters: FAA approval means continued progress toward deep space goals and satellite expansion. Expanded hazard zones now affect multiple nations and signal higher regulatory scrutiny. Starship is a core part of Elon Musk’s Mars ambitions—but in the short term, it’s expected to boost Starlink satellite launches and support NASA and the Pentagon. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Trump Admin Revokes Harvard’s Ability To Enroll International Students

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification to enroll foreign students starting in the 2025–26 academic year, forcing thousands of international students to transfer or risk losing their legal status. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the school of “coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party” and “fostering antisemitism,” offering to reinstate certification if Harvard hands over surveillance records on student protesters within 72 hours. Harvard called the move “retaliatory and unlawful,” citing ongoing litigation over $3B in frozen federal grants and labeling the action a threat to academic freedom.

Why It Matters: One of America’s top universities loses foreign student privileges—a move that could ripple across academia. The university hosts nearly 6,800 international students 27% of its enrollment, with Chinese nationals comprising the largest group. Harvard vows to fight back, raising constitutional questions about academic freedom and political retaliation. (Read Deeper) 

Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Double In U.S. Over 30 Years, New Study Finds

Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the U.S. have surged over the past three decades, doubling from 11,896 in 1990 to 23,207 in 2021, according to new research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. The yet-to-be-published study found the biggest impact among men and people aged 55 and older, with liver cancer emerging as the most significant risk. Lead researcher Dr. Chinmay Jani warned that any amount of alcohol can be harmful, reinforcing a recent U.S. surgeon general advisory linking alcohol to at least seven types of cancer.

Why It Matters: Researchers call for stronger public awareness campaigns and possibly warning labels on alcohol products. Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, in the same category as tobacco and asbestos. Deaths rose 70% in men vs. 15% in women—due to earlier and riskier drinking habits. Even light-to-moderate drinkers are at increased risk, especially with other health conditions. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Disney Sues To Block YouTube’s New Sports And Media Chief

Disney has filed a lawsuit in LA to block YouTube from hiring Justin Connolly, a former ESPN executive tapped to become YouTube’s Global Head of Media and Sports. The company alleges breach of contract and unfair competition, claiming Connolly is still bound to Disney under a contract that runs through March 2027. Connolly, who left Disney just days ago, was instrumental in its sports distribution strategy. His move to YouTube comes as the platform aggressively expands its live sports and media portfolio, having already signed a $14B NFL streaming deal and competing with Amazon and Netflix for media dominance. (Read Deeper)

Kid Cudi Testifies Diddy Broke Into His Home, Dog Locked In Bathroom

Rapper Kid Cudi testified this week in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-crimes trial, alleging that Combs broke into his Los Angeles home in 2011 after learning Cudi was dating Cassie Ventura Fine. Cudi said his dog was found locked in a bathroom, Christmas gifts were opened, and Combs later called him, calmly waiting to talk. Weeks later, Cudi's Porsche was firebombed with a Molotov cocktail, causing significant damage. He said police responded to the scene and found evidence of arson. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• The Most Valuable Skill For Any Founder: The most valuable skill for any founder is execution—the ability to consistently turn ideas into results. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• Apple Eyes 2026 for Smart Glasses Launch, Shelves Camera Watch Plans. (Read More)

• The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially dropped its case against Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. (Read More)

• Telegram’s CEO Built Two Billion-User Networks, and Fathered 100+ Children Before 40yrs. (Read More)