💥 Zuckerberg Settles $8B Privacy Lawsuit

🌞Good morning. It's Friday, Jul. 18, and we're covering, Meta Investors Settle $8B Privacy Lawsuit With Zuckerberg Over Facebook Scandals, OpenAI Launches Powerful General-Purpose AI Agent In ChatGPT, Trump Pushes To Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Testimony Amid Supporter Backlash, 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 $3.94 Trillion, a 3.76% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $225.07B, which makes a 9.56% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $40.91B, 18.18% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $213.5B, which is 94.86% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 60.72%, a decrease of 1.14% over the day.

Ether Soars 47% In A Month, Hedge Funds Say A Sharp Reversal Is Unlikely

Ether (ETH) has surged 47% over the past month to $3,609, with analysts suggesting the rally has more room to run. According to ZX Squared Capital’s Felix Xu, two key drivers strong ETF inflows and dovish macro signals make a rapid pullback unlikely. A record $727M flowed into Ether ETFs in a single day this week, locking supply into cold storage. While a $10K target remains a stretch, experts say it’s within reach if macro tailwinds, Ethereum adoption, and staking momentum persist. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Meta Investors Settle $8B Privacy Lawsuit With Zuckerberg Over Facebook Scandals

Mark Zuckerberg and a group of Meta shareholders have reached a surprise settlement in a lawsuit seeking $8 billion in damages over Facebook’s mishandling of user privacy, including the notorious Cambridge Analytica scandal. The settlement, disclosed just before the trial’s second day, allows top Meta figures including Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings to avoid testifying under oath. The final settlement amount remains undisclosed.

Why It Matters: The lawsuit threatened to expose internal decision-making behind Facebook’s repeated privacy violations, potentially implicating top executives in illegal practices. The quiet resolution avoids public testimony but reignites criticism over Meta’s accountability and transparency. It also reflects growing shareholder activism in response to tech privacy failures. (Read Deeper)

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Claimed ‘Disadvantaged Business’ Status Before $9B Valuation

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, filed as a “small disadvantaged business” (SDB) with the U.S. Small Business Administration in April—just weeks before securing $650M in funding at a $9 billion valuation. The designation, intended for businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, could give Neuralink preferential access to federal contracts.

Why It Matters: The filing raises ethical and legal questions about how companies backed by billionaires may exploit programs designed to uplift underrepresented founders. Musk, the world’s richest man, led a government office that cut DEI spending—yet Neuralink sought a designation meant to promote diversity. Critics are raising red flags, especially given Musk’s immense wealth and his concurrent role overseeing federal efficiency efforts under the Trump administration. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

OpenAI Launches Powerful General-Purpose AI Agent In ChatGPT

OpenAI has unveiled a new AI-powered agent in ChatGPT that can autonomously complete a wide range of digital tasks, such as managing calendars, creating slide decks, and running code. Dubbed the "ChatGPT agent," it integrates capabilities from prior tools like Operator and Deep Research, and can now access apps like Gmail and GitHub via connectors. Available to Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers, the agent promises a leap forward in automation—but also raises safety concerns due to its advanced capabilities.

Why It Matters: This is OpenAI’s most advanced push yet into agentic AI, a shift from chatbots that just respond, to agents that act. With the ability to plan, execute, and access external apps and tools, ChatGPT agent could revolutionize productivity, but also poses risks. OpenAI has built in real-time safety monitors and disabled memory to prevent misuse, especially in domains like biosecurity. ( Read Deeper)

Meta Poaches Two Top Apple AI Engineers After Luring Their Boss With $200M Deal

Meta has hired Apple AI veterans Mark Lee and Tom Gunter to join its Superintelligence Labs, just weeks after securing their former boss, Ruoming Pang, with a compensation package reportedly exceeding $200 million. The moves come amid growing turmoil inside Apple’s AI team and an escalating talent war across the tech sector. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down on AI, investing heavily in infrastructure and elite talent to compete with OpenAI and Google.

Takeaways: Meta is aggressively reshaping the AI talent by offering massive compensation packages far beyond what Apple is willing to match. Apple’s internal uncertainty over whether to use its own models or third-party ones like ChatGPT or Claude is further fueling the exodus. These hires could tilt the balance of AI power in Meta’s favor as both companies rush to bring superintelligence and next-gen assistants to market. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Trump Pushes To Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Testimony Amid Supporter Backlash

Donald Trump is calling for the release of grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein case following a backlash from his supporters over a Justice Department report that debunked several conspiracy theories. Trump called the report a "SCAM" and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to unseal the documents. Bondi confirmed the DOJ is prepared to make the court request, potentially revealing sensitive testimony tied to Epstein’s past.

Why It Matters: By pushing to unseal Epstein-related records, Trump may be trying to quell criticism and regain control of the narrative. The move also reignites public attention on a case that’s long fueled speculation, with implications for transparency, political accountability, and the enduring mystery around Epstein’s death. (Read Deeper)

Four Dead, Over 1,300 Evacuated As Record Rains Devastate South Korea

Torrential rains have killed four people and forced more than 1,300 evacuations in South Korea, with officials declaring the highest level of weather-related disaster alert. Among the victims were two elderly men, one crushed by a collapsing wall and another swept away while draining floodwaters. In Seosan, over 400mm of rain fell in half a day, described as a once-in-a-century event. Gwangju saw 426mm, flooding homes and businesses. Authorities are warning of continued flash flood and landslide risks.

Takeaways: This unseasonal deluge highlights the growing unpredictability of global weather patterns. Infrastructure, particularly in urban areas like Gwangju, is being overwhelmed by extreme climate events once considered rare. The disaster underscores urgent climate adaptation needs and exposes how even developed nations are vulnerable to rapid environmental shifts. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Snoop Dogg Becomes Co-Owner Of Swansea City Football Club

Snoop Dogg has officially become a minority owner and investor in Swansea City, joining the club's American ownership group just months after Luka Modric also bought in. The rapper made his debut as the surprise model for the club’s 2025–26 kit and said the team’s underdog spirit resonates with him. Swansea's U.S. owners say his global reach will help elevate the club’s profile and revenues, with plans to reinvest in the squad under profit and sustainability rules. (Read Deeper)

Connie Francis, Iconic Singer Of "Who's Sorry Now?" And "Pretty Little Baby," Dies At 87

Connie Francis, the trailblazing pop singer of the 1950s and 1960s, has died at 87, her label confirmed. Known for hits like "Who's Sorry Now?" and "Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool," Francis was the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist. Her death comes two weeks after being hospitalized with severe pain. Francis recently found renewed popularity as her 1962 track "Pretty Little Baby" went viral on TikTok. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• Public companies like BitMine Immersion, Bit Digital, and SharpLink Gaming are pivoting from Bitcoin to Ethereum stock gains followed announcements of $100M+ ETH acquisitions and staking strategies. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• Trump Denies Writing “Bawdy” Birthday Letter to Epstein Revealed in DOJ Files. (Read More)

• Perplexity Targets India to Gain Ground on OpenAI in Global AI Race ( Read More )

• Trump Says Coca-Cola Will Use Cane Sugar in U.S. Coke Products. (Read More)

• Substack Raises $100M at $1.1B Valuation as Newsletter Boom Continues. (Read More)