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☆ Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1 billion class-action lawsuit for endorsing worthless NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a $1 billion class action lawsuit for his promotion of Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange. Ronaldo and Binance didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. Notably, Ronaldo is still promoting the company, including posting a Binance ad as recently as November 28 on his X account, which has 110 million followers. Celebrities suedOther celebrities have also been the target of similar lawsuits. He also agreed to pay a $50 million criminal fine and a $150 million civil penalty.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo “, Ronaldo, Binance didn’t, Binance, “, Gary Gensler, Kim Kardashian, Celebrities, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Brady, Bundchen, Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, Jr, cryptocurrency, Charles Whitehead, ” Whitehead, ”, Changpeng Zhao, ” Zhao, – CNN’s Jennifer Korn, Allison Morrow Organizations: New, New York CNN — Soccer, ” Securities, Exchange, SEC, Cornell Law School, CNN Locations: New York, Florida

Binance skirted regulation to become the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Now, the company will plead guilty to violating anti-money-laundering requirements in the U.S. and agree to pay $4.3 billion in fines. Photo: Benoit Tessier/ReutersThe king of crypto’s largest outlaw empire told employees for years that he would never turn himself in. But on Tuesday, a jittery Changpeng Zhao showed up in a Seattle federal court to plead guilty to violating U.S. money-laundering rules. So this is new to me,” Zhao told a judge.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Zhao, “ I’ve, I’ve, ” Zhao Locations: U.S, Seattle

☆ What is Binance, why is it in so much trouble, and what does it mean for crypto?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Not only is Binance the world’s biggest crypto exchange, it is orders of magnitude larger than its rivals. Up until recently, Binance boasted nearly 60% of the market share for crypto spot trading. The Seychelles-based OKX is second in market share at 5.44% and the US exchange Coinbase is third at 5.37%, according to crypto news site CoinDesk. Today, Binance takes responsibility for this past chapter.”It’s a common refrain among crypto firms who find themselves under scrutiny. “What this plea deal does is give Binance as a chance to live another day,” Yadav said.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao —, Binance, Zhao, “, ” Zhao, FTX, “ Binance, ”, Robert Le, Yesha Yadav, ” Yadav Organizations: New, New York CNN, Justice Department, Binance Holdings, Bloomberg, Getty, CZ, PitchBook, Investors, Vanderbilt University, Binance Locations: New York, Binance, Seychelles

CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program in federal court in Seattle. That case was similar to practices uncovered after the collapse of FTX, the second largest cryptocurrency exchange, last year. Of his many depictions in the cryptocurrency industry, Zhao was best known as the chief rival to Bankman-Fried. Zhao and Bankman-Fried were originally friendly competitors in the industry, with Binance investing in FTX when Bankman-Fried launched the exchange in 2019. A jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of wire fraud and several other charge in October.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Brian A, that's, Zhao, “, ”, Mark Bartlett, —, ” Bartlett, “ He’s, ” Zhao, Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX, Fatima Hussein, Ken Sweet, Whitehurst, Tucker Organizations: SEATTLE, Binance, U.S ., Associated Press, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S Locations: Seattle, Binance, Cayman Islands, FTX, United Arab, UAE, Washington ,, New York

☆ Maryland has the lowest unemployment rate in American history, at just 1.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The mid-Atlantic state registered a record unemployment rate of 1.6% in September — less than half the national unemployment rate of 3.8% that month — Labor Department data shows. That’s the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of any state on records going back to 1976, according to a CNN analysis. However, Maryland’s job market is still robust, with government and health care employers adding jobs at a brisk pace. Here’s a dive into the labor market of the state with the lowest unemployment rate in American history:Where the jobs areThe biggest industries in Maryland are government, health care, education and professional services. Fort Meade, a military base, is the largest employer in the state, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Persons: ” Christina DePasquale, Johns, Colin Seitz, “, ” Seitz, There’s, ”, Mary Kane, what’s, Kane, ” Daniel Zhao, ” Zhao Organizations: DC CNN, — Labor Department, CNN, Baltimore, Fort Meade, University, of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Labor Department . State, Health, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Moody’s, Maryland, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maryland Hospital Association, Labor, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, “, Maryland Department of Labor, DC Locations: Washington, Atlantic, California, Lexington, Maryland, Fort, Florida, Texas, Virginia

☆ China has a sweeping vision to reshape the world — and countries are listening
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

All this coincides with longstanding calls from countries across the developing world for an international system where they have more say. Beijing, he added, sees the US as merely “paying lip service” to the “liberal order” to hurt other countries. Sergei Savostyanov/Sputnik/ReutersIn recent years, even some countries that have for decades embraced a close partnership with the US have drawn closer to China and its vision. “Is China really trying to promote multipolarity — or does China just want to (become a) substitute (for) US influence over the world?” he asked. They also raise questions about how a more militarily and economically powerful China would behave globally, if left unchecked.

Persons: Xi Jinping, —, Xi, Vladimir Putin, General Antonio Guterres, ” Xi, , Shen Hong, they’d, ”, Yun Sun, liberalize, Sanjit Das, Shen Dingli, ‘, ’ ”, Russia’s Putin, Bashar al, Assad —, Assad’s, Sergei Savostyanov, Ali Sarwar Naqvi, “ We’ve, James Marape, ’, Rubens Duarte, Li Zhiquan, “, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Ted Aljibe, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Zhang Youxia, Beijing’s, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, BRICS, Weeks, Joe Biden, Sergio Lima, ” — Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United Nations, Forum, China, Communist, CNN, Beijing, Washington, Getty, Stimson, Bank, World Trade Organization, . Riot, Bloomberg, Initiative, Asian, Global, Sputnik, Reuters, Center for International Strategic Studies, Papua New Guinea, multipolarity, China News Service, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Global Security Initiative, NATO, Russia, Philippine Defense, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United, New, Seven, Ministry, Global Security, Group, UN, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Ukraine, Gaza, Russian, Xinhua, Washington, South, Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, America, Shanghai, West, Hangzhou, Israel, Pakistan, Pakistani, Islamabad, Papua New, Brazil, Indonesia, Europe, Asia, Scarborough, South China, AFP, Moscow, Russia, “, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Palestine, India, South Africa, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, New Delhi, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, ” Beijing

☆ New tools aim to protect art and images from AI's grasp
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Some researchers, however, are now fighting back and developing new ways to protect people’s photos and images from AI’s grasp. The prototype, dubbed PhotoGuard, puts an invisible “immunization” over images that stops AI models from being able to manipulate the picture. The aim of PhotoGuard is to protect photos that people upload online from “malicious manipulation by AI models,” Salman said. But he said he hopes that with more engineering efforts, the prototype can be turned into a larger product that can be used to protect images. While generative AI tools “allow us to do amazing stuff, it comes with huge risks,” Salman said.

Persons: Eveline, ”, Fröhlich, “ We’ve, Glaze, ” Fröhlich, “, AI’s overreach, Pope dripped, Vincent Van Gogh, they’re, it’s, Ben Zhao, ” Zhao, Zhao’s, Jon Lam, Lam, Jon Lam “, ” Lam, Zhao, ‘, ” Hadi Salman, ” Salman, Salman, Trevor Noah, MIT CSAIL, Noah Organizations: CNN, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, PhotoGuard Locations: Stuttgart, Germany, California

☆ What to expect from the jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report Friday morning. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the government’s jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Last July, for example, the US economy added 568,000 jobs — more than double the 250,000 that economists had expected. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady.

Persons: Minneapolis CNN — Fitch, ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, ” Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Business, Conference Board, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, Labor Department, “, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ What to expect from the July jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Minneapolis CNN —Despite Tuesday’s credit rating downgrade amid concerns about the challenges facing the United States, markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report on Friday. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the monthly jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady. The broader economic scorecard for the United States makes the downgrade all the more “bizarre” and puzzling, noted top economists, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Persons: ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ China unveils sweeping foreign policy law as Xi consolidates power — and aims to counter the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has unveiled a sweeping foreign relations law enshrining its right to impose “countermeasures” against actions that it deems a threat – in Beijing’s latest bid to bolster its position amid strained relations with the West. “This is the first comprehensive foreign relations law … but it (reads) more like Xi Jinping’s foreign policy declaration,” Zhao said, adding that its release comes at a moment when Xi is focused on countering what it sees as US efforts to contain China. “The party, not the government, runs China’s foreign relations. The law also includes China’s pledge to promote “high-level opening-up” of its economy, development of foreign trade and and encouraging and legally protecting foreign investment. In recent months, a campaign against consulting and due diligence firms has unnerved foreign businesses in China.

Persons: enshrining, Antony Blinken, Jinping, –, Zhao Leji, “, Xi, Washington, Lockheed Martin, Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver’s Josef, ” Zhao, ”, China’s, Sung, Li Qiang, Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, Global Times, Lockheed, Raytheon, Communist Party, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver’s, University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing’s, Beijing, China’s, United States, Ukraine, Taiwan, Center for China, Tianjin, Europe, Denver

☆ China eyes Blinken's visit this week with deep distrust toward the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The coverage of Blinken’s visit in China is not nearly as extensive or enthusiastic as it has been in the West,” said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington. (Chinese experts say it was because the US failed to lift sanctions on Li, imposed in 2018 over China’s purchase of Russian weapons.) China cut off talks with US military commanders following former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last August. Zhao said China has adopted “a brinkmanship policy” to highlight the risk of military confrontation to the US. Wang, the expert at Peking University, said Blinken’s long-delayed visit is the “last chance” to repair ties with China before the US election next year.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Qin Gang, State Department –, ”, Yun Sun, “, “ We’re, ” Daniel Kritenbrink, Trump, Wang Yong, Biden, Joe Biden, ” Wang, Tong Zhao, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Li, Nancy Pelosi’s, Zhao, ” Zhao, ‘, Blinken’s, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Sun, ” lockdowns, Xi Jinping’s, Xi, Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s, State Department, Biden, China Program, Stimson, State, Peking University, Foreign Ministry, Carnegie Endowment, International, Defense Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Washington, East Asia, Taiwan, South China

☆ PDD, Shein, Binance: These hugely successful companies were born in China. They don't want you to know that
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, doesn’t want to be called a Chinese company. “Our opposition in the West bends over backward to paint us as a ‘Chinese company,’” he wrote in a blog post last September. Zhao has been vocal about how he feels his firm is misrepresented as a "Chinese company." The same concern could, in theory, apply to any Chinese company. TikTok CEO Shou Chew testifying before US Congress in March.

☆ Former Harvard Fencing Coach, Parent Acquitted in Admissions Bribery Case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Suryatapa Bhattacharya | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Harvard University fencing coach Peter Brand was found not guilty in an admissions bribery case. A former Harvard University fencing coach and a businessman were acquitted of charges they conspired to secure spots at the Ivy League school for the executive’s two sons through a bribery scheme. Former longtime coach Peter Brand and Maryland-based businessman Jie “Jack” Zhao were found not guilty of all the charges against them by a federal jury in Boston Wednesday, Mr. Zhao’s lawyer Bill Weinreb confirmed.

☆ Binance withdrawals jumped to $3 billion in 24 hours, Nansen says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Investors withdrew as much as $3 billion from Binance on Tuesday, according to blockchain analytics firm Nansen, as a deluge of negative headlines about the cryptocurrency industry rattled users of the world’s largest exchange. Andrew Thurman, content lead for Nansen, told CNN that at its peak, Binance saw “as high as $3 billion in net outflows” over a 24-hour period. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said that the exchange had at one point seen “some withdrawals” of roughly $1.1 billion. The founder of Binance’s one-time competitor, Sam Bankman-Fried, was arrested in the Bahamas this week after US prosecutors filed criminal charges against him. On Tuesday, Bankman-Fried was indicted in the United States on eight criminal charges including wire fraud and conspiracy.

☆ A year only lasts 17.5 hours on the ‘hell planet’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One year for this planet lasts about 17.5 hours on Earth. A team of researchers used a new tool known as EXPRES, or the EXtreme PREcision Spectrometer, to determine the precise nature of the planet’s orbit. But the hell planet is not the only planet orbiting Copernicus. An illustration shows just how closely the planet Janssen (left), depicted as an orange dot, orbits its host star Copernicus. Once Janssen moved in closer to Copernicus, the hell planet became even hotter.

☆ BBC journalist ‘beaten and kicked by the police’ as protests spread across China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jennifer Deaton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN Business —Edward Lawrence, a journalist at the BBC, was arrested by police in Shanghai at the scene of protests on Sunday night, according to the BBC and as captured on what appears to be mobile phone footage of the arrest. The BBC statement reads in full: “The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. “China always welcomes foreign journalists to report in the country in accordance with the law and has provided lots of assistance,” Zhao said. At least two clips of the arrest were posted online by a Twitter user who says they witnessed the scene.

☆ Binance founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao wants to 'rebuild' crypto post FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao is once again in the global spotlight, this time as the self-appointed white knight of crypto as the industry is embroiled in crisis. “Let’s rebuild.”Humble beginningsZhao launched Binance in July 2017 in China, gradually building it into the world’s largest crypto exchange. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao attending the Viva Technology conference in Paris on June 16, 2022. In May, TerraUSD lost its dollar peg, which led to the collapse of its sister token and eventually created a huge global liquidity crisis in the crypto industry. The Binance chief said his firm had been asked to help as FTX grappled with liquidity issues.

He is seeking the remainder from other funds, including current investors in FTX such as venture capital fund Sequoia Capital, the source added. Tether's chief technology officer, Paolo Ardoino, tweeted that it had "no plans to invest in or lend assets to FTX." FTX also got hit by the Bahamas Securities Commission, where the company is based, freezing assets of FTX Digital Markets "and related parties". In a tweet, FTX said it had reached a deal with Tron to establish a special facility that would allow clients to swap some crypto assets from FTX to external wallets. Bankman-Fried told investors that Alameda owes FTX about $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported.

☆ Crypto: What's next as FTX collapse triggers 'Lehman moment'?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And can the beaten-down crypto industry bounce back? What’s clear is that the fallout from the FTX crisis injects significant volatility into the crypto ecosystem. “Thank God!”Can the crypto industry survive? “In the short term, this is going to be really, really bad for the crypto industry,” said Jog of Sei Labs. Fok said he expects the FTX collapse will push institutional investors away from the crypto space just as they had been warming up to it.

☆ Crypto CEO warns his industry faces 2008-style crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The reeling crypto industry faces a 2008-style crisis that will lead to a much-needed regulatory crackdown, crypto CEO Changpeng Zhao warned on Friday. We’ve been set back a few years,” Zhao, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, said during a conference in Indonesia. “Regulators, rightfully, will scrutinize this industry much, much harder, which is probably a good thing to be honest,” Zhao said. The Binance CEO accused FTX of “misappropriating” user funds. Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old crypto wunderkind behind FTX, said on Friday he’s “really sorry” about what happened at his firm.

Bankman-Fried said he was in talks with "a number of players" in the crypto sector, including Justin Sun who is the founder of crypto token Tron, after a potential rescue deal with larger rival Binance fell apart. He also said his firm Alameda Research, which sources have said was partly behind FTX's problems, was winding down trading. FTX's native token, FTT , is down more than 90% this week and was attempting to steady around $3.50. Another exchange, OKX, said it had been approached earlier in the week by Bankman-Fried, who described liabilities of $7 billion that needed covering fast. Bankman-Fried said FTX.US, the U.S. operations of the exchange, however, had not been financially impacted.

☆ In about-face, Crypto exchange Binance pulls out of FTX acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Elizabeth Napolitano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The crypto exchange Binance has pulled out of a deal to acquire rival digital currency company FTX just 24 hours after it announced the tentative agreement, the company said in a statement Wednesday on Twitter. Neither FTX nor the Securities and Exchange Commission immediately responded to inquiries about the deal or the reported investigation. “FTX going down is not good for anyone in the industry,” Zhao wrote. News of FTX’s insolvency has hit the platform and the wider crypto industry hard. The CoinDesk Market Index, a broad-based index of the digital asset market, is down by about 12% from last week.

It culminated on Wednesday, with Binance pulling out of its deal and throwing FTX's future into uncertainty. Bankman-Fried told Reuters on Tuesday that "I'll probably be too swamped" to do interviews. Voyager filed for bankruptcy protection the following month, with FTX's U.S. arm paying $1.4 billion for its assets in a September auction. Daily withdrawals normally totaled tens of millions of dollars, Bankman-Fried told his employees. Bankman-Fried signed a non-binding letter of intent for Binance to buy FTX’s non-U.S. assets.

☆ Crypto is in chaos as FTX files for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

By Friday morning, FTX said Bankman-Fried had resigned as CEO and that the firm was filing for bankruptcy. Failures are not uncommon in the murky, largely unregulated world of crypto, but FTX is not your average crypto startup. Namely, that the bulk of its assets are held in FTT, a digital token minted by Alameda’s sister firm, FTX. On Sunday, the CEO of Binance, FTX’s much larger rival, said his company was liquidating $580 million worth of FTX holdings. After a chaotic week, FTX filed for bankruptcy.

He is seeking the remainder from other funds, including current investors in FTX such as venture capital fund Sequoia Capital, the source added. Bankman-Fried told investors that Alameda owes FTX about $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported. FTX had lent more than half of its customer funds to Alameda, the newspaper said. The U.S. securities regulator is investigating FTX.com's handling of customer funds and crypto-lending activities, according to a source with knowledge of the inquiry. Canada's Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Tiger Global and Japan's Softbank are also FTX investors.

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