Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin says it’s a mistake to dismiss everything FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried did despite ‘fraud’

Vitalik Buterin. John Phillips/Getty Images for TechCrunch Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin cautioned critics of FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried to be more discerning.  “Automatically downgrading every single thing SBF believed in is an error,” he tweeted on Tuesday.  He added: “Don’t be the guy who would have tried to cancel vegetarianism in 1945.”  Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin cautioned…

Elon Musk will reportedly keep awarding Twitter employees stock and options – even though the company is now private

Twitter boss Elon Musk. REUTERS/Mike Blake Elon Musk told Twitter workers they can still get stock and options in pay packages, per CNBC. SpaceX also grants employees stock awards twice a year, despite being a private company. “Exceptional amounts of stock will be awarded for exceptional performance,” Musk said in a memo seen by CNBC….

US stocks jump as slowing wholesale inflation adds to hopes the Fed will ease rate hikes soon

Omicron has brought volatility to Wall Street. John Moore/Getty Images US stocks opened higher Tuesday as fresh signs of slowing inflation raised hopes for a less hawkish Fed.  The producer price index rose 0.2% in October from the prior month, below the consensus estimate for a 0.4% gain. The meeting between President Joe Biden and…

Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller reveals bet against GameStop – after calling the meme stock ‘radioactive’

Stanley Druckenmiller. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press Stanley Druckenmiller’s fund bet on GameStop’s stock to fall last quarter, SEC filings show. Duquesne Family Office bought put options against 556,000 shares of the video-game retailer. Druckenmiller has described GameStop stock as “radioactive” and warned meme stocks are overvalued. Stanley Druckenmiller disclosed a bearish bet against GameStop on Monday,…

Subway is selling premade sandwiches from AI fridges which it says can hear you talk and answer your questions

Subway; Jörg Carstensen/Picture Alliance via Getty Images Subway says it plans to roll out more smart fridges, which can understand speech and sell premade sandwiches. It installed its first one on a college campus in September with “extremely positive” feedback. Subway says that, like its Grab and Go counters, the fridges are designed for places…

The EU may ban banks and crypto providers from dealing in controversial privacy-enhancing coins under new anti-money-laundering plans

Pedesterians climb stairs in front of EU flags in Brussels, Belgium. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images The European Union may prevent ban banks and crypto providers from dealing in privacy-enhancing coins such as monero and zcash, CoinDesk reported Tuesday.  Privacy coins are cryptocurrencies that keep information hidden on the blockchain. The leaked EU draft is under proposed…

The $113,000 Hummer EV is packed with cool features, from a giant frunk to Crab Walk mode — see them all

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1. Tim Levin/Insider I drove the new electric Hummer and experienced all its coolest features firsthand.  The GMC Hummer EV offers rear-wheel steering, 18 camera views, and a removable roof.  The Hummer EV Edition 1 — the fully loaded first model that GMC lent me — costs $113,000.  The…

The White House is reportedly considering extending the student-loan payment pause again as Biden’s debt relief sits in federal courts

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Delaware State University on October 21, 2022. Evan Vucci/AP The White House is considering extending the student-loan payment pause again, per The Washington Post. This comes as Biden’s debt relief is on pause after federal courts blocked its implementation. The legal process could take months,…

Consumers are looking to chocolate, Oreos, and Twinkies to ‘not feel terrible all the time’ — Hershey, Hostess, and Mondelez are cashing in

Boxes of Hostess Twinkies in a grocery-store shopping cart. Scott Olson/Getty Images Consumers are buying more chocolate and cookies as recession fears hang over the economy. Hershey, Mondelez, and other sweet-treat makers have raised their outlooks due to the trend. It’s a variant of the “lipstick index,” the idea that people buy little luxuries during…

Central banks can’t back down from ‘taking away the punch bowl’ despite pressure from markets, top economist Mohamed El-Erian says

Mohamed El-Erian REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Despite a small reprieve from public criticism, central bankers can’t back down on monetary tightening now, Mohamed El-Erian said. While continued rate hikes could lead to more pushback, the Fed risks letting inflation expectations get entrenched in the economy. That could cause a “stagflation morass that would be much worse in…