Bank of Montreal sells truck and trailer financing business to Stonepeak for C$14.5B

Tech  Bank of Montreal sells truck and trailer financing business to Stonepeak for C$14.5B  The Bank of Montreal is parting ways with its truck, trailer, and equipment financing business in a C$14.5 billion cash deal with Stonepeak, the New York-based infrastructure investment firm. BMO announced the sale on May 11, 2026, from both New York and Toronto. The deal covers BMOs Transportation Finance and Vendor Finance businesses. BMO will retain a 19.9% minority stake post-close.  The transaction is structured as an all-cash acquisition at approximately C$14.5 billion. Financing for the acquisition is being led by PGIM, the investment management arm of Prudential Financial, which is handling the asset-based financing component. Bank of America is serving as the lead arranger on the deal. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals. BMO is the eighth-largest bank in North America by assets.  Stonepeak manages over $58 billion in assets under management as of early 2026 and has been expanding its portfolio in the infrastructure sector.  By selling these units for C$14.5 billion in cash, BMO frees up capital that can be redeployed into higher-priority areas. The retained 19.9% stake is structured just below the 20% threshold that would typically require

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Tether’s Paolo Ardoino Makes Case for Small On-Device Translation Models

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has turned the spotlight on a very different corner of artificial intelligence: translation that happens entirely on-device, without sending sensitive text to the cloud.  In a recent post, Ardoino framed the issue around privacy, speed, and practicality. His point was simple enough, but it touches a problem that millions of users encounter every day. When someone translates a medical note, a private message, a legal contract, or even a personal journal entry through a cloud service, that text leaves the device and enters someone elses infrastructure.  In many cases, users do not fully know where the data goes, how long it is retained, or who may be able to access it. Ardoino argued that this is not just a theoretical concern, but a real one, especially in use cases where confidentiality matters.  According to Ardoino, the answer is not to rely on larger and larger general-purpose AI models. Instead, he argued that translation is one of those jobs where small, dedicated models can beat “Goliath.”  In his view, if the task is translating one language into another, there is no need to use a massive model that can also write poems, summarize articles, and perform a dozen unrelated tasks. For

05-13

XRP Healthcare Enables XRP & RLUSD Swaps for XRPHAI Ecosystem

Tech  XRP Healthcare Enables XRP & RLUSD Swaps for XRPHAI Ecosystem  XRP Healthcare has to its XRPHAI ecosystem by enabling direct swaps in XRP and RLUSD through the XRPH Wallet, strengthening its push to connect blockchain infrastructure with practical healthcare use cases.  This new activation enables eligible users across the global XRP community to seamlessly swap XRP or RLUSD for XRPHAI directly within the XRPH Wallet, unlocking access to XRP Healthcares expanding AI-driven healthcare ecosystem on the XRP Ledger.  Unlike many crypto reward models that rely on passive token holding, XRP Healthcare positions XRPHAI around active participation and verified wellness behavior.  Through its Proof of Health framework, users earn XRPHAI by engaging with healthcare and wellness tools inside the XRPH AI app rather than simply holding tokens for speculation.  The XRPH Wallet and XRPH AI App are designed to work together as a unified ecosystem, connecting wallet functionality, AI-powered healthcare services, accessibility tools, and reward mechanisms into a single integrated infrastructure.  Ripple Ecosystem Shifts Toward Real-World Utility as XRP Healthcare Expands Infrastructure Adoption  The development strengthens XRP Healthcares long-term push to build XRP-powered healthcare infrastructure on the XRP Ledger.  Since launching the XRPH Wallet in 2023, the company has positioned itself among the early adopters focused on enabling XRP-based

05-13

XRP price forecast as more whales bet on bounce

Tech  XRP price forecast as more whales bet on bounceXRP Ledger has reached a record 332,230 wallets holding 10,000 or more XRP.Growth after a sharp dip earlier in the year highlights long-term holder conviction.XRP price eyes a breakout above key resistance around $1.50.  The XRP cryptocurrency continues to navigate choppy waters below $1.50, largely fluctuating alongside top altcoins.  Meanwhile, the XRP Ledger has hit a new milestone, with on-chain data revealing an all-time high in terms of wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP.  But what does this wallet growth suggest? And could broader gains lift prices above the key resistance level?  XRP Ledger wallet growth: Record high for 10,000+ cohort  Whales have largely bought the dip on major altcoins in recent weeks, and on-chain metrics highlight this as the case for XRP Ledger.  Data shows a fresh streak in crypto inflows coincides with an expanding XRP holder base. In particular, addresses with 10,000 XRP or more have climbed to 332,230.  According to data Santiment shared early Wednesday, this is the highest ever recorded mark for this cohort. The expansion has persisted through 2026s price stagnation, where XRP has so far traded below its recent peak.  Notably, accumulation has picked up after a major dip between February 6 and 8,

05-13

Switzerland town launches Hedera powered municipal biodiversity voucher system

Switzerland has launched its first live municipal blockchain project through a biodiversity reward voucher system built on the Hedera network and backed by a Swiss franc-linked digital payment instrument.Switzerlands first municipal blockchain voucher system has launched in Muri bei Bern using the Hedera network.Residents can earn digital biodiversity vouchers for conservation work and redeem them at local businesses for 1 Swiss franc.The project uses Swisscoasts HCHF stablecoin infrastructure as Switzerland continues developing stablecoin regulations under FINMA oversight.  According to an announcement shared with crypto.news by the Municipality of Muri bei Bern, the Canton of Bern municipality partnered with Swiss Web3 engineering firm The Hashgraph Group, blockchain developer Swisscoast, and digital transformation company Apps with Love to roll out BIDI, a blockchain-based biodiversity voucher designed to reward residents for participating in conservation work.  Built on the Hedera distributed ledger network, the system issues on-chain vouchers pegged to the Swiss franc for activities such as meadow restoration, hedge maintenance, invasive plant removal, riparian repair work, and wetland conservation. Residents can redeem each BIDI voucher for 1 Swiss franc at participating local merchants and service providers inside the municipality.  Municipal authorities said the initiative replaces a paper voucher program that had operated in Muri bei Bern

05-13

CLARITY Act Hit With 100+ Amendments Ahead of Senate Banking Markup

Senate Banking Committee members have reportedly filed more than 100 amendments to the CLARITY Act, with Senator Elizabeth Warren alone submitting over 40 proposals ahead of Thursdays markup vote.  The flood of filings follows the committee‘s release of a 309-page draft on Tuesday, expanded from January’s 278-page version.  Warren Files 40+ Amendments as Senate Preps Crypto Bill Markup  According to POLITICO, the list features dozens of amendments put forward by Democrats on the Banking Committee, along with a handful of revisions from the bills Republican sponsors.  News: Sens. Reed (D-R.I.) and Smith (D-Minn.) have filed an amendment ahead of Thursdays markup that will force senators to choose between crypto and the banks  The amendment would incorporate banks changes to stablecoin yield restrictions. Tough tough vote for bank-friendly Rs pic.twitter.com/ldxJRmfnQT  — Brendan Pedersen (@BrendanPedersen) May 13, 2026  Crypto In America host Eleanor Terrett reported that one of Senator Warrens amendments would block the Federal Reserve from granting master accounts to crypto companies.  Senator Jack Reeds amendment “prohibits crypto from being used as legal tender, for example, to pay taxes.”  Committee members filed 137 amendments before the planned markup in January. The current tally signals continued resistance as the bill nears a committee vote.  Meanwhile, the American Bankers Association has sent more

05-13

Meta Employees Protest Mouse-Tracking Tool Built to Train AI Models

Pressure on Metas workforce is compounding. Chief people officer Janelle Gale said in late April that the company will cut 8,000 roles on May 20. The move is part of an efficiency drive tied to AI spending. Another 6,000 open positions will go unfilled.  Across the Atlantic, Meta employees in the United Kingdom announced a separate organizing effort this week. They are partnering with the United Tech and Allied Workers union.  Privacy Trade-Off Sits at AI Training Frontier  Meta says safeguards prevent the capture of certain sensitive content. However, it has not detailed the technical scope of those filters. Affected employees argue that consent terms are coercive, given the impending layoffs.  The dispute highlights a wider problem for large AI developers. Quality human behavioral data is increasingly scarce, and companies are turning to their own workforces to fill the gap.  Whether the May 12 protest pressures Meta to alter the program remains unclear. The outcome may signal how much leverage employees retain in an AI-driven cost-cutting cycle.  The post Meta Employees Protest Mouse-Tracking Tool Built to Train AI Models appeared first on BeInCrypto.

05-13

US sanctions twelve entities for sales of Iranian oil to China

Tech  US sanctions twelve entities for sales of Iranian oil to China  The US Treasury Department‘s Office of Foreign Assets Control just added twelve names to its sanctions list, all tied to a network that funneled Iranian oil to Chinese buyers. The targets include three senior officials from the IRGC’s Shahid Purjafari Oil Headquarters and nine companies that served as the logistical plumbing for the operation.  The action is part of the Trump administration‘s broader “Economic Fury” strategy, a campaign designed to choke off the financial oxygen that fuels Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorist organizations. The timing is notable: President Trump is planning a visit to Beijing, where pressing China to crack down on illicit Iranian oil imports is expected to be on the agenda.  Who got sanctioned and why  The three individuals named are Ahmad Mohammadi Zadeh, Samad Fathi Salami, and Mohammadreza Ashrafi Ghehi. All three are connected to an entity called Golden Globe, which has previously been targeted by US sanctions. Together, they reportedly handled hundreds of millions of dollars annually through that operation.  The nine companies on the list include Hong Kong Blue Ocean Limited, Ocean Allianz Shipping LLC, and Zeus Logistics Group. These firms were implicated in managing oil

05-13

Institutional Investors Pour $1 Billion Into Privacy-First Blockchain Projects

Blockchain  Institutional Investors Pour $1 Billion Into Privacy-First Blockchain ProjectsThree institutional blockchain platforms collectively secured over $1 billion in funding with aggregate valuations surpassing $10 billionCircle completed a $222 million funding round for Arc, valuing it at $3 billion; Digital Asset is pursuing $300 million for Canton at a $2 billion valuationStripe and Paradigm-backed Tempo secured $500 million in a previous funding round at a $5 billion valuationBitwise‘s Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan believes privacy features may become crypto’s breakthrough application for traditional financeThe investment surge comes after 2025s Genius Act provided institutions with enhanced regulatory clarity  A trio of enterprise-grade blockchain platforms has attracted more than $1 billion in aggregate funding, signaling a strategic pivot in how the cryptocurrency sector develops its foundational infrastructure.  For years, crypto sold transparency as the revolution.  Now institutions are paying over $1B for the opposite: PRIVACY.  Arc, Canton and Tempo just locked in massive funding to build compliant, institution-focused chains where trades, positions and counterparties arent publicly… pic.twitter.com/QjqimZWixq  — MarketUnfiltered (@subhashishc0x) May 12, 2026  The platforms—Arc, Canton, and Tempo—are specifically engineered for stablecoin operations and asset tokenization. Their collective market capitalization now exceeds $10 billion, fueled by institutional appetite for blockchain solutions that balance technological innovation with privacy safeguards, regulatory

05-13

Meta Employees Protest Mouse-Tracking Tool Built to Train AI Models

Pressure on Metas workforce is compounding. Chief people officer Janelle Gale said in late April that the company will cut 8,000 roles on May 20. The move is part of an efficiency drive tied to AI spending. Another 6,000 open positions will go unfilled.  Across the Atlantic, Meta employees in the United Kingdom announced a separate organizing effort this week. They are partnering with the United Tech and Allied Workers union.  Privacy Trade-Off Sits at AI Training Frontier  Meta says safeguards prevent the capture of certain sensitive content. However, it has not detailed the technical scope of those filters. Affected employees argue that consent terms are coercive, given the impending layoffs.  The dispute highlights a wider problem for large AI developers. Quality human behavioral data is increasingly scarce, and companies are turning to their own workforces to fill the gap.  Whether the May 12 protest pressures Meta to alter the program remains unclear. The outcome may signal how much leverage employees retain in an AI-driven cost-cutting cycle.  The post Meta Employees Protest Mouse-Tracking Tool Built to Train AI Models appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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