The settlement highlights a shift in corporate diversity initiatives, 
emphasizing sector-based support over race-based criteria to comply with legal 
standards.
The post PayPal agrees to settle US Justice Department probe over civil rights 
violations appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

PayPal agrees to settle US Justice Department probe over civil rights violations

Isomorphic Labs&#8217; funding highlights AI&#8217;s potential to revolutionize drug 
discovery, but success hinges on bridging computational and clinical gaps.
The post Isomorphic Labs raises $2.1B for AI-powered drug discovery, backed by 
Alphabet and sovereign wealth funds appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Isomorphic Labs raises $2.1B for AI-powered drug discovery, backed by Alphabet and sovereign wealth funds

MARA&#8217;s acquisition positions it strategically in the AI infrastructure market, 
potentially enhancing competitiveness and diversifying revenue streams.
The post MARA acquires Long Ridge to accelerate AI infrastructure development 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

MARA acquires Long Ridge to accelerate AI infrastructure development

Zcash (ZEC), the market’s leading privacy-focused cryptocurrency, has 
delivered a massive performance, with year-to-date data showing ZEC is up more 
than 1,200%, dramatically outpacing major coins. Cardano (ADA), by contrast, 
has been in a very different posture, with the same period showing a roughly 
66% retrace. The divergence has been so pronounced that Zcash briefly 
surpassed Cardano by market capitalization, pushing ZEC to become the 11th- 
largest cryptocurrency on May 10—an inflection point that has led at least one 
market expert to suggest ZEC could ultimately flip ADA in that key ranking. 
Why Zcash Is Catching Investors’ Eye Market expert Alex Carchidi highlighted 
several drivers in a new report, pointing to big accumulation as one of the 
most important themes. For example, Multicoin Capital disclosed in early May 
that it has been building a significant position in Zcash since February. That 
kind of accumulation is not limited to one firm. Cypherpunk Technologies has 
also accumulated an additional 295,000 Zcash tokens, representing about 1.7% 
of the coin’s circulating supply. Related Reading: Hyperliquid (HYPE) To $100? 
Expert Forecasts Major Rise Before Summer 2027 Carchidi noted that the 
network’s privacy usage appears to be rising in parallel with price. 
Approximately 30% of Zcash’s circulating supply is now held in shielded 
addresses. These addresses rely on specialized cryptography to encrypt 
transaction details, preserving user privacy—a capability that standard public 
blockchains don’t offer in the same way. Importantly, this share has nearly 
quadrupled over the past two years, a trend Carchidi says strongly suggests 
that adoption and usage are increasing alongside ZEC’s market momentum. 
Cardano Lacks Clear Path To Breakout At the same time, the expert argues the 
comparison with Cardano is different in almost every way besides market cap. 
Carchidi pointed out that Cardano is built as a smart-contract blockchain and 
is designed to compete in decentralized finance (DeFi), yet its traction has 
been comparatively limited. As of May 12, Cardano reportedly had only about 
$137 million in total value locked (TVL), placing it 26th among all 
blockchains. That figure also reflects a notable decline from roughly $410 
million a year earlier. Carchidi’s view is that Cardano is in what he 
described as an “awkward valley.” He argues it is too slow and relatively 
expensive to compete effectively with high-speed, high-throughput chains such 
as Solana (SOL). At the same time, even though Cardano is cheaper than the 
blockchain it was originally created to beat—Ethereum (ETH)—it remains 
slightly slower and does not have nearly the same ecosystem scale. From this 
angle, the expert sees the market’s behavior as reflecting a widening gap in 
conviction narratives. According to Carchidi, institutional capital tends to 
favor stories that can stand up to scrutiny. He claims Zcash has such a 
narrative, while Cardano’s story has largely been “wait for better times” for 
the past several years—without enough clarity on how the better times will be 
delivered by what the developers are building right now. What Could Drive ADA 
Higher? Carchidi suggested that a potential approval for a spot Cardano 
exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the second half of 2026 might be the clearest 
near-term reason to hold. Even so, he doubts that investors would be eager to 
hold Cardano through an ETF if there is not a strong investment thesis 
supporting purchases at current levels. Related Reading: Coinbase CEO Unpacks 
The Crypto Bill’s Biggest Promise For The US Financial System Ultimately, 
Carchidi’s conclusion is direct. He argues that, given the lack of clear 
catalysts and the uncertainty around what would drive recovery, it may make 
sense to sell Cardano. Zcash, on the other hand, could be attractive if a 
portfolio needs exposure to privacy coins or scarce stores of value. At the 
time of writing, ZEC was trading at around $545, having recorded additional 
gains of 63% in just two weeks. During the same period, ADA recorded gains of 
9%, trading at around $0.27. Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from 
TradingView.com

Zcash (ZEC) Rockets 1,200%—Expert Says ZEC Could Soon Outgrow Cardano (ADA)

Trump&#8217;s warning to Iran may hinder diplomatic efforts, increasing regional 
instability and reducing chances for a peaceful nuclear resolution.
The post Trump warns Iran: negotiate or face destruction amid nuclear tensions 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Trump warns Iran: negotiate or face destruction amid nuclear tensions

Tando&#8217;s integration of Bitcoin with mobile money in Kenya could accelerate 
crypto adoption in emerging markets by simplifying user experience.
The post Tando enables 40 million Kenyans to receive Bitcoin via phone numbers 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

PayPal agrees to settle US Justice Department probe over civil rights violations

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