DeFiance Daily – Coinbase has officially joined the S&P 500, marking the first time a cryptocurrency exchange has been included in the benchmark index. CEO Brian Armstrong called it a “milestone” for crypto’s integration into mainstream finance and predicted digital assets will soon be part of every American’s 401(k).

DeFiance Media – Ice Open Network has appointed undefeated MMA champion and global sports icon Khabib Nurmagomedov as its official Global Ambassador. With 20 million users and a mission to bring blockchain to the mainstream, Ice Open Network sees Khabib’s global reach and values as the perfect match to drive Web3 adoption.

DeFiance Media – At the inaugural NYC Crypto Summit, Mayor Eric Adams announced a new Digital Asset Advisory Council and outlined bold plans to integrate blockchain across city services. The move positions New York as a serious contender for global crypto leadership, backed by public-sector support for fintech growth, innovation, and inclusion.

DeFiance Daily – On the heels of naming WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski as Chief Strategy Officer, Wire Network has added four senior leaders to its executive team to drive growth and unify the fragmented crypto ecosystem. The hires include veterans from Microsoft, Animoca-backed startups, Prota Ventures, and Project Venkman, reflecting Wire’s bold push to scale its Universal Transaction Layer.

DeFiance Daily – Jesse Draper, founder of Halogen Ventures, has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 2025 Female Founders 500 list for her trailblazing work in venture capital. Her firm backs female-led consumer tech startups and has helped generate over $9 billion in 2024 revenue and raise $10.6 billion in funding. Recent wins include major funding rounds, high-profile acquisitions, and the debut of a female-founded luxury EV brand.

Unstoppable Domains has partnered with Hub Culture to introduce the .hub top-level domain, aimed at enabling secure, interoperable digital identities across Web3 and the physical world. The new domain supports tokenization, AI integration, and data sovereignty through a blockchain-based infrastructure.

D-Wave CEO Dr. Alan Baratz appeared on Fox Business’ The Claman Countdown on May 9 to discuss a major breakthrough in quantum computing. The company’s Advantage2 system outperformed a top supercomputer in a real-world simulation, signaling growing interest from national labs and enterprise customers.

Magnetic 3D and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have signed a new agreement to explore clinical and educational uses of glasses-free 3D imaging. The collaboration aims to develop AI-powered tools that enhance medical training, surgical planning, and patient care—without the need for headsets or 3D glasses.

GENEWIZ and Form Bio have partnered to accelerate AAV gene therapy development by integrating long-read sequencing and genome integrity analysis. The collaboration delivers a streamlined workflow that improves vector safety, design, and manufacturability.

Oklo has finished borehole drilling at the Idaho National Laboratory for its first Aurora Powerhouse, advancing efforts to build a next-generation nuclear facility. The site characterization work supports licensing, engineering, and construction planning.