The wealthy Moroun family of Michigan is planning to expand its controversial concrete empire across the border to Canada, records show.  The Morouns, who own the Ambassador Bridge and a constellation of other enterprises, have in recent years expanded their Hercules Concrete business across the Detroit area and beyond, with each location named after characters…

Bitcoin (BTC) extended losses after Friday’s Wall Street open as traders prepared for a retest of $60,000. Key points: Bitcoin begins a battle to protect $60,000 support as sell-side pressure refuses to cool. Analysis sees early signals that “seller exhaustion” is here. US nonfarm payrolls data produce a stronger-than-expected picture of US labor market conditions….

Visa is testing whether privacy-enabled blockchain networks can support institutional stablecoin settlement without exposing sensitive transaction data, in a proof of concept with stablecoin infrastructure company Brale and the Canton Network, a permissioned ledger backed by major Wall Street firms. The project, announced Thursday, uses SBC, a US dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Brale, to simulate…

Zcash developers and researchers are discussing whether a new shielded pool could help restore supply verification confidence after a recently patched Orchard vulnerability. Shielded Labs, an independent Swiss-based Zcash support organization, said in a security update on Friday that it is exploring a proposed network upgrade that would deploy a new shielded pool and enforce…

At least four in five Albertans agree that the privacy law applying to businesses should also apply to political parties, suggests a new Ipsos poll, conducted for a B.C. privacy advocacy organization. Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod says the poll results bolster her call for her office to have oversight of political parties,…

Melbourne’s fragile hopes of making the NRL finals have been dealt a major blow with star winger Xavier Coates ruled out for the season after snapping his Achilles. Coates was on the comeback trail after injuring his Achilles in the pre-season, requiring surgery that put him out for three months. With State of Origin off…

A Ukrainian naval drone has exploded in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta, as European leaders warned the war in Ukraine is becoming a “direct threat” to countries along the EU’s eastern border. Friday’s blast came just a week after another aerial drone crashed into an apartment building in Romania, injuring two people.  The Romanian…

Republicans in the US House of Representatives are moving to add prediction market restrictions to a stalled congressional stock trading ban, as lawmakers scrutinize whether members of Congress should be allowed to wager on elections or public policy. House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil plans to attach prediction market provisions to H.R. 7008, the House’s…

South Korean police have reportedly launched the country’s first illegal gambling probe into local Polymarket users, widening regulatory scrutiny of the decentralized prediction market. The investigation is led by Gangwon Provincial Police and was requested by the National Police Agency, according to ChosunBiz.  Users may face fines of up to 10 million won ($6,500) under…

Some Halifax-area residents are fighting a proposed stargazing park in their neighbourhood, saying the project would ruin their quiet way of life. But the development’s owner says its scale is being exaggerated. In January, Halifax councillors on the North West Community Council approved a development agreement for a stargazing facility in a rural residential area…