As virtual private networks (VPN) become widely promoted "privacy tools" in the online world, related advertisements can be seen everywhere—from websites and apps to YouTube ads—highlighting anonymous browsing and personal data protection. In response, IBM security technology executive Jeff

Berkshire Hathaway reduced its Apple holdings by 74% while buying 17.8 million shares of Alphabet, reflecting a strategic shift towards AI, cloud, and digital ads amidst Apple's growth in revenue and installed base.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed lawsuits against three fraudulent encryption asset trading platforms and four investment clubs, accusing them of guiding retail investors to join group chats through social media ads, luring investors to invest in fake platforms and fake securities tokens under the guise of AI stock recommendations, defrauding over $14 million. The fraudulent methods include fabricating government licenses, forging transaction records, and charging false withdrawal fees. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, civil penalties, and restitution of ill-gotten gains.

Successful Web3 launches in Q4 2025 showed a decline in paid ads and a rise in influencer partnerships. Challenges in crypto advertising include platform restrictions and audience filtering. Effective strategies involve mapping trust channels and measuring influencer impact alongside paid ads for better user retention.

The European Commission has imposed a €120 million fine on Musk’s social platform X for violating the transparency requirements of the Digital Services Act. The investigation covers issues such as content moderation, advertising databases, and data access. If the platform fails to rectify these issues, the fine could reach up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

In crypto, it’s easy to buy attention. Anyone can run a Twitter campaign, place banners on crypto sites, or pump traffic through Google. But attention isn’t the same as trust — and trust determines whether users stay, investors commit, and partners take you seriously The reason is simple: ads

Enlivex Therapeutics, a Nasdaq-listed biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapy treatments for inflammatory diseases, has priced a private investment in public equity (PIPE) deal to raise $212 million through the sale of 212 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) at $1.00 per share.

Indian police have arrested 21 people in a cybercrime gang in Bengaluru, impersonating Microsoft support to defraud American citizens, extort money, and embezzle millions of USD through online ads.

Meta earns about 10% of its annual revenue, approximately $16 billion, from fraudulent and prohibited product advertisements. Internal documents show that the platform has failed to effectively stop fraudulent ads and even intends to maintain some of its revenue, resulting in ongoing harm to users. Despite facing regulatory scrutiny, Meta continues to increase its investments, emphasizing that the stifled revenue is less than the potential fines.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced his entry into a new field once again, this time targeting the communications application market. In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he revealed that the X platform is developing a brand new independent communications application called "X Chat", which is expected to launch within a few months. X Chat will focus on end-to-end encryption, an ad tracking-free mechanism, and emphasize data privacy as a priority. The Birth of "X Chat": Rebuilding X's Communication System Musk stated in an interview: "We have just rebuilt the entire X platform's messaging architecture, now called 'X Chat'." He pointed out that this new service uses peer-to-peer encryption technology similar to Bitcoin and has undergone intensive testing. This new architecture is not just the original Twitter.

Musk announced in a podcast the plan to launch an instant messaging application called "X Chat," which uses a peer-to-peer encryption system to compete with Telegram and WhatsApp, and stated that it will not display ads. It is expected to be launched in the coming months.

Author: YQ, deep researcher in encryption infrastructure; Translation: xz@Golden Finance In 1994, Marc Andreessen made a significant mistake, which he later admitted: Netscape failed to embed payment functionality into the browser. Due to regulatory risks and the conservative attitude of financial institutions, Netscape’s collaboration with Visa and Microsoft’s partnership with MasterCard ultimately fell apart. This led to the internet’s default business model being dominated by advertising surveillance systems for thirty years—a trillion-dollar industry built on comprehensive behavioral tracking rather than direct value exchange. Today, AI agents are breaking this balance. Autonomous systems do not watch ads, cannot be psychologically profiled, and have no monetizable attention. Content publishers face a binary choice: either allow parasitic scraping that destroys creative motivation or establish direct payment mechanisms. The x402 protocol is precisely about activating the long-sealed "402 Payment Required" in the HTTP standard.

Blockchain technology makes micropayment possible, and x402 will change the online economic model, shifting from advertising to small payments, preparing for the era of decentralized networks. This article is based on a piece written by @\_0xarayan, organized, compiled, and authored by Deep Tide TechFlow. (Previous summary: Decoding "x402": Reconstructing Payment Trust in the AI Era, the Holy Grail Leading to the Next Generation of Machine Civilization) (Background supplement: What is the x402 protocol? How it will spark a revolution in online payments in the AI agent era) For decades, online advertising has been the only means for the internet's survival. Everyone is vying for attention. To achieve this goal, companies collect all possible data related to users, build user profiles, and show advertisements to users. The agentic network and original sin. In the internet, this single model has opened a market that now has a market capitalization of several trillion dollars.

HashKey Chain and ATT Global partner to launch a Web3 advertising model. The model tokenizes real-world ads for greater transparency. L2 Chain and RWA Platform Tokenize Physical Ad Spaces The partnership is expected to bring together distributed advertising assets. In particular, they will

Trump announced an immediate halt to trade negotiations with Canada due to an advertisement in Ontario that quoted Reagan's remarks opposing tariffs, calling it a false advertisement intended to interfere with an upcoming Supreme Court case. The advertisement sparked opposition from the Reagan Foundation, and Trump's actions reflect his strategy of strengthening the ties between trade and politics.

There’s something unusual happening with Milk Mocha ($HUGS), and it isn’t loud. While other projects flood social media with exaggerated claims, this one has grown quietly, almost intentionally so. The $HUGS community hasn’t needed influencers or flashy ads; it’s been built on trust, research, and f

TokenFi has launched a media campaign in partnership with New to The Street to increase visibility for its asset tokenization platform. The campaign includes nationwide TV interviews, digital billboards, and targeted ads, aiming to simplify tokenization for all users.

According to Mars Finance, on September 26, GoPlus issued a security alert: The top search result for Uniswap on Google is a counterfeit phishing website, and users have already fallen victim to attacks. Attackers typically use Google sponsored ads and free domain names from Google sites to disguise themselves as well-known Web3 websites, luring users into phishing sites to steal encryption assets.

DEXTools enhances DeFi project visibility by offering in-app advertising placements, targeting engaged users. With ads located in high-traffic areas, projects can efficiently reach traders and boost awareness, community growth, and liquidity without relying on external networks.

ModStealer is a cross-platform malware targeting cryptocurrency wallets across Windows, macOS, and Linux. It uses fake job ads to bypass antivirus systems, stealthily stealing private keys and user data. Its rise reflects the Malware-as-a-Service model, emphasizing the need for advanced threat detection methods.

A new Reddit report highlights its effectiveness for technology marketers, showing that it outperforms other social platforms in return on ad spend. The findings suggest that Reddit ads effectively reach engaged buyers and enhance broader marketing campaigns.

Roblox Corporation RBLX is broadening the monetization model as it looks beyond the virtual currency system. In the second quarter of 2025, the company advanced two initiatives aimed at creating new revenue streams, advertising and intellectual property (“IP”) licensing. On the advertising

The crypto industry faces controversy as a leaked document reveals over 200 influencers' promo prices, wallet addresses, and fees for undisclosed marketing. Most promotions were not labeled as ads, raising ethics and transparency concerns in influencer practices.

ZachXBT revealed a leak containing wallet addresses and promotional rates of over 200 crypto influencers, highlighting low disclosure of paid ads. This raises concerns about transparency in the crypto space, as scams increase amid regulatory attempts to improve standards.

A leaked spreadsheet reveals over 200 crypto influencers involved in undisclosed promotions, raising risks for investors and linking to scams, such as the $143M CR7 rug pull, indicating a systematic promotion network.

Australia is tightening its grip on online fraudsters. The financial regulator ASIC has expanded its powers to cover social media ads, responding to a sharp rise in cryptocurrency-related scams. 14,000 fraudulent sites taken down The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) was

Social media platforms have become prime targets for both hackers and scammers. Hackers use technical skills to gain unauthorized access to accounts, while scammers employ deception to trick users into revealing their vital information, sending money, or stealing digital assets, such as crypto or

AI Agents In A Web3 World Looking Ahead The speed of technology is moving faster and faster We are still getting used to AI gently assisting us in our daily lives, from the more subtle areas like route navigation, to the more obvious areas like the AI slop photos in pop up ads We are also still d

Cryptocurrency scammers are targeting TikTok users with a new campaign called "ClickTok," combining phishing and malware. They leverage fake ads and AI-generated videos impersonating celebrities to steal information and disseminate malicious apps, affecting users globally.

This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Looking for a way to refine your Meta Ads targeting, and reach more specific audiences with your promotions? You may now have a means to do

For a long time, Stake.com was a big name in the online gambling market, known for its strong brand, ads, and wide selection. But in 2025, things are changing fast. More players are shifting to smaller sites that focus on speed and fairness. They want faster payouts, better odds, and no surprise

I didn’t plan to email 50 CEOs. I just wanted to test one idea. Can a well-written cold email still get results in 2025 especially in an oversaturated space like tech and crypto? Turns out, yes if you do it right. I didn’t have a huge newsletter. No warm intros. No VC behind me. Just a desire to

Image Credits:Discord After announcing in late May that the platform would be experimenting with a new virtual reward system, Discord is now launching it to the public The aim of the rewards, called Orbs, is to get people to click on more interactive ads. Users earn Orbs after completing

According to Mars Finance news, Scam Sniffer | Web3 Anti-Scam claims that fake ads for "Euler finance" have appeared in current Google search results. These phishing ads steal users' wallet funds through malicious transaction signatures and use Punycode to disguise real domain names, luring users into being deceived. Users are advised to remain vigilant and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

HomeNews Fake news sites are being used to target investment scam victims in over 50 countries, according to Cybersecurity firm CTM360. Scammers mimic real news outlets and leverage sponsored ads to direct users to fraudulent trading platforms. Over 17,000 baiting news sites have been

Can crypto can crypto go mainstream through messaging? Telegram is integrating the TON blockchain and Toncoin into its platform with wallet functions and on-chain ads. Telegram is quietly executing one of the most ambitious crypto integrations ever attempted by a mainstream social platform. By

HomeNews Webus International secures a $100 million equity line to expand its cryptocurrency treasury operations using XRP. The initiative represents one of the largest corporate XRP treasury moves in 2025. The equity line allows Webus International flexible access to capital, letting the

Threads is no longer an affiliate of Instagram. Threads was initially considered an extension of Instagram, Meta's version of X (Twitter). Many features are built on top of Instagram, such as being able to create a Threads account by importing an Instagram account, the account name following Instagram, and the blocking list also linked to Instagram. At the same time, Threads started out in a somewhat experimental nature, without commercial advertisements. This year, Threads started to introduce commercial advertising features. Similar to the Meta series of social platforms, it will display ads that users may be interested in based on their follows and likes. Recently, Threads has also integrated a messaging function. If users click the small airplane icon under a post ( to send a message.

In the past week, a large number of scam advertisements related to the Taiwan Mobile virtual currency exchange TWEX have suddenly flooded Facebook, with fabricated spokespersons including well-known figures from Taiwan's crypto world like Ma Ji Da Ge and Wilson Huang. (Background: Legislators harshly criticize: Taiwan's "Anti-Scam National Team" mistakenly targets experts and crypto KOLs! The District IG was also inexplicably locked.) (Background information: The new regulations from the Financial Supervisory Commission: Transfers are proposed to mandatorily disclose "recipient's name" to reduce transaction errors and scam risks.) Scams that harm people's wealth and lives are extremely despicable, but the clumsiness of the scams can be laughable. Many users in Taiwan's crypto world may find ads for "Taiwan Mobile Exchange TWEX" when logging into Facebook this week, but a closer look at the content may leave you laughing out loud due to its fraudulent nature. Ma Ji Da Ge and other crypto world celebrities are impersonated as spokespersons. The scam group has thrown out several impressive "fake spokespersons."

Key Notes Grassroots initiatives, including billboard ads and merchandise drops, have amplified WIF's visibility. Analysts highlight WIF's price movement as closely linked to Bitcoin and the Solana ecosystem. Sustaining Bitcoin

On June 26, Elon Musk announced that hashtags will no longer be allowed in ads on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The decision, described by Musk as a move to eliminate what he calls an “esthetic nightmare,” will take effect starting tomorrow. While it may sound like a cosmetic update, th

According to The Information, OpenAI is recently developing enterprise-level office software, benchmarked against Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, combined with generative AI technology. (Synopsis: GPT-5 debuts this summer!) Sam Altman reveals OpenAI's next-generation model blueprint, StarGate ambitions, will there be ads? (Background added: OpenAI Shock Bomb!) Acquisition of legendary Apple designer Jony Ive io, Altman: "The most fantastic AI hardware" is on the way) OpenAI was revealed to have recently quietly developed a suite of office software services, benchmarking Google Workspace and Microsoft Office

The globally renowned crypto media Cointelegraph today (6/22) issued a warning on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, pointing out that illegal individuals have placed counterfeit pop-up ads on its website, claiming to offer so-called "CoinTelegraph ICO Airdrops" or "CTG tokens." Cointelegraph clarified that these ads are not official activities and urged users not to click on them and not to provide any Wallet information or personal data. Fake airdrop scams lure users to link their Wallet Cointelegraph reported that they have noticed fraudulent pop-up ads exploiting brand names to lure visitors into clicking on fake ICO airdrop activities. The ads fabricated "CTG tokens" or "CoinTeleg

OpenAI is systematically and premeditatedly completing a fundamental shift from "seeking welfare for humanity" to "seeking profit for investors." CEO Sam Altman has a long-term, verifiable pattern of inconsistent words and actions, manipulating information and evading supervision, along with a deep entanglement of personal investments and company business. (Background: GPT-5 will debut this summer! Sam Altman reveals OpenAI's next-generation model blueprint, StarGate ambitions, and will there be ads?) (Additional background: OpenAI shocker! Acquiring Apple's legendary designer Jony Ive's company io, Altman: "the most dreamlike AI hardware" is on the way.) An interactive report of over 50 pages and more than 10,000 words reveals the entire process of OpenAI's evolution from a non-profit research lab to a profit giant. Recently, two major non-profit sciences...

Floki Inu is launching a four-week Reddit campaign targeting crypto gamers ahead of Valhalla's mainnet debut, aiming to reach 1.5 million users in the US and additional audiences in India and LATAM through engaging video ads.

Sam Altman revealed the launch time of GPT-5, the progress of o3 and Deep Research, and the $500 billion "Stargate" infrastructure plan in OpenAI's official podcast. (Synopsis: AI eliminates bamboo engineers? Huang Jenxun shouts that "robots replace thousands of employees": eight Taiwan factories are introducing optimization) (Background supplement: AI really began to grab human jobs" Global manufacturers accelerate layoffs, American college students are unemployed after graduation. At midnight today (19th), OpenAI launched its first podcast on the official Youtube, with CEO Sam Altman taking the lead in the first episode, and in a 40-minute conversation, he outlined the company's next steps, revealing that GPT-5 is expected to launch this summer, along with O3

This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Disney Advertising and Amazon Ads today (June 17) integrated Disney's Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX) and Amazon Demand-side Platform (DSP), per details sh

HomeNews Meta will begin showing ads on WhatsApp through the Updates tab using the Status feature. The company says ads will use limited data and be designed to protect user privacy. Data for ad targeting will include general location, language, channels followed, and interactions with ads.