Welcome back to your daily memorandum talking tech, business, AI, markets, and more. 🗞️

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

🕵️ Cryptographer Adam Back denies being Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
🎨 Canva acquires Simtheory & Ortto to boost AI & marketing capabilities.
🤖 Meta unveils Muse Spark, its first AI model from the superintelligence team.
🛢️ Oil drops below $95 as global markets rally following Iran ceasefire deal.
⚠️ Iran accuses the U.S. of violating terms as the ceasefire shows signs of collapse.

TECHNOLOGY

• British cryptographer Adam Back denies being Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto (NY Times)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, The Guardian, BBC}}

  • The New York Times linked Adam Back, creator of Bitcoin's proof-of-work system, to the Satoshi Nakamoto pseudonym.

  • Back, now CEO of Blockstream, denied the claim despite agreeing he fits the profile of a likely suspect.

  • The Times used AI to analyze writing patterns across cryptography archives but found no conclusive identifying evidence.

• Canva acquires Simtheory & Ortto to boost AI & marketing capabilities (The Verge)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Tech Buzz}}

  • Canva announced the dual acquisition of Simtheory, an AI agent platform, and Ortto, a marketing automation company.

  • Both firms were co-founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey, who will join Canva in AI and marketing leadership roles.

  • The deals expand Canva's capabilities across agentic AI, data infrastructure, and full workflow campaign management.

• Amazon is cutting off Kindle Store access for devices made before 2012 (CNET)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, The Verge}}

  • Amazon will end support for Kindle devices released in 2012 or earlier, effective May 20, 2026.

  • Affected devices will lose access to the Kindle Store and will be unable to buy, borrow, or download new books.

  • Users can still read content that has already been downloaded, but older devices cannot be re-registered after the deadline.

BUSINESS

• Meta unveils Muse Spark, its first AI model from the superintelligence team (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, NY Times, CNET}}

  • Meta launched Muse Spark, its first AI model in about a year, built by its new superintelligence team.

  • The release follows a disappointing Llama 4 showing and a $14.3B deal to hire Scale AI's CEO, Alex Wang.

  • Muse Spark will initially launch on the Meta AI app before replacing Llama models across WhatsApp and Instagram.

• Oil drops below $95 as global markets rally following Iran ceasefire deal (AP)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, WSJ, BBC}}

  • Oil fell below $95 per barrel, and the S&P 500 jumped 2.5% after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire.

  • The Dow surged 1,325 points, and the Nasdaq gained 2.8%, following strong rallies across European and Asian markets.

  • Early gains faded as the ceasefire appeared precarious, with Iran again closing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

• Delta plans to cut growth as soaring fuel costs squeeze airline margins (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, MSN, Yahoo!}}

  • Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the airline will meaningfully reduce capacity growth plans amid surging jet fuel costs.

  • Delta forecast second-quarter earnings of $1 to $1.50 per share, slightly above the analyst estimate of $1.41.

  • The airline expects its fuel bill to rise by $2B this quarter due to a war-driven price spike in the Middle East.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Taiwan opposition leader visits Shanghai, urging peace over military confrontation (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, Straits Times}}

  • KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun visited Shanghai, calling for peace, citing a World War I poem about birds over missiles.

  • Cheng's visit aims to ease tensions amid China's ongoing daily military activities around Taiwan.

  • The opposition leader may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during her self-described 'peace mission' to China.

• Iran accuses the U.S. of violating terms as ceasefire shows signs of collapse (AP)
  ^{_{More: CNBC, CBS, WTOP}}

  • Iran's parliament speaker called the ceasefire negotiations with the U.S. "unreasonable," citing three conditions Tehran says have been violated.

  • The U.S., Iran, and Israel claimed victory after a two-week ceasefire deal, but significant disagreements emerged immediately.

  • Israel struck Beirut, killing at least 182 people, while Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response.

• Glencore & Taiwan CPC charter tankers to load Middle East oil post-ceasefire (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Taipei Times, Investing.com}}

  • Taiwan's CPC and Glencore chartered tankers to load Middle Eastern crude for Asia following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

  • The two-week ceasefire requires open passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for 20% of global energy shipments.

  • The six-week conflict had nearly halted traffic through Hormuz, with spot tanker rates more than doubling from pre-war levels.

FUTURISM

• Poke lets users access AI agents directly through messaging apps (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Tech Buzz, Yahoo!, CryptoRank}}

  • Poke is an AI agent accessible via iMessage, SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp, launched publicly in March.

  • Unlike general chatbots, Poke takes action on your behalf, handling tasks like calendar and smart home management.

  • Users can write their own plain-text automations for tasks like email alerts, medication reminders, and news updates.

• Volkswagen begins testing autonomous microbuses in Los Angeles with Uber (CNET)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Engadget}}

  • Volkswagen's MOIA America and Uber began testing about 10 autonomous ID. Buzz minivans in Los Angeles this week.

  • The companies plan to launch a commercial robotaxi service by late 2026, with fully driverless operations starting in 2027.

  • The test fleet will eventually scale to more than 100 vehicles, with a human safety operator on board initially.

• An autonomous vehicle in Texas ran over & killed a beloved neighborhood duck (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: MSN, Tech Buzz}}

  • An Avride self-driving car struck and killed a nesting duck near a Mueller Lake eatery, upsetting local residents.

  • The duck was well-known locally and had eggs; concerned neighbors have since placed them in an incubator.

  • Avride confirmed that autonomous mode was active and that operations had been rerouted away from streets near the lake.

• Explore the essential startup reading database*

  • Learning from the best is how you become the best. We've curated a list of top-notch articles, blogs, and readings essential for startup founders.

  • And here's the kicker: we've organized it all in a user-friendly Notion database for easy access and tracking. Double win!

  • As aspiring leaders and innovators, this list serves as a bridge to absorbing the knowledge that has propelled others to success.

CONTENT

• Sixth Street CEO Alan Waxman on the history & future of private capital (Invest Like The Best)

  • Sixth Street CEO Alan Waxman discusses the evolution of private credit and his 'Factory Model' of investing.

  • Waxman warns against asset-liability mismatches and deteriorating underwriting standards in today's private wealth channel.

  • The episode also covers AI adoption, career navigation across life stages, and the firm's ethos of 'facing the tiger.'

• Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis on AGI, bottlenecks & the future of AI (20VC)

  • Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, discusses where AI stands today and what is holding it back.

  • He explores whether scaling laws have plateaued and why AI systems still cannot learn continuously as humans do.

  • The interview covers DeepMind's rise, model commoditization, the future of open source, and what a post-LLM world looks like.

• Box CEO Aaron Levie on AI agents & the future of enterprise software (a16z)

  • Box CEO Aaron Levie discusses what happens to enterprise software when AI agents become the primary users.

  • The conversation covers why coding agents succeed where other knowledge work agents still struggle to deliver value.

  • Topics include data access challenges, abstraction layers in the workforce, and the gap between startup and enterprise AI adoption.

EXTRAS

• North Korea tests cluster-bomb missile & new electromagnetic warfare systems (Washington Post)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, Bloomberg}}

  • North Korea tested a cluster-bomb ballistic missile and an electromagnetic weapon, state media KCNA reported Thursday.

  • The country also tested carbon-fiber bombs and a mobile short-range anti-aircraft missile system this week.

  • Experts warn the new weapons could threaten South Korea's defenses and further complicate regional security.

• Microsoft developer tools executive Julia Liuson retires after 34 years at the company (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: MSN, GeekWire}}

  • Julia Liuson, president of Microsoft's developer division, announced her retirement in June after 34 years at the company.

  • Following GitHub head Thomas Dohmke's departure last year, three senior GitHub executives began reporting directly to Liuson.

  • Liuson has been part of Microsoft's CoreAI platform and tools group, led by former Meta executive Jay Parikh.

• Pam Bondi will not appear for the House deposition in the Epstein investigation (AP)
  ^{_{More: PBS, CNN}}

  • The DOJ indicated Bondi will skip her April 14 deposition, as she is no longer attorney general.

  • The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bondi last month in a bipartisan vote over her handling of Epstein files.

  • The DOJ's release of millions of Epstein case files contained multiple errors and missed a congressional deadline.

AND MORE

• I finally got the iPhone Air, and it was a modular phone all along.

• As YouTube grows on TV, it eyes more interactive video across formats.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers.*

• Tubi is the first streamer to launch a native app within ChatGPT.

• The only USB-C AA battery I’d buy for myself is the Zepath 3600.

• Hackers steal and leak sensitive LAPD police documents.

• OpenAI is juggling public controversies, strategy shifts, and increasing competition.

• Xbox’s new era needs games like Forza Horizon 6.