Techmeme
July 19, 2025, 8:40 AM

Top News

Bloomberg:
President Trump signs the GENIUS Act, and says the first federal bill to regulate stablecoins will “secure the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency”  —  President Donald Trump signed the first federal bill to regulate stablecoins, hailing it as a “giant step …
Bloomberg:
Eugene Kim / Business Insider:
Stephen Nellis / Reuters:
Microsoft says it will no longer use China-based engineers to provide technical support to the US military, after a ProPublica report raised security concerns  —  Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Friday said it will stop using China-based engineers to provide technical assistance to the U.S. military …
Kasha Patel / Washington Post:
Google researchers say Android's early-warning system detected and issued alerts for 1,200+ earthquakes since 2021, sometimes giving up to 15-60 seconds' notice  —  An early-warning system on Android phones has detected more than 1,000 earthquakes worldwide since 2021, sometimes giving people 15 …
Sabrina Ortiz / ZDNET:
Adobe updates its Firefly video model and adds a beta Generate Sound Effects tool that can create custom sounds from text prompts and the user's voice  —  Just a year and a half ago, the latest and greatest of Adobe's Firefly generative AI offerings involved producing high-quality images …
Ari Levy / CNBC:
S&P Global says Block will join the S&P 500 on July 23, after announcing Monday that ad tech firm The Trade Desk will also be added; XYZ jumps 9%+ after hours  —  Block shares jumped more than 10% in extended trading on Friday, as the fintech company get set to join the S&P 500, replacing Hess.
Bloomberg:
Peter Thiel-backed crypto exchange Bullish files for an IPO, plans to trade on the NYSE, and reports a net loss of ~$349M on digital asset sales of $80M in Q1  —  Bullish, a digital-asset exchange operator whose backers have included billionaire Peter Thiel, filed for an initial public offering …
Bloomberg:
Sources: at least six of China's biggest VC firms are targeting a combined $2B in new USD-denominated funds to allow overseas investment in Chinese startups  —  China's largest venture capital houses are tapping the market for at least $2 billion in new funds, re-engaging with the country's startups …
Ivan Levingston / Financial Times:
Sources: Vy Capital, which has ~$15B of AUM and is a top backer of Elon Musk's companies, told external investors that it will not raise further outside money  —  Secretive tech investment group has racked up gains after backing companies such as SpaceX and xAI

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26  —  Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control  —  Picture this: It's Monday morning.  You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Big Technology Podcast:
OpenAI's 2026 Priority, Disney's AI Play, Datacenter Buildout Trouble
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Access:
Why the next AI frontier is phone calls, with Beside CEO Maxime Germain
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
Great Chat:
So what happens after AGI?
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
Lachlan Cartwright Started in Tabloids. Now He's a Must-Read Media Gossip.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 8:40 AM ET, July 19, 2025.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

More News

Eleanor Hawkins / Axios:

Earlier Picks

Jessica Lyons / The Register:
Dina Bass / Bloomberg:
Zac Bowden / Windows Central:
Eric Slivka / MacRumors:
Hayden Field / The Verge: