a16z: Predicts Market Will Deeply Integrate with Crypto and AI by 2026, Requires 'Truth Consensus' Mechanism to Address High-Stakes Contract Disputes

On April 3rd, The Information reports that Anthropic has acquired biotech startup Coefficient Bio for approximately $400 million.

On April 3, U.S.-listed Bitcoin mining firm MARA announced a roughly 15% layoff, cutting full-time staff across multiple departments and some contract workers. The move is part of its strategic shift from a pure Bitcoin mining company to an energy and digital infrastructure firm. Earlier this February, MARA completed the majority acquisition of Exaion — a subsidiary of French state-owned energy giant EDF — officially entering the AI and high-performance computing space. It also struck a deal with data center developer Starwood to repurpose ~1 GW of mining infrastructure for AI workloads. Recently, MARA sold over 15,133 BTC (roughly $1.1 billion) to repay $1 billion in convertible bonds. This led to a full-year net loss of $1.3 billion in 2025, with adjusted EBITDA at -$330.8 million. Per Bitget market data, MARA stock bucked the trend with an 8.33% gain, closing at $8.17.

According to market data from Bitget, the Nikkei 225 Index opened higher on Friday, April 3, rising 615.75 points (1.17%) to 53,079.02 points. The South Korean KOSPI Index also opened up the same day, gaining 145.0 points (2.77%) to 5,379.05 points.

**US, Israel Strike Iranian Bridge; Iran Vows Retaliation, Oil Prices Surge** April 3rd — The U.S. and Israel targeted Iranian infrastructure Wednesday, bombing the iconic Beiyek Bridge on the Beyk Highway in Kalaj-e Karim, Iran. The bridge—billed as the Middle East’s highest, a landmark engineering project, and part of the Tehran-Kalaj corridor core—was damaged ahead of its planned opening. Iran immediately vowed retaliation, launching its *Real Commitment Operation Round 90* in response. ### Market Reaction - WTI crude oil jumped nearly 15% intraday, settling above $110 for the first time since 2022. - Brent spot prices skyrocketed above $140, hitting their highest level since 2008. ### Latest Developments #### Iranian Actions/Statements - Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi: Iran is drafting a transit agreement with Oman for the Strait of Hormuz. - Launched the 90th wave of its operation, striking U.S.-linked metal industry facilities. - Partial power outage

April 3 — Sonic Labs announced in an official statement that approximately 32.69 million S tokens from its Season 1 and Season 2 airdrops remain unclaimed. Unclaimed tokens by the final deadline will be burned on October 15, 2026. **Claim Rules by Season:** - **Season 1:** Claim by April 18, 2026 to avoid penalties; claims between April 18 and October 15, 2026 will incur penalties. - **Season 2:** Claim by May 24, 2026 to avoid penalties; no penalties apply for claims made between May 24 and October 15, 2026. Any tokens unclaimed by the October 15, 2026 deadline will be permanently destroyed.

**April 3 (Local Time) – President Donald Trump signed a statement Thursday adjusting U.S. national security tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper imports. The changes aim to: - Lower tariff rates on metal-derived products - Simplify the import declaration process - Curb misdeclaration of import values The statement notes the U.S. will retain a 50% tariff on bulk steel, aluminum, and copper—but this rate applies to the price U.S. consumers pay. Other key updates: - Eliminate the 50% tariff on derivative products of these metals if their metal content (by weight) is below 15% - Remove Section 232 tariffs on products with very low metal content U.S. officials say the changes won’t have a significant economic impact compared to the prior tariff system. However, levying the 50% tariff on the total sales value of bulk metals may generate additional revenue. (Source: Jinse)**