Latest news with #Reactor
WIRED
15 hours ago
- Business
- WIRED
Ross Ulbricht Got a $31 Million Donation From a Dark Web Dealer, Crypto Tracers Suspect
Jun 5, 2025 2:50 PM Crypto-tracing firm Chainalysis says the mysterious 300-bitcoin donation to the pardoned Silk Road creator appears to have come from someone associated with a different defunct black market: AlphaBay. Online marketplace Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht speaks at The Bitcoin Conference at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center on May 29, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photograph:When Ross Ulbricht received a $31 million bitcoin donation last weekend from an unknown source, many observers saw it as more than a very nice welcome-home gift. Rumors swirled that the creator of the Silk Road, less than five months after receiving a pardon from Donald Trump that saved him from a lifetime in prison, was sending himself a trove of his stashed criminal proceeds from his days running the dark web's first black market more than a decade prior. Now cryptocurrency tracing investigators say they've arrived at a stranger explanation: The money wasn't originally Ulbricht's, and didn't come from the Silk Road. Instead, they suspect it came from a different long-defunct dark web black market: AlphaBay. The crypto tracing firm Chainalysis tells WIRED that, based on blockchain analysis, it has tied the origin of the 300 bitcoins sent to Ulbricht on Sunday to someone involved in AlphaBay, a dark web market that sold a wide variety of drugs and cybercriminal contraband from 2014 to 2017 and eventually grew to be 10 times the size of the Silk Road, according to the FBI. Chainalysis says the funds appear to have emerged from AlphaBay around 2016 and 2017. Given the amount of the donation, Chainalysis suggests it might have come from someone who acted as a large-scale seller on the market. 'We have reasonable grounds to suspect that these funds originated in AlphaBay,' says Phil Larratt, Chainalysis's director of investigations and a former official at the UK's National Crime Agency. 'Looking at the amount, that would suggest they came from someone who was possibly a vendor on AlphaBay back in the early days.' WIRED reached out to Ulbricht for comment about the donation's origin via contacts at the Free Ross campaign that lobbied for his pardon, but didn't immediately receive a response. Prior to Chainalysis's finding that the $31 million donation appears to have originated at AlphaBay, the independent crypto tracing investigator known as ZachXBT had already posted to his account on X his own findings that the money didn't appear to have come from the Silk Road. ZachXBT found that, despite the donor's use of multiple Bitcoin 'mixers' that take in users' coins and return others to obfuscate their trail on the blockchain, he was able to trace the funds to an address that had been flagged in Chainalysis's software tool Reactor as tied to illicit activity. That analysis suggested that the money was a 'legitimate donation but not legitimate funds,' ZachXBT wrote in a text message to WIRED. ZachXBT also found that the same individual who controlled the funds had cashed out other cryptocurrency at an exchange in small, distributed quantities rather than in a single sum, suggesting he or she may have been trying to prevent them being seized or flagged—another sign that the money may have come from criminal origins. 'Usage of multiple mixers, spreading out CEX deposits, etc,' ZachXBT writes to WIRED, using the term CEX to mean a centralized exchange, 'that is done typically if you are trying to avoid getting illicit funds frozen.' Chainalysis declined to offer more information on how exactly it identified the funds as originating at AlphaBay. But the company has built a business around identifying illicit services like digital black markets out of the morass of billions of cryptocurrency addresses. Chainalysis' identification of the AlphaBay cluster of bitcoin addresses, in fact, played a key role in the takedown of the market in a law enforcement investigation known as Operation Bayonet that spanned 2016 and 2017. AlphaBay certainly produced plenty of crypto kingpins who would have the kind of eight-figure sum donated to Ulbricht. Before it was torn offline in an elaborate sting operation in July of 2017, the site was facilitating $2 million a day in sales, largely of illegal drugs although it also offered malware, stolen data, and other cybercriminal wares. AlphaBay's creator and administrator, Alexandre Cazes, died in a Bangkok jail cell under mysterious circumstances following his arrest, but the site's second-in-command, who went by the handle Desnake, appears to have remained at large. Any bitcoins an AlphaBay seller or administrator managed to hold onto since the site's closure would have since appreciated more than 40-fold. Exactly why one of AlphaBay's crypto moguls would donate $31 million to Ulbricht, however, remains a mystery. Speculation on social media has ranged from a fellow black marketeer repaying a favor to a more principled gift intended to thank Ulbricht for blazing a trail with his invention of the Silk Road's crypto-enabled anonymous transactions. That gratitude may also take into account that, while many got rich on the dark web markets that Ulbricht pioneered, he instead spent over a decade in prison, speculates Taylor Monahan, a crypto tracer and security researcher at crypto firm MetaMask. 'People donate when they're deeply inspired by someone and/or grateful and/or have some sort of remorse for the situation,' says Monahan. 'Survivor's guilt is wild.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strategic AI Expansion ...
Release Date: May 22, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) is expanding into AI with a focus on partnerships and client acquisition, particularly with public sector entities in Canada. The company has developed a comprehensive product suite, including Helm, Reactor, and Explorer, to support its carbon-neutral Bitcoin ecosystem. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) achieved a hash rate goal of 2.1 exahash and plans to grow to 3 exahash by the end of the calendar year without dilutive financing. The company is actively working on securing long-term government contracts for AI infrastructure, which could provide significant revenue streams. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) has a strong cash position with $62 million in cash, short-term investments, and digital currencies at the end of the quarter. The company experienced a decrease in its cash, short-term investments, and Bitcoin balance by 3% sequentially. Operating and maintenance costs increased by 14% due to higher seasonal energy rates and increased hash rate. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) reported a net loss of $0.02 per share in the March quarter. The company is facing challenges in securing AI agreements due to the lengthy government procurement process. There is uncertainty regarding the company's ability to secure non-dilutive financing for its planned expansion to 3 exahash. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with DMGGF. Q: How long is it going to take to secure AI agreements, especially with government bureaucracy involved? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: It can take a long time with government, but we remain optimistic about securing agreements in the coming months. The Canadian government has a sense of urgency to achieve AI self-sufficiency, and we are actively working through the process with various agencies. We aim for long-term agreements that command a premium, rather than short-term ones that may not cover high capital costs. Q: Why didn't you use debt financing to fund AI equipment purchases? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: Debt instruments require a revenue source to back them. The 2 megawatts of AI infrastructure we purchased do not generate immediate cash flow, so it wasn't feasible to secure financing. We used our own funds to jumpstart our AI initiatives. Q: How does DMG compare to other mining stocks like Hive and Marra, and what strategies could lead to all-time highs? A: Steven Elescu, COO: On an EV to hash rate basis, we've been valued less than larger peers, but we are focused on translating our investments in software, services, and AI into meaningful results. This could be a catalyst for stock growth. We continue to generate cash from Bitcoin mining, which supports our short-term needs. Q: What is the strategic rationale for buying the prefabricated data center? A: Steven Elescu, COO: Owning physical infrastructure enhances our credibility in discussions about deploying sovereign AI in Canada. The prefabricated data center serves as a bridge to larger, next-generation data centers and helps us secure initial agreements that can lead to larger offtake agreements. Q: Why are you more optimistic about long-term Bitcoin mining at the Christina Lake facility? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: We are optimistic due to lower overall costs with non-firm power and the potential to retrofit air-cooled infrastructure to hydro-cooled, which is cost-effective. We continue to look for other sites with low-cost energy, but Christina Lake offers competitive advantages. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strategic AI Expansion ...
Release Date: May 22, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) is expanding into AI with a focus on partnerships and client acquisition, particularly with public sector entities in Canada. The company has developed a comprehensive product suite, including Helm, Reactor, and Explorer, to support its carbon-neutral Bitcoin ecosystem. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) achieved a hash rate goal of 2.1 exahash and plans to grow to 3 exahash by the end of the calendar year without dilutive financing. The company is actively working on securing long-term government contracts for AI infrastructure, which could provide significant revenue streams. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) has a strong cash position with $62 million in cash, short-term investments, and digital currencies at the end of the quarter. The company experienced a decrease in its cash, short-term investments, and Bitcoin balance by 3% sequentially. Operating and maintenance costs increased by 14% due to higher seasonal energy rates and increased hash rate. DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc (DMGGF) reported a net loss of $0.02 per share in the March quarter. The company is facing challenges in securing AI agreements due to the lengthy government procurement process. There is uncertainty regarding the company's ability to secure non-dilutive financing for its planned expansion to 3 exahash. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with DMGGF. Q: How long is it going to take to secure AI agreements, especially with government bureaucracy involved? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: It can take a long time with government, but we remain optimistic about securing agreements in the coming months. The Canadian government has a sense of urgency to achieve AI self-sufficiency, and we are actively working through the process with various agencies. We aim for long-term agreements that command a premium, rather than short-term ones that may not cover high capital costs. Q: Why didn't you use debt financing to fund AI equipment purchases? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: Debt instruments require a revenue source to back them. The 2 megawatts of AI infrastructure we purchased do not generate immediate cash flow, so it wasn't feasible to secure financing. We used our own funds to jumpstart our AI initiatives. Q: How does DMG compare to other mining stocks like Hive and Marra, and what strategies could lead to all-time highs? A: Steven Elescu, COO: On an EV to hash rate basis, we've been valued less than larger peers, but we are focused on translating our investments in software, services, and AI into meaningful results. This could be a catalyst for stock growth. We continue to generate cash from Bitcoin mining, which supports our short-term needs. Q: What is the strategic rationale for buying the prefabricated data center? A: Steven Elescu, COO: Owning physical infrastructure enhances our credibility in discussions about deploying sovereign AI in Canada. The prefabricated data center serves as a bridge to larger, next-generation data centers and helps us secure initial agreements that can lead to larger offtake agreements. Q: Why are you more optimistic about long-term Bitcoin mining at the Christina Lake facility? A: Sheldon Bennett, CEO: We are optimistic due to lower overall costs with non-firm power and the potential to retrofit air-cooled infrastructure to hydro-cooled, which is cost-effective. We continue to look for other sites with low-cost energy, but Christina Lake offers competitive advantages. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Associated Press
26-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
US Nuclear Corp. Announces the First Quote Requests for 50-100 Gauntlet Sentry Radiation Detection Systems for Border Security
NEWMEDIAWIRE) - US Nuclear Corp. (OTC: UCLE), is pleased to announce that the Company has begun to quote on price and delivery for up to 80 Gauntlet Sentry Radiation Detection Systems for a border state, which has Nuclear Reactor sites as well. 'The recent press release for the launch of the Gauntlet Sentry Radiation Detection System has attracted a lot of attention,' said Bob Goldstein, President of US Nuclear. 'The system can also detect explosives, and can be modified to detect Tritium, which is being used in the development of nuclear fusion. It's perfect for border security, as well as security for government buildings and military installations.' 'The Overhoff Technology division has also seen a dramatic increase in order inquiries over the last month,' said Operations manager Nikki Truax. 'Last week we closed on an order for 10 400SB and 15 357Rm Tritium air monitors, with a total value of approximately $500k, for 2nd quarter delivery.' 'The Company is also pleased to report that it's in advanced talks with a merger candidate that could add approximately $4-5M in annual revenues, along with $1-1.5m in net income,' said Mr. Goldstein. 'The deal could be consummated in the 2nd quarter, if the target company passes due-diligence.' 'The previously announced consolidation of our Los Angeles operations with our Overhoff Ohio operation is progressing smoothly, and is more than 50% complete,' said Mr. Goldstein. 'Our expenses estimated for February will be $30-40k less than January, with another $30-40k in March! When the move is fully completed by months-end, these cost reductions will save the Company $60-80k per month, or almost $1 million annually, equating to $.02 per share!'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woxer Selects Reactor Data to Empower Customers through Data-Driven Experiences
Reactor Provides Best-In-Class Data Onboarding for Snowflake MIAMI, February 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reactor Data ( the intelligent data pipeline for AI, analytics and data activation, today announced that Woxer, the apparel brand redefining underwear for everyday life — built for confidence, comfort, and individuality — has chosen Reactor to streamline its data onboarding workflows. By adopting Reactor, Woxer is replacing its legacy ETL solution to unlock new efficiencies and real-time insights that will guide product innovation and elevate the customer experience. At Woxer, Reactor is used to prep, label, and map data into Snowflake for further analysis and activation, ensuring the brand's teams have access to accurate, unified data. "Our mission is to empower choice, and we're redefining the way women's clothing is designed." said Alex Fuente, CEO of Woxer. "By leveraging Reactor's fully automated data pipelines, we seamlessly integrate customer insights, order metrics, and operational data, allowing us to shape our products around real-time consumer preferences as we expand beyond intimates into apparel." Reactor ingests, defines, and connects data for today's modern data warehouses such as Snowflake, Databricks, and Google Cloud BigQuery, making data available for AI, analysis, and activation in popular BI and data activation tools. For Woxer, this means faster reporting, improved demand forecasting, and a deeper understanding of its evolving customer base. By switching from Fivetran, Woxer gains access to Reactor's flexible, low-code environment, expediting data transformations without sacrificing control or customization. With Reactor, companies save money on cloud data warehousing and focus their data teams on delivering strategic insights that drive high-impact business outcomes, rather than data plumbing. Reactor's transparent pricing model and advanced orchestration capabilities keep businesses nimble at scale — a compelling alternative to legacy providers requiring extensive engineering resources just to keep pipelines intact. "We are excited to see Woxer harness Reactor's real-time data onboarding solution to elevate its message of inclusivity and comfort," said Reactor Data Founder and CEO Eric Best. "Our mission is to make enterprise-grade data integration accessible and efficient, and Woxer's forward-thinking approach is an ideal fit for Reactor's dynamic platform." By unifying its data under Reactor, Woxer can continue to innovate on new product lines and expand its loyal community of customers who value inclusivity, body positivity, and style. With reliable, real-time data powering key business decisions, Woxer is poised to accelerate its mission of empowering everyone to "Be You, Unapologetically." Try Reactor for Free Ready to accelerate your own data transformation journey? Take advantage of our 90-day free trial offer at and experience the power of Reactor firsthand. About Reactor Data Put your data to work with Reactor ( Reactor onboards your clean, well-defined data modeled for generative AI, analytics, and activation — creating business-ready data from all of your systems and applications, landed in your data warehouse. With Reactor, companies save money on cloud data warehousing while focusing data teams on strategic insights that drive high-impact business outcomes, rather than data plumbing. By delivering advanced data orchestration, real-time synchronization, and robust data governance, Reactor helps organizations of all sizes reduce the friction of legacy systems and unlock the full value of data. From startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, Reactor transforms how teams acquire, manage, and activate data for a truly data-driven future. Reactor Data is founded by Amazon veterans and backed by leading venture capital investors, putting data to work for the likes of PacSun, Eberjey, GLDN, Hearst Media, Balsam Brands, IPSY and Woxer. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Erin LutzLutz Public Relations and Marketing (for Reactor)949.293.1055 | erin@
