The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved a commercial launch license for SpaceX's Starship rocket's third test flight. The test is scheduled for this morning at 7 am CDT, with a launch window of 110 minutes. SpaceX will target the Indian Ocean for Starship's slashdown. Details about the changes planned for flight 3 are available in the article.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has dismissed rumors that the bank is secretly developing a CBDC, stating that no decision has been made on whether the US should proceed with such a project. However, Powell confirmed the bank is closely monitoring developments in the digital asset space.

The SEC is seeking $2 billion in penalties from Ripple Labs. This is part of an ongoing conflict where the SEC accused Ripple of selling an unregistered security by raising $1.3 billion from the sale of XRP. Ripple's CEO critiqued the SEC's unjust behavior, citing court decisions in favor of Ripple.

Metaplex has launched a new standard for NFTs on Solana named Core. Designed to reduce complexity and minting costs, Core enables data to be stored in a single on-chain account. It also introduces a plugin system that allows users to extend Core asset functionality. The launch coincides with the announcement that 50% of all protocol fees will be used to purchase MPLX to decentralize the Metaplex protocol further.

1intro, Solana’s first Liquidity Bootstrapping Platform, aims to alleviate current problems faced by Solana users, specifically addressing unfair launches, token liquidity issues, and the prevalence of scams. Designed for fair token distribution and price discovery, 1intro plans to evolve into a comprehensive DEX platform, offering trading functionalities and tools with a community-focused strategy. It has introduced features like "Refer and Earn" to boost user engagement.

Congress wants to force TikTok to part with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, amid concerns over national security. Despite strong bipartisan support in Congress and President Biden’s endorsement, the fate of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act remains uncertain. TikTok pushed back with a mass in-app message to US users last Thursday morning, complete with a button for calling their representatives. If the bill does become law, Apple’s App Store and Google Play will not be able to legally distribute the app in the US.

Gen Z is reshaping the customer journey. They’re departing from the linear funnel to embrace a continuous loop of inspiration, exploration, community, and loyalty. Gen Z is no longer trusting first-touch discovery executed directly by brands. Brands need to rely more on creators for discovery and ensure their top-of-funnel marketing is less sales and more engagement.

95% of US teens have access to a smartphone. Three-quarters of them say they feel more peaceful when they’re without them. Yet, most teens do not limit their phone or social media usage. They believe smartphones facilitate creativity, hobbies, and academic success — which outweighs perceived harms.

The House passed a bill requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face having it banned on US devices. The bill received bipartisan backing with a 352-65 vote. Proponents argue the measure is vital for national security, while opponents contend it violates free speech rights and could harm businesses. The bill’s fate in the Senate remains uncertain.

Google’s AI-powered SGE, initially available through manual opt-in, has now started appearing for users who haven’t signed up. The company is currently testing this feature on a small percentage of search traffic in the US, including users not logged into Google accounts. It’s aiming to gather more feedback before potential wider implementation.

Small businesses are worried about losing a vital marketing channel if TikTok faces a ban. Bigger brands appear less concerned, but some have started planning alternative promotional strategies. Marketing agencies are advising clients to diversify their influencer spending across platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

Apple is working to secure an exclusive TV deal with FIFA, who plans to launch a revamped version of Club World Cup in 2025. Apple wants the TV rights to the event, which will feature 32 teams from each of the six confederations. The first tournament will take place in the US next summer. The deal could be worth around $1 billion. Apple has already paid $2.5 billion to secure global broadcasting rights to Major League Soccer and it has also secured a deal with Major League Baseball. The company sees live sports as a way to lure new customers to the Apple TV+ streaming service.

The Senate has passed a bill for a foreign aid package that includes a measure that will force China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok or have it banned from the US. The bill will now head to President Joe Biden, who has already committed to signing the legislation. Once signed into law, ByteDance will have up to a year to complete a sale of TikTok. Enforcement of the law may be delayed by legal challenges. The bill is aimed at preventing foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, and otherwise harming vulnerable Americans, rather than a punishment against ByteDance or any other individual company.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that orders TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the company within 270 days or lose access to the US market. Biden can extend the deadline by up to 90 days if a sale is in progress. If ByteDance doesn't sell TikTok, app stores in the US will have to drop the app and internet hosting services will be prohibited from providing services that enable distribution of TikTok in the US. ByteDance will file a lawsuit to attempt to block the law.

ByteDance would rather shut down TikTok than sell the company. The US only provides a quarter of TikTok's global revenue and only represents 5% of ByteDance's daily active users across all of its media platforms. The short deadline to sell would likely put downward pressure on any potential sale price, making the option even less appealing. Selling the company would mean divesting the algorithms that power TikTok and its video recommendations, which raises more complications.

Oracle has moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to offer its employees a better lifestyle. Nashville pledged $175 million in incentives and the state of Tennessee $65 million to help build the Oracle campus in 2021. There were no additional incentives from the city ahead of Oracle's headquarters announcement. Oracle plans to get closer to the healthcare industry - the Nashville area's healthcare industry employs more than 300,000 people and adds $68 billion to the Nashville region's economy.

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to reinstate net neutrality, barring broadband providers from slowing or blocking internet traffic to some sites while improving access to others. The FCC had announced that it would pursue this as a policy goal in September and there was no reason the Commission would vote against it. The new net neutrality rules still have to weather challenges in court, and depending on the outcome of the election, they may be rolled back or legislated away. The rules still have to be published in the Federal Register - and then there is another waiting period - before they will take effect.

This report covers 10 insights into the preferences, attitudes, and buying behaviors of Gen Z. With Gen Z being the largest demographic group in the US, even a small segment of this population can significantly impact brands. This group tends to be renters and faces challenges in home ownership, shaping their purchasing behaviors. Social media heavily influences their shopping habits, with loyalty driven more by personal values and influencers' opinions than brand identity. They also prefer mobile-first experiences and expect seamless digital customer experiences from brands.

TikTok has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new law requiring the sale or ban of the company. The suit seeks a court order preventing the US from enforcing the law. It accuses the US of trampling on TikTok's First Amendment rights under the banner of national security. Parent company ByteDance says it can't and won't sell its US operations by the deadline, leaving litigation as its best hope to remain in the US market. It claims to have taken measures to safeguard user data and prevent Chinese influence.

Google will soon start testing search and shopping ads within AI Overviews for users in the US. The company says it will display ads in AI Overviews when they're relevant to both the query and the information in the AI Overview. Advertisers already running certain campaigns through Google will automatically become eligible to appear in AI Overviews. It is unclear when exactly the change will roll out.

Uniswap Labs argues that the protocol fully complies with US law and that the decentralized exchange does not fall under the “securities exchange” or “broker” definition. It notes that over 90% of trading volume is on commodities pairs, stablecoins, or out of the country, expanding beyond the SEC's jurisdiction. Lawyers for the Ripple and Grayscale cases are providing outside counsel, and Uniswap is confident it will win if forced to litigate.

The U.S. DOJ has arrested Rui-Siang Lin, the head of "Incognito Market", an illegal dark web marketplace that facilitated the sale of illegal drugs using mainly crypto (including bitcoin and Monero). The marketplace processed ~$80M in crypto transactions over three years and charged a 5% fee on drug purchases.

TikTok is working on a clone of its recommendation algorithm for US users. This may result in a version that operates independently of its Chinese parent, which may make it more palatable to lawmakers who want to ban it. Work on the project started before the bill to force a sale of TikTok's US operations began gaining steam in Congress this year. While the project could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of TikTok's US assets, the company has no plans to sell its US assets.

SpaceX's Starship's next test flight could be on June 5. The main objective of the test will be to evaluate the second stage's reusable heat shield as the vehicle tries to safely reenter the atmosphere for the first time. Composed of around 18,000 ceramic hexagonal tiles, the heat shield is vulnerable to even the loss of a single tile in most places. SpaceX still needs to receive a commercial launch license from the US FAA before the launch can move ahead.

TikTok is working on a clone of its recommendation algorithm for its US users. This may result in a version that operates independently of its Chinese parent that might be more palatable to American lawmakers who want to ban it. Once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the company's US assets.

The SEC has ended its investigation into Ethereum 2.0, which Consensys believes confirms that ETH sales are not considered securities transactions. This decision comes after a request from Consensys to clarify whether ETH is considered a commodity.

Brands and their agencies typically sign contracts committing to spend a certain amount on advertising in advance to secure prominent slots or volume discounts from media platforms. Agencies representing TikTok's biggest advertisers are drawing up contingency plans as the US prepares to ban the popular video app. Some are seeking a “kill clause” to escape any financial commitments.

Kanav Kariya, who rose from intern to president of Jump Trading's crypto division by 25, is leaving the company. Kariya saw the company through major challenges like the $300 million Wormhole hack and the Terra/Luna collapse. Fortune recently reported that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating Jump's crypto activities.

Amazon is planning to launch a new section on its site dedicated to low-priced fashion and lifestyle items. The new storefront will allow Chinese sellers to ship directly to US consumers, with items arriving within nine to 11 days. It is an aggressive attempt to fend off competition from Temu and Shein, who have expanded their presence in the US in recent years. Amazon will start accepting products for the storefront this fall. The company has yet to announce when it intends to debut the storefront.

Instagram's new "AI Studio" lets creators develop AI chatbot versions of themselves. It is currently rolling out as an early test in the US.