Apple Appeals €500 Million EU Fine Over App Store Restrictions

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Apple has officially filed a lawsuit challenging a €500 million ($587 million) antitrust fine imposed by the European Commission, contesting claims it violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The tech giant submitted the appeal on Monday, the final day to do so, at the EU’s General Court, the bloc’s second-highest legal authority.

The Commission ruled in April 2025 that Apple had unlawfully restricted app developers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside the App Store, a practice viewed as anti-competitive under the DMA.

In a public statement, Apple argued that the decision “goes far beyond what the law requires,” adding that the imposed fine was “unprecedented” and that the Commission is now effectively mandating how we run our store. Apple said it changed its policies to avoid daily fines of up to €50 million, or 5% of its average global daily revenue.

Despite modifying its App Store rules last month to comply with EU regulations, Apple insists the changes were made under protest, calling the Commission’s stance “confusing for developers and bad for users.” The company maintains that its original policies were fair and necessary for maintaining quality and user safety within the App Store ecosystem.

The European Commission has begun gathering feedback from developers to assess whether Apple’s revised App Store practices meet the obligations of the DMA. A decision on whether further changes will be required is still pending.

The case represents a significant moment in the EU’s broader campaign to rein in the influence of Big Tech, using the DMA to challenge gatekeeper platforms like Apple, Meta, Google, and Amazon. It also marks one of the first major legal battles under the DMA framework, setting a precedent for how tech firms may operate across the EU going forward.

CoreWeave to Acquire Core Scientific in $9 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal

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CoreWeave announced on Monday it will acquire bitcoin miner Core Scientific in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $9 billion, as AI infrastructure companies intensify efforts to secure energy and data center capacity to meet surging demand. The deal reflects a broader trend where crypto firms—once focused on digital assets—are becoming essential to powering artificial intelligence workloads.

Core Scientific shareholders will receive 0.1235 CoreWeave shares for each of their shares, valuing the company at $20.40 per share—a 66% premium from the stock’s last closing price before deal talks emerged in late June. Despite this, Core Scientific shares dropped 22% in early trading Monday, while CoreWeave shares slid 4.5%.

The acquisition is expected to close in Q4 2025, with the final price set at that time. CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator said the deal will “accelerate our strategy to deploy AI and HPC workloads at scale” and eliminate over $10 billion in future lease liabilities over 12 years.

A Strategic Pivot from Crypto to AI

Bitcoin miners, known for their energy-intensive operations, are increasingly being courted by AI companies. CoreWeave will gain control of Core Scientific’s 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of contracted power—critical capacity in the tight market for AI data center expansion.

Analyst Gautam Chhugani of Bernstein noted that the deal “sets the bar” for other crypto miners considering an AI pivot, with power supply emerging as a key bottleneck for the AI industry.

Founded in 2017 as an Ethereum miner, CoreWeave pivoted toward AI following Ethereum’s “Merge” upgrade in 2022, which rendered mining unprofitable. Since then, its revenue has surged, growing over eightfold in 2024, according to its IPO prospectus. The company now has a market valuation of about $79 billion.

A Turnaround Story for Core Scientific

Core Scientific filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, hit hard by plummeting bitcoin prices and soaring energy costs. It emerged in early 2024 with a renewed strategy, signing 12-year agreements with CoreWeave to lease out data center capacity—including one deal for 200 MW of infrastructure for AI computing.

The merger marks a dramatic turnaround and a strategic shift for Core Scientific, from mining crypto to becoming a foundational pillar of AI infrastructure.

Goldman Sachs advised CoreWeave on the transaction, while Moelis & Co and PJT Partners advised Core Scientific.

Apple AI Chief Ruoming Pang Departs for Meta’s Superintelligence Division

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Apple’s top artificial intelligence executive Ruoming Pang has reportedly left the company to join Meta Platforms, according to Bloomberg News. Pang, who led Apple’s foundation models team, is set to join Meta’s newly launched superintelligence division with a multimillion-dollar annual compensation package.

The move is part of an intensifying talent war among tech giants vying for leadership in AI development. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently restructured the company’s AI initiatives into a new division named Meta Superintelligence Labs, which will be overseen by Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI. Wang, now Meta’s Chief AI Officer, joined the company following Meta’s recent investment in Scale AI—an investment that valued the startup at $29 billion.

Both Apple and Meta declined to comment on the news when approached by Reuters.

Pang’s departure underscores the increasing competition for elite AI talent, as companies invest aggressively in building cutting-edge models and technologies. Meta, in particular, has become more assertive in recruiting high-profile AI leaders to accelerate its ambitions in large language models and advanced generative systems.