Oracle and Google Cloud Partner to Offer Gemini AI Models via Oracle Cloud

/in /tarafından

Oracle (ORCL.N) and Alphabet (GOOGL.O) announced on Thursday that their cloud computing divisions have reached an agreement to make Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models available through Oracle’s cloud services and business applications. The collaboration allows developers to leverage Google’s models for generating text, video, images, and audio.

The deal extends to businesses using Oracle applications for corporate finance, human resources, and supply chain management, enabling them to integrate Google’s AI capabilities directly into these tools. While the AI models will run on Google’s servers, Oracle will integrate access through Google’s Vertex AI platform, allowing customers to use Oracle cloud credits to pay for the services. Financial terms between the companies were not disclosed.

This partnership follows a similar arrangement Oracle made with Elon Musk’s xAI in June and aligns with Oracle’s strategy to offer customers multiple AI options instead of focusing solely on its own technology. For Google, the collaboration broadens the reach of its cloud services and aims to attract corporate clients from competitors like Microsoft (MSFT.O).

Citigroup Explores Stablecoin Custody and Crypto ETF Services Amid Regulatory Shift

/in /tarafından

Citigroup (C.N) is evaluating the provision of stablecoin custody and related services, signaling growing interest from traditional financial institutions in the cryptocurrency sector, a senior executive told Reuters. The move comes as recent U.S. legislation paves the way for stablecoins—digital tokens pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar—to be used more broadly for payments, settlements, and other financial services.

Under the new law, stablecoin issuers must hold safe assets, such as U.S. Treasuries or cash, to back their digital coins. This creates potential opportunities for custody banks to provide safekeeping and administration. “Providing custody services for those high-quality assets backing stablecoins is the first option we are looking at,” said Biswarup Chatterjee, global head of partnerships and innovation for Citigroup’s services division. Citi’s services business, covering treasury, cash management, payments, and corporate services, remains a central unit amid ongoing restructuring.

Currently, roughly $250 billion in stablecoins have been issued, primarily for settling cryptocurrency trades, according to a McKinsey study. Citigroup is also considering custody services for digital assets linked to crypto investment products, such as bitcoin ETFs. For instance, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust—the largest bitcoin ETF—has around $90 billion in market capitalization, requiring custody of an equivalent amount of digital currency. Coinbase currently dominates this business, serving as custodian for more than 80% of crypto ETF issuers.

In addition to custody, Citigroup is exploring the use of stablecoins to accelerate payments, which in traditional banking can take several days. Citi already offers “tokenized” U.S. dollar transfers via blockchain across New York, London, and Hong Kong 24/7 and is developing services that allow clients to send stablecoins or convert them to dollars for instant payments.

The regulatory environment under the Trump administration has become more accommodating to crypto expansion, though Citi and other firms must still adhere to anti-money laundering, currency control, and other compliance requirements. Chatterjee emphasized that crypto custody must ensure assets are legitimately sourced and maintain robust cybersecurity and operational safeguards. The issuance of a Citi-backed stablecoin is also under consideration.

Trump Administration Explores Potential Stake in Intel Amid Push for Domestic Chip Manufacturing

/in /tarafından

The Trump administration is reportedly in discussions with Intel (INTC.O) to potentially acquire a stake in the U.S. chipmaker, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the talks. The move would be another example of President Donald Trump’s interventions in industries considered critical to national security. In the past, Trump has promoted multibillion-dollar government partnerships in semiconductors and rare-earth minerals, including a deal with Nvidia (NVDA.O) and an arrangement with MP Materials.

Intel declined to comment on the report but reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the administration’s efforts to bolster U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership. White House spokesman Kush Desai cautioned that discussions about “hypothetical deals” should be viewed as speculation until officially announced.

Intel shares rose more than 7% during regular trading and added another 2.6% in after-hours trading. The discussions follow a recent meeting between Trump and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, occurring just days after Trump publicly called for Tan’s resignation over his investments in Chinese technology firms, some of which have ties to the Chinese military. Details about the size of the stake and pricing are still under negotiation.

Analysts suggest the government stake would likely aim to support Intel’s domestic manufacturing expansion and job creation. Intel has previously warned it may need to exit chip manufacturing without sufficient external customers and has planned to slow construction on new Ohio factories. CEO Lip-Bu Tan, in his role for just over six months, has been tasked with reversing years of setbacks that left Intel behind in the fast-growing AI chip market dominated by Nvidia.

Market experts note that any potential deal could include tariffs designed to encourage major clients like Nvidia, AMD (AMD.O), and Apple (AAPL.O) to utilize Intel Foundry services. While government stakes in companies are not unprecedented, some investors question whether Intel, with stable revenue exceeding $50 billion annually despite a loss in industry leadership, requires direct government investment.