Harmony Evans's Blog, page 5
November 26, 2025
Alibaba and ByteDance are among the top Chinese companies training their latest LLMs in Southeast Asian data centers to access Nvidia’s AI chips (Financial Times)
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Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
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Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B 
| Ramp $32B 
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
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Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
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Point One Navigation, which develops precise location tech, raised a $35M Series C led by Khosla Ventures, a source says at a post-money valuation of $230M (Kirsten Korosec/TechCrunch)
Big Technology Podcast:
Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Great Chat:
Thankful for the unexpected
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony Haile
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting – they’re fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
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[trading places]:
Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B | Ramp $32B
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
Subscribe to [trading places].
Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Mel Williams from TrueBridge
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
ServiceNow is in advanced talks to buy corporate data management and security startup Veza for $1B+ in a deal as early as next week (The Information)
Big Technology Podcast:
Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Great Chat:
Thankful for the unexpected
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony Haile
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting – they’re fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
[trading places]:
Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B | Ramp $32B
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
Subscribe to [trading places].
Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Mel Williams from TrueBridge
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Polymarket gains CFTC approval for US return
Polymarket is on the way back to the US, but this time regulated under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In 2022, despite being based in New York, it moved to block US customers after pressure came from regulators under the Joe Biden administration.
Now, Polymarket has received an Amended Order of Designation from the CFTC. The approval means people in the US can now trade Polymarket contracts through regular Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) and traditional brokerages, just like they would on other federally regulated exchanges. In other words, it opens the door for Polymarket to potentially partner with companies like PrizePicks.
Today Polymarket US was approved by the @CFTC for intermediated trading – aka letting people trade Polymarket through their brokerages. A key milestone for permeating the US financial system.
Much props to our legal and US ops team. This process has historically taken years…… https://t.co/F7vTXngo9Y
— Shayne Coplan
(@shayne_coplan) November 25, 2025
Polymarket could now see similar growth in its business that Kalshi and Robinhood have in their prediction markets. However, unlike Kalshi, Polymarket operates using a crypto base, rather than fiat currency.
Speaking in the press release, Polymarket’s CEO and founder, Shayne Coplan, said:
“People rely on Polymarket because we provide clarity where there is confusion and accountability where there is ambiguity.
“This approval allows us to operate in a way that reflects the maturity and transparency that the U.S. regulatory framework demands.
“We’re grateful for the constructive engagement with the CFTC and look forward to continuing to demonstrate leadership as a regulated U.S. exchange.”
Polymarket makes changes to business ahead of US reopeningTo fulfill needs in the US, the company has invested in “surveillance systems, market supervision policies, clearing procedures, and part-16 regulatory reporting capabilities.”
Prediction markets have become a hotbed for gambling in all fifty states in the US. As there are no regulatory bodies outside of the federal government, it allows Polymarket and others to offer all types of gambling under the guise of “contracts.” This includes sports gambling.
In March, DraftKings registered for a prediction market app, but it has yet to release it. In October, it acquired Railbird to provide it with the necessary tools to obtain approval from the CFTC.
It’s expected to launch in the US again in November, but with four days left, it could be December.
Featured image: Polymarket / Canva
DraftKings debuts Spanish app to expand reach
DraftKings has launched a Spanish version of its sportsbook and casino offerings as it looks to expand its business ahead of next year’s World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. In the US, an estimated 14% of the population speaks Spanish, especially with the country’s ties to Mexico and South America.
By translating the app’s gambling offerings into Spanish, DraftKings hopes to gain a foothold within a new audience. It’ll first roll out to the US and Ontario, Canada, but will eventually be patched into the worldwide versions of the app in the coming weeks.
.@DraftKings Launches Spanish-Language Experience for its Online Sportsbook and Casino
This new functionality marks a significant step in DraftKings’ ongoing effort to deliver a product uniquely tailored to each of its customers’ individual preferences.
This Spanish-language…
— DraftKings News (@DraftKingsNews) November 25, 2025
DraftKings states that if the device is set to Spanish, the app should begin to shift itself over once the update hits. According to the company’s plans, this will bring Spanish to the following areas of the app:
Account onboardingNavigationBetting contentGameplayPromotionsDedicated customer supportResponsible Gaming Center tools and resourcesSpeaking in the press release, Corey Gottlieb, Chief Product Officer at DraftKings, said: “Today, Spanish-speaking players represent a growing segment of DraftKings’ customer base.
“By bringing Spanish-language functionality to our best-in-class product, we’re creating a more intuitive experience for our customers and expanding our total addressable market.
“This is consistent with our commitment to delivering the most authentic, personalized product for everyone.”
DraftKings eyes even moreThe company has been making multiple moves to grow itself over the last year. Most recently, it has begun to register and set itself up for the prediction markets, which have boomed in popularity.
By offering bets in this space, it would potentially allow DraftKings to offer contracts in states that don’t allow for sports gambling. Because prediction markets are regulated at the federal level rather than by individual states, they may operate in jurisdictions where state-level sports betting restrictions still apply.
This month, DraftKings also resigned from the American Gaming Association, which is seen as a sign that the company is preparing for its next steps.
Featured image: DraftKings
Spain’s DGOJ issues $38M fines to gambling operators
Spain’s Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) has released a swathe of new fines for operators, totalling €33,503,000 ($38 million) to 32 well known gambling brands such as 888 and Betfair.
The news comes from the desk of the betting watchdog and takes the grand total of fines given to gambling operators across 2025 to 58 sanctions and a reported €111 million ($128m).
Directorate General for Gambling Regulation stern with operatorsThe DGOJ is headed by politician and lobbyist Pablo Bustinduy, who also has a role as Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030.
He has a pedigree in social policy, having led research posts at City College of New York, New York University, and the University of Milan. He has also been a visiting professor at Columbia University and a Research Fellow at the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University.
La política social debe fundar horizontes de certidumbre para un mundo en crisis. En mi primera intervención como miembro del Gobierno, he querido señalar algunas claves políticas y estratégicas que guiarán la acción del Ministerio. pic.twitter.com/EF4Frwrc1j
— Pablo Bustinduy (@pbustinduy) November 21, 2023
Bustinduy’s office has cracked down on 26 licensed operators for very serious gambling infractions, and 6 operators in breach of gambling regulations and as a result have had their sites blocked.
Of the Spanish gambling operators sanctioned, some well-known names were in the list. According to the press release, 888 Online was fined €250,000 ($290,000) by the overseer for “failing to comply with the technical requirements of the regulations concerning software and communication systems, and for using unapproved or unauthorized technical systems.”
Betfair received a fine of €100,000 ($116,000) for failing to comply with responsible gambling rules as an individual was allowed to bet with a €0 balance. The DGOJ classified it as a serious breach of the gambling brand’s responsibility, and the slap on the wrist was reduced to €60,000 after Betfair’s early admission to the oversight.
Of the 6 other Spanish gambling sites that had the most serious infractions, XYZ Entertainment, Moonrail Limited, EOD Code SRL, Samaki, Lone Rock Holdings, and Novaforge all received a €5 million ($5.7 million) fine.
The DGOJ, closed the statement saying, “So far this year, including this latest round of fines, the Ministry headed by Pablo Bustinduy has imposed 58 serious and very serious sanctions, totaling almost €111 million.”
Featured image: DGOJ Official
Polina Park Makes Waves in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia
Captured by Olga Rubio Dalmau, model Polina Park is an enchanting oceanside vision. For Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s November 2025 issue, the striking brunette stuns in a windswept editorial that brings drama to the shoreline.
The rocky coastline sets the tone, where bold fashion meets untamed nature. Polina wears a lineup of head-turning looks styled by Sylvia Bonet. They range from a voluminous red gown that spins like a wave to a regal brocade dress with pearl accents and puff sleeves.
She dances on stone in a flowy rose-pink dress, stands statuesque in liquid-black metallics, and leans into shadow in a body-hugging knit that melts into the rocks. The textures play with light, wind, and water, making each frame feel like a painting in motion.
Nieves Elorduy keeps the beauty story modern and undone, with softly sculpted makeup and Polina’s short hair swept back by the sea breeze. Every detail exudes power, elegance, and freedom.
Intel denies allegations in a TSMC lawsuit that VP Wei-Jen Lo likely leaked trade secrets after retiring from TSMC and joining Intel (Reuters)
Big Technology Podcast:
Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Great Chat:
Thankful for the unexpected
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony Haile
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting – they’re fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
[trading places]:
Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B | Ramp $32B
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
Subscribe to [trading places].
Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Mel Williams from TrueBridge
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Dell, HP, and other tech companies are warning of potential memory-chip supply shortages in the coming year due to demand from the buildout of AI infrastructure (Bloomberg)
Big Technology Podcast:
Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Great Chat:
Thankful for the unexpected
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony Haile
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting – they’re fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
[trading places]:
Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B | Ramp $32B
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
Subscribe to [trading places].
Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Mel Williams from TrueBridge
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
The EU Parliament backs a report that sets a 16+ age limit for accessing social media without parental consent and holds CEOs personally liable for violations (Eliza Gkritsi/Politico)
Big Technology Podcast:
Communal Living, Sex, And Silicon Valley’s Groupthink Problem — With Ellen Huet
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Great Chat:
Thankful for the unexpected
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony Haile
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting – they’re fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
[trading places]:
Emily Zheng of Pitchbook
| VC Secondaries Hit $95B | Ramp $32B
a very bad podcast about broken unicorns & busted carry hosted by dave mcclure and aman verjee
Subscribe to [trading places].
Hard Fork:
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Mel Williams from TrueBridge
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
