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Binance Secures $2 Billion Investment From Abu Dhabi’s MGX, The Largest Ever In Crypto

In a groundbreaking move, Emirati state-owned investment firm MGX has announced a monumental $2 billion investment into Binance, marking the cryptocurrency exchange’s first institutional investment and the single largest investment ever made in cryptocurrency. This marks a significant milestone in the growing intersection of AI, blockchain, and finance.

The deal will see a minority stake in Binance acquired by MGX, with the payment made in stablecoins. Stablecoins, which are digital assets pegged to a stable value and typically tied to a fiat currency, ensure a constant value and make this investment the largest ever made in cryptocurrency.

Ahmed Yahia, Managing Director and CEO at MGX, commented, “MGX’s investment in Binance reflects our commitment to advancing blockchain’s transformative potential for digital finance.” He further stated that the partnership with Binance would enable innovation at the convergence of AI, blockchain technology, and finance.

MGX, launched last year by the Abu Dhabi government, has a strong focus on AI technologies. In September, the firm partnered with heavyweights like BlackRock and Microsoft to launch a $30 billion AI fund. However, this marks its first foray into the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors.

As part of the UAE’s broader strategy to establish itself as a global leader in technology, the country has also been fostering a growing regional crypto hub. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has been expanding its presence in the Middle East despite facing regulatory challenges in other parts of the world. The firm now employs approximately 1,000 people of its 5,000 global workforce in the UAE and serves over 260 million registered users, surpassing $100 trillion in cumulative trading volume.

Apple Ties Its Mac Strategy To The AI Boom With New Mac Mini And Mac Studio Models

Apple has updated its Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops with new processors and higher AI performance as developers increasingly use Macs for local AI workloads. The new models are scheduled to ship on Sept. 22, weeks before the company is expected to introduce its next iPhone generation.

Macs Target Local AI Development

Developers and researchers are increasingly using Apple computers to run AI models locally, reducing reliance on cloud infrastructure. Mac Mini systems can support AI agent software, while Mac Studio machines are designed for more demanding model training and deployment workloads.

Apple said its processors combine Neural Engines for machine learning with unified memory architecture designed to reduce performance bottlenecks. The company says the combination allows users to run and fine-tune larger AI models directly on their devices.

Mac Mini Gets First M6 Generation Chip

The updated Mac Mini can be configured with Apple’s M6 and M5 Pro processors, making it the company’s first computer with an M6-generation chip. The M6 is manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) using a 2-nanometer process.

The previous Mac Mini lineup offered M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max processors. Apple said the M5 Pro version of the new model can process large language model prompts 8.5 times faster than earlier Mac Mini Pro configurations.

Pricing has also increased. The new Mac Mini starts at $899, $100 more than the previous model, after Apple raised the price from $599 earlier this summer, citing higher memory costs.

Mac Studio Targets Larger AI Workloads

Mac Studio remains Apple’s highest-performance desktop without an integrated display, following the discontinuation of the Mac Pro earlier this year. New configurations include the M5 Max, which Apple says can run large language models nearly four times faster than the previous generation.

The M5 Ultra is available for users with heavier computing requirements. Apple says multiple Mac Studio systems using the Ultra chip can be connected to pool memory and run models with up to a trillion parameters.

Mac Studio with the M5 Max starts at $2,499, unchanged from the previous generation. The M5 Ultra configuration starts at $5,499, compared with at least $5,299 for the previous model using the M3 Ultra.

Apple Expands Its Local AI Hardware

The new desktops give developers and researchers more computing capacity for running AI models locally. Apple is also increasing the role of its custom processors and unified memory architecture in handling AI workloads without relying entirely on cloud-based computing.

Both Mac Mini and Mac Studio models are available for presale and are scheduled to begin shipping on Sept. 22.

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