Today in crypto, tokenized gold markets handle nearly all gold price discovery over the weekend, Anthropic CEO slams Pentagon decision as "unprecedented.” Meanwhile, OpenAI will deploy its AI models on Pentagon classified networks.
Tokenized gold leads ‘100% of weekend price discovery’ while CME futures are closed
Gold pricing shifts onto blockchain networks once US futures markets close for the weekend, according to Iggy Ioppe, former chief investment officer at Credit Suisse and now chief investment officer (CIO) at liquidity infrastructure firm Theo.
CME gold futures stop trading at 5:00 pm ET on Friday and reopen at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday. During that interval, regulated futures markets are inactive and most remaining activity occurs through private over-the-counter deals in Asia that are not publicly reported. As a result, tokenized gold assets such as PAX Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUt) become the only continuously available trading venues.
“In terms of publicly visible price formation, onchain markets are responsible for virtually 100% of weekend price discovery,” Ioppe told Cointelegraph.
He added that when futures trading resumes, prices often align with movements that already occurred on blockchain markets. “We are seeing weekend moves reflected when CME reopens,” he said.
Anthropic CEO slams Pentagon decision as "unprecedented"
Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI company Anthropic, responded to Friday’s announcement from US officials that the company is a “supply chain risk.”
Anthropic has been a major partner to the United States Department of Defense and agreed with all the AI use cases proposed by US defense officials, except for fully autonomous weapons platforms and mass domestic surveillance. He told CBS News:
“These are things that are fundamental to Americans: the right, not to be spied on by the government, the right for our military officers to make decisions about war, themselves, and not turn it over completely to a machine.”
The announcement from the US “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth, and the subsequent news that rival AI company OpenAI signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to deploy its AI models, drew heavy backlash online.
OpenAI wins defense contract hours after government ditches Anthropic
OpenAI has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Defense to deploy its artificial intelligence models on classified military networks, just hours after the White House ordered federal agencies to stop using technology from rival firm Anthropic.
In a late Friday post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the deal, saying the company would provide its models inside the Pentagon’s “classified network.” He wrote that the department showed “deep respect for safety” and a willingness to work within the company’s operating limits.
The announcement came amid a turbulent week for the AI sector. Earlier the same day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled Anthropic a “Supply-Chain Risk to National Security,” a designation typically applied to foreign adversaries. The ruling requires defense contractors to certify they are not using the company’s models.
President Donald Trump simultaneously directed every US federal agency to immediately halt use of Anthropic technology, with a six-month transition period for agencies already relying on its systems.
