Anthropic clinches $380 billion valuation

Anthropic has raised $30 billion in its latest funding round, more than doubling the Claude chatbot maker’s valuation to $380 billion and underscoring massive investor interest in the startup and the broader AI industry. The company has differentiated itself by focusing its model training on coding.

Nasdaq dip with economic data, earnings in focus

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq edged down while the Dow notched a fresh record high as investors digested disappointing retail sales figures and waited for a key labor market report. The S&P 500 communication services sector was weighed down by a 1.5% drop in Alphabet shares.

Bitcoin ETFs extend rebound as new $145M

US spot Bitcoin ETFs extended a tentative rebound with fresh $145 million inflow on Monday, after attracting $371 million in net inflows last Friday, adding to signs that institutional demand may be stabilizing following weeks of sustained selling, as BTC hovered around $70,000

US retail sales stall in December; underlying weakness emerging

U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly unchanged in December as households scaled back spending on motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, potentially setting consumer spending and the economy on a slower growth path heading into the new year.

Saylor’s Strategy buys $90M in Bitcoin as price trades below cost basis

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public holder of Bitcoin, added another tranche of BTC last week, expanding its holdings without pushing its overall cost basis lower. Strategy acquired 1,142 Bitcoin for $90 million last week, according to a US SEC filing.