Block's Bitkey adds screen, finally closes hardware wallet's biggest hole
Block launched a new Bitkey hardware wallet with a secure touchscreen on April 27, addressing the original device's structural flaw: users had to blindly trust their phone to approve transactions and security settings.
AST SpaceMobile gets FCC approval as Blue Origin's New Glenn stays grounded
The FCC cleared AST SpaceMobile to deploy 248 D2D satellites on April 21, but Blue Origin's New Glenn remains grounded after losing a BlueBird payload on April 19, forcing AST to rethink its 2026 launch timeline.
USA Rare Earth starts first U.S. magnet factory in decades
USA Rare Earth commissioned commercial NdFeB magnet production in Oklahoma, backed by $1.6B in CHIPS Act funding, breaking China's 92% global manufacturing monopoly.
Desalination plants can now remove carbon while making water
A May 2026 electrochemistry paper eliminates the last operational bottleneck for continuous desalination-plus-carbon-removal, clearing the path for Saudi Arabia's largest water operator to deploy the tech at industrial scale.
Square Flips Bitcoin On for Millions of U.S. Merchants by Default
Block's Square platform automatically enabled Bitcoin Lightning payments for millions of eligible U.S. sellers, shifting from opt-in to opt-out with zero processing fees through 2026.
AST wins 248-satellite license as its prime launch partner gets grounded
The FCC authorized AST SpaceMobile's full 248-satellite constellation on April 21, but three days earlier New Glenn suffered an upper-stage failure that will ground the rocket, the vehicle designed to deploy most of AST's satellites by 2026.
All3 raises $25M to deploy construction robots on live German sites
London robotics startup All3 closed a $25M seed round to deploy its Mantis autonomous robot on active construction sites in Germany, claiming 30% cost savings and 50% timeline cuts versus traditional building methods.
FCC Greenlights AST SpaceMobile's 248-Satellite Constellation
The FCC approved AST SpaceMobile to deploy 248 satellites for direct-to-smartphone broadband using 700/800 MHz spectrum in partnership with AT&T and Verizon, just days after the company lost a $23 million satellite to a launch failure.
AST SpaceMobile Loses Block 2 Satellite to New Glenn Orbit Error
AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 launched aboard New Glenn on April 19 but was placed in too-low an orbit by the upper stage, forcing de-orbit. The loss threatens the company's 45-satellite 2026 target and exposes launch cadence risk.
USA Rare Earth Commissions First U.S. NdFeB Magnet Line, $1.6B CHIPS Backing
USA Rare Earth turned on its Stillwater, Oklahoma sintered magnet production line March 26, 2026, backed by $1.6B in CHIPS Act funding and a $1.5B private raise. The facility converts USAR from pre-revenue development into a live manufacturer.
New Glenn's First Booster Reuse Succeeds, Upper Stage Fails Customer
Blue Origin landed its first reused New Glenn booster on NG-3 today, but the upper stage placed AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite into a lower-than-planned orbit, rendering it a total loss—splitting the mission verdict on booster reuse versus operational reliability.
Boeing targets 26 satellites in 2026, unveils Resolute mid-class bus
Boeing and Millennium Space Systems announced 26 satellite deliveries for 2026—a 6.5× jump from 2025—alongside a new Resolute bus platform, timed to Space Force production demands and $1.8B Andromeda contract awards.
Blue Origin Attempts First Reflown New Glenn Booster, AST SpaceMobile Payload Ready
Blue Origin hot-fired its first recycled New Glenn booster on April 16, targeting April 17 launch of AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite—the company's critical proof point for booster reuse cadence.
Bitcoin Core v31.0 Ships Mandatory Tor Privacy by Default
Bitcoin Core v31.0 released April 15, 2026, makes Tor/I2P broadcast mandatory by default for node operators, the most significant privacy default change in years, while shipping a redesigned cluster mempool and embedded ASMap data.
USA Rare Earth commissions first U.S. NdFeB magnet line, 600 metric tons by 2026
USA Rare Earth began shipping sintered neodymium magnets from its Stillwater, Oklahoma facility in Q2 2026, the first commercial-scale domestic production line backed by $1.3B+ federal funding — directly confronting China's 90% global supply monopoly.
Blue Origin's New Glenn launches first booster reuse with AST's record antenna
Blue Origin's NG-3 rolls to pad today for hotfire ahead of April 16 launch, carrying AST SpaceMobile's 2,400-square-foot phased array — the largest commercial antenna ever deployed to orbit — atop a flight-proven, refurbished booster.
Amazon Leo's FCC Gamble: 210 Satellites, July Deadline, $10B Launch Bill
Amazon's Leo satellite internet entered enterprise beta on April 8, 2026, but faces a critical FCC milestone: deploy 1,618 satellites by July 30 or lose its spectrum authorization. The company has roughly 210 in orbit and needs an approved extension.
Pattern Energy's Cordelio Acquisition Closes as NY Permits 399 MW
Pattern Energy completed its acquisition of Cordelio Power on the same day New York approved Flat Creek Solar (300 MW) and Agricola Wind (99 MW), handing the Canadian developer its largest U.S. permit on day one of ownership—with a hard deadline to start construction in 85 days.
Core Lightning v26.04 RC2 Ships Message Padding, Closes Privacy Gap
Core Lightning v26.04 RC2 (April 2, 2026) adds peer message padding to resist traffic analysis — the first Lightning implementation to ship uniform-length padding by default — plus user-facing splice commands and 20% smaller binaries.
PaperShell secures €40.3M EU grant to scale fossil-free composite production
Swedish biomaterials startup PaperShell signed a €40.3 million EU Innovation Fund grant to expand industrial production of fossil-free composites designed to replace aluminium and plastics at scale, with full operations targeted for 2030.