Business & Markets — November 1, 2026

OpenAI trims fundraising target. OpenAI cut its latest fundraising goal to up to $20 billion. The round reportedly falls short of expectations as broader worries about AI spending grow.

According to TechCrunch, the lowered target comes as the round has reportedly drawn less investor interest than anticipated, a shortfall the outlet ties to wider unease about the pace of artificial intelligence spending. The reported pullback suggests that even prominent AI companies are not insulated from investors’ growing caution about how much capital the sector can absorb, though final terms of the round have not been detailed.

TechCrunch · Read more ↗

Treasury sets 5.51% I bond rate. The Treasury Department set a new 5.51% Series I bond rate through April 2027, an inflation-protected option for savers over the next six months.

Series I bonds adjust their returns to track inflation, making the newly announced rate relevant for savers weighing fixed-income options against rising prices. The rate applies for the six-month window the Treasury specified, after which it will be reset under the program’s regular schedule. CNBC characterized the offering as a notable choice for those seeking inflation-protected returns during that period.

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GM pays $220 million over driver data. GM will pay $220 million in a multistate settlement after selling customers’ Smart Driver data to insurance companies without clear consent.

The settlement resolves claims brought by multiple states over the automaker’s handling of information collected through its Smart Driver feature, which Ars Technica reports was passed to insurers without owners’ clear consent. The case underscores growing scrutiny of how connected vehicles gather and monetize driver behavior data, and the multistate structure of the agreement signals coordinated enforcement by state authorities on automotive data privacy.

Ars Technica · Read more ↗

Binance restores 90% of hacked assets. Binance resumed withdrawals after replenishing 90% of the $6.3 billion stolen in the record hack, which the FBI formally attributed to North Korean group TraderTraitor.

The FBI’s formal attribution names TraderTraitor, a group linked to North Korea, as responsible for what the BBC describes as a record-setting theft. Restoring roughly 90% of the stolen assets allowed the exchange to lift its suspension on customer withdrawals, a key step in stabilizing operations after the breach. The attribution adds the incident to a pattern of large cryptocurrency thefts tied to North Korean actors.

BBC World · Read more ↗