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The logo of cryptocurrency exchange Binance displayed on a phone screen.

Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto via Getty Images

Binance’s Australian derivatives license was canceled at the crypto exchange’s own request, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission said Thursday, after the regulator had begun a “targeted review of Binance” in February.

Beginning April 14, Binance’s derivatives clients in Australia will not be able to open or increase their existing trading positions. By April 21, Binance will be required to close out any remaining trading positions, the regulator said.

“Our targeted review of these matters is ongoing, including focus on the extent of consumer harms,” ASIC Chair Joe Longo said.

“Following recent engagement with ASIC, Binance has chosen to pursue a more focused approach in Australia by winding down the Binance Australia Derivatives business,” a Binance spokesperson said, adding that there were “approximately 100” derivatives customers left.

Binance’s exchange token was down just under 0.5% on Thursday morning.

Regulatory scrutiny of Binance has been mounting in recent weeks and months. Anti-money laundering and know-your-customer compliance issues are at the heart of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s extensive complaint against the crypto exchange and its founder, Changpeng Zhao. The complaint detailed how fees from derivatives trading provided highly lucrative revenue for Binance.

Binance’s market share has slipped 16% in recent weeks, according to research firm Kaiko, though it remains the most dominant exchange in the world by volume.

An apparently inadvertent compliance issue led to the Australian regulatory probe. Binance does business around the world using a large number of subsidiaries, including Oztures Trading Pty Ltd in Australia.

In February, Binance disclosed that a “small number” of its Australian customers had been classified as “wholesale investors,” a trading classification for experienced investors that let them access more sophisticated financial products. It’s a designation that’s roughly analogous to the “qualified investor” category in the U.S.

Binance’s high net worth investors have been a point of concern for regulators worldwide. In the U.S., the CFTC accused Binance of offering favorable treatment to its wealthiest clients, helping them skirt U.S. regulations by trading through overseas shell companies or virtual private networks.

CNBC previously reported on similar techniques encouraged by staff and volunteers that were used by Binance’s customers in mainland China.

The heightened attention on Binance’s practices comes as U.S. regulators crack down on centralized exchanges more broadly. The Securities and Exchange Commission recently warned Coinbase that it could soon face potential securities charges.

Australia’s top securities regulator has had a challenging relationship with the crypto industry in recent months, pursuing enforcement actions against several firms the regulator alleges have violated Australian law.

“Binance group entities have been the subject of regulatory warnings and action from a number of overseas regulators,” the ASIC release noted.

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South Korea’s LG Energy Solution signs $4.3 billion battery supply deal with undisclosed party

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South Korea's LG Energy Solution signs .3 billion battery supply deal with undisclosed party

The logo of LG Electronics is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023.

Pau Barrena | Afp | Getty Images

South Korea-based LG Energy Solution announced Wednesday that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract for supplying batteries to a major corporation, without naming the customer.

The effective date of contract — receipt of orders — began Tuesday and will conclude at the end of July, 2030. During this period, the counterparty will not be disclosed to maintain business confidentiality, the company’s filing with the Korea Exchange showed Wednesday. Reuters reported that Tesla was the counterparty.

Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the EV maker was behind a previously undisclosed $16.5 billion chip contract with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics. 

LG Energy said in its filing that details of the contract such as the deal amount were subject to change and the contract period could be extended by up to seven years. 

“Investors are advised to carefully consider the possibility of changes or termination of the contract when making investment decisions,” the company cautioned. It’s shares were trading 0.26% lower. 

The filing did not clarify whether the lithium iron phosphate batteries would be used in vehicles or energy storage systems. Its major battery customers include American electric-vehicle makers Tesla and General Motors.

The company has been expanding its battery production in the U.S., and is constructing a plant in Arizona that will produce lithium iron phosphate batteries. 

LG Energy Solution and Tesla did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment. 

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CyberArk’s stock jumps on report Palo Alto Networks in talks to buy company for over $20 billion

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CyberArk's stock jumps on report Palo Alto Networks in talks to buy company for over  billion

Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, looks on during the closing bell at the Nasdaq Market in New York City, U.S., March 25, 2025.

Jeenah Moon | Reuters

CyberArk shares soared as much as 18% on Tuesday after The Wall Street Journal reported that cybersecurity provider Palo Alto Networks has held discussions to buy the identity management software maker for over $20 billion.

Cloud security is becoming an increasingly critical piece of the enterprise tech stack, especially as rapid advancements in artificial intelligence bring with them a whole new set of threats, and as ransomware attacks become more commonplace.

Founded in 2005, Palo Alto Networks has emerged in recent years as a consolidator in the cybersecurity industry and has grown into the biggest player in the space by market cap, with a valuation of over $130 billion. CEO Nikesh Arora, who was appointed to the job in 2018, has been on a spending spree, snapping up Protect AI in a deal that closed in July, and in 2023 buying Talon Cyber Security, Dig Security and Zycada Networks.

But CyberArk would represent by far Arora’s biggest bet yet. The Israeli company, which went public in 2014, provides technology that helps companies streamline the process of logging on to applications for employees.

CyberArk faces competition from Microsoft, Okta and IBM‘s HashiCorp. Another rival, SailPoint, returned to the public markets in February.

With Tuesday’s rally, CyberArk shares climbed to a record, surpassing their prior all-time high reached in February. The stock is up 29% this year, pushing the company’s market cap to almost $21 billion, after jumping 52% in 2024. Palo Alto shares, meanwhile, slid 3.5% on the report and are now up about 9% for the year.

Representatives from Palo Alto Networks and CyberArk declined to comment.

During the first quarter, CyberArk generated around $11.5 million in net income on around $318 million in revenue, which was up 43% from a year earlier.

It’s been an active stretch for big deals in the cyber market. Google said in March that it was spending $32 billion on Wiz, its largest acquisition on record by far, and a purchase intended to bolster its cloud business with greater AI security technology.

Networking giant Cisco also made its biggest deal ever in the security space, buying Splunk in 2023 for $28 billion. Splunk’s technology helps businesses monitor and analyze their data to minimize the risk of hacks and resolve technical issues faster.

— CNBC’s Ari Levy contributed to this report

WATCH: Cisco CEO on acquisition of Splunk

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins: $28 billion Splunk deal will be a significant financial growth driver

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Spotify stock falls on revenue miss, lackluster guidance

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Spotify stock falls on revenue miss, lackluster guidance

Thomas Fuller | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Spotify shares dropped about 4% Tuesday after the music streaming platform fell short of Wall Street’s expectations and posted weak guidance for the current quarter.

Here’s how the company did versus LSEG estimates:

  • Loss: Loss of .42 euros vs earnings of 1.90 euros per share expected
  • Revenue: 4.19 billion euros vs. 4.26 billion expected

The Sweden-based music platform’s revenues rose 10% from about 3.81 billion euros in the year-ago period. The company posted a net loss of 86 million euros, or a loss of .42 euros per share, down from net income of 225 million euros, or 1.10 euros per share a year ago.

Third-quarter guidance came up short of Wall Street’s forecast.

The company expects revenues to reach 4.2 billion euros, compared to a 4.47 billion euro estimate from StreetAccount. Spotify said the forecast accounts for a 490-basis-point headwind due to foreign exchange rates.

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Monthly active users on the platform jumped 11% to 696 million, while paying subscribers rose 12% from a year ago to 276 million.

For the current quarter, Spotify said it expects to reach 710 million monthly active users, with 14 million net adds. The company expects 5 million net new premium subscribers in the third quarter to reach 281 million subscriptions.

During the period, Spotify said it rolled out a request feature for its artificial intelligence DJ. The company said engagement with the offering has roughly doubled over the last year.

In 2024, Spotify posted its first full year of profitability. Shares are up 57% this year.

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