Breaking
Bumble is in advanced talks to go private in a deal worth about $1 billion, Reuters reported on Monday, October 12, 2026. Ithaca Holdings is the prospective buyer. The talks come as Bumble tries to win back users with AI. Neither company has confirmed a deal. Both declined to comment. Still, Bumble shares surged roughly 50% to $3.80 that Monday, their biggest one-day percentage gain on record. A $1 billion price tag for a $14 billion debut Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble went public in 2021 at a valuation of about $14 billion. Five years later, the proposed price tells a very different story. Paolo Pescatore, an analyst for PP Foresight, said the potential agreement is proof of Bumble’s difficulties, adding that: Going private looks less like a strategic masterstroke and more like an admission that Bumble’s current strategy is failing. The numbers a buyer would inherit Bumble’s Q2 results indicate the reasons for the investors’ concerns. Its revenue declined by 15.2% year-over-year to $210.5 million. The number of paying users also dropped by 16.4% to 3.2 million. Bumble reported a net loss of $127.9 million of which $169.3 million were impairment charges, even though the adjusted EBITDA represented $72.9 million. The slide started earlier. In 2025, the company registered a near 10% drop in revenue that amounted to approximately $966 million, while its paying user base declined by more than 11% to approximately 3.7 million. Bumble Revenue and Paying Users Decline in 2025 and Q2 2026 Industry fatigue, or a Bumble problem Bumble’s competitor, Match Group, appears to be doing better as revenue fell only 1% to $853 million in the second quarter. Meanwhile, net income increased by 36% to $171 million. Tinder also showed signs of improvement. Daily active users dropped by only 4% year-on-year, which was the smallest decline in the last 10 quarters. Hinge’s revenue has increased by 22%. Match aims to bring Hinge’s annual revenue to $1 billion by 2027. Dating-app fatigue remains a challenge. But Match’s results suggest Bumble’s issues range beyond just the users getting bored with swiping. Bumble vs Match Group Q2 2026: Revenue, Profit and User Trends Can AI pull users back, or push them away Bumble hopes its AI-led Bumble 2.0 can change that. The redesign brings richer, chapter-style profiles and the possibility of swipe-free dating. Its March unveiling helped send shares up more than 40%. Wolfe Herd had earlier floated AI dating concierges, as Cryptopolitan reported. Whether users want that help is less clear. A peer-reviewed study suggests confidence in algorithms can encourage AI dating adoption. Yet an SSRN working paper reported 54% fewer usage minutes and 62% fewer app openings among the AI adopters studied. Those findings do not represent all daters. At the same time, less expensive AI will make companion chatbots more attractive than dating apps. However, the use of these chatbots raises privacy and security issues, as noted by the Congressional Research Service. The opportunity remains substantial: Grand View Research estimates a $10.7 billion global dating-app market in 2026, reaching $17.9 billion by 2033. The challenge is converting AI features into users who stay, pay, and trust the platform Micah Abiodun | usagoldmines.com
October 13, 2026

Crypto Art Is the “Set It and Forget It” Investment of the Decade – Raoul Pal Veronika Rinecker | usagoldmines.com

Crypto art is poised to become a top long-term investment, claims Real Vision CEO and co-founder Raoul Pal.

“My highest conviction “set it and forget it” investment for the next 10 years is crypto art. For me it’s the most compelling, enjoyable and interesting area in all crypto,” wrote Pal in this X post from Dec. 30.

Pal argues that a confluence of factors will drive significant demand for these digital assets in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These include the burgeoning wealth generated within the cryptocurrency market, the ongoing devaluation of traditional currencies, and a growing preference for digital assets among younger generations.

Pal believes that crypto art, particularly rare and desirable pieces, will emerge as a highly valuable asset class:

“If, as [Michael] Saylor says, BTC is Manhattan real estate then the best crypto art or NFT’s are the scarcest, most desirable block space of all.”

Crypto Art as a Store of Value

Furthermore, Pal highlights the inherent advantages of crypto art as an investment.

Unlike physical property, which can incur substantial maintenance costs and may be more suitable as a lifestyle asset, crypto art offers significantly lower storage costs and can even serve as collateral.

Pal views crypto art as a mechanism for tokenizing culture and community, transforming previously intangible concepts into valuable assets. Pal points to the “Lindy Effect,” where assets that endure over time gain significant value, as a compelling indicator of the long-term growth potential within the crypto art market.

CryptoPunks is one of the most successful NFT projects. Source: CryptoPunks

“Art has always been upstream and at the nexus of culture, status and money and it will remain so,” said Pal, adding that the most quality art pieces are priced in Ether (ETH) and will tend to outperform Ether over time.

“For example, the Beeple series have probably 3x’d ETH performance this year. Seriously valuable art will likely stay on ETH (and to a lesser extent BTC) due to the security needed to secure large single value pieces.”

NFTs Are More Than Just Money

While financial returns are a crucial aspect, Pal also emphasizes that many collectors prioritize building exceptional collections and actively supporting the growth of the crypto art ecosystem:

“Most collectors are trying to build the best collections possible in these early days and also act as patrons to the space to help it flourish. The days of flipping art NFTs is largely over. The game now is to buy and hold the best artists (new or older) and demand will only grow over time while supply gets taken off the market for decades. There is realistically very little supply of established art currently and it will keep shrinking.”

Pal cited Cryptopunks, Bored Apes, and Grifters as examples of influential profile picture (PFP) projects. He also recommended exploring “ultra-bargain buys” like CryptoDickbutts and collections like MFers and Rektguy NFTs.

Pal concluded by advising readers to embark on their crypto art journey with an open mind, as it can lead to a deep dive into the world of digital art. “The mediums will change massively over time as holograms and holodecks become the dominant substrate for digital life,” he added.

CryptoDickbutts NFT collection saw a 310% increase in sales volume over the last 2 months. Source: OpenSea

NFT Market Resilient in 2024

Despite facing challenges in 2024, NFTs continued to find their place within the Web3 landscape.

According to data tracker CryptoSlam, NFT sales volume reached approximately $8.8 billion in 2024, a slight increase compared to the previous year, when NFT sales volume recorded $8.7 billion,

However, the number of active NFT buyers surged to 7.6 million, marking a 69% year-over-year increase from the 4.5 million buyers observed in 2023. The number of NFT sellers also increased in 2024 by 7% and reached over 4 million.

Global NFT sales volume reached $8.8 billion in 2024. Source: CryptoSlam

Several NFT collections are demonstrating continued activity and growth within the NFT space, captivating both investors and collectors.

In December, Ethereum-based Pudgy Penguins led the charge in NFT sales volume, surging 676% to surpass $115 million.

Azuki followed, boasting a 598% sales volume increase and reaching nearly $41 million.

Lil Pudgys also experienced a remarkable 868% jump in sales volume, recording $34.5 million.

The post Crypto Art Is the “Set It and Forget It” Investment of the Decade – Raoul Pal appeared first on Cryptonews.

 

This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak

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Bumble is in advanced talks to go private in a deal worth about $1 billion, Reuters reported on Monday, October 12, 2026. Ithaca Holdings is the prospective buyer. The talks come as Bumble tries to win back users with AI. Neither company has confirmed a deal. Both declined to comment. Still, Bumble shares surged roughly 50% to $3.80 that Monday, their biggest one-day percentage gain on record. A $1 billion price tag for a $14 billion debut Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble went public in 2021 at a valuation of about $14 billion. Five years later, the proposed price tells a very different story. Paolo Pescatore, an analyst for PP Foresight, said the potential agreement is proof of Bumble’s difficulties, adding that: Going private looks less like a strategic masterstroke and more like an admission that Bumble’s current strategy is failing. The numbers a buyer would inherit Bumble’s Q2 results indicate the reasons for the investors’ concerns. Its revenue declined by 15.2% year-over-year to $210.5 million. The number of paying users also dropped by 16.4% to 3.2 million. Bumble reported a net loss of $127.9 million of which $169.3 million were impairment charges, even though the adjusted EBITDA represented $72.9 million. The slide started earlier. In 2025, the company registered a near 10% drop in revenue that amounted to approximately $966 million, while its paying user base declined by more than 11% to approximately 3.7 million. Bumble Revenue and Paying Users Decline in 2025 and Q2 2026 Industry fatigue, or a Bumble problem Bumble’s competitor, Match Group, appears to be doing better as revenue fell only 1% to $853 million in the second quarter. Meanwhile, net income increased by 36% to $171 million. Tinder also showed signs of improvement. Daily active users dropped by only 4% year-on-year, which was the smallest decline in the last 10 quarters. Hinge’s revenue has increased by 22%. Match aims to bring Hinge’s annual revenue to $1 billion by 2027. Dating-app fatigue remains a challenge. But Match’s results suggest Bumble’s issues range beyond just the users getting bored with swiping. Bumble vs Match Group Q2 2026: Revenue, Profit and User Trends Can AI pull users back, or push them away Bumble hopes its AI-led Bumble 2.0 can change that. The redesign brings richer, chapter-style profiles and the possibility of swipe-free dating. Its March unveiling helped send shares up more than 40%. Wolfe Herd had earlier floated AI dating concierges, as Cryptopolitan reported. Whether users want that help is less clear. A peer-reviewed study suggests confidence in algorithms can encourage AI dating adoption. Yet an SSRN working paper reported 54% fewer usage minutes and 62% fewer app openings among the AI adopters studied. Those findings do not represent all daters. At the same time, less expensive AI will make companion chatbots more attractive than dating apps. However, the use of these chatbots raises privacy and security issues, as noted by the Congressional Research Service. The opportunity remains substantial: Grand View Research estimates a $10.7 billion global dating-app market in 2026, reaching $17.9 billion by 2033. The challenge is converting AI features into users who stay, pay, and trust the platform Micah Abiodun | usagoldmines.com