Kraken announced on Wednesday that it is firing 30% of its workforce in response to the cryptocurrency market downturn.

The cryptocurrency exchange explained in a blog post that due to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors paired with the state of the financial markets, Kraken has experienced significantly lower trading volumes and fewer client sign-ups. In response to this overall downturn, Kraken says it will be reducing hiring frequency, avoiding large market commitments, and reducing its global workforce by approximately 1,100 people to adapt to current market conditions.

Kraken explains that all "Krakenites," or individuals that have been let go from the company, will receive 16 weeks of base pay inclusive of the paid leave period, performance bonuses, four months of healthcare continuation, an extended window of time for their vested stock options, immigration support, and outplacement support.

SpaceX is making progress toward the first orbital launch of its Starship launch vehicle, as the company recently conducted a successful static fire test.

SpaceX took to its Twitter account to announce that Booster 7 has completed a long-duration static fire test that featured eleven Raptor 2 engines. The static fire test was successful and a step forward in SpaceX's journey to getting Starship to orbit, and it may very well be the second to last static fire test the company conducts before the orbital test launch.

SpaceX started the test at 2:42 pm on November 30, blasting 11 Raptor 2 engines for just 13 seconds. This latest test featured fewer Raptor 2 engines than SpaceX's previous static fire test on November 14, which featured 14 Raptor 2 engines. Notably, Booster 7 has a total of 33 Raptor 2 engines, which SpaceX is yet to test all at once. Presumably, Elon Musk's company will test all 33 of the next-generation engines before attempting the first orbital test flight for Starship.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has said during a Neuralink demo that he could have a brain implant now, and no one would even know.

During a Neuralink conference on Wednesday, the Twitter owner took to the stage to deliver several updates on brain implant-company Neuralink, and what it expects to achieve in the near future. Musk, a founder of the brain chip company, said that Neuralink is planning on beginning human trials within the next six months and that the company is currently in conversation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to receive regulatory approval.

Musk wrote on Twitter that internal testing at Neuralink has pushed the technology to the point where the team is confident the "Neuralink device is ready for humans". While on stage, the Tesla CEO said that he could have a Neuralink brain implant installed into his head "right now" and "you couldn't even know. I mean, hypothetically." Musk added that for one of Neuralink's future demos, he will have one installed and reveal it on stage, making an open pledge to be one of the first adopters of the experimental technology.

The tornado of Kanye West appearances is continuing as the rapper has now openly showed his support for Adolf Hitler.

Kanye West, now officially known as Ye, has appeared on the Alex Jones show wearing a black hood that covers his face and head, where he discussed several topics such as his finances, his stance on Jewish people, and how he sees "good things about Hitler". Ye's comments even turned famed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones against him.

Ye appeared on the Alex Jones show on Thursday, where he said, "I see good things about Hitler, also. Every human being has value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler. I was thinking about Satan. Whether it's the Zionists or Hitler - it's not the person. It's Satan using the people, who are controlled by demonic forces." Ye added, "The Jewish media has made us feel like the Nazis and Hitler have never offered anything of value to the world. Meanwhile, there's all of these things that are happening."

Today's Google Doodle is something that all gamers should check out to learn the origins of the early video games industry.

Before the days of next-gen consoles, 8K gaming with raytraced visuals, and always-connected multiplayer, there was a simpler time when arcades, wood grain, and pixellated graphics were all the rage. The early days of video games in the 1970s was an era that's hard to capture--it was something you had to be there to experience--and all too often today's gamers miss out on important history lessons from that early age.

Google has provided a neat little interactive history lesson that tells the story of one of gaming's most iconic creators: Jerry Lawson, who in 1976 helped create the world's first video games cartridge.

Discord has officially launched its Server Subscription program to all eligible creators in the United States.

Today Discord made history by offering new monetization options for creators in the form of Server Subscriptions. The new feature was in testing phases but is now widely available, and it's essentially a content delivery system that allows creators to monetize followers on their servers in the form of multi-tiered offerings. It's kind of like a combination of Patreon and Discord.

Creators have sole discretion in pricing and the content offered on each tier, which gives lots of flexibility and room to brainstorm new ideas. Discord says that subscriptions can range from $2.99 to $199.99 in price.

After monstrous sales on the Nintendo Switch, Capcom's behemoth-slaying mega-hit is coming to Xbox and PlayStation in 2023.

Monster Hunter Rise will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S consoles simultaneously on January 20, 2023, Capcom has announced. The biggest surprise is that Monster Hunter Rise will also release day one on Xbox Game Pass, which doesn't typically happen. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is also coming to consoles in Spring 2023.

Capcom's sold 21.3 million games in the first six months of this fiscal year, and releasing Mon Hun Rise on Game Pass could affect game sales on the Xbox platform--but Rise also has microtransactions so this may help offset any potential loss in game sales.

After 2 years of support, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is about to ride off into the sunset with its final content drop, and Ubisoft has teamed up with Bungie and Capcom to send the game off with a bang.

Destiny is no stranger to collabs--the game had a surprising Fortnite crossover this year--and now another epic crossover is happening with the Assassin's Creed franchise. Bungie and Ubisoft have announced both games will be getting AC and Destiny content in the form of buyable cosmetics.

Destiny 2 and Assassin's Creed players will be able to buy packs that include crossover content from each game. Assassin's Creed Valhalla will get some awesome armor sets that allow Eivor to transform into two of the most iconic Guardians in Destiny history, Lord Shaxx and Saint-14. The Valhalla pack includes 2 armor sets--Lord Shaxx and Saint-14--swords, a mount, and more weapons.

Valve will give away over 180 units of the hottest handhelds on the market in just a few days.

Valve has announced that it will give out a Steam Deck PC handheld every minute that The Game Awards is streamed. Last year's show was 3 hours and 30 minutes, and The Game Awards 2022 is expected to be "roughly three hours," which means that Valve should give out at least 180 Steam Deck systems.

To enter you just have to sign in to this link and then watch The Game Awards showcase live through the Steam platform.

Kindred Motorworks recently showed off its latest creation, the Kindred Chevy 3100 pickup truck - a late 40s-50s era truck with an electric drivetrain. Interested buyers will need to wait a couple of years and can expect to pay at least $159,000.

Kindred used Chevy 3100 models built from 1947 to 1953 and packed in a 294hp direct drive electric AC motor electric powertrain. The 74 kWh battery provides a 200-mile range - with a 6.6 kW on-board charger with 120v and 240v support. Charge time with a level-2 charger will take nine hours.

The interior features a bench seat with custom leather upholstery with headrests and center seating. There is an EV-specific style gauge cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, and a wireless charging dock. Overall, the exterior also underwent a full restoration, so Kindred put in the effort to refurbish the old school truck.