A hiring ad has sparked outrage online after it went viral for detailing its hiring process. The ad noted a five-round process including a virtual test assignment, a face-to-face group discussion round and three in-person technical interviews for a job paying ₹2.4-3 lakh/annum with 2.5-year service agreement. "Audacity of companies these days," a user said. "The worst combination," said another.

US private employers added 41,000 jobs in December, missing forecasts of about 48,000, according to ADP. Small businesses returned to hiring with 9,000 jobs added, while mid-sized and large firms slowed. The report follows November decline and comes ahead of the Federal Reserve first policy meeting of 2026.

AST SpaceMobile shares fell about 6% in pre-market trading after Scotiabank downgraded the stock to Underperform, saying its valuation has overshot to irrational levels. The firm cited uncertainty around revenue timing, past execution delays, and slow adoption in key US and Japanese markets while reassessing the company competitive position.

Monte Rosa Therapeutics shares jumped over 50% in pre-market trade after interim Phase 1 results for MRT-8102 showed strong anti-inflammatory effects in patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, with 94% achieving CRP levels linked to lower risk. Safety was favorable, and the company said partner Novartis is expected to begin multiple Phase 2 studies of MRT-6160.

Barclays has made a strategic investment in Ubyx, a platform developing a global clearing system for tokenized bank deposits and regulated stablecoins. Ubyx aims to enable secure, par-value settlement and interoperability across banks, blockchains, and wallets, signaling rising institutional interest in regulated digital money infrastructure beyond traditional crypto markets.

Buck, a new Bitcoin dollar token launched by ex-Uber and Lyft executive Travis VanderZanden, promises users monthly rewards tied to Strategy Inc. STRC preferred stock via Buck DAO. VanderZanden says Buck is a SavingsCoin meant to counter dollar debasement, targeting 7% annual growth. Participants must complete AML checks before transacting.

D-Wave Quantum said it will acquire Quantum Circuits in a $550 million deal made up of $300 million in stock and $250 million in cash. By combining D-Wave annealing systems with Quantum Circuits error-corrected superconducting gate-model tech, the companies aim to accelerate progress toward fully fault-tolerant, scalable quantum computers.

Grok, the AI chatbot built into Elon Musk X platform, drew criticism after a researcher found unusually high volumes of AI-generated undressed and sexually suggestive images appearing in the @Grok feed during a 24-hour review. Bloomberg reported that officials in Europe, India and Malaysia have launched probes as non-consensual intimate imagery surges on the platform.

Bengaluru-based voice AI startup Arrowhead has raised $3 million in a seed round led by Stellaris Venture Partners, with participation from fintech founders and executives. The funding will be used to strengthen its AI models, expand teams, and scale human-like voice agents for complex sales conversations in financial services.

Morgan Stanley filed an early-form prospectus with the SEC for the Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust, a proposed spot ETF that would passively track ETH and use third-party providers to stake part of its holdings. The move follows the banks Bitcoin and Solana ETF filings. The fund wont use leverage or derivatives and remains subject to regulatory approval.