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BlockBeats News, October 17, according to The Wall Street Journal, Goldman Sachs (GS.N) is ramping up its efforts to enter the red-hot market of data center and other infrastructure financing, aiming to secure a larger share amid the artificial intelligence boom. According to sources familiar with the matter, Goldman Sachs is forming a dedicated team within its Global Banking & Markets division, focusing on global infrastructure financing business. This includes not only increasing lending in this sector but also finding investors for these debts. This move is driven by a new wave of multi-billion dollar deals involving AI data centers, their massive energy demands, and financing for processing units that support AI development. The new team will also focus on traditional infrastructure construction or upgrade projects in both developed and emerging markets. In addition, the team will be responsible for raising funds for renewable energy and certain types of liquefied natural gas projects, as well as providing financing for military and other equipment related to rising national defense expenditures.

BlockBeats News, October 18, according to Fortune, Tempo, a payment-focused stablecoin Layer 1 blockchain developed by fintech giant Stripe and Paradigm, has completed a $500 million Series A funding round, led by venture capital giants Greenoaks and Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital. This round values Tempo at $5 billion, making it one of the highest-valued blockchain venture investments in recent years. According to a source familiar with the matter, Sequoia Capital, Ribbit Capital, and Ron Conway's SV Angel also participated in this round. Paradigm and Stripe did not participate in this round. The Tempo blockchain (with design partners including OpenAI, Shopify, and Visa) is primarily designed for stablecoins, representing a bet that US dollar-backed cryptocurrencies will become the new global payment infrastructure layer.