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April 12, 2025

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Earnings From These 3 Stocks Could Be Key

This week, we’re getting back to earnings season during the shortened four-day period.

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) reports on the heels of JP Morgan’s solid results that saw its shares rally by 12.3% and recapture its 200-day moving average.

Watch the trading revenue numbers as added volatility should help their bottom line exceed expectations. The implied one-day move for earnings day is +/- 7.7% and, if the market is moving that morning, then expect more-than-normal movement.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF GS. If the stock rallies watch the $520 level. A break above this level could be a positive move.

Technically, shares have been put through the wringer. GS’s stock price has broken many key trendlines and support levels along the way. Maybe, just maybe, it has found a floor.

Like most stocks in this current environment, the swings have been wild. Lines in the sand have been drawn, and maybe GS can follow JPM’s lead as the charts are similar.

Things have been extremely volatile; the range between support and resistance is wide. The $440/$450 area looks to be a strong area of support for now. However, the trend has changed, and there has been much technical damage done. There are levels of resistance above, but it seems more likely that they may get tested before any retest of the lows.

On a rally, watch the $520 level, from which it broke down after breaching its 200-day moving average. If shares eclipse that, then it will likely experience a run back to its 200-day at $540. That would take the stock’s price back to its new downtrend line and should be met with much selling pressure.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has experienced some of the wildest swings since making a new high in early March. The stock price has fallen over 16%. Look for it to get back to its winning ways when the company reports on Tuesday.

Year-to-date, shares are up 5% and in one of the strongest sectors for those playing defense. Like all companies reporting, the focus will be on management’s commentary on future earnings guidance and potential impacts from global economic conditions.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF JNJ. The stock price could see more downside, or it could move up to its 200-day moving average.Technically, shares are in a bit of a no-man’s land. Price action has been streaky and now they report in the middle of this recent wide range.

The bear case is that shares have yet to reach oversold levels and test major support. They came close, but didn’t get below $140. So more of a downside could be reached before jumping into the stock.

The bull case, at a minimum, is a reversion back to the 200-day moving average, just above current levels. The best case is that it has little tariff exposure, making it a safer haven in tough times and may run back towards old highs.

Overall, outside a safe 3.3% dividend, the case to jump in for a trade is tough to make given its recent price action.

Netflix (NFLX) has given back all its gains from its last earnings cycle and hopes it can regain those levels when it reports on Thursday.

Shares are seen as a safer haven in this tariff war environment, but have not been immune to the wild market swings we have been seeing. NFLX has continued to put up solid numbers and fared better than most growth stocks during this time.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF NFLX. A head and shoulders top, bullish divergence in the RSI, and bullish MACD crossover lean toward a bullish move.

Technically, there are several more positives than negatives. NFLX’s stock price has formed a head-and-shoulders top, but failed to break its neckline at the $820 level and bounced. That was one positive development, but the pattern still hangs over the stock for now.

Secondly, there’s a bullish divergence in its relative strength index (RSI) when you compare it to recent price action. As price made new lows, the RSI did not. That indicates something has changed — this recent sell-off was not as strong as its predecessor and that a reversal may be coming.

Lastly, we may be experiencing a bullish crossover in its moving average convergence/divergence (MACD). While we always want confirmation, sometimes anticipating the move may be worth the risk. When tied into the above two factors, I believe it is.

The stock has a history of gaps after earnings, so watch that gap and price action immediately afterward. If NFLX experiences a gap higher and above the 50-day moving average, you can use that as a stop to manage risk. To the downside, watch to see if the $820 level holds. If it doesn’t, there could be an accelerated move to the downside.

Investors on the Move: A Visual Guide to the Stock Market

Another interesting week in the stock market comes to an end.

The past few days were flooded with the twists and turns of President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, which were later put on a 90-day pause except for China, which got hit with higher tariffs.

Then came China’s retaliation, which stirred the pot even more. Where tariffs between the two countries will end up is anyone’s guess, but all it’s doing now is adding to even more uncertainty.

The wild swings that we are seeing in the stock market’s price action make it a challenging environment for investors and traders. And with consumer confidence weakening, investors are getting nervous and confused. When the stock market environment is dominated by wild swings based on news headlines, it makes analyzing price charts more difficult. Many charts are technically broken down, and indicators tend to be more skewed due to the recent wide-ranging days.

The daily chart of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is a great example of how the crazy wild swings of the last six days aren’t doing much to help determine trend direction.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF SPY. The last six trading days have been erratic to say the least. It makes it impossible to determine whether the bulls or bears are in control. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The last six candlestick bars display erratic movement with wide range days. Note the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) is trending downward and getting close to the 200-day SMA. While the overall trend is pointing lower, it’s difficult to tell if SPY will move lower or reverse.

You’re better off looking at a longer-term chart, such as a weekly or monthly one, to get a sense of the overall trend direction. The weekly chart of the SPY is less erratic and restores faith in the technical analysis.

FIGURE 2. WEEKLY CHART OF SPY. This is much calmer and clearly shows the longer-term trend. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Even though it’s clear that SPY has broken below its 40-week SMA, it’s still above its 150-week, which is a ray of hope. Let’s see where it ends up next week. The more concerning point is that the range of the last two bars is the widest it has been in the last five years.

Watch Bonds

You can’t get past this week’s market action without noticing bonds. With higher tariffs, you’d expect yields to fall, but we’re not seeing that happen. On Friday, the 10-year Treasury yield hit a high of 4.59% on Friday and the 30-year went as high as 4.99%. Although yields pulled back, they are still relatively high.

Bond prices came back a bit after hitting a low that almost coincided with its January low (red dashed line). See the chart of iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) below.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF TLT. Note the steep decline in the last six bars. Although bond prices came back on Friday, there’s no knowing what will happen next week. Watch this chart closely. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.The big question is if Friday’s upside move is enough to reverse the trend in bond prices. Momentum indicators are still weak and trending to the downside, and, from a technical perspective, it’ll take a lot for bond prices to trend higher.

Falling bond prices don’t bode well for investors. Typically, when equities fall, bond prices rise. Yet we’re seeing the opposite occurring. That investors are selling US bonds and looking at alternative safe-havens worries Wall Street. The rise in bond prices also makes the White House nervous, and it puts the Federal Reserve in a tight spot.

Tariffs can send inflation higher and, generally, an inflationary environment does not support interest rate cuts. But if the US finds itself in a position where inflation is rising and economic growth is slowing, the Fed may have to cut rates.

Who knows what we will hear next week? Remember, this is a headline-driven market, and any news can send values moving drastically in either direction. On Friday afternoon, stocks reversed on the heels of a news release from the White House stating that a deal with China could be in the works. You can’t rule out a weekend risk.

The Dollar Weakens

Another unusual move is the weakening of the US dollar. Increasing tariffs should strengthen the US dollar. Instead, the dollar is weakening. The daily chart of Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP) shows the ETF is trading well below its 200-day SMA (red line).

FIGURE 4. DAILY CHART OF UUP. The ETF is trading below its 200-day SMA. Will it hit its 52-week low? Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The US dollar is showing no signs of a turnaround in the US dollar. The euro, British pound, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen are strengthening against the dollar. Pull up the charts of  $EURUSD, $GDPUSD, $USDSCHF, and $USDJPY on the StockCharts platform and follow the currency markets. Or head over to the revised Market Summary page, scroll down to the Other Assets panel, and click the Currencies tab. you’ll see all the currency pairs listed.

The Bottom Line

Downtrends in equities, US bond prices, and the US dollar send a message that investors are selling US assets. Where are they parking their cash? Gold is one place. Interest in gold has gone through the roof with gold prices hitting a new all-time high on Friday. When things are as uncertain as they are now, it’s time to step back and observe the macro landscape. That means viewing long-term equity charts, bonds, and currencies. Bonds are critical in this landscape. They give a big picture of the overall strength of the US economy.

End-of-Week Wrap-Up

  • S&P 500 up 5.70% on the week, at 5363.36, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 4.95% on the week at 40,212.71; Nasdaq Composite down 7.29% on the week at 16,724.46
  • $VIX down 17.10% on the week, closing at 37.56.
  • Best performing sector for the week: Information Technology
  • Worst performing sector for the week: Real Estate
  • Top 5 Large Cap SCTR stocks: Elbit Systems, Ltd. (ESLT); Anglogold Ashanti Ltd. (AU); Palantir Technologies, Inc. (PLTR); Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI); RocketLab USA, Inc. (RKLB)

On the Radar Next Week

  • Earnings from Bank of America (BAC), United Airlines (UAL), Citigroup (C); Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Charles Schwab (SCHW), and many more
  • March export and import prices
  • March Retail Sales
  • March Industrial Production and Manufacturing Production
  • March Housing Starts
  • Several Fed speeches

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Crypto Market Recap: Trump Signs First Crypto Bill, SEC Issues Crypto Guidance

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (April 11) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$83,823.99 and up 5.2 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$81,675.28 and a high of U$83,968.58.

Bitcoin performance, April 11, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Markets recovered on Friday afternoon after a week of unprecedented volatility triggered by an ongoing trade war between the US and China. Stronger-than-expected producer price index data out of the US suggests inflation could be easing, igniting a recovery for the crypto and stock markets.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,565, a 3 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,549.00 and a high of US$1,582.64.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$120.57, up 8.4 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$118.23 and a high of US$121.52 on Friday.
  • XRP is trading at US$2.05, reflecting a 4.2 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$1.99 and a high of US$2.06.
  • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.22, showing an increaseof 6.5 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.17 and a high of US$2.24.
  • Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6279, reflecting a 4.9 percent increase over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Friday was US$0.6175, with a high of US$0.6313.

Crypto news to know

Trump overturns IRS DeFi rule

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill nullifying an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rule that controversially expanded the definition of “broker” to include decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms.

The regulation, finalized in the waning days of the Biden administration, would have required DeFi protocols — which operate without intermediaries — to report detailed user transaction data to the IRS, something crypto developers argued was both technically unfeasible and legally dubious.

With bipartisan support, both chambers of Congress passed the reversal using the Congressional Review Act. The decision is part of Trump’s broader pledge to position the US as a global crypto leader.

In his first week back in office, he created a federal working group on cryptocurrency regulation and signed an executive order to build a national Bitcoin reserve. The Trump administration has also repeatedly criticized the Biden-era IRS framework as stifling innovation and creating legal liabilities for developers.

SEC issues guidance on crypto securities disclosures

Intending to build on the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Crypto Task Force, the commission’s Division of Corporation Finance issued guidance on how federal securities laws should apply to crypto.

The commission said companies issuing or dealing with tokens that could be securities should give better details about their business. However, the statement didn’t provide clarity on what digital assets could be securities.

Crypto companies typically provide details about their operations, the function of their tokens, and their plans for generating revenue. They also address their future involvement with any launched crypto networks or apps, specifying who will take responsibility for them if the company itself does not.

The SEC has requested that cryptocurrency companies provide additional details about their technology. This includes specifying whether their product uses a proof-of-work or proof-of-stake blockchain, as well as information about its block size, transaction speed, reward mechanisms and the measures taken to ensure network security.

The SEC also asked whether the protocol is open-source or not.

It added that a company should share if a protocol’s code can be modified, and if so, who can make such changes and whether the smart contracts involved have been subjected to a third-party security audit.

Other disclosures the statement mentioned are whether the token’s supply is fixed and how it was or will be issued, along with identifying executives and “significant employees.”

New York moves to let state agencies accept crypto payments

New York could soon become one of the first US states to formally integrate cryptocurrency into government operations.

A newly filed bill, Assembly Bill A7788, introduced by Assemblymember Clyde Vanel, proposes to allow state agencies to accept crypto — including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash — for a wide range of payments such as taxes, fees, rent, and fines.

The proposed legislation would authorize agencies to enter agreements with crypto payment providers, ensuring that final settlements are made in fiat currency to shield state budgets from crypto market volatility.

More importantly, the bill stipulates that debts would not be considered legally settled until the state receives full fiat payment, preserving the integrity of public finance processes.

Agencies may also charge service fees to offset transaction costs and volatility hedging. While this is not the first time such a proposal has emerged — similar bills were introduced in previous legislative sessions but failed to advance — the current climate of growing mainstream adoption and Trump-era pro-crypto sentiment may improve its chances.

SEC and Ripple seek abeyance in legal proceedings

The SEC and Ripple have filed a joint motion to put their appeals in abeyance, pausing proceedings in a sign that both entities anticipate a settlement will be reached when newly appointed SEC Chairman Paul Atkins takes over.

The Senate confirmed Atkins on April 9; however, no date has been set for his swearing-in.

“An abeyance would conserve judicial and party resources while the parties continue to pursue a negotiated resolution of this matter,” the parties jointly stated in an April 10 court filing. Ripple’s defense attorney, James Filan, said the new filing supersedes the April 16 deadline for Ripple to respond to the SEC’s brief filed in January.

In other developments, the SEC dismissed its lawsuit against Helium developer Nova Labs for allegedly issuing unregistered securities.

BlackRock reports digital asset inflows

BlackRock (NASDAQ:BLK) released its Q1 earnings report on Friday, reporting US$84 billion in total net inflows in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 3 percent annualized growth in assets under management (AUM).

Its performance was led in part by US$107 billion in net inflows to its iShares ETFs, roughly US$3 billion, or 2.8 percent, directed to digital asset products. Digital AUM amounted to US$50.3 billion at the end of Q1, roughly 0.5 percent of the firm’s US$11.6 trillion total AUM.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Tech 5: Tech Stocks React to Tariffs in Bumpy Trading Week

Global markets took a beating this week as investors and world leaders reacted to sweeping tariffs announced by the Trump administration on April 2, with tensions between the US and China escalating.

After last week’s losses, this week started with a brief but sizable 8.5 percent surge on Monday (April 7), followed by a sharp decline that extended into Tuesday’s (April 8) trading day.

The move came after news outlets reported a potential 90 day pause on US President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs. While the White House was quick to deny the rumour, Trump ultimately did opt to pause reciprocal tariffs for most nations amid a falling bond market and public opposition from within the Republican Party.

The pause brought a substantial 9.5 percent gain by the closing bell, but Thursday (April 10) saw another 6.3 percent fall as uncertainty continued to plague the market.

The president has now narrowed his focus to China, increasing the country’s tariff rate from 104 percent to 125 percent on Wednesday (April 9). On Thursday, the Trump administration confirmed that those levies would be added to the previous 20 percent tariff, bringing the total to 145 percent. China has responded in kind, levying 125 percent tariffs against all products coming from the US, up from its previous retaliatory figure of 84 percent.

All Magnificent 7 stocks, which were already down for the year, have fallen considerably since April 2; however, the Information’s Martin Peers notes that Apple (NASDAQ:APPL), a product maker with manufacturing ties and a large customer base in China, has experienced steeper declines than chip makers and software providers Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).

Peers also points out that Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) diversified business model and less dramatic recent growth make it well positioned to handle market volatility.

While the current tariff regime has exemptions for semiconductors, other data center materials are exposed, as highlighted by Gil Luria, managing director and head of technology research at DA Davidson.

Luria told Fortune that at least one-quarter to one-third of data center costs are non-semiconductor components, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the trillion-dollar data centers planned over the next few years.

Adding to the volatility, an article published last week by global market intelligence company IDC suggests tariffs could lead to a notable slowdown in global IT spending in 2025.

With that, let’s dive into this week’s top stories.

1. NVIDIA CEO meets with Trump

The White House will reverse plans to put additional export restrictions on NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) cutting-edge H20 chips, according to NPR. Anonymous sources say CEO Jensen Huang spoke to the president at a dinner in Mar-a-Lago last week, committing to increase its investment in the US artificial intelligence (AI) data center buildout.

After the dinner, the administration opted to pause a months-long plan to place additional export restrictions on NVIDIA’s H20 chips, the most advanced chips US-based enterprises can sell to China under the current laws.

The plan had been in the works since lawmakers began lobbying the administration to limit China’s access to cutting-edge technology following the release of DeepSeek’s AI chatbot, R1.

“If NPR’s reporting is accurate, this news is a significant positive for NVIDIA, as well as a more modest tailwind for other portions of the server supply chain,” Wedbush Securities analyst Matt Bryson said in a client note on Thursday.

After the Trump administration’s tariff announcement last week, Reuters reported that Chinese companies, including Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA), ByteDance and Tencent Holdings (OTC Pink:TCE:HY,HKEX:0770), had placed roughly US$16 billion in orders for NVIDIA’s H20 chips.

2. Apple customers fear price increases

Customers filed into Apple stores across the US over the weekend, fretting that the iPhone maker may be forced to raise prices on its products in the face of rising manufacturing costs stemming from the ongoing US-China trade war.

The tech giant is heavily reliant on Asian assembly lines, and experts widely agree that a return of tech manufacturing to the US is a complex and time-consuming process, making it an unlikely immediate solution for a company whose products are high in demand and require rapid production and distribution. The company is planning a series of new product releases for 2025, with the release of the iPhone 17 slated for September.

In the short term, Apple appears to be turning to India as an alternative to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. The company reportedly loaded flights from India with iPhones before the tariffs went into effect, allegedly lobbying Chennai International Airport authorities to cut down customs from 30 hours to six hours to speed up the airlift.

So far, Apple hasn’t made any official announcements on potential price adjustments.

The company managed to secure an exemption when Trump imposed tariffs in his first presidential term, but it’s unclear if the president will be swayed to grant a waiver again.

3. Pichai reaffirms Google’s AI strategy

Amid stock market turbulence and a downturn in the tech sector, Google CEO Sundar Pichai reiterated the company’s commitment to substantial investment in developing its AI infrastructure and product line, reaffirming its plans to allocate a significant budget of US$75 billion towards capital expenditures.

The update came as the company convened at its Cloud Next conference, held this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the event, Google unveiled a suite of new AI services.

Among the many developments shared with attendees, Google Cloud and Samsung (KRX:005935) announced a strengthened partnership aimed at integrating Google Cloud’s advanced generative AI technology into Samsung’s Ballie, an innovative home AI companion robot slated to hit US and South Korean markets this summer.

This collaboration signifies the growing convergence of AI capabilities and home robotics, paving the way for a new era of intelligent and interactive home companions.

Samsung hasn’t announced pricing for Ballie, but tariffs could inflate costs. The 90 day pause and productive trade talks with South Korea, where Samsung has manufacturing locations, offer a glimmer of hope for consumers.

4. New autonomous driving and EV entrants

The landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to evolve despite a shifting political backdrop.

This week saw reports that Zoox, Amazon’s robotaxi subsidiary, has begun testing its autonomous taxi services in Los Angeles, signaling the company’s confidence in its self-driving technology.

Meanwhile, TechCrunch reported that Slate Auto, a Michigan-based EV start-up with ties to Amazon, is going ahead with plans to begin production of an entry-level US$25,000 electric pickup truck as soon as next year.

The company has reportedly raised at least US$111 million and hired hundreds of employees from Ford (NASDAQ:FORD), General Motors (NYSE:GM), Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) and Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG).

According to the report, the company plans to supplement the truck’s small margins by selling aftermarket vehicle accessories and apparel. Slate hopes to begin production in Indiana by late 2026.

Adding to an influx of new EV players, Taiwanese manufacturing company Foxconn Technology (TPE:2354) announced its intention to bring two new battery EVs to the US market, with one slated to hit the markets in late 2025.

In the realm of driverless technology, Nissan Motor (TSE:7201) said Thursday that it will integrate self-driving technology developed by the UK’s Wayve in its ProPilot assisted driving feature starting next year.

These developments follow a Washington Post report earlier this week that found Americans’ interest in EVs is waning in the face of the Trump administration’s effort to pull back spending on EV infrastructure, including canceling a Biden-era initiative to build EV charging stations across the country and potentially repealing EV tax credits.

5. OpenAI considers hardware acquisition, counter-sues Musk

A Monday report from the Information suggests that OpenAI is in talks to acquire io Products, a hardware startup co-founded by the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, and former Apple design chief, Jony Ive.

According to the report, the startup has been collaborating with Ive’s design studio, LoveFrom, on the development of a new hardware device that would act as an interface between users and voice-enabled AI assistants.

While the two companies are reportedly exploring partnerships that don’t involve an acquisition, the potential deal could value io Products at up to US$500 million, according to the report.

In other developments, OpenAI countersued Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday, citing ongoing harassment since the startup began transitioning toward a for-profit structure in 2023.

“Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims, and a sham bid for OpenAI’s assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI,” the company wrote in a court filing.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Cash App owner Block pays $40 million in settlement over ‘serious compliance deficiencies’

New York state’s top financial regulator struck a $40 million settlement Thursday with Block Inc., the parent of Cash App, the popular money transmission service, after having found the company had “serious compliance deficiencies” related to its anti-money laundering program and transaction monitoring processes.

The deficiencies at Block, some involving cryptocurrencies, “created a high-risk environment vulnerable to exploitation by criminal actors,” the New York State Department of Financial Services said in the consent order, noting, for example, that Block’s system did not trigger blocks on bitcoin transactions involving terrorism-connected wallets until that exposure exceeded 10%.

Any exposure to terrorism-connected wallets is illegal, the department said. 

The New York regulator examined Block’s practices from early 2021 to September 2022, concluding it did not keep pace with the significant growth it was experiencing. That resulted in Block’s “inability to fully comply with its obligation to effectively monitor, and thereafter report, the transactions being conducted on its platforms for suspected money laundering and other illicit criminal activity.”

Block, which did not admit to the department’s findings, said it was pleased to put the matter behind it.

“As the department has acknowledged, Cash App has devoted significant financial and other resources to compliance remediation and enhancements,” it said in a statement. “We share the department’s dedication to addressing industry challenges and remain committed to investing across our operations to help promote a safe and healthy financial system.” 

Block was launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who lists his current title as Block Head and chairman.

The details in the settlement parallel exclusive reporting by NBC News last year detailing former Block employees’ allegations that the company’s compliance systems were deeply flawed.

According to the former employees, one of whom was also interviewed by federal prosecutors, Block processed multiple cryptocurrency transactions for terrorist groups and did not correct company processes when it was alerted to breaches. Block began offering bitcoin transactions through Cash App in 2018.

Square, another Block unit, processed thousands of transactions involving countries subject to economic sanctions, one of the former employees told NBC News. Documents the former employee provided showed transactions, many in small dollar amounts, involving entities in countries subject to U.S. sanctions restrictions — Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela — as recently as 2023.  

Under the terms of the settlement, Block agreed to bring on an independent monitor for a year, selected by the New York regulator, to conduct a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering and sanctions programs. The monitor will oversee remedial measures as needed, the consent order said, and report its findings to the regulators.

The consent order with the department “does not bind any federal or other state agency or any law enforcement authority,” it noted.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS