ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, sources say that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft (MSFT.O), covering areas from the company's cloud computing and software licensing business to cybersecurity products and artificial intelligence products. After more than a year of informal interviews with Microsoft's competitors and business partners, law enforcement officials have drafted a lengthy request, spanning hundreds of pages, demanding relevant information from Microsoft.FTC antitrust lawyers will meet with Microsoft's competitors next week to gather more information. One focus of the investigation is Microsoft's bundling of its popular office productivity and security software with cloud products. Following a series of cybersecurity incidents involving Microsoft products, the FTC has intensified its scrutiny of Microsoft's cloud computing business.Microsoft's missteps in cybersecurity, combined with its status as a government contractor, have raised concerns for the FTC regarding its market influence. Part of the investigation focuses on Microsoft's practices related to the security software Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure Active Directory), which helps verify user logins to cloud-based software.

ChainCatcher news, it is reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to Nvidia (NVDA.O) and other companies to seek evidence of Nvidia's violation of antitrust laws, reflecting an escalation of the investigation.According to informed sources, previously, the Department of Justice only issued questionnaires to the relevant companies, but now it has made legally binding requests for information from the recipients. This means that the government's investigation is one step closer to formally filing a lawsuit. Insiders have indicated that antitrust officials are concerned that Nvidia is making it harder for customers to switch to other suppliers and punishing those buyers who do not exclusively use its AI chips. Both the Department of Justice and representatives of Nvidia declined to comment.In addition, Nvidia (NVDA.O) fell 9.5% on Tuesday, with a market value evaporating by nearly $280 billion, bringing its total market capitalization to $2.65 trillion.

ChainCatcher news, according to Coindesk, Binance's acquisition of FTX may trigger antitrust investigations by regulators. According to data from CoinGecko, Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by trading volume, while FTX ranks in the top five."Next time, check if your tweet complies with antitrust laws before posting," wrote Thibault Schrepel, an associate professor at the University of Amsterdam specializing in blockchain and antitrust issues, under Zhao Changpeng's (CZ) tweet. "At this stage, I wouldn't be surprised if this tweet is found in upcoming court filings/antitrust lawsuits."In the U.S., antitrust laws such as the Sherman Act prohibit direct competitors from taking actions to protect each other. CZ stated that he intervened to protect users after FTX faced a "serious liquidity crunch" and sought help. Thibault Schrepel believes this indicates the existence of illegal agreements—he argues that U.S. law would apply since the deal would affect the entire company, including its U.S. operations. (source link)