*By Jacqueline Corba*
Business and tech titans didn't hold back in making their real feelings about cryptocurrency widely known. On Cheddar's Crypto Craze, Jen Wieczner of Fortune discussed the top headlines with Nora Ali and Brad Smith, including news about a new round of funding for the fintech firm Robinhood.
**Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Gary Cohn slam Bitcoin.**
In an interview with [Fox Business](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mldCPQ4ypYM) at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting last weekend, Buffett called Bitcoin "rat poison squared."
"This is a little bit more of a sharp-worded barb at Bitcoin than we've heard from Warren Buffett in the past, but he's been no fan of Bitcoin and he's made that no secretー after all he is the most famous stock investor in the world," said Wieczner, a senior writer at Fortune. "This is something that the older generation has always had trouble with is anticipating where we are going next."
Indeed, Bill Gates said he'd invest in Bitcoin only if there was an easy way to [short it](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/07/bill-gates-i-would-short-bitcoin-if-i-could.html). That burn prompted Tyler Winklevoss, an early evangelist for cryptocurrency, to [challenge Gates on Twitter](https://twitter.com/tylerwinklevoss/status/993562310567452673) to "put your money where your mouth is."
Gary Cohn, the former White House Economic Advisor, told [CNBC's Bob Pisani](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=150&v=bcGjYHx6gVk ), "I'm not a big believer in Bitcoin, I am a believer in blockchain technology."
**NYSE and Goldman consider getting into crypto.**
Two major institutions are looking to get some skin in the crypto game, according to a recent report in [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/07/technology/bitcoin-new-york-stock-exchange.html). Goldman Sachs may build a team dedicated to trading Bitcoin, which would make it the first Wall Street bank to do so. Also ICE, the parent company of the NYSE, is reportedly building a Bitcoin trading platform. ICE did not comment.
"In order for this to really go mainstream and for the price to take off you need these big institutions," said Wieczner.
**Robinhood looks to take crypto trading big time.**
The fintech app maker [closed $363 million in Series D funding](http://fortune.com/2018/05/10/robinhood-stock-crypto-trading/), and it looks to bring cryptocurrency trading nationwide by the end of 2018. Now valued at $5.6 billion, Robinhood is taking on Coinbase to become one of the biggest cryptocurrency trading platforms.
"They still think they can steal a huge part of that market," said Wieczner. "They think its better the more they compete, the better it is for cryptocurrency, and everyone can make money."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/titans-talk-bitcoin-and-tyler-winklevoss-pushes-back).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
