A unique investment from the quant trading giant signals a shift in how complex systems will be tested.

TYSONS CORNER, Va., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Antithesis today announced a $105 million Series A round led by Jane Street, the global technology-driven quantitative trading firm known for building some of the world’s most advanced software systems. The investment underscores Antithesis’s emergence as critical infrastructure for enterprises operating complex, distributed systems. Jane Street is both an Antithesis investor and customer.

Additional investors include Amplify Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Tamarack Global, First In Ventures, Teamworthy Ventures, Hyperion Capital, and individuals including Patrick Collison, Dwarkesh Patel, and Sholto Douglas, alongside other new and returning investors. The capital will be used to accelerate Antithesis’s product innovation and scale its go-to-market operations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Software systems have grown more complex, and as AI accelerates the volume of code being produced, traditional testing cannot keep pace. Today, most organizations still rely on example-based tests (whether written by engineers or by AI). These methods catch surface-level issues but cannot reliably expose the deep, emergent behaviors that cause outages, data corruption, and cascading system failures.

Antithesis replaces this with deterministic simulation testing: running a fully automated, massively parallel simulation of the system being validated that compresses months of production behavior into hours. The platform explores edge cases, injects common faults, validates correctness, and perfectly reproduces any failure so engineers can fix issues with unprecedented speed and confidence.

“Software now underpins everything, and as systems become more complex and distributed, the world needs a new testing model that guarantees correctness,” said Will Wilson, CEO of Antithesis. “With this funding, we’re expanding the infrastructure that makes reliability not just achievable, but expected, just as we expect traffic lights to work every time. Our customers are already proving that deterministically validated systems ship faster, without breaking, and earn deeper trust.”

“Jane Street runs some of the most demanding distributed systems in the world, and Antithesis has helped us uncover issues that no other testing method could find,” said Doug Patti, Engineer at Jane Street. “We hold a very high bar for the technology we rely on, and an even higher bar for the companies we choose to invest in. While leading an early round is rare for us, Antithesis is years ahead, and we believe deterministic simulation testing will become foundational across industries.”

Customer impact across finance, AI, blockchain, and data infrastructure
Antithesis is already used by organizations whose systems cannot fail:

• Jane Street depends on Antithesis to validate complex distributed systems critical to the operation of its global trading business.
• Ethereum used Antithesis to simulate its global network under extreme conditions ahead of The Merge, uncovering critical issues that could have jeopardized the historic Proof-of-Stake transition.
• MongoDB uses Antithesis to rigorously test core components of its database platform, helping engineers catch subtle issues before they reach customers.

These examples reflect a rapidly expanding customer base across finance, infrastructure platforms, and organizations building advanced AI systems. Antithesis has increased revenue by over 12x over the last two years and continues to grow rapidly.

Use of proceeds
With the new funding, Antithesis will:

• Expand engineering teams to strengthen its deterministic simulation engine
• Advance platform intelligence and autonomy
• Build a world-class sales and marketing organization
• Scale GTM operations across North America, Europe, and Asia
• Deepen availability through cloud channels, including AWS Marketplace

About Antithesis
Antithesis is a fundamentally new way to validate that software works correctly before it is released. It conducts a fully deterministic, massively parallel simulation that tests years of real-world production in a few hours. Antithesis intelligently explores the far corners of your codebase, strategically injecting common faults to ensure the system always behaves as intended. The platform perfectly reproduces any bug it finds in its one-of-a-kind environment for rapid debugging. The company is based in Northern Virginia, was founded in 2018, and launched out of stealth in 2024. For more information, visit https://antithesis.com/.

About Jane Street
Jane Street is a global technology-driven trading and investment firm. Founded in 2000, the firm brings a research-driven approach and quantitative expertise to markets worldwide, with over 3,000 employees across offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.janestreet.com.

PANAMA CITY, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As we enter December, both macro and crypto markets are stepping into a key window characterized by dense data releases and policy-path uncertainty. In this edition of DeepThink, HTX Research analyst Chloe (@ChloeTalk1) analyzes how the upcoming macro releases could heavily influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s December meeting, and become the defining catalyst for risk sentiment across equities and digital assets.

A Dense Cluster That Will Anchor Rate-Cut Expectations

Although markets broadly expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates again in December, Powell emphasized last week that due to the government shutdown and resulting gaps in official data, policymakers may not have access to complete labor-market and inflation indicators before the meeting. Therefore, this week’s cluster of high-frequency data will directly determine whether the probability of a December cut falls back toward 50% or surges close to 100%.

The first major release is the November ISM Manufacturing PMI. Manufacturing has been in contraction since March, with last month’s reading at just 48.7. Both new orders and employment sub-indices remained below 50, reflecting ongoing uncertainty from tariffs and weakening global demand.

By contrast, the Services PMI held at a moderate 52.4 expansion, though its price sub-index stayed elevated near 70, showing that inflation pressure now comes more from domestic services rather than imports. If November services remain resilient, hawkish voices inside the Fed will be reinforced; if the index slips back to 50 or below, a December cut becomes almost assured.

The labor market is the biggest swing factor. With October’s nonfarm payrolls cancelled and November NFP postponed until December 16 (after the FOMC meeting), this week’s ADP private-sector employment data becomes crucial. October ADP added 42,000 jobs, beating expectations. A stronger-than-expected November print would weaken the case for immediate easing; a softer reading would strengthen the argument for faster policy accommodation. Closely following is the Challenger layoffs report, which saw October layoffs surge to 153,074—the highest in 22 years. If November layoffs continue rising, markets will quickly reprice the risk of a U.S. labor-market downturn.

On Friday, the spotlight shifts to PCE inflation and personal spending, the week’s most important macro event. Markets expect headline PCE for September to edge up from 2.7% to 2.8%, with core PCE holding at 2.9%. If the data continue to show inflation stuck near 3%, the Fed’s rate-cut pace will remain constrained; if PCE unexpectedly softens, markets will gain short-term relief.

Risk Appetite Remains Compressed

In U.S. equities, Goldman’s trading desk highlights that as volatility receded and market breadth rebounded from –150 to +150, systemic selling pressure was largely flushed out by mid-November. Institutional positioning models now expect a shift from net selling to roughly $4.7 billion in net buying in December. This means the traditional “Santa Rally” is not dead—the ignition simply depends on whether this week’s data support the rate-cut trajectory.

In crypto, Bitcoin has bounced back above $85K, according to HTX data, after a nearly 30% drawdown from its October peak, but overall sentiment remains fragile amid thin liquidity. ETFs continue to see mild outflows, while the Coinbase premium stays weak, signaling institutional caution. Options markets display a classic risk-averse posture: near-term IV significantly higher than long-dated IV, and 25-delta put skew negative across maturities. Investors remain willing to pay for downside protection, reflecting expectations of short-term volatility spikes.

Key Macro Data to Determine Whether a Reversal Takes Shape

Overall, the crypto market is in a sensitive phase where the fundamental outlook is unclear, but bottom-forming characteristics are gradually emerging.

• If this week’s U.S. data show a combination of slowing growth without recession and softening inflation, Bitcoin and major assets may see a natural recovery, with IV compressing quickly and short-vol strategies regaining effectiveness.
• Conversely, if manufacturing, employment, or PCE surprise to the upside and suppress rate-cut expectations, thin holiday liquidity could trigger another sharp downward move.

In the current environment, taking heavy one-sided bets carries elevated risk. Market structure tends to show gradual accumulation behavior near lower ranges, while elevated short-term IV provides room for hedging. The $80K–$82K zone remains a notable support, but a genuine trend reversal will depend on clearer signals from this week’s macro releases.

*The above content  is not an investment advice and does not constitute any offer or solicitation to offer or recommendation of any investment product.

About HTX

Founded in 2013, HTX (formerly Huobi) has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord. 

About HTX Research

HTX Research is the dedicated research arm of HTX Group, responsible for conducting in-depth analyses, producing comprehensive reports, and delivering expert evaluations across a broad spectrum of topics, including cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and emerging market trends. Visit us.

• A Silver Award is the highest achievement for SBS Transit partners, recognized for the first time.
• This is the third separate safety excellence award Otis Singapore has received this year

SINGAPORE, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Otis has been honored with a Silver Award at the SBS Transit Safe Business Partner Awards 2025, recognizing strong safety performance while operating on SBS Transit premises. Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) is the world’s leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. 

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do,” said Nicolas Lopez, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Otis Southeast Asia. “We support our frontline teams and empower them with training, tools and technology to deliver on our promise of safety and quality every day. We are proud of this recognition by our customer – it reflects our commitment to embed safety in every aspect of our culture and business, for our people and the customers and communities we serve.”

Otis has collaborated with SBS Transit for more than 20 years, with a maintenance contract servicing elevators and escalators across the Downtown Line and the North East Line. As well as a team of dedicated infrastructure Service professionals, Otis provides comprehensive 24/7 customer service through its OTISLINE® customer care center.

Launched in 2024, the SBS Transit Safe Business Partner Awards celebrate business partners who uphold the highest standards of workplace safety and health. A Silver Award is the first tier in SBS Transit’s recognition program, which supports continuous improvement in safety.

This latest recognition becomes the third safety award that Otis has received in Singapore this year. In addition to the SBS Transit award, the team was recognized with:

• Certificate of Excellence under the Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance Safety Award (Public Facilities & Systems) at the 27th Annual Safety, Health and Environmental Awards Convention (ASAC) by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
• 2025 SMRT Contractors’ Safety Award for upholding the highest standards in health, safety and service management across Singapore’s SMRT rail network.

About Otis
Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2.4 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.4 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 44,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.

New global data shows how Gen Z is prioritising fitness, connection, and community—plus unveils the year’s top gear and new global city leaderboards.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Strava, the app for active people with over 180 million users across more than 185 countries, today released its 12th annual Year In Sport: Trend Report, revealing a fundamental shift in how younger generations are choosing to connect: they’re logging off and lacing up.

Year in Sport: The Trend Report 2025

Analysing billions of activities from Strava’s global community alongside survey insights from more than 30,000 people (users and non-users of Strava), the report identifies a clear trend that Gen Z is turning away from passive scrolling toward active, real-world experiences.

In 2025, this generation showed us how they move: running and racing at all distances, finding community and connection at run clubs, and lifting weights to look and feel good. They also told us what their priorities are and how they are changing – putting movement first, even while on vacation, and spending money on fitness-related expenses over dating.

Overall in 2025, people across generations turned to Strava to find connection and celebrate progress, with 14 billion kudos given this year. Strava subscribers continued to explore the world together, spending one hour being active for every two minutes spent on the app.

“More than half of Gen Z plans to use Strava more in 2026, while most say they’ll use Instagram and TikTok the same amount or less,” said Michael Martin, chief executive officer of Strava. “As the fastest growing demographic on Strava, we know that Gen Z is looking for real experiences, not more time staring at screens. This generation is rewriting the rules, and we’re committed to building the platform that keeps people connected and moving together for generations to come.”

Running rules, but walking is on the rise
Running and racing boomed in 2025. Gen Z led the charge, but also embraced walking, weight training, and multi-sport variety to stay consistent.

• Running remains the top sport on Strava, with racing on the rise. Gen Z is 75% more likely than Gen X to say their main motivation for exercise is a race or event.
• Beginners are joining in and logging personal bests. Runna data revealed that most users rate themselves as beginner (26%) or intermediate (34%) runners. This year, 86% of Runna-connected runners achieved a personal best.
• Gen Z and women are in the weight room. Gen Z is 2x more likely than Gen X to say weight training is their primary sport, with 61% more Gen Z than Gen X saying they lift for aesthetics. Women also joined in and were 21% more likely than men to record Weight Training on Strava in 2025.
• Variety is the spice of life. More than half of Strava users (54%) now track multiple activities, including walking, which claimed the second spot as the most-recorded activity type on Strava. However, people still find starting a new sport, especially skiing and snowboarding, challenging. Twice as many Gen Z as Gen X say picking up a new sport can be intimidating.

Gen Z invested their time and money in exercise
Despite 65% of Gen Z reporting being directly affected by inflation, they’re still doubling down on fitness spending and finding community, connection, and even romance along the way.

• 30% of Gen Z plan to spend more on fitness in 2026, with 63% more Gen Z than Gen X citing wearables as their most significant fitness investment in 2025.
• Gen Z’s dating (and spending) priorities are clear. 64% said they’d rather spend money on gear than a date, and 39% more Gen Z than Gen X use fitness to meet people who share their interests. When it comes to workout first dates, 46% of respondents say “heck yes” while 31% give it a “hard pass”.
• New Clubs on Strava nearly quadrupled in 2025, reaching one million total clubs on the platform. Hiking clubs grew the fastest (5.8x), followed by running clubs (3.5x), while club-organised events rose 1.5x year over year providing the infrastructure for turning online communities into real-world gatherings.

Active travel near and far (mostly near)
International travel was out, exploring the backyard was in, and Gen Z stayed committed to working out wherever they went.

• For Gen Z, working out on vacation isn’t optional – it’s part of the trip. 23% more Gen Z than Gen X say fitness on vacation is non-negotiable. The most popular vacation workout philosophy? 30% of respondents said “run, sun, and snacks.”
• Active people stayed closer to home. Survey respondents were 22% more likely to vacation domestically, than internationally in 2025. The exception: Brits and Germans still travelled to chase adventure abroad.
• When people traveled, it was to chase powder and summit peaks. People were most likely to travel for winter sports (65%), followed by hiking (58%), and water sports (48%).

The year in gear (ft. AI)
From running shoes to wearables, 2025 revealed clear winners across categories. This year, more users recorded their workouts on their phones, while a different running shoe claimed the number one spot for the first time. Technology also helped athletes work out smarter around the world, with Strava and Runna harnessing AI to turbo-charge performance. Strava’s community-powered Routes feature – which analyses data from popular routes to generate personalised recommendations – proved especially popular, with a new route created every 19 seconds throughout the year.

• AI helps us move, but we still know our bodies best. 46% of survey respondents said they would use AI as a smart coach for sports, with Gen Z embracing AI for coaching at a higher level than other generations. Strava and Runna are already well positioned to lead on this trend with features such as Runna’s Workout Insights and Strava’s Athlete Intelligence.
• Fridays are for recovery and rest. This year, Runna users training for a marathon most often selected plans with four runs per week. Friday emerged as the least popular day to log a workout on Strava, making it the perfect day for recovery, rest, or activities like stretching and walking.
• Of all devices, we recorded most on mobile. This year, 72% of Strava users recorded workouts directly through the Strava app. Garmin ranked second in usage across all device types, followed by Apple Health in third.
• Apple Watch was #1 in the watch category, with COROS gaining significant traction. Non-watch wearables like Oura and WHOOP are also growing fast.
• ASICS Novablast broke the tape as the top running shoe, followed by Nike Pegasus at #2 and HOKA Clifton at #3.

City vs City: the 2025 Leaderboards
From the fastest metros to the cities where community matters most, Strava’s global data revealed which cities dominated the leaderboards in 2025. Uri, Switzerland took the crown for most photo-worthy location, with 42% of activities including a photo. And weather proved no obstacle for dedicated Strava users in Riau Islands, Indonesia and Greater Reykjavík, Iceland leading the charge in scorching heat and freezing cold, respectively.

• The regional perspective: A hotspot for ramblers and hikers, Cumbria (5,663) took the crown for the region with the highest median individual daily step count, followed by London boroughs Hammersmith and Fulham (5,567) and Haringey, (5,502). Meanwhile, the most social region was Milton Keynes, where runners recorded the highest percentage (16.7%) of runs paired or in groups, followed by Norfolk (13.7%) and Durham (13.2%).
• London calling. In the UK, both the most attempted run and ride segments were in the capital. ‘Forgot the GPS at start‘ – the Richmond Park loop – was the most attempted ride segment, while ‘Matt Welsh KM‘ in Battersea Park was the most popular for running. London’s runners also led the pack, with the fastest min/km running pace recorded in Hammersmith and Fulham (05:32), followed by Westminster (05:33) and Wandsworth (05:34).
• Globally, Copenhagen claimed the title of fastest metro area (8:52 min/mile running pace), while users in South Africa and Colombia ran in groups most frequently (18.5%). Global cities also revealed stark differences in workout timing: Yogyakarta, Indonesia has the most early birds (55.4% of activities 4-7am), while Seoul, South Korea has the night owls (11% after 9pm).

About Strava

Strava is the app for active people. With over 180 million users in more than 185 countries, it’s more than tracking workouts – it’s where people make progress together, from new habits to new personal bests. No matter your sport or how you track it, Strava’s got you covered. Find your crew, crush your goals, and make every effort count. Start your journey with Strava today.

Join the Strava Club or follow Strava on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Visit www.strava.com for more information.

Media Contact: press@strava.com  

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Logo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/strava_inc_logo.jpg

• The Southeast Asia launch marks a pivotal step in mobilising the University’s global community to tackle urgent challenges through philanthropy, and volunteering.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Manchester (UoM) today launched its first global fundraising and volunteering campaign, Challenge Accepted, in Southeast Asia, in partnership with the British High Commission to Singapore, with an event held at the British High Commissioner’s residence, Eden Hall.

The exclusive launch drew a full house of distinguished alumni and partners to show their support and underscored the University’s bold ambition to harness the collective power of its global community to tackle pressing challenges and drive lasting impact.

The launch featured a reception with the President & Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Professor Duncan Ivison, who underscored the significance of the campaign and reflected on the ongoing contributions of alumni and students. “Challenge Accepted is our call to action. The University, our people, and our global community have the scale, expertise, and ambition to face the challenges of our time,” Professor Ivison said: “Through this campaign we’re inviting everyone to contribute, volunteer, and advocate. Together, we can accelerate discoveries, create opportunities, and drive meaningful impact for society.“

The campaign centres on four key pillars that drive real-world impact — Student Inclusion and Success, Research with Purpose, Innovation and Enterprise, and Culture and Community. From opening doors for talented students and funding bold research, to bringing ideas from lab to life and fostering creativity through culture, these pillars embody The University of Manchester’s spirit of turning knowledge into action. Each theme offers alumni and supporters clear ways to contribute through philanthropy, mentorship, and volunteering.

Professor Ivison highlighted that the campaign builds on Manchester’s 200-year legacy of groundbreaking discoveries, social impact, and innovation. He urged attendees to become challenge accepters, contributing to a global movement that combines ambition, hope, and impact. “Universities like Manchester were created from gifts and people’s hard work and talent to answer the big questions. The challenges we have today, like climate change, global health inequality and achieving social justice demand action and the brightest minds. Challenge Accepted is our collective response, calling on researchers, students, volunteers, and donors to step forward and help shape the future,” he said.

The University of Manchester South East Asia Centre (UoMSEA) in Singapore plays an important role in connecting the region’s alumni and students with the University’s global initiatives. UoMSEA also provides world-class part-time Master’s programmes, including the Global MBA, MSc Financial Management and MA Educational Leadership in Practice allowing local professionals to benefit from Manchester’s expertise while continuing their careers.

With a thriving network of nearly 7,000 in Singapore – one of the University’s most active and engaged global communities – the launch celebrated the region’s strong tradition of volunteering, mentorship, and advocacy in support of Manchester’s mission.

Distinguished attendees at the event included H.E. Nik Mehta OBE, British High Commissioner to Singapore, who welcomed the University to Eden Hall, and Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office; Chairman of Temasek Holdings; and Patron of The University of Manchester Alumni Association Singapore (UoMAAS). Senior alumni such as Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), were also present, alongside Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements with graphene at The University of Manchester.

Challenge Accepted was presented at the launch as a call for the University’s global community to engage in meaningful action through volunteering, advocacy, or philanthropy. Alumni and students in Southeast Asia were given first-hand insights into how they can support the campaign’s four key pillars, from donating via initiatives such as ‘help tackle brain cancer head-on’ to volunteering through the University’s Volunteering Hub or championing causes aligned with research, student development, innovation, and culture. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps translate the campaign’s ambition into real-world impact locally and globally.

Reflecting on the University’s strong alumni community, Mr Teo Chee Hean said, “The University of Manchester’s global network of alumni and partners makes a positive contribution to building collaboration and cooperation to address the challenges of our times. Our alumni here in Singapore are part of this network, and play leading roles in the public, private and people sectors. Initiatives like Challenge Accepted remind us to take bold action to tackle the challenges faced by our societies, many of which we face in common. We can achieve much more together, applying what we learned and the friendships we made at Manchester.”

Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov said, “Supporting initiatives like Challenge Accepted enables researchers and students to pursue ambitious projects that can transform lives and societies. This campaign empowers the next generation of innovators and changemakers to make a real difference.”

H.E. Nik Mehta OBE remarked, “It is a privilege to host The University of Manchester at Eden Hall. The impact of its alumni, research, and initiatives across Southeast Asia is remarkable, and Challenge Accepted offers an exciting opportunity for students and alumni alike to engage meaningfully with pressing global challenges.”

The event also showcased the University’s long-term vision, Manchester 2035: From Manchester for the World, which outlines a decade of ambition to build a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative future.

Professor Ivison emphasised that Challenge Accepted supports this with bold action and collective impact. He highlighted that the future will be shaped by those who act, and that every member of the University’s global community can make a difference through donations, volunteering, or advocacy. Challenge Accepted calls on every member of Manchester’s global family to step forward to give, volunteer, and champion the discoveries that will shape a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world.

To learn more about Challenge Accepted and The University of Manchester’s Global fundraising and volunteering campaign, explore ways to get involved and discover how you can support the University’s global initiatives at https://give.manchester.ac.uk/p/southeastasia2025/

About The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is ranked 35th in the world by QS World University Rankings 2026, 5th in the UK research powerhouse in REF 2021 and 2nd in THE Impact ranking 2025. With as many as 26 Nobel Prize winners, the University’s academic pedigree is among the best globally.

For more information, visit manchester.edu.sg