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Racers will drive down Pennsylvania Avenue and zip past landmarks and museums along the National Mall.

The Rockstar Energy Open, an annual skate contest and live music festival in Portland, Oregon, has revived the link between punk music and skateboarding.

It has gotten much easier to buy crypto over the years. Today, you can buy the digital assets through PayPal, and numerous traditional brokerage firms even let their customers trade cryptocurrencies (despite many of them being reluctant to do so when the asset class was in its infancy).
But even now, most brokerage firms have some safeguards in play. Most of them limit you to the most established cryptos, such as bitcoin and ethereum, while others only provide access to crypto-themed exchange-traded funds.
However, even if you’re able to purchase crypto through your brokerage, those accounts don’t offer the same level of privacy for their customers, which was a major contributor to bitcoin’s initial success. When it comes to crypto, some investors prefer to operate under the radar and accumulate the asset without getting tracked.
This guide will detail the steps you can take to buy crypto anonymously or without verification.

Create a privacy-focused wallet
Some wallets offer stronger privacy features than others, but you’ll need to narrow your choices if privacy is the priority. For example, Wasabi is an open-source, non-custodial Bitcoin desktop wallet designed to improve on-chain privacy (including CoinJoin-style collaborative transactions) while keeping you in control of your keys.
Keep in mind that “private” doesn’t necessarily mean “anonymous,” and privacy features can depend on the wallet’s current infrastructure and coordinator options.
If privacy is your priority, avoid custodial wallets held inside centralized exchange/brokerage accounts, since those platforms typically link activity to your identity. Also note that using any self-custody wallet with a centralized platform (for buying/selling or cashing out) can connect your identity to wallet addresses through deposits/withdrawals.
You may consider utilizing assets like Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC), which are specifically engineered for anonymity. Monero is a non-custodial privacy coin that uses stealth addresses to hide transaction histories, while Zcash offers “shielded” transactions that don’t require users to undergo KYC verification or reveal personal information to the public blockchain. These options allow you to maintain strict privacy when making crypto transactions and storing assets, provided you use a compatible, open-source wallet.
Exchange crypto at public locations
Crypto buyers can avoid leaving a digital trail by exchanging crypto at public locations. While this transaction will still show up on the blockchain, it makes you anonymous. You won’t have to enter your ID or provide any personal information when making these types of crypto transactions so long as you’re using a privacy-focused wallet.
Decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms like Bisq and RoboSats, make it easier to find people in your area who want to trade crypto. You will then have to meet the other person in a public location, such as a library or cafe. For large transactions, it’s best to not show up alone while taking other measures to ensure your safety.
Crypto enthusiasts who make in-person deals have to provide the seller with their wallet’s address. While there are social media groups that connect people who want to conduct in-person, P2P crypto transactions, this route has become less common.
Bitcoin ATMs
Bitcoin ATMs are a great resource for accumulating bitcoin while remaining anonymous, but this option is only good for people who live near those machines. There are an estimated 39,653 bitcoin ATMs in the world, but 88.6% of them are located in North America, according to Coin ATM Radar.
You can buy or sell cryptocurrencies through these ATMs, but you may have limited options beyond bitcoin. If you want to buy crypto, you have to insert cash or a card; on the other hand, you will receive cash if you sell bitcoin through these machines.
Importantly, you don’t need a crypto wallet beforehand to use a bitcoin ATM, and that’s where anonymity comes into play. If you do not have a wallet, a bitcoin ATM will automatically create a digital wallet for you. Some bitcoin ATMs do not require any ID to create that crypto wallet or to enact a transaction. When using these machines, you’ll also receive a private key for the wallet it creates, allowing you to then accumulate crypto under the radar.
You can also create a digital wallet in advance and input that information when you use a bitcoin ATM to make your transactions. However, if you ever use your ID for a bitcoin ATM transaction, your wallet is no longer anonymous. Another considerable downside is that bitcoin ATMs have comparatively high fees, with some charging as high as 10% of a transaction’s value.
Prepaid crypto debit cards
Prepaid crypto debit cards are like regular prepaid debit cards, but they revolve around crypto. These financial products allow you to make crypto transactions without providing any personal information. You can load up on crypto with these cards and then use them to make purchases.
KemyCard, for example, is one of the top virtual crypto debit cards to consider. The card makes it easy to buy crypto and use it to make purchases, and it’s accepted worldwide. You don’t have to provide any personal information to open a Kemy Card, so you can operate anonymously when you buy and sell crypto.
There are some associate fees and restrictions, though. Beyond a monthly maintenance fee of $2, KemyCard charges 5% for when you replenish funds, the debit card is only good for three years and there is a transaction limit of up to $100,000 per month.
Should you buy crypto anonymously?
Buying crypto anonymously makes it more difficult for the government to track your financial transactions. Offline transactions also minimize the risk of cyberattacks resulting in lost bitcoin. While some crypto platforms have robust bitcoin insurance policies, others are not adequately prepared for breaches.
However, be mindful that making anonymous crypto transactions will affect liquidity. You will have fewer people to trade with, and private crypto transactions may incur higher fees. While centralized platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood don’t offer any privacy and are more prone to cyberattacks, they can cost a lot less in the long run.
For most people, it’s better to sign up for a crypto platform that collects details about users and even verifies your ID when you make purchases — no different than buying stocks with a traditional brokerage account. However, if your country bans crypto or you want to make sure no one can track your wealth, anonymous transactions may be the better option for you.

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Every windfall arrives with a silent partner. You see the gross number first and the government’s share much later.

Most people learn this with a bonus. Your employer withholds a flat percentage, the money lands, and you spend some of it. Months later a smaller refund explains what really happened.

That lesson gets expensive when the windfall is stock instead of cash. Equity does not carry a single tax rate. What you keep depends on what you hold, how long you have held it, and whether the sale counts as compensation or as an investment gain.

The rules also moved this year. One change that took effect at the start of the year makes a common equity decision cost more than the same decision cost last year, and the deadline to deal with it lands on Sept. 15.

Roughly $7 billion just landed in that gap.

OpenAI completed a secondary share sale totaling about $7 billion on Aug. 10, allowing current and former employees to sell stock at the company’s $852 billion valuation, according to CNBC.

The company bought the shares back with its own cash instead of bringing in outside investors, according to Bloomberg. It follows a $6.6 billion tender at a $500 billion valuation in October 2025 and a $1.5 billion offer in 2024.

The valuation held flat this time, the first of these deals that did not step the price up.

Why a tender offer is not the same as a paycheck

A tender offer is a company-run window in which employees sell some of their shares at a set price. For anyone paid mostly in equity, it is often the only chance to turn paper wealth into cash before an initial public offering, or IPO.

That structure is why the tax outcome is not uniform. Your neighbor at the same company, selling the same dollar amount on the same day, can keep a very different share of it.

Related: OpenAI just admitted something that has the AI industry on edge

The reason is the instrument. Vested shares held more than a year can qualify for long-term capital gains treatment, generally capped at 20% federally, plus the 3.8% net investment income tax.

Options you never exercised are different. The spread between your strike price and the sale price is generally compensation, taxed as ordinary income at rates up to 37%.

“Two people selling the same dollar amount of equity can walk away with materially different amounts,” said Slice Global Equity CEO Maor Levran, whose firm handles equity and tax compliance for companies with employees in multiple countries.

OpenAI completed a $7 billion employee tender offer on Aug. 10.hapabapa / Getty Images

What the 2026 alternative minimum tax reset changes for options

The more expensive change sits inside the alternative minimum tax, a parallel calculation that ignores several deductions the regular system allows and adds back items it does not tax. Exercising an incentive stock option and still holding the shares at year end is one of those add-backs.

Here is what changed, and what it costs:

The AMT exemption phaseout now starts at $500,000 of alternative minimum taxable income for single filers and $1 million for joint filers, down from $626,350 and $1,252,700 in 2025, the instructions for IRS Form 6251 noted.

The phaseout rate doubled to 50 cents on the dollar from 25 cents, so the exemption disappears twice as fast, according to the Tax Foundation‘s reading of IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.

The 2026 exemption is $90,100 for single filers and $140,200 for joint filers under that same procedure, and it is gone entirely at $680,200 and $1,280,400.

Employers may withhold a flat 22% on supplemental wages up to $1 million in a calendar year, with a mandatory 37% on anything above that, according to IRS Publication 15.

Third-quarter estimated tax payments for 2026 are due Sept. 15, the IRS confirmed.

Read those together and the trap is visible. An option exercise is priced off the company’s current valuation, and the bigger that spread, the more gets added to your alternative minimum taxable income. That happens at exactly the moment the exemption shielding that income has been cut back.

“The biggest mistake is looking only at the eventual tax rate and ignoring the cash required today,” Levran said. “You can end up paying a significant AMT bill to hold shares that you still can’t sell.”

For anyone who vested across two countries, the arithmetic gets harder. Both places may claim the same proceeds depending on where the work was performed, and treaties and foreign tax credits reduce double taxation without erasing the reporting problem. An employer’s payroll allocation, Levran said, is not necessarily the final tax answer.

How to size your tax gap before the September deadline

None of this is unique to one company. It is the shape of an entire liquidity wave.

SpaceX employees got the public-market version of the same lesson. The company priced its initial public offering at $135 a share on June 11 and began trading the next day.

More Artificial Intelligence:

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About 911.5 million insider shares became sellable on Aug. 6, by which point the stock had fallen more than 50% from its mid-June high, according to CNBC.

Those employees got liquidity and a moving price. OpenAI’s sellers got a fixed price and the same tax questions.

The practical work is the same either way. Find out what you actually hold, since a converted share, a restricted stock unit, and an unexercised option produce three different answers on identical proceeds.

Confirm the rate your employer withheld rather than assuming it covers the bill. Run the alternative minimum tax math before you exercise anything, not after.

The 22% that came out of your payout is a withholding convention, not your tax rate. The difference comes due on Sept. 15 or in April 2027, and it is far easier to find in a brokerage account now than in a checking account then.

Related: OpenAI’s answer to rising AI hacking risks has two tiers

The grade 1 $1 million Pacific Classic offers a competitive field for fans and a Breeders’ Cup Classic berth to the winner. First run in 1991, this is California’s jewel.

Ahead of MLS schedule shifts and TV rights negotiations, the league entertains some bold new postseason ideas to increase interest (and boost its bottom line).

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Why we love this deal

While emergencies may not happen very often, it’s important to be ready when they do. Thankfully, it’s easy to be prepared with all of the different options available. Whether you live somewhere that’s more prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires, or you want to be ready for power outages or car failure while out on the road, emergency items like flashlights, chargers, and radios are all great choices. 

With the Jazmm 3-in-1 Solar Handcrank Charger Radio at Walmart, you can get all of those things in one. Both charging methods require no electricity, allowing you to charge your items, use the flashlight, and listen to the emergency radio without worrying about finding a plug or having a backup generator. At just $25, this is a great option to help you out in an emergency. Plus, it’s compact, so it can easily fit in a trunk or a closet. 

Jazmm 3-in-1 Solar Handcrank Charger Radio, $25 (was $31) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

This radio is packed with features that are useful not only for emergencies, but also handy for road trips or camping. It has a 7400mWh battery and three built-in charging cables, including a lighting cable, a USB-C, and a micro USB, so you can charge three devices at once. With multiple ways to charge this device, it’s rare that it will run out of power, allowing you to stay ready. 

You can keep the device sitting in the window during the day to keep it charged when there is sunlight present, and the hand-crank option allows you to charge it when there’s no sun and no electricity nearby. Between emergencies, it can be used as a normal charger or light, which lets you make sure it’s still working and can help the battery run better overall. It’s suggested to use solar devices about every month to every three months, and to keep it sitting around 50% to 70% charge when not in use for long periods to help prolong battery life. 

Related: Amazon has an emergency item for $35 that doesn’t need electricity to function

The built-in flashlight has three modes to choose from, including low, medium, and high, and the radio has six LED reading lights that pop up from the top of the device, acting as a lamp. This is useful for illuminating general areas hands-free, instead of having to direct a bright light around, which can be useful in the car or a camping tent. It features a 120-decibel SOS alarm that creates a loud noise to help people find you in any situation. 

Details to know

Chargers: It features three types of chargers that allow you to charge three devices simultaneously.

Power: This device can be charged with solar power or a hand crank.

Radio: It offers real-time weather updates during large disasters with AM, FM, and NOAA weather radio channels.

“I am so impressed,” said one shopper. “This unit has more than you would ever need. I like how you can charge it in different ways. It has good sound, a great flashlight option, and it’s easy to use. Don’t wait to order it; you will thank yourself.”

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Jadeshay Hand Crank Solar Flashlight, $10 (was $15) at Walmart

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The Jazmm 3-in-1 Solar Handcrank Charger Radio is a great choice for anyone looking to stay ready. The charging options are easy to use, and the multi-light and multi-device-charging capabilities are convenient and ideal for situations without grid power. At just $25, this device is a no-brainer.

Enterprise AI teams have stopped betting on a single orchestration platform. The median enterprise now runs three at once — not by accident, but because none of them fully trusts a single vendor to run the show, according to VB Pulse data.This is not just to avoid vendor lock-in and retain flexibility (although that’s a big part of it). There’s still a lot of uncertainty, even distrust, in vendors’ security and permissioning capabilities. Enterprises want the ability to impose their own. Microsoft leads on primary usage today, while Anthropic leads by a wide margin in what enterprises are considering next. But enterprises still struggle with many challenges, notably around token usage and visibility into agent spending. These findings are from an ongoing analysis of how enterprises are actually deploying and using AI: Their platforms of choice, what guides their decision-making, what they prioritize, their AI expectations, how they control costs, and whether their AI is actually agentic or still a chatbot in an “agent” label. VB Intelligence is getting feedback from builders actually in the trenches: software and machine learning (ML) engineers, product and program managers, and data/AI/analytics VPs and directors. Concerns around retaining visibility and controlAcross 107 enterprises, agentic orchestration has become decidedly plural. The survey found that the majority of enterprises are not committing themselves to any one model: 85% are using two or more orchestration tools; 64% are using three. Just 15% run a single orchestration platform. Microsoft AI Foundry/Copilot Studio shows up in 70% of stacks, OpenAI’s Agents SDK in 68%, and Anthropic’s Claude Platform in 47%. Builders surveyed are also to some extent using Google’s Enterprise Agent Platform, LangChain/LangGraph, Salesforce Agentforce, Amazon Bedrock, and LlamaIndex. Augmenting vendor tools, 22% of builders run custom in-house orchestration. This trend of hybridability is only expected to continue. More than half of respondents (53%) said the primary control plane will be hybrid by the end of 2026. Fourteen percent expect to use a provider-managed service, 13% plan on a custom in-house control plane, and 11% are betting on external platforms that are abstracted away from model providers. Dovetailing with this, more than two-thirds of respondents plan to change platforms within the year: 15% in the next three months (or sooner), 24% in three to six months, and 28% in six to 12 months. Claude Agent SDK is a top tool under consideration; 43% of builders are exploring the Anthropic-built model. Roughly one-third are looking at Google’s Enterprise Agent Platform, another 31% are focused on custom in-house orchestration, and 25% are investigating OpenAI’s options. Perhaps learning from the lock-in of the early cloud days, enterprises aren’t choosing one “winner.” They are deliberately building for a future where multiple orchestration platforms, models, and agents work with each other across a hybrid control plane. Generally speaking, respondents are pleased with the platforms they’ve been running, rating them 4.17 out of 5 for overall satisfaction. But they are less satisfied with ease of implementation (rating it 3.91 out of 5) and value for the money (3.63 out of 5). Keep an eye on these ratings as orchestration platforms and AI roadmaps mature. Where enterprises are putting their moneyEnterprise buying logic is now based on a mix of several factors. Beyond flexibility (cited by 29% of respondents), top considerations include security and permissions (17%), production reliability (15%), and control over agent execution (15%). Just one out of 10 identify model gravity — native alignment with a state-of-the-art base model — as important in purchasing decisions; 8% name ease of development, 4% cite total cost of ownership, and just 2% cite latency and memory performance. Spending also reflects enterprise priority on visibility, security, and control. Builders are investing the most in agent monitoring and debugging (31%) and security and permissions enforcement (30%). Workflow tooling accounts for another 19%. That’s a shift from VentureBeat’s prior wave a month earlier, when workflow tooling led orchestration spending outright. Enterprises are largely optimizing for task completion reliability (30%), multi-step workflow management (27%), developer productivity (23%), and operational stability (13%). Just 7% of respondents name end-user experience as a top priority at this point, indicating that many are still focused on orchestration at this point rather than UX. Essentially, enterprises are signaling that workflow succeeds when it carries multiple steps to completion. Simplifying development and end-user experiences could become a larger concern when platforms are actually in place. The visibility problemBuilders’ biggest concerns when choosing platforms center around control and oversight. They don’t want vendors to constrain their ability to see what their agents are doing on a given platform. Factors top of mind include security and permissioning limitations (37%), vendor lock-in (23%), limited visibility and observability (22%) and inflexibility around models and tools (16%). Meanwhile, in these early days of AI agents, enterprises still struggle to control agent token use; one in five still can’t stop a runaway agent’s spending in real time.Builders are using various strategies to try to keep agent spending in line: 30% rely on native platform controls (built-in budget caps or throttling) and 25% have built custom gateway plumbing (proxy middleware to intercept runaway agents). A quarter of respondents use dynamic routing to offload heavy work to low-cost models, and 21% still rely solely on reactive monitoring, such as post-hoc logs; these enterprises have no real-time kill switches. One interesting finding: unlike the prior wave, organization size makes little difference in fiscal control maturity — 18% of enterprises with 10,000-plus employees exercise only reactive control, compared to 23% of smaller ones.Clearly, while enterprises recognize the problem with spend, many have not yet instrumented their stacks to rein it in. Most enterprises still aren’t running true multi-step agentsBuilders polled were asked to honestly assess their tech stacks; the consensus seems to be that ‘agents’ are slowly but surely progressing beyond chatbots wrapped in that fancier label. Here’s how the numbers break down: A small number of respondents (2%) report that 76 to 100% of their systems are advanced and largely autonomous; 14% say 51 to 75% of their systems are complex, multi-agent pipelines; and 47% report that 26 to 50% of their systems are true orchestration.On the other end of the spectrum, 35% say just 1 to 25% of their systems are true orchestration; most deployments remain basic assistants, and 3% are still only deploying chatbots. This is in line with VB’s June Pulse survey: 71% of respondents said a quarter or fewer of their deployed “agents” can autonomously complete multi-step work, and just one-tenth say they have deployed agents at scale.There’s no doubt that enterprises are building control planes and infrastructures for agents; but for many of them, the true agentic wave is still off on the horizon.

Missile shortages expose the limits of supply-chain efficiency, and show how automation, additive manufacturing and flexible production could improve resilience.

Troops on the carrier deployed in the Middle East were reportedly facing a mental health crisis.