OpenAI’s U-turn, XPrize’s Canadian hub, and Vancouver isn’t so Bitcoin-friendly

OpenAI has reversed its decision to convert to a for-profit structure, announcing that its nonprofit arm will remain in control of the company. The decision came after strong backlash from former employees, Nobel laureates, and civil society groups who opposed the shift.

Shakepay is the first “crypto-native” company—and third FinTech alongside Questrade and Wealthsimple—to join Payments Canada, the body that manages the country’s core payment systems.

While membership was traditionally limited to banks, credit unions, and a few select institutions, Payments Canada is now expanding access to a broader range of financial firms.

Exterra says it has constructed a solution that takes asbestos tailings, a harmful mining product, and harvests critical minerals from the waste, some of which can store carbon dioxide. The startup announced a $20-million Series A this week, co-led by Clean Energy Ventures and BDC Capital through its Climate Tech Fund.

Dennis Pilarinos believes AI shifts the role of developers from code writers to “code curators.” Unblocked, which raised $27.5 million CAD in Series A funding this week, helps developers make sense of AI-generated code by preserving key context for reviewing, debugging, and building on top of it.

CTO Watson and CMO Attle will share how Clio grew from a Vancouver startup to a global leader at Vancouver Startup Week. The volunteer-run series of downtown Vancouver tech events celebrates local entrepreneurs and innovation and takes place May 20 to 23, ahead of Web Summit Vancouver.

OpenText CEO Mark Barrenechea said the headcount reduction is tied to OpenText’s new AI-first approach. Internal emails sent by Barrenechea to employees in April detail the company’s embrace of AI as a “number one priority and baseline expectation.”

The XPrize Foundation has named the University of Calgary as its first Canada Hub, citing the school’s “vibrant entrepreneurial culture” and key role in the country’s innovation ecosystem, according to the university’s website.

Sim, who has pitched for Vancouver to become a Bitcoin-friendly city and backed two pro-crypto candidates in a local byelection, recently admitted his pro-crypto stance was “not an election winner,” but still “a hill worth dying on.” Both candidates finished near the bottom in the recent byelection.