Silicon Data has raised $30.5 million in Series A funding led by the Valor Atreides AI Fund, CEO Carmen Li announced. The company provides a financial data platform for the AI economy. The funding comes as GPU prices surge, making compute an increasingly precious commodity. Silicon Data's platform focuses on real-time compute pricing data. The investment highlights growing demand for tools that help companies navigate the economics of AI infrastructure as computational resources become more expensive and harder to secure.

CME Group has partnered with FutureSports to launch the world's first futures contracts based on sports performance indexes. The derivatives will be based on FutureSports Performance Indexes, which convert official league statistics into financial benchmarks. The cash-settled futures will begin trading this summer, pending regulatory approval. Monthly and quarterly contracts will offer hedging tools for stadium operators, sponsors, insurers, apparel manufacturers and broadcasters within what FutureSports describes as a $650 billion global industry. FutureSports, launched in 2026 after development since 2022, creates indexes from live sports data using methodology aligned with international securities principles. The Chicago-based firm will announce exclusive partnerships with professional sporting leagues to transform team and athlete statistics into continuously priced benchmarks. CME Group chairman Terry Duffy said the contracts will bring "price discovery and risk management discipline" to the sports industry.

CME Group reported second-quarter 2026 results with revenue of $1.7 billion and net income of $1.04 billion. The derivatives exchange expanded its product lineup with cash-settled single-stock futures and 24/7 1-ounce gold futures, targeting retail traders through its Globex platform and partnerships with brokers like NinjaTrader. Early weekend volumes in the new gold contract show initial traction, though the products remain immaterial against over $3.5 billion in first-half revenue. The expansion brings execution and regulatory risks in a competitive exchange market. Three community fair value estimates for CME Group cluster between $246 and $282 per share, reflecting differing investor perspectives on the company's prospects.