'Tokenmaxxing' is making developers less productive than they think

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this weekend

View this email online in your browser  April 19, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 'Tokenmaxxing' is making developers less productive than they think: There's a lot more code — but it's a lot more expensive and requires a lot more rewriting. Read More Blue Origin successfully re-uses a New Glenn rocket for the first time ever: It's a major milestone for the company's new mega-rocket system, putting it in position to challenge SpaceX's dominance of the global launch market. Read More Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles exit OpenAI as company continues to shed 'side quests': Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles are leaving OpenAI as the company shuts down Sora and folds its science team, signaling a sharp pivot away from consumer moonshots toward enterprise AI. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Limited tickets available: StrictlyVC San Francisco StrictlyVC kicks off the series in SF on April 30. Be in the room for unfiltered fireside chats on fundraising and AI accuracy with industry leaders like Forum AI founder Campbell Brown, Replit co-founder Amjad Masad, and more. Make high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. Register Now Sunday Must-Reads The App Store is booming again, and AI may be why: New data from Appfigures shows a swell of new app launches in 2026, suggesting AI tools could be fueling a mobile software boom. Read More Once close enough for an acquisition, Stripe and Airwallex are now going after each other: For most of its life, Airwallex and Stripe have mostly operated in different geographies, selling to different buyers. That's changing. Read More Sources: Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges: Returning backers a16z and Thrive are expected to lead the round. Read More Cracks are starting to form on fusion energy’s funding boom: Fusion startups and investors risk deepening fissures if some key disagreements aren't settled amicably. Read More Hackers are abusing unpatched Windows security flaws to hack into organizations: A security researcher published details of three security vulnerabilities in Windows Defender, and the code used to exploit them. Now, hackers are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in real-life attacks, according to a cybersecurity firm. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Momentum and deals start at Disrupt — Save up to $400 now At Disrupt, founders find momentum, VCs discover their next investment, and operators take their next leap. October 13–15 in San Francisco, 10,000 tech leaders converge at San Francisco’s Moscone West to connect and hear from 250+ industry-defining voices across 200+ sessions. Save up to $400 on your pass. Or save up to 30% when you bring your community. Register Now Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum. Register Now! Last but Not Least Sam Altman's project World looks to scale its human verification empire. First stop: Tinder.: World, which has raised eyebrows (but also a lot of interest) with its Orb-centered anonymous verification project, is looking to expand its influence via a bevy of new partnerships. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Anthropic launches Claude Design, a new product for creating quick visuals

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  April 17, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Anthropic launches Claude Design, a new product for creating quick visuals: The company says Claude Design is intended to help people like founders and product managers without a design background share their ideas more easily.  Read More Hackers are abusing unpatched Windows security flaws to hack into organizations: A security researcher published details of three security vulnerabilities in Windows Defender, and the code used to exploit them. Now hackers are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in real-life attacks, according to a cybersecurity firm. Read More Sources: Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges: Returning backers a16z and Thrive are expected to lead the round. Read More Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum. Register Now! A message from Eight Sleep Spring's here. Your bed is still in January. Temps are changing and your mattress isn't keeping up. The Pod by Eight Sleep fits on any mattress and adjusts temperature all night with Autopilot, with each side adjusting independently for couples. Users see up to 32% better sleep quality — and there's no wearable to charge. Use code TECHCRUNCH for up to $350 off. Individual results may vary. Shop the Pod Afternoon Must-Reads 'Tokenmaxxing' is making developers less productive than they think: There's a lot more code — but it's a lot more expensive and requires a lot more rewriting. Read More Uber will now pick up your returns from your doorstep: The new returns feature is the company's latest effort to become an everything app. There are limitations to the new service, and there is, of course, a courier fee. Read More Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles exit OpenAI as company continues to shed 'side quests': Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles are leaving OpenAI as the company shuts down Sora and folds its science team, signaling a sharp pivot away from consumer moonshots toward enterprise AI. Read More Zoom teams up with World to verify humans in meetings: Meeting platform Zoom has announced a partnership with World, Sam Altman's human ID verification company, to ensure that the people attending meetings are actually human and not AI-generated imposters. Zoom will show a badge on verified participants' tile. Read More Bluesky confirms DDoS attack is cause of continued app outages: Bluesky has been experiencing ongoing service disruptions since just before 3 a.m. ET on April 15. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Limited tickets left: StrictlyVC San Francisco StrictlyVC kicks off the series in SF on April 30. Be in the room for unfiltered fireside chats on fundraising and AI accuracy with industry leaders like Forum AI founder Campbell Brown, Replit co-founder Amjad Masad, and more. Make high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. Register Now Last but Not Least Netflix plans to add a vertical video feed, use AI for recommendations: Netflix is going to launch a TikTok-like vertical video feed within its apps this month, and plans to use AI broadly for content creation and recommendations. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107