Joby Aviation, a leading developer of electric air taxis, announced on August 4, 2025, its definitive agreement to acquire Blade Air Mobility’s urban air mobility passenger business for up to $125 million. This strategic move aims to significantly accelerate the commercialization of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by providing Joby with immediate access to established infrastructure and a loyal customer base. The acquisition includes Blade’s leading urban air mobility platform, which features dedicated terminal and lounge infrastructure in key markets such as New York City and Southern Europe.
The deal allows Joby to integrate Blade's decade of experience in premium customer transportation with its advanced technology, positioning the company to launch its commercial operations, with initial passenger flights planned for Dubai next year. Blade, which transported over 50,000 passengers in 2024 from a network of 12 urban terminals, will continue its medical organ transport division as a separate entity, rebranded as Strata Critical Medical. Joby's CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, emphasized that this acquisition provides a "launchpad" to grow the urban air mobility experience.
In related industry news, Pantera Capital has led a $20 million seed funding round for Subzero Labs, a startup emerging from stealth with a new blockchain called Rialo. The investment, announced on August 1, 2025, aims to develop a blockchain designed for "internet-scale decentralized applications" that simplifies the creation of decentralized applications (dApps) to be as user-friendly as Web2 products. Paul Veradakit, Managing Partner of Pantera Capital, affirmed the project's potential, stating, "Rialo is the only full stack network for real world applications – built by leading industry developers for developers."
The funding round also saw participation from notable investors including Coinbase Ventures, Fabric Ventures, Mysten Labs, Susquehanna Crypto, and Variant. Subzero Labs' Rialo blockchain will leverage RISC-V and Solana virtual machine compatibility, seeking to address current limitations in crypto technology and foster broader developer engagement in the Web3 ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the complex issue of artificial intelligence and copyright continues to be a focal point in legal and policy discussions, particularly in Washington D.C. As highlighted in a recent report by The Information, reporter Sylvia Varnham is actively explaining D.C.'s "AI Copyright Conundrum." This ongoing debate centers on whether works created with AI are protectable under copyright law, which traditionally requires human authorship, and if the training of AI models on copyrighted works constitutes fair use. A 2025 D.C. Circuit ruling denied copyright for AI artwork lacking human creation, underscoring the legal challenges facing generative AI technologies.