NEW Semperis Study Reveals that the Majority of Ransomware Attacks Continue to Occur During Holidays and Weekends 35

Organizations should prepare for a surge in ransomware attacks during holidays, weekends, and major corporate events, when cybersecurity staffing is its weakest.

Semperis, a leading provider of AI-powered identity security and cyber resilience, today released results from a global ransomware study underscoring that the majority of ransomware attacks continue to occur on holidays and weekends, when cybersecurity staffing is reduced. In addition, the study shows ransomware groups also intensify their attacks during corporate material business events, including mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and layoffs, to exploit organizational disruption and reduced security focus.

“Threat actors continue to take advantage of reduced cybersecurity staffing on holidays and weekends to launch ransomware attacks. Vigilance during these times is more critical than ever because the persistence and patience attackers have can lead to long lasting business disruptions,” said Chris Inglis, the first U.S. National Cyber Director and Semperis Strategic Advisor. “In addition, corporate material events such as mergers and acquisitions often create distractions and ambiguity in governance and accountability—exactly the environment ransomware groups thrive on.”

The report, titled 2025 Holiday Ransomware Risk Report, found that 52% of surveyed organizations in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were targeted on holidays or weekends. Alarmingly, 78% of companies cut security operation center (SOC) staffing by 50% or more, during holidays and weekends, while 6% cut their SOC staffing entirely during these same times. 60% of attacks occurred following an IPO, merger or acquisition, or round of layoffs.

Key Ransomware Report Findings

Reasons for reducing SOC staffing on holidays and weekends.
62% of organizations want to provide employees with work/life balance, 47% reported their business is closed on holidays and weekends and 29% did not think they would be attacked.

Ransomware gangs will attack during corporate material events.
60% of ransomware attacks took place after a material corporate event and of those attacked after such an event, 54% of companies reported being targeted following a merger or acquisition.

ITDR plans prioritize detection over response and recovery.
Identity threat detection and response (ITDR) plans gain traction, with 90% of respondents reporting that their plans detect identity system vulnerabilities. However, only 45% of plans include remediation procedures, and only 63% automate identity system recovery.

The full ransomware study, which includes breakdowns of responses by vertical market and by country, is available at: https://www.semperis.com/ransomware-holiday-risk-report

For more information about how Semperis helps global organizations improve cyber resilience, visit the Semperis Identity Resilience Platform page: at https://www.semperis.com/identity-resilience-platform/.

About Semperis

Semperis protects critical enterprise identity services for security teams charged with defending hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Purpose-built for securing hybrid identity environments—including Active Directory, Entra ID, and Okta—Semperis’ AI-powered technology protects over 100 million identities from cyberattacks, data breaches, and operational errors.

As part of its mission to be a force for good, Semperis offers a variety of cyber community resources, including the award-winning Hybrid Identity Protection (HIP) Conference, HIP Podcast, and free identity security tools Purple Knight and Forest Druid. Semperis is a privately owned, international company headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey, supporting the world’s biggest brands and government agencies, with customers in more than 40 countries.

Learn more: https://www.semperis.com

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Luffa introduces next-gen creator and fan economy OS designed to shift value and control to users 47

Luffa announced its latest brand upgrade: a next-gen operating system for the creators and fan economy, in the form of a value-driven social network, aiming to be the ultimate Web3 connector bridging digital engagement and real-world value. Meanwhile, Luffa rolled out its latest features—including live streaming, short-form videos, and the “World” function—at the end of September. The platform also disclosed that it has hit key milestones: reaching 1 million registered users and surpassing 2 million app downloads.

By leveraging blockchain technology, Luffa moves beyond the extractive models of Web2 platforms, enabling creators, fans, and brands to interact and transact without intermediaries.

The global creator economy, projected to reach $528 billion by 2030, is currently constrained by structural limitations of existing social platforms. These include value asymmetry, where platforms monetize user attention while creators retain a fraction of the revenue, and the combined effect of closed ecosystems and algorithmic recommendation mechanisms — the former locks user identities and audiences into “walled gardens,” while the latter traps users in “information cocoons” and creators in a “traffic black hole.”

Luffa addresses these core issues by converging social connection, value creation, and identity ownership into a unified, community-owned system.

​From extraction to empowerment: A new economic model​

Luffa is an operating system of the creator and fan economy, integrating functions such as wallets, identities, loyalty systems, channels, and communities to deliver a seamless experience. Users can earn points by engaging with content within the application, while it also provides tools for creators and projects to drive fan and user growth, boost retention and activity rates, and deepen relationships with their fans.

Luffa has built an ecosystem where users and creators can take control of their attention and influence, and materialize their value. Within this ecosystem, the Web3 wallet and identity account system serve as the underlying economic infrastructure, safeguarding users’ privacy and autonomy; the point and token design for creators and fans forms the economic system of the loyalty layer; and features including groups, channels, live streaming, short videos, AI agents, and SuperBox mini-programs offer diverse capabilities and vast potential.

Luffa’s infrastructure is built on four key pillars:

  • ​Creator & Fan Sovereignty:​​ Users maintain ownership of their audience graph, content, and value flows.
  • Tokenized Fan Economy:​​ Engagement is transformed into verifiable, tradable assets through tokens and loyalty mechanisms.
  • Rich Content and Interactive Formats: A channel-centric creator hub and an AI-powered, one-stop programmable space.
  • Support for Fast Web3 Wallet Settlement: Enables full-scenario stablecoin and cryptocurrency payment transactions and asset management, facilitating instant cross-border transactions with low fees.

“This shift represents a move from an attention-based economy to a trust-based economy, where value is measurable, portable, and governed by the community,” said Luffa CTO Michael Liu.

​Early traction demonstrates market potential

Luffa’s model has already been validated through successful initiatives. Its collaboration with CreatorHub in Madrid in September attracted hundreds of creators. A significant milestone was the onboarding of television personality Teresa Giudice, with over 20 million followers, as a flagship creator partner.

Luffa has ushered in a series of new changes: in September, it launched new features such as “Live Streaming + World + Subscription Recommendation Feed”, which have greatly expanded the ways for creators to interact with their fans and also mean a richer variety of content formats; it has recently achieved key milestones of 1 million registered users and 2 million App downloads; at the same time, it has appointed Esra Ozturk as the new Product Lead, who has extensive product experience at well-known unicorn companies like Uber and Zillow and will be committed to building Luffa’s fan loyalty mechanism.

User feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One early adopter noted, “For me, Luffa isn’t just an app. It’s a place where community, security, and rewards come together.”

​About the Luffa team​

Luffa is led by a team of industry veterans. The core team includes CTO Michael Liu (former AI Lead at a Top 100 Global Group, Founder of Silicon Valley Fam Capital, MIT Electrical Engineering & Harvard FinTech ), and Head of Product Esra Ozturk (ex-Meta, Uber, Zillow).

Also, the project is advised by Professor Xiong Yu, Director of Surrey Academy of Blockchain and Metaverse Applications and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK; Uriah Ferruccio, former Vice President of Binance and founding Director of JD.com AI; Dr Ned Wang, Former Deputy Director of the Oxford Digital Economy Lab and Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Financial Big Data Lab; and etc.

​Looking ahead​

Positioned at the intersection of AI-driven content creation and Web3 digital ownership, Luffa is developing a suite of sovereignty tools for creators, paving the way for the next evolution of the internet’s value layer.

​About Luffa

Luffa is the operating system for the fan economy, combining wallet, identity, loyalty, and community into one seamless experience. By enabling creators, brands, and fans to participate in a shared, transactable value-driven social network, Luffa is a super connector that bridges digital engagement and real-world value. Luffa’s mission is to transform attention into ownership and connection into commerce—empowering each stakeholder in the creator ecosystem with tools for growth, retention, and deeper fan relationships.

Download Luffa at: https://www.luffa.im/
Twitter: https://x.com/LuffaMessage

Beginner’s Guide to Mining: How to Get $100 for Free and Learn to Make $2000 Per Day by Mining Bitcoin on FLAMGP 56

18 11 2025 1

Mining in the Bitcoin network is basically a process where machines compete to verify transactions and keep the network safe, in return for that computational work, they receive rewards. The job of a miner is to find a particular solution to the mathematical problems in order to obtain one’s right to keep the ledger and hence receive Bitcoin rewards. Aside from allowing miners to make money, this technique is also the reason why the Bitcoin network can operate continuously, stably, and in a decentralized manner.

Nevertheless, as the total computational power of the Bitcoin network has kept increasing, the mining threshold has become much higher than it was during the initial days. Nowadays, personal devices can hardly bring about effective profits. To be sure, professional ASIC miners, electricity costs, cooling systems, and operation and maintenance expenses have caused it to be very costly to mine, hence the mining industry has transitioned from the “personal era” to a fully “institutionalized, large-scale, professionalized” stage. This means that regular users who want to engage in mining should first encounter the realities of an expensive equipment, an uncertain cost, and complicated maintenance.

What Is Cloud Computing?

For this reason, “cloud computing power” has turned out to be a more appropriate option for the majority of people. The fundamental idea of cloud computing power is: mining farms deliver hardware, electricity, and maintenance, while users merely need to rent computing power to get a share of the profits without purchasing mining machines or running a mining facility.

This method is not only less challenging in terms of barriers for the ordinary investors but also more transparent and easier for return planning.

FLAMGP AI cloud computing power has become the new-generation users’ first choice under this trend. FLAMGP has the following advantages compared to the traditional mining models:

1. No hardware costs

Users are free from the burden of buying costly mining machines and do not have to worry about hardware depreciation, an increase in electricity bills, or other kinds of risks.

2. AI computing power optimization system

The platform utilizes AI scheduling and computing power allocation to enhance utilization and output efficiency, thus the profits become more stable.

3. Fully automated earnings settlement

Since the system operates 24 hours a day automatically, it is also with automatic allocation and settlement, hence allowing users to be free from the price fluctuation monitoring or equipment maintenance activities.

4. Powered by green energy nodes

By combining renewable energy mining farms, it provides a more compliant path for future regulatory directions and global low-carbon trends.

Bitcoin mining professional threshold is no longer something that is easy to cross for ordinary people nowadays. Cloud computing power, however, makes it possible for anyone to participate in Bitcoin network revenues again. FLAMGP by means of “AI + cloud computing power” is allowing users to be able to access an industry which originally required professional equipment and was high-cost with the lowest threshold and thus to be able to capture long-term growth opportunities in digital asset infrastructure.

How to Join FLAMGP?

1. Register an Account (Get $15–$100 New User Reward)

Go to the FLAMGP official website, register with your email, and after you finish, the platform will give you a newcomer reward for the daily computing power experience.

2. Pick an AI Computing Power Package

Various levels of computing power plans are made available by the platform. Users may decide on contracts based on their budgets.

Typically:

  • Basic contracts: Are good for beginners, with the daily output being around $3–$50.
  • Intermediate contracts: Are good for light investors, with the daily output being around $100–$300.
  • Advanced contracts: Are good for users who are aiming at quick asset growth, with the daily output being able to reach $600–$1,000.
  • High computing power contracts: Are for users who want to achieve the maximum output, with daily earnings being able to cover $1,800–$10,000 or more.

All the money comes from the platform real-time settlement of computing power output and not from market speculation.

3. Turn On AI Automatic Computing Power

When payment is made through major currencies, the AI computing power system will be the one to run, dispatch, and allocate automatically. The only thing that you need to do is to open your mobile phone and have a look at the daily output data.

How FLAMGP Makes Money?

FLAMGP’s profit model revolves around “AI computing power output distribution”. The core of it is automation + stable income.

1. Rent computing power → get rewarded for supporting blockchain infrastructure

After users have purchased computing power, this means that they have become part of computing resources at the blockchain level.Platform puts the computing power at the disposal of professional facilities (e.g. BTC, ETH, or AI computing tasks) and thus users get a share of earnings in the proportion of their input. You do not need to have technical knowledge or equipment and yet, you can be entitled to a revenue model which is the same as that of professional mining farms.

2. AI algorithms improve output efficiency

The AI computing engine performs the following tasks:

  • Node optimization
  • Dynamic computing power allocation
  • On-chain data analysis
  • Earnings comparison and automatic switching

All of these lead to better use of computing power and more stable output. In simpler terms: AI is the one who makes your earnings at the highest level and all you have to do is to view the results once per day.

3. Non-stop automatic settlement, earnings available at any time

Earnings are not dependent on volatility or speculation but on real-time computing power output; thus, they are automatically settled daily. You have the possibility to check at any time:

  • Today’s earnings
  • Past earnings
  • Computing power status

The whole process is open and traceable.

4. Referral rewards (optional)

By sharing an invitation link with other users, they get an additional 4.5% promotion reward from the platform. This is an extra source of income and does not impact the provision of computing power earnings.

One Sentence Summary

Being part of FLAMGP means being a part of AI + blockchain underlying computing power income with the lowest threshold which enables ordinary people to participate in BTC and other crypto mining and get daily ‌earnings.

Official Website: flamgp.com
Customer Service Email: info@flamgp.com

Arcfra Releases Kubernetes Engine 1.5, Delivering Cross-Site Active-Active DR for Unmatched Container Reliability 66

Arcfra, an innovator in cloud and AI infrastructure, today announced the release of Arcfra Kubernetes Engine (AKE) version 1.5, a major update to its production-grade container management platform. AKE 1.5 focuses on enterprise-grade reliability and refined governance, delivers cross-site active-active disaster recovery capabilities, enhances multi-tenancy management, and boosts platform observability, ensuring the highest level of stability for core business applications.

As enterprises shift core production systems onto Kubernetes, the risk of “site-level” failures—such as power outages or network disruptions—demands a true active-active solution, moving beyond fragile backup and recovery models. AKE 1.5 directly addresses this need by leveraging Arcfra’s mature active-active storage technology and deeply integrating it with the container platform.

The new Cross-Site Active-Active Deployment runs Kubernetes clusters across primary and secondary availability zones, providing real-time data synchronization, dynamic resource scheduling, and automatic, rapid failover.

This hyper-converged, dual-layer High Availability (HA) approach ensures redundancy for both the control and data planes, guaranteeing data consistency, which native Kubernetes multi-cluster setups struggle to achieve.

By combining VM HA and K8s node self-healing, AKE 1.5 achieves a Minute-level Business Recovery (RTO), significantly faster than cross-cluster backup/restore methods. Furthermore, this architecture allows both zones to bear the business load simultaneously, optimizing resource utilization.

To enhance enterprise governance, AKE 1.5 introduces comprehensive Project and Namespace Resource Quotas (CPU, memory, storage, GPU) with real-time Visualized Resource Control and automatic alerting. This ensures precise resource allocation and mitigates risks in complex multi-team environments.

Finally, the platform is now fully controllable with Enhanced Observability and compliance features, including a new Auditing Feature for full traceability of user, application, Kubernetes API, and control plane activities.

AKE continues to power mission-critical systems globally. For example, ConnectWave, a leader in South Korea’s e-commerce market, utilizes AKE for its PLAi AI platform, and Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services provider, implemented AKE to unify container workload management.

ModulusZK from CULT DAO Announces “Silent Heroes” Airdrop 108

ModulusZK, the novel ZK solution built by Cult DAO, today announced its “Silent Heroes” airdrop, which is designed to reward the unknown crypto enthusiasts who have been quietly adding value to communities without the kind of self-promotion that has been seen from influencers and other toxic individuals who more recently have inhabited the space and risen to prominence.

The airdrop will consist of 3% of the $MOD token supply to individuals who meet all the following requirements:

  • 50–10,000 Twitter followers
  • Have tweeted about crypto for two-plus years
  • No affiliate links or paid groups in social media bio
  • Have never received an airdrop from Arbitrum, OP, Linea, Blur, zkSync, Scroll, Stark, ZRO, EIGEN, ZORA, MOVE or MODE
  • Have never claimed rewards from Kaito
  • Have never been given a MONAD card
  • Haven’t taken part in three or more Galxe or Zealy campaigns

Special consideration will be given to those who posted during the bear market (2022-2023), have extensively discussed the tech (not just price), or started before 2021. Anybody who has clearly bought followers, posted spam, or repeated copy-and-paste comments, appeared on Kaito leaderboards, or consistently shilled any project that has been on Kaito will be disqualified.

“Right now, standard crypto users who are not full-time in this industry see a hyped launch, recommended by influencers with token allocations, promoted by the VCs with vesting allocations, farmed by those seeking an airdrop allocation. Then, those normal users buy that hyped launch, get dumped on by the airdrop farmers, dumped on by the influencers, and then slowly dumped on by the venture capital firms,” said O’Modulus. “I want to reward the squeezed middle class of crypto, those who are active in the ecosystem, but not an influencer; who have money to contribute, but aren’t necessarily a whale; who have an interest in airdrops, but no time to farm them. As I see it, those who seek an airdrop are those who will sell the airdrop. I want to provide an airdrop to those who won’t just turn around and sell, but who will actually appreciate it and therefore convert that into the respect it takes to join and contribute to a project.”

In an environment where many other projects have faded in the past three years despite accumulating millions in funding and thousands in followers, and community has become a buzz word, CULT stands out. With a long-standing loyal base of community members who believe in building a new, actually community-empowered, decentralized future, ModulusZK is the next step towards that goal. In the year to date, the $CULT token has three times the social volume of ZKsync’s token ($ZK) and 10 times the social volume of Stark’s token ($STRK), all while never previously conducting an airdrop or raising venture capital.

About ModulusZK

ModulusZK empowers developers and institutions to build privacy-preserving systems without cryptography expertise. Through breakthrough First-Order Logic compiler technology, Modulus eliminates the complexity barrier preventing zero-knowledge proof adoption, making ZK accessible to any developer using familiar programming languages.

Modulus achieves 10-100x cost reduction versus competitors (proofs at $0.01-0.10 vs $2-10), enabling previously impossible DeFi applications: MEV-protected swaps, compliant institutional privacy, and TradFi-DeFi bridges. With endorsements from Ethereum Foundation members and community engagement surpassing zkSync and Starknet, Modulus is mainnet-ready and positioned to become the infrastructure layer for institutional DeFi participation.

For more information, visit https://moduluszk.io.

Quhuo Expands Use of Blockchain Technology to Enhance Cross-Border Business Operations 145

Quhuo Limited (“Quhuo” or the “Company”), a leading gig economy platform focusing on local community-centered services in China, today announced a strategic partnership with blockchain investment and advisory firm Topliquidity Management Limited (“Topliquidity”). Under the agreement, Topliquidity will provide advisory services to Quhuo in connection with its blockchain initiatives and digital currency strategies, strengthening its global expansion.

Quhuo International, the Company’s overseas division, focuses on vehicle exports. Since its inception in 2023, Quhuo International’s business has grown rapidly and established strong partnerships across multiple countries. The collaboration with Topliquility is intended to provide Quhuo International with a more flexible settlement and asset management approach for its international operations.

In certain overseas multinational trade scenarios, real-world assets may be tokenized and anchored on the blockchain, enabling them to be linked with stablecoins, unlocking new financing channels to enhance transaction flexibility and security. As blockchain-based assets, stablecoins benefit from market pricing and broad liquidity, making them suitable for use in global payments and settlements. For example, in multinational operations where access to U.S. dollar reserves is limited, stablecoins can be used to facilitate payments and ensure smooth transactions.

Quhuo will actively explore compliance frameworks for blockchain technology to ensure that stablecoin payments and digital asset management operate legally and in line with regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions.

In recent years, global capital markets have shown growing interest in digitalization, blockchain, and related asset management models. As companies accelerate their international expansion, blockchain technology is emerging as a key link connecting diverse markets and resources. Quhuo believes that future competitiveness will be defined not only by business scale, but also by the ability to anticipate technological trends and apply them with agility.

TopLiquidity is a leading global investment and advisory firm in public equities and digital assets. Its team has invested and advised numerous digital asset treasury transactions in key capital markets across the globe.

Through this partnership, Topliquidity will provide Quhuo with services spanning blockchain technology, digital asset allocation and management, strategic planning, investor outreach and financing support, market communication, and regulatory compliance. Quhuo plans to establish cross-department collaboration mechanisms to seamlessly integrate blockchain technology into its existing business processes. For example, in its vehicle export business, the Company will explore the use of smart contracts in executing trade agreements, helping reduce manual labor costs and improve transaction transparency.

This marks another step in Quhuo’s digital development following its earlier exploration of digitalization in the housing rental business. The initiative represents not only a technological upgrade, but also an expansion of the company’s strategic vision. Leslie Yu, CEO of Quhuo, stated: “Digitalization is a key driver of long-term growth. This collaboration represents an important step in our digital strategy and a proactive move to prepare for future market dynamics. We believe that forward-looking technological adoption and prudent strategic planning will strengthen Quhuo’s competitiveness in the global market and create sustainable value for our shareholders.”

About Quhuo Limited

Quhuo Limited (“Quhuo” or the “Company”) is a leading gig economy platform focusing on local life services in China. Leveraging Quhuo+, its proprietary technology infrastructure, Quhuo is dedicated to empowering and linking workers and local life service providers and providing end-to-end operation solutions for the life service market. The Company currently provides multiple industry-tailored operational solutions, primarily including on-demand delivery solutions, mobility service solutions, housekeeping and accommodation solutions, and other services, meeting the living needs of hundreds of millions of families in the communities.

With the vision of promoting employment, stabilizing income and empowering entrepreneurship, Quhuo explores multiple scenarios to promote employment of workers, provides, among others, safety and security and vocational training to protect workers, and helps workers plan their career development paths to realize their self-worth.

Avalara Predicts 2026 Will Reshape Global Business Through AI, Transparency, and Compliance Agility 172

New Avalara insights forecast how automation, regulation, and real-time data will impact tax, trade, and digital operations worldwide

Avalara, the agentic tax and compliance leader, today released its 2026 trend predictions, offering insights from its executive team and thought leaders across finance, agentic AI, global trade, engineering, government, retail, lodging, and e-invoicing.

From CFO strategy to global supply chains and AI-driven tax enforcement, Avalara executives and business unit leaders agree that 2026 will be a year of greater digital precision, compliance intelligence, and data-driven agility for businesses worldwide.

“CFOs are becoming data strategists,” said Ross Tennenbaum, President of Avalara. “In 2026, the finance function’s ability to unify financial, tax, and operational data will define enterprise agility. Finance professionals who view tax beyond a cost to a strategic insight will lead the next wave of intelligent growth for their businesses.”

Finance and Strategy: The CFO as Data Strategist

According to Tennenbaum, CFOs will evolve from financial gatekeepers to strategic orchestrators of digital value. AI and automation will increasingly manage forecasting, reconciliations, and compliance, freeing CFOs to focus on scenario modeling and growth.

In 2026, leading finance organizations will operate more like analytics consultancies, using real-time tax, margin, and compliance data to guide daily decisions.

Tax complexity will also emerge as one of the most significant enterprise risks as governments accelerate real-time digital reporting and global minimum tax mandates. CFOs will begin budgeting not only for compliance but also for audit defense and data integrity.

“In 2026, we will finally see the end of tax data sitting in compliance silos,” Tennenbaum added. “Finance teams will use tax intelligence to optimize pricing, cash flow, and supply chain strategy.”

AI Accountability Emerges as the Cornerstone of Compliance in 2026

“AI will reshape how businesses manage compliance,” said Danny Fields, Chief Technology and Customer Operations Officer at Avalara. He added, “The biggest challenge in 2026 is governing automation. As AI takes on more tax and compliance decisions, accountability is critically essential.”

Fields predicts that continuous, real-time compliance will replace periodic filings as governments demand instant visibility into transactions. “Compliance will evolve to be a continuous state beyond quarterly reporting,” he said.

He also expects resilience and reliability to become core compliance metrics. “Continuity during disruption is now part of regulatory trust,” Fields added.

Finally, Fields said the true return on AI will come from orchestration, not experimentation, as organizations integrate governed, auditable systems that blend automation with human oversight. “In 2026, AI trust will be measured,” he said.

U.S. Tax Policy: Stability Meets Scrutiny

Scott Peterson, VP of Government Relations at Avalara, expects fewer structural tax shifts in 2026 following sweeping changes in 2025, but warns that compliance complexity will rise. “The permanent extension of 100% depreciation will influence capital investment strategies, while expiring provisions in the 2025 tax package could trigger new legislative debates.”

States face fiscal pressure as federal funding for programs such as Medicaid declines. How states respond will determine their compliance burden.

“States like Colorado are already revising their tax codes to offset federal changes,” noted Peterson. “Every jurisdiction will need to decide whether to follow the federal government’s lead or chart its own path.”

Industries under increased audit scrutiny include software, SaaS, and lodging marketplaces, as states expand sales tax regimes into new digital sectors.

Global Trade and Tariffs: Complexity Becomes Opportunity

Craig Reed, General Manager of Cross Border at Avalara, expects trade volatility to ease slightly in 2026 but cautions that supply chains must remain agile as nations diversify trade partnerships beyond the United States.

“2026 will not bring calm, but it will bring clarity,” Reed said. “The winners will be those who can anticipate change and adjust their supply chains accordingly.”

Reed emphasized the four fundamentals of global trade: de minimis levels, country of origin, tariff codes, and declared value. Accurate classification remains critical, as even minor data errors can delay shipments or inflate duty costs.

“In cross-border trade, bad data is more expensive than any tariff,” Reed added. “The future of commerce belongs to companies that treat compliance as a data discipline.”

Carlos Mercuriali, Senior VP and General Manager of International Business Operations at Avalara, shared a similar view: “Global trade in 2026 will reward companies that can anticipate change. The U.K. is reemerging as a dynamic trade hub, and those that align supply chain agility with compliance precision will turn complexity into opportunity,” Mercuriali said.

He added that industries with multi-country supply chains, including electronics and renewables, will face tightening margins as tariffs rise. Companies that embrace digital traceability and AI forecasting will lead in resilience and competitiveness.

Retail and Marketplaces: AI as the New Compliance Engine

“In digital commerce, AI will reshape every aspect of the retail and marketplace ecosystem,” said George Trantas, VP of Accelerator Sales at Avalara.

“The future of marketplaces will be AI-managed for transactions, with humans leading the strategy,” he added. “The best platforms will combine automation and compliance intelligence to fuel growth.”

Trantas predicts that AI-driven personalization will redefine consumer engagement, while tax intelligence will become a competitive advantage that ensures every transaction is accurate, auditable, and seamless.

“As automation scales, so does compliance risk,” he concluded. “Automation removes friction, not responsibility. The companies that combine speed with strong governance will win.”

E-Invoicing and International Compliance: From Obligation to Advantage

Across regions, digital tax mandates are accelerating, with more than 60 countries implementing or planning e-invoicing frameworks by 2030. Alex Baulf, Avalara’s VP of E-Invoicing and Live Reporting, expects 2026 to mark a tipping point when compliance becomes a catalyst for digital transformation:

“By 2026, e-invoicing will become a strategic business advantage, moving beyond a government mandate,” Baulf emphasized. “As countries such as France, Germany, and Belgium implement their frameworks, global tax reform will increasingly converge around data, pushing multinationals to standardize compliance processes and transition from reactive reporting to proactive control.”

Baulf stressed that companies embracing real-time digital reporting and e-document exchange will uncover new levels of efficiency, transparency, and insight across every transaction. “Digital tax mandates will no longer be just about compliance, but will serve as the backbone of connected commerce, enabling smarter, faster, and more borderless trade,” he said.

Lodging and Hospitality: Transparency, AI, and Local Enforcement

Nicole Rogers, General Manager of Lodging at Avalara, sees 2026 as a pivotal year for pricing transparency legislation and the challenges of non-uniform state regulation. “Operators must navigate a patchwork of changing lodging and special-district taxes, particularly in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Connecticut, and Colorado,” said Rogers.

Traveler behavior will also shift as major employers reduce remote work flexibility, which could lower long-stay demand. Meanwhile, jurisdictions such as Tennessee are tightening compliance rules, requiring upfront tax collection even for long-term stays.

“Even small classification errors can lead to significant compliance costs in high-rate states,” added Rogers.

Pam Knudsen, Senior Director of Compliance Services at Avalara, noted that AI is changing local short-term rental (STR) enforcement.

“Jurisdictions are using AI-powered tools to identify noncompliant STRs in real time,” Knudsen said. “Enforcement is becoming faster, smarter, and more consistent than ever before.”

Knudsen stressed that major global events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will test cities’ ability to balance tax collection with community needs as STR demand surges.

The future of tax and compliance is agentic. In 2026, success will depend on systems that support and drive tax compliance. Avalara’s AI-first infrastructure is built to observe, advise, and act across jurisdictions, platforms, and workflows, delivering the speed, accuracy, and accountability global businesses require.

About Avalara

Avalara is the agentic tax and compliance leader. For more than two decades, Avalara has developed one of the most expansive libraries of tax content and integrations in the industry, supporting over 43,000 businesses and government entities across more than 75 countries. The company’s purpose-built AI agents automate end-to-end compliance processes with greater precision, from tax calculation and filing to e-invoicing and exemption management. For more information, visit www.avalara.com.