CTech’s Monday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Surveillance company Verint is negotiating a $1 billion merger with Israeli NSO Group. NSO develops and sells cyber attack tools that can be used to gather intelligence from mobile phones and other devices. If the merger deal goes through, NSO will operate as a stand-alone business unit, that will be added to Verint’s existing divisions. Read more

Scientist quarrel over Kite Pharma sale royalties to be settled out of coure. In August 2017, Gilead Sciences Inc. acquired Kite Pharma for $11.9 billion, banking on the approval of its novel cancer treatment technology. Following the announcement, Israeli scientists who were involved in the early research that led to the development of Kite Pharma’s anti-cancer treatment took to court fighting over the windfall from the deal. Read more

IFF partners with perfumed temporary tattoos company Amkiri. Tel Aviv-headquartered Amkiri develops a temporary tattoo ink that also functions as perfume. Earlier this month, U.S.-based IFF announced it will acquire Israel-headquartered flavor and fragrance company Frutarom for $7.1 billion. Read more 

Israeli financial institutions will be required to report suspicious cryptocurrency activity. A new legislation draft by Israel’s Ministry of Justice outlines red flags, including large sums transferred to digital wallets; money transfers made using an anonymous IP and transfers to online gambling sites. Read more

IronSource alums' company Zinc to launch digital coin. Zinc, a Tel Aviv-based blockchain startup, is developing a protocol that would let users choose what personal data to share with advertisers. Founded by former executives from the Israeli monetization unicorn, Zinc lists IronSource as a design partner. Read more

Lava reaches Hawaii’s Puna power plant. Lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has reached the island’s Puna geothermal power plant on Sunday, covering one well and jeopardizing a second well, according to a report by the County of Hawaii Civil Defense Authority. The plant, owned by Israeli geothermal energy producer Ormat, supplies 25% of the Hawaiian island’s electricity. Read more

Finalists announced for U.S.-Israeli anti-terrorism startup contest. The contest is held for the third time this year by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. One of the finalists develops a vertical takeoff and landing drone that can fly for two and a half hours. Read more