eBay vs Etsy

How Salt Lake City eBayers Welcome New Neighbors

For years, Changemakers in Utah have volunteered with the International Rescue Committee in support of new Americans. A 2026 Global Give grant deepens that relationship and supports IRC’s entrepreneurship work.

Brainpool Launches 'Schlag den Star' Spinoff on YouTube and Twitch

Brainpool, a Banijay Germany company, is bringing its popular TV show format 'Schlag den Star' to the creator world with a new spinoff called 'Schlag den Aaron'. Premiering on October 26 at 8:15 PM on YouTube and Twitch, the show will feature creators Aaron Troschke and Marvin Wildhage competing against Zarbex and Max Schradin in various challenges. The live event will be streamed simultaneously across the creators' channels, leveraging their communities. Banijay Media Germany will handle advertising and is planning to integrate brand sponsored games into the show. This move follows Brainpool's recent 'Mystery Mania' show with eBay, which also bypassed traditional TV, signaling a trend of production companies distributing content directly to creators and audiences.

• Brainpool launches 'Schlag den Aaron' spinoff of 'Schlag den Star'.
• Premiere on October 26, 2026, live on YouTube and Twitch.
• Features creators Aaron Troschke, Marvin Wildhage, Zarbex, and Max Schradin.

10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for eBay (2026-08-06)

eBay Inc. delivered strong financial performance for Q2 2026, generating net revenues of $3.134 billion, an increase of 15% year-over-year (14% FX-neutral), and net income of $550 million. Top-line expansion was primarily propelled by accelerating Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), enhanced first-party advertising penetration, and favorable fee dynamics within the U.S. net shipping program. Operationally and strategically, eBay completed the acquisition of C2C fashion marketplace Depop Limited for a preliminary adjusted total of $1.4 billion, authorized an additional $2.0 billion share repurchase program, managed debt maturities by repaying $750 million in senior notes via commercial paper, and officially rejected an unsolicited, non-binding acquisition bid received in May 2026.

• Q2 2026 net revenues reached $3.134 billion (+15% YoY / +14% FX-neutral) with net income of $550 million, supported by GMV expansion and first-party advertising gains.
• Closed the strategic acquisition of C2C marketplace Depop Limited on July 30, 2026, for a final cash consideration of $1.4 billion (including preliminary adjustments against the $1.2 billion base price).
• Authorized an incremental $2.0 billion share repurchase program, repaid $750 million in maturing senior notes, and formally rejected an unsolicited acquisition proposal from May 3, 2026.

Shopify Opens Checkout to Browser-Based AI Agents

Shopify has extended its WebMCP support to the checkout process, enabling browser-based AI agents to complete purchases on merchant sites, including via Shop Pay. This extension is part of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) developed with Google, Etsy, Wayfair, and Walmart. Three new tools—get_checkout, update_checkout, and complete_checkout—allow agents to inspect, update, and finalize orders, with buyer authorization required. Existing customizations, business rules, and security checks remain intact. In benchmarks, WebMCP reduced average time per attempt from 27.4 to 10.3 seconds, cut costs by 58%, and achieved a 100% success rate (60/60) compared to 56/60 for traditional browser automation. Rolling out to all eligible merchants, Shopify positions itself as open infrastructure for agentic commerce, partnering directly with top agents like Muse and Instinct, in contrast to retailers like Amazon and Adidas that block AI agents.

• Shopify extends WebMCP support to checkout, including Shop Pay, for browser-based AI agents.
• Three new tools: get_checkout, update_checkout, and complete_checkout.
• WebMCP reduces average time per attempt from 27.4 to 10.3 seconds and cuts costs by 58%.