Artificial Intelligence

AI Is on the Verge of Its Biggest Upgrade Yet: Emotional Intelligence

In brief Two new research papers show how AI agents can be engineered with fixed psychological archetypes or evolve emotional strategies during conversations. Emotion boosts performance: personality priming improves consistency and believability, while adaptive emotions measurably increase negotiation success. Advocates see more natural human–AI interactions, but critics warn of manipulation and blurred accountability as agents…

Opinion

Morning Minute: Tokenized Pokémon Cards Just Went Parabolic

Morning Minute is a daily newsletter written by Tyler Warner. The analysis and opinions expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Decrypt. Subscribe to the Morning Minute on Substack.GM!Today’s top news: Crypto majors chop with ETH leading; BTC at $111,000 CFTC clears Polymarket for US operations; departing chair issues warning Federal Reserve to…

Business

Kevin Spacey Reveals Film Created With Alleged Crypto Ponzi Schemer

In brief Kevin Spacey has returned to directing with “Holiguards Saga—The Portal of Force,” a sci-fi film written by Russian entrepreneur Vladimir “Lado” Okhotnikov. Okhotnikov, co-founder of Ethereum DeFi app Forsage, faces U.S. fraud charges tied to an alleged $300 million crypto Ponzi scheme. The film, which is inspired by Okhotnikov’s libertarian principles, is the…

Business

Coincheck to Acquire French Crypto Brokerage Aplo in Push Beyond Japan

In brief Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck plans to acquire French digital asset prime brokerage Aplo. Aplo’s founders will remain with the firm and continue expansion under Coincheck’s umbrella. The deal marks Coincheck’s latest effort to broaden institutional and retail offerings abroad. Coincheck, one of Japan’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, said Tuesday it plans to acquire French…

Law and Order

South Korea Busts Hacking Syndicate After Multi-Million Dollar Crypto Losses

In brief A hacking syndicate allegedly stole $28.1 million (₩39 billion) from financial and crypto accounts of 258 wealthy Koreans, including celebrities and top business executives. The largest single crypto theft reached $15.4 million (₩21.3 billion), though authorities haven’t specified what portion of the total losses was in crypto. The case exposes systematic vulnerabilities in…

Coins

Thailand’s Ex-PM Endorses Push to Build Regional Crypto Hub

In brief Thaksin met with crypto investors in Bangkok to discuss positioning Thailand as ASEAN’s digital asset treasury hub. The proposal includes support from Metaplanet, UTXO, and other global firms, according to meeting documentation reviewed by Decrypt. Backers argue the initiative could boost economic resilience and growth amid Thailand’s weak macro outlook. Former Thai Prime…

Gaming

Crypto Game Crashouts: The Biggest Shutdowns So Far in 2025

In brief Crypto gaming has experienced a growing trend of games and studios shutting down. Game creators are struggling to find funding to complete development, among other commonly cited issues. Once-promising blockchain games like Deadrop, Nyan Heroes, Ember Sword, and Pirate Nation top the list. While crypto gaming has long been seen as a key…