Everything web3, crypto, defi, degen
In brief Pudgy Penguins is a popular crypto-native IP that started from NFTs and has expanded into toys, games, and more. CEO Luca Netz told Decrypt that he hopes to take the company public within two years. In addition to NFTs on Ethereum, the brand has launched a meme coin, PENGU, on Solana. Pudgy Penguins…
In brief Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss donated over $21 million in Bitcoin to help launch the Digital Freedom Fund, a pro-crypto PAC. Unlike most crypto PACs, which aim to stay nonpartisan, the twins explicitly said their PAC will work to support Republicans, defeat Democrats, and back Trump’s crypto agenda in the 2026 midterms. The PAC’s…
In brief Wilder World launched a 10-player shooter game mode in “super early access” at Gamescom, featuring deathmatch gameplay in a recreated Miami setting called Wiami. The Ethereum-based project is hosting a $100,000 tournament from August 25 to September 24, with five finalists receiving all-expenses-paid trips to compete in person. This shooter represents the second…
In brief Following July’s Hitler-praising fiasco and an August suspension over Gaza comments, Grok now flags innocuous objects like sunsets and potatoes as coded hate. Users post memes of Grok calling clouds, puppy photos, and even geometric shapes antisemitic, complete with confident “expert” explanations. This situation is an example of why alignment and super alignment…
In brief Chinese tech giant Ant Group has said claims it’s working on a rare earth RMB stablecoin are false. It comes amid exploration of stablecoin uses by Chinese e-commerce firms. Hong Kong’s stablecoin regulatory regime has been a key driver for increased interest. Chinese tech giant Ant Group has denied online rumors that it…
Sam Altman’s OpenAI o3 model—which was deprecated late last week with the release of GPT-5—demolished Elon Musk’s Grok 4 in four straight games Thursday to win Google’s Kaggle Game Arena AI Chess Exhibition.You may think it was a super complex spectacle of high tech behemoths putting their reasoning to the ultimate test, but as an…
In brief Developers report regressions in coding ability, raising doubts about GPT-5’s “reasoning powerhouse” claim. Rollout frustrations mount as older models vanish and access differs sharply across pricing tiers. PR stumbles and ethical concerns deepen skepticism around OpenAI’s most ambitious model yet. OpenAI’s much-hyped launch of GPT-5—touted as a groundbreaking leap in artificial intelligence—has instead…
In brief In a fireside chat, NEAR Protocol founder Illia Polosukhin and Infinex founder Kain Warwick argued that greater levels of interoperability are crucial for fueling crypto adoption. In June Infinex successfully integrated NEAR Intents and Chain Signatures, facilitating swapping and bridging of non-smart contract cryptocurrencies across multiple blockchain networks. Polosukhin said that NEAR Protocol…
In brief Users can easily bypass age checks and generate explicit content with minimal input. xAI’s tool violates its policies banning pornographic depictions of real people. Over 34 million images have been created, raising major legal and ethical concerns. An AI video tool from Elon Musk’s xAI is producing nude deepfakes of celebrities—including Taylor Swift—with…
In brief The Philippine SEC has cut off access to foreign crypto platforms offering services to residents of the country. The SEC warned that the platforms are operating illegally without licenses or registration. Local platforms may benefit from the shift, though the crackdown has drawn criticism from users over perceived monopolistic moves, Decrypt was told.…
