Everything web3, crypto, defi, degen
In brief Ukraine could recover up to $10 billion lost to unregulated crypto activity with more stringent regulation, according to the Royal United Services Institute. A new RUSI report noted that Russian actors are exploiting regulatory gaps to fund military procurement and spread drugs. Ukrainian lawmakers face a 2025 deadline to align with EU rules…
In brief ChatGPT still leads, but Google’s Gemini and Musk’s Grok are closing fast, per Andreessen Horowitz’s Top 100 AI Apps. The AI app market is stabilizing—fewer new entrants on web, more originality on mobile. China’s AI giants and “Brink List” newcomers show the next wave of global challengers. For more than a year, OpenAI’s…
In brief A new Anthropic report says cybercriminals are using AI to run real-time extortion campaigns, with ransom notes using Bitcoin as the payment rails. North Korean operatives are faking technical skills with AI to land Western tech jobs, funneling millions into weapons programs, often laundered through crypto. A UK-based actor is selling AI-built ransomware-as-a-service…
In brief The letter warned AI companies, including Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and Apple, to prioritize children’s safety. Surveys show seven in ten teenagers in the U.S. have already used generative AI tools, and over half of 8-15 year olds in the UK. Meta was particularly singled out after internal documents revealed AI chatbots were allowed…
In brief London-listed web design and marketing firm The Smarter Web Company has appointed Jesse Myers to steer its Bitcoin strategy. Myers, author of the “Once-in-a-Species” newsletter, created a valuation model that inspired the Bitcoin 24 framework that Michael Saylor employed at Strategy. Smarter Web plans to hold reserves in both cash and Bitcoin, in…
In brief Kyrgyzstan’s President has appealed to UK and U.S. leaders over UK sanctions imposed on Kyrgyz crypto networks linked to the rouble-pegged stablecoin A7A5. The country has rapidly emerged as a hub for Russian trade and crypto flows since the invasion of Ukraine. Analysts say Kyrgyzstan-based exchanges Grinex and Meer show signs of being…
In brief North Wales Police are investigating a $2.8 million (£2.1 million) Bitcoin theft in which a cybercriminal posed as a senior detective. The scammer claimed that the victim’s personal details had been found on the phone of someone recently arrested, before pressuring them to “secure their funds” via a phishing link. The force noted…
In brief Former Pump.fun employee Jarett Dunn has pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, as well as transfer of criminal property. The former senior developer drained an estimated $2 million worth of Solana from the popular meme coin launchpad. He now awaits sentencing from behind bars, after breaking bail conditions two months ago.…
In brief Standard Chartered has massively raised its Ethereum forecast to $7,500 by 2025, $12,000 in 2026, $18,000 in 2027, and $25,000 in 2028 and 2029, up from just $4,000 for 2025 in March. The bank points to heavy institutional buying, the GENIUS Act’s boost for stablecoins, etc, as key growth drivers. ETH is trading…
In brief Coinbase’s “Everything Is Fine” ad was rejected by UK TV clearance body Clearcast for lacking evidence that crypto solves economic problems, but wasn’t actually “banned” as CEO Brian Armstrong claimed. The ad is now running on Channel 4’s YouTube channels, exploiting looser online advertising regulations compared to traditional TV broadcast standards. Politicians are…
