Bitcoin DeFi Is Taking Root on Sui—Here’s How It Works

Bitcoin is widely considered the most secure and decentralized digital asset. But for all its strength as a store of value, it’s historically offered little financial utility due to network limitations, while its ballooning price has kept it from being seen as everyday spending money. Bitcoin DeFi, also known as BTCfi—a term referring to decentralized finance applications built on Bitcoin—is emerging to change that. Sui is one of several layer-1 blockchains now supporting Bitcoin-based functiona...

Bitcoin is widely considered the most secure and decentralized digital asset. But for all its strength as a store of value, it’s historically offered little financial utility due to network limitations, while its ballooning price has kept it from being seen as everyday spending money. Bitcoin DeFi, also known as BTCfi—a term referring to decentralized finance applications built on Bitcoin—is emerging to change that. Sui is one of several layer-1 blockchains now supporting Bitcoin-based functiona...

5 Prompts That Make Anthropic's Claude AI Better Than a Crypto Analyst, Broker or Doctor

When Anthropic dropped Opus 4 recently, the upgrade landed with little hype but plenty of substance: an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but digs into them and can be super useful as a true AI Assistant. In our tests, Claude outperformed even ChatGPT at investigative tasks using the web search function, without actually activating the deep research model. That’s why we picked it for a challenge: to see how far its reasoning goes when pushed with advanced prompts—tasks that leave most AIs f...

When Anthropic dropped Opus 4 recently, the upgrade landed with little hype but plenty of substance: an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but digs into them and can be super useful as a true AI Assistant. In our tests, Claude outperformed even ChatGPT at investigative tasks using the web search function, without actually activating the deep research model. That’s why we picked it for a challenge: to see how far its reasoning goes when pushed with advanced prompts—tasks that leave most AIs f...

AI Deepfakes Drove 40% of High-Value Crypto Fraud Last Year: Report

AI-generated deepfake impersonations of government officials, billionaires, and celebrities accounted for 40% of “high-value frauds” in 2024, a Bitget report revealed. That same year, $4.6 billion in crypto was lost to scams, a 24% increase from the previous year, Bitget's Anti-Scam Report 2025—co-authored with Slowmist and Elliptic—found. “Crypto scams have entered a new era—driven by AI deepfakes, social engineering, and deceptive project fronts,” the report said. “Scams now exploit trust and...

AI-generated deepfake impersonations of government officials, billionaires, and celebrities accounted for 40% of “high-value frauds” in 2024, a Bitget report revealed. That same year, $4.6 billion in crypto was lost to scams, a 24% increase from the previous year, Bitget's Anti-Scam Report 2025—co-authored with Slowmist and Elliptic—found. “Crypto scams have entered a new era—driven by AI deepfakes, social engineering, and deceptive project fronts,” the report said. “Scams now exploit trust and...

Trump Strategist Outlines How Bitcoin Helped Republicans Win the 2024 Election

Republican Party strategist Chris LaCivita, one of the architects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s winning presidential campaign in 2024, pointed to the two-term commander-in-chief’s embrace of cryptocurrencies as a lynchpin for his political comeback.  Speaking at the Coinbase State of Crypto Summit in New York City on Thursday, LaCivita said targeting so-called crypto voters helped President Trump court a lot of supporters, particularly those belonging to voter blocs that have traditionally pr...

Republican Party strategist Chris LaCivita, one of the architects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s winning presidential campaign in 2024, pointed to the two-term commander-in-chief’s embrace of cryptocurrencies as a lynchpin for his political comeback.  Speaking at the Coinbase State of Crypto Summit in New York City on Thursday, LaCivita said targeting so-called crypto voters helped President Trump court a lot of supporters, particularly those belonging to voter blocs that have traditionally pr...

7 Games That Prove Indie Studios Are Outshining AAA Publishers in 2025

Spending $300 million on a game is one way to set that game on the road to success; ultra-detailed, immersive games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and next year's Grand Theft Auto 6 appeal to gamers looking for a cutting edge experience. But $300 million doesn't promise you a good game—just a big one. We're not even six full months into 2025, and indie developers can't stop dropping great games on us, from genuine all-timers to zeitgeist-catching games that we all can't resist picking up and chec...

Spending $300 million on a game is one way to set that game on the road to success; ultra-detailed, immersive games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and next year's Grand Theft Auto 6 appeal to gamers looking for a cutting edge experience. But $300 million doesn't promise you a good game—just a big one. We're not even six full months into 2025, and indie developers can't stop dropping great games on us, from genuine all-timers to zeitgeist-catching games that we all can't resist picking up and chec...

Why Is BlackRock's IBIT Bitcoin ETF Soaring?

After missing a couple of beats in late May and early June, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (IBIT) returned to its previous searing form last week, totaling about $1.1 billion in net investments. The fund has been one of the great investment success stories, cracking $70 billion in assets under management in just 341 days, faster than any of the thousands of funds in the ETF industry's 32-year history. IBIT's popularity reflects not only of the $11.6 trillion asset management gi...

After missing a couple of beats in late May and early June, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (IBIT) returned to its previous searing form last week, totaling about $1.1 billion in net investments. The fund has been one of the great investment success stories, cracking $70 billion in assets under management in just 341 days, faster than any of the thousands of funds in the ETF industry's 32-year history. IBIT's popularity reflects not only of the $11.6 trillion asset management gi...

IBM’s New Quantum Roadmap Brings the Bitcoin Threat Closer

Quantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029. Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wo...

Quantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029. Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wo...

Russia Paying Teenage and Untrained Spies Using Bitcoin: Report

Russian intelligence services have been using Bitcoin to pay teenage and untrained spies, according to a Reuters investigation conducted in partnership with blockchain analytics firms Global Ledger and Recoveris. A report from Reuters detailed the recent case of Laken Pavan, a Canadian national who in December was sentenced to 20 months in prison in Poland after pleading guilty to aiding Russian intelligence. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had recruited Pavan in late April 2024, aft...

Russian intelligence services have been using Bitcoin to pay teenage and untrained spies, according to a Reuters investigation conducted in partnership with blockchain analytics firms Global Ledger and Recoveris. A report from Reuters detailed the recent case of Laken Pavan, a Canadian national who in December was sentenced to 20 months in prison in Poland after pleading guilty to aiding Russian intelligence. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had recruited Pavan in late April 2024, aft...

Trump's Drone Deregulation Raises Fears of Domestic Terror Strikes

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping set of executive orders aimed at deregulating commercial drones, flying cars, and supersonic jets—on a promise of “restoring America’s airspace sovereignty.” But as the skies open to innovation, national security experts are sounding alarms: the drone revolution is already being weaponized. From warzones in Iran and Ukraine to insurgent strikes in Africa and the Middle East, commercial drones are no longer just tools of progress—they’r...

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping set of executive orders aimed at deregulating commercial drones, flying cars, and supersonic jets—on a promise of “restoring America’s airspace sovereignty.” But as the skies open to innovation, national security experts are sounding alarms: the drone revolution is already being weaponized. From warzones in Iran and Ukraine to insurgent strikes in Africa and the Middle East, commercial drones are no longer just tools of progress—they’r...

How Immigrants and Protesters Are Being Caught in ICE’s AI Dragnet

AI surveillance tools once confined to battlefields are now being used by U.S. immigration authorities to monitor streets, protests, and communities across the country.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies are ramping up their use of facial recognition, predictive AI, and military-grade drones.  That’s sparked alarm among civil liberties advocates over privacy, oversight, and the targeting of undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. Last weekend, as...

AI surveillance tools once confined to battlefields are now being used by U.S. immigration authorities to monitor streets, protests, and communities across the country.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies are ramping up their use of facial recognition, predictive AI, and military-grade drones.  That’s sparked alarm among civil liberties advocates over privacy, oversight, and the targeting of undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. Last weekend, as...

Crypto-Related Anti-Money Laundering Reports Rose by 8% in Germany Last Year: FIU

Anti-money laundering reports involving cryptocurrencies rose by 8.2% in Germany last year, according to the annual report from the German Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Total crypto-related reports climbed from 8,049 in 2023 to hit 8,711, accounting for a record 3.3% of all suspicious activity reports (SARs) submitted to the FIU, the agency responsible in Germany for combating money laundering. The total figure marks a 23.6% increase since 2020, with Bitcoin predominating in the vast majori...

Anti-money laundering reports involving cryptocurrencies rose by 8.2% in Germany last year, according to the annual report from the German Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Total crypto-related reports climbed from 8,049 in 2023 to hit 8,711, accounting for a record 3.3% of all suspicious activity reports (SARs) submitted to the FIU, the agency responsible in Germany for combating money laundering. The total figure marks a 23.6% increase since 2020, with Bitcoin predominating in the vast majori...

How Will the Israel-Iran Conflict End? Here's What AI Models Predict

With direct military confrontation now underway between Israel and Iran, we asked seven AI models to analyze potential outcomes using their web search functionalities, activating their deep reasoning capabilities and acting as experts in geopolitics, global warfare, and Middle East conflicts. The consensus Six of seven models predicted continued, intermittent warfare rather than diplomatic breakthrough or World War III. Only ChatGPT went full John Lennon mode and forecasted rapid negotiated reso...

With direct military confrontation now underway between Israel and Iran, we asked seven AI models to analyze potential outcomes using their web search functionalities, activating their deep reasoning capabilities and acting as experts in geopolitics, global warfare, and Middle East conflicts. The consensus Six of seven models predicted continued, intermittent warfare rather than diplomatic breakthrough or World War III. Only ChatGPT went full John Lennon mode and forecasted rapid negotiated reso...

Solana ETF Applicants Submit Updated SEC Filings With Staking

Seven ETF issuers filed amended S-1 forms for Solana exchange-traded funds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, clarifying language that would enable them to stake their held SOL. The proposed ETFs from 21Shares, Bitwise, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, VanEck, and Canary Capital aim to offer investors exposure to Solana by directly tracking the altcoin.  The staking component would enable issuers to generate yield on the Solana held in their funds, allowing them...

Seven ETF issuers filed amended S-1 forms for Solana exchange-traded funds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, clarifying language that would enable them to stake their held SOL. The proposed ETFs from 21Shares, Bitwise, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, VanEck, and Canary Capital aim to offer investors exposure to Solana by directly tracking the altcoin.  The staking component would enable issuers to generate yield on the Solana held in their funds, allowing them...

Public Keys: Circle Keeps Surging, GameStop's Bitcoin 'Black Box', Ethereum Treasury Tanks

Public Keys is a weekly roundup from Decrypt that tracks the key publicly traded crypto companies. This week: Circle’s stock surged again to end the week while GameStop shares swoon after another bond offering—but SharpLink Gaming’s fall takes the cake. Circle stays hot The euphoria started to ebb, but the glossy announcements kept coming—and CRCL is surging again. After last week's massive launch, USDC issuer Circle has seen its stock reach new highs and then start to settle over the course of...

Public Keys is a weekly roundup from Decrypt that tracks the key publicly traded crypto companies. This week: Circle’s stock surged again to end the week while GameStop shares swoon after another bond offering—but SharpLink Gaming’s fall takes the cake. Circle stays hot The euphoria started to ebb, but the glossy announcements kept coming—and CRCL is surging again. After last week's massive launch, USDC issuer Circle has seen its stock reach new highs and then start to settle over the course of...

Bitcoin Treasury Firm GameStop Boosts Convertible Bond Offering to $2.25 Billion

GameStop upsized its latest offering of convertible senior notes to $2.25 billion from $1.75 billion, the video game retailer said in a press release published late on Thursday. Shares dropped earlier this week after the Grapevine, Texas-based firm said that it would offer investors more convertible bonds, following a similar, $1.5 billion raise in April. Although GameStop shares held ground on Friday, they fell 24% throughout the week, closing at $22.14, according to Yahoo Finance. Shares chang...

GameStop upsized its latest offering of convertible senior notes to $2.25 billion from $1.75 billion, the video game retailer said in a press release published late on Thursday. Shares dropped earlier this week after the Grapevine, Texas-based firm said that it would offer investors more convertible bonds, following a similar, $1.5 billion raise in April. Although GameStop shares held ground on Friday, they fell 24% throughout the week, closing at $22.14, according to Yahoo Finance. Shares chang...

Elizabeth Warren, Consumer Groups Slam Walmart and Amazon Stablecoin Plans

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and leading consumer advocacy groups denounced a report Friday that Amazon and Walmart are considering issuing their own stablecoins, framing such developments as an unacceptable outcome of pending stablecoin legislation in the Senate. “Let’s not forget the GENIUS Act has a major loophole allowing Big Tech companies and major retailers to issue their own private currencies structured as stablecoins,” Warren said Friday in a statement shared with Decrypt. “If Congress...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and leading consumer advocacy groups denounced a report Friday that Amazon and Walmart are considering issuing their own stablecoins, framing such developments as an unacceptable outcome of pending stablecoin legislation in the Senate. “Let’s not forget the GENIUS Act has a major loophole allowing Big Tech companies and major retailers to issue their own private currencies structured as stablecoins,” Warren said Friday in a statement shared with Decrypt. “If Congress...

Gotbit Got Got: Founder Sentenced to Prison for Crypto Wash Trading

Crypto market maker Gotbit and its founder were sentenced Friday for using wash trading to falsely inflate the trading volume of meme coins on behalf of clients. Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley ordered Gotbit Consulting LLC to forfeit $23 million in seized cryptocurrency, with founder Aleksei Andriunin sentenced to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release. Both were charged in 2024 with market manipulation, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The charges were part o...

Crypto market maker Gotbit and its founder were sentenced Friday for using wash trading to falsely inflate the trading volume of meme coins on behalf of clients. Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley ordered Gotbit Consulting LLC to forfeit $23 million in seized cryptocurrency, with founder Aleksei Andriunin sentenced to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release. Both were charged in 2024 with market manipulation, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The charges were part o...

Meet Olto: The $3,500 E-Scooter Gunning to Be the iPhone of Micromobility

After launching a high-end, cyberpunk-style electric motorbike that costs more than some used cars, Andreessen Horowitz-funded Brooklyn startup Infinite Machine is finally getting practical. It just unveiled the Olto: a $3,495 electric scooter that looks like it escaped from an industrial designer’s mood board. (That's not surprising since the company was founded by brothers Joseph and Eddie Cohen, both erstwhile Apple employees.) It’s the second vehicle from Infinite Machine, whose first produc...

After launching a high-end, cyberpunk-style electric motorbike that costs more than some used cars, Andreessen Horowitz-funded Brooklyn startup Infinite Machine is finally getting practical. It just unveiled the Olto: a $3,495 electric scooter that looks like it escaped from an industrial designer’s mood board. (That's not surprising since the company was founded by brothers Joseph and Eddie Cohen, both erstwhile Apple employees.) It’s the second vehicle from Infinite Machine, whose first produc...

Dogecoin Leads Meme Coin Dive as Geopolitical Tensions Slam Crypto Market

The top meme coin by market cap, Dogecoin, is diving lower amid a broader market sell-off, dropping nearly 6% in the last 24 hours as tensions between Israel and Iran flare following Israel’s airstrikes late Thursday. The dog-themed meme coin leader is now trading below $0.178, down 23% over the last month and more than 75% from its all-time high of $0.73 in 2021.  The meme category as a whole is underperforming major assets, dropping 9.5% in the last 24 hours compared to 2.6% and 8% for Bitcoin...

The top meme coin by market cap, Dogecoin, is diving lower amid a broader market sell-off, dropping nearly 6% in the last 24 hours as tensions between Israel and Iran flare following Israel’s airstrikes late Thursday. The dog-themed meme coin leader is now trading below $0.178, down 23% over the last month and more than 75% from its all-time high of $0.73 in 2021.  The meme category as a whole is underperforming major assets, dropping 9.5% in the last 24 hours compared to 2.6% and 8% for Bitcoin...

Nobody Predicted Israel Would Strike Iran, But Bitcoin Is Still Not in Panic Mode: Analysis

The Middle East is again at war, with rising tensions between Israel and Iran spooking markets and sending prices for both traditional and crypto assets, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, tumbling to weekly lows. Is it time to panic for Bitcoin investors? The data currently doesn’t support that view. Bitcoin dropped 4.5% in the past 24 hours to trade at $104,343, while Ethereum crashed 8.2% to $2,552 as escalating Middle East tensions sparked a massive risk-off move across cryptocurrency markets. Th...

The Middle East is again at war, with rising tensions between Israel and Iran spooking markets and sending prices for both traditional and crypto assets, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, tumbling to weekly lows. Is it time to panic for Bitcoin investors? The data currently doesn’t support that view. Bitcoin dropped 4.5% in the past 24 hours to trade at $104,343, while Ethereum crashed 8.2% to $2,552 as escalating Middle East tensions sparked a massive risk-off move across cryptocurrency markets. Th...