Being Polite to ChatGPT is Pointless New Research Shows

A new study from George Washington University researchers has found that being polite to AI models like ChatGPT is not only a waste of computing resources, it’s also pointless. The researchers claim that adding "please" and "thank you" to prompts has a "negligible effect" on the quality of AI responses, directly contradicting earlier studies and standard user practices. The study was published on arXiv on Monday, arriving just days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned that users typing "please"...

A new study from George Washington University researchers has found that being polite to AI models like ChatGPT is not only a waste of computing resources, it’s also pointless. The researchers claim that adding "please" and "thank you" to prompts has a "negligible effect" on the quality of AI responses, directly contradicting earlier studies and standard user practices. The study was published on arXiv on Monday, arriving just days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned that users typing "please"...

Robinhood Rides Crypto Rebound to Beat Q1 Estimates

Robinhood's revenue jumped 50% in the first quarter, driven by surging crypto activity, as the trading app beat Wall Street estimates. The retail brokerage posted $927 million in revenue, topping forecasts of $920 million, while earnings climbed to 37 cents a share, also ahead of estimates. Meanwhile, the company’s net income surged 114% to $336 million over the past year.  Robinhood’s strong financial performance was partially driven by its crypto business, which generated $252 million in reven...

Robinhood's revenue jumped 50% in the first quarter, driven by surging crypto activity, as the trading app beat Wall Street estimates. The retail brokerage posted $927 million in revenue, topping forecasts of $920 million, while earnings climbed to 37 cents a share, also ahead of estimates. Meanwhile, the company’s net income surged 114% to $336 million over the past year.  Robinhood’s strong financial performance was partially driven by its crypto business, which generated $252 million in reven...

'AI Can Enable Bigger Visions': Natasha Lyonne to Direct and Star in AI-Powered Film

Natasha Lyonne is taking on Silicon Valley’s AI obsession in "Uncanny Valley," a new sci-fi film that blurs the line between human performance and artificial intelligence. The move comes two years after Lyonne joined over 1,000 members of the Writers Guild of America in signing a petition calling for more AI guardrails in the entertainment industry. Joining the "Poker Face" and "Slums of Beverly Hills" star, who will direct and star in the satirical dystopian film, are actress and director Brit...

Natasha Lyonne is taking on Silicon Valley’s AI obsession in "Uncanny Valley," a new sci-fi film that blurs the line between human performance and artificial intelligence. The move comes two years after Lyonne joined over 1,000 members of the Writers Guild of America in signing a petition calling for more AI guardrails in the entertainment industry. Joining the "Poker Face" and "Slums of Beverly Hills" star, who will direct and star in the satirical dystopian film, are actress and director Brit...

Publicly Traded Semler Scientific Buys Millions More in Bitcoin

Medical device company Semler Scientific purchased another 165 Bitcoin for $15.7 million between the dates of April 25-29, bolstering its Bitcoin treasury to 3,467 BTC.  The purchase marks the firm’s second major Bitcoin acquisition in the last week after it announced that it added 111 BTC for $10 million on April 25. As of Wednesday, Semler’s Bitcoin treasury is valued at more than $327 million. “We bleed orange,” Semler Scientific Chairman Eric Semler posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), j...

Medical device company Semler Scientific purchased another 165 Bitcoin for $15.7 million between the dates of April 25-29, bolstering its Bitcoin treasury to 3,467 BTC.  The purchase marks the firm’s second major Bitcoin acquisition in the last week after it announced that it added 111 BTC for $10 million on April 25. As of Wednesday, Semler’s Bitcoin treasury is valued at more than $327 million. “We bleed orange,” Semler Scientific Chairman Eric Semler posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), j...

Visa to Pilot Stablecoin-Linked Cards in Latin America

Visa will enable customers in six Latin American countries to execute transactions in stablecoins via a pilot program it is seeking to expand, the payments giant announced on Wednesday. Card holders in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Chile will be able to make everyday purchases from a stablecoin balance at any merchant location that accepts Visa with the new cards, the San Francisco-based multinational said in a press release. Visa will be looking to expand the service to Europe,...

Visa will enable customers in six Latin American countries to execute transactions in stablecoins via a pilot program it is seeking to expand, the payments giant announced on Wednesday. Card holders in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Chile will be able to make everyday purchases from a stablecoin balance at any merchant location that accepts Visa with the new cards, the San Francisco-based multinational said in a press release. Visa will be looking to expand the service to Europe,...

'Flappy Bird' Relaunches Without Crypto Elements After Divisive Telegram Return

Popular mobile game Flappy Bird launched in the Epic Games Store for Android this week, but the game’s latest reboot doesn’t contain any crypto elements—despite plans to launch a token tied to the now-shuttered Telegram version. The tap-to-flap game maintains its classic mode that asks users to navigate a pixelated bird through a continuous field of pipes, as well as introduces a quest mode in the “Web-2 only” release.  “The Flappy Bird app available on Epic Games Store will never have any Web3...

Popular mobile game Flappy Bird launched in the Epic Games Store for Android this week, but the game’s latest reboot doesn’t contain any crypto elements—despite plans to launch a token tied to the now-shuttered Telegram version. The tap-to-flap game maintains its classic mode that asks users to navigate a pixelated bird through a continuous field of pipes, as well as introduces a quest mode in the “Web-2 only” release.  “The Flappy Bird app available on Epic Games Store will never have any Web3...

Galaxy Digital Plans to Offer Shares on Nasdaq Global Select Market

Galaxy Digital Holdings plans to list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market next month, the firm said Wednesday in a statement, a byproduct of the pro crypto pivot of U.S. federal regulators and policymakers. The listing, which is subject to shareholder approval, will tentatively go live on May 16, according to Galaxy Digital's statement. The company's Class A common stock will trade under the ticker GLXY. In listing on the Global Select Market, Galaxy Digital aims to broaden its access to capital,...

Galaxy Digital Holdings plans to list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market next month, the firm said Wednesday in a statement, a byproduct of the pro crypto pivot of U.S. federal regulators and policymakers. The listing, which is subject to shareholder approval, will tentatively go live on May 16, according to Galaxy Digital's statement. The company's Class A common stock will trade under the ticker GLXY. In listing on the Global Select Market, Galaxy Digital aims to broaden its access to capital,...

Ubisoft, LayerZero Launch Network for Cross-Chain Gaming Assets

Gaming giant Ubisoft announced Wednesday the launch of its Decentralized Verification Network, or DVN, a blockchain-based system designed to secure digital asset transfers across multiple blockchain platforms. The maker of popular games like Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, and Far Cry collaborated with LayerZero to leverage its interoperability protocol, allowing gamers to move digital assets seamlessly across Ethereum, Solana, Polygon and more than 130 other blockchains. "With the launch of the D...

Gaming giant Ubisoft announced Wednesday the launch of its Decentralized Verification Network, or DVN, a blockchain-based system designed to secure digital asset transfers across multiple blockchain platforms. The maker of popular games like Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, and Far Cry collaborated with LayerZero to leverage its interoperability protocol, allowing gamers to move digital assets seamlessly across Ethereum, Solana, Polygon and more than 130 other blockchains. "With the launch of the D...

Ripple Made $4-5 Billion Offer to Acquire USDC Stablecoin Issuer Circle: Bloomberg

Crypto payments firm Ripple made a multi-billion-dollar offer to acquire USDC stablecoin issuer Circle, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The offer was said to be in the range of $4 billion to $5 billion, but was reportedly rejected as being too low. At the start of April, Circle filed paperwork with the SEC to go public. A Circle spokesperson told Bloomberg news that the company was “currently in a quiet period with the SEC,” meaning its ability to comment on...

Crypto payments firm Ripple made a multi-billion-dollar offer to acquire USDC stablecoin issuer Circle, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The offer was said to be in the range of $4 billion to $5 billion, but was reportedly rejected as being too low. At the start of April, Circle filed paperwork with the SEC to go public. A Circle spokesperson told Bloomberg news that the company was “currently in a quiet period with the SEC,” meaning its ability to comment on...

Story of Man Who Lost $750 Million Worth of Bitcoin in Landfill Headed to Hollywood

The story of a Wales man who believes he accidentally threw away $750 million worth of Bitcoin is now poised to get the Hollywood treatment.  On Wednesday, a new Los Angeles-based production company, Lebul, announced that it secured the exclusive rights to tell the story of James Howells, an IT engineer who mined 8,000 BTC back in 2009—when the tokens were effectively worthless—and then lost them all.  Howells maintains that a former lover threw away a hard drive containing the tokens back in 20...

The story of a Wales man who believes he accidentally threw away $750 million worth of Bitcoin is now poised to get the Hollywood treatment.  On Wednesday, a new Los Angeles-based production company, Lebul, announced that it secured the exclusive rights to tell the story of James Howells, an IT engineer who mined 8,000 BTC back in 2009—when the tokens were effectively worthless—and then lost them all.  Howells maintains that a former lover threw away a hard drive containing the tokens back in 20...

Crypto Losses of $1.7 Billion from Hacks, Fraud Already Surpass 2024 Total: Immunefi

Digital assets may be firmly in the mainstream, with institutional involvement and a crypto-friendly president in the White House.  But hackers and fraudsters are having a field day so far this year. Crypto users have lost over $1.7 billion to these groups—already 14% more than 2024’s total losses of $1.49 billion, according to blockchain security firm Immunefi. In the same period last year, losses totaled $420 million, the firm said.  The report comes amid ongoing concerns about the vulnerabil...

Digital assets may be firmly in the mainstream, with institutional involvement and a crypto-friendly president in the White House.  But hackers and fraudsters are having a field day so far this year. Crypto users have lost over $1.7 billion to these groups—already 14% more than 2024’s total losses of $1.49 billion, according to blockchain security firm Immunefi. In the same period last year, losses totaled $420 million, the firm said.  The report comes amid ongoing concerns about the vulnerabil...

Sanctioned Russian Exchange Garantex Suspected of Rebrand as Grinex

Shuttered Russian exchange Garantex has rebranded as Grinex, according to on-chain analysis from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs. Garantex handled over $100 billion in transactions prior to its dismantling by international enforcement agencies in March of this year. Yet analysis from UK-based TRM Labs suggests that Grinex has been onboarding Garantex users and redistributing their assets in the form of A7A5, a ruble-pegged stablecoin available on Tron and Ethereum. Garantex wallet addresse...

Shuttered Russian exchange Garantex has rebranded as Grinex, according to on-chain analysis from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs. Garantex handled over $100 billion in transactions prior to its dismantling by international enforcement agencies in March of this year. Yet analysis from UK-based TRM Labs suggests that Grinex has been onboarding Garantex users and redistributing their assets in the form of A7A5, a ruble-pegged stablecoin available on Tron and Ethereum. Garantex wallet addresse...

US Recession 'Turning Into a Tailwind' for Bitcoin: Bitwise Analyst

Bitcoin fell on Wednesday after the U.S. economy shrank for the first time in three years, underscoring recession concerns.  But an economic contraction might actually be bullish for the asset, according to one analyst. The growing prospect of a U.S. recession–typically defined as a decline in GDP for two straight quarters–is lifting rate cut hopes as the dollar appears to be weakening, André Dragosch, European head of research at crypto asset manager Bitwise, told Decrypt. “I think the bull mar...

Bitcoin fell on Wednesday after the U.S. economy shrank for the first time in three years, underscoring recession concerns.  But an economic contraction might actually be bullish for the asset, according to one analyst. The growing prospect of a U.S. recession–typically defined as a decline in GDP for two straight quarters–is lifting rate cut hopes as the dollar appears to be weakening, André Dragosch, European head of research at crypto asset manager Bitwise, told Decrypt. “I think the bull mar...

FIFA Collect NFT Platform Will Dump Algorand for Its Own Chain

FIFA Collect, the official digital collectibles platform for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) soccer organization, will migrate to its own Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible FIFA blockchain—leaving behind Algorand in the process.  Scheduled to occur no sooner than May 20, the migration away from Algorand does not require any immediate action from FIFA Collect users or NFT owners.  “As FIFA Collect evolves, we are migrating the platform to the FIFA Blockchain, an...

FIFA Collect, the official digital collectibles platform for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) soccer organization, will migrate to its own Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible FIFA blockchain—leaving behind Algorand in the process.  Scheduled to occur no sooner than May 20, the migration away from Algorand does not require any immediate action from FIFA Collect users or NFT owners.  “As FIFA Collect evolves, we are migrating the platform to the FIFA Blockchain, an...

Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao Is Advising Countries on How to Start Crypto Strategic Reserves

Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao claims to have been offering advice on how to set up crypto strategic reserves to countries across the globe. And he thinks that Europe is failing to keep up with adoption. “We are talking with many countries, advising on how to set up a crypto strategic reserve,” Zhao said on a Token2049 panel. “Very basic fundamental stuff like what wallet solutions to use? Do you use a professional custody solution, or do you use your own cold wallets?” Th...

Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao claims to have been offering advice on how to set up crypto strategic reserves to countries across the globe. And he thinks that Europe is failing to keep up with adoption. “We are talking with many countries, advising on how to set up a crypto strategic reserve,” Zhao said on a Token2049 panel. “Very basic fundamental stuff like what wallet solutions to use? Do you use a professional custody solution, or do you use your own cold wallets?” Th...

Cryptography Pioneer Adi Shamir: World 'Would Be Better' Without Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies have failed to deliver on their promises, cryptography pioneer Adi Shamir suggested at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday. "My personal opinion is that the world would have been better without cryptocurrencies," he told attendees of an expert panel at the conference, per an initial report by The Register. Shamir, co-inventor of the RSA encryption algorithm, was unequivocal about his position. While praising Satoshi Nakamoto's seminal whitepaper on Bitco...

Cryptocurrencies have failed to deliver on their promises, cryptography pioneer Adi Shamir suggested at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday. "My personal opinion is that the world would have been better without cryptocurrencies," he told attendees of an expert panel at the conference, per an initial report by The Register. Shamir, co-inventor of the RSA encryption algorithm, was unequivocal about his position. While praising Satoshi Nakamoto's seminal whitepaper on Bitco...

Eric Trump: Anti-Crypto Banks Will Be 'Extinct in 10 Years'

Eric Trump has launched a scathing attack on traditional finance—and is warning banks that if they fail to embrace crypto, they’ll "be extinct in 10 years." Speaking to CNBC, the Trump Organization's executive vice president said modern systems used to move wealth worldwide are "broken, slow and expensive." He described SWIFT, the global network used to facilitate international payments, as an "absolute disaster." The president's son said his business regularly ends up racing to send or receive...

Eric Trump has launched a scathing attack on traditional finance—and is warning banks that if they fail to embrace crypto, they’ll "be extinct in 10 years." Speaking to CNBC, the Trump Organization's executive vice president said modern systems used to move wealth worldwide are "broken, slow and expensive." He described SWIFT, the global network used to facilitate international payments, as an "absolute disaster." The president's son said his business regularly ends up racing to send or receive...

Coinbase Urges Supreme Court to End IRS Surveillance of Crypto Users on Exchanges

Coinbase is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case that could fundamentally reshape digital privacy laws in America. Though not a direct party to the case, Coinbase joined several states, Elon Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter) and a handful of privacy advocacy groups in filing an amicus brief in Harper v. O'Donnell on Wednesday morning, calling on the Court to reconsider how the so-called third-party doctrine is applied in the digital age. The doctrine, dating back to the 1970s, hold...

Coinbase is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case that could fundamentally reshape digital privacy laws in America. Though not a direct party to the case, Coinbase joined several states, Elon Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter) and a handful of privacy advocacy groups in filing an amicus brief in Harper v. O'Donnell on Wednesday morning, calling on the Court to reconsider how the so-called third-party doctrine is applied in the digital age. The doctrine, dating back to the 1970s, hold...

Bitcoin Falls as US Economy Contracts for First Time in 3 Three Years

The price of Bitcoin fell below $95,000 on Wednesday after the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said that the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the first quarter, underscoring recession concerns tied to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Economists expected the U.S. economy to grow at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the three months through March; however, Wednesday’s reading represented the first quarterly decline in economic growth since the first quarter of 2022, according...

The price of Bitcoin fell below $95,000 on Wednesday after the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said that the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the first quarter, underscoring recession concerns tied to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Economists expected the U.S. economy to grow at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the three months through March; however, Wednesday’s reading represented the first quarterly decline in economic growth since the first quarter of 2022, according...

Over 60% of Crypto Users Manage Two or More Wallets: Reown

A new survey by blockchain analytics firm Nansen and on-chain UX platform Reown has found that 62% of crypto users manage two or more wallets, up 15% from the previous year. The YouGov survey of 1,000 active crypto users in the U.S. and UK points to a fragmented crypto ecosystem, with 48% of users needing to use multiple wallets to access different networks and chains. Crypto users are also increasingly security-conscious, with 44% using multiple wallets as a security measure, up from 32.8% the...

A new survey by blockchain analytics firm Nansen and on-chain UX platform Reown has found that 62% of crypto users manage two or more wallets, up 15% from the previous year. The YouGov survey of 1,000 active crypto users in the U.S. and UK points to a fragmented crypto ecosystem, with 48% of users needing to use multiple wallets to access different networks and chains. Crypto users are also increasingly security-conscious, with 44% using multiple wallets as a security measure, up from 32.8% the...