Crypto and Blockchain
◾ Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $118,780. (Coinmarketcap)
◾ SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce stated that “tokenized securities” are securities. (Sec.gov)
◾ The Department of Treasury and IRS removed the crypto broker rule that required decentralized exchanges to report customer transactions. (FederalRegister.gov)
◾ Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced a bill to end double taxation on crypto mining and staking and create a $300 de minimis tax exemption for small transactions. (Senate.gov)
◾The SEC released guidelines clarifying disclosure requirements for crypto asset exchange traded products. (Sec.gov)
◾ Eight dormant Satoshi-era bitcoin wallets moved $8.6 billion in BTC over the weekend, though analysts believe the activity was tied to address upgrades. (X)
◾ CoreWeave $CRWV is acquiring Core Scientific $CORZ in a $9 billion all-stock transaction. (Corewave)
◾ Robinhood’s $HOOD plan to offer tokenized equities in Europe is under review by its EU regulator, Lithuania’s central bank. (CNBC)
◾ The FTX bankruptcy estate is seeking to halt creditor payments in restricted jurisdictions. (Cointelegraph)
◾ Block $XYZ CEO Jack Dorsey published a white paper and unveiled Bitchat, a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging services operating over Bluetooth. (GitHub)
◾ Telegram’s Open Network clarified it is exploring a UAE golden visa with a licensed partner but no plans are finalized or approved. (Cointelegraph)
Artificial Intelligence
◾ xAI’s Grok chatbot is facing criticism for generating antisemitic responses. (Reuters)
◾ OpenAI is planning to release an AI-powered web browser. (Reuters)
◾ OpenAI completed its acquisition of Jony Ive’s io Products and appointed Ive to oversee all product design. (OpenAI)
◾ Amazon is considering another multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic. (FT)
◾ An AI watchdog filed an IRS complaint against OpenAI alleging conflicts of interest and failure to uphold nonprofit safeguards. (X)
◾ Microsoft $MSFT saved $500 million last year by using AI in its call centers. (Bloomberg)
◾ Coinbase $COIN is partnering with Perplexity AI to provide traders with real-time data to support decision making. (X)
◾ Hug Hugging Face unveiled an $299 11-inch desktop robot designed to help developers build and test AI models using physical hardware. (VentureBeat)
◾ xAI will live stream the launch of Grok 4 tonight at 11PM EST. (X)
Gaming & the Metaverse
◾ Meta $META is investing $3.5 billion for a stake of under 3% in eyewear company EssilorLuxottica $ESLOY. (Bloomberg)
◾ Epic Games settled a lawsuit with Samsung over claims it conspired with Google $GOOGL to block competition in the Google Play app store. (Reuters)
◾ Apple $AAPL plans to upgrade the Vision Pro with a faster processor for AI use and a redesigned strap for improved comfort. (Bloomberg)
◾ Hollywood video game actors approved a new labor agreement that includes consent and disclosure requirements for the use of AI-generated digital replicas.. (SAGAFTRA)
◾ Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX appointed former CFO Alex Macdonald as CEO and announced plans to sell its direct sales business. (EnthusaistGaming)
◾ Nvidia $NVDA became the first company to surpass a $4 trillion valuation. (NBCNews)
◾ Strategy $MSTR reported a $14 billion unrealized bitcoin gain in Q2, along with a $4 billion deferred tax expense. (SecFiling)
◾ Binance Aided Trump Crypto Firm Before Founder CZ Sought Pardon (Bloomberg)
◾ The Great Bitcoin Power Shift Has Large Holders Dumping 500,000 Coins (Bloomberg)
◾ What is the marginal benefit of an AI researcher? (X)
◾ The ‘ChatGPT Moment’ in Robotics and beyond (Substack)
◾ AI virtual personality YouTubers, or ‘VTubers,’ are earning millions (CNBC)
◾ The Billionaire Astronaut Caught in the Trump-Musk Crossfire (TheFreePress)