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BLACKROCK'S ETH ETF RANKS #5 IN US TRADING VOLUME

BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) ranked #5 among all US ETFs by daily trading volume, logging over 3.3 million shares traded, ahead of thousands of traditional funds.

BINANCE.US REJECTS POLITICAL MOTIVE BEHIND USD1 LISTING

Binance.US dismissed claims that its listing of Trump-linked USD1 stablecoin was political payback for Donald Trump's pardon of founder Changpeng Zhao, saying the move was approved earlier through “ordinary business.”

X402 ALIGNMENT MAP

This market map indicates various projects' alignment with the x402 payments standard, including Cloudflare, EigenLayer, and Google.

JAMIE DIMON ADMITS HE WAS WRONG ABOUT BITCOIN

In an interview alongside Larry Fink, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon admitted that Bitcoin is real and will be widely adopted.

FIGMA ACQUIRES AI-POWERED MEDIA GENERATION COMPANY WEAVY

Figma has acquired Tel Aviv–based AI image and video generation startup Weavy, rebranding it as Figma Weave. The 20-person team will join Figma. Weavy will remain a standalone product for now before being integrated into Figma's platform. Founded in 2024 and backed by $4 million in seed funding, Weavy's tools let designers combine multiple AI models for advanced, node-based image and video generation with detailed editing controls.

ADOBE LAUNCHES AI ASSISTANTS FOR EXPRESS AND PHOTOSHOP

Adobe launched AI assistants for Express and Photoshop to help users create and edit images more efficiently. Express features a dedicated AI mode for text-based image generation that users can toggle with traditional editing tools, while Photoshop's sidebar assistant can understand layers, automate object selection, and handle repetitive tasks like background removal. Adobe is also testing "Project Moonlight," which coordinates multiple Adobe assistants and connects to creators' social channels to understand their style.

GOOGLE LAUNCHES POMELLI, AN AI-POWERED TOOL THAT CREATES SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AUTOMATICALLY

Google's new AI tool, Pomelli, automatically generates complete social media campaigns for small and midsize businesses by scanning their websites to extract brand elements such as tone, colors, and fonts. The system then suggests campaign ideas based on the extracted brand profile, with content that can be edited in the interface and downloaded. Google aims to reduce the time and cost of creating marketing materials through this public beta, now available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand via Google Labs.

THE AI CONCEPT THAT CHANGED OUR COMPANY'S WAY OF WORKING

A Latin American HR startup has developed a "Product Playground"—a local environment where non-engineers can rapidly build and test functional product ideas using AI and their design system components. This tool has shifted the design team's role from creating all interfaces to maintaining infrastructure that enables company-wide innovation, reducing idea-to-prototype cycles from weeks to hours. The approach raises questions about traditional design workflows and handoffs, but the company views it as a necessary evolution during their "production acceleration stage."

ADOBE JUST PREVIEWED SOME OF THE WILDEST AI TOOLS WE'VE EVER SEEN

Adobe showcased over ten experimental projects from its research team at Adobe MAX 2025, highlighting major AI innovations. Standouts included Project Motion Map, which animates static Illustrator images via text prompts; Project Clean Take, which edits and replaces audio directly from video transcripts; Project Light Touch, which adjusts photo lighting and shadows after capture; and Project Frame Forward, which applies edits from a single video frame to the entire clip using AI.

MARKETING UX WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION

Embedding UX into an organization requires internal marketing to shift culture and build awareness. The approach focuses on creating a network of UX ambassadors across departments through tools like newsletters, discussion forums, and memorable internal PR stunts. Regular newsletters should equip ambassadors with practical tips and stories, while forums provide peer support. Other tactics include internal conferences, short user-testing videos, and physical reminders to keep UX visible. These low-cost, creative efforts help spread user-centered thinking and build lasting organizational support for UX.

VIDEO COLLABORATION, BUILT FOR HOW CREATIVES ACTUALLY WORK

Flask is a video collaboration platform built for how creatives actually work. Annotate videos visually, record in-depth feedback, and add any reference on your screen.

YOUR SPACE FOR CREATIVITY

PackPack creates a dedicated space for your creativity. Save anything, capture every idea, articles, images, videos, or webpages—save it all with just one tap.

GENERATIVE UI AND EARLY THOUGHTS

A generative UI approach allows large language models to dynamically create interface structures at runtime based on real-time context and user intent, rather than having designers hard-code every element in advance. This probabilistic method enables interfaces to adapt automatically to different users and situations without requiring manual redesigns or new feature implementations for each scenario. The shift represents a fundamental change from predicting every possible use case upfront to letting systems respond contextually to user needs as they arise.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR STARTUP'S FIRST DESIGN SYSTEM

SpotAI developed its first Design System through a structured, practical process suited for small teams. The process involved creating a realistic moodboard, exploring visual styles in Figma, rebuilding mockups with components, collaborating early with engineers, using an open-source component library, building a detailed Figma system tied to code, and maintaining it over time. The result was a scalable, evolving system that streamlined design and development while emphasizing simplicity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

THREE YEARS OF X: THE POWER (AND PERIL) OF RADICAL BRAND REINVENTION

Elon Musk's overhaul of Twitter into X shows how drastic, ego-led rebrands can backfire when they ignore user connection and brand heritage. The platform lost much of its community's loyalty and recognition by discarding familiar identity elements and forcing a new direction. Successful transformation should evolve gradually, be grounded in purpose and audience understanding, and preserve what people already value while guiding them forward. Reinvention works only when it earns belief, not when it demands it.

HOW ARTISTS BEHIND MARVEL, ALIEN, AND THE MATRIX MOVIES ARE FIGHTING AI

Artists working on major franchises like Marvel, Alien, and The Matrix are resisting AI through class-action lawsuits, legislative efforts like California's AB 412 transparency bill, and grassroots organizing that recently packed a Sacramento hearing with voice actors, writers, and concept artists.

ADOBE CREATORS' TOOLKIT REPORT: 86 PERCENT OF GLOBAL CREATORS USE CREATIVE GENERATIVE AI, SEE IT BOOSTING CREATOR ECONOMY

76% credit it for accelerating their business growth and personal brand development.

SPRINGS AND BOUNCES IN NATIVE CSS: THE MAGIC OF THE LINEAR() TIMING FUNCTION

The `linear()` CSS timing function is a powerful tool for creating complex animations like springs and bounces natively. Unlike Bézier curves, `linear()` allows you to define animation curves using a series of points, allowing for more intricate and physics-based effects. While `linear()` offers flexibility, it has limitations regarding time-based durations, interrupt handling, and potential performance concerns that can be mitigated by using CSS variables and falling back to cubic-bezier curves for older browsers.

NAN, THE NOT-A-NUMBER NUMBER THAT ISN'T NAN

`NaN` results from mathematical operations involving non-numeric values and propagates through calculations. It is unique because `NaN` is not equal to itself, which prevents it from corrupting calculations as an error state. The global `isNaN()` function coerces values to numbers, while `Number.isNaN()` strictly checks for the `NaN` value.

NEW TREND: PROGRAMMING BY KICKING OFF PARALLEL AI AGENTS

A new trend is forming where software engineers are experimenting with running multiple AI agents in parallel to increase productivity. While some engineers are skeptical, citing the need to review AI-generated code as a bottleneck, others find it useful for tasks like research and maintenance. Senior engineers may be well-suited to this workflow due to their experience with multitasking and code review, but established engineering practices are still important when working with AI agents.

TAKING MONEY OFF THE TABLE

Startup employees facing a tender offer to sell a portion of their equity should take it. Even successful startups can face unexpected challenges, and the potential for having an immediate financial gain already represents a "win." Having money makes it easier to make more in the future, as one can take risks without worrying about money.

FREE SOFTWARE SCARES NORMAL PEOPLE

Free software often overwhelms non-technical users due to its complex interfaces and extensive features. While powerful tools like Handbrake exist, their "power user" UIs discourage normal people from using them effectively for simple tasks like video conversion. A simplified front-end can provide a user-friendly experience by focusing on the most common needs.

AFFINITY STUDIO

Affinity is a free, all-in-one creative app from Canva that combines design, image editing, and layout tools. It has customizable studios, non-destructive editing, and export capabilities, integrating with various file formats.

A HEATMAP DIFF VIEWER FOR CODE REVIEWS

This tool provides a heatmap diff viewer for code reviews, highlighting lines and tokens based on their potential need for human attention, not just for bugs but also for complexity or unusual patterns. It uses GPT-5-Codex to analyze each diff and generate a JSON data structure, which is then used to create a color-coded heatmap overlayed on the code changes.

WHY WE TEND TO AVOID PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS

People often default to private conversations instead of public ones, despite advocating for transparency. This reluctance comes from the perceived pressure of performing in public, the need for intimacy, the burden of providing extensive context, and the vulnerability of admitting ignorance. Some solutions to this are the "No DM Before Public" rule, using "WIP" labels to encourage early feedback, summarizing private decisions publicly, and leading by example by openly asking questions and admitting mistakes.

COMPARING INTERVIEWS AT 8 LARGE TECH COMPANIES

An engineer interviewed at eight large tech companies before accepting a Principal Software Engineer role at Atlassian. He completed over 60 interviews and found that algorithmic coding skills and behavioral interviews were still very important for senior-level positions. Even in a challenging job market, strong candidates with relevant experience are still in demand.

ZIG'S NEW ASYNC I/O (TEXT VERSION)

Zig's new async I/O primitives, coming in version 0.16.0, have core synchronization APIs like `async`, `await`, and `cancel` that will help with asynchronous vs concurrent execution.

USING ATOMIC STATE TO IMPROVE REACT PERFORMANCE IN DEEPLY NESTED COMPONENT TREES

Harbor uses atomic state management with Jotai in its React-based clinical trial data capture UI to improve performance in deeply nested component trees by preventing unnecessary rerenders.

JOHN CARMACK ON VARIABLES

Avoiding variable reassignment in Python, similar to the "const" principle in C/C++, improves debugging and prevents errors caused by code movement.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE BY PREFETCHING PRODUCT PAGES FROM ETSY SEARCH

Etsy improved the performance of product listing pages on its search results by implementing the Speculation Rules API (SRA) to prefetch those pages when users hover over listing cards, resulting in large performance improvements (20-24% in some metrics).

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GRAMMARLY REBRANDS TO 'SUPERHUMAN,' LAUNCHES A NEW AI ASSISTANT

Grammarly has rebranded to "Superhuman" after acquiring the email client Superhuman and launching an AI assistant called Superhuman Go. The AI assistant, integrated with Grammarly's extension, connects with apps like Jira and Google Calendar, enhancing its functionality for tasks like scheduling and data fetching. With its transition to a productivity suite, Grammarly aims to compete with Notion and Google Workspace by offering enhanced AI features.

META'S AI PUSH WORKS, BUT WALL STREET ISN'T CONVINCED

Meta's stock dropped 8% after earnings, even though its AI improvements are clearly working. People spend 10% more time on Instagram because of better AI recommendations, and advertisers using Meta's AI tools pay 14% less per lead. The company now makes $60 billion from AI-powered ads. The problem is expenses - they jumped 32% as Zuckerberg pours money into AI research labs faster than revenue is growing. Meta grew revenue 26% and engagement is up across every app, but investors think it is spending too aggressively on AI when the current tools already deliver results.

$555B OF CLOUD SPEND

Microsoft and Google's latest earnings reveal the sheer scale of the AI boom. Together, they're sitting on $555 billion in cloud commitments. Both companies are doubling down on data centers, pushing toward a $100B annualized CapEx each. Microsoft plans to expand AI capacity by 80% and double its data center footprint within two years, while Google raised its 2025 CapEx forecast to $93B. Microsoft's commercial backlog has surged past $400B, and Google Cloud's hit $155B, signaling long-term demand strong enough to justify spending more than their entire cash reserves.

HOW TO KEEP WINNING

Replit's founder says winning is less about luck and more about surviving long enough to compound. The first rule is simple: don't die. Know your red lines, manage downside, and stay in the game even when things look bleak. The second is never quit, progress compounds slowly until it suddenly doesn't. Easy paths rarely lead to lasting advantage, so lean into hard problems that others avoid. Winning requires focus: lock in, study competitors, and learn from their mistakes. While shortcuts are tempting, playing by the rules forces innovation that becomes a moat. Finally, give back. Sharing ideas, open-sourcing work, and helping others doesn't weaken you, it builds goodwill and compounds success over time.

HOW TO FIND YOUR WEDGE

Startups die trying to build everything at once. Founders hear “go after a big market” and start designing the Maximum Viable Product, a sprawling vision that burns time, cash, and morale before it ever meets a customer. The smarter move is finding your wedge: one tightly scoped problem your small team can solve better than anyone else. Amazon started with books, and Facebook started with college photos. Each nailed a small problem and earned the right to expand.

WHEN TO HIRE YOUR FIRST PM

Every founder hits a moment when a product stops being the best use of their time. The roadmap fills with new features, customer feedback piles up, and you're juggling sprint planning while trying to close deals and hire your next engineer. That's when it's time to bring in your first PM. Before PMF, you should own product yourself, but once the feedback loops multiply and tactical decisions start eating into growth, you need someone who can synthesize, prioritize, and keep momentum.

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UNICORN STUDIO

Create enchanting WebGL effects, motion, and interactivity.

ALLOY

Prototypes that look exactly like your product.

SKALA

Skala is an all-in-one legal platform for startups to incorporate, fundraise, manage IP, hire, and access legal services globally.

THE CULT OF BUSYNESS

If exhaustion is your status symbol, you are paying prestige with your life. This essay skewers our worship of constant doing, where packed calendars masquerade as meaning and self-care turns into another productivity hack. Busyness becomes a sedative for anxiety and a costume for relevance, rewarded with applause even as it erodes attention, intimacy, and art. The cure is not a better app but permission to be idle on purpose, to treat stillness as a practice rather than a failure, and to stop confusing motion with a life.

PIVOTS, PATHS, AND PROTOTYPES

You know it is time to pivot when perfecting the draft takes longer than saying what is true. A TEDx prep that would not click becomes the story of switching themes with a month to spare, proving that quitting one path can be the bravest way forward. The lesson is to build “beta” moments into work and life, test fits before committing, and judge effort by learning rate, not sunk cost. Some turns are not detours at all. They are the road revealing itself.

WILL AI SLOP KILL THE CREATOR ECONOMY?

Meta's Vibes and OpenAI's Sora 2 are AI tools that generate video content effortlessly, posing a threat to parts of the creator economy by replacing roles like fashion models and brand spokespeople. Despite this, genuine online creators that offer authenticity and unique insights remain valuable, as AI struggles to replicate these qualities. The proliferation of AI-generated content could threaten the media industry by oversaturating the market, but human-driven content retains its appeal due to its originality.

REPLICATION

Every startup begins as a copy of something that worked before, but survival depends on what you choose not to copy.

THE PERMISSION TO NOT KNOW

Every founder feels like a fraud the moment they start doing something that actually matters.

10 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYEES

Top performers deliver on core priorities, only take on tasks they can finish, and keep commitments without fail.