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WHITE HOUSE CONSIDERS EXPANDING NVIDIA AND AMD'S AI CHIP EXPORT LIMITS TO ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES

The Biden administration is considering restricting AI chip sales from Nvidia and AMD to Persian Gulf countries for national security reasons.

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DEXS STRUGGLE TO COMPETE WITH CEXS AS FUTURES TRADING VOLUMES SHIFT BACK

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are losing market share to centralized exchanges (CEXs) in the futures market. DEX market share has dropped from 5.18% to 3.26% of trading volume since February. This is because of challenges like having lower liquidity and less user-friendly interfaces causing traders to shift back to centralized platforms.

CFTC SAYS COURT GOT IT WRONG IN ALLOWING KALSHI TO OFFER ELECTION BETS

The CFTC is appealing a court ruling that allowed prediction market Kalshi to offer election betting contracts, arguing that the district court misinterpreted legal terms and that these contracts may harm election integrity. Despite the CFTC's objections and ongoing efforts to ban political event betting, Kalshi has launched bets on who will win the U.S. presidential election.

INTRODUCING DGEN1: THE ETHOS PHONE

EthOS' first phone model, the dGEN1, is now available for preorder with a release in Spring 2025. The phone is about half the size of a typical iPhone. It has a second touchscreen for notifications and transaction metadata, a 3x3 LED grid for notifications and flair, and a laser. EthOS provides a light client, system-level wallet, and onchain-native browser.

INTRODUCING SUPERLANE: SUPERCHAIN INTEROPERABILITY TODAY

Superlane, a collaboration between the Velodrome DEX and Hyperlane interoperability protocol, brings interchain apps, shared liquidity, and interchain governance to OP Stack L2s. It introduces features proposed in Optimism's recent Superchain Interoperability initiative several months before its release, with a path to upgrade once the official approach arrives. Since Hyperlane allows for permissionless integrations, any OP Stack L2 can join the Superlane. Velodrome will start by making XVELO a Superchain ERC20.

POSSIBLE FUTURES FOR THE ETHEREUM PROTOCOL, PART 2: THE SURGE

In his second post outlining Ethereum's roadmap, Vitalik Buterin focuses on how Ethereum will scale to 100,000 TPS following a rollup-centric approach. The project's primary goals are to maintain the L1's decentralization and robustness, have some L2s fully inherit Ethereum's properties, and provide maximum interoperability between rollups for a seamless experience. Buterin dives into several approaches: data compression, better L2 proof systems, L2 interoperability improvements, and L1 scaling.

ANALYZING THE TOP CRYPTO VENTURE CAPITAL WALLETS

An analysis of top VC crypto wallets revealed common long-term holdings in DeFi tokens, ETH, and stablecoins. While VC investments have dropped since 2021-2022, Q2 2024 saw a 28% QoQ increase to $3.19 billion, with investors focusing on AI, infrastructure, and memecoins. VCs employ diverse strategies, including stable arbitrage, to investments in emerging sectors.

ANDRE CRONJE CRITIQUES APPCHAINS

DeFi Pioneer and Sonic Labs (formerly Fantom) founder Andre Cronje believes that independent appchains suffer from high infrastructure costs, fragmented liquidity, and a lack of developer support. Opponents of this view say rollup-as-a-service providers make support easier and solutions like AggLayer promote liquidity interoperability. Builders that agree with Cronje cite the lack of network effects on appchains and competition between builders.

WORLDCOIN REBRANDS AS ‘WORLD,' UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION ORB

Identity project Worldcoin has rebranded to ‘World' and introduced a new set of features. The company announced a more powerful Orb to verify user identities and an alternate verification form using government-issued passports. It claims that World ID Deep Face has solved deepfakes and can be used on any video.

POLYMARKET IS NOW THE NO. 1 “MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS” APP IN THE UNITED STATES

Polymarket has flipped the New York Times to become the highest-ranked “Magazines & Newspapers” app in the U.S. App Store.

THE BEST PRODUCTS IN CRYPTO ARE BECOMING PLATFORMS

Protocols like Uniswap, Aave, and Optimism are becoming more than simple primitives for onchain actions.

VENMO PARTNERS WITH MOONPAY

Venmo's 60M U.S. users can now buy crypto directly with their Venmo balance through a new integration with MoonPay.

COST OF TRANSACTING ON BASE HAS DECREASED BY 99%

PRADA AND AXIOM SPACE REVEAL SPACESUITS FOR NEXT LUNAR LANDING

Prada and Axiom Space developed the Artemis III spacesuit, the AxEMU, for NASA's lunar mission. The suit is designed for flexibility and safety and is adaptable to a wide range of body sizes. It features advanced cooling, diagnostic, and vision-enhancing technology and combines Prada's design expertise with Axiom's engineering for optimal lunar exploration performance.

FORMER APPLE DESIGN EXEC DEBUTS NUIO – A NEW TAKE ON ERGONOMIC ACCESSORIES

The NUIO Flow Keyboard, created by Tom and Greg Wilson, pioneers a revolutionary design shift from traditional keyboards that have remained unchanged for over a century. Key features include a radial key layout, 3-D wave, and split design that support ergonomic hand positioning and posture, providing a more natural typing experience. The Flow Keyboard also features wireless connectivity and backlit keys and is part of a broader NUIO ecosystem with complementary products like trackpads and wrist pads.

HI-CHEW'S NEW MASCOT, CHEWBIE, IS A PUFFY, LOVABLE LESSON IN BRANDING

Hi-Chew has introduced a new mascot, Chewbie, a genderless, quirky, blob-like character designed to elevate the brand amid its rising popularity in the US. Chewbie, with its lovable and distinctive appearance, embodies the Hi-Chew candy's playful spirit. Hi-Chew aims to use Chewbie to resonate with Gen Z and engage them across various platforms like TikTok and social media. This introduction aligns with a broader trend where brands like Duolingo and Pop-Tarts are leveraging mascots to boost brand presence and recognition in unconventional, vibrant ways.

INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN IVE

In this interview, Jonathan Ive shares his admiration for Dieter Rams, emphasizing Rams' overlooked achievement of innovating design processes at Braun. Ive recalls his early encounter with Braun's products and reflects on how its design philosophy influenced his work, particularly at Apple.

WHEN PERFECTIONISM MAKES YOU A BETTER CREATIVE, AND WHEN IT DOESN'T

Perfectionism, often linked to creativity, can drive great work but also lead to creative paralysis and mental health issues. Creatives like Siqi Song, Renald Louissaint, and Pablo Rochat have found that balancing control, embracing mistakes, and setting boundaries is crucial to managing perfectionism.

ADOBE'S PROJECT SUPER SONIC USES AI TO GENERATE SOUND EFFECTS FOR YOUR VIDEOS

Introduced at Adobe's MAX conference, Project Super Sonic is a tool that generates background audio and effects for videos using text-to-audio, object recognition, and voice imitation. While similar tools exist, Super Sonic's added modes and precise vocal control offer creators an engaging, innovative way to enhance sound design.

FILE MANAGEMENT GOODIES (FIGMA FILE)

A set of Figma design components that designers at Deliveroo use to make their Figma workflow more efficient by 15%.

INCLUSIVE MINDSET WORKBOOK BY PROJECT LIMA (FIGJAM BOARD)

Exercise your inclusivity mindset using this workbook, which covers identifying exclusions, creating persona spectrums, and developing creative solutions to address these needs.

AI-GENERATED AVATARS

Find truly authentic-looking AI profile pictures.

HOW TO CREATE CONCEPT ART: 15 TIPS FROM A MARVEL STUDIO ARTIST

In this post, Rodney Fuentebella, a Marvel Studios concept artist, shares insights from his decade-long career. He discusses working with various shapes, experimenting with colors and effects, and using 3D software for complex environments. Fuentebella also highlights the importance of gesture, simplicity, and drawing inspiration from personal experiences to enhance creativity in concept art.

BRANDING: HOW TRADITIONAL JAPANESE AESTHETICS BREATHE NEW LIFE

Studio.Design partnered with Nuevo.Tokyo to rebrand Japan's largest no-code website builder. By incorporating traditional Japanese aesthetics like "ma," "tatami," and "iki," it created a refined, modular, and minimalistic brand that resonates globally. The rebrand, which emphasized creativity over self-promotion, achieved over 100k impressions overnight without marketing.

DESIGNERS REIMAGINE IPOD TOUCH IN IPHONE 16 DESIGN LANGUAGE

Designers ID JUAN and Sy Wong reimagined the iPod Touch with an iPhone 16-inspired look, retaining the 4-inch display, Lightning connector, and headphone jack.

DESIGNER NATALIE BRADBURN BRINGS BOLD COLOUR TO THE MODERN BATHROOM

New Zealand designer Natalie Bradburn founded CleanCleanClean in 2019, focusing on vibrant, practical bathroom designs that emphasize cleanliness and local manufacturing partnerships.

THE UGLY REALITIES OF THE UI/UX DESIGN INDUSTRY

UI/UX design in the real world demands adaptability, diverse skills, and flexibility.

challenges you face today. And best of all, it's completely free

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THE SECOND $100B AI COMPANY

The AI revolution is expected to propel new companies to achieve market caps of over $100 billion, with consumer AI companies likely to be among the biggest winners. The application layer of AI, where new value is being created, is still in its early stages. The next few years are expected to be key for the emergence of new AI companies. Categories such as video, online shopping, and gaming are particularly promising areas for consumer AI companies for achieving large-scale success.

HOW AI WEDGES WILL HELP STARTUPS OUTMANEUVER INCUMBENTS

New AI-powered products are transforming traditional industries by capturing data at the point of creation, bypassing traditional systems of record and enabling startups to grow rapidly. These "wedge" products, often powered by LLMs, are disrupting established players in industries such as sales, insurance, and IT service management. By integrating with existing systems, building workflows, and storing data, these startups can create robust moats around their data ecosystems and capture significant value, potentially triggering a golden age of vertical software.

PERMIRA COMPLETES SQUARESPACE ACQUISITION FOR $7.2B

Squarespace transitioned from a publicly traded company to private ownership after Permira, a private equity firm, acquired all remaining shares. Initially offering $44 per share, Permira increased its bid to $46.50 per share, valuing the company at approximately $7.2 billion, following recommendations that the initial offer did not maximize shareholder value. Despite this acquisition, Squarespace's founder Anthony Casalena retains a significant stake and continues as CEO. The company also recently completed the sale of its restaurant reservation service, Tock, to American Express for $400 million.

ANNUAL PLANNING SUCKS

Annual planning can be a painful and often ineffective process for companies, but it doesn't have to be. Companies can create more effective and adaptable plans by tailoring planning approaches to their specific needs and stages and focusing on key principles such as balancing top-down direction with bottom-up proposals. In this article, executives from companies like Linktree, Linear, Vanta, and Notion share their experiences and strategies for successful annual planning. They discuss the importance of constraining timelines, setting clear investment areas, and anticipating potential disruptions.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM TRACKING 443 SAAS PRICING PAGES

Many SaaS companies are adjusting their pricing strategies, with 42% of companies in a recent index making changes to their prices in the first three quarters of 2024. These changes include price increases, decreases, and updates to pricing pages, with some companies taking a targeted approach to optimize revenue from high-value plans. The data suggests that SaaS companies are embracing an iterative pricing strategy, with many making multiple changes to their pricing over the course of the year.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT LOOKING UNAMBITIOUS

Engaging with a CEO's ambitious ideas isn't about blind acceptance or dismissal, but about strategic analysis and structured thinking. This article outlines a three-step playbook for evaluating big ideas: identifying real objectives, working backwards to determine necessary conditions, and delivering a thoughtful analysis. This approach allows team members to push back on unrealistic expectations without appearing unambitious, fostering a culture of informed decision-making and calculated risk-taking.

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UNSURVEY

Turn surveys into engaging conversations.

SEO FOR B2B: CUSTOMER JOURNEY TEMPLATE (RESOURCE)

Graphite's SEO template for B2B companies.

FETA

Feta helps product and engineering teams run efficient meetings, documenting discussions for actionable insights.

THE EMPTY SUIT EXECUTIVE

"Empty suit executives" prioritize status over substance, often avoiding direct customer interaction, delegating critical tasks, and focusing on abstract strategy rather than tangible results. In contrast, effective leaders are hands-on, prioritize customer engagement, take responsibility for outcomes, and embody authenticity and dedication. Aspire to be a genuine leader who is actively involved in all aspects of the business rather than merely managing from a distance.

AI IN VC: OUTLOOK FOR 2025

The number of venture capital firms adopting a data-driven approach is expected to continue growing in 2025. Many new firms are just starting their digitization journey. Despite a 26% increase in data-driven VC firms from 2023 to 2024, the number of engineers employed by these firms only grew by 13%, indicating that many firms are still in the early stages of building their data capabilities. This trend is expected to persist, with the number of data-driven VC firms likely to surpass 250 globally in 2025.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PAST (THOUGHTS ON NOSTALGIA)

Nostalgia often distorts our perception of the past, making us forget the anxieties and uncertainties we experienced at the time. When we look back, we tend to remember how we think we should have felt, given what we know today, rather than how we actually felt. This phenomenon can be seen in various aspects of life, including personal experiences and economic events, where the benefit of hindsight makes it difficult to recall the uncertainty and fear that once existed.

SO ARE WE IN A “DOWNTURN” IN SAAS — OR NOT? IT'S CONFUSING

Some SaaS and Cloud companies are experiencing impressive growth rates, while the broader public markets face challenges, as evidenced by the significant decline in the BVP Cloud Index.

THE PREMISE OF A NEW S-CURVE IN AI

Recent advancements in AI have led to significant performance improvements across various model sizes, with the smallest models showing the most notable gains.

WILL AI REPLACE COACHES AND THERAPISTS?

AI technology is progressing rapidly and will potentially impact fields like coaching and therapy.