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OPENAI RELEASES WARMER GPT-5 PERSONALITY

OpenAI is rolling out a friendlier version of GPT-5 with subtle changes after users complained the model felt too formal and that they missed 4o's personality, though internal testing shows no increase in sycophancy.

CLAUDE OPUS 4 AND 4.1 CAN NOW END A RARE SUBSET OF CONVERSATIONS

Anthropic granted its most advanced models the ability to end conversations as a last resort against persistently harmful or abusive interactions, developed partly as an exploration into AI welfare and moral status.

TEACHING GPT-5 TO USE A COMPUTER

Archon is a copilot for Mac and Windows that takes natural language instructions and then performs tasks by taking screenshots, using GPT-5 to create a plan, and then using a custom fine-tuned model to execute clicks and keystrokes. The copilot uses GPT-5's powerful reasoning, combined with tiny fine-tuned models, to control any interface through natural language. This article looks at how Archon was built.

RANKING THE CHINESE OPEN MODEL BUILDERS

This ranking evaluates 19 Chinese labs, not on the raw capabilities of their models, but on their contributions to AI research. Deepseek reigns as a top lab, despite recent quiet periods, with newer companies like Moonshot AI and Zhipu closing the gap after their recent releases of K2 and GLM-4.5, respectively.

35 THOUGHTS ABOUT AGI AND 1 ABOUT GPT-5

The impact of advanced AI far outpaces our understanding of advanced AI—a disconnect that will only widen as we race toward AGI. This sprawling list tackles the fundamental philosophical questions about these systems: Why do teenagers master driving in weeks while Waymo burns through millions of hours? How can LLMs store vastly more facts than human brains despite having fewer connections? Does the 7-month doubling of AI task complexity represent something deeper about cognition itself?

THE STATE OF AI 2025

AI startups are growing like nothing we've ever seen - some hit $100M ARR in their first year. Bessemer studied 20 companies and found two types: Supernovas that explode to $125M by year two but have 25% gross margins and fragile retention, and Shooting Stars that quadruple yearly with 60% margins. The new benchmark isn't T2D3 anymore, it's Q2T3 (quadruple, quadruple, triple, triple, triple).

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GPT-5 CODING TIPS

OpenAI shared a cheat sheet outlining best practices for using GPT-5 in coding scenarios, including prompt design, function calling, and tool use.

BUILDING A WEB SEARCH ENGINE FROM SCRATCH IN TWO MONTHS WITH 3 BILLION NEURAL EMBEDDINGS

A solo dev built a complete web search engine from the ground up in just two months, leveraging 200 GPUs to generate 3 billion neural embeddings across 280 million indexed pages. The project uses transformer-based embeddings, a dramatic improvement over traditional keyword matching, as it supports much more complex queries.

CHATGPT APP $2B REVENUE

Since launching in 2023, ChatGPT's mobile app has reached $2B in consumer spending, with an average return of $2.91 per install, vastly outpacing other AI mobile apps.

GPT-5 HAS A HIDDEN SYSTEM PROMPT

GPT-5, when accessed via the OpenAI API, has its own hidden system prompt that is independent from the system prompt users specify in their API calls. It is very resistant to sharing the details of this secret system prompt. The prompt seems to specify a level of 'oververbosity' where the assistant prioritizes direct answers with minimal extra content and keeps explanations short unless users ask for more.

I VIBE-CODED A TRITON KERNEL

A Triton implementation of GPT-OSS was included in the release, but the kernels are forward-only - this developer vibe-coded their own kernel to use for training.

OPEN WEIGHT LLMS EXHIBIT INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE ACROSS PROVIDERS

Customers of open weight model providers will have to be careful to make the right choice.

GOOGLE DEVELOPS PROJECTS FEATURE FOR GEMINI

Gemini's Projects feature enables the assistant to run Research tasks across uploaded files.

FED ENDS CRYPTO BANK SUPERVISION PROGRAM

The U.S. Federal Reserve has shut down its “Novel Activities Supervision Program,” which was created in 2023 to oversee banks engaging in crypto and fintech partnerships. The Fed said it has integrated the lessons learned into its standard supervisory process, rescinding the program's guidance letter. The move continues a broader regulatory pullback under the Trump administration, with agencies easing restrictions on banks' crypto involvement and shifting toward updated rulemaking.

NORWAY'S SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND BOOSTS BITCOIN EXPOSURE 83% IN Q2

Norges Bank Investment Management, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, increased its bitcoin-linked holdings from 6,200 BTC to 11,400 BTC in Q2. The fund's exposure is almost entirely through MicroStrategy, with a small addition in Metaplanet shares. The proactive move is part of a broader trend of sovereign entities gaining indirect BTC exposure.

GEMINI FILES FOR IPO ON NASDAQ

Gemini has filed a public S-1 to list on Nasdaq under the ticker GEMI. Revealing a $282.5M net loss in H1 2025 compared to $41.3M in the same period last year, the filing shows a shift of most users to its Florida-based Moonbase entity, away from New York's stricter regulatory regime. Gemini also disclosed a $75M credit agreement with Ripple, payable in RLUSD stablecoin, marking a deeper partnership as it aims to become the third U.S.-listed crypto exchange after Coinbase and Bullish.

THE NEXT FRONTIER FOR LIMINAL, UNIT, AND HYPERLIQUID

Hyperliquid, Unit, and Liminal are converging to launch tokenized delta-neutral strategies through xTokens ($xHYPE, $xBTC, and $xETH) that represent pooled positions maintaining long spot exposure via Unit's bridged assets while shorting perps with measured leverage to capture funding payments. These self-appreciating tokens make Hyperliquid's native yield portable across HyperEVM and EVM chains, enabling composability within DeFi protocols like AMMs, lending markets, and Pendle-style yield trading venues for additional capital efficiency. The system offers two product lines: Customized for bespoke self-custody strategies and Tokenized for pooled, scalable positions that can serve as collateral or yield sources for retail users, institutions, and protocols.

BEST CRYPTO DEBIT CARDS

The crypto card market, driven by increased crypto adoption and demand for seamless spending solutions, is experiencing rapid expansion. It is projected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2024 to $9 billion by 2034. Top performers include MetaMask Card, KAST Card, and Solayer's Emerald Card. The cards cater to different user priorities, with options optimized for privacy, low fees, global accessibility, or ecosystem token rewards.

ZORA FLYWHEEL EXPLAINED

Zora's tokenomics flywheel operates through a 3% trading fee structure (1% each to creator, platform, and LP) where all assets are paired with $ZORA, creating consistent buy pressure of 2.5% on every trade through fees and token sinks. The model addresses a critical flaw in Virtuals' design by routing all trading volume through canonical pools, preventing the liquidity fragmentation that weakened Virtuals when mature tokens migrated to more efficient venues like Uniswap v3. Despite concerns about the 3% fee sustainability, precedent exists in NFT markets that sustained $5B monthly volumes with ~10% fees, and current Solana meme coin trading effectively approaches 3% when factoring in platform fees, interface costs, and MEV. Trading volume of Zora coins will be the key performance indicator as this flywheel mechanism scales, with the token sink remaining active throughout a creator coin's entire lifecycle rather than just during initial launch phases.

THE STATE OF CRYPTO LEVERAGE – Q2 2025

Crypto leverage expanded significantly across all major sectors in Q2 2025, with DeFi lending reaching an all-time high of $26.47 billion (+42.11% QoQ), CeFi lending growing to $17.78 billion (+14.66% QoQ), and futures open interest surging to $132.6 billion (+37.47% QoQ). Growth was driven by three primary factors: reflexivity between rising asset prices and borrowing activity, increased demand from digital asset treasury companies, and the scaling of capital-efficient collateral strategies in DeFi, particularly Ethena's Liquid Leverage program with Aave and Pendle principal token looping strategies. The quarter highlighted DeFi's systemic importance when large ETH withdrawals from Aave caused borrowing rates to spike above staking yields, creating a cascading effect that pushed Ethereum's unstaking queue to a record 13 days. Market concentration remains high, with Tether commanding 57% of CeFi lending and the combined leverage ecosystem reaching $53.09 billion in total crypto-collateralized lending, approaching levels last seen in early 2022.

THE AWS MOMENT FOR PAYMENTS

Circle's Arc and Stripe's rumored Tempo mark the shift to “payment-native chains” that do for money what AWS did for compute. They commoditize infrastructure and let competition move up the stack. With USDC as gas, built-in compliance, and high-throughput rails, these chains are designed for AI-driven transaction growth and enterprise adoption. Stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs will coexist as complementary rails, making TradFi backward-compatible with DeFi.

CRITICISM OF DATS

DATs must pay corporate income tax on both staking yield and asset appreciation, are very opaque about their holdings, and their executive teams take large fees.

MAMO EXPANDS INTO MARKET MAKING WITH CBBTC AND MORE

Mamo, the personal finance AI agent, is evolving into a market maker on Base, now providing liquidity across assets like VIRTUAL, MAMO, cbBTC, cbXRP, ZORA, EDGE, and TOSHI.

REAL YIELD APPS ON BASE ARE THE NEXT CYCLE'S GIANTS

The biggest returns this cycle won't come from alt-L1s but from under-the-radar apps on HyperEVM and Base that generate real yield.

ETH STAKING FUD DEBUNKED

Though the queue for unstaking ETH is at an all-time high, so is the entry queue.

FIGMA'S AUGUST UPDATES

Figma has introduced new Pencil and Brush tools that let users sketch, paint, and customize strokes directly in design files, including the ability to create custom brushes from vector layers. The update also adds easier style navigation and enhanced AI image editing with batch processing and multiple model options for more flexible, efficient design workflows.

INTRODUCING VERCEL AI ELEMENTS: PREBUILT, COMPOSABLE AI SDK COMPONENTS

AI Elements introduces a new open source library of customizable React components for building interfaces with the Vercel AI SDK. Built on shadcn/ui, it provides full control over UI primitives like message threads, input boxes, and reasoning panels. Users can install components via CLI, select their preferred components, import them, and start building AI interfaces.

“ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL” LOGO REIGNITES A 40-YEAR BRAND WAR

Baylor University has sued Boston University over the use of an interlocking "BU" logo, claiming it infringes on Baylor's long-standing trademark rights and causes irreparable harm. Despite a 1988 agreement allowing both schools to use the design, Baylor is now demanding that Boston destroy all merchandise with the emblem and cover legal fees.

GREAT PRODUCTS ARE MADE BY SMALL TEAMS OF SPECIALISTS

Small, autonomous teams of talented individuals drive innovation faster than large groups, which often get slowed down by bureaucracy, silos, and alignment issues. With high talent density, quick decision-making, and greater autonomy, small teams consistently deliver breakthroughs, while large teams tend to refine and maintain existing ideas.

THE FUTURE OF PRODUCT DESIGN IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD

AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are transforming product design by enabling designers to create functional prototypes without writing code. This shift allows designers to become independent design engineers, no longer constrained by technical limitations or relying on developers. The democratization of building through AI could spark massive productivity gains and unleash collective creativity across all industries.

A NEW WAY TO AUDIT DESIGN SYSTEM USAGE

A new approach involves visually highlighting design system components on web pages as a more meaningful alternative to tracking raw usage numbers. This method can be implemented through browser extensions for manual auditing or automated via existing end-to-end testing frameworks. The technique enables non-technical audits, cost reasoning, and pattern recognition while providing tangible evidence of design system adoption.

DESIGN PHYSICAL PRODUCTS WITH AI

SuperCraft offers a collaborative node-based canvas where users can either generate sketches from product descriptions or hand-draw them directly on the canvas and convert the sketches to high-quality 2D and 3D renders of products using AI.

VIBE CODE GAMES

Go from text description to code to mobile games with Rosebud AI Game Generator, an online, free game engine.

FIGMA MAKE COLLECTION

Explore the Figma Make Community playground of AI-generated projects.

BLUE APRON REBRANDS FOR A FUTURE BEYOND SUBSCRIPTION MEAL KITS

Blue Apron has rebranded with a new logo, mascot, and business model that moves beyond mandatory subscriptions, now allowing customers to order meal kits a la carte alongside new pre-made and quick-prep options. Under Walmart-owned Wonder Group, the shift aims to make the service more flexible and convenient, positioning Blue Apron as a kitchen “helper” rather than just a subscription meal-kit provider.

BUILDING IT ONCE: HOW TO SUCCEED IN TYING DESIGN DECISIONS TO BUSINESS OUTCOMES

Design leaders recommend starting with small wins to establish credibility, as initial buy-in becomes much easier after proving impact once. Designers should break large projects into smaller features, connect design changes to user behavior shifts, and translate impact into business metrics. Understanding decision-makers' priorities and maintaining consistent processes helps avoid self-sabotage when communicating design value to stakeholders.

CHANGING HUMAN BEHAVIOR WITH BEHAVIORAL DESIGN

Behavioral design combines cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, and user experience to influence human behavior in a natural and non-manipulative way. This approach helps users make faster, more effective decisions by understanding how people think through System 1 and System 2 processing. Successful implementation requires understanding users' goals, selecting appropriate tools like nudges or cognitive biases, and maintaining ethical standards.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE JUNIOR DESIGNERS GONE?

A recent analysis of design job boards revealed only 13% of positions target entry-level candidates.

FROM GRIEF TO EXEC: HOW AI IS DISRUPTING DESIGN SYSTEMS

AI is disrupting design systems similarly to how design systems once disrupted traditional design work, triggering familiar grief cycles among practitioners.

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TECH IPOS ARE ROARING AFTER 'YEARS OF PROHIBITION'

Tech IPOs are booming with Bullish's IPO, backed by Peter Thiel, surging 84% on debut. Figma and Circle also saw significant first-day gains, reigniting interest in tech IPOs after a lull due to previous market conditions. Concerns arise over potential mispricing and the sustainability of these gains, reminiscent of the dot-com era.

OPENDOOR CEO RESIGNS FOLLOWING INVESTOR PRESSURE CAMPAIGN

Opendoor CEO Carrie Wheeler resigned following investor pressure after failing to reassure a turnaround in the company's quarterly earnings report. Hedge fund manager Eric Jackson, a vocal critic, and co-founder Keith Rabois influenced the decision. Opendoor named CTO Shrisha Radhakrishna as interim leader while searching for a new CEO, as the stock rose significantly since its June low.

GALAXY LANDS $1.4B FOR HELIOS DATA CENTER EXPANSION AS COREWEAVE COMMITS TO 800 MW

Galaxy secures $1.4 billion to expand its Helios data center in West Texas for AI and HPC capabilities. CoreWeave commits to using all 800 MW of power capacity, with operations starting in 2026 under a long-term deal.

FOCUS ON FULL FUNNEL SEO NOT JUST THE TOP

SEO teams obsess over rankings and traffic, but ignore what happens after someone clicks. This kills SEO's value when clicks decline. The fix is full-funnel SEO that follows the entire customer journey. Activation SEO targets searches like "how to import contacts into [product]" - boring queries that determine if trials convert to paid. Retention SEO mines support tickets for friction points. When frustrated users Google problems before calling support, you'd better rank for those queries or Reddit will. Expansion SEO helps existing customers upgrade by ranking for tier comparisons and referral searches. The real measure of SEO is about being present with helpful answers at every critical moment.