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ANDREJ KARPATHY ON HOW AI IS CHANGING SOFTWARE (39 MINUTE VIDEO)

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CONNECT ANY REACT APPLICATION TO AN MCP SERVER IN THREE LINES OF CODE

use-mcp is a React library for connecting to remote MCP servers that automatically handles transport, authentication, and session management.

HOW I BRING THE BEST OUT OF CLAUDE CODE

Getting Claude Code to actually do what you want comes down to being incredibly specific about your requirements—treat it like you're writing a program, not casual instructions.

GENERATING THE FUNNIEST JOKE WITH RL (ACCORDING TO GPT-4.1)

Language models struggle with generating genuinely funny jokes, often regurgitating common ones like the classic atom joke.

HOW AI REDEFINES USER EXPERIENCE

AI now allows existing apps to understand and execute English commands.

NORTH KOREA TARGETS CRYPTO WORKERS WITH NEW INFO-STEALING MALWARE

A threat actor associated with North Korea has been infiltrating interviews in the crypto industry and infecting companies with malware. Their aim is to steal passwords for crypto wallets, primarily for companies based in India. The victims are having their computers remotely operated after agreeing to do a video interview with the exploiters and downloading suggested software.

DEFI LENDING HITS RECORD $55 BILLION TVL

DeFi lending protocols have reached a record $55.7B in TVL, with Aave v3 up 55% in two months and generating $1.6M in daily fees, while Morpho Blue and Maple Finance post major gains. Maple's 417% TVL growth is powered by undercollateralized RWA credit lines and tokenized debt infrastructure, marking a broader shift in capital markets behavior on-chain.

PROJECT 11: BUILDING BITCOIN'S QUANTUM-READY FUTURE

Project 11 is safeguarding crypto against the coming threat of quantum computing. The team's first product, yellowpages, offers a post-quantum proof of Bitcoin ownership, allowing users to generate quantum-resistant keys today without moving assets onchain. As quantum progress accelerates, the company aims to upgrade existing protocols like Bitcoin while also developing quantum-native systems such as quantum key distribution, certified randomness, and quantum money.

INTRODUCING THE BRALE STABLECOIN API

Brale has launched a production-ready Stablecoin API that enables businesses to integrate stablecoin-powered payments in minutes. The API offers 0 bps fees for on-ramps, off-ramps, and swaps across 50+ stablecoins on 15+ blockchains. It supports stablecoin issuance from Brale, Circle, and Paxos. It also features ACH support, virtual accounts, privacy-preserving transfers, and a single call interface for converting USD to onchain assets. Designed for B2B use cases, teams are using Brale for global payouts, merchant settlement, card programs, and programmable USD accounts.

SPARK: ACTIVE CAPITAL ALLOCATOR FOR DEFI

Spark is positioning itself as DeFi's most advanced onchain capital allocator by combining low-cost capital from Sky (formerly MakerDAO) with an active asset deployment engine called the Spark Liquidity Layer (SLL). Unlike traditional banks or passive DeFi protocols, Spark manages over $7.5B in assets across lending, real-world assets, and DeFi-native protocols. Spark issues sUSDS, a yield-bearing stablecoin backed by USDS deposits, and uses the SLL to rebalance capital across chains in real time. Its structural moat, driven by integration with Sky's capital base and governance-defined rates, enables it to offer sustainable yields, build feedback loops between savings and lending, and merge TradFi stability with DeFi composability at scale.

HOW TO MANAGE RISK IN CRYPTO

To manage risk in crypto effectively, define a clear invalidation level for every trade (price, time, or event-based), then use a formula to size your position based on how far your stop-loss is from entry. As trades evolve, track risk/reward changes and adjust stops or take profits only when the original thesis changes, not out of fear.

CRYPTO MOVED AWAY FROM RETAIL

Crypto fundraising has shifted from open-access ICOs to more exclusive strategies dominated by insiders, with retail increasingly sidelined. While retail briefly regained ground during DeFi Summer by providing protocol liquidity in exchange for high APYs, the rise of professionalized early-stage liquidity provision has created a new edge largely inaccessible to them. This model allows VCs and angel investors to supply critical, high-risk liquidity to nascent protocols in exchange for premium incentives – a game retail can rarely play. As valuations climb and dilution worsens, retail investors face diminished returns and limited opportunities, marking a return to a cycle of asymmetric access and outcomes.

EXPLANATION OF COINBASE COMMERCE PROTOCOL

Coinbase Commerce's new protocol uses smart contract escrow and customizable operators to enable programmable payments and refunds in USDC. This allows platforms like Shopify, Visa, or others to enforce their own rules (e.g. chargebacks and dispute logic) directly on-chain, mimicking traditional payment networks but with more flexibility and transparency.

NEUROCHAIN JOINS POLYGON'S AGGLAYER

NeurochainAI's Forknet is an OP Stack chain built with Conduit and integrated into Polygon's Agglayer ecosystem.

TRIPLE YIELD STACK: AAVE, PENDLE, AND ETHENA

Aave dominates the Ethena PT market, holding over 90% of the ~$2.06B locked, and enabling layered yield strategies with Pendle and Ethena.

VISA & MASTERCARD SHARES DECREASE AS RETAIL GIANTS EYE STABLECOINS

Visa and Mastercard shares dropped ~5% after reports that Amazon, Walmart, and others are exploring stablecoin payments days after the GENIUS Act advanced in Congress.

USDC SEES AN $8.9B NET MINTING SURGE ON ETHEREUM IN 2024

USDC supply on Ethereum grew by $8.9 billion in 2024, with mints significantly outpacing redemptions.

MIDJOURNEY DEBUTS NEW V1 VIDEO GENERATION MODEL

Midjourney has launched its V1 video generation model, which creates clips up to 21 seconds long by animating existing AI-generated images. Users can customize video length, motion levels, and animation style through prompts, with the service automatically extending initial 5-second clips. The company positions V1 as a building block toward developing interactive 3D simulations following the recent release of its V7 image generator.

WELCOMING PAYLOAD TO THE FIGMA TEAM

Figma acquired the team behind Payload, a popular open-source headless CMS and application framework, to enhance developer tools across both platforms. Payload will remain open-source while contributing to Figma's upcoming CMS for Figma Sites, which will combine powerful backend customization with intuitive content management. The acquisition supports Figma's vision of becoming a central hub for digital product creation, bridging the traditional gap between design and development workflows.

SHUTTERSTOCK REBRANDS AS IT GOES ALL-IN ON GENERATIVE AI

Shutterstock has rebranded to reflect its evolution from a stock image provider into a full-scale creative partner, embracing roles in ad production, generative AI, and model training for companies like OpenAI and Google. The sleek new identity—featuring updated typography, a broader color palette, and a redesigned logo—underscores its growing ambitions and commitment to removing creative friction for businesses through AI-powered tools like its new Generative AI Pro tier.

HERE'S WHEN YOU SHOULD CHANGE A LOGO, ACCORDING TO THE LEADER BEHIND WALMART, BURGER KING, AND UBER REBRANDS

Subtle rebrands are becoming increasingly popular as major brands like Amazon, Walmart, and Adobe evolve beyond their original offerings, focusing on refining brand systems and architecture rather than overhauling core logos. These updates often involve just as much strategic and creative effort as full rebrands, aiming to maintain recognition while improving flexibility, consistency, and emotional resonance across expanding touchpoints.

EVERYONE'S A 10X EMPLOYEE NOW. BUT AT WHAT COST?

AI tools have transformed workplace expectations, making "10x employee" performance the new standard while eliminating traditional learning opportunities for newcomers. Entry-level roles now require senior-level judgment as companies automate foundational tasks, leaving new designers with fewer chances to develop crucial decision-making skills through gradual experience. While AI accelerates output and capabilities, it cannot replace the slow, iterative process of building creative judgment from hands-on practice and proximity to experienced professionals.

WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU'D CHANGE ABOUT THE DESIGN INDUSTRY?

Ten designers shared their ideal changes for the design industry, calling for greater respect, transparency, and collaboration, ranging from ending free pitching and improving pricing frameworks to valuing the design process and writing better briefs. Their visions emphasize elevating design's strategic role, fostering kinder discourse, encouraging creative risk-taking, and reclaiming space for experimentation and meaningful work.

ALL-IN-ONE CREATIVE STUDIO

VisionFX lets you instantly generate images, videos, music, voice, and more.

CONVERT 2D TO 3D IN SECONDS

Upload an SVG and get your logo converted to 3D for free.

FROM IDEA TO APP, IN AN INSTANCE

Turn your ideas into functional apps, games, and websites in minutes. No coding required.

DREAMY ANIMATED ARCHITECTURAL “SKETCHES” BROUGHT TO LIFE WITH AI

EMUNARQ architecture studio created an animated series called "Fluidity in Form," featuring dreamlike architectural sketches that blend polished areas with pencil sketch elements. The renderings showcase organic, curved forms inspired by spatial harmony and movement. These flowing designs control pedestrian traffic through gentle walkways and appear influenced by Zaha Hadid's curved architectural style.

BRAND BROTHERS' IDENTITY FOR MICRO-ROASTERY DATURA BLENDS TENSION, INTUITION, AND TYPOGRAPHIC CHARM

Brand Brothers created a bold, typography-led identity that balances sophistication with an alternative edge for Paris-based micro-roastery Datura, intentionally avoiding literal visuals to preserve the brand's mystique. Drawing on intuitive design processes and rhythmic letterform experimentation, the branding combines a refined logo, the rugged-yet-graceful Tor Grotesk Bold typeface, and a rich, organic color palette, reflecting both creative freedom and a close, trusting client collaboration.

AVOIDING UX MALPRACTICE

UX teams often treat symptoms—like low conversions or user confusion—with their favorite tools without properly diagnosing the true root of the problem. Using Jesse James Garrett's five-layer model (strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, and surface) as a diagnostic framework helps identify where issues truly lie, ensuring the right methods are applied to resolve them effectively instead of masking deeper issues with superficial fixes.

10 EVERYDAY OBJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DESIGN MASTERPIECES

Each object showcases timeless design principles where form perfectly meets function, often remaining virtually unchanged for decades due to getting the design right from the start.

WHY DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING CHROMATIC ABERRATION (ON PURPOSE) IN 2025

Chromatic aberration, once seen as a flaw in printing and photography that caused color fringing at the edges of objects, has transformed into a popular design trend.

META AIMS TO HIRE AI INVESTORS NAT FRIEDMAN AND DANIEL GROSS

Meta wants to partially buy out VC fund NFDG and hire its partners Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross to lead AI efforts. The move - part of Zuckerberg's "founder mode" push that includes nine-figure signing bonuses to poach OpenAI talent - would give Meta minority stakes in AI startups like Perplexity and Safe Superintelligence without getting insider information.

MICROSOFT'S BIG STICK ERA

Microsoft is prepping another round of layoffs targeting "thousands" of sales roles after cutting 6,000 jobs in May despite 13% revenue growth and spending $107 million daily on shareholders. The company feels secure enough to play hardball with OpenAI. It is reportedly willing to walk away from restructuring talks and let the partnership expire in 2030 rather than bend to demands.

VC FUND PERFORMANCE Q1 2025

Recent venture funds are struggling to return cash with just 37% of 2019 funds and 30% of 2020 funds generating any distributions for LPs by Q1 2025. The market has shifted toward smaller funds, with 42% of 2024 vintage funds under $10 million versus 25% in 2020. The median IRR for 2017 funds sits at 11.5%, with massive variation from 5% at the 25th percentile to 28.3% at the 90th.

HOW WE ONBOARDED CLAUDE

This YC company treats Claude like any new engineer, with a formal onboarding doc (CLAUDE.md) checked into source control that gets updated whenever Claude does something dumb. The result is Claude now handles chunks of the company's engineering work, creating GitHub issues and PRs while following strict workflows to avoid its favorite failure modes like committing to main, claiming it tested code it can't run, and ignoring documentation completely.

HOW TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST AI TOURISTS

AI demos go viral then churn hard. One growth leader saw 70-80% opt-out rates on experimental AI revenue. Annual plans boost net revenue retention by 10-20 percentage points versus monthly, but forcing them backfires with 10-14% refund rates. The winning tactics include making annual the default pricing display, offering exclusive AI credits upfront, and targeting upgrades in month two when customers are 3-4x more likely to convert.

HOW VANTA WENT FROM 1 TO 100

Vanta hit $10M ARR before its Series A by staying under the radar, then scaled to $100M+ by moving upmarket with design partnerships and enterprise sellers. Its CPO spends daily time using the actual product and its CRO runs weekly forecast reviews debugging every part of the GTM funnel. Vanta structures product teams around three time horizons, from immediate growth to moonshot exploration.

APPLET

Build apps from flows and sketches.

LOVABLE 2.0

Lovable 2.0 is a smart multiplayer AI workspace with chat agents, team collaboration, and built-in security scanning.

SMODIN

Smodin is an all-in-one AI writing assistant for generating, rewriting, translating, and detecting AI or plagiarized content in seconds.

IS HARVEY BUILT TO LAST?

Harvey parlayed early GPT-4 access into a $100M+ valuation through genius branding over product quality. It won deals with 50-100 seat pilots that generated press releases, but multiple firms reported that Legora beat it in head-to-head product comparisons. Harvey's raise-and-burn strategy worked until challengers like Legora kept shipping better features faster than Harvey could catch up.

THE IMPACT OF VIBE-CODING & AI ON VENTURE CAPITAL AS AN ASSET CLASS

One solopreneur just sold his AI product Base44 to Wix for $80M after six months, proving the next unicorn could be built over a weekend. VCs now face explosive noise at the top of funnel plus compressed time to product-market fit, forcing a shift from Pre-Seed → Seed → Series A to just two stages: Pre-PMF (bootstrapped) and Post-PMF (massive rounds in hyper-competitive markets).

FOUNDERS FUND: THE DISCIPLES

Peter Thiel's Founders Fund thrived despite Thiel not being a traditional manager due to the contributions of key figures Napoleon Ta and Lauren Gross. Ta led successful growth investments while remaining low-profile, and Gross expanded the firm's AUM into billions. Thiel's network also birthed Valar Ventures and Mithril Capital, each playing unique roles in Thiel's broader investment strategy.

METRICS DON'T MATTER: SCALE EDITION

Scale raised its Series A while still in Y Combinator after pivoting during the batch, breaking every fundraising "rule" about milestones and metrics.

BILL GATES-FOUNDED NUCLEAR ENERGY STARTUP RAISES $650M FROM NVIDIA'S VC ARM, OTHERS

TerraPower, Bill Gates' nuclear startup, raised $650 million from Nvidia's VC arm and others to support its innovative reactor technologies.

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