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SENATE PASSES STABLECOIN BILL, TURNING FOCUS TO HOUSE

The Senate passed the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan bill regulating stablecoins in the United States. The bill mandates full dollar backing and annual audits for large issuers. It introduces consumer protections like “super-priority” bankruptcy status. It also restricts Big Tech firms like Meta and Amazon from issuing stablecoins without meeting strict criteria. The focus now shifts to the House, which must decide whether to advance its own bill or adopt the Senate's version. Trump has signaled that the legislation should be passed by August.

THAILAND APPROVES FIVE-YEAR CRYPTO TAX EXEMPTION

Thailand has approved a five-year capital gains tax exemption on crypto sales conducted through licensed digital asset service providers, effective from 2025 through 2029. The policy is part of a broader initiative to establish Thailand as a global financial hub and foster regulated crypto activity under Thai SEC oversight and FATF-aligned AML standards. Officials estimate the move could boost economic activity and generate over $30 million in additional tax revenue. This follows increased regulatory scrutiny, including the recent blocking of five unlicensed foreign exchanges and expanded local operations by firms like KuCoin and Tether.

INTRODUCING EIGENCLOUD: UNLOCKING CRYPTO'S APP ERA

EigenCloud is a developer platform that leverages blockchain's trust and verifiability benefits across both on and offchain applications. Powered by the EIGEN token and built on EigenLayer, EigenCloud integrates Autonomous Verifiable Services (AVSs) like EigenDA for data, EigenVerify for dispute resolution, and EigenCompute for execution. This platform enhances crypto's programmability, allowing developers to create complex, verifiable Web2 applications while utilizing blockchain for payments and trust management.

JPMORGAN INTRODUCES USD DEPOSIT TOKEN ON BASE

JPMorgan has launched a pilot of its permissioned USD deposit token, JPMD, on Coinbase's Base L2. It is positioned as an alternative to stablecoins for institutional clients, offering 24/7 settlement and trading. This is the first use of the Kinexys DLT platform on a public blockchain. JPMorgan also filed a trademark for a broader crypto platform under the JPMD brand, insinuating deeper crypto ambitions.

MEV AND THE LIMITS OF SCALING

MEV spam bots now consume over 50% of gas on major L2s like Base while paying under 10% of fees, effectively nullifying scaling gains and raising costs for real users. These bots flood chains with gas-intensive transactions that rarely execute trades, wasting compute simply to read prices and compete for MEV opportunities due to private mempools and lack of efficient bidding. The solution proposed is programmable privacy and explicit MEV auctions (via TEEs), enabling bots to backrun securely without spam and restoring blockspace for actual economic activity.

CURRENT STABLECOIN FARMING STRATEGY

This portfolio targets an average APR of roughly 45% by diversifying stablecoin farms across seven protocols. Key positions include a 40% APR allocation on Plasma Foundation's chain, leveraged 62% point farming on OpenEden, and a delta-neutral 46% yield at Resolv. The strategy also locks 30% APR for 12 months in Neutrl Labs, taps 20% APR on Optimism Superstack pools, and outsources 38% APR to professional farmers via StreamDeFi. A 60% APR position in Usual offers upside but carries distribution-related risk.

TRADFI TREASURY ADOPTION WILL PULL WALL STREET AND MAIN STREET INTO DEFI

Digital asset treasury strategies using ETH and BTC are quietly becoming TradFi's first large-scale onboarding to DeFi. As firms like MSTR and SBET optimize crypto yields and report onchain performance to public markets, Wall Street will be forced to understand decentralized protocols. Once institutional interest normalizes DeFi, consumer and enterprise adoption will follow, enabled by scalable infrastructure, regulatory clarity, and a shift toward community-aligned, tokenized internet models.

THE ONCHAIN CLOB WARS

A new generation of onchain central limit order book (CLOB) protocols is leveraging rollup-era innovations, like Ethereum's Dencun blobs, Celestia DA, and ZK VMs like Succinct SP1 and RiscZero, to deliver near-CEX performance with trustless, self-custodial execution. Specialized chains and hybrid rollups achieve sub-second latency and 50-100K+ TPS by combining offchain matching with onchain settlement and ZK proofs. While centralized exchanges still dominate volume, the onchain CLOB wars are set to redefine trading with fully transparent, composable, and user-aligned order books.

PUMP.FUN AND FOUNDER ALON'S ACCOUNTS BANNED ON X

SOUTH KOREAN CRYPTO CEO ACQUITTED OF $650 MILLION FRAUD CHARGES

A South Korean court acquitted Haru Invest CEO Lee Hyung-soo of fraud charges tied to $650 million in investor losses, ruling his actions didn't meet the legal standard for criminal deception.

$12B IN BTC SHORTS AT RISK IF PRICE HITS $115K

Over $12 billion in Bitcoin short positions will be liquidated if BTC climbs to $115,000.

SBET: ETHEREUM'S TROJAN HORSE INTO INSTITUTIONAL FINANCE

SBET is positioning itself as a data-rich, publicly traded vehicle that educates investors on Ethereum through the lens of treasury strategy.

→ How Coinbase Became Mission Focused [10]

→ Why Focusing on Coinbase's Mission Drives Belonging [9] (4 minute read)

REDDIT WILL HELP ADVERTISERS TURN ‘POSITIVE' POSTS INTO ADS

Reddit has launched a new alpha advertising feature called Conversation Summary Add-ons that places positive user posts directly below advertiser content. The feature allows users to scroll through community posts under ads and view summaries of user opinions about advertisers. Reddit also introduced Reddit Insights, an AI-powered social listening tool, as part of announcements made alongside the Cannes Lions Festival.

TIKTOK LAUNCHES NEW AI TOOLS FOR ADVERTISERS, INCLUDING AI AVATARS FOR VIDEO ADS

TikTok has launched new AI advertising tools, including image-to-video and text-to-video capabilities, plus a Showcase Products feature that allows AI avatars to hold or wear advertised items. These additions expand TikTok Symphony, the platform's existing AI advertising toolkit. The new features, which reflect an industry-wide trend toward automated ad creation using generative AI, will be available globally to advertisers in the coming weeks through TikTok Symphony Creative Studio.

MAX WILL SHOW AUTOPLAYING VIDEO PREVIEWS PICKED BY AI

Max has rolled out autoplaying video previews for its content library, using an AI tool to identify “standout” scenes from shows and movies. The AI aims to reduce manual editing by selecting clips that highlight key moments, which editors will then finalize for preview placement. This update is part of broader changes to Max's interface and branding, including an official rebrand back to HBO Max later this summer.

WHAT THEY'RE NOT TEACHING IN DESIGN CLASS—AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

Despite its critical importance, design education fails to teach business fluency; as Netflix's VP of Design, Steve Johnson, emphasized, "Design without business is just decoration." Early-career designers can bridge this gap by taking marketing courses, networking with cross-functional professionals, consuming business-focused content, and gaining hands-on experience building real products. Understanding business goals enables designers to collaborate more effectively and create a greater impact since design, craft, and business strategy work together rather than in opposition.

AVOID PREMATURE SOLUTIONS: HOW TO RESPOND WHEN STAKEHOLDERS ASK FOR CERTAIN DESIGNS

Stakeholders often suggest specific design solutions, creating anchoring problems that limit design exploration and can lead to suboptimal outcomes. The 5 Whys technique helps uncover underlying business needs, while "How Might We" statements reframe solution-focused requests into neutral problem statements. Addressing these anchoring issues immediately in meetings prevents weeks of frustration and opens up better design possibilities.

FROM FUNCTION TO EMOTIONS IN UX DESIGN

Google's Material 3 Expressive design system reflects a shift toward creating emotional connections through design. Research shows that expressive designs perform better across usability and user satisfaction metrics. Don Norman's three levels of emotional processing (visceral, behavioral, and reflective) and Aarron Walter's Hierarchy of User Needs demonstrate that emotional design must build upon functional, reliable, and usable foundations. Emotional design helps products stand out in competitive markets by creating lasting user connections and increasing engagement and loyalty beyond basic functionality.

ANIMATIONS FOR GSAP, FRAMER MOTION, AND TAILWIND CSS

Blockies Animate is a lightweight React library with plug-and-play animation components. Add smooth, customizable motion to your UI in seconds — no setup hassle, fully responsive, and built for performance.

THE SMARTER 3D WORKSPACE

Virtuall is a collaboration workspace for creative teams powered by leading 3D AI engines. Generate, review, approve, and manage 3D models in one place.

PREDICTIVE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS

Transform how you review designs with AI-powered insights—improve usability, enhance conversions, optimize KPIs, and make data-backed decisions.

ESH'S ENIGMATIC REBRAND FOR AN ORCHESTRA INVITES YOU TO A SECRET SOCIETY OF MUSIC

Design agency ESH has rebranded the international orchestra Utopia with a mysterious, immersive website and a custom "alchemic" typeface that reflects the group's complex, emotional, and enigmatic musical identity. Combining strict modernist grids with expressive, esoteric typography, the project evokes a sense of timelessness and exclusivity, encouraging users to slow down and engage deeply with the rhythm and spirit of the orchestra.

MEET NAN SUPERX: A SERIF AND SANS TYPEFACE PAIR DESIGNED FOR IMPACTFUL HEADLINES AND TIGHT SPACING

The SuperX type system, designed for practical impact in tight spaces, combines large x-heights with short ascenders and descenders to maximize vertical efficiency while maintaining visual boldness, which is especially useful for headlines and mobile interfaces. Blending traditional and modern elements across its Serif, Italic, and Sans variants, SuperX offers a versatile, expressive family with shared proportions that ensure seamless alignment and consistent spacing when mixed.

20(SOMETHING) REBRANDS EBAY FOUNDER'S PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION

20(SOMETHING) rebranded the Omidyar Network to shift its identity from a tech-centric, Silicon Valley image to a broader, human-focused visual system that speaks to policymakers, funders, and change-makers in digital equity and tech governance. The new identity, which features a generative ON logo, expressive typefaces, and a diverse color palette, reflects the organization's mission to humanize technology and unify its efforts under one powerful, inclusive voice.

WHY AI HAS A BIG BRANDING PROBLEM

The AI acronym suffers from pronunciation and visual confusion issues.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE'S SECRET WEAPON IS COLOUR

The Handmaid's Tale uses color theory as a powerful storytelling tool.

MARIAH CAREY HAS A FAVORITE FONT

MrBeast makes a brief appearance in Mariah Carey's new music video “Type Dangerous”, but it's the custom-stretched Aviano Serif Black typeface—reminiscent of her longtime signature font Friz Quadrata—that subtly steals the show, offering a fresh yet familiar visual branding update.

A LOOK BACK AT Q1 '25 PUBLIC CLOUD SOFTWARE EARNINGS

Cloud software's net new ARR dropped 28% year-over-year in Q1, but guidance tells a different story. 67% of companies guided above consensus for Q2 (up from 50% last quarter), while 92% beat Q1 estimates with a median 2.2% beat, suggesting the worst of the slowdown may be behind the industry despite headline growth numbers.

POSTHOG VS. THE INDUSTRY

PostHog raised $70 million from Stripe by breaking every SaaS rule: open-source products, generous free tiers, no outbound sales, price cuts instead of increases, and protection against viral usage spikes. While Salesforce hikes prices 6% annually, PostHog proves there's room for startups that do the exact opposite of what private equity-backed software companies typically do.

WAYMO+UBER MARKET DYNAMICS AS TESLA TESTS THE ROBOTAXI WATERS

Waymo captured 25% of San Francisco rideshare despite premium pricing, but Austin tells the real story. The Waymo+Uber exclusive partnership there has stolen 7 percentage points of market share from Lyft in months, while consumer surveys show 77% won't use Tesla FSD and 48% believe it should be illegal - a tough backdrop for Tesla's rumored June 22nd robotaxi launch.

THE FEAR-AVOIDANCE MODEL: WHY BUYERS FREEZE AT "BUY NOW"

Even savvy buyers with compelling products freeze at checkout buttons after one bad purchase experience. Research shows fear of pain creates stronger avoidance than actual pain itself. One company breaks this psychological loop with $1 trials instead of free ones - customers cross the payment barrier while risking almost nothing, then sunk cost bias drives engagement.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SMART

Long Term Capital Management's collapse highlights that intelligence comes in various forms, some of which aren't easily measured. Successful problem-solving in business requires connecting interdisciplinary dots, balancing confidence with paranoia, and effective storytelling. Moreover, acknowledging different perspectives and delaying gratification by strategic distraction is critical in making informed and enduring decisions.

IS ALL MICROMANAGEMENT BAD? HERE'S HOW THE BEST FOUNDERS AND OPERATORS BALANCE DETAILS AND DELEGATION

Micromanagement is not inherently bad. Effective leaders use it strategically to model standards and drive focus in key areas. Founders and executives advocate balancing detailed involvement with delegation, focusing on data discrepancies, system reviews, and empowering teams through feedback. Leaders can leverage micromanagement wisely to support team autonomy while maintaining quality and clarity on priorities.

BUILDPAD

Buildpad is an AI-powered platform that guides founders from idea to product through a step-by-step, problem-first process.

GPT IMAGE API

GPT Image API delivers GPT-4o quality image generation and advanced editing capabilities for apps, with improved instruction handling and text rendering.

GENSPARK SUPER AGENT

Genspark Super Agent is a versatile AI agent built to manage everyday tasks with over 80 pre-built tools, extensive datasets, and high reliability.

THE MAN WHO BEAT IBM

How do you kill a monopoly? Give away your secrets to competitors. When IBM tried to reclaim PC control with proprietary technology in 1988, Compaq's Rod Canion turned down exclusive access to IBM's next-gen tech and instead shared Compaq's "clean room" BIOS reverse-engineering method with eight rivals, creating the open standard that broke Big Blue's stranglehold on personal computing.

THE EXIT READY ORG

What gets deals moving forward is boring operational discipline, and what kills them is needing two weeks to answer basic financial questions. Flywheel's CFO closed an unsolicited acquisition in 31 days because of preparedness: its ARR waterfalls were already reconciled, every KPI had a person's name (not a department) next to it, and pulling a bookings report took 30 seconds.

DESIGNING GOOD LLM-BASED LIVE ASSISTANCE

What's the secret to 97% message automation? Don't try to replace your core UI with chat. Keeper learned this after 4 years of iteration - its LLM agent handles user questions and deep-links but leaves data entry and structured displays to traditional UI, resulting in 230% higher user engagement and 9-point CSAT jump.

DON'T BOTCH YOUR FIRST NUMBERS HIRE

Most startups hire SQL wizards who build beautiful dashboards and solve the wrong problems.

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING MANAGERS

Instead of focusing solely on direct managers, organizations should consider the crucial role of skip leads in hiring, coaching, and addressing manager performance.

THE 10-YEAR TREND AT SERIES B

Recent trends highlight a shift towards AI-focused investments, diverging from earlier consumer platform favorites.

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VIRTUALMACOSX.COM USER DATA EXPOSED IN BREACH

Cybersecurity researchers at SafetyDetectives reported that they discovered a post selling a breached database from VirtualMacOSX.com. VirtualMacOSX.com offers cloud-based Mac server plans from their server farms in Canada. The breached data includes full names, financial data, contact info, and passwords.

HACKERS ARE USING GOOGLE.COM TO DELIVER MALWARE BY BYPASSING ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

Researchers from c/side are reporting on a new attack vector that abuses Google OAuth links to bypass detection. The attack begins in a compromised Magento e-commerce portal, which includes an OAuth logout with a callback parameter containing an obfuscated JavaScript payload. The code will only activate under certain conditions, such as if the URL includes the word “checkout.”