Search the archive

STARGATE AND THE AI INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

AI isn't just a clever software layer atop the internet stack, it is the foundation of a new Industrial Revolution - Stargate isn't a data center, it's a factory for cognition.

BITCOIN HITS NEW RECORD HIGH, SURGING TO $109.4K

Driven by a 46% rally since April's dip and $3.6 billion of net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs in May, Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high above $109,400, eclipsing the previous peak set on January 20. Major treasury firms, including Michael Saylor's Strategy and Twenty One Capital, further fueled demand, while favorable regulatory developments, such as a U.S. Senate stablecoin bill and state-level crypto legislation, lent legitimacy to digital assets. Analysts point to stablecoin flows, positive financial conditions, and reduced speculative frenzy as signs that this rally rests on stronger foundations than past highs.

SUI-BASED TOKEN PRICES PLUNGE AMID APPARENT CETUS PROTOCOL EXPLOIT

Sui-based tokens like LOFI, HIPPO, and CETUS dropped over 50% on DEXs following an apparent exploit of Cetus Protocol, a leading DEX on Sui. Analysts estimate over $200M was drained, with $60M USDC bridged to Ethereum. The team has paused contracts and is investigating a suspected oracle-related vulnerability.

GET PAID LIKE A LOCAL IN DOLLARS OR EUROS USING SLING

Sling has launched virtual USD and EUR accounts tailored for freelancers, remote workers, and digital nomads, enabling seamless cross-border payments without needing to explain stablecoins or crypto. Users can receive payments like a local, then send funds to 140+ countries or withdraw via debit cards, mobile money, or Solana exchanges.

THE SUCCINCT NETWORK AND THE $PROVE TOKEN

Succinct's protocol coordinates a decentralized marketplace where provers bid off-chain via an auctioneer service and smart contracts settle proofs and state roots as a verifiable application (vApp). The PROVE token powers payments, network security through staking and delegation, and governance, distributing fees and emissions to incentivize competitive proof provision. By separating real-time execution from on-chain settlement, the architecture delivers web-scale performance with crypto-grade verifiability and secure fund custody. Stage 2.5 of the testnet will launch end-to-end proof requests and fulfillment, opening participation to rollups, L1 blockchains, games, and other applications.

MODULAR CAPITAL PENDLE THESIS

Pendle is the leading marketplace for trading yield on stablecoins. It captures over 30% of the growing $11 billion yield-bearing stablecoin market with $4 billion in TVL, $50 billion in lifetime volume, and $35-40 million in annualized fees. Favorable regulatory shifts are driving a projected doubling of total stablecoin supply to $500 billion and a rise in yield-bearing issuance to $75 billion over the next 18-24 months. Pendle's two-pronged flywheel — airdrop bootstrapping into a durable yield marketplace — has diversified its stablecoin exposure from <20% to 83% of TVL. At 25% market share of yield-bearing coins, Pendle could scale to $20 billion TVL and $200 million in protocol fees, implying a potential $6 billion valuation.

THE PRICE OF TRUST

Debt's essence has always been trust, and loans should be priced by openly auctioning trust assumptions like collateral, contracts, and reputation. Standardizing and broadcasting these trust factors enables competitive bidding across all counterparties, ensuring optimal terms. Lending protocols must minimize their own trust impact through immutable, verifiable infrastructure, leaving loan approval and pricing to free markets. Morpho aims to embody this framework by facilitating trust-priced lending across the full spectrum of collateralized and undercollateralized scenarios.

STABLECOIN BILL COULD CREATE TRILLIONS IN DEMAND FOR TREASURYS

White House crypto czar David Sacks says the GENIUS Act could unlock trillions of dollars in demand for U.S. Treasurys by providing legal clarity for stablecoins, turning an already $200B market into a major force for dollar demand. The bill, which advanced with bipartisan support, mandates full Treasury/dollar-equivalent backing, AML compliance, and oversight for large issuers like Tether and Circle. While critics warn of potential conflicts tied to Trump's allies and USD1, Sacks emphasized stablecoins' role in strengthening U.S. dollar dominance and modernizing payments.

SONIC LABS AND GSR PARTNER

Sonic Labs has partnered with crypto capital markets firm GSR to provide deep liquidity, strategic guidance, and ecosystem support for the S token and broader DeFi network. Beyond market making, GSR will assist early-stage projects, deploy on-chain liquidity, and contribute to Sonic's long-term development, reinforced by its sponsorship of Sonic Summit 2025.

FIFA TAPS AVALANCHE FOR OWN EVM-COMPATIBLE NETWORK

FIFA has selected Avalanche to launch its own EVM-compatible blockchain, migrating its FIFA Collect NFT collection from Algorand and Polygon.

STRATEGY LAUNCHES $2.1 BILLION STRF PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK ATM PROGRAM

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) has launched a $2.1B at-the-market sale of its 10% Series A STRF perpetual preferred stock to fund further bitcoin acquisitions and corporate expenses.

RABBY TO DISCONTINUE SUPPORT FOR FIREFOX BROWSER

EARNING 36% ON STABLECOINS

This strategy achieves ~36% stablecoin APY by combining Pendle's PT-csUSDL principal tokens with Morpho's 85% LTV loops.

JONY IVE'S AI GADGET RUMORED TO BE ‘SLIGHTLY LARGER' THAN HUMANE'S AI PIN

Jony Ive and Sam Altman are reportedly developing a wearable AI device slightly larger than Humane's AI Pin but designed to be as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle. The device may lack a display and rely on built-in cameras and microphones for environmental awareness. It will potentially connect to smartphones and PCs for processing and display.

APPLE WWDC 2025 PREPARES TO REDEFINE VISUAL DESIGN ACROSS IOS, MACOS, AND BEYOND

Apple's WWDC 2025 will center on iOS 19 and unified design principles expected to create visual consistency across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and visionOS. Developer sessions will include over 100 video presentations, labs, and direct access to Apple engineers. Focusing on interface design and system integration, the conference will emphasize software innovation rather than hardware announcements, positioning design as central to Apple's platform evolution.

FIGMA SITES ACCESSIBILITY UPDATES

Figma Sites introduced several accessibility improvements to help users create more inclusive websites. The updates include semantic HTML tags like 'button' and 'a' for interactive elements, enhanced keyboard navigation, and automatic 'p' tags for text layers. Background images no longer generate unnecessary announcements, and a text rendering bug that separates final letters into separate spans has been resolved.

ANDREW “BOZ” BOSWORTH'S 10 RULES FOR NAVIGATING THE NEXT DESIGN PARADIGM

Meta CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth shared 10 rules at Figma Config 2025 for navigating design's next shift. He urged starting with human problems, questioning old constraints, and rethinking current interaction models. Key points: know when to invent vs. optimize, build many prototypes, and design complete systems, not parts. He envisions disappearing interfaces and tools with a theory of mind and uses iteration in products and personal growth.

DESIGN LEADERS MUST MANAGE THE INVISIBLE CLIENT – TIME

Badberries' first year underscores the importance of managing the “invisible client”—the internal demands of running a business that compete with client-facing work for time and focus. Time should be treated as a strategic investment, with intentional tracking, thoughtful outsourcing, and focusing on projects that build long-term value rather than immediate revenue. Sustaining business and creative growth requires balancing daily execution and strategic planning.

WHY AI INTERVIEWS COULD BE BAD NEWS FOR HONEST DESIGNERS

Though technically strong, a demo of an AI interview tool underscored issues with design interview questions that assume ideal conditions like full research support. Designers face tight budgets, limited time, and little influence, making these questions unrealistic. Interviews should reflect real-world constraints and value adaptability, strategy, and quality work in imperfect systems.

HIGH-CONVERTING WEBSITE IN SECONDS

Brizy AI quickly builds websites by pulling business details from your Google Business Profile, allowing users to start from scratch or use AI-generated templates.

FREE AI IMAGE GENERATOR

ImgEdify is an all-in-one AI platform for generating, editing, and transforming images, making professional-quality creation easy for everyone.

SOCIAL PROOF EXAMPLES

Browse social proof examples grounded in psychology, with real-life applications in business and marketing to build trust on your website and in advertising.

CANVAS JUST BECAME GOOGLE'S MOST EXCITING AI PLAYGROUND

Now powered by Gemini 2.5, Google's Canvas has become a complete creation platform. Users can turn reports into web pages, infographics, quizzes, and podcasts in 45 languages with simple prompts. Its "vibe-coding" lets anyone build web apps using plain language. Canvas can create 3D apps from sketches, with projects easily shareable and remixable, making app building accessible to non-programmers across education, business, and more.

GREEN, GRIDS, AND GROWTH: KONPO'S RICHLY LAYERED REVAMP OF COACHABLE SIGNALS SUCCESS FOR ENGINEERS

Konpo led Coachable's brand refresh by creating an identity system that channels structure, energy, and growth. Inspired by educational symbols like notebooks and grids, the design reflects the platform's coaching roots. With precise type, a green palette for financial success, and a metaphor-rich logo, the new look subtly signals progress, clarity, and human impact.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY IS COLLABORATING WITH ADOBE TO LAUNCH A NEW DESIGN PLATFORM

Coca-Cola and Adobe have launched Fizzion, an AI design platform that helps teams create branded content 10 times faster. Using StyleID tech, it turns creative ideas into machine-readable codes that apply brand standards automatically. Built on Adobe Firefly and integrated with Creative Cloud apps, Fizzion lets teams generate hundreds of localized campaigns while keeping brand consistency and freeing creatives to focus on storytelling over formatting.

WHO IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CREATIVE OF THE LAST 25 YEARS? HELP US SETTLE THE DEBATE

A publication seeks readers' input to settle an office debate about the most influential creative figure of the last 25 years.

BOND'S TYPEFACE FOR THE FINNISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE IS BASED ON THE SHAPE AND MOVEMENT OF FAN SCARFS

Bond rebranded Finland's Veikkausliiga with a bold identity centered on fan emotion, using the football scarf and custom typeface Scarf Gothic to create a dynamic visual system that captures the sport's highs and lows for a younger digital audience.

JONY IVE TO LEAD OPENAI'S DESIGN WORK FOLLOWING $6.5B ACQUISITION OF HIS COMPANY

OpenAI is acquiring Jony Ive's startup, io, in an all-equity deal that values the startup at $6.5 billion. Ive and his design firm, LoveFrom, which will continue to operate independently, will now lead creative and design work at OpenAI. He could help OpenAI directly compete with Apple in the consumer hardware space - Apple has struggled to develop AI features that keep up with the latest technology. io's staff of around 55 engineers, scientists, researchers, physicists, and product development specialists will join OpenAI.

WELCOMING JON XU AND ANDREW MIKLAS AS YC'S NEWEST GENERAL PARTNERS

YC has promoted Jon Xu and Andrew Miklas to General Partners. Both bring extensive technical expertise and startup experience. Xu was the co-founder of FutureAdvisor (YC S10) and Miklas was the co-founder of PagerDuty (YC S10, NYSE:PD).

DBT LABS' PATH TO PRODUCT-MARKET FIT

Tristan Handy transformed dbt, initially an internal tool for his consultancy, into a $4.2B cloud-based analytics platform used by over 50,000 teams weekly. Under Handy's leadership, dbt Labs pivoted from consultancy to SaaS, raised venture capital, and achieved significant growth, including $100M in ARR. Handy's journey from an open-source tool to a major industry player highlights the importance of flexibility and community-driven growth.

INSIDE SUPABASE'S PRODUCT & COMMUNITY LED GROWTH

5 INTERESTING LEARNINGS FROM UIPATH AT $1.7 BILLION IN ARR

UiPath experienced rapid growth, reaching $1.7B ARR, but its growth slowed to 5% due to AI competition. Despite this, UiPath maintained a strong customer base and pivoted focus to engineering and product investment over sales and marketing.

PURPOSEWRITE

Purposewrite helps you create high-quality content that resonates with your audience, guiding you through idea generation while maintaining your brand's voice.

NONILLION

Nonillion offers immersive, automated meetings in virtual offices, creating a seamless and productive environment for collaboration.

RUNWAY GEN-4

Runway Gen-4 introduces advanced AI models for consistent and controllable media generation, allowing for style coherence across characters, locations, and objects.

FEW BRIGHT SPOTS IN ASIA'S SLOWING VENTURE MARKET

Asia's venture market is declining, with major markets like China, India, Singapore, and South Korea seeing funding drops. Only Israel and Japan experienced increases in venture funding during Q1. Economic fluctuations, geopolitical tensions, and potential trade wars contribute to the overall downturn in the region's venture funding landscape.

SURVIVING THE SCALE: THE LESSONS I LEARNED FROM GROWING A UNICORN

Scaling a startup presents challenges like over-innovation, maintaining effective communication, acquiring top talent, and building resilience against setbacks. In this post, Dimitri Masin, co-founder of Gradient Labs, shares lessons on adapting business practices and strategic talent acquisition learned from Monzo's growth.

THESE COMPANIES WERE THE PATENT POWERHOUSES OF 2024

Amazon led in patent power in 2024, despite not having the most patents, due to the high citation rate of its patents. Companies like Snap and subsidiaries of larger firms also ranked highly, indicating hidden influence in subsidiaries.

VC-BACKED COMPANIES ACCELERATE ACQUISITIONS IN AI SECTOR

VC-backed companies ramped up acquisitions in the AI space to expand capabilities and talent.

EVERYTHING COMPOUNDS

Everything compounds—money, relationships, and knowledge alike.

READ EVERYTHING

Ryan Holiday's New York Times op-ed revealed the Naval Academy canceled his lecture on wisdom, leaving him shocked and troubled by censorship.

* conduct full-scale red team exercises throughout the year

…all led by a team of expert certified testers.

Contact the team today for year-round peace of mind.

HACK OF CONTRACTOR WAS AT ROOT OF MASSIVE FEDERAL BREACH

Opexus, which provides software services for processing US government records, was compromised by two employees in an insider threat attack. The two brothers at the center of the breach had destroyed more than 330 databases and removed more than 1,800 files related to one government project. The FBI and other government agencies are investigating the incident.

SENSITIVE DATA STOLEN IN WEST LOTHIAN CYBER ATTACK

West Lothian Council's education network suffered a ransomware attack by group "Interlock," affecting 143 schools and nurseries. Less than 10% of data was stolen, including personal information from lesson planning and potentially medical/social work records. The schools remain open with contingency plans.

RESEARCHERS DUMP 2B SCRAPED DISCORD MESSAGES

Brazilian researchers scraped over 2 billion public Discord messages and published the anonymized data online. They anonymized the data by replacing usernames with pseudonyms, hashing user identifiers, and removing identifying features, yet some are concerned about its efficacy. The researchers intended to offer a message corpus for other studies. However, a Discord spokesperson noted that scraping violates the platform's terms of service.

REMOTE PROMPT INJECTION IN GITLAB DUO LEADS TO SOURCE CODE THEFT

GitLab's AI assistant "Duo" contained an indirect prompt injection vulnerability that allows attackers to manipulate it through hidden prompts in code. This could enable source code theft, phishing attacks, malware distribution, and data exfiltration. Duo's deep DevSecOps integration and browser-rendered Markdown responses create an unusually wide attack surface compared to typical AI coding assistants.

UNIT 42 DEVELOPS AGENTIC AI ATTACK FRAMEWORK

Agentic AI has changed how threat actors approach systems, enabling more customized, patient, and persistent campaigns. This post identifies ways that threat actors use AI agents across every stage of the attack chain from reconnaissance and initial access to pivoting, persistence, and exfiltration. It highlights the need for defensive tooling to adopt more agentic workflows to combat this threat.