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GEMINI APP GETTING MORE REAL-TIME INFORMATION WITH NEWS PARTNERSHIP

Google partnered with AP to enhance real-time news in the Gemini app.

FOCAL (PRODUCT)

Focal is an AI video platform for creating movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos.

'CRYPTO IS BACK': VARIOUS INVESTOR GROUPS SEE A NEED TO RAMP UP AMID US POLITICAL SHIFT

Analysts report growing institutional interest in crypto markets amid the Trump administration's policy shift, with diverse investor groups across finance, tech, and energy looking to increase their crypto exposure. Bernstein maintains a $200,000 Bitcoin price target for end-2025, citing catalysts like Trump's executive order, potential strategic digital asset reserves, and a projected $120 billion in Bitcoin ETF and corporate purchases in 2025. While institutional investors remain neutral on direct Bitcoin exposure, they show particular interest in crypto-related equities, with Robinhood seeing a 370% rise over 12 months and mining companies pivoting toward AI capabilities, leading Bernstein to maintain outperform ratings on several sector stocks including MicroStrategy, Robinhood, and Core Scientific.

ETHEREUM'S ACTIVE ADDRESSES SURGE 37% AS INSTITUTIONAL AND DEFI INTEREST GROWS

Ethereum's active addresses have increased 37% to 575K driven by growing institutional interest and sustained DeFi activity, with Uniswap maintaining a 22% DEX market share and processing nearly $1 billion in daily volume. Despite Solana dominating memecoin trading, Ethereum's network fundamentals remain strong, with increasing transactions and institutional investments, though fees have declined from December 2024 levels.

ANNOUNCING NOUS PSYCHE

Nouse Research has launched Psyche, a decentralized AI training infrastructure built on Solana designed to democratize superintelligence development through distributed compute resources. The platform uses Nous DisTrO tech, which achieved 1,000-10,000x bandwidth compression in training runs and successfully tested a 15B language model using compute from multiple providers including Oracle and Lambda Labs. The initial testnet phase will coordinate whitelisted GPU owners for cooperative model training, with plans to expand into a permissionless network. Nous plans to develop its next-generation LLMs on the platform.

SYMBIOTIC LAUNCHES ON ETH MAINNET

Symbiotic has launched on the Ethereum mainnet, introducing a fully modular shared security protocol with customizable slashing and operator selection. With 13 networks already live and nearly 50 more integrating, Symbiotic aims to make decentralized security seamless and accessible.

HOW TO FARM THE ABSTRACT AIRDROP

Abstract's reward system features XP and badges targeting three distinct user groups: general users, developers, and content creators. The platform's ecosystem includes over 30 active or upcoming applications and numerous gaming partnerships. XP is earned through platform interaction, app development, and content creation. Special considerations have been made for Pudgy Penguins ecosystem participants, who might receive an allocation of the drop or a boost on XP.

MARKET RHYMES: TIME TO TAKE PROFITS?

The crypto market faces mounting pressure from both external and internal factors, with macroeconomic challenges including a strengthening US dollar, global bond market selloffs, and reduced expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025. Within the crypto world, an oversupply of new tokens (70,000 daily launches on Pump.fun) and changing investor behavior favoring Bitcoin, memecoins, and AI over traditional altcoins have created challenging market conditions. Bitcoin metrics show declining profit-taking volumes (down 93% from December 2024), reduced exchange inflows, and increasing long-term holder accumulation, while the historically narrow 60-day price range suggests impending volatility.

DEEPSEEK R1: THE OPEN-SOURCE BREAKTHROUGH IGNITING DEFAI 'S NEXT ERA

The DeepSeek model, which caused the market to tumble due to concerns that it's easier than we thought to train AI, has promising implications for the democratization of AI development. As an open-source model that offers near state-of-the-art reasoning capabilities with reduced hardware requirements, the model's efficiency could trigger broader AI adoption across industries including DeFAI, where it enables continuous operation of autonomous trading agents. The Jevons paradox suggests that improved efficiency might lead to increased overall resource consumption due to wider adoption.

FILLING UP FROM THE BOTTOM: A NEW MECHANISM FOR ALLOCATING TOKENS

The “Filling Up From the Bottom” token allocation method ensures a fair distribution by prioritizing the maximum number of participants while still allowing larger buyers to express demand. Instead of favoring pro-rata allocations based on capital, the mechanism evenly distributes available tokens up to a certain threshold, ensuring all users receive at least a minimum allocation, optimizing inclusivity in fixed-price sales.

CEXES TO REVAMP LISTING PROCESS

Within the next two years, centralized exchanges (CEXs) will revamp their token listing process to keep up with decentralized exchanges (DEXs), making listings far more frequent and less exclusive.

CYNTHIA LUMMIS PROPOSES STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE

Senator Cynthia Lummis has proposed a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve that will purchase 200K BTC annually for five years and hold for 20 years to help halve the national debt.

VELODROME/AERODROME CONTROVERSY

A contributor to Velodrome and Aerodrome allegedly used insider knowledge to buy $50K of $VVV before public announcements, flipping it into $1M within an hour.

UTAH HOUSE VOTES TO ADD STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE

Utah has become the second state to pass a ‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve' bill out of committee with a supermajority vote, demonstrating its forward-thinking approach to Bitcoin adoption.

BASE BOASTS STRONG RETENTION NUMBERS

Base is outperforming most chains in user retention, maintaining on average around 15% retention while other chains drop to 3-8% after the first month.

AI16Z CHANGES NAME TO ELIZAOS

ai16zdao is rebranding as ElizaOS following a request from a16z - the $ai16z ticker will remain until the community votes on potential changes.

CHEETOS JUST DESIGNED A TERRIBLE CUSTOM FONT ON PURPOSE

Cheetos has launched a deliberately “terrible” custom font called Other Hand inspired by its logo and the messy experience of eating Cheetos with orange-dust-covered fingers. The irregular, scribbled typeface, marketed as designed with one's non-dominant hand, is playful and self-aware, fitting the brand's humorous tone. Released for National Handwriting Day, the font pokes fun at graphic design seriousness, turning its quirky aesthetic into a clever marketing stunt.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TRUMP'S $500 BILLION AI INVESTMENT

Donald Trump announced a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure, sparking debates among graphic designers about the future of their careers. While some suggest adapting to AI advancements, others recommend pursuing alternative careers. Responses on Reddit reflect mixed opinions, with advice ranging from embracing AI tools to diversifying skills and staying passionate about design.

APPLE'S NEW MIAMI STORE EMPLOYS THE PRINCIPLES OF BIOPHILIC DESIGN

Apple's Miami Worldcenter store showcases biophilic design with regionally sourced timber, a biomass-based terrazzo floor, and lush greenery. The freestanding pavilion blends Art Deco influences with organic forms, creating a sustainable, dynamic space. Featuring a raised garden roof and seamless indoor-outdoor flow, the store operates on renewable energy, reflecting Apple's commitment to eco-friendly design.

“WE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE TALK ABOUT DESIGN”

Designers must better communicate their value, especially as AI threatens the profession. They can ensure their relevance in an AI-driven world by emphasizing the strategic impact of design and focusing on the "why" behind projects.

THE MOMENT AI SURPASSES YOU—AND WHAT COMES AFTER

Lee Sedol's loss to AI in Go symbolizes a broader "ontological shock," where AI surpasses human expertise, challenging identity and creativity. As AI mastery grows across fields, creators face existential questions about their value. Adapting requires embracing human experience and judgment and redefining creative identity beyond specific skills in this transformative era.

PSYCHOLOGY PRINCIPLES EVERY UX RESEARCHER AND DESIGNER SHOULD KNOW

Effective UX design is driven by psychology by connecting user needs with intuitive solutions. Gestalt principles enhance visual clarity, cognitive load theory simplifies content, and Hick's law streamlines decision-making. Fitts' law optimizes interactions, while social proof fosters trust. Incorporating feedback, reducing confirmation bias, and designing memorable moments improve usability, engagement, and emotional connections.

DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT AND SHARING PLATFORM

DROP is a secure AI-driven hub that allows you to create, share, host, and collaborate easily. Up to 100 GB of storage is free.

SWIPEART (IOS APP)

Swipeart offers art enthusiasts an innovative way to discover artworks and museums.

PRINCIPLES OF WEB ACCESSIBILITY

A set of high-level guiding principles for approaching web accessibility.

DEZEEN SURVEY POINTS TO "BROKEN" ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN INDUSTRY

Dezeen's survey of over 450 architecture and design professionals revealed widespread issues, including long hours, low pay, and poor workplace culture. Women were disproportionately affected, with nearly half reporting sexism, highlighting the need for industry-wide change.

ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE OF USING AI

AI is rapidly becoming more used in design, yet current interactions often feel clunky. Enhancing AI requires a better user experience that focuses on goal-driven interactions, context understanding, and trust. Challenges include balancing autonomy with control and building nuanced user profiles. Collaboration between UX experts and AI developers is essential to creating seamless human-centric AI experiences.

HOW TIKTOK'S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY BOOSTED THE BRAND

TikTok faced a potential shutdown in the U.S. due to concerns over its Chinese ownership but gained immense public and political attention. A last-minute intervention by Trump postponed the ban, sparking record user activity and viral outcry. Despite espionage worries, TikTok's popularity soared, reshaping its narrative. Uncertainties about its future remain.

COSY UP INSIDE JODIE HOWARD'S SOFT AND NOSTALGIC SCENES

Jodie Howard creates soft, nostalgic scenes inspired by late-night walks and the Peak District.

INTRO TO CONTENT DESIGN PATTERNS

Content design patterns are reusable solutions for presenting information effectively.

MACIEK ŁAZOWSKI: THE ILLUSTRATOR TURNING BOLD IDEAS INTO PECULIAR SMILES

Warsaw-based illustrator Maciek Łazowski blends humor with emotion in his 2D and 3D work.

INFERENCE TIME COMPUTE

DeepSeek's new AI model R1 cost $10M to build instead of the usual $100M+. This article looks at how AI costs are changing - instead of spending mostly on building AI, companies now spend more on running it daily. As AI gets cheaper to build, more companies can use it, which means more computing power is needed overall. For investors and companies, this means the real opportunity might not be in building AI models, but in providing the computing power to run them. This shift could create new winners in the AI industry.

MY PRODUCT WENT VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA BUT ALL I GOT WERE THESE SHITTY USERS

Most users who find products through viral posts don't become real customers. This article asks three important questions about growth: Do users stick around? Can you get more users the same way? Do users actually spend money? Through examples from recent product launches, it explains why steady growth beats viral moments. Find channels that bring in fewer but better users rather than chasing viral spikes that look good on paper.

TECH CRASH?

DeepSeek's arrival has caused nearly $1 trillion in tech stock losses, hitting companies like NVIDIA hard. Surprisingly, SaaS companies went up 1% while other tech fell. This article explains why this happened and what it means for tech company values. The market shift shows how disruption in one area of tech can create unexpected winners and losers across the industry.

HOW TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH PAID MARKETING

Competitor analysis has always been an integral part of many successful paid advertising plans. However, other than making the ads perform better and generate more sales, there are certain competition-based strategies that can give your brand a unique competitive advantage. This blog offers a comprehensive guide to gaining a competitive advantage through paid ads, from tips on crafting a unique value proposition and capitalizing on competitor gaps to utilizing advanced audience targeting techniques.

HOW TO MEASURE R&D EFFICIENCY

Engineering teams spend about half their time building new things, and the rest maintaining old work. This article shows how to track if R&D money is being spent well using real numbers from companies. Written by Jellyfish's CFO, it gives finance leaders clear ways to measure tech team performance. The most successful companies go beyond just measuring time spent coding - they connect engineering work directly to business results and customer needs.

PRODUCT GROWTH MODEL GUIDE

Companies grow in four main ways: getting new users, keeping current ones, making money, and selling more to existing customers. This article explains how successful companies grow everyone's job, not just one team's work. It outlines five ways to grow, from letting the product sell itself to using sales teams. Rather than picking just one approach, the best companies build all these growth elements into their product from day one.

FOCAL (PRODUCT)

Focal is an AI video platform for creating movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos. It combines the best video models (Kling, Minimax, and Luma, etc.) and image models (Flux Pro and Recraft, etc.) with a browser-based editor, so you can do all your work in one place. Focal also has a powerful copilot that can generate parts of the video for you.

OVERSTAND LABS

This tool transforms your customer conversations into actionable tasks.

GOOGLE AI STUDIO (PRODUCT)

Google AI Studio is the fastest way to start building with Gemini.

PAUSE AS A DECISION-MAKING TOOL

Making quick decisions at work often leads to mistakes. This writer shares how rushing a project estimate led to late nights and stress. By making a rule to never give immediate answers, work quality improved. The writer shows how taking time helps in tough situations like managing teams or handling layoffs. Simple rules like "no answers during meetings" are surprisingly powerful for protecting against pressure and improving choices across all kinds of business decisions.

TRUST AS A BUSINESS MODEL

Companies like Vanguard and Costco succeed by charging less than they could. This article shows how customers stay longer and tell friends more when companies don't maximize prices. Using data from a Stanford-MIT study, it explains why this works especially well for businesses that need lots of happy customers. The data suggests that deliberately leaving money on the table often leads to stronger growth through loyalty and referrals.

HOW SOFTWARE FIRM MICROSTRATEGY'S BIG BET ON BITCOIN WENT STRATOSPHERIC

MicroStrategy, under Michael Saylor's leadership, has transformed into a "bitcoin treasury company" with aggressive investments in bitcoin, vastly increasing its market cap and stock value. The company's strategy includes issuing debt and equity to continually purchase bitcoin, fueling a feedback loop of rising stock prices. However, critics warn of significant risks if bitcoin's price falls, as MicroStrategy's financial health is heavily dependent on its crypto holdings.

EINSTELLUNG EFFECT

People often stick to old ways of doing things even when better options exist.

BEYOND THE HYPE: AI, INNOVATION AND RATIONAL INVESTMENT IN 2025

Asymmetric Capital Partners predicts strong growth for valuable AI companies while many hyped ventures may falter in 2025.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AI JOINS THE ORG CHART?

As AI moves from basic assistant to potential "teammate," companies face a fundamental shift in workplace dynamics.

assessment [6] or schedule a demo of Feroot.

DEEPSEEK HALTS NEW SIGNUPS AMID “LARGE-SCALE” CYBERATTACK

Chinese AI platform DeepSeek disabled registration on its DeepSeek-V3 chat platform due to an ongoing attack. It is believed that the company is facing a DDoS attack against its API and Web Chat platforms. Users can still sign in with Google to the platform.

ZERO-CLICK OLE RCE IMPACTS MICROSOFT OUTLOOK

Microsoft has patched a critical vulnerability in Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) caused by a double-free in ole32.dll. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code by sending a malicious RTF file, which is previewed by a victim in Microsoft Outlook. This post includes PoC code and threat hunting queries for the vulnerability.