Rising BTC mining pressure, ETF inflow reversals, AI safety concerns, and tech-sector tensions set the tone in a busy week across Web3 and AI.
What’s up, Pasar Crew?
Markets may be cooling, but the headlines aren’t. This week brought a wave of developments across Web3 and AI, from rising mining stress and ETF reversals to growing concerns over AI safety, regulation, and workplace impact.
In crypto, Bitcoin miners are bracing for another difficulty increase even as profitability metrics hit historic lows, while ETF flows are finally turning positive after weeks of red. Regulatory tensions continue to shape the landscape, from China reaffirming its crypto ban to Nasdaq pushing tokenised stocks into the mainstream and courts weighing in on the future of prediction markets.
Meanwhile, AI is experiencing its own moment of reckoning. China is warning of a humanoid-robot investment bubble, the public can barely distinguish AI-generated music from the real thing, and major firms like Amazon are facing employee backlash over rapid AI rollouts. Add rising demand throttling major models and fresh worries about data exposure, and the pace of change shows no sign of slowing.
Get up to speed with the latest in Web3 and AI with this week’s Pasar Pulse.
Crypto and Web3
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Set to Rise
Bitcoin mining difficulty is expected to increase at the next scheduled adjustment on 11 December, even as hashprice lingers near historic lows. The industry faces mounting pressure alongside rising energy costs, regulatory headwinds, and possible supply-chain disruptions.
Spot BTC and ETH ETFs Break Outflow Streaks
US spot BTC and ETH ETFs saw net inflows during the shortened week ending 28 November, the first combined inflow week since late October. Spot Bitcoin ETFs registered approximately US$70.1 million in inflows, snapping a four-week outflow period.
BlackRock Unfazed Despite IBIT Outflows
BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) saw an estimated US$2.34 billion in net outflows over November. Despite this, the firm remains confident in the ETF’s long-term trajectory, describing the outflows as “perfectly normal”.
Arthur Hayes Dismisses Most L1s
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes reaffirmed his belief that only BTC, ETH, and SOL have the institutional momentum required for long-term viability. He expects ETH to underpin traditional finance’s Web3 ambitions, while SOL remains the number-two Layer-1.
Nasdaq Prioritises Tokenised Stock Offering Approval
Nasdaq is making the US SEC approval of its proposal to offer tokenised versions of listed stocks a top priority. The company stressed that its aim is not to disrupt existing market structures but to bring tokenisation into the mainstream responsibly.
Kalshi Hit by Nevada Court Ruling
Kalshi suffered a setback after a federal judge ruled that Nevada regulators and state laws have jurisdiction over certain sports-based event contracts. The judge determined that contracts tied to sporting outcomes do not fall solely under the CFTC.
China’s Central Bank Reasserts Crypto Ban
The People’s Bank of China has reiterated that virtual-asset activities remain illegal in the country and carry no legal-tender status, pointing out that stablecoins fail to meet core anti-money-laundering and customer-identification requirements.
Visa Expands Stablecoin Settlement Across CEMEA
Visa has partnered with crypto-infrastructure provider Aquanow to extend its stablecoin-settlement capabilities. The integration will allow issuers and acquirers across the region to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
China Warns of Bubble Risk in Humanoid Robotics Boom
China’s National Development and Reform Commission warned that the country may be heading towards a humanoid-robot investment bubble. Capital is pouring into the sector despite limited proven use cases, raising the risk of an overcrowded market.
Public Struggles to Identify AI Music
A study by streaming platform Deezer and Ipsos found that 97% of participants could not reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-composed music. Over half said they felt uneasy about their inability to tell the difference.
Epic Games CEO Urges to Drop ‘Made with AI’ Tags
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney criticised Steam for requiring “Made with AI” labels on games, arguing that these tags will soon be meaningless as AI becomes embedded in nearly all game development workflows.
Cochlear Implant Uses Edge AI for Smarter Hearing
Cochlear’s new Nucleus Nexa System is the first cochlear implant capable of running machine-learning models under strict power constraints and adjusting sound settings automatically in real time for wearers.
Amazon Staff Protest AI Rollout
More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter raising concerns about the company’s rapid, high-pressure deployment of AI tools. Workers say the rollout threatens jobs and increases workloads to unsustainable levels.
OpenAI Rejects Liability in Teen Suicide Case
OpenAI is disputing liability in a lawsuit filed by the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide after months of discussing self-harm with ChatGPT. The company argues that the tragedy resulted from unauthorised or improper use.
Sora, Nano Banana Pro Throttled Amid Soaring Demand
OpenAI and Google reduced free-tier usage limits for their generative AI tools, Sora and Nano Banana Pro. Sora’s daily allowance has been cut to six video generations, while Nano Banana Pro now permits only two daily image generations.
Mixpanel Incident Exposes Limited OpenAI API User Data
OpenAI has confirmed that limited analytics data for some API users was exposed following a security incident at Mixpane. Exposed data included names, email addresses, approximate locations, and technical metadata.
That’s all for this week’s Pasar Pulse. Want more insights? Stay tuned to our site or subscribe via email!
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