NFTs hit the dance floor, stablecoins rival nations, GPT-5 takes centre stage, and AI faces fresh scrutiny.
What’s up, Pasar Crew?
From nightclubs doubling as NFT galleries to stablecoins outpacing major economies, Web3’s pace shows no signs of slowing. Vitalik Buterin’s fortune is back in the billion-dollar range, and meme coins continue to make (and lose) fortunes overnight.
Over in AI, the spotlight is firmly on GPT-5—Microsoft’s full integration, OpenAI’s embarrassing chart blunder, and growing concerns about its energy appetite. Meanwhile, Wikipedia is cracking down on AI-generated junk, James Cameron is sounding the alarm about killer robots, and the UK’s top AI institute is under scrutiny for its internal culture.
It’s a week where creativity and technology pushed boundaries, but also raised hard questions about governance, ethics, and sustainability. Let’s cut to the chase and dive right in.
Web3
Ibiza Nightclub Unveils World’s First Permanent NFT Gallery
1️⃣ Hï Ibiza launched the world’s first permanent NFT art gallery inside a nightclub, blending nightlife with digital art. Featuring installations such as AR murals and large-scale sculptures, the exhibition showcases influential digital artists including Beeple and Mad Dog Jones.
White House Crypto Council Director Bo Hines Resigns Post
2️⃣ Bo Hines, Executive Director of President Trump’s White House Crypto Council, has stepped down to return to the private sector. Appointed in December 2024, Hines played a key role in guiding policy and published a regulatory action plan for digital assets.
DeFi Liquidity Surges as Users Migrate to NFT Applications
3️⃣ DeFi liquidity soared to a record US$270 billion in July, propelled by growth in tokenised stocks. At the same time, user activity is shifting towards NFTs with dApps attracting slightly more active users than DeFi.
Nyan Cat Creator Nets £550K from Meme Coins
4️⃣ Chris Torres, the creator of Nyan Cat, amassed over US$700,000 in royalties from meme coins via the Bags platform, yet firmly denies endorsing any tokens. Torres describes the meme coin space as the wild west.
Pump.fun’s PUMP Token Lags Despite Liquidity Boost
5️⃣ Despite launching its liquidity programme aimed at bolstering Solana meme coin projects, pump.fun’s PUMP token is underperforming. The programme aims to inject capital to stabilise smaller-cap meme coins and foster community growth.
Stablecoins Amass US Debt, Outpacing Major Global Economies
6️⃣ Stablecoin issuers Tether and Circle now collectively hold more US Treasury bills than several major nations, including Germany and South Korea. Tether alone holds over US$100 billion, making the stablecoin industry the 18th largest external holder of Treasuries.
Trump-Affiliated DeFi Seeks £1.2 Billion for WLFI Treasury
7️⃣ World Liberty Financial is seeking to raise an additional US$1.5 billion for a publicly traded treasury company to hold its WLFI tokens. Currently non-tradable, these tokens will soon be unlocked for early backers following a recent token holder vote.
Vitalik Buterin Becomes a Billionaire Again as ETH Hits $4.2K
8️⃣ Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has become an on-chain billionaire, with his portfolio valued at around US$1.04 billion from his 240,042 ETH holdings. This milestone follows Ether’s rise past $4,000 to $4,332.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Wikipedia Battles AI Slop with Speedy Deletion Rule
1️⃣ Wikipedia volunteers are tackling a surge of poorly written, AI-generated content riddled with false information and fabricated citations. A new speedy deletion rule allows for the swift removal of such articles, flagged by signs like user-directed text.
Cameron Fears ‘Terminator’ Dystopia from Weaponised AI
2️⃣ Film director James Cameron warns that weaponising AI could lead to a Terminator-style apocalypse where super-intelligent systems conduct rapid military operations, potentially triggering nuclear war.
Microsoft Integrates GPT-5 into Copilot and Ecosystem
3️⃣ Microsoft is rolling out OpenAI’s new GPT-5 models across its AI products, including Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and GitHub Copilot. Copilot gains a ‘smart mode’ for improved reasoning, while GPT-5 delivers enhanced code quality.
Microsoft Cautious on Grok 4 After ‘Ugly’ AI Behaviour
4️⃣ Microsoft is taking an extremely cautious approach to integrating xAI’s Grok 4 model into Azure AI Foundry after Grok 3’s controversial ‘pro-Hitler view’ and internal reports describing Grok 4’s behaviour as prone to inappropriate content.
OpenAI’s GPT-5 Launch Marred by Inaccurate Charts
5️⃣ During its GPT-5 livestream, OpenAI displayed charts containing serious inaccuracies, including one where a lower performance score appeared with a larger bar. CEO Sam Altman attributed it to human error.
GPT-5’s Energy Footprint Undisclosed, Potentially High
6️⃣ OpenAI has declined to disclose GPT-5’s energy consumption, despite expert estimates suggesting it may be significantly higher than previous models. Research indicates GPT-5 could consume over 18 watt-hours per medium-length response.
Google Claims AI Search Not Harming Web Traffic
7️⃣ Google Search’s head Liz Reid has said that click volumes from the search engine have remained stable despite the rise of AI Overviews, purporting that AI is actually supporting web searches instead of detracting from them.
UK’s Top AI Institute Faces Staff Culture Complaints
8️⃣ The Alan Turing Institute is under investigation following a whistleblowing complaint from staff alleging governance failures and a fearful workplace culture. The ATI faces government pressure over funding and a directive to shift focus towards defence and national security.
That’s all for this week’s Pasar Pulse. Want more insights? Stay tuned to our site or subscribe via email!
