Crypto fear spikes, AI surges ahead, and Steak ’n Shake expands with Bitcoin. Major shifts in regulation and markets define this week’s headlines.
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The digital economy has delivered another week of sharp contrasts, with crypto markets swinging towards deep fear, while AI innovation continues at full throttle.
Crypto sentiment has hit its lowest point in over eight months, yet major players remain undeterred. US fast-food chain Steak ’n Shake is expanding into El Salvador after seeing double-digit sales growth tied to Bitcoin payments, and Eric Trump insists market volatility is “a great opportunity” as American Bitcoin accelerates its BTC accumulation. Meanwhile, Japan is preparing a sweeping regulatory shift that could reclassify crypto assets and reduce tax burdens for investors.
In AI, the pace of development is striking. Aalto University unveiled a light-based computing method that could redefine speed and efficiency in machine learning, while AI-generated music is rapidly dominating global streaming charts. Anthropic’s disruption of a large-scale autonomous cyber-espionage campaign and Stanford’s breakthrough in transplant-related medical prediction both highlight the increasingly high-stakes role AI now plays across sectors.
Get up to speed with the latest in Web3 and AI with this week’s Pasar Pulse.
Crypto and Web3
US Chain Steak ’n Shake Expands to El Salvador
US fast-food chain Steak ’n Shake began accepting BTC in May, and has announced its expansion into El Salvador. The company attributed a near 11% rise in same-store sales in Q2 due to its adoption of BTC payments.
Crypto Market Sentiment Falls to Extreme Fear
Market sentiment across the crypto sector has fallen to its most pessimistic level in more than eight months, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropping to 10. The decline follows BTC slipping below US$95,000, but some analysts believe the downturn may be short-lived.
Eric Trump Welcomes Volatility While Accumulating BTC
Eric Trump, co-founder of the mining company American Bitcoin, remains unfazed by the current market downturn, arguing that volatility is essential for outsized returns and saying that the pullback represents a great opportunity to buy.
Japan’s FSA May Reclassify Crypto, Flat 20% Tax
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing a major regulatory overhaul that would reclassify digital assets as financial products. The move would subject 105 cryptocurrencies, including BTC and ETH, to mandatory disclosures and insider-trading rules.
US DOJ Seizes US$15 Million in USDT from Hackers
The US Department of Justice has moved to forfeit US$15.1 million in USDT seized from North Korean military hackers linked to the APT38 group. APT38 carried out a series of heists targeting four foreign virtual-asset platforms in 2023.
BTC Slips Below US$100,000 as Sentiment Dips
The crypto market continues to weaken with BTC failing to reclaim the US$100,000 level at the time of writing. The sell-off has been attributed to profit-taking by long-term investors, institutional outflows, low liquidity, and broader macroeconomic uncertainty.
DOGE and SHIB Diverge as Memecoins React to Volatility
DOGE and SHIB experienced sharp intraday volatility amid wider risk-off sentiment driven by AI-bubble concerns and Bitcoin ETF outflows. Dogecoin saw renewed institutional accumulation, while Shiba Inu faced heavy retail selling.
Scaramucci Family Invests in American Bitcoin
The Scaramucci family has invested more than US$100 million in American Bitcoin which is associated with the sons of US President Donald Trump. Other contributors included Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson and author Tony Robbins.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Light-Based AI Developed for Ultra-Fast Computing
Researchers at Aalto University have developed a method for performing AI tensor operations using a single pass of light. By encoding data into light waves, the system naturally executes matrix multiplications at the speed of light.
AI-Generated Music Tops Global Streaming Charts
AI-generated tracks are increasingly dominating streaming rankings. Songs such as Breaking Rust’s Walk My Walk and the Dutch anti-migrant track We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Centre have surged to the top of Spotify’s viral charts.
Anthropic Disrupts AI Cyber-Espionage Campaign
Anthropic revealed it disrupted a major cyber-espionage operation by Chinese state-linked group GTG-1002. The attackers manipulated Claude Code to autonomously handle 80–90% of tactical tasks, including reconnaissance and exploit development.
Stanford AI Cuts Wasted Organ Transplant Efforts by 60%
A Stanford team has developed a machine-learning model that reduces futile liver procurement attempts from donors by 60%. The AI can accurately predict the likelihood of timely death, outperforming surgeons’ assessments.
Visa to Launch AI Commerce Platform in Asia Pacific 2026
Visa is preparing to roll out its Intelligent Commerce platform and Trusted Agent Protocol across Asia Pacific. The system is designed to manage the surge in machine-initiated transactions, helping merchants distinguish legitimate AI shopping agents from malicious bots.
Anthropic Publishes Findings on Claude’s Political Neutrality
Anthropic has outlined its work to ensure Claude remains “politically even-handed”, delivering balanced analysis across differing viewpoints. The model is guided by a system prompt to avoid unsolicited political commentary and maintain factual accuracy.
OpenAI for Ireland to Support SMEs and Start-Ups
OpenAI has announced ‘OpenAI for Ireland’, a national initiative delivered in partnership with the Irish Government, Dogpatch Labs, and Patch. The programme includes an SME Booster launching in 2026 to expand AI skills and reduce costs.
LinkedIn Introduces AI-Powered People Search
LinkedIn is rolling out a new AI search tool allowing users to find people using descriptive queries rather than names or job titles. Users can now search phrases or ask questions, and the system ranks results by relevance and connections.
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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