Crypto scales infrastructure and battles security threats and regulators, while AI reshapes workforces and races to secure power for its next leap.
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This week’s stories share a common thread of institutions racing to lock down infrastructure, physical and digital, for crypto and AI, even as regulators, courts, malware operators, and sceptics test how solid those foundations actually are amid the rapid buildout.
In crypto, Galaxy Digital expanded its Texas footprint with a 15-year stadium naming deal tied to its Helios data centre, while Bank of America named new digital assets and AI leads. Meanwhile, France ordered ISPs to block Polymarket over rigged weather bets, and Kaspersky uncovered new OkoBot malware draining crypto wallets.
In AI, Elon Musk quietly picked up a $1B energy firm to power xAI’s Colossus cluster, and Coinbase revealed AI now writes over 95% of its code. Meanwhile, Meta faces a lawsuit over AI-driven layoffs, and OpenAI built GPT-Red to harden GPT-5.6 against attacks.
Get up to speed with the latest in Web3 and AI with this week’s Pasar Pulse.
Crypto and Web3
Trezor Pushes Back on ZachXBT Wallet Claim
Trezor CCO Danny Sanders rejected ZachXBT’s claim that hardware wallets are worthless, calling them the strongest self-custody option for average users. Tornado Cash’s Roman Storm backed ZachXBT, urging mobile wallets to add BIP39 passphrase support.
FTX to Distribute $900M to Creditors
FTX will begin its fifth creditor distribution on July 31, paying roughly $900M via BitGo, Kraken, and Payoneer. The estate has distributed nearly $10B to creditors since repayments started in 2025.
Galaxy Digital Lands Texas Tech Stadium Deal
Galaxy Digital signed a 15-year naming rights deal, renaming Texas Tech’s stadium Galaxy Stadium starting the 2026 season. The deal expands Galaxy’s West Texas footprint, home to its 1.6-gigawatt Helios data centre.
Bank of America Names Crypto, AI Leaders
The BofA appointed Sonali Theisen to lead its digital assets platform and Kevin Milsom to head AI transformation across global markets. The moves follow similar hires at Vanguard and Morgan Stanley.
Numerai Completes Third NMR Buyback
Numerai bought back $1.2M in NMR tokens, bringing total repurchases to $3.2M over the past year. The crowdsourced hedge fund now manages roughly $700M in assets, up from $560M at 2025’s end.
France Orders ISPs to Block Polymarket
France’s gambling regulator ANJ ordered ISPs to geoblock Polymarket over illegal gambling and manipulation concerns, citing hacked weather sensors tied to rigged bets. Polymarket is now blocked in 36 regions.
Input Output Hands Core Infrastructure to Partners
Input Output is decentralising Cardano’s Haskell node, Plutus, Daedalus, and Hydra to partner teams including Se7en Labs and Teragone. The transition runs through 2027, ending IO’s direct control.
Kaspersky Uncovers OkoBot Crypto Malware
Kaspersky identified a new malware framework, OkoBot, targeting crypto investors via social engineering and trojanized GitHub apps since January. Separately, SlowMist flagged fake LinkedIn recruiter campaigns targeting Web3 developers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Musk Quietly Buys $1B Energy Firm
Elon Musk acquired Florida-based New APR Energy, a mobile turbine firm with over 1 gigawatt of capacity, per FTC records. The deal supports power needs for xAI’s Colossus cluster.
Coinbase: 95% of Code Now AI-Written
Coinbase said AI now writes 95-100% of its code, up from 40% in February, following May layoffs of 700 staff. Engineers run 5-10 AI agents each, doing work equal to 1,200 employees.
PrismML’s Bonsai 27B Runs on an iPhone
PrismML compressed a 27B-parameter model to 3.9GB, running at 11 tokens per second on an iPhone 17 Pro Max. A larger 5.9GB ternary variant retains 94.6% of full-precision benchmark performance.
New York Orders First AI Data Centre Pause
Governor Kathy Hochul signed a one-year moratorium on hyperscale data centres, defined as over 50 megawatts, citing energy and water strain. A Siena poll found 46% of New Yorkers support the pause.
OpenAI Deploys GPT-Red to Harden GPT-5.6
OpenAI’s automated red-teaming model GPT-Red found prompt injection flaws later fixed in GPT-5.6, succeeding in 84% of tests versus 13% for human red teamers. The tool stays internal for its offensive capabilities.
Trump Slams New York’s Datacenter Pause
Trump urged Gov. Hochul to scrap New York’s one-year hyperscale datacenter moratorium, the first such state ban. Nearly three-quarters of Americans oppose datacenters near their homes, per a Heatmap poll.
Meta Sued Over AI-Driven Layoff Selection
Twenty-six Meta employees sued, alleging AI systems like Metamate and productivity scoring tools selected staff for mass layoffs. Meta denies using AI this way; plaintiffs seek an injunction and independent audit.
Dutch Navy Tests Uncrewed Sea Defence Fleet
The Royal Netherlands Navy is trialling uncrewed Defender vessels, Noa drones, and undersea mappers off Den Helder. Uncrewed systems are set to handle over half of their work within five years.
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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