Crypto holds firm amid geopolitical tension while AI expands into banking, defence and governance under growing scrutiny.
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Despite escalating tensions between the US and Iran, Bitcoin held near US$66,000, reinforcing the idea that digital assets now operate as a round-the-clock pressure valve for global risk. Institutional positioning continued to evolve, with fresh ETF inflows, treasury accumulation from public firms and new blockchain trade finance trials in Asia. At the same time, operational risks resurfaced, from a costly seed phrase leak in South Korea to ongoing shifts in NFT and iGaming strategy.
Across AI, adoption is accelerating into core financial and state infrastructure. Major banks are testing agentic systems for real-time trade surveillance, while payment and governance experiments continue to push automation further into decision-making. Yet the technology’s growing reach is raising difficult questions about oversight, ethics and long-term accountability.
Get up to speed with the latest in Web3 and AI with this week’s Pasar Pulse.
Crypto and Web3
Crypto Shows Resilience Amidst US-Iran Conflict
Bitcoin remained steady near US$66,000 despite a sharp geopolitical shock following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader had been killed. Continuous 24-hour liquidity allowed digital assets to serve as an early venue for investors seeking to reduce risk over the weekend.
Magic Eden to Focus on iGaming
Magic Eden is reducing support for Ethereum and Bitcoin NFTs in order to pivot towards its online casino and sportsbook platform. Its CEO cited a significant opportunity in iGaming after a beta test saw US$15 million wagered.
ProCap Financial Increases Bitcoin Holdings
ProCap Financial has purchased 450 Bitcoin, bringing its total holdings to 5,457 BTC. The acquisition makes it the 19th largest public holder of Bitcoin and lowers its average cost basis. The firm has also repurchased more than 780,000 shares at a notable discount.
Hong Kong, Shanghai Test Blockchain for Trade Finance
Hong Kong and Shanghai signed a memorandum of understanding to use blockchain technology to digitise cargo trade data and financing under Project Ensemble. The initiative aims to streamline cross-border trade and enhance data infrastructure.
Sony Bank, JPYC Trial Stablecoin Transfers
Sony Bank and JPYC are studying real-time transfers that would allow customers to purchase the yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC directly from bank accounts. Future plans may integrate stablecoin payments into entertainment services such as gaming and music.
S. Korea Orders Review After Seed Phrase Leak
South Korea launched an inter-agency review of seized crypto asset management after a photograph revealed a hardware wallet seed phrase. The exposure allowed unknown actors to drain US$4.8 million in PRTG tokens within hours.
Aave Advances Unified DAO Revenue Plan
Aave’s “Aave Will Win” framework secured 52.6% support to restructure funding. The proposal seeks to allocate 100% of branded product revenue to the DAO treasury in exchange for a US$42.5 million funding package in stablecoins and AAVE tokens.
Crypto Funds See US$1 Billion in Inflows
Crypto products recorded US$1 billion in inflows last week, ending a five-week outflow streak totalling nearly US$4 billion. US spot BTC ETFs led with US$787 million in inflows, while ETH and SOL products attracted US$171 million.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Banks Test Agentic AI for Trade Surveillance
Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank are trialling agentic AI systems to monitor trading activity and detect potential misconduct. These adaptive agents analyse complex signals in real time and flag anomalies for human review.
Poor AI Strategy Linked to Lower Productivity
Research suggests that failing to integrate human oversight into AI systems can reduce workforce productivity. Effective enterprise AI requires governed frameworks in which humans validate outputs and set guardrails.
Burger King Trials AI to Monitor Staff Politeness
Burger King is piloting an OpenAI-powered chatbot to assess whether employees use courteous phrases. While designed as a coaching tool, the initiative has attracted criticism over employee surveillance.
US Military Used Claude AI in Iran Strikes
Reports indicate that the US military deployed Anthropic’s Claude model for intelligence and targeting support during strikes on Iran, despite a federal directive to sever ties. The episode highlights the difficulty of removing AI systems once embedded.
Block Cuts 4,000 Roles, Citing AI Efficiency
Fintech company Block is reducing its workforce by 4,000 employees, with Jack Dorsey stating that AI tools enable smaller teams to operate more efficiently. While investors reacted positively, morale concerns have reportedly grown.
Campaigners Seek Mandatory Emissions Disclosure
Environmental groups are urging the UK government to require data centres to disclose emissions impacts. Rising electricity demand from AI infrastructure raised concerns that it could undermine national decarbonisation targets.
Trump Orders Agencies to Cease Use of Anthropic
President Trump has directed federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology after the firm declined a Pentagon request permitting unrestricted lawful use. Anthropic maintains that lethal autonomous weapons conflict with its ethical principles.
NHL Star Condemns AI-Generated White House Video
Ice hockey player Brady Tkachuk criticised an AI-generated video released by the White House depicting him making offensive remarks about Canadians, stating that the clip misused his likeness to fabricate statements he never made.
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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