We bring you the latest in the Web3 and AI industry, structured in bite-sized news that you can read in a minute!
Here’s what’s happening in Web3 and AI in 1 minute.
Web3
Bitcoin Strengthens Hold on Investor Portfolios
1️⃣ Bitcoin now accounts for around a third of investors’ crypto portfolios as of May 2025, up from 25.4% in November 2024, making it the largest single crypto asset. This rise is driven by increasing institutional adoption and new US crypto regulations.
Circle’s Market Cap Surge Sparks ‘Stablecoin Summer’
2️⃣ Circle, the issuer of USDC, recently saw its market capitalisation hit $63.89 billion, exceeding its USDC supply of $61.68 billion. Achieved just weeks after its high-profile IPO, this milestone reflects growing investor confidence in Circle as a full-stack digital finance firm
Crypto Markets Rally on Iran-Israel Ceasefire News
3️⃣ The crypto market surged after President Donald Trump announced a phased 24-hour ceasefire between Israel and Iran, ending 12 days of conflict. Bitcoin bounced back above $105,000, recovering from lows below $100,000, while Ethereum climbed beyond $2,400.
Darknet Markets Thrive Following Huione Closure
4️⃣ The closure of crypto darknet marketplace Huione Guarantee in May, following Telegram’s ban on associated accounts, has triggered growth across over 30 successor platforms. Tudou Guarantee has emerged as the main winner, doubling its user base and attracting crypto inflows.
Trump Media Reaffirms $2.3B Bitcoin Treasury Plan
5️⃣ Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) has announced a share buyback of up to $400 million, stressing that this will not impact the $2.3 billion earmarked for its Bitcoin treasury in May. The move reflects the board’s confidence in TMTG’s stock and strategy.
Senator Schiff Proposes Ban on Official Crypto Dealings
6️⃣ Senator Adam Schiff introduced the Curbing Officials’ Income and Nondisclosure (COIN) Act, aimed at banning public officials and their families from issuing or endorsing crypto assets. The proposal seeks to bring greater scrutiny to the president’s financial dealings.
US Housing Regulator to Examine Crypto for Mortgages
7️⃣ The US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) will study how crypto holdings could factor into mortgage eligibility. FHFA Director Bill Pulte, a long-standing crypto advocate, announced the initiative which marks a major step towards integrating digital assets
VeChain Unveils ‘Build Your Body’ Wellness DApp
8️⃣ VeChain will launch its ‘Build Your Body’ (BYB) decentralised app during UFC 317. The app, part of the VeBetter ecosystem, will reward users with B3TR tokens for physical activity, encouraging healthier lifestyles through token-based incentives.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
BBC Acts Against Perplexity AI Over Content Scraping
1️⃣ BBC is threatening legal action against Perplexity AI, accusing it of unauthorised scraping of BBC content for AI training purposes. The broadcaster is demanding an immediate end to the scraping and financial compensation, citing the need to protect its intellectual property.
AI Should Be Used for Coaching, Not Companionship
2️⃣ Hinge CEO Justin McLeod has backed the use of AI to provide personalised matching and coach users ahead of real-life dates, but warned against AI companionship, describing it as “playing with fire”. He underlined Hinge’s mission to promote genuine human connections.
John Oliver Warns of Misinformation Dangers
3️⃣ Comedian John Oliver has criticised the rise of cheap, AI-generated content flooding social media feeds and often going unnoticed. He warned of its effect on objective reality, arguing that it helps bad actors undermine genuine media.
Midjourney Launches AI Video Generator
4️⃣ Midjourney has unveiled its first AI video generator, allowing users to create short clips from images using text prompts. The firm describes the tool as a step towards advanced simulations. The launch comes as Midjourney faces a copyright lawsuit from Disney and Universal.
News Corp AI Tools Spark Concern Among Journalists in Australia
5️⃣ Journalists at News Corp Australia have voiced concerns over new in-house AI tools such as NewsGPT and Story Cutter. While management insists these tools are designed to enhance the workflow, others fear there may be a weakening of journalistic standards.
OpenAI and Jony Ive’s First AI Device Not a Wearable
6️⃣ OpenAI’s collaboration with Jony Ive’s design firm will result in an AI device that is neither an earpiece nor a wearable, with shipping not expected until 2026 at the earliest. The details come from court filings linked to a trademark dispute.
Music Industry Develops Tech to Track AI-Generated Music
7️⃣ The music industry is shifting from trying to block AI-generated music to building infrastructure to track and license it. The rise of viral AI tracks has prompted the development of systems that can identify and tag AI content with metadata across the music pipeline.
Microsoft Scientist Warns Trump’s State AI Ban Would Hold Back Progress
8️⃣ Microsoft’s chief scientist warned that Donald Trump’s proposed 10-year ban on state-level AI regulation would hamper technological progress. He argued that thoughtful regulation is vital to advancing the field while managing risks such as misinformation and malicious AI use.
