Today, @vaneck_us filed an S-1 for a @jito_sol ETF.
Why is this important?
A JitoSOL ETF offers the highest possible yield for investors, as 100% of the fund earns staking rewards with the lowest fees. The ETF can be created and redeemed in-kind, so redemptions can be…
— Thomas Uhm (@ThomasUhm) August 22, 2025
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Shares of ETHZilla (ETHZ), formerly known as biotech firm 180 Life Science, fell nearly 30% Friday after the company disclosed that shareholders filed to offer up to 74.8 million convertible shares.
The offering sparked concerns about dilution, a process where existing shareholders’ stakes lose value as more stock enters the market. For investors, it means their ownership slice shrinks, even if the company’s overall value doesn’t change.
After the issuance of new shares, the outstanding shares of the company will rise by about 46% to 239.3 million from 164.4 million, according to the filing. The company won’t receive any proceeds from the shareholders selling their converted shares.
ETHZilla rebranded earlier this month into a crypto treasury company and disclosed that it holds 82,186 ether, worth about $349 million at current prices, alongside $238 million in cash equivalents. The ether was acquired at an average price of $3,806.71 per token. News of the pivot and the size of the holdings sent shares surging on Aug. 11, lifting the stock 80% year-to-date before Friday’s sharp reversal.
The strategic shift has also drawn heavyweight backers.
Peter Thiel, who has publicly supported Ethereum, holds a 7.5% stake in ETHZ through his Founders Fund. The fund also owns 9.1% of Bitmine Immersion Technologies, which recently raised $250 million to build its own ether reserves. Thiel’s involvement highlights a broader bet by influential investors that Ethereum could anchor the next generation of financial infrastructure.
Ether itself has regained momentum in 2025 after lagging behind other altcoins last year. The token is up 38% year-to-date, outpacing bitcoin’s 24% rise and the CoinDesk 20 Index’s 17% gain. For context, bitcoin climbed 121% in 2024 while ether added just 31%. The turnaround coincides with regulatory clarity in the U.S. that has prompted Wall Street institutions to adopt Ethereum as a base layer for launching new financial products and services.
Despite the surge in price and interest from investors, ETHZ shares moved against the broader trend on Friday. The Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow were all higher after remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, while ether itself gained 9% in the past 24 hours.
The selloff underscores the tension between ETHZ’s promise as a large publicly traded ether treasury and investor unease about near-term dilution. While the company’s balance sheet puts it among the biggest ether holders in the corporate world, shareholders are weighing whether that promise can outweigh the risks of being cut into smaller pieces.
President Donald Trump says the US government is taking a 10 percent stake in chip maker Intel. Trump shared the news during a press conference on Friday, though an official announcement is still forthcoming, Reuters reports. News of a plan to convert Intel’s previously promised CHIPS Act funding into equity in the company was first reported earlier in August.
A meeting between Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Trump following the President’s call for Tan to resign seems to be the source of the deal. “He walked in wanting to keep his job and he ended up giving us 10 billion dollars for the United States. So we picked up 10 billion,” Trump shared during the press conference.
Intel later announced more details on the investment. The company said in a press release that the government will “make an $8.9 billion investment in Intel common stock.” It adds that the equity stake will be funded by $5.7 billion previously earmarked for Intel as part of the CHIPS act, and $3.2 billion awarded as part of the Secure Enclave program. Intel had previously recieved $2.2 billion in CHIPS grants, bringing the government’s total spend on the chipmaker to $11.1 billion. The government paid $20.47 per share, so the $8.9 billion investment is equivalent to a 9.9 percent stake in the company.
It’s important to note that the government investing in Intel is not the same thing as receiving free money, it’s the exact opposite. Despite earlier comments from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggesting the stake would be non-voting, common stock does come with voting rights. Intel does note that the investment will be passive, with no board representation, and that the government has agreed to vote with its board of directors “on matters requiring shareholder approval, with limited exceptions.”
Intel was supposed to receive up to $10.86 billion in federal funding to expand its chip manufacturing business in the US as part of the CHIPS Act. By agreeing to this deal, Tan is likely trying to make sure that funding still goes through, one of several drastic moves to keep Intel afloat. Tan assumed the title of CEO following Pat Gelsinger’s sudden retirement in 2024. Since taking over, he’s already committed to cutting Intel’s workforce by 20 percent. Even with lower costs and guaranteed investment, the company’s future is still uncertain: Intel is reportedly struggling to make its next-gen Panther Lake chips at scale.
The Trump administration says it won’t seek similar equity deals with other recipients of CHIPS act funding. That hasn’t stopped them from making other equally unprecedented financial arrangements. NVIDIA and AMD reportedly struck a deal with the US government that gives the companies the ability to export products to China in exchange for 15 percent of their profits.
Update, August 22, 6:20PM ET: This story was updated after publish with more information on the deal from Intel, and the headline was changed to the dollar figure, rather than the previously stated “10 percent” amount. A section quoting US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying that the stake was non-voting was also ammended to reflect the final details of the deal.
When you play Borderlands, you gotta have at least one tech oriented vault hunter, right? Here she comes. Harlowe the Gravitar has the skills to pay the bills with her inventions, ready to decimate hordes of bandits. Check out her trailer and overview below.
Today, 2K and Gearbox Software shared the Gameplay Overview for Harlowe the Gravitar, one of the final entries in a series of introductions to the four all-new Vault Hunters who are wreaking havoc on Kairos in Borderlands 4! Harlowe the Gravitar is a former Maliwan combat scientist, driven by the need to understand how things work. Nothing says “power fantasy” like wiping out waves of enemies with a combination of crowd-control abilities and area-of-effect annihilation—both of which happen to be her specialty.
In the Harlowe Gameplay Overview, you can discover how Harlowe uses her collection of combat-ready inventions to dominate any space by nuking the battlefield with Cryo and Radiation damage, or protect herself and co-op allies with enhanced shielding and more.
Borderlands 4 launches worldwide on September 12, 2025 via PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 3, 2025 and is available for pre-order now across all platforms.
For the latest information on Borderlands 4 and to pre-order the game, visit www.borderlands.2k.com, and follow the game across YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok
Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Borderlands 4 news and info!
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A US court has moved swiftly to clear a $13-million settlement in the BlockFi investor lawsuit, signaling long-awaited relief. In a Thursday filing, Judge Claire Cecchi of New Jersey ordered BlockFi’s insurers to deposit the funds into escrow within 30 days. The decision followed months of delay caused by objections from an investor. A final approval hearing will now take place on December 11.
This decision addresses claims made by over 89,000 BlockFi customers who had interest-bearing accounts from March 2019 to November 2022. The corporation was charged in the 2023 class-action lawsuit of marketing unregistered securities and deceiving investors by having senior officials make false representations on multiple occasions.
The complaint, which was led by Trey Greene, says the CEO Zac Prince and COO Flori Marquez ignored the warnings from their risk team. They are alleged to have made loans to Alameda Research, which contributed to BlockFi’s collapse during the market crash of 2022.
As a result, the company filed for bankruptcy after the Terra collapse set off a chain reaction of failures at Celsius, Voyager, and FTX.
Besides the settlement, BlockFi has been attempting to repay customers under its Chapter 11 plan. Last year, the company secured an $875-million agreement with FTX and Alameda to resolve disputes.
Moreover, it has promised to complete final distributions to creditors, although significant amounts remain unclaimed. In April, the BlockFi Estate confirmed on X: “There are still significant amounts of USD and crypto that have not been claimed by customers.”
The BlockFi case comes as regulators and law enforcement tighten oversight of crypto-related misconduct. Interpol revealed this week that Operation Serengeti 2.0 dismantled 25 illegal crypto mines in Angola. The raid seized $37 million in equipment and shut down 45 illicit power stations.
Additionally, authorities have apprehended over 1,200 cybercriminals who were targeting around 88,000 victims across the globe.
The recent BlockFi settlement shows that courts demand accountability, while regulators ramp up their initiatives to address the dangers associated with risky crypto practices.
Also Read: VanEck Files First JitoSOL Liquid Staking ETF in U.S.
John Cena has a brief cameo in this summer’s Superman as Peacemaker, the foul-mouthed mercenary the wrestler-turned-actor has played since 2021’s The Suicide Squad. That movie was part of the old DC Comics shared universe (DCEU), so it seemed odd that Cena’s character would appear in James Gunn’s new take on Superman, considering he was, ostensibly, part of a different multiverse. Well, Peacemaker’s second season premiered last night, and through a reshot scene, has plucked the antihero from one universe into another without making a huge stink about it.
In Peacemaker’s first season finale, Cena’s character met up with the Justice League from the previous film universe, including Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash. The rest of the team was mostly obscured in shadows and only seen as silhouettes, but Momoa and Miller’s presence makes it clear they’re likely accompanied by Henry Cavill’s version of Superman, who portrayed the superhero from 2013 to 2023. This ties Peacemaker to the old continuity, which again complicates Cena’s appearance in Superman.
Season two’s premiere episode, “The Ties That Grind,” addresses this with an opening sequence called “Previously in the DCU,” which recaps the previous season with one major change. Rather than calling the Justice League for help as he did in the finale, this section is reshot and redubbed to instead show the Justice Gang featured in Superman arriving on the scene. Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced reprise their roles as Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, while silhouettes of Superman, Supergirl, and Mister Terrific are also shown but obscured in shadow, like in the original scene.
In a roundtable interview with outlets like IGN, Gunn said that while fans might have expected a more convoluted multiversal explanation that pulled Peacemaker from one continuity to another, the director said he’d rather go with a simple approach.
“Could I make it so that Peacemaker is the DCEU Peacemaker, even though he’s not really the DCEU Peacemaker, and he walks through that portal, and that’s where the DCEU Peacemaker is?” Gunn said. “I could have, but people are like, ‘How are normies going to understand it?’ And no, the answer is, normies don’t give a shit. Normies don’t care about all this canon stuff so intimately.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not completely consistent in the past. So I thought the simple way was really the best, which is just saying, yeah, this world is a little different. We know there’s universes, and this is the universe in which everything was exactly the same as Season 1, except for the Justice League.”
Some fans might be annoyed at the handwavey nature of this change, but it’s probably a good thing Peacemaker didn’t have to spend a whole episode throwing its hero through the multiverse to justify him showing up in future projects. Now it can just get back to what it actually wants to do rather than wasting all those precious, costly minutes of runtime, not to mention the precious time of us viewers. New episodes of Peacemaker premiere on HBO Max on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern.
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Get drawn in by the fun magnetic system and tiny size, and be genuinely impressed by the quality of the 4K footage. That’s what happened when I tested the Insta360 Go Ultra, a product that takes the advancements made with Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 and GO 3S and turns them into another (really) compact, pocket-sized camera system for adventurous creators.
I’ve been into action cameras since the first GoPros came out (terrifyingly, almost 20 years ago). But until recently, I’ve always found their bulky housings less than ideal in adventure-type scenarios (running up a mountain peak, or learning to surf, for example). The whole point of the Go Ultra is to unlock more creative opportunities without sacrificing portability.
Insta360 might be best known for its innovative 360-degree cameras, but it’s a brand that’s becoming synonymous with challenging the norms of action cams, too. The Go Ultra is a frankly tiny, pocketable camera (at 1.9 oz / 53g), about the same size as an Apple Watch. It’s a natural successor to the Go 3S (released in 2024), but not a replacement. At the time of writing, Insta360 told me that both cameras will remain on sale.
(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
Like its predecessor, the magic of the Go Ultra is its modular design that combines a standalone camera and an Action Pod, giving you unique ways to shoot, charge and play. On the surface, the camera simply looks like a square version of the Go Ultra 3S, and powerful magnets on its base mount to the Action Pod (where the screen and buttons are) or numerous accessories and attachments. I even mounted the camera to our car, but that’s a story for another day.
However, inside its dark gray exterior are some notable improvements. The sensor is 221% bigger for better low-light capture, and a new 5nm AI chip delivers benefits to video quality using algorithms. The Go Ultra can shoot 4K60fps video, where the Go 3S was limited to 4K 30fps. And I found the PureVideo mode – that uses said AI algorithms to cut down on noise in low light – delivered good results at sundown, where my previous action cams struggled. The maximum wide 156-degree POV is great for group shots and selfies, vlogs and immersive action alike, and the view can be tailored to avoid a warped perspective.
This is a content companion for people with an active lifestyle rather than professional athletes. I found myself shooting more with the camera overall, simply because in one snap, I could have hands-free recording.
Like the Go 3S, the standalone camera is more rugged than the Action Pod. You can use it in freezing conditions and depths of 33 feet (10 meters) underwater, while the pod is only splashproof, which is a shame. Other rugged points for the camera include a replacement lens cap (helpful if you scratch it during activities) and a push-up cover to keep the memory card slot inside dry.
I love the simplicity of the Go Ultra’s design. Like the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, the flip-up touchscreen on the action pod is an alternative to the front-and-back solution on GoPro, and I found it more intuitive for vlogging. Handling is a three-button operation, with intuitive swipes for key menus on the touchscreen, and the magnetic mounting system is always satisfying and feels secure.
(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The Go Ultra’s battery life was a sore point for me, and not as impressive as all-in-one rivals. I got around an hour of 1080p video recording from the standalone camera, but more than double when combined with the Action Pod. USB-C charging takes you from 0 – 80% in around 12 minutes, though, making up for the fact that the battery doesn’t last as long as Insta360 suggests based on their lab tests.
There’s no built-in storage for content like the Go 3S has, but microSD cards up to 2TB are compatible, and it’s so quick and easy to get footage off the camera using the Insta360 app on a smartphone. I don’t think this is a problem (just an extra cost to bear in mind).
Image quality is better than the Go 3S, with photos capped at 50MP instead of 9MP. And you get HDR video mode, too, with the option to apply ‘Dolby Vision’ to shot footage to give it more contrast and color. The usual video modes like Timelapse and Slow Motion work as expected, while new Toddler Titan mode adds fresh, immersive POVs. There are several new features aimed at families, including AI Family Moments to pull content of loved ones into a virtual album.
The camera’s audio quality was surprisingly crisp in most scenarios, and voice-specific modes picked up my rambling very clearly, while a wind-reduction mode helped while running in a breeze. Although I haven’t tested them, Go Ultra is also compatible with several external microphones designed for high-quality sound, including Insta360’s Mic Air, and third-party Bluetooth mics like the DJI Mic Mini and AirPods Pro 2.
The Insta360 Go Ultra is hugely versatile, and I filmed in so many places, with so many perspectives, that wouldn’t have been safe or possible with my iPhone alone. If you’re a family wanting more creative holiday snaps, a creator feeling stuck with what you can shoot with a smartphone, or just someone with an active lifestyle, the Go Ultra feels like the ultimate lightweight and fun solution.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyInsta360 Go Ultra specs
Sensor
1/1.28-inch
Max Resolution
50MP (8192×6144) photos
4K, 60fps
Weight
1.87oz / 53g (camera) 3.8oz / 109g (action pod)
Dimensions
1.8x 1.8 x 0.7 inches / 46 x 46 x18mm (camera)
2.8 x 1.9 x 1.3 inches / 70 x 49 x 33mm (Action Pod)
Gyroscope
6-axis
ISO Range
100–6400
Aperture
f/2.85
Connectivity
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C 2.0
Storage
microSD card, up to 2TB
Waterproofing
33ft (10m)
(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The Insta360 Go Ultra was announced on August 21 2025 (after being teased on August 18) and is available to order now from DJI’s online store and major retailers like Amazon.
It comes with two different bundle options. The Standard Combo includes the camera, quick-release cord, magnet pendant, magnetic clip and a USB-C charging cable. It costs $449.99 / £369 / AU$759.
The Creator Combo bags you all of the above, plus a Mini 2-in-1 Tripod 2.0, Quick Release Mount and Pivot Stand. It costs $499.99 / £409 / AU$839. Although a lens cap is provided, you’ll need to buy a separate pouch or case, as neither bundle includes one – and this feels a bit mean.
The pricing puts the Go Ultra at just a fraction more than the Іnѕtа360 X3 in the US and UK (when it’s not on offer), which is now three years old, but that does offer 5.7K 360-degree capture over the Go Ultra’s 4K. It’s roughly the same price as the Insta360 Go 3S, but you get double the frame rate with 60fps video capabilities.
I think the Go Ultra is fairly priced. The GoPro Hero 13 Black is a strong competitor at around $359.99/£305, particularly if you want a traditional action camera and don’t mind a bulkier design. There’s no built-in storage, so factor in the cost of buying a microSD card before you can start filming.
Today’s best Insta360 Go 3S and Insta360 Go Ultra deals
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The Insta360 Go Ultra resembles a square version of its former self, the Go 3S (its only real rival). Where its predecessor was pill-shaped and about the size of a thumb, the Go Ultra is square and more than half as deep as it is wide, sitting neatly between your forefinger and thumb for quick handheld shots. That’s only half of the product, though. Without the Action Pod, the Go Ultra is one of the lightest action cameras you can buy at 1.87oz / 53g (14g heavier than the Go 3S). Using the Action Pod turns the Go Ultra into more of a traditional GoPro-style action camera.
The main difference is that there’s one flip-up LCD touchscreen, rather than a screen at the front and back. As an owner of the GoPro Hero 12 Black, this flip-up screen was a revelation to me, and I found it so helpful when filming walking shots and talking to the camera, or to see how a shot was framed when shooting with the standalone camera remotely.
No doubt it contributes to the Action Pod’s lack of waterproofing, though. The IPX8-rated camera can be fully submerged underwater, but the Pod is only resistant to splashes, limiting where you can take it. On this, I was always careful to dry the camera before popping it back into the Pod.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
As far as durability goes, the camera is also freeze-proof down to -4F (-20C), so it’s ripe for snowsports. And a screw-on lens protector added peace of mind for me against lens scratches, given that a replacement is around $20 / £20. I’ve known so many action cameras in the past to fog up when filming underwater or changing temperatures quickly, but the lens guard has an anti-fog coating that avoided this particular pain point well.
I found the operation of the camera simple, which is a great thing because it lets you focus on the fun part of creating. The Action Pod has just three buttons: red up top for recording, a power button and a Q button to quickly switch modes on the right. There’s a raised button to release the standalone camera from its magnetic mount on the left (above a USB-C charging point), and I never found myself pressing this accidentally.
You really have to tug the standalone camera to release it from the Pod’s magnets, which avoids unwanted drops. Underneath the Action Pod, there are two holes to fit the Go Ultra’s specific Quick Release Mount (sold separately, but very solid), for a secure fit to accessories like the brand’s Pet Harness. Attaching the camera to a pet harness was decidedly old school, with an action mount and screw system. But this kept it firmly in place, even after a lot of doggo rolling.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
Navigating the camera’s menus is easy, too. When you first turn on the Go Ultra, you get a walkthrough of what gestures bring up which settings. It took me a few hours to remember which did which (old dogs), but it soon became second nature. A right swipe brings up playback for footage, and a right swipe lets you dial in more settings and switch between Auto and Manual Mode.
The touchscreen is bright, colorful and responsive, which makes changing settings – even with wet or cold fingers – straightforward. You can buy the Insta360 Go Ultra in either Midnight Black (model tested here) or Arctic White, but either way, the construction is from a rigid, matte plastic that seems scratch-resistant, and like it could take a few knocks and drops. It’s sensible action camera fodder.
The Go Ultra is designed to work alongside the free Insta360 app, which pairs to the camera via its own WiFi network for remote operation. From here, you can also download, preview and edit videos on your smartphone. Other than installing some new firmware (released just before the camera), I was paired and ready to shoot from the app in under 10 minutes.
The standalone camera and Action Pod pair via Bluetooth when they’re apart. I found the connection seamless, with no lag when changing settings or in the real-time view on the screen. Range can be an issue, though, both from the camera to the phone and from the camera to the pod. More than about five meters away, or underwater, the connection would dip out, and the camera would stop recording. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it might limit more complex setups, especially if you’re shooting somewhere wet.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The Go Ultra has a 6-axis gyroscope to measure the camera’s movement and rotation, and through an algorithm, makes the video more stable and gives you a more even horizon. Image stabilization isn’t bad, but I found fast-moving objects needed a bit of extra help. When trail running, I got my best results by activating the Jitter Blur Reduction mode, plus Tilt Fix, which corrects uneven mounting by up to 10 degrees. It took me a while to discover both of these, and my first clips with the camera clipped to a hat (including this swimming clip below) were fairly wonky. Once activated, though, the results evened out nicely, and even clips of my dog lolloping at full speed looked stable.
The camera has a built-in microphone, and four modes for picking up sound – Stereo, Voice Enhancement, strong and weak wind reduction. I found the audio quality really impressive while walking in good conditions. My voice was picked up clearly when talking to the camera, and even in a busy city, the camera was able to isolate the sounds nearby rather than heavy traffic noises. If you use the camera in water, the audio will drop out, and the camera will need to dry enough before the clarity returns.
Like most action camera mics, there’s an issue with wind noise disrupting the clarity (especially when running in breezy conditions), but the wind reduction setting did noticeably reduce this. It’s a big advantage for serious creators to be able to boost the sound quality with an external mic like the Insta360 Mic Air, DJI Mic 2 and AirPods 4. Although without testing, it’s hard to comment on the performance this would bring specifically.
I found all the camera’s shooting modes and presets easy to get good footage with, partly because the camera does such a good job of explaining what each one does, without the advice feeling intrusive on the screen. It was also easy to control the camera with voice commands, “turn the camera off”, “mark that” and hand gestures like making a peace sign to trigger a photo. I found that the standalone camera gets very hot after filming. Even after low-resolution clips, I felt it burning a hole in my shorts pocket, but this didn’t cause any interruption in recording, so I don’t think it’s a major issue.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
Once my clips were captured, I was ready to start editing my videos. Much like GoPro and DJI’s accompanying editing apps, Insta360’s version also features AI-assisted editing tools to pick out clip highlights. There are tonnes of presets to choose from – with funky names like Vibe City and Tunes and Travel – which do a fair job of creating quick, shareable clips by adding transitions and music.
There are helpful default export settings for platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, although you can customize export parameters. I enjoy editing manually, but the Insta360 app is so intuitive that I can see even total beginners getting creative right away. Some of these end up being a bit cheesy, but you can tailor the music and effects to suit your tastes. I’ve included an example of an AI-edited video below, with clips of my dog wearing the pet harness on walkies.
The Go Ultra’s biggest downfall – and something we struggled with while testing the GO 3S – is battery life. The standalone camera has a 500mAh capacity, and the action pod 1,450mAh capacity – noticeably smaller than the 2,400mAh capacity on the Insta360 X5, but an improvement on the GO 3S’ 310mAh and its 38-minute life. Also, unlike action cams with replaceable batteries, when you run out of juice, that means content creating is on hold until you can find a way to recharge.
Insta360 says you can get 70 minutes of footage out of the standalone camera. Adding the Action Pod gives you 200 minutes. But that’s with Endurance Mode on, the LCD and Wi-Fi off, and for 1080 24fps video – conditions I don’t think most normal shooters are going to replicate. When I tried shooting a video in 1080 30fps from full power, without all the caveats on the specs sheet, I got around 150 minutes with the pod and 45 minutes without. I don’t think that’s dreadful for a camera this small, and it’s worth noting that a 10-minute charge took me from about 0-75% so I was ready to shoot again. But it’s something to consider if you’re away from power for long periods, or looking to shoot continuous cycles, runs and hikes for longer.
Insta360 has given the Go Ultra a bigger 1/1.28-inch sensor than the Go 3S, the idea being that this is capable of capturing more detail in low light. The Go Ultra also supports video capture up to 4K 60fps and 1080 240fps for slow-motion, plus new HDR that can be applied to clips and stills. Unsurprisingly (because this is a super user-friendly camera), there’s no option to shoot in a flat profile for more color grading scope during post-production. But that’s no problem, as I think most users will stick to editing in the Insta360 app anyway. Beyond the specs, what do the results look like in real life?
Going into testing the Go Ultra, I think my expectations were too low for a camera of this size. I found video quality to be brilliant in all 10 modes, but footage was sharpest and most vibrant in abundant sunshine. In the camera’s Standard color preset (there are 8 in total, including Vibrant and Urban) videos were still colorful and had decent detail in the shadow and highlight areas, although the contrast ratio wasn’t good enough to expose a very bright sky like a sunset, and a dark foreground, in one shot.
It’s easy to switch the Go Ultra to Manual exposure mode, where you can take control of the shutter speed, ISO (100–6400) and white balance yourself. I found this most helpful for stationary shots, but wouldn’t recommend it to beginners. In short – and unlike my mirrorelss camera – Auto mode saw me through all shooting scenarios, and I rarely felt the urge to take over. The joy of this camera is in its simple opration.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The camera adapts quickly to rapid changes in light, such as coming out of a shady forest into an open field. And I found that useful when I was running in the countryside, moving quickly, where i didn’t want the picture to be shrouded in darkness for a few seconds. Being summer, I did a lot of shooting in direct and dappled sun, and found that lens flare was handled well, too.
Big talking points of the Go Ultra’s video capabilities are the new additions of Active HDR and PureVideo. Like SuperNight on the DJI Osmo 360, it’s designed to enhance the quality and sensitivity of low-light shooting. It’s somewhat limited to automatic settings and 4K 30fps, but you can shift the exposure up and down in increments. Walking around a city at night, I was able to pick up plenty of detail in the buildings, street lights and the sky, although I think there’s some aggressive denoising AI going on inside the camera, as the footage did look a bit muddy at times.
Photos from the camera have a seemingly high megapixel count (the maximum resolution is 50MP or 37MP with a 16:9 aspect ratio), which is a big bump up from the Go 3S’ 12MP in 4:3 (9MP in 16:9). In practice, I’d say that’s more than adequate for slotting into videos, or uploading to social platforms, but I wouldn’t want to make big prints from them. At the camera’s widest field of view, you get a 14.27mm equivalent in 35mm terms – expansive enough to get groups in the frame, or to shoot yourself while walking. If you’re not a fan of the warped action camera look, a Linear POV does a great job at giving you a more natural wide-angle, good for vloggers.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
Overall, I’m impressed by the quality of Go Ultra’s footage. It’s in line with an action cam that’s this portable, and the addition of HDR to video as well as photos (with Dolby Vision for an extra boost) delivers polished videos you can safely deliver to friends, family and your social channels.
If I were a professional creator, I wouldn’t rely on this camera to cover all my video needs. But it excels at what it’s designed for – being small, getting places other cams can’t, and remaining user-friendly for beginners. The battery life is lacking for extended shooting durations, and night footage is still overcooked with PureVideo mode. But Go Ultra’s video is good in most areas, and does appear to be an improvement over the 3S in low light (I haven’t tested them side by side, so can’t say for sure). With its kid and pet-friendly design, I think Insta360 has found the right balance for casual creators with an active lifestyle.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyInsta360 Go Ultra
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
Similar cost to the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 and Insta360 Go 3S, but the quality of the package is worth it.
4.5/5
Design
A nearly seamless experience with the Action Pod, plus waterproofing and a protective lens on the standalone camera.
4.5/5
Performance & features
Gets hot, and the battery drains quickly. The Insta360 app makes light work of image transfers and AI edits and there are plenty of tricks and modes.
4/5
Image quality
HDR is a great addition, but it’s still not a class-leader in low light. You sacrifice some quality for portability.
4/5
You want to balance performance with portability
Video quality is high, but not the best of all action cameras out there. But the Go Ultra can also go places other action cameras can’t, at least without tonnes of extra mounts.
You don’t mind shorter battery life
I spent time shooting shorter clips on the Go Ultra, and recharging it little and often. If you plan to capture all-day events or sustained activities like rides or hikes, the battery life might be a limiting factor.
You want the smallest action camera
The Insta360 Go Ultra is small, but not quite as tiny as the Go 3S. At almost 15g less, the Go 3S might unlock even more possibilities.
You want a fully waterproof solution
The Action Pod is only splashproof, a fact that made me uncomfortable while shooting. If you shoot a lot of wet content, I’d go for a fully waterproofed model.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is co-engineered with Leica and gives pros something more advanced. A dedicated Leica color profile, bigger sensor with better low-light performance and image quality, and up to 8K resolution make it better for advanced videography and content creation. You still get a vlogger-friendly screen.
Read our full Insta360 Ace Pro 2 review
Cheaper than the Go Ultra, the DJI Osmo Action 5 offers excellent features. It doesn’t have the advantage of a tiny standalone camera, but the all-in-one design provides better battery life, waterproofing (to 20 meters), and 47GB of internal storage. The maximum frame rate maxes out higher, too, at 4K/120p.
Read our full DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro review
Insta360 sent me a review sample of the Go Ultra Standard Bundle about three weeks before the official release date. This gave me enough time to test all the camera’s modes and mounting options, including those with and without the Action Pod, as well as with the magnetic clip on my hat and the magnetic pendant on hikes in the countryside.
Insta360 also supplied a large version of their pet harness, and I attached the camera to my dog out on walkies to see what footage looked like from the POV of a bouncy Flatcoated Retriever.
I used the Go Ultra wild swimming in a local river to test the waterproofing, tried it running, and even attached it to our car as we drove along a country lane. I shot in bright sunshine, at sunset and night – essentially, in all the lighting conditions I could think of for creators. I edited content straight from the camera to the Insta360 mobile app on my iPhone 15 Pro, as well as manually taking footage from the built-in SD card and editing it on my iMac.
Insta360 Go Ultra: Price Comparison
Two Point Museum is set to receive a free update next week adding digital exhibits.
Two Point’s latest management game has players discovering a variety of exhibits to add to their museums, from prehistory to marine life and science.
From 28th August, players will be able to take on expeditions in The Digiverse to add exhibits based on Meat Wizard, Two Point County’s in-game video game spoof. The studio has even hinted at a dark secret in the games.
Two Point Museum: Digiverse Trailer | Free Update Coming August 28th!Watch on YouTube
Here’s what you’ll find, according to a Two Point blog post:
The new expedition map will become available once players complete City Act 2 (Memento Mile).
The Digiverse will arrive as part of update 5.0, bringing further quality of life changes, bug fixes, and other optimisations.
Two Point Museum released earlier this year and has already received a number of updates. “Come for the clowns and cavemen, stay for the zombie capitalism,” reads our review.
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Crypto asset manager Bitwise is betting big on bitcoin’s (BTC) future, projecting that the next decade will mark a period of outsized growth for the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
In a report published Thursday, Bitwise analysts predicted that bitcoin could become the best-performing institutional asset over the next 10 years, with its price climbing to $1.3 million by 2035.
The prediction comes at a time when the bitcoin price has reached new all-time highs and is trading above $100,000 amid better regulatory clarity, and more institutional investors are jumping into the sector.
Bitwise’s new price prediction implies a compound annual growth rate of 28.3%, returns that would dwarf most traditional assets, though the firm cautions that volatility will remain a defining feature of the market, even if it trends lower than in past cycles.
Three forces will drive adoption and price appreciation, analysts led by Matt Hougan wrote.
The first catalyst is bitcoin’s ongoing emergence as an institutional-grade asset. The second is rising demand for hard-asset exposure in an inflationary environment, and the third is the fixed nature of its new supply.
Bitwise also said that bitcoin’s “historic four-year cycle” thesis, which has long been a touchstone for traders, is no longer relevant.
Still, it warns investors should expect steep drawdowns. Among the biggest risks: regulatory shifts, legislative changes in major markets, and the challenges of a relatively new asset with limited historical data.
While quantum computing and other technological threats are on the radar, Bitwise sees them as secondary concerns.
The firm also concedes that forecasting bitcoin’s future is fraught with uncertainty, given the lack of long-term data. “We aim to err on the side of being conservative,” the note said, underscoring that models for such projections are still evolving.
Read more: The ‘Great Wealth Transfer’ Could See More Than $200B Flow Into Bitcoin: Xapo Bank
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South Korea’s biggest banks are reportedly in talks with Tether and Circle to discuss potential stablecoin partnerships and distribution in the country.
As reported by YonHap, major South Korean financial groups will see their top executives meeting with Tether and Circle this week. Tether and Circle are the issuers of the two largest stablecoins: USDT and USDC, respectively.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have their price pegged to a fiat currency. This means that unlike assets such as Bitcoin, these tokens normally don’t face any major fluctuations, hence the “stable” in their name.
South Korea has been making a push toward digital assets and stablecoins under the leadership of pro-crypto President Lee Jae Myung. One of the promises made by the President was to establish a market for Korean won-based stablecoins. The country’s financial regulator is expected to release its stablecoin framework in October, as Bitcoinist reported earlier in the week.
Now, it seems major players in the country are also laying the groundwork for diving into the space. As per the report, Shinhan Financial Group CEO Jin Ok-dong and Hana Financial Group CEO Ham Young-joo are set to have separate meetings with Heath Tarbert, the president of Circle, on Friday. The latter is also expected to meet with a Tether official.
Two other big financial groups, KB Financial Group and Woori Bank, will also see executives meeting with Tarbert, but the details of their talks aren’t yet known to the public.
YonHap notes,
The banking heads are expected to discuss areas of partnership, including the distribution and transactions of dollar-pegged stablecoins in South Korea, as well as the issuance of won-backed stablecoins.
Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong launched its legislation on stables at the start of this month. Big names like Standard Chartered in its joint-venture have lined up to obtain an issuer license in the city.
Speaking of stablecoins, on-chain data shows the Tron network has observed huge shifts from USDT mega wallets in the past day, as explained by an analyst in a CryptoQuant Quicktake post.
The trend in the distribution of the daily USDT transfers across wallet groups on the Tron network | Source: CryptoQuant
As the above chart displays, 57% of the latest USDT transactions on the blockchain involved a size greater than $100 million, indicating elevated activity from institutional-grade entities. In total, the largest of USDT wallets on Tron have seen a balance change of a whopping $6.95 billion alongside these transactions.
Bitcoin fell under $112,000 earlier in the day, but it appears the cryptocurrency has found a slight rebound as its price is back at $113,700.
Looks like the price of the coin has been sliding down in recent days | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Dall-E, CryptoQuant.com, chart from TradingView.com
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