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Avalanche gains momentum as monthly transactions surge 326% but this chart signals a cold front

Avalanche activity spikes despite AVAX price pullback

by admin August 18, 2025

Avalanche network activity continues to show robust growth despite the native token hitting a snag and slipping from highs above $25 as a pullback across the crypto market engulfed most coins.

Summary

Avalanche price pulled back from highs above $25, retreating slighty amid broader market sell-off pressure.
Nansen data however shows Avalanche’s onchain growth momentum remains.

The Avalanche (AVAX) token rose to highs of $25.64 on Aug. 18, extending the uptick that had bulls off support levels around $23.40 over the past week.

However, with cryptocurrencies down in the past 24 hours amid widespread profit taking, AVAX pared gains to hover around $23.61. The altcoin was down 5% in 24 hours as Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $115k and Ethereum (ETH) retreated to near $4,200.

Avalanche network activity rises

While Avalanche’s price is facing the same downside pressure that currently engulfs the broader risk-asset market, data shows network strength that supports the long-term outlook. Other than the key metric of stablecoin growth, onchain data from Nansen suggests the past two weeks have been huge for Avalanche in terms of transactions.

An update by the multichain artificial intelligence-powered analytics platform shared on August 18 shows that Avalanche’s daily transactions grew by more than 100% in the past month. From about 500,000 transactions per day, Nansen data shows the network rose to hit over 1.3 million in daily transactions.

Avalanche activity is on the rise. 🔺

Over the last 30 days, transactions jumped from ~500K/day lows to 1.3M+ daily transactions, more than doubling in just two weeks!

Momentum on @avax is definitely heating up. pic.twitter.com/iDIW8Vihw3

— Nansen 🧭 (@nansen_ai) August 18, 2025

Notably, most of the uptick came in a two-week period in which Avalanche witnessed significant network growth.

Momentum for AVAX is cooling, but with the bullish fundamentals in place, analysts say Avalanche’s price setup suggests a breakout. Stablecoin growth and decentralized finance traction are driving this outlook.

TVL and other metrics

As the onchain metrics point to increased user activity, DeFiLlama data indicates total value locked is ticking up from April 2024 lows.

The TVL aside, Avalanche is also attracting attention as a platform for real-world asset tokenization. In the tokenization market, the latest development related to Avalanche is the move by Bowmore, among the oldest distilleries in Scotland, to launch its first-ever tokenized whisky bottles on the AVAX blockchain.

In July 2025, Avalanche attracted headlines as it announced that $250 million in RWAs was coming onchain via Grove. The platform also struck a deal with Visa for global stablecoin settlement.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Ripple CTO Declares Blockchains Can Solve Problems Outside Of Cryptocurrencies

by admin August 18, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David “JoelKatz” Schwartz, recently shared his view that blockchains are not only about cryptocurrencies but could also solve many other problems. He explained that the fintech company’s vision has always gone beyond digital coins, dating back to Ryan Fugger’s trust line idea in 2004. This early work, according to him, became the base for the company’s approach to connecting institutions and building trust networks.

Ripple’s Vision Started With Trust Networks And Enterprise Adoption

The Ripple CTO pointed to Fugger’s work as the actual starting point for Ripple’s technology. Fugger builds his trust line system around the idea that people and institutions could form reliable networks of trust without always needing cash or coins in the middle. According to the CTO, this early concept eventually became the foundation for Ripple’s technology and the Interledger Protocol (ILP).

According to him, the Interledger Protocol, which connects different payment systems around the world, can, in many cases, work better than cryptocurrencies. “For those use cases where this is better than a cryptocurrency, there’s no world where people use cryptocurrencies instead of these kinds of solutions.” He added that this does not worry him because cryptocurrencies today are only a small fraction of what they could eventually become.

When the need is about trust and cooperation between established players, distributed ledgers like ILP can provide smoother and more practical outcomes. In his view, this does not detract from cryptocurrencies but demonstrates that blockchain can serve multiple roles simultaneously.

He explained that distributed ledgers offering solutions, even for problems that are not solved best with crypto, will make blockchains more useful for everyone. Rather than trying to take the place of cryptocurrencies, the aim here is to highlight the many uses of blockchains, with that broader value pushing adoption forward.

Ripple CTO Explains Where Cryptocurrencies Still Have The Edge

The Ripple CTO also explained that cryptocurrencies remain vital in certain situations. “Digital assets without counterparties, without jurisdictions, that are censorship resistant and, yes, also volatile should only be used for the use cases where those things are truly advantages,” he said. He pointed out that these features are not helpful in every case but matter greatly where they are required.

The volatility and decentralized nature of digital assets are not weaknesses in those contexts but advantages in specific situations where independence and openness matter most. For example, when users need assets that cannot be blocked or controlled, cryptocurrencies provide a clear solution.

In his view, the best outcome is not to treat enterprise blockchains and cryptocurrencies as rivals but as partners in a larger ecosystem. Distributed ledgers can deliver better solutions while still leaving space for digital assets to thrive in the areas where they are most effective. This way forward is what will keep blockchain meaningful and functional well into the future.

XRP struggles amid bearish headwinds | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Samsung’s budget Galaxy Buds 3 FE are here

by admin August 18, 2025

The Fan Edition Galaxy Buds 3 have ditched the blob for a stemmed design popularized by Apple and found in Samsung’s higher end Galaxy Buds 3 models launched last year. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE arrive with improved sound, enhanced active noise cancellation, and IP54 resistance to dust and rain, according to Samsung.

For music, the Buds 3 FE promise 6 hours of listening with ANC on, or 8.5 hours with it off. Those numbers extend to 24 hours / 30 hours, respectively, when recharged in the case. Talk time is 4 hours with ANC on or off, which can be extended to 18 hours through case recharging.

The Buds 3 FE are also designed for seamless access to Galaxy AI capabilities on Samsung smartphones. A “hey google” or long press puts you in a conversation mode with Gemini or the Galaxy AI Interpreter app to translate someone speaking in another language.

Other specs in include Find My Earbuds support, an ambient sound transparency mode, voice isolation to help improve call quality in noisy environments, and the ability to auto-switch between Samsung devices.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

United States’ Bitcoin Holdings Top $24 Billion After Ruling Out Buying

by admin August 18, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

On-chain data shows the US is one of the world’s largest Bitcoin holders, with its portfolio now exceeding $24 billion. However, recent events have shown that the possibility of the US government increasing its stash is very low. Particularly, the US government’s strategy for cryptocurrency took a new turn this week after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that Washington will not be actively buying any additional Bitcoin.

Bessent Rules Out New Purchases But Leaves A Possibility

While speaking in a Fox Business interview, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that the government has no plans to buy additional Bitcoin beyond its current reserve. The Treasury chief said the reserve will continue to be funded primarily through assets seized in criminal cases rather than direct purchases. His estimates place the value of the reserve between $15 billion and $20 billion.

Bessent later softened his position on social media, noting that even though the US is not allocating budgetary resources to acquire more Bitcoin, it is committed to “budget-neutral pathways” for expanding reserves to make the country the Bitcoin superpower of the world. The statement suggests that auctions, seizures, and non-traditional acquisitions could still increase holdings in the future, even if the Treasury avoids direct market buys.

Bitcoin Holdings Push Toward $24 Billion

Data from blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence reveals a bigger picture than Bessent’s estimates of $15 billion to 20 billion. According to Arkham, wallets linked to the US government currently hold about 198,022 BTC, valued at approximately $23.42 billion. Many of these holdings originated from seizures related to criminal activity, including the well-known Silk Road case.

The portfolio, however, extends well beyond Bitcoin. Arkham’s data reveals holdings of about 59,951 ETH, worth $273 million, along with 347 million USDT and smaller allocations across other assets such as 750 WBTC, 40,293 BNB, 5,205 WETH, and 13.6 million BUSD. Taken together, the government’s digital asset holdings are valued at approximately $24.27 billion. This figure recently climbed as high as $25 billion during Bitcoin’s surge above $124,000 last week.

Source: Chart from Arkham

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed into law the creation of a strategic crypto reserve, a move many interpreted as the start of government-led Bitcoin accumulation. Trump himself had many investors increase their expectations after stating that the United States would prioritize US-based cryptocurrencies like BTC as part of its financial strategy.

This context is what made Bessent’s recent statement so significant. Although the reserve exists in law, the Treasury has now made it clear that active market purchases of Bitcoin are not on the table for the time being. However, it is clear that the US government isn’t planning to sell its holdings anytime soon, which might flood the market with selling pressure.

BTC trading at $114,859 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Kirby Air Riders Nintendo Direct Coming Tuesday, Will Run A Whopping 45 Minutes

by admin August 18, 2025

A Nintendo Direct has been scheduled for tomorrow–the third one in the past month–this time focusing on a single game: Kirby Air Riders. Much like how his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate presentations went, game director Masahiro Sakurai will be hosting this particular Direct.

According to the livestream’s description, it will “provide an in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game,” and will be roughly 45 minutes long, which is longer than both of the previous two Directs combined. It kicks off at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST, and you’ll be able to watch it on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel.

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Now Playing: Kirby Air Riders – Official Reveal Trailer | Nintendo Switch 2

Kirby Air Riders was announced back in April during a Nintendo Direct that revealed a bevy of Nintendo Switch 2 games, though at the time all that was shown off was a pre-rendered trailer. Not much is known about this sequel, but with tomorrow’s Direct running at around 45 minutes, that will soon change. The game will also mark the first time Sakurai has directed a Kirby title since the original Air Rider for the GameCube.

Nintendo hasn’t held a traditional Direct since its full Switch 2 reveal, instead opting for a Partner Showcase in July and an Indie World Showcase earlier this month. The Partner Showcase didn’t have too many massive reveals, though it did include a new Monster Hunter Stories, Katamari, and a fresh look at Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. The Indie World Showcase was on the quieter side too, but still well worth a look for some neat upcoming titles.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Varric and Harding in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Product Reviews

We can’t keep making videogame stories for players who aren’t paying attention to them

by admin August 18, 2025

Harvey Randall, Staff Writer

(Image credit: Future)

Last week I was: Talking about entropy in MMORPGs, and being a busy bee in World of Warcraft.

I’ve noticed a trend—particularly in some recent RPGs—of, well, let’s call it ‘Netflixiness’.

Dialogue designed to leave absolutely nothing to interpretation, to exposit information in the most direct way possible, devoid of any real character or context. There’s an assumption that any moment the audience spends confused, curious, or out-of-the-loop is a narrative disaster.

I hate to keep knocking Dragon Age: The Veilguard about, especially since I still had a decent time with it all told, but the thing that made me break off from it after 60 hours really was its story. It’s a tale that does get (slightly) better, but it gave me a terrible first impression I never quite shook.

Given the game’s troubled development history, and the fact that some of its writers have produced perfectly fine work before (Mordin Solus, for cryin’ out loud), I’m led to believe this pattern comes from the top. Well, I have a hunch.

When Varric says “That ritual is going to tear down the Veil—the only thing separating us from the Fade and an endless number of demons” to Rook, his mission partner, who should know all of this already, I can’t help but think of one thing. Second screen viewing.

In this excellent article in the International Journal of Communication, Daphne Rena Idiz recounts a time where an interviewee told her that Netflix had insisted: “What you need to know about your audience here is that they will watch the show, perhaps on their mobile phone, or on a second or third screen while doing something else and talking to their friends, so you need to both show and tell, you need to say much more than you would normally say.”

Now Harvey, one might say, that makes absolutely no sense. Videogames—with some exceptions in genre, like idlers—aren’t played as second screen activities. To which I would reply: You’re exactly right, but since when has that stopped executives from chasing trends against common sense before? These are the people who thought Veilguard still should’ve been a live service game. After everything.

This is conjecture, but I don’t think it’s out of pocket to assume some of these companies are chasing the narrative successes of streaming services. Or that in doing so, their big bosses might adopt all sorts of “wisdom” designed for making media meant to be consumed, not enjoyed.

After all, in these second-screen shows, nothing is left up to chance. If your audience gets lost, it’s bad. If your audience gets confused, it’s bad. Bad stories are confusing. Good stories are understood. I know these things because I’ve looked at other good, popular stories.

The Veilguard follows in this trend, because it’s a game that’s terrified of audiences getting lost at any point. As fellow PCG writer Lauren Morton put it, it’s “desperate to chew my food for me”. And whether the problem lies with big movers and shakers at EA, or their selected testing audiences, it doesn’t matter. Because we’re shooting ourselves in the foot, here.

Everybody loses

Videogames are enjoyed in a ton of different ways—some are even designed for you to tap out of the story entirely, or to only engage with it as an option. And this is fine. But you cannot, as EA did, reach for other audiences on the assumption that the nerds will like whatever you give ’em.

(Image credit: BioWare, Electronic Arts)

Some players will skip every cutscene, glaze over every dialogue entry, and hammer their skip button ’till the face button’s worn out. And I have no qualm with these people—they simply value a different set of things from me. We can coexist. It’s the design assumption that we must be met in the middle that’s messing us up.

For this player, a story that’s impossible to ignore will barely register for them. If anything, it might backfire—making them feel coddled or pushed into situations they don’t care about. And for me, dialogue that’s written for people who aren’t paying attention makes my brain want to crawl out of my skull and autonomously go do anything else.

Here’s the thing: Good writing advice says to ‘show, not tell’ not because everything must be shown as soon as it comes up, lest the audience be lost, but because it’s inherently more interesting to give us the pieces we need to draw conclusions. Crucially, you don’t always have to actually give people information.

Confusion isn’t a fail-state, not having the answers immediately isn’t a disaster. It’s okay to let a question mark float above your player’s head, or to trust they’ll get the gist from context clues. We can tell the ritual Varric and Rook are trying to stop is dangerous because they’re trying to stop it. I promise.

Confusion isn’t a fail-state, not having the answers immediately isn’t a disaster.”

I feel like there’s this phantom assumed viewer who, without a full set of narrative cards in their hand, will throw their controller and immediately do something else. And that makes me sad, because it assumes your players aren’t curious. That they don’t want to have questions, or aren’t interested in seeing where something leads.

Some aren’t, sure, but if you design videogame stories for them, you rob from your most invested players the simple pleasures. Analysing the story, looking deeper into scenes, discussing it with each other online. And as someone who watched Final Fantasy 14 reach a fever-pitch of over-explaining during Dawntrail, that stings, let me tell you.

I’m sick of seeing games with an air of corporate weight sitting on top of them. I’m tired of watching a scene and going “yep, that probably tested well with audiences”. I’m exhausted by this pervasive idea that writers are to be resented, or that I have the memory of a goldfish (I do, but that’s besides the point).

I want to get a little lost. I want to have to think about what a scene I just watched meant. I want to see where your story goes, rather than be told where it’s headed. We simply cannot keep making videogames for people who aren’t paying attention, because it won’t change anything for them—and it’s making the rest of us bloody miserable.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

HYPE, SUI Lead Altcoin Losses as Ethereum Dips Under $4,300

by admin August 18, 2025

In brief

Hyperliquid (HYPE) and SUI led losses among major altcoins as Bitcoin’s correction from $118,000 to $115,000 triggered widespread liquidations.
The selloff comes ahead of Thursday’s Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, with analysts noting funding rates had been “warning of trouble” and higher-than-expected PPI data forcing markets to scale back September rate-cut expectations.
Analysts called the market move “a corrective pullback within an uptrend” but warned that if Ethereum breaks below $4,150 support, further cascading liquidations could target the $3.9k–$3.6k range.

Ethereum’s slip below $4,300 set off a chain reaction across crypto markets Monday morning, wiping out more than $487 million in long positions and leaving altcoins bleeding.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) plummeted 8.7% to $43.38 while Sui (SUI) crashed 7.3% to $3.55, leading a brutal selloff across altcoins.

Ethereum (ETH) shed 5.4%, Solana (SOL) tumbled 5.6%, and Cardano (ADA) declined 6.2%, according to CoinGecko data.

XRP (XRP) fell 4.5%, Stellar (XLM) dropped 5.4%, and Dogecoin (DOGE) retreated 4.6% in the last 24 hours.

“This looks like a fairly natural pullback after the strong run many cryptocurrencies had seen in recent weeks, with liquidations amplifying the downside across the market,” Nansen analyst Nicolai Sondergaard told Decrypt.

“Since altcoins tend to react more sharply during these periods, tokens like HYPE and SUI experienced even steeper declines,” Sondergaard noted, pointing out that Bitcoin’s sell-off triggered the declines.

Traders brace for Jackson Hole meeting

The liquidation cascade comes ahead of Thursday’s Jackson Hole symposium, with QCP Capital analysts sharing in their latest report how “some traders believe that the overnight washout reflects de‑risking ahead of the symposium,” where Fed Chair Jerome Powell takes the stage.

Held each August in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the symposium gathers the Fed, global central bankers, and policymakers.

QCP analysts added that “BTC funding rates had been warning of trouble” with rates turning negative by Saturday despite spot prices rising over the weekend.

“The U.S. PPI came in higher than expected, forcing markets to quickly scale back September rate-cut bets that earlier signs of labor market softness had elevated,” Dan Chen, analyst at crypto exchange Bitunix, told Decrypt.

Chen called the selloff “a corrective pullback within an uptrend” and said the market may consolidate through Jackson Hole if Ethereum “can hold support near $4,150” before resuming its advance.

However, he warned that “a breakdown risks further cascading liquidations with downside targets in the $3.9k–$3.6k range, where altcoins—especially HYPE and SUI—are likely to stay relatively weaker.”

Some 75% of Ethereum’s $206.79 million in liquidations in the last 24 hours came from long positions, totaling more than $180.52 million, according to CoinGlass data.

“The mounting queue of soon-to-be-unstaked ETH could be driving the asset’s recent retracement,” Juan Leon, Bitwise Senior Investment Strategist, previously told Decrypt.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Morning Minute: Wall Street Loads Up on Bitcoin

by admin August 18, 2025

Morning Minute is a daily newsletter written by Tyler Warner. The analysis and opinions expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Decrypt. Subscribe to the Morning Minute on Substack.

GM!

Today’s top news:

Crypto majors dip 3-6% overnight; BTC holds at $115,000
Gemini files to go public with ticker GEMI, timing TBD
BTCS becomes first TreasuryCo to issue a ‘Bividend’, offers blockchain dividend
Adam Back’s Bitcoin Standard TreasuryCo to launch with 30k BTC + $1.5B
LIGHT eco rallies over the weekend, latest launchpad challenger to Pump

🏦 Wall Street Loads Up on Bitcoin via ETFs

Some of the biggest players in the world are piling billions into BTC funds.

Yet the average professional fund manager is barely allocated. What gives?

📌 What Happened

Wall Street and global institutions dramatically increased their Bitcoin exposure in Q2, pouring billions into spot ETFs like BlackRock’s (IBIT) and related crypto equities.

SEC filings reveal that heavyweights like Brevan Howard, Goldman Sachs, Harvard, Wells Fargo, Jane Street, and even Norway’s sovereign wealth fund all boosted their positions, signaling growing comfort with BTC as a core allocation.

Some of the most notable moves:

Brevan Howard nearly doubled its IBIT stake to 37.9M shares worth $2.6B, making it one of the largest institutional holders.
Goldman Sachs reported $3.3B across IBIT and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust (FBTC), plus $489M in Ethereum’s ETHA trust.
Harvard disclosed a $1.9B stake in IBIT, while Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala continues to hold $681M.
Wells Fargo quadrupled IBIT holdings to $160M, alongside a small GBTC stake.
Cantor Fitzgerald pushed past $250M in IBIT while adding exposure to Strategy (MSTR), Coinbase (COIN), and Robinhood (HOOD).
Trading giant Jane Street now owns $1.46B of IBIT, making it its largest position after Tesla.
Norway’s $2T sovereign wealth fund indirectly holds 7,161 BTC (~$841M) via equity stakes in MSTR, Coinbase, Block, and others – up 192% YoY.

Yet, the average professional fund manager in the US is barely allocated.

A survey from Bank of America showed that the average fund manager has just 0.3% allocated to crypto.

And a whopping 75% have 0 exposure.

🗣️ Why It Matters

It’s a tale of two groups.

Institutions are clearly piling into BTC and crypto right now, including the biggest names in finance, academia, and even nation-states.

The sheer scale of these positions ($2B+ for Brevan Howard, $3B+ for Goldman, $1.9B for Harvard) validates Bitcoin as an institutional-grade asset.

And it’s becoming clearer that spot ETFs are proving to be the gateway, offering clean, regulated exposure through familiar structures.

Yet, retail is sleeping, and their fund managers aren’t helping.

The fact that 75% of fund managers aren’t allocated at all is not surprising but is also staggering at the same time.

But the good news is – they are coming.

The more that the big names and institutions pile in, the “safer” it becomes for the average fund manager to recommend crypto as an investment.

It’s a lot easier to make safe, standard and consensus plays and collect fees than it is to go out on a limb and make contrarian, conviction calls.

Crypto won’t be contrarian much longer.

And the fund manager pivot is just a matter of time…

🌎 Macro Crypto and Memes

A few Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

Crypto majors were red on the day; BTC -3% at $115,100, ETH -6% at $4,260, XRP -5% at $2.97, SOL -7% at $181
XMR (+4%) led top movers
Odds of a September rate cut have fallen from 99% to 83% after recent inflation data
The ETH ETFs saw new outflows on Friday, after a massive 8-session green streak that resulted in $3.7B in net inflows
The Federal Reserve officially ended its “novel activities” program that increased bank scrutiny of crypto
SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced the agency is developing new custody regulations for digital assets to increase clarity and security in the U.S. crypto markets
A recent survey showed professional fund managers allocate just 0.3% to crypto on average, and 75% have 0 exposure
Gemini filed to go public via Nasdaq with ticker GEMI, timing still TBD
Grayscale filed for a Dogecoin ETF on Friday
New York Assemblymember Phil Steck proposed a 0.2% excise tax on crypto transactions, estimating $158 M in annual revenue from the program

In Corporate Treasuries

SBET stock plunged 15% to $19.85 on Friday following a Q2 net loss of $103 M; the firm attributed losses to a $87.8M non‑cash impairment and $16.4M in stock‑based compensation
Metaplanet bought another 775 BTC for $93M, now holds 18,888
Adam Back’s Bitcoin Standard TreasuryCo is preparing to go public in a merger with Cantor Equity Partners, aiming to launch with 30,000 BTC + $1.5B in capital
BTCS announced it will issue a one-time blockchain dividend, ‘Bividend,’ of $0.05 per share in ETH, the first of its kind

In Memes

Memecoin leaders are very red on the day; DOGE -5%, Shiba -5%, PEPE -5%, PENGU -6%, BONK -8%, TRUMP -2%, SPX -9%, and FARTCOIN -5%
FORK was a top onchain runner, jumping 25x to $4.3M; NEET +36% to $13M was a notable mover
LIGHT ran 4x to $160M over the weekend after the team spent over $1.4M buying back and burning its token thanks to its flywheel (now $126M)

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here’s a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

Polymarket introduced a ‘Breaking News’ tab, showing the top moving markets over the past 24 hours
Pump.fun flipped Hyperliquid in revenue on Sunday, though it still lagged on the week and month (Hype re-flipped it over the past 24 hours)
Story Protocol founder Jason Zhao resigned over the weekend, 3.5 years after starting Story (and $130M+ in funding later)

🤖 AI x Crypto

Section dedicated to headlines in the AI sector of crypto:

Overall market cap down 3% to $12.9B, leaders were red
FARTCOIN (-6%), VIRTUAL (-3%), TIBBIR (-8%), ai16z (-5%) & VVV (+9%)
VIRGEN (+84%), AVB (+17%) and CLANKER (+15%) led top movers

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

ETH NFT leaders were red alongside the ETH selloff; Punks -1% at 49 ETH, Pudgy -3% at 12.8, BAYC -3% at 11.3 ETH
0n1 Force (+29%) and Yumemono (+60%) were notable top movers
Bitcoin NFTs saw some green, led by Taproot Wizards (+4%) and Adderrels (+28%)
Abstract NFTs were mostly red, led by Pengztracted (+29%)
A Rektguy 1/1 sold for 10 ETH ($45,000)
Cerebro announced its mint details, launching on 8/21 with 6,969 NFTs for 0.08 ETH each

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The U.S. is blocking state AI regulation. Here’s what that means for every business

by admin August 18, 2025

Congress didn’t just reshape tax codes with the “One Big Beautiful” bill; it also quietly reshaped the future of artificial intelligence. A lesser-known provision of the sweeping legislation is now on its way to becoming law: a 10-year freeze on state-level AI regulation.

In other words, no individual state can pass rules that govern how businesses develop or use AI systems. The message is clear for companies rushing to embed AI in daily operations: govern yourselves or risk learning the hard way why guardrails matter.

Nichole Windholz

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AI isn’t a side project anymore. It’s already embedded in cybersecurity platforms, CRMs, internal chat tools, reporting dashboards and customer-facing products. Even mid-size organizations are training AI models on proprietary data to speed up everything from supplier selection to contract analysis.

Without guardrails, AI can drift; fast

AI models aren’t static. Once deployed, they learn from new data, interact with systems and influence decision-making. That’s powerful but also unpredictable.

Left unchecked, an AI-driven forecasting tool might rely too heavily on outdated patterns, causing overproduction or supply chain bottlenecks. A chatbot designed to streamline customer service could unintentionally generate biased or off-brand responses.

Meanwhile, generative models trained on sensitive business documents can inadvertently expose proprietary information in future prompts. For example, a study released in January 2025 found that nearly 1 in 10 prompts used by business users when interacting with generative AI (GenAI) tools could inadvertently disclose sensitive data.

These aren’t abstract dangers; they’ve already appeared in public incidents. But it’s not just PR damage that’s at stake. AI errors can affect revenue, data security and even legal exposure. The absence of regulatory pressure doesn’t make these issues go away – it makes them easier to miss until they’re too big to ignore.

The smart play is internal governance: before you need it

Organizations are eager to integrate GenAI, with many teams already using these powerful tools in daily operations. This rapid adoption means that just passively monitoring things isn’t enough; a strong governance structure is crucial, one that can adapt as AI becomes more central to the business.

Setting up an internal AI governance council, ideally with leaders from IT, security, compliance and operations, offers that vital framework. This council isn’t there to stop innovation. Its job is to bring clarity. It typically reviews AI tools before they’re rolled out, sets clear usage policies and works with teams so they fully understand the benefits and limits of the AI they’re using.

This approach reduces unauthorized tool usage, makes auditing more efficient and helps leadership steer AI strategy with confidence. However, for governance to be effective, it must be integrated into broader enterprise systems, not siloed in spreadsheets or informal chats.

GRC platforms can anchor AI governance

Governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platforms already help businesses manage third-party risk, policy enforcement, incident response and internal audits. They’re now emerging as critical infrastructure for AI governance as well.

By centralizing policies, approvals and audit trails, GRC platforms help organizations track where AI is being used, which data sources are feeding it, and how outputs are monitored over time. They also create a transparent, repeatable process for teams to propose, evaluate and deploy AI tools with oversight so innovation doesn’t become improvisation.

Don’t count on vendors to handle it for you

Many tools advertise AI features with a sense of built-in safety, which includes privacy settings, explainable models and compliance-ready dashboards. But too often, the details are left up to the user.

If a vendor-trained model fails, your team will likely bear the operational and reputational costs. Businesses can’t afford to treat third-party AI as “set and forget.” Even licensed tools must be governed internally, especially if they’re learning from company data or making process-critical decisions.

The bottom line

With the U.S. blocking states from setting their own rules, many assumed federal regulation would follow quickly. However, the reality is more complicated. Draft legislation exists, but timelines are fuzzy, and political support is mixed.

In the meantime, every organization using AI is effectively writing its own rulebook. That’s a challenge and an opportunity, especially for companies that want to build trust, avoid missteps and confidently lead.

The organizations that define their governance now will have fewer fire drills later. They’ll also be better prepared for whatever federal rules eventually arrive because their internal structure won’t need a last-minute overhaul.

Because whether or not rules are enforced externally, your business still depends on getting AI right.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

MenaRD pumps his fist after making it into the Top 8 at Evo 2025.

Esports

Justin Wong and MenaRD face off at PlayStation’s Ultimate FGC Round Table

by admin August 18, 2025

PlayStation brought together some of the biggest names in the fighting game community for the Ultimate FGC Round Table, where legends and champions debated everything from legacy players to which games take the most skill.

Justin Wong, MenaRD, Arslan Ash, and Nitro all weighed in on whether veterans get too much respect. “I do think legacy players do get too much respect,” Wong admitted, before Mena countered that early pros had to grind without modern resources, adding, “They were godlike anyway.”

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The panel quickly turned competitive when Mena claimed he could beat Wong in Street Fighter 4. Wong immediately fired back with a $10,000 wager, leading to a one-game exhibition on stage that Wong ultimately won.

Other hot topics included retirement ages in the FGC, with Arslan suggesting champions in their 40s are proving what’s possible, and which game requires the most skill to win. Multiple players agreed that Street Fighter 6 is the toughest title to dominate, even for the best in the world.

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The roundtable closed with players praising PlayStation’s Road to Evo qualifiers, highlighting how online tournaments give new competitors the chance to break onto the biggest stage.

Watch the full Ultimate FGC Round Table now via PlayStation.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments