Tag:

open

Sony LinkBuds Open review: plenty of bass and awesome features, but at quite some cost

by admin September 10, 2025

Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Sony LinkBuds Open: two-minute review

The Sony LinkBuds Open are yet another contender in the trendy and ever-expanding world of open earbuds – but they still stand out from the crowd.

This model succeeds Sony’s first attempt at open earbuds, which launched three years ago now, and combines a slightly unorthodox design with a broad feature-set, tuneable audio, and modern controls. With a price of $199 / £149 / AU$249.95, though, there’s a lot of expectation on Sony’s latest open buds – so, can they hit all of the right notes?

Well, I’ll start by talking about my first impressions out of the box. As soon as I unboxed the Sony LinkBuds Open, I was struck by their unusual yet enticing looks. Unlike a lot of the best open earbuds, these adopt neither the clip-on nor the hooked designs that most of their competitors adopt. Instead, each bud has a ring-shaped driver, which lets ambient sound in easily. The batteries are housed in an orb-shaped casing, and wings are attached to these for a more secure in-ear fit.

I’m a fan of the ring-shaped in-ear components – these fit nicely and let in ambient noises without a hitch. Admittedly though, the spherical exterior looks a bit clunky, and although the wings ensure a pretty secure fit, they felt a little peculiar in my ear, which took comfort levels down a bit for me personally. Overall, these should still feel fine in-ear for a few hours, but there are comfier alternatives out there, like the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, for instance.

Something I loved was the charging case. The white color variant has a glossy, marble-like appearance and I appreciate the attention to detail here. It’s worth noting that you can also grab these buds in Black or Violet – the latter being a special edition produced in collaboration with singer Olivia Rodrigo.

Another thing that really impresses me about these buds is their feature-set, which is bursting at the seams with user-friendly goodness. There’s multi-point connectivity, 360 Reality Audio support, voice assistant integration, and services such as Spotify Tap – all accessible via Sony’s Sound Connect app.

But there’s more! There’s customizable, and surprisingly effective touch controls, DSEE upscaling for lower-quality music files (still looking at you, Spotify), and depth-filled EQ options. There’s Find Your Equalizer – a gamified way to uncover the best tuning for you – as well as presets and a five-band custom option. Combine that with Scene-based listening, head gesture controls, and a wearing condition check-up, and you’re looking at a highly talented pair of buds.

Still, it’s worth flagging that some competitors offer features that have been omitted here. There’s no active noise cancellation – something you’ll spot on a model like the Edifier LolliClip or Honor Earbuds Open – though you probably want to hear your surroundings clearly if you’re buying open-style earbuds. There’s also no LDAC, Sony’s ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio codec, but again, the open design here does limit audio capabilities.

Finally, there aren’t any health monitoring options – think a heart rate or blood oxygen tracker (you’d need to look to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for that). But still, you have plenty to play with on the LinkBuds Open, and the companion app is super easy to use.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Open (White) at Amazon for $119.99

A quick note

When I started testing the Sony LinkBuds Open, I encountered some issues, such as a rattling noise in one bud and connectivity issues. Thankfully, we were swiftly presented with a fresh, fully functional unit, but for transparency’s sake, I wanted to flag such quirks. These issues have not influenced my final scoring of the model.

By now, then, you must be wondering how the LinkBuds Open sound. Well, I have mixed feelings about this model. Firstly, it’s worth pre-empting this by emphasizing that an open design means a likely hit to audio fidelity, and typically weaker bass response than you’d expect from earbuds with a seal or over-ear headphones, for example.

Still, I was relatively impressed with the low-end performance of the LinkBuds Open. I tried listening to AAAAA by Kiefer with EQ set to ‘Off’ (flat), and found that the bass rippling through the track was meatier than what the impressive SoundCore AeroClip could offer with default tuning. Was it the cleanest low-end replication I’ve heard? Well no.

In Stepping Out (feat. $Ha Hef) by Jay Worthy and LNDN DRGS, the funky bassline clashed slightly with vocals, which didn’t have quite enough space to breathe. Meanwhile, the palpable sub-bass is pretty understated in The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy – though that’s almost to be expected from a pair of open-ears given their technical limitations.

Elsewhere, highs sounded pretty prominent out of the box – but perhaps a little too prominent at times. On occasion, sounds in the treble-frequency edged towards the harsh side of things – though this can be remedied with EQ adjustment in the Sound Connect app.

It’s in tracks more focused around vocal performances, then, where the LinkBuds Open truly shine. For instance, when tuning into Déchire la Toile by Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier, gliding keys and emotive vocals sounded clear and controlled, with a pleasing openness to the sound creating a decently immersive listen. Even at higher volumes, there was a solid level of detail on display, though my colleague did note significant sound leakage – not ideal if you’re in the office or on public transport.

All in all, you won’t get that perfectly balanced, beautifully layered audio – and you might want to tinker with that out-of-the-box sound profile. But for a pair of open earbuds, the LinkBuds Open are certainly solid in the audio department, with generally clear, weighty sound.

A few final notes on this open-ear option from Sony. Firstly, you get a pretty standard serving of playtime. You should get around 8 hours from the buds alone, plus an additional 14 with the charging case. During my testing, I found this to be about right – putting them about on-par with modes like the aforementioned Soundcore AeroClip.

And one more thing: there are optional fittings that you can purchase to customize the LinkBuds Open to your liking. These include multi-colored covers for both the buds themselves and the charging case, if you really wanna jazz things up. This level of customizability is admirable, but you’ll have to spend extra to access it.

In the end, then, can we say that the LinkBuds open hit all of the right notes? Not quite – but they still put on a good show. I’m not totally sold on their design and sonically, they’re not as strong as some wireless buds in the same price-range. But still, commendable mid-range performance, fairly meaty bass given the design and lots of EQ options kept me satisfied overall.

Unfortunately, there’s one area where these buds fall down for me: their cost. They’re very pricey for open ears, which already come with some compromises in terms of audio. So, even though they have a deep feature-set and secure in-ear fit, this model’s not quite a slam dunk. If you’ve got a good amount of cash to splash on some open earbuds, these may well be worth checking out, but otherwise, I’d suggest taking a peek at my other recommendations in the ‘Also consider’ section.

Sony LinkBuds Open review: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Waterproof rating

“IPX4 equivalent”

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds); 22 hours (with charging case)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

5.1g (per bud); 30g (charging case)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Open review: price and release date

$199 / £149 / AU$249.95
Launched in October 2024

The Sony LinkBuds Open – or Sony LinkBuds Open WF-L910 as they’re sometimes listed – released at the end of 2024. They have a list price of $199 / £149 / AU$249, which is by no means cheap for a pair of open-ears, though nowhere near as steep as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which launched at $299 / £299 / AU$449.95.

On top of that, I’ve already spotted these on sale in some territories. For instance, they’ve dropped to under £130 / AU$250 on Amazon at the time of writing. You can pick the LinkBuds Open up in a variety of colors, including Black, White, or Violet. The latter is a collaboration with singer Olivia Rodrigo, and includes custom EQ options which were tuned by the artist and her producer.

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Sony LinkBuds Open?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Wide suite of features and awesome in-app experience.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Generally solid for open ear sound, imperfect yet fairly meaty bass, clear mids.

3.5/5

Design

Not the most elegant looking, just OK comfort, but secure fit and appealing case.

3.5/5

Value

Despite good overall performance, these are expensive against similar quality rivals.

3/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Sony LinkBuds Open: also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Sony LinkBuds Open

Anker Soundcore AeroClip

Huawei FreeArc

Price

$199 / £149 / AU$249.95

$129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210)

£99.99 (about $130 / AU$210)

Waterproof rating

“IPX4 equivalent”

IPX4

IP57

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds); 22 hours (with charging case)

8 hours (earbuds); 24 hours (with charging case)

7 hours (earbuds); 23 hours (with charging case)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Weight

5.1g (per bud); 30g (charging case)

6g (per bud); 42g (charging case)

8.9g (per bud); 67g (charging case)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

How I tested the Sony LinkBuds Open

(Image credit: Future)

Tested across the course of multiple weeks
Used in the office and while out and about
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Sony LinkBuds Open over the course of multiple weeks while in the office, at home, and out on walks.

For the most part, I listened to music with the buds via Tidal, though I occasionally dipped into a few tracks on Spotify. During testing, I made sure to run through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a range of genres. I also listened to songs from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared the LinkBuds Open against rival models, such as the Anker Soundcore AeroClip, which helped me to assess aspects like audio performance and comfort.

First reviewed: September 2025
Read more about how we test

Sony LinkBuds Open: Price Comparison

Source link

September 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Carlos Alcaraz defeats rival Jannik Sinner at US Open

by admin September 8, 2025

NEW YORK — So maybe the first US Open final between young, elite rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner wasn’t as long, riveting and dramatic as their matchup to decide the championship at the French Open. Perhaps it wasn’t as seemingly meaningful and plot-driven as their showdown for the Wimbledon trophy.

Still, what the No. 2-seeded Alcaraz’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 1 Sinner on Sunday did do was significant. Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over the defending champion, wrested away the top spot in the ATP rankings and left tennis fans eager for whenever their next clash will come.

They are the first two men in the sport’s history to face each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within a single season.

“I’m seeing you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked during the trophy ceremony, eliciting a grin from Sinner. “It’s great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, everything.”

This 2-hour, 42-minute win gave Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, leads over Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy, of 10-5 in their head-to-head series, 6-4 in total Grand Slam trophies and 2-1 in US Open championships.

The match’s start was delayed for about a half-hour while thousands of fans were stuck outside Arthur Ashe Stadium going through extra security because President Donald Trump sat in a sponsor’s suite.

Perhaps the extra wait got to Sinner. Right from the beginning, under a closed roof because of rain earlier in the day, he was outplayed by Alcaraz.

“You were better than me,” Sinner said. “I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more.”

This hard-court matchup followed Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner across 5½ hours after erasing a trio of match points on the red clay at Roland-Garros in June, and Sinner’s victory over two-time reigning champ Alcaraz on the grass at the All England Club in July.

These guys are so, so much better than the rest of men’s tennis at the moment. Their traits are unique, their strengths multiple, their games untouchable.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

They have combined to collect the past eight Slam trophies — four each — and 10 of 13. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champ eliminated by Alcaraz on Friday, took the other three.

Both Sinner, who had won his past 27 hard-court matches at majors, and Alcaraz offered glimpses Sunday of why they are so good, although it was rare that both were at a peak simultaneously.

Alcaraz, who ended up with twice as many winners, 42-21, was superb in the first, third and fourth sets; Sinner’s top efforts arrived in the second.

During his defeat at Wimbledon, Alcaraz was caught by a camera telling his team in Spanish: “From the back of the court, he’s much better than me.”

Perhaps that’s why Alcaraz was aggressive Sunday with his sledgehammer of a forehand. Whenever the smallest opening presented itself, Alcaraz barged through with that shot, going big early in points, which often worked.

Sinner had dropped a total of one service game in his preceding three matches, although he dealt with an abdominal muscle issue in his semifinal. Sinner and one of his coaches said it was nothing serious, which might be right, but Alcaraz broke right away Sunday and five times in all.

Sinner made a tactical switch in the second set, going after Alcaraz’s backhand when possible.

Paid off. Briefly.

An hour and 20 minutes in, it was a set apiece, after Alcaraz ceded one for the first time all tournament, allowing Neale Fraser to retain his distinction as the most recent man to win every set he played at the event — in 1960.

As Sinner worked his way into things, he would celebrate points by pumping a fist toward his guest box, which included Olympic champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn.

Ah, but it was Alcaraz who appeared to have more ticket-buyers on his side.

They regaled him with standing ovations. For one particularly magical volley at a hard-to-believe angle struck just before the ball hit the court — even Alcaraz himself liked that one, saying, “Wow!” and breaking into a wide grin. For one special overhead smash to a corner with the tailing movement of a firefly.

And so on.

Sinner, needless to say, wasn’t as pleased by those sorts of strokes.

He bounced his racket off the ground and caught it after one lost point. He exhaled and shook his head after another.

Sinner simply doesn’t see that sort of stuff from anyone else.

And these numbers say as much about Alcaraz as they do Sinner: Over the past two seasons, Sinner is 1-7 against Alcaraz — and 109-4 against everyone else.

Source link

September 8, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

DOGE Nears 16 Billion in Open Interest as Investors Show Resilience

by admin September 7, 2025

The stability in Dogecoin’s price outlook over the past day has also extended to its futures market as DOGE’s open interest across all supported crypto exchanges shows no visible movement.

According to data from CoinGlass, speculative activities surrounding the leading meme coin slowed down on Sept. 6 as the market has DOGE show a slight decline of 0.13% in its open interest over the last 24 hours.

15,650,000,000 DOGE remain unmoved

While the market has seen the market price of leading cryptocurrencies, including meme coins, experience a notable rebound to their previous highs, momentum appears to be on pause as speculative activities across the broad crypto market appear to be slowing down.

With the market showing signs for deeper price plunges, DOGE investors have shown resilience as they appear to have not made any notable exits from the derivatives market despite the fading momentum.

According to data provided by the source, the amount of DOGE committed to its futures market still stands close to $16 billion. With the total amount of all unsettled futures contracts placed on Dogecoin still worth about 3.36 billion as of press time, it appears that investors are still positive about the future price outlook of Dogecoin.

You Might Also Like

Although the metric shows a slight decline in the last day, DOGE’s open interest still suggests unwavering confidence among investors as only a few futures contracts have been closed during the period despite the negative price action.

The data further shows that the renowned cryptocurrency exchange Gate holds the highest amount of outstanding DOGE futures contracts opened across its broad derivatives market. Out of the total futures contracts opened during the day, the outstanding contracts yet to be settled on Gate stand at over $878 million.

While Binance also appears to be carrying most of DOGE’s bullish investors, it accounts for 19.65% of the total DOGE open interest registered in the past day, sitting decently at $658.38 million.

The stable movement in DOGE’s futures market has fueled curiosity among investors as they continue to question the possibility of a potential rebound in the price of the leading meme coin as this may be signaling the start of a bear season.

While market participants appear to be optimistic for a possible recovery in the price of Dogecoin, the bigger question remains on the possibility of another price breakout before the bull season finally wraps up.

Source link

September 7, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Anisimova vs. Sabalenka: Who will win the US Open title?

by admin September 6, 2025

American Amanda Anisimova has made her second major final in a row, facing off against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the US Open women’s final. Anisimova upset Sabalenka at Wimbledon in July, but Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, has dropped only one set this tournament.

Our experts weigh in on how each could pull off the victory.

Aryna Sabalenka (left) and Amanda Anisimova met in the Wimbledon semifinals in July, with Anisimova winning the upset over No. 1-ranked Sabalenka. Ray Tang/Anadolu via Getty Images

What can Anisimova do to defeat Sabalenka?

D’Arcy Maine: Well, first, get some sleep! After an already quick turnaround between her quarterfinal victory Wednesday over Iga Swiatek and her semifinal match on Thursday, Anisimova then needed almost three hours to defeat Naomi Osaka in the early morning on Friday. It might sound silly but, because Sabalenka had four days off ahead of her semifinal match (due to Marketa Vondrousova withdrawing with injury ahead of the match) and a much earlier evening Thursday, Anisimova definitely has some catching up to do in terms of rest and recovery.

Women’s US Open Championship Odds

But aside from that, Anisimova knows what it takes to defeat the world No. 1. She’s done it in six of their nine career meetings and proved she’s more than capable of it on the sport’s biggest stages at Wimbledon earlier this summer. She will need to bring her powerful hitting, trademark aggression, incredible mental strength and will to win — in addition to getting some free points on her serve — and take full advantage of the crowd that will be firmly behind her. A first major title feels well within reach.

Bill Connelly: Keep hunting. One of the secrets to Anisimova’s success against Sabalenka has been winning the longer points, but she doesn’t win them by waiting for Sabalenka to screw up. According to the match charting at Tennis Abstract, Anisimova won 12 of 18 points with rallies of seven or more shots in their Wimbledon semifinal, and 10 of the 12 came off of winners or forced errors.

Back in her straight-sets win over Sabalenka in Toronto last year, she won 11 of 16 such points with five winners and forced errors. She takes the fight to Sabalenka like few can, but she’s patient about it, and when she finds the ball she’s looking for, she makes the most of it. Do that again, and she’ll be a Grand Slam champion.

Simon Cambers: Keep doing what she’s been doing! This has been an incredible tournament for Anisimova, a seriously impressive reset after what happened in the Wimbledon final. Beating Swiatek must have given her enormous confidence. She was equally impressive, mentally, in beating Osaka to reach the final.

Anisimova leads Sabalenka 6-3 head to head and beat her at Wimbledon, so she knows what she has to do. Her backhand is a match for anyone and if she keeps moving the way she has been, then she’ll fancy her chances. She could get nervous, of course, in front of an expectant home crowd, but it feels like she will be more inspired and in many ways, feel like she has nothing to lose. Just get out there and crack the ball.

Sabalenka has had a fairly easy run so far at the US Open, and has won her previous three Grand Slam titles on hard courts. Pamela Smith/AP

What can Sabalenka do to defeat Anisimova?

Maine: Sabalenka has made no secret that the loss to Anisimova at Wimbledon crushed her. But she vowed to learn from it and took some time to reset. She’s seemingly done just that and was introspective Thursday about their last match. During their encounter at the All England Club, Sabalenka said she was questioning her decision-making throughout the match and it resulted in unforced errors. She acknowledged that would have to change to get a different outcome.

“I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities,” Sabalenka said. “I didn’t use them, and I feel like the key for me is going to be just go out there, of course, like, obviously fight, but trust my decisions and go after my shots.”

Sabalenka has now reached three major finals this season — facing an American each time — but is still looking for her first Slam title of the year. That weighs heavily on her but she will need to tune out any additional pressure and simply focus on playing her dominant brand of tennis.

US Open Men’s Championship Odds

Connelly: She has to take some risks on her serve. These two have split four matches against each other since the start of 2024, and the difference in serving success for Sabalenka in the wins and losses has been dramatic. In her two wins, she won at least 73% of her first-serve points and 58% of her second-serve points both times; in her losses, she won closer to 60% of her first serves and under 50% of her second serves.

In her win over Anisimova at Roland Garros this year, Sabalenka landed fewer first serves and double-faulted more than in her Wimbledon loss, but she also served up far more aces and faced far fewer break points. She tends to win the shorter points against Anisimova, and there’s no better way to set up shorter points than with big serves.

Cambers: It sounds funny to say, given that Sabalenka has reached at least the semifinals of all four Slams this year, but it feels to me like she’s still not quite playing as well now as she was in Australia at the start of the year. Her serve has looked a little fragile at times, with fewer aces than usual, while she’s also coughed up a few more double faults than this time last year. She has been pushed hard in three of her five matches here.

So, if she wants to win, she needs to serve well, and serve at a high percentage, because Anisimova has been crushing her returns. She’ll need to use her experience, too, and cope with what will be a partisan crowd. At her best, she knows she can beat anyone, so it’s about channeling everything she has, all her energy, into one last big push to get the job done.

Anisimova made it to her first major final at Wimbledon, but was beaten by Iga Swiatek 6-0, 6-0. She avenged that loss at the US Open, defeating Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Elsa/Getty Images

Who will win?

Pam Shriver: I am finding predicting this final challenging. On the one hand, I do feel that Anisimova — with the late finish early Friday morning defeating Naomi Osaka in a 35-game marathon, one match after defeating Swiatek — could be out of gas. On the other hand, between Sabalenka’s demons this year late in majors at the hands of Americans and the Anisimova feeling of destiny to win the next major after her Wimbledon defeat, Anisimova might have the edge. You can make a case for either.

If Anisimova is able to recover physically and emotionally from the quarterfinal and semifinal wins and strike the ball like she did in the third set of the Osaka win, then Amanda Anisimova will be the third American woman to win a major this year. It’s a compelling final.

Maine: Logically, this is Sabalenka’s to win. She’s the defending champion, significantly fresher and with significantly more experience on her side, and perhaps hungrier than ever to win. But there’s something about Anisimova’s run that feels like destiny. I simply can’t pick against the crowd favorite after everything she’s already achieved this tournament and proved to herself and the world. Anisimova in three sets. (Why not, right?)

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

Connelly: I’m going with Sabalenka, primarily because the thought of someone winning 23 Grand Slam matches in a single year and not taking a title breaks my brain. Anisimova obviously matches up well with her, but they’ve still split the four matches since Anisimova’s return to the tour — not exactly a one-sided matchup — and Sabalenka is just too good not to win a Slam this year. Right?

That said, the longer this goes, the more it favors Anisimova. Anisimova’s past seven losses (not including an injury retirement in May) were all in straight sets. If you let her hang around, she’ll punish you. It’s either Sabalenka in straight sets or Anisimova in three. Give me the former.

Cambers: For me, there are four things at play here, all of which lead me to think that Anisimova can and will win this. First, all the pressure is on Sabalenka, as defending champion. Second, the crowd is going to play a huge role, cheering every point that New Jersey-born Anisimova wins.

Third, Anisimova’s 6-3 record over Sabalenka means she goes into the match with belief and confidence, knowing what she needs to do and that she’s done it, several times, including their most recent battle at Wimbledon. And fourth, the way she has rebounded from the Wimbledon final double bagel is not only enormously impressive, it gives her so much confidence that I think she’ll play as well in the final as she has done on the way there. It would be the fairy-tale comeback, and there’s a great chance it will happen.

Source link

September 6, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Bitcoin Price Rejected at $113,000, Spot BTC ETFs Lose $400 Million in Two Days, Open Interest Stagnates: Bitcoin Hot News Recap

by admin September 6, 2025

Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, is taking a breath before the next phase of its rally. While all major metrics are stagnating, some macro indicators hint at a possible 50% upside for the crypto king’s price.

Bitcoin (BTC) price brutally rejected at $113,000

Bitcoin (BTC), the first cryptocurrency, failed to expand its rally to over $113,000. Yesterday, Sept. 5, 2025, its price jumped by 2%, but was stopped by bears. Immediately after touching the resistance level, it dropped back to $110,300.

Image by CoinMarketCap

At press time, Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has stabilized at around $110,900 on major spot trading platforms. In the last 24 hours, Bitcoin (BTC) is up by a negligible 0.24%.

The rest of the cryptocurrency market is also stagnant today. The aggregated capitalization of digital assets added 0.19% and hit $3.81 trillion in equivalent.

The cryptocurrency’s Fear and Greed Index dropped to 48/100, which is considered to be a “Neutral” indicator. As per CoinMarketCap, the cryptocurrency’s RSI sits at 48.46, which also signals about the market being at a crossroads.

In the last 24 hours, the cryptocurrency’s liquidations were below $100 million, which is an indicator of market apathy.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs log $400 million in outflows in two days

Exchange-traded products on spot Bitcoin (BTC) are witnessing outflows in recent sessions. On Sept. 4-5, U.S. BTC ETFs lost almost $400 million in equivalent.

On Sept. 4, 2025, $227 million was withdrawn by investors, followed by $160 million erased the next day. As a result, the aggregated spot Bitcoin ETFs AUM dropped to $144.5 billion.

BlackRock’s IBIT, Grayscale’s GBTC and Bitwise’s BITB are the three most affected ETFs; combined, they lost about $150 million in just one session.

As covered by U.Today previously, spot Bitcoin ETFs have been losing traction since early July 2025. Investors’ pessimism might be a signal of liquidity migration to alternative TradFi products, precious metals and stocks.

You Might Also Like

At the same time, Ethereum spot ETFs were hit even harder last week. In seven days, spot Ether ETFs lost over $787 million in AUM, which makes this week the most painful for the segment ever.

Since Ethereum spot ETFs were launched in July 2024, its ecosystem has not been hit by such a massive liquidity outflow.

Bitcoin OI stuck in $79-$85 billion corridor for seven weeks

At the same time, this might be just a rebalance since spot ETH ETFs investors injected $2.8 billion in liquidity during the second week of August.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s open interest — the total USD-denominated value of all derivatives contracts that are not closed yet — has been stagnating since July.

As of printing time, the aggregated Bitcoin futures OI sits slightly below $80 billion in equivalent. In the last couple of weeks, it has remained almost unchanged. After reaching its peak at $88 billion on July 16, 2025, it started slowly declining.

Binance (BNB), the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and user count, is responsible for $14 billion out of this value.

For Ethereum futures, the net open interest has been sitting at $60 billion in equivalent for three weeks in a row. As such, markets might be confused about performance prospects for both assets.

Bitcoin (BTC) to $185,000? Here’s what Tephra Digital BTC/M2 model says

Despite sending mixed signals to its audience, Bitcoin (BTC) can still expand its rally over $150,000 per BTC easily. As a recent model by Tephra Digital asset management firm demonstrates, Bitcoin (BTC) closely follows the M2 metric — the aggregated volume of the U.S. money supply.

If Bitcoin’s lagged M2 and gold correlations hold, the rest of the year could be very interesting. Charts below point to $167k–185k. pic.twitter.com/JJ2PvLcubn

— Tephra Digital LLC (@Tephra_Digital) September 3, 2025

The analyst noticed that Bitcoin (BTC) follows M2 and gold price fluctuations with the lag of 100-200 days. Given that fact, the global cryptocurrency community should be prepared for an extremely bullish Q4, 2025.

Based on these assumptions, Bitcoin’s (BTC) price can naturally reach $167,000-$185,000 by the end of this year.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price set its current ATH at $124,457 on Aug. 14, 2025. As of now, it is trading 11% below the record price.

Source link

September 6, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Russia Looks To Open Crypto Market Wider For Citizens

by admin September 6, 2025

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

Russia’s Ministry of Finance wants to open the door wider for citizens to take part in crypto trading, calling for lower entry requirements that currently limit participation to the country’s wealthiest individuals.

Russia Wants Broader Crypto Participation

Finance Ministry official Alexey Yakovlev said the government must reduce income and asset thresholds for those who want to join the Central Bank’s experimental crypto trading program, RBC and Interfax have reported.

At present, only investors with deposits and securities worth over 100 million rubles ($1.22 million) or an annual income exceeding 50 million rubles ($615,755) can take part.

Those numbers place crypto access far beyond the reach of ordinary Russians, whose average monthly salary falls between $700 and $1,200.

Yakovlev argued that keeping eligibility this high makes little sense if the country wants its supervised crypto pilot to succeed.

A History Of Disagreement

The Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank have been at odds for years on how Russia should handle crypto. While the ministry has pushed for regulation and taxation, the Central Bank has preferred strict controls, including calls to ban trading altogether.

Total crypto market cap currently at $3.8 trillion. Chart: TradingView

That divide narrowed last year when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered both sides to find common ground. Putin has also urged Russian regions with unused energy reserves to engage in crypto mining, tying the sector’s future to the country’s broader economic strategy.

Testing Ground Before Permanent Rules

The Central Bank introduced what it calls an experimental legal governance, designed as a sandbox for companies to use crypto in cross-border deals. It also provides a controlled space where qualified investors can buy and sell crypto under official oversight.

The ministry now wants the ELR to get more people involved before the program ends. Current plans limit the sandbox to three years, after which permanent regulations are expected.

Tokenization Plans On The Table

The Ministry of Finance also sees the pilot as an opportunity to expand tokenized assets in Russia. Yakovlev mentioned that companies could be allowed to release coins backed by real-world assets, intellectual property, and corporate rights in limited liability firms. He added that smart contract technology could give investors more tools and flexibility.

While the Central Bank continues to argue that average citizens must be protected from the risks of crypto trading, its stance is losing ground.

The Moscow Exchange now offers investors access to securities tied to overseas crypto ETFs, and some commercial banks have started looking at derivatives and other crypto-related products.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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.

Source link

September 6, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Alcaraz vs. Djokovic at the US Open: How each can win

by admin September 5, 2025

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic knows the world is expecting another final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday at the US Open.

And even he — the man with the most major titles in history and someone who spent 428 weeks atop the rankings — believes them to be the best two players in the world. He has spoken openly about how important the duo is for the sport and its future.

But despite all that, the 38-year-old Djokovic isn’t quite ready to pass the baton yet.

“Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between two of them,” Djokovic said following his quarterfinal victory over Taylor Fritz on Tuesday. “I’m going to try to, you know, mess up the plans of most of the people.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Djokovic will have his chance to do just that Friday as he takes on 22-year-old Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, in an eagerly anticipated semifinal match. The winner will face either the top-ranked Sinner or No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who also play Friday, in Sunday’s final. Alcaraz and Sinner have played against each other in the previous two Slam finals, at Wimbledon and the French Open, and have combined to win the last seven major titles.

Friday will mark the ninth career meeting between Djokovic and Alcaraz, with Djokovic holding a 5-3 edge, and with the two most recent victories. But, even with that history, Alcaraz is still favored to win the match.

For both players, there’s a lot on the line. Djokovic is hoping to keep his dream alive of winning his 25th major Slam title, which would break a tie for the most all time with Margaret Court, and Alcaraz would like to reach his third consecutive major final and potentially win the sixth of his career.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s semifinal.

Djokovic’s ultimate goal is to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Can Djokovic do it?

Djokovic has a few things going for him. First, he’s never lost to Alcaraz on hard court. Their last meeting, in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open to start the year, saw Djokovic force a comeback — after sustaining a leg injury early and dropping the opening set — behind powerful groundstrokes, strong defense and vintage movement that seemed to get better and better as the match progressed.

Alcaraz later admitted that Djokovic’s injury caused him to lose his focus slightly, and Djokovic credited his vast career experience in helping him overcome the hindrance and any distraction.

Throughout the US Open, Djokovic has been pushed to four sets in three of his five matches, including during his 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Fritz on Tuesday. He’s had some injury scares, of varying degrees of severity, throughout the tournament and the season, and he was grateful to have the extra off day ahead of the semifinal showdown. He’s likely going to need it. Through the semifinals, Djokovic has spent almost 3½ more hours on court than his younger opponent.

“I’m going to try to take one day at a time, really take care of my body, try to relax and recover,” Djokovic said in the early morning hours on Wednesday. “The next couple of days is really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it’s needed.

“I just would really love that, would love to be fit enough to play — and to play potentially five sets with Carlos. I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.”

He admitted he wasn’t feeling “very fresh at the moment” in his news conference after the quarterfinals but was hopeful. He also was confident in his ability to “grind,” as he had done against Fritz, and find an extra gear at the most crucial moments. “You just have to play with your heart and fight,” he said. “That’s what really gave me the win in the end.”

Although not quite in his prime form, Djokovic has shown himself to be a formidable foe for Father Time throughout his run in New York. He has moved around the court with ease and has been buoyed by his strong serving throughout. He’s been victorious in 92% of his service games and had 57 aces. Not to mention, he’s also won an impressive 33% of his return games.

“I think he always serves well, like, on his first serves,” Fritz said on Tuesday night. “He hits his spots well. He gets a good amount of free points and aces … I think what’s made it tough in the past is how much variance there is in his second serve.”

Djokovic’s third-round opponent, Cameron Norrie, who he had played six times previously, was equally effusive in his praise.

“He served incredibly well, maybe the best he’s ever served against me,” Norrie said. “I was really impressed with that.”

Alcaraz was the only man to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open without dropping a set. John G Mabanglo/EPA/Shutterstock

OK, but Alcaraz is still the favorite to win the match, right?

Yes. There has been no one more dominant throughout the fortnight than Alcaraz. Arriving in New York having just won the title in Cincinnati, he was the only man to reach the quarterfinals without dropping a set and he’s faced just one tiebreak in his five matches. He’s been virtually unstoppable, even against high quality opponents.

Jiri Lehecka, the tournament’s No. 20 seed who Alcaraz defeated in the quarterfinals in under two hours, said Alcaraz — or the “Grand Slam version of Carlos” — simply did everything better when it mattered most.

“If you want to beat him, you need to win at least a few of the big points, and he won all of them,” Lehecka said on Tuesday. “Even when I played a really good rally, even when I tried to put him under pressure, go to the net, change the rhythm, do something, he was there, and he had an answer for everything I tried.”

Women’s US Open Championship Odds

And if all that weren’t enough, Alcaraz has won an astounding 99% of his service games — all but one — in New York. He told reporters his serve had been his primary focus for improvement in the past year and credited that, and his consistency with it, for his recent results.

“Tennis, it’s really hard sometimes, because one day you can serve really, really well, and the next match you can feel completely different and really bad,” he said after defeating Lehecka. “So I’m trying to maintain the focus on the serve, just trying to do everything the same and getting the good feeling.”

Alcaraz said he knew Djokovic was “hungry” and had an “ambition for more” when thinking ahead to their (then potential) clash, but said he had his own motivation: revenge. “Obviously,” he said Tuesday, while alluding to their previous matches.

So, who will win this match?

One thing is for certain: Both players will be bringing their best level and an unwavering desire to advance to Sunday’s final.

All of ESPN. All in one place.

Watch the US Open and much more in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Stream every match

Djokovic has beaten Alcaraz on this surface at a Grand Slam this season, so he knows exactly what he needs to do in order to get it done again. Most importantly, he believes he can do it. He also is acutely aware of the ticking clock on his career, and that he only has limited chances remaining to achieve his dream for 25.

But whether or not that will be motivating or debilitating in a high-pressure situation remains to be seen after a string of semifinal exits. Djokovic also knows that the longer the match goes, the more it favors the younger, and fresher, Alcaraz, so he will need to come out strong from the first point.

Alcaraz doesn’t have any of that same weight on his shoulders. But what he does have is confidence, and a game that is clicking on all cylinders. He hasn’t faced much adversity throughout his run, but if he can handle those moments, if and when they arise, and remain locked in, it certainly feels like this is his match to win.

Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.

Source link

September 5, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Latam-GPT: The Free, Open Source, and Collaborative AI of Latin America

by admin September 1, 2025

Latam-GPT is new large language model being developed in and for Latin America. The project, led by the nonprofit Chilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), aims to help the region achieve technological independence by developing an open source AI model trained on Latin American languages and contexts.

“This work cannot be undertaken by just one group or one country in Latin America: It is a challenge that requires everyone’s participation,” says Álvaro Soto, director of CENIA, in an interview with WIRED en Español. “Latam-GPT is a project that seeks to create an open, free, and, above all, collaborative AI model. We’ve been working for two years with a very bottom-up process, bringing together citizens from different countries who want to collaborate. Recently, it has also seen some more top-down initiatives, with governments taking an interest and beginning to participate in the project.”

The project stands out for its collaborative spirit. “We’re not looking to compete with OpenAI, DeepSeek, or Google. We want a model specific to Latin America and the Caribbean, aware of the cultural requirements and challenges that this entails, such as understanding different dialects, the region’s history, and unique cultural aspects,” explains Soto.

Thanks to 33 strategic partnerships with institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, the project has gathered a corpus of data exceeding eight terabytes of text, the equivalent of millions of books. This information base has enabled the development of a language model with 50 billion parameters, a scale that makes it comparable to GPT-3.5 and gives it a medium to high capacity to perform complex tasks such as reasoning, translation, and associations.

Latam-GPT is being trained on a regional database that compiles information from 20 Latin American countries and Spain, with an impressive total of 2,645,500 documents. The distribution of data shows a significant concentration in the largest countries in the region, with Brazil the leader with 685,000 documents, followed by Mexico with 385,000, Spain with 325,000, Colombia with 220,000, and Argentina with 210,000 documents. The numbers reflect the size of these markets, their digital development, and the availability of structured content.

“Initially, we’ll launch a language model. We expect its performance in general tasks to be close to that of large commercial models, but with superior performance in topics specific to Latin America. The idea is that, if we ask it about topics relevant to our region, its knowledge will be much deeper,” Soto explains.

The first model is the starting point for developing a family of more advanced technologies in the future, including ones with image and video, and for scaling up to larger models. “As this is an open project, we want other institutions to be able to use it. A group in Colombia could adapt it for the school education system or one in Brazil could adapt it for the health sector. The idea is to open the door for different organizations to generate specific models for particular areas like agriculture, culture, and others,” explains the CENIA director.

Source link

September 1, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ethereum Foundation pauses Ecosystem Support Program’s open grant applications

by admin September 1, 2025

The Ethereum Foundation is pausing all open grants applications as the entity’s Ecosystem Support Program transitions to a new growth chapter.

Summary

Ethereum Foundation has paused open grants in its support program as it eyes transition to a new model.
The Ecosystem Support Program awarded over $13 million to 105 projects in 2024.

The Ethereum Foundation, a key player in the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain ecosystem, is taking a new approach in the support for builders.

On Aug. 29, the EF announced that the Ethereum Support Program, which launched as a grants program in 2018 and aimed at offering grants to projects helping to advance Ethereum’s growth, is taking a new direction.

The move follows a recent overhaul of the foundation’s vision and approach to ecosystem development.

EF is looking at a structure aimed at streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency, hence a more proactive funding model for builders, according to the update. Latest changes follow the foundation’s shake up of its structure in June 2025, including cutting of the core team amid broader reorganization.

Funding Ethereum’s builders

Evolving the funding model aligns with Ethereum’s growth, which currently sees over $91 billion in total value locked in decentralized finance and more than $148 billion in stablecoin market cap. Scaling this network amid developer activity aimed at accelerating adoption necessitates that the funding approach mirrors the traction.

“As part of this transition, we have temporarily paused open grant applications. This change will enable us time to redesign in a way that redirects our focus toward strategic initiatives, moving from a reactive model to a more proactive one that also supports the priorities of other EF teams,” the Ecosystem Program Support team wrote.

In 2024, the grants program saw nearly $3 million in funding awarded to 105 projects, including across developer tooling, data and analytics, research and education. Specific projects that benefited included Commit-Boost, BundleBear, Web3Bridge and Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress.

Although open grant applications are temporarily paused, the Ethereum Foundation through the ESP team plans to continue support for all active grant beneficiaries. The team will also share more details for the new model and refined priorities in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Source link

September 1, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Coco Gauff vs. Naomi Osaka at the US Open: Who will win?

by admin August 31, 2025

Aug 30, 2025, 05:26 PM ET

NEW YORK — Former champions Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will go head-to-head in a blockbuster fourth-round matchup at the US Open on Monday night, after booking their places in the last 16 in contrasting styles.

Gauff cruised past Magdalena Frech of Poland 6-3, 6-1, while Osaka battled past Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to make the fourth round of a major for the first time since she won the Australian Open in 2021.

This will be their sixth match in all, and first at the US Open since 2019 — their first meeting — when Osaka beat the then-15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0. Gauff got her revenge at the Australian Open in 2020 in their next match, then they traded off the next two. Most recently, Gauff advanced in Beijing in 2024, when Osaka retired through injury at one set all, making the overall record 3-2.

It’s a pivotal match for both players. For Gauff, it’s the chance to reach the quarters for the third time in four years. For Osaka, it’s an opportunity to reestablish herself at the business end of a major for the first time since she became a mother.

play

1:29

Coco Gauff cruises in straight-sets win at US Open

Magdalena Frech vs. Coco Gauff: Match Highlights

What Gauff has to do to win

One part is simple: If she serves well, she will have a great chance to win.

No one has served more double faults than her in the past three years — she is closing in on 1,000 since the start of 2023. And her serve remains a work in progress under the guidance of Gavin MacMillan, the man who cured Aryna Sabalenka’s serving woes a few years ago.

Gauff has been cutting down on her pace in an effort to get more first serves in and take the pressure off her second serve, which is still shaky at times. Osaka is an aggressive returner, so anything short will be punished, which in itself will be a pressure. But no one battles harder than Gauff, and she will fight like her life depends on it.

But even when she doesn’t serve well, Gauff has shown remarkable resilience, and as she proved at the French Open, she can even win slams when not at her best.

play

1:35

Naomi Osaka prevails in 3 sets at US Open

Daria Kasatkina vs. Naomi Osaka: Match Highlights

What Osaka has to do to win

Osaka has been returning even better than Gauff so far in this tournament, making 83% of balls back, on average, and winning an average of 38% when returning first serve and a massive 73% when returning the second serve.

That spells trouble for Gauff if she misses first serves too often, because Osaka will pounce on anything short. Her movement is vastly improved over recent months and her confidence is up. When she is in position to crack a forehand or backhand, she’s mighty dangerous, dominating the 0-4 shots category.

When Osaka is at her best, she excels in first-strike tennis, and if she continues to hit the ball the way she has been, she should get plenty of opportunities to dominate rallies against Gauff, whose counterpunching skills will be tested.

Gauff lost to Osaka the only other time they’ve played each other at the US Open, back in 2019. Justin Lane/EPA

What they’re saying about each other

Gauff on their 2019 US Open match: “I remember it was a tough moment for me because it was a hyped-up match. I guess I put way too much pressure on myself thinking I maybe had a chance in that moment to actually do something, which I definitely did, but I think it was just I felt more expectation that I should than maybe belief. Then when I played her in Australia, that was more belief than expectation. It would be a cool kind of déjà vu type of situation, but hopefully it will be a different result.”

Osaka on Gauff: “Can somebody come to the match and cheer for me because it’s kind of tough playing an American here? I kind of see her as a little sister so it’s kind of cool to be playing her here again. To be playing her again after six years, I don’t know if that makes me old, but just to be at this point of my life and to be playing her again is honestly, for me, feels kind of special. I’m honestly excited to play her now, because I feel healthy, and I just want to see what happens.”

Could two-time US Open champion Osaka pull off the win over Gauff? Susan Mullane/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

Who will win?

Considering that Osaka has not reached the quarters of a Slam since 2021, it’s strange that this match feels like a bit of a toss-up. But she has confidence from reaching the final in Canada and is beginning to look like the woman who has four Grand Slams to her name, while Gauff is still fighting herself as she tries to fix her service action.

With the exception of their last meeting, when Osaka retired injured after the second set, the player who wins the first set has won in all the other four clashes, so a fast start is imperative. Gauff will have the crowd on her side but that brings its own pressure, while Osaka is playing great tennis again, so this threatens to be the kind of match that could spark a real rivalry for the next few years.

Prediction: Three sets, to Osaka.

Source link

August 31, 2025 0 comments