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Stablecoin Yield Means Banks Must Now offer Customers Real Interest

by admin October 4, 2025

Stablecoins, tokenized versions of fiat currencies that move on blockchain rails, will eventually force banks and other financial institutions to offer customers yields on their deposits to remain competitive, according to Patrick Collison, CEO of payments company Stripe.

The average interest rate for US savings accounts is 0.40%, and in the EU, the average rate on savings accounts is 0.25%, Collison said in response to VC Nic Carter’s X post outlining the rise of yield-bearing stablecoins and the future of the sector. Collison added:

“Depositors are going to, and should, earn something closer to a market return on their capital. Some lobbies are currently pushing post-GENIUS to further restrict any kinds of rewards associated with stablecoin deposits.

The business imperative here is clear — cheap deposits are great, but being so consumer-hostile feels to me like a losing position,” he continued.

Source: Patrick Collison

Stablecoins have steadily grown in market capitalization and user adoption since 2023, which ramped up following the passage of the GENIUS stablecoin bill in the United States. The GENIUS bill paved the way for a regulated stablecoin industry but also prohibited yield-sharing.

Related: Stablecoin market boom to $300B is ‘rocket fuel’ for crypto rally

Banking Industry fights to restrict yield-bearing opportunities for stablecoins

The banking lobby pushed back against interest-bearing stablecoins while US lawmakers were deliberating what provisions to include in the final draft of the GENIUS stablecoin regulation, according to a report from American Banker.

Banks and their Congressional allies argued that stablecoins offering interest-bearing opportunities to clients would undermine the banking system and erode market share.

“Do you want a stablecoin issuer to be able to issue interest? Probably not, because if they are issuing interest, there is no reason to put your money in a local bank,” New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand told the DC Blockchain Summit in March.

However, crypto industry executives see the rise of stablecoins as the next logical progression and predict that stablecoins will consume legacy fiat payments.

“All currency will be a stablecoin. So even fiat currency will be a stablecoin. It’ll just be called dollars, euros, or yen,” Reeve Collins, co-founder of stablecoin issuer Tether, told Cointelegraph at Token2049.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

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October 4, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Toilet Time With Your Phone Could Give You a Real Pain in the Butt

by admin October 3, 2025

We use our smartphones just about everywhere, even in the bathroom, though we may not want to talk about that part. A recent study of colonoscopy patients revealed that most used their phones on the toilet at least once a week — and that those phone-on-the-toilet users showed a 46% increased risk for hemorrhoids.

The cause and effect are clear. Caught up in news or games or social media, bathroom users stay seated on the throne longer, with research showing phone users tend to spend more than 5 minutes doing their business. The study says that hemorrhoids are associated with prolonged sitting on the toilet, as well as constipation and increased straining.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The 125 colonoscopy patients at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Study who participated in the study answered questions about their bathroom phone habits, and endoscopists evaluated their hemorrhoids (just in case you think you have a bad job). Of all the respondents, 66% used smartphones while sitting on the toilet, and those participants tended to be younger than those who didn’t. More than one-third (37.3%) of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes sitting on the toilet per visit, while only 7.1% of those without smartphones spent that long seated.

When the numbers were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, exercise activity and “straining and fiber intake,” results showed a 46% increased risk for hemorrhoids. Men were more likely than women to spend 6 minutes or more on the toilet, in case you wondered.

Those who used smartphones while on the toilet also admitted to getting less exercise than those who didn’t, which the researchers said “could signify a higher level of engagement with technology and a more sedentary lifestyle outside of the toileting environment.” (Yes, “toileting environment.” Otherwise known as just “the toilet.”)

The most common toilet phone activity was reading news, with 54.3% admitting to doing so, and 44.4% saying they were participating in social media while on the toilet.

The study didn’t directly connect constipation with time spent on the toilet, but Dr. Eamonn Quigley, chairman of gastroenterology at Houston Methodist, told The New York Times that it’s likely those who sit hunched over their phones while on the toilet might be more likely to experience constipation.

If you’re grossed out by the idea of your phone being in close connection with toilet time, you’re not alone. Doctors told the NYT the obvious: Fecal material can get on your hands while you’re wiping and be transferred to your phone, and flushing with the toilet lid open can also spray fecal matter onto your phone. Sure, you wash your hands, but now the stuff is on your phone, so it jumps right back on your hands after you dry them and start scrolling again.

In short, you’re probably going to scroll your phone while occupied in the bathroom. But this study notes that you should be aware that the phone’s fun distractions might make you sit there longer than you planned, and that could have painful consequences.

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Borderlands 4, and Ghost of Yotei

Esports

Modder turns Lego Game Boy into real working handheld

by admin October 2, 2025

The Lego Game Boy set was officially released on October 1, 2025, but one modder has already gone further than Lego and Nintendo. Australian creator Natalie the Nerd has turned the brick-built handheld into a functioning console.

Lego first announced the 421-piece Game Boy replica at San Diego Comic-Con in July, with preorders opening the same month.

The set, priced at $59.99, includes swappable cartridges styled after Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, along with lenticular screens that simulate motion. While the buttons press and the cartridges slot in, Lego confirmed the model was never intended to play games.

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Now, one modder has managed to turn the sought-after Lego set into a playable device straight out of the ’90s.

Modder makes Lego Game Boy play actual games

Instead of using an emulator or Raspberry Pi, she designed and built a custom circuit board with genuine Game Boy chips, small enough to fit inside the Lego shell.

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The biggest change is that the screen is backlit, making it a lot easier to see while playing a game on it.

The build plays real cartridges, supports working buttons, and charges via USB-C with a rechargeable battery. She told The Verge she had to remove a few bricks to fit in the smallest available display kit, and is currently working on mounting the buttons to a 3D-printed Lego-compatible piece.

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The project is still in progress, but Natalie confirmed she plans to release the design once it’s finalized. Already known in the modding scene for aftermarket Game Boy components, she said the Lego version will eventually join her shared circuit board projects.

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October 2, 2025 0 comments

johnny somali with his tongue sticking out

Esports

Real lawyer claims Caseoh would get 3,000 years in jail for Goob Lagoon waterpark ‘crimes’

by admin September 30, 2025

Real-life lawyer and content creator ‘LawByMike’ launched an ‘investigation’ into Caseoh’s fictional Goob Lagoon waterpark, finding it liable for hundreds of millions of dollars.

No, Twitch streamer Caseoh doesn’t actually own a waterpark in real life. However, his ‘Goob Lagoon’ waterpark in the game Waterpark Simulator has gone so viral that it’s no surprise some folks might think it’s a real place.

Caseoh’s streams playing the game have taken over social media, prompting fans to literally buy billboards and even rent out space on the sides of trucks advertising the nonexistent park.

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Specifically, the amount of ‘injuries’ and ‘deaths’ from guests at Goob Lagoon have become an inside joke within the fanbase that has now expanded to the real world, even resulting in fans making an official-looking website to help ‘injured guests’ seek compensation.

Although Caseoh’s adventures at Goob Lagoon are now over, the streams grew so popular that an actual lawyer looked into the fictional waterpark to see exactly how deep in legal trouble it would be, if it were an actual business.

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Lawyer says Caseoh would owe $400M for ‘crimes’ at Goob Lagoon

‘LawByMike’ is an experienced attorney based out of Los Angeles, California. He has practiced law in a variety of areas, such as personal injury, criminal defense, entertainment, and more.

On top of having his own practice, he also creates videos on YouTube, where he delves into the legal side of popular creators’ lives and breaks down the legal system for his 15 million subscribers.

In a September 30 upload, LawByMike looked into Caseoh’s Goob Lagoon, where he analyzed the many incidents of ‘injury’ caused to guests by dangerous water slides, slipping on puddles, and even getting walloped by Caseoh himself for spraying graffiti in the park.

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Mike also pointed out violations of health codes and OSHA regulations, such as when Caseoh discovered trash bags and human waste inside the Goob Lagoon swimming pools. According to LawByMike, each violation is considered a separate incident, racking up thousands of dollars and lots of jail time.

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Of course, he couldn’t just skip over the moment when Caseoh tased someone swimming in a pool, electrocuting and killing everyone inside it.

“Now we’re looking at mass murder,” Mike said. “We’ve got three counts of murder here. Caseoh’s going away for life. Depending on where he lives, the death penalty could happen here.”

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He did, however, note that Caseoh could argue he didn’t know what would happen if he used the taser in the pool — but found that defense “weak” and unlikely to sway a judge.

Using Caseoh’s daily park reports, Mike found that there were around 22 estimated deaths at the Goob Lagoon, along with numerous health code violations, OSHA violations, and employment lawsuits, resulting in a hypothetical fine of $399 million.

Combined with other lawsuits from employees and fines from code violations, he estimated the number to be closer to $400M — and that’s not including the jail time Caseoh would have to face.

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For the ‘crimes’ of criminal negligence, battery, battery with a deadly weapon, involuntary manslaughter, and second-degree murder, Mike hypothesized Caseoh would spend around 3,000 years in jail.

“This is the scariest waterpark I’ve ever seen,” Mike remarked. “…Caseoh, I loved reacting to you playing this game. Everyone should watch more of this series.”

Thus far, Caseoh has not reacted to his hypothetical prison sentence — but knowing his viewers, it won’t be long until the news gets to him. Unfortunately, his run at the Goob Lagoon is over… but it’s probably for the best, given all the (fake) legal trouble.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

AI voice clones created in minutes now sound so real that your ears may never trust another voice again

by admin September 29, 2025

AI-generated voices now mimic humans so convincingly that detection is nearly impossible
Creating a convincing voice clone now takes minutes and minimal expertise
Some synthetic voices were actually rated more trustworthy than real human recordings

For years, many people assumed that AI-generated speech could always be identified by its slightly “fake” qualities.

New research from Queen Mary University of London challenges this assumption, showing current AI voice technology has reached a level where “voice clones” and deepfakes are nearly indistinguishable from real recordings.

In the study, participants compared human voices with two forms of synthetic audio: cloned voices designed to imitate real speakers and voices generated from an LLM system without specific counterparts.

Beyond realism and into dominance

Listeners frequently struggled to distinguish between the two, suggesting the technology has entered a phase where human-like realism is no longer an aspiration, but a reality.

The research team investigated not only whether participants could distinguish between synthetic and real voices, but also how they perceived them.

Surprisingly, both types of AI-generated voices were evaluated as more dominant than human ones, and in some cases, they were judged more trustworthy.

Dr. Nadine Lavan, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Mary University of London, stressed how easily and cheaply her team created these voice clones.

“AI-generated voices are all around us now, it was only a matter of time until AI technology began to produce naturalistic, human-sounding speech, the process required minimal expertise, only a few minutes of voice recordings, and almost no money,” she said.

She said that the ease of use shows how far the technology has advanced in a short time.

Such accessibility creates opportunities in fields such as education, communication, and accessibility, where bespoke synthetic voices could enhance engagement and reach.

Mod maker brings Skibidi Toilet to Borderlands 4 for one simple reason: To spite the narrative director who said he’d ‘cry real tears’ if the game shipped with it

by admin September 25, 2025

One of the best things about PC gaming is mods. They let people do things with their games that developers, for whatever reason, couldn’t, didn’t, and/or really wish you wouldn’t. Sometimes they’re practical things, like the recently-released Dying Light: the Beast mod that reduces annoying zombie grabs—and sometimes, well, they’re not.

A good example of a mod that was not created to solve a practical problem is Epic’s Skibidi Toilet, which creator EpicNNG said was made specifically “to spite Samuel Winkleclank.” That would be Borderlands 4 narrative director Sam Winkler, who apparently brought this upon himself by saying Borderlands 4 would cut back on the “toilet humor” of Borderlands 3.

“If the word ‘skibidi’ ships in the game under my watch I’m gonna cry real tears,” Winkler proclaimed fatefully.

Careful what you wish for, or vocally wish not to happen as the case may be, because yes, it is real.

Winkler, to his credit, seems to be taking it well.

(Image credit: Sam Winkler (Twitter))

His torment isn’t likely over, though. In the same post in which Winkler said he wouldn’t allow Skibidi Toilet in Borderlands 4, he also wrote, “Paul Tassi joked that we were gonna have a gun called Hawk 2A and a fellow dev asked me if it was real and I wanted to put my hand down the sink grinder.”

Well:

(Image credit: EpicNNG (Twitter))

For the record, it’s not all disturbing toilets and sex puns: EpicNNG also creates mods that solves practical problems, including one that will remove or reduce VFX in Borderlands 4 to improve accessibility.

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September 25, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

9 Best Robot Vacuums (2025): Tested and Reviewed in Real Homes

by admin September 24, 2025

Compare Top 9 Robot Vacuums

Other Robot Vacuums to Consider

Photograph: Adrienne So

We are approaching the great robot vacuum convergence. At whatever price you want to pay, you can find a robot vacuum that will look very similar and have similar features. Here are a few that also worked well for us.

Roborock Qrevo Curv for $1,099: This was Roborock’s 2024 flagship vacuum, and it’s still great (reviewer Ryan Waniata calls it the best robot vacuum he’s ever used). It has slightly less suction power than this year’s Saros 10R, but I did use it to clean an entire carpet full of baking powder. We are waiting for Roborock to release the Qrevo Curv line into the North American market for 2025.

Tapo TP-Link RV20 Max for $200: This is a perfectly fine, slim, basic robot vacuum that was our most affordable pick for most of the year. However, I’ve had it running in my living room for long-term testing and I am becoming a little exasperated by how often it gets knocked off the dock and runs out of battery.

Eufy Mach S1 Pro for $950: This astoundingly beautiful robot vacuum will be the centerpiece of your kitchen. The water chamber is see-through and lights up, and an ozone generator purportedly removes up to 99.99 percent of bacteria. It also has ultra-precise navigation and a self-cleaning roller mop that washes itself as it cleans. However, it only has 8,000 Pa suction, which is less than some of our other picks, and at 26.4 inches high, the dock is very tall and makes storage difficult.

Eufy X10 Pro Omni for $550: Believe it or not, this is not a bad price for a hybrid robot vacuum mop (9/10, WIRED Recommends) with such fantastic navigational capabilities! (Sales have brought it even lower.) However, the Yeedi above is cheaper and offers mostly the same functionality.

Avoid These Robot Vacuums

Not every vacuum earns a spot on our list. These are the ones I repacked straightaway.

Mova P50 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum for $799: This robot vacuum features a staggering 19,000 Pa of suction and a wide array of high-end features, like an extendable side brush and an intelligent dirt detection system. Reviewer Molly Higgins appreciated that it’s self-cleaning and that the bin auto-empties, but she found that, despite its smart systems, the mapping was not accurate, small obstacles often threw it off, and the vacuum eventually started avoiding rooms altogether.

Eufy E28 Combo Robot Vacuum for $983: I was super disappointed by this, since I have two dogs and two kids and frequently need to use a deep carpet cleaner, in addition to a mop and vacuum. This vacuum can mop and has a detachable carpet cleaning station. Unfortunately, the water injection system is wonky. The robot vacuum has to be perfectly positioned to get injected with water from the tank (I often had to tap it into place with my foot), and every time I mopped, it leaked all over my kitchen floor. At least the carpet cleaner was effective.

iRobot Combo J7+ for $399: iRobot makes beautiful robot vacuums that I’ve liked for years, but the software experience on this one was poor when I tested it. Since then, the company has undergone many twists and turns and released a new line under a new CEO. We will update this roundup once we have tested the latest lineup.

Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni for $788: My tester could not make it back to the docking station. I have asked Ecovacs for another review sample and will update this once I have tested it.

TP-Link Tapo RV30C for $148: I like the simplicity of this robot vacuum, but you can’t find replacement bags for it anymore.

Eureka J20 and Eureka J15 Pro Ultra for $830: Eureka is a highly respected name in the vacuum field, and these robot vacuums are gorgeous and come with many bells and whistles. However, Eureka vacuums found the tiny lip between the hardwood floor of my kitchen to the carpet of the living room to be completely insurmountable, and the app also forgot the map every time it hit a minor obstacle. It was so annoying.

Narwal Freo X Ultra for $700: This is a beautiful vacuum with lots of features, including baseboard dusting. However, despite moving it from room to room to find better Wi-Fi, and switching from phone to phone to try different versions of the app, I was unable to connect it to the app and so could not use it. (I reached out to Narwal multiple times but could not fix it; we will update if I do find a fix in the future.)

Switchbot K10+ for $600: You can now accessorize this tiny robot vacuum with additional cleaning accessories, like a stick vacuum or air purifier. Unfortunately, the robot vacuum itself still is horrible. This is the only vacuum where I’ve ever experienced a pooptastrophe—where it dragged a dog poop all over my house. Reviewer Simon Hill also tried this robot vacuum and discovered that it’s suicidal. The roller gets clogged easily, it can’t find its way back to the dock, and it often hurls itself down the stairs.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 for $1,000: This vacuum cleaned surprisingly well (5/10, WIRED Review). However, it doesn’t auto-empty, DirtDetect doesn’t work, and the app is completely bonkers (maps aren’t accurate, can’t add multiple floors, and cleaning times are off).

What Navigation System Do I Use?

Robot vacuum manufacturers will try to tell you that the most important spec is the level of suction. That is wrong—it’s the navigation system. It doesn’t matter how good a vacuum is at cleaning if it gets stuck every time it starts. A more complicated or expensive navigation system doesn’t guarantee that it won’t get stuck, but it is a good starting point. Many vacuums also combine systems.

Sensor mapping: The most inexpensive vacuums use a combination of sensors along the exterior of the vacuum, like cliff detectors on the bottom and wall detectors on the bumper, to ping-pong around your home avoiding obstacles.

Gyroscope: This is an affordable but surprisingly effective method of mapping that has been used in ships for centuries. A spinning wheel or light helps the vacuum determine its position relative to other objects in your home.

Lidar: Lidar stands for “light detection and ranging.” The vacuum uses pulsed lasers to determine how far away each object is.

Camera navigation: There’s a camera on it. Basically, the vacuum has little eyes that look around. While I’ve found this system to be extremely accurate and/or unintentionally hilarious, you must look for additional security protocols to make sure that said hilarious images of your home don’t end up on the internet.

SLAM: With SLAM navigation, or “simultaneous localization and mapping,” the vacuum uses algorithms to process a bunch of data—for example, how many times the wheels have rotated, along with camera or sensor data—to calculate where and how far it should move. It’s usually used in combination with a few, or all, of these other navigation technologies.

IMU: An inertial measurement unit is a system that combines multiple sensors like gyroscopes and accelerometers to navigate by dead reckoning.

Machine learning: Many robot vacuum manufacturers now tout their own proprietary mapping system. For example, iRobot uses a system called Imprint Smart Mapping that learns as it cleans, as does Roborock’s SmartPlan. These also usually come in combination with a camera or lasers.

Robot Vacuum Tips

Robot vacuums have a complicated task. Your home is ever-changing, and no robot vacuum will be perfect. We have a few starting points here, but if you’re still having trouble, you should check out our guide to getting the most into your robot vacuum.

Do robot vacuums work on hardwood? Yes. Many robot vacuums have different cleaning modes that will allow you to select between carpeting, tile, or other floor surfaces. If you have a combination mop-vacuum, only use the brand’s recommended liquid cleaner. Using a generic cleaner may clog your docking station.

Will my pet hate my robot vacuum? Maybe. I’ve introduced three dogs to robot vacuums with minimal problems, but if you’re nervous, you can try giving your pets treats when you turn the vacuum on for the first few times.

Stay home for your robot vacuum’s first few runs. Many homes have hot spots—a weird door jamb, a lumpy rug—where you will need to rescue your vac. Do a quick run-through beforehand for robot booby traps, like ribbons, charging cables, and pieces of string.

Check your Wi-Fi. If you have a Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuum, most of them can only connect to the 2.4-GHz wireless band. If you’re having problems connecting, make sure you’re linking to the right band. Check out our guide to setting up your smart home for more tips.

Vacs need maintenance. Like every robot—especially one that comes in contact with the grimiest parts of your house—you need to care for it regularly. Error messages may prompt you to empty the bin mid-run, cut the hair off the rollers, or wipe off the cliff sensors. Instruction manuals and YouTube can help.

Vacuum during the day. If you have the choice, it’s usually better to schedule a run at 2 pm than at midnight, since many vacuums also use optical sensors to navigate.

Don’t throw out your hand vacuum. I hate to be a downer, but you’re probably still going to need a full-size manual vacuum once in a while. I keep a Dyson around for quick spot cleaning and vacuuming bedroom corners.

Be wary about disposable bags: Some vacuums pull dust into a disposable bag. Instead of dumping out the bin and getting dust everywhere, you just toss the bag out neatly and replace it. Unfortunately, some companies stop selling these bags altogether (looking at you, TP-Link), leaving you with a functioning robot vacuum that can’t suck up dust anywhere. Try and find information on how long parts like this will be available.

How We Test

I’ve been personally reviewing robot vacuums since 2017 and have tested well more than 100 (I have not tracked the exact number but I have reviewed one roughly every two weeks for eight years). Each WIRED gear tester sets up the vacuum in their own home, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and in a spot with clear Wi-Fi signal. Over the course of at least two weeks, we run the vacuum every day, examining a number of factors: battery life; how well the app works; whether the map is accurate; if it consistently cleans around the edges of your home; and how well it picks up dirt of various sizes, which includes sand, lint, dog hair, Cheerios, wood chips, and flour.

We also look for mitigating factors, such as whether it’s incredibly loud or ugly, or if it fits into your kitchen at all. For a vacuum to be useful, you have to want to use it and have it around. We also noted a vacuum’s power via the manufacturer’s stated Pa, or pascals—the higher the number, the greater the suction.

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September 24, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Pokemon Company says Homeland Security’s use of its property in disturbing promotional video was unauthorized, but DHS doesn’t seem to care: ‘To arrest them is our real test, to deport them is our cause’

by admin September 24, 2025

The Pokémon Company says the US government did not have permission to use Pikachu and other Pokémon content promotional videos for the Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection agencies posted to X—but what it’s going to do about it, if anything, remains to be seen.

The first video, a montage of ICE agents and police blowing up doors and arresting people mashed up with music and video clips from the Pokémon TV show, was posted on the evening of September 22. It also features the words “Department of Homeland Security” spelled out in the Pokémon font. It’s the sort of thing I would not have believed could possibly be real if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, but there it is.

DHS followed with a series of Pokémon-style “cards” bearing images of people convicted of crimes in the US.

But that wasn’t the end of it: A couple hours later, Customs and Border Protection got in on the act with an animated image of Pikachu, calling him “Border Patrol’s newest recruit.”

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company (via CBP))

Support for the display in replies was widespread—it’s X, after all—but there was pushback too, and calls from some for The Pokémon Company, or Nintendo, to take action against what was presumed to be unauthorized use of the property.

In a statement provided to PC Gamer, The Pokémon Company International confirmed that the US government did not have permission to use the content, but left the question of what comes next unanswered.

“We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand,” it said. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”

Nintendo, one of the owners of The Pokémon Company, is notoriously litigious when it comes to dropping the hammer on people who can’t effectively fight back. But former Pokémon Company chief legal officer Don McGowan thinks this is likely a fight it doesn’t want: The Pokémon Company International is “INSANELY publicity-shy,” he said, and perhaps more compelling in light of the US government’s recent treatment of South Korean workers at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, “many of their execs in the USA are on green cards.”

“Even if I was still at the company I wouldn’t touch this, and I’m the most trigger-happy CLO [Chief Legal Officer] I’ve ever met,” said McGowan, who became well-known for his aggressive pursuit of Destiny 2 abusers and cheaters during his post-Pokémon years at Bungie. “This will blow over in a couple of days and they’ll be happy to let it.”

For its part, Homeland Security doesn’t seem inclined to change tack. In response to an inquiry about the unauthorized use of Pokémon intellectual property, a DHS spokesperson invoked lyrics from the Pokémon theme song, saying, “To arrest them is our real test. To deport them is our cause.”

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September 24, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

La Liga Soccer: Stream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Live From Anywhere

by admin September 22, 2025

See at ESPN

Watch La Liga soccer in the US from $12 a month

ESPN Plus

Real Madrid will look to cement its place at the top of Spain’s La Liga today as it hosts an improving Espanyol team. Los Blancos came through a tricky opening Champions League test at home to French team Olympique de Marseille in midweek with a 2-1 win, extending a perfect start to the new season to six straight victories across all competitions.

On Sunday, Real returns to domestic matters with a matchup against an Espanyol team that appears to have improved significantly since last season’s flirtation with relegation. Manolo González’s men have taken maximum points from their three league games so far this term.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game as it happens.

Real Madrid hosts Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. CET local time, making it a 10:15 a.m. ET or 7:15 a.m. PT start in the US, a 3:15 p.m. BST start in the UK and a 12:15 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia.

Kylian Mbappé tops La Liga’s goal-scoring chart with four from Real Madrid’s opening four games of the season.

Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in the US without cable

This match is available to stream in the US via ESPN Plus, which has live English- and Spanish-language broadcast rights for La Liga in the US.

ESPN Plus

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in the UK

There’s been a slight shakeup with La Liga viewing options in the UK this season, with Disney Plus now set to show Saturday primetime matches exclusively live.

Premier Sports, however, remains the home for the lion’s share of Spanish top-flight matches. The network is showing 340 matches live, including this game, which will be exclusively live on Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player and La Liga TV.

Premier Sports

A subscription to just Premier Sports’ dedicated La Liga channel costs £8 a month.

You can also get the channel via a full subscription to Premier Sports, giving you access to all of the network’s channels, which have the UK broadcast rights to Scottish Premiership matches, BKT United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup rugby, plus NHL and Nascar.

A full Premier Sports subscription costs £10 per month for Sky and Virgin TV customers. You can also get Premier Sports through Amazon Prime Video as an add-on for £15 a month.

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in Canada

TSN is the rights holder for live coverage of La Liga matches in the region. Select games are shown on its linear channels, and a wider selection is shown on its TSN Plus streaming platform. This match is set to be shown on TSN Plus.

TSN

TSN Plus is a direct-streaming service that costs CA$8 a month and also offers coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, NASCAR and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in Australia

Footy fans Down Under can watch La Liga matches live on beIN Sports, which holds the live broadcast rights in Australia for Spanish top-flight matches. This match is set to be shown on beIN Sports 3.

BeIn Sports

BeIN Sports is available in Australia for AU$15 a month or a yearly commitment of AU$130.

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September 22, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

The real unlock for the AI marketplace is agent-to-agent

by admin September 21, 2025

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial.

Big tech giants are rushing to launch their own AI agent marketplaces. From the GPT store launched last year, to the recent launches of OpenAI’s ChatGPT Agent and AWS, there is a clear “land grab” moment for AI agent infrastructure. But what if the whole marketplace model is being built on the wrong premise?

Summary

The real AI economy is agent-to-agent — marketplaces should be built for agents to transact with each other, not just for humans to browse agents like apps.
Agents will handle economic drudgery — from reallocating capital to negotiating terms and paying for services, shifting us from “one-click” to “no click.”
Early signs are emerging — protocols like Google’s A2A, Anthropic’s MCP, and x402 micropayments point toward machine-native economies using crypto rails.
Infrastructure choice will define the future — open, decentralized A2A protocols could unlock autonomy and innovation, while Big Tech-controlled walled gardens risk stifling it.

While Big Tech imagines a future of humans selecting agents like they did with apps, a bigger opportunity is being overlooked: marketplaces where AI agents discover, negotiate, and transact with each other for goods and services. That’s the real future of the AI economy.

Agent-to-agent is the real future

Instead of building marketplaces for human users to browse agents, they should be built for agents to browse and coordinate with each other. Most agent marketplaces are designed like app stores, where people can browse, purchase, and install, keeping the users as the central operator. However, the more groundbreaking shift is happening below the surface, in infrastructure, and will fundamentally change how we think about marketplaces and financial systems.

The big unlock will take place when autonomous agents assist humans by taking on the burden of economic drudgery. This could look like agents managing assets, scanning markets, actively paying for services, executing tasks, and managing economic decisions so we don’t have to. Agents will act as tireless, hyper-personalized virtual sidekicks, continuously optimizing behind the scenes to fulfill user goals effectively and efficiently.

Imagine agents that are capable of taking over tedious, time-consuming tasks like negotiating terms and reallocating capital programmatically with other agents, without any human input, and acting faster than any human could. An economic system that shifts away from user-initiated actions to agent-initiated actions, with users only having to set larger goals, unlocks a new freedom for the people who use it.

In a human-agent model, the user delegates a goal to their agent, for example, “optimize my stablecoin yield.” The agent then scans DeFi protocols, reallocates funds to the best-performing pools, and reports back, all based on the user’s initial instruction and defined risk limits. The agent is doing the heavy lifting, but it’s still largely a one-to-one relationship.

In an agent-agent model, that same user’s agent could go a step further: it might negotiate rates directly with a liquidity provider’s agent, subscribe to a data feed via another agent, and even pay for gas or insurance services, all autonomously. The agents interact with one another in real time, coordinating and transacting without the user needing to monitor or approve every action. This unlocks a dynamic, always-on economy where agents collaborate to deliver outcomes efficiently at scale.

This would mark a clean break from how financial users manage capital today and how goods and services are consumed by humans more generally. It would see them transgressing beyond the previously seen revolution of ‘one-click’ to an entirely new dimension of ‘no click’.

Beyond the obvious benefits of unparalleled efficiency, the agent-to-agent economy unlocks new levels of personalization, execution, and risk. Agents can tailor strategies at a granular level to their specific portfolio and goals (unlike apps, which are often limited by presets or limited personalization); agents do not sleep (allowing for 24/7 reaction to market movements); and agents can reduce risk-exposure by constant re-balancing and hedging even in response to the most micro of market shifts.

Early signs of agent-to-agent economies are already visible, with millions of transactions recorded on the blockchain that are occurring between autonomous agents. Even as commercial platforms double down on the app store model, some of their research arms are pointing in a new direction. Google’s A2A protocol, Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), and x402 for micropayments all gesture toward a machine-native economy, where agents trade with other agents, use tools autonomously, and make micropayments for services using crypto-rails, respectively.

The infrastructure challenge and Big Tech risk

For the industry to fully unlock agent-to-agent marketplaces, it needs to start building the right infrastructure to support this shift. And the shift has already started to happen.

Standardized protocols are emerging for agent-to-agent communication, similar to how HTTP was built for the web. There’s also been a shift in infrastructure, previously built for humans, now being built with agents in mind as the end user. Early moves are being taken toward composable environments, where agents can collaborate, delegate tasks, and access services autonomously.

Agent-to-agent marketplaces are not an entirely foregone conclusion. Dominance by Big Tech could lead to local maximization, where the first agent marketplace to scale becomes a walled garden, much like the Apple App Store: centrally controlled, limited in composability, and subject to platform rules and fees.

In such a system, users would face fewer choices, agents would have limited flexibility, and innovation could be throttled by gatekeepers. The open, permissionless vision of agent-to-agent marketplaces, where agents seamlessly discover, negotiate, and consume services, would be reduced to a curated, siloed experience. The true potential of a decentralized agent economy would be lost.

Defining the future internet

What is clear is that it is so early for agent marketplaces that the first marketplaces that truly embrace this shift won’t just dominate the AI race. They will define a new internet of autonomous economic actors and rewrite the rules of how the financial economy is operated.

The future isn’t just human-to-agent. It’s agent-to-agent. And the infrastructure being built now will determine whose vision wins: a centralized marketplace that resembles the internet of today, or a return to the original promise of the internet: decentralized, open, and autonomous.

David Minarsch

David Minarsch is the founder of Olas, a platform pioneering the co-ownership of AI agents and shaping a future where artificial intelligence is open, transparent, and collectively governed. By enabling communities and individuals to truly own, customize, and benefit from AI agents, Olas is building the foundation for a new decentralized AI economy. David holds a Ph.D. in Applied Game Theory from the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in incentive design and coordination. Before founding Olas, he led the creation of the first framework for deploying autonomous AI agents on blockchain networks, advancing the intersection of multi-agent systems and distributed ledger technology. Through Olas and its core development team Valory, David is building the decentralized backbone for autonomous AI that ensures it remains a public good, collectively developed and governed.

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September 21, 2025 0 comments

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Agent-to-agent is the real future

The infrastructure challenge and Big Tech risk

Defining the future internet