Ethereum Devs Clash Over Looming Upgrades
Ethereum’s core developers are racing to finalize two significant network upgrades, with the first major milestone just days away.
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AI and security startups blossom on cloudy days
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week confirmed that even when current events cloud the outlook, some startups still manage to raise significant amounts of funding, with those tied to security and … Read more
Meta is working on ‘humanoid’ robots, too
Meta is planning to design the hardware and software for humanoid robots, according to a report from Bloomberg. Sources tell the outlet that a newly formed team within Meta’s Reality Labs division will start by working on “humanoid robot hardware” capable of completing household chores. Bloomberg notes that Meta has broader goals of making “the … Read more
Edgware 1924: The Making of a Suburb
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Roblox is still trying to convince lawmakers it’s not social media
As the new Congress has already started working on legislation to protect kids from social media harms, Roblox is doubling down on its efforts to convince lawmakers it shouldnât be lumped in with products like Instagram and YouTube. Even though the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) failed to become law last year, despite passing handily … Read more
Jupiter buybacks to top $100M annually: Research
Based on Solana, Jupiter is the most popular DEX aggregator by trading volume.
Meta confirms ‘Project Waterworth,’ a global subsea cable project spanning 50,000 kilometers
Back in November, we broke the news that Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with billions of users accounting for 10% of all fixed and 22% of all mobile traffic — was close to announcing work on a major new, $10 billion+ subsea cable project to connect up the globe. The aim was … Read more
Coin Terminal And ZetaChain Unite To Launch AI-Powered Crypto Hackathon With $1M In Funding
CoinTerminal, one of the leading crypto IDO launchpads, has partnered with ZetaChain, the new L1 and Universal Blockchain for cross-chain interoperability, to host an exclusive online hackathon – AI3. This groundbreaking event aims to uncover the most promising and impactful blockchain projects, fueling their growth with up to $1 million in funding raised through CoinTerminal’s … Read more
Wisconsin More Than Doubled BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Holdings to 6M Shares
Wisconsin’s investment board saw fit to significantly add to its bitcoin (BTC) bet in the last three months of the year. The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) disclosed ownership of just over 6 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as of the Dec. 31, per a 13F filing on Friday, up from … Read more
Mastodon is working to add the controversial ‘quote posts’ feature
Mastodon, the decentralized alternative to X, is going to adopt a controversial feature from the platform formerly known as Twitter: quote posts. The company on Friday shared the progress it’s making on the implementation of the feature, which has divided users over its potential to be used for online abuse and bullying. Critics have long … Read more
Whale.io Says Goodbye To Telegram And Focuses On Web
In a landmark move, Whale Casino, the biggest project and one of the most prominent operators in the Telegram community, has announced a shift in its operational strategy. The operator has decided to discontinue its Telegram bot service due to recent changes in the platform and decided to concentrate on its web platform, whale.io, heralding … Read more
Instagram starts testing new button that might downrank comments
Instagram is beginning to test a button that “gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment,” Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says in a post on Threads. The button, based on a screenshot from a Threads user, is a downward-facing arrow next to the like button in comments. … Read more
Has Ethereum lost its edge? Experts weigh in
The latest Cointelegraph video analyzes the factors behind Ether’s underperformance and explores its potential for a comeback in 2025.
Justin Sun on Mars, Tropico, Game of Thrones, and That Banana
Justin Sun wishes he could travel more. But there’s too much to do. “There are too many exciting things happening in crypto every week,” he said in a December interview with CoinDesk at home in Hong Kong. “I don’t really take vacation time. It’s hard to get away for a week.” If Sun did take … Read more
Sahil Arora ‘Rugs’ Fake Dog Coin of Binance Founder ‘CZ’ Using Caitlyn Jenner Deployer Wallet
After the Binance founder posted his dog, Sahil Arora created a token for it, using the JENNER deployer wallet, and dumped on buyers.
National Bank of Canada hints at bearish take on Bitcoin
According to data from Farside Investors, outflows from Bitcoin ETFs topped $647 million amid four consecutive days of capital flight.
Small businesses are already feeling Trump’s tariffs
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico are presented by the president and his boosters as a boon to American businesses. If products from China are more expensive, the argument goes, then people will instead buy from counterparts based in the US. But for small businesses manufacturing in the US, the tariffs are … Read more
Crypto-Powered Loyalty Apps Empower Brands to Enter Web3
Brands struggle to engage Web3 audiences due to the technical complexity of the space, the need for specific domain knowledge, nontraditional community dynamics, prior understanding of blockchain technology, and loose regulations. This complicates partnerships, fundraising, and even optics for Web3 products and services, creating a cycle in which breakout technology is consistently underfunded due to … Read more
What to Expect at Consensus Hong Kong
Consensus, the world’s longest-running crypto conference, opens in Hong Kong next week, offering a unique viewpoint into digital assets in Asia. More than 270 speakers and thousands of attendees from over 90 countries are expected at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the event being held from Tuesday, Feb. 18 to Thursday, Feb. … Read more
El Salvador Dispatch: The Origins of the Bitcoin Experiment
This article is part of a four-piece series on El Salvador. You can find the previous dispatch, a story on Bitcoin City, here. The sun was setting as I rolled into El Zonte, a small surfing village on the coast of El Salvador. It was a late January afternoon. The sky had turned pink and … Read more
BANANA Is Live On LINE’s Dapp Portal, Pioneering AI-Powered Data Sovereignty And Rewards
Santa Clara, California, February 14th, 2025/Chainwire/–BANANA, the AI-driven idle game powered by CARV known for its meme-inspired banana collecting and innovative data monetization, is proud to announce its official launch on LINE’s Dapp Portal. After rapidly scaling to 18 million users on Telegram since July 2024—including 10 million in its first month—BANANA is now expanding … Read more
These 4 Projects Prove DePIN is Changing Infrastructure for the Better
The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) model is reshaping how digital and physical infrastructure is managed. By leveraging blockchain technology and cryptoeconomic incentives, DePINs allow individuals to contribute computing power, wireless coverage, sensor data, and other resources in exchange for rewards. While DePINs have primarily been associated with wireless networks and geospatial data collection, new … Read more
Businesses Are Wondering if AI Security Makes People Feel Safe
Venue security is a massive effort, requiring numerous observant workers, specialized equipment and a deep understanding of characteristics such as the number and location of entrances and exits. It’s no surprise that some companies have artificial intelligence (AI) products to help — but do they make people feel safer, and how well do they work? … Read more
Biohacking Your Health Through Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
In a world saturated with fitness fads and questionable diets, finding scientifically proven ways to unlock better health can be challenging. What if the key to understanding your busy is in your hair? Discover what a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is and what it tells you about your mineral levels. :::warning HackerNoon Editor’s note: … Read more
A job ad for Y Combinator startup Firecrawl seeks to hire an AI agent for $15K a year
Last week, an ad from the Y Combinator job board for a tiny startup called Firecrawl went viral on X. That’s because the ad wasn’t for a human. “Please apply only if you are an AI agent, or if you created an AI that can fill this job,” the job posting read. The seven-person startup … Read more
Instagram tests a ‘dislike’ button for comments
After users noticed a new button on Instagram to downvote or dislike comments, the company confirmed that it is testing a way for users to signal that they either didn’t like the comment or don’t think it’s relevant. The feature will appear across both Feed posts and Reels. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a … Read more