https://jasonnelson.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Jason NelsonenWed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/328130/figma-bitcoin-exposure-nyse-debutDesign software giant Figma revealed Tuesday it has been holding onto a multi-million-dollar Bitcoin investment for more than a year, marking a surprising move for the San Francisco-based firm as it seeks a public debut on the New York Stock Exchange.Alongside the company’s listing plans, the filing revealed how Figma’s board of directors approved an investment in the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF shortly after regulators had approved the fund in January of last year.On March 3, 2024, Figma’s board approv...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/328130/figma-bitcoin-exposure-nyse-debuthttps://decrypt.co/328233/app-alerts-you-ice-raids-trump-doj-wants-goneAs immigration raids continue nationwide, a controversial new iOS app that alerts users to ICE activity has sparked a full-blown political and legal firestorm, with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Trump administration officials all threatening legal action.But Joshua Aaron, the app’s creator, says he’s not backing down.“I chose the thing that was happening in this country that really angered me the most, and I figured out a way to do something about it,” Aaron tol...Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/328233/app-alerts-you-ice-raids-trump-doj-wants-gonehttps://decrypt.co/327905/ubisoft-adding-ai-agents-captain-laserhawk-game-vote-governUbisoft is handing control to AI in its latest blockchain experiment, Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E., launching a new text-based governance experience to the Ethereum-based game this week at ETHCC in Paris.In the game, AI agents tied to NFT-based characters don’t just exist—they vote, govern, and evolve based on player choices.Developed in partnership with French AI developer LibertAI, the latest Captain Laserhawk twist introduces AI-powered features to the existing NFT characters called Niji W...Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327905/ubisoft-adding-ai-agents-captain-laserhawk-game-vote-governhttps://decrypt.co/328073/hotels-staffing-robots-guests-freaking-outA TikTok video went viral on Monday, showing a woman laughing nervously as she backs away from a humanoid robot at Japan’s Henn-na Hotel.“Don’t look at me,” she said, as the machine watched her. The scene underscores growing fears that robots are replacing humans in the workplace.The awkward check-in has racked up hundreds of thousands of views and tapped into a deeper fear: robots that are a little too human.“They looked eerily similar to humans and are honestly very creepy,” one traveler said...Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/328073/hotels-staffing-robots-guests-freaking-outhttps://decrypt.co/327908/solana-advisor-nikita-bier-joins-elon-musk-x-crypto-paymentsNikita Bier, a well-known advisor to Solana Labs and app creator, is joining X as head of product, he said Monday.The move comes amid growing speculation about X's plans to evolve into a payments platform—and whether Dogecoin, Elon Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency, will finally find a home there.Dogecoin ticked up slightly following the announcement, rising 1.82% from $0.1645 at 9:30 a.m. PT to a daily high of $0.1675 before falling again to $0.1659.“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve officially posted my...Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327908/solana-advisor-nikita-bier-joins-elon-musk-x-crypto-paymentshttps://decrypt.co/327894/after-poaching-openai-talent-mark-zuckerberg-unveils-new-meta-ai-labThe war for artificial intelligence supremacy is no longer fought in code alone; it’s now a fight over talent, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just pulled off a major heist, poaching talent from rivals OpenAI and Google.Zuckerberg revealed the new AI researcher dream team today, which he called the Meta Superintelligence Labs.Many of the new team members were lured away from rival firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, according to an internal memo obtained by CNBC.The team is led...Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327894/after-poaching-openai-talent-mark-zuckerberg-unveils-new-meta-ai-labhttps://decrypt.co/327246/6-doomsday-scenarios-keep-ai-experts-up-nightAt some point in the future, most experts say that artificial intelligence won’t just get better, it’ll become superintelligent. That means it’ll be exponentially more intelligent than humans, as well as strategic, capable—and manipulative.What happens at that point has divided the AI community. On one side are the optimists, also known as Accelerationists, who believe that superintelligent AI can coexist peacefully and even help humanity. On the other are the so-called Doomers who believe there...Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327246/6-doomsday-scenarios-keep-ai-experts-up-nighthttps://decrypt.co/327489/white-house-weighs-federal-land-fast-tracked-permits-ai-boomThe Trump administration is considering a series of executive orders aimed at expanding the infrastructure necessary to support the growth of artificial intelligence, according to a report by Reuters on Friday.The proposed actions, still unconfirmed by the White House, reportedly include measures to ease access to the power grid, streamline permitting processes, and open federal land for the construction of large-scale data centers.Reuters, citing sources familiar with internal discussions, repo...Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327489/white-house-weighs-federal-land-fast-tracked-permits-ai-boomhttps://decrypt.co/327087/us-housing-head-orders-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-accept-cryptoThe U.S. housing market is bracing for a potential shakeup by the crypto industry.On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin preparing to accept crypto as a form of mortgage-related payment.The directive, announced on X by FHFA Director William Pulte, marks the first major move to incorporate digital assets into the federal mortgage system.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are U.S. government-backed firms that buy mortgages from lenders, package them in...Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327087/us-housing-head-orders-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-accept-cryptohttps://decrypt.co/327047/crypto-vcs-crown-new-unicorn-zama-57-million-raise-1-billion-valuationZama, an open-source cryptography startup aiming to bring complete privacy to public blockchains, has raised $57 million in Series B funding led by Pantera Capital and Blockchange Ventures. The round pushes Zama’s valuation over $1 billion, making it the first company working in advanced encryption to hit unicorn status.Founded in 2020, Zama seeks to bring privacy to public blockchains without compromising transparency or auditability. Zama’s latest funding comes alongside the launch of its publ...Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/327047/crypto-vcs-crown-new-unicorn-zama-57-million-raise-1-billion-valuationhttps://decrypt.co/326863/bernie-sanders-blasts-ai-firms-job-displacement“They couldn’t care less.”That’s how Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) described tech and corporate leaders during a recent appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” warning that artificial intelligence and robotics could soon displace millions of American workers as CEOs pocket the gains.During the two-hour interview, Sanders called for sweeping reforms to protect labor, shorten the workweek, and ensure that the coming wave of automation benefits everyone, not just the wealthy elite.“Here’s what I wor...Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326863/bernie-sanders-blasts-ai-firms-job-displacementhttps://decrypt.co/326588/tech-irans-uranium-destroyedWhile President Donald Trump has heralded the weekend strike on three Iranian nuclear sites as a success, verifying the destruction of uranium stockpiles in Iran is a challenge for U.S. and international intelligence agencies.The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to inspect the damage to the U.S. military’s main target, the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, which is built deep inside a mountain in central Iran, and thus cannot independently verify Trump’s claim that the site...Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326588/tech-irans-uranium-destroyedhttps://decrypt.co/326826/bitcoin-buckeye-state-ohio-eyes-crypto-reserveAfter the Ohio House passed House Bill 116 last week, exempting crypto owners from minor tax burdens, Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Ohio) said the next step is to establish a state Bitcoin reserve.Another bill, House Bill 18, known as the Ohio Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Act, would permit the state treasurer to invest up to 10% of certain public funds in “high-capitalization” cryptocurrencies.“I introduced House Bill 18, which is still in committee,” Demetriou told Decrypt in an interview. "That’...Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326826/bitcoin-buckeye-state-ohio-eyes-crypto-reservehttps://decrypt.co/326163/data-breach-hits-billions-logins-google-facebook-githubA previously unreported data breach has exposed more than 16 billion login credentials, making it one of the largest compilations of stolen personal data ever discovered.First reported by Cybernews, the trove of data includes credentials for widely used services, including Facebook, Google, Telegram, and GitHub, as well as access to corporate, developer, and government websites.Researchers from Cybernews said the information likely comes from a mix of infostealer malware logs, credential stuffin...Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326163/data-breach-hits-billions-logins-google-facebook-githubhttps://decrypt.co/325986/ohio-house-approves-bill-exempting-bitcoin-minor-tax-burdenOhio’s House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to move forward with a new crypto bill that seeks several protections for industry participants, advancing it up the legislative chain and inching it closer to becoming law.If signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio Blockchain Basics Act would prohibit state and local governments from restricting the use of digital assets as payment or interfering with individuals’ use of hardware wallets or “self-hosted” wallets.It would also permit d...Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325986/ohio-house-approves-bill-exempting-bitcoin-minor-tax-burdenhttps://decrypt.co/326063/musk-to-debut-trading-payment-system-x-but-where-is-dogecoinElon Musk is pushing X closer to becoming an ‘everything app,’ with X CEO Linda Yaccarino announcing Tuesday that the platform will soon support in-app investing and trading.Yaccarino said users will be able to buy and trade on the social media platform, according to a report by the Financial Times. She also said the company is exploring an X-branded debit card, although she made no mention of crypto, a Musk passion.“You’ll be able to come to X and be able to transact your whole financial life o...Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326063/musk-to-debut-trading-payment-system-x-but-where-is-dogecoinhttps://decrypt.co/326105/trump-family-reduces-equity-stake-crypto-project-world-libertyThe Trump family has quietly reduced its majority stake in World Liberty Financial, according to an update to the company’s legal disclosure section, signaling a potential shift in the Trump involvement in the controversial DeFi project as it faces growing scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers.First reported by Forbes, DT Marks DEFI LLC—a business entity linked to Donald Trump and certain family members—recently cut its ownership share in the company from 60% to about 40%.“DT Marks DEFI LLC, an ent...Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/326105/trump-family-reduces-equity-stake-crypto-project-world-libertyhttps://decrypt.co/325716/openai-lands-pentagon-dealChatGPT developer OpenAI launched a new division on Monday to further integrate its artificial intelligence tools into U.S. government operations—and it’s starting with a $200 million pilot contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.Musk’s xAI was left behind, which is not surprising given the spectacular blowup the richest man in the world had with President Donald Trump earlier this month.The new federal initiative, dubbed OpenAI for Government, consolidates the company’s existing public-sec...Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325716/openai-lands-pentagon-dealhttps://decrypt.co/325506/polymarket-bets-on-us-strike-against-iran-spike-then-fallAs tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, gamblers on Polymarket are betting heavily that the U.S. will carry out military action against Iran before the end of June.On Monday, the odds that the U.S. will strike Iran before July reached 67%.The surge in betting comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.On Thursday, after Israel launched airstrikes and drone attacks against Iran, Bitcoin dropped 4% to $103,556 from a 24-hour high of $108,500.Although no official confirmation or public...Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325506/polymarket-bets-on-us-strike-against-iran-spike-then-fallhttps://decrypt.co/325678/elon-musks-xai-seeks-4-3-billion-in-fresh-fundingElon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is seeking $4.3 billion in new equity financing, Bloomberg reports, signaling an aggressive expansion push for the company.The latest funding comes in addition to a separate $5 billion debt financing plan announced earlier this month. The fundraises underscore Musk’s renewed focus on building out his AI ventures after leaving the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (aka DOGE) in May.Last year, xAI raised $6 billion in...Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325678/elon-musks-xai-seeks-4-3-billion-in-fresh-fundinghttps://decrypt.co/325397/ai-godfather-warns-superintelligent-machines-kill-off-humans-biowarfareGeoffrey Hinton, widely known as the “Godfather of AI,” issued his starkest warning yet in a new interview, cautioning that artificial intelligence poses not only a threat to jobs, but also an existential risk to humanity as a whole as the world races toward superintelligent machines.Speaking on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast, Hinton outlined a grim vision of the future, suggesting that AI could eventually decide that humanity itself is obsolete.“There's no way we're going to prevent it getting ri...Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325397/ai-godfather-warns-superintelligent-machines-kill-off-humans-biowarfarehttps://decrypt.co/325183/ibm-quantum-roadmap-brings-blockchain-threat-closerQuantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029.Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wou...Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325183/ibm-quantum-roadmap-brings-blockchain-threat-closerhttps://decrypt.co/325240/trump-drone-deregulation-raises-fears-domestic-terror-strikesEarlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping set of executive orders aimed at deregulating commercial drones, flying cars, and supersonic jets—on a promise of “restoring America’s airspace sovereignty.”But as the skies open to innovation, national security experts are sounding alarms: the drone revolution is already being weaponized.From warzones in Iran and Ukraine to insurgent strikes in Africa and the Middle East, commercial drones are no longer just tools of progress—they’re...Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325240/trump-drone-deregulation-raises-fears-domestic-terror-strikeshttps://decrypt.co/325183/ibm-quantum-roadmap-brings-blockchain-threat-closerQuantum computers weren’t expected to pose a threat to Bitcoin’s security anytime soon. But IBM has launched a project that could expedite the timeline: the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, set to debut by 2029.Despite their ability to calculate in multiple directions simultaneously, current-generation quantum computers have high error rates. Without fault tolerance, and the ability to detect and correct errors as they happen, quantum computers can’t run complex algorithms that wou...Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325183/ibm-quantum-roadmap-brings-blockchain-threat-closerhttps://decrypt.co/325003/how-immigrants-and-protesters-are-being-caught-in-ices-ai-dragnetAI surveillance tools once confined to battlefields are now being used by U.S. immigration authorities to monitor streets, protests, and communities across the country. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies are ramping up their use of facial recognition, predictive AI, and military-grade drones. That’s sparked alarm among civil liberties advocates over privacy, oversight, and the targeting of undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.Last weekend, as pro...Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325003/how-immigrants-and-protesters-are-being-caught-in-ices-ai-dragnethttps://decrypt.co/325111/gotbit-founder-sentenced-prison-crypto-wash-tradingCrypto market maker Gotbit and its founder were sentenced Friday for using wash trading to falsely inflate the trading volume of meme coins on behalf of clients.Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley ordered Gotbit Consulting LLC to forfeit $23 million in seized cryptocurrency, with founder Aleksei Andriunin sentenced to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release.Both were charged in 2024 with market manipulation, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The charges were part of...Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/325111/gotbit-founder-sentenced-prison-crypto-wash-tradinghttps://decrypt.co/324532/openai-ceo-says-weve-already-passed-the-superintelligence-event-horizonHumanity may already be entering the early stages of the singularity, the point at which AI surpasses human intelligence, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In a blog post published Tuesday, Altman said humanity has crossed a critical inflection point—an “event horizon”—marking the beginning of a new era of digital superintelligence.“We are past the event horizon; the takeoff has started,” he wrote. “Humanity is close to building digital superintelligence, and at least so far it’s much less wei...Wed, 11 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/324532/openai-ceo-says-weve-already-passed-the-superintelligence-event-horizonhttps://decrypt.co/324698/publicly-traded-firm-building-500-million-fet-treasuryAs companies and governments consider adding Bitcoin to their treasuries, Austin, Texas-based Interactive Strength is taking a different route—committing up to $500 million to buy Fetch.ai (FET) tokens as part of a targeted cryptocurrency strategy.Rather than following the trend of holding Bitcoin as a hedge or brand signal, Interactive Strength is tying its crypto strategy directly to its AI integration roadmap, announcing the close of an initial $55 million investment by private equity firm AT...Wed, 11 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/324698/publicly-traded-firm-building-500-million-fet-treasuryhttps://decrypt.co/324336/robotic-waymo-cars-torched-ice-protest-los-angelesSeveral Waymo autonomous taxis were vandalized and set on fire Sunday during a protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard into the region.What the vehicles were doing there—who sent them, and why—is thus far unknown. Viral videos posted to social media show demonstrators climbing atop the self-driving taxis, smashing windows, and spray-painting the sides of the taxis. At least five vehicles were se...Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/324336/robotic-waymo-cars-torched-ice-protest-los-angeleshttps://decrypt.co/324330/apple-tones-down-ai-hype-wwdc-2025Apple wrapped its WWDC 2025 keynote on Monday with sweeping updates to its device operating systems and a striking new design. But for all the refinements across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, one question lingered: What happened to Apple Intelligence?When Apple’s big push into AI was introduced at WWDC 2024, CEO Tim Cook described it as a “new chapter” for the company—one that combined Apple’s hardware with the growing momentum of generative AI. Apple Intelligence was meant to...Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://decrypt.co/324330/apple-tones-down-ai-hype-wwdc-2025